UMASS/AMHERST 312066 0333 3038 8 *.4f "limm' ^ ^%%^ m: !»' w^ i^iIk^w^ _^B^^^UL^'''J^^I i r^i^^ i.rv:Hr ^1^ A ^*^^ 1 -r. 7?. •V.» ■!! '^^•^J LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE NO.-L3.Z.\ DATE_10r_lS8l. SOURCE. C£3-Uege....:^_u.Tids.. 31 \. m. BILLBERC-IA VITTATA [Auf.:. G, \HH1 JOHN McHUTCHEON. -%. 'ic Aug. 6, 1887.] (JL w; TU^ X,l,U3TI^ATi;D W£^£:Ki,Y J0UF(HAI^ HORTICULTURE IN ALL ITS BRANCHES, FOUNDED BY W. Jioliinsmi, Author oj " The Wild llartlvn" " Kmjl'sh Fkmcr Garden" ,tc. " Tou see, sweet maid, we marry A gentler scion to the wildest stock ; Aiid make conceive a bark of baser kind By bud of nobler race : Tliis is au art Which does mend nature, — change it rather : but The art itself is nature." VOL. XXXI. MIDSUMMER, 1887, LONDON: OFFICE: 37, SOrTlIAMrXOX STREET, COVE^'T GARDEN, W.C. [Aug. 6, 1887. TO THE MEMORY OF JOHN McHITTOHEON {GARDEN 1871—1887) THE THIRTY-FIRST VOLUME OF "THE GARDEN" IS DEDICATED. C W. li., July, \i V.2I Aug. 6, 1887.] THE GARDEN INDEX . ^ iiTDEX TO voniTJivdiEi xx:x:i. (Illustrations in Italics.) Abies baburensis, 174 ; bmuhyphylla, 100, 223 ; bracteata, 1^0; Douglasi at Jardiue Hall, 455 ; Nordniamiiaua, 51 ; polita, 223 Abutilon vitiEolium album, 503; vitifolium, 5;td Abutilons, 143 ; tbc best, 1S3 Acacia dealbata, 91 ; bardiness of, 31S ; False, hedges of, 311 ; longifolia.'Jl, 143 ; goldea- leaved 612 ; the Rose, 5S9 Acacias, OOit ; In bloom, 304 Acalypha'*, 58 1 Aeantbolimon acerosum, 351 ; androsaceum, 351 Acer rubrum, 335 ; Scbwedlecri, 335 Achillea ptarmica. 50'J Achimenes, 120, 328, 501 Acis tricbopbyllum, 434 AcrAdenia, 4SS Acrophylium, 530 Acrotriche divaricata, 91 Ada aurautiaca, 323 Adenandra Iragrane, 5S4; speciosa, 5S4 ; uniflora, 584 Adiantum aneitense, 382 ; peruvianura, 220 Adonis vemalis, 446 ^■Echmea Weilbacbi, 60 Aerides, the, 221; odoratum, 90; crassi- foliuu", 610 ; expansum Leonite, 613 African Blue Lily, 501 Agapanthus umbellatxis, 395, 501 Agapetes buxifolia, 204 Agatha^a CEelestis, 480 Akebia quinata, 520 Alatcrnus, the, 50 Albany, West Australia, 4 Album, a Fern, 170 Alder, the American Wycb, 544 Algerian Silver Fir, the, 174 Allamandas, 'JS, 400 Allium grandirtorum, 430; Hermetti grand!' florum, 4S0 ; neapolitauum, 344 ; the Xea politan, 318 ; giganteum, 574, 596 Allosorus crispus, 170 Aloe plicatilis, 410 Alonsoa incisa, 372 Aloysia citriodora, 460 Alpinia pumlla, 185 Alpine Auriculas, shaded c. urishaded, 278 Alpine Wallflov/er, 554 Alseu-smia macrophylla, 220 Alsophila Rebeccas, 228 AUtnemerias, 394 Alum Root, the smooth, 590 Amaraboya princeps, 294 Amaryllids at Holloway, 312 ; crossing, 279 ; American, note on, 2:i0 Amaryllis, 98, 235, 32S, 464,531; Ambient, 405; Dr. Masters, 312; formosissiraa, 213, 220, 574 ; hybrid, 259 ; marjfinata con- spicua, 410 America, Rose growing in, 207 American Blackberries, 'cOO Ambei-stia nobilis, 204, 258 Ampelopsis Veitchi, 335 Amygdalus nana, 379 Andromeda japonica, 218, 219, 449; jiori-- bunda, 612 Anemia, 228 Anemone coronaria, 467, 4S1 ; double scarlet, 43* ; Fannini, a i-amble after, 295; nemo- I rosa, 393; Robinsoniana, 459 ; sylvcstris, I 503; the Apeunlne, 3!i8 ; the Crown, 535; the Pau, 459; the Saowdrop, 503 ; trlfolia, 446 Anemones, French, 145; Irish, 383; Japan, 33; spring- flowering, 188; "St. Brigid," 388 Angraecum bilobum Kiiki,20; citratum, 35.1; Kotichyi, 323; sesquipedale, 122, 272 Aiif/rtFCums, 323 Annual, what is an, 511 Annuals, half hardy, 203 A'tnmatheca crmnta, 49 Anopteria glandulosa, 327 Ansellia a'ricana, 20 Antburium Andreanum, 200 ; Audreanum fl.-pl., 372 ; Scberzeriauvim fasciated, 501 ; ferrierense, 602 Anthuriums, 403; at Burford Lodge, 220 Antirrhinum assurgen?, 581 Autirrbinums, crimson, 511 Ants, destroying, 134; in vinery, 557; iu I wineries, to destroVi 606 ' Aotus gracillima, 372, 460, 513 ' Aphelandra a irantiaca, 214 Aphelandras 213 Aponogcton disticliyon, 600 Apple, a good keeping, 43S; Blenheim Orange, I 20, 74 ; blossom, 555, 007 ; Blue Pear- main, 160; Duck's-bill, 99, 143; Lane's I Prince Albert, 193; Loi-d Derby, 2 ; Kor- ' folk Beaufin, 493; Pomeroy, 25cl; Piince Bismarck. 100; Scurmer Pippin, 160 ; tbc Chinese, 527; the Sandriugham, 147; the yellow transparent, 507; greeu Costard, I 600 j Apple-tree flower buds, 147 I Apple treep, ornameutal. 5'J7 Apples, 55, 348, 400; American, 283; asoma- nicntil trees, 400; dessert, 30O; English v. American. 166, 252 ; for email orchards, 147; good, 305; home-grown r. American, 192 ; identifying varieties, 436 ; keeping. 194; late-keeping, 347, 304, 491, 539, 556 ; market of thD future, 235; on Paiadiss stock, 53; omament-il, 421, 470; store rooms for, 492 ; two good, 349 ; well kept, 437 ; with handsome flowers, 438 ; thin- ning, 577 Apricot as a cordon, £08 Apricot blooms, 301 Apricot tre:*, a curious, 301 Apricots, 50, 6 jO Aquilegias, 552 Aralias, 342 Araucaria excelsa, 259 ; imbricata, 334 Araucarias unhealthy, 35 ; unsightly, 13 Arbor- vitiE, the Golden, 311 ; the giant, 615 Arbutus, tUo Oak-leaved. 2:9 ; the tall, 499 Arctotis aspera arborcxcens, 231 ; undulata, 31S Arirfemas, 312 Aristolochia elcgans, 442 Armeria cephalotes alba, 596 ; grandiflora, 59i ; Lau heana, 581 Arnebla echioidss. 4S0, 534 ; Griflithi, 534 Arolla, the. 104 Arthropodium cii-rhatum, 441 •Vi-tichokes, Globe, 103, 286 ; Globe, and the frost, 171 ; Jerusalem, 151 Arum Lilies, growmg, 237 ; at Kew, 117 Ash, the Manna, 3d4 ; the Mountain, at home, 208 ; vati(.ties of, 302 ; the Weeping, 13 Asparagus, 78, 151, 420, 490 ; culture profit- able, 19 ; forcing in beds, 30 ; forcing, 103, 152 ; notes, 543 ; planting, 353 ; plumosus, 341 ; plumosus nanus, li?8, 143, 237, 488 ; spriLg treatment of, 374 Asphalte walks, 541 Aspidiuuis, 325 Asplenium longissimum, 382 ; AiHantum- nigrum, 586 ; gtrmanicum, 587 ; fontanuia, 58 ; lanreolatuni, f87 Aspleuiums for baskets, 382 Aster Epectabilis, 0, 31; alpinus rubra , 59S ; Stracheyi, 574 Asters, sowing. 535 ; in spring, 112 Ataccia cristata, ftU Aubrietias, 410, 460 Aucubas, 482, 552 Auricula, gai'den, 447 ; origin of the edged, 484 ; rules, the, 417 ; spring notes on, 411 Auriculas, S2, 369, 443, 402, 503 ; alpine. 446 ; alpine, shaded i\ unshaded, 27S ; border, 460 ; fancy, 407 ; laced, 468, 485, 535, 561 ; seeclUng, 229 ; single white, 486 Auricula and Primula Society, the National, i 204, 405 I Australian Botanic Garden, 343 . Austrian Fine, 570 Au'umn Daffodils, 582 Azalea Deutsche Perle, 104, 213 ; Miss Jar- rett, 488 ; Mrs Carmich.ael, 279 ; mollis, 3S, 312, 328, 4S8 ; roeaiflora, 304, 328; the Ualifornian, 611 Azaleas, 47, 443, 512 ; after blooming, 395 ; American double, 499 ; and iusect pests, 162 ; Indian, from Cornwall, 503 ; planted cut, 11 ; soil for, 462 ; Eoot for. 412; hardy, in bloom, 611 Balearic Sandwort. 600 Bamboos, hardy, 48 Bambusa CastiUoui, 128 ; Metake, 238, 288 Bananas, 328 Banksian Roses, 527 Barberries, the best evergreen, 311 Barberry, Darwin's, 13, S3; the Golden, 545 ; the Nepaul, 91 ; the purple, 521, Oil Bark, allowances for, 63 ; and bark strip- ping, 337 Barkeria Vanneriana, 01 Birrenworts, hybrid, 527 Basic slag, 430, 454 Baskets, market, 377 Bauera rubioides, 394 Beam Tree, the white, 129 Bean, Beck's Dwarf Green, 450 Beans, Broad, 103, 333 ; dwarf Ne Plus Ultra, 333; eaiiy green Longpod, 78; Fiencb, 3f 3, 6C4 ; kidney, forcing, 102 ; runccts and French, 391,472 Baa's-mr Sanirlc, 578 Beaufortia splendene. 460 Beaumontia grandifloia, 271 ; inantfijiora, 441 Bedding out, 410 Beech, the, 524; the Cut-leaved, 173; Ihc Copper, 52 ; the Copper,in Hampfihire, 13 ; the Purple, 34 ; the wood of, 18 Bees, plants for, 370 Beetles, 61 Beet, 353 ; Covent Garden, 150 ; DcU"s Crim- son, 309; wintering, 149 Begonia Gloire de Sceaux, 104, 294 ; longevity of the, 360 ; Piiiiocfs Beatrice, 279 ; socO' trana, 38 tl THE GARDEN INDEX [Aug. 6, 1887. Begonias, 4"; at Beddingtoii, 320; foliage, 335; in bloom, 110; seedling, Ml\ tuber- oli9, 418. 510 ; tuberou=, for bedding, 277 ; tuberonp, propagating, 13S ; winter flower- ing, 412 Bellflower, wall, 60O Bellflowers, Italian, US ; In pane, 600 Bentham's Cypress, 206 Benthamia fragifera, 330 Berbsridop=is corallina, 330 Berberis Aquifollum, 475 ; aristata, 51 ; ne- palensis, 01 ; stenoi:)hylla, 545 ; steiiophylla, origin of, 3S Bermuda Lily, 561 Berry. Partridge, 173 ; the Chequer, 173 Bertolonias, 4S'i BigQonia radicane, 330 ; venusta, 38 Billbergia spcciosa, 204 Birch, the, 5 IS ; the Silver, 385 Blackberries, the American, 232, 300 Bladder-wort, Humboldt's, 125 Blandfordias, 602 Bletli hyacinthica, 581 BUiebelle, 535 Blue-eyed Mary, 38S Blue Gum tree, 5(i5 Blue Winter Windflower, 247 Bole i\ topwood, 223 Bolleas, 120 Bone-dust for plants, 442 Books — " British Fungi," 330 " Fern Album," 170 ''Horticultural Buildings," 430 *' Orchidaceous Plants," 504 "Orchids: their etructurc, history, and culture," 503 " Text-boukof British Funei," 330 " The Consulting Architect." 354 Borders, mixed, in spring, 302 Borecole or Kale, 390 Boronia heterophylla, 96, 204 ; megastigma, 214, 373 Boronias, 320 ; and their culture, 163 ; the best. 71 Bossisea linophylla, 515 Bottoming lakes, 275 Bougainvilloi glabra, OS, 371 ; spcciosa, 271 ; spectabilis, 412 Bougainvillcas, 335 Bouvardia Humboldti corymbifiora, 305 ; rosea multiflora, 373 Bouvardias, 72, 138, 373; double, 391 Box Thorn, European, ySl Box, the Minorca, 310 Bramble, snowy white, 565 ; white Rose, 545 Brambles, 582 Brassavola glauca, 100 Brassia autherotes, 521 Brier, Austrian Copper, 527, 572 ; Sweet, 331, 380, 400 Briers, Scotch. 572 Broccoli, 172, 377, 300, 451, 519 ; growing, 301, 471 ; hardy, 333, 352, 375, 426, 472, 490 ; late, 505 ; late spring, 518 ; notes on, 420 ; Penzance Early White, 262 ; protecting, in winter, 286 ; self-protecting, 102 ; with variegated foliage. 518; early, 588; Gil- bert's Late White Victoria, 5S9 Bromeliads, coloured drawings of, 532 Bromus sterilis aurpa, 345 Broom, the, 545; Wliite C .nary Island, 204 ; White Spanish, 545 Brugmansia suaviolens, 127, 103; Wayman- niana, 90, 143 Srupviarisiax, 45 ; the, 71, 480 ; out of doors, 107 Brussels Sprouts, 230, 262 Buckler Fern, the broad. 404 ; the crested, 405 ; t/ie Male, 405 ; ih<: M'nsh, 405 ; the Moun- tain, 404 ; the linjld, 404 ; the broad prickly toothed, 495 Bud-grafting, 101 Buddleia globosa, 120, 589 Bug, 1o get rid of, 390 ; mealy, on Vines, 309 Bulbs, crowded, 300 ; hardy, in London, 540 ; planting, for forcing, 303 ; in London gir- den, 596 Burford Lodge, Orchids at, 272 Burghley, letter from, 309, 332 Burlingtonias, S9 Bush fruits forking amongst, 26 Butchers Broom, the, 11, 154, 174, 190, 230 ; a new form, 545 ; under trees, 100, loO Buttercup, double, 527 Bu'.terwort, Rose-flowered, 329 Cabbage, 103, 377 ; Chou de Burghley, 451 Cabbages, 300 ; hearted, 131; market, 451 Caladium argvrites, 5f4 Caladiums, 340 ; and their euUu'.e, 118 Calanthe vcstit.ialba 2l'J Calanthes, 41, 91 ; and their culture, 325 ; at Holloway, 42, 383 Calceolaria, the, 515 ; double, 591 Calceolarias, 230, 578 ; herbaceous, 486 Calectasia cyanea, 351 Callas in masses, 204 Calliandra Tweedei, 226 Callicarpa macrophylla, 140; purpurea, 510 Cu/ocera vtscosa, 503 Camassias at Edinburgh, 535 Cambridge Lodge, Cypripediums at, 177 Camellia Lady Clancarty, 312 ; Mathotiana, 3S3 ; culture, 92 ; house, 258 Camellias, 328, 400, 443 ; for early blooming, 120 ; Japanese, 318 ; manure for, 515 ; ma- nure water for, 402 ; single, 226 Campanula Allioni, 8 ; double Peach-leaved, 81 ; fragilis, 8 ; isophylli, 9 ; Loreyi, 9 ; muralis alba, 370; persicifolia fl.-pL alba, 509; liaineri, 9; versicolor, 9; muralis, 600 ; Portenschlagiana, 590 Campanulas in pots, 442 Canadian forests, 4S0 Canary Islands, 12 Canna Gloire de Lyon, 146 ; Premices dc Nice, 140 ; itidiflora Ehemannl, 684 Cannas, dwarf, 189 ; from seed, 108 Canterbury Bell3, 598 ; rose, 569 CanlhanlluA cinrrcua, 502 Cantua buxifolia, 184 Cape Pelargonium Pretty Polly, 295 Cape Pondweed, 600 Capsicums, 425, 515 Carnation, the, 411; culture, 341; seedling, 360; Tree, Mrs. Keen, 120 Carnation and Pieotee Union, Oxford, 509 Carnation and Pieotee Society, the National, 204 Carnations, 82 ; and Picotees, 6, 1S7 ; and Pinks, seedling, 205 ; perpetual flowering, 97; seedling tree, 412; specimens, -110; border, 295 ; De Graw and Hinze's white, 373; in America, 373; Tree, 214; Tree, diseased, 120 ; winter-flowering, 183, 237 Carolina Poplar, 480 Carpentaria, 400; califttrnica, 100,130; cali- fornica, propagating. 138 Carpet bedding at Blenheim, 574 Carriage drives, 33R Carrjt Red Valery, 240 Carrots, 353 ; early, 79 ; market, 280, 301 Cassia corymbosa, 341 Cassinia, the golden, 288 Castanea chrysophylla, 106 Catalpa for economic planting, 403 Catasetum lougifolium, 20 Catchfly, a fairy, 551 Caterpillars, Gooseberry, 480 Cattleyabicolor, 177 ; chocoensis, 122 ; citrina, 452 ; dolosa, 09 ; dolosa gigas, 507 ; Harrisi, 10 ; intermedia, 401 ; intermedia Laingi, 383 ; new hybrid, 16 ; Percivaliana, 01, 205 ; Skinnfri at Beckenham, 429 ; Trianae, 177, 265 ; Trianas alba, 89, 91 ; Trianas at St. Albans, 177 ; Trianae Ernesti, 109; Trianie, select forms of, 429 ; Triana; Vanneriana, 265 ; Warscewiczi superbissima, 205 ; labiata leucopta?A, 013 Cattleyas, OlO ; at Chelsea, 20; all the year round, 175 ; in bloom at Streatham, 406 Cauliflower Snowball, 150 Cauliflowers, 102, 151, 391, 400, €03; early, 103; in licit, 78 Ceanothus, 460, 611 ; under glass, 304 Celastrus seandens, 474 Celery, 426,510; a succession of, 451 ; for soup, 78 ; in winter, 14; under the snow, 150 Celosia pyramidalis, 07 Centipedes, 00 Central Park, New Yoik, 591 Centropogon Lucyanus, 279 Cephalotus follicularis, 461 Cerasus InsitanJca, 498 Cereus C. M. Hovey, 583 Charcoal, 180 ; trade, the, 22^ Cheilanthes, 44 ; argentm, 397 ; Borsigiana, 307 ; chrysophylla, 397 ; furcata, 586 Cheiranthus Allioni, 6; alpinus, 554 Cherries, 76, 360, 400, 470, 493, 557, 577 : best on porrest soil, 232; double flowering, 499 Cherry Bigarreau Napoleon the Third, 100 ; double-blossomed, the, 474 ; Mahaleb, the, 408; Waterer's forced, 279; wild, the, 112 Chestnut, Golden, the, 106 ; Horse, a droop- ing, 428 ; double-flowered Horse, 589 Ciieslnids, Horse, at Busbridge, 307 Chicory and Mustard and Cres3, 14 Chillies, 425, 515, 505 Chimonanthus fra^ians, 174 Chionodoxa Lucili?e, 27S, 318, 368, 304, 440 Cliionodoxas, the, 340 Chiawick vegetable trials, 200 Choisya ternata, 44, 100, 342, 545 Chorozcma cordatum splendens, 257 Chorozemas, 30;j Chou de Burghley, 102, 132, 173 Christmas Roses, HO; imported, 127 Chrysanthemum multicaule, 554 ; notes, 477; piize schedules, 214; Golden Gem, 01, 140 ; Mr.«. H. June-", 61; Steur Melanie, 71; (-how, 451 ; sports, 212, 269 ; Blushi'^g Bride, 574 Chrysanthemums, 212, 243, 269, 322, 351, 420, 444, 477, 519, 550, 574 ; Anemone-flowered, 558; Anoiwne-tioK'ircd, 559; annual, 107; China Aster-flowered, 59 ; for the conserva- tory, 184 ; cutting down, 536, 550 ; early his- tory, 81 ; fifty years ago, 59 ; fragrant, 530 ; half-double, tassel-flowered, 60 ; incurving Ranunculus-flowered, 59 ; late, 47 ; Mari- gold-flowered, 00 ; new, 11, 34, 49 ; Ranun- culus-flowered. 59; single varieties, 402; soil for, 351 ; summer, 418 ; tassel-flowered, 00 ; trained specimens, 403 ; two late- blooming, 70 Cinerarias, 72, 235, 312, 372 ; double, 298, 442 Cirrhopctalums, the, 10 Cissus discolor, 72 ; porphyrophylla, 72 Cistus purpureus, 320 Cistusee, 534 ; and Helianthemnms, 287 Citrus myrti/olius, 417; sinensis, 164 Claytonia virginica, 368, 303 Clematis, 3J0 ; Davidiana, 145 ; herbaceous and shrubb)/, 186 ; indivisa, 259, 410, 482 ; indivisa lobata, 300; J-ickmj-nni, tiOO; montana, 409, 580; mountain, 527; new early flowering, 597 Clerodendron Balfouri, 98 ; fragrans, 265 Clerodendrons, shrubby, 412 Clianthus puniceus, 336, 310 Climber from Nice, 514 Climbers, beautiful, 503 ; hardy, pruning, 276 ; greenhouse, 144 ; planting, 144 ; for walls, 321 ; greenhouse and stove, 610 Clove, crimson, the old, 180 Club Mosses, 357 Cluster Pine, the, 407 Cobaea scaudens variogata, 342 ; seedlings, 373 Cochliostema Jacobianum, 271, 602 Codonopsia ovata, 551 Ctelogyne cristata, 90, 275, 323, 324, 35S, 401 ; c-islatamo.xima, 190; cristata Lemoniana, 177,323; culture, 243; Dayana, 5n, 507; flaccida, 243 ; Mas3angeana, 51; pandura*a, 591 Colchicum neapolitanxnn, 248 Coleu'9 tubcrosus. 102 Coleworts, 86, 519 ; early, 583 Colletias, 420 Columbine, white Munstead, 526 Columbines, 549, 581 ; various, 520 Combination, a good, 204, 552 Combretum purpureum, 144, 403 Committee, Narcissus, 200 Comparettia macroplectron, 42 Comptonia asplenifolia, 130 Conifene, the, 431 Coniferous trees, grouping, 35 Conifers, grafting, 314 ; grouping for protec- tion, 524; of the West, the best, 238; in Ireland, 224 ; to])-drcssing, 449 Consumer and producer, 309 Contrast, a pleasing, 295 Cool house Orchids, 402 Coolhitrst, Sussfx, 21, 25 Corbularias, 321, 360; and their distribution, 139 Cordyline indivisa, 341 Cork hark for edging, 592 Cornflowers, blue, 527 Cornus mas, 354 ; mascula variegata, 310 Coronilla glauca, 441 Correas, 396 Corridors, plants for, 65 Cortusa Mathioli, 578 Cor3'loi)sis himalayana, 266 Costus igneus, 66 Cotoneaster aftinis. 16 Cotoneasters at Chiswick. 154 Cottage gardens, fruit trees for, 210 Cottage walls, Morello Cherries for, 253 Cotton Grass, 549 Coulter's Pine, 378 ; branch of, 378 378 Covent Garden Market, 16 Covert for game, 523 Covert plant, an ornamental, 26S Cow-horn Orcliid, 591 Cowslips, 434 ; American, 434 Crab, The Chinese. 5Sii Cranberries. American, 423 Cranberry, the, 66 CrassxUa jasminea, 463 Cratffigus oxyacantha semperflorens, 51 ; pinnatifolia, 544 ; Pyracantha, 22S Cress, yellow Rock, 596 Crickets, destruction of, 521, 569 Crocus Imperati, 146, 204 Crocuses, vild, homes of the, 204 ; spring, 100 Crop, a year's, from cold pits, 199 Crops, rotation of, 130 CrotoDs, 335 ; diseased, 530 ; small, 585 Croweas, 330; and their culture, 37 Cryptomeria elegaus, 106 ; elegans, jirof agat- ing, 268 Cuckoo-flower, do'ible, 450 CucuUia Verbascl, 220 Cucumber Purley Park Hero, 470 ; raising, 133; seedling, 451 Cucumbers, 75, 333, 340, 508, 505, 577 424 ; from cuttings, 138 ; house, frames, 190 ; overcropping, 505, G04 57 ; ridge, 375, 472; spring sown, 424 Cucumis sativu-!, 303 CtyJlL' Oj, Cupania fiUcifolia, 584 Cupressus Lawsoniana, 335 ; Lawsoniana in bloom, 409 ; Lawsoniana filifera, 311 ; Law- soniana intertexta, 288 ; nutkaensis, 502 ; nutkaensis compacta, 505 ; torulosa, 547 Currant, Red, Raby Castle, 115 ; the flower- ing, as a hedge plant, 474 Currants, 400 ; Red, 115 ; summer pruning, 470, 557, 007 ; summer pinching of, 509 Curuba, the, 412 Cyanophyllum magnificum, 341 Cyclamen, 257 ; Coum vernum, 146 ; Coum and ibericum, 231 ; Persian culture, 236; the Neapolitan, S Cyilamens:, 341 ; at Twickenham, 279 ; hardy, 218 ; lime for, 272, 397 ; planted out, 46 Cydonia hedges, 355 ; vulgaris lusitanica, 545 Cymbidium iJevonianum, 308 ; eburneum, 324 ; Lowianum, 242 ; t'griuum, 401 Cyperus, 585 Cypress, deciduous, titrher of, 158 ; Mexican deciduous, 480; the Golden Lawson, 219 the Monterey, in Sussex, 84 ; the Nootka Sound, 502 ; the tufted, 547 Cypi-ipedium Amesianum, 122 ; Ca^ceolus, 503 ; Leeanum superbum, 61 ; porphyrtum, 122; tonsum, 20; twin-flowered, 10; vil- losum aureum, 222; Curtisi, 610 ; niveum, 591 ; spectabile, 500; superciliare, 013 Cypripediums at Cambridge Lodge, 177 ; at Clapton, 325, 401 ; at Studley House, 265 Cyrtanthus McKeni, 42, 06, 213 CytiEus albus, 545 ; filipes, 204, 304 D. Daffodil Ard-Righ, 06; commit'ee, 318, 368, 448 ; Henry Irving, 231 ; Hoop Petticoat, 570 ; Little Nell, 394 ; notes, 345 ; Sulphur I'hoiuix, 409 Daffodils, 446, 467 ; boimie, 248 ; double, 226 ; Italian, 3SS ; Mr. HartJand's, 343 ; outline drawings of, 248 ; white and London clay, 447; white, 34, 218, 312; white, trial, 50, 80; white trumpet, 107, 297, 321; wild white, 203 Dahlias, Cactus, and others, 33 ; Cactus, 370, 459 ; planting, 4S3 ; selection of, 415 ; ehow and fancy, 5 Daisies on lawns, S Daisy bush, 388 Damson, the Prime, 26. 99, 114 Damsons, 106 Daphne Blagayana, 239 ; Cneorum, 459, 503 ; Fioniana, 545; Genkwa, 404; indica, 329; the Pontic, 154 Daphnes, the, 218 ; planted out, 329 Darwinia fimbriata, 464 ; Hookerlana, 463 ; tulipifera, 463 Darwinias, 403 Davallias, 82 Delphinium, Britannia, 613; Chamont, 013; Prince of Wales, 418 ; triste, 596 l")elphiniums, 307, 500 Dendrobiumciassinode, 243; Dalhousianum, 441, 453; endocharis, 199; Farmer! aureum, 591; fimbriatum, 325, 359; Fytchianum roseum, 42 ; Lowi, 591 ; luteohim, 157 ; micans, 325; nubile, 265; polyphlebium, 591 ; spcciosum, 537, 567 ; splendidissimum, 243 ; Wardianum, 199, 221 ; Wardianum, 476 Dendrobiums at Forest Hill, 383 Dendrochilum glumaceum, 205 ; latifolium, 537 Deutzia crenata fl.-pl., 379, 475 ; gracilis, 92 Dewberry, the, 507 Dichorisandra cuprea, 265 I!)icksonia antarctica, 588 Dictamuus Fraxinella, 574 ; alba, 600 " Dictionary of English Plant Names," 572 Dieffenbachias, 562 Dionsea muscipula, 468 Diosmas, 119 Diplacus glulinosus, 434 ; the orange, 434 Dipladenias, 144, 403 Disa grandirtora, 411,462 Dogwoods, S3 Doronicura Harpur-Crewe, 503 Doryopteris, 170 ; ludens, 382, 588 Dot plants in flower beds, 145 Dracaena indivisa outdoors, 7 ; Mr?. Turner, 002 Dracjenas, profagatin?, 04, 460 ; stove, 396 Drains, root choking of, 112 Dresden Horticultural Show, 454 Droscras, 34(1 Dry rot, 87 plants, ; frame, 424 ; in ; raising. E. Easter decorations, 360 Estate management, ^02, 337 Echeveria re^us.x, 142 ; secunda, 204 Edelweiss ^'00 Aug. 6, 1887.] THE GARDEN INDEX Vll Edge Hall, notes trom, b'Jb Edgings, kitchen garden, 239, 2S0 E ; climbing, lie. Eranthemum pulchellmo, 4:i Eremurua Korolkowi, 5S1, GOO; robustus var., 5(37 Erica carnea, 204, 247; Cavcndishi, 401; cinerea, 012; depressa, 531; melanthera, 42, 258 Ericas at Norwood, 500 Erinus alpiuus, 109 Eriuphorum, 549 Iu\'/ii!/i"',i utintlt^/Atinutii Otit'i.yiannii>, 29S ; Olivcrianum, 321 Erythrina crista-^alU, 415 ; ncarmorata, 178 Eucalypti in Norfolk, 334 Eucalyptuo, 592 ; globulus, 565 Euehuris amazonica, 410 ; amazonica resting, 4S7 ; mite, the, 38, 105, 430 Eulalia japonica v.iriegata, 36S Euonymus auiericanus. 474; at-opurimreus, 474 ; elatus, 474 ; ein*op:i;us, 474 ; japoni- cus. 474 : japonicus v.iricgatns, 334 ; Hti- foliuo, 474 ; nanus, 474 ; radii-ans, 474 ; Sieboldianu5, 474 ; variegatus, 130; verru- cosus, 474 Eupatorium Candolleanum, 119; odorAtum, 10; Wecdlandi, 110 Euphorbia jacquinijwflora, 47, 60, 412 European terrestrial Orchids, 5'.iO Eurya latifolia variegata,419 Eurybia stellulata. 511 Evclyna kcrmesina, 226 Evergreen covert, IS Evergreens, best, for London, 50; traus- pUnting, 427 Exhaustion of soil by tree routs, lUG Exhibiting, 592 Exochordagrandiflora, 450, 474, 501, 515 Fabiana imliricata, 474 Fagot m iking, 523 Fagus svlvatica, 524 Fail- Maids of France, 481 Fan Fern, West Indian, 609 Fences, 135, 5:^3; useful, 313 Fern, the Killarney, 3S2, 397, 429 ; spores, (\'> Ferns, Brazilian, 182; Fiji Hare's-foot, 101; Gold and Silver, 163; hardy. 139; Harfs- tongne, 101 ; large, 3S2; Maiden-hair, 117; Maltese w.iy of growing, 5SS ; our native, 435, 494, 541 ; re-potting and dividing, 117; seedling, 341, 400; stccet-scentei/, 101; tasselled and crested, 170; twining, 139; variegated, 4 Fieus, 370; repeiis. 264; repens, hardiness of, 163, 231 Fi?, Adam, 115 ; Negro Largo, 115 ; Pingo de Mai, 232 ; San Pietro, 115 ; growing. 425 ; trees, effect of winter on, 500 ; trees in the open, 438 Fig.J, 99, 300, 471, 493, 540, 558 ; hardy, 39S ; in the open air, 192; mulching outdoor, 007 ; on the east coast, 99 ; on the south coast, 2, llj ; outdoor, 576; protection of, f08 ; two good, 115 Filberts, 147; preserving, 115; and Cobs, 192 Fir, the Austrian, 04 ; the Corsican, 87 ; the Douglas, atDropmore, 301 ; Scotch Golden, 105, 129 ; plantations, trenching, 207 Fire Bush, the, 503 Firewood, 15S ; cost of, 202; English, 17, 39, 64 ; preparing English, 87 ; prices of, 135 ; and wood fires, 88 Fish pond, ornamental, 509, 57 1 Fittonias, 72 Flax, New Z- aland, 344 Flax tree, 109 Flowering branches in wa'er, 345 Flower beds, permanent, 445 Flower-cup', new, 14 Flowers, effects ()f frost on, 397 ; and foliage on walls, »>7 ; and gardens. 109 ; at Shire- hampton. 5;i5 ; hardy, at Oakwoud, 394 ; from Ireland, 569 ; hardy, notes on, 552 ; January, 100 ; from North Derby, 527 ; spring, 297; sweet-scented, 46, 60; wed- ding, 3SS ; white, a border of, 296; wild, destrueti ni of, 45;J ; work amongst, in .Tune, 553 Foliage and flowers on walls, 67 Forest trees, cost of ra.ising, 179 ; pruning, 54S ; thinning, 40, 63 Forestry in Sweden, 450 Forestry notes, 223, 385, 479 PiTcst-', Canadian, 4X0 Forget-me-not, creeping, 431 Forsythia, forced, 201; su?pensa, 200; viri- dissima, 84 l-'orsythias in masses, 200 Furf //o.'x., Fi/., 575 Fortunate Isles, in the, 209 Fothergilla aluifolia, 541 I'Vames and pits, 389 Franciscca coafertiflora, 529 Francisceas, 335 Francoa ramosa, 342 Fiaxinclla, white, 581, 000 Fi-cLCinus onius, 354, 355 Ficesia refracta alba, 411 ; r'/rada alba, 529 ; tho white, 91 Freesias, 11, 3SS Fritillaria Moggridgei, 409 ; pallidiflora, 453 Fritillarias, 440 Frost, effects of, on Roses, 123 ; among spring flowers, 308 ; and Onions, 309 ; report, 306, 383 Fi-uit, tho bloom crop, 469 ; blossom, thinning, 316 ; blossoms, protecting, 2S2 ; borders, 005 ; bushes, forking amongst, 3 ; cold storflge for, 232 ; committee, 014 ; culture, hardy, 282 ; early, for market, 107 ; gardens, small, 1 ; gathering, 424 ; hardy, prospects of, 505 ; houses, general, 424 ; houses, shading, 2S1, 349 ; houses, unhealed, 555 ; jam, cheap, 507 ; jellies, cheap, 507 ; and kitchen gardening, prospects of, 365 ; nurseries, home, 193 ; packing hot-house, 505 ; packing tender, 469 ; jiacking for transportation, 53 ; prospects, 39s, 409 ; show at Chester, 245 ; stores, 538 ; trees, digging among, 252 ; trees, labelling, 348 ; trees, manures for, 114 ; notes from Wycomba Abbey, 606 ; trees, mulching, 210; trees as ornaments, 363; trees, orna- mental, 491 ; trees, protecting, 301 ; tr<;e>', protecting the blossoms of, 233; trees, slielter for, 507 ; trees and sparrows, 506 ; tree', umbrella-shaped, 3 Fruits, bush, 55, 191, 558; home v. foreign, 54 ; preserved, prizes for, 539 ; seasonable work among, 167, 191, 211, 233, 254, 2S3, 317 ; thinning, 347 Fuchsia Monarch, 584 Ft'xhsia-Jlowercd Curranl, 333 I-'uchsias, 336 ; spring treatment of, 230 Fumigating, 4o4 Fungus, the Orange, 48, 542 Funkias, 574 ; under glass, 395 Furze, double-blossomed, 644 ; dwarf, 355 ; for hedges, 292 ; the Spanish, 566 (iiillardia Vivian Grey, 013 Gaillardias, culture of, 109 ; from seed, 248 Galanthus Elwesi, 325 ; fjlobosua, 393 ; glubo- sus, 445 ; nivalis prajcox, 146 Garden gates and doors, 593 Garden men, management of, 5SS Garden seats and trellises, 016 Gardens, neatness in, 196 ; and flowers, 109 ; terrace, 117 Gardeners' Benevolent, 614 ; balance sheet, SO Gardeners, education of, 374, 3S9, 444, 497 ; Orphanage. 140, 3SS ; Orphan Fund, 435, 477, 501, 508, 614 j Gardenias, 72, 331 Gardening, kitchen, and trifles, 450 ; by the I sea, 336 ! Garland flower, the, 503 Gas injuring i^laiits. 329 (iaultherla procumben", 00, 173 ; i>io7.('/^>/(,379 Gean, the, 112 Genista bi^panica, 560 Geological phenomenon, 338 Gcsnera cinuabai'ina. 185; exoniensis, 501; macrantba, 258 ; oblongata, 42 ; zcbrina splendidissima, 501 Gesneras, late-flowering, 561 ; tuberous- rooted, 561 Gi int Poppy, 4S3 Gilbert, a note from Mr., 222 Gladioli, 369 ; culture of, 144 ; and their cul- ture, 101 ; early flowering, 580 ; in autumn and winter, 7 Gladiolus brenchleyensis in pots, 143 Glasshouse i>roduce, market sales of, 293 Glasshouses, north aspect for, 25S Glazing, double, 530 Gleichenia circinata, 517 ; circinata glauca, 517; Cunninghami, 586; dicarpa, 517; dicarpa longipiiinatu, 517; dichotoma, 586; flabellata, 5S0 ; hecistophylla, 517 ; pubes- cens. 580 ; rupestris, 517 ; scmivestita, 517 ; Speluncie, 517 Glc.ch^nias, 510, 580 , Globularia Alypnm, 140 ' Gloxinia, a curioup, 300; a variegated, 603 Gloxinias, 120, 442, 511 ; at Huthersett, 500; xpofiui, 97 Godetias, 298 Golden Drop, 500 Goldring, Mr. \V., 107 (I'omphitiius glutinoau.*, 5-3 Gooseberries, 400. 55S ; Lancashire, 75 Gooseberry caterpillar, 115, 157 Gordonia pubescens, lOj Gon^ih, giant, 3S9 Grafting, 2S2, 330 ; bottle, 113; Conifers, 314 ; and ioarching Vines, 300 ; seedling Oranges, 301 ; wax, how to make, 507 Grap.^ Bid weirs Seedling, 400; Black Ham- burgh, 115; Ganidi dc Juillefc, 349; Golden Queen, 423, 438, 539 ; Gros Culmar, 115 ; LoiU/ Voinie's S-iedlituj, 437 ; Madrtsfield Court, 575; Mrs. Peaison, 113, 423, 438; Vines, 538 ; an invaluable white, 30;i Grapes from South Africa, 317 ; outdoor, 3, 74 ; packing, 491 Grass ]jarks, tussocky, 542 Gi'asses, ornamental, 322 Greenhouse flowers, what are they? 550 Grt-eoliouse, success in a small, 411 Grevillcas, 340 Ground for planting, preparing, 223 Grubs in soil, 541 ; on lawn, 381 Guelder Rose, forced, 279 ; as a market flower, 5S9 Gum Cistus, purple, 320; floral, for fixing flawer pj'als, 227 H. Habranthus fulgens, 526 U ibrothamnus elegans, 120, 5S1 ; elcgaus in fruit, 258; fasciculatus, 503 HaUsla tflrapteia, 520 Hamami:li3 arburea, 110, 153 Harebell, tho wall, 596 Hare's-foot Ferns, 82 Hawthorn blossom, 519 ; red, 500 Heather, tho golden. 544 Heath, a pretiy wintc -, 38; the white winter, 91 Heaths, 39ti, 531 ; hardy, 582 ; winter, 71 Hebeeltnium ianthinum, 257 Iledera amurensis, 154 Hedge screens, 111 Hedgerow trees, 135 Hedges, 313; of False Acaci>, 311 ; Furze fur, 292 ; i\ walls, 334 Helianthemum algarven^.e, 234 Helianthemums and Cistuses, 287 Helianthus multiflorus, 509 Hellebores, remarks on, 7; at Manchester, 290 ; seedling, 344 Helleborus absehasicus, 319 ; altifolius, 107, 101 ; altifolius, pink stigma of, 188 ; anti- quorum, 319 ; colchicus, 319 ; guttatus, 319 ; niger m.ajor, 91 ; niger maximus, 49 ; niger maximus, pink stigmas of, 127 ; olympicus, 319 ; oricntalis, 319 ; pur- puriiscens, 319 ; viridis, 488, 511 Hemerocallis Middcndorfiant, 507 Hemionitis Milleri, 204 Hemp, Bowstring, 430 Henri Jw:otot, 413 Ilepaticap, 0 Herbaceous plants at Manchester, 554 Ikrb Paris, 105 Herbs, 151, 519 ; from seed, 308, 420 Herring salad, 554 Heterosporium ornithogali, 591 Heuchera sanguinea, 613 Hexacentris mysorensi?, 529 Bibbertiadcntata, 116 Hibiscus rosa sinensis, 91 ; sehizope talus, 258 Higbgate, Hyacinths at, 294 lloeiiig, 333, 471, 472, 588, 604 ; advantages of, 150 IlolUes, choice, 240. 207, 292 Holloway, Amaryllids at, 312 ; Hyacinths at, 594; ImantophvUum miniatum at, 312 Holly, the Box-leaved, 129 HoUyhocks, 277, 534 ; seedling, 510 H'^nesty, 309, 481 Honeysuckle, 503 ; trumpet. 602 honeysuckles, the winter, 38 Hoi'seradish, 103 Horticultural Club, 206 Hothouse produce, sales of, 408 HouUetiiS, 155 House, a profitable, 487 Houstonia crerulea, 50 Hovea Celsi, 442, 403; elliptica, 271 Hoveas, 12 Hoya bella, 584 ; imperialip, 550 Humata alpina, 435 ; angustifolia, 435 ; liete- roijhylla, 435 ; pedata, 435 ; Tyermaui, 435 Huniiemanniafumarirefolia, 530 Hyacinth, the, 327 ; the Amethyst, 520 ; IfeUUeich's Grape, 419 ; imported blooms, 417 ; white wood, 434 Hyacinths at Highgate, 294; at Holloway, 294 ; Grape, 388 ; Italian, 12 ; out o,f doors, 297 ; Roman, 142 Ilyaeinthus amethystinus, SSii Hydrangea, the climbing, 130 ; stclhita fl.- pL, 530 Hydrangeas, 443, 482 HymenocaUis macrostephana, 213 Hyparicum olympioum, 319, 345 Ibcris corifolia, 527 ; from the mountains of Greece, 146 Hex crenata, 292 ; dipyrena, 173 ; hetero- phylla magna, 3112 Imantuphyllum flowers, 258 ; miniatum, 220; miniatum at Holloway, 312 Iinpatiens Episcopi, 602 ; Hawkeri, i^fj, 404; .lerdoniae, 237; Luciie, 68; Sultani and Hawkeri, 144 Inarching by moans of pot Vines, 283 Indian Mallow, the Vine-leaved, 503 Insecticides, 505 Insects, crojidestroying, 381 ; injurious to root crops, report, 429 ; on Peach trees, 311 ; Springttil, 110 ; Vine, 159 bmopsis utriLularioides, 591 lpoin;ii Hursfalliai, 228 ; Thomsoniana, 371 Irel:ind, Ccmifers in, 224; the wej,ther in, 590 ; Violets from, 260 Iresine Herbsti, 120 Iris aurca, 52; a beautiful, ilOl ; Chinese, 116; Ciengalti, 520; reticulata, 91, 189, 204; reticulata, perfume of, 229; stylosa, 101 ; susiana, 554 Iron, corrugated, for staging, 569 Isle of Wight, notes from, 481 ; spring flowers in, 178 Isles, the Fortuna'e, 319 Isotoma hirsuta, 20ii Italian Bellflowers, .s Ivies, 154, 511; and their uses, 129; tree, 105 Ivy, GOO ; a new, S5 ; leaves, coloured, 554 ; earden, 612 ; on trees and buildings, 379 ; the Amur, 154 Ixia*, 81 ; from Reading, 527 Ixiolirion tataricum, 50" Ixoras, 335, 510 Jacks in-thc-(!rccn, 297 Ja;ob:ea Lily, 574 Jacob's Ladder, a new. 553 ; Richardson's, 481 Jamesia americana, 545 Japan Ros°, 600 Jopanr.se Cfiri/santficmum, Anemone-Hoiared, 558 Jap.anesc Wych Hazel, 153 Jasmine, the rosy, 400 Jasmines, 403 Jasmiuumgracillimum. 404 ; nudiflorum, 174; pubescens, 42 ; Simbac, 70 Jeffersonia diphjlla, 446 Jonquil, double, 40;i ; the common, 388 Jonquils. 392, 409 ; durability of roots, 415 Juun Fernandez Fern, 320 Juneberriea, 507 Jimeberry, the, 507 Justioia purpurea, 42 Kaimpferia omata, 184 Ka^anchoe carnea. 61 Kale, cottagers'. 133. 377 ; Scotch, 377 Kalosanthes, 601, 603 Kennedya Marryatie, 515 Kentia Fosteriana variegata, 104 Kenwood, Orchids in bloom at, 274 Kerria, the double, 565 ; the Jai:»anese, 311 Kew, Orchids in bloom at, 264 ; spring flowers at, 205 ; Trichomanes at, 284 Kitchen gardening, 149, 425 Kitchen garden. Box edgings in, 202; edgings, 286 : notes, 172, 197. 203, 287, 309, 543 ; seeds, 103 ; shelter for, 202 Korolkowia discolor, 61 Labtsia, the family, 327 Laburnum, the, 589 ; eccentric, oil ; the ever- green, 523 ; hedges, 566 ; the sweet- scentid, 302 Vlll THE GAEDEN INDEX [Aug. 6, 1887. iiace-leuf plant, 328 Lachenalias, 328 Laciirius zonarius^biSZ Lady's Slipper, EDglish, £03 Lady's Slippers at Forest Hill, 122 ; at Hol- loway, 20 Ltelia albida, 177 ; anceps, 42 ; anceps Pro- theroiana, 243 ; anceps Sanderiana, 61 ; anceps Stella, 61 ; anceps varieties, 20 ; elegans Measuresiana. 324 ; flava, 177 ; har- pophylla, 274 ; liurpurata , 610; purpurati alba, 45 f; Tumeri, 156 Lagerstrtemia indica, 278 Lambton Costle, ;i49 Land, draining, 4S0 Lantaiias, 41S, 463 Lapageria alba, 4il ; rosea, 411 Lapagerias. 46, 410 ; planted out, 37 Larch, budding, twigs, 409 ; as a Uwn tree, 01, 310, 355 Lmtrea cnstatc, 495-; dilatata. 495; Filix-mas, 495; montana, 494; ^)(i^ it^^ris, 495; fjnnu- losa, 494 ; rifflda, 494 Latania rubra", 213 Lathynis Drunimondi, 109, 51'7 ; grandi- florus, 509 Laurel, the Culchic, 105 ; management, 378 ; Myrtle-leaved, 521 ; the, and its manage- ment, 427 ; the Portugal^ 498 Laurel-leaved Phillyrea, 106 Laurels, Portugal, by the seaside, 310 Lavatera artaorea variegata, 14ti Law- Ac tion'againet tenant cutting down shrubs, 454 Overseers of Lcwishani *■. H. J. Cobb, 360, 384 Parser r. The Worthing District Lccal Board, 290, 501 Laxenburg, notes from. 236 Layia clif/ans, 4(j5 ; glaudulosa, 465 Layias, the, 465 Leaf-mould, 12 Leaf -soil, good and bad, 168 Leaves for leaf-mould, 03 Lebeuf, M. Godefroy, 226 Leeks, 390 ; early, 103 Itntinus tiftrinvs, 563 Leofard's-bane, 503 Leschenaultia biloba major, 530 Lettuce, 426, 472, 604 ; Bo£sin, 132 Lettuces, 112 ; best positi-^-n for, 451 ; spring, 78 Leucojum trichophyllum , 434, 433, 535 ; ver- num, 231 Lej'Ci^stcria f ormosa, 174 Libertia ixioides, 578 Libonia floribunda, 164 Lilac, Japanese, 613 ; mixed, bushes. -^82 Lilies, 336, 459, 527 ; from Troyes, 481 Lilies, 489 ; and their culture, 32, 230, 277 ; Day. 409, 574; in pots, 329; Lent, 4i5; in London, 49; of the Valley, 503, 533 ; PUn- tain, 574 Lilium auratum, 510; Hatrisi, 329; longi- tiomm Harrisi, 561 ; umbellatum, 583 Lily of the Valley, 16 ; forml, 183 ; forcing, 97; forced, 214; tree, 612 Lily, St. Bruno's, 520; white Wood, 50 J ; Wood, -160 Limnocharis Humboldti, 468 Lindley library, the, 430 Linum arboreum, 109 Lip Ferns, 44 Livistona rotundifolia, 164 Llavea cordifidia, 326 Lobeliy cardinalis, 277 ; speciosa Ingrami, 509 Lobelias, herbaceous, 4ls Localities, growing, 371 Lomarias, the, 181 Lonicera flcxuosa, 260 ; fragrantissima, 239 ; senaperfiorens minor, 271 ; sempeivirens, 602 Lotus peliorhynchus, 34 ^ Loxoma Cunninghanii, 494 Luculla gratissima, propagating, 124 Lunaria biennis, 369 Lycaste plana, 90 ; Skinneri 122, 177; Skin- neri at Higham, 90 Lyfhnis clialcedonica, (7 lyciiniL curojKEum., 334 Lycopodiums, 357 m. Mackaya bella, 372, 512 Madeira, notes from, 89 ; Orchid, 610 Magnolia Campbclli, 356, 418, 474,530; Camp- telli and M. fuscata, 304; conspicua, 450; conspicua, 5C5 ; Juscaia, 442, 463, 530, 589; grandiflora, 84, 130, 336; Halleana, 106, 130, 154, 21!>, 379; Leinic, 459; obovata, 515; iripetala, 012 : yt'Ja,},tOr> Mahonia, the Holly-leaved, y5 Maiden-hair, Amcjican, and wild fii>werF, 2-:s M;dlow, the rose, 91; the Vine-leaved, 576; the white, 503 Malus Halleana, S3, 106 Manchester, Hellebores at, 290 Manure, best, for pot plants, 341, 400; con- centrated, 440 ; water, 12 ; water, applying, 509 Manures for fruit trees, 114 ; for kitchen gar- den, 332 Maple, the red, 335 ; silver cut-leaved, 13 Marguerite Cloth of Gold, 312 Marguerites, 70, 584 ; annual double, 320 ; as cut flowers, 459 Marigolds, Marsh, 459 Karket, fruit-growing fur, 255; fruit, 114; garden notes, 110, 200 ; sales of glasshouse produce, 293, 573 ; sales of garden produce, 353 Marketing cut flowers, 569 ; home-grown limber, 158 Marrows, 391, 565 ; Vegetable, 490 Mascarenhaaia Curnowiana, 460 Masdevallia demisaa, 610 ; Ephippium, 274; ignea, 243 ; lutea oculata, 567 ; tovarensis, 16 ; xanthina. 401 Masdevallias, 199, 610 Matrix draught and dust excluder, the, 406 May weather, 494 Meadow Sweet, golden, 552 Medinilla magnifica, 561 Megasea purpurasccns, 5 Melons, 252, 350, 424, 508, 577 ; cracking, 438 ; in frames, 424 ; old and new, 232, 300 ; on the extension system, 43S; raising, 57; soil for, 193 ; succession, 424 Me pil'is, the snowy, 589 Mexican Orange flower, 3SS Microlepia hirta, 428 ; hiria criatata, 428 ; Nova3-Zelandia3, 428 ; platyphylla, 428 ; polypodioides, 428 ; strigosa, 428 ; tricho- sticha, 42S Microlepias, 428 MigDonetttj culture, 5S3 ; in pots, 339 Mittonia camhdo. gramlijiora, 375 ; Jlortliana, 374 ; spectabilii^, 374 Mimulus Brilliant, 510 Mimuluses, 229 AHssouri Currant, 460 Mistletoe, cultivation of, 523 Mite, the Eucharis, 13i, 271 Mitraria coccinea, 487 Mitre-wort, 4S1 Mocassin flower, 593 Munkey flower, the scarlet, 528 Monoch;ftum Lemonianum, 164 M. Bergman, 312 Monstera deliciosa, 328, 372. A'M Moijibrctia o ocosmicejlora, 490; new hybrid, 490 Montbretias, 419, 562 Moore, Mr., the late, 43 Moss on lawns, 13 Mossy Sa.tifrage, 554 M-Uh, the MuVein. 220 Mount Etna Lily, 583 Mount FariKiAKUA Scabious, 3!9 Mountain Ash, the, at home 268 ^Mountain woodland, vegetation of a, 268 Muhlenbeckia complcxa, 129 Mulberry, the, 251 Mulch, the best t me to, 398 Mulching. 471, 604 Mullein, th'- Olympitin, 125 Musa, scarlet, 140 Muscats, shanng, 233, &16 Mushroom-beds, thin, 240 Mushroom cuUure in trenches, 240 Mushrooms, 877, 3S9, 454 ; failing, 172, 216 ; in winter, 31 Musk, Harrison's, 370 ; Harrison's, for bed- ding, 447 Mustard and Cress and Chicory, 14 Jlyrica californica, 174 N. Narcissi, double border, 482; from Ireland, 271 Narcissus Ard-iligh, 266, 312; bicolor maxi- mus, 417 ; Bulbocodium, 579 ; bulbs dis- eased, 591; rn/alhiiniti n'ticxuit, 533; Capt. Nelson, 453 ; committee,' 226, 406 ; corbu- laria conspicuns, 360; cyclamineus, 127, 160, 188, 230, 265; niclaini,Hi'.s, 483; Cycla- men-flowered, 409 ; garden, 343 ; Gloria Mundi. 453 ; Glory of Leyden, 453 ; gracilis, 527 ; Huop-petticoat, 4i)i}, 434 ; Horsfieldi, 318, 434; I/orsjhhli, 55l; incomparabilis eemi-partitus. 460, 511 ; Johnstoni, 405 ; Little Nell, 367, 418; major, 417; pallidus priecox, 161 ; Poet's, 459 ; feed, 178 ; Sir Watkin, 318, 511; show, 312; triandnip, 230. 551 Nasturtium, Tom Thumb vars., 459 Native flora, preservation of, 101 Neatness in gardens, 196 Negundo, variegated, iinder glass, 427 Neja gracilis, 120 Nelunibium, the. li)3 Nel^mbinmp, 126 Nepenthes, 227, 531, 560 Nephrolepis, the, 397 ; rufuscens tripinnati- fida, 222 Nerines, 443 Neviusia a^abamensis, 545 New esculent, 102 New ])lants of 1886, 22 Newtown Piitpins, EngU&h grown, 283 New York, cut flowers in, 200 Nicotiana aflinis. 213 Nine Bark, the, 611 Northern garden, a, spring in, 247 Xorii-oi/ Sj>r":, 238 Notes, kitchen garden, 172, 197, 21R, 240; from Aix-les-Bains, 535 ; from Baden- Baden, 536; from Suffolk, 528 Nurseries, rating of, 522, 616; home fruit, 193 ; the Slough, 468 Nursery ground, rating, 265 Nurserymen's practices, 585 Nut, the Constantinople, 260, 287 Nuts and Filberts, 165 Nuttallia cerasiforrais, 195 Oak, barking, 268; leafing of, 385; the Red, 223 ; the Swamp or Pin, 217 ; stakes, riven r. sawn, 523; woods and snowstorms, 386 Oakwood, Orchids at, 274 Obituary — Bailey, T , 384 Carr, E., 384 Ford, G., 454 Frost, P., 478 Jackmau, G , 522 Kingborn, P. R., 569 Lalng, R., 86 McHutoheon, J., 294 Mclntjre, A , 56;i McElroy, J. F., 86 Moore, r., 36 Vallerand. J., SlIO Wibhr, M. P., 56 Odontoglossum Alexandre, 243; a.spersum violaceum, 308; blandum, 177; Canibridge- anum, 405 ; citrosmum, 53S ; coronarium, 177 ; crispum apiatum, 122 ; crispum Ste- vensi, 19;t ; cuspidatum, 325 ; elegans, 451 ; gloriosum, 198 453; Halli, 401; Harry- anum, 496; hebraicum, 199; luteo-purpu- reum, 429 ; Masereeli, 476 ; pardlnum, 243 ; pilyxanthura, 401 ; ramoslssimum, 90 ; Regelianuii) 567 ; Rossi majus, 91 ; Ruckeri- anum, 177, 221; Sandcrianuiu, 156; trium- phans, 325, 359 ; Uro-Skinneri, 221 ; vexil- larium Cobbianura, 401 ; vexillarium leuco- glosaum, 405; vexilla-ium radiatum, 567 ; Wilckeanum, 221 Od ntoglossums, 122, 199, 221 ; at Chelsea, 42 ; at Mr. Low's nursery, 308 ; at South- ampton, 122 ; in flower at Slreatbam, 496 Odontoloma npcns, 473 Old house and surroiindlflffn, 140 Olea fragrans, 403 Oleander, 342 ; white, 482 Olearia Haasti, 330 Omphalodes verna, 42 ; vema alba, 434 Oncidium aniigenum, 122; aureuni, 476 ; auriferum, 591 ; Cebolleti, 122 ; cucullatum, 308 ; falcipetaUim, 157 ; lamelligerum , 567 ; Lanceanum, 610 ; Marshallianum, 90 ; ni^ra- tum, 610; tigrinum, 90 Oncidi/iuot, iota-iiudiatc house, 19S Onions, spring, sowing, 171 ; and frost, 309 ; for exhibition, 216 Onosma taurica, 599 Oni/chii'.m av.ratum, 541 O^'hiopogon spicatus, 297 Oranf]'.', the Mi/rtlc-l cared, 417; ball tree, 589; blocm, Mtxican, 545 ; culture in pots, 93 Oranges, 396, 609; seedling, grafting, 301 OrcharJ, the, 25, 471 Orchard house, the, 10 Orchard houses, 423, 508, 601 Orchid, the Dove, 4 ; culture, 90, 121, 156, 177 ; culture, does it pay? 41, 09 ; flowers, 538 ; notes, 521 ; prices, 429 ; sale, 476; tbe scorched, 521 ; ehow at Bull's, 475 ; show at Williams', 475 Orchids, British, 106, 527 ; at Camberwell, 383 ; at Downside, T eatherhead, £41 ; cheap, 243 ; greenhouse, 70 ; bybridieing, 122 ; in flower at Hammersmith, 537 ; at Kew, 264 ; in the house, 357 ; at Oakwood, 274 ; rest- ing, 308 ; Moih, 273 ; seasonable notes on, 177; tencslrial European, 590; Mr. Harvey's collection, 243; steaming, 309; flowering at Streatham, 1:07 ; in flower at Southampton, 566; at Veitch's, 476; at Wel- ham Hall, 358 ; at Wilton House, 324 ; at Wimbledon House, 205; /■. hardy plants, 581 Orchis foliosa, 610 ; hircina, 610 ; loDgibrac- teata, 590; longicilcaiata. 590; mascvda, 521, 535; ma^cula, white fcrm,'5S8; the Lizard, 610 ; ustulatn, 521 Ornithogalum arabicuni, 574, 601 Orphanage, the Gardeners , 2G6, 290 ; scheme, Mr. Penny's, 271 Orthosanthus multiflorus, 320 Oamanthus ihcifolius. 239, 592 Osmunda javanica, 118 Oso Berry, the, 195 Ouvirandi'a fenestralis, 329 Oxalis floribunda, GOl Oxlips, 409 Oxytropis cyanea, 350 ; Limberti, 350 ; mon- lana, 351; pilosa, ^51; pyrenaica, 351; uralensis, 351 Packing flowirs, 592 Pieonia albiflora, 5iQ ; decora, 513 ; decora Pallasi, 513; lobata, 513; Mouian papa- V racca, 76 ; Moutan Reine Elizabeth, 76 ; officinalis, 513 ; officinalis albicans, 513 ; oflicinalis anemonEeflora, 513 ; officinalis blanda, 513 ; officinalis carnescens, 513 ; officinalis rosea. 513 ; officinalis rubra, 513 ; officinalis Sabini, 513; siomsis eObijiora, 513 ; tentdfoUa, 513 ; Whitleyi, 16, 67 Pjeonies, double and single, 574 ; from Ire- land, 596; herbaceous, 512, 554, 580, 601 ; tree, 483 ; tree and heibaceous, 125 ; vhite, 519 Paiony Glory of Somerset, 613 ; white, 574 Pironji Tire, K>:rocl: Bnnh, lass trade, 77 Palms, popular, 305 Paiiip'ts Grass, 7 ; in Sussex, 6 Pdneratiuni illyricum, 549 Pancratiums out of doors, 145 ; stove, 489 P .ndanus, 448, 585 Panicvin pJlco.tum, 487 ; varicgatum, 72 Pansies, 388, 412 ; a beautiful race of, 527 ; blue-tufted, 527; from Kildare, 549; Uifted, 503, 526, 549, 600 ; tufted white, 481 ; v. Violets, 416 ; wintering, 125 Pansy, Abercorn, 396 ; Mrs. Kinnear, 396 Scottish, Society, 454 ; tufted, 581 ; the wild, 434 ; tufted, Little Hariy, 52'i Papaver Hookcri, 67 ; nudicaule, 369 ; pavo- ninum, 596 ; liha'as ear. Japoiiica, 579 umbrosum, 503 Pjphinia Rmdi, 325 Paris 'iiiadrifolia, 165 Park roads, making, 292 Park and other roads, 314, 338 Parks, the London, 178, 200 L'arsley, 426; Fern, the, 170 Parsnips, 472 Passiflora ccerufea, 421 ; cojrulea Constance Ed'iolt, 420, 446, 447, 511 ; kermcsiua, 412 ; princeps, 412 Passifloras, 511 Passion-flower, white, 511 Partridge Berry, the, 3S8 Patches on Gra-^s land, 482 Patchouli plant, the, 11 Pavonia JIakoyana, 116 Peich Grosse Mignoune, 348, 3^5 ; buds drop- ping, 364; and Nectaiine leaves cuiled, 539 Peach trees, insects on, 311 ; casting their buds, 399 ; syringing, when in bloom, 437 Peaches, 55, 400, 439, 470, 557, 578 ; blister or curl in, 575 ; for house and wall, 349 ; in- doors and out, 252; losing leaves, 317; outdoor, 316, 422 ; selection of site for, 507 ; spur-pruning. 317 ; wall v. house, 298 ; why they fail, 316 Pear Beurr"^ Diel, 26 ; BenrriS Ranee, 469 Beurr^ Roland, 583 ; Citillac, 115 ; Charles Cognee, 349 ; Easter Beurre, 115, 167 ; Foi-- tunei Boisselot, 147 ; Gilles-o-Gilles, 115 ; Olivier des Serres, 166 ; Pierre Joigneaux, 349 ; culture at Gunnersbuiy Park, 2 ; the Melon, 412 ; tree scale, 92 Pearl bush, 503, 5-15 Pears, 10,55,400, 470, 493, 557; fnd their history, 15 ; in May, 492 ; market. 3 ; poetical allusions to, 38; winter, from New York, 53 Pea, American Wonder, in pots, 150; Cri- terion, 215 ; Laxton's Unique, 543 ; the Everlasting, 509 ; Triumjh, 162 ; while Everlasting, 127 Peas, 59, 103, 333, 391, 472, O04 ; early, irS, 131, 133; early dwarf, 333; gocd, 31 ; late, 564; main crop, 131, 149 ; netd they be staked, 518 ; outgrowths on roots, 591 ; preparing gi'ound for, 5ti5 ; staking, 564 ; under glass, 57 ; while Everlasiing, 7 I Peat Moss litter as manure, 222 Pelargonium De Lesseps, 191 ; Dr. Orion, 258 ; Duke of Clarence, 567 ; F. V. Raspail, 213; Niphetos, M3 ; Cajje, Pretty Potlii, 295, 341; Ivy-leaved, Madame Crousse, 584 Pelargoniums, 460, 603; double, 412 ; early- flowering, 235; fancy, I.03 ; Ivy. leaved, 561, 602 ; show, 441 ; zonal, 561 Pepino, the, 412 ; r.otes nn. 363 Aug 6, 1887.] THE GARDEN INDEX IX Periwinkles, double-flowered, 2iS ; the, 161, 220 Peniettyas, 4S2 ; in bloom, 589 Pdtnea volubilis purpurea, 305 Petunia seedling, 574 Petunias, 343 ; in the open air, 247, 393 Phacelia campanularia, 699; campanulariOj Phaius, 41 ; grandifolius, 91, 199 Phala!uopsid3 at Park Hill, Streathaai, 243 Phaljeuopsis, 273 ; am ibilis, 91 ; a new hybrid, 53S ; at CUpton, 177; at F. A. Philbrick's, 243 ; Schilleriana, 323 ; Stu- artiata, 325, 53S Phiilyrea Vilmoriniara, 106 Phlomis fruticosa, (ill Phlox amoina, 534 ; divaricata, 534 ; ovata, 554 ; rcptans, 534 ; etellaria, 5:-t5 ; subulata, 535 Phloxes, 41S. 534 ; and Pentstemons, 227 ; dwarf, 510 ; prostrate, 4S0 Phormiura teoax in Ireland, 344 Phro'ji'iitis communis, 33 Phvllanthus nivosus, 372 ; subemarginatus, 257 Phytolacca albc-variegata, 421 Picea braot€a*a, 154 ; cephalouica, 154 ; con- color, 386 Picotee, the, 411 Picotees, 82 ; and Carnations, 6 Picture, a na'ural, 517 Pilunina uobilis, 177 Pimrl.o .ytr.'ln'xfis, 461 Pinguicula caudata, 335 ; gnindiflora, 511 ; rosea, 329 Pink Blushing Bride, 549 ; Mrs. Sinkins, 459, 54'.' ; alpine, 581 Pinkp, 82 ; and Carnations, seedling, 295 ; Chinese cr Indian, :H5 ; forcing, 304 ; Mule, 36S ; rock, 5S1 ; single, 597 Pine, the Bhotan, 195 ; Lird Aberdeen's, 431 ; the Coi-sicin, 64 ; the dwarf Wey- uK.uth, 219; the Large Conid, 179; the Pvreuean, 291; Stoiu, 101; the Weymouth, o4 Pines, 30. 366. 539, 60S ; the dwarf scrub, S3 ; as medicinal agents, 455 Pine-apples at The Hendre, 114 Pinus austriaca, 570; Cembra, 154; CcMtiro, an old ti\': of, 105 \ I'nu'n'o, iinumj tree of, 108 ; flesilis, 154 ; Lambertiana, 152 ; macrocarpa, 179, 378 ; monticola, 246 ; pi- tula, 337, 3i;i ; Pinaster, 407 ; Pinaster Hamiltoni, 431 ; ponderusa, 153, 195, 201, 223; pungens, 15S ; rigida, 158, 179; Sabi- niana, 88; :l ; imperialis, 109 : japonica, 4S1, 512 ; Magenta Queen, 140 ; mirginata, 394, 415; nivea, 467; obconica, 42, 12<"., 1S9, 204, 230. 411, 434, 503; obtusifolia Gam- mieana, 392, 405 ; Parryi, 535 ; purpurea, 598 ; Reidi, 598 ; reticulata, 553, 598 ; rosea. 446 ; roxm^ 597 ; Rosy Queen, 61 ; Sieboldi, 22S. 368, 419, 447, 460, 465, 503, 574 ; Sieboldi varieties, 486 ; Sieboldi, Ware's White, 453 ; sinensis, double, 530 ; sinensis filicifoUa, double blue, 61 ; Stuarti purpurea, 444 Primulas, alpine, 226 ; Chinese, 44, &^, 120 ; double, 488 ; aad gold and silver Kerns, 163; Himalayan, 599; hybridising, 119; Indian, 535, 552. 5S1 ; new Chinese. 9i'i ; propagating double white, 270 ; seeding, in the open, 342 ; semi-double, 483 ; single, 488 ; two useful. 126 Privet, Japanese, 129 ; hedges, 335, 379 ; the golden-leaved, 85 ; the oval-leaved, as a hedge plant, 21S Privets, the, 267, 292 Producer and consumer, 399 Pro.Huuu- KnUiAsoni, 401 Promenjeas, 401 Prophet flower, 4S6, 534 Protest, a, 473 ; another, 512 Prune Damson, 114 Pnmus divaricata, 427; Pissardi, 261, 474, 520; Pissardi, forced, 238; sinentis ;Uba plena, 217 ; triloba, 311 Peilotum triqueti"um, .592 Psychotria cyanococca, 440 Ptelea trifoliata, 566 Pteris Mayi, 170 ; select varieties of, 222 ; sernUata cri-tata compacta, 5SS ; scrrtilata Mayi, ;w2 ; tremula flaciiida, 01 Ptn-or'-* /mrnnAsi, 319 Pyrethrum Margaret Moore, 567 ; Mont Blanc, 5S1 Pyrethrums, 41S. 509, 59S ; double, 567 Pynis aurea, 129 ; japonica, 427 ; Maulei, 355, 379 ; fiinaoA'in-Uf, 544 ; sinensis, 475 ; spcctabilis, 589 ; the old Japan, 3S8 a- Qucrcus Dainiyo, 19 Quince, the Portugtiese, 545 ; whits Japan, Rabbits, dis[ructi>n of, 501 ; anl trees, 338 Kaids on wild flowers, 466, 546 Railway hedges, plants for, 136 Rain, waiting for, 391 Rainfall at Bury, 98 ; Dorchester, 43; in 1SS6, 174 Ranimculus, 82 ; acouitifolius, 481 ; Alpine, from seed, 579 ; bulbosus, 346 ; Lyalli, 554, 597 Raspberries, 55, 471 ; grubs on, 492 ; in odd corners, 3 Raspberry Golden Queen, 192 Rating of nurseries, 569 Reed, the great, 33 Restio subverticillata, 2ii5 Restrepia antennifera, 495 ; Lausbcrgi, 495 ; vittata, 495 Restrepias, 495 Rhodanthe Manglesi, 584 hhipi(lop(eri.< peltata, 609 Rhododendron Aucklandi, 460 ; cinnabari- num, 549, 611; Countess of Haddington, 442; culture, 48; Daviesi, 279; Duchess of Edinburgh, 16t ; E 'gworthi, 527 ; fra- gi-intissimum, 305 ; Mrs. Isaac Davie?, 546; multiflorum, 372; Xuttalli, 501; the silver}', 226 Rhododendrons, 448 ; dovible-fiowering, 279 : early, 116, 544; greenhouse, 257, 463, 514, 5S3 ; renovating, 51 ; Sikkim, 5S9 ; sweet- scented, 514 ; under glass, 184 ; --. Laurel'?, 427 Rhndothauinus Chaniiftcistus, 50 Rhodotypos kcrrioides, 335 Rhubarb, 134, 541 ; Ruby, 400, 518 Rhus glabra laciniata, 371 Ribes .aureum, 449, 460; Gordoniinum, 498; AprCiogi'.", 333 Richmond Terrace Gardens, opening of, 501 Rings in trees and in tho trade, 407 Roids, park and other, 314 ; acro-s peat bogs, 361 Robinia hispida, ''89 ; iaerm'a, 589 Rochea falc:ita. 330, 531 Rock g.arden, BroxbDurne, 392 Rockery, plants for, 446 Rockets, double, 5VJ : white, 549 Rockfoi', pyramidal, 534 Rods, Vine, renewing, 117 Rogiera gratissiuii, '.'5, 610 \ Roots, propagation by, 220 Rosa berberifolia, 504, 512; indica. 250; nia- crantha, 414 ; macrantha in the open, 497; pisiocarpa. 138 ; jwlyantha grandiflora, 13S ; rugosa. 600, 609 Rose, a good, 433 ; Anna OlUvier. 596 ; arches, 93, 160 ; Archiduchesse Maria Immaculata. 225 ; Americ:in Beauty. 380 ; Camoens, 457 ; Capt. Christy, 225 ; Celine Forestier, 387; Chf shunt Hybrid, 3S7; Clara Cochet, 251 ; Cleopatra, 613 ; Climbing Da- voniensis, 336, 388 ; Fortime's Yellow, 496 : Gloire do Dijon, il-l ;(i/»lr' ian, 434 Roses, Banksiau. 527 ; after the snow, 123 ; after the winter, 413; amongst the, 571 ; Christmas, 6, 11, 13, si, 82, 91, 388;' Cbristmaa, seedling, 226; dii»bi,uj and n(h>,; 73; effects of frost on, 123; ever- lasting, 49 ; for cutting, 505 ; forced, 374 ; from Somerset, 527 ; grouping, 159, 189, 206 ; grouping, the species, 331 ; Indoor, pruning, 137 ; in Paris and London, 571 ; Lenten, 319; manure for, 433 ; niulching, 356 ; naming, 3S7, 433 ; new, 271, 387 ; new .Vmerican, 293; new, at Cheshunt, 3S0 ; new French, 458 ; new, from Ireland, 496 ; new selected, 457; notes on, 27; on own roots, 504 ; planting, 137 ; pruning, 293, 355 ; Scotih, 596 ; snow amongst, 73 ; standai-d, and the snow, 122 ; standard, I best in tov.-ns, 123; Tea-scented, 336 ; Tea, j hardiness ot, 433, 458, 497 ; Tea, Hybrid, 225, 275, 332 ; Tea, for forcing, 332 ; Tea, under glass, 388 ; the best pillar, 504 ; to i look out for in 1887, 249 ' Rosemary, 459 Rubbish heap, the, 489 Rubus deliciosus, 404, 475, 545, 565 ; rosa;- folius coronarius, 328 Rudgea macrophylla, 372 Ruellia Baikiei, 605; ciliatiflora, 605; Herbsti, 605 ; murantha, 604 ; Portellaj, 605 SabbatifK canqustris, 5U9 Saccolabium ampuUiceum. 610 ; bellinunj. 177; Bh'iU'.l moJ"t, 69; Celeste, 156, 610; curvifLlium, 610; erect flowering, 610; 'ii'(laf"m,yi7; Hendersonianum, 610 Sage, the Jerusalem, 611 Salad, herring, 5j4 : vegetables, 285 SJvia Bruanti, 412; Heeri, 3l>^ ; splondeus alba, 442; violacea, 434 Sind, L'jmposition of, 321 ; sea, for plants, 410 , Sarracenias, 144, 532 ; in flower, 395 So.ssofra.i, 449 ; f>rHcin'd> , 449 Savoy, 377, 519 Sivoys, early, 583 Sawdust, propagatiQg in, 139 Sawflic?, 592 ; Saxifragi Burseriana, 146 ; ciliata, ISO; Cotyledon, 581 ; granulati, 109 ; hyp- noides, 554 Saxifragas, 580 Saxifrage, broad-leave 1, 459 ' Scabious, dwarf, in pots, 464 Schizocaina sinuata, 609 Schomburgkia tibicinis, 591 j Scilhi sibirica 97, 394 , Scotch Fir, the golden, 38. 129 ! Scutellaria Mocciniani, 581 Scuticarii Steeb, 222, 610 Seikale, 134,451; culture of, 149; for forc- ' ing, preparing, 216 Sea sand, 353 ; for plants, 249, 320, 367, 511 Seaside planting, 594 Season, a late, 546 Seasons, best, to plant, 267 Sedum spectalnle, 418 Seed germination, 345 Seed Potatoes, trcitment of, 151 I Seeds, 376; hard-coated, raiding, 124; small ; ! 371 ; sowing, 588 I Selaginellahortensis, 118 , Selaginellas, 460 Senecio Ghiesbreghti, 38 Su-Ctcr Tn.r, th<: h'lhrid, 541 Shady plants, good, 218 Shallow r. deep plantinjf, 570 Shelter belts. 111 Shirehamptoo, notes from, 278 Shrub, a good cUmbing, 288 ; not3s from Penrhyn, 218 ; sweet-sccutecl, stove, 204 Shrubberies, renovating. 2iil Shrubs, beautiful, from Cornwall, 527 ; early- flowering, 561.1; early wall, 355 ; layering, 84 ; for forcing, 47 ; for ornamental plant- ing, 474 ; for sea-side, 455 ; hardy, 582 ; propagating, 124; pruning and flowering, 52 ; wall, S3 SQene pusilla, 551 Skating rink, 92 Skimmii fragians. 565 Skull-cap, scarlet, 5s \ Slugs and other pjsts, death to, 588 Snake millipedes 59i Snake's-head, 434 Snow in s immer, 549 Snowball tree, 328 Snowdrop, a new, 434 ; a vi& striped, 200 ; the new, 445 Snof.frop fi", (h:, 520, 565 Snowdrops and other early flowers, 140 Snowdon range, a day on, 600 Snowflake, the, 231 ; many-flowered, 535 Snowstorm, the etfectsof, 107; the great, 12, 27 Sobralia leucoxantha, 452 Societies— Auricula, 110 Crystal Pa'ace, 178. 3U. 499 Leek Auricula Show, 430 Manchester Horticultural, 430, 522 Nitional Chrysanthemum, 62, 178 Reading Horticultural, 226 Royal Botanic, 91, 290, 384, 477, 568, 574 Royal Horticultural, 61, 157, 178, 204, 244, 266, 2S9, 359, 360, 405, 453, 500, 501, 514. 567, 613 Scottish Arbor icultural, 40 Soft-wooded plants, propagating, 95 Soil exhaustion by tree roors, 547 ■iolanums, 72 SoldaneUa alpina, 319 Sollya linearis, 581 Sollyas, 602 Solomon's Seal, forced, lli'> Sonerilas, 482 Sophronitis grandiflora, 20, 122 ; {/rand i Horn, 35S ; f/raadirfrirti, ffroicin(/ Oil cork', 358; the pink, 20 ; violacei, 157 Son el wood, 601 Sparc.S'tis rri»pa, 562 Sparmanuia africana, 412 Sparrows a':d flowers, 467, 5:j4 ; and fruit trees, 506 Sphjerogyne latifolia, 341 S jHer, red, 492 506. 558. 607 ; in fruit houses, "436 Spiders and trees, 338 Spinach, 30:', 390, 60i ; failure in, 30 ; winter, 133 Spitaii Bumilda, 238 ; DougUsi. 105, 268 ; japonica, 92 ; opuhfolia, 611 ; opudfolia aurea 397 ; palmata, 392 ; palmata alba, 680; prunifolia fl -pi-, 4>8; Thunbergi, 294, 475 .Spirauthe3 colorata, 20 Spleenwort, the altemateleived, 585; the black, 586 ; the smooth rock, 5S7 ; the spear-shaped. 587 Spleenworts, the, 5S6 Spring, a dry, 3tU ; bedding, 553 ; llowrei-s, 204, 230, 231, 297, 321 ; flowers at Kew, 265; flowers at Weybiidge, 318; flowers from Cork, 265 ; flowers in Berwickshire, 465 ; flowers in the Isle of Wight, 178 ; flowering plants, 368 ; Star flower, 431 THE GARDEN INDEX [Aug. 6, 1887. Sprout, Gilbert's Jubilee, 106 Sprouts, BrusEe'p, 3!:iO, 420 Spruce, a new variety of, 4D0 ; //" Douf/las, 2SS ; Douglas, fragrance ff, 3.0() ; the Japan Hemlock. 12i> ; Weepin? Hemlock, 474 Staphylea colchica, 1S3, 220 Star of Bethlehem, satiny, 409 Statice Suwarowi, 118 Statices and their culture, 141 Stauntonia latifulia, 129, 330, 395 Steam heating in America, 3.'^'7 Stenosemia aurita, 320 Stephanotis, ITS; floribunda, r.OO ; floribuuda failing, 201, 202 ; in stove, 144 Sternbergia angustifolia, 5^3; ntnevsis, 0S3 ; Clu&iana, 5S3 ; colchiciflora 582 ; FisehtTi- ana, 583 ; lutea, 5S2, 583 ; macrantha, 5S3 Stock, influence of. on scion, 115 Stockholm, a note fio^n, 304 Stocks, effect of tlie winter on, 229 ; sowing, 535 ; Brompton and others, 578 Stonecrop in ba.skets. 480 Stoi'ax, the large-leaved, 544 Stove climber, a beautiful, 529 Strawberries, 0, 471, 493, 531', 557, COS ; forcing, 99 ; hardiness of young, 363, 492 ; in bedB, 539 ; in pots, 102 ; in pots, watt ring, 210 ; shading, 006 ; the beat time to plant, 401 ; the earliest, 340 ; planning, 30S ; preparing for forcing, 402 Strawberry, the. Or5 ; hardineis of, 347; beds, 576 ; Black Prince, 605 ; Elite, 66 ; plants, grubs on. 430 ; plants as biennials, 576 ; La Grrsse Sucree, 4 '9 ; tree, the tall, 409 ; plants in spring, 423 S'reatham, Orchids floweriog at, 307 Streptosolen Jamesoni, 300, 400, 501 Stuartiap, the, Sr. Studley House, Cypripediams at, 265 Styrax grandifolia, 544 ; japonica, 562 Subsoiling, 352 .Si(;/a.r Pinr, thr, 152 Sulphate of ammonia, 02 Sulphuring plint.s, 12 Sundew, 340 ^unti'^wers, annual, 297 Sun Rose, the Algarve, 234 Swainsoniari, 390 Sweet Fern shrub, 130 Syon House, Cedars at, 246 Syringa japonica. 013 Taberniemontanas, 329 Table Mountain Pine, 15S Tacsouia exoniensi'-, 3/3 Tamarisk, 383 ; in bloom, Oil Tamarisk--, the, 013 Taxodium Montezuma?, 480 Tea, the Labrador, 400 Tecoma jasminoidcs, 336; radicans, 5S2 Tecophyla!a cyanocrocus Leichlliui, 200 Temperature and shading, 373 Terminalia clegans, 529, 584 Tetrathecas, 559 Thermometers, wet and diy bulb, 28, 08 Tlieropogon pallidus, 404 Thinning out, 490 Thinning plantations, conflicting testimony on, 267 Thinning for shelter, 135 Thorn, the Aronian, 380 ; the scarlet fruited, 545 ; the Cockspur, Oil Thorns, 48 ; scarlet, 526 ; the double, 5S9 Thrift, 596 Thrinax radiata, 237 Thrixspermum unguiculatum, 243 Thuja gigantea, 015 Thunbergia Hariisi, 226 Ihunbergias. 372 Thyraacanthus rutilans, Ibi ; Schomburgki- anus, 271 Tiarella cordifolia, 450 ; snicata, 4S1 Tillandsias, 400 Timber, appearance of good, 112, 136 ; best situations for, 603 ; creosoting, 455 ; home- grown marketing, 15S ; in Scotland, 135; measuring, IS ; preservation of, 130, 548 ; to prevent splitting, 88, 112 ; sale, 40 ; sea- soning of , 112, 432; slide rule measuring, 63 ; steaming, 223 ; toughened, 20i ; trade, 385 Tinuea sethiopica, 312 Tints, autumnal. ISO Tobacco, fumigating wiih, 373 Todea pellucida, 473 Todeas, 263 Tomato cultivation, 425 Tomatoes, 59, 391, 471 472, 401, 492, 539, 505 ; from cuttings, 138 ; notes on, 78 ; raising, 57 Tools, French gardening, 155 ; the wooden part of. 111 Top-dressing and its effects, 532 ToxicophUea tpectabilis, 164, 204, 304; Thun- bergi, 271 Trade rings, 432 Training stove plants, 412 Transplanting bnxes, 280 Transplanting in winter, 523 Tree butts, destroying, 594; gi-owth, 112; planting on a small scale, 456 ; planting around houses, 51 ; planting in Ireland 337 ; planting, the result of, 240 ; roots choking drains, 338 ; stem*', earthing up, 50 ; stems, filling holes in, 523 Trees, deciduous, 84 ; destroving stumps of, 313; grown as bushes. 611 ; for church- yards, 379 ; forest thinning, 136 ; in assem- blages, 450 ; mismanaged, 386, 407 ; out of place, 136; pollarding, 432; pruning. 111 ; pruning hard wooded, 480; as shelter belts, 385 ; to succeed Scotch Fir, 314 ; uprooted, 268 ; and shrubs in bloom, 545 ; and shrubs propagating, 04 ; and shrubs transplant- ing, 224 ; weeping, 04 Trefoil, the shrubby, 560 Tremandras, 559 Trenching, 80 ; for timber trees, uselcssness of, 313 Tiichiocarpa Moorei, 326 Trichocentrum orthoplectron, 420 Trichoglottis fasciata, 205 Trichomanes at Kew, 284 Trichopiliu coccinea, 452 ; crispa, 452 ; lopida, 308, 452; Galeottiana, 452; hymenantha, 452 ; laxa, 157 ; suavis, 452 ; tortilie, 452 Trientalia curopaea, 369, 418 Trillium granditioium, 503 ; sessile californi- cum, 405 Tritcleia, 434 Trollius napellifolius, 400 Tropaiolum polyphyilum, 500; tpecio&um, ISO ; tuberosum, 6, 145 Tulip, the wild, 409 ; wood. 434 Tulipa Greigi, 4GS ; rctrolUxii, 460; sylvcs- tris, 434 Tulipa, 82, 570 ; for the bolder, 551 ; florists', at Manchester, 546 ; at Haarlem, 533 ; late, 450 ; Parrot, 503 Turner Memorial Prizes, 43 Turnip, Red Globe, Yeitch'e, 196 Turnips, 377 U. Ulex nanus, 355 Undergrowth in jileasure grounds, 335 Underwood, profits of, 201, 223, 224 Urceolina pciidula, 120 Uro-Skinncra spfctabilis, b;2 Utricularia Uumboldli, 1 .'5 ; montana, 395 Utiicularias, 161 V. Vacclnium Sprengeli, 218 Valerian, golden-leaved, 440 Vallotas, 374 Vanda Amesinna, 501; vartiku., 566; teres, 401 Vegetable grow'ng, 489 ; prospects, 301, 410 Vegetable Jlanows, and how to grow Ihcni, 240 Vegetables. 333 ; early, 132 ; earthing up, 215 ; firm Boil around, 240; market v. home- gi'own, 450 ; old and new, 171; the hardiest, 390. 451 ; notes on. 255 ; salad, 285 Veitch Menroiial prizes, 42 Venus' F y-lrap, 40S Virbena, lemon-scented, 515 ; venosa, 418 Verbenas, 57S Veruonia cinerea, 204 Veronica Hulkeana, 403, 527 ; Hulkeana in Ireland, 570 ; Mr. Wilson's, 35 Veronicas, the I^ew iicaland, 108, 127 Viburnum Lantana, 544 ; Opulus, 328, 589 ; plicatum, 474 Vine borders, renovation of, 232 Vine insects, 182 Vine leaves, diseased, 349, 304 Vine rods, renewing, 147 Vine roots, diieased, 430 Vineries, late, 29 ; at West Lynn, 85 ; un- heated, 283 Vinery borders, 2 Vines, 439, 540 ; barking, 54 ; and gas tar, 470 ; bleeding, 470 ; gas-tar dressing, 305 ; grafting, 113, 100, lol ; bottle grafting. 113; giafting and inarching, 20S, 300 315, 364 ; injuring, 309 ; notes on, 422 ; on flued walls, 20 ; planting, in June, 556 ; pot, 008 ; pot, inarcning by means of, 283 ; trans- planting, 300 ; treatment of, 348 ; with barren flowers, 501 Viola canina, 591 ; canina alba, 370, 394 ; ptdata, 108 Violas, 534 Violet Comtc de Brazza, £9 ; Maiie Louise, 89; Neapolitan, 89; new, 145; Victoiia, 360 Violets, 89, 119, 146, 178 204, 248, 552 ; after the tnow, 145; r. Pausies, 416; failing, 279, 200; from Ireland, *. 60 ; on the Cots- wold Bills, 247 ; pink Dog, 509 ; single white, 485 ; swctt, culture of, 485 Viscarias, the, 340 Vitis heteropliylla variegata, 514 Vriesias, 4t0 W. Warhendorfia thyrsifloia, 290, 320 Walkp, asphalte. 240 Wall climbers, 321 Wallflower, double purple variegakd, 126; old double, 4t.'0 Wadflowerp, 370 ; dcuble, 33, 578 ; market, 304 ; old /■. young, 407 ; o'd doi-ble, 11 ; single and double, 417 ; for window boxeP, 227 ; yellow, 503 Wblla '■. hedge?, 334 Walnut, the black, 479 Watering, 5S5, 568, 604 Water Oak, the, 154 Water roof for plant houses, 523 Waterer's Cherry forced, 219 Wattle tree, the silvtr, 91 Wax Myrtle, Californian. 174 Wayfaring tree, the, 544 Weather and spring flowers, 220 Wteding, 5S8 Weevil, black VIdc, 244 Wcigelas forced, 400 Wellingtonia gigantea, 218 ; vaii £,atcd, 17-t W:;/nnjotl> PiiH', ih<:, 404 White flowers, a border of 200 Wild gardeninffin Dcrbyshiie, 5£0 Wild flowers, 511 ; raids on, 510 Wild plants, destroyeis of, 5C0 Wimbledon House, Orchids at, 265 Windflower, the scarlet, 388, 409 Windoir (lardin, a cutdu/tr'.s, 227 Winter Aconites and Ajuga, 2:^0 Winter Daffodils, 58 i Winter in South Wa'es, 100 Wistarias, 371 Witteniacorymbosi, 396 Wood, how it is made, 314; Fojget-me not, 434; for garden fiamtfs, 615 Wood, preservation of, 480, 1-02 Woodland notes, 17, 30 Woodlice, 134 ; r. fruit, 13, 54 ; in ttove, 404 Woodruff, 482 Woodyard supplies. 111 AVoods, common usca of, 362; seasorable work in, 88 ; that pay, 179 Wulfenia caiinthiaca, 551 York floral fete, 592 Yorkshire, notes from, 303 Young trees, age at which, tianf^p'ant best 130 Yuccas, 448; and Ihtir uses 101 ; ar-d Pam- pas Grass, 231 Zauschneiia califovnii;i, 28 ; a'iifonuca, 20 Zenobia speciosa, 335 Zinnias, 511 Zygopctalum Macknyi ni^jus, 10 y^-,4 Aug, C, 1887.] THE GARDEN INDEX XI COLOURED PLATES. ACANTHOLIMOX GLl'MACEl'M t'AMPANlLA ISOPHYLLA AND VAli. ALFA CARPENTARIA CALIFORNRA CHRYSANTHEMUMS, JAPANESE ANEMONE- FLOWERED CISTUS PURPUREUS CCELOGY'NE CRISTATA MAXIMA HELIANTHEMUM AI.GARVENSE HEMEROCALLIS DUMORTIERI HUNNEMANNIA FrxMARLKFOLIA . HYPERICUM OI.YMPIcr.M IMPATIENS HAWKERI IRISAUREA mis, ENGLISH ... LEWISIA REDIVIVA ... LIMNOCHARIS HUMBOLDTI PA«:r-: ;\r>it 1 1 « 1 r..">.s 11)0 '2S() :!02 2.'>i; r,2 212 121 ■lU'-; p\r.K MlCROMElil.V PIPERELLA 1-^ MILTOXIA SPECTABILIS AND VAK. MOKEl.lANA .. 374 MDNTBRETI.E, NEW HYBRID 490 ONCIDUM JONESIANUM H** OXYTROPIS LAMBERTI 3r.(i P.EONIA DECORA ELATIOR, P. LOBATA, P. ANEMON.E- FLORA i^l2 P.tONIA MOUTAN REINE ELIZABETH "U PANSIES ABERCORN GEM AND MRS. KINNEAR ... 3illi FASSIFLORA CERULEA CONSTANCE ELLIOTT ...' 420 PINGUICULA GRANDIFLORA 1'18 PRIMULA STUARTI VAR. PURPUREA iU RUELLIA MACR.\.NTHA (^04 STERNP.ERGIA Ll'TEA AND S. ANGUSTiFoLIA ... !:82 VIOLA PEDATA 1C8 ZAUSCHNERIA CALIFORNICA ... • 2« [Aug. 6, 1887. [Jan. 1, 1887. THE GARDEN, VOL. XXXI. Fruit Garden. SMALL FRUIT (iARUEXS. I IIAV1-: often wondered that small gardens attached to villa residences are not oftener than they are laid out as fruit gardens. In many cases they are not large, the soil is often poor in quality ; but all things considered, the evidence, as a rule, is in favour of planting fruit trees. People who have passed middle age generally take to fruit culture more than to flo\\'ers. Most growers know that vigorous shoots if allowed to develop to their full extent are not fruitful, and such shoots monopolise more than their fair share of the elaborated sap, causing the weaker shoots to grow more weakly than they otherwise would do. How to treat these vigorous shoota is a question that is not always answered in the right way. I propose to answer that question and some others, but before doing so, I will state how such gardens as those to which I have alluded ought to be planted. An amateur, whom I knew some fifteen years ago, acted as to planting and pruning on my advice, and did most of the work himself; and no wealthy landowner, whose garden is filled with the choicest flowers and fruits, could have more pleasure from it than the garden in question yields, though only a narrow strip divided from the neighbouring gardens by low walls on each side. One wall faced the south-west, and this was planted with Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots, and Black Hamburgh and Royal Muscadine Cirapes. The wall at the end of the garden did not get much sun, and there we planted a Morello Cherry. On the other wall, which was not much exposed to ihe sun, we planted Plum and Apple trees. The border in front of the walls was not wide enough, or we would have had a row of cordon Apple trees about a foot from the ground instead of box edging ; a few flowers were planted on the borders. The path all round was not a wide one — not much more than 2 feet. If space could have been afforded, the border and path ought to have been 4 feet wide each. The centre of the garden we planted with pyramid Apple and Pear trees, Gooseberries, a few Currant trees, and Straw- berries. There was room for three rows of fruit trees worked on d warf stocks at 6 feet apart. The trees being small at first, two rows of Strawberry plants were placed between them. The Goose- berries stood 3 feet apart ; 4 feet would have been better, but we had not much room. The ground received but little preparation beyond digging it up and adding decayed manure ; some decayed fibre from an old heap of Couch Grass was also placed round the roots of each tree when planted. It may be well to observe that I ne\er plant a fruit tree without placing some decayed turfy loam around its roots. Any mangled roots are cut off clean ; the hole for the tree is made large enough to permit the fibrous roots to be spread out to their full extent. Under the roots we spread a layer of this fibrous turf, and placed some more of it over and amongst them. This fibrous material is conducive to the formation of quite a mass of roots during the first year, and their formation is accelerated by placing a mulching of decayed ma- nure over the surface of the ground as far as the roots extend. No manure is added to the turfy loam. Wall trees and standards are treated alike. We are not so particular with (!ooseberry and Currant bushes, although the same care bestowed upon them would not be labour wasted. It is desirable to obtain good trees to begin with ; they should be purchased early in the season and be sent home in November, or not later than December, and all the arrangements for planting them should be complete before they arrive. Get them into the ground as soon as possible. Some years ago I recommended a fruit grower to purchase some good wall trees, which he did, paying a high price for them. They were planted ; but some years afterwards I heard they were doing badly, and on calling I found a large portion of the wood dead. The cause of this was soon discovered. It arose from burying carrion in contact with the roots, and thus killing them ; growth was arrested, and they never recovered, even after the carrion was removed. Another grower whom I knew planted some wall trees ; he spread out the roots and nailed the branches to the wall, but at the end of four years they had produced nothing but leaves ; they made very strong growths annually, which were left to the autumn and then cut out. This being done yearly, the shoots got stronger still, and the trees grew at an alarming rate. The mistake in this case was allowing vigorous growths to develop at all. They ought to have been pinched back in the summer time ; shoots not required should also have been cut out at that time. Careful hand- pinching and pruning in summer will restrain I tree growth, unless the ground is immoderately rich with manure. Fruit trees do not require heavy manuring. Ordinary kitchen garden soil that has been annually manured for vegetables would not require any more stimulus of that kind if fruit trees were to be planted. I have the greatest faith in surface dressings with manure, especially during summer ; they retain moisture around the roots and near the surface, and induce the roots to work in that direction instead of deep into the ground to find moisture in dry weather. I had recently to lift some pyramid Plum trees which had been planted three years on over-rich ground, and although sufficiently summer pinched to restrain such free-fruiting varieties as Victoria, Pond's Seedling, Orleans, Diamond, and others from making too much growth, we found those that did not carry good crops made too strong wood. They were removed from the ground en- tirely— an operation which has induced them to bear freely. When a tree has been lifted and re-planted, or even root-pruned, the branches should not be interfered with. The object of cutting the roots is to check the supply of food, but if some of the branches are removed the balance between root and top is again restored, and no good results from the operation. A wall tree has a tendency to grow with greatest vigour in the centre, and with least at the base. The balance of vitality can therefore only be well maintained by summer stopping and pruning. If the vigorous centre gi'owths are stopped, these lower down on the wall, which may not require stopping, will grow with greater vigour. Many lay in too much young wood, which is a mistake. No more ought to be nailed in to the wall than will be required for next season. We do scarcely any winter pruning, either in the case of wall trees or in that of trees trained as bushes and pyramids in the open ground. Insect pests are a great trouble in some seasons Plum trees especially being seldom free from them. Dusting with tobacco powder or washing with a solution of soapy water strengthened with tobacco liquor will destroy them. Red spider often injures Peach and Nectarine trees ; it can, however, be destroyed or kept under by frequent syringings in hot, dry weather. Mildew, which may also appear, yields most readily to flowers of sulphur dusted upon the atTected parts. The best results in the way of fruit growing cannot be obtained unless the trees are kept clean, and when they show signs of distress in hot, dry weather, mulchings and a good soaking of water benefit THE GARDEN. [Jan. 1, 1887. them greatly. In many gardens water is laid on, and can be applied with a hose when wanted. This lessens labour immensely. J. Douglas. FIGS ON THE SOUTH COAST. Figs grow with great luxuriance on the south coast, and ripen fine crops of fruit, but, neverthe- less, no attempt is made to turn these advantages to practical account on anything like a large scale for the supply of our markets, although I have not the slightest doubt that anyone growing them with anything like the care that is bestowed on many other fruits would be well rewarded. It is no uncommon thing to find very large Fig trees on this part of the coast that have evidently at some remote period enjoyed the advantage of wall culture, but that have long since left the walls and grown out into wide-spreading heads that produce annually many hundreds of fine fruits each. In autumn such trees must yield a good revenue to their owners, as they invariably sell well, even when other fruits are a glut in the market. I should say that a century back the Fig was far more largely planted than it is now. Very fine specimens may be seen growing on the walls of Salisbury Cathedral; at Eaglehurst Castle, too, overlooking the Solent, some of the largest and most prolific open-air Fig trees in the country may be seen, the main stems being larger than a man's body. Such trees must certainly have left the walls more than a century ago, as the limbs which run out cover a very large space, not only over a wide border and walk, but are stretching out on to the vegetable quarter beyond. They are supported on stout posts, furnished with cross-bearers, and the crops of fine Figs thus produced are enormous. We have in this neigh- bourhood Figs in all directions growing nearly wild, especially on the old walls of farm and manor houses, where they were evidently carefully cultivated before the advent of cheap glass caused these open-air wall trees to be so much neglected. Now, when so many are inquiring what they can grow for market, it is singular that the Fig is overlooked, for, unlike the open-air (irape, it fruits freely, and ripens its crops in this district even away from walls, and now that < !rapes realise such a low price, even from under glass during autumn, I feel sure that the Fig would be more profitable. The Brown Turkey and White Marseilles appear to be the only sorts planted so long ago as these old specimens date back to, and very useful kinds they are. Some of the never sorts might, how- ever, be tried with good results, for if so much earlier and more prolific in a young state in pots under glass than old sorts, why would they not be equally suitable for open-wall culture ? About here very few owners of gardens think it necessary to train Figs close to the walls ; they simply plant them in some sunny corner and let them take their chance, and very fine fruits in this way they get. It is rare that the wood of the Fig tree suffers from frost on the coast, and covering up in winter is unknown ; if the tips get injured they break out all over from the older wood, and soon recover, but, of course, when this occurs the crop for the current year sufTers, as it is only the first show of fruit that can ripen in our short summers. If any regular system of market culture were attempted, it would probably be found the best course to either adopt some of the old devices of our fore- fathers, or else the modern system of glass copings ; at present, although the Fig is so well grown in private gardens, it is almost totally ignored as a market fruit, although it is equal in value to many fruits on which great care is ex- pended. J. Geoom. Go! rampant grower blooming sparsely I did so from a specified standpoint — that of cultivating the plant under such conditions that it might be wintered out of doors. In Yorkshire, unless grown in a hot and dry situation and in poor soil, my every year's experience is that the flowers are few and late compared with the amount of growth made. I can well believe that pl.nnts in partial shade, and growing in heavy claj', as stated by "Greenwood" (p. 408), might, in a dry summer like the past, flower well, for is it not the case thlt, under and near trees, the land is invariably in an extra droughty condi- tion when the weather is at all dry ? And likely enough the tops of the plants would find their way up to the sunshine, *»* The plant flowers freely in many parts of the southern counties. — Ed. Aster spectabilis. — This, I think, is a good variety in all respects. It is in the style of Amellus and its varieties ; if the heads are less than those of Amellus, they are much more highly coloured, or the purple has less red in it. I do not know another Michaelmas Daisy so blue, and I have been seeking for the highest and most distinct coloured varieties for three years. The one sent me as "Mr. Dod's bluest " is truly handsome, but it does not approach spectabilis as a blue flower, and, indeed, is a very difftrent Aster. Hepaticas. — It is all very well to grow these into large clumps, and nobody can question that, in that condition, when in flower, they are most effec- tive, but it is just as certain that where Hepaticas do well, they outgrow their healthy condition in a few years. We often speak of clumps a toot across ; when we do so, I suppose we mean that the flowers and foliage form cushions of that diameter. The actual clumps or cluster of crowns of such clumps may not be more than from 6 inches to S inches across, and under suitable conditions they may grow to that size in four years. At the end of that time, however, it is a question whether it is wise to leave them un- divided ; besides, all Hepaticas have a habit of grow- ing too high above the surface, and it is well to place them deeper at intervals. It has long been our rule to do this, and we always see our finest Hep.aticas on two-year-old divisions. Christmas Roses. — It has frequently been argued as to which is the best time to divide and replant Christmas Hoses. If we would permit our- selves to be guided by what we may observe in the way of root-action, I do not think we should hesitate in doing the work at a time which, I daresay, to many will appear somewhat unreasonable — i.e., just previous to the flowering period. I know well that many would object to cut up their plants at the moment they were anticipating a floral treat. That, however, is not the question ; the question is, as to when the roots may not only be safely, but better divided for their subsequent healthy growth. If the roots are examined at the present time, there will be found a set of young succulent roots bristling from immediately below the junction of the leaf-stalks. These are the parts we want to catch, and, without breaking, place in new and well-prepared soil. If we succeed in doing this, we shall not be annoyed with plants remaining dormant for a year or more afterwards ; but, in most cases, if the divisions have been judiciously made, there will not only be a good plant, but the flowers will come forward in a natural w.ay. It is unwise to attempt such operation, except with the healthiest plants. I have just had occasion to remove some divisions that were planted only a fortnight ago, in order to clear a space for the men to dig out some large shrubs, and it was pleasing to see what vig()rous root-growth there had been in that short space of time. I daresay we could hardly have had finer weather for the season during the period — plenty of moisture, a fair share of sunshine for November, which, with the leaves off the trees over- head, had its full effect on the Hellebores in the freshly-dug soil. J. W. calyx-lobes rendering it of special interest. Whe- ther or not it is to be considered hardy, I cannot say, but here it does well, and when in flower rivets the attention of most passers-by. It is perhaps unnecessary for me to allude in terms of praise to that charming shrub, the small or Box- leaved Myrtle, but I do so in the hope of extend- ing its culture, for certainly as an ornamental and neat wall-coverer it stands in the first rank amongst such plants. To see it as it has been for the past half-year or so is a treat both rich and rare. I fancy somehow that this small-leaved form is a later flowerer than the typical plant ; such, however, is the case here. Let everyone who wants a good and pretty wall shrub, plant this Myrtle. — A. D. Webster. Three good wall plants. — The walla of the flower garden at Penrhyn Castle were lately ren- dered particularly attractive by the number of flowering shrubs with which they were clothed. Three of these, including Lapageria rosea, Abelia rupestris, and the small-leaved Myrtle, were grand in the extreme, and assisted in a marked manner to impart a gleam of floral sunshine, so to speak, to the wintry landscape. Not long since I counted quite a hundred flowers and more on the Lapa- geria, and they hung in such an easy and con- spicuous way, that even the most unobservant of visitors were tempted to stop and admire them. The pretty, deep green, five-nerved leaves, too, showed off the large, campanulate, deep rose- coloured blooms to perfection. The Lapageria may, I think, be considered to be almost perfectly hardy, for it has stood in its present position at Penrhyn for a number of years, and quite unprotected. The Chinese Abelia rupestris likewise makes a good ornament for any garden wall, its pretty pairs of pinkish white flowers and reddish tinged THE PAMPAS GRASS IN SUSSEX. A STATELY mass of Pampas Grass in full plume is always a beautiful sight in a garden, and par- ticularly if so placed that the surroundings heighten its effect. In such a position is the noble specimen in Mr. Gatehouse's garden at Chichester, who kindly sent us a photograph of it, taken last season by Mr. Malby. It was then exceptionally fine, the great mass of plumes being nearly 10 feet high. It is planted in a part of the garden snugly surrounded by trees. Close to it is a stone-edged water basin and fountain, so that this corner is a pretty feature of the garden. The ring of flowering plants around the base of this Pampas is decidedly a mistak e ; such a stately plant as the Pampas needs no embellishing, and it never looks better than when seen rising from a lawn with room to spread out its Grass in a graceful way. The soil about the plant can be now and then enriched in the same way as when a circular bed is made around it. Mr. Gatehouse's Pampas is of the best variety, the one that produces large spread- ing white plumes. There is such a great differ- ence between the good and the bad varieties of the Pampas, that care should be taken to get the best form, seeing that the plant always forms an important permanent feature of a garden, if it succeeds, and one that takes a long time to de- velop, and which is so diflicult to replace. Carnations and Picotees. — Anyone having a collection of young plants of Carnations or Picotees in a cold frame should look over them occasion- ally, to see that all decayed and decaying foliage is removed, and it is good practice to occasionally lightly stir the surface soil, i.e., if not frost- bound. Mr. E. S. Dodwell, in his book on the Carnation, lays down the following rules for the guidance of young beginners in winter: "(live plenty of air ; never, indeed, close the frames or house day or night, excepting during the severest frosts ; and thoroughly cleanse every plant from decaying foliage and dust. In my experience, no severity of cold has been injurious to Carnations or Picotees unless the plants have been previously made tender by injudicious confinement, but guard sedulously against cutting icy winds. Dur- ing long-continued severe frosts, one, or at most two, mats will be ample protection. These should be allowed to remain on during the daytime to prevent excitement from the brighter light usual at such seasons. Do not, however, exclude air ; tilt the lights of the frames and open the windows of the house on the leeward side." In potting up layers, it has been discovered that a small whitish maggot, not unlike in appearance the Apple maggot, but much smaller, is doing serious damage to many of the plants. It would seem from ap- pearances that the eggs, or whatever it may be from which the marauder springs, are deposited in the leaf, and when the pest etnerges into acti- vity it bores its way through the sheath of the leaf, and eats its way along the centre inside. It appears to enter the shoot of the plant in much the same way, and gradually finds its way to the base, completely destroying it, as it rots off at the collar close to the soil. — R. D. Jan. 1, 1887.] THE GARDEN. ( i LADIOLI IN AUTUMN AND WINTER. , too, should be lightly manured with rotten hotbed I c \NN0T agree with " Delta " when he saya that or farmyard manure early in winter.and deeply dui? he would rather erow Gladioli in the east than in "P ^o as to get the surface well pulverised before the west of England, and especially when he t^e plantmg season comes round. J. C. C. says that they ripen earlier and better in the east • than in the west. My experience is that early White Everlasting Peas.- In reply to Mr. ripening is not advantageous, but the contrary. Poi-'s enquiry (p. ,50.3) as to the certainty of these It is my belief that Gladioli are weakened more by reverting to the pink form, allow me to state that being kept out of the ground too long than from there could be no doubt about the matter, as they any other cause. The impatience which the bulbs were planted in a small enclosed garden separated display by starting into growth, when stored in dry sand and kept in a cool ^^ ._ „ place, shows that it Is not natural for them to rest so long. When thus treated they begin to make roots, and even leaves, early in February, although not harvested until the middle of November, and often later than that. I have even had them exposed to 1 ( I ' of frost before they were lifted, and without any ,, harm being sustained. This tendency to start into growth so early is, no doubt, against them when trans ferred to cold, damp ground in spring, yet it evidently points to the conditions which they require. I am aware that "Delta's" ad- vice to store them in paper bags is the proper way to keep them dormant, and thereby prevent the ne- cessity of planting until late in spring, but that plan of storing does not appear to me to be Nature's way. In thi.s opinion I am sup- ported by the behaviour of bulbs loft all winter in the ground and efficiently pro- tected. These are always the first to make their ap- pearance in the spring ; they produce larger 6ower- spikes, and keep healthy and vigorous all the sum- mer. I shall not soon forget the luxuriant condition of a large bed of Gladioli which I saw at Posvderham Castle, near Exeter, in early autumn three years ago, and on previous occasions. The plants were in the most robust health, and produc- ing grand spikes of flower, with very few, if any, failures. If I remember rightly, Mr. Powell told me that he only took up the bulbs when they wanted dividing. They were win- tered in the ground under a thick layer of leaves and litter. We must not forget, too, that the climate of Devonshire differs a good deal from that in other parts of the country. At the same time, such an in- stance serves to show that the more natural the con- ditions under which we the bulbs in summer can ill afford to dispense with it, and therefore some little trouble taken to keep it true is well repaid. — J. Groom, Gosport. :.u-Jcu nt CLichestcr, Sussex. l-:n-,T.ived fioui a ['liutogTaph for The Garden. Pampas Grass in Mr. Gatehouse's g: winter, the better. I do not mean to say, how- by walls from any other of the Pea tribe. They ever, that they can be kept safely in the ground all produced white flowers the first season after I in any but the most favourable soil and climate ; they cannot be trusted even here in Somerset unless well protected, and then more rot through damp than actual cold. With regard to soil, I am of "Delta's " opinion that they do better in a purchased them. If they had been seedlings, I should not have been at all surprised, as it is pretty conclusively proved that seeds of the white form produce a rather large percentage of red- flowered plants. The white is such a desirable REMARKS ON HELLEBORES. It is to be expected, and also wished, that Helle- bores should at this season once again claim some notice in The G.vkden. Two such notices appear in last week's issue (p. 580). "G." is fully justified in all he says concerning the beauty and value of H. niger maximus. I would remark only that the rose- . ate tint on the sepals ought not to be made an invari- ' able accompaniment, but that, beautiful as that tint may be, the most perfect 4 growth produces pure .- "ft ~'^, white. Secondly, he would ~'pr_ ."^-S^li ■ omit niger in his nomencla- 'V'-^ ture, but I think that would "- S^ be a mistake, since niger is as essentially descriptive of one group as orientalis of another, and viridis of a third, &c. The next notice is by "O. " I do not re- member that "0." has hitherto taken any part in the many discussions con- cerning Hellebores of re- cent years, but he must excuse me if I suggest that he ought to give some au- thority for dirt'ering from those who have come to an agreement as to species, names, colours, &c. First, as to crosses. I am not aware that crossing has been generally restricted, as he says; a much more general crossing than he mentions has been carried on with most interesting results — persistents with non-persistentp, as well as like with like ; but when he particularises a cross be- tween orientalis and niger, I am sure all Hellebore growers would be glad to hear of anyone who has been successful in obtain- ing appreciable character- istics of niger by crossing with any other Hellebore. I pass by the idea of mak- ing niger maximus lather than niger the type of the group, but I must say a word in favour of niger minor, which is not only very pretty, but valuable, as being by far the earliest in bloom. Then, again, H. orientalis is not deciduous, but truly persistent in its foliage. Abchasicus is not green, but purple, with a white variety ; whether or not atrorubens is the same plant is doubtful, but both belong to the persistent group, and purpurascens is different in every particular, belonging to the non-per- sistent section. I make no comment upon the time of flowering, as that depends on locality and season. My only motive in making these remarks is to save those who are only com- mencing to grow Hellebores from being more and more confused by those who write on the subject. South Drcon. T. H. Archer-Hind. fairly heavy soil than in a light one ; the ground, plant, that those who require white flowers in Dracaena indivisa out of doors.— Although this plant is so largely grown under glass, I am THE GARDEN. [Jan. 1, 18S7. enabled to say that it is quite hardy in our southern and western counties ; at least, we have some plants of it that have stood out of doors fully exposed, without any protection whatever, during the past three winters. The soil around their roots has been hard frozen on several occasions, yet not a leaf has been browned. This Dracaena is elegant in habit, and well adapted for forming central objects in large beds, or groups in the flower garden, or for single specimens on Grass. Anyone having plants of it that are getting too large for indoors should plant them out in May, so that they may make their growth out of doors and get well acclimatised befoi'e winter sets in. Shel- tered nooks in shrubberies, or rather recesses on the lawn, make capital places for single specimens of this kind of plant. Tall examples that have long been indoors are exceedingly useful for back- grounds to groups of sub-tropical plants, such as Tree Ferns, Palms, &c., plunged out in summer. They may either be left out altogether, or brought into the conservatory in winter. Large specimens may be kept in good health in comparatively small pots by giving them occas-ionally a little concen- trated plant-food, either in a liquid or dry state ; and I need scarcely add that such vigorous-grow- ing plants require plenty of root-moisture, for on the green healthy look of the leaves depends the efTect which they produce. —J. G., Hauls. .55.30. — Daisies on lawns. — Nothing is better or surer for extracting Daisies than a common three-pronged kitchen fork. Stretch a line across the ground when soft, and root up the Daisies over a given breadth, and roll well after weeding. My lawn-tennis ground was almost a sheet of Daisies. I found when they were extracted that the Grass soon filled up the bare spots. A few Daisies are sure to be left and can be taken up whenever seen. Hurry's Extractor is useful for isolated weeds, not when they grow in patches. Watson's Lawn Sand is a rich manure ; it kills nearly all the Clover and some Daisies. Long- rooted weeds, like Dandelions, are only enriched by it ; it certainly gives the Grass a beautiful colour. Vitriol dropped on each Daisy kills it, but is apt to poison the ground and prevent the Grass from filling up the blanks. — J. H. W. Thomas, Bc/mont, Carlow. For killing Daisies I can confidently re- commend the new destroyer, Bellicide. It not only destroys Dais-ies, but other oifensive weeds. It is in the form of a powder, and is applied by means of a dredger; it is found by experience that it is best used during moist weather, but if used when it is dry the spot where it is applied should be sprinkled with water five or six days afterwards. In the case of strong plants of Daisies it is best to cut away the leaves and apply the Bellicide to the stumps ; two or three dressings will soon kill the stoutest leaves. In applying it, it is best not to allow it to become sprinkled upon the Grass surrounding the weeds, but should this happen, and the Grass is burnt a little, it will soon re- cover, for the Bellicide fertilises the surrounding Gra?s though it destroys the leaves; and the powder should be kept perfectly dry until it is used. I have seen the Bellicide used with such good effect at Gunnersbury Park, that I have no hesitation in commending its use. It is by no means an expensive preparation. — R. D. The Neapolitan Cyclamen. — This is the name of a plant that is invariably found doing duty for C. repandum or C. hedenefolium. The latter name is perhaps the commonest in gardens, and is partly right, but, according to the latest authority on this genu-i, it was made to include both the spring and autumn-flo-vering kinds, and in consequence has been dropped altogether, neapolitanum being substituted for the autumn- flowering species and C. repandum for the spring one. Several good distinctions of a permanent character exist by which they may be readily recognised ; C. repandum has the leaves de- veloped when the Howers appear. The latter are rosy red with a bright purple spot at the base, and without an auricle at the mouth ; C. neapoli- tanum produces its flowers in autumn before the leaves appear, and it is not until they are going ofT that the leaves begin to develop. The seg- ments are distinctly auriculed at the base, and they are white or reddish coloured and have a violet or purple spot. It is a very charming plant when grown in quantity, and just the thing for a woodland walk. Indeed, it has been naturalised in some parts of the country, and notably in Corn- wall, Kent, &e., where it is said to produce enor- mous tubers a foot or more in circumference, each producing one or two hundred flowers. It has numerous synonyms— autumnale, pyrenaicum, and ficariiL-folium being those that are best known. C. africanum, another autumnal flowering species, is somewhat rare, but as it is a native of Algeria and produces its leaves just when our hard weather sets in, it would probably not prove hardy in exposed places. C. europ:vum, a well-known garden plant and perfectly hardy, flowers from August to October ; the leaves are produced along with the flowers, which are usually bright red and very fragrant. It is useful for the rockery, .where in sheltered places it flowers profusely. The soil should be free, as also the drainage, and care should be taken at planting time to see whether the tuber is entirely covered or. the upper surface left exposed. Some of them root only on the lower half, while others root all over their surface. — K. PLANTS SUITABLE FOR 'WALLS. The removal of an old shrubbery in order to form a herbaceous border, some three years ago, laid bare an old wall that answered as a back- ground for the border in question, and as it was advisable to clothe this wall as quickly as possible and make it an attractive feature, climbers were planted thickly against it, and allowed to ramble for two, or three seasons almost at will. The efTect of this last summer, now that nearly all are at the top of the wall, has been excel- lent. C>ne or two mistakes were made in the choice of subjects, and these have led me to con- clude that climbers might with advantage be divided into three or four classes as follows, viz , for flowering and general ett'ect, for cutting ani general decoiative purposes, and solely for hiding bare and unsightly places. Plenty of flower as well as foliage was required on the wall jusc alluded to, and the mistake made was in using with other things Banksian and Martichal Niel Roses. Marechal Niel does not take kindly to outdoor culture with us, and the Banksians are too strong to mix well with other things. For cover- ing purposes they, however, have no rivals, making yards of annual growth, evergreen to all intents and purposes, and flowering freely when well established. Nearly the same remarks apply to Ceanothuses, the flowers of which are produced in profusion all through the summer months. The evergreen Honeysuckle is also a capital plant for the same purpose. Two plants that are very dense in habit, and also very useful for cutting from, are Escallonia macrantha and the variegated Alater- nus. I would give the last-named a corner where- ever there was one to spare, as it is one of the most useful plants we have for vases, and all the year through it is a mass of glorious variegation. It grows very fast, and is in every way a most desirable wall plant. We did not care for deciduous things, but worked a few in carefully and at wide intervals apart. Amongst these were Chi- monanthus fragrans, Benthamia fragifera, and Forsythia suspensa. Deutzia crenata fl.pl. is a great favourite, and one whose flowers do admir- ably for button-hole bouquets. In naming a few things that may be planted, I may say that the general effect will be greatly enhanced by allowing them to ramble and intermix both flowers and foliage. Stray branches of Ceanothus mix well with Safrano and Gloire de Dijon Roses, and the white and red Pyrus look well mixed together. Another good combination is the variegated Japa- nese Honeysuckle, making itself at home amongst the branches of an old Judas tree. All the above are of easy culture, and by means of them flowers would be found on walls from very early spring until late in the autumn. With hardly an ex- ception, climbers do best in a moderately stiff loam. The growth is short- jointed and stocky, the foliage more dense, and the flowers produced in greater profusion than in light soils. No hard- and-fast rule can be laid down for pruning these plants. When once planted, the object is, of course, to clothe the walls as quickly as possible, and to attain this end all strong shoots should be laid in their entire length each year until they have reached the top. After treatment must ne- cessarily be influenced by the circumstances of the case. They should have their own way as much as possible, and the knife should not be used more than is absolutely necessary. E. Bureeli.. Garden Flora. PLATE 577. ITALIAN BELLPLOWERS. (with a pl.^te op campanula isophylla, and white variety.*) Little need be said in praise of a genus repie- sented by some of its various forms in almost every cottager's garden, and abundant in our meailowa and copses. The section, liowever, to which we now wish to direct attention is con- fined to sunny Italy, and is not so common in gardens as the natives of colder climates. In speaking of these Bellfiowers, Mr. Moggridge says : " It is a curious fact in the distribution of plants that all the species belonging to the sec- tion of Campanulas with erect seed vessels, and - usually rotate or salver-shaped flowers sixteen in numljer, are almost all limited to Italy, Greece, and the immediately adjacent regions, except '' . argentea, which extends as far as Armeni? ..nd C. macrorhiza, a huge, peculiar-flowered pecies, native of Spain." Besides those just mentioned, there are C. trichoealycina, elatinoides, and others, all equall)' beautiful, and deserving the attention of all hardy plant growers. Other cha- racteristics of the Bellfiowers of this region are the abundance of milk and the brittle or succu- lent character of the plants generally, and als ) the semi-arborescent habit of a few of them. Al- though natives of Italy, however, they succeed well on overhanging ledges on the rockery. The sunnier the position the better the result, and during the growing season especially water should be given unsparingly. The following represent those in cultivation at tlie present time: — C. Allioni. — This is a very rare, although an exceedingly beautiful, dwarf Bellflower. It appears to be grown in most gardens with indifl'erent success, and is annually becoming scarcer. In Mr. Ewbank's garden in the Isle of Wight, how- ever, it seems to find a congenial home, and not only keeps alive, but increases, and I am told flowers freely. It increases by means of succulent underground stems, and unless plenty of room be provided and fresh soil in which to push its newly- made roots, it will not succeed well, as when re- stricted as regards space it forms quite a net- work of roots and soon exhausts the soil. It forms little rosettes of leaves close to the ground, and produces from each stemless flowers, resembling both in shape and colour those of the common Canterbury Bell. It should be grown in a light, porous soil free from limestone, and kept con- tinually moist during the growing season. It flowers early in spring, and is a native of Mont Cenis and other parts of Italy. C. FRAciLLS (Brittle Hairbell). — This is a beauti- ful little dwarf species, with a very descriptive name, as all who have had anything to do with it know. The stems, and even the leaves, are ex- tremely brittle, and if not carefully handled break like slender pipe-stems. It is a near ally of C. ^ Drawn f< >^' Jan. 1, 1887.] THE GARDEN. isophylla, from which it differs chiefly in having more slender, slightly ascending, often procum- bent stems, smaller ovate lance-shaped stem leaves, and sepals with a prominent midrib twice as long as that of the other. It is also very abundant in milk, and although this is a charac- teristic of the Order, it is quite a striking feature of this particular species. It is perfectly hardy C.iinpauula fragilis. on the rockery, allhounh we invariably lose it on low or fiat beds ; its thick leathery leaves render it capable of withstanding any amount of drought. Its stems are ascending or procumbent, from 12 inches to l.'> inches long ; glabrous, or, in the va- riety hirsuta, hairy, the hairs being the main difference between the two. The lower leaves are set on longish stalks, kidney-shaped, with toothed margins, dark and shiny green. The flowers, which are numerous, are large, open, somewhat bell-shaped, pale blue, and in a rare variety white. It is often used for hanging baskets. It is a native of >faple3 and Sicily, and flowers with us during the summer months. It is increased by means of cuttings, taken off with a heel or by division of the root. C. Barrelieri is synonymous, or at best only a slight variety. C. isornYLLA. — This is a charming and profuse flowering species, and. although a native of the sunny shores of Italy, it is quite capable of with- standing the severe cold of our climate. It was introduced to cultivation some few years ago by Mr. Traherne Moggridge, and is figured in his " Flora of Mentone" (tab. SO). It is now pretty widely distributed in English gardens, and makes a most ornamental rock plant. In order to see it to the best advantage, however, it should be planted so as to overhang dry sunny ledges, or else allowed to scramble freely on slopes with a Canipaniila Raincri. southern exposure. As a hanging basket plant for the greenhouse it is now being e.xtensively used in gardens, and the effect of the two forms, blended as they are seen in the accompanying plate, is in every way excellent. Its flowering season, as indeed that of most of its congeners, extends all through the summer months, and, in the case of indoor plants, much longer. The stems are often sub-erect, though generally quite procumbent, woody, and perennial. The leaves are roundish, cordate, with crenated margins and set on longish stalks. They are slightly hairy and of a more or less succulent character. The flowers, which are collected into compact terminal heads, are salver-shaped, large and very hand- some, lilac or white. This Bellflower is found on a promontory of Caprazoppe, between Noli and Finale, and, as regards distribution, presents a very curious case of restricted area, being found only on a small strip of coast, about two and a half miles in length, between the places just men- tioned. "It is ditHcult," says Mr. Moggridge, " to understand w^hy this Campanula should be so restricted in its area, and the more so as it pro- duces large quantities of seeds, which germinate freely, and are so minute that they could be transported any distance.' In cultivation seed is also produced freely, by which means it is readily propagated. It is also increased by means of cut- tings taken off about the end of July or August, and placed in a cool pit or frame. It thrives best in a rich open soil, flowering most freely when exposed to full sun ; indeed, so freely are the flowers produced under the above condition.^, and so fresh does it look all through the summer months, that wo consider no garden, however small, should be without it. A synonym of it is C. floribunda. C. LoREYi (Lorey's Hairbell). — This is also called PoUini's Bellflower in the Boiaiiiral Ma;;a- -.im, on account of that author having first described it in the "Catalogue of the Ve.-ona Campauula Loreyi. (Jarden," in l.sl'2. It is a hardy annual, with a fine graceful habit. It grows from 'J inches to 1 foot in height, and produces large bluish violet blossoms in the greatest profusion. As a hardy annual it ^ell deserves a place in the mixed border, where it should be sown in large masses, as then it shows itself off to much better advan- tage than in small patches. If allowed to scatter its seeds spontaneously they will germinate, and produce young plants in the autumn, hardy enough, in most cases, to stand the winter, or it may be sown in the open ground along with other annuals in spring. Its flowers, which are large, are blue-violet, and in the variety milky white. The calyx divisions are very narrow, and show themselves between the divisions of the bell (see annexed illustration). The leaves are few, narrow, crenated, or toothed round the edges. It flowers all through the late summer and autumn months. It is a native of Mont Baldi, in Northern Italy, and was first introduced, it is said, by Fischer, when at the I Jottingen Botanic Gardens. C. Rain'Er: (Rainer's Bellflower). — The form of this species, represented in the annexed illus- tration, and the onn generally grown in English gardens are, according to our experience, difficult to manage. The ordinary form is very dwarf, the leaves rarely rising an inch above the ground, while the flowers, which are large in proportion, little exceed them. It rarely flowers freely, although in the open perfectly hardy. The other form attains from 4 inches to G inches in height, and forms a cushion which produces a profusion of flowers all through the summer and early autumn. The leaves, as well as the flowers, are much larger than those of the type, the whole plant being more robust, and in all its parts larger. It should be disturbed as little as pos- sible, as it takes a considerable time to recover even when moved carefully. It, however, strikes freely from cuttings. It makes a charming rock plant in a rich, light soil, with plenty of sunlight. It is a native of Northern Italy. C. vEKsii'OLOu. — This plant was first figured under this name in Andrews' " Repository " ; since then slight forms of it have been described under the names of C. Rosani and Tenori ; indeed, under the latter name one often finds this plant in gardens. It varies greatly in the colour of the flowers ; in some they are pale blue or lilac ; in others darker with an indigo or violet coloured eye ; this form is called bicolor in nurseries. It is, without doubt, not even excepting C. pyrami- dalis, one of the most showy species belonging to this extensive group. On rocky places in Italy it forms a grand sight, clinging, as it does, to the rocks by its thin stringy roots, upholding large masses of stem and leaves together with innume- rable flowers. It grows very well in the ordinary border, in which it assumes an upright habit. The stem and leaves resemble those of C. pyramidalis ; the latter are thick and leathery in texture, how- ever, and with distinct flowers produced on short stalks. It is little more than biennial, but ripens seeds freely in warm summers. It is a native of Italy, and flowers in July and August. D. K. FRUITS UNDER GLASS. Stuawbekriks. Where Strawberries in name only are wanted in .March and April, one or two batches of plants will now be under treatment, but where Strawberries in reality must be forthcoming, the first week in •January is quite early enough to make a start. Preparations for housing must, of course, be put in hand some little time in advance, as I take it for granted that these insect-breeding plants are to be brought forward in pits or Strawberry houses in preference to early vineries and Peach houses. Just now a white frost of unusual dura- tion and severity has got more or less into the surfaces of the balls, and it will not be prudent to attempt top-dressing or cleansing the pots until they are thawed, as the slightest bruise may prove injurious to the crowns. But the plants having been fixed upon, they may be removed to a place from which frost is excluded, and when free they may be dipped in sulphur water and top-dressed ready for placing on the shelves. In modern Strawberry houses the crown of every plant is placed close to the glass, and gentle warmth from tlie pipes produces a temperature quite high enough to commence with under a free circulation of air, but in these structures even a good ridge of fermenting leaves or short manure is a great help, as it does away with the necessity for constant syringing to counteract the drying influence of the hot-water pipes. In places of this kind 40° should be made the minimum on frosty nights, 45" to 50° when the weather is mild, and 5° to 10° higher may be allowed through the day. No hard-and- fast line must, however, be adhered to, as few plant.s better repay patience, and none with which I am acquainted so completely collapse under un- due haste through the early stages of their growth. The cardinal points to be observed are careful watering with tepid water, aa the roots must never be allowed to become dry, gentle syringing on brisjht, fine days, and a constant circulation of air t'nat will prevent the possibility of the foliage becoming drawn before the plants come into flower. Once the spikes are clear of the leaves and days become longer and lighter, early closing with sun warmth~it is too early to call it heat — will favour their elongation, when the chances will run for rather than against their production of 10 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 1, 1887. bold, perfect flowers, followed by a good set of fruit, ^yhen very early plants are perched upon lofty shelves in Peach houses, it frequently hap- pens that the flower-scapes stop short and unfold a few flowers close to the crown. Warm diluted liquid from the start may help them, but ammonia from fermenting materials, which feeds the foliage as well as the roots, is the best of all stimulants, and for this reason alone a separate house or pit should always be devoted to them. When forward enough, the Chrysanthemum grower's vigilance should be devoted to the removal of all weak, superfluous flower-buds ; the foliage should be pressed down with the hand to let in light and air; and the atmosphere being sweet and buoyant with a little more fire-heat and air, the camel's-hair brush will do the rest. It is not now the time to recommend the best sorts for forcing, as stocks, good, bad, or indiffei-ent, are established in the fruiting pots ; but it is more than gratifying to find the craze for endless variety is passing away, and fruit as well as plant growers are paying more attention to well proved sorts which, under good management, can always be depended upon. It is not, however, too late to look ahead, as strong maiden plants, where this important part of cul- ture has been neglected, may still be planted in mild open weather for producing runners next season. It is not, perhaps, the best time, but one of our best Strawberry growers, Mr. Douglas, has said plants may be put out whenever the ground works well ; and having myself worked up stocks in a very short time, I can endorse his valuable opinion. Surt-e-isioiis. — From this time forward batches consisting of one or two kinds should be taken in every fortnight. If space is limited, they may be placed in light, shallow pits or frames containing a little latent heat, such, for instance, as exhausted Cucumber or Melon frames, from which the linings have not been removed. The warmth, it is just possible, may be imperceptible, but yet it may be sufficient to give the roots a start. Then, again, there are few country places in which Oak, Beech, or Chestnut leaves cannot be obtained, and gar- deners who make the most of everything are well acquainted with their value. These, placed be- neath the pots or used outside for linings, in many gardens do one-third of the forcing; but the most complete substitute for a Strawberry house is a sharp-pitched Melon pit with a flow and return pipe running along the front. A pit of these kinds we have just fitted with shelves lU inches from the glass. Fresh-raked Oak leaves, thrown rather loosely in until they touch the shelves, serve for bottom-heat and moisture, and the plants thrive and fruit admirably in it. When they commence flowering, all the most forward are drawn and placed together at the warmest and driest end, unless we have better accommodation, and when set they are transferred to the hottest structure at command. Late lindx intended for giving heavy crops in May and shaking hands with early sorts out of doors should now be safely plunged in cold pits, where they are to remain until their work is finished. Space being limited, the plants may be plunged almost close together, when every alter- nate row can be drawn out for keeping up the supply in the forcing houses ; but those intended to ripen their fruit in the pits should not be dis- turbed, as the moisture contained in the leaves draws out the crock roots during the winter, and, it is needless to say, these are of immense value in the spring. When pot plants are well plunged they do not require much attention with water, particularly where the lights are thrown oft' every day in mild weather and well tilted when heavy rain is falling; but being so highly sensitive under the damaging influence of drought, mistakes should always be made in favour of exposure and moisture. The Okciiaud House. Very early trees started in November will now be showing the colour of their flowers, and a tole- rably correct opinion can be formed of the way in which they are likely to pass through the most important, if not the most critical, stage of their culture. If the blossoms are bold, plump, and plentiful, it is reasonable to suppose the roots are satisfactory, and they have not felt the want of water. On the other hand, if only a few are swelling, and the wood buds are pushing forward, the prospect of a full crop of good fruit may be considered the reverse of promising. The first set of trees will now stand a slight rise by day, but no alteration from 45 to TiO' must be made through the night, and the syringe may be more freely plied on fine mornings. The second must be coaxed forward by very slow stages, and upon the principle that half a crop, or a late crop, is better than a failure. Meantime, an cH'ort should be made to find out what matter of detail has gone wrong, in order that the loss of a season may not be repeated. If the earliest trees have not been fumigated, two moderate smokings should pre- cede the opening of the first flower. Fly may not be in sight, but it is a subtle enemy which springs up when fumigating would prove fatal, and for this reason this trifling operation should never be neglected. Fermenting material being in favour, this also must be renovated, for, much as Peaches need periods of rest, they always set best in a slightly increased temperature with a nice circu- lation of air. Fire-heat, of course, will do all that is required, but warmth and moisture playing about the crocks and rising through the branches not only economise, but counteract its drying influence. Moreover, it is now a well known fact that forced fruits of all kinds often suffer through being kept in too dry an atmosphere when the delicate organs of fructification are parched up under its life-shortening influence. Watering through all the early stages, especially during the dark dull months, requires extra care. The water used should be quite equal to the maximum tem- perature of the house, and whenever a tree is watered it should have enough to thoroughly moisten every particle of soil. A few days may pass before the operation will have to be repeated, but one person should always perform this part of the work, and whilst guarding against making the balls wet and sour, on no account should the roots ever feel the want of water. SiicreA'lants scattered tlirough botanical pcrio- dicyls. Should any such exist, the writer will be glad tj know where they arc to be foiuid. — F. THE GREAT SNOWSTORM. This year t'hristmas departed after all with a crown of hoar-frost on its head. Sunday opened with fitful showers that collected their forces into a steady downpour of rain throughout the after- noon and evening. Between seven and eight o'clock the rain crystallised into soft, floppy flakes of snow, which hardened into greater dryness aa the scarcely perceptible and silent east wind dried them a9 they fell. The snow, however, fell on a wet, sloppy base as it succeeded the rain with- out any interval. Neither was there any percep- tible or audible wind. The snow fell heavily in huge flakes on a still earth out of a heavily laden sky, and it fell so fast, that about ten o'clock it lay on branch and bough and over the rain-sodden ground to a depth of about (J inches. And still it snowed and snowed faster and more persistent, and in larger, heavier flakes than ever. Soon after midnight the wind arose, and it blew during the night with such force, as to drift the heavy and soft snow into large drifts a yard or more in depth. The wind also proved the salvation of many a tree and shrub — for though in many cases it failed to dislodge the snow, which hugged them closer and closer the more it grew in weight, and in consequent destructive force, yet the wind, which reached a full half gale at times, did shake oft' the crushing weight from not a few trees in exposed positions, and thus saved them from the impending destruc- tion that overtook many others that failed to get rid of their sudden and crushing burden. In the morning the snow in the open reached a thickness of 10 inches. It was then thawing rapidly as well on the surface as at the base ; so it is safe to reckon that at least a foot of snow fell here— an almost unprecedented fall in the time. Nor does the mere thickness of the snow exactly measure its destructive force, for there is a great difference between the weight of snow of differing characters. Frozen flakes seem light as feathers, as well as to resemble them in other qualities ; but sloppy snow, compared to these, may almost be said, without hyperbole, to be as hravy as lead; and hence possibly the snow on the evening of the '26th and early morning of the '27th may probably be found amongst the mo t destructive that has ever occurred to trees and .'hrubs. The disflgure- ments of both are the most marked features in the garden and pleasure grounds ; but in the park it has dealt some very destructive blows to the Cedars of Lebanon. A good many boughs are also snapped oti' various Conifers in the pinetum. Most of these are snapped straight across, as if they might have been rods of glass. Not a few branches of deciduous trees and shrubs are also broken off sharp across, as if they had been sawn off; and a very curious example of the force of the snow on deciduous shrubs is furnished by a tall Lilac, which is borne right down and torn up by the roots through the sheer weight of the snow on its leafless top.— D. T. Fisii, Bury SI. Edmunil<. We have sustained much damage from the snowstorm, which has been very destructive. Trees of every size, shape, and spacies are broken down, twisted, and in some instances quite dragged out of the ground Iry the roots through the weight of the .snow. Several of our great Cedars have large limbs broken off. An old tree of Pinus Mugho is broken right in half ; few trees in- deed seem to have wholly escaped, but evergreen species have suffered the most ; in almost every case they are quite weighed down to the ground with snow or broken off. I fear it will be a long time before we recover from the damage done in so few hours. Yesterday (December 2t)) it was raining most of the day, but towards six o'clock it commenced snowing, and kept on until daybreak this morning. The snow is full.y 7 inches deep and of a very heavy character. — W. Hol.^ii, IIkI- hnf, P' iishiirxf. The early part of Sunday (Dec. 2(3) was almost incessant rain, followed, about half-past three in the afternoon, by snow, which continued to fall till late in the night, by which time there were between 1 foot and 2 feet of snow on the ground : and, owing to its being very soft, it ad- Jan. 1, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 13 hercd to the branches of trees and shrubs, so as to be early in the evening quite dangerous to pa.ss beneath trees of any kind. In the morning it was deplorable to see Elms, Oaks, Birch, and many other forest trees sadly broken in the park, and many uprooted. Laurels, Rhododendrons, Yews, &c. , were bent to the ground ; some were uprooted ; but the destruction did not end with timber trees. On visiting the pleasure grounds the i-iuht was truly alarming. Several handsome old Scotch Firs situated here were almost wrecked, as were also some evergreen Oaks situated near them ; large limbs were broken down to the ground, and others were split by the weight of the snow, coupled with the high easterly wind which accompanied it. Several Cedars of Lebanon situated in the garden and in the park adjoining were fadly disfigured, many large limbs being torn olF at the base, and many smaller ones split, thus disfiguring them for a very long time to come, if indeed they ever perfectly recover.— C. Warden, Clarendon Gardens, Wilts. One of the heaviest and most violent snow- storms which we have experienced for some years occurred on Sunday afternoon and evening last. A cold, frleety rain had been falling all the morning. At three o'clock snow began to fall, and the wind rose to a regular gusty gale and continued to do so until past midnight, at which time the snow also ceased to fall. Fortunately, the cold was not severe — the thermometer did not fall below 31° at any time during the night. The morning revealed sad destruction amongst trees and shrubs, especially Evergreens. Young Coni- fers were lying flat on the ground, and huge branches of Cedars had been broken oil' by the weight of the snow. Pyramidal-shaped trees suf- fered least, \Yellingtonias having scarcely a branch injured. Laurels, Hollies, Sweet Bays, and Ar- butuses have suffered a good deal. It is dillicult to measure the depth of snow, owing to the drift, but I think 8 inches may be set down as a good average. — Tacnton, Somirxrt^hitr. The snowstorm of Sunday night did us grievous damage ; the snow was of that sticky kind that holds on and loads the tree. We saw it coming on at dusk and feared greatly. About nine o'clock it was heartrending to hear the poor trees break- ing in all directions ; outside of human troubles tills is one of the most piteous things I know, and of an interest almost human. It is like .seeing people drown and unable to give help. Next day saw dreadful wrecks among the poor Scotch Firs, many absolutely done for, and hardly any without more or less of mutilation. — J., Siinry. After a pouring wet morning snow began to fall here on Sunday at .i p.m., and increased .so rapidly that the ground was soon covered. At 10 p.m. it was U inches in depth, and the storm continued in full force till midnight. The average depth today (the 27th) is 14 inches, and every- thing presents a very wintry appearance. I never saw such havoc wrought amongst Conifers as has been wrought on this occasion. One of the hand- somest Cedars in North Bucks, which has adorned the grounds here for many a year, has been wrecked, and a grand old Stone Pine in the rectory grounds, which had been braced together to preserve it, has lost two of its best limbs. Bays, Laurels, Junipers, and all kinds of Ever- greens have also been more or less injured. — (.1. Blu.xham, Biiclliill, BUtrhtfi/, Burks. two other growers who assure me that in no case couM tbcy nbt;iin crosses between the two sections of the genus Hello- bonis. H. guttatus, H. atro-rubjns, and H. orientalis inter- cross fre*lv, and we have many seedlings now coming into llower.— K." W. B. Trees and Shrubs. QUESTJOXS. .'i.:i40.--Woodlice <•. firuit. — Cau some reader of The Gari^en suggest anything to prevent woudlice and other insects injuiin^ fruit when stored away in a cellar? Chase's Beetle Poison is of no use for that pui'pose, — R. J.i41. -Moss on lawns. -ily lawn has got covered with Mnss. Would ashes or bones put on it destroy the Moss'.' and what time of year is the best to .attack it? There are great quintities uf flower roots planted on the lawn, and I do not wi.sh these destroyed. — W. fit. D. 554-2.— Christmas Roses.— Can "O." (p. oSO)aflord any proof of his statement that cross-bred Hellebores fcave ever been i-aised between II. orientalis (Lenten Rose)aud U. niger (Christmas Rose)'/ I have repeatedly tried tliis and similar crossings, but could obtain no result, and I kiioff of at least UNSIGHTLY ARAUCARIAS. Persons often seek information as to the best means of restoring to health diseased and conse- r|\iently unsightly specimens of Araucaiia imbricata. The cause of this now too common malady is imper- fectly understood, and the best means of coping with the disease is consequently just as imperfect. Having had a rather wide practice amongst trees, I may be allowed shortly to state my opinion of the evil, as well as suggest means of restoration that have been found of great avail, in numerous cases at least. The first and principal cause of the Araucaria so frequently turning unhealthy iu our gardens and grounds is due to planting in unsuitable soils and under the thade and drip of other trees. Far too frequently it happens that in planting the Araucaria little or no attention is paid to the soil in which it is placed. A hole is dug, a bairowful of what is termed good soil placed in it, and the tree p lanted ; and, what is as bad, if not, indeed, worse, a wrong impression that the Arau- caria requires coddling and sh.ade, causing it to be placed in too close contiguity to other trees. If jou want to plant an Araucaria that will reflect credit on the planter in years to come, choose, first of all, an open spot away from all trees and big growing shrubs, and if the soil is not of a free, rich nature, and per- fectly unsaturated with excessive moisture, make it so by, first of all, thorough drainage, and, secondly, by substituting an open sandy loam for whatever the objectionable soil may be. Travel where you will throughout the country, meagre-looking Araucarias, with half of their branches dt ad and dying, frequently confront one. The cottager must have his Araucaria, although attached to his house there is not more than a couple of s(|uare yards of available space ; and, indeed, townsfolk are but little behind in this matter, for, whatever else adorns their miniature garden, the Araucaria must be first on the list, the position or suitability of the soil being in most cases of only secondary com-iJeration. I have just examined about half-ah'indred tpecimens of the Araucaria, and find that where an open situation and free, well-drained soil is present the Araucaria does well, but let the ground be stiff, plastic, and excessively damp, and the tree planted beneath the shade of others, then the disease and ils consequent unsightly appearance in the foliage is sure to follow. By far the finest Arau- carias I know of are growing in a disused gravel-pit, the holes in which they were planted being dug large and wide, and having a couple of cartloads each of road - scrapings and decayed vegetable refuse inter- mingled with the rather roughish gravel. They have been planted upwards of forty years, and to see them in the perfection of health, with wide-spread- ing branches and lofty heads, does the tree lover good, and forcibly reminds him that, circumstances being equal, the Emerald Isle is better suited for certain species of Cunifera- thin any other part of cmr country. In the woodlands of this estate the Arau- caria does only middling when mixed up with the general run of our forest trees, for if in the least crowded, the lower branches assume a brown and diseased appearance, and the whole tree lacks the rich, healthy tone that is so characteristic of it when grown under favourable circumstances. We have been thinning an old Oak wood in which, owing to the wide distances apart at which these trees stood, a number of the Douglas Spruce, Weymouth and Cembra Pine?, Lebanon Cedars, and the Araucaiia were planted, more, perhaps, for ornament than under the supposition that they would ever be- come a remunerative crop. Excepting the Araucaiia, all the other treej have done well, for the soil was a kindly, friable loam, which rested at no great depth on a shale rock, and the situation well sheltered and warm.' Wherever the Araucarias were overtopped by the Oak branches there signs of ill-health are appa- rent, although where open and exposed they look well. Pcnrhijn. A. I>. W. Weir's Cut leaved Silver Maple.- Mr. Ell- wanger says that, though but little known, this is one of the most beautiful and remarkable trees with cut or dissected foliage "yet introduced. Its growth is rapiel, shoots slender and drooping, gi\ Ing it a habit almost as graceful as the Ciit-leaved Birch. The foliage is abundant, silvery underneath, and on the young wooel especially, deeply and delicately cut. The leaf- stalks are long and tinted, with red on the upper surface. We believe it will rank at once among the most interesting and attractive i>f lawn trees, and may be easily adapted to small places by an occa- sional cutting back, which it will bear to any degree necessary as well as a Willow. It will eloubtless eventually become vastly mure popular than the Birch, owing to the ease with which it m.ay be pro- pag.ited. It grafts or buds readily on seedlings of the Soft Maple. A favourite way of working it is to bud or graft it at a standard height on the strongest growing seedlings ; this plan adds greatly to its pendulous habit. The 'Weeping Ash should not be forgotten by planters. It is a well-known weejiing tree of vigorous liabif, its branches spreading, at first Imrizoutally, but gradually drooping towards the ground. Its strong, stiff growth does not render it as graceful and ornamental as many of the trees of this class, but planted singly on a large lawn it forms an inter- e,-ting oSject. It is one of the best trees for forming an arbour. Fraxinus excelsior pendula is a variety of the jireceding, but scarcely quite so strong-growin.', and it is characterised by the yellowish bark of the young branches which gives the tres a pscuUar appear- ance. V. lentiscifolia pendula is a pendulous variety of the Lentiscusleaved Ash, and forms a fiue orna- ment in a sheltered situation. It requires to be grafted some 0 feet in height, in order to show off its true character to advantage, as its branches are very slender and Willow-like compared with those of F. excelsior. They are, however, proeluceel in great aliundanne, this variety of Ash niakiog an excellent pendulous unil_trella-he aileei tree. Darwin's Barberry in -wet soils.— Few know bow well the beautiful Berberis Darwini thrives ill drained bog soil. It does well in most soils, but seldom have I seen it equal to a few plmts of it which we have here in a bog soil, where it makes finely branched shoots from S to 10 feet long in one season ; and when in s]iring the.so are smothered with bloom, and surrounded by masses of Rhoelodendrons in all shades of colour, from white to a deep crimson, the contrast is ranst pleasing ; the colour is so rich and telling, so entirely its own, that there seems nothing wanting to make the picture perfec*. It should be planted well back or it is liable to bury things behind it of dwarfer growth ; and do not f.rget after it has done blooming to head it well in. It makes, too, here and there grand isolated specimens. I hope this account ot it will induce others who have bogs to plant it largely. It seenrs to thrive even where the Rhoelodendron looks sickly through too much wet and hard frost during winter. Why not also miles of hedging planted with it ? It is both handsome and effective, and, on account of its spines, i(uite equal in the way of defence to Thorn or tjuick, which elo not do well in bag. — T. The Copper Beech in Hampshire. — This tree is still unrivalled in the contr.ast it present-^ to tlu.' eye in the landscape, but there appears to be a ditti- culty in the grouping of it, so as to give sufficient effect to the contrast. Most specimens I have seen are evidently iu the wrong place for thi.s purpose. It is plentiful throughout this county, as there are very few lawns or pleasure grounds without a specimen of the Copper Beech. A departure from the ordi- nary routine in planting it was made some few years ago at Brookwood, by Colonels Wdliam and George Gi-eenwood, who planted a lice of them on either side of the ro.ad from Winchester to Petersfield, commencing at Woodcote .and extending eastward for nearly a mile and a half ; but as I have not seeu them for some time I forbjar giving a description at present. The finest specimen I have to record is in the rectory grounds near the house at Over Wallop, about three miles south of Grateley Railway Station ; it has the large circumference of H feet \ inches, and has otherwise attained the dimensions 14 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 1, 1887. of a large tree, but unfortunately my notes give no further dimensions. Soil, clay on the chalk. Mea- sured in 1S80. There is another tree in Amport pleasure grounds, near Andover, which is a good specimen, with a girth of 6 feet S inches. Soil, clay on the chalk. Measured in 1880. There is a third at Boamhrid^e House, near Winchester. This has assumed a beautiful weeping habit, and slands alone on the lawn in front of the house. It has a fine effect, and is almost the only one I have seen rightly placed. It has a circumference of 6 feet Is inches. Soil, alluvial ; subsoil, plastic clay. Measured in 1880.— R. S. J. THE ORIENTAL PL \NE IN GREECE. The Oriental Plane attains to a very large size to a great age, and more especially so in the and festoons of bright leaves and fruit, and yet the trees seemed in good health, though they must have been held for many a long year in the grasp of these monsters. While on the subject of these trees, I may here remark, for the benefit of those who may be ignorant of the fact that there still exists is the island of Crete, or did so some few years ago, an evergreen variety of Plane tree, mentioned by Pliny and others, and authenticated by Admiral Spratt, whom I had the pileasure to accompany in one of his numerous visits to the island, but, though near the spot with him, he had not then re-discovered this rare and possibly very local production of Nature. D. H. eastern pai-ts of Europe, where there are many and numerous instances. A very noble example may be seen growing in the village of Vostiza, in Greece, on the Gulf of Lepanto, which girthed (when I was there in 1842), at 5 feet from the ground, 37 feet 4 inches. I had visited and measured this same tree six years previously, viz., in April, 1836, when I made the girth to be exactly 37 feet atthe same height. Whether in the six years it could have increased in growth 4 inches I could hardly venture to say — the difference of measurement might possibly have arisen from some excrescence on the bark imnoticed at the time, but, be it as it may, the measurements both times were carefully made with a tape line. This tree, situated in the middle of the village, on a gradual slope, standing on a raised platform of flat stones, evidently for protection to the roots, is a striking object on entering the village, and especially noteworthy, as existing in the days of Pausanias, the Greek historian, who, living in the second century, makes mention of it in his travels (see Burgess' " Greece "), and the tree must have been of consider- able size and age at tliat time to have made it worthy of remark, its age probably dating considerably before the Christian era, making it more than two thousand years old, and yet, when last seen by me in 1842, it was in full vigour and health, the trunk, apparently, for some way up, perfectly sound, though many of its larger limbs and branches had succumbed to age and storm. I had no means of measuring its height, but at a rough guess I should say it could not have been less than from 130 feet to 140 feet, or perhaps more. Should this meet the eye of any of your readers who may have travelled in that part of Greece, and have noticed this tree in more recent years, or any who may hereafter visit it, and were they to record their observ.ations as to its state and appearance at the present day, should it be still standing, which, unless it may have met with some untoward accident from the elements, I have every re.ison to hope it does, being much revered by the itihabitants, notes on the subject would be of the highest value. There are many other parts of Greece and also Turkey in which I have noticed the Oriental Plane of remark- able size and beauty, but I will only mention one or two places, and one of the more notable of these is along the banks of the stream running through the vale of Tempe into the plains of Thessaly at the foot of the Olympian range, where many magnificent and stately specimens fringed its banks for many miles, and were growing in the greatest luxuriance, when visited by me in 1846. The Oriental Plane seems naturally to luxuriate on the banks of streams, and I was especially struck with the magnificence of a grove of these trees in the island of Crete, where, in a vale at the foot of the white mountains in Sfakia, a few hours' ride from the town of Khania, watered by a copious stream, and probably getting its name Platanus, as well as giving it to the whole vale, from the number of trees of this species growing there, the beauty of which is much enhanced by many of the largest and finest trees being held firmly in the grip of gigantic vines entwining their trunks for some feet above ground, as it were, with a huge cable nearly the thickness of a man's body, and afterwards stretching out in long rope-like folds, through and over the branches to their very tops, and hanging down in long pendent Kitchen Garden. CHICORY AND MUSTARD AND CRESS. With plenty of these no one need care much whether they have many good Lettuces and Endive at mid- winter or not, as with Chicory and Mustard and Cress, salads of the very highest quality may be made, and they can be easily grown in quantity, let the weather be what it may. Witloof was introduced some years ago as an improvement on Chicory, but I have not found it to be so, and have, therefore, ceased to grow it. Chicory is hardy, grows freely, and when forced produces a large quantity of deli- cate leaves. The seed should be sown annually in May in rows thinly, and the young plants soon pro- duce Salsafylike roots without much attention. These are taken up in November, placed almost as close as they will stand in 8-inch or 10-inch pots with some ordinary soil round them, and they are then ready for forcing. We wheel a few barrow loads of fermenting material into a dark shed, plunge a few pots in this, and in a fortnight or little more the roots throw up a tall cluster of cream-coloured leaves of the finest salad-making quality pos- sible. A few potfuls are introduced into heat now and then, and in this way there is no diffi- culty in keeping up a constant succession. When wanted for use the crowns are cut right through, and if the latter be kept in heat after that, they will push out side-growths which will come in for use afterwards. Chicory may also be forced under a stage in a warm pit, and wliere no other means of keeping it in the dark exist, another pot, of the same size as the one it is in, may be turned up- side down over it. Mustard and (Jress, as we all know, are easily grown. Some time ago I found a patch in the shallow boxes, which we use for producing them in winter, die away here and there prematurely, and on making an examination to ascertain the cause, I found that some parts of the soil were very firm and others were loose, and it was in the latter the plants had failed. After that I ceased to use old soil of any kind to fill the boxes, and substituted leaf-soil, making it very firm all over. I sowed the seed on the surface, and did not cover it in any way, finally placing it in a temperature of 60 degrees. Here growth was rapid, and in ten days each box was an even mass of beautiful green Mustard and Cress. In leaf-soil it grows uncommonly well — better, indeed, than in anything else we have tried, and uniform firmness retains the whole in excellent condition. Our winter Mustard and Cress boxes are those which we use for bedding plants in spiing. They are 3 inches deep, 1 foot wide, and 2 feet 6 inches long. By sowing from two to four of these weekly, a regular and plentiful supply is kept up, and if frost chances to catch Lettuces or Endive, they are not much missed. J. MuiK. more manure than is good for Potatoes. Never- theless, the old Ashleaf, Myatt's Ashleaf, Covent Garden and Porter's Excelsior are to be depended upon. Magnum Bonum and Scotch Regent are also good. But such sorts as White Elephant, Cosmopolitan, and Woodstock Kidney are very inferior as regards eating quality, although excel- lent croppers. The old Fortyfold was grown by numbers of cottagers in this district last year, and produced excellent crops. As many of your readers doubtless know, there is no better eating Potato grown than this. But it is only suitableforrich land, and is very very liable to become diseased. I am surprised that Covent Garden Perfection has not become more popular than it is. It is a capital cropper and second to none as regard eating qualities.— J. C. C. The best Potatoes. — The suggestion made by " E. B." (p. ')~'^) that readers of The Garden should give the names of the sorts of Potatoes which they find to be of good table quality in dif- ferent soils is an admirable one. There are some who disbelieve that soil has any influence on the quality of Potatoes, but that is not my opinion. I have given all the American sorts a fair trial, but none of them are to be relied upon. In a dry summer Early Ross and Beauty of Hebron are fairly good, but never first rate. Ishould mention that our soil is cold and heavy, and that it gets CELERY IN WINTER. In many gardens, especially small ones. Celery is the only salad plant to be found in winter, and, apart from its value in this way, it is also most acceptable as a culinary vegetable. No labour should therefore be spared to make the supply of it as plentiful and good as possible, but Celery which might be in prime condition in August and September will not be of much value now, as it becomes soft in the centre and not so crisp and firm as when it is approaching full size. The best Celery for winter use is that which is now only about three parts grown, and spring Celery need not be more than half grown at the pre- sent time. The winter Celery crop should extend from November until M.arch. Its most injurious enemies are damp and frost. Deep trenches on each side of the plants will help greatly to drain off super- fluous moisture from them, and where there are only one or two rows together a good bank of soil put against them (as is done in earthing up) will prevent a great deal of rain from reaching the plants, as it will fall on the sides and run ofl'. A quantity of finely sifted ashes if placed round the plants .at the last earthing up will prevent them to a great extent from decay, as the ashes do not cling to the leaves like sticky soil. All earthing up of winter Celery should be completed as soon as possible, and it is most important that the soil be prevented from f.iUing into the centres of the plants. This is injurious at all times, but more particularly now, as damp earth will cause the interior of the plants to quickly decay. If each plant is tied up firmly with a piece of matting before earthing, and it is afterwards removed, earth- ing up will be more easily and safely done than when untied. I do not approve of lifting a large quantity of Celery and keeping it stored away for use. This plan is convenient if practised before a protracted frost sets in, but it does not possess any other ad- vantage. The plants should be well protected in the trenches at such times, and this may be done by putting a good band of hay or straw round each, but it is not safe to allow this to remain on when there is no frost, as it may cause the plants to perish from damp. Timely protection is the secret of suc- cessful preservation ; there is little or no use in covering them up after the leaves have been almost reduced to a pulp by frost. J. MuiR. Ma fijam. New flower cvips. — Anyone who has had expe- rience of flower shows where cut flowers are exhi- bited cannot fail to h.ave noticed the want of harmony or symmetry that is often seen on the stands of com- petiting flowers. In some schedules of prizes it is required that the stands or bo.ards on which the flowers, such as Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, Asters, Roses, &,c., are staged should be of uniform size and colour ; but when this is the case the flowers are set in them at different levels of elevation, and the whole has an irregular and confused appearance, dis- tasteful to the eye. To obviate this, Mr. Benjamin Field, of Swan Place, Old Kent Road, has brought out what he terms his Jubilee Flower Cups, for exhi- biting cut flowers in, and more especially for Chry- santhemums. The cup which contains the flower is made in three sizes, for large, medium-sized, and small blooms ; the widest are 3 inches, the smallest 2 inches, and they fit into the water-tube in a tele- scopic manner, so that the flower can be raised at any Jan. 1, 1887.1 THE GARDEN. 15 dusired heijjht from the board. The tube, which has the cup at the top of it, has aii inner tube of a smaller size, for the stem of the flower to fit into, and tliere 18 a wire loop at top and bottom to keep it secure. They are made of zinc, are nicely finished off, and will'last a long time. A lady said, in our hearing, when she had examined the tubes: "What excellent things they are for placing in gla=s and other vases to keep Howers in an upright position for the decoration of a sitting-room," and this appears to be an end these t'lbes are well calculated to serve. — R. D. PEARS AND THEIR HISTORY.* I HAVE been asked to give some account of what I know about Pears. There is, of course, much to be said about a fruit which more than any other attracts the attenlion of the cultivated pomologist from the e.xtraordinary development it has attained in our own time, the ancients having been contented with fruit certainly unequal in flavour to that which we enjoy. M. Andre Leroy, in his dictionary of pomology, has taken the trouble to make very learned researches regarding antique Pears, and enumerates four Greek and thirty-five sorts of ancient Rome ; but he does not fi.t the time when these ceased to be catalogued, and gives only twelve sorts cf Italian Pears between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the varieties oultivated in France from Charlemagne to Louis Xin. BumberiDg 200 kinds. Pliny names twenty kinds. Varro, Palladius, Cato, Columella, and Virgil are also pomologists and Pear lovers. The latter is very urgent in the matter of grafting Pears, but seems to have been aware of the modern axiom that " he who plants Peirs, plants for his heirs." In 1665, John Rea published the "Flora, Ceres, and Pomona," iu which he gives a list of twenty-one Pears, described as being very good, one of them re- joicing in the extraordinary name of Dead Man's I'ear. He describes the Winter Bon Chretien as one of the most excellent, but requiring to be grafted on the l^uince stock and trained to a wall. He also says, " that there are several good sorts of Wardens and baking Pears." In 1693 John Evelyn published a translation of the works of Monsieur de la Quintinye, a very voluminous, exact, and twaddling French author. In advising the setting out of a plant ition of dwarf Pear trees, he begins with the choice of a dwarf tree to be planted alone — i.e., the Winter Don Chretien, giving several reasons for this preference. '• 1. Because of its .antiquity, and that by its singular excellence it gained the admiration and courtship of the world, the gre.at monarchies, and principally that of old Rome having known and culiivated it under the name of Crustumium. 2. It was baptised at the very birth of Christianity itself, and consequently it .should have the veneration of all Christian gardeners. 3. It should be considered of itself and with respect only to it3 own proper merit, which alone can entitle it to a preference." This is, at all events, a very proper decision to arrive at, but the Winter Bon Chretien has not kept the high rank assigned to it. De la Quintinye iodulges in the most extravagant expressions of esteem: '' That it grows to the weight of 2 lbs., that it is considered a handsome present to ptrsons of quality, and that it is a Pear the beauty of which has caused the ablest gardeners to labour for it with the greatest passion. " I have had a good experi- ence of Pears, but I have never known this precious Pear except by name, Ijutit may have degenerated, or we of the present time are more particidar in our tastes. Of ttie other varieties named by Mons. de la Quintinye, the Autumn Begamot, the St. Germain, the Colmar, and Crassane have survived to our own time, but witliout holding rank as first-class fruit ; he, how- ever, highly commends the Beurre Rouge, classing this as a synonym of the B. d'Amboise and Isambert, which he says " possesses the first degree of good- ness— viz., a smooth, delicious softness with a fine delicate pulp," wasting many good epithets on the Winter Bon Chrt5tien which would have been more properly applied to the Beurrt^ Rouge. The Autumn Bergamot is not highly commended, although our friend says, " that it has a numerous and formidable party, and, indeed, that a thousand people assert that for its tender and melting pulp, its sweet and sugary juice, and the little smack of perfume which * A lecture by Mr. T. Francis Rivers, Sawbridgeworth. accompanies it, that is more valuable than all other Pears in general," remarks which a great many igno- rant people make at the present day. De laQuintinye names some ninety or hundred sorts of which some (>i the names are expressive, as Greedy Guts, Chew Good, Daughter of God, or Fille Dieu. Some few of the sDrts remain, among them the Rousselets, Chau- montel, and St. Lezin De la Quintinye's reasons for the enjoyment of Pears are curious. He states that " the rigorous cold which lasts from November to March enjoms our placing ourselves near the fire, and that to counteract the external foreign heat then taken in. Nature has provided us with Pears to pre- vent the great infirmities which might happen to us from the enjoyment of so much heat. So precisely at this time she has given us an admirable quantity of tender fruit such as Bergamots, Louise Bonnes, Les Chasseries, Amberts, Virgoulees, Epines, and St. Augustines." This garrulous author provides for the plantation of a thousand trees, but states that "the planter of so many would be a curious gentle- man, for how could he dispose of 12,000 Pears unless he gave them away or made perry of them ?" This difficulty would not be felt now. He concludes his remarks on Pears by a list of fifty good, forty-four indifferent, and sixty-six bad sorts. In 1729 Batty Langley, in the "Pomona," gives the names of fifty-seven Pears. Those which are named by him and still cultivated are the Brown Beurre, Autumn Bergamot, Hampden's ditto, Crassane, Epine d'Hiver, Jargonelle, Swan's Egg, and Windsor, and among baking Pears the Black Pear of Worcester and Catillac. Mr. Langley is not enthusiastic about Pears. Switzer enumerates eighty Pears, advising the planting of the English Bergamot, " because of its goodness and antiquity, it being not impossible that it has been an inhabitant of this island ever since Julius Cajsar conquered it, and that possibly it was the Assyrian Pear of Virgil, and was, as niay be deduced from this, a part of the celebrated Gardens of Alcinous." A tree of this soit in the Sawbridge- worth Nurseries is said to be 300 years old. The I'ears selected by Switzer appear certainly to have been the best of that time, and he testifies to the extreme goodness of the Win'.er Bon Chretien. Philip Miller, in his " Gardeners' Dictionary," 1759, begins his list with Petit Muscat, and p.asses on to the Chio, Citron des Carmes, La Bellissime, bearing two crops in July and September, Jargon- elle, and Cuisse Madame. The Cuisse Madame of the French Is classed as a good Pear, and the Jargonelle as third rate ; but Mons. Leroy describes the Cuisse Madame as a small inferior Pear, ripen- ing about the end of August, considering it as one of the few historical Greek Pears which have come down to us. The Poire d'Epargne or .Jargonelle of Andre Leroy does not correspond with the outline of our Jargonelle, and he does not praise the fruit, calling it good only for the season. Our true English Jargonelle when ripened on a wall is exceed- ingly good, juicy, and refreshing. Probably the spurious Jargonelle, which undoubtedly exists, has been introduced by those who have imported this sort from France, having been misled by the name, not being awaie that the Jargonelle of the French nurseries is not the kind which passes under that name with us. Leroy says that MiUer has muddled the Jargonelle, and that the confusion caused by him has lasted to our own time, the mischief arising from the Jargonelle and Coisie Madame being classed by Mills as synonymous. M iller names eighty sorts, and states that he has included in hU list man}' sorts that are not worth planting to please those who are fond of a great variety. He is aware of the eccentricity of the ripening period of Pears, for he says, " I have known the fruit of a Pear tree in one year all ripe and gone by the middle of October, and the very next year the fruit has not been fit to eat until the very middle of December." All of us can endorse Miller's remarks. I have found it a very difiicult matter to fix the date of ripening, and the variations noticed in 1759 find their equivalent in 1SS6. In reference to this matter, Miller says that " if we look back to the best French authors of fifty years ago, they put down the times of ripening of Pears a month or six weeks later than now, and that in London it is much about the sirae, the time of ripening in London being quite as for- ward as Paris." This remark does not seem to indi- cate that the climate is becoming colder, as many are inclined to think. Tnere are many writers on pomology after Philip Miller, but as far as the names of Pears are concerned we may step from 1759 to 1S31, when a book was published by George Lindley and edited by Dr. Lindley, en titled " A Guide to the Orchard and Kitchen Garden." The list of Pears is here brought down nearly to our own time, 150 dessert Pears being ermmerated, among them miny of our old friends of 1065, 1693, 1729, 1731, and 17S9, and adding to the list a number of new sorts raised from seed by Van Mons, Nelis, and others. According to Lindley many of these are not worth much, the Duchesse d'Angouleme and Beurre Diel being credited with special praise, the Marie Louise, however, not being very highly commended. In 1S42 the Royal Horti- cultural Society published a list of 442 sorts, and Dr. Hogg, in the fifth edition of the " Fruit Manual," 1SS4, describes 732 sorts. Andre Leroy, in tlie "Dictionary of Pomology, " has 915 sorts, and the cry is, " Still they come." The new sorts that have been constantly introduced showing that the highest standard of excellence has not yet been reached, and that no fruit is so susceptible of high development as the Pear, as it advances step by step with the higher cultivation of man ; this advance being by no menus rapid, as it has taken m.any centuries to proiluce a Pear of the quality of the DoyenniS du Comice, this fruit being far superior to any of those noticed by Lindley in 1S31. It is curious that Shakespeare, ountrj bred, should never have mentioned Pears by name, save once, in " Romeo and .Juliet," when he alludes to the Pop- perin Pear, now known in Worcestershire as the Poplar Pear, still one of the common perry Pears of the county. It is evident from this meagre notice of Pears that Shakespeare's tastes were not gratified by good fruit. In "'The Merry Wives of Windsor" he uses the phrase, " crestfallen like a dried Pear." The plump and juicy Pears of our century when fallen rot before they wither, but the tough perry Pears wither before they rot. Worcestershire abounds with Pear orchards, and Shakespeare, had he seen these orchards in full bloom, would surely have ex- pressed his admiration. There is no allusion in any of his plays, poems, or sonnets to the beautiful spectacle of a Pear tree sheeted with its snow-white blossoms. Another country poet, Robert Herrick, although enthusiastic in praise of Strawberries and Cherries, never alludes to Pears. Herrick spent the best years of his life in Devonshire, which must have been almost destitute of Peir trees. Sir John SuckUng celebrates the charms of a young lady iu his lines^ Iler cheeks are hke the Katharine Pear, The side that's next the sun. Batty Langley notices two Katharine Pears, the Royal and the Queen. Standard Pears are utterly unsoited f.jr small gardens, and should be grown in orchards only. Thote who are blessed with old and decrepit standard trees may renew their vigorous growth by heading them down. In three years young, healthy, and fruitful branches will replace the old and useless wool of generations. A difference is sjmetimes observed in the conduct of trees on the Pear stock. Some will be more fruitful and bear larger fruit than other trees of the same sort and age, This arises from the influence of the stock upon the graft. All Pear stocks are raised from seed, and great variety of course exists. The difference sometimes seen in tlie produce of trees growing side by side is often so great as to cause doubts of the identity of the fruit. The seeding Pear stocks imported from France are raised from the pips of perry Pears, and of these two sorts are distinguished, one with smooth bright leavesfrom the district of Le Mans, and the other, woolly or sage- leaved, from the province of Anjou. I believe the pips of the wild or forest Pear are employed in Germany for raising stocks. Garden trees on the Pear stock should be either trained as espaliers, wall trees, or pyramids. Root-prun- ing will cause unfruitful trees to bear, and those who 16 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 1, 1887. have them will do well to practise It. The Pear stock is not fastidious about soil. My own experience of the Quince stock convinces me that it is the most use- ful stock tor all styles of garden training, it is adapted for espaliers, pyramids, bushes and cordons. Cordon training, although known and practised in England for some time, has been brought more pi eminently into fashion during the last thirty years. It is, per- liaps, the most siaiple and productive of all sorts of training. An oak fence, 7 feet high, planted with diagonal trees, IS inches apart, in four years wid pro- duce a large quantity of fruit, and a wall from 12 feet to L'i feet high in five to six years will produce like results. I have found that pruning twice a year (June and October) is sufficient to keep the tree in fruitful order. In the June pruning the young shoots must be stopped at the fifth or sixth leaf, and in October every spur must be pruned as close to the main stern as possible, avoiding any in jui-y to the fruit buds, which are, of course, easily detected, diagonal cordons mayalso be trained to wire trellises, andtreated in the same fashion ; this is a very interesting and ornamentaUtyle. The singlehorizontul cordons and the doublehorizontal cordons, trained at'lS inches from the ground, form a neat ard fiuitfid edging to side walk.?. 'Jle five-branched vertical cordi^n has five upright shoots springing from a common horizontal base. These may be planted 4 feet apart. The horizontal cordon has the branches trained at regular intervals from a maiir vertical stem, this form is admirably adapted for espaliers by garden walks, and is very tractable and pleasant to manage. Vertical cordons plairted in the open ground 4 feet apart will give large crops cf fruit. Two forms of cordon training seem to me to be very unpractical— (.c, vase-cordon and the plan of training over an arched trellis, the former is more trouble to manage than a bush tree and gives no better results, and the latter is contrary to common sense, part of the tree being grown in the shade. All cordons require the same system of pruning. Pyramid and bush trees on the Quince stock are charming garden trees ; the pruning is somewhat different to that practised for cordon trees ; the side shoots slrould be pruned in June, and the leading shoot untouched until October, super- fluous shoots being occasionally removed during the summer to admit the sun ; the unpruned leading shoot must be shortened back in October. Gar-den trees require root managenrent, and a modified system of root-pruning should be practised with all. A circular trench about 3 feet from the stem of the tree shovdd be dug annually if the room for the tree is restricted, in the autumrr the soil in this trench should be refreshed with manure and frish soil, and a surface dressirrg of artificial manure applied during the spring. For the latter purpose soot, superphosphate of lime, aird guano are probably the most useful. The trench and the manure will render the planter independent of the soil. If Pear- growing is to be made a certainty, cultivation under glass must be adopted. A glass horrse is of cour.-e a prime necessity ; it may be as plain as possible for the purposes of protectiorr. During the spring the trees can be packed closely, for in the early period of growth they do not ree[uire much space ; about the end of May, er when all danger of frost is past, manv of the trees should be put oirt of doors, leaving e nough in the hou.se to stand 3 feet from each other. The trees taken out of the house should be plunged in a border prepared for them, and the trees inside sunk in the soil up to the rim of the pot, the sides of the pot should be perforated, but that is not an abso- lute necessity. The trees should be surface-dressed with manure, and watered with manure water twice or tliree times a week, w'hen under glass abundance of air must be given. C'lrlture rrnder glass makes a crop a certainty, and requires no more .attention than is given to Melon or Cucumber growing. Protection to cordon trees trained about 1 foot frem the ground maybe given by planks on each side placed on edge supported by sliort stakes and covered with mats during severe frost. Ground vineries also form very efficient protection, but they are not so cheap as the planks. Raising seedling Pears is always interesting from the uncertainty which attends the pursuit. I have raised some hundredsfrom the best sorts known, which I have crossed in every conceivable fashion. The " Conference " Pear, which gained the suffrages of the Committee of the Pear Congress of 1885, came from a baking Pear, the Leon le Clerq de Lav al, the pips of which I planted without any special elesign. All pips intended for seed should be taken from the finest and best developed fruit. The sorts of Peai-s of recent introduction selected by the Pear Congress of 18S5 were the following : — licurre GifTord Emile d'lleyst CI ipp's Favourite Ben ro d Anjou Summer Beurre d'Arembei-g Warie Benoist Madame Treyve Beurre deJoDghe IJeurre Dniriont Kose Crassane Pitniaston Duchess Iruchesse de Bordeaux PresidMit d'Osmarivir.e Olivier de Serres Madame Andre l.e oy Nouvelle P'ulvie C nference I, Inconrrue And for orchards and market gardens : — Beacon Marie Louise d'Uccle Fertility Uurondeau Souvenir du Congres The improvement in Pears will no doubt continue, and in 1986 amateurs will wonder that we could be contented with fruit so inferior to that which they will enjoy, even as we are no longer satisfied with the fruits which charmed De la t^uintinye and his friends. NOTES OF_THE WEEK. Lily of the Valley fruiting'.— One day lately when visiting a frienel near here who has a very snug garden, I was surprised to find that this Lily had produced fruit. Every spray on which there were flowers in spring was bearing berries where the flowers had been. They were largest at the bottom and smallest at the top ; bright transparent red in colour, and really very pretty. — J. Muiu, Maiyttm^ Gh(mor(/anshiir. Masdevallia tovarensis. — At various times correspondents of The Garden have objected to the system of leaving old flower-stems on this Masde- vallia, as by so doing it prevents a full crop of young spikes coming forward. In this I concur, but, at the same time, I like to leave a few old stems, for while the young spikes produce two and three flowers each, the old ones furnish five or six. I enclose you two spikes left from last year, each bearing six flowers. — Feederick Bedforli, Strafiiii House, Co. Kihhirc. Supatoiium odoratum. — I send you a small piece of this cut from a plant on the west end of a l.ate vinery, where it stood with impunity the whole of last winter unprotected. It has been covered with its white blossoms for these two months past, and has afforded a good quantity of cut flowers. Ihere are also still a good many to open if the weather is sufficiently mild. Coming in at this season it is especially valuable, and would well repay a little pro- tection in colder localities than this is. — John G.\r- LAND, Killoiuii, Exeter. National Rose Society. — It is proposed th.at some sort of recognition of the Queen's Jubilee should be made next Kose season by this society. At a recent meeting of its members, the proposal was made and a special committee formed. It was decided that the first £100 of the subscriptions should be devoted to the purchase of two challenge trophies, to be com- peted for at the provincial shows of the society, one for thirty-six blooms, open to all nurserymen, and one for twenty-four blooms, open to all amateurs. Sub- scriptions were announced in sums \arying from one guinea to five, amounting to upwards of £40, and circulars will be shortly issued to all members, inviting their co-operation. New hybrid Cattleya. — A drawirrg of a beau tiful rrew hybrid Cattleya has been sent to us by Sir William Marriott, Down House, Blandford. It is the result of intercrossing C. Mendeli and C. grrttata Leopoldi, and was raised by the late Dr. Harris, of The Grange, Lamberhurst, Kent. Prof. Reichenbach has named it C. Harrisi in compliment to the raiser. The flowers are similar in size to those of C. granu- losa ; the sepals are of the clearest amethyst, dotted over the surface with numerous small purple spots ; the labellum is of a very deep purple-crimson, while the centre is lighter coloured. In growth the plant more resembles C. Mendeli than its other parent, and some of the bulbs have borne two leaves each, about 2 inches wide aid 7 inches long. The bulbs are rather flat and furrowed. The drawing sent was made by Miss Harris, who must have found a diffi- culty in representing the brilliant hues of the flower. Cotoneaster affinis. — I send you a few small branches of this Cotoneaster heavily laden with berries, with which the whole of the plant, which is about So feet high and as nruch or more through, has been quite covered. The long branches are full of fruit- bearing spurs, and are laden with berries as well as the wood of last year's growth, all drooping under their heavy weight of fruit, which is produced in large clusters. As HoUy berries are scarce with us this year, we have been using those of this Cotoneaster for Christmas decoration. As you will see, the plant has retained its leaves quite greerr up to this time, although on several nights the thermometer has been down to 20" Fahr., and some days has not been higher than 32". It is a shrub admirably adapted to plant on the outskirts of plantatioirs and game preserves, as it produces every year enormous quantities of fruit, of which pheasants especially are fond. — John Garland, KiUerton, Exeter. Pseonia Whitleyi. — " D. K," iu his e.xcellent description of Pajonia albiflora and its varieties in a recent number, describes P. albiflora var. Whitleyi as double. I have a variety called Whitleyi single, which he does not appear to mention. I believe it is a variety of P. albiflora, and is known as Whitleyi single in several English nurseries. In a good sea- son, such as the last, this variety is magnificent, the flowers being pure white, with a cream-coloured centre. The plant grows from 2 feet to 3 feet in height, and blooms about the same time as the other herbaceous P.'eonias — that is, towards the end of June. Perhaps this variety may be identical with one of the varieties " D. K." has described ; if so, it would be well to know that, as confusion may arise. — D.W. Covent Garden Market. — The supply of flowers sent to this market this week has been both large and varied. Amongst the host of the good things which we noted were the red and white-bracted forms of the Mexican Flame-leaf (Poinsettia), ex- ceptionally fine ; white Azaleas, Chinese Primroses, both double and single, the latter extra good, espe- cially the coloured varieties. Associated with these were also the yellow and white Marguerites, the white being perhaps the best plant growrr for room decora- tion, producing a chaste and elegant effect in any situation. Chrysanthemums, chiefly whites, are still in good form ; also Lily of tlie Valley, Roman Hya- cinths, and Tulips of several shades. Some pretty combinations may likewise be seen, such as Lily of the Valley, red Tulips and Ferns, Roman Hyacinths, Ferns and red Tulips. Persian Cyclamens are also well represented, from pure white, through "arious shades of pink, rose and purple, to crimson. Various kinds of Heath are numerous, especially the winter Heath (Erica hyemalis), which has seldom been seen more floriferous than it is this season. Berried plants consist chiefly of Solanums, which should sell well this year, as the Holly is but thinly berried. Cut flowers comprise Chrysanthemums in various shades of colour ; Roses in abundance. Arum Lilies, Eu- charises, Camellias, Narcissi, Hyacinths, Bouvar- dias, zonal Pelargoniums, pink, white, and scarlet, both double and single. Amongst Orchids are fine examples of Calanthes, Princess Alexandra Odonto- glossums, L;elia autumnalis, anceps, and albida ; the beautiful Odoutoglossum Rossi in several varieties ; Oncidium Jonesianum, Rogersi, and varicosum ; the scarlet Sophronilis gr.andiflora, and the Violet-scented Dendrobium heterocarpum. Lycaste Skinneii, with its large, bold, wax-like flowers, is especially notice- able, whilst Cattleya margiuata blooms are very abundant. Fruits are numerous and good, especially the Smooth Cayenne Pine from the Azores, Custard Apples from Madeira, and Lychees and Jaffa Oranges. Pears and Apples are numerous and good, particularly American Baldwins and Ribstons. Asparagus, Sea- kale, and Rhubarb are plentiful ; as are also Truffles, and small salading is in great variety and abundance. Twin-flowered Cypripedium (J. //.).— Not an un- usual occurrence, numerous iiistancea of whiclj occur every season. Jax. 1, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 17 WOODS & FORESTS. ENGLISH FIREWOOD. The brightness of the glowing logs upon the liearth is one thing; the snow-covered trunks upon tlie ground outside is another. \Yhen wo sec pome of our lineat trees and shrubs, the glory of the garden and pride of the wood, reduced by one night's storm to the value of ordinary fire- wood, one is a little tempted to hate the very name; it seems a poor finish for some glorious Rhododendron or specimen tree which may have attracted much notice or been of great beauty hitherto. Still, it is something to feel that one may be of use even in one's ruin, an I such must be the consolation in more than one instance. The writer of the article in last week's number did not allude to one of the best woods for burn- ing, viz , Birch, nor to the worst, Spanish Chest- nut. We have fires going through the whole of the winter of nothing but Binh, and it has the ad- vantage over Oak and several others on account of .seasoning more quickly, and not retaining the sap 80 long when left in the log unsplit. The rough bark when dry always makes a cheerful blaze, and, in fact, the whole of the Birch is good for burning, from the smallest twig to the biggest stem. Spanish Chestnut, on the other hand, should be well guarded against; it slips in sometimes among the ottier cordwood, and then woe betide the hearthrug and the carpet; the finest fire- guard does not seem proof against the spluttering of the sparks from it, and really serious damage may .sometimes be done if no one happens to be in the room at the time. It is a good plan to liive a special store of wood from any of the Cedar tribe, from which a piece or two may be thrown on the fire occasionally. It burns very brightly when dry and with a pleasant smell, often service- able to counteract that arising from cooking, when the latter, under the guise of an accident, presents itself "even in the best regulated fami- lies." I suppose that most people know that the success of a wood fire often depends on (he ashes being allowed to accumulate; but it appears necessary sometimes to give injunctions against their removal — C. R. S. D , S"«t.t'. Having for many years had to burn a good deal of wood for ordinary fuel, I give the preferencs to good sound Oak that haswell matured its growth; the size- is of not so much consequence as the age. I do not include in this consideration fagot- wood, but such as is ordinarily used in the place of coal. The merits of the Oak, or, for that matter, any other sort of tree as furnishing the best firewood, depends entirely on its age. The wood of a young tree cwenty-five years ofd and less is inferior both in heat-giving and lasting qualities to that of fifty or a hundred years older. But in all its stages the Oak is unquestionably the most valuable. The A.?h stands next in the point of merit as re- gards heating and lasting qualities, and it has the advantage of being more easily prepared. It is this feature which I think has made the Ash so popular as fuel, but it is inferior to the Oak in any stage of growth, and particularly when it is declining in age. The bole of an old Ash tree that is much decayed is, in my opinion, of but little value for heat-giving, although it may ignite quickly and burn rapidly. I place the Elm ne.xt on the list, because in a half green state it burns freely and gives out a good heat. It requires It.ss to ignite it when it has laid by twelve months if kept quito dry, but it is quickly consumed, and In this condition its heat-producing qualities are not remarkable. Beech I consider to be dis- appointing ; its appearance would lead one to believe it to be a long-lasting and heat giving fuel, but it is not so as compared to Oak and Ash, and the older it is the less value it is for fuel, as in that condition it does not burn very freely. The SweetChestnutand Sycamore I think are of about equal merit ; they are both light woods which when in a dry state burn freely, but do not last long. The above named woods are available in a greater number of places than any others we can name, if wo except the districts in which Fir plantations are numerous. In my opinion none of the Fir tribe will bear comparison with any of them ; as a matter of fact, they cannot be used with safety in any living rooms on account of the sparks of fire which they send out. With regard to Apple and Pear tree wood, I sli auld place them as equal to the Ash when in a condition fit for burning, but neither of these woods are of much value if ths tree has lived long enough to die away in a gradual manner, but the wood of either from a tree that has been blown down when in its prime, and pre- pared and burnt sis months afterwards, leaves little to be desired, as the wood burns steadily and throws out a steady stream of warmth. IE I was asked to name the wood that gives the greatest heat over the longest time, I should put the Yew first, then the Holly, and next the White Thorn, but these only being available in limited quantities, in the majority of cases cannot b6 considered as of special value as firewood trees. Oak is in its best condition for fuel within the first twelve months after the tree is cut down ; Ash is better used within nine months, and Elm six months. — J. C. C. *»* The Ash has a precious and rare quality in burning well and brilliantly immediately after being cut. We want more light on this interest- ing question, ani we invite further discussion upon it. — En. WOODLAXD NOTES. Game coveius. — These should never consist of dense masses of Evergreens, although such is the prevalent idea, for game as a whole detest in a marked degree such plantations as are surfaced with underwood. What they like best is clumps, thick as jou like, of Evergreens placed at such distances apart as will allow of their feeding and sporting in the full sun- lic'ht that warms up the open ground between the various patches of covert. To meet this want we always, in forming game coverts, mark off the various clumps at irregular distances apart, and, if possible, so as to look bfst and most natural from adjacent w.alks and drives. The clumps should not be too large, say, to contain from sixty to one hundred plants in each, be irregular in outline, and at irregu- lar distances apart. At first, and more particularly where immediate effect and covert is required, plant the Evergreens doubly thick, and when the outer branches begin to encroach upon each other remove every alternate one, thus giving the remaining ones plenty of room for full development. In the case of the Laurel and liaurustinus, pruning after a year or two had best be resorted to, for if these, more parti ciilarly the former, are allowed to grow at will, a dozen years hence will find them but bare poles with a tuft of foliage at the top, and totally unfitted for the purpose intended. To remedy such errors in game coverts is, however, not impossible, for if the long branches are pegged down firmly in a circle around the parent stem, they soon throw out numbers of shoots and in two years form excellent covert. Pruning should, however, be engaged in at least every second year, the long top branchts bring cut back to, say, 1 feet from the giound, thus throwing the whole strength into the production of numerous fresh shoots and so rendering the covert a perfect hiding-place for the game. Privet as a game covert rarely receives the attention it should, f der's Orchid collection at The Dell, Egham, there is now in flower an exceptionally fine new variety of Liulia anceps, which, so far as is known, has never been equalled in size of flower or splendour of colouring by any among the multi- tude of forms that have flowered in this country of late years. In form of flower it most resembles that unique variety Dawsoni, which is always re- garded by orchidists as an ideal flower, as regards shape. This new form, however, eclipses Daw- soni in size of flower, and looks more like L. ele- gans in this respect. The sepals are deep rose- coloured, deepening towards the tips to an intense crimson, a colour which also extends to the lip, the splendour of which is enhanced by a clear yellow blotch in the interior. This is the first time in which this plant has flowered since it was imported by Messrs. Sander among a large num- ber, and it is doubtful if another so remarkable will be flowered from the same importation. Cypripedium tonsum. — Probably only a Cypripedium fancier would look upon this new- comer as an acquisition. To speak plainly, it possesses no great amount of beauty, but it is distinct. It is different from any other Cypri- pedium with which we are acquainted. It most resembles that new variety of C. Lawrenceanum which lately appeared in a Belgian garden, and named Hyeanum. C. tonsum has a very large flower and handsomely mottled foliage, even equal in that respect to C. Lawrenceanum. The dorsal or uppermost sepal is broad sap-green in colour, lined with a deeper green and edged with white. The lateral or side sepals are green also, and marked irregularly along the centre with a few dark, almost black, spots. The pouch or slipper is brownish red, lined with the same colour, but brighter. It is, we believe, a hybrid, and, if so, we should guess C. Lawrenceanum and C. Day- anum are its parents. It has been certificated, we believe, by the Horticultural Society of Ghent, but what merit the committee could have seen in it compared with others of a similar stamp is not clear, judging by the specimen of it which we saw in bloom a few days since. Catasetum longifoliutn. — This is one of those strange-looking Orchids in whose flowers one fancies he sees a resemblance to some kind of animal. In looking at the specimen in bloom in the Orchid house at Kew the other day, the spike of flowers looked to me like a shoal of small brown fishes facing me with open mouths. There are a score or so of flowers on a spike about a foot long, and eacli bloom consists mainly of a distended pouch with an open mouth of a sort of coffee- brown colour, and the short, erect sepals of the same colour look like ears, and the fringe which surrounds the pouch adds to the unflower-like appearance. This singularity would not be thought much of, perhaps, by those who like showy flowers, but the interest attached to it compensates for lack of high colour. It is one of the many weird denizens of the Demerara forests. The pink Sophronitis.— The rose-coloured variety of Sophronitis grandiflora ranks, in the estimation of Orchid growers, on a par with such rarities as the pure white Cattleyas and albinos of other coloured-flowered Orchids. Until we saw it in bloom in the Handsworth Nurseries the other day we thought that Mr. Peacock, of Hammer- smith, was the only possessor of it. It needs no description, as it is the exact counterpart of a fine form of the scarlet S. grandiflora, except in the colour, which is a delicate rose. Artists perhaps would describe it as a rose-madder. It is one of the daintiest little Orchids we have seen for a long time, and the effect of several flowers on a plant, as at Handsworth, may be better imagined than described. It is singular that this rose variety has not turned up oftener, consider- ing the large quantities of S. grandiflora that have been imported. An excellent coloured plate of this variety was given in The Garden, drawn from Mr. Peacock's plant. It is singular that no mention is made of this variety in \^illiams' "Orchid Manual." Ansellia africana. — One might visit a dozen Orchid collections at this season and not see this noble African Orchid in flower ; yet one cannot term it a rare species, but for some reason it is not grown successfully. At Kew, where, we believe, it receives no special attention, several plants of it are among the best tilings in bloom in the warm house. It is a stately growing plant having thick stems a yard or more in height, each furnished with a few long and strongly ribbed leaves and terminated by large, loose panicles of flowers which droop gracefully owing to the number of the flowers, often as many as half a hundred. The flowers measure about U inches across, the sepals and petals being yellowish white heavily spotted and barred with dark brown, almost black, in fact, while the lip is of a bright yellow. It is an evergreen species and more of a ground Orchid than an epiphyte ; hence, needs a substantial compost like other terrestrial Orchids. It is an old inti'oduction and was named by Lindley over forty years ago. It is said to grow wild on Palm trees in Sierra Leone and Sir John Ansell, after whom Lindley named the genus, discovered it at Fernando Po. There are two varieties of it natives of Natal, named by Reichen- bach gigantea and lutea, but these we have not seen. A third variety is that named by Baker nilotioa, which is even finer than the type, having larger and more richly marked flow ers ; this variety is extremely rare and we believe it only exists in the Kew collection. Sophronitis grandiflora. — For brilliancy of colour this little gem has still few equals, espe- cially as now seen in some of the London nurseries. Another Orchid now in bloom remarkable for exceptional colour is Ada aurantiaca, the nodding racemes of rich orange-coloured flowers of which have a character and charm peculiarly their own. Cattleyas at Chelsea. — Amongst the best of winter-blooming Cattleyas which are now enliven- ing the Orchid houses in Mr. Bull's nursery are C. Trianse, of which there is almost endless variety, and all beautiful. Especially good amongst them are the forms called vesta, picta, and alba. Of C. Percivaliana, a variety called marginata is a decided acquisition. The nume- rous forms of C. chocoensis are also rich in colour, but, owing to the partially closed lip peculiar to this section, the brilliancy of the markings is some- what hidden — a fault from which C. Walkeriana is exempt. The blooms of this, however, seem out of place at this particular season. Lady's Slippers at Hollo way.— These appear to be favourites with Mr. Williams, seeing that they are grown here in such abundance. Amongst them the following are pei-haps the most useful, viz., C. insigne, an old acquaintance, but one which still holds a foremost place as regards utility ; the best forms of it are Maulei, albo- marginatum, and punctatum violaceum. The variety of C. venustum called spectabile is also very attractive. Next comes that gem amongst Slipper-worts, C. Spicerianum, with chaste and prim flowers, in some instances two being upon one stem. C. Harrisianum appears to increase in beauty from year to year. C. Boxalli unites the beauties of C. insigne and C. villosum, for whilst the dorsal sepal resembles somewhat that of the former, the pouch-like lip and the peculiar varnished appearance over all put one in mind of villosum. Other kinds which are indispensable are the beautiful scarlet-pouched C. Sedeni and its equally pleasing variety candidulum, whilst C. Schlimi, with its charming white and rosy flowers, although somewhat small, is ever welcome. In the grand flowers of C. selligerum we have com- bined the beauties of C. barbatum and C. la?viga- tum. Amongst other kinds noted here were C. calophyllum, Dominianum, Leeanum, Sallieri, and Lindleyanum. Spiranthes colorata. — This bright winter- flowering Orchid is probably best known under its older name of Stenorhynchus speciosus. It is not a common plant, nor is it one of the stock plants in nurseries, but as a beautiful January- flowering plant it is, we consider, most valuable, and as it may be grown as easily as any ordinary greenhouse plant it is the more desirable. It does not look much like an Orchid, and in an Orchid house it looks out of place. It is a dwarf plant, with broad roundish leaves of a pale green. The flower-spikes rise about a foot high, and the blos- soms are borne in a dense cluster at the top. The flowers are small, but the bracts^ which envelop them are, like the flowers, of a pretty coral-red colour — a colour distinct among Orchids. The plant lasts in beauty for several weeks, and, being a cool-house Orchid, is none the worse for a long stay in the conservatory, or even in the drawing- room. It is easily grown, likes a fibry, loamy soil to grow in, as its fleshy roots require strong food and abundance of water during summer. There are two forms of it : one, which is considered the type, has unspotted leaves, while the variety maculata has its leaves blotched and lined with silvery-white markings, and this variety we think the most beautiful. It is now one of the brightest plants in the St. Albans Orchid Nursery, and also at Kew. A coloured plate of it was given some time ago in The Garden, drawn in Sir Trevor Lawrence's garden, where it is a favourite and grown to perfection. It comes from South America. Jan. 8, 18S7.] THE GARDEN. 21 There are some very fine omeria japonica, which appears to the Conifers. In the wood lie- COOLHURST susses: its trees— not native trees, but trees introduced vigorous than S.pentagyna. Of Conifers there Descridino Coolhurst from recollections of a from every country whence we get trees. Cool- are, of coiirse, crowds of fine specimens; the June dav's visit is refreshing at this dreary sea- hurst is probably the most richly planted estate Canadian Hemlock Fir thrives to perfection, and «on the first impressions of this delightful in Sussex, and ranks witli sucli celebrated places so does the Cahtorman Cupressus macrocarpa ; place as it appeared on a bright summer morning, as Syon, Highclere, Fulham Palace, Westonbitt, Finns insignis, too-trees which about London are still strongly imprinted on the memory. The and other places where foreign trees were planted garden was then gay with colours of every hue, extensively during the last century. The Cool- sweet with frasrrance, and alive with the song of hurst arboretum is probably indebted for its tree , , , , birds ami the hum of insects. From the masses wealth to the famous "tree-planting bishop," yond the pleasure grounds some specimens were of biiUiant colour the eve stole through the glades Dr. Comptoii, who was related to the Coolhurst pointed out to ine that would tell a tale in a and vistas, beneath noble trees or rested on the family, and who doubtless helped to enrich it. , timber yard, and it is Mr. Scrase-Dickins opi- broad expanses of lawn not yet browned by the Bishop Compton was the means of introducing midsummer's sun. The garden is, in every s'ense, some of our noblest North American trees, such in harmony with such a quiet country home as the Tulip Tree, the Magnolias, the Hickories as Coolhurst is. It is one of the oldest and (Carya), Acers, and Thorns. The foreign trees best residences among the many sprinkled at Coolhurst are mostly North American. Among about the weald of Sussex. The caprices of the finest are False Acacias (Robinias), whose nion that this Japanese tree is one that will ulti- mately prove to be one of the best timber trees in this country. It is rapid in growth, is not parti- cular as to soil, and produces excellent timber — in fact, it is one of the principal timber trees in Japan. I must stop at the pleasure grounds, modern fashion in gardening have not been fol- huge gnarled-barked stems form an interesting though there is abundant interest in the woods lowed here; you see the garden to-day probably as feature on the lawn. Among others are the around, where foreign trees have been mtcr- it existed fifty or a hundred years ago. Its pre- Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), the Hickories mixed with the native. But before I leave the sent owner, Mr. C. Scrase-Dickins, will doubtless (Carva), deciduous INIagnolias, such .is M. cordata trees, I must note one or two pictures I saw m still preserve it in this state. Here are no pre- tentious terrace gardens, and the only " bedding- out'' is done in a little stone- edged parterre garden and quite in good taste with the rest of the place. The house is Elizabethan, not old, but the creamy white •stone is so Lichen stained as to give it an antiquated look, and the Welsh I'lippies, yellow Fumi- tory and wall Ferns that grow about the cre- vices at the foot of the walls make the jdace look more vener- able than it really is. The house looks well from all points, and on every side is surrounded by trees. On the front the lawn gradually slopes to the park, from which it is separated liy a Ha-ha, and so skilfully | and acuminata; Snowdrop Tree (Halesia), Ame has this fence been made, that from the house ■ ■ • ■ '^ Coolhurst, from above the lake. Engi-aved for The Garden from a photograph the way of hardy climbers, ram- bling over some of the trees. One was the Travel- ler's Joy, run- ning over an Evergreen Oak, festooning it in a most charming way. In Sep- tember when in bloom, and later when in feather- ed seed, one can imagine the efl'ect of it. Another, and perhaps the prettiest flower picture I saw here, was the Clematis monta- na running over a roof of one of the out - build- ings, completely smotheretl with its starry white blossoms. From thereof the rope- like branches leapt to a Portu- gal Laurel, which it garlanded in the same beauti- ful way. A hint I got from this sight was that this Clematis likes a north aspect, for on that side the branches lanchiers, Persimmon (Dfospyros), all of' which were thickest and the flowers most protuse, though are represented by old trees. Among foreign the plant was growing in a border on the south side. European trees, none are so conspicuous as the Belore an exotic tree was planted at Coolhurst, Evergreen Oaks, which thrive well in this part and perhaps before a residence existed there, the of Sussex, and help to give the gardens a snug spot must have been remarkable for native trees, winter aspect. The Silver-leaved Lime (Tilia for finer specimens than exist in this place could arnentea), a Caucasian tree, is one that is seldom not be found in Sussex, a county remarkable seen, but at Coolhurst it is a first-rate tree, for fine trees and woodlands. Beeches are the When there, a slight breeze upturned the leaves prevailing trees, and some ponderous specimens and showed their silvery under-surface.s, as it stand out on the lawns, their wide-spreading did also those of the Pyrus vestita, whose leaves limbs overhanging the walks and making charm- are likewise of silvery whiteness beneath. One ing shady glades through which the buUiant of the rarest shrubs here is Stuartia pentagyna, a tints of Rhododendrons and Azaleas m the dis- most beautiful North American plant, that bears tance are intensified. Fine, however, as are the ^ ■. .1 ^1 -i;ii remarkable. one iloes not suspect its existence. The park falls gently to the lake, beyond which is a dense wood, chiefly Oak, and this ever-changing wood as re- gards colour forms a beautiful mid-distance feature. The lake view, too, is charming. Its surface was crowded with Water Lilies, both white and yellow (Nuphar), but, lovely though they are, they are apt to become troublesome weeds wlien they increase so rapidly, as they do here. The most interesting feature belonging to the park is the many fine Hawthorns which it contains, picturesque old treeslong since past their prime, but still capable of adding great beauty to „„.,. „ ^- , - the park in May and again in autumn by means of white flowers as large as those of a Camellia. Beeches, the Oaks are still more their crops of ruddy haws. Most remarkable among them was a tree of the variety named pendula, whose branches droop on all sides, and when in bloom produce a grand effect. The interest of Coolhurst depends much upon This Stuartia must have been planted many years ' especially as regards size. Other native trees a'-'o, as it is now a small tree, perhaps as large as which arrest the attention of the tree-lover are ever it grows. The other Stuartia, S. virginica, the fine groups of Scotch Fir, bonnet-headed m and its near relative, Gordonia pubescens, exist, I many cases ; the old Birches, those by the Uke believe, in the Coolhurst arboretum, but are les 1 being particularly beautiful ; Sycamores, wnicn 22 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 8, 1887. in the park are of great size ; Yews, whicli are invaluable ; the Mountain Ash ; and among rarer kinds the Wikl Service (Crataigu.s torminalis), of which there are forae remarkable examples. These are dotted about and grouped in a variety of way?, some of the groups being most pic- turesque mixtures of deciduous and evergreen trees, each allowed to grow at wUl. The glory of Coolhurst in early summer is most certainly the arboretirm, which is crowded with American shrubs of every kind, and which grow in the greatest luxuriance. From the middle of May till the end of June the place is lit up with brilliant colour such as can only lie obtained in open-air gardens by means of shrubs, such as Rhododendrons and Azaleas. When there in June last the place was aglow with the fiery tints of Azaleas, and the air seemed filled with their spicy fragrance. Instead of the stunted dwarf Azaleas with which one usually meets, you see here bushes 7 feet or S feet in height with wide- spreading branches, the flower-twigs of which are arranged in tabulated tiers, which is the natural growth of these shrubs, as described by those who have seen them in the swamps and shady woods of North America. It is ditlicult to account for the great luxuriance of the Azaleas and Rhodo- dendrons here. It may be the soil, which is loamy, but most probably it is the genial, moist climate experienced in this part of Hampshire which seems so favourable to the growth of exotic trees and shrubs. The whites, yellows, scarlets, and pinljs of these Azaleas, seen in association with greens of different shades, seemed to me to be the most gorgeous floral sight one could imagine or expect to find in an English garden. There is a prevalent idea that hardy Azaleas will not succeed in shade, but a visit to Coolhurst would soon convince one that such is not the case ; indeed, they seem to thiive as well here as in the famous peat gardens of Surrey. The Rhododendrons are quite as remarkable as the Azaleas, but in some way lack the charm which the latter possess. They are grand cer- tainly, but they have not the elegant and pictu- resque growth which belongs to the Azaleas, though when allowed to grow as they like, as here, they become less formal and lumjiy. In some parts of the pleasure grounds and adjoining woods there are long vistas of Rhododen- drons 10 feet or \i feet high, and their efl'ect when in flower may easily be imagined. Besides ordinary hardy Rhododendrons, Mr. Scrase, Dickins has planted out several Himalayan spe- cies supposed to be only half-hardy, but here they appear to be quite acclimatised. For instance, there are great bushes of such kinds as R. campanulatum, R. Thomsoni, R. niveum, and R. arboreum growing as vigorously as the Pontic and Catawba hybiids. The evergreen growth at this place consists mainly of Rhododendrons, but all kinds of so-called American shrubs help to enrich it. During winter, Andromedas, Vacci- niuni.s, Peinettyas, Zenobias, Kalmias, either form little groups by themselves, or are made to intermingle with the Rhododendrons and Azalea'. In Azalea time the Kalmias were only in bud, so that the flowering season of such .shrubs extends to midsummer. Another noteworthy shrub of the Heath family is Gaultheria Shallon, which has become quite naturalised in the woods, and a capital undergrowth it makes ; probably it would make excellent game covert if one could get enough of it. The white Chinese Azalea (A. indica), common enough as a greenhouse plant, has become per- fectly acclimatised here. Some years ago Mr. Scrase-Dickins planted out a few bushes of it by way of experiment ; these have proved to be quite hardy ; they grow most vigorously, and not only grow, but flower profusely. Those who have spare plants of this white Azalea would do well to boldly follow this example, provided, of course, that they are south of London and in a sheltered locality. The little Azalea amosna is also planted out here, but this is generally known to be hardy enough to stand our winters out of doors. In the conservatories and greenhouses one may find many out-of-the-way plants, as in the case of the open-air trees. In the conservatory attached to the house are several rare climljers, most beautiful of all being the old Bignonia Chamberlayni, which also enjoys the more modern name of Amsmopiegma raoemosum. It is extremely handsome in flower. In shape and size the blossoms resemble those of the hardy Bignonia grandiflora, and are borne in clusters of half-a-dozen or so. They are of a soft primrose- yellow, an uncommon colour among greenhouse climbers. It was shown a few weeks ago at South Kensington, where it was recognised only by a few as an old favourite which has dropped out of general cultivation. There is also in this house the graceful and bright- coloured Cantua dependens, another climber once much grown, but now confined to comparatively few gardens. Com- moner climbers, such as Tacsonia Van Volxemi, also festoon the roof, and one may see the choice white variety of Daphne indica growing uncommonly vigorous. It was from this conservatory that the specimens came of this white Daphne, from which the plate for The Garden was prepared some time since. The kitchen garden is one of the old-fashioned kind, substantially walled in with borders of hardy flowers, and containing the usual complement of plant and fruit houses. There is a capital collection of Orchids, among which there are fine specimens of good old kinds, which now-a-days fetch fancy prices. The pre- .sent gardener, Mr. Kemp, who was with the late Mr. Cunningham, of Orchid renown in Scotland, is well known to be one of the best Orchid growers in the country, and, being quite an en- thusiast, takes a pride in the collection, and in pointing out to visitors the choicest specimens. There were many in bloom when I was there, though the full flush of the Orchid flower season was on the wane. In the entrance-hall of the house there was a grand specimen of the rarely seen Cattleya loliata, bearing three spikes, and fourteen flowers altogether. It liad been in the hall six weeks, and Mr. Scrase-Dickins assured me that this protracted stiy in the house in fummer did not materially alfect the health of this or many other Orchids. 1 much admired, too, the handsome vases in the hall and drawing- room, containing untrained specimens of Indian Azalea — great bushy plants, informal in outline, yet not untidy-looking, and smothered with bloom. The prim training which gardeners prac- tise on Indian Azaleas quite spoils their natural growth ; they are not to be compared in beauty to untrained specimens. It is satisfactory to see that a collection of bulbous plants is likely to become one of the specialities of Coolhurst, and it is to be hoped that Mr. Scrase-Dickins will become a second Dean Herbert among bulbs. He seems to be particularly fond of them, and he is continually adding to bis already rich collec- tion. Being secretary to the Daft'udil committee, he has acquired a deep knowledge of Narci-si, and he ought to grow a representative collectinn of them. Another speciality at Coolhurst is single Camellia.=, of which there is undoubtedly the finest collection of seedlings in Europe. A plate of a few of theie appeared in The G.\rden last year, and at the time Mr. Scrase-Dickins told us ail about them. W. Goldking. Cliristmas Roses-— I .itn prrfnundly ignorant of Helle- bores, but find io a note-book the following description of a flower wbich I noticed in No:tli Italy last March. Perhaps Mr. Archer-Hind or someone else will kindly say to which variety it is to be referred. I fear I made no note of stem or leaves, which seem to be necessary criteria of Hellebores. " Metween Men.a^gio .and Porlezza (Como - Lugano) fine, strong-growing Hellebore ; flower large and cupped, pure white, with slight flush of buff-pink. Noticeable for its innk stigmata and tufted yellow anthers." — G. H. Kngle- NEW PLANTS OF 18S0. That the year which has just closed has not been in any way behind its predecessors in the produc- tion of new plants is sufficiently evident bya glance at the long list of flowering and fine foliaged plants that have been certificated by the Royal Horticultural and Botanical Societies. Certain sections, such as Orchids, stove and greenhouse plants, and ornamental foliaged plants have been well maintained, and the production of good Ferns has also been above the average; hardy herbaceous plants have also received some valu- able additions. Among flowering plants adapted for greenhouse culture, Amaryllises occupy a prominent position. Her Majesty is a bright crimson flower of large dimensions and of good substance and shape, veined with a deeper hue; Crown Princess of Ger- many produces large and perfect flowers, the ground colour of which is white, feathered and striped with scarlet; it is very distinct and robust in habit. Duchess of Albany is dark crimson, orna- mented by a pure white band in the middle of each petal; King of Crimsons is a vivid coloured flower of excellent form and substance, and well worth y of a prominent place in every collection, notwith- standing the fact that it is of smaller dimensions than those of most of the others described. All these Amaryllises belong to that class which flowers from March to June. The autumn-flower- ing kind.s, which form a class entirely distinct, comprise such grand varieties as Mrs. Lee, Autumn Beauty, &c. , all offshoots from the old- fashioned A reticulata. Lady Mayoress produces abundantly in November large, perfectly shaped crimson flosvers, ornamented by reticulations of the same colour, each segment being further adorned in the middle by a broad band of pure white. Amongst Begonias, the tuberous section is by far the most popular, but other kinds possess, for the most part, the advantage of flowering during autumn and winter. To the latter class belong B. Imperial, a variety which bears large flowers of great substance and of a lovely shade of crimson ; B. Marchioness of Lome, a pretty ceriae-coloured sort; and Louis d'Or, a beautiful yellow; these are three of the best single-flowered kinds. Among double sorts brought out during last summer may be mentioned B. magnifica alba plena, a grand creamy white; B. Queen of England, a beautiful full flower of a bright salmon tint ; B. Paul de Vicq, a lovely variety of a peculiarly soft, rosy colour ; and B. Mrs. Plunket, a plant of extra good habit, and with remarkably well-formed flowers of a blush and buft' colour. Amongst autumn and winter- blooming sorts B. rosea gigantea is a very good variety. It forms compact speci- mens, which in autumn become completely covered with brightly coloured flowers. By far the best of last year's production is, however, .John Heal, an interesting kind, the result of crossing B. socotrana with a tuberous and summer-flowerirg variety. It partakes of the qualities of both its parents. Like socotrana, John Heal blossoms late in autumn, and the influence of the tuberous parent is manifest in the flowers, which are of a bright rosy colour, and produced in long, slender, and particularly graceful racemes, each beaiing from six to ten blooms. In a cut state these last for a considerable length of time, varying from fifteen to twenty days. Another good addition to the genus is Arthur Mallet, a Begonia of Conti- nental origin, and decidedly an acquisition. It is a hybrid between one of the numerous forms of B. Rex, with chocolate-coloured foliage, and a tuberous or summer-flowering kind. It is bushy in habit, and grows to about 1!S inches in height. Its leaves are elongated and heart-shaped and Jan. 8, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 23 brilliant in colour, and the flowers, which are pro- duced in abundance, are also very attractive. Rhododendrons of the javanicum section may be said to be amongst the best plants grown for the decorationof our glasshouses, and although most of the hybrids from it flower at all times of the year, they are particularly showy at this reason. They can be used to brighten up our conserva- tories and intermediate houses, for they generally produce their best flowers between November and February. They are also equally useful as cut flowers for bouquets, in which, on account of their long, slender tubes, they may be used with ad- vantage. Among single-flowering varieties brought out this season. Queen of Yellows is undoubtedly the most strikin;,'. It has yellow, or rather fawn- c jloured, flowers of good size and of perfect form and substance, borne in large trusses, each con- sisting of nine or ten flowers ; and the habit of the plant is excellent. Rose Perfection, luteo-roseum, and amabile are all improvements on known varie- ties, the plants being good in habit, and the ti jwer-trusses large and pleasing in colour. Rijah, belonging to the bal.-amiflorum group, is, however, the best amongst these Rhododendrons. It is a robust grower, and produces very double flowers of a rich, warm apricot colour, flushed with red, the outside petals being much larger than those inside ; the tube is much shorter than that of other kinds, and the flowers e.xpand widely. In CUoxinias we have this year had some notable improvements. Ivanhoe is a dark purple, edged with white ; Vestal, a good-sized white-ground flower, with a faint rosy bordering. In addition to these there are also three beautiful self-coloured varieties, viz., Irma, brilliant scarlet; The Moor, rich purple ; and Ormonde, velvety crimson. All the kinis here enumerated belong to the erect- flowered type. Other stove and greenhouse plants c insist of Fuchsia triphylla, a species entirely difl'^rent from all other Fuchsias in cultivation. Its name is derived from the arrangement of the leaves, which are in threes on the branches. It forms a dwarf, bushy plant, which is remarkably floriferous, and it? flowers, which are bright scarlet, and which measure about an inch in length, are disposed in loose clusters, which terminate nearly every shoot. Cyrtanthus hybrida rosea is also an acquisition. It flowers in autumn, and is the result of a cross effected at Burford Lodge between the lovely old- fashioned Vallota purpurea and Gastronema san- guineum. The flowers of young plants of it are variable in colour, and also in siza. Clerodendron nutans and Beaumontia grandiflora, though by no means new, are so very seldom met with nowa- days, that when seen in such good condition as they have been this season they well deserve special notice. The Clerodendron is a strong- growing stove shrub, whose shoots are furnished with terminal, pendulous clusters of five-petalled white flowers, with a light brown calyx. Its foliage is also very peculiar, being strap-like, about ."> inches long, by H inches wide. It is a shrub which flowers in summer, and well worthy of special attention. Beaumontia grandiflora was formerly grown in our gardens, wliere its large, trumpet-shaped flowers, resembling those of a Datura, were very ornamental. It is a plant de- serving of much more attention than it receives. To Orchids some valuable additions have been made. Foremost, perhaps, among imported species is the curious and beautiful Cypripedium Sanderianum, which in form and general appear- ance possesses some resemblance to C. Irevigatum and C. Robellini. The flowers are in size about equal to those of C. l.tvigatum ; they have two narrow purplish brown petals prolonged into long tails ; the lip is also long and of an olive-brown colour, with a long compressed stalk, and with the column provided with a very long staminode in form of a spade. A plant of it, which was shown, only bore one flower, but some dried speci- mens show as many as six on one spike. In Ha- benaria militaris we have a wonderfully pretty terrestrial Orchid, surpassing in brightness even the gay Sophronitis grandiflora itself. It is an entirely new species collected in Cochin China by .