11] 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Fclru^r}'^  11,  1[0'. 
be  to  make  this  store  available  to  the  trees  and  plants. 
Poorly  tilled  orchard  land  not  only  refuses  to  yield  up 
its  own  stores  of  wealth,  but  it  will  delay  and  even  pre¬ 
clude  the  good  results  from  plant-foods  which  may  be  added 
to  it.  Make  the  phj^sical  and  environmental  conditions 
right  and  the  addition  of  plant-food  will  be  felt  and  appre- 
(irted.  Few  people  are  aware  that  tlie  teison  of  growth 
of  the  Plum  and  allied  fruit  trees  extends  scarcely  to  mid¬ 
summer,  and  that  they  cease  growing  very  early  in  the 
autumn.  This  is,  no  doubt,  one  reason  Avhy  they  are  able 
to  endure  the  severity  of  the  hardest  winter.  It  is  also  a 
reason  why  the  plant-food  in  the  soil  should  be  in  a  readily 
available  form  for  the  trees  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  show 
life  and  vigour  in  the  early  spring. 
Composition  of  the  Fruit. 
It  may  be  of  interest  and  practical  value  to  quote  a 
chemical  analysis  of  a  sample  of  Green  Gage  Plums  and  a 
sample  of  Damsons. 
Table  showing  the  percentage  composition  of  the  ashes 
of  the  fruit  of  Green  Gage  Plum  and  of  the  fruit  of  the 
Damson : — 
Pot.ash  . 
Plums 
per  cent. 
59-21 
Damsons 
per  cent. 
45-98 
Soda  . 
0-54 
5-66 
Lime  . 
10-04 
12-65 
Magnesia . 
5-46 
8-17 
Iron  oxide 
6-04 
1-19 
Phosphoric  acid.. 
12-26 
13-83 
Sulphuric  acid  ... 
3-83 
2-37 
Silica 
2-36 
9-22 
The  data  thus  given  shows  that  the  Green  Gage  Plum  is  an 
exceedingly  large  consumer  of  potash,  this  fruit  extracting 
from  the  soil  nearly  14  per  cent,  in  excess  of  the  fruit  of 
the  Damson  ;  in  fact,  of  all  our  English  fruits  the  Green 
Gage  Plum  appears  to  require  the  largest  amount  of  potash 
to  form  its  fruit,  the  Apricot  coming  next  in  this  pai:ticular. 
Phosphoric  acid  is  the  next  ingredient  in  importance,  and 
then  lime.  The  Damson  being  the  greater  consumer  of 
both  these  elements.  The  difference  in  the  amount  of 
soda  of  the  ashes  between  the  Plum  and  the  Damson  is 
remarkable,  as  is  also  that  of  the  element  silica. 
Manurial  Requirements. 
All  rational  systems  of  manuring  must  include  the 
renewal  from  time  to  time  of  the  vegetable  organic  matter 
of  the  soil ;  Nature  adds  the  organic  matter  to  the  soil  by 
growing  plants  upon  it,  and  then  incorporating  their 
remains  with  it.  The  same  result  may  be  best  obtained  by 
the  fruit  grower  by  the  supply  of  farmyard  manure  or  by 
turning  under  of  green  crops  ;  this  eventually  is  converted 
into  humus,  the  importance  of  which  as  a  soil  constituent 
it  is  difficult  to  over-estimate.  It  not  only  liberates  slowly 
and  continuously  its  plant  food,  but  vastly  improves  the 
soil  texture,  whether  it  be  a  clay  or  a  sandy  loam.  It 
increases  the  soil’s  powder  for  absorbing  and  retaining 
moisture,  and  it  furnishes  the  best  material  for  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  microbe  life,  which,  as  noAV  known,  plays  so  impor¬ 
tant  a  part  in  increasing  a  soil’s  fertility. 
