198 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  10,  1904. 
seed,  no  matter  whether  the  soil  is  heavy  or  light.  We  have 
proved  over  and  over  again  how  much  more  readily  young 
seedlings  of  all  descriotions  start  when  the  drills  have  been 
so  prepared  than  when  no  such  attention  has  been  given. 
In  ail  gardens  a  great  deal  of  rubbish  has  to  be  burned 
during  the  autumn  and  winter  months,  the  ashes  of  which, 
with  a  little  care  in  storing  in  a  dry  place,  may  be  turned 
to  splendid  account  in  spring,  not  only  for  seeds  sown  in 
the  open  air,  l^ut  also  in  the  case  of  others  sown  under 
glass. 
In  gardens  where  the  soil  is  very  heavy  and  the  glass 
structures  limited  there  is  often  a  difficulty  in  getting 
young  plants  of  the  Brassica  family,  and  Lettuces,  to  start 
freely  when  they  have  to  be  sown  on  warm  borders  in  the 
open  air.  In  such  instances  burning  a  few  inches  of  the 
surface  soil  will  work  wonders  in  regard  to  the  ease  with 
which  plants  can  be  raised,  and  the  little  trouble  given  by 
slugs  and  other  insect  pests.  With  a  surface  dressing  of 
sweet  leaf  soil  annually,  the  soil  so  treated  will  continue 
in  good  condition  for  years,  and  could  be  used  as  a  seedbed 
regularb^  in  spring. 
Early  vegetables  will  undoubtedly  Tbe  in  great  demand 
again  this  year,  and  a  ereat  deal  can  be  done  from  the 
uresent  time  onward  to  foi’ward  crops  by  hoeing  frequently 
between  them  during  bright  weather,  so  that  the  warmth  of 
sunshine  may  penetrate  as  deeply  as  possible  and  cause 
roots  to  move  quickly.  Good  beds  of  young  Cabbage 
plants  are  not  so  numerous  as  last  year,  as  the  wet  and 
slugs  combined  have  destroyed  numbers  and  given  beds  a 
“  gappy  ”  appearance.  Light  and  frequent  dressings  of 
soot  and  nitrate  of  soda,  before  hoeing,  will,  however,  do 
much  to  push  them  on  during  the  next  six  weeks.  The 
progress  made  by  Cabbages  receiving  good  treatment 
during  a  genial  April  is  such  as  to  arouse  the  gardening 
instinct  in  any  human  breast,  and  for  this  reason  gardeners 
may  well  have  a  warm  corner  in  their  hearts  for  Cabbages, 
for  among  all  the  products  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  they 
perhaps  respond  more  rapidly  to  the  influences  of  genial 
spring  weather  and  extra  attention  than  any  other. 
Early  Cauliflowers  are  always  highly  prized,  bgt  there 
is  often  a  difficulty  in  finding  space  for  them  on  warm 
borders,  and  if  the  plants  are  set  in  the  open  too  early 
they  are  greatly  checked  by  winds,  if  not  killed  by  frost. 
An  excellent  method  of  giving  them  protection  is  to  stick 
a  couple  of  Spruce  or  Laurel  boughs  around  each  plant 
when  setting  them  in  their  permanent  positions.  These 
boughs  may  be  allowed  to  remain  for  three  or  four  weeks, 
choosing  a  time  when  the  weather  is  genial  for  removing 
them.  Plants  so  treated  will  pass  unscathed  through 
weather  which  would  kill  those  unprotected,  and  in  some 
districts  planting  may  with  safety  be  done  early  in  March, 
when  this  little  extra  attention  can  be  given. 
Peas  which  are  started  in  pots,  and  afterwards  planted 
in  the  open  air,  are  generally  greatly  benefited  by  having 
the  protection  of  Spruce  or  other  branches  for  a  couple  of 
weeks,  for  no  matter  how  sturdily  they  may  be  grown  under 
glass,  the  cold  winds  usually  check  them  considerably  when 
they  are  set  in  the  open.  Timely  attention  to  the  various 
matters  above  indicated  will  not  only  help  to  secure  extra 
early  crops,  but  will  also  do  much  to  ensure  their  being 
good  ones  too. — H.  D. 
