UMASS/AMHERST 312066 C 333 3048 6 ,7 V »i,<. i >^^A. ^•. ^' ^>*( *" V-X^ -^liE'Vv'^^ '^. >^.J*K. >^^!'^-; ..'^ :-.^ i^Ar ■k-m -^' > HI LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Gelt SOURCE. V.4I July 2, 1892.] [The Gabdbn. The Gaeden ] July 2 lSr-2. July 2, 1892.] [The Gaeden ^h.CtM.t^,iJf ILl^USTl^ftTED WBEKl^Y J00l\Kftl4 HORTICULTURE IN ALL ITS BRANCHES, FOUNDED BY W. Eobinson, Author of " The Wild Garden," " English FUnver Garden," Sfc. *' Ton see, sweet maid, we marry A gentler scion to the wildest stock ; And make conceive a bark of baser kind By bud of nobler race : This is an art Which does mend Nature, — change it rather : but The art itself is nature." Shakes'peare. VOL. XLI. -MIDSUMMER, 1892. LONDON : OFFICE: 37, SOUTHAMPTON STREET, COYENT GARDEN, W.C. The Gabden.] [July 2, 18r2. TO MAX LEICHTLIN, OF BADEN-BADEN, THE FORTY-FIRST VOLUME OF "THE GARDEN" 1% btbtcatclr. Git A\ W. B., July, 1892. July 2, 1892.] THE GARDEN INDEX iisri:)E2§: to ^oltthvce 2^I-.t. (Illustrations in Italicr.) Aberdeen, hardy plants from, 506 Abies Douglasi, 20, 101 ; Tsuga, 215 Abinger Hall, wiled gardening at, 263 Acacia armata, 271 ; dealbata, '24, 54 ; leprosa, 72 ; pulchella, llii, .".13 ; retinodes,13ti ; the False, 112 ; verticillata, 4S Acalyphas, 7 Acer circinatum, 47-t ; saccharinum, 222 Achillea moDgolica, 41S ; rupestris, 577 Aconite, the winter, 115 Adenophoras for cutting, 18 Adlantum cap ill us- Veneris imbricatum, 313 ; ciUatum, 7 ; Farleyense, 201 ; macrophyl- lum striatum, 589 ; Williamsi, 273 Adonis vernalis, 417 Aerides, 452 ; crassifolium, 453 ; crlspum, 453; falcatum, 453; Fieldingi, 453; Law- renccae, 453 ; Lobbi, 453 ; maculosum, 453 ; odoratum, 453 ; Picotianum, 476 ; quinque- vulnerum, 453; suavissimuni, 4^3; van- daruni, 181 ; Yeitchi, 453 Agapetes buxifolia, 2S0 Aglaonema costatum, 430 Alinthus glandulosa, 112 Aira provincialis, 1C4 Ajaccio, a note from, 338 Akebia quinata, 236 Alder, the, 44, 364, 432; the Heart-leaved, 178 ; the silver, 222 Aleyroides proletella, 338 Almonds, the, 485 Almondsbury, notes from, 480 Alnus cordata, 178 ; incana, 222 Alpines, growing, in Spbagnura Moss, 553 Alyssum pyrenaiciim, 429 Amaranthus, the, as decorative plants, 88 Amaryllis Charles Penny, 385 ; Crimson King, 362 ; Eclipse, 290 ; Firebrand, 362 ; formosissima, 494 ; Mars, 244 ; Silver Queen, iOO ; Sylvia, 385 Amaryllises and spring flowers at Messrs. Veitch's, 337 America, Rose stocks in, ISO American blight, 274 Ampelovitis Romaneti, 215 Amygdalus, 447 ; argcntea, 485 ; communis, 485 ; Davidiana, 4S5 ; DavkUana, 485 ; Da- vidiana alba, 136, 244 ; Davidiana rubra, 136 ; incana, 485 ; nana, 485 ; persica, 485 ; Simoni, 485 Anjectochili, 27 Andromeda axillaris, 216; floribunda, 410 Androsaces from the Pyrenees, 553 Anemone apennina, 503 ; baldensis, 186; bknda, 204 ; fulgeus, 435 ; Glory of the South, 419; patens, 338 Anemones from Ireland, 567 ; in cultivation, 359 ; St. Brigid, 500 Angriecum fastuosum, 266 ; sesquipedalc, 24, 39S Annuals, choice hardy, 52 ; for pot culture, 286 ; half-hardy, in pots, 393; serviceable, 137 Anoiganthus breviflorus, 136, 272 Anthemis tinctoria Kelwayi, 413 Anthtjricums, 513 Ants'.aud Peach trees, 296 Anthuriuni Andreanum sanguineum, 244; Scherzerianum, 346 Antirrhinum Asarina, 87 Aotus gracillima, 339 Apple, a new, 274; Albui-y Park Nonsuch, 66; Armorel, 503; Baddow Pippin. 136; Baumann's Red Feicette, 151 ; Beauty of Bath, 588 ; Bavty of Kent, 519 ; Beauty of Kent, 519"; Betty Geeson, 596 ; Blenheim Orauf/e, 132 ; Blenheim Orange, 37, 132 ; Calville Malingre, 151 ; Cockle Pippin, 38. 182 ; Cox's Orange Pippin, 38 ; crop, the, 521 ; D'Arcy Spice, 70, 130,406; D'Arci/ Spice 406; Dumelow's Seedling, 335, 'i^6, 424 ; Fearn's Pippin, 38 ; Five-crowned Pippin, 38 : French Crab, 72 ; Golden Noble, 151; Golden Pippin, 38; Guernsey Pippin, 334 ; Improved Ash- mead's Kernel, 243; Kentish Pippin, 3S Apple Kerry Pippin, 3S ; King of the Pippins, 38; Lane's Prince Albert, 209, 250,267; Lanc't Prince Albert, 209; Lemon Pippin. 38; London Pippin, 38 ; May Queen, 154; New- ton Wonder, 151; Nciclown Pippin, 249; Newtown Pippin, 249, 306, 422, 464; Kib- stou Pippin, S9 ; rings, 406 ; Royal George, 250 ; Sturmer Pippin, 39, 344 ; Wyken Pip- pin, 39 Apple anil Pear trees in j^ots, 225 Apple trees as maidens, 172 ; canker in, 47 ; on lawns, 47 ; on their own roots, 46 Apples and Pears, flavour in, 491 Apples, colour in. 3, 45, 148, 211 ; delicately flavoured, 70 ; for villa gardens, 228 ; from Tasmania, 241 ; keeping, lOii, 225 ; late, 36 ; late, for market, 133 ; market, 46; market value of colour in, 131; Norfolk Beaufin and Striped Beaufin. £49; notes on, 91, 150 ; old varieties of, 70 ; Pippin, 38 ; prizes for packing, 271 ; restricting the varieties of, 336 ; the cultivation of, 20S Apricots, moisture for, 422 Aquilegia pyrenaiea, 263 Aquilegias, 577 Aralia Maximowiczi, 195 ; Sieboldi, 173, 182, 2S9 ; Sieboldi in bloom. 173 Araucaria Cooki, 24 ; imbricata, 321 ; avenue of, in Piltdown Nursery, Mareajteld, Sussex, 321 ; imbricata from home seeds, 401 Arches and baskets, 496 ; fruit-tree, 1, 93 Archicay, a Hop-covered, 473 Aa-ctotis acaulis, 140; aspera, 143 ; aureola, 140; LeichtUniana, 140; leptorrhiza, 140 Arctotises, 139 Arddarroch, Odontoglossums from, 398 Arisiema prsecox, 381 Artichoke, Chinese, 142 Artichokes, Globe, 190, 303 ; Improved Jeru- salem, 164 Asarum caudatum, 577 ; grandiflonmi, 577 Ash. the Weeping, 222 ; the, as an isolated tree, 4S0 ; uses of the, 4!6 ; varieties of the, 432 Asimina triloba, 561 Asparagus, cutting, 444 ; decumbens,40, 101 ; early, 384; scandens, 260; when to trans- plant, 402 Asparagus beds, dressing with fish manure 443 ; top-dressing, 189 Asphodelus fistidosus, 187 Asplcnium bulbiferum, £73 ; cicutarium, 20i ; flaccidum, 7 ; lucidum, 273 Aster bessarabicus, 460 ; longifolius Lady Trevelyan, 413 Asters, 276 Astilbe chincnsis, 183 ; decandra, 183 ; ja- ponica, ISJ ; rirularis, 183; rivularis, 183, 204 ; rubra, 1S3 ; TLunbergi, 183 Astilbcs, the, 1S5 Athyi-ium Fiiix-fcemina, 159 Attacia crist,at,a. 368 Aubrietia Leichtlini, 459 Auricula double Golden Drop, 430 Auriculas, alpine, 327 ; double, 498 ; new, 419 Australian Nut tree, the, 33 Aystasia bella, 100 Azalea Deutsche Perle, 259, 336; Mme. van der Cruyssen, 286 ; Mrs. Anthony Watercr, 503 ; rosKflora. 529 Azaleas, good white, 494 ; hardy, 544, 550 Baden-Baden, notes from, 204, 484 Badminton, in the County of Gloucester, 309 Bamboo from the Highlands o£ Africa, 160 Bamboos in Wales, 449 ; rats destroying, 241 Barbemes, notes on, 480 Bare places, 237 Barkeria elegans, 253 Batemannia Burti. 272 Bath, Orchids at, 563 Beam, the white, 178 VI THE GAKDEN INDEX [July 2, 1892. Henn, ISroad, Early Mazagau, IS7 ; French, Ha ly Dwarf Mohawk, 21S ; the licg, 600 ; thi Indian, ITS licans, Iiro;ui. early, raised in heat, 5S4 ; Broad, raising under trlass l-(3; dwarf or kidney. 402 : early Broad, 304 ; early runner, ?Sl ; French, 413; French, iu pU.s and frames, 255 ; kidney, for forcing, ;:04 ; kidney, in pots, 304 ; runner, 231, 4liS ; Sfarl I Kunrur, arch if, 403 IS'-'ds. dwarf Koses in. 2C3 Beech, tlie, 410 ; wood of the, 570 Beeches, dwarf, 68 licet, notes on, 331, ."83 Bee les in frame, 400; in Fine shoota, 504 Begonia a new hybrid, 280 ; corallina. 400 ; Duch. ss of Westminster, 503 ; Gloire de Lorraine, 2r.O; Ha.ageana, S3, 614 ; 1 aing's Triunnph,603 ; Leopold de Rothschild, 603 ; Pieoteo, 503; ScSar/Bmn, 515 ; seedlings, raising, 347 ; Triomphe de Nancy, 236 Bt 0)1, u«, re bnl of .vhirous 2f5 ; in the flower garden, 205, 2s'S ; two useful winter-flower- ing. 347 Berberis Darwini, 416 Berry-bo.aring plants, 3 Bertolonia argyroneura, 154 ; Comte de Ker- chove, 154 Berto'onias, 173 Biennials. 374 Bin'-ted Wyck, irees ,at. 112 Biota orieutalis pendula, 560 Birch, the. 4i0; the Purple, 68 ; the Silver, 68 ; tic Silver, for poor wet soils, 156 ; the ■white, and its varieties, 626 ; value of the, Birds and fruit-tree buds, 245; and Peas, Blechnum Spicant, lf:0 Bletia hyacinthina, 1S6. 271, 368 Boggy land. Osiers for, 222 Bmii'ma Canhri, 415; ilower o/, 4'6- multi- .Hira, 449 ; aligintha, 449 Bomare.ls, 444 Bones, calcined, 177 Books — " Architect's Garden Design," 309 "Fruit Cultore," 451 "Garden Craft, Old and New," 66 ' Kikka Meiji-.Sen," 568 " Slf ^''^"'''' " ^'"■'^' Culture et Commerce," " Miss North's Travels," 242 liS'??"''*''™' on Injurious Insects," 376 lable and Market Poultry v. Fancy Fowls," 199 ' '■ The Elements of Agriculture." 244 The Exhibitor's Handbook, ' 412 1 he Formal Garden in England," 3"9 Boragolaxiflora. 141 Borecole, Head's Hearting, 483 Borecoles, 143 ; and their value, 383 Boronia elatior, 405 ; megastigma, 287 Bossnea linophylla, 494 Bo.^richus laricis, 604 Bottle-brush trees. 571 Bougaiuvillca gKabra, 585 ''",'il"'f, ?'"''''*''''•''« and the Potato disease, ioo, 16) Bouyardias in the open air in summer, 472, Brachyotum confertum, 151 Bracken, the establishment of, 43(5, 504 522 Brassavola glauca, 3G0 ' Brassia antherotes, 561 ; caudata 561 ■ Gircoudiana, 562 ; Lanceana, 561 ■ Law- renceana, 314, 661 ; maculata, 561 ; verru- cosa, 561 Brassias," 561 Bridgesia spicati, 271 Brier ciittiugs and seedling Briers, 457 Brier, the Austrian, r.73 Britain, standard Pears for, 4(3; the wood- lauds of, 202 Broccoli, early sowing of, 231 ; and Cauli- flowers in succession, 566 ; laying, 3S4 • iSnow'B Winter White, 142 ; sprouting, 143* Brooms, flowering, 473 Brussels Hprouts, 14, 75, 12S, 279 444 • earlv 143 " . J. Bulbophyllum comosura, 48 ; elegana, 546 • Sillcmianuiii. 862 ' Bullace, the, 11*9 Bullacee, 295 Bulletin, the Kew, 245 Bullfinches and buds, 267 Burchellia capcnsia, 571 Burford Lodge, Orchids at, 820 O. Cabbage plants, maggots in, 565 Cabbages, bolting of, 483, 534, 565, 584 Cacti, Night- flowering, 102 Caladium argyrit^s, 381 ; argi/ritet, 3S I ; Mme. Edouard P.\-nacrt, 5S9 ; Marguerite Geli- nier. 580 ; minus crubeseens, 420 ; Souvenir de Paro, 430 ; the Silver-leaved, 381 Calanthe striata, 314 ; Veit::hi and C. vestita 253 ; vestit'i gigantea, 586 ' ' Calantlies, deciduous, 60; hybrid, 398 Calla Pentlandi, 589 Callas, giant, 2S6 Calliandra Twecdci, 120 CalUstenion rigidum, 55S Calochorti. 144 ; at Oakwood, 145 Calochortus albus, 141 ; Benthami, 1 »5 ; cojruleus, 145; elcgans, 1 5 ; tiavvx, 145; flavus, 111, l46;/,.ji/^ji, 114: Greeni, l45; Gunnisoni, 115; Hartwegi, U6; lilacinus, 145; longibarbatus, 145; luteus, 1J5; ma-rocarpus, 145 ; madrcnsis, 146; Mawe- anuB, 146 ; pulchellus, 1 IG ; purpureus, 146 ; Bplendens, H6 ; vcnxittut', 145 ; venustus, 116; WcGii, 146 Calpurnia laiogyno, 271 Cdltha alpina, 407 Cauiassia Browni, 5^3 Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell, Orchids at, 312 Cimel ia old doub'f whi'e, in Mr. Pullar's con- arrvatnry ot Tai/>-uIe, 52S ; old double white, 529: reticulata, 182 Camelli'^8, 391, 571 ; at Clarcmont, 8l7; at Tayside Gardens, Perth, 313 Campanula pyramidalis, £08; rhoml:oiJalis, 451 Campanulas for windows, 441 Canker in Melons, 269 Canna Alphonse Bouvier, 65 Cannas, flowering, 286 Cannabis eativa, 357 ; satira, 357 Canterbury Bells, 374 Cantua dependens, 484 Carex divulsa for covert, 592 Carnation disease, the, 208 Carnation George Fry. 5S9 ; Ketton Rose, 66; Marguerite, 12, 116; Minx Jo'iffe, 281; Mrs. H. Caunell, 503 ; Mrs. Hems'ley, 589 ; notoe, 161, 328, 552; Souvenir de la Mal- maison, 152 ; Souvinir c e la MalmaiAon , 152 ; the old Clove, 358 ; Yellow Queen, 546 Carnations as annuals and biennials, 27S ; and Picotees, the yellow, 238 ; at Ham, 501 ; border, 462 ; from seed, 208 ; Tree, 4, 260, 507 CaiTion Flowers, 99 Carrots and their culture, 278 ; French Horn, 218 ; intermediate, 564 Carsethom, N.B., notes from, 420 Cassandra calpculata, 416 Cassioj.e fa.sfig'uta. 567 Cat^lpa liigimiiioides, 178 Cataaetuni atnitum, 254; barbatum, 254; Bungerotbi, 251; Christyanum, 251; fim- briatum, 254; Garncttianum, 251; longi- folium, 254 ; macrocarpum, 254 ; Naso, 254; Uodigasianum, 254 ; Russellianum, 255 Catasetunis, 253 Caterpillars and Gooseberries, 295 Cattleya Aclandife, 532 ; Amesiana, 589 ; ame- thystoglossa, 28i, 413 ; Empress Frederick 580 ; flowers, 255, 313 ; Forbesi, 360 ; gloriosa, 411; hybrida Burberryana, 385; intermedia, 414; iricolor, 460, 477; Law- renceana, 360 ; Lawrenceana rosea, 414 ; luteola, 27 ; Mendeli, 368, 476, 632 ; Mendeli (Cookson's var.), 503; Mendeli (Quorndon House va ■.), 430 ; Mossise, 406 ; O'Brieniana, 360 ; Patini, 497 ; Percivaliana, 27 ; Philo, 385 ; Philo var. albiflora, 430 ; princeps, 580 ; Sanderiana, 586 ; Schilleriana, 53^ ; Schrcederiana alba, 476 ; Schrceder« Leys- woodiensis, 477; Skinneri, 368; Skinneri (Temple's var.), 477 ; Skinneri Virginia, 453 ; speciosissima, 180, 453; superba, 586 ; Trianse, 180, 285 ; Trianre delicata, 232, 285 ; Trianoe formosa, 285; Trianje splendidis- 6ima, 285 ; Victoria Regina, 430 ; Warned, 413, 476, 503; Wanieri niarmorata, 580; Warocqueana, 497 CauHliojccr Sclipsr, 220, giant Naples, 217 Snowball, 256 ; Veitch's Extra Early, 21H • Cauliflowers, 217 ; and Ca' bagea, 256 ; earlv* H3 o . . J. Caution, a, 80 Cedar, the Lebanon, 246 Celery, 14 ; Dwarf White Incomparable, 142 ; for exhibition, 56,^ ; late, 443; quality in 15 ; spoilt. 32 i ^ , Celsia cretica, 374 Centaureacandidissima, 140, 206, 398 ; macro- cephala, 418 ; ragusina. 140 Cerasus Padus, 222 ; Watereri, 241 Cereus coecineus, 104 ; fulgidus, 104 ; grandi- florus, 103; ffroiu/ijiorus. 103; Lemairi, 108 ; Macdonaldia;, 103 ; Napoleonie, 104 ■ nycticalus, 103 ; nycticafag, U3; rost.atus' 10» ; triangularis, i04 Ctrinthealpina. 213 ; aspcra. 213, 265 ; glabra, 213; longiflora, 213 ; maculata, 213; major' 213 ; minor, 213 ; retorta. 212 ' C^eirauthuses, perennial, 418 Cheltenham, Orchids from, 114 Cherry Belle de Franconville, fS ; the Brd 222 ; the Cornelian, 105 ; the \yinter, 577 ' Cherry tree, value of a, 4ti( Cierriep, dessert, 588 Chestnut, a noble Horse, 435 ; the Sweet 316 Chestnuts, giant Sweet, 455 ' Cliimopanthns fragrans, 78, 1S2 Chionodox . Luciliic, 361 Chirnsid", notes from, 27i ! Choisya temata, 483 Chorozema Lowi, 260 Chorozemas, the, 301 Chou de Burghley. 535 Christmas, hardy flowers at, 15; market plants and flowers ^t, 8 Christmas Roses, 30, 162 ; seedling, 185 Chrymnthtmnm, a {/rti/t,-({ , iih : A. J. Manda, 2d; Beauty of Castlcwood, 23: blooms, big, 163 ; blooms, staging, 201 ; Col. W. B. Smith, 23; Delaware, V3 ; E. D.Adams, 22 ; Edwin Lonsdale, 23 ; Florence Davis, 32 ; Fulton, 60 : Golden Gem, 60 : H. Bal- lantinc, 23 ; Harry E. Widencr, v3 ; J. Bwanborough Dibbens, 23 ; Lord Brooke, 53; Macaulay, 80; Miss Anna H.artzorn, 23 ; Miss Annie Manda, 164 ; May Tomlin, 52 ; Mile. Marie Hoste, 22 ; Mme. Darrior, 22 ; Mons. R Bahuant,22 ; Mr. E. Beckett, 22; Mrs. E. Beckett, 22: Mrs. Libbie Allen, 1;2 ; Mrs. Robertson King, 22 ; notes, 15, 22, 113, 201, 293, 389, 50> ; Pre- sident Harrison, 23 ; Richard Parker, 22 ; Robert Owen, 23 ; specimen, a, 16 ; stands, 70 ; the, in New Zealand, 201 ; Viscountess Hambledon, 23 ; Viviand Morel, 22 ; W. G. Drover, 79 ; Wm. Tricker, 22 ; William Westlake, 23 Chrysanthemums, cultural notes on, 389; decorative varieties, 59; dwarfing, 486; early flowering, 488 ; for cutting, 96 ; graffed, 05; growing large blooms, 16; half-dozen useful late-flowering, 80 ; Japa- nese, exhibiting, 23, 79 ; market, 80 ; new, 293, 389 ; new American of 1802, 487 ; new and old, 16 ; new Continental of 1892, 440 ; new hairy, 411 ; new, names of, 4S8 ; pro- pagating, 144 ; raising from seed, 293 ; seasonable notes on, 23, 113, 294. 572 ; sepa- rating the two classes, 15 ; serviceable, 50 ; the Desgrange family, 203 ; the size of the stands, 15 Chysis bracte?cens, 407, 453 Cibotium Darometz, 8, 65 Cineraria lanata, 84 Cinerarias, 441 Cinquefoils, garden, 261 ; a group q', £61 ClstuB allysioides, 418 Cistuses, 447 Citrons, 30 Citrus medica, 48 Claytonia sibirica, 72 Clematis flammula, 116, 190 ; Indivisa, 336; indiviaa,Jloa:e x of, 336; large-flowered or hybrid, 461 ; irh>U, on fence 461 Climbers, hotho\ise, 84 ; planting in mixture, 416, 473 , pruning and training, 213 Clitoria ternatea, 304 Clivia Mrs. P. C. Glyn, 154 ; seedling, 160 Olivias, 175 Club in the Cabbage tribe, 348 Cobjea scandens in Cornwall, 540 Cocoa-nut fibre refuse, 479; as a protector, 76 Ccclogyne corrugata, 285 ; cristata, 135, 180, 182, 232, 285, 413, 474 ; ctutata. 413 ; elata, 367; lentiginosa, 285; odoratisaima, 204; pandurata, 3(10 Colchicum Bivona?, 18 Coleworts, 75, 142 Colour in Apples, market value of, 181 Colouring, artificial, of natural fl ,wers, 409 Columbine, the blue Rocky Mountain, 567 Columnea aurantiaca, 119 ; aureo-nitens, 119 ; crassifolia, 120 ; erythrophaja, 119 ; scan- dens, 119; Schiediana, 120 Columneas, 119 Colysis spectrum, 505 Composites, annual, 10 Conifer seed sowing, 268, 340 Coniferse. grafting, 111 Conifers, a few good, 356 ; golden, 18 Coppice wood, the aspect of, 246 CordyliiiC australis iu bloom, 460 ; auatralia variegata, 173 Cornus Kousa, 580 ; mas, 195 Coryanthes leucocorryi, 546 CorydaPs nobilis, 44i ; rosea, 121 Cosmos bipintatus, 24 Costus igneus, 101 Cotoneaster frigida, 68; Simoni, 2' 4 Cotton ia macros tachya, 398 Court, The Grceji, Canons Aiihbv, Northnmplon- shire, 312 Covert, Sedges for, i92 Cowslip, the, 513 Crassula jasminea, 571 Crataegus restivalis, 509 ; brachyacantha, 509; crus-galli, 509; Douglas!, 509; flava, .509 ; oxyacantha semperflorens, 561 ; tana- cetifolia, 561 Crickets in vinery, 111 Crinum bracbj-uema, 589 Crocus Biliotti, 116; corsicus, 116; hyema- lis var. Foxi, 18 ; Imperati, 115 Crocuses, the, 265 Crop, the Apple, 520 Croton Reidi, 503 Cucumber Allan's Favourite, 256 ; Match- less, 256 ; Rollisson's Telegraph, 564 ; Sut- ton's Success, 503 ; tree, the, 153 Cucumbers and woodlice, 565 ; bottom heat for, 189; in pots, 31 Cupressus LawFoniana alba-spica, 355 ; Law- sonianaargenteaor glauca, 355; Lawsoniana and varietifs, 355 ; Lawsoniana Bowleri, 355 ; Lawsoniana compacta, 355 ; LawsoLi- anaerecta.-viridis, 355; Lawsoniana fiUfera, 35'>; Lawsoniana gracilis j>endula, 3:6; Lawsoniana intertexta, 355; Lawsoniana lutea, 355 ; Lawsoniana nana, 355; Lawson- iana stricta, 356 ; macrocai-pa as an avcLtie tree, 20; nutkaensis, 321 Currant, deep coloured Flowering, 448 t uttings, rooting, in saucers, 303 Cyananthua lobatus, 72 Cyclamen, 420; coum, 2G3 ; ibericum, 203; persicum, hardioess of, 115; seed towii g, 495 Cyclamens, hardy, 326 Cycnochcs peruvianum, 546 Cydonia Maulei sujierba, 474 Cymbidiumebumeum, 429.; Loise-Chauvieri, 546 ; Lowianum viride, 503 Cymbidiums, 255 Cypress, the deciduous, 480 ; timber of the, 592 Cypripedium a'bo-purpureum, 414 ; Alice, 546 ; Amesianum, 86, 497 ; bullfttiUun-, 452 ; Boissierianum, 475 ; Boxalli, 7i ; Brysa, 244 ; Calypso (Oa'-wood var.), 65; caricinum, 367, 475 ; caudatum, 475 ; Ceres, 154; Chamberlainianum, 253, 361, 398; Chamberlainianum excellens, 503 ; enfield- iense, 65 ; Evenor, 460, 477 ; Exul, 385 ; festum, 26; gigas, 65; Harrisianum atro- purpureum, 414 ; Haynaldianum, 285; Hera, J54; lanthe, 244; insigne, 177; insigne (Cambridge Lodge var.), 154; in- signe Mooreanum, 453 ; Juno, 154 ; La France, 48 ; Laurebel, 36 1 ; Lawrenceanum, 533; L awrenceanum and its variety hyo- anum, 60; leucorrhodum, 414; Lindleya- num, 154, 182, 475 ; longifolium, 475 ; Masereelianum, 27 ; Morgania;, 180_; Pearcei, 475 ; philippinense, VHb ; Robelini 497 ; Schlimi, 475 ; Schroedtra;, 27 ; Sedeni, 313 ; southgatense. 5'-3 ; spectabUt in the open air, 25; supa-bicns Veitchi, ma'for- ed fioicer of, 2-5 ; Swinbumianum, 361 ; Tele- machus, 589 ; vexillarium, 476 ; Tillosum aureum, 216 ; Vipani, 503 Cypripediums, hardy, 25 ; malformed, 285 ; New World, 475 Cyrtinthus McKeni, 346 Cyrtopodium cardiochilum, 407 Cytisus Andreanus, 3^1 ; Laburnum Adami, 583 ; scoparius pendulus, 561 Dsedalacanthus microphyllus, 83 Daffodil disease, 12, 28, 51, 105, 374 Daffodil seedling, double, 461 Daffodils, 204; Ard-Righ and Countess of Annesley, 238; are they improving? 301, 433 ; at Ham. 418 ; at Kew, 361 ; deficient in colour, 369 ; for pot culture, 382 ; in pots, 420 ; notes on, 338 ; seedling, 483 ; the Irish, 274 ; white. 429 Dahhas, 359 ; dwarf, 419 ; seedling, 372 Damsons, 334 Daphne Blagayana, 338 ; Delphini. 274 ; Genkwa, 195 ; indica, 287 ; la\ireoIa for coverts, 316 Daphnes, 417 Davallia aculeata, 182 ; canarienais, 273 ; fijiensis plumosa, 202; tenuifolia Veitchi- aua, 7 Decorations, simple house, 319 Delphinium grandiflorum Brecki, 591 ; trol- liifolium, 506 Delphiniums, 373 Dendrobium Ainsworthl, 125 ; amethysto- glossum, 244 ; atro-violaceum, 255, 360 ; barbatulum, 413; Bri/mcrianum, 252; Cambridgeanum, 44; canaliculatum, 338; Cassiope, 27, 154 ; chlorops, 181 ; crepida- tuni, 532; crystallinum, 253; Draconis, 586 ; Euryclea, 361 ; Falconeri giganteum, 532; Farraeri aureo-flavum, 414; Ftelschi, 154; formosum giganteum, 10; Harvey- anum, 313; infundibulum, 312, 475; in- fundibulum (Cassio Bridge var.), 289 ; Kingianum, 39S ; Kingianum var. roseum, 272 ; lituiflorum, 284, 312 ; luteolum chloro- centrum, 398 ; nobile, 320 ; nobile album, 114; nobile, imported. ISO; Phalwnopsis Schrcederianum, 360; Phalsenopsis Sehrce- derianum delicatum, 289 ; philippinense, 181 ; Souvenir d'Alec, 689 ; speciosum, 176 ; spleodidissimum Leeanum, 154 ; sul- catum, 360 ; thyrsiflorum, 476 ; Venus, 312; Veitchianuaj, 110; Wardianum mil- formed. 367 ; Wardiaixum, 253 Dendrobiums, 252 Dendrobes, Uttle-known, 510 Deudrochilum latifolium, 413 Derbyshire, Potatoes iu, 99 Deutzia candidissima fl.-ph, 194 ; parviflora, 525 Dianthus callizonus, 568 Dicentra canadensis, 407 Dichorisandra musaica gig*ntea, 503 July 2, 1892.] THE GARDEN INDEX vu Dicksonia antiirctica, 5S5 ; antarclicn, 685 ; arborescens, 585 ; fibrosa, 585 ; squarrosa, 585 Diuksonias, 585 Dictyogramma japonica variegata, 273 Dictyoptcris Canierooniana, 5u5 DidyDiochlajna hniulata, 26i3 Dielytra spectabilis, 373 Dinema polybulbon, 232 Dipladenia atro-vurpurea var. Clarkei, 546 ; boliviensis, 420 Diplopappus chrysopbyllus 215 Disa incarnata, 244 ; tripetaloides, 567 Disporum Leschenaultiaiium, 567 ; sessile variegatuni, 567 Dodccatheon Jeffreyaiium, 50 Dog's-tooth Violets, 361 Dogwood, the ' ommon, 215 DoronicTims, 204, 5U Draba Dedcana, 368 ; Marri, 313 ; pyrenaica, 418 Dracaenti Bartletti, 503 ; Coullingi, 430 ; Doucetti, 2S9 Dracenas, 163 Dracocephaliim grandiftoriim, 187 Dnimleck, Hill of nowth, 3j8 Dublin, plants in bloojo at, IS; the College Gardens, 56S Eccremocarpus scaber, 313 Edelweiss, 12, 567 ; in bloom, 591 Edge Hall Gardens, 409 ; spring flowers at, 371 Egypt, a note from, 361 Eheagnus, 57 ; angustifoHa, 353 ; argentea, 353 ; canadensis, 353 ; glabra, 58 ; hor- ten!,is, 353 ; longlpes, 3 j2 ; longipes edulis, 68 ; macrophylla, 53, 353 ; parvifolia, 362 ; pungens, 58 ; reflexa, 58 ; Simoni, 58, 363 ; umbellata, 352 Elfeis melanococca, 154 Elder, the feathery-leaved scarlet, 195 ; the, as a nurse tree, 156 Elm, the English, and Ash, 200 ; the Scotch, 410 ; the Winged, 68, 2i'0 Elms dyiug on rockery, 410 Embothrium coccineum, 484 Enemies, garden, 569 Epacris onosmjeflora flore-pleno, 2SD Epacrisej in bloom, 100. 260 Epidendrum aurantiacum, 414 ; bicomutum, 266, 285, 452 ; ciliare, 232 ; cinnabarinum, 320 ; conopseum, :-<20 ; criniferum, 285 ; Bndresi x Wallisi, 66 ; Laucheanum, 289 ; radicans, 286; stenopetalum, 110, 204; viteUinum majus, 562 ; Watsonianum, 154 Epidendrums, 532 Eranthemum albiflorum, 442 ; cinnabarinum, 495 Eranthis hyemalis, 115 Eremuri, 50 Erica caudidissima, 530 ; earrea, 401 ; hye- malis, 420 ; hi/imalis, 421 ; hyemaUs alba, 41 Erinus a'pinus at Abinger Hall, 277 Eryngiums, 87 Erythroninms, 291 Essex, the Pea crop in, 484 Euadenia eminens, 338 Eucalyptus globulus, 215 Eucharis Bakeriana, 339, 368 Eugenia Luma, 215 Eulalia gr^cillima univittata, 236 ; Japonica varieffata ia a gar^kn at Norvrick, 237; zebHna, hi floicur in the late Mr Tajilin't garden at Mayuood, Niw Jt rsey, 240 Eulalias, the, 237 Euonymusjaponicuscompactus, 290; radicans variegatus, 214 ; the Japanese, in fruit, 136 Eupatorium gi-andiflorum, 72 ; probum, 2i6 Eupatoriums, 41 Euphorbia splendens, 346 Eurya latifulia variegata, 118 Eurybia Gunni, 418, 4SJ Evergreens, pruning and thinning, S56 ; transplanting, 32 1 Example, a good, 211 Exhibition, proposed international horticul- tural. Ill Fa th, alleged breach of, 691 Fern, the Hard, ICO ; the Hart'stongue, 163 ; the L.ady, 169 Ferns, Britit^h, for exhibition, 159; choice Shield, 266 ; drooi ing, 7 ; for an outside window case, 102 ; for hanging baskets. 428 ; handsome greenhouse, 273 ; hand- some stove, 201 ; Im g vg ta ke*. of, 428; hardy, in pleasure grounds, 273 ; on an old loait, 563; potting, 506; repotting, 102 ; shad- ing,436 : Shield, 1 6 i ; that are not sufficiently grown, 23 ; the Buckler, hi^ ; Tree, 65 Ferneries, hardy, 563 Fig, Bordtauz, 333 ; Courco^irelle blanche, 333 ; Dauphine Vio'itte, 333 -./ruidng bra^rh of, 332 ; Oj',orn's Proliii; 333 ; Pingode Mel, 478 Figs, pot culture of, 333 ; pruning, 437 Fig trees, neglected, 425, 466 Fire bush, the, 484 Flime flowers, 636 ; the hardiness of, 88, 133 Fir. the Scotch, aspect of, 34 J ; in damp places, 156 ; thinning, 134 Fii's squirrels damaging Corsican,' 200 Filbert crop, the, 335 Florists how they love one another, 387 Flower beds on lawns, 2U4 Flower horde' in autumn, a, 161 Flower garden, Begoni:is in the. 298 ; notes, 11, 28, 122, 161, 206, 262, 275, ;-92, 434. 641 Flo« er markets and flower market gardens of Paris, 350 Flower shows, the arrangement of, 33 Flowers, blue, 368; florists', seasonable notes on, 61. 123, 326 ; hardy, from Forest Hill, 469, 567 ; hardy perennial, planting, 104 ; interesting wild, 183, 239 ; in the hospitiil, 409 ; in the Scilly Isles, 204 ; mountain, the cultiire of, 238, 275, 433 ; of spring, the, 300 ; on Grass, 512 ; on the Grass at Kew, 434 ; self-coloured, 652 ; serviceable, 67 ; some good autumn, Itil ; spring, at E3ge Hall, 371 ; sweet-scented, 575 Fly, the white, 338, 347 Foli.age, coloured, tor wntcr and spring decoration, 235 Forest fires, 310 Forest lands around London, 268 Forest tree seeds, sowing, 432 Forest trees, pruning, 2U0 Fores's, Greek, 410 ; natural, 112 Forsythia suspensa, 279 ; viridissima, 179 Foi-sythias, V79, 448 Fota. notes from, 116 Foxgloves, 374 France, the weather in, 368 Freesias, 153, 190; and their culture, 259 French Beans in frames, 218 French notes, 497, 525 Fritillaria discolor, 203 ; Sewerzowi, 203 Frost, and its effects 4:5 ; embroidery, 48; in June, 567 ; severe, 463 Frosts, destructive, 591 Fruit bloom, the, 422 ; blossoms protectmg, 21, 951 ; buds, thinning. 540; colour in, 91, 172 ; crops and the weather. 406 ; cul- ture lectures on. 182 ; exhibition, the pro- posed, 70, 182, 338, 484 ; growing. American and English, 269 ; houses, moisture m, 4S4 ; houses work in, 62, 96, 146, 192, 2S2, 329. 378, 427, 469, 516, 559 ; notes, 492 ; pros- pects, 250, 343 Fruit tree arches, 39 Fruit trees, flowering of, 228 ; in pots, S!5 ; neglected, 366 ; on pergolas, 133, 173 ; over- crowding, 39 ; reserve, 37 ; thinning and pruning, 37 ; top-dressing, 198 ; young, 490 , , Fruits, hardy, for villa gardens, 149 ; hardy, work among, 31, 82, li6, 166, 219, ?33. /.•)7, 305, 351, 400, «39, 445, 493, 638, 583; im- ported, 654 ; noteworthy, of the past year, 2ii7 Fuchsia eorymbiflora, 496 ; culture lor market, 35 ; triphylla, 32 Fuchsias, 657 Fungi and other parasites, 5*6 Furze, the double-flowered, 4.8 Gages best from suckers, 405 Gainsborough, Orchid blooms from, 476 Galauthus Alleni, 136 ; cavicasicns 136 ; Elwesi, 115, 265 ; Fosteri, t36 ;pUcatus, 115 Garden, the. at n'ght, 248, 289, 313 ; enemies, 337 ; nuisances, 404 Gardenias as biennials, 119 ; opening green, 303 Gardening, examination in, 569 ; learning, 41 ; nonsense about, 204 Gaultheria, 448 Genistas, 447 Gentiana acaulis, 184, 263, 407, 498 ; angiisti- folia, 542 ; Fortunei, 498 ; vema, 186, 238, 299, 361, 368, 391, 453,459, 498, 541 Geranium ibericum, 187 Gesneras, 7 Gladioli, hardy hybrid, 542 ; hybrid, 190 ; in beds and pits, 300 Gladiolus A. de la Dcvansaye, 191 ; A. van der Heede.lSl ; bulbs decaying, 419 ;hyzan- tinus albus, 646 ; Charles B.altet, 191 ; Comte Horace de Choiseul, 191 ; dc CandoUe. 191 ; Dr. H. P. Walcot, 191 ; hardy, 11 ; Harry Veitch, 191 ; hybridus gandavensis, 191 ; hybridus Lemoinei. 191 ; hybridus mas- siliensis, 192 ; hybridus Nanceianus, 191 ; hybridus turicensis 191 ; Kleber, 191 ; Le Grand Ca not, 191 ; Massena, 191 ; Maurice de Vilmorin, 191 ; Mons. Hardy, 192 ; Mons. Laforcade, 192 ; Mons. Lefebvre, 192 ; Ondine, 192 ; P. Duchartre, 192 ; President Camot, 192 ; President Chandon, 192 ; Professeur Lauebin, 192 ; Professeur Sargent. 192 ; Robert Lindsay, 192 ; Eosamonde, 192 ; Rubens, 192 ; The Bride, 374 ; W. Watson, 192 Olttdicin, the. 373 Glass bricks for plant houses. 525 Gleditschia triacanthos, I'^S Gleichenias, 65 Globe Artichokes, 204 Globe Flowers, the, 484 Glory of the Snow, the, 241 Gloxinia Cicely. 603 ; Claribel, 603 ; Clio, 603 ; Ensign, "640 ; the Beacon, 546 Gloxinias, 151 ; planted out, 508 Goniophlebium s ibauriculatum, 7, 202 Goodia latifolia, 430 Goodycra repens, 263 Gooseberry, a serviceable, 521 ; Belle de Me.aux, 465 ; Edouard Lelort, 465 ; 51me. Edouard Lefort, 465 ; Rosehei rj, 489 ; Souvenir de Billard, 465; th-, 42, 489; Whmham's Industry, 488 Gooseberry bushes, pruning, 210 Gooseberry caterpillar, 211 ; lime and soot dressings for, 335 Gooseberry trees, \mpruned,269 Gooseberries and catei-pillars, 245, 270, 296, 337,341, 365, 464; spineless, 465; trellis- traiued, 343 ; unpruned, 250 Grafting, 295, 335 Grammatophyllum Seegerianum, 589 Grape Alicante, 620 ; Golden Champion, 520 ; Golden Queen, 46 ; Lady Downshire, 271 ; Muscat of Alexandria, 343 Grapes failing to swell, 657 ; home-gr wn, 47 ; keeping, 465 ; profitable. 131 ; setting, 341, 366, 438, 492, 520, 554 ; thinning, 421 Grass, flowers on, 512 Grass of Parnassus, 500 Gnasses, annual and otlier, for the waterside, 105 , ^ , Greenhouse, hardy herbaceous plants for the, 41 ; the cool, in midwinter, 100 ; why paint it white V 569 Greenhouse plants, new and noteworthy of 1891,212 Greens, hybrid winter. 415 Grevillea robusta elegantissima, 385 GreyiaSutherlandi, 266 Griselinia littoralis, 214 Ground, preparing the, and sowing seeds, 28 i ; wet, trees and shrubs for, 90 Groups, plants for edging, 288 Grubs in g.irden 455 Gunton, Violets from, 313 Gymnogramma schizophylla glorio^a, 7, 202 Gymnogrammas, treatment of, 65 H. Haarlem, bulbs at, 361 Habenaria militaris, 360 Habrothamnus faseiculatus in ComwaU, 506 Hfemanthus tigrinus, 7 Hamamelis arborea, 215 Ham, Daffodils at, 418 Hardenbergia Comptoniana, 308 Hardwood, felling, 383 Haw, the Parsley, 509 Hawthorns, the American, 508 Heaths, hardy, 130 Heating, 308 Heckfield, view in the garden at, 64 Hedgerows in midwinter, 44 Hedychiums, 7 Helianthemums, 447 Hellebore, the purple, 116 Helleboras caucasicus, 163 ; Madame Four- cade, 163; maximus, 5); niger angusti- folius, 163, 241 ; niger latifolius, 163 ; olympieus, ll6 ; purpurascens. 116 ; River- Bton hybrid, 163; the Bath variety, 163, vernalis, 163 ; Wm. Brockbank, 163 Hemidictyum marginatum, 266 He v'p, the, 367 Hemp plant, the, 357 Herbaceous plants, dividing. 186 Herefordshire, Oak trees in, 292 Hesperochiron pumilus, 543 Heuchera sanguinea, 418 ; from seed, 4:9 Hextable, Orchids at, 562 Hibbertia dentata, 99 Hippeastrum, the, 101 Hitherburr, Guildford, 610 Holland, Potatoes for, 27 1 HoUoway. Orchids at, 367 Holly berries, scarcity of, 17, 24 ; blossoms, 509 ; hedges, transplanting, 432 Honeysuckle, the fragrant, 13i Honeyworts, 212 Hop. the, in gardens, 473 Horse Chestnut, 410 ; diseased, 504 Horse Radish, 143, 654 Horticulture, honours from, 164 Hotbeds, forcing early vegetables on, 76 Huoncmannia funi,iri»folia. 208 Hyacinth, the Feather, 541 Hyacinths, 263, 373; why they sometimes fail, 420 Hyacinthus azureus, 116 Hydrangea pani.ulata grandiflora, 194, 608 ; rosea, 530 Hydrangeas, 418 ; group of, edgeij with Ferns, 288 i Hypericum Moserianum, 194 Ilex crcnata, 215 lUicium floridanum, 407 Impatiens Hawkeri, 346 ; Micholitzi, 494 Inula, 29 ; glandidoai, 29 ; Hooken, 126 ; Oculus-Chi-isti, 48, 7^ lonopsidium acaule, 45), 541 ; acau'.e it Ker. C. Wolley Dot's g rdea, 641 Ireland, Anemones from, 667 Iris alaia, 136 ; asiatica, 121 ; asialiea, 121 chinensis, 105 ; flmbriatj,105 ; fee id snno, 373;histrioides, 154; p.radib, 459 ; reticu- lata. 20s; r purpurea, 182 ;r. var. cy.anca, 265 ; r. in pots, 51 ; Rosenbach ana, 160 Iris3s, bulbous. Dr. Foster on. 411; early flowering, IS ; English, 611 ; g OMp of ling- I ah, 611 ; winter-flowering, 29 Italian lakes, flora of the, 262 Ivy, trimming, 401 Ixias and Sparaxis, 394 Ixora Wosti, 616 J. Jacobinia coccinea, 64 Jam.aica, Orchids from .2.2 Jap,an, a note from, 545 ; plants from, 140 Jasmine, tbi Spanish, 37.-), 44'i Jasminum gi-andiflorum, 418; nudiflorum, 48 Juniper, the common, 44 K. Kale, the cottager >', 319 Kalmia gUuea, 418 Kennedya lilacina, 314 Kernera saxatilis, 481 Kerria japonica, 418 , i„i Kew, the herbaceous grounl at, 2-1 Kitchen garden, work in the, 4, 31, ^^ »'. ^ ,. l-?6 147 167 192, 219, 2 4, 21-, 2^1, i" , SOiisSl 363, 379, 399, 427, 416, 470, 493, 515,' .637, 558, 583 Kniphofia aloides, 536; BurchelU, 536 cauhscens, 636 ;eomosa, 63b ; J^l-JJ^'i' ^^^• Leiohtlini, 537 ; Macowani, 5b, Nortmae, 537 ; Rooperi,537 ; sarmentosa, 63i Kniphofiasrhardiness of, 13^ ; hardy hybrid, 206 L. Laburnum, Natal, 271 Laehenalias, seerlling, 13b Lady's Slipper, the Tonquin. 4d2, 5b- Ladv's Slippers, Sew -World, 4,o Lilia anceps Ballantiniana. 65 ; a. Pawsom 135 ; a. HiUiana, 114 ; a. P|';«i™l'?°^'. 1" ' a. Protheroeana, 86; a. Stella, 13o , a. WiUiamsi, 60, 181; autumnalis alba, 27 , a. atro-rubens, 86 ; Bootbiana, 28.i, 4,b , elegans mirabilis, 414; exoniensis, .s^ , farfarea (Lucas's var.), 65 ; flammea 253 . flava, 232 ; furfuracea. 135 ; Gouldiana, 10, 85 ; ^andis te ebrosa, .546 ; tarpophylla, 135; L,atona, 430; Lindleyana, SJf • P"^" purata 533 ; p. Brysiana 4,b; j?. HimdleJ-- ana 503 ; purpurata The Dell var.), 689 rSscens, 286 ; supeibiens Quesneliana, LaUo-Cattleya Cassiope, 65^ . Marriottiana, 362 ; Phojbe. 430 ^ Lagenaria spherica, 164 Lakes, planting around, 268 Langport, note) from, 418 , Lapaaeria alfia, spray oj fioaera or, 53 , un healthy, 152 , ^ , ,., Lapagerias, 53 ; distinct forms of, 101 Larch disease, the, 222 Larch on thin soils. 432 Lastrea aristata variegata, 2i 3 Lastreas, 160 . ... , a i aa Latania borbonica. 153 ; is it hardy ? J» Lathyrus splendens, 418 Laurel cover, 356 Laurels, 33 Laurus Bemardi. 18 Laurustinus, varieties of, 214 Lavisia smaragdina, 603 Law Courts G.arden, the, 363 Lawns, Apple trees on, 47; flower beds on, Lednm'paltist.e. 194 ; p.ilustre, 191 Ledums, the, 194 Led- Miiise burgh, 633 Leeks, 443, 533 ; growing large, i3l, 533 Leontopodium alpinum, 12 Leptospermum buUatum, 482 ; scofarium. Lettuce, a new forcing, 666 ; Harbinger, 566 ; Perfect Gem, 567 Lettuces, 482; early, in mj.rket gardens, 483 ; notes on, 349 ; summer, 4S2 ; trans- planting, 664 Lewisia rediviva, 545 VUl THE GARDEN INDEX [July 2, 1892. Lil.ic President Orevy, 154 Lilaca, forciuc, 111 ; in fli)wcr, 5)1 LiMos of the Valley, 14, 614 Lilum .luratum, 30 ; Batemaiiniaj, 31 ; can- diJuni, 30, 201, .'.VV ; chalccdouicum, 30; crriocmn, 30; davuricum ercctimi, 31; ele^aus atroaaDgiiinemii, 31 ; gigantcuni, 88; mgankjvi^ a (/roup of, 8S ; Han.soni, 31 ; Inngiflonim Han-isi going blind, 3(U ; longiflonim Wilsoui, 31 ; Martagon, 31 ; p.ardallnum,31; speeiosum Kraitzcri, IS, 31; ^zuvitzianum.31; tcstaccuni, 31 ; tigrinum aplcndeiis, 31 ; iinibcllatum, 575 Lily bulbs from the Cape, 470 ; of Now Zealand, 483; tlje A'rican, 40; tlio Ber- muda, 5i;s ; tlie Carolina, 460 ; the Ma- donna, 30 Li'y of the Valley, forcing, 83 Lime and soot druHsiugs for Gooseberry caterpillars, 335 Lime, the Silver. 150, 268 Lindsaja trapeziforniis 400 Linodcndron tulipifcra, 15tJ Linum arboreum, 459 Lissanthe strigosa, 407 Lissochilus giganteus, ISO Lithospermum Gastoni, 123 ; graminifolium, 87, 123, 263; olea-tolium, 123 ; petneuni, 1'3; prostratum, 123, 265; rosmarini- folium, 123 Li hospermums, and how to grow them. Lobelia cardinalis, 417; ran'in, ■;«, 4 7- fulgens, 138 ; Ileino Blanche, 420 • srilen- ?f"'*V'""' syplii'itica, 416; lUc scarul, 417 ; Tupa, 417 Lobelias, hardy herbaceous, 417 Locust, the Honey, 178 London, forest lands around, 2£8: tree management around. 316 London parks, golf in the, 479 Lonicera Standishi, 136 Lotus peliorrhynchus, 430 IjO.twood, Sussex, notes from, 402 luailia, fratissimn, 4h9 ; gratissima, 469- gratissima, propagating, 53; Pinccaua, 4b9 ; Pinccana, 469 Lueulia-s, 4, 468 LuUingstone Castle, trees at, 3=8 Lunaria biennis, 374 Lycaste alba, 232 ; Skinneri, 368, 497 • hkmnen alba, 85 ; Youngi, 154 Lychnis neglocta, 186; vespcrtina plena, Lygodium articulatum, 436; flexuosum, 436; japouicum, 436; palmatum, 436; venustum, 436 Lygodiums, 7, 436 M. Maeadamia temifoia, 33 Madagascar, plants from, 407 Maggot, the Carnation, 372 Mag. olia acuminata, 156 ; conspieua, 361 ■ stellata, 408 ' ' Mahonia japonica, 355 Maiden-hair tree, 112 Manetti stock, the, ISO, 526 Maple, the Sugar, 222 Marguerites, 260 Mariposa Lilies, 144 Market garden notes, 71, 221, 412, 586 Market plants and flowers at Christmas, 8 Market, tlie new fruit and vegetable 241 Marsh Marigolds, 454 Ma devallia eaudata Estradas, 477 ; elephan- ticeps, 27 ; ignca Massangeana, 308 ; leontoglossa, 265 ; m crura, 146 ; mclano- pus, 72 ; polysticta, 232 ; Roezli rubra 232 ; Wendlandiaua, 407 ; xanthncorrys, 414 Masdcvallias of the chim:eroid group, ISl May Apple, the, from the Himalayas, 484 May blossoms, a mixture rjf, 545 May, double wliite, forced, 271 May, hardy flowers of, 512 Mra-hw-stctetft'e (iMl'a-ljennl, three formtol, 40 Mcconopsis cambrica, 500 MtiUar, fruiting tiranck of, 405; tree, the 405 ' Megaclinium falcatum, 289 MelocActis communis, 63 Melon cvdture, notes on, 403, 510; Ooldrn Prrftction, 105; Gunton Park Orange 578 ; Rit'hing's Perfection, 547 Jlelons, 19S, 521 ; cankering, 209, 331, 520; early, in pots, 69, 148 ; good early, 195 ; ripe in succession on tlie same p ants 51!>' 554, 688 i . . Menyjnthes trifohata, 500 Mercury as a vegetable, 443 Mcrtensia maritima, 417 Mespllus, the Snowy, 407 Mexican Orange Flower, the, 483 Michaelmas Daisies, 264 Michauxia campanuloides, 874 Microlepia hista eristata, 201 ; p!atyp>yl)a 274 Mill-liouse garden, an old, 73 ; at Mount I'lher, Co WiHIfiv: 73 Miltonia Endrcsi, 610 Minalobata, 313 Mitraria cocclnea, 508 Mixture, a charming, 568 Moisture in fruit houses, 461 Monoch,Tetum sericeum, 265 Montbretias, 265 Slorrea irrorata, 2f9 Morns nigra. 178 Moss and lawn gra.ss for packing, 208 Moss for packing, 289 Mosses, 64 Moth, the Raspberry, 535 Mnuntidn flowers, the culture of, 322 MulbeiTy, the common, I7S Mulleins, 551 Musa Basjoo or japonica, 54 ; seeds of, from Upper Assam, 120 Muscari, 454 ; comosimi, 541 Musliroom experiences, 55 Mushrooms failing, 332; in summer, 384; outdoor, 415 N. Narci.ssi, ba.sal rot in, 86, 121 ; failing, 434 ; forcing, 236 ; from Scarborough, 204 ; in the open air, 265; on Grass, 412, 500 54' 570 Narcissus, a hybrid, 392 ; Barka, 408 ; Bcr'nar- di, 454 ; calathinus, 499 ; Countess of Anues- ley, 313 ; Johnstoni, 408 ; pallidus pr,tcox, 203 ; papyraceus, 391; pupyra-evs, 391- Queen of Spain, 408 ; .Sanbi Maria, 361 ; the double Poet's, 514 ; triandrus, 417 Nature and clipped Yews, 489 Nepenthes, 54 ; Mastersiana, 48 Nephelai)hyllum, 10 Nephrolepis davallioides, 7 ; davallioides furcans, 201 Nerine crispa, 50 Ncwry, a note from, 111 New York Garden, the Botanic, 202 New Zealand, the ChrvsantSemum in "01 Night, the garden at, 289 Notes, French, 274 Nj-mphaja odorata carolinensis, 400 Oak, destruction of an ancient, 4S0;forwhecl- spokes, 431 ; the, 410 ; the Durm.ast 134 ■ the Golden-leaved, of California, 3,ss ; the Pin, 156; the scarlet, C8 ; the il ilbcrjorct at llolao-yd Parl\ 'i'i ' * )ak trees in Herefordshire, 2?2 Oakwood, Calochorti at, 545 (.)BITUARV — Allen, J., 455 Cole, B.,503 Cooper, E., 431 Dickson, W. A., IS Fitcli, W. H.. S:i Holford, R. .S., 199 Margottiu, M., 547 Parker, R. , 1 1 1 Rawlings, Mrs , 155 Regol, Dr., 455 Roberts, J., 155 Roozen, A., 19 Ross, S., 133 Row.in, n. C, 221 Smith, J., 363 Taplin, J., Ill Tliihiuit, L., SO Willi.ims, J., 19 Woodman, Dr. W. R , 19 Odontoglossum Alexandra, 320 ; Alexandra! W.arneri, 452; aspersum, 216; hlandum, 114 ; Bleui sjilendidissimimi, 503 ; carini- foriim, Si; Cervantcsi, 272; Cervantcsi decorum, 411; eitrosmum roseum, ■i52 ; crispum Johnsoni.anum, 5S6 ; c. nc^ bilius, 154; c. Rex, 5l6; c. Sandera- 503; c. spotted, 232; c, Wolstenholmiaj 516; cristatum, 610; Halli, 453; loplo. con, 151 ; Londcsboroughianuro, 114 ■ Lowry.anum, 503; lutco-purpureum, 114- Murrellianum,4U ; najviuD, ;-0S ;Oer.stedi' 470; Oerstedi majus, 114; Owonianum' 3SJ ; PeBeatorei (Jackson's var.), 244 ; p' var. Lindenia;, 861 ; P. Schrojderianum' 154 ; pnlchellum, lU ; ramosissimum, 176 ; Rossi, 232 ; R. albeus, 05 ; R. maj\ia, 100 I Ruckeri.mum, 413; Sandori.anum, 407 1 tnumpbaiis, 300; t. chry.sotoxum, 308' Vuylstekianum, SPS ; Wcndlandianum, 385 • I Wilkeanum nobilius, 503 I i (iilontoglossums, 181 ; from Arddarroch, 398 c id.intns.aia aculcata, ll2, 266 ; tcnuifolia, 5(i4 (Enotlicra Lamarckiana, 374 Plearia Gimniana, 41S, 4S1; Haasti, 210; ' stelUdata. 393 Oleari.as, 447 I Oleasters, evergreen, 57 ; the, 352, 483 Oniphalodcs verna, 43 1 Oncidium ampliatum majus, 232 ; .aurifcrum, 516 ; concolor, 408 ; d.asy tyle, .'»32 ; Gravesia- nnm, 385; insculptum, 633 ; Jonesianum, 110; Jonesiaimm flavcns, 2ri ; Lanceanum var., 589; loxcn.se, 632; Marshallianum, 580 ; Phalajuopsis, 492 ; sarcodes, 272 ; splen- didum, 284, 313 Onion, ,ilat Trijioli, lf5 ; giant Rr.aa, 165 ; plant Z-ttau, 164 ; f/fohr Tripoli, 1P5 Onions, 76, 402, 443 '; and tlleir culture, 164 ; keeping badly, 218 ; ir/ii(i; Sixinah, imu t of a hnl 0', 176 Onosnia tauiicum, 5:3 Onychium auratum, 202 Ophiopogon spicatus variegatus, 283 Orange Silvcrmere Needling, 290 Oranges, Citrons, and Lemons, 38 Orchard fruit, 407 Orchard house culture, 170 Orchards, maintaining the fertility of soil in, 220, 344 Orchids at Bath, 503 ; at Burford Lodge 320; at Clapton, 110; iit Elmstead, 510' at Hextablc, 502 ; at Hollow.ay, 367 ; at Mr. Sherwood's, 369 ; at Palace Road' Brixton, 359 ; at St. Albans, 474 ; at Strpatham Lodge, 359 ; diseases in, 10 ; from Ctieltonham, 114, 680; from Gainsborough, 470 ; from Pickering Lodge, 531 ; from seed, 313, 360; from Sefton Park Liver- pool, 602 ; from The DeU, 255 ■ in flower .at W. Bull's, 216 ; in flower at Messrs. Veiteh & Sons, 210 ; in im.all gardens, 631 ; now and noteworthy in 1891, 85; pruning. 602 ; usefid to grow in quantity, 20; work among, 35, 62 81 'n) 1-25, 147, 167, 193, 220, 234, 2.57, 281, 306 '330' 3-3, 378,400,428, 446, 470, 516, 538, 600, 682 Orchis latifolia, 506 Origanum Dictamnus, 105 Ornithogalum ar.abicum, 377 ; a'abicuM, 377 • armeniacum, 377 ; aureum, 377 ; eomosum' 377 ; exscapum, 37/ ; flmbriatum, 377 ; glaucophyllum. 377 ; latifolium, 877 ; mon- tauum, 377; narbonnense, 3.7; nubms, 377 ; nutans, 376 ; pyramidale, 377 ; pyren- alcum, 377; Eo.-oriuin, 3r7; umbella'tum 377 ; unifolium, 377 Orobus vernus, 87 Osiers for boggy land, 222 Osmunda palus'tris, 274, 313 ; regalis, 160 Ouvirandra fencstralis, 347 Overcropping, 438 P. Packing, Moss and lawn Grass for, 36S Pa;onia albiflora, 10 i; corallina, 418, 454; tenuifolia plena, 568 Pajonies, 483. 481; planting, 373; with drooping stems, 543 Pieony, a white, 691 ; Felix Cronsse, 589 ; Grizzel Muir, 589 ; Lottie Collins, 689 ; Mile. Rousseau, 589 ; Mme. Breon, 589 ; Mme. Loise, / 89 ; Snowball, 589 ; Snow- flake, 603 ; Van D,yck, 589 Palm house and rock garden at Strcatham Hall, Exeter, 117 ; view in th% ll7 P.alms. cool gi-eenhouse and temperate, 83 ; h,ardy, 153 Palumbina Candida, 532 Pandanads, the variegated, 152 ; treatment of, 120 Pandanus p.aciScTis, 477 Pansies, tulted, 27, 52, 106,958, 453, 498, 677 ; from Dr. Stu.art, 506 ; from Hawick, 591 ; in bedding .arr.angements, 613 ; in pots, 313 Pansy, tufted, Violetta, 89 Papaver yii-Mim, 277 Paris, the flower-markets and flower market gardens of, 395, 471 Parks, tree-planting in, 216 ; tussocky, 340 P.arsley, 403 ; transplanting, 413 Pasque flowers, 429 Paulownia imperialis, 304 Pea, a, with many names, 564 ; crop in Essex 484; Tehi>ho,.,\-ii9; WiIHim I.,Mi Peas, OS; a gooii succession of, 318; early, 128, 564, 5S4 ; late, 414, 684 ; Sweet, 232, 26> ; Street, too^dii arran'jed in a vane, 233 Peach Alexander dropping its buds, 228, 269 ; Amsden June 547 ; and Is'eet.arine trees. 406, 424 ; bud -dropping, 342. 423, 439 ; Earlv Beatrice, 591 ; shoots crowded, 314, 423; Thames Bank, 91; Violettc Hative dropping its buds, 252 Peach tree in pot in Mr. Rivers' nursery, 229 Peach trees, absence of green-fly on, 4*24, 401 ; and ants, 252, 296 ; bl.ck-fly on 467 ; bud-dropping in, i96, 497 ; free growth of, 405 : green and blaclc-fly on, 250 ;, pruning and training, 209 ; thinning tlie flower buds on, 227, 270, 331, 306, 421, 4l7, 491, 556 ; un ailing, from w alls. 1 50 Peaches, colour in, 587 ; golden, 46 ; in suc- cession, 196 Pfar Be-gamotc d'Esperen, 437 ; Beurrfi Ranee, 437 ; Chaumontel, 437 ; E.aater Beurre, 4'i, 437 ; Jia ter Jleutr, 437; Eliza d'iicvst, 437 ; Huyshc's Queen Victoria, 37; Jean do Wittc, 437; Josciihine do Malines. 437 ; Knight's Moiuarch, 47, 91 ; Mme Millet, 437; Nc Plus Meuris, 437; Olivier dc Serres, 437; the Chalk, 45; Winter Nelis, 437 Pear tree?, pjTamid, 220 Pears, autumn, 92 ; late, 93, 437 ; some rcli- •able, 151; standard, for Britain, 3, 46; under glass, 132 Pelargonium Arete, 477 ; F. V. Rasiiail, 2'2 ; Fireball, 589 ; Ivy-leaved Byccroft Sur- prise, 5S9 ; Rosy Gem, 589 ; .Souvenir, 589 ; Venus, 348 Pelargnniums. bedding, 500 ; decorative, 307 ; Ivy-le,aved, 571 ; two good, 493 ; zonal, 113 ; zonal, ill winter, 507 Pcntas camea. 7 Pentstcmons, 374 ; from seed, 201 Ptrgota, formation, of irit/i brief.- 'piUa k, 107 ; ffvood, 110 Pergolas, fniit trees on, 133, 173 ; on creeper- covered walks, lu7 Perncttyas, 448 ; as pot pUnts, 54 Pctrocallis pyrenaica, 418 P. aius Cooksoni. 272 ; S.anderianus, <30, 603 Phalaiiiopsids, 313 Phalanopsis casta, 176 ; intermedia Bry- meriana, 136; intermedia Portei, 135; Maria;, 563 ; rosea auranti.aca, 2 6 ; Sanderiana, 135 ; Sehilleriana, 111 ; sjieciosa, 60, 255 ; Stuartiana, 181 Phlebodium sporodocarpum, 202 Phlox amrena, 186 ; subulata, 459 Phloxes, herliaccous, in the conservatory, 495 Phi/sallf! Alkikcngi, 'Sil Picea .alba, 112 ; Nordmanniana, 246 Picture, a winter, 116 Pine-.apple, the variegated, 7 Pine, the Austrian, 222 ; the Chilian, 321 ; the Chilian, from home seed, 4U1, 449 ; twig and cone of the Austrian, 388 Pink, the, 51 Pinks, 359, 585 Piniis contorta, 90 Pitt as a tree-planter, 77, 134 Pittosporum Tobira, 2j9 Place, bare, 163 Plant houses, work in, 3, 35, 63. 82, 97, 125, 148, 166, 193, 219, 235,258, 28!. 306, 3S0, 354, 379, 399, 426, 440, 471, 493, 516, 639, 559, 682 Plant trade in America, vexatious inter- ference with, 497 Plant, wanted a climbing, -67 Plantations, mixed, 460, 48) Planting, and what to pl.ant, 548 ; around lakes, 208 ; economic conifer, 20 ; for utility and ornament, 518 ; in towns, 90 ; late, 169 ; seaside, 316 ; thick and thin, 68 Plants, .alp ne, in the open, )3 ; alpine, the cultivation of, 578 ; c'imbing, rounti icindow at S3, M'altham Terra e. Stack- rock, 369 ; every -day, 174 ; finc-foliaged, .■JO? ; hardy, notes on, 49, 87. 105, 180, 263, 301, 417, 498, 577 ; hardy, after the win- ter, 357 ; hardy, dividing and transplanting, 16i ; hardy, in pots and tubs, 139 ; hardy, potting up for decoi-atiou, 4 ; herbaceous, 325 ; in cold pits, management of, 265 ; medals for herbaceous, 4S 1 ; New Holland, from seed, 308, 339 ; .sending abroad, 591 ; wanted, 545: window, 78; winter flower- ing soft-wooded, 175 Piatanus, the, 316 Platyccrium alcicomc, 274 ; gr.ande, 202 ; 'W'il- lincki, 563 Platyloma falcata, !0.', 273 Pleasure gi'ound notes, 477 ; work in the, 58, 194 Pleasure grounds, hardy Ferns in, 273 Pleione hiuiiilis, 181 ; with two flowers, 181 Plum, the Mirabelle, 366 Plums on walls, 45 P.dophyllum Emodi, 4S4 Pogouia discolor, 27 Polemonium Richardsoni, 459 Polyanthus Border Maid, 453 Polyanthuses from Gainsborough, 453 Polybotrj as, 605 Polygonatum biflorum, 207 ; japonicura, 207 ; latifolium, 207 ; latifolimu var. coniniu- tatum, 207 ; multiflorum, 207 ; officinale, 2U7 ; oppositifohum, 207 ; punctatum, 207 ; roseum, 207 ; verticillatum, 207 Polygonatums, 207 Polypodium vulgaro. 160 Polystichum acrostichoidcs, 266 ; .amabile, 266 ; auiplissimuni, 266 ; aurieul.atum, 266 ; capcnse, 266; concavum, 266; coriaccum, 274; coriifolium, 266; denticulatuni, 266 ; fnlciiiellum,266; flcxuui, 266 ; lepiilncaulon sot". ; mucronatum, 260 : rhizophv Hum, 2 6 ; triangulare, 266 ; venustum, i6 J Poly.^tichums, 160, 206 Poplar, the Allele, 156; the black Italian, 112; the Cauadi.an, 156; the Lombardy, ir.o Popl.ars, 5iS ; Lombardy, ^6S ; notes on, 45 j July 2, 1892.] THE GAKDEN INDEX IX Poppies, perennial, 277 ; white, ST6 Pop}})/, thti /iai};i/t 277 Populusalba, 155 ;fastigiata, 156 ;niouiIifera, 112 Potato blooms, 44* ; disease ani bouillie bordelaise, 133, 1(J0 ; flowers, 482 ; Imper- ator, 1S7 ; /rnperntor, 1S7 ; Richter's Imper ator, 164 ; Sharp's Victor, 2ot3 Potatoes, 32, 127; Ashlcaf, 250; as ground cleaners, 384 ; early and late, 129 ; early, ISS; earthing, 534; for Holland. 271; in perbyshire, 99 ; of good quality, 99 ; quality in, 55 ; remarks on planting, 229 ; removing 1 he flowers of, 403; seed, ISS, 250 ; sprouting seed, 21S Potentillas, hybrid, 499 Primrose, a useful white, 297 ; double crim- son, 391 ; double white, 46*, 519 ; Mmutc-id Jl'hit^, 297; the Sikkim, 591 Primroses, coloured 461 ; hardy, 11, 299, 358,418; Indian, 5S0 Prinuila Auricula San Martino. 36S Primula capitata, 5S1 ; Clusiana, 361 ; den- ticulata. 277, 5S1 ; dcnticuf.ta. r^SS ; den- ticulata destroyed, 3il ; elliptica, 581 ; erosa, 5S1 ; Fcrn-leavcl White Perfection, 198 ; floribunda, 203, 5S1 ; imperialis. 54'j, 5S1 ; japonica, 506, 553, 572, 591 ; loi gl- folia, 105 ; minutissima, 5S1 ; mollis, 5Sl ; nivalis, 581 ; nivalis var. purpurea, 429 ; obconica, 52 ; obtusifolia, 5S1 ; Peach Blos- som. 65 ; petiolaris, 581 ; Pink Queen, 65 ; prolifera, 581 ; Reidi, 577, 581 ; reticulata, 5Sl; rosea, 361, 5SI ; rotundifolia, 5S2 ; Sieboldi, 122 \siH-imensi3,5Sl ; sikkimensis, 582; Stuarti, 532; venusta, 4lS, 454; ver- ticillata, 313 Primulas at Abinger Hall, 206 ; Cliinese, 203 ; single Chinese, 198 ; two good cold- house, 119 Privet, the g-lden, for an edging. 58 Promensea microptcra, 85 ; ; Rollissoni, 85 ; RoLissoni, f 5 ; st;xnoll'jides, 85; xanthina, 85 Promcn^eas, S5 Propagating in spring, 235 Protea nana, 495 Prumnopitys elegan.^, 323 Pruning, summer, 5''0 Prunus, 447; sinensis fl.-p]., 151 Psychotria jasminiflora, 7 Pteris argyrea, 274 ; serrulata gracilis, 503 ; tremula densa, 5U3 ; tricolor, 202 ; umbrosa, 274 Public Gardens— Albert Palace, the, 387 Alexandra Palace, the, 155, 177, 525, 569 ; scheme, 19 Avondale Park, 155 ; opening of, 545 Battersea Park, a Palm house for, 43 Bethnal Green poor's land, 43 Birmingham, an opn space for, 313 Bournemouth, winter garden at, 67 Borstal, recreation ground for, 67 Brockwell Park 409, 455 Chelsea Hospitid grounds, 339 Chelsea, recreation ground for, 387 East London, new playground for, 525 Eltham Park, 409, 455 Fulham, proposed open space at, 3S7 Great Driffield, recreation ground for, 177 Hackney Marshes, purchase of, 315, 569 Hampton Court, allotments at, 315 Hanley, new park for, 479 Hilly Fields, Brockley, 221 Hilly Fields, Lewisham, 545 Inner Temple Gardens, 515 Islington, another open space for, 409, 455 Lincoln's Inn Fields, 525 Maryon Park, 363 Metropolitan Public Gardens Association, Millbank Prison site, the, 387 Mit<;ham Common, 545 North Park, Eltham 221. 