Experiments  now  being  made  shoAv  that  the  addition  of 
concentrated  or  chemical  manures  to  heavy  orchard  lands 
does  not  promise  very  important  results  ;  but  there  are 
greater  hopes  from  experiments  in  the  sowing  of  Clover 
and  similar  leguminous  crops  between  the  rows  of  trees, 
and  in  the  use  of  stable  or  farmyard  manure.  An  instance 
is  known  of  an  orchard  so  treated  growing  excellent  crops 
of  Plums  (the  season  being  favourable)  for  twenty  consecu¬ 
tive  years.— J.  J.  Willis,  Harpenden. 
— ^ - 
Question  Night. 
A  brief  reminder  from  a  correspondent  at  Birmingliam  has 
been  the  cau.se  of  our  again  bringing  forward  the  suggestion 
that  gardeners’  mutual  improvement  and  debating  societies 
.should  more  and  more  adopt  the  question  night,  not  as  stop¬ 
gaps  in  the  ab.sence  of  an  e.s.say  as  at  present,  but  as  the 
invariable  rule.  To  our  own  minds  there  is  more  to  be  said 
for  the  que.stion  night  method  of  procedure  at  these  meetings 
than  there  is  for  the  system  of  reading  essays  and  discussing 
them  afterwards.  The  interest  is  spread  over  a  larger  number 
of  the  audience,  and  under  the  leadership  of  an  adroit  chair¬ 
man,  discus.sions  and  que.stionings  need  not  be  allowed  to  fall 
to  a  trio  or  quartette  of  speakers ;  everyone  can  ask  for  or 
impart  knowledge,  and  if  perfectly  satisfactory  information  be 
not  forthcoming,  the  members  are  left  with  something  to  think 
over  and  inve.stigate  through  books  or  in  their  practice. 
The  note  we  refer  to  as  coming  from  Birmingham  tells  us 
that  at  the  latest  meeting  of  the  gardeners’  society  there,  Mr. 
Lohrman,  one  of  the  memhers,  presented  a  “question  box” 
(a  receptacle  for  questions  by  members  requiring  information 
of  horticultural  interest).  Messrs.  Lohrman  mentioned  that 
this  system  was  much  favoured  in  Germany.  “  The  box  was  con¬ 
structed  of  polished  American  mahogany,  enriched  with  polished 
brass  plates,  one  engraved  with  the  apropos  motto,  ‘Mutual 
communication  giveth  knowledge  ’  ;  and  the  other,  ‘  Presented 
to  the  Birmingham  and  Midland  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improve¬ 
ment  Association  by  Me,s.srs.  Lohrman,  February  1,  1904.” 
- - 
American  Florists’  and  Gardeners’  Clubs. 
In  nearly  every  extensive!  city  of  the  Fnited  States  the 
florists  and  gardeners  have  what  are  known  as  florists’  clubs,  one 
in  each  city.  The  club  meets  once  a  month  and  discusses  timely 
horticultural  topics.  These  clubs,  when  properly  handled,  do 
much  good ;  they  bring  the  members  into  close  acquaintance,  and 
all  become  familiar  with  the  newest  and  best  varieties  oLplants, 
and  the  best  paying  and  most  progre.ssive  methods  of  cultivation 
and  construction.  Arc.  These  clubs  are  not  beneficiary  societies 
in  any  way.  As  I  have  for  several  years  been  president  of  “  The 
Pittsburgh  and  Allegheny  Florists’  and  Gardeners’  Club  ”  (writes 
Mr.  Wm.  Falconer,  in  the  “Gardening  World”),  I  will  tell  you 
something  about  what  we  do.  Pittsburgh  is  a  city  of  over 
360,000  people  ;  Allegheny  is  an  adjoining  city  of  130,000  inhabi¬ 
tants  ;  and  within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles  there  are  several 
other  cities,  towns  and  boroughs,  in  all  amounting  to  750,000  or 
thereabouts. 
