February  4,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
101 
for  food,  and  it  I’eally  does  seem  at  last  that  importunity  has 
‘‘caught  on.” 
Well,  Potatoes,  like  the  poor,  we  have  always  with  us,  and 
by  improvements  in  ‘tuber,  good  cultivation,  careful  winter 
storage,  and  by  encouraging  men  to  come  back  to  the  land,  four 
times  at  least  more  bulk  could  be  secured  and  stored  to  face  its 
part  against  any  scarcity  of  food  that  may  be  caused  by  untoward 
contingencies. 
I  had  got  on  with  my  episode  thus  far  when,  by  the  irony  of 
fate,  I  received  a  letter  from  the  secretary  of  the  Potato  Society. 
I  think  what  I  have  written  will  be  an  answer  to  him,  and  prove 
that  I  have  long  ago  done,  am  doing,  and  I  shall  always  be  happy 
to  do,  all  that  lies  in  my  power  for  the  lasting  interests  and  well 
maintenance  of  the  “  noble  tuber.” 
Let  me  add  how'  glad  I  was  to  read  ‘‘  our  chaplain’s  ”  philo- 
.sophical  article  introductory  to  the  new  year — ^to  find  that  he 
is  still  spared  for  you  and  your  readers.  May  his  shadow  never 
be  less! — Robt.  Fenn,  Sulhampstead,  January  23,  1904. 
Matters  of  Moment. 
Things  That  Concern  Us. 
Excepting  those  members  of  the  horticultural  fraternity  who 
live  within  or  just  outside  the  pall  of  London  smoke,  gardeners 
mostly  lead  quiet  lives.  The  establishments  in  which  they  labour 
are  chiefly  situated  in  .secluded  places  away  from  the  rush  of  the 
world,  and  consequently  the  gardener  lives  very  much  alone. 
He  learns  tidings  of  how  the  gardening  world  wags  through  the 
medium  of  his  weekly  horticultural  journal,  and  if  he  shuns  the 
calendar  of  seasonable  operations  entirely,  and  disniksses  the 
solid  and  sternly  practical  cultural  articles  with  a  cursory  glance, 
it  must  be  said  of  him  that  he  greedily  devours  every  scrap  of 
news.  Fresh  departures,  dtscussions,  and  items  of  current 
interest  are  what  the  country  gardener  delights  in,  and  he  trusts 
to  his  weekly  paper  to  keep  him  posted  up  in  the  particulars  of 
all  important  events  as  they  take  place.  Our  country  gardener 
i,s  not  a  great  traveller;  indeed,  some  boast  that  they  have  never 
had  a  holiday  in  their  lives,  and  his  chief  outings  are  visits  to 
neighbouring  gardens,  keeping  judging  engagements  at  local 
flower  shows,  with  now  and  then  a  triii  to  London,  the  Mecca  of 
horticulturists,  the  seat  of  gardendom  government,  and  the  place 
that  claims  the  best  of  what  horticulture  produces.  The  country 
gardener  picks  his  time  for  his  Metropolitan  visit,  which 
invariably  takes  place  when  the  Temple  Show  or  .some  other  event 
that  interests  him  is  on,  because  at  these  times  he  knows  he  will 
meet  wdth  brothers  of  the  craft  with  whom  he  can  discuss  the 
topics  that  are  near  and  dear  to  the  fraternity.  I  do  not  .saj' 
‘••hat'"  the  country  gardener  feels  the  solitude  of  his  life,  or  sighs 
for  anything  more  exciting,  because  he  is  a  busy  man,  and  there 
is  that  in  his  occupation  which  keeps  him  interested ;  but, 
neverthele.ss,  his  immediate  surroundings  become  his  little  world, 
and  he  is  apt  to  look  on  the  events  outside  it  as  matters  which 
do  not  concern  him. 
Let  us  look  into  things  a  little  and  see  whether  this  really 
is  so.  What  did  I  read  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  for 
.January  28?  That  out  of  10,000  gardeners  in  the  United 
Kingdom  not  1,000  subscribe  to  the  funds  of  the  Gardeners’ 
Benevolent  Institution.  Does  this  concern  us?  Yes,  I  think 
so.  At  the  annual  meeting  on  January  21,  and  the  friendly 
supper  which  followed  it,  both  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton  and  Mr. 
