412 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  5,  1903. 
matter  of  fact  from  the  nature  of  its  constitution  it  is  con¬ 
stantly  in  a  state  of  flux.  The  heat  of  a  scorching  summer 
is  supposed  to  exceed  in  its  intensity  that  of  any  previous 
summer ;  the  glory  of  an  autumn  sunset  to  surpass  in  its 
beauty  any  seen  before.  The  one  can  be  estimated  by  no 
known  method  ;  the  other,  tested  by  science,  shows  that  the 
conclusion  of  the  moment  is  not  supported  by  fact. 
As  with  a  sunset,  there  is  no  means  in  existence  of  testing 
the  correctness  of  point-judging.  The  experienced  onlooker 
is,  no  doubt,  able  in  a  few  minutes  to  estimate  the  correct¬ 
ness  of  the  award,  but  that  is  quite  another  thing  from 
deciding  as  to  whether  the  number  of  points  have  been 
accorded  correctly.  If  he  demurs  as  to  the  infallibility  of 
the  judges  in  a  particular  instance,  and  is  supported  by  the 
unanimous  opinion  of  others,  it  is  very  certain  that  the  points 
submitted  as  a  basis  by  these  authorities  are  in  general 
opinion  valueless.  That  is  an  extreme  case  which,  though 
extreme,  is  not  without  its  examples. 
Perhaps  in  nothing  is  the  futility  of  pointing  more 
apparent  than  in  those  instances  where  a  passing  glance,  as 
it  were,  is  sufficient  to  determine  which  is  the  better ;  yet 
the  judges  are  obliged  to  allocate  to  each  dish  its  proper 
number  of  points,  and  if  in  anything  the  system  may  be  made 
ridiculous  it  is  surely  here,  when,  after  a  lengthy  discussion, 
Liie  sum  total  of  points  brings  out  a  curious  closeness  in 
quahty  between  two  collections  that  are  in  fact  very  widely 
apart. 
Thus  far  it  has  been  assumed  that  judges  have  possessed 
as  nearly  as  the  human  mind  will  permit  of,  a  uniform  stan¬ 
dard.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  no  such  thing  exists.  A  gardener 
in  the  South  of  England  acquires  a  widely  different  idea  of 
what  constitutes  perfection  in  hardy  fruits  or  in  vegetables 
from  the  northern  practitioner.  The  latter  may  produce, 
according  to  the  exigencies  of  climate,  a  dish,  say,  of  Cox’s 
Orange  Pippin  culturally  of  equal  value  with  the  very  greatly 
superior  examples  of  his  southern  confrere,  but  would  it  be 
right  to  give  them  points  of  equal  value,  and,  if  not,  on  what 
basis  can  the  judgment  of  the  northern  judge  be  clisputed  ? 
Or  we  may  take  as  another  instance  that  of  a  dish  of  Onions 
produced  anywhere  in  Scotland  or  the  North  of  England.  No 
care,  combined  with  utmost  skill,  can  possibly  produce  bulbs 
of  equal  dimensions  with  those  grown  in  the  sunny  South. 
Is  it  right  to  judge  each  on  its  merits  1  If  so,  it  is  impossible 
to  mete  justice  to  both. 
This  brings  us  to  another  phase  of  the  question.  If  there 
is  to  be  a  general  standard  it  ought  to  be  one  that  can  be 
attained  by  at  least  the  greater  part  of  the  cultivators  in 
Britain,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  there  ought  to  be  strictly 
defined  lines  of  demarcation,  beyond  which  the  cultivator 
favoured  of  climate  cannot  pass.  The  R.H.S.  gives  its 
sanction  to  this  in  offering  separate  prizes  for  hardy  fruits 
produced  in  counties  differing  in  latitude  ;  but  once  that 
theory  of  climate  is  materialised  it  is  not  sufficient  to  stay  at 
Apples  and  Pears :  it  ought  to  be  extended  to  hardy 
vegetables  as  well,  while  our  northern  societies  might  do 
worse  than  follow  the  initiative  of  the  R.H.S.,  and  sectionise 
their  schedules  in  the  same  manner. 
I  have  merely  touched  on  a  few  of  the  outstanding 
features  of  these  phases  of  exhibiting.  Of  pointing  as  a 
means  of  aiding  judges  to  arrive  at  a  correct  decision  in  cases 
where  the  competition  is  close  I  have  nothing  but  praise. 
