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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  17,  1903. 
tree,  in  fact  the  most  commonly  grown  timber  tree  of  Europe, 
and  tliis  owing,  probably,  to  its  easy  cultivation,  rapid  growth, 
and  adaptability  to  various  soils  and  situations,  as  well  as 
possessing  the  power  to  thrive  in  smoky  localities. 
That  the  Elm  is  capable  of  attaining  sufficiently  magnificent 
propor.tions  as  to  render  it  historical  is  evidenced  by  the  report 
of  one  being  cut  down  by  Sir  Hans  Sloane  at  Chelsea,  about  the 
year  1720,  which,  measuring  13ft,  in  circumference  and  110ft. 
in  height,  was  said  to  have  been  planted  during  the  reign  of 
Queen  Elizabeth.  Doubtless,  too,  many  fine  specimens  still 
exist  over  the  area  of  the  British  isles,  but  the  fact  remains  that 
superb  avenues  of  the  common  Elm,  Ulmus  campestris,  which  a 
few  years  since  proudly  ornamented  many  a  grand  old  demesne, 
are  now  merely  the  wrecks  and  relics  of  departed  glory.  It  is 
not  only  the  time-honoured,  and  those  full  of  years  which  have 
succumbed,  for  the  storm  swept  away  Elms  of  all  ages  and  in 
all  stages  of  growth,  either  by  ruthlessly  uprooting  them  or 
splintering  off  their  stems  midway  like  matchwood.  Much,  I 
am  aware,  could  be  done  to  save  hue  trees  in  lightening  heavy 
tops  by  severe  pruning,  but,  alas!  it  seldom  is  done,  and  in 
secpience  the  question  again  crops  up,  “If  Elms  suffer  so  much, 
and  other  trees  escape,  why  are  they  so  much  planted  ?  ’’ 
Truly,  “knowledge  comes  if  wisdom  lingers.’’  Necessarily 
in  a  well-timbered  demesne,  variety  is  expected,  although  this 
consideration  did  not  alw'ays  obtain  with  planters  of  yore.  For 
instance,  in  this  particular  locality  is  a  fine  old  estate  known 
as  Elm  Park,  and  rightly  named,  for  until  the  storm  of  February 
last  its  primary  feature  was  the  magnificent  Elms  with  which 
it  was  literally  studded ;  but  very  few,  however,  then  escaped, 
and  it  is  now  strewn  with  the  prostrate  giants.  “  How  are  the 
mighty  fallen!’’  As  the  trees  consisted  solely  of  Elms,  this 
venerable  place  might  now  be  aptly  re-named  Bare  Park,  espe¬ 
cially  as  there  is  nothing  coming  on  to  replace  the  ancient  Elms. 
There  is  plenty  of  evidence  in  enormous  discs  of  soil  and  roots 
now  standing  vertical,  as  the  giants  toppled  over  and  upheaved 
them,  to  show  that  the  Elm  is  a  shallow  rooter,  but,  and  as 
previously  remarked,  where  the  roots  stood  the  strain  something 
had  to  go,  so  the  trunk  in  that  case  was  simply  splintered  off. 
The  merits  of  Quercus  cerris,  the  Turkey  Oak,  may  well 
claim  more  consideration  from  planters  than  it  appears  to 
do;  its  straight,  graceful  habit  of  growth  making  it  a  most 
desirable  tree  for  demesne  planting,  whilst  its  storm-resisting 
qualities,  with  the  commercial  importance  of  its  beautifully 
grained  timber,  are  points  not  to  be  overlooked.  In  planting, 
present  effect  more  than  future  utility  is  too  often  regarded. 
One  generation  plants  with  vague  ideas  of  prospective  timber, 
the  next  reaps  a  sure  and  certain  crop  of  firewood.  Possibly 
but  few,  at  planting  time,  look  far  enough  into  the  future  to 
weigh  its  sequential  probabilities. 
A  wet  season  is  credited  with  being  detrimental  to  Potato 
culture,  and  rightly  so.  Is  it  not  also  inimical  to  the  Potato 
blight? — viz.,  does  Phytophthora  infestans  flourish  in  wet, 
retentive  soil  ?  This  question  is  asked  in  all  seriousness,  for  in 
spite  of  the  well-known  rapid  development  of  the  scourge  under 
warm,  humid  conditions,  on  several  occasions  this  season  it  has 
been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  see  perfectly  sound  tubers  lifted 
from  cold,  saturated  soil.  In  one  instance  this  occurred  recently 
(last  week  in  November) ;  hence,  from  the  somewhat  meagre 
data  available,  the  conclusion  is  arrived  at,  rightly  or  wrongly, 
that  in  an  excessively  cold,  wet  soil,  Phytophthora  infestans,  if  it 
exists,  is  unable  to  fiourish  to  any  harmful  extent. 