To  BE  Let  or  Sold. — We  learn  on  good  authority  that  a 
charming  residence,  .situated  somewhere  in  the  Thames  Valley 
(boating  a  speciality)  will  shortly  be  vacant.  The  only  reason 
for  the  present  tenant’s  leaving  is  that  the  gentleman 
having  taken  it  because  the  river  was  at  the  bottom  of  the 
garden,  now  finds  the  gaiden  at  the  bottom  of  the  river,  and 
he  does  not  care  to  confine  his  horticultural  taste  solely  to  the 
cultivation  of  acpiatics. 
Experiment  Gardens.— One  of  the  greatest  needs  of 
American  horticulture  (says  a  contemporary)  is  a  trial  garden 
under  the  direct  control  of  the  practical  horticulturist  and 
(piite  free  from  the  associations  which  are  attached  to  the  State 
experiment  .stations.  The  stations  render  a  great  service  to 
the  industry,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  they  do  not  serve  the 
gaidener  and  the  commercial  horticulturist,  the  nurseryman 
•uid  the  seedsman,  to  the  full  degree.  They  are  more  for  the 
iarmer  and  the  truckmen.  What  we  would  like  to  see  is  an 
'•stahlishment  supported  by  the  general  horticultural  interests 
Trade  and  amateur.s  combined)  in  which  modern  everyday 
methods  of  garden  and  greenhouse  culture  would  prevail. 
How  to  Raise  New  Daffodils. 
A  piper  read  in  Cape  Colony  by  Mr.  Pe'er  Barr,  V.M.H. 
In  the  hot  and  sunny  climates  of  the  Western  Hemisphere,, 
the  attempt  to  hybridise  Daffodils  out  of  doors  with  the  chance  of 
getting  seed,  can  have  but  one  result,  viz.,  partial  or  total  failure. 
Take  as  an  example  the  work  of  Mr.  Bradley,  in  Sydney,  N.S.W. 
Last  year  he  fertilised  some  five  hundred  Daffodil  flowers  out  of 
doors.  There  was  no  doubt  about  the  fertilisation  having  taken, 
but  the  influence  of  the  powerful  sun  destroyed  the  embryo.  The 
seed  ve.s.sels  were  large  and  promising,  but  when  they  showed 
signs  of  ripening,  the  vessels  shrivelled  up  and  were  found  empty, 
and  that  was  the  case  in  some  eighty  or  ninety  per  cent.  In  those 
where  the  seed  ripened,  some  had  one  and  two  seeds,  where  there 
should  have  been  many,  and  iu.stead  of  having  thousands  of  seeds, 
he  had  some  200  from  his  500  flowers.  Now  let  us  see  how  this 
could  be  avoided.  In  New  Zealand,  Ta.smania,  and  Australia, 
bu.'^h  houses  take  the  place  of  greenhouses.  A  bush  house  is  made 
of  laths,  over  which  are  fastened  Tea  tree  branches,  a  very  abun¬ 
dant  scrub.  These  are  laid  thinly  over  the  laths 
and  fastened  down  with  laths  or  cord.  Lnder  this 
all  sorts  of  plants  are  grown  which  would  be  burned  up  if  fully 
exposed  to  the  sun’s  rays,  the  covering  being  arranged  to  suit  the 
particular  plants;  Ferns  have  a  thicker  covering  than  Bhododen- 
drons,  and  so  on.  In  South  Australia  lath  houses  are  used,  the 
laths  on  the  roof  are  about  two  inches  broad,  and  the  same  di.s- 
tance  apart.  By  this  arrangement  the  sun’s  rays  are  broken.  Some 
such  erections  might  be  valuable  here  for  protecting  plants  and 
hybridising  Daffodils. 
