123 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  11,  19C4.' 
The  Horticultural  Hall. 
in  the  process  of  excessive  propagation  will  be  so  weakened  that 
the  effort  to  provide  a  disease-resisting  race  of  the  noble  tuber 
will  be  a  futile  one.  When  the  absurdly  high  figure  £100  is  paid 
for  half  a  pound  of  small  tubers,  when  and  at  what  probable 
period  is  the  private  grower  and  consuming  public  to  benefit? 
That  the  effort  to  provide  a  disease-resisting  race  is  justified 
needs  no  emphasis,  but  we  have  no  assurance  yet  that  such  a 
state  of  satisfaction  is  honestly  within  view,  nor  is  it  likely  to  be 
while  such  sums  are  demanded  for  new  stocks. — W.  S. 
- <•••> - 
Noticing  in  last  week’s  Joumal  that  your  correspondent 
“G.  H.  H.”  has  referred  on  page  101  to  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society’s  new  hall,  suggesting  a  subscription  from  gardeners,  I 
would  ask,  Cannot  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  offer  some 
real  benefit  to  the  affiliated  societies  to  subscribe  towards  the 
cause,  as  many  country  gardeners  and  amateurs  cannot  see  any 
benefit  in  sending  their  hard-earned  money  to  London  for  a  new 
hall  unless  they  can  see  some  small  return.  Having  just  lately 
had  the  opinion  of  over  100  members  of  an  affiliated  society,  I 
am  sure  something  should  be  done  in  induce  societies  to  subscribe. 
— A  Collector. 
Matters  of  Moment. 
The  forcible  but  plain  arguments  advanced  by  “  G.  H.  H.” 
(page  101)  are  most  interesting,  and  should  be  the  means  of 
enlisting  greater  .sympathy  and  more  active  support  from  the 
many  who,  in  Parliamentary  language,  sit  on  the  fence  awaiting 
the  evolution  of  the  all  and  everything  pertaining  to  the  chari¬ 
table  and  other  phases  of  which  ■' G.  H.  H.”  writes  so  well,  so 
fluently,  and  so  truthfully.  The  average  gardener’s  life  is,  and 
will  always  be,  one  of  comparative  seclusion.  This  being  so,  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  the  associations  and  societies  which  of  late 
have  claimed  so  much  notice  need  time  to  enlist  that  practical 
.sympathy  which  .is  so  much  desired.  At  pre.sent  the  laxity  of 
action  extended  to  the  various  movements  instanced  by 
“  G.  H.  H.”  must  have  a  depressing  effect  on  those  who  have 
done  and  are  still  endeavouring  to  espouse  their  cause  and  place 
them  on  a  basis  which  by  active  combination  might  become  so 
helpful,  not  only  to  gardeners  and  gardening,  but  even  Imperial 
needs.  Such  a  small  percentage  of  subscribers  to  the 
Gardeners’  Benevolent  Institution 
ns  that  in>tanc.^d  by  the  Jaurnnl  <  f  llartinJiurc  recently  seems 
almost  incredible.  The  benefit  that  might  accrue  from  the 
annual  gained  to  the'  subscriber  and  others  less  fortunate  in 
life’s  race  can  be  realised  from  cause  and  effect  so  lamentably 
found  in  the  candidates’  li'-t  issued  each  year  just  prior  to  the 
election  day.  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  if  the  advantages  of 
the  institution  could  be  brought  personally  before  those  non¬ 
subscribing  but  eligible  “  factions  cf  the  fraternity  ”  many  recruits 
could  be  had  without  much  undue  persuasion.  One  would  think, 
however,  that  the  frequent  and  eloquent  references  and  appeals 
made  would  carry  conviction ;  but  in  tliis,  as  in  many  other 
matters,  there  are  persons  obdurate  and  unconvertible.  It  may 
not  prove  remunerative  to  appoint  a  canvasser  to  “call  in”  the 
wavering  ones,  but  could  this  not  be  done  on  commission  by 
commercial  men  who  traverse  everv  British  county  in  the  varied 
gardening  interests?  The  annually  published  list  would  afford 
R  good  directory  in  finding  absent  names. 
The  Horticultural  Hall. 
In  his  reference  to  tiie  new  hall  “  G.  H.  H.”  very  rightly  sa.ys 
that  “  private  gardeners  cannot  be  expected  to  do  much  them- 
selvms  towards  this  object,  and  more  especially  those  who  already 
are  guinea  subscribers.”  The  means  of  the  average  gardener  are 
too  .slender  to  permit  of  much  speculation  in  extras  ;  but,  while 
admitting  this,  I  am  iier.-^uaded  that  a  shilling  or  half-crown  fund 
might  be  inade  a  useful  medium  for  helping  out  the  debt.  Many 
might  afford  these  amounts  if  such  a  fund  were  opened,  while 
they  feel  compelled  by  stress  of  circumstances  to  hold  aloof  from 
an  outlay  involving  a  sacrifice  which  one’s  moans  do  not  provide 
nor  circumstances  justify. 
Gardeners’  Association — Potato  Socteta'. 
The  lack  of  interest  in  the  proposed  National  Gardeners’ 
Association  seems  to  me  somewhat  explained  in  the  fact  that  it 
is  not  clear  to  many  what  are  the  objects  aimed  at  and  benefits 
to  be  derived.  The  title  should  indeed  be  a  fascinating  one,  and 
the  scheme-  ought  to  imply  benefit,  but  the  country  gardener 
needs  more  than  a  superficial  outline.  The  scheme  deserves  far 
better  than  to  be  killed  by  indifference,  but  its  objects  and 
purpose  miLst  be  made  clear  ere  converts  voluntarily  ascend  the 
platform  and  proclaim  conversion. 