\I. Ri-gnier, and is a valuable addition to autumn- flowering Orchids. Unfortunately, it isjterrestrial and deciduous, and, therefore, slightly at a dis- count with some who are afraid of not seeing it turn up again after its resting season. In habit it resembles our native kinds, with this difference, however, that its foliage is tinged all over with light greyish purple ; the stems grow to about 15 inches in height, and bear from twenty to thirty flowers, whose shape greatly resembles that of an Impatiens, provided, as they are, with slender green spurs, but their colour is brilliant scarlet. Catasetums are, as a rule, not favourites with Orchid growers ; but in the new C. Bungerothi we have undoubtedly a fine plant worthy of special attention. Its large ivory white flowers, six or eight in a raceme, are of a fleshy character, and curious in shape on account of the lip, which is pure white, being cordate in front, with a round cavity at the base, lined with orange-yellow. When it is stated that the individual flowers measure upwards of 4 inches across, it will be readily understood that this new Catasetum is at once the most interesting and the largest repre- sentative of this singular genus. Dendrobium stratiotes, a new species from North Australia, like the preceding, was discovered by one of Mr. Linden's collectors, who states that it is the most remarkable Orchid which he has found in his travels, and that in its wild state it is so flori- ferous, that on a plant with ten bulbs he has counted as many as '2.3(J flowers all expanded at one time ; frequently, he says, fifty flowers may be found on a single bulb. If equally floriferous under cultivation, this new Dendrobium cannot fail to become a general favourite. Its flowers, which have a white ground colour, have petals and sepals suffused with pale green, and the pure white lip being striped with bright carmine, renders it highly attractive. In Cypripedium callosum we have also a new species brought home from Cochin China by M. Ri'gnier, who found it growing by the side of rivulets with its roots in water. It possesses much of the general appearance of C. Lawrenceanum, a most extraordi- nary thing, seeing that it comes from an entirely new locality. In details, however, it is very different. The dorsal sepal of its large and well developed flower is the most characteristic feature, being marked on a light ground with radiating lines of a deep purple tint, and it is further orna- mented by a pure white margin of about halfan- inch in width. Although not so deeply marked as that of C. Lawrenceanum, its foliage is also very handsome. CyrtopodiumSaintlegerianumisashowy Orchid; its stems, which are cylindrically pressed, are about ."> feet high, and are furnished with leaves plicately veined. Its floner-spikes, which are about 2 feet long, are branched at their upper part, and covered with orange flowers spotted with brown. Among what may be termed acci- dental importations, the most meritorious varieties of already existing good species are, amongst Cattleyas, C. Eldorado virginalis, Triana' Schne- deriana and Russelliana, C. Mossi;t splendissima and Arnoldi, andC. MendeliDukeof Marlborough, whose large and massive flowers have petals about 3 inches broad, delicately tinged with purple. The lip, which is veined in the throat with yellow, and which has its apical portion of a rich crimson tint, which also runs round the margin, measures fully 2^ inches in breadth. Several handsome forms of the beautiful Odontoglossum luteo-pur- pureum have also made their appearance among recent importations. O. vexillarium Sunrise is undoubtedly the most distinct of the several forms of that popular Orchid. It is, in fact, the one which shows, to some extent, a new departure worthy of the name. It is altogether a most beautiful flower, with a deep rose-coloured lip; the petals and sepals are white suffused with rose, and the eye, which, as in the type, is yellow, is surrounded by a ring of white. In Cypripedium Hyeanum we have an admirable form of C. Law- renceanum, and one of the most distinct Lady's Slippers known. This variety is entirely devoid of the purple tinge characteristic of the species. In shape and size, both flower and foliage are very similar to those of the species, but the dorsal sepal is pure white lined with green, and the pouch is also light green. Saccolabium curvi- folium album is a good white form of that lovely species, although its flowers, which are pure white, are rather small. In that deservedly favourite genus Odontoglossum we have some excellent plants to add to the already existing list. 0. Pescatorei\ ervaetianumis one of the most striking forms of that species. Its flowers are prettily spotted, of medium size, and when only partially opened very conspicuous, owing to their bright red colour. Amongst varieties of O. crispum or Alexandra', the one known as Knox's variety occupies the most prominent position. Its petals and sepals, which are particularly broad, although white at the base, are mainly yellow, and orna- mented by a few brown spots which cross them about the middle. Then there are the beautiful forms named O. apiatum, Imperati, Mrs. Dorman, and Hrubyanum, the latter only comparable with such gems as O. Veitchianum and Sanderianum. .\ very curious and equally beautiful plant made its appearance under the name of Dendrobium crassinode Wardianum, supposed to be a natural hybrid of that very popular species. The flower- spike of this plant, which originated amongst an importation of D. Wardianum, was fully 3 feet long, and two-thirds of its length was clothed with flowers, white in parts, with the lip, sepals, and petals tipped with pale rose, the interior of the throat being orange; on the base of the lip are also two crimson spots. These flowers, which are intermediate between those of the supposed parents, are disposed in clusters of three at the nodes, which are as prominent as in D. crassinode. As a natural hybrid, too, La^lia lilacina opens up a wide field for conjecture. It is supposed to be the result of a natural cross between Cattleya crispa and Lalia Perrini. The same cross with Mr. Dominy produced L. Pilcheri. The new comer was found in an importation of L. Perrini in 1883. Its scape is usually twin-flowered; the tube of the flower is white, the interior being marked with purple; the lip is also white, and is adorned in the middle with a purple blotch, while the sepals and petals are pale lilac. The flower- ing time of this singular plant is intermediate between the periods of flowering of the two sup- posed parents. A curiosity which made its ap- pearance on the Continent is named Calanthe Veitchi rosea alba. Its flower-spikes in size and habit resemble those of C. Veitchi, but they are covered with flowers, some of which are rosy pink, others white, and others again partly white and partly pink. This curiosity, it appears, found its way to Europe amongst an importation of Lima- todes rosea. Of home-raised hybrid Orchids, of which the parents are known, two highly interesting subjects have flowered during last season. These are Phahvnopsis intermedia and La;lia Batemaniana. The former is the result of a cross effected by Mr. Seden between P. rosea and P. amabilis, with a view to demonstrate clearly that the plant which formerly was imported under that name owed its origin to these two parents ; and we must say that the result of the artiScial cross leaves no doubt as to the correctness of this supposition, for the flowers of Mr. Seden's plant have all the cha- racteristics of those of P. intermedia ; the petals and sepals are white, the former tinged with crimson at their base ; the central and lateral lobes of the labellum are purplish crimson, ornamented with a few dots and a yellow crest. The flowers of the seedling plant measure about 2 inches in diameter, and the foliage of the young plant is the same as that of a robust P. intermedia. L;elia Batemanniana is the result of a cross al.'o effected by Mr. Seden between Cattleja intei media and the charming dwarf, bright-coloured Sophronitis grandiflora. Its mode of growth is very similar to that of the Sophronitis, but the leaves and bulbs are larger, and the former are produced in pairs. In general aspect the flowers resemble those of the Cattleya parent, and they are nearly of the same dimensions, but there is a great alteration in their 24 THE GARDEN. [.Tan. 8, 18S7. form, and a greater still in their colour ; the petals and sepals pirtake of a tint peculiar to Odontog'ossum roseum or to Mesospinidium vul- canicum. The lip bears a close resemblance to that of the Cattleya parent ; its upper part is white, aad the anterior lobe of a beautiful violet-crim- son. The whole plant when in flower only mea- sured 4 inches in height, but the bulbs as they are produced in succession appear to gradually gain in strength. Several other home-raised seedlings have also shown themselves during last season, conspicuous among them being the charming Cy- pripedium Tautzianum, a very pretty hybrid,- raised between C. niveum and G. barbatum ; also, Zygopetalum leopardinum, Calanthe hybrida, a strong grower with white flowers ; Masdevallia glaphyrantha, with small flowers of a dull, purplish crimson colour, and furnished with tails about 2 inches long, and tipped with yellow ; Bendro- bium micans is a lovely hybrid, raised between D. Wardianum and D. lituiflorum. Its flowers, which are of a waxy texture, like those of 1>. Wardianum, measure over M inches across. The sepals and petals are mauve-purple, becoming paler towards the base. The lip is nearly similar to that of D. lituiflorum. It is white, witli a large maroon-purple disc, and a rose-purple blotch at the apex. Ferns new this season possess some good qua- lities. The most prominent among them is undoubtedly Nephrolepis rufescens tripinnatifida. a beautiful plumose form, whose fronds, which frequently attain from .SO inches to .31! inches in length and 4 inches in breadth, have the appear- ance of ostrich feathers, owing to their massive character and their sides being beautifully curled. There have lately been many forms of Nephro- lepis, some depauperated like N. Dufln, some regularly crested, like N. davallioides furcans, but none in any way comparable with this new comer. Its fronds, which are produced abundantly, are of a lovely pale green, and sufficiently strong to hold themselves up without any support, notwithstand- ing their great weight. Like all other kinds of Nephrolepis, it grows freely, but requires stove temperature. In Davallia retusa we have an ele- gant stove Fern, a native of Sumitra. It is pendulous in habit and free in growth, and there- fore well adapted for growing in hanging baskets. The fronds, when fully developed, measure from 30 inches to 36 inches in length. The pinnules are of peculiar form, though some of them, espe- cially those towards the extremities of the pinn;v, are triangular ; they are light green, and contrast prettily with the pale crimson tint of the stipes and rachides. Davallia solida major is a Fern with bold deltoid fronds, tripinnate, leathery in texture and massive in appearance. Gymno- gramma gloriosa is a wonderful improvement on G. schizophylla, which it is destined to supersede, being of much freer growth, and producing fronds not only of much greater dimensions, but in such large quantities as to make it hard to believe that it is merely a variety of that miffy-growing species. To the genus Adiantum several good additions have been made. A. Birkenheadi, for instance, is totally distinct in aspect from that of any other Adiantum known. It is compact in habit, not- withstanding the long and slender character of the stipes, the whole frond measuring about 'Ih feet long ; its open ramification gives it a hand- some appearance, and its bright deep green colour greatly enhances its beauty. A. fragrantissimum is also a very good plant, and among the several varieties of A. Capillus-veneris, the form called imbricatum is, without doubt, the most striking. It is somewhat related to the Cornish variety, called cornubiense, but the pinna' are much larger and deeply divided, or markedly fringed on the margins ; the fronds, being, moreover, broad and dwarf, impart a particular massiveness to the plant. In the genus I'teris are also produced some good novelties. P. tremula foliosa is a grand Improvement on the already popular Australian species ; it is a stately Fern, which att.»ins in a short time twice the size of the type ; its fronds, which are of a delicate pale green, are elegantly and eft'ictively crimpled, and have thus a very plumose and massive look. We have in Naylor's crested variety of P. serrulata a densely bushy plant, which, in fact, has all the appearance of a very finely-cut tuft of sea- weed ; it differs essenti- ally from anything known, as the fronds are up- right, stiff, and measure about 7 inches in height. By far the best, however, of all the variations which have taken place in the genus of late is Pteris Mayi, which may be summed up as being a very good crested form of P. cretica albo-lineata, the lovely variegation of which it has retained : but it is of a greatly improved habit, as barren and fertile fronds are all of the same siza. It will certainly prove to be an excellent plant in every way, being a free grower and comparatively hardy. It is not often that we have to note novelties among Filmy Ferns likely to become popular, but we have this season in Todea grandipinnula a handsome Fern of remarkably free growth, and which can successfully compete with such favour- ites as T. superba and T. hymenophylloides or pellucida. The fronds of this variety are very massive in appearance, and this singular leafy development gives the plant an aspect totally different from that of any other known species or variety of Todea. It is a plant which fully de- serves good cultural care. There are also a couple of new Selaginellas well worthy of a place in all collections ; one is L. tessellata, a handsome species with ei-ect quadrangular branches and flat deltoid fronds. The most distinct, however, is S. gracilis, a species from the South Sea Islands, belonging to the same section as S. Wallichi, Victorite, and Lobbi, from which it is, however, entirely distinct. Like these, it has sub-erect stems, which are slender, cylindrical, and fur- nished with dark green cuspidate pinnules that become gradually shorter as they approach the ap3x of the pinnte. In habit it is umbrageous anl particularly dense, seldom attaining more than l.j inches in height. Amongst fine foliaged plants the most striking are the following, viz , Phrynium jucundum, a Maranta-like plant from Java, with long-stalked leaves lanceolate in form, and produced abun- dantly from underground rhizomes, forming quite tufted masses of foliage of a bright green colour variously marked with white stripes of different widths running longitudinally. Maranta eminens is another excellent addition to this lovely genu.". This new species has stalked, oblong leaves having a greenish cream-coloured ground, on which are scattered some transverse, oblong blotches of deep green of different sizes, and sometimes connected with the midrib. In Pali- courea jugosa we have a stove shrub with hand- some foliage of a deep velvety green colour, ornamented by a lilac midrib. Aphelandra chrysops is a valuable acquisition. Like most of the species with which we are acquainted, it may be grown for its flowers and bracts, which are of a beautiful yellow, as well as for its foliage, which is marked on the lines of the main ribs with creamy white. We have in Trevisia palmata a distinct and very ornamental Araliad, wilh spiny stem and deeply palmated .seven-lobed leaves of great substance and of a cheerful green colour. All the foregoing require stove temperature. _ In the greenhouse section we have the charming little Oplismenus albidus, a dwarf variegated (irass like a Panicum, with foliage U inches long and acutely pointed. The ground colour is white, with a green band running longitudinally through the middle of the leaf. It is a little p'ant which will be sure to be appreciated by everybody, as its usefulness becomes more apparent every day. The only new Palm which i^ likely to prove really useful is Pho-nix hybiida, a kind which shows, in quite a young state, its characteristic slender recurving leaves with long, narrow pinn:e. It is very graceful, though compact in habit. Two hardy plants with pretty foliage have made their appearance this season. One is afine showy border plant, with white banded foliage and good habit. It is called Hemerocallis Kwansoi foliis°albo-variegatis. The other is Ulmus Peteursi pendula, a distinct-looking Weeping Elm with long, slender, pendent branches, clothed with alternate rough leaves, peculiarly crumpled, and with coarsely toothed margins. Amongst Chrysanthemums, the Japanese section still commands the greatest attention. Foremost among them is White Ceres, so named on account of its being a sport from a plant under that name, yet the flower of this new form, which is of a delicate blush tint, is so different in build from that of the type, that it appears hardly possible it should be a sport from it. Coquette de Castillo is large and full flowered and of a soft rose colour ; the florets are tubular, narrow, and slightly re- flexed. Phtebus has bright yellow flowers, of medium sizs, and very double — a dense mass, in fact, of long, narrow florets. Buttercup is a beautiful full, reflexed flower, and the brightest yellow yet raised ; it is finely formed, and par- ticularly rich in colour. La France is wonder- fully rich in colour, a sort of crimson -purple, quite uncommon ; the flowers are of medium size, dense, and of good form. The Pompon class, which con- tains some remarkably pretty flowers useful for bouquet-making, is represented amongst novelties by a couple of very good things, such as Flambeau Toulousain and Mdlle. Elise Durdan. The former produces in abundance small, compact, globular flowers with quilled petals, of a deep rose, edged with white. Mdlle. Elise Durdan is a pretty quilled, deep lilac, perfectly globular, and very regular in form. It is altogether one of the most pleasing of Pompons. Dahlias of all sections have received additions. Single forms are well represented by Mr. Rose, a white ground flower profusely striped with lake. Zephyr is quite distinct and novel, medium in size, and of a lovely orange-crim--on, distinctly margined with yellowish buff. Miss Limaker is a rosy crimson flower, with the exception of a golden yellow ring which surrounds, the disc. To the Cactus section has been added Yellow Con- stance, a kind which produces bright yellow flowers with straight and fluted petals; but the best variety in this section is undoubtedly Empress of India, whose double flowers resemble those of a form of Paragon. It i^ one of the most beautiful and distinct varieties yet produced. Its colour is rich claret purple, streaked with red. Among new decorative kinds Annie Harvey stands in the foremost rank on account of its colour, which is blackish crimson, flushed with scarlet; the flowers are medium-siz;d, double, and very handsome. Amongst Pompon and fancy varieties. Eccentric and Valentine Humphries are the most remark- able. The flowers of the former are peculiarly marked with orange and crim-on, colours which vary in each flower. Those of the latter variety are ratlier large and perfectly shaped. They have a salmon-pink ground colour, copiously striped with bright crimson. Amongst other subjects, new Gladioli have been plentiful this season. The most striking are Lord Salisbury, a kind with deep crimson purp'i-h throat, and segments flamed with dark crim- son; Empress of India, a lovely white ground flower, profusely feathered and a'so suffused wiih mauve. This variety produces veiy large spikes furnished with flowers of unusual tize and sub- stance. Clarence has flowers striped with ma- roon on a ciimson ground colour, and particularly velvety in texture and Large in size. Among varieties obtained by AL Lemoine may be men- tioned Voltaire, a deep cerise with spottings of yellow on the tliree lo^^-er segments; La France, light rose and dark crimson ; Sceptre d'Or, prim- rose with brown-crimson spots in the throat; and the curious Sinderi, bright scarlet, spotted like a Tydea. Among arborescent P;eonies, Purity, a variety with single pure white flowers, is a very effective plant, as is al.v closely upon drain- pemstent insects met with in Apple orchards, yellow, well-built flower, and Shirley Hibberd, a ]^S' but an eye should always be kept on every The garden ORcnARD.— From the farm to Ihe crimson variety, large and full, with guard petals ' ^"*'' °' . '''^'^" material that will swell the store garden orchard is but a step, yet the two modes distinct and prominent. In Crataegus tatarica li»^'ip. ^'ithout which points gained cannot be of management are quite distinct, and for this we have a most valuable addition to our Thorns, retained. Meantime the weather continuing un- reason a few words here may not be out of place, as its foliage is large and robust, and its bright favonrable for other work, pruning and cleanfing The garden orchard is generally managed by a crimson haws, as large as Black Heart Cherries, should be pushed on with vigour. The best man who is well up in the art of root-prunin", pruners do not open the heads of neglected trees ' and his trce=, after the -Tuly pinching or winter suddenly or check the roots by the removal of ; pruning, are models of form and neatness. But large limbs the first season, but open out the | the question arises, Is this close pruning an ad- centres to let in light and air, and allow the com- vantage, or otherwise '. I maintain that it is a pletion of the work to extend over two or three ' disadvantage, as many strong-growing varieties years. Many people scrape the stems and positively refuse a return that will pay for the The weather at the present time is wintry in strongest branches before they apply lime and labour ; whilst all, be they strong or weak, be- the extreme, the heavy fall of snow, resembling other washes, and where the time can be spared come worn out by the time an extension-trained half-melted ice, having weighed down the trees, this is a short cut to the attainment of the object tree arrives at its best. One of the best planted and put an end to all bush-pruning, at least for held in view. But scraping the stems of a num- garden orchards with which I am acquainted was the present. Weather like this, although season- ber of large trees is a heavy item, and I have established in an adjoining county about live and able, is by no means agreeable, especially to found that syringing with soapsud.s, lime water, thirty years ago, and the trees were about twelve are produced in great abundance. Fruit Garden. THE ORCHARD. S. those who, through force of circumstances, have been unable to push on with their pruning and training when mild days lent their aid to progress. Knowing the advantage of taking time by the forelock, many fruit growers will have broken the heart of this chilling work, at least as far as it is prudent to go with wall and garden trees generally, and will now be able to turn their at entiou to standard orchard trees, for which I have so often pleaded, and, judging from signs of progres.=, I believe not in vain. Still, there is plenty of work crying for hands as loudly as inter- laced branches can speak, and this is just the time for giving relief. Plant- ing, as a matter of course, is laid aside for the next six weeks, if not for the season, as n<> one who un- derstands his business cares to remove trees in mid- winter, be the weather ever so favourable ; but the roots of old fritnds CouUiurst. Engraved fiir TiiE Garden from a i>hotogrui>li. (t?ee p. •21.) years old when I first saw them. Each tree — a dwarf — had been carefully trained to ten or twelve shoots, starting from near the ground. By means of stakes and ties the exter- nal branches took a hori- zontal direction, and then grew upright, or neaily so, to the height of 10 feet or 12 feet, and were kept closely pruned to two eyes like so many cordons. The fruit, so long as the trees were extending, was excel- lent, and carried first prizes wherever shown, but, hav- ing filled their allotted space, restriction was the course decided upon, and from that day to this the trees and fruit have been going rapidly down the hilL Had every alternate tree been grubbed up to make room for its neigh- bour, the result might have been ditt'erent; but annual or biennial root -pruning — no trilling business — fell into arrear ; the balance was lost, and canker followed. Having myself a row of hand- may be looked to in more ways than one. First of all, heavy land should or weak brine answers equally well ; or, lacking some pyramids ot Cox's Orange Pippin, from be well drained, otherwise the application of ] the convenience, newly-slaked lime cast into the which my pruner made the small timber fly manure and top-dressing will fall useless, if not trees when the branches are damp soon destroys every winter, much against his will I decided injurious as the roots resting or rotting in cold, every vestige of Moss and Lichen which it upon extension training, as the fruit did not stagnant water cannot assimilate the food given touches. With these parasites the larvie of ]iay. The trees, well washed each winter with to them. This, then, is the foundation on which ordinary insects disappear also; but the greatest soapsuds, are bright and clean, and now bear good the superstructure of successful culture must pest we have to contend with is American blight crops of fruit. If practical lessons are worth rest, and the sooner it is carried out the better, or woolly aphis, not that it is difficult to kill, as anything, I would advise owners of hard pruned for we may as well hiok for Figs from Thorns, oils or spirits melt it in a moment ; but when pyramids and bushes to give them mpre as bright handsome Apples from waterlogged thoroughly established under the rough bark of room, either hy transplanting or cutting "I old trees, the problem arises, how are we to get down every alternate tree, and to allow^ the at it ? Mr. Bunyard, a great authority, says the branches of those left to extend. Straight- best remedy is Gishurst compound or soft soap, stemmed pyramids, it is true, are diflicult sub- well rubbed in with an old brush. These I have jects to commence with, but once the centres are used, also paraftin, which is more penetrating, but taken out and the lateral branches are well tions that they need not fill in the drains as soon one dressing with either will not produce a clean thinned and allowed to extend, the change which as they are opened, as exposure facilitates the sweep ; therefore, the only course is patience and takes place in the course of two or three years is escape of water from the land and pulverises perseverance with an insecticide that will kill, agreeably surprising. Such trees, it is hardly crude soil if left lying on the surface untU and a determination to keep on as long as an necessary to say, must not be allowed to grow dry weather sets in in March. Meantime, stones, insect appears on the surface. Few old orchards wild, but root-pruning, once the roots aie lilted rubble, anything that is open and porous, are free from American blight, but growers who , and re-laid in a horizontal position, will not give may be collected and shot in over the pipes with are thus fortunate should be very careful how they ' much trouble, and heavy winter pruning will be . orchards. I have often pointed out how the clay or marl from the bottoms of the drains may be turned to profitable account by burning with the old stems and branches of the trees, and I would remind the superintendents of old planta- 26 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 8, 1887. come au operation of the past, as the sap will be forced into the spurs by means of summer pinch- ing. These remarks, as a matter of course, apply to trees on free stocks and not to cordons or small bushes on the Paradise, which can be kept within bounds for a number of years. But here even 1 question if longer life and heavier crops would not be secured by giving the trees more room and allowing them to extend laterally in every direction. Maiden trees on the English Paradise stock are cheap, but cheap as they are the cost of trees for an acre is a heavy item, and profit now being the order of the day, the plan I have previously recommended may advantage- ously be ad.jiited. It is this : having prepared and planted, at the usual distance apart, the first acre, set about the trenching and preparation of the second. When in suitable condition, lift and transfer every alternate tree to its new and per- manent quarters, allowing double the distance originally occupied. Pinch gross shoots to keep the trees properly balanced, and allow them to extend. All fruit trees should be lifted and re- planted at the end of the second year, not per- haps to produce fertility, but to sever descending roots and train them in a horizontal position near the surface of the soil. The ground being ready, supernumeraries may, of course, be lifted at the end of the first year, but those left behind should stand two, or perhaps three, years before they are disturbed. The relaying of the roots at that age will set them in a course they will not depart from, and good annnal mulchins will draw the fibres to the surface. W. Coleman. Eiiatnor CaHle, Ledbury. Forking amongst bush fruits. — " Cam- brian" can hardly be aware of the fact that throughout the London market gardens forking; is done liberally between and about bush fruits ; even in some cases the spade is used, but only in a shallow way, as the men receive a moderate sum, perhaps 4d. per rod, for "turning in," and naturally it is not done deeply. I could show anyone now ong of the finest plantations of Gooseberry and Cur- rant trees in Middlesex several acres in extent which is forked over every winter after pruning is completed, and finer bushes than these or heavier crops are not obtained in any private garden in the kingdom. Manure is wheeled in during hard weather, spread about, under, and around the bushes, and then turned in somewhat roughly perhaps, but when a flat hoeing is given in the eirly summer the soil is fairly levelled. It must be remembered, too, that the soil about and be- neath bush fruits, especially when grown under standard trees, as in the case just mentioned, gets hard trodden — very much moi'e so, indeed, than is the case in private gardens. It does not follow that because one gardener adopts a certain rule in cultivation and finds it successful, that another rule may not be equally successful elsewhere. Certainly it is a fact here in Middlesex that fork- ing or turning in amongst fruit bushes is the rule, and that it is a very satisfactory rule too. The bushes to which I have referred are some fifteen or sixteen years planted ; they are very large, in robust health, and crop abundantly. No other method of culture could secure better results. — A. D. Blenheim Orange Apple. — I was glad to see Mr. Coleman's remarks (p. o.'JS) on this fine Apple: it is an old favourite of mine, and undoubtedly one of the most valuable varieties which we possess. A grand specimen of this Apple in our old Worcestershire garden excited my admiration more than twenty years ago, and I have ever since recommended it wherever I could. Had I to plant an orchard or fruit garden, I should use more trees of the Blenheim Orange than of all other kinds put together. The fruit, which is large and handsome, also keeps remarkably well, and is equally valuable for dessert and culinary purposes. The growth of the tree is robust, the habit good. and it is a remarkably fine cropper, the tree re- ferred to often producing as much as twelve " pots " (a deep oblong basket, constituting a standard measure in \\'orcestershire) annually. When we came to London, we inquired for years in vain for Blenheim Oranges, and it is only dur- ing the last two or three years that we have been able to obtain them. Market and other large growers are, however, at last beginning to recog- nise the value of this grand variety. It speaks, I think, very ill indeed for the sagacity or intelli- gent enterprise of horticulturists that it has taken them, to my knowledge, about five-and-twenty years to recognise the value of such a treasure as the Blenheim Orange ; though how long it is since this Apple was first sent out I do not know. — B. C. R. VINES ON FLUED WALLS. Over twenty years ago I made the gardens at Clift'e Hall, on the banks of the Tees. We built all the garden walls hollow, and the south aspect wall was flued for Peaches, Apricots, kc. We planted three Black Hamburgh Vines to occupy 10 yards of this wall, and had a border prepared for them, as for the other trees, viz., 3 feet deep and IS feet or 20 feet wide. The border consisted for the most part of fresh turf. The garden was formed in the north-west corner of the park, and in making a cart road behind it we had to straighten a wood which here formed the boundary of the park. After cutting down the best of the timber we charred all the roots and branches, and as soon as the foundation of the wall was in we took a spade deep from the surface of the road and wheeled to the south side of the wall, covering with it a space of 40 feet, and mixing all with the charred mass, which amounted to several cart- loads. Previous to making the garden we drained it 4 feet deep. At a depth of 0 inches the soil was a strong holding loam. For many years we were able to hold our own with fruits against all comers, both in the collections and single dishes at exhibitions wherever we went. But to return to the Vines ; we trained them horizontally the first year ; then we led branches up the wall 3 feet apart, and spurred the upright stems LS inches apart, no spur being opposite its neighbour. The third year we took fourteen or fifteen bunches from them, but afterwards we had from 100 to 120 bunches each year, each bunch weighing from S ozs. to 3 lbs. They were stopped as usual, leaving one or two leaves above the fruit the same as the Vines under glass ; thinning the berries was also attended to with equal care, and when the Vines were fully established I cut olf from 11)0 to 130 bunches before they bloomed, or just when coming into bloom, leaving a bunch to each spur. Thus treated, the fruit was equal to any we had in the vineries, both as to colour and flavour. It was often placed on the dinner table along with fruit from under glass, and visitors were asked to say which was hothouse grown and which not. It was thought to be impossible to grow such good Grapes outside so far north. I exhibited them at Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Middles- borough, and other places, and growers held up their hands and said they wei'e never grown out- side; but as that fact had been disputed before, I invited the secretary of the Darlington Horti- cultural Society to come to Cliffe Hall the day before the show and see them cut. He then took them to Darlington, placed them on the table for me, and assured those who doubted that they were from outdoors that he had seen them cut and brought them to the show himself. In order to give some idea of the value of such fruit, I may state that I sold the Grapes as they hung on the wall to Mr. Pope, of Darlington, who gave me fl per yard of wall for them, being £10 for the lot. At Sellarby Park, in Durham, close to Raby Castle, a vinery in the garden fell from old age. Vines were left on the back wall, whicli was flued, and they continued to yield good crops for many years after the vinery was down. The following is a short outline of the treatment to which the Vines at Clitfe Hall were subjected ; In spring, about the latter part of April when they began to bud and grow, I had the wall-fire lit, and kept it going steadily all through the month of May ; after that they had only sun-heat until the middle of August or 1st of September, when fire-heat was again employed and kept steadily on until the fruit was all cut, and sometimes longer if the wood was not ripe. The wall was 12 feet or 14 feet high, and had three tiers of flues. When the fruit began to colour, a 14-inch board was put under the coping, and the Vines were covered with fine Nottingham netting to keep off birds and wasps. The covering was ringed at one end, so that we could unhook it to cut the fruit. The net was so fine that we could sea the fruit hanging on the wall from the walk outside a 2U-feet wide border. It used often to hang .several weeks after it was ripe ; on the dry, warm wall it kept better than in vineries. Abundance of air passed through the net, and the leaves, when the wood was ripe, turned yellow and dropped down quite in a natural way. I omitted to mention that in spring when the Vines began to grow, especially when the fire was lit, we poured two or three cans of water at the foot of the wall every day, so as to cause vapour to rise and thus prevent mildew. My neighbour's Vines at Sellarby used to suffer some seasons from mildew, which, I thought, arose from their being kept too dry. John Grice. MooiianiU, Siindtrland, The Prune Damson.— May I say a few words in favour of this old Worcestershire favourite '? Not one Londoner in a hundred knows what it is. The only way we can obtain it is by getting it direct from Worcester or Pershore. The difference between this sweet and luscious fruit and the hard, sour material that passes for Damsons in London is almost incredible. I have heard it said that the Prune Damson does not bear so freely as could be wished, but I do not see how that can be the case, as I know that we used to have to prop up the branches of our "Prune" trees to enable them to support their weight of fruit. — B. C. R. Pears— BeurreDiel. —"APear Grower" (p. 3) says : " Beurre Diel is not even a second-class Pear." "A Pear Grower" must either be very deficient in the sense of taste, or else he has never had a fair example of Beurre Diel set before him. I either grow, or have grown, all the twenty or thirty leading sorts of Pears, and, taking them all round — I mean not deciding by any one one point alone, but weighing all points, growth, fertility, flavour, size, ea=e of ripening, appearance, &c. — I find Beurre Diel well to the front of them all. Cornice I fancy as facik prlncepx, afterwards Bon C-hrrtien, Pitmaston Duchess, Winter Nelis, and Hardy, and then I should put Beurre Diel. Easter Beurre, Chaumontel, and Glou Morceau are grand when they properly ripen. Knight's and Gansel's are glorious when they bear. Many others are superb when they come big enough to be of real use. I am, however, far from despising small things in flowers, fruits, or vegetables ; indeed, I think a great deal too much is thought now-a- days of mere size, but still it is undesirable that so many exquisitely flavoured Pears should come, as a rule, too small for the dinner table. Josephine de Malines I am at present greatly disappointed with. I have never yet grown it worth eating for flavour, and Superfin has at present baffled my eftbrts, but I hope to succeed with both before long. Marie Benoistbids fair to be excellent if it gains fertility with age. But my dear old friend Beurre Diel every year gives me a crop on a half-standard. The fruits are always of good size, always excel- lent in flavour, and the only possible fault to be found is that in some seasons some of them are just a little bit granular. The mass of the flesh is, however, so soft and melting and so superbly scented, that the grains pass unnoticed, or at least are freely forgiven for the rest's salce. The old Louise Bonne is with me a great favourite. I can quite understand, however, that many would dislike its very peculiar flavour, but everyone must like a good i3surri' Diel. The reason "A Pear Jav. 8, 1887.] THE GARDEN. •27 to lose in attractiveness by the substimtiuu for its own of any other name. New Tea Roses.— I am glad to have the good impression made by my few plants of some of the Tea-scented varieties of the year confirmed by the record of their trial on the larger scale described by Mr. E. G. Hill. Judging from the plants 1 have as yet flowered, I should quite con- cur in placing Oomtesse de Frigneuse (Guillot) at the head of the list of the French novelties, and the attractive clear yellow colour of its deep- EvERLASTlxG EoSES.— On p. 583 " T. S." refers pointed flowers is certain to make it popular. My only doubt about it is whether it is quite full enough ; but it is said to be so, and it comes from a raiser who has sent us some of our best Teas. Claudius Levet (C. Level) is a promisin (i rower" never gets it good is, I fancy, either his soil or his stock ; mine is on the Pear stock and in very light sand. I think anyone writing on Pears should be very careful to state what soil and what stock they are on, and also if on a wall what aspect.— W. WiLKS, Shirhy Virarai/e, Croydon. Rose Garden. NOTES ON RCSES. to twentj-six kinds of China Roses, and says, "are there not many more varieties than ordinary folk dream of f " There certainly liave been, even if they no longer exist, or linger only in old-fashioned gardens, nameless and forgotten. A little time ago it occurred to me to try and gather together a complete collection of these charming, ever-blooming Roses, and 1 began to look up their names and local habitations. In the course of an afternoon I had compiled from modern catalogues and books in my possession a list of no fewer than 370 names of varieties of the China Rose, all fully described, and many with the raiser's name and some with the date nt their introduction. This list excluded all hybrids (i-uch as the so-called hybrid Chinas) and all varieties which appeared to approach the accepted character of the Tea- scented and Noisette classes. These China Rose--, according to their descrip- tions, included almost every shade of colour from white to black, fur there was the Black Bengal Rose described as dark crimson, shaded with purple and black ; while the terms blush, lilac, rose, pink, red, crimson, purple, striped, mottled, carmine, and dark velvety frequerrtly occurred. It is not much wonder, therefore, that in old gardens where things have escaped the destruc- tion decreed by the vagaries of fashion that many varieties distinct from the typical China Rose should be discoverable, although their names and history be lost or forgotten ; for in all probability the .370 names above referred to do not represent nearly all the varieties that have been raised and distributed. The earliest dates of distribution that I have noticed are those of some of M. Joly's seedlings in 1835 and 1836. Now the China Rose was known in Europe in 1789, and there was plenty of time in the inter- vening forty-five years for the raising and dis- tribution of any nuiirber of seedlings whose names and origin nray have been outlived in some old-world garden in France or Great Britain by the plants themselves. The raiser, whose name occurs most frequently in connec- tion with these Roses, was M. Laffay, dis- tinguished as the raiser of the once celebrated La Reine, and who distrilnrted seedlings, at any rate, fronr 1839 to 18G3 (probably for a longer period), and next coiues M. Vibert, whose dates range from 1828 to 1852 at least. We may therefore fairly conclude that nurirerous varieties raised and distributed at the beginning of the century, although their rrames and descriptions be not recorded, nray yet themselves have sur- vived to render even more impossible the well- nigh hopeless task of identifying growiirg plants by means of existing descriptions. Perhaps the best chance of finding out about these Roses would be in some of the older nurseries in France, where the names nray possibly still linger round soiire veteran plants, which in that case would afford some basis of comparison. But, at any rate, it worrld be highly interesting to compare and learn as far as possible about e.xist- ing varieties that have proved, by their survival, their hardiness and value as permanent garden plants, whether their original names can be fitted to them or not, for, after all, lire plant's the thing, and even a China Rose will not be likely variety with large, full flowers, too substantial for use in the bud state for bouquet work, but likely to be an addition to the list of exhibition Teas. Marquise de Vivens (Drrbreuil) has been very highly spoken of in France, where two medals have b.en awarded it as a good novelty, but my flowers struck me as more in the way of .Madame de Watteville than of Madame Cusin, the petals shading fronr a yellowish white base to a rosy margin. These shaded Teas, however, vary so "much in tint even on the fame plant, that it is very difficult to speak with certainty of their prevailing colour until after several seasons' experience of any given variety. Take, for in- stance, Madame Lambard (of which Souvenir de Victor Hugo (Bonnaire) put me somewhat in mind both in its varying shades and in its freedom of flowering), a variety from a few plants of which one may often gather half-a-dozen blooms so different in colour that to desci'ibe each at all exactly wordd involve half-a-dozen separate de- scriptions. Two other French varieties, which Mr. Hill does not mention, struck me as likely to be desirable, namely, Oomtesse Horace de Choiseul (Liiveque), a rose-coloured Tea of great substance with a pointed centre, the flowers being produced on stitt', erect stems, and therefore showing themselves to advantage on the plant ; and Marguerite Ramet (C. Levet), a pretty light Tea with rosv margin and a .similar upright, and therefore "decorative habit of growth. I was surprised that in a selection of the new Teas ol 1886, The Bride (May) was not included, but, perhaps, as it originated in America, it is reckoned in that country as an 1885 Rose. It reached us, however, at the same time as the above mentioned French novelties, and bids fair, in colloquial phrase, to take the cake. It origr- nated in the garden of Mr. J. :May, of Summit, New Jersey, as a sport from Catheiine Mernret, aird, unlike most Rose sports, it appears to pro- duce flowers as fine in form and substance as its parent. The only ditl'erence so far discernilile between plants of the two varieties lies in the colour of the flowers, which, in the case ot The Bride, instead ot being flesh-pink, like the type, are white with just a tint of lemon colour at the base of the petals. Assuming that there will lie some Roses left after the Arctic winter that we are now experiencing (25° of frost 4 feet from the ground, Jan. 1 arid 2), The Bride may confi- dently be expected to make a good appearance at some of the Rose shows of 1887. New Rose Comte de Pari.?.— It is a pity that Rose raisers cannot come to some rrniform arrangement by which the inconvenience arising from the giving of the same name to ditt'erent varieties might be avoided. The seedling now being distributed by Lcveque under the above name is the fifth Comte de Paris that has been sent out, two Hybrid Perpetuals having been put into commerce respectively by Latfay and E. Ver- dier,and two Teas by Hardy an.l Madame Pean while ' ' " " lessened by the existence also of two Hybrid Perpetuals umler the name of Comtesse de Paris (E. Verdier, 1864, and Leveque, 1883). In the same way there are already three varietres in- volving the name of Victor Hugo, and the Roth- schild Roses have lately been increased to five in number (all Hybrid Perpetuals) Ijy the addition of two varieties with the barely distingurshable appellations of Baron and Baronne Nathanrel de Rothschild. This Conrte de Paris V., so eulo- gised in the Tuscany IlorticuUrrral Society s Journal, is rather more moderately referred to rn the general list of Continental novelties as follows : Flowers red, shaded crimson-purple ; of good size and form ; nibust only. Roses for a small garden.— In his selection under this heading, would not "J. K." consent to the substitution of Reine Marie Henrrette for Cheshunt Hybrid, of William Allen Rrchardson for Belle Lyonnaise, and of IMarie Van Houtte for Devoniensis .' I have found Reine IMarre Henriette quite as vigorous and free-flowering, and not so liable to mildew, as Cheshunt Hybrid ; while the flowers of the former are really pure in colour. I may be thought fas- tidious in the matter of dingy colour in flowers, but I believe quiet, soft colours nray be obtarned without nruddy tints, and 1 should as soon tbrnk of trying to cheer up a sick schoolboy wrth ex- tracts from a Latin grammar as of recommendrng anyone who had only space for a dozen Rose trees to include Cheshunt Hybrid in the number. Belle Lyonnaise, again, is woefully tender, and, with identical protection, was last winter more injured than almost any other Tea, consequently not flowering until September; whereas Willram Allen Richardson is essentially a Rose to run to (which is what is warrted in a small garden), having the good qualities of colour', abundance, vigour, hardiness, foliage almost evergreen, and flowering early and late. Devoniensis, as '-J. Iv. says is not very free, but this objection cannot be urged against Marie Van Houtte, which rs as free and (may it be said 0 more beautrful than old Gloire itself. Perhaps " J. K." writes frorri a happy land where Cheshunt Hybrid has no rlac ■shade where no frosts interfere wrth the long growths of Belle Lyonnaise, and where Devo- niensis is not shy ; but in a climate so conducive to luxuriant growth it might be desirable to "row Jules Margottin as a dwarf plant, and con- si"n ( 'heshuut Hybrid (or its substitute) to the wSus, lest in a bed with three Gloire de Dijons such 'moderate growers as Captain Christy and Victor VerJier should be altogether over- whelmed. T. W. G. THE GREAT SNOWSTORM. The snowstorm of the 26th played sad havoc in our pleasure-grounds ; in fact, so far as orna- mental treesareconcerned, I think the consequences are even more disastrous than those that followed the memorable snowstorm of January 18, 1881, or the great gale of October, ISSO. Amongst evergreen trees the Cedar of Lebanon has, as usual, sufiered most, and the fact should always be borne in mind when it is about to be selected for plant- ino- that its value as an ornamental tree is con- siderably lessened by its extreme susceptibiUty to ioiuries of this kind : indeed, in many cases it hardly attains its full beauty before heavy storms tear away its branches and cause unsightly gaps. The Deodar and Atlantic Cedars are comparatively uninjured. Many of the different varieties ot Cypress and .Juniper have suffered severely, and so also have the heavy Pines, such as Cembra, Strobus and Lambertiana. Cembra especially seems almost as susceptible to injury from storms as the Lebanon Cedar. I am glad to say t hat very few cf the Abies have suffered; stitf foliaged varieties, such as cephalonica and bracbyphy Ua, and id two Teas hv tlarc v ami luauame i utiu , varieues,»ucii cioi-oj7i.a,w...w»-.— -- — ^ •".■,,„,;• ,i„ the chaiKcVof confusion are in no way | featherydeavedkinds,suehasMenziesrand Jlonnda, 28 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 8, 1887. have all escaped. Evergreen Oaks and Hollies are badly broken and in many cases perfect wrecks. Amoncrsb deciduous trees, Beeches have been most severely injured, and after them Oaks with hori- zontal growths. I attribute the slaughter amongst the Beeches to the fact that with us they are short lived and have a lot of half-rotten wood in them. Rare deciduous trees have fortunately escaped. The fact of so much wood lying about reminds me of the request made the other day in The ({aeden as to the burning qualities of different kinds of wood. The majority of our houses here are flue- heated and worked principally with wood. Of the commoner kinds that we have tried, Oak, Apple, Elm, and Beech are about the best amongst deci- duous trees, and Cedar is perhaps the best amongst Evergreens; all kinds of Fir are of very little use ; they have no lasting qualities, and consequently they want far too much attention. The very worst of all firewood is Chestnut ; this is practically useless, unless sparingly used with other woods, fire seems to have no power over it — at least in a green or half green state. The commoner shrubs when they have attained considerable size make useful fuel ; big old Rhododendrons are also useful for lighter firewood, from the rapidity with which they dry after being cut. — E. B. • The great snowstorm of December 26 and 27 and afterwards has revealed such numbers of wrecks In gardens, pleasure grounds, fields, and forests as have seldom or never resulted from a single snowstorm before ; for it was the snow, not the wind, that produced the arboreal wreck and ruin everywhere seen or heard of. The wind, which blew half a gale on the early morning of the 27th ult., saved probably thousands of trees and shrubs from utter and complete destruction ; it did double service by shaking off the crushing weight of dripping snow where that was possible, and also by preventing the still fast-falling snow from accumulating to greater thickness on the branches. Hence it may be safely assumed that, but for the wind, the wreck and ruin, heavy as it 13, would have been far more disastrous. As it is, it is bad enough, and has made terrible havoc among the finest Cedars of Lebanon and many other monarchs of the garden, park, and wood throughout the country. Probably Cedars of Lebanon have suffered most ; their far-reaching, dense boughs seem made on purpose to collect and carry as much snow as possible. The size and rigidity of the limbs of old Cedars also force them to hold fast all soft snow that falls upon them. And thus it happened that as the wet snow poured down with a volume and rapidity probably unprecedented, the boughs bent lower and lower until the burden became insupportable, and down they came. The position of the boughs, their line of divergence from the trunk, and their stubborn strength and unyielding rigidity all but augmented the ratio of destruction in the case of the Cedars of Lebanon. The trees and shrubs, in fact, that refused to bend had perforce to break. Ne.xt to the exceptional wreckage of Cedars, the most notable results of the snow were the number of branches torn off deciduous trees, such as Walnuts, Spanish Chestnuts, Oaks, Ashes, Elms, and even deciduous shrubs. Since the snowstorm we have also had a double dose of 20' of frost two nights in succession, and a large proportion of the snow is still with us, though it has also thawed for a few hours several times. As I write on the 3rd, the weather does not seem to have decided whether to rain or snow. It is to be hoped that we may not have a second addition of such a destructive snowstorm. A thaw would be most welcome to allow of the removal of broken limbs, the dressing of wounds, &c., as few things are more against the quick healing of wounds in trees than the exposure of their raw edges in a splintered state to 20" of frost. Can any reader of The Garden recommend a safer waterproof and healing emollient for wounds than a mixture of grease and tar ?— D. T. F., Bury St. Edmunds. Our woodland here (N. Hants) is simply ruined. A foot and more of wet snow came after heavy rain on the 26th and froze to the trees. At midnight a wind rose which snapped the limbs and stems of the ice-laden trees like so many Carrots. Of deciduous trees. Oaks have fared the worst. But the saddest sight is to see the entire tops of fine specimen Conifers lying on the snow. A clean sweep has been made of Scotch Firs. The beauty of Chute Lodge Park, a very tastefully planted estate just over the border in Wiltshire, is destroyed for a generation or more to come ; scarcely a Coni- fer has escaped. Biddesden Park, another finely timbered place, is similarly dismantled of its trees, its owner's great pride. The havoc all round here must be seen to be believed. — (j. H. Engleheart, Appleshair, Andorer. At this place we have lost dozens of fine trees. Thujopsis borealis, C'ryptomeria japonica. Cedars, Yews, and Junipers are the evergreen kinds that are most injured. Tall Rhododendrons are broken right down, but this is a small matter, as they will quickly recover. Amongst deciduous trees, those most injured are Elms, Horse Chest- nuts, Oaks, and Beech. Immense boughs are broken down in all directions, many of the finest trees being so disfigured that they will have to be cut down. Fruit trees have not escaped. Standard Plums and Pears, on which the boughs were long, are broken down close to the main stem, and (Gooseberry and Currant bushesareliterally flat- tened to the ground. The only word tliat can describe the damage is "terrible." Not only has there never been such a snowstorm known in these parts in my lifetime, but a gentleman, who is over ninety years of age and who has always resided in this country, assures me that never before did he remember so much snow fall in so short a time. May it never be experienced again, though whilst I write (.January 4) signs are not wanting that a second edition is in store for us. — W. Wildsmith, Herkfield, Hants. The storm of December 26 will never be forgotten by lovers of trees and shrubs. Fine old trees of Oak, Beech, Elm, Scotch Firs, and Chestnuts have been blown down and otherwise damaged ; while in the gardens here very fine Cedars have lost large branches. Various other Conifers have also had their branches torn off from top to bottom. Catalpas, Evergreen Oaks, Cork trees, Judas trees, Acacias, and many others, including Magnolias, Laburnums, Tulip trees, and Aspens, have likewise all sustained damage. Rhododendrons, Hollies, Portugal and common Laurels are uprooted and broken, in some in- stances to pieces. In fact, from nine o'clock in the evening till early morning there was a con- tinued crashing and smashing of timber. Trees that have stood for over a century are down, and, in the case of many rare and choice trees, fifty years' growth will not replace the damage. Al- though the snow was of such a wet and heavy character, yet in eight hours it had fallen to a depth of 15 inches, and, with a strong north-east gale blowing, it in places was much drifted. — W. C. Leach, Alhunj Park, Surrey. Garden Flora. Wet and dry bulb thermometers.— I was much plcHsed .111.1 instructed by the short .irticle aud table in a late issue of The Garden on tlie wet and dry bulb thermometer as a guide and indicator of what amount of frost might be looked for on auy night. I wish " F. W. B." would go further, as I .am sure the use of (he wet and dry thermo- meter for gardeners and amateurs does not end there As a cultivator with but little experience, and, perhaps, less of science, I am often puzzled by instructions in gardening papers, such as a nice growing temperature, a moist, healthy temperature, &c. Now I think if this combined instrument were more used in our greenhouses and quoted by writers on growing different plants we would Ije better able to understand what was meant. The dry bulb gives us, say, the teijijierature of any greenhouse, intermediate or stove lujusc, ami the wet bulb by a formula will give us the amount of moisture in the house at this given time. I am sure " P. W. B." can supply us with a table showing from the reading of this instrument what .amount of moisture there is in the air of any house at any time by reference to the wet .and dry bulbs. This would be very useful. I do liope to hear more of this subject ; I am gioping after know- ledge in this direction myself, having a maximum :ind also a wet and dry bulb thermometer I use in a small house at present, but I lack the knowledge as to what amount of moisture should bo allowed in the air for v.arious plants in varying temperatures,— Encjvirer. PLATE 578. THE CALIFORNIAN FUCHSIA. (ZAUSCHNERIA CALIFORNICA, WITH PLATE.*) The first notice which we have of this truly handsome plant, the only representative of the genus, is in the "Annals of Botany" (vol. i., p. 543), where it is alluded to as follows : — This beautiful new genus, a native of California, has the flowers of a Fuchsia and a fruit exactly like that of an Epilobium. The genus was first named and described by Presl, iu his " KeliquiiB Haen- keanaa " (p. .'i2), and was first introduced by the Royal Horticultural Society in May, 1847, through Hartweg, who collected the seeds in fields about Santa Cruz ; and we have also a record of its having been cultivated at Kew in 1852. Among the many striking hardy plants in cul- tivation at the present time, this so-called Fuchsia takes a high place. It has the graceful drooping habit which is so much admired in the Fuchsia, together with the advantage of being hardy in most parts of the country. When left to itself, it is inclined to become leggy, but a little man- agement bestowed upon it in the early part of the season soon remedies that, and as flowering time approaches it will be found to have become compact in habit, and to be furnished with a correspondingly large number of its handsome vermilion-coloured flowers. The best plan, we find, when a group of it is contemplated is to plant pretty closely together, and pinch back the young growths as they make their apjiearance. A compact bed is thus formed, with innumerable shoots, each bearing flowers in such abundance, as to present collectively a mass of vivid colour. Hardy-plant growers seem to fight shy of this plant, but it will be found on trial to with- stand even our severest winters in most places. In particularly heavy soils or in low-lying dis- tricts, a slight covering in winter may be given it, but that is all that is needful. It lasts long in flower, and as it does not begin to bloom untU towards the end of summer, as sunny a spot as possible should be chosen for it, as in shady positions autumn frosts not unfre- quently destroy the flowers. This induced us to try it as a pot plant in the greenhouse, where its bright flowers are very attractive, especially during the late autumn months, when most plants were long past their best. When protected in this way from frosts, it continues to flower long after plants of it have been blackened in the open air. It seems to vary much in habit, and also in the degree of hairiness, size, and shape of the leaves, both in a wild state .and under culti- vation. 'This variability has given rise to the variety latifolia, figured in the Botanical Maga- zine (tab. 4493). In some the leaves are slightly hairy, in others they are villose, and even tomen- tose, and under cultivation jierfectly glabrous and shining. We lately saw a curious dwarf form which difl'ers widely from the type, but it has smaller and less showy flowers. This Zauschneria is easily propagated. It strikes freely from cuttings taken off early in autumn and wintered in a cool frame, from which they may be planted out where required as early as April. It may also be increased by division of the old jilants or by seeds. The latter, if sown early in a little heat and grown on, will flower the same year, although not so freely as older plants. Young seedling plants are, however, easier to establish on old walls or perjjendicular rock work, where they assume a hanging or droop- ing habit, and add considerably to the general ' Prawn for The Garden in Dr. Lowe's g.arden, Woodcote, Wimbledon. T^HE GARDEN ZAUSCHNERIA CALIFORNICA Jan. 8, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 29 etlect. When once they get a firm hold they are not long in filling the space allotted to them, producing flowers in the greatest profusion. It grows, as a rule, from ahout 9 inches to 2 feet in height. It is generally much branched and erect, with drooping points or altogether decumlient leaves, the lower ones opposite those above alter- nate on the stem. The flowers, as may be seen, are large vivid scarlet or vermilion, and resemble those of a Fuchsia with exserted style and stamens. The roots in light dry soils have a tendency to creep much in the way of those of the French Willow herb. The variety latifolia has very broad leaves, and seems to run into the variety called mexicana, which is interme- diate between the two ; it is even pos.«ible, where large quantities are grown, to have a com]ilete gradation from the one to the other. Z. califor- y. 4^-^ Zauschneria califomica, showing habit of growth. nica var. microphylla, a plant named by Gray, is not in cultivation. It has very small, narrow, tomentose leaves, clustered at intervals on the stems. The flowers are also smaller and less vivid in colour than those of Z. califomica. It is found in dry localities from Napa and Plumas counties to S. California., The type is common both in southern and lower California. D. K. FRUITS UNDER GLASS. Late Vineries. If late Grapes are still hanging on the Vines and bottling is intended, no time should be lost in getting them cut and transferred to water. The management of (Jrape stores being now so well understood by all readers of the horticultural journals, a repetition of details is quite unneces- sary, and those who have not made themselves thoroughly master of the subject have only to refer back to past volumes of The Garden. One thing, however, I must repeat, and that is the caution against the use of fire heat, so long as damp does not get into the bunches and the room can be kept at a temperature of 4(1°. When all the Grapes have been cut the house should be thrown open to atmospheric influences, and the internal borders, having been cleared of all loose covering, may be gradually brought back to a growing condition by repeated applications of water from the cisterns. External coverings, in the form of glass lights, corrugated sheets, or shutters, must also be removed, and, provided the borders are well clothed with Fern or litter, they may be left open to the influence of the elements. The next operation is pruning, cleans- ing, and tyingin ready for a fresh start, liiut with the well-known fact that late hanging is tanta- mount to early forcing before us, a long rest must be secured by keeping the house dry and as cool as possible until the buds show signs of swelling. Many growers are obliged to turn their late vineries into plant houses as soon as the Grapes are cut, but unless the occupants are very hardy and capable of withstanding a degree or two of dry frost, the practice, it possible, should be avoided. January pruning is not often followed by bleeding, but, bearing in mind that root- water- ing closely precedes or follows pruning, the application of styptic should not be neglected. A shilling bottle of Thompson's styptic will dress all the wounds in several houses, or, lacking this, painter's knotting will answer equally well. The old-fashioned method of scraping Vines having been given up by all good Grape growers, a rub with the hand to disturb the rough bark is all that is needed, even where bug is present. Washingwith strong soap water follows, and, finally, by way of precaution, a solution of Gishurst compound, 8 ozs. to the gallon of water, or 4 ozs. of soft soap and half a pound of sulphur, thoroughly mixed with the same quantity of water, may be well worked into the old spurs with a half-worn paint-brush. If bug is present, gas tar may take the place of Gishurst compound ; but it is a powerful insecticide, and must be used with caution always when the Vines are at rest. Although I have often given instruc- tions privately and in print for its preparation and application, a repetition may meet the eye of some despairing person who has often tried remedies and failed. To 1 gallon of dry, finely sifted loam, placed in an iron pot over a slow fire, add half a pint of tar ; mix the two thoroughly, then pour in as much boiling water as will reduce the mass to the consistency of thick cream. Having washed the Vines, cleansed and painted the house and dressed the walls with quicklime and sulphur or paraffin, clear away all loose soil and mulching, commence at the base of each rod, and thoroughly encase it with the paint. It is not the quantity so much as the even distribution of the paint and the filling of all old gnarles and holes that kills the insects. Some use it much stronger, but I can vouch for these quantities answering the purpose ; but it must be borne in mind that solitary insects may escape the fumes, or they may be biding their time in the borders. These for a time will do no harm, but with returning spring they will put forth, and must be taken one by one as they appear. Although catching and killing is allowed to be the only remedy, the most expeditious mode of annihilating the stragglers will be found in the use of methylated spirits applied with a camel's-hair brush. Armed with this in a wide- mouthed bottle, which can be kept tightly corked when not in use, the attendant should examine every spur for some weeks after the Vines break, when a touch with the brush will melt the enemies in sight in a moment, and a second dip applied to the hole or crevice from which they have emerged will prevent others left behind from following. Many people having painted their Vines with tar rest satisfied, but really the work of extermination only commences where they cease from troubling about the most persistent insect — Phylloxera ex- cepted— that ever entered our vineries. Pot Vines. — Where these are grown from the eye and fruited upon the premises, a number of operations will now require attention. One of the best trade growers of pot Vines with whom I am acquainted always puts in all his eyes before Christmas, and the fruiting yearlings he turns out are models of perfection. Others put them in as late as February, cut back, and grow them on the second year for fruiting. Vines of this stamp should now be cut down to a good bud close to the soil, and having been touched with styptic, be allowed to stand where they will be safe from frost and wet until the end of the month, when they may be started. A bed of fermenting leaves placed in an early vinery or pit into which the pots can be lightly plunged forms the best of starting mediums, for much as the Vine enjoys copious supplies of water when in full growth, a sodden condition of the soil is often fatal to the best ro-ots when it is slowly recovering from de- capitation. The warmth and moisture arising from the leaves supplemented by daily syringing will be found quite sufficient to start the buds, and when 2 inches in length they should be shaken out and repotted. Vines intended for planting out later on may be shortened back to any con- venient height to get the base buds forward, but unless they are likely to be wanted before March, they should be kept semi-dry and as cool as possible. Fruitinij Vines. — With a steady bottom-heat of 70° playing about the crock roots these will now push on apace, and pay for the patience exercised through the early stages of their growth. Well ripened canes generally break double, and require disbudding as soon as the strongest of th« two shoots takes the lead ; being close-jointed, the breaks from every alternate eye also require re- moval, but instead of rubbing olf close home these shoots may be closely pinched to two or three leaves, which will assist the roots and aid in the development of the canes. When the bunches show, all but the strongest and best must be re- moved from every shoot, and the latter stopped at the second or third leaf in advance. All laterals and tendrils, too, must be pinched, and when strong enough the fruit-bearing shoots must be gently drawn to the wires. This stage reached, Hamburghs, Fosters, and Bucklands may range about 00° through the night, (;.")° when the weather is mild, and 70° by day. The syringe may be freely used about the walls and other surfaces every morning, and overhead about 1 p.m., when the temperature has reached the maximum, up to the time of flowering, when a higher and more buoyant atmosphere will facilitate the setting of the fruit. Being free setters, the Vines need not be taxed with a superfluous number of bunches, eight being quite sufficient to choose from; these it may be well to fertilise with a camel's-hair brush every day, and when set they may be re- duced to five or six, according to the strength and vigour of the Vines. If the pots are standing on pedestals, frequent renovation of the bed will stimulate the roots and greatly assist the fruit and foliage, as direct syringing will have been discontinued. The roots, too, will derive benefit from liberal supplies of warm diluted liquid when- ever water is needed, and good top-dressings to be washed in and replaced from time to time must not be overlooked. As days begin to lengthen and the sun gains power, a little more air should be admitted every morning and shut off about mid- day to encourage growth, and, if practicable, a chink at the apex through the night, if only to let out vitiated air, will keep the Vines robust and healthy until the most trying part of the season has been got over. Early vintries. — The air temperature in these should range from ,50' to 56° through the night, and 60' to 65' by day, until all the buds are fairly on the move, and when this stage is reached an extra 5' will be necessary. Much, how- ever, depends upon the weather and the treat- ment to which the Mnes have been subjected in previous years. At the present moment the glass registers 17° of frost, and no one would think of maintaining a hard and fast line, especially when clear frosty nights are followed by bright sunny days, and an extra 10° can be secured by closing early. The practice, then, in favour- able forcing weather should be the loss of 5" by night, and the compensating gain of 10' through the day. Old Vines which invariably show an abundance of bunches may be disbudded when the breaks are an inch in length. Young ones, on the other hand, should be allowed to declare them- selves before the shoots are reduced to the requi- site number. Tying down at this early season requires great care ; little at a time and often is the proper method. In fact, provided the shoots are kept clear of the glass, and lightly looped ties draw them in the way they are to go, the most obstinate shoots will soon settle down to the wires. Stopping must be regulated by the space at command ; in all cases, with the exception of leaders, the shoots should be stopped at the second or third leaf beyond the bunch ; then, pro- vided the openings admit, semi-extension may be practised on the first set of point laterals. Some growers pinch and repinch at the first leaf, but crowding being avoided, the young growths should be allowed to extend until every part of the trellis is covered with leaves. If the inside borders have not been watered since the Vines were 30 THE GARDEN. started, a good supply at the mean temperature of the house may now be necessary, and renova- tion of the fermenting material will certainly be a great help in keeping the atmosphere moist, and counteracting the drying influence of fire-heat. External borders, hitherto covered with Fern or litter, with or without shutters for throwing off snow, may now be treated to a good layer of dry warm leaves as a stimulant to the surface roots. Many object to external heat, and so do I if it is produced by rank manure, but dry Oak leaves are mijd and constant, and assist the roots without poisoning the compost. The succession, also the early Muscat houses may now be closed, or, where closed before Christ- mas, they will be in a fit state for gentle fire-heat through the day. Water at a temperature of 00= and a supply of fermenting leaves having been in- troduced, the Vines will soon break, when de- tailed management recommended for the early house may be repeated. As days increase in length and forcing is no longer quite dead against Nature, the heats may often be increased, but always on the give-and-take principle, the first applying to cold nights, the second to bright gleamy days. If Hamburghs, the best of all male parents, are not likely to be in flower when early Muscats and kindred varieties require fertilising, a good quantity of pollen should be saved from tho earliest house for this purpose. Forewarned, forearmed, as it is well known that these shy sorts require assistance, but it is not generally known that pollen shaken into a box and kept quite dry will retain its power for some time after it is gathered. Pines. The earliest set of Queens expected to throw up their fruit next month will now be on the move, and must be very carefully supplied with water. If well plunged in moist leaves and the house is kept in a growing state, their requirements will neither be heavy nor frequent, but when to the experienced eye water is needed, enough to reach the crock roots must be given. Warm, diluted liquid may be used for this purpose, also for tilling the evaporating pans and moistening the surface of the bed. The roots having been rested in a bottom-heat of 70°, all should' be alive and ready to respond to the call that will speedily be made upon them, but, in order to assist the fruit to the utmost, a few handfuls of rich, turfy compost or turf, pure and simple, may be packed tightly about the collars of the plants. It may be ad- vantageous to remove a leaf or two to set the stem-roots at liberty, always provided this can be done without disturbing the plants ; then, as the work is proceeded with, the formation of a very compact cone round each stem will check the downward passage of water from the axils of the leaves and throw it outwards towards the rims of the pots. A watchful eye, it is hardly necessary to say, must still be kept on the bottom-heat thermometer or watch-sticks, and if it is found that_ any part of the bed has heated dry or is getting too cold, a moderate supply of hot water poured in between the pots will most likely revive the fermentation and render renovation unneces- sary. Many Pine growers start their earliest [Jan. 8, 1887. SiirrcisioimJ fnulers.—Ii these, by the pointed look of their centre leaves and the thickening of the stems, show signs of following closely on the heels of their predecessors, one of two courses may be adopted. A portion of the most promising may be drawn and started at once, or the whole house may be brought on steadily by a gradual increase of top and bottom heat and atmospheric moisture. As few people now grow Pines for market, small pits or houses divided into compart- ments answer best for giving a continuous supply of fruit throughout the year, as not only can the plants be brought on in batches, but, having a dry compartment, ripe and ripening fruit can be kept for a considerable time in a sound condi- tion. The general stock, including Rothschilds, Cayennes, and perhaps a few Queens, which has been kept moister and cooler than early starters, should not be hurried, as the finest fruit is always obtained from plants which grow on until day- light more than counterbalances darkness. Young stock must be kept quiet for the present, but the time is at hand for re-potting and a general turn over, and as weeks soon steal away, crocks, pots, and compost should be prepared for use when wanted. If plenty of good loam has been wintered under cover, this will only require breaking up and correcting, but turf from the open-air stack should be broken up by hand and placed in a warm, airy house or potting shed some weeks before it is wanted. W. Coleman. Eastiior Castle, Ledbury. Kitchen Garden. plants in a very strong bottom-heat, ranging from !)0' to 100", but once the fruit is on the move, 8.5° to 00° is quite high enough to insure rapid growth equal to the amount of light at command and favourable to the formation of perfect crowns. Aided by an abundanceof hot- water pipes— the best safeguard against over-heating— and the assistance of warmth from the bed, there should be no danger of reducing the temperature of the house to any appreciable degree by the daily opening of the ventilators, if only for an hour or two to change the atmosphere. A chink at night also near the front pipes will tend to the vigour of the plants and prevent the crowns from becoming drawn. Next to efficient fire-heat, a covering of some kind, if only along the front or windward side, will be found a great help in cold weather especially when nights are bright of moisture is very rapid. FORCING ASPARAGUS IN BEDS. The practice of forcing Asparagus in permanent beds has never been adopted so much as the merits of the system deserve. It is certainly a more economical plan than that of lifting the roots and forcing them in other structures, as such roots, after being forced, are of no further use, while a well- managed set of permanent beds may be made to last for several years. Handy port- able, span-roofed frames are now manufactured that suit Asparagus-forcing perfectly, and the produce from permanent beds is always larger and better than that from plants lifted and forced in the ordinary way. I have had Asparagus pro- duced by this system as large in the beginning of March as I ever cut from beds in the open. We used to commence cutting about the middle of December, and continued to do so until Asparagus came in in the open air. Unless, however, anyone has plenty of frames as well as space, I do not recommend such early forcing, because unless the frames can remain on the beds until late in spring the plants suffer so much from alternate rain and frost, that it takes them a year longer to recover themselves. In the majority of cases it is best to commence forcing early in January, and then the first cut- ting may, according to the weather, be expected to take place in five or six weeks. I am assuming that the heat supplied will be obtained wholly from fermenting materials. I have had no experi- ence with hot-water pipes in connection with this work. Doubtless, a single 4-inch hot-water pipe run along the centre of the bed IS inches below the surface would be of great advantage in assist- ing to start growth, but this is not absolutely necessary. I may say, indeed, that I am so well satisfied with the results which I have obtained from the use of fermenting materials in ordinary trenches, in conjunction with portable span-roofed frames, that I do not see the necessity for a greater outlay. In order to obtain a satisfactoiy supply of heads, it is necessary that the beds be pretty closely packed with plants, and that they be thoroughly well established in the soil before they are forced. If I could choose the size of the frames I would not . have them wider than :! feet (1 inches, j t., the size and the escape f of the bed. The wider the beds the greater the dilliculty there is in warming the soil, and unless this can be done the heads come up round the sides first and in the middle last. Beds the size I have mentioned will get warmed through if the trenches are well filled with good fermenting materials. The sides of the frame should be 1 foot high, and up to the angle of the span they may be from 2 feet to 2 feet 6 inches. If new beds are to be laid out for this purpose, I should recommend them to be formed as near as may be convenient to the frame ground, or some other position in which a wagon or cart could be made use of for bringing in the heating materials, not a small quantity of which is required when forcing com- mences early. As already indicated, the width of the beds muse be guided by that of the frame. The bed should not be more than 4 inches wider than the frame, and the width and depth of the trenches between the beds should be regulated by the width of the beds. A bed 4 feet wide requires a trench on each side .S feet wide and 2A feet deep. Narrower beds may have proportionately smaller trenches, but in every case sufficient space must be provided to hold a good quantity of fermenting materials. In forming the beds, I need hardly say that the soil must be made sufficiently rich to promote a vigorous growth. Early in April is the best time to plant, just as the young heads are rising through the ground, and three-year old plants are best, as they soon get established. They should be planted 1 foot apart each way ; and in order to give them time to get strong, they ought to be allowed to make two years' growth before they are forced. While getting established, no heads should be cut from them. A sufficient number of beds should be provided, to allow one lot to be resting while the other is being forced. To enable anyone to judge how many btds are required to keep up a constant supply, I may mention that each bed remains in a bearing state for about three weeks. If cut from longer than that, the plants will be weakened. About 00 feet run of beds will be required to furnish a supply for a moderate sized family. The preparation of the fermenting material should be the .same as if it was required for making an ordinary hotbed ; the more preparation it receives the more regular and lasting will be the heat. I prefer about half stable manure and half leaves. In filling the trenches the material may be lightly trodden down, and it must be made as high as the top of the sides of the frame; unless there is a good body of material the heat will not be sufficient to start the plants into growth. It may also want adding to, as it sinks down. I cover up the frames with mats as soon as put on the beds, and keep them in darkness until heads begin to come through the soil ; at other times the frames are covered at night. The frames do not require any air until growth makes its appearance ; then they require a fairly good supply and all the light possible, so as to get the Asparagus of a good green colour. If possible the frames should be left on the beds until late in spring, and the manure must be left in the trenches until the time comes round to force the same beds again, for as soon as the plants begin to grow they send out their roots into the manure, and, of course, derive a good deal of nourishment by doing so. .T. C. C. Failure in winter Spinach.— Autumn sown crops of winter Spinach have become quite a failure here this winter, and all my neighbours' crops have also failed in the same manner. I have had an opportunity of seeing several large breadths growing in gardens in this locality, and in each case the crops are an entire failure— not a single plant is likely to recover. One grower who has had over thirty years' practical experience, and who is one of our most successful cultivators of vegetables, considers his failure due to dressing the ground heavily with rotten pigsty manure ; but his crop seems about in the same condition as that of his neighbours'. This is the first time in which he has entirely failed with Spinach during his experience. Another grower attributes hia Jan'. 8, 1887. THE GARDEN. 31 failure to dressing the ground with fresh manure from the cowsheds ; whilst others, who dressed the ground with ordinary farmyard manure, have succeeded. One large grower always sows his Spinach upon ground which had been used for early Potatoes. In this case, though the ground was manured in spring, every plant has decayed, and that after attaining a size when plenty of leaves could be picked for use. During my experience in growing winter Spinach in many different parts of the country, I have never seen it fail as it has done this year ; fre- quently a few plants fail to grow annually, but not the entire crop. I sowed my earliest crop the sscond week in August, choosing for it an open quarter in the garden, which had previously been cropped with early Potatoes and Peas, the ground having been manured in spring. The young plants came up strongly, and grew satisfactorily for some time, but after they were thinned in the rows to G inches apart, and the leaves ready to pick, they commenced to assume a yellow colour, and ultimately failed. I attributed the failure to a loss of root action, but upon pulling up several of the plants, the foliage of which seemed most decayed, I found the roots to be to all appear- ance in a healthy state. Upon closer inspection, however, I found at the ba?e of the plants, level with the surface of the soil and round the joints of the lowest leaves, numbers of small white in- sects, resembling in appearance Eucharis mites. About each plant there were dozens of this insect, which had eaten the skin oil entirely, leaving only a dry, hard, woody stem. I dressed the plants with slaked lime as soon as I noticed the in- sects, but without any good results. My second sowing, which was made on September .'{, has shared nearly the same fate as the first. Is this disease prevalent this season in other districts, or is it confined to this locality ?—Wm. Christison, llomi. tf'oofl, C/iis/chursf, WINTERING SEED POTATOES. There can be no doubt that even in places where there are ample conveniences for wintering Pota- toes in bulk some difficulty is experienced in doing so satisfactorily, and especially so during mild winters, or when they are marked by strong diversities of temperature. Whilst exceeding cold is repugnant, there can be little doubt that a regular, cool temperature through the winter is the best in which to keep Potatoes in a thoroughly quiescent state, and, of course, in the best condi- tion for consumption. The difficulties associated with the storing of Potatoes through the winter begin not so much with early ripening, as with the unnatural ripening induced by either summer drought or the destruction of the leafage and stems by disease. Really well-finished and natu- rally matured tubers will always keep well, but all those which have come from prematurely checked plants exhibit early impatience to break again, thus showing that there is always instinc- tive readiness to make second growth or to super- tuberate if later conditions are favourable for such before the crop is got up. For some years it has been a rare circumstance for the plants to hold out naturally to the last, or the tubers to have complete opportunity to fully mature. To that circumstance do we owe some of the com- plaints now and then heard with regartl to want of quality in Potatoes. It is no more possible to have the best quality in two-thirds developed tubers than in fruits which have had but two- thirds growth. That complaint has been more fairly made where, soils being cold and moist, tubers have naturally lacked the maturing in- fluences which heat and drought give. The inclination to shoot or break resulting from early ripening is a matter of no great difficulty as applied to early sorts. Obviously these are only suited for late summer and autumn use, and only the seed needs wintering. It is impossible to check the natural tendency of the tubers in such a case to push growth quickly, and this fact demon- strates how easy it would be for us to have two outdoor crops of early Potatoes during the jear did we have nine months of real summer instead of but about five. It is a fortunate characteristic of Potato tubers that, whilst it is not possible to repress their innate forces, yet these forces are limited, as is evidenced by the fact that if tubers which have sprouted, say, an inch in length be placed in a dry position and exposed to ample light, the shoots must remain dormant, and, if con- tinued in that position, will so remain for months — in fact, till the tubers die of exhaustion. Thus we have a check upon the earliest of spronting kinds which enables us to command good, well- sprouted, mature seed at almost any moment. Place these seed-tubers in heat if it be dry and they will still remain quiescent, but bring them in contact with soil or any moist substance, or, in- deed, associate them with water, and they make growth immediately. The power of the tuber to produce growth is limited to an inch or so, bu when moisture promotes root action, then other forces are brought into play, and growth becomes rapid even in a much cooler temperature. Thus it will be seen that, in the matter of wintering seed Potatoes, we can use them as we like, but only in dry, light positions, from which, of course, frost is excluded. Whilst late ripening sorts show less inclination to make growth on the part of the seed tubers, they are not less difficult to deal with, on the ground of greater bulk and the necessity for keep ing all the tubers fairly well exposed to light and air. It is wise to select the tubers intended for seed, even as soon as lifted, and have them, whilst the weather is open, well exposed to light and air, but not to the weather. The winter's exposure to light thoroughly hardens the skins and matures the tubers, so that with that exposure maintained the sets are in the spring absolutely perfect for planting. Without doubt a Potato store having a north aspect— that is, placed on the north side of a wall— is in an excellent position, because much less subject to atmospheric changes. If the temperature becomes so low that the tubers must be protected by covering with straw or other material, there is the special advantage that the reaction, when a warmer change comes, is slow, and the tendency on the part of the tubers to exhale moisture is very much lessened. With a general even and comparatively low temperature tubers also show very much less desire to sprout when exposed on shelves or stored in tubs, boxes, or pans. Seed Potatoes are, without doubt, best cared for on shelves, straw being placed on the boards to protect them from frost upward as well as downward. Ample facility for turning the tubers is also desirable if stored thickly, and in the case of seed in bulk, it may be sometimes needful to store on shelves some .'{ inches or 4 inches deep. In such case a careful turning should be given ORce a month, but shoots should not be injured. With respect to eating-Potatoes in bulk, without doubt the best receptacles are bins made of stout wooden divisions and fitted with false trellised wooden bottoms, to enable air to pass beneath the bulk of the tubers. Even a couple of inches space is ample. The wood division should have close joints, so that only top covering is needful in case of very severe weathei. The front boards should be made to lift out, and thus facility is offered when turning becomes needful. On wet days a few hours' labour expended in the Potato store is usually well employed, especi- ally if the labour be of a careful sort. Where possible, light, should be given through the roof by means of glass tiles, or using stout plate glass ; but if the roof is thatched with straw — one of the very best protections from cold as well as heat — then glass can hardly be introduced, unless specially raised frames are provided. A little ventilation is needful, but not much, as the ex- halation from Potatoes so stored is very slight. Of course, something depends upon drainage, and if the soil be naturally moist in winter, then efficient drainage should be provided and the floors of the bins should be of concrete. Where a north wall is not available the next best site for a Potato house is beneath trees, which afford protection from frost and from strong sun-heat. The walls should be .3 feet high from the ground line and 4 feet within, sinking the floor a foot to secure the height ; they should be of 'J-inch concrete, whilst the roof should be a span one of thatch. Then with a door at either end, ample light and air would be given to the store. A. D. MUSHROOMS IN WINTER. The frosts which we have recently had have re- duced the supply of many kinds of open-air vege- tables, and those raised indoors are therefore becoming every day more valuable. Amongst these are Mushrooms, which can be used in so many ways, and which give sati-sfaclion both on the breakfast and dinner table. To supply them in quantity should therefore be our aim, and apart from the principal work of making up the beds, there are various attentions that may be given them with good results. It is gratifying to see the young Mushrooms come up in the first Bush of their strength, but after the beds have been in bearing for some six weeks they dwindle away, and it may be thought such beds are not worth saving or further attention, but that is a mistake. Good beds may be induced to bear two and some- times three crops, but by the time the first one is exhausted the manure will generally have become so dry that it is incapable of producing more, and it is by watering the bed thoroughly that another crop is induced to make its appearance. The surface of the bed being generally quite smooth and not in a condition to retain water, it must be watered many times over. The water should be heated to IIO" ; it should be put over the surface at intervals of ten or fifteen minutes, and it often takes a dozen or more waterings to moisten it through. As soon as this has been effected, the surface should be covered over to the depth of II inches or 8 inches with hay, and in a week or so afterwards the young Mushrooms will be ob- served coming up in crowds. When beds are formed with rather hot manure, so much evaporation is liable to take place, that by the time the Mushrooms should appear they have failed to come; if no Mushrooms are up in six weeks after spawning, the bed should be thoroughly watered as above indicated, which, aa a rule, will have the effect of producing a fine crop. I would never condemn a bed a^ being a failure until this plan had been tried. A good and abundant supply of Mushrooms may be grown in a temperature as low as ij" or .50°, but it does not answer to have them in this temperature to- day, in G5° or 70" to-morrow, and then back to the cool system the following day. Fluctuating temperatures of this kind make the little Pea-like Mushrooms become brown, and then they cease to swell. The temperature .should be studied thus far, that if it is low, let it be low, and if it is high, let it be so ; avoid alternations to any extent. Of'' late we have been trying spawn from several sources, and I am astonished at the result. Good spawn i3 one of the greatest secrets connected with successful Mushroom culture. In old houses, woodlice are sure to find their way to the Mushrooms, and as they are very in- jurious to them, we sprinkle a little salt over the surface of the bed— a good plan. Maggots are more apt to attack them in summer than at this season, but they sometimes destroy them even now, and salt is the best antidote with which I am acquainted. Inexperienced growers might be afraid to put salt near their Mushrooms, as it is no friend of vegetation generally; but my experi- ence leads me to assert that it not only destroy s vermin, but also benefits the Mushrooms. Cambrian. Good Peas.— How is it that one now never hears of or sees a Pea sent out some years ago, and for a short time pretty frequently met with, under the name of Laxton's Fillbasket? I suppo.sc it must have some fault or faults that would account for its having been discarded, but I must confess I have never been able to discover them. The only disadvantage I can think of is, that this Pea 32 THE GARDEN. [Jan-. S, 1887. does not possess the sugary sweetness (when cooked) so much admired by some, but it has a full marrowy flavour that, to my mind, is almost as desirable. In other respects it is a moderate grower, seldom exceeding .3 feet or 4 feet in height, and a very free cropper— at least, that is my ex- perience; but its chief value lies in the remarkable productiveness of the pods when they come to be shelled, every pod that has gained anything like maturity being completely packed with Peas from end to end, so much so, that they are usually not round, but fiat-ended sections of a cylinder. This being so, it follows that an equal measure of pods of this variety should produce about twice the quantity of shelled Peas that any other kind would do, and this is just my own experience when comparing it with any other Pea with which I am acquainted. I am fully aware of the grand qualities of Telegraph, Telephone, and other fine Peas of that type ; but I am sure that anyone who has charge of a garden will find they might do worse than sow a few rows of Laxton's Fill- basket — that is, supposing that ii is still to be had.— B. C. R. THE BEST POTATOES. I SHOULD think that there are few at all conver- s-ant with Potatoes who would not readily admit that soils have very much indeed to do with table quality and quite as much with crop production. It is very evident that no esculent so thoroughly participates in the chemical components of the soil as Potatoes do, and if certain essential ingre- dients, potash especially, are absent, the Potatoes will suffer. It is odd, however, that kinds un- doubtedly so first-rate in some soils should be bad in others, and rice j-erxa, a circumstance which is almost inexplicable, and to be accounted for chieUy, I presume, on the ground that some va- rieties have better or worse absorbent powers than others in diverse soils. Our West Middlesex soil has an excellent reputation, especially in the Lon- don market, and Potatoes from it always obtain relatively the best prices. Thus it is odd to read that Porter's Excelsior, rarely good here, and usually close and heavy-eating, is so good at Cothelstone, and that Covent Garden Perfection, which does so well here, could never be induced to yield more than a very moderate crop. Its brother, Magnum Bonum, always beat it trebly. Here, Woodstock Kidney and Cosmopolitan have always been good, quite up to the best Lapstone form, and rather softer when cooked ; whilst at Cothelstone both are pronounced to be inferior. There is no accounting satisfactorily for these eccentricities, for I have had to discard very many varieties that others have esteemed as good when grown in other soils. It is thus very obvious that much injustice may bo done not only to a Potato, but also to those pecuniarily interested in its reputation, if thoughtlessly it is denounced in one place, while elsewhere it may prove highly meritorious. In giving a selection of best Potatoes, growers whose range of selection is limited natu- rally write of the few sorts which they grow, pronouncing them the best, whilst there are, perhaps, a score or more of other really first-rate sorts which they have never grown. I have grown literally hundreds during . the past twenty years, and have cooked and tasted all from time to time. I could wish now that I had kept memoranda of the cooked quality of each, but I have always been content to judge of the merits of the Potato as served up. Since we got rid of the Americans and many of the older sorts, the average quality of varieties has increased appreciably, and now amongst new seedlings really bad ones are rare. My experience as one of the seedling committee of the International Potato Exhibition, when testing seedlings at Chiswick, satisfied me, as it did the other members of the committee, that there was a decided advance in quality, putting aside crop- ping, with which feature so many were remark- ably endowed. Probably not one half of English gardeners are acquainted with the fine Potatoes which are raised from time to time in this country. A. D. Flower Garden. LILIES AND THEIR CULTURE. Tha-T there are difficulties connected with Lily culture I fancy even the most successful cultiva- tors will allow. How comes it to pass, unless this were the case, that tens of thousands of Lilium auratum are annually imported, to bloom for one year and then to die ! or why is it that only in favoured localities we are shown good clumps of it that have stood their ground for some years ? That they may be seen at Wisley or Duneevan is quite true, but these are favoured spots. This difficulty is evidenced in another way by Mr. Ewbank's complaint a few weeks ago, in The Garden, with regard to L. neilgherrense, the finest perhaps of the longiflorum section ; and if so experienced a cultivator, in such a locality as the Isle of Wight, finds such difficulty, it stands to reason that it will be still more felt by less expe- rienced growers in less favoured localities. Tliese difficulties are of necessity felt in the rarer kinds, but there is one at least of our commonest Lilies which seems to present a difficulty — the common white Lily. "Do you grow it >" was a question put to me by one of our best cultivators some time ago. "Yes.'' "And how?" " Well, it grows itself," was all I could reply ; and yet numbers of per- sons have found great difficulty in getting it to succeed satisfactorily. There are two ways In which Lilies are grown — in pots and in the open air. There is, indeed, a third plan midway between the two, used by my I'riend Mr. Wolley Dod — planting them out in a pit where they are protected from the effects of the weather, and the flowers retain their ])urity of colouring. I have seen this tried nowhere else, and obviously it is a plan which few would care to attempt on account of expense. I think most persons would prefer the open air, and where they are successfully done, a border, even though it be of modest dimensions, on which tlie Lilies peep up from amongst numerous herbaceous plants, is a pleasurable sight. There is a stateliness about them that commands attention ; while their graceful curves and clear markings make them especially interesting objects in the flower girden. There are a few things what make out-of-door culture difficult ; in the first place, like as the Rose will not flourish in smoke or the Rhodo- dendron on chalk, so I believe it to be impossible to get the Lily to flourish on clay. I have seen it tried over and over again in the neighbour- hood of London, and in every instance it was a sad failure. A friend of mine in the north of London who is very fond of Lilies, and whose garden is situated on the London clay, has tried it ijver and over again. Hehas had thebeds dug out and filled in with other material ; the bulbs have struggled on for a year or so and then succumbed. In the same way they will not endure stagnant water about their roots ; this may take place even where the soil is not clayey. Some may, per- haps, imagine that because some are excessively fond of water — for instance, L. superbum, which goes by the name of the Swamp Lily — that this can hardly be a difficulty ; but let anyone examine any place where our bog plants flourish and he will see that the water is anything but stagnant ; indeed, the difficulty of imitating the condition in which they grow constitutes one of the greatest obstacles to their successful cultiva- tion ; the water is continually oozing and run- ning away, and constantly in motion from the many little spring 5 in it. Here Droseras, Pinguiculas, &c., flourish ; but when we try to imitate this in our bog gardens the difficulty soon shows itself, so that, although L. sujierbum may grow at the edge of a swamp, it does not necessarily relish the stagnant water which is sometimes made to do duty for a hog. There is also another slight difficulty connected with them — the tendency that some sorts have to push their shoots underground and come up in quite a different place from that in which they were ])lanted ; and so very frequently on going over the borders they suft'er from the tender care of those who wish to have their borders tidy. Worms, both earthworms and others, are often a hindrance to their successful growth. I have often found the bulbs pierced right through, and in consequence decay sets in and they perish. The question of light and shade is one which has excited a good deal of controversy, and each system has had its advocates, who have contended that Lilies must be grown in one or the other. Some sorts, at any rate, seem to me to he indif- ferent on the subject. The common white Lily is an instance of this. As I drive into our market town there is a row of cottages which 1 some- times pass with tiny front gardens, on which in summer the sun beats down from midday until sunset, blistering the paint on the doors, necessi- tating the closing of outside shutters, and alto- gether making it evident that it is a sunny spot, yet here I see the white Lily flourishing. Some one has introduced it, and then, as is often the case, has given a bit to his neighbours, and so most of the gardens possess it ; but yet in my parish there is a border running up to a cottage facing the north — in shade therefore the greater part of the day — and here are magnificent clumps of it in the greatest luxuriance. It is therefore, I think, idle in the face of facts like these to contend that it — and perhaps many others are the same — requires to be planted in one or the other position. With regard to soil, it is, I believe, pretty generally recognised that peat and sand suit most Lilies. There are some in which an admixture of loam seems advisable, but it is not, perhaps, too much to say that all Lilies will succeed in peat, and that, therefore, when they are planted, it is well to take out a portion of the soil and fill in with this. How magnificently they do in the Rhododendron beds at Mr. M'Intosh's, at Duneevan, Mr. Wilson's, at Wey- bridge, and all through the Bagshot district is well known ; and although we in our humble way cannot imitate these places, yet we can study the requirements of our favourites by giving them a soil that they delight in. With regard to the use of manure, it is universally ad- mitted, I believe, that no bulbous root likes fresh manure, and that with some, contact with manure produces disease and death; it is there- fore well not to dig in any where the bulbs are planted. If they are mulched with manure in the autumn it will answer two purposes : it will serve as a protection from frost, and the fertilising part of it will be washed down into the soil, and so tend to strengthen the bulbs. The mention of frost leads me to the consideration of their hardi- ness ; my own conviction is, that very few if any of the Lilies which are so largely imported from North America, Japan, or Southern Europe are tender, and that all will withstand a very low degree of temperature without injury; in fact, I believe, that damp more than frost in- jures the roots, and this is the opinion of Japa- nese gardeners, who always speak of damp as the great enemy to their well-being. But if light and shade are a matter of indifference, there is another point in their culture which is not, per- haps, so well decided ; are they the better or not for having the ground covered with other plants ? In their native habitat they are, I suppose, mostly so covered, and the difficulty of obtaining many bulbous plants is increased by this fact for Jan. S, 18^7. J THE GARDEN. 33 you mark where a plant is growing ; but when you come to look for it by-and-l)y you find the whole place covered with rank and luxuriant foliage, and your quest is in vain. This would point to the desirableness of having the ground well covered, and I .suppose Mr. G. F. Wilson does this in his wood at Wisley ; but how it is to be done in small gardens such as I am now writing of, I do not quite see ; and I think we have this to console us, that many plants seem to flourish even where their natural conditions cannot be given them. Another matter in cultivation the amateur would do well to iletermine is not to disturb the clumps when they are doing well. We do not care to see single bulbs of a Lily, but rather a grand collection of flowering stems, so as to make a fine display, and it is astonishing what grand clumps a few bulbs will make in the course of a few years. Sliould they become too crowded, it will be much better to weed out the young growths, so as to give the flowering bulbs more room ; but even this will liardly be necessary in most cases, and "let well alone" is a very good motto in such matters. The same may be said, too, of the stems ; after they have done flowering it is the practice with some people who are attlicted with the complaint of over-tidiness to cut them off' soon after the blooming season is over. This is wrong. Granted that a decaying stem is not a very pretty object in a well- managed garden, yet there are uglier things even than that, while it is undoubtedly better that whatever of nutri- ment there is in the stem should go to the benefit of the bulb rather than to the manure heap. I would, therefore, advise all stems to be left on until they have completely withered. Delta. THE GRKAT REED. (PHRVGMITES COMMUNIS.) This handsome native plant is well worth culti- vation if a suitable p!a;e can be given it at the edge of a piece of water or in any damp ground. Wlien well established it will grow lU feet or more in height. The plumes of black flowers are handsome, and the sharply-pointed, blade-Lke leaves, which seem to .spring with a sort of deter- mined vigour from the slender, slightly- arching stem, give great character to the plant. The leaves when stirred by the wind give the pleasant " swishing " sound common to many of the great grassy plants, such as Arundo Donax and the Bamboos. Double Wallflowers —Something has been said lately in praise of the old fashioned double WallSowera as distinguished from the lumpy and coarse (lerman varieties. I may mention that by far the most delightful double Wallflowers I have ever seen or smelt were in the great market place at Verona last March. These were golden in colour, shaded with a litlle tawny orange, and most deliciously fragrant ; leaves and stems deli- cate and slender, the flowers loosely double, not very closely crowded on the spikes, and almost as large as a crown. Altogether they were greatly superior to even the very best of our old English torts. Unfortunately, no little plants were to be had, and my movements p"-t vented me from bring- ing large ones home with me.— G. H, E. Much as I admire Wallflowers, I should not advise their being trusted to the anything but tender mercies of one of our English winters. Indeed, it is to the incapacity of the plants to with->tand onr winters that we owe their present scarcity. Twenty years ag;n, the old double yellon-, the coppery red, and the rich dark one were fairly common ; now they are larely seen in gar- dens. Whatever may be the case in the milder parts of the kin»dom, certainly over a large area few double Wallflowers of the old perennial type are to be found. If they could be resuscitated, it would be well for those growing them to propagate young plants by means of cuttings every summer, preserving these as pot plants in a frame or cool greenhouse in winter. I dislike the double German forms as much as "Veronica" does, and think them the reverse of pleasing. The dwarfer double yellow Wallflower, mentioned as the Rocket Wall- flower, is apparently identical with a kind which I had formerly known as the Whin-flowered, because the blossoms resembled those of the double Gorse, but that went the way of the rest ; and I fear this year we shall find that the hardy singles have sutl'dred considerably also, for the hard, heavily weighted snow and intense hoar-frost have brought many otherwise apparently hardy plants to grief. — A. D. CACTUS A\D OTHER DAHLIAS. Now that the promoters of the Grand National Dahlia E.\hibition have decided to introduce in their schedule of prizes a class for Cactus and "decorative" Dahlias, the question arises, what is a decorative Dahlia? Doubtless the framers of this class intended it to include only the Cactus types Fhragmitea c-ummuuis. so called and any of a similar character, such as the old picta formosissima, which Mr. H. Cannell revived a few years ago, but which was grown in this country before D. .Tuarezi was heard of. The floral committee of the Royal Horticultural Society have occasionally given first-class certificates of merit to Dahlias of the show class as decorative varieties, but not always wisely so, because when they had only the flowers to judge from, no reliable evidence was forthcoming as to the habit of growth of the plant, which is a matter of the hrst importance. All the bedding Dahlias, se- lected mainly for their dwarf growth and free- blooming qualities, besides their habit of throwing thtir flowers well above the foliage and their bright colours, are decorative Dahlias in the best sense of the word, and they are clearly admissible in the decorative class. But it should be under- stood that no variety that finds a place among the sho* and fancy Dahlias shouM be admissible tor competition among the Cactus and decorative varieties. Perhaps when the schedule of prizes is issued some limitation will be made in this class, so that as far as possible exhibitors may be able to show on a footing of equality and correctly. I will now pass in review the section of Cactus Dahlias, but it should be said at the outset that, while many of the varieties look charming in a cut state, they may have little or no value for garden decoration, because of their tall growth and the grave defect of hiding their flowers among the foliage. A Cactus Dahlia, to be of value as a variety for garden decoration, should be of fairly dwarf growth, not more than 4?, feet high, com- pact, erect, free branching, free blooming, dis- playing its flowers well, upright, not drooping, and throwing the blossoms well above the foliage. Add to these flowers of striking colours, so as to be eflfective in the open border, and we get a model decorative Dahlia. Now let us endeavour to judge some of the varieties of which we hear so much by this standard. Take one of the very best when seen in a cut state. Cochineal, a variety that is pretty certain to be exhibited in all the stands at the Crystal Palace, the shaded crimson scarlet flowers being very bright; but it has the sad de- fect of mingling together flowers and foliage, and so does not display a good and eft'ective head of bloom at any one time. Cochineal is regarded as an intermediate form between the Cactus proper and an ordinary show variety. Constance, or the white Cactus, grows fully (J feet in height, but it must not be taken as a white form of Juarezi. It is free, attractive, and does not hide its flowers in the foliage so much as Cochineal. Fire King, or Glare of the Garden, for it is found under both names, has small vivid crimson or dark scarlet flowers, is of a fairly dwarf and good habit of growth, displays its flowers well, and is a striking object in the border. .Juarozi is so well known with its scarlet, Cactus-likeflowers, that little need besaidaboutit; it is of fairly dwarf growth, but had it the freedom of one of the small-flowered Pompon varieties, it would be a perfect decorative Dahlia. Then there is Mrs. Hawkins with its pleasing bright, deep sulphur flowers, but it is a tall grower, quite .")4 feet to G feet, and has the bad habit of hiding its blooms. Nine-tenths of the people who buy this Dahlia do so to plant it in their borders, and become greatly disappointed at finding it such a tall grower. But then it is a novelty, and that fact sometimes covers a multitude of defects. But it will tell in a stand of cut blooms for ex- hibition purposes. Mr. A. W. Tait I do not know, but it is represented as having pure white and very double flowers, the tips of the petals being deeply serrated. Parrot may be said to be a small form of .luarezi, with petals somewhat twisted, and of an intense scarlet colour, ami it is said to make a good border plant. And what shall I say of picta formosissima ? When, a few years ago, we saw that representation of it in Mr. Cannell's cata- logue, it seemed certain that we had secured some thing of a marked individuality of character. During the past three years has anyone seen a bloom of it that compares, except at a dis- advantage, with the coloured illustration. Of all tall ugly growers, this is the most ungainly. Early in the season of bloom, the flowers are anything but attractive, but later in the sea- son they are of a better character. But its tall growth will effectually prevent its being kept long in a garden after being once planted. One remarkably good new variety is Turner's Flambeau ; it is of a bright scarlet colour, grows about 4 feet in height, and is very free and effective, throwing up a good head of bloom, well above the foliage, on good long stems. This is a want in some of the Cactus varieties ; their stems are short, and so the flowers do not rise well above the foJiage. I think that in requiring six bunches of these in six distinct varieties, a little too much is being asked at the hands of exhibitors, seeing how restricted are the varieties. I think it would be best were this c'ass made to read, not less than three varieties. But much will depend upon whether the bedding varieties are admissible. If they are not, then the competition must be almost entirely in the hands of the trade, for ama- teur growers will scarcely grow nine or ten varie- ties. In fact, this number includes almost all the known sorts that are in cultivation. R. D. Japan Anemones (p. "iso) — Of coursn Anemone japonica may liave been knuwn in England from Chinese or Jap incse drawings long prior to IS4'», but I do not think the plant itself was known in gaidens ere that date. Siebold was one 34 ' THE GARDEN. [Jan. 8, 1887. of the most successful of all the early Dutch plant collectors, and his old garden at Leyden still contains many Japanese plants. There were several works on the botany of China and Japan published before lS4o, in one or more of which this Anemone may be figured. It is figured in Siebold and Zuccarini's " Flora Japonica," vol. i., pag! 15, t. 5, a work commenced in 1835 and ended in IStl. It is more than pos- fible that some of the early pottery, textile fabrics, 65) there is an excellent portrait of the pretty Veronica exhibited by Mr. Wilson .it South Kensington on December 7. The portrait was taken from a greenhouse speiimen in 1872, before the shrub was known to be hardy ; it looks a little more luxuriant than Mr. Wilson's did, which was gathered in the open air in December ; but still there can be no doubt about the identity of the two plants It was named and de.scribed in the Butaniral Majazine by Sir Joseph Hotjker as V. parviflora var. angustifolia, a species intermediate between V. salici- folia and V. li^ustrifolia. In the description it is once by mistake called V. parvifolia. Unless the name has been changed since 1872, I think we ought to keep to that originally given by Sir J. Hooker. — 0. WoLLEY Don, Edije Hull, Malpas. Old Elms. — These, like all other old trees, add much to the beauties of parks ; but when they get very old they are dangerous near buildings. Some time ago, when carrying out some iuiprovements contiguous to the hou-ieliold here, I was anxious that some decayed Elms should be felled and some more serviceable trees planted in their stead ; but as their removal was objected to, we planted our shrubs and finished our alterations, and all went well for some years, uutil a strong gale came, breaking boughs and overturning trees in all directions, and amongst the rest one of the Elms just mentioned, containing up- wards of laO feet of timber. Had it been taken down by practical woodmen it could not have been felled better, but it played sad havoc among many valuable shrubs. Upon one side stands the church, with buildings upon two other sides, and had the gale carried it or blown it upon any of these three sides there is no telling what might have been the conse- quence. Upon examination its roots were found to be thoroughly rotten, with the exception of 3 inches or 4 inches of an outside shell and a few surface roots, and I have no doubt that the majority of them were Ivy roots, as the bole of the tree was encased in Ivy, which must have been the means of keeping it in its right position for some time. Where Elms or other trees are standing clos* to buildings they should be examined, which ia easily done by probing them at the bottom. — J. M. The Stuirtias. — .4.mong the numberless trees and shrubs which we have now in cultivation, and for which we are indebted to North America, the two Stuartias stand out conspicuously on account of their intrinsic beauty, interest, and variety. The Virginian Stuartia is one of those plants that have been nurtured in obscurity, so to speak, for the past century at least, for so long ago as the middle of the last century it was spoken of as having been intro- duced. At that period, when it was a commendable practice to plant arboreta, it se^ ms to have been much sought after, the result bein^ ihat there has been handed down to us a few grant specimens of it, which, now being matured, display their full beauty. In the rich arboretum at Syon House a large bush of it is one of the most prized objects in the garden, it being probably the finest example of this shrub in Europe. S. pentagyna is likewise an old introduc- tion, having been brought from America about a cen- tury and a half ago. We therefore possess two Stuartias, and another near ally, Gordonia pubescens, 80 nearly resembles them that, for all practical purposes, it may also be considered a Stuartia. The Virginian Stuartia is, indeed, a charming shrub, possessing a flower some i inches across, and pui-e white except the little tuft of stamens in the centre, which is crimson. S. pentjgyna is very similar, but it has not the red tuft of stamens, and the carpels or insipient fruits are separated, whereas in S. virginica they are formed into a flask-shaped organ. S. pentagyna is the hardier of the two, inasmuch as its home is more northerly than that of the Virginian species ; consequently it is a more impirtant plant for English gardens, although S. virginica is really not what one would call a tender shrub. The latter inhabits swampy places or shady woods in its native haunts, for no doubt the plant is grateful for a little shade to screen it from the full force of a Virginian sun ; but here it wants .ill the sun we can possibly give it in order to thoroughly ripen its growth, so as to better enable it to withstand our sharp winters. Unfortunately, the Stuartias are very ditticult to propagate, and this difficulty in propagation no doubt accounts in a great measure for its scarcity. — G. garden on light soil. The trees were of various heights, ranging from 20 feet to 5 feet, and as there were about a score in the mass, they formed one of the chief features of the place. W. G. UNHEALTHY ARAUCARfAS. I NEVER considered that the Araucaria was worth all the thought that "A. D. W." (p. l.S) appears to bestow on it. He bewails the disease that preys upon it, as well ag the imperfect means of coping with the disease. My remedy would be the axe in the case of big trees and the handbill with the small. If there is one unsightly object more than another in a garden capable of neutralising the good effect of all others it is an Araucaria in a bad way. Except when seen at its best, as at Dropmore, many regard it as an un- lovely tree, very odd-looking certainly, but asso- ciating or harmonising with nothing in an English landscape. Rather than go to the trouble of reviving one in a bad way, or, as "A. D. W. " says, one with half its branches dead or dying, I think the best advice would be— chop it down, for who has seen a sickly Araucaria recover or even look decent when once it has lost a limb or become browned ? I have long since come to the conclusion that the Araucaria is not a tree for general planting, for, as "A. D. W." states, it succeeds only in certain localities and soils ; then is it not folly to go so much out of the way to coax it into vigorous growth when we have within reach so many trees that repay us for planting them and far handsomer ? The odd appear- ance of the Araucaria has, no doubt, captivated many who have room for one tree only, and therefore that tree must be an uncommon- looking one; hence it is so commonly seen in fore- court gardens even in towns, and no doubt these trees are often planted unskilfully. But this is apart from the question taken in the broader sense, which is that which concerns the larger class of gardens in which indiscriminate tree planting is a serious matter, seeing that it is costly. Because the Araucaria is a stock plant in all nurseries, large or small, no garden is con- sidered complete without it, and this thoughtless planting of Araucarias everywhere has been the means of spoiling many a garden landscape. The Araucaria, it must be admitted, is a handsome tree when it is seen so finely grown as the Drop- more tree, which is always cited as the finest sjiecimen; but then is it generally known that Philip Frost has cultivated this tree as he would a pot plant ? The tons of top dressing he tells you he has put around its roots during the many years he has had charge of it lets one into the secret of Araucaria culture. It is not the soil or tho climate of Dropmore that has made the tree what it is, but the attention that Philip Frost has be- stowed upon it. But how many can afford to grow trees on his plan ? That the Araucaria as an ornamental tree has been, and is still, over-rated, is the opinion of many ; that it is not a tree of the future is pretty well certain. The best effect I have seen produced by it was a group in a Surrey GROUPING CONIFEROUS TREES. The dotting stjie of planting is cold, as well as meagre ; nevertheless it has its uses ; it shows what individrral plants can become under difficulties. It also brings individual specimens and species into the sharpest contrast, and thus exhibits their special characteristics in intensified and, one might almost add, exaggerated lights. It has also enabled culti- vators to grow the largest number of species and va- rieties within a given area. But the dotting plan mars every landscape on which it is practised. What play of light, or shadow, or repose could be obtained by a series of dots, even though they consisted of trees faultless in form and syrutnetry ? Trees so disposed might be enjoyed as spfcimens, but a pleasing land- scape, consisting of solitary trees, is plainly an im- possibility. Nut only, however, is the dotting style inimical to landscape beauty, but it is also opposed to cultural perfection. Trees and shrubs are gregarious by nature, and if we compel them to grow in solitary isolation we mus"} take the conseiiuences ; and we d(j so in the form of slow and stunted growth in summer, or of ruthless destruction by cold in winter. It is not good for trees to grow alone. Each wind that blows beats against tbem with full force ; the sun and dry air drain each leaf and bough of its rich juices, and, worse than all,- the extremes of heat and cold do their worst as regards the exposed routs. This exposure of the roots to direct suUr and atmospheric influence is altogether unnatural, and conseijuently injurious. But there is no rreed to rest the case on such general statements. It is only necessary to trace the palpable effects of the frost throughout our pleasure grounds, after an exceptionally hard winter-, to discover that the single trees are often cut down, while groups of the self- same sorts escape unhurt. The seeming exceptions but oritirm the rule. These exceptional groups killed or injured will be found in a lower situation or a moister locality. In the former the air is colder, as cold air will shoot dowu valleys into plains with as much certainty as a stone will roll down hill; in the latter the plants are also more tender. Excessive moisture may help growth, but it hinders maturity, and it is maturity that enables plants to withstand cold. Hence it fol- lows that groups may in such exceptional localities be cut down, while single trees at a higher level, if more thoroughly matured, may e:-cape. But let the three- fold conditions of soil, site, and maturity be alike, and the results will ba wholly in favour of the groups. It is necessary, however, to b^ar in mind that there are "groups and gr mps." It is not only possible, but easy to render groups tender by overcrowding or over-feeding, and when such is the case, groups may be swept away by a frost that will hardly brown the leaves of a solitary tree. It may be well to add that excesdve stimulation, from whatever cause, results in weakness, that leaves the plants more liable to injury from cold than more hardy treatment. My object, lro«-ever, is to show that the conditions of growth being the same. Conifers planted in groups endure winters better than those doited about smgly. There is more than one reasou for this ; the tops are warmer and so are the roots. Plant- rs can scarcely realise the amount of shelter that plants afford each other when planted in groups. I know that in a series of -experiments made in Sc;<»tland, the absolute difference of temperature between the insile or out- side of a wood w.as much less than mi^jht have been supposed. But the difference is one of air in motiorr or at rest, rather than of absolute superiority or in- feriority of temperature. The air around and in a group is, as it were, at rest, compired with that agaiust a single tree. Now, air at rest is one of the best known non-conductors of heat ; but air in motion steals it from every living or dend substance that it touches with avidity. No doubt this mere motion thwarts, to some extent, the loss of heat by radiation. But, possibly, there is sufficient gentle movement in 36 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 8, 1887. the air of groups of trees to effect this purpose ; while of the warmth and shelter tlie trees afford each otlier there can be no doubt whatever. But I am of opinion that the shelter which they afford to each other's roots and their own is of yet greater importance. From many years' observation of the destructive effects of cold, I have arrived at the conclusion that most plants are crippled or killed from the roots upwards, and not from the tops downwards. This is what kills isolated trees. The best roots are often considerably beyond range of the tops. Of course, the feeding roots sweep out, and are, in ever-widen- ing areas, in search of new and better food. Just then the frost comes down upon them with full power, and either paralyses or kills them. Old mats njight be frost-proof, but young ones are not. The former deprived of the latter are as useless as detached gas or water-pipes cut off from the mains. "The collecting roots being ciip- pled or killed, the main ones became useless, and the tree begins to languish and die, or, in other words, is starved by the amount of cold at its most sensitive extremities, which planting in groups would have protected most effectually. There is anotb er powerfulinducement to plant- ing in groups. The dead leaves may be left to protect the roots along with the overshadowing tops. The farmer, in many cases, would afford the better pro- tection. It is astonishing how many leaves fall off Coniferie just before winter ; whole barrowloads of with- ered leaves lie under large trees of Pinus excelsa, P. Sabiniana, P. macrocarpa, and others. Under single trees these are, in most cases, carefully swept or raked up as so much unsightly litter, or are blown away by tlie wind. This is simply to lay the most sensitive part of the tree open to the cold. In a state of Nature these dead leaves accumulate to such an extent as to cover the ground under the trees ankle deep. They decompose very slowly, and their texture, form, and non-conducting powers are such that a very thin layer of them forms a frost- proof barrier. I have proved this, and no one who has not noted the power of the tops above and leaves below to resist cold could form a pro- per estimate of their potency. In group-planting there is no temptation to remove the dead leaves, and the wind is powerless to drive them out. Hence trees in groups cannot suffer at the roots, and, as a rule, they winter safely. Pyrus japonica, the large flowers being almost pure white, Stem-pruning' Deodars.— Stem-pruning en- courages upward growth, adds variety to the land- scape, and is not in the least injurious to the health of the plants. Stem-pruning need not be practised on Deodars till they become S feet or 10 feet in height. When of that size the stem shoidd be divested of its lower branches, from 1 0 inches to 1 8 inches from the ground, according to the height of the tree ; as the upward growth of the tree increases, the stem- pruniag may be carried to the height of 24 inches or 30 inches. The effect of the pendent points of branches round the central stem is in some circumstances in- finitely more pleasing than seeing the lower branches lying flat on the ground and destroying the Grass below. After pruning the stem of Deodars, as well completely surrounded with branches ; besides, from the greatest cold being on the surface of the ground, it is more apt to injure those lying on the surface than those higher up. — J. M. ■White Japan Cluince. — The numerous varie- ties of CydiiniA — or, as some prefer to call it, Pyrus — jiponica are amongst the most handsome of hardy ornamental trees and shrubs. They exhibit a con- siderable range of cjlour, from almost pure white to deep crimson. In size of individual fi>>wers, too, a great advance has been made amongst the cultivated forms and the Fetdlings raised since the old Cydonia japonica was introduced, about seventy years ago. One of the most desirable of these is Pyrus japonica nivalis. In this there is no trace of the pink colour which is so prominent in the old so-called white TUO.MAS MOORE. as all other coniferous trees, where the branches to be removed are in close contact with the ground, it will be necessary to lay down soil, so as to cover any roots which may be near the surface, in order to protect them from the sun or frost. Unless this simple treat- ment is adopted, such stem-pruned trees are liable to sustain injury, and blame given to the pruning, and not to the want of this after-treatment which is absolutely necessary, not only with Conifers, but with all evergreen shrubs requiring to be cut down. In the case of stem-pruned spc' imens of coniferous plants, I consider that the bark on the lower part of the stem, when allowed to mature and harden from exposure, is better able to retist culd, and the tree more likely to stand uninjured than it does when Obituary. THOMAS MOORE. Mr. THOJIA.S Moore died at his residence in the Botanic Garden, Chelsea, on New Year's Day, in the 66th year of his age. Death has thus re- moved i'rom our midst one of the best-known and most prominent men in connection with the horticulture of this country. Regret at the death of such a man will be universal, for his life-long labour in the advancement of horticul- ture is known, we might say, in every country where a love of gardening is fostered. More than half his life has been spent in literary work connected with gardening and botany, but he began gardening as a boy upwards of fifty years ago, first at Guildford, his native town, and after- wards at Eraser's nursery at Ley ton. In 1841 he be- came Mr. Marnock's clerk, at the time when he was laying out the Royal Bo- tanic Society's Gardens, in the Regent's Park, and he was afterwards associated with Mr. Marnock in the production of a gardening journal, which was, how- ever, but short-lived. In 1848 he was appointed curator of the Chelsea Bo- tanic Garden, as successor to Robert Fortune, so that he has resided at Chelsea for nearly forty years, and has been associated with the chief gardening events that have taken place dur- ingthat time both here and on the Continent. For the Royal Horticultural So- ciety Mr. Moore has work- ed most assiduously both in connection with pomo- logy and floriculture. At one time he was one of the directors of the Chiswick Garden, and also examiner in floriculture both to this society and to the Society of Arts ; he was secretary to the great International Exhibition and Congress that was held in London in 1866. Of late years floriculture claimed a good deal of his atten- tion. In the Carnation, Picotee, Auricula, and Dahlia Societies he was the chief leader, and the Dahlia Society was his especial hobby, the late Mr. Charles Turner and Mr. Douglas being his chief associates in these matters. As an author Mr. Moore has been industiious, for he has written no fewer than a dozen W(U-ks. The fiist appeared in 1844, and the last— his "Epitome of Gardening"— in 1881, lieing a re- print of llie article on hoiticulture which he contributed a year before to the " Encyclopa'dia Britaiiuica." He will, however, be best recol- lected by his works on Ferns, which ^^•ere his Jan. 8, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 37 special study. As an editor he was even more industrious than as an author. The "Treasury of Botany,'' issued in 1866, is an example of his skill and thouf^htfulness, as is also the last re- vised edition of Thompson's "Gardener's Assis- tant." For tifteen years (1866-81) he was joint edi- tor of the Gardeners' Chronicle, and for many years lie edited the Florist and Pomologist, a monthly magazine whidi ceased to exist a year ago. At all the leading horticultural exhibitions in London, in the provinces, and abroad, Mr. Moore was a familiar figure. He was considered indispensable as a judge of new plants, upon which he was justly regarded as an authority ; indeed, it is not too much to assert that Mr. Moore's knowledge of garden plants was un- surpassed by that of any other man one could name. The above is but an epitome of his chief work. He was a man who won for himself a multitude of friends, by whom his loss will be deeply regretted. In horticulture the good and useful work which he has done will be an enduring monument to his memory. Indoor Garden. LAPAGERIAS PLANTED OUT. TuE best way of growing Lapagerias is un- doubtedly that of planting them out, for although good specimens may, and indeed are, sometimes seen in pots, wherever a surface of any great ex- tent requires to be covered, it is found much more expedient, whenever there is a possibility of doing Eo, to have them planted in the conservatory or greenhouse border. Lapagerias being somewhat shallow-rooting plants, their roots naturally attain a great length and cannot well be accommodated in a pot, and when planted out they annually gain in strength. When planted out, great shoots are produced from the crown in a similar manner to those formed by Asparagus, and these should receive every encouragement ; owing to the somewhat horizontal direction that they generally take during their development, they often rise from the ground at a great distance from the parent plant, and in altogether unexpected places ; on that account alone a border is preferable to pot culture. When Lapagerias are planted out it is beneficial to have them surfaced with fresh soil every year, and under all circumstances the opera- tion should be performed before the new shoots push through the ground. A gentle stirring of the surface of the soil with a hand-fork having been carefully done to the depth of about 3 inches or i inches, and the material thus loosened having been removed, the border should be filled up again with fresh compost. A mixture of two parts good fibrous peat, one of coarse silver sand, and, if procurable, a little rubble or a small quantity of broken- up charcoal, is about the best material that can be recommended for the pur- pose. This annual surfacing has the effect of stimulating the vigour of the plants, as the nutri- tive properties contained in the new compost are, by repeated waterings, carried to the roots, which derive great benefit therefrom. The new shoots must be carefully watched, and, as soon as they Issue from the ground, protected by a piece of zinc formed into a tube about 6 inches high and 2 inches in diameter. This is the most efficient way of preventing slugs from destroying them ; all ingredients recommended for that purpose lose their efficaciousness through the damp state in which the ground has to be kept. After the flowering season Lapagerias should be re-arranged on the roof, leaving between their foliage and the glass a space of S inches or 10 inches, which is sufficient to enable the syringe to have full effect on them during their growing season, when they require frequent use of it to prevent their being infested with aphides, which, under cool treatment, are the only insects that attack them. By being trained near the light the wood gets well hardened and produces flowers in greater profusion, but as soon as the flower-buds have reached the size of an ordinary Pea, which is generally about the end of July, the shoots should be untied and allowed to hang down loosely. This gives the plants a better op- portunity of displaying the beauty of their blos- soms and produces a very pleasing effect, which is also enhanced by disposing the flowering shoots, when they are untied, at various heights. It may be well to state here that for training Lapagerias it is much better to use soft string than either copper or galvanised wire, for while the former material retains, owing to the frequent summer syringings, constant dampness, which is greatly beneficial to the plants, the latter is often the cause of serious disasters through being a con- ductor of heat, and getting in summer much warmer than the young and tender shoots are capable of enduring without suffering. Abund- ance of water at the roots is necessary at almost all times of the j'ear, but particularly from March to October, during which period the waterings should be both frequent and copious. The foliage should be freely syringed until the flowers begin to open. Shoots from the plants which were layered in the border last year will be found to have rooted freely, and to have produced inde- pendent plants from the eyes which have lain buried in the soil during the past season. These may now be separated from the parent plants and treated as ordinary layers. S. CROWEAS AND THEIR CULTURE. Croweas belong to a limited family of evergreen greenhou--ie plants, introduced front New South Wale?, that are of comparatively small, bushy habit of growth, producing their lively dark pink star- shaped flowers, for two or three months in succession through the autumn, at a time when greenhouse- flowering subjects are few. Croweas have many things to recommend them to the general cultivator, not the least of which is their easy growth and adaptability for decorative purposes, especially for the conserva- tory, where by regulating the time that they com- mence growing a succession of the plants may be had so as to have some in flower from the commencement of August, to be succeeded by others th.it will keep on until after the close of the year. They will also bear, whilst in bloom, placing in a confined situation in conservatories or similar places much better than most hardwooded subjects ; they likewise have the property of flowering freely in a very small state. Plants the first year grown from the usual nursery- sized stock will just bloom as plentifully in proportion to their size as when older. When they get large and are well managed, they are useful for exhibition, if required for this purpose, the nature of the flowers being such that they will bear a deal of knocking about without being bruised or disfigured. They make moderately strong roots, that are not at all delicate or liable to injury from causes that wouM result in the death of more tender things ; yet they do not form them in such large quantities as to need so much pot-room as many plants. All the kinds will grow in loam, and in it, when of a good description, the colour of the flowers is often a little higher ; but in peat they generally make quicker progress, and where the latter can be had of a fair character, we shoidd recommend it in preference to loam, using about one-sixth or seventh of clean sharp sand inter- mixed. Although the Croweas do not require anything above a cool greenhouse temperature to grow them, they are amongst a certain number of plants that will bear and make much more progress by having their growing season lengthened through being started iu a little warmth in the winter. Their time of flowering can also be regulated by this. Plants that are thus started into growth in slight heat in February will bloom early in August if required, to be suc- ceeded by others, the growth of which commenced with the advance of the season. Where there is the means of submitting them to a temperature of 50° in the night, with a rise of 8° or 10° by day, about February, we should advise the young stock to be so started at that time. Croweas strike readily from cuttings, which should be procured about April from plants that have started iu an intermediate temperature in February ; put them several together in 5-inch or 6-inch pots in sand, subjecting them now to an ordinary stove tempera- ture, with shade and a moist, confined atmosphere ; here they will root in six or eight weeks, when give more air and light. As soon as they are fully rooted move singly to small pots, stopping the points and continuing the warm, moderately close treatment through the summer and autumn, keeping on in the winter in a night temperature of about 50^. In March the young plants should have made enough progress to admit of their being moved into 4 inch or 5-inch pots, stopping each shoot ; through the spring and summer give a little more warmth than usual for the generality of greenhouse plants, standing them on a moist bottom, with plenty of light and a little shade in very bright weather, giving a dash with the syringe every afternoon. Winter as before, and about the commencement of the year cut in the whole of the preceding summer's growth, leaving the shoots about 6 inches long from the point where they were shortened to the previous season ; tie them out in a horizontal position, and about the time and in the temperature above advised place them where they will receive a fair amount of light, slightly damping them overhead with the syringe once a day ; here they will soon commence growth and be in a condition for potting. They will require a 2-inch shift, with a fair quantity of drainage, using the soil in a moderately lumpy state, and pressing it solid in ihe pots. Replace the plants in a similar tempera- ture to that they have been in, and here let them remain until the beginning of May, when there will be enough solar heat to keep them on growing with- out the assistance of fire ; after this, they will do alouff with other ordinary hardwooded stock, requiring like treatment through the summer as to air, .syringing overhead, and closmg the house or pit they occupy with the sun upon it in the afternoon. They will not need any stopping of the shoots, except such as happen to grow considerably stronger than the rest. 'The reason that it is not advisable to stop these plants in the summer, as prescribed in the cultivation of most hardwooded subjects, is that it pinched back nothing is gained, as it rarely has the effect of causing shoots to break out several from each, as in the case of most things, but simply stops growth altogether for the season, and hastens their flowering. Where there is not the convenience of a house in which they can receive a little heat early, as above described, all the difference in their treatment required is to pot them later, about April, with the other hardwooded greenhouse plants, and treat through the summer as before advised, but by the latter method they cannot be expected to make so much growth, nor flower so early. When they come into bloom they will make nice little plants for stand- ing on front shelves or in any prominent position. When their blooming is over, remove the plants to where they will receive ordinary greenhouse treatment as to temperature, air, and water, cutting them back as in the preceding season so as to reduce the shoots to 6 in. or 8 in. in length from the point they were shortened to the year before, and again starting them in a little heat as previously, or if a succession of bloom is required, a portion of the stock may be allowed to commence their growth later on in the greenhouse. This year they will bear a 3-inch shift, using the soil in a little more lumpy state, and keeping the strongest shoots well tied out, so as to clothe the base of the plants, treating them through the season as heretofore. The treatment required during subsequent years will be similar in every way, always cutting the shoots well back before growth begins, or a sufficiently dense, bushy condition will not be maintained. It is not necessary to increase the size of pot beyond 15 inches in diameter, as this will be big enough for full-sized specimens. After the plants have been in pots of this size for a year or two they should be regularly supplied with manure water through the growing season. In this way Croweas may be kept for years in a thriving, healthy state. "" '^ T. B. 38 THE GARDEN. Azalea mollis. — This Azalea is very valuable for forcing purposes. Plants of it potted up in sunamer and kept out of doors until hard frost sets in force better than plants otherwise treated, and the flowers are more persistent than in the case of plants newly imported from France and Belgium. This is a fact worth knowing ; and as it is found by experience that the varieties of A. mollis are not so well adapted for outdoor culture — except under very favourable circum-^tances— as for greenhouse work, and seeing they are easily managed, they should be extensively grown where there is convenience for forcing. The flowers are of various beautiful shades of colour, and all very showy, and the blossoms are borne in fine trus.=es, which are often equal in size to those of the Rhododendron. Then the plants are of bushy growth, deciduous, and perfectly hardy. The following are a few of the best varieties : Alphonse Lavallde, bright orange, shaded with scarlet, and spotted with citron; Baron E. de Rothschild, dark red, spotted with yellow ; Chevalier de Reali, straw-white, merging into creamy yellow ; Comte de ( ionier, lovely rose, spotted with orange ; Isa- bella Van Houtte, dark nankeen, spotted with orange ; Consul Pecher, rose, spotted with dark orange ; Dr. Leon Vignes, white, shaded with nankeen, and spotted with orange ; and Scarlet La Grande, orange-scarlet, the best of all in colour. It should be stated that the spots are confined to the upper segments of the flowers. From some nurserymen seedlings of Comte de Gomer, Consul Pecher, Isabella Van Houtte, and one or two other distinct varieties can be had, and if these have been transplanted twice and are 10 inches or 12 inches in height and bushy, they will be found admirable for potting-up for forcing purposes. As a matter of course, seedlings can be bought at a much cheaper rate than the propagated named varieties. ~R. D. Origin of Berberis stenophylla. — Can any- one ei]lit;httn me upon the history of this most beauti- ful Barberry ? It i'j generally considered to be a hybrid between B. empttrilolia and B. Darwini, and I thought so t*o until I came across the name in Forbes and Hemsley's "Index Flora; Sinensis." It there states that B. stenophjlla is a native of Szechuen, and gives Hance as the authority for the name. I once heard that it was raised in the Handsworth Nurseries, Shtffield, and was named B. handsworth- ensis, but that the name was afterwards changed to B. stenophylla by Lindley. I find no published statement corroborating this. Possibly there may be two Barberries under the name of stenophylla ; but I am alluding to the beautiful sliiub with long, slender branches and narrow leaves, and which in summer is wreathed with golden blossoms brighter in colour and more graceful than that of either B. Dar- wini cr B. empetrifolia.— G. Poetical allusions to Pears.— In Mr. Rivers' paper on Pears, published in your last issue, the lecturer notes that Shakespeare only mentions this fruit onoa ("Merry Wives of Windsor," n. 5), but in " Winter's Tale," n. 2, the poet mentions Wardens — I must hiive saffron to culuur Waideu pies — and Wardens were undoubtedly cooking Pears (cf- Bacon, "Essay xlvi."). Again, Mr. Rivers asserts that Herrick does not mention this fruit. Surely he never can have looked through that poet's " Hesperides " ? I find no less than seven separate allusions there to Pears, and he, besides Sir John Suckling, has immortalised the Katharine Pear — Bo Cherries blu.sh and Katherine Pea'-s. (37/- Maiden's BUisli, " Hap:rid:s:') Herrick also mentions the Warden — Of roasted Warden or baked Pear. (To Flnllh, '■Hesperides:') And to a Christmas custom, in which the Pear is alluded to — Wassail the trees that they may bear You many a Plum and m.any a Pear. {Cereuwniisfor Cfu-islmas, " Hesperides.' ) Spenser speaks of the Pear in his " Shepard's Calendar " (March 3), and Chaucer, who perhaps more than any other poet loved the freshness of spring and early morning, alludes to the beauty of the Pear tree in its full bloom — She wa.s well mure blissful on to see Thau is the new Perjouetti tree. C" MtUeie's Talc," line (51.) All who have read the " Canterbury Tales " will remember the incident of the Pear tree in the "Marchand's Tale."— P. E. N., Uppa- Norwood. NOTES OF THE WEEK. Begonia socotrana proves itself to be the most persistent winter-flowering of all Begonias. At Kew, where almost every cultivated species is grown, it is the only one that makes a show. There is a group of plants of it that for weeks past have been the feature of the Begonia house. The flowers do not drop, as those of most other Begonias do, but wither away without losing their colour. This mass of rosy pink bloom is very cheerful at this almost flowerless sea- son. When the Socotra Begonia was first introduced it was thought that good things would result by hybridising it, but as yet none of the hybrids raised from it surpass the original. A pretty winter Heath is Erica colorans, and we should include it in a selection of the best winter- flowering kinds. It is a good deal like the common winter Heath (E. hyemalis) in growth, and, like it, the flowers are long and slender, opening pure white, then gradually changing to a delicate blush, and dying off a deep rosy red. They are densely produced on the upper parts of the new shoots, and are therefore very suitable for cut sprays ; one of these flowering shoots with a frond of Maiden-hair Fern would form as pretty a combination as could be cut in the plant house at this season. There is a variety of E. colorans called superba, but if this is prettier than the original it is superb indeed. This Heath may be seen among others in the Heath house at Kew. The winter Honeysuckles.— The two Chiuese Honeysuckles, Lonicera Standishi and fragrantissima, which in mild winters are in bloom before Christmas, seem to be still struggling to open their flowers midst the frost and snow. If %ve get a spell of mild weather, both will be covered with white bloom in a short time, diffusing their Orange-blossom-Uke fra- grance, as does the C'lumonanthus, which, by the way, is also behind time this year. These Honey- suckles are perfectly hardy, and will grow and flower wtU in a shrubbery, but then their fragrance is lost, and their flowers are too modest to attract one to them. Tlie place for them is against a south wall near a frequented walk ; then one can enjoy their fragrance, and even the crowds of small blossoms give an interest to a walk round the garden at this season. Bignonia venusta. — This Bignoni.4 blooms as freely during the winter months in a cuol stove as it does in a warmer house. Its flowers, which are bright orange-ied, have a particularly cheerful appear- ance at this season of the year when flowers of almost all colours are scarce. The plant grows rapidly — almost too much so where space is limited, but by a judicious thinning of the growths as they are formed, flowers in abundance can be had in a small space. Here it is planted in a Cucumber bed along with some Gardenias, which occupy one side of a small Cucumber house. On the opposite side Cucumbers are grown, and the moist temperature requiied for them during the spring and .summer months just suits this Bignonia. We grow it in a compost consisting of two parts loam, one of leaf soil, some charcoal and bones, and give it copious supplies of water in summer and occasionally liquid manure. During hot weather the foliage is vigorously syringed twice a day. The young growths are trained over the pathway in the centre of the house, which is a span-roofed one, and thus managed they do not interfere either with the Cucumbers or the Gardenias. The strongest shoots are trained thinly on the wires, and all the weaker ones are removed, thus allowing those retained to get thoroughly ripened, and from their points, and also from the axils of many of the leaves on the current season's growths, flower.s are now appearing in pro- fusion. Brown scale is the only insect which attacks [Jan. 8, 1887. this plant, and an occasional syringing with lemon oil is the best remedy for it. It can also be removed by sponging with soapy water, but when the plant is large this is a slow process. — E. M. ^* With this communication came magnificent clusters of flowers of this showy old-fashioned, winter, blooming stove climber — a plant too seldom met with now-a-days. In old days it used to be well grown both at Kew and Frogmore. — Ed. Ihe Golden Scotch Fir in winter.— Who- ever interested in trees has seen a good plant of this Pine (Pinus s^lvestris aurea) must have been struck with its bright golden colour, which eclipses that of the Golden Yew and Golden Lawson (Jypresa, or any other Conifer. In winter its colour is most con- spicuous and most valuable, as it stands out so dis- tinct from everything else among trees and shrubs. On account of the depth of the yellow hue, it does not wear that sickly appearance that many other golden Conifers have, and it seems to possess the vigour of the topical Scotch Pine. I saw it last win- ter at Westonbirt, and Mr. Holford, who knows how to estimate ornamental trees at their true value, thinks highly of it, particularly for winter effect. There is a specimen of it in Kew Gardens near the main entrance, and though it is only about 4 feet high, it is one of the most prominent trees in that part of the garden. It may not be so rapid in growth as the green, and it will be years before a big tree can be seen of it. It is a tree which nurseiymen should take in hand, but it does not appear to be catalogued in English tree-lists ye^. — G. Senecio Ghiesbreghti.— For want of a better English name, this has been called the Tree Ground- sel, yet to associate such a noble plant with our troublesome weed is not right. In all Kew there is not a more remarkable plant in flower than this South African one, which largely helps to make the greenhouse attractive. The plants now in full bloom have erect stems, as thick as a broomstick, with leaves nearly a foot long and half as broad, and crowned by a great flower-head composed of numberless small, bright yellow flowers, the whole measuring some 15 inches across. Every visitor seems to inquire the name of this remarkable plant, and few seem to grow it, or know it even. It is a fast-growing plant, for the specimens in flower are 0 feet or 7 feet high, and yet but two years old from cuttings. It lasts a long time in bloom. It is grown in pots and treated liberally, as it is a gross feeder. Mr. Barron used to grow it very fine at Chiswiek, and there and at Kew are about the only places in which we have seen it. Why is it that nurserymen do not take in hand such a plant as this, so that it may come into general cultivation ? The Eucharis mite. — I extracted from a Euoharis bulb, the other day, about as many mites as would fill a small gun-cap, and put them in an eggcup half full of paraffin, where they remained all night. I then looked at them through a binocular microscope and they were quite lively at the bottom of the cup, after being in undiluted paraffin for more than eighteen hour.?. If I could obtain the use of an air-pump I should like to try the experiment of placing a bulb under the receiver, exhausting the air, and then admitting some poisonous gas. What is the opinion of your readers respecting this suggestion 'i — IV.VNIIOK. Mr. Rivers' lecture on Pears.— May I ask you to allow nie to say that this wa^ delivered at the usual monthly mecti'itj of the Ilorticultuiul Club on December 7. — Hon Sec, Ihrl. Clab. Names of plants. -1''. O. — Apparently a bit of Spindle tree; send flowers and le.avGS. W. S., Doncaster.— l^ Adiaiitum CapiUus-veneri-s ; 2, A. pubesccns ; 3, A. cou- einnum latum ; 4, A. tenerum ; 5, A. formosum. Amateur. — 1, .specimen insufficient ; 2, apparently Saccol.abium rapillo- sum ; 3, Calanthe nivalis. //. A'., I-.ast Farhifjh. — Epiden- drum eilin-e, Mormode.s iiardinum unicolor. yr jl/., JSishrips li'altham. — Bryophyllum calycinum. <:. B'oxham. — Hakea lauriua. The plant which "A. J. C." possesses having an aromatic smell is evidently Colcus aromaticus. BOOKS RECEIVED. " The Rosar^an's Year-Book, 1887." Bemrosc & Sons, 23, Old Bailey, London. " The Repair and Maintenance of Roads." " City Press," Aldersg'ate Street, London. Jan. 8, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 39 WOODS & Forests. ENGLISH FIREWOOD. YouB invitation to a further discussion of this question is specially appropriate when the ground is covered with snow and the thermometer indi cates '20" of frost. It is also the season of Yule logs and Christmas and new year's festivities when the blazing wood fires on the hearth or in the grate add a special brightness and a new glow of comfort to friendly gatherings. At such times, but for the spits and sparks, there is nothinsj like deal firewood, and especially Scotch Fir. It may also be fancy, but I rather think it is a fact that this firewood flies and sparks less in Scotland than in England. Whether the differ- ence— if any — arises from the greater age, superior quality, or increased percentage of resin or turps in the Scotch timber over the English, it seems difficult to say. But my experience of wood fires, which is rather extensive, points to a wide diflfe- rence, all in favour of the Scotch-grown wood. It blazes more freely, burns more fiercely, and gives out more heat than the same species of wood grown further south ; and as to brilliancy of flame and pleasant odour, there are few, or no, fire- woods that can equal the Scotch Fir. I observe that '■('. R. S. D." recommends that any one of the Cedar trees should be stored away for its pleasant smell in burning. He also observes that their wood burns brightly when dry. Neither can hardly be said of the Cedar of Lebanon, which, I fear, there will be an excessive experience of as firewood on account of the recent storms. It is in no way equal to the Scotch Fir for firewood, green or dry, and no Cedar but the common red one is worth burning for its odour, and that is seldom available for firewood. A year or two ago I called attention to the ex tremely high merits of Yew as firewood, and am glad to find that "J. C. C." holds similar views I also agree with this writer's estimate of White Thorn and Holly, if it could only be had in sufficient quantity. He is also, no doubt, right in placing Oak at the head of the list of deciduous trees, with Ash as a good second, and Apple and Pear, could they only be had, as good thirds. As to the fourth, there will probably be considerable variety of opinion. In the north of Scotland and other localities where Larch abounds it is highly prized as firewood. It not only burns well and gives out a good heat, but is easy to prepare, and cleanly to use and store. It also gives out a mild and pleasant odour. Sycamore, Spanish Chest- nut, and Beech are almost equal in heat-producing properties ; and though there is such a ditierence in weight between Beech and the other two, it does not last much longer nor give out much more heat. Spanish Chestnut spits and sparks almost as much aa many Firs. Horse Chestnut is hardly equal to these for fuel, and is not often found in sufficient bulk for firewood. Elms of all sorts I place last. Most of them are difficult to reduce to proper size and form, and are what the Scotch call "dour" burners — a quality most trying to the tempers of those in a reasonable haste for dinner or to get warm. Perhaps no wood needs so much humouring in the burning as Elm, and few woods are, on the whole, less satisfactory, humour it as we may. A good deal, however, depends on its greenness or maturity, and possibly not a little on the soil on which it is grown and the sort. One more wood should have followed closely on the heels of the Ash, if it should not have succeeded the Oak as second, and that is the Hazel. Where this can be had of considerable size, it leaves little to be desired in firewood. — Hortcs. Perhaps my experience on this subject may be worth recording, as we burned wood of all sorts in my youth, partly loppings from a wood in the parish, and partly the produce of our own shrubberies. My father (a tree- fancier well known to the nurserymen of his day) always preferred green Ash or dry Oak-lop, but we children liked a fire of Spruce or Scotch Fir, especially the latter, and a bit of Birch was a rare treat, because it produced so much flame- Elm roots we considered "sulky ;" but the worst of all wood was that of Sycamore ; nothing would induce it to do more than smoulder. — Junia. WOODLAND NOTES. R.iPiD GROWTH OK THE DouGLAS FiR. — On thinning a patch of the above tree quite recently, curiosity prompted me to measure a few of the individual specimens, these being of twenty-two years' growth, and planted in a free sandy soil, with a considerable admixture of alluvial deposit. One of the largest, but there were many quite as big, contained 38 cubic feet of wood, and measured 30 inches in diameter of stem near the ground level. The average height of the trees is 61 feet, with clean, straight boles that taper gradually from base to top, and an abundance of well-feathered branches- What strikes the careful observer most ie these trees is the wonderful difference in general habit as well as mode of growth, the branches of some being as pen- dulous as those in the typical Weeping Spruce (Abies Morinda). whHe others havea decided erect inclination. In colour of foliage as well as habit of growth striking differences are observable in the same wood, that of some trees being of an intense green, others of a dark, almost black, yew iireen ; whilst others, again, have a slight silvery hue intermixed with the usual colour. These differences are likewise usually discernible in the seed-bed, but moat strikingly, perhaps, after half- a dozen years' growth. Growth op the Weymouth Pine. — Intermixed with the above Douglas Spruces are a number of trees of Pinus Strobus, or the Weymouth Pine, and which, being planted at the same time, or exactly two-and-twtnty years ago, give a good idea of the average yearly rate of growth of this valuable tree in our soil and clime. The average height and general bulk of the Weymouth, although far short of that of the Douglas, is, nevertheless, encouraging, and proves to us that when grown on soil of fairly good quality and of a loose nature the tree makes rapid progress, and products a nice, clean, resinous timber that should be easily worked and suited for many of the uses of an ordinary carpenter. The stems are remark.ably uniform in size, the whorh of branches occurring at regular intervals of about 21 inches, and the bark, which is smooth and unctuiius in appearance, is of a p'easant olive green above, but changes to a dull tena cjtta on the lower portion of the stem. I have just been examining some boards of the Weymouth Pine, the produce of trees cut seven years agn, and find these, although placed under disadvantageous circumstances, as fresh and sound as when cut, the only difference being that the original light colour has given place to a deep Lance-wood yellow. I am quite certain that few persons would recognise one of these planks as home- grown, for an examination and comparison reveal but slight differences between it and that imported from its native country. The Lebanon Ced.vr as a ginhk.il forest tree. — For planting indiscriminately amongst the general run of our forest trees, the above Cedar ij, here at least, not well adapted. It requires plenty of room for spread of buth root and branch, else it soon puts on a miserably unhealthy-looking appearance, the leaves being scant and a yellowy green, the branch growth laterally short, stunted, and prone to die off prematurely, thus imparting to the whole tree that half-starved look that is .anythiog but desirable where a healthy state of the woods is of first importance, Hardly a year passes that we have not to remove one or two specimens of the Lebanon Cedar, owing to ill- health, but how caused is a puzzle that has baffled for years our most careful investigation and research. Low-lying, damp ground is not the cause, for others Ijing high and dry are similarly affected, and if soil be the cause, then that of every description almost must be at fault, for on rough sand, heavy loaua, vegetable refuse, shale rock with light, sandy loam at top, as well as carefully prepared peat bog, they have gradually become unhealthy, and ultimately died out altogether. I am not now referring to woodland trees, but rather to those grown as single specimens for lawn and park decoration. Seldom does the dis- ease, or premature death from other causes, attack trees of less than about twenty years' growth, the first indications being want of foliage, this becoming scant and of an unhealthy colour, and in less than three years all is up, for usually at that stage the tree dies off, unless when growing in a conspicuous position, when usually after the second year the axe is laid to its roots. Large Everguekn Oaks. — It m,ay be of interest to at least a few correspondents to know that there is growing on Tal-y Bont farm, midway between Bangor and Aber, a very fine specimen of the Evergreen Oak that stands about 50 feet high, measures 10 feet in circumference of stem, and has a diameter of spread of branches covering 39 feet. Standing alone, with no kind neighbouring clump or wood to guard off our dread south-western blasts, and with a well balanced head of the richest and greenest of foliage, clearly points out how well adapted this valuable tree is for high-lying, wind-swept districts. But not only as a hardy subject is the Evergreen Oak well worthy of commendation, for as an ornamental Evergreen that imparts both warmth and character to the adjacent siirrounding-s it has certainly few equals. Large as the above specimen may seem, it fades into intigni- ficance when compared with those of the same kind growing at Peniarth, County Merioneth, and which the following inscription on a heautifid plank of this wood, sent to Lord Penrhyn from the owner of the Ptniarth estate, in 1863, and now preserved in our wood collection, but too plainly shows : — This wood is a piece of one of the great Evergreen Oaks at Peniarth, County Merioneth, ijlown down in October, 1S511, tlic same night on winch tli« Ro//a( CItayUr wai wrecked on the east coast of Anglesea. '['he largest of these trees was at the ground (> feet in diameter (21 feet in circutafercnee), an"! at 5 feet from the ground 1 1 feet in circumfcrenee. ISIJS. W. W- E. W. The plank in question, although only 20 inches long, 7 inches wide, and an inch thick, weighs fully ."p.V lbs. It is of a pleasant walnut-brown, marked with black bars longitudinally, these again crossed, nearlv at right angles, with rather broad, wavy, dark brown bands, thus rendering the wood, but par- ticularly in a polished state, of a rich and desirable tint. The idea that this beautiful graining and den- sity of the wood is characteristic of the Evergreen Oak in general must not, however, be for one moment entertained, for it is only the Lirgest and ol.lest of trees that produce as heartwood anything akin to the above. Earthing up tree stems. — This should never bo tolerated, unless, indeed, it is immaterial whether the trees live or die. Not long ago we had some ex- perience of the evils of such — Birch, Alder, Oak, Larch, and Si;otch Firs being killed outright, and that in a very short period of time, by the embanking work carried out in the formation of a railway line At the time it was, no doubt, thought that these living trees would act as firet-class props for the em- bankment, but in less than two years every tree that had a stem covering of i feet and upwards was killed. This should be a warning to contractors to first of all remove every tree that may come in contact with the earth thrown together in embanking before the work is set about, for such work cannot be satisfac- torily carried out afterwards, unless at great expense and at considerable loss of timber as well. WuODLANn DRAINAGE. — In a season like the pre- sent the effects of a thorough system of drainage are only too apparent ; whereas the evils camed by ne- glect of such should act as a future warning to every forester not to neglect so important and useful an operation. Ground that is excessively damp cannot produce healthy timber — in fact, if we wo\dd but take Nature as our guide in this matter we will find that a free, light loam on a porous subsoil produces the largest and finest quality of timber. It, there- fore, behoves everyone in charge of woods and plan- tations to look Well to whether or not the ground is relieved of superabundant moisture. Open ilitches may be cut in old woods where the Moss-clad trees indicate that too much moisture is present, but in doing so, care and forethought must be exercised in choosing the line of drains, so that the dampest ground may be traversed ; as well as that in cutting the drains they may have been marked off at such a distance from the tree stems as to injure the roots of these as little as possible. A definite 40 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 8, 1887 system of drainage is not required in such cases, the best plan being to open good wide ditches wherever the state of the soil and appearance of the trees indi- cate that such is needed. PiNus Lakicio as a foeest tkee. — All along we have strongly advocated the extended use of the Corsican Pine for forest planting in this country, and the eagerness with which nurserymen are getting up a stock tells but too plainly for what particular tree most demand is anticipated in the future. Experi- ments have been carried out all over the country, from the cold, high-lying lands of Scotland to the low-lying plains of Southern England and Ireland, and in every case the anticipated news reaches us that amongst the various Pines that have been tried none seems better suited for the soils and clime of this country than the one in question. It always does me good to have a walk through a thirty-acre wood that was formed on a bare, wind-swept moor at a considerable elevation above sea level to see how the Laricio braves the piercing blasts to which that hillside is fully exposed, and there puts on a freshness and greenness of foliage tint that even the ozone of our seaside woods cannot impart. Many trees have we cut up for boarding, &c., and it pleases us well, being firm and close grained, well impreg- nated with resin, and capable of being readily and easily worked. The Laricio has a very bad fault, but only the one that I have yet found out, and that is it transplants badly if proper care has not been expended on its early training so as to produce an abundance of fibrous roots. By transplanting it when two years old, and annually afterwards until planted out permanently, we have quite overcome this evil, but to treat the Laricio as we do the Larch, Scotch, and Spruce will never do. Plant the Laricio out permanently at a young age, say three years, and if the above directions have been followed few deaths will occur. A. D. W. SCOTTISH ARBORICULTUEAL SOCIETY. At a meeting of this society, which took place at Edinburgh, Dec. 23, as reported in the Scotsman, it was agreed that the competition essays and reports for next year should be as follows : — Class \.—For Open CompcHlion. I. The best .lud most complete original plan, accompanied with specifications and estimate, fur tlio erection of a fores- ter's cottage. 2- Essay on the comparative value of the newer ConiferiB as ornamental or timber trees, in Britain, with date of intro- duction. 3. Report on the effects of the great gales of the last twenty-five years on the woods and forests of Britain. The report to give the date of gale and statistics of trees de- stroyed. 4. The history and details of management of the plan- tations on an estate for a period of not less than twenty years, giving the acreage, annual receipts and expenditure per acre. 6. Report on the comparative value of the different timber trees grown for ijrofit in Britain, with rate of growth of each species in a given time. 7. Report on the plantations of which the competitor is forester. A medal to be awarded for the best report from England, Scotland, and Ireland, and competition to be con- fined to each country. Reporter to state the extent of plan- tations, the kinds of timber grown, soil, situation age management, &c. ' 8. Essay on the present state and future prospects of arboriculture in the county in which the competitor resides. 0. Essay on tlie best system of managing Oak plantations and Oak coppice. 10. Essay on best method of rearing underwood for game coverts in hiyh forest. II. Report on Couiferra produced from home seed as com- pared with plants from foreign seed. 12 On the natural reproduction (by self-sowing) of forest trees. 13. Essays on theadv.aut,ages of forming bolts of plantations on hill, pasture land ; the proper width, the best system of draining and fencing, and the most suitable varieties of trees to be eiven. 14. Essay or report on an arboretum, with plan. 15. Report on the old or remarkable trees on the estate where the competitor resides, giving correct measurements of the circumference of the trunk at 3 feet and 5 feet from the ground ; the height of the bole, the total height of the tree, and its cubic contents to S inches in diameter. Photo- graphs or drawings to accompany the report Hi. Report on timber grown in Scotland and its uses. The writer to state the principal markets for the various classes of timbers, and the use tn which such timber is generally put, with other detiils. 1". Essay on the best methods of utilising small- wood in the manufacture of fancy-wood articles, turnery, &e. 18. Essay on the best method of seasoning different imbers. ^ 10. Essay on any discaie incidental to forest trees. 20. Report (from personal knowledge) on the forests of any British colony. 21. Report (from personal knowledge) on the forests of the United States of America. 22. Report on the system of forest management in any foreign country. 23. Essay or report on any other subject connected with arboriculture. 24. For a new invention or a marked improvement on any of the implements used in forestry (models or implements to be acconip-anied by a report). Class IT. — For Assistant Foresters only. 1. Essay on the formation of plantations. The writer to describe all operations necessary for laying out, planting, and managing plantations for the first twelve years. 2 Essay or report on the best method of renovating over- grown shrubberies. The writer to state the treatment le- quired for the various species of plants. 3. Report on the management of a home nursery. 4. Essay on the best size of plants, and method of plant- ing to produce the best results in different soils and situa- tions. b. Essay on the formation and management of live fences. G. Essay on the best dead fence (iron, wire, wood, or stone), taking into consideration economy, efficiencj', and durability, and detailing the method of erection and cosl;. 7. Essay on the peeling and harvesting of different kinds of British bark used in tanning. 5. For the best and approved model in rustic work or in omament.al woodwork of any subject designed and executed by the competitor. Model not to exceed 0 feet in height. 0. For an essay or report on any other subject connected with arboriculture. The prizes offered in each case are gold, silver, and bronze medals, or their value in money, ranging from £.5 to 10s. In connection with No. 7, Class II., a remark was made by the chairman, that foresters were greatly handicapped in this country in preserv- ing their bark by the weather. Mr. D. F. Mackenzie, Morton Hall, said there was no doubt that the tannin was washed out of the bark when it was exposed to the rain. The chairman said that the bark should be dried under cover. A tanner had said to him that more Scottish bark would be used if that were done. The Americans had tried sending over the tannin ex- tracted from the bark in barrels, but it had been found not to work so well. It was announced that Her Majesty had given permission to the society to visit the woods and forests at Balmoral during the first week of August, 1887. A note was also read from Mr. John Michie, forester, Balmoral, one of the members of the council of the society, stating that he should be glad to assist in the carrying out of the excursion so far as may be in his power. THINNING FOREST TREES. There is, perhaps, no other branch of more import- ance in the successful rearing of timber trees for profit than a thorough knowledge of the art of thinning, and, perh,ap3, there is no other branch of tree culture so little understood, or, at all events, that practical men are more divided in their opinions as to the proper mode 'if carrying it out. Some say, "do not thin at all, leave that to Nature, and she will do the work infinitely better than we can do." These ad- visers generally commence their argument by asking, " Who thinned the natural forests — the source from which we derive the hnest and best quality of tim- ber ?" Now at first sight these arguments appear to be conclusive, and there can be no doubt that by studying Nature we can learn much ; at the same time when once we become familiar with her ways, we can sometimes find a favourable opportunity of assisting her in her operations, and by accpiiiing a knowledge of her economy, and where and when to .apply that assistance rests the pivot of the whole argument. As, for example, in thinning a natural plantation of Scotch Fir some years ago, I found a patch of trees in one portion of the planta- tion about 30 feet high, and growing at a distance of some 10 inches or 12 inches apart. These trees were straight, and free from branches with the exception of small bushy tufts at their summits. Now, had these trees been thinned in early life, there can be no doubt that they would have att.ained the size of useful timber; whereas by leaving them to Nature they were only fit for p.iling rails or other similar purposes. These trees, being all about one size, grew up like a crop of Corn or Wheat, but had they been of diffe- rent sizes the results would have been widely different, as the larger trees would then have killed I their weaker neighbours, which is Nature's system of thinning under ordinary circumstances. This may be taken as a fair illustration of the differ- ence between natural forests and such as have been planted. The trees in the latter are generally nearly one size as regards height, whereas the former are of different sizes, except in some isolated patches such as I have referred to. Now when the larger sizes of trees in the natural forest kill the weaklings in their immediate vicinity, the latter are never removed, at least as far as Nature is concerned, so that they crumble away and fall to the ground by degrees ; consequently no sudden climatic change takes place in the forest, as the work of pruning and thinning goes on at such a slow pace that the trees left never feel the want of such as have been killed, and the result is that we never find any bark-bound trees in the natural forest, that is trees whose bark contracts and prevents the free circulation of sap, stich as is caused by sudden exoosure. The foregoing is a brief description of Nature's system of thinning. I shall now hastily glance at the system pursued by the forester, and in doing so I think I should not be far wrong in stating that in too many cases plantations suffer considerably before thinning is commenced, the trees becoming too crowded. Care is necessary at all times, but more e.specially in cases where thinning has been neg- lected too long, not to admit too great a current of fresh air at once into the plantation, which would have a very injurious effect upon the health of the trees, and lay the foundation for a series of diseases, from the commencement On exposed situations and under such condi- tions I have found it a good plan to stem-prune such trees as were to be removed by cutting off two or three tiers of the lower branches, by which means the permanent trees are allowed room for development, and the others can then be removed in due course as required. This system is more in accordance with that pursued by Nature, as the tem- perature of the plantation undergoes less change than would be the case were the trees cut and removed at once. I have practised this system on exposed situa- tions for many years, and can recommend it with confidence under such circumstances ; nor do I re- member seeing any of the permanent trees so dealt with become bark-bound, or fall into a state of pre- mature decline. Under such conditions it will be seen that thinning should be carried on gradually and conducted on rational principles, special care being taken never to open up the plantations too much at one time to ad- mit a sudden rush of air through the trees, otherwise the latter are sure to suffer damage to a serious extent. Trees growing on different soils and situations show considerable diversity of size and strength in a given period of time, so that it is necessary to take all stich circumstances under consideration when commencing to thin. Those, again, on high exposed situations should be treated cautiously as regards thinning, whereas such as are growing in sheltered situations in the interior of the plantation may be allowed more space than the former without risk of injury. Another point of much importance in rearing timber for utility, and one which should never be lost sight of, is to remove all crooked, weakly, inferior trees, and leave such as are strong and healthy for the permanent crop. Sometimes this system may interfere to a cer- tain extent with the regularity of the trees left upon the ground as regards their distance apart, yet, although it may sometimes happen that the best tree is not in the exact spot where it could be wished, yet for the welfare and prospective value of the planta- tion the best should always be retained. No doubt if the trees in a plantation were all equally robust and healthy, then such should be thinned to a regular distance apart ; but it is seldom that such is found to be the case, and although trees may appear to be nearly uniform, yet the practised eye of the forester can often detect a difference, when he will then select accordingly. J. B. W. Timber sale.— About 600 Elm trees were sold at Wantage, Berks, recently, at prices ranging from 6d. to Pd. per foot. The quality of the limber, with a few exceptions, was scarcely up to the aver.age on account of the trees being knotty, owing to constant lopping. THE GARDEN. 41 No. 191. SATURDAY,Jan.l5,l887. Vol. XXXI. ' ' This is au Art Which does mend Nature : change it rather ; but The Art itself is ^atvrk."— Shakc^jieare. Orchids. DOES ORCHID CULTURE PAY >. I HAVE hail to do with Orchida ever since I began my gardening career in 1852, good collec- tions, for the period, having been grown in all the establishments I passed through, and more or less under my charge. I long ago formed the opinion that as far as the appearance of Orchids went, when not in bloom, they were any- thing but ornamental in the ordinary sense of tlie word. They are queer-looking objects, and sometimes interesting in appearance, but I Iiave never heard anyone venture to as.sert yet that they were handsome subjects in the sense that ornamental plants are regarded. In short, to speak the truth, a shelf of mixed Orchids has about as scraggy an appearance as any collection of plants could well have ; and as in collections generally the blooms are, as a rule, few and far between, this scraggy aspect may be said to be the normal condition. 1 am not speaking of trade collections, in which monetary considerations compel good culture, and where the flowering plants are gathered from among thousands of stock to make a display for the public, but of collections in general, which run perhaps from a hundred to two or three hundred plants in pri- vate places. Such collections are, as a rule, unsatisfactory and unprofitable — not regarded from a merely monetary point of view, but as de- corative subjects in any form. I had lately some talk with a jdant-grower in a moderate way, ami, concerning ()rchids,'he said he commenced their culture with enthusiasm, from what he had seen at flower shows and in nursery collections, and gave it up in disgust. His collection was man- aged as well as such collections generally are, but he had plants that had never flowered from the day they came — several years, many that flowered but sparingly, and only a few that flowered fairly well. Altogether his Orchids were the least satis- factory plants on the place, and he " swapped " them, as he said, "for a collection of anything that would live and flower with some degree of certainty, and that he could gather a handful of flowers or leaves from without fear or hesitation when he wanted them." This he now succeeds in doing, although the value of the "swap" on his side was u flea-bite compared with what he paid originally for his Orchids. This view is being adopted now liy a good many proprietors and their gardeners ; by the first, because of the ex- pense of culture and poor results, and by the latter because of the ditliculty of giving the plants the attention they need with the reduced labour which is now the order of the day in many old gardens. The rage for Orchids began in the large gardens of the wealthy throughout the country, and latterly extended to those in the suburbs of towns. Their culture is now practically discon- tinued in the former, or, at least, is at a stand- still, and the town gardens will follow suit, as they have hitherto done in gardening matters. Nurseries are at present crammed with private collections of Orchids reluctantly taken in at a gieat sacrifice to the private grower. I do not say that there are not a few Orchids that it will pay to grow for flower, but the number of these can be summed up on the fingers of both hands. What is true is, that collections of numerous spe- cies and varieties as now grown by the average cultivator are practically a failure, and none are so ready to own it as the trade whose prospects of business depend largely on the mortality among their customers' collections. " What be- comes of them all i " I asked a nurseryman not long since, and the reply was, " Oh ! they are killed, or die from some cause or other, " and he was not far otf the mark, judging by what we have seen. For those who wish for plants in flower, in quantity, under glass, the choice lies between stove and greenhouse plants and such hardy subjects as can be grown in pots ; Orchids are out of the question. True, their flowers are pretty, and some sorts last in perfection a long time, but these advantages are lost in other ways. I fear that hitherto Orchids have greatly hindered the culture of many other sidjjects of far more value to the gardener. A house of Roses alone, for examide, can be put together for as many pennies as it would cost pounds to till it with Orchids, and I would like to know anything better than a good supply of Roses of the diffe- rent beautiful kinds now in culture between December and May. Where the plants receive the most ordinary care they produce blooms in abundance to supply not only the house, but to give away to the proprietor's friends, giving pleasure both to the giver and receiver. Yet Rose culture under glass is as yet a comparatively neglected art, even in those gardens where Orchid culture is but unsuccessfully attempted on an extensive scale. And the same could be said of many other subjects, such as Azaleas, both tender and hardy. Rhododendrons, Camellias, as well as other shrubs and plants well adapted for culture under glass. Under all these circumstances 1 have somewhat reluctantly come to the conclu- sion that the popular Orchid is neither a remune- lative nor a satisfactory subject to cultivate under ordinary circumstances in private gardens for a supply of flowers, whether on the plant or in a cut .state, and that for such purposes many excellent and in every way better substitutes can be found. ^^ • CALANTHES AND PHAIUS. These are two important genera of orchidaceous plants, and so nearly related to each other, that some interesting crosses have been obtained from them. In each case the seed-bearing parent, P. grandifolius, has produced a Phaius and not a Calanthe, although the progeny has been inter- mediate between the two. It is twenty years since Phaius irroratus first flowered. It is the re- sult of a cross between P. grandifolius and Calanthe nivalis. Subsequently a cross was ef- fected between P. grandifolius and Calanthe ves- tita rubro-maculata, and produced P. irroratus purpureus. The first of these bore white flowers, with the exception of the throat, which is pale yellow. Another form which has just Howered has been obtained by crossing P. grandifolius with Calanthe Veitchi. This has borne a noble spike, furnished with fifteen flowers, each ?> inches across, and very beautiful. The sepals and petals are white externally, and flushed with pale pink in- side ; the undulated lip is whitish, with a rosy pink margin, and the throat yellow. It may not be botanically distinct from P. irroratus, but it is sufficiently so for garden purposes. The inter- mediate character of these interesting crosses is noticeable even in the habit of the plants ; they have not the decided evergreen character of the seed-bearer, nor are they decidedly deciduous, as in the case of the pollen-bearer. Of the last- named it is unfortunate that so few seedlings were raised. Only one plant was saved ; and propaga- tion, by severing one or more back bulbs from the main body of the plant, is but a slow process. It might be a question of some importance to know whether seedlings could be raised from any or all of these bi-generic crosses by using their own pollen. Their culture is certainly not difficult not more so than that of Calanthes or any other stove plants ; they grow very freely, and flowering as they do during the winter months, they are certainly valuable. The seed-bearing parent of these hybrid Orchids, P. grandifolius, was well known in this country more than a hundred years ago. It was introduced from China about the year ITTS, and was grown many years subsequently under the name of Bletia Tankervilli.-e. It was also described in the Ilortii.^ Ki:ircn.>ueensland, also P. \\allichi of Lindley, an Indian species. These are tall-growing, handsome Orchids which succeed best potted in loam, leaf-mould, and a little decayed cow manure. I have also found that they thrive well when spent Mushroom manure is put in the compost. The introduction of the hand- some P. tuberculosus and P. Humbloti a few years ago marked quite an era in regard to this genus. These last-named kinds require a very warm atmosphere well charged with moisture, and Sphagnum Moss and a little fibrous peat to grow in instead of loam. They succeed well in some collections and in others they refuse to grow at all, although the greatest care is bestowed upon them. They may be of very great value as seed or pollen-bearers to cross with the Calanthes. The latter have been greatly improved during the last few years by numerous additions, some of the best of them being English-raised hybrids. The finest pure white I have seen is a variety of C. \'eitchi ; the formation of the flowers, length of spike, and whole character of the plant are the same as in C. Veitchi. A recent seedling now in flower in Messrs. Veitch's nursery at Chelsea has also very long spikes, with pure white flowers ij inches in length by 2 inches wide ; this was raised by crossing C. vfestita lutea with C. nivalis. There are also in flower some very distinct pale coloured types, such as C. lentiginosa, also a rose and pale red form of that species. These, I believe, were raised by crossing C. Veitchi with Limatodes rosea. The original winter-flowering species which have in years gone by done such good service cannot yet be dispensed with. Of these there are two groups, both intro- duced to this country by Messrs. Veitch. Their history is as follows ; C. vestita (three varieties) was sent to their Exeter nursery from Moulmein in 1848, and the variety with the yellow blotch on the lip was figured in the Bolanind Ma\ia:ini (tab. 4(i71) as C. vestita simply; these flower early and continue in bloom up to the new year; in- deed, we have them in full bloom now (.Jan. S). ('. Turneri is quite a distinct species, and was sjnt by -Mr. Thos. Lobb from Java: of this species there were two distinct varieties. ( '. Turneri has a rosy red blotch on the lip, and was the first to flower; the other variety flowered subsequently, and was altogether pure white: it received the name of C. Turneri alba. Both flower later than the true C. vestita section. C. Veitchi flowers at midwinter, and its rosy red flowers contrast well with those of the light-coloured forms. When the flowering period of the deciduou.s species is well over, the evergreen species are quite ready to take their place. Of these, C. veratrifolia is the best, and it is a species familiar to most growers of stove plants. Its flowers are of the very purest white, produced very freely on erect flower-spikes, and the spikes continue in full beauty for two months at least ; unfortunately, they are not well adapted for use in a cut state, as they fade in twenty-four hours. This species can always be depended upon to flower in May and June. C. Masuca is not so well known, nor does it make 42 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. such free vigorous growth, unless in extra good condition. There is a type named grandiflora which produces its spikes quite 3 feet high. C. Dominii, quite a charming hybrid, belongs to the above two species, and requires very similar treatment. Sir Trevor Lawrence exhibited a wonderfully fine specimen of it a few years ago with at least a score of strong spikes on it. The peculiar lilac tint of the sepals and petals is very attractive ; the lip is purple. The yellow C. curculigoides is a plant to dream about. I have never been fortunate enough even to see it, but it has evergreen leaves and much resembles C. veratrifolia, except as regards the colour of the flowers. The evergreen species of Calanthe require the same treatment as the deciduous kinds, except in regard to water. When at rest, they require no water at all at the roots : whereas the others must not at any time be allowed to get quite dry, even in winter. In potting, fill the pots quite a third of their depth with drainage, and over the crocks place a layer of fibrous turf from which the clay particles have been well shaken. A little broken charcoal may be mixed with the potting soil, which should be pressed into the pots moderately firm with the fingers, finishing off the surface as level as for a Pelargonium. If the loam is of a clayey character, some coarse sand ought to be mixed with it. Greenfly gets amongst the flowers if the plants are not fumigated before they open. Brown scale will also attach itself to the leaves, and must be washed off with a sponge and soapy water. We have also had to deal with yellow thrips on them; these, however, succumb to an infusion of tobacco liquor. J. Douglas. most noteworthy kinds are C. Veltchi, the red and yellow-eyed forms of C. vestita, C. Sandhurstiana, a desirable plant, being a hybrid raised between G. rubro-oculata and Limatodes rosea. It pro- duces very long spikes, and bears quantities of flowers, which are of a richer and deeper shade of rosy crimson than those of C. Veitchi. On the lip there is also a beautiful eye-like spot. C. Regnieri, a species introduced from Cochin China, proves to be a charming addition to this family ; the sepals and petals are white, whilst the lip is deep rosy pink. Comparettia macroplectron. — This elegant little Orchid is now floweriig in vari. \13 places about London, and very attractive its flowers are. They are a soft rose, and on the spreading, almost square lip there are numerous dotted lioes of rosy-red. There is also a very long spur, which is of a pale rose coluur. In some varieties we have observed that the whole surface of the lip is covered with red dots. Compa- rettias are somewhat rare in collections, their cultiva- tion not being apparently understood. We have found the scarlet-flowered species (C. falcata and C. coccinea) to thrive best upon blocks, in . just the smallest quantity of Sphagnum Moss. Treated in this manner, they produce quantities of roots which cling tightly to the wood, but they apparently do not long survive if their roots a.Te covered up with either Moss or peat. They do not appear to thrive if txposed to the full light, and they require great attention all the year round, as, being plants with very minute pseudo-bulbs, they cannot withstand drought. C. macroiiletron is a native of New tirenatla, and should be grown in the warm end of the Cattltya house. — W. H. G. Laslia anceps. — Numerous varieties of this showy Mexican Orchid are now flowering in Mr. Horsman'a Marks Tey Nursery, at Colchester. Amongst the most remarkable forms observed were Percivaliana, with its beautiful purplish magenta and white lip ; the large and deeply- coloured variety known as grandiflora is also a chaste variety ; whilst in coccinea we have perhaps the most intensely coloured and brilliant form of Lajlia anceps yet seen. Dendrobium Fytchianum roseum. — The normal form of this elegant Dendrobe was intro- duced from Burmah many years ago, and was figured by mistake in the Botanical Mai/aziiie under the name of D. barbatulum, from which, however, it is abundantly distinct. It has pure shining, snow-white flowers, which are produced from five to ten together on terminal racemes. In the new variety roseum, the white is suffused with a lovely tint of warm rose. This, together with the fact of its being a mid-winter bloomer, will considerably enhance its value. We recently saw it in bloom in Mr. Williams' nursery at Holloway. Odontoglossums at Chelsea.— These lovely mountain Orchids are now making a rich display in Mr. Bull's nursery ; amongst the varieties of O. crispum the colours vary from pure white to richly spotted white, and to deep rose colour. There are also quantities of exceptionally fine forms of the majus variety of O. Rossi, whilst O. Pescatorei, which used to be looked upon as a spring-flowering kind, may also be found display- ing its chaste white flowers, blotched with purplish magenta on the lip. The Lilyof-the-Valley-like flowers of O. pulchellum majus, if not very large, are of the purest white, and disperse a delicate perfume. Amongst other Odontoglossums which maintain so much gaiety here are quantities of the richly coloured O. leopardinum, O. Roezli, maculatum, Cervantesi, gloriosum, madrense, and QLrstedi majus. Calanthes at Holloway.— In spite of the fogs with which London has been lately visited, there are more flowers open on the Calanthes than on any other Orchid. They are just now very fine at Holloway, their long arching spikes of bloom having a graceful and beautiful effect. The NOTES OF THE WEEK. Primula otconica. — This pretty Japanese Prim- rose is scarcely ever out of bloom ; even now it is bearing numbers of mauve-tinted blossoms. In this respect it forms a good companion to the perpetual- blooming P. floribunda. In one point, however, it surpasses that kind, and that is fogs, which have lately played great havoc with P. floribunda by destroying nearly the whole of its foliage and greatly disflguring its blooms, have not injured P. ob- conica, though growing under the same conditions. — H. P. Erica melantlxera is one of the prettiest winter Heaths, and of the large number of kinds in flower at Ivew, it stands out from all the rest by its distinct appearance. The flowers are very small, like tiny mauve wax bells with black anther--, and each plant bears myriads of these. The habit is neat, for the floriferousness of the plant checks exuberant growth. It lasts a very long time in bloom throughout the winter; in fact, therefore quite worth growing in a general way. The flowers have rather a fceted odour, liut this is not observed if not sought for. Jasminum pubescens. — This beautiful old white Jasmine is scarcely less desiralile than the new J. gracillimum, which it eo nearly resembles, that one might easily mistake one tor the other. Both have large white and sweetly scented flower.'?, and the foliage is similar, but J. gracillimum has more of a climbing tendency, while pubescens may be grown as a dwarf pot bush. Both kinds may be seen flower- ing side by side in one of the stoves at Kew, and their fragrance perfumes the house. Por cutting from at this season both are excellent, though their flowers do not last long in water. ■Veitoh Memorial prizes. — At a meeting of the trustees held at South Kensington on Tuesday, the lllh inst., it was decided that a £5 prize and medal should be offered for competition at the prin- cip.al show of each of the following societies : York Gala, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leicester, Oxford, Derby, and the Royal Horticultural, May '2i (Cypri- pediums). Also at the National Dahlia Show, to be held September 2, a prize of £2 10s. and a medal should be offered in each of the following classes : Self show, parti-coloured show. Pompon, decorative, and single. And further, at the National Chrysan- theuaini Show, to be held in November, a prize of £\j 3s. and a medal should be offered for 24 incurved Chrysanthemums, distinct; a similar prize and medal for 2-i Japanese kinds, distinct ; also a prize of £2 Ss. and a medal for each of the following : 2i reflexed, 24 large-flowered Anemone, 24 Japanese or hybrid Anemone-flowered, and 24 Pompons, including Ane- mone-flowered. The object of the trustees in the two latter competitions is to make the exhibitions as complete as possible by inducing exhibitors to bring together specimens of all the best sections of Dahlia and Chrysanthemum in cultivation. The number of prizes offered during the year are therefore — 7 special prizes, 5 Dahlia prizes, and 6 Chrysanthemum prizes, or 18 in all, each prize being accompanied by a medal. These pi izes are open to competition amongst amateurs only. Justicia purpurea.— Some specimens of this in the stove have been for a considerable time, and still are, objects of great beauty, being thickly studded with bright purple blossoms, which, though they do not remain long in perfection, are quickly replaced by others; indeed, under anything like favourable conditions, a regular succession is maintained. It is a plant of the easiest possible culture. In spring cuttings strike root in a very short time, and if treated liberally throughout the summer, form good bushy plants by the autumn. Red spider is the prin- cipal insect that attacks this plant, and it can be readily kept down by means of the syringe. — H. P. Gesnera oblongata. — Those who want a bright winter-flowering stove plant may find in this old plant all that they wish. It is a shrubby plant, with pale green foliage, and bears an abundance of flowers, which, though small compared with those of other Gesneras, are of an exquisite colour, the buds being like velvet. The plant allowed to grow naturally has somewhat of a straggling habit, but the knife may keep it in good form, and it may also be trained. It is a capital plant for trailing on a pillar, and in that way it flowers most freely. It is not a very common planf, and especially in nurseries, but the other diy we met with it in bloom in the Handsworth Nurseries, near Sheffield, where it is a favourite plant and well grown. Its flowering season extends over two or three months. It is a South American plant, ori- ginally discovered by Humboldt and Bonpland in Peiu, near the city of Quito. Omphalodes verna. — The Creeping Forget-me- not, or Venus' Navel- woit, as it is still called in old- fashioned English gardens, is as beautiful in every way as our native Forget-me-nots, and far more useful for clothing out-of-the-way places in our gardens. But, however well it may grow in such places, it should bs seen, we are toll, gathered fresh from, or growing in, its native wilds to be fully appreciated. On San Romola, near San Remo, it is said to outstrip in beauty the alpine Forget-me-not ( Myosotis alpestris) itself — a fact not difficult to believe, after seeing the sheets of clear blue, white-eyed flowers of this plant growing in a semi-shady spot. Rhododendron beds, the shady side of .shrubberies, &c., suit it exactly, and in such positions I have never known it to fail. There is also a white variety, but it is not nearly so hind- some as the type. Both may be increased to almost any extent by division ; the stems as they run emit roots from their undersides, and buds at intervals on the top. These, broken into small pieces, soon make good plants. — K. Cyrtauthus MoKeni. — This is a plant that should be taken in hand by nurserymen, so that it may come into general cultivation, as it is, without doubt, one of the prettiest and most elegant green- house plants we have for winter-flowering. It is a South African bulbous plant, the best of a genus con- taining some fifteen species, a few of which, such as angustifolius, obliquus, being old garden plants. C. McKeni has long Grass-like foliage ; its flower- stems are erect, and as thick as a quill, each being topped by a cluster of flowers, usually about five together. The flowers are about 2 inches long, tubular, slightly curved, pure ivory-white, and sweet-scented ; a good potful of bulbs will produce about a dozen of these spikes, which when in bloom are very chaste and beautiful, and a plant lasts in bloom for several weeks. It has been in flower in the Heath house at Kew since long before Christmas, and is likely to last a month longer. It is, therefore, a most desir.able plant, easily grown in a cool greenhouse, or even a frame, Jan. 15, 1887. J THE GARDEN. 43 »n<] may he readily increased. It is to be regretted that BUcU a plant shnuM only bo seen in botanical colltctiuns, but the public should create a demand for it ; then no doubt a supply would come, as in the case of other plants that have been known only in botanic gardens. C. McKeni comes from Port X^ilal — surely not an out-nf-lhe-way place from which to gtt bulbs. £ranthemutn pulcliellum. — Flowers of a rich blue are valued at any season of the year, and in mid- winter they are specially acceptable ; we are therefore glad to see this beautiful old-fashioned plant again coming into favcur, having received sprays of it from several of our readers, to whom it appears to be a novelty. It is, howevtr, anything but that, having been introduced to this country from India nearly a hundred years ago. It was largely grown some years back, but of late it has fallen into disrepute. It is, however, one of the very prettiest soft-wooded plants at this season of the year, but worthless in a cut state, as its flowers fall so rapidly. They are freely pro- duced, and are of a most lovely shade of blue. Cuttings should be struck every spring and the old plants discarded, as young plants are not only hand- Bomer, but produce the finest flowers. The late Mr. Moore. — At the meeting of the floral committee at South Kensington on Tuesday last, the chairman, Mr. G. F. Wilsnn, alluded to the death of Mr. Thomas Moore, who had for so many years been connected with the floral committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. It was proposed by Mr. Hibberd, and seconded by Mr. Fraser, that a letter of condolence be sent to Mrs. Moore. It was also proposed that something should be done by Mr. Moore's many friends to mark the esteem in which he was held. It was agreed that a subscription list be opened, fo as to form a fuiid by which a memorial may be erected over Mr. Moore's grave in Brompton Cemetery. In order that everyone who desires may be enabled to contribute to the fund, each subscrip- tion will be limited to a guinea in amount. Mr. Veitcb, Royal Exotic Nur.sery, Chelsea, has under- taken to act as treasurer, and Dr. Masters secretary, of the fund. Turner Memorial prizes. — The money sub- scribed twelve months ago as a memorial for the late Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough, amounted to £182 18s. Bd. That amount was invested in Consols, and £20 will be available for prizes every year for a period of ten years. That amount will be given in prizes next season at the following exhibitions : The National Auricula (Southern Section) and Primula Society, at South Kensington, on April 26, 1SS7, for six show Auriculas (to be competed for by amateurs who do not employ a gardener regularly). The exhibits must contain at least one representative of each of the four classes — green, grey, white, and self-edged. Four prizes — 40s., 30s., 20s., 10s. The National (_'arnation and Picotee Society, to be held at South Kensington, on July 2'), 1S.S7. Six distinct Carnations and six distinct Picotees (to be competed for by amateurs who do not employ a gardener regu- larly). Fourprizes— 40s., 30s., 20s., lOs. The New- castle-on-Tyne Botanical and Horticultural Societies' Exhibition, to be held in the Jubilee Grounds, on August 30 and 31, 18S7. Twelve distinct Roses : three prizes — 50s., 30s., 20s. ; twf Ive distinct Dahlias : three prizes — .50s., 30s., 20s. (to be competed for by amateurs or gentlemen's gardener.