5G0 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  30,  1904. 
Paul,  £13  8s.;  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  £10;  Geo.  Dickson, 
£10;  Barr  and  Sons,  £10;  Peter  Veitcli,  £10;  and  many  other 
doners  of  £10  and  lesser  sums  whose  names  we  ^vere  unable  to 
note.  The  Covent  Garden  table  subscribed  £407  10s.,  of  which 
Mr.  Ed.  Rocliford’s  list  included  £50  from  himself;  £10  from 
John  Bochford ;  5  gns  from  Mr.  Kennell ;  and  10  gns  from  Mr. 
Ray.  Mi-.  Geo.  Monro’s  list  had  25  gns  from  himself,  with  Geo. 
Monro,  Ltd.,  £20;  James  Sweet,  10  gns,  and  £5  to  Good 
Samaritan  Fund;  and  J.  A.ssbee,  £20  9s.  6d. 
Worcester  Auxiliary  had  promised  £75  for  this  year,  and 
Reading  £73  9s.,  together  with  a  small  sum  from  Exeter.  The 
secretary  was  also  able  to  announce  52  new  annual  subscribers 
of  one  guinea ;  six  of  two  guineas ;  and  two  of  five  guineas  each. 
The  grand  total  of  subscriptions  for  the  present  festival 
amounted  to  £3,500— a  i;ecord  list.  We  must  not  omit  to  say 
that  much  of  the  success  was  due  to  the  work  of  the  stewards 
and  oth(>r  friends. 
University  Coliege,  Reading. 
Opening-  of  the  Garden  by  Lord  Onslow. 
The  new  garden  of  the  horticultural  department  of  Univer¬ 
sity  College,  Reading,  was  opened  by  the  President  of  the  Board 
of  Agriculture  on  Friday  last.  Horticultural  and  agricultural 
schools  and  colleges  have  increased  with  great  rapidity  during 
recent  years,  and  Reading, 
as  the  county  town  of  a 
good  agricultural  shire,  has 
its  university,  Avhere  diplo¬ 
mas  in  the  first  of  indus¬ 
tries  are  granted.  The 
horticultural  instruction  at 
Reading  is  thoroughly 
sound  and  embracive.  A 
new  garden,  whereby  the 
best  possible  practice  can 
be  given  on  a  large  scale, 
has  been  acquired,  and  one 
of  the  ablest  gardeners  of 
England,  Mr.  Charles  Fos¬ 
ter,  F.R.H.S.,  was  a  year 
ago  appointed  to  the  super¬ 
intendence  of  it.  Working 
in  harmonious  conjunction, 
and  taking  the  responsi¬ 
bility  of  the  scientific  side 
of  the  instruction,  is  Mr. 
Frederick  Keeble,  M.A., 
AA'ho  is  a  director  of  the  De¬ 
partment  of  Horticulture ; 
and  with  these  tAvo  Avell- 
eq nipped  gentlemen  and  an 
efficient  staff,  Ave  hold  great 
hopes  for  the  future  fame  of  the  Reading  College  as  a  teaching 
centre  of  horticulture. 
The  Avork  of  the  horticultural  department  consists  in  : — 
1.  The  training  of  men  and  Avomen  in  the  practice  and  science 
of  horticulture.  Regular  courses  of  instruction  are  held  in  the 
college  laboratories  and  at  the  garden. 
2.  The  contribution  to  horticultural  knoAvledge  by  experi¬ 
ments  in  the  manuring  of  crops,  the  improvement  of  plants  by 
breeding,  the  testing  of  neAV  varieties,  and  the  prevention  of 
plant  diseases.  During  the  session  1903-4,  the  department  is 
carrying  out,  in  co-operation  with  the  National  Potato  Society, 
tests  as  to  the  relative  values  of  the  chief  varieties  of  Potatoes. 
3.  Advising  on  matters  pertaining  to  the  practice  of  horti¬ 
culture.  The  department  gives  expert  advice  as  to  the  laying 
out  and  maintenance  of  gardens,  the  management  of  orchards, 
the  use  of  artificial  manures  and  the  remedies  to  be  employed 
in  dealing  with  plant  diseases.  For  terms,  application  should 
be  made  to  the  director  of  the  college. 
