May  12,'  1901. 
JOUBNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
417 
NEWLY  PLANTED  SHRUBS.- Conifers  or  other  evergreen 
slirnbs  recently  lifted  and  planted,  if  showincc  any  signs  of  dry¬ 
ness,  shonld  be  Avatered  at  the  roots,  aftervards  affording  a 
ninlcbinfr  of  short  mannre.  Syringing  in  the  evening  of  warm 
days  Avill  also  be  beneficial. — E.  D.  S.,  GraA^esend. 
The  Kitchen  Garden. 
4'HINNING  CROPS. — It  is  most  important  that  all  crops 
snch  as  Cari'ots,  Onions,  ParsniiAS,  Turnips,  and  the  like  should 
be  thinned  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  At  this  season  of 
the  year  neAvly-soAvn  crops  groAv  very  rapidly,  and  soon  become 
croAvded.  Especially  is  this  the  case  Avhere  seed  has  been  used 
liberally.  As  soon  as  the  thinning  has  been  completed,  the 
Dutch  hoe  shoAild  be  run  carefully  betAveen  the  roAVS. 
SOWING  PEAS. — A  good  breadth  of  the  MarroAV  Peas 
should  noAv  be  soAvn  to  keep  up  a  succession.  Where  the  soil  is 
light,  ti'enches  shonld  be  dug  out,  and  a  liberal  dressing  of  good 
fat  manure  placed  in  these.  Cover  AA'ith  the  soil,  leaving  a 
slight  holloAV,  in  order  that  as  much  of  the  rain  should  find  its 
way  to  the  roots  after  falling  from  the  foliage.  Peas  ti'eated  in 
this  Avay  Avill  Avithstand  drought  Avell. 
PRICKING  OFF. — All  kinds  of  plants  for  the  winter  stock 
should  be  pricked  off  as  they  become  large  enough  to  handle. 
Such  things  as  CaulifloAvers,  Brussels  Sprouts,  and  Cabbages 
should  be  attended  to  as  soon  as  possible.  Should  the  Aveather 
become  Avarm  and  dry,  Avatering  must  be  attended  to,  especially 
in  the  case  of  noAvly  planted  CaulifloAvers.  A  check  of  any  kind 
generally  proA^es  fatal  to  these. 
BRUSSELS  SPROUTS. — Where  early  supplies  are  required, 
either  for  exhibition  or  general  use,  no  time  should  be  lost  in 
planting  some  of  the  earliest-raised  plants  of  these.  The  soil 
should  be  deep  and  rich,  but  firm.  It  is  a  mistake  to  plant  these 
on  recently  trenched  ground.  It  causes  a  soft  groAvth,  Avhich 
produces  feAV  good  sprouts,  and  the  plant  generally  falls  over  on 
one  side.  The  ground  should  be  jAreiAared  some  time  in  advance 
of  planting,  in  order  that  it  may  have  settled  down  firmly. 
TURNIPS. — A  frequent  soAving  of  these  shoidd  be  made, 
giving  preference  to  a  north  border,  as  they  soon  become  stringy 
and  hot  to  the  taste  if  checked  by  drought. 
LETTL'CES. — Tran.splant  Lettuces  into  rich  soil  as  they 
become  ready  in  the  seed-hed,  and  soav  a  little  more  seed  of 
both  Cabbage  and  Cos  kinds. 
RUNNER  JlEANS. — These  should  noAv  be  planted.  Prepare 
trenches  as  for  Celery,  but, fill  these  in  nearly  level  Avith  the 
surface.  But  a  slight  holloAv  should  be  left,  as  for  Peas.  The 
seed  should  be  carefully  tested  before  sowing,  especially  if  home 
saved. — A.  T.,  Cirencester. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
A.  F.  Dutton,  The  Nurseries,  Bexley  Heath,  Kent. — Price  List  of  Tree 
Carnations. 
Timothy  and  SandAvith,  Bracknell. — Horticidtural  Siuidries. 
Thomas  S.  Ware,  Ltd.,  Ware’s  Nurseries,  Felfcham,  Middlesex. — 
Dahlias,  Begonias. 