-). Bainfall at rorchester. — I have just been making up the rainfall at this place for the past year, and I find it to be greatly in excess of the average, being not less than 47 '44, or very nearly 47i inches. I have recorded the rainfall here for the last ten years, and I find the average for that time to be 38 70 inches. The fall of 1886 was nearly 4 inches greater than in any other year in the ten years, 1877, in which thfere were 43 67 inches, coming nearest to it. December, 1886, was the wettest month during that time, when we had 8 29 inches, October, 1880, in which there were 7 '81 inches, coming nearest to it. The new year has set in with a heavy rainfall; the first four days has given us 2 .'jl inches, which makes just over lOJ, inches since the Ist of December, and in conuequetice the land is full of water ; in fact, the garden here is literally a swamp. In making up the annual amount of rainfall, one cannot help thinkine with what a liberal hand Nature does her work. Hero we have an average of 3SJ inches. This would amount to about 387o tons, or 868,000 gallons of water to the acre. And this makes mo think that fruit trees and other things planted out in houses frequently sulferfrom an insufficient supply of water. We have a Peach house here which has an area of about 1000 feet. What would Nature's supply be to this area? I find it would be just over 20,000 gallons per annum, but I much doubt if it has been supplied with that quantity. — D. Ui'Iiill, Moreion. HARDINESS OF PLANTS. To what degree the ability of plants to endure our soverd winters is aft'ected by culture is ."hown by the notoriously hardy common Wall- flower. Growing out between the crevices of a stone wall, where its root-room is of the most limited description and its food of the scantiest, it endures our hardest winters with impunitj', but when grown in a deep rich soil it perishes. We have noteworthy examples of this here. On a rockery, under which there happens to be a good depth of tolerably rich soil, we have planted Wallllciwers annually for soiire years, and they have grown much more robustly than usual, and made, indeed, great bu-hes with numerous and tall stems, which, when in flower, make very fine objects indeed ; but every winter some of the plants perish by fro.'-t, or are greatly injured, and in severe winters they are all killed outright. The reason of this is, that the plants push long, tap-like roots down between the rocks into the good .soil lieiieath, and never ripen their growth sufficiently. Plants of the same sowing left in the seed-bed of rather poor, thin soil all survive every winter, and so do plants put out elsewhere under similar conditions. Of course, gardeners are familiar with such facts, I daresay, but they are not weighed as fully and as often as they ought to be. A Peach or a Vine, or any other tender tree or plant, is just affected in the same way, and I believe myself that the root culture under such circum.stanees has far more to do with success than the training and management of the branches. Whether a plant be weak or strong, if it has to produce flowers, and, above all, fruit, everything depends on the ripening of the wood. The stronger and more vigorous the shoots are, the more fertile they will prove, pro- vided they are matured to the core. Grossness is generally regarded as an indication of barren- ness, but the liarrenuess does not result from the grossness, but from immaturity. Ripen the shoot perfectly, and it will not only bear fruit, but it will bear more than any other. This I believe to be the true philosophy of this matter. It may be wise culture not to grow shoots so strong that they cannot be ripened with the means at command ; but that does not aft'ect the principle involved. The grossest of all shoots are produced when the roots are allowed to penetrate deeply into a rich, moist soil, from which they continue to send up moisture into the tops long after the temperature of the air has fallen below the grow- ing and maturing point at the approach of winter ; hence the tissues remain soft instead of harden- ing, and perish under frost or severe cold. Rivers's plan of producing strong and fertile shoots by means of rich top-dressings applied to the surface of his orchard-house trees was the right plan. The roots were near to the surface, and as well fed as if they had been deeper down ; but being ali'eeted by the external temperature almost as soon as the branches, the action be- tween the branches and the roots was more re- ciprocal, and strong, but well-ripened buds were the result. Take the Grajie out of doors, again, in Eng- land. To digress a little, I think, it must be Confessed that its o]ipn-air culture has not been a success as yet in the right sense of the word. Many people make much of the fact that vine- yards were common in England some centuries back, and infer from that that the Grape was grown successfully then, and that if it fails now it is because either the culture or the climate has gone wrong. I once thought this myself, but of late the accidental peru-sal of some references to the sulijeCt has given me a different opinion. 1 believe I am correct in stating that the culture of the Vine in this country did not extend over a long period at the time when vineyards did exist. It just seems to have occurred to our ancestors, as intercourse with the Continent became more frequent, that they might grow Grapes outdoors as well as the French, and, just as gardeners do now, they made a rush to try the new idea, with the "result that after a fair trial Vine culture out of doors was given up. This to me appears to lie one at least, if not the legitimate inference to be drawn from the practice of our forefathers. But to return to the subject. Has anyone ever tried to grow the Vine out of doors with its roots on an impervious bottom and in a border 6 inches deep \ My impression is, that such a plan would succeed, ancl that under such con- ditions early varieties might be ripened in good time if the Vines were carefully trained on walls. What hinders Grape culture in this country is the want of sufficient heat; the fruit does not ripen perfectly ; hence anything that could pro- mote early cr (juick root action and growth would help to get over that difficulty, and con- ditions under which the roots were kept as waim as the tops in a shallow border well exposed to the sun would do that. At all events the wood would ripen sooner and better than if the roots were 2 feet deep, and the ripening of the fruit depends on the ripening of the wood. Grapes under glass seldom or never colour till the wood begins to get brown. S. W. Plant names. — To the somewhat familiar question, " What's in a name?" the compositor in a horticultural printing office might perhaps reply that there is a very great deal— an alphabet or two— in some names. At this season they may be observed in full cry, like Calverley's "long-backed fancy mongrel trailing casually " through the spring seed catalogues. As the same author would remark, "the imagination boggles at" them, even at the appellation of such a " grand and greatly improved flower" as Zinnia elegans robusta grandi- flora double. Here is a chance fragment from my friend Short's gardening diary : " In the library, looking out a few dictionaries, &c., for my mar, who will not spell the Orchid names correctly. Hearing a noise outside, went out, and found my good neighbour Lacon stuck fast in the garden gate with an armful of the new patent telescop'c garden labels of his own invention. Showed me practically how, like Euclid's parallels, they can be produced ever so far both ways (not) to meet the requirements of modern nomenclature. Brought me the promised plants of Chrysanthemums Mon- sieur Juan Cruz de Eguileor and Monsieur Edouat d Pynaert Van Geert. Spent halfan-hour with him in the garden. Much pleased with my arrange- ment of a clump of Helianthus multiflorus simplex maximus in a bed of Petunia bybrida nana com- pacta grandiflora, with background of Cupressus Lawsoniana erecta viridis argentea variegata. Gave him seeds of Hellebores Apotheker Bogren and Commerzien rath Benary. N.B.— Must really remember to ask Lacon not to bring his dog Bob '■with him in future. The brute got into the Or- chid house and knocked down the Odontoglos sum Pescatorei Vervaetianum and the Campylobotrys Ghiesbieghti variegata, and then went and scratched up nearly all my Matricaria eximia 44 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. nana aurea crispa, and rolled in a patch of Heli- chrysum monstrosum nanum atro-sanguineum flore-pleno." — G. H. E. HERNS. LIP-FERNS, OR CHEILANTHES. Many who have a taste for Ferns and possess a small greenhouse for their accommodation have to lament the want of interest which their favourites afford them. This is usually attributable to the kinds selected being too large and monopolising too much room. Small houses should not be filled with large kinds simply because they are easily grown. What is wanted is variety, and there are many elegant small-growing Ferns which thrive admirably in a greenhouse tempera- ture, and which would, if properly cared for, furnish this. Many have an idea that Ferns can- not have too much water, and consequently they are kept constantly drenched both overhead and at the roots. Such treatment in the case of bold, robust-growing kinds may not be detrimental, but it is one of the chief reasons why we see so few choice Ferns thriving in a greenhouse temperature. The majority of the Cheilanthes succeed well under cool treatment. Water should never, however, be sprinkled upon their fronds, and during winter it will be found safest and best to err on the side of drought, both in the atmo- sphere and at their roots. They should be grown in rather small pots, which must be well drained. The soil best suited for their requirements is a mi.xture of sandy loam, peat, old mortar rubbish, and small pieces of sandstone, a compost which will keep open and porous, and which will allow water to pass freely away. As just remarked, the fronds should never be wetted, and during winter a dry atmosphere must be maintained, whilst as much light as possible at this season should be admitted, but in summer they should be well shaded from the sun's rays. To obviate shading, green glass is simetimesuse^, but this is about tne worst substitute for ordinary shading material that can be used ; not that the Ferns refuse to grow under it (although we are not sure that it suits them as well as clear glass), but because the green glass casts such a ghastly light upon the leaves, quite destroying the effect of the beautiful tints of green which the fronds assume in their different ages and stages of growth. From experience we may safely assert that in the culture of plants in our climate nothing is better than to have the summer shading material of such a character, and adjusted in such a manner, that it may be applied or removed conveniently, as occasion may require. Ferns with pendent fronds should always be allowed to assume their natural habit ; to keep such fronds in an erect position not only destroys the graceful appear- ance of the plants, but eventually destroys their vigour. The following kinds are all beautiful, and all well deserving the attention of Fern lovers requiring choice plants for a cool house, viz : — C. MVsOREXSTs. — An elegant plant, found growing in dry, rocky places in Southern India and Ceylon, also in China and .Tapan ; the form from the latter country is the most hardy and robust, and its stems are densely clotlied with dark scales. The fronds are narrowly oblong in outline, and their pinnii! are divided into small segments. C. ARGENTEA. — This charming little Fern sel- dom exceeds 3 inches or 1 inches in height. Its fronds are triangular in outline, borne upon slender polished stems, bright green on the upper side, and silvery white beneath, edged with a line of black sori. It is common in Japan, and is also found in China and Siberia. C. S/.oviTsi.— Tills is said to be a European Fern, being found, although very sparingly, in Italy and some parts of the south of Austria. It is, however, widely distributed in Asia, and is found at considerable elevations in Northern India. It is not a large-growing plant, its fronds seldom exceeding 7 inches or 8 inches in length, and often less than 2 inches in breadth. They are broadly lance shaped in outline, the segments being twice or three times divided. The stems and undersides of fronds are densely clothed with white and brown woolly hairs and scales; theupperside isdeepgreen. C. ALABAMENSis. — The fronds of this, when well grown, attain a length of from 4 inches to 8 or 9 inches ; they are narrowly lanceolate in outline, three times divided, the ultimate segments being small, smooth on both surfaces, and deep green in colour. This very elegant little Fern is tolerably plentiful throughout Georgia, Tennessee, and Ala- bama. C. CAPENSis. — The stems of this are smooth, brown, and polished ; fronds bright green, ovate in outline ; segments entire, bluntly ovate, the lower segments much tho largest. South Africa. C. SiEEEEi. — This is another elegant little spe- cies, of tufted habit. Its fronds vary from 8 inches to 6 or even (t inches in length. They are oblong in shape, and about three times divided into small, oblong-ovate segments, which are somewhat coria- ceous in texture, and deep green and smooth on both surfaces. C. msFANK'A. — This Fern is somewhat sparingly distributed through Spain and Portugal. Its slender stems are of a rich polished brown, spring- ing from a dense tuft of stiff hairs of the same colour, which envelop the crown of the plant. The fronds (under cultivation), including the stems, are about G inches long, and over an inch wide, but in the wild plant they are somewhat smaller ; they are coriaceous in texture, dark green, and smooth on the upper side, but the reverse side is clothed with long chestnut-coloured hairs. C. LANUGINOSA attains a length of from (i inches to 8 inches or more ; the fronds are ovate-lanceolato in outline, and slightly under 2 inches in width, firm in texture, bright lively green above, and densely clothed on the underside with long woolly tomentum. It is found in Wisconsin, California, and elsewhere. C. MCLTiFiPA, a fine robust kind from South Africa, has dark shining brown stems and fronds, which are triangular in outline. They attain a height of from 9 inches to 1 foot or more, and are three or four times divided ; the segments, which are narrow and oblong, are of a firm texture, smooth, and deep green in colour. C. KRAGRAN's, often called C. odora, is another European plant, although not a native of Britain. It is very abundant in Madeira and the Canary Islands; is found somewhat sparingly on the rocks at Gibraltar, in various parts of the south of France, and occasionally in Switzerland. The fronds, which have an agreeable odour, are some 0 inches long, by about an inch in breadth, and twice or thrice divided. They are deep green on the upper side, but pale beneath. Other elegant kinds for a greenhouse are C. vestita, from Caro- lina; C. tenuifolia, the Australian form; C. myrio- phylla, from Chili and Peru : and C. lendigera, from New Grenada. W. H. G. Indoor Garden. NEW RACE OF CHINESE PRIMULAS. The Royal Horticultural Society's silver-gilt medal was never more worthily awarded tliau it was last Tuesday, when it was given to Messrs. Sutton, of Reading, for what was, perhaps, the finest, largest, and most varied collection of new double and single Chinese Primulas ever shown in London. Upwards of four huntlred plants were exhibited, every one being a credit to the grower. Notwithstanding the bad weather lately necessitating a good amount of fire heat, the plauts were not drawn, but stocky in growth, with luxuriant foliage and dense trusses of bloom. No fewer than sixteen sorts were shown, all raited by the exhibitors, and ten of them had not heen shown before. These new sorts show what great strides the Messrs. Suttou have made in the improvement of this flower, the most remarkable kinds being the so-called blues, which, by the way, are not true blues yet, though these may come. But a few years ago no blue Primula existed ; then Messrs. Carter showed their Holborn Blue, a single sort with large flowers of a purplish blue. Now Messrs. Sutton have besides single blues two good double blues, one having Fern-like foliage, the other the ordi- nary foliage of the Chinese Primrose. The colour of these doubles is even brighter and a nearer approach to true blue than that of the singles, wliich are really beautiful sorts. The floral com- mittee had no hesitation in certificating these double blues, and, no doubt, they were a surprise to many. One member of the committee, Mr. George Maw, made a suggestion as to the possibility of intercrossing a white Chinese Primula with a yellow - flowered species, as he thought that a yellow winter -flowering Primula would be valuable. Whether such a cross as this is possible or not no one can say, but all must admit that the attempt is worth making, and, seeing the rapid steps that are being taken in perfecting the blues, why need we despair of yet seeing yellows ? Other remark- able doubles in the Reading collection were those named Double Scarlet, which is not, however, a real scarlet, but a brilliant carmine ; Double Rose, an exquisitely beautiful sort of a colour pleasing to everyone. These doubles form quite a different race from those raised by Mr. Gilbert, of Burghley, and sent out by Messrs. Osborn, of Fulham. These Burghley doubles have fuller flowers — more resetted, so to speak, but they have not the brilliancy of colour of the Reading doubles ; and, further, tliey are far more delicate in constitution and more difficult to grow and propagate. But there is no need to disparage the Burghley hybrids in order to extol the Reading race ; both are invaluable, and it is well that they are dift'erent ; and let us hope that Messr.s. Sutton and other raisers will still per- severe in the improvement of the doubles and try as much as possible to originate new colours, for that is what is most wanted now. We have a surfeit of crimsons, roses, and whites among Primulas, but blue is a decided departure from the old track, and yellow is still within the range of possibility without even intercrossing with another species ; for, be it remembered, Messrs. Huber, an Italian firm, showed in London some remarkable single Chinese Primulas having the yellow centres abnormally developed, almost ob- literating, in fact, the white, and therefore a true yellow sort may be seen shortly, for that is, we believe, the ultimate aim of Messrs. Huber. As to Messrs. Sutton's single sorts shown, they do not call for special comment, as similar, if not identical, sorts have been shown numbers of times in Loudon of late years, though no doubt the comniittee were just in certificating them. Among the single sorts, however, there were some re- markable for curious leaf development ; two have foliage like Curled Kale or Parsley, but tlicse seemed to lack quality of flower. To com- bine this handsome foliage with good flower- trusses and varied colours will, no doubt, be an object lor attainment at Reading. Another point about the doubles that must not be overlooked, as it is so important, is, that the sorts may be perpetuated from seed ; in fact, the grower of the Reading collection assured us that there was not a " rogue " in the batch of the double scarlet. This is a great gain, as the drawback to other doubles is the difficulty attending their propaga- tion. Forcing Choisya ternata.— I saw it recently stated ill Cii nlcMim Jllastrolul tluit the MexiciUi Orange flower, as this shi-iib is called, is a guod plaat for forcing into hloiini early, but as I have never seen or heard of its being forced, would any reader enlighten me as to its treatment as a forced shrub ? It would be a great gain to have a good supply of bloom of this lovely white sweet-scented shiub at Christmas, or at any time during winter.— W. Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 45 THE BRUGXIANSIAS. Fifty yenTS ago Brugmansias were amongst the most popular of greenhouse plants. They were grown in almost every good garden in which there was a greenhouse or conservatory hig enough to accommodate them, and the records of the Royal Horticultural Society tell us how popular they were at Hower shows notwithstanding the fact that they are not very suitable for pot cul- ture. Somehow or other, however, Brugmansias have been elbowed out of general cultivation ; like a good many other old-fashioned plants, they have given place to more modern, if not more beautiful, introductions. Some good specimens of them nijy have been seen at Kew, and also at Chiswick in old times. The I'.iugmansias should be strictly called Daturas, for botanists tell us that there is no material dif- ference between the two genera ; in a gardening sense there is, however, a dilference, and an impor- tant one ; therefore we can- not do better than retain the good old garden name of Brugmansia. Brugman- sias are all shrubby plants, while Daturas are mostly, if not all, annual. A good many names are given under the head Brugman- sia in books and catalogues, but there are really only three distinct plants that should bear that name, and two of these are a puzzle to many, who fail to see the ditleience be- tween them. The three species are B. arborea, a native of Peru ; B. suaveo- lens, said to inhabit Mexico chiefly ; and B. sanguinea, also from Peru. The names B. Candida, B. Gardner!, B. cornigera, Knighti, bicolor, frutes- cens, and others aie all synonymous with one or other of the three species above-named. The two white-tlowered kinds, B. suaveolensand arborea, are so variable, and found ia such widely separated re- gions, that it is no wondt-r the different forms of them have received specific names, and these have been transmitted to and per- petuated in gardens. B. ARBOREA is a very nld plant, and was known to Linnaeus, who named it. It is the Floripondio of the Spaniards of South America, who grow it in their gardens and much prize it on account of its noble white flowers. In a wild state it is a large shrub or small tree, growing from 15 feet to 20 feet high. It inhabits a wide region in the north-west parts of South America, but it is also found in Brazil. It flourishes on the table-lands of the Andes up to 9500 feet elevation, where tlie mean temperature is 50", but it luxuriates most in the valleys by the sides of watercourses. Orchid collectors in Bogota and other districts speak of its being a striking plant everywhere, and say, moreover, that there are yellow and rosy pink-flowered varieties of it to be seen, besides a double-flowered sort, which is called the Double Floripondio. This double kind is a wild plant, and must be the same as that we have in gardens under the name of B. Knighti, which is perhaps the commonest cf the three Brugmansias in gardens ; it is sturdier in growth, and is frequently planted out during summer in the London parks. B. arborea, in greenhouses, grows from 10 feet to 1.') feet high, has broad leaves, often coarsely toothed, and produces noble white trumpet- i shaped flowers, from 7 inches to 1) inches in ' length and pure white. The difference between arborea and suaveolens seems to be as follows : Iq arborea the flowers have long, attenuated tails to the corolla lobes, whereas in suaveolens there Bru-^m.msia arborea in the euiibervatory at Lews Castle. Sturuoway, N.B. Engi'aved phutogi*aph. is scarcely any lengthening of the segments. In some of the specimens in the Kew herbarium the corolla lobes of arborea are 2 inches long. This and other characteristics, not so important to a gardener, are sutflcient to distinguish it from suaveolens. The flowers are not so sweet-scented as those of suaveolens, but are fragrant in the evening. This is the Brugmansia that is said to have become naturalised in parts of California, particularly about San Francisco, where it is much used for room and table decoration. In fact, in all tropical and sub- tropical gardens, Brugmansias are favourite plants ; they form a great feature in gardens in the Canary Islands, South Europe, and other places where the tem- perature is just suited to them. Datuia can dida is the same as B. arborea, and so is Datura cornigera, a native of the Organ Moun- tains, figured in the fwtanind Miiga::ine many years ago. B. s.\NouiNEA, the third species, commonly known by its synonym, B. bicolor, is very different from the others, but it is also of tree-like growth, varying in stature from 5 feet to 20 feet. It is a native of Peru, where it is known by the name of Red Floripondio, or Campanilla encarnado. There is no need to describe here how it difl'ers technically from the white-flowered species, as it may be known at once by the colour of its flowers, which are funnel-shaptd, and mea- !-ure from 7 inches to !» inches in length. The usual colour is a bright iirange-scarltt, lessening in intensity in the tube, until it merges into orange- yellow, and then blends with the green at the base. There is a variety of it, ''*• called flava, which has its flowers wholly yellow, but this form is rare. The flowers of B. sanguinea are produced singly from the tips of the branches, so that by judicious prun- ing, flowering spurs can be greatly increased. B. sanguinea was first intro- duced to this country by a Mr. Crawley, who brought seeds of it home with him from Guayaquil, in 18.33, and since that time it has been more or less popular in gardens. As it grows wild in the mountainotis parts of Peru, it is half- hardy, and may be grown in ptrlection in a cool greenhouse, and even planted out in summer ; indeed, the first plant which floweied in this country (which was at Hayes Place, Kent) had withstood the winter of 1833 out of doors. B. SUAVEOLENS is, next to Knighti, the commonest Brugmansia in gardens, and there are few nobler ornaments to a green- house than a large and profusely flowered speci- men of it. It is a most abundant flowerer, and the fragrance emitted by a large bush of it is almost overpowering. The flowers, which are larger than those of arborea and pure white, often measure over 1 ft. in length, and are more bell-shaped than those of B. arborea. It is also less tree-like in growth than B. arborea, though, in a wild state, it reaches 15 feet in height. It is said to be a native of Mexico, while B. arborea is confined to South America. If this be so, it affords addi- tional evidence that the two plants are specifi- cally distinct. It was introduced to Europe fo long ago as 1733, and has been grown in English gardens for upwards of a century. The Brug- mansia know^n as B. Gardneri is the same as B. suaveolens. Among other so-i'alled Brugman- sias there was a very beautiful one introduced for The Garden from a 46 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. about fifty years ago, and figured in Pa.\ton',s Botanical Ma^iazhie, under tlie name of B. Way- manniana. The flower is, represented as being double, or rather a sort of hose-in-hose. The colour i.s purple and wliite, and if a? beautiful as the plate shows it to be, it must be a most desir- able plant. Does anyone know if it now exists in gardens ? 1 could find no trace of it among the herbarium specimens at Kew, but from the description given it seems to be a shrubby plant ; hence a Brugmansia. Another beautiful plant, once called B. lloribunda, is now placed in the genus Juanalloa, and is J. aurautiaca, which, I believe, is in cultivation. < 'QLTURE.^One mode of treatment applies to all three Brugmansias, as they are of about the same degree of hardiness, and much the same in style of growth. They are not well suited for pot culture unless the pots or tubs in which they are placed are very large, on account of the roots being so bulky' and spreading so widely. It is best to plant Brugmansias out permanently in a conservatory or greenhouse border, where they can have room to fully develop themselves. They should have at least 1.5 feet head-room space ; hence it is only in good-sized houses that Brugmansias can be grown to perfection. The illustration here given is that of B. arborea in a Scotch garden, and it shows well what a noble plant the white Brugmansia is in a conservatory. Mr. Conning, the gardener at Lews Castle, who sent the photograph, states that the plant in question bears hundreds of flowers every season, and is the chief feature of the garden during August and September. He says, " It gives no trouble when once well planted (it should not be kept in pots), its only requirements being an occasional pruning in order to keep the wide- spreading branches within bounds. No flower," he says, " in my estimation can equal this white Brugmansia for puiity and fragrance, and for room or church decoration it is unequalled, as, if gathered before the blooms are quite expanded, they last a long time in perfection." The posi- tion in the greenhouse in which a Brugmansia is planted .should be well considered, and the soil for it must be good, such as turfy loam and rotten manure, so as to induce vigorous growth. A hole should be taken out a yard deep and as nruch across, and a good layer of drainage material put at the bottom. A young, healthy plant will soon shoot up to its full size, after which it may be kept within bounds by close pruning, which is best done in autumn ; after that the plant mu-t be kept drier throughout the winter. Subsequent top-dressings or applications of liquid manure will always remedy exhaustion Irom profuse flowering. Old plants, particularly those regu- larly pruned, are most floriferous. Open-air culture used to be much practised here and is now on tlie Continent, and some of the finest eft'ects in August and September are produced by means of IJrugmansias. Open-air culture, however, requires more attention than greenhouse treatment. The plants must be grown in pots in order to be wintered well. One plan, and that generally followed, is to plunge three-year-old plants in pots in good rich soil in May, well water them throughout the summer, and in August they will flower abundantly. In October they may be lifted and placed in a greenhouse, or, failing this accommo- dation, set in a dry cellar, or any dry place out of reach of frost. But by this ]ilan the roots run over the tops of the pots, so that the j>lants cannot be watered well in winter, so a better way is to en- large the h de at the bottom of the pot tliiou.di ■which the bulk of the new roots will descend, and at lifting time the;e cau hi cut otf close to the bottom of the pot. Still another plan is to turn the plants out of the pots at planting time, and then about the end of July cut with a spade round the balls close to the plant, working in at the same time some short stable manure, in which the new roots will run and form a dense mass, which will enable the plant to withstand lifting in autumn and repotting without injury. One of the old growers used to always follow this plan, and in one season extending over six weeks he had no fewer than a thousaml flowers on a four-year-old pilant 0 feet high and 10 feet through. Brugmansias out of doors associate well with noble-leaved sub-tropical plants, even if they do not flower. When grown in large pots or tubs, the best time to replenish the soil is in early spring just when starting into growth. They are all readily increased liy cutting.s made of the half-ripened shoots. W. G. Cyclamens planted out. — Having found so many greenhouse plants to succeed so much better when planted out in summer than when kept in pots the whole year round, I last year resolved to try Persian Cyclamens in the same way in which we treat Callas, Eupatoriums, and a host of other things, viz., planted out in the open ground in May. We selected a border close to a wall, and having dug it up deeply and given it a good dressing of manure, the Cyclamens were planted out about 1 foot apart each way; and, beyond keeping them free from weeds, they received no attention what- ever until September. They then had produced fine heads of young foliage, and many were showing flower. They were therefore carefully lifted with good balls of earth, and the way in which the roots clung to the manure and their healthy, vigorous look proved that they liked a good rich diet, and plenty of it. They certainly were alto- gether more satisfactory than if they had been kept in pots. When planted out they do not get so dust-dry as when in pots, and they are in a more equable condition both as regards moisture and temperature. They, therefore, enjoy their rest, and start afresh with renewed vigour. I am sure many will find that the plan of planting out a good deal of the stock that is usually kept in pots is a great gain ; by it not only are better plants secured, but labour is economised. —J. G. H. The red and white Lapagerias.— There are two fine plants of Lapageria, one red and one white, growing in the large conservatory at Lilles- den, Hawkhurst, Kent. L. rosea is planted out in a narrow border against the back wall of the house, and L. alba is growing in a large slate tub. Both are in robust health and still bear a few- blooms, but of the two the white variety cer- tainly appears to be the more vigorous. Many cf the shoots are extra strong, some being fully S yards long. They receive a dressing of rough peaty compost in spring. There are some positions in which they would do best planted out, but if a large pot, wooden or slate tub can be set in a cool situation they are capable of supporting very fine plants. At Lillesden the border is filled entirely with compost suited to the I^apageria, a matter very different from merely filling an excavated hole with specially prepared soil. That plan was many years ago, to my knowledge, tried in the I>il- lesden conservatory, and, like many other similar attempts, ended badly. Whether planted in pots, tubs, or borders, I.,apagerias require a rough por- ous compost such as was described in The Garden (p. 37), and abundance of drainage so arranged as not to easily get clogged. Lapagerias, too, require large quantities of water, especially during hot sunny weather, but if this does not pass freely away the soil becomes sour, and therefore poisonous to the roots. The plant of the white variety last autumn perfected a large quantity of seed, and some of this sown in heat as soon as gathered germinated in about six weeks. When I saw the seedlings recently they were about .S inches high and looking healthy. The greatest ditficulty usually experienced with young layered Lapageria? is in effecting a good start, and if they could he more generally raised from seed useful sized plants might be formed much more quickly. — W. I. SWEET-SCENTED FLOWEPvS. Among plants with scented flowers that at this season of the year perfect their blooms in the temperature of an ordinary greenhouse, the first place must be assigned to the two forms of the evergreen Daphne indica, which are now about at their best, and whose perfume is so pronounced that it scents the whole house in which the plants are growing. The form most commonly grown is the deep coloured one, which is in all respects a more satisfactory subject to deal with than the white-flowered kind. It grows more freely and its foliage is of a deeper green, so that even when out of bloom it is more attractive than the pale sort. Still, the little clusters of pure white blos- soms on the latter are so beautiful, and afford such a pleasing contrast to those of the typical form, that both are well worth a place in every garden in which accommodation for them exists. Though by no means particular as regards cultural re- quirements, they are frequently met with in any- thing but a satisfactory state. Owing to their not succeeding well on their own roots, many cul- tivators graft them on the Spurge Laurel, and with good results; while in the hands of some they are equally satisfactory when raised from cuttings. For cuttings, select shoots in rather more than a half-ripened condition, that is to say, a little before they acquire a woody texture, and having removed the bottom leaves, insert them in well-drained pots filled with sandy compost and pressed down firmly. About -1 inches is a good length for the cuttings, and they often root better when inserted around the sides of pots than when placed singly in small pots ; contact with the sides seems to hasten the formation of roots. If kept close either in a propagating case or under a bell-glass in a structure warmer than that in which they have been growing, roots are soon pro- duced, and when sutiiciently established they may be potted off. A mixture of open turfy loam, well decayed leaf-mould, and a liberal amount of sand is a very suitable compost for this Daphne. Grafting may be performed either on plants well established in small pots or on pieces dug up for the purpose, and potted after the operation is carried out. The first method is, however, to be preferred ; all that is necessary to ensure success is to select good shoots in the same condi- tion as for cuttings, and graft them in the wedge or side manner as near the ground as possible ; after that they must be kept close till a union has taken place. They will only then require shifting into larger pots when necessary, but in either case their progress is more rapid if kept in a structure warmer than an ordinary greenhouse during their earlier stages. Care must be taken that the pots are ni.t too large, as even if full of roots a little stimulant during the growing season will suffice to keep them in health. Soot water is one of the best of stimulants, as it imparts depth of colour, and may be liberally applied during summer. This Daphne is, however, seen in its best state when planted out. Its rate of growth is then much more rapid than in pots, and where it is expected to supply flowers in a cut state this is a great consideration, as the removal of a few flowering twigs can be effected without disfiguring the plant. It is quite at home on a conservatory wall, but before planting care must be taken that the bed for its reception is thoroughly well drained, and that the compost employed is not of too adhesive a character. Another sweet-scented subject now in bloom is Jasrainum grandiflorum. It forms a regular growing twifrgy bush, with deep tinted evergreen foliage, much like that cf the common Jasmine, and each shoot is terminated by a number of pure white, fragrant blossoms. The common Jasmine is such a popular plant, that grandiflorum is fure to be appreciated, c.-pecially in midwinter. It strikes root readily if half- ripened shoots are Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 47 taken during summer and treated as just recom- mended in the case of the Daphnes. Luculia gratiesima, another winter bloomer, is a grand object when studded with its large Hydrangea- like heads of pink blossoms, which are, moreover, deliciously fragrant. Somehow or other it has acquired the reputation of being dillicult to increase by means of cuttings, but I have never found such to be the case. The cuttings should be formed of the young shoots when they are about half matured, and being dibbled firmly in a light sandy compost, they must then be plunged in a gentle bottom heat in a cool part of the stove. It will be necessary to cover them with a propagating case in order to exclude air ; indeed, I know of no other plant that is so irreparably injured as this is if allowed to flag, and this, I think, explains the reason why it has acquired the reputation of being difficult to deal with. H. P. SEASONABLE WORK IN PLANT HOUSES. T. Baines. Stove. — Preparation should at once be made for potting most of the stock in this department. Loam, peat, and sand should, if not already got under cover, be brought in where it will get suffi- ciently dry for use, for it is scarcely necessary to say that when plants are potted in material that is over-moist, the roots never take kindly to it. The floor of a dry, open shed, where the air will have full play upon the various soils, is the best place, spreading them out thinly, and turning them over a time or two. All empty pots should be thoroughly washed, crocks broken, sticks made and painted, and training wires prepared, before potting operations are commenced, in which case the work goes on more smoothly, and can be got through quicker. PoiNSKTTiAS. — During the time that intervenes between the Chrysanthemums being over and the earliest of the spring-blooming plants coming in there is the most difficulty in keeping up the supply of flowers. This is especially felt where large quantities are required for cutting. Where a suflScient number of Poinsettias has been grown to admit of some being kept back in a temperature no higher than would keep them in a healthy con- dition without pushing on the development of their showy bracts, these may now be placed in the stove, where the heads will quickly expand, and be found very useful through the coming month. Where the plants have been retarded in this way, the bracts do not attain so large a size as when they have been subjected to more heat through the later months of the year, but they will generally be found more serviceable for cut purposes, at the same time being more enduring than when pushed on earlier. Eui'iioRBiA JAcguiNi.ivFUiRA. — Where plants of this have been well grown and are strong, they will yield a second, and in some cases a third, crop of flowers after the sprays produced on the leading shoots have been removed. This, one of the best of all plants for giving a long succession of bloom in winter, is found by many growers ditficult to deal with, both as regards its propagation and after growth, yet it is easily managed, provided a little attention is given to its requirements. Like all other spare-rooted subjects, it cannot bear large pot.s ; such as are (J inches or 7 inches in diameter are large enough for the biggest plants that it is possible to grow in a single season. Care must also be taken that it is never over-watered, espe- cially when the temperature of the house in which it is located in winter is lower than that required by the warmest section of stove plants : and under the most favourable conditions the water- pot must be used with caution during the next two months. Manure-water given now will much assist the production of successional flowers, keeping the heads of the plants as close to the roof as can be done without their touching the glass. Beconias. — So continuous is the habit of bloom- ing of the best of the winter kinds, that where the plants are strong, they keep on giving an uninter- rupted succession of flowers. Soft-wooded plants that bloom from the successional growth that is made through the winter in the way common to the section of Begonias inquestion are much influenced in the enduring character of their flowers when cut by the conditions under which the growth that produces them is made. When the plants are stood in light houses or pits, with their heads close to the glass, thegrowth possesses therequisite substance to enable it to yield flowers that will keep fresh for a much longer time than when the growth is made under the adverse condition of in- sufficient light. Those who have to provide a constant supply of cut blooms during winter will find that by paying due attention to the conditions that will ensure enduring properties in the flowers, fewer will suffice. A/.Ai.EAs. — Amongst the endless varieties of Azaleas that have appeared within the memory of the present generation of gardeners there are few, if any, equal for winter forcing to the old white, and the slightly different Fielder's white, especi- ally where the flowers are required for cutting. The robust constitution of the two varieties named, and the free growth that when well treated they make, admit of the flowers being cut with long portions of shoot attached to them, which is obviously a matter of the first importance when they are required for filling vases or stands where flowers with short stems are of little use. One of the best properties possessed by these old varieties is that where needed every shoot that bears flowers may be cut without its ha\ing any weakening influence on the plants that will interfere with the succeeding year's growth provided that the roots receive the requisite manurial suste- nance during the time the growth is being made. Where a sulficient stock of the sorts under notice exists so that they can be brought into bloom in succession, the supply of flowers may be kept up from November to May. To give a succession, one or more plants, according to their size, should be placed in moderate warmth — the temperature of an intermediate house is better than stove heat — every three weeks. Before moving them into warmth it is necessary to see that they are quite free from thrips, the pest which Azalea growers to be successful need to wage incessant war against, as however clean the plants may be early in spring, the chances are that they will be affected with the insect before summer is over. Fumiga- tion with tobacco, or some other of its prepara- tions, will kill the mature insects, but not the eggs, that lie securely sealed up under the little black varnish-like specks that will be found on the leaves ; there is nothing that combines the destruction of the insects and the eggs with an absence of injury to the plants like strong to- bacco water, to which should be added (iislmrst compound at the rate of about an ounce to a gal- lon of the liquid. In this small plants should be dipped; larger specimens require syringing, lay- ing them down during the operation and allowing them to remain in this position until the solution — which must not be washed ofl' — is dry ; it is better not to allow it to find its way into the soil further than can be avoided on account of the sulphur contained in the Oishurst, as it is highly injurious to the roots. Where high cultivation with Azaleas is aimed at, the whole stock should now be washed or dipped in this way in the case of plants that have been much aff'ected with the insect, repeating the operation in two or three weeks. At no time of the year can this work be so effectually done as in the winter before the young new shoots are in motion, as then the insects are not only more easily destroyed, but the wash may be used in a stronger state than the plants would bear during their season of active growth. Shrubs fob forcing. — Such things as Azalea mollis, and the C4hent varieties of Azalea, Rho- dodendrons, Andromeda floribunda, Deutzias, Viburnums, and Choisya ternata should be placed in heat. For these, again, a house or pit, where there is an intermediate temperature of, say, ."i.')" in the night, with a rise by day proportionate to the weather temperature, is preferable to giving them more heat. When the flowers are brought on in much heat their duration on the plants ia shorter than where the progress has been slower. When the flowers are required for cutting to stand in rooms where the atmosphere is dry, and the temperature much lower than that of the structure where they have been brought from, they do not last long; in addition to this they often flag to an extent that detracts from their appear- ance. The merits of the last of the shrubs named when forced are not yet so generally understood as they deserve to be, but when better known this plant is likely to be in much request. Greenhouse. — The use of fire-heat, more or less rendered necessary by the frosts that have occur- led, combined with dense fogs, will have cai sel the flower-buds of Camellias to droop more or less according to the condition of the plants and the care that has been exercised in not allowing the atmosphere to get too dry, and in not using more heat than was requisite. Well known as this fine evergreen shrub is, with ita cultural require- ments supposed to be equally well understood, there are yet few mishaps more common than to see the flower-buds fall in quantity through the incautious application of fire -heat. The favourite old double white variety is one of the first to suffer in this way ; it, and others that have a like tendency to cast their buds, should not be subjected to more heat in winter than that of a warm greenhouse, say 40°, or a few degrees more in the night, and this accompanied by suflicient moisture in the atmosphere and no deficiency of water to the roots. In all cases where it becomes necessary to push the fires to an extent that makes the pipes hot the plants should be stood as far away from them as they can be got. It is need- less to say this applies to sucli as are in pots and tubs and are movable. In houses where the Camellias are planted out they usually occupy a central position, and on that account are at a safe distance from the heating medium. Camellias suffer less than most things from the presence of insects ; yet the pest by which they are most affected — scale — if allowed to get numerous, injui'es the plants both in health and appearance. An effort should be made at this season to go over the whole stock and give it a thorough clean- ing. If the work is carefully done much subse- quent labour will be saved, and that at a time when there is less opportunity than at present. General iiarh wooded plants. — Fire-heat should be employed with care, not using more, even during severe weather, than will keep the stock well out of danger. This is particularly needful during protracted frost, as any excitement into growth at this early period would, in the case of most things, be highly injurious in its effects. Late-flowering Chrysanthemums.— Within the last few years attention has been bestowed on late-flowering Chrysanthemums — that is, on those whose blooms may be had in perfection at Christ- mas, or even later, though soon after the com- mencement of the new year they seem to lose most of their freshness. A good deal doubtless depends upon culture, yet some varieties are better suited than others for late flowering, and among the best are the following, viz., Grandi- florum, yellow ; Ethel, white ; Mademoiselle La- croix, white ; Meg Merrilies, white ; Gloriosum, pale lemon ; and Source d'Or, deep orange. All these are Japanese kinds ; though there is no end to so-called varieties now in cultivation, yet few bright-coloured sorts are available for late bloom- ing ; they lose both colour and freshness. The most satisfactory with us this season have been rincomparabile, brownish crimson ; Souvenir d'Amsterdam, crimson and gold ; M. Comte, purple ; and Pcre 1 )elaux, velvety brown. In the .Vnemone section, Virginale and Lady Margaret, both white, are the best; while of incurved flowers, by far the latest is Princess Tcck, a fine pure white variety. Of this a yellow sport has been exhibited, and it should be a very useful kind. 48 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 188T. A promising sort for late blooming is a Japanese variety sent out last year by M. Delaux and called MM. Thibaut et Keteleer. It ia short and sturdy in habit ; the colour of the blooms is of an intense bright crimson, and they do not seem to become pale, as most kinds do, towards the end of the season. — T. PAMPAS GRASS, BAMBOOS, AND THORNS. Pampas Grass kor covert. — Where a good stock of the Pampas Grass is on hand and no particu- lar demand for it, I would strongly advocate its use as underwood, affording, as it does, a great amount of shelter as well as being warm and dry. For the margins of woodland lakes and streams it is of particular value, seeming to delight in such situations, provided it is not too much hemmed in and overshadowed by trees. From a little ex- periment made here, we find that game in general are very partial to the Pampas Grass, affording, as it does, a cosy retreat and resting ground. A good stock of this plant is easily enough procured by dividing large established clumps and planting these out in a kindly soil in the nursery for a couple of years before transferring them to their permanent positions. In dividing large plants it is best to lift these out of the ground, shake away the soil, and cut them up into pieces of, say, half-a-dozen stems each. By so doing, the risk of cutting and maiming the divisions is much lessened, and the plants grow away rapidly and soon form well established masses. When plant- ing out permanently the Pampas Grass need not be placed closer than 6 feet from plant to plant, for it soon increases in size, and the overhanging leaves quite fill up the intervening space. Any good soil suits the Pampas Grass, but that in which it grows most rapidly is, I have noticed, a dampish brown loam that is not apt to get dried up in summer or to retain excessive moisture during winter. A few clumps of from a dozen to forty plants in each placed here and there along the outskirts of woods and plantations have a most imposing appearance, and all the more so if backed up with dark-foliaged shrubs or Firs. The New Zealand Flax and Royal Fern may be advan- tageously placed in similar situations, and when thoroughly established are both useful and effec- tive. Hardy Bamboos — The present appearance of a truly grand specimen of Bambusa Metake in our home nursery tempts me to say a word or two in its favour as an ornamental and otherwise desirable plant. Not every one of the full half-a-dozen Bamboos offered in our hardy plant lists can be recommended as proof against the shocks of an ordinary English winter ; but the one in ques- tion may be relied upon as being perfectly satis- factory in this way ; here, at least, it has stood quite unprotected for nearly a score of years. I cut one of the wands the other day, just to get a truthful idea of the height of this plant, and it measured l.S feet and I inch, was as pliable as a Hazel rod, and could be bent so as to make base and tip meet in a circle. The roots wander slowly about, sending up every here and there tufts of wands, so that a single plant placed in an ordi- nary border soon fills it up. Such a plant as that above described would have a truly imposing effect if well placed in an open recess of the shrubbery and contiguous to a sheet of water. In its present position it is, although in a per- fectly open position, saved from cold, cutting winds by a high wall on one side and a big Portugal Laurel on the other. The aspect is eastern, and the soil loam of a not very kindly nature, but evidently well fitted for growing Bambusa Metake and the American Onoclea (0. sensibilis), this latter uniting, or rather mingling, in a by no means unornamental fashion its Eik's-hornlike fronds with the graceful spikes of the Bamboo. Another perfectly hardy Bam- boo will be found in B. falcata, a far more refined plant than Metake, and quite fitted for taking its place in the alpine garden, where but a few days ago I was admiring it growing freely, and offering a slight shade to the under - growing Irish Heaths, Andromeda poli- folia, and that lovely, but rarely seen, Iris (I. gigantea). It is readily increased by division of the roots. Thorns in the park. — In the formation of parks and other grounds it is usual to retain a few of the largest and finest hedge Thorns as standards, and these, if carefully grouped in suit- able positions, soon assume a very pleasing and picturesque appearance. That the Thorn, if care- fully handled, transplants well when of large size is beyond doubt, as some of our largest country parks have been thus ornamented when the plants were from 12 feet to 15 feet in height. Clump- planting is to be recommended in the case of the Thorn, the best way being to place it in threes or fives, and at a distance of, say, IS feet apart. There are several advantages accruing from this method of planting, and not the least of these is, that a single fence — for Thorns must be protected from cattle and horses — will serve instead of a number, not to speak of the substantial appear- ance presented by well-laid-out clumps over single specimens. For the sake of contrast it is to be recommended that a few clumps of the pink, scarlet, or crimson-flowered forms be indiscrimi- nately mixed with the normal white-flowered plant, but by all means keep the colours separate, for a conglomerate mass of white, pink, and scarlet flowers is anythingbutdciirable. Inorder to relieve the sameness or monotony caused by planting in clumps, it is always advisable to have a few single specimens planted here and there over the grounds. Transplanting the Thorn should always be engaged in in autumn or during mild, open winter weather, for as this is one of our first plants to break into leaf, early planting is therefore en- forced upon us, and we cannot far err by taking Nature as our guide. The holes for the reception of the Thorns should be large and wide, and made up of extra rich soil, a cartload of well-decomposed farmyard manure acting wonders when inter- mixed with the ordinary loam. All will be bene- fited if the pits have been opened for some time previous to that when planting taking place. RnoDODENDRON CDLTHRE. — Many, indeed the majority of persons, are under the impression that in oider to grow the Rhododendron in any- thing like a saiisfactory manner it must be planted in peat. Nothing could, however, be further from the truth, as the common Rhodo- dendron ponticum, and, indeed, all its varieties, thrive well in soil of very opposite qualities — loam, vegetable refuse, rough stony soil, and even clay if but a little trouble is gone to in improving it. The finest bank of hybrid Rhodo- dendrons with which I am acquainted is not a dozen miles from where I write, the soil in this particular locality being a free, sandy loam, with a small admixture of decayed vegetable refuse atop, the whole resting at irregular depths of from 1'2 inches to about 40 inches on shale rock. During the flowering season it is a treat to see this bank, the gently undulating, irregularly-surfaced ground showing off in a peculiarly effective manner the various and rich tints of the flowers in this almost unique collection. In such a soil, and without coddling of any kind, the rare and beautiful R. Thomsoniand R. Ingrami, Lady Eleanor Cath- cart, Mont Blanc, and that, to me, finest of all, Mrs. John Waterer, thrive luxuriantly. With the greatest of success we have planted Rhodo- dendrons of all kinds, commonly cultivated in ordinary woodland soil and without preparation of any kind beyond digging good wide holes and collecting with the spade such leaf-mould as was lying within reach of the pits and mixing it with the soil that was placed in contact with the roots. Dampish ground, but not where stagnant water abounds, is preferred by most Rhododendrons, although from this it must not be inferred that the plant in question will only thrive under such conditions, for in some of the woods under my charge it succeeds well in very dry rocky soils and at considerable elevations above sea level. Open, sunny portions of the woodland should alone be chosen in which to plant the Rhododendron, at least if it is intended to flower well. A. D. Webster. Rose Garden. The " Rosarian'a Year-book " for 1887 * contains papers on "The Orange Fungus of the Rose," from Messrs. Worthington Smith (illustrated), Fish, Burrell, Grant, and the Rev. J. A. Williams ; " The Best Show Eoses," by air. B. R. Cant ; "Single Roses," by Mr. Girdlestone ; "Eoses in New Zealand," by Mr. Eobert Trigg ; " Eight Years' Experience of Rose-growing in the Perth- shire Highlands," by Mr. A. Hill Gray ; and " The Eose Weather of 18S6," by Mr. E. Mawley. Mr. Bwrrell writes as follows concerning The Ob\nge Fongos. Of the enemies attacking the Rose, that known as Orange fungus, or red rust, is, of all others, perhaps the one which most batfies the skill of the cultivator to find a remedy, easy and practicable of application, and effectual in its results. Like ordinary mildew, it rarely attacks the plants until after the first blooming is past, then, if the weather is at all favourable to fungoid growths, the lower leaves suddenly become affected with a red rust-like powder, the fungus spreading ujnvards, and in bad attacks to such an extent as to cause the leaves to shrivel up and drop off, seriously impairing the second or autumn bloom- ing of the plants. This fungus is much worse in some seasons than in others. In some of the very wet summers of a few years ago, when my experience of Rose-growing was confined to the north of England, and with almost constant moisture in the atmosphere, I have known remarkable instances in which not a trace of this fungus nor ordinary mildew ever made their appearance during the whole growing seasons of these years ; whilst, on the other hand, in seasons after a short fit of exceptionally hot and dry weather the plants suddenly became affected with rust and mildew, the smooth-wooded varieties of the Victor Verdier race, and the very dark, thickly- spined varieties, like Prince Caoiille de Rohan, showing the earliest and worst signs of the fungus. Different soils, also, appear to have certain iofluences io the spread of this fungus. Possibly in no season has it been so rife as in the past one. Yet I have seen re- markable instances of Roses growing in old beds which had not been disturbed for years, and where the soil was light and lich in vegetable matter, where scarcely a trace of the fungus was to be seen, and these, too, of such varieties as General Jacqueminot, which are among the worst to become infected with this fungus ; whilst, at a short distance to these, in siron/, lich, highly cultivated yellow loam, considered to essential to the production of exhibition blooms, ancT where every attention was paid to high cultiva- tion, the plants were must infested. Indeed, I have invariably noticed on light soils, abounding in vege- table matter, that although the attack of ordinary mildew is quite as bad on these soils as on those of a closer and more calcareuxis nature, that the plants on the former rarely show signs of any serious attack of Orange fungus compared with those on the latter. Whether or not this u owing to the winter rains carrying the resting spores iif the fungus on the lighter, more pervious soils, beyond sufficient warmth to enable them to germinate in the following year, I am not prepared to say. As regards remedies, I am not aware of anything which has been successful in stopping the spread of this fungus, once it has made its appearance on the plants ; nor can I learn that anyone has been successful. Several remedies have been suggested, the most c jmmon being to pick off all infected leaves and btiru them as soon as the fungus makes its appearance. This may minimise the evil, but, to say the least, it can scarcely be called an effectual remedy, for not only does thi-i fungus attack Roses, but, I believe, the same kind of fungus attacks Plums, White Thorn, Poplars, and possibly other trees and plants, and the * B.Minxnc and Sons, Old B.iiloy, London, mil Derby. Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 49 worst attack I have yet seen was on that beautiful Of course, every Lily would not grow in London, wliich in my experience it never does here. — autumn-blcioming plant Senecio pulcher, the thick, but the common and more beautiful kinds will do W. Wilks, SJiirh-y Viraraqr, Croyrhn. leathery foHage of this being completely coated over perfectly well.— \V. In reply to Mr. Engleheart's query as to with thick rust, so that not only would it be necessary the variety of Hellebore found by him between to gather and burn the affected Kose leaves, but the " • Menagrgio and Porlezza, I confess my inability to same plan wnulJ have to be carried out with other HELLEBORUS NIGER M \XIMUS ""'^'^ *'"' question with any degree of certainty, plants and trees before the fungus could be stamped ... ^^^ description and specially the existence of the out by this means— a thing impracticable, seeing how Mk. Entjleheaet (p. 22) gives us a memor- pink stigmata naturally susgest a form of H. easily these fungoid diseases are distributed over a andum from his note-book made in March last, niger maximus, and though I never heard of its wide area by air. describing a Hellebore which he observed growing existence in that locality, it might nevertheless m Northern Italy (Como-Lugano). It was a strong- very well be found there. The dilticulty that Although Roses maybe badly infested with this growing Hellebore, flower large and cupped, pure occurs is whether in Northern Italy H. niger and other fungoid diseases in the late summer and white with a slight flush of buff pink, and with maximus would be in perfection so late as autumn months, so as to completely mar and spoil pink stigmata. I think we must recognise in this March. The colour and time of year might sug- their autumn blooming, I have not observed under description H. niger maximus or altifolius, and gest H. antiquorum, but this never has red stig- good cultivation that the plants in the following that herein is a most interesting record of its mata, neither has abchasicus albus, nor in fact am season bloom any the worse through the attack ff occurrence in its native habitat. I took con- I acquainted with any white Hellebore, except va- fungus of the previous year, or that it either lessens siderable trouble to trace out this question in lss:i, rieties of H. nifer rnaximus, which in their natu- the ipiantity or quaUty of the bloom the following when it was found to have its home in Carniola ral state show this character. Can Mr. Engle- eummer, and if science and practice fail to find a and the valleys of the Southern Tyrol. I have heart recall to mind whether his plant resembled remedy whereby we may prevent this fungus from since obtained plants from this locality. Mr. the niger family in leaf, stem, and shortness of spoiling tlie second or autumn blooming of our Hybrid Engleheart's observation extends its range into pedicel or how otherwise ? T. H. Akcher-Hinp, Perpetual Roses (for it never appears so early as to the neighbouring valleys of North Italy. There South Devon. affect the first bloom), then might I throw out a ■ suggestion for the more extended culture of the beautiful Tea varieties, so thoroughly proof against the fungus under discussion, for I have never under any circumstances seen a single trace of (,)ranj;e fungus on any of the varieties of these. They are the real Perpe- tuals — the first to bloom, and the last to succumb to frost. Every decade shows rapid strides in the improvement of Rose culture, and probably we may soon see a race of Hybrid Perpetuals as proof against Orange fungus as the already existing varietiesof Teas. Among otherfung'.is- proof Hybrid Perpetuals we already possess two remarkable varieties for perpetual bloom- ing and high quality, viz.. La France and TTlrich Brunner. The first-named, crossed with the Teas, ought to give a race of first-class light, varieties proof against Orange fungus. The latter, a model of healthy growth and vigour, and a free seeder, crossed with the pollen from the darker varieties, would pro- bably give us a race of dark Roses, resisting both mildew and rust. Everlasting Roses.— Is not "T. W. (J." (p. ^7) mixing up two distinct types of Rose, i.e., China proper and Bengal ] The latter consists of many varieties of most unusual colour — blackish crimson, purplish crimson, and the Dearest approaches to blue I have seen in the Rose, but they are plants of small value for garden decoration. Bengals can be had in almost endless variety in Belgian nurseries, but not the Chinas.— T. S., Newry. Flower Garden. t_3Cb«:»H^. Anoinathcca cnieiita. EiiLTaved for The Gardes frcm a phntM;,T-ai'I ANOMATHECA CRUENTA. | A DAINTY and brilliant little Cape plant that succeeds out of doors perfectly in the south of England if it has a sheltered, sunny place in New Chrysanthemums. — In the re- marks of " A. D." (p. .'U) relative to the naming of new Chrysanthemums he has omitted to note one of the greatest of all stumbling-blocks in connection with the nomenclature not only of Chrysanthemums, but of many other florists' flowers. I allude to the same name being given to two or more totally distinct varieties, a practice which seems to be on the increase, and which I am able to speak from experience causes a very great amount of confusion. "A. D." states that he is not anxious to see the raiser's name attached to a variety, because all flowers should depend upon their merits, and not upon a raiser's fame or otherwise. Certainly, that should be so, but where the same name is borne by different plants, the name of the raiser is the only distinguishing characteristic. For instance, two distinct kinds are named Duchess of Albany, and the same may be said of Delicatum, Rob Roy, and Ceres, while we have two called M. Hoste and two Madame Hoste. As to new varieties, many are worthless. That good kinds have been sent out during the last few years is undeniable, yet, on the other hand, many are seen only for a season or two and then disappear. One cultivator alone offers 100 new varieties for the current year. It is therefore difficult to imagine that even one-half of them are an advance on or fairly distinct from older kinds. Of those sent out from all sources within the last three years, not more than 50 per cent, should have been put into commerce, and if from that number even all that are barely distinguishable from older kinds were ex- punged, the list would be very considerably shortened. — H. P. \A'hen new varieties of Chrysanthemums or any other plants are introduced by the hundred and accompanied by long-winded descriptions of a superlative kind, it often follows that the inexperi- are numerous specimens in the herbarium at Kew from these districts. — W. Brockbank, Brock- hurst, Diilsbiiry. I was in the same neighbourhood as Mr. Engleheart last March (Como-Lugano), and noticed ... immense quantities of Hellebores ; one mountain- rockwork or near a south wall. The flowers are side was entirely covered with them, and there „-r ■ j ii - ■ ^ of a lively salmon-rose colour, the lower petals were blossoms enough even then to have supplied enced are tempted to neglect old and_ well-tried having a blotch of deepest crimson. The seeds, Covent(;arden the whole season through. From the kinds, which in reality are far superior in merit to which ripen freely in England and are contained erect stems and huge foliage, I take the \ariety to , the new sorts. In this way love of novelty means in rather large pods, are round and polishod, and be altifolius or maximus, whichever name be pre- too often an actual loss of growth-force and of a deep crimson colour, looking much like little ferred. I noticed some with leaf-stalks over 12 labour. It is not alone true of flowers ;itjs equally drops of blood. It is one of the easiest grown of inches in height, and leaves like large Horse Cape bulbs, and one of the prettiest and neatest, Chestnut leaves. I brought home two plants, the whole plant being under a foot high. i Of.,** ^'^ °« the very biggest I saw, flowers pure •^ ^ D I \9liite, touched with pink and pink stigmas ; the other a beautiful clear creamy pink, precisely the Lilies in London. — " Delta" (p. 32) is wrong shade of Anemone japonica hybrida, and if this in his remarks about Lilies in London. I have latter come true here in England and be not, as I seen them grow well in the Botanic Gardens, rather fear, due to causes of soil and position, it Regent's Park, in Bull's nursery, and in little gar- ! will be a great acquisition, as it was as large and dens in different parts even in the heart of London. • strong as an ordinary altifolius, only of colour as In St. .James's Park last year there were some I have said. I do not doubt for a moment that splendid Lilies, and I have seen good specimens in Mr. Engleheart's plant was a true altifolius, but a lady's garden in Montague Street, Russell Square. ' if so, altifolius must surely ripen seed there, labour. true of Potatoes, as "A. D. " (p. 34) will, I am sure, admit. Of one thing "A. D." seems to be unaware, viz., that we have sometimes from two to five'different varieties of Chrysanthemum in culti- vation under the same name. These are the pro- duce of different raisers, and the addition of the raiser's name in these cases is a sine qua 71011. The old Tulip and Auricula growers introduced the plan of adding the raiser's name to their va- rieties years ago, and doubtless for the very rea- son that it is now so essential in the naming of Chrysanthemums. I also notice that the Prim- rose growers at South Kensington often add the 50 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. name of the raiser to that of their pet flowers" Primula Rosy ilorn (Dean) just occurs to me, and may serve as an example. — F. W. B. NOTES ON HARDY PLANTS. Houstonia cserulea. — Few plants of humble growth are sd fully appreciated or so much sought after as Bluets, a name by which this little alpine is known in English gardens. We are told, however, Ihat previous to 18-30 the only common name under which it was known was Venus' Pride, and this name exists still in Washington territory. Innocence and Dwarf Pink are also local American names for it ; near Philadelphia it is called Quaker's Bonnet, and elsewhere American Daisy, because of its plenti- fulness. Dr. Chapman described it some time ago as Oldenlandia cajrulea, a name which never, however, received general recognition. In America there are no fewer than thirteen species of Houstonia, seven recognised botanical varieties, and several garden forms. Probably not more than three of these are in cultivation in England at the present time, viz., H. serpyllifolia, H. purpurea, and H. cosrulea. Of the latter, it is said that no plant is better known in the districts where it grows wild ; being amongst the first to bloom in spring, it attracts everyone's attention. It is just the same in our own gardens. It com- mences to bloom early in spring, and continues laden with its pretty milky white stars nearly to the end of summer, and in moist seasons even longer. I have often been afraid that it would flower itself to death ; but no, it seems to carry its American constitution with it, and continues year after year to produce flowers in great abundance. It thrives best in light, peaty soil in a shady, moist situation, and, if possible, almost on a level with the eye. Plrnty of water should be given it during the growing season. In the matter of propagation it is most accommodating, as it will withstand any amount of division. Our plan is to lift pieces of it, break them into small bits, and pot them singly in ijinch pots, or prick them out in boxes, keeping them there until established and planting tliem out where desired ; 2 inches or S inches apart will be quite near enough, as they will soon cover the empty ground. Small pieces pricked out in the open air and protected from drip would doubtless answer just as well, although they would require longer time. Eliodothamiiua chamsecistis.— This is a really charming little alpine shrub, much resembling in its way a miniature Rhododendron in habit and leaves, as well as in its large purple flowers. It is perfectly hardy in our alpine garden, being a native of high alti- tudes in Bavaria and elsewhere. In peaty soil in a half shady, moist situation it thrives well, making dense tufts, which at midsummer or later are covered with its bell-like blooms in such profusion as to en- tirely hide the leaves. Tlie latter are small, oval, dark shiny green, and covered as well as the branches with white villous hairs, giving it quite a unique ap- pearance. It may be propagated readily by layering, and cuttings taken off at the proper time also afford a ready means of increasing it. It is a pigmy shrub, with large showy flowers. Himalayan Primroses.— In the last number of the Butunind Magazine (tab. 6016) illustrations of two Himalayan Primroses appear, both of which we had an opportunity of seeing at the South Kensington conference in April last. One is P. erosa, a plant generally known, and, we believe, largely distributed under the provisional name of P. capitata var. crispa. The specific name being that under which the seeds are said to have been received, the varietal appella- tion being added in the interests of gardeners owing to the distinct crispy character belonging to the leaves. The other was shown, and received a first- class certificate under the name of P. denticulata \-ar. erosoides. In the figure above referred to, however, it has been placed as a variety of capitata, which, owing to the drooping habit of the flowers, it re- sembles. In denticulata the flower-heads are globose, those on the top of the umbel opening and standing up ; while in typical capitata the flowers droop, and the uppermost usually do not e.\pand at all. From what we a!rea:ly know of the habit of P. erosa, it will be much easier to manage than any of the others. It is more of a perennial than capitata as we know it in gardens, and not by any means such a shy bloomer. K. WHITE DAFFODIL TRIAL. Mr. Engleheart (p. .'U) and Miss White (p. 474) having condemned, without a trial, the Chiswick garden, as being unsuitable for white Daflbdils, there are yet two more things which devolve quite natui-ally upon them ; First, to prove that Chis- wick really is as unsuitable as they assume it to be ; and, secondly, in that case to suggest abetter place in as public and central a position, or as near London as possible. Mr. Hartland, of Cork, grows all the white Daflfodils finer and stronger than any other cultivator with whom I am ac- quainted, and possesses more varieties than any other grower ; but there are a good many reasons why Cork should not be selected as a trial ground. There are three things which trial grounds of all kinds should possess ; in a word, they should be public, central, and, above all things, on neutral ground. Of course, no thorough trial of this kind can take place without considerable self sacrifice, and the sooner we all agree to self-deny ourselves the better. What I mean is this : Mr. Engleheart says (p. 34) that " some of us will require at least two more springs for observing and sorting our plants before we are in a position to send bulbs to the trial ground, knowing accurately what we are sending." If I were to act on this plan, I should require two-and-twenty years rather than two years, and the chances are that by that time Queen Daf- fodil would have abdicated her throne, or that the influx of garden-reared plants would have quite filled up the little gaps and distinctions now observable among wild varieties. My own object in offering to send what bulbs I may have to Chiswick for trial is not to .satisfy myself on this question. I can do that much better where I am than elsewhere, but I am anxious, so far as in me lies, to atford satisfaction to the Narcissus-loving public generally. What has Mr. Barr to say on this matter ? And perhaps Mr. James Walker, of Whitton, will, with his usual quiet courtesy, help us with his valuable experience and advice con- cerning this trial. Mr. Engleheart is quite right about the white Daffodils liking to grow amongst the roots of other things. The finest plants of white Daffodil Colleen Bawn I ever saw were growing amongst thickly-matted roots of Moss and Cab- bage Roses ; and Mr. Hartland told me that when he obtained bulbs of his Bishop Mann they were so firmly massed and embedded among tree-roots, that he had to use a pick instead of a spade, and that many were sacrificed in exhuming them. I wish we knew exactly how, and in what root- society or underground growths the white Daffo- dils of the Pyrenees are found. Perhaps Mr. Wolley Dod, Mr. Maw, or some other amateur collector will enlighten us on this matter, as in gardens this seems a by-no-means-to-be-despised factor towards their well-being. F. W. BURBIDGK. Earthing' up tree stems (p. 39).— Apart from the injury inflicted on trees by filling up earth about their stems, there is another kind of harm which such work does, and that is it greatly diminishes the beauty of a tree, and this even a thin layer of soil will do. G-ardeners are fond of covering up naked tree roots and continual top dressings, earth up tlie stems and make the tree look as if set in the ground like a pole, thus detracting from the stability and strength which a few big, rugged surface roots seem to give a tree. I was amused the other day at seeing how carefully a tidy gardener had made little mounds around one of his big trees ; his argument was that the extra coating of earth would draw up the little roots, but one miglit as well try to prick an elephant's hide with a pin as attempt to draw up small roots belonging to a big tree by putting soil round its stem. There is a peculiar beauty in surface ti-ee-roots, and on no account should they be covered if ornament is the first consideration. — G. Trees and Shrubs. THE ALATERNUS. Considering what a beautiful Evergreen this is, it is surprising that it is not more planted. The shrub that is somewhat like it, but very inferior, the everlasting Evergreen Privet, you see repeated everywhere, even in the gardens of those who can afford to pay the extra price for the Alaternus. As regards the beauty of the two shrubs, there is no comparison. You rarely see the Privet at this season densely clothed with leaves, whereas the severest winter does not harm the Alaternus. It looks to-day, after '20° of frost, as fresh and green as in May, although I know it has the reputation of being liable to become nipped by frost. The density of its leafage and its deep glossy green colour are not surpassed by any other shrub, and, added to this, it produces myriads of honey-scented blossoms in spring and often before winter has left us. Moreover, it is a rapid grower in almost all soils, hence it makes a capital hedge or screen. Its full height is from l.") feet to 20 feet, but it is only near the seaside that it reaches its maximum size. It is then a small tree. It bears the shears well, and in some old-fashioned gardens you see trimly clipped hedges of it, and it is said that when kept cut close it is rendered hardier. Rhamnus Alaternus, it need hardly be said, is no novelty. It was introduced from the south of Europe more than two centuries and a half ago. The celebrated Evelyn claims to have introduced it to general cultivation, and in most old garden books some mention is made of it, always recommending it. There are about half-a dozen varieties of it, one named angustifolia, with much narrower leaves than the original, being the hardiest. There is also a Spanish form, and another from the Balearic Islands, and three with distinct leaf markings, the least rare being that with golden blotched leaves, which character, however, it is apt to lose, and sometimes only a solitary variegated branch on a large bush is to be seen. Though no one need be afraid to plant it in the open shrubbery, it makes a good covering for a wall, which needs to be clothed with greenery in winter, and in old places like Claremont, Wortley, Arundel, you may see large spaces of the walls, once called conserva- tive walls, covered with it. Comparing the nursery price of the Alaternus with that of the Evergreen Privet shows it to be twice or thrice as dear, but this is probably owing to the limited demand that exists for it. — W. G. The be&t Evergreen for London is perhaps the Japanese Spindle Tree (Euonymus japonious), the green, not the variega'ed or golden kind?. In the heart of the city, in St. Paul's Churchyard, it looks fresher and cleaner than anything else, and as to its hardiness, the arctic spell we have just had does not seem to have made it hang its leaves even. In the Thames Embankment Gardens the same shrub holds its place as the best of all, and perhaps finer bushes of it cannot be seen anywhere about London than in the Embankment Garden west of Charing Cross Railway Station. There are bushes of it there 5 feet high and -1 feet through, and as dense as it is possible to have them. The green of the leaves is of the deepest, .and what is important is the fact that the sooty particles in the air do not stick to the leaves, as in the case of the Holly, Rhododendron, and most other Evergreens. The Euonymus, too, is a fast grower ; indeed, it seems but a short time since the plants of it on the Embankment were of nursery size. It is, moreover, one of the best shrubs to transplant, an operation which may be done at any season of the year. Shortly before the frost set in some of the big bushes of it were moved and also some at midsummer, and none of them seem in the least checked, as they had such large and matted balls. This praise, however, only applies to the green-leaved kind ; the variegated-leaved forms are more tender, and no doubt severe frost will injure them. It is well known that this I'^uonymus is one of the best of seaside shrubs, but were it more generally known that no Evergreen succeeds better Jan. 1887.J THE GARDEN. 51 in LondoD, it would be more planted in town gardtns. Another excellent London Evergreen is the Japanese Skimmia, which also succeeds in St. Paul's Church- jard almost as well as the EuoDjmu=, but its leaves being broader are liable to become more begrimed with soot. — G. THE lIkCH as a lawn TREE. An old French writer says, ''the Larch is admired for its pyramidal shape and spiry head, for the tender irreen and peculiar disposition of its foliage, and for fts ta'sel-like catkins, which spread over the tree, and, seen at a li'.tle distance, resemble wood Stiaw- berries in their form, colour, and size, contrasting pleasingly %vith the pale green of the beautiful tufts of leaves which crown the sknder branches." On the other hand, Gilpin, who U generally acknowledged as an authority as regards the aspect of trees, considers it too formal in growth to be beautiful in this country, though he admits it is elegant. This writer probably regarded it only as a fornjal tree, when seen, as "it generally is, crowded in plantations with a view to profit. We are more conctrned at the present with its aspect as a lawn or park tree, and in such places it is, we consider, a most beautiful tree, particularly when between the juvenile and adult btages. At this age, if the tree has been merely theltered, not crowded, it is feathered almost to the ground with branches. Wordsworth, who held a high opinion of the Larch as an ornamental tree says, " To produce an ornamental Larch it should be carefully nursed, removing the nurses gradually so as to allow sufficient air around the speciment to encourage the growth of the lower branches, but at the same time affordingshelterenough toproducelength of stem." He continues, " I do not know a more beautiful object on a lawn in the early summermonths than a tree so treated, forming, as it dots, a delicate Pea green cone from the Grass upwards to a height of .'lO feet or even CO feet. If properly managed, the 1 jwest branches will live as long as the tree. Then, again, its death- like character in the winter is strikingly peculiar to the tree." In many places in this country we have seen Larches which fully justify Wordsworth's re- marks, and even some old trees we have seen with branches sweeping the ground. So much for the ornamental character of the com- mon Larch, so common indeed that it is looked upon as a native. But beautiful as it undoubtedly is, its near ally from the other side of the Atlantic is even more beautiful. In the American Larch we have a naturally weeping or pendulous tree, not an accidental sport ir monstrosity, as the majority of so-called weeping trees are, but one that embodies all the ele- gance of the young Deodar with the addition of being deciduous, which enhances its interett and beauty so much. It is generally admitted that the American Lirch is handsomer than the European ; and, more- over, possesses wood superior for lightness, strength, and durability. But it is not its utility which now concerns us. The elegance of young American Larches renders them capable of producing an ex- tremely picturesque effect in the landscape. The branches being longer and more slender, and its leaves being shorter, all add to its distinctiveness. Therefore, in places where the common Larch abounds in planta- tions, this one maybe planied on the lawn or in the park for the sake of variety. It is if undoubted hardi- ness, as it inhabits the coldest, swaapy districts, from New England northwards. It is known popu- larly as the Black Larch, American Larch, Tamarack, and Hackmatack, and botanically by several names, the chief being Larix pendula, Pinus pendula, Larix americana, Abies microcarpa, and Larix microcarpa. The last name is that which generally has precedence among botanists in this country, though nurserymen, as a rule, call it L. americana. It is a slender- growing tree, throwing off horizontal branches, and often attaining from 70 feet to 90 feet in height. It is said to be an ungainly-looking tree when old, but in a young state most elegant ; the cones are larger, and the foliage of a duller hue than that of the European species. It was first introduced to this country about the year 173'J by one Peter CoUinson, to whom is accredited the introduction of many a fine American tree. There is a pendulous variety of the European Larch in cultivation in this country originally intro- duced from the Tyrol. In this form the branches are drooping. It is, however, rarely met with as a large tree. There are other varieties of Weeping Larch which grow taller; among these are the God- sail Larch and Lawson's Pendulous Larch, the latter somewhat resembling the American Larch. W. G. ABIES NORDMANNIANA. A NOTE in The Garden lately highly commended this tree, saying it was to be the tree of the future. That depends entirely on the soil, and it is very capricious in its tastes, liking neither a strong, cold soil nor a light, dry, sandy soil. When I first came to Cheshire, eighteen years ago, and found plenty of room for experiments in tree planting, i got a good stock of most of the established kinds of the Pine tribe, making nurseries of them. My planting extended over ten years ; the trees had every chance of doing well, the ground being well drained and double dug. There has now been time to judge fairly of the results, but it would be tedious to relate them all. I will merely say that on this cold clay and wet subsoil, A. Nordmanniana has proved a signal failure everywhere. I have planted at different times and under different conditions in ditl'erent situations more than two hundred. Some turned yellow at the points and went oft" at once ; others were beautiful and attracted much admiration for five or six years, but finally behaved in the same way. I do not think half-a- dczen healthy specimens now survive. As a con- trast to these, planted side by side with them under the same conditions, are two or three hundred A. Douglasi. These are now from :iO feet to ")(l feet high, well furnished down to the ground, and pictures of health. The only excep- tions are the tops of a few in places where they have raised their heads into the track of our furious westerly gales, which few trees can with- stand. I have mentioned these two kinds as having given the worst and the best results out of some thirty or forty species I have tried here. Mdye Hall, McUpa-i. C. Wolley Dod. Berberis aristata. — This is a vigorous-grow- ing Barberry of the common type, but especially noteworthy from flowering much later in the season than that kind, a circumstance which should com- mend it to planters. During winter, too, the leafless branches are of a bright reddish colour, and there- fore very conspicuous. It is in all respects variable when grown from seed ; indeed, I observed last season great differences not only in the flowering of our plants, but also in their colour. This Berberis ii a native of the Himalijas, and ii quite hardy in this country. — T. Crataegus Oxyacantha var. temperflorens. — This is a comparatively new form of the coma.on May ; it originated in a French nursery a few years aoo, and has only recently been distributed. It is a compact dwarf grower, and is throughout the summer months hardly ever out of fiowtr. Indeed, on strong specimens, ripe fruits, green ones, as well as fully opened flowers and buds, may be found at the same time. By-and-by when this becomes better known, there is every probability that it will become a popu- lar favourite. Tree planting around houses. — In tree and shrub planting for ornamental ttfect one of the chief considerations is the arrangement of the various kinds with regard to their form, size, and rate tif growth, so that when they have attained maturity they will combine and form a harmonious whole. Too often planting so as to produce an immediate effect results in an incongruity difficult to remedy or efface after the trees have become large and well established, an occurrence which could scarcely be otherwise where trees and shrubs varjing greatly in rate of growth, as well as in habit, are indiscriminately mixed, often on a space too small for them, and still ofteuer without due regard being paid to suitability of soil or position ; berrce it frequently occurs that plantations planted only a few years require rearranging, and even in some instances replanting, on account of no attention having been paid at the outset to the points just ad- verted to. Ultimate effects are always prejudged by those who are well acquainted with trees, and it is this knowledge that enables the experienced land- scape gardener to plant in a proper and advantageous manner. But there is another point connected with planting which requires consider-ition, viz , the har- monising of trees picturesquely with buildings, a branch of practice which requires to be dealt with skilfully, for even with the same kinds of trees opposite effects are produced, according to the style of building.— W. G. RENOVATING RHODODENDRON BEDS. RiioiMinENnRciNS are much benefited by being mulched. I once had to deal with some plants_ in beds which were treated as follows : In forming them we removed all the soil to the depth of ■2 feet 6 inches ; the natural soil was heavy and retentive, resting on clay and flints ; below this, some 4 feet or (i feet deep from the surface, was a bed of chalk. As peat or bog soil of any kind was not at hand, it was thought that a considerable saving might be effected by mixing with some peat a quantity of turf, cut and stacked some time and in a good state for use, being about half decom- posed. Of this compost, viz , peat and turf in about equal quantities, the beds were entirely made. The plants— good kinds of various sizes and very healthy— were planted in spring, and during the following blooming season made a good display, but during the following winter and spring their leaves became paler in colour, arid they did not grow freely the following season— in short, towards the second autumn and winter after planting they presented a sickly appearance ; the leaves dropped, and they became very unsatis- factory, so much so that we determined to replant them. When the plants were taken up it was found that no fresh roots had formed, and in some cases thos9 which they had when first planted were decayed. The soil, too, owing to the loam being of a heavy character, went together in a mass as soon as the fibre decayed, and cut out as close and solid as cheese. No doubt much damage was done to the roots by using the turf we did, as I afterwards learned that chalk had been many times .spread on the surface to benefit the Grass. This had worked down into the soil and affected the whole mass, chalk in any form being detri- mental to Rhododendrons. Some good sandy peat was procured, ako a good supply of sharp silver sand and yellow building sand ; the plants were taken up, and the old soil was shaken from their roots, this being easily done owing to the non-production of fresh fibres. The old soil was turned over quite to the bottom of the beds, and thoroughly chopped and beaten up fine so as to get rid of any cheese-like pieces ; with it were mixed the fresh materials named. The plants were then replaced in their former positions, care being taken to use some fresh peat around the roots of each. The soil was trodden firmly about the plants, but not too much so. This replanting took place early in April, and the two following months were dry ; consequently what flowers were produced were of very short duration, and, not wishing to give much water owing to the rootless state of the plants, mulching with cow manure, amongst which was a good pro- portion of straw, was resorted to. This had been cast into a heap a few months previously, and was in good order for use. It was laid on about 4 inches thick, and just previous to doing so the plants had one good soaking with water. After this no more water was required; the soil was kept moist by the manure on the surface. Good growths were made during that season, and a great improvement in the colour of the foliage manifested itself. The following A pril another bed was served in the same manner, adding the same kind of peat and sand. This and also the other beds were again mulched with the same kind of manure, and during the growing season copious supplies of water were given, which washed the juices from the manure down into the soil, and, judging by the colour of the foliage and the vigorous shoots made each year, the treatment must have been beneficial. 52 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. Mulching is not practised now nearly so freely, the plants having filled their allotted space. In- deed, we have to thin in order to preserve the form of the bushes, which is sure to get leggy if allowed to grow closely together. The plants at the present time are in all respects most satisfactory. Besides its other advantages, mulching has also the effect of rendering the blooms much longer-lasted than they otherwise would be, and it rots down and improves the soil. A thin covering of Cocoa- fibre refuse over the manure gives it a neat appear- ance if the manure is at all an eyesore. Nothing could be more perplexing than attempting to grow Rhododendrons in a soil that is in any way impregnated with chalk or lime. In such a soil they may exist for a time, but they afterwards fail. E. M. PRUNING FLOWERING SHRUBS. There are many things in shrubberies that require to be done at the proper time if a full measure of success is to be reaped, and the pruning of flowering shrubs is one of them. For the most part, the proper time is just as they go out of flower. In certain positions we have to keep the red-flowering Currant in a small state, and annual pruning in our strong soil becomes a necessity. We therefore make a point every spring, as soon as it goes out of flower, to cut back all the shoots which have flowered to within a few inches of the old wood. By doing this the branches are kept in proper form, and the plant bas time to make new growth, and to get it matured for next year's flowering. In this matter it has all the character of the garden Currant, i.e., it does not object to pruning, and it will invariably yield larger racemes of flower on young wood than on old. Magnolia conspicua, when trained to a wall and in a good deep soil, usually makes a few vigorous top shoots, and if these were not cut away early in the winter, they should be removed in spring. This Magnolia forms spurs similar to those of a Pear tree when trained, and if they are getting so far from the wall as to require shortening back, now is the time to do it ; but do not cut back too hard into the old wood, or it may not break into growth again. A safe point is to leave C inches of the old spur, which will in- variably break out into new growth. Where Berberis stenophylla is used as a climber, it is impossible to keep it in good form without prun- ing ; but it will do the plant no harm if useless branches are cut away as soon as the flowering season is past. It must not, however, be delayed after the flowers have faded, or there will not be time for flowering wood for next year to be made. When grown in the shrubbery in a suitable soil it also gets somewhat unruly in growth, and, although one may feel reluctant to cut such a beautiful plant, pruning is sometimes a necessity. Chimonanthus KRAGRAN8 should be pruned in February. Young plants growing vigorously should not have their leading branches cut back until they have filled the space allotted to them, but strong branches may have all the breast-wood cut back to within 3 inches or -1 inches of the stem so soon as they have reached the limits assigned to them. This shortening back will cause them to break afresh, and it is the growth which they make next summer that will produce flowers early next year. Concerning Ceanothus azureus grandiflorus, a word of caution is needed in the case of those who may not be acquainted with the treatment which it requires. Like some other good wall plants, it flowers on the young wood of the current year ; and the caution I would give is, that the young growth must be preserved. Where there are vacant spaces to be covered, leading shoots must be trained there as they advance in growth ; but all the other growth should be allowed to grow in its own waj', as it will flower more freely and have a much better effect when not stiffly trained to the %vall. As this Ceanothus is not quite hardy in all places, the pruning sliould not be done until all danger of severe frost is over. As a general rule the middle of March is soon enough, and then, if the plant is vigorous and in a warm position, all the young growth that flowered the previous year should be shortened back to within 3 inches of the main branches. Weigela rosea, when grown in a shrubbery border, is best allowed to have its own way, and then it will flower with great freedom ; but as a wall plant it requires some care in pruning in order to have it in flower every year alike. As it does not flower until the end of ,fune, it cannot be dealt with in the same way as plants which flower two or three months earlier ; but when once the right treatment is understood, it can be had in bloom every year as easily as any other. The way in which this is effected istothinout the shoots that have flowered as soon as the blossoms fade, which will give room for the growth which is then being made. Spir.ea ari.efoli.a for the shrubbery border is the most stately of all the Spirjeas, and, when in flower, as effective as it is stately : but it must be remem- bered that nearly all the Spiraeas are dwarf-growing shrubs ; therefore pruning must be avoided until they get too large for the positions assigned to them. The system of pruning should be the same in all cases. Although they do not flower all at one time, no one can err if they prune them so soon as they go out of flower. Whether the variety be Thunbergi, which flowers early in June, or arisefolia, which blossoms six weeks or two months later, how much or how little pruning will be necessary depends upon the size and condition of individual plants. As a general rule, a judicious thinning out of the branches is all that is necessary, except in the case of those that are getting too large. Then a Eomewhat severer cutting back may be given without running any serious ri^k, as the centre of the plant should in such cases be left untouched for one year. As the single-flowered varieties of Kerria japonica are getting fashionable, a brief reference to them may not be out of place in this list. We find that, grown in bush form in the mixed border, they do not thrive so well as one might wish. They make more growth than is desirable, and there is a proportionate scarcity of flowers ; while in another garden not far distant, where this plant is trained to a wall, it makes less growth and flowers more freely than our plants of it do which have more room. As it is a very hardy plant, the pruning should be done in autumn ; all that is required is to cut away some of the old wood, leaving the last season's growth its whole length. The Guelder Rose (Viburnum Opulus) is another plant that when allowed to grow in its own way flowers more freely than when pruned, and is more effective when large than small ; but that is no sufficient reason why it cannot be had in sm.all gardens more generjilly than it now is, for it is as amenable to pruning, in order to keep its growth within certain limits, as any other shrub. As soon as the flowering season is over, the long growths should be headed back, and where the branches are too thick they should be thinned out to make space for young growth, for it is on the growth made during the current year that it flowers the next season. C. Neat in habit and iron in constitution, it is, in my opinion, an admirable variation on the Holly, Laurel, and Hornbeam fences one sees often enough. Pleasing as these latter are, variety is so also, and I never remember seeing but one hedgerow of Copper Hazel. — S. B. The Copper Beech. — This tree is undoubtedly far too often planted haphazard. Little regard is paid to its grouping, even if a thought is given to soil or to the danger of overcrowding. The conse- quence is that we have many well-grown specimen trees of it, whilst we seldom see an effective tree group. Beautiful in itself, no tree can more readily have its beauty enhanced by judicious arrangement than the Copper Beech. I have no more pleasing recollection of a sense of colour than that of the sun shining on a well-shaped Copper Beech in happy proximity to a Laburnum. This is a much-to-be- commended coupling. The homely wliite clusters, too, of the Snowball tree (Viburnum Opulus) have their beauty much intensified by a background of Copper Beeches, adding richness to their own bright green foliage, as a velvet mount sets off the grace of a Wedgwood plaque, and if it be not gilding refined gold, I may even add that the queen of the woods herself, the .Silver Birch, seems to have an added glory even from a copper frame. For a neighbouring large tree nothing can surpass the common green Besch, simply on account of its spring-tide verdure. As accompanying underwood, I will only mention the Broom, the Furze (double), and the Bracken. The Copper Beech reminds me of that little known tree, or rather, let us say, shrub, the Copper Hazel. Garden Flora. PLATE 679. IRIS AUREA.* This stately, late -flowering, golden -yellow, beardless Iris is a native of Cashmere. It was first described by Lindley {Botanical Rerjister t. 59) after plants raised from seed brought by Royle from that country, and was a few years ago re-introduced into cultivation by Dr. Aitchison, who found it growing near Shrinuggur, in the same country. I am not aware of any habitat outside Cashmere having been recorded. It possesses all those marked general features which characterise the spuria group of Irises (1. spuria, notha, Glildenstiidtii, ochroleuca, Monnieri, &o.). Thus, the rhizome is hard and compact rather than fleshy, and the terminal bud gives a piece of the rhizome when dried the appearance not unlike tliat of the not too curved rough end of a walking-stick ; the tall leaves, somewhat narrow, 4 feet or more in length, are strong, stiff, and pointed, and die down com- pletely in winter ; the strong and stiff, but rela- tively thin, tall scape bears a terminal bud of two or sometime? three flowers, compressed within the long, stiff, spathe \'alves, so that there is hardly room for the two flowers to expand together, and also bears a similar lateral bud ; the flower is beardless, rigid ; the fall, with a narrow claw separated by a notch from the wider blade, spreads horizontally, the style being closely pressed down over the claw of the fall so as to leave a very narrow, almost perfect, tunnel down to the nectary, while the somewhat narrow standards are erect or slightly connivent ; the ripe capsule is large, oblong, more or less beaked, with three conspicuous longitudinal ridges, each of which is double ; the seeds, which are numerous, are compressed into discs (except the upper and lower one in each loculus, which are conical or pyriform), and possess very loose, wrinkled, white, grey, pink, or sometimes black coats. All the various members of the spuria group possess these characters, and the question may be raised whether they do not really form one species ; but I. aurea may be at once distinguished by the golden yellow colour of all parts of the flower, and by the blade of the fall being a long oval with peculiarly crimped edges. In I. Monnieri, to which I. aurea comes nearest, the blade of the fall is a more rounded oval ' with even edges ; the whole flower is of a paler yellow, more nearly of a lemon-yellow, and the flower, spathe- valves, and foliage are all larger and broader. In the other members of the group the flower is white, blue, or purple, or at best a dingy yellow, and in I. spuria and I. Glildenstiidtii the flower is smaller and narrower, as indeed is the whole plant. Like nearly all the spuria group, I. aurea seems to me to do best in rich, fat, damp, somewhat stiff soil, but it will also flouri.sh in lighter soil if adequately damp, and will thrive in places far too ihy for the 1. virginica group or for 1. Pseud- acorus. It will repay with bloom rich feeding, provided that the manure be adequately rotten and digestible ; and for the full development of its beauty full sunshine is needed. 1 imagine that in cold climates it will not do so well in an * Drawn for The Garden in M. Argenteuil. Godofroy-Lobeuf 8 gjirden ■T^HE garde: N if_ .\\^A k IRIS AUREA Jav. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 53 actual peaty bog as in damp, though not abso- lutely wet, rich loam ; but on this point I cannot speak from experience. It flowers late in the summer, about the same time as or a little after I. K.T-mpferi, and a little before I. ilonnieri. It bears transplantation at almost any time, but is best moved immediately after flowering ; for though the foliage may die down owing to removal, the autumn rains stir up the rhizome to send out new roots, and indeed new foliage, so that it gets firmly established before the hand of winter is upon it, and consequently starts vigorously in the spring. Seeds sown as soon as ripe, in October for in- stance, will geiminate freely the next year, and the seedlings will flower freely in the third or fourth year, sometimes in their second year. The flowers open well when a spike is cut in the bud, and being stout last a good while. Hence the plant may be made very useful for decorative purposes. M. Foster. Fruit Garden. WINTER PEARS FROM WESTERN NEW YORK. Messrs. Ellw anger & Barry, of Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, New York, sent us a very interesting collection of Pears, with the following note : — We send you to-day (9th December) a small box of Pears as an experiment. We desire to ascertain whether it is practicable to ship Pears to London at this season of the year. Be kind enough to inform us on their arrival what condition they are in, and what time they have been on the way. September was very 'wet here, and Pears ripened sooner than uaual ; those which we usually keep till 1st January are already sent to market. S'ovember was a wintry month here — far more so than usual, there being heavy falls of snow and hard frost. The weather now is, however, mild, and the frost so far out of the ground that we can dig up trees. The Pears sent are as follows, viz.: — tj Easier Beurre i.i Anjou i.i Beurr4 Gris d'Hiver ti Josephine de ^lalines li Winter Xelis 4 Lawrence (! Columbia j 3 Diihamel Owing to certain delays, caused by agents or some misunderstanding, the Pears did not arrive until the .'ith of January — nearly a month after they were despatched. They were not sent in what we consider, from our experience of the London markets, the best way to ensure their safety, and this is not surprising in an experi- ment of this sort made under unknown condi- tions. They were sent in a rather deep box, and unfortunately the pressure left a space between the fruit and the lid, and the consequence was that the fruit was knocked about considerably during the long and perhaps stormy voyage. Notwithstanding this, and that a great many were battered and almost unrecognisable, some very fine fruits of the best kinds came to hand safely ; and we have not the slightest doubt that if sent in shallow trays, each fruit wrapped up carefully in paper, and all packed carefully with paper shavings, so that they could not move about, no matter what vicissitudes they went through, such fine fruit as Easter Beurre would arrive in a perfectly safe condition — as safe, practically, as the fruit that comes to us from Western France, and they would in that condition find a ready market in London, bring a very high price, and pay the American fruit- grower much better than Apples, because the climate of England and Western Europe, while it permits of the perfect growth of the Apjde, and of as fine specimens of that fruit as can be shown, is not nearly so suitable as many parts of Eastern America for ripening the Pear, which is never seen at its best except in a climate some- what better than that of England or Northern France. These remarks refer particularly to the fine market Pears, such as the Duchess or Easter Beurr6, which bring the highest price in the London market, and, as we think, are worth it. The Pears that travelled most successfully were those referred to below. Josephine de Malines.:— Large, perfectly formed, and most excellent in flavour — such fruit as we rarely see of this variety, first-class in every way. For it, we have no doubt, an excel- lent market could be found in London. Easter Becrre.— Very handsome large speci- mens of these, somewhat injured, however, but sufficiently good to show that with ordinary care in packing this fine Pear now sent to us from France could be sent here from America, and would find a very healthy market in London when fine winter Pears after Christmas generally bring a high price. We should say that such specimens as these are well worth Is. apiece. The flavour was not quite so good as that of the best French samples, but we tasted the fruit immediately after the voyage for the sake of seeing how it travelled, and did not try to bring it to maturity. We have not the slightest doubt that these would hold their own with the very best French Pears, and in size they are better than those to which we are accustomed. Winter Nelis. — Handsome brown specimens, larger than those usually seen in the London market. Much battered about, owing to loose packing, but having all the precious qualities of this fine winter Pear. Beurre d'Anjoi'. — Beautiful specimens of this, with a clear, waxy skin and handsome form, travelled well. Although of fair flavour, not to be classed with the others in respect to quality. The flesh is juicy and melting, but it lacks the fine high quality of the first mentioned. We believe our American friends think highly of it. Another Pear of delicate flavour is Columbia. Packing Fruit for Transportation. Itlessrs. J. W. Draper and Son, of Covent Garden, inform us that such fruit as this sent from America should be packed in single layers in cases of half-inch clean deal. The dimensions of the case — which must not vary in size — should be, length 18 inches, width 12 inches, and depth ."lA inches (outside measurements). Each Pear should be wrapped separately in tissue paper (with which also the case should be lined), and a sufficient quantity of paper shavings should be used to prevent oscillation, absolute firmness being essentially necessary. All the fruits in a case should be uniform in size ; the number it contains, eighteen, twenty-four, or thirty, as the case may be, together with the name of the fruit (thus : E. B. for Easter Beurre, W. N. for Winter Nelis, &c.) should be stencilled outside each case. Despatches of irregular num- bers, or Pears of irregular sizes, or careless packing will surely have a bad result. Too much care cannot be taken in the packing, and the result compensates for the expense incurred, as the fruit would be sold in good condition to willing buyers. The name of the firm to whom the cases are consigned should be marked plainly on the box, while the consignor should have a distinctive brand, by means of which he could found a reputation, which would be of the greatest service to him in getting a good market. Shipments are best sent rid Liverpool to London, as this route is ((uicker and not so expensive as sending to London direct, the dock dues, &c., and expenses from Liverpool being .3d., while those of London are lOd. per cask, etc. As regards the general question of the demand for winter Pears in London, we think it is practically inexhaustible, and it is not now fully met by supplies from any country. At the time when this experimental package comes to us the supply of French Pears has virtually ceased, and no other country meets the demand for this fruit. It would not pay American growers to send us early Pears, but Pears of these fine old kinds are perhaps the best and most paying fruit that could be sent to us. APPLES ON THE PARADISE STOCK. "I AM planting a large piece of ground with Apples on the Paradise," said a Middlesex grower the other day, "because I am assured that in that way I shall get the finest fruit, and only good fruit will pay to grow." This statement comes from a grower whose opinion is certain to be received with respeftt. There remains, how- ever, the important question of the endurance of the Paradise stock, especially if actively engaged during a series of years in producing exhaustiv° fruit crops. Now, where too liberal an expenc' ture is indulged in by growers under the impres sion that the Paradise stock is to bring back the command of the Apple market, it would be well if those familiar with this stock over a consider- able number of years would furnish some proof that it would endure not merely for a few years, but for a lifetime. I have no intention to imply that these dwarfing stocks are essentially non- enduring, but there can be little doubt that the French Paradise did prove so exceedingly restric- tive, that after the lapse of a few years it has almost invariably become a failure. The so-called English stock, a broad-leaved Paradise, without doubt gives more robust growth whilst still de- veloping early fruitfulness. What remains to be shown is that this stock, if not so long lived as the Crab, will at least endure through an ordinary lifetime, for it will never pay to plant over a wide area of ground Apple trees which are not to be as prolific twenty-five or thirty years after planting as at five or ten years after planting. Very likely some will advise that along with precocious fruiting Paradise trees shall also be planted standard trees on the Crab, and with that action I agree, because there is then due provision made against failure on the part of the dwarf trees. The assumption that the two forms will not thrive together remains to be proved, but there is no more reason why dwarf Apple trees should fail beneath standards than that Gooseberry or Currant bushes should, and these latter, it is known, seem never to thrive better than in such company, as may be seen in hundreds of market orchards and over thousands of acres of land. There are seasons when the protection of top trees proves valuable to the dwarf trees below, and if the bloom on the standard trees suffers, the loss is considerably minimised if the sacrifice above has saved the crop below. I remember a practical fruit grower saying not so long ago that he would never become tenant of an old orchard, be- cause the trees, being thick, were all top and had no sides ; hence, had all the bloom exposed to the weather. No doubt that is often the case, as it is found in the pruning and thinning of old trees that the lower branches must be from time to time sacrificed to the spreading top. On the other hand, if the centres of the heads be cut out, in the hope of promoting side growth, then the only result is a lot of strong young shoots, which must either be thinned, the best being left to form a fresh centre, or must be removed alto- gether. When an orchard consists of all top trees, of course they are permitted to remain thick, be- cause this top crop is almost the sole crop. But when dwarf trees on the Paradise stock are planted beneath, there is ample inducement to keep the standard trees thinner, and thus side branches are encouraged as well as top ones. The dwarfed trees ensure the production of the finest fruits, first, because the rootsexistin the richer portionof the soil, and second, because there is a less tendency on the part of the trees to produce use- less wood. For all early market purposes the 54 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. finer the fruit the better, because good samples always mean the top price. On the other hand, it is very doubtful whether these large samples are so useful for keeping as are more medium- sized fruits grown rather more slowly and on older trees. Thus it is well to advise the planting of dwarf trees for early supplies, but on the whole it is most probable that well-established standard trees on the free stock produce the best keeping because the more slowly grown fruits. I do not assert this to be a fact, but incline to the belief that such is the case. The metropolitan market growers are in favour of early kinds, and of kitchen Apples, large fruiting ones, chiefly for the following reasons: First, the early season finds less competition, and, of course, rather the best prices ; second, the trees get early relief from the crop, and are by no means so much drained as are trees which carry out a good crop till so late as October; and third, the samples of early kinds are almost invariably the larger. I might have added that late kinds, if to be sold in plentiful seasons at a remunerative price, need storing and sampling, entailing much cost and trouble, which may not be repaid. It is held preferable to gather and run into market direct, even if there be some reduction of profit, than to store and take many risks. It is thus evident that the London public must look to the provinces for stocks of late-keeping Apples, and these stocks are best furnished from districts where Apples thrive fairly well, and that is a very wide area indeed. Having regard to the fact that we import American and Canadian Apples in such enormous quantities, it is evident that there are seasons when our home supply must fill very short indeed of the demand. To meet that demand, it seems odd that landowners have not taken the Apple in hand and planted it lar.;ely either on their own account or on behalf of their tenants. A little saving in costly pastimes would soon pay for standard Apple trees, and it is very possible that tenants would gladly find land and labour for planting. Certainly several years would elapse ere the general cropping of the ground was interfered with by the trees, and when it was, fien it is evident the trees would be producing fiirly remunerative crops. No doubt our climate is so unstable that, plant as we may, we cannot ensure crops with any certainty, but the proba- bilities are in favour of good averages, and where the outlay is so small the average produce should hi profitable. Certainly there is no reason why a million or more of Apple trees should not be nlanted in proper distiicts at once, and with a fiw more such plantings in future years we ought 1 1 be able to furnish less favoured nations with Apples rather than be so largely dependant upon America for our winter supplies. As a rule we are too sparing of the faw and hook in dealing with standard, and especially old trees. Not merely is a good thinning needful over five-sixths of the Apple orchards of the kingdom at once, but sach hard thinning is imperative if good samples of fruit are to be had at least every two years. Myriads of trees need now that one-half their heads should be cut clean out, and if that were done, the character of the fruit sample would soon be wonderfully improved. I see in the Middlesex orchards the most distressing absence of the saw where plenty of labour might be profitably fur- nished and ample wood obtained to pay for that labour. Que reason of the comparatively poor price returned for so much of our home-grown fruits is because of the inditferent size of the sample. The Canadians send us their best, and if we are to compete with them we must grow the best only, and that, too, of kinds which give f lir average quality. Canadian Apples have rich colour and much beauty, but I know of none which excel our best Blenheims and Wellingtons for quality. A. D. Balking Vines.— It takes a long time to get rid of established customs, but annually scrnping the bark ciT Vine rods is about as useless work as one can well engage in, and when carried to excess is positively injurious to the Vines. This sort of work is, as a rule, done by young men and boys, and although the directions to only remove the really loose bark may be partially attended to, it is fortu- nate if any rod escapes without the inner bark being broken and more or less injured ; therefore the sooner such work is discontinued the better. The insecti- cides commonly used now-adajs are aufiiciently powerful to exterminate any living thing on the Vints. This scraping business used to be a heavy item in the garden expenditure. I have myself spent weeks at it at this time of year. Now, however, we simply dress the Vines and leave the old bark to fall off naturally ; thus we are g.ainers in all ways, i.e., we have better Grapes and a lower labour account ; in fact, the prices at which Grapes are sold now a- days will not pay for scraping. — J. G. H. HOME GROWN )'. FOREIGN FRUITS. If foreigners can send fruits here and find a ready market for them, all we have to do is to grow as good an article as they do and one that will suit the daily wants of the masses. " We do not want dry American Apples or tasteless Tomatoes," say the public ; " we will rather pay the extra price required for home grown produce." Now there must be good grounds for this decision, for the appearance of foreign fruits is usually inviting. British fruits have got a reputation for good quality, and therefore growers must not only keep it, but improve it. The question then arises, what shall they grow ? Well, for open-air culture nothing yields so good and speedy a return as Arrr.ES — I have therefore for the last few years been planting young Apple trees instead of vege- tables and bush fruits, finding these already over- done. Of course, there are times when common soft Apples, such as Codlins that will not keep are very low in price, but the orchards of the future must be stocked with a better class of fruits than one frequently finds in old orchards. Not that old sorts of Apples are bad ; on the contrary, we are not likely to have anything superior to some of the oldest of Apples when well grown— and by well grown I mean when the trees get constant attention to clearing them of useless spray that chokes the good bearing wood, when JSIoss and Lichen are got rid of, American blight and other insect pests destroyed by a thorough dressing of paraffin oil, the best and cheapest of insecticides, and when the roots find plenty of rich food on the surface and are not driven down into cold or water-logged subsoils. The modes of pruning or training may be made to suit the varied tastes of cultivators, for if other conditions are favourable, whether the tree is confined to one shoot or cordon or spreads into a widely branched head, good fruit will be borne. The only ditference is that cordons will produce a few grand specimens, while the latter will yield a full crop of average sized fruit. In the sheltered valleys in Kent, where the soil is strong and holding, the large standard is the form adopted, but here, in a wind- swept locality and shallow dry soil, dwarf bushes suit best. Of varieties, let Lord Sufiield bo the type for early culinary use, and for a late supply Blenheim Orange, Lord Derby, and French Crab. For dessert. Red (^>uarrenden. Golden Pippin, Cox's Orange Pippin, Court Pendu Plat, and others of that type always command a ready sale. Storing of late sorts ought to be more carefully done than it is. Why are sorts that would keep until the new year sent to market and sold for half their value? Why, simply beciuse growers have frequently no storehouse, and their holdings are of too precarious a kind to induce them to erect buildings of any sort, for which they would get no compensation when leaving. As to Pears, if anyone wished to form an esti- mate of the demand for them, they should watch the cargoes of boxes that come from France of Williams' Bon Chretien and other popular sorts. and take note of the prices which they realise. I do not, of course, say that every county in the kingdom is suited for producing good Pears, but I am certain that there are thousands of acres in the southern counties that would grow Pears quite equal in quality to those that are imported. But the old-fashioned Swan's Egg, Windsor, Lammas, &c. , although useful in some cases, are not the varieties to drive the foreigner out of our markets. We must go in for dwarf bushes, cor- dons on walls of any kind, either brick, board, or any other material, so long as the sun's rays are fully utilised. I had fruit last season from pyramids of Pitmaston Duchess that realised 3d. each; such fruits are certainly far more profitable than hothouse Grapes. Pears must have good culture; the fruit must be thinned; good store rooms must be provided. If anyone wants to see really good home-grown Pears they should go to Petworth in autumn, and Mr. Breeze will show them what well-grown Pears really are. As to Plums, it may seem folly to talk of grow- ing more of them when so many were left to rot on the trees last year; but the fact is, growers have over-done the common mid-season kinds ; really good early, or, better still, very lato sorts pay well. The best for late work i? Coe's Golden Drop; it is one of the best of dessert fruits when the glut of other kinds is over ; for Plums wooden fences would answer perfectly. Damsons, al- though so plentiful in some parts, are by no means well grown in others ; at the time when they were hardly paying market expenses in London they were realising good prices here ; had railway rates not been so heavy, any quantity of them could have been sold hero. Cobnuts, Filberts, and Walnuts are unequalled by those imported, and homegrown ones in pro- vincial towns rarely fail to meet with a ready sale. It is surprising that, when land of good quality is uncropped, such a valuable tree as the Walnut should be so much neglected. Its crop is not only profitable, but it is such a valuable timber tree as well. Landowners who have a small nur- sery ground could easily raise their own stock of ti-ees, and thus permanently improve their estates at trifling cost. The fact is we let our trees stand so long that they get hollow and worthless, and then we send abroad for a supply of the very Nuts we can produce equally well at home. Tomatoes, whether grown under glass, on walls, or in the open air, are the crop that one feels sure of not overdoing — at least for some time to come, and the difference between homegrown and im- ported ones is nearly 100 per cent. Last season the price for home grown fruit was 8d. per lb. for a long time, and only for a short time was it as low as (id. per lb. ; while foreign Tomatoes could be had in any quantity for .'-id. and 4d. per lb. The demand increases so rapidly, that it is evident everyone is becoming a consumer of Tomatoes. Grapes are now sold so cheaply, that one can hardly recommend an extension of their culture. But if any branch of the trade proves a good investment, it certainly is that of the latest keep- ing black sorts, such as Gros Colmar, Alicantes, Lady Downes, or Barbarossa. These realise good prices after Christmas, and where their culture is well attended to they are by no means a bad in- vestment. Selling the produce to adsantage is certainly quite as important as growing it in the best way, and there is no valid reason why much of the goods now sent to the salesman could not be sold direct to the retailer, if not to consumers, if growers would only take the trouble to do it. Of course, sending to London makes it compulsory to sell through a salesman ; but London iloes not monopolise the markets of the kingdom, and new starters will find it advantageous to study the requirements of .seaside and provincial towns more than they have done. J. Groom. ".04U.— Woodlice r. fruit.- "K." cannot do licttcr tli.iii trap tlie wondlice. ^ll1all garden pots laid oil their sides with a piece of Potato, Turnic, or Apple at the botttnii, and half tilled with dry Moss, fftnu very useful traps. Potatoes and Apples cut in halves and partly scooped out, placed with the lu'lluwed-out rrart downwards, so as to allow the woodliee tl creep under them, arc also worth trying. Woodliee may be 1 oisone i by boiling small pieces of Parsnip in v ater in wliicli Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 55 ti little iirsenie has been dissolved. Care should be taken not til allow any other animals to have access to the poisoned I'arsiiip. Toads are very fond of woodlicc. — G. S. S. SEASONABLE WORK AMONG FRUITS. W. Coleman. Thk advent of the jubilee year will long be re- membered by gardeners if by no other body, for hardly had they commenced clearing away the magnirtcent branches snapped oft" their Conifers and Evergreens when a dense black fog over- spread the land, and the temperature gradually sank lower and lower until the thermometer on the evening of the Ist touched 7° Fahr., or ij" of frost. This, fortunately, was the lowest point, for the wind by this time had veered round to the south, a falling barometer told us we were nearly out of the cold wave, and ten hours later the ligures were reversed, the thermometer stand- ing at '25', or 7° of frost. Cold rain is now falling, and the snow which has been quite a (lod-send to vegetable gardeners, although a demo.i amongst ornamental tiees, will, we hope, soon leave the ground clear for further i r jning operations. It is not, howeve', a good plan to prune in severe weather, neither is it wise to tread upon the soil, be it light or heavy, immediately after a thaw, but there are ways and means where there is a will, and those who have the misfortune to bo behind must fall in where treading the wet ground will do least injury. All wall paths, for instance, may be lightly covered with long litter from the stables, and the pruning and nailing of Morello and other Cherries may be completed. When finished, soap- suds or other washes of lime or soot may be syringed over not only the trees, but the walls also with the greatest possible advantage. A dry day should always be selected for this work, and in order to thoroughly penetrate old walls whose joints are faulty, a stout garden engine will be found preferable to the syringe. Plums, Pears, Apples, and bush fruits in like manner may be washed once, twice, or as often as the supply at command will admit. Years ago it was the prac- tice to paint choice trees, including Morellos and Peaches, with the old-fashioned mixture of soap, sulphur, lime, and clay, and in not a few places that finest of all insecticides— glutinous soapsuds, which cost nothing, were allowed to run to waste. All this is now changed, at least in well managed gardens, and fruit trees of all kinds show by their bright clear bark and spurs how thoroughly this material suits them, both as an insecticide and a manure. Soapsuds may be used pure and simple direct from the laundry, but I prefer keeping them for a few days or weeks in open-headed casks, and applying them to the trees and walls on dry,mild days. The soap, soda, and other chemicals known only to the female craft then form a fine glaze on the wood and flower-buds, which renders the latter impervious to the attacks of feathered vegetal ian.s. Brsii Frfits. We at one time left all our Gooseberry bushes unpruned until the spring, but this delay is no longer necessary, as birds do not seem to relish the saponaceous addition to their favourite food. But why prune Gooseberries and Currants to within an inch of their destruction when it is a well-known fact that unpruned trees often bear full crops of fruit where hard spurred skeletons fail ? Some thinning to let in light and air and favour the introduction of the hand is neces.sary, but tlie less trees are spurred and the longer the outward extending shoots are left the finer and heavier will be the crop of fruit. Some years ago, having two long rows of condemned trees, they were left; unpruned and the crop was excellent, whilst others from which all the superduous wood had been cut away were a perfect failure. Al- though made secure against birds, a late spring fiost destroyed the exposed fruit when in flower. If cuttings of bush fruits were not put in early in the autumn, straight, well-ripened pieces of wood should now be selected and heeled in as soon as the weather becomes favourable. Bushes can be bought at a cheap rate, but from only a few nurseries can trees equal to those of Lome manu facture be obtained, and for this reason every gardener should put in a batch of cuttings every year. If not wanted for home use, help and en- couragement can be given to cottagers and tenants by an annual distribution of surplus trees. When bush trees are pruned, they should be well top- dressed with manure, fresh compost, or burnt refuse, as opportunity, in the way of weather, favours wheeling ready for forking in when the soil is in suitable condition, RasI'DERRIES, too, may be heavily coated with light, rich manure, leaf-mould, peat, lime rubble, or charred refuse, but on no account must the borders be forked or dug, as the most valuable roots run close to the surface and quickly resent disturbance — I may say destruction. If still undressed, no time should be lost in getting them staked and tied, topping being deferred until the buds com mence swelling in the spring. The modes of training Raspberries are numerous, but good rustic stakes being plentiful, I question if the old- fashioned system of placing three to each stool and equally dividing the canes is not as good as any. Much, however, depends upon the nature of the soil and the surroundings. If cold and heavy, single rows running from north to south and trellis training answers well; whilst on hot, dry land planting in blocks may bo preferable, as the bushes shade and keep the ground moist and cool — no unimportant matter in the growth of tine juicy fruit. In model gardens where taste prevails, we often see Raspberries festooned or trained in the form of arches, and for this mode they are planted from 4 feet to 0 feet apart. When thoroughly established, a stake is driven in midway between the stools : half the canes belonging to one stool and half of those from the stool on the opposite side of the stake are then bent over towards each other and firmly tied to- gether, also to the stake, to keep them in position. The advantages are neatness, security from wind and birds, as the major part of the fruit hangs beneath the arches, and economy in stakes where these useful articles are scarce. The Raspberry in many gardens is much neglected, and yet I question if any of our most valuable fruits can be turned to so many uses in our daily economy. Possessed of a delicious aroma, it is universally used for flavouring our earliest fresh fruit tarts, for jams, for raspberry vinegar, brandy, wine, and ices, and fo'' the dessert it is most grateful and wholesome. To prolong its season, Catbush's Prince of Wales should be planted in the warmest part of the garden for coming in early ; Carter's Prolific for the main crop, also on a north border for succession, and, space being unlimited, the strong-growing Semper Fidelis, which comes in a fortnight later than the others, should have a place for leading up to the autumn bearers. Apples. Now is a good time to wage war with American blight on infested trees, that is, provided they have been pruned and trained, and every old cankered branch that can be spared has been cut out and burned. We sometimes hear of the restoration of debilitated trees by heading back, but all cannot aft'ord to decapitate, and unless the branches are very badly cankered, I should prefer piring down the aflected parts and painting with a strong emulsion of (iishurst compound and paraffin in the proportions of 1 lb. of the first to a wineglassful of the second. If preferred, the tar mixture, half a pint to a gallon of stifl' loam and reduced with boiling water, answers equally well. One or other of these mixtures should be thoroughly worked into every old spur and wound before the sap begins to move, and a close watch must be kept upon the trees when insects that have escaped return to activity in the spring. The winter dressing will destroy the greater part, but in order to make a complete clearance the remnant must be waylaid as they emerge from their winter fastnesses. Newly grafted trees that have been allowed to grow to their fullest extent will now require attention. If the scions have taken well and are considered capable of re- ceiving the rush of sap from the stocks, all spray which has been allowed to grow wild throughout the past summer may be cut away, otherwise, the stocks being large and strongly rooted, shortening back will be found preferable to complete re- moval— at least, for another year. \Vhen this clearance has been made and extra strong growths have been shortened to secure evenly balanced heads, all old clay and ligatures must be cleared away, when the largest limbs still showing bare wood may be well plastered with fresh clay and cow manure. A mixture of this kind having wonderful healing power keeps out the elements and favours the completion of the union, always provided the trees are free from woolly aphis. If this existed on the stocks before they were grafted, or has been introduced with the scions, there, beneath the old clay, a colony will be found awaiting the tar or Gishurst mixture as a pre- liminary to the application of the healing mixture of loam and cow manure. Finally, all strong grafts, especially in situations exposed to wind, must be made safe by means of light stakes driven into the ground or tied to the main branches. To these the scions can be secured by light, tarred twine, but it will not be wise, at least for the present, to draw the young shoots out of their natural line of growth, as the slightest pressure frequently leads to their separation from the stocks when the sap begins to flow. Wheie graft- ing in the spring is contemplated, good scions shoulil now be selected from clean, healthy trees, labelled and laid in under a north wall. The heads of trees about to be operated upon also may be partially cut back, leaving a foot or more of wood to be cut olT each branch when the grafts are attached. A dozen grafts will quickly form a good head, but where the stocks are more than an inch and a half in diameter I prefer putting two on each shoot for the twofold purpose of getting the stump quickly covered with new wood and forming a great number of channels for the first flush of sap. These eventually may be reduced to one, as the strongest not unfrequently forces the weakest out of position when two are left. Pears, Being more precocious than Apples, are first ready for grafting, and for this reason the selec- tion of scions should be made forthwith. In all other particulars the preparation and manipula- tion of the two are identical. American blight, fortunately, does not attack the Pear, but the small grey scale, the exact colour of the bark, often produces a hide-bound and enervating con- dition before it is detected. Trees worked on the l,iuince and planted against hot south walls are most subject to It, and speedily assume a hard, stunted look, especially if the roots are allowed to feel the want of water. A mixture of loam and Gishurst compound, or soft soap and lime well worked into the old stems and branches, gene- rally settles the account at one dressing ; but in order to prevent a return, the trees should be generously mulched and copiously watered throughout the growing season. Last, but not least, the saponaceous wash should be freely ancl frequently plied from the time the leaves fall until the buds commence swelling in the spring. Pears, like all other fruits, become a ready prey to insects under starving treatment, and soon recover their health and vigour when these conditions are reversed. When well planted on open quarters or in good orchards, the rainfall, combined with annual top-dressing, generally keeps the roots moist enough, but no matter how well a wall border may be made, there are periods when copious supplies of water parsed through heavy mulches become absolutely necessary. Peaches. The ground at the present time is deeply covered with snow, and the severe frost which set in at Christmas, fortunately before we commenced detaching our trees, will delay this woik for the present. But whenever the change to milder weather sets in, every nail will be drawn and 56 THE GARDEN. .[Jan. 15, 1887. cleansed with fire, and the branches, after being carefully washed, will be made secure to upright poles a foot or so from the walls. Pruning having been performed immediately after the crop was gathered, the final dressing over will be deferred until the time arrives for nailing in. Meantime advantage will be taken of dry days for washing the walls with quicklime, soot, and sulphur, with a little linseed oil added, and a sufficient quantity of Venetian red to produce a warm old brick colour when dry. To some the removal of every shred and nail, and drawing the trees away from the wall, may appear superfluous labour, but a Peach tree worthy of the name requires re-training every year, and I can assert that the time devoted to this work in the winter and early spring is paid back with interest in more ways than one. In the first place, a new start is made with the wood and walls quite free from the larvse of insects ; conse- quently dressing to destroy the myriads of aphis which spring into life almost before the blossoms are open is avoided. The young shoots grow on freely without undergoing a check and ripen early, and the fruit, well sheltered with fresh healthy leaves, generally escapes late frosts and swells to maturity. In the second, detachment enables the pruner to examine his trees thoroughly, and after cutting out every bit of cankered or faulty wood, they can be trained into perfect form and balance in much less time than it would take to alter un- washed trees whose first growths get crippled by insects, and, independently of the check to the fruit, the second do not have time to ripen. The seasons of late many people think less favourable than they were in their boyhood, and some assert that the fruit is not so large, but this, I think, is a very natural mistake, and so long as good crops of the finest late Peaches can be obtained from properly managed trees, our time may be better employed than in dwelling upon the past. Apricots. If these have not been pruned and trained I would suggest their being allowed to stand over until the weather breaks. Meantime the ma- terials for protecting the flowers should be pre- pared and in readiness for hoisting on the shortest notice. Apricots, especially Moorpark, are neither satisfactory nor profitable, and, try all we may, large branches in otherwise healthy trees die off annually — I ought to say towards the latter end of the summer. All the theories hitherto put into practice have not arrested the disease, by some supposed to arise from sunstroke, by others from the action of frost on the sap vessels. If either of these causes is correct, our trees after mild winters or cold, sunless summers should be free; but such is not the case, as a year never passes without leaving its mark upon the finest trees in the best managed gardens throughout the kingdom. I have often thought that mildew to which the Apricot in warm, dry soils is very subject, may affect the shoots when young, and although they do not die off at once, the time comes when the roots in a dry soil cannot supply, and the damaged vessels cannot allow a sufficient quantity of mois- ture to pass into the leaves beyond. Prevention of mildew, if this theory be correct, must be secured at any cost, but sulphur, the usual remedy so long as the roots are dry is only temporary in its action ; hence the importance of supplementing it with copious supplies of water and heavy mulchings. In almost every work on the manage- ment of fruit trees we are told the Apricot should be well watered in the spring, but well acquainted with the fact that this tree evaporates an immense quantify of moisture from its leaves, it is only reasonable to assume that Aiigust and September are the best months for thoroughly soaking the soil down to the drainage. In fact the Apricot should be unnailed and washed every winter, and the walls thoroughly dressed with the Peach wall composition before they are nailed in again. The roots, too, should be treated precisely as we now treat those of Peaches whose new season com- mences as soon as the last fruit is gathered, and no one who wishes to succeed would think of allowing them to lie high and dry throughout the autumn and winter. Under the false impression that the roots of fruit trees become dormant as soon as the leaves fall, many people think a dry border does no harm ; but let them plant a I'each or Apricot, say in October, let them wash the soil well home, and they will find it has made a quantity of new roots by the end of November. Check these by drought and the work of bud feeding will come to a stand just when slow, but steady, progress is imperative. Obituary. MARSHALL P. WILDER. America has lost one of her greatest and brightest horticulturists, viz., the Hon. Mar-shall Pinckney Wilder, who died at Boston, U.S., on Decem- ber IT, in his eighty-ninth year. He was one of the oldest and most successful of Boston mer- chants. But trade and the acquisition of wealth had by no means been the all-engrossing airn of his life. His inherent love of rural pursuits led him, in 1832, to purchase an estate in Dorchester, where, after devoting a proper time to business, he gave his leisure hours to horticulture and agriculture. There he culti- vated his own grounds, imported seeds, plants, and trees, and endeavoured by his example to encourage labour and elevate the rank of the gardener and husbandman. Here he prosecuted his favourite investigations, year after year, for at least half a century. Soon after the Massa- chusetts Horticultural Society was formed, Mar- shall Wilder became its president, an office which he held for eight years, and from that time till he died he was one of its most efficient mem- bers, constantly attending its meetings, taking part in its business and discussions, and contri- buting largely to its exhibitions. In 1879, on the occasion of its semi-centennial anniversary, he delivered an address (a copy of which is be- fore us) alike remarkable for eloquence and ability. When he retired from the office of president, the society voted him a silver pitcher, valued at £30, and caused his portrait to be placed in its hall. As president he headed a circular for a conven- tion of fruit growers, which was held in New York, October 10, 1S48, when the American Pomological Society was formed— a grand asso- ciation, to which we have no equal. He was chosen its first president, an office which he held for thirty-six years. Its biennial meetings, held in different places, are great occasions, on one of which, held in 1883, President Wilder, with his usual foresight, proposed a grand reform in the nomenclature of fruits for America, and asked the co-operation of other nations in this impor- tant matter. He said— When we think of the irrelevant and inappropriate names by which many of our fruits are known, we feel the importance of keeping up our warfare until the victory is won, and our catalogues are purged of these improprieties. Long, superfluous, ostentatious, or unmeaning titles hitherto applied would be avoided in the future. Like the Baldwin Apple, the Bartlett Pear, the Concord Grape, and other renowned fruits, let such varieties be dedicated to perpetual remem- brance by appropriate names, and thus let us hand down to future generations a system of nomenclature pure and plain in its diction, pertinent and proper in its application, and which shall be an e.xample, not only for fruits, but for other products of the earlh. Let us have no more names of generals, colonels, captains, presidents, governors, monarchs, kings or princes, mammoths or Tom Thumbs, or such titles as Nonsuch, Seek-no-further, Ne Plus IHtra, Hogpen, Sheepnose, Big Bob, Ironclad, Legal Tender, Sucker State, or Stump-the-World. The terms Pearmain, Pippin, Beurre, Doyenne, Bon Chretien, &c., applied to Apples and Pears once described classes of fruit which are now so confused and blended that the names have lost their significance. The cases are very tew where a single word will not form a better name for a fruit than two or more. These reforms have been adopted in the catalogue of the American Pomological Society, and other prominent horticul- tural and pomological societies have voted to adopt improved nomenclature. It has been suggested that the work might be carried farther than has been done in the catalogue of the Pomological Society, as, for instance, by substituting Lucrative for Belle Lucra- tive, and Nelis for Winter Nelis. Pomologists may differ as to how far the reform should be carried, but by comparison of views they will come to a final agreement. I desire especially to enforce upon nur- serymen the duty of aiding in this reform, by revising their catalogues so as to correspond with the improved nomenclature. Horticultural and pomological asso- ciations have thus far been our most powerful auxili- aries in this good work, but they do not come in contact with the people at so many points as the nurserymen whose catalogues are distributed broad - oast. Let us push on the work so constantly and vigorously while we live, that future generations, seeing its advantages, shall avoid the evils we have encountered, and shall enjoy the benefits of the im- proved system, and look back with gratitude to us for our labours. In February, LS49, the Norfolk Agricultural Society was formed, and Mr. Wilder was chosen president, an office which he held for twenty years ; and as to other horticultural and agricul- tural societies with which he was connected, their name is legion. He was one of the commissioners appointed to the Universal Ex- position in Paris, 1867, when he was placed at the head of the committee on horticulture and the cultivation and products of the Vine, the re- port of which was published by act of Congress. In short, his published speeches and writings amount to nearly one hundred in number, and Dartmouth College, as a testimonial to his ser- vices in science and literature, conferred upon him, in the year 1877, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. In all his pursuits and avocations, Mr. Wilder seems to have realised and practised that grand principle, which has such a bearing and influence ou the whole course of life— the philosophy of habit. Part of his leisure hours he devoted to his pen, which has filled several large volumes with descriptions and delineations of fruits and flowers, proved under his own inspection. In a letter sent to us in July last he says ; — I am largely interested in the culture of the Pear and Strawberry. Of the former I have about 800 varieties, and at the late exhibition of the Horticul- tural Society, I placed on the table thirty varieties, or more than double that of any other exhibitor. My collection of Camellias and Azaleas is still large and choice, and I have many seedlirgs, such as Wilderi, Mrs. Abbie Wilder, and others well known in Europe for more than forty years. I still keep up my interest in cross-fertilisation of plants, and the proving of everything new and promising. Marshall Wilder has, indeed, shown us by his life what an individual may accomplish by the concentration of one's intellectual powers on grand objects. He has been pre-eminent in the esta- blishment and development of institutions. Few men have been called upon so often to preside over constituted societies, and few have acquitted themselves so happily in such positions. At a complimentary banquet given him in Septem- ber, 1N83, on his completing the age of eighty- five, Mr. Winthrop said — No other man has done so much for our fields, gar- dens, and orchards as Marshall Wilder. He has also distinguished himself io many other lines of life, and his relations to the Legislature of Massachusetts and to the Historic Genealugicil Society will not soon be forgotten. But his name will have its most enduring and most enviable association with flowers and fruits, for whose culture he was foremost in striving, both by precept and example. He deserves a grateful Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 57 remembrance a3 long as a fine Pear is relished or a brilliant bouquet admired. Marshall Wilder was a foreign member of our Royal Hortii'ultural Society, and on the occasion of his eighty-eighth birthday a congratulatory letter was despatched to him from the scientific committee. Kitchen Garden. EARLY PEAS UNDER GLASS. One of the best kinds of Peas, if not the best, for culture under glass is the American Wonder. Peas will not bear much artificial heat. As s30q as they begin to run up, if the night temperature exceeds .'iO'^, they become spindly and weakly. The seeds will germinate in a high temperature, of course, but anything partaking of the character of forcing, as commonly understood, does not produce satisfactory results. I have had very good early Peas in a pit in which there was just a little bottom-heat from a bed of leaves made up now. The leaves were made firm to prevent too great a settlement, and the pit was filled full enough to lilt the Peas up near the glass. About s inches or !) inches of soil were placed on the leaves. It was taken from an old Melon bed ; and was consequently of good quality and in a healthy, mellow condition. Under such circumstances the Peas grew rapidly. They were properly sheltered at night, and daily venti- lated when the weather was suitable. All Peas, whether dwarf or tall, under glass should be well supported with sticks. It does not answer to allow them to fall over and become en- tangled in their growth. A little dry, mellow soil should be placed in a ridge on each side of the rows as soon as they require support, and they should be •■'taked whilst still in an erect position. Nothing is gained by sowing too thickly in the rows or b)- placing the rows too near each other. From 10 inches to IS inches between the rows will be none too much space for the American Won- der and other dwarf varieties. Peas may be grown in pots equally easily as planted in a bed. They involve more labour, but all the care re- quired is to keep them in a light position in a greenhouse temperature and to ventilate freely wdien not ab- solutely freezing. They succeed very well in 8-inch pots on shelves near the glass. They will do with only the protection of glass without artifi- cial heat, but it is a great advantage to have enough warmth to keep out frost. Pels if sown now in the open border, or as soon as the weather breaks, will not be much behind those planted in November, even if the latter escape injury from the late spell of coLl weather. It is an advantage to lay the feeds in dry, mellow soil, and some effort should be made to olitain as much of the same material as will cover the seeds in situations where the soil of the border is wet and cjld. Where there is room under glass Peas may be sown in .5-inch pots, and be transplanted in March when the weather has bjcorae suitable, sheltering them when first turned out with Evergreen Ijranches. There are other expedients which may lie adopted for raising Peas in heat for open-air planting later in the season when the weather is more suitable. Peas raised under glass are not exposed to the same vicissitudes as when planted iu the open air at this season, and as they transplant well, those having glass houses or warm pits will doubtless, acting on the principle of having two strings to their bow, plant a part of the first early crop in this manner. Sods of turf from 6 inches to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3 inches thick, with a groove hollowed out down the centre to receive the seeds, will do very well for raising Peas for turning out. The Peas are sown along the hollow, scooped out with a trowel and covered with light, rich soil. They may be placed in any house or pit in which there is just a little warmth, and when up an inch or so high they should be moved to a cold frame till the weather is suitable for planting them out. The sods of turf should be set in the drill with- out disturbing the Pe.is. he might help us a bit ; but there is scarcely a worse case of wasted energy than this eternal talk about new Potatoes. Soils have a great deal to do with Potatoes — everybody must know that — and it really should be a question for private growers whether they should grow Potatoes at all if their soil does not give them a good result. I myself have a stiffish soil and grow I^otatoes, but they are inferior. Gilbert gave me some of his best, and he knows as well as anybody what good Potatoes are ; but they are so inferior to the Regents of the London market, that I take down a bag of Regents with me, and leave the rest to the crows and pheasants. I fear all this talk about new Potatoes is not in the public interest, but in that of certain raisers and sellers of new varieties. — E. T. G. THE LATE MARSHALL P. WILDER. Engnived for The Garden. Varieties of early Peas are now very numerous, but one ncsd not plant many kinds in order to obtain an early supply to continue bearing till the second eailiesand the main crop kinds eomi- in. As a dwarf Pea there is nothing better than the American Wonder. Ringleader is one of the best of early white Peas,and William the First is a good kind to follow in succession. E. Hobday. New Potatoes. —I have seen "A. U.'s " article on the best Potatoes, and I have read a great deal in The (Jarden about them, and heard of Potato shows and all sorts of exhibitions devoted to this popular root ; but surely it is the most futile fuss that can be made about anything, considering that not one of these new varieties equals in flavour the Rggent of the London market. If "A. D.'' would ! mention the best half-dozen old or new Potatoes ' RAISING CUCUMBERS, MELONS, AND TOMATOES. Not a little depends upon the start made with these plants. I bold it indeed to be of the utmost importance that healthy, sturdy, and clean plants be always put out, and therefore I bestow rather more than ordinary pains upon their preparation. Drawn and weakly plants are frequently a long time in becoming sufficiently strong to perfect good crops, and it is certain that if plants infested with either thrips, red spider, or mealy bug aroused, they willnever be thoroughly clearof these pests. Theoldfashioned plan of raising Cucumber and Melon plants in frames over a hotbed has still much to recommend it, as al- though it involves more trouble, the plants are much less liable to be in- fested by insects than those raised in a hothouse. If placed anywhere near the hot-water pipes, red spider soon infests them, and even when raised on a hotbed in a forcing-house other plants are apt to infect them with green fly, or, worse still, black fly, bug, and thrips. As a rule, the first week in .January is quite early enough to .sow Cucumber and Melon seeds, though, for my part, I prefer the encl of the month ; there is then more light and sunshine, and the plants raised are much sturdier than those got up at an earlier date. For all or- dinary purposes, a good strain of Telegraph is yet unsurpassed, and a good companion for it is Cardiff Castle. The latter is the smaller of ths two, but it possesses a stronger constitution, is very prolific, and in quality it is excellent. Telegraph being wonderfully prolific is apt to be weakened by over- cropping, but if the young Cucumbers were of tent r freely thinned, undesirable gluts would be avoided, and the plants would remain cleaner and in better beaiing order than is generally the case. Melon's. — For the earliest crops of these.wliether to be obtained from plants in pots or on beds, there are none to surpass the true stock of Blen- heim Orange. This usually sets well, ripens quickly, and though a scarlet-fleshed variety is ex- cellent in quality. The good old Victory of Bath is still to be recommended for early crops, and is certainly to be preferred to a mongrel Eastnor Castle. If the latter Cin be obtained true, it is well worth growing; but who nowadays has it uncrossed or undegenerated ? Hero of Lockinge still keeps popular for either house or frame culture, and another very handsome green-fleshed sort will be found in Cox"s Golden Gem. Longleat Perfection requires special treatment ; otherwise it is unprofitable. Owing to its high quality, many will, however, be tempted to culti- vate it for the first time this season. From the 58 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. foregoing it will be seen that I am not much in favour of novelties ; on the contrary, I prefer to grow sorts with which I am well acquainted, and which give satisfaction to those who eat them. After all, everything depends upon the way in which Melons are grown and ripened ; it is possible to have nearly every known variety sufficiently good to gain approbation anywhere. Incredible as it may appear, there are yet culti- vators who sow the seeds of Cucumbers and Melons thickly in pots much in the same way as they would sow Mustard and Cress in a box. Plants thus raised are sure to be much drawn and weakly, and as the practice also necessitates shaking out and potting off singly, much valuable time is con- sumed in bringing these weakly subjects into a condition fit for planting out. The plan long adopted by us is to sow singly in clean ;i inch pots filled with rather light loamy soil ; the seeds ai-e buried about an inch below the surface, the thin end being uppermost. The pots are then plunged in a brisk bottom-heat either in a frame or forcing- house, in either of which the seeds germinate strongly and quickly. Little or no water is needed at the outset, especially if the heat of the bed is below 70°. If kept too moist the seeds will be liable to decay, especially early in the year. We do not dislike the seedlings being somewhat "long in the leg"; in fact, Melons with a good length of stem below the seed-leaves are much less liable to canker at the collar than if shorter. The hotbed being in a fairly light posi- tion, the young plants may remain plunged, thus encouraging brisk root action. At an early stage of growth each plant should be lightly staked, and when the rough leaf is well developed and the pot filled with roots the best of the plants, or rather more than will be eventually required, should be at once given a shift. For this purpose we use good loamy soil, thoroughly warmed, and clean 6-inch pots, and pot firmly. On no account should dirty pots be employed. If well attended to the young plants soon become established in the fresh soil, and should be finally transferred to their fruiting quarters before they become badly root- bound. No greater mistake can be made than unduly delaying the planting out, as when once the plants harden and branch out it is almost im- possible to get them right again. From the first they ought to be kept steadily growing; it is even better to raise fresh plants than to depend upon sbunted ones. While the plants are being pre- pared, the beds or pots, as the case may be, ought also to be got in readiness for their reception. Small bodies of soil are preferable at the com- mencement to accumulations of greater bulk. Small quantities are more easily warmed, remain in sweeter condition, and there is less danger of the bottom-heat being confined, and thereby seriously crippling the roots. Warm, fresh com- post can be added at leisure, and Cucumbers and Melons, when growing strongly, soon take posses- tion of it. One, or at the most two sowings are necessary in the ca«e of Cucumbers — one at the present time to furnish plants to keep in full bearing at least till midsummer, and another in May or early in .June to provide plants for frames and pits. A long succession of Melons being re- quired, four or five sowings in their case are necessary, or, say, in January, February, March, and April, allowing each batch of plants about four months in which to mature fruit. Much less trouble need be taken with the later sowings than with the earlier ones. The seed may be sown in 4J-inch pots and the plants put out when a good rough leaf is formed, but in every case they should be reared well away from old plants of the same sorts, as well as all kinds of stove plants, or the chances are that dirty plants will be the result. Tomato plants also well repay any e.xtra trouble that may be taken in raising them. Many prefer plants struck from cuttings to seedlings, and I have known good growers strike the tops of seedlings and throw away the bottoms, the idea being that they thus obtain dwarfc-r and more fruitful plants. This is, however, a fallacy, and the practice ought to find no favour, except it is only by means of cuttings that any particular variety can be had. It is true that seedlings of many kinds of plants are much longer in attain- ing fruitfulness than cutting-raised plants, but the former are invariably the strongest. Seed- ling Tomatoes, however, may easily be had in a dwarf, fruitful state, and as far as my experience goes are always preferable to cutting-raised plants. The former may be raised clean or free from the troublesome little Aleyrodes that infest them, but it is frequently a very dilficult matter to obtain clean cuttings. The Aleyrodes can never be thoroughly ei-adicated unless Tomatoes are cleared out for a time, and the house and all its other inmates subjected to a thorough cleans- ing. Hathaway 's Excelsior, Large Red, Hack- wood Park Prolific, Dedham Favourite, Reading Perfection, Dwarf Orangefield, and Carter's Per- fection are all well adapted for pot and house culture. Large Red and Dwarf Orangefield, both corrugated sorts, set more freely than the rest and are also good in quality. For eai'ly supplies the seed should be sown now, thinly, in well-drained S-inch pots filled with light soil. After being watered they may be plunged in a gentle hotbed, and a square of glass placed over each pot materially hastens germination. The glass should be removed soon after the seedlings break through the soil, and when the seed leaves are well unfolded the pots should be placed near the glass in the same house. If at all crowded they ought to be thinned out freely, the aim being to keep them sturdy from the commencement. When two leaves besides the .seed leaves show themselves, the time has arrived for potting ofi', for which either 5-inch or G inch pots may be used— in the former place one plant, and in the latter two. Any good loamy soil will suit them, and this should be well warmed by plunging hot bricks in its midst prior to using it. The seed- lings should be carefully shaken out of the soil and at once potted, this work being done in the house in which they are growing. One crock and a little rough soil constitute drainage suificient for each pot, and the seedlings should be sunk up to their seed-leaves in the soil and lightly potted. If returned to a warm position, carefully watered and shaded from bright sun- shine, plants thus treated soon commence grow- ing afresh and emit roots from the whole length of the stems buried. Directly they seem to be recovered from the check thus sustained they ought to be transferred to a warm shelf near the glass, and if properly attended to will rapidly develop into fine, sturdy plants. Many succeed very well up to this point, but manage to spoil their filants afterwards from keeping them too long in the small pots. Directly they are root- bound the growth becomes spindly, and this should be anticipated by early transferrence to their fruiting quarters. Last season some of our first bunches of fruit nearly touched the soil, and nearly all commenced to fruit at about a foot from it. The plants were dwarf and sturdy when put out and were placed rather deeply in the pots, thus both further dwarfing them and admitting of a subsequent liberal top-dressing of loam and manure. For such sturdy plants stakes from 3 feet to i feet in length are quite long enough ; all being grown with one stem (the side shoots being rubbed out as they appear) and heavily fruited, prove both ornamental and profitable. Those planted on mounds of soil and trained under the roof were equally profitable, most of them commencing to fruit long before the trellis was reached. Any plants not wanted for the earliest crops are best consigned to the rubbish heap. Where plants are required for cool struc- tures, March is quite early enough to sow the seed. Two favourable seasons in succession will give a stimulus to open-air culture, and more would succeed in less favourable years if more attention were paid to the proper preparation of the plants. Instead of sowing very early in March and accord- ing starvation treatment from the commencement, the end of March or early in April should be chosen, and the plants be kept steadily growing, either in warm frames or on shelves in a green- house till near the time of planting out. If time and space can be spared, I would re- commend that the seedlings be first potted singly into 5-inch pots, and when well rooted be shifted into S inch pots, good loamy soil and very little drainage being used in each instance. Then, if properly staked and given good room either in a light, airy greenhouse or pit, they will soon form a strong bunch of bloom ; this will set and per- haps another not far behind it prior to planting out early in .June. Then if they are given a warm position against a wall and fairly rich soil to grow in, a quantity of good fruit will ripen in July and August, or some time before the disease makes an appearance. Much starved plants lose their first and sometimes second bunch of bloom, and a late and uncertain crop is the result. W. I. KITCHEN GARDEN NOTES. W. WlI.DSMITH. My contributions under this head will not be in the ordinary calendarial style, but they will be seasonable, * '., sowing, planting, or general cul- tivation, as the case may be, of whatever is under discussion, may begin when my notes appear. By thus omitting details, we shall have increased space to fully explain the cultivation, &c., of the various vegetables that may come under review ; and further, to be practical, my observations shall consist of what we ourselves are doing at the time, or what is in immediate contemplation. With this introduction, I begin with Potatoes. — Opinions may differ, but mine is that this is the most important of all vegetable crops. Others evidently think the same, for we have never yet been told to grow fewer Potatoes. The inquiry begins about the middle of April, When are you going to give us new Potatoes ? and it is of almost daily repetition till a full supply is forthcoming, either from frames or warm borders. We are now preparing for these supplies by starting the sets in shallow boxes of leaf-soil. They are about half-buried in the leaf-soil, and as soon as roots have well laid hold of the mould, they are planted in frames, being disbudded to a couple of eyes as they are taken out of the bo.xes, and laid on trays ready for planting in drills, that are drawn a foot apart and 4 inches deep, and the sets are planted 9 inches apart in the row. I ought to have mentioned that the beds are made up with tree leaves (Oak and Beech principally), two-thirds of these to one-third of long stable litter. The heat from this mixture is never in- tense, and, as a rule, lasts the whole season with- out needing the renewal of linings. Larger pro- portions of litter give out a greater heat, but it is a spurt, and soon over, and new linings must be had recourse to to keep matters right. " Slow, but sure," is the best motto in forcing operations of every description. The best soil for frame- cultivation is roughish vegetable mould and light loam in about equal proportions. The siftings from under the potting-bench and the soil that has been emptied out of boxes that have contained bedding plants we reserve for the purpose, and after it has thus done duty twice over, there is sufficient vitality left by adding to it a sprinkling of bone- dust or a few bushels of droppings to make it an excellent compost for the growing of ridge Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows. The sets that are intended for planting on warm borders in the open air are still on shelves in the Potato house, but are laid out singly, that those disposed to sprout may develop strong sprouts. We shall put the first batch in boxes of leaf soil a fortnight hence; meantime the borders will be got ready — in fact are so, except levelling down, the soil having been left rough when trenched in the autumn. From close observation, I am per- suaded that we do not exercise sufficient care in the application of manure for Potato crops. In- deed, I have very nearly attained to the convic- tion that we do wrong in manuring at all for that crop, and that it would be desirable to plant on ground that had been well manured for a former crop, such as Onions, Celery, or French Beans. Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 59 I say nothing as to produce under these condi- tions, but I have proved that it is but little in- ferior and that quality ia largely advanced, whilst in a season when murrain was prevalent there were fewer bad tubers. The best manure for ordinarily good garden soil is leaf-soil, or well rotted stable manure, or both in mixture, and it should be well incorporated with the soil. Fresh, what I call raw, manure is only fit for very hungry soils, and even then I would hesitate to plant Potatoes on such ground unless the manure had been trenched in during the winter. Except bones and bone dust, I have little faith in the lasting qualities of artiticiat manures. Soot and wood ashes are most excellent fertilisers for Pota- toes, and so is salt for dry, gravelly sandy land ; this last we have used with excellent results, ap- plying it as soon as the tubers were planted. I can- not say the quantity to a given space, and there- fore perhaps the best way to convey an idea as to quantity ustd is to say that it was a thick sprink- ling and done by hand. With regard to varieties for frame and earliest open-air supplies, there are none, taking all points into consideration, that excel the old Ashleaf types, but as first succession sorts to these, several kinds have of late years come to the front, which, whilst equal in quality to the Ashleaf, are a long way in advance in re- spect of productiveness. The best of these are First and Best, Early Regent, and perhaps Early Market. Peas. — For some years now we have discon- tinued the once general plan of sowing these in November or early in December, simply for the reason that the crop was never ready a day earlier than that from Peas sown early in February ; very naturally, therefore, we resolved to give up the practice, and save ourselves several weeks of anxiety as to the purloinings of the seed by mice, or the pecking out of the points of the young shoots by birds. Our first sowing will very shortly be made in small pots, and be placed to germinate in a cool Peach house, and from there be transplanted to the open border about the end of February. They will be thickly screened from cutting winds by staking them at once, and by using a few Spruce or Laurel boughs along the bottoms of the sticks. The border for this early crop slopes to the south, and is well sheltered from the north and east, as it is from those quarters that during spring-time our garden suffers most. I need hardly say that ground for Peas cannot well be too rich or too deep, and manure of any kind can be used. The number of first early varieties is bewildering, and when all are said to be " the best," one feels somewhat diffident about mentioning any. I, however, risk the censure I may incur by first saying that dwarf varieties find no favour with me, solely because there is never a crop on them, at least not one worthy of that designation, even when the haulm is covered with pods. Sutton's Ring- leader and Veitch's Extra Early are very early good kinds, both being from a week to ten days earlier than Laxton's William the First, which, taking quality into account, i^ the best first early Pea that has yet come under my notice. There are at least a dozen of most excellent very early kinds, and out of so many there is no doubt that the experience of others may be altogether the opposite of mine. Tomatoes. —We have just made our first sowirg in 5inch pots, and placed in a temperatuie of 65° Earliest of All and Hack wood Park Prolific. The rapidity with which Tomatoes have come to be regarded as indispensable is surprising : a very fe V years ago we were never asked for them ; now it ii impossible to grow too many, and very fortunately their cultivation is of the easiest description. Those now sown are intended for growing in pots in vineries. Peach houses, or any warm place hiving an average temperature of about OtJ". The seedlings will be potted off as soon as of sufficient size to handle, and be potted sing'.y in small pots, and as the roots reach the sides of the pots they will be shifted into larger, the final size being lU-inch. Good loam, not too heavy or broken up too finely, with a small quantity of bone-dust, is the compost they relish. Manure is not required till the plants are in full fruit and the roots are cramped in the pots; manure water is then of great assistance, and should be given on alternate days. A compost overdone with manure is apt to cause the plants to miss fruiting at the right time ; growth is so strong, that the flowers fail to set, and will so con- tinue till the growth gets a check through the roots getting pot-bound. This can and should be prevented by using soil containing little, if any, manure. Soon as the clusters of fruit are formed and swelling, all deformed ones should be pinched off to ensure sizs and space to aid the fruit to ripen on all sides alike, as well as for appearance sake. THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS OF FIFTY YEARS AGO. One of the earliest and moat remarkable contri- butions on the general history of our now popular queen of autumn was that of Mr. Sabine, to be tound in vol. v. of the Transactions of the London Horticultural Society, published in 1S'2G, with coloured figures of some of the varieties, but the eailiest figure seems to be that of Rheede, which was published as early as lOiil), and presumably represents C. indicum, of which our present Pompon varieties are considered as the modern representatives. But the fact is that, supposing three specific wild types of the Chrysanthemum of China and .Japan ever existed, which is doubt- ful, we can assure ourselves that cultivation has quite obliterated them in the garden of to-day. The seed from almost any one variety of Chrysan- themum is now-a-days found to yield us varieties of all kinds, forms, and colours — incurved, re- flexed, singles and doubles, with quilled or strap- shaped florets, or of the Pompon or Anemone groups, so that I think we may bid good-bye to the old specific names of C. indicum, C. einense, and C. japonicum, which possess no real meaning in the gardens of our time. To find out the early history of the Chrysanthemum one would need a few years' residence in China and Japan, where it would be possible to consult the native books and drawings, and more especially to study the pictorial representations of this their national dower as it appears on porcelain and lacquer ware, or on old textile fabrics of many kinds. I am told there is a room in the Mikado's palace at Tokio which is entirely devoted to carvings and paintings of this favourite Japanese flower. As is well known, the Dutch were amongst the earliest traders to deal with the Japanese, and the Chrysanthemum is said to have been introduced to Holland long before it reached our English shores. To say nothing of Breynius (HiS9), both K;empfer (17PJ) and Thunberg (17S4) allude to the flower, and original drawings may linger unseen and forgotten in some of the libraries of Holland or of Spain. Haworth also wrote on the Chry- santhemum on or before the year l.S.'J3, and pro- posed a new arrangement of the then existing kinds, which is as follows : — Kanunculus-flowered. Yellow Indiav (Sort. Trans., v. 4, p. .330, fcil). 12, and V. ti, p. 340). Of short stature (in its group), with vei-y late and double, but small, tlowers ; .and forms, with the nest, a di.stinct species. White Indian (Hort. Trans , v. 0, p. 347). Shorter th.an the prOL-eding, with ven.- late and similar, but white, flowers. Warratah Yellow (Hort. Trans , v. 0, p. 344). Flowers very late, with the preeedinj^, and of similar size, but has much more entire leaves, and lirger flowers, which make it a distinct speoies. Spanish Brown (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 48G, and v. J, p. 4*20). Of short firm stature, but rather early and beautiful flowers, the size uf the preceding, and with smallish leaves a little more pinnatifid, and probaoly a distinct species. Blush Ranunculus-vlowered (Hort. Trans., v. ti, p. 328). Of short firm stature, and fine-formed early flower, of a blush colour, and peculiar neatne.^s of form. I think I have two variations of it. ^M\LL Deep Yellow, Park's Smali, Yellow (Hort. Trans. , v. i>, p. 327). Taller and weaker th.an the last, early and Hiiiall-flowered, with small and blunt piunatedly-lobate leaves. Perhaps it may bo a distinct species from its fmall leaves and flowers. S\iALL Deep Yellow, Small Windsor Yellow (Hort. Trans., v. 5, p. 41.'i, and v. 0, p. 33."j). Also called Witons' ■^'ellow. Of short stiff growth, and early flowering, and but little merit. S.\iAi L Flat Yellow, Small Y'ellow (Hort. Tr.ans., v. 5, tab. 17. and v. 5, p. 422). Of shortish growth, and with purd yellow and ccpanded early flowers, the shape and size of the three subsequent v.arieties, of which it is presumed to be th i origin, as yellow is the most predominant colour in these plants. Their forms are very neat and regular. The BltfK) or Copper (Hort. Trans , v. 5, p. 420). Also called the Orjinge, or ButT. Resembles the preceding in everything but colour. The Rose, or Pink (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 344). Also called the Lilac. Resembles the last in all things but colour, and is now the most common kind in cultivation, although intro- iluced after the old puriile, hereunder enumerated. The Pale Pink (Hort. Trans., v. I'l, p. 33i'i). Raised in Mr. Cnlvill's nursery, being a sportive branch from the last, and dilferiiig in nothing but colour. This and the three preced- ing doubtless sport mutually into each other, and .are perpe- tuated by cuttings of their respective sports in the first instance, and offsets as well as cuttings afterwards, but are all liable to sport .again, from pale pink th wUgh deeper pink, and copper or light orange to bright yellow ; but theii" shoots and leaves are immutable. Expanded Light Purple (Hort. Trans., v. 5, p. 153, .and v. 5, p. 421 ; and Bot. Mag., tab. 2250). Of middling size, and with flowers in the middle season (of its group), but nearly twice as large as the last, though resembling it in form, and far more handsome. Quilled Light Purple (Hort. Trans., v. 5, p. 155, and v. 5, p. 421). A sport only from the last, bxit now made per- manent. Incurving Ranunoulus-flowrered. In'URvinq 1. 11. at (Sweot, Brit. F!. Gard., tab. 7). Curled Lilac (Hort. Trans., v. 5, p. 155 and p. 421). Also called the Quilled Lilac. Grows tall, and flowers early, and is an elegant plant, allied to the preceding, and has produced the foil twing one from a sportive branch. Curled Blush (Mort. Tr.ans., v. 0. p. 320). Has been called the Double Blush and Double White, 'the flowers, wliich are nither early, large, and showy, dying off nearly of that colour. It is of middling stature in its group ; and, althou^di a sport only of the preceding, is now an established and mtre beautiful variety than it. The Quilled Pink (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 35C, and v. .'', p. 351, 420, 421 ; and Bot. Reg., v. 8, tab. 010). Of tall stature, and one of the very latest in blooming ; but very handsome, and repaying by its beauty every care bestowed upon it by the gardener. It has been called the most beautiful of .all ; but with me it yields to the Gold-ljordcred Red. I^AROK Quilled Orange (Hort. Trans , v. 5. p. 152. tab. 3 (upper figure), and v. 5, p. 421). A tall and large latisL- flowering vai-iety, of considerable beauty, and at present ui:- common. Gold-bordered RED(the Two-coloured Incurved of Hort. Trans., v. 0, p. 332, 333). Of tall stature, very l.ate, with the most perfect .and beautiful flower of all its genus, .althou sidcr it the most complete oi all. The Superb White (Hort. Trans., v. 4. p. 338, and v. r^ p. 420; Hot. Reg., pi. 455). A late, very tall, and splendid plant, with large, incurving, very double, pure white flowcr-s, China- Aster-flo'wered: often showing a disc, ai.d then much resembling China Asters. The Sclphur Yellow (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 341, .and v. 5, p. 420). A beautiful variety, of tall stature, and free anrl c;rrly blooming, with middle sized Aster-like flowers. The Two-colodred Red (Hort. Trans., v. 0, tab. 4, and V. 0. p. 342, 34:i). A veiy fine and showy variety, of tie middle size in stem and flowers, but rather late, which some- times shows a disc, and is then very .\ster-like. The bi- ]iinnatifid leaves are far more laciniated than any other kind ; and I think they constitute it a distinct species. The Early Crim.son (Hort. Trans., v. 5, tab 3 (inferior figure), p. 151 and p. 421). Of light, small stature, delicate, and .apt to lose its leaves before its bloom is finished. The llowers are middle-sized, early, and very beautiful ; they show a disc, and when well managed, have ripened pei-fect seeds in EngUnd. The Clustered Pink CHort. Trans., v. 0, p. 330). Also kno\vn by the name of the Changeable Blush. One of the tallest of its tribe ; flowers in the middle season very abun- dantly; and, although the flowers are but middle-sized, and little "better than half-double, showing a considerable disc, and greatly resemble Ctiina Asters, they make a verj' fine and dur.ible appear.ance, standing the weather well, and becom- ing; much darker by age, though less delicate. This is a very likely variety to produce seed in this country. The Early Blush (Hort. Trans., v. 0. p. 326). This tall and almost unequalled v.ariety is also called the Double Blush and Double White. It flowers very early, beautifully, and freely, and its flowers are large, and scarcely show any di.sc ; and their colour wiihout is light blush, but within they are e^iactly of that ptculiar tint well known by the name of French white ; and, like many other varieties they are very durable. They have ripened seeds in England. The Paper White (Ho:t. Trans , v. 5, p. 417, 422). This exquisitely white-flowering and noble variety is of tall stature, and eirly blooming, and makes a splendid appear- ance in a general collection. Its flowers are of the middlg size. 60 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. Marieold-flowered; with well-formed double flowers- resembling Double Cape Marigolds in shape and size. GoLDfcJN Brosze-back ; Golden Yellow (Hort. Trans., v. 0. p. 342; and Bot. Reg., tab. 4 (superior figure). Also called the Large Yellow and the Kings Yellow. A very tall, hand- some, and free-flowering variety. The flowers are early, and of a high rich yellow colour, but bronzed or orange in the buds and on the outsides. This is one of the beat to grow as a standard ; and, if parted at the root and annually trans- l»lanted. succeeds very well as a herbaceous plant, especially if in a warm or sheltered situation, duly supported by a stick. The Superb Clustered Yellow (Hort. Trans., v 5, p. 15i>, and V. 5, p. 421 ; and Sweet's Brit. Fl. Card., tab 14). One of the finest and tallest of the group, being higher than the pre- ceding, and with more clustered, and more neatly formed, pure yellow flowers, but they arc later in opening. The GoiDEN Lotus-flowered (Hort. Trans , v. 0, p. 340). A very splendid and large long-leaved variety, and nearly or quite the tallest of this genvis of jilants ; having late pure and deep yellow flowers, above the middle size, and larger than those of any other yellow kind of the Marigold form, and which partly endure until the heavier frosts of winter destroy them. The Changeable Pale Buff (Hort. Trans., v. IJ. p. 3S0, and tab. 3). Also called the Pale Cluster. This plant, when flowering as perfectly as it is representated on the above-cited table, is one of the most showy and splendid in the group ; but this has not been the case during the aiitumn of 1S32 ; all the flowers, and in various gardens, which met the writer's eye, being, as it were, degenerated into almost buff-coloured and spuriously quilled flowers, of more upright apiicarance than the large, expanded, flat-petaled, and variegated purple whitish and yellow-buffy ones so charmingly depicted in the figure cited. They are of the middle season. Starry Changeable Purple, The Starry Purplk (Hort. Trans., v. G, p. 339). This beautiful plant is one of the most variable-flowered in the genus, its very late flowers first opening of a purple colour, with the exterior petals at first few in uumber, starry, and paler, especially at their expanded spoon-shaped tips, soon, however, becoming still more pale until the whole well-expanded and very double blossom becomes regularly more blush-coloured and white than purple, and is a very fine, well-formed, variegated flower. The stature of the plant is of the middle size, but its remark- able leaves are much more laciuiated than usual, and often broader in their outline than long, which is not the case with any other in the group, and of very considerable size. Svherefore I conceive it may be a distinct species from all the others. The Late Purple, The Late Pale Purple (Hort. Trans., v. .'i, p. 413, and V. 5, p. 422, and v. (i, p. 3J3). Also called Large Pale Purple. This is a very late-flowering and rather tall variety, whose middliog-sized and well-expanded blos- soms are very neat, and resemble in shape those of the preceding, but are much smaller. The Brown Purple (Hort. Trans., v. 6, p. 341-2). A tail and slender-twigged very late-flowering variety, whose middle-sized flowers resemble the last in shape, but are not quite so flat and neat in expansion, and their colour in tho group is very remarkable, being of a very dull brownish or reddish pui'plp. The leavea are so small, and so bluntly lobed, and on such slender shoots, terminating in such long and graceful peduncles, that the plant is probably a distinct species from Chrysanthemum sinense, and differs not so much in leaf as in flower from the Small Deep Yellow above. Tassel-flowered; being tall or very tall plants In their genus, with very large double, and more or less conspi- cuously drooping flowers, whose petals are usually elon- gated and quilled, and often greatly resemble the form of a tassel. The Ta.sseled Flame Yet-low. The Quilled Flame Yel- low (Hort. Trans., v. 4, tab. 14, p. 340, and v. 5, p. 421). Tlie magnificent flowers of this tall plant appear rather late, and often measure above 5 inches in expansion, and make, per- haps, if not a more neat, at least a more showy appearance than any other of the group, being double, and composed of innumerable chiefly quilled incurving petals, hanging more or less downwards, and when at their best resembling a flame-coloured tiss-1. TheTasseled Salmon, The Qullled Salmon (Hort. Trans., V. .'), tab. 17 (inferior figure), p. 414, and p. 422). This is a late-flowering, slender, and graceful plani , with large tassel- like and half-expanded drooping quilled salmon-coloured flowers, and is very uncommon. The Tasseled Yel- ow (Hort, Trans., v. ii, p. 329). A very tall and strong-growing, large-leaved variety, with numerous tassel-formed flowers of the largest and most showy kind, often measuring more than Ci inches over, and appearing rather early. It is one of the most desirable and free-growin j of the whole collection. The Quillkd Yellow (Hort. Tr.in='., v. 4, p. 341, and v. 5, p. 420). This is a till variety, with rather large flowers, of the middle season, or later, producing its blossoms in clusters at the top of the strong upright shoots. It is also known by the name of the Quilled Straw. The Late Quilled Yellow (Hort. Trans., v. 0, p. 343). This has been called a very late and not very desirable variety in collections. It appears to be of the middle size, but it has not yet opened its blossom-buds with me, not having long possessed it. The Large Lilac (Hort. Trans , v. 4, p. 343, and v. -"i, p 420). Also c lied the Late Lilac, the New Lilac, and the aemi-double Purple. A very tall, upright plant, bearing buL few double large and clustered flowers at the summits of the branches, and those so late in appearance, that iu cold sea- sons they cannot expand well, and are consequently in but little repute. I have only seen one plant in blossom, and that in my own garden. The Tasfeled Lilac (Hort. Trans., v. 6, p. 332). A middle- sized, or rather tall, plant of very great beauty, and one of the most desirable of the whole group, having very showy tassel-formed flowers, 5 inches or more in expanse, very numerous, early, and elegantly drooping from their weight, but they often show a disc. It is a likely variety to produce seeds of the most promising kind, but I have not hitherto heard of its ripening any iu England. The Tasseled Purple, The Purple (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 334). Has also been called the Old Purple, the Old Red. and the Quilled Purple, and is figrux'd in the Bot. Mag. (tab. 327). This is a very beautiful and rather early-flowering plant of almost the middle size The flowers are very numerous, gracefully drooping, and of middling size, and arc at first of a reddish purple colour, but become paler by age, and in mild seasons will continue in succession from the end of October to the second week in January. It acquires the name of Old from being the first China Chrysanthenuim that came to England in modern times, and bloomed in Mr. Col- vill's nursery in November, 1795, but was said to be at Kew in 171^0. The great horticulturist Miller certainly had one, or more likely two, of these Chinese, or Indian, Chrysanthe- mmns in cultivation at Chelsea long before ; but it is not yet quite satisf;ictorily explainel what sorts they were. See Hort. Trans., v. 4, tab. 12, p. 320, and following. THECnANGEABLETA-SSblLED WhITK, TheChaNGEABLE WH[TE (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 33(i, and v. 5, p. 419 ; and Bot. Mag., tab. 2042). It has also been called the Old White, being the first white flowered variety known in our gardens. It is re- corded in the Hort. Trans, to have been raised from a sport- ing branch of the pri ceding, and, indeed, resembles it in everything but colour. It is a very gracefiU and elegant plant, and in wiirm situations its flowers are often more or less tinged or dotted with purple or blush colour. 3 Fig. 1, the common centipede (Lithobius forficatus) ; 2, luminous ditto (Geophilus longicornis) ; 3, imderside of head of centipede, showing the mouth organs (magnified). The Narrow Qoilled White, The Quilled White 'Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 337, and v. 5, p. 419). This rather slender variety is almost of the middle size, and has the slenderest and most completely quilled florets, and the earliest flowers of the whole group, which hang in gracefully drooping tassels, and form a strong contrast to the next in almost every respect. The Great Tasseled White, TheTasseled White (Hort. Trans., v. 4, p. 339, and v. 5, p. 420). Has also been called the Expanded White. This large, etroug and broad, deep- green, shining-leaved variety is one of the latest of all in blooming, but its lovely flowers are larger and more showy than those of any white-flowered variety, and endured to the end of January, 1-S33, the date of the present paper. No flower in this chilly climate stands the cnld so well, or so long continues to beguile the fancy of a florist by its pro- tracted opening, by its hardihood in expansion, and by the soft hue of its ^nowy blossoms, carrying on, as it were, the flowery beauty of lingering autumn into the rery bosom of winter, whose ice at length closes the temple of Flora for a time, until the herald flowers of spring appear amidst the melting snow, as if impatient of delay. Half-double, Tassel-flowered ; with only half-double flowers, and narrow elongated, quilled petals; often drooping, au<,l Somewhat resembling a tassel. Half-dduble Quilled White, Semi-double Q tilled White {Hort. Trans., v. 5, p. 15S). A very tall, robust va- riety. The flowers are among the latest varieties, and more inclining to be single than usuil, yet of too late occurrence to ripen seeds with us. They are very large, and the narrow quilled petals are very singularly waved, and as if pursuing each other from right to left, making a pleasing and almost animated appearance. Half-double Quilled Pink, Semi-dodble Quilled Pink (Hort. Trans., v. 5, tab. 17 (inferior figure), p. 157, and v. 5, p. 422, and v. 0, p. 351). This variety grows rather tall and flowers latish, but its flowers, although but half-double, and only of the middle size, possess a degree of graceful elegance and lovely hues peciUiarly their own. It is at present a rare variety. Half-double Eronze Buff, Pale BuFF(Hort. Trans., v. fJ, p. 334). Also called the Semi-double Pale BufT, and Reeve's Pale Buff, and Quilled Buff, and the Buff. It is a very tall and free-growing variety, and its half-double buff large flowers, which in their early stages are much bronzed, though of coarse hues, make a showy appearance, and stand the weather better than all others, opening rather early, and continuing late, until all the bronze is gone, having faded to a dull buff. Half-double Quilled Orange, Semi-double Quilled Orange (Hort. Tfans., v. 5, p. 412 and p. 422, and v. 5, tab. 17 (left-hand figure), and v. (J. p. 352). A tallish plant, with but few large and almost single, and also some nearly half-double, flowers, of good size, but making a poor show. Half- double Pale Quilled Orange, Semi - double Quilled Pale Oranoe (Hort. Trans., v. U, p. 337). Also called Semi-double Deep Yellow. Of the middle stature, with few and late flower?, of good size, but comparatively poor appearance, on loosely drooping footstalks. ^_ F. W. B. Garden Destroyers. CENTIPEDES. These well-known creatures are not encouraged and protected as they deserve to be ; on the con- trary, most persons look on them with great dislike and horror. This, no doubt, is owing to the fact that they usually move very rapidly. Slugs, snails, caterpillars, and other creatures which are slow in their movements, persons do not shudder or shrink from so readily ; but a spider, blackbeetle, an earwig, or a centipede are generally objects of great aversion. The account often given of the venomous nature of the bitea of the large tropical species of centipedes, no doubt is an additional reason to regard these useful creatures with disgust. Useful they most certainly are, for they live almost (if not quite) entirely on animal food, such as insects, worms, &c. Centipedes usually feed at night time, and during thedayhidethemselves under stones, biick- bats, pieces of wood, rubbish, &c., or in crevices of the earth. The common centipede (Lithobius forficatus), fig. 1, is undoubtedly carnivorous ; their active movements and the formation of their mouths, provided as they are with a power- ful pair of poison faog.^, point to their being creatures which prey upon living things, even if we had nothing else tu guide us. There is, how- ever, another very common centipede, the lumi- nous centipede (Geophilus longicornis), fig. 2, which has been found under circumstances which seem to show that it does not at all times con- fine its diet strictly to animal food, although the organs of its mouth are formed in just the same mauner as those of the other species ; it is, how- ever, a much more sluggish creature, and would le quite incapable of catching any tolerably active insect, for in spite of its great number of legs it moves very slowly, and with much deliberation, and it is quite probable that if when near the roots of plants, the supply of its ordinary food were to fall short, it would feed on them. This, and some other nearly allied species, seem to form a link between the Julidce (or .snake mil- lipedes), which are undoubtedly vegetarians, and those centipedes which are decidedly carnivorous. If it is suspected that they are injuring the roots of a plant, they may easily be found by turning up the earth round the plant, as their lengtli (2.^ inches) and pale colour render them very easy of detection ; but though these creatures are common, they are seldom so abundant as to be the cause of much injury to plants. When near plants they are generally found in the company of snake millipedes, and like them they are pro- tected by such a hardened skin that few, if any, Jan. 15, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 61 insecticides would reach them with fatal effect, unless they were very near the surface. Water- ing with brine has l)een recommentled as a means of killing the snake millipedes, and would lie worth trying in the case of these centipedes. The centipedes belong to the same class (the Myriapoda) as the snake millipedes. They differ from them, however, in various particu- lars, but chiefly in the formation of their mouths ; the latter are not proWded with the powerful poison fangs (fig. 3) which are so conspicuous in the former. When the head is examined, another difference which may be easily recog- nised is that the snake millipedes have two pairs of legs attached to each joint of their bodies, while the centipedes have only one. All the snake millipedes crawl very slowly, but many centipedes are very quick in their movements. I have figured two of our commonest species, Lithobius forficatus (fig. 1) and Geophilus longi- cornis (fig. 2). The former .species is, as 1 have already mentioned, undoubtedly carnivorous. It measures aliout an inch in length, not in- cluding the legs and antennae ; the latter consist of about forty joints ; the legs have seven joints, and terminate in a single claw. The front pair of legs have become modified in form, and now serve as a pair of mandibles, terminating in poison fangs. Fig. 3 shows these fangs, in each of which is a poison gliind, from which the poison is ejected through an aperture at the point of the tang. The point.s of the mandibles in the drawing touch the maxillro or jaws, which are furnished at their edges where they meet with sharp teeth. Below these jaws is the under lip or labium, which is toothed along the upper edge. This lip appears as if divided longi- tudinally intii two, and in young specimens it is really in two parts, but in full-grown specimens the two halves grow together and form one organ. Above the points of the mandibles is the upper lip. The eyes are situated just below the antenna' ; the whole of the latter are not shown. The luminous centipede (Geophilus longicornis), fig. 2, is a remarkably long, narrow creature, measuring when fully grown about 2 J inches in length and not more than l-20th of an inch in width. Its body is composed of a great number of joints, each of which is provided with a pair of legs. The last pair in the males are consider- ably longer than the others, and have very much the appearance of antennai. The organs of the head are just the same as those of the common centipede. These creatures move in a slow, tortuous manner, and seem to glide along rather than walk ; their legs are so small that they are scarcely observed. At certain times, generally in the spring and autumn, supposed to be the breeding seasons, these centipedes emit a phosphorescent light, and they often leave an illuminated trail behind them some few inches, and occasionally S i'eet and even '■) feet, in length when they move about. Persons are often surprised to see a streak of phosphorescent light on a pathway, and wonder what can be the cause, for unless careful search be made, the author will not be noticed. The female lays her eggs, numbering nearly fifty, to- gether in a cluster in a cell, which she forms in the earth. In this cell she remains coiled around the eggs until they are hatched, the period of in- cubation occupying a fortnight or three weeks. The centipedes hybernate during the winter. G. S. S. Beetles (A. ./. 7/.)— The specimens you send .ire those of the eL>;nim, Hibiscus Coupci-i, S., ilucrn- ?<'jl.—i, Pinus excclsa ; 2, Finns i-igida ; 3, Pinus Str-uljus ; 4, Pinus excelsa var. ; 5, Finns pitliju.sa; tl, Buplenrum fruti- cosum ; 7, Rhanmus Alaternus, var. with ii.ari'ow leaves J if, Myoporum IfetUm ; 0, Spiraja nana ; not detorniinable in this state, Ci. Harris. — Crotolaria Cunningtiami. Jan. 13, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 63 WOODS & FORESTS. THE "ART" OF THINNING FOREST TREES. I niD not know thinning had been reduced to an "art," as "J. B. W.'s" remarks last week would seem to imply. It might be called a practice, which each forester carried out according to his own notions, and very often with no clear notion on the subject at all, but that is all. If I was to advise owners of forests, I would say to them, Whatever you do, do not let your woodman do any thinning on the so-called scientific principles of the past, because it may cause thousands of pounds of loss to the estate. "J. B. \V.," I pre- sume, has a hankering after the "art" on the old lines, but recent discussion on the subject has apparently made him cautious. He does not be- lieve in Nature's thinning, and yet he gives an example of Nature's way of working that speaks more for that system than all his other statements do for artificial thinning. He writes : — For example, in thinning a natnral phintatiuu of Scotch l''ir some years ago, I f.mud a pitch of trees in one portion of ttie plant.ation abovit 30 feet high, and gi-owingat a distance of sjme 10 inches or 12 inches apart. These trees were straight and fre-i from branches, with the exception of small bushy tufts at their summits. Now, had these trees been thinned in early life, there can be no doubt that they Wiiuld have attained the size of useful timber ; whereas by leaving them to Nature they were only fit for paling rails t r otiu-r similar piu'poses. ThesT trees, bsingallab'^ut one siz^, grew uplikea crop of Corn or Wheat, but had they been of d ITerent sizes the reavilts would have been widely different, as the larger trees would thtn have killed their weiker neighlraurs, which is Nature's sy^ tern of thinning urder ordinary circumstances. This miy be taken as a fair illustration of the difference between natnral forests and such as have been planted. I have now and then given you examples of Nature's plan and its advantages, but this e.xample, although unconsciously given by "J. B. \V. " to point a moral in the other direction, is one of the best 1 have yet come across. Just consider its purport. At the quantity given to the space, a plantation of Firs would produce between 40,0U0 and .X),00() trees — .'iO feet high, as regular as " a crop of Corn or Wheat," straight and free from branches — to the acre. Think of it ! And "J. B. W." declares he has seen such an example. Be it remembered that, by the old planting and thinning method, half as many hundreds are not grown to the acre by the time the trees are 'M) feet high, and then they are pruned afterwards '. And these crowded trees were fit for paling rails— a very fair size for the age under any circum- stances, because the Scotch Fir is never fit for much else under the most favourable condi- tions at a height of 'M feet. I presume "J. B. W.'s" "patch" was not old, or he would have "found" it sooner "in one of his plantations." I like to dissect this statement of "J. B. W.'s," because it affords an excellent lesson, although it hardly appears to be read by the author of it. The fair and indisputable pre- sumption is, that if a i^ir plantation will rush up to a height of 'M feet, 10 inches asunder, as straight and even as a crop of Wheat, what pos- sible reason can be advanced for thinning young plantations of the same kind planted from .'^ feet to 4 feet asunder at the outset, let alone pruning what is leff; There is, no doubt, a healthy ratio between the distance asunder and the height at- tained if we could find it, but apparently there i= no need for thinning under ordinary circum- stances. This is the conclusion enforced by "J. B. W.'s" example taken on its own merits, but his example is ill-chosen for all that. We do not want a plantation of young rails with pre- sumptions as to what might have happened had they been treated diflferently, but we want ex- amples of mature timber crops grown on Nature's plan, an Go S-47 10-94 ferenco on A. imperial acres 2S acres, and 70 acres, imperial. B Example : In how many Scotch acres ? Y 3.1)8 22-2 00 5 Scotch B .5 gai^e points 28 TO imperial For Iiish. Set 13 on B to 8 on A, then opposite imperial acres on B, find Irish acres on A. E.'cample : In IS, 2J, and 00 acres imperial, how many Irish acres ? A S ll-U 10-2 37 Irish B 13 gauge points 18 26 00 imperial Examples might be multiplied ad infnifnm, but the foregoing may be sufficient to stimulate young foresters and others to study slide-rule calculations, and make further discoveries of its many uses. ^- ■ Allowances for bark.— "W. B. H." in his recent article seems to have been in ignorance respect- ing allowances being made in measuring timber for bark. I should imagine that he never went far from 64 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 15, 1887. home, as in every county where I go to measure timber it is a usual occurrence. Never did I come across a man yet so unreasonable as not to allow for bark. It is an absurdity for any forester to object to such, because I believe it a difficult matter indeed in these times for a forester to find a merchant who is foolish enough to buy timber without allowance being made for bark in measuring. Another thing is we never t.ake (juarters in girthing ; we always allow the odd inches in cubing up the timber. This is not a custom of to-day, but one which has existed between forester and merchant for upwards of 100 years in this part. — Young Forester. The CoTsican Pine for timber.— Though a good deal has been written already with regard to the Corsican Pine as a timber tree, I think too much can- not be said in favour of it. I strongly recommend its being extensively planted in woods and plantations with a view to jirofit, for unquestionably it is one of the most valuable of all Conifer;e, and succeeds well where many others would fail. Near the seacoast, for instance, it grows with a vigour equalled by few, but in such situations there should be plenty of other things planted with it to assist in bre.iking the force of the winds, and, when thinning is done, it should be gradual, as those left get cut about through sudden exposure, and sometimes completely uprooted. It seems a pity that so much ground should be occupied about the country by the growth of so many trees that are quite worthless for their timber, and more parti- cularly so, as we are dependent, in a great measure, for all we use on the supplies we get from abroad, but, somehow or other, Spruce appears to have been the favourite with our foresters, but why this should be so I am at a hiss to conceive, as it has no special merit beyond its symmetrical shape in an ornamental point of view, and in other respects it is almost worth- less, except for fuel. — D. Disadvantages of mixed planting. — My opinion is contrary to tlie prevailing fashion on thi.s subject, for we are constantly told that there are certain kinds of trees, such as the Larch, Spruce, and Scotch Pine, which are good nurse plants, and are accordingly recommended to be mingled with the hard-wood and intended to be grown as a protection to it. They are good nurse plants, it is said, because they grow fast. Now this is a very excellent pro- perty in any kind of tree, and if with this property they unite strength and durability, which the trees mentioned do to a very considerable extent, then these of all others are those which a view to profit would recommend us to grow. That, however, is not the mode gener.aUy adopted, and the Larch, the Spruce, and the Scotch Fir are cut down to make \va.j for the more tender and less profitable growth of a hard-wood plantation. We do not here advoc.ite the growth of these trees to the exclusion of the Oak, the Beech, and other hard-wood trees ; all that we here mean is that it is unprofitable to attempt the growth of hard-wood in situations where these nurse trees are required, and it is highly so to use these nurse plants in situations where the hard-woiids flourish without them. — M. Italian Poplar wood.