The  system  of  making  it  compulsory  and  public  is  quite 
another  thing,  and  of  very  doubtful  benefit.  — 
R.  P.  Brotherston. 
- »  -«>•  o  I - 
Science  at  Wisley. 
At  the  R.H.S.  Scientific  Committee’s  meeting,  Ijekl  on  Tuesday, 
October  27th,  Dr.  Masters  drew  attention  to  the  desirability  of  the 
Society  utilising  the  Wisley  garden  for  scientific  investigations 
in  addition  to  the  requirements  of  horticulture  proper.  He  invited 
suggestions  from  members  of  the  committee.  It  was  recalled  that 
recommendations  had  already  been  laid  before  the  Council,  but  they 
had  not  seen  their  way  at  the  time  to  consider  the  proposals 
favourably.  -  Mr.  Worsdell  suggested  communications  Avith  foreign 
horticultural  institutions  to  gather  hints  of  their  methods,  which  might 
be  turned  to  account.  He  Avould  maintain  that  the  scientific  director 
should  be  a  broad-minded  man,  and  not  merely  a  specialist ;  one  who 
had  a  good  knowledge  of  botany  and  practical  horticulture.  He  thought 
a  start  should  be  made  in  a  humble  way,  only  such  instruments  being 
obtained  as  the  need  arose  for  them.  Mr.  Massee  mentioned  the 
following  examples  of  objects  worthy  of  further  investigation,  which 
should  be  undertaken ;  The  silver-leaf  disease,  the  gumming  of 
Hyacinth  bulbs,  as  well  as  what  may  be  the  causes  which  render  some 
sorts  of  Potatoes  immune  from  the  disease,  &c. 
MaMng  a  Garden.— i. 
Sooner  or  later  the  generality  of  gardeners  have  to  undertake 
either  the  alteration  of  gardens  and  grounds,  or  the  entire 
planning,  planting,  and  placing  of  new  gardens  in  toto.  These 
facts  are  known  from  the  first  year  of  the  gardener’s  career,  and 
the  true  recognition  of  them  causes  an  aspiring  man  to  set 
seriously  to  work  and  master  the  studies  that  garden  making 
involves.  The  construction  of  a  garden  does  not  necessarily 
imply  landscape  gardening,  for  there  is  little  of  that  nowadays 
in  the  United  Kingdom,  albeit  landscape  gardening  is  an  every¬ 
day  phrase;  but  at  times  the  work  of  planning  and  arrangement 
may  be  on  a  scale  sufficiently  elaborate  to  entitle  the  undertaking 
to  be  designated  landscape  gardening.  What  the  scope  and 
pretensions  of  this  magnificent  art  and  calling  is  can  be  found  on 
reference  to  Mr.  H.  E.  Milner’s  book  on  the  subject,  or  to  Mr. 
T.  H.  Mawson’s  “  Garden  Making,”  as  well  as  “  Gardens,  Old 
and  New,”  from  the  “Country  Life”  Library.  Of  course,  there 
are  smaller  books  dealing  with  the  making  of  gardens,  but  unfor¬ 
tunately  they  are  not  easily  procurable.  Mr.  W.  Robinson’s 
“  English  Flower  Garden  ”  may  be  in  part  taken  as  a  guide  to 
the  strictly  informal  landscape  gardening  school ;  while  in  direct 
antagonism  to  this  is  Mr.  Reginald  Bloomfield’s  “  Formal  Gardens 
in  England.” 
In  the  present  series  Ave  begin  the  publication  of  what  should 
be  an  exceedingly  valuable  course  of  papers,  for  young  gardeners 
especially,  and  in  order  to  prepare  the  way  for  later  descriptive 
articles  on  the  divers  features  of  garden  making,  the  primary 
work  in  the  art  of  construction — that  of  plan  draAving — is  detailed 
hereunder. 
Plan  Drawing. 