525 Open space, a new, 43, 363, 591 Open spaces, 67, 155, 177, 3&3, 455, 530, 545 ; for London, 19 Paddington recreation ground, 221, 569 Parks and open spaces, expenditure on, 177, 525 ; sup'rintendent of, 177 Pockham Rye extension, 387 Pimlico Road, open space in, 315 Poplar, an open space for, 339 Space, an open, tlireatened, 409 Tottenham, open space for, 339 Walmer, recreation gromid for, 3^7 West Wickham Common, 155, 221 Pyoctanine, 164 Pyrethrum Alfred Kelway, 546 ; Jubilee, 4S3 ; Princess Marie, 546 Pyrethrums, 551, 575 Pyrus aria, 178 ; Cydonia, 194 ; japonica virginalis, 410 ; malus floribunda, 195, 347, 473 ; Maulei under glass, 286 Pyxidanthera barbatula, 301 Q. Quercus coccioea, 68 ; palustris, 156 Quince, the, 194 Quince stock, the beat soil for, 37 R. Rabbits destroying Beeches, 245 Radishes. 349 ; early, 93 Rainfall in 1891, 1S3 Ramon dia, a fine, 567 Ramondias, 575 Ranimculus amplexicaulis, 105 ; cortusa;- folius, 290 ; lyalli, 105, 500 ; montanus, 400 Raspberries, 70, 93 ; cuttin? down, 36^, 431 Rats destroying Bamboos, 241 Redwood, the, 268 Reinwardtia tetragyiia, 175 Remedy wanted, a, 280 Rcnantiiera coccinea, 231, 281 ; Lowi, 20 Restrepia antennifcra, 114 170 ; elegans, 176 ; nuda, 176; pandurata, 170; striata, 170; vittata, 176 ; xanthopthalma, 176 Restrepias, 176 Retinosporas, the, 279 Rheum palmatum, 533 Rhodanthes in pots, 420 Rhododendron, a fine, 459 ; Auckland', 490 ; campanuLatum, 454 ; campy locarp\mi, 362 ; Ceres, 169 ; da'iuricum, 322 ; formo- sum, 381 ; grande, 2'=5 ; javanicum, 169; midtifiorum, 3S3 ; pitecox, 119 ; racemosuiu, 368, 383 ; scabrifolium, 242 ; Teysmanni, li 9 ; Vaseyi, 418 ; Veitc'jianum, 314, 347 Rhododendrons, hybrid Java, 3-'S ; Sikkim, 368, 4'.7 Rhubarb, 565 ; flavour of forced, 189 ; forcing in tubs, 129 Rhus Cotinus, 195 Rhynchospermum jasminoides, 507 ; jas- minoides, 507 ; as a specimen, 558 Ribes sanguineum fl.-pl.,5G0; speciosum, 561 Richardia Little Gem, It* Riviera, notes from the, 315 Robinia Pseudacacia, li2 Rock plants, a wall for, 325 ; well shown, 484 Rockwood Lily, the, 506 Rockwork in plant houses, 382 Rondeletia amcena, 287 Rondeletias, 236, 3^6 Boots or stocks, 573 Rosa polyantha as a stock, 61 ; rugosa and its varieties, 549 Rose Augustine Guinoisseau, 48 ; blooms, packing, 440 ; CaroUne Testout, 290, 338 ; Celeste, 9 ; Cehste, 9 ; Cheshunt Hybrid, 481 ; Climbing Devonic.sis. ISO; Corinna, 430, 458 ; covered porches, 573 ; Danmark, 290, 318; Dundee Rambler, 345; Elise Fugicr, 338; Ethel Br wnlow, 319; factory for cut flowers, 157 ; Gloire de Dijon, 14 L ; Otoirc (le Dijon on a tra't, 141 ; Gustave Regis, 589 ; La France, 48, 94 ; Lady Henry Grosvenor, 318, 477 ; Lamarque, $2, 02 ; Lamarque under glass, 142 ; Laurette, 271 ; Mme. Nabonnand, SO ; Mar^chal Niel, 157, 439, 458, 527 ; Marechal Niel, forcing, 223 ; Medea, 318 ; notes, 179, 458. t26, 574 ; old Clus'tr on a wall, 301 ; Persian Yellow at Abberley Hall, 550 ; Pink Rover, 458 ; Princess May, 318. 503, 520 ; Reine Marie Henriette, 459, 549 ; Reine Marie Henriette under glass, 4'. 0 ; Sala- mander. 4t8 ; show at Farnham, 107 ; Spen- ser, 458, 526 ; Souvenir d'un Ami, white sports from, 481 ; sport from i atherine Mermet, 526; stocks in America, 180; The Bride, 410, 458; the Guelder, 568, 5&1 ; Waban, 390, 430 ; White Laiy, HI, 318, 430 ; white sport from Souvenir d'un Ami, 518 ; Wm. Allen Richardson, 179, 390, 627, 5'.0 ; Zcnobia, 526 Rosas, among the, 317, 549 ; and the past win- ter, 170, 247,390; Ayrshire, 315, 440; buttwi- hole, 21 ; climbing, 247, 425 ; climbing, after flowering, 457 ; diseases and enemies of. 21 ; dwarf, in beds 2C*3 ; early- flowering, 527, 550 ; early pruning of, 441 ; endmring quality of cut, 482 ; exhibiting. 15s ; forc- ing, 84 ; for decoration, 247 ; frost prints among the, 345 ; Hybrid Perpetual, 179 ; Hybrid Tea, 21 ; Hybrid Tea in pots, Gi; indoor trellis, 459, 526 ; in February, 142 ; in June, 517 ; in masses, '57, 179 ; in pots, 93,159 ; in the cool house, 84 ; insecticides for, 549 ; I amirque and Niphetos, 142 ; m Idew among the, 203 ; new, 318, 458 ; night soil for, 549 ; notes on, 440 ; on a cot'aje -rorfh in Surift/y 573 ; on iron and wire trellises, 24S ; on walls, 301, 390, 439, 459, 526, 574 ; own-root, 426, 458, 482, 574 ; pillar, 526 ; pot, 0 ; planting from pots, 141 ; pruoing, 114, 157, 224 ; priming newly-planted, 247 ; ripening the wood of, 247 ; Scotch, 549 ; should they be planted in spring or au- tumn ? S23 ; shy-blooming, 549 ; some early- flowering Hybi'id Perpetual, 318 ; spring planting of, 91, ISO; stocks for, 481 ; strong- growing, 518 ; summer pruning of, 574 ; Tea scented, and their uses, 223, 247, 318 ; Tea-scented, under glass, 302 ; Tea, jiropa- gating, 318 ; the hard pruning of, 4 6 ; the Lenten, 241 ; trair^cd ovt.r on hon arc\, 425 ; trellis-trained, 3 1 9, 457, 4 ;5 ; two good white, 318 ; two new, 338 Rubus, 447 ; arcticus, 459 ; cham^morus, 498 ; spectabilis, 401 Rudbcckia pinnata, 187 Rudgea maerophylla 507 Ruscus racemosus, 418 Ruxle/ Lodge, Tomatoes at, 483 Byde, notes from, 260 S. Saccolabium Blumei, 367 ; crelcstc, 21''', 284 ; giganteum, 48, 367 ; guttatum, 307 ; pne- mor-um, 367 : retusum, 367 ; violaceum, 307 Saccolabiums, 367 Sali < alba, 592 ; caprea, OS Sambucus raceniosa plumosa, 195 Sanguinaria canadensis, 4i8 Saponaria cJKspitosa, 568 ; lutca, 568 Sarcanthus eriuaceus, 414 Sarmienta repens, 40S Sarracenia atrosanguinea, 211 ; crispata, 211 ; Dnimmondi, 211 ; flava, 212 ; psitta- cina, 212 ; purpurea, 212 ; rubra, 212 ; variolaris, 212 Sarracenias as flowering plants, 211 ; at the United States Nurseries, 553 ; in flower, 259 Saxifraga Burseriana, 203, 262 ; Bm'seriana major, 136, 203; calyciflora, 40S; longi- folia, 506 ; luteo-purpurca, 182, 203 ; luteo- purpurea Malyi, 338 ; Malyi, 204, 213, 391 ; Mertensiana, 459 ; muscoides atro- purpurea, 499; peltata, 301 ; Rheei, 268; Rocheliana var. coriophylla, 499 ; sancti, 419, 498 ; virginiensis, 4 8 Scabious, a new species of, 274 ; the Cau- casian, 372 ; thi' CaxuOAUn, 372 Scene, a wintry, 48 Sc izocodon soldanelloides, 314 Schomburgkia crispa, 114; Humboldti, 114; Lyonsi, 114 ;rosea, 114 ; Thomsoniana, 114 ; tibicinis, 114, 2S5 ; undulata, 114 Schombm-gkias, 114 Scilla bifolia, 265, 325, 338 Scilly Isles, flowers in the, 204 Scolopendrium crispum fimbriatura, 503; digitatum majus, 503 ; vulgare, 160 Sea Hollies, 576 ; border, 543 Seakale, 190 ; in May, 468 Seaside planting, 316 Seed-growing in Germany, 370 Seeds, collections or selections of, 332 ; failing to germinate, 534 ; ordering, 74 Selaginella elegans, 503 Selaginellas, 8 Selenipediimi caiidatum, 414 Senecio grandifolius, 24 ; petisites, 116 Sequoia sempervirens, 268 Shelter, planting for, 90 Shirley Hibberd memorial, 19 Shortia galacifolia, 136 Shrub pruning, 195 Shrubs, arrangement of flowering, 356 ; choice, for beds and borders, 447 ; hardy, that have been certificated in 1891, 78 ; in pots, 429 ; lifting, 58 ; notes on, 129, 194 ; unmutilated, 33 ; with ornamental foliage, 544 Siphocampylos Humboldtiana, 54 Sisyrinchium giandiflorum, 180 Smilax argyrea, 503 Snowdrop, a yellow, 338; Elwcs' giant, 115 the Crimean, 115 Snowdrops, 204; early, 110 hob:~alia Lv-ca^i ma, 5 9 SOCIbTIES AND EXHIBITIONS— Crystal Palace, 314 Ga'deners' Orphan Fund, 43, 89, 153, 221, 241, 479, 483, 517 Gardeners' Ro; al Benevolent, 43, 89, 245, 567 International Horticxilt'iral Exhibition, 155,245, 315, 431, 454.523 Midland Carnation and P cotec 182 National Auricula (Northern Section), 431 ; (Southern Section), 3Si6 National Chrysanthemum, 221, 267 Royal Botanic, iOl, 408, 478 Royal Horticultural, 43, 05, 115, 136, 154, 244, 207, 2SJ 361, 385, 430 453,455,477, 501, 506, 640, 567, 589 United Horticultural and Benefit, 267 Soils, 108 Solanum crispum, 545 ; jasminoides, 420, 453; saccianum, 104 ; Torreyi, 24S, 271 Soldanflla njinima alba, 413 Soldanellas, 429 Solomon's Seal, 137, 207; for forcing, 348; grovpof, ot the foot of a -wall, 137 ; the scent of, 418," 542 Sophora japonica, 222 Sowing better than planting, 456 Sparmannia africana, 241 Sphagimm Moss, growing alpines in, 553 Spinach, New Zealand, 75 ; scarcity of, 304 ; winter, 75, 143 Spirfeji arguta, 474 ; aruncus, 49 ; aruncus, tark3, 4r0 Turner Memorial prizes, 33S Turnip Extra Early Milan, 218, 241, 26-, 271 Turnips, 332 ; carlr, 507 ; yellow-fleshed, 3S4 Turquoise berry, the, 203 Ulmus alata, GS, 2S0 Ui derwood, 364 Utricularia Humboldti, 362 ; longifolia, 362 Vallota purpurea, 495 VaDda Amesiaia, 396, 3&7 ; Bensoni, TO ; Cathcarti, 265, 397 ; ccerulea, i97 ; cristata, 232 ; Denisoniana, 313, 396; Hookeriana, 397 ; Kimballiana, ;06. 397 ; laniellata Boxalli, 216, J67 ; parviflora 396; pedun- cularis, 398 ; Roxbi-rgbi, 390 ; Sanderiana, 397 ; suavis, 2;^2, 397 ; teres, S97 ; teres alba, 477 ; tricolor. 397 Vandas, notes on, 306 Vanderbilfs nurgcy, 94 Vegetable Marrow Ten-y-byd in frames, 256 ; Portuguese, 274 Vegetable notes, 129 Vegetable scvUpturc, 66 Vegetable seeds, ripening of, 15 Vegetables, forcing early, on hotbeds, 76 ; growing for market, 483 ; hot weather, 522; novelties in, 14, 56, 08, 143, 19'; pot cul- ture of, 127; protection of, 404 ; scarcity of, 332, 401. 44 f; shelter for early, 535 ; watering and mulching, 564 Veltheim'a viridifolia, 4'.>5 Verandah, plants 1o covi r a, 272 Verbascum Chaixi, 551 ; crassifolium, 551 ; cupreum, 551 ; nuiram rar. album in Her. WoU y Dod's pardc, 551 ; nh/i jiicum, 555 ; olympicum, 551 ; phlomoides, 374, 551 ; phln- ni')iV/r.»,555 ; J fnv ic-u », 51, 506 ; pyramida turn, 551 ; vemale. fSl Verbena Sea Foam, 500 Verber.as, 207 Veronicas in flower, 17 Vibxirnum plicatum, 130 Viburnums, 448 Villa gardens, Apples for, 228 Vine borders, exhausted. 19ti; sloping, 69 Vine Mrs. Pearson unhealthy, 172, v'50 Vin's, disbudding and stopping, 228; evils of closely training, 210; planting, 149; should they be shaded ? 587 ; starting late, 227 Vioery, crickets in, 89, 111 ; the amateur's, 555' Viola declinata, 451 : pedata, 186 Violas, 542 Violets, early autunm and late spring, 552 ; for winter flowering, 435, 512 ; from cuttings, 367 ; from Gunton, 313 ; planting, 613 Virgin's Bower, the, 110 Vitis argyrophylla, 525 ; heterophylla varie- gata, 393 Vriesia brachystachys, 6 W, Wales, notes from, 499 Wall, a useful, 347 ; for rock plants, 325 ; for rock T>ianU, 325 Walls, bare spaces on, 37 : Roses on, 301, 439 Wallflowers, ■Ji'7, ^74 ; unhealthy, 19 Walnut, the Black, 222 Walnuts, soil for Blac ', 44 Waltham TeiTace, Blackrock, near Dublin, 369 Warscewicze'la Lindeni, 546 ; velata, 181 Water gardens, 297 Waterside, the annual and other Grasses for. lOi Wattle, the Silver, 54 Weather and the crops, the, 257, 406 ; during April, 442; in fcurrey, 4'j7 ; the, 182; the wintry. 392 Wellingt'nia, a spiral 4S5 Wdliams Memorial iirizes, 431 Willow, the Goat, OS ; the white or Hunting- don, 592 Willows, dwarf, 301 ; pollarding, 177 Windflowers, 542 Window case, Ferns for an outside, 1'2 Window plants, 78 Winter eEfects, 12P, 302 Winter, preparing for, 535 Wireworms, 71 Wistaria sinensis alVja, 477 Witloof, field culture of, 274 Wood Hyacinths in the pleasure ground, 552 Wood Lily, the white, 429 Woods, the outline of, )iS Woodlands, Orchids at The, 311 ; the, of Great Britain, 292 Woodlice and Cucumbers, 665 Woodwardia radicans, 274 Worcestershire gar^ien, notes from a, 460 Xanthoceras sorbifolia, 420 Y. Year, the past, S9 Yew and Oak stem, junction of 08 Tews Irish, trained and u trained, 58 Z. Zygopetalum leucochilum, 1'4 July 2, 1892.] THE GARDEN INDEX XI COLOURED PLATES. BEGONIA HAA.GEANA BOMAEEA FRONDEA CALANTHES, HYBRID CALLISTEMON RIGIDUS ... CALOCHORTUS FLAVUS ... CARNATION KETTON ROSE CARNATION (TREE) MRS. A. HEMSLEY CEREUS LEMAIRI CERINTHE RETORTA COSMOS BIPINNATUS EL^AGNUS PARVIFOLIA ERICA HYEMALIS AND E. H. ALBA FUCHSIA TRIPHYLLA GLADIOLI, HYBRID FORMS OF NANCEIANUS PAGE 5U 444 398 558 144 5G 280 102 212 10 352 420 32 190 KNIPHOFIA CAULESCENS ... LUCULIA GRATISSIMA ONCIDIUM PHAL^NOPSIS... ORNITHOGALUM PYRAMIDALE PAULOWNIA IMPERIALIS ... PRIMULA FLORIBUNDA ... RHODODENDRON CERES ... RHODODENDRONS, HYBRID JAVA (1, LUTEO-ROSEUM ; PRIMROSE; 3, JASMINIFLORUM CARMINATUM) ROSE MME. NABONNAND STREPTOCARPUS GALPINI STREPTOCARPI, HYBRID SWEET PEAS H. M. STANLEY, MRS. ECKFORD, ORiNGE PRINCE AND DOROTHY TENNANT PAGE 53() 4G8 492 370 304 580 1G8 328 256 124 232 The Gaeden.J [Ji^ly 2, 1892. HERR MAX LEICHTLIN Herr Max Leichtlin, to whom we have great pleasure in dedicating the forty-first volume of The Garden, was born at Carlsruhe (Baden) on October 20, 1831. In 184G he went as an apprentice gardener, and afterwards held situations at Frankfort, Bolweiller and Ghent. He then spent some years travelling, and in 185G returned from South America. After spending a few months in Dublin, he went to Van Houtte's, Ghent. Here he stayed two years, and then, owing to deaths in the family, went into business with his two elder brothers. After sixteen years' diligent work he retired to Baden-Baden, where he founded a private botanical garden, and since then his name has been a household word wherever hardy plants are grown. About 18GG his collection of Lilies was very important, and in the following year Sir Joseph Hooker named after him a Lily that had been introduced by Messrs. Veitch. In 1874 he went to Montenegro to collect Lilium Martagon. The position of his garden at Baden-Baden was, hcjwever, unfavourable to the cultivation of Lilies, and he gave them up, devoting his attention to miscellaneous bulbs, more especially Irises. Few good gardeners — so far as the introduction of new or rare plants is concerned — have done so much for English gardens. Every year he introduces some sterling novelty, and botanists as well as gardeners in this and other countries owe much to his ability and enterprise. As a raiser and hybridiser he has achieved no inconsiderable success, as witness the Nerines, and above all the handsome Aubrietias known in gardens as A. Leichtlini, rosea, and violacea. It requires a man of courage to yjersevere for twenty years in the hope of obtaining at last a red Aubrietia! And he has nearly succeeded. Primula rosea grandiflora, P. capitata ccertilea and atro-violacea, and a host of plants too numerous to mention we owe to him. It is only a few years ago since we were on the tip-toe of expectation as to the success or failure of his effort to collect Jankrea Heldreichi. Few people were aware of the real danger this expedition had to face, and a company of soldiers had to be engaged against a p'jssible attack by banditti. The collector was successful, and the plants sent home have already flowered in several gardens in England. Ostrowskia magnifica — the most g-gautic Bellflower ever seen — was another sur]5rise. Meconopsis aculeata is an introduction of rare merit, equal to, if not surpassing, Wallich's Poppy. Tellima parviflora, introduced under the name of T. affinis, is the best of the genus known to us. Primula grandis, Coptis orientalis, Erythronium Hendersoni, Allium Sewerzowi, A. giganteum, and Irises, especially the bulbous and Oncocyclus sections, are all closely associated with the name of Max Leichtlin. Wherever a new Iris was heard of, Max Leichtlin was detennined to find it. Calochortus Leichtlini, Milla Leichtlini, Tulipa Leichtlini, Kniphofia Leichtlini, Mutisia retusa, M. ilicifolia, and numerous other plants tell a story of his work. Alany species of Erenuiri, Crocus iridiflorus major, C. biliorus Leichtlini, Tecophykea cyanocrocus, Arnebias, Colchicum Sibthorpianum, by far the finest of the genus, besides varieties of C. autumnale, &c., we owe to him. Among his latest introductions is Gladiolus armeuiacus, one of the i)rettiest and the nearest to a true blue we have yet seen. Jan. 2, 1892.] VOL. XLI. Orchard and Fruit Garden. STANDARD PEARS FOR BRITAIN. In your list of staudard kinds (given p. 530) I cannot regard three of them in that liglit, viz., Nouvelle Fulvie, Olivier de Serres, and Borg.imotte d'Esperen. Judging them from experience gained over several seasons, I should say decidedly that they are not suitable for the north or eastern parts of England. Nou- velle Fulvie growing on a south wall liere bears freely large good-looking fruit, but it has never once ripened fit for dessert. Bergamotte d'Esperen is not reliable ; good only after fine summers. Olivier de Serres is small and rather gritty. I would ratlier recommend either Durondeau, Passe Colmar, Knight's Monarch, Beurre Ranee, and Easter Beurre as being much more likely to ripen over a larger area of the British Isles. Knight's Pear is hard to boat for flavour ; it is delicious. Autumn Nelis deserves a place and should be added ; it is hardy, free, ripens on a bush or espalier, almost equal to Comte de Lamy for flavour, which is saying a good deal for it, as I consider tlie C jmte heads the list in that respect, surpassing c.-en Thompson's and Doyenne du Cornice. Alexandre Lanibre might very weU be left out of standard varieties ; it is rather small, nothing specially taking in flavour ; it also ripens when t'lree of the best are in season, viz., Marie Louise, Doyennfi du Comice, and Emile d'Heyst. A list of standard varieties containing all tlie liighest flavoured should cover the complete Pear season to be a guide to planters. I hive ventured to substitute a list which will s.ipply the dessert from July to March, but liave not confined the number to twelve : Doy- enne d'Ete, Jargonelle, Williams' Bon Chr^- t'.en, Fondante d'Automne, Beurrfi Superfin, Autumn Nelis, Comte de Lamy, Thonijjson's, Durondeau, Marie Louise, Doyenne du Cornice, Emile d'Heyst, Passe Colmar, Glou Morceau, Josephine de Malines, Knight's Monarch, Win- tar Nelis, Easter Beurr6. It must also be borne in mind that this selection is not sufti- cient to supply the wants of a large establish- ment. A certain number of the large free- boariug kinds, although second-rate in quality, must be grown as a reserve for the kitchen. I find, more especially of late years, that the c/k"/ favours a plentiful supply of Pears ap- proaching ripeness in preference to those that are recognised only as fit for stewing. Emile d'Heyst, among the comparatively new Pears which I have tried, is the best, and will be- come as generally grown as Marie Louise or Doyenne du Comice. It is of good size, melt- ing, buttery, with a flavour that much re- sembles Winter Nelis. It ripens here a little later than Doyenne du Comice when grown on south and west walls. Those who have not yet planted it should not let the winter pass with- out putting in two or three trees of this excellent variety. Wm. Allan. Chmton Park. COLOUR IN APPLES. , At the fruit show which took place at Manchester in October last a collection of Apples, staged by Mr. W. Crump, The Gardens, Madresfield Court, attracted a great deal of attention on account of the rich colouring of the fruit. Mr. Crump informed me this characteristic is peculiar to most olthe Applesgrown at Madresfield, and they rivalled, if tliey did not excel in richness of tint the fruit grown in Kent and Sussex. Probably there are certain conditions in the soil, or in the climate and atmosphere that impart so rich a colouring to Apples, and it was noticeable that the collections from Herefordshire, Worcestersliire, and Derbyshire were generally remarkable in this re- spect. A striking contrast was furnished in the very fine collection of twenty-four dishes of Apples exhibited by Mr. Reynolds, from Gunnersbury Park, Ealing, fruit of large size, great beauty, and finish, but mostly destitute of colour bevond tints of gold, as evidencing maturity. A southern climate told in favour of Mr. Reynolds in a season remarkable for the absence of sunlight, and the maturity shown in his fruit was absent from the collections which came further north. I had some conversation with Mr. Crump rela- tive to the striking colour seen in his Apples. He attributed it in great measure to the fact that free Crab seedlings are largely used as stocks for Apples at Madresfield Court, these stocks being raised from the pips of some well-ripened fruit of highly-coloured Apples,generally of the Pippin tj-pe such as the best cideris manufactured from, and that colour was transmitted from the stock to the scion. I may add. by way of parenthesis, that in a paper read by Mr. Crump, at the conference which fol- lowed the opening of the show, on the metliod of " Raising, Budding, Grafting, and Pruning of. Apple Trees for Orchard or Estate Planting," Mr Crump justified the use of these seedling free Crab stocks by .stating that "the first and natural incli- nation of these seedlings is to strike straight downwards with a tap-root which should, at the fall of the leaf, during the first or second season, according to growth made, be carefullv lifted, the tap-root preserved entire, and replanted full length, but in a horizontal position, near the surface, the said tnp-root being then young and pliable. Thus bedded early in the season, future growth of the stock will scarcely be interfered with, and an abundance of healthy fibrous roots will form throughout the entire" length of the original tap- root, stretching nearly acro'ss the r%w, and securing the most desirable foundation for a future tree." But to the matter of the presence of colour in Apples. It seems that though many fruit con- ferences are held, at which a great deal of atten- tion is given to Apples, very little indeed, if any- thing, is mentioned in reference to colour. It may be said that after all colour is but a small matter, because an Apple inferior in quality may be richly coloured, while one destitute of colour" may be of the highest flavour. The fact is we have come to associate flavour rather more with russety brown as in the case of Cox's Orange Pippin and" Ribston Pippin, than in the case of the rich blood crimson of Worcester Pearmain. But seeing that writers are advocating the employment of Apple trees for shrubbery decoration, there seems to be no reason why we should not have rich colour in association with quality. What is the cause of colour in Apples '? Is it simply a peculiarity of the variety ? If so, what are the causes at w"ork which ma"ke Worcester Pearmain to diiler so widely from Golden Noble, and both from the French "Crab or any other green-skinned variety ? Has soil, climate, or position anything to do with the production of colour ? I have looked in vain for any account of experiments made in this direction. If any are on record, I shall be glad of a reference to them. At Manchester I asked Mr. Bunyard's foreman if he thought grafting on the stock of a highly col- oured variety would impart colour, but he ap- peared to think it would not do so. So it follows authorities may differ. Has anyone noticed pecu- liarities in the wood of trees bearing highly col- oured Apples that may account for the brilliancy ? The suliject, though large, is an interesting one, and any flashes of light which can be thrown upon it will. I am sure, be welcomed by many. R. D. Fruit tree arches.- -H." (page 593), writing on fruit tree arches, speaks of " the cost of erec- tion." jThis is not great. We have had a series of arches over a walk in this garden for many years with Plums, Pears, and Apples trained over them. The fruit ripens well, and the covered arches look so pretty, that we were led recently to put up a larger number of them at Oakwood By planting showy-fruited trees, such as Dart- thp: garden. [.lAyuAR'i 2, 1892. mo.ith fnib aiicl Iluchrss Kavu ii it.', ha Uir lir.-t arches niDst in view, tlio effect .shmilil be good. Stron<;, hi^rh arches cost from Ks. to 10s. each, and may be K feet or 10 feet apart, so that a good long walk may be arched over for £10.— George V. Wilson. MANURING FRUIT TREES. Although it is well known that to prodnce good fruit a judicious system of manuring must take place, yet in the majority of instances this doe.s not ajipear to be actuil upon. True, cli- mate is answerable for a de;il of the imperfec- tions, but cracked and scarred fruit must not be attributed to this cause alone, but more often to the impoverished condition of the soil, and also to the want of liealthy and active roots, the [troduction of whicli a rational course of manuring largely promotes. Poverty of soil does not exactly tend to sterility, as generally the individual fruits may be plentiful enough, but nourishment to bring these to per- fection in the majority of instances is found wanting. (Obviously, however, the blooms from these impoverished trees are not of the healthiest description, for to produce blooms of a large size, comparatively speaking, well-nur- tured trees are necessary, as witli the llowers well developed in all their parts, naturally the fruits would be the same wlien they commence to grow. Often the fruits are injured by frost while in the embryo stage, and as they swell up, the injured pirts expand in a like manner, and by the time they are fully grown they have such a scarred a])[)earance as to cause a con- siderable depr^iation in the general quality. There are no doubt thousands of old trees which would be consideraV)ly benefited by a judicious course of manuring, especially on those soils which are of a s:iudy or porous de- scription. Without a due proportion of feed- intf roots —and the nearer tliese are to the sur- face, comparatively speaking, the Ijetter— the trees are not very quick in responding to the good things provided for them. Deep digging about the trees is answerable for the lo.ss of more roots than any other cause. With some people this digging is carried out annually, no other reason being given than that of making the surface appear tidy by burying the weeds and other refuse. Wall trees are often sadly deficient of roots near the surface, from the practice too generally adopted of digging up to at least 2 feet of the wall, so as to make the most of border space for the production of vet'etables. Not that the inferior quality of the fruit is solely attriljuted to this cause alone, as more often than not the soil about the roots is in a very impoverished state. In dry dis- tricts especially the soil about the roots and n\) against the wall is apt to become very dry, and the food within reach of the roots is of the most meagre description. Tiie abovebeingtheca.se, • I will now consider tlie best means of applying such so that it is placed where the roots will quickly avail themselves of the support af- forded. The manure may be applied in both the solid and litpiid form, and although the latter will not exactly tend to the production of surface roots or active feeders, yet on open and i)ornus soils where tlie root-i do not feel the ill effects of deep rooting, as in the case of cold soils with a bad subsoil, the application of liquid during the winter months is much to be commended. In the fruit-growing districts of the western counties this is adopted with great success on Grass orchards, and during the winter season, on account of the roots lieing in a less active state, there need not be the least fear of applying the liquid. The soil in tliese cases gets stored with food, and in the coming spring the opening flowers expand with i-enewed vigour, and tlie trees carry the fruit to maturity free from blemish — the exigencies of the climate, as before mentioned, having of course to be reckoned with. The surface .soil should be pricked over with a fork and removed, ]jlacing the manure on the roots, afterwards rei>lacing the soil. Pears on the Quince are particularly uetited by this |)lan, as I have every reason t 1 believe, having adopted it some years snice on trees which were rather celebrated at the time. The manure used was not worn-out stuff from old hotbeds, but good farmyard manure not too much decayed. The same plan was adopted with some fine old Marie .Louise Pear trees upon which the fruit had become scarred. If I had the material, however, I would add a good proportion of well-burned garden refuse ; this and the manure would un- denies is now, and to give them a good start the ground should be trenched or deeply dug, and have a liberal dressing of rotten manuVe worked in. The projjer plants for foriuiug a fresh pl.aiitation are the yoimg suckers or shoots the old jilants throw up arount difficult to keep up a succession of plants, seedlings coming up freely enough wherever the seed has the least chance of germinating. Oranoes. Dwarf plants of Oranges with ripe fruits upon them are at the present season of the year both ornamental and intere.stirig. These plants, how- ever, require careful attention. It is not easy to accommodate them in private gardens so as to bring them to that state of perfection in which they are seen where everything is in their favour from the time of propagation. Having once obtained these plants whilst in a dwarf state, every effort should be made to retain them in good condition. The culture does not vary from Orange culture in general beyond the fact of its being safer to keep the plants always under glass, not in too dry an atmosphere or where exposed to much draught ; a temperate house is about the best place for them with light shade in hot weather. Plantsman. LUCULIAS. I w.\s pleased to see in your issue of December 19 (p. 5.5K) an account of Luculias at Kew. When the culture of Luculias is thoroughly understood and the plants seen at their best, with their numerous Hydrangea-like heads of deliciou.sly sweet-scented rose-coloured flowers, they are noble-looking objects. Unfortunately, the flowers do not last long in a cut state. Luculias succeed best when planted out in a suitable position in a warm greenhouse or conservatory. I would recommend that they be planted out in good light loamy soil. They can be grown and flowered in pots, but I always found they succeeded best when the pots were plunged in some material such as cocoa-nut fibre, or even double potted, the space being filled between with the cocoa-nut refuse. The roots of these plants, In fact the whole plant, seem very susceptible to sudden changes. Water- ing at all times requires considerable judgment, especially so if in pots. Another great matter is ventilation. Many subjects are killed by over- ventilation, or rather what is sometimes called ventilation ; let these plants be placed in a cool current, and mark the results. I agree with what your correspondent says on the subject of pruning. But when he recommends that Luculias be kept dry from the time of pruning until started into growth, I must certainly differ from him. Their roots are very tender and hair-like, and over-dry- ness must prove fatal to such tender-rooting Ever- greens. Many valuable plants are yearly lost ' through being kept quite dry. I can understand keeping plants moderately dry during their resting season, especially so at pruning time ; this is in many cases the right method. Cuttings root with difficulty, but why import seed 7 If a few flowers are fertilised, thev will yield an abundance of good seed, which if sown as soon as ripe, willquicklygerminateandform nice little plants. I haveraised hundreds in this way, but few of them will bloom until the second year, and, strange to say, the colour of those seedlings is almost to a shade identical with that of the parent.' I thought, and still think, it is possible to obtain some highly coloured forms of this deliciously sweet-scented shrub if it be taken in'hand by someone who has the time and means at his disposal. Nostell Priory Gardens, Turks. J. E. POTTING UP HARDY PLANTS FOR DECORATION. Where there is a great demand for various kinds of plants in the house, more use should be made of such as are hardy, thereby relieving the pressure unavoidably put upon such as require to be kept under glass all the season round, or at any rate for a greater portion of the year. Belonging to this description of plants are several with orna- mental foliage. Of these the variegated Maple (Negundo (Acer) fraxinifolia albo-variegata), the old silvery-leaved variety and the newer one, aureo-variegata, are both very useful, remaining in good condition for a considerable time when permanently established in pots. The older form is indeed a very excellent pot plant, with its leaves so profusely variegated. For using in rooms or any place that is comparatively dark, this variegated Maple produces a capital effect, particularly when associated with light fine-foliaged plants, as the feathery Palms or Bambusa gracilis. These Maples should " be potted up now, first pruning the roots so that the plants can be put into fairly small pots, then potting in good mellow loam and a little leaf -soil. After this the plants themselves should be moderately pruned, so as to bring them into some- thing like shape, bearing in mind that rather tall plants will be more effective than dwarf bushv ones. Various sizes can of course be chosen from plants 18 inches to 2 feet in height up tq 4 feet oc 5 feet, but all could, be turned THE GARDEN. [.Tanuakt 2, 1892. to a good account in their time and jilace. By this pruning a better plant will be formed than that left unpruned. the tendency often being to break away at the points of the shoots instead of making hack breaks ; thus the plant soon becomes lean and bare. It will also act in accord with the shorten- ing of the roots to accommodate the plants to the pots. It these plants are needed earlier than they vyould be fit, if still left out of doors until the growth commences in a natural manner, it is very- easy to bring them on gradually in a Peach house at work, or .any other place where the heat is not excessive. A good companion to this plant is Brunus Pissardi, it being readily adapted to the same purpose, looking best in light positions, how- ever, or in rooms that are decorated in light colours. It is amenable to the same course of treatment, and will, like the Maple, bear pruning every year if it is desirable, such as when the plants have at- tained to the full size for the positions they ofjcupy. Other splendid plants are the beautiful fine- leaved varieties of Acer palmatura, as A. p. dissec- tum, A. p. atropurp\ireinn, A. p. elegans pur- pureura, A. p. laciniatum, A, p. palmatifidum. and A, p. sanguineum. Having used these plants, I can speak of their utility from small plants upwards, particularly for the conservatory. These are usually sold in pots ; all that is needed, therefore, ill this case is to give them a shift as may be nscessary. The variegated forms of C'ornus (Dog- wjod) would also be serviceable, as well as being liardy plants. Small ones also of Hydrangea hor- tensis variegata are very effective, particularly in t'je fronts of groups. Of evergreen plants, the golden and silver Euony muses will be'exceedingly usjful in various sizes. Take, for instance, E. radi- cans variegatus ; as usually seen it is procumbent. Train a good strong shoot upwards ami form a small standard, and it will develop quite another c'laractcr with much larger foliage. The Veronicas should receive more attention, both as foliage plants and for the sake of their beauty when in flower. A first-rate and very enduring pot plant is Andromeda floribunda ; when it is coming into bloom it will last a long time in unfavourable positions. The Aucubas are not in any sense to bi despised either for their foliage or berries. The Bamboos should be grown more as pot plants when large spaces have to be covered or frequent c'langes made. These are all useful, but the s »aller-leaved varieties, both tall and dwarf, a-e the most preferable, B. gracilis being one of the bist of the tall growers, and B. Fortunei variegata of the dwarfer kinds. Arundo Donax variegata, Carex riparia variegata, Elymus glaucescens. Gymnothrix latifolius. Iris pseudacorus striata (a very distinct and useful plant), Phormium tenax and the variegated sorts (not quite hardy) can all b5 turned to good account, with the knowledge that they do not want a lot of coddling to bring them round after having had rough usage for a time. Such things as the Ketinosporas will do good service in pots, particularly the golden-tipped forms ; so also will the varieties of Cupressus Law- soniana, any of which would be handy, particularly for corridors, lobbies, and such like places where choice tender plants in the winter months would inevitably suffer. C. Lawsoniana lutea should be particularly noted as one of the best of all the forms. The smaller growing Junipers could also be turned to a like purpose, jjarticularly the upright growers. In the case of all these Coniferae, after one season's use the better way would be to plant tliem out and have in a fresh lot. The same plan could also be followed with anything else when needed save in the case of the deciduous shrubs ; these would continue for a few years to do a good turn either by re-potting or top-dressing them. In the sunmier when not required the better way is to plunge in a bed of coal ashes : there will thus be less danger of suffering at the root. MTien potted up now, the same course should be followed as a sa;feguard against injury from frost if not imme- diately required in any particular case. J. H. Vriesia brachystachys. — .\mong the numer- ous Bronieli kIs mentioned nu p. .55" I did not notice this pretty free-flowering A'riesia, which in addition to the specific name of brachystachys is also known by that of psittacina, while Tillandsia carinata is .another synonym. It is now and has been for the last month in full bloom, while under favourable conditions it may be expected to retain its bright- ness of colouring for some time, as by far the showiest portion of the inflorescence is not the flowers themselves, but the comparatively large boat-shaped bracts which subtend them. These bracts, which are arranged in two opposite rows on the upper part of a stem not more than a foot high, are at the base of a deep bright crimson colour shaded with purple, which gradually merges into the orange of the upper part. The flowers them- selves, which do not last long, are bright yellow, but as they protrude only a little ' way beyond the bracts, at no time are they particularly conspicuous. The plant is of easy culture, while the neat bright green foliage renders it ornamental at all seasons. — T. TREE, OR PERPETUAL FLOWERING CARNATIONS. These have nnw liecome an almost indispensable adjunct to every garden. A lover of tlie Car- nation with whom I had some conversation at the exhibition of the Carnation Society re- marked to me that he found no difficulty in obtaining Carnation blooms in summer ; what he wanted to know was how to obtain them in the winter. As I write these lines the eartli is frozen hard, and the only flowers before the in- tense frosts set in that we could cut in the open garden were the Christmas Roses, and very beautiful they were. It is needless even to dream of Carnations in winter without the aid of glass, although some persons suppose that they may be had. There may be a few favoured localities in England and Wales where Carna- tions may be gathered in winter, but they can- not in most of the districts where Carnation flowers are wanted. I lived in a favoured dis- trict in Sc(jtland many years ago, and can well remember the Carnations of this ..type being planted against walls where tliey produced their flowers very late in tlie .season, but sel- dom into the winter, although I would not siiy that in mild seasons it might not happen occasionally. The number of Carnation growers increases year by year, and one cannot say thiit many of them take pains to obtain satisfactory results. I not unfrequently meet with a person who fancies that the summer-flowering Carna- tions .and Picotees should produce flowers in winter, and innocently inquires how it is to be done. It really cannot be done, for we must depend upon the Tree Carnations for our winter flowers. Wherein do they dift'er ? is a fair ques- tiini for the uninitiated to iisk. They differ very materially from the summer-flowering varieties in the character of their growth. The ordinary border varieties usuallyjjroduce a central flower- stem, and at the axils of each leaf flower-buds are formed, which produce blooms smaller in size as they are found nearer tlie base of the stems. The Tree Carnation pnjduces growths from the axils of the leaves, .and these if allowed to grow will in time jn-oduce full-sized flowers, and the stem will branch out again until it takes quite a branching form ; hence the name of "Tree Carnation ; " and as these branches in their turn produce flowers at various seasons as the branches are formed, they take the name of "perpetual." We take the first cuttings about the first week in the new year, and a succession of them until M.arch, the reason being th.at we obtain smaller plants from the late cuttings which usually flower later. They are easily propa- gated from cuttings, being in this respect also different from the border varieties which are proiiagated by layers in July and August. The cuttings strike freely with other things early in the year in a propagating house with a little heat. They must be grown on (when the cuttings are rooted) in small pots and inured to the open air by the end of May, for all these Carnations grow into the best specimens when cultivated out of doors. The earliest flowers will be j)roduced in September, just as the sum- mer-flowering varieties are passing out of bloom. When I say they are easily cultivated, it must not from tliis be implied that the plants will grow or flower in any kind of potting .soil, or that they may be left in the small pots untd they are pot-bound. Our plan is to rejjot them as soon as it is seen they need it, using for this purpose a mixture of about three parts loam, one of fibrous peat, one of leaf-mould .and one of decayed manure, to which has been added a small portion of coarse sand. It is necessary to drain the pots well in which they are to flower. Tree Carnations must be carefully attended to as regards watering. In summer they may be exposed freely to the full gl.are of the noonday sun, but they must not be allowed to become dust-dry, for this would give them a serious check. They are also liable to be drenched by excessive rains, which harden the surface soil in the pots, causing it to form a thin cake im- pervious to the action of air, and the water applied subsequently does not pass away as it ought to do by soaking into the soil freely ; therefore it is well, as soon as the soil dries after a heavy downpour, to stir up the surface in order that the water may act over the entire mass of roots. Good flowering plants may be had in pots from 6 inches to 8 inches in diameter, and as soon as the plants are in bloom they must be protected under glass, and those with flower- buds mu.st also be placed with them, as the flowers open most freely and perfectly in a light house with a minimum temperature of not less than 50'. The plants grow freely and flower well in this temperature, and the nearer they are placed to the roof gla.ss and the more light they receive the better. A damp, close atmosphere is not congenial to them ; it causes a rapid growth, but not a healthy development of leaf and bud. A damp, rather close atmo- sphere in winter with a growing temperature may cause an apparently rapid growth, but it is not so in reality, for the flower-buds will not develop well, nor will the blooms be of such g.)od quality. Many of the early introduced Tree Carnations had a particularly bad habit of running u]) with long slender stems to a great height, and they were in the majority up to the time that a very distinct variety of French origin was introduced, named .\. Alegatiere. This is ioides is one of the finest of its faunly. To see it in perfection it should have plenty of room to grow and extend itself; then, when well established, it will put forth stems of great length, sometimes as much as (i feet long. The smaller fronds do not display its beauty to such a degree, but with more vigour and greater length the fertile portions become more finely divided in tlic pinna? and longer, these being very beautiful and of elegant drooping habit. This Fern is best suited for planting out upon rockwork at a good height. It will grow and extend itself, clinging to rockwork or other material without any soil as long as there is sufficient moisture to sus- tain it. In a pot it should be kept at a good height to show off its true character. N. exaltata is a comparatively common species. It is a very free- growing kind, and one that is admirably suited for growing upon a good stretch of wall where there is not much room for soil. It will acclimatise itself to positions where it has little but the bare -wall to sustain it. N. tuberosa is not such a strong grower as the preceding ; otherwise it may be used in a similar way, being of the two the better sort for basket culture, and it will thrive well in a rather cooler house. N. pec- tinata is still finer in its parts, but it should be grown in the stove where it thrives admirably, making also a beautiful basket Fern or for vases in the summer-time. Either of the last t*o varie- ties does admirably for planting upon the tops of dead stems of Tree Ferns, being about the best for that purpose. N. davallioides furcans is quite dis- tinct from the type, having forked and crested fronds, which do not attain to such a length, but it forms a more compact specimen, and is thus a very handsome plant in a pot. In colour it is also of a deeper green when grown under similar con- ditions. A,-?PLENnjM PLACCIDUM is one of the best and hardiest of its race ; when well grown its fronds will exceed 3 feet in length, hanging down over the pot or basket in a most graceful manner. I have seen it thus drooping down in a most effec- tive fashion, the plant being upon a shelf at a good height. For the fernery upon rockwork it is admirably suited, being an evergreen and most en- during variety. A. longissimum is seen at its best when grown as a basket Fern and suspended at a good height in the stove. A plant in a compara- tively small basket will put forth fronds of great length. Strong plants will make fronds up to 8 feet in length, but G feet may be taken as a good growth ; the young plants formed at the apex of the fronds add to its appearance considerably. During the warmer weather it will do well in a temperate fernery. TnE Lygodiums. as represented by L. palmatum, L. japonicum and L. scandens, should all be con- sidered as drooping Ferns, for when thus grown they are seen at their best. They should be allowed to grow partly up the roof and then hang down of thf'ir own accord. Being free-growing plants they quickly cover a good space, and are most attractive by their light and elegant growth. Adiantum ciliatum is a very pretty and in- teresting Fern. It is seen at its best in a stove where its fronds, and the young plants upon them, present a singular appearance, extending themselves almost indefinitely. It is best suited for basket culture. Davallia tenuifoli.\ Veitchiana is the best of its genus as a droopiing Fern. Grown in baskets the plants present a beautiful appearance with the finely divided fronds of considerable length hang- ing over the sides in profusion. Gymnogramma schizophylla gloriosa is an exceedingly elegant Fern, seen to far better ad- vantage when grown in baskets. As the plants gain in vigour and the fronds extend, young plants will be formed upon the apices, further adding to the length and to the effectiveness also. This is a 8 THE GARDEN. [Januakv 2, 1892. decided acquisition, as in the case of ttie Dav.allia just mentioned. Both should, however, be grown in tlie stove to see their full beauty. WooDWARDiA BADiCANS is a splendid Fern for a cool fernery. To see it to advantage it should ha\e plenty of room, and is best when well elevated, as upon a prominent point in the fernery, where its long and graceful fronds can hang down naturall}'. Of the Tree Ferns, allusion should be made to that singular, but elegant and effective variety, ClBOTlUM Bauombtz, which is rarely seen m collections of any size. When it can be provided with plenty of room at a good elevation, so that the fronds can hang down, it forms a fine feature. Cibotium Schiedei is another splendid Tree Kern ; it, however, takes years to make any stem. Its fronds are of great length when under good cultivation, 12 feet or more being nothing out of the way. Given plenty of room in the fernery, this makes a magnificent plant ; .elevated to a good height, it is most effective with its long fronds hanging down around. The foregoing list of drooping Ferns might be added to, but those to which attention has been drawn are amongst the best. They sliould receive more attention than i.s accorded them Wherever tliey are seen in ferneries displaying their true character they will always find plenty of admirers, frequently being the chief features in the house, all the more so when in l)a.skets or planted out. Filioes. Selaginellas.— These will not now be in an active state of growth ; less moisture will therefore suffice both at the root and overhead. Of the dwarf-growing varieties, S. apoda does not always keep well through the winter ; where any difficTdty is found in this respect it should be pricked otf into small tufts in about one-third of sand with two-thirds of light loam and leaf-soil passed through a sieve. Where it is very dense it frequently damps off, particidarly if not kept in sufficient warmth at this time of the year. S. deuticulata and S. Mar- tensi are no trouble under ordinary conditions. The sorts of harder growth, as S. Wildenovi, S. stolonifera, H. inequalifolia, S. Lyalli, and others, should not be kept too dry at the root. It is better to just keep them on the move and avoid any ex- treme. S. rubricaulis is another kind at times disposed to die off ; it does best in a stove tem- perature. I would prefer not to break it up at this time of the year if it can be avoided ; when done, smaller pots should be made of the growths. The long trailing growths of S. cassia should now be cut off, or they can be used as needed instead of Fern in floral arrangements. This would also be a good plan with any of the other sorts of hard wiry growth where it "is very thick. Where the soil upon the surface appears to be sour or close, some sand should be shaken upon it ; this %vill assist in keeping it in better condition until potting time comes round again. -H. MARKET PLANTS AND FLOWERS AT CHRISTMAS. The Saturday before Chi istmas is usu:dlv a busy time at Covent Garden, for the Flower .Market is then crammed with representatives of all, or nearly all, the flowers that cnn be induced to open at this season of the year, provided thev are suffi- ciently showy to be employed for gener.d decora- tion. Anyone seeking a good selection of plants for blooming in mid-winter would find a visit to the market during the early hours of the morning well repay the trouble taken : while, at the same time, it must be admitted there are some very beautiful flowering subjects that are not at ail popular with market growers, owing, in many cases, to the flowers being too fugacious, and consequently with the shifting about incidental to disposing of them in the market thev would lose a good deal of their beauty previous" to reaching their final destination. The bright-coloured Aphe- landras and Eranthemums are two classes of plants to which these remarks will particularly ayply. Of flowering plants, Tulips were this year very good, and represented in considerable numbers. The Inilk, however, consisted of the Scarlet Van Thol, as, irrespective of these in pots, Inrge quanti- ties were disposed of in boxes, these being packed as closely together as the bulbs will allow. Besides these, numerous combinations were to be seen, in nearly all of which the Scarlet Van Thol played a part ; in some cases a small spreading Fern wss placed in the centre of a pot with four Tulips around, just overtopping it, while in others spikes of Lily of the Valley were alternated with the Tulips, .and in some Roman Hy.icinths played a p.nrt. White and yellow Tulips were also represented, but in limited numbers, while one cannot fail to be struck with the almost totnl absence of striped, flaked, or parti-coloured flowers not only in the ci.se of Tulips, but also in that of Azaleas. Camel- lias, Carnations, and other subjects, in all of which self-coloured flowers meet with by far the most ready s.ile. The pure white blossoms of the Roman Hyacinths cause them to be univers d favourites, while one particularly noticed the fine spikes of the ordinary Hyacinths, .