— The Black It.ali.an Poplar for timber purposes is the most valuable ; and it is one of the best trees we have for planting on strong, wet, clay soils, on which it thrives well, pro- vided there is no stagnant water. It grows to a great height, and generally leans a good deal to the leeside, especially when much exposed. Owing to its growing so much quicker than any of our other forest trees, it is not suitable tor intermixing with them, as it soon overtops them. It should be planted Kifeet apart, and filled up with Birch to 4 feet apart. Its timber is of comparatively little value when it is of small size, but after forty years of age it commands a good price. It is the most suitable for making " breaks " for railway wagons of any of our timber, but for that purpose it must not be less than 1 -1 inches in diameter. In soils unsuited to its growth, such as wet, peaty soils, it is liable to throw out excrescences on the trunk. On good, loamy soil, its quickness of growth is quite astonishing. The White Poplar, or Abele, is the only other species valuable as a tiniber tree. Unlike the Black Italian, this grows well on damp. peaty soil, and in such situations it is most valuable to plant ; it also grows well on stiff loam. Its habit of growth is not so spiral as the other, but part.akes more of the habit of the Oak or Beech, and when grown singly is very ornamental. The timber is most useful when of large size. ENGLISH FIREWOOD. Personally, I would not give a fire of coals for any fire of wood I ever saw, either for warming a room or for cooking, excepting it be in the bakery oven, because it does not make such a satisfactory fire, and to have wood in blocks fit for regular firewood it is almost as dear as coal. These are good reasons, I take it. Still I know wood fires are occasionally preferred by those who can afford mansions, fireplaces in imitation of old-fashioned hearths constructed for the purposeand haveforests of their own from which to fetch the wood, and the question of which is the best wood for fuel is an interesting one. Here much of the winter's work for some of the men consists in procuring and splitting firewood, and of the sorts of timber readily available for the purpose. Ash and Birch are preferred to all others, and these are first sawn into lengths about 10 inches long and then split into halves and quarters according to the size of the trunk. The Oak has been condemned as inferior to either, owing to it crackling and sparking, otherwise it gives out a good heat. Probably the best and quietest burners are the Yew and the Holly, whether in the fagot or timber state. There are no better materials for lighting a fire in the woods than the dead branches of either of these. If the twigs are dry (hey will ignite from a match without any other assistance and burn readily, and the larger pieces burn and glow with an intensity possessed by few other woods. The Scotch Fir burns well, I am told, in the highlands owing to the spirit it contains, and a portion of the root is sometimes lit and carried as a torch at ni^ht. So far as I have seen, all woods burn readily when dry, and in this state there is little or no appreciable difference between young and old wood. I imagine "J. C C.'s" statement on this head to be imaginary. Much depends on the elements of the wood's composi- tion. If these are of an inflammable nature, the wood will burn fast and fice n:i-sa, but whether these abound most in the old and comparatively inert heart wood or in the young wood is an open question. Still density has a good deal to do with it no doubt. The different qualities of wood as fuel have been ascertained and published, but when or where I cannot at present recollect. I think it has been found that, as a rule, the heaviest timber burns longest. The two bodies on which heat from combustion depends are carbon and hydrogen, and the amount of heat produced by each is different, but much depends on the fire. These are matters, however, which perhaps do not affect the question of the best kind of wood for a grate fire. A wood that burnt brightly, but quietly and at the same time lasted well, would probably answer best, and these, as we have before stated, wo find to be Ash, Birch, Holly, and Vevv. V. The 'Weymouth Pine (p. .SO).- The merits of this as a timber tree are scarcely recognised suffi- ciently, and I was glad to see some words in its favour. It may not grow, as was remarked, so large as the Douglas, but a tree that will girth an even (i feet for a distance of 20 feet, as some which I have just measured, is of a very good size for most purposes for which it is likely to be required. They will not grow in too dry a position, but it should be remembered that the greater the amount of moisture which they have at the roots, the less good will be the quality of the timber ; hence, though they may be planted in swampy ground, such good results in the workshop are not to be expected. Another point to be noticed with re- gard to planting is that the closer they are put in together, or are allowed to be drawn up by other trees, the more free will they be from knots. This, it may be said, is what was to be expected, but it is more noticeable in the Weymouth than many other trees, and one may see specimens with the branches up one side no stouter than a Cedar pencil, and dead stumps sticking out on the other side as thick as a man's wrist. It should be re- membered that the sooner the tree, when cut down, is sawn up into planks and put in the dry the better, for if allowed to lie on the ground the ends or any part exposed to the damp are apt to get discoloured and turn blue ; whereas when kept under cover the board will work up as bright and nice as possible any time afterwards. For cupboards, shelves, &c., it is most useful, and also for panels in doors on account of the width it may be cut without any fear of curling or winding. Of its appearance as an ornamental tree I need scarcely speak, for the glaucous green heads appearing about among the woods in contrast with the colours of the Scotch, Spruce, &c., is always pleasing. Lastly, it has the recommenda- tion of producing an abundant supply of cones which are usually covered with turpentine, and invaluable for lighting or drawing up sulky fires in a house. I should like to see Pinus Strobus planted more extensively than it is. I am reaping the benefit of the wisdom of one of my ancestors in this respect, and in my gratitude intend to follow the good example set me.— C. R. S. I'., Su/ispx. ■Weeping trees. — The association of the common Weeping Willow with water leads people to think that it will not succeed elsewhere; but there are few spots, even away from water, in which it will not thrive if the soil be deep. I have seen really grand specimens of it growing on lawns. Scarcely less beautiful is the Weeping Birch; for, although its spray is not so long as that of the. Willow, yet, owing to the tree being more lofty, it is nearly equally effective. Not so graceful perhaps as either of these, but a better arbour tree, is the Weeping Ash. Owing to its extremely pendulous habit, it is necessary that it should be worked on very tall stocks, as if height is not secured at first, it cannot be obtained afterwards. The Weeping Ash should be planted in quiet, se- cluded spots, where, when fully grown, it may foim a pleasant retreat during sunny days. It will be found that a tree with a stem considerably bent or inclined at the top will form the most convenient arbour tree, as the position of the stem will then be at one side, instead of in the centre. — A. Qualities of the Austrian Fir.— Some twenty or thirty years ago it was written of this Fir that " so highly is it esteemed by many, that it is thought it may ultimately supersede the Scotch Fir, but for the higher price of young plants which lias hitherto acted in some measure as a check upon its universal ditfasion." The tree, it appears, has a greater ad.apta- bility for different soils than the Scotch Fir, produces better tiniber in the south than the latter does, and is a far better tree for shelter. The Austrian Pine is now much cumnioner and cheaper, and, speaking from experience of it on a large scale with living trees of all ages up to about forty years, I am prepared to say that the Scotch Fir cannot be compared to it in any way under equal conditions in the south. It has been planted on a more extensive scale here during the past twenty-five years than any other Fir save the Larch and Scotch Fir, .and, in taking a general survey of these plantations lately, it was plain to the most casual observer that the Austrian had the ad- vantage over the Scotch Fir in all cases, both being planted in equ.al quantities on the same ground. For shelter purposes the Scotch Fir cannot compare with it, and it is not affected by the white blight as the Scotch Fir is in numerous instances, and to a very serious extent, in the same plantation. I notice akfj that the Austrian Fir contains an unusual rpiantity of resin — an important fact(ir in the quality of Pine timber, and one which constitutes the main difference between good and bad examples of the Scutch Fir, the best examples containing most resin, and vice msa. I am not the only one who has noted this, for I have either heard or read somewhere that the Austrian Fir produces more resin than any other European tree THE GARDEN. 65 No. 792. SATURDAY, Jan. 22, 1887. Vol. XXXI. " This is an Art Whicli does mend Nature : change it rather ; but The Art itself is Nature."— Shalrgpeare. THE ROSE OF SHARON. Of all Biblical plants, the Rose of Sharon is decidedly the most famous, but, curious to say, this flower of all others is the one we know least about. Some commentators affirm it is the Polyanthus Narcissus, some the autumn Crocus, some the wild Rose, some even the Daisy. 01 these, none seem near the mark ; some seem even far and away from any mark. Of course there can be no certainty what the flower was ; but it seems a plant could be brought forward coinciding with all the passages in which this mysterious flower is alluded to, and this is more than can be said of any previously suggested. The plant I mean is the Nelumbium speciosum. From a comparison of the texts, this Rose is generally conjoined with the Lily (cf. Ecclus. xxxix , 13), which, if we admit of the supposition that the fjily was the Nymphsa Lotus (cf. Kitto's "Biblical Dictionary," article headed "Shushan"), and the Rose the Nelumbium, seems very natural. We may note that Herodotus and other ancient historians connect these two plants also ; and by this supposition, " a Lily among thorns " can easily be accounted for, as there are thorns on the Nelumbium, " which are so hard,'' says Theophrastus (iv. 10), "that the crocodiles avoid the plant for that reason." This Rose, we see, was a prolific bloomer — " Blossom as a Rose, it shall blossom abundantly" (Is. XXXV., 1). It grew in marshes or pools by rivers — " A Rose growing by the brook of the field " (Ecclus. xxxix., 13). It was evidently well known and highly esteemed in ancient times — " I was exalted as a Rose plant in Jericho " (Ecclus. xxiv., 14). Lastly, it was used for making garlands — " Let us crown ourselves with Rosebuds before they be withered " (" Wisdom," ii., 8). The first and most important question is, did the Nelumbium grow in Syria ! It most un- doubtedly did, for we have the testimony of Theophrastus that it grew there. As to the other points, the Nelumbium is an abundant bloomer, and identical in its habit of growing ; and it is easily provable that this plant was held in high estimation, even as a sacred flower, by the ancient Jews, else it never would have been used as an ornament for the top or finial of the Jewish high priest's mitre (cf. "Josephus," aur. iii., 7, 6). As this Rose was used for making garlands for the head, so also was the Nelum- bium. Indeed, wreaths made of this flower were very celebrated in ancient times. Plutarch (Isid. and Osir., 14 and 28) speaks of a sacred Melilotus wreath which Athentmis (Deipn. iii., 2) tells us was made of the blossonis of Nelumbium specio- sum, and these wreaths were exported so largely from Naukratis — a town recently discovered on the delta of the Nile — as to be one of the chief exports of that town. Another garland made of the same flower, and called Antincean (Athen. Deipn., xv., 6), was, in Egypt, worn as a crown for the head, and in Greece this plant was culti- vated, according to Nicander, for its blossoms, which, likewise, were there used for garlands. Another important point in connection with this Rose garland is, that it was generally (cf. context to " Wisdom" ii., 8) used at feasts in the time of Solomon. Now, if the Book of Wisdom be the production of Solomon, it may be presumed to contain allusions to Egyptian customs, as he was connected by marriage with that countrj', and what is more common than to see represented on the old bas-reliefs of that ancient nation the Egyptians feasting crowned with the buds and full-blown blossoms of the Sacred Lotus 1 Unhappily, from the Hebrew name of this Rose (Habazeleth), we cannot obtain any clue, but it must be borne in mind that the Greeks, in translating it, used the word Kpivov — Lily — the same which Herodotus used for the most noble of all aquatics, the Nelumbium speciosum. Of such a kingly flower Solomon might well have .s in a 5-inch pot, using any fresh moderately rich soil, and pot firmly. After thuy are potted, plunge the pots in coal ashes in the open air ; when the pots are partly full of roots they should lie placed in a temperature of about 55° and in a rather dark place; gradually inure them to the light and biing them near the glass. Before the flowers open remove them to a cooler house, as they dislike a high tem- perature, and in a few days a good supply of beautiful yellow flowers will be the result. — W. Osborne, Fula. Costus igneus, — The several species of Costus in cultivation are not remarkable for fine flowers, tlmugh some of them have very handsome foliage, but this one is really a showy, flowering plant. It has blooms some 2 inches across, roundish, and of a brilliant orange colour, which, in combination with the bright green of the broad foliage, makes a parti- cularly fine plant. In the Water Lily house at Kew it has been flowering throughout the winter at intervals, for its flowers, being produced from the tips of the shoots in dense clusters, open in succession. Some days several blooms are expanded ; at other times there are none. It is a stove plant, requiring no special culture. Were it a new introduction dis- tributed from a nursery, there would be a stir made about it. .fficbmeaWeilbacM.— This is one of the showiest of the many Bromeliads that flower in the depth of winter. It now enlivens one of the stoves at Kew, where it has been in bloom for the past month. The flower-spike combines a great variety of colours, and these are contrasted in an unusual way. The flower- stem itself is a bright scarlet, and so are the long, showy bracts. The flowers are almost globular, and about the size of Peas, and represent almost every colour of a rainbow. The red runs into violet, then that into blue, with subtle gradations, and finally the blossoms die away to a very dark bronzy green. The spike is erect, overtopping the foliage, which is of the usual vasiform character. If anyone wishes to grow a few select Bromeliads, this should be one of them. Another handsome species is in bloom at Kew ; it is Billbergia pyramidalis, but though bright in colour and quite as showy as JE, Weilbachi, it does not pos- sess such interest. Impatiens Hawkeri. — This new South Sea Island Balsam, which is in the way of I. Sultani, but a great improvement upon it in size, substance and colour, is recommended by its distributor for its deco- rative qualities from the month of March until October, when its large, flat, expanded flowers, which are deep carmine, shaded round a white eye with a lustrous bluish tinge, form a conspicuous attraction in the plant stove. We, however, saw it in the gardens of Canon Bridges, at Beddington, in great beauty at Christmas, and therefore in future it must rank as one of the very best and most showy of winter as well as summer flowering plants. In addi- tion to its free-blooming qualities, too, it is a plant of the easiest culture, and one which all who desire to have bright flowers at this particular season should possess. Chinese Piimulas. — From Messrs. Caunell comes a boxful of Primula blooms — all good, both in form, colour, and substance. The dark kinds are very bright and rich and heavily fringed ; amongst them, too, is a so-called blue, which we are glad to see is becoming year after year deeper, and doulttless ultimately it will reach the much-coveted shade. The other flowers are all large, measuring from 2 inches to 2i inches across. Primula blooms, re- markaUe for their beauty, also come from Messrs. Carter, High Holborn. Amongst named kinds the best were Ilolborn Vermilion, rich deep red ; Fern- leaf Pearl, the result of a cross between Holborn White and Holljorn Blue ; Fern-leaf Red, a soft shade of that colour ; others varied from salmon, magenta, crimson, and scarlet to purplish blue. The display made by these Primulas at the Forest Hill Nursery of this firm is just now a grand feature. Gaultheria procumbens. — Looking about for a little bit of something bright .after the late snow- storm, we came across a small patch of this charming little Wintergreen or Checkerberry that had been sheltered by a large Pine branch. It was Ijvden with berries of the brightest red, peeping out from amongst its pretty bronzed leaves, and more striking than ever I remembered to have seen it before. For the last month it has been conspicuous, and, with the excep- tion of a few Christmas Roses, it is the only interest ing plant which we have just now out of doors. I Jan. 2-2, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 67 should be in every garden, so amenable is it to posi- tions of all kinds. On shady spots on the rockery we have seen it attain a large size, its procumbent branches rooting .as they creep along, and forming an evergreen carpet studded with bright coral berries. As an edging, it has a very good effect ; it may be easily kept in its pla'je, and it stands any amount of cutting back, which also tends to make what is left thicker and more compact. Boxterry is a local American name for it. Papaver Hookeri, so called, has developed into a really wonderful variety of forms since its introduc- tion from gardens in Cashmere a few years ago; there can now be little doubt that it is a cultivated form of our native P. Rhceas. It assumes the most brilliant as well as the most delicate of colours, and may 1)6 found in all .stages from a single to a double flower ; in the latter form it is not unlike a large Rose or CaKellia. The French varieties, which are almost identical with the above, are also worth culti- vating, and all mixed and sown together in the open border make a really charming display. They seldom exceed 3 feet or 4 feet in height, and when well thinned out branch freely, making well proportioned specimens. The seeds should be sown in strong, rich compost, in wiiich they grow freely, and there need be no difficulty about seed, which they produce plentifully ; when a good strain is obtained, it should be taken care of. Lychnis chalcedonica. — Of late ye,ars this fine old fashioned plant hxn given way to the variously coloured Pentstemons, which are now so cfimmon and truly handsome. This Lychnis, neveitheless, need not be banished from our gardens. It may be used with striking effect on the margins of lakes, where it attains a brightness and robustnt ss foreign to it under border culture. When planted in large clumps clo^e to the water's edge, against a dark backgrouml, its large flower heads display themseivts with stiiking effect. It was a great favourite with Parkinson, who calls it a glorious flower, and in a print of himself, prefixed to his "Paradisus TerrestrLs," he is repre- sented with a double form of it in his hand. It con- tinues to flower all through the summer months, and in shady positions continues till well on in autumn. There is also a pure white variety and a pale pink sort in cultivation, none of which are so effective as the old red. Epacrises at Gunnersbury Park. — These beautiful winter-flowering plants, Australian Heaths, as they are son^etimes called, are admirably grown and bloomed here, and, as a matter of course, make a grand display. Amongst them are alba odorata, a dwarf-growing kind, producing dense racemes of sweet-scented flowers ; Eclipse, bright crimson tipped with white ; carminata, bright red ; Lady Panmure, pure white suffused with soft rose ; hyacinthiflora, furnished with long racemes of large pink flowers, and its white counterpart, hyacinthiflora candidis- sima. Others ate Sunset, red, tipped with rosy pink ; Vesta, a somewhat close and compact form, with fine white flowers ; and Lady Alice Peel, with flowers large and salmon coloured. These, with such kinds as Her Majesty, Kinghorni, The Prtuiier, sanguinea, and Impressa, which is a late variety, make up a fairly representative collection of these lovely green- house plants. PsBonia Whitleyi.— "D. W." (p. 10) asked a question which I expected would have been answered before this, but as I was once puzzled in the fame way, I hope I may be able to help him. PiBOnia Whitleyi was figured in Andrews' " Repo- sitory" (plate 1)12), where it i.s stated to have been raised in the nursery of Mr. Whitley, from seed brought from China by Mr. Livingstone in ISOS, and was the first double variety of albi- flora which Andrews had heard of. Edwards {Bot. lici/.) gives a plate (No. (iSO) from a plant in Messrs. Whitley's nursery, and refers to the earlier figure. " D. W.'s" plant is probably Piionia albitiora laciniata, which, for some reason or other, has been going about the country as Whitleyi. One would have pardoned, or even encouiaged, this mistake if it could have made itself a little more common, for it is most certainly a very beautiful thing, and very little known. It does not increase very rapidly, but is a free bloomer, and has the commendable feature of opening the two side blooms before the centre oneha8faded,and the variety of form of the fully -opened blossom, with the buds burst or bursting on each side, is very charming. I am afraid that this is not the only instance of a wrong name for a P;eony, and even that they are getting into a good big mess, Moutan and herbaceous being called the same, and varieties already known as one thing being re- christened as something else. I hope that the Royal Horticultural Society may be able to have a Pajony conference before long (we could scarcely have a more magnificent flower for the Jubilee Year), and appoint a committee to take the class in hand, as has been done with DalTodils, so that, with the help of Mr. Baker's work among this family, we may interest people in getting together rare or unknown species, and also put some check on the indiscriminate naming of seedling forms which is likely to overwhelm us, now that the flower is becoming so popular. — C. E. S. D., Sussex. FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE ON WALLS. As a fresh, bright-looking wall plant, pleasant to look upon all the year round, Ivy has no equal. It is vigorous in growth, .and will thrive on all aspects, even on bleak north or eastern exposures almost as well as wheu facing the south or west, proviiied it lias good rich grouud to grow in. Though Ivy will live on scant fare, svich as very few plants can exist at .all upim. still, when subjected to semi-starvation, it makes little progress compared with what takes phace wheu its roots have an unrestricted run in good soil. The common Virginian deeper (Ampelopsis heder,acea), as a strong, vigorous plant that will cover a large space in little time, is without a rival for ele- gance of h.abit, and the beautiful tin's of the decaying leaves in autumn are not the least of its desirable properties. This plant will grow and look healthy under the disadvantages of little and indifferent soil, and also where the atmosphere is charged with smoke and dust that would be fatal to most things. Its only drawbacks are that it requires fastening to the wall, and that, being deciduous, it leaves the wall bare and cheerless in winter. A. Veitchi, like nut a few other good plants, has been slow in making way, but it is now receiving the attention at the hands of those who require wall climbers that it deserves. It is amongst the freest of free growers, covering a large space in little time, and thriving on any aspect. It clings so ten.aciously to anything on which the shoots can lay hold — bricks, stone or wood alike— that no attention is required iu the way of fastening it. The vivid crimson colour which its leaves put on in autumn is unequalled, and the leaves remain on the plant in their brilliant condition much longer than those of the old Virginian Creeper. On a northern aspect the colour of the leaves is paler than in the south, but they remain longer ou the plant when facing northwards than imder the sun's direct influence. All through the summer its pale green foliage, covering the wall as evenly as if the feaves had been placed there by hand, has a beautiful appearance, but it is wanting in the elegant drooping character of its shoots which the old kind possesses; as a matter of course, the wall ou which it is grown is b.are in winter, save for the presence of the long wiry shoota There are several kinds of evergreen plants that, .although seldom used for the purpose, make good- looking coverings for walls of moderate height, s.ay up to IS or 20 teet. The different sorts of Japanese Euonymus, green and variegated, and Azara micro- phylla look well on walls. The Azaia, though it has been some time in this country, is yet comparatively little known ; the spreading fan form of its branches adapt it for coveiing walls. Its character of gr(-)wth is like that of Cotoueaster microphylla, but it is a much quicker grower, and will cover a deal larger space. The branches naturally assume such a spread- ing form, that tliey reiiuire few fastenings to the wall. There are few plants with leaves that possess a more pleasing shade of green than the Euonymus, whilst those who like variegated foliage have choice in the different varieties of the yellow and the white variegated forms ; but the green, self-coloured sorts look best. In good soil the plants soon make head- way, covering a considerable space in little time. In the use of these and all other plants for clothing a wall, care should be taken at the beginning to train the strongest shoots out horizontally, so as to furnish the bottom space at first ; otherwise unsightly bare places will remain for years uncovered. It is par- ticularly necessary to avoid these when plants like these Euonymuses, with an erect habit of growth, are used. The small-leaved E. radicans variegatus, .as it is usually seen in the form of a low-spreading dense little bush, or as an edging, looks an unlikely subject for clothing a wall ; but, so used, with a little attention in training the shoots at first, it soon makes a dense covering up to a height of 8 feet or 10 feet. But there is one thing that must not be lost sight of in using the different varieties of Euonymus, as well as the Azara, that is, they are not sufficiently hardy in all parts of the kingdom to stand exceptionally severe winters, not even when they have the protec- tion of a wall when the aspect is east or north. So far these remarks have referred to the plants named when used singly, but to have wall climbers in the way that will produce the most elegant effect, several kimls reciuire to be grown together in a man- ner that will admit of their branches intermingling amongst each other with no more interference than is necessary, to prevent the stronger growers encroach- ing too much on the weaker ones. Roses, Clematis, Jasmines, Bignonias, Honeysuckles, Passiflor.as, and the like are beautiful when seen singly or with each a space to itself on a wall ; in this way they are usually grown, but so managed, they are wanting in the elegant effect produced where they can scramble about loosely with a covering of Ivy behind th>-m. So treated, the flowering plants with the background of dense f^diage present an effect such as is nut obtain- able when they alone are present. This may often be seen where an odd branch of .a Rose or a Honey- suckle outstretches the space allotted to it, and rambles over something else. But that which thus occurs by accident can be done much more effectually when the neces-^ary consideration is brought to bear on the planting. But in a mixed arrangement of this kind there is a difficulty that makes its appear- ance in a few years after the planting has been effected. Ivy is a gross-feeding plant, and pushes its hungry roots far and wide in all directions, soon exhausting the soil within its reach to an extent that reduces other plants associated with it to a state of starvation. When planting the first wall that I intended to clothe in this way I had some misgivings that this might occur, but supposed that the difficulty u.ight be got over by subsequent applications of manure when the soil became poor. In t'.ais I was mistaken, for the more that was done in this way, the more persistently the roots of the Ivy laid hold of every particle of soil in the border, so that the Roses, Clematis, and Honeysuckles associated with it were not able to hold their own. The best means of avoiding this is to partition off stations for the blooming plants, so as to prevent the roots of the Ivy interfering with them. This is easily done by the use of thin concrete walls when the border is being prepared. This material is much more effectual than slates or stone slabs, between the divisions of which the roots of plants soon find their way. The concrete divisions need not be thicker than about 3 inches, as there is no pressure against them. In this way the flowering plants have the spaces allotted clear to themselves. Whatever plants are associated with Ivy in this manner should have the principal branches secured to the wall, but nothing more. The lateral shoots that sjjriug from these ought to be no further interfered with than in keeping them thinly dispersed, allowing them to come as far away from the surface as they like. In selecting the kinds of plants for growing in company with Ivy in the way indicated, it is obvious that they should be deciduous and of a somewhat thin, straggling habit. If close growers, unless the knife is freely used they get so dense that they darken and weaken the Ivy so far that it is apt to uffer in hard winters. Iloses, Clematis, Biguonia adlcans, Jasminum nudiflorum, Glycine sinensis 68 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. Aristolochi'a Sipho, Passiflora caerulea, and its varieties are amoB£;st the best things that can be used, in all caseB having their shoots far enough apart on the wall to begin with, and keeping them so afterwards. Not only is an arrangement of this kind infinitely better, so far as regards the appear- ance of the flowering plants when they are in bloom than when grown by theraselvts, but there is the advantage of having the wall covered effectually in winter; whereas when it is occupied by deciduous plants alone, when they are leafless it looks anything but invitinj. B. where good growth and healthy plants are re- quired. I think if "Enquirer" is anxious to study the question of temperature in all its aspects, a walk through any very large London nursery will be the very best thing he can under- take ; he will find Orchids, stove plants. Ferns, aquatics and greenhouse plants all as well provided for as it is possible for them to be in this country. Olaremont. E. Burkell. Propagating. WET AND DRY BULB THERMOMETER The remarks of " Enquirer " (p. 28) open up a wide field, and really mean a more intimate know- ledge of the native habitats of our many exotics and the ditTerent conditions of temperature under which they flourish, this last being a most im- portant feature, as the announcement, for instance, that a plant came from Peru might mean the foot of the Andes or the table-land of Quito. It has always seemed to me a lamentable fact that this more close knowledge of temperatures, undoubtedly of so much interest to the gardener, is so little dwelt upon in books of travel ; true, we often get remarks on the temperature at a certain time, but what we want to know particularly is a compari son of the day and night readings, and also of the relative positions of the wet and dry bulb. In a book published some years ago treating of a voy- age up the Niger these facts were gone into very minutely, and I was much struck at the time with the remarkable evenness of temperature chronicled therein ; thus, for days and weeks the day and night readings stood between SO" and 85", and the difference between wet and dry bulb was be- tween 3" and .5'^, and under these conditions the voyagers were encountering a dense and luxuriant vegetation. I take it, a fairly equable tempera- ture is most conducive to the well-being of stove plants with us, and, so far as my own experience is concerned, I have found the difference named above about 4'-" or o*-' the proper humid tempera- ture for the same, and also for growing Cucum- bers, Melons, &c. A few degrees' ditl'erence either way will naturally be no detriment to plant life now and then, but if this becomes a regular thing, and the wet bulb indicates a state of saturation in equality with the dry, or some 9° or 10° dift'erence, the health of the plants will speedily suffer. It is the latter condition out of doors in March that makes it at times an awkward month for forcing, especially if there are not plenty of appliances at hand to generate moisture, and the same remark holds good in the case of all flue-heated structures, the heat given out being so much drier. It is not, however, necessary to go either to the Niger or inside our stoves to learn a lesson on the value of a true balance between the two bulbs ; it can be illustrated after a warm shower in May or in the mild, genial Turnip weather that we some- times get in the early August evenings, when, to use a common expression, one can almost see things grow. Naturally, the temperature of all structures devoted to flowering plants should be on the dry side, but it is a certain fact that all greenhouse stuff in a growing state is (no less than stove life), in its particular temperature, better where the balance is not more than G° on the dry bulb side; and if the thermometer is maintained nearly at the figure often quoted in The Garden, " Enquirer " will find little diifi- culty in keeping a genial growing temperature, as a lower reading of the thermometer with no out- side wind is naturally conducive to a closer union with the wet bulb. One of the chief points to be taken into consideration in dealing with stove exotic life, requiring, say, a summer mini- mum of 70' and a winter of G0°, is a moderate heat from plenty of piping as against a strong heat from a limited surface, for under the latter conditions the moisture generated is not steadily maintained ; there is at one time the temperature of a tropical forest after a storm and at another that of a sandy desert— a very bad state of things Caladiums. — Owing to the weather which we are now experiencing, propagating operations of most kinds are at a standstill, the principal work in this department being attending to cuttings of various sorts that are still in propagating cases, and keeping them clear of decaying leaves, as during this weather large quantities of delicate cuttings will damp oif in a few days if in any way neglected. Where it is desired to increase the stock of Caladiums, the old corms that have been wintered either in sand or in pots must now be taken out, potted in light open compost, and plunged in a gentle bottom heat. After being kept moderately dry throughout the winter they will not require any water for a few days, as the moisture in the soil will at first be sufficient. Thus treated, they will soon commence to grow by pushing up leaves from various parts of the corm it a large one, but should it be small, probably only one crown will start into growth. As soon as the first leaves are fairly developed, the corms must be turned out of their pots and all the soil should be shaken from them, when it will be seen that at the base of each cluster of leaves there is a quantity of new roots. Then, as each shoot takes its start from a small protuberance on the corm, by using a sharp knife all the crowns can be easily removed, with their attendant roots. They must then be potted in small pots, using light sandy soil for the purpose. They will soon become esta- blished, and can then be shifted into larger pots as required. If the old corm whence all the young shoots have been removed be again potted and treated as before, another crop of young plants will in time be obtained. By this method large quantities can be propagated from but a few good healthy corms. Lilies. — As many people pot the different kinds of Lilies just now, a good opportunity is aff'orded of increasing any that may be required by means of scales. If these are detached from the parent bulb and placed under favourable conditions they quickly form small bulbs, but from the readiness with which most Lilies are imported this opera- tion is seldom resorted to, except in the case of the very floriferous form of L. longiflorum, known as Harrisi. This Lily has rapidly advanced in popular favour within the last few years, and is now extensively grown. Several of the outside scales can be removed from the bulb without injuring it in any way, and if broken in two they grow just as well. These scales must then be laid thickly, without touching each other, in well drained pans or boxes, filled to within an inch of the top with a compost consisting of loam, peat, and sand in about equal proportions. After this sprinkle over just enough sand to cover them and then about half an inch of soil, when they may be allowed to remain undisturbed till they begin to grow. If placed in a cold frame they will lie for a month or two, but where assisted with a little heat the young plants will soon make their appearance. To obtain the best and quickest results, when the young plants are well above the surface, and have consequently a few good roots, they must be potted off and sheltered by a frame till frosts are over, when, if they are then planted out in a prepared bed, under favourable conditions, a few will bloom the first year. Of course, the number of flowering bulbs will not be great, and each stem will bear but a single blossom ; still such a rate of increase is very rapid, and is, as far as I am aware, unapproached by that of any other Lily. In the case of some kinds, notably the Tiger Lilies, a ready mode of propagating them in quantity is afforded by the small bulbils borne on the stems, which grow wherever they may chance to drop. Seeds or various plants may now be sown, in- cluding among their number a few subjects that may be required for outdoor decoration during summer, and which are needed to be of a good size by that time. To this class belong Eche- verias, that is to say, where it is necessary to raise them from seed, as they make but slow progress during their earlier stages, and consequently need a considerable time before they are large enough to be effective. As the seed is very minute it is best sown in shallow pans, well drained, and filled with very sandy soil finely sifted. The seed having been sown on the surface, a very slight sprinkling of sand may be given by way of cover- ing. A good place for the pans then is on a shelf in the stove, where they are free from drip, as an excess of moisture is fatal to the young plants. Such being the case, the soil in the pans must be kept just slightly moist, and when the plants are large enough they can be pricked off. In the case of some very hard seeds, such as those of Cannas and similar subjects, various suggestions have been made with the view of hastening germina- tion, one proposal made, and, indeed, it is fre- quently followed, being to file partly through the hard exterior, in order to liberate the young plant. A better plan, however, than this is to soak the seeds in water for a few hours and then sow them, when they germinate readily enough. One thing to bear in mind in this case is, that as the seeds are so very moist they must not be allowed to get at all dry,otherwise the germ isliableto be injured. Palm seeds should be sown as soon as possible after they are obtained, as some kinds soon lose their vitality, and those that do not, lie in the ground much longer than new seed. Palm seeds of all kinds are fairly well amenable to one course of treatment. Boxes or pans of about 3 inches in depth are suitable for most kinds, and they must be prepared for the reception of the seeds in the following manner ; A thin layer of broken crocks should be placed on the bottom ; over that let the soil be put and pressed down moderately firm, to about 1 inch below the surface. Then, on this the seeds should be sown, and covered with a depth of soil equal to their respective sizes. A compost well suited for such a purpose consists of about three parts good open loam, to one of sand, the whole being sifted through a sieve with a half-inch mesh. Should the loam be too adhesive, a little decayed leaf- mould or peat may be added. These pans or boxes may then be set on a stage in the stove, or in some similar position (for even greenhouse kinds are benefited by a little additional heat during their earlier stages), till the young plants make their appearance, and are sufficiently ad- vanced to be potted off. The best time for that operation is just as the first leaf that makes its appearance is fully developed, for if delayed later the roots become entangled with each other. T. Impatiens Luciss. — This Balsam has no pre- tensions to rival the now popular I. Sultani, or its later relative I. Hawkeri, but it is, nevertheles.', a very pretty plant, and a most desirable one for win- ter Ijloom. It resembles the two mentioned Balsams in habit of growth, and the flowers are larger than those of I. Sultani, but as there is more purple in the flowers of I. Lucire, they are not at first sight so pleasing. It continues to produce an abundance of l)loom throughout the winter without any particular attention. We saw it lately in the St. Albans Orchid Nursery growing like weeds upon one of the rockeries among the Orchids planted out. It was, we believe, distributed from one of the Belgian nurseries, but does not appear to be much known in this country. At a committee meeting of the Niitioiial Auricula (southern section), Primula, and Carnation and I'icotce Societies, held the other day, the prizes offered by the trustees of the Turner JlemoVial fund were accepted. The b.alanoe in favour of the Auricula Society was stated to be £27 la. 4d., and that against the Carn.ation and Picotco Society £6 lijs. Id. Jan. 22, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 69 Orchids. W. H. GOWER. times even into winter. Saccolabiuni Blumei luxu- riates in heat, light, and moisture ; it therefore thrives best when suspended in either pots or teak-wood baskets. Thus placed, the plant ob- SACCOLABIUM BLUMEI MAJUS. tains all the light possible, but it should never This belongs to the so-called East Indian Orchids, be forgotten that it is under glass, and not in the a section which includes the genera Aerides, open air with the summer breezes blowing upon Vanda, Saccolabiuni, Renanthera, Angrjecum it, and that too much exposure to the direct rays (although this is exclusively African), Sarcanthus, , of the sun will burn the leaves and permanently and various others, all of which are destitute of disfigure them ; therefore, air must be freely pseudo-bulbs, but have erect stems with leaves admitted and a light shade should be used during so that its size does not prohibit it from being grown even in a Wardian case. Its large flowers are produced from the summit of the growth ; they are thick and fleshy in substance and rich rose in colour, except the disc, which is yellow. They remain several weeks in beauty if the air is kept dry and they are not sprinkled with water. arranged in a two-ranked (distichous) manner The meaning, however, usually intended to be conveyed by the term East Indian is, that these plants require a greater amount of atmo- pheric heat than other Orchids ; but numbers from the hills of India thrive admirably in our plant houses, side by side with those from the ■ mountains of the western hemi- sphere. It is, however, true that the majority of these distichous Orchids do require a good deal of heat, but, nevertheless, not greater than the majority of other stove plants. The mountain regions of South America have during the past few years been diligently searched for orchidaceous plants, and immense quantities of new and beautiful kinds have been sent home from there, and the fact that these mountain plants require but little heat has made them fashionable, to the detriment of the eastern Saccolabiums, Vandas, &c. Recently, however, some fine new varieties of these plants have reached us, and on that account a reaction has set in in favour of this section, a circumstance not surprising when we take into consideration their ex- tremely ornamental appearance at any season, even when destitute of bloom. Saccolabiums, when in flower, are especially elegant, a statement which a glance at the annexed illus- tration will amply verify. They are, however, somewhat slow - growing plants, and their beauty when not in a flowering state is not so apparent as that of a fine Aerides or Vanda. The Saccolabiuni Blumei majushere pourtrayed was grown in the gardens of Mr. C. Jlitchell, .lesmond Tower.=, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and the beauti- ful raceme and the ramification of its roots conclusively prove how well its requirements have been supplied. This species is a native of Moulmein, .Tava, Luzon, and other islands of the Philippine group. Its leaves, which are some 12 inches or 18 inches long, are blunt at the ends, as if bitten otf, thick and fleshy in texture, and liylit green in colour. On the underside they have a few parallel dark green temperature and reducing the atmospheric moU- stnpes which traverse their entire length, ture rather than bv drying the plants in heat at As will be seen, the flowers are m pendulous that season. The temperature during the night raceme.s long and handsome. In the typical may be about (iO-, raising it with tire-heat some form they seldom exceed a foot, but in the few degrees during the day. No water should variety maj us, which is more robust in habit, be allowed to remain on the leaves at this season, . - . , they are frequently 2 feet in length ; the sepals but the roots should be kept sufficiently moist U, \"^.^-?"f' and petals are white, faintly flushed with soft prevent the foliage from shrivelUng. i fiplVin ?a^rr rose and dotted with magenta; the lip is re- __! fices m garc DOES ORCHID CULTURE PAY ? Yes, it does, must be the reply that " W." (p. 41) will get from many growers if they allow the real state of affairs to be published. I know one private garden in which a collection of Orchids has been worked on a good system for some years, , -_- lip curved and bright rosy magenta. The variety Rus.^ellianum is a rather fine, robust-growing form, with massive densely- flowered racemes of richly spotted blooms, fully 2 feet or more in length. All the forms of this Saccolabium pro- duce their flowers from about midsummer onwards through the autumn months, and some- the hottest and brightest part of the day ; the atmosphere, too, should be kept well charged with moisture. In winter Saccolabiums require rest, but this should be brought about by lowering the , and by judicious management it has returned almost the whole amount expended in its purchase, and there is a fine col- lection left, which may be said to ^ have cost nothing. This has not been done with a few species or specialities, but has been achieved by growing all sections of Orchids (and hardly ex- cluding some botanical curiosities) from the hottest and dearest to the coolest and cheapest. Now, a word as to "catches" in small Orchid col- lections that almost pay for the whole collection. Odontoglossum Pesca- torei, Knox's variety, bought at '2s. Od., was sold in two years for £ 1 G.5. Surely this has paifl my friend Mr. Knox ; at least he can say his Orchids do not lose him much money. Look at the scores of plants tliat are bought at a few shillings, and which sell for as many guineas a year or two after- wards. Go into collectors' houses ; see some of their greatest rarities, and they will frequently tell you that " that plant cost me a few shillings." I do not aver that no Orchids are a loss, but I maintain that Orchids bought, grown, and sold judiciously do pay, and handsomely too. I speak from experience, and if "W." cares to come and see my collection, which is close to London, I can show him many a plant bought at a trifle com- paratively with its present value. " W." seems to fall foul of the " out-of-bloom " garb of an Orchid. He surely will allow that a fine Vanda tricolor is not an unornamental olject in a collection of finefoliaged plants in any stove house. Again, a house- ful of Cattleyas and L:elias, especially L, purpurata, even when out of bloom is handsome if in good condition. "A shelf of mixed Orchids" seems hardly a criterion by which to say they are unornamental. "W." asserts that blooms in an Orchid collection are, as a rule, few and far between, and that the normal condition of the plants is scraggy ; but allow me to tell him that in a well-managed col- lection the houses are hardly ever bloomless. Orchids when grown aa a secondary object to other plants are not always a failure, as many who do so can say if they will ; but here I cannot speak, as they are my primary object. " \V." alsospeaksof Orchid culture in private gardens being evidently on the wane. How can this be when every year their culture is being taken up by new votaries to this " increas- " as I hear it called sometimes? True, _ s that the reduced labour entails sacri- jardens, but he may rest assured that if one gives Orchids up, there will ere long be an- other and another to take his place. Compare the number of Orchid fanciers now and ten years ago, and the result will show whether or not Or- chid culture is on the wane. — De B. Crawsiiav. I have carefully read the article headed Does Orchid culture pay? in The Gakdkn (p. 41), and though I admit that it contains some apparent S.iccolabium Blumei majus. Engraved for The Garden from a photograpli Cattleya dolos a. —This elegant dwarf Cattleya is now in bloom in various collections round London, and is a welcome addition to the numer- ous Orchids which help to make plant houses gay at this season. Its pseudo-bulbs seldom exceed 6 inches in length, and the leaves, which are in pairs, are not eo long even as the pseudo-bulbs, 70 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887/ truisms, I must say that its whole tenor is to place the culture of Orchids in an unfavourable light. Orchids have been and are still very popular, and their culture is easy enough to one who knows anything about plants. I believe, in fact, that an amateur practically unacquainted with gardening ■^ould he less likely to succeed with the culture of Cape Heaths or New Holland plants than with that of Orchids. There is, however, no roj'al road to success in plant culture, and, therefore, even Orchids cannot be grown without failures and many retracings of steps taken in the wrong direc- tion. The chief difficulty lies in "letting well alone." In the culture of Orchids it is a golden rule when a plant is doing well to let it be undis- turbed. One good amateur grower with whom I was acquainted used to state that Cattleyas should be potted only once in seven years. I have seen his Cattleyas, many of the roots of which were interlaced round the pots, and all the young roots which issued from the base of the recently formed bulbs sought nourishment outside the potting soil. I bought some of these Cattleyas about fifteen years ago, and have them now, although I do not grow them on the system just adverted to. One grower, indeed, succeeds in one way, another in another; but this I may affirm, that no one will be entirely successful who does not personally minister to the wants of his plants, or has some one to do this for him. I have often heard with impatience the remark made that some one "has a fine collection of Orchids, and what is most surprising is that they grow without any care or attention being bestowed upon them." Orchid culture, I feel certain, will pay if the plants are kept in good health; when sold they must also be quite free from all insect pests. Some discretion must also be used in purchasing plants ; sometimes grave mistakes are made by injudicious purchases, especially at sales. I attended a sale of Orchids recently, at which very high prices were paid for imported Cattleyas ; they looked in perfect condition, but sufficient account was not taken of the probability that the plants, well furnished though they were with fresh green leaves, had been exposed to cold, which had greatly impaired their vitality. After a week of exposure to the genial temperature of an Orchid house many of them were not worth a third of what they cost. In the profit and loss account a deprecia- tion of 7-j per cent, is a serious matter; it is a loss, however, that some of the best cultivators had to face after the sale in question. This does not often occur ; as a rule, the Orchids sold at auction rooms in London give very satisfactory results, but purchasing plants from equatorial regions at midwinter in an open sale room is very hazardous. From my own experience, I may say that I have purchased Orchids both at sales and at nurseries, and have in a few years grown the plants into specimens worth ten times the ori- ginal cost ; by this I mean the price that they would realise in a sale room. I have never been in a position to purchase Orchids of any kind at fancy prices, although with good cultivation and care in making purchases, I have no doubt what- ever that they would pay even better than such as are more common. I have attended all the principal sales in London during a period of twenty-three years. During that time I have ■witnessed the dispersion of some celebrated col- lections, such as that of the late Mr. Sigismund Rucker, the Meadowbank Orchids, and others, and whenever the plants have been in good condi- tion they have realised good prices. In fact, well-grown plants of any kind are always re- quired ; whereas inferior material is not wanted at any price. The decorative value of Orchids is another matter. Everyone must know that there is no comparison between Orchids and Roses during the months of December, January, February, and March. Although good Ro.ses may he obtained in those months, that is no reason why we should not also have Orchids many of which when in bloom are handsome, graceful, and beautiful. There is a charm even about the drooping spikes of a well-grown plant of Dendrochilum filiformei or D. glumaceum with its sweetly scented flowers. People, too, who see for the first time the large, waxy flowers of Angrjecum sesquipedale are amazed at their singularity. Odontoglossum Roezli is graceful, whether in flower or not. In the cool Orchid house may be found Odontoglos- sums of wondrous beauty, and every good grower who has a fairly good collection of plants can always have plenty of bloom ; what, too, is hand- somer than that of O. criapum or Pescatorei ? We have in our small house a good display in the way of flowers all the year round. Many Orchids will also last in bloom three months or more at a time. Will a Rose bush do this '! A house may be kept well supplied with flowers all the year round from one set of Orchids, but this cannot be done with one set of Roses. In fact, I would go a long distance to see either a house well furnished with Roses in bloom, or the man who could show me one at the present time. "W." is wrong in saying that the culture of Orchids is now practi- cally discontinued in the gardens of the wealthy, or at least is at a standstill. In short, he seems to be altogether on the wrong track. — J. D. Greenhouse Orchids. — " Enquirer " asks what Orchids he can grow in his conservatory in summer, which has no shade except that which V^ines afford. In winter the Vine rods, he says, are taken outside and tlie house is kept fairly warm. Under these conditions some of the Mexican Livlias would thrive if kept up near to the glass, and if air was freely admitted ; such kinds as autumnalis, anceps and its varieties, furfuracea, albida, and Epidendrum vitellinum would succeed. In the same house, but not against the glass, Odontoglossum grande and O. leopardinum, Lycaste Skinneri and L Harrisoni:v, Cypripedium insigne, Cattleya Trian;\?, and Cu'logyne cristata would give satijfaction ; these are all winter and spring-flowering kinds, and as the house in question is warm in winter, it would conduce to the opening of their flowers. Stove and Greenhouse T. DAINES. HOW TO GROW JASMINUM SAMBAC. Wheee sweet-scented flowers are required in a cut state, no better plant can be found for sup- plying them than this Jasmine ; they have, bow- ever, one fault, and that is they quickly drop after lieing gathered if great care be not used in handling them. If, however, they are cut with care and put at once into the positions which they are to occupy, their perfume and appear- ance are all that could be desired ; no greenery beyond this Jasmine's own foliage is necessary to set oft' its pure white blossoms to advantage. When the plant gets sickly in appearance, which it does sometimes, the leaves turn yellow. In such a condition it does not grow freely, nor are its leaves then fit to mix with the flowers ; this sickly character is often caused by allowing the plants to become dry at the root during summer, as being a vigorous grower it is a voracious feeder, and requires a large amount of water and stimulants to keep it in good condition when grown wholly in pots, particularly if of large size. It is not at all particular as to position, i.e., if it can have heat and moisture both at the root and overhead. It requires the heat of a stove to grow it well, and if planted out it should have its roots confined, a^ without this it would be likely to run too much to wood and leaves. We have it growing in a 12 inch pot, which stands on a slate stage over the top of the hot- water pipes ; the stage is covered with gravel, and from this arises a moist warmth which no doubt assists growth considerably. The shoots are trained across the end of the house, whence they are allowed to cover a small part of the roof. Daring winter it is kept drier at the roots than when active, and towards the end of January or early in February the branches are freely pruned into the older wood. It is then turned out of the l)ot, the old soil is partly shaken oft' — s. difficult operation, owing to the mass of roots which it makes during the year. These are reduced, and it is then placed in the same pot out of which it was turned. For potting materials we use good turfy loam, a small portion of rotted leaves, and a free use of finely ground bones. The plant is then vigorously syringed twice a day, which keeps it quite clean; as soon as growtli fairly com- mences it is freely watered, and when the pot is well filled with roots weak liquid manure is given each time it requires water, and an occa- sional sprinkle of bones is laid on the top of the soil, which greatly assists growth. Thus treated, it does not fail to produce flowers in abundance at the point of each shoot. It strikes freelj' from cuttings inserted in small pots and plunged in a moist bottom-heat ; under such cir- cumstances it quickly makes a sturdy plant if kept near the glass in the stove or in any other warm structure, and soon produces flowers in quantity. E. M. Frost-bitten plants. — It is surprising how much frost it takes to kill plants if carefully thawed ; if the heating apparatus is set to work and the house is made warm, a great many of the occupants that are frost-bitten will perish. But if even what are termed tender plants are thawed gently, they will revive. Our plan is, if any plant gets frost-bitten, to set it down on the floor or under the stage in the coldest part of the house, and to water it overliead with cold water ; if the sun comes out, we shade the house at once. By adopting this plan in the case of Pelargoniums in pots in which the soil was frozen hard they revived, and did not show any ill-effects from bting frozen. I would advise anyone into whose house frost has entered not to expel it hastily, for plant-life in many instances may be saved by means of careful thawing, even when the plants are given up as lost. — J. G., (ui^pn)-f. Two late -blooming Chrysanthemums. — Any Chrysanthemum calculated to lengthen the dis- play made by these useful flowers should be prized and carefully attended to, for such kinds are not too numerous. Two sorts not generally well known to produce a late supply of flowers are Zephyr and Golden Gem. The first is a Japanese variety of medium tize, having long, thread-like petals of the palest sulphur, a colour quite distinct from that of any other variety with which I am acquainted. The plant grows tall and in a natural manner ; it blooms freely, but, like many other good kinds, does not pro- duce cuttings plentifully. In fact, it is very shy in this respect. Golden Gem, lately exhibited by Mr. Owen, of Maidenhead, at South Kensington, and also at the National Chrysanthemum Society's mid-winter exhibition, and awarded a first class certificate at each place, is a grand variety, raised between the Japanese and reflexed sections. It is branching in habit and flowers profusely. Its colour is a rich yellow, which deepens towards the centre. It blooms freely in small pots under good cultivation. — E. MoLYNEUX. Marguerites ia winter. — The large-fl jwered Marguerites are perpetual flowerers, and witti but little attention may be had in bloom at any time. Having some fine plants of them covered with flowers and buds, we lifted them from the open ground and potted them before frost had affected them. They were treated exactly the same as ordinary Chrjsanbhemums, and they overcame the ordeal of lifting and root- breaking quite as well ; in fac'", but few plants over- come root-disturbance so soon as these do. Some very large plants were put in 12-inch pots, and although the leaves drooped for a few days, they soon resumed their usual healthy look. The flowers ex- panded freely, and have been most useful in a cut state ever since. They are, indeed, so useful in this respect, that anyone who has much cut-flower deco- ration to do can hardly bs overdone with Marguerites. Jan. 22, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 1 The foliage, too, is excellent with which to dresB small flower baskets or dishes. Marguerites are moderately hardy. We had fine bushes in this locality that survived several winters ; but the last three have cleared all such plants in the open off. — J. G., (:l>SJKirt. WINTER HEATHS. TiiK range of varieties of Heaths which flower during the autumn and winter is not wide, but what there are cannot be dispensed with where there is a great demand for flowers. The best autumn-flowering sorts are hyemalis and gracilis. The first-named is one of those which are known as soft-wooded Heaths, and it requires to be pruned rather severely after the flowering season is over — treatment quite the opposite to that required by the hard-wooded section, which flowers during summer. I may remark that hyemalis and Will- moreana, to which I shall refer presently, require more warmth than the other section. For this reason they should have lefs air than is given to the majority of Heaths, and if larj^'e healthy plants are required they must be kept under glass all the year round. I am aware that trade growers turn their stock into the open air during summer, and obtain satisfactory results ; but for the most part they deal with young stock only, which is quite different from plants which have been ex- hausted by flowering, and whose growth has been cut back. Old plants I find it necessary to deal with liberally, and then I can ensure getting the season's shoots from IS inches to 2 feet long, with a proportionate length of flowering wood upon them. As soon as these two sorts — hyemalis and Willmoreana -go out of flower, all the last year's growth should be cut back to within 1 inch of the old wood. The plants should then be placed in the warmest corner of the greenhouse, and should only receive just enough water to keep the soil moist. After they have rested a few weeks, they must be shifted into pots one size larger, until they reach pots 1(1 inches in diameter, in which they may be allowed to remain two years, (lood peat and a fair sprinkle of silver sand are all that they want as regards soil ; but it is necessary to pay particular attention to the drainage, for all Heaths are very impatient of water stagnating about their roots; indeed, I may say at once that careful watering and air-giving constitute the whole secret as regards managing these Heaths in a satisfactory manner. It is especially necessary to give water to the roots with care, from the time when the growth is cut down until active growth again commences, as during this period they cannot use up much moisture, and if they get an excess of it, mildew will attack the young growth as it appears. They should be allowed to remain in a close corner of the green- house until the young growth is .'i inches long. They may then be brought out to a lighter and more airy position, and during the summer months a thin shade should be put on the glass. During very hot weather they will require air both night and day, and plenty of it, and at the same time the root moisture will have to be increased. As a matter of fact, they will well repay for the most careful attention at all times ; for until one has thoroughly tested the capability of the sort named Willmoreana to form large and handsome speci- mens, an idea cannot be formed of its value for that purpose. I have had this variety of Heath 80 large that it required two strong men to lift it. Such examples are valuable to cut from, and they make striking subjects during the months of January and February for the conservatory. Mildew sometimes attacks them ; but if taken in time, it may be destroyed by dusting the affected part with sulphur. Other two varieties which I have grown for winter-flowering are gracilis and melanthera. The individual flowers of these are small, but they are produced in such numbers that a large plant is quite eflective, when other flowers are less plentiful than they generally are in spring. For that reason, two or three large plants of each should be grown where winter flowers are required. Although these plants will submit to pruning, and to be kept down to a small size, they do not take kindly to restrictive measures. In fact, if small plants are required, it is better to depend on young ones. Being more hardy than the other two I have mentioned, they may be grown with the hard-wooded section and treated in the same way, and after they have made their growth (which will be about the end of -July) they may be set out of doors. Where one has to grow this class of Heaths along with a mixed collection of plants, they should have the coolest end of the house, as they only require sufficient fire-heat to keep them safe from frost. J. C. C. THE BEST BORONIAS. TiiKSE, as most of us know, are very ornamental greenhouse plants, furnished with good foliage and red, pink, or white flowers, which are pro- duced during spring and early summer. They are easily grown, and well deserve more attention than they now-a-days receive. After flowering they should be cut back to'erably close; otherwiae they are apt to become lanky and destitute of leaves at the base. B. crenulata and B. serrulata must, however, be made exceptions to this rule ; they will simply require stopping, as they do not grow so vigorously, and are altogether more delicate, and, at the same time, more dilEcult to cultivate than other members of the genus. In potting, make the soil very firm, using good fibrous peat, broken up rather rougldy, to which a good portion of sharp sand should be addid ; drain well, and water freely during the growing season. When growth is nearly finished, let them be well exposed to sun and air in order to thoroughly ripen the shoots, as it is upon the mature wood the flowers are produced in the following spring. Of the different kinds, B. Urummondi is a compact-growing and free-flower- ing species, the flowers of which are solitary and axillary, and ]iroduced in the greatest profusion. They are dee]) rosy pink, or red, and very fragrant. Of this there is a white variety the exact counter- part of the type. B. elatior is one of the largest flowered and best of the Boronias. It is a i)lant, too, very easily managed ; it bears cutting well ; indeed, it must be subjected to hard pruning after the flowering season it handsome plants of it are desired. The flowers, which are axUlary and pro- duced in profusion towards the upper part of the branches, are rosy purple and very showy. B. megastigma is a distinct and desirable Heath-like plant, not showy or ornamental, but indispensable on accountof its delicatefragrance, which resembles that of Violets tinged with something aromatic. Its flowers, which are bell-shaped, are solitary, pendulous, and produced in abundance towards the points of all the branchlets : outside they are chocolate coloured and yellow within. This plant should be grown in quantity, in order that sprays of it may be cut whenever sweet- scented flowers are required for bouquet-making or for apart- ments. With B. pinnata most of us are ac- quainted, and the same remark applies to B. serrulata. B. crenulata is somewhat similar to the last-named species, but is smaller- growing. Its flowers are axillary and bright red. W. H. G. grown like those just described. Any time during February is suitable for taking cuttings. Strike them in the usual way, either singly in small pots or three or four in larger ones. As soon as rooted, pinch out the point of each plant and place it at once in a cold frame, giving as much air as possible to keep all sturdy. If large plants are wanted, top the shoots once or twice more, pot on as required into the sized pots named, carefully and freely watering dur- ing the hot days in summer, as a loss of foliage disfigures the plants. Xo disbudding should be be done ; on the contrary, allow all on each stem to develop, as on that the peculiar beauty of this variety depends — E. Moltneux. THE BRUGMANSIAS. Chiysanthemum Soeur Melanie. — Those who have nut grown this variety will do well to give it a trial during the coming season ; either in the form of large or small pl.ants it is almost unequalled for freedom of flowering. It is pure white, and an advantage it pos- sesses over other kinds consists in the manner in which its flowers all open simultaneously, a grand property where cut flowers are wanted, as in many instances side buds must be sacrificed, the centre one generally opening some little time before the others. Capital plants about 2 feet high of this variety can be grown in 7 inch pots, with from six to ten spikes, each being furnished over a foot in length with blooms. Such plants are preferable to others more busby in charac- ter. Bushy plants take up more room, and are not nearly so useful. Nothing can be better for filling jardinieres at the foot of large mirrors than plants I iuvE long taken a special interest in these, partly from seeing some of them, notably Knighti, bedded out many years since by my brother at Putteridgebury, and also from seeing some fine spe- cimens in various conservatories, and having two fine plants under my care for many years. One of these is a fine plant of B. suaveolens, which was photographed some years since with three thousand blossoms expanded on it. The effect of the photograph was rather disappointing, the picture being spoilt by the sheer prodigality of bloom. The other is a plant of B. sanguinea, also of large size. I have also grown B. Knighti well in pots and tubs, B. arborea, and the yellow variety of suaveolens, or arborea, as it was repre- sented. It is impossible to exaggerate the gran- deur and magnificence of these Brugmansias where lofty houses and sulHcient area can be provided for them. The orange-scarlet variety differs widely from the others in not being fra- grant, and in colour as well as form of the flower, which is more of an open-mouthed tube than a funnel-shaped bloom. Treated alike, too, and subjected to the same temperature, B. sanguinea is more of an autumnal and winter -blooming siiecies ; while suaveolens flowers three or more times throughout the summer and autumn, and then goes naturally to rest in a temperature of -1(1° or 4.")°. The B. sanguinea, on the contrary, flowers throughout the winter in this low tempe- rature, though the colour is brighter and the flowers more numerous in .")" or ID" more heat. It is, however, considerably hardier than suaveolen?, though both thrive well in the coolest greenhouse from which frost is merely excluded in winter— the red one flowering, the white oni- resting, during the cold season. Both also submit to severe pruning work, which is fortunate, as otherwise there are few glasshouses in private gardens that one or a couple of Brug- mansias would not fill to severe overcrowding. I very much doubt if B. flava is a sport from sanguinea, as the flower is nearer that of arborea, and unless I am much mistaken (I do not grow it now) also fragrant ; B. Knighti, the only double or Hose-in-hose Brugmansia I have grown, judged by its fragrance, is also a distinct species, as the scent is totally different from (and with a spicy addition to) either arborea or suaveolens. The latter is also difl'erent, and has a much fuller fragrance than arborea. They are both so far alike in this that neither has much scent at noon, and both reach their maximum fragrance at mid- night. About li p.m. and 6 a.m. the scent of Brugmansia suaveolens reaches to about half its intensity ; from 6 p.m. to midnight it waxes to its maximum force, and from 6 a.m. it wanes to nil at mid-day. These curious facts add to the interest of grow- ino- these magnificent trumpet flowers. At various times our lofty orangery here has been lighted up to bring out these interesting features, and enable evening parties to test and enjoy them. On several occasions also, when B. suaveolens has been in full flower and robust growth, the odour has been distinctly tasted, and more rarely seen in the form of a thin phosphorescent light pass- ing like a vapour from the throats and mouths of the open tubes. On these occasions the whole house, a long corridor, and the mansion attached have been filled and permeated with the perfume, 7-2 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. which only the few who can revel amid the most powerful, though exquisitely sweet, odours can enjoy. Those who have been partially over- powered or become drowsy under the fragrance, have had the consolation of a long respite of any excess from six in the morning to six at night. Thus the intermittent quality of the fragrance of Brugmansia suaveolens enables many to enjoy the beauty of these plants who could not do so were they always and at all times equally fragrant. PJrugmansia blooms of the suaveolens type grown in Scotland must have greatly extended their staying properties over those grown in England if the following statement may be relied on. No flower can equal this white Brugmansia for purity and fragrance, and for room or churrh decoration it in unequalled, as if (lathered before the blooms are quite expanded they last a long time in j>erferlion. The words I have italicised are the reverse of true in England, unless with the single exception of B. sanguinea, the flowers of which will last a week or more without fading. The so- called double, that i3,theHose inhose B. Knighti, has also considerable staying power, but it suddenly loses its whiteness often, though it may not fade. But suaveolens, if cut too soon, looks wrinkled before it opens, often refuses to open afterwards, and when it does open, or when cut fully opened, it seldom lasts more than six hours at the longest, even when the end of the flower- tube and not the stalk only is thrust into water. Possibly the less exciting climate of Scotland may add somewhat to the longevity of these evanescent flowers. I have often observed that the late flowers last longer than the first or second ones in June or August. But so fragile are the individual blooms of Brugmansia suaveolens, that large vases and baskets have often had to be filled with them in the drawing-room just as the guests were leaving the dining-room, in order that they might keep fresh for the two or three hours re- maining of the evening. And as for church decoration, they would all be down in the south before the parson got to the sermon, and would form an apt illustrated text of the fragility of life. HoKTi'S. SEASONABLE WORK IN PL.^NT HOUSES. Stove. — In determining the time of starting some of the most important spring and summer-flower- ing plants there are several things that require to be considered, not the least of which is the character of the houses in which the plants are to be grown. In modern, well-constructed, span- roofed houses that admit a maximum amount of light, and that stand in a position where there are no external influences calculated to obstruct this all-important element, it is obvious that a start may be safely made considerably earlier in the season than where the plants are located in old- fashioned, heavy, lean-to structures, where little light reaches them until the sun has gained more force, and in the case of plants that are wanting in vigour, or that have not hai their last season's growth well matured, it is not advisable to e.xcite them early, as tliey are wanting in the first essential to enable them to flower early. The advantages attendant on getting such of the spring and summer-flowering kinds as AUamandas, Bougainvilleas, shrubby Clerodendrons, Dipla- denias, Tabernitmontanas, Gardenias, and the like to move early are that they aft'ord a propor- tionately longer succession of flower or bloom oftener before the dormant season again comes round. Where the conditions above indicated are favourable, the temperature may shortly be raised a few degrees above what it has been kept at whilst the plants were at rest. This will be found better than sudden excitement by a greater rise all at once. (;.\RDENiAS. — The flowers of these plants are held in such estimation by some, that a supply is required during as much of the year as it can be had. Yet even where a large stock is grown, with means of giving it plenty of heat, it is difficult to get the flowers to opsn during the depth of winter, as the buds, however forward they may have been in the autumn, move slowly in the absence of sun-heat. The plants that have their buds the most prominent should be placed at the warmest end of the stove and well up to the glass. Keep the soil moderately moist — not too wet — as comparatively little root action will now be going on, and if too much water is given, the buds will be likely to drop rather than come to maturity. It is not advisable to syringe the plants overhead at this time of the year, as it not unusually happens that the buds fall if much moisture hangs about them. One of the worst evils to contend with in the cultivation of these plants is that where mealy bug exists, so partial is this insect to them, that it gives much trouble. BouvARDiAS. — The difficulty that exists in get- ting cuttings of Bouvardias to root when made from shoots that have been grown in the way that most things succeed under induced growers of these plants to resort to propagating them from root cuttings, a process that will generally answer for any plant which there is a difficulty in increas- ing. But it is found that if the old plants that are to produce cuttings are dried off for a few weeks, so as to stop growth and cause the leaves to fall, the young shoots produced in a genial tem- perature after the branches have been cut back and the roots well moistened will root as readily as those of a Fuchsia if taken oil' with a heel. Stock plants that during the latter part of autumn have been treated in this way will shortly furnish an abundance of cuttings, as almost all the eyes start immediately the plants are subjected to heat and moisture. When the shoots are about 2 inches long they are in a condition to strike ; they will root readily in ordinary stove heat, kept moist and close. No time should be lost in getting the requisite quantity going, as, unless the young plants are well established early in the year, they do not attain the necessary size and strength be- fore autumn to enable them to produce a full crop of flowers. It is well to bear in mind that strong, vigorous examples yield finer heads of bloom, and many more of them, than the ordinary- sized plants usually met with. Independent of the value of Bouvardias for stove and warm con- servatory decoration during autumn and winter, few things equal them for giving a continuous succession of flowers for cutting. Their profuse habit of blooming, purity of colour in the flowers, and agreeable fragrance of some are such as to make them worthy of a place in the most select company. SoLANU.MS. — S. capsicastrum and S. pseudo- capsicum are not surpassed by any of the small- growing berry-bearing plants for general useful- ness in the various ways in which they can be made to do duty, being alike adapted for room or hall decoration, or for associating with flowering plants in greenhouses and conservatories during the autumn and winter. Cuttings need to be struck early where the plants are wanted to be in condition for use in the autumn. If the stock has not already been propagated, no time must be lost in putting in the cuttings ; the.se should con- sist of the points of the shoots such as are gene- rally to be had from plants that have ripened their crop of berries during the later months of the past year. They will root in two or three weeks if placed in genial heat and kept moist and close, after which put them singly into small pots, pinch out the points of the shoots as soon as growth commences with a view to make them branch out at the base, without which they have a straggling, unsightly appearance. Cuttings should only be taken from those plants that show a disposition to produce their berries freely, as there is much difference amongst seedlings in this respect. The young stock must be kept on grow- ing in a genial temperature until spring, after which the sun will afford enough warmth. FiTTONiAs. — Tliese plants are so accommodating that they will thrive when overhung by other things to an extent that would cause many to fail. In no way are they seen to better advantage than when used as an edging to the side stages, or for a covering to the stages of a stove as a setting wherein to stand other plants. They will grow in almost any material that water will pass readily through; if shell gravel or ordinary fine sandy gravel is used on the stages they will grow freely in this, provided they are not allowed to get dry at the roots. Cuttings put in now will strike in little time by keeping them warm and moist ; when rooted they can be planted in the way indi- cated, or grown in shallow pans and set about amongst the pots containing larger growing things ; in this way less bare surface of the stages is seen. Panicum YAKiEiiATUM. — This pretty free-grow- ing plant can be used similarly to the preceding. It makes one of the best of all edgings in a stove, and is alike adapted for draping hanging-baskets containing flowering plants. Young stock, such as that struck from cuttings put in now, is the most suitable for use in the manner just mentioned, and in various other ways this useful droop- ing plant can be employed. Heat, moisture, and a confined atmosphere are the conditions under which this plant strikes quickest. Cls.sus discmlok and C. roRPiivROPHYLLUs are amongst the best plants that can be used for occupying bare places on back walls, or for use where free, quick-growing subjects of drooping habit are required. Cuttings of the young half- ripened shoots will root with ordinary treatment in two or three weeks, when they can be potted on preparatory to their being placed where they are to be grown. It is well to push on the propa- gation of these and other things that are alike easily struck before the busy time for general cutting-striking comes on, when attention and room will be wanted for a host of other subjects. IfJSECTS. — Those who have to deal with a general collection of stove plants need to be ever on the look-out for the various insects, that are more per- sistent in their attacks consequent on their increase being quicker in the genial atmosphere of a warm stove than in structures where a lower tempera- ture is maintained ; if there is one thing more than another that it is well to impress upon those whose experience in plant-growing is limited, it is that those who keep their plants the freest from in- sects—other details of cultivation being fairly well carried out— are certain to be the most successful, as, where insects are allowed to get numerous, it is impossible for the plants they affect to thrive as they should do. As soon as the sun gets more power, so as to run up the temperature of the stove, insects of all kinds that are present begin to increase apace. To limit this as far as possible all the stock should be closely looked over, and any that are affected ought to be carefully gone over, and dipped, syringed, or sponged according to the nature of the plants and the kinds of insects that aft'ect them. Whatever time is occupied in this work at the present season will be well spent, and will save much labour later on. Gree.viiousk. — The early-blooming varieties of the large-flowered section of Pelargoniums are much the best to grow for those whose object is to have a good display early in the season, as they come in at a time when indoor flowers almost alone have to be depended on. If the stock was got on with early in the autumn by having the plants well established in the pots in which they were in- tended to flower before the growing season was too far advanced, and they have up to this time been kept in a warm greenhouse temperature, they will now be showing their flower-heads. The varieties in question are naturally dwarf, compact growers, the wood being remarkably short jointed, so that when kept well up to the glass the shoots do not get at all drawn, even when subjected to more heat than is usually looked upon as sufficient for Pelargoniums. As soon as tho flower-heads have made a little progress, manure water may be given once a fortnight or so, applying it oftener later on when more progress has been made. CixERARiAs. — The earliest portion of the stock will now be blooming. Where the successional plants have been well cared for the balls will be a Jan. 1887.] THE GARDEN. 73 complete mass of roots, and they will require rej;u- lar applications of manure water, which will increase the size and substance of the flowers. The whole of the stock should be frequently ex- amined to see that it is quite free from aphides, to which Cinerarias are more than most things sub- ject, and if not kept quite clear from them, they become a fertile source from which all other plants associated with them, on which the insects will live, get affected. Rose Garden. CLIMBING AND OTHER ROSES. How to have Roses in bloom for as long a portion of the year as possible, and in all sorts of positions, is a matter worth serious considera- tion. There are two cla3st'3 of Rose growers, besides those who grow for sale ; tlie one has for its principal object the production of blooms for e.xhibition, while tlie other grows them for are not at all particular in the matter of soil, being able to thrive and grow in that of almost any description, although, of course, they thrive best where the soil is good. Where the best kinds of continuous-blooming Roses are required to thrive and repay the cultivator, there the soil must either be naturally good, or adapted to the purpose by artificial means. For poles, pillars, arches, arbours, walls, fiJes of houses, and high buildings, &c., only those Roses are suitable which have more or less of what is called a climbing habit of growth. Roses whiL-h make long rambling growths, whose shoots are unable to stand up without suppoi t of some kind, these are the kinds which do duty as climbers ; before determining on the kind ot climber to plant, however, the height the plants are required to attain must be considered. Most of the vigorous Hybrid Perpetuals and Teas may be relied on from 8 feet to 15 feet if the soil be good, and on warm sheltered walls 4 feet or ■") feet higher. The extra strong growers of the same Rose arches in Acbureidh (J.iuleus, Nairn. Engi-aved for Thk Garden from a plaotogniph. decoration and the production of flowers for cutting. Now there are so many families of the Rose, and so many varieties belonging to each family, that suitable Roses may be found for almost all kinds of uses and positions in a garden where flowers of any kind can be used. The fol- lowing are some of the uses to and positions in ^\hich Rose plants may be put in a garden, viz., beds, borders, shrubberies, poles and pillars, arches, arbours, walls (north, south, east, or west), hedges, screens, &o. Before entering into any particulars, however, as to the difterent kinds of Roses adapted to the various purposes just mentioned, I should like to make a few remarks on the more or less important subject of soil. I say " more or less " here, because if only the commoner kinds of Roses be grown, the kind of soil is a matter of small importance. I'he old summer-blooming climbing Roses belonging to the Boursault, Ayrshire, and sempervirens classes, as well as most of the varieties belonging to the Gallica, Hybrid China, Hybrid Bourbon, Austrian Brier, and many other summer- blooming families classes, with the Noisettes and Hybrid Noisettes, will cover well up to Li ft. or 20 ft. or more. The Banksian Roses are excellent as climbers, but should only be planted against walls in rather sheltered positions ; they are only summer bloomers. The white and yellow may be both relied on up to 30 ft. in good soil, Ijut the large white will run much higher. This kind is evergreen, except in very sharp winters, which is a great recommendation, but it is not so prolific in its blooming qualities as the two first-named varieties. The old Blush and Crimson China Roses will also run up the face of a wall freely to a height of 30 feet, and, as before stated, for continuous-blooming qualities they are unsur- passed by the varieties of any other family of Roses ; indeed, they are frequently out at their best when inexorable frost sternly interposes and checks them ; in spite of this however, it is not unusual to find a few buds still unfolding at Christmas time. The old-fa.shioned summer- blooming Roses before alluded to are capable of almost anything in the way of height ; probalily in good and deep soils they would climb in a very few .seasons, if well tended, any ordinary church steeple. They completely cover themselves with blooms during the blooming period if rightly treated, and all the treatment they require, if in good soil, consists in tying them to their supports, pruning out weak and exhausted wood, and en- couraging to the utmost such vigorous young shoots as may be required. No growths need be shortened except to keep them within the bounds allotted to the plant, and to take ofl" un- ripened ends. Climbing Roses away from walls should not be planted in very exposed positions, or, as a rule, they will fail to gratify the culti- vator. Climbing Roses may be used to screen un- sightly buildings and other objects, by training them to galvanised wire or other fences or sup- ports, and, except when the leaves are otf, answer this purpose most admirably, by the interposition of their loveliness. All the above methods of growing Roses not only yield good decorative effects, but give supplies of flowers for cutting. Heretofore, liowever, 1 have not mentioned Moss Roses, because, from a decorative point of view, in the outdoor garden, as growing plants, their value is comparatively small. As cut flowers, however, they are among the most exquisite of Flora's productions. J. E. SXOW AMONG THE ROSES. Sii far the snow has probably done good, and not harm, to the Rosea. Here and there it has rent off a bough from tall standard bushes or pyramid", and in a few instances has broken down some dense dwarf. But, as a rule, Roses have either carried their snow burdens in safety, or bent down beneath their load without breaking. The very tenacity with which the successive falls of snow clung to the Roses also afforded them very .substantial protection against the severe frosts that have succeeded them ; while dwarf Roses under the snow have been safe from all harm from any amount of cold. This has been a decided gain, with the thermometer getting within close reach of zero on several occasions. A good many oldfashiontd cultivators hold that snow is not only a protection, but a manure. And no doubt It does collect from the air and deposit on the sur- face a sensible amount of ammonia and other manurial matters or gases. But it is often some- what ditticult to distinguish in practice between the effects of protection and food. It is held cor- rectly that in the feeding of animals a certain amount of warmth is equivalent to a given amount of food, and it seems also certain that the same law of equivalents holds good among such plants as Roses. The direct result of starvation from cold does not vary greatly ftom that arising from lack of food. \Yeakness, partial paralysis of func- tion, sluggishness of movement, ending in a stop- page of circulation of fluids and death, follow in both cases alike— whether from identical causes or not is hardly material to our argument. What is very material to us, as rosarians, is the fact that the snow is favourable to our Roses. It conserves their heat, and, maybe, augments their food sup- plies ; while, in so far as it does the former, it enables them also to dispose of more food to better purpose. The growth, vigour, and beauty of Roses are very much as the heat that they are subjected to or have at their disposal. It is there- fore a clear gain for our Roses when, instead of being e.\posed to 20° or 30° of frost, the snow keeps them in a snug, warm atmosphere of from '2° to 4° of frost only, or even less. Possibly not a few answer, that if the growing season proves genial, it matters little or nothing to the Roses how much cold they are exposed to in the dormant seasoh. But every day's addi- tional experience convinces us that this is a great mistake. For, first of all, there is no dormant season among Rose-s. The jihrase never meant as much as many put into it. There is no such thing as entire cessation of root-growth among 74 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. Roses, unlesa their fluids are converted into solid ice. Complete dormancy, stagnation, rest never did exist among Roses. But there is less of it among them to-day than ever there was before. More ever- growing, ever-blooming blood has been poured into them from the Noisettes, Chinas, Teas, till the great class of Hybrid Perpetuals and others have become less restful than ever at any season. Though all too few of our Roses are ever-blooming in our climate, the majority of them are ever-growing, and the more active their growth, the more serious is the danger to which they are exposed. Now, experience proves that our Roses in the main are quite safe when buried in snow. The snow temperature, say a few degrees either side of 3(t° Fahrenheit, is one of the very best for the safe keeping of Roses during the winter season. The snow temperature is not only safe, but equable. In fact, it is the latter quality that con- stitutes the main element of its safety. It is less the absolute severity of the cold that mars and maims our Roses than the sudden changes, often amounting to 15°, 20°, or more in a few hours. The mere mechanical effects of such sudden freez- ings and thawings prove most trying and destruc- tive. The ratio of destruction also rises with the suddenness of the changes. Now, the snow lies between our Roses and violent and sudden changes, and this forms a compound barrier be- tween them and harm. It will, therefore, probably be found that, in contrast to the violent injury inflicted on trees and shrubs, the snow has been of real service to our Roses. With or without other protection it ha? saved our dwarf Teas or others from the risks and dangers of 20° and 'I't" of frost, and done much to carry standards safely through the same ordeal, by wrapping every twig and bough round with a snowy covering, almost sufficiently thick to keep their temperature at the snow average. Seldom have successive snowflakes clung to vege- tation as they have this winter, and in their close sticking to our Roses they have doubtless saved the majority of them. Of course, the snow has adhered with many times multiplied volume and mass where our early advice to thrust a handfulof Bracken fronds into the heads of standards was adopted. In all such examples the Bracken was thatched with about a foot of snow, the whole being impenetrable to any amount of cold possible to our climate. D. T. F. Fruit Garden. W. COLEMAN. BLENHEIM ORANGE APPLE. When a few weeks ago I forwarded to you lialf- a-dozen good fruit of this useful variety I stated that they were not tlie finest or best coloured examples grown by Mr. Phelps, of Tibberton, near Gloucester, last year. Quite recently I have re- ceived from that grower one of his very best fruits, unquestionably the finest I have yet met with, and in response to an application from Mr. Van Deman, pomologist to the American Govern- ment, I have forwarded it to Washington for examination and comparison. The Apples in question, from standard trees nearly forty years old, did not create any great degree of surprise when shown by Mr. Phelps at Gloucester in November last, as other exhibitors with wonder- ful fruit have been in the habit of competing with him for years. Indeed, the classes which these exhibitors — farmers, it must be understood — are capable of filling up prove beyond cavil or ques- tion that private enter|>rise without the aid of Government or Royal Horticultural Societies can and will restore our much-abused orchards to the position which our climate fits them to occupy. What one, nay a dozen, men residing in the vale of Severn can do, others living in warmer districts may also do equally well, and possibly better, if they will only put their brains to work and their shoulders to the wheel. It is all very well for one section of our leaders to call upon Jupiter, and for another to cry over spilt milk, but neither of these will put us in the way of growing large, rosy, luscious fruit infinitely superior to the handsome specimens imported from Canada and otlier parts of the globe. What we require is perseverance and common sense on the part of occupiers and encouragement from the owners of the soil. The latter, no doubt, are willing, but hitherto, with few exceptions, the matter has not been placed before them, and a great number are still ignorant of the fact that first-class Apple orchards will enable the farmer to live where corn does not pay for the tillage of the ground. We cannot expect all landowners to go into the matter as Lord Sudeley has done, but the majority might follow the Madresfield Court ■system of devoting a piece of suitable ground to the working and raising of the best sorts of Apples, Pears, and Plums for distribution amongst the tenants. In several places I have seen this work managed, or mismanaged, by the woodman or forester, and in nine cases out of ten, hard, wretched, crooked stocks, with stunted heads, have shown that the attempt has turned out to be a failure. Clever men, like Jlr. Web- ster, and a host of professional foresters, who have been thoroughly trained in nursery work, can, of course raise, select, and work stocks quite as well as operators in the trade, but a great number of hard-working honest men, who live and die on one small estate, cannot be expected to turn out trees that will be of use to the rising generation. Nay, more ; many of them consider this branch quite extraneous to their legitimate calling. Aware of this. Lord Beauchamp very wisely placed a piece of land, close to the kitchen garden, under the management of the late JMr. Cox, shortly before he died, and Mr. Crnmp, his successor, has carried on the work ever .since. In this nursery all the leading sorts of vintage and pot Apples which do well on his lordship's estate are grown, and grown well, and it is needless to say that the farmers who can have them for planting out are not the only indivi- duals who derive benefit from the arrangement. The farmers on this estate are treated in a similar way ; and, although modest individuals shrink from boasting of their home work, I may say that one occupier sometimes makes 400 hogs- heads of cider in a good season, and more than clears his half-year's rent by it. Horticulturists generally, and people who read the horticultural journals, know that a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether is now needed, other wise the ball recently set moving will not carry us to the front, but this position must be attained before we can compete with our colonial rela- tions. The orchards in America only a few years ago were in a plight similar to our own, but the owners and occupiers have gone ahead, and we must be content to follow in their footsteps. I commenced this paper with Blenheims — on the brain, some may say. Possibly so. I do not wish them removed, for this Woodstock, North- wick, or Kempster's Pippin is a noble Apple, and I will close my remarks by informing a correspondent that I see no reason why the wish he expressed a few weeks ago should not be ful- filled. In The Garden, I forget the date, he said he should dearly like to see a good orchard compo.sed entirely of Blenheims in full bearing at least once in his lifetime. If he has not passed the jubilee of his birth, and can command a few acres of upland rolling ground on the old red sandstone or marl, he should lose no time in trenching 2 feet to 3 feet deep, and planting clean, healthy standards 30 feet apart and 40 feet from row to row. Blenheims are impatient of the knife and do not bear well when young, but when allowed an abundance of room for the full development of the strong branches and exposure of the fruit to sun and air, healthy trees after a few years' growth produce regular and abundant crops annually. Although this variety is not con- sidered suitable for restrictive training in small gardens, I have seen it bearing well as a horizon- tal espalier on the Paradise stock, but it is short- lived and soon shows a disposition to canker. For this kind of work fortunately the names of suitable sorts are numerous enough, and as the Blenheim delights in a deep, but well-drained soil and plenty of head room, the orchard nn- questionably is the proper place for it. When planted singly or a good distance apart, the branches often assume a horizontal or drooping habit, but planted thickly they attain a great height, and then fruit from the centres and lower Ijranches is spotted and deficient in colour. We have at this place a double row of some twenty trees planted in this way. They are now little short of 50 feet in height, and, judging from their size and general appearance, one may readily suppose that they were planted before the Blen- heim Pippin found a place in nurserymen's catalogues. OUTDOOR GRAPES. In The Garden for January 1, p. ,3, "W. R." says he has seen "many little Kent and Surrey gardens during the past few years, and never saw a really good Grape ; but it is extremely rare to find that any attention is given to the Vines." Exactly so ; negligence or inattention generally results in failure, and deservedly so. Even at Thomery, where the sun-heat in spring and summer is far in excess of that which we obtain in England, the greatest care and precautions must be taken to make (irape culture a success. From Mr. W. Robinson's book, "The Parks and Gardens of Paris," I take the following extracts. On p. 37S he begins the chapter on " the culture of the Vine at Thomery," with this remarkable and enthusiastic view of outdoor (irape culture in England — As it is certain that the culture of the Grape grown against w.aUs in the open air may be attempted with profit over a large part of the southern and midland counties of England, an account is given of the successful and highly interesting culture of the Chasselas Grape near Pari-, where it must be growing against walls as well as with us. Again, on p. 380, he tells us that — GrA])e culture is often successful against houses with vis [/.t., in England] when it receives mere chance attention from CO tagers aud others- By selecting the soil and position, and really paying some .attention t) iirotecting and cultivating the Vine, we may grow good Grapes .against walls, even in many places where groimd vineries are now resorted ii>. Should any person doubt the possibility of cultivating the Chasselas and others of our best hardy Grapes in the oi>on air, I merely refer him to the horticultural papers for the autumn of ISOS. They contain abundant evidence that even with the rough treatment Grapes now receive in the open air it is quite possible to grow them of good quality on walls. Grapes are already gi-own well in the open air in a few places — Ijy Mr. liarkin at Bury St. Edmunds, for example, and by Mr.'Fenn in the Rectory Vjarden at Woodstock— so that tliere can be no doubt about the possibility of ripening good Grapes over a consider.il.)le portion of England and Ireland. It is necessary to observe that the pliin is only recommended for warm soils and positions, for gardens not having much glass and yet some wall space, for coverinor cottages, out offices, &c. , and not in any way as a substitute for Vine cul- ture indoors. Comment on the above is needless. VERONir.\. *,,* The question is, what are the chances of outdoor Grape culture in England, and not what anyone said of it years ago. Having written these words, and looked in vain since in some of our warmest counties for eatable Grapes in the open air, is surely no reason for keeping to them. And when men like Mr. Marnock tell one of having passed through the same hopeful stage, and then tried experiments and failed, there is surely good reason for doubt. Mr. Cornhill sends me a long article explaining the conditions under which outdoor Grape culture was carried on suc- cessfully in his youth. Few of us who have Jan. 22, 1887. J THE GARDEN. 75 thought of the matter, could not do the same thing, but there is no doubt that the youthful taste about fruit is not over-particular, and the ease with which the finest Grapes maybe grown in many kinds of cheap glass structures makes the com- parison for the outdoor Grape much more severe than it was twenty years ago. The price, too, at which fine Grapes are now sold in the market is very low. As to the question of profit, the case is hopeless, because good Grapes have frequently been sold in Covent Garden this year at a much lower rate per pound than good hardy fruit fetches. Then, again, a great area of country with a fine climate for Grape-growing, such as Madeira, is sending us a supply of outdoor Grapes— a supply which we may look to increase every year, as the many sunny hills in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and other countries bei;in to be devoted to Grape- growing. Assuming that, for other reasons, the thing is worth attempting, if anybody can suggest how, by the otfering of prizes or otherwise. Grape culture can be practically tested, I shall be happy to carry it out, or support a reasonable scheme : but I will print no more articles on the subject, except suggestions how to test the matter fairly, should such come. \V. R. LANCASHIRE GOOSEBERRIES. A FKiTiT-TREE growcr informed me the other day that the large sorts of Lancashire Gooseberries are getting into demand in other parts of the country, and probably for dessert purposes. He made particular mention of Careless, white, very fine ; Eskender Bey, red, large and fine ; King of Trumps, whit«, very large; Melbourne Red, large; Snowball, white; Alma, white, very large; Crown Bob, red; Plunder, white, large; Major Hibbert, red; Monarch, red, large; Weasel, white, very fine ; Roaring Lion, red ; Wilmot's Early Red ; Troubler, green; Superior, green; Rough Red; and Lancashire Lass, white. It would probably not be difficult to make up fully 1.50 varieties at least of exhibition Gooseberries. An old and successful grower was once as-ked what is the best compost to grow these fine Goose- berries in, and he said the best was the top spit of an old pasture, mellowed by lying by for twelve or eighteen months ; further, he recommended that they should be planted to the depth of 4 inches to 5 inches, but opinions diU'er on this point, some planting rather shallower. The best time to plant is in the middle of October, or as soon after as it can be done. An old grower in Lancashire once told me that he had grown Gooseberries in his garden for nearly fifty years, and that when he planted a new tree he dug out the old soil to the depth of half a yard ami about 4 feet square, and filled in the space with clods he had had by him for a year, turning them over once a month or so before using them. And he further stated that he prepared his plant for planting in this way : he pruned his plant, leaving the shoots 6 inches long, and carefully removed all the bottom buds by means of a sharp knife, taking care not to damage the stem ; then he placed his plant in the centre of the prepared space and covered the roots to the depth of about 2 inches. The tree is then left until the beginning of February, when a good mulching of decayed cow manure laid by for a year or more is laid on the surface to the depth of :i inches, a little road sand being added. The manure is allowed to lie in pieces about the size of a large egg until the middle of April, when it is beaten tine, and a little new soil added to the surface, doing this generally after a shower of rain. Now as the object of this method of culture is to get large Gooseberries for show purposes, so about the middle of May, when the plants are in blossom, only one is allowed to remain where two or more are found in a cluster ; and if they are so close together that when developed one is likely to injure the other, one is removed in .lune, that is, it the fruit promi.ses to attain a good size, but not without. This, at lta;t, is what some do. If during June and July the sun shines out very warm, the trees are shaded from the sun. a light material being placed over them, about 2 feet above the branches, so that the air can circulate freely underneath, which is considered to be a matter of great importance in the fine de- velopment of the fruit. As a matter of course no weeds are allowed to grow on the surface, and caterpillars receive a very short shrift if they put in an appearance. About the beginning of August the fruit is ripe and fit for exhibition. Pruning the trees is a matter of considerable importance in the matter of exhibition Goose- berries. Of necessity a material difference has to be observed in the pruning of those trees on which it is intended to grow show fruit, and those from which fruits for the dessert or culinary purposes only are required. Not nearly so much wood is left upon the former as upon the latter. Indeed, where large fruit is required no weak shoots what- ever are allowed to remain upon the tree, and the strongest are shortened back to within 5 inches or li inches of the wood cf the previous year's growth. The superabundant shoots should be taken off in such a manner as that the strong ones are left at regular distances from each other. And if of these many are suffered to remain, the tree be- comes overcrowded with foliage and new wood, and the fruit is deprived of the needful amount of light and air. Show Gooseberry trees are generally trained and pruned horizontally, and this form is advan- tageous, inasmuch as the fruit hangs clear of the branches, and is consequently not liable to be bruised, which would be the case if it were grown upon upright branches. On the other hand. Gooseberry trees bearing fruit required only for ordinary culinary and dessert purposes merely require thinning and to be trimmed into a suitable shape — say hemispherical. But the pruner should never forget that light and air are primary agents in the production of good fruit, and that unless the branches be kept at such distances from each other as will allow, when the branches are fully formed, of the complete exposure of the berries to their influence, the crop will be inferior in quality and insignificant in quantity. And while thinning, the operator should in all cases prune to an outside bud, and should not cut all the shoots clean off, but leave about half an inch at the bottom to form what are called "fruiting spurs," by which means considerably more fruit will be produced. In Cheshire, 1 have seen vessels of water placed just under the hanging berries of large exhibition Gooseberries, it being supposed they absorbed moisture in this way, and so increased in size. R. D. SEASONABLE WORK AMONG FRUITS. CUCUMBEKS. The past month has been the reverse of favourable to winter plants holding their own, but we may hope the most trying storm experienced for some years is now nearly spent, and brighter as well as longer days will speedily dawn. The great draw- back to progress is dry fire-heat, of which we have had more than enough, as it not only paralyses the plants, but invariably leaves a legacy of spider and thrips to prey upon them when, through want of light and invigorating air, they are least able to withstand their enervating attacks. Good covering, to which I have often directed attention, this w inter has been a great help in protecting the glass from the chilling effect of repeated falls of snowj as well as in keeping in a great deal of warmth and moisture. But covering alone will not suffice ; we must have materials for producing a steady supply of moist heat, and I question if there is anything equal to sound fermenting Oak leaves. These we use extensively all the year round, and renovate the beds whenever we find the bottom-heat falling below SO*^. By adopting this means of charging the atmosphere, and by giving the roots plenty of water, our plants have grown freely down to the present time, and although the syringe has been banished since November they are quite free from insects, and will give a good return now fruit is becoming valuable. The old foliage has not been removed. as an indifferent leaf hitherto has been of use, but the time is now at hand for taking them out gra- dually to make room for the young growths, which, by the way, will not be pinched until the middle of February. When pinching is resumed, the syringe will be used for damping the walls and other surfaces, but avoiding the pipes when heated, and for dewing over the foliage about 1 p.m. on bright sunny days. The top heat at the present time ranges from 65^ at night to 75' by day, or perhaps a few degrees lower when days are dark and nights unusually cold. These tem- porary depressions do not, however, seriously afl'ect the plants so long as the roots are kept in a satisfactory condition ; indeed, it is better to start in the autumn with heats that can be maintained throughout the winter than to dash into the tropics at the outset and allow the roots to canker and perish in a low bottom-heat at Christmas. Top-di-(.-isinij, as I have often advised, should be kept in a dry, warm place ready for use at all times, little and often, as the roots show upon the surface. As days increase in length and external conditions become more favourable to growth, both of roots and Vines, the material used may be somewhat heavier and richer than that applied before the turn of the year, but solid manure in any shape, even as a mulch, if possible should be avoided. Some Cucumber growers recommend the use of large percentages of manures, not only as mulches, but also for mixing with the compost, and, to the best of my belief, lure many an unfortunate follower to grief, as there exists but little doubt that gross food, in winter especially, is one of the principal causes of sudden collapse. I could name a noted place where, forty years ago, nothing but pure mountain turf chopped into small cubes and packed on the surface-like paving stones was introduced all the year round. Liquid manure well diluted was freely used, and the plants. Lord Kenyon's Favourite, remained healthy and prodigiously fruitful from year's end to year s end. This practical proof satisfied me that manure in the solid should have a wide berth, but all growers cannot obtain mountain turf, con- sequently they must manufacture a substitute, and this they can readily secure by taking very thin sods from an old sheep pasture— if on the red sandstone so much the better— and adding one- third of rough charcoal, a like quantity of old plaster or lime rubble, and a little soot to destroy wirewoim. When these materials, stacked in layers, have lain a few weeks they may be chopped down, well warmed, and used for potting or top- dressing. Heavy loams may be improved by the addition of a little tuify peat, and poor soils by a dash of bone-dust. JJclailed manaijemtnt. — If the plants were not put out too early, growth has been steady, and the Vines are well fu^ni^hed with clean, healthy foliage, more than half the battle is already won ; but a vigilant eye must still be kept on them, or rather their enemies, whose name is legion. Thrips can be destroyed by Tobacco smoke, but its introduction is rather dangerous, and for this reason the foliage should be quite dry when the f umigator is set in motion. Spider may be checked, if not annihilated, by repeated sj ringings with soap water, or a very mild solution of Gishurst compound : but next to good culture, if taken in time, there is nothing more effectual than careful hand-sponging. Mildew disappears under the in- fluence of sulphur, which can be applied as a wash, or in a dry state dusted over the parts affected ; and canker may be checked by the appli- cation of quicklime, rubbed into the sorts, com- bined with improved ventilation. \^ hen the plants show signs of free growth, the young shoots should be regularly trained over the wires, and allowed to carry a moderate crop of fruit, all imperfect "shows'" and male blossoms being rubbed off in their infancy. I never fertilise in the depth of winter and find the fruit on healthy plants set and swell well without the aid of male flowers, which, left in abundance, naturally weaken the plants. If the latter are growing in pots, it is a good plan to pack large pieces of light tuif lound 76 THE GARDEN. the rims, and fill in the centres with the roughest of the top-dressing, to draw out stem roots, and to repeat this operation as often as they find their way to the surface. In this way a new set of roots can soon be formed, and being free from confinement, the plants push vigorously, showing fruit at every joint. Spriiiij phinl.'.: — After putting out the best autumn plants I generally make a point of reserv- ing a few of the latest nhich many would throw away. These in 9-inch pots are plunged overhead in warm leaves in an intermediate pit, and allowed to rough it through the dead months ; if they survive, the addition of fresh fermenting ma- terial induces a start in February, and we find them useful stop-gaps later on, as they enable us to cut over a house long before spring-sown plants come into bearing. Where this link does not exist, young plants from seeds sown in December should be worked on as rapidly as possible, espe- cially if winter fruiters are not looking quite satisfactory. I have often pointed out that the earliest Cucumbers and Melons may be raised side by side in a light, snug nursing pit, where they can have plenty of heat without becoming drawn. If potting on can be avoided, the fruiting pots or hills should be ready for their reception as soon as they have made a rough leaf and before the roots become cramped. Plants intended for trellis train- ing do not require pinching, but are trained to sticks, thence over two-thirds of the wires, the which, top and bottom-heats being right, they speedily fill. The points are then taken out, lateral growths are laid in horizontally, and fruit being urgently required, they, in their turn, are stopped at the first or second leaf, when every succeeding break will show. The plants, how- ever, being very young and only sparsely rooted, not more than one or two fruits should be allowed to swell at the outset. Plaitlx intended for the old-fashioned pit or frame should be shifted out of ."! inch into .'i-inch pots as soon as they have made the first rough leaf, and when the roots touch the sides the points must be pinched to induce back breaks. Mean- time a good body of fermenting material having been well worked and prepared, the beds must be made and the hills or long narrow ridges formed. If the plants are in advance of the bed, a few sods of turf. Grass side downwards, must be laid on the manure or leaves, and upon these large drain pipes, open at either end to let out fierce heat and prevent the compost and roots from burning. The greatest danger the very early frame culti- vator has to contend with is rank steam from the beds and linings, and notwithstanding the fact that old hands managed without the aid of fire- heat, as I have seen Cucumbers cut from a manure frame on the !tth of March, the best way out of this difficulty is a flow and return pipe from a neighbouring boiler. Cherries. With a foot of snow and ice on the ground, and the external temperature hovering about 20°, the start with these impatient trees has been trying in the extreme. Still, those who would succeed must not forget that the most enchanting sight met with in English gardens— a house of Cherries in flower— will yet be theirs if through this storm they only exercise that grand virtue, patience. Dry fire-heat being highly objectionable, the usual reserve of fermenting leaves must be freely drawn upon, as a body placed upon the borders of floors throws up a continuous stream of mild vapour, which softens the atmosphere and keeps out frost in the severest weather. Not that frost even does any harm before the buds burst into flower ; still no one wishes to find the mercury ranging below ."'2' on a sharp morning, neither should he expect to find it above 40°. Helovv rather than above, I think, would be preferable, and the slow, but sure, progress made should be due to light and gleams of sun.shine. The tem- perature by day may range from 45" to .50° when black fog is doing its worst, and 5" to 10° higher when the atmosphere is clear— always, it must be borno in mind, with a liberal chink of air. If the [Jan. 22, 1887. borders were well watered up to the time of start- ing, it is hardy likely they will yet be dry, espe- cially where those containing old trees were heavily mulched in the autumn. Water, how- ever, b3ing such an important element in the culture of all stone fruits, there should e.xist no possibility of the soil becoming dry at any season of the year. Daily syringing, it is true, helps a little, but with fermenting leaves in the house the small quantity used simply moistens the surface, and for all other purposes becomes misleading. When the buds begin to show signs of opening, gentle fumigating to insure immunity from green and black fly during the time the trees are in flower will be necessary, for if these pests once gain a footing the chance of securing a crop will be very small indeed. ; Plum.s. Where these and Cherries are grown in pots, the two may be brought on together. Choice early dessert varieties are best adapted for forcing, and these should be thoroughly established or slightly pot-bound before they are taken in for forcing. Being subject to the same enemies, too much care cannot be devoted to the cleansing of trees and houses, and then even a constant watch must be kept for the advent of aphis. Although highly excitable. Plums positively refuse to be hurried ; therefore, early fruit can only be secured by making an early start and giving the trees ample time through all the stages of their growth. When stoned, the fruit can be coaxed to full size in a moist temperate house, but no amount of confined heat will induce them to lay on colour and ripen. I once tried some very promising trees of Jeft'erson and Kirke's in a warm vinery, their fellows being left in a late orchard house. The latter coloured and ripened well ; the former never changed in the hothouse, but finished off when placed in the open air. In this respect Plums in their mulish obstinacy often remind one of the Camellia which can be pushed to the colouring of its buds in the autumn, but casts its load under high pressure in the early spring. Other fruits no doubt often sufi'er under a much higher tem- perature than is good for them ; in other words, a great deal of heat is wasted in the production of a second-rate article. Peaches, it is true, can be forced into ripeness in a Pine stove, but they are pale, vapid, and flavourless. Give them more time with plenty of air, and in every respect they become models of good culture. The old " saw " says, " it is the pace, not the miles travelled, that kills." The forcer against time says we must have fruit early. How, then, are we to get over the difficulty ? Why, simply by treating all trees which will ripen their fruit in the open air in England as we now treat early forced Vines. With these we do not fritter away the whole of the summer in ripening up the wood, but push them (^-~> on to thorough maturity ; then give them a long and decided rest, and, ^ knowing the exact number of weeks 'i^>', it will take to produce the next U ;■ / crop of fruit, we start early enough %>'■ to allow jjlenty of time for the performance of each stage of i^their Poppy growth. Lair /'/nm.i. — After .so much inclement weather I it is hardly likely any of the winter work indoors will now remain in arrear. If it does, no time should be lost in getting this, generally the last, and the latest Cherry house put in order. Febru- ary is now close upon us, and, judging from the prominent state of buds generally in the open air, a rapid move may shortly take place, when the liberal use of insecticides will be attended with danger. Although the fruit from these trees will not ripen until late in the autumn and fire-heat may not be needed, the fact that glass excludes the cleansing influence of the elements renders a thorough putting in order absolutely necessary. When this work is finished, the roots, if inside, will require a thorough soaking, and all the air practicable must be admitted night and day. As solar heat increases and the buds become pro- minent and tempting to feathered friends, nets must be cast over the ventilators to prevent them from taking more than their share, but not until the blossoms begin to open will it be necessary to regulate the temperature. If the potting of fur- nished pyramids has been delayed by the weather, the trees must be allowed to remain laid in until it becomes milder. Then they may be lifted and placed in their fruiting pots, but, bearing in mind that much valuable time has been lost, they must not be expected to do much this year. Such being the case, unless a cold late house is at command, the best place for the summer will be found in the plunging ground out-of-doors. Garden Flora. PLATE 680. THE TREE P.EONY. (with a coloured figure of p.eonia moutan reine elizabeth.*) A HUNDRED years have elapsed since the first living plant of the Tree Pceony was brought to this country from the gardens at Canton, and the honour of introducing it is due to Sir Joseph Banks. He had heard of its existence in Chinese gardens, and engaged a Mr. Duncan, who was attached to the East India Company's serv-ice, to obtain plants of it and send them home. Through Mr. Duncan's exertions the first live Moutan was received at Kew in ITS/. For 1400 years the Tree PcBony is said to have been cultivated by the Chinese, who would have us believe that it originated from Pseonia albiflora, also a native of China. But such is not a fact, for it is proved beyond doubt that the Moutan is a true wild shiub, indigenous not to the southern parts of China, but to the northern provinces of Ho-Nan and Nan-Kin, where it inhabits mountainous regions and whence it was brought to Canton. For countless generations Chinese gardeners have occupied themselves in raising new varieties of Hoa-Ouang (the king of flowers), as they call this Pa3ony, and fifty years ago Anderson asserted that they possessed no fewer than 250 distinct -flowered Tree Pasony (Pitoni.i Mnutau papaveracea). I sorts representing all the colours which Pasonies are capable of producing. They have crimsons of every shade to nearly black, wliites, yellows, purples, roses, and even blues. These are said to be all self-coloured, for, singularly enough, the Chinese reject variegated flowers, regarding them as unnatural. Some varieties they call Pe-Leang- Kin (a hundred ounces of gold), in allusion to their great value. In 1794 a second variety was introduced by a Mr. Greville ; this was named rosea, the flowers being of a deep rose-pink colour, while those of Sir Joseph Bank's plant were blush-pink and double. In 1806 a third * Driwn for The G.^eden in tho Hale Farm Nui'sciy, Tot- toiiham, in J ime last. THE GARDEN. P^ONIA MOUTAN VAR.REINE ELIZABETH Jan. 23, 18S7.] THE GARDEN. 77 variety was introduced, and this, because its flowers were single, was and still is considered to be the type or wild plant. It was named papaveracea, the Popjiy- flowered Paeony, on aL'Count of the capsule being like that of a Poppy by reason of the seed vessels being enclosed in a membranous disc. The accompanying woodcut well illustrates this variety, which i>! white with heavy crimson blotches at the liases of the petals. The above varieties, viz., Banksi, rosea, and papaveracea, are all that are described in Anderson's " Monograph of the Genus Pa;onia," given in vol. vi. of the Horticultural Society's Transactions (1838), but in Loudon's " Arboretum Britanniciim " (1854) a dozen are described, all bearing Latin names. There are, besides the three just named, Humei, double blush ; varie- gata, white streaked witli violet and purple ; rosea semi-plena, rosea plena, Rawesi, single pale pink ; carnea plena, douljle flesh coloured ; albida plena, double white, flushed with mauve ; List of Select Varieties. Argueil dc Ilong Kong, critn- eou purple Athlete, deep rose pink Blanche de Noisette, white blush tinted Bijou dc Chusan, pure paper whito r'arolina, p.ile salmon Colonel Malcolm, deep violet- purple Comte do Flandre, roso-pink Confucius, deep pinli Farezzt, pale lilac striped Fragrjins maxima fl.-pl. Impt^nitrice Josephine, rich rose, splashed with red Lambertinte, blush-pink and violet Lactea, one of the b st whites Louise Moncharlet, flesh-pink Lord Macartney, cherry-crim- son Madame de Vatry, bright rose Madanio Laffay, deep rose Madame Stuart Low, salmon- red Marie Ratier. rose-pink, large Osiris, very dark crimson Odorata Maria, pale piuk Prince Troubetsky, deep lilac or violet Renzi, bright amaranth Reine Kliz:ibetb, deep ciim- son-pink ; one of the best Robert Fortune, bright crim- son, semi-double. Rossini, semi-double, liright rose Samarang, deep blood-red Souvenir de Madame Knorr, blush-pink Triomphe de Malines, violet and crimson, large Triomphe de Vandermaelen. rich violet Vandei-maeli, pa'e blush Van Houttei, carmine Zenobia, purple-crimson Position and culture. — The selection of the best spot in the open garden for a Tree Pa)ony is Won, then the best thing to do is to screen it at once from the morning sun, so that the plant may thaw gradually. In some districts no protec- tion is necessary, and this is the case principally in upland gardens, which are colder than those in the valleys, and, therefore, vegetation does not start so early. In old days when Tree PiBonies were as much thought of as Cattleyas are now, all manner of devices were resorted to in order to tide the plants safely over our trea- cherous springs, for it was found that scarcely any amount of cold during the dead of winter harmed them. In many parts uf the countr}^ indeed, they came unscathed through the terrible winter of 1837 and 18:iS. Some bygone Pieony fanciers used to plant on the north side of hills, so as to retard growth, but such situations had a counteracting effect, inasmuch as the young wood did not ripen, through want of sufficient sun- shine. As to position, it is generally admitted that Preonies look best when isolated on a lawn, not far away from a shrubbery or a group of some sort, but so situated that they appear to have some connection with one or the other, as the case may be. Being deciduous, a spot should be chosen for them where they would be backed up by Evergreens for the sake of the winter eflect. The Tree Pfeony may be forced into bloom in early spring with very little trouble, but in order to get good bloom the forcing must be gentle. The plants set aside for forcing should be strong and well rooted, and the shoots should be well ripened. They will, of course, be in pots and in cold frames. About the latter part of January or the be- ginning of February a few plants should be taken into a house slightly h( ated ; for a week or so they will require no attention, as the buds will be dormant, but as soon as the latter begin to show signs of swelling care must be taken that the plants do not suS'er from drought. At this stage they may be taken to a house where the mean tem- perature ranges from 50" to 55°, and in this atmosphere the liuds will swell quickly and the shoots lengthen, until about the end of February or early in March they will be showing bloom. Daring this slight forcing period the plants should be syringed daily if the atmosphere feels dry, but when in bloom a dry atmosijhere is best in order to preserve the flowering period as long as possible, which, in a cool conserva- tory, wiU extend over several weeks when well flowered. They make noble Anneslei, small single purplish pink ; and lacera, a matter of more importance than any subsequent vase ornaments for rooms ; a fair-sized plant will with the petals curiously cut into strips. These attention which it requires. It must have an carry from six to a dozen blooms and buds. All nine varieties had probably all been raised from ; open spot away from the shade or shelter of , the sorts may be forced equally well, but those seedobtained from Banksi, rosea, and papaveracea, trees; but, if possible, it should be sheltered , which have the brightest or the most delicate for at that time the Earl of Jlountraorris, at from north and east winds, which, as a rule, pre- colours are the best. Such sorts as Reine Eliza- Arley, and the E.irl of Sandwich, at Hinching- vail iu spring, about the time when the plant is ' beth, Madame de Vatry, Madame Laffay, Lactea, brooke, both took a great interest in the Tree pushing out its new growths. It should be the Louise Moncharlet, and Lord Macartney are Pfeony, and raised several distinct sorts chiefly aim of the cultivator to retard the growth as particularly suitable for forcing, from the single papaveracea. The late Robert much as he can, and if the locality is naturally I The best soil for Tree Peonies is a deep loam Fortune, the Chinese traveller, introduced several warm, the Tree Pa'ony will require particular enriched by manure. It is most important to varieties of Tree Pajonies, and most of these are in attention, otherwise a sharp frost in April will plant at the outset well, for no plant resents root gardens at the present day. destroy both growth and bloom. It is the i interference when once established so much iis For the past twenty years or longer we have practice iu many place.", and a very good one, to the Tree Pseony, and that is why it is so diflicult had to look to our 'French neighbours for new protect the plants by a movable glass light, or by to transplant it without ill ett'ects. After fix- sorts of Tree Pfeony, for since they have taken fitting up around them a temporary framework ing on a spot for planting it out permanently, the work of hybridising and raising seedlings in on which is placed muslin, canvas, or other thin a hole should be dug quite 4 feet wide and a hand they have supplied us with all the finest protecting miterial during the most critical time, yard in depth, removing all the soil if not a good sorts. Until now the list is a long one— too that is, from the time when the young shoots loam. Pat a good layer of rubble at the bottom long, in fact, for names are given where very begin to lengthen till all fear of frosts is over, for drainage, and then, with a layer of turfy sods shadowy diflferonces exist. j If a plant is overtaken by frost, without pfotec- on the top of this, put in the soil ; after a week's A Tree Pa:ony in a Scotch garden, Kevock Bank, Lasswade. 78 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. interval, so as to allow the latter to settle, plant your Prcony. The best, and in fact, the only time for planting is autumn, during September or October. Nursery plants are always kept in pots, and at planting time the roots should be disentangled and spread out. Being of slow growth, Tree Pieonies require no pruning, ex- cept removing dead shoots. The finest specimens in this country at the present time are from 6 feet to 8 feet high and as much in diameter, but these plants are very old, some of them hav- ing been planted thirty or forty years ago. Speci- mens such as these have been known to bear as many as .300 flowers in one season — a floral dis- play such as one seldom witnesses. The accom- panying illustration represents a large Tree Posony m a Scotch garden. Mr. Bashford, who sent us the photograph from which the engraving was made, writes concerning it as follows : — In Midlothian there are some magnificent old-esta- blished specimens of Tree Pasony. They seem to flourish in any fairly good soil — that usually found in well-kept gardens. In several localities the largest and handsomest trees grow on sloping banks of light and deep soil, well exposed to the sun, and protected from fierce winds. During the time they are in bloom their wealth of colour carries all before them. The ilhistration is that of a plant in the garden of Mr. \V. M. Wardrop, of Kevock Bank, Lasswade. The above plant had more than a hundred blooms out at one time, none less than 6 inches in diameter, of a lovely satiny flesh colour, beautifully reUeved by foliage of exquisite harmony. PROrAOATioN. — The usual and best mode of increasing Tree Peonies is by grafting them on the fieshy roots of the herbaceous kinds, but they may be also, raised from seed or multiplied by division of the root, by layers, by cutting-^, and by budding. In grafting scions on roots, P. albiflora and hybrids from it are preferred, be- cause they do not throw up suckers in the way in which the common P. officinalis and others do. The grafting should be done any time be- tween August and the middle of March, but French propagators prefer to do it between the second week of July and the second week of August, in order that the union may take place before winter sets in. An expert propagator thus describes the operation : Select, he says, some good tubers of some herbaceous P;eony, then slit each tuber from the crown downwards about 2 inches. Cut the scion in the shape of a wedge and insert it in the slit made in the tuber, taking care that the bark of both the tuber and scion fits exactly ; then bind with bast and wax in the usual way. Put the grafted tubers in deep pots, cover with soil to the top of each tuber, and place the pots in a frame, which must be kept close and rather dry. If the operation is done in July or August, the scion will be united by September ; by October the stock will have developed roots, so that in this way the plants are able to withstand the winter well in a cold frame. After they have made one season's growth under frame treatment they should be planted out and treated as established plants. This is the mode followed by the I'est growers in France, and is found to be the most satisfactory. Layering is another simple way of propagating Moutans. If the previous year's shoots are tongued and pegged down firmly in autumn they will throw out roots the first year from each bud, and during the second year after layering may be safely removed from tlae stool. Propagation by budding and cuttings is also carried out, but it is found that plants raised from cuttings remain in a weak state for several years. Dividing the roots for increase of stock may be done any time during autumn, care being taken that each divi- sion carries a kw fibrous roots. Seedling raising is not much practiced in this country, because it is seldom that seeds are thoroughly ripened, but in France where the climate is more suitable for seed-ripening, seedlings are raised with the view of obtaining new varieties. It is an interesting, though slow, process ; the seeds take a year or eighteen months to germinate, and the seedlings flower when from five to seven years of age. W. G. Kitchen Garden. W. WILDSMITH. CULTURE OF EARLY VEGETABLES. Asr.iRAGUs BOOTS FOR FORCING. — It is necessary, where a succession of forced Asparagus has to be kept up from the end of November till it can be obtained in the open ground, to provide a large number of plants for the purpose. It is, I think, generally admitted that Conover's Colossal has more vigour early in the season than the common variety, and where the principle is adopted of raising a special stock of plants for forcing with- out interfering with established beds, a variety that displays early vigour is valuable for that pur- pose. Where there is space under glass, it is an advantage to sow the seeds in boxes early in Feb- ruary, and bring them gently on in heat, pricking the young plants off either into single pots or other boxes when large enough, and planting out finally when hardened off early in May. It would not cost more to raise Asparagus plants in this way than it does the same number of bedding plants, and it would shorten their probationary period considerably. Another matter in connec- tion with Asparagus culture may be usefully noted at this season, and that is, to place any spare frames and lights on one or more of the strongest beds, to encourage the crowns to start early, simply by utilising the sun's warmth in connec- tion with the shelter afforded. This will fill up the blank which usually occurs between the last of the forced produce and the first from the open ground. CAULIFLOWERS IM UEAT. — It is always a good plan to sow a few Cauliflower seeds now in heat, and if pricked singly into small pots and grown on in a light, warm house near the glass, hardened off and planted out in a warm, sheltered situation in April, they will not be much (if any) behind the plants raised in autumn, and in a general way they are more reliable, being less likely to bolt. The best forcing t'auliflower is Veitch's Forcing. It is not large, but it is very close and white, and turns in quickly. It forces very well in pots plunged in a bed of leaves in a low pit. Veitch's Autumn Giant Cauliflower is even more valuable early in August than it is later in autumn. Very often in a hot, dry time the other Cauliflowers are bolted and useless, but the Giant never runs ; but to come in so early as the beginning of August the seeds should be sown now in heat, the young plants pricked off, and kept under glass till strong enough to go out in April. SrRiN(i Lettuces. — The long spell of cold weather will check, if it does not injure, open-air Lettuces, and those who have the means might with advantage sow a box of Early Paris Market Cabbage Lettuce and place the box in a tempera- ture of ,V>' to (31)', and whilst the seeds are germi- nating, or at least as soon as they are up, a bed of leaves may be made up, using just enough stable manure to bind the leaves together. On this bed 4 inches or .") inches of soil may be placed, and the Lettuces pricked out 4 inches apart when large enough. Any temporary arrangements as regards covering will suffice to bring them on, though good frames and lights are best. Early Pot.atoes in pots. — These succeed very well in 10 inch or l'2inch pots, two sets in each pot, or larger pots may be used, increasing the number of sets. In planting the Potatoes space should be left for eartbing-u|> when the tops are a inches high. It is better to do the moulding up at two or more times, giving the fresh compost in the shape of top-dressings, and, in that case, the earthing-up will begin before the plants have made much growth, and will be completed when they have attained the height named. The pots as soon as the Potato tops emerge from the soil should occupy a light position in a house or pit where the night temperature does not fall below 50'\ The nearer the glass they are, provided con- tact is avoided, the stronger the growth will be and the better the crop. Uncut sets are best, but only the best central crown eye should be per- mitted to start and form a stem. The pots should be drained by placing some large crocks over the hole in the bottom, and '2 inches of rough sittings from the potting bench over the crock to form a dry base, as anything like stagnation will check the growth of the young Potatoes and cause them to be close and waxy. Celery fob soup in spring. — It is not everyone who has the means of forcing Celery for flavouring purposes after the blanched crop has either been used or has bolted or decayed, but if a few seeds of a good hardy red kind are sown about the middle of April, and the plants pricked out on a west border without any special manuring 8 inches apart, very useful Celery for flavouring purposes will be obtained that will last the greater part of the summer, or at least until plants from the earliest beds are available. Celery is a native plant, and the late-sown unblanched plants are hardy enough, but to make sure, a few dry Oak leaves may be scattered among them when severe frost sets in. Early' (iREEN Long-pod Beans. — I should think .scarcely anyone now plants the Early Mazagan, the EaWy Long-pod being so much superior to it in quality, and besides it is a better cropper. The Early Long-pod may be planted rather thickly in boxes, and placed in beat till 2 inches high, and then hardened off to be planted out in rows when the weather is suitable, sheltering them at first with branches till the end of Febi uary or beginning of March. Long-pod Beans transplant even better than Peas, and those who like Beans especially appreciate an early crop. K. Hobuay. NOTES ON TOMATOES. Seventy-six so-called varieties of Tomatoes were grown in the Michigan college gardens last year. There were several reasons tor undertaking this experiment. There has been very little attention given to Tomato culture in scientific or experi- mental establishments, although the importance of the crop is very great. The varieties of Tomatoes, too, are now so numerous, and their individual merits so evenly praised, that the in- expert cultivator is confused. The Tomato rot is also becoming a serious difficulty, and methods of training and culture need to be discussed. Three methods of tbaining were employed this year, and another method last year. AH the ex- perimental Tomatoes were tied to one, two, or three stakes about 4 feet high. This method has many disadvantages. It requires much labour to tie the plants, a labour which must be repeated at short intervals throughout the growing season. The Tomatoes do not ripen evenly and early, and it requires extraordinary time and labour to pick them from the dense mass of stems and foliage. Last year we laid old boards lengthwise along the rows and close to the plants, supporting them upon pieces of scantling or blocks laid upon the ground, and placed straw upon the boards. This method kept the Tomatoes clean, but it certainly caused the lower ripe Tomatoes to rot prematurely. In our market patch this year we adopted two sorts of racks. The first was a separate rack for each plant. A stake was driven on either side of the plant, about l."i inches from it, and leaning so as to make an angle of about twenty de- grees with the perpendicular. Upon these stakes three cross-slats were nailed, in the manner of a ladder. The plant was allowed to Ho upon the racks. It was found necessary to tie it, hoftever, and even then branches slipped ofl' or broke themselves Jan. 22, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 79 over the slats. The second of these racks was con- tinuous throughout the row. About every 6 feet or S feet a stout stake was driven on either side of the row and 1.") inches from the plant, the stakes when firmly driven standing some over a foot high. A strip of old board was nailed near the tops of the posts along either side of the row. Then edgings were tacked across from one side to the other, four about each plant and a foot apart. The plant now found itself growing up between the horizontal edgings, and as it began to lop the rack held it above the ground. Upon this simple rack the Tomatoes needed no tying nor training, and they spread themselves freely to the sunlight. The circulation of the air under the racks was so free, that there was no unusual danger from rot. This is decidedly the best rack which we have tried. We noticed, also, that the fruit ripened more uniformly here than on the plants which were tied to stakes. ToMATci ROT.— Green Tomatoes have rotted to an unusual extent this year. Tlie rot first appears as a slight spotty discolouration about the apex of the Tomato, gradually extending and becoming darker until the whole top of the fruit sinks in. The disease attacks the fruits at any time after they are a third or quarter grown. It threatens to become a serious obstacle to Tomato growing. Tomato rot is, of course, of fungus origin. The microscope reveals abundance of bacteria and the mycelium of some higher fungus, as well as occasional isolated septate spores. As yet we know of no remedy. The first preventive which suggests itself is to plant varieties which are least liable to attack. Some are of opinion that the fruits on the most vigorous plants arc most liable to rot. Such has not been our observation. We occasionally observe plants in no way distinguish- able from others which are nearly exempt while all the contiguous plants are much affected. The per cent, of disease is ninety or above in Emery, Paragon, Rochester, Livingston's Acme, Market Champion. Golden Queen, Perfection, and Living ston's Favourite, while among the market varie- ties the per cent, is nothing or unimportant in Prize Belle, Advance, Mikado, Yellow Victor, R-:d Valencia Cluster, Precursor, Fulton Market, Golden Trophy, Island Beauty, Boston Market, Golden Queen, Conqueror, Gen. Grant, Cardinal, Trophy, Criterion, Canada Victor, The Cooks Favourite, Hundred Days, and Alpha. The affected varieties were scattered among others, causing them to appear as if especially liable to attack, but further obstrvations must be made before definite conclusions can be arrived at. It is singular that the angular varieties, the Cherry and Pear-shaped varietiesand those immediately derived from them have been almost exempt from attack. The disease ceased to do much damage late in the season. It appears probable that rotation in cropping will prevent the disease to some extent. Productiveness. — An average plant of each variety was pulled up when the first picking was well matured and the plant and its fruit were separately weighed. While this method of deter- mining productiveness does not give the absolute weight of produce of each plant — many of the fruits being but partially grown — it nevertheless gives an accurate relative knowledge of the pro- ductiveness of varieties. The most prolific variety — the one which shows the greatest ratio of fruit to weight of plant— is not always the most profit- able, even when earliness and quality are not to be considered ; that is, the plant itself must not be too large, else the cost of training it will be too great. Other things being equal, the dwarfest plant is usually the most profitable. I expect that the same variety will vary much in produc- tiveness in different years and under different treatment. In fact the same variety from dif- ferent sources varied widely this year. The best ratios occurred in Mikado, Trophy, Canada Victor, Hundred Days, Precursor, Livingston's Beauty, and Large Red Smooth Round. Varieties. — The earliest varieties were Ad- vance, Precursor, Boston Market, Tom Thumb, began to ripen about August 6. The early season was so very dry, that none of the varieties pro- duced fruit so early as they should have done. The seeds were all sown in a forcing house March IS, and transplanted, ten of a kind, to the open ground June 7 and S. It is probable, however, that small differences in earliness are not to be relied upon in estimating varietal characters. Careful experiments upon this point, running through three or four years, conducted at the New Vork experiment station, show great varia- tions in the comparative earliness of varieties. Al- though the list of varieties as reduced contains some forty sorts, all the desirable kinds for general cultivation are not more than six. From our ex- perience, I should select the following, viz. : Bos- ton Market, Conqueror, Red Valencia Cluster or Queen, Trophy, Livingston's Beauty, Paragon. If the rot should continue to attack the Living- ston's Beauty and Paragon to the same extent as this year, they will need to be discarded. The Trophy is apt to grow too irregular. In order to determine if all seedsmen send out the same Tomato under the same name, we grew Paragons from nineteen sources. Al- though all these plants bore fruits which had most of the essential features of the Paragon, it was nevertheless an easy task to select from the patch whole plants which might have been taken to represent several different varieties. This fact proves the unfixity of varieties and the necessity there is for exercising caution in sending out new ones. L. H. B.viley, Junr. Aririrnltural Collerjc, Mkltiijan. EARLY CARROTS. In most establishments a constant supply of old Carrots is needed, more especially for flavouring soups; but if these are supplemented by unbroken supplies of very young or small roots fresh from the ground, much more satisfaction will be given. From the late autumn to the early summer months the variety of choice vegetables is somewhat limited, and it is dur- ing that time when an occasional dish of small, deli- ciously tender Carrots is most appreciated. A little extra trouble must be taken in their production, but the expense entailed is comparatively trifling. One or two frames and slight hotbeds are needed in the production of early spring crops, though these can be soon dispensed with, and the later supplies may be drawn from the open ground. As early in January as possible a quantity of leaves and stable manure should be mixed, and thrown together into a large heap, and turned once or twice at intervals of about a foitnight, or when found to be heating strongly, thus getting rid of noxious gases, generated principally by the stable manure. If more leaves than manure are used, there is less need for such careful preparation, but if stable manure preponderates, or is wholly used, the beds must not be too quickly made up. We form our beds about 3 feet high at the back, and somewhat lower in the front, and rather wider than the frames to be placed upon them. The sh.allowest frames are most suitable, and these after being set ou the bed may be partially filled with the shortest of the heat- ing material, or if tliere is any danger of the bed heating too strongly, rotten manure would be best for the purpose. On this about li inches of fine sandy soil should be placed, nothing being more suitable than that obtained by sifting over a heap of old pot- ting soil. When completed, the soil should be very near the glass, and in most instances the seed may be sown at once, though some prefer to wait till the soil is warnied. The seed may either be sown broadcast and covered with a little fine soil, or shallow drills can be quickly formed with the aid of a short mea- suringrod pressed into the soil, or firmly worked backwards and forwards. In any case the seed ought to be sown thinly, or much thinning out will be needed subsequently. The drills should be drawn about 4 inches apart, and the Carrots may alternate with Radishes. The latter growing much the most quickly can be drawn long before the Carrots will require all the space. Radishes may also be grown with thtise sown broadcast. Although the early French Horn is the quickest being available when nearly the size of Radishes, is usually of a better colour than the French variety, and yields a longer succession. In fact, we neither grow nor recommend any other variety for frames, warm borders, or late sowings. Wood's Frame is yet the most profitable early Radish, and by way of variety we also grow the Forcing Red and White Turnip and French Breakfast. After the seed is sown the frame is covered with litter for a few days or till the Radishes are coming through the soil, when they are covered at night only, and when the weather permits a little air is admitted during the warmest part of the day. This is necessary to keep the Radishes sturdy and thereby insure early bulbing. The Carrots are much later in germinating, and will not be materially checked in growth by the air given. In both cases the more thinly the seedlings are left in the rows the more quickly do they bulb. We leave each about 2 inches apart, and thin out accord- ing as they are fit for use, the last of the Carrots being usually large and handsome. While the Carrots are growing strongly plenty of air should be given in the daytime, the lights being drawn off on warm days and also when warm showers are falling. The Carrots require occasional gentle waterings wiih tepid water, and after pulUng h.as commenced the frames may be wholly removed and the sides of the beds supported with stakes and boards. One two- light or three-light frame is suffiLient to meet the requirements of most moderate-sized establishments', but where a town house has to be kept well supplied, a second and perhaps a third frame has of necessity to be sown at monthly intervals. In this case very little bottom heat is needed, or it may he dispensed with altogether. In very many gardens frames can- not be spared for vegetable forcing, but in spite of this it is yet possible to have a good supply of Eakly CiKKOTS WITHOUT GLASS. — Some time in February or early in March, a good -sized heap of healing material, or, say, a mixture of fresh stable manure and leaves, with an equal quantity of par- tially spent linings or early hotbed material, may be collected. If a small quantity of hotbed material only is available, then a small bed should be formed, this being from i feet to 3 feet high at the back, with a gentle slope to the front. On this a rough board frame may be placed, and kept in position by tall upright stakes driven into the hotbed, and these stakes also serve for supporting any protecting ma- terial that may be used in the form of mats, and per- haps some fish netting to preserve the Radish seed from birds. From 6 inches to 9 inches of good light sandy soil should be levelled over the surface of the bed, and the seed can then be sown as advised for the frames. The young plants may be considerably forwarded by protecting them from cold winds ard late frosts, but even without any protection and with very little attention, they mil be considerably ahead and much superior to any raised on sunny bordeis. It is really surprising what a number of dishes a bed about 6 feet by 4 feet will produce, giving more pleasure perhaps than any other vegetable-growing corner in the garden. It is from such beds as these that some of the prettiest dishes are drawn for the July and early August shows. If fewer Radishes are grown, these outside beds are also available for raising early Lettuce and Celery plants, and perhaps a few Brussels Sprouts and Autumn Giant Cauliflower. In such cases the seed must be sown thinly, thinniug out be well attended to, and the plants be pricked out on a warm border before they smother the Car- rots among which they are raised. Failing a hotbed of any kind, one of the warmest corners in the gar- den may well be devoted to early Carrots. This should be dug early in the winter, and as soon as workable, oi-, say, any time during March, a liberal dressing of leaf soil, common peat, or old patting soil be forked in and well mixed with the garden soil. A light sandy soil invariably produces the earliest and cleanest Carrots, and if a corner is specially pre- pared, this may .annually be given up to them. In large gardens a good-sized border ought to be devoted to early Carrots, the seed being sown in shallow drills 9 inches apart as early in March as the state of the ground permits. From such a border we last season commenced drawing in close succession to a second frame, and, incredible as it may appear, we Conqueror, and The Cook's Favourite. These all I grown Carrot, I yet prefer the Nantes Horn ; this, I have continued to pull two or three times a week 80 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. ever since, plenty being still available. Only Nantes Horn was sown, and this valuable sort, if very lightly thinned at the outset, seems capable of renewin;^ growth according as the larger roots are removed. The cook prefers it to any other. It is also the best for sowing in June and July in the open or in frames for the purpose of affording a winter supply of young tender roots, these being protected from severe frosts and drawn as required. The general Cahrot crop is frequently too large as regards size of roots for the kitchen, and is better fitted for the stables. On some soils it is a difficult matter to prevent coarseness, and we found it so for a time. Latteily we have not sown so early as here- tofore, and have not thinned out so freely. We grow two or three where one was obtained before, and these are smaller and of a better colour and quality accordingly. Neither a heavy nor a very rich soil is suitable for the production of good Carrots. If it has been well manured for a previous crop, this will usually suffice for the Carrots also. Heavy land will be greatly improved by being roughly dug early in the winter, and again forked over or turned early in March, in which month the drying winds and sun- shine will thoroughly bake it, the April showers completing the disintegration. On light soils we would Eow the seed late in March or early in April, but on strong lands the middle, or even the end, of April will be found quite early enough for sowing. If the ground cannot be got into good working condition to the depth of at least 6 inches, it is frequently advisable to wait till it can, as clean, straight roots ought not to be expected from ground broken fine on the surface only. The drills to be drawn 1'2 inches apart, and after the seed is sown thinly it should be covered with the soil it this is in a fine condition, otherwise it is most advisable to cover it with fine sifted soil, which can usually be ribtained from most frame grounds or back yards. Where the Carrot maggot is troublesome, a lilieral spiinklicg of wood ashes should be sown with the sied, and, failing this, soot may be substituted, plenty of this being also stirred into the surface in showery weather while yet the Carrots are small. If sand is well mixed with the seed it can be sown thinly, and the process of thinning out much simplified. The thinning should be done before the plants spoil each other, the Inter- mediate, Long Surrey, and Altrincham being finally left about 6 inches apart, and the Nantes Horn still more thickly, the rows of this variety being not more than 10 inches apart. All may be drawn in October or early in November, have their tops cut to near the roots, and be stored in a cool shed, biggest end out wards, and among either sand or dry, light soil. Vtitch's Matchless, or the New Intermediate, is a decided improvement on James's Intermediate, more especially as regards the colour, fnd this novelty ought to quite supersede the older form. Both Altrincham and Long Surrey are good keeper.«, and valuable accordingly. It is my belief that Nantes Horn can be had as late as any, and I strongly re- commend it for late as well as early crops. W. I. KITCHEN GARDEN NOTES. Trenching. — As showing the severity of the weather as far south as North Hant?, we have this week, in order to find employment for our regular staff of men, had to shovel the snow off the ground in order that we might continue the trenching that was started before the storm commenced ; and fortunately, owing to there having been but little frost before the snow fell, the ground was found to be soft and easily worked. Our plan is, as each trench is completed, to throw the snow from the untrenched ground over that which is finished, but only clearing so far as the next trench is to extend. Thus, however hard the frost may be, the snow prevents it from taking hold of the soil, and by taking the precaution to cover up the open trench at night with mats, we are able to keep on with the work continuously. The plot now being trenched is intended for a main crop of Peas, and we are therefore breaking it as deeply as the character of the subsoil will allow. The latter consists of a sandy gravel ; hence we do not bring this to the top, but break it up, and over it place a layer of long litter, on to which the top spit, or surface soil, is turned, and over this again is placed a layer of shorter ma- nure ; then comes the topmost layer of soil, which has reversed positions with that laid immediately over the long litter, and the process is complete. We invariably have a longer or shorter spell of dry, hot weather, but Peas planted in ground thus treated, and surface-mulched when they get into flower, rarely fail to give us satisfactory returns, and we have never occasion to resort to artificial watering ; nor, in fact, do we water any other kitchen garden crop, except Celery and sometimes Cauliflower, and occasionally, too, a tit-bit of a crop that we require for a special purpose, and then we give manure water. Brussels Sprouts. — This is the winter vege- table jmr txrellencc in all seasons, but during the present severity peculiarly so. It is about the hardiest of all the Cabbage tribe; in fact, with the exception of Curled Borecole or Kale, it is the only green vegetable that we can at present sup- ply in quantity. Perhaps no vegetable crop better repays the labour of high cultivation than this does, and none is a greater failure if painstaking culture be not taken with it. In deep, rather stiff and rich soil, the plants if put out any time during March will attain a length of from .3 feet to 4 feet, thus giving abundant space for the free production of Sprouts. Short-stemmed Brussels Sprouts I look upon as capable of producing at most but half a crop, and on this account I would neither grow nor advise others to grow short- stemmed kinds. Why have but a gallon of Sprouts from a stem when from the same ground and the same amount of labour it is possible to have a peck? By constant selection of the longest- stemmed, combined with the hardiest buttons or sprouts for seeding purposes, we are in possession of a strain, that even in but moderately good ground attains a yard in height with sprouts from the ground-line to the top. We shall sow in a day or two, in boxes filled with light loam, which will be placed in a cool Peach house to germinate. The seedlings will be kept well up to the light, and as plenty of air will be given to the Peach trees, this will ensure sturdy growth. As soon as they can be handled and before the roots get entangled together they will be pricked out, either in a cold frame or in shallow boxes filled with leaf soil and loam; about the end of March they will be ready for planting in the open ground in deep drills, which at first form a shelter from cutting winds, and as the plants grow and the soil is levelled down there is a good foundation of soil to keep them firm till such time as the usual ridging up is needed. I ought to add that the plants are a yard apart in the row, and that the rows are 4 feet asunder. Small hard sprouts are generally preferred to large ones, but as regards quality or flavour I have not yet discerned any difference between the two. As appearances, however, always count for something, the smallest we re- serve for the dining-room and the largest for the servants' hall, in which they are just as highly appreciated. Some few years since we used to sow the seed thinly in drills where they were in- tended to remain, and had excellent success, but slugs and grubs at last got too many for us, and therefore the practice was given up in favour of the plan just named. For the benefit of anyone who may be desirous of trying this method, I may say that the drills were drawn rather deeply, the distance apart the same as above stated, and then 2 inches of sifted soil — loam, leaf soil, and a little soot — were put along the entire length of the drills ; the seed was then sown thinly and covered with more of the same fine soil. Thinning out was not done till we felt pretty sure that slugs would not injure them, and when finally thinned, more fine soil was placed round the stems of any that seemed weakly or that bent out of the per- pendicular, and eventually the drills were filled into the ground-line, and till this was done our anxiety as to the depredation of slugs and grubs did not end. Cauliflowers. — Having some fear that this harsh winter will prove fatal to a large portion of the autumn-sown plants, we have made a sowing in pans and placed them in warmth to be pricked out in frames as soon as they are 2 inches high. Broccoli are being hardly hit, and thi3 more tender sorts will be killed outright ; therefore, early Cauli- flowers will be doubly valuable. If frame room can be spared to admit of their being pricked out 4 inches apart, so that they can be transferred with good balls of earth to a warm border, the probability is that they will turn in quite as early as autumn-sown plants. The earliest varieties are. Extra Early Forcing, First Crop, and Snowball, and as a succession to these varieties there are none better than Early .London and Dwarf Erfurt. The first named varieties are so small and dwarf, that they need not be planted more than a foot apart each way : but the last named kinds require double that space. Seakale is also likely to be in great demand ; the suddenness of the storm found us unprepared with roots to succeed those already in forcing quarters, but, thanks to the snow for keeping the frost out of the ground, we have managed to dig up a sufficiency for present requirements. The warmth and darkness of a JIushroom house make it the best of all places in which to force Seakale ; but in the absence of such a place, plant the roots thickly together in large pots, cover them over with Seakale pots, and place them in warm corners in the houses. If a sack or mat be laid over the pots to exclude light, the Kale will be as well blanched as that which is grown in the darkest room. W^e reserve the small clean roots of all that have been forced for making fresh plantations at the end of the forcing season, and the roots meanwhile are heeled in under the shelter of a will. Spinach. — Our winter plot of this is a complete failure. The plants grew away most satisfactorily, and we had gathered some half-dozen dishes when they began to die off most mysteriously ; a sort of canker attacked the roots, and on examination with a microscope there were to be seen myriads of insects, so small as to be undiicernible without the use of a powerful magnifying lens. A good dressing of soot and fresh slaked lime was given, but all to no purpose, as nearly every plant dwindled away. We hear from several quarters that this crop is a failure ; therefore our experience is not singular. Precautionary measures will be taken another season to ward off the disease, by applying a free dressing of soot, fresh lime, or a smaller proportion of gas-lime when preparing the ground for the crop. We shall make a sowing of the round-seeded variety on the first favourable opportunity, our usual position for Spinach throughout the summer being in single lines be- tween rows of Peas. Flower Garden. WHITE DAFFODIL TRIAL. Mr. Bi'RBiDCK still holds a brief for Chiswick, but rather ignores my argument, which still seems to me only reasonable, that the proposers of Chis- wick should demonstrate its suitability. Let me repeat that what is required is not a place where white Daffodils will live, but one where they will flourish so happily as to show all their delicate shades of difference. It will much surprise me if our friend Mr. Walker decides that tliey are likely to display their characters to this perfection at Chiswick or elsewhere in the near neighbourhood of London. I was not aware that the trial was to be for the sake of " affording satisfaction to the Narcissus-loving public generally. ' Surely to that public one white Daffodil is the same as another, only rather more so I The trial, I took it, was for the satisfaction of a comparatively small number of the more attentive students of these plants, Mr. Burbidge misunderstands me in his remarks about the necessity of self-denial. If, after im- parting to friends, I have only some half-dozen bulbs of a little known variety left, I do not think Jan. 1887.] THE GARDEN. 81 I am indulging myself, but furthering knowledge, if I keep them where they grow so well until I have looked at them long enough and carefully enough, at all events, until I hear of some place where they will do as well or better. Mr. Burbidge knows that we can form a judgment from six plants where we cannot from one or two. I had not dreamed that there were so many kinds of white Datlodil in existence as Mr. Burbidge's, which require twenty-two years for their arrange- ment. And, he says, Mr. Ilartland has still more. Let us hope we may have descriptions and figures of them from time to time. Two springs, I think, will about suffice for sorting mine, although I had fancied Jlr. Hartland had only one, a very pretty white minor, not possessed by me. — tl. H. Emu.k- HEART. The Royal Horticultural S)ciety's garden at C'hiswick has for more than half a century been a placa for experimental trials of garden plants, and there much useful work has been accomplished. As regards white Daffodils, the conditions reriuisite for their successful culture can certainly be found at C'hiswick, but a sub- committee, including Miss White and Mr. Engle- heart, should be appointed to select a spot, with power to instruct as to the depth of Banstead loam to be used and other details of culture that may appear to be necessary, and one or more of the committee should attend to the planting. The quantity of bulbs will not be great ; a small space will therefore suffice, and if thought desirable a movable frame might be used, or boards nailed to posts close to the ground, so that the soil might be raised above the general level, if considered an advantage. Instead of three bulbs of a sort I would suggest that one good bulb of each kind should be sent, as many amateurs, &c., might not be able conveniently to spare three bulbs, but could send one bulb each of many sorts. From what Mr. Burbidge and others write, if Ireland puts her forces in the field, En-,'land will be nowhere numerically ; still we must do our best not to be too far behind. Mr. WoUey Hod will, no doubt, send his albino pseudo-Narcissus. I may be able to contiibute in thU line also ; to these I will add the white Daffodils raised by Mr. Edward Leeds and Mr. Backhouse, and the four sorts which I suppose to be those recorded by Haworth, with any others I may possess. If the proposed trial does not fall through, I should suggest to the planting com- mittee to provide for annual additions, and if we find white Daffodils a success, we may follow up with two-coloured and self yellows, incomparabilis, &c. Mr. Buxton, who first collected the white DafTodil of the Val d'Arras, and who has been many times over the ground, could, no doubt, give valuable information as to whether it grows in hollows, on the side of the hill, or amongst brushwood, while Mr. Maw, who followed Mr. Buxton, and, no doubt, took a more scientific view of the plant and its surroundings, might add a great deal of valuable information, not only as regards the requirements of this Narcissus, but others he has found at various times and studied them in their native habitat. — P. Barr. in his iuf.irmation respecting this plant tlian my preceding author. The Chinese, by whom it is held in high estimation, noy mucli attention to its culture: they keep it in pots and species, and some of the original species introduced \~M years ago are still as beautiful as the hybrids. Amontr these crateroides, columellaris, fucata, iir-t Tjlacintr it before the windows of their apartments, ana I ■^"*"-'"o n'^c'^ ^^» , * • -j'a * &ato their tables with it at their eiteruinments; on flexuosa, and the singular sea-green vindiEora are decorate their — -- which occasions he who produces the largest flower is con- sidered as conferring the greatest honour on liis guests. The varieties of this plint were introduced to Britain from France in 1790, hiving been brought from China to Mar- •soillcs in 1789. Before ISOS, eight new varieties were intro- duced from China by Sir Abraham Hume and Mr. Evans. Between the years ISlii and 1S23 seventeen new varieties were added to the list.- F. W. Bcbbidoe. IXL\S AND OTHER CAPE BULBS. IxiAs in early summer are welcome, even though there is at that season no lack of beautiful flowers. They are so graceful, bright, and varied, that they are 'different from everything else, and anyone who has a spare frame could not put it to a better use than fitting it in autumn with Ixias or other Cape bulbs, such as those of Sparaxis and Babi- anas. Speaking generally, Ixias require frame culture, but there are many localities iri the southern counties where even this_ protection is unnecessary. We have seen very fine crops of Ixia flowers at the foot of a warm south wall in a Sussex garden, the only attention bestowed on them being a few Sprues boughs placed over their tender growths in spring, when biting east winds prevailed. Both unprotected and in frames, the Ixias and their allies must have a light sandy soil in which to grow, and it must be well notable instances. A dozen of the best sorts of Ixia would include the following : Aurantiaci major, yellow ; Aurora, bright pink ; Diana, white and purple; Garibaldi, rose and purple: (iolden Drop, yellow; Hector, rose, black centre; Vulcan, crimson ; Wonder, rose-pink ; Ida, orange and crimson ; crateroides, cherry-rose ; Brutus, ma- roon-crimson ; columellaris, bright red. This selection would represent all the colours to be found among the Ixias, and when in bloom would produce quite a glow of bright colours, lasting in perfection for several weeks, and invaluable for embellishing vases in a cut state. W. G. Early history of Chrysantheimiins.— One of the ea'liest pape.'s on the Chinese Chrysanthemum of which I hiveanyr cord is that in Paxton's " Mag.iziue of Botany," vol. i., p. 1S7 (.1S34). The history there re-printed is from a paper read in June, 1S2S, before the Vale of Evesham Horti cultural Society by the president, Mr. E. Budge, and, apart from the early history as given below, there are cultural details of the time, which a'e now obsolete. To a digest of Mr. Rudije's paper a list of fifty-three varieties is appended. Haworth's cla^sitication of the varieties then known appears in another place in The G.^rdkn of Jan. 1,',. Linna>u', in 17.'>3, first published this p'ant as a species, with two of its varieties, under the name of Chrysanthemum iodicum, in his fir^t edition of the '" Species Plantarum : "' the sam^ plaint, und^r the naoie of Matricaria, having been given by Ksmpfer, in 1712, in his account of the plants of Japan, where ic is cultivated by the natives in their gardens, and he desci ibes eight double vari-ties of the genus of vari lus colours It is .also mentioned by Breynius, Plukenet, Rha-de. and Petiver. Thunherg mentions in his "Flora J^ponici," published in 1784 that it grows spontiineouslynear N 'gasal^i and other places in Japan ; and Loureiro, in his " Flora of Cochin-china," mentions it as one of the plants of that country. Rumphius, in his very elaborate work on the " Plants of Amboyna," published in 17D0, is more particular Flowers of Ixias ; colours various. drained, so as not to retain moisture to make it cold in winter. They must also have ?.n open spot where they can catch every ray of the winter's sun, for it is in winter and early spring when these Cape bulbs are in their most active growth, and that is why they are rarely seen so finely grown as they ought to be. A mistake toj often made is planting them too late, as is also frequently done in the case of Dutch bulbs. But Dutch bulbs may be planted after Christmas with good results, though a wise grower knows that very much better results may be expected if they are planted during October or November. In the case of Ixias, Sparaxis Babianas, they must be planted in September, because, naturally, they have then ended their resting period, and have begun to start again into active growth. The bulbs of these plants may be bought in August and September, and as soon as received they should be planted either in frames, warm boiders, or potted, for with a little attention they can be grown to perfection in pots, and they are then valuable for conservatory decoration, as they can be forced into bloom as early as March. Not too much heat and all the light possible are what forced Ixias require. In open borders they need great care in spring when their tender foliage is above ground, or cold winds will soon injure it. Many varieties of Ixias may now be bought, but these have all sprung from comparatively few Double Peach-leaved Campanula.— I do not know whether this hardy flower will bear forcing or not, but it certainly is much improved by being grown under glass during the flowering period. In the open air the blooms are apt to get soiled, and sometimes quite ruined by inclement weather. They are so double, that they soon sutt'er from excess of atmospheric humidity, but in a cool house they come as pure and well formed as those of the double white Camellia. When this Campanula is flowered in pots, the plants should be liberally grown in the open ground during the summer, and good sized clumps of it are more satisfactory than small plants. In some soils there seems to be a difficulty in keeping this Campanula in a robust condition. It is apt to dwindle and ultimately die out. This will happen in light, porous soils, the plants appsarinr not to be able to recover after having bloomed freely. There is evidently an element of tenderness in this Peach- leaved Campanula which only liberal culture can drive out ; consequently, when the plants seem to have come into a more or less feeble condition they should get a top-dressing of rotten manure. Where this does not effect the desired change, re- plant in two or three spadefuls of good loam. This will soon work a great change in the condition of the plants. — J. C. B. Christmas Rosea in 188 7. — The long ex- pected hey-day of the Christmas PvDses has come, and for once, I am sorry to say, they do not come up to our expectation, or quite do away with the " winter of our discontent." I do not remember to have seen all three varieties of the niger section, of which alone I write, so unsatisfactory. Niger maximus commenced to flower in October, as usual, but the blooms were few, misshapen, and unattrac- tive all through the season. The ordinary H. niger is almost a blank as regards blooms, and what there are appear unable to expand. The gem of the family, H. n. angustifolius, has a sufficiency of flowers, and they are fair in size and purity ; but the stems are so short that the plant is ineffective, and quite out of character, and the blooms greatly lessened in value for cutting, as they are so diffi- cult to arrange. The only form of Christmas Rose which approaches tolerably the excellence of other years is Mr. Poi^'s superlative variety of maximus. What a noble presence it has : How it lifts up on high its broadly expanded saucer- shaped bloom, without trace of the rusty pink that disfigures the tjpe! And how bravely does its broad disc of exquisite green challenge com- parison with the lordly Eucharis it-elf : I have not yet seen a flower this season on some other va- rieties of thenigersection.suchas Madame Foucard and some choice strains from Germany, but I can see enough to enable me to judge that they cannot come up to the mark. As Hellebores succeed very well here, and as they had not been lifted or had had any change of treatment, I can only account for their comparative failure by the drought from which we suffered in this district last summer. The caulescent siction of Hellebores is late in starting into growth. I am not sorry for that, as there is more chance of their escaping severe frost. It is possible that othtr persons' experience of Christmas Roses this season is more happy than mine. But I fancy it is not so in the case of any who 82 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. suffered summer. D%Min. equally with — Frederick me from drought Tymons, Cloghran, last Co. EARLY FLOWERING AND HARDY PLANTS. The laced PoLVANTiros is one of the earliest of old-fashioned flowers to show growth above ground, and therefore the soil in the pots must be kept moderately moist, even in January. It also likes plenty of air, and does not thrive well with the lights of the frame in which it is grown kept too close. Except during cold east winds, I re- move the lights altogether : this keeps the flower- stems stiff and erect. The leaves, too, are also thus kept brittle and short-stemmed. (Jreenfiy is very troublesome sometimes, and if it appears it is best at once to fumigate. I cannot, in our dry, exposed garden, do much with these Polyanthuses out of doors ; whereas in gardens of a different character they do well. Plants in the open air are apt to be thrown out of the ground by frosts ; it is well whenever a thaw comes to see that the stems are not exposed ; it they are, place some dry loam around them up to the leaves, or press them into the ground with the fingers. In mild weather they make considerable growth even in January. Tub Auricula does not show much signs of growth before February ; indeed, it will not start while it continues to freeze as it does at present. Those who grow their plants in frames should place a mat over them at night whenever sharp frost is likely to occur. We have had our plants this year frozen through, root and top, and have some hope that the woolly aphis will not stand the low tem- perature to which it has been exposed. In the early months of the year we place a set of plants in a heated house, and others are left out in a frame behind a north wall for late flowering. Auricula seeds may be sown about the end of January, or at least not later than the first days of February. A good compost for them is equal parts loam and leaf-mould, with a little white sand. Sow in .5-inch pots or small pans, of course well drained. Let the surface be quite level, and cover very lightly with finely-sifted soil. Place the pans under hand-lights or in frames, and trust to the seeds vegetating slowly without any artificial heat. We have raised thousands of seed- lings in that way, and also by placing the pots in a house where only sufficient heat was applied to keep out frost. Nothing is gained by putting them in a heated house, and a hotbed is sometimes more of a hindrance than a help, as a strong bot- tom heat will oft-times destroy the seeds. Alpine Auriculas in the rock garden must not be inter- fered with during frost, but when the frost is gone, if time can be spared, remove all dead leaves, and treat them as has just been advised for outdoor Polyanthuses. Carnations and Ph'otees. — Weare just mixing our compost for potting these. I have found them to succeed best when this is done two or even three months before it is used, as by that time the manure will have become more perfectly incorporated with the soil. I prefer keeping the latter out of doors to housing it in a dry potting shed. The plants are now in cold frames, and we do not trouble to cover them with mats, however severe the frost may be. It is a mistake to allow the soil in the pots to become too dry even at mid- winter, but it is a graver error to water when the weather is frosty. We pull the lights quite off the frames, unless we have rain or snow or sharp east winds prevail. The plants do not suffer from a low temperature, but frosty winds certainly do harm ; the lights may be tilted a little at the side opposite that from which the wind is blowing. Outdoor plants look well; a foot in depth of snow has thawed over them and has made the leaves clean and bright. I wish our plants had been covered with snow during the prevalence of cold east winds in February last year; hundreds of tender plants were then destroyed. So far, this winter has been exactly suitable for seedlings and named hardy varieties out of doors, at least where they have been well covered with snow, which is by far their best protection. Pinks, when in bloom, are very lovely, and though not so popular as Carnations and Picotees, they are more hardy, easier to propagate, and, all things considered, are to be preferred by those who dislike garden frames, or perhaps cannot afford them. Pinks do not, as a rule, sufi'er much in winter, but they are sometimes injured by east winds. JSranches of common Bracken or of Spruce Fir stuck amongst them shelter them greatly from north and east winds. Forcing Pinks, such as Lord Lyons and the pure white varieties, of which Lady Blanche is the best, will succeed out of doors as well as the laced section, and make ex- cellent border plants. We have single plants of them in borders as much as 3 feet in diameter. They have been allowed to grow four or five years in good soil. It would take some time to count the flowers which such clumps produce. They were turned out in borders after they had been forced. Plants intended for forcing are plunged in frames, from which a few are placed in forcing houses at intervals. They should be placed close to the glass, and the temperature ought not to be very high to begin with. Ranunculuses. — These should be planted out next month ; but I find from experience that they are apt to degenerate unless the ground for them is well prepared. It is best to do this in autumn before it has become too wet. By preparation is meant trenching it up about 18 inches deep, or two spits, and mixing with it some decayed manure. Good medium clayey loam does well for a subsoil, if anyone should be so enthusiastic as to obtain old turf with which to form the beds. I always obtain some dry refuse'potting soil, sittings from the Orchid houses or the potting bench, and place 3 inches of it over the bed. In this the tubers are planted 2 inches deep, and it forms an excellent medium for them, even if the soil under- neath is quite wet. Tubers of the Scotch type do not produce very vigorous plants, and need not be planted more than 3 inches apart. French tubers are much more vigorous, and between each of these 4 inches may be allowed, and the rows may be the same distance asunder. Tulips show no signs as yet of making growth above ground, owing to the continued cold weather since they were planted. For many years our Tulips have taken their chance out of doors with- out any protection whatever. The system prac- tised in the north of placing bent hoops over the beds and covering them over with mats may be necessary to protect the more tender varieties both from wet and frost ; but, so far during seven or eight years, though unprotected, we have not lost a bulb. A layer of straw or Fern litter placed over the beds is a good protector. It ought to be removed when the plants have grown an inch or so out of the ground. Tulips look rather yellow when the covering is removed, but they speedily assume their usual green appearance. The raising of seedlings is a most interesting occupation. No flowers are easier to fertilise than those of Tulips, and there is no difficulty in obtaining plenty of good seeds. The latter, if sown in April, some- times produce good plants the same season. An old grower who had a quantity of good seeds saved from one variety sowed some in October, and no plants was the result. A few from the January sowing came up. Better success attended the February sowing, and April-sown seeds pro- duced bulbs weighing 4 grains, while the heaviest bulbs from the February sowing weighed but 2 grains. As a rule, all the seedlings pro- duce self coloured flowers, though the seeds be saved from the best flamed or feathered flowers. They break into flame or feather subsequently at uncertain intervals. J. Douglas. Ferns. W. H. GOWER. Christmas Roses.— I 'im glad that Mr. Wilks c:in ;iiiililify my iiotice of the X. Italian Hellebore. Clearly we tiiith saw the same kind. I can well reiuemljer that the plants in question were tall and had very large leaves of a fine deep green. As to the season, it will probal>ly help Mr. Areher-Hind lo know that most of the flowtrs appeared to be past, and that almost all spring flowers were unusually late in Italy last year, owing to the exceptionally cold winter.— G. H. Engleheart. HARE'S-FOOT FERNS. An interesting and beautiful family of Ferns are the Davallias, or Hare's-foot Ferns, as they are popularly called, all of which are natives of the eastern hemisphere. The species of Ferns be- longing to Humata and Leucostegia are fre- quently included in the genus Da^■allia, but these possess good and distinct generic differences and ought to be kept separate. The Hare's-foot Ferns form grand sulyects for the decoration of both stove and greenhouse, i.e., when grown into good sized specimens, while not a few of them, owing to the persistent character of their fronds, are admirably adapted for backing to button-hole bouquets and for grouping with bunches of flowers in vases. Davallias have long creeping rhizomes, more or less densely clothed with chaffy scales and hairs ; these rhizomes or root- stalks vary considerably both in size and colour. In the European species (D. canariensis), the typical plant, the scaly creeping stem lias a striking resemblance to a hare's foot ; hence its name. The different species belonging to this genus are all surface-rooting plants, and their stems creep over the soil in which they are placed or rockwork in quite a picturesque manner when allowed to extend uncontrolled ; the}' also form fine masses in baskets. As to kinds, the following are some of the best : — 1). canariensis. — This, the typical species, is the only European representative of the genus. It is said to be common in the south of Spain, where it is found growing on tree stems and rocks near the sea- shore. It is also found in Madeira and Tenerlffe, and in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar. The root- stock or rhizome is very &tout, clothed with large rusty-brown hairs, from which spring its broadly triangular fronds. These latter often measure some 18 inches or 2 feet in height and about a foot in breadth ; they are many times divided into numerous narrow segments of a deep green hue ; when fertile the spores form a conspicuous feature, being pale yellow. This species succeeds well either in stove or greenhouse. D. folniculacea is a Fiji Island Fern, of a bold, yet refined appearance. The fronds are some 2 feet long, lanceolate in outline, and gracefully arched ; they are four times divided, the segments being narrow and forked, leathery in texture, and very deep green in colour. D. bullata. — Thi^ is known as the Squirrel's-foot Fern, from the ihizomes being slender and thickly covered with chestnut-brown scales and hairs. The fronds are from 1 foot to 1 3 inches high and bright green. The species is deciduous, losing the whole of its fronds in winter; it must not, therefore, be de- pended upon for decorative purposes at that season, but during summer it will thrive in a greenhouse. It comes from Java and Japan. D. nivARic.\TA. — Thii is a bold and handsome stove plant, producing from its stout, rusty-red root- stalks large arching fronds, some 3 feet or 4 feet long. They are broadly triangidar in outline and three times divided, the segments being large, coriaceous in tex- ture, and deep green. It comes from Northern India and various islands in the Malay Archipelago. D. DissECTA — This is a Javanese plant. It has a stout ro'it stock, densely clothed with reddish brown scales. The fronds are somewhat triangular in out- line, four times divided into oblong, cimeate segments, which are stout in te.xture and bright green. D. fijiensis. — This plant, which is abundant in the Fiji Island.^, is one of the most elegant Ferns yet introduced. The root-stocks are creeping, and the fronds, which are between 2 feet and 3 feet in height, are broadly triangular in outline and some four times divided, the ultimate segments being small, linear, and bifid. The fronds are firm in texture and deep bright green. In the variety plumosa the fronds are Jan. 1887.] THE GARDEN. 83 less triangular and the segments are set more closely together, giving the frond the appearance of a huge plume. D. PENTAPHYLLA. — This is a dwarfer plant than the preceding. It bears fronds about a foot long, and they are usually divided into two or three pairs of side pinnffi and a terminal one ; the pinn;e are from 3 inches to C inches in length, and about half an incli in breadth, leathery in texture, and of a deep glossy green. The breadth of the segments and the deep hue of the whole frond contrast strikingly with the more dnelycut leaves of other kinds. It comes from the Polynesian Islands. D. HoLIiiA. — The root-stock of this is very stout, and it has a thick covering of rusty red scales, from amongst which are produced large, bold, triangular fronds from 2 feet to 3 feet long, and about a foot or more wide ; the segments are large and massive, leathery and deep green. A stove Fern of nable mien from various inlands in the Indian Seas. D. PVXIDAT.v. — This is a greenhouse Fern; it bears fronds from 1 foot to 2 feet in length, and upwards of 6 inches broad ; they are three or four times divided, coriaceous in texture, and deep green. It comes from Australia. D. PALLIDA, better known in gardens under the name of D. Mooreana, is a plant which no stove should be witliout. Its arching fronds are evergreen, from 2 feet to 4 feet in length, deltoid in outline, and about four times divided ; the first divisions are large and densely clothed with obtusely triangular segments, which, when young, are suffused with pink, changing with age into a pale straw-green colour. It comes from the South Sea Islands. Trees and Shrubs. W. (KiLllRIXd. THE DWARF OR SCRUB PINES. There is a certain group of Pines that are gene- rally regarded as the outcasts of the tribe. They are considered to be neither ornamental nor use- ful, or, as some books have it, " they are quite unfit for arboricultural purposes in this country." It is on behalf of these Scrub Pines that I would write, as I consider that they have a value, and that not unimportant in ornamental planting. There are, roughly calculating, about a dozen of these pigmy Pines, most of them being mountain trees, rarely growing to the height of an Apple tree. The chief of these Pines are P. Banksiana, Bolanderi, montana, inops, muricata, tuberculata, ( 'embra, pumila, and contorta, but some of these are only dwarfs when growing in alpine regions, while in a temperate climate they grow to middle-sized trees. But it is these alpine dwarfs that I think are worth the attention of the planter, for they serve a purpose for which few other tree.s or shrubs are adapted. For instance, tliere can be no better object for a bold knoll than the common mountain Pine (P. montana). It is of dense growth, and makes a huge spread- ing mass seldom more than 6 feet or 8 feet high, is never alfected by our hardest winters, and is especially effective during winter. Even the driest or the stoniest bank may be clothed with the mountain Pine, for it seems to thrive on the poorest soils. It is the same as P. Mughus, and P. Pumilio is similar. The Labrador Pine (P. Banksiana), which grows among barren rocks in Labrador and other northern regions, is another that may be planted in company with P. mon- tana, and the foliage being of a different colour will serve to give variety to a mass. Of larger growth, but still suitable for knoll or bank planting, is P. tuberculata, a Californian tree, which is, moreovei', interesting on account of its beating its cones in crowded cluster.'^, which remain on the tree throughout its existence. It is not such a Californian, and rarely grows above 15 feet high. It is most desirable because its foliage is of a peculiar bluish grey colour, which renders it very telling in a group. Like tuberculata, it should be indulged a little in respect to situation, though if placed high and dry on a knoll or bank there is little to fear on the point of tenderness. P. contorta, which Douglas sent home from Oregon about fifty year.s ago, has its value on account of its peculiar habit of growth, which is more conical than that of most others, but it only reaches a small tree size. The Jersey Pine, P. inops, is a particular favourite with me, the green of its leafage is .=^0 different from that of others, and there is such a picturesque twist aliout its branches whicli, though it would offend the eyes of lovers of the formal among trees, would to luany he the chief object of beauty. P. inops grows wild on the barren hills of New Jersey, where it is called the Scrub Pine. It is hardy enough for i)lanting south of London, but in the midlands and northward it would perhaps be too tender. There are others which I should term artificial dwarfs, such, for example, as the dwarf Weymouth Pine (P. Strobus), a pigmy that has no character about it, being dense, tid'ty, and too squatty to be of much value ; still, it may be appropriately planted with the mountain Pines. The dwarf variety of the Swiss Stone Pine (P. Cembra) is a true wilding, but, like the last, too stunted to be good for much ; but as it has a tendency to assume a creeping growth, it may be useful for liold planting among bold rocks. There are various other dwarf Pines, but those I have mentioned illustrate the use to which I would like to see them put. A pleasing group could be made of these dwarf Pines alone which would be different from any group composed of other material. One of the best illustrations (jf this grouping may be seen in the Kew arboretum, where all the Pines I have mentioned may Ije seen in characteristic growth. In making a group of them, the taller kinds, such as tubercu- lata, contorta, inops, should be so placed that a pleasing and varied sky-line is formed from the tallest to the dwarfest. Another value the Scrub Pines have is the aid they give a planter in com- posing a group of tall Pines. In nine cases out of ten these are not successfully grouped, being generally planted all of a size, the result being a lumpy appearance ; but by planting them on the outside of the group the abrupt outline of the tall trees is broken, and the group looks more like Nature's planting. I may be singular in my attachment to these Scrub Pines, but I am convinced that many lovers of trees would ad- mire them also did they know them. All the Pines I have mentioned may be obtained from English nurseries, except the Labrador Pine, and this would be forthcoming if a demand for it sprung up. grow anywhere, in any soil, and any position, but it is partial to a damp spot, where it grows rapidly. The true Red Dogwood is not C. sanguinea, as many suppose, but C. stolonifera, a native of the United States and Canada. It is spreading in growth on account of the numerous suckers it produces, and from which it may be propagated. The flowers and berries being inconspicuous are not worth considering, its sole value being the winter colour of its bark. Malus Halleana. — Will the writer of the note respecting this tree (p. 597, last vol) kindly give further information about it ? I, for one, am anxious to know where it is to be bought, and where it origi- nate!. "A. P." describes it as similar to Malus (Pyrus) floribunda ; can he tell us if it is a variety of that species, or distinct ? He says it is so much deeper iu colour than floribunda, and if such be the case, il must, indeed, be a valuable shrub. — G. The Red Dogwood is one of the few shrubs beyond Evergreens that attract one at this season. Its branches and twigs glow like sticks of red sealing- wax, and a ma=s of plants of it may be seen three hundred yards off. It is, without doubt, one of the most valuable of winter shrubs, and if associated with shrubs of a similar character, such, for example, as the golden barked Willow (Salix vitellina) its effect is It is the annual shoots that assume the heightened hardy mountaineer as the two brightest colour; therefore it should be the o'lject to previously mentioned. P. Bolanderi is also | encourage these by cutting away the old. It will WALL SHRUBS. .Jasmindm NUuiFLOKUM IS making an attempt to flower even during this bitter weather, and the advent of a few mild days would find it covered with golden blossoms. It is one of the most reliable of really winter-flowering shrubs, and on sunny walls in sheltered nooks it is seldom with- out some bloom. Much of its beauty, however, depends on the way in which it is pruned and trained. We like it beat cut in a little in spring after it ceases flowering ; the main shoots are then securely fastened to the trellis or wall, and the young growth is allowed to go on unchecked. Thus managed the shoots hang down furnished tiieir entire length with blooms. Oarrya elliptica, with its long bunches of tassel-like flowers, is a beautiful wall shrub. It is of stitT habit and rather slow growth ; a sheltered nook near the house front, where the winter sun can get at it, is the proper place for it ; there let it grow entirely un- checked. Tlie buds of Pyrus, orCydonia, japonica are already showing colour. Tliis shrub has a stiff thorny growth, and needs no pruning. Ivies of the variegated kinds are now in full beauty, and never show to such good effect as in mid-winter. The small-leaved kinds are the best for walls, as they may be grown so as to mingle with other things without smothering them, as the common Irish Ivy does ; the golden blotched variety is especially conspicuous in winter. Chimonantbus fragrans ia one of the few really winter-flowering wall plants that have scented flowers ; the latter are not showy, but they make their presence known directly you approach the wall where they are to be found. They should have a full south aspect. Coronilla glauca is trained on walls in this locality, and flowers freely early in the season. It is generally planted in sunny aspects under the friendly shelter of overhanging climbers, and when covered with golden blossoms is very effec- tive. Euonymus japonicus variegatus makes a very beautiful wall shrub, the variegation being strikingly effective in winter. Escallonia ma- crantha is one of the most popular of wall plants, owing to its bright rosy blossoms and shining foliage. It is seldom without some bloom on it even in winter, and is neat and compact in habit of growth. Myrtles are capital wall shrubs, their scented foliage rendering them favourites. They succeed well on the south coast, and look bright after the rough gales which we frequently get here. The Laurustinus is used in all sorts of ways ; on walls it flowers freely in winter during even the roughest weather, and when flowers of any kind are welcome. J- G. Hants. Darwin's Barberry.— Peaty soil is not gene- rally recommended as being suitable for the growth of this beautiful shrub, but such, I am pleased to say, is the case, for seldom have I seen it in finer form, with more glossy ample foliage, and so well covered with flowers, as but a short time ago in a deep well-prepared peat bed. A hedge -"lO yards long of the same plant backed the peat bed, and oh r what a sight this presented, the 3-feetlorg shoots of a season's growth being literally crowded with flowers, while the shining deep green foliage told but too plainly that the plant was quite at home in its mossy bed. It is perhaps wrong of me to say that the bed was entirely composed of peat bog, for it was not, the mixture being about three- fourths peaty soil and one- fourth of road-scrapings, just such soil as American plants revel in. Some of the individual specimens were 7 feet in height, witli beads 4 feet in diameter, the stems being from 3 inches to ."> inches across at the ground level. What surprised me most was how freely in such a soil 84 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. this Barberry reproduced itself from seed, for be- neath and around these large specimens seedlings of varying sizes might be counted by the dozen, and we were shown several breaks containing hundredsof plants that had been lifted from beneath these gigantic shrubs and lined out in the nursery for planting in other situations. Let no one, there- fore, who admires this pretty free-flowering Bar- berry, and can provide it with nothing but peaty soil in their garden, despair of cultivating it successfully under such conditions, for, take my word for it, if they will do but half as well as those I have j ust described you will be delighted, and re- commend every friend to substitute a barrow-load of bog for his ordinary garden soil and plant a f pecimen of Darwin's Barberry. No doubt warmth is in favour of good cultivation, so if a sheltered corner can be provided all the better. — W. Layering' sbrubs.— This is a simple and efficient method of getting up a stock of certain plants, or extending underwood generally. Most of our commonly grown shrubs come away freely from layers; notably the Laurel, Rhododendron, Privet, Mahonia, Honeysuckle, Bay Laurel, and hosts of others. Nursery layering consists in pegging down the outer and stronger branches in a circle around the stem of the i>arent plant, and, when these have taken root, cutting them away from their support and planting singly in any free soil, so as to produce a quantity of fibrous roots previous to planting out permanently. Layering for extending game coverts and underwood is but little difierent, only that the layers are not re- moved from the parent stool, but allowed to grow at will. In layering, it is best to disturb the ground with a spade around the parent plant, bend over the strongest shoots, and attach them to the soil by means of hooked pegs driven firmly down. A spadeful of soil, placed atop of that portion of the branch where it comes in contact with the ground, will materially assist in the for- mation of roots. Where the plants to be layered have attained to a large size, with thick, unyield- ing stems, such as frequently occur in neglected Laurels, Rhododendrons, &c. , it may be found necessary, so as to assist in bending and pegging down, to saw the stem nearly through at a couple of feet from the ground. By so doing no injury whatever will result, plenty and to spare of sap ascending through the small portion left intact when sawing the stem. We have treated .SO feet high Laurels in this way, and the results were e.'erything that could be desired, plenty of under- wood now taking the place of what, previous to layering being engaged in, were tall, branchless stems, with only a tuft of foliage at the top. The hooked pegs should be made from Beech or Ash branches, and of sizes suitable for the various stems to be held down. — U. Magnolia grandiflora.— Often enough per- haps are we accustomed to see abundance of plump flower-buds on this Magnolia, yet how seldom — here, at least, owing in a great measure no doubt to our unfavourable climate— do the flowers fully expand. This fact was never brought more forcibly under my notice than during the past summer when an unusually large specimen, that from year to year bore heavy crops of flowers which never became perfectly developed, opened fully numbers of its large, sweetly-scented flowers, the thick fleshy p3tals being thrown well back and revealing t) full view the saffron-yellow stamens, which are 80 conspicuous a part of the flower. The indi- vidual flowers measured as much as 1 1 inches in diameter when fully expanded, were almost pure white with yellowish stamens, and deliciously odoriferous. As a wall plant, this Magnolia nerhaps does best, and shows off to greatest perfec- t on the Laurel-like leaves. It bears pruning well, aid if planted in good, rich soil, soon covers a considerable surface, the branches being produced freely and ripening well off where the situation is at all sunny. The Japanese M. Halleana or Btellata is, according to Mr. EUwanger, of Rochester, and to whom I am indebted for the p'ant, a real gem, of dwarf growth, and remark- able for producing its flowers in early spring and long before any other species. I have not seen it under cultivation ; indeed, it is as yet extremely rare, but from Mr. EUwanger's description of plants that have flowered in the Mount Hope Nurseries it must be the finest of its tribe, and that is saying a good deal. It forms a symmetrical bush of only a few feet in height, and as it is perfectly hardy and well adapted for the front of shrubbery borders, will soon rise in public estima- tion once it is distributed. Being difficult to transplant with safety, a little extra care is neces- sary in the case of M. Halleana. — W. DECIDUOUS TREES. Our ornamental plantations are deficient as regards deciduous trees. The lack of variety in them may perhaps be traced to the craze that existed some years back for Conifers ; wherever an orna- mental tree was required, a Conifer was selected, with the result that, whilst we are rich in ever- green trees, rare specimens of deciduous trees that thrive well in this country are comparatively scarce. Allow me, therefore, to furnish a short list of some deciduous trees that do well here. Pterocarya caucasica is one of our best. It is quick as to growth, handsome in foliage, and forms a fine shapely head. The rapidity of its growth may be imagined when I say that it was planted thirty-six years ago, and is now 4.3 feet high, nearly 12 feet in girth, and has a spread of branches 7'2 yards in circumference. I am afraid that it is hardly likely to last long in its present perfect state, as the growth is in many cases nearly horizontal and the wood brittle. It is also a fast traveller under the surface ; its fibres have been found '25 yards from the main stem : it is, therefore, only adapted for large lawns, and should have a central position well away from all flower borders or beds. Quite a ditt'erent tree is Laurus Sassafras ; unlike the Pterocarya, it may be em- ployed either on large or small lawns. It is pyramidal in shape, close in habit, and is a decidedly handsome tree. The foliage is dense and slightly scented, tiinkgobiloba is better known, perhaps, than either of the preceding trees, but it does not seem quite so much at home in our soil, the growth being erratic and irregular, and the general appearance of the tree rather unsightly ; its unique foliage should, however, always find for it a place in good collections. The Magnolias are well known ; it is, therefore, unnecessary to refer to thtra, except in the case of acuminata. This is with us by far the largest tree of the family, and makes a very handsome specimen ; it grows nearly ."lO feet high, and has a girth of ."i inches or (i inches. Gymnocladus canadensis grows into a large tree, but its leaf season is, unfortunately, but very short — not more, under a cold, late spring, than four months out of the twelve ; during the remaining eight it is naked and bare ; still, it is quite at home, and may, therefore, be safely included in our list. Another Canadian introduction, viz., Acer saccharinum (the Sugar Maple), grows into a fine, shapely tree, and makes a handsome specimen ; the foliage throughout the snmmer and autumn forms quite a distinct feature in the landscape ; a large tree close to a Copper Beech formed during November a striking contrast to its dark neighbour. The two varieties of Pyrus Sorbus also make nice trees, both as regards growth and fruit. Although none of the trees just named require much attention, it should be remembered that a little is necessary in the early stages of growth, in order to lay the founda- tion of a good specimen. Thus where the subsoil is very sandy, hard, wet, &c. , as the case may be, the hole for planting should be large enough to permit drainage to be worked in if necessary, and in all cases to allow for one or two cartloads of good new soil to be mixed with the best taken from the hole. With this precaution and all sides of the hole well loosened, the tree will have ample chance to get well established before the roots extend to the old soil ; it is in fact a sound precept t lat an ornamental tree intended for a prominent position should have the same care and attention a'^ planting as its neighbours in the fruit garden. Liriodendron tulipifera, Ailantus glandulosa, and Taxodium distichum are all good as specimen trees, and the foliage of the last- named is very useful for decorative purposes. E. B. THE MONTEREY CYPRESS IN SUSSEX. Prob.