Effects  of  the  year’s  abnormal  rainfall  must  be  more  or  less 
pronounced  upon  the  land.  Ill-drained  pastures  are  already 
showing  this  to  an  appreciable  extent  in  mossy  growth,  and  the 
necessity  of  clearing  out  and  keeping  clear,  watercourses, 
ditches,  or  what  not,  for  the  quick  removal  of  the  superfluity,  can¬ 
not  fail  to  have  impressed  its  importance.  To  more  or  less  extent 
the  excessive  irrigation  must  be  detrimental  to  soil  fertility  in 
carrying  away  soluble  nitrates.  Defective  drainage  resulting  in 
waterlogged  soil  cannot,  either,  but  militate  seriously  against 
healthy  vegetation  in  the  near  future.  In  gardens  and  pleasure 
grounds  this  season  has  plainly  shown  any  weak  spots  in  the 
surface  drainage,  and,  as  opportunity  occurred,  measures  have 
been  taken  to  rectify  defects. 
Deep  stokeholes  often  give  serious  trouble  if  not  properly 
drained,  and  draining  them  is  sometimes  a  difficult  matter. 
Experience  of  one  bad  example  in  which,  on  exceptional  occa¬ 
sions,  all-night  pumping  had  to  be  resorted  to,  led  to  urgent 
steps  being  taken,  a  few  years  since,  to  remedy  the  nuisance. 
It  proved  a  difficult  and  laborious  task,  a  trench  8ft.  deep,  and 
1.50yd.  in  length,  having  to  be  cut  through  a  shrubbery 
abounding  in  tree  roots  ere  -^sufficient  fall  could  be  obtained. 
Glazed  drain  pipes,  of  4in.  diameter,  with  cement  Joints 
and  inspection  chambers  at  intervals,  completed  the  Job  for  all 
time,  and  one  cannot  but  think,  in  a  season  such  as  this  has  been, 
how  good  and  excellent  a  thing  it  is  to  have  one’s  drains  in  order. 
Troubles  in  other  directions  show  how  futile  was  the  practice 
our  forefathers  resorted  to  in  making  stone  “shores’’  to  carry 
off  a  rapid  rush  of  surface  water,  owdng  to  the  percolation  of  tree 
roots  through  the  interstices,  and  the  eventual  choking  of  the 
drains.  Such  loosely-made  drains  are,  obviously,  advantageous 
for  a  time  by  affording  lateral  drainage  of  the  subsoil  in  their 
immediate  vicinity,  which  the  glazed  pipe  does  not,  but  their 
final  choking  is  a  serious  matter,  and  of  two  pvils,  choose  the 
least. — A.  N.  Oldhead. 
Practice,  with  Science. 
“One  million  sterling  annually,  to  the  true  praclical  and  symp.athetie 
education  of  the  farmer  [and  gardener],  or,  rather,  the  farmer’s  son,  during  all 
those  years  of  two  full  generations  that  the  inertia  of  ignorance  was  thrown  into 
one  scale  (i.e.,  the  inorganic)  would  have  paid  the  British  nation  magniflcently. 
Such  education  should  have  begun  in  the  very  year  of  the  repeal  of  the  Corn 
Laws.  Yet  a  challenge  was  recklessly  thrown  to  the  world  to  do  its  worst,  and 
was  accepted.  The  effects  have  become  relentlessly  manifest.’’— H.  H.  Ea.SCHEN, 
“Journal  of  Horticulture,”  page  529,  Dec.  10. 
National  changes  are  now  in  progress,  and  if  the  agriculturists 
and  horticulturists  of  this  country  will  sufficiently  bestir  them¬ 
selves,  some  of  the  evil  effects  of  past  negligence  and  apathy  may 
be  remedied,  and  the  science  of  horticulture  (which  is  agriculture 
in  a  more  intense  form)  will  inevitably  become  an  indispensable 
national  factor  and  asset,  potential  with  results  that  are  all  for 
good. 