-s it is, of course, yet early for them. Very few Azaleas were to be seen, but such plants as Cyclamens, Cinerarias, Poin- settias, aud Primulas are grown by so many, that between them they formed numerous banks of colour. Heaths principally consisted of Erica gra- cilis and E. hyemalis, and of this latter the differ- ence in colour between some of the groups was very noticeable. Tliis is to be accounted for by the conditions under which they have been grown, as where they are pushed on in a little additional heat the flowers are a good deal paler than those which expand in a light and airy house. Erica mehnthera, with its myriads of little pinki.sh blossoms, is not sufficiently showy to become pojMilar as a basket plant, though a good many could be seen. Lily of the V.alley, grown froiii wliat is known as German or Berlin crowns, wliich can be forced earlier than theclumps from Holland, are always well represented at Christmas, and this year was no exception to the rule. Epiphyllums in pots are very pretty, and a few good examples were shown, but there does not appear to be much demand for them, while, on the other hand, Callas, so much used for church decoration, were eagerly sought after. Echeveria retusa is a succulent that has been a recognised market plant for years, but it is rarely seen in private gardens. The blossoms of this are bright red, and possess the merit of remaining in beauty a long time. Bouvardias in pots were limited in numbers, while, on the other hand, a good many of the white Marguerites were noted. I was very much struck with some fine flowering examples of a double blossomed scarlet or crimson zonal Pelargonium that were growing in pots 5 inches in diameter. The variety was not F. P. Rasiiail so long grown for market to the exclusion, or nearly so. of any others, but it was, I believe, a sport from it known as Turtle's Sur- prise, which has the white flower-stalks of the West Brighton Gem class. Chrysanthemums in pots were represented by several varieties, but the bulk of them consisted of three kinds, viz., the white Boule de Neige, the bronzy yellow Golden Gem, and the deep crimson CuUingfordi. The two first I was fully prepared to see, but little bushes of CuUingfordi from 15 to IS inches high, each carry- ing a number of flowers, showed tliat variety to me in a new light. Cut flowers of Chrysanthemums were very numerous, and several other varieties were to be met with in that state. The one offered in the greatest numbers was Lady Trevor Lawrence, that large .lapanese flower with broad incurving petals of the jjurest white. Not only are the blossoms large and massive, but they are borne on good, stout stems that greatly enhance their value for use in a cut state. Ethel, a white-flowered variety with curiously upright petals, and the yellow sport from it, Mrs. H. J. Jones, are both grown in con- siderable numbers for the production of blooms at Christmas. Ethel was, I believe, sent out as long ago as 1878, and another of the same j-ear, Fulton, appears to be stOl grown to a greater extent than any other yellow-flowered variety for the produc- tion of late blooms. It is somewhat singular that this should be the case, considering the hundreds that have been put into commerce since that time, for a great many of which is claimed the merit of being an advance on all older varieties. CuUing- fordi was iilso well represented among the cut blooms, and of others noted, Ijut in limited num- bers, may be mentioned Florence Pieicy, Source d'Or, Fair Maid of Guernsey, and two or three of the bronzy red varieties. Of incurved flowers there were some good blooms of Princess Teck, to which some small but fresh flowers of the amber-coloured Barbara added variety. The various shades of purplish pink and mauve-purple, of which theie is such a long list of varieties now in cultivation, were con.spicuous by their almost total aVser.ce. A mere recapitulation of many of the cut flowers will suffice, there being, of course, Lily of the Valley, Azaleas, particularly the douVile white Deutsche Perle, Pelargoniums of the zonal section, Camellias, Eucharis, Marguerites, Gardenias, Mig- nonette, Christmas Roses that had been brought on under glass, white Abutilons, Euphorbia jac- quiniseflora, Narcissi of various kinds, Roses, Acacias, Violets. Bouvardias, noticeable among them being President Garfield and its pink sport, Mrs. Green. Beautiful blooms of Miss Joliffe Carnation were to be seen in quantity. Daphne indica, though less showy than many of the others, was in fragrance surpassed by none ; while among Orchids, Odontoglossum crispum, Zygopetalum Mackayi, Calanthes, and Cv-pripedium insigne were represented by numerous examples. Plants in pots other than flowering subjects covered a wide range, there being Large quanti- ties of Solanums finely grown, as well as the usual run of foli.agc plants, such as Aspidistras, both green and variegated, the best of all jihants for a dwelling-house in London. Palms of various kinds, including Kentias, now so popular, Latanias, Corvpha australis, and others. Of Ferns the forms usually grown were to be seen, the bulk consisting of the Maiden-hair, Pteris serrulata and tremula, Polypodium aureum, and Cyrtoniium falcatum, but besides these a great many others were offered to a limited extent. Narrow-leaved plants of a grass-like character are grown as market plants to a much greater extent than was formerly the case, for at one time they consisted almost entirely of Cv-perus alternifolius, in addition to which there is now another Cyperus known as distans, an extremely pretty Carex about 6 inches or 8 inches high, variegated with a strijie of white, which I have met with under the name of Carex japonica, but as to its correctness I cannot say. Acorus gramineus variegatus is another of this class of plants, while though widely removed in a botanical sense from any of the preceding, the Ophiopogons, or Snake's-beard, are by the market salesman in- cluded in the collective name of Grasses. While the bulk of the plants are in pots 5 inches in diameter, a good many of these last as well as several Ferns are in small pots, and disposed of in lioxes of a dozen. Most of these are employed in filling the various ornamental stands that are now so generally met with, and of many of which it may be said that they detract from rather than serve to display the beauty of the plant. Aralia Sieboldi is always sought after, owing to its stand- ing well in draughty places, and much the same will apply to Cordyline australis, or Dracsena as it is often called, while Ficus elastica is always to be met with. A varied assortment of evergreen shrubs is usually to be found in Covent Garden, and this year they were as numerous as ever, there being a great many of the smaller Conifera". Box. Euony- mus, Aucubas, Berberis or Mahonia Aqnifolium. and such things. The little creeping Ficus repens seems always to meet with a regular, if limited sale. A good deal of foliage is disposed of in a cut state, such as bunches of bronzed Ivy leaves, the foliage of Mahonia Aqnifolium in the same stage, various Ferns, especially Maiden-hair. Asparagus plumosus and A. tenuissimus. as well as long sprays of Myrsiphyllum asparagoides. so popular in America under the name of Smilax. H. P. January 2, 1892.1 THE GARDEN. 9 Rose Garden. ROSE CELESTE. This, so tnitlifully shown in the annexed engraving, is probably one of the oldest kinds in our gardens to-day; the half-open bud is in form as exquisite as its perfume is delicious, its colour tlie most dainty shade of delicate pink. The open flower is only semi-double, and in this respect very different from that of the variety Maiden's Blush, which has been very often substituted for it. Its hardi- ness is beyond all question, as it will grow anywhere, in any soil, and only requires to be left alone to become a small tree. In many places in Ireland there are bushes of it which would clothe with beauty the neigh- bouring trees to the height of 30 feet. Kcwry. T. Smith. POT ROSEiS. Those Roses only that have been well pi-eparecl by pot culture, so as to have made a good quantity of hbrous roots during the past twelvemonths, should be depended upon for forcing, as no satisfactory results can be reasonably expected from those not so treated. Too much warmth for Roses is a mis- take ; the temperature of a Peach house just started will suit them well, or a vinery for the first few weeks after being shut up. Keep the plants as close to the glass as possible to prevent the shoots from becoming drawn. As soon as growth com- mences the maggot that infests Roses will require looking after ; indoor culture does not relieve one of this nuisance. If pruning has not been done, it should be seen to at once in the case of all the stock of pot Roses for forcing. Those now pruned and at the same time placed in warmth should have the wounds dressed with some styptic, as in Where, however, this is not the case, the better Ijlan is to apply a good top-dressing of farmyard manure, not too rank ; upon the top of this some loam can be shaken. As in the case of pot plants, avoid hard pruning, particularly nf strong shoots, which, if cut away, is a case ofwasted energy. A thinning process is much better, especially when dealing with climbing varieties trained on roofs or back walls. When this work is done I would advise that some sulphur be applied to the pipes as a check to any early appearance of mildew, which parasite it is best by far to put a stop to at the very first. As in the case of pot Roses, so also in dealing with Rose houses, a high temperature is not advisable ; they should be kept at about the same standard as Peach houses, say 50° at night as an average with 10° or 15° rise during the day. A fair amount of moisture should be main- tained to encourage an even break. Any shoot.s that are not pulled down will probably break at the topmost bud rather than below. Sooner than let one shoot thus run away with the strength, it will be better to rub it off. See that the plants are not allowed to get dry at the roots. After growth has fairly started, chilled water will be better than Rose Celeste. Engraved for The Garden from a photograph sent by Mr. J. Me Walter, Armagh. 8 feet high and as much through. The largest I have seen were clipped over annually. Probably if fed and encouraged it would grow 12 feet or 15 feet high, as the old sweet white Eose (liosa alba), its near relative, often does. Its propagation is easy, the underground stems affording ready and suit- able material. Some day let us hope to see Rose gardens made of old Roses, a sunny rocky dell planted on the highest parts wath climbing kinds to scramble about much as tlio common Bramble now does in many a suitable place, with Austrian Briers and other sun-loving kinds growing on the warm ledges. By planting China, Bourbon, Gallica, Damask, Provence, Scotcli (the best of the species), and Ramanas Roses, the Sweet Brier and the native Burnet, which creeps amongst the Grass, one could have everything from the iast named lowly kind up to vigorous sorts the case of Vines, to prevent bleeding. Hard pruning is not necessary ; strong shoots, for in- stance, can be either drawn down or twisted arouncl a few sticks. More breaks will thus be secured with a corresponding increase in the num- ber of flowers. Plants upon which the growth is crowded in the centre should have this also drawn outwards towards the sides of the pots. This can be done by first tying a piece of tarred string around the sides of the pots below the rims ; to this other smaller strings can be attached, the use of sticks being entirely dispensed with. This kind of work pays well for the doing ; the shoots as they grow will not be so much crowded together in consequence, whilst a better base is formed to build up larger plants. The Tea-scented and some of the Noisette Roses are better for early forcing than most of the Hybrid Perpetuals. For instance, a few well-established plants of Gloire de Dijon or of Mme. Falcot will yield a lot of useful flowers ; so also will the old Niphetos ; the newer and climb- ing variety also bids fair to be a most productive kind. Roses that are planted out in houses de- voted to their culture should now be pruned, the paint and glass well cleaned, the top soil removed, and a fresh surface dressing applied. If the top soil is sour and the surface roots few, a good top- dressing of fibrous loam will be a great assistance. that quite cold. Any contemplated alterations in the arrangement or entire planting of Rose houses should be done in good time. Roses from pots will be much better than those lifted from the open ground for this purpose. The soil for Rose houses should chiefly consist of loam ; when this is good and there is no tendency in it towards be- ing light, it will require hardly any manure. What may be termed a stiff loam is the best ; when it is light, then use some farmyard manure, but not to any excess. The manure, if too much be used, will encourage a more vigor- ous growth than is really desirable, leaving the soil all the poorer afterwards. The drainage should be looked to and arranged for as may be found necessary ; in some cases drains would be found of great service, whilst in others the opposite would be the case, a layer of rubble or brickbats being sufticient. Whilst I am writing this we are register- ing from 15° to 17° of frost. This will cause at- tention to be given to all Roses, whether in pots or not ; if in pots they should be given some protec- tion, at least at the roots : if still out of doors by a surface covering of long litter or a banking up over the pots of ashes; anything in fact will be better than allowing the pots to become frozen and probably broken by its action. It is a good plan to have pot Roses under cover in a cold house 10 THE GARDEN. [.January 2, 1892. evuu 11 tau JM1..I la ii.it L'xchiilcil, 11^ in t lie case of Peach cases. Where planted-out Roses have their roots outside, the border should be covered, as in the case of Vines, to keep the soil from freezing, particularly if early forcing is contemplated. When climbing Roses are chiefly grown upon the roofs, I would of the two prefer that the roots be outside; this would give the roots more room, as well as permitting of other plants at certain seasons being stood upon the floor of the house or stages, as the case may be, thus making the most of the room. J. H. Orchids. NEPHELAPHYLLUM. This is a small genus of very little known ter- restrial < )rchids, two species of wliicli I had under my care for several years. 'I'hey are mostly natives of the Indian islands, and the kinds which I have grown, N. pulcliruni and N. scapigeruin, both cime from tlience, the first named from Java, and the other from Borneo. Both were introduced to cultivation by the Messrs. Low, of Clapton. Later on, the Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, imjiorted both plants, but I am unable to state tlie exact locality whence these were procured. I found that the plants liked a moist atmosphere, and grew them in the frame in which the An;ecto- chili were. This frame, by the way, was not such a close structure as my readers might imagine, being merely an open box with large squares of glass laid across, with openings be- tween each square for the admission of air. These ojjenings were only closed upon very hot and dry days, when the glass was shifted up close in order to conserve the moisture which arose from the growing S]ihagnum Moss. The Nephela])hyllums were potted in small well- drained pots in a mixtui'ecom|iosed of two parts good peat, one part turfy light loam fi'om which a great portion of the fine soil had been shaken, and one part chopjied Sphagnum, to which some shar|) sand was added. This was pressed down tolerably firm, potting them iis ordinary stove plants. They used to be watered overhead with a fine-rosed water-pot. At one time I had quite a couple of dozen of these plants growing, and many of them flowering, which they do about the months of May and June. They do nut make any underground bulbs or tubers. N. pulchrum grows about (> inches high, l>earing at the apex some three or four leaves, which are beautifully mai-ked ; indeed the leaf to hand from Mi's. Bewley from the mountains in Java seems to be of this plant. The leaves are cor- date, .sheathing at the base, the upper side strongly nerved, the ground colour a pale green tliickly marbled with deep green ; on the under side they are pale green, more or less tinged with purple ; the scape is terminal, bearing about six flowers, having the lip the uppermost i)art ; the sepals and jietals rettexed, soft green, the liji white. N. .scapigerum is a very handsome species. Its leaves are deep green above, paler beneath ; the scape rises from tlie base of the leaves and bears about three or four flowers, which have the sejials and petals about equal, pale green .streaked with purjile. The Vi\> is white, spotted and blotched with rich yellow and |nn-ple, which gives it a very pretty appearance. WlM. HUCH fioWER. Dendrobium formosum giganteum.- Some recent niiiiibers of Tni-: Garden coiitiiin articles about Dendrobium fonuosuiu giganteiim not doing well after a few years' cultivation. Mr. Watson, of K?w, writes in No. 1!)8 of the American 6j.r,leii and /^ csMhnt it fails in health aft r about two years' cultivation after being imported. All writers" on this Orchid on your side of the w.iter say it should never be moved into a, low temper.ature to rest, but this is quite contrary to the treatment it succeeds best with here. A year ago I sent an article explaining Mr. ik-William's plan of growing it, and I wish some of the Orchid men on the other side would try the same plan. The plants here have now bloomed the seventh time, and they seem to increase in vigour each year. 'The best one this year producedthree finegrowths ; one by accident got broken before the flowers were formed well; the other two produced thirteen line flowers each ; one or two little growths threw out five more, making thirty-one flowers in all on the jilant. This was exhibited in Boston Horticnl- t urai Hall at the Chrysanthemum show last month and was awarded a silver medal. As soon as the plants are done flowering they are put into a tem- perature of 4.")°. the baskets are hung up near tlie glass and get all the sun there is during the win- ter months, and only water enough to keep the growths from shrivelling. They stay there for twelve weeks at least. At first Mr. McWilliam gave the rest for six weeks, but on further trials he found the plants did better with as much again. In starting them into growth, he first moves them into 5.o° till the young buds swell up well, then their full growth is made in a maximum of 75°, with plenty of moisture, and as soon ;is the flowers are ready to open the plants are gradually brought into a temperature of .55° to finish the flowering season.— W. S., Wfiitinsrille, Massa- chunetts. liSelia Gouldiana. — I have received flowers of L. autumnnlis fnim several readers, notably a very nice coloured variety froin Mr. Howell, Elm House, Leatherhead. and also the same species from ".J. P.," Leeds, under the name of L. Gouldiana, but a flower- of this last-named kind is to hand from •■ Xeuia " which enables me to compare them and to pronounce "J. P.'s" flower certainly nothing else than a rather dark form of L. autumnalis. which the true L. Gouldiana resembles in growth, liiit the flowers aie quite different. The sepals and petals of Ij. a. Gouldiana resemble those of L. .'luturanalis, and the side lobes of the lip also re- semble those of that species. The front lobe has the shape and colour of L. anceps, and bears a raised plate of yellow on the disc, traversed by three lines of purple, the thro.at being ornamented with radiating streaks of rich purj-jle, and hence comes the supposition of its being a natural hybrid between these two species. The plant, however, has been found in great numbers in its native home, which is somewhat against its hybrid origin.— W. H. G. Diseases in Orchids— There is no family of jilaiits so liable to disease as Orchids, Orchids, like hmuan beings, are very liable to diseases of various kinds. First of all, parasites are numerous and nasty; 1st, greenfly; 2nd, thrips (two kinds, black the worst) ; 3rd, red spider; 4th, mealybug (two kinds — the round one, like .a Stock seed, very bad. as it not only attacks the leaves, bulbs and flowers, but the roots) ; then there are three kinds of scale, the small white being the worst. Orchids h.ave other four great enemies in the shape of snails, cockroaches, weevil beetles and wood-lice. Toads and green tree-frogs should lie in every Orchid house: they are splendid insecticides. The fleshy bulbs and leaves are liable to be attacked with inflammation, dropsy and mortification. A colli draught will induce a, bad cold ; even the now prevailing malady, influenzf weather will permit and circumstances conqiel such attention, herbaceous borders can be gone through, replanted, and rearranged where the height of respective members of dififerent families is at fault. Such strong growing and rapidly increasing plants as many of the Asters, Pyrethrum uliginosum, or Chrysanthemum maxi- unuu may also be lessened. These and many others increase very quicklj', and unless kept within bounds are apt to take up more room than they ought and to crowd out dwarfer and weaker plants. The system of grouping in such borders is a good one, but it should not be conducted on too hard and fast lines, or formality (the \ery thing one wishes to avoid) is apt to be displayed too clearly. If no alterations in the planting are required, or they have already been done, advantage may be taken of frosty weather to mulch these borders throughout. I find a heap of stuff composed of one part stable manure and three parts leaves that have been turned until thoroughly decomposed well adapted for the pur- pose. The workmen should be instructed to break it well up with the fork before putting it on. so that it neither lies in cakes, through which young growth has a difficulty in finding its way, or in patches, here an inch, there perhaps nearly 3 inches thick. Rose beds and isolated patches of good herbaceous things in shrubbery borders can be mulched with a richer and rougher compost. Where new borders are in progress it is well to be very particular as to varieties employed and to a\oid the inclusion of anything likely to be from its S|ireading propensities a future nuisance ; in- deed I think advice as to the well-being of her- baceous borders may be briefly summed up in one or two short sentences, viz.. to prepare the ground well at the outset, to plant carefully and judi- ciously, to give a good annual mirlchiug, and to keep the spade out of them as much as possible, the summer, are placed on again in the It is not advisable to introduce bulbs in anv great 12 THE GARDEN. [January '2, 1892. ])rc)fusioii into these borders, but a few nice clumps of Daffodils are acct'iJtable, as furnishing .a display of bloom when there is little else. After the decay of foliage, or rather to provide against such decay, tho spaces can be dotted over for the summer months with jjlants of the dwarf-growing Mesembryanthemum and Koniga variegata, a dwarf Lobelia, or the old Cuphea platycentra, as tho surroundings uuiy require. Where hardy things enter extensively into the summer planting of formal (lower gardens, it is well early in the year tooverhaul the stock of such things as Carnations, tufted I'ansies, riblion Grass, hardy carpet plants, and the like, and, indeed, to mark out the places they are to occupy so that as soon as the ground is in a fit condition after the break up of the winter frost they can be immediiitely planted. Alt hough the bulk of plants, both from cut tings and seeds, where large quantities are required, can be ]iropr\gated hater in the season, it is well to give early jitteiition to those things required for special pur- jioses, or that are supposed to make a show early in the season. Seed of the Sweet Tobacco, of the silvery Centaureas and Cinerarias, of bedding Beets, as well as Acacia lophantha, of Cannas, and, indeed, the majority of things of the latter type should be in early. Turning for a moment to those plants required for special purposes, I may note that where pyramids of colour built up of small stuff are in request the Geraniums must be struck early, grown on sharply in single pots, so that they are strong stocky stuff by say the second week in April. They can then be hardened off and planter! by the beginning of May, their situation enabling ample protection to be given if the weather prove unfavourable. I do not admire these pyramids or advocate their adoption, but if they are requirerl, the gardener has to furnish them, and in such positions the plants must be both well established and well hardened off ■ It is a woeful experiment, to do such planting with thin weakly stuff that will lose half its foliage and leave only the bare earth or rough Moss visible. Four good sorts for this purpose, old varieties, but bad to beat in their respective colours, are Wiirrior, Lucius, Amaranth, and Flower of Spring. Plants for vases and window boxes also demand attention. It is best to have two sets of the latter, but where these are jiot at hand the one set ought alw.ays to be filled with first-rate stuff that has been well hardened off. Harrison's Musk and the white and blue trailing Campanula are amongst the useful hanging plants, and early division and propag.ation of these arc to be recommended. Ftu- ,a similar purpose a mi.xture of the small-foliaged Ball of Fire Tro]racolum and the woolly Gnaphalium lanatum is decidedly effective, and these, together with plants designed for centres of vases or back rows of bo.xes, as small standard Fuchsias and Heliotropes, Marguerites .and other things, raay be advanced as advised above. Indeed the list of plants required early in the season for various purposes might be extended to a great length. Every gar- dener, however, is best acquainted with his own re- quirements, and will naturally makespecial provision for the same. These remarks are also applicable to another rather im])ortant feature in connection with flower garden management, viz., the .selection of seeds for this particular department. Thus, if it is desired that (what may be termed) the bed- ding annuals enter somewhat extensively into the summer .arrangements, the varieties of dwarf Mari- gold in their respective colours, with Tagetes sig- nata pmuila. Phlox Drummondi, also in separate cjlours if required. Petunias, Verbenas, and the one or two forms of the Golden Feather Pyrefhrum.arc easy of culture and will last well right through the season. If s winter protection, and in bad seasons would or might perish for want of it. My experience, how- ever, would point to the general sufficiency for this purpose of Mr. Ewbank's plan (of fixing sfjuares of glass over the individual plants //( situ), although I myself on various grounds piefer a larger and more wholesale mode of covering. But it remains to em- phasise my dissent from " Delta " when he suggests that no number of really alpine plants can be well grown perennially and in the open air without some such protection. In the lirst place, there are at least a few ivliich even resent and dislike the protection. GeiifiJina verna does better without the pro- tection than with it. The opposite-leaved Saxifrages do much better without it. If these are not high alpine plants, what are ! I doubt not that "going the round," I could add largely to the list of those which, by being protected, lose (for want of free air) more than they gain (by being saved from damp and cold). I have large beds of these Saxifraga oppositifolia (notably the superba variety) which increase year after year in quantity, health and vigour. Yet these are studiously left without winter covering. Such protection, however, is quite neces- sary even in their ca-e for the "original esta- blishing of newly imported or collected speci- mens, for in regard to that matter a wholly different set of considerations evidently comes in. I cannot help thinking that many re- puted failures of alpine plants are solely due to this distinction being forgotten, and to that being expected from an exhausted and travel- worn plant which can only be reasonably looked for from a healthy and vigorous home- grown specimen. Normally, I hnd that fresh collected or imported alpine plants want on the average a year's care in the nursery (and to be glass-protected during the first winter) before they can be sent or put out. If this care cannot be given, it is better not to trouble to collect them nor to spend money in buying them. In the second place, and this is my main point, if there are not many alpine plants which object to protection in winter judi- ciously given (and there are very many which resent it wholly if it is given injudiciously, e.g., at the price of sufficient air and even mois- ture), there are, on the other hand, a great number which in no sense need this protec- tion. It is almost extraordinary that in pre- sence of unanswerable facts the contrary opinion can be entertained — entertained, I mean, as a general truth and not merely as a casual experience under particular circum- stances. Now let me contribute my personal evi- dence of such facts. I have no doubt at all that the experience of others is similar and confirmatorj', but it is evidently better to con- fine one's self to facts within one's own know- ledge ; and therefore, and therefore only, I name some (only) of the alpine jilants which I grow here perennially in the open air \vithout glass protection, and which so grown thrive well and increase. Of course I must summarise — ■ 1. At least fifty, probably eighty species, or very distinct varieties of Saxifrage. I take it that most of the^e, at least, are true alpine plants — nine out of every ten. Sempervivums and Sedums must be added. 2. JIany species of alpine Primula. Others I have hitherto given glass protection to, because they were valuable and I wished to make sure of them. But the indications here are that the_ greater number with a little judgment used in the planting would do as well, or better, in the open as under glass. 3. Dianthus alpinus. Pieces here in the open (far better than any I ever had under glass) must be four or five years old. They never looked better or healthier than now. I have no reason to doubt that D. neglectus and D. glacialis will also succeed without the protection of glass, but I am not sure that I do not happen, accidentally rather than pur- posely, to have protected them in the past. I ^hall this year only protect part. Other alpine Diant buses {e.r/., superbus, csesius, suavis, and the like) would evidently, if they could, laugh at the suggestion of anything like a winter covering. 4. Gentiana acaulis, G. verna, G. asclepiadea and others — all the most admirable of alpine plants, in many kinds of ordinary soil — grow here almost with the ease (though not at all at the rate) of weeds, and certainly would do worse rather than better if given any kind of protection. 5. Edelweiss, Onosma taurica, Linarias of all sorts ; Arnebia echioides, Carlina acaulis, alpine Daphnes, the lovely Aquilegia pyrenaica (a true al|..iue). Anemones alpina, sulphurea, Pulsatilla (and indeed all other mountain species which I know of that genus) grow here without any kind of winter protection, and if I may add my belief to my evidence, I should say that all such Anemones wuuld only suffer by being sheltered. If these are not mountain plants, what are ? Probably I could enumerate many hundred kinds of alpine plants to whieh my evidence in this matter would extend, but it is need- less for the purpose in hand, and would pro- bably be tedious to your readers. " Delta," like myself, has, I see, his garden on the chalk. My puzzle' at his failure is, therefore, greater. For though that soil may be neces- sary for no alpine plant, I cannot doubt that it is very useful to most, and that upon it they will thrive without that care (e.;/., for summer watering and careful drainage) which, off it, they exact. Does " Delta " realise that most plants, alpine or otherwise, have but a limited term of life in their native habitats ? " The fact is only not noticeable for evident reasons, a chief one being that multiplying themselves readily by seed, the last generation is not missed. I greatly doubt whether under cultivation in fairly favourable circumstances their average length of life be not longer than in a wild state. 14 THE GAPvDEX [January 2, 1892. As regards many s]]i'cies at least, a larger average size of plant is reached under culti- vation. V>o this as it may, there is nothing to show that the plant's life is shortened (if it be once made to grow well) by being brought under culture. Probably " Delta" will agree that his pro- position which I quoted was all too sweep- ing, but lest others should bo misled by it, 1 have thought it worth wliile to send you this reply. H. Selfe-Leonard. Giu/lfonl. Iiily of the Valley. — I wish Mr. Jannoch or some Dtlier profes.sional or amateur culti\'ator of Lilies of the Valley would give us the benetit of a few notes upon this flower as grown out of doors. The points of interest would be — 1. Varieties and their history so far as it is known; also whether any careful attempts have been made to raise seedlings in order to improve the race. 2. The best methods of cultivation in the open ground ; how and when to plant for the best results. It would be well to confine the remarks to the single white kinds with green leaves, as the double variety, the varieties with parti-culoured leaves, &c., are not of much real merit. — G. H. Engle- HBART. Kitchen Garden. NOVELTIES IN VEGETABLES. Cultivators wlio are well acquainted with the various types of vegetables are not likely to consider all novelties of the liighest merit and superior to existing kinds. This is certainly what they are supposed to be by the vendors. To look tlirough a seednian's catalogue of the present time makes one think that we have gained the higliest possible types in every class of vegetables. Many so-called novelties are but old friends under new names, or carefully se- lected types of the same. There are many people, however, who will have nothingto do with novelties of any class, and those who will do this can never be pleased, or if they can see an improvement tliey will not admit it, so dear are old associations to them. This certainly is a very one-sided view, for without diudjt there is not a class of vegetable whicli has not been vastly improved during the last decade. Take, for instance, tlie various types of early Cabbage. Everyone must . admit that young Cabbages can be cut earlier now than a few years since, the quality also being first-rate in every way. With early Peas it is the same, and certainly if young Peas are not gathered earlier than formerly, the quality is vastly su])erior and they are also much dwarfer. ■ A most decided advantage is this dwarfer habit, fqr not only are tall sticks done away witli, and which alone is no mean advantage, but a greater quantity may be grown on a given space. These dwarfer kinds are equal to any of the old taller and round-seeded kinds, although the latter may have greater length of liaulm. With the inaincrop kinds we are certahily over-done. The great fault with many of these maincroj) kinds is their want of constitution, for they will not thrive equally so generally. I have often been struck with what undoubtedly appeared a good type of maiucrop Pea, but upon giving it a trial it has failed, and my experience is cer- tainly not singular, and this upon a soil which is particularly rich in those materials which are necessary to the growth of good Peas. A list of too many new varieties sent out l)y one firm is bewildering, and this is wherein lies the fault in the introduction of novelties. As long as they are .selections of good kinds it does not so much matter, for after all they are only the original kind kept true. It must not be in- ferred from the above observations tliat there is little improvement in maincrop kinds, or that I am so one-sided as to tliink that Ne Plus I'ltra amongst Peas is tlie very best, and that no other need be grown excepting this and the earlies. Amongst Cabbage Lettuces the advancement has been particularly ncjticeable within the jiast few years. At one time it was principally for winter use that the Cabbage varieties then in use were particularly adapted, but in many 'esta- blishments these are now relied tipon si>lely, the Cos forms not being particularly cared for. This, however, is a matter of taste, as in many places these latter are preferred. In this form the novelty is not so great, or ratlier if the names are ninnerous, they are carefully selected types of the Alexandra White Cos or the Paris White. Another advantage the Cabbage forms have over the Cos is their adaptability for forcing. At one time it was feared that the true type of Brussels Sprouts was Ijeing lost, as with the advent of the Aigbiu-th the crav- ing ff)r the time being was for this class, but the flavour and also its large size were against it, and those who had to grow produce for the tables of those who knew what a Brussels Sprout was, quickly found out that these larger sjjrouts would not do, for even where the size was not objected to the flavour was too strong. Amongst the later novelties the ideal standard of what should constitute a first-class Brussels Sjirout appears to have been reached. The old lanky kind, although the quality of the sprouts was very good, is now superseded by those with stems more sturdy and also more thickly studded with sprouts. Tlie advancement in the ([uality of the early Celery is very marked, but the later kinds are about as they were. Those who will set their faces against the best of the early types, and these are the latest in- troductions, are certainly depriving themselves of good things. Sandringham Dwarf Wliite has had its day, and the flavour and also the texture of the best of the later or midseason kinds are now blended with tlie earliest of Celeries. Another point with these good early kinds is also their keeping qualities. Amongst Carrots, there are now some tine stocks of the Intermediate. The new kinds of Potatoes are legion, and however symmetrical in shape, it is astonishing that amongst the large number in- troduced so few find their way into general cultivation. The difficulty appears to be how- to select what are supposed to be the best. As might be expected now Tomatoes have become so ])o])ular, there are several novelties, but the best of them are of the Hathaway's Excelsior, Perfection, or Hackwood Park Pro- lific types. Conference and Ham Green Fav(.)urite have proved first-class in every way. There is also a marked imiirovenieut in the golden-fruited kinds. Golden Queen being very satisfactoiy. As recently pointed out by a correspondent. Tomatoes should form a good adjunct to the dessert. Tlie golden-fruited kinds are very ])leasing, and also the small Pear-shaped variety, this latter really having a very jiretty appear- ance when ripened up so that clusters of fruit could be gathered. The novelties amongst Onions are on the side of the large exhibition kinds, and for this pvu'pose they .are particu- larly adapted, but medium-sized bulbs of the older w-ell proved kinds are sufficient for every purpose, and as long as the selections are rigidly .adhered to, good Onions for home use will be forthcoming. In the Radishes adapted for early use there is a marked improvement, some that 1 have tried being wonderfully short in top growth, and having the merit also of coming quickly to a usable size. The Lily White Seakale is well worth growing, and the improvement among.st otlier kinds of vegetaWes is well to the fore. Tlie number of kinds of liroccoli in certain quarters is bewildering. The best of the older kinds with Model and Late Queen are sufficient for any purp(jse. In the fiiregoing remarks I have endeavoured to show that it is of no use setting one's self against novel- ties or l)uying them indiscriminately. Someone must try them, and if found worthy, they will most surely be in the future largely grown. A. Y. A. Brussels Sprouts.— I was interested to learn th.it the liuvi' llrussi'ls Sprouts now seen in the market and in shops are not in such favour with the general public as .are the older small-sprouted samples, which, in addition to being so green, are so firm and sw-eet. We made a great mistake in giving encouragement to these large sprouts ou e-xhibition tables, and it would be well if judges would in the future resolutely decline to grant full points to any which are unduly big. It does not at all follow that large sprouts are the most profitable, for if the small sprouts do not so readily fill the bushel, they are produced on the stems in greater abundance. I observe that the growers, let the bulk in the bushels be what it may. always top-dress the contents with specially selected hard sprouts of moderate size. We found Brussels Sprouts of the greatest service in furnishing a sup- ply of vegetables for the Christmas season. Pro- bably more of these will be found at dinner tables during the hard weather than will any other vege- table ; indeed what Peas are in the summer, these sprouts are in the winter. Frost is apt to make them taste rather strong, and it is well to have the s])routs boiled in a net, so that they can be lifted out of the water, after a short boiling, and be dropped into fresh boiling water in another sauce- ]ian. That plan greatly helps to get rid of the strong flavour which the fir.st has generated. Up to the present time, in spite of the hard frosts which have prevailed, no appreciable harm has been done to the stems or heads. As long as the tops are safe the stems suffer very little indeed. Frequent snowfalls with some of the snow thawing during the day. then freezing during the night, con- stitute the chief dangers to Brussels Sprout plants, except intensely keen winds, which very much wither the foliage. Generally there is not in all the Brassica family a more profitable and perhaps more hardy member than is the Brussels Sprout. —A. D. Celery. — It is not often that we are much troubled with slugs, as our soil is naturally dry and tolerably free from them. But in a newly liroken-up jiortion of the garden that used to be orchard with Grass under the trees, we have had a great many of the small black kinds. Un- fortunately, we have nearly the whole of our large crop of Celery on that ground, as I used it for Peas, and I always make a practice of having these, which are tall, 10 feet apart, and plant a row of Celery between. This is a system of growing the two I can most strongly recommend, as both crops are greatly benefited." and it is no exaggeration to say that anyone pursuing it wull get double the (lu'antity of" Peas from a row so exposed to full sunlight and air than can be obtahied from another the s.ame length grown in the ordinary wav. It was not Peas, however, I meant to speak of, "but slugs in Celery, which I see and hear many besides myself have" been afilicted with, and for which the" wet season is in a great measure re- sponsible. Had I been aware of their presence at the time of earthing. I should have used dust lime before soiling up. I have seen soot applied, but that discolours the Celery too much, and the lietter wav now is to put a bag of it and some lime January 2, 1892.] THE GARDEN. w in a quantity of water and pour tiiis, after it has cleared, down the stems and hearts of the Celery. It will do no harm to the Celery, as when heavy rain falLs, much of it runs down the leaves. — S. D. Ripening of vegetable seeds. — I fear this season has been dis.-istrons to the ripening of all kinds of seeds, so that racjre care will he required when storin"? not to place in damp places, and also in sowing to use miu-e seed than in a favourable ripening season. Peas, I fear, will be a short crop, and though in many places they yielded abun- dantly, those grown tor seed mildewed before they were ripe, unless where thoroughly exposed on high dry sandy soil. When we get such seasons it is bad for all, as the scarcity tends to high prices, and the gardener who is restricted in his seed order (and there are many such) is obliged to omit good kinds, and often grows cheaper varieties that he does not care for. I would advise early purchasing of seeds in all cases, as with limited stocks popular kinds will soon be exhausted. Indeed, I fear some stocks of newer varieties that are much in favour in many cases will be kept to supply seed next season. With a short supply careful sowing is im- perative, and though recommending some seeds to be sown thickly, it greatly depends upon the time of sowing and the condition of soil, as when good seed is sown thickly it is wasteful and causes poor weakly growth and thin crops.— G. Wythbs. QUALITY IN CELERY. As far as the quality of Celery is concerned, the present has been an ideal season for bringing out any latent merits of the many varieties now l^etore the public. The past season has been as good as any I ever remember for the plants making a clean and healthy growth ; therefore good Celery should be the rule throughout the remainder of the sea- son. The only difficulty in the way of this being maintained is whether the present very wet weather will cause the stems to decay prematurely. Where the mistake was not made of earthing the stems up too early, and which I must say is a very com- mon error. Celery should not rot to any "serious extent. We are often reminded, where the operator may have heavy soil to contend with, of the injury which jyill generally arise if the earthing is carried out with the natural soil, as with such material the quality of the Celery will not be very first-rate. Such certainly is not borne out by facts", as accord- ing to my experience the flavour "of Celery grown on heavy soil is better than of that grown on light land. The heads are more solid and destitute of that hollowness in the stalks which is found in Celery from hot and sandy soils. The quality of Celery is often depreciated by high feeding," the result being that varieties which have any preten- sions to high quality are considerably marred by being grown, or forced, as it were, outof character. Celery is one of the few things that the art of the cook cannot improve, excepting, of course, when cooked as a vegetable, as by being sent to table as a salad, it will depend "upon "its own merits whether it is appreciated or not. The quality may depend to a certain extent upon the varieties cultivated. Celery to be appreciated must be solid in texture and also have that sweet nutty flavour so desirable, credentials according to published de- scriptions which all varieties possess, but which often fail lamentably when put to the public test. A year or two since a variety was introduced which was supposed to be self-blanching without earthing, but which has now passed into obscurity. How- ever desirable large heads of Celery early in the season may be from an exhibition point of view, I do not think anyone will differ from me when I state that these are not useful in any way. Varie- ties are often condemned when the system of cul- ture pursued has led to the poorquality. For many years the Sandringham Dwarf White lield the palm as the best early vi'hite C'elery, but this has now given place to others superior in form and flavour, and however useful the above-named old variety may have proved, it also had a tendency to bolt, which evil the newer varieties are not nearly so prone to. These also appear to have the quality of the midseason or even later varieties. Amongst the newer earlier varieties, Superb White has main- tained the good character it was stated to have when first sent out, and after two years' experience with it. it will have to be a good one to displace it. White Gem is the most compact Celery 1 have yet grown, but the flavour is not quite so good as that of the one previously named, llajor Clarke's Solid Red still maintains its reputation as a good type of Celery for all purposes. I have had it for early, midseason, and late use, and after undergoing the rigours of last winter it was good until the sea- son was far advanced, proving that fhe adapta- bility of a variety for late use is more often a matter of culture. The comparatively new variety Standard-bearer keeps sound until a late period, but as a winter or midseason variety it will not re- place Major Clarke's for quality. No doubt many of the varieties now offered are merely selections of standard kinds, proving in this respect that extra care is taken in keeping them true to name and ilistinct. To show how rigid the selection is, each plant appears as if turned out of a mould, so regular is the growth. With the earlier varieties this is especially noticeable. Instead of the quality of the newer early varieties being poor, as it used to be, this is really first-rate, being in this respect equal to that of the best of the standard kinds. The reputation of a variety depends more upon its edible qualities than mere size, which is always obtained at the expense of quality. A. Y'. A. Chrysanthemums. CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. I TAKE an early opportunity of discussing the points raised by Mr. Dougla.s (p. .501) respect- ing the size of stands for Japanese Chrysan- tliemunis and the separating of the two section.s — incurved and Japanese. Separating the Two Clas.ses. Speaking generally, societies in making up their jn-ize schedules consider the class which i.s the most suitable for their purpose. Committees are often blamed for their want of taste and judgment in making classes which do not meet with the ap]n'oval of all, but there is, I think, no absolute rule for any society to follow. Committees have to consider the best method of inducing the public to take an interest in their exhibition. Without support from the outside public and theii- subscribers, it would be impossible to have an exliibition ; therefore it i.s more a matter of catering for the public tlian encoui'aging any particular method iif staging Chrysanthemums, whether it be as a combination of the two sections or in separate classes. There is no denying the fact that the question of £ s. d. lias to be considered. It is all very well for those not interested or respon- sible for the funds of any particular society to find fault with methods pursued. When a society can do without outside support, then will be the time to arrange the classes to suit individual taste. If a society can obtain an in- creased number of entries annually, and thus maintain public interest under existing arrange- ments, then such can hardly be expected to forsake the beaten path. It is too much to expect such societies to make so important a change as the parting of two sections in the leading class. To illustrate my views on this question I will quote two instances. For many years the Birmingham Chrysanthemum Society has offered its principal prize in the cut bloom department for a mixed class of in- curved and Japanese sections, with the result that nowhere else have so many entries been re- ceived. In 1890 there were seventeen com- petitors, and in 1891 there was but one less in tlii.s particular class. Now I would ask. Would it be wise on the i)art of the management to separate the two sections/ If they did so, surely the wi.sh of a few individuals would hardly balance the present brilliant success achieved by the combination class. In aor-vita?. CtrPEESStJS Lawsoniana lutea. — This is by far the best of the golden varieties of Lawson's C^iwess. It is free in growth and of a very graceful hnhit. The colom- of this Conifer is a deep golden hue, which becomes moi-e intensified as the summer ad- vances, and never to my knowledge has the foliage been singed by a hot scorching sun unless the roots were suffering from drought. In short, it is a very desirable jilant from an ornamental ]ioint of view. C. thyoides aurea, also known as Chaniiixyparis sphajroidea aurea. has the younggrowthof agolden colour, which tint is retained into the winter. JUNlPEHtrs CHINENSIS AtJRBA. — The golden variety of the Chinese Juniper is surpissed by no other Conifer of this class as a bright yellow-foliaged shrub, for, like the golden variety of Lawson's Cypress, full ex]josure t(t the sunnuer's sun only tends to heighten its colour. J. japonica aurea is a golden form of J. japonica, which is somewhat in the way of a dwarf plant of J. chinensis, but the colour is neither so deep nor so lasting as in the golden variety of the Chinese Juniper. Larix K.empferi. — The Golden Larch forms a moderate-.sized tree of pyramidal linliit. The leaves are arranged as in the common Larch, but they are much larger in all respects. Their coloin- when first expanded is of a yellowish-green, but as the season advances they gradually become deeper in hue till autumn. This is the only deciduous species among golden Conifers, and, at the same time, one of the largest in growth. It is also known as Pseudo-Lari.x Ksempferi. PiNUS SYLVESTIS AUREA. — Tlic Golden Scotch Fir is a very ornamental variety forming a dwarf bush, which towards the end of autumn assumes a deep golden tint and retains that colour throughout the winter till the ret.ur,n of spring, when it changes to the nornia! green tint, and remains in that con- dition throughout the summer till autumn again sets in. Retinospora obtusa AlTREA. — The Golden Re- tinospora is of a more fastigiate ha' it and dvvarfer tlian the typical form, from which it also differs by reason of the young growth being of a deep golden yellow. R. obtusa gracilis aurea is a very open graceful habited plant, which during the growing season has the young shoots suffused with a yellow tint, but as the growth is matured it becomes green. R. plumosa aurea is a striking contrast to the last, having a somewhat pyramidal and ujiright habit of growth clothed with pale golden soft feathery foliage. As the season advances a good deal of the golden character is lost till the following year's growth commences. R. jjisifera aurea has the foliage of a deeper colour than the preceding, and it is also of a more open habit of growth. R. tetragona aurea forms a dwarf compact bush of very slow growth, very suitable for rockwork or spots where slow-growing subjects are desired. 