^iily others besides myself have noticed that the neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells seems to be particularly favourable for this tree, for no matter where it is planted, it appears to thrive with a vigour unequalled in any part of the south- eastern counties. It must be something in the climate or the soil, and possibly both combine to favour such growth. I lately visited the garden at Shernfold, Frant, where this Cypress is the prevailing feature, towering above all other ever- green growth, and forming in some parts where at all thickly planted dense walls of foliage. Some of the trees must be .50 feet high, and most of them are feathered to the ground with branches. Among the dozens of fine specimens about the place there is a good deal of variation in habit, some being almost as thick through as high, while others shoot up into tall, slender pyramids ; and this is mostly the case among those planted in the most sheltered parts ; hence one may infer that exposure to winds, and shelter from them, play an important part in shaping the trees. These Shernfold Cypresses are among the most remarkable sights about Tunbridge Wells in the way of trees. In an adjoining garden, Ely Grange, the Monterey Cypress is equally vigorous, and specimens which less than ten years ago were nursery plants are now between 20 feet and ."iO feet high; in fact, they seem to outpace all the others. The soil is a sandy loam, resting on sandstone ; hence tolerably dry and warm. At Bay ham, Bridge, and many other places in the neighbour- hood, this t'j'press is the prevailing tree. At Neville Court, a beautiful garden just on the out- skirts of the town, and laid out by Mr. Marnock, there is a pair of Monterey Cypresses, one on each side of the entrance-gate, which for height, spread of branches, and vigour are the handsomest I ever saw. They were, I believe, planted by Mr. Mar- nock ; and perhaps he could tell us how long they have been planted, and a little about the soil they are growing in. G. Forsytliia viridissima. — In early spring when flowers are few this bright-blooming, hardy shrub just reminds us that it is not planted so exten- sively as an ornamental plant as its merits deserve. Of so hardy a nature — for even the dread east winds of our western coast cannot make it cease flowering— it is well adapted for planting in cold, exposed situations and in a great variety of soils. We have here several plants of large proportions that flower grandly from year to year, the bright golden flowers being produced, like those of Jas- minum nudiflorum, before any leaves appear; fine specimens during March and April present a mass of floral beauty that is quite enchanting. Timely pruning is to be recommended in the case of this Forsythia, for as stout growths usually make their appearance after the flowering season, a nicely-shaped specimen is soon rendered any- thing but a beautiful object, unless by carefully removing such, and otherwise pruning into a desirable shape ; but the plant is all the better for heavy prunings, its flowering capacity and dense free growth afterwards clearly pointing this out. Propagation of the Forsythia is easily man- aged by taking cuttings of well- ripened wood early in September and planting them in any free soil, and in a shady, northern position. Few plants are more amenable to training than the one in question, for it is just as easily managed to have a 0 feet-high specimen as a dwarf, procum- bent bush. Planted against a wall and in fairly good soil, the Forsythia will before many years have attained to a large size, if nailing and pruning have been regularly attended to. Then, as a pot plant, it is of great value, for it is capable of being kept neat and in bounis by pinching and pruning, while it flowe'S freely during mid- winter if kept Jan. 22, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 85 in a cool greenhouse. Heavy loam, judging from our nursery specimens, seems to suit the For- sythia well.— W. A. D. THE NEW PYRAMIDAL POPLAR. The erect-growing variety of the Abele Poplar, introduced a few years ago under the name of P. BoUeana, is fast attaining the popularity which was predicted for it, as all the important tree nurserymen are working up large stocks of it, and this is a pretty good indication that there is a demand for it. No tree of recent introduction promises to be of such value for ornamental plant- ing as this pyramidal white Poplar, as there is no other tree at all resembling it. It combines the upright growth of the Lombardy Poplar with the handsome leafage of the White Poplar or Abele in a remarkable way, and the fact of its being a hardier tree than the Lombardy adds greatly to its value. .Judging by the largest trees in this country at the present time, it must he of quick growth. Some of these are 1'2 feet and !."> feet high, and these have been planted within the last six years ; so that from this we gather that its growth is at the rate of about 2 feet in a season. Like the Abele, too, it is not particular as to soil, and no doubt will be equally suitable for planting in dryish places as well as in low, damp spots. One can imagine what a telling tree this new tree will make byand by when it gets to be as high as an old Lombardy, to which it will be a rival on account of its leaves, the silvery white under- surfaces of which are turned up to every slight breeze. No one need hesitate planting this tree, as it has had a fair trial now both in England and Scotland. The only fear is that it will be planted too plentifully, as the Lombardy Poplar once was, and produce a monotonous effect. It is almost as cheap now in nurseries as the Lombardy on account of its being easily propagated. It is in- creased by layers and grafting on the Abele— the most suitable stock. It comes from Tashkend, an out-of-the-way province in Turkestan, which may yet yield other valuable ornamental trees. A new Ivy (Hedera amurensis). — In the Hands- worth Nurseries, Sheffield, there is a new Ivy under this name, which, from all appearance, is a promising addition to the list of hardy Ivies. The leaves are large, quite as broad as those of H. dentata, but of ditferent shape, being broad at the top, and deeply lobed. They are of leathery texture, and of a deep shiniog green. It is thought a good deal of by Mr. Fisher, who prop.igates it extensively. Every newhardy Ivy is a gain, and especially if it has such bold green foliage as this has, and at the same time is perfectly hardy. Coming from the cold region of the Amur River, there is little doubt that this new Ivy will be hardier .-nd better for our climate than the other large-leaved Ivies. The Golden-leaved Privet just now shows itself to advantage in the shrubbery, for it has come through the past few weeks of frost and snow per- fectly unharmed, while variegated and golden Euonymus and other shrubs of a similar nature show unmistakable signs of injury. The Golden Privet is a neat growing shrulj with small leaves closely set on the branches ; being almost entirely of a ricli golden yellow, it produces a bright appearance, and if set oflE by some dark Evergreen its effect is heightened. It is one of the few golden- leaved shrubs that can be depended on for winter ; therefore it is a plant not to be lightly esteemed. It looks well if about half-a- dozen of ditferent heights are planted in a group, but, as in the case of other variegated or golden shrubs, much is lost if advantage is not taken of contrasting them with green. This Privet is a variety of Ligustrum ovalifolium, and is known sometimes as elegantissimum, and also as marginatum aureum. The average nursery price for a good plant is one shilling. The Holly-leaved Mahonia, always a beau- tiful Evergreen, is particularly so at this season when its foliage is stained with every gradation of tint from plum-purple to bronzy green, and the late spell of sharp weather seems to have intensified the rich hues of the Mahonia foliage. There should be a good sprinkling of Mahonia planted in every garden, if only for the sake of its winter foliage, so valuable for cutting from for aasoeiating with flowers in vases. In a cool room Mahonia branches will last in water as long as a month or six weeks, and after that time will not appear the worse. In Daffodil time there is nothing that mixes so well with the rich yellow flowers as the bronzy leaves of Mahonia, and, later on in the season, when it regains its green summer leafage, it is always a good thing to cut and mix with flowers. Were we confined to one Evergreen, this Ma- honia would be our choice, as it is not fastidious as regards soil or situation. The varieties of Berberis Aquifolium, named latifolia, rotundifolia, Herveyi, and undulata, are all different from the common kind, but certainly do not surpass it in the matter of foliage. THE WEST LYNX VINERIES. In October last, being at King's Lynn, I accepted Mr. C'astle's invitation to see his Grapes ; and at the outset I may say that, as regards crop and finish, I have never seen them equalled. After careful inspection, I may safely assert that there is not one bad Vine on the premises, all being robust and healthy. Among the different va- rieties the best appeared to be Gros i\Iaroc, the bunches of which were simply magnificent. Next to this I would place Madresfield Court as seen here, its flavour and colour being all that could be desired, and the crop without one cracked berry. Gros Colmar, too, which must not be forgotten, was, I may say, unique. Let us, however, take the varieties seriatim as follows : — Alicante. — This variety covers one siie of a 50- feet long house. It is on its own roots, and also grafted, and in both cases it bears very heavy crops and well finished, many of the bunehes weighing 7 lbs. The Vines on their own roots are six years old, and several of them carry 40 lbs. per rod, and the Vines look none the worse for such heavy crop- ping, i.e., if laterals and foliage are any criterion. Nine Vines, two years old, are planted in a Cucumber bed, a house which the sun does not touch till nearly noun, and it is astonishing how well they have done in every respect, though the depth of soil is only 15 inches and the bed is only 3 feet wide. The Ali- cante, grafted on the Black Hamburgh, does well, but the crop is much too heavy, eighteen bunches beiug on a rod, and the bunches not less than 2 lbs. each. Alnwick Seedling. — On one rod of this there were twenty-three bunches, and the variety always com- mands attention on account of its deep blue colour. It ripens early, and keeps fairly well — i.e., until April. It requires special attention at blooming time ; it sets well with pollen taken from Lady Downes, but water fDr setting this variety is a fallacy. The syringe was used very freely on one bunch, but to no purpose. The caps of this Grape require rather hard treatment ; a good feather brush is just the thing to use on it. The flesh of the berries of this Grape is very highly coloured, and the flavour also is very superior. It is not a very strong grower ; growing, as it does here, side by side with Alicante and I^ady Downes, the difference between it and these sorts is very striking. Gros Giillai'jie this year has borne nothing but small bunches, 5 lbs. or 0 lbs. being the heaviest, while in- other years bunches have been cut up to 9i lbs. This crop is, however, likely to be a good keeper, and here it fruits as freely as a Black Hamburgh. Mr. Castle is, however, gradually cut- ting it out, not on account of its not doing well, but because it does not pay, and, singular as it may appear, there is always more difficulty in colouring it than any of the other Grapes grown at West Lynn — this, too, with a much lighter crop. Bockland'.s Sweetwater seems to be quite at home at West Lynn, and is a noble, early- ripening Grape, and one which always commands attention on account of its size, colour of berry, and good cropping qualities. In order to show h3W extremely fruitful this variety is, I may mention that there is a bunch on every lateral, and that, too, under Black Ham- biirgh treatment. Their quality, however, does not improve by keeping. Gros Colmar — This is a very trying, yet a most profitable Grape, and one grown in larger quantity here than any other. One span-roofed house .50 feet in length is filled with this Vine entirely on its own roots, and it always produces satisfactory crops, the berries being good, but their colour sometimes not what it should be. Some are, of course, a good black, but a good portion is not so. In mixed houses this variety is, as a rule, very unsatisfactory. What appears to be required to ripen or rather colour this Grape is starting it early, using fire freely, and giving plenty of ventilation so as not to force it unduly. This variety, grafted on the Muscat of Alexandria, has proved te be very good indeed ; some have said that on this stock the colour would be bad, but some of the blackest are on Muscat stocks. Certainly if overcropped, bad colour will be the result. This year for the first time the foliage of this sirt has been good, none of the leaves being curled. Liberal feed- ing, early starting, more fire heat than usual, and more ventilation are doubtless the cause of this. Avoid coddling if you wish to get good Grapes. When growing the transparency of its berries is very striking. Gbos Maroc. — This is a profitable Grape either grown on its own roots or grafted. Although grown in the worst position at West Lynn, it is the first to colour, being before even the Black Hamburgh, but it is not really the first to ripen. Here it fruits just as well on the old rods as on young ones. When grafted on the Black Hamburgh it is very superior as regards flavour. The crop, too, is heavy ; in one case 40 lbs. were taken off a last year's rod. On grafts more thinning is required, especially if they are to hang long. This grafted on Buckland's Sweetwater is a really fine Grape, the berries of which are the largest of all, but by the beginning of December they begin to shrivel. It grows very robustly and fruits very freely. As a market Grape it is worth as much again as the Black Hamburgh, and it is ready at the same time. Lady Downes Skeiilin(;. — This has produced a faultless crop, every lateral being fruited, and some of the best bunches are on laterals, on which there are often two bunches ; in fact, if a pair of bunches were wanted for exhibition, a pair on a lateral would be selected. This variety is grown here in the form of single rods, two rods and three rods to a Vine, all at 3 feet apart, with this result, that the three rods in every case are the best — this, too, with the same number of bunches on each rod, viz , two dozen. The fruit on the single rod, however, coloured first. Scald in some places affects this variety, but here two dozen berries would cover the lo-s in this respect. Trie sun is said by some to be the cause of this dis- ease, for disease it is, but all the berries attacked here are so placed that the sun cannot touch them ; indeed, they are quite in the shade. If this variety is started gently in March and steadily grown on, keeping the fire in all through the season until the Grapes are cut, much sounder and better Gripes will be obtained than under any other treatment. Madreskield Court. — The crop of this at West Lynn is too heavy to colour well, but then there is no cracking. The two Vines of it grown here have for three years each carried 2ij lbs. per year. Some ,"i2 lbs. have been sold, and still 30 lbs, have been left hanging. The berries and bunches are good, .and, having cut so many to lighten the Vines, the remainder will be kept for a month. This is not, however, a good keeping Grape, but, owing to the position of the Vines, special ventilation can be afforded them. The treatment is precisely the same as in the case of Gros Colmar up to colouring time ; but as soon as there is the least tinge of colour visible tepid liquid manure is given ; then a slight layer of rotten manure is applied, firming it fairly well down, then over the whole is put a layer of Grass and straw about 6 inches deep. From the day on which this covering was used, viz., 1st of August, no water has been given to the inside border. This being the 86 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. fourth year of such treatment, it can be asserted safely that such treatment does not injure the Vine. So far the roots have only been dealt w ith, but, of course, ventilation is a very important point, espe- cially top ventilation, which is continued all night after colouring time. Laterals are stopped all through the season, keeping them well away from the glass ; if a leaf touches the glass moisture is condensed, a drip is created, and should a drop of water fall upon a bunch the berries crack. Spider, too, especially at this season of the year, is troublesome if not well kept under. It has been said that Madresfield Court is not a good keeper, but it will keep to the end of November. MadresBeld Court grafted on Gros Col- mar here lost its fine flavour, but coloured well. Both bunches and berries were, however, small, but the graft is not strong. As regards flavour, Madres- field Court cannot be beaten, and as much as 40 lbs. of sound fruit have be»n taken from one Vine. By placing Gros Maroc at the top of the list I shall doubtless be found fault with on account of its flavour, but it must be remembered that Mr. Castle's first point is hard cash. Madresfield Court is certainly very superior to Gros Maroc in flavour, but, unfortu- nately, it comes to an end before or by Christmas, whilst Groa Maroc keeps through March, and at that season it made last year from 7s. 6d. to lOs. per lb. These prices are not given at random, for I myself saw the rtturns. R. GlLBEIiT. Burghley. *^* Mr. Stephen Castle sends us specimens of his Grapes, packed in a very simple way in a basket, witli wadding round the outside, ami the bunches simply attached and resting quite loosely in the basket, except, of course, on the side which supported their weight. They come in as good condition as if just taken off the Vine — perfect bloom, large berries, and delicate flavour. Such a mode of packing would not do if they were rolled over, but it serves very well so long as the basket or whatever they are sent in is kept in an erect position. — Ed. MARKET GARDEN NOTES. A FEW days since, when the north east wind was blowing intensely keen over the fields and it was freezing sharp, I watched a couple of men engaged in preparing Rosette Coleworts for market. A colder job during keen, cutting winds could hardly have been found, and as tho lialf-frozen greens were, of course, exceedingly brittle, the effect upon the Coleworts was far from being beneficial. One man pulled the plants, and in doing so gave each stem a half twist and pulled off some of the outer leaves; then he threw them on to a table which was, of course, anything but clean. The second man stood on the wind%vard side of the table, and gathered the plants into bunches by the stems. (Grasping the roots with the left hand, he gathered in the Coleworts with the other, pressing into each bunch as many as the hand would well grasp ; he then bound them up with a withy and threw them on to a heap behind him. I could not but note how much the heads sullered from this method of preparation, getting dirty as they were roughly turned over from side to side in the making up, and very much torn and bruised. I should say that after bunching these greens seemed to have deterio- rated -to per cent, as compared with their appear- ance before pulling. Naturally, I enquired whether it would not be far better to cut off these Colewort heads cleanly and place them in baskets as fast as out, and was told that it would be so, but that the London trade would not so purchase them, but would have them bunched only, although thus damaged and dirtied. This is a sample of the kind of despotism under which both producers and consumers of market vege- tables sutler at the hands of the trader or shop- keeper class, which insists upon all this trouble being taken for no other reason than that it is the custom to buy and sell winter greens of this character in bunches, and no other plan, even though preferable in all respects, will be accepted. Beyond the injury done to the Colewort heads the work of bunching is considerable, the bulk to be sent to market is much greater than it should be, and not least, not only are consumers burdened with all this useless matter of stems and roots, but local authorities have finally to remove it again back into the country in the form of rubbish. Some day, perhaps, a strong local authority emanating from metropolitan municipal institutions will interpose and decline to adrnit useless lumber, in the form of stalks with excessive leafage, to be brought into London, as not only relieving local authorities of preventable labour, but also minimising danger to the public health from excessive accumulations of refuse and garbage. Common sense, as well as regard for quality and cleanliness, urges that all kinds of small greens should be sent to shop or market only in baskets, and it is certain that so sent they would be much fresher and cleaner for consump- tion. Generally I notice that whilst the long spell of frost and heavy snowfalls have not appreciably injured all ordinary green stuffs, all which have hearted in, whether Cabbages or Coleworts, show most damage ; many of the firm white hearts, being much seared and under a quick thaw, will no doubt soon decay. Even now this frosted material has a strong flavour. Most of the larger Cabbages, especially Drumhead Savoys, are past marketing, and must be either sheep-fed or bo cut to pieces and ploughed in as manure. Early planted Cabbages, which made too much head through the long and open autumn, will probably cut up badly under the influence of March cast winds; but, so far, all the later plantings, even in soil so saturated with water that with even a crust of frost upon it will at present hardly hold a man up, consisting of sprouting and white Broccoli, so far, have stood very well. This class of green stuff seems always to suffer most when subjected to keen biting winds, which literally burn or wither up the leafage. Bkussels Si'Routs are not in such good odour this season as in some previous years. I hear numerous complaints of burst or expanded Sprouts, this form of them being seen in large patches, causing much loss to growers. It is evident that there are some bad stocks about, consequent upon the cutting prices of the seeds- men. There is no member of the Brassica tribe which it is more important should not only be true, but should be good, than Brussels Sprouts. It is doubtful, because of its origin, whether any other member of the family sooner deteriorates if not well placed and grown free from association with all others. When the produce of a given batch may be perhaps 1000 bushels, it is obvious that if a shilling per bushel be lost by a bad sample the total loss is great— indeed, makes all the difference between paying and losing. There can hardly be a better strain for market growers in the open field than Exhibition, Matchless, King of the Market, or under what- ever name the large, solid-sprouted kind now so much grown in private gardens is known. Whilst [)roductive of large stems and sprouts, under the high class culture found in private gardens, in the field the growth and sprout production seem to be all that can be be desired. Really big sprouts, such as too often find favour in exhibition collec- tions of vegetables, will not suit the market at all. A good, solid, medium-sized sample invari- ably finds a ready and profitable sale, but such .samples are far from being plentiful. I saw a fine breadth the other day of a really capital stock, called Myatt's Brussels Sprout, and it was spe- cially noticeable because so much above the average. The grower said that he gave rather a higher price than ordinarily ruled for the seed, but it paid far the best in the end. The plants were about 20 inches in height, and bore fine crops of clean, solid, medium-sized sprouts. A. D. day, the 9th inst , after an illness of only two days. On Friday, the 7th, he was seized with a fit, but happily kept conscious to the last. He had lived as gardener to Mr. A. J. Lewis, at Moray Lodge, for twenty years, and during that time effected many improvements in the garden. We have also to record the death of Mr. R. Laino, nurseryman, Twickenham, at the age of seventy-seven. Mr. Laing was for years a grower of all the better kinds of Eoses ; but latterly, owing to his surroundings having become altered, he was obliged to turn his attention more to florists flowers and plants under glass. He was a promi- nent committeeman of the Twickenham and Rich- mond Horticultural Societies, and was also a warm supporter of the Gardeners' Benevolent In- stitution. GARDENERS' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. STATEMENT OF RECEIPT.^ AND PAY.MEXTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1SS6. s. d. £ s, (1 . . £387 5 9 Pr. £ s. d. To B;U;uico from 1S85 . . Aiinii;d subscriptions.. 1311 2 0 Dou.itions at and in oonseriuence of An- niKil Dinner . . use 16 lU Advertisements 49 13 0 Collecting cai-ds 1S5 15 y Dividend.s on stock .. (■|33 0 0 Interest on deposits . . 22 17 3 235 S 9 3089 4 10 4076 10 7 Stock in Three per Cent. Consols, £21,100. Cr. £ s. d. By I'cnsi.ins 1950 0 0 StcrctHrv's saUry 160 0 0 licnt .if "office 43 15 0 Fmuiture, fittings, Ac 26 14 6 I'linting 130 0 0 A.Iverti.sing 3 19 0 Stationery 21 12 7 llo.ili of cheques 392 I'lxpense of Annual Dinner .. .. .. 60 14 8 Postages, travelling expen.ses, and sundry petty expen.ses . . ... . . . . 96 1 10 2496 6 9 Amount placed on Deposit 1200 0 0 3696 6 9 Balances : — At Bankers' 368 12 5 With Secretary 11 11 5 . 380 3 10 4076 10 7 Audited .lannary 10, 1.S87. BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED. ■■ Revue Hortieole." ■' BuUetino della Socicfci Toscana di Orticidtura." " The Zoologist." Simpkin, Marshall k Co. " Gartenflora." Verlag von Paul Parey. Berlin. ■■ lUnstration Hortieole." 62, Rue du Chaume a Gaud. " Lumber World." McFaul & Nolan, Buffalo, New York. " Nature." JLacmillan & Co., Bedford Street, Covent Gar den, W.C. " The Irumediate Future of Agriculture. Mitchen ffl Son, Clenient'-s Lane. " Pul>Uc Garden Association Report." Hutchins k Crow- slev. South Kensington. '"' Voluntary Allotments Association Report." 50, Palaeo Cliamliers, Westminster. " Jdiiirniaceuticat Journ.al." J. & A. Churclull, 11, New Burliut^ton Street. "The Entomologist." Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., Sta- tioners' Hall Court. London. "Handbook of Practical Botany." Swan, Sonnensehein, Lowrev tz Co., P.aternoster Square. "Text-book of British Fungi." Swan, Sonnensehein Lowrey & Co.. Paternoster Square. " Pordan's Irish Farmers' and Gardeners' Almanac. 1887.' " Farmer's Gazette" Office, 23, Bachelor's Walk, Dublin. Mii. JoiiiN F. M Elrov, for the past eight years .secretary of the United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society, died at the gardener's cottage, Moray Lodge, Campden Hill, Kensington, on Sun- Names of plants.-/. K. (Gucnveii).— Bryophyllum calycinum. G. IT. (Halifa.i:).~l, Adiantum fnlvum ; 2, Gynniogr.amma Fearcei ; 3.' Onyehium auratum ; 4, Tricho- manes plunia. IF. //. M, — Lailia anceps bella. G. K. (Dii-ii/).— Linum tiig.vnum. 1/'. /•'. (Cimlrrbiirj/). -'i, Ly- ca^te Skinneri : 2, Pleurothallis prolifcra; 3. Oncldium ligrinnm. A'. G. ( /Aw/ oii/s). — 1, Adiautum colpodcs ; 2, .Vnemidictyon Phyllitidls ; 3, Cheilanthes radiata ; 4. Menis- cium simplex. J. /».-!, Salvia leucantha ; 2, Erica h.yo- uidis ; 3, E. gracilis; 4, Acacia plat.vptei-a U. L'. //. — I, Adiantum tormosum ; 2, Onyehium japonicum. We cannot undertake to return specimens. J. M. i?.— M.as,des.allia tcvarense. Jan. 22, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 87 WOODS & Forests. THE CORSICAN FIR. I'lsrs Laricio is a, very good name, botanically, and it is a name which writers are fond of using, but the best way is to call this Fir by its English name, viz., Corsican Fir, and then there can be no mistake. Most people, who are not foresters, have been familiarised with the tree under this name. I notice (p. 3'J) that "A. I). \V." claims to have " all along strongly advocated the extensive use " of this Fir, which is probably the case, although I have never seen any of his frequent communica- tions on that subject that were published before the character of the tree began to become known through the medium of Wooils and Fonsts. This publication may take credit, I believe, for having done more to popularise the Corsican Fir among planters, and familiarise tlen with its habits and qualities than all the pievious writings on the subject put together, and the result is becoming plain. I like to put the saddle on the right horse. The Corsican Fir was introduced into this country about l.'iO years ago. It has been familiar to our foresters during a great portion of that period, and has been planted to a moderate extent by a few proprietors, but you may travel for days over estates and never see a plantation of it. Some, who profess to see its value now, have all along been planting Spruce and similar worthless sub- jects instead of the Corsican, and you may hunt for years through the writings of those who have written regularly on forestry without finding more than a passing reference to the tree. Until H'co/s and Fori .etter, but they will look much handsomer; and if they are wide enough to allow a roadway along the centre of the lislt, it will bs found a great advantage, both in giving access to the wood for carting, when it is of a size fit for useful purposes, and also when it is young, in affording facilities of inspecting the wood with a view to thinning, vihich, alas ! is so much neglected. Most proprietors know the advantage of a march fence ; they woulJ, in many cases, find it greatly to their benefit and not much more expensive to have a march strip, for which each coterminous proprietor should give 40 yards or ."pO yards, having a road in the centre along the actual line of march, or it might be more convenient if the strip were for so much of its length oa one man's land and so much on the other. By this latter mode, each would be able to thin his own wood to his liking; and this is of greater consequence in a strip than in .almost any other form of plantation, and in strips is almost always neglected. Thi.sning. — I do not think I could name ten plantations in the south of Scotland where the trees are sufficiently thinned ; and the reason you always get for its not being done is, " Oh, the trees are of no use as wood, and they make excellent shelter." Now, in the first place, what is the use of planticg thick ? It may be said the trees shelter one another ; this is a mistake as regards young trees, for by the time a tree is big enough to afford shelter its neighbour is as large, and can give as much shelter as it can ; then the expense of thinning, when the trees are worthless, is considerable, and it requires a bold hand to cut down a fine thiiving tree. I would say, therefore, if you have not courage to thin (though I am rather an advocate for thick planting), plant sparingly. In bells it is peculiarly neces- sary to thin. A belt is planted for shelter ; and for twenty years perhaps, though that is the utmost limit, a belt, planted as thickly as it is generally planted, will form a good shelter, bat after that period the shelter becomes less and less. The trees come to be without a single branch on the stem for 10 feet upwards at least ; they are unhealthy, their roots being choked ; the wind makes feaifid havoc among them, and at the end of the second twenty years there will be but a few stragglers left to tell the melancholy fate of their departed brethren ; THE GARDEN. [Jan. 22, 1887. and, observe, theee stragglers are on the outside of the belt, and possibly on the most exposed side, but where they have had a little more justice in point of room, and got accustomed to the blast. But if a belt is thinned so that the lateral branches barely touch one another, the trees become feathered nearly to the ground, and a dense mass of foliage or branches re- mains to arrest the progress of the wind, and the de- sired shelter is gained. The trees, though not so tall, are healthy and in a more natural state ; their roots have room, and they stand their ground amid the winter storms, which with us are neither few nor far between. A great objection to planting being carried on more extensively than it has hitherto been is the great expense of enclosing. In pastoral countries " a dry stane dyke " is almost necessary. English readers, or some of them, may require to be told that this is a wall built of stones without mortar. It is gene- rally about 4i feet or 5 feet high. This, as above stated, is the most expensive part of the plantation, but one of the most important ; if good durable stone is to be had in the immediate neighbourhood in spite of the heavy outlay, it is the cheapest, the most durable, and satisfactory fence in the long run. But a great many plantations have been made with no other fence than a ditch and turf wall, or as we call them " feal-dykes," with a single railing of paling along the top. This is a cheap fence and is put up, paling included, for about Is. 6d. per rod. The cost will scarcely be a year's interest of the outlay on a stone dyke ; but it requires constant attention, as cattle are apt to rub it down, and sundry other mis- fortunes happen to it. However, with a very mode- rate degree of care it will answer, and in many situations has answered, all the purposes of the stone dyke, and, so far as appearances go, it is much prettier to look at. I do not, as a rule, approve of sowing Whins (Furze or Gorse) on these dykes, for, unless they are regularly switched, they spread into the adjoining fields, and become a great nuisance, and are often destroyed by frost, Drain.^ge. — Draining is requisite in a plantation, which also is much neglected ; by draining, I mean particularly surface drains ; these can be made at a very fmall cost ; about Id. a rood for the ordinary sheep drains, which they resemble, 20 inches wide at top, 14 inches at bottom, and about 12 inches deep. The benefit of these drains is immense in drying the ground, and it is worthy of attention to ob3erve that along the line of drain, upon the stuff thrown out the trees beat tlieir neighbours ; and you can often follow out the line of drain by looking along the tops of the young trees, which in the above situation are so much more vigorous than their neighbours, that they sometimes resemble a hedge on a bare part of the plantation. If a stone dyke is made, there ought to be, in about every hundred yards, a set of steps, forming a stile, for crossing into the jilantation. This will be found a great saving to the wall, if fportsmen and their dogs are in the h.ibit occasionally of following game into it, for both man and dog will prefer the easiest point for getting over the fence, and they will not pull down a stone or two every time they pass, to the danger of their legs and the detriment of the fence. Young plantations are a great shelter for hares, and if it is wished to give them access, let pens or conduits, lii inches by 9 inches, be made also, every 100 yards or 200 yards, in the dyke. Neither these nor tlie stiles will add a sixpence to the original contract price of the dyke. Let these pens or con- duit^, however, be shut up in autumn whenever the corn is cut ; as when the hares lie in the plantation, and feed out of it, they are easily snared on the runs leading to the pens. The pens for the hares should be opened about the beginning of March, and the keeper should look sharp to them. Any gate to the plantation should be boarded, so as to prevent hares passing iu or out ; for if this is not done, it is the poacher's harvest field with his net. During the months of October to March, inclusive, the hares will take the dyke at any part when they wish access, but the young ones are not able to do it. The pens are useful also for young partridges and pheasants paasing to and from the cover. H. How to prevent splitting in the ends of tim- ber when it is being seasoned is a matter now engag- ing attention. According to a recent report, it has been ascertained, says an American paper, after trying a number of expedients, that by painting the ends of the timber with thick glue several kinds of timber can be dried without splitting. It is supposed that the glue penetrates far enough to cement the layers of the wood together near the ends, and thus keeps the ends from drying faster than the rest of the wood. Of course, this method requires seasoning under cover, since rain would have the effect of dis- solving the glue. Firewood and wood fires.— As I burn nothing but wood in five rooms of my house, I hope you will allow me to say a few words on the subject. The fireplaces are circular ; formerly they were square- backed. My father altered them to their present shape, which increased the heat in a marked manner. We have dogs in all the fireplaces. The wood we burn is Oak, Beech, and Ash. In the servants' hall, which has a slate floor. Fir is burnt. The back sticks are, of course, green. The best wood for these is Poplar, which is the least inflammable of all wo>d. The wood is cut up by a circular saw, worked by water power. As far as heat, appearance, and com- fort goes these fires are far superior to those of coal. We never remove the ashes except when absolutely necessary ; then only a small quantity is taken away. Of course there is a great deal in themanagementof the fires. They require constant attention: in this respect they are not so convenient as coal. However, I find servants soon get into the way of them. For clean- liness they are, of course, far superior to coal. The best wood is, without doubt. Ash. The old saying — Asli tJTcen, Fire for a quuen, is a very true one. Spanish Chestnut is the worst wood there is for flying out. We have always one year's stock in hand. The wood is all stacked and thatched. — Reginald Kelly, Kelhi House, Lifton. Pinus Sabiniana.— This beautiful glaucous, grey-coloured, long-leaved Pine was introduced into Britain from Upper California in ]S32by Douglas, and was named in honour of Mr. Sabine, then secre- tary of the Royal Horticultural Society. Douglas describes the trees in their natural habitats as being " of tapering form, straight, and of regular growth, from 40 feet to 120 feet in height, 2 feet to 12 feet in circumference, and, when standing far apart or solitary, clothed with branches to the ground." Some few reach 140 feet in height, but those are not of great circumference. The wood is white, soft, even- grained, and perhaps not very durable. The leaves are in threes, very rarely in fours, from 11 inches to 14 inches long, and drooping during winter. Since its introduction this tree has become extensively distributed throughout the country, but, as a rule, it has not succeeded well ; indeed, it has been a most disappointing tree, except, perhaps, in a few favoured localities. At Holkar, in Lancashire, there is a fair specimen of it, and at Kew, too, it is suc- ceeding tolerably well. Where it does thrive and grow vigorously, and when it is clothed with its long, glaucous, drooping foliage, it is an object of singular beauty, distinct both as regards feature and form. It is highly ornamental planted as a specimen tree in pleasure grounds or in the foreground amongst other Conifers of darker foliage in a pinetuni. It should be planted in sites quite sheltered from cutting and prevailing winds and where there is a good depth of rich vegetable or alluvial deposits ; when planted in thin, poor soils aud exposed to winds, it presents a'ragged, miserable appearance, and its br.anches gradually become, as it gets old, almost divested of leaves ; indeed, in such positions it has been known to perish outright. The idea, therefore, of Pinus Sabiniana ever becom- ing a useful timber in this country may be at once discarded. Its cones, it is said, are very remarkable, being abut 12 inches long, and rough and prickly on the outside ; they grow in clusters round the branches, are recurved, press on the wood for sup- port, and remain on the tree for several years. Statistics from any of your readers who may possess or know of good specimens of this tree would be interesting, stating age, height, present condition, soil, or geological formation, or any other particulars as to habit and suitalility of climate. — S. SEASONABLE WORK. Take advantage of mild, open weather to push for- ward planting operations as vigorously as is consistent with the proper execution of the work. All dry, warm soils should be planted in autumn, but stiff clayey land and deep peat bog which retains an excess of moisture had better not be planted till spring. On such situations Black Italian Poplar, Goat Willow, Huntingdon Willow, Bedford Willow, Alder, and Birch may be planted with success, and as there is always a demand for this class of timber, it soon turns into money. As the different plots of ground are cleared of young trees, lose no time in having the ground dug into rough ridges, which will not only keep it dry, but also expose it to the influence of frost, which will renovate and prepare it for the next crop. In places where the soil is of a poor, thin nature, take advantage of frosty weather to cart and apply a dressing of good loam in order to improve it. Turn over compost and manure heaps, so that they may be ready when wanted. The cutting of underwood should be finished ag soon as possible, after which thinning the timber must be proceeded with, care being taken to mark all the inferior, unhealthy, or badly shaped trees that are likely to interfere with the full development of the better ones that are intended to stand permanently. In cutting young plantations for the first time, great care should be taken to use only good cutting tools, and to finish off the work well. In thinning screen plantations, the workman must, to a great extent, be guided by the depth or thickness of the belt. When it is narrow the removal of any considerable number of trees would mar its effect ; but when its extent will permit of such treatment, the best way to secure a permanent screen is to keep the front trees well thinned out from the commencement, so as to allow them to branch low. By such means also a gradual increase in the height of the trees from the front line to the centre is secured, as those in the interior, from being more crowded, are the more rapidly drawn up. In felling heavy timber, which should be one of the principal occupations of this month when hands can be spared, the cross-cut saw should be used in preference to the hatchet, which will not only pre- vent unnecessary waste of timber, but also give the timber a better and more marketable appearance when put up for sale. Cutting and cleaving cordwood and grubbing hedges or levelling banks are operations that can be done when the ground is covered with snow. Young plantations and ornamental trees and shrubs shou'd be gone over to see that no injury is done by ground game, and any plants that have been nibbled or barked should be " bushed " by tying Heath, Birch spray, or Fir boughs round the necks of the plants ; this will be found a safeguard against further injury for two or three years. Even if the plantations or specimen plants are protected by means of wire net- ting they will require attention to see that rabbits have not made inroads, as they frequently do during frost and snow, by scratching holes underneath the fence, and when pushed by hunger they frequently bite holes through wire netting. Nursery work, lifting and planting trees and shrubs, making and planting cuttings, digging ground that has been cleared of a crop, should now have attention. Now is a good time to scour out all open ditches in p'antations, and to distribute the soil evenly among the young trees, as by this means the fallen leaves are at once fixed, so that they decay on the spot, in- stead of drifting and filling up the watercourses, or choking pinnocks or culverts. New ditches should also be cut where required. Though great attention is paid to letting off water from young plantations, the ditches are often allowed to fill up as the wood gets older, but as the roots of trees penetrate deeper into the soil the necessity for removing stagnant water increases, and instead of the watercourses being allowed to fill up, they should be gradually deepened. This is more especially the case with plantations of Larch and Spanish Chestnut. Unsoundness of tim- ber is frequently caused by the presence of too much water in the soil in which it grows. THE GARDEN. 89 No. 793. SATURDAY, Jan. 29, 1887. Vol. XXXI. ' ' This is an Art Which does mend Nature : change it rather ; The Abt itself is Nature." — Shalrspeare. NOTES FROM MADEIRA. A VISIT to this lonely island, f.ir out in the great Atlantic Sea, will prove of trreat interest to all flower-lovers, more especially so, to my thinking, if they are already familiar with the gardens on the Riviera, for the very likeness only accen- tuates the differences that really exist. A Jilfereuce of 10" in latitude must needs tell on vegetation ; and, in consequence, everything that manages to survive the too frequent frosts or hitter winds of the Slediterranean shore here grows luxuriantly without need of protection. Many tropical shrubs ami trees are also added to the flora. Three weeks of brilliant summer weathi-r to greet a new-comer who arrives in mid-December no doubt predisposes to admira- tion ; but I think that those wlio shiver at home under iienitential skies of leaden grey will under- stand the charm cjf finding the turf on the mountain-sides (when over :iOOO feet above sea- level) carpeted with white Violets anil starred with dwarf rose-coloured Oxalis (0. venusta and purpurea) which on New Year's Day feasted both eyes and nose. Lower down, where water for irrigation may be obtained, the Peach orchards present a most unexpected sight, for here they flower before the leaves of last autumn begin to drop, and quite outrage all our gardening ideas of propriety by showing that they need no winter's rest to enable them to flower and fruit abundantly. From an artistic point of view this behaviour is much to be commended, and for the future I would advise rising artists to add apple- green and red-brown leaves in abundance to their studies of Peach blossoms. Anotlier con- tradiction to all our northern ideas may be found in the Apple trees, which are also in fall flower ; while clusters of rosy-cheeked Apples and deep green leaves are to be found on the next or even the same bush. It is to be remarked that Pear trees do not thrive here, while the hardier Appl- succeeds so well, only confessing by its white flowers, which have no rosy tinge such as we are accustomed to, that a cooler air would be more congenial to it. Lower down and nearer the sea precocious Fig trees are putting out fresh leaves to greet the new year ; Aloes are blooming in thickets of orange Lantana bushes and red Gera- niums ; and everything proclaims that here at least there is no such thing as winter. The avenues of Planes and Oaks — which by some curious inversion of taste the Madeirans have planted largely, to the exclusion of their own beautiful native evergreen trees, the Til (Oreo- daphne fo-tens) and the Vinhatico(Perseaindica) — alone show a struggle between habit and ne- ces.sity, which results in a compromise that is as little satisfactory as such things generally are. The result is that they present a most dishevelled and dissipated look, with about half their wither- ing old leaves still on the branches, which have as partially pushed out fresh growth and young leaves. Once in the gardens, so brilliant with wreaths of the orange Bignonia venustii, gorgeous with wonderful Bougainvilleas of all shades, from the most splendid Indian red, through magenta- ciimsons, purples, and mauves,-to what may be called white, and all manner of tropical fruits, such as Bananas, Mangoes, Custard Apples, Guavas, and others, which are beautiful in foliage aud fruit, nobody can fail to see how wonderful this climate must be, where the sun does not scorch the blossoms, and where the soft air does not wither the teiulerest growth. Soil, they say here, is the cause of the great depth and variety in the colouring of the Bougainvilleas, and I have been shown liranches on the beautiful Indian red variety which sported to the most brilliant ma- genta-crimson, in consequence of fresh soil having been added, which has the appearance of being rich in oxides, if red colour be any test ; but sun- shine and breeze must also be important factors in the case, or such intense colours could hardly exist. Surely it must be an oversight not to plant Bignonia venusta at Nice or Cannes, where so many Bignonias thrive well and flower more or less during the winter, and it is ceitainly a matter of surprise that so beautiful a flower as B. Cherere or B. Tweediana is equally unknown here. Tecoma jasminoides, Bignonia radicans, Solanum jasminoides, Heliotropes, Cassia fistu- losa, and the handsomer C. corymbosa are now in great beauty. Hoses are not remarkable, save for their ijuantity, as they are not cultivated with any care ; but one old Noisette Rose named Adam, in habit and scent resembling Lamarque, but with blooms shading to bright rose, is worth mention, if only to ask, why do we not grow it in England i A huge C'rinum with giant umbels of red-purple-backed flowers, which open nearly white inside, is bold and handsome ; and the big bushes of Iresine Herbsti, covered with feathery panicles of bloom like a white Celosia, are ex- tremely graceful and pretty — a pleasant surprise to those who only have seen it in a ribbon border. Coral trees and an orange Combretum are unusual to European eyes, especially when associated with Dragon trees, Pandanus or Screw Piue, and the rich red-brown bushes of Dracjena ferrea and D. terniinalis. Almost every garden has a fine tree of Strelitzia angusta, whose large creamy white, blue-lii>ped flowers with bronzy sheathes are handsomer, if not so brilliant as the well-known S. Regin.'u that grows underneath. Sugar-canes, Palms, and acres of Bananas, with terraced Vines and Sweet Potatoes, make up the common round of every- day vegetation here, re- placing the Olives, Orange trees, and Rose fields of the Riviera ; and Ficus indica and Bella Sombras (Phytolacca dioica) make the most suit- able boulevard trees. Near Funchal the climate is too dry for the Ferns that are said to be so beautiful on the damp north side, but the Hare's- foot Fern is very common on the stone walls when over IDOO feet above the sea, resembling at a distance our English Parsley Fern on a giant scale, as the rhizomes are generally hidden among the stones. It is not my object to-day to do more than mention the tine scenery inland for which Madeira is as famous as for its climate, but rather to show that there is much to see and learn, which will more than repay any garden lover who does not object to a four days' voyage, when he will surely find flowers and warmth to greet him on landing here. E. H. W. M. Louise, Neapolitan, and Comte Brazza Violets. — These three varieties of Viulets are at the present monent laden with fine blooms. It ap- pears to me that it does not matter what the weather may be — mild, severe, suuny, or sunless (the liind of weather we have had since December 6) — if the plants get proper attention through the previous sum- mer, they are sure to rtpay it by a prodigious harvest ot bloom from October to May. Marie Louise is a grand acquisition, especially in autumn and early winter, but it has in no way diminished my love for the Neapolitan, which is now, and has been for the last month, studded with flowers. An excellent judge of Violets always impresses upon me the fact th.it this variety is the sweetebt, and has the most powerful odour ot any of the Violets. Comte Brazza is very lo'-mst, and extremely floriferous, the plants at the present being white with flowers. Like the Nea politan, it is not so early to flower as Marie Louise, but once it begins there is literally no end to the amount of produce. It is sometimes recnmmended to cultivate the plants during summer in open sunshine, as then thev make less foliage than they otherwise would do. That is a practice that I dare not venture on here, where our subsoil is sand — red i-pider would quickly make its appearance — but probably it answers, and I know it will do where tlie subsoil is clayey loam, and more retentive of moisture than sand. My best plants are always grown on north borders ; the foundations ot the wall seem to keep more moisture in the border during hot weather than is found io the open ; and, with the exception ot the rows nearest the wall, the plants get plenty of sunshine. — Wil. Allan, ii union Park. *,* The flowers sent were exceptionally fine— bright and beautiful to look at under a dull London atmo- sphere.— Ed. Orchids. W. H. GOWER. BURLINGTONIAS. These are small-growing plants, natives of Brazil ami other warm parts of South America. They enjoy an abundance of heat and moisture, and should be rested during the winter months by lowering the temperature, but not by drying them ofl', for if subjected to this process they recover with difticulty. Burlingtonias succeed be.st in hanging baskets or on blocks, but they dislike having their roots much covered. They require a moister air thin that which the Cittleya house affords at some seasons, and therefore we have grown them in the East Indian house. All the known kinds are worth a place in our stoves, but the following are the best, viz., B. fragrans. — This is a tufted plant with small pseudo-bulbs and deep green leaves ; the spike, which is erect, bears from six to eight large flowers, which are produced in April and May, and are pure white, except the centre of the lip, which is stained with yellow. They are deliciously fragrant, yielding a perfume resembling that of the Haw- thorn. B. Candida. — This is another plant of tufted habit. It produces somewhat larger pseudo-bulbs than the last and broader foliage. The spike, which is drooping, bears from three to six large snow-white flowers, which have several fleshy protuberances at the base, where they are stained with yellow. It is also a spring bloomer. B. Leeana is a plant of somewhat recent introduction from the country aViout the Rio Negro. It produces its flowers during winter and early spring ; in habit it resembles the species previously named, but it is more robust in all its parts, and the pendulous spikes bear from five to ten flowers, the sejials and petals of which are creamy white, suft'used with a tinge of rosy purple, and streaked along the centre with a narrow line of yellow. The lip is also creamy white, dotted and spotted with rosy purple, and ornamented with a yellow crest. B. decora belongs to a difl'erent section ; in habit it is somewhat straggling, and should be grown upon a large block of wood, to which it will soon be- come firmly attached by its roots ; the steins, which between the pseudo-bulbs are several inches in length, produce roots along their under- sides. The spikes, which are erect, beir numerous flowers, the sepUs and petals of which are con- vergent, white, blotched and streaked with deep rosy pink. The lip is large and white, and deeply lobed in front. U is a winter-blooming plant. White Cattleya Trianse.— We hear that in several Orchid collections about London this chastely beautiful and much-coveted Orchid is in bloom. One of the largest specimens of it in this DO THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. country is now in flower in Mr. R. J. Measures' collection, Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell. This plant carried the other day no fewer than sixteen spathes, on all of which the flowers were expanded. They are snow-white with not a trace of colour in them except a daah of pale yellow in the inside of the lip. Mr. Measures' rich collection of Cattleyas will shortly produce a great show of bloom, plants of such sorts as C. Trian* and Percivaliana beinsr well furnished with flower-sheaths. in the cool house for two years. Mr. Houghton, at Walthamstow, grows his plants in the warmest house, along with Phalsnopsids, Cypripedium Spicerianum, and other moisture and heat-loving Orchids, and they seem to do well. He had some plants, part of a recent importation, that seemed to be doing better than ours from the same source. This seems conclusive that an East Indian house answers best for this species. — J. D. G. liOng-spiked Coelogyne cristata. — Mr. Tan- ner has now among his Orchids at Camden Wood, Chislehurst, some exceptionally fine Cu'logynes. On one plant there are two spikes, one bearing no fewer than ten flowers, the others nine. We have not heard of so many flowers on a spike before. These spikes have been produced in a curious way, for instead of springing from the base of the last fully developed pseudo-bulb, they are produced from the top of small bulbs about the size of Hazel nuts, made after the normal bulbs were fully grown. Lycaste plana. — It is not of ten that one meets with this handsome Bolivian Orchid in bloom. Mr. Dorman, however, has it in that condition in his garden at Sydenham, in company with L. Lawreneeana and no fewer than four plants of the rare L. Skinneri alba. L. plana has flowers nearly as large as those of L. Skinneri, a species which it resembles in growth. The broad sepals are of a pleasing rosy red colour, and this, in contrast with the white inner petals which are adorned with crimson blotches, makes a pretty flower. In some varieties the lip is white, but usually it is spotted. It always flowers in winter and generally about this season, hence its value. Odontoglossum ramosissimum. — Ordinarily this is not a showy Orchid, but the best forms of it are extremely pretty and very different from the type. Mr. Dorman has a variety in bloom, at The Firs, Sydenham, which is one of the best we have seen. The flowers are spotted all over with violet- purple on a white gi-ound, and not flushed with pink, as is usually the case. In habit of growth it resembles O. cirrhosum, the flower-spikes being tall, much branched, and bear numberless flowers having narrow wavy-edged sepals and petals. As it flowers during winter it is desirable. The Odontoglossum collection altogether is just now interesting. Of 0. Rossi majus there are endless varieties in bloom, and also of 0. crispum. Among others are 0. Andersonianum, both the yellow and white forms ; also 0. Cervantesi and its superb variety decorum, whose flowers are larger than those of the original, and heavily spotted and barred with deep rose-purple. Oncidium tigrinum. — This is a very useful species during the late autumn months ; its long spikes of primrose coloured flowers have a pleasant perfume resembling that of Violets. Now is its resting period, and therefore it should have a rather dry atmosphere, and a temperature of 45° to fiO' suits it admirably. It should be placed quite close to the glass roof, and, as a rule, it needs no water until it shows signs of growth. With it are placed Lalia majalis, L. autumnalis, and the brighter coloured form L. a. atro-rubens. We flower L. majalis well annually by growing it in a light, warm position in the summer, and in a light, cool, and dry place in winter. We give the plants, as a rule, no water during the winter months.— J. D. Cypripedium caudatum. — Of this singular and well-known species large plants in good health have always been, and probably always will be, veiy valuable. I have grown it for many years, but my plants of it have not, as a rule, been so vigorous as I should have liked. We tried them in the cool house, but were not satisfied with the result. They were subsequently placed in a cool, rather shady part of the Cattleya house, where they did better ; but with us the older leaves have a tendency to die back, making the plants look unsightly. Some time during the past season a very well grown specimen was exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, and attached to it was a Ubel stating that the plant in question had been grown ORCHID CULTURE. " W." speaks (p. 41) of Orchids not being orna- mental. I admit there is not much beauty in many of the deciduous kinds when in a state of rest, but many varieties hold their own as regards variegation of an ornamental kind with what are termed fine-foliaged plants, and many others not variegated have a pretty and grace- ful habit of growth. I am not surprised that the grower alluded to by "W." should have given up his Orchids in disgust, when, to use " W.'s " own words, " he had plants which never flowered from the day they came— several years — many that flowered but sparingly, and only a few that flowered fairly well." In this case was there no blame attached to the grower? I was once asked by a gentleman to go and see his Orchids which he had decided to get rid of. I found them in a plant stove, cool and stove varieties receiving the same treatment — Odontoglossums and Cattleyas, Lycastes and Angraecums, Onci- diums and Cymbidiums side by side. I recom- mended that he should not give them up, but treat them according to their several requirements. My advice was taken, and now, although for want of space he has only a small collection, it would be difficult to find a more enthusiastic admirer of Orchids than he now is, or plants in a more thriving condition. " W." implies that Orchids are going out of fashion. If such is the case, I am at a loss to understand what becomes of the enormous consignments that continually reach this country. Orchids, as a rule, are not more expensive to cultivate than a collection of flower- ing and fine-foliaged plants. " \V." admits there are a few varieties worth growing, but limits their number to ten, a number, which I think, might be a little extended. I should like to know which are the ten " W." would recommend. For supplying cut blooms during winter and late in autumn. Orchids are invaluable, both for freedom of flowering and beauty of bloom. Under judi- cious treatment flowers may be had in abundance, say, from the end of November till March, which, as a rule, are dull months. Here we have La'lias in great variety; amongst them may be named anceps, autumnalis, and albida; also Lycastes, Odontoglossums in many varieties, Cn-logynes, Cattleyas, Dendrobiums,Phal:enopsid8,0ncidiums, Angracums, and many others. One other item may be mentioned in favour of Orchids, and that is, that really good varieties, given good cultiva- tion, are always increasing in value, so that it the owner of such plants be at any time desirous of parting with them, he may rest assured of getting not only the money originally paid for them back, but in addition a good percentage on his outlay. — G. H. Here Orchid blooms, as well as those of Roses, have to be forthcoming all through the year, and in quantity. The East Indian house has for the last six or seven weeks been gay with such Orchids as Angr;ecum sesquipedale and the beautiful A. Ellisi, both of which are fragrant. We have also Phahunopsis Sohilleriana, with up- wards of forty flowers on it, and even at this dull season they make a grand display. The rare and beautiful P. Stuartiana is also unfolding its blooms, and on P. amabilis there are thirteen flowers, not one of which is as yet spotted, as is too often the case with this particular species ; it has been in flower for upwards of six weeks, and still retains its beauty. I feel confident that if only a few of these plants were disposed of at any of the auction rooms, they would realise more than treble what the whole collection cost three years ago. Surely " W." must confess, therefore, that here at least Orchid culture pays. In the same house, too, are Calanthes, Lady's Slippers, Saccolabiums, and others intermixed with Euphorbia jacquinia;flora, Poinsettias, Justicias, and other stove plants, and the elVect of the whole may be more easily ima- gined than described. Now, if we gave up the cultivation of Orchids and wholly depended on ordinary stove plants, we should never produce an effect at this time of year .such as we do now. In order to convince " W." that Roses as well as Orchids are cultivated here on an extensive scale, I may state that the number of blooms cut from a Rose house 50 feet by 18 feet was above 2000 be- tween October 21, 18.S5, and April 30, 1886.— A. J. Oncidium Marshallianum. — Amongst yel- low-flowered species this is my favourite, but I must confess that, until the present season, I had not quite mastered its culture. It used to be grown suspended near the roof in the cool end of the Cattleya house, but the plants never seemed to grow there with very great vigour, and the bulbs either did not increase in size, or grew beau- tifully less. They have for twelve months nearly been grown in the cool house, and since the first month in which they have been placed there the increase in vigour has been steady and continuous. They prefer a light position, and basket rather than pot culture. — D. Aerides odoratum. — Amidst such a plethora of new orchidaceous plants this old-fashioned, sweet scented species is becoming neglected. That should not be so, however, for it belongs to a popular genus that can be maintained in good condition for half a century at least under good cultivation in an ordinary plant stove. It does not require a high temperature, and grows with less care bestowed upon it than almost any other stove plant with which I am acquainted. I have grown it in pots without any renewal of potting soil for three years, and the pots outside and in- side have become quite interlaced with roots. The variety purpurascens has longer spikes than those of odoratum, and the flowers are more richly coloured. It was grown in the Royal Gardens at Kew so long ago as the year 1800, plants of it having been introduced by Sir Joseph Banks from China. Both kinds may be grown in any ordinary plant stove in which there is a winter temperature of from 50° to 55°. — D. S. Lycaste Skinneri at Higham Hill.— Since the Orchid conference was held some eighteen months ago at South Kensington, the question of applying manurial agents of some kind to Orchids has been before the public. Mr. Borwick, the owner of the collection at Higham Hill, has persistently advocated the use of fish manure for Orchids. Nearly, if not quite, the whole of the plants in this collection have been treated to fish potash manure in the shape of powder dusted amongst the potting material, or applied in the form of a pinch of the powder thrown into the water with which the plants are watered. All the Orchids thus treated are in a thriving condition, but the collection of Lycaste Skinneri, comprising about half a houseful, is as well grown as it is possible for such plants to be. The most remarkable evidence of good culture is to be found in the two years' growth of quite small plants. Bulbs not much larger than Windsor Beans will form a bulb four times that size in the first season, and this larger bulb will produce another the next season quadrupled in size. The lovely white variety grows quite as freely as the others. There are at present numbers of very beautiful varieties in flower, and these bear some relation to the quality of the plants, the flowers being clean, of large size, and of considerable substance. The potting material used is in all cases of the simplest description; the best fibrous peat is used for Cattleyas, Lalias, &c., and the finer particles passed through a sieve are used for the Lycastes, a portion of loam and leaf-mould being used with them ; in some cases loam and leaf-mould only are employed, and the plants suc- ceed equally well. Many good Orchid growlers fail to cultivate this handsome species of Lycaste well, while with others it succeeds well for a time, Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 91 but subsequently declines in vigour. Some grow their plants in the coolest house, and others suc- ceed equally well with them under Cattleya house treatment. I have plants now purchased twenty- three years ago which are quite as healthy as others obtained four or five years ago. We only grow a dozen plants, and in that number we had two double-flowered ppiluncles this year. Mr. Gilke, the gardener at llitrham Hill, told me that they frequently had two flowers on one stem there, but that they cut one off in order to allow perfect de- velopment in the case of the other. From per- sonal experience I can assert that the use of leaf mould with peat in Lycaste-culture gives greater vigour to the plants than they otherwise would have. I grow the whole of our plants in the Cattleya house, as they grow with greater vigour there than in the more shady and cooler atmo- sphere of the Odontoglossum house. — J. DoruLAs. Fhaius gran'lifolius. — In my opinion the re- marks made by " W." (p. 41) apply to many kinds of Orchids, but there are others which can undoubtedly be grown as profitably as other flowers, and amongst these Phaius grandifolius deserves a place. It is one of the easiest managed and most floriferous of Orchids It may be grown like any ordinary stove plant in summer, and it never fails to throw up its flower- spikes mo-it freely at this season Our be\r towards the base, the front being deeply crenate. The same form also comes from Mr, Horsman, of the Marks Tey Nursery. Cattleva Percivaliana.- Flowersof a very fine form of this labiata tyjie of C.ittleyacome to us from Mr. Osborne, Wilton House, ^i-uthampton. This lection is not generally notable fur size, but the flowers before us measure, neverthe- 1es.s. nearly 5 inches across, and the}^ are exceedingly fine both in colour and form ; the petals are much broader than the sepals, and deep rosy blu.sh suffused with violet. The lip is prettily fiinged on the edge, a>d bordered with a deeper thade of the same hue, passing int^ purplish crimson ; centre rich velvety maroon, basal portion blotched and rayed with deep orange. This is one of the finest varieties of this useful winter-floworiDg Cattleya wlrch has come under our n.')tice. Odontoglossum Rossi majus. — With this I send you six varieties of 0. Rossi, which we think, are very distinct, viz , Humeanum. a^per- sum, rubescens, and a supposed cross between Rossi and Cervantesi. With these are associated two other fine unnamed varieties ; also flowers o' the distinct Lycaste Barringtonia" grandiflora and a very fine variety of Odontoglossum odnratum ; likewi-e Cattleya Trian:t (Measures' variety), cut from a plant with thirteen leading growths and nine flower-sheaths. The flowers sent have been open more than a fortnight. Other t'attleyas blooming here are C. Trian.e Dodt;soni, a very large-flowered and handsome vat iety; C. chocoen- sis amrena, also sent, you will observe the fog ha- completely crippled. It is an elegant and delicate flower, the brilliant colour on front of the other- wise pale lip rendering it very attractive. The L.xdia anceps sent we recognise as the best variety This spike opened at Mr. Measures' country house, the fog having cut ofl^ all our anceps in London this season. — H. Simpkins, Cambridije Loili/c, CaiiiberwiiU. *4* The forms of Odontoglossum Rossi sent herewith are very fine indeed ; 0. Humeanum and 0. aspersum are, however, separated from Rossi by Prof. Reichenbach, who considers them natural hybrids — the former between O, cordatum and 0. Rossi, and the latter between O. Rossi and 0. maculatum. The last has much the appearance of a yellow- flowered form of O. Rossi. The Lrelia anceps is a large, bright-coloured form, and the Cattleyas are charming, confuting the assertion that Orchids are not ornamental, even during winter. — Ed. NOTES OF THE WEEK. Helleborus niger major. — Our Devonshire variety of tliis is uuw finely in Itloom, and a very handsome Christmas Rose it is. The flowers have long foot-stalks, a great advantage when they are used in a cut state. — KonERT Veitch & Son, Exetev. *.,* Foliage and blooms both fine, and the foot- st.alks, being stout, hold the flowers erect. — El). Christmas Roses. — Herewith I send you flowers of a pretty form of what I presume to be Helleborus antii|Uorum. It is always the first to open of this .section, and the oolom-iug is distinct and attractive. K. MooKB, Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasni fin. *^* A handsome Christmas Rose of a dull reddish plum colour outside, but paler within, and most wel- come at this season of the year. — Ed. The white winter Heath (Erica hyemalis alba). — This new white form of the old and well- known winter Heath is a welcome addition to winter-flowering greenhouse jilants. It is the exact counterpart of the type in hiibit of growth and floriferousness, differing only from it in colour, and when better known it cannot fail to become ex- tremely popular. We saw it recently finely in flower in the nurseries of Mr. Kinghorn, at Rich- mond. Acrotriche divaricata is the name of a prttty little plant .at Kew that seems worth attention as a winter greenhouse shrub. It has the appearance of a small Epacris ; the branches are very slender, and every twig is terminated by a cluster of snow-white flowers. The plant is a profuse bloomer, and as neat as a Heath in growth. Its flowei-s would be found very useful for making up small button-hole bouipiets. It may be setn among the Australi.iu pl.ants in the temperate house. The late Marshall P. Wilder. — .\t a meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society held the other day, it was stated, concerning Col. Wilder, that a fund established by the provisions of his will, by which medals are annually to be giv'--u for the encouragement of the cultivation of certain fruits, would for ever he associated with his name, and would be the means of perpetuating his memory. Royal Botanic Society, — Arrangements for ISSr, — Exh bilious of spring flowers, Wednesday.', March i;3 and Apiil 20; summer exhibitions of plants, flowers, and fruit, Wednesdays, May 18 and •Tune 15; evening fete and exhibition, probable date, ■loly 6 ; special extiibition of American plants, by Mr. An'hcmy Wiiterer, Knap Hill, Surrey, daily (.luring .Tune ; promenades, Wednesdays in May, •lune and .July at 3,30 p.m. Acacia longifolia — This is one of the very l)est of the Acacias for growing as small plants for the greenhouse, and as it is one of the earliest to bloom it is the more valuable. Some well-grown pot plants in ihe greenhouse at Kew make a very bright show, the clear sulphur-yellow of the fl "wers being dif- ferent from that of others. They are produced in dense round spikes about as thick as a pencil, and some 2 inches in length, and these spikes wreathe each of the slender branches. It is a far finer plant than the common A. platyptera, also in flower now, which, though singular in growth and floriferous, is not of such a good telling colour. The Silver Wattle tree (Acacia dealbata) is again the chief attraction of the great temperate house at Kew. The fine tree of it, which reaches the roof, will be presently quite a golden cloud of blossoms, which, with the silvery foliage and white stem and branches, have a charming effect. This tree has for many years been the feature of the house for several weeks from the end of January, and it seems to have reached its full growth, and it is only when such grand specimens as this are seen that one can form an ide.a of the glow of colour these Acacias make in the Australian bush, and one can scarcely judge of the grandeur of this Kew tree from seeing the .Silver Wattle as a pot plant. The white Freesia, — A lovelier or more fra- grant plant than this does not exist, and its blossoms at this dull season aff-'rd the greatest treat in the greenhouse that one can have. But it is not generally known that Freesias may be forced into bloom so early or so easily. A few weeks only elapse from the pot- ting of the bulbs till the flowering time, and if good sound bulbs only are potted, and these not subjected to a great heat, a good crop of bloom will be the re- sult. The pure white variety known as F. refracta alba is the sort to choose, the flowers of the others being of a yellowish tint, while those of alba are pure white, and deliciously scented like Violets. A group of white Freesias in the greenhouse at Kew quite scents the house. The Rose Mallow (Hibiscus rosa s-inensis), — ■ It is much to be regretted that this extreoiely showy, free flowering, and easily-grown plant is so little cultivated as it is in private gardens. It is an excellent subject for covering back walla in lean- to stoves, and by a judicious use of the knife can be readily formed into a handsome si>ecimen in a pot ; there is no lack of variety in the colour of the flowers both single and double. A large single .icarlet variety, name! fulgidus, having a crimson blotch at the base of each petal, we saw recently covering the back wall of a stove at Beddingtou House, where it was very effective ; the large, rich, shining, green leaves qirite hid the wall, and formed a charming background for the biilliant blossoms. Iris reticulata. — Roots of this I potted up in August, and phmged them in a cold frame till December ; then I placed them on a shelf, near the glass, in an early Rose house, in which the minimum temperature was 45^. With this small amount of forcing we were able to have them in flower along with the earliest batches of Lily of the Valley. When one takes into consideration the heat required in order to have Valley Lilies by Chri>tmas and the new year — certainly not less than 80" or 90" — it is surely .a great recommendation to this handsome little Iriss, with its Primro-e-like fragrance, that with so little trouble and attention it m.ay be had in flower in the depth of winter. — W.M. Allan, Ounton Park. *^* With this came lovely flowers — beautifid even as those of an Orchid, rich deep violet in colour, set off with bright yellow markings on the blade ; their fragrance, too, is delightful ; doubtless the ease with which this Iris forces arises from the fact th.at it blooms naturally, in ordinary seasons, in the open air, in the end of January and February. — Ed, The Nepaul Barherry (Berberis nepalensis), a common jilant in open air gardens, is now a fine object in the temperate house at Kew, where there is a plant 92 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. 10 feet or 12 feet high in bloom. Each of the taU stems is te^mina^ed by a dense cluster of lemon-yellow flower-spikes, and these, with the long, handsome foliage and chalky white stems, are highly attractive. It is only when planted in a large conservatory or against a warm wall that the full beauty of this noble Himalayan Barberry can be neen, for it rarely flowers when plantf'd in the open. It is one of the hand- somest shrubs one could choo-e for planting out in a large, cool coi'servatory border, for, being an Ever- green, it is a handsome object all the year round. Garden in the House. Spiraea japonica. — Thia is of such exceptional merit indoors as to be worthy of a prominent place, and it is of very easy culture. Few flower- ing plants indeed have such an elegant appear- ance, the plume like masses of bloom, so pure in colour, being set off to the best advantage by the fresh green, much-divided, elegantly -disposed foliage. As regards habit, this Spirfea is the ideal of what a pot plant should be, and it is not to be wondered at that it should be in sucli great demand for indoor ornamentation. Many thou- sands of it are annually disposed of in Covent Garden Market, .and It is equally in favour in other countries. The important point is to ob- tain well-grown roots, for small weakly pieces yield but a faint idea of the beauty of this SpirnL>a. These should be obtained at the close of autumn when growth has come to an end, and be potted at once in their blooming pots, in free but rich soil, such as loam with a good addition of decomposed manure. From the beginning of November till the middle of March a cool room is the best place. After the last-mentioned date they will do very well in a living room, and will, of course, come into bloom earlier, but if allowed to come on in a cool temperature, the flowers will be much finer. As this Spir:ta is a coarse-rooted plant, the pots become well filled with fibres by the time the spikes are thrown up ; therefore, they require an abundance of water (luring that time onwards, and some weak liquid manure at frequent intervals. It is ab.solutely necessary that the growth be made in the open air ; therefore, the last week in May plants which have bloomed in the dwelling should be turned out. Do not neglect to water them, and, if you have a garden, you cannot do better than plant them ouc in rich soil for the summer. As they will be too large for the same pots the following year, it is best to cut the clumps in two when setting them out. If they are to be kept in pots they will need dividing and repotting in rich soil, and in this way Spiraja japonica may be success- fjUy grown where there is no convenience for planting out. S. palmata resembles its congener in manner of growth; it is not quite such a graceful plant, but the flowers are of a fine rose colour, and it is well worthy of careful culture. The treatment required is identical with that de- scribed for S. japonica. — J. C. Deutzia gracilis. — When in good bloom this is one of the most pleasing plants in culiivation, the numerous pure white flowers contrasting admirably with thedelicategreenfoliage. Although by nature a hardy shrub, and therefore of easy culture, it does not seem to be so well grown as one would think it ought to be— a fact attributable to the want of liberal culture after the blooming season. I would advise window gardeners to grow this little shrub in a cool room ; it blooms much better when it comes along very gradually, and in the confined atmosphere of a living room the flowers are apt to come very small and deformed. Like Spira;a japonica, the Beutzia enjoysa free root run in good soil throughout the growing time, and this is the way florists and market growers treat their plants. At the same time good results are obtainable when the plants are ripe in the pots, but they require strict attention in the matter of water and feeding when making their growth. Dautzias often sutfer much when they are turned out of doors after blooming, and cold nights and biting winds cripple the growths, which are more tender than those of any flowering shrub that I am acquainted with ; and therefore they should remain under cover, and where they get plenty of air until quite the latter end of May. Those who possess a cold frame will have no difficulty in giving their plants the treatment they need after blooming ; but when this accom- modation fails, select some sheltered, rather shady position, allowing them to remain there for a week or two, and then placing them in full sun. Another equally important point is not allowing them to want for water aud food, as such neglect induces a crippled condition, which it takes a month or two of liberal culture to remove ; I may add that unless these little details are observed, there will be but little use in attempting to grow this Deutzia. — Byfleict. CAMELLIA CULTURE. Bi'ii-DROPriNG. — It is not unusual for Camellias which at the end of the autumn are full of buds to cast the majority of them during the winter. Bud- dropping, in the case of Camellias, is undoubtedly due to an insufficiently active flow of sap at a critical moment. Just at the time when the first flowers begin to open, the great strain on the resources of the plant commences, and it stands to reason that if only sufficient food for a dozen buds is drawn up, and if there are more than that number on a plant, some of them must suft'er. This is the case with all flowering plants, but they show it in the shape of small or de- formed blooms ; whereas the Camellia gets rid of the buds that it cannot nourish. It is a singular fact that weakly Camellias are apt to set a larger number of buds than those in robust health. The buds are, however, not large, and lack sub- stance. I have noticed this peculiarity in the case of many kinds, notably such free blooming varieties as the red, double white. Lady Hume's Blush, and Donckelaari. When a not over-strong plant carries half a dozen, or more, buds on a .shoot, it is a great chance if any of them comes to perfection. The best way in such cases is to give the plant a complete rest by picking off the buds for a year or two. This, in combina- tion with good cultural care, will bring it into a healthy, floriferous condition in a couple of seasons. There are not many, however, prepared to make so great a sacrifice, and unless a plant is in a very bad state indeed, disbudding will suffice. Not more than one bud to a shoot should be left, and the thinning should be done as soon as the buds are formed. By retaining all the buds none of them will become good, well- formed blooms whilst they remain on long enough CO keep the vital forces of the plant at a low ebb. There are some kinds, such as Jacksoni and Mathotiana alba, that produce buds sparingly, and in a general way in their case there is but little margin for thinning, but the generality of Camellias are the better for being examined as soon as they are housed, leaving only as many buds as the strength of the plants will allow them to develop properly. This will alone in many cases do away with bud dropping, and would maintain the plants in a healthy state. Over- cropping a Camellia lowers its vitality for some years. The great point is to know how many rtowers a plant is able to expand without distress, and to leave that number only. Although bud- dropping does not as a rule occur before winter is well on its way, the injury is often done at a much earlier period. A dangerous time is when the plants are brought in from the open air. Unless care is taken to give them plenty of air for a time the change is apt to partially arrest the flow of sap, and then good-bye to a satisfactory show of bloom. Another fertile source of mischief is fire heat in winter. Dry heat is what Camellias can- not bear. A gentle warmth of from 50° to 5.')" will be rather beneficial to them than otherwise, but give them 10' or so more and you court disaster. Repotting. — Opinions difTer considerably as to the best time for repotting, some preferring autumn when growth is completed and before the roots have ceased to be active, whilst many choose the late spring months for doing so. I should myself prefer the latter period, choosing the moment when young growths are beginning to push. This is the time when Camellias are al- ways kept warmer and closer than usual in order to promote early growth, conditions which favour free root action. If discrimination is used as re- gards the amount of fresh soil employed, the roots ought to take good possession of it by the autumn, so that when placed in the open air they are in a condition to bear lieavy rains without suffering. If potted in autumn they ought to be taken under cover immediately, or many of the roots will decay. I cannot but think, however, that it is rather risky to repot Camellias when buds are on them. There is one thing about which all Ca- mellia growers ought to be careful, and that is to avoid all semblance of overpotting. The health of thousands of good Camellias in this country has been permanently injured in this way. I do not know any flowering plant that can be retained in a floriferous condition for so long a time in a root- bound condition as (he Camellia. One grower told me that he had not repotted his plants for seven or eight years, and stated that he did not intend to disturb them for another equally long period if they remained in the same healthy floriferous condition that they were then in. I myself have had plants in my charge that had not been repotted for ten years, and they looked remarkably well. Thiy were, however, in tuba and very large pots. In the case of young plants it is, of course, desirable to bring them along as quickly as possible, and their roots should not be allowed to become too thickly matted. As to compost, eifher peat or loam alone will grow good Camellias, that is, if the right material can be obtained. I have always preferred about half of each with a dash of leaf soil, plenty of silver sand of the coarsest description, and a little charcoal, which, by the way, is about the best thing that can be used as drainage. Young plants should not be potted hard, but when they come into S-inch pots they can scarcely be potted too firmly. Firm potting causes the roots to ramify and fill the upper portion of the compost better than when they can easily find their way to the bottom of the pot. This is one of the surest safeguards against the soil becoming soddened. Renovating unhealthy plants. — Whatever may be the cause of ill-health in Camellias, the roots are sure to be deficient in quantity and activity, and before top-growth can again become satisfactory they must be brought into a healthy condition. The surest way of doing this is to put them for a time on a spare diet. As much of the old soil as possible should be got away ; the plants should be replaced in clean, well-drained pots just sufficiently large to contain the roots, using fine, well sanded peat. All pieces of decayed roots should be cut away with a sharp knife. With careful watering and suitable atmospheric conditions a certain amount of healthy growth will be made the following season. In a general way the fresh compost given will be enough for a year or two. When the pots get full of roots and a good amount of healthy foliage is made, they may be shifted again. After potting they should be placed in a close house and be well syringed twice a day in fine weather, keeping off hot sun. On no account should plants which are under- going this process of restoration be allowed to flower. J. C. B. QUESTIONS. ■'.54:!.— Pear-tree scale- — If any reader of The Gabde.v would kindly give the Itest niean-s of freeing Peit trees iD au orchard liousu from scale, 1 would feel obliged — M. I). .'.;.44— Sulphate of ammonia. — 1 have been told that this is a capital manure for Vines, Peaches, and pot plants gener.iliy. Wdl someone kindly say if that is so, and the strength at which it should be used V— P. S, oo4'>.— Skating-rink.— 1 should be very gr.iteful if any reader of The Garden would gie considered otherwise than a highly ornamental plant, even if it never flowered, for its young shoots are brilliant red, and the handsome foliage is rarely without some bright tint ; but its character does not belie its name, and the wealth of golden and tawny blossoms displayed constitutes truly enough a vision of gold, and not a fleeting vision like an every-day dream either, for the flowciing only ends when the frosts begin. The second variety is the now well-known and deservedly popular 94 THE GARDEN. [Jan -29, 1887. William Allen Richardson, not so rampant as Re\'e d'Or, but (juite sturdily vigorous enough for all practioil purposes, and very nearly, if not quite, as hardy as the latter. At any rate numerous plants of William Allen Richardson of various forms passed uninjured through the try- ing winter of 1885-86 with only the slight pro- tection of a few fronds of Bracken twisted among them, which all Teas and Noisettes deserve and are the better for in hard weather ; and, as far as can be seen at present, the long spell of cold now coming (it is to be hoped) to an end, although the thermometer twice registered upwards of 2.5° of frost, has not inflicted appreciable injury on plants of this delightful Noisette, whose decora- tive value is enhanced by the fact that the bright orange colour of its flowers is unique among Roses, while the plant is almost evergreen and thoroughly autumnal. Red Roses that are available for training over arches are few and far between, but the Hybrid Tea Reine Marie Henriette is a first-rate variety for the purpose, and, growing with immense vigour, produces its bright, clear red flowers in abundance throughout the season. The attractive semi -double red Hybrid Tea or Hybrid Noisette Reine Olga de Wurtemburg, which was figured in The Garden early last year, would make an admirable arch Rose, but for the solitary objec- tion that its magnificent foliage is liable soon to become " tattered and torn " by the action of the wind when this Rose-giant is grown anywhere away from a wall. But a lack of good hardy red climbing Roses is no reason for ignoring good hardy climbers that are ready to hand, even though they be not bright-coloured ; and there are two single Roses which are both better worth growing to cover arches than all the Hybrid Perpetuals .so often recommended put together. One is Rosa Brunonis, often called the Hima- layan Brier, which makes incredibly long shoots, enough to furnish an arch in a single season, and of which the pretty bluish green foliage is almost hidden at the flowering time by the mass of snowy single blossoms ; the other, last, but not least in value at any rate, is Rosa polyantha, a Japanese sub-,species of R. multiflora, and one of the most attractive Roses in cultivation. It has all the recommendations enumerated above ; it grows with the utmost luxuriance, and regu- larly becomes smothered with blossom. M. Jean Sisley, of Lyons, declares his belief that it is the hardiest Rose in existence ; it may be easily trained in any direction ; the foliage hangs on late, and though composed of many leaflets, the leaflet is not large, and the plant appears almost exempt from mildew ; moreover, it will grow in any soil or situation, it roots as a cutting with the greatest readiness, and its white flowers, though individually small, are produced in such immense trusses as to be highly decorative, while their delicious fragrance scents the air for yards round a large plant in blossom. Under these circumstances, the only wonder is that this plant is not abundant in all gardens where Roses are appreciated ; but the fact probably is, that too many gardeners still consider single flowers a re- proach to a Rose, which no other merits can compensate. There are many other Roses which are often included in lists of kinds said to be desirable as arch Roses, such as the Boursaults, which, how- ever, cannot conscientiously be recommended on account of their dreary colouring. Again, thecharm- ing Rose which goes under the name of Fortune's Yellow is too tender to be grown in this country anywhere but against a wall — a position which it thoroughly deserves ; and the same may be said of the Bauksias. None of the Mosses are of real value for the purpose; Lanei is the only one of sutticient vigour, and that is too stiff and rigid to be ornamental. One or two Hybrid Chinas, such as Blairi No. 2, may be employed, but all the Hybrid Perpetuals practically involve an outlay of time and trouble by no means repaid by the effect produced ; while the few Gallicas, d'C, that might possibly be available are such victims to mildew as to be hardly ever otherwise than an eyesore. In arranging Rose arches it must, of course, be borne in mind that it is essential that things intended for use be eminently usable ; and if arches are made across a path, care must be taken that they do not make such path inconvenient for traffic. Thus, the pillars of an arch should be at least 3 feet from each margin of the walk spanned, in order that the dresses of passers-by may be safe from the thorny shoots ; and if the walk be (J feet wide, this will give a base of 12 feet wide, for which a central height of 10 feet will be found to give an effective and practical arch. Where there is to be a series of arches, they should be at least 3 yards or 4 yards apait, and each arch should be composed entirely of iron, for if the uprights be made of wood they soon give way at the ground-line, especially when the plants trained upon them become vigorous and offer considerable resistance to the wind. The only objection to iron uprights is that from their smaller diameter they are less convenient to train plants to than wooden posts; but any dilfi- culty arising from this may be obviated by fixing a few horizontal cross-bars on to the iron uprights, and to these the Rose shoots can be tied so as to avoid undue crowding in the earlier stages of growth. The best way of plant ing is to put in two trees of the same kind, one at the foot of each upright, and then by liberal culture to encourage the most vigorous growth possible ; but if a variety is usetl which does not furnish well, there is no reason why two or three plants of it should not be planted at either pillar in order to get the arch more completely wreathed. Then, if varieties well adajjted to the purpose, such as those above suggested, be em- ployed, the shoots from the two sides will soon meet across the centre, and, interlacing, form a triumphal arch or series of arches of a most attractive kind. Propagating. Trees and shrubs. — Where different hardy trees and shrubs are propagated many of them are grafted on allied kinds, and in the case of some of these it is necessary to keep them under glass till a union has taken place. When stocks are re- quired for this purpose they must be potted during winter, and plunged in the open ground till needed. No time should therefore now be lost in potting up any stocks not yet moved, and which are likely to be required. This more particularly applies to such trees and shrubs as the various Conifers, Rhododendrons, some Oaks, Ivies (as stocks for the tree varieties). Privets, which may be used as stocks not only for members of the same genus, but also for the allied species of Osmanthus, and for the deliciously scented Olea fragrans, which grows well treated in this way, but though grafted on a hardy shrub it will not withstand our winters out of doors. The common Spindle tree is by some largely used as a stock on which to graft the various variegated forms of the Japanese Euonymus, and, strange to say, the deciduous character of the stock does not in the least seem to affect that of the scion. In potting up stocks for grafting, all straggling branches should be shortened, and the height of the plant may, if necessary, be reduced. One thing to bear in mind is that space under glass even during summer is somewhat limited, so that in order to economise it the different stocks should be put in as small pots as possible con- sistent with the preservation of the roots. Small pieces of Spurge Laurel (Daphne Laureola) may also be potted if likely to be required later in the season on which to graft the sweet-scented green- house kinds. DRAC.ii.N'As may now be propagated in quantity, as if struck thus early in the season they may be grown into good-sized specimens soon enough to become well coloured before winter. Where they have been employed indoors during winter there will be plenty of plants with just a iew leaves on the top of a tall, naked stem. These are the very best for propagating purposes, as the tops can be cut off just below the leaves, or rather with stem sutticient to hold the cutting in position. Pots for their reception should be prepared by placing a few broken crocks in the bottom and tilling up with a compost consisting principally of peat and sand in about equal parts, with just a little loam to give it body. When the cuttings are inserted they must be pressed down firmly, and as the leaves are heavy and often sway about, they are best secured in position by means of a small stick, as unless this is done the action of rooting is retarded. One point to bear in mind is, on no account to allow any soil to get about the base of the leaves, otherwise decay is apt to set in there. After the cuttings are in their pots a thorough watering must be given ; they can then be plunged in a close propagating case in a bottom-heat of from 80" to 85", when they will soon root. When the tops are disposed of the stems may be shaken out of their pots and cut into pieces of 3 inches or 4 inches in length. The thick flesliy roots may also be treated in the same manner, only in their case a length of a couple of inches will be quite sufficient. These stem-cuttinga should then be laid horizontally on a bed of Cocoa-nut fibre, and covered for about an inch with the .'ame material. A space of an inch or more should be left between each row of stems or roots to allow room for the plants to grow when they make their appearance. If these cuttings are put in a close propagating case no water will be needed, for the condensed moisture and that contained in the fibre will be sufficient to maintain them in a fresh condition till growth takes place. In a short time young plants will be pushed up from every joint, and when they have made four or five leaves they will be quite fit to be removed from the parent stem. On moving them, nearly all the young plants will be found to have pushed out roots ; all that is necessary then is to pot them, and, after keeping them close for a few days in order to allow the roots to recover from the check sustained, they may then be inured to the ordinary treatment of a stove. After the shoots have all been removed the stems that are still sound may be laid in again if any more plants are needed, but the second crop will be by no means equal to the first. Some prefer to lay the stems in well-drained pots or pans of sanfiy peat, treatment which is perfectly .successful, but longer time is needed than when laid in fibre, though where numbers of different sorts are grown they are less liable to become in any way mixed if a pot or pan be kept for each sort. By some, too, the large tops are simply struck in the fibre ; this they do readily enough, but the roots there formed are so brittle that the greatest care is needed in potting them. In thisre-spectthose struck in small pots have the advantage, as they can be shifted into larger ones without injury. Some Dracenas cannot be increased by means of stem- cuttings, and in their case a slower mode of pro- cedure is rendered necessary. Among the best known of these are Goldieana, gracilis, and con- gesta. In their case the top must be cut otf, and treated in the same way as the first-mentioned kinds ; but instead of turning the naked stem out of the pot, it must still be kept there, when another head will be produced to take the place of the one removed, and when large enough it is then available for a cutting. By this means a considerable number can, in time, be produced from a single plant : but, of course, the rate of increase is nmch slower than in the case of those whose stems break freely into growth. Where it is especially desired to maintain the crown of loliage, in the case of a choice variety, in as good Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 95 condition as possible, two or three incisions may be made in the stem, which should then be bound round with Jlofs, when from the wounded por- tions roots will push forth, and when sufficiently advanced the stem may be separated just below the ball of Moss, and at once potted. The same end is attained by breaking a small pot in two and encircling the stem with it, as if the pot is held in position by a bit of wire, it forms a good receptacle for the Moss, or other compost, into which the plant is required to root. SohT WOODED PLANTS, such as Fuchsias, Bou- vardias, Heliotropes, and a host of other things, kept partly at rest, should now be taken from their winter quarters, cleansed from all decaying leaves or other impurities, and placed in a gentle heat, when they will soon bristle with young shoots, which strike root very quickly. Some- times, however, a few of the plants do not break into growth with the freedom that could be wished ; this may, as a rule, be remedied by re- potting them in good, light compost, the stagna- tion in most cases being caused by the roots being in bad condition, frequently from the soil having become sour and exhausted ; when in that state young healthy roots cannot make their way, and consequently the growth of the entire plant is arrested. Where the pretty white Deutzia gracilis is forced for early flowering, a good opportunity presents itself to obtain an almost unlimited stock of cuttings, for the shoots produced in the tem- perature of a forcing house will frequently com- mence to push forth roots while still attached to the parent plant, caused, doubtless, by the moist atmosphere. If these shoots are taken off at about .'i inches in length, the bottom pair of leaves re- moved, and then dibbled into pots of light, sandy soil, they strike root in about ten days, that is, if kept close in the same temperature as that in which they have been grown. If they are then potted ort' and sheltered by a frame till frosts are over, and then planted out, they make sturdy little plants the first season. Fkrx sroREs. — The best time to sow these is about the end of this month and the whole of next, as the young plants then grow away without any check, which is not the case if sown late in the season. In the case of deciduous kinds it is, of course, necessary to secure the spores at the proper season, but in that of evergreen species it is totally different, as the spores can be gathered at any time. Where any are needed for sowing they should be at once gathered, and if folded in clean paper and laid in a dry place, they will be ready for sowing whenever required. Fern seed is all the better to lie for a week or two before it is sown. In choosing fronds from which to gather it, do not select those in which the spores appear very brown and ripe, as the probability is, most of their seeds have already dropped ; but choose those rather in which the spore cases are just opening. T. TROPAGATING HARDY PLANT.S. There is just as much reason why we should have propagating hou-es for hardy plants as for any other, yet we must often be contented with an odd frame or two for that purpose. The house we use for hardy plants is such ai might be used successfully for any class of plants, from the softest, such as a Phlox, to the hardest, such as a Heath. It is a modern epan-roofed house, 50 feet long, 9 feet wide, i feet bi>;h in the walls, and the angle cf the roof is 50"^. The walk down the centre is, I may say, 2| feet wide ; the beds are 3 feet wide, and their level is i; mches from the glass at the back. The beds have slab bottoms, tight sides, and are filled with 4 inches or 5 inches of coarse, grey sand. Coarse silver sand would do, not fine of any kind, and red sand not at all. The hot- water pipes are boxed in, with flaps to let out heat into the body of the house during the coldest weather, a flow and return on each side answering our purpose. More piping could be added, depending upon the class of plants desired to be propagated. For Crotons, Stephanotis, Dipladeni.is, Allamandas, and Palm seeds bell-glasses could be used. One side, too, could be kept cooler than the other by means of the valves. Such a house ia clean, and the dangers arising from damp and mildew are lessened. Our beds are used summer and winter. We take cuttings of anything we want whenever we can get them. But our most important season is winter, in order to meet probable demands in the coming spring. I have been successful with cuttings of Achillea tomentosa, A. moschata, and A. Ptarmica fi.pl. Although the majority of Asters come quickly from seed, yet with some, division or cuttings is about the only method by which they can he increased, and cuttings always make neater plants. The sorts to which I allude are A. Amellus and A. alpinus, their varieties and allies. Most Campamdas root as easily as Ijobelias, and the cutting plan can be adopted wherever desired. In some cases it is required to take up plants in the autumn, wash the soil off them, and cut them up. This happens in the case of C. garganica and ( '. Waldsteiniana, and probably others. Geraniums may be struck from root or stock, though it is slow work in the case of G. cinereum and G. argenteum. In the case of the double Helianthus multifiorus, flowering shoots make the nicest plants imaginable. There is a Houstouia {H. rotundifolia) which can be most efficiently increased by cuttings, by division, and also by seeds. In habit it resembles the pretty little Veronica alpina, or V. repens, as it is often called. This species of Houstonia is from Florida, and is a beautiful carpet plant. When in b'.oom it is just as lovely as H. cerulea alba, the blooms being pure white. The creeping Hypericums will possibly all "strike," but H. aureum, probably the best of all decidedly shrubby kinds, comes so easily and quickly from seed, that I have never had occasion to try it from cuttings. I have the lovely H. reptans ; also H. Coris and QJuotheras, particularly H. missourien- sis. Of the latter, I usually take up a few plants in autumn and bring them along in heat, so I tike cut- tings, which form nipe plants for sending out early, of the lovely Onosma tauricum. Much has been written about its propagation ; we have not the least trouble. I put in 200 cuttings (or, to express myself exactly, hackings or slips) last November, and 90 per Cent, are rooted now (Jan. 10). It stands our win- ters unprotected in the open ground, and our winters here are not the ideal ones that are experienced east of the Alleghauies. The worst winter weather we have is that which is exceptionally warm following a period of frost and snow. Experience has told me that when we can plainly hear a certain steam pump in the vicinity, a blizzard from the north-west is nigh at hand. In less than twenty-four, sometimes twelve, hours the water and mud, which could not properly drain off on account of the ground not being thawed quite through, become frozen into a solid mass ; then it is when the cold wind does the damage. The Oriental Poppy (Papaver orienlale) can b; increased quite easily from root cuttings. Petah sternum de- cunibens, a lovely rosy flowered alpine, almost, if not entirely, unknown in Britain, will strike, but seed is better. This, when known, will prove a valuable acquisition. Underground species of Polemonium reptans root easily, but in very little heat, being liable to rot. Roots of Saxifraga crassifolia — in fact, all the Megasea section — increase readily from cut-up roots, as does also Stokesia cyanea. T. D. Hatfield. rassalc, Ntw Jersey, U.S.A. 'nto their composition, or had been used as a stimulant to start the roots off more freely.— HORTUS. Leaves for leafmould. — I was rather tur- prised to note that Mr. Coleman recommends Beech for this purpose, as my experience is that Beech leaves are almost the worst that can be used. . Against the others, Oak and Spanish Chestnut, 1 have no objection to urge. But Beech leaves are too hard, and more given to the produc- tion of a species of white fungus than almost any other leaves. Lime, Elm, Plane, and Sycamore form better mixtures with Oak than Beech, though most of these are almost too soft and perishable by themselves. They, however, soften, mellow, and enrich leafmould, and for general purposes pro- bably form better leaf-mould than others with any large percentage of Beech. Again and again I have found Beech most mischievous a.s regards the diffusion of white fungi in fruit-tree borders, wheie leaf -mould made from it had entered even sparingly Stove and Greenhouse. T. BAINES. ROGIERA GRATISSIMA. The Riigieraa are a small genus of Evergreen shnibs indigenous to South America ; they con- .sist of some four or five species, the first of which wa.s introduced near upon half a century ago. But the kinds that first made their appearance have not met with much favour at the hands of cultivators, being rarely met with even in gardens where a feature is made of plants that are scarce and uncommon. The last of the species introduced, R. gratissima, is much tlie best of the genus, and is a real acquisition, yet so far it also seems to have made so little headway that to meet with it is a rare occurrence. Possibly this may in some measure have arisen through the plant having been described as requiring stove heat, and which lias induced those who have undertaken . its cultivation to subject it to a higher temperature than it could bear, a course of treatment that has caused many desirable plants to get a bad name. This is especially the case with such as hail from the same country (Mexico) as the species under notice, and which generally are found to do best in an intermediate temperature, or even in that of an ordinary greenhouse, as under the over-exciting influence of too much heat they keep on growing until their energies are ex- hausted, showing little inclination to flower iu a way that admits of their merits being fairly judged. R. gratissima is more like the stronger- growing form of Rondeletia speciosa, R. fpeciosa major, in appearance than any other plant that I can think of, but the wood is stronger and longer-jointed than that of the Rondeletia, and maintains a more erect habit of growth when it gets old. The flowers are borne in comparatively large terminal corymbs, in shape like those of the Rondeletia, but larger and much more imposing in appearance ; the colour is a pleasing shade of pink. The plant when well grown is a very free bloomer, flowering from the point of every shoot. It flowers in summer, earlier or later, according to the temperature it is subjected to. It will succeed fairly well under pot culture, small examples in 5-inch or C-inch pots some- times blooming as well in proportion to their size as larger specimens. But it is best adapted for planting out and training against a wall in a house or pit where it will get suflicient light. A dark position, such as the back of a lofty house aft'ords, does not answer fur it, the shoots coining long and straggling, whilst the leaves are wanting in substance to admit of their enduring as they should do. The end of a house that is composed of 2 feet or 3 feet of brickwork with glass above suits these plants well, and in .such a position it will keep on in a thriving state for a lengthened period, flowering profusely. It strikes readily from cuttings put in as early in the spring as they can be had in right cundi- tion. To insure their rooting satisfactorily, the cuttings shiiuld consist of young shoots, such as are usually forthcoming from branches that have been cut back to the hard mature wood ; w^hen they are a few inches long and have got a little firm, they should be taken off with a heel at- tached, inserting them singly in small pots in sand. Keep them fairly moist, and set them under a propagating glass in brisk heat and shaded from the sun. When sufficiently rooted, dis- pense with the glass and move them into larger pots well drained, using good turfy peat, to which 96 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. add as much sand as will maintain the soil in a healthy porous state, for it is well to bear in mind that this is one of the numerous sections of hard-wooded plants that have a dislike to any iaterference with their roots, such as occurs when submitted to shaking out with the intention of renewing the noil ; consequently the material in which the young plants m their earliest stages are potted ought to be of a character calculated to keep the roots in a healthy condition for an indefinite time. When fairly started into growth, pinch out the points of the shoots so as to secure the plants being sulHciently famished at the bot- tom ; that is indiqiensable in whatever form they are to be grown. There is no necessity for a high temperature during the ensuing summer ; about (iO'^ in the night will answer, letting the heat rise proportionately higher in the daytime, and giving a little shade in the middle of the day when the weather is bright. ICeep the at- mosphere moderately moist with air until closing time in the afternoon ; then syringe overhead. If all goes well the plants will require mo\'ing into 5-inch or 6-inch pots; this should be done before the summer is too far advanced to admit of the roots getting well hold of the .soil before the season of active' growth is over. Continue to treat as before until about the middle of Septem- ber; then dispense with shade and cease syring- ing, giving more air. All through the growing season keep the plants well up to the light, with- out which they will be wanting in one of the first essentials to success — hard, well-matured growth. A temperature of about .^lO'^ will sutfice in the night during winter, keeping the soil a little drier than whilst aclive growth was going on. In the spring it will be well to decide whether the plants are to be allowed to H jwer this season, or whether it will be better to push them on, with a view to their attaining a larger size witli- out the loss of time that their blooming will involve. If the latter course is followed, the points of the shoots should be removed before growth commences, and as soon as they have started, more root room must be given. If the pots they now occupy are well filled with roots, 9-inch or 10-inch ones will not be too large. The temperature should be kept up during the spring months similar to that advised last season, treating in the matters of air, shade, and moisture as before. As summer approaches, the s>m-heat will be sufficient, closing the house in good time in the'afteruoons,so as to run up the temperature for a few hours, syringing the plants overhead at the same time, the conjoint efl'ects of which with this, as with most other plants, do more to pro- mote healthy growth than anything which can be d me by the u.se of fire-heat. Where the plants are required to flower the year after they are struck, the potting will be best deferred until their blooming is over, shortening the shoots a little as s3on as the flowers have faded, and when growth has commenced, shift them on into larger pots. Agiin, in autumn dispense with shading, and discoatinue the use of the syringe, giving more air to get the growth matured ; winter as before. In the case of such of the plants as are to be turned out in a bed and grown either bush fashion or trained against a wall or the end glass of a house, as already suggested, the bed must be prepared and the plants transferred to it just as the growth is aljout to commence, not disturbing the roots more than is necessary, or it might have the efi'ect of interfering with the flowering. After this the attention required consists in cutting back any shcoti that take an imdue lead, so as to distribute the strength evenly over the phmts. When the roots have occupied the soil manurial assistance in a liquid form or by applying to the surface a dressing or two of some concentrated manure during the growing season will be neces- sary. NEW RACE OF CHINESE PRIMULAS. The suggestion (p. 44) as to crossing Chinese Primulas with a yellow-flowered species is worthy of further consideration. I know Mr. Barlow, of Stakehill House, near Manchester, tried crossing the Chinese Primula with varieties of the laced Polyanthus, and he showed me plants which he thought had some resemblance in leaf to that of a Polyanthus, although the seeds had been saved from the Chinese Primula; but I fancy the experi- ment was a failure. The most likely species to cross with Primula sinensis would be the deep yellow P. floribunda. The specific differences do not seem to be so far apart between these two as between P. sinensis and the common Primrose. So far the improvement in varieties of P. sinensis has been obtained by selection or crossing varietal forms of the species. Messrs. Sutton's single blue varieties are far in advance of any that have yet been exhibited at South Kensington, and I believe that if a yellow variety is obtained, it will be from the purplish blue varieties. The tint of some of these blue varieties are not far from that of the colour of the common wild Hyacinth, and from that colour numerous yellow varieties have been obtained. We may in the same way by chance get a yellow Chinese Primula. I would suggest that P. floribunda or the Polyanthus form of the I'rimrose with the deepest yellow flowers be crossed with the blue varieties of P. sinensis. Messrs. Sutton have been experimenting with P. japonica and P. sinensis, but, as far as I could see, not with any greater measure of success than Mr. Barlow obtained with the laced varieties of P. vulgaris. Some five or six yeass ago I crossed two distinct alpine species of Primula with deep pur- plish lilac flowers, and raised a distinctly yellow variety, which was exhibited at the Primula Con- ference; Mr. Churchill, who is well acquainted with alpine Primulas, said it was a yellow form of P. pubescens ; at all events, I am quite certain that it was raised from two purplish lilac varie- ties, as I did all the work of crossing, saving the seeds sowing and attending to them my.self. J. DOUCLAS. Boronia heterophylla. — In an article in The G.iRDEN (p. 71) on the best Boronias no mention is made of this species, yet it is a very handsome kind, and one that should before this have become popular, for it has been introduced quite long enough to ha\ e been far more widely distributed than it is. I was much struck with its beauty a c mple of years ago at Kew, and noted it then as in the way of B. eliitiur, but rather stronger in the growth and larger in the leaves. The most prominent distinctive feature i?, however, the flowers, which instead of being rosy ear- mine, as in B. elatior, are rich vermilion, with a zone C'f piire white around the corolli. They are borne freely from the axils of the leaves and are agreeably scented. — H. P. Epacris onosmseflora fi.pl. — The typical E. onosm^flora is a very old introduction, but, except in botanic gardens or in the collections of lovers of curiosities, it is rarely met with, the principil reason no doubt being that from an ornamental point of view it is inferior to the many garden hybrids now in cultivation. This last remark, however, will not apply to the double flowered variety, for it is not only totally distinct from any other Epacris, but is alto possessed of high ornamental qualities. It is a stout, free-growing kind with long shoots thickly clothed with leaves, from the axils of which the small white rosette-like blooms are produced in such profusion that the whole shoot is a mass of white, that is to say, when the blooms are first expanded, as before withering they become slightly flushed with pink. This Epacris has now been before the public some few years, but no doubt two reasons have tended to retard its distribution. These are the apathy now enter- tained towards hard-wooded plants in general, and the fact that it is a difficult subject to increise, as owing to the succulent character of the young shoots cuttings do not strike root at all readily. The most successful method is to keep the stock plant, whence the cuttings are to be obtained, warmer than usual, when the growth will be more attenuated ; the weaker the shoots are the greater will be their chance of striking root. The best cuttings are obtained from a plant that has been shortened back but .slightly after flowering, and then treated as just described. A length of 1 inch to 2 inches is quite suitable for the cuttings, and they must be dibbled into the pots very firmly, using sandy peat, and covered with a bell-glass tfll rooted. — H. P. Brugmansia Waymaniiiana. — " W. C" asks (p. 40) if this plant is still in cultivation. From his description both of it and of the other Brug- mansias, 1 fancy I have got it. " W. G." men- tions but the other double, namely, B. Knighti, which is simply a double form of B. arborea, par- taking of its unsymmetrical tube, which is bent, and too small in proportion to the mouth of the trumpet, and sharing also in the, to me, most offensive scent of B. arborea. But last autumn I was sent by a relative in the west of Ireland a plant with a bloom which was very different from B. Knighti. The tube was long and straight and well proportioned ; the trumpet was fairly double or Hose-inhose, washed with purple, which, however, was not very conspicuous, and the scent was as delightful as that of Primroses. If the plant is not B. Waymanniana, I am at a loss to know what it is, as it certainly is not Knighti. Can the fine straw-coloured Brugmansia be merely a colour variety of B. sanguinea ? It is so unlike in growth, being weak and straggling, spare in side growths, and decidedly more deli- cate. It is, as " W. (i." says, rare; but if he has not got- it I shall be glad to send him a couple of cuttings, if he gives me his address. I am always anxious to spread a good thing so far as I can do. — Fredekiok Tv.mons (Clk.), Clof/hmii, Co. Dnhlin, I well remember the purple Hosein-hose Brugmansia about which " \V. C' asks. It was to be seen every summer at a country house in Bucks up to USUI, but about that time it disap- peared (with many other old favourites) under the rule of a gardener whose ideas were limited to two, viz. Grapes and Achimenes. I knew it as the purple Datura, and always supposed it to be U. fastuosa (Don), but it was certainly shrubby, though small, and therefore, I suppose, a Brug- mansia. At Nice, thirty years ago, the single form abounded, and it may do so still. It was a greenhouse plant there (where B. arborea grows freely out of doors), and would have been much prized for indoor decoration but for its rich and overpowering perfume, which few could bear in a room. The flowers were about the size of those of B. arborea, but less graceful in shape; the tex- ture was leathery and the colours very beautiful, purple outside and ivory white within. The Hosein-hose form was not (so far as I remember) so strongly scented as the single one. — Jitniok. The Brugmansia, so well illustrated (p. 4.5), has grown here for many years, and when in full bloom is one of the most attractive of plants. It is one of the fastest-growing subjects with which I am acquainted, and therefore it would not answer to plant it out in a low house. The struc- ture which contains it here is 14 feet in height, and in the growing season it soon reaches the roof. It has several stems about 3 feet in height, to wdiich, as soon as it has done flowering, it is cut down. It re-starts and grows up again very ra- pidly. Cutting down is the only way of keeping it dwarf and bushy, and with plenty of feeding at the root it may be cut down three times in the season, when ic will grow up again and bloom afresh. Its paper-white, trumpet-shaped flowers are often a foot or more in length. They are rather flimsy, and are absolutely use'ess when cut, as they fade rapidly ; but they are so effective on the plants that I would not like to be without them —J. M. Cyrtanthua McKeni. — I was much pleased to see notice taken in The Gakden (p. 4'2) of this prime favourite of mine. Not a word too much Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 97 is said in its praise. I am surprised that so good a thing should be still so unknown, as it increases well under proper treatment. It may be well to impress on those beginning its culture that it likes abundant drainage, very firm potting in fibrous loam, enriched with a little thoroughly decayed old hotbed manure, and to be left un- disturbed until the pot is completely filled with roots. It is an evergreen Amaryllid, and should never be subjected to drying off. My one original root has increased to some dozens, which I kept potting on as required until they were in a 12-inch pot. Then I split it up into four large potsful, besides putting several single bulbs into 4 inch pots. I have another variety which I believe is C. lutescens, and is in every respect the counterpart of C. McKeni, except that it is a lovely clear yellow. They make excellent com- frame for a little whilu, and then the bulbs may be planted out. — H. P. Early Tulips. — We always require as many flowers in December and January as we can pos- sibly secure ; we have therefore tried to force many varieties of Tulips to bloom about that time, but the one above all others which submits most readily to this treatment is the scarlet Due van Thol — in fact, we have given them all up but this one, as we find it a very easy matter to have it in quantity from December onwards, and its bright scarlet colour is remarkably attractive during the short, dark days when bright flowers are by no means common. Some might think that Poinsettia heads were the most brilliant at that time, but the Tulips are more vivid in colour than even these are. — J. M. Recent forms of Gloxinias. Eni^aved for The Garden from a phutogi-ai-U Ijy 31r Heiueman, of Erfuit. panion plants. I wonder if there are any other colours among Cyrtanthuses of the same type as these two. — Frederick Tymons. Scilla sibirica in pots.— As blue flowers are by no means strongly represented amont; forced plants at this season, except amongst Hjacinths, the fact of the readiness with which this Squill can be forced seems to be generally overlooked, for it is seldom seen treated in this way, though it is as amenable to forcing aa a Tulip. During the dull days of the early part of the year some pots of it form bright and cheerful ob- jects in the greenhouse. With regard to the compa- r.itive merits of this Scilla and the newer Chionodoxa, I may say that here in rather an exposed spot the Chionodoxa is often greatly damaged by March winds, which the sturdier habit of the Scilla enables it to re- sist. Where this Squill is employed indoors after the blooms are over the pota should be sheltered by a with thcEe Valley Lilies in twenty-one days from the day on whic-h they were put into heat.— W'.m. Ei.phinstone, Shiplei^ Hull. Ue.-lju. *,* A beautiful plant, of which we shall publish an engi-av- ing soon. — Ed. Primula flowers.— The difTcreot shades to be fomd in single niuiuhis are verj' pretty, but when cut they require to bo carefully handled, as their coming in contact with other flowers frequently drags the blooms from their sockets, and thev are at all times rather difficult to arrange effectively. The' most charming of all ways of arranging them is to dish them up by themselves. If the colours are massed and mixed in a bowl, and not too much hidden with green material, the result is all that could be desired.— J. M. Gloxinias. — Few stove plants have shown more charming and novel variation during the last dozen years than the Gloxinia. The engrav- ing is a reproduction of one of a beautiful series of photographs sent us by Mr. Heineman, the well- known seedsman of Erfurt. It is needless in our columns to say much concerning plants the cultiva- tion of which is so well understood by our gar- deners. SHORT NOTES.— STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. ForcinR Lilies of the Valley.— It may posfibly be remembered that l.ast year I had something to say regarding Valley Ulies forced with plenty of leaves ;ia well as tlowers. In coutirmation of this I sent you a potful in February. I have now some very good i mes, and quite a month earlier than those sent last year. I have therefore had a potful photo- graphed, and to-day I have sent you the self-same potful and also the photogi-aph. They serve to show what can be done SEASONABLE WORK IN PLANT HOUSES. gxovE. — Tuberous Begonia seed should now be sown in order to have the plants in a condition to bloom satisfactorily during the ensuing summer. When sowing is put oft' until later the young stock has not enough time to allow of its acquiring the requisite strength to flower as it should do till the season is too far advanced. In preparing soil wherein to sow seed of almost any kind care should be taken that it is sutticiently light in texture, as if at all close and adhesive when the seedlings have to be removed from it the tender young roots are sure to get more or less broken, a mishap that it is necessary to guard against. Some growers use loam in which to raise seedlings of these Begonias, but unless it can be had of a free sandy nature I prefer peat, passing it through a fine sieve and addine some well decomposed leaf-mould and sand. Fill the pans with the material to within an inch of the rim, pressing it down so as to make the surface smooth, distribute the seeds thinly, and cover lightly with a little of the finest of the soil. In a temperature of tiO" or a few degrees less the seed will vegetate ; from the time that the little plants appear they must have plenty of light ; iii the absence of this they make weak growth. W^hilst quite small they must be pricked ofT into pans or boxes an inch or two apart ; if their removal from the seed pan is delayed, the roots, which are more impatient of injury than those of most things, suffer. Perpeti'.vl - FLOWERiNi: C.\RN-ATioNS.— Raising Carnations from seed is a very interesting pro- ceeding, but to have a reasonable chance of varieties worth growing being obtained, seed from a strain that can be relied on must be at hand, otherwise the result is not likely to turn out worth the trouble. The seed should be put in at once, sowing them about an inch apart in a pan or shallow box, drained and filled with fine-sifted loam, a little leaf-mould, and some sand, covering the seed with about a fourth of an inch of the material, keeping it moderately moist— not too wet. To induce the seed to vegetate quickly, it should have a night temperature of from .55° to 60° ; 5° or 10° less than this will do, but it will take correspondingly longer to get the plants up, and they will necessarily come on slower after- wards. As the object ia to get the stock as much advanced as possible early, the seedlings must be kept until the weather gets warm in a tempera- ture similar to that in which they weie started. As soon as the little plants appear they must be stood close to the glass or they will spire up thin and weak— a condition that must be avoided. Directly they are large enough to handle, put them singly in small pots, using soil of a like nature to that in which the seed was sown ; if a little rotten manure ia added it will help them to gain strength. When the plants have got esta- blished, the weather may be expected to aftbrd warmth enough without the aid of artificial heat, in which case a cold pit or frame will be the best place for them. Celosia pykamidaeis. —Where a good strain of this elegant-habited annual is secured and the plants are well managed, their usefulness for green- house and conservatory decoration can scarcely be overrated. The vivid tints of the reds and crim- sons, and the soft agreeable shades of the yellow and straw-coloured vatieties, are not surpassed by those of any flowers in cultivation, whilst for use in a cut state in combination with other 98 THE GARDEN. flowers of any kind, they are equally serviceable. The plants can be had in good condition through the greater part of the summer, and almost up to the end of the year, by making successional sow- ings, the first of which should be got in at once ; a moderate sized seed-pan will hold as many plants as necessary for each batch. Use soil such as recommended for the Begonias, being careful not to sow too thickly, a proceeding that should always be avoided, especially in the case of plants that are raised under glass where the tendency in the seedlings to become more or less drawn up weakly is unavoidable. Amaryllis. — The time for potting these plants depends on the time they are required to be in flower. Many growers start their whole collection at the same time, whilst others prefer to have them come on to bloom in succession. Such as are wanted early should now be re- potted. The deciduous section may have nearly all the • soil shook away from their roots, re- placing it with new ; rich turfy loam, with a little sand, will grow them well. In potting, ram the soil in the pots so as to make it moderately solid. Whatever offsets the large bulbs have pro- duced, and which it is deemed desirable to sepa- rate, should be taken off and placed in separate pots. In severing them from the parent bulbs, be careful not to injure the roots more than is unavoidable. Give pots proportionate in size to that of the offsets, and treat in other respects like the old bulbs. In repotting the evergreen kinds, it is safer not to shake away all the old soil, but to leave, say, a third or a fourth of it, as sometimes when the whole of the material is got away it causes some of the leaves to decay prematurely, an occurrence that goes so far to weaken the bulbs. Where there is the means of giving them gentle bottom-heat for a time, in common with many bulbous plants, it will benefit them ; but there need be no misgivings as to success in the cultivation of Amaryllis without their being as- sisted in this way. In a temperature of about 60° they will soon push up their flower-stems ; and as they begin to move see that the plants are stood where they will get a fair amount of light. Do not give much water for two or three weeks, or until the roots and the top growth are in motion, after which, especially as the leaves begin to grow, the soil must be well supplied. BouGAi.NviLLEA (GLABRA.— The flowering of this plant each season is not confined to the produc- tion of a single crop of bloom, as when started early and there is enough heat at command to push it on, the plant will flower two or three times. Grown in pots or when planted out this species usually produces a good deal of small shoots that are not strong enough to flower ; these are best cut away before starting the plants into growth, at the same time shortening the strong branches from which alone flowering growth of any consequence may be looked for. If, as usual in the winter treatment of this plant, the soil has been let to get quite dry the ball must be thoroughly soaked ; this is a matter of import- ance, as if the whole mass of soil is not moistened the growth made will be weak and puny. Syringe overhead once a day ; afternoon is the best time. Where the plants have occupied pots as large as is desirable, a portion of the old soil may be removed, replacing it with new, made very rich with rotten manure ; this species will bear more assistance in this way than many things would utilise ; good turfy loam is the best for it. If the plants are to be trained on trellises, see that the sticks inserted in the soil and which support the trellis are sound and strong enough to last until the end of the season. CLERODENDRoy Balfoi'rl— The flowers of this plant are much liked by some for cutting, -whilst t leir enduring properties when allowed to remain 0.1 the plant make it useful for general purposes of o rnamentation , and if when the flowers are open the p'ant is moved to a cooler atmosphere, they will last still longer. Small or medium-sized examples an preferable to large specimens for general use; plants started now in moderate stove heat will be [Jan. 29, 1887. in flower in seven or eight weeks. With this Clerodendron it is also necessary to see that the soil is properly moistened when starting into growth. Except in the case of plants that occupy smaller pots than they are intended to be grown in during the ensuing summer, the potting is better deferred until the flowering is over. Allamandas. — Where there is the means of giving these plants brisk heat they should now be cut back, and at the same time have the greater portion of the old soil shook away, repotting in new loam well enriched with rotten manure. In potting, ram the soil so as to make it more solid than necessary for most things, as when so treated the plants always flower better. I have found it best to repot Allamandas at the same time that the shoots are cut in ; if they are allowed to break into growth before being repotted, as usual with most plants, many of the young shoots receive such a check that they refuse to move afterwards. Allamandas anil Bougainvilleas that are planted out should now also be pruned, at the same time soaking the bed or border in which they are grown. As much of the surface material as can be removed without too much interference with the roots should be taken off, replacing it with new that consists of about one-fourth of rotten manure; this will not be too rich, as these plants are strong growers and require a great deal of support to keep them going through the long season that when vigorous they keep on flowering. The best'sorts are A. Chelsoni, A. grandiflora, A. nobilis, and A. Hendersoni; the latter is one of the freest bloomers, but the colour of the flowers and the way in which the segments of the limb recurve make it the least eff'ective, especially when the flowers are used for cutting, for which purpose the two first named sorts are the best. Greeniihusi:. — Whatever training and tying is required by the hardwooded plants in this depart- ment should be completed without delay. For ordinary decoration nothing more in this way is needed than to support the branches in a manner that gives to each as much of the appearance natural to it as the circumstances of cultivation will permit of. Most of the hardwooded section of flowering gi-eenhouse plants are naturally of a bushy habit, and when in the early stages of their existence due regard is paid to stopping the lead- ing shoots, and keeping them well tied out so as to lay the foundation for their being well furnished at the base, much less in the shape of stakes and ties is required when the plants attain more size. Withthis object the young stock should receive especial attention in keeping the centres well open by tying the strongest shoots out horizontally, a position which they will ever afterwards retain, and in this way prevent the naked unsightly appearance that plants of the character in ques- tion, when they are thin and scraggy at the base, always present. Rainfall at Bury St. Edmunds.— In The Gaed.':n (p. 43) Mr. Uphill shows that the riinfall in 1SS6 at Dorchester was as much as 47'44 inches, an amount which contrasts very strikingly with the rain- fall here, where the average annual fall during the last twenty-seven years is 25 74 inches, and the fall last ye.ar only 22 .37 inches, or 3-37 inches under the aver- age. The last month of the year furnished the largest monthly fall, being 3'33 inches, while the smallest was that of February', which amounted to only 0 '24 inch, or les^ than one-fourth of an inch. Indeed rain did not fall during the month, and that mentioned was the result of melted snow. The largest annual fall here duriog the last twenty-eight years was that of 1S7'2, when it amounted to 34 64 inches, and the smallest that of lSfi4, when only lfi-44 inches fell. The following is the rainfall in 1SS6 r — Inches. Inches Jnmiary .. 2-43 August .. i-2i; P ebniary .. 0 24 September .. 1-00 March .. 1'5S October 2"S2 April . . .. 1-15 November . . 2-57 May . . .. 2-(;3 December . . 3-33 J une . . . . 0 .W July .. . . 2-SO Total 22 37 -F. t;uiK\K. Fruit Garden. W. COLEMAN. ORANGE CULTURE IN POTS. The late Mr. Thomas Rivers, of Sawbridge- worth, some twenty-five years ago, began the culture of Orange trees in pots on a large scale, and grew delicious fruit of the little Tangerine variety as well as good examples of St. Michaels and the Malta Blood. I saw his trees growing in a heated house, and was so pleased with them that I determined to try the culture of the three varieties just named under the same conditions as regards temperature. In the West Indies Oranges ripen about the end of October in a temperature varying from 70° to .S0°, and those who have been fortunate enough to obtain the fruit as it is gathered from the trees say that it is most deli- cious, far superior in flavour, indeed, to anything in that way obtained in England. Mr. Rivers' tropical orchard house was a well-heated afid well- built structure, but when I began to cultivate Oranges I had to grow them in a house devoted to Melons and Pines. It was about 12 feet wide, and had a hipped roof. There were beds in the front for the Pines and Melons, and we placed a narrow stage against the back wall, wide enough to hold a row of Orange trees, and the temperature was about what they required. I soon found out that in order to grow good flavoured fruit it was neces- sary to maintain the highest hot-house tempera- ture, viz., from Gl)^ to 65" as a minimum in winter, and from 6.1'^ to 70^' in summer. The day tempe- rature was 5" higher, and with sun-heat in summer it sometimes reached 8.5" and !K)". The best trees we had, and those which produced the largest and best fruits, were worked on stocks raised from Lemon seeds. These were sown in a pot in the plant stove. They soon vegetated and grew freely, and in twelve months the plants thus raised were strong enough to be worked in the shape of dwarf plants. We, however, wanted some with stems 3 feet 6 inches high, and they made that height in two years from the time when the seeds were sown. The Lemon tree being the strongest grower of the two, makes the best stock if large trees are required. Grafting is an easy operation ; when performed the plants ought to be placed in a warm house or frame, and kept close and moist. This is necessary to prevent shrinkage in the scions. If allowed to shrink by exposure to dry air the grafts will not unite, and will ultimately die. I grafted standard and dwarf plants in this way without a single failure. The small Lemon trees, one year old, were in 4-inch and 5-inch pots. Being intended for dwarf specimens, these were cut over 6 inches or 9 inches from the ground. They will be found full of sap in February. With a sharp knife cut a slice from the scion, 2 inches long ; to this the graft, after being correspond- ingly sliced, is firmly tied, no " tonguing" being necessary. It is needful that the bark of the stock and scion should fit at least at one side. Cover the union with a mixture of clay and finely chopped hay. The newly-woiked plants should then be placed under a close handliiiht inside a vinery which has just been started. The cover of the handlights should be taken off, and the leax'es gently dewed daily with a fine rose from a pot or syringe. Standards should be treated the same ; but it is necessary over the top of the plant to place a bell-glass, which is made to rest on a small board placed below the union. If the hand-glass can be placed over a bed of gently fermenting material so much the better ; in that case damping the leaves and grafting clay would be unneces- sary. In three weeks a union will have taken place ; this is indicated by the growth of the graft. In two weeks more the young shoots will have formed small leaves. It is now time to remove the clay and tying material, but this last must be at once replaced with some fresh raffia or soft matting, but not tied quite so tightly. Gra- dually admit air into the handlights, and when it is seen that the grafts are firmly established, remove the plants to a house where they can grow freely in a warm temperature. I have liad fruit Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 0'.) to form and ripen on the^e young plants the first year. The flowers had, of course, been formed on the fcion, but this is unusual, and if any fruit should set it is best to pinch it off. Fruit will be borne the third year ; those who do not care to wait so lonj^ had better procure trees from some nursery. In one respect Orange trees differ from most other fruit trees, ('.•-., they are always either in fruit or flower. A tree may bo laden with golden fruit quite ripe ; and it may also have small green fruits on it as large as Hazel Nuts, and likewise blossom. Oranges do not seem to require a period of rest : they are, indeed, perpe- tual bearers in every sense of the word. The flowering period is from January to March, and fruit may be gathered from them from September to March. The old-fashioned way of growing Orange trees as greenhouse plants did very well if the object was to obtain blossoms only, or perhaps fruits, which were inside like the Apples of Sodom. Even the black peaty soil in which they grew was not adapted to i>roduce sweet, juicy fruits. The soil in which Orange trees, cultivated to produce dessert fruit, succeeds best is four parts good turfy yellow loam, one part decayed stable ma- nure, and to each barrowload of loam add an S inch potful of inch bones that have been boiled, and as much pounded charcoal. If the loam is of an unctuous character, add to it a portion of sharp sand. In potting, press the compost into the pots very firmly. I use for this purpose a wooden rammer, and the trees do not dislike a good large shift. J. DoucLAS. FORCING STRAWBERRIES. There is no fruit forced in spring or during the early summer months which gives so much satis- faction as the Strawberry, which is peculiarly at- tractive in all stages of growth. In some places there is a special Strawberry house, from which large quantities of fruit are obtained early in the season, but the majority of people who force Strawberries have no special houses for their production, and in that case they have to be grown in various struc- tures in conjunction with other plants. Many first-rate Strawberries are produced in Pine stoves, vineries, and plant-houses generally. In such places, however, too early forcing must be avoided, as the plants under such circumstances have not the same chance to produce good fruit during the short days as they have in a house specially de- voted to them. Market reports show Strawberiies to be most valuable in February and March, but unless grown under the most favourable condi- tions, they are at that time deficient in flavour, and the crop is never so heavy as it is later in the season. Our most satisfactory crops of Straw- berries are produced from the beginning of April onwards, and, although I have had them ripe in February and ilarch, I now regulate the forcing so as to obtain the bulk of them during April and ilay ; they are then secured in such quan- tities and of such good quality, that they more than compensate for any deficiency that may have occurred in February and jlarch. ^Vhen ripe at Easter they are very acceptable. Plants forced very early are apt to go blind or fail to produce anything like a full crop. April cannot be regarded as late in the season for early Strawberries, as it Is quite two months or more in advance of the supplies from the open air. I would, therefore, strongly advise those who are not thoroughly experienced in such matters, or who have not the best of appliances for forcing, to aim at having their first fruits ripe early in April. I know that there are employers who insist on having Strawberries earlier, let the forcing ap pliances be what they may, but if they only con- sidered how much finer their crops would be later they surely would defer their demands till they could be had in perfection. It generally takes tea weeks from the time when the plants are put in to force until the fruit is ripe, and I am greatly in favQjjr of starting them very gently and grow- ing jthem slowly mitil the flowci-heads appear; then tE^y wimiiear more forcing. It is absolutely necessary that they should always be kept well watered, and it is a great advantage to keep them well up to the glass and in the full light. We find them to do exceedingly well upon a back shelf in a lean-to Pine house; immediately they begin to colour they are moved into a cooler pit to gain flavour and to prolong the succession. If a few plants of an early variety are put in to force now, and more about the first week in February, quantities of fine fruit will be produced by Easter, and a succession may easily be kept up after- wards. J. Mum. deserve-. I was not awaro bafore reading " B. C. R.'8 " article that it was a Woicester production. It has boon gi-own at liurghlcy from time immemorial, and for the last nineteen years in the majurity of seasons it has always bomo well. It is undoubtedly the prince of Damsons. — R. GrLBEUT. FIC4S ON THE EAST COAST. Mil. (Jkoom, of (iosport, recently favoured us with an interesting article on Figs on the south coast. It may probably surprise not a few of your readers to hear that the Fig does fairly well in the open air on the east coast, and in almost any warm nook or corner on walls throughout the eastern counties. Some of the finest Figs I have seen on this coast were close to the sea at Felixstowe. These were of several sorts — the White and Black Ischia, Lee's Perpetual, and the ^^'hite Marseilles. They were stubby bushes that had been grown in pots for several years in pits, and had then been planted out against a south wall in poor, sandy loam and lime rubbish within sound and touch of the sea spray. The trees produced enormous crops of rather small Figs that ripened well, and were of excellent flavour. This was many years ago ; but I believe these plants are still in existence, and probably ripening annual crops. A good deal of this success at the time was attributed to their close proximity to the sea. But possibly the effect of this was exaggerated, and for the encouragement of those that live so far inland as to derive no direct assistance from the saline spray or atmosphere, it may be added that Figs may be as successfully grown fifty or a hundred miles inland as on the coast. What advantages there are on the coast pro- bably arise from the higher and more equable temperature rather than additional grains of salt. Certain it is that attempts that have been made to supply Figs with more salt either in earth or air have not been encouraging, and that they can be grown to the highest perfection without any addi- tion to our natural supplies of salt inland. But it is equally true that Fig leaves or roots are seldom injured by sea spray in moderation clo.=o to the coast. Of course, unless in specially warm localities. Figs in the eastern counties need to be backed up against walls or buildings to enable the fruit to ripen in the highest perfection. But this backing up does not mean training like thin skeletons over the surface Peach or Pear fashion, but the Figs are simply backed by the walls ancl allowed to scramble bush fashion over and in front of their warmest sides vei-y much in the same way as the old Fig trees that had left the walls so graphically described by Mr. Groom. The less dense the growth and the more limited the range of the trees from the walls the more heat they will enjoy : hence, the colder the situation the closer the Figs should be kept to the wall, and the thinner in reason the tops should be kept. Another chief means of commanding success is to use poor soil on a dry bottom. Protection, as a rule, proves a mockery, a delusion, and a snare, and those gather the most and the best ripe Figs in the open who ignore all protection, encourage short, sturdy growth, and prune but little. ■ D. T. F. SHORT NOTES.— FRUIT. The Pershore Plum .—We have for some few ye.irs back ^Mjwn this Pluin. wliirh is lunch liked for preserving. This variety seldom misses a crop.— li. GiLr.ERT, Uurghhii. D ■cks-bill Apple -A correspondent has sent me a sample of tbis Apple g-athcred from an espalier, which is said to invariably bear a guod crop. The fruit, I may men- tion, is of Pearmain shape, medium in size, dark i-ed on the sunny side, and yellowish green on the other. The flesh is remarkably Brm. and 1 do not doubt) that the fruit will keep sound until April. — J. C C. The Prune Damson —In Tue Garden (p. 20) I notice ' B. G. R." giving this old favourite a name which it richly SEASONABLE WORK AMONG FRUITS. Figs. Since my last paper upon this now popular fruit was written we have had more than a month of hard frost, repeated falls of snow, with a black, murky atmosphere, relieved by only three days of sunshine. These conditions, it is hardly necessary to say, have told heavily on the fuel store, and the progress has been extremely slow. Still, trees that have been forced for a number of years are now making a push, and a few weeks hence will be less backward than the inexperienced at the present time imagine. Judging from present ap- pearances the worst of the winter is now over, but until milder weather has fairly set in it will be well to work on the give-and-take principle by allowing the night temperature to range low con- sistent with safety, and running up to a hi^^h figure whenever the sun again gladdens the earth. There are two distinct modes of managing or manipulating forced Figs— both good, as I have proved to my own satisfaction, and either of thtm being extremely simple they may be explained in a few words. The first and oldest is known as the close stopping principle, well adapted to old tiets w^hich have attained their full size, and generally show a great deal more fruit than they can cany to maturity. When these have made four to six leaves the points are crushed with the finger and thumb, or pinched quite out of the strongest shoots for the two-fold purpose of swelling up the early shows and inducing another break for giving the second or succession crop. If started very early and the trees are highly fed, they may be made to carry three crops, but nothing is gained in the long run, as the third crop which comes when Figs are very plentiful interferes w ith the season of rest, and not unfrequently results in the loss of the first crop in the ensuing spring. Shoit spur-like pieces of wood do not require pinchiiig, as the fruit which they carry checks grow th, and having sound plump buds they always set plenty of embryo Figs ready for swelling when the strain of the first crop is over. Constant pinching in- duces the formation of a great number of side shoots, and light as well as air being such im- portant elements it is often necessary to cut away many of these to insure an even spread of foliage the reverse of crowded. Close pinching results in two distinct crops of fruit, the first from the em- bryo Figs formed near the points of the shoots of the previous year; the second from the spring growths, which I have just suggested stopping at the fourth to the sixth leaves, with, as a matter of course, an intervening period in which there are no ripe Figs fit for use. By the other, i.e., the extension system, which best suits younger trees having plenty of trellis room, the supply cf fruit from the beginning to the end of the season is continuous, as well-fed trees are constantly_ ex- tending and forming young fruit in the axil of every leaf. In course of time the most advancid shoots reach their limit, when shortening back to a dormant eye whilst making room for others i o extend ensures a relay of young wood all over the tree for succession. Whichever system is adopti d the young fruit and foliage now making good pro- gress will require copious syringing with tep'd water, not forgetting the small bag of soot sub- merged in the cisterns, at least twice every fino day. When the weather i-i unfavourable to venli- lation and evaporation the walls and floors only must be syringed, atmospheric moisture and am- monia at such times being secured by the frequent turning and renovation of the fermenting material. From this time forward liberal supplies of diliited liquid must be given to the roots, otherwise spider will become troublesome and the trees will most likely cast the finest and, as a matter of couise, the most valuable fruit, ilore heat, too, may be given, especially in genial weather, when the tem- perature may range from M" to 00-' by night, 15° 100 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 20, 1887. to 70° from fire-heat through the day, and 70° to 80° when the sun is shining and air can be given. Succession houses recently started will require supplies of tepid water at short intervals to ensure a thoroughly moist condition of the soil before the buds burst into leaf. When properly moistened old trees may be well mulched, but young ones will not be improved by the use of stimulants in any form, at least for the present. This remark, of course, applies to trees established in internal borders, as it is always possible to feed at the proper time, but very difficult to check gross growth — the most common cause of the fruit dropping when they are too highly fed at the out- set. yoiniff s/oci:. — If young trees of last year's pro- pagation still remain dormant they may now be started in a moist, genial atmosphere, reduced and re-potted when the buds show signs of swell- ing. If fairly formed by the end of the past year the young shoots will most likely ripen a few fine Figs after the turn of the year, but all depends upon the purpose for which they are being grown. If for forming large bushes or pyramids the few fruits they might carry should not be taken into account until they are well furnished with good bearing wood worth forcing. Cuttings or eyes should be put in without delay, and after they have stood for a short time to heal they may be plunged in bottom heat and treated precisely the same as Vine eyes. The cuttings should be made of short, well-ripened pieces of wood having good terminal buds and a heel, or an inch of two- year-old wood at the base. Every bud likely to be buried in the soil must be removed before the cuttings are inserted, otherwise suckers will be found troublesome. The Orch.4rd House. As some of the trees in the early house will soon be coming into flower steps must be taken for ensuring freedom from aphis during the time the fruit is setting. Some syringe with a strong decoction of quassia, but I give preference to the fumigator for the simple reason that tobacco smoke permeates every part of the house more effectually than liquid through the syringe. The trees should he perfectly free from moisture and the day calm when the fumigator is introduced, and the weather being dull a second smoking may be performed before they are syringed, a very important operation which should always precede exposure to bright sun. When the trees are clean syringing, always with a rising temperature, must be resumed and continued until the flowers begin to expand. This stage reached, a somewhat higher and drier state of the atmosphere, with a nice circulation of air, always provided cutting draughts can be avoided, will favour the setting of the fruit. To secure these conditions the pipes, unless the weather is very bright and mild, should be kept constantly warm, and the better to pre- vent the air from becoming too dry the pots and lower parts of the stems of the trees may be syringed with tepid water every day. Fruit growers at one time thought Peaches, Vines, and other fruits could not be kept too dry when in flower, but many now recommend syringing, whilst others take an intermediate course and fertilise with a camel's-hair brush when the air is light and buoyant and the pollen flies off in bright golden showers. When the latter method is adopted the pollen from robust sorts like Royal George Peach and EIruge Nectarine is generally selected, and the large-flowered section of Peaches and Nectarines is considered most in need of care- ful attention. Whichever mode is decided upon the great secret of success lies beneath the surface of the soil, for unless the roots are healthy and active and properly supplied with genial warmth and moisture the syringe or the brush may be plied in vain. If this were not the case all experts would not so rigorously insist upon trees being thoroughly established in well drained pots before they are taken in for forcing. Pninin/j and dishndiling. — I have often advised the inexperienced to defer shortening back until the fruit is set, as they then escape the dilemma which dropping or mistaking a flower for a wood- bud might place them in. Shortening the shoots before disbudding is commenced does no harm, if it does not actually benefit the fruit, and having secured a good set near home, pyramids and bushes can be reduced to shape with good lead- ing growths from every point. If the trees were thoroughly ripe and have not been hurried, the young growths will not be in advance of the fruit, and disbudding will be found a very simple operation. The first thing to be secured, be the tree a bush or pyramid, is a good leading shoot to draw the sap, and another, starting from near the base, for bearing fruit in the following year. These two generally furnish a well-formed tree, but it sometimes happens that an interme- diate shoot may be needed, when three must be left. All others, in the first instance, should then be pinched to two or three leaves and eventually removed, unless well placed fruits are swelling at their base, when a short spur, furnished with a few leaves, will help them forward. Pinchintj should be performed piecemeal, commencing at the top of the tree and working gradually down- wards, taking all the strongest shoots first and leaving weak ones to gather strength, or perhaps form short spur- like pieces of wood, which the loss of the terminal bud would render useless. Top-dressiiifj and feeding. — It is not a wise course, as soon as the fruit is set and the trees are disbudded, to heap on powerful top-dressing, as strong stimulants at this stage very often induce a gross habit of growth before they feel the weight of their load. Mild diluted liquid may, however, be given twice a week, and the trees must be well syringed once or twice a day. Meantime the top- dressing, previously prepared and kept covered up with fresh horse manure in an open shed, should be examined and turned, to thoroughly incorporate the loam, which is the staple, the manure and bone-dust ready for use. This, when the fruit is swelling freely, may be placed on the tops of the pots, in small quantities at first, and supplemented as often as it is washed in or loses its virtue. As growth proceeds, and the young foliage, by its size and colour, shows signs of too much or too little vigour, the strength and quan- tity must be regulated ; and here it may be well to remind the tyro that moderation until after the fruit is stoned is the best and safest course to follow. When this process is complete more liberal supplies of food may be given to trees carrying full crops of fruit ; and clarified liquid, also soot water, may be used for damping the pots, stems, and floors of the houses. SiiccessioH houses. — If any of the trees still remain out of doors no time should be lost in getting them housed and placed in position for the season. If a mixed collection. Figs should occupy the hottest part of the house. I take it for granted that every orchard house is fitted with a flow and return pipe, if only for ensuring a set of fruit. Peaches and Nectarines should follow. Pears, Plums, and Cherries bringing up the rear. If large trees in medium-sized pots must be let into the borders, I would suggest placing them on two bricks, with the apertures immediately over the joint, for the double purpose of allowing the free passage of water and preventing the roots from rambling beyond control. If, on the other hand, it is necessary to elevate them on inverted pots or pedestals, then a good sod of old pasture turf. Grass side downwards used as a cap, will save labour when hot weather necessitates constant watering, and prove a safeguard should the soil in any of the pots become too dry. When the trees and pots are washed and placed, a good supply of lime-water will settle the account with any worms which may have got into tho balls during the winter, and they will be ready for starting upon the lines laid down for early trees, or, lacking fire-heat, the house must be freely ventilated to keep back the buds until all danger of a nipping frost has passed away. So important, however, and so cheap withal is a simple heating apparatus, that I cannot once more forbear aSking those who | have not introduced one to do so without delay. Many a houseful of trees has been wrecked by a single night's frost when in full bloom. More perhaps have failed to set through the petals and pollen becoming damp and pasty in a low, murky atmosphere, and how many become barren through the want of a ton of slack to ripen up the wood in the autumn it is impossible to calculate. A good slow combustion boiler needing no setting can now be bought for £3 to i"5, and pipes with screw joints can be fixed by unskilled labour. For a long time I was prejudiced against these diminutive boilers, but having had two in work for some years, I can strongly recommend them for doing an immense amount of work in large houses in the spring and autumn, and for protect- ing Chrysanthemums from frost and that subtle enemy, damp, in winter. If Strawberries have been prepared for fruiting in the succession house, a good batch of plants should be well rammed to settle the frost-lifted soil, top-dressed, and placed on the floors, where they may remain until the crowns show signs of swelling. In this position they will make roots and start quite as well as on the shelves, and standing on a damp surface the balls can be kept moist by the occasional applica- tion of water; whereas on dry, airy shelves their wants will require daily attention. Vicomtesse Hi-ricart de Thury, La Grosse Sucrt'e, Sir Charles Napier, Comte de Paris (a good form of Keen's Seedling), and Prince of Wales are good sorts for coming in early and producing heavy crops of fruit. President, Sir Joseph Paxton, and the Queen come later, and in order to secure a good succession, may remain in cold frames until the end of February. Strawberries this season have had a most decided rest, and cultural conditions being equally favourable, well ripened crowns should make a bold start and flower profusely. Garden Flora. PLATE 581. CARPENTERIA CALIFORNICA.* The accompanying illustration of this beautifu 1 new Californian shruli represents it so well, that a description of it is scarcely necessary. It is one of the latest introductions to our gardens from tlie flowery west, and promises to prove a really good garden plant. It may, however, we fear, be too much to say that it is a perfectly hardy shrub, except in such favoured spots as the Isle of Wight, the Devon and Cornish coasts, and the warm and moist southern parts of Ireland. The most successful cultivator of it we know is Miss Jekyll, who has some fine plants of it in her garden at Munstead, Godalming, and that part of Surrey is not one of the best for tender plants ; but then she grows itagainst a wall, and choosesfor it the most suitable spot that can be found. She was, we believe, the first to flower it in England, and perhaps in Europe, and from the plant that flowered at Munstead last June the present plate was drawn. Miss Jekyll speaks of it as a free- growing and free-flowering .ehrub, which, we believe, corresponds with the experience of others who grow it. In Mr. Gumbleton's garden at Belgrove, Queenstown, it grows at a rapid rate, and six or seven years ago he wrote in the highest praise of it. Now that it has become well distributed about the country it would be useful to hear from growers of it in ditt'erent parts as to its behaviour, more especially in reference to its hardiness. We believe that it has not been thoroughly tested fully exposed, and until it becomes commoner it is not advisable to plant it away from tlie shelter of a wall. The soil at Munstead, where it grows so well, is light and naturally very dry and warm in summer. It is readily increased by cuttings or rooted suckers, which it produces freely. Drawn for Tue Ga rdek at Munatoad, Surrey, Juno 27, 188(5. w o ^§^i' joj^ l*^?^ % ji* A, o I — I § o I — I I — I P4 o Jan. 29, 18S7.] THE GARDEN. 101 Tlie C'arpenteria is a new plant in every sense of the word. A few years ago, when the " IBotany of t'alifornia" was written, it was not perfectly known to the North American botanists, for no fli5wers (only fruits) haJ been seen upon the specimens then collected. The information, there- tore, that botanists can give us is consequently very meagre. It is described as a tall shrub from () feet to 10 feet high when fully grown, having slender branches clothed with long narrow leaves of a pale green colour, and producing great clusters of large white fragrant flowers. It grows wild in the mountains of the Sierra Nevaila, par- ticularly about the head waters of the San Joa- quin River. The Carpentetia as a cultivated plant has no history. It somehow crept into English gardens in a mysterious way, and without the trumpet-flourish that usually heralds the advent of a beautiful new foreign plant. The first we heard of it (and probably liefore anyone else in Europe) was from Mr. Saul, of Washington City, i). C, U.S.A., who sent us dried specimens of it in 1880, and from these pressed flowers and leaves the first drawing of the plant seen in this country was made. It is, botanically, nearly re- lated to the Mock Oranges(Philadelphus), which it somewhat resembles. There is but one species in the genus, and therefore it is monotypic, as the botanists say. It is a singular fact that there are several genera in the same Order to which the Carpenteria belongs represented by only one species, among these being Jamesia, Fendlera, Cardiandra, and Decumaria. Ferns. W. H. GOWEE. SWEET-SCENTED FERNS. Whilst some plants are valued for the brilliancy of their flowers, others are scarcely less appre- ciated for their agreeable fragrance, and a third class, in which are included the Ferns, depend for their popularity upon the grace and elegance of their fronds and their vivid shades of green. Amongst Ferns especially, few would expect to find sweetness in the way of scent, yet some few members of this family have this additional charm. The following, therefore, are a few which may claim to be designated sweet-scented : Lastrea a;mula, the Hay-scented Buckler Fern, a robust-growing plant, has a stout, creeping root- stock, from which its fronds are produced. These are erect, from 1 foot to 2 feet in height, twice divided, and narrowly oblong in outline, pale green in colour and agreeably fragrant, both in a fresh and dried state. It is found in various jjarts of England, but not everywhere. The Mountain Buckler Fern (Lastrea montana) is another of our indigenous plants which must not be overlooked. It has also a creeping root-stock, and the fronds vary from 1 foot to 2 feet in height by about 6 inches in breadth ; they are lanceolate in outline, arching, and pale green. Its general aspect is that of the Male Shield Fern (L. Filix-mas), from which, however, it is easily distinguished by its fragrance when shaken or rubbed. It is found mostly in our northern and western counties ; it also occurs in Ireland, but is most plentiful in Scotland. Anemia tomentosa is a tropical American plant, and, as the annexed illustration shows, belongs to the section popu- larly known as Flowering Ferns. The whole of this family are handsome, dwarf-growing plants, requiring stove heat, but the fronds of this parti- cular kind give olf a strong odour of Myrrh. Cheil- anthes fragrans, one of the Lip Ferns, is a dwarf plant suitable for the greenhouse. It produces fronds about 6 inches in length, by about an inch in breadth, deep green above, but paler below ; these are delightfully fragrant — almost as sweet as Violets. Lastrea fragrans is a small- growing hardy Fern found in North Ameiica; it produces oblong-lanceolate fronds some 9 inches long, and deep green, with a fragrance which some liken to that of Mav. Lindsaja cultrata is a Fern common in Northern India, but not plentiful in cultivation. It is a dwarf plant with a slender creejiing root-stock ; fronds from 6 inches to 1 foot long, and about 1 inch broad. They are once divided into segments about half an inch or somewhat more long. They are what is termed dimidiate ; that is to say, the whole leafy portion is developed upon the upper side of the mid-lib ; they are pale green, and yield a powerful odour resembling that of sweet vernal Grass, and which they retain a long time after being cut. Sitolobium punctilobtim. — This hardy kinil, the sweet-scented Fern of the American.s, mum may be likened to a long, narrow-fronded form of A. cuneatum ; the fronds in a young slate are slightly tinged with pink, and yield a perfume resembling that of Cowslip? or Prim- roses. It is a most serviceable plant for cutting from, and to the bouquetist its scented fronds are a decided acquisition. SHORT NOTES— FERNS. Harf s-tongua (G. .l/urra.i/).— The H;ivt's-tongue Fern, stated tu liave becQ foimd by you at Gibraltar and in several places in the Mediterranean, is, in the absence of specimens, we imagine, Scolopcndrium Hemionitis. At the base of this Hart's-tongue are rather large, pointed lobes, wliich give the fronds a somewhat spear-shaped outline. It is a handsome plant, but whether obtiinable in this country or not, wo tannot say. Fill Hare's-foot Fern (Dav allla fo;nieuIacea). -This is a distiu'-t and hanrUome plant, and somewhat new to eulti- Anemia tomentosa (fertile frond, half natural size). is very odoriferous when shaken or rubbed ; its fronds are about 13 inches high, three times divided, the ultimate segments being small and vivid green in colour. It is an elegant plant for the outdoor fernery, contrasting strikingly with our native kinds. Mohria thrurifraga is an elegant species from Natal, suitable for the green- house ; its fronds, which are erect, are from 9 inches to IS inches long, and three times divided into small-toothed segments, which, how- ever, become obtuse when fertile ; the stem and mid-ribs are clothed with reddish hairs ; the fronds give off a strong aromatic odour, resem- bling that of benzoin. Asplenium fragrans is a West Indian plant, resembling somewhat the English black Spleen-wort ; its perfume resembles that of newly-cut hay. Adiantum fragrantissi- vation, although found ia the Fiji Islands many years ago by Milne when attached to the expedition of H.M.S. Herald. It has a creeping, short, thick sealy root-stock ; the fronds, wbieh are gracetutly arched, are from 1 foot to 2 feet high and nearly a foot broad. They are .about four times divided, the ultimate segments being long, narrow, and forked at the ends, whilst the colour is an intensely deep green. This plant is just now very conspicuous in the fernery in the Holloway Nursery. The preservation of our native flora.— I have just received from il. Correvon, of Geneva, a pamphlet re- garding the method of plant-preservation in Switzerland, with rules of tha society formed for that purpose, and a short ac- count of the valuibld work done since it was instituted four years ago. Strange as it may seem, the method adopted by this Swiss society for preserving rare plantsis similar in almost every respect to what 1 have frequently suggested should be done in our own country, and quite lately when the evic- tion of Spiranthes Romanzoviana was attracting attention. It is to be hoped ttiat thi work of this Geneva society, under M. Correvon's guidance, will bo attended with good results, and be the means of preserving many of the now raro plants 102 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. of the Alpa. The sooner an English society of the bind is formed the better if our native flar.i is to be preserved cv-L-n in its present shattjred condition.— A t). Web-ier, Lltnulc- fjalf Bangor. Kitchen Garden. W. WILDSMITH. BEST FORCING KIDNEY BEAN. For many years Osborn'a Forcing was generally selected for the earliest craps, and, as far as quality is concerned, I am inclined to think it still the best. Of later years Ne Plus Ultra has become first favourite, and, on the whole, it may safely be said to be the most profitable early variety in cultivation. Osborn's Forcing is scarcely robust enough, and three or four good pickings are usually the extent of its crop. If gathered before it is too old to snap in two readily and used at once, its colour is certain to be good and the quality unequalled. Our cook could always tell if we had kept them with their stalks in water for a day or two, and he has repeatedly asked us to do without it if pos.sible, this treatment tending to make them hard when boiled. The same re- mark applies to any variety of Kidney Bean, but in most ca-'es they have of necessity to be fre- quently placed either in water or bunched and put on damp, clean Moss. The plants must be gone over almo.st daily and the most advanced gathered, otherwise they soon become old and tough, and when the hamper of vegetables for the town house is only gent bi-weekly, it follow^s that something must be done to keep the Beans fresh. They ought to be stored in a comparatively cool room or shed, and if water is employed it should be frequently changed, and the pans or saucers scoured out. Nk Plus Ultra, if the true soit is obtained, is rather more vigorous than Osborn's : it is equally early and quite as free-bearing. Than this no other sort is now grown here, either in pots, boxes, or pits. At one time we were obliged to augment our later supplies with Canadian Won- der, but this and other strong-growing varieties, although longer in the pod, require too much room to be profitable. Many sow the seed in .'j-inch pots, shifting the young plants into larger pots later in the season. If space is limited, there may be something to say in favour of this plan ; other- wise, it has nothing to recommend it. Most people are in the habit of only two-parts filling the pots in which they intend to grow the Beans, complet- ing the filling with rich loamy soil when the plants are growing strongly. This practice involves an unnecessary amount of labour without any com- pensating advantages. Very frequently the top- dressing is never occupied by the roots, and more harm than good in that case is the result. Our plan is to sow the seeds in the pots, leaving, after the seeds are covered, about the depth of the lim for holding water. For the very earliest supplies Sinch pots are large enough, but later on 9 inch pots are prefe'rred. These will stand on comparatively narrow shelves or ledges, and if properly attended to will produce a good crop of Beans Very little drainage is needed, and this being covered with a little rough manure, the latter prevents clogging, and affords good food for the roots. In order to hasten germination, the seeds may be soaked for a few hours in a pan of water set on the hot-water pipes, and the soil being warmed for their reception, no check is sus- tained. Our earliest batches are usually started on the hot-water pipes, and transferred to a warm and lighter position before they become badly drawn. In order to maintain a continuous supply, fort- nightly sowings are necessary, and a batch of twenty-five pots, each containing about six plants, is usually ample for affording a good-sized dish at a time as required. The plants can be readily supported with sprays from old birch brooms, and, failing these, a few sticks and two or three encircling strips of matting will keep them together equally well. Wliere more seed is sown than plant?, are required thinning out shoujd be done early. At no time should the seedlings suffer from drought, either at the roots or in the atmosphere ; frequent gentle sjringings overhead and liquid manure after the plants have com- menced to bloom greatly benefit them. An or- dinary stove temperature suits them well. Many are obliged to grow them in early vineries, but this should be avoided where possible, no class of plants being more liable to be infested with red spidei'. If heated pits are available, these are usually well adapted for Bean culture, especially for affording a succession to the earliest crops from pots. A mild hotbed, consisting of leaves and manure and about 9 inches of good loamy soil, suits them well. We prefer to raise the plants in small pots, two or three in each, and put them out thickly in row.s about 1.5 inches apart. The very latest spiing supplies are drawn from plants put out in unheated frames in succession to early Potatoes, another large batch of plants being put out on a sunny border and protected with hand- lights just liberated from Cauliliower,^, Accord- ing as the sun gains power so the difiiculty of growing Beans in pots in a clean profitable condition increases ; in fact, they require more attention in the shape of waterings and syiingings than they are worth. During hot weather, and, indeed, any time after March, they succeed better in boxes than in pots. These may be of any length, but of a sizs to fit the shelves, and with rough loam or manure for drainage and good loamy soil for the plants to root in, very little water is needed. In boxes the plants remain more healthy and last longer in bearing than those in pots do, especially if not unduly crowded. One good row in each box is ample. W. I. Self-protecting Broccoli. — By selecting va- rieties of Broccoli that come into use at different periods an almost unliroken supply can be main- tained during the greater part of the year in ordinary winters. One of the best is Vtitch's Self-protecting, which comes into use when the Autumn Giant Cauliflower is finished. It produces large heads of a particularly clear white colour, firm, and of fine shape. In order to have a ci'op to succeed the (Jiant Cauliflower, a sowing should be made upon a warm south border the last week in March, or, better still, in a cold frame. In the latter the seedlings will come up earlier and be ready to prick out at the bottom of a south wall, where they will getstrong and stocky. They will then be ready to plant out finally about the middle of May. This crop will be ready to cut by the time the latest crop of Giant Cauliflowers is over. The main crop of Veitch's Self-protecting Broccoli should be sown from the Sih to the 12th of April. The young plants have then time to make their growth and mature it before commencing to form their heads. The stalks must be well har- dened before the button commences to form in the crown of the plant, or one need not expect a head of well-finished Broccoli. Plants growing in shady places or underneath trees, even if the stalk or stem is as strong as that of plants in open quarters, only produce small and imperfectly- formed heads ; and it may be observed that the usable parts of plants growing in such situations are found to be deficient in flavour. Broccoli of this de.'cription is not comparable with that pro- duced in the fitlds. The latter have fine dark- coloured stems and beautiful close, compact heads, fit for any table. The seeds may either be sown upon beds broadcast, or in drills 3 inches apart. As soon as the plants are large enough to handle, prick them out 3 inches asunder upon a piece of ground which has been well firmed. Some time during the latter part of .June plant them out upon a piece of gi-ound which has been deeply dug and well enriched with rotten manure. Plant 21 inches apart row from row and IS inches plant from plant, treading the ground firm in the rows. I commenced cutting my earliest planted Broccoli the first week in November, and had a continuous supply of fine heads up till Christmas. I lifted a number of plants and planted them in a light airy shed. They had partly formed their hei^ds before being lifted, and the latter developed properly, and have only been finished a few days ago. The leaves of this variety afford the heads more protection than any other variety with which I am acquainted. They twist over each other very closely, and I think this Broccoli may be said to be tolerably hardy. A few plants which still remain look as if we might get a few heads yet from them before Snow's Winter White is ready to cut. — Wm. Chkistlson, lioiiicirood, liromhy. GOOD VEGETABLES. LETTncE.s, — I have never seen mentioned in the lists of desirable varieties of this most useful article of salad, which have from time to time appeared in Tuk G.iRDEX, a kind which I myself have grown for several years called Bossin, It is greatly liked and admired by all who have seen and eaten it. I first got to know of it through getting a packet in a collection of vegetable seeds from the Royal Horticultural Society, and was so qiuch pleased with it, that I looked through cata- logue after catalogue with a view to growing it in Ihe future, and at last, by good luck, found it in a list S3nt me by Messrs. Vilmorin, of Paris. The Bossin Lettuce is one of the (Jabbage vaiieties. Tile outer leaves are slightly bronze, but the hearts, which are very solid and of a large size, are light green, the leaves being tender and crisp. It stands the hot weather well, showing no tendency to bolt. The seeds are black. Caulij'Lower.s. — Do any of your readers know a new early variety of this vegetable called Extra Ivirly Sea Foam ? It was offered last year by an American firm from whom I procured seed. It proved to be a very desirable sort. It is rather earlier than Sutton's First Crop, which I have always grown before, and consider a most useful variety ; it is also superior to the latter in the flower, which is closer and whiter. I intend to give them another trial this year. As a succession to the above mentioned sorts, I do not think Sutton's King of Cauliflowers can be beaten. I always get it myself and find it most satisfactory. CiiinT DE BuRGiiLEY. — Can some of the readers of The G.\edex kindly give me some particulars of this vegetable, which is so highly praised on all sides ? I should like to know when it is considered to be in season, and the best way of cooking it. I had a few plants of it last year, but I am afraid they have been spoiled by the recent severe weather. Has it come true when tlie plants have the appearance of a sugar-loaf Cabbage with a sprout growing at the foot of the leaves ? F. R. H. S. A new esculent (Coleus tuberosus). — M. L'ailloux publishes the following in the Moni/enr (Vlloi-linilturc: "On the l.'ith of July, 1,S84, a correspondent in the Transvaal, M. Mingard, wrote to me as follows : ' With this letter I send you some tubers of the wild Potato called by the Magbambas, Matambala. It is grown like the ordinary Potato and is used in tlie same way. The natives highly value it, preferring it to all other tuberous-rooted esculenis. They keep the seed tubers either in dry sand or hung Up in their huts. They are planted at the sowing season of tho Maize.'" M, Pailleux has been succes.sful in get- ting a few good tubers of this esculent in good condition. These were planted in a frame and did well. The following year a mistake was made in watering up to too late a period, so that many of the tubers rotted. M. Pailleux thinks that if planted in .June and taken up in September, very good results would bo obtained. It is a curious fact in connection with this tuberous-rooted Coleus tliat it was described in an old w ork by a certain M. Flacourt, director-general of the French East India Company, so long ago as 1601. The author was at one time commandant at Madagascar. His descrip- tion of it is : "Roots small, about as large as one's thumb, and increasing exceedingly, one plant yield- ing upwards of two hundred." Until IVt. Pailleux received his tubers this plant had never been intro- duced into Europe. It is rather strange that this Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 103 esculent should be cultiv.'tted at Madas;asoar and the Transvaal, and it would be interesting to know if it is now a staple article of food in the former place. It is said to prefer a light soil, and un- doubtedly likes a warm climate. In the south of France it ought to do well — J. Cornhill. Early Cauliflowers. — When nice fresh Cauli- flowtr heads can be had about the first week in June they are most acceptable, and now that we possess so mauy early sorts, that need not be difficult. The old plan of sowiog in August or September and keep ing the plants under glass during winter entails a great deal of labour, and therefore we have ceased to follow it, and now sow in spring. If seed of some of the ejirliest sorts i^ sown now in gentle heat the young plaots will appear in a week, when they m.ay be grown slowly on until the end of March and then they should be planted out. If kept near the glass and not allowed to become too crowded they will be found to be much more healthy and robust than plants sown in autumn and wintered under glass. — Cambiu.vn. Early Feas. — It is now time to think of these, ar.d where open-air conditions are unfavourable to early growth the plan of raising the young plants under glass should be adopted. If not grown in too much heat, plants raised under glass are very useful, but when kept very close in strong heat until they are 10 inchtsor 1 foot high and then planted out without being properly hardened, little or no success need be expected. We raise quantities of early Peas under glass, especially new early ones, which we wish to make the most of and are afraid to tru5t out too early, and when the young plants are from 4 inches to 6 inches in height, sturdy and very dark green in colour when planted, they invariably do well. The best of all the w.ays which we have tried of raising Peas under glass is to sow ten or a dozen seeds in a 3inch flowerpot, and plant them out of these with- out breaking the balls of earth. When in pots tliey can be conveniently moved about or placed further apart to prevent crowding, and one or two hundred puts make a grand batch. In planting them out it is unnecessary to put them in so close as to touch each other, for even if each little clump is kept 6 inches or so apart, the row when they grow up will be com- plete.— J. MriR. Early Leeks. — These need never be grown ex- tensively, but a few dozens of them are easily managed, and when grown to weigh 3 lbs. or more each in August they are useful either for exhibition or other purposes. A pinch of seed should be sown ia a 6-inch pot, and if placed in a little heat it will germinate in three weeks or so. The plants should then be kept near the glass and in a temperature of 60^"*. As soon as they can be handled lift them from the pot and dibble them into shallow boxes in very rich soil. Keep them about 2 inches apart, and they may remain in the boxes until they are planted in the open ground. This should be .about the end of April or early in M.ay, and if put out in trenches like Celery their growth will be found to be most satis- factory. Apart from big Leeks, however. Leeks generally are a most useful crop from mid-winter onwards, and especially ia severe weather. They ought, therefore, to be cultivated extensively. Market gardeners near Welsh seaports grow them largely for supplying the slips. Than Leeks I have been told no crop pays better, and I do not know of any winter vegetable which gives such a long supply as a good bed of Leeks. They never shrink by frost, and when well cooked they may be set before a prince. — CAMBRt.\N. SHORT NOTES.— KITCHEN. Kitchen garden seeds-— ^Ve hope our correspondents will not send us any more articles on the selection of seeds for the Ititcbeii garden. We observe that some of those that we receive are lists of mainly newish things, and exclude some of the be&t old standard vegetables. White Elephant Potato. — I find that this seems to give me the m-^st delicately flavoured Potato of all the kinds that I grow, aud it has good qualities ia other respects. Generally the effect of my soil on Potatoes is so bail, that 1 do not care to eat them. Have others of your re iders noticed the same merits in this Potato? — G. KITCHEN GARDEN NOTES. Glouk Artichokes. — Twenty degrees of frost, twice in succession, and many nights 12" and 14°, combined with repeated successions of thaw and frost, the protecting leaves notwithstanding, have been too much for our plot of Artichokes. They are so injured, that they might as well be killed outri|»ht; and having made up our mind to this, a sowing has just been made in deep boxes, which in due course will be potted singly and grown on in a warm pit, and gradually inured to bear full exposure by planting-out time early in April. Meantime the old plantation will be heavily manured and deeply trenched in readiness for the seedling plants. A deep, moist soil— or, lacking the moisture or holding property of the soil, a half-shady position, with plenty of depth of soil — is essential to the obtaining of large, suc- culent heads. The next requisite is plenty of space for free development of growth, .3 feet being none too great between the rows, and not less than a yard apart in the rows. The 5 feet may to some appear excessive, but in good soil during the second year of growth the foliage of the plants will fill out that space, and the first year the ground between the rows can be utilised for a catch crop of Cauli- fiower, Lettuce, Spinach, Radish, or dwarf French Beans. Of course, if there is plenty of ground for keeping up a full supply of the various kinds of vegetables without having recourse to double cropping, so much the better for the Artichokes, for then a full amount of manurial mulching can be given ; and this, with waterings over it in dry weather, will by the end of the summer and all through the early autumn months result in a good crop of medium-sized heads of the finest quality ; and next year, if well guarded from severe frost with plenty of leaves, long dry litter, or Bracken, the produce of the plants will be at high-water mark. Three, or at most four, years are the longest period that the plants should remain. Perhaps the simplest, but in prospect of such winters as the one we are passing through, by no means the surest way of keeping up successional relays of plants, is to sow in drills in well-prepared ground about the middle of March, and thin out the seed- lings to about IS inches apart, transplanting to permanent positions any time during the month of February in thefoUowingyear, and treating liberally in respect to rich top-dressings. Repeat the plan year after year, and, as a matter of course, destroy a proportionate number of the old stools that have borne for three or four years. To obtain handsome and extra-sized heads, it is necessary that all weaklings — hard, wiry stems — be cut away, and the small branchlet heads — what I call gills — that sometimes form on the strongest stems immedi- ately under the large heads should be rubbed ofl' as soon as perceived, for they are not only great robbers of the finer heads, but even when full grown they are useless, because so small. CAEr..4aE — Cabbage plants will be scarce this spring, and they will be in great demand, as many ai-e killed, ancl there are many blanks in the autumn - planted plots ; and, worse still, the sprouts from the old plantations that can gene- rally be relied on to afford ample supplies of greens till the autumn planted are fit for use, are quite done for, and in prospect of such scarcity we think it advisable to sow at once in pans or boxes, and put them in a dry airy frame to germinate, bringing them up as sturdily as possible by airing freely, and pricking out in cold frames as soon as may be. With careful treatment in respect to the avoid- ance of a check in growth, and when ready to plant to lift them with the soil adhering to them, the probability is that they would be ready for use quite as early as the autumn-planted. The earliest varieties should be .selected for this sow- in», of which Reading All Heart and Ellam's Early are two of the best that have come under my observation. We shall make a sowing of these kinds on a warm border in the open air, as well as in frames as soon as the soil is workable. Cabbage of every description to be of high quality must have deep tilth and abundance of manure. As to texture of soil, light, heavy, or medium suits it, provided there is plenty to feed on. To poverty of soil and successive cropping of the same ground with Cabbage of some description or other is entirely due that worst of all pests to Cabbage culture, viz., "clubbing." Moral: avoid the same and be even as I—/ <-., never bothered with it. All early varieties of Cabbage are small, and may, therefore, be planted closely together. As a general rule we allow them a distance of about 10 inches in the row, and draw out alter- nate plants for use, as Coleworts, which leaves 20 inches for the growth of the remainder, and there is a space of 2 feet between the rows, which we find sufficient to get about comfortably on the plots to move the soil for the destruction of weeds, and, if needs be, which is sometimes neces- sary to keep the plants firm, to draw soil to the stems of the plants. It is only for the sake of securing the plants in position that we care to earth up at all, for there really is no other merit attached to the process. FoRcixc; Asi'ARAGUs. — I suppose that this is a favourite vegetable with everybody. It is greatly appreciated here, but supplies are never asked for till February, because we consider that it is never of high quality till there is sufficient daylight to well green the tops. A terribly heterodox notion this I know with the " blanchites," who apparently prefer insipidity to sweetness. We force it in frames placed over ordinary hotbeds of leaves principally, and a little long litter added, which has the jiroperty of starting the heat of the leaves into rapid motion. Soon as the frames have been put on, about 0 inches of roughish vegetable mould is placed over the beds, and on this the plants are packed closely together, the roots being spread out flat-wise; then another 6 inches of the same mould buries the plants from sight. A good watering with tepid water is at once given, and in from a fortnight to three weeks a supply can be had. It is necessary to guard against the heat of the beds getting too violent. This can only occur from the too free use of litter with the leaves, as the latter never overheat of themselves, unless the bulk necessary — about 4 feet — be greatly exceeded. To keep a constant supply till it can be had from the open ground — about the middle of April — we find it necessary to put in successional batches once a fortnight. Strong plants continue bearing for about three weeks, and this period can be somewhat extended if, as soon as the plants seem to languish, a thorough drenching with tepid manure water be given and the linings round the sices of frames be renewed. Peas and Broad Beans. — Our first sowing in the opsn ground of both these will be made this week ; the former on the best sheltered border we liave ; the warmest is, of course, reserved for the Peas that were sown in pots three weeks since. Broad Beans are given more open quarters, though, for the sake of earliness, the most sunny spot that can be spared, and for once they are favoured with a bit of our very best ground, more by chance than election, though. It happens in this wise. Our winter Spinach being a failure, we must have this vegetable at the earliest possible date; hence the fine sunny spot and good ground that the Beans are destined to share with the .Spinach. They will be planted in a double triangular line G inches from seed to seed and 4i feet between the rows, and midway between them will be sown a row of Spinach, which crop will be off before the Beans are full grown, when they will take up the entire space. I care for no other variety than the ordinary Long-pod for this early sowing, and for late supplies none excel the Broad Windsor. HoR,sE Radish. — "Mistakes in gardening" would be a fine subject for an essay of intermin- able length for anyone who felt disposed to begin the work of reforming the same, and who believi d that long winded effusions in the gardening papers would start the ball rolling in that direction. I, for one, do not think that plan half so good as tackling the mistakes one at a time, and showing, by what has been done, the way to avoid mistakes in future. But, it may be asked, what has that to 104 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. do with Horse Radish? Why, just this much: that no other kitchen garden edible receives such unfair treatment ; and it is a mistalie, as the plant is as amenable and as profitable to generous culti- vation as is the most valued vegetable of the garden. As a rule, any out-of-the-way corner and any kind of soil are considered good enough for this, and such being the case, can the roots be ex- pected to be aught else but small, dry, and shrivelled ? Oranted that Horse Radish plots look for the most part of the year nearly allied to weed crops, that is no justification for neglect as to grow- ing it well, though it may be for keeping it out of the most conspicuous parts of the garden, a far different matter that from giving it any sunless spot under the shade of trees, and of manure, none. We are able to boast that such is not our plan. We are now trenching up part of the old bed, some four years planted, and all the roots, small and great, are picked out as the work pro- ceeds ; the stout sticks are heeled in for present use, the medium-sized are reserved for planting, and the smallest rootlets are thrown away. The ground is being trenched three spits deep, and a good layer of manure is put in immediately over the surface soil, and the trench filled up without adding another layer of manure, which would con- duce to the production of side or lateral rootlets, that are ever to be discouraged. In the meantime the medium roots will be prepared for planting by being cut into from 6-inch to 8-inch lengths, and all the eyes, except one or a couple at top, be rubbed out in order to prevent the growth of the thong-like or forked rootlets just mentioned. We plant with long dibbers in lines 2 feet apart, and a foot apart in the row, the top of the stem being pushed a couple of inches beneath the surface of the ground, and this completes the process. By this mode of cultivation, sticks half as thick as one's wrist can be had in twelve months' time ; in fact, by the autumn of this year the produce will be far above the average of that from the "as-you-were" style that continues in vogue in many gardens. Trees and Shrubs. W. GOLDRING. THE AROLLA, OR SWISS STONE PINE. (PINrS CEMBRA.) The Arolla is as conspiciioua in Swiss scenery as the true Stone Pine (Pinus Pinea) is in an Italian landscape. It is the prevailing tree throuj^hout the Swiss Alps, where it forms dense forests in the valleys and clothes the mountains up to a higher elevation than any other coniferous tree. It has been found at heights of 6000 feet, but, though it is the prevailing tree of Switzerland, it is indigenous to various other parts of Central Europe, and extends across the Carpathian and Ural Mountains to Siberia, where it is again tlie Coning branch of P. Cembra. predominant tree in the forest regions. It has, therefore, a very wide geographical range, and in every country where it grows wild it is a most valuable tree — valuable for its timber, and not unimportant in the way of affording an article of food. As a cultivated tree this sturdy moun- taineer is also most useful in ornamental planting. Being different in shape and in colour from its associates, it is capable of adding effect to a tree group such as no other Evergreen could do, Its peculiarities are its heavy masses of very deep bluish green foliage, and its erect conical growth, so compact and dense as to render it discernible at a glance among crowds of other Pines. There is a considerable diversity of opinion Seedling of P. Cembra, showing the numerous seed leaves. an isolated tree has a fine effect. This Pine, associated with any other Evergreen, always has a telling effect, e.'^pecially in winter ; but one should be careful in mixing it solely with de- ciduous things, as in winter its darkness may produce a spotty effect. The Cembran Pine belongs to that group of species which have five leaves or needles in a sheath. The leaves are 2 inches to .3 inches long, deep green above, lined with silvery white be- neath, and this silvery hue is so marked in some trees, that it shows distinctly at a distance. The cones are well represented in the accompanying woodcuts; the large one is full-sized, and the small couing branch shows how the cones are borne erect on the branches. The seeds are wing- less, and, compared with those of other Pines, are very large. The seed is enclosed in a very hard, bony shell, so hard indeed, that it is with diffi- culty broken. The seeds are eatable, being very oily and pleasant to the taste, and like the seeds of the Italian Stone Pine, are eaten by the poorer Swiss in winter. For squirrels and other seed- eating creatures they are dainty food, and it is interesting to see how dextrous the squirrel is in extracting the dainty morsel from its bony covering. In the Kew museums there are the actual cones of the Arolla that had been half- devoured by squirrels, and one can see how cun- ningly they manage to get out the kernels with the least amount of labour. The cones take a year and a half to grow full- sized ; that is, the among writers upon Conifers respecting the catkins are produced in early summer, and the merits of the Arolla aa an ornamental tree. Some ' cones ripen in November of the following j'ear. consider that it is too gloomy and monotonous I In a young state they are of a rich violet-purple in appearance. That was Loudon's opinion. ' colour, the colour of a ripe Orleans Plum, as one Lambert, than whom no one knew Pines better, j writer puts it ; and seen nestling amongst the considers it one of the handsomest in the genus, 1 foliage they have a pretty appearance. and that is my opinion. It is a beautiful little tree, hardier than any other Pine, and one which never refuses to grow and thrive in any situation, however cold, or in any soil, however poor. Such a tree, therefore, is worth attention, and by planting it well at the outset and by placing it well so that it may Ijorrow additional beauty from other trees in its neighbourhood , it would for generations form a striking fea- ture in any garden or park. Some object to it on account of its very slow growth, but as it is known to be slow, no one would think of planting it in a place where a tall tree should be. On an average it grows aliout D inches in a year, ac- cording to the soil and locality in which it is placed. In Scotland, where the climate is more akin to that of its native mountains than tliat of England, it grows faster, es- pecially if in good free soil. The best soil for it appears to be a deep sandy loam, but no one need go to much trouble in the matter of soil for the Arolla, as it grows in any material from peat-bog to dry sand. As regards the planting of it, so that its fullest effect may be obtained, my opinion is that it never looks so well as when you see a group of it, consisting of, say, about six or eight trees jilanted irregularly and of ditt'erent heights, the tallest over- topping the smallest by about half its height. Such a group as this one may see any day in the Kew arboretum. When a tree is large and fully clothed to the best so as to make what is called a line specimen, as one sees at Dropmore, then P. Ccmbr.i. Full sized cone, leaves, cone scales and seed. P. Cembra is a very old tree in this country, having been introduced by the Duke of Argyll, or the treemonger, as he was called, who first Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 105 planted it at his place at Wliitton, in Middlesex, in 17-40. Afterwards it was much planted about the country, and so plentifully was it planted at Gledliow, in Yorkshire, that it went by the name of the Gledhow Pine. Perhaps some reader could say if any of these trees at Gledhow are still growing there. At Walcot, in Shropshire, it was also larrjely planted by the late Lnrd Olive, and thirty years ago the largest of the Walcot trees were from 40 feet to 50 feet high. But it is more for ornament than utility that it has been planted in this country, althi mgh many have advocated the planting of it as a timber tree in hilly districts. Its wood is excellent, being very workable, of a pleasant light brown colour, with scarcely any grain, and, moreover, agreeably fragrant. The quiint wooden figures sold in Swiss shops are mostly carved from wood of this Pine. An excellent idea of the aspect of the Swiss Stone Pine as it appears on the Swiss Alps may be derived from the illustration given in The Garden', Vol. XXVIII., which was re- Aii old tree of P. Cembra. produced from a photograph sent l)y Mr. Otto Korster. The spot illustrated is in the Ztuime- grund Tyrol, w here Mr. Forster says one rarely sees a specimen tree, all being weather-beaten, old, rugged, and most picturesque. He Siys that the largest tree in this region does not exceed 80 feet high, and one with a diameter of 6 feet is probably a thousand years old. Tree Ivies. — There is not half enough use made of Tree Ivies; one may go into a dozen gardens and not see one. Thtir special value is for planting for winter tflejt, for then, on account of being different from every other Kvergrten, they are the more notice- able. They aie in^nitely better for winter beds than smdl Conifers or other things usually planted in them, because they never grow too large, are alwajs tidy looking, and their hardiness is never questioned. Specimen Tree Ivies about a yaid high and as much through are as handsome Evergreens as one could have in prominent posilims on a lawn, and especially if planted so as to form an irregular group rising fiom a groundwork of creepirig Ivy. Tree Ivies are, of course, nothing more than the common Ivy, treedike instead of creeping, and now we have them of various sorts, some goldendeaved, others gold and silver edged, so that one can vary their effect. They are slow in growth, it is true, during the first few years from cuttings, but when old they remain as they are, and never require clipping, pruning, or cultivating in any form. The Golden Scotch Fir. — It is stated in The Gakdex, January N, with reference to this tree, that " it may not be so rapid in growth as the green, and it will be years before a big tree can be seen of it." Now, neither of these assertions should be accepted as an i/i.