The  Potato  Society  might  do  much  good  by  protecting  the 
purchasing  public  against  the  craze  for  high  prices.  New  stocks 
The  Abortive  Gardeners’  Association. 
It  was  with  considerably  more  regret  than  surprise  that  I 
learned  from  the  issue  of  February  4  that  this  project  had  been 
abandoned.  [Not  quite;  another  general  meeting  takes  place 
on  the  23rd. — Ed.1  That  the  idea  met  with  some  amount  of 
adverse  criticism  was  not  alone  .sufficient  to  account  for  its  down¬ 
fall.  A  newly-created  body  usually  looks  to  be  criticised,  and 
such  criticism  is  generally  looked  upon  as  a  healthy  sign  of  interest 
in  its  formation  and-  proceedings.  Sneers  and  gibes  as  to  the 
sorting  and  grading  of  gardeners  in  the  same  way  as  is  recom¬ 
mended  for  Potatoes  may  not  have  been  without  their  effect,  I 
fear,  but  were  scarcely  worthy  of  notice.  I  suspect  the  apathetic 
attitude  of  gardeners  is  more  to  blame  than  anything  else  for  the 
abrupt  ending  of  the  scheme.  When  we  know  that  not  one  in 
ten  supports  one  of  the  best  of  their  charitable  in.stitutions,  it  is 
after  all  not  surprising  to  find  the  result  sO'  unsatisfactory.  Per¬ 
sonally,  such  an  association  as  mooted  would  have  very  little 
effect,  and  there  are  many  other  members  of  the  profession  in 
like  condition;  still,  there  are  those  who  come  after.  Why  gar¬ 
deners  cannot  be  possessed  of  an  institute  or  association  which 
shall  have  the  power  to  give  assistance,  or  through  whose  courses 
of  instruction  young  men  shall  pass  and  obtain  a  recognised 
status,  is,  put  bluntly,  merely  owing  to  <a  lack  of  energy  and 
money.  Architects,  engineers,  surveyors,  and  others  all  possess 
some  such  institution,  but  gardeners  are  .  servants,  and  unless 
their  employers  can  be  interested  on  their  behalf  (it  would  even¬ 
tually  be  very  much  to  the  employers’  interests  also)  in  this 
matter,  it  is  very  much  to  be  feared  it  will  never  get  much 
forwarder. — Provincial. 
- - 
Ordering  Fruit  Trees. 
I  have  to  thank  Mr.  Bunyard  for  his  explanation  with  regard 
to  the  ordering  of  fruit  trees  and  the  difficulty  and  inconvenience 
experienced  in  obtaining  certain  varieties.  The  form  of  treu 
which  caused  the  trouble  was  bush  or  pyramid  and  maidens — 
surely  neither  offering  any  excuse  for  ab.sent  stock?  and  especially 
so  earlj-  in  the  planting  season  as  October.  Had  it  been  February 
and  March,  then  it  could  be  much  better  understood.  One  might 
easily  understand,  too,  that  trees  of  fancy  shape  or  design  might 
easily  fail  to  maintain  supply;  but  the  maiden,  of  all  forms, 
should  be  in  hand,  especially  when  catalogued.  Mr.  Bunyard 
says  :  “  If  purchaser.s  would  leave  themselves  in  the  nurserymen’s 
hands  to  select  substitutes  to  fill  orders  they  would  often  get 
better  trees  and  of  varieties  superior  to  their  own  selection.” 
Does  Mr.  Bunyard  imply  by  this  quotation  that  gardeners  are 
not  qualified  nor  sufficiently  experienced  to  make  their  own 
selection?  Much  as  I  respect  Mr.  Bunyard’s  good  name  and 
reputation,  I  certainly  should  not  bow  to  this.  In  a  large  garden 
furnished  with  fruit  trees' of  nearly  all  the  standard  varietie.s 
there  must  needs  be  a  weeding  out,  and  sometimes  an  extension 
of  some  particular  fruit.  A  garden  cannot  be  expected  to  go  on 
for  all  time  without  interchange  of  variety,  and  thus  when  new 
tree.s  have  to  be  purchased  it  becomes  imperative  that  tho.se  kinds 
which  are  fouud  suited  to  the  soil  and  the  purpose  of  consumption 
be  selected.  AVherein,  then,  is  the  nurseryman’s  selection  likely 
to  be  superior,  remembering  that  the  order  is  directed  strictly  in 
accordance  with  local  necessity? 
The  substitution  which  Mr.  Bunyard  emphasises  was  actually 
permitted  in  the  case  of  some  varieties  a.sked  for,  and  how  did 
it  help  me?  only  in  so  far  as  the  new  comers  were  actually  iden¬ 
tical  with  some  that  were  being  discarded  as  worthless,  and  one 
particular  variety  I  would  not  plant  if  I-  was  offered  trees  gratis. 
Mr.  Bunyard’s  defence  of  the  trade  applies  amply  to  his  own  case, 
and  I  look  upon  him  as  one  of  the  be.st  of  present-day  authoritie.s 
in  fruit  selection ;  but  I  think  my  former  note  clearly  explained 
that  catalogues  are  compiled  without  due  regal’d  being  paid  to 
the  stock  those  catalogues  represent— at  least,  it  is  so  in  some 
cases.  In  planting  a  new  garden  or  an  orchard  the  ca,se  is  very 
different  from  that  of  renovating  an  older  one  already  established. 
A  substitution  might  be  permissible  in  this  instance,  but  neither 
is  Mr.  Bunyard’s  or  other  nursery  trade  derived  from  the  growth 
of  new  gardens  and  orchard  plantations,  nor  could  the  mo.st 
experienced  tradesman  or  gardener  select  a  given  number  of 
kinds  that  would  satisfy  anywhere  and  everywhere,  and  of  Pears 
in  particular. — Pl.anter. 