'I'he young growth is of a golden colour, which resists the sun well, and retains its tint for the greater part of the season. Thuja occidentalis aurea. — This is a dwarf golden variety of the American Arbor-vitse, and one well worth cultivating. It is of comparatively re- cent introduction, and at present but little known. T. occidentalis \'erva^neana is a free, slender- habited kind, in character a good deal like some individuals of the common American kind, but with foliage of a deep golden colour during the sunnuer, changing in the winter to a yellowish brown. Taxus baccata aurea. — The Golden Yew is too well known to need description ; suffice it to say it is always brilliant and effective. There are several other varieties more or less golden or varie- gated, all of which are good, but this is the best. The variety of the Yew called fastigiata aurea is a golden variety of the Irish Yew. It is an effec- tive plant, and a valuable addition to golden- foliaged Conifers. It forms a striking contrast as regards colour to the scuubre type when planted near "or alternatclv with it on a lawn or terrace. T. NOTES OF THE WEEK, Crocus hyemalis var. Foxi (Boissier) is a pretty white tiower with black anthera in its yellow throai., and a stigma cut like very fine gold wire^ Lovely iu open-air border at this dull season, and 1 (■" of frost do not injure its flowers, fragile as they appear.— P. W. B. CoIchieumBivonseisa true winter bloomer with soft piuk blooms, not large, but in clusters, very effec- tive. Il is a var. of Boissier's C. latifoUnra, I believe, but sent to nie by Mr. Ware under the above name. It is, no doubt, a truly wiuter bloomer here after three or four years* trial. — F. W. B. Adenophoras for cutting. — Inotice these plants are recommended for this purpose. The Campanu- las are proverbially bad for this purpose, but_ this sec- tion is the worst of the lot. I have often tried them, but they do not last an hour. As border plants, how- ever, they are very elpgant and lasting. — T. Smith. Ijilium speciosum Krastzeri In bloom.— I have now in my room a L'liuni sjieciosum Knetzeri in bloom with six good-sized, well-formed flowers and two buds — one of many such— showing how ea-ily this group of Lilies may be had in bloom from September to Christmas or even later, while I doubt not that Lilium Uarrisi in some places is fast coming into Hower.— A. W. Hardy flowers at Christmas. — Here we could have cut a \iiy beautiful I loucpict on Christmas Day from the open air (after the thermometer had gone down to 20°) of Christmas Roses in variety, some as white as Eucharis and nearly 5 inches in diameter, Clolilcn Winter .lasmine. Snnlax, Euryliia or Musk shrub. Myrtle, Chrysanthemums, Garrya, and berries, such as Euonymus (red and wdiite vars.). Holly (scarlet and orange), Cotoneaster, Skimmia, &c. Berberis or red-brown Tellima leaves with Christmas Roses alone on long stalks make a charmingly fresh winter liouqnet, or same foliage with Chrysanthemums, and there is none of the lisheartening brittleness or hay-like shrivelling, as is the case with luitlinuse Maiden-hair.— DUBLIN. The early-flowering Irises. - Before we can ay definitely when these ought to tiower, no ilonbt we require to have them in our gardens for several years. Hitherto I. Histrio has been first, f I illowed by I.Vartani. This year I. Danfordise is first, pening on one of the early days of December, fol- lowed a fortnight later by I. Bakeriana, while the iwers of I. Histrio are now (Dec. 28) only showing lour. I am writing about bulbs growing perma- nently in open ground, and not potted bulbs flowered under glass. Should we have mild weather, juite a crowd of kinds will be shortly open. I.Rosen- l)ackiana, I. reticulata coerulea,and others are show- ing their spathes ; Galanthus Elwesi will be open in 1 day or two, wdiile quite a number of Snowdrops are showing their spathes; so are some. of the Squills and Narcissus Tazetta. All the Daffodils are well above ground.— T. Smith, A'e;r?'j'. Plants in bloom at Dublin. — The following, are in Hower in the open air after 12° of frost: Iris alata speciosa. Crocus hyemalis Foxi, C. vitel- linus, C. Clusi, &c., Jasminum nudiflorum, two or three kinds of Wych Hazel, Garrya elliptica (male aiul female), Helleborus niger maximus, H. Mme. Fourcade, H. n. luber, H. n. major, H. n. St. Brigid, H. n. laxus, and H. n. precox. The two last are seedlings raised by Herr Max Leichtlin ; both flowered 1 ist July and have ripened a fine crop of seed (sown in October), after which they are now producing a second crop of flowers. Eoth are slender in growth, but healthy and vigorous, and likely to give us a very free-flowering race of these, acceptable winter flowers. We never had so many good Chrysanthemums at Christmas before as we have this ye 'r from plants cut down early in June. — F. W. BURBIDCE. Laurus Bernardi. — This is another variety of great excellence which ought to be added to the list given at p. 5S,"). Its habit is somewhat similar to that of the Caucasian ; the leaves, however, are a trifle larger. Its principal feature is the intense deep green colour, livalling in this respect that of the common Holly. A word of explanation is, I think, needed in respect to what is called in the list the broad-leaved or Versailles Laurel. The broadest and largest-leaved kind is lightly named latifolia ; it may have originated at Versailles, I cannot say, but Mil the same it must not be con- founderl with a variety called L. versaillensis, which has leaves intermediate between the common and Caucasian kinds, and whose habit is nearly that of caucasica. Another good kind — caucasica rotundifolia — is of the same colour as caucasica, but with much broader leaves. L. pyramidalis is also a distinct kind, but the best of all is imdoubtedly latifolia, rivalling in habit and leafage the ever- green Magnolias. — T. Smith. Obituary. W. ALFRED DICKSON. Mr. William Alfred Dickson, to whoso death at the age of 54 years we briefly referred in iiur last issue, bore his full share of respon- sibility in the direction of the business, having had the entire management of the nurseiii'S during the whole period of his active business life. As a nurseryman, very few men living had such know- ledge of trees and plants. He had that quick dis- cernment which enabled him to pick lip .a point which gave a characteristic distimdiveness and a determining feature to a particular plant, and which once seen seemed never to be forgotten. If his love for plants did not lead him into the extra- vagant excesses which often mark the enthusiast ; it was simply because his business brought him into close contact with the economical properties of flowers, shrubs and trees. Yet the tender regard he had for plants and flowers was mani- fested often to those wdio misht be brought into contact with him at his offices in the nursery grounds. At such times when his attention would January 2, 1892.] THE GARDEN. 19 be given to some now variety, witli the introduc- tion of wliieli lie was closely identified, one would find on his table now a Daffodil, now a. Hose, now a Carnation, orson\ething- of bright beauty, depend- ing^ upon the season of the year when the call might happen to be made. " In this iiarticular direction manv of the newly-introduced plants owe their distinctive title to the" perceptive and mental endowment of Mr. Alfred Dickson. His jiowers of concentration and determination were very marked, and whilst he was no theorist in the connnon ac- ceptation of the term, he had the courage to ad\ancc opinions which had been formed after long years of patient practical experience and thought. As an employer he was firm, without that sternness which seemsinevitable to some men when brcuight into contact with the problems and trials in\olved in the employment of labour and in dealing with large masses of men. He was a strict observer of method and punctual discharge of duty. For Mrs. Dickson and her young family of six children deep- est sympathy will be everywhere felt. DR. WILLIAM ROBERT WOODMAN. Dr. Woodman died at Devon House, Brondesbury, on Sunday, December 20, 1891, the day following his sixty-second birthday. He has been a promi- nent figure in gardening,' and in 1.S71 he succeeded his uncle, the'late },h\ R. T. Pince, of the Exeter Nursery, and carried on, under the familiar title of Lucombe, Pince and Co., that famous old concern with much spirit and enterprise until 1883, when he relinquished the business. To record all his victories at horticultural exhibitions would require a whole piage, for he was first prize-winner in nearly every competition wherever he went, and his mag- nificent collection of specimen exhibition plants was at that time unquestionably the finest in existence. From 1873 to 1877 he won in open competition upwards of one hundred first prizes and silver cups, the most notable being the twenty- guinea cup at Plymouth for twenty stove and greenhouse plants, "and the fifteen-guinea cup at Weston-super-Mare for twelve stove and green- house plants, which victories he repeated on several occasions. After 1877 he did not again compete for prizes, but still continued to the last as an honorary exhibitor, his extensive and artistic dis- plays being generally the chief feature of the flower shows he patronised. Moreover, his own annual exhibitions of Hyacinths and spring flowers at the Exeter Nursery have given delight to thou- sands. Like his uncle. Mr. Pince, he was a leading mem- ber of the St. Thomas's Local Board at Exeter, and was the largest ratepayer and employer of labour in his parish. He was also chairman of the School Board there, and was always^ first and foremost in every good work. W. Napper. Chelsea. Mr. Jas. Williams.— We hear with regret that Mr. James Williams, father of the late Mr. B. S. Williams, of Upper Holloway, died on December 24 last, in his ninety-fifth year, he having been born on January 18, l'797. He went into the service of Mr. Warner, "Woodlands, Hoddesden, December 17, 1817, and remained in the family until he re- tired, some few years ago. Mr. Ant. Roozen. — We learn from Haarlem that Mr. Ant. Roozen, Senior, the founder of the celebrated firm of bulb growers Ant. Roozen and Son, died at Overveen, on the Kith ult., at the ripe age of eighty-six years. He was the Nestor of the Haarlem mnserymen, and known far and wide for his special knowledge of bulb culture, his untiring energy, anrl his great benevolence. amounting to £38 lis. 4d., there remained .a balance in the bank of £L'i!0 l.'is. 2d. A satisfactory ]ior- trait of Mr. Hibberd has been hmig in the Liudley Library. The balance of the nion<'ys received is, after payment of the ex]ienses of the deed, to be invested' for the benefit of the oiphan daughter in the names of Mr. W. R. Hargreave, Mr. Leonard Barron, and Mr. John Collingridgc. The trust deed is to contain provisions (1) that in the event of the death of the child previous to her attaining her twelfth year, the amount then standing to the credit of the" trustees shall be jiaid to the Gar- deners' Orphan I<"und ; (2) that in the event of the decease of the child at any jieriod between tlie twelfth and the twenty-first 'year of her age, then the moneys invested shall become the absolute pro]iertv of her unelc and guaidian, Mr. C. M. Mitchell. PUBLIC Gardens. Shirley Hibberd Memorial.— At a meeting of the committee appointed to carry out this scheme, held at Chiswick on November 17, 1891, Dr. Masters in the chair, it was announced that the sura received from all sources was £239 9s. (id., and that after the payment of all expenses, ALEXANDRA PALACE AND PARK SCHEME. As secretary to the Metropolitan Public Gar- dens Association, which has worked both in con- junction with and independently of Mr. Shaw- Lefevre and the Common sPreservation Society in the open space movement, would you kindly permit me to refer to two points in his letter on the above scheme appearing in your issue to-day ? First, as regards th"e difficulty iMr. Shaw-Lefevre anticipates in the Alexandra Park being outside the county of London, the Open Spaces Act, 1890, of which this association secured the passing last year, specially meets this case. By one of its clauses any local authority named in the previous Open Spaces Acts can now acquire open spaces outside, or partly outside, their respective areas, and exercise all the powers conferred by the Acts with respect thereto, to all intents aiul purposes as if tlie spaces were situated within their borders. Thus Parliiiment very properly recognised the fact that it migltt be nee'dftd for large towns to acquire open land'on their bonlers, or even outside them. Second, as regards the price. The property of the London Financial Association is in two divi- sions, the building estate and the park, which can- not be built on, it having been made over as " a place of public resort and recreation " by an Act passed in 186t), subject to a reasonable charge for adnaission. The area appears to be as follows : — Building Estate. _ Balance of original area ... 17" acres Released from park in 1875 .. 75 acres 252 acres Park and Site. Freehold 13t acres Leasehold 28 acres 162 acres Total t>i-ea 414 acres According to Mr. Littler's schenje, the price asked for the whole area, including the palace, is £275,000, or about £6G0 per acre with the palace thrown in. Mr. Shaw-Lefevre considers that the 1(32 acres of park, owing to their statutory reservation in favour of the public, are worth very little. That, how- ever, can hardly be the case, for as a charge can be levied for admission, it is easy to perceive they might become very valuable in the hands of some Ijoople for certaiii kinds of sport or amusement, however badly their present owners may have made them pay. As regards the building estate, we are informed land of that class in the neighbourhood of Hornsey is worth £800 per acre, and it is not likely to go down in value. If so. it would appear that'some kind of all-round price has been hit upon in Mr. Littler's scheme for the two parts of the estate, especially when one includes the palace. Mr. Shaw-Lefev're rather deprecates the palace remaining a feature in the scheme. But one can easily see how immensely useful it would be at holiday seasons as a place" of shelter alone in our changeable climate. And whether or not Mr. Littler's forecasts of possible receipts from letting out the building for concerts, entertainments, &c.. were realised, all such receipts would be so much to the good in rerkoiiing the eos( of tlic mainten- anc<' of this park, and comparing it witli any other in London, where there are no such set-olTs. If receijits arc forthcoming, so much the better, and, if not, the Alexandra Park would be in no wise dilTerent to any other pul)lic open space. Mr Littler seems to be acting entirely in the interests of the public in bringing forward this schenu', and the )irice he ap|ie,irs to have arrived at should not lie too hastily assumed as extravagant. — BASIL Holmes, in Tim s. Open spaces for London. -I'nder Part IV. of the General Powers Bill of the London County Council, which deals with the subject of open spaces, the Council seek for powers to carry into effect an agreement for the exchange of certain lands forming part of Peckham Rye Common for certain other lands of not less area adjoining the I'ommon. Power is also sought to compel the owner of Fairseat House and grounds, which coin- jirise 2| acres, and form the leasehold portion (jf Waterlow Park, Highgate, to sell the freehold, to- wards which the doiujr of Waterlow Park gave £()000. The Council also ask Parliament to em- power them to enter into agreements with the trustees of Lincoln's Inn Fields for the transfer to them of the powers possessed by the trustees, and after the completion of any such agreement to maintain the gardens for public recreation. Power is also sought to acquire for open s|)aces certain pieces of land on either side of Highgate Road, and to appropriate towards the expense of their pmchase any balance of the £12,000 paid by the Midland Railway Company in 1889 for the appro- priation of a portion of St. Pancras Burial-ground. ■Wallflowers unhealthy {G. Palleti).— ! was unable to find the small maggots mentioned by Mr. G, Pallett (? if the name is correct), which were said to be attacking the Wallflower roots which he for- warded, but 1 expect they had escaped into the Moss in which the roots were packed. That, however, was not of much importance, as the malformations of the roots were not caused by them, but by the club- root fungus (Plasiuodiophora brassic:e) maggots. The Wallflower, being a cruciferous plant, belongs to the same natural order as the Cabbage and Turnip, and so is liable to the attacks of this fungus. A dressing of quicklime will not be of much use ; the only way is not to grow a crop of any cruciferous plant on the infested soil for at least two years, and to give the ground a good dressing of gaslime. The spores of this fungus will remain alive in the soil many months, so that until it is quite certain that there are none living in the ground, no plants which are liable to be attacked should be grown in it.— G. S. S. Tomato roots diseased.— I am very pleased to see the Tom.ato roots sent by Jlr. D. Clagne. They are certaiidy not '-clubbed" in the ordinary sense of the word ; that is they are not infested by the club-root fungus (Plasiuodiophora bras- sicEe). The nodules on the roots are caused by one (if the eelworms (Tylenchus sp.). There are several kinretable mutter mixed with broken rocky debris. I would wdvise Mr. Wilson first of all to open pits 3 feet wide, 15 feet deep and well break up the bottom soil and that around the edges of the pits. If the soil is stiff and .■stubborn, sub- stitute a mixture of well-dec lyed leaf-soil :md good lo nil, and place the young trees, which should not be of less size than 4 feet high, bushy anil well rooted, in this, .st iking them firmly i,t once, so as to iirevent wind-rocking and consequent laceration of the roots. The trees m 'V be placed 24 feet apart and 9 feet back from the diive ; but if I were planting and had the trees to spare, I should plMce them 12 feet apart at the first, and in years to come and when it was found necessary, remove every other specimen, thus leaving the per- manent ones at a distance of 24 feet from e 'ch other. Do not plant too deeply, but r.ither mound the trees and make uji in summer by mulching. Fiu- elegance of growth and beauty of foliage tint Cupressus macroc irpa in its own way stands un- rivalled as an avenue tree. — A. D. W. " The Garden " Monthly Pa.pts.—Thu journal i» pub- Linked in neatly bound Monthly Parts. In this fonn ttu coloured plates are best preserved, and it is most suitable for reference previous to the issue of the half-yearly volumes. Price \s. 6d. ; post free, Is. 9d. Complete set of volumes of The Garden /rom its commencci>ient to end O/1890, thirty-eight vol*., price, cloth, £2S 4«. " Gardening Illustrated " Monthly Parts. — This journal IS published in nt at hi bound Monthly Parts, in tphich form it is most suitable for reference previous to the issue of the yearly volumes. Price 5rf. ; post free, Sd. "Farm and Home" Monthly Paris.— This journal it published in neatly bound Monthly Parts, in which form it is iTwst suitable for reference pre^nous to the issiu of the yearly volume*. Price 5rf. ; post free, 8d. ** Hardy Flowers." — Giving descriptions 0} upwards OJ thirteen hundred of the most ornamental species, with directions for their arrangement, culture, «tc. Fourth and Popular Edition, Is.; post free, \s. 3d. "The Garden Annual" for 1 8S2. -fonlmm Alpha- betical Lists or alt Branches of the Horticultural Trade correctea up to November 10 last. The Lists of Oardeiut and Country Seats (containing over 0000^ have been vei-y cart^l'ully and e-cten- Mivelv revised, and are admitted to be tfie most complete ever pnUi-heJ. Pricf Is.; bu i>o3l,'[s 31. THE GARDEN. 21 No. 705'. SATURDAY, January 9, 18i 2. Vol. XL I. " This is an Art Which does mend Nature : chantfc it rather ; b'-t The Art itseik is Xaturl."— ^A»A(d/tia!'t'. Rose Garden. DISEASES AND ENEMIES OF ROSES. To those who have not had a long experience among Roses this paper may seem somewhat premature, still a few practical hints upon how t3 cure, or at any rate check, most of the insects and diseases which affect these favourite flowers cm scarcely ever be out of place. By the time tliese notes are in print there will be a great number of pot Roses in full growth. Roses are oftentimes allowed to get into a bad state, s'mply because remedies have not been applied in time, and this fact induces me to submit this paper so early in the year. Green-fly. This is a very common pest among Roses. It comes directly growth commences, and it is astonishing how very quickly it in- creases and sjjreads. These little pests collect at the tips of the youngest and tenderest shoots of the Rose, and unless clieoked, they very quickly smother the whole of the ycuug growths. Whether Roses are grown under glass or in the open air, green-fly seems far more prevalent after easterly winds and after any sudden changes in the tem- perature. The best, cheapest, and cleanest in- secticide for green-fly is good soft soap. I have tried many mixtures, and although most of them were eftectual, and some of them really good, when used as directed, I have never found anything to equal soft soap and the fumes of tobacco. The one great mistake so often made when attempting to cleanse Roses of any insects is applying i.he solution too strong. I use a solution of one 1 oz. to 2 oz. of soft soap to a gallon of rain water. " Nichol- son's Dictionary of Gardening " gives the pro- portions as " 8 lbs. of soft soap to 12 gallons of rain-water, and 1 gallon of tobacco water added after it is cold.'' It seems to me that there must be some mistake here, as 8 oz. of good soft soap with the addition of tobacco water would be sufliciently strong to kill fly if it was properly applied. Even if we read it that it is the black or Bean-fly to which allusion is made, three-quarters of a pound to a gallon of water is excessive and likely to do far more harm than good. If you boil the soft soap, say 2 lbs. at a time, in about a gallon of water, you will find it congeal into a jelly when cold^ Reduce this to the proportion of the solution I suggest, using the full strength of 2 oz. to a gallon when syringing plants without much very young growth upon them. The foliage of Roses is very tender, and one often finds the younger leaves and flower-buds drop after being syringed with any insecticide that was a trifle too strong. I am convinced that the strength I give is quite sufficient to kill the fly, prevent mildew to a great extent, and also keep the foliage clean and healthy if you syringe frequently. When ap- plied at this strength it will generally kill the fly and at the same time avoid crippling the young and tender growths upon the plants. This is a very important consideration, as the flies congregate around the youngest and most tender shoots ; therefore, the full strength of any remedies must be directed against such parts, and at the same time not be injurious to the plants. Do not be impatient if the first application does not kill all the aphides ;'it very seldom does with- out almo.st irreparable injury to the plant ; rather try again with the mi.xture of same strength. One advantage in using good soft soap lies in its being a grand cure for and also a preventive against mildew. It also cleanses any dust from the foliage and allows the plant to feed — if I may so express it — upon the atmosphere. Where fly has obtained a hold — which is quite impossible if you frequently use a weak solution of soft soap — it is an excellent plan to fumigate the house over -night and then effectually kill the few survivors by a rather stronger syringing in the morning. I am not par- tial to tobacco for Roses ; it is too often used stronger than one imagines it to be, and I have seen many a fine house of plants quite ruined for the season by having had a little too strong a fumigation. The chief art in using tobacco for fumigating is to keep the smoke up forsonje time and not to have it strong. A fumigation of double the length of time and of half the strength given by many would be quite as effectual as regards killing the fly, and would at the same time prevent injury to the tender growths of the Rose. A weak fumigation makes the flies more susceptible to the effects of the syringing in the morning, but there are one or two varieties of Roses which seem to have a great objection to tobacco in any form. That grandest of white Roses, Niphetos, has more than once sadly dis- appointed me by dropping its very young flower-buds after being fumigated ; at the same time there were many other varieties of Roses in the house, which were none of them afl'ected by the smoke. Seeing that the plants of Niphetos scattered here and there all through the house were afl'ected in the same manner, I have no hesitation in attributing it to the tobacco fumes. I may remark that I have invariably noticed that this variety seems far more tender when its flower-buds are forming than at any other time. Mildew. I know of nothing more discouraging in the cultivation of Roses than to find that this has gained a firm hold, more especially when the plants are growing in the open air. Under glass I do not believe anyone need be seriously troubled with it if he follow the simple directions I give in this paper. There are two things which seem to me to bring this disease and assist it to increase with most mar- vellous rapidity. I allude to cold draughts and dryness at the roots of the plants while in full growth. Now both of these, as well as sudden and exti-eme changes in the temperature, can be avoided under glass if due care be taken. After a very hot and sultry day, I have some- times noticed this disease severely attack the plants, both indoors and out. One must avoid giving the growing plants any check if he wishes to steer clear of this annoy- ing blight or fungus. It matters very little in what form this check is given, whether it be from drought, crippling the young foliage by too strong a solution of any insecticide, or by checking the points of the growing roots with an overdose of liquid manure, as anything which checks the health and vigour of the plant gives mildew a great opportunity of establish- ing itself. I find the most simple and effectual preventive of mildew to be the following : Wet a little good flowers of sulphur (black preferred, on account of its less unsightly appearance), make this into paste before adding the solution of soft soap of the ordinary strength, and it will assimilate with the water much better. Keep the whole well stii'red, and use it in the same way as for the green-fly. Sulphur applied by syringing gets into touch with a great deal more of the plant than when dusted over the foliage in any way, and when the foliage is dry it is left in a far more even coating than can possibly be secured in any other form. Scale. Unless the plant affected with this insect is very valuable, by all means destroy it at once. This little pest spreads slowly, but very surely, and it takes a long time to clear a plant. Use a solution of soft soaj) of double strength, with the addition of a very little paraftin oil ; a tablespoonful to a quart of insecticide will be sufficient. Wipe the plant over with this solution every day, taking care not to have much in the sponge or brush, as it should not be allowed to run down the stem of the plant to the roots. Red Rust, or Orange Fungus. I know of no cure for this, but it very seldom attacks plants grown under glass, and as it seldom puts in an appearance out of doors until the main crop of bloom is secured, it is not so formidable as many other diseases. Maggots. These, the larvise of the Tortrix Bergman- niaua, are very destructive among Roses ; they eat out the tips of the young growths just as the flower-buds are forming, and if they do not quite destroy the embryo bud, they gener- ally injure it enough to stop its opening into a perfect bloom. Hand-picking is the only sure remedy for these. When engaged in killing these insects, care should be taken not to disturb the tree more than can be helped ; if you shake it in any waj', the maggots suspended upou threads will drop from the plants and so escape. There is generally a maggot inside of the leaves that are curled up, and it is a good plan to gently and yet firmly .squeeze this between the finger and thumb, and so crush it. Thrips and Red Spider. These give more trouble during the hotter paits of the summer than in the spring. They are very difficult to get rid of after they have been allowed to gain a footing, and should never be found upou Roses under glass. Syringing with the mixture recommended above and an occasional slight fumigation will keep the plants free from these. There is a larger and darker coloured variety of thrips which sometimes attacks the Rose blooms. All light coloured and thin-petalled varieties are completely spoilt when attacked by this insect. I have never seen Roses under glass troubled with this variety, but in some seasons out of doors I have lost immense quantities of good flowers through its attacks. It leaves a dirty brown mark all over the blooms and feeds upon the coating of the petals. A. P. Button-hole Roses. — Where Roses are wanted for button-holes, there should be specially culti- vated Ma Capucine. the loveliest of all Rose-buds for the purpose, and Mme. Chedane Guinoisseau, a beautiful long bud of a clear rich yellow colour. Most Rose-buds are too fat for button-holes, or, if small enough, do not show their colour sufficiently ; but the two above-named varieties seem to have been raised expressly for the purpose.— T. W. G. Hybrid Tea Roses. — When I gave a short article on the above (page 390) I quite omitted to call attention to one very peculiar point in classi- fying these Roses. The newer introduction, de- scribed as a white La France and named Augustine Guinoisseau, is a sport from La France, and yet more than one of our leading growers catalogue it among the Hybiid Teas, while at the same time they class LaFiance among the Hybrid Perpetuals. I had hoped someone would have attempted to discuss the question, as it is only by getting the opinions of'several practical men that one can see 22 THE GARDEN. [January 9, 1892. his way to attempt a remedy for this very in-and- out classification of one of our sweetest and most useful sections of Rnses. I believe this class will be very largely increased, and with such frraud Roses as Viscountess Folkestone, Lady M. Filzwilliam and many others already recognised as undoubtedly Hybrid Teas, it seems quite time we had some deci- si.in on the subject. — RiDGEWOOD. Koses. — I was surprised to find Mr. Girdlestone in his otherwise admirable paper on Roses, pub- bslied recently, advising the pl.anting of Noisette Lamarque as a house Rose. That its Ijuds are of a lo\ely nature and of the purest white if taken ofli just as they expand 1 .admit, but the habit of blooining in considerable clusters on strong wood is objectionable in a house Rose, and I have always found, so far as market flowers are concerned, tliat everyone jirefers Roses in ,a cut state on fairly long stems. Then being a Noisette, the variety is but a fleeting bloomer. That, indeed, is the great fault of Mar^chal Niel, for that as well as Lam,T,rque gives us a we.alth of blooms for some three or four weeks, and then all is over for the year. Lamarque is also devoid of perfume. It is a very pretty Rose on a wall or fence outdoors, but there it also suffers from the comparative shortness of its season. Hence it is that for the production of white Roses which are also perfumed, good Teas are always best, be- cause tliey are almost perpetual : indeed, .as a. rule, are far more fittingly so described than are tlie Hybrid Pei-]ietual race. Tea Roses may be said, either outdoors or under glass in warmth during the winter, to be never out of bloom. They are cut hard when taking off flowers, then break and bloom .again, and so keep on for several months. It is but needful to have plants, which have been par- tially rested during the summer aiul have made strong growth, towards the autumn got under .glass and into warmth and near the gliiss to have plenty of flowers through the winter. When we get good blooms of Niphetos, S. A. Prince, The Bride. &c.. what can be more pleasing or satisfactory? To ha\e such flowers sprinkled as it were o\er a long season is far better tlian to have a glut of flowers such as Lamarque gives. — A. D. Chrysanthemums. CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. The exchange of ide.as now being carried on in other gardening journals besides your own will assist in bringing about stmie changes I, as well as other Chrysanthemum exhibitors, desire. Witli regard to the alteration in the size of boards for the Ja{)anese blooms, I cannot agree that there is any immediate need for change. We h.ave not yet more tlian half-a-dozen sorts which would look better over C inches apart, nor h;ive I seen a .single stand exhibited that would, in my opinion, have been improved with greater space between the Howers. We have dift'erent ways of setting off our flowers as we think to the best advantage, one exhibitor placing all the largest blooms in the back row, which possibly would be better seen if mixed evenly over the whole stand ; .another going to the other extreme in pntting the heaviest in the front row, with a tliought, no doubt, of catch- ing the judge's eye. At the same time, I think that in the not far distant future, if tlie prevail- ing taste for something big then exists, there will be a long list of giant flowers in the field. But exhibitors themselves will gradually bring about the change. Another thing to liasten the .size of the stand, and a change which should have precedence, will be the parting of the incurved and Japanese sections. Mr. Molyneux's half measure in so slightly increasing the size of stands will not, however, do at all, and his idea of societies not being able to find space seems somewhat we.ak. He has instanced tliat of Birmingham as being crowded, and there may be one or two otliers, but the great majority of the managers of Chry- santhenuim show.s will, I imagine, hail with delight any change likely to take up more space and thus ])rovide more, if possible, .at each succeeding ex- hibition, for the money of those who p.ay for en- trance into them. 1 i)ropose, therefore, athorough alteration, if one is to be made, and should like a stand for twelve blooms to be 32 inches long by 24 inches, wliich wcjuld ;dlow 8 inches be- tween each bloom and 4 inches margin on all sides. The parting of incurved from the Japa- nese will, as I have said, pave the w.ay for larger stands, for it would seem against the fitness of things to see in a forty-eight Ijloom class the two sections side by side, one with boards of greater dimensions than the (^ther. I myself have more than once had cau.se to conifjlain of existing arrangements, whereby, tlirough losing points in the Japanese, I have not licen so near tlie goal, as the incurved blooms, f(.)r which I have an especial fondness, would have carried me. The National Chi-ysanthemum So- ciety leads the way in the matter, in most classes the two sections being apart, and it does not seem at all objectionable for such a class as that known as " National competition " remain- ing as it is, for when two or more in a locality combine, the produce of one grower can bal.ance that t>f another. With challenge vases, too, there would be some difficulty, although I, for one, do not think Chrysanthemum exliiliitions would lose much by their being discontinued. Contests for cups and so on have undoubtedly done a good deal in the past to foster the love for and encour.age the growth of this flower, and the prestige of a society which bears the attractive name of National, and, may be, one or two others, may bring to the same a few entries. Societies ottering the best prizes will be the centres of attraction and obtain the most interesting competiti(jns. The i-emarks of "A Grower" in your first issue of the year on "Chrysanthemums, new and old," were to me such pleasity that these beautiful Orchids should lose their fohage just before flowering. The spot at limes seen on the leaves is, I think, caused by a stagnant atmosphere or too much moisture ; those who are trouVjled with this defect should suspend their plants nearer to the glass. Of the evergreen C'a- lanthes, notice should be taken of C. veratrifolia for the summer ; it is not, however, one that can be expected in quantity, not being so readily in- creased. For the early spring there is C'islogyne cristatii, an Orchid that can be easily propagated when necessary. It delights in an abundance of moisture both at the roots and in the atmosphere : It does not require too much heat. A stove is too warm a place ; what some would term a cool stove or a teui|)erate house would be better. When grown in a span-roofed house, the most shady side should be chosen. Increase as well as potting should be seen to soon after flowering before the young growth is very far advanced. Of all the Oi-chids grown, none probalily is more iio]iular than Dendrobium nobilc, one of the best for all-ro\ind purposes. In the past there has been considerable discussion at v.arious times as to its treatment. From close observation, I think the system of pruning advocated by some growers is correct. In my own case I have proved this to my complete satisfac^tion when not carried to an undue extent. Some of the finest plants to be found of this Dendrobe are in a gardener's charge wlio prunes, and has done so for several years. After flowering. the potting should be seen to as growth is about to recommence ; then when this is fairlv started the plants may have all the heat with moisture that can be given them ci)mbined with shade. Tbe temperature and other treatment given to Pines when growing will suit them well, with shading. When the growth is completed towards the autumn, then foil exposure in a cioler and more airv house is necessary to ripen the bulbs as well as to give the plants a rest before being brought into flower. The plants should not, however, be kept so dry as to cause the bulbs to shrivel ; this is not neces.sarii'. The young growths that push forth in place of flowers at times upon the sjiikes should be taken off when of fair size with roots of their own f(n- a young stock. These occur more frequently when the plants have not been well rested. Failing a better place, I would both grow them suspended and rest them after the same fashion. For the late autumn and up to Christmas the fine old Cj-pripe- dium insigne is a most valuable Orchid, I remem- ber a plant of this variety some years ago that was grown most successfully in an ornamental eart lien- ware basket, being suspended within about 1« inches of the glass in a stove at the cool end all the year round. It frequently used to be dry in hot weather; then it would be given a dipping, yet it used to flower exceedingly well. For my own ]iart when the growth is completed I would prefer to keep the plants in an airy house, not too much exposed, or in cold frames with shade from the sun, taking them back to the hou.ses in September, doing well then with Coelogyne cristata. C. Lee- anum. a fine hybrid variety of diverse form, bids fair to be a worthy companion to the foregoing ; it will, without doubt, be more and more grown, eventually becoming as plentiful as C. insigne. To ■all appearance, as far as I have been able to judge, it requires the same treatment also. C. barbatum in its best varieties is very useful during the sum- mer season, but it should, if possible, have a few degrees more warmth than either of the foregoing ; the stove in the winter-time is the best place for it. Here also should be grown C. Sedeni, another well- known hylu'id ; this I have grown to a large size in a few years. It is not difficult to have it in flower for six months or longer at a stretch. C. Spicerianum. with its distinct dorsal sepal, should also he in- cluded ; it is one of those compact-growing kinds that will yield a quantity of flowers from a little compass. Of the Cattleyas, there are C. Mendeli, C Mossife and C. Trian:e, withC. gigas also, all of which in their season flower freely, covering a period of about five months. Failing a better pilace, the.se will make and complete their growth very well in a stove that is not kept excessively hot or moist ; afterwards, if more light and air can be given in another house, so much the better. When this cannot be, then do as in other cases — suspend them near to the glass until they are again coming into flower. lam no advocate for disturbing them at the root every year when they are thriving well. Lselia anceps and its varieties should be grown in good numbers to cheer the Orchid lover during the dull days of winter ; it will thrive well with the foregoing Cattleyas. Other excellent Den- drobes are D. Ainsworthi, which grows as freely as D. nobile, and D. Dearei, a beautiful variety that lasts in flower a long time, thriving well when treated generously, D. formosum gigan- teum is not such a difficult jjlant to manage as some would have us believe; at least 1 have closely observed some plants that from year to year flower well after having made their growth in a warm stove with moisture in abundance, the plants being suspended from the roof. This variety may be had in flower from August to November without any difficulty where a few plants are grown. Cymbi- diura Lowianum is a noble growing Orchid, an ornament to any plant stove when not in flower, but much more so when it is ; its spikes will last quite three months in good condition. To grow it well it should be treated liberally, being well supplied with water whilst growth is active. Another good old Orchid, and one that flowers freely, is Aerides odiu-atum, whicli is quite at home in an ordinary stove temperature. Like many others, it will last in nuich better condition whilst in flower if removed to n rather cooler and drier house. Of the Onci- diums, I would recommend that old variety 0. flexuosum, a very pretty and free-flowering kind ; this might fairly be grown by the dozen for cutting, for when not cut too long in the first instance the spikes will break again, thus a crop can be h.-iil fnuu May to September if necessary. It is easily grown and as easily propagated, and when not in flower should be kept in the stove. O. incurvum, although rather more difficult to grow, is a beautiful variety, and well worthy of careful .attention ; so also is O. tigrinuui, .'1 cool house variety, very showy whilst in flower. Phaius grandifolius is another fine old Orchid, very useful in the spring upon the plant, also for cut- ting. This whilst it is in flower will stand well in a comparatively cool honse, being kept in heat to make its growth, when it should be treated liberally. In only a few cases is Vanda teres grown in- quantity, yet it may be purchased cheaply enough^ either singly or by the dozen. It should be. kejjt moist at the root whilst in growth with pilenty of exposure, or, in other words, should be almost roasted ; then it will flower well the follow-' ing season. Besides Oncidium tigrinum named' above, there are others for the cool house, as Odon- toglossum crispum and its nearly allied forms, as well as O. grande, still a fine old plant for the autumn ; this variety with Lycaste Skinneri should not be kept very cool, an intermediate house will suit them ; whereas Odontoglossum crispum and others that are known as cool house Orchids will, I consider, do well if treated in about the same way as herbaceous Calceolarias, but with a temperature not below 40° or above 50° at night during the winter months. The best plants of 0. crispum that I have grown were during the sum- mer-time kept in a sliaded Camellia house on a slielf near the glass, being removed in the autumn to a cool fernery with a temperature of about 45° and still up to the glass. Frequently the moisture used to stand upon the foliage all day long, yet, although I somewhat feared the results, not the slightest harm was done. With the list enumerated it would not be difficult to keep up a good sup- ply of bloom when grown in quantity. They are .all ameniible to cultivation with other plants, whether it is in the warm stove, the temperate house, or the cool house. It is a mistake to think that Orchids cannot be grown well unless they have houses specially set apart for them, although I would not object to such had I the opportunity of choice, Pl.\xtsm.\s. Renanthera Lowi. — This plant has been blooming for a long time in the gardens of Mr. Measures, The Woodlands, Streatham. It is carry- ing two spikes of flowers, which are very elegant. One of the great peculiarities of this plant is in its ]5roducing three of the tawny-yellow flowers at the base of each spike instead of two, which latter is the most common number; indeed, I do not re- member to have seen a plant before with the same number as this specimen. — W. Oncidium Jonesianumflavens.— It iscurious how seldom one now sees this fine plant, for the introduction of which we are originally indebted to Mr. Horsman, of Colchester. Flowers of the yellow variety come from Germany. It was named flavens by Reichenbach in 1.S88, and later on it was figured in the Orchid Album, t. 3G0, The flowers are about the normal size, the ground colour of the sepals and petals being pale yellowish green, dotted and s]iotted with a deeper yellow ; the lip pure white with a yellow crest. This Orchid has, I think, been greatly misunderstood, many people endeavouring to grow it in the cool house. I have seen the best results from plants that have been grown in strong heat with a nice moist atmosphere. — W. H. G. Cypripedium festum. — This is a new hybrid, a cross between C. chloroneurum and C. barbatum Warnerianum. It is a very neat and brightly- colonred flower. The sepal is white, veined T\ith light emerald-green, the veins all ending within the edge, leaving a marginal border of white all round; lower sepal small, white, veined with bright green; petals slightly dcfiexed, somewhat broad, rosy-pur- ple on the apical portion, passing into a paler hue lielow. and having a few black streaks in the middle towards the base, upper edge green, having a row of hairy, lilack. warty spots. In some forms January 9, 1892,] THE GARDEN. 27 there arc one or two spots on the lower marpins ; the pouch or Up is sHghtly pointed in front, suffused with brownisli-purple, and paler beneath. This plant comes to me from the Orchid nursery of Messrs. Seeger and Tropp, Dulwich.