^ofarlo, for twelve years ago I saw in a mixed Larch, Scotch, and Spruce Fir wood on Churchill estate in Ireland a tree of the Golden Scotch Fir that was then fully IG feet in height, and had kept pace as regards rate of growth with its surrounding neighbours. Since that time I have not seen the tree, although I have had specimens of the foliage sent me for scientific purposes, but if now standing, and I have good reasons for believing it to be so, it must be considerably over ;10 feet in height. The variegation was constant and beautiful, not want- ing in summer and reappearing again in winter, as your correspondent states is the case with this tree, and evenly spread over all the foliage. It was a chance seedling, and was not detected until the plantation in which it was growing had attained to a considerable height. The (iolden Scotch Fir is beyond doubt the most ornamental Conifer we have, the deep bluish green of the normal foliage offering such a marked and pretty contrast to the rich golden of the variegated leaves. This was strikingly exemplified in the specimen above alluded to, and which, growing side by side with the normal green-leaved plant, brought the different colours of foliage into bold relief, and as the tree was growing within easy distance of the road, curiosity tempted many a passer-by to halt and examine so beautiful, distinct, and imposing a plant. An Edinburgh nurseryman to whom my father pointed out the tree was simply electrified with its appearance, and would wUlingly have undertaken the rather arduous task of transferring it to a conspicuous spot in the Scotch metropolis. I wish the commonly accepted opinion that both the golden and silver-leaved forms of the Scotch Fir revert to the normal colour in a year or two would receive less credence, but it is not likely to, for late authors on Coniferx- simply perpetuate the mis- take.—W. Spirasa Douglaai. — Where, as is the case in most home nurseries, there is excess of certain plants over and above the demand, it sometimes becomes a matter of consideration how to profit- ably dispose of surplus stock, and such is usually the cas3 with rapidly increasing shrubs like the one above referred to. To avoid waste experiments with such plants for other purposes than those they are usually applied to is the rule in most nurseries, and it, therefore, will not perhaps sound so strange when I recommend the present Spiraea as a valuable hedge or covert plant, and one that is well worthy the attention of persons who, at the present season, have the formation of such on hand. Amongst the shrubby species of Spir;ta no other, in my opinion, is so well suited for exten- sive park planting as S. Douglasi, it having at least half-a-dozen of the best recommendations that could be linked to any plant. It is perfectly hardy, of free growth, and increases rapidly from the root, is not fastidious about soil, situation, or shade, forms a dense, well-shaped bush, and is, when in full flower, one of the most ornamental slirubs that can be imagined. The flowers, which are of a bright pink — but there is a lighter-coloured form — are arranged in dense, terminal panicles, of from 0 inches to fully 10 inches in length, and are borne in great abundance. A hedge of this plant during the flowering season is pretty almost be- yond description, and the flowers, being of good substance, last well, and remain during fine weather in exemplary condition for a long period of time. For planting in masses in conspicuous places, this Spinea is especially valuable, and it is not required to plant thickly, for if the soil be only of average quality, the roots soon wander about and fill up with their many and strong shoots the intervening spaces between the plants, thus render- ing the shrub a much-to-be desired one for using in game preserves or wherever a dense, twiggy undergrowth is desired. — D. The Winged Elm (Ulmus alata).— By far the most conspicuous tree in our deciduous woodlands at present is the Winged Elm, a fact that I could not help noticing some days ago when passing along a private road, one of the sides of which was lined with fair-sized specimens of this useful tree. What renders it so distinct from Elms in general is the peculiar corky excrescence with which either side of the branches, big and small, is fur- nished, thus imparting to the whole tree, when destitute of leaves, a gouty appearance, or rather as if the branches were of inordinate dimensions, but which, on closer inspection, is found to be caused by the corky winged ridges of the bark. On examining some of the smaller branches this ridge of bark is found to be quite as deep as the dia- meter of the tree on which it is growing, and as there is the same excrescence on either side, the whole appearance of the branch is increased to fully twice its real size. Here the Winged Elm has attained to a height of fully 40 feet with a trunk circumference at a yard up of 4 feet 7 inches, dimensions that are rarely exceeded by the tree, even in its native American wilds. The leaves are small, serrated, and resemble in no small degree those of a vigorous growing young Hornbeam tree. Being of easy culture, perfectly hardy, and an in- teresting species that imparts an unusual appear- ance to our woods in winter, the Winged Elm is worthy the attention of planters, and, being obtainable at a moderate cost, may be used freely enough along the outskirts of such woods as border roadsides and drives. In thinning the wood in which these trees occur in some plenty it was found that the timber was hard and firm, redder in colour than that of either the Scotch or English Elm, and more difficult to cut with the axe. As regards lasting q\ialities of the wood, I cannot speak with any amount of certainty, for the trees cut down were not deemed of sulhcient siza, nor were they so fully matured as to form a just idea of the wood when full grown and ripe. The soil composing the wood in which they thrive best here is light loam resting on deep gravel. — A. The Colchic Laurel. — This is a finer, a more genteel plant than the common form, one that has been found to be perfectly hardy in this country, and almost proof against the attacks of game. Where a large, strong-growing plant for screen purposes is wanted, by all means use the common Laurel, but where a refined appearance, a dense dwarf growth, and a non-troublesome plant— at least, so far as pruning is concerned — is of para- mount importance, give the Colchic form pre- ference. The leaves of this latter plant are of a pale green colour, fine in texture when compared with the common form, slightly serrated, and remark- ably smooth of surface, in this latter approaching very near to those of the Rhododendron. We have used it rather extensively for some years past, and find it a very desirable and useful estate plant, it coming in well for shrubbery formation, for clothing of banks with a procumbent ever- green growth, and in the making or renewing of game preserves. The "catalogue" statement that the Colchic Laurel is proof against the attacks of ground game is rather "stretched," and it might, perhaps, have been better to say that it is almost so, or less liable to get nibbled and barked than the commonly cultivated plant. It is of slow growth compared with the latter, but spreads horizontally to a greater extent, and bears pruning as well as any covert plant I know of Cuttings inserted in the usual way produce roots quite freely, and the young plants soon gain strength and vigour, and become dense bushes by the third or fourth year, at which period they are fitted ftr planting out permanently. I do not think that the Colchic Laurel is by any means fastidious about soil, for here it is growing in dry and damp, stiff and free, loamy and peaty, and with but little appreciable differenca. As to situation, it is like- wise totally indifferent, for a break planted with 106 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. these in our home nuraery and with a northern aspect are just as healthy and vigorous in growth as those planted under what would be considered more advantageous circumstances. — A. D. Web- ster. Cryptomeria elegans in winter. — One or two specimens of this Conifer planted about a lawn are capable of producing a colour-effect such a.s no other tree can, and for that reason it has a peculiar value. Just now every tree of it glows with a reddish coppery hue, which it begins to put on as early as August, intensifying every month until in mid-winter the colour is very rich. It afterwards gradually loses the coppery hue, and by about April the foliage has quite reverted to its original green. If associated with the darkest Evergreens, the coppery hue is inten- .^i&ed, but the Cryptomeria shouid be made to stand out with the green as a background. The elegant feathery growth of the tree, with the branches always drooping, gives it a different aspect from other Coni- fers, and it is not so rigidly formal in outline as most others. It is a hardy, free growing tree, not parti- cular as to 3i>il, rarely refusei to thrive in any condi- tions, bat of course growing best in a good, free soil and a sheltered spot. There is a dwarf variety of it (nana) which is useful to plant in certain tpots where tte other would be too big. The golden-leaved Chestnut is a neat little evergreen bush that many would like to have in their wardens. It is so unlike its relative, the common Sweet Chestnut, that there is no comparison between the two. Castanea chrysophylla is a native of Call fornia, in parts of which State it forms adenseimder growth of from 4 feet to 6 feet high, and is often found in company with the Monterey Pine (Pinus insignis), but in other States, Oregon, for instance, it srows to a height of 40 feet. As we know it in European gardens it is rarely more than a dwatf, dense bush, having leaves somewhat similar to those of the Bay, but smaller. They are deep green above, while the under-surfaces are covered with a golden tint, hence the name chrjsophylla. It is perfectly hardy, never affected by our hardest winters, and may be grown perfectly well in Scotland — indeed, some of the best plants of it exist in and about Ediu- "burgh. The largest cultivated specimen is suppnsed to be that at Tortworth Court, in Gloucestershire, and has been planted nearly thirty years. Even when only 2 feet or 3 ftet in height, this Chestnut produces fruit freely, and these are miniatures of the spiny Sweet Chestnut fruits. In bold rock gardens or in ma=ses of dwarf shrubs are the places in which to plant this shrub. It thrives best in a deep moist loam. Abies brachyphylla. — No one need hesitate to plant this Japanese Silver Fir, which may still be called new, seeing that it was only introduced in 1870. In the " Manual of Coniferoe " it is described as "one of the hardiest and handsomest of the Silver Firs," and a truer description could not be given of it. Every year it seems to improve, although the largest plants in this country are scarcely beyond the nursery or sapling stage. It is likely to outgrow all the other Silver Firs, not even excepting A. Nord- raanniana, which bears such a high reputation among tree planters. The young trees I have seen of it in the various English nurseries and gardens all indicate a sturdy and robust growth. The stem grows per- fectly erect, and is rarely seen without a good leader. The branches spring at regular intervals, so as to form a symmetrical cone-like tree. The leaves are short (as the specific name implies), and almost as dark a green as in Nordmann's Fir, but, instead of lying in two flat rows on the branches, they are more irregular, thus giving the tree a different appearance. Every specimen I have seen was feathered to the ground with branches, and the bottommost did not show any sicns of losing foliage, as so many of the other Firs do. There is no doubt but that we have in A. brachy- phylla a valuable tree for ornamental planting, if not, indeed, for timber. It is said to grow in Japan and Saghalitn (it being a native of both islands) to a height of 120 feet. In Veitch's "Manual" it is stated that this Fir stands the Danish winter uninjured.— \V. G. Malus Halleana. — In answer to "G." (p. 83), I may say that the origin of this is unknown to me, but it has much the habit of Malus Horibunda, from which it differs in the leaves being narrower ; the leaf-stalks are more flushed with red and the flowers deeper in colour, thereby rendering it more con- spicuous than even that well-known and much-appre- ciated shrub. My plants were obtained from Mtssrs. Transon, of Orleans, in France, who describe it as "a new distinct Japanese sort with narrow leaves and pink flowers." Such a handsome shrub will, no doubt, soon be grown by our English nurserymen. — A. P. Gordonia pubescens. — This very beautifu' shrub or small tree I have grown for many years- With me it grows vigorously in a deep alluvia' soil, which is rather moist, but not wet, and it flowers fully three months,/ c, during July, August, and September. It is a native of our Southern States, and this is about its northern limit where it can be grown. The flowers, which are large, are of the purest white, and produced in great pro- fusion. In England I should say this plant would succeed in the American border, but it should have a warm position. What English cultivators should aim at with all our shrubs and trees, especially from the Southern States, is to get the wood thoroughly matured. There is no degree of cold experienced in England greater than that which they will withstand in this lati- tude, where we have the thermometer frequently W below zero, and I have known it much lower than that without plants being injured in the least. The Madura, a southern tree, fully illus- trates this; young plants of it in England grow with great vigour, and the young growth is killed back in winter. Though a southern tree, this stands well in the Northern States and ripens its wood to the tips. Thus, where matured, even a temperature of '20' below zero does not injure it. Cultivators may take it, as a rule, that all the trees, shrubs, and plants of North America are hardy in Great Britain— that is, they will endure the lowest temperature known there, provided their wood is well matured. — John Sail, ]Vash- imjloii. Magnolia Halleana. — " W.' (p 84) speaks of this Magnolia as though it has not been distri- buted, but surely a thoroughly hardy bush which has been for some years recommended by nursery- men must by this time be fairly well known. If it is not, permit me to inform all lovers of good things that they should lose no time in securing plants of it, as I believe it will be found to be per- fectly hardy in the shrubbery border, and being so dwarf, so .compact and complete in all its parts, and so early, the day should not be far distant when it will form a new feature in the forcing house and greenhouse. By far the finest collec- tion of hardy Magnolias I have met with is in the grounds at Hartield, the seat of Dr. Henry, near this place. They were planted most likely by the late Donald Beaton, who lived there when a young man, and occupying as they do a warm sandstone bank, sloping to the south, backed and flanked by grand Conifers, they are worth a day's journey to see. There, striving, and not in vain, with Abies Douglasi, the stately M. acuminata has formed a splendid tree, the smaller varietiesincluding M. con- spicua.M. Soulangeana, M.glauca, and others gradu- ating down to the margin of the lawn. M. Halleana, if not already planted, will, I have no doubt, soon complete this fine group, of which the owner is so justly proud. When I state that Mr. Gordon, Mr. Beaton's employer, and a great experimenta- list, succeeded in fruiting the Japanese Medlar or Loquat against a wall within a few hundred feet of the JIagnolias, your readers will gather that the situation is exceptionally favourable; but this fact need not deter them from planting any of the deciduous varieties and species, as all will grow and produce their lovely foliage if they do not flower so freely in much colder places. — W. Coleman. SHORT NOTES.— TMEES AND SERUBS. Butcher's Broom under trees. — In many in- stances the ground under trees is bare and unsightly, and an idea prevails that it is impossible to get any- thing to grow in such a position ; but that is a mistake, as there are several plants which grow under the shade and drip of trees, and amongst these Butcher's Broom may be placed at the top. It grows wild in the lower parts of Glamorganshire, and I know of many cases in Wales in which it forms a dark verdant mass under dense shade ; indeed, I never knew it to fail under trees ; it not only exists under such conditions, but grows rapidly, and, although it may not become very tall, it spreads out freely. I can therefore con- fidently recommend it to all who require a plant that will succeed admirably under trees. — J. MuiR, Mar- f/am, Port Talbot. The Laurel-leaved Phillyrea (P. Vilmorini- ana). — This is unquestionably the best hardy ever- green shrub that has been introduced to this country of late years. After the severe weather we have had, which nipped Laurels and other hardy shrubs, this Phillyrea bears no trace of injury; there is not a leaf browned or spotted, and this extreme hardiness, combined with its rapid growth, neat habit, and handsome foliage, mal;e3 it an invaluable winter' shrub. It is a good deal like a narrow-leaved Laurel, hence the name laurifolia, by which it is known in some nurseries and gardens, and on account of its neat growth it has been also named decora ; but P. Vilmoriniana is the name the botanist Boissier gave it in his "Flora Orientalrs." It is said to grow as high as 10 feet, but the specimens at Kew are not more than 4 feet. The leaves are thick, leathery, of a deep shining green, and in shape like those of the Caucasian Laurel. It bears a profusion of small, sweet-scented flowers in May, which are succeeded by small black fruits in autumn. But the flowers and fruit are not worth taking into account ; its value lies in its foliage, and it is not too much to predict that it will in time prove to be one of the very best of Evergreens. It is already grown in tree nurseries, where its value is recognised, and it is being largely propagated. It is a native of the mountain region of the Caucasus. The winter in South 'Wales. — This has been so far the most severe winter experienced in South Wales for these last ten years at least. In previous winters the thermometer has been lower at times, but we have not had so long a continuance of frost and snow as we have experienced lately. We have had frost almost weekly since the end of October ; .'now has fallen often, and the weather has been altogether most wintry. At present we have a keen black frost, with a piercing north east wind, and vegetation has a very sickly appearance. Wind always does more harm than a still frost, and I am greatly afraid that many of our trees and shrubs have been injured. We had quite a hurri- cane in November which scorched every Ever- green with which it came in contact. Pines are browned more than ever I have seen them, and evergreen bushes, such as liaurels. Arbutus, Sweet Bays, Rhododendrons, Laurustinus, &c., are quite scorched. Had the storm come earlier and caught the wood before it was matured it would have been much more serious ; as it is, I believe that many of the younger growths will die back. In such cases it is a good plan to defer cutting back or pruning very much until it is seen what wood has perished. The different varieties of Euony- mus, «hich I have often recommended as being specially hardy, are the only bushes which have withstood the weather without blemish. These pretty Evergreens cannot be too extensively used in exposed places or in ungenial atmospheres. — J. MuiK, Port Talhot, S. Walvs. Choisya ternata. — This has suffered a good deal this ^vintcr tioni tlie cold ; where planted in the open in various gardeii.s about London It has been sadly nipped, and even ag.ainst one of tlie walls at Kew a large bush of it has the tips of the shoots killed. It is not a reliable hardy shrub about London and north of it. — G. January flowers.— Owing to snowstorms, frost, and a continued low temperature, we have had fewer .J.anuary tlowers than usual. Amongst shrubs, Chimoiianthus fra- grans and Jasminum nuditlorum have blossomed as usual : tile last-named less freely than in previous years. But Garrya cllipliea la so far quite destitute of flowers. The firot tSnowdrop opened on the '24th, and a solitary Primrose may be foimd in warm nooks, but the winter Aconite is con- spicuous by its absence. Tussilago fragrans has been fairly plentiful. Erica carnea, which in some sea.sons begins to show a little colour at the end of January, ig still wearing Jan. 20, 1887.] THE GARDEN. '10? its winter garb. Altogctliur, tlic mimbev of out-of-door flowers is few for tlie west of Eugland at tliis time of year.— J, C. C Flower Garden. BHUGMANSIAS OUT OF DOORS. We use both the double white Brugmanfia and made are weak and spindly, and the flowers pro- duced are in consequence few and poor in quality. E. M. also the single one in the subtropical garden in eummer, and in a hot, dry season here in the south they do admirably. The double variety with_ us blooms much the most freely, and in the evening the perfume from its blossoms scents the whole neighbourhood in which it is growing, but during the day there is not much scent emitted by it. The single variety is more delicate in perfume, and it is emitted throughout the day as well as during the night. When planted in the beds, which they should not be before the fir-st week in .June, an open spot sheltered from the south-west and east winds should be selected for them, but they should have abundance of sunlight. With the ordinary soil in the bed work in some partly decayed manure, and if a* all dry after planting and during the following months water copiously both at the'roots and overhead in the evening after a hot day. It this be neglected and the plants are allowed to become dry at the roots, the leaves soon assume a sickly hue and become attacked by red spider, which quickly checks free growth and spoils the blooms. Free growth with- out being too luxuriant is what is required, and in order that both foliage and flowers may be developed in the best possible manner an occa- sional dose of liquid manure may be given. Early in October and before any signs of frost have appeared they should be lifted ; having previously cut around the roots with a spade, place them in pots sufficiently large to hold their roots and some soil. PUce them in a cool vinery, and if under a Vine all the better, as the shade of its leaves will prevent them from flagging too much. Syringe them overhead at times in order to assist them to start afresh, when they will throw out blossoms and continue to bloom up to and some- times after Christmas, such flowers being very sweet particularly at that sea=on both on the plant or in a cut state. After blooming is over gradu- ally withhold water from the roots, and keep the plants in a cool house free from frost. In spring, just before growth commences if the plants are getting too large, prune the shoots in freely : young growths will start from below the places to which they have been cut back, and by planting- out time in summer the plants will be in good condition for that purpose. Another way in which they can be wintered is to pack them away, I placing soil around the roots, in a cool house under the stage and keep them rather dry during winter. In such a position they may stay until the time has arrived for planting them out again in the beds. The quickest way in which to increase the stock is to take off the young shoots or ott'sets which sometimes spiing from the base of young plants with roots attached to them. Pot and keep them close for a time and they will quickly make nice plants. Pieces of half-ripened shoots, too, inserted singly in small pots in spring and plunged in a brisk bottom heat soon emit roots, and if potted on and kept growing in a temperature of about GO" they soon make good plants, which, if kept in pots during the summer, will often bloom the following spring and be use- ful for the ornamentation of rooms. When three or four years old they get leggy, and are then used for flower beds. The latter may be carpeted with Sedum glaucum, dotted here and there with Perilla or Iresine Lindeni or some other dwarf dark-coloured plant. The Brugmansias should he planted singly in small beds, or at considerable distances apart in larger beds where they can have free development for both flowers and foliage. Thus treated they are far more satisfactory than when huddled closely together, where neither the beauty of their leaves nor flowers can be seen to Advantage. When planted closely, too, the growths White Trumpet Daffodils. — I have read carefully and with interest all the correspondence that has taken place on this subject, and as Mr. Burbidge has suggested that I might give my opinion in reference to Chiswick as a trial ground, 1 will try to do so. I must confess, however, that I have not succeeded so well with the white forms of DalTodils as I have done with the other varieties, but my soil is not the Chiswick soil, and I can see no reason why white Datiodils should not do \yell there. , The fact remains, however, that there is a feeling against Chiswick as a trial ground, for, although bulbs were promised and growers were all invited to send them there, not one bulb arrived at the trial ground last autumn. Such is the difficulty with which the Dafifodil committee has to deal. Though I have said I see no reason why white Daffodils should not do well at Chis- wick, yet if I were asked if I would prefer Kew to Chiswick, I would say, " Yes." The soil at Kew is light, and there is no fear of stagnant water ; there is also there any amount of tree roots, and no lack of skill to manage the bulbs. I feel sure, too, that the Kew folks would find a situation suitable for the trial if contributors would indicate the sort of tree roots with which the bulbs love to be associated. In their various stages of growth they could be seen by the whole staff ; and, there fore, no sub-committee would be required. Some miy say we could not claim a report from Kew, but I believe, nevertheless, that a report would be forthcoming when required. Let us hope that the committee, when it meets this spring, will be able to decide this matter.— J. W.vlker. Helleboru3 altifolius.— With reference to the discussion about this plant now carried on in The Caiuien', allow me to state that H. niger inhabits the northern, and H. altifolius the southern de- clivities of the Austrian Alps. The line of de- marcation of their respective areas is very well defined, and they do not mix with each other. I am of opinion that Mr. Engleheart's plant is the true altifolius, and if it does not agree with the altifolius of English gardens, I am not at all sur- prised, because H. altifolius of English gardens is, horticulturally at least, a very different plant from the true altifolius. The English plant ap- pears to have changed its original character in a very marked way ; by what may be called cultural evolution it has become a stout, early-flowering plant, whilst the type is slender, and has— pre- vented by snow and ice from starting early- retained its natural habit of flowering in March, while the altifolius of English gardens is now at its best. Typical altifolius has not a cup-shaped, but rather a flatfish flower of a very pleasing lint, viz , a pinkish or rosy white, more or less, even if kept under glass. I wonder why any value is placed on a pink or green stigma, which is only produced by climatal influence, especially by often changing temperatures, which cause the flowers to become moist and dry alternately, according to circumstances. If it would be worth while, and I had time to spare, I would engage to produce niger with pink stamens, and altifolius of English gardens with green ones. I was glad to observe attention directed in The Garden to H. niger pr:ecox, which, though its flowers are small, is valuable on account of its flowering early. A big plant of it here began to blossom about the middle of October, and there are still some flowers on it ; the siiallness of the blooms we shall soon change, by raising seedlings upon seedlings, which, if treated rationally, flower tlie very first year after germination.— Max Leiciitlin, Badtn-Iiaihn. Effects of the late snowstorm.— On looking round Oakwood garden to see what damage had been done by the late snowstorm, I found that we bad escaped more easily than could have been expected. Some time "back I recommended a fence made of rabbit wire, G feet high in one piece ; wo have a quantity of this which is suffi- ciently supported for any ordinary strain, but above 70 yards was blown over, the snow having filled the meshes and .so given the wind purchase ; therefore it seems desirable, when this fence ia used, to add to the supports by wires fastened to any trees on the line. Our large Camellia has only one or two small branches broken, but my man beat much of the snow off. A tine head of Andromeda japonica, covered with buds, was broken oS', and a large Choisya ternata had some branches broken, but a large Photinia serrulata close by is uninjured. Our big Rhododendrons in the wood have hardly any branches broken ; Meconopsis Wallichi, unprotected, looks perfectly fresh and green ; seedlings of Sikkim Rhododen- dron, not above an inch high, do not seem to have felt the cold ; Ilex latifolius is very little touched. The effect of the snow was shown along the road to the garden by the great numbers of branches on the ground at the edge of the Fir woods. A friend with a beautiful garden at Chiselhurst gave a most saddening account of breakages of a great number of his trees and shrubs. So far our coops, with Bracken interlaced, seem efficaceous as pro- tection for tender plants.— GEeiRGE F. Wilson, Ueatherhank, Weybridrje Heath. Mr. Wm. Goldring, long on the staff of The Gaiiden, who has for some time paid some attention to landscape-gardening, now proposes to devote himself to it as a profession. Landscape- gardening hitherto has always suffered from a want of knowledge of our rich stores of plants and trees on the part of its profes.sors, so that they have been tempted too often to fall back on the absurd or the bizarre in lieu of what a lover of Nature would expect in a garden in our own time. We need only mention the coloured gravel phase of gardening, now happily vanishing. Mr. Goldring's knowledge of our garden flora, obtained at Kew and elsewhere, should save him from the need of ever seeking any embellishments for a garden but those of Nature's ample giving. No doubt even this kind of plant-knowledge may be over- done, and we can imagine no worse prospect for our private gardens than the emergence of a body of landscape-gardeners, trained in botanic gardens with that stiffness supposed to be needed by science. But eight years spent by Mr. Goldring in visiting the gardens and country seats of England for The Garden have shown him how much beauty these possess, where quiet, simple, English ways are followed, and where natural beauty is not shut out by Paxtonian or Nesfieldian excess or formality. It would be well for English gar- dening if competent young men of this soit, absolutely untrammelled by trade influence of every kind, should devote themselves to the design and planting of our gardens. Mr. Goldring has lately gone to live at Kew, where his address is .'i2, Gloucester Road, Annual Chrysanthemums.- These form a very interesting grcufj of summer and autumn flowering plants. They are very showy in the garden and well acfapted for cutting purposes, and they are also easily grown, as the seeds can be sown in the open ground, and the plants will do well in any good garden soil. C. coronarium is the oldest in point of time, as it was introduced from Sicily as far back as !li2!). It is also known as the Garland Chrysanthemum. Originally a single yellow form, of late years English gardeners have grown two selected double forms, one yellow and one white, and more recently the last has developed into a vaiiety with quilled petals. A few years ago I saw advertised an Austrian Daisy, and having obtained some seed, found it to be the single yellow form of C. coronarium, in all probability not much changed from what it was when first introduced to this country. Two fine selections with double flowers have been made from this, viz, Aurora, yellow, and The Biide, white, and when the flowers are produced full and of the best symmetrical form they are charming in the extreme. When a good type of each is obtained it would, perhaps, be best to propagate ic by means of cuttings. C. carinatum or tricolor, the keeled Chrysanthemum, came from Barbary about tyye. This is of diverse colours, but several 108 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. fine forms have been selected and named, such as Burridgeanum, crimson, white, and yellow ; atro- coccineum, deep red-crimson ; Eclipse, in the way of Burridgeanum, but with more scarlet in the colour ; W. E. Gladstone, crimson ; Lord Beacons- field, crimson, variegated ; Sultan, maroon ; pur- pureum, purple ; and, latest of all. Golden Feather or Cloth of Gold, a form of Burridgeanum with golden foliage. Then there are two double forms of it known as Dunnett's Double Yellow and Double White. It is right it should be stated that all the before-mentioned forms are more or less sportive and vary considerably at times, but all are very attractive. To this list may be added the common Corn Chrysanthemum, C. segetum. This is a charming annual variety also, and, like ing these flowers. The varieties I have are Cloth of Gold, two varieties of a double magenta Croussi fl.-pl., the old double white and double lilac, the early double sulphur, a double black named King Theo- dore, a double red, which came to me from Ireland, named Pompadour, a magnificent Primrose, quite the gem of my collection. With the exception of Croussi fl.-pl , all the other varieties mentioned are on the north side of my rockery, and get no sun all the year round, being sheltered from it by the rocks; this suits them exactly. My experience is that the sun is fatal to the growth of double Primroses, as indeed it is to most of the single varieties. Planted on the north side of a rockery, where the sun cannot reach them, in deep loam and peat, I find all Primroses, double or single, to flourish and bloom profusely. — H. A. W. ^;^ Young tree of P. Cembra. (See p. 1C4.) all the forepoing, veiy free. I UiiLk that very fine specimens of the C. coronarium group might be grown in pots for conservatory decoration, but U.ey Sihould be plants raised from cuttings to ensure good varieties. The plants SNhould be struck as early in the spring as possible, and then giown on into size, stopping freely at times so as to encourage a bushy and free-branching habit, and when they have made fine specimens and become well established in pots be allowed to flower. The experiment is worth trying, and (lie lesult would, I think, amply reward the trouble that would be expended in cultivating them in this wise. — R. D. Double Primroses.— "R. D." (p. 65) invites readers of The Gaedex to give their experience touch- The New Zealand Veronicas have been put to the test of our climate during the past few weeks, and in gardens where they have been left unprotected one can fee, now the frost is gone, which are the hardy and the tender. The hardiest of all is without queetion the now well-known V. Traversi, which has come through the frost perfectly uninjured, looking now as fresh and green as in summer, so that it may fairly be placed among hardy Evergreens. The broad-leaved species, such as V. tfeciosa, mixta, and others, have been punished severely ; in some cases they are cjuite killed, and beautiful though they are, I hey are unsuitable for planting about London and northwards except against a wall, and even then they need some sort of protection in order to preserve their foliage uninjured. The pretty little Privet-leaved species, V. ligustrifolia, shows signs of injury at Kew, the leaves been browned and otherwise disfigured ; but in a garden at Ascot on a light peaty soil I noticed that the frost has done it no harm, but nevertheless it must be classed among the doubtfully hardy kinds. The singular-looking V. maritima lately introduced, which looks less like a shrubby Veronica than the others, is quite unharmed at Kew. It is a mere pigmy in growth, but very neat and compact, just the plant, in fact, that a gardener would select for an edging or design. The little V. pingui- folia, now common, is unharmed, and its glaucous white foliage has a telling effect in winter on the rockery, for that is its place, as in such a position its trailing growth is best seen. These are a few instances I have noticed as regards the effect of the winter on these Xew Zealand Veronicas, but now that there are so many in various gardens, others may be found that have passed the winter uninjured. Perhaps Mr. Lindsay will tell us about their behaviour in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, where I remember I saw a large collection of species — in fact, I believe most of those in soutnern gardenswere distributed from Edinburgh. — W. G. CANNAS FROM SEED. Canx.\s are so easily raised from seed, that I would rather start with a young seedling plant than an offset, or a one-year-old plant that had been grown in a small pot. But to be thoroughly successful with seedlings one requires a rather high tempera- ture and to sow early in February ; a hotbed answers better than a forcing house, for Cannas not only like the bottom-heat which it affords, but revel in the moist heat, which, in the case of a hotbed, is heavily charged with ammonia — in fact, there is no comparison between plants treated by the two methods. The luxuriance of those grown in a hotbed far exceeds that of those grown in any other way. The seed should be soaked in water for twenty-four hours before it is sown, and the vessel in which it is placed should be set in a warm house if the frame is not ready, so as to keep the water warm. They do not require a hotbed until the seedlings have grown an inch in height, so that if there is a stove or a heated vinery at command the plants may be raised in them. In the meantime, the hotbed must be prepared to receive them, and as the bed will be required to maintain a brisk heat for at least three months, it must be carefully made up. The fermenting material must be well prepared ; three parts stable manure and one part Oak leaves are best. The manure must be laid in a heap for a fortnight, and turned over twice in that time to let the strong heat pass out of ir. In forming the bed it should be 1 foot larger eveiy way than the frame. It should be 4 feet high tt the back and 3 feet in front. After it has bet n made up about five days, 3 inches of soil should be placed over the surface, to keep down the larjk steam, and then the frame will be ready to receive the plants. The seeds should be sown singly in 3 inch pots, and as soon as they have filled theie with roots, they must be transferred to .")-inch ones. I should remark that a thoroughly liih soil is necessary; half turfy loam and half well- rotted hotbed manure, to which a sprinkle of sand should be added, is none too strong. I may also mention that the leaves under the hot- bed system of culture do not afford a correct idea as to the condition of the roots, for the leaves will lise and unfold themselves much faster than the roots fill up (he pot. It ap- pears that the close heated air of a hotbed frame is the best possible imitation of the con- ditions under which they grow naturally. How- ever that may bo, I have been surprised at ihe size cf the leaves and the height of the plants when I have turned them out of the por, and found, comparatively speaking, so few roots. What roots ihey do make are fleshy and white, and quickly find their way to the sides and bottom. But it is not desirable to let them Jan. 29, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 109 remain in small pots until they get so matted together as to require disentangling. They may in a general way be allowed to grow to a height of 1 foot before they are put into pots " inches in diameter. If the plants are required for bedding out they will not want larger pots, and if pro- perly treated they will be 2 feet high by the end of May. Respecting other cultural details, they want a fair supply of root moisture ; the water which they have should be warm ; this may be obtained by keeping a watering-pot full at all times in the frame. Should the heat in the bed decline too much, which it will probably do by the middle of April, a lining of hot manure should be put all round it, and fresh material should be added to it to keep the height up half way up the frame. To prevent the leaves from scorching, a thin shade must be placed on the glass in very bright weather. If the plants are wanted out of doors, they must be taken to a cold pit at the end of May to be hardened off, and not placed in the open air until the end of the first week in June. J. C. C. Culture of Gaillardias. — On turning over the pages of The Garde.v of July 2t', 1885, I note a suggestion which I overlooked at the time to the effect that I should furnish a few hints on the culture of the Gaillardia, a plant which we grow most successfully. If plants established in pots be planted in the open ground in April, 2 feet apart each way, in well cultivated soil enriched with ordinary decayed manure, they will bloom well the same year. A coUectiitn consisting of about I'lOO plants, which we plant out in the manner just described, has borne the drought of the last five years better tlian any other herbaceous plant which we grow, and has stood the winters so well without the slightest pro- tection, that we have not lost 3 per cent, of them. Gaillardias are fine plants for exhibition and for cut blooms generally ; tbey are also most useful for bedding ; if planted about a foot apart and pegged down they make a brilliant and continuous display, lasting in bloom as they do well into December. The autumn frost does not injure the buds of the Gaillardia nearly so much as those of other herbaceous plants. If grown in pots they make good plants for balconies and verandahs, and also fine specimen plants for exhibition. The following are a few of the best for general purposes, viz. : — Bethcar, crim-un, cd^'cd with Ormonde, crimson, edged gold, quilled .ind tiXsseUed with yellow Canova. yellow, base of petals Rta' ius, gold, with a slight light red copper ling around the Fimbriata, yellow, fringed centre Galopin, orani.'e, iiuilled Temenus, light chocolate, Joaephint*, bronze, gold edged tinged with bronze Larinas, bronze Victory, yellow, with a crim- Mars, gold, with a scarlet ' son base, and quilled ring Xenophon, m roon, edged Roselle, yellow . with gold — William Kklwav, Langport. Primula imperialis. — Until a comparatively recent period this remarkable species of Primula was supposed to occur only on the summit of the volcanic peak Manellawangie, in the island of Java, where it was discovered by Dr. Janghuhn, nearly forty years since, at an elevation of yyOO feet, and whence it never descends lower than 0000 feet. It is, however, now believed to be identical with the P. prolifera of Wallich, which is found on the Khasyan Hills, in the north of India, and may probably occur in other parts of the Himalayan range, though the Javan plant is said to be superior to the Indian form in point of vigour. The genet al habit of the plant is that of the well-known P. japonica, from which indeed it has been supposed to differ chiefly in its colour, but it is even more robust than that; species, reaching, accord- ing to Dr. Junghuhn, a height of 'Ih feet to 3 feet. The fiowtrs are arranged in from two to four whorls each, bearing from ten to twelve or more flowers, which, to judge from the published figure, are tubularly cam- panulate in form, and resemble more those of the wild yellow P. Auricula than those of the Japanese p'ant, though the yellow colour is deeper than in the Auricula. Many attempts have been made to introduce this fine species to European garden^, but, so far as the Javan plant is cc ncerned, hitheito without resulLs, though there appears no sufficient ground for doubt- ng of ultimate success. The chief requisites would appear to be a moist atmosphere and soil, the plant being found on the margins of the rivulets which meander through the vegetable soil or humus, covering the decomposed lava of the summit. The elevation at which it occurs being 1;^ miles above the sea level, it is hardly necessary to remark that the plant flourishes literally above the clouds, and therefore enjoys a serener atmosphere and larger amount of sunshine than the plants growing at a lower altitude. Ice fre(|Uently f()rms at night upon the summit of the mountain alluded to, and the mean daily temperature does not exceed .'iO' I'.ah., but the species is unlikely to endure full exposure to our variable winter climate. I am indebted for my small supply of seed of this Primrose to the kindness of Mr. Lynch, of the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. — W. Thompson, Ipswich. Saxifraga grauulata. — The single-flowered form of this plant is very common in our meadows, though rarely met with in gardens, and yet the flowers surpass in purity the majority of those of the mossy, or hypnoid, section of Saxifrages. It forms interest- ing little tufts, sending up in early summer an abund- ance of large, pure white flowers, which more than repay the trouble of collecting plants of this Saxifrage, which everyone can do, particularly if they reside in the midland counties. The double-flowered form — really a handsome plant — is only to be met with in gardens, and it is undoubtedly the best of the class of Saxifrages to which it belongs. It does well on the rockery, where it blooms beautifully nearly all the summer, and it also makes a charming little plant for the front of the mixed border. It is, perhaps, the easit-st of all these Saxifrages to propagate. The roots consist of little grains or tubers, which can be divided to almost any extent. It likes plenty of sunshine and a light sandy soil. — K. Erinus alpinus. — No difficulty is experienced with this little gem when once it gets hold of an old brick or other wall. It seeds freely enough, and scatters its tiny little seedlings far and near; indeed, in such a place as that just indicated, we commenced its culture a few years ago with a single plant, and now the wall is entirely covered with this pretty alpine. If allowed to have its own way, it gives far better results than when meddled with, and seedlings will be found to have taken hold of every presentable opening all over the wall where a little nourishment can be found. All through the summer months the tufts of leaves are quite liidden, so great is the profusion of its lovely purple flowers. It goes well along with Linaria alpina, Saxifraga stellaris, and many other of these charming wall-loving alpines, all of which will give good results much in the same way if allowed to grow undisturbed. — K. Lathyrus Drummondi. — I am glad to be enabled to inform "J. 0. B." and all others interested in the growth of this pretty Everlasting Pea that patience in the matter of seed-germination has been well rewarded. As I have already mentioned in The Gahdrs, I sowed the seed soon after it was ripe, I think in last September, in a pan, and placed it in a cool house. It has taken four months to germinate, but at length young plants are coming up well. Possibly a gentle warmth might have been helpful, Ijut, in any case, evidence is afforded that so far from keeping the seed in moist soil all the winter proving injurious, it seems to be the onlv means whereby at length it can be induced to germinate. I think this remark applies to all hard- coated seeds, and immediate sowing is doubtless bettt.T than arbitrary soaking. — A. D. Tree Flax (Linum arboreum). — The value of this old plant for ornamenting rockwork can hardlj' be over-estimated.; even during very early spring, if the weather has been at all favourable, it is ever ready to push forth its shining golden flowers, a succession of which is kept up until early autumn. In exposed places, however, it sometimes gets partly destroyed in severe weather, but where it can get shelter from cold east and north-east winds, it stands well, and never loses a leaf. In the course of a few years, if planted in a favour- able situation, it becomes quite a bush, and the hundreds of flowers which it produces glistening in the sun make a pleasing efi'ect. It was intro- duced, we are told, by Dr. Sibthorp about 17SS from the Levant, and soon after flowered in the Oxford Botanic Garden. Though quite distinct, it is often confounded with L. flavum or luteum, as it is often called. The latter, however, is a herbaceous perennial, which, like other herbaceous plants, dies down in winter, reappears in spring, and flowers about midsummer. It is a valuable plant, but not so attractive as L. arboreum. It seeds freely, and may be raised in the open ground. In flowers and foliage L. campanulatum is not un- like L. flavum. It is more slender, however, and is rarely seen in collections. — K. EL0WER3 AND GARDENS. At the Litton Hall, Leeson Park, Dublin, an in- teresting lecture on this subject was delivered the other evening by Mr. F. W. Burbidge. The Rev. Dr. Maurice Neligan presided. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Burbidge said one of the best of lessons to instil into the minds of young people is that all flowers are beautiful, for it is flowers that our greatest poets have most delighted to hcmour. Daisies, Bluebells, Primroses, Daffodils, Snowdrops, and Violets, wild Roses and Woodbine have »11 been woven into song and story from the time of Chaucer to the days of Tennyson. The one great charm which lingers round our garden blossoms is their beautiful reality. They are essentially genuine. In art and literature generally the poor man must put up with a makeshift, but a Lily, an Iris, or a Pansy in a cottage garden is as real and as beautiful as if grown in the garden of a queen. When we come to consider the early history of flowers, as used for decoration or personal uses, we find that the wild or native flowers were first employed. Of course, all plants are wild somewhere or other in the world, and the most showy of these were at first selected for decorative uses. The Jasmine, Nelumbiuu), and Orchids of various kinds were so used in India from the earliest times, while in the western tropics the most bea\itiful of the native wild flowers were also employed long, long before the woad-painted, skin- clad Briton saw aught to admire in a wild Rose bud, or in the flowers of Honeysuckle or of Hawthorn. It is probable that the first plants ever cultivated were grown for use as food or for their medicinal virtuts rather than for their beauty ; but in the herbarium of the museum at Cairo, and also at Kew and the British Museum, may be seen to-day the mummy wreaths of Egyptian flowers culled by hands and woven by fingers that tingled with the love, warmth, and life-blood of four or five thousand years ago. The oldest of dried flowers in herbaria — that is, of flowers specially prepared for scientific purposes — do not date back further than the middle of the sixteenth century, and yet we find that flowers were used in Egyptian ceremonies some three or four thousand years ago. About sixty distinct kinds of plants and flowers have been identified, and by placing these in warm water, Dr. Sehweinfurth, of Cairo, has succeeded in prepar- ing a series of specimens gathered four thousand years ago. The blue Water Lily, or Lotus, the Poppy, the Larkspur, Flax, Charlock, Knapweed, and other flowers are perfectly preserved, the garlands being woven together with strips of the Nile Reed, or Papy- rus of the ancients. I should like to see a garden of not less than a quarter of an acre around every country cottage or dwelling-house, and more especially is it to be desired that a garden should be attached to ,-iU country and suburban public schools. In France, Germany, and even in Sweden this is, to some extent, done already with the best results ; and I can only hope the day is not far distant when the same may be said of our own public and national schools. Ireland being so peculiarly dependent on land culture for her revenue, I am convinced that elementary horticulture should be more generally made use of as an educational subject of the highest practical or technical value. Nor is this love for cultivated plants and gardens confined to our own country alone, for whoever visits Paris cannot fail to notice the rich profusion of Palms, Dracsenas, Ferns, and Daisy bushes or Marguerites with which the windows and apartments there are most tastefully decorated. In Germany, Russia, and alto in Ameiica the love for beautiful plants and 110 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. fragrant window flowers is rapidly increasing. In- deed, the Ivnowledge essential to their successful culture is so easily obtained by observation, that we can only wonder wliy every window and balcony is not gay with ornamental plants and flowers for a con- siderable portion of the year. Sweet-smelling things, such as Lavender, Wallflowers, Thyme, Carnations, Rosemary, and Mignonette, should be around every country house ; and it is possible that in years to come some part of every town dwelling will be con- structed expressly for the culture of plants and flowers within it. A small conservatory, or, at least, window eases, as fixtures, will be considered as essen- tial as a good kitchen-range or a bath-room. At the present time we have a few roof conserva- tories and gardens, and, doubtless, in time these and other appliances will become universal, especially in towns, where space is valuable. The best evergreen plant for a room is Aspidistra hirida, of which there are green and variegated varieties. A specimen liere has been grown in a shady window in the Had- dington Road for the last four years, and when first brought into the house it had six small leaves only, and it has never been repotted or manured during that time. No other plant I know does better, and it is an especi.al favourite in France and Holland, where fresh and healthy evergreen room plants are highly appreciated. The India-rubber (Ficus) is another good room plant, as is also the graceful Gre- villea robusta. Several kinds of green-leaved Dra- caenas are thoroughly reliable, as also are small plants of the Australian Blue Gum, or Fever tree. I have seen a fine plant of this in the window of a drawing- room in Clare Street for the past three or four years Some small Palms grow well in warm rooms, and none better than the Corypha austr.alis. Another favourite, especially at this season, is the Arum Lily, while the Scarboro\igh Lily ( Vallota) is very attractive when it throws up its cluster of scarlet Lily-like flowers in the autumn months, just before the Chry- santliOmum comes into bloom. Temperance and good gardening generally go hand in hand. Some, at least, among the audience here to night will have observed those cosy Fuchsia-clad cottages which nestle here and there on the Powersoourt domain, and from which the occupants get ample supplies of good vegetables and small fruits, as well as flowers. Such gardens must prove great counter-attractions to the public-house or fhebeen. Another large landed proprietor told me quite recently that his own expe- rience in the building of cottages had proved to him that the a'idition of a piece of garden ground had a most beneficial influence on the social, moral, and re- ligious life and welfare of the inmates. Of all modern writers, it is Ruskin, I believe, who sums up the whole substance of our knowledge of plants with one dip of his pen. This is his estimate of them — " Timber for the builder's yard, corn for the granary or the baker's oven, flowers for the bride's chamber, and Moss for the grave." In a word, food, shelter, and beauty for all of us is really, the sum total of the world's vegetation. NEW AURICULA SOCIETY. Scottish florists, with commendable tact, seem to have chcsen this year for the inauguration of a Scottish Auricula society. They will, I am sure, have the hearty sympathy of a large body of growers south of the Tweed. If not too late, I would suggest that the name of the society be amplified, and that it be designated "The Scottish Auricula and Primula Society." The national societies in England have for many years offered prizes for Primulas of all kinds, as well as for Auriculas, and it has been decided that both the northern and southern .sections should add the name Primula to their schedules, &o. There is a wide field for the hybridist to work in, even if he should restrict his operations to the alpine section of Primulas, to say nothing of the equally large and important range of the Himalayan section. The wonderful development of the Auricula during the present century is a constant reminder to ua of the yet undeveloped wonders which we may expect to come from other alpine species under the hands of the hybridist and the skilful culti- vator. Early in February the numerous varieties of the garden Auricula start into rapid growth, and at that time it used to be an almost vtniversal custom to top dress the plants. This was done by clearing off a considerable portion of the sur- face soil with a pointed stick, and replacing it with some rich compost. For many years I followed in the same track, and spent several days of the first or second week in February over this operation, but we liave now discontinued the practice, as it was found to be (juite unnecessary. Mr. Horner in a note written to me two years ago stated that he also had given up surface- dressing his Auriculas for the same reason. This annual dressing was (and by some is still) thought to be an essential part of the culture of the Auricula. Those who sowed seeds of Auriculas when they were ripe in July would obtain a few plants which will now be of good size. They will, therefore, require to be again potted off, hut if the seed pots or pans were left undisturbed, a larger number of seedlings will appear now ; they will grow quite freely if the weather continues mild, and they should be pricked off as soon as the first real leaf is formed on the plants. Off- sets taken off now, planted in small pots, and placed under handlights, will do better than at any other season of the year. Scarcely a single one of them will fail. It seeds have not yet been sown, now would be a good time to do so. The seeds vegetate more freely in a pit from which frost is excluded than they do in an ordinary cold frame at this season. J. Duui:la.s. Garden Destroyers. (_;. S. S.VUNDERS. Springtail insects.— How can I get rid of some troublesome little insect (one or two of which I send) that infests all my plants, not only in the stove, but also in cooler houses, and even plants that have been out all summer ? I take it for thrips, but most books that I have read say that thrips live on the under-sides of the leaves, and can be got rid of by syringing or fumigat- ing ; some of my plants get that thrips on the leaf, but they are at once sponged off, and are never allowed to spread, but as these other insects live in the earth and shingle, smoking has no effect on them; they only "wait till the clouds roll by " to renew their depredations. All plants suffer, but Gloxinias and Begonias are quite ruined by them. I see that steaming has been recommended as a remedy ; will you, therefore, kindly tell me to what temperature a house might be raised by steam without doing harm to such plants as Adi- antum farleyense, &c. ; also, if the tobacco-water used is only tobacco boiled in water, or the tobacco juice which is sold, mixed with water? By giving me this information you will confer a great favour, as It is quite disheartening to look at my plants. — W. W. *^* You have sent us a regular collection of insects — beetles, gnats, flies, and springtails. Only the last-named are, however, hurtful to plants. The springtails are very difficult to destroy, on account of their habit, which you have noticed, of living a great deal among earth, &c. ; their great} powers of jumping render the ta>-k of "putting salt on their tails " all the more difficult. I should recommend taking the plants off the stages and syringing them over a tank with tobacco water and soft soap. The spiingtails will probably jump off' the plants and fall i.ito the tank, where they may be easily, 1 should think, destroyed; any that remain on the plants will be killed by the insecti- cide. Before replacing the plants, water the -hingle on the stage, and, if necessary, the floor, too, with boiling water from a watering-can with a rose nozile. As regards steiming greenhouses, there is no need to consider the temperature if it is the steam, or rather vapour, of tobacco-juice which is to be used. M. Godefroy-Lebeuf, who first ventilated this subject in The G.vkden, says he has a number of braziers filled with live coal ; on each he puts an old saucepan containing a pint of tobacco water : " this is quickly vaporised, and the atmosphere is saturated with this moisture- laden vapour, which becomes condensed on every- thing with which it comes in contact, leaves, bulbs, flowers, shelves, &c. When the consistency of the contents of the saucepans is reduced to the thickness of thick soup, a pint of water is added to each, and the vaporisation goes on as before. I consider a pint of tobacco juice sufficient for a house of '200(t cubic feet." The tobacco juice M. G. Lebeuf uses is what he calls 14". Mr. Mcintosh recommends a paraffin stove for supply- ing the heat to vaporise the tobacco juice, and says, "if the tobacco juice is as good as it should be, it will require an equal part of water added to it to prevent it boiling over." So long as this juice is of the right strength it cannot matter whether it be home-made or bought. The ten- derest plants do not seem injured by this process. MARKET GARDEN NOTES. The wintry weather that has prevailed for some time has greatly checked work in market gardens. Nothing in the way of sowing or planting can be done until we get more genial weather. Pruning, cleaning, and manuring, however, can be done, and this work too frequently gets put off altogether unless the weather precludes the possibility of getting on with other work. That orchards have been sadly neglected few can deny, but I find that many of them are being renovated, and also new ones planted. Pruning old trees, especially if long neglected, needs great care ; if a large quantity of wood is removed at one time the tree gets a serious check, and is frequently more injured than im- proved. I would never cut any large limbs from fruit trees of any kind, as they leave wounds that induce decay. In pruning standard trees get into the centre with a small hand-saw and strong prun- ing-knife and cut away all the small spray-like growth that does not get direct sunlight, leaving the main branches quite clear ; the outer bearing branches may be left moderately thick. After that is done a dressing with fresh slaked lime if the branches are Moss-covered will .soon dry the Moss up, while paratfin will clear the American blight or scale off and leave the branches bright and clear. Carting and wheeling manure on the land has lately been pushed forward, hai'd frost having made the recently saturated soil in good condition for such work. Under the orchard trees here are growing bush fruits or vegetables, so that owing to the double cropping a good deal of manure is needed to keep the trees healthy. The good prices realised for Apples during the past year have induced growers to pay more attention to manuring their trees than formerly ; indeed, there can be no doubt that the great proportion of orchard trees are starved. Night soil and town sewage soon make a marvellous change in orchard trees ; the vigour thus infused into them seems to enable them to throw off insect pests, and, indeed, all other ailments. Forcing Rhubarb, Seakale, and Asparagus is now being pushed forward ; old tubs are put over the Rhubarb crowns and then they are covered with manure. This is the plan most largely followed here ; Seakale and Asparagus are both lifted and forced in frames on hot beds. All spare pits and frames are being cleaned and got ready for work, and seeds of Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and other early crops are being sown in heat so as to have a plentiful supply of plants as soon as the time for planting out has arrived.— J. G., Ilanlx. Names of plants. - />. C. (Stornoteo7f).—A form of l.'i ilium angustifolium. Snow. — 1, Echeveria retusii ; 2, Be- H' aii I. apparently ramentacca ; 3, flower:* -shrivelled. !('. 5. (/A;,M-(»s't/-) — 1. Adiantum cuneatum; 2, Nephrulepis, pro- liablv pecrioata, specimen bad ; 3, f'olypodium semilauernm. //. M. (ShmU-fhi). — 1, Hotfmannia Ghiesbreghti, other numbers loose ; plant with red berries, Hivina humilis ; banded leaf, Tiilandsia .acaulis zebrina ; Orchid, Oncidiuni ornithorhyochum ; small blue flower specimen insutiicient : cannot name fruit from single specimfn. /. //. {Ckiclw tcr). -Adiantum teuerum B. iy.{/t>f({i). — l, Sel.aginella viridis; 2. S. Walllchi ; 3, Schizaea dichotoma. F. M. (J'oiA)— 1, Odontoglossura Rossi niajus: 2, O. odoratum : 3, L?elia albida. /. J'ntfs. ~ 1 , Kranthemimi pulchellum ; 2, fiiphorbia jacqvuni;\;tlora. Names of fruits. — '. S. {Dover') — The single Apple yo sent i? insufficient for identification. Jan. 29, 1887. J THE GARDEN. HI WOODS & FORESTS. A GRAND OLD AMERICAN ELM. I CAME across a magnificent specimen of this Elm the other day. It is, perhaps, one of the largest and oMest trees of this kind now growing in this country. It is about- 100 feet in height, having a spread of 100 feet over a superficial area of nearly 8000 feet. The diameter of the trunk, 3 feet from the ground, is about S feet. It is solid for about 15 feet from the ground, ■where the tree separates into numerous huge branches, several of which are large enougii in themselves for the stems of good sized trees of this genus. Each of these secondary stems spreads in turn into hundreds of smaller blanches with unusual regularity and uniformity, making the whole one of the most .symmetrical and grace- ful specimens of arborescent growth, for its size, to be fovmd on the Atlantic slope. Drooping fi'om some of the lower branches are many long, pendulous streamers, some cf which nearly touch tlie ground. These, as they sway to and fro in the summer lireeze, together with the rustling sym- phony of dense leafage from the immense top tower- ing far above, present a truly plea?ing and ma- jestic aspect to any beholder. No one cm stand lieneath this grand old tree and look aloft amid its maze of branches without reverential respect. As to its age, I am left mainly to conjecture ; but that it is already well along in its second century seems certain. And yet, strange to say, there is no sign of decay or decline in vigour to be found in it. This massiveandbeautifulElm, true toits nature, stands in a rich alluvial meadow bottom almost in the'8hadowoftheCatskillMountains,and not many rods from the versatile margin of a reckless and wayward mountain stream, that begins its career cjlmly and modestly enough away back amid the rocks and roots of a wild, craggy region, well up towards the sky, where the speckled trout disports itself in its i the trouble, i.e., post-! for ordinary gates and fences, as the length to which straight lines are essential is not great. Another purpose for which a supply of clear coppice Oak should be kept in reserve is for cleft pales. To make the best of the wood, trees straight in the butt and with as little sap as possible should be selected for this purpose. The Elm is an- other tree which is almost indispensable upon an estate, but more for buildings than for field work. The actual working up of the timber may be a little beyond the forester's duties, but still he should have an appreciation of the uses to which it was likely t > be put in order to guide him in choosing the supply. A generation or two ago the Elm was very largely used for outside boarding, and for divisions between cattle-yards and the like. There is nothing more suitable for such purposes where hard wear-and-tear are common. The toughness and the difficulty there is in spfitting this wood are 'two of its chief recom- mendations. Th-r-! are oher hardwoods which are used to a small extent in the estate yard, but the Oak and the Elm are the chief. With respect to resinous woods, Larches and Scotch and Spruce Fir each come in to a considerable extent, and the present is the season in which the supplies should be replenished. On the Scotch and Spruce a minimum of labour should be expended. I am aware that the Spruce especially is thought but little of in regard to dura- bility, and that it fetches scarcely more than a nomin!>,l figure when sold. But if such woods cm be used where it is necessary to go to but littk outlay in reg.ird to them, there seems to be no sufficient reason why they should not be grown. For fencing and rough buiUliogs which are only required for a few years, such woods may bo maie to do duty at an in- finitessimal cost, as well as anything better, and there- fore a proportion of them should always be included in the annail replenishaient of the wood-yard. D. J. Y. .^HORT SOT E.^i -WOODS AXD FOJll'SrS. Pruning: trees.— Trees ought t) bj pruned when .s:t our. How mucli lo cut away from the top depends eoiue- wliat on what lias been lost in ^-o^ts during the lifting of tlie tree. The rule for most irees is to cut away about one-third of the last se.ason's Kruwth, to shorten i-i a little any very l.inK roots, ano cut off smooth the enis of £uch as h we been bruised or broken in digging. Tlie wooden parts of tools, such as the stock of planes and handles of ch sels, are cften made to have a nice appearance by French polishing ; but this adds nothing tn their durability. A much better plan is to let them soak in linseed oil for a week, and rub them with a new cloth for a few minutes every day for a week or tw >. This produces a beautiful surface, and"at the same time exerti a solidifying and preservative action on the wood. SHELTER.BELTS AND HEDGE SCREENS. What to plant is a question that some may desire to have answered. The very wealth of material before us greatly enhances the difficulty of making a re- sponse. We have deciduous trees that are bare in winter, when shelter is most needed, and we have also Evergreens in great variety, that retain their refresh- ing verdure all through the year, and provide the most perfect shelter. For the wind-breaks of the field, and even for groves about buildings, the leafless trees have much viilue, and thtir judicious disposition will greatly check the cutting storms; the wind, after sifting through the branches, is reft uf hdf its pjwer for evil ; nor is its force restored for some distance. The majority of wind breaks are composed of de- ciduous trees, and usually of the commonest species — anything that will rapidly grow into a tree, or that can be most cheaply procured. This practice need not, however, prevent us from using any of the more valuable hardwood, and other trets, in making shel- ters, but in some instances our impatience may prevail over our judgment as to the more valuable species and induce us to plant only those of rapid growth to ensure a speedy result. As to the use of Ever- greens in outside shelter-belts, though more expen- sive at first, a smaller number and a narrower surface devoted to the wind-break will prove so much more tfTective than a wider strip of decidu- ous trees, as to justify the increased outlay. Some- times even a sini^de row of Norway Spruce, or of hardy Pines, like the Scotch or the Norway Spruce, or even of the common Red Cedar or Arbor- vit:o will make an admirable wind-break. Plant any of the many trees at your command, and plant them where they will produce the desired protection. Whether you select the so-called cheap trees, such as white Willows, Poplars, soft Maples, &c., or whether you choose Oaks, hard Maples, the white .Vsh, the Elm, the wild Cherry, the Tulip, the Walnut, and Hickories, or hardy Evergreens, do not neglect the planting of these invaluable aids to good culture. When we come to a selection of the plants best suited to the protection of our homes and theii sur- roundings we again find abundant material from which to make choice. For trees and for tall screens the favourite with many will be the Norway Spruce, which grows rapidly, is easily transplanted and managed, and which presents a welcome tint of green that is always persistent and full. The other Spruces are also desirable, particularly the white and the black. They all bear the knife and shears very well, and may easily be kept within due bounds when used as hedges for shelter. The native Hemlock is particularly coramendtd standing alone, but it is also one of the very best species for forming a screen or shelter hedge, as it may be clipped to a perfect plane, and, when necessary, it can be confined within narrow limits. In the case of trees to be planted about buildings, we should consider their beauty, and with this character in view we should select, among Evergreens, the Hemlock, the White Pine, perhaps alsj the Ktd Pine, or Norway, but not the Scotch Fir, nor the Austrian. There we may also place the American Arbor-vit;e, but the especial function of thii sp^aes is the forma-icii of shelter- screens and hedges, for which it is particularly well adaptzd, except in very dry soilf ; nothing can be prettier than a well trimmed hedge of Arbor-vit;e, unless it be one of Hemlock, as the latter preserves iti deep trten hue unimpaired all winter. Some of the dwarf Pines may also find a place in front or at the sides of the h mse, but they never attain sufficient size to make much shelter. The same is true of the bsautifid Retinospjras from Japan, which answer well for low screens, and are highly ornamental. The common Red Cedar is, after all, a most useful plant. It has been called the Poor Man's Evergreen, ou accjtmt of the facility with which it m.ay be produced in all parts of the country, as well as the certainty and rapidity of its growth. Though not of so fine a colour as some others, this tree makes dense foliage 112 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 29, 1887. when set ag a shelter-belt and wind-break. It also makes a close hedge to screen jiathways. The ground for the wind-breaks should be well prepared. A strip of one rod in width will be needed it it is proposed to plant but a single row, and several rods wide must be prepared if it be designed to plant a good wind-break of many rows, which is the better plan. After harrowing the ground a furrow is struck for every row of trees, and these furrows may be 4 feet apart, for then the plants may be set every 4 feet. This requires very little labour, unless large trees are selected, and if these be large Evergreens they need not be so close, but more care will be required in planting. Yearlings and two-year-old plants of most deciduous kinds, or stout cuttings of Willows and Poplars, will be the cheapest and best. The young trees, when planted with reasonable care and well fixed in the soil by pressure of the foot, will be sure to grow ; l>ut so will weeds, and the plantation must be cultivated for ab lut two seasons, so as to keep down all intruders. With this treatment their growth is greatly enhanced, and they will the sooner shade the ground, when they will suppress the weeds and take care of themselves. They must, however, be protected from the inroads of stock of all kinds. This is an absolute necessity. When to plant, though an important question, need not detain us long. Plant when you get ready, autumn or spring, but be sure to have the soil ready for the reception of your trees before bringing them on to the ground ; let it be dry enough to crumble ; never plant when it is wet and clammy. Deciduous trees maybe set out in autumn, when we have leisure to do the work, and when the soil is dry and warm. — Rural Niv Yorker. darkness of colour is in general a sign of strength and durability. The freshly-cut surface of the wood should be firm and shining, and should have some- what of a translucent appearance. A dull, chalky appearance is a sign of bad timber. In wood of a given species, the heavier specimens are in general the stronger and the more lasting. Among resinous woods, those which have least resin in their pores, and amongst non-resinous woods, those which have least tap or gum iu them, are in general the strongest and most la.sting. It is stated by some that in Pine- wood, that which has most sap-wood, is the most durable ; but the universality of this law is doubtful. —A. N. is growing at a considerable elevation above sea level, and in rather damp ground adjoining a mountain rivulet. The exposed situation has told somewhat severely upon it, for many fine limbs have been torn off by the force of the wild mountain blast, which at times sweeps along the valley with terriBc fury. It is, however, still an object of veneration, and attracts, by its dilapidated and weather-beaten appearance, the few travellers who pass over the primitive Welsh bridge near which it grows. A. D. W. ROOT-CHOKING OF DRAINS. Deep as drainage may be laid, it is never altogether free from the possibility of being put out of order by the roots of trees, or of certain kinds of crops which may penetrate the drains, and form a hindrance to the free passage of the water through them. The roots of the Elm, Ash, Willow and other trees are known to enter the pipes, and even pass through the ground for several yards to reach them, as if they were a'tracted by the moisture and air whii;h they find in the pipes, and by the nourishment afforded them there. To obviate this difficulty it is advisable, where it occurs or is apprehended, to use socket-pipes jointed with cement, or to lay the pipes as far as possible from the trees. I have found that imbedding the pipes in lime, mortar, or concrete has prevented them from being choked, although close to trees which it was impossible to avoid, and has kept them clear for some years. The roots of some crops, if they should penetrate the pipes, die away when the crops are removed, and are freijuently washed out at the mouths of the drains by the strong flow of water through them. Other substances give the drainer a vast amount of trouble in obstructing pipes. Ochreous water, depositing oxide of iron, is a common source of obstruction. It appears to harden and consolidate as it receives air through the pipes, and ultimately chokes them. I have found it best to get at the source of the spring or spiings, .and conduct the water away by large pipes independent of the general sys- tem. Oonfervae and parasitic plants will also get into the pipes, grow, and ultimately stop the flow of water through them. Another source of trouble is the percolation of sand into the pipes, which necessi- tates patience and care in taking them up frequently after being first laid and relaid, until all the w.ater has run out of the bed, and then laying them in straw and on stiips of wood. P. Appearance of good timber. — There are certaiu appearances which are characteristic of strong and durable timber, to what class soever it belongs. In the same species of timber that specimen will in general be the strongest and the most durable which has grown the slowest, as shown by the narrowness of the .annual rings. The cellular tissue as seen in the medullary rays {when visible) should be hard and compact. The vascular or fibrous I issue should adhere firmly together, and should show no woolliness at a freshly-cut surface, nor should it clog the teeth of the saw with loose fibres. If the wood is coloured. THE GEAN, OR WILD CHERRY. In a low-lying and rather damp piece of woodland near the junction of the Conway and Carnarvon roads may be seen some of the finest specimens of the Gean, or wild Cherry, to be found in this country. The soil in which these trees are growing may best be de- scribed as gravelly loam lying upon slate rock, with an alluvial surface from time to time deposited by the Ogwen River during floods. As will be seen from the following figures, several of these trees have attained large dimensions, and are still in a very healthy, thriving condition. No. 1 : height, 70 feet ; girth of stem at 3 feet and 5 feet, 0 feet 4 inches and 6 feet 3 inches respectively. No. 2 : height, 70 feet ; girth of stem at 3 feet, ti feet 1 inch, and at 6 feet, ;'i feet 1 0 inches. The boles are remarkably clean and straight and with a very gradual taper. When thinning the patch of woodland in which these trees occur we had occision to remove several, the timber of which was of excellent quality and re- markable for the large size of its medullary processes, which gave the longitudin.al section a bright satiny lustre and rendered it well suited for ornamental cabinet-work. As an ornamental as well as a valuable timber tree the wild Cherry is but too little known, at least in this country. Many points in favour of it might be adduced, such as immunity from disease, rapidity of growth when planted ia suitable soil, closeness with which it can be advantageously planted, and last, but by no means least, value of the timber obtained. As an ornamental tree the wild Cherry is also valuable, for during early summer, when laden with its pure white flowers, or again in autumn when myriads of the shining black fruit hang iu clusters from its branches, it will be readily admitted that few woodland trees have a more lovely or conspicuous appearance. In Scotland, on the banks of the Find- horn, and in Devon, many fine examples of the wild Cherry may be seen, ranging in height from 30 feet to 43 feet, and girthing at 3 feet about 7 feet Id circumference of stem. This is, however, about the largest size to which they attain in that district, although in many other parts of Scotland much finer specimens may be seen. Nearly allied to the Gean is the Bird Cherry (Cerasus Padus), which also occurs rather plentifully iu various parts of Britain, notably the north of Scot- land. It is a very ornamental tree, rather more leafy than the Gean, and produces a valuable timber much Bought after by cabinet-makers on the Continent. The following measurements of Bird Cherries grow- ing at Darnaway, near Forres, have been kindly furnished to me by Mr. Scott, the wood manager there, and represent the largest trees now growing. No. 1 : height fully 40 feet ; girth of stem at 1 foot and 4 feet respectively, 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet. No. 2 : from 38 feet to 40 feet in height, and girthing at 1 foot and 4 feet, 4 feet 6 inches and 3 feet (i inches respectively. No. 3 : girth 6 feet 2 inches at 1 foot up (no height given). No. 4: 36 feet in height and f) feet 8 inches in girth at 4 feet up. These measurements represent very fine trees in- deed, and almost equal to the wild Cherry alongside which they are growing. The Bird Cherry on this estate is, comparatively speaking, a rare tree, in most cases only attaining shrub height. One very fine specimen which I had measured last week is 30 feet in height, girths at 3 feet 4 feet 1 inch, and at 5 feet, 3 feet 9 inches in circumference of stem. This tree SEASONING OF TIMBER. Seasoning timber consists in expelling, as far aa possible, the moisture which is contained in its pores. Natural seasoning is performed simply by exposing the timber freely to the air in a dry place, sheltered, if possible, from sunshine and high winds. The seasoning- yard should be well drained, and the timber so supported as to admit of a free circulation of air all round it. Natural seasoning to fit timber for carpenters' work usually occupies about two years ; for joiners' work, about four years ; but much longer periods are sometimes employed. The best method of artificial seasoning consists in exposing the timber in a chamber to a current of hot air. In one process the current of air is impelled by a fan at the rate of about 100 feet per second ; and the fan, air-passages, and chamber are so proportioned that one-third of the volume of air in the chamber is blown through it per minute. The best temperature for the hot air varies with the kind and dimensions of the timber ; thus, for Pine woods, iu thick pieces, it should be about 120°, and for thin boards of Pine wood, from ISO" to 200°; while for Cedar, in boards 1 inch thick, a temperature of from 2S0° to 300° might be employed. In this way, pieces of timber of 1, 2, 3, 4, 0, and 8 inches in thickness require, respectively, one, two, three, four, seven, and ten weeks to become dry, the current of hot air being kept up for twelve hours per day only. The drying of timber by hot air from a furnace has also been practised successfully in a brick chamber, through which a current is produced by the draught of a chimney. The equable distribution of the hot air amongst the pieces of timber is ensured by intro- ducing the hot air close to the roof of the chamber, and drawing it off through holes in the floor with an underground flue. The hot air on entering, being more rare than that already in the chamber, which is par- tially cooled, spreads into a thin stratum close under the roof, and gradually descends amongst the pieces of wood to the floor. The air is introduced at the temperature of 240° Fahr. The expenditure of fuel in this method has been found to be at the rate of 1 lb. of coke for every 3 lbs. of moisture evaporated. A. NlLSON. How to prevent splitting in the ends of timber. — The cause of timber splitting at the ends is correctly stated in The G.\riien (p. 88). I have found a piece of brown paper pasted over the ends of a board or plank sufficient to prevent the occurrence of this mischief ; but if any signs of splitting have already appeared, it is necessary to cut the paper wide enough to cover not only the end, but also the sides of the plank a few inches on either side a little distance beyond the crack. — B. S. Tree-growth. — The following figures may in- terest those of your readers who have paid attention to the growth of trees. I have carefully measured these seven trees. annually, and give you the sum of ten years' growth : — A Sveainore A ent-lciived Alder An I l.ik .\ (.'ryptonieria japonicu A Spanish Chestnut that Las been pollarded .. 1:: Tj i"i The above trees arc in the garden, the two following in the park ; — .\ Spanish Chestnut 1- < la Another s s « Jan. ISTS. Jan. 1,SS7 Ft. Id. Ft In. 7 0+ 7 Vi 8 fi il 01 1(1 0 111 71, 2 3J 4 '2 It will be seen that the Spanish Chestnuts grow f.aster than the other trees, and the pollard the fastest of all. The trees are measured at 4 feet from the ground. — Wm. Wiokham, Binslcd- Wyck, AHuii. THE GARDEN. 113 Ho. 794. SATURDAY, Feb. 5. 1887. Vol. XXXI. " This is an Art Which dues mend Nature : change it rathor ; but The Art itself is Nature."— 5AaA-fspeore. Fruit Garden. \V. COLEMAN. GRAFTING VINES. ALTHorcm the Grape Vine was introduced into this country about tlie beginning of the Christian era, and thousands ol' pages have been written upon its culture, it is questionable if twenty pei cent, of the growers of the present day would undertake the grafting of a set of Hamburgh? and guarantee success. And yet, be they owners of only half-a-dozen Vines, how few there are who at some period of their lives have not felt that they would like to try to graft, but have been deterred by the generally-admitted fact that a sure hit is extremely uncertain. Such being the case, and, judging from the number of ques- tions which reach me privately, a few words upon this interesting subject just now may not be out of place. If Vines, like Apples, Pear.=, and other close-grained fruit trees, could be operated upon with ceitainty through the months ol March and Apiil, there would be no ditliculty whatever, as the operator would only have to watch for the rising of the sap when the opera- tion, purely mechanical, could be performed by any handy manipulator. This course, howevrr, would not ensure success, fur the Vine being very porous, and having s\ich a powerful flow of sap when growth first sets in, it is more than pro- bable the stock would Ideed to death and the scion would be destroyed by flooding. If, on the other hand, the operation is perfoimed when the Vines are at rest, if Vines ever do rest, and the scion, also in a dormant state, is fitted in the most scientific manner, the pores of the wood having become dry and sealed, failure would be equally certain. From these remarks the uninitiated will gather that the great stumbling-block is undue haste, and the chief difticulty rests,* not with the cjperator, but with the director, for it is easy enough to fit cambium to cambium, when, provided stock and scion are in proper condition, the union will take place in a fortnight. If whip-grafting — decidedly the best method — is adopted, the stock may be considerably reduced at any time after the leaves fall in the autumn ; but nothing is gained by cutting the Vines down, as it is necessary to get rid of tiie first flush of sap before the graft is put on, and if a few spTirs or shoots cin be retained for a time, flooding afterwards may often be prevented. Assuming, then, that the Vines have started into growth, and the young shoots are several inches in length with fully developed leaves, heading back may be performed, always, be it understood, to a spur in advance of the place fixed upon for uniting the graft. To the tyro who.se experience does not extend beyond the Apple orchard, this allowing a Vine to get into full leaf may appear novel, but he must accept the fact — nay, more, he must exercise a great amount of patience — and the better to while away his time he must pay attention to his grafts. The first thing to be considered in the selection of the wood for grafting, as for propagating, is lipeness, and the better to secure this a good stock of prunings from early or mid-season Vines should be inserted in pots of soil, or laid in under a north wall where they can be retarded until quite late in the spring. If the vinery in which the work, is to be performed is a late one, the buds will most likely be on the move by the time they are wanted ; if early, it may be neces- sary to place the scions in heat for a few days, and when the buds begin to swell freely they may be considered in proper condition for work- ing. The stock having made several leaves on each of its young shoots, and the sap in the scion being also on the move, cut the first back to a convenient place for fitting the second, leaving one or more growing shoots above the point ot union for the twofold purpose of carrying off suiierabundant sap and supplying nourishment to the scion until the terminal bud breaks into growth. If the stock is very young, the joining of the inner bark of the one to that of the other will not be ditficult, but when the stock is old and rough some care will be necessary, otherwise the two will not meet, but overlap, when perfect union may be doubtful. When the scion is properly fixed it must be tightly bound with bast matting, great care being observed in the protection of the young shoots opposite or be- yond, as the loss of these safety-valves will lead to certain failure. This stage reached, a covering of some kind must be applied for excluding wet and air and keeping in moisture. Good grafting clay is often used for this purpose, but the mois- ture which it contains and receives sometimes induces the formation of roots, and as these are objectionable, if not injurious, nurserymen's grafting wax by many is considered preferable. If the stock shoots are rather long, the points may be pinched as soon as the giaft is fitted, otherwise they may be allowed to grow until it begins to push, when they must be checked by gradual shortening. A fortnight will .show whether the operation has been successful, and liy the end of a month the removal of the wax and slackening of the ligature should be attended with safety. It will not, however, be wise to do away with the ligature altogether, as vigorous stocks force vigorous growths, which after being tied to the trellis, sometimes throw themselves off before the newly formed matter is strong enough to hold them. Although cleft-grafting is not generally approved, I lately saw a house of Vines that were so treated more than forty years ago, and so perfect was the union, that had I not seen the operation performed, I should have doubted the assertion that they had been grafted. Voung gardeners who have not been fortunate enough to see whip or cleft-grafting performed should obtain their employers' permission to try their 'prentice hands. There are few gardens of any note in which surplus rods are not cut out every year, and these will answer admirably for experimental purposes. If failure follows, they may try again ; if success, h.'t them note every detail in tlieir diary, and although the Vines operated upon may be of no value, the experience and confidence gained may be found useful in days yet to come. Bottle • GRAFTING.— This method, although sometimes practised by grafters of Camellias and other hard-wooded greenhouse plants, is, I believe, comparatively new to the Grape grower. It is, nevertheless, an excellent plan, and by many preferred, success being almost a dead certainty. The preparations are in every way similar to those recommended for whip-grafting, only in- stead of uniting a small scion, a piece of well- ripened wood a foot or more in length is attached to the stock with a long heel for insertion in a bottle of water. When .stock and scion are ready take a thick slice 4 inches or 5 inches in length off one side of the graft near the middle, com- mencing just below the second bud from the top, and leaving 4 inches to 6 inches below for ex- tending into the bottle. Then take a correspond- ing slice off the stock, notch the two together, as in whip-grafting, bind very tightly with strong string, and apply the grafting-was. Fill a clear glass bottle with soft water and suspend it with the lower part of the graft inside the neck, which must be kept constantly and regularly filled up to the top. When the Vines intended for bottle- grafting are large and strong, some allow them to Ijurst into full leaf and keep the grafts in the house for a fortnight before they operate. Others, notably Mr. Nash, of Badminton, the most successful bottle-grafter I have met with, put them on at any time after the turn of the winter, and failure is the exception to the rule. Indeed, so successful is Mr. Nash, that I have seen rods of great strength 20 feet to 30 feet in length made in one season, and where two buds were left at the apex of the graft the lower one has made a lateral and borne a Ijunch of Grapes. By this mode grafts can be attached to any part of a Vine without destroying it, as the bottles, which must be kept full of water — the great secret — can be suspended from any part of the trellis; but the finest rods are securtd when one of the main stems is cut down and worked near the ground line. NEGLECTED GRAPES. Grape Mrs. Peakson.— Although early white (Jrapes are fairly plentiful, a really good keeper that will hang on the Vines till Christmas and then take its place in the Grape room is worthy of general cultivation. The Muscat of Alexandria to all intents and purposes is a late variety ; more- over, it is a host in itself, and many who grow it will say they do not wish anything better, or, if they do, I question it they will ever get it ; but no matter how well the Muscat is finished, how rarely do we meet with it fresh and plump after the early part of January. A Grape that is a worthy companion to the Muscat at all times, and can be kept in first-rate condition after that variet y is past its best, should be acceptable to growers of late Grapes generally, to exhibitors particularly, and this, I venture to say, will be found in the hitherto neglected .Mrs. Pearson. But why is it neglected, when Mr. Barron, in his excellent and exhaustive work on the Vine, gives it a very high character? but, speaking of its merits, says it " requires too much time to ripen." Possibly this short sentence may have deterred some from planting or working it, but then, no matter how precocious a variety may be, it is simply impossible to secure more than one crop in a year, and when Mrs. Pearson, started with Lady Downes, which requires Muscat treatment, is ripe by September, surely this trait is of minor importance, and may be got over by starting early and giving it superior cultivation. The Vine in question was raised by the late Mr. Pearson from the Black Alicante crossed with Ferdinand de I^esseps, and received the Royal Horticultural Society's first-class certificate in 1S74. It is a strong and vigorous grower, with thick leathery leaves, which are deeply lobed and toothed. The bunches, above medium size, are tapering, and sometimes carry one shoulder, but generally they resemble an extra fine cluster of White Frontignan, and, having very stout footstalks, contour and build, favour long keeping. The bunches are produced in profu- sion, and the berries, which set freely without artificial aid, are nearly round from young Vines on own roots, but assume an oval shape when taken from spurs. The skin is rather thick, deep green at first, but takes a rich amber colour when quite ripe, and the flesh, which is firm and juicy, has a strong Muscat flavour. I have been led to the introduction of these remarks by the examination of some bunches cut from a Lady Downes house at Christmas, and these, as usual, are still fresh in the footstalk, plump in the berry, and look like hanging until April. The Vine from which they were taken is grafted on a Gros Colmar, not perhaps the bes^ 114 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. hastening stock for a late white Gr^j e, but the wood is ripe and the Grapes are good — two facts which go far to prove that Vines of opposite character are more accommodating to each other than many people imagine. Mrs. Pearson, having a first-rate constitution, is, however, quite capable of taking care of herself without the aid of the grafter, and requiring, as I am willing to admit, a long season and plenty of heat, would suggest Muscat or Gros Colmar treatment. W. C. MANUEE FOE FEUIT TEEES. One of your correspondents inquires if sulphate of ammonia is a good manure for Vines, Peaches, and pot plants generally. Sulphate of ammonia is a very valuable ingredient of a manure for general use, sup- plying the nitrogen which is indispensable to plant growth ; but other ingredients are equally necessary, generally potash, phosphorus, and lime ; the most im- portant of these for the Vine is potash ; the ashes of the Vine contain 63 per cent, of this salt. Georges Ville, the eminent French agricultural chemist, who has probably devoted more attention than anyone else to the subject of chemical manures, gives the following formula for Vines and fruit trees : — tolcif .superphosphate (dissolved bones) 12 parts Potassic nitrate (saltpetre) .. ,. 10 ,, Calcic sulphate (gypsum) . . ,, .. 8 ,, It will be noticed that sulphate of ammonia does not appear in this formula, as the requisite nitrogen is afforded by the nitric acid in the saltpetre, but seven parts of ammonic sulphate and ten parts of potassic chloride, a purified form of kainit, a natural salt which is imported in large quantities from Prussia for use as a chemical manure, may be substi- tuted for the saltpetre, as the two combined produce the same effect ; the compound should be used at the rate of about a quarter of a pound to f ach square yard. This manure is equiilly valuable for Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees, as the ashes of the fruit of each of them contain more than 50 per cent, of potash, but as the ash of the fruit of the Apple besides 35 per cent, of potash contains 26 per cent, of soda, a proper manure for it should contain soda in some form ; nitrate of soda, or even common salt, which is sodic chloride, will answer the purpose. Probably the best formula for plants generally is what Ville calls his normal manure. Calcic supcrphosph.ate 8 parts Potassic nitrate . . , . . . . . 4 Animoiiie sulphate .. .. .. ., 5 i, Calcic sulphate " ,, to be used at the same rate of a quarter of a pound to the square yard. — Edw.vbd Tonks, Packwood, Knowle. That manure is beneficial to old fruit trees there can be no question, provided they are sound. It should be applied by digging down to the roots, and there depositing a liberal supply of it. But fruit trees too frequently get such food j ust when they do not require it, viz., when first planted ; with youth and vigour on their side they are sure to grow strongly enough in fairly good soil to be fruitful without the aid of such rich manures, as should only be given to worn-out trees. I find it to be far better at first planting to merely mulch the surface with half decayed litter, that will eventually rot away and become food for the surface roots, and to reserve the rich manure for trees 1 hat show signs of exhaustion. It is impossible to prepare the soil so as to provide food for trees up to mature age ; far better give annual supplies as may be needed. I hardly find two trees alike even under exactly similar conditions; one will be fruitful from the day it is planted, the next will need all sorts of checks to prevent over-luxuri- ance. But, as a rule, the supply of manure must be very carefully given during the first few years after planting, while older trees can hardly get too much. Starvation is the primary cause of all the ills that befall our old orchards.— J. G., Hants. The Prune Damson.—" B, C. R." (p. 2(1) speaks highly of what he styles the Prune Damson, i.e., the large Worcestershire Damson. I entirely agree with him in his eulogy of this fruit, but I think it is true tlat it i.^ not a very fice bearer. Iplan'ed a c'( zen trees tome tweniy years ago During that time twice or thricS the trees have been so laden with fruit that we have been (notably the past year) afraid they would break down. But in many years the crop has been below an average, and sometimes almost nil. The tree when in full bearing, as was the case last year, is a magnificent sight. The beauty and bloom of the fruit are very pleasing. I do not know anyone else in this neighbourhood who grows this Damson, though all admire my fruit, and this part of Berk- shire is a great fruit-growing country, but I have been told that in Covent Garden they prefer the small rough common Damson. There is one ad- vantage in the Prune Damson, that it hangs longer on the tree, and does not ripen and go off so soon as the ordinary Damson. This ought to be a strong recommendation for market purposes. — RicnAKD Hooi'ER, Cptoii Jli/cfory, Didcot. MARKET FRUIT. If in a multitude of counsellers there is wisdom, certainly in an army of correspondents there is chaos — at least, such must be the experience of readers of some of our d.aily papers, which at this dull season have found matter for discussion incidental to the present state of market fruit culture. It is interest- ing to learn that orchards, even in fruitful Kent, are being grubbed up, because it is unhappily far too no- torious that very many orchards are worn out. But when, upon the fact that some orchards are [being destroyed, it is sought to erect a foundation for a national lament over the decadence of home fruit culture, the notion seems too absurd to merit a moment's consideration. For how many years past have there not been exhausted orch irds in process of annihilation ? There is nothing new iu that fact, and, indeed, it is rather cheering than otherwise. Then nothing is said with respect to the considerable amount of planting which goes on every year, and which it is certain far exceeds the depletion. Pro- bably it will be found wherever reliable statistics are obtained as to the area of land under fruit culture in this country, that it increases from year to year ap- preciably. But whilst the recent discussion in favour of home fruit supply has sprung from the assumed grubbing up of a few Kentish orchards, the numerous writers who have sought to enlighten us upon this topic have all been more concerned with the marketing and m.arket prices of the fruit produce of the orchards which exist than with regard to the small acreage which h as been cleared of its fruit trees. All the ground now travelled over in the course of the discussion has b:en gone over scores of times in pre- vious J ears, but with no better result. We are such slaves to customs in trading, that neither good nor bad fortune seems able to alter our methods of procedure. We go on growing pretty much the same sorts of fruits under the same conditioni. We market them in the sjime fashion. AVe are pleased if the returns are good, and are sorely disappointed if they are bad ; but as to any drastic change with a view to benefit the grower or improve the quality of the fruit or methods of marketing it, or finding other and more lucrative markets, in all these things we do next to nothing, and whenever glutted fruit markets and depressed sales come we are as helpless as ever. The fruit grower has produce perhaps in abundance, but he may be some tweu'y, thirty, or forty miles off. Clearly hi.s fruit in that case would be valueless on the ground. To be worth anything it must be brought within reach of the consumer ; but to do that him- self would be to the grower a matter oi some ditH- culty, and certainly expense. He therefore finds it best to take advantage of the middle trader, and through him eventually the fruit is distributed. Now the cost of distribution is, of necessity, considerable, too often adding 100 percent, to the prime cost of the article. When, therefore, fruit is very plentiful, it is obvious that whilst the cost of distribution cannot be, under existing conditions, reduced one fraction, the brisk competition on the part of growers gives the trader full command of the market, and he can pur- chase at his own price. Now, if the grower could get his fruit to the consumer direct he might pocket the trader's profits, assuming that he (-till sold at the same price retail, but if he did the consumer would gain nothing. Gn the other hand, it is dilHcult to see in what way he could mal^e the cost of distribution \P the consumer cheaper than the trader, with his specia' knowledge and facilities, does ; hence, under our present system it is difficult to look for better results. We may plead for more markets, and, not least, for comparatively free markets, where consumer and grower may meet without the intervention of the middleman, but that plan if adopted would ruin the trader, and thus create injury in that quarter. But putting even that contingency aside, existing market monopolies are so strong, that the possibility of getting more markets of a retail kind is gloomy enough. Of course, in such case the grower would be saved some of the cost incidental to retail distribution, and the consumer would expect to pay less for the articles for the same reason. After all, it does not seem as if that plan would result in unmitigated good to the grower, but it is certain that more markets for garden produce is one of the needs of the market trade. One of fhe great difficulties incidental to market fruit culture is the variability of our climate and the irregular production of crops. ITntil we really gather our fruit we can never be assured that we have got it ; and if two years out of every three yield only half crops, perhaps less, and even then with no form of consecutiveness, how can it be expected that we should be in a position to utilise a big crop to the utmost when it comes ? No wonder we have to speak of such a crop as a glut, because our means for its pro- fitable disposal are of so limited a kind. The difficulty seems inevitable in all cases where the supply is so uncertain and so intermittent. That we m.ay im- prove the quality of much of our fruit is certain, and in doing so render that which is improved jilso all the more profitable. But then we must not overlook the fact that we shall only obtain enhanced prices for superior fruits whilst that supply is limited and in- ferior fruit is still grown. Fi,eplace all our poor fruit by superior fruit, and quantity alone will bring down the price to the glut-level, and the grower's case will be little better than before. If in the improvement in quality we can also ensure more regularity in the cropping all will be well, because then we shall have no glut. But gluts of anything must be associated with cheapn-Es. In reference to the Plum, that very erratic and perishable fruit, it is urged that the surplus should be converted into jam, or be dried as the French dry their Plums. But as to the conversion of our surplus Plums into Prunes, we could only perform such transition under artificial heat, and here, again, do we feel the difficulties incidental to the irregu- larities ot the crop. Once in about five years only do we get a big Plum crop ; the other four we could do with far more of the fruit for ordinary uses than we have to gather ; therefore, the proposal to convert our surplus Plums into Prunes hardly excites enthusiasm. Absolutely no ourse is more prospectively hopefnl than is found in teaching the masses how to appre- ciate f 1 uit, and, whilst in season, to make it a part of their daily food. Even at the moment of our greatest wealth of fruit, the consumption, and, ot course, the demand, ought to be quite doubled. A. D. Pine-growing at The Hendre, Monmouth.. — Pines are well grown here, some fruits shown from this place at South Kensington iu December last being over 9 lbs. in weight. Those grown for winter use are chiefly Smooth Cayennes and Charlotte Rothschilds, and those exhibited were typical of the gener.al stock. When I saw them about that time the plants, one and all, were robust and remark.ibly healthy, their broad leaves being thickly covered with a dense bloom, which is always indicative of a satis- factory condition in the case of Pines. The largest fruits are produced from p'.ants grown in 1'2-inch pots. These are carefully drained and good flbry loam is used for potting, a particular point being to make it very firm. Loam alone is chiefly depended on, and manures are avoided, with the exception ot frequent applications of gu.ano water when the plants are ajiproaching the fruiting stage and afterwards. Leaves are used for plunging purposes, and the bottom-heat is maintained by the aid of hot- water pipes. The plants are projierly rested previous to starting into fruit, and failures in this respect are few and far between. During the resting period the Fm. 5 18S7.] THE GARDEN. 115 temperature does not exceed 60°, and both atmo- sphere ami soil are kept very dry. When started inti) growth the bottom heat is raised from 05^ to SO^ or nu^, and the atmospheric heat to 75^ abundance of moisture boin;^ maintained. Queens are the favourites in sunnner, and these are grown equally well as the winter fruits. — CAMlilil.iN. Two good Figs. — M. Glady strongly recim- mends Figs Adam and San Pietro to growers of this fruit. The first is a very large Fig, and not new. The tree is vigorous and fertile, the fruit coming in buQehes of six or eight at the ends of the branches, ripening in the Gironde about .Tulv I-''. It would, however, probably ripen at Paris ab 'Ut the beginning of August, and form a succession to the " Three Sea- sons 1* ig," the earliest of all, the Figue d'Argenteuil, and the Dauphine. In its greyish tint it has snme leseinblance to the latter, but is Larger than that kind. The flesh is white, veiy firm, tolerably juic , aad txcellent. The tree is of branching habit, but one r.irely sees the second crop ripen. The July crop bjing a heavy one, one can dispense with a second crop. Fig San Pietro originated in Dalmatia, and »va8 introduced to Bordeaux by M. Joubert. It differs totally from the first-named. It is, however, very l.irge, but longer, something like a Beurre ('lairgeau Pear. In col.iur it is greenish grey, flushed with violet ; flesh red, juicy, very sweet and delicious. It braiiihes freely, fruits of the Peoond crop having been shown before the Pomological Society of France, and highly commended. It was first described under the name of Saint Dominique, another Fig i f second ra'e qu.ality. I', h .a also been grown under the name of Meclingea. — J. Cornhill. SHORT NOTES.— FRUIT. Ked. Carrant8. — Tlic Uaby C;i.stle variety is ■vastly su- perior to tlic ordinary Red Currant; the bunches arclarger and so are the individudl fruits.— J. C. C. The Pommeloe. -This delicious acid fruit is, we think, ne^Ieetcd. It is very rarely that an Oningc li.is so delicilte a flavour. It ought to be iniixtrtcd much more largely. Pear Catillac. — Wo saw at tiunnersbury House, the other d iv, soioe very fine samples o( this execllent stewing Pear, it will remain in yood condition until March, and in : o;ue .se.Lsun.s perhaps until April. Orapes. — Among Gr.apcs now to be seen about London, the mujority consists of Grus Co'niar. This is certainly a very handsome and showy Gi ape, and one that will always command a good piice, but as to flav.ur, it Is in most cases only seends are of two kii,ds — a usual occurrence in this family. The barren or infertile ones, which are very elegant and persistent, arc about four times divided, these divisions being much finer and deeper than those in any other member of the genus with which we are aequaiirted. The textni-e, too, is firm and hard, and the colour a bright lively green. The Stove and Greenhouse. T. BAINES. CALA.DIUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. These liandsome Aroids have the reputation of being easily grown, and they are, for it takes a considerable amount of indifferent treatment to kill them. But, in common with many things that get the character of being easy to manage, they are often met with in a condition that renders tliem of comparatively little use outside the stove in which they are grown, from the fact that if they are moved, even in summer, to a place where there is less heat, accompanied with a drier atmosphere than tliat of the house in which they have been grown, the foliage flags so as to make them anything but ornamental. Leaving out of the question their near allies, the Alocasias, which by common consent are now separated from them, the Ciladiums are prover- Ijially thin, soft-leaved plants, especially the newer varieties of Continental origin. Yet de- spite the uatiiral delicate texture of their leaves, much may be done by judicious cultivation to L;ive them more substance, and thereby enable them to be moved for a time in summer to a con- .servatory that is kept moderately close, and where when in good condition they are always welcome. The way in which some of the Covent Garden growers who cultivate these plants for market bring them out, especially the beautiful C. argyrites, proves what can be accomplished by right management. Such sorts as C. Wighti, that have more green in their leaves than some of the newer kinds, are the best to t;row for ordi- nary purposes. Indigenous to hot countries as the species of Caladiums are from whence the varieties now in existence have sprung, they, of course, require a considerable amount of heat to grow them, l>ut to counteract the effect of this and the naturally soft texture of their foliage, they should be grown in light houses or pit-, and stood as near the glass as possible all through the time .their growth is being made. It is not enough, as it would seem to be sometimes sup- posed, to give the plants a fair amount of light after a considerable part of their season's growth has been made, and under conditions that are wanting in this most important point ; they must from the first of their beginning to move be kept neir the glass, with not too much humidity in the atmosphere. Wlien plants that require stove heat are so placed early in the season, it makes up for the limited amount of air which the time of the year and the state of the weather permit to be given. The best way of wintering these plants is to allow them to remain through the season of rest in the pots in which they have been grown, in a warm house, with, as a matter of course, the soil quite dry. It is now time to start them, previous to which they should be re-potted in new soil. They are not particular as to the nature of the material in which they aie grown — jieat or loam — provided it is of a moderately free, open character, and made fairly rich by the addition of rotten manure, such as is procurable from an old hotbed, or that has done duty in the Mush- room house. In common with other quick- growing, free-rooting plants, they require a fair amount of root room, and should have pots proportionate in size to the strength and size the roots have attained. In the case of large tubers that will push up a (luanliiy of young shoots it is well to thin these out moderately when a few inches long, the effect of which will be to throw more substance into the leaves of those that are retained, at the same time preventing the head of foliage getting overcrowded. The coolest end of a warm stove is the best place for these plants, as it is here that whatever air is given during the early months of the year should be admitted. Thin-leaved subjects like Caladiums cannot bear full exposure to the sun after it gets powerful, as if it does not actually scorch them it destroys much of the fresh-looking appearance that is an essential feature in the foliage. But no more shade should be given than is absolutely re- quired. Caladiums are little troubled with insects, unless red spider happens to attack them, which it often does if the atmosphere of the house is kept too dry. If this little pest is allowed even for ever so short a time to hold possession, it spoils the colour of the leaves so far that nothing can be done to set them right for the season. A regular application of the syringe, which should be used daily, will prevent tiiis insect gaining a footing. Grown in the way just alluded to, Caladiums are much more useful than when treated in a manner that results in their flagging immediately they are moved from the stove, the oppressive atmosphere of which makes it not the most inviting place in which to see them. When grown so as to give a maximum amount of solidity and endurauce to the foliage, few things have a more telling eflect than three or four leaves of a medium-sized variety placed loo.sely along with a few tall spikes of flowers in a large vase ; so arranged in water tht-y will last for several days. Sta'ice Suwarowi. — When well grown this is an interesting plant, and being of easy culture it is just one of those annual flowers that all who have a greenhouse can grow. Some have failed with it through sowing too early ; ic should not be sown until the beginning of April, and as it dislikes much disturbance at the roots, a few seeds should be sown in a 4-inch pot, and as soon as the plants are large enough to handle, all but one should be pulled out. When this has filled the pot with roots, it should be shifted into another '2 inches larger, in which it may be allowed to flower. The front shelf of a greenhouse suits it admirably ; in such a position it gets both light and air, and its long spikes of dark rose coloured flowers are then very interesting. Being hardy, it may also be grown in the open, but I find when so treated, that rain and wind spoil its beauty.— J. C. C. Italian Bellflowers. — With reference to the note of " 1>. K." on Italian Bellflowers (p. S) we wish to direct the attention of your readers to a few more of them, which decidedly deserve to be grown more largely than they are, viz. , Campanula dichotoma, one of the prettiest of annuals, and of the easiest culture ; its flowers appear very early after sowing and are a charming sight, especially when in groups. It grows wild near Sorrento, where it covers the walls with its blue flowers. The white form of C. dichotoma which we raised in our grounds is decidedly the most beautiful. It becomes covered with masses of flowers, which have the characteristic peculiarity of standing erect during the daytime, but droop at night. We may add that the flowers are larger than those of the blue kind, and that the plant is not at all delicate as is usually the case with forms of different colours. " D. K." mentions C. fragilis, which is abundant between Castellemare and Sorrento up to the mountain Sant Angelo. But there is another very pretty variety limited to the opposite side of the peninsula, and growing exclusively on the mountain Gar- ganus, viz., C, garganica, of a decidedly alpine cha- racter ; this stands somewhat near C. fragilis, and has equally dark blue and erect flowers. C Tenorei is also remarkable ; it grows on the rocks in the Terra d'Otranto (exactly at the heel of the "boot"). Its stems grow erect, its leaves are oval and heart- Feu. .-), 1887.] THE GARDEN. 119 shaped, and the flowers are a tine dark blue. C. pyraniidalis was once very much grown, but it eeems to have nearly disappeared from gardens, and also its white form, which is found on the rocky shores of the Adriatic Sea, but which grows wild also here clinging to walls. This plant with its long spikes attains with us near the sea a height of (i feet or 7 feet. — Dammans & Co., Italy. EUPATORIUM CANDOLLEANUM. This Eupatorium is one of the most useful of winter-blooming plants. It forms compact little bushes from 1 foot to 2 feet high and as much through, covered with white flowers during .January and February. We treat it as follows : Early in March short shoots that have not previously bloomed are selected for cuttings and inserted four or live in a ;i-inch pot in sandy soil. When put in we plunge them in a gentle bottom-heat in a hot- bed or under a handglass in the propagating house. As soon as they have emitted roots, we pinch off the points to increase the number of shoots ; then pot all off singly in small pots and keep them cloiie until growth again takes place ; they are then removed to cooler quarters. Anordinary green- house temperature suits them well, and they should be placed on a shelf close to the glass, where they have abundance of light and air to induce stocky growth. Shift into larger pots as may be required : (i inch and 7-inch ones are good sizes in which to bloom them. Loam and leaf-mould, rather more of the former than of the latter, and a dash of sand answer well for the first two shifts, but for the final potting the compost should consist of two part.s of loam, one each of leaves and material from a spent Mushroom bed, and a sprinkling of finely ground bones. I'ot firmly to induce stocky growth. The fhoots should be pinched altogether about three times, say up to the beginning of August, after which time they must be allowed to grow as they like. Gradually harden the plants oft" until they can be removed from the cold frames to an open, sunny position out of doors, where they should be plunged in ashes, thus keeping the roots cool during the summer. While out of doors they must be watered regularly, and occasionally with liquid manure ; neglect in this respect soon renders the foliage sickly and disfigures the plants. Towards the end of September or early in October remove them into a cool house, giving them an abundance of air, and if in December they can have a tem- perature of, say, from io' to .50° at night and a corresponding rise during the day, flowers will be more quickly developed. Manure water freely given when the flower-spikes show themselves is very beneficial to them. A few light stakes to the strongest shoots are all the support necessary in order to keep the branches and flowers in position. — E. M. ^ *,* This beautiful Brazilian plant is just now in flower in various suburban gardens, and is espe- cially valuable when white flowers are in great demand. It is a dwarf, compact, much-branched plant, with opposite pale green leaves, and large corymbose heads of Ageratum-like flowers, which last a long time upon the plant, and also in a cut state. It is a useful greenhouse plant, and even sufiiciently hardy for room decoration. It is more elegant in every way than any other member of the family that has as yet come under our notice. — El). Violets.— I quite agree with all that Mr. Allan says in The Gakden (p. 89) in favour of the three varieties of Violet which he names, viz , Marie Louise, Neapolitan, and Comte Brazza. Plants of these here, as with him, are masses of bloom and buds in all stages of development, notwithstanding the fact that we have been gathering from the first-mentioned variety large quantities of blooms since the middle of September last, and shall pro- bably be doing so until the middle of April. Con- sidering the small amount of attention that these Violets require, and that of the simplest kind, it is surprising that one should so frequently be asked such a question as the following, viz. : " How is it that my Violets only give me an occa- sional bloom or two ; they were put into a frame in October?" In replying to this question, I usu- ally ask another, viz. : "Were your plants bristling with buds when they were put into your frame ? " If not, the frame will have no etl'ect as regards making them produce blooms. The protection of the frame assists the development of the buds with which the plants should be furnished pre- vious to their being transferred to their winter quarters. It is essential that young plants should be grown every year, and therefore runners must be taken about the middle of April, when there is usually plenty to be had with a root or two at- tached to them. Care should, however, be taken to have runners and not divisions of the old plant. The runners should be pricked out about a foot apart in a partially shaded border which has been well worked, and dressed with manure from an old hotbed, in which a considerable quantity of leaves has been used. They will be found to quickly establish themselves, and will in a short time grow into tine plants. All that is required through the summer is to keep them clean by giving them a frequent hoeing, and to go through them two or three times and cut off new runners, which they will throw out rather freely. If these attentions are annually given them, the result will be, as Mr. Allan observes, a prodigious harvest of blooms for eight months of the year. I treat that fine Violet The Czar in the same way, as I find young plants not only bloom more abundantly than old ones, but also produce much finer blooms. This variety flowers more or less in the open through the autumn and winter, according to the state of the weather, and in great abundance in spring. — D. Uphill, Mcirdon, Dorchexfei: BEGONIAS IN BLOOM. At no period of the year are Begonias without flowers. In summer the tuberous rooted varieties produce a grand display, and in winter other sorts are scarcely less showy. Amongst the varieties which we have now in bloom are the following, viz., B. ascotensis, a free-growing kind, with drooping flowers of a very pretty shade of pink ; the sprays of this are very useful in a cut state. B. insignis, another pleasing pink-flowered variety, has flowers of a lighter hue than those of the last. B. Lynchiana, which has clusters of coral-red blos- soms, is among the most showy of all the winter bloomers, the only objection that can be taken to it is its inclination to run up rather naked at the bottom: even if stopped when young it seldom breaks out in a satisfactory manner. I have had seedlings form more bushy specimens, but my ex- perience of raising this species from seed is, that even if taken from the best and deepest coloured form, few, if any, are in this respect equal to the parent. Between this kind and the perpetual blooming B. semperEorens some hybrids have been i-aised, but though sent out under different names there is so little difference amongst them, that not more than one kind is required. Those known as semperflorens gigantea rosea and carmi- nata are very like Lynchiana, but rather more inclined to assume a bushy habit than that sort does. Another under the name of semperflorens elegans partakes rather more of the characters of semperflorens, the parent plant. The good old B. fuchsioides with its bright coloured blooms is one that must not be omitted, and another of this class which is, like the last, thoroughly at home when treated as a pillar plant is Ingrami. Of white-flowered kinds, one of the handsomest is Carrit'rei, especially when grown in the shape of little bushes. A variety sent last year from the Continent under the name of Carrierei villosa in many respects resembles the last, but the whole plant is covered with hairs, and it is besides remarkably free as regards growth, forming as it does quite a little bush. The old B. nitida, with its clusters of white flowers, is a well-known, but very useful kind ; while in B. socotrana we have a species totally distinct from any of the others, and one that should find a place in every garden. A near rela- tive of the well-known B. weltoniensis is hybrida coccinea, whose pretty little red blooms belong more particularly to the early winter than to the present season, though there are still a good number of flowers remaining on plants of it. A useful variety that, is just now unfolding its first crop of blooms is Gloire de Sceaux, a kind which, under favourable conditions, will flower till spring is well advanced. It is said to be the result of a cross between B. socotrana and B. subpeltata. The habit is stout and vigorous, and it naturally forms a compact, pyramidal-shaped specimen, densely clothed with foliage. The leaves are of a dark, metallic green tint. The flowers are large, borne freely in good-sized clusters, and of a very pleasing shade of pink. The Begonias just named constitute a good and representative selection of winter flowerers. One circumstance that tends to make Begonias popular, apart from the beauty of their blossoms and the season at which they are produced, is the fact that they are of easy culture, and in a general way suffer but little from insect pests. H. P. Diosmas. — These old-fashioned hard- wooded greenhouse plants have unfortunately been elbowed out of many gardens by new introductions, which in some respects are not so good as the plants which they have replaced. Uiosmas were to be found in most gardens a quarter of a century ago, and generally in the shape of plants of rather large size, from which greenery could be cut in quantity, and it was always acceptable, for not only is the foliage of many Diosmas delightfully fragrant, but the branches are so graceful, and last in such good condition so long when cut, that I know of no plants of like character that can take their place. Their slender shoots associate well with the choicest of flowers. As flowering plants I cannot say much in favour of Diosmas, but as the blossoms are pure white and thickly set upon the branches, they are not altogether unattractive. Half-ripened shpots strike readily in gentle bottom-heat, and as re- gards soil, loam, leaf-soil, and a sprinkle of sand are all they require. I may add that if the roots are well cared for, the plants may be cut from as much as desired, but it is during winter, when the growth is hard and the leaves fully grown, that they are the sweetest and last the longest in a cut state. — J. C. C. Hybridising' Primulas. — In the case of this class of plants the skill of the hybridist, rightly directed, may in a few years effect wonders. Even wild forms raised from seeds and grown in gardens produce many variations. The tendency of purplish coloured species when crossed with each other is to produce yellow varieties, and I have a notion that if a yellow or primrose coloured Chinese Primula is to be produced, it may be through the bluish coloured varietieii, with or without the agency of a yellow- coloured distinct species. Crossing of Prinudas is a much more delicate operation than cros.^ing Orchids, because of the smallness of the parts employed, and the liability of the flowers to become self-fertilised before foreign pollen can be applied. I have crossed many varieties of Primulas and Auriculas, and it is interesting to trace the resemblance of both parents in the seedlings. In order to be sure of the flowers not being self-fertilised it is necessary to remove the stamens before the pollen bursts from the cases, and this should be done before the flowers open. A pair of veiy sharp-pointed scissors is necessary to open the flower-bud, and, if the plant is in a pot, hold it in an inverted position, and the stamens will fall out when cut off. If the plant is in its natural posi- tion they fall down the tube, and may thus reach the stigma. Sometimes the stigma protrudes from the mouth of the tube, and in that case is easily reached, but in other flowers it does not lise higher than half up the tube. Both parents should be in the same state of forwardness when cross-fertilisation is being attempted, and the right time is about two days after the flowers have been fully open. I have never covered the plants in any way to keep insects from them. If the pollen h.is been effective the petals will speedily fade. If the flowers are fertilised iu March 120 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. or April the seeds will be ripe in June or July, and may be sown at once. That is Nature's method of dealing with them. Not all the seeds, nor even the largest portion of them, will vegetate, but some of them will do so in the course of a few weeks ; the remainder will rest in the ground until the following spring, when they will vegetate freely. Those who hybridise say that seedlings have a tendency to pro- duce flowers having the appearance of the pollen parent, while the plants, in their general character, resemble more nearly the seed-bearing parent. This is, however, not always the case. — J. Dougl.vs. Neja gracilis. — It is to be regretted that this graceful little plant is not hardy in the open air ; we have left it out several seasons, and have even given it the protection of a handlight, but it has always succumbed to the cold. It makes up for all this, however, by flowering freely at this season when treated as a cool greenhouse plant ; indeed, it flowers more or less all through the winter months if kept from the cold ; and as it is easily increased by cut- tings, there is no fear of its being lost. The generic name Neja, about the derivation of which there has always been so much mystery, has been superseded now by Hysterionica, a name that will be harder to go down with gardeners than the other. H. falcata is another species nearly allied to the above, more robust, however, and without the hairs so prominent on gracilis ; the flowers are larger, are orange-yellow, as in the other, but not so freely produced. It may be propagated freely by cuttings. — K. Diseased Tree Carnations. — I send for your inspection some shoots of Tree Carnations which ap- pear to be diseased. At first the foliage becomes spotted, and afterwards the stem, and in a short time the plant dies. Some two years ago a few named sorts were purchased from a nursery, and on their arrival some had an appearance similar to what I describe. Since that lime some of my other plants which had previously done well gradually dwindled and died. The plants have received every attention, and, except during the very hottest weather, have been growing in a light, cool greenhouse. Any sug- gestion as to eradicating the evil would be thankfully received. — J. C, Sevcnoaks. * ^* The decay of the leaves in your case is not exactly a disease, but is caused by bad management. Try to obtain good cuttings now, and strike them in a forcing house. When rooted pot oft' the plants singly in small pots, and keep them growing on gently in a warm greenhouse on a shelf near the glass. About April they will be strong enough to be placed in a cold frame, and as the roots fill the pots they may be .shifted into larger ones. Whenever the weather is fine admit air freely. Wlien all danger of frost is over the plants may be placed in an open position out of doors, where they will succeed well — bitter, indeed, until the end of September than in any position under glass. By that time they may be pliced in S-inch, 6 inch, or 7-incli pots, according to their size and vigour. They should also be placed in an airy greenhouse, and they will flower well in October, November, and December, but the temperature should be kept up to 50° or 55° as a minimum. The old plants had better be thrown away when suflicient young stock has been obtained. —J. Douglas. SHORT NOTES.— STOVE AND GREENHOUSE, Tree Carnations.— We saw the other day at Gunners- bury P;ivk a tine Tioe Carnation named Mrs. Keen. It is tlie darl;est Tree Caruation we have seen and very dwarf. Chinese Primulas.— -\mong the many forms of Chinese Primulii now cniiuiiiin in gardens, we lately saw one wliicii is both distinct and pretty, viz., Cottage Maid. Its (3ovvers are largo, of good form, and irregularly blo'ched with red. Cyclamens.— Of these there is a fine collection at Gunnersbury Park, where they make just now .an imposing display in one of the houses. Their colours vary from pine white to intense purple. The individual flowers, too, are very large and of great substance. Habrothamuus elegrans - This, flowering as it does at this season, ia very useful, as it yields its bright pink blos- soms in such quantities as to be thoroughly etfective. The treatment which seems to suit it best is to cut it close back about July, and let it rest for a little time ; then water it, and the result will be a rich harvest of bloom during winter and early spring. ITrceolina pendula— This plant, better known as U aurea, has lately been flowering freely at Gunnersbury House. Its usual time of flowering is in svunmer, but by st.artin;f it into growth at different periods it may be brought into flower at any time. Duriug the growing season it must be kept in a modei-ate heat and have plenty of water given it. When at rest the temperature must be lowered and water withheld. SEASONABLE WORK IN PL.\NT HOUSES. Camellias for early blooming. — With a sufS- cient stock of these plants, and the requisite at- tention to see that they are started into growth at different times, there is little difficulty in having a succession of flowers from autumn until spring is far advanced. Where some of the plants are wanted to come in another year earlier than they have previously been, all that is necessary is to keep them in a growing temperature for a longer period than they have been hitherto subjected to, so as to get their flower-buds further advanced. With this object in view, any plants that have now done flowering should be at once placed in a house where a genial growing temperature is kept up; something like 55° in the night will answer for them. Camellias when strong and healthy have an abundance of roots, which are in an active state during the time top-growth is going on ; these require the soil to be plentifully sup- plied with water ; the plants should also be frequently syringed overhead. Where, on the other hand, the plants are deficient in vigour, the roots are correspondingly weak, in which case water must be given more sparingly, or it will be likely to do harm. Gloxinias. — The tubers of those plants that were dried off last autumn should now be started, shaking away all the old material, and re-potting in new soil that is moderately light in texture, and not poor. Give pots proportionate in size to that of the tubers. Large old roots paake a fine display, but must not be pinched for pot-room, or the duration of their flowering will be short. Moderate stove heat wherein to start and grow the plants will suffice, keeping them well up to the glass as soon as the tops begin to move. Some Gloxinia seed should now be sown ; when put in thus early the young plants will flower nicely to- wards autumn, at which time they will come in useful to succeed the older stock. So much im- provement has been effected in Gloxinias in recent times, that seed of a good strain may be depended on to produce flowers much in advance of the best- named varieties that used to be considered alone worth growing. AcHniEN'ES. — When well managed, few plants are so effective as Aohimenes, especially when grown in hanging baskets, to which method of cultivation they are better adapted than most free- blooming subjects. For warm conservatory deco- ration when grown in this manner and associated with baskets of Ferns they have a charming effect. To do justice to the plants, the baskets should be large enough to hold a sufficient quantity of soil to support the growth in a way that will preserve the foliage in a healthy condition. The brown, rusty-looking leaves of these plants when the root room and sustenance are deficient, so far detract from the appearance of the flowers as to make them of little worth. To give a succession of bloom, some of the stock should now be started in pots as well as baskets, being careful to avoid crowd- ing too many of the tubers together. Soil such as advised for Gloxinias will answer for them. Greenhouse. — Heaths and other hard-wooded plants that are at all liable to the attacks of mil- dew should now be carefully looked over ; the use of fire-heat and the confined atmosphere of the houses rendered necessary by the severe weather we have experienced will have set this parasite into activity wherever a trace of it has existed. Syringing overhead with water impregnated with sulphur, or some of the various preparations of sulphur now available, or the old remedy of dust- ing the affected plants with flowers of sulphur will destroy mildew. Where sulphur is applied, it is necessary to take means to prevent any re- maining on the surface of the soil, or it will get washed down to the roots, where its effects would be most injurious, if it did not kill the plants out- right. If the plants are syringed with sulphur- water, it is equally necessary to keep it from reaching the soil, or like results will follow. As the different varieties of late autumn and winter Heaths complete their flowering, they should be cut back, removing about three-fourths of the length of growth the principal shoots made last summer. If less than this of the previous season's growth is left, the chances are that the plants will die, as even the freest-growing kinds of Heaths are impatient of their growth being too much reduced. After cutting in, keep the plants a little warm, which will encourage them to break, at the same time being sparing of water until some young growth is made. Orchids. W. H. GOWER. BOLLEAS. This genus is now botanically united to that of Zygopetalum, but, however correct this union may be from a scientific point of view, there still remains certain differences both in foliage and in flower which enable the cultivator to distinguish them. Their flowers possess remarkable shades both of blue and purple ; their structure, too, is peculiar, and so also are the requirements of the plants ; in fact, the wants of Bolleas and Pesea- toreas, and those of their near allies, the Bate- mannias, Warscewiczellas, and Huntleyas, do not seem to be thoroughly understood. Too much is generally e.xpected from tliem. Growers of them are not satisfied if they do not retain their leaves for an indefinite period, and also produce an abundant supply of bloom, condi- tions under which they do not appear to exist in a wild state, large leafy masses of them being seldom found in New Grenada. "Bolleas," says a resident there, "have a long season of rest, during which they become very much shrivelled and lose quantities of their leaves entirely, but at the proper season they produce an immense number of beautiful blooms. I think the reason why Orchid growers in England fail to bloom these plants properly is because they do not give them sulRcient rest.'' So much for Bolleas at home, but their value here is estimated by the amount of healthy, vigorous leaves which they possess. If many turn yellow and fall oil' during the resting period, however such a condition may conduce to the general liealth and floriferousness of the plant, its appearance is thereby by no means improved. What we want to learn, there- fore, is how to treat Bolleas and allied genera so that we may enjoy the rich green of their foliage, and at the same time have abundance of flowers. A grower who has been tolerably successful with these plants says : " I have always found Bolleas and Pescatoreas rather difficult to manage, and although we are told that they are mountain Orchids, they will not succeed side by side with Odontoglossum crispum. They appear to enjoy plenty of shade and moisture, and a situation where the temperature does not fall lower than 60^. Peat, Sphagnum, and charcoal are our potting materials. If their roots are disturbed they are apt to die oft", and the leaves suffer in consequence." Another who has been tolerably successful with these plants says : " Our Bolleas thrive best in baskets and on blocks ; those tried in pots have not been by any means satisfactory for any length of time ; they succeed well upon old stems of Tree Ferns, and do not appear to like having their roots covered. Of course, the extra labour needed in dipping and syringing them during the growing period is consider- ■ able, and the care required during the resting season to keep them just sufficiently moist to prevent the leaves falling off is very great." Feb. 5, 1887. J THE GARDEN. 121 The experience of others goes to prove that they like a fair share of heat and moisture. Bolleas and Pescatoreas both dislike being exposed for any length of time to a lower and dryer atmo- sphere than that in which they have been grown. Although there may be no shrivelling, they speedily lose their leaves. Our own experience ciinvinces us that these plants enjoy an abund- ance of light, but yet not very strong sunlight. They like a quiet, humid atmosphere, and if upon blocks, an almost continual dropping or running of water over their roots ; the tempera- ture of the warm end of the C'attleya house suits them in summer, and it shouLl not fall lower than GO*^ at any time during winter. The shrivelling system we have not tried. Concerning B. c;elestis, a glance at the annexed illustration will give a better idea of the general appearance of these plants than a volume of words. The photograph from which the woodcut was prepared was sent to us by Mr. O. Fowler, Quarry Bank, Malton, and certainly represents a finely grown and well- tlowered specimen. The leaves, which are from sepals and petals are rosy pink of various shades ; and the lip, which is small, is yellow and ribbed in front. B. Lawrenceana is a smaller plant than the last. Its flowers are about 4 inches across ; the groimd colour is white, suffused with violet or violet-niauve, and the lip is rich purple in front, bright yellow towards the base, and bor- dered with white. The column is large, and w'hite in colour. ORCHID CULTURE. I D.VRESAY Mr. l>e Crawshay and "J. D." are as good general authorities on Orchid culture aa could be found, but Mr. De Crawshay evades the question at issue. It was not concerning "Orchids bought, grown, and sold judiciously ' that I wrote; indeed, I specially excepted these, and referred to Orchids as generally bought, grow n, and disposed of in private places, and as he does not take up this point at all, I need say no more in reply to him, except that my authorities tor stating that Orchid culture is on the wane are those who have never done anything else but bought, grown, and sold BuUea caJlesti^^. l.ngnivi.d for The Garpkn from u I'hotograph. 6 inches to 12 inches long and 2 inches broad, have a broad, sheathing base, and are bright pale green. The flowers, which are some 4 inches across, have violet-purple sepals and petals, tipped with white, more or less intense in the case of different plants, as the species appears to vary considerably. The lip, which is very peculiar, has a recurved margin, and is rich, deep violet beyond the middle, with a yellow disc ; the front portion is plaited, and the large column is deep violet. These flowers last several weeks in per- fection, and their rare colour renders them most desirable additions to summer-blooming Orchids. B. Lalindei in habit of growth resembles the last-named species. Each peduncle bears one flower, about 3 inches in diameter. Its sepals and petals are lilac at the base, passing into pale rose and tipped with pale yellow ; the lip is golden yellow ; the column rose colour, but in some forms the lilac becomes violet, and the lip orange-yellow plaited in front. It blooms about midsummer or early in autumn. B. Patini has flowers upwards of 3 inches in diameter ; their them; viz., the trade. I now turn to "J.U.," who says the culture of Orchids is easy enough to one who " knows anything" about plants, a state- ment which he will get no Orchid grower of experi- ence to endorse, and which is contradicted by every-day examples all over the country. I say, without fear of contradiction, that in ordi- nary places where the stock is not kept up by the constant introduction of fresh plants, the condition of most collections is wretched in the extreme. "J. D." contradicts himself before he gets to the end of his remarks by stating that no one will be successful in Orchid culture " who does not per- sonally minister to the wants of bis plants, or has someone else to do it for him," a statement that conflicts with that just quoted. He has not even "patience," he tells us, with those nhom he has often heard remark that Orchids can be grown " without any care or attention bestowed on them." Neither of your correspondents approach the subject from the right point. Since, however, they have voluntarily taken up the opposite side, will they go further and tell us what their coUec- tirn? of Orchids have cost them? how much they are now worth? what the cost of culture is? and what is the value of the returns? This information about a collection that paid would settle the question in regard to those that did not, and we wait a reply on the subject. What I desired to point out was that where results are looked to in the shape of flowers in sufficient abundance and the expendi- ture allowed is limited, it is well worth any pro- prietor considering whether he had best spend his means on the numerous line hardy and greenhouse plants of easy culture and cheap, or upon a few that will cost much more, and the culture and returns of which are so very doubtful. — W. There can be no doubt that Orchid blossoms possess the richest colours, the most singular shapes, and the most delicate fragrance of any flowers pro- duced by plants that we cultivate. They are also equally floriferous, if not more so, and their flowers last as long in beauty as those of any plants with which I am acquainted. At the same time, I may say that Orchids cannot be grown by such num- bers of people as can grow many other plants — Roses, for example. If, however, we take a garden in which a general collection of stove and green- house plants is cultivated, no one can gainsay the fact tbat a well-grown Yanda, even when destitute of flowers, is not as effective and graceful in ap- pearance as the majority of other plants, whilst Cattleyas, Cypripediums, Oncidiums, and Odonto- glossums are quite as presentable when out of flower as Heaths, Ixoras, r>ipladenias, and such plants under similar conditions, always assuming that their particular requirements are studied, careful attention being just as necessary in the case of Orchids as in that of other plants, but not more so. Difficulty of culture, therefore, should not be pleaded as an excuse for banishing Orchids from our gardens. That the demand for Orchids is diminishing is not confirmed by every-day experi- ence. The fact is. Orchids have to be imported at a great outlay and good kinds are dear; therefore a sufficient number of new growers may not start up to keep trade in them as brisk as in the case of plants which are raised at home by thousands from seeds or cuttings. Lovers of Orchids are, never- theless, continually on the outlook for novelties just as eagerly as those whose tastes lead them to cultivate Auriculas, Carnations, Dahlias, Chry- santhemums, Primulas, Cyclamens, or any of the numerous forms of plants which embellish our greenhouses and conservatories. The difficulty and expense attending the importation of new Orchids naturally, as I have said, make them high-priced, and thus the demand for them is somewhat re- stricted ; but anyone beginning to form a collection can purchase good, showy, free-growing Orchids al- most as cheaply as theycould a correspondingnum- ber of good greenhouse flowering plants, and they will be able to cultivate them with even greater ease than they would a Heath, for example. As to pro fit, private growers do not look for that in Orchids any more than they would in Heaths or similar plants ; ornamental gardening does not admit of being looked at from that point of view. It is a luxury, and therefore is never expected to yield a profit.— H. G. \V. All growers of Orchids will be glad to see that the sweeping condemnation of Orchids and their culture which " W." so undeservedly gave these beautiful flowers was met so plainly and fairly by "G. H.'s " reply (p. 90), "What can equal in grace and beauty a fine spray of Odonto- glossum Alexandra!-"? ' Are not flowers that can be had in bloom all the year round most valuable, and with the many species in cultivation one is never without some bloom ? And then, too, the lasting qualities of many species is another very strong point in their favour. The long continued pleasure tbat the richly perfumed blooms of a Cattleya citiina or the Hyacinth-scented Zygo- petalum Mackayi give for so many weeks is not equalled by that of any stove or greenhouse plant, I should like to know which are the ten varieties "W." considers worth growing. I have been growing ninety, species chiefly, and varieties, and recently found that 1 needed a few more to add to my list. Now one word as to the cost of pro- cuiing them. AVith such large importations as 122 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. are made every month and week, the prices have come down now so as to be within the reach of any grower and buyer of stove and greenhouse plants, and, as " (i. H. " so plainly puts it, the increase in value of a carefully selected and well- grown collection is a point which to many may be of interest and importance. Instead of Orcliids going out of fashion it would seem that the reverse is the case, as in every direction one hears of a considerable interest being awakened amongst growers of these beautiful flowers, and also of many who are now commencing to cultivate for the first time a class of plants interesting from so many points of view. — J. T. P. SHORT NOTES.— ORCHIDS. Lycaste Skinneri. — We saw this week one of the finest dark forms of tliis Lycaste that have yet come under our notice. This variety lias flowers about 7 inches across, .and is now in bloom at Dcvonhurst, Chiswick. Oncidium Ceb^lleti, which is said to be scarce iu col- lections, may now be seen in flower at Devonhurst, Cbiswick. The labelhun is bright c.an.ary-yellow, and the sepals and petals irregularly blotched with chestnut-brown. Cattleya chocoensig is now finely in flower .at Gun. nersbury Park. It is a useful winter-flowering Cattleya, and one wiiich should be in all collections. A very fine form of La3lia anceps Uawsoni may also be seen in flower now at Gunnersbury. White Lycaste (Lycaste Skiaueri alba).— We recently observed a remarkable form of this plant in Mr. Bull's nur.-ery, the flowers of which are larger and purer in the waxy white- ness of their sep.als and petals than those of any other which has previously come under our notice. This white form is very lovely when contrasted with the deep-coloured varieties now so plentiful. Odoutog-lossumg at Southampton. —From Mr. Bnchan's collection come flowers of tlio lieautiful O. Krameri, which blooms la-ofiisely there ; also grand examples of O. hastilabium, its zebra-banded sepals and petals and var- nished lip rendering it .alw.ays conspicuous and oi-natoental, whilst the beautiful waxy snow-white flowers of Odontoglos- sum pulchellum, stained with yellow on the lip, .are in great demand for bouquet-making. Sophronitis grandiflora.— Great numbers of this brilliant scarlet-tloweied Orchid are no« in flower in variovis places round London -notably in Jfr. Bull's nursery at Chelsea ; in that of Mr. Laing, at Forest Hill ; and at Mr. South- gate's garden at Streatham. It is a plant of easy culture, .often thriving admirably in a Wardian ease .along with Ferns. Cypripedium porphyreum. — A very good form of this hybrid Lady's Sliiiper is now in flower in Mr. Bull's nursery at Chelsea. It is the result of a cross between C. Roezli and C. Schlimi, and somewhat resembles C. Sedeni, but is superior to that variery. Its pouched lip is deep rich crimson, beautifully sh.aded with porphyry. The richness of its colours and its being a winter bloomer make this variety a decided acquisition. I/ycaste Skinneri.— Numbers of forms of this line wintcr-blonniiiiL: < trciiid are now in flower at Wilton House, Southampton, the residence of Mr. Buchan ; their colours range from the iiurost white, through various shades of rose and rosy red to the deepest crimson : scarcely two plants produce flowers exactly alike. This is an easily gi-own Orchid, succeeding even as a window plant, and it may be d-pended upon to produce its beautiful, large, waxy flowers about this season of the year under such conditions as would suit a Fern or a Pelargonium. Cypripedium Amesianum.— This new hybrid Lidy's Slipper is flowering in .Mr. Williams' nursery, Holloway. It is the resu t of a cross between C. insigne and C. villosum ; the upper sepal is white, veined and netted with green, and .stained towards the base with brown ; the petals are large, bright chestnut brown in the upper part, the lower half being paler; tbe lip is large, brown, passing into green in front, .and the whole flower has the same varnished appear- ance which is such a conspicuous ch^iraetcr in C. villoium. Odontoglossum crispum apiatum.— This, perhaps the most beautiful of all the varied forms of this popular Orchid, is now in flower in Baron Schroetler's collection at The Dell, Egham. Its flowers, which are large, are remark- ably round and full, the white sepals being spotted with rich brown, whilst tlie spots on the petals are very large and of the deepest crimson. The lip, which is pointed in front, is spotted with brown, into which runs the golden yell jw of the crests, making altogether a grand flower. Lady's Slippers at Forest Hill.- Numerous forms of tlicse .are just now a conspicuous feature in Mr. Laing's nursery ; the most noticeable are C. villosum, with its large poUshel chestnut-brown flowers; C. Boxalli, which is neariv allied to it, but differs iu having the upper sepal br.iadlv margined with white and spotted with black; C. Sedeni, with its rich crimson pouched lip, maybe justly termed a hybrid perpetual, for it is neaily alwiiys in flower; C Spicerinuun, with its pure white upper petal, is ever beauti- .ful, cmlrasting well with such kinds as barbitiun, Ilarrisianum, and M.nilei; the flowers, moreover, last a long time in water ; some cut on New Year's D.ay ai-e still fres'i and bright as ever. AngTSeaum sesquipedale— A plant of this .Vugnu- cum at present in bh. mi here has two blossoms measuring (■ inches a loss, and I he tails are 13 Inches in length. I can- not think that the above dimensions are often exceeded in England, or that in this country the plant ever really merits its designation of sesquipedale (I4 feet).— C. H. F., Stroud. '., ■ We do not think your measuremcnta unusual, h.aving frequently seen the flowers of this Angrajcum 8 inches and VI inches across, with the spur 13 inches and Ij inches long, and on a few occasions we have seen the spur IS inches in len'-{th, but we think this length is seldom eeen in this country. — Ei>. Odontoglossums.— I have a small house In which 1 wish to grow Odontoglossums, but cannot get the tempera- ture as low as required, as there are two 2-inch hot-water pipes leading through it to a house beyond. The tempera- ture at present keeps at about from 50° to 55'-^ at night, which I find rather too warm for cool Orchid.s. I have done O. cirrhosum and hastilal:)ium very well ; what other Odontoglossums require more warmth than the coolest ones '.' - Odost. ,,* We should think Odontoglossum Roezli, Boozli album, Krameri, U']rstedi, Phala^nopsis. and vexillarium would thrive well under the conditions you mention.— Ed. HYBKIDISING ORCHIDS. Botanists of the last century had a singular dislike to the work of the hybridist. Lindley said by this art, "All ideas of species and stability of structure in the vegetable kingdom would be shaken to their foundation." The object of the hybridist is to im- prove the plants or flowers which he manipulates, and he chooses the seed and pollen-bearers accordingly. Orchids, which at one time were thought to be beyond the power of the hybridist, have been found to hs amongst the easiest of plants to fertilise. When I first began to cultivate Orchids I was anxious to obtain a plant of tlypripedium Harrisiauum, at that time the only English raised hybrid in the trade, but it was too expensive for us. Its parents we had. I crossed them both ways, and obtaining seed-pods, which ultimately produced plants ; these we now have, and they are very large specimens, which an- nually produce a plentiful supply of bloom ; they are also very varied both in form and colour. All large- flowering Orchids, such as Cattleyas, Cypripediums, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, &c., are easily hybridised. The pollen masses may be detached with a pointed stick, and can readily be applied to the part^ of fructification behind the column. The pollen is attracted by the sticky mass thereon, and it is not necessary to remove the pollen masses from the flowers operated upon. The least difficult part of the work is the production of good-looking seed-pods, which will ripen in various periods of from three to twelve months. If the seeds are good they will vegetate in time, but there are probably only one good seed in thousands; and even if the seeds are good the con- ditions necessary for their germination may not be quite perfect. It requires patience to wait for the germination of the seeds, and even after the tiny plants have been formed, it is grievous to S5e tlie way in which they disappear one after another. As a rule, the bsst place to sow the seeds is on the sur- face of the peat or Sphagnum in which the parent plants are growing, and the surface must not be dis- turbed until the young plants appear. I sowed some seeds two years ago, and the plants were so long in coming up that it was thought they would not vegetate at all. The old plants were therefore potted, but, contrary to expectation, a number of seedlings came up in a few weeks. It may be as well to state that each seed-pod contains thousands of seeds, but only a few plants may be raised from them. In the case of Phaius irroratu^, one plant only arrived at the flowering stage. 'When the little plants have once been potted off and established, they are prac- tically safe, and they pass well through the winter in small pots if placed near the glass. Every cultivator of Orchids may be a raiser of seedlings. J. D. Oncidium andigenum. — We have received from Mr. Cborne, Wilton House, Southampton, a handsome flower, which he describes as his best form of_ O. PluUenopsis, but which appears to be ideotical with a flower which we received from Mr. Banner- man last year, and which Professor Reiohenbach had named O. .andigenum. The sepals and petals, which are creamy white, are profusely, but irregularly dotted with purplish crimson, and the petals are much broader th.an the sepals. The lip is deeply lobed in front, the side lobes being large, white, heavily blotched and spotted with purple and ma- genta. The crest is deep yellow, and the column pale purple. Rose Garden. T. \V. GIRDLESTONE. STANDARDS AND THE SNOW. Now that the snow is gone, it is possible to estimate exactly the damage done among the standard Roses by the strangely-sndden storm, which must have dashed the hopes of so many intending holiday-makers on Boxing Day. The storm was very similar to the one that occurred last winter, the snow coming after heavy rain, and falling, as it were, in great lumps rather than flakes, adhering thus in half- thawed masses to the wet trees and shrub?, where it was suddenly fixed firmly by a hard frost. The lii^h wind then waving the branches about, laden, as they -were, with heavy weights of frozen snow — weights which were all acting on levers of various lengths— naturally enough wrought sad havoc among the trees, especially the Evergi'eens and Conifers, and trees with wide heads and narrow stems, such as standard Rhododendrons and standard Roses. Of these last, the ones which came through the ordeal best were those which had been specially staked with a view to their protection in case of snow, and the next best were those which were not staked at all, or had broken away from their supports. The bulk of the damage was done among the standards that were staked in the ordinary way, the chief victims, of course, being those with tlie largest and hand- somest heads, including many specimens of the Tea- scented varieties, whose spreading tojis afforded additional lodgment to the snow from having fronds of Bracken twisted in among them. These tops were broken down chiefly near the point of union of stock and scion ; but the un- staked standards saved themselves by bending before the storm and burying their heads in tlie snow, and comic enough tliey looked in the morning, as if their stems were playing at being croquet-hoops. A few were not pliant enough and broke in the middle, but their discreet humi- lity was the means of preseiving the majority intact, and careful binding and staking will, no doubt, restore even the cracked ones. The special staking above referred to consisted in providing each plant with three stakes, in a 1- dition to the one to which the stem was secured in the ordinary way, these three stakes being long enough when inserted firmly in the ground to extend above the top of the head of the stan- dard. They were placed about a foot from the stem, so as to form the three points of an equila- teral triangle about the plant, and to them the head was firmly secured. This arrangement was found completely successful in supporting the trees uninjured, iu spite of their burden of snow, and was adopted for the preservation of some large-headed Teas which had been damaged by the snowfall of the previous winter. Of course this mode of securing the sal'ety of standards could not be very extensively or generally made use of, but it is always worth wdiile to bear in mind that in the case of standard Teas the load- ing of the heads with fronds of Bracken as a pro- tection against cold largely increases the danger from wind and snow to which these Roses, owing to their spreading hal>it of growth, are especially liable; and, consideritig that some Teas and Noisettes make the most beautiful becau.se the least formal of all standards, it cannot be held that they are not well deserving of a little extra precaution and trouble to preserve them from destruction. The argument that standards being liable to so many ills should be discarded in favour of Fm. b, 18S7.] THE GARDEN. 1-23 dwiirf ]ilants hardly applies in these casos, for though it is undoubtedly desirable that tlie Ijulk of a collectiou of Roses should consist of dwarf plants, still there are in most gardens some posi- tions where staudards may be effectively placed, such as at the back of large groups or beds of dwarf Roses, when the standards raise the level of the group behind without their own bare stems being obtrusively conspicuous. If stan- dards thus utilised are broken down and destroyed, their loss cannot be at once made good, for their decorative effect depends upon the development of several years' growth, and consequently, as the larger they grow the greater the ri.-k tliey run of breakage by wind or snow, it is impoitaut that during the winter preventive measures he adopted to ensure the safety of these as it were speiimen standards, more especially when they are of Tea-scented varieties or Noisettes. It is possible, by the selection of compact- growing kinds, to have small-headed standards, which are practically secure against even a com- bined attack of snow and wind, and which may be very well employed to break the monotony of a flat surface of dwarf plants ; and no Roses are more charming for such a purpose than the miniature Hybrid Polyantha. Two years ago a large bed of JIoss Roses, in which numerous sorts weie grown with thtir shoots pegged down hori- zontally all over the surface, was considered to look rather dull, both in spring when the surface appeared too uniform, and in autumn when there were no flowers ; the experiment w-as tried of dropping in irregularly among the Mosses several standard plants of the pretty pink-flowered Poly- antha Mignonette (Guillot, 18s2), and, as is said to be the rase with all patent medicines, " they afforded immediate relief."' The bed lay in front of a heilge of common Holly, and the effect of the little bushy heads of clustered rosy flowers, about a couple of feet above the general level of the fresh young growth of the Moss Roses, and backed by the deep green of the Holly, was very pleasing ; and as, in spite of being in flower be- fore the Mosses, Mignonette was still furnishing fine trusses at the end of November, the difficulty of a want of autumnal bloom in the lied was also met. Moreover, owing to their compact habit of growth, none of these standards with their heads about a foot high and a foot through, were in- jured by the snow of the last two winters, and even if in more exposed situations the}' were in any danger, they might be made perfectly secure by having a stake rather taller than the entire plant, and lieing tied firmly round the head as well as round the stem. There are, doubtless, many other Roses more or less fitted by their habit to resist winter damage, which might be named were there any object in multiplying instances ; but the above cases will serve to show that it is, at any rate, a possiljle course, in planting standard Roses where they are not thought worthy of the trouble and means requisite for their efficient protection, to select varieties which are not very liable to be broken down by snow, even if accompanied by a gale of wind. The Roses after the snow. — Once more after amonth's absence our dwarf Roses have reappeared, and, so far as the symptoms go at sight, they are none the worse for their living burial under the snow. Neither have they been idle. Not a few of their buds have advanced from sheer dormancy to the bursting point, and many of the more excitable have even got beyond the latter. It was interest- ing to note the varying sizes of the thaw lines around the collars, indicating how the beat of the plants had assisted the returning warmth of the air in getting rid of the snow. But the most pleasing fact of the Rose season so far is, that the snow has proved a perfect boon to all the Roses that it covered. How far that covering over from the light as well as the cold may render the plants more tender and susceptible of future injury is quite a different matter. However, so far nothing could have been more suitable than the weather we have had since the enow ha? departed for gradually inuring the Roses to light and air, and thus preparing them for any hardships that may be in store for them. annual investment of a few pounds for Rosea warranted, from their vigour and maturity, to flower fairly well once under the most unfavour- able conditions. !*• T. F. STANDARD ROSES BEST IN TOWNS. Thekk is considerable prospect that as the standards diminish in the country they will increase and multiply in towns. Several causes are at work in this direction. Probably the more potent among these are the annual clearance sales that abound throughout the autumn in most of the more important provincial towns throughout the kingdom. Enormous quantities of standards are offered week after week on every market day from the middle of October to the end of No- vember. The qualities of the consignments vary from the very best to the worst, and prices have a tendency to sink to very low levels — indeed. Id. per plant being common enough. Such prices prove a powerful temptation to everyone with a garden in the country, or a yard of ground in or near a town to try Roses; the cost is so little, that should they fail it is of little moment. Thus thousands have tried to grow Roses at Id. or 'id. each that would never have attempted it had they averagtd Is. or Is. (id. Thus which has proved a heavy loss to the trade has not seldom brought pleasures new and sweet to town and suburban gardeners, and given a powerful stimulus and a wide extension to the culture of Roses. Fortunately, too, those much-abused standards that have been almost given away in these pro- vincial markets have proved the most suitable material for those cribbed, cabined, and conBned fragments of ground shut in and out from sun and air in the front, back, and side gardens of towns and their suburbs. To plant dwarf Roses in such dark, dank spots is to virtually bury them alive. The air is hot, stagnant, foul ; the soil, too, is often dead. The latter may be improved, changed, and the best put in the place of the worst ; hut the air is unchangeable up to the line of the closely enclosing walls. Above these there may be, there possibly is, soot and dust, but there is also motion. Tlie difference the latter makes is incalculable ; in a word, the motion makes all the diffeience between the life and the death of Roses. I have lately met with some striking examples of the difl'erence to plant life and health under and above the wall lines of some back court gardens in London. Various shrubs, including Hollies, Lilacs, Aucubas, Laurustinus, and others, were planted. In general terms the whole of these under the wall line are bare at bottom or dead, while above the lines of the many walls, most of these, including a Rose here and there, are alive. But the chief point, and it is on this that I invite the free planting of tall standard Roses in town and suburban gardens, is, that the taller the plants the healthier, as a rule. In the reticulated network of garden plots under thewalls few shrubs butlvies.Euonymus, Aucubas, Periwinkles, and Virginian Creepers seemed able to survive. Another mode of providing Roses for town and suburban gardens is even more sure and effective than the planting of any number of standards, short or tall, though it is far more costly. This consists in the purchasing of well grown, thoroughly ripened plants of Mari-chal Niel or other free-blooming Roses, and either plunging them over the rims of the pots, or plant- ing them out, and expecting them to bloom but once. They may then be removed, sent back into the country, and grown again into blooming strength and size, or thrown away. By thus treating Roses as annuals, really good blossoms may be bad in most town and suburban gardens. And as to the cost, there are few investments that will yield more pleasure in less time than an EFFECT OF FROST ON ROSES. Ai,KE.\DY it is evident that the late severe frosts have left their mark on standard Roses. Those that were in the best health appear to have es- caped uninjured, but all that weie weakly have been killed outright. It is the stock that is the first to suffer, and, as far as I am concerned, the days of the Brier stock are numbered ; to dwarfs or bushes we must trust for the future. Unfortu- nately, the Manetti is very short-lived with us, many never recovering from the check sustained in their transference from the nurseries. Own- root Roses are what we require, and these are being rapidly increased. We propagate them as we do Gooseberries, /.<;., take ofl' the cuttings in November, and at once dibble them into the open ground. They strike without any extra trouble being taken with the soil in which they are put, but all the better if a liberal addition of road grit or river sand is mixed with it, and they also move better. Last season fully 90 per cent, of the cut- tings made strong plants during the summer. We are now transplanting from three long rows of plants numbering not less than three hundred, or sufficient to fill up all blanks and also to foira a fresh bed. The sorts most easily struck are •John Hopper, Countess of Oxford, Charles Lefebvre, Gloire de Dijon, Souvenir de la Malmaison, Baron (ionella, Etienne Levet, Cheshunt Hybrid, Dupuy Jamain, Boule de Neige; we have also rooted a good percentage of Franeois Levet, Anna Alexietf, Dr. Andn-, Baroness Rothschild, Elie Morel, White Banksian, Alfred Colomb, Marie Baumann, Captain Christy, La France, General Jacqueminot, Charles Darwin, and Dr. Hogg. If given plenty of room- -the rows being from! 'J inches to f) inches apart, and the cuttings not less than '.) inches a-under in the rows— they make good plants the first summer ; many of them indeed flower freely, and they would do still better but for the almost certain prevalence of mildew. It is now too late to insert cuttings of Roses in the ojien ground, but they may yet be struck under a north wall, and here let me add that it is from well-established dwarf Roses that we obtain the greater portion of suitable cuttings. "The preference is given to well-iipened growths, which are shortened to 1-foot lengths and cut to a joint, the lower buds and thorns being trimmed oil. They are then at once firmly inserted to half their length, and in the case of the November-made cuttings a mulching of strawy manure is all that is further needed. Those put in early in the year frequently do not callus properly before top growth commences, and failure is the inevitable result. Placing them in a cool position materially checks the bursting of the buds, and thereby increases the chance of a good strike. In order, however, to leave nothing to chance, it is advisable to ex- amine some of them directly top growth appears imminent, and if they have not callused all the forward buds should be rubbed out, for it is certain that if the stored-up sap is expended on top growth there will be no roots. Once the roots are started there need be no fear of any delay in the top growth, as all those buds rubbed out will be followed by two others, one on each side, and which probably would not have started had not the more prominent central shoot been rubbed out. It is not to be expected that cuttings put in during .January will develop into such strong plants the first year as they would have done had they been inserted in the open during November, but all that strike are hardy and useful own-root Roses. Tea Roses, if strong, well-ripened cuttings can be obtained, may be struck in a similar manner to the Hybrid Perpetuals; those obtained frcra strong pot plants or from plants under g'ass arc the besc for the purpose. Most of our Teas in the open or planted against walls wero obtained from cutlini;8 struck in heat early in the year, and kept growing 124 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. freely in pots till the following spring. Strong, healthy plants in pots flower freely during the winter and spring months. Every shoot from which a bloom has been cut is suitable for making into a cutting. This should be done before it has made any fresh growth, and should be shaved off neatly from the old wood— a heel thus obtained being more likely to emit roots than an ordinary catting. Most of our cuttings are about .S inches long, and have two or three healthy leaves at- tached to them. Weakly shoots are of little use, the foliage frequently dropping early, and no roots are the consequence. They strike most readily in 24inch pots, tilled with gritty loam, one cutting being firmly bedded in the centre of each pot ; these are plunged in a gentle bottom-heat, and covered either with a shallow frame or hand light. They must be shaded from sunshine, and should never be allowed to suffer from want of water. In our Cucumber house, plunged in the bed of leaves and stable manure on which the Cucumbers are started, Rose cuttings strike frequently in less than three weeks, and soon fill the pots with clean, healthy roots. They are not allowed to become stunted in small pots, such treatment having caused the loss of thousands of newly-struck Roses ; they are gradually shifted into 8-inoh, and even larger, pots, and in the spring, after they have perfected a few fine blooms in a light and cool greenhouse, they are planted out in well- prepared soil. That popular Rose Marochal Niel may be rapidly increased in the manner just de- scribed, none striking root more readily than it does, and when planted against sunny walls it fre- quently forms e.xtra long and strong growths. These, if carefully supported and given an easy curve, will, the following season, develop wonder- fully fine blooms at nearly every joint. W. I. Propagating. Shrubs. — A ready way of increasing many shrubs, and one for which no frames or other appliances are necessary, is when shifting operations are going on to detach any rooted suckers or branches that may have been buried deeply, and thus have formed roots on their own account. The pieces in question must be separated from the parent plant as carefully as possible, and planted in a nursery quarter, or in some spot where they will receive attention till established. Of course this method can only be employed for certain classes of plants ; those that do not send up shoots from the base cannot be operated upon in this manner, but such as Spir;vas, Cydonias, Philadelphus, Ber- beris, hardy Heaths, and many others, will, if carefully examined, yield a greater or lesser num ber of young plants. Many shrubs that do not send up shoots from the bottom may, however, be induced to root in this way if planted deeper than usual, but this is to a certain extent a modi- fication of layering, which is available in a greater or lesser degree in the case of most trees and shrubs. By means of layering, many subjects that cannot be struck from cuttings are increased, and this method possesses one great advantage, inasmuch as larger branches can be induced to root from layers than by means of cuttings, while a corresponding drawback is the fact that layers take longer to form plants than cuttings. Layer- ing pure and simple can be carried out at any season, the principal requisites being a strong knife, stout hooked pegs, and a spade to loosen up the soil. In selecting a branch to be layered, the principal points to be observed are the readiness with which it maybe brought in contact with the earth, the number of plants likely to be obtained from it, and which portion can be operated on without disfiguring the parent plant, that is, provided it is grown for ornament; in nurseries where plants are increased in this way, the parent plants known as stools have all their branches layered in the form of a circle, and by the time they are rooted sufficiently to be detached, other shoots have grown up in the centre to be treated in the same way in succession. CiioisvA TERXATA, which within the last few years has attracted a good deal of attention, is by no means difficult tostrike fromcuttings, yet one or two points, as regards the operation, require to be carefully considered. The best cuttings are the young shoots, just as they have attained full dimensions and before they have become woody. In a general way, the entire growth is about 4 inches long, and if that is cut off just at its base, and the bottom leaves removed, the cutting is then ready for insertion. For their reception take some -i-inch or ."> inch pots, fill them to about one- third of their depth with broken crocks, then put in the soil, and press all moderately firm. Space should be left on the top for about a quarter of an inch of silver sand. The soil most suitable for the purpose is about equal parts of loam, peat, and sand, the whole being passed through a sieve with a quarter of an inch mesh. In dibbling in the cuttings care must be taken not to put them in too thickly, and they should be kept as near the edge of the pot as possible, contact therewith accelerating the formation of roots. After being thoroughly watered, they must then be put in a close propagating case or in a close frame on a hotbed, when they will soon root, and may then be hardened off'. Two points to be observed are not allowing them to flag, either from want of water, or too much sun or air ; and keeping a sharp look out for thrips, which increase rapidly in the close atmosphere of the propagating house. In the case of plants growing in the open ground, the cuttings will not be in a proper state for inser- tion till much later in the season, but the same instructions will apply to them, except that they will root if protected by a cold frame. However a great advantage belonging to early propagation is the fact that the cuttings will be struck and well established as young plants before winter sets in. LucuLiA GRATissiMA. — TMs is another plant that, like the Choisya, many fail to strike in a satisfactory manner from cuttings, yet I have propagated great numbers of it, and have never experienced any difficulty in the matter. After flowering, if the plants are shortened back slightly and a genial atmosphere maintained, they push forth new shoots freely, and if these are taken when half ripe — that is, after they have lost their succulent character and before they have become woody — no difficulty will be experienced in gettin^ them to root. We have a propagating case arranged in a cool part of the stove, and in it the Luculia cuttings are placed and plunged in a gentle bottom-heat. They, if possible, consist of the entire shoot, cut cleanly off just at the base with a sharp knife. However, if the shoots are of a greater length than i inches or 5 inches, the cuttings must be made of the upper portion of the shoot, as if too long they seldom produce roots. The soil, which should be of an open character, should consist of about equal parts of peat and sand, with a little admixture of loam The cuttings are best put singly in '2A-inch pots in the soil just mentioned, finishing off' with just a little sand on the top. No more leaves must be taken from the cuttings than is absolutely neces sary. After being watered and plunged in the case, the after-treatment consists in shading, watering when necessary, and in taking off the lights every morning to dry up superfluous mois ture, removing at the same time any decaying portions. One thing to bear in mind is, that the weaker shoots strike root more readily than the very vigorous ones. FiNE-FOUAOED STOVE PLANTS of a herbaceous character raay now be divided, if need be, for propagation, i.e., such as Marantas, Alocasias Anthuriums, and similar subjects, some of which have teen rested during the winter. The soil must be shaken from their roots, and after division to the extent required, they can bo again potted In the case of any that have little or no roots attached thereto, they are all the better if kept close till root action re-commences. In all cases an open compost, consisting principally of peat, Sphagnum, and sand, is most conducive to the rapid formation of roots. In the Case of many of the Alocasias there are often small tuber-like masses attached to the roots, which, if cut off and potted, will in time push up leaves, and finally become established plants. T. Baising hard-coated seeds. — "A. B.'s" suc- cessful experience in the raising of Lathyrus Drummondi from seeds proves that all kinds of flower-seeds are easy to get up when one knows the conditions that suit them. The seeds of this Lathyrus are, I think, harder than those of any other plant, Cannas excepted ; and although I gave them the conditions that I have never found to fail in the case of hard-coated seeds generally, I did not get one up. Sowing as soon as ripe seems to be in their case, as it is in that of many hard-coated seeds, such as, for instance, those of the Christmas Rose, the secret of success. I have just examined some pots of the white Everlasting Pea that I sowed in October, and the surface-soil is, I see, studded with little blade-like growths, which show that it is amenable to this kind of treatment. This Pea comes up fairly well in the open ground if sown in March, but the soil must not get dry while the seeds are germinating. By sowing in the autumn, however, one gains several months. Young plants in growth now will, if put into good ground in April, be sure to flower the following year : whereas a second season will be needed if sown in the open ground in spring. I do not think there is any other way of getting up the seeds of tuberous -rooted greenhouse Tropa'olums except by sowing as soon as ripe. I have raised hundreds in this way, the young plants appearing at the beginning of autumn. — John Coknhill. Garden Flora. PLATE 582. LEWISIA REDIVIVA AND MICROMERIA PIPERELLA. (with coloured illustrations.*) Amongst plants which arouse the curiosity and wonder of the cultivator, perhaps none is more remarkable than the Lewisia figured in the accompanying plate. Like many of the fleshy- leaved Gasterias and Aloes, it seems to protest loudly against being dried and laid aside ; indeed, it is on record that specimens of it, after having been preserved in a herbarium for two or more years, have kept sending out fresli crops of leaves. The specimen figured in the Botanical Magazine (t. biidb) is said to have been one of many ga- thered with the view of being preserved. It was immersed in boiling water on account of its well- known tendency to revive, as its name indicates, and even after a lapse of eighteen months it showed signs of growing ; one specimen produced flowers at Kew in 1863. Under the name of Spatulum, or Spn3t'lum, it is used as an article of food among the natives of North-west America. The bark is stripped oil' and the white portion of the root left is boiled, when it forms a sub- stance somewhat akin to arrowroot. Although in the herbarium it shows an extraordinary tenacity of life, when grown in the open air it rei[uires, during the winter season at least, great care on the part of the cultivator. Under suit- able conditions, we have found it hardy enough to withstand severe frosts ; but it is very suscep- tible of damp, and the heavy rains that are so prevalent at that season should be rigidly guarded against. Our plan is to choose a well-sheltered spot exposed to full suusliine, drain it thoroughly, make it porous, and raise it considerably above the surrounding ground. This necessitates more than ordinary care in the way of watering in summer, but a little care bestowed in this way - Drawn for The Garden In Jles.irs. Backhouse's nursery it York by the late Mi*. Noel Hitmiihrej'S. < P^ V Feb. 5, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 125 will be fully repaid by a grand display of raag- nilicent flowers. Tliis Lewisia seems to prefer limestone ; therefore we mi.x plenty of old lime rubble with the soil, and, thus treated, it never fails to produce an annual crop of blooms. Its summit or crown scarcely rises above the ground, and it is surmounted Ijy numerous round, smooth, glaucous leaves, about an inch or so long. The flowers are produced from the centre of the leaves on short stalks jointed beneath the calyx, and bearing a circle of small imbricated bracts. The flowers, which are from H inches to2i inches in diameter, are composed of from twelve to fifteen petals ; the calyx, as may lie seen, is also singular. It makes a handsome pot plant, each of the flowers lasting two or three days, and a dozen or so are often produced in succession. It blooms in May and June. It comes from Oregon, near the mountains, where it is found on dry prairies, adjacent to rivers. There is also a form with white flowers. L. brachycalyx is a new species not yet introduced to our gardens, and perhaps ini'erioi- in point of beauty to that which we already have. Its leaves arespatulate or narrow linear, the flower-stems not jointed, and theflowers having only from seven to nine oblong petals. Both are now placed in the Order Portulacaceie. MiCROMERIA PiPERELLA. M. PiPERELF.A, or small Peppermint, as it is usually called, belongs to a genus of Labiates containing about fifty species, many of which are undershrubs, but a few of them are annuals, and, with the exception nf the above and one or two others, of comparatively little value for our gardens. They are nearly allied to the well- known Thymes, also to summer Savory and Calamint, from which they dift'er in a few minute particulars almost microscopic. M. Piperella, however, we find to be a useful plant for the rock garden, wliere we find it to be perfectly hardy, and during the autumn months covered with a profusion of purplish pink flowers. It is plentiful in the Maritime Alps, the mountains near Mentone, Imt never at a lower elevation than 30110 feet above the sea. Early in October about Mentone this small Peppermint may be found at its best, and I am told that it is so plentiful there in some station.*, that the efl'ect produced by it is very striking. It seldom attains more than a height of about 6 inches, its flowers bidng inter- mixed with its leaves almost to the base of the stem. It is propagated readily by means of cuttings taken off about the beginning of August or later, and kept in a cold frame through the winter. V- K- Humboldt's Bladder-wort (Utricularia Hum- boldti). — Tliis tine richly coloured Bladder-wort was first discovered, but not then introduced, some lialf a century ago, by Schomburgh, on tlie lioraima Moun- tain, on the western boundary of British Guiana, at an elevation of between 7000 feet and 8000 feet. It has), however, recently been re-discovered in the same locality, and some plants of it have reached this country in a living state, although weakly. It is to be hoped that some of these plants have found a home in Sir Trevor Lawrence's garden at Bur- ford Lodge, where the other members of this genus succeed so well. From an illustration of it which has been in our possesi-ion for some years, we ob- serve that the flowers are produced several together — the introducer says from ten to fourteen — upon an erect spike, and that the individual blossoms measure some 3 inches in diameter, the lower part being plaited. The colour is a rich blue with a lighter centre.— W. H. G. Sulphide of potassium (K(o).— Both samples appear geniiiuc— one (.rushed, the other not. •■Decorative purposes "!— We should be grateful to writrrs if 1 tu'.v wi'iilil not use these words, which arc so often written insto:iil nf sim|>ler ones. We cut them out often, but ■when tliey conis too tliickly, some, alas ! creep in. Flower Garden. THE OLYMPIAN MULLEIN. This great Mullein is one of the largest and stateliest of border plants, commonly 8 feet high, the flowering part alone showing a mass of bloom from 4 feet to 5 feet high and 2 feet across. Though called a biennial, and probably in its southern home completing its term of life in two years, it is generally three years coming to maturity in this country. This is rather a gain than not, as the plant in the unbloomed state, with its symmetrically arranged leaves of pale grey-green velvet, is very handsome. The same whitish, velvety down clothes all its parts, and is a setting to the masses of light yellow flowcns, \'erh.iscum olympicum. Enoraved for The Garden from a photograph. SO that the whole has a pale, cloud-like look when seen from a little distance. Wintering Pansies. — Last winter showed me that if we are to trust to bringing Pansies safely through the coldest months we must afford them, if needful, some protection. Constantly saturated ground for many weeks, followed by keen frosty winds, forms the conditions under which Pansies suc- cumb. The weather of last winter seems to be re- peating itself this year, and if we get ten days' brisk wind from the east or north, we shall undoubtedly have heavy losses to deplore among the more tender of hardy plants. Frost alone rarely injures Pansies. It is the keen winds that accompany it that do the mischief. Choice named show kinds appear to be more susceptible of injury than fancy varieties, and it they cannot be wintered in frames, they ought to be planted iti autumn where they can have a little litter thrown over them during a trying time. This would in one way be the better plan to adopt with the general stock whether named or not, but, as every one knows, Pansies bloom best when planted in autumn, so as to get well hold of the fjround before winter sets in. I should, however, certainly have more conBdence in getting good blooms from plants lifted carefully with good balls about the middle of March than from those put into position in autumn, and which had borne unprotected the brunt of such a trying time as we experienced last winter. In any case, where Pansies are relied on for filling or edging flower beils in conspicuous positions, a reserve of plants should be kept to fill up gaps caused by losses in winter. Pansies kept in potj in frames for con- servatory ornamentation will need looking to now ; all decayed foliage should bj picked off, and the surface of the soil should be cleaned. Air should be given on all favourable occasions, drawing the sashes quite off when there is no cold wind. Seeds for a late summer and autumn display may now be sown m warmth. The young plants must be hardened off gr.adually, and pricked off into pans ; when Large enough to handle they may be planted out by the beginning or end of May, and will make a good show from the end of .luly till late in autumn. — J. C. B. TREE AND HERBACEOUS P.EONIES. I A5I delighted to see the great interest that is being taken in my favourite flower. If Mr. Hole wanted a Gloire de Dijon on his grave, I would be happy if Pa?ony Elizabeth were planted on mine. A few years ago it seemed impossible to get any information in this country about growing and propagating these Tree P;eonies, and the only collection I ever saw of herbaceous Pseonies was at Parker's, Tooting. All this is changed now, and Messrs. Kelway, who always anticipate the future taste, and have the knowledge, wealth, and patience to prepare for the future, have col- lected 200 varieties of Tree Pceonies, which are being propagated in every imaginable way. At Langport, then, can a study be made of their methods of propagation, and I feel privileged in seeing a nursery garden in the winter when the real work is being carried on. In I'axton's Magazine, somewhere about the year 1857, there is a valuable translation of a .Japanese work on Pasonies, herbaceous and tree. Ito Ifui, a great Japanese gardener, hundreds of years ago, gives directions for growing the Tree Poeony. After saying how careful you must be not to tread on the soil of your bed of Pseonies, as the soil must be kept light and open, he says that you can raise the seed in a pot, and, I think, advises the slight cracking of it — the seed, not the pot. Here, at Langport, there are thousands of seedlings, but the seed does not generally germi- nate till the second year, and only those plants are going to flower this year for the fir.st time which are al^out six years old from seed, so it is a slow pro- cess, though likely to well repay the raisers. Ito goes on to say that you can graft the Tree Pneony on the herbaceous stock (l.iy which he means edulis or sinensis) either by means of a slip-graft on the root, or by taking the upper root-stock which sinensis makes (in opposition to officinalis), and grafting, perhaps hoiding, on that woody substance. He also mentions grafting on the root of the Tree Pr;d^e Heath, sends us a little posy of .'pvinof tloweis, compris- ing' several lovely blooms of common Primroses, including Sc'itt Wilson, which is tlic nearest .appro ich to a blue we have yet Si^eu : also (_'yelamen Coum, bright and be lutiful. Variegated double purple Wallflower. — This was known to exist in Ireland tome years ago. but it is be- lieved to be now lost I never saw .a double purple v.ariety either with or without v.iriegatcd foliage, but if it is still iii pxistenre I feel sure that many would like to possess it- — J- C. C- Nelumbiums- — Mr- N'ewberry speaks (p- to) of a Xe- lumtiium havingthorns. (Of a'l tenderplantsi- whohivcgrowii it, should say that it was the least thorny. Thcophrastus. or somebody, is making a mistake. Perhaps the Xelumbiums grew among thorny plants at the liver edge. There .are n.:> Neluinbiums in Egypt or Syria now. The nearest are on the Caspian, at the delta of the Volga. The sacred Lotus of Egypt, as anyone can see by looking .at the sculptures and paintings, was Nymphfea Lotus. — Frank Miles- Two useful Primulas.— P- obconica and P. floribunda are two of tbc most Ecrviccable Primulas yet introduced, for they are nearly always in flower : our stock, though consisting of quite young pl.ants, has hai-jly been without Mowers all winter; even now a plant of P, floribunda lias six tiers of llowtrs on one stem. Seeing that a cool greenliouse and ordinary garden soil suits them, it may be trulv said that they are everybody's plants ; both arc readily raised from seed and if sown earl.y in spring the ,young plants will flower in the autumn. -,J. C. C. DOUBLE PRIMROSES. " R. D.," in The Garden (p. 0.")), has earned the thanks of all lovers of old-fashioned garden plants by his instructive notes on these, the very cream of border favourites. Like not a few good things, however, they seem to be becoming more tender and more scarce. Memory recalls them as plenti- ful here and there twenty years ago. In Scotland and the north of England fat patches of these double Primroses in from three to six varieties were often seen in the gardens of amateurs and of cottagers, and in larger gardens they were vet more plentiful. Among these, the Scotch Red, which I believe to be identical with the modern crimson purple ; the pure white, soft primrose, double purple, and double lilac were ijhe most common. And in many districts these, and probably some other sorts, seemed al- most as hardy as the single Primroses. This was especially the case with the lilac, purple, and white. It seems singular that whi'e the common lilac appears to retain its hardiness and its popu- larity, most of the other varieties have almost dis- appeared from the open border. Two causes may havo contributed to this result — the plants may have become more tender, or more valuable. It may seem strange, and yet true, to add that their enhanced commercial value may have increased their tenderness. The extreme beauty of these double Primroses has started collectors and florists in pursuit of them, and these have potted them up out of the open for purposes of more rapid propagation. But once in pots, their great beauty and unique adaptation for the adornment of window-sills and gardens naturally arrested the attention of ama- teurs, more especially in towns and the suburbs of towns. Double Primroses were new to most of them, and were bought up greedily, and destroyed almost as rapidly, for no plants are less fitted by Nature for being frozen and baked alternately on a window-sill than a double Primrose. In this and other methods the pot culture of these charm- ing plants, introduced at first for the double pur- poie of protecting them from extreme cold and of fostering their more rapid increase, has proved the means of their destruction. I have nothing to say against pot culture as an aid to increase, and all that " R. D." so well states about the mode of potting, safe modes of storing in cold pits, soils, and methods of procedure will be endorsed by all who are conversant with the character and habits of the plants. But the permanent culture or retention of double Prim- roses in pots is quite a different matter, and is probably largely responsible for their scarcity in our gardens to-day. Their sale as pot plants to those ignorant of their character, habits, and wants seals the death-warrant of thousands of double Primroses; while the exciting and semi- forcing expedients employed on the root-stocks to quicken the ratio of increase of young plants to the uttermost, so weaken and demoralise these hardy plants as to disqualify them from standing alone on open beds or borders. Double Primroses have therefore probably lost more than they have gained through elevation into pots. The finest collection ever seen by the writer had never passed through these trying ordeals for so many hardy plants. On the con- trary, they were propagated and grown in the coolest part of the garden. A border was formed over a border originally made for Morello Cherries behind a north wall; the base of the bor- der was therefore exceptionally cool and moist. Its constituents for the Primroses consisted of two- thirds of good yellow loam, with one-third com- posed of almost equal quantities of peat, leaf- mould, well-rotted cow manure, and silver sand. A good deal of importance was attributed to the purity of the sand, the purest Reigate silver sand being used, and ])it sand with iron being rejected as injurious. One half of the plants were divided I'En. -1, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 127 every year for purposes of propagation, so that Bome of them were two years old. The time of division varied considerably with the season and the varieties, and was regulated by condition. Immediately the Bowers faded, the division of those about to be operated upon was set about. The plants were taken up and divided into tingle pieces, retaining a portion of root-stock to each when practicable. But more importance still was attached to the appearance of young roots among or immediately under the lower leaves. The old roots when present were looked upon as merely bridging over a period of risk and danger till the new roots at the base of the leaves were further developed or strengthened. Deep and firm planting of the Dots, crowns, or stem segments were the chief points. The foU wa? carried right up to the base of the new leaves, and often any excess of foliage and the smaller leaves were thinned otV to facilitate deeper planting. Unless the weather was specially dry, no water was given after plant- ing. A little silver sand, however, was placed around the stemlets at planting, and of course the plants were not allowed to wilt for lack of a dew- ing overhead, if neither rains nor dews came to prevent their flagging. But the chief danger to these plants is an excess of water at this stage ; and it must be borne in mind that the plants are on a north border, under a wall 10 feet high. The firmEr the soil, if not too wet, is thrust around the collars, almost the sooner as well as stronger will thesedoublePrimrosesroot. The only furtheratten- tion from this stage is to keep the plants free of weeds and from drought, though the latter seldom injures them on such cool sites and soils as those here described. The best antidote in abnormal seasons is, not water, but a mulch of well-rotted sweet — that is, three or four years old — cow manure. This, with an addition of about a third of silver sand and another third of leaf mould, forms a most stimulating top-dressing for the older half of the plants, applied immediately after the first flowering. A very rich coloured variety of double Primrose, called indifferently the Claret and Port coloured, was grown with the above, and disappeared, so far as my experience goes, when that collection was dispersed a few years since. I have had the pleasure of seeing most, if not all, of " R D.'s"' varieties, and I do not think this claret is included among them, though I am well aware that soil, site, local climate, and cul- ture exert powerful modifying influences on purple, red, and crimson Primroses, double or single. Ha« " R. D." ever heard of this variety '! HORTOS. Brugmansia suaveolens.— The most efl'ec- tive manner in which I have seen this beautiful and sweetly scented flower used is in Mr. Hor- rock'a garden, at Mascalls, near Paddock Wood, in Kent. The plants are trained to a single stem, much in the manner of a standard Rose. They then form a wide-spreadingumbrella-likehead,and from this the flowers hang down in profusion. I have seen twenty or thirty in bloom at once. They are planted in a sheltered spot in the shrubbery, and after they have done flowering they are taken up, potted into large pots, placed somewhere where frost cannot reach them, and then turned out again in the spring when all fear of frost is over. — Dki.ta. White Everlasting Pea. — I have grown this Pea for yeirs, and have found it to come perfectly true from seed. I consider it to be one of the most lovely of climbers. I had it last year \'2 feet high, and a sheet of snowy whiteness. I also have a plant of the white sort growing along with the pink variety, and find the seeds of both to come true. I had one young plant last year which bore only one l)unch of bloom, and that was white, striped with pink. I hope it may remain fixed, as I think it may be new. Those 1 raised from the root were worthless ; they gave so little bloom. These Peas are plants that repay liberal treatment. —Marie, Co. WirUoir. Narcissus (Ajax) cyclamineus (Uaworth). — This quaint little Portuguese species of Narcissus is now in flower here for the first time, and, although long ago figured in "Jardin du Roi " ;iG-2.3) and in " Theatrum Florit " (lO.'iT), is even to day very rare as a garden plant. Plant 2-;!- leaved, 8 inches to 12 inches high; scape rather shorter than the leaves, 1-flowered ; perianth re- flexed, the divisions being a trifle shorter than the corona ; flower-tube very short, say '2 lines or so long ; ovary swells rapidly as the flower fades, and is proportionately very large. The bulbs came in October last from Mr. Tait, of Oporto, and I have this day sent a complete flowering plant to Mr. Baker, of Kew, for a full description. — F. W. BUBBIDGE. THE PINK STIGMA OF HELLEBORUS NIGER MAXIMUS. It may perhaps savour of temerity to differ from Herr Max Leichtlin ; but in his denial that the pink stigma is a natural characteristic of H. niger maximus I think he would find it difficult to maintain his pos-ition ; and I should be sorry if he could ; inasmuch as it is very desirable and con- venient to have certain permanent and easily recognised marks to separate one group from another. Herr Max Leichtlin remarks that H. niger altifoliua of English gardens has changed its original character in substance, time of flower- ing, shape, and in fact generally ; that typical altifolius is not stout, but slender ; has not a cup- fhaped, but rather a flatfish flower ; that even under glass the flower is pinkish or rose-white, and that the pink colour of the stigma is produced by climatal influence. Now, in contradiction of this we have the evidence of Mr. Engleheart (TiiK OAunEX, .Jan. S, INST, p. 22), who states that between ^lenaggio and Porlezza, in Northern Italy, he found a Hellebore, evidently H. niger altifolius, growing in a natural state, "flower large and mpped, par: n-liile, with slight flush of butf-pink, noticeable for its pink stiijmala and tufted yellow anthers." We have Mr. Wilks' authority (p. 411) that in the same locality one mountain-side was covered with H. niger maxi- mus. He says, " I noticed some with leaf-stalks over I'i inches in height, and leaves like large Horse Chestnut leaves. I brought home two plants, one a bit ofl' the very biggest I saw, flowers pure white touched with pink, and pink stigmas, the other a beautiful clear creamy pink," &c. So much for the plant in its wild state. Next let us consider it under cultivation. Here, in ordinarily good seasons, it is a pure white flower, cupped, and 4 inches or 5 inches across, with large pink tipped stigma. No doubt, cli- mate, or rather difference of position, shelter, or exposure, drought or rain in summer, frost, rain, and cold winds at flowering time, all have a marked effect on the quantity, quality, and purity of the flowers; this season especially on many plants the flowers are few, and from first to last as pink as, or even more so than, Jlr. Ware's niger ruber. Last year, and generally, my flowers have been of the purest white, many of them not even tinted with pink on the under side of the sepals; the stigmata pink. I know of none so purely white, unless I compare them with some magnificent blooms of the Riverston variety (4 inches and 4?. inches across) sent to me a short time since by Mr. Hartland. (In passing, I may mention that he sent me also a very beautiful sceJling of H. niger raised in his garden.) Herr ilax Leichtlin goes on to say, "I wonder why any value is placed on a pink or green stigma, which is only produced by climatal influences, cspe cially by often changing temperatures, which cause the flowers to become moist and dry alternately according to circumstances." Now, no doubt these influences have an effect, but, in my experience, only to the same extent as in the case of the flowers. I have seen, under such influences, that even on the same plant, while the stigma of one flower retained its full pink colour, the stigma of another showed no trace of pink ; but, as with the flower, a 5 with the stigma, ihe change is only temporary; the charic- teristic is inherent and reappears; next season the Btigma is pink as usual. But may I ask if climatic changes, &c., produce a pink stigma in H. n. maximus, why does the same result not occur in H. niger type? Everyone is aware that whatever skill could accomplish Herr Max Leichtlin would achieve, but that he could fulfil his engagement to produce niger with pink stigmas, or altifolius of English gardens with green ones, I more than hesitate to accept. I assume, of course, that in the trial the two kinds should be kept apart to preclude the possibility of crossing. I know of only four H. nigers with pink stigmas: 1, maximus; '2, River- ston; ;?, Mr. Tymons; 4, Glasnevin. With the exception of maximus, we do not know the origin of these varieties, but having pink stigmas they also should be excluded from the trial ground. South Devon. T. H. Archer-Hind. IMPORTED CHRISTMAS ROSES. Many thousands of the common Christmas Rose are annually imported into this country from their native habitats, and, singular as it may seem, a larf:e proportion of them does not survive the first winter in English gardens. The plants are ga- thered as soon as they have well made their growth ; they are sent over in large packages, and being more or less moist they ferment, so that the foliage is blackened, and they become excited by the warmth to positively start into growth by the time they arrive here. Most of these Christmas Roses are more or less set with buds, and the footstalks of these are blanched and drawn out like those of Seakale. This stimulation just when the crowns should be at rest is in itself productive of harm, and when the plants are exposed in the open ground to the vicissitudes of our winter, they are sure, more or less, to suffer. Even if they do not die, they become so crippled as to re- (juire several years to bring them into a flowering condition. Having been in the habit of pur- chasing imported Christmas Roses, and finding the growth of those that survived so unsatisfac- tory, I aflbrded them some shelter through tl e winter, and in this way I have done well with them. As soon as they arrived I trimmed off all the old foliage, and with a sharp knife cut away all bruised portions of the roots, which are mostly reduced in length, owing to the rough manner in which the plants seem to be lifted. They were then laid in, in light soil in a cool house where they remained till the following April. Some of them were put singly into small pots. It was in- structive to note how difl'erently these plants be- haved from those planted in the open ground ; whilst these latter remained quite inert through the winter, showing no signs of life till spring, those laid in under cover threw up flower-buds and began to form new growths just like esta- blished plants. At the close of the winter they were full of plump reddish-looking leaf-buds, showing no signs of the ordeal through which they had passed when torn from their native wilds. Another thing I noticed particularly is, that numerous growths formed on the old black rhizomes wheie apparently no growths had been made for some time. I fancy that the little extra warmth which they enjoyed caused this, for having no frame room to spare, I was obliged to lay them in along the back wall of a house used for late Chrysanthemums, and where fires were of course made in severe weather. Even if none of the plants died when put into the open ground, it is well worth while to give them protection, as this causes a multiplication of growths and preserves the vitality of the crowns and roots, thus enabling them to make a much stronger growth when put eventually into the open ground. J. C. B. New Zealand Vernicas.