The  college  garden,  situated  in  London  Road.  Reading,  Avas 
[ilaced  at  the  disposal  of  the  college  by  Mr.  Alfred  Palmer,  J.P., 
of  M  okefield  Park,  Berks.  It  is  7J  acres  in  extent,  and  consists 
of  orchard,  vegetable,  and  floAA'er  gardens  and  shrubberies.  The 
garden  is  Avell  provided  Avith  horticultural  buildings,  viz.,  pot¬ 
ting  and  packing  sheds,  office,  laboratory,  and  demonstration 
room.  AAorkshop,  fruit  store,  soil,  pot,  bulb,  and  others  stores 
and  sheds.  It  contains  a  large  number  of  pits  and  frames,  and 
thirteen  glass  houses,  Avhich  AA’ere  lately  occupied  by  Messrs. 
Sutton  and  Sons.  The  houses  include  stoves  and  greenhouses, 
vineries  (early  and  late),  and  Peach  house,  and  are  used  for 
plants  and  fern-groAving,  general  florist  Avork,  market  Avork.  and 
the  culture  of  Grapes,  pot  friut  trees,  &c.  Students  spend 
upAA  ards  of  tAventy  hours  per  Aveek  at  the  gardens,  and,  in  addi¬ 
tion,  pa.-v  visits  to  neighbouring  private  gardens,  as  well  as  to 
Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons’  trial  grounds,  the  shoAvs  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  and  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kcav. 
Hie  foregoing  briefly  explains  Avhat  is  attempted,  and 
aescribes  Avhat  amount  of  glass  structure  there  is,  and  also  the 
■unount  of  the  land  at  disposal  for  the  neiv  botanical  laboratories 
Mr.  FREDERICK  KEEBLE  M.A. 
Director  of  the  Department  of  Horliculture 
/)//  favour  of  the  Readiiiij  Standard. 
Ac.,  and  for  general  cultivation.  It  AA'ill  thus  be  seen  that  b.y 
the  foundation  of  this  neiv  school  at  Reading  Ave  have  a  nearer 
approach  to  the  larger  schools  of  the  same  kind  in  the  United 
States,  than  any  of  the  hitherto  existing  ones  in  England. 
Shortly  before  four  o’clock  the  company  assembled  in  a 
large  marquee  to  take  part  in  the  opening  ceremony.  In  tlie 
absence  of  the  President  of  the  College  (Mr.  J.  H.  Benyon, 
J.P.).  Mr.  Oiveii  Ridle.y,  J.P.  (Chairman  of  the  College  Council) 
pre.sided,  and  he  Avas  supported  by  the  Earl  of  Onslow,  G.C.M.G., 
Sir  S.  Busk,  Mr.  Alfred  Palmer  J.P.,  Mr.  W.  M.  Childs,  M.A. 
(the  Principal  of  the  College),  the  Mayors  of  Reading,  AVoking- 
hani,  Henley,  NeAvbury,  Southampton,  and  AA'inchester,  Mr. 
G.  H.  Morrell,  M.P.,  Lord  Saye  and  Sele,  Mr.  Martin  J.  Sutton, 
Mr.  Arthur  Sutton,  Mr.  Leonard  Sutton,  Mr.  C.  E.  Keyser,  Mr. 
J.  H.  Mackinder,  M.A.,  Mr.  Frederick  Keeble,  Mr.  F.  H. 
AYright  (registrar),  Ac.,  Ac.  Lady  AA'antage,  Lady  Dorothy 
OnsloAv,  Mrs.  Benyon,  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Palmer  occupied  seats 
near  the  jilatform. 
In  his  speech  on  the  objects  of  the  department  the  Principal 
said:  “I  suppose  if  AAe  ask  Avhy  is  this  horticultural  training 
undertaken  the  ansAver  Avill  be  this — it  is  undertaken  oAving  to 
the  conviction  that,  having  regard  to  the  enormous  advance  of 
scientific  knoAvledgo  Avhich  relates  to  the  groAving  of  plants  and 
vegetables,  having  regard  also  to  the  increasing  intensity  of 
competition,  to  get  a  living  of  any  kind  Avhatever,  it  has  become 
in  this  country  no  less  than  in  the  United  States  and  Germany 
absolutely  necessary  to  revi.se  the  methods  of  preparation  for 
entrance  into  an  industry,  oven  as  familiar  and  as  old 
an  industry  as  that  of  the  gardener.  The  point  is  that  the 
knoAvledge  AA'hich  formerly  might  suffice,  suffices  no  longer,  and 
that  success,  in  this  industry,  as  in  so  many  others,  Avill  come  in 
the  future  less  and  less  to  the  knoAvledge  Avhich  is  merely  rule 
of  thumb  knoAyledge,  and  more  and  more  to  the  capacity  Avhich 
is  the  result  and  offspring  of  properly  trained  intelligence.” 