Of  the  many  and  wddely  diverse  methods  of  occupying  his 
spare  time,  I  can  conceive  none  more  profitable  to  the  young 
gardener,  nor  more  productive  of  real  enjoyment,  than  plan 
drawing.  The  aim  of  these  notes  is  to  engender  in  the  young 
men  a  desire  to  possess  a  self-drawn  plan  of  the  gardens  in  which 
they  work,  and  to  put  them  in  the  Avay  of  converting  that  desire 
into  reality  ;  and  as  one  who  has  done  the  AV'ork  himself,  and 
whose  handiAvork  (be  it  said  without  egotism)  has  invariably 
secured  the  unqualified  approbation  of  his  employers,  I  can 
promise  all  who  take  the  matter  up,  with  a  determination  to 
overcome  every  obstacle,  that  they  will  never  regret  it,  and  will 
in  after  years  regard  the  time  .spent  as  among  the  most  pleasur¬ 
able  of  their  lives.  But  on  the  threshold  of  the  subject  let  me 
dispel  any  doubts  they  may  entertain  as  to  its  simplicity,  by 
affirming  that  they  must  be  prepared  to  make  many  small  sacri¬ 
fices  and  bring  into  requisition  a  large  store  of  .strong  common 
sense  before  they  can  present  to  the  critical  eyes  of  their 
employer  or  the  admiring  gaze  of  their  comrades  an  accurately 
described  and  neatly  executed  plan. 
If  any  authority  be  required  to  endorse  my  opinion,  I  have 
it  in  the  person  of  Mr.  A.  Dean,  whose  name  is  so  well  known 
to  readers  of  the  “  Journal.”  I  have  no  recollection  of  the  Avords 
he  used,  nor  the  occasion  which  evoked  their  utterance,  but  I 
Avell  remember  making  a  mental  note  of  the  fact  that  he  com¬ 
mended  the  practice  of  draAving  to  scale  the  plan  of  a  garden. 
If  my  memory  has  so  badly  served  me  that  I  have  misrepresented 
him,  he  AA'ill,  no  doubt,  quickly  correct  me. 
I  have  stated  in  effect  that  this  exercise  of  plan  drawing  is 
both  useful  and  interesting.  I  would  firstly  advise  my  comrades 
to  examine  their  conscience  as  to  their  knoAvledge  of  arithmetic, 
unless  they  Avish  to  mar  their  pleasure  by  a  near  approach  to 
arithmetical  desperation.  The  work  also  necessitates  at  least 
a  slight  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  geometry,  Avhether  acquired 
through  the  aid  of  a  text  book  or  the  result  of  our  oAvn  reasoning 
powers.  Mensuration  must  also  be  called  into  requisition,  not 
only  in  measuring  the  land,  but  likewise  when  the  plan  is  drawn, 
in  discoAmring  the  different  areas.  Needless  to  say,  an  acquaint¬ 
ance  Avith  these  sciences  is  of  incalculable  advantage  to  every 
gardener,  Avhether  he  folloAvs  the  majority  and  becomes  head  of 
an  establishment,  or  undertakes  the  fascinating  and  alluring  art 
of  landscape  gardening. 
Again,  Ave  find  its  utility  manifest  AA’hen  alterations  are  about 
to  be  made,  because  Ave  can  then  have  before  our  eyes  an  exact 
representation  of  the  present  state  of  things,  and  can  study  them 
in  their  relation  to  the  proposed  improAmments,  and  that  at 
times— for  instance,  the  long  Avinter  eA’enings-; — Avhen  it  is  im¬ 
possible  to  bestoAv  the  same  amount  of  con.sideration  to  the 
question  on  the  spot.  Moreover,  it  is  most  useful — and  was 
recently  advised  by  a  practical  gardener  in  a  contemporary — 
to  have  at  hand  a  plan  of  the  kitchen  garden,  so  that  we  may 
study  the  location  of  the  crops  during  the  previous  year,  and  so 
arrange  those  of  the  coming  season  as  to  ensure  a  regular  and 
healthy  rotation. 
Thus  far  as  to  its  usefulness  ;  and  if  proof  be  required  to  show 
the  exquisite  enjoyment  to  be  obtained  both  during  the  certainly 
tedious  task  of  measuring  and  draAving,  and  after  the  completion 
of  the  plan,  I  Avould  ask  our  intending  surveyor  to  conjure  up  an 
idea  of  the  honest  pride  he  AA’ill  feel  in  displaying  his  modest  work 
of  topography  to  the  head  gardener  or  to  his  employer,  the 