Mr.  William  Blackhouse,  one  of  the  early  hybridisers,  lived  on 
the  Weardale  Hills,  and  had  a  little  porch  to  his  library,  where 
a  few  plants  in  flower  were  kept.  Here  he  did  all  his  fertilising, 
and  being  a  busy,  punctual  man,  living  a  long  way  from  his  office, 
he  had  to  catch  his  train  in  the  morning.  It  was  his  custom  to 
spend  a  few  minutes  each  morning  in  his  miniature  greenhouse, 
and  to  amuse  himself  fertilising  Daffodils  in  the  spring  of  each 
year.  I  was  unacquainted  personally  with  the  late  Mr.  Black- 
house,  but  a  few  years  amongst  the  Daffodils  he  had  raised,  I 
gained  insight  of  the  man,  and  made  it  my  business  to  get  from 
his  son,  Mr.  Chas.  Blackhouse,  an  invitation  to  spend  a  day  or 
two  at  his  house.  During  the  clay  we  walked  and  talked  amongst 
the  Daffodils,  in  the  evening  we  searched  amongst  the  departed’s 
papers,  which  had  not  been  destroyed,  to  see  if  eve  could  get  any 
clue  to  his  mode  of  procedure,  filling  up  the  rest  of  the  evening 
with  general  conversation,  during  which  I  turned  the  conversation 
upon  his  father.  From  my  study  of  the  Daffodil  flowers  I  felt 
sure  the  man  was  of  a  nervous,  sensitive,  and  gentle  nature,  and 
very  refined  in  his  pursuits.  First  I  asked  what  sort  of  a  man 
his  father  was,  and  when  described,  said,  “  Was  he  of  a  nervous, 
sensitive,  and  gentle  nature,  and  were  his  pursuits  very  refined?  ” 
He  replied,  “  He  was  all  that,”  and  facing  me,  said,  “  Why  do  von 
ask  these  questions?  ”  I  replied,  “  That  was  the  conclusion  I  had 
arrived  at  from  my  study  of  his  Daffodils.” 
I  have  often  dwelt  upon  this  .subject  with  friends,  and  hold 
that  a  man  in  hybridising  imparts  the  characteristics  of  his  nature 
to  the  flowers  he  is  raising.  The  idea  is  generally  scouted,  but 
I  am  still  of  the  same  opinion,  and  a.sk  my  audience  to  observe  for 
themselves.  On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Leeds’s  flowers  are  all  mere 
or  less  coarse.  Personally,  I  had  little  knowledge  of  the  man ;  a 
few  letters  passed  between  us,  but  in  the  hurry  of  business  one 
has  no  time  to  study  handwriting,  I  therefore'  made  some 
inquiries  regarding  the  man  from  those  intimately  acquainted 
with  him,  and  found  he  was  an  off-handed,  sharp  business  man, 
with  not  much  refinement.  It  is  said  he  fertilised  his  flowers 
out  of  doors  and  crossed  without  much  regard  to  order.  Mr. 
Blackhouse,  I  am  of  opinion,  saw  in  advance  what  the  results  of 
his  work  would  be.  Amongst  the  latter  gentleman’s  Daffodils  I 
did  not  find  one  coarse  flower.  You  may  say  he  would  naturally 
destroy  the  flowers  that  did  not  come  up  to  his  standard.  I  might 
have  thought  so  too,  but  it  happened  that  his  son  found  a- pan 
of  his  father’s  seedlings,  and  presented  them  to  me,  and  these, 
when  they  flowered,  fully  bore  out  ivhat  I  found  in  those  which 
had  blossomed  while  he  was  yet  alive. 
In  preparing  to  hybridise,  fii’st,  you  .should  make  up  your  mind 
what  you  wish  to  attain.  Second,  make  yourself  familiar  with 
the  time  each  variety  of  Daffodil  flowers.  Third,  use  only  the 
.strongest  and  finest  bulbs.  Fourth,  look  well  to  constitution. 
Should  you  desire  to  work  with  a  bulb  which  is  feeble  in  your 
garden,  and  find  it  is  strong  in  any  other  garden,  get  the  bulbs 
from  there.  Fifth,  aim  high,  and  do  not  waste  your  time  in  pro¬ 
ducing  inferior  flowers.  It  is  the  same  trouble  to  raise  a  useless 
variety  as  it  is  to  raise  a  high-class  flower. 
(To  be  continued.) 
The  Programme  of  the  horticultural  exhibition  at  Ghent 
has  reached  us.  The  exhibition  comprises  ornamental  plants, 
orchids,  and  Chrysanthemums,  and  takes  place  on  Novem¬ 
ber  G  to  8,  this  year.  The  general  secretary  is  M.  N.  E. 
Fierens,  Societe  Royale  d’Agriculture  et  de  Botanique,  Ghent. 