— W. H. G. Pogonia discolor. — '• C. B." sends me a flower from a bulb received last season from the moun- tain regions of Java under the name of Ripho- steraon sp., and wants to know if it is rightly named. I think it was known under the name you give it, and under whicli it was first received. It was, however, afterwards named by Blume as quoted above. The flowers are in pairs, the sepals and petals spreading, nearly equal, narrow, and of a dull brownisli green ; the lip white, with a greenish disc. Its flowers are of little value, but later on it will develop a leaf which is very effec- tive ; so much so, that if I had several bulbs I should plant them in the same pot, choosing the sides of the pot. The leaf is solitary, somewhat cordate in shape, about 4 inches across, strongly ribbed with numerous radiating nerves of a deep bronzy red, the ground colour being deep olive- green, flushed with a bluish green hue. The whole of the upper surface is covered with reddish hairs, the under part being rosy purple. These leaves last a long time. It is not very frequently met with, but its beauty should render it a favourite. It belongs to the deciduous terrestrial kinds, which are not favourites with our Orchid growers. It should be potted in well-drained pots in a soil composed of good light loam and peat with some sand added, the soil being below the pot's rim, as for any other stove plant. It likes the temperature of the East Indian house. — W. H. G. AN^^ECTOCHILI. Where can we go at the present day to find a collection of these plants' / Collectors now seem to pass them by. Some years ago the Messrs. Low and Co., of Clapton, astonished the Orchid world with some new kinds from Borneo. Could they not reintrodncn them 1 I think Mr. William Bull introduced the latest new kinds, these having been collected by the unfoi-tunate Mr. Freeman. With Aniectochili are usually associated the various species and varieties of Goodyeras and Physurus, tlie whole forming a very bright group of variegated plants, which it would be hard to equal, and certainly very difficult to surpass. Anrectochili grow slowly, and it is not reasonable to expect large specimens, but they may be increased easily by cuttings. This is decidedly beneficial to them, as it prevents them from flowering, which I always look upon as being disastrous to their welfare ; in fact, I consider the flower- ing of the plants fatal to their existence, and I seldom could save the plants after they had bloomed. In years gone by I used to grow a very large quantity of these. I do not consider that Anrectochili are difficult to grow. I am under the impression that naturally the plants are not long-lived, but tliat they flower and seed, the old plant dying and many others springing up from the seeds scattered around. The only way to preserve the plants is by frequently cutting them ; this is done by taking ofi' the top below the adventitious root on the stem. The old .stool will readily put out more shoots. These plants may be kept in a separate place for cutting from. For these plants I dislike bell-glasses, unless they have a hole in the top, and then they are useful, but the ordinary bell-glass tilted up at the side I consider retains sucli a quantity of vitiated air, that the plants soon become poisoned with it, and it breeds a green slime on the surface, con- tact with which the roots resent. I prefer for these plants a shallow frame, covering it with loose panes of glass, so that they may be opened or ,shut at will, giving more or less air as may be necessary to their welfare. This case or frame should occupy a position on the north side of the East Indian house. The bottom of the case should be covered with a good layer of crocks, broken small for the con- venience of standing the pots upon. This should again be covered with a layer of Sphag- num Moss of sufficient depth to allow of tlie pots being quite buried in it when they are plunged. Anaectochili are frequently killed by being kept too warm and dry in the winter. They thrive Ijest when plenty of fresh air is ad- mitted and the sun's rays are never allowed to reach them. They sliould be well shaded dur- ing the summer months, at which season the temperatiire should i-ange between 70° and 75°, or as near that as possible. At this time the atmosphere should be well charged with mois- ture. In the winter a temperature of C0° or 6.5° will be sufficient, and to maintain a humid atmosphere the panes of glass should be closed, or neirly so. The soil I have found best for these plants is a mixture of a little fibrous peat, a small jjortion of good leaf-mould, some chopped Sphagnum Moss, to which should be added some sharp clean sand, and some fine charcoal. Repotting should be done at the end of the present month or in the beginning of February, at which season a slight advance in the tempe- rature will be advisable. The plants do not re- quire large pots. In potting do not press the soil down too firmly, as the thick fleshy roots are clothed with a thick woolly covering and cannot easily penetrate it if made too firm. Towards the end of February a greater amount of water will be necessary biith at the roots and in the atmosphere. This should be in- creased as the days lengthen and the weather gets warmer. About the end of September or beginning of Oct(jber a great reducticm in the ((uantity given will be necessary, but at no sea- son must the plants be allowed to feel the want of moisture. In the above manner I have grown a very large quantity of these plauts. Some of the Goodyeras also grow well in com- pany with the above, but those which come from Japan grow well in the Odontoglossum house, while the species from North America I have cultivated very successfully in a cold frame. Wii. Hu(iH Gower. Its upright ro.^y purple or pink pouch render.? it very attractive, whilst the li.-ibit of the plant is very stately, rioworing now in the very dullest time of the year it IS doubly welcome— W. H. G. The Elephant's-head (Masdevallia elephanti- ceps).— I am asked by J. Koutsiusky, of Hamburg, if this species is ahve in England. Although it is, as reports go, I have never seen a flower like those I have seen figured. It is reported to have been introduced by Mr. Shuttleworth, of Clapham Par'i, but I cannot say if aiiy of the plants are now living. I should cer- tainly like to see it iu bloom in this country. — W. H. G. Cattleya luteola (Mr.i. O'A'ee/e).— The flowers of the species you send are thos i of the above. It is a very good form of the plant, and is better known iu gardens perhaps by the name of C. Holfordi. It is known al^o as C. modesta and C. Meyeri, but the name C. luteola was given it by our great authority upon Orchids, and which name it still retains. The pliut does well in moderate he it. It lives shade and moisture, and now is the right time for it to he bloom- mg.— W. H. 6. SHORT NOTES.— 0RCBID8. Dendrobium Cassiope.— Tliis plant was said l)y me ti have been raised by Mr. Sander, of St. Albans, but I find that Mr. Cooksou, of Wylani-on- Tyne, was the raiser of this beautiful liybrid Dendro- bium.—W. n. G. Cypripedium Masereelianum.— " J. B." smids a flower of a beautitul variety of Leeanum, but it appears to me to be that of the above-named variety. The Jotted lines on the dorsal sepal appear more dis- tinctly in rows than in any C. Leeanum I have seen. It is a very beautiful flower. — W. H. G. Laelia autumnalis alba.— Tliis lovely and rare variety is now flowering iu the nurseries of Mr. B. S. Williams and Sou at Holloway. It was, I believe, imported by the firm, and it is very satisfactory to find that the first plant to flower has proved true, the blooms being of the purest white. — G. Cattleya Percivaliana. — " G. S." sends flowers of this form of labiata saying it is the finest variety he has seen, and asking my opinion of it. It is a very pretty and good form, but it is almost identical with the variety figured in The Gakden, June 8, 1889. This Cattleya appears to be somewhat late in flower- ing this season, but a nice form like the one sent is pleasing. — G. Cypripedium Schroederse. — I have received flowers of this species from J. McNab and from Mr. Cypher, and the varieties are identical. The plant is a cross between C. eaudatum and C. Sedeni, the latter itself a hybrid. It is one of the very best hybrid Cy- pripediums, both as regards size of flower and colour. Flower Garden. IUFTEI3 PANSIES. Mr. W. Cqthbertson, of EotJiesa}-, wlio tliinks Pansies are not Pansics, lias been send- ing round for notes from people wlio object to our attempt to get rid of the ridiculous con- fusion resulting from calling what are really Pansies with a difference of habit by the old Latin name of the genus Viola. The plants of this genus — the natural species — are many of them good garden plants— the Bird's-foot, alpine, and other charming hardy flower.^ which are referred to often in garden litera- ture. There are probably more than one hundred species of the family all entitled to this old Latin name, and many of them of some garden value. Most of the writers dis- creetly withhold their reasons ; a few oidy speak distinctly. Viola, I consider, it the proper name, and anijone with a hnon-Jcd'02. burgh. This lu'iii ha.l in my of tlieso chinn- ing ftowors at a tim? whuu thuy were very little asked foriu England, ami it was ia their nurseries I fir^t was ciiarniod witli the pure, and delicate colours of these flowers. Mr. J. D. Stuart, of Bidfast, oilers us a reason or two : — While all Pansies are ^'il)lall, no Viola cxcipt tri- color, awl mick as liare been dcrUrd from it, la entitled to the name of Paiisij. The i/iiesfio't as to whether ]'iolcis nut *' tufted," or stolouiferous, in habit are descended from ]'. tricolor is quite another matter. Mr. Stuart seems to have nodou:)t that the Pansy is derived from Viol.i tricolor, but the man who of all I everinct knewErili-li flowers, including our native Viola=, best (the late Bos- ■well Syme, author of tlie last edition of " English Botany," and the most precious book ever written on the subject) did not believe it, and he was a gardener as well as a botanist. Whatever species theold Pansies may have arisen from, no one can doubt that all Pansies come from one or more wild species of Viola growing somewhere on the moun- tains of Europe. From observation of many thousand Pansies in my own garden, I think all the larger hybrids of Viola are liest called by some Engli-sli name. If Violas n-sre all tufted in habit . we might retain the term, but in named varieties not one in in-elre is tufted.— G&ORGa MoLeod, F.R.H S , Chinfjford. Mr. McLeod, like others, has not taken the trouble to And the meaning of the term " tufted," and his statement that not one in twelve is tufted is far from exact. The term " tufted " has been used, and very pniperly used, to distinguish plants of a spreading habit, like Pinks, Aubrietia and alpine Violets, from plants with simple erect stems, like, say, the Stock, Lupine and Aster. Sometimes the two forms of habit occur in the same family ; for instance, there are Violas that are tutted and spread about, rooting too about the collar, and Violas that are not — just as the German, French, and other Pansies in our gardens do not spread at the root, as the tufted Violets or Pansies do. Plants of this " tufted " habit, very properly distinguished in all languages that treat of plants, in addition to forming eyes at or below the " collar," as perennials do, are often a mass of delicate rootlets even above the ground, so that they are easily increased. Hence when the Pansies of all other kinds die or are hanl to keep after flowering, those crossed with the alpine species remain with us like true peren- nials, and are most easily increased. I have all the varieties worth growing, and many plants of each in which this habit is constant. It is not only by suckering and running at the root that these plants are "tufted," for the great majority of them are also more compact in haljit than the ordinary Pansy, whether of English, French or German strains. Their sheets of delicate colour are nearer the earth than those of the other Pansies, as I can say from having employed them perhaps more than anyone else in large groups in the flower garden. The proof of this will also be furnished by some pictures made in my garden in the pa^t summer by Mr. j\l'. CHRISTMAS ROSES. It is more eiisy to imagine tlian describe tlie great blank that would exist in our gardens at this season oftheyearbutfortheever-welcomegenusHelleboruf, and particularly that section of it which everyone recognises under the familiar name of Christmas Rose. It is a flower that everyone may grow to perfection with comparative, if not perfect ease. Christm'is Roses will grow freely in the ma- jority of loamy soils, and frequently in the greatest luxuriance in those which are clayey and heavy, so that in these respects there is little to hinder or prevent anyone int3rested in their cultiva- tion from having abundance of pure white hand- some blossoms in the dullest and dreariest season of the whole year. All who grow them for home decoration know full well their capabilities of endurance in a cut state. Few things look more handsome than these when arrangeil with hardy foliage in large bowls or vases. In the case of most flowers we incline to the belief that they always look better when arranged with their own foliage, and with the Hellebores we have ample proof of the pleasing effects of their leaves when growing in large established clumps. But it so happens that while Xature permits the wholesale gathering of the flowers of these plants, it strongly resents all attempts at defoliation, and loss of foliage, either purposely removed or from accidental causes, will be sure to be felt and seen in the time to come. This is an important item which should never be lost sight of. I was never more forcibly struck with the truth of this than when some dozen or so years since I received large quantities of imported Hellebores, the whole of which, evidently by a sys- tematic thoughtlessness, had been shorn of allthe'.r leaves to very near the level of the crowns. This was productive of fatal results ^ntwo distinct ways; first, the plants had merely been placed in the boxes with little or no packing, with the result that they were heated in transit and many of them root ■and crown were quite rotten when unpacked, and a far greater number freely covered with a white mould that meant certain death hereafter. Those that came to hand thus were not worth the case they were packed in. But had these jilants been packed with their foliaje intact, even without any other material, the plants could not have lain so thickly or so solidly together, and the result, as I afterwards proved, was far moresatisfactoiy, so far at least as their better condition and freedom from rot and disease were concerned when they came to hand. Even if the plants escaped the disease dur- iug transit, which is rare, there is the sure tendency to deterioration, if not death, of those plants si treated, for even in those cases where the foliage is (juite yellow and apparently useless there is still vitality in the stalks, and even if this lie much re- duced and less active, what remains serves to assist in the sending forth of fresh roots and leaves for building up the future plant. Though I have mentioned these facts, let it not be thought that I am in favour of collected plants — far from it, for many thousands of them that reach this country are very inferior to quite ordinary forms of H. niger, and not worth planting in English gardens as compared with the several handsome .and genuine forms that can be obtained. The flowers from these cheap imported Hellebores are a mixture of green, rose, and dirty white, and for- cibly illustrate a wholesale sort of deterioration from bad to worse through many past generations. and anyone had better be content with one really good specimen of the right sort than fill valuable ground with what is simply so many inferior seed- lings. Very diflterent things are the'hamlsome and free-flowering kinds which are so freely commented upon from time to time in the pages of the horti- cultural press, for these are worth a place in any garden, and the owner of large established clumps of them is invaribly justly proud of them. From such as these endless supplies are forthcoming for a long-continued period, the earliness or lateness of which depends very considerably upon the mild- ness or severity of the season. Assuming that pure flowers are most appreciated, it is always well in ])lanting to either devote beds entirely to them, in which case at flowering time they may be protectefl with spare lights to keep off smut and soot so generally prevalent in or near large towns, and in like manner the rains that disfigure the blossoms, or they may be planted permanently in the borders with a view to covering them with large bell-gla.sses or hand-lights. .Some I know resort to lifting them and taking them into the greenhouse to produce their flowers, but I have never favoured the adop- tion of this latter by reason of the risk and loss of roots that must follow the operation. Then, again, there is naturall}' undue excitement caused to the plants themselves, and these latter when presently flowering shall be completed have again to be planted in the open ground to do battle with all weathers. Much the most satisfactory course to pursue if plants must be introduced into the greenhouse is to specially prepare a batch by planting them in large pots or tubs twelve months in advance, plunging them to their rims in the ground and well supplying with water and liquid manure during the dry season. Plants thus pre- pared would hardly feel the change and may do duty for two years in this manner without receiving very serious mischief. There is, however, no method of cultivating these valuable mid-winter flowers so easy and sn simple as that of planting them in deep well-en- riched soil in the open ground ; it is within the reach of all, and few who take their cultivation seriously in hand need fear failure. There is, how- ever, an item or two of importance in the proper season for planting them and in the position they should occupy to which I will briefly allude. Of all the months in the year I consider the latter part of September the best season for planting or transplanting, because it is at this time that the new large main roots are emitted from the crowns, and it will be seen how important it is that these should be retained intact. This, however, can only be done by planting in advance as it were, the best guide being the weather at the time stated, and provided September is a dry month, the plant- ing will be as well deferred for some time. The main roots to which I have referred are only of annual occurrence, and injury to them or loss' en- tirely cannot be recovered for a whole year. Some times, however, these roots when broken bre;ik again on the sides of the main, in which case the check is only temporary and slight. But while I ha\-e pointed to what I regard as the best sea,son of the year for planting Christmas Roses, it does not follow that they may not be planted at anv other time. for. as a matter of fact, there are thousands of plants annually planted or trans- planted in open wejither from the time stated to the middle or even the end of March. Late planting, however, can only be accomplished with success in certain districts and under special circumstances. In southern districts, and particularly on light soils, it is positively injurious to plant so late as March, and much loss would follow if dry parching winds .should prevail about that time. At this hate season, too, the young foliage is being developed, and it is equally important that planting should be done when these leaves are dormant : in short, for general purposes, autumn planting, from an all- round point of view, will invariably give much the best results. With regard to position, provided they are away from surface-roots of trees and in a good depth of soil, they wDl succeed in varying positions, but best if always protected from north and east by shrubs or Evergreens. AVhen applying manure at planting time, only that thoroughly de- composed should be employed, working it in deeply into the trench as the work proceeds. Although large plants have a prepossessing appearance in gardens, there is no gain in the quantity of flowers they yield by allowing them to get too large ; in fact, the percentage of flowers (and of good-sized flowers more particularly) is rather increased by frequent division, say every third year, dividing into small plants of about three crowns each. The planting of verv- large clumps intact is a mistake, and frequently involves a great loss of valuable roots and general deterioration of the entire clump. I once attempted it (some fifteen or eighteen years since) with a couple of handsome specimens, each over 2 feet across, and though every preparation was made and the plants lifted and planted in- stantly in 'A feet of splendid soil, they soon lost all their foliage, and the following autumn I found on examination that the roots were nearly all rotten. Had I broken up the specimens into mode- rately sized plants all would have been well, because these would have received immediate benefit from the new main roots. The most notable and worthy kinds are major, maximus or altifolins, the ginnt Hellebore (flowering in November and onwards), St. Brigid or angustifolius, the Riverston variety, and Mme. Fourcade. In every garden there is room for this selection of kinds, and they should be grown not only for their indi\idual worth and dis- tinctness, but because they afford a long unbroken season of these trulj' indispensable flowers. E. Jenkins. LUium longiflorum Wilsoni Martagon Martagon dalmaticum pardaliDum ponipouiura verum speciosum Knttzeri speciosum rubrum Szovitiianum tigriuum splendena tigrinuni fl.-pl. testaceum Batemanoiit? A SELECTION OF LILIES. Having been recently asked to compile a list of two dozen Lilies for an open border in which the soil is a good friable loam, the saiil list to contain only those that might be depended uijon to K>J I saw a note, signed, I think, " Cornuljian," advocating more room when sowing Celery, growing it more naturally with less heat, and advising sowing thinly in frames and tramsplanting direct into the trenches. It was excellent advice, as the Celery never flags, goes away at once, ami is far more satisfactory than when planted in a drawn, weakly state, flagging every day till it has made new roots to support it. With large market growers it may be necessary to earth up quickly; often the work is done by the piece. I would also advise the use of fish manure. Slugs do not like it. It should be applied two or three times while the Celery is making its growth. I formerly used salt, but fish manure is much better, as it can be used in wet seasons. I quite agree with shallow trenches, these tieing the rule now in most gardens. A Celery Grower. Potatoes. — Evidence of the great difficulty there is found in following the advice of any one writer in relation to Potatoes is found on page 591. There Jlr. Burrell strongly urges reliance henceforth upon early varieties, whilst lower down " S. H." shows how disastrously affected were the early varieties with disease in his case. Without doubt the midseason sorts are the most unreliable gener- ally, and the grower is wisest who plants largely of both first early and late robu.st varieties. I was surprised to find such a coarse inferior variety as Imperator being recommended for general culture. This is a large cropper, but the tubers are invari- ably big, coarse, and of the worst quality, and in the market are always amongst those quoted at the lowest price. There are many very much better varieties than Imperator. The variety Covent Gar- den Perfection very largely enjoys that immunity from disease which characterises Magnum Bonum, of which it is own brother, for both come from the same batch of seedlings. It is not, however, in many soils a very good cropper. Really good q\iality in Potatoes of any description is far from being common, as it was impossible under the adverse conditions of weather which prevailed dur- ing last season for tubers to be fully matured. After such a wet winter as we are now experienc- ing I would .strongly advise Potato planting next spring to be rather late than early, as the soil will need to be well dried. — A. D. Garden Flora. PLATE 839. FUCHSIA TRIPHYLLA.-* This pretty species of Fuchsia has a history of nn>re than ordinary interest. It was dis- covered nearly two centuries ago in the island of San Domingo or Hayti by Father Humier, a French botanist, who published a picture and description of it in 1703, founding the genus Fuchsia upon it. After this no one appears to have ever found the plant again, either in San Domingo or anywhere else, until the year 1873, when Mr. T. Hogg, of New York, brought a plant or fresh seeds of it from San Domingo, and sold it to an American nurseryman. In 1882 Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son, of St. John's Wood, sent a plant of it in flower to Kew to be determined, with the * Drawn for The art, altlmutrh it wnuld not be considered an advance perhaps, I wciuld decidedly prefer to judge Melons by weight in ]iroportion to size, combined with a good perfume and well-finished culture. We do not cut Melons before they are placed upon the table ; they have to be judged then by the points given above. It is a waste of good fruits to cut tliein ; of course inferior ones ilo not reipiire consideration. Of Grajies I consider that two bunches are always enough of any one kind ; less of the trebles and more classes for single bunches, so that small growers had a better chance, w'ould be better. Vegetables taken as a whole are, I think, fairly well staged as to arrangement, but garnishing with Parsley should be made compulsory in all collec- tions to give more uniformity. H. THH WEEK'S WORK. HAKDY FKUITS. Destroying Moss and Lichens. — Moist sur- roundings are principally responsible for the growth of these on the stems and branches of fruit trees, and in some instances opening fresh drains or re- laying the old ones would do much towards de- stroying what are in existence and also pre\ent future growths. Where the position is low and the subsoil of a clayey nature, merely seeing to the drains is not sufficient, and in order to restore the stems of the trees to the requisite clear and healthy state, they must be thoroughly coated either with limewash or dressed with rather strong brine. The former is perhaps the best remedy, but to attempt brushing the hot. lime- water into the stems and branches of pyramid and bush trees of either Apples or Pears is a far too slow and laborious practice to be recommended, though it answers well in the case of clear stems of standards, Dredging the trees when damp with newly-slaked lime is a plan sometimes suc- cessfully resorted to, but the simplest and best practice is to roughly strain newly mixed lime- wash, making it sufficiently thin to distribute with a syringe. Discharge the mixture forcibly against the Moss and Lichen-covered stems and branches, thoroughly coating them with it, and it will not be long before its beneficial effects are observed. American blight.— Aiiparently the hard winter of 1.S90 and 1891 did much towards ridding Apple trees of this much-to-be-dreaded pest, but enough escaped to eventually stock them as bad as ever. Ordinary insecticides are of little avail against the American blight, though if petroleum and hot water are used at the rate of 8 oz. or four wine- glassfuls of the former to every 3 gallons of the latter, the oil being prevented from floating on the top of the water in the usual way. and the mixture forcibly syringed into the affected parts, most of the aphides will be destroyed. It is quite useless to substitute cold for hot water, and the latter ought to be of a temperature not less than 120°. This remedy is perhaps the best for sunnner appli- cation. At the present time raw petroleum or paraffin may safely be brushed into the infested spaces or crevices formed by the unnatural bark swellings brought out by the attacks of the blight, and even coal or gas-tar diluted to the consistencv of paint and well brushed in is a safe as well as very effective remedy. It pays well to take a little extra trouble in getting rid of these insects— in fact unless in m.any cases timely precautions are taken \aluable trees may quickly be ruined. Scale on fruit trees.— Fruit trees, notablv Apples and Pears, are liable to become badly infested with the mussel scale, these tiny insects often overrunning the stems and branches before the cultivator has taken any heed of them. If no attemjit is made to clear'trees in the open, it is very desirable that it be destroyed on wall trees, this being the proper time to set abtnit cleansing operations. Scraping and scrubbing the stems and branches, bru.shing in .a strong insecti- cide of some kind, would get rid of tlu' bulk of tlieni, but it is a rather slow process. Another time- hiimnncd plan ccuisists in syringing the trees with hot water during the prevalence of a sharp frost, and this becoming rapidly frozen, the stems and branches are encased in ice, the scale disappearing with the latter. Thoroughly moistening every part of the trees with the petroleum and hot water already alluded to is, however, the sinqilest method nf getting rid of the scale, a second application destroying all that are missed at the first svring- ing. Aphides. - There are several forms of these very troublesome to fruit growers, Peaches. Plums, and Cherries being perhaps the most liable to their attacks, the form commonly termed the black-fly being the most difficult to eradicate. A great va- riety of remedies has been recommended at different times, mo.st of them being intended for application during the summer. If, however, a determined attempt is made in January and February to destroy the eggs deposited in various nooks and crevices both above and below ground, there is far less like- lihood of bad attacks of insects taking place just when the trees ought to be making a healthy and clean growth. No better remedy can possibly be "Ifered for present application than the hot-water and petroleum used as recommended for destniy- ing American blight. This being well syringed into the branches and stems of the trees generally as well as all the wall crevices, ])lenty of the mixture dripping or running down into the borders, not much insect life or eggs will escape. A second or c\en a third application is necessary where the insects have previously been very troublesome. This simple I'emedj' has in many instances been the means of restoring Peach, Plum, and Morello and other Cherry trees once much infested by aphides to a healthy profitable state. ' W. I. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. Forcing French Beans. — With the turn of the year the forcing of French Beans is carried out with less difficulty than during the period ]u-eced- ing Christmas. Unless, however, a temperature of (J0° to G5° can be assured by artificial means, also allowing an extra 5° by day, without counting the extra rise by sun-heat, forcing cannot be carried out successfully. An effort should also be made to keep up a fair supply, for unless forced French Beans can be had regularly, the room and time had much better be given up to other things. This be- ing the case, batches of two or three dozen pots should be started at intervals of a fortnight, or not nuire than three weeks. Seven-inch or S-inch ])ots will be large enough for the present, reserving those of larger size till later on. Four or five seeds will be sufficient for each pot, this being better than a greater number, unless these should be thinned out early. The seeds should be covercil about H inches, using soil that is fairly moLst. as if water is applied too freely the seeds are liable to decay. To hasten germination the pots could be stood together on a bed where they may have the assistance of a little extra heat, but as soon as this takes place the nearer they are to the light the better. During the early stages not much water will be needed, but on no account allow the plants to become unduly dry. and as they com- mence to root freely they will take a good supply, manure water not being needed until the pots are fairly filled with roots. On mild days take the ojiportunity to give a little air. but avoid cutting winds. Half-filling the pots with soil and earth- ing u)! as socui as the seed-leaves are above the edge of the pot does more harm than good, and only adds to labour. EARLY' Carrots.— There are very few establish- iv.ents where early forced Carrots are not ajijire- ciated, and a two cu- three-light frame could not be y ut to better advantage than inprovidinga supply. A violent heat is not what is needed. A depth of about 3 feet is sufficient, taking care that this is I'rm, or else the heat will quickly expend itself, llie frame, after being placed in position, will also need otluT matcri.d jilaced within, so that the addi- tion of t; inches of light soil will bring the surface of the bed up to within 3 im-hes or 4 inches of the glass. The seeds should be snwn thinly in shallow drills 0 inches apart. A little air must be provided at the back of the frame during the warmest part of the day directly the young Carrots appear, for if kept too close they will spindle up and not bulb January 9, 1892. THE GARDEN. 35 properly. The frame should not be kept too close whilst the seed is germinating if bright days should unduly raise the temperature. Forcing Radishes. — Radishes cannot be se- cured too early, for they are sure to be appreciated, and now that the time of year has arrived for the commencement of preparations for forced garden produce, provision should be made to enable some to be secured. As in the case of Carrots, a mild and lasting hotbed is what is needed. One reason why I like to keep the Radishes from the Carrot frame is that there is not the least advantage gained by double cropping, and another reason is that the Radish seed germinates much more quickly, and early ventilation is needed to ensure the growth making satisfactory progress. The seeds should also be sown thinl}'. The soil must also be kept moderately moist, a dry soil causing the Radishes to be tough and strong in flavour. Potatoes in frames. — It is not necessary to make up the hotbeds for these unless the sets should be sprouted sutiiciently to necessitate im- mediate planting, for where the heating medium is composed solely of fermenting materials, the making up of the beds had much better be deferred until the sets are ready, this practice allowing the most to be made of the beds at a time when most needed. By making up the beds and planting before the sets are far enough advanced, the heat frotu the beds is apt to decrease, especially if a cold period should set in, unless remedial measures are taken to apply linings. The sets for planting should be arranged in shallow boxes, the crown-eye point- ing upwards, and if partially surrounded by leaf- soil, placedin a moderately warm structure andkept moist, also taking care to freely erpose them to the light, the sprouts will start away strongly. The time for making up the beds must be gauged by the time the sets will be ready. Sharpe's Victor is the earliest, but the quality not being so good as that of Mona's Pride or other approved early Ashleaf varie- ties, these should be relied upon for succession where quality is looked for. A. Young. ORCHIDS. It is impossible to give directions as to the season- able treatment the plants are to receive during certain conditions of the weather, for one never knows how soon a change may come. For a week or so we had severe frost, the thermometer falling to a point on successive nights of 1G° to IS' of frost. All at once a change came and the frost was gone, with a mild west wind blowing, the difference of the minimum temperatures being 27°. It is uncertain even what the result of one night may be. Last evening at dusk the appearance of the sky and the thermometer falling below freez- ing point led one to the belief that we were to have a sharp frost, but it was all gone by the morn- ing, and the temperature was at 45° outside. It is hot possible under such sudden changes of climate to hit the exact temperature, and if the fires were banked up at night in the expectation of frost con- tinuing, as it gave every promise of doing, it would scarcely be fair to blame the fireman for the acci- dental excess of temperature the following morn- ing. This, of course, does not often happen, for the temperature and atmospheric conditions about 10 p.m. seldom alter much before the morning. If the garden operations are rightly directed, no in- jury will be done, a little more moisture may be had in the house with a freer admission of air than usual early the next morning. With the tem- perature out of doors at 45° air may be admitted freely to the cool house, but the damping must ever be done with some thought to the conditions outside ; the atmosphere may be moisture-laden with scarcely a breath of wind, or a drying wind from the east may be blowing, but with a mini- mum temperature outside of 45°, it is evident that but little artificial heat will be needed in the cool house, and if this happens to be the case but little damping down will be needed. The result of over- dampness would be to cause some of the young growths to rot off, which they will do in certain stages of their growth at this season in a close moist atmosphere. It is best to cut these damped- off breaks clean out at the base, and the old bulbs will start at some other point. In a well-managed collection such accidents seldom happen. The right atmospheric conditions are obtainedin this, as in the other departments, by having always, when practicable, a free circulation of air through the house; although both the wall ventilators and those at the apex of the roof are open, there is no per- ceptible draught in the house when they are well placed, and the air from the lower ventilators is made to pass over the hot-water pipes. We had a dense fog last week, which contained sufficient organic matter to leave a thick black-brown de- posit on the glass ; this means extra work and some broken glass getting it washed off again, as we cannot afford to have the light obscured. The glass has needed cleaning inside and the wood- work also had become dirty ; we have begun at one end and will go right through the houses, washing and cleaning. This will employ all our spare time for a few weeks. Referring to a few special details of the requi- site attention needed for special species and varie- ties. Vanda coerulea is a very fickle subject to deal with, but when the right treatment for it has been hit upon, the plants will grow freely and continue to flower well for a lifetime. The Cat- tleya house has been recommended for it, and newlj'-imported plants will certainly succeed well there for a few years, producing admirable spikes of bloom, but they certainly degenerate rapidly in five or six years. We know two things about them in their native habitat, that they are exposed to a rather low temperature at night, the thermometer sometimes touching the freezing point, and the plants are found principally on isolated specimens of Oak trees, quite at the top and freely exposed to sunshine. Knowing something of this, I placed a number of plants at the lightest end of the Cattleya house and against the glass. They were lightly shaded from hot sunshine, but I found in this posi- tion they were not permanently successful. I moved some six or eight plants from thence to a similar position in the warmest house, and here they have remained for about twelve months, and the improvement in the appearance of the plants has been very marked. The minimum temperature has been from 8° to 10° higher where they now are. The finest specimen I have seen, and which was sold at Stevens' auction rooms for £S4 some years ago, was grown in a Cucumber house for twenty- five years by a gardener who had no special know- ledge. I believe the gold medal of the Royal Hor- ticultural Society was awarded to the owner of this tine plant, but a Cucumber house in winter is usually kept at a minimum temperature of G0° to G5°, exactly like that of a warm Orchid house. In the Cattleya house are to be found at this season various desirable species of Odontoglossums, and not the least attractive are the numerous fine va- rieties of 0. citrosmnm. This fine Mexican plant should be grown in every collection ; it is easily kept in good condition by being placed in a light position in the Cattleya house, and it may be grown in flower pots to be arranged on the side stages or suspended from the roof in teak baskets. The na- tural position of the spikes on the plants is to hang downwards, and they take this position from their first emission from the new growth. The spike comes with the growth, not, as is usually the case, after the bulbs have formed. The plants re- quire scarcely any water — just enough to keep the bulbs from shrivelling — until the young spikes are seen pushing out from the crown of the new growths ; they appear in a very early stage. This is the time to look out for slugs and the woodlice, which might destroy these slender delicate spikes in embryo. The Miltonia vexillaria is kept on the more shady side of the house, and seems to do very well there, but this species, instead of being kept ^•ery dry at the roots, must be kept sufficiently moist to maintain the Sphagnum Moss, with which the surface of the potting compound is usually clothed, in a growing state. Odontoglossum Harry- anum requires very similar treatment, and both must be kept free from the yellow thrips, which is a terrible enemy to them, and if once well esta- blished does much harm. Vanda teres is now in the lightest position we could obtain for it in tlic Cattleya house, and it seldom receives any water at the roots. The plants are in their resting period and will remain so until February, when they will have some fresh Sphagnum, clean drain- age and charcoal to root into, a higher temperature and a fair supply of tepid rain water. J. Douglas. PLANT HOUSES. Early seed-sowing. — If no Amaryllis seed has been sown, no time should be lost, so as to make the most of the coming season by an early start. This seed pays for careful sowing. It will not be any waste of time to insert each seed separately upon its edge, so as to guard as far as possible against the seeds becoming too moist before growth commences. A soil composed chiefly of good mel- low loam with a little leaf-mould and silver sand will suit very well. The seed-pan ought to be covered with a pane of glass to save repeated waterings; a steidy bottom-heat will also be an assistance; in other respects thje temperature of an ordinary stove will answer the purpose. Plants raised from autumn-sown seed should be kept in heat, so that growth progresses without any check. These young plants ought to be in 2i-inch pots with a fair quantity of roots. Do not repot, how- ever, for some lime to come; overpotting young Amaryllids is as much a mistake as in the case of older and large bulbs. If the stock of tuberous Begonias be short, or if an early lot of plants is needed to supply the places of older bulbs, some seed should be sown without delay. Begonia seed will be found to germinate well in a soil consisting mainly of leaf-mould (sifted fine) and silver sand, only a little loam being added in this instance. Bottom-heat will be found an assistance with a pane of glass over the. top of the seed-pan. A little pinch of Gloxinia seed if sown now (or soon) will provide some capital plants by July ; this may be treated like the Begonia seed just mentioned. A closer watch must, however, be kept to prevent the young plants damping off ; the moisture suited for the Begonias is too much for the Gloxinias at this juncture. Seed of the new Streptocarpus hy- brids should likewise be sown early to get large plants by the autumn following. These, like the Gloxi- nias, will require rather close looking after until well established either in small pots or collectively in pans. This seed comes up well with ordinary care and under the same treatment as that given to the Gloxinias. Those who grow that pretty plant Torenia Fournieri should sow seed of it at once. Seed of Impatiens Sultani should also be sown. These seeds do not come up so very quickly, particularly if covered anything but lightly. In any case give all the light possible as soon as the young plants are growing fairly. Do not let any be overshadowed by other and "larger plants, which not only impart shade, but have a tendency to cause drip. Jas. Hudson FUCHSIA CULTURE FOR MARKET. Long and worthily has the Fuchsia held a fore- most position among plants grown in pots for the London markets. The memory of the oldest market grower cannot recall thetimewhen Fuchsias did not constitute a prominent feature in Covent Garden, and one may safely predict that their popularity will endure through coming generations of flower lovers. More than a quarter of a century ago I had reason to admire the skill displayed by the London market gardeners in Fuchsia culture ; but althou.gh the large specimens then exhibited at the London shows were perfect in their develop- ment, the climax of successful growth as regards marketable plants has only been reached within the last decade. The growers of thirty years ago did wonderfully well, but they were but beginning to experience the benefits conferred by cheap glass and improved methods of heating and construction In many market gardens round London the greater portion of the glass houses and frames was heavil 36 THE GARDEN. |. January 9, 1892 tiraljered with small panes. These answered fairly well cliiriiig that season of the year when abund- ance of light and air could be freely given, bnt it was impossible to attain perfection of growth in them at an early period of the year. It was curimis to note how certain growers for market, who had for years oc-nipied leading positions in ('ar excellence, anil will pay the grower far better than any other in the long run if a suitable position and good land be chosen for planting, but the fruit must be stored and held li.aeli till a late se.ason to fetch the best price in the niarlcct. 'Die lack of places for storage tells uuich against the small cultivator, and retailers in towns, as a rule, cannot buy till fruit is ready for use, and even wlien they can they seem to want more than half of the profit. If growers could only ]iack in cheaply-made boxes or barrels and select the very best fruit, they might open up a trade direct with consumers, and then both would profit, the cultivator by getting more and the consumer giving less, and much more fruit would be used, as now no one gets anything like what he requires on account of the price. This is not only so in regard to Apples, but to all garden produce, and people in towns are kept short while plenty is spoiling. The fact is. we, with all our railways and means of carriage for distributing supplies, have not h.-df markets enough, and it is really sad to see the waste there is of good food. Take the case of I'lums this season, a large portion of which rotted on the trees or ground, and yet people could not buy them cheaply. — S. D. to ripen the fruit if advancing towards that condi- tion. Others will be safe enough in either a green- house or conservatory with an average temperature. H. ORANGES, CITRONS, AND LEMONS. These, where there are any symptoms of scale, which is the chief pest that infests them, should now receive a thorough good cleansing. If the plants be extra large ones and the insects numer- luis, the best way will be to give first an all-round turn with the garden engine, using water of from 100° to 120°, in which has been dissolved a reliable insecticide, according to the instructions given for its use. The higher temperature of the water will do no harm, but if there are many fruits either in tlie ripe stage or still green, the lower standard would, in my opinion, ))e the most advisable, to avoid any possible risk of injury. One of the best insecticides for syringing is the paraffin oil insecti- (■ide, which is so incorporated with soft soap as to thoroughly mix in water without any fear of in- jury in its application. Two or three syringings with this at intervals will kill the scale and very much shake the mealy bug sliould there perchance be any. Some cocoa fibre would be a good material to cover over the soil whilst this work is being performed, mounding it up around the stem so as to absorb as much as possible of the solution before it reaches the roots. After the last syringing, the additional cleansing by means of sponging should be gone into. This may take some little time if the plants be large and at the same time very dirty, but it will pay for being well done. If time cannot be spared now to do it effectually, it is very certain that no more con- venient perioil will couu: in the majority of cases. Every effort ought, therefore, to l)e made to do it well, even at the cost of time and labour These plants are grand ornaments in large houses when well cared for, but quite the reverse when lean and bare, as they most assuredly mu.st be if insects are not kept in check. Great care should be taken not to injure the fruits ; most likely they too will be some- what dirty. Particular care should be taken of the Shaddock, the Citron, and the Lemon, which are all too scarce as a rule. The stems will also re- quire cleaning, as well as other parts, to make the work effectual. Where the plants are carrving a good crop of fruits, take care that they do not be- come too dry at the roots. These "plants, as a whole, should not be allowed to suffer at any time. If excessively dry, it is diflicidt afterwards to thoroughly moisten the soil. On the other hand, any undue excess should be guarded against, which would also be injurious, more jjartirularlv at this season of the year. It is possible that there may be worms in the soil ; should tliis be the case, some lime water would assist in removing them. The Tangerine Orange, also others that are fit for des- sert, would be all the better in a temperate house PIPPIN APPLES. Pippin would appear to be simply a term apjilied to any variety of Ajiple i-aised from pijjs or seeds, this explanation being much mpre feasible than another sugge.sted during recent years, viz., that it has reference to the dots on the fruit. Any way the family is a large one, com- prising aViout eighty varieties, though witli but few characteristics in common. Of this nundier a great proportion is but little grown, most of them, in fact, gradually, or according as the old trees die, dropping out of cultivation. Tliere are several, however, that ought not to be too readily discarded in favour of more precocious bearing, and it may be more showy, varieties that do not come luider the denomination of Pippins, and foremost among these must be placed Blenheim Pippin, or Blenheim f)range as it is more generally termed. Of tlie many varieties of Apples grown in this country the Blenheim Pippin is one of the few that, in my opinion, are capable of holding their own against foreign importations, and but for one fault it might safely be considered the best and most profitable variety in cultivation. The fruit is large, attractive in appearance, and at its best at Christnuis, this being when the demand for good fruit has reached a climax. It is a splendid cooking Apple, but unle.ss I am much mi.st.aken, the bulk of the fruit is eaten raw, and with good reason too. No matter how plentiful Apples may be, the Blenlieims invari- ably realise good prices, even in the fruit-grow- ing districts of the south-we.stern counties, especially if the growers have the good sense to carefully st(jre their crops of them. Tlie one great drawback to the variety is its shy-bearing habit, young, or comparatively young trees forming little else but wood. It is not so very long after all befoi'e the trees attain a jiro- ductive state, this naturally varying from tnght to twelve years, according to the soil and locality, while the trees are then of such a size as to quite eclipse neaily everything else near them. Nor is this all, as the trees continue to improve in size and productiveness for very m.any years, large old specimens in orchards yielding extra 6ne fruit by the sack. Instances could be given of one or two large trees of this variety fre- quently producing crops of greater value than several dozen trees of other sorts either earlier in maturing or of much inferior quality. Were I at the present time ti> commence planting orchard trees for profit, standards of Blenlieini Pipiiin would be distributed about 40 feet apart each way throughout the orchard, more ])re- cociinis varieties being inters])ersed among them and treated as supernumeraries. In the course of years the Blenheims would, if they succeeded well, and they thrive in nearly every district I have ever lived in or become well acquainted with, have the whole of the orchard to them- selves, and would pay surprisingly well. This variety also succeeds fairly well under garden culture, but in this ease it is advisable to liave trees grafted on the broad-leaved Paradise stock. Cockle Pippin is a serviceable dessert va- riety, but not large enough nor showy enough for market work. For home consumption it has much to recommend if, the tree being amenable to any form of training, bearing fairly well in a young state and rarely failing when fully grown. In season from December to April, and iii qu.ility very superior. Cox's Orange Pippin has come to the front in such a marked m.