Harry  Veitch  enlarged  on  the  good  that  the  .society  is  doing,  but 
they  pathetically  pointed  out  the  greater  amount  of  good  it  might 
do  if  private  gardeners  would  only  recognise  their  responsibilities, 
and  realise  how  much  this  matter  concerns  them.  It  must  be 
said  in  all  fairness  to  the  wealthy  section  of  the  horticultural 
fraternity  that  they  subscribe  liberally  to  the  charity,  but  they 
cannot  be  expected  to  do  everything.  It  is  the  mites  of  the  many 
that  tell.  Look  at  the  money  that  is  amassed  by  the  members  of 
the  Salvation  Army  during  self-denial  week,  and  largely  by  people 
who  can  spare  but  little. 
Again  I  ask,  does  this  matter  concern  gardeners  individually 
and  collectively?  The  Scottish  Horticultural  Society,  with  its 
1,200  members,  has  no  auxiliary  branch,  so  we  are  told  on  page  69, 
and  in  the  majority  of  large  centre.s  in  the  country  which  are 
surrounded  with  gardens  and  gardenei’s  nothing  or  very  little 
is  done,  and  yet  only  twelve  out  of  more  than  fifty  candidates 
could  be  elected,  because  the  liabilities  have  so  largely  increased, 
and  the  committee  could  not  see  its  way  to  go  any  nearer  the 
reserve  fund.  This  is  mournful  reading,  and  it  concerns  the 
private  gardener. 
It  is  no  business  of  mine  to  enquire  into  the  causes  whj'  the 
above  candidates  are  in  need  of  financial  assistance,  but  few 
gardeners  earn  enough  to  save  a  competence  for  old  age,  and 
there  is  no  need  for  a  man  to  subscribe  to  the  Institution  with 
the  sole  idea  that  he  is  helping  others.  If  he  is  doing  this  so. 
mu«4i  the  better  for  him,  but  many  gardeners  who  thought  that 
they  would  never  be  in  need  of  it  have  been  glad  to  acceiit  the 
pension  granted  by  the  Institution. 
Let  us  turn  now  to  other  matters  of  interest  in  the  gardening 
world.  The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  is  building  a  Horti¬ 
cultural  Hall  in  London,  and  is  making  a  strenuous  effort  to  pay 
for  it.  Gardeners,  does  it  concern  you?  Mind  you,  I  offer  no 
opinion  either  one  way  or  the  other,  but,  like  Rosa  Dartle,  I 
siinply  ask.  That  the  new  hall  was  wanted  there  can  be  no  two 
opinions,  and  everybody,  I  think,  will  admit  that  the  -Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  with  all  its  ups  and  downs,  has  done  a 
good  deal  to  benefit  gardening  and  gardeners.  Added  to  this  it  is 
obviously  desirable  that  the  new  hall  should  be  paid  for  outright 
and  with  as  little  delay  as  possible.  Wealthy  men  have  subscribed 
more  or  less  liberally,  but  more  money  is  wanted.  Private 
gardeners  cannot  be  expected  to  do  much  themselves,  but  sup¬ 
posing  the  matter  concerns  them  could  they  bring  any  persuasive 
influence  to  bear  upon  their  employers  to  sub.scribe,  and  thus  aid 
the  cause  ?  or  supposing  the  R.H.S.  were  to  open  a  shilling  or  half- 
crown  fund  for  working  gardeners  would  they  help  to  swell  it? 
After  all,  it  is  a  question  as  to  whether  they  think  it  concerns 
them. 
Some  time  ago  a  movement  was  set  pn  foot  for  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  a  National  Gardeners’  Association,  having  various  objects 
for  the  benefit  of  the  fraternity.  What  headway  the  association 
is  making  I  don’t  know,  but  a  note  I  read  recently  from  the  pen 
of  the  secretary  did  not  sound  promising.  It  seemed  to  suggest 
that  unless  gardeners  evinced  a  greater  interest  in  it  there  was 
a  danger  of  the  project  falling  through.  I  offer  no  opinion  as 
to  the  desirability  or  otherwise  of  establishing  an  association  of 
the  character,  but  my  point  is  to  set  gardeners  thinking.  It  is 
indifference  that  thwarts  movements  in  these  days,  that  tantalis¬ 
ing  habit  of  perching  on  the  fence  and  waiting  to  see  what  some¬ 
body  else  is  going  to  do.  The  promoters  of  the  Association 
scheme  can  evidently  see  good  in  it  or  they  wouldn’t  have  started 
it,  but  if  it  is  to  be  of  any  material  benefit  to  the  fraternity  it 
must  not  be  confined  to  a  handful  of  London  gardenens  wdth  an 
outsider  here  and  there,  but  it  must  be  far-reaching,  and  include 
in  its  ranks  gardeners  who  jiass  their  lives  in  comparative 
seclusion.  In  short,  union  is  strength,  and  an  association  with¬ 
out  union  is  useless.  But  does  it  concern  you?  that’s  the  question. 