- - - - 
Tree  Gpowing  fop  Profit. 
Mr.  A.  C.  Forbes,  of  the  Marquis  of  Bath’s  Longleat  Nur¬ 
series,  read  before  the  Farmers’  Club,  at  2,  Whitehall  Court, 
a  paper  on  “  Forestry  as  a  Rural  Industry.”  Reminding  the 
meeting  of  Professor  Schlich’s  vieAv  that  tAA’enty  years  hence 
there  Avill  be  a  timber  famine,  Mr.  Forbes  calculated  that  while 
onh'  about  2,000,000  acres  of  land  in  Great  Britain  are  devoted 
to  timber  not  purely  ornamental,  the  coal  and  raihvay  industries 
cf  the  United  Kingdom  annually  need  the  produce  of  5,250,000 
acres  of  forest  land.  One  of  the  advantages  of  doing  more  to 
grow  trees  for  profit  Avould  be  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
skilled  and  hardy  labonrers  living  in  the  country.  Discussing 
the  prospect  from  the  landoAvners’  point  of  vieAv,  he  maintained 
that  the  planting  of  Avastes  or  poor  agricultural  land  offered 
every  promise  of  commerciai  success  if  carried  out  on  proper 
lines.  Only  a  feAv  of  the  most  suitable  species  of  trees  must  be 
planted.  Bulks  in.stead  of  samples  must  be  sought,  and  large 
compact  areas  used.  The  timber  should  be  allowed  to  stand  till 
it  Avas  mature,  but  no  longer.  Muth  the  existing  available  land 
shared  by  many  different  OAvners,  the  choice  of  species  and  the 
extent  of  planting  operations  Avere  difficult  to  regulate,  but 
landlords  shonld  co-operate,  and,  if  possible,  secure  Government 
help  in  the  shape  of  loans  on  special  terms.  As  the  country 
included  about  13,000,000  acres  of  Avastes  and  rough  grazing 
ground,  the  average  rent  of  Avhich  did  not  exceed  half  a  croAvn 
an  acre,  the  present  area  of  Avoodland  might  be  doubled  Avithout 
hurting  agriculture.  But  the  first  step  to  be  taken  Avas  the 
proper  utilisation  of  existing  Avoodland,  much  of  Avhich  Avas 
practically  Avaste,  and  the  public  should  realise  the  fact  that 
economic  forestry  Avas  a  national  question. 
Young  Gardeners’  Domain. 
The  Editor  welcomes  short  letters  from  under  gardener.".  Letters  should  be  con¬ 
fined  to  510  Avords  in  lengtli,  should  be  written  only  on  one  site  of  the  paper, 
as  clearly  as  possible,  with  one  inch  space  at  both  (op  and  bottom,  as  well 
as  at  the  sides.  The  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers  must  accompany 
all  communications,  not  necessarily  for  publication,  but  as  a  guarantee  of 
good  faith.  If  these  poiu.s  are  not  respecteil,  the  letters  cannot  be  considered. 
Examination  in  Honticultupe. 
The  folloAving  comments  appeared  in  the  “  Gardening 
World  ”  : — The  annual  examination  in  horticulture,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Itoyal  Horticultural  Society,  Avas  held  on 
April  20,  and  the  questions  asked  seem  to  be  getting  more  and 
more  difficult,  or,  at  least,  lengthy.  The  examination  lasted  for 
three  hours,  the  first  one  and  a-half  hours  being  devoted  to  the 
elementary  principles  of  gardening,  and  the  second  half  of  the 
time  to  horticultural  operations  and  practice,  the  examination, 
of  course,  being  in  Avritten  form.  The  second  half  of  the 
examination,  seems  to  have  been  difficult  chiefly  on  account  of 
the  lengthy  nature  of  the  ansAvers  that  might  have  been  given, 
though  AAe  are  not  quite  sure  Avhether  lengthy  ansAvers  Avere 
expected,  or  that  the  questions  AA'ere  so  set  as  to  find  out  Avhat 
knoAvledge  the  student  had  of  the  subject. 