-mner of late years, that little eulogy is required from me. All things considered, it is perhaps the most popular dessert Apple grown, and deservedly so. According to my ex- lierience, it succeeds best grown on the Crab stock and as a half-standard, and if hard pruning is avoided, tliis kind of tree soon attains a very productive state. It may, however, Ije successfully grown under any other form of training, but if dwarf, comparatively sturfly, and early productive trees are required, those on a dwarfing stock ought to be planted. The fruit is of meilium size, perfect in form, often highly coloured, and of superior ipiality. being fit for use from November to Feb- ruary inclusive. Fearn's Pippin may be rightly classed as a very jirofitable variety, and is popular alike with private and market growers. For a strong-growing sort it is fairly precocious, and if had on the dwarfing hroad-leaved Paradise stock, quite small trees bear abundantly. It succeeds well as an orchard tree, and is equally well adapted for any form of train- ing. With me large bush or basin-sliaped trees rarely fail to bear well, and the fruit is of medium size, brightly streaked witli red, and of fairly good quality, either cooked or in a raw state, during December and as late as March. Golden Pippin no lover of dessert .Apples should lie without. Many years ago I frequently assisted in gathering heavy crops of small fruit, oblong in sliape and of a rich yellow, from small standards in a Kentish orchard, but have met with very few such trees in other parts of the country, the pre- ference apparently being given to miniature trees on dwarfing stocks. It is a sure bearer under any form of training, and the fruit is attractive in ap- pearance, crisp, juicy, and agreeably flavoured, and good at any time from November till late in April. iSummer Golden Pippin, from what I have seen of it, succeeds well as a bush or pyramid, and pro- duces abundantly, the fruit being a little longer and of much the same colour as the form just commented on. but the season is short, not extend- ing far into September. All the same, it is a very desirable late summer Apple. Kentish Pippin is one of the few Pipjiins that is unsuitable for dessert, but it is of good quality when cooked. The tree is of robust habit, and can be relied upon to bear well in most years. I should only recommend it for orchard planting, though our large pruned ganlen trees on low stems are among the most productive we have. The fruit is bi'ing used now, and will most probably be avail- able till well into February. Kerry Pippin belongs to the small-fruited and early section, being in season during September and October. It is well adapted for garden cul- ture, small trees on the dwarfing stock commencing to bear quickly, the productive htiliit being con- stant. It is a pretty oval-shaped Apple, the quality also being first-rate. King of the Pippins, or what is usually grown as such, if not exactly a higli-class variety, is yet a viTV popular one. more especially on account of ifs remarkably productive habit, quite small as well as fully grown trees bearing well in most seasons. Tlie fruit is of medium size, prettily coloured, of moderately good quality, .and available from the beginning of October to midwinter. As far as my ex)ierience goes, it is better adapted for garden than orchard culture, standards rarely attaining a very serviceable size. Lemon Pippin, though frequently recommended for dessert, is with us much more appreciated for cooking, it being preferred in the kitchen to all others while the crops last. The fruit is of medium size, much resembling a Lemon in shape and fre- quently in colour when ripe, being at its best dur- ing December, though it would kec]) much longer. The tree is of a sturdy productive habit, or suitable for growing into liushes or pyramids, but not par- ticularly well adajjted for standards. London, or Five-crowned Pippin, and of which it is my belief D'.\rcy Spice is another svnonym. I hold to be one of the best varieties in cultivatiiai. this being one of the old favourites too January 9, 1892.] THE GARDEN. 89 frequently discarded by modern planters. The fruit is of good size, round, and flattened, five prominent ridges at the crown being a marked characteristic. It is of somewhat dull colour, Ijeing pale yellow when ripe, the more exposed fruit" having a dull red cheek. Eaten raw it is tender, juicy, and briskly flavoured, and it cooks admirably, the season extending from Decemlier to April inclusive. The tree is of moderately strong growth, but standards do not attain a great size, bearing well almost from the first. RiBSTON Pippin may be said to be both one of the most popular and most unreliable Apples in culti- vation. No fault can be found with either the pro- ductiveness of the tree in whatever form grown, nor with the quality or keeping properties of sound fr\iit, but it unfortunately seems an utter impossi- bility in many cases to prevent or cure cankering of the wood. Naturally, this evil is more pronounced in some districts than others, clayey soils and the other extreme, or very light soils not suiting it as a rule. There is, jiowever, a considerable number of healthy standards, espalier-trained, pyramids, bushes and cordons to be met with in various parts of the country, and the variety is of such value that the attempt ought always to be made to grow it successfully. On our clayey soil what may be termed naturally grown trees are now cankering badl_y, lifting, clressing with insecticides, cutting out affected parts, and a sparing use of the knife not preventing it. Stukmer Pippin, in addition to forming a good succession to the Ribston, fully deserves an unim- peachable character, being most probably the best late dessert Apple known. The fruit is of medium size, roundish and flattened, the skin being green and much covered with russet. It is crisp, juicy, and of brisk flavour, keeping good until June. The tree is of good free-bearing habit and amenable to any form of training. Wi'KEN PiPPEN, a small-fruited, free-bearing variety, is also a good keeper, and is a favourite with some connoisseurs. Newtown Pippin, although of great excellence as grown in America, is of no value for culture in tliis country other than under glass or against fairly warm walls. W. lOGULDEN. OVERCROWDING FRI'IT TREES. This is an evil that should be carefully guarded against. It often happens that when trees are first planted the intention is to thin them out as growth progresses, but as years go by and all the trees thrive, one lacks the courage to do this work in time, the result being that all will eventually suflier more or less, the final issue being a survival possibly of the fittest, as far as growth is concerned ; not so, however, as it relates to fruit -bearing and quality. This evil is more apparent in orchard-grown trees than upon walls, although it occurs also in the latter instance in the case of overlapping. The wall trees, moreover, suffer from others that are bush or pyramid grown being planted too close to them. These latter as they assume larger dimen- sions shade the trees upon the walls ; consequently the wood of the wall trees is not properly ripened. These trees in such cases are far worse off than those in the open, for they have only one aspect from which they can derive any real benefit. Over- crowding so as to shut out light and air is ruinous to the trees, and only results in soft sappy wood. This evil happens more in restricted gardens than in those of larger extent, simply because more is attempted than can be successfully accomplished. To remedy this to some extent the Pears should all be grown upon the Quince stock rather than on the Pear, and the Apples upon the Paradise instead of the Crab. Bush fruits, as Currants and Gooseberries, are frequently planted too closely together. At the time of planting, the trees being small, they appear to be far enough apart ; such, however, is not the case as growth proceeds. In gardens of limited size I prefer to plant Currants and Gooseberries upon the borders next the paths. In this way I have found that the birds are not so troublesome to the fruit as when cultivated in quarters, this, no doubt, being caused by want of more refuge. The espalier system of growing Gooseberries is an excellent one in any case, but more so for dessert fruits, the protection by netting being easily accomplished. In larger gardens there is really no excuse for overcrowding, for when there is more than sufficient room it is an easy matter to crop with dw.arf- growing vegetables or flowers for cutting. If one takes note of the practical market growers, it will be observed that the bush fruits are far enough apart to get up conveniently between each row ; they are also alive to the fact that overcrowding of "large trees. Apples, Pears, or Plums, is not favourable to the production of fine fruit, wliich. if obtained in lesser quantity, is better in quality ; consequently it gives a greater margin of profit upon the outlay as compared with that which is smaller and of inferior quality. The trees with plenty of room will also last much longer in good bearing condition. H. G. Fruit tree arches. — The pretty illustration of Ivy-covered arches in a fruit garden at page 593 reminded me forcibly of the far better plan in operation at Heckfield Place, where the late Mr. Wildsraith obtained such very excellent results through training Pear cordons over iron arches. There the trees are, I think, about 5 feet apart, but it is easy to have them so close as 3 feet from each other on either side, as it is very unwise to have planted near the trees any tall crops which would exclude air or light. The Heckfield path is about 5 feet wide, and thus the trees are about U feet from each other, being planted well within the edging. The varieties are numerous and of the best kinds, and almost invariably the crop is an excellent one. The plan answers best for walks that run due north and south. The supports at Heckfield are single iron arches, but I do not know if they are forced into the ground with single spikes or whether they have a claw to sustain them. Pro- bably arches G feet broad at the base and 7 feet high" in the centre would be best sustained by having simple crossbars at the base of each, a foot long or wide, from which, in addition to the central spike, projected two other spikes, each 12 inches long. Such claws would get a good grip of the ground. It is preferable to train the Pear trees rather on the outer than the inner sides of the iron supports, as the growth is then more fully thrown up into the air. Good borders, some 3 feet wide, should be made on either side, and nothing planted on them that could in any way affect the Pear roots. Mr. Wildsmith prized his Pear trees on arches very much, and often expressed a wish that they had been planted more closely together^ but the original planting was an experiment. — A. D' Citrons. — A fine fruit of the Citron was exhi- bited at the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on December 8. and is the subject of a note in This Garden (p. 530) last volume on the use- fulness of this fruit as a preserve. It certainly is very useful when preserved green or in a ripe state. The green, I consider, is the best, but that is a mere matter of taste. Those who can spare room should certainly grow a few Citrons for dessert, as when preserved green they make a valuable addi- tion to this in the winter months. They require careful treatment and some patience when pre- served in large pieces. The variety shown was, I think, a form of C. medica. a very old fruit, much like the Shaddock, but more ovate in shape, often in well-grown fruits lenion-shaped or oblong. The fruits are often of large size and are rather acid, with a thick yellow rind. The leaves are oblong, large, and thick, and the wood is covered with spines. It is not so free-setting as the Shaddock. I used to grow it in quantity at the back of a late \-inery. not shaded, but was obliged to be careful when in bloom not to damp the blossoms, which usually come in bunches, and not regularly over the trees. " When growing the plants require plenty of heat, but at the resting period those I grew were fully exposed with the Vines, and received no injury". The trees bore fruit more or less every vear. The wood should be thoroughly ripened if plenty of fruit is required, and the stems trained or tied close to the wall. Those who plant Citron trees for this purpose will not find they give the same returns as Peaches or Nectarines, but they give variety. I have seen them grown in vineries much shaded, but when grown imder the shade of Vines they bear little fruit.— G. W. S. THE PAST YEAR. I CONSIDER it is always a wholesome plan to take stock, as it were, at least once a year of past doings, learning lessons by failures and par- tial successes, lessons that should be of assist- ance in an improved condition of affairs during the coming season. By close observation, it is possible to overcome obstacles that probably at first sight appear insurmountable in very many in-, stances. It is only by exercising our mental facul- ties and powers of observing what others do who succeed better in any indiridual case than our-, selves that we can hope to attain to a higher stan- dard of culture. It is scarcely possible for a gar- dener to visit any garden without gaining some knowledge which he can turn- to a good account afterwards. It does not matter whether the place be a large or a small one ; whether it be well manned or short of this all-important factor in gardening ; there is always something that can be turned to a profitable account in one's own case. It is far better to impart any knowledge we may respectively possess than to keep it, so to speak, in a nutshell. It is to our mutual good to do this, so as to give encouragement to others in cases where our own opportunities have been more favour- able than theirs may perchance have been. By questioning others who in their cases have suc- ceeded well, it is possible to add to our own strength and position by putting the information gained to a practical test as we may have oppor- tunity. Not only can we see and take note of what is successfully accomplished, but it is quite as possible to learn lessons of what to avoid in our own practice. None of us are perfect ; very, far from it ; at least I have never yet seen a perfect gardener, and do not expect to meet with one. We have all of us got a deal to learn ; in fact, we are never done learning as long as we are following our profession. There is so mucli minute detail in respective cases, with also such a wide field of subjects to be dealt with, embracing subjects widely apart and most divergent in their issues, so much so as to perplex the best of us at times. Those gardeners who are known by the cognomen " single-handed," I feel, often, in cases of well-managed gardens, set us an example for tact, perseverance, and industry that might be turned to a good account. We are undoubtedly profiting to a large extent by the many horticultural societiesaboutthecountry.insomuch that these tend to foster and increase the interest taken in matters pertaining to gardening in general, and thus pro- duce a wholesome spirit of rivalry in various dis- tricts. Taking notes of work done at the time of its performance, comparing one year's results witli those of another, thinking over the past and ar- ranging for the future may occupy our attention during these winter evenings. Schemes for future experimenting can thus be evolved, at least, in the brain, if not committed to paper. I do not myself believe in following upon the same lines year after year ; by this I mean that if any special feature has been made the most of one season, or perhaps for two or three, it should afterwards give place to something else, so as to add to the inte- rest, not only when at its best, but in its expecta- tion also, for the anticipation itself is an enjoyment when the best of our interests in any one object are employed. I do not believe in making such hobbies of a few things as to exclude the fair share of time and at ention that are needful to bring other things to a successful issue. An all-round mode of culture, giving all plants their fair pro- portion of labour and room, without an excess of one thing or a scarcity of another, represents a greater amount of attention the year round. Spe- cialities are in many cases grown, and that most 40 THE (iABDEN. [JA.N-UAHV 9, 1892, creditably, but it does not seem to be, in my opinion, the best way of making the most of the room at one's command. In cases of faihue during the past year, particular attention should be given to prevent a recurrence, especially if it were an impor- tant case. After several seasons of success, there is at times a kind of lax method adopted, whence fail- ures occur, causing surprise when it was nothing more than one might have expected. Of course. I know full well that permanent hard-wooded jilants liave to be kept on from yeir to year; it is not to such th.it these remarks apply, but more to those that are easily propagated from year to year, either from seeds or cuttings. Fresh features with su(^h as these in their respective seasons can be made. Growing too many plants, so as not to have room enough to accommodate them when arriving at a useful size, is a great mistake. This causes a waste of labour and of material ; a less number can be grown far better, giving more credit to the grower with a saving in both ways, as aforenamed. In cases where insects are troublesome, this unsatis- factory state of things is still further aggravated, probably causing a total loss in the end. J. Hudson. Stove and Greenhouse. THE AFRIC-A.N LILY. (.m:apanthis.) It is now nearly two hundred years since the blue African Lily was introduced, and yet it cannot be called a common plant, nor is it seen nearly so frequently as one would suppose, judging from its exceeding beauty. The way to have giiod specimens is to grow them in tubs. It roots so freely and strongly as to burst the strongest pots, but on no account should this lessen its cultivation. Large pots are ex- pensive, but tubs are cheap and easily obtain- able. For smaller specimens 4^-gallon and 9-gallon ca.sks cut in two, and a few holes bored in the bottom for drainage, do very well, but for larger specimens petroleum or tar-barrels treated in the same way, but charred inside previous to use, will hold specimens quite large enough for any jjlace or purpose, and capable of producing from thirty to forty spikes of flower each season. The beauty of a well-flowered specimen of this African LOy can hai'dly be exaggerated. There is no garden that woidd not be improved by the addition of a few speci- mens of this noble flowering plant. Beside formal terrace walks, at the top or foot of steps near the house, and even in simpler gardens, near and lie- side the dwelling house, it always looks well. The culture of this plant is very simjile, as, given a free sandy loam, well drained, abundance of water in the growing season, and protection from the severest frost in winter, it is sure to grow well and flower freely. Once a good spe- cimen is made up, it is not advisable to disturb it at the root. Give stimidants freely in the shape of liquid manure throughout the s\nn- mer, and the reward will be from ten to forty spikes of bloom eacli year, according to the size and strength and liberal treatment of the plants. Some call this a hardy plant, and as a matter of fact it does withstand the winter in a few favoured southern and western gardens, V)ut even in the.?e it would thrive better and flower more freely if housed for the winter. It will stand unharmed from 10° to 12° of fi-ost, and in any shed, cellar, or room where the severe frost can be kept from it, it will lie safe. Varieties. The commonest variety is A. umbellatus, which was introduced from the Cape in IG92. There is a form of it named maximus which is larger in all its parts than the type, and : truly noble kind, worthy of gootl ctdtivation. The flower-spike of this kind grows 4 feet high and bears an enormous head of bhioin. There is a double-flowered form of A. umbel- latus which is very beautiful and long-last- ing, but whether it succeeds in pots in the open air I do not know. As seen luider glass it is very good, and wortli growing for the greenhouse or conservatory. Agapanthus umbellatus minor is smaller in all its parts, with narrow leaves and elegant slender spikes of deep blue flowers. A. umbellatus Mooreanus is a very dwarf kind, with narrow, rather erect leaves and heads of deep vifilet-blue flowei-s. It is .said to be hardier than any other kind. their shades of ))lne, and there are also two \ariegated-leaved kinds, one with silver bands and the other with golden bands running the entire length of the leaf. Both are pretty, but, (jf course, not so generally useful as tlie vigorous, noble, green-leave4 kinds. A. Asparagus decumbens.— Since the advent of Asparagus jjlumosus and its variety naiuis, a good deal of attention has been directed to the orna- mental qualities possessed by several members of the geims, and for some of them a considerable de- mand has sprung up. A. decumbens, however, though quite an old plant and a very pretty one, is never likely to attain the degree of popularity Till' uliito African Lily (Agnpautlms umbellatus albus). Fro:ii a photograph sent by Mr. Troup, Uplands, Wringtoii, Somerset. These two dwarf kinds should be more exten- sively grown in pot.s, as they are le.s.s liable to burst them. White-flowered Kinds. Of these there appear to be three distinct va- rieties. One, named A. umbellatus albidus, with full-sized .s])ikes of fine white flowers, has the peculiarity of losing its leaves, which during tlie winter turn yellow and die oft'. It ap- pears tu be a natural characteristic, and the plant should, therefore, be carefullj- dried ofl' for the W'inter. Agapanthus umbellatus can- didus is a white variety of the type and ever- green, but the finest kind is the form of Aga- panthus umbellatus maximus, whicli has a tall scajie and a large liead of the jiurest white flowers. Those who wisli for a full and conqilete collection will find, in addition to the above named kinds, a few others, varying slightly in that some of them have reached, owing, in the first place, to its being deciduous, and secondly, to the fact that the foliage is altogether less fiim in tex- ture than that of the forms of A. plumosus, and consequently not so useful in a cut state. The usual habit of A. decumbens is to form a thick mass of short tuber-like roots, from whence a pro- fusicjn of fibres is pushed forth. It is, as indicated by tlie name, of a drooping habit, and is seen to the best advantage when so situated that the pendulous shoots Iiang down for a length of 5 feet or G feet, as they will do in the case of a vigorous specimen. Several shouts are produced from one base, and as they all branch freely, a good specimen forms quite ,1 mass of peculiar soft green foliage. This As- jiaragus flowers very freely, and the blossoms are succeeded by oblong-shaped berries, which are com- paratively large and add quite a feature to the plant. It starts into growth in the autumn, and continues growing throughout the winter ; then in the summer it becomes totally deciduous, and rests Januahv 9, 1892.] THE GARDEN. 41 in that state till the autumn. A. decumbens was introduced from South Africa towards the close of the last century. I have lately in several places seen an Asp tragus under the name of A. scandcns defiexus, which appears to be identical with A. de- cumbens, and is certainly a totally different plant from the typical A. scandens. — H, P. EUPATORIUMS. These are, I consider, some of our most valu- able winter decorative plants, and though the cool house varieties do not make a great show of bright colours, they make up for any defi- ciency by the quantity of light graceful flowers tliey give in the dull winter months. Of the indoor section or cool greenhouse varieties, E. riparium, E. Weismannianum, and E. odo- ratum are very useful. They are easily grown. E. Weismannianum bsars white, sweet- scented flowers, and blooms at a time when the other varieties are on the wane. It may be grown from cuttings or division, and if propa- gated yearly early in the spring, good- sized plants may be had by autumn. Many growers cut the old plants back and reiJot. These make large plants, but do not give such fine blooms as when grown every season from cuttings. Some grow these plants from seed. E. ri- parium can be freely grown from seed sown one spring to flower the next. E. odoratum is equally useful for cool house decoration ; in- deed, this variety and E. riparium are the two ';iiids most largely grown. These last-named f(re readily raised in the spring from cuttings ill a sandy compost and potted on, finally plac- ing in the open in the early summer moutlrs, plunging the pots in cocoa fibre or aslies, as they suffer from drought if not plunged. They are gross feeders and require plenty of mois- ture. I use 8-inch pots at the final potting, but if extra large bushes are desired, they may get 10-inch or 12-inch pots, as they soon fill the root-space allotted them. At the final potting, more loam and less leaf-mould and sand should, be used, as if the compost. is very light it is difficult to keep them supplied with water when the pots are full of roots. It is a good plan when labour or water is de- ficient to i^lant out the two dwarf kinds, viz. , E. odoratum and E. riparium, i^lacing in rows a yard apart and 2 feet from plant to plant, leaving a basin or cavity to hold the moisture round each plant, and in dry weather mulching the surface with decayed manure. When planted out they make large bushes, but sliould be cut round the roots with a spade and well soaked with water a few days before lifting, which should be done about the middle of September. E. riparium requires little stop- ping in the growing season. E. odoratum re- quires the opposite treatment to get bushy plants, also E. Weismannianum, which I do not plant out, but grow in pots, shifting on as required. When these plants are cut back and gi-own on a second year they make large bushes ; on the other hand, they take up a lot of space and require large pots, so that I do uot advise growing in this way, except for large houses. They make capital plants for a cool house when lifted with a good ball and planted indoors when room can be given them, as if picked over and old, faded blooms removed as they get discoloured, they give a succession of bloom. For spring deco ration to succeed E. riparium and odoratum, E. Weismannianum is luost valuable. Some may object to it as taking up room, but it is useful, its erect-growing Willow-like shoots being ter- minated by dense corymbose heads of sweet- scented white flowers. I give this last a little n;ore warmth than the two others, and find by so doing the flowers come of a purer white. During the summer the plants are plunged in the open, and on no account should they get dry. E. iauthiuum, the violet-coloured, and E. atro-rubeus, dark red, are oftener cahed HebecUniums. They belong to this class of plants, and are useful winter bloomers, but re- quire more warmth than the others named. 1 well remember years ago they often had the warm corner of the stove allotted them, but this is not necessary or good for them. An in- termediate house temperature is most suitable — that is, 55° in the winter months ; they then flower longer and are much stronger than if grown in a stove temperature. They can bo struck readily from cuttings in the early spring, and should be propagated often in preference to using old cut-back plants year after year. These should be pinched once in the early spring if good heads of bloom are wanted, stop- ping so as to leave from six to nine shoots, and potting into good-sized pots according to the strength of the plants. Nice sized plants with three heads may be grown in 6-inch pots. These latter are useful for grouping or room decoration, and may be grown in cold pits dur- ing the summer, transferring to a warmer house in the autumn. Eupatoriums are not subject to insect pests, but when allowed to sufl'er from want of moisture they are liable to be attacked by red spider. G. Wythes. HAEDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS FOR THE GREENHOUSE. Apakt from the plants of a herbaceous charac- ter that are commonly forced into bloom, such as Spiraias, Dielytras and Lily of the Valley, there are a great many other subjects available for the embellishment of the greenhouse, which even though thev may not be amenable to hard forcing, will tiower'finely under glass. Among the number a place must be given to the Day Lilies (Hemero- callis), the narrow-leaved forms especially being very satisfactory when treated in this way. A general favourite is H. flava, whose agreeably- scented trumpet-shaped flowers are of a clear golden-yellow colour. The flower-spikes will, in the case of a vigorous specimen, reach a height of nearly a j'ard, and though the individual blooms only last a day, a succession is kept up for some time. H. Thu'nbergi, with flowers of a softer tint, is one of the best for the above-mentioned purpose, while another favourite of mine is H. Dumortieri. with deep orange-coloured flowers. In this the exterior of the bloom is tinged with bronze. Being thoroughly hardy, these Day Lilies can be lifted and potted while dormant, and if required be plunged out of doors till the blooms are on the point of ex- panding, when they may be removed to the green- house. Being gross feeders, they must never be al- lowed to suffer from want of water, or the foliage will quickly lose its healthy tint. The variegated-leaved varieties are in many cases liable to revert to the normal green form, but at their best they are very beautiful, the variegation being so clear and distinct. As foliage plants, too,someofthe Funkias are very at • tractive,particularly when they havebeenpushedfor- ward in a gentle heat, and are then in full leaf before their relatives out of doors have appeared above ground. The beautiful white-flowered F. grandi- flora, or japonica, will bloom well in the green- house towards the end of the summer. The hardy Primulas are, as a class, amenable to pot culture, and very handsome when in bloom. Of these, especial favourites of mine are the members of the P. Sieboldi or amoena group, of which there arc now a great many varieties in cultivation, differing from each other not only in the colour of the flovi-er, but also to a great extent in the shape thereof. At this season of the year it is easy to select the crowns that will flower, and they may now be grouped together in a pot or pan, or if preferred potted singly in small pots and arranged when in bloom. Solomon's Seal is now forced to a much greater extent than was formerly the case, and very graceful it is so treated. Again, several C'onqiosites are available for flowering under glass, and the garden varieties of Pyrethrum make a goodly show in this way. Heuchera sanguinca and the Francoas suggest themselves as suitable for this purpose ; indeed, such a list might be con- siderably extended, but enough has been said to show that the flowering plants of the greenhouse need not consist solely of Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Calceolarias, and two or three others of this class, as we often see. The large-leaved or Megasea sec- tion of Saxifrages is also amenable to this mode of treatment. I have not mentioned any of the beau- tiful little alpines, but have confined myself to plants that will flourish in an ordinary mixed border, with the exception, perhaps, of Primula Sieboldi, which is less vigorous than any of the other subjects herein named. H. P. Erica hyemalis alba.— We have forwarded to your oftice this afternoon a plant of Erica hyemalis alba, of which we have had some grand plants. Most of them have been cut, and the specimen sent is the best we have left. We had one plant some six years ago which bore pure white flowers, and we have since kept propagating it, as we find it most useful for cutting from at Christmas-time. We have enclosed a few spikes of the old variety to show how much whiter the sport comes.— W. 13ALCHIN AND SONS, Hassuclts NuTseHes, Hassocks, Sussex. *^* This looks to us identical with the variety shown by the late Mr. Kinghorn, Richmond, at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on January 10, 1882, and awarded a first class cer- tificate. It differs from the type only in the colour of the flowers. — Ed. LEARNING GARDENING. To THE Editor of The Garden. Sir,— I am surprised to find a humble state- ment of mine appearing for the third time as a subject of conimeut. It is worth while putting it exactly as it occurred in my lecture— "A gardener's education, like most other people's, should simply be as good, as full, and thorough as it is possible to acquire. . . . Here the prime difficulty may rise in some minds, what is to be understood by the term education * In the present connection let us define it to be, in a general way— (1) Mental iraiidng, to be de- rived fronr books, lectures, meetings of societies, (fee. ; and (2) manual training, to be derived from the practice of professional duties." What is there to protest against here \ Where is there anything " misleading or false " (p. 455) in this definition I 1 never said that " mental training is best had from books " (p. 409). My lecture contained the following passage—" But after all, it is manual tminintj that makes a gar- dener. However well his mental training may have been attended to, he can by no means dispense with the practical part of his pro- fession. The condition of a gardener's know- ledge in this sphere depends on two factors ; one^is the opportunities of varied practice pre- sented to the learner, the other the desire of the learner to take advantage of his opportunities. The object of the learner should be to try his hand at every sort of work, so as to know how to do it thoroughly and smartly. He ought not to shirk putting himself in the way of every class of work. He should find pride in feeling that there is no operation in gardening his hand is n..)t trained to perform. The sphere of opera- tions may be restricted in one place ; then let him proceed in due time to another where his knowledge may be supplemented. He ought not to aUow himself to believe that he has com- pleted his education because he has the position 42 THE GARDEN. [January 9, 1892. of master in a small place, when, the fact is, lie would have been much better a foreman still in some first-rate establishment where he might continne to acfjuire experience." I have not hitherto had opportunity of refer- ring to your strictures on p. 45."). What subjects in the Heriot-Watt College Horticulture syllabus are of "no use or interest to gardeners ] " You give the list of subjects which gardeners are invited to study at the college, and state that " not one is in any way necessary for the general gardener.' The "general gardener "will find them all constantly under tribute in the garden press. Whoever is responsible for tlie phrase "tech- nology of horticulture " has much to account for. I never used it— not even the word " tech- nology." Coming to detail, allow me to depict my class at last lecture. A fine body of young gardeners and nurserymen, many from Dalkeith Palace, Newbattle Abbey, Morton Hall, and other less distant places, were assembled in a lightsome class-room at 7 p.m. We spent a happy and profitable hour, studying scale, thrips, red spider, aphis, mealy bug, currant-bud mite, &c., using eight fine microscopes to see the actual speci" mens, after we had noted the nature of their de- predations on the plants. I shall be told that a gardener can kill these pests as readily with- out knowing their structure and halnts. My informant belongs to a race that will happily soon be e.xtinct ; meanwhile, my students enjoy good fellowship at least one evening a week, and I liave the great satisfaction of helping them to appreciate "the dignity and real importance" of gardening. Action and encouragement, not cavil at words and definitions of education, are what we ask for. In spite of stagnation and prejudice, the solution of the problem of the technical educatiou of gardeners goes on apace in Edinburgh. John H. Wilson, D.Sc. THE GOOSEBERRY.* The Gooseberry is undoubtedly the mcst gene- rally cultivated of all our hardy fruits. In the humblest gardens of our poorest peasantry, in the most remote and outlandish districts, a few Gooseberry bushes are found where no otlie>" fruit is attempted or cared for. Being indigen- ous in Britain, as well as in other parts of Europe, it thrives and ripens in latitudes and at elevations where none other of our hardy fruits come to maturity. It succeeds in a lati- tude 16° north of London, but not in a latitude so far south of it. Hence much finer Goose- berries are grown in the cooler climate of Scot- land, and in England north of York, than in the hotter and drier parts of the south of England. Owing to the cooler and moistcr climate of the north, the season of ripe Goose- berries is much longer than it is possible to make it in the south. This fact alone indicates the desirableness of choosing as cool a situation as possible for the culture of this fruit in the southern half of Britain. The usefulne.ss and the refreshing deliciousness of the well-matured Gooseberry render it a most pojiular fruit among all classes, from the humblest cottar to the peer ; and in a green state it is most important to our toiling thousands in towns, supplying as it does a most wholesome and agreeable iniTe- dient for tarts at a season when no other fruits are largely available for the purpose. For this reason, if for no other, the Gooseberry has long ^* Paper reaJ by Mr. D. Thomson, Drunilanrig (rardeiis. before the Royal Horticultural Society, July 8, 1891. been the mo.st popular of fruits in the densely populated midlands, the working classes of which parts have long been famous for their interest in and devotion to the culture and pro- duction of new varieties, especially large show- sorts — a result that has been amply attained, but, as in the case of other fruits, it is to be feared at the expense in flavour. The Gooseberiy competitions of Lancashire in particular have long been famous, and in Scot- land, during the Gooseberrj' season. Gooseberry or Grozzer fairs u.sed to be common in tlie small county towns, and are so in certain of them to this day. Propagation. Of course there are various ways of pro- pagating the Gooseberry — by means of seed (a method only adopted when new varieties are the object), by layers, suckers, and cuttings, the last being by far the most gene- rally adopted, and also the best method for the jiroduction (jf symmetrical and fruitful bushes. The simplicity with which propagation by cuttings is eflected renders it unnecessaiy to dwell at any great length on the minute details of it. There are some points of much import- ance to the future well-doing of the bushes that inu6t be pointedly referred to. Any time after the wood is ripe and leafless, onwards till the l.)uds begin to burst into growth, may be termed the season for putting in the cuttings. Still it is better not to delay after the end of November, for soon after the turn of the year Gooseberries begin to move. Stout, well-matured growths, and as straight as possible, of not less than 1 foot and not more than 14 inches long, should be selected. These are generally best got from comparatively young and vigorous bushes. All the buds on the lower half of the cutting should be carefully removed, especially where tliere are clusters of small buds round the base. If these are not eftectually removed they become trouble- some in after years as sucker-jiroducers, a growth that should never be allowed. Three or four good buds should be left at the top of the cuttings to form the first growths for a founda- tion to the bush ; and there should not be any buds left between these and the base of the cutting, for it is most desirable to have a clean stem of at least 0 inches or 8 inches above the ground before any growths are allowed, because when the first branches start at just the sui-face of the soil the bush is sure in after years to get more or less soiled u]), and the points from which the first branches stait become a nest of sucker growths that are most troublesome and injurious, crowding the centres of the bushes and robbing the primary fruit-bearing portions. The cuttings root freely in any light, moderately rich, loamy soil. An open situation should be chosen in preference to one that is shaded with trees. The cuttings should be firmly fixed in the soil, always bearing in mind the clean stem of at least 6 inches between the soil and the first bud. The rows will be wide enough apart at 14 iuche.s, and the jil.ants at S inches in the rows. Yoi'Nc Plants. The cuttings should jn-oduce three or four growths about a foot in length (acccprdiiig to the sorts) the fii'st year ; these at pruning time should be cut back to three or iour buds, which will the following year prodiice sufticient growths to form the main branches of the bush. In spring, before growth commences, they .should be run out info nursery lines, 2 feet liy 2 feet between the plants, it being un- desi\-able to allow tliem to remain crowded in the cutting lines to make attenuated and ill-matured growths. The ground should be moderately manured if the soil be heavy, giving more in lighter and drier soils. Keep them free from weeds, and apjily some mulching material in sumu'er to prevent over-dryne.ss, of which the Gooseberry is very impatient. If the plants have thriven well, the stronger-growing sorts will be large enough the third year to be jilanted in tlieir jieruianent quarters. But, as a rule, the fourth year is soon enough to move them, ])articularly if ground is scarce, .so that they may l)e allowed to make their third year's growth before being planted out permanently. The second ye.ir's growth should be carefully examined when the plants have fairly started into growth, and a.ssuming that the cuttings the first year sent away three to four shoots for foundations, as already referred to. Should these foundation growths be sending away more than three to four young growths they should be reduced to that number, leaving tlie stoutest and best placed. The young bushes will thus the second year produce twelve to sixteen growths, which are t|uite suttieieut for the framework of a sufticieiitly huge bush. At the third year's growth these framework growths should not be cut too liard back — say to abfnit 1 foot each. The Fuuit-bearing Sittation. In selecting quarters for peinianent planta- tions the locality and climate should determine whether an open or a paitially sh;idcd situa- tion is best. There can be no doubt that in the warmer .■md drier parts of England, esjiecially on light soils, a partially shaded situation is best. In the north, where the climate is cooler and nioister, I piefer for the main crop an open situation. In my own ex- perience I have had Gooseberry crops rendered quite useless in England in hot, dry, open quarters, the bushes suflering severely, the fruit being parboiled and nauseous. The method fre- quently carried out by growers for market of planting rows of Gooseberries between rows of standard Apple, Pear, and Plum trees is as good a system as can be ado])ted in such locjili- ties as are wai'm and dry. In private gardens a border behind a north kitchen garden wall is a good situation. In the north, again, I should always prefer an open quarter of good loamy sod. In all cases a rather deep, cool soil is best. Before making a new plantation it should be ^vell manured and trenched, for in after years the manure applied should at most be only forked into fir laitl on the surface of the ground, as it is injurious to dig or fork deeply amongst the roots of fruit-bearing bushes. The di.stancc at which the bushes should be ])lantcd ought also to be regulated by the locality, soil, and the consequent vigour the jilauts usually attain. In England I found .5 feet by 5 feet sufficient, while in Scotland, where the bushes grow more robustly, <> feet by 0 feet is not by anj' means too much room to give them. In planting the bushes it is very undesirable to plant deeper than they were in the nursery lines. Deej) planting is an evil, and has a tendency to produce suckers, always to be avoided. For the formation of symnie- tricil bushes, if labour can be afl'orded, it is a good plan to fix a hoop to three or four stakes round each bush, about 2 feet from the ground, when they are planted, and to tlie.se hoops to fix or tie the outer shoots of the plants, so as to get them into equidistant jiositions. Not more than three leaders sliould occupy the centre of the bush. Pruning. The pinning of these bushes during the time of their fruit-bearing exi.stence is very simple. Sujiposing the bush \vlien permanently planted to consist of tw elve to fourteen leading growths or branches shortened back to about 1 foot of January 9, 189i.] THE GARDEN. 43 the previous year's growth, at next pruning time there are to be dealt with a leading growth and a number of laterals on each limb. The leader should be shortened back a little, according to the vigour of the variety, and the lateral growths spurred or cut back to two or three buds. This process of pruning goes on yearly till the leaders are the desired height— say 4 feet to 5fee-t high — when they also are cut back closely the same as the laterals. In addition to this winter prun- ing, the bushes should be carefully gone over about the beginning of June, if time can pos- sibly be spared, and the su[)erfluous lateral growths disbudded or removed, so that the bush does not become a thicket of young growths that do not, in consequence of being so crowded, get properly ripened. Strong growths that over-master others should be stopped or removed altogether. As they get aged and the bushes past their best, whole limbs often die back, and young shoots must be encouraged to take their place. But when plantations show unmistakable signs of giving way it is well to be ready with their successors. Manuring. If the ground has been well manured before planting, and is naturally good, very little or no manure will be needed till the bushes get into heavy bearing, when rich farmyard man- ure sliould be laid on as a summer mulching, and be forked in after the bushes are pruned iu winter. This is especially applicable to England and warm, dry soils and climates. Protecting the Fruit. The protection of the fruit from birds in almost all gardens is indispensable, and my method of doing this is to drive stakes into the ground 12 feet apart all over the quarter. The stakes .stand 5 feet out of the ground, and light rails 12 feet long are fixed ou the tops of these stakes and nets drawn over the whole quarter, and at such a height as to completely clear the bushes and admit of the fruit being gathered and the bushes being otherwise cared for with- out removing the net. The stakes and rails are permanent, and if of Larch will last many years. ENE5IIE.S. In wet localities such as my own (Dumfries- shire) the buslies soon geb covered with Lichen, unless it be kept down, which is effectually and easUy done by dusting the bushes with caustic lime after pruning and when they are damp. Caterpillars are very troublesome in some sea- sons, and the easiest and mo.st effectual remedy I know of is to dust the bushes when damp with Hellebore powder, and to syringe it off after it has served its purpose. A very good practice is to remove in winter a few inches of the soil for a radius of 2 feet round each bush, and to re- place the old with fresh loam. This removes the larvaj and nourishes the bushes as well, for they root freely into the fresh soil. Pkolonging the Season. Nice fre.sh Gooseberries are always appre- ciated at dessert, or more especially for break- fast and luncheon, and to prolong the season is therefore desirable. This in the northern part of the country can easily be accomplished, even to the end of October. It is quite usual to see fine fresh Gooseberries at Scotch shows about the middle of September. These, as a rule, are gathered from ordinary bushes that have per- haps been shaded with mats or canvas after becoming ripe. The best way to prolong the season of Gooseberries is to plant a portion of a wall with a due north aspect with some Warringtons, training them on the multiple- cordon .system, and keeping the laterals spurred in precisely the same as is adopted with Red Cur- rants ou fences or walls, or in fact with Goose- berry bushes grown in the ordinary way. The main shoots should not be closer than 10 inches. If a coping of wood be placed on the wall to throw off wet, using a net to protect the fruit from birds, the fruits can be kept fresh till far into October, and are then very useful and acceptable. Varieties. As to the varieties of Gooseberries, their name is legion, and I do not profess to be acquainted with sucli as are now grown by some for prizes offered for mere size. Their flavour is, I believe, in inverse ratio to their size, and, so far as I am aware, the older varieties have never been super- seded for flavour. These are, among others : — XTTiite. Bright Venus Hedgehog Mayor of Oldham Whitesmith Gt'een. Glentou Green Green Gascoigue Green Overall Pitmastou Greengage Model by these tew remarks, it is not yet too late to render assistance at the coming election, for all who pay their subscriptions by the day of the annual meeting will have the opportunity of aiding some deserving case by their votes. Should this occasion be allowed to slip by, it will be another twelve months before any new subscriber can thus assist some one or more most deserving applicant for election. J. HUDSON. Rnl. Ironmonger Keens' Seedling Bed Champagne Rad Warrington Turkey Red Wilmot's Early Red YcUnw. Early Sulphur Leader Perfection Yellow Champagne The 29° of frost we had here (Drumlanrig, N.B.) on March 17 so crippled our Gooseberry bushes, that I doubt if they will ever recover. I never saw Gooseberries suft'er from cold before, but then they had grown considerably when this unusually severe frost for the date oc- curred. Societies and Exhibitions. THE GARDENERS' ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. The annual meeting and 'election of pensioners are now close upon us. All who are subscribers will have received their voting papers ere this is in print. If any subscriber has not already done so, I would earnestly advise a close examination to be made of the particular claims of each candidate. Such an examination cannot but prove conclu- sively the needs there are for a much more ex- tended support than at present is given to the in- stitution, particularly by gardeners themselves. Many gardeners who do not now subscribe would, I feel fully persuaded, be induced to do so after a review of the cases as presented (each in a con- densed form) upon the election papers. With so many appeals for help therein given, it seems very hard to have to reject such a large proportion of the candidates. Yet the institution cannot do otherwise, unless the annual subscriptions and do- nations are considerably increased. The executive have, in determining the number to be elected at the ensuing meeting, gone quite as far as it is wise for them to do"; It is not for want of sym- pathy that more are not elected ; far from it ; the state of the funds and the present role of subscri- bers and donors forbid a further advance. It is to those who t:ike an interest in horticulture, not only for the enjoyment they derive, taut for the healthy pastime also secured, to those who are eno-ao-ed in it as a means of trade ami profit, and to "those who in such numbers are employed in the profession as gardeners that the claims of this excellent society press home, particularly as the election is pending. To all such who have not hitherto joined the institution as subscribers or aided by donations I would now appeal, so that a larger number may be placed upon the list as pensioners. There is no denying the fact that this deserting institution does not receive the aid it should from the trade and gardeners themselves. Many names amongst the former are not to be found in the lists annually issued, whilst of gar- deners themselves the number who subscribe should be at least doubled to do them any credit as a community. If any are induced to aid this charity Koyal Horticultural Society. — We are a^keil to state tliat tlie Ruyal Hortic-nltnral Society will liold its first new year's meeting on January 12 in the Drill Hall, Westminster, where the fruit, iloral and Orchid committees will assemble at 12 o'clock, as usual, and the scientific committee at 4 p.m. in the council room. Mr. W . Iggulden, Marston Gardens, FrOme, will read a paper ou " Winter Vegetables " at 3 p.m. Arrangements for 1892 and a list of the Society s Fellows have now been issued, and non-Fellows may obtain all particulars on application to the secretary, 117, Victoria Street, S.W. Gardeners' Orphan Fund. — A meeting of the committee took place at the Hotel Windsor on the 4th inst., Mr. William Marshall ill the chair. The hon. secretary, Mr. A. F. Barron, announced the following special receipts ; The Reigate Chrysan- themum^ Society, per Mr, W. Brown, secretary, a donation of £10 ; and the following from collecting boxes : the Leeds Paxton Society, per Mr. J. W. Franklaud, 15s. Gd.; Mr. J. Hughes, local secretary, Birmingham, £2 3s. 4d. ; Mr, J. Lemmon, Chichester, Gs. 3d. ; the Bradford Gardeners' Mutual Improve- ment Society, per Mr. R. Scott, 12s. 4d. ; and Mr. A. Read, The Gardens, Grittleton, 17s.