— All the species of New Zealand Veronicas may be said to be hardy in some part or other of this country. In favoured districts, such as the west coast of Scotland, the (enderestof the species flourish luxuriantly, and reproduce themselves from self-sown seed. Here, in Edinburgh, however, such is not the case. 128 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887 Havinp for several years back experimented with many different species, with the object of testing their hardiness, the following kinds have been found to be thoroughly hardy in all exposures, Salicornioidcs Cupressoides Lvcopodioides riuguifi>li;i Carnosiila Glauco-c;vruloi Anomala C'nlensoi Ample xicaulis L 33 vis The following species are very nearly hardy ; still, in very severe seasons, in fully exposed positions, they are more or less injured, but they always break away again, viz : — Travi;i>i Vernicosa Epacridea Pimelioides Lyalli Cataractffl Hulke.iDa Parvifioia Chathamica Those which in severe seasons only are killed out- right, and which may be termed half-hardy, are : speciosa, Andersoni, salicifolia, macrocarpa, and diosm.Tfolia. These are the results obtained so far ; a few other species are still on trial. It will be evident from the above that, with a less rigor- ous test than that applied here, the majority of the species will succeed admirably in most gardens, some slight shelter being given to the more tender kinds. There are few shrubs more worthy of extended cultivation than the New Zealand Vero- nicas. They are all evergreen, and many have handsome flowers, which are more or leas freely produced, independent of which they form natu rally trim, shapely bushes, varying in height from a few inches to several feet. Not a few are inte- resting on account of certain resemblances which they bear to totally different genera, as indicated by their speci6c names, mimicking, as it were, plants far removed from the family to which they belong so completely as to deceive not only the un- wary, but even the most acute observers as to their identity. — Robert Lindsay, Boyal Botanir Onrchii, Eilinbiirgh. Trees and Shrubs. W. GOLDRING. THE AMERICAN PITCH PINE. (PINUS EICUDA ) This is one of the common Pines of the Eastern United States, growing aluinclantly in that tract of country lying between the Atlantic coast and the Alleghany Mountains. It extends over a wide legion northwards and southwards, being found as far noith as llie Penobscot River, in Maine, to the mountains of Carolina. Its growth is influenced in a remaikable way according to the latitude in wliieh it grows. In the noilh Tcituinal bud of P. rigida. it is but a low tree, rarely more than 15 feet high but in the south it is a large tree 100 feet high or more. To the Americans it is a useful tree, and at one time the Pitch Pine fore.sts yielded vast quantities of resinous products, the wood being highly charged with resin. Its timber, too, is good, though very knotty, on account of the peculiar branching habit of the tree. But we are not concerned aliout the timber value of the tree, for it was found out •■i hundred years ago that our native Scotch Pine was sujierior to any American Pine as regards the timber, and better suited for our climate. But the Pitch Pine is worth consi- deration for ornamental planting, and I am convini'cd that its value in this respect has lieen overlooked. It has never been a " stock " plant in nurseries, and it is in only rich arbo- reta that one can meet with it. Any lover of trees would at once single out a Pitch Pine in a collection by its singular habit. The absence of that stiff, formal growth that characterises most other Pines is the chief value of P. rigida for artistic planting, and, added to this, it is a Full-sked cone, leaves, cone scale and seed of P. rigida. rapid and free-growing tree even in the poorest soils and the bleakest situations. It is, in short, one of those trees to plant in spots where even the hardy Highland Pine will not flourish. Many will agree with me in re- garding it as a most picturesque tree, whether they see it 10 feet or 30 feet high. Every tree I have seen always possesses that free informal style of growth, with the branches protruding in no regular way, but generally opposed to each other in direction. The illustration on page 132 shows well what I mean. In this tree some of the branches assume a pendulous growth ; others are horizontal ; while the outline of the tree reminds one more of that of an Elm than a spiral Conifer. The colour of the tree is not very difl'erent from that of other Pines, the foliage being of a light green, not glaucous, as in the Scotch Pine ; there- fore, when the two Pines are associated with each other in groups, they give variety of tone. There is a good deal of difference between the various forms of this Pine. Usually the leaves are short and stiff, but sometimes they are long and twisted, and as bright green as thoseof Pinus insignis. The leaves are ahvaj's produced in cluster of cones of P. rigida. threes from the sheath, and clustered in a brush- like way at the ends of the shoots. The bark of an old Pitch Pine is always very rough and dark, and from this character alone one may single it out from among others. The cone of the Pitch Pine is well represented by the accompanying illustration, which shows a full sized cone, but generally they are smaller, especially on trees in dry soils. Each scale of the cone is provided with a sharp-hooked spine, a character by which a Pitch Pine cone may be always known. The cones are produced singly in pairs and threes, but generally in clusters, and these hang on the trees for many years, as in the case of many other Pines. Young trees, when only a few feet high, cone freely and bear perfect seeds. The buds terminating the branches show the resinous nature of the tree as they are always covered more or less with resin. Enough has been said to show that the American Pitch Pine has its use in ornamental planting in this country, and though it is not a tree to be recommended for planting for the sake of its timber, it could be put to a good purpose as a shelter tree, especially near the seacoast, for it possesses the great advantage of not being injured by salt water. It has been the means of clothing many barren, sandy wastes in the United States, being the best tree that could be found for the purpose. It is recommended to transplant Pitch Pine trees when very young, as they strike root deeply, and are always difficult to transplant successfully when old. This Pine was introduced into England about 130 years ago by one of the Dukes of Bedford, and fine trees of it exist at Woburn, Syon, Pain's Hill, Dropmore, and other places. Bambusa Castilloni.— This beautiful Japanese Bamboo, known in its native country under the name of Kin-ilei, has recently been introduced into French gardens and has been named as above in compliment to a French nobleman, the Comte de Castillon, well known for his love of these graceful plants, and who is now engaged on a monograph concerning them, which when pub- lished should be of great interest to all growers of Bamboos. B. Castilloni is described and illustrated by a well-executed woodcut in a recent number of the Paris Ilenu Horlirole by Mons. E. A. Car- riore, one of the editors of that publication, and is said to be perfectly hardy. It is one of the curious square-stemmed varieties, and is said to be quite the most distinct and beautiful hardy Bamboo that has yet been Introduced to European gardens from Japan. It is of exceedingly tall and vigorous h&bit Feb. 5, 188?.] THE GARDEN. 129 of growth, its stems when they attain thi;ir com- plete development attaining to the splendid height of from IVl feet to :)',) feet. It is also remarkable for the beautifully even variegation of its square stems, two sides of which are deep shin- ing green, the other two bright gold colour. The leaves also are prettily veined with yellow. The variegation seems to be unusuallyevenand constant, and to be altogether unaffected by exposure to the sun, which is so often apt to burn and cause to wither the variegated portions of plants when ex- posed thereto. It is to be hoped that this beauti- ful Bamboo will soon find its way into English gardens. — \V. E. Gumbleton. Muhle nbeckia complexa. — This elegant little trailing shrub, from New Zealand, has been sadly injured by the spell of cold, though the plants are probably not killed outright. Those planted among rocks in the rock garden, where the roots are in well-drained soil, are safe, but those on the flat have the branches killed. It is such a pretty trailer that we can ill atiord to lose it. Perhaps some readers could tell us how M. varians has behaved during the present winter. It appears to be less hardy than M. complexa. — W. t!. The Japan Hemlock Spruce. — This Conifer is the Japanese repre-sentative of the Canadian Hemlock Spruce, and it is difficult to say which is the most beautiful. Both are extremely ele- gant in growth, never attaining a great height, but always spreading like a huge bush. Tliey resemble each other very much in foliage, but the Japanese Hemlock is lighter in colour on account of the leaves being glaucous beneath. It is a quick grower in good light soils, and its extreme hardiness adds greatly to its value. As a la%vn tree it can only be equalled in gracefulness by its Canadian relative, and, like it, does not form a prim symmetrical pyramid, for it generally pos- sesses a multitude of leaders. To give full etfect to its beauty, it should be planted in proximity to a spiral-headed tree, none better than Abies Albertiana, which being similar harmonises ad- mirably with it. Abies Tsuga (the name of the Japan Hemlock) inhabits the mountain forests of Japan at great elevations, and was introduced about thirty years ago by Dr. Siebold, who named the tree A. Tsuga, but subsequently Carriere named it Tsuga Sieboldi, under which name it goes in some nurseries and gardens. There is a variety of it called nana, a pigmy, never growing more than 4 feet or 5 feet high, whereas the type grows from 2.') feet to 30 feet high. Some ad- mirable specimens of the Japan Hemlock may be seen in the Kew arboretum. The Box-leaved Holly (Ilex crenata). — If this little Evergreen was better known it would become one of the most popular shrubs in gardens, large or small, but particularly in those where space is limited. It combines the neatness of a Box without its stiffness, for, though slow in growth and rarely reaching more than 4 feet high, its dense foliage is arranged in pleasing masses. The leaves are very small — not more than an inch long, by a quarter wide — and is therefore so much unlike an ordinary Holly, that one would hardly suspect that there was any attinity between this and other Hollies. There are a few varieties of it ; one, called aureo-variegata, has the leaves mottled with a bright golden yellow, which, with the green, makes an extremely bright little shrub, especially in winter. Another variegated form has silvery markings. A third variety, named longifolia, has longer and narrower leaves than the type : while a fourth variety, named latifolia, is distinct from the rest in having leaves almost twice as broad as those of the typical form; hence, has quite a different appearance, and much more like a Box than the other. Every form of this Holly is worth growing, and for making dwarf, compict masses of Es'ergreens there is nothing to equal them. This Holly is also known under the name of I. Fortune!, but in most nursery cata- logues the two names are coupled. It is a native of Japan, and is perfectly hardy ; the recent severe weather had no effect upon its foliage. It thrives in most soils, light as well as heavy, the best suited to it being a sandy loam. It makes a capital plant for planting on bold ledges in the rock garden, and for winter beds it is one of the very best shrubs. IVIES AND THEIR USES. The common Ivy when growing in an exposed position will often acquire a rich bronzy hue during winter, but in this respect individual plants vary a good deal, the smaller-leaved forms being, as a rule, the richest in colour. The most marked in this respect, and one that from its neat, prettily lobed leaves is well suited for use in the arrangement of buttonhole bouquets, sprays, and similar purposes, for which these bronzed Ivies are now so much employed, is the variety named atropurpurea, whose distinctive character is far more marked in winter than in summer. It is a matter of surprise that so little attention is paid to the many and beautiful varieties of I\'y now in our gardens, only one or two of the strong grow- ing kinds being as a rule planted, while a large and varied selection might be readily made. Some of them are most beautifully variegated, while the green-leaved kinds show a very great diversity, not only in the shape, but also in the size of the leaves, varying as they do from the huge foliage of Riigneriana, canariensis, and amurensis to the miniature leafage in caenwood- iana or minima. Besides this, the variety with orange-coloured fruit (aurantiaca) should be a welcome addition to berry- bearing shrubs, i.e., if it will fruit freely in this country. As evergreen shrubs, too, the Tree Ivies are very distinct, and withal first-rate town plants. The peculiarly clustered Ivy (H. conglomerata), of a low spread- ing style of growth, is well suited for rockwork. Not the least desirable of the many good qualities possessed by the Ivy is its thorough hardiness. Alpha. Stauntonia latifolia. — This beautiful Indian climbhig shrub is perfectly hardy as a wall plant at .Sedgwick Park, in Sussex, where it clothes a large part of the stable walls in a luxuriant mass of deep green foliage. The leaflets are broad and of a leathery texture, and remain on the plant for years. In summer it bears a profusion of flowers, which are green and dull purple, and deliciously fragrant, like Violets. For clothing the walls of a house it is a valuable plant. It succeeds best on an east or west wall, full exposure to the south not being suitable for it. It is a native of Nepaul. The Golden Scotch Fir.— "W." (p. 105) seems to question my remarks very much about this Golden Scotch Fir ; what I asserted I still adhere to, and which can be proved by facts, for everyone of whom I have inquired write me that it is of slower growth than the green Scotch Fir, and is less vigorous. One can understand that "W.'s" chance seedling in a mixeJ wood would be drawn up with the rest, or it would soon cease to exist. It would naturally keep apace with its neighbours as regards height, but at the same time would perhnpi be a wretched t'-ee. Again, being a seedling never transplanted is very different from the Golden Scotch Firs from nurseries, which are grafted plants, so that it is not a case for comparison. It would be interesting to know the present height of tho Churchill Scotch Fir, which " W." presumes "is now standing and must bs con- siderably over 30 feet high." Perhaps it would be discovered that the Golden Fir had been crowded out by the survival of the fittest, for we all know that golden and variegated plants possess less vitality than green- leaved plants. — W. G. The Japanese Privet is a valuable shrub for wiater, being perfectly hardy, of neat spreading growth, very dwarf, and of a bright lively green colour. Its leaves are broader than those of o:her Privets, excepting, perhaps, Ligustrum coriaceum and luciduni, and they are quite smooth and glossy ; 3 feet to 5 feet is its usual height, but by pruning it may bs kept at IS inches high, and yet not look formal. After midsummer it bears great spreading clusters of tiny white flowers. A most beautiful lawn group could be made of the Eastern Privets alone, as they possess such a diversity of habit. For instance, by placing L. sinense as the tallest point in the group, one could carry an easy line down to the turf by planting L. lucidum, ovalifolium, and japoni- cum, while the dwarfest plant would be the singular little L. coriaceum, which makes dense tufts of the deepest green foliage. These would make a rich evergreen group, and it could be enlivened by a plant or two of the golden L. ovalifolium and other variegated forms. The Japanese Privet) L. japoni- cum) is also known imder other names, L. latifolium and Sieboldi and spicatum being the chief synonyms. Buddleia globosa. — Nowhere, perhaps, does this pretty and distinct-flowering shrub flourish half so well as along the western coast of our island. To see it, as we not unfrequently do, in some of the maritime gardens of Carnarvonshire, when fully a score of feet in height, half as much in spread of branch, and literally covered with its bright orange, honeycombed flowers, is a floral sight that it would be difficult to match. One plant in particular of this Buddleia that I could not help noticing the other day measured exactly l."> feet in height, with a well-furnished head of 4 yards in diameter. It was growing in good fine loam, by the side of a large Cypress tree, this, together with an entire circuit of other trees, offering the slight shelter that is so needful for bringing out to perfection the beauties of this Chilian plant. As a wall plant, too, the Buddleia is of particular value ; indeed, we have always been impressed with the appearance of it when used as such, the globular heads of yellow flowers showing themselves to perfection against the dark- coloured stones, and in conjunction w ith the long dark green foliage with its distinct silvery tomen- tum underneath. There is another pretty species, B. Lindleyana, but as it cannot survive through even an ordinary English winter, although in warm maritime districts we have seen it doing well out of doors, it is rarely seen. The flowers are purplish red, and produced in terminal race- mose spikes. B. crispa is another desirable and pretty member of the same family, hailing from the Himalayas, having conspicuously woolly leaves and lilac-brown fragrant flowers. We have pro- pagated the Buddleias very successfully from well-ripened cuttings, inserted in sharp, sandy soil, during August and September. When fairly rooted the cuttings grow very rapidly, as much as .'i feet in length being added in one season to those planted in a northern exposure in our nursery grounds. Occasionally the unripened wood gets cut by frost, but this is no loss, as the Buddleia is improved by pruning and bears it well. — W. The White Beam Tree (Pyrus Aria).— Most persons will readily admit that on the whole our woods in summer present too monotonous a repeti- tion of varying shades of green, for few indeed are the trees or shrubs whose foliage can be considered as perfectly distinct from the general mass. One or two, such as the plant in question and the white Poplar, are, however, exceptions to this general rule, their foliage affording a very unusual and decided tint of an almost pure white, parti- cularly on the under sides, and which renders them of much value for indiscriminate mixing with our general forest trees along the margins of woods and plantations. For park purposes the White Beam is of great value, and when planted in con- spicuous positions on the woodland margins pro- duces an effect that, in my opinion, at least, is quite unapproachable by any other hardy tree or shrub. But not only as a distinct foliaged tree is the White Bsam of value, for as a fruit-bearer of the most desirable kind it has certainly few rivals, the big red cheeked berries being abun- dantly produced, and imparting to the tree when fully ripe a most pleasing effect, as well as con- trasting strangely with the downy white foliage. These berries are by no means unpalatable. Then, again, another point in favour of this tree is that it is very readily raised from seed, for if the berries are collected when fully ripe, placed for a year in sand, and sown in fine sweet loam, the young plants come away rapidly and in 130 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. numbers, and in about three years afterwai-ds, if their nursery management has been of the right kind, they are fit for planting out perma- nently. To see this tree in a shrub state, spring- ing from some of the soilless chinks of the lime- stone rooks on the Orme's Head, and exposed to the full glare of the noonday sun, is apt to arouse one's suspicions as to how it exists or ekes out the bare necessaries of life, for certainly the conditions are anything but what one would consider as favourable for plant growth. Two other rare plants are its companions, viz., Cotoneaster vulgaris and that sweet little Helle- borine, Epipaotis ovalis. — A. D. W. The Butcher's Broom under trees. — Mr. Muir's praise of this native Evergreen (p. lOU) is not extravagant, and one can picture to them- selves the beauty of a dense growth of such a rich Evergreen under the shade of trees, bat Mr. Muir does not state under what kind of trees the Butcher's Broom growssowell. Are they deciduous or evergreen. Oaks, Beeches, or what ? This is most important to know, as it makes all the dif- ference. It is not uncommon to find a dense undergrowth of Hollies in an Oak wood, but what Evergreen flourishes under Beeches/ The only place I have seen the Butcher's Broom growing well under Beeches is in a garden at the foot of Box Hill, in Surrey, on the chalk, but this is a natural growth, and it is doubtful if one could successfully introduce even the Butcher's Broom under Beeches in localities where it is not indi- genous. Sir. Muir's assertion that "there are several plants that grow under the shade and drip of trees " is somewhat vague, as my experience i? that there are very few Evergreens that thrive under dense-headed trees, particularly Beeches. Perhaps Mr. Muir would kindly give us his list. He is quite right about the Butcher's Broom being a good shade plant, but his experience of it is different from mine when he asserts that it grows rapidly and spreads freely. I should call it a slow grower, and not one of the best plants to establish. It is not only under trees that the Butcher's Broom is a valuable shrub, but as a mass on an open lawn there are not many shrubs to equal it for winter effect, the green being so dark. It makes rather a formal-looking mass, by making it rise out of a growth of Ivy, or by plant- ing near it a group of its relative, R Hypoglossum, the stiffness is relieved. If any one, by the way, thinks of planting the Butcher's Broom, he should see that he gets the right plant, otherwi-e he will get the dwarf-trailing R. Hypoglossum, or double- leaved Butcher's Broom, as this plant was sent to me from a large northern nursery where I was assured it has also been grown and sold for Butcher's Broom, but it is very different and not half so valuable, besides being less hardy. SHORT NOTES.— TREES AND SHRUBS. The climbing Hydraueea-— This c'imbing Japanese Hbnib introduced a few years ago under the name of Schizophragma hydrangeuides his been re-named Hydrangea volubilis, as it is found to be strictly a Hydrangea, and tlie specific name volubilis is expressive of its climbing growth. Abies bracteata has been badly injured by frosts this season at ICew. All the plants in the arboretum have their last year's shoots browned, if not killed. It is one of the Californian Silver Firs that are liable to injury from the wet .and c Id of our winters if planted far inland, but on account of its handsome and remarkable appearance, it is a valuable oroamental Conifer in mild localities. Euonymus variegatug.— The white varieg.-ited Euo- nymus has been particularly bright all the winter. It is indeed the brightest of the family, and the silvery variegation in winter is even clearer than in summer. I have tried to erow it in the form of a bush in the open, and have trainedit to walls in different aspects, bnt nowhere is it so bright as on a lo%v wall with a north aspect. It does not make a hand- some bush, owing to its growth being too straggling. This v.ar'ety must not be confounded with the large-leaved variety with golden and white variegation.-- Somerskt. Carpenteria californica (p 100).~I .should say that the hardiness of this fine shrub is beyond all doubt, this is the fifth winter in which 1 have had pl.ants in the open ground, and I have never seen a leaf injured bv the frost. My plants are not .against a wall, but are in sheltered spots. Last autumn I phanted out some young plants in more e.K- posed places, and as yet they seem to be quite uninjured. I should like to know if it has seeded anywhere in England. Last ye.ar I had p!enty of seed-pods, but not a single perfect seed was formed.— Henhv N. E]:.l.\combe, Bdtoii V<€"r to placa them in shallow trays, or baskets, crown upA-ards, and, as far as is possible, bring them into the light. Potatoes laid in heaps will ferment, as it is in the nature of all vegetable substances when in bulk to generate heat if left long undisturbed, but if the seed Potatoes, where it is not possible to spread them out in single layers, were turned over weekly with a barn shovel, this tendency to grow out will bemiterially checked, and when at last growth does come the shoots would be strong and need not be rubbed off. Table Potatoes. — Considering the number of varieties in cultivation, the number of kinds that are good on the table is very limited. Xo doubt a good deal of this dissatisfaction with some of the popular exhibition kinds arises from cultural con- ditions. The high-bred varieties want peculiar treatment. They, or at least some of them, are the outcome of special conditions and circumstances, and when these are absent, they are close, waxy and useless. Except on the best Potato lands, I am doubtful if any grower could honestly recom- mend half-a dozen good profitable table Potatoes that are always reliable. The Ashleafs are always good in the early part of the season — the old Ashleaf for first crop succeeded by Myatt's prolific. Earliest of All, a variety sent out by Messrs. Carter, I believe, is a good early kind and produces an excellent crop. After the first and second earlies 1 cannot find anything to beat the Regents and Sc;hoolmister, which seems to have some of the good qualities of the Regent, and is at the same time more vigorous and a better cropper, and will keep in usable con- dition longer. At the present time (.January 20) I do not know any kind better for table than Schoolmaster, and it will be in condition for some time longer, and, taking into consideration the reports which I have heard from various districts, that for general use from August till March there is no Potato which has so many good points on all kinds of soil as the Schoolmai-ter. As regards a very late Potato, I have tried a good many kinds in my anxiety to get hold of a good one. The Magnum Bonum crops well everywliere, but its quality is only good on suitable land. It is a profitable Potato to grow, but I have never seen it so good as Schoolmaster on the table. Reading Hero I have had very good, and I have also had it very inferior. Soil and season aflfect its con- dition much. Perhaps, on the whole, there is no better late Potato under all circumstances than the Scotch Champion, but in many districts where it was formerly grown largely it has been dis- carded, because it did not succeed so well as formerly, and it is evidently on the wane. Fre- quent change of seed direct from Scotland should be carritd out by all who wish to continue its culture. Manurin'c: PoT.n'OE-1. — Here, again, the condi- tion of the soil should be taken into consideration, but a well-blended compost made up of such in- gredients as wood a-hos, charred refuse, old de- cayed turf, and well decomposed yard manure placed in the drills with the sets will have a good tflfect upon the crop. I may say in parsing, it is worse than useless to plant any but early and second early kinds upon heavy land, though the Schoolmaster succeeds better than any other main crop Potato X am acquainted with in such land. In a general way it pays to use a little artificial manure for Potatoes, either placed in the drills at the rate of 4 cwt. or 5 CAt. per acre, or used as a top-dressing after the Potatoes are up, just before they are moulded up. The manures most com- monly used in this district are superphosphate, and heavy dressings are sometimes used. For poor land a dressing of guano and nitrate of soda at the rate of 2^ cwt. of each per acre has pro- duced beneficial results. It is best applied as a top-dressing as soon as the plants are up, when it can be hoed in. I would rather plant medium- sized whole sets than cut large Potatoes, though I freely admit that the central eye from a large Potato doss produce a strong stem and a good crop of even-sized tubers, but there is a great waste in planting a large Potato for its one strong eye in the crown. Small or inferior sets should not be planted at all, as their continued use has a deteriorating effect upon the stock. PREi'AiiATioN ciF THE LAND. — The more the soil is opened up at this season the better condition it will be in, always supposing that frozen soil is not turned in, and that the land should not be worked or trampled when covered with snow or saturated with rain. The planting should take place when the surface is dry and has been mellowed by exposure to the atmosphere. The distance left between the rows, especially for the vigorous growing kinds, is often too small for the best results. I do not think any main crop Potato should have less than .'! feet between the rows, and in the case of the vigorous kinds 4 feet will be better, and it is an advantage to have the rows run north and south, bo that the sun may shine on both sides of the ridge with equal power. E. Hobuay. EARLY AND MAIN-CROP PE.iS. What is the earliest Pea? Among the notes I made last summer, the very earliest was one named some- what appropriately Earliest of All, and it is evidently a precocious selection from the gangster's No. 1 type. But Sutton's Emerald Gem ran it very closely in- deed, and by some it is considered the earlier of the two. Almost equal in point of time was Selected Extra Early, also one of the Sangster's No. 1 type. But anyone who can lay hold of William the Second (not William the First) will have a first-class early Pea, bearing freely fine large green pods, and not more than '■> feet in height. I do not know who spnt it out, but gardeners should make a note of it. Next in order of time came American Wonder and Maclean's Eirly Gem— Peas that are of very dwarf growth, and very useful for small gardens, and these are only a very few days behind the others. S urpass William the First is one of Mr. H. Eckford's Pea», taller in growth and three days e.%rlier than William the First, a rare cropper, and not quite so curved in the pod. A variety called Special Early was one day later than the preceding, and not so good in the pol. One named Extra Early is of tall growth, and iiiiy be termed an early Ne Plus Ultra, large, handsome pods, and a great cropper — an early exhibition variety that should be noted by those who grow Pea? for early shows in .July. Day's Early Sunrise is often recommended as a first early, but it is a mistake to say this much of it; it is really a second early variety only, but very useful, as it pro- duces good pods, is a great cropper, and is not more than 3 feet in height. I was much pleased with a dwarf variety named Chelsea Gem, 18 inches to ■2 feet, white pods, a good cropper, the pods slightly carved ; also a very useful variety for early exhibi- tions. Dickson's Favourite should be noted as a , feet ; the pods are not large, but they are very freely produced, and it may be set down as an abundant bearer. Unique is a dwarf and some- what early variety, not getting beyond 12 inches to IS inches in height, and bears medium-sized white pods that fill well. Marvel is a very robust grower, 24 feet in height, large, long-pointed pods, white ; a good exhibition variety. Another good Pea for small gardens is Magnet, 2 feet, bears whitish green pods, that fill well ; an excellent cropper and a capital amateur's and cottager's Pea. Huntingdonian and Champion of England are alike ; I have no doubt that originally the former was a selection from the latter, and there is no doubt but that Champion of England, when represented by a fine selected stock, is a capital garden and market variety. FiUbasket is a dwarf Pea, 2^ feet to 3 feet, a great cropper, and bears curved white pods, and it may be taken as re- presenting a fine selection from the old Scimitar, so popular thirty years ago. Telephone, round, and Telegraph, wrinkled, are two Peas that, it is said, came out of the same pod, but the former has white, and the latter green pods, and not quite so large ; of the two, Telephone has coone to be most grown both for garden and exhibition purposes. It is an excellent variety for early shows iu July. Sharpe's Triumph grows to a height of 2A feet, and has long white pods slightly curved; it is also a capital exhibition Pea. A new variety n »med Co well's Marrow is rather tall— 44 feet— and bears large, long, white pointed pods; it is an excellent cropper, and in all respects a first-class Pea, and especially so as a table variety. Sensation has large pointed pods, a good cropper, and grows to a height of ih feet. Prodigy is a tall growing Pea, fully 5 feet, bearing large, green pointed pods, and is a fine and good look- ing variety, and should, I think, bi found an excel- lent main-crop variety for large gardens. Chancellor is dwarf growing, not more lh.an 24 feet, and lieirs large white pods. Wordsley Marrow is a very pro- lific variety, with small green pods very abundantly produced. I have no hesitation in naming the following varieties as well adapted for garden culture and stiow purposes, viz.. Surpass Wdliam the First, Gladiator, President Garfield, Dr. Hogg, Marvel, Telephone, and Co well's Marrow. And to have fine exhibition pods, let the Peas be sown thinly — at least a foot apart — iu deep rich soil, and when five or six trusses of bloom are produced and have set the pods, the tops should be pinched out, so that the whole vigour of the plant can go to the production of large, hand- some, well-filled, and well- finished pods. The plants must be supported, and the pods should not be al- lowed to drop near the ground, where they are in danger of being splashed by the soil thrown up by heavy rains. I find great differences among judges of Peas. I have met with some who will pass over all the white- podded varieties and give the preference to those with green pods, giving play to prejudice rather than to proper judgment, and acting unjustly in conse- qoence. Some have a pciif/iant for particular varie- ties, and go for them, to the exclusion of all others; and when their ruling is o'jjected to on the ground that the rejected pods are, in some instances, better and more finished, shelter themselves under the as- sumption that they went for flavour. I think that flavour is often made a hobby of too pronounced a character, especially iis I find great difference of opinion prevaiUng as to what constitutes fine flavour in Peas. Some prefer swe^-t, soft, m-ltiog Peas; others, those tha'; are of a firmer texture and more mealy character. I care not whether the pods aie grem or white, and if, say, thirty or fifty are shown in a dish, I require that they lie large, according to the sort, handsome, even in appearance, well filled, 132 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. and with that nice fresh appearance that denotes fit- ness for table ; and, above all, I like to see a bloom upon them, which testifies to good cultivation. K. D. EARLY VEGETABLES. In order to obtain these aa early as possible in the open air, three conditions are necessary, viz., a southern aspect, a dry, warm soil, and some temporary shelter. In some gardens there are narrow borders in front of the glasshouses, which are the best possible positions for early Potatoes, French Beans, Horn Carrots, dwarf Peas, &c. It is a very easy matter to make the soil in such borders deep, and to lay the surface at such an inclination as will catch all the rays of the sun. The next best position for early crops is at the foot of a south wall, and the nearer the plants can be placed to the wall the better. A row of dwarf Peas placed parallel with the wall, and about (1 inches or 8 inches from it, will be much earlier than if away from its shelter. Potatoes, Lettuces, Cauliflowers, and French Beans will profit in like manner from contiguity to the wall's friendly surface. A thick hedge is not a bad substitute for a wall, so far as mere shelter goes, but the hedge does not absorb heat from the sun's rays during the day and give it oif again at night, and, therefore, to that extent the hedge is inferior to the wall. A Reed or a board fence, blackened with a coat of tar, forms a very good back to an early vegetable border. And if the surface of the border inclines abruptly to the south, the position will be warm and early. A garden provided with a ridge of this character, backed by a hedge or a temporary screen, should not be deficient in early vegetablf s. Of course the soil must be deep and as good as it is possible to make it, but composts are better than raw manure. Very often during our springs there are periods of cold weather when even all the advantages I have named might be supplemented with some temporary shelter. A covering of netting, such as is commonly used to protect seeds and fruit from the depredations ol birds, has a very great protective effect in warding off spring frosts and breaking up cold currents The thin covering of netting, drawn tightly over a bed of early Lettuces, Cabbages, Cauliflowers, or dwarf Peas, 18 inches or so above the plants, does not seem to shelter them much, but one has only to watch the progress of the plants so sheltered, and compare them with others near which are uncovered, to be convinced of the value of even the thinnest covering from the end o" February through the spring. It may be advisable in the case of special crops to intro- duce a little bottom-heat in the shape of stable manure, placed in the border in sufiieient bulk to ferment. A space (i feet or so square, ex- cavated 2 feet deep, filled with warm stable manure, and covered with 8 inches of free-working mellow soil, will produce a good many Early Horn Carrots, Radishes, &c. ; but for such beds either straw covers or oiled calico, tacked on light frames, should be provided. Of course, glass would be better still, but I was thinking only of the early crops which come on in succession to those grown under glass, and in the majority of gardens only a limited amount of glass can be devoted to vegetable forcing, owing to the demand for flowers, &c. , which has to be met. E. Hoed.w. SHORT NOTE.^.—KITCnEy. Chou de Burghley.— " !•'■ R. H. S." has iiiidonbtcdly got tins (_';l1)1mu(j. If sown under glass in March it forms good heads in Octnber, which last through the winter. Chou de Buvghley, unlike other Cabbages, never crack.s If another sowing is made in the first week in May, the produce will be ready for use in February and win laf-t until ordinary Cabbagcscome in. It is drt sscd for table exactly in the same way as other green vegetables, but its flavour is superior to th,at of all Cabbages.— The EAtsf;B. Bossin I.ettuce.— This is catalogued by Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter, but aiiparcntly the variety is not much in de- mand. It is, nevertheless, an excellent sort for standii'g drought. Three years ago it stood firm in the month of August, when other varieties alongside of it had bolted. —A. H. KITCHEN GARDEN NOTES. Parsn'ip.s. — Sowing these eai-ly is a point of the greatest importance, and, given favourable condi- tions as to soil, the end of .January is none too early. Fortunately, Parsnips are very hardy, and severe frost does not harm the small seedlings a bit. Depth of soil rather than undue fertility of it should be aimed at, as it conduces to the descent of the main roots in straight form; whereas in a rich soil, and particularly if it has been recently manured, strong roots form in every direction, and the produce, though possibly of greater bulk, is ill-shaped and cuts greatly to waste in the dressing. A sandy loam is the per- fection of soil for Parsnips, and the best fertilisers soot and burnt wood ash. In stitl', heavy soils the roots do wonderfully well when once they have got a fair start, and the first preliminary to that end is to prepare a good seed bed. Such land will not for some time be in a fit condition for sow- ing, but as soon as it will bear to be trodden upon, d.-aw wide drills to a depth of 4 inches and The American Pitch Pine (1*. rigida) in England. {8ee p. 12S.) IS inches apart, and strew thickly in them a mixture of fine dry soil with leaf- mould and wood ashes added ; on this sow the seed thinly, and fill in with the same light soil ; press down the soil with the back of the rake and the work is com- plete. The same distance apart of diills meets the requirements of naturally dry soil, and the soil for the seed drills in that case need not to be of an artificial description. The Stmlent is the only variety we grow, being handsome and finer grained in flesh, though not a bit better in (juality than the Hollow-crowned and Guernsey varieties. Onion.s. — Our ground now works nicely, and the first bit of kitchen garden planting has been done to day (Jan. '29). Autumnsovin Onions being much too thick, have been thinned out to 4 inches apart, and the thinnings planted at the fame distance in rows ].~i inches apart. We plant with small dibbers, and only suliiciently deep to ensure the plants being firm in the ground. In the rows thinned, we foand it necessary to draw a little soil to the Onions, and well firm them to keep them upright. A thick dusting over with soot was afterwards applied to the whole plot, with a view to prevent an attack of grub rather tlian aa a fertiliser, of which, however, it is one of the very best. The main crop of spring-sown Onions we j like to get in by the middle of February. The ' ground is now being prepared by levelling it down with a coarse rake and picking off the largest stones ; a dressing of burnt wood-ash and soot will then be given, and afterwards the final rake over preparatory to drawing the drills at distances apart of ITi inches. We sow but thinly, and so lessen the labour of thinning out the seedlings. Thin seeding implies the greater need for care in covering in the seed, which we do by hand. Rolling or beating down of the ground is not needed ; indeed the practice is injurious unless the soil be exceptionally dry on the surface. The ground selected is the Carrot ground of last year, which as soon as the crop was lifted in November had a good dressing of farmyard manure, and was dug a couple of spits deep, and left rough during the winter, and the frost and snow have made it as friable as the best potting soil, so that with the dressing of soot and ash, as above named, we expect to have an extra fine crop of Onions, with- out any further labour beyond thinning out and hoeing to keep down weeds. I.,KTTUCE, RaIiISII, AND EARLY CaRROTS. — TheSO are required in quantity in all gardens, and as small sowings of each at frequent intervals is the best way of continuing the supply, any small plota of ground that are comparatively useless for other vegetables can be made available for them. Our first sowing of Lettuce and Radish has just been made on a narrow fruit-tree border, that as yet the roots do not wholly monopolise ; soon as this happens, our veneration for the full rights of the fruit trees to the whole border hinders all further vegetable cropping. Paris White Cos Lettuce, Early French i*" Breakfast Radish and Early Nantes Carrot are the kinds now sown, and the latter is on a narrow border facing west, which is destined for next win- ter's supply of Parsley, to be sown as soon as the crop of Carrots is ex- hausted. The sowing we do very thinly in drills fl inches apart, and thinning out is then unnecessary till it can be done by drawing them for use. Root stores. — Potatoesare of the first importance. We prefer to winter them in cellars or dark frost-proof sheds ; they can then the more conveniently be got at in all weathers. Our stock is getting low; consequently there is ample room to spread out what remains to prevent premature sprouting. Some we find already manifest that tendency, and rubbing off must be done forthwith. The seed tubers have for some time past been laid on shelves in single file, and only the first early varieties show any signs of sprouting, a circumstance that shows the value of laying the sets out in this fashion, as some of the self-same varieties that have been stored in heaps have sprouts a couple of inches in length. Beetroot we have this season stored in Cocoa fibre, and it has kept perfectly, being a? fresh and highly flavoured as if just lifted from the ground, and there has been no decay whatever. Carrots were got in dry and built up in heaps without any material between them, and they have also kept better than when we stored them in sand, dry soil, or leaf-mould, all of which seemed to assist decay, probably, I think, because small rootlets formed in the various materials, snd consequently growth was excited, which, occurring under the artificial conditions of dark- ness and a confined atmosphere, tended to decay, a recurrence that the expeiience of the pretent sea- son will prevent in the future. Parsnips we always winter in the ground, but as .•roon as the tops stait into renewed growth, we lift and stack them up in a frost-proof shed. This must be done at once, as the recent mild weather has excited growth and Feb. 5, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 133 the roots get tough, or what is called stringy, if left in the ground after this. The remainder of the roots of Salsify and Scorzonera are rendered comparatively valueless by the supply of Seakale and Asparagus. Moreover, they, like Parsnips, get tough as soon as renewed growth begins, which, though we had them stored dry like Carrots, is really the case ; hence, what remains will be thrown away. A dry store-room is essential to good and long preservation of Onions, and they must never be laid thickly together, or decay is certain. 11 shelf space for single layers is not at command, they ought to be tied in the old-fashioned way on strings, to hang up in any dry, airy place We are fortunate in having an excellent store-room for them, and by taking the precaution to have them Wdll hirvested— dried — before housing, it is seldom we have to pick out a bad bulb or are troubled with premature growth. COTTAGER'S KALE. From the time that has elapsf d since this vegetable was first brought under public notice, one might have supposed that it would have been more generally cultivated than it is. When first distributed it re- ceived a high character, not only fur free growth, great weigiit of crop from the ground occupied, hardmea.a, enabling it to withstand the severest winters, but, above all, for fine flavour. This high character has been fully borne out, and still we find numbers of gardens in whicli this, the best Kale in e.xistence, is not grown, and the place in which it should be found occupitd by Scotch Kales, which are much inferior to it in flavour, and not superior in their power to with- stand severe frost. The first season in which it was distributed I grew it ; but at the time of planting I noticed that there was a considtrable difference in the plants, some being grten in the stems like ordi- nary Kale, others having more or less of a purplish tinge. I at once concluded that the seed bad not been carefully faved ; that is, the seed plants had been, when in flower, growing too near some otlier of the Brat^sica family in bloom. Subse<|nent experience proved that in this I was mistaken. In planting, the green plant* were put on a separate plot from the purple ones, but were treated in every way in a similar manmr. In any pl.iut essentially of a deco- rative character, novelty of some distinctive kind is a sufficient warrant for its cultivation. Not so with a culinary vegetable, the legitimate use of which is to be eaten. Consequently, I submitted this Kale to the test to which, with me, new vegetables were always subjected, viz , comparison when cooked with the best established vaiiety that admitted of being tested with the new comer. On that occasion, late in the autumn, I had Brussels Sprouts, Walcheren Broccoli, and the purple and green varieties of the Kale cooked separately ; also the two forms of the Kale cooked together. The verdict of myself and several friends was, that the green form was vtry much inferior to the Brussels Sprouts both in flavour and texture, being tough and stringy, and that, when cooked with the purple, completely destroyed the flavour of the latter, as well as gave the whole a dis- agreeably strong character. This mixture of the purple and green forms has doubtless had the effect of depreciating the value of this vegetable, for the purple, when cooked separately, was as different as could be, being as tender as .Spinach, with a flavour more like that of Walcheren Broccoli than the Sprouts, the latter only surpassing it in appearance. From that time I have always grown this Kale as a crop to succeed Brussels Sprouts, giving up the Scotch Kales altogether, except a dwarf variety that is the latest of all in running to flower, and which bridges over the time from the end of the winter greens until the first early Cabbage comes in. From the impres- sion I had first formed respecting the seed plants being improperly managed, I determined to save my own, selecting nothing but piurple-stemmed plants ; I kept them completely away from any other of the Brassica family, and, when in bloom, carefully covered them with hexagon netting, that effectually excluded bees and flies, yet the seed from these purple plants so treated produced as many green plants as of the colour wanted. The practice I have followed from that time has been simply in planting to teject all green plants, only using such as had the unmistakeable purple tinge in the stems. To secure a full, heavy crop it is not necessary to sow the seed as early as in the case of Brussels Sprouts, yet it should be in the ground by the middle of April. The land should be well pre- pared by a good dressing of manure, dug in not too deeply, for this, like all others of the Cabbage tribe, is a surface-rooter ; and, although all the family pre- fer a heavy, strong soil, still it should alw.ays be well pulverised, so that the roots can extend in all direc- tions without the obstruction of big, hard, unbroken lumps, that alike offer resistance and afford little nutriment to the tender feeding rootlets. An opinion sometimes exists that in the preparation of ground for culinary vegetables, it a sufficient quantity of manure is dug into the soil within the distance that the roots of the intended crop will extend, this is all that is required. Such is by no means the case. The limited season that most culinary vegetables have in which to arrive at maturity necessitates the whole of their manurial food being evenly dispersed through the soil in which their roots extend ; so that, from the day the young plant appears above ground until it is fit for the cook, it may haie had all along a continuous supply of the necessary food. This cannot happen unless the manure is evenly dispersed through the soil, which is an impossibility,unless, in digging, the ground is broken sufficiently fine, so as to admit of ttie equal dispersion of the mauure. This, as will be ob- vious, is of less importance in the case of any plant that requires years to come to maturity. If space can be spared, the plants maybe at once put out from the seed-bed when large tnough to handle, or they may be pricked out about ii inches asunder, until some other crop is cleared off to make way for them. A few words respecting this preparatory process may not be out of place. The freest-rooting plants in existence have need of all the r^ots they make ; con- sequently, in transplanting even so common a vege- table as a Cabbage, it is essential to preserve as many of the roots free from mutilation as possible ; yet how often are these and other plants treated as if their roots were of little or no importance. .Vs regularly as the seasons come round there is the recurring lament over Lettuce prematurely running to seed ; Celery and similar things bolting. Can it be won- dered at when, in taking up for re-planting they are simply dragged out of the ground like weeds, three- fourths of their roots being ruthlessly torn off ? Of the bad results arising from this barbarous work it is diflicult to speak too forcibly. The necessity of using a trowel when pLanting, or of loosening the plants with a fork, so as to retain all the roots possible, may be insisted on, and yet not be always carried out by one's workmen. If airjone is doubtful as to the effect it has upon the crop ultimately, he may be convinced by simply notiug the difference there will be all through the after-growth of any given crop, a portion of which is removed with all their roots intact, as compared with another portion torn up weed fa;liion. In preparing a nursery bed for this Kale, and all its congeners, the surface on which the foil is placed should be composed of as hard a material as can be got, so that the roots of the plants cannot penetrate it ; and the 0 inches or S inches of soil placed thereon, in which they are pricked out, should be thoroughly pulverised before the plants are put in, so that when removed they will come away wirh nearly all their roots entire. The plants in the nursery bed should never be overcrowded — 'J inches each way is a good distance ; when they are well cared for, and assisted with water when they require it, good crops can be obtained, even when they are removed to their ultimate destination in the garien later in the season by some weeks than would be of any use attempting with badly prepared plants. This is an advantage, more especially where space is limited. Cottager's Kale, like all other vegetables intended to stand the winter, should not be planted too thickly ; the weakening influences of overcrowding show them- selves, and render plants unable to resist an amount of cold that they would have withstood without in- jury, if they had had room sufficient for light and air to give them their wonted strength. If the plants are put out in the quarters where they are to remain as early in the spring as they are large enough to handle, they should be planted 2 feet asunder in the rows, and the rows should be "2 feet 6 inches .apart ; if planted later in the season from the nursery bed '2 feet each way will be sufficient. T. B. RAISING CUCUMBER PLANT.S. Tirr; best way of raising plants is certainly in a manure frame or pit. A one-light framo is gene- rally sufficient for the purpose, and care must be taken that the hot manure be perfectly sweet, and the bed of auttioient capacity to ensure a fine growing temperature for a month or six weeks from the time of sowing the seed. For this pur- pose a mixture of manure and leaves is preferable to manure alone, for they are less likely to heat violently, and consequently they retain the neces- sary temperature for a longer period. The bed being formed and the frame fixed in its place, it will be necessary to wash the glass perfectly clean, so as to command all the light possible. Then fill the frame to half its depth with sifted leaf mould, old tan, or cinder ashes, and as soon as that has attained the proper temperature, 80" to S,')^, it will be fit for use. The seed should be sown in a pot of light soil, say loam and leaf- mould in equal proportions. Plunge the pot in the bed and cover It with flat glass, partly to increase the temperatirre, but more to protect the seed from the depredations of mice or other vermin. In three or four days, according to the age, the seed will be up, and then it will be neces- sary to raise the plants to within a few inches of the glass, and to keep, night and day, a gentle circulation of air. The temperature should not fall much below 70°, and may rise to S0°, with bright light and plenty of air. In raising plants it is always desirable to keep them as short and strong as possible, and this cannot be tff'ected except by a free exposure to light and an equally free exposure to air. When the seed-leaves haves attained their full size will be the right time to single the plants out and place them in separate pots. For this purpose some warmed compost and clean warmed pots must be provided, and one or two plants, according to the kind, must be placed in each pot. Drain each pot with a little Moss and some flaky leaf soil, so that it may not be necessary to remove it at the time of planting. After the plants are potted they may be plunged in the frame, watered, and kept close for a day or two, shading them also should the weather be very sunny. So soon, however, as the plants have taken root, increase the quantity of air, and keep a gentle circulation by night as well as by day. When three weeks to a month old the plants will be fit to ridge out, but if the bed should not be ready they may be shifted into larger pots with advantage. Be particular that they do nob receive any check, as upon that much of the future success of the plants will depend. C. MARKET GARDEN NOTES. Early Peas.— The first sowings of these have been made daring the past week, the drier soils being in excellent order for the purpose ; whilst some growers still draw their drills with hoe and line 2 feet apart, others use the horse drill, sow- ing in rows only 18 inches apart, but, of course, much more thinly and evenly. Generally the weight of seed sown per acre — about '2A bushels — is the same in each case, but with the drill the seeds lie less deep, and, whilst sooner up, are also in greater danger from birds. The chief sorts are Sangster's Improved No. 1, a good stock of an old kind, and William the First, the former for the first gathering. These sowings follow chiefly after autumn Broccoli, early Coleworts, or Turnips, or where winter Spinach has failed. Wi.vTER Spin'ach has been a singular failure this winter, arising from some unknown cause, but apparently from a kind of fungus. The plants, when fairly strong in the autumn, showed evidences of decay in the stems at the base of the leaves, the parts turning brown and quite soft. As a con- sequence, the plants disappeared rapidly, and many acres were soon left almost without a plant to be seen. Such a misfortune has greatly helped to promote market growers' difficiilties, as, pii the 134 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5, 1887. whole, Spinach 1 as usually proved to be a reliable and a profitable crop. Some growers have held that the soil is Spinach-sick ; others, that the ground is too full of manure ; and others, that the plants sufiered from exceptional rains at a critical moment. The mischief wa'3 done too late for remedy the same season. Hearted Cabbages, — These have suSered so much from frost and snow, that large breadths of what otherwise might have been profitable heads are now half rotten, and smell most un- pleasantly. That is but another sample of the uncertainties which hang over market gardening. Sheep are not plentiful in this locality, Middlesex not being an agricultural county, but if a flock of these useful animals could be folded over these Cabbages, they would in feeding on them admir- ably manure the soil. Failing that, there seems no other resource but to cut the heads to pieces and plough or dig them in as manure, and cer- tainly Potatoes will thrive admirably upon a green crop turned in as manure. Still, the market grower prefers to sell his crops and take home manure. roTATiiE.s. — Even for such an easily satisfied crop as Potatoes, it is evident that much of the ground is getting overdosed with manure, because the market grower, who works so much by rule of thumb, seldom employs any other than animil manure, and perhaps soot — an excellent thing, but lacking those elements which kainit, superphos- phate, &c. , give. The ground now being cleared of later Coleworts, and Turnips will soon be planted with early Potatoes, chiefly Beauty of Hebron, now the favourite early kind. The White Beauty is not so well known as it deserves, but without doubt it will be the favourite in a few years. Growers for market, because of the con- servatism of the dealing trade, are very chary of changing old for new kinds. Seakale — This root is not grown very largely be'ow the Tvvickenham boundary, as it needs a ri;h, deep-holding soil, but it will eventually be- c ime more widely grown as the builder covers the 8)il Fulham way. It follows as a capital crop on soil somewhat overdone by Celery, but which has been deeply worked. Seed sown early in April in rows 2 feet apart will in suc!i case give very strone; roots the first season, and in less favoured soils really first-rate planting roots. Of course, the seedlings should be well thinned to 6 inches apart at least, and even wider, if intending to be- come strong; whilst yet young, where largely grown for the production of forcing roots, the weaker ones left are being trenched out, trimmed to lengths of about 6 inches, and laid in tem- porarily until the soil is dry enough to dig deeply, then'they will be dibbled out at roomy intervals and will make fine roots by the winter. Rhdbaub — Old plantations of this useful root are being trenched out gradually, the roots clamped in sheds or cart-houses, or surrounded by hurdles and straw, ani thus induced to make early stalks. Early Potatoes follow, helping during the season's cultivation to make the ground cleaner and fitted for other crops. Rhubarb invariably induces the growth of Couch or Twitch Grass, which it seems impossible to fully eradicate, even with all care. Although, no doubt, seedling Rhubarb plants would prove the more robust and profitable, and are very easily raised, yet there is some un- certainty as to their proving true; hence it is found safer to cut up and replant crowns from the forced roots, as in the second year these give an abundance of stalks, and usually break up rather the earlier for the previous forcing. When a moderate breadth of old roots is thus treated annually, an ample stock of clean ones is always maintained. A. D. Societies. ROYAL HORTICULTURAL. The annual report for ISSO to be submitted to the anniversary meeting on Tuesday next has just reached us, and from it we extrict the fuUowing : The council have been for a long time anxiously considering the arrangements which have now to be entered into, in order to enable the society to carry on the ustful woik on which it has bafn engaged during nearly the whule of the present century. While they cannot con- ceal from themselves that the society's connection with the recent exhibitions, an 1 indeed with South Kensington generally, ha? been gravely disadvan- tageous to it in the prosecution of its legitimate work — the promotion of scientific and practical horticul- ture— it is obvioui that the society could not e-tablish itself in a new bora*; adequate to its recjuirements without undertaking a very seriou-i expenditure, for which funds would have to be provided. Tue council have therefore entered into preliminary negotiations with the Royal Albert Hall Corp ration, and they are prepared to recommend to the Fellows that they should be empowered to enter iuto an agreement with thit body on the following terms — terms which tlie council believe wi 1 leave the society practically independent, while providing sufficient accommodation for its wants. The Royal Albert Hall Corporation agree to give the Royal Horticultural Society — (n) The U5e of the cinferyatory for fortnightly and other shows. [h) Accommodation fur the Lindley library and the meet'ngs of ihe scientific, fru't, floral, and other committees. ((•) Accommodation for the society's offi e an ' staff. (d) Admission to the Royal Horticultural Gardens every day, and to the Royal Albert Hall (unreserved sext') whenever open to the public. The Royal Horticultural Society undertake the horticultural (but not the structural) maintenance of the conservatory, and of such limited portions of the gardens as may be occupied by the Royal Albert Hall Corporation, aad to contribute an amnint to be agreed upon towards the heating of the conservatory. It is distinctly understood that the Royal Horticul- tural Society will enter into any agreement it may make as an independent body, and that the society will have no connection whatever with the musical or other entertainments coutemp'ated by the Royal Albert Hall Curporatioa. The 1 itter body have inti- mated that at present they are not prepared to give the Fellows of the Royal Horti^mltural Society trans- ferable tickets. The auditors repoit as follows : "We much regret that two great disturbing influences have iiad a serious and depressing effect on the fin.ances of the society in 1886; the first being the taking away the privilege of transferable tickets of admission and making them persona], which resulted in the resiignation of a large number of Fellows, causing a reduction in the re- ceipts of this most important part of the revenues to the amount of .i!'^50; secondly, the failure of the Liverpool Exhibition, which shows a deficiency over the receipts of £740, aud, added to the loss from sub scriptions, makes a total loss under these two heads of .£151'0, against which there is the asset of .t'300 for overdue subscriptions." that in future one-third of the members of that com- mittee do retire annually in rotation. Arrangements have beeu completed with the Royal Aquarium Com- pxny to hold the exhibitions of the society there as hitherto, and the company have offered the following sums to be distributed in prize money, viz , £50 for the September show, i'lQO 10s. for the one in Xoveaiber, and £50 for the show in January, 1888. The names of donors of sptclal prizes and contribu- tions to tlie priz4 fund were next announced. The c'asses in which the six Veitch Memorial medals are to be offered will be specified in the society's -chedule. It was resolvt d thit the preparation of the schedule for the current year be referred to a special sub-committee. The meeting was brought to a close after various suggestions as to alterations and emenda- li^ns in the schedu'e had been made. Garden Destroyers. Cinerarias.— From Mr. B. S. Williims come bloom.s of thtise, ricti and varied in colour, round and smooth in out- line, and 1 rge wi hout being coaisj; evidently a good strain. BOOKS RECEIVED. Iiida^tfiil Inland. Rjbert Dcnn's. Murray, Albemarle Street, Loudon. NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCtETY. O.v Monday evening last the annual general meeting of this society toolv place ; the balance sheet and report were received and adopted. It was announced that for the fir.>t time in the history of the society three shows of Chrysanthemums had been held in one season, that the September and November shows were very successful, and that at the mid-winter ex- hibition of late varieties in January exhibits had been sent from all parts of the country. It was resolved that duiiog the ensuing season three similar shows should be held. After the election of fifteen new members, applications were read from four provincial societies to become affiliated. The election of officers and general committeemen was then proceeded wiih, and upon the motion of Mr. Holmes it was resolved Destroyinsr ants. — il. Dybowski state, in the journal of the French National Horticultural Society, ihat he has found sulpho carbonate of potassium a sure means of destroying ants when they are working .tmong the roots of plants. A quart of this dissolved to ten fjuarts of pure water is found to kill them. If one water'ng is no. elfectud, two will be found a sure remedy. An impor ant point in ctmnection with the use of this chemical is, that it does not injure the most tender root. Ants being fond of making their runs in Box edgings and among the roots of hardy plants generally, where the use of boiling water is inadmissible, this recipe for their extirpation will b3 welcome to many. M. Dyb iwski also states that in glass houses they are mo^t easily trapped by means of sugar- water, to which a little rum or brandy is added. They are so fond of this, Ih it where they are at all numerous, the vessd containing the mixture becomes in a short time a mass of dead ants. They become btupified by the alcohol, fall in, and cannot extricate themselves. — J. C. B. Woodlice. —I find these to be destructive to Ferns ; they hide in the crevices of the rockwork, commit depredations at night, and anyone not con- versant with their habits might attribute the rag- ged look of his plants to other causes than the right one. The tissues of some of the leaves aro eaten away until only the midribs are left, while other kinds seem to be unmolested. When these troublesome pests get established in rockwork it is a tedious process to eradicate them. But in ordi- nary plant houses they may be readily destroyed by laying flat pieces of board or slate on the bor- ders with Potato peelings placed under them. Under these boards they congregate, and may be destroyed by boiling water, or flower-pots with some hay in them and baited with a few pieces of Potato make good traps. In this way their num- bers may soon be reduced. But, as in the case of all greenhouse Ferns, young fronds are now push- ing up, it is of the utmost importance to keep these from injury ; when young and tender, wood- lice soon play sad havoc with them. A few choice specimens might be kept safe by setting them on inverted flower pots in pans of water. But where large numbers have to be dealt with, the only plan is to trap them, and when cleaning the hou.ses in spring, a plentiful supfdy of boiling water should be poured into their hiding-places. — J. G., Hants. The Eucharis mite-— I'liis mito docs not conHne it.s depi'ed.itioas to t!ic Eueliaris, but also cause.s the loss of m;iny other bulii.>i!s pl.mts, including Vallotas, Amaryllises, aud Tanera iunis. A very fine collection of these has had to be destroyed on account of being affected by this pest. Names of plants. — //- D. — HiuUetia Brocklchurstiana, Cliantlins puniLens, — \V Kidd. — The ordinaryformof Lpella anceljs. li'. .1/. —.\pip;u\ nil v Abies rinsapo. IK. 5(0(- dcymn. — Probably Sti|'a ariatella. .specimen insutfieient. U Lowe. — 1, l'li:il;fni>[isis amabihs ; 2, Eupatorinm Candul- leannm ; 3, Cyclamen Coum. ir. H. (.Epsom). — 1, Epi- phyllnm truncatum var. ; 2, Marant^ Massangeana ; .% Epi- deudrum ciliarc ; 4, Adiantnm formosum. /K J, {Dor- cht^Ur). — 1, Gymoogramma sulphurea ; 2, Doo^ia caudata ; 3, Aspl nium brachypteron ; 4, Elaphoglossnm viscosum. 7'. 0. — 1, Oucidium unguiculatum ; 2, Lycast'3 Bar- nngtnni:c ; 3, Onc'd.utn cucuUatum. F. T. — 1, Erica carnc.i ; 2, E. incLuithcra. Names of fruits— /■'• f>- [Iliumrd's IImili).-SniM Pear, llisiiop's Tliumb ; Apple, Winter Pearmain ; large Pear Vicar of Winklicld. Fei!. 5, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 135 WOODS & FORESTS. YORKSHIREMAN. FENCES. Ii' our forestry management is to be cheapened in the future we must begin with the fences, which are such a considerable item in forming new plantations, and the old l,l aick hed^e will have to go, being perhaps the most expensive to rear and keep in good order. Wherever one goes in England you find the hedges planted round plantations neglected and decayed, in many parts extensive gaps made up with stakes and bindings, the original hedge having entirely disappeared, while in other places it has never grown, owing to the trees growing over and smothering it. The worst place for a hedge is next to a plantation, unless you place it further off than you can afford to do considering the value of the land. Timber or iron supply the material for the plantation fences of the future, and the simpler and stronger these are the better. Unless we keep down the cost we shall have no fences at all nor woods either. On large estates a few men can get and rive as many stout Oak fencing stakes of any size necessary as wi;l supply not only the estate annually, but the tenants at a cheap price. These, if driven in thickly enough with a rail on the top and stayed, will make a fence good enough to keep cattle out, and if the stakes are driven in thinner and wattled with bindings of Thorn, Hazel, Willows, or other underwood, they will answer better still. Such fences are not ornamental, but are rustic enough looking, and are as good as any fence needs to be between farm lands and the p'antations. Dry stone walls are substantial, but px pensive, and are the reverse of ornamental. Where stone is scarce they are out of the ques- tion. In these times when timber yields such a small return per acre tine fences cannot be afforded, nor have they ever been at any time necessary. I should not advise live fences, nor any other that cannot be easily and quickly put up with the timber of the estate or wire. A common piling of posts and rails — the latter nailed on — is perhaps one of the cheapest kinds of fence, that stands well and can be soon mended when it fails. It is a mistake to suppose that plantation fences require to be very high or very strong. Young and unbroken horses are perhaps the worst to fend against, but my experience of even these in large numbers in the parks where there are miles of slim fences round the woods is that a very insignificant barrier turns them unless they are being driven or frightened. It is a most uncommon thing to find either cattle or horses breaking through fences of any kind unless it be at a gap. In Northern England, at leastone half of the live fences are, pure and simple, but a waste of valu- able ground, a harbour for vermin to prey on the farm crops, and utterly useless for the purpose intended. It is no uncommon thing to see what are classed as fences, but which in reality are but a combination of stones, bushes, and neglected Thorns, taking up as much as 12 feet in width of the field in which they occur. A great mound of earth was thrown up, a few (Juicks, Elders, Ashes, Willows, and whatever else of the nature of a hedge plant could be obtained planted on its summiD, and the whole left for Nature to have her own way. llibbits burrowed into the cosy earth mound and injured the roots, while gaps made by the farm stock were filled up by dragging a dead branch into them or placing a few stones on top of each other, and thus the fence was treated, until in the end it was neither a live nor dead one, but a combination of the two, and worse than useless for the purpose intended. I have seen and measured 0 acres of a farm that contained fences occupying fully one third of the total area, and had they been fences in the true sense of the word, less complaint might be made, but they were little else than field divisions, and expensive ones too. A well-managed and, of course, properly formed hedge should not occupy of itself more than .30 inches in width, and I am well acquainted with miles and miles of such fences that give but little trouble and are quite proof against the incursions of farm stock. Of course, in such cases as those just cited an annual trimming and cleaning of the fences is engaged in, while gaps or holes are filled up at once by driving a couple or so of posts into each and planting stout, well-rooted (^)uicks in the openings. Planting live fences on mounds is objectionable, unless, indeed, the soil is extremely damp, and even in such cases it is preferable to use some plants suitable for such situations and have the hedge on the level, for even with great care and attention the ridge or mound gets broken down and causes endless expense in repairs. A. D. W. PRICES OF FIREWOOD. Tins is a factor affecting the use of wood as fuel. From what I have heard lately, wood must be cheaper than coal in some places, but here it is not, and I do not see how, in prosperous times when trade is brisk, wood can be cheaper than coal anywhere, except in remote districts. In this part of Yorkshire the cheapest firewood is small ramil, which is practically unsaleable, but on most estates it is prepared for lighting the fires in the house, and delivered at Ss. per hundred kids or small bundles, the labour only being charged. The next cheapest is cordwood, which is saleable for charcoal-making, and which cannot be col- lected and delivered for less than 14s. per ton ; hence it is dearer than coal in a colliery district, and does not go nearly so far. Next to cordwood comes dead and sap rotten timber, which is also saleable, according to the length of time it has been dead and felled. As firewood, split and de- livered, this costs between iOs. and 2os. per ton, and where the la'iour only is charged, it costs about ISs. per ton. Good Ash, Beech, and Oak would cost nearly £3 per ton delivered, and in- ferior woods a little less. Ash at the present low prices fetches from 30s. to fully 40s. per ton in the wood standing, large Oak more, and middle- sized and poles about 35s. per ton. Birch and the like a little less. These prices are for poles or small trees ; for large planking Ash and large Sycamore the price is much higher. These prices are, however, sufficient to show that we here could not burn timber without gross extra- vagance ; and, of course, where coal is dear, fire- wo°od will rate proportionately. Still it appears that a considerable quantity of timber is burnt in private houses where one would not expect it. I am informed by our steward that in some man- sions so near the main railways as Huntingdon- shire timber is burnt both in the kitchen and rooms for economy's sake. What kind of timber it is I do not know, but I am curious to learn under what circumstances it can be cheaper to use timber in preference to coal, unless it is wholly waste, and fires cannot be kept of such materials. With regard to the prices of timber above quoted, it must not be imagined that they are particularly remunerative prices. Some years ago prices were at least half as much more, but when the quantity of the timber sold from an ordi- nary estate in one year is considered, it may happen that the return per acre may be very small in- deed. Indeed, as things stand at present and have stood for years, it takes good management to get .")S. per acre of clear profit from woodlands in England, but it is the fault of our forestry, and not our timber or our markets that it is so. S. Tninning for shelter. — This is an anomalous proceeding, as described by " H." in Ma paper on shelter-planting. According to him, shelter belts that are not thinned soon come to an end, being swept away by the wind, as, according to "H.'s" reasoning, the thicker the trees are grown together and the fewer the l.iranches they have, the more liable they are to be blown over. In the same way we suppose a ship under bare poles would be most likely to lose its masts in a gale of wind. This will not hold water. The stilfest of all tree belts are those that are left pretty crowded, especially on the windy side, and this fact is so app.arent everywhere, that one wonders to see the opposite opinion recorded. Recent storms of wind have shown it. On some of the best thinned estates in the south of Scotland, where all the Spruce trees are furnished to the ground with branches, owing to their having room, and which " arrest the progress of the wind," according to " H.." more trees have been blown down than anywhere else in these islands. I knew one belt in particular, consisting mostly of Spruces, in which not one tree was left standing. The reason of this is, that in thin belts every well-branched tree is exposed to the fury of the gale, and if the force of the wind i-i greater than the root-hold, over it goes. Only the crowded belts stand the storm. It the outside is pretty thick, it breaks the force of the wind, which goes over the top of the pl.intalion or whistles through between the crowded, but bare trunks. "H's" theories are not derived from observation. We have a fine example here on an exposed ledge where the gales are fierce enough to prevent a horse and cart ventuiing at times. The belt is a mile long, and has never been thinned severely. Outside on the windy side the trees are more branchy and stunted, but inside they are less so, and grow taller and taller till the other side of the belt is reached, owing to the increasing shelter and warmth. It is rarely a tree is blown over here, and the same thing is observable in all such cases.— Y. HEDGEROW TREES. The two main qualities required in a hedgerow tree are, first, that the habit of growth be some- what fastigiate, and, second, that the roots have a downward tendency or are not inclined to run along the surface, and so impoverish the upper stratum of earth. Few trees, it must be admitted, possess these qualities in conjunction to any great extent, and I know of no one that does more so than the Cornish Elm (Ulmus cornubiensis). The branches of this tree are fastigiate to almost as great an extent as the Lombardy Poplar, while the roots incline more downwards than to run along the surface, and are consequently not so impoverishing to the ground in the immediate vicinity of the tree. Other good qualities to be found in the Cornish Elm are its ornamental appearance and value of the timber it produces. It bears pruning well, and may be trained with a clean stem for, say, 1'2 feet from the ground with- out in any way detracting from its ornamental appearance, while to the fence on which it is planted such a method of culture is highly bene- ficial. Other valuable hedgerow trees will be found in the Plane, Sycamore, Black Italian Poplar, Birch, English Elm, Spanish Chestnut, Lombardy Poplar, Norway Maple, and Larch. The Sycamore is a valuable field or hedgerow tree, inasmuch as it does not occasion too great a shade when well managed, is not impoverishing to the ground in its immediate vicinity, produces valuable timber, and for ornamental appearance is well fitted to hold its own with any other tree culti- vated in this country. Were it not for the almost valueless timber it produces, the Lombardy Poplar might be considered as an A 1 hedgerow tree, for barring this one fault it possesses every other quality that is necessary for a tree in such a situa- tion. The Maples are valuable and should be used largely, while the English Oak, it a little care has been expended on its nursery manage- ment, more particularly in the way of pruning, must not be despised, which may also be said of the various other trees above mentioned. A. D. Webster. Timber in Scotland.— The statement of " H." (p. 87), who seems to speak for the whole of "the south of Scotland," that " the reason you always get" for the thinning of young plantations beiug neglected is that " the trees are of no use as wood," and are only fit for shelter. "H." says there are not ten planta- tions in the south of Scotland that are properly thinned, and their prospective worthlessness as timber is the reason. Is this true ? we ask foresters in Scut;land, because if it be they have had more to do with it than anyone else. If it is not true, " II." had no buai- 136 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 5 1887. ress to say so. I do not myself believe the state- ment, unless the trees are of the wrong sort, and that is probable enough. So long, however, as it will pay to import timber from almost every part of the world to this country, it will pay to grow it at home ; and where it does not do so, it is the fault of our system of planting for game, planting the wrong kinds of trees, and the extravagant management generally. — J. Appearance of good timber. — It may interest "A. N." (p. ll'i) to learn that the best of theory and the Admiralty te^ts are at direct variance with his assertion to the effect that timber which " has grown the slowest, as shown by the narrowness of the annual rings, is the strongest." Our typical trees. Oak and Ash, for example, resist the greatest tension and impact when grown fast, in consequence of the fibre being longer and stronger. Timber dealers are familiar with this fact, especially in the case of the Ash, and will always give a higher price for clean quick-grown trees. It was a common opinion once that slow-grown timber was the best till the Govern- ment tests proved the contrary, and Lindley altered the theory to correspond many years ago. — S. Age at which young trees transplant best. — It is necessary on some lands to plant tall-growing plants, but the general impression seems to be that the smaller the tree the better the chances of success. Some species will break from the base, and make a better trunk therefrom than from a stem to begin with 1 feet or 5 feet high. In the case of Firs, there cin be no doubt about the advantages of planting very young trees, and the only objection to doing so is the nature of the undergrowth they have to contend with. Where Bracken abounds, as it does in vast tracts in some parts, there is no chance for small trees unless the Bracken is kept down, and to do that means doubling the cost of planting, or more ; there- fore, planting trees tall enough to get their tops above the Bracken becomes a matter of importance. — Y. Thinning forest trees.— Thinning trees, like every other part of practical forestry, is good or bad according to the manner in which it ia done. One class of foresters would help Nature to develop her productions, while another would leave her to develop them as liest she can. Now there can only exist a definite number of trees on any given area ; therefore, to prevent overcrowding, thinning becomes a neces- sity. Nature unaided has certainly yielded some grand productions in the way of trets ; but is it not just possible that if man had assisted Nature to dis- tribute her power, that these trees would have been still as great, that there would have been more of them, and that they would have been of more uniform growth ? Indeed, there is the best evi- dence to show that such would have been the case. It will not do to pin one's faith upon that magni- ficent trunk ju t recently arrived from a natural forest abroad. Such examples teach us nothing as to what is best to be done in regard to home forest management ; and to copy Nature (as has been suggested) in her plan i-f thinning would result in disaster and ruin as regards our woods. Moreover, we have an object in view in thinning, namely, the yield of the greatest amount of useful wood or trees on any given space. Therefore, it is my opinion that those who thin their woods, &c., carefully and regularly will best realise a maximum of profit. — J. F. Preseivation of timber.— Amongst the most effieieut means of preserving timber are good seasoning and the free circulation of air. Protection against moisture is afforded by oil-paint, provided that the timber is perfectly dry when first painted, and that the paint is renewed from time to time. A coating of pitch or tar may be used for the same purpose. Pro- tection against dry rot may be obtained by saturating the timber with solutions of particular metaDic salts. For this purpose Chapman employed cf.pperas (sul- phate of iron); Kyan, corrosive sublimate (bichloride of mercury) ; Sir William Burnett, chloride of zinc. All these salts preserve timber so long as they remain in its pores ; hut it would seem that they are gradu- ally removed by the long- continued action of water. Dr. Boucheiie employed a solution of sulphate of copper in about one hundred times its weight of water. The solution was contained in a tank about 30 feet or 40 feet above the level of the log, through the tubes of the vascular tissue of which it was forced by the pressure of the column of fluid driving out the sap before it at the other end of the log, until the tubes were cleared of sap and filled with the solution in- stead. Timber is protected not only against wet rot and dry rot, but also against white ants and sea- worms, by Bcthell's process of saturation with creosote, a kind of pitch oil. This is effected first by exhaust- ing the air and moisture from the pores of the timber in an air-tight chamber, in which a partial vacuum is kept up for a few hours, and then forcing the creosote into these pores by a pressure of about 150 lbs. on the square inch, kept up for some days. The timber absorbs from a ninth to a twelfth of its weight of the oil in this process. — A. N. PLANTS FOR RAILWAY HEDGES. In many districts of England railway hedges seem to receive much greater attention than many of those planted for the intersectional fencing 'of land. The plant generally employed for railway fences is the White Thorn, and a useful plant it is for such pur poses, and now contracted for as regularly as the rails themselves. On some of the newly formed lines the vaiieties of Evergreen Hollies ought to be tried, par- ticularly on those portions of a line running through extensive and well-regulated pilicifs in sight of the mansion. In some cases the proprietors may be in- duced to pay the extra difference of the plants, while the after-keeping will be much the same as the ordi- nary Thorn hedge. In all peaty districts the Spruce Fir will make an excellent Evergreen fence. It will cover more ground than the Holly ; but in mos-y situations this extra land will be found of less value. In sandy places, and particularly those near the sea- s'aore, the Sea Buckthorn (Hippnpbae rhamnoides) will be found an admirable substitute for Thorns to form hedges. If it should ever be required to make at once an impenetrable live fence, the Horn- beam (Carpinus Betulus) will be found the most suit- able, and for this purp ise clean-grown sapling plants, 6 feet or 7 feet in length, ought to be procured After the ground has been properly trenched and prepared, the plants should be put in, two together, at every 10 inches or ]'2 inches, according to the thickness or length of the saplings employed, giving one an inclination to the right and the other to the left. After being trodden in firmly, commence to plait all together, taking one set of the plants the one way, and the other set contrary, interlacing them at an angle of 45°. It will be necessary to tie them at top with a piece of wire or rope yarn, and also at several points near the bottom, to keep them in position till they adhere to each other. To facilitate the union, although not absolutely necessary, it will be desirable to take a thin cutting off the bark of several, particu- larly where they approximate. Shortly afterwards they will grow together, and form an impenetrable net-looking fence. From the pressure caused by the plaiting, they will throw out numerous shoots along the stems, which will continue to work in and fill up the interstices. In time the whole length will become aa impenetrable mass, all engrafted to- gether, and will bear cuttingin like any other hedge. Numerous other plants will be found in nursery establishments suitable for such purpose^, as the Hazel, Elm, Ash, Beech, Laburnum, etc. Such hedges can be made of any height, depending entirely on the length of the saplings employed. When not in leaf, they will be found extremely ornamental and agreeable to look on, and therefore worthy of enou- ragement, particularly when standing on a level with the rails. If it should ever be wanted to plant such hedges so as to render them useful as well as orna- Tnental, particularly on lands slightly elevated above a damp surface, in such places Willows could be pro- fitably employed, aad the annual cuttings taken from them would yield a considerable revenue. Besides, when such plaited hedges are cut for profit, they are more likely to be kept in order than Thorn hedges, particularly when they run through lands which would be profitably employed for the growth of Willows. When planting Willows for such pur- poses, they could be inserted either as growing plants or cuttings — the latter will be preferable, provided the strip of ground has been properly prepared for them. They should be placed 12 inches apart, mxd during the first thinning the strongest shoots should be left for plaiting. After the plaiting has been successfully accomplished, all after shoots could be removed for basket-making purposes. N. TREES OUT OF PLACE. How often do we observe trees planted in situations that would almost cause one to imagine that little thought or consideration had been previously given as to the amount of space they would require for ex- tending their growth, or the size which they would ultimately attain. Everywhere do we find fine old Cedars, Larches, Cypresses, evergreen Oaks, and even Poplars, Yews, Horse Chestnuts, Elms, and other large and ornamental trees planted closely to old castles, mansions, halls, &c. ; and still such misplace- ment is continued. Neither is this always the planter's fault, for a lady or gentleman may purchase in a pot a plant of some newly introduced tree, and, without consulting anybody, choose some cunspicuous spot for the reception and future development of their little favourite. The planter is then informed of their decision, and although he may remonstrate, his endeavours to frustrate their purpose often fail. This, therefore, is frequently the reason why we find stately and handsome trees planted so near mansion houses. During their infancy all goes on well ; but as they grow older, they increase in stature, as a matter of course; and, if not removed, they ultimately attain dimensions which quite unsuit them for the situations they occupy, sometimes darkening the house, and at others obstructing a free view of the distant land- scape. Where it is desired to have choice trees grown to advantage, a piece of deep, well-prepared ground should be selected purposely for them, in what may be termed an arboretum, where, when once planted, they should be allowed to remain uninter- fered with. When the Se(|uoia ( Wellingtonia) gigautea was first introduced into this country, numbers of it were placed under my ch,arge, and, with careful treatment and with regular and large shift'j, to my great satisfaction, they soon made fine! luxuriant plants. Proud of my success, I wished to provide them with a permanent situation where they would be well sheltered, have plenty of room, and enjoy a considerable depth of good soil, and with that object in view I consulted my employer about them, whtn I learned with astonishment that the place fixed upon for their future development was where they now stand, viz., in a situation exposed to the sea, on the poorest ground on the estate — a solid bed of gravel ! I determined, however, to make the best of such adverse circumstances ; I gave each tree a space of 60 feet, trenched the station on which it was to stand 40 feet in diameter, and enriched it with surface soil and whatever other suitable material I could obtain, thoroughly incorporating the whole and fashioning it into a gradually sloping mound 5 feet high in the middle. At the time of planting, a railway was to have been made through an adjoining field, the turfy surface of which I intended to secure for the purpose of filling up the hollows between the trees to a height of 0 feet or S feet, thus converting their present mounds into little valleys ; but in this I was after- wards disappointed. In jilantiug, the centre of each mound was cast out and a load of g tod open healthy soil was introduced, in which the plants were in- serted. They were then mulched, and the operation was finished by placing a rustic cage t3 feet in diameter around each young tree. In the arboretum one tree was planted and did remarkably well, when, owing to an addition of 7 acres or S acres of new ground being made, it, together with others, had to be removed. I then planted it on a spot filled up with many hundreds of cartloads of healthy old bank soil mixed with turf, thus forming a depth of 8 feet of excelltnt soil, in which it will find room to grow and luxuriate for the next five hundred years at least. There it remains still, a noble example of what may be ex[)ected of this tree when planted under favourable circumstances. T. B. Tetk three undei-nientionel pieces of timter were measured by the slide-rule : — No. 1, 14 feet long, 104 inches round No. 2, lOJ „ SO No. 8, 12 „ 78 These raea6urement5 were taken round the middle of the tree,-T. Y. THE GARDEN. 137 No. 795. SATURDAY. Feb. 12,1887. Vol. XXXI. "ThUlsan Art Which does mend Nature : change it rather ; but The Art itself is Xature."— SAajteypforc. Rose Garden. T. W. GIRDLESTONE. WHAT IS A GARDEN ROSE ? Of all the myriad times the term garden Rose is used in speaking and writing of Roses, or in Rose books and catalogues, in how many instances has the expression a definite or at all exact meaning ( and were any two persons ever known to employ the term in a precisely similar sense \ One grower talks of garden Roses as if they were things unknown to the wicked exhibitor ; another proclaims the best exhibition Roses (deplorable term !) as being also the best garden Roses. One man will allude, with that half-pity born of contempt, to an exhibition Rose as a thing to be inspected only under canvas or set up in a green box, and not to be conceived as growing in the garden ; and his neighbour will always be re- commending for garden decoration the varieties with which he has won most prizes. And while, from the tone of the first, it might be inferred that raisers of Roses have produced nothing to beautify our gardens for the last thirty years, the latter would give the impression that it is only during this period that Roses worthy of a garden have been raised and distributed. That there is something in this diversity of conception is evi- dent from the fact that the National Rose Society, in offering prizes for garden Roses, does not define the term, but evades the difficulty by merely excluding from the class all varieties enumerated in a certain arbitrary list of so-called exhibition Rofes. This term is itself an unfor- tunate one ; for either any Rose that is ever exhibited is an exhibition Rose, or it is not ; if it is, then a large propoition of what are com- monly called garden Roses are really exhibition Roses ; if it is not, then its availableness for ex- hibition does not constitute an exhibition Rose ! It has been suggested as a definition that a garden Rose is one which can endure without serious injury somewhat excessive drought and cold, and which will flourish with little or no special culture in a variety of soils and for a con- siderable term of years. But this sounds like the definition of a Rose for a wilderness rather than for a garden, and though we may well be thankful that there are Roses that will grow themselves, yet it is the ambition of everyone who gardens to bring to perfection things which, if left to themselves or not carefully tended, are liable soon to lose their attractiveness. Assuming, therefore, that a moderate amount of pains and care will not be grudged by those who are de- sirous of enjoying the beauty of the queen of flowers in their gardens, there is no imaginable reason for making the definition of a garden Rose such as to exclude the best of the varieties most commonly exhibited, and if these are admitted, the value of the expiessions "exhibition" and "garden'' Rose as distinctive teimsis not obvious. Take, for instance, the two varieties La France and Madame Gabriel Luizet ; both are hardy and vigorous. With a certain amount of skill and care both will make large plants and produce an abundance of beautiful flowers in a variety of soOs and situations. The one is well known to be, and the other now seems likely to prove, a thoroughly autumnal bloomer, and therefore Doth might be considered essentially desirable garden Roses. But, on the other hand, it would probably be safe to say that throughout the season there is hardly a Rose show at which these two varieties are not conspicuous, and they are undoubtedly both among the twelve best ex- hibition Koses. It is obvious, therefore, that the definition of a garden Rose cannot be made to exclude exhibition Roses, and if it include them, it is no longer a distinctive term. An expression which means so much means nothing ; and if both terms could be entirely abolished, a great amount of mis- apprehension would in all probability be avoided. No doubt a good many people who do not care to exhibit, but merely want Rose trees that will make attractive objects in the garden, are de- terred by the term " show " Roses from employing some of the most beautiful and valuable varieties under the mistaken impression that these are of no use except to the exhibitor ; and, again, some persons regard the epithet "garden"' Rose as a positive stigma on a variety, instead of as the highest distinction. It is not easy to see that there is any essential qualification for a garden Rose further than that it fhould have sufficient constitution to be able to form either singly or in a group an attractive object in the garden. The more freely and fre- quently it flowers, of course, the better; and, except in the case of climbers, the flowers make a more brilliant and striking ettect if carried up- right on the plant rather than pendent. This would include varieties of all classes, and the less that is heard about exhibition Roses and garden Roses as such the better. If writers and cata- logue makers would make a point of not employ- ing either term, they would both soon drop out of use, and with them perhaps the absurd notion still sometimes entertained that Roses which produce flowers sufficiently perfect to win prizes at exhibitions are thereby unfitted for making a display in the garden. Anyway, if the term " garden "' Rose is to be retained, there is un- doubtedly wanted a definition. PRUNING INDOOR ROSES. AcroKniNi; to my experience, indoor Rosea are rarely pruned properly, the operator being too much afraid of overdoing it. The Teas are most neglected, or, if I may so put it, are the worst used in this respect. Only last week I saw two houses in dilTerent gardens nearly filled with Tea Roses in pots that evidently had not been pruned at all, those in charsje preferring to let them break naturally. In both cases the plants weie old and fairly strong, and doubtless will produce abundance of bloom, but this will be small, while the plants will be getting still weaker. I hold that all should be pruned, the spray being cut hard t)ack, or to the first joint, and the remainder to the second, third, or fourth joint, according to their vigour. Spray is quite useless, but this and the other weak growth will break more strongly if hard pruned, and, other conditions being favourable, the plants will im- prove instead of gradually becoming rubbishy and worthless. Whoever saw young shoots on Teas too strong to flower properly ': It is the weakly growth that refuses to flower, not the strong shoots, as these if too rank to produce a single bloom will branch and yield several. A Tea Rose, to remain in a profitable state, ought to be con- stantly pushing up suckers from the buried stem, and, unless pruning is resorted to, these will not often be forthcoming. It must be understood I am thinking about and treating upon own-root plants, these only, in my estimation, being suit- able for pot culture. We certainly frequently have a few worked pot plants which are pruned similarly to the others, but they are bought in for the purpose of atlording cuttings early n the spring, after which they are turned out. Pot plants usually give a succession of blooms, being encouraged to break afresh two or three times in the spring, and they fre- quently endeavour to flower again in the summer. We are not constantly pruning the plants, cutting the buds or blooms being all that is necessary after (he early winter shortening back. It is then when we cut back to near where they were last pruned, there usually being several back buds that did not push out below where the first bloom was cut. Thus pruned and otherwise well attended to, the plants can long be kept to a useful size. The youngest plants, or those struck in the previous spring, require little or no pruning, and these we find the best for flowering in heat during the winter. Those trained on the roof, with the ex- ception of Marechal Niel, also require to be pruned early in the jear, or they soon become crowded and dirty. We thin ours out freely, and shorten back all the young growths, much as advised in the case of pot plants, and I may safely say no one has much better crops of Homire, Safrano, Comtesse de Nadaillac, and l)evoniensis than we have. These are all on the Brier stock, are planted outside, and brought inside through the roof. They bloom during at least nine months in the year, and every season we use the knife freely, or rather scissors, for these are the best for pruning Roses. All u;elcss spray on the Marechal Niel should be cut away, the medium-sized and strong growths bting laid in to their full length, good blooms being forthcoming from nearly every joint. When the plants give signs of being somewhat ex- hausted, or when no strong shoots are pushed out from different parts of ihe leading branches, hard pruning must be resorted to directly after the flowering period. If all the flowering branches are cut hard back, the plant should form another lot equally strong, or perhaps stronger, than these, and which will flower the following season. It is the ceglect of this precaution ihat sometimes leads to an early break down, but in all fairness I must add no amount of pruning or any other re- novating measure will long save those with badly cankered stems. Hybrid Perpetuals in pots ought to be pruned exactly the same as those growing in the open air. All spray should be cut hard back, medium-sized shoots to the second joint, and the largest, say about the size of a lead pencil, to the third or fourth joint. This ensures a fairly strong, fioriferous break, also plenty of back-growths con- stantly pushing out, and which tend to keep the plants dwarf and well furnished. W. I. Planting Koses. — On this subject Mr. George Baker, of Reigate, a skilful Rose grower, writes as follows : A few general directions should in all cases be observed. It will become your first duty to see that your ground is in a proper state to re- ceive your plants. The soil should be neither wet nor dry, and the earth should divide well, and intermingle with the fibres of the roots readily. We must be careful in treading in the plants ; it is evidently injudicious to plant on a retentive soil at a time of rain, though on lighter grounds the work may be done safely, even though you have gentle showers. I question whether sufficient care and time are given to the mode of planting and arranging the roots in the ground ; this is often carried out in too hurried a manner. Before placing the plants in their position, they should be carefully handled, and the roots well looked over, and all broken or injured portions removed ; then spread out in a radiating direction, as far as possible, so that the rootlets may take up the aqueous and other fluids readily. It must be re- membered that it is not the thick substances of the roots that gather up the food for the support of plant life— they serve an important end in fiimly fixing the tree in the soil— but it is the minute root fibres to which the plant owes its nourishment. The roots, therefore, should be well spread out, and never packed up together, and planted down in a straight direction. Caution must be further observed that you do not plant too deeply in the soil. I suspect mistakes of this kind often occur. Mr. G. Prince, of O.vford, I remember once found fault with me in this re- 138 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 13, 1887. spect, and advised on the seedling Brier, that the union should be just above the ground line, but he emphaticaHy called our attention to regard the same depth at which the plants had been pre- viously grown. This latter part of his advice is in like manner urged by most of our practical nurserymen, though some of them are in favour of placing the points of junction beneath the soil, which they think will give the plants a double chance. No doubt, with the Manetti stock, you may plant deeper than with others. Rosa polyantlia grandiflora (Bernaix). — A new variety of this charming species is now being sent out by M. Bernaix, similar to, but with rather larger flowers than the type. In France, however, where R. polyantha is highly prized as a stock, especially in the seedling form, the great merit of this variety grandiflora is held to be its freedom in producing seed, the type not being a verj' prolific seed-bearer. It is stated also that the seed germi- nates very rapidly, and if sown on a hotbed in March, the seedling plants may be grafted the same autumn. SHORT NOTES— ROSES. Rosa pisocarpa. — This is a valuable and pretty Cali- fornian Rose and one that, judt^ng from what we saw at Kew, is particularly well adapted for planting on rockwork. The flowers are of a desirable rose colour, and succeeded by bright red fruits ; while the whole plant is of low straggling growth with dark green, evenly crenated leaves. — A. D. W. Old double yellow Rose.— I should feel most grate' ful to anyone who could tell nie where to procure the true Rosa svilphurea. I have written to all the leading Rose nur- series without success. I have even given a standing order in two cases of more than a year, and am now told it cannot be sent to me from them , although it is in their Rose catalogues. — F. W. Y. Propagating. Tnr.ERons Begonias. — These are increased by two different methods — viz., seeds and cuttings. By this last mode alone can individual varieties be propagated, as seedlings will vary to a greater or less extent; yet a pinch of seed sown now, if it be saved from the best varieties, will give but little trouble, and yield a good display of bloom during the summer. All tubers that have been resting during the winter, and are now required for propa- gating from, should be shaken out of their old soil (if that has not been already done) and repotted in good open compost. Then, if placed in a gentle heat and under conditions favourable to growth, they soon push up shoots which are available fcr propagating purposes. In removing a shoot re- quired for cuttings, it should not be pulled out at the base, but cut off with a sharp knife above the bottom joint, thus leaving a nucleus from which other shoots will in time be pushed forth and form the future plant. If started thus early in the season, there will be ample time to grow the parent plant into a specimen, even after it has yielded a crop of cuttings. Should, however, a few weak shoots be pushed up around the main stems, they may be separated quite close to the tuber, as they will not add to the effectiveness of the plant if allowed to remain. The separated shoots being now ready may be treated in the following manner : Cut them oft' clean at the bottom with a sharp knife, but it is not at all necessary to leave a joint at the base. Then insert the larger cuttings singly in small pots; the smaller ones may be put around the edge of a pot about 4 inches in dia meter. A soil consisting of loam, leaf mould, and silver sand, the whole sifted tine, is very good for the reception of the cuttings. If they are kept fairly close, in a temperature of (J.j" to 75°, they soon root ; but precautions will need to be taken against decay, as, from their soft and succulent nature, they are rather liable to damp off if kept too close or the soil is too moist. There is another way of increasing this class of Begonias, which can, however, only.be followed in exceptional cases, and that is, some tubers assume a flattened shape, and shoots are borne from several different places on the surface thereof. When this happens, and the shoots are about an inch long, the tuber can with a sharp knife be divided into as many pieces as there are stems, and if then potted they will grow away without any check. With regard to seed, it must be gathered just as the pods commence to open, and kept during the winter in a dry place. The seed may be sown in pots or pans, but whichever is employed must be perfectly clean and thoroughly drained. This done, they can be filled to within a quarter of an inch of the top with lijht vegetable soil, consisting of three parts well decayed leaf- mould, quite free from any signs of fungus, and one part loam, with a liberal admixture of silver sand. The compost must be sifted moderately fine, and pressed down perfectly level for the reception of the seeds. After the pots are filled with soil a thorough soaking of water through a very fine rosed water-pot should be given, and while the surface is still moist the seed must be sown thereon. The principal thing to guard against in sowing such minute seed as this is to take care that it is not sown too thickly, for when on the surface of the soil it is scarcely possible to discern it, and if it has not suffi- cient space allowed it, many will soon after germination damp off. The seeds will adhere to the moistened surface of the soil and need no covering, except a pane of glass laid over the pot. When sown a good place for their reception is a shelf in not too dry or exposed a position in the stove, as germination then soon takes place, and directly the yonng plants make their appearance the glass must be removed. This practice of covering any seed pots that contain very minute seeds with a pane of glass is a beneficial one, as it prevents the surface becoming too dry, but in one respect great caution is necessary, for the sun must on no account be allowed to shine upon them, as the confined space will become very hot and the young plants be sometimes quite roasted up. A second point to which attention may be specially called is, that after the removal of the glass, cutting winds or draughts of all kinds must be especially guarded against. When the young plants begin to get crowded, or if any signs of decay make their appearance amongst them, they must be pricked off, using for that purpose the same kind of soil as that recommended for sowing the seed. The young plants are very fragile and by no means of rapid growth during their earlier stages, but afterwards they grow much more quickly. C.\RPENT-\RiA CALiFORN'icA. — This, the Subject of a coloured plate in a recent number of The Garden, is not difliGult to propagate, yet at the same time one or two points require to be borne in mind when desirous of increasing this handsome shrub. As our plants are by no means large, I have not been able to try what measure of success would attend cuttings put in the open ground; but a little after midsummer I took some of the young shoots that were getting moderately firm at a length of 4 inches to 5 inches, and put them in a pot of light, sandy compost. They were placed in a frame fairly well protected from the sun's rays and the lights kept close, for it is used during the summer as a propagating case for all kinds of plants. As the leaves have not much substance the cuttings were, in addition, covered with a bell-glass, the result being a great success, but unfortunately, though they were potted off, several perished during the winter from damp, which is very liable to attack them when small, in the heavy atmosphere inseparable from a cold frame during some part of the winter. Since this I have wintered them for the first season in the drier air of the greenhouse, and by the second year they are quite safe, even if confined in pots and wintered in the frame. must be turned out of their pots and the soil shaken from the roots. A very good way to clear the soil from the roots without injuring them is to wash away the ball of earth in a tub of water, as if carefully done, not even the slightest rootlet will be damaged. The plants may be divided into as many pieces as there are separate crowns, and in some cases it will be necessary to use the knife for that purpose, but in doing so care must be taken not to cut off any of the shoots, as the underground portion is not unfrequently much curved, and appears, unless very closely examined, to spring from a source other than it really does. After division the plants must be potted into small pots, and, if possible, plunged in a gentle bottom-heat and kept rather close till root action recommences. Other kinds of Asi'AR.uius may be increased in the same way, but in the case of the low-growing A. decumbens, the operation is best performed in the autumn before growth commences, as this species is not evergreen, but rests during the latter part of the summer, and recommences growing in the autumn. Some kinds of Asparagus again, notably plumosus and tenuissimus, will strike root readily from cuttings, notwithstanding the assertions that have been made to the contrary. The cuttings, are simply formed of the young branchlets taken off at a length of about 4 inches, and dibbled into pots of sandy soil. They will have to be kept in a close propagating case, and so treated will soon form a base from which shoots will push up, and in time small tuber-like'masses make their appear- ance. Though a very good time now for division of the roots to be carried out, cuttings will suc- ceed better it put in about a couple of months later. In the case of seeds of any of these kinds being obtainable, they should be cleared from the pulpy matter surrounding them and sown without delay, for if kept out of the ground for a lengthened period, they often lie a long time be- fore germination takes place. T. A.^ION'd THE different STECIES OF Asl'.\K.\(ir.S now cultivated for the sake of their ornamental properties, by far the most popular is that known as plumosus nanus, the delicate flat, frond-like branchlets of which are admired by all. In the absence of .seeds, which are rarely obtainable, the propagation of this plant is effected by division of the roots, and the present is a very suitable season for the purpose. The plants that are to be divided Cucumbers and Tomatoes from cuttings. — The rule is to raise Cucumbers and Tomatoes from seeds, and in the case of new varieties when a packet only contains a very few seeds, and some of these not perfectly sound, the plants secured are not numerous. In fact, I hive seen and heard of only one plant being raised from a Is., is., or .Ss. packet of seed, and when this happens cultivators are apt to think that they have paid dearly for their stock, but if we can secure one plant of a new Cucumber or Tomato, I care but little for more seedlings, as it is quite an easy matter to propa- gate them from cuttings. We have recourse to this plan in the case of all new varieties, and often also in that of many old ones, as I am of opinion that plants from cuttings fruit sooner and more freely than those from seeds do. Many seed- lings of both sorts rush up with a long strong stem, and blossoms do not appear until a considerable amount of growth has been made ; whereas, plants from cuttings are dwarf from the first, and gene- rally fruit a few inches from the ground. We do not trust to reproducing a favourite variety of Tomato from seed ; a few cuttings of it are rooted in autumn, and these serve as stock plants to supply dozens of cuttings in spring. This is an ex- cellent way of getting up a quantity of robust and fertile Tomato plants, and if this plan was gene- rally adopted it would be found to give satisfaction. We hardly ever sow seed of Cucumbers after the first few plants are raised, as when the shoots are being pinched back the points are stuck into tho soil round the margin of the mound of soil in which the plant is growing, and in that way they root freely and can easily be transferred tootherquarters. As to the process of rooting cuttings generally little need be said, as it is as easily and simply done as securing a root to any ordinary soft- wooded plant. — .1. MuiR, Martjam, South Wales. SHORT NOTE— PROPAGATING. Bouvardias. — It may not be generally known that Bou- vardias nny be propagated from the old wood. In_ a case which came under our notice the other day, some pieces Feb. 12, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 139 last year's growth h d been put in by w.iy nf experiment and treated in the same way as ordinary cuttings, the result being a very fine lot of young rooted plants. Propagating in tawdust.— Cuttings of such plants as Crotons, Dra&tna?, I'andanus, &c., will root iu nearly anything if kept close and warm ; for instance, I placed some time ago in a propa- gating house a wood frame, filled it with sawdust to within 6 inches of the top, and as soon as it was warmed by the bottom heat, I inserted the cuttings in the sawdust, which was well watered. A sash was placed over them, so as to keep them perfectly clo.se, and with a little attention as regards moisture and shading from the sun, they became rooted in the short period of ten days. They were then lifted and potted in .3-inch pots and plunged into bottom heat again. As the young roots are very tender and easily broken, great care must be taken when they are being lifted and potted. The soil in which they are to be placed should also be warmed to about the same temperature as that of the sawdust from which they were taken. As a rule, I have found this to be a surer and much quicker way of striking cuttings than that of put- ting them singly in i^-inch pots, but even in that case a great advantage is gained by filling the pot with prepared soil, which should consist of good loam, leaf-mould, and sand. The hole for the cut- tings should be entirely filled up with sand. When the cuttings are inserted, plunge them into a good bottom heat, where they will quickly root if kept moist and shaded. — C. Collins, Hon'ick, Le-shanj, NoHhumljeiiand. Ferns. W. H. GOWER. TWINING FERNS. Prominext amongst these are the Lygodiunis, a clas5 of Ferns that are both elegant and intere.-^t- ing on account of the variety of tints of green which their fronds assume. The latter continue to grow from year to year, and thus extend to an indefinitelength, forming dense masses of desirable gieenery wlien trained upon wires or upon pillars, whilst the fact of their withstanding e-vposure to full sunlight adds greatly to their value. They are not only effective, too, but extremely useful treated as rafter or roof plants, as they thus atford slielter for shade-loving kinds below them Lygodiuins are widely distributed throughout the Tropics, and their fronds vary lonsiderably in form even upon the same plant, a circumstance •which renders the task of defining a species extremely difficult. Ferns belonging to this genus liave a robust constitution and are vigorous growers, thriving equally in a house in which there is a high temperature and in cooler situa- tions; nor are they over-particular as to soil, succeeding either in peat, leaf-mould, or loam. An admixture of these in equal paits is, however, most likely to produce the best growth. Lygo- dium scandens, L. flexuosuin, L. polystachyum, L. japonicum, and L. venustum are all handsome and distinct forms of climbing Ferns. Davallia parvula.— This beiutiful little Fern, perhaps the smallest of the genus, is a native of Singapore and Borneo, a full sized frond and stipe being seldom more than 3 inches in height. Its rhizomes are about the size of ordinary whip- cord, and are clothed profusely with short ferru- gineous hairs. The fertile fronds are much smaller in their divisions than the sterile, and when the plants are well grown, the colour of the fronds is a very dark green. In growth it is rather slow, taking some few years before a patch of about a foot in diameter can be obtained. To succeed in the cultivation of this species, it should be grown under a bell glass. When the plant is in a thriving condition, it is better not to disturb the roots in repotting, but simply transfer it, together with its pot, into another pot or pan, filling this up to within an inch or two of llie rim with broken crocks and sandstone, placing above this a layer of fibrous peat mixed with some sand and pieces of the sandstone. Should vapour condense on the fronds, the bell-glass should be taken oflT for a hour or so. With this treatment, and placed in a temperature from 60" to 65°, success is certain. — W. H. D. alpina is another Bornean plant, growing from 4 inches to 5 inches in height, and of a darker green. The fronds are deltoid in shape, belonging to that section with pinnatitid, barren fronds. It thrives under similar treatment to the above. The bell-glass should not rest close on the soil, but be raised a little all round the pot or pan.— W. H. *,* We have also seen both these beautiful Ferns thriving admirably on the stems of Tree Ferns, and in such situations they are very effec- tive.— Ed. HARDY FERNS. The Parsley Fern (AUosorus, or Cryptogramma crispa), undoubtedly one of the prettiest of all our native Ferns, is also one of the very few which retain their characters perfectly constant: not- withstanding the enormous quantities in cultiva- tion, no deviation from the species worthy of re- cord has yet been noticed. It remains as it was years ago, simply the Parsley Fern. The plant. '■^i. ,-3'^ ^: .-.7 F..rsley Fern. which seldom exceeds ."> inches to 6 inches in height, appears particulaily fond of a cold climate, and is found wild in the north and west of Eng- land, at Tenterfeli, near Kendal, in Westmore- land, in Rutlandshire, and at Borrowdale, in Cumberland, also in Wales, on Cader Idris, in Merionethshire, and on Snowdon, in Carnarvon- shire. It is equally plentiful in the Highlands of Scotland, grand masses of it having from time to time been gathered in an old quarry in Perth- shire. It is essentially a deciduous kind, losing its fronds about the end of October, and starting into growth again about the beginning of May. There are two totally distinct kinds of fronds — one barren and the other fertile, both of which are abundantly produced from a short-tufted root or caudex, which lies horizontally just beneath the surface of the soil, and produces a great quantity of very minute fibrous rootlets. The fertile fronds are considerably taller than the others, which are very much appreciated for bouquet and buttonhole making, and produced as a second crop of foliage later in the season. Their spores ripen and scatter themselves in their native state about September, after which the foliage begins to die down, the barren fronds remaining on the plants the longest. Although often found growing in exposed situations, it delights in a cool, moist, and shady spot, and is specially adapted for a quiet nook in some well-constructed rockery ; it should be planted in a mixture of loam and peat in about equal parts, with the ad- dition of bricks broken into small pieces, but care should be taken at the same time that no lime enters the compost, as it, as well as smoke and gas, is highly injurious to it. It may be propajiatecl by seedlings, but this is a slow and tedious pro- cess; the more so as it is readily increased by the division of the crowns in the spring months just before its growth commences. This little gem also grows luxuriantly in the greenhouse, under the shade of Vines, or in a cold pit. When planted in the rockery out of doors or in a bor- der, a little protection in the shape of a handful of leaves or litter may with advantage be given to it. S. G. CORBULAKIAS AND THEIR DISTRIBU- TION.* CoRBULARi.isoflateyearshavingbecomepopularde- corative plants, thewhole of the known forms being now introduced to cultivation, I think that a few notes on their characters and geographical distribu- tion, mainly derived frommyown observations, may be acceptable. Although the greater number of the species of Narcissus have a wide geographical range, many of them spreading over the whole area occupied by the genus, the subsection Cor- bularia presents a contrast in the limited and compact area it occupies compared with the wide ranging of the entire genus Narcissus. The Spanish Peninsula is its metropolis, and beyond this its extension is very limited. It has a range of about 10° in latitude, from 'S')" to 45" north, and 12° in longitude, from 9° west to 3° east. Forms of Corbularia are to be found throughout almost the entire Spanish Peninsula, and they extend sparingly bejond the Spanish frontier into France, and along the North African coast from Tangier to the longitude of Algiers. The most northern recorded habitat is near Bordeaux, and the most south-eastern at Guelt-es-Stel, 150 miles south of Algiers, where I gathered Corbularia monrphylla in the spring of 1S73. Corbularias do not occur in the Balearic Islands. The general impression left by the careful study of all the foims is that they are merely connecting links of one variable species vhich is undivitible by any «ell-maiked boundary lines, and however different the extreme forms may appear, they are con- nected by insensible gradations, between \\hich there is no definite demarcation. Flower c'uLouEiNii. — Every form of Corbularia is self-coloured, and however much the forms and species vary in shade, the segments are invariably of the same colour as the corona, except that they are externally green, and the bicolor forms, such as occur in almost every other section of Narcissus, are never found in Corbularia. The filament is also invariably of the same colour as the coiona and segments. We find, however, two or three distinct sets of colouring, viz , white, primrose- yellow, and orange. I say sets of colouring, be- cause, excepting the white, the other two colour- ings, primrose-yellow and orange, run through, as it were, in duplicate the entire series of forms, however variable they may be in stature — c;/., we have large primrose-yellow forms and large orange forms, small primrose-yellow forms and small orange forms, and in the same colour duplicates of every size. I have felt inclined to give the white Corbularia monophylla from North Africa a separate sort of specific rank from its invariable colouring of a kind that I was not aware occurred in any other form ; but I have been somewhat shaken in this conviction by Mr. Tait's discovery near Oporto of a white form of Corbularia nivalis, the flowers of which are normally orange. HABIT.iTS, .iLTITUDES, AND DISTRIBUTION. — The range in altitude is from near the sea-level to heights of from 6000 feet to 7000 feet, and my observations show that there are no strikingly prevalent highland or lowland forms, many of * Notes on the geographical distribution of Corbularias. A paper read before the seientitie committee of the Royal Horticultural Society on Feb. 8 by George Maw, F. L.S. 140 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 12,1887. them having wide ranges in altitude. The habitats are generally moist boggy places. The forma are never intermixed, each occupying a distinct habitat ; indeed, I have only met with one case in which two different forms grow in proximity, and in this instance they were not associated, but oc- cupied separate portions of the mountain pasture. I shall perhaps be able to more clearly express the facts I have generalised by describing as an itinerary through Western France, Spain, Portu- gal, Morocco, and Algeria, mostly from my own observations, the successive forms of Corbularia that would be met with in such a tour. Com- mencing at Bordeaux ; soon after leaving Bor- deaux Station, the moist, healthy places in the Landes are at frequent intervals bespangled with the large sulphur-yellow form, which is also seen occasionally by the sides of the railway as Bayonne is approached, and the same large pale form is frequent near the sea level in the neighbourhood of Biarritz. The following localities inFrance on the borders of the Western Pyrenees may also be enu- merated: (Iradignan and Teste near Bordeaux, Agen, Dax, heathy places on Mount Olivet and the Palombiers above Bagneres do Bigorre, Tarbes, betweeen Bagneres de Bigorre and Savoy ; sandy places — Tiple near Fumel, Prades, Villefranche, Morlass, Pau, and between Biarritz and Cambo. It is also abundant on Monte de la Haya at alti- tudes of from 2000 feet to 2400 feet, and on other mountains on the Spanish frontier near Irun. A small, pale yellow form has recently been found near Biarritz. Passing into Spain, we find on the limestone hills of Pancorbo, at a height of ,3000 ft., a form somewhat different to that prevailing in Western France, with small, bright yellow flowers on a long scape. Turning northwards towards Leon, the moist places within sight of the railway are golden yellow in April with a small orange form ; and a still smaller orange form, approach- ing nivalis in character, is abundant near Bus- dongo, at an altitude of from 4000 feet to 5000 feet on the pass over the Asturias. Descending the north side of the Asturias, the same large pale yellow form which prevails on the north side of the Pyrenees in Western France again presents itself in moist meadows near Oviedo, near Lugones, and between Oviedo and (iijon ; and in the imme- diate neighbourhood of Gijon a large orange form occurs sparingly. In passing by rail from Leon to Corunna, small orange Corbularias were abundant between Leon and Astorga ; and west of Astorga the large orange form similar to that at Gijon occurred sparingly at intervals. Passing southwards, two forms, C. nivalis, with small orange flowers, the smallest known form, and C Graellsi, with pale primrose-yellow flowers, occur abundantly on the Sierra Guadarrama at altitudes of from 3000 feet to 5000 feet ; in a meadow near the Naval Peral Station they were growing in proximity, though not intermixed ; nivalis occurred in a boggy part of the field, and Graellsi on the dryer ground at an elevation of about 4000 feet. Descending the southern side of the Sierra towards the Escurial, C'. Graellsi bespangled like Primroses the moist pastures with tens of thousands of its pretty pale yellow flowers. I gather from Mr. A. W. Tait's " Notes on the Narcissi of Portugal " that the same kinds of variations occur in the Portuguese as in the Spanish forms of Corbularia. The following par- ticulars are mainly derived from Mr. Tait's notes, and partly from my own observations. In several parts of Portugal the form obesa occurs ; it is of low stature, orange in colour, and departs some- what in shape from the other forms in the corona, being inflated or balloon .shaped, with a convex instead of a concave outline. I found this in the neighbourhood of Cintra in 1871. It grows at Coimbra, intermixed with the ordinary C. Bulbo- codium, and on the Berlengas Islands, off the coast of Portugal, all the Corbularias are of the obesa type. Mr. Tait's enumeration of the Portu- guese Corbularias is as follows : — No. 1. — With ahort-stcmmed, Ijright or.^nge flowers, ]> .v diiopd iu Fobruuiy iiiid iMarcli ; found in the neighbourhood of Oporto, withiu 100 feet of the sea level. No, 5.— With a much longer sixp2 afad larger flower than No. 1, and an exceptionally large bulb, from hot marshes near the sea, at Ovar, twenty miles south of Oporto, flowering io March and April. No. 3.— Somewhat similar to No. 2, but of the obesa type, from Cantanhede, foity miles south of Oporto, flowering about the ISth of April at an elevation of 30 feet above tlie sea level. No. 4.— Corbularia nivalis, the smallest known form, was found abundantly by Mr. Tait at elevations ranging from 1500 feet to 4000 feet on hills near Povoa de Lanhozo and on the Geroz Mountains, flowering from the beginning of March to the middle of May, according to elevation, but much paler in colour, vajying to white, than the form I found in the Spanish Sierra de Guadairama. No. 5. — A double v.ariety of a form resembling No. 1, found at Ovjir, flowering on the 17th of April. No. 0.— One of Mr. Tait's most interesting diEcoveries_ is a supposed hybrid between Corbularia nivalis and Narcissus triandrus, flowering from the end of April to the middle of Jlay, at an elevation of about 3600 feet on the Gorez Moun- tains. Ihe corona resembled that of Corbularia nivalis, bnt the segments were broader, and refles^d like those of Nar- cissus triandrus. The seven specimens obtjiined in the years ls,s.'» and ISSO were gi-owing intermixed with the supposed purents. This is, I believe, the only known hybrid Cor- l)ularia. And now, crossing to North Africa, two West European forms occur on the Barbary coast, oppo- site the narrow Straits of Gibraltar, viz., the typical C. Bulbocodium and the inflated form, C. obesa, in the neighbourhood of Tangier, but how far these extend east in the direction of Algiers has not been ascertained. In the province of Oran, as at Beniza, near Sidi-bel-Abbis, at Saida and Djbel Santo, and other localities, the nearly white Corbularia monophylla takes their place, and there is no record of the occurrence of any orange Corbularia in Algeria. C. monophylla appears to extend as far to the east as the longi- tude of Algiers, or a little furtlier east than the eastern limit of Corbularias in Europe. It grows abundantly near the Cedar forest at Tenict-el- Ahd, and in the spring of 1S73 I observed it in flower at Boghar, 70 miles south of Algiers, and again at Guelt-es-Stel, 150 miles south of Algiers ; but the last is the most south-eastern point from which it has been recorded, and is probably nearly the southeastern limit of the range of the genus. It will be gathered from these records that, with the exception of C. monophylla, there is no de- finite line of demarcation between the various forms of the genus, which pass into each other by insensible gradations, and that even in their geographical distribution they are scattered through the region they occupy in a very irregular way, both as regards altitude and locality. into 5 inch and 6-inch pots, and stopped three times, the last time being about the first week in July. That is all the treatment, so far as making it late, they have ever received — in fact, all my stock of Chrysanthemums is treated alike. — Robt. Owen, Floral Nursery, Castle Hill, Maidenhead. "„* The flowers sent are golden yellow, and marvels of freshness, being as bright and clean-looking as Chrysanthemums could be in the early days of No- vember ; the foliage, too, is equally fresh and healthy. This variety is evidently an acquisition. — Ed. A gardener's orphanage. — Mr. Penny, Sand- ringham, suggests that as a house for the orphans of gardeners is badly wanted, such an institution would be a suitable gardeners' recognition of the Jubilee year. Attached to the orphanage he proposes to have a piece of land for cultivation, a school to hold fifty boys and girls, or more as the funds may allow. If every gardener would contribute 5s. and every jour- neyman "23. 6d. annually, he thinks that suftioient funds might be raised for the purpose here indicated. Callicarpa macrophylla. — The common Calli- carpa (C. purpurea), with its long branches clustered with bright purple berries, is a well-known shrub. C macrophylla is somewhat like it, but instead of the berries being purple, they are pure white. The two shrubs should be grown together, and one can ima- gine the pretty effect of the white and purple-berried stems intermixed. C. macrophylla is now in berry in the Palm house at Kew. NOTES OF THE WEEK. Primula Magenta ^ueen. — "We have received from Mr. P.. s. Williams, Victoria Nursery, Holloway, flowers of this new form of Chinese Pi-imrosc. They are large, of good substance, beautifully fringed, and of a rich, clear, d ep ma- genta ; a strikingly effective Primula. Christmas Roses.— Mr. G. F. Wilson has brought us some rcniarkalily fine lilooms of Christmas Roses sent to him by Mr. W, LJ. lljrtland. of Cork. The finest of the collection was Mr. Foe's variety with pink stigma, apple-green stems, and very large blooms. The flowers are well above the foli.age .and very erect. A similar fl<^wer was more imbri- cated, free from pink stigma, and the foliage stems more pale ill enliiur. Snowdrops and other early flo-wers-— I send you a few iif our giant Welsh Snowdrops ; later on, when fully developed, they will be much larger. We have also in llowcr Calintlius pllcatus, G. Shaylocki, G. poculiformis, G. lati- folius, and the double flowered form of our Big Welshman. How pretty Erica melanthera and E. carnea are at prefeiit ! and so useliil as cut flowers, when, save a stray Crocus, a few Primroses, or a bit of white Arabis, outdoor flowers arc few indeed. — M. A. Webster, Llan(le(rai, Bavnor. Scarlet Musa. — A bit of glowing red is effec- tively furnished just now by Musa coccinea, at present IjeautifuUy iu flower in the Trinity College Botanic Gardens, Dublin, from which Mr. Burbidge sends us a brilliant example. With it also came blooms of Cornish Yellow Daffodil. It is a strong and quick grower, increasing rapidly, and forces well. The flowers received were stated to be from a greenhouse. Chrysanth.emuin Golden Gem. — As a further proof of the lateness of Golden Gem Chry.santhemum, I send you a head of bloom. I find this to be the best of ;dl l.ate t'hrysantheniums. Every flower-bud expands, and under the worst of treatment. Cuttings struck in April in small u-inch pots and potted ou OLD HOUSE AND SURROUNDINGS. We lately received from, Mr. Fowler Jones, of (^)uarrybank, Malton, a number of photographs representing beautiful woodland srenery and country seats taken by him, chiefly in the mid- land and northern counties. From these we have .selected one for illustration in The Garden. It represents a beautiful old house surrounded by a garden of quite an unconventional type, and is the property of Sir George Wombwell. The building shows one part of tlie original hall inhabited by the Colvil family, who lived there at the time of the Norman survey. Such specimens of pure old English architecture are now so I'are, that peculiar interest attaches to them apart t'rom the historical associations that are generally connected with them. The quiet colour of the weather-beaten and Lichen-stained old walls is enhanced by the luxuriant tree and shrub growth that reaches almost to the doors and windows, and this is one of the chief differences between old and modern country mansions. Old houses almost invariably nestle peacefully midst unrestricted tree-growth ; new ones, as a lule, stand on a treeless level, often amid a maze of pattern beds and gravel, and are rarely unaccompanied by a raised terrace, with its excessive array of statuary and other forma- lities. We fear that architects, not landscape gardeners, are often responsible for this stale of things. They seem to have an abhorrence of greenery of any sort approachin.^' their handi- work. The prevalent practice among architects now seems to be that ot raising the floor line of their houses seldom less than 2 feet above the natural ground level ; consequently the surround- ing soil has to be made up to it at great expense, or you get the alternative of Ihe conventional terrace, with a more or less steep bank having no connection with the outlying ground. It is, therefore, a great pleasure to come upon such a houEC as that here represented after visiting those of the modern stamp. One can picture to themselves the charms which the old garden in connection with such a house must present at every season of the year. It would be brilliant with flowers in spring, th:.uly in summer, glowing with the rich hues of the decaying leafage iu autumn, and sheltered and suug-looking in winter. W. G, Feb. 12, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 141 Stove and Greenhouse. T. BAINES. STATICES AND THEIR CULTURE. The distinct appearance of these plants, the en- during character of their flowers and the free- dom with which they are, as a rule, produced, are properties sufficiently desirable, one would sup- pose, to have caused their being more generally grown for greenhouse and conservatory decora- tion than they have hitherto been. The different species and varieties of Statice that require greenhouse treatment are not open to the objec- tion often — though groundlessly — urged against the hard-wooded section of greenhouse plants — that of being unsuitable for general cultivation on account of their requiring more attention in stopping and training in the early stages of tlieir growth, and more tying when they get older than the commoner kinds. It would be difficult to point to any plants that need so little traiuing as Statices, either whil.st young or when they have on growing slowly in the winter, and in this they are unlike plants that remain all but at rest during the dormant season. In common with most plants, they need plenty of light, but in the spring and summer they should have a slight shade in the middle of the day; in the absence of this their leaves, even where the growth is strong, do not attain the size they otherwise would do. When a little protection is given, not only does the foliage get much larger in size, but it is fresher in appearance, and the growth made is double that which is forthcoming when the full force of the sun is allowed to reach the plants. This is particularly the case with S. profusa, a seedling variety which, taking all its qualities into account, may be said to lie the best of the Statices. The leaves of the difl'erent kinds, though somewhat soft in texture, are of an enduring character when the plants are kept free from insects, particularly aphides and red spider, both of which attack them, and which, from the partially drooping ha))it of the leaves, are often present in quantity on their under-side without being detected by markable for the freedom with which they make roots, and which penetrate the soil within the pots, so that the whole becomes a mass of fibres This points to the necessity for giving more pot- room during the early stages of growth than would be required by things that make slower progress in this direction. When free-rooting plants like these are not allowed sufficient room in their early stages, they suffer in a way that can rarely afterwaids be remedied, as when the roots get so packed together in the soil the jilants languish for want of sustenance, get- ting into such a stunted state, that nothing that can then be done in the way of additional pot room has the desired effect. Statices are frequently grown in peat, but good, rich, fibrous loam suits them best, as, like most things that will succeed in either of these materials, the leaves have more solidity and endurance in them when loam is used than peat. In localities where good peat can be obtained, and the loam is of an inferior description, I should give the former the preference. But whichever View of old house and surroxmdings. En^-aved for The Gardes from a photograph sent by Mr. G. F. Jones, of M.alton. attained specimen size, as even when they are large, nothing in the form of support is necessary beyond a few sticks to keep the branches sufTi- ciently open. The colour of the flowers of the difl'erent sorts of 8tatice is likewise the least com- mon amongst greenhouse plants that are of an enduring nature, and this also may be set down in their favour. The texture of the flowers is such as to enable them to retain a fresh appearance on the plants for months, whilst their form makes them distinct from all others. There are one or two peculiarities in the culti- vation of Statices that must not be lost sight of; yet, taking them altogether, they may be set down as amongst the easiest things to grow, and with fair treatment such plants will last from a dozen to a score of years. I have had S. pro- fusa at the end of fifteen years as full of health and vigour as ever. All the kinds will suc- ceed under ordinary cool greenhouse tempera- ture, but in the wiuter months they like to be kept a little warmer than many plants need to be, as to do j ustice to them they require to keep those who have not had much experience in their cultivation. When these pests become at all numerous, they do much injury, not alone by the dull, unsightly colour which the affected foliage assumes, but the vigour of the plants is proportionately reduced through the premature decay of the leaves that are thus aft'ected. But if duiing spring and summer a little forethought is used in keeping a look-out for insects, and when they are discovered means are at once taken for their destruction, they will give little trouble. Plants of most kinds that are grown under glass are especially subject to the attacks of insects ; and the want of exercising vigilance in their detection and destruction is the rock on which the expectations of not a few who attempt plant growing are wrecked. Where attention is given to the matters above- mentioned, no one need feel doubtful of succeed- ing with these plants, which, as I have already intimated, will well repay the little care required i to keep them in a thriving condition. When the I foliage is clean and healthy, the plants are re- is used, it should be of a nature that will admit of its lasting, as there must be no attempt at shaking out with the intention of renewing the material in after years. An addition of leaf- mould is sometimes advised for Statices, yet, though it gives an impetus to the growth for a time, it is better not to use it for these and other plants that do not like being periodically, all or partially, shaken out, as the material in question is deficient in the enduring properties that should be present in soil that the roots have permanently to remain in. Those who prefer propagating the plants themselves will find no difficulty in striking cuttings. These should consist of shoots taken off in spring, severing them at a point where the wood is in a half solidified state. Some of the lower leaves will require removing, being careful in doing this not to injure or strip off the bark. The cuttings should be put singly into small pots partly filled with a mixture consisting of ; equal parts of sand and finely sifted loam, with sand alone on the top. Keep them moderately 14: THE GARDEN. [Feb. 12, 1887. moist and confineJ under a propagating glass, shading from the sun. They will not root so quickly as some things ; consequently an inter- mediate heat will be safer for them than the high temperature tliat answers for plants that root quickly. After sufficient roots are present dis- pense with the glass, but keep the little plants on m a growing tempei'ature through the summer, with shade in bright weather. They will require moving into larger pots before the season la too far advanced to admit of the roots getting well established in the soil. A temperature of 45'-^ will suit them during winter, standing them where they will have plenty of light. So treated, they will keep on moving slowly. In spring cut out the points of the shoots. It is necessary to attend to this in good time, as if left to them- selves the plants will not branch out low enough, the growth simply being confined to a single shoot until they are too tall and leggy. Plants of this character of any of these Statices must be avoided, as they will never make well- furnished specimens ; G-inch pots will now be about the right shift to give them ; this they should have early in spring. In the matters of air, light, and water, treatment such as is required by the generality of young hard-wooded green- house plants will answer, keeping a little more moisture in the atmosphere than is necessary for older stock, shading as before advised when the weather is bright and syringing ftvely when the house is closed in the afternoons until the end of summer, when more air and a drier condition of the atmosphere will be an advantage. All that will be needful this season in the way of stopping is to pinch out the flower shoots as they appear. So naturally inclined are most of the kinds to bloom, that they will produce flowers when the plants are quite small, yet it is much better not to allow them to do s"o until more size has been attained, as blooming at this stage will interfere with growth. Little, if any, shoot-stopping will now be necessarj', as one peculiarity common to the dift'erent kinds of Statice is that each flower- stem that appears divides at the extremity of the shoot from which it springs so as to form a second shoot, and in this way the plants continue to multiply tlu-ir branches so long as they exist. As the branches get long enough to admit of their being tied out they should be secured with a few neat sticks and ties in a horizontal posi- tion, by which means the ba^e of the specimens will be furnished, and overcrowding of the shoots in the centre of the plants will be avoided. After the second summer they may be allowed to bloom ; some of the soit-', S. profusa in parti- cular, will keep on pushing up flower-stems from early in spring to the end of summer, and these will open in succession, keeping the plants gay for half the year. After this larger shifts will be reijuired at the annual potting, which, with these plants, is always best carried out early in spring. With a continnmce of the treatment recommended they will attain a large size, nllimately needing pots 18 inches in diameter, or even larger, but when the specimens are in pots approaching these dimensions they must not be potted oltener than once in two years, assist- ing them duiiug the growing season with manure water. Statices are not so liable to die ofl'suddenly in the way that some things do. I have had plants which, at the end of fourteen or fifteen years, were as vigorous and free in growth as when they were not more than as many nmnths old. The best sort, S. prolusa, is a small-leaved, bushy-habited kind, a good grower, and a free bloomer. S. Butcheri is a very fine variety, a strong, rapid grower ; the flowers are pro- duced Ireely, and are a fine deep shade of blue. S. Holfordi also is a strong, free-growino Eoit, with stout, many-branched flower-stems. S. imbrioita is a desirable kind that grows and flowers freely. Asters in spring. — At a meeting of the French National Horticultural Society in April last some well-grown plants of Asters were exhibited in good bloom. It is not stated what particular variety they were, but they varied in colour, and it is certainly interesting to know that double Asters can be had in full flower in the spring months. The seeds were said to have been sown in summer, so that the plants just had time to make their growth. One would think that well-flowered pots of Asters would find a ready sale in Covent Garden in spring. It appears to be an easy matter to get them at that time of year. — Byfleet. Echeveria retusa. — This charming succulent blooms very freely, and is distinct in character from the general routine of winter-flowering plants. It is very compact in habit, bears beautiful red and yellow flowers, and may be easily propagated by means of the little ofl'shoots that are annually thrown up from the old stools. Great care must, however, be taken when the cuttings are put in that they are not over-watered, as being soft and fleshy they are very liable to damp off. A good plan is to lay them on a shelf for a few days to dry. They will do well if, after being established in pots, they are placed in a cool frame during the summer months, and in early autumn transferred to a moderately warm greenhouse. — T. Koman Hyacintlis.— The demand for white flowers at all seasons makes these Hyacinths doubly valuable, and the length of time during which they may be had in bloom is not the least of their re- commendations. Other Hyacinths may be larger, but their size militates against their usefulness in a cut state. We do not force Roman Hyacinths into bloom nearly so early as might be done, because during autumn there is such a wealth of other white flowers, that they are really not wanted. Between December and April, however, they are most valuable, and, by having a succession of boxes in cool houses, and bringing them into gentle heat to open their flowers fully, a supply may be kept up, as they remain long in a half-open state in a cold house. Having quantities of bulbs that had been used in pots and boxes for one year, I have at various times planted them out, close to the foot of walls in various aspects, and they become useful for a late supply. The only attention they require is to put a little litter over them if very sharp frost sets in after they push through the soil, which they do before the ordinary Dutch kinds. Close to a wall, however, with a fewold glass lights or thatched hurdles put over them at night or during rough weather, they expand, fresh, fair, and fragrant,and,withoutanyexpensive appliances or scorching fire-heat, this lovely flower may be had nearly half the year. — J. Gkoom. Chinese Primroses. — Whilst a visit to Wood- side, Farnham Royal, in a couple of months hence will be rewarded by the sight of some 2ri00 plants of Mr. James's best strain of Cinerarias in bloom, even now a visit is amply repaid in seeing the several hundreds of Chinese Primroses there which, in the clear light of that elevated rural dis- trict, exhibit the purest colours and the finest of culture. Better plants cannot be seen anywhere. All are sturdy, clean, and healthily luxuriant, both in foliage and in bloom. The old Market White, which always produces tinted flowers, is nevertheless a grand strain, the flowers of which are of wonderful size and substance, and make fine heads of bloom ; constant selection has done this. The finest pure white is a light. Fern-leaved kind, that produces very large ivory-white flowers, borne in big trusses on stout stems, and presents one of the most perfect white Primulas yet seen. Another of great beauty has pure white flowers on reddish foliage ; and yet another has mauve flushed flowers on dark red foliage. The lavender or marginate strain is wonderfully fine, and the flowers if any- thing over-large. The single red and single blue are of the best of their kinds, and a very pleasing form has reddish cerise flowers. The only semi- double is one producing fine flowers of a magenta- red hue ; this is a grand strain. All the plants are in perfect health, and when seen in masses of colours and sorts, command almost enthusiastic admiration, they are so exceedingly beautiful. — A. D. ^ ^ STEPHANOTIS FLORIBUNDA FAILING. It would be difficult to name a more popular plant than this, but although so well known, it is by no means generally to be seen in a flourishing or profitable condition. The reasons for this in some instances are not far to seek. No plant is more liable to be infested with mealy bus, or, during the period of active growth, more difficult to clean. A few years ago it was considered the best plan to take down the whole of a dirty plant and perhaps dip it in some bug-destroying solu- tion, afterwards returning to the roof or trellis, as the case may be, only to find that the dose must be repeated several times before the bug is eradi- cated. I have frequently seen large plants of Stephanotis gradually taken down, the joints scrubbed with brushes, and the leaves sponged, some kind of insecticide being used at the time. The result of such a proceeding is a much- scratched and otherwise badly damaged plant, but no real clearance of the bug. The remedies are perseverance and petroleum, both being cheap, and altogether superior to the many nostrums, none of which, however, that I have tried, being really effective. There is no necessity to loosen the plants from the wires. After they have been duly pruned and thinned, and before active growth commences, the insect pests should be destroyed. Our remedy is two ounces or a wineglassful of petroleum (more commonly termed paraffin) to a gallon of soft water heated to about liO". Some add a lump of soft soap about the size of an egg to every .'? gallons of water, but we have tried this repeatedly without discovering any advantage in its use. If two syringes are available, one is kept constantly forcibly discharged back into the can, and the other syringing the infested plants. When one syringe only is employed, every second dis- charge should be back into the can, as it is only by these means that the oil can be kept from flo&t ing on the surface. Merely damping the plarti with the petroleum and water is not sufficient}. It should be well driven into the clusters of bug, thus causing their rapid destruction. This must be persevered with, no one application being really effective, and if the later syringings have to be given during bright, sunny weather, a heavy shading overhead is necessary, otherwise the oil may cause the loss of a good many leaves. In hot weather it is also advisable to syringe with clear water soon after the oil has been used. Petroleum thus applied injures neither the foliage nor roots, and destroys scale as well as bug. Method of PRUNiNf;. — This is sometimes answerable for a comparative failure of the Ste- phanotis. In many instances we see plenty of strong, healthy growth and few or no trusses of bloom. Very frequently the blame for this is attached to the variety, many holding, and it may be with some good ground, that there are forms in existence which flower anything but abun- dantly. Such was my conclusion at one time, but I have since considerably modified my opinion. We arc supposed to have one of the best forms, and have raised plants for friends who covet them. Some of these flowered most satisfactorily and others quite the reverse. According to ray expe- rience, plenty of bloom in long succession, or say fi-om the spring till the autumn, is best obtained ' by affording a limited root-run, a light position for the growths, a good rest in the winter, as well as a cautious use of the knife. One of the most floriferous plants I have yet seen, and which covered the roof of a small span-roofed stove, was growing undisturbed for three years in a 12 inch pot. It is almost needless to add that it was very carefully attended to, being watered during hot weather two or three times daily, a good top- dressing of old cow manure being given each ^pring, and frequent weak supplies of guano water Frn. 1?, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 143 when in active growth. A careless cultivator would fail with a large plant in a comparatively small pot, and those who cannot attend closely to the wants of a large specimen will do well to plant it out in a loose brick pit situated somewhere near the jiipes. Such a pit might be about .'{ feet square and 'J feet in depth. A suitable compost would consist of two parts of turfy loam to one of good fibrous peat, both roughly broken up, and to this may be added a sprinkling of charcoal, mortar rubbish, and decayed manure, silver sand also being plentifully used. When the plants are breaking afresh is the time to turn them out of pots, and if the roots are carefully loosened from the old mass of soil, much of the latter being picked away, and well spread out in the new soil, they will soon take to their fresh quarters. In succeed- ing years it may be advisable to occasionally re- new the soil in these pits. This, owing to the walls being formed with loose bricks, is a simple matter. The top-dressing given may consist of old cow manure, or, failing this, some fresh com- post and a little bone meal may be added. While growing strongly abundance of water should be given, and those that are flowering freely also re- quire frequent supplies of soot water, or some kind of artificial manure, always, however, in moderate quantities. Such treatment usually in- duces a healthy growth, and at the end of the season the plant will be well furnished with plenty of long and fairly strong growths. From Septem- ber to the end of the year little or no bloom will open, and it is during that time that the}' ought to be rested. Only sufficient water should be given to keep the'foliage from flagging and the roots from perishing, and this, coupled with a fairly dry at- mosphere, ensures the ripening of the wood. Plenty succeed very well up to this point, but after well maturing these long growths they pro- ceed in .January or early in February to cut them hard back to near where they started from. The consequence is a vigorous break, and little or no bloom for some time or till the leading shoots are several feet in length. The proper course is to leave the greater portion of these well matured growths their full length, only cutting away any that may be weakly, or thinning out where they are at all crowded. Near the ends of many of these reserved growths there are frequently several embryo trusses formed late in the season, which increased heat, moisture, and sunshine quickly develop. This is a distinct gain, but compared with more important results following is trifling. Well matured growths will break at nearly every joint, and these young shoots are usually short-jointed as well as extremely flori- ferous, soon becoming literally clothed with fine trusses of flowers. The iiKST rosiTioN for a Stephanotis is on wires fastened about 0 inches from the roof of an ordinary plant stove. Instead of training the growths in all directions, aiming only to cover the roof in any fashion, it will be found a far better practice to dispose the wires across the roof about Hi inches apart. Two or more growths may be trained along each wire, and the flower- ing shoots allowed to hang loose till such time as they become long or unsightly. Trained in this manner, the Stephanotis does not unduly shade any plants that are grown underneath, and may also be more easily kept clean. Fre- quent syringings serve to keep them clean, and are otherwise beneficial. They will stand any amount of heat, and, if healthy, plenty of sun- shine also, but we shade lightly with blinds during the hottest part of the day — this in pre- ference to any kind of fixed shading. Fine sp3cimen plants seen at various flower shows are apt to mislead beginners. They are not sup- posed to know that these attractive specimens are not constantly trained over the formal balloon-shaped trellises on which they are flower- ing. Any novice, however, who attempts to both grow and flower their plant on a balloon trellis is liable to fail. During the greater part of the year all the leading growths should be thinly trained near the glass. A short time before they are wanted for exhibition they may be carefully taken down and trained to the best advantage. We sometimes see the Stephanotis recom- mended for cultivation in conservatories, but in every case where I have known it tried, failure was the inevitable result. Conservatories, as a rule, are too heavily built, or else too cold to suit what I consider to be properly a stove plant. Even if the house is kept warm enough to induce free growth this rarely matures satisfactorily, and a flowerless Ste- phanotis is quite unattractive. Strong, well- ripened pot plants, or any which may be tubbed, will flower abundantly in a fairly warm greenhouse during the first season after removal from the stove ; but I have observed that there is a great falling oS" indeed in the second, and failure even- tually results. When at rest no harm will follow occasional low temperatures, but I would not winter a Stephanotis in a greenhouse. During the resting period the nieht temperature may safely range from .V)° to (JO", and in the daytime .5" to 10^ higher, but after active growth com- mences we like the temperatures to be respectively CO^' to U.5" and 6.5" to 75", an occasional variation either way not much aflfecting the well-being of the occupants of the house. W. I. ABUTILONS. Tiii-.SE now popular South American plants are very useful during the dull winter months, and also in early spring, as they yield their flowers in such close succession that one can always gather some from them. If kept in a moderate tempera- ture they will keep on growing and flowering all the season. They are very easily raised from seed, which ripens well in the south of England. Some very beautiful varieties have been raised in this country, especially by Mr. (ieorge, of Putney, who some years ago made the raising of new varieties of Abutilon a special study. On the Continent, too, a double form has now been secured. It was raised from the now well known A. Thompsoni, and is its e.xact counterpart, ex- cept the flowers, which are decidedly double, but of really no beauty. Abutilons may be propa- gated easily from cuttings of the young wood, which strike freely in a bottom-heat of between 50° and t)0°. Grown as pot plants, they are both useful and ornamental for the decoration of the conserva- tory. There may now be seen in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society in small pots a number of plants quite covered with beautiful flowers. As plants for pillars, too, Abutilons can- not be too highly recommended. When planted out in the greenhouse against a pillar, it is neces- sary to prepare soil for their reception. They thiive best in yellow loam, with an admixture of sand and rotten manure from an old Mushroom bed. Abutilons are gross feeders, and manure water may be administered to them with beneficial results. They may also be used with advantage in the sub tropical garden, and none more so than the variegated form niveum marmoratum, which when pegged down makes a pretty edging to such plants as Cannas, Solanum marginatum, Ricinus, Aralias, &c. Abutilons also do well planted out during the summer months, more especially Boule de Neige, which during the season will pro- duce its snow-white flowers in great abundance. In autumn on the appearance of frost those planted out may be lifted and potted in any ordi- nary soil, and kept in a warm house till they have become established ; they may then bs transferred to cooler quarters, and during the winter months kept rather drier. If cut down and put into heat in early spring they will yield cuttings in great profusion. All the varieties, with the exception of insigne, known now by the name of igneum, and Sellowianum marmoratum, are amenable to the greenhouse and summer ti-eatment just de- scribed. The two last named varieties, however, require stove management. The following is a list of varieties found to be the best, viz. : — Whites ~ Boule de Xeige— Brancliing in habit and .a very free flowerer ; blooms of medium Bize, finely cupped pure ■white. If the stamens are removed, the flowera of thi« tort arc very useful for any pui-poge for which white flowers are required. Seraph— Dwarf in habit, flowers white, more elongated than those of Boule de Neige. LlLAL-s. — Anna Croizy — Vigorous in habit, and a free flowerer late in the season; blooms large, with d.ark vein- ings ; very pretty. Louis Marignac — Dwarf and compact in habit, free flowerer, and very showy. Yellows.— Lemoinei— The countei-part of Bovile de Neige, except in colour. Reine d'Or — Dwarf and compact in habit, flowers large, and of a beautiful bright jellow. Rose. — Rosaiflorum— Dwarf and compact in habit, a very free flowerer ; the best of its colour. D.arwiui robustum— Strong in growth, rose, with a slight shade of red. La Lor- raine— A very fine free-flowering v.ariety. PliRPLE.— Insigne (.syn., igneum)— A tall grower ; leaves Urge and rough; flowers, produced in clusters, of a medium size, broad, much reflexed, purple-crimson, with dark vena- tions ; a very useful and dTstiuct variety, and one which ought to be in every collection. Figured in The Garden, Vol. XVIII., p. 024. Varie«;ated. — Xiveum marmoratum— Leaves large, marbled pale green and yellow ; valuable as a (ine-foliaged plant, and for bedding purposes. Darwini tessellatum —A beautifully variegated form, the leaves of which are prettily marbled with gold and yellow ; flowers reddish, with distinct crimson veins ; beautiful either in or out of flower, Sellowianum marmoratum— This, the handsomest of all the variegated section, requires stove treatment in order to develop its Ijcautifully marbled foliage. W. p. T. Acacia longifolia. — With respect to the note on this excellent Acacia in The Garden (p. 01), allow me to observe that there are two varieties of it — at least, there were some years ago, not differ- ing perceptibly in growth and foliage, but re- markably so in floriferousness. I have known the shy-flowering variety to be grown for years without yielding a bloom. It may be that this has gone quite out of cultivation ; if so, all the better, as it is a worthless thing; but if some of your readers have been unsuccessful in blooming this Acacia, they may conclude that they have the wrong kind, and may at once consign it to the rubbish-heap. The free-flowering variety is sure, under ordinarily good culture, to bloom well. — By FLEET. Brugmansia Waymanniana. — Mr. Gumble- ton kindly sent me vol. iv. of Paxton's Maiia-^im of Bolaiii/, and I see by it that my double Brug- mansia is not B. Waymanniana, or at all like it. B. Waymanniana bears the same relation to a double one that a Hose-in-hose bears to a double Polyanthus ; that is to say, it is not double at all. Nevertheless, the peculiarity of shape and colour renders it a highly desirable plant. Paxton says that it was raised in a private garden from seed sent home from South America. It ought not to be beyond the powers of some of our enterprising nurserymen who have trade connections with that part of the world to re-introduce such a desirable plant if, as I suppose is the case, it has been lost to cultivation. Of course, if the plant that was raised in England was a chance sport and not typical, it is very unlikely that we shall ever look on it again. — Frederick Tymuns. Gladiolus brenchleyensis in pots.— This is the brightest coloured of all the (Hadioli, and it is the only one amongst the large flowered section that blooms well in pots. Anyone who requires a quantity of bright flowers, either in pots or in a cut state, all through August cannot choose an easier subject to grow than this Gladiolus, or one that will prove more effective. The colour of the flowers is a fiery-red, and strong roots give such a grand spike of bloom, that for eflTectivencss there is nothing available for so many purposes to sur- pass them. If required, the bulbs can be potted in the sized pots that will be most suitable for particular purposes : but in general it is best to place six roots in an 8 inch pot, as the more soil the roots have the stronger will be the flower- spike. If there is no particular time at which they will be wanted in flower, they are best brought on in a cold frame ; but it is a simple matter to retard them in June if needful to do so.— J. C. C. SHORT NOTE.-STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. Asparagus plumosus nanus.-This graceful plant, which has hitherto, for the most v«rt. be n grown for the oniamcutation of plant .stoves or that of dinner tables, bids fair to supp'ant even the M.vden-hair Fern itself for such purj-osos. Itss-jirays when cut are also adm rably adapted 144 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 12, 188T. for mixing with cut flowars, in Inuquets, and in the niimljer- les^ other ways in whieh elegant greenery can be employed. Tnis dwarf variety is lar^elyand well grown by Mr. Lling at Forest Hill. SEASONABLE WORK IN PLANT HOUSES. Stove. — The length of time during wliich a large well-grown specimen of Stephanotis will continue in bloom is such that where two or three plants are available, there is no difficulty in navinga succession of its highly perfumed flowers during much of the spring and summer. The plant, even when required to cover a large space, does not need nearly so much root room as many things, or as is often given it. In common with most free-growing climbers, it thrives the fastest when planted out, but large specimens will con- tinue for a number of years in a healthy condition when their roots have no more space than an 18-inch or 20-inch pot affords. And when thus grown there is the important advantage of being able to regulate the time of blooming by moving the plants to a warmer, or a cooler, structure at will ; whereas when they are planted out in a bed their time of flowering is wholly dependent on the temperature that is kept up in the house where so located. Pot specimens that have been wintered in a temperature of about o.5' should be moved to warmer quarters ; O.J'^ in the night will not be too hot for them. The roots will have been kept in a somewhat dry condition during the time the plants have been at rest, but the soil must now be well moistened. With the heat named, growth will commence at once, and if the last year's wood has been well ripened the young shoots will not extend far before they show flower from every joint. Except in the case of young examples that are required to be grown on, potting should not be attempted until after the plants have flowered. CoMBRETUM I'l'Ri'UKEU.^i. — Although much less useful for the production of cut flowers than some other stove plants, this is a fine plant for cloth- ing a pillar or rafter, or for training over a path in the stove. Young plants that are required to till more space should have enough root-room to support top growth, and unless the soil is not fully occupied by the roots, larger pots ought to be given now when the growth is beginning to move. In the case of full sized specimens some of the surface soil may be removed, replacing it with new ; at the same time look to the drainage to see that it is in a condition that will enable the water to pass freely oil". Being a slower grower, and a'so more limited in the extent of growth that it makes than many stove climbers, this Combretum requires proportionately smaller pots than the m ire vigorous occupants of the stove. Sarraceni.vs. — To grow these plants well there are several matters connected with their cultiva- tion that need to be carried out to the letter, and without which their singular leaves will never attain anything like the size which they are capable of. The first essential is that the whole of the old material in which they are grown must be shaken away and replaced with new once a year. If this is not done, from the saturated condition it requires to be kept in, it is liable to get more or less too far decomposed for the roots to keep healthy in it. It is of equal importance that the shaking out and repotting is carried out before the roots have begun to move, otherwise the ten- der points of the young fibres are sure to get a check, the result of which is that the leaf growth that follows will be weakened. When the plants are wintered in a night temperature of about 48° or 50"*, with a rise by day proportionate to the weather — which is better for all the species and varieties than if kept warmer — all the sorts except the different varieties of S. Drummondi will be in a condition to repot at once. The Drummondi varieties must be repotted in July, at which time their roots are usually quite at rest. The fibrous matter out of good Orchid paat with chopped Sphagnum, broken crocks, and a little sand, is the best material to grow them in. Uive a good Boaking with water as soon as the potting is com- pleted. Stand them with their tops close to the glass in a light house, with no more shade than a thin piece of canvas over them whilst the sun is bright. Give an intermediate heat during spring and summer, with plenty of water once a day. Neither thrips nor greenfly must be allowed to have a lodgment on them, or the leaves will be disfigured. Treated in this way anyone may grow these in- teresting plants, the flowers of which are even more curious than the leaves, although it is better to pinch them out as soon as they appear until the plants get strong, as, in common with most things, blooming weakens Sarracenias. DirL.VDENiAS. — Where these plants were re- potted in the autumn, which time is the best where a warm stove temperature is maintained during the winter, they will now be in active growth. Regu- lar attention will be needful to keep their twining shoots from getting entangled together. To do any good with these plants, the young shoots as they grow must be trained to wires or thin strings so placed that the extremities of the shoots as they extend are a little on the ascent. If allowed to hang down they will come weak and make little progress. Care must be taken not to over- water, as any excess of moisture in the soil is fatal to the roots. The white-flowered D. boliviensis is the most useful of all for cutting, though the flowers individually are less conspicuous than those of the others. It does better planted out than the other kinds, either species or hybrids, do. So treated it will cover as much space under a roof as a Stephanotis ; it will also succeed with less heat than the others. In stoves where the winter tem- perature is comparatively low, Dipladenias will now only be commencing to grow, in which case where the plants have attained full size they may be turned out of the pots, and the old soil shaken away, not disturbing the roots more than can be avoided, repotting in new material ; good, turfy peat that is full of vegetable fibre, with a liberal addition of sand and some dry manure, such as is obtainable from an old Mushroom bed, is the best to grow them in. Impatiens. — The merits of the ever-flowering I. Sultani are now so well known, that nothing re- quires to be said in its favour. Not the least of its valuable properties for ornamental purposes is that it will flower in even the smallest state. I. Hawkeri promises to be even better than the earlier introduced kind, the colour being more in- tense. Cuttings of these pretty Balsams should be put in ; they will strike readily in a brisk heat. Young stock now propagated will begin to flower almost as soon as they get established in small pots, and will continue blooming as long in autumn as there is enough heat kept up to enable them to make growth. But, like other quick-growing plants that are soft in the texture of their shoots and leaves, if not stood close to the glass, they soon get so much drawn and puny as to have an indifferent appearance. GREENiiursE cEiMisERS. — Most of the kinds of climbing plants that are used for covering back walls, training round pillars, or draping the rafters require more or less cutting in once a year ; but, in carrying out this work, it is necessary to take into account the more or less vigorous habit of the plants, shortening the branches proportionately according to the extent of top growth each par- ticular species makes ; and it is equally necessary that the time of pruning should be varied; species that flower from the current season's growth should be pruned at the present time before the plants begin to push their shoots. On the other hand, the various kinds that flower in spring from the growth made last summer must have whatever pruning they need deferred until after they have bloomed. In the case of such as are planted out in beds or borders, they should have assistance by top-dressing with new soil sufficiently enriched by the addition of manure. To make way for this, as much of the old exhausted material from the surface of the bed as can be got away without disturbing the roots should be removed. Inside borders wherein plants of the description under notice are grown are usually shallow, with drainage material underneath, and, with the limited supply of water that is applied during the season of rest, it not unfrequently happens that the mass of soil gets so dry that it takes more water to moisten it through than is supposed, though the surface may appear wet enough. In such a condition it is scarcely necessary to say that healthy root growth is out of the question, the result being that the shoots come weak and the foliage gets infested with insects, which invariably seem to revel on plants that are wanting in healthy vigour. To avoid this, all beds and borders should now be examined to see that the soil is fairly moist all through. Roof climbers, if allowed to get infested with insects, naturally communicate them to every- thing that is grown underneath them ; to prevent this, the whole should be gone over, giving them a thorough cleaning. Planting climbers. — The present time, and a little later on, according to the earlier or later period of their growth commencing, is the best season for planting out greenhouse climbers. Success with plants of this character that are ex- pected to go on for a number of years in a great measure depends on the preparation that is made for them. The soil, whether peat or loam, should be the best of its kind that can be obtained, con- taining enough vegetable fibre to enable it to keep in a sweet, healthy condition until the roots have had time to get well hold of the whole mass. In addition to this, sufficient sand, with broken crooks, crushed sandstone, or charcoal to keep it porous, should be added, and in all cases enough drainage ought to be placed in the bottom, with means for the water that percolates through the bed to pass off. T. B. Flower Garden. CULTURE OF GLADIOLI. A FRiExn writing to me the other day sajs, I do not think that there is any flower about whose culture there is so much difference of opinion as about the Gladiolus ; and the columns of The Garden fully bear this out. One week there ap- peared an article in which it was stated that there was no necessity to wait until the foliage had de- cayed before lifting the bulbs ; while another writer stated that we should have to send the bulbs to Jamaica in order to get them thoroughly ripened. The same difference of opinion has been manifested in the matter of soils ; some have con- tended that they ought to be grown in light soil ; others, like myself and Mr. Burrell, of Cambridge, have maintained that heavy soil suits them best. Now, on both these points I wish to offer a bit of evidence. I have had lately the opportunity of seeing a number of the bulbs lifted by Mr. Burrell, and I say it advisedly, that after more than thirty years' knowledge of Gladiolus growing, and after having seen the bulbs of most growers both in France and this country, that they were a perfect revelation to me, for I have never seen such bulbs, so far as size is concerned, while in healthiness and freedom from any symptoms of disease, they could not be surpassed. Many of these bulbs measured 10 inches and 11 inches round, and that not merely such kinds as Shakespeare, which always is large, but other varieties, of which we have been contented to have small-sized bulbs, such as Baroness Burdett Coutts, Dalila, Mabel, &c., were of the same size; then they had that silvery appearance in the skin which always characterises the French sorts. Now there are other points connected with the culture of these roots : 1st, they were grown on stiff soil, of course well cultivated and drained ; 2nd, they were not lifted until the first week in December ; and 3rd, quite 80 per cent, of them had been produced from bulbs which had been cut in two before planting. The second point in this is to me a novelty. I have myself never deferred lift- ing my bulbs so late, but after what I have seen of these Cambridge bulbs, I shall most cer- tainly defer the lifting of my small stock to a later period. It may be asked. Is there any ad- Feb. 1887.] THE GARDEN. 145 vantage in having such large bulbs? Yes, un- questionably, if they are well ripened, more espe- cially for northern and late districts, for these large bulbs always bloom earlier than the smaller ones; then you can cut them in halves, thus doubling your stock. Of course, if the bulbs are not well ripened, there is great danger in these large ones losing vigour, but with such ripened bulbs as these there can be no risk of that. These bulbs, too, seem effectually to do away with the action of degeneration, so that when properly grown and in suitable soil, our English grown bulbs are superior to the French. Many of these bulbs are from some which were imported from France three years ago, and although the old bulbs decay every year, wo may, in ordinary language, call them three-yearold English-grown bulbs, and I do not think, therefore, that it can be pretended tliat the losses which many of us suffer is to be attributed to degeneracy. Mr. Burrell suffers, so he tells me, very little from the disease to which they are subject, soil and climate both appearing to agree with them. In looking through my own stock of bulbs, I find that they are keeping well. I have never found that bulbs which are healthy when lifted go otT after- wards before planting time, while those which were unsound at that period become gradually worse, becoming black and shrivelled, and with- out any signs of life in them ; but, strangely enough, when a diseased bulb is potted after lift- ing time, I find that it frequently throws up a shoot from what seemed only a mass of decay. Delta. Tropseolum tuberosum. — Some complain that this is a shy floweier ; but with us it is annually a sheet of bloom during the greater part of the summer. A few years ago I put a few roots of it against a wall, and they grew so fast that they quickly covered the space allotted to them, and took possession of a Rose tree on the same wall. In short, they flowered and grew tn such an extent, that they bad to be constantly cut awa> to keep them within bounds. In another case a plant of this TropiBolum took possession of an Arbor- vit;i hedge 6 feet high, and hterally covered it with growth long before the summer was .over and flowered freely. In this district many plant it against their houses and form bowers with it, and no creeper is more eflectivo. I find that a rich soil is not of so much importance n> one of a lighter and more porous character. It i.^ especially partial to lime rubble, and does not object to take to a gravel walk, which shows that warmth for the roots is as essential as good soil ; being qiiite hardy, it may be planted at any time before it starts into growth — J. C. C. Pancratiums outof doors.— P. maritimum and illyricum do well in the open air iu summer in some of the southern counties ; but even under the best of climates they require a warm border and a rather dry soil. They are, however, so delightfully fragrant, that they are worth an efibrt it they can be induced to thrive. I find that when cultivated in the open, the flower- stem is stronger than in pots ; consequeutly the heads of flowers are largei-. Many might grow these Pancratiums in pots, and keep them under glass ; where they have failed, it has beeu through giving them an insufficient quantity of soil to support vigorous growth. When thoroughly healthy, and surrounding conditions are favourable, they make a number of leaves and roots in proportion, which cannot be sustained if contiued to small pots. There should now be no delay in getting the bulbs potted, and, as the strongest are rather large, each one should have a pot 7 inches iu diameter. As regards compost, equal parts loam and leaf soil and a sprinkle of sand suit them admirably. — Somekset. Freneli Anemones. — These may be planted now, but in favourable situations it is best to plant them in November. Put in now, however, they will flower late in spring. The double varieties are grand flowers for a bed or for clumi^s in choice positions ; the colours are so various and bright, that each individual blossom accompanied by two or three of its own leaves is a host in itself. The single varieties produce the greatest number of flowers, [and, if possible, the colours are more diverse : but both are so beautiful and so easily grown, that there is no need to praise one at the expense of the other. What further enhances their value is the fact that, if required in a cut state, and they are taken just as they are about half expanded and placed iu water, they will develop blossoms as well as if left on the plant, and remain in good condition for a con- j beyond three years old. The inference seems to siderable time. As regards cultural details, it is neces- ; be that Nature reproduces by seed annually, sary that they have the full benefit of the sun, and that and that old plants soon die out. I find the snow the soil be rather light and friable, and kept well and frost have not appreciably injured Primroses watered in dry weather. They are not averse to a or Polyanthuses, and where in frames the autumn- heavier root medium, provided it is well elrained and brukeii up into small particles before planting. — J. C. C. New Violet. — The Messrs. Forgeot, of Paris, are distributing a Violet of their raising which promises to be a useful addition to kinds now in cultivation. It unites beauty of foliage with ,j Polya raised seedlings had become loosened somewhat, a heavy watering has rendered them firm. Be- cause of the tendency of the soil to harden so much under the influence of heavy winter rains, I have of late refrained from planting the seedlings out in the early winter, but keep them in frames great precocity and continuity of bloom. The where they get strong, and go out admirably in leaves are so distinctly marked with golden stripes fresh-dug soil in the spring. I have several thou- as to render this Violet extremely ornamental sands of Primroses and Polyanthuses thus to go out now, and I am assured that the plan is the best for stiff soil, and induces to after-endurance and robustness. — A. D. when used as an edging. It commences to bloom in October, and sometimes as early as September. It is of seedling origin, and has retained its dis- tinctive character over a period of more than seven years. It is called Marie Guerin. — J. Corn- hill. DOT PLANTS IN FLOWER BEDS. CLEMATIS DAVIDIANA. j Of the newer departures in summer bedding none [ have a more pleasing effect, or are likely to last ' longer in public favour, than the employment of This useful Clematis is not cultivated as rnuch ^hat are generally known as dot plants in a as it deserves to be. Its large, deep green, Vine- carpet either of flower or foliage, and as the like leaves and clusters of pale blue flowers, of a season for thinking about the summer arrange- very rare and delicate quality of colour, entitle ment of the flower garden is approaching, let me put it to a place in the choicest collections. Pro- on record a few combinations which may be new to bably it is only hardy in our southern counties, li.il,DL^ fl\.lU photograph. and even there likes a warm sheltered place and a little dry Fein for winter protection ; but it.s distinct character and refined beauty well repay a little care and trouble. It forms a bushy plant about 2 feet high and flowers in July. Primroses in the sunliglit. — We are com- pelled to grow all our Primroses and Polyanthuses here in the full light of the sun, having no shade. Double Primroses will not stand it, but singles thrive admirably. The soil is very stiff and has a clay base, but none the less burns and bakes ex- ceedingly under hot sunshine. The worst enemies of the plants are found in thrips in the summer, and excessive wet in the winter. Old plants are rarely worth retention after three seasons' bloom- ing, although some will divide fairly weU. Still, it is obvious that divided plants never seem to have that robustness which is found in seedlings. In raising a big batch of seedlings every year we are independent of old plants, and do not care to preserve them beyond the third year. I have often noted that even wild Piimroses growing in shade and in cool, deep-soiled woods rarely show plants of great age ; indeed, apparently seldom some of your readers. The system finds favour from its diversity of outline, and from the way in which it relieves all flat uniform surfaces, whether carpet beds, pure and simple, or blocks and masses of colour. Tuberous Begonias are very u,seful for this work, and have a more pleasing ell'ect when thus employed than in masses. The large-flowering varieties are admirably adapted for dot plants, and where named sorts are not at hand, good seedlings of decided colours in scarlet, pink, and light shades should ^ be selected, care being taken that they are free-flowering and of sturdy robust habit. The best carpet for scarlet Bego- nias is the Mesembryanthemum; a few dotted here and there in this groundwork, and far enough apart to show up the variegated foliage, with an occasional plant of Acacia lophantha, make a very pretty and effective bed, whilst for the lighter varieties a green carpet, as Camo- mile, Mentha, &c., or, better still, the blue Viola, may be used. A plant I can thoroughly recommend for dotting about amongst masses of blue Viola is Sisyrin- chium californicum ; its Flag-like foliage and long spikes of creamy yellow flowers stand well up, and form an effective contrast to the blue carpet ; the same \'iola may also be used to advantage as 3 a groundwork for large beds of Lilium candidum. For large beds of scarlet and pink Geraniums the best dot plants are white Marguerites; struck in spring and turned out of oinch pots, they make large bushes quickly, and the dense sheets of white rising out of the bright colours of the ( ieraniums have a very pretty effect. For smaller beds, Eucalyptus and thesweet-scented Tobacco maybe used instead of Marguerites. Nice little plants of Fuchsia, with compact bushy heads, are also very useful, and can be worked in according to colour in beds of Viola, dwarf Ageratum, Iresine, Heliotrope, and the like. A pleasing combination for a large bed is a ground - woik of dark purple Petunia interspersed with occasional plants of the large variegated Abutilon, and yet another is a carpet of dark Heliotrope dotted over with Centaurea candidissima. For green, feathery foliage, to be used where bright variegation predominates, nothing is better than Acacia lophantha. The above list might, of course, be largely extended, but the plants enumerated are within the reach of all «ho have a green- hou.se, and wish to furnish some pleasing combina- tions for the summer decoration of the flower garden. E. B. Violets after the snow.— Mr. Allan's account of the flouii.'hirg state of his Violets must refer to those that ho macages so admirably under the 146 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 12, 1SS7. glass lights which he places so prominently in the eye of the sun, at Gunton Park, throughout the winter and the early spring. Were it other- wise, then indeed must Gunton be a weather Paradise, free from the chilling snows and cutting frosts that have played such havoc with Violets in the open this winter. The three sorts of which Mr. Allan has sent you flowers are also those that have suffered most in the open this winter. Bor- ders of Marie Louise, Neapolitan, and Comte Brazza, studded with bloom and well clothed with foliage before Christmas, are now flat with the ground and brown, as if boiling water had passed over them. Whatever may be said with truth of the snow keeping Roses warm and snug for a month or more at a stretch, it is abundantly proved by results that these best of all Violets have not yet learned the art of sleeping for the same period under the snow and reappearing as fresh and fragrant as before. On the contrary, they have resented the snow wrappings and all its chilling works of successional thawings and freezings. The Czar, as might be expected from its semi-Arctic name, and Queen Victoria, pro- bably a close blood-relative of The Czar, as becomes it also, have borne their long period of hyberna- tion with impunity, and come forth breaking into bloom — which, however, seems in no hurry to fully open. -D. T. F. Double Primroses. — Of claret-hued kinds, other than the old double crimson I have grown one here, under the designa'ion of Scotch red. Apparently, it is a robust sort in its northern home, but in the hot south it soon went the way of all double Primroses. The flowers were of a reddish chestnut hue. They opened at first small and single, but later became good doubles, though not large. There is also a variety variously known as the Scotch purple, crimson- purple, and pui-ple, which has rather smooth leafage, and produces its blooms in clusters on semi-Poly- anthus stalks. This is early and free, and one of the very best where it can be induced to thrive. The flowers are of a reddish purple, and might be by some termed claret, or port-wine coloured. The true double purple has distinctive flowers, each petal being marked with a tiny white spot ; the foliage is long and fairly smooth. Compared with single Primroses now so fine, so varied in colour, so early in bloom, and withal so robust and free, it is very doubtful whether doubles, even of the most striking form, can hold their own now. 'l"he single kinds are also easily raised from seed, and hundreds of plants of them will involve less trouble and anxiety than will a dozen choice double Primroses in pots. My plants, in hundreds, after being half-drowned in snow water , are bursting into very e.arly and beautiful bloom, such as no doubles could equal. — A. J). SHORT NOTES.— FLOWER. SaxifragaBurseriana.—TliisbriiiitifiillitUe Saxifrage is grown adiniiMl'ly at ( 'tii^wick, "where large clumps of it in pots in cool pits may be seen now just coming icito flower. Crocus Imperati-~This beautiful early Crocus may be seen at tlie present time in full flower on the rock work in the Royal Hurticnltural Society's gardens iit Chiswick. Canna Gloire de Lyon. —This is at once the hand- somest and d.arke&t variety with which we a'e acquainted. Iq gi-owth it is remarkably upright, the leaves erect and pointed, and of a beautiful deep red colovir. Cyclamen Coum vernum.— This pretty litfe gem with its reddish purple blossoms may now be seen flowering freely in a shaded nook in the gardens of the Royal llorti- eultural Society at Chiswick. Canna Premices de Nice-- Anyone desirous of pro- curing a j-ellow-flowered variety of Indian Shot cannot do better than procm-e this. Iq habit it is very dwarf and com- inct, and throws up its beautiful yellow flowers in gre-t abundance. Galanthus ntvalis preecox.— A very pretty form of t'lis popidar siiring flower is now tri l.)c seen in fine lai-^c clumps on the rockwork at Chiswick. it well merits its name, as it is much earlier than many other varieties growing in close proximity to it, and this character it has maintained for many seasons. Lavatera arborea variegata. — We saw the other day at Cliiswick suine t lints of tliis handsome Malvaceous plant that had been lifted from the open gr- und iu the autumn. A peculiarity of this is that when planted out during tlie summer months, the foliage turns quite green and reniaius so. On bEiog .again lifted and potted, the varieg.ation gr.idu- allj; returns and^|naUo,8,it a very eftpctivo plant (or l(o\igo dp- coimiHri. It i.s easily inised froiii seed; which coiiies quite tnie. Iberia from thn mountains of Greece.— This beautiful dwarf little Iberis is now iu flower in one of the hardy pits in the Royal Horticult.nr.al Society's gardens at Chiswick. It is the earliest of all the family, but difticult to get a stock of, as it flowers so freely that no cuttings can Ijc had, and wc have never seen it ripen seed. Perhaps Mr. Maw could give us sime information regarding it, as 1 think it was he who introduced it. Globularia Alypum. — To the genus Globularia belong about seveu European species or varieties, .all of which, except Alypum, are dwarf evergreen alpine plants. Their flowers are of various shades of blue, and are borne on stems from 2 inches to 10 inches in height. G. Alypum is, however, an erect, evergreen, twiggy bush, from 1 foot to 3 feet in height, and fre- quently as much through. It has obovate, spathu- late, glossy dark green leaves from half an inch to Ih inches long, clothing the entire length of the woody stems. Its flowers, which are solitary and terminal, are about the size of a sixpence, and pale blue, shaded with deeper blue on the outer portion. This species is usually found in extremely narrow fissures of calcareous rooks bordering on the sea — so narrow, in fact, that it is almost impossible to get it extracted with roots sufficient to enable it to grow. On my last journey in South Europe I was, however, fortunate in meeting with a station where some were growing on a stony tract on a hillside. These have become nicely established, and are now flowering. It appears to grow well in peat, loam, and sand in about equal quantities, but it should be placed tightly be- tween two pieces of limestone. It should also he in a warm, sunny position on rockwork or at the foot of a warm, sunny wall. The finest plants of it I ever remember to have seen were at Villefranche, on the borders of Spain. They were growing near the but- tresses, &c , of the fortifications — large bushes, bear- ing a profusion of lovely, delicate blue button-like flowers. — R. Potter, Turk. Violets. — Our treatment of these differs some- what from that recorded by Mr. Uphill (p. IIU). We find that they (especially Marie Louise) do not pro- duce clumps sufficiently large either for sale or home work from cuttings the first year. Therefore, when the pits are cleared of them in spring we divide the plants into very small pieces, and select the best and freshest crowns for planting in open quarters. They are generally put on groimd on which Cauliflowers grew, or such crops as had been fairly well manured the previous season. They also receive a dressing of some artificial manure when planted, repeating the dose twice or thrice during the growing season. In order to keep our stock from deteriorating through age, and to keep up the required number, we annually grow several thousands from cuttings. These are selected runners taken off when putting the plants under glass in October. They are laid in thickly in the open ground. By February they are rooted, and soon afterwards are planted out under Apple and Pear trees, where most of them remain until the following spring, when they are lifted, divided, and treated in every way the same as those that have been under glass, and where, as a matter of course, they will be placed in the autumn. Plants thus divided are our sheet anchor, and by these means we ensure extra strong clumps that afford us very large quantities of fine flowers neatly, if not quite, all the year round. — J. R. expression of the wish that some similar society should be established in England. We got once from some botanists in Brazil information about Orchid destroyers, who were sent from European horticulturists to report on some rare Orchids. We were told that some of them, in order to render the species rarer and dearer, destroyed all the plants which remained, and sent their examples to Europe as " the last " (similar occurrences have also taken place in Switzerland with alpine plants). We wrote immediately to Rio de Janeiro, and we had the pleasure of receiving an answer to the effect that something would be done to pre- vent such vandalism. I am glad to hear that Mr. Webster is of our opinion, and I hope he will become a member of our society, which wants the names of those who protest against the destruction of natural objects. But I feel the necessity of further aid, and of asking in The Garden if there are not in England native lovers enough to form an English association for the preservation of plants. I have for a long tirne heard complaints of the destruction of plants in England as in Switzerland. Many of your greatest botanical and horticultural authorities have said to me, " We want here in England such a society as yours." We had, I can assure you, great trouble here to found the society, because we had to deal with people that are not very enthusiastic in regard to plants. But in England — I do not believe that anywhere in the world could there be found a people more enthusiastic in regard to plants and flowers than the English are, and I can say that we found greater success for our ideas of protection in England than in any other country. I hope the time will come, and soon, when our Association for the Protection of Plants will have a sister to fraternise with in England. All those who are interested in these questions can get our reports gratis at my office. — H. CoRREVON, Geneva. Preservation of native plants.— In The Garden (p. lOl) Mr. Webster, author of an ex- cellent book upon British Orchids, speaks about the protection of your native flora, and mentions the efforts that are being made in (ieneva to pro- tect wild plants. Let me add that our work extends beyond the limits of our own country, and that by means of our pamphlets, of the news- papers, of conferences, and of correspondence we have already directed the attention of many foreign naturalists to the importance of this question as it affects their own country. Since we founded our society we have had the pleasure of getting from many of the countries of Europe information, which sliows us that this question has been brought to the front by our publications. Even in England, three years ago, we got from the Natural History Society of tho Midlands an address of sympathy, which concliided witli the Fruit Garden. W. COLEMAN. DUCK'S-BILL APPLE. In The Garden (p. 99) "J. C. C." has done good service to oichaulists in drawing attention to this valuable late variety. With us it is grown extensively as the Winter Pearmain, in Sussex as the Dtick's-bill or Sussex Scarlet Pearmain, and although some confusion exists, it is just questionable if this is not the oldest Apple on record, consequently the original of all the Pearmains, a numerous and most excellent family. Indeed, were I confined to one section for liiy yearly supply of fruit, I have often thought 1 should plant in duplicate all the best varieties, commencing with the old Summer and Worcester Pearmains and winding up with the Herefordshire and Mannington's. All the varie- ties, especially the old ones, are very hardy, moderate but good growers, and generally carry good crops of fruit, a large tree of the Duck's- bill with me, probably sixty years of age, liaving borne more or less heavily each season since the year 1«6(>. "J. C. C" is (j^uite correct in saying the sample sent to bim is still sound and looks like keeping till April ; nay, more, if placed in a cool even temperature he will find it plump enough iu May, if not later, for only last season I placed two of the most beautiful samples I ever saw in a desk in my room, where, in the dark, they laid on their rich crimson streaks and spots and kept sound till June. I then took them out, and not only was their flavour of the highest quality, but the aroma they left behind in the desk remained for montlis afterwards. I have been looking over my stock, of which I have several bushels from my old standard, and find they are just clumging from dull green to pale yellow, and the rich stripes and siiiiiiy cheeks. Fkb. 1887.] THE GARDEN. 147 will soon become bright crimson, when the fruit will be delicious and an ornament on the best appointed table. For the guidance of planters who do not know the Apple I will quote a description of it from our great authority, Ur. Bull, who says : — Tlie fruit is 3| inches wide, the same in height, of a true Pearmain shape, Boinewhat five-sided towards the crown. .Skin smooth, greenish yellow, marked with streaks of dull red on the shaded side, deep red next tlio sun, .and strewed with russety dots. Eye large and ojjen, with short segments set in a deep basin. Stalk a quarter of an inch long, inserted in a deep funnel shaped cavity lined with russtt. Flesh yellowish, firm, cri>p juicy and sugary, biisk, piquant, and pleasant, t^'uality highly esteemed for culinary purposes, but may be placed on the dessert table with credit. A very Lanc'some fiuit, and always fetches a high price in the market. Season from December to iMay. When I state that Ihe writer of this description did not care for sensational examples, b\it gave preference to good average fruit, readers will gather that this old variety is worth looking after, not only b}' private consumers, but also by growers for market. At the present time there is a strong feeling in favour of the fine samples imported from the colonies, and, strange as it may appear, leading dealers and salesmen are prejudiced in their notions of good Apples and their proper season, jiarticularly those of home growth. This prejudice must be got over, and it is needless to s.iy the task rests with growers, who must devote their attention to a few of the best sorts which do well in their own localities, and are acknowledged by the middlemen. Of these they must produce quantities, and send none but picked samples to market. I do not wish to prevent them from buying and planting new and mid-season sorts, but if they would re- deem the ground already lost, they must culti- vate acres of the best early and late varieties which have quality as well as good looks to re- commend them. The Pearmains for culinary or dessert purpo.ses span the whole Apple season, and being with few exceptions such good crop- pers and so thoroughly hardy, it is hardly pos- sible for anyone to make a bad selection from the score or more varieties now met with in good fruit catalogues. First on the list in point of earliness come the handsome Worcester and Scarlet Pearmains, fit for use in September and October, and always likely to command a good price, as they can be rushed into the market before the colonial fruit reaches our shores. Then follow a few delicious mid-season .sorts, and last, but not Itast, we have Adam's Peainiain, from December to May ; Baxter's Pearmain, from November to March ; Claygate Pearmain, equal to the Ribston Pippin, from Christmas through March and April ; Lamb Abbey Pearmain, from January to April; Balchin's Pearmain, which keeps well till May ; the Golden Winter Pear- main, quite distinct from King of the Pippins and the Winter Pearmain of the Horticultural Society ; the old Herefordshire Pearmain, a valu- able Apple, sometimes called Boyal Pearmain, in use from December to March; and, as a matter of course, the Duck's-bill mentioned by Blome- tield in his " History of Norfolk," as being the variety which furnished iOO Pearmains and four hogsheads of cider of Pearmains to the exchequer lor use at the feast of St. Michael's yearly. SHOUT NOTES.— FRUIT. Pear Fortunee Boisselot. — Tbis when well ripened is a mu=t useful variety lor de>sert doling this month. It is of large si.e, tlesh white and melting, very juicy, and pos- sessiug a X'le.i^aiit aroiaa. Apple-free flower-buds are so stout and alnmdant even iiow th:a it will ba well to prune liberally to enable the trees to ciiriy the forthcoming etop. Tiee heads till so .juickly when doing well, th<*t it is wiser to err in the direc- tion of free thinning than to spare the saw ; indeed, to spare the saw is to spoil the tree. — ,V. D. Apple the Sandring-ham.