Our  pages  have  recently  recorded  what  assistance  each  of  -the 
county  councils  throughout  the  Enitecl  Kingdom  is  furnishing 
toward  horticultural  instruction,  and  in  this  place  we  would 
briefly  outline  the  more  permanent  liorticultural  provisions  that 
are  now  in  vogue  at  various  centres.  One  of  the  chief  of  these 
is  at  Holmes  Chapel,  Cffieshire,  where  State  aid  is  given;  another 
is  at  Chelmsford,  Essex  ;  a  third  at  the  Uckfield  Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  College,  Sussex,  and  one  at  Reading.  These  are  the 
localities  where  horticulture  receives  permanent,  and  fairly 
adequate,  attention.  No  other  counties  in  England,  not  even 
Yorkshire  or  Devonshire,  seem  to  have  large  permanent  school- 
gardens  in  operafinn  tcifh  properly  equipped  laboratories  and 
clas.s-rooms.  i  i  i  j. 
Attention  was  called  in  our  pages  some,  weeks  back  to  a 
proposal  that  the  South-Eastern  Agricultural  College  at  Wye, 
Kent,  should  endeavour  to  establish  a  horticultural  branch,  with 
class-rooms  at,  or  very  near  to,  Wisley,  vliere  the  new  garden  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  is  situated.  If  this  becomes 
accomplished,  as  it  doubtless  will,  this  southern  centre  may 
very  probably  occupy  the  premier  position  in.  the  teaching  of  the 
principles  and  science  of  horticulture  within  the  I  nited  King¬ 
dom  and  it  has  also  been  suggested  by  the  Scientific  Committee 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Spciety  that  a  qualified  director  be 
appointed  by  the  Society  for  its  new  garden,  to  conduct  expen- 
ments  appertaining  to  horticultural  botany,  as  well  as  other 
researches,  so.  that  the  Joint  influence  and  operation  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  such  a  society  would  certainly  endow  this  London 
centre  with  ruling  and  leading  powers. 
A.  School  of  Forestry  is  another  proposal  made  from,  Mye, 
and  this  also  would  be  established  at.  Wisley.  Such  a  school  has- 
been  long  proposed  for  Scotland,  the  headquarter.s  for  the  teach¬ 
ing  of  forestry  being  at  Edinburgh,  where  Colonel  Baiky  delivers 
regular  courses  under  the  direction  of  the  Edinburgh  and  East 
of 'Scotland  College  of  Agriculture.  j,  -rr  i.  i 
The  present  discussion  in  the  Journal  of  Horticultuie  and 
other  (hardening  papers,  on  the  need  for  a  gardeners  association 
or  guild,  makes  it  opportune  to  review  the  educational  work 
havTim  a  direct  horticultural  bearing.  The  purely  practical 
cardener— the  rule-of-thumb  man— looks  askance  at  schools  and 
colleges,  and  at  theoretical  instruction,  and  makes  m&ny  uncom¬ 
plimentary  references  to  inaneness,  in  students  undergoing  tho 
curriculums.  But  those  who  have  closely  read  the  letters  that 
discuss  the  present  proposition  (the  gardeners  association)  viH 
have  noticed  that  agreement  is  general  on  one  point  namely, 
that  the  social  status  of  gardeners  should  be  raised  That  is  Hie 
point  gra,sj)ed  by  all ;  and  the  means  to  the  end  is  this  ;  Provide, 
better-educated  probationers.  The  colleges,  therefore,  will  un¬ 
doubtedly  do  good,  for  they  turn  out  young  men  oi  mettle,  \yho 
have  had  a  training  fairly  broad  in  its  scientihc  and  practical 
aspects,  and  tliey  are  supposed  to  be  imbued  with  both  the  clesne 
and  power  to  add  to  their  knowledge;  and  thus  they  are  superior 
to  the  average  under-gardener,  whose  daily  toil  is  often  laboiiou.s, 
and  whose  training  or  instruction,  according  to  the  sinch 
cation  of  the  meaning  of  both  these  words,  are  leit  to  nis 
own  initiative.  Of  course,  Just  as  “  science  is  starved,  so  may 
the  scientifically-trained  gardeners  be,  but,  at  all  events,  the 
educated  man  oommands  re.spect.  ,  ,  ,  „  •  j,- 
Turn  we  now  to.  describe  .some  of  the'  features  of  the  existing, 
colleges,  and  from  the  reports  and  prospectuses  of  the  institutmns 
mentioned  in  the  opening  lines,  we  have  selected  the  following 