— the total proceeds from boxes being £5 12s. lid. Some further applications on behalf of orphan children were examined and admitted, bringing the total up to nineteen, the 4th being the last day upon which applications could be received. The annual meeting and election are fixed for Friday, Feb. 5, and will take place as usual at the Cannon Street Hotel. The committee will meet on Friday, the 22nd, to make the necessary arrangements. PUBLIC Gardens. Bethnal Green Poor's Land.— On the recom- mendation of the Parks Committee, the following re- port was adopted: "That tlie council do make an offer of f 5000 for the land known as the Bethnal Green Poor's Land, comprising approximately six and a half acres, in accordance with the terms of the new scheme prepared by the Charity Commissioners." Suggested ne-w open space —Mr. Fletcher, for the Parks Committee, reported that an offer had been received from Mr. T. Turner, of Maud Road, Leyton, to sell to the council twenty-five acres of land near Fiusbury Park, between Hermitage Road and St. Anne's Road, for the sum of £20,000. The land referred to was outside the county^ of London, and inasmuch as Fiusbury Park was n-ithin a few hundred yards of the spot, the committee recommended that the offer he declined. The councU adopted the recommendation . A Palm house for Battersea Park.— Mr. J. S. Fletcher submitted a report of the Parks Committee, which contained the following paragraph : "We have had our attention called to the desirableness of providing a Palm house in Battersea Park, not only for the accommodation of the Palms, which have out-grown the existing greenhouses, but also to be used as a winter garden and for the exhibition of Chrysanthemums and other flowers. We submit a plan of the building, and propose that the central portion of it should be erected, leaving the wings to be added if neces- sary at some future time. We recommend that the council do authorise an expenditure of £1500 on capital account for the erection of a Palm house in Battersea Park, in accordance with the design submitted." Mr. Campbell considered that the council would not be justified in spending £1500 for a Palm house, and moved, as an amendment, that the recommendation be disagreed with. After some discussion the amendment was rejected, . 44 THE GARDEN. [January 9, 1892 WOODS AND FORESTS. HEDGEROWS IN MIDWINTER. Hedgerows at this seasou nf the yoar present many beauties. To the unobservant it may .seem that the winter is the one seas(jn of the year when tliey offer no attractions. Many a writer has dihvted upon their varied charms in spring, summer, and autumn ; but comparatively few seem to appreciate tliose of this season, which are not less numerous, though more subtile. Where evergreen trees or bushes form the greater proportion of the lines of fences, their characteristics are so apparent, that they are at once seen ; so it is to the deciduous trees and bu.shes, or where the evergreen element only shows itself occasionally, we must go to discover the real, but unobtrusive, variations which have been spoken of. To some there may not seem to be much worth directing attention to in the bare stems of the various trees and shrubs of which hedges are ordinarily composed, yet there never could be a greater mistake. It does not require the eye of an artist to feast upon the illimitable gradations of colour in the Lichens which cover the stems of a single bush of Blackthorn. It may be that th-re are many other trees, or shrubs, upon which vegetation of this nature is equally at home ; but it is sel- dom, I think, to be found more varied in hue than upon Ijushes of tliis species. In many of the hedgerows near my place this occurs very frequently, and from the brightest tints down to the more sober, but not less beautiful grey, its stems are almost entirely decked with these unpretending plants. The Mosses which adorn the banks cannot claim so nmeh diversity of colouring as the Lichens which clothe the trees, yet the difference in form and growth which they show makes them not the le.ss interesting. In inany places the Bracken lias lost its green- ness and become withered ; but in more favoured situations masses of Ferns stand out boldly from their habitat on the Moss-covered stumps of trees and bushes which have years ago fallen a prey to the axe. Apart from any extraneous colouring, the stems of many hedge shrubs have much in their normal condition which is worthy of observa- tion. The wood of the Hawthorn, though some- what sombre in hue, is peculiarly rich, and when .standing in proximity to tlie light green of the Privet stems, and the rugged and still lighter bark of the common Maple, it is seen to great advantage. Where, as hereabouts, tlie Traveller's Joy occurs over long stretches of country, it may fairly be classed as one of the characteristics of the midwinter' hedgerows, as its grey tufts of winged seeds seen in masses a,nd in a suitable light, if not a "joy for ever," are certainly a joy to the traveller who cares to admire the works of Nature. Even at this ad- vanced season in many places the Bramble may be fouiul, with, so far as its apjiearance goes, its leaves practically intact, and this with the Ivy, which nestles alongside or underneath, is another feature of the winter hedgerow. The wood of this bush, too, in many ca.ses is very rich in colour, and unlike that of al- most any other species. Here and there where an Oak bush occurs the russet of its withered leaves heljis to enhance the general effect. The •hedge fruit has aliiKist di.sapjjeared, but now and again one finds a .stray branch of Hips and Haws, and in situations near dwellings, where the birds have not been sufficiently courageous to begin the onslaught, it is not unusual to see an Ivy-covered Thorn bush crovmed with Haws, and this fruit, by the way, was last season abundant and large in size. Another feature in hedges where the tree exists is the swelling buds of the Goat Willow. These may be looked upon as a link between the sea.sons, as there are few other things which tell more plainly of the coming spring. Amongst the seeds .still to be found upim their parent branches may be mentioned the keys of the Ash and of the Maple. Trees jiroper, though they often abound in hedge- rows, are a little beyond the scope of this notice, as they generally tower to too great a height to he seen to advantage at close ((uarters ; but some which are almost grotescjue in their habit of growth, and do not grow to a great height deserve mention. The dwarf and gnarled Oak comes within this category, and the strangely knotted branches of some old Crab Apples, with here and there a fruit remaining, must complete this slight jjicture of what our hedgerows are in midwinter. Rustic. THE ALDER. The Alder, as its name indicates, is essentially a riverside tree, and although in its ornamental character it cannot be compared with the Birch, it could often with advantage be substituted for the Willow, or selected in connection with it. The Willow in its maiden form is very commonly highly ornamental by the waterside, but the great danger of its use is that it will sooner or later be pol- larded and its beauty destroyed. This ishardly likely to occur with the Alder, as when it is cut down, a mere stool is left, and the new growth will spring from nearly the ground level. In this way it is most generally cultivated, but here and there some line examples occur of its reaching the dimensions of our larger forest trees. This, however, is not usually the common species (Alnus glutinosa). but the cut-leavedtree(Alnusglutinosalaciniata). Some writers assign the Alder to a position in a marsh or a bog, or some place where it cannot be seen ; but although it may not be so ornamental as some species, I cannot agree with the idea that it should be so disposed of. Whether grown as a tree, or cut down periodically as poles, the Alder is cer- tainly nothing to be ashamed of. I recently noticed a small plantation of Firs in a waste spot by the margin of a river. As was to be expected from the nature of the soil, these were gradually dwindling away, and will never be worth the sum they cost to plant. Had this site been planted with the Alder, by this time there would have been a, thriv- ing growth, and in due course a little belt of wood formed quite in character with the surroundings. It seems almost impossible now that so much is said and written upon trees, and the positions best suited to their propagation, so little regard should be paid to making a selection of subjects. The value of the roots of the Alder in binding up the banks of rivers has often been referred to, and there is no doubt that in many cases they are very useful for this purpose. As all know who have wended their way much along by the riverside, it is very common to find spots which are of no use for culture or for pasture, and where, from a bend or some other cause, the action of the water is gradu- ally widening the channel by washing a%vay its banks. It would be absurd to suppose that the planting of the Alder, or any other tree, would en- tirely prevent this : but it is certain that when the roots become thoroughly established they will do much towards holding "the soil above the watcr- liue. which would otherwise, from being under- mined, be continually falling away. The uses of the wood. — The Alder in the market, as regards price generally, gets classed with the liirch and the I'oplar, and consequently does not command a very high figure. For its class, however, it is a very useful wood. Accord- ing to old writers, it has a quality which appears to he but little regarded at the present day, viz., that of enduring a long time under water or in moisture. It is stated that in the past it has been considerably used for piles. Assuming its properties to be as good in this respect as has been represented, there would now be a great difficulty in getting a supply of wood large enough for works of any magnitude, and whatever it may be worth in this direction, it is more likely to be used for small works of a private nature than in anything where material would have to be bought in the market. The Alder has been suggested as a suit- able wood to cultivate for pit and mining props. Looking at the present position of the supply of this commodity, it does not seem as though there is much chance of the growth of Alder for props being successful ; the idea may be recorded for what it is worth for districts where props are not very plentiful, and where the soil is not fit for the growth of the woods which are more commonly used. In the districts where they are required, Alder of a suitable size is sometimes prepared for Hop poles, but on the whole it is more the wood for the turner than for any other handicraftsman. The smaller wood in the turning industry goes for bobbins, of which vast quantities in the shape of cotton reels and similar articles are annually con- sumed. Another use of a similar nature is the manufacture of brush backs. The toy broom of the drawing-room and the scrubbing broom of the scullery are alike prepared from this wood. An- other use of the Alder, which was referred to some time ago by a writer, is the manufacture of clog soles. Here, in the south, very little of this work is seen, but for the soles of pattens it is occa- sionally cut up. For charcoal burning the Alder is regarded as of considerable value, and in some districts the better portions of the wood are turned to account for the .staves of dry casks. As has been stated, the wood is more generally grown in the form of poles than in that of timber, so the majority of the manufactures from it consist of small articles. Where the tree grows to what may be regarded as a timber size, the uses to which the Willow and the Pojilar are generally put would as nearlv as anything represent what may be ventured upon with the Alder. It is a wood which is spoken of as being used for wheelwrights' work, such as the lining of carts and wagons, but where Elm is to be had, and at the present prices, it certainly seems inadvisable to use Alder. For work where a soft and non-splitting material is essential, it may now and again be advantageous to use it, but the general lines upon w-hich its value may be determined are those previously given. J. The common Juniper (J communis) is chiefly found growirg in England on sandy or chalky soils or on open downs, while in Scotland, its native home is amongst the granite or trap hill and mountain sides. It is, with us, usually htw and s-mall, seldom much larger than the Furze, hut where it attains some size the wood is very fine and compact. Soil for Black 'Walnuts.— I have come to the conclusion that this tree, about which so much ha been written, must have good and stiftish soil in wl.ich to grow well and to a large size tiuickly. A dry, light, poor soil is quite uusuited to the Walnut. Wherever Apple and other fruit trees abound aad prosper there the Walnut may be planted with tolerable certainty. — W. "The Garden" Monthly Parts.- r^u journal u pub- lished in neatly bound Monthly Parts. In thii fortn the coloured plates are best preserved, and it is most suitable for reference previous to the issue of the half-yearly voluvies. Price Is. 6d. ; post free. Is. 9d. Complete set of volunies of The Garden /ro?)i its commencement to end O/1890, thirty-eight vols., price, cloth, .£28 is. " Gardening Illustrated " Monthly Parts. — This journal is published in neatly bound Monthly Parts, in u-hich form it is most suitable for reference previous to the issue of the yearly volumes. Price bd. ; post free, Sd. "Farm and Home" Monthly Parts.— This joia-nal is published in neatly bound Monthly Parts, in which f&nn it is most suitable for reference previous to the issue of the yearly volumes. Pr ce 5ti. ; post free, Sti. •'Hardy Flowers." — Givmg dtscriptions OJ upwards Of thirteen hundred of the most ornamental species, vith directions for their arranganent, culture, ite. Fourth and Popular Edition, Is.; post free. Is. 3d. "The Garden Annual" for iBSZ.— Contains Alpha- betical Lists of all Branches of the Horticultural Trade coi-rectea up to November 10 last. The Lists of Gardens and Country Seats (containing over 9000J have been very carefully and exten* tively revised, and are admitted to be the most complett ever published. Price Is.; In/ posl, Is. 3i/. THE GARDEN. 45 No. 1052. SATURDAY, January 16, 1892. Vol. XLI. " This is an Art Which dnes mend Nature ; chausfe it rather ; but The Art itself is Natuee."— SAciA-caiJcacc. Orchard and Fruit Garden. COLOUR IN APPLES. My attention has been called tii some compli- mentary remarks made by ''R. D." in The Garden, January 2 (p. 1), respecting the liigh colour of some Apples grown at Madrestield and set up, not for competition, at the Man- chester fruit conference in October last. An- other writer made similar comments in the pages of The Garden also respecting a collection of Apples I staged at the Chiswick Pear Ccm- ference, and as these are the only occasions on which I have exhibited (exhibiting being pro- hibited), a good many inquiries have privately reached me as to whether Madrestield has a larger measure of sunshine, or is in some other way specially favoured for the production of highly coloured aud well-finished fruit. Be this as it may, I attach the greatest im- portance to well-coloured dessert Apples. Doubtless colour in Apples, as in Grapes or other fruit, is equally important. I have never accepted the theory of those who will persist in telling you that foxy or indifferently coloured Grapes are better flavoured than jet-black ones; the same of Muscats. Are not the best amber- coloured the best ? Colour with modei'ate size is the very object we have in view, but although we never expect with our climate to produce such grandly coloured, but otherwise mawkish-flavoured, samples as we receive from abroad, yet our Apples, especially in some seasons, can compare favourably in colour, and are of far superior flavour. How high colour is produced I am not prepared to state positively ; but I do know that tliori.mgh exposure of fruit to sun and atmospheric influences, by having healthy trees on carefully prepared Crab stocks, with an abundance of fibrous roots, which being well fed always ripened their wood thoroughly, are important factors in laying on this finishing touch of high colour. As regards the transmission of colour from stock to scion, my previously expressed opinion must be understood to be partly conjectural, otherwise I should be able to produce red Golden Noble or red Lord Suftield ad lib. I get all the most highly coloured fruit from dwarf bush trees that have been worked on prepared stocks raised from pips of highly-coloured cider fruit, whilst older and larger trees of the self- same kinds growing quite near, but whose only dift'erence is that they have been worked on ordinary free stocks, and whose roots have pene- trated deeply, fail to give anything but very ordinary fruit, which is deficient in colour. Last season I planted two long rows of high- clasi de3.53rt Apple? on the broad-leaved Para- dise stock in order to solve this problem of colour. I hope the experiment may throw a little light on this question. I do not imply that the highest coloured fruits, irrespective of kind, are the best flavoured, but I maintain that the best quality is always found amongst those kinds noted for superior flavour, such as Cox's Orange, Ribston, Blenheim, Clay- gate Pearmain, &c. (Cornish Gilliflower is such a bad grower). These ought to be highly coloured if during their growth they have been exposed to sun and light. Others grown on the same tree under the shade of the branches and leaves are always devoid of colour and flavour also My late noble master, who took the keenest interest in these things, and who always wished the very best of everything grown, was very fond of showing his guests the fruit room, but always insisted upon the gardener selecting samples for any who desired to taste them. He never would have any of the high mahogany coloured Worcester Pearmain.— W. Ckump, Madreffield Coiirt, Mahern. Whatever be the causes which lead up to the colouring of Apples, or why one variety should be almost destitute of colour, or another take on a brilliant red when growing perhaps side by side, is one of those questions which probably very few, if any, can answer. As ob- served by "R. D.," colour does not denote high quality, for often varieties of very poor quality indeed show this trait of colour to a remarkable degree. The cider varieties are often very bril- liantly coloured — the renowned old Foxwhelp to wit— as in the case of this variety the colour extends into the flesh. It is very interesting to walk through an old cider orchard during the closing weeks of the Apple harvest, and note the colouring of the difterent kinds, from a black blood-red through the shades of crimson until we come upon varieties with bright golden and russety skins. Here are varieties all grow- ing under the same conditions, but yet amongst them may be a variety almost perfectly green. I never met with Apples of higher colour than in the orchards of Herefordshire, and which forcibly demonstrate to me that high colour in Apples, where colour is peculiar to the variety, is due more to the influence of soil than any other cause. In the matter of particular .stocks I think the Crab conduces to colour, but I do not think the theory of special manipulation of the roots tends to this, although we mu.st make full allowance for good culture. The question is, Would this special manipulation conduce to extra colour on soils where the col- ouring is taken on but very sparingly ? In the ''Herefordshire Pomona" some of the varieties of Apples are very highly coloured ; in fact, many people have doubted this as being over-done. 1 do not think so, as at the time when specimens were being collected I was often brought into contact with the late Dr. Henry Bull, and he was very particular in getting typical specimens, laying particular stress upon colour. I once showed him some very brilliantly-coloured Ribston Pippins, the individual specimens being also of a good size. The fruits had been thinned fora special purpose. He was particularly struck with them, and al- though the variety had been previously figured, he was thinking of illustrating it again, but whether this was done I am not in a position to say, not having the v/ovk in question by me. I never saw more highly coloured Blenheim Orange Apples than in Herefordshire, and Mere de Manage was also very fine. The soil in which these were grown was a strong yellow loa,m, greasy to the feel, and, as a rule, the formation is the old red sandstone Colour in Apples is of minor importance, comparatively speaking, as other good qualities being present, this does not appear to add to their market value. Some people appear to lay particular stress upon sunlight, or even a clear atmosphere, but although this is in a certain degree of import- ance, soil, I think, has far gi-eater influence. To say, however, that a clear atmosphere is not important would not be correct in one sense, as it is always on the sunny side or where exposed to direct light that the colour is brightest, for if only a part of a leaf overhangs a fruit the colour in that particular part will be obliterated. In reference to planting Apple trees in shrub- l)eries, by all means let us have those varieties wliich are noticeable for high colour, and if we can ensure quality as well, all the bettei-. If it was not for this latter characteristic no varieties would be more adapted for ornamental planting than the cider varieties. In bloom as well as colour of fruit they are decidedly in advance of the majority of the kinds celebrated for quality. The Cherry Norman is a very pretty little Apple ; so also are Forest Styre, Skyrme's Kernel, and Strawberry Norman. — Y. A. H. Pear Easter Beurre.— Instead of the fruit of this variety keeping good until March or there- abouts, the bulk of ours was actually ripe at Christinas, and a perfect dish formed part of the dessert provided for my employer for that day. Mucli the best fruit was obtained from a young tree on the Quince stock, this colouring beauti- fully, and proving more luscious than is often the case with the Easter Beurr^. Most of the fruit gathered from older trees was badly spotted, and is keeping and colouring badly, being ready for use, but still presenting a green appearance. The f niit from the young tree is now of a rich orange- yellow, and ra'ore attractive in appearance than eitlier Glou Morceau or Josephine de Malines, both of which are also at their best now.— I. The Chalk Pear.— I notice that Mr. George Bunyard in his catalogue makes the Chalk Pear to he synonymous witli Crawford, though others thmk diif erentl V. The Chalk Pear appears to be a purely local one'; and its cultivation seems to be almost whollv confined to Kent. It shares with Doyenng d'Et^'the privilege of being the earliest : the fruit is small and white. It is known as "Chalkes"or ■' Chalkies " in the streets, and is probably the first variety sold by the costermongers. It is a very jirolific cropper— somebody once termed it nn ever- lastiu'^ bearer— the tree makes a thick head. The variety does not lay claim to the possession of quality, but it pays to grow it as a market variety. Through bearing so early, the trees have time to renew themselves during the summer, and this is ]ierhaps the main reason why it crops so heavily and so regularly. — R. D. PLUMS ON WALLS. Many of the Plums doing well as standards do not get as much room on walls as they deserve. Plums would often give abetter return on a north wall than Pears if they had suitable soil and a well- drained position. "The last named is important, as to plant fruit trees in heaw, clayey soil and neglect drainage is to court failure. Much can be done to provide suitable composts in cold soils by mixing old mortar rubble, charcoal refuse, wood ashes.'^ bones, burnt soil, road scrapings, and such like. When utilising north walls, I would advise plant ino- well-known'; free-beaiing, hardy varieties, such as Gisborne's, Vietoiia, and the Pershore Efc Plum, a great bearer. Early Prolific (Rivers) is'^aiso good for dessert when grown on a north as- pect but, of course, I would only grow it so if room on other aspects could not be given it. Some may object to planting on walls Plums that do well in the open, but there are many advantages ; the fruit is finer, as it can be readily thinned, and in wet seasons it does not suffer so much from craok- \nSp.y, a variety which will not thrive in England. The largest of the green or cooking varieties was Northern Green- ing, anil the best, indeed almost only one, of the russety dessert forms was Golden Russet. Rib- ston Pippin and Blenheim Pippin were also good, not large, but bri.i;ht and clean, not in i>lenty. and quite diverse from home-grown samples. I did not see a Cox's Orange Pippin in tlie market nor vet any of what other than Wellington are regarded as our best varieties. It naturally becomes a matter for wonder whether all our home stocks are already exhausted, or whether they are too inferior to com- pete with the American sorts. One thing which tells so strongly in their favour with retailers is their perfect constancy to form. A purchaser knows now that he may fully rely on finding the whole of his purchase true to .sample. The wa.ste of Canadian Apples to the dealer is also limited. January 16, 1892] THE GARDEN. 47 because owing to the drier nature of the flesh, rot or decay is not so rapid nor so common as is the case with our home-grown fruits. It is very evi- dent if we will enter into competition at home with Canadian growers we must select the very best sites in the warmest counties for the orchards. We must grow good keeping, yet well coloured varie- ties, we must sample the fruits and tub them with all the ordinary Canadian care, and we must take care that the home sample shall be always found honest and reliable. Apple culture for the late winter market indeed needs to undergo at home a revolution ere it is fit to compete with that of Canada. A. D. CANKER IN APPLE TREES. We do not hear so many complaints as to the injuries to Apple trees arising from canker as we did a few years ago. This may probably be accounted for from the large numbers of old trees which have been grubbed up, and which owners of gardens, or those who were res])on- sible, could plainly see were of no value. Tlie advice often was to behead the trees and graft with healthy scions from free-bearing and grow- ing sorts, in order to kill canker and otlier ills the trees may have been heir to. For a time the scions appeared to grow freely, but where the old stumps were growing on perhaps badly drained or impoverished soils, canker still as- serted itself. In dealing with canker in Apple trees, it will be as well to consider the causes of canker. Canker may be caused by the action of frost on ill-ripened wood, injury to the roots through badly drained soil, poverty of soil, the trees rooting down into a bad subsoil (not necessarily a cold clay, as I have seen bad cases on a hungry gravel), and injury to the stems through chafing of the branches or even tlirough gun-shot wounds. Canker may also arise from the injury of insects. A gentleman told me lately that he had cured numbers of cases througli dressing the wounds only. It will be seen from the number of possible causes that different treatment will be needed to check canker. Some varieties, such as Ribston Pippin, Reinette du Canada, and Bedfordshire Found- ling, also appear more prone to the disease^ if disease it may be called, than others. The last named variety we can well do with- out, as, besides its being addicted to canker, it is very straggling in growth. Ribston Pippin, however, is such a general favourite, that any and all means should be tried to ensure its suc- ceeding. I have seen this variety suffer from canker through the chafing of the supporting stake, and also through the ligature cutting into the bark. When once canker sets in, and if nothing is done to arrest the evil, the wound will gradually eat right through the branch. Tliis may not be caused entirely through canker only, as once the injury has started, and the tree is not sufficiently vigorous to outgrow the evil, fungus and decay, through the rotting of the wood, will finish the work. Insects, also, of a certain class which have a partiality to injured wood will also assist in the work of destruction. In numbers of cases canker has been entirely stopped and the wounds have healed over by simply paring the wounds down to perfectly healthy wood and dressing them with a mixture of loam and fresh cow manure worked into the consistency of paint. Wherever the wounds are supposed to have had their origin through other agencies than soil influences, then paring them over and dressing them would arrest the evil and be the means of healthy layers of bark form- ing. Careless staking and tying of the trees cannot be too strongly condemned. If the prac- tice of periodically examining the ligatures is undertaken, say at any time during tlie resting period, it will be seen at a glance whether injury is likely to accrue during the following growing season. Some good strong tarred string should be used, packing a neat piece of old carpet where it comes into contact with the stems. Too slack fastening is almost as injurious as too tight tying, as the continual chafing caused by wind-waving will very quickly injure the bark, and so lay tlie germs of canker. Where the injury is from soil influence, then other means must be adopted. Old trees growing in soil over-lying gravel, and this also probably impregnated with iron, no extraneous aids applied to the surface will improve. As the principal large roots are in the gravel, it would be useless to attempt to rejuvenate those trees unless they were of a size which could be lifted and planted nearer the surface, with the addition of fertile soil, to be afterwards top-dressed to keep the roots near the surface, and so be in a position for the roots to assimilate any food which may be placed near them. Young trees are brought more under control, as by re-lifting biennially during the first few years of their existence, at the same time adding some fresh soil about the roots, the downward tendency of the roots is checked, and by annually or biennially sur- face-dressing, the trees are not likely to become subject to canker. The above practice could be adopted with marked success on thin soils overlying gravel or even in any soil where the trees are apt to become attacked by canker through the soil being ungenial. The worst soils to deal with are those of a cold and badly-drained nature. Where canker owes its origin to defective drainage, it is not at all a formidable operation to drain an orchard or fruit plantation, and with cold ill-di'ained soils this is the first process towards rejuvenation. A badly drained soil is considerably lower in tempera- ture than that which is well drained. The soil being free from stagnant moisture, the root action is free and healthy. Re-lifting during the first years of the tree's existence is also the sure cure of canker when trees are so affected. On our veiy cold land I find this pro- cess necessary with all classes of fruit trees, Apples especially. Y. A. H. Apple trees on la'wns. — I rather think it is a mistake to advise the planting on lawns of any of the large-fruited kinds of Apples, as few of these give colour. There are many of the smaller- fruited and handsome coloured varieties which would be far more suitable. Particularly pretty as a tree and beautiful in fruit is that favourite mar- ket Apple Duchess Favourite. A good tree of this in full fruit is indeed an attractive object. Duchess of Oldenbiirg, again, is a very handsome Apple, and the tree is fairly robust. Worcester Pearmain, The Nanny, and Fearn's Pippin areall richly-coloured and very attractive sorts ; whilst of yellow-fruited Apples. Yellow Ingestrie, Queen Caroline and Golden Xoble furnish beautiful colour. If sorts be selected for colour of bloom, then none excel Nel- son Codlin and Wiltshire Defiance, but the fruits are not at all attractive in the autumn. Consider- ing that the bloom is of but short duration, whilst the fruits remain on the trees for a couple of months at least, I should give preference to colour in fruit to colour in bloom for lawn Apple trees. We might well grow for this purpose some of the later and intensely richly coloured varieties found in the cider orchards of the west of England, many of which merit a far better fate than that the fruit should be consigned to the cider press, for they are really nice eating, and, apart from the question of home consumption, would sell freely in the London market after the local-grown varieties were ex- hausted. Many of these so-called beautifully col- oured cider Apples which hang on the trees so late into tlie autumn are far more toothsome than are the Canadian fruits now found so plentifully in shops. There are many less handsome trees than Apples planted on lawns. — A. D. Home-grown Grapes. — If it be proposed to tloolants in the open ground, and the effect of it is :ilso visible in tlie frames. Slugs should be looked after, as they are very troublesome in mild weather. Carnations and Picotees. The plants in the ordinary garden frames intended for pot culture liassed through the first severe frost without any injury, and they having been looked over and cleaned about tlie middle of December, not much further attention will be needed. Where any plants are seen to be under a drip, they should be removed. Out of doors not much can be done in the way of attending to the plants, except to look over them when a thaw has set in after a frost ; the plants not firmly established may have been thrown out of the ground and should be pressed in firmly with tlie fingers. Any unsteady plants likely to snap over with high \vinds should have a neat stick jilaced to them if this has not been done. Pinks. — These more wiry-stemmed plants pass through the winter, as a rule, more safely than {'arnations and Picotees. There is some danger of lilants dying off during the winter from various <-auses, such as slugs, the leather-coated grub, mice or rabbits. As a precaution it is a good plan to jiot up a pair of each variety and to winter them in a ciild frame. They can be planted out in a bed or in borders in the spring if they are not needed to fill up blanks. The plants wintered in pots and jilanted out in the spring seldom produce such well- laced flowers as those established in the open border. The forcing Pinks now need attention, and to obtain the charming sweetly-perfumed flowers which they freely produce early in the year it is necessary they should be forced in a light liosition near the glass roof of any house where the minimum temperature is from 45° to 50°, As soon as the plants have fairly started to grow the temperature may be increased to 55°. It will soon he time to put in cuttings to produce plants for next year. There is usually a sufficient number of growths produced from the base of the plants. | 'I'his •■grass," as it is termed, strikes root very freely in the bottom-heat of a bed in the forcing house. A dozen or more of these cuttings may be inserted in a 5-inch pot, to be planted out in shal- low boxes 3 inches or i inches asunder, to be again plinted out in the open ground after they have been gradually inured to the open air. They will, however, not be ready to plant out in the open air until May. If they are set out on a piece of rich ground, well worked, and 1 foot asunder, good large clumps will be obtained by the end of September with very little trouble. They should then be potted up at that time for forcing the fol- lowing winter and spring. Hollyhocks.— The plants of these, whether they be old stools or young plants propagated from eyes or cuttings during the previous summer and autumn, ought to be wintered in frames, and if a heated house can be afltorded the old stools, cut- tings thrown up from their base will now be ready to take oflt. Each cutting with a heel attached may be planted in a 2J-inch pot in fine sandy soil. The cuttings are placed in a heated house in a mild bottom-heat, a light is placed closely over them, the top ]iart being taken off and wiped every morn- ing. Tliey seldom require water until roots are formed, which will be in two weeks or so. These produce fine flowering plants the same season. J. Douglas. lack the fibrous tufty root which makes the Violetta strain perennial. The late Charles Turner, of Slough, considered the origin of our show Pansies to have been selected sorts of wild Viola tricolor crossed with Viola altaica. I am an old Pansy grower, andean recollect their be- ginnings about "the year 1)S34 or 18:!5. Mr. Downie is, ])erhaps, the veteran Pansy grower in Scotland, and 1 am afraid will rather think very little of tufted Pansies or their growers. — C. STUART, HillsUle, Chlrnside. N II. Tufted Pansies. — Botanically, Violets, Pansies, and Heartsease are all tlie same. Tufted Pansies are crosses from the garden Pansy and Viola cor- nuta, the latter being the seed-bearer. Pollen from V. corn\ita applied to the Pansy produces a common enough form of bedding Pansy — never the tufty root growth obtained when the cross is the other way. I have jiroved this by actual hand-crossing, as shown in the notice in THE G.vrden of the 19th ult. Most strains of tufted Pansies are bred the wrong way. and in consequence CHOICE HARDV ANNUALS. It would be a wearisome undertaking to count the number of hardy annuals offered for sale in a popular catalogue. The largest garden can accom- modate only a small selection, and to endeavour to pick out the most worthy to grow is bewildering to those who are not to some extent acquainted with them. Annuals being readily raised and quick to bloom, are liked in consequence, and to those who love flowers and whose means and time are limited, they are particularly acceptable. They can be sown in the open and let alone until they require a little thinning out and tying up, as some little training of this kind is required by the tallest-growing among them. They flower freely, and if not particularly lasting, they are very bright and effective for a time. A small packet of seed will give enough for successional sowings. It is to be regretted they too often receive so small an amount of culture, and they would be more satis- factory if the groinid in which the seeds are sown were dug and manured, and when the plants are large enough are thinned out to a few, for a few with space in which to develop are far better than a number so thickly crowded as to impede the well- being of each other. A pretty border can be ar- ranged by selecting some of tall growth to go at the back,' and so fall away to the dwarfest in front, or if it is an oblong or square bed. and it is desir- able the face should be to the cardinal points, then let the tallest be in the middle, making the dwarfest the front line all roiuul. The grower can sow in lines of one variety or he can form his bed of little patches of different subjects to his liking. In purchasing seeds I would not advise him to buy packets of seeds of a great many kinds, but rather to purchase a packet each of some good ones he may fancy, and while having as much variety as possible, securing miiformity of growth ailH arrangement. Sowing may be done at the end of March or in April, according as the weather suits and the condition of the soil favours. The soil should be loosened, broken up fine, flattened down a bit and the seed grains scattered thinly over it. The smaller the seeds the more thinly they should be sown, and the grains covered up thinly with a little fine soil. Sowing is a simple method, but it requires to be done with judgment, and, in common with all other questions in the garden, what is worth doing is worth doing well. For its pretty rosy blue colour, Aspernla aurea setosa is well worth attention ; it is free, slightly fragrant, and grows to al)out a foot in height. Bartonia aurea is one of the most showy of hardy ann\uils. with large golden-yellow flowers, freely produced. It also averages about a foot in height. Of our double garden Marigolds there are three well worthy attention, \iz., Meteor, yellow striped, and bordered with inches, the blossoms very dark. Of the pretty dwarf Leptosiphons, I like rosaceus the best ; it forms a dense mass of pale rose-coloured flowers, and scarcely exceeds 6 inches in height. That pretty Toadfla.x (Linaria aurea reticulata) deserves a place in every garden ; 1 foot, the flowers purple flaked with gold. For brilliancy of colour, scarcely anything can com- pare with Linuni grandifloriuu rubrum. and it is very free, about 1 foot. Of the annual Lupines, a place should be reserved for L. nanus, with its dwarf compact habit, and profuse blue blossoms. Of the Mignonettes, Victoria, a good crimson ; Gol- den Queen, bright gold ; and Parson's Giant White are the best. Of the dwarf, close-growing Nemo- philas. which form capital edgings, the large blue insignis grandiflora. the purjjle spotted maculata, and the blue form of N. atomaria are the best. The blue Ni.gella hispanica (1 foot), the beautiful blue Phacelia campanularia (1 foot). Fhodauthe maculatn, of the same height, the richly coloured, tall-growing varieties of Salpiglossis grandiflora (2 feet), the new double Pink, Silene pendula. about 4 inches, Sutton's miniature Sunflower (2i feet), \'iscaria oculata, deep blue, and its rose-colom'ed variety Diinnetti (about 1 foot), and the imperial- looking Whitlavia gloxinioides, blue and white (1 foot), complete the list. It is ea.sy to add to it, I have selected only such as I know to he really good and worthy of a place in the garden, R. D. Primula obconica, — This is by far the most perpetual flowi'ving species of Primula we have in cultivation, 1 have a plant of it that has been in bloom since April last, and while everything in my cold house goes down before fog, frost and damp, P. obconica keejjs on flowering — very bright and j^leasant in the winter sunshine. Though reputed to be hardy, I fint protected by a frame this Iris will flower earlier in the season than it will out of doors, and a very bright and cheerful object it forms in the conservatory at this season of the year. About half-a-dozen bulbs should be put into a pot 5 inches in diameter, as treated in this way they form effec- tive little masses, and as it is not at all likely that the whole of the bulbs in one pot will flower at quite the same time, a succession is thus kept up if only for a short period. Besides this Iris there are several bulbs available for flowering under glass early in the season that are rarely used for the purpose, among others being the Siberian Squill (Scilla sibirica) and the two Chionodoxas, viz., LucUife and sardensis, while the Grape Hyacinths are also very pretty so treated. — T. Husa Basjoo, or japonica. — I do not re- member to h.ivi' cwr si-fii this offered for sale. When considering that the glaring bedding-out fashion has seen its day, and is making way for a style more harmonious to educated eyes, and how suitable this fine plant is for sub-tropical work, as well as for tropical eft'ect in intermediate conser- vatories, it does seem strange. I can scarcely con- ceive anything more desirable than a hardy, or comparatively hardy Musa, and here we seem to have it, for undoubtedly fine-foliaged plants will be the taste of the future. Of course it cannot be expected that any member of this, the grandest family of herbaceous plants, will flourish without some attention to their requirements, the chief of which are complete shelter and rich soil. Accord- ing to a correspondent in your columns a few weeks ago. there are several other species that would survive in a rather low temperature ; scarcely one of these except M. Ensete (not one of the best) is to be found in any catalogue, while several re- quiring a high temperature and much room, and therefore only for the few, are in most of the large nurserj- establishments. Why are not these hardier species more readily obtainable 7 It seems they can be propagated with the greatest ease. Nursery- men appear to overlook many things that could not fail to be remunerative, were they put into commerce to meet the times at a moderate cost. — J. M.. Charmouth, Dorset. Nepeiitlies. — These should have the warmest position ill the stove with plenty of atmospheric moisture ; still the temperature should not, as a rule, fall below 60° : a few degrees above that will be a safer standard to follow. Where there are many grown I would advise the glass to be covered at night to avoid any chilling effect upon the plants, as most, if not all, will be near the glass if suspended, this being the best method of growing them. When the pitchers are of extra size the leaf often bends down from the base ; in such cases a slender stick should be given as a support. Where thrips or red spider are troublesome, sponging in a careful manner should be done at once. If the plants are in teak baskets some of the old Moss might be taken out if the roots have not taken hold of it and fresh substituted, or the fresh could in some cases be added to the other with advantage. Plenty of water will still be required to keep the plants in a healthy condition. It is not advisable to attempt any propagating now unless there is a brisk bottom heat with plenty of top heat also. In such a case I would not hesitate to take oft' the tops of plants that are extra tall. To strike them, take a 2i-inch pot and make the bottom drainage-hole larger, then place the base of the cutting through this opening, the pot being bottom upwards, after which, pack in around the stem that is in the pot with Sphag- num Moss in a firm manner, dip it in tepid water, and then plunge in bottom lieat in a propagating frame. The needful after-attention is only that of keeping the Moss in a moist state. When roots are January 16, 1892.] THE GARDEN. 55 found working their way through the Moss, a small basket or pot must soon be thought about after the plant has been gradually taken off the bottom heat. For a few weeks afterwards it is tlie safer plan to keep the young plant in the propagating pit until fairly well rooted. — H. G. Kitchen Garden. QUALITY IN POTATOES. Out of tlie very large number of varieties of Potatoes which have been introduced, very few certainly liave been deemed worthy of general cultivation. As in other vegetables, quality is of supreme importance, although in the case of Potatoes this does not warrant general cultiva- tion, a-i there are other features to be reckoned with. First and foremost is their power of withstanding disease, at least to such an e.