Eight  questions  in  each  division  Avere  put  in  the  papers,  but 
of  cour.se  only  half  of  the  questions — that  is,  four  from  each 
division — Avere  to  be  attempted  by  the  student.  Even  then, 
hoAvever,  if  the  .student  Avas  aacII  acquainted  Avith  the  subject 
asked,  he  Avould  have  been  unable  to  properly  express  hijnself  in 
the  time  at  command.  For  instance,  one  question  asked: — 
“  AYhich  Avere  the  best  fruit  trees  and  bushes  for  garden  cultiva¬ 
tion  ?”  Some  .students  might  think  they  had  to  give  the 
varieties  of  each  kind  of  fruit  tree,  and,  if  such  Avere  the  case, 
quite  a  book  might  be  Avritten  upon  the  subject,  especiallj'  when 
asked  to  deal  with  propagation  and  the  subsequent  treatment 
necessary  for  the  trees.  As  this  Avas  one  out  of  four  questions  to 
be  ansAvered  in  one  and  a-half  hours,  it  Avould  take  a  master  in 
the  art  of  description  to  give  his  opinion,  in  so  feAV  Avords  that 
they  could  be  Avritten  down  in  the  time  at  command. 
Yet  again,  a  que.stion  required  an  account  of  a  conservatory 
and  its  occupants ;  that  is,  the  student  had  to  describe  hoAv  it 
could  be  kept  gay  all  the  year  round,  and  not  only  so,  but  to 
give  the  culture  of  the  principal  occupants. 
Another  someAA’hat  tiresome  question  related  to  common 
diseases  caused  by  fungi  and  in.sects  Avhich  li\'e  upon  vegetables. 
This  question  also  admits  of  a  large  amount  of  interpretation, 
as,  according  to  garden  usage,  it  Avoidd  include  the  Tomato  and 
its  varied  enemies,  Avhich  are  certainly  troublesome.  It  Avonld 
also  include  a  ho.st  of  subjects  Avhich  attack  the  Cabbage  tribe, 
others  that  attack  Onions,  Carrots,  Parsnips,  Celery,  Ac.  This 
lengthy  question  Avould  also  include  remedies  for  the  various 
enemies  Avhich  the  .student  might  describe.  To  mention  only 
the  common  ones  Avould  require  considerable  space  and  time,  and 
Avith  more  time  at  command  the  Avriter  coidd  amplify  his  subject 
into  quite  a  book. 
We  presume,  hoAA'ever,  that  the  student  aa'Iio  attacked  the 
subject  by  dealing  very  clearly  with  a  feyv  of  the  common  enemies 
Avould  have  just  as  much  chance  of  passing  the  examination  as 
those  Avith  a  much  more  extensive  knowledge  of  the  subject.  If 
this  is  not  the  interpretation  of  it,  the  question  could  not  be 
dealt  Avith  in  anything  like  a  satisfactory  manner  in  the  time 
alloAved.  Another  question  also  admits  of  a  very  Avide  intei’- 
pretation,  as  it  deals  Avith  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs,  of 
Avhich  the  student  was  expected  to  give  the  names.  Evergreen 
and  deciduous  subjects  had  to  be  taken  into  account,  and  the 
student  Avas  required  to  deal  Avith  the  propagation  of  certain 
of  them. 
Some  FoPthcoming’  Events. 
May  17. — Annual  dinner  of  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fuiid 
at  the  Hotel  Cecil.  R.H.S.  ShoAv  in  Drill  Hall. 
May  19. — Bath  and  'NVe.st  of  England  Horticultural  ShoAv  at 
'  Swansea  ("five  days). 
May  25.— Edinburgh  spring  shoAV  (tAvo  days). 
May  30.— KeAV  Guild  dinner. 
May  31.— Temple  FloAver  ShoAv  (three  days).  Great  orchid  sale 
at  Protheroe  and  Morris’s  rooms,  Cheapside. 
June  1.— Meeting  of  professional  gardeners  in  London  to  con¬ 
sider  the  permanent  formation  of  a  National  Gardeners’ 
Association. 
j„ne  6.— Grand  horticultural  exhibition.  Royal  Botanic  Society, 
Regent’s  Park  (five  days). 