He  continued:  ‘‘The  students  Avho  come  here  Avork  for  a 
diploma,  the  granting  of  Avhich  is  authorised  by  the  University 
of  Oxford,  the  conditions  of  Avhich  are  governed  by  a  committee, 
which  represents  both  the  University  of  Oxford  and  the  College 
at  Reading,  and  includes  representatives  of  the  Royal  Agricul¬ 
tural  Society  and  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  In  addition 
to  this  course,  Avhich  lasts  at  least  tAvo  years,  and  may  last 
three,  the  students  also  take  on  the  Avell-knoAvn  examination  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  I  am  pleased  to  say  that 
just  recently  16  of  them,  I  think  it  Avas,  entered  for  that 
examination,  and  Mrs.  Benyon  has  kindly  consented  to  present 
the  certificates  to  the  16  successful  candidates  before  the  close 
of  the  proceedings.” 
Lord  OnsloAV  remarked  that  those  present  might  perhaps  be 
surprised  that  it  should  be  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Agri¬ 
culture  Avho  should  be  invited  to  open  a  horticultural  ground. 
“  If  you  look  in  the  dictionaries,”  he  said,  ‘‘  you  may  not  find 
the  definition,  but  if  you  look  into  the  Statutes  of  the  Realm 
you  Avill  find  that  horticulture  is  agricuiture,  and  that  it  is  to 
the  President  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  that  are 
entrusted  the  interests  of  horticulture  in  this  country.  That 
I  think  cannot  be  demonstrated  more  clearly  than  by  the  fact 
that  the  administration  of  the  gardens  at  KeAv  is  placed  under 
the  President  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  it  is,  therefore, 
a  matter  of  great  rejoicing  to  me  that  I  am  able  to  come  down 
and  to  express  as  I  do  the  great  approbation  of  the  Government 
that  you  are  in  a  position  here  in  this  University  College  of 
Reading  to  extend  the  advantages  of  education  in  the  subject 
of  horticulture  to  those  Avho  come  to  your  University  College. 
I  should  like  to  specially  accentuate  the  desirability  of  facili¬ 
tating  the  teaching  of  the  principles  of  horticulture  to  those 
whose  duty  it  Avill  be  to  impart  elementary  education  in  our 
schools. 
“  Turning  to  other  aspects  of  the  teaching  Avhich  you  impart, 
I  rejoice  Avith  your  principal  to  see  that  Avhile  you  teach  science 
and  theory,  you  do  not  neglect  practice.  One  of  the  most 
important,  if  not  the  most  important,  things  in  my  opinion,  is 
that  those  who  produce  agricidtural  and  horticultural  produce 
should  knoAv  hoAv  to  lAresent  it  to  the  eye  of  the  purchaser.  It 
has  been  the  custom  of  the  English  producer  to  think  that  if 
he  has  a  good  tree  of  Plums,  for  instance,  all  he  has  to  do  is  to 
shake  them  doAvn  in  a  basket  and  send  them  to  the  market. 
That  is  not  Avhat  the  foreign  fruit  groAvers  think.  They  care¬ 
fully  select  the  large  from  the  small  ones,  and  pack  them  in 
boxes,  so  that  the  purchaser  sees  an  aggregation  of  Plums  of 
one  size.  I  hope  the  marketing  of  produce  Avill  be  one  of  those 
things  AA'hich  you  Avill  most  seriously  impress  upon  the  minds  of 
tho.se  Avhom  you  are  about  to  educate. 
AA'e  have  agricultural  colleges,  but  I  do  not  think  there  is 
any  other  place  in  England  Avhere  the  practice  of  horticulture 
is  likely  to  be  conducted  on  such  efficient  lines,  as,  from  the 
short  inspection  I  have  been  able  to  make,  is  evidently  to  be  the 
case  here  in  Reading.  In  Reading  you  are  in  a  horticultural 
midst.  A"ou  have  all  round  you  great  horticultural  firms,  not 
the  least  being  that  which  is  headed  by  my  friend  Mr.  Martin 
Sutton,  and  I  am  quite  certain  that  if  horticulture  is  to  flourish 
anvAA-here  it  Avill  be  in  the  County  of  Berkshire.  Ladies  and 
gentlemen,  on  behalf  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  I  heartilv 