\tent as to make them worthy of cultivation. Pro- bably there is no variety whicli is not liable to be attacked, for although it may be quite tree from disease for one season it may the next be of very little value. This being the case, we are apt to a certain extent to overlook quality where a variety will prove of sufficient hardiness to combat successfully the prevailing malady. Seasons like the past show the weak points of many of the varieties which are periodically in- troduced. As is well known, a fine shaped tuber is no criterion that the quality will be equally good, for I wonder how many have gone out of culti- vation since the time when the international exhibitions in support of the P(jtato were annually held. No doubt "A. D." could give us the sure.st information on this point. It is jjerfectly true that the Potato is of the easiest culture, but yet the tubers in many instances may be practically useless except for cattle feeding, the quality being so poor. As is well known, the character of the soil as well as the season have a great influence upon the quality of the Potato. Many a young man upon entering, say, his first situation of importance, and who may have had but little experience in the selection of varieties, is apt to rely upon some of the mucli-pufi'ed novelties, very often with the re- sult that, as far as quality is concerned, they are useless. I agree with the observations of Mr. E. Burrell that he would like to see notes from difl'erent parts of the country, giving a selection of four varieties found most service- able in the respective localities, and, I would add, notes as to soil might also be given, for this makes all the difference with many varie- ties. You cannot gauge the value of a variety in an ideal Potato season, for it is well known that many of tlie tendere.st varieties of only second-rate quality in ordinary seasons really come of very good table quality. This is par- ticularly noticeable on heavy cold soils, for it is upon sucli as these that the greatest diver- gencies are known to exist. If growers relied more upon the first earlies to carry them through the greater part of the summer, there would not be so many complaints as to the table quality. Upon our heavy cold soil I have the greatest faith in the Ashleaf section. Veitch's Ashleaf and Rivers' Royal Ashleaf have done me good service in the past, and I shall con- tinue to rely upon them. No other varieties crop better with me. The greatest mistake is in leaving them in the ground after the haulm has fallen over. Sharpe's Victor has come very much to the fore during the past year or two, but its value lies in its coming quickly to ma- turity either when used for forcing or early border work, but it cannot be compared with the Ashleaved for quality. Such being the case, it would be a great mistake to plant this variety solely as a first early simply because it is much lauded as being early. I was j)leased to see the favourable comments upon Oovent Garden Perfection, a variety which has now been before the public for the past fourteen or fifteen years. I have not grown it during the past few years, but I have a vivid recollection of its good qualities after the me- morable wet season of 1879, and the favourable remarks of both Mr. Wythes and Mr. Burrell appear to establish its reputation as a wet season variety, a sure criterion that it will be equally good, if not better, during a more favourable Potato year. According to the analysis of the Potato, phosphates and potash, the latter particularly predominate, this jjlainly showing that the above elements must be present in suffi- cient quantity if Potatoes of good table quality are expected. They may be present in sufficient quantity (jn heavy cold soils, and which only re- quire drainage and good cultivation to ensure good results ; and yet on light soils in some dis- tricts, or even worked-out soils, potash and phosphates may be so deficient as to make the crop very poor. Manuring in these cases is the panacea to ensure both good crops and also tubers of good table quality. If a variety does not come up to good table quality, either the soil naturally does not suit it, or the quality is so poor that the variety is not worth growing, Perfect immunity from disease would certainly be a good trait, but if good quality is absent, then the variety must necessarily be considered only secmingup. The conclusion I have arrived at is that I was in too great a hurry to s])iwnth3 bjd, tliis further convincing me that it would in very many cases be better to spend an- other week or even more in the preparation of the material for the beds rather than to risk i}Uttingit together before decay is well advanced. The numure must be thoroughly sweetened anil decay lie steady anil constant, not merely to generate heat, but rather to provide a congenial home for the fungus spores. It does not in the least matter if the heat of the bed, after it is put together, does not reach 70' even, as I have frequently had excellent crops from apparently exhausted manure. A gentle heat and a constant decay .answer far better than a much higher temperature with the most probable loss of moisture to an injurious extent, a mass of dry manure being altogether unfavourable for the growth of Mushrooms. This deduction can be supported by further ex- perience gained during the present season. In order to have a good succession of Mushrooms, another large bed was formed early in October, and found to be in a fit condition for spawning about a week later. Two-thirds of the bed or a length 14 feet by 4 feet was spawned and duly soiled over. ■ The remaining portion was reserved and not spawned till ten days later, or October 17, there being a gentle heat in the bed .at the time. With a view to test the correctness of other theories that I had imbibed, soiling over this late spawned length of bed was del.ayed for fully three weeks, but I w.as not prep.ared for the result. In about a fort- night .after the soiling was completed that late- sp.awned part of the bed was white with tiny Mush- rooms, and we commenced pulling on November 21, or exactly six weeks from the date of sp.awning. Nothing very remarklace of Cos, I do not think .salad - eaters will ever use the former if they can obtain the latter, as Cabbage Lettuces are of such soft texture, and never have that cris|)ness and tlavoiu- that the best of tlie Cos kinds pos.ses.s. Although this is so, Cabbage Lettuces are extremely valuable for frame work or forcing, but in spring mithing can equal a Bath Brown Cos that has stood through the winter. I was much surjjrised to read that " A. Y. A." should say that Sandringham Dwarf White Celery had had its day, as I regard this as one of the very best, if not the best, and am of opinion that the tall Celeries are not desirable, as they rerjuire so much earthing to blanch and protect tlie tops from frost, and when dug for use they compare badly as to length of stem with the dwarf kinds when one considers the extra trouble they give. Perhaps "A. Y. A." will give the name or names of the kLnds he thinks so superior, and which, though early, keep solateinthe season. The Chiswick trials settled the matter of Toma- toes ])retty much for us, and those of the Per- fection ty]ie are acknowledged to be the best sorts to grow. With regard to Onions for garden or kitchen use, three sorts are quite suffi- cient ; the Reading for autumn or early winter use, James's Keejjing for late, and Deptford for summer. S. D Garden Flora. PLATE 840. C.'VBNATION KETTOX liOSK* Thk accompanying plate shows well the beauty of this line Carnation. It was one of the kinds brought out by The Gardbx trial of Carnations in IS88, and whilst re- ceiving the premier award in its class, it was certainly the best out of nearly 100 sorts, sell'sof all shades, and striped kinds as well, .sent in for the competition. The origin of this tine Carnation is obscure or unknown. When ^Ir. W. H. l>ivers went to Ketton Hull as gardener, he found one or two jdants of it growing in a border, but they had no name. He recognised its worth, propagated it exten- sively, and grew it in quantity, finding it of the greatest value for cutting, and ctl'ective and useful for massing in the Hower garden. The kind remained in his hands until the announcement of The CiARHE.N competition, in accordance with the terms of which si.x; plants were sent and planted in October in • Drawn for The Garden by H. (i. Moon at Gravetye Manor. Lithographed and printed by Guil- lanrae Severeyns. IAN 16 'SS2. yi^i^' CARMz^TION KETTON ROi January 1G, 1892.] THE GARDEN. 57 the open ground, where tliey remained all the winter, grew vigorously in spring, and flow- ered well and continunusly in a summer re- markable for its coldness and wetness, and tlio rotting alike of buds and flowers upon some of tlie best kinds in the flower garden. It was sent in under the name of Pride of Ketton, but this name was afterwards altered to Ketton Rose, which it was tliought ivould help to express and indicate the colour of the kind. All the_ necessary good qualities desir- able ia a garden Carnation are found in Kclton Rose. It is a strong grower, produc- ing plenty of healthy grass ; the flowers are large and bold, clear and bright in colour, and last, but by no means least, they do not Inirst. Ketton Eose is the perfection alike of form and colour. - There is still room for more such gond Carnations in many bright or sjft self or harmonious hues. The popu- larity of the Carnation is yearly increas iiig, and in the near future, if not at present, liundreds will cultivate it for the sake of its beauty and fragrance, apart from any desire for exhibiting. ' A. II. SERVfCEABLE FLOWEIiS. TnEKE are a great many flowers cultivated under tjlass tliat are well woitliy of the trouble taken with them, but the really serviceable kinds are by no means numerous. What is principally wanted now-a-(la_vs are flowers that will travel well and also f;eep fresh for some time in a cut state ; but the list of these might be ailded to with advantage. In the autumn and early winter months we have to largely depend >ipon Chrysanthemums, and there is suliicient variety in these to please most tastes. Yet there is such a thing as having too much of the Chrysanthemum, and especially the heavy spe- cimen blooms; and gardeners will do well to turn their attention more to the growth of the smaller ^■arieties, including pompons. Those two e.xcellent late reflexed sorts Golden Gem and Boule de Xeige ought to be more grown for the midwinter displays, even if at the expense of larger forms. By way of affording a relief to Chrysanthemums, it is advis- able to grow a considerable number of zonal Pelar- goniums, both single and double flowering. The former are particularly serviceable for vases and table decoration up to Christmas, while the semi- doubles, notably Guillon Mangilli, F. V. Raspail, Earl of Beaconsfield. James Vick, La Cygne, Heroine, Bruant, and Mme. Thibaut, can be had in bloom all the year round. In many cases a warm, airy house might with advantage be devoted jirin- cipally or solely to the semi-doubles, these att'nrd- ing abundance of serviceable flowers, especially in February, March, and April. Vases filled with one colour of these and forced Spiraja japonica are bright and attractive, and in passing I might add that the Spiraea just named cannot well be grown too extensively, the foliage, as well as the flowers, being serviceable. The same remarks apply to the Lily of tlie Valley. Roman Hyacinths, again, are very easily forced, it being possible to keep up a succession of bloom from November to March in- clusive. Hundreds and thousands of these might well be grown where cut flowers are in great de- mand, but I have no great liking for the large- flowering double and single Hyacinths. The Poly- anthus Narcissi are also serviceable for pot culture, none so much so, perhaps, as the Paper-white. Freesias (notably F. refracta alba), agiin, though less well known, are decidedly serviceable, and what adds to their value is the fact of the pots of bulbs increasing in value and usefulness the longer they are kept. These will eventually become as common and jjopular as Roman Hyacinths, or, it may be, more so, as the latter have to be replaced ] at a considerable expense every year. Of other I deciduous bulbous-rooted plants, Lachenalias must not be omitted. They are not so generally admired as many of the preceding kinds are, but they are deciderlly serviceable. The flowers travel well and kee]5 fresh in a cut state for several days. Some of the best are L. Nelsoni, aurea, tricolor, and luteola. Few now-a-days attach any value to Camellias otlier than the old alba plena or any other good white variety, and these are principally in favour with florists who have a good demand for wreaths and crosses. Azaleas are better appreciated, though these are of little or no value for packing ;. but the single and double white varieties are invaluable for home use. The beautiful and very sweet-scented hybrid Rhododendrons are also bad travellers, and it is worthy of note that very few flowers that have to be oit with a hard stem, or length of ripened wood, ever last well in a cut state. This is the case with the hardy Rhododendrons, whether flowered under glass or otherwise, and the equally gorgeous forced deciduous Azaleas are really any- thing but serviceable. Lilacs keep fairly well for a few hours, the pure white forms being of the greatest value. A fairly good substitute for the latter will be found in one of the Bladder Nuts, Staphylea colchica, this forcing readily, and lasting for two or three days in a cut state. The same plants may be flowered for several years in succession, and this cannot be said of Lilacs. Of the vai'ious hardy, or nearly hardy shrubs and plants that are amen- able to forcing, none can be said to rival Roses, and of these the Teas and Noisettes are by far the most sei'viceable. The Hybrid Perpetuals can be flowered well in pots, but they only give one crop of bloom eich spring, and the blooms soon lose colour and fall. One noteworthy exception to this rule in found in La France. The Teas are almost continuous bloomers when jilanted out under glass, and those in pots will, under favourable cir- cumstances, flower freely late in the autumn, and again in February onwards. Of the value of the Noisette Marechal Niel little need be said, its good qualities being too well known ; but unfortunately it is somewhat fickle, strong trees collapsing quite unexpectedly at times. Of greenhouse plants, the most )irominent place must be given the Carnation. More serviceable flowers than these could not well be grown, and I can quite see the force of building houses piinci- pally or solely for their culture. Many such are now to be met with, light airy structures suiting them well. The perpetual flowering varieties yield blooms throughout the late autumn, winter and spring months, and these are available and much souglit after for a variety of pur]3oses. There is now quite a rage for the Souvenir delaMalmaisor, this being the most fashionable of all Carnations, and just coming well into flower. A few dozen lilants are thought nothing of. and I could name many private places where the stock consists of from lOOO to 5000 plants, these filling one or more houses specially designed for them. Unfortunately, Carnations generally, and the Malmaison in par- ticular', are liable to be overrun by a deadly fungus, with which in not a few places it has been found impossible to cope. There is a wide difference be- tween Carnations and Arums, or, more properly spe king, Calla (Richardia) a?thiopica, but the latter is also a very profitable and serviceable flower. It is effective in groups of pot plants, and is a noble vase flower. It is a comparatively easy matter to have it in bloom from Christmas to long after Easter. Imantophyllums, notably I. minia- tum and varieties, are also very serviceable warm greenhouse plants, and very gay in theu' season. Strong plants produce a fairly long succession of flower-scapes, the masses of orange-re :\ flowers being very efliective in vases or otherwise. They are worthy of more extended culture than is at present accorded them. Cinerarias and Calceo- larias are very showy pot plants, but of no value whatever in a cut state, the same remarks applying to the single Chinese Primulas, but the old semi- double white form of the latter ranks among the most serviceable plants that can be grown. Persian Cyclamens are also serviceable, the flowers travel- ling well, and In small glasses, mixed with elegant greenery, are very effective. Among heat-loving plants the first position may well be given to the Eucharis, including the old E. amazonica and the newer E. Candida and E. San- deri. Where there is a good batch of healthy plants there are nearly always a few or many flowers available, and these can be put to a variety of uses. Pancratium elegans is less valuable in some respects, and more so in others. It requires \'ery similar treatment, and the beautifully white sweet-scented and very elegant flowers are largely used in bouquets, wreaths and vases. Stephanotis floribunda is omitted from \ery few collections of plants, but it cannot be said to be particularly ser- viceable. Dipladenias and Allamandas, if trained to the rafters, yield large numbers of flowers, and in the autumn they are of good service for table decoration. Ixoras are less often met with, but they can be made to flower almost continuously, and their bright orange-red flowers are very effec- tive in a cut state. Bouvardias require less heat than Ixoras, and are more serviceable. Fewer Gardenias are grown than formerly. They require to be kept very clean, must have a strong heat, and the flowers do not travel jiarticularly well. Eu- phorbia jacquinifeflora is both an-old favourite and a most desirable stove plant. It produces grand branches, closely furnished with small scai-let flowers, which last remarkably well on the plant or in a cut state. Bougainvillea glabra is usually grown in plant stoves, but if given a place in a. warm greenhouse or conservatory the flowers would be of a richer colour and more serviceable. Orchids are nearly all serviceable. — Meld, Trees and Shrub?. EVERGREEN OLEASTERS. (el-eagnus.) It is singular that these shrubs should be so much neglected. At the present time they are in full beauty of leaf, for, although distinct and pretty at all times, it is in the depth of winter that the richness of their leafage appears most conspicuous, and a bold hush or group of buslies becomes ciuite a feature. In nurseries, as well as gardens. Oleasters are scarce ; there- fore garden planters have little opportunity of seeing them, and it is only the few that are conversant with shrubs that know and grow them. The best kinds come from Japan, but, in common with many other plants from that country, tliey are not tender, as many eirone- ously suppose. They are as hardy as tlic Laurel, which, as is well known, is rarely injured, and their foliage retains its freshness often when Laurel leaves are browned, as the leaves of these Oleasters in texture almost equal those of the Holly. At Kew, and again in Battersea Park, there are a few specimens, from which one can gather a faint idea of what a pretty feature these Oleasters would make if planted in groups. They must not be crowded in among other things, but in an isolated group the bushes have room to spread, and they grow out into wide, but dense round masses, and from their centres throw up long, vvaud-like shoots, which are densely coated with a browni, scale-like covering, and greatly enhance the graceful appearance of the bushes. The leaves of all except the variegated kinds are of a deep rich green above, but some have their under surfaces of a pretty silvery colour, and others have the brown scale-like covering above re- ferred to as clothing the young shoots, both being charms that contribute to the exceeding beauty of a mass. The few nurserymen that have these Oleasters and include them in their catalogues do not seem to have a uniform nomenclature, and a plant obtained under one name in one place is, 58 THE GARDEN. [January 16, 1892. unfortunately, something entirely different under the same name in another ])lace. This, however, is but one result of neglect, and if an interest in the family were awakened, and t!ie best members of it were in demand for plant- ing, uniformity of naming would soon be esta- blished. With the nurseryman it is a matter of supidying tliat which is in demand ; and, if Oleasters are rarely asked for, he is hardly likely to take niucli trouble regarding them, even to the extent of verifying the names of the few he may happen to liave in stock. The fol- lowing remarks upon some of the varieties may be .serviceable : — E. MACROPHYLLA is perhaps one of the finest species ; it has a vigorous habit of growth, dense and spreading, and remarkably handsome foliage, the leaves being thick in te.xtiire, 4 inches long, and about 3 inches broad in their widest part, of a shining green above and silvery beneath. This kind is a native of Japan, where it abounds in dis- tricts near to the seashore, and, therefore, as a fine evergreen shrub for maritime gardens in England, it has an additional value. E. SLABEA is a magnificent sjjecies, also hailing from Japan. A fine bush of this species is hand- some. There is also a very pretty variegated form in cultivation, the broad leaves being distinctly margined with pale yellow. Of this and other variegated kinds in the same family, it may be said that they are very ornamental, being decided and constant in their varied colouring, and fit to as- sociate with the normal green-leaved types, as are the Gold and Silver Hollies with the green kinds from which they originated. E. HEFLBXA is another distinct kind, with cha- racteristics, as implied by the name. As the bush grows and spreads outwards, the older liranches reflex from the centre and make room for the long, vigorous, but gracefully slender shoots which an- nually appear. These liave been mentioned above, but in this particular variety they are produced most freely, and lovely they look protruding from the mass of old rich leafage. A variegated variety of this also exists. E. SiMONi is a distinct kind, a handsome and very free grower, ha\'ing the appearance of a dense dwarf evergreen Oak, the leaves in size, shape, and colour much resemliling those of that tree, liut with a decided silvery tint to their under surfaces. E. PU-VGEN.s is a distinct kind, with smooth leaves of a shining green above and silvery beneath, whilst a variegated form of it is also very pretty. The flowers of all these species are scarcely ornamental, but there is one kind whose flowers are succeeded by berries which are considered edilile. The name of this kind is E. LONGIPBS BDULIS.— The fruits are like oval berries. They have long stalks, and are of an orange-red colour, speckled with white. The flavour is somewhat simihir to that of Red Currants, but rather more acid. This kind is a native of Japan. These shrubs gn>vv liest in soils that are rather light, but otherwise they have no particular re- quirements, and it is certain that they would thrive in many gardens where now they cannot be found. — Field. of very fine specimens beside a walk, standing like grim sentinels on guard, each as prim and as much like its neighbour as hand of man could make them. A few yards beyond these, standing simply ii]ion the Grass, were about a dozen splendid trees that apparently had never had the slightest train- ing, and the contrast was so great and showed so plainly the greater beauty of the untrained trees, that 1 could not help admiring them. They afforded a fine example of " what not to do." If the Irish Yew was planted in a group, where each specimen stood at a distance admitting of free growth, and upon a spot Ijacked up by branching deciduous trees, we should ultimately get an effect f.ar sur- passing that produced by rows of trees set uj) like ninepins, or single cones dotted here and there upon the lawn — good examples of a ridiculous ]>ractice, telling of energy and labour sadly mis- applied.—A. ]{., in Field. The Golden Privet for an edging. — I feel sure many proprietors would have more pleasure in their gardens and liecome more attached to them by having beautiful and choice collections of shrubs arranged for effect with forms and colours always pleasing and graceful when not disfigured with shears or with a hedge-knife or other weapon often used to cut graceful plants into forms offensive to refined taste. Among golden plants for edging 1 have seen nothing to surpass tlie beautiful Golden Privet ; it can be kept dwarf, formal, or informal, and be always very effective. As an example, take a circular bed, plant in it such shrubs as Retinosporas of sorts, Cupressus, Hollies (golden and green), round-leaved Laurels, a few Rhododendrons, with some others, allowiug proportionate numbers of each standing clear and distinct from each other ; over the whole siu'face plant a carpet of Berberis (Mahonia) to be kept a foot or so high and plant an edging- of variegated Privet all round, peg it down and keep the plants dense with the knife, and a picture m y be formed, which would be admired. The older the shrubs grew their interest would increase. — M. T. Lifting shrubs. — It is common enough to lift fruit trees when their growth is {;ross with the view of inducing them to keep within limited space and to ripen their wood thoroughly, thus causing a fruitful habit. It is not so common, however, to treat in this way ornamental shrubs and trees to save labour in pruning them, causing a hardy con- stitution, and thus enabling the plants to stand low temperatures, which they cannot do when their growth is gross and their wood unripened. Flower- ing shrubs may often be induced to bloom freely by lifting or otherwise checking " water-pumping " roots, which only give wood and leaves minus flowers. When abundance of fibre is formed near the surface the best results may be expected. Plants established in gravelly soil seldom require any ('heck to cause a fibry growth of roots ; they are. indeed, often benefited by good surface-dressings of well rotted manure. A number of choice Rho- dodendrons which we get to flower very freely every year are planted in poor gravelly soil in a mixture of loam, well-rotted leaves and a small portion of peat. They keep to the height and width required, and are much benefited by a top- dressing every other year of rotten manure neatly forked into the surface of the soil. — M. T. Trained and untrained Irish Yews. It is very unconuuon to meet with good examples of the Irish Yew that have had their own way and lieen allowed to grow naturally from thetinie that they were first planted, and yet such are much more beautiful than those so severely tied in till they be- come almost like a magnified sugar cone so far as regularity of form is ctuicerned. It is inconceiv- able why anyone should need or want to train a tree that has by nature an erect or fastigiate habit of growth. An untrained Irish Yew is very pictur- esque, and the prevailing fashion of tying it is ridiculous. I was never so much impressed with this as recently, when in an old garden I saw a long line PLEASURE GROUND WORK. The time that intervenes between the final leaf- clearing and the commencement of the mowing season (some two months out of the twelve) is the only time, if grounds are extensive and labour somewhat scarce, that can lie spared for any s|iecial work in the pleasure ground, for the new year is generally a week or two old before the last of the autumn foliage is consigned to its final resting place, and with the first appearance of brooms on lawns to prepare for scythe and machine, all extra or special work is at an end. Naturally, if one departnu'Ut has to go to the wall, it must be the ))leasure ground ; for all work here, whether it be the daily routine of sweeping, raking, mowing, shrub-cutting for ten months out of twelve, and a little in the way of special improvements to fill up the remaining time, has not much to show for time and labour expended, and imremunerative labour in these days of garden economy is not regarded in a favourable light. " Let decaying leaves lie, and lawn grass grow twice its usual length," was a bit of .-ulvice given some years back, but I fear the majority of gardeners would hear a few remarks not conductive either to their advantage or their peace of mind if such advice were acted on. I apologise for the digression, luit it has arisen from the desire to show that, however anxious the gardener may be to effect pleasure ground improvement on a somewhat extensive scale, he has great difficulty in so doing if the grounds are large and the staff limited. From now until the middle of March is. as I have said, about the only time in the ye;a' at his disposal, and if special work is contemplated, it should be pushed forward at once. New planting ojjerations in this department will, roughly .speaking, come under one of two heads, viz. : the suVjstitution of flowering plants where there is already a pre- jjonderance of evergreen or rim rersa, the class of plants in each case depending on the taste of the owner, the character of the soil, and the aver- age meteorological influences, as shown by both the wet and dry bulb thermometers. These ujatters are important factors towards successful planting, foras it is absurd to invest heavily in. let us say, American plants if the natural soil is totally unsuited to them, so it is equally absurd to make no distinction Vie- tween the requirements of the humid south-west corner of our island and the rbier and colder north and north midlands. Even with the commonest of plants the same rule holds good, as may be evinced from the fact that while in one place Rhododendron ponticum makes a splendid covert and carpet plant under forest trees, in another it will but drag on a miserable existence and refuse to cover the ground. Mention of covert plants reminds one that the question of a restriction in the height of such things as the common Rhododendron and Laurel is often required, where, from some cause or other, they have been allowed to attain a great size, and are quite out of reach for an annual shortening of growth. I have before pointed out that instead of cutting clean away to the required height, thereby leaving for some two or three sea- sons a lot of unsightly patches of bare ground, the better way is to start at one end of the quar- ter, and, W(U-king regularly through it. to cut all big old .stems partially through, and bring them gently and carefully to the ground. They are thus re- tained to add to the density of the covert, the stem below the cut doing its part by breaking away strongly. This will require cutting back after the fir.st season, but the growth on the old lowered stems, checked by the partial severance, will make little headway for two or three years. If the above operation is carefully iierformed. no break nor gap will be perceptilile in the quarter when it is finished, the only difference being a restriction in the height and the opening up of some nice peeps over the foliage jirovided for in the original planting, but blocked out by the tall Evergreens ann the northern side of tliis large island. It is named in honour of Sir Trevor Lawrence, and is a magnificent variety. There are about a score of named forms of this plant, good, well-marked varieties, but the typical form of the plant is very beautifid. The leaves are stout and large, the ground colour pale green or yellowish-green, which is marbled with a ricli deeji green, rendering the plant extremely orna- mental, even when not in bloom. The flowers, borne upon scunewh.at long peduncles, are very large, witli a broadly ovate diU'sal sepal, wliich is white, striped with broad curved lines of a rich pur]Flish hue, the lower sepals being small, wliite, streaked with juirple and having a sutt'u- sion of green ; petals half an inch wide, standing out at right angles, grcenisli towards the base, but ti]iped with dull ])ur])le and ornamented on both margins with black warty ,s]i( its ; the pouch- like lip is very large, deep reddish-brown above, passing into yellowisli-green beluw. In tlie varieties the colours are nuich niodifieil and brighter. The most distinct and wonderfid variety of this .species is that named Hyeaniun, named in honour of M. Jules Hye, of Ghent. It may be described as a white and green- fiowered form, and is well figured in a recent number of tlie " Reichenliachia," t. '23. From this it would appear tf the Manetti were beginning to be generally admitted, but it was constantly being urged on the other hand that Brier cut- ting stocks were difficult to make — a difficulty, I would state, that I never experienced- and that Brier seedlings were troublesome to bud. I was, therefore, anxious to find a stock as easy to pi-opagate and to bud as the Manetti, and on which the Tea-scented Roses and smooth-wooded Hybrid Perpetuals of Victor Yerdier race, that notoriousl}' will not thrive on Manetti, would succeed I was delighted in the first instance to find with what rapidity and certainty the Polyantha cuttings struck root, quite equalling if not surpassing the Manetti in this respect ; then the new stocks were found just as easy to bud as tlie old ; and last, but not least, the Flowering shoot of Rosa Polyantha. fusion of names has been doubly unfortunate ; for in the prolonged absence from cultivation of the true species, the name multifl.ora became a.ssociated with certain garden varieties of little beauty or value, while the species' widespread popularity in recent years has been achieved under the alias Polyantha — a name that it now seems hopeless to displace, especially since its adoption for the race of dwarf Roses that has sprung from crosses between the species and various Tea-scented Roses. The confusion is undoubtedly increased in the lay mind by the fact of these miniature Roses bearing the same name as the natural giant ; and it certainly seems one of the strangest freaks in the Rose garden, that the ofi'spriug of one of the most rampant climbers among Roses should be the dwarfest and most diminutive of Roses we pos- sess. It need hardly be said that these minia- ture varieties are not the Polyantha Roses that are recommended for use as stocks ; but the species itself, which, for the moment, even at the risk of bringing upon ourselves the deserved reproaches of M. Crepin fiir inconsistency, we must for convenience call Ro.sa Polyantha. Ro.sarians who are unfamiliar with the plant. experiment continued through a series of years has demonstrated clearly that Polyantha cut- ting stocks are admirably well adapted to the req°uirenients of the Teas and smooth-wooded Hybrid Perpetuals. Nine-year-old plants of such varieties as Comtesse de Nadaillac, Etoile de Lyon, Victor Verdier, &c., are still flourish- ing, in spite of exposure to all intervening win- ters ; and each season more cuttings of Poly- antha have been struck, and in due course budded so that now a considerable proportion of the Rose plants in the garden are on Polyan- tha stocks. A fear that was at one time expressed that Polyantha would sucker too much to be valuable as a stock has happily not been realised, as a sucker is quite the exception and not the rule ; and if one does make its appearance, there is no possibility of its being mistaken fin- part of the scion, so that its prompt removal is assured. .A further convenience about Poly- antha stocks is that they appear to succeed equally well on either light or heavy soUs. The immense quantity of roots made by the plants enables them to secure a supply of moisture even on most sandy land, while the roots are hard enough to withstand the efl'ects of wet or heavy land, without the liability to rot that characterises the softer roots of the Manetti in wet seasons or situations. Anyone who can make and bud Manetti stocks can make and bud with equal ease an equal number of Polyantha - cutting stocks. Cuttings 9 inches long are made in the autumn frijm well-ripened shcjots of the season's growth, and it i.s to be observed that it is not in the least necessary that these cuttings should have a '* heel," as is so desirable in the case of Urier cuttings. The best time for the insertion of the cuttings is the end of September, but any time from then until Christmas will serve. To ensure the largest possible crop, the be.st plan is to make a " nick " with a spade and till it with white sand, into which the cuttings should be firmly pushed, leaving only 2 inches of their length visible above the siuface of the soil. Thus treated, the cuttings will quickly root, and in the following October or November (twelve months after their insertion) should be transplanted, trimmed, and " heeled in" some- where until March, when on a showery day th-y can be planted in the budding quarters. This " heeling in " during the winter, and not planting permanently until the spring, is strongly recommended for all dwarf stocks, which can then be planted quite shallow, so that no diffi- culty will be experiencei-l in inserting the buds quite close to the roots. If the stocks are planted in the autumn, shallow enougli to be easily and properly budded, after the fii'st frost they will all be found tumbling about, half out of the ground ; and if they are planted so deep as to avoid this risk, it is more than probable that the buds will never be inserted near enough to the roots, as witness the sadly " leggy " plants so often received from nur.series. If stocks are wanted in a hurry, cuttings of Polyantha inserted in good time in September will be found to be well rooted by the end of the year, and may be jilanted in the budding quarters the following March, and budded in July— within ten or eleven mouths of their in- sertion as cuttings. Th s rushing of stocks, however, is not recommended except in an emergency, as they are liable to be rather thin- barked, and consequently to require special care in budding, although at the same time it has been observed that buds of Tea-scented Roses cut from small wood sometimes ' ' take " better on thin-skinned stocks. It will be observed that the foregoing remarks refer only to Polyantha stocks made from cut- tings. Two or three seasons ago some of the Continental growers suggested that Polyantha seedlings would pi'obably make good stocks, but the making of experiments therewith on a large scale was probably delayed in the fir.st place by the fact that the species does not often ripen a large crop of seed, and, secondly, by the desire of growers to flower their seedlings, and to endeavour to produce additional varieties of the increasingly popular dwarf ever-blooming Polyantha Roses. The distribution, however, under the name of grandiflora, of a variety as vigoriuis as the type, and bearing seed freely, has facilitated the raising of seedlings in quan- tity ; and experiments are now being carried on to test the value of the stock in this form. The raising of a batch of any seedling stocks is, nevertheless, a tedious process, and in view of the tact that rosarians generally seem to find so little difterenc in the value of Brier cutting and Brier seedling stocks, it seems not un- reasonable to assume that the additional merit of Polyantha seedling stocks would not be sufli- cient to compensate the greater trouble in pro- ducing and budding them. The Polyantha cutting may not be the best 62 THE GARDEN. [Januauv 1G, 1892 stock in the world for Roses, but it is certainly a very good one, especially for Tea-scented Roses, and the so-called Hybrid Teas or smooth- wooded varieties of tlie Victor Verdier race, easy to propagate, easy to bud, perfectly hardy, not getting mildew in the quarters, and thriving on any soil ; so that growers who have difficulty in propagating Brier cuttings, or in budding Brier seedlings, should find a "boon and a blessing'' in Polyantha cutting stocks. T. W. GiRDLESToNE, in The Rosaricum virens. Mr. H. M. Pollett, Bickley, had cut flowers of Orchids. Mr. Iggulden, Marston, Frome, sent cut flowers of Vanda Cathcarti. Mr. C. J. Lucas, Horsham, sent some choice things, including Cypripedium caudatum, Dendrobium heterocarpum, Lielia anceps Stella, and Pescatorea Klabochiana. Messrs. Charlesworth and Co. had Cypripedium Swinburnise, a hybrid between C. insigne Maulei and C. Argus, in which the flowers had retained the deep spotting seen in the latter ; and a large flower of La!lia pra;stans (Heaton's var.). Messrs. Pitcher and Manda, Swanley, showed two very distinct CypripecUums. Mr. N. Cookson had seedling Ca- lanthes. one with a very fine deep crimson lip, and others of a lighter shade. The Rt. Hon. J. Cham- berlain had a beautiful white Lselia anceps San- deriana. Floral Committee. Awards of merit were given to the following; — Canna Alphonse Bouvier.— a beautiful va- riety of the new large flowering section. The flowers are crimson, the petals being large and of good substance. A valuable addition to these winter-blooming plants. Messrs. Paul and Son, Cheshunt. Chinese Primula Pink Queen.— A beautiful pale blush-flowered variety with fringed edges. Messrs. Cannell and Sons, Swanley. Chinese Primula Peach Blossom.— This has flowers of a deeper colour than the preceding. The shade of pink is very distinct. Messrs. Cannell and Sons. Messrs. Veitch sent cut sprays of Daphne iVIeze, erumautumnalis, Hamamelis japonicaZuccariniana- and Hamamelis arborea. Tliese shrubs should be more often seen. Messrs. Cannell and Sons in addition to those certificated, had a group of well- grown Primulas, consisting of thirty-six plants in variety. These were of good habit with blooms of large size, the single pips of many being very fine. Kentish Fire has dark red or crimson flowers. Eynsford Purple is much the same as Kentish Fire ■ 66 THE GARDEN. [January 16, 1892. except in colour. White Perfection has pure white flowers of good size. Cannell's Pink is also fli.s- tinct. Swanley Mauve is novel, but it is, I con- sider, not so valuable for decoration. Messrs. Veitch also sent a stand of their new winter- blooming Begonia \Vinter Gem. Sinnys of a new Asparagus came from Mr. Bishop, of Westbury Hall Gardens, Bury St. Edmunds. TheLachenalias staged by Mr. W. C. Leach, Albury Park Gardens, were very fine, the spikes, some of which had from fifteen to twenty open flowers, being short and stocky, the flowers also richly coloured (silver Banksian medal). Froit Committee. An award of merit was given to Apple Albury P.^ek Noxsuch. — A cooking variety, said to have come off a tree over 100 years old. It has size, colour and good flavour, and much resembles Withington Fillbasket. A dish of seedling Pears of exce'lent flavour named 'J'horncroft came from Mr. J. Moone, Sey- mour Cottage, Sutton, Surrey. A seedling Apple from Mr. J. Holmes, Paston Rectory, had some of the Ribston flavour, but was a little past its best. Mr. Dean sent Apples from a Surrey garden near Guildford, very much like King of Tompkins County, but superior in flavour. A variety of Crab came from Messrs. Dicksons, Chester, for name. It much resembled White Paradise. A dish of well-coloured Tomatoes, a seedling from the old red, came from Mr. Wythes, Syon House. It is an excellent winter variety. A collection of splendidly-grown Onions in nine varieties, many of the bulbs being of immense size and well rijjened, was sent by Mr. H. Deverill, Banbury, and included several new forms : Advance, of the James's Late Keeping type, is certainly a fine selection ; the other varieties were James's Keeping, still one of the best ; The Lord Keeper, Ailsa Craig, very fine, Cocoa-nut, Anglo-Spanish, a large flat kind. Royal Jubilee and Wroxtou (silver Banksian medal). From the well-known fruit nurseries at Maidstone (Messrs. Bunyard and Co.) came 100 dishes of Apples and a few dishes of Pears (silver medal). The committee tested several varieties of the above with imported fruit, and they found that King of Tompkins County grown in Kent was superior to imported samples, which, however, were more highly coloured. In Mr. Iggulden's absence, the hon. sec. read his paper on " Winter Vegetables." Mr. Iggulden stated there were twenty-three distinct kinds of vegetables available for winter use, and about one dozen kinds of roots. With .all this number there is often a great scarcity, owing to our climate being so moist, and various kinds are not able to stand a severe winter such as we had last season. Employers do not attach suflicient importance to the preparation and conking of vegetables, and cooks have much to answer for. To get a good supply of winter vegetables it is necessary to have plenty of frames and forcing houses. Without these "the gardener is handicapped ; even with these advan- tages it is not an easy matter. Employers, therefore, would do well to provide these on a liberal scale if they require plenty of winter vegetables. Brussels Sprouts are indispensable, and should not be grown too coarse nor large ; a medium sized or small sprout is appreciated, while a coarse one is useless for many purposes. Care in sowing at the right date is important to get them in condition : plenty of room is also necessary. Borecoles should be largely planted, both the Scotch and Green Curled being of great value in the winter months ; these and Read's Hearting Kale are well worth ])rotection in a frame in severe winters. Buda and Asparagus Kale are specially valuable for spring cutting, and often stand when all others fail. Broccoli is often a precarious crop, Veitch's Self-protecting being most valuable for autumn use. If sown early in April, lifted with a ball of earth. t.aking care to preserve the fibrous roots, and replanted in frames in light rich soil, the season can be greatly prolonged. Snow's Winter White is an excellent variety. Savoys sown later and grown small are most Viilu- able and very_ hardy. Cabbages come next, and for winter the Rosette Cabbage is most service- able. Chou de Burghley should also be sown late, as if sown too early it comes too large, but if sown as advised it is a very useful vegetable. Spinach is often much neglected. It is a high-class vegetable and worth e.xtended cultivation. The ground for Spinach requires special .attention to get good returns. Soot should be freely used to destroy insect pests. Late sowing is often a cause of failure. Mr. Iggulden advised the first week in August for winter crop, the Victori.a and Viroflay being the best kinds, and, though round- seeded, quite hardy. Spinach Beet is very good when cooked well, taking away the outside leaves. Endive, though not usual!}' classed as such, is an excellent winter veget.able, the Improved Round- leaved Batavian being the best and hardiest. Leeks are also good when blanched. Cardoons, though seldom grown, arc very useful when properly cooked, and here our cooks are often at fault. The same remarks apply to Celery, equally good and useful, but not used enou.gh as a vegetable. Root crops are invaluable for winter use on account of their keeping qualities. Potatoes are often sent up to table badly served, in a sodden condition and often uneatable. The Potato is not valued sufficiently, and the gardener often grows too many kinds. Some are not suited to the soil, and thus never cook well. Town dwellers often purchase their Potatoes by appearance and not quality. Carrots may be had nearly all the year round by growing the Short Horn type, sowing these in July for winter use. Jerusalem Artichokes are very seldom used, but are good when carefully cooked. The Chinese Artichoke (St.achys tuberiferii) is very good, but difficult to cook owing to its small size ; the cook if not careful will lose half in pre- paring, .Salsafy ai^ Scorzonera require equally good cooking, and are. therefore, somewhat ne- glected. Both are valuable winter vegetables, and require to be sown late. Celeriac has few admirers, but. properly cooked, it is an excellent vegetable. Large Early Paris and Turnip-rooted are the best varieties. Discussion. — Mr. Bunyard said Mr. Iggulden had omitted to name Beetroot as a vegetable ; he thought it indispensable. He had also found the St, John's D.ay Drumhead Cabbage superior to Rosette for winter use ; it was much used in Kent. He also recommended a variety called Christmas Cabbage. Mr. Wythes agreed with Mr, Iggulden as to Spinach, the Victoria and Viroflay being the best and perfectly hardy ; indeed he never sowed the prickly kinds now. He said he could see no dif- ference between the Victoria a.nd the Viroflay. He still liked the old Walcheren Broccoli, as when sown frequently it gave nice small heads just fit for table. He regretted that many even in large gardens could not give ve.getables the frame room desired for winter protection. Mr. A. Dean concurred with Mr. Iggulden's re- marks as to cooking Potatoes, but not as to varieties. TJnited Horticultural Benefit and Provi- dent Society. — The last quarterly meeting of the year was held on Monday evening last at the Cale- donian Hotel, Mr, Nathan Cole in the chair. Nine new members were elected, bringing the benefit membership up to 42H. Four new hon, members joined during the year, bringing the number up to fifty-five. Sickness has been very prevalent, seven members being on the funds at the present time. Four deaths have occurred dur- ing the year, Tlie committee earnestly ask the co- operation of members in inducing others in the profession to join this very useful society. The annu,al meeting will take place on Monday evening, March 14, at 8 o'clock. Soot and lime, — Surely these two substances should nut be mixecl when used for manurial purposes, as I think I saw recommended in The Garden a week or two ago. At any rate, if they are so mixed, is not most of the ammonia contained in the soot set free and so lost to the cultivator! This is also what happens when quicklime and stable manure are mixed together, a loss of ma- nurial v.alne being the result. For bog or peaty land air-slaked lime is a (capital dressing, as it is also for old gardens in which the soil is Vjlack and cloyed with manure or humus. It quite refreshes and rejuvenates worn-out old soils, and is a good fertiUser as .applied just now to all fruit trees, especially bush and stone fruit.s, either before or after an ajiplication of potash in the shape of burnt rubbisli iind wood ashes. For Grape A'ines espe- cially lime and potash are very essential.-— DUBLIS Books. VEGETABLE SCULPTURE,* This gentleman, unfortunately, without any knowledge of plants, trees, or natural land- scape beauty, launches forth on a little raft of bladders into the dreary sea of quotations from old books, and knows so little of where he is going, that he is put out of his couise by every little drift of wind. One goes through chapter after chapter thinking to get to the end of the weary baseless matter, only to find again nothing but quotations, even to going back to an old book for a song. "When at last we come to a chapter on " Art in the Gnrd'H," this is what we read — Let us here point to thefact, that any garden whatso- ever is but Nature idealised, pastoral scenery rendered in a fanciful manner. It matters not what the date, size, or style of the garden, it represents an ideali.=a- tion of Nature. Jiaal nature Pxists outside the artist and apart from him The Ideal is that which the artist conceives to be an interpretation of the outside objects, or that which he adds to the objects. The garden gives imaginative form to emotions the natural objects have awakened in man. The i\nson d tire oi a garden is man's feeling the en. >,o ^1" ^a" ur, in Athlone, the bti.uitifu! residence of Mr. Burges.s, are two of the uio.st curiou.s and interesting Beeche.s tliat are known in this country. Tliey were trans- ])hinted to their pre.sent position from the wood- hmd nearly three-quarters of a century ago, and yet they are scarcely more than 10 feet high, or at least were a few years liack. Being of dense growth and drooping habit, the brandies ramifying from the stem at about 4 feet from the ground, they pre.sent a mo.st curiou.s appearance, resendtling great hea|js of leave.s more than anything else I can call to mind. Growing from a mighty boulder-stone in the craggy jiass of Nant Francon, in North Wales, I used often to admire both an Ash and a Beech that resembled closely these Irish specimens. They were simply dwarfed through want of sufticient nourishment, growing as they were on a barren rock ; but the Irish specimens were not s i, but seemed more to lie naturally of a dwarf contorted habit, and therefore, jier- haps, worthy of jierpetiiating. Stem .irxcno.v of a Yew anh ax Oak. — By the public path in Holwood Park, and near the celebrated Wilberforce Oak, is one of the most peculiar cases of tlie junction of the stems of two trees — a Yew and an (_)ak— that has ever come under my notice. The combined stem of the Yew and Oak, which is of a perfectly nor- mal .shajie throughout its entire length, is 7 ft. II in. in girth at 1 yard from the ground, and 7 feet 10 inches at 5 feet up. The Yew rises to 15 feet in height, and has a branch-spread of 36 feet ; while the Oak, whose height is 35 feet, has a dia- meter of branches of .54 feet. Both stems are so amalgamated into one, that were it not for the difference in colour of the barks, the point of junction could hardly be detected. For fully 5 feet up, at which point two large limlis are sent out by the Oak, the Yew takes up from 2 feet 2 inclies to 2 feet 5 inches of the total girth of the tree, but how far the wood of the Yew extends inw.ards lias not been determined. At 2 feet from the main stem the two large limbs sent out by the Oak girth resjiectively 4 feet 7 inches and 