— This very fine new variety is now in goud eoiiditinii. It is of large size, light green, flushed on the sunny side, keeps well until March, and is well worthy the attention of fruit growers at the present time. Filberts. — I observe trees of these in abundant bloom already (Feb. 4). Should this free blooming be indicative of a largrt crop of Filberts and other small nuts, the indication is welcome. It would be interesting to learn how the Fdbert bushes look in Kent. — A. D. RENEWING VINE RODS. Those who have but little room for Grape growing, and who like to grow as many varieties as possible, may, by ailopting the following system of management, gain results equal to those secured by the extension system of train- ing, and still confine each Vine to the limits usually assigned to it when grown on the single- rod principle. The advantage of the extension system is that the wood from which the fruiting laterals spring is young and vigorous, and the buds stronger than those produced by old, spur- pruned rods. What we have to do, therefore, is to keep up a succession of young rod.s, and still get a i'ldl crop of fruit every year. By a little management tbis is easil)' done. If the Vines are about 4 feet apart a succession of rods can be brought on, each of which will in its turn bear fruit of the best quality for three nr four years. In the first year of bearing, which should be the Iburth year of growth, these young rods should only be allowed to bear half a crop, but this will not lessen the average crop, as the top half of the old rod on the same Vine should be allowed to bear fruit for that year. Of course, all buds should be rubbed from the lower half of this old rod to give room for the fruiting laterals of the young one, and at pruning time it sliould be cut out entirely. In the following spring a new one should be started from the strongest, well-placed bud that can be found. It may be thought that too much room is required for working this plan, but that is not the case ; the young rods take very little room till they begin to bear fruit, a? their laterals may be frequently stopped. Some years ago I worked three vineries in this way, and was well satisfied with the result ; the Vines so treated bore larger bunches and berries, and heavier and better finished crops than the old rods had borne for many years. I gradually removed the old rods, and now there is not one in these bouses which is more than seven years old, though the stools mitst be over twenty. If any of your readers, who are now depending on the produce of old rods that seem to have lost vigcuir, will adopt this system, they will soon see a great improvement in the quality and quantity of the fruit obtained. T. APPLES FOR SMALL ORCHARDS. ALTntU'on not so enthusiastic in the matter of Blenheims (p. 74) as to wish for an orchard com- posed entirely of that variety, I am inclined to think that, in the matter of Apples, as with other fruits, plants, and vegetables, we are rather over- burdened with varieties, and that a certain re- striction in this direction at planting time would be beneficial. In large places where space is no object it is very well to have a large collection to compare notes, and to be ready with a few extra- sized fruit on an emergency ; but in the majority of cases the planting an endless number of varieties brings neither pleasure to the gardener nor profit to the employer. With respect to the particular kind of tree to be used, there is certainly nothing like good standards where the filling up of the fruit room is a consideration and where Apples are largely used, and I do not think either bushes or pyramids will ever hold their own against them, for there are few places so small that cannot find room at any rate for a small orchard, and the trees might be planted wide enough to admit of the spaces between them being utilised for bush fruits. In planting a small orchard, I should confine myself to ten varieties — five dessert and five culinary — viz., Devonshire (,tuarrenden, King of the Pippins, Cox's Orange Pippin, Claygate Pearmain, and Cockle's Pippin for dessert; and Lord Suifield, Warner's King, Blenheim Orange, Hambledon Deux Ans, and Norfolk Beaufin for kitchen work. To the planter in doubt for some extra trees to fill up a corner, I would say plant more Blenheim Oranges and King of the Pippins. This latter variety was subjected to a considerable share of hostile criticism at the time of the Apple congress, owing to the high position then assigned it, and unjustly, I think, for in very many places it is deservedly at the very top of the tree. With a little extra attention at root and branch it pro- duces very handsome fruit, a little over medium size, and is in good condition for dessert ne.irly three months. The tree is healthy and vigorous, and a great and constant bearer. Taken on the whole, I think the ten varieties named will be found to possess all the necessary qualifications in their respective seasons, either for dessert or kitchen purposes, and in addition they are all handsome in appearance and capital croppers. Where space is a consideration, and only a limited area can be devoted to the orchard proper, some of them, notably Cockle Pippin, Blenheim Orange, and Hambledon Deux Ans might with ad- vantage be planted on the lawn or in open spots in the shrubbery, as, in addition to other good qualities, they possess the merit of growing into very handsome trees. E. B. SEASONABLE WORK AMONG FRUITS. Vises. The work in this important department is now increasing rapidly, and an effort must be made to keep every detail well in hand, for, next to the performance of every minor matter in a sharp, business-like way, we must not overlook the fact that the proper time is a factor which often makes or mars an otherwise good system at the end of the season. Just now Vines in the early houses are not only gaining strength under a few hours' genial sunshine, but they are making rapid headway, and a fine month will redeem much of the time lost during the trying month of January. Here, then, timely help must be given first of all by giving the chink of morning air to let out vitiated moisture, by gradually increasing it, and, finally, by closing very early with sun- heat to secure quick growth during the afternoon. Fire, of which we have had more than enough, by this means may be economised, and yet the tem- perature being high, the syringe may be freely used to break up young colonies of pests which its baneful influence has brought into existence. Many people never wet their Vines after all the buds have started ; but this has been an exceptional season, and each man must solve for himself the problem as to whether he will stand tirm to his crotchet or stoop to conquer that inveterate enemy, red spider, by an occasional bath quite up to the flowering stage. Pure soft water judiciously applied is an invaluable element, and when it is just tinged by the little bag of soot Ijing at the bottom of the cistern, it becomes a gentle tonic and a mild insecticide. If water has not been given to internal borders since the Vines broke, a quantity equal to a rainfall of ,3 inches, provided they are well drained, will tell beneficiady in a few hours, and most likely help the Vines over the setting process. This, as a matter of course, should be equal to the maximum temperature of the house, otherwise it may not produce the de- sited eftect upon the hitherto doimant roots, as_ it is a well-known fact that vigorous root action in- variably ensures a good set of fruit. . If external borders have been well covered wdth dry, warm leaves, which in their turn have been protected from the elements, they will take no harm, as the 148 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 12, 1887. roots are now only just beginning to move; whilst those inside, which are more advanced, may be drawn to the surface by spreading down the old fermenting material immediately after the borders are watered. Dishuddinri, stopping, and lyinr/ doiim also require timely attention, otherwise a march may easily be lost and never regained. The first operation should be performed piecemeal as soon as the best shows can be discerned ; the second, when the shoots have attained their proper length, when pinching out a point not larger than a pin's head will produce the desired effect without robbing the Vines of an ounce of vital force. This term may not be quite correct, but it answers my pur- pose, as I wish to see an end put to the unwise system of allowing the shoots to run to waste, and afterwards weakened by cutting back to an ugly stump, followed by bleeding. Once stopped at the second or third leaf beyond the bunch, the first set of point laterals may be allowed to extend until every bit of trellis in due course will be fur- nished with foliage. Here again some judgment must be brought to bear, as it will be necessary to allow for the full development of this lateral foliage without becoming crowded, and so imped- ing the free circulation of air. Tying down and the removal of superfluous or inferior bunches generally go hand in hand. A bright afternoon, when the shoots are sliglitly limp, is the best time to draw them downwards, and then the pressure should be very slight — so slight, indeed, at first, that the ties should little more than prevent them from ascending to the glass. Ferlilixation. — Hamburghs do not often receive this attention, but mixed sorts, notably the Sweetwaters, Foster's Seedling, and the Frontig- nans, should not be neglected. Hamburgh pollen is always preferred, and the act of collecting it is often advantageous to the pollen parent, which does not always set so freely as one could wish, other- wise so many stoneless berries would not be met with at the final thinning. If Hamburgh pollen is brushed into a small box and kept dry and air- tight, it is often found useful in the early Muscat house, when artificial fertilisation of this fine Grape is of the greatest importance. Succe»f>ion i-ineries. — The Vines in these will now be on the move and in many places disbudded. General rules observed in the management of early houses apply to these in almost every parti- cular, the only difference being a somewhat higher temperature, which the advanced period will now justify. When fairly on the move, 60° at night and 70° by day will be quite high enough for ordinary varieties, and these figures may be in- creased to 65" as the minimum by the time the bunches come into flower. As this stage is approached and the bunches begin to elongate, advantage must be taken of every bright and eunny day for running up the temperature to 7r>° or 80°, when the framework of larger clusters will result, and the progress made will not only justify, but necessitate moderate firing through the night. Pot Vines. — If these are intended to produce not only the first ripe Grapes, but also to save the first set of established Vines, the Grapes should now be ready for thinning. Quality taking pre- cedence of quantity, the bunches in the first place should be reduced to six, possibly to eight, accord- ing to the strength of the rods and the condition of the roots, for, unless these are in every way satisfactory, the attempt to obtain a heavy crop of black Grapes will be followed by disappointment. Of the two I should give preference to the smaller number of bunches, and then, provided the Vines are up to their work, not only will the weight in the aggregate be equal to that obtained from the eight, but the berries will be larger and the colour better. The thinning of Grapes is an operation which every grower, particularly of pot Vines, must manage in his own way. Hambuighs, which form the staple of the crop, vary more than any other family ot Grapes. Some form close, com- pact clusters, and swell their berries to the largest size ; others are loose in the bunch, and the berries, as a rule, are oval. The first, compara- tively speaking, require heavy thinning ; the second, possibly hardly any thinning at all. To lay down rules for the manipulation of these might mislead ; therefore, knowing the character of his Grapes, every man should be the best judge of his own work when the time arrives for thin- ning. When a bunch is properly thinned, it should be free from small or stoneless berries, and those left should be sufficiently numerous to form a perfect cluster, free from spot or blemish, which will retain its form when cut and placed upon the dish. When the Grapes are thinned, lateral growths may be tied out and pinched to secure an even spread of foliage over every part of the trellis, and the richest food at command may be used as a top dressing for the roots. This should be applied little and often, and, as a matter of course, washed in with copious supplies of warm water or diluted liquid, always, be it understood, weaker than the roots of healthy Vines will bear. Stimulating liquid in moderation is a most excel- lent aid to progress, but when, in addition to the rich top-dressing and the ammonia rising from the bed, it is used too strong, the most valuable roots perish or become paralysed, the foliage flags under bright sun, and the Grapes, as a natural conse- quence, never colour. Vines in pots being subject to red spider, the syringe from this time forward should be freely used for moistening the walls, the stems, and foliage with pure, soft water ; and time being an object, the temperature may range from 65° to 70'= at night, from 75° to 80° by day, and a few degrees higher after closing with sun heat. Air in proportion to these figures being impera- tive and the weather fickle, the fermenting material surrounding the pedestals on which the pots are placed should be renovated at short inter- vals, not only for the benefit of the roots, but also to favour a free circulation without reducing the heat to an injurious extent. Cntd/acl: Vines intended for next year's fruiting should be shaken out as soon as the buds have started, and repotted in 7-inch pots tor growing on. The compost for these should be good sound turf, bones, or old lime rubble, three substances that will form a substantial nucleus and remain sweet until the Grapes are cut eighteen months hence. Peat, leaf-mould, rotten manure, and other perishable substances are often used to give the roots a start, but they soon become light, spongy, and sour, and for this reason should be avoided. When repotted the pots should be plunged to their rims in a snug pit, and not too far from the glass, where they can have a steady bottom heat ranging from 75° to 80°. An early and quick growth being important, a correspond- ing degree of top heat and plenty of atmospheric moisture must also be supplied, but the roots having|been so recently disturbed very little water must be given until new ones have taken full pos- session of the soil, for much as Vines in full growth rejoice in an occasional deluge, they soon lose the few roots they have when as pot subjects in a comparatively dormant state they are over- watered. If two shoots have started from the crown of the old eye, the retention of both for a time favours root action, but the weakest of the two must be checked and entirely removed before the time arrives for the first shift forward. Vine e;/es put into small pots or inserted in squares of turf last month may now be plunged in a steady bottom heat of SO''' in a moist-growing pit, where dewing with the syringe will keep them wet enough for the present. Vines may be struck in a much lower temperature, but much work having to be performed in a short time, propagators always prefer stealing a march in the spring, and so successful are some, that they invariably succeed in producing fruiting canes from eyes of the current year. The great secret of success in large manu- facturing establishments is bound up in ripe wood, an early start, and a steady bottom-heat, which never varies. Private growers of a score or two of eyes cin always secure the first and second, and start with the third at high pressure. All goes well until the stored-up sap is exhausted and young roots are forming, when, owing to the fleeting nature of their fermenting materials, the heat suddenly declines, and nine-tenths of the pseudo- Vines are lost. This is the stumbling-block with many small growers, who should either pro- vide two plunging beds for alternate renovation or start at moderate speed, which they can retain until the young Vines are well furnished with roots and leaves. C'utand-dry calendar writers of the past have been too fond ot cooking and hashing, and telling people what to eat and drink, but they have not told them what to avoid. Half the young gardeners in the kingdom can repeat the contents of old-style papers by heart, but it is questionable if lists of failures, causes of failure, or how not to do it might not form a very useful negative guide. The black bit to be avoided by the amateur propagator of Vines is the sudden drop from tropical to temperate heat just when the road to success turns in the opposite direction. The /alesf Vines pruned, cleansed, and resting must be kept as quiet as possible for some time yet. It is not difficult to excite late varieties from which the Grapes were cut at Christmas, but a short rest means a weak and uneven break) consequently it is best to keep them quite cool until the buds begin to swell, when, like giants refreshed, they will break freely and make vigorous progress. Meantime, in the event of internal borders requiring renovation, preparations may be made for the performance of the work as soon as the sap is again on the move. Early and mid- season borders can be turned out as soon as the Grapes are cut and whilst the foliage is fresh, but late ones cannot be disturbed before the leaves fall, and then it is best to defer the lifting and re- laying of the roots until returning spring starts them into new life. If fresh turfy loam, bones, and other ingredients can be chopped up and thrown into a heap to ferment, a very important point will be gained, as the newly-laid roots, washed home with water at a temperature of 90°, will have the benefit and healing influence of a mild hotbed. Garden Flora. PLATE 583. ONCIDIUM JONESIANUM.* This distinct and handsome Oncidium belongs to a section which contains but a few species, characterised by short pseudo-bulbs and Rush- like leaves. O. Jonesianum was discovered by M. Louis de St. Leger on Monte Grasso, Paraguay. It was distributed by Messrs. Horsman & Co., of Colchester, and named by Prof. Reichenbach after the Rev. Morgan Jones. Its pseudo-bulbs are small, and its leaves, which taper to a long sharp point, are deep green, and from 3 inches to 9 inches in length. Until quite recently this species had only produced simple drooping racemes of bloom, but during the last few months we have received long branched spikes of it bearing nearly forty flowers, a condition in which it is strikingly attractive. The individual blooms measure about 2J inches across ; the sepals and petals, which are waved at the edges, are large, creamy white, blotched and spotted with red or reddish brown. The lip is large, broad, and flat, the front lobe being wholly pure white in some varieties, in others spotted and dotted with reddi.sh brown. The small side lobes of the lip are bright yellow dotted with red. Its blooming season is usually from June to November. The majority of terete-leaved Oncidiums are small- flowered and by no means showy ; therefore few of them have been preserved. 0. Ceboleti, with light canary-coloured lip, and O. juncifoliumand O. bracliyphyllum, both natives of Mexico, are about all that are in cultivation in this country at present. Oncidiums are for the most part easily grown, and 0. Jonesiauura forms no ex- • Drawn for The Garden by H. G. Moon, in Mr. R. J. IHe.asures"s garden at Camberwell, on July 20, ISSG, and 1 printed by G. Severeyns. 'lIE- garden 4 ♦• ONCIDIUM JONESTANUM Feb. 12, 1887. J THE GARDEN. 149 ception to the rule. It thrives best and displays its beauties to the greatest advantaf;;e when grown upon a block or in a basket suspended liead down- wards from the roof of the Cattleya house. It should be well exposed to sun and light, and should be treated to an abundant supply of water during the growing season. W. H. G. Kitchen Garden. W. WILDSMITH. KITCHEN GARDENING. Of late years increased interest is evidently being taken in regard to kitchen gardening. Young men who at one time were anxious to get " under glass," begin to think that after all kitchen gardening is not so despicable a thing as they once thought it. The fact is, their eyes are beginning to be opened, and though still in a little uncertainty as to whether or not it is dignified labour to plant a Cabbage, they have a strong inclination to try their hand at such work, and 1 for one ajiplaud their resolution ; I also sometimes think that we aie ourselves to blame for the lack of interest that young gardeners take in the vegetable department. As a matter of course, in all large gardens young men mu^t live on the place, and the houses must be attended to by regular hands, but it does not of necessity follow that they could not have a day occasionally in the vegetable or other departments. My rule is to let them have a turn at every description of work in the garden, and as they are engaged on these conditions, there is no bother about the matter ; in fact, they enjoy the change. It is not to be expected that the would-be-thought- clever young fellow, who has gained admission into the fold by means of a premium, would agree with one of the articles of my creed, namely, that it is just as creditable to grow a good Tomato or a Cauliflower as it is to grow a fine bunch of Grapes or an Orchid, but it is true nevertheless, and he will soon have to recognise the fact by practical experience, or else seek some other calling, as gardening, like many other pro- fessions, has grown to be more of a pounds, shil- lings, and pence matter than it used to be. The artistic and ornamental branches of it were never in greater request, but there must be plenty for the money, and in the near future it will be only ''all-round men" who will stand the least chance of rising to the highest positions. To young gar- deners I would say, never think that your dignity suffers by digging a few rods of ground. Devote the same pains to thinning out Carrots, Parsnips, Onions, and the like as you would to thinning out the seeds of Mignonette in pots, disbudding show Chrysanthemums, or thinning Grapes. Plant out Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Let- tuces, and any other vegetable with the same amount of care as you would pot the choicest plants. Above all, get thoroughly lid of the notion that you are above doing what in garden- ing parlance is called " labouier's work ;" then, as a set-off to what you may at present sometimes consider to be hard work, or such as you ought not to be called upon to do, you may with good reason hope one day to attain a position in the gardening world worthy of your devotedness to every branch of your calling. Wintering Beet.— A considerable stock of Beetroot has wintered remaikably well so far laid in beneath trees in light loose soil. This is a good plan where it is specially desired to keep the roots Iresh and plump, and when carefully lifted from the kitchen garden and so laid in, the shoulders being well covered with soil, and the tops in hard weather with leaves, it is remarkable how little the roots feel the lifting. Carrots and Parsnips also keep well in the same way; frost, severe out in the open, is often comparatively light under over- hanging trees. — A. D. CULTURE OF SEAKALE. Where a constant supply of this vegetable has to be maintained from the middle of November up to the same time in April, some forethought is required to prepare sufficient plants of quality good enough to keep up the supply to meet the demand of such a long season. Where recourse cannot be had to buying a stock of plants yearly prepared for forcing, a supply can easily be raised if the following details are carried out : Seakale delights in a strong moisture-holding soil approach- ing clay. In such a soil, if manure be freely applied, the plants grow freely, producing large leaves, which in turn develop good crowns for the following season's use. An easy, cheap way to procure a stock of plants is by growing them from seed, which should be sown the first week in April on land that has been previously deeply dug or trenched and manured the winter previous. Roughly rake over the ground, and with the corner of a hoe draw drills 'J inches deep and 1.") inches apart ; in these sow the seed thinly, and cover it by filling the soil into the drills, rake the whole over again to remove loose stones and make all neat ; the seed will quickly germinate and grow ; as soon as the plants can be handled thin them out to about (i inches apart in the rows : better not allow them to be crowded ; rather grow fewer in number. After this nothing beyond hoeing between the drills to keep down weeds will be re- quired the first summer. Any time during Feb- ruary the following year the plants should be dug up and replanted, preserving the roots in good condition. Manure the ground freely, and dig deeply or trench as before. If this be done in the autumn or winter so much the better, and at planting time it will simply require forking over as planting proceeds ; the rows should be 18 inches apart, and the plants at least 1 foot from each other. Previous to planting, the roots should be selected according to their size, retain- ing the largest in one batch, while the small ones should go together and can occupy rather less space. The reason for thus selecting the roots in this manner is that some of the largest after this season's growth will be ready for forcing, while the smallest will not be strong enough for another year, and if all are mixed more labour is entailed in digging them up and sorting ; whereas if they are classed according to their sizes no trouble need be found in taking them up. The best plan is to dig the space required, then stretch a line, and with a spade chop out the space for each plant in a perpendicular manner ; the roots should be buried under the soil at least an inch or two, the crown or growth shoot having been first cut oft". This operation is to prevent the growth of bloom shoots being developed. If this takes place instead of leaf growth only the plants are spoilt for the next year's expectations of forcing. Certainly the cutting off of the crown should be done, say, half-an-inch under the point where the succeeding growth springs from. Plants so treated will make leaf growth only, and many will be of suflieient strength to force the fol- lowing season. If not commencing too early with them it is always best to have some extra strong to depend upon for the earliest supplies. The smaller roots need not be taken up this season for replanting if time or space is an object, but the crowns should be all cut over before growth starts to prevent them blooming, and by the end of the next autumn a good stock of plants will be available, and can be kept up from this time onwards if properly attended to. After being forced, such treatment should be as follows: Any time after the Kale has been cut from them, they may be replanted at similar dis- tances and in the same manner as described before, thoroughly well manuring the ground ; if the roots are extra thick, they may be split down the middle, and if a larger stock is required, they should be cut into lengths of from 0 inches to a foot ; any pieces of the roots ,3 inches long will grow, and in time will make nice plants if neces- sary to use them ; but once a sufficient stock is secured, it can generally be maintained without using up all the root pieces. Many are the methods adopted to force Seakale. In very few instances is the old-fashioned plan of making huge heaps of manure and leaves resorted to. No doubt the produce of such a method is of capital quality, but where time is an object of some importance, this system is not economical ; besides, the appearance of such materials on the ground is not altogether good, but where no other convenience for the purpose is available, such a method must be practised. For the earliest supplies some roots may be placed in 10-inch or l'2inch pots with pots of the same size turned over them ; tliese can be placed by the hot-water pipes in the plant stove or any house where a good heat is available. For a succession to be maintained until April there is no better place than the Mushroom house, where such structure can be partly devoted to the growth of Seakale. The time to renew the supply of roots must be guided by the demand. For a fair production, about once a fortnight is suitable, taking up the roots so that as little damage as possible may happen to them. We find the lighter the character of the soil the more tender is the Kale, and not so liable to that strong taste which sometimes is found in this vegetable. We there- fore use rotted leaves entirely, and over each crown we place an inverted pot, which more thoroughly excludes the light. Some cover the roots entirely with fresh leaves, which answers very well ; but there is more labour entailed in this way than by using pots. When the roots are all cut over once they should be removed, ne c.-ireful selection, and is now found to be the best extant for market purposes. It i.s rut a Oell selection, but is quite distinct.— A. D. Snowball Cauliflowrer.— Seed of this early CanliHowir .snwn in a cold greenhouse has germinated freely in a fni't- night, and will furnish strong plants reatly t>j dil'iile nut into frames by the end of Starch. After a month in frames, they wilt transplant with good balls of soil into a warm south border in cood soil, and then will tnn-n in raiiidly a fow weeks later, 'i'liis i.s really the whitest, earliest, and most I'Ki). 1:\ 1887.] THE GARDEN. 151 ulidof lill tho Cauliflowers. -A. V. I have grown it for fifteen years. Chairmaii Potato.— A quantity of this Potato, a seed- ling from Muguuiu Hoiium and Beauty of Hebron, which had been ]iitted (-ut in the field, and only just got into tlir store, has nut only kept wonderfully wuercus aquatica) is conspi- cuous among the Oaks in the Kew arboretum, as it is one of the few that have not shed their leaves ; but it is not a good Evergreen, because the leaves get a rusty look by midwinter — at least in the neighbour- hood of London. I should like to know if any readers in Devonshire or other warm parts of the coast could tell us if the Water Oak is a good Evergreen there. It is, no doubt, perfectly hardy, but unless it retains gretn foliage in winter, it is not of much value as an ornamental tree. — W. G. The Pontic Daphne. — The beauty and value of this low spreading evergreen thrub is not recog- nised in lawn planting. A mass of it has, however, a grand effect ; its foliage being of a much paler green than that of the tuif, shows itself well at a distance. This Daphne is always dwarf and neat, an! has an inclination to spread in all directions, so that it a dozen are planted in a mass, say about 10 feet or ]'2 ftet across, a dense group will soon be the result. It is a good deal like the common Spurge or Wood Laurel, but the leaves are shorter and more oval in outline. The flowers produced in spring are also different, for while those of D. Laureola are borne in clusters of five, those of D. pontica are borne in ^airs, are more yellow, and more sweetly-scented. "There is a variety (rubra) with red flowers and another with variegated leaves, but neither of these are common. The Pontic Daphne is a native of Asia Minor and Siberia, where it generally forms a dense undergrowth in woods, and rarely grows more than Ti feet high. It thrives in any soil, from almost a cl.ny to an American peat bed. I saw and admired a most luxuriant mass of it the other day in a garden in the Wcald of Sussex, where the soil is very heavy, while on the poor, hungry soil at Kew it is quite as Uixuriatit. — W. G. PINUS CEMBRA. Allow me to add a few words to the excellent article which appeared in TuL Gakden (p. 104) upon our Swiss Pine. Even if that tree could at one time have been described as Swiss, and as being the prevailing tree in our Alps, such a description would now be quite in- correct. Our old books upon the Alps and Swiss history mention the fact that two or three centuries ago that tree was found everywhere upon the highest Alps. It was, above all others, the mountain tree, coming from the large plains of Siberia, and extending over all the mountains of Central Asia, the Alps, &c. The central parts of the Alps were covered with it, and it formed large and useful forests. Dr. Chust, in his " Flore de la Suisse et ses Origines," tells us that its numbers are now so much reduced, that the time can be foreseen when the glorious tree of our Alps will be a thing of the past. In the year 1822, Kasthofer wrote: "Still rarer than Larch-tree forests are Arolla forests ; without the forester's help that tree can no more be preserved in our country, and it will aoon be extinct in our populated valleys.'' The Arole or Arolla has so many enemies, that it cannot survive if the foresters do not protect it. Human beings, birds of many kinds, squirrels, mice, and other animals are very fond of its seeds. Sheep and goats are fond of the young trees ; but the most dangerous of all its enemies is man — man, the perfection of all the creatures in crea- tion, who has the greatest interest in protectinj; the young trees, and in helping them to develop their branches ; man, who is protected by the forests, and for whom these trees are treasures ! During the past half-century the limits of the forests has-e decreased rapidly. It is sad indeed to think of the enormous diminution of our forests in all the Alpine regions lately. The shepherds for their milk industries, and the communes to extend their pasturages, cut down all these trees, which Nature has placed there to protect their districts. Large forests have been destroyed in order to set pasturages, and the wealth of the valley is gone with the woods. Arole trees can seldom be seen in forests ; it is even rare to see pretty individual trees, and to see them in quan- tity it is necessary to go into districts like Arola, in the Val d'Arola, Valais, Hotel Weisshorn, in the Val d'Anniviere, over St. Luc, Valais, on the Eifi'el by Zermatt, in Grubben Thai, Valais, in the Engadine. Elsewhere they are rare and small. The tree grows very .slowly. In a few minutes the woodcutter can undo the work that Nature took 1(100 years to accomplish. I have seen in the Vallee de Nenday (Valais), in Civiez, large speci- mens of that tree cut down and rotting on the soil, the object of the destruction being the exten- sion of the pasturages. And because our trees are becoming so rare, and our forests are disappear- ing rapidly, in spite of the excellent forest laws which Switzerland possesses, the Association pour la Protection des Plantes has added to her work "Protection of Forests," and has begun to cry as loudly as it can, " Our trees and forests in the highest regions are sacred ; do not cut them down!" H. CoRREVON. Gttie.va. The Amur Ivy (Hedera amurensis). — This Ivy, to which an allusion was made the other day, has been grown at Kew for about four years. A large plant of it is growing on an open stump in the Ivy collection, and judging from its present appearance it is as hardy as any. The leaves are large and bold, mostly heart-shaped, and are beautifully stained with brownish purple and overlaid by a network of green veins. It is to all appearance a first rate Ivy, distinct from all the rest, a fast grower, and perfectly hardy. — W. G. Pinus flexilis. — This Rocky Mountain Pine is one of those scrubby-looking Pines about which I wrote the other day, but at the time I forgot to mention it. It is a distinct-looking little Pine in growth, much resembling others of the Scotch Fir race, but much darker in tint, and what is most re- markable, its branches are completely covered with needles, bottle-brush fashion. It is a fine little lawn tree, and I should always place it so that it would ar pear to be an offshoot from a main mass of bigger Pines, or in a recess, either fingly or a group of three or four plants placed within a few feet of each other. It is a native of the Sierra Nevadn, and is one of the alpine trees of the Rocky Mountain region, where it grows to a large tree in some parts. Magnolia Halleana. — This Magnolia is not so rare as some seem to imagine, but, pretty though it be, it certainly cannot cla'm to be tlie " finest of its tiibe." It forms a low, much-branched shrub, and belongs to that section of the genus which blossoms before the leaves appear. The flowers, which are borne singly on the points of the shoots, measure from 3 inches to 4 inches in diameter, and are com- posed of a number of narrow strap-like petals, which, after being open for a short time, gradually reflex. They are pure white, but when in the bud-state the exterior is slightly suffused with pink. Halleana flowers about the same time, or a little later, than the Yulan (M. cmspicua). Its leaves, which after a time make their appearance, are about 4 inches or 5 inches in length, and of rather a pile green hue. It is thoroughly hardy, at all events around London, as plants of it at Coombe Wood testify, yet it is not seen at its btst except in some sheltered spot; where exposed the b'ooms are often injured by spring frosts. There is, however, one purpose for which this Mag- nolia when in blossom is well suited, and that is for the embellishment of the greenhouse or conservatory. It is very amenable to put culture, and when pro- ttcted by glass the blossoms are seen to advantage. It is now some half-dozen years since I first saw it in the temperate hou-e at Kew, and I was then so struck with its beauty that I have since grown it under glass, and thus treated the delicious fragrance of its blossoms is more pronounced than in t'ne open air. After blooming, we remove our plants to a frame, where they are gradually hardened C'ff, and after a time plunged in the open ground, Under this treatment they set their blooms freely, and on the approach of winter they are replaced in the frame and in spring taken into the greenlionse. This Magnolia, like other memliers of the genus, is not an easy plant to propagate, for, though layers will strike root, their slow growth prevents such a mode of increase being extensively followed. It is generally grafted on M. obovata, which is mostly usfd as a stock for this sec- tion. M. Halleana is sometimes met with under the name of M. stellata. — T. SHORT NOTES.— TREES AND SHRUBS. Ivies —Anyone interested in Ivies will Ijc well repaid by a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society's gardens at Cliis- wicl^, where Mr. Barron has got together a very extensive collection of the diflfereut varieties, which, as the teason ad- va'iccs, will be very interesting. Picea bracteata — This is pe»haps less known than most Conifers, a circumstance to be regretted, as it is very distinct in appearance, .and a cipital subject for choice posi- tions. Its appearance i^ lighter than that of many of the family to which it belongs, and if planted in good soil it should grow rapidly and attaia a good height ; feeing that it comes from California, it shonlJ, I think, prove hardy. — .J. C. C. Cotoneasters.— C. microphylla allowed to trail freely over rockwork at Chiswic^ is now very conspicuous, being laden with beautiful coral berries. Cotoneaster Hook raj growing in close proximity is beu-ing no fruit at all, and seems to have suffered ve y much from the late severe weather, tlie foliage looking ixs if it had been scorched. Picea cepbalonioa. — This is not srextendvely planted in par-ksand rlea.sure grounds as it deserves to bo. It is , 1887.] THE GARDEN. 155 on accmmt nf its sharp spines. Xevcitheless, young speci mens should not be left altogether unprotected. — J. C. C. FRENCH GARDENING TOOLS. A YOUNG English gardener, well up in short Grass mowing — a qualification, by the way, rather rare in the present age of mowing machines— would bo considerably taken aback if required to make a clean-shaven lawn with the implement that is familiar to his French colleagues. To the eyes of an English gardener there can be nothing more awkward-looking than the French scythe. The blade, it is true, offers a tolerably close resem- blance to that of English make, but here the similarity ends, for the handle is as straight as that of a prong, and there is but one grasp, which is placed about halfway down the handle. This is, of course, for the left hand ; the right clasps the uppsr portion of the handle just in the same way that one would take hold of a pitchfork or any similar straight-handled implement. To those used to the curved handle of our own scythe it would seem almost impossible to make good work with an implement of this description. It does do short (irass-mowing, however, very well indeed, and I am inclined to think that it has one advantage over scythes in use with us. The blade is very thin, and, contrary to what is the rule with French cutting implements, the secateur e.xcepted, well tem- pered. In the hands of a good workman it will cut almost like a razor. In the matter of sharp- ening, however, the Frenchman goes to work in a manner that differs as much from that practised by us as the two implements vary in form. His first proceeding is to fi.x a piece of iron firmly in the ground, the top of which is wedge-shaped. He seats himself before this, and, laying the edge of the blade on the blunt edge of the iron, with a hammer taps it smartly from one end to the other ; then, reversing the blade, he completes the first stage of sharpening. The second consists, as with us, in passing a "rubber" along both c^ges, but with this important difference that his rubber is flat-sided instead of being round, and that he never by any chance uses it dry. The rubber is kept in a horn containing water slung at the back of the workman, so that it is kept in a wet condition. It is easy to understand that in this way a finer edge can be obtained, for everyone knows that if we want to put a keen edge on a pruning knife we always sharpen on a moist stone. I should explain that the beating of the edge of the scythe is rendered imperative by the thinness of the material, which turns a little after being used seme time. If a man is mowing all day long he will need to beat the edge of his scythe about twice. It will doubtless appear strange that such thin material should be employed in the manufacture of scythes, but there is good reason for this. Without a very keen cutting im- plement you cannot mow short (irass in France in the summer time. Owing to the great amount of dry heat, the Grass is so tough that I doubt if the most expert of English mowers could do much with it with our ordinary scythe. There is an almost entire absence of those heavy night dews that so frequently accompany very hot summer diys in this country, and to which we owe much of our verdant freshness at that time of year, so that there is but little chance of taking advantage in the early morning of a moist condition of the Grass for mowing, as used to be done in English gardens before the mowing nuchine supplanted the scythe. Even at the present time the greater portion of the Cirass in French provincial gardens is mowed, mowing machines being not nearly so much used as with us. The French spade ditf'ers quite as much from the implement used in this country as the two scythes do. It has a long, straight handle like a prong, with no grasp at the end, and the blade, instead of being straight, is much wider at the top than at the bottom. It is certainly, to unac customed eyes.an awkward looking tool, and a man u-ld, about the hardiness of this plant, I agree with what "W. G." says, on p. 303, that it is perfectly hardy ; that is to say, I have kept plants out in Cheshire through such \\inter3 as 18S0 and 1881. Its ordinary duration of life in gardens, however, is about three years. It is what may be called an herbaceous shrub, dying to the ground-line in autumn, and breaking from tho base about the same time ; but when the woody base gets very hard and thick it fails to break again, or the circulation between the roots and young shoots is iu-suflicient to maintain them. Under these con- ditions it dies, generally in its third or fourth win- ter, whether the weather is severe or not. It is easily kept by taking a few cuttings every year in spring. I do not find either H. oblongifolium or H. patulum hardy here unless the w-inter is mild. If killed to the ground they never recover here. — - C. AV. DOD, /;%!• IlaH. SJIOItT NOTES.— FLOWER. Bromus sterilis aurea.-I hnve found at Sandiacre Bronius sterilia aiirea, whicli I think would look very bright in the sin-intr garden. It is a cleir yellow, and comes true from seed.— Wm. Elliott. Pri mula altaica.— This seeds but spai ingly, and may be known by it.s thin c.aly.x and its thinner foliage, is more subjeet to red spider, and will grow in a lighter soil than Prinuila vvdgaris. If I am wrong, I shall be glad to ba enlghteucd upon this subject. — W. Elliott. Will you kindly inform me -what would be likely to grow in a dark corner in an angle formed by the walls of two portions of a house ? No sun ever gets to it. The walls are covered with Ivy, but the piece of ground in the corner is very bare. Would Lily of the Valley grow in such a place ? Or how would it do to form a rockery there, and if this is to 346 THE GARDEN. [April 16, 1887. succeed, wh;it plants would be likely to thrive in it?— T. Carmichael. Ranunculus bulbosus. — The white Rinunculus bulbosus is a clianning British plant I found at Sandiaci-e, and if it comes true from £eed, of which I have little doubt, we shall have one plant more worthy of introduction to the flower garden. I have also seen some very pale forms of Ranunculus acris in the same locality. I will report further in the season about them.— Wm. Elliott. THE CHIONODOXAS. lowing them closely, and now as they are on the wane the numerous varieties of Scilla bifolia are beginning to bloom, following the Smyrna variety by at least four weeks. Wm. Beockbank. ' Brockhurst, Iliclshnrij. Two years ago I received a large number of bulbs, collected by Mr. Edward Whittall, of Smyrna (the discoverer of Chionodoxa sardensis), in the mountains near that place. These are now well established at Brockhurst and are blooming vigorously. The well-known forms of C. Lucilias and C. sardensis are amongst them, but there are several well marked varieties. One is the pure porcelain white, a real gem, which will be a very popular flower, if it can be obtained in quantity. We have about half-a- dozen bulbs now producing flowers. One form has a delicate pink shade of colour, and another has a delicate blue, but in both cases the flowers are pure white when fully opened. There is a single plant of deep purple, like the colour of Hepatica Barlowi. There are many varieties in the .shading, from the blue of the Nemophila, to white at the centres, and of violet-puri^le, such as could be picked out in any large group of C. Luciliffi. The plate in your Vol. XVIli., p. 12, is an admirable illustration, and therein is shown also the white variety, a few bulbs of which had been found by Mr. George Maw on the summit of the Nymph Dagh, near Smyrna. In the C. sardensis there is but little variety. It has no shading, the perianth being of a deep even blue. A mass of it has a cliarming effect, even more beautiful than its sister form. Mr. Whittall sent with these a large number of bulbs of Scilla bitolia, and these have interested me greatly for the last two seasons. I have at length come to the conclusion that they are not S. bifolia, and that a new name will have to be found for this variety. They are to be found in any large lot of C. Lucilia3, if the gardener has not weeded them out as rogues. The Scilla bifolia of our gardens is figured in the Botanical Magazine (vol. xx., p. 74G), where it is stated to be a British plant. It is also to be found in many illustrated works on British botany. The example here given must have been taken from a garden variety, as it certainly differs altogether from the British plant, having a darker colour and a more diffuse habit. It is, however, not unlike the Smyrna Scilla, especially as regards the shading of the peri- anth from blue to white, as in the Chionodoxa LuciliiB. It differs, however, materially from the plant, which is dwarfer and smaller in every part than S. bifolia. There is another Squill figured in the Botanical Magazine, S. pumila (pi. 3023), which bears con- siderable resemblance to the Smyrna variety, and this is stated to be a native of Portugal. I have searched in vain through all the plates in our botani- cal literature, and cannot find any likeness of this Scilla. If it is to be called S. bifolia, it should be S. bifolia minor, but even this would not distinguish it sufficiently. It is very likely indeed to be a hybrid with C. Lucilia3. It blooms three or four weeks before any Scilla, and in colour, whether self- blue or shaded, it exactly resembles it ; and it is so like it in habit, that, but for the Scilla-like disposi- tion of the stamens, I should have said it was a variety of Chionodoxa nana, a plate of which is given in vol. cv„ pi. 6453, of the Botanical 3Iaga- s;«e, taken from a plant found in the neighbouring island of Crete. There is a great variety of colour- ing, although of a minute sort, in this Scilla, just as there is in Chionodoxas. Some are self-blue, like C. sardensis ; others shaded like C. Luciliaj, which again suggests the idea of their being hybrids. The Chionodoxas seed very freely here, and there are hosts of young plants coming up around the old ones. They also multiply at the roots. The long and cold \vinter we have passed through has not harmed them in the least. Tliey were our earliest spring flowers, and have continued now over two months in great beauty. The Puschkinias are fol- THE VISCARIAS. The season for sowing our annuals is rapidly drawing near, and no time should be lust when favourable occasions offer. Tlie number of these annuals is increasing rapidly year by year, and it may be well to draw attention to a few of the good, tliough much neglected, kinds that are still grown in places where they found a home on their first introduction to this country. The class, of whicli the anne.x:ed illustration is an ex- cellent example, will be found useful in many ways besides that of a prominent position in the mixed or annual border. They will also be found useful for sowing over bulb beds, &c., during the summer months. These beds are generally of a permanent character, and would otherwise have an unsightly aj>pearance during flower beds in the spring and planting among the stones where these are used instead of Box. On the rockery also they are most useful, filling up spare places between the regular occupants. A. Campbelli is best suited for the latter purpose, while violacea, purpurea, and graicaanswer admirably for the other places named. A stock of plants can be readily obtained by sowing the seed during the early part of June in pans in a cold frame. Trans- plant the seedlings as soon as large enough ; by these means sturdy plants are obtainable by the early part of October. The stock may be increased in tlie following manner, viz.: when the plants are taken up from the beds after blooming in the spring, cut off the growing parts to within an inch or so of the ground line. New growth will spring from the base of each plant, when they should be divided and planted out. — E. M. Viscaria elegans picta nam compacta. the best months of the year. The number of these annuals is now so large, and the habit and time of flowering so varied, that if properly selected and cared for they will give a succes- sion of flower through the summer and autumn months. From their hardy nature they may be sown in the open border any time after the end of March for the first batch, and a month or so later for a succession. All the varieties in cultivation at present seem to be derived from the two species V. oculata or aspera and cieli- rosa ; the former, liowever, is the race from which the variety figured lias originated. Numerous other varieties, all varying more or less in habit and colour of flowers, are at present in cultiva- tion. Among the best may be mentioned Bur- ridgei, crerulea, Dunnetti, elegans picta, car- dinalis, rosea, hybrida, and among the dwarf or nana set are alba, carnea, picta, rosea, cajrulea, (fee. They grow from a few inches to a foot or more in height, are compact in halut, and pro- duce abundance of the most charming and bril- liantly coloured flowers. They are natives of Algeria. K. Aubrietias. — Aubrietias are an interesting class of plants, and are useful for the beautifying of the CLEMATISES AS WALL CLIMBERS. As Clematises are among the best plants we have for the embellishment of the fronts of houses, screens, or walls, it is sui'prising we do not see them more largely grown, and now is an excel- lent time to plant them. The plants are generally procurable in pots, and in such a manner they are easily transferred to their permanent quarters without occasioning any serious check, the main point being to make sure that any shoots which have started into growth are not broken. Where the soil is poor naturally, it is better to renew it entirely. The compost should consist of some turfy loam, peat, and some partially decomposed horse manure. When the plants are growing freely during the summer months apply copious soakings iif water to the roots, and occasionally liquid manure will be of immense benefit. Jackmanni, deep purple, is one of the best varieties to plant, as it grows freely in any position, be it a northern or a southern aspect ; this is a great consideration, as there are so few flowering climbers that will succeed in a northern position. It should be piruned in closely, say to a single eye, in February of each year; this sort is well suited for low walls. It com- mences to flower in July, and continues to bloom profusely during that and the next two months. Lady Bovill is a capital companion, as it flowers at the same time and requires exactly the same treat- ment as to pruning ; the flowers are large greyish blue. Venosa is another of the same section, flowering abundantly, with purple flowers. Sir Garnet Wolseley is a good variety of the patens section, flowering in May and June, to grow where a high wall needs covering, as it requires no pnin- ing. The flowers are pale bhie, with a plum-red bar in the centre of each petal. A^arieties of the lanuginosa type requiring moderate pruning only are numerous. Lanuginosa is pale lavender, having large flowers ; Gem is a rich lavender-blue, very striking in colour ; Lady Caroline NeviU is a fine sort, with flowers of a blush-white colour having mauve bars. Duchess of Edinburgh requires no praning, is a fine double white variety, blooming freely during the early part of the summer. One of the most useful kinds in a cut state, as the flowers are very fragrant and last a long time in water, is montana, for rambling over trelhs-work or amongst other deciduous climbers. It flowers during May and June. E. M. Lotus peliorhynchus, or Pigeon's Beak. — It may interest those readers of The Garden who have seen the mention and description of this beautiful and rare trailing plant given by my friend, Mr. E. H. Woodall, in his last interesting letter de- scribing the flora of the Fortunate Isles, printed on p. 320 of the last issue of The Gardes, to know that they can see a coloured portrait of it on plate 67,S3, vol. ex., of the Botanical 3/agazine, drawn from a plant flowered in the cold house at the Royal Gardens, Kew, in the summer of 1884, from seeds received, in 1881, from Herr Wiklprecht, director of the Botanic Gardens at Orotava, Tenerifte. It is also botanically known under the names of Heinekenia peliorhyneha and Pedrosia Bertheloti. Its local name is Pico di Paloma, or Pigeon's Beak. It bloomed abundantly and well during last summer April 16, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 347 and autumn on the open-air rookwork at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin, near Dublin, where its bright scarlet flowers were much admired. I have not, however, yet heard from Mr. Jloore whe- ther the plant has proved hardy with him or not. I should, however, fear that it would be hardly able to withstand the damp sunlessness of our winters, even if able to bear our frosts with impunity.- W. E. GVMBLETOX. Fruit Garden. W. COLEMAN. THlNNINi; CHOICE FRUITS. To thorough-going practical gardeners a paper on the abi:)ve subject is, of course, perfectly useless, as all good cultivators know how impos- sible it is to overload a tree, and yet look for superior <}uality. So far good, but taking the country through, I greatly (juestion if two-thirds of the best trees in most of the leading gardens are not at times found heavily handicapped by their taskmasters. The question why and wherefore naturally arises, as all good gardeners are well aware of the fact, that the lives of their trees are shortened, the size and flavour of tlieir fruit is depreciated, and last, but not least, their reputation as cultivators is sadly damaged. Although we occasionally walk through the millionaire's garden, in which the head is monarch of all he surveys, to find wall Peaches, of which we have heard so much of late, crying aloud for relief, it is in the smaller placeswhere men who also understand theii- business, but are not allowed to have a will of their own, that this cruelty is most jirevalent. Many of these gardeners would, if they were allowed, thin down to reasonable crops, which, other condi- tions being right, would not injure the trees in a lifetime ; but in more ways than one they are debarred from exercising their own judgment. In some places the employer steps in, and quite within his right, although possibly against his own interest, insists upon this tree or that be- ing allowed to cany so many dozens of fruit. In others, no uncommon case, the supply is un- equal to the demand, and the gardener is obliged to lay on the last feather, not only to enable him to meet the pressing orders, but also to secure permission to be allowed to toil. Again, we find gardeners in good old places, from which much of the fruit is sent away as presents, cropping, as though want of colour in Grapes and size in Peaches were the very pivots on which their reputation hinges. To many these remarks may seem overdra\\ii ; but such is not the case, as chapter and verse might be given for these and many more instances of over- cropping were they necessary. These, however, are so frequently chronicled in the pages of every horticultural paper, that all we have to do is to run over a back volume in searcli of notes and queries, not unfrecjuentlj' bearing their own answer, for strong proof of the disposition on the part of owners to overtax their gardeners' patience, as well as tlieir fruit trees' capabilities. If this overloading brought better Grapes or Peaches to the dessert, or greater bulk to the culinary department, there would be an end of the matter ; but it does neither ; consequently, the only persons who suft'er are the owners, whilst those deriving most benefit are the fruit-tree nurserymen. I have often pointed out the importance of timely thinning, and only last week I directed attention to the thinning of the flowers before they expand, as I know from experience that this opera- tion is the stepping stone to the greatest weight, the finest quality, and, as a na- tural consequence, the highest market value. I So far employers may appear to have the worst of the argument, but, unfortunately, it is only half exhausted and the most diflicult part has yet to come, as it is generally admitted that prejudice stands firm where intelligence gives way to the mildest practical arguments. If anyone doubt this, let him turn to the question put by a lady ("H. R. C"), who, at p. 317, asks if " her gardener is right in waitmg to thin the fruit till it stones, as lie saj's it always drops oft' then." Further, she says, " may it not be that the fruit falls from being too crowded V Now, this unfortunate employer is only one amongst thousands who are ready and willing to leave details to their gardeners, were they only competent and ready to wield this discretionary power in a rational way. Failing in this, it is only reasonable to suppose tliat employers must hold the reins until their gar- deners have pro^•ed themselves competent to carry out trifling details. The lady is quite correct in her surmise that over-cropping is the most potent, although perhaps not the only, cause of dropping, as it is quite evident that something is radically wrong in the arrangement as well as the management, otherwise Peach trees would not be planted against the back walls of vineries, which are not only too hot and close, but cei'tainly too damp and dark for tliem. If against his will the gardener lias planted Peach trees against the back wall of a vinery the fault is not his ; but he does not mend matters by deferring thinning until the fruit has passed the stoning. Indeed, were all the details thoroughly explained, it is just pos- sible much credit may be his due for having induced ^tlie trees to set a crop that requires thinning^ I once saw a house in which a gar- dener of some note had planted some Vines and Peaches, but the result was far from satisfac- tory, as it was simply impossible for him or his successor to induce the sun to shine upon two full sets of foliage at one time ; consequently the two crops were reduced to* mediocrity. Better, far better, give each fruit its own compartment, be it ever so small, cultivate well, and thin early. Treat the trees as trusty friends, and they will carry their fair complement of fruit to maturity. LATE-KEEPING APPLES. At the recent Bath bulb show prizes were offered for the best dishes of Apples, and these attracted several surprisingly good dishes of fruit. The awards were made to Ribston Pippin, the examples of this popular variety being highly coloured, plump, and of excellent flavour. Only slightly in- ferior to these were the handsome dishes of Cox's Orange Pippin, Blenheim Pippin, King of the Pippins, and Dutch Mignomie. Reinette du Canada and Golden Xoble were also shown in good con- dition. From the Royal Nurseries, Exeter, came several good dishes of Apjjles, the best being Lord Bui-ghley, Lane's Prince Albert (very strongly recom- mended" as a profitable and good variety), Cornish Aromatic, Royal Pearmaiu, Annie Elizabeth, Blen- heim Pijipin, Court Rendu Plat, Cockle Pippin, Wellington and French Crab. In reality, we are not so very badly off for keeping Apples after all, and it more pains were taken in the cultivation, gathering the fruit, and storing, a supply of really good fruit might easily be maintained up to the present time, or even later. None but sound, clear- skinned, fully developed fruit will keep satisfac- torily, nor should these, as was pointed out by a successful exhibitor, be gathered prematurely. If they are gathered before they are ripe, shrivelling wili in all probability result ; whereas if left on the tree till the seeds are brown, they wiU, other con- ditions being favourable, keep plump and good. They ought "not to be moved about in the fruit- room, nor should they come into contact with straw or hav, either of these substances soon communi- cating a musty, objectionable flavour to the fruit. Apples may be spoiled, as far as flavour is concerned, almost as quickly as Strawberries ; yet, in spite of this, probaljly half the Apples stored in this country rests on either straw or hay. A cool, yet dry, room, clean shelves covered with paper, careful exclusion of all currents of either hot or cold air, are the con- ditions best calculated to ensure a long supply of good Apples. Under such treatment the season of good sorts may be made to extend over a period of five months. We had King of the Pippins fit to eat in September, and a few plump, well flavoured fruits were available during the last week in March. Very frequently those who have every facility in the shape of a well appointed fruit room do not keep Apples so well as others having no fruit room of any kind. A gentleman in this neighbourhood usually has choice varieties later than most people, and his simple plan of keeping the fruit ought to commend itself to many other amateur fruit growers as well as professional gardeners. When the Apples are ripe they are very carefully gathered, and all the soundest fruits are at once packed in clean deal boxes, which, after the lids are put on, are stored in a cool, dry room over an outhouse. They are protected from severe frosts, but never disturbed till required for use. Apples always keep better in heaps or in large boxes, only those on the surface being at all liable to premature shrivelling. W. IGGULDEN. HARDINESS OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS. The remarks in The Gakden (p, 333) lead one to believe that Pauline and Earliest of All are hardier Strawberries than President and others named by Jlr. Gilbert. It is to be observed that Earliest of All and Pauline were grown in different quarters from the others. Might it not be a matter of local conditions, shelter, or something that makes all the difference? Even if two quarters were adjoining each other the conditions might be more favourable on one than the other; the state of moisture in the soil might tell for or against, and one might be more sheltered from the north and east. I am much in- terested in the degress of hardiness of Strawberry plants and fruit trees. As to the Strawberry, I have studied it and grown all the most highly recommended varieties during the last quarter of a century. If we dispense with some sorts, we are always trying others, and seldom get below twelve varieties. At present we grow thirteen, in young, well-established plants, all set out at one time as near as we could. I had noted their relative degrees of hardiness by the appearance of the old leaves, for none of them are materially injured in the heart, and the following are the hardiest, viz.. Black Prince, Keen's Seedling, President, Sir J. Paxton, Waterloo, a new variety. The second hardy varieties are Pauline, James Veitch, Due de Malakoff, Mr. Radcliffe, or British Queen, Unser Fritz, Loxford Hall Seedling, King of the Eailies. Frogmore Late Pine suffered the worst. The young leaves are now developing rapidly, and in a week or two it may be difficult to say which suffered most, and the loss of all the leavesseems to incite the plants to greater efforts to make good the loss. The whole of the varieties named have been planted together on an open space of ground. There are two to three rows of each variety containing about thirty plants ill a row, March was very cold here, and even now (April 9) we have very cold cast winds, with slight frosts every night. The lowest temperature in March was 17" Fahr. We have no vegetables left except some Early York Cabbage plants. Sprout- ing Broccoli, Scotch Kale, &c., all killed.— J. Douglas. Supplementary to the remarks of Mr. Gil- bert on page 333, niay I be allowed to add the following ? By far the hardiest Strawberry with us here in the north-east of England is Sir Joseph Paxton. This excellent variety has a vigorous habit of growth, vrith strong rooting powers, hence robust foliage, which renders the effect of a severe winter upon it scarcely perceptible. Along with Sir Joseph Paxton we may place in point of hardi- ness, President, Dr. Hogg, and James Veitch — aU strong, vigorous growers, and remarkably large- 348 THE GARDEN. [April IC, 1887. fruitina; kinds. Anotlicr hardy class includes Elton Pine, Eleanor, and ^Vizard of the North. On the other hand, Sir Charles Napier is cut down consider- ably, as is also the British Queen ; and Filbert Pine has also been damaged. The foregoing remarks Chiefly refer to old plants on a strong clayey loam In a fully exposed situation. Among.st young plants Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury is our hardiest and most prolific kind. Keen's Seedling and its ally La Grosse Sucree nearly always suffer, and their early character exposes the young and unfolding leaves to the cold north-easterly gales. All we can do is to plant them in sheltered situations, thus procuring a healthy growth in autumn ; and on the approach of seasonable warm westerly winds and growing weather in the spring they grow away strongly. One of the chief causes of nnfruitfulness iu some kinds is the severity of the winters. Sir Charles Napier is one of the worst in this respect, and par- tial barrenness can only be avoided by early plant- ing and good cultivation, thus enabling the crowns to ripen before the winter commences. Of course, young plants bear the severe weather much better than old worn-out plants, and this may in some measure account for the appearance of some of the quarters where Pauline and Earliest of All are planted at Burghley. We mucli question, however, whether the new varieties (we have no wish to speak derogatorily of them) are very much hardier than our older and well-tried standard kinds. — J, LOVELL, Dnffleld, Yor/is. of this work are apt to leave too many berries, and when they attempt to go over the bunches a second time they thin out too many berries from the upper part of the .shoulders. When the bunches are all thinned and the berries rapidly swelling, the laterals do not grow very freely, but pinching must still be continued, the object of the culti- vator being to prevent any over-crowding of the leaves. It is well to remember, too, that Black Hamburgh Grapes colour best when moderately shaded by the leaves, but Muscats ought to be rather freely exposed to sunlight. J. Douglas. TREATMENT OF GROWING VINES. Tho.se who have charge of Vines during the grow- ing season should be careful to keep well up to their work. This can be done very easily by forming a resolution to look over them once every week. As the season advances work becomes more and more pressing, throwing one's notions of punctuality rather out of gear. These remarks may be pondered by young gardeners who have charge of hothouses. They know that their work is cut out for them ; a certain quantity must be done, and it can only be done well if it is seen to at the right time. Every young gardener should take this saying to himself, " Never leave until to-morrow what can be done to-day." Success in life depends upon the rigid observance of every -day duties. Let us see how these remarks bear upon the cultivation of the Vines and the necessity of looking over them once every week. In the early houses growth is very rapid at the present time, and the shoots have to be gradually brought down to the wires. Very carefully must this be done, else the most vigorous shoots may be broken o6f at the base, and another one will not be formed, so that an ugly blank will be prominent all the season. I stop the lateral growths two leaves beyond the bunch, and this is done as soon as the point can be taken out with the finger and thumb. Very soon other laterals will be produced from the base of each leaf-stalk, and these also should be pinched out to one leaf, and they can only be kept well under control by weekly attention. The points of the shoots to be pinched out should not be allowed to run out more than an inch or two. The smaller the quantity of leaves removed so much the better for the Vines. It is not un- common to see superfluous laterals allowed to grow as much as '2 feet and 8 feet, and armfuls of them are cut out at one time ; whereas they ought to have been removed in a handful or two. I remember the late Mr. J. R. Pearson, of Chilwell, who was a most ardent cultivator of the A'ine, stating that he believed shanking was caused by the shock to the system of the Vine, brought about by this evil practice of allowing the laterals to grow too much, and then cutting them all oft' at one time. The mi-chief might not be discerned thefirst, or even the second, year of the practice of it, but that it ultimately tells upon the consti- tution of the Vines I have no doubt. Punetuality is equally necessary as regards the thinning out of the berries. Ten days after the first flowers open, thinning should commence, and all the berries intended to be removed should be taken out at one time. Those who have not much experience APPLES. Whilst such gloomy contemplations concerning the large imports of foreign Apples are being in- dulged in, it is worth noting the splendid promise found on the trees this season, for almost uni- versally the buds are large, plentiful, and evi- dently capable of presently producing a grand dis- play of bloom. We might have had in the Apple bloom that which was as colourless or small as that of the Plum or the Whitethorn. Happily, such is not the case, and even it no fruit follows, we get some enjoyment from a glorious feast of Apple blossom in its season. That alone would not, however, repay for orchard planting. There is indeed good reason, now that the trees promise so admirably and the season is so late, to believe that the joys of spring bloom and of autumn crop- ping will this year be realised to the full. " G. H. E.," in discus.iing the subject of English /'. American Apples, recently went a little out of his way to charge me with an excess of patriotism because I thought English Apples were after all the best. It was a rather absurd notion, and quite outside the topic being discussed. I rather based my estimate of the merits of the respective fruits, home and foreign, upon a wide experience of Canadian Apples gained at South Kensington in October last, when one of the finest collections of Apples from the Dominion was staged in the con- servatory, and beautiful as they were, superb in size, colour, and finish, yet not one was equal in quality to our best English Apples. Such was the opinion, not merely of myself, but of a body of experts. However, I have urged that the best test of the ^respective merits of these American Apples with our own would be found after Christ- mas and early in the year. I suggested that the fruit committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, having special advantages, should obtain both home and American samples, and test them for quality occasionally. That there were recently plenty of good Apples of home growth in the country was evidenced at Chester, and it is morally certain that had the committee but in- vited samples for the purpose named, plenty would have been forthcoming. Mr. Coleman un- earths a comparatively unknown Apple in Pomeroy as a really good winter variety. Possibly there may be many others, but we want to know how far we fail at present in the production of good Apples, which only want to be known to be widely grown. If we should get a heavy crop of Apples this year, might it not prove worth while to pro- mote a company, the object of which should be to purchase whilst cheap all the best samples of keeping Apples, properly store or tub them, and then see how far it would be possible to oppose American Apples with selected or picked home- grown fruits. Unfortunately, we take ten years to perform what the quick-witted Americans would do in as many months. A. D. Spur-pruning' Grosse Mignonne. — Jly ad- vici; tu "X." (p. mil ), wlicj cum|ilaiiis of this Peach being a poor bearer, is to grub it ujj and fling it on the rubbish-he.ap. If you happen to get it true (whicli is not at all a sure thing, as there are no fruits so much mixed in nurseries), you will lind that it is a good grower, free from insects and other pests, and never bears any fruit worth speaking of, and what it does bear is inferior compared to some varieties. I know it well, having a fine tree of it at one time that grew and flowered well, but never bore any crop worth mentioning, and I grubbed it up. It is the worst bearing Peach in cultivation, and very tender skinned. I would advi.se all nurserymen to exterminate it wherever found. Well grown, you cannot find a finer flavoured Peach than Royal George, nor one that bears so well and constantly ; and Walburton Admirable is a later one, equally tine in every way. Since writing the above, I see Mr. Coleman praises the Grosse llignonne. Is he sure he has it true ? I have had more difliculty in getting Peaches true than almost any other fruit, but I believe my Grosse Mignonne was true. It is a large-flowered kind, and the skin is so tender that the fruit will hardly bear handling. — S. W. LABELLING FRUIT TREES. Many disappointments would be avoided if this important item was better attended to both by nurserymen and gardeners. If more attention was paid to tlie subject, gardeners would be less ignorant as to the names of fruit, for, as a rule, pomological knowledge is not so extensively disseminated amongst gardeners, and a less number of boxes of fruit would be sent to our obliging editors, accordingly less work for their already over-taxed brains. It is gratifying to know we have some nurserymen who devote the greater part of their time to the culture of fruit trees, and do their best to have them correctly named, liut the practice adopted by a certain class of nui'serymen is far from conducive to correct naming. Someone from the nursery is perhaps sent to some gardening friend close at hand for grafts, or perhaps some are sent to them from dili'erent parts of the country, and whatever name is given with the grafts, is of course, affixed to the young trees without any inquiry as to its correctness. Again, the graft- ing in some nurseries is too often performed by men who care little whether they afbx the right label or not, and then such trees are sent out to customers as being correctly named, thereby contributing much towards the evil complained of, for very few nurserymen plant out trees of eachsortspeciallyforfruiting in orderto prove the correctness of the nomenclature, and, as a rule, such as do fiuit in their nursery (juarters have the fruit taken oil' at an early stage for the piu'pose of encoui'aging as nuich growth as possible. Not long ago I .saw a consignment of fruit trees opened that had just arrived from a nursery, and amongst a bundle of supposed correctly named Apple trees a Pear tree was found having a name of an Apple affixed to it. When such a thing occurs there exist grave doubts as to the correctness of the names of the ( ither trees, but as none of the trees mentioned have yet fruited it is difficult to say whether such is the case or not. When fruit trees are received from nurseries the labels attached to them are often of the flimsiest description, many being merely slips of jiaper, and others being narrow strips of wood tied to a branch with a small piece of string. Such labels ought to be regarded as merely temporary, and should be replaced by a more durable article at the earliest convenience. Much has been written as to wliicli is the most durable material for labels, some preferring one thing and some anotlicr. Zinc is an ex- cellent material, possessing lightness, [cheapness, and durability. The name should be written with indelible ink, and the label suspended from the tree by copper wii'e. It will last for years, and at the pruning season a glance will show whether the wood has swelled and the wire is cutting the bark. Even good stout wood labels may be used if well painted and renewed every two or three years, but they should be fastened on with wire, for if string and bad wood are used the string decays and the label falls to the April U, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 349 ground, and is either dug into the soil or raked off witli the leaves and weeds and wheeled to the nihbish heap, or if made of bad wood and not renewed every year or so, the names be- come "illegible. In the case of wall trees the .labels coidd be nailed on to the wall at a dis- tance of about 4 feet or 5 feet from the ground, so as to catch the eye easily. Some may object to having the labels made too conspicuous on the walls. In this case jiieces of lead with the name of the tree impressed upon them answer well, and will last for manj' years. But on sta idards, bushes, or pyramids the labels should be suspended from the trees, so that the young gardeners may acquire a knowledge of the sorts grown, as when nailing and pruning they cannot but notice the ditlerence between the sorts in habit of growth ; also during the summer, when working amongst the trees, they have an ex- cellent opportunity of cijmparing the ditierent varieties as regards the leaves and the fruits. Besides having the trees caret UII3' labelled, many gardeners write out a list of their fruit trees and number them, but here we adopt what I con- sider a very good plan, i.e., draw a plan of the garden or orchard and make a dot for each fruit tree and number it ; then write a list of the trees, with their names and numbers correspond- ing with the jilau in a book. When this prac- tice is adopted there is no trouble in finding the name of any particular tree should it happen to lose its label. C. Collins. Hoicick. of clean loam, old lime and mortar rubbish, and a few half- iuch bones.— H. ilARTiN, .S(. Ant/rUs, Bndguattr. *»* Your Vino leaves are covered with ftreen excrescences that fo*m un the back of the leaves, a sort of extravasation through the skin of the leaf. They are injurious to the leaves, no doubt. This disease may be caused by a close, t"0 warm atmosphere saturated with moisture. Consult Barron's '* Vines and Vine Culture." — Ed. Shading fruit houses. — Some of the houses here arc glazed with inferior glass, andin these plants are very liable to injury by scorching, unless shaded nuich more than is necessary with good glass ; and in vineries the .2:reatcst care in ventilating will not prevent scorching. I had, therefore, decided to ]nit on a light shading this summer, but if the result is the same as in the case described by Mr. Coleman, it will be worse than the scorching. I should, therefore, be glad to know it any other readers of The G.4.BDEN have had any experience in shading A'iues, especially with fixed shading, and if so, will they kindly state in these columns with what result ]- \X. (.'R\XE, lial/i/n-alter Park, Co. Doivn. Two good Apples. — We are now using Flan- ders Pippin and Northern Greening for culinary purposes, and can strongly recommend them to cultivators, as they are sound, plump, and as sharp in flavour as they were at Christmas. This latter quality is, in my opinion, the point which should receive first consideration in making a selection for late use. Given a first-rate fruit-room, the keeping of Apples for some months beyond their allotted period is no difficult matter, but unless they retain their brisk flavour they are of little value. Flanders Pippin, when cooked, changes to a rich amber colour; the pulp retains its bulk, and for this reason is well adapted for all pastry purjjoses. The flavour is delicious, and now, even the middle of April, the juice is brisk and lively. The tree is hardy, a fairly good bearer, and deserves extensive cultivation.— W. C. SHORT XOTES.— FRUIT. Fear Pierre Jsig-iieaux. — This is said to be a most vigorous Pear, a large yellow fruit, with melting, juicy, sweet flesh ; ripe from September to Ni.tvember. Early Grape Gamai de Juillet.— This Grape was introduced by Jlessrs. Baltet, of Troyes. In that part of France it is said to ripen in the open air in July. It is a free bearer and has a good flavour. Pear Charles Cognee.— This Pear is said to be a very fertile kind, and excellent as a late de^seit fruit. Fine specimens were sent by .Messrs. Baltet, of Troyes, to one of the April meetings of the National Horticultural Bocitty of France. Vine leaves d'seased.— I wish to ask your opinion or auy uf your cr ntributois as to the Vine leaves sent. They arc from yurmg Vines two years planted, and now showing fruit and tine canes. Can it be the dreaded Phylloxera ? I have read of it and the symptoms, hut I never saw the insect. Can anything be done with it at this stage? The Mne borders are fresh m.^de and well drained, and composed MOKE WALL AND HOL'SE PEACHES. Yes, this is what is wanted. I care not to pit one against the other; we really want more of both. For a good many years Grapes have been monopo- lising more than their due share of space indoors, and Pears spreading more widely over the walls in the open. Both are kings among fruit ; but if these deserve regal praise and honour. Peaches and Nec- tarines must rank as emjjerors. Like Mr. Coleman, I should hesitate to affirm whether out-of-door or indoor Peaches are best. Judged by the eye, indoor Peaches would mostly be preferred ; by the palate, out-of-door fruit would rank first. Out-of-door crops are, of course, somewhat more precarious. Climate comes in as a disturbing factor of great force in the open air. But clim.-itc is an old enemy, and we ought to know pretty well by this time how to meet and vanquish it. And we do. It is asto- nishing how successful the wary cultivator is in obtaining an animal crop of Peaches from the open wall, of course, there are exceptional seasons now and then when the major portion of our hardy fruits is destroyed by sjiring frosts. But e\'en in these exceptionally severe springs it is no uncom- mrai thing to find more Peaches and Nectarines on walls than Ajiples, Pdars, Plums, or Cherries in the open. Neither is our climate one whit worse than it used to be, notwithstanding the laboured statistics of great authorities to the contrary. Hence, where- ever Peaches have been well grown on open walls in the past, the}' may be as well or better grown now. And they are, where duo care and skill are devoted to them. Nay, Peaches are better grown in the ojjen air to-d;iy in this country than they ever were before improvements of culture and of treatment have told upon them, as upon other things. Of course, poor, neglected Peach trees in abundance may be found on walls. The trees are usually labour, soil, and manure-starved. They may have grown in the same soil for half a century, and have to battle every summer with drought, starvation, and hosts of insects. When they do bear a crop of fruit, most of it is left to add sheer ex- haustion to all the other evils the trees are subjected to ; and then not a few such trees, on which hardly any labour and almost less skill are expended, are duly trotted forth in our journals as proofs of climatal deterioration and the impossibility of growing Peaches to jjerfection on open walls. HOETUS. i'HE EARLIEST STRAWBERRIES. Ripe Strawberries are now fairly plentiftd in most gardens where forcing is practised, and those who have relied upon the variety Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury will doubtless find there are none to sur- pass it at this time of the year. Earlier sorts there are, notably the Princess of Prussia, and it may be that larger fruited varieties 'ndll also be shortly avail- able, including La Grosse Sucree and Sir J. Paston, but Vicomtesse is the best in point of quality, and it is also of excellent colour and firm. It sets readily in heat, and attains its full flavour in a forc- ing house, which is more than can be said of any other variety that I am acquainted with. It may not be so generally known that it is of a more accommodating disposition than most other sorts. It is rarely found in a perfect state of rest, and those plants wintered in cold frames, or protected in any way, are nearly always active at the roots, and can soon lie excited into flowering. This habit of growth renders it possible to lift young plants from the open groimd and force them at once. In Di'cembcr last we jjotted up a number of young phmts from an open border, and these, being jjlunged in a bed of leaves that had been for some time pre- viously placed in a heated pit, soon commenced rooting strongly, plenty of l.)loom following in due course. Before the flowers were expanded the batch of plants was transferred to shelves in a plant and Pine stove, and here they have perfected good crops of fruit, nearly equal to any I have yet seen so early in the year, on plants treated in the ortho- dox fashion. At other times we have potted up the Vicomtesse and other varieties for fruiting under glass in quantity, and to ripen in advance of the earliest outside. The preparation of a number of plants iir pots suitable for forcing, or only slightly forwarding under glass, entails a consider- able amount of labour, and may well deter owners of small or imder-manned establishments from persevering in the practice. If warm shelves, or even sunny pits or frames, are available, and early Strawberries be in demand, there is no reason why a number of strong young plants should not be profitably potted up, or they may be transplanted to the pits and frames. The_v should be lifted with good balls of soil about the roots, and be firmly bedded into rich loamy soil, and kept near the glass. I do not aver that lifted plants are suitable for immediate hard forcing, but it brought on gently, new roots will soon take i^ossession of the tempting compost, and it may be do better service than do the roots of established plants that are crowded in an impoverished handful of soil. It may not be ad%isable to break up a newly established bed in order to obtain plants for fruiting under glass, but one row might be spared, the produce from this perhaps being more appreciated than ten times the quantity of fruit that may be ripe when Strawberries are most plentiful. Those we lift are merely strong runners that are allowed to establish themselves in a border, the only attention they 'require in the autumn being in the way of thiiming out and regulating. Those transplanted to frames or pits ought to be given good room, and the bunches of fruit should be lightly supported above the foliage, or it may not ripen properly. On no account should they suffer for want of water, as should once the old balls of soil become quite dry it is certain to lead to the loss of the crop. W. I. • SEASONABLE WORK AMONG FRUITS. CUCUMBBES. If winter fruiters are to be kept on through the summer, cutting over, to which I have often directed attention, must still be followed up. It is not neces- sary to cut over a whole house or pit at one time, but individual plants most in need of relief may be taken in hand first, and when they have grown into a fruit-bearing condition others may be simi- larly treated until the whole house is renovated. When divested of their old leaves, and all the fruit and straggling vines have been thinned out or shortened, a sharp bottom-heat, combined with good syringing and top-dressing, will speedily re- store them to a healthy and fniitful condition. If practicable, it is a good plan to remove a portion of the old top-dressing and inert compost just when the young growths are breaking, and forthwith to earth and pack them up with fresh, light turf, charcoal, or rough pieces of old lime rubble. The bottom-heat being right, a few days' careful atten- tion to shading will favour their complete recovery, when more tepid liquid may be given to the hills, airing, and the usual treatment may be resumed. The rapid decline in hard-forced plants is generally due to over-cropping and insect pests, including red spider, thrips, and green fly, but complete relief from their load of fruit followed by an extra supply of wholesome food corrects the first, and the facili- ties which thinning out offer for cleansing, not only the foliage, but the house, place the latter in an untenable position. These remarks apply to plants that have been overworked, but whose condition otherwi.sc is sound, and these, I say advisedly, may be kept in bearing throughout the .season, or cer- tainly until such time as spring-planted houses and pits come into bearing. Sjirhuj-soirn plants growing iu well-appointed pits will now be making rapid progress, and pro- vided they have plenty of room their management will be extremely simple. The main points are plentiful supi^lies of water both to the roots and through the syringe, a tropical temperature ranging' 350 THE GARDEN. [ApbiL 16, 1887. from 70* at night to 85° by day, ventilation when air can be admitted without creating a draught, and scrupulous cleanliness. The great mistake which many whose space is limited fall into is overcrowd- ing, for no sooner are the plants fairly started than they begin to overlap, when the knife is introduced and canker follows. To such persons I would say, cut out every alternate plant, allow those retained to extend, pinch the laterals at the first joint be- yond the fruit, and avoid the use of animal manure, as stimulants in a liquid form can be applied when needful. Frame Cucumbers. — Although a great number of gardeners have given up growing Cucumbers in frames, as they can produce them quicker and cheaper in hot-water pits, it does not follow that the system must or will become obsolete. Indeed, many people in small places must either depend upon fermenting material, or dispense with a con- tinuous supply of Cucumbers. I have seen good fruit cut from manure frames on the 9th of March, but each plant required incessant care and atten- tion. Those days, thanks to hot-water pipes, have gone by, but for all this I should be sorry to see summer culture in frames done away with, the more so as the well-managed frame, even in large gardens, forms a most excellent nursery for supply- ing houses with healthy plants of Cucumbers and Melons, The best time to commence is early in April, as the most inclement part of the spring has then passed away before they come into bearing. Moreover, with care and attention to coverings and linings, the conditions under which the plants are grown favour a vigorous and fruitful state through- out the season. Beds. — As half the battle depends upon the proper manufacture of the bed, the greatest care should be devoted to the fermenting and prepara- tion of the materials. When fit for use the beds cannot be made too firm, as beating and treading in a great measure prevent violent fermentation. The situation for the bed should be dry at the base, well sheltered from cold wind, but open to the sun and convenient. Many growers are obliged to use stable manure pure and simple, but having plenty of Oak leaves I always (use them with the manure in equal proportions. The frames, clean and sound, are put on at once, and as soon as the heat has declined to 90° the bed is again made firm and level, sods of fresh turf. Grass side downward, are placed upon the surface, and it is then ready for the Compost. — This consists of turf from the igneous hills, and being deficient in lime, burnt garden refuse and old lime rubble are rather freely added. A narrow ridge is then formed along the centre of the frame, and this time we wait for the heat to ascend before we proceed with planting. Young plants from single seeds sown in 4-inch pots or small pieces of turf are then turned out from 2 feet to 3 feet apart, and allowed to take to the soil before we pinch them. Some pinch before they plant, but by planting very young and allowing the roots to get established the vines start well and proceed without further check. When two-thirds of their allotted space is covered, these vines in their turn are pinched, and in a few days fruit-bearing laterals furnish the centre of the frame. More compost, little and often, and previously warmed, but inno- cent of manure, is added as the roots show on the extremities of the hills, and into this the joints are lirndy pegged as gi-owtii pror.eL'roduce a female flower, whicli must lie carefully fertilised from day to day until a full crop is secured, and the better to ensure a good "set" syringing and root-watering for a short time may be discontinued. Space being limited, all these laterals must he closely pincheil at the first joint beyond the fruit; others at the first joint from the main vines, otherwise the frame will soon become crowded with useless spray to the detriment of the main foliage and fruit, if not the plants themselves, as overcrowding is one of the common causes of canker. I may observe that each plant should be slightly higher than the general level of the bed, as it is not wise to earth up the stems, neither should they be saturated with water. As to training, that is a matter which the grower must decide. Some fill in the back and front spaces with rough birch or pea sticks to keep the vines a proper dis- tance from the glass, but the best and cheapest con- trivance in the long run is a set of portable trellises made of rough laths, for dropping in before the vines begin to run. Upon these they can be neatly trained, and the fruit can be elevated well up to the sun and out of the reach of slugs and other midnight ma- rauders. Unlike hothouse especially pot plants, which sometimes give way under heavy 'cropping, frame Melons upon manure beds often gain strength in spite of their load, but this disposition to produce laterals must bo kept in check by constant pinching to one joint and the careful preservation of every old leaf. Insects and diseases. — The most prevalent insects are green fly and red spider, but these are not nearly so troublesome in well managed frames as in houses, the moist atmosphere charged with ammonia being antagonistic to them. Still, the plants are always liable to attack, and prevention being better than cure, the weekly puff from Blox- ham's patent fumigating machine introduced through a hole bored in the front of the frame will keep fly away. Although very light smoking answers, the frame the following morning should be aired early and slightly shaded from bright sun until the time arrives for syringing. The syringe is, of course, the best implement that can be used against spiders, but the collars of the plants and the vines being slightly elevated, an occasional flooding with warm diluted liquid whilst feeding the swelling fruit will render their position un- tenable. The only disease to be feared is canker, and this can be checked by rubbing the parts affected with quicklime and sulphur. The most common cause of this disease is want of heat, a too moist, dank atmosphere, crowding about the collars of the plants, and the removal of or injury to the main foliage. A man cannot stand against a subtle enemy in the dark, but having pointed out the pre- disposing conditions, the fault must be his own if he allows canker to interfere with frame culture. W. C. Garden Flora. PLATE 692. OXYTROPIS AND PRICKLY THRIFT. (with plate of o. lamberti and a. gluma- tlEUM.*) The genus Oxytropis is a very large one, con- taining something like 100 species, and inhabit- ing mountain regions in Europe, Asia, and North America, and ranging in the colour of their flowers from violet-purple, rose, yellow, and in some varieties often white. A few are natives of our own country, .and these we often see cultivated in our gardens. Being true alpines in their habit of growth, they are most suitable plants for the rock garden, and even the border, when the situation is rendered of a rocky nature by the addition of stones or brick refuse. They seem to thrive best on dryish positions, and we find them more sturdy and floriferous when ex- posed to the full rays of the sun. The soil in whicli they are grown should be light and porous, and the roots should hiive free scope to go downwards, as they often do to a consider- alile depth. They are increased by seeds or division, tlie forinor being by far tlie best plan and in tlie end the most satisfactory. Besides those enumerated, there are in cultivation O. fcetida, sulphurea, lapponica, campestris, ochro- leuca, itc. ; all are worthy of attention, and are equally beautiful on the rockwork. 0. CYANEA. — With the exception of O. Lamberti, none of the others which I have seen as yet equal this handsome species. It has a large, woody root- stock forming many crowns, with stems not quite an inch in height ; leaves medium-sized, with small, silky leaflets. The flowers are produced in clusters * Drawn for The Garden by tlie late Koel Humphreya in the York Nurseries, and printed by G. Severeyne. •Z ;-ARDEN. Z < ^f ,/ / Ah April 16, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 351 on numerous slender stems, vei-y large in proportion to the size of the plant, deep purple and very strik- i-ug ; the pods are large, inflated, and generally pro- duced in abundance, the flower-heads elongating to a spike when the seeds are ripening. Besides being useful for the rockery or border it makes a most charming little pot plant, and never fails to flower in June and July. A native of Zermatt, Valais, &c. O. Lamberti. — This is the Loco weed of the Americans, and is without doubt the most charming, though perhaps the most variable, of all the species at present known in cultivation. The prevalent colour of the flowers appears to be sky or deep blue, though it varies through all the tints of purple, rose, and yellow, and is also found of a pure white. C. A. Geyer, in a note, says that it is not unusual to meet with it having flowers yellow, rose colour, often white, or with the banner violet-tipped. A plant with such an extreme variation should be a favourite in gardens, especially when its habit and manner of growth suit it so well for rockery cultivation. Though the worthiest and certainly the showiest of the Oxy- fropis, we have rarely seen it in gardens, unless, in- deed, those where only the choicest kinds are grown. This is the more to be wondered at, as the plant is a robust grower, easy to keep in health on the rockery, and increases perhaps faster than any of the others. It stands almost alone among its con- temporaries with the long flower-spike, as may be seen in the coloured illustration, the other species generally having round or globose heads of flowers, few elongating to any length, and none to such an extent as this. The leaves, too, even apart from the rare beauty of the flowers, are at all times graceful, of a lively fresh green, showing most prettily in the dense tufts in which it always grows. The pods are also beautiful, smooth, shiny black, and when produced in quantity a source of great interest. It is abundant on the high plains and on the mountains from British America to Mexico, flowering with us in May and June. Introduced about 1S19 by Mr. Lambert, whose name it bears. O. MONTANA is also a charming little species with branched flower-stems in the stronger growing plants ; the flower-heads more or less round, deep jmrple, and very handsome when well grown ; the pods are inflated, giving the plant a very striking appearance when in fruit. Alps above Moritz, Tarasp, Orisons, &c.; flowering June and July. O. PILOSA. — A robust and striking plant growing from 6 inches to 1 foot high ; the whole stem elon- gated, and the flowers on longish stalks, produced from the axils of the leaves, and somewhat re- sembling those of O. Lamberti. Each stem pro- duces from ten to twelve flower-heads 2 inches to r! inches high, carrying numerous large yellow flowers ; leaflets larger and longer than in most of the others, narrow, blunt, and entirely covered, as well as the stem, with long silky hairs. Botzen, Tyrol, &c. June and July. O. PYHBNAICA is a somewhat dwarf species with leaves composed of from twelve to twenty leaflets, concave, and covered with silky hairs. The stems are very short, scarcely rising above the ground, and when very robust rarely exceeding a few inches in height ; flowers borne in round heads, each con- taining from six to fltteen flowers, purplish lilac, and very striking when produced in quantity. Native of the Pyrenees ; flowering in early summer. O. UBALENS19 (the Stud flower or puiple Osy- tropis) is an elegant little plant, rarely exceeding (i inches in lieight, and an excellent subject for either the rockery or the border. In the latter position, raised on stones on little mounds, it makes a brave show. On the rockery, where it can get plenty of sunlight, it is beautiful, and when in robust health almost hides the leaves in a profusion of its purple flowers. It has a stout, woody root- stock ; the leaves 2 inches to 4 inches long, and covered with an abundance of soft, silky hairs. The heads contain from six to ten bright purple flowers densely packed. It flowers from the end of May to July, and is a native of dry and rocky pastures in Scotland and Northern Europe. O. Halleri is a synonym, under which it is often found in gardens. ACANTUOLIMONS. Althougli there are not more than about three or four of these lovely Statice-like-fiowered plants in cultivation at the present time, the number of species known amounts to something like sixty-one, according to Boissier, and Bungs says seventy-four. They are to a large extent, if not wholly, Asiatic, and it is to be regretted that we do not possess a larger number in our gardens, seeing how well the districts where many of them are said to be found have been explored by botanists of late years. The few we already have are quite a unicjue class of plants among our other ali>ines, flowering all through the summer in such profusion as to make them desiderata of every garden, however small, where alpines are grown. Thoy afi'ect dry rather than damp situatiims, and to see large plants flowering in the full blaze of the sun is a .sight never to be forgotten. Our soil is well tilled with broken bricks, ifec. , and we find this a good medium, as tlieir health testifies ; the centre is elevated, and it is a good plan where possible to plant them so that they may overhang clefts or ledges. The species most com- mon in gardens is that figured in the accompany- ing coloured plate ; it is the most beautiful I have yet seen, and is certainly by far the most fioriferous. It is a dwarf growing plant, rarely more than a few inches in height, with crowded, short Grass-like foliage, the leaves stift' anil armed with sharp spines. The annual shoots bear a tuft of closely imbricated, spreading, and recurved leaves, the older ones generally wither- ing as the growing point advances, which it does very rapidly, the whole quickly forming large tufts of a very pretty appearance. The flower- stems are generally two or three times longer than the leaves, and bear a distichous spike of numerous and charming large rose-coloured flowers. It continues a considerable time in bloom, and is perfectly hardy in the neighbour- hood of London, and does not seem to be affected in the least by the smoke. It may be propagated freely from cuttings or layers, simply singling the branches and notching and pegging down as many as may be required. When increased by cuttings they should be placed until rooted in a moderate heat, kept close, and gradually hardened ofl'as they become established. It flowers in June, July, and August, and was cultivated about London as early as 1840. Native of Armenia. Synonym, Statice Ararati. A. ACEBOSUM is a rare species, forming dense cushions of stiff leaves, glaucous, and armed with sharp points ; it is, however, rather a shy flowerer ; flower not so large as the above; rose. July and August. Anatolia, Tauria, &c. A. ANDEOSACEUM is a synonym of StaticeEchinus, and is nearly allied to the above. A. Kotschyi, a handsome species with white flowers, and A. mela- nanthum and A. venustum are also desirable for rockeries or borders. D. K. Calectasia cynea. — This plant is a native of South Australia, and belongs to the Rush family (.luncefe), a grouiJ of plants which is not remark- able for showy flowers. The plant in question is a branching shrub, with small, subulate, sheathing leaves, and large, starry flowers, with a flat, six- lobed, spreading limlj of a shining, dazzling blue, with conspicuous yellow stamens ; these flowers are produced on short, lateral branches forming a ra- ceme some 9 inches long, the blooms all expanded at the same time. This plant has not yet been in- troduced to this country in a living state, although the Messrs. Rollisson imported seeds upon several occasions, but never succeeded in growing them ; but, judging from the great numbers of Australian and Cape plants which are now flowering with Messrs. Low in their nursery at Enfield, this class of plants would appear to be again coming into favour with the general public, and the Calectasia cyanea, it introduced, would prove a stimulus to the cultivation of these once popular ornaments of our greenhouses. — G. Chrysanthemums. E. MOLTNEUX. Now that the weather has so much improved, plants are gaining ground rapidly both in size and healthy character. A want of sun and a continuation of cold easterly winds have teiuled to make some collections present a sickly appear- ance. Plants grown for any purpose should now bo in cold frames, as being more conducive to that stiff', short-jointed growth so necessary to the highest success. Abundance of air should be given to them upon all favourable opportu- nities, although avoiding direct dratxghts as much as possible by tilting the lights on the opposite side to that from which the wind blows. Careful attention must now be paid to water- ing, never allowing any of those plants growing in small pots which have not yet had the necessary shifts into larger ones to suffer for want of it. These, owing to the mass of roots they possess, soon become dry, and if allowed to flag for want of water they are apt to lose some of their bottom leaves, which renders the plants unsightly and interferes considerably with their future welfare. Tepid water should also be used, as cold water applied to the roots at this early stage oftentimes renders them sickly in appearance. Continue the potting of all plants in their various stages as required, never allowing any to become pot-bound for any length of time. If possible, those newly potted should be kept a little closer for a time, until the roots have taken hold of the new soil. See that none are overcrowded, but thin out as soon as the leaves touch each other. Those plants intended for the production of large blooms will now require support, as some of the weaker- growing sorts are apt to become bent or broken down by the weight of foliage. This is better effected by attaching a small stake to each. Continue the stopping of the branches of such plants as are grown for specimens, pompons and single varieties included. SOIL FOR CHRYSANTHEMUMS. The preparation of the soil for the final potting into flowering pots of a large collection of Chrysan- themums, no matter for what purpose they are intended, entails a certain amount of time and forethought, particularly when the necessary in- gredients are not at hand. It is better to look ahead in this, as in all other matters of detail. Successful results depend much upon the soil used ; therefore, any preparations now made will be found an advantage, such as placing soil, &c., under cover, to be sufficiently dry when used ; the ordering of bones, or whatever artificial manure is thought best. Soils of a complex nature are often recommended, as if elaborate mixtures necessarily possess extra- ordinary virtues. Good soil is important, but it is only one element in the case. The effects of the best compost that can possibly be obtained may be completely nullified by errors in watering and general management. The after treatment of the plants is the all-important part to be studied, as these plants have such a short season of growth and so much has to be done in a few months, that they must have every attention. To this end the composition of the soil is not of so much import- ance as after feeding. The soil, then, while it con- tains food, must be regarded as a store for addi- tional food which may be required, and given from time to time. It is a mistake to suppose that soil must be prepared and stacked for six or twelve months previous to using it. No absolute rule can be laid down as to what mixture is the best, as soils differ so much in their nature in different parts of the country. I will endeavour to make this part as 352 THE GARDEN. [April 1G, 1887. clear as I can to suit various localities, 'just de- scribing the different ingredients used. Loam, as it is called, is composed of the top spit of an old pasture, cut according to the depth of . the fibrous roots of the Grass, in some places 3 inches deep, in others IJ inches, according to the time the pasture has been laid down. It should be cut some time previous to using, just long enough for the Grass to decay, but preserving the fibrous roots intact. If the turf is light in character and cut from where the land is of a sandy nature, groimd oyster shells should be added; but if the turf is taken from a district where chalk and limestone abound, add more charcoal and wood ashes in lieu of oyster shells. Charcoal is of great assistance in -keeping the soil in the pots porous and acting as a storehouse for ammonia. If the turf is of a reten- tive character, remove the fine soil, as this prevents a quick passage of the water when applied copiously. Those growers having a rather light soil at dis- posal are much more favoured than those who have to depend upon soil which is of a clayey nature. When light soil is used the moisture escapes fi-oni it quickly; con.sequently, feeding can be more fre- quently and safely carried out than in the case of soUs of a retentive nature. Manure is the ingredient second in importance, and must be applied in some form or other. Well decomijosed cow manure is often recommended. This is wrong, because what beneficial properties can there possibly be in manure entirely decom- posed. It is the same with decomposed hotbed manure. The violent heat of the mass during fermentation dissipated the ammonia, which, above all things, should be preserved for the benefit of the plants. I do not approve of cow manure in any shape. I consider it most injurious when used with soil of a heavy character, it being too close in nature and far too binding. The best manure is that prepared as if for a Mushroom bed, sliaking out more of the straw than would be required for the growth of Mushrooms, and retaining little else but the droppings. It is thus sweetened whilst most of the ammonia is retained. This is the best manure to employ for soils, both of a heavy and a light character. Finely ground bones are better than half-inch bones, as the latter do not give out their manurial properties sufficiently during the short period in which the plants make their final growth and bloom. Dissolved bones are also bene- ficial when used in j)roper quantities. Soot is a jiowerful agent when cautiously applied, but when used excessively it has a most injurious effect upon the plants. I have seen plants which have lost all their leaves and others presenting a very sickly appearance through the misuse of soot. Lime in a quick state is useful for the destruction of worms", and every means should be taken to destroy these. The best time to add lime is when the soil is being preirared for potting ; a handful occasionally during the operation is all that is required. The sand used should be coarse and gritty; that which is fine and liable to bind the oflier materials should be avoided. Clean, coarse silver sand is the best. Leaf mould in a half decayed state is an excellent ingredient to add, more especially in the case of heavy retentive soils, as it is of great assistance in keeping the whole mass porous. I will now give as near as I can the necessary quantity of the mate- rials described. To be precise I purpose taking the two cases in hand — heavy and light soils — giving the details required in each composition. Taking the former kind first. I would advise as follows: Three parts of flbry loam broken up roughly, taking out the fine soil, one part of horse manure, one part of half -decayed leaves, one part of coarse silver sand, one-fourth part of fine ground bones, and the same quantity of dissolved bones, one part of charcoal and wood ashes, the former to be used in a rough state, about the size of small walnuts. Add a G-inch pottul of soot to every -1 bushels of soil. The many kinds of artificial manures are all much better used as a top dressing than for mixing with the soil. Where the loam is light in texture, use four parts as fibry as possible, adding two parts of horse manure, one part of leaf soil, half a part of coarse silver sand, the same quantity of ground oyster shells, half a part each of finely crushed and dissolved bones, and the same quantity of soot as advised for the heavier soil. Thoroughly incorporate the various parts, using all as roughly as possible. The action of mixing reduces the parts considerably ; therefore if the turfy loam and other ingredients be chopped small at first, the mass becomes too fine through frequent turnings. E. M. Kitchen Garden. W. WILDSMITB. RENOVATING A GARDEN BY SUBSOILIXG. Some years ago I well remember attention being called to a system of subsoiling and the good results that sprang from it, tlien carried out at Woodstock Park, Ireland, by the late Mr. Charles McDonald. Not long since I ha))pened to meet with an old gardener in a country district who had been instrumental in converting an old and worn- out garden into a new one by the process of sub- soiling or something similar. The garden that underwent this transformation was probably 300 years old, and when an old mansion was pulled down and a new one re-built in a different position it was continued as an orchard garden simjily, and the new garden being made at a considerable distance from the old one, very little manure found its way to the latter. Everything that it could yield was taken away. When my informant first saw the old garden it appeared to him a remarkable sight ; the many gene- rations of old fruit trees — some of them decayed to the ground — were covered with masses of Lichen and Moss ; the smaller branches of the Apple trees were hardly discernible for the Lichens, and it was start- ling to hear '• It used to be a good fruit garden." In looking round for the cause of such phenomena, the tall forest trees on three sides were credited with assisting in such a development of Lichen growth, but there was something that indicated excessive moisture in the soil, and draining was at once com- menced, and the di.gging of the trenches for the drains revealed the state of matters under ground. The natural formation of the garden was found to be a cold clay slate, with an iron pan running at from 1 foot to 3 feet from the surface, rarely ex- ceeding 1 foot in thickness, and under it there was about 3 feet of the loose clay slate, and under that a rocky bottom. The old garden lies on a slope with a fall of nearly 1 foot in 10 feet, and the excess of rain water from a range of higher ground filtered over the pan all the winter. After matured delibera- tion, the conclusion come to was that no substantial renovation could be achieved without breaking up the inveterate pan, which was so hard that the pick would not break it up, and crow-bars and powder had to be emploved. In proceedin.g with the work one object was kept in view — namely, the produc- tion of a new soil to replace the surface soil, which was worn to a black, brittle substance about the consistency of coal ashes. A first trench of 35 yards long and 4 yards wide was made to the depth of 4 feet; as the work proceeded, the. cleanest of the small stones were strewn equally over the bottom of the trench in the form of a drain; over these stones were placed small branches of Laurel, &c., to the depth of about a foot, and over the branches a quantity of rubbish and vegetable matter; over tliis was thrown the top soil of the next trench, and the bottom clay brought to the surface; the depth of each trench was increased until the last was made — about G feet in depth. When this work was begun, a system of burning part of the clay was put in operation, and was continued for some time after, as opportunity served, for the purpose of supplving pota,sh and other fresh salts to the ground. This, then, is the history of subsoiling the old garden. Now for the results. It should be stated that the veiw worst of the old fruit trees were destroyed ; some were allowed to stand, some transplanted. The appearance of the trees before the commence- ment of the work has been described ; except a few scraggy Cabbages, no other vegetable would hold in the soil, and such things as Spinach and Parsley could never be gathered fit for use. But afterwards good crops of vegetables were obtained, and no manure save the burnt material was placed upon the ground for a space of something like six years. Previous to the draining there was rarely one-third of the Apples on the best of the trees fit to keep, or worth putting into the fruit room; but afterwards fair crops of clean fr\iit were grown. The crops im- proved in course of time, and the ground became in good condition for planting young fruit trees, which was a necessity. Here, then, is a proof of the truth of the proposi- tion that soils generally are of inexhaustible fertility if properly turned ujj and mixed. R. D. HARDY BROCCOLI. Our friend, Mr. Gilbert, has great faith in the crowbar, and never loses an opportunity of extolling its merits for planting out seedlings of various kinds, and in The Gaeden (p. 309) he seems to imply that if gardeners would only go in for crowbar- planting, there would be plenty of Broccoli in all kinds of seasons. Now, I cannot give much informa- tion about this kind of planting, as not one in a hundred of our market growers has such an instru- ment as a crowbar in their list of garden tools, but, nevertheless, they grow Broccoli to perfection in open fields. And here I can fully agree with Mr. Gilbert on the value of a firm and not over-rich root- run for Broccoli, and, above all, an open, sunny aspect, so that the growth may be hard and well matured. It is simply impossible to get such stocky, short-legged plants in close walled-in gardens, frequently overshadowed by fruit trees, as one gets in the open fields of the market grower, as the l^rivate garden too often has to do duty as orchard, flower .garden, and kitchen garden combined ; while market growers, as a rule, find it best to do one thing well. Now, with us Broccoli for spring use is not sown or planted nearly so soon as in more northern counties ; in fact, when the winter season sets in, a good many of the Broccoli fields look very thinly covered with foliage, as the plants look only half grown and stand out quite clear of each other ; but liy keeping the surface soil stirred the plants keep on growing gently through the entire winter, unless in such severe seasons as the past, when the soil is hard frozen for weeks. The soil is simply ploughed, and is therefore very firm but a short depth below the surface, and to this fact alone the safety of the field crops of Broccoli is largely due, as even in this comparatively favoured locality the garden crops have suffered heavily. I think we should be doin.o' far more ,aoad with Broccoli and many other garden products if we devoted more time to growing the sorts we have got, well, rather than in always hankering after something new ; for the idea of any Broccoli of the true white kind standing such a frost as we have had registered in some parts of the kingdom during the past winter, when strongly grown, appears a hopeless task, as they are much hardier when treated to full exposure and a rather poor soil. And that good spring Broccoli can be grown in this way, and be quite safe from any- thing but a frost that gets dangerously close to zero, can be easily verified. Winter or very early sprin,g Broccoli that needs to be fully grown before winter sets in must, in my opinion, be always liable to great losses from sudden visitations of severe frost. If we have many more winters like the past, I shall predict that the Purple Sprouting Broccoli will be again in great request, as, unless we had put out an extra stock of it last year, our supply of good green vegetables would have been very limited indeed. — J. Geoom, Gosport. Such is the licading of a short ]iaragraph in your issue of TilB GARDEN, Aiiril 2 (ji. .'K)!!). Have your correspondents, "One who Smells Them" and Mr. Record, who also wrote on the subji'Ct tlie pre- vious w-eek (p. 28(1), ever given Vcitch's Model a trial? I have now grown this late spring variety several years, and have never known it fail. With me here in the north it stands the winter well, and I am speaking of two years' experience of it here — both bad winters for Broccoli. The winter before last it was the only one of many varieties grown that stood the winter, and this last season I lia\e April 1G, 1887.] THE GARDEN. 353 not lost 5 per cent; of my plants. It is a stiff, sliort-Iegged varii'tv, and does not make such thick, pithy stems as Broccoli generally docs, and one which, if not sown too early and planted on good firm soil, will not fail to stand the winter and give every satisfaction as to quality. Whilst writing on this subject I wouUl like to emphasise some re- marks in Mr. Gilbert's letter of April 2. One is, that Broccoli is often sown too early. Here I lind the first week in May quite early enough. As to planting on good firm soil, I am quite at one with him, nothing, in my ojiinion, being so injurious to Broccoli as planting on recently dug or manured ground, conducing as it does to thick, pithy, watery stems, which the first severe fTosts will destroy. — H. E. GiUBBLE, Wynward Park, Slocklon-on-Tecs. It will be good news to most gardeners to read in The Garden (p. 30i>) that "a hardy Broccoli is not wanted, because we have plenty!" There is not one pure Broccoli in existence that is perfectly liardy either at Burghley or anywhere else in England where severe frosts are occasionally experienced, and when the editor asked fiu- a harrly Broccoli he expressed a general-felt want that has been long experienced. Purple Sprouting, Eclipse, and Carter's Champion types are the nearest approaches to a hanly Broccoli we possess, but they are not quite hardy, and the Purple Sprouting, though a good sort and much esteemed by gardeners on account of its productiveness, is not liked on account of its colour. If a hardy Broccoli is not wanted, why, pray, has Jlr. Gilbert been ju'eaching up his cross-breeds of that ilk for years on the plea of their hardiness .' "Want men to grow Broccoli ! " Why, I could jinxluce him cottagers by the score that grow Broccoli of the best quality, and as long as it can be had. Mr. Gilbert's way of making Broccoli stand severe winters must be new even to him, for it is not so long since he sent me heads of his Cabbage Broccoli to cook that he said trere the only vegetables of the kind alire in his garden then, all the otliers having been killed by frost, and those sent, though good, were Cabbages, not Broccoli at all.— J. S. W. I note Mr. Gilbert's letter on the above in The Garde.n- (p. 30!1). It only,how-ever,statesabout half the truth. As one of the first cultivators to insist on a hard soil for Broccoli I endorse all he says of the hardening influence of this on the plants. A hard regimen, arising either from lack of food or loose- ness of texture, produces a sturdy if not a stimted growth, and thus presents a smaller area to the cold and stronger power of resistance than larger or more lanky plants. A good crown of leaves is also a capital protection for Broccoli stems, but the stems are often safe enough while the crowns are frost-bitten, and so\nid stems are a poor consola- tion for rotten hearts. The value of Broccoli rests in its crown, and the frost bites that with equal impartiality whether it be within (j inches or a yard of the ground. In fact, it not seldom seems that the nearer tlie ground the harder and sooner they are frozen, though of com-se dwarf Broccoli has a better chance of being protected with snow. However, the latter, and notably this year, has not saved the Broccoli ; the majority of ours were so covered, and all but the Purple Sprouting, as in your own case, have perished. This has been the worst and most destructive winter for Broccoli ever remembered in an experience extending over forty years. Hence, with much feeling, I echo your advice to Mr. Gilbert to give us a hardier Broccoli. They would be more gladly welcomed than his Broccoli Cabbage, which will never become jsopular, as so many have never yet found out wdiere and when the Cabbage ends and the Broccoli begins. As a Cabbage it is tender, luscious, sweet ; but as a Broccoli, well, let us have .something hardier, if possible, and with more Broccoli in it. — HoETU#. Xot far from here is a large breadth of the late white |Broccoli gTowing in an open, exposed field and in a stiff clay soil. The outer leaves, as is so generally the case, bad been killed by frost, but the hearts and stems are sound. The heads will not be large, but the price may in such a season as the present help to recoup loss in the other direction. Inquiring . as to whether this Broccoli was planted [ in the hard soil on to another crop, I learnt, so far from that being the case, that it foDowed upon Cabbage, the soil being well manured and ploughed before planting. The planting was, however, rather later than usual, and that may have conduced to the saving of the crop. Then, again, this old kind may be hardier than are some of the newer sorts. Close by was seen the odd circumstance of about a couple of acres of dark red Wallflowers, the plants very large, but 80 jjer cent, of which had been killed by the frost, inflicting a very heavy loss indeed on the grower. Then adjoining these were about half an acre of also stout bushy plants, nearly the whole ofc which were sound. This curious case prompted inquiry, and here I found that the in- jured stocks were from an autumn sowing in 1883, the plants standing in the seed-bed for the winter, and being planted out in the open ground early in the following year. It is of so much importance to obtain early bloom on the Wallflower, if any profit is to be derived from its culture, that it is often striven to take time by the forelock, though not always with success, as this instance showed. The uninjured breadth was from a sowing made last spring, and if the plants were neither quite so large nor so early, they were at least safe and sound, and worth twice as much as the whole of the larger breadth.— A. D. JIAKKET .SALES OF GARDEN PRODUCE. As most gardeners have now to turn all spare jjro- duce into money, or grow crops specially for market, very many of yuur reatlers are greatly indebted to you for your most useful and practical article on this subject. The sales that you have succeeded in establishing will no doubt jjrove useful, and it is high time that something were done in the matter. Some years since I was sending Gardenias to Lon- don, and had a penny apiece returned for them. My master was staying in Limdon, and went to the same house and ]jui chased some on one occasion, and was charged 2s. (id. apiece for his own flowers. The private seller is nowhere as against the sales- men and shopkeejjers. The latter mostly give the best prices, but the returns are not seldom slow and uncertain. Another great grievance is the matter of (unpties. Useful flower boxes can hardly be had at less than 6d. or Is. apiece. Biscuit and other boxes used to be cheaper. But now that commercial and agri- cultural depression have driven so many private growers into the nuirket, all suitable boxes are bought up greedily and the prices ha\'e risen : hence the purchase of boxes really becomes a heavy first charge on produce. Xo matter how carefully you endorse your name and address on them, nor how particular and frequent your instructions, it is hardly possible to get your empties returned. True, after WTiting perhaps a dozen times, a package of empties is sent. These as often as not consist of a ponderous mass of heavy old soap or other boxes, without tops, utterly and wholly useless, and after paying 2s. or 2s. Cid. ior them 3-ou discover that they are only fit for fire- wood, and not one of your nice handy boxes is among them. This is really a serious matter, as the bill for boxes often runs up to several pounds in the year. I presume the difficulty arises through the selling of the produce in the sender's boxes, and the pur- chaser keejis them when they are good for anything. A remedy might be found by adding the jnice of the boxes to their contents, or by selling the con- tents without the boxes. The latter would probably be impracticable. Possibly the Messrs. Draper, with their great experience, might be able to solve the box problem to the satisfaction of the con- signors to their Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's sales. As soon as the box piroblem is solved, I will contribute to them cut blooms of Niphetos and other Roses and flowers, and probably fruits. A Market 'S'lcriM. those sand dunes and banks so common on some parts of tlio coast, and conRistln^ of ofd beacties now left by tho sea or bfown sand-liiifs? 1 liave often twisted the sand on tlie beich and near it, and found a great difference to exist in respect to its saltness, tliat from tlie dunes being practically saltlcss, wliile that oil the beach and peri idfcally covered by the tide was too salt for pot plants, for it is the salt that makes sea sand dangerous.— 8. W. Sea pand- — I am very suspicious about using sea sand for plAUt.s, but there is sea sand and sea sand. Did your correspondents, who recommend it for cuttings, procure it from a spot that is frequently covered by the tide, or from KITCHEN GARDEN NOTES. Carrots. — Drying north-easterly winds have been so continuous during the past fortnight, that the ground is in the best form for seed-sowing ; hence, though somewhat early, we have sown the main crop of Carrots — James's Intermediate and Long Surrey. The ground was deeply trenched, but no fresh manure added, having been well manured for "the previous crops, Celery and early Broccoli. The early Carrots sown on a soutli bank are now well through the soil, and the ground being so dry, hoe- ing has been done between the rows with a Wew to destroy weeds and promote rapid growth, that there may be no break in the supply between the frame- grown Carrots and the early open-air crop. Plaxtixg Asparagus.— Before this last spell of cold weather Asparagus had begun to show through the soil, but 8° of frost and dreadfully cold winds destroyed every bit that showed. There is plenty of underground activity, and with a genial change of weather, cutting will soon be general. As a rule, we do not care to make a new plantation till the roots have got into full activity ; that is, till new stems are about an inch long. Though not this yet, but only just forming at the crowns of the plants, the conditions as to soil being favourable, we have transplanted them to form a permanent plot. The ground has been in ])reparation ever since the autumn, when it was trenched as deep as the sand and gravelly subsoil would admit of, two layers of the best stable manure being put in at that time and the soil left rough, that frost might have the fullest pulverising effect on it ; a few weeks since a dressing of salt and soot was given, and afterwards the ground was levelled down by digging it with forks. The planting has been done in lines a yard apart, and 2 feet from plant to plant, and in trenches G inches deep, the plants being covered over to the ordinary ground line. If wc had manure to spare we should thickly mulch the lines throughout ; as it is, a little over the crown of each plant is all they are likely to get, and this is really necessary to keep the plants growing through dry weather, for water- ing is quite out of the question. To old plantations we have given a second dressing of soot, which is an excellent fertiliser and a sure slug preventer. A small piece of ground has been sowm with Aspa- ragus, some of which may possibly be large enough to plant out next year, but it will be two years be- fore the bulk of the plants is ready. Beet. — It is now time to make the principal sowing on ground free from fresh manure and that has been deeply dug or trenched. We sow in drills from a foot to 1.5 inches apart, and thin out to 9 inches. Probably no other kitchen garden crops, whilst in the seedling state, are so tempting to slugs, and to guard against their depredations we scatter soot in the drills with the seeds, and also as soon as the plants emerge from the ground, and we repeat the application as often as necessary till the thinning out of the plants is done, when they are too large for the slugs to have any damaging effect on them. Dell's Crimson is our favourite variety. French Beans. — We have made a small first sowing on a south and well-sheltered border. Some- times such an early sowing does well ; but, as a rule, there is little gained by sowing earlier than the end of the month. Some sow in boxes in warmth, and transplant to open borders as soon as danger from frost is past, but it is a plan not to be commended. A more successful way is to sow in small 3-inch pots, about four seeds in a pot, and plant out as soon as safe without disturbing the ball. Thus growth goes on without check, and, baning injury from frost, a fortnight or three weeks may be gained ov-er those sown at the earliest date in the ordinary way. Osborn's and Fulmer's Forcing for the earliest, and Canadian Wonder for general crojis, are amongst the best varieties. The 354 THE GARDEN. [ApeiI; 16, 1887. two first-uamed may be sown in rows as near together as 2 feet, but a yard apart is none too much for the last-named, and small twiggy sticks are needed as supports, as it crops so heavily. Potatoes. — We have completed the planting of all kinds. The distance apart of sets varying from 2 feet by 14 inclies in the short-haulmed kinds to 3 -feet by 2 feet in the strong-growing late kinds. The early kinds planted on south borders are all up, and to prevent injury by frost we keep them well ridged up, and as soon as they get too high for this, a little long litter will be put over them each night when there are indications of frost, and be placed between the rows at all other times, or at least till all danger from frost be past, when it will be cleared away, and the ground be lightened up either by shallow forking or deep hoeing. Heebs. — Sowings of annual kinds have been made in shallow boxes in warmth, to be presently planted out on any spare bit of ground that has a sunny exposure. The kinds now sown are Sweet and Knotted Marjoram, Borage, Basil, and Chervil; Thyme and Sage we have also sown, as we wish to replace with young plants the old ones that have got woody and crippled by the past two severe mnters. Pennyroyal we have lifted, divided, and replanted, and also increased our stock of Tarragon by division of the roots. Of Mint, the suj^ply being ample, it was only necessary to clear off decayed stems and weeds and apply a fresh top-dressing of good soil. General wokk. — To give plenty of air on all favourable occasions to Potatoes, Carrots, Lettuce, and Radishes in frames; the lights will be quite drawn off in mild, and particularly during mild, showeiy vi^eather. Carrots are soum so thin, that thinning out of plants is not required, but weeding and stirring of soil between the rows is of prime importance. To plant remainder of Seakale cut- tings that have been made from the roots that have been forced, and also to plant the forced Rhubarb roots after dividing them, that we may increase our stock. Thin out Spinach, stake Peas, dig out trenches for Celery, and plant out remainder of autumn-sown Onions that were too small for trans- plantation when the others were done a few weeks since. W. W. Books. THE CONSULTING ARCHITECT.* By this rather clumsy title (not the less awkward and incorrect because it is already in use in another profession) the author of the work before us intends an architect who is called in for consultation and advice, as distinguished from one who makes a design and controls the execution of it. " The Advising Architect," one might more fitly name him. Professor Kerr does not, however, limit his book to the evident intention of its title, but ex- patiates over all matters that concern the architect in any capacity except that of artist. " The Archi- tect as Man of Business" would perhaps be the best title for the volume. We have "sections" on consultation and evidence, arbitration cases, cases of structural damage, questions of easements, ques- tions of ancient lights, questions of support, sani- tary cases, leasehold questions, questions of valua- tion, questions of building, Building Act (London) questions, and on architects' disputes and etiquette. The book is a valuable and unique one, wide in scope and closely compacted of experience (not all of it pleasant ! ) ; altogether such as no architect can afford to dispense with, since it has become obtain- able. As regards the experience, indeed here and there we detect a half-suppressed bitterness of tone, where the topic recals to the author's mind some in- justice of which he or another has been made victim by the aid of hungry and unscrupulous rivals — "cannibals," justly so named. Written by an architect for architects, " The Consulting Archi- tect " probably does not expect any large number of readers among the general public. The final sec- tion, however, which deals at large with architects' • "Tbe, Consulting Architect," by Robert Kerr, Architect. John Murray, London. services, charges, practice, authority, and so forth, should be perused and considered by eveiTone who is likely to be concerned with architects and their works. By tiie greater number of people who employ an architect or "do without" one his labours and qualifications are little imderstood or appre- ciated, and will so remain ; but those few who are both capable and desirous of being better informed in this respect may there find matter worthy of their contemplation. W. SiMMOXS. Trees and Shrubs. Vr. GOLDRINQ. THE MANNA ASH. (fraxixus ornu.s.) This is the ( )ruus europrea or Flowering Ash of old WTiters, and a very handsome tree it is. Considering its great merits as an ornamental tree, it is comparatively neglected by planters at the present day, though years ago, in the tree- planting age, as we might call it, it must have been a great favourite, judging by tlie many grand old specimens that exist in arboreta and gardens throughout these islands. The list of tlie fine Flowering Ashes in this country which Loudon gave in his "Arboretum Britanuicum," jjublished fifty years ago, would be lengthened considerably were all the large trees that exist now enumerated, for there are few important gardens I have visited that I have not met with remarkable old Flowering Ashes. Old speci- mens, however, of this tree are not always the most yaluable from an ornamental standpoint, for in maturity it is too much like the common Ash. It is when it is half grown, say about 20 feet high and very vigorous, that it is most Cluster of bloom of Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus). remarkable as an ornamental tree, for tlieii it has a dense head of luxuriant leafage, and pro- duces in eai'ly summer a profusieautiful in ail its stages. The soft green of its tender shootlets clothed with its glow- ing cones, so vividly described by Mr. Goldring, are hardly more beautiful than the brilliancy of its golden hues in early autumn. And yet it is so sel- dom one meets with groups or single trees of Larch on lawns or iu home woods. Being so generally grown :is a nurse or forest tree, the Larch somehow seems to have got removed from the ornamental landscape for the very vulgar reason probably of its being thought too common, and yet we have no tree that will take its place, or provide similar forms, colours, or odours ; hence it is to be hoped that Mr. Gold- ring's timely remarks on its unique beaut}' and efltectiveuess may lead to its more general introduc- tion. Not a few landscapes are spoiled by impossible attempts to grow semi-tender and comparatively rare trees that might be furnished with rich ar- boreal beauty through the planting of such common trees as the Larch, the Scotch and Douglas Firs, the Birch, Lime, &c. May I venture to recommend to Mr. Goldring the Lady of the Wood, or Birch, in its many forms as a companion tree in the landscape to the Larch .' Groups, or groves, or even single trees of Birch are at once exquisite in grace and fra- grance; while the stems of the .Silver Birch add a brightness and beauty to garden scenery that no other tree can impart, and yet the Birch is almost less used than the Larch in the formation of land- scapes.— D. T. F. TWO EARLY WALL SHEUB3. Considering the extreme beauty and floriferouaneas of Pdbes speciosum, the most brilUant and the best of all the flowering Currants, it is aurpriaing it is so sel- dom planted on walls. Manyj'ears ago I remember be- ing 80 struck with a large plant of this in flower on a farmhouse in the early spripg, that I turned off the public road for some distance to verify its identity. It can hardly be surpassed in brilliancy of colouring and profusion of its graceful racemes of drooping blooms ; whilst the tender Currant-like leaves, which almost run abreast with the blossoms in this fine variety, are of the softest and most pleasing huts in the early springtime, and remain clean and beautiful throughout the season. A large panel or piece of a wall so furnished gives new life and beauty and pscu- liar brilliancy to the tpring-tide. Placed side by side or between the plants of the early yellow .Tasmi- nuni nudiflorum, the effect is still more rich and beautiful. Both may become yet more artistic if the two plants are allowed to overlap or intermi.x some- what the two colours, each contributing to enhance each other's beauty. It is a somewhat singular coin- cidence that just as the beautiful flowering Currant is grown on the wall, so this hardiest and most showy of all the Jasmines is seldom or never found on it. But throughout the whole of Ireland and the milder parts of England this golden Jasmine is hardy in the sheltered shrubbery or home woods, and as on walls, so in the foreground of shrabbeiits, the two plants go addiirably together. Every planter of experience is familiar with the charming habits of most of the Ribf s. All they need is room and to be let alone to grow into fine bushes of matchless symmetry and exceptional grace. It is very different with the Jasmine. It is a trailing plant, though not exactly a climber, for if left to itself it will form a huge mass of almost .any desired area. But so treated, it is readily knocked about by high winds or borne down almost flat with the ground by h°avy falls of snow. To avoid this, the simplest way is to furnish each plant with a stout stake from 2 feet to 1 yard high when planted. This imparts stability to its centre, and beyond this almost any sort of pruning or train- ing, or no sort of either may be adopted. In general, the less of either, the more effective and strikingly beautiful the Jasmine becomes as a shrub. An- other simple and striking way of treating these plants is to plant them together and allow the Jasmine to grow up with and among the Ribes. In this case it will be needful to interfere somewhat vi'^orously to i revent the Jasmine overrunning too much and too far the Ribes. It is easy for the eje of taste and the hand of skill eo to adjust the balance 856 THE GARDEN. [April 16, 1887. of crimson and golden aa to make the contrasted combination as perfect as may be. There is yet another admirable method of com- bining these two plants. In shrubberies liberally furnished with this fine Kibes or the more common species E. sanguineum, plant a good many golden Jasmines against the stems of deciduous trees or among masses of scrambling or climbing Briers or Eoses, train the Jasmine lightly to these, and allow it to scramble down to meet or partially overrun the Eibes. The effect will be as rich and pleasing as any that the entire season affords, and it is one that may be enjoyed by almost every possessor of a garden, as hardly any two plants can be more plentiful and cheap than these two delightful har- bingers and substantial enrichera of our shrubberies and woods in the springtime. D. T. F. THE FRAGRANCE OF THE DOUGLAS SPRrCE. While " W. G." gives almost an exhaustive list of the merits of this useful and handsome tree, he omits to name its sweet and pleasant fragrance. Its branches, merely handled or slightly squeezed in the hands, emit an odour at once pleasing- and sanitary ; few branchlets are more welcome in sick or sleeping rooms to those who arc in the .secret of its refreshing fragrance. As they fade, and before the needles fall they may be burned in the grate or on a hot shovel, and medical men who have had experience of this Spruce as a febrifuge are .snre to ask for it again. A few plants are worth growing in small gardens for their fragrance only. Permit me to endorse " W. G.'s " views abont the' great superiority of the glaucous variety of the Douglas Spruce. The paler the strain, the worse and the weaker ; the more verdant and semi- glancoirs, the more rapid the growth and robust the health of this fine Spruce. It is the existence of these two or more -varieties that has originated and sustained the great variety of opinion about this fine tree. In some localities one meets with few of the viridis type ; and in' such, be the soil or shelter what it nuiy, the Douglas Spruce is more or less sickly and stunted. The trees are mostly thin of foliage and branchlets, and have a sickly hue. While experience with this fine Spruce in widely differing localities leads me to endorse all that " W. G," so well says upon the need of considerable shelter and good soil to its rapid growth, I would nevertheless emphasise even more than he does the necessity of starting with the verdant variety if .success "is to be reached in the growth of this Sprnce-for timber. Side by side with the common Spruce it beats it a long way in speed, while the timber is altogether cleaner, easier worked, and hence more valuable. It is also said to be equally durable, though here possibly the ratio of gnnvth may come in as a disturbing force. Proliablythe fastest grown Douglas Spruce from the bottom of a fat valley may not yield such durable timber as that grown naore slowly on poorer soils and in more exposed localities." HoRTUS. susjieet there lias licen a mistake, and perhaps " T. li." will enligliten us on that point. The de- scription of a deciduous kind with white flowers, and a native of China, will apply to the Yulan (JI. conspicua), but it is quite a hardy tree, though tlie blooms from their earliness are occasionally injured by late spring frosts. — H. P.. Magnolia Campbelli.-- 1 u The Gakden March 1!1 (p, 2.'<0) " T. 11." speaks of this Magnolia as a. licautitul wliite-fiuwered kind, suitable for the back wall of a conservatory, and further .states it is a native of China. Magnolia Campbelli is a native of the Himalayas, and is ai this country so shy flower- ing, that itcannot be the plant intended. All tree lovers were for many years anticipating with interest the blooming of M. Campbelli, f(U- it was described by. Sir Joseph Hooker in its native country as iiowering abundantly in April, at the end of all the branches, when the tree is as yet per- fectly leafless, the blooms varying in colour from white to deep rose, or almost crimson, and in size from G inches to 10 inches, the scent being faint. The first and, so far as I know, the only place it has flowered in Great Britain is in the gardens of Mr. W. CU-awford, Lakelands, near Cork, where it bloomed in 18S4, when a drawing of it was made for ihe Bo'avical ^fafJazine. If " T. B.'s" plant is really M. Campbelli, many of your readers will, I am sure, be pleased to hear of its flowering, but I strongly Rose Garden. T. W. GIEDLESTONE. ROSE-GROWING IN AMERICA. It is most satisfactory to feel that a mere tiiueh of Rose lore or love makes all men and nations kin. Difference of race, country, na- tionality, vanish as we meet among and feel we are all but one family among the Roses. One of the chief charms of Mr. Falconer's notes is the home-like character of his cultural instructions, and the home ring of the names of his Roses singled out for special praise. "VVith the two exceptions of Bon Silene and American Beauty, most of his favourites are also ours. America being a big country, full of big things, it is only natural to expect that size in Roses should score more points there than in our tight little island. But there is small exception to be taken to Mr. De Forest's selection on this head, unless, perhaps, in regard to Paul Newon. But there is more to be said in favour of this giant than has yet been said on this side the big pond. Even with us there is a great difference between Paul Neyron at midsummer and in the autumn. At the latter season it loses much of its size and nearly all its coarseness, and is in many gardens in great reque.st for autumnal cuttings. L'nder glass Paul Neyron becomes yet more refined alike in form and colour. Forced yet earlier, as it seems to be by Mr. De Forest, it is easy to under- stand its becoming popular for other qualities besides its mere size. It is refreshing also to find such an old favourite as General Jacqueminot still held worthy to rank among the most valuable Roses for forcing in America. This fine old Rose has greatly degenerated of late years at home, or 'possibly it would be more true to say that its culti- vation has been given np for that of newer Roses of less merit either in constitution, continuous bloom, or brilliancy of colour. As to General Jac- queminot, it may have equals, but can never be eclipsed. And then how home-like are most of the other names — La France, Niphetos, the two Merniets, Captain Christy, Jladame Ciabriel Luizet, and Magna Charta, the latter of which Mr. Falconer seems to run abreast with Paul Neyron as approxi- mating to it in size and contrasting well with it in colour. Catherine Mermet and its white sport The Bride seem tlie most extensively grown. It is remarked incidentally that Niphetos is not grown on its own roots, without any information being given as to the stock used. My experience with this fine Rose- is that few or no Roses need a stock less, as it grows freely indoors and vigorously in warm sheltered nooks and corners out of doors on its own roots. It must be confessed that it is a serious dis- appointment to us Britishers that Her Majesty, even under the fo.stering conditions provided for it by Mr. De Forest, has not yet become, biit is still wait- ing for more porous soil to. make it supremely beautiful. We trust the new aftd lighter treatment will restore Her Majesty to her pristine splendour in tliis her jubilee year. Mr. De Forest's compost, liquid and solid dressing, and general treatment seem all eminently calculated to bring forth those brilliant results Mr. Falconer has so vividly d'e- scribed, and in which rosarians on both sides of the .Atlantic rejoice in common. As to reaping the richest harvest of flowers from maidens rather than cut-backs, it is doubtful whether this experience coincides with that of the majority of Rose growers in this country. By the way, one is tempted to in- quire, what becomes of the maidens ? Surely they cannot be sacrificed ; as after one year's rich foster- ing under such strengthening conditions they must lie s])lendid stuff for a second venture or out-of- door furnishing. Mr, Falconer's list can hardly be termed exhaustive, as otherwise the omission cif our favo\irite golden or fawii-coloured Roses, such as Marechal Niel, Celine Forestier,'i'riouii)he de Rennes, Lamarque, Gloire de Dijon, Ophirie, Mdme. Welch, &c., seems strange. It can hardly be that Marechal Niel is not grown on account of its large size by a nation in which Paul Neyron is popular; neither can it well be that such lovely pink Teas as Presi- dent and Souvenir d'un Ami, or such exquisite creamy whites as Souvenir d'Elise Varden, Marie A'an Houtte, Mdme. Bravy, Innocente Pirola, to say nothing of Devonieusis, are not grown by Mr. De Fo'rest. Many other fine and brilliant Roses do not seem to be grown largely or at all by this .successful cultivator under glass. It would be intere.sting 1o know if difference of climate greatly affects the J character, beauty, or usefulness of the following I Roses in America : Alfred C'olomb, Beauty of Wal- ' thum, Baroness Rothschild, Boule de Neige, Charles Lefebvre, Dr. Andry, Duke of Edinburgh, Edouard Morren, John Hopper, Jules Margottin, Mdme. 'S'ic- tor Verdier, Marechal Vaillant, Marie Baumanp, Marie Rady, Prince Camille.de Rohan, Senateur Vaisse, and Victor A''erdier. It will be seen that these are father representatives of classes of Roses than an exhaustive list of the best varieties ; and any particulars of their doings in the open or under glass in America will be welcomed by all your Rose readers. D. T. F. A never-failing Bose, — This term may be justly applied to Gloire de Dijon. We grow it against walls and as standards in the open air, and in various positions under glass, and it never fails to l)loom freely everywhere at the right time. One plant under glass is very old, and I have cut thousands of blooms of it in past years, and now it flowers as freely as ever. It is tlie alpha and omega of Roses. Its "qualities cannot be overpraised, as it grows so freely and blooms so profusely without any particular care. I cannot imagine any garden lieing without it, and I can advise its universal culture without fear of a mistake being made in growing it. — C.\MBI!IAN. Pruning Eoses. — It is stated in The Garden (p. 27"i) that "the objection generally urged against late pruning is that the plants bleed so much more than when pruned before any material growth has been made at the ends of the shoots." May I ask what authority on Rose culture has urged this plea ? I am curious because, so far as my experience goes, the Rose does not bleed to any appreciable extent. One understands what bleeding mi-aUs in the case of the A'ine or iii a tree like the Sycamore, from which the sap literally runs, but who ever saw a Rose bleeding freely ; and if it does not bleed, why discuss the subject in relation to pruning ? Why some plants bleed so much more than others is a mystery, and it is well to bear in mind the fact that some plants do bleed to their injury, but they are the exception instead of the rule, for- tunately.— J. S. Mulching Roses. — If the present low rate of rainfall continues, all Roses will be greatly benefited by having a mulch laid on the surface over the roots. Especially is this necessary in the case of newly-planted Roses whose roots have not had time to get a good hold of the soil, and nothing is equal to half-rotten cow manure. To be of any benefit to the i)lants, it requires to be laid to a depth of 3 inches, and when the plants are in beds the whole of the surface should be covered w-ith the manure. Single plants growing in the form of standards or bushes should have the ground covered 18 inches from the stem all round ; where the ground round the plants has been much trodden, the surface should be stirred up a little before the mulching is ]iut on. In dry, sandy soils the short Grass may be used for mulching if there is no manure available. As this quickly dries up fresh applications will be nejessary at intervals of two or three -weeks. — J. C. C. , Fnsuring flowers on Marechal Niel Rose. — There are many Marechal Niel Roses grown, but all do not flower freely. The reverse is almost the rule, and in many cases a plant w-hieh produced a fine lot of blooms last year will only bear a few this season. As. an instance of the kind, I may say April 1(], 1887.] ^l^ THE GARDEN. S57 that at Easter, Ib^SG, we had a Mari-chal Xiel which produced scores of grand blooms, but the results at Easter, 1S87, were almost nil, and yot the plant is as bulky and quite as healthy, b\it the wood is quite different in character. The plant in 188G was mainly composed of long, thick shoots, which were prculuced and matured the previous year. Tliese burst into growtli at every eye, and each of the shoots produced a flower. This was satisfactory, but in the summer of ISSO a few very long strong grovi-ths w-cre formed, the wood only developing into a great number of small branches, and it is these which are now failing to flower freely or lu'o- duce large blooms. In the future we will take care that these snudl growths be cut off early in tlie season, and only long shoots will he encouraged to grow and mature, when they -will develop fine blooms, as was the case in 18S(;, and by securing these robust growths annually, free blooming will be the invariable rSult. — Cambbian. lIEATINa BY STEAM IN AMERICA. If what Mr. William Falconer says in his deeply intiu'csting article from the American Florid in The Gakden (p. 207) concerning the economy of steam heating can be confirmed, then we in this country have been advancing backwards for many years, and must once more return to the use of steam. Were the difference one of a trifling per- centage the matter might be of little moment, but when it becomes a matter of saving almost half the coal consumed, the question of economy be- tween steam and hot water must nei^ds be fought over again. Nothing can be more positive than Mr. Falconer's statement. Eight tons of coal in the steam-heaters give the same results as fourteen in tlie hot-water apjiaratus. Assuming that the quality and price of the coals uscil tor both are alilve, we have had no statement advanced of such superlative horticultural importance for years. For coal being the most costly factor in producing horticultural produce out of season, it follows that if the quantity can be thus reduced, producers and consumers alike must share in the benefits, and the science and juactice of horticulture receive a new and powerful stimulus. Before forming a correct juclgment on the matter, further information must be had as to the exact nature and character of the steam-heaters and the hot-water apparatus pitted against each other by Mr. De Forest. Possibly Mr. Falconer or the American Florist will kindly furnish full details and plans of both. Are each the best and most economical of their kind ? It is the more needful to be assured on this point, for even among hot- water apparatus it is no uncommon thing to find some that will do egiial or even more work with half the fuel as others. The sources of waste are too numerous to men- tion, and only one will be named at present — boiler setting. The waste of coal cast into this great gulf every year is probably equal to that which sustains our semi-tropical climates under glass in spite of wind and weather. Ignorant stoking also wastes its thousands of tons of coal a day. But I will not dwell on those points. My great object is to obtain further information as to this fuel-saving steam-heater used iu Mr. De Forest's huge Rose nursery across the Atlantic. It may Very well be that what Mr. Falconer says is perfectly true. A good many horticulturists in tills country are of opinion that steam-heating never had a fair trial here. Steam as a source of heat, as well as a motive power, was almost iu its infancy when it was ushered into our hothouses. Little or nothing was known then of the economical produc- tion or use of steam. The science of the evolution and economical application of so much caloric or motive power from each pound of fuel had hardly been discovered. No one conversant with the use of coal in horticulture can affirm that the science of scientific economy in its use has yet been perfected. Every day almost more driving, lighting, or heating- force is got out of our coal for manufacturing or com- mercial purposes. But it must be admitted that our coal-saving expedients in horticultural heating are still far behind those employed for trade and commercial purposes. This brings me to the following probable ex- planation of Mr. Falconer's facts. Possibly the steam-heater is the last and best thing out of its class furnished with all tlie fuel-saving, heat-con- centrating, and economising appliances discovered by ■ the latest science, and used by the most advanc<.>d practice. Further, it is just jiossible that this latest and best steam-heater is pi) ted against an ant iquated and wastefid hot-water aii])aratus. If the two are thus uneijually matched, there is nothing wonderf\il in the facts recorded. But if both are the best of tlieir kind, and the consumption- of fviel is as eight ti5 fourteen in favour of steam, then, indeed, are we on the eve of a great revi_>lution, or rather retropro- gression, in our modes of heating. No one need fear any injuries through the adoption of Mr. De Forest's steam-heaters, as steam-heat, though of a higher tenqjerature, is, as everybody knows, as pure as that from hot water. We want, first of all, plans and descrijitions of those steam-heaters, and as soon as practicable a few of tlieni in o|ieralinn at our great shows in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and other large towns. If reasonably cheap, and as economical as stated, their introduction here will mark a new era of greater wealth and enlarged prosperitv to British horticulture. D. T. Fish. Ferns. ■W. H. GOWER. CLUB MOSSES. (ltcopodioms.) This division of the Lycopods contains many plants of great beauty totally distinct in character from the Selagiuella.s. They have been much neglected by plant growers, and consequently have gradually become scarce. On a recent visit to Kew, however, we o.bserved numerous examples thriving in the Fern house there. These plants are well deserving the notice of those forming a collection of Ferns-and their allies. Amongst the beautiful tropical kinds now growing at Kew may be noted L. verticillatum (a native of the Mascarene Islands), which is a stout-growing plant, -with branching, pendent stems, densely clothed with linear lanceolate dark green leaves, arranged in whorls. L. phlegmaria is a handsome species of quite a different type of beauty ; its stems are much branclied, from 1 foot to 2 feet long, bearing ntimerous shining, bright green, cordate leaves, the ends of the stems ornamented -with long, many-branched, pendulous tassels of cat- kin-like sporangia. It appears to be abundant in the Fiji and Philippine Islands, and also found in the northern parts of Queensland and various other places. L. phyllanthum, from Tropical Asia, is a similar plant, but somewhat more r(jbust in all its parts. L. taxifolium, from Jamaica and various others of the adjacent islands, is a stout, pendulous plant, growing a< foot or more in length, the stems being abun- dantly furnished -jvitli bright green acuminate leaves ; the sporangia are not produced in tassels at the ends of the shoots, but are situated at the bases of the upper leaves. L. squarrosum grows to 3 feet or 4 feet in length, its stout, forked stems being clothed with large, linear- lanceolate, deep green leaves, the points of the shoots ornamented with pendent spikes of spo- rangia. It is a native of the Polynesian Islands. L. dichotomum, from Brazil, and L. gniilioides, from the Cape, are thriving well in this collec- tion. Various other species were recently to be found in the principal London nurseries, notably L. ruscifolium, introduced from Borneo, by Mr. Low, of Clapton ; it has slender, red stems, which are much rainitied, sparingly clotlied with shining, dark green leaves, somewhat cordate at the base, tapering to a sharp )joint. L. laterale is another interesting plant, introduced from Ne-w Zealand by the Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea. It is erect in growth, with slender, much-branched, terete stems, densely clothed with slightly spreading linear, sharp-pointed leaves of a bright green. Several species have also been introcluced by the Messrs. Jackson, of Kingston, the most noteworthy being L. Hookeri, from the East Indian Islands, a bold and handsome form, resembling a gigantic L. phlegmaria, the stems are stout, branched, some 2 feet or 3 feet in length, with large, flat, lan- ceolate-acuminate leaves of a bright shining green ; whilst its pendulous tassels of sporangia are from 4 inches to 6 inches long. L. linifolium is a native of the West Indian Islands, and is also found in Venezuela on trees at an altitude of 5000 feet to GOOO feet. It has long, slender, much-divided stems, with linear-lanceolate, shining, bright green leaves. The pretty little, erect-growing L. uliginosuni, from Australia, tlirives admirably iu Wardian cases. Lycopo- diunis were great favourites with the Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, also, who introduced nu- merous species, of which we may mention L. serratum, from the neighbourhood of Yokohama, in Japan. Its stems are about a foot high, once or twice forked, profusely clothed with flat, ovate-lanceolate bright green leaves, which are stalked and serrate on the edges. L. aloifoliiim, from the Xeilgherry Hills, is a remarkable plant, 12 inches or 18 inches long. The stems are stout, branched, and densely clothed with broad, obtuse, tlark green leaves nearly half-an- inch long. L. reflexum, introduced from Merida, where it was found upon trees at an altitude of (iOOO feet to TOOO feet, is a vers handsth were ex- hibited by Messrs. Gordon and Son, nurserymen, Edinburgh. Narcissus cyclamineus, shown by Messrs. Barr and Son, King Street, Covent Garden ; Cine- raria Wm. Pratt, a large double blue form, shown by Mr. Pratt, Longleat Gardens, Warminster ; Cycla- men Queen of Crimsons, a very deep crimson-flowered variety, exhibited by Mr. .T. Odell, Hillingdon ; Cypripedium leucorhodon, a cross between C. Sedeni and C. Schliuii albiflorum, a bold growing pLaut with pale rose-coloured flowers and a large pouch; Ania- rjllis Nonpareil, a flower "f e.xquisite shape, good substance, and lioh, deep ciimson in colour ; Ama- ryllis Edith Wynne, a form of the reticulata sec- tion, petals crimson, broadly margined with white, exhibited by Messrs. .Tames Veitch and Sons ; Au- ricula Sir Wm. Hewitt, a deep purple, maroon- flowered variety, and Abbe Lizst, green-edged, Loth shown by Mr. J. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford ; Odontoglossum crispum (Mr. Thompson's variety), bearing a spike of very bold and handsome flowers, ea?h measuring some i\ inches across ; white, dis- tinctly blotched with bright cinnamon-brown, the | tinct two-ranked manner ; shown by Mr. W. Thomp- son, Stone, Staffs. Messrs. Barr and Sons, King Street, Covent Garden, staged a very fine group of Narcissi, con- taining most of the leading forms, for which a silver Banksian medal was awarded. Mr. Ware, of Tottenham, received a similar award for a large group of Narcissi, fringed with Chionodoxa Lucili», Anemone fulgena, Allium neapolitanum, Freesii refracta, and other spring flowers, also an interesting mixed group, amongst which were fine examples of Primula rosea, cashmeriana, and uivea, Anemone Pulsatilla, Zephryanthes carniola, Ophrys tenthrediuifera, Lacheualias, &c. Messrs. Collins Bros, and Gabiiel, Waterloo Road, London, were also awarded a silver Banksian medal for a magnificent group of Narcissi, edged with Anemone splendens, both single and double forms ; A. fulgens multipetali, and various other fpring flowers. A silver Banksian medal was awarded. Mr. B. S. Williams, of Holloway, staged a pretty group, amongst which we noted a very distinct and novel form of Anthurium Scherzerianum named atro- sacguineum, in which the spathe was of a very deep blood colour, the blue-Howered Tillandsia Lindeni, various .Sarracenias bearing hand.some flowers, the rare Vanda cristata, Ochna multiflora, a finely- flowered specimen of Rhododendron Veitchianum, and numerous profusely-flowered plants of the best form of Boronia megastigma, &c. The Royal Gardens at Kew contributed a very interesting group of plants which have somewhat gone out of fashion of hate years, but assuredly would again become popular if more frequently seen at such gatherings as these. The most notable were several kinds of Boronias, Epacris, Acacias, and Chorozema", the beautiful and rare Pentapterygium rugosum, various Grevilleas, l>.vrwiuias, &c. From the her- baceous department also cams the exquisite Primula Keedi, with hairy leaves and white flowers, almost like a Snowdrop ; P. marginata densiflora, and P. spectabilis Glusiana. A silver Bjmksiau medal was deservedly awarded. Messrs. J. Laing and Son, Forest Hill, stiged a large p'ant of Dendrobium Ainsworlhi, bearing some 200 of its beautiful and deliciously fragrant flowers, for which a cultural commendation was awarded. Messr.s. Laing also staged several specimens of Cattleya Lawrenceana. Messrs. Veitch and Sons, of Chelsea, staged a handsome group, consi-»ting of Amaryllis, Azalea, &e.; notable were Amarylhs Illlustriou", crimson flushed with carmine; Nonpareil, rich ciimson; Panmure, bearing six flowers on the truss. Azalea calyciflora, a vaiiety in the way of obtusa, but with the calyx enlarged a^d coloured, and a pretty white form of Azalea obtusa named alba, were noteworthy. An- dromeda japonica, beating a profusion of pendent racsmes of white, bell-shaped flowers, was also con- spicuous. Mr. F. Wigan, Clare Lawn, Eas' Sheen, on- tributed a well-bloomed specimen of Dendrobium Findleyanum. Baron Sohroeder, of The Dell, Egham, sent Odontoglossum Pescatorei, a cut spike of the unique and beautiful Odontoglossum Pescatorei Veitchianum. Mr. G. F. Wilson, Heatherbank, Weybridge, sent a basket of cut flowers, containing hybrid Hellebores and seedling Primula denticulata, &c. Mr. J. Douglas staged a few excellent new seed- ling Auriculas, the most notable being Snowdon's Knight, Lady of the Lake, Innocence, and two others previously referied to. Mr. Measures, of Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell, sent cut blooms of a very fine, pure white-flowered Pelargonium named Miss F. Measures, which was stated to retain its purity, which the majority of the white varieties do not. Mr. R. Dean, of Ealing, exhibited the pretty little Primula longibarda. Sir G. Macleay, of Pendell Court, sent a collection of cut blooms, amongst which we noted Urge panicles of Fuchsia arborea, Hardeiibergias, numerous varie- raceme bearing nine flowers ai ranged in a very dis- 1 ties of Vandas and other Orchids ; Paulowuia impe- 360 THE GARDEN. [April 16, 1887. rialis, and the Natal Streptocarpua Polyanthus, &c. A bronze Banksian medal was awarded. Messrs. Lane and Son, Berkhampstead, contributed a remarkably fine group of the Japanese Azalea mollis, with very large flowers, the colours being extremely variable. A silver Banksian medal was awarded. Mr. H. B. May, of Edmonton, staged a striking ■and well-grown group of small Ferns, containing many species and varieties. A bronze Banksian medal was awarded. Mr.' F. A. Philbrick, Q.C., Bickley, sent Cymbidium eburneum Philbrickianmn, with pure white flowers, and the old, but seldom seen, Cattleja amethystina. Scientific committee. — Mr. Maw exhibited the following species of Crocus : C. biflorus var. Pestalozzaj, from near Constantinople, with a very small white perianth ; C. minimus, DO., from Ajaccio, Corsica, with daik purple outer petals and lighter coloured ones within ; C. Imperati, from Bavillo, South Italy, the only species with a rose-coloured perianth ; also a white variety of the same, first in- troduced by Dr. Lowe, who sent it to the late Rev. H. H. Crewe. Mr. Maw observed that the obesa form of Corbularia — not a distinct form — was charac- teristic of many, as of C. nivalis, both of larger and smaller kinds, N. nanus, found wild near Bewdley, Salop. Mr. Maw also showed specimens of a species of Chionodoxa from Crete, having a much smaller flower than C. Luciliae. Dr. Masters observed that the latter will degenerate in a wet soil so as to assume a diminished stature, which was, therefore, probably solely due to its habitat. A Fritillaria from Erzeroum, Armenia (chocolate-flowered), .and which was figured in the Botanical Magazine with a yellow form from mountains near Smyrna; alsoavernal form of Colchicum from the Dardanelles were exhibited by Mr. Maw. Mr. G. F. Wilson exhibited a small species of Primrose which had come up amongst Himalayan seed, and several blossoms of seedlings of Scott Wilson, showing the retention of the blue tint, though exhibiting great \'ariety of colours. Mr. W. D'Arcy Godolphin Csborne sent a jjlant of a white Primrose found wild near Biarritz. Though a common cultivated form it is probably rare in a wild state. It was growing in red clay. Colonel Clarke exhibited blessoms of a hybrid of Primula ciliata crossed by pollen of a dark alpine Auricula. The colour closely resembled the latter, but the corolla was very large, being quite half as large again as the Auricula, while the centre was of a deeper yellow. Colonel Clarke also showed a leaf of a hybrid between llheuni palmatum and the common garden Rhubarb, K. undulatum. Piev. G. Henslow exhibited a mauve- coloured bloom of an Azalea which had appeared on a shrub with nearly scarlet-coloured flowers. The foliage on the sport was much larger and more hairy than on the usual branch. Moreover, in the sport there was a tendency to doubling, but not in the normal flower. A communication was read, giving details of Mr. Tail's and Mr. Barr's observations in North and South Portugal. Corhularias. — Of these was found a large form, perhaps conspicua or 'serotina, in marshy ground, and in sandy woods of Pmus maritima, edging the marshes ; there was a much dwarfer form, varying in colour from a rich orange to pale yellow, distinctly Etriped with greeoish white ; all probably of one species, but with variations, due to environment, as some of the larger kinds, planted in ISS'J in a dry situation, have become reduced this year. On higher ground in North Portugal the Corbularias are small, with Rush-like, twisted, and drooping leaves ; but at 3000 feet in the Gerez Mountains was C. nivalis, with erect leaves and small flowers, varying from a rich yellow to pale sulphur. In February a fine form, probably C. obesa, Salisb., was found in Estremadura, at Montegil. Mr. Tait remarks upon the varying lengths of the styles in this species, and thinks that it is an unstable character for classificatory purposes. He notices — what has been already observed by others — a similar unstability in the stamen of N. triandrus, an approximation towards heterostylism. It is rare, he adds, to find the style deep down in the Ajax section. A small-flowered form of Ajax, transplanted in 18S.5, has now borne flowers equal in size to the larger form, the small size being attributed by Mr. Tait to poverty of soil. He notices great variation in the forms of the flowers representing maxiraus, major, and the Tenby, suggesting to Mr. Barr that these forms originally came from Portugal. Near Broga forms with the perianth paler than the crown, as in the English and Scotch wild form, were met with. Ajax bicolor occurred in abundance, and was the nearest approach to pi. 1187, Botanical Maga- zine. Mr. Barr has found N. Johnstoni in several localities in North Spain. N. triandrus is specially remarkable for the extraordinary variations in form of flower, foliage, size of bulb, &c., together with the curious trimorphism of the sexual organs. N. trian- drus var. concolor was found in a few mountainous situations by Professor Henriques, and Mr. Tait iden- tifies it with Parkinson's N. juncifolius flore-luteo reflexo (Par/id, p. 92), remarkable for its golden- yellow colour. N. Jonquilla, a remarkably large form, has flowered with Mr. Tait. Mr. Tait con- cludes his interesting commurication with some remarks on hjbrids, all of which are of a creamy- white colour when due to the natural crossing ol pseudo-N. and N. triandrus. Other hybrids from Gerez are uniform in size, colour, &c., and partake of the features of both the parents, viz., C. nivalis and N. tiiandrus. He asks, Why are these hybrids so rare, and do they die out ? NOTES OF THE WEEK, Narcissus Corbularia conspicuus.— We enclose a few 1 ilooms of Narcissus Corbularia conspicuvi-s. We think it a good tbiug wlien established.— Collins Bro.s. ANn Gahriel. \^ A very fine, large-flowered form of tlie Hoop Petticoat Xareisaiis.— Ed. Curious Gloxinia. — I send you a curious Gloxinia, pr.jdiicii'g in additinn to the usual flower two blooms at the bottom of tbe flowering stem. Is this unusual ?— R. Frisby. *♦*" The Gloxinia ssnt had flowered in the usual way, and at the same time there were two blooms at tne base of the flowering stem. This is not unusual.— Ed. Clematis '"indivisa lobata.— This is a half- hardy climljor, far less known and grown than its nterits deserve. It differs from the typical form in having lobed leaves and larger flowers. It is gene- rally distributed throughout the New Zealand islands, where it is said to festoon the trees on the skirts of the forests. In cultivation it proves to be a free-growing plant, and an aVuinilaiit bloomer throughout the winter mouths, if planted out in the border of a cool greenhouse or conservatory in a mixture composed of about two parts loam and one of rough peat. The flowers are star-shaped, pure white, and sweet scented. We noted this variety blooming in the large Camellia house in Mr. Laing's luirsery at Forest Hill, where it has been a conspi- cu(jus object for some weeks. — G. Streptosolon Jamesoui. — This very showy, frce-tlowering greenhouse plant, originally intro- duced by the Messrs. Veitch, nearly forty years ago, under the name of Browallia, is a native of Ecuador. It appears to have been lost, and was re-introduced some few years back. It is a compact growing plant, and readily forms a handsome speci- men if struck from cuttings taken early in spring, and grown in the greenhouse or the open air in summer, producing dense racemes of flower, which are orange-yellow when they first open, but clianae when fully expanded to cinnabar-rod. Although this has usually been considered a summer blodimr, wo saw it laden with flowers, in the middle of -March, in Mr. Laing's nursery at Forest Hill, form- ing a conspicuous object in the intermediate house. — G. Boyal Horticultural Society. — Any honorary, foreign, or corresjionding member of the society may obtain a copy of the Frost Report free of charge by applying to the secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, S.W. Mr. George Maw, F.L.S., of Benth,all, Kenley, has been cliTtiil a member of council vice Mr. A. B. Mit- ford, t'.B., who has resigned. It has been decided to hold a Chrysanthemum show and conference on the 8th and ftth of November next. The idea of holding a conference on Grapes has been abandoned for this year. Arrangements will shortly be made by which residents in the neighbourhood of the Royal Horticultural Society's gardens at Chiswick, who are not Fellows of the society, will be admitted to the gardens on easy terms. Seedling Carnations. — I herewith enclose a bloom from one of my last year's seedling Carna- tions, which well shows the sportive character of these growing favourites. The seed from which the .above came from was supposed to be white, and of the Tree section ; whereas the habit and manner of flowering of this partake almost exactly of the border class, and, as you will see, the colour is nearly the exact counterpart of the old dark Clove, while the scent is quite as powerful. I was curious to measure it, when I found its circumference to be exactly 9 inches. — J. Knight, li/isom. *,f* A fine large flower of a rich crimson-scarlet colour, the perfume very strong as in the old Clove. It docs not split the calyx. — Ed. Law. OVERSEERS OF LEWISHAM T'. H. J. COBB. This was an application of the overseers for the pay- ment of £2 lis. for rates in respect of his cottage and nursery grounds, Derby Villas, Forest Hill. Mr. Coxwell appeared for Mr. Cobb, and contended that after the decision Purser r. The Worthing Local Board, heard in the Divisional Court before Mr. .lustice Day and Mr. Justice Willis, Mr. Cobb could be assessed in respect of the nursery grounds at a quarter only, but as regards the cottage occupied by him at the full value. This was opposed by Mr. Clutty, the collector, on the grounds that there was one assessment only. Mr. Montague Williams, att r considering, said that there should be separate assess- ments for the land and cottage, and having reference to the Inhabited House Duty Act of 1881, adjourned the case to allow the parties to come to terms. Easter decorations. — One of the most effective of the many decorations made in the beautiful church here has this year been of the fine deep scarlet Ge- ranium Henri Jacoby. This has been grown largely in 6 inch and 7-inoh pots for rooms and cut flowers, for which I find it most useful. Also for mixing in groups of plants in chancel of church or elsewhere, with Palms, Callas, Cytisus, and Spirsas, this beau- tiful Geranium has no equal. On Easter day, another subject used largely here for vases was branches in flower of the fragrant Stauntonia latitolia. Long branches cut the night before and placed in pans of water will stand without fl.>g,dng during the next day in tins of wet sand in the church. Wherever re- quired, we have a plant [of the Stauntonia planted out and trained up the pillars of the conservatory in the centre of the glass range at this place, and at this time of the year its delicious scent pervades the i>lace. The church here, lately redecorated by Mr. Har.ild Willoughby, was last Sunday unusually bright with flowers.— Bailey Wadds, Birdsall Gardens, York. We regret to he:ir of the death of M. Jules ValJerand, a very araialjle and excellent French gardener, who raised most of the pretty Gloxinias that have been added to our g.ardens during the last twenty ytars or so. He was the first we saw in possession of the beautiful delicately spotted kinds which he raised near Bourgival. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. One Ar-.ciaus to iTjiOic— We can see nothing wrong with tho Peach flowers. We have examined several and find th .t the fruit has set. Names of plants-— iJ. /., Guil. I)., .'iittiitdbfuinu — 1, Odoutoglossum gloriosum ; 2, Vauda tricolor formosa ; 3, V _uavis ; 4, V. tricolor ins'gnis ; .5, Cyiubidium aloifoljum. April 16, 1887.] THE GARDEIS. 361 WOODS & Forests. " YOEKSHIRElIA^t." PINUS PATULA. Having a long time ago had some experience of this Mexican Pine, I can endorse all that Mr. Webster (p. 337) says of it.s beauty, but must confess that I am agreeably surprised to hear that it is hardy. Amongst other reputed tender varieties, in the year 1800 I found a very fine tree favourably planted at Eastnor, but that fatal winter killed it. At a gentleman's place, much warmer and better sheltered, a short dis- tance away 1 saw a much finer tree than ours, but that also was destroyed, and I arrived at the conclusion that it was too tender for the west midlands. In Cornwall and Devon it may do well, but those two counties no more repre- sent our English climate than tiie first Rose ushers in the summer ; consequentlj', much as all luvers of Conifers may wish to plant a tree wliose lovely leaves represent thousands of skeins of silk, I fear we must search far and wide through the average counties of England before we meet with a specimen equal to that at Pen- carrow. Mr. Webster, however, is a great authority, and his article should have weight with the trade who, for reasons well known to themselves and plauters generall}', have dropped P. patula out of their lists, and I sincerely hope they will soon be in a position to again ofler it to the public. If found too tender for cold and exposed districts, the owners of large conserva- tories and winter gardens might grow it for years, as they now grow the Norfolk Island Araucarias in tubs for the decoration of their terraces through the summer. The habit of the tree, it is true, is rather against its being crowded in a cold house in whiter, but a specimen nevertheless confined to the pyramidal form and "20 feet or more in height would fomi a charming novelty. The Dacrydiums, the Calli- tris, the Fitzroyas, the Cunuinghamias, and all the tender Araucarias do well in mode- rate-sized tubs, and tliis soft and lovely Pine wuuld go well with any of them. Another graceful Pine with us — the hardiest of the Mexican race — is P. Montezumaj. This, un- fortunately, is seldom met with, but planters, I think, in all sheltered places might give it a trial, for certainly it is much hardier than P. patula. Tender Conifers generally with us are now beginning to show the effect of the past protracted winter. Some of our beautiful Pinus insignis, so terribly mutOated by the snow, are slightly browned, but not seriously. The parts suddenly exposed by the loss of large branche.s have suft'ered most, and the piercing north wind which has been blowing for some days is making its mark, as it follows nearly in the line of the snowstorm. Pinus Ayacahuite, or Don Pedro, another of Hartweg's introductions from the mountains in Northern Mexico, is slightly tinged, not on the north, as one might have ex- pected, but on the south side. Next to P. patula this is one of the softest and most grace- ful Pines 1 am acquainted mth, but being de- cidedly ti;nder, I cannot recommend it to in- land planters. Here it is jilanted on the south side of a limestone knoll 450 feet above sea level, upon which Pinus insignis and Abies Pindrow pass through the sharpest winters withcjut losing an old leaf or a young spring growth. W. C. with descriptions of the various Planes, so as to settle the knotty points in their nomenclature. All the large Plane trees in and about London are supposed to be the Platanus occidentalis or American Plane, and the reason why it is considered tenderer than the Oriental Plane ia because it cot unfrequently suffers severely from having its young leaves and fresh growth half killed by late frosts in May, particularly after mild winters and early springs. In all other respects it is as hardy as the Oriental Plane. The Maple-leaved or Spanih Plane (P. actrifolia) has the same spreading habit and fruit as the Oriental Plane, and never grows to so great a height as the American Plane. The Oriental Plane is unquestion- ably the best of all the Planes, both for shade and handsome foliage; but it is, not nearly so rapid a grower as the American Plane, particularly when young. It forms a round and rather dense-headed tree, seldom exceeding 60 feet in height, with a comparatively short, but massive stem, which soon divides into several robust arms, the lower ones of which Bre the largest, spreading horizontally to a very considerable distance. The greatest difficulty in the way of planting Oriental Planes— as trees for shade along a public thoroughfare— is in getting them with stems sufficiently tall to raise, when full grown, their lowtr and wider spreading branches high enough so as not to interfere witti vehicles passing under them. — A. L. S. Plane trees in London There seems to be a good deal cf confusion, especially in nurseries, with r.'gard to the names of Ihe various Planes now grown in this countiy, and it would be of great service if Eome one of authority would give us a good account, THE DROPMORE DOUGLAS FIR. "W. G." tells^us (p. 2S9) that the Douglas Fir at Dropmore " is probably the finest in Europe." It may, perhaps, be one of the tallest in Europe, but as regards size of stem it can bear no comparison with several of its kind even in our own little island, as the following measurements, taken to-day of a couple out of many specimens at Penrhyn, will clearly show : — No. 1— Girth of st«m at 3 feet up, 13 feet 8J Inches. Do. 5 ,, 11 „ 3 „ Do. l-> ., 9 ,, 4 Twenty-four feet in length of the butt contains ex- actly 131 feet of wood. No. 2— Girth of stem .it 3 feet up, 11 feet 9 inches. Do. 21 ,, S „ 4 ,, Forty- two feet in length of the stem contains 21" feet of excellent clean timber. Both specimens are feathered to the ground with bright, healthy foliage, the diameter of spread of branches being from 50 feet to tJO feet. That these fine trees are not what is termed "carrot-shaped," but of gradual taper through- out, will be easily seen from the stem-measurement-i at 12 feet and 21 feet respectively. Now, as the Dropmore tree is only about 10 feet in girth at a yard from the ground (3 feet 8i inches less than the Penrhyn tree), it would certainly look vtry small indeed if placed beside the colossal giants whose measurements are given above. Allowing the Dropmore tree to be 4 feet in girth at 50 feet from the ground, its total contents would only reach about 100 feet — not half that of the largest tree at Penrhyn. It may be well also to state that, unlike the Drop more Douglas Fir, those of Penrhyn have had no coddUng nor " loads of soil placed around their roots," and no kind hand to remove at the proper time rival leaders nor correct ungainly side branches. One of the branches of No. 1 is more than half as large as the Dropmore tree, being exactly 6 feet in girth. I had an interview the other day with the old man who planted these trees, but, alas '. age had brought its infirmities, and *' the memory was not so good as it used to be." He remembered well, however, hav- ing, with another man, carried five plants in pots from the flower garden and placing them in their present position. (This, I believe, from careful in- vestigation, was fifliy-one years ago, but as I have no direct evidence, these figures must only be taken for what they are worth. ) The Hon. Mark Rolle, in a letter received this morning, likewise informs me that in his pinetum at Bicton, one of the Douglas Firs measures 10 feet 6 inches at 5 feet up. This is even a much larger stem than that of the Dropmore tree. If I remember rightly, the Dropmore Douglas Fir is not a perfect specimen, for many of its branches were broken off during a snowstorm some years ago. How does it come that the Dropmore tree was planted in 1823 (" W. G.," p. 2>9), for the seeds "were only received by Mr. Frost from the late Lord Grenville early in December, 1827 ?" Was it planted in its present position as a nine-montbs-old seedling? *'W. G," tells us further regarding the Douglas Fir that, " as a rule, it is not a good tree for sandy soils," but it may surprise him to know that this is the very class of soil which has produced the above unique specimens. On light alluvial deposit we have many very large trees, and on dampish loam likewise. The above is written with the sole object of again correcting the oft-repeated mistake regarding the Dropmore Douglas Fir being the largest of its kind in this country. It may, as before stated, be one of the tallest (I am getting up a list of the tallest, and will, I hope, ere long be able to speak with certainty on this matter), but in point of size it can bear no comparison with many others ; and height without thickness can hardly claim for its possessor the right of being recorded as perhaps the finest of its kind. A. D. Webster. Penrhyn Castle, North Wales. ROADS ACROSS PEAT BOGS. Fagots are often used for forming the foundation of roads across bogs, but though an old plan, I do not think it is the best possible, as by the pressure of traffic the water of the bog is forced up through the fagots, and the stDnes forming the covering will sometimes fall through on to the ground below. The first operation in making a road over a peat bog is to make large open drains at a considerable distance from, and parallel to, the intended site of the road on each side. When, by the operation of these drains, the surface has somewhat subsided from the sscape of the water held by the peat soil, other drains should be made along eich side of the intended road. The whole of the peat excavated from the drains should be thoroughly dried, as for fuel, and when the surface of the site of the road hag become firm, any hollows should be filled up with the dried peat, and the unbroken surface coverifd to a depth of several inches with it — first with pieces the size of bricks, and then with small piec38 the size of hens' eggs — until a convex form of cross-section is attained. Some will suppose that this use of peat is very much like restoring the surface to its original condition, but a remarkable property of peat is, that when it has been thoroughly dried, it will never again absorb water, and this renders this earth, on being completely deprived of water, an excellent material for forming the foundation of roads over boga. When covered with dried peat the road may be spread with broken stones in the aame manner as any other road. Roads made upon peat boga in the above manner are remarkably pleasant to travel upon, and, without sensible increase to the force of traction in the draught of loads, of all others the most durable, arising from a degree of elasticity possessed by no other description of soil. I may siy that, whilst a road made up n a peat bog is the most durable, that miHe upin rock is the least so, and the deficiency of durability is in proporti' n to the hardness of the rock ; the experse of maintenance wUl thus be much less for the former than for the latter. When a road is carried over a m-:)rass that cannob be thoroughly drained, the soil should on no account be removed, but the surface should be kept entire, and any hollows in it should be filled up with material to be obtained elsewhere than from the site of the road. The surface should then be covered to a depth of several inches with concrete, composed of six parts, by measure, of gravel and one part of Portland cement, before the application of the broken-stone covering. A. T. PATERSo^^. A dry spring. — The followiug account of the rainfall iu North Leeds for the early months of the last four years may be of interest to some of your readers. It will be seen that the total for the first three months this year is IJ inches below the 362 THE GARDEN. [April 1G, 1887. average of the corresponding periods in tlie pre- ceding tliree years : — 1884. 1885. Inches. 149 2-11 181 1SS6. — 1887. January .. February. Maich .... Inches. 3-lS 2-12 1-68 Inches. 3'54 •66 1-40 Inches. 2-42 ■61 1-40 Totals.... 6 '98 5 '41 5 '60 4-43 -T. E. V. THINNING PLANTATIONS. Having quite recently liad some almost painful experiences of the difficulties of selling at a fair price some large hedgerow Oaks netting from 100 feet to 150 feet, owing to their coarseness, I have been specially interested in " Wilts " and " Yorkshire- man's" remarks on thinning (see p. 291). The above experience has also sent nie to the surveying and measurement of numbers of park trees more or less isolated. Were all their boughs timber, and their gross bulk saleable by weight as such, they would doubtless yield a good return. But as this cannot be, the waste iu such trees can only be described as reckless. In many such trees not a third of the gross bulk or weight is saleable for useful timber, wliile it takes a good clean tree to yield a half of its gross weight as useful and sale- able timber. It is not simply the sheer waste in- volved in the far-reaching boughs and the multitudes of ramifying branches — though this is enormous, for if some of them reach timber size they only com- mand a half or a third the price of bole timber — but it is the serious deterioration as well as the reduction of the amount of the latter. Coarse timber is a drug in every market, while fine, cleaii, smooth timber of almost any sort sells freely. Reasoning with a large timber merchant on the enormous difference of his offers for the two sorts, he replied, " We can never tell what we may find beneath these knots or burrs from which branches have been removed. The timber may be fairly sound, but more likely it will prove worthless. To buy such timber is quite a lottery, and our prices must be regulated by the certainty of many blanks." Thick planting, natural pruning, group or plantation planting, are the sure and certain modes of growing fine, clean-stemmed, long- boled timber. Upon this nearly all practical writers are agreed. But no soonei' do we leave those gene- ral principles and descend to particular instances, than we differ widely. With a view of inducing greater uniformity of practice, might I invite " Yorkshireman," " Wilts," and other experienced foresters to give the average distances from plant- ing to felling, or, say, for a period of sixty years, for pilaiitations of difTerent timber trees, as Oak, Aslj, Elm, and Spanish Chestnut, Sycamore, Walnut, Larch, Sl51'nce, Scotch, &c. ? Of course the distances woulil only be approximate, and would be considerably modified in practice by soil, site, shelter, exposure, &c. The leading ideas in determining the distances at different periods would be profit, and self-prun- ring of the trees, and tlie maximum benefit from that stem-protection and fostering ensured by tlie overhead canopy of leaves so graphically described by "Yorkshireman" in Thk Garden, page 291. Caledonicus. arbours ; of this there is also a golden form (pendula aurea), the bark of which is bright yellow, but in other respects, except being of somewhat weaker growth, it resembles the common Weeping Ash. Another kind (heterophylla) is remarkable on account of the absence of leaflets, and instead of one large, simple, deeply serrated leaf, it forms a tree nearly as vigorous as the common kind, and is often known by the name of one-leaved Ash (monophylla), certainly a better name than heterophylla, the leaves being seldom variable. Of this there is a form in which the leaf is deeply slashed instead of serrated. The Cockscomb Ash (F. excelsior cristata) has often a large proportion of the shoots curiously fasciated, especially at the points, where they spread out iu a Cockscomb like manner. This is but a slow-growing tree, and frequently some of the branches die off without any apparent reason. A dwarf, bushy kind (F. excelsior globosa) assumes the shape of a small round bush, and when grafted standard high has a mop-like appearance. Other varieties, in addition to those just mentioned, are crispa, a dwarf form with very deep green and much-curled leaves, often encircling the stem ; the gold and silver variegated, neither of which are very effective when exposed to wind and sun ; aurea and jaspidea, with bark yellow and striped ; angustitolia, a kind in which the ordinary leaflets are reduced to mere filaments ; and verrucosa, a variety with rough and verrucose bark. A. VARIETIES OF THE ASH. The common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and several of the North American kinds rank high as timber- producing trees, their wood, owirg to its elasticity, being much sought after where strength and tough- ness are wanted. Apart, however, from their value in this respect, the different forms afford plenty of scope to the planter, some being large, noble-looking trees, others comparatively small, and a few singu- larly grotesque. The recognised varieties of the common Ash are many, some of the more distinct being the weeping kind (pendula), so often employed for forming COMMON USES OF WOODS. MoiiK conversant with the living trees, their charac- ters and habits, than with their uses, tree-planters may perhaps have little interest in any detail of a subject somewhat outside their vocation ; but apart from the picturesque or garden uses of trees, there is some importance to be attached to the uses to which trees can be applied after they have been cut donn and manufactured for use. The t >ak is the grandest and most historical of all our forest trees. It has long been associated with our national defence as the chief element in shipbuildhig, but harder and sterner iron has robbed the Oak of this sentimental element, and the glory of our " wooden walls " of Old Eng- land has for ever depaited. Now the Oak furnishes the builder with the best material for door posts ; wheelwrights find in it the best wood for the bottoms of carts and wagons, and it makes the best of all wood fencing. Pollarded Oak is a valuable element in the making of furniture, the knotted and in- tricately designed surface making the most elegant of veneering for what is known as Oak suites. To the Elm is attached a melancholy and weird interest, inasmuch as it forms the small but solid enclosure in which dead humanity is placed. For commoner uses it is valuable for the making of wheel stocks, as it is not so liable to split .and enables the spokes to be fixed with any amount of force. It also enters into the construction of wide felloes, such as are employed in wheels for farm carts and heavy wagons. It forms a prominent element in the construction of that useful vehicle, the wheelbarrow, and the bodies of carts. It also enters into the con- struction of heavy bellows as boards, and in the form of seats to Windsor chairs it furnishes frequent means of rest to exhausted humanity. Ash is a very valuable timber, and is fast getting scarce. It is not one of the favoured ornamental timbers, and therefore is now much less planted than formerly. A dearth of Ash timber would be pro- ductive of great inconvenience to many trades. Wheelwrights employ Ash largely in the construc- tion of carls and carriages ; it forms the best material for shafts, and is widely employed in the making of all kinds of tool handles, especially those used in gardening, such as spades, forks, shovels, hoes, &c. In a less interesting w.iy it is used for butchers' blocks, and many other common purposes. The Beech is a noble tree in life, perhaps the most beautiful and decorative of all forest trees, but its uses in domestic life are not so varied as are those of some other woods. Beech is the chief constituent in the making of the elegant cane-bottomed chairs found in the parlours of the poorer classes ; it is use- ful for gun stocks, saddle trees iu heavy harness. wheel felloes, and many of the lesser tool handles. Hornbeam i^ closely allied to the Beech in life, but its uses are even less varied. Owing to its peculiar toughness it is often employed as cogs in mill-gearing, and in the construction of bearings, as its wear ia regular and even. In another direction it administers to the employment of a section of the community — it makes the best of skittle-pins. The Sycamore furnishes a peculiarly white, smooth wood, free from grain, and is used for the formation of curtain rings, butter churns, and prints ; for this latter purpose it is valuable, as it enables a finer design to be cut than does any other wood of home growth. The Lime in life is tor a time the means of dif- fusing sweet odours and sweet sounds when the myriads of bees are seeking for its honey treasures. After death it enters into the production of other harmonies, as it is largely employed in pianofortes, where iU value is seen in a comparative immunity from those fluctuations of contraction and expansion peculiar to most woods. Shoemakers find it also the most suitable material for their cutting boards, as it does not blunt the fine edges of their knives. The Spanish Chestnut, also, is largely employed iu the formation of sides for pianos, and at times is elevated as signboards. Formerly the Chestnut was largely employed in the construction of principals and rafters for open-roof churches, and is occasionally degraded to the common uses of posts and rails for fencing. The grand-looking Horse Chestnut does not furnish a specially valuable timber, its wood being occasionally employed in the making of brushes. The Birch, also, is employed in brush manufacture, and in the forma- tion of hat blocks for hatters ; also in the production of toys. In this way the tree becomes a source of pleasure to infantile life and a terror to breeched boyhood. The Fir tribes are productive of noble trees, but the timber is not of a specially useful kind. It is too soft, as indeed is the case with all wood that is the product of quick growth. Both the Spruce and Scotch Firs are of kindred quality, and are commonly employed in the construction of outhouses and sheds, or rafters to barns, and for temporary posts and rails, but, except where kept very dry, having only slight powers of endurance. It the Pine tribes are to fur- nish the trees of the future, our prosperity will find that in the matter of useful woods we have left them but an indifferent legacy. Larch is superior in en- during quality to the evergreen Firs, and is therefore largely used as railway fencing and for ordinary estate and farm purposes. Yew wood is valuable when employed for veneering. It also makes most enduring gateposts. The Maple is employed in the turning of bowls, and the Bird's eye Maple for the manufacture of furniture. Acacia is very hard and durable, and makes good ladder rounds and bottoms to carts. The Poplars cut ojt good weather boarding, and are also employed in the formation of railway brakes, as the wood is woolly and tenacious. Walnut is valuable for the manufacture of furniture and gun- stocks ; Apple is used for wheel-cogs, and the hard stems of the Crab for beetle heads. Pear will dye black, and resemble ebony, and makes good walking-sticks. The Willow is famous for the production of cricket bats. The Plum produces shuttles for weaving, and the Cherry is used in the making of chairs. These are but a few of the many uses to which home-raised woods are put, but for all our chief constructive purposes we give the preference to foreign timber. A. D. The sweet-scented Laburnum. — This fine form of the commim Laburnum should be more fre- quently grown. Probably many are not aware that there is a variety of Laburnum (Cytisus Laburnum fracrans) with very sweet-scented flowers. Good varieties of ever popular trees like the Laburnum are doubly valuable, as we know they are sure to thrive with us. — J. 0. Ilex heterophylla magna. — This is one of the finest of all the green leaved Hollies— strong in wrowth, and with foliage reminding cme of that of a well-grown Bay tree. This and Ilex balearica ni- grescens are perhaps the finest green-leaved kinds. The last-named is a remarkably vigorous and orna- mental Holly. — X. L. THE GARDEN. 363 No. 805. SATURDAY, April 23, 1887. Vol. XXXI. "Thifl Is an Art Which does mend Nature : change it ratlier ; The Art itself is S \tvre." —Shakespeare, but Fruit Garden. W. COLEMAN. AN INVALUABLE LATE WHITE GRAPE. Mrs. Pearson. — M(irc tlian once I have ex- pressed au opinion that Mrs. Pearson would prove one of our best late hanging Grapes, but until this season I have not tested it to its ut- most. Now, however, I an> in a position to say it has not only exceeded my expectations, but under generous treatment it will keep fresh and plump in the (!ra|ie njiini certainly up to the middle of April. When sending off a quantity of ( jrape.s the third week in December I decided upon leaving a bunch to thoroughly prove its keeping properties, and now, this 15th day of April, it hangs apparently unch.inged and the flavour is excellent. Until recently the ma- jority of Grape growers have been impressed by the idea that white Grapes should be worked on varieties of kindred race and colour; but this is a fallacy, as the Vine in question was grafted on a side shoot of a Gros Colmar, and although Mrs. Pearson comes first into tlower the two run well side by side, and the flavour of Mrs. Pearson is in no way dejireciated liy the stock. Where the Muscat of Alexandria is grown in quantity and well, consumer.s do not wish for ■anything better; but few, I believe, since Mr. Tilyard some years ago brought out his magni- ficent examples late in March, have succeeded in keeping the king of Grapes beyond, if up to that period. Therefore a white Grape that will overlap the Muscat, if only by a month, is worthy of general cidtivation. On reference to our best of all standard wijrks, " Vines and Vine Culture,'' by Barron, we find it faithfully described as a round white Muscat ; late in ripening, hanging late, and keeping well; quality first-class. Vmc. — Very strong and vigorous iu growth, the wood ripening freely ; fruitful. Leaves— Medium-i-ized, thick and leathery, deeply lobod and toothed, with reddish petioles and venation. Fruit. — Buucbea above medium size, with large shoulders, tapering, on very strong footstalks, freely set. Berries nearly round. Skin.— Thick or leathery, deep green, assuming an amber tinge when quite ripe. Flesh thick or firm, juicy, sweet, and with a strong, very pleasant Muscat flavour. History.— Raised by Mr. Pearson from Black Ali- cante crossed with Ferdinand de Lesseps. First-class certifi- cate i>7i. Cultural notes.— Requires fully more heat and longer time to ripen its fruit than iluscat of Alexandria. Surely this is a good all-round character, but why it has not come into very general culti- vation it is difficult to say, and, assuming that it does take as much heat as the Muscat, why, let it be grown with the Muscat, and I venture to say no one will be disappointed. It is not, however, such a difficult Grape to manage, as it will set freely with Hamburghs, and for this reason a 'V'ine or Vines may be planted or worked in second early houses that are started not later than the middle of Feb- ruary. A great noise is made periodically about certain stocks being unsuitable for certain varie- ties, but, as air. Castle and others have lately shown, there is nothing in it; and wlien we con- sider that many of our popular modern black and white sorts have been produced by parents of opposite colour, habit and season, we quickly arrive at the conclusion that a sound, healthy stock well planted in a sound, healthy border may safely be selected for any variety. Here we have Mrs. Pearson doing well on Gros Col- mar, to which naturally we give the whole of the summer. In a second early vinery the finest cane of Gros Blaroc I ever grew was grafted on a healthy young Grizzly Frontignan. I do not, as a matter of course, recommend these extremes, but merely report them, if to answer no other purpose, certainly to show that the Vine is less fastidious than many people imagine. Indeed, I question if any other fruit is so thoroughly accommodating, for if we take the .4.pple or the Pear we find some varieties doing well, whilst others positively refuse to grow on dwarfing stocks. Peaches and Necta- rines, again, have their foibles, and so have Apricots, as we find the majority succeeding best on the Mussel Phnn, whilst a few prefer the Bromptou. FRUIT TREES AS ORNAMENTAL SUBJECTS. Why should not fruit trees be grown more for their beauty alone ! Take the Peach, for in- stance; everyone is charmed with it when in full bloom, but some might say we cultivate the Peach .and other fruit trees for the fruit alone, and not the flowers. True, but are they not woithy of it, for when we consider the flowering charms of a greater portion of our fruit trees, is it not surprising that they are not more grown for their beauty alone ! In early spring we may reap a harvest of beauty from nearly all hardy fruit trees, such as Apricots, Pe.aches, Plums, Cherries, Almonds, Apples, and Pears, as they are all more or less ornamental — the double - flowering Peach, Cherry, and .\lmond being particularly so, and all of these trees should be planted more abun- dantly than they are, for in the spring no shrubs arc mrjre attractive. They may be gown in any form, bush, pyramid, or standard, and to vari- ous sizes ; and when flowering as standards in the open borders they form conspicuous objects. A little attention, however, is required as re- gards keeping them well supplied with young wood, as ui>on this the flowers are produced. They shoidd also be planted in good soil to induce them to make plenty of growth. The double-flowering varieties of the Peach, Cherry, and Almond also force well, and a good show of their beautiful bloom may be obtained from Christmas up to the present time. They are of easy cultivation, and well deserve a place in the conservatory amongst other flowering plants. When gi-owu for this purpose they should have the same care in cultivation as when grown fcjr fruit. Young maiden plants may be obtained from the nursery; these should be potted in the autumn and placed in a ccjol house until re- quired for forcing, when they should be removed to a warm house where they will soon flower, after which they should be placed in the cooler quarters, where they will contiBue in bloom for a long time. After flowering the plants should not be placed outside all at once, as is the usual practice with subjects that have been forced. They should be kept under glass and well at- tended to in the way of watering and keeping free from red spider, aphis, &c., until the sum- mer, when they may be gradually hardened ofl' and finally placed out of doors in a position where they can have the full rays of the sun so as to thoroughly ripen their wood. There is a scarlet variety of the double-flowering Peach, likewise many other deep coloured varieties, which make a lovely contrast with the white flowers of the Almond and Cherry. As is well known, the common wild Cherry is very attractive when in flower. I have seen enormous trees of it one mass of beautiful white bloom. The wild Crab is also very attractive. Many trees of this sort would be found well worth the trouble if planted in any open space in pleasure grounds or by the side of woodland walks, instead of the worthless subjects which now too often occupy such places. C. Collins. HARDINESS OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS. I'NLESS all the varieties gromi in any particular district are planted out together on an open piece of ground, and uniform preparation and treatment are accorded to all, it is neither fair to the plants nor to their raisers to say one is hardier than another. These remarks apply specially to new varieties, to which gardeners generally devote a little extra care both as regards fresh soil and shelter, and for this reason Pauline should neither be praised nor con- demned until it has withstood the vicissitudes of di'Oiiglit as well as frost by the side of our well-tried standard varieties. Here Pauline has stood remark- ably well, but under what conditions? My first set of plants wa.s planted out on a south border, and, being anxious to make all the stock possible, fresh sods of turf, 2 inches thick and 1 foot in width, were laid alongside the rows last August. Upon these the first set of nuiners were firmly pegged, but in- stead of pinching out the points, these were allowed to extend, and in due time a second set was secured, and .so on until the end of the season. These plants, it is hardly necessary to say, never felt the want of water, and their condition throughout the winter has been quite satisfactory. They do not, however, look better than Paxton, President, La Grosse, and others planted out in August in the open quarters. Like Sir. Douglas and the majority of private growers, I have tried many varieties, and make large plantations annually upon the open quarters. All are treated alike, and some succeed better than others, but once fairly started they stand or fall without the aid of coddling or nursing. We grow a goodly breadth of late sorts on north borders ; the walls are not more than 10 feet in height, consequently they receive plenty of light, a fair amount of sun, and although they sometimes suffer from an excess of wet, this spring they are looking quite as well as kitulred kinds on open quarters. I do not object to ol