The  one  club  sufiices  for  all.  We  hire  a  small  hall  one  night  a 
month.  Our  annual  dues  are  2  dollars  a  year,  just  enough  to 
pay  our  expenses.  We  meet  at  night  from  8  to  10,  but  it  is  often 
11  before  we  get  thr.ough,  and  our  meetings  are  well  attended, 
bright  and  interesting.  Routine  business  is  brief,  and  long  dis¬ 
cus.sions  are  disallowed.  A  special  subject,  as  the  Rose, 
Carnation,  house  decorations  or  the  like,  is  taken  up  for  con¬ 
sideration  and  discussion  at  each  meeting;  it  is  announced  at 
the  previous  meeting,  and  all  come  prepared  to  handle  it,  and  a 
special  exhibition  of  the  subject  is  made.  For  instance,  if  it  be 
Roses,  the  several  growers  of  Roses  send  in  a  few  of  their 
cho:ce.st  flowers,  and  a  letter  of  request  is  sent  out  to  the  utter¬ 
most  ends  of  the  countiy  to  the  raisers  of  new  varieties  or 
growers  of  special  kinds  for  exhibits  of  their  Roses  and  a  few 
notes  about  them.  This  brings  together  a  mo.st-  in.structive 
display.  No  papers  are  prepared  or  read.  A  busy  gardener  or 
florist  has  no  time  to  prepare  a  pajicr ;  besides,  the  very  thought 
of  having  to  prepare  and  read  a  paper  would  scare  some  of  the 
very  be,st  growers  from  the  club.  But  the  most  diffident  culti¬ 
vator  will  answer  que.stions  as  fast  as  you  ply  them. 
The  president  takes  the  chair,  and  gets  through  the 
routine  busine.ss  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  subject  of 
the  evening  is  to  be  Roses.  The  standard  sorts  are 
taken  fir.st,  and  one  variety  at  a  time  is  placed  on 
his  table.  These,  American  Beauties,  ivere  grown  by  John 
Smith.  John  is  asked  the  condition  of  his  crop,  when  he 
planted  them,  how  far  apart,  how  deep  the  soil,  the  composition 
of  his  soil,  about  temperature,  ventilation,  training  or  tying, 
second  crop,  mildew,  red  .spider,  fertilisers,  &c. ,  and  John  will 
answer  each  question  pointedly  and  promptly.  Then  the  chair¬ 
man  will  ask  other  growers  pointed  questions  as  regards  their 
experience  and  practice,  and  there  will  be  an  explanation  of 
differences  in  treatment,  or  marketing,  or  cropping.  There  is 
no  he.sitation  or  dulnes.s ;  sometimes  three  or  four  men  try  to 
speak  at  once.  The  Beauties  are  passed  and  removed,  and  on  to 
the  table  come  Meteors,  and  after  them  Brides,  Te.stouts,  and  so 
on,  each  one  in  its  turn.  Then  come  the  new  varieties,  and  tho 
way  they  are  torn  to  pieces  sometimes  makes  one  sorry  they  eve? 
appeared.  But  it  is  a  critical  audience  and  an  honest  one. 
Dahlias  were  our  .subject  in  October.  We  had  a  large  exhibition 
of  flowers,  and  the  meeting  was  packed  to  the  door.  What 
became  of  the  blossoms?  They  were  divided  among  the  mem¬ 
bers,  every  man  carrying  home  an  armful,  or  a  huge  hand  bunch. 
Our  la.st  meeting  (November)  discu.ssed  Chrysanthemums.  One 
hundred  and  sixty-three  di.stinct  sorbs  came  before  us,  some  from 
800  mile.s  away  ;  and  they  were  classified  and  handled  in  the  same 
Avay.  All  of  our  local  daily  newspapers  report  these  meetings, 
and  they  also  are  noted  in  all  of  our  horticultural  or  florist 
papers.  Once  a  year,  in  the  summer-time,  Ave  have  an  outdoor 
picnic. 