It  is  instituted  by  gardeners,  for  gardeners,  and  I  take  it,  my 
reader,  that  you  are  a  gardener,  therefore  it  must  concern  you. 
Don’t  let  the  scheme  be  killed  by  indifference  then,  but  take  an 
interest  in  it.  Get  to  know  all  about  its  objects  and  its  purposes. 
Treat  it  as  a  personal  matter,  and  then  decide  for  yourself. 
Another  theme^ — Does  the  National  Potato  Society  concern 
you?  If  you  are  a  grower  of  Potatoes  it  must,  and  a  seat  on 
the  fence  is  not  the  place  for  you.  Look  at  the  millions  that  are 
being  spent  in  foreign  countries  for  Potatoes  ;  look  at  the  ravages 
caused  by  disease ;  consider  the  necessity  of  keeping  a  check  on 
the  output  of  worthless  or  indistinct  varieties,  and  the  need  of 
encouraging  really  good  ones ;  think  of  the  state  of  muddle  that 
the  c’assification  of  Potatoes  is  in,  and  the  need  of  disinterested 
trials  of  new  vai’ieties ;  and  lastly,  remember  how  tremendously 
important  the  Potato  is  as  a  food  commodity  in  this  country. 
Can  the  newly-formed  society  do  any  useful  work  in  the  directions 
indicated  ?  At  any  rate,  it  can  try,  but  it  cannot  possibly  carry 
out  the  objects  it  has  in  view  without  support,  and  not  the  sup¬ 
port  of  a  few,  but  many.  Critics,  pe.ssimists,  and  grumblers  are 
ah'eady  busy  in  their  work  of  condemnation,  but  heed  them  not, 
and  ask  yourself  whether  this  is  a  matter  that  concerns  jmu.  At 
pre.sent  the  society  wants  members  and  suggestions,  and  if  both 
of  these  are  forthcoming  I  venture  to  say  that  good  will  be  done — 
good  that  even  the  carping  critic,  wdio  condemns  everything  that 
he  does  not  start  himself,  will  be  glad  to  take  advantage  of.  I 
have  in  mind  other  matters  that  I  think  concern  us,  but  I  have 
visions  of  the  editorial  blue  pencil,  and  for  the  present  must  stop, 
with  the  mere  addition  of  my  signature. — G.  H.  H. 
To  Study  Fuels. — Professor  B.  T.  Galloway,  -Wa-shington, 
D.C.,  means  to  test  fuels  for  greenhouse  purposes.  The  Govern¬ 
ment  inve.stigators  have  an  idea  that  any  one  of  the  several  cheap 
by-products  of  oil  refineries  would  make  excellent  fuel  for  green¬ 
houses. 
Potatoes  from  Scotland. — Recently  the  ketch  Spartan  ar¬ 
rived  in  the  Harbour  with  100  tons  of  Scots  Potatoes.  This 
is  a  reversion  to  the  old  days,  when  there  were  regular  shipments 
of  Potatoes  to  Yarmouth  from  Scotland,  in  order  that  our  growers 
might  have  a  change  of  seed.  The  pi'esent  strains  of  Potatoes 
raised  in  the  district  have  been  grown  over  and  over  again  from 
pi-ocluce  of  the  same  seed,  a  process  that  tends  to  the  deteriora¬ 
tion  of  the  crop. 
Luther  Burbank.-  The  Oregon  Nursery  Company,  of  Salem, 
Ore.,  the  introdu»(n’s  of  the  Maynard  Plum,  originated  by  Luther 
Burbank,  has  raised  a  prote.st  against  that  gentleman  being 
designated,  as  he  now  very  generally  is,  “the  wizard  of  horti¬ 
culture.”  The  firm  in  question  say  let  us  call  him  rather  “  master 
of  modern  horticulture.”  Certainly  no  American  has  so  suc¬ 
cessfully  ma.stered  and  applied  the  great  principles  underlying 
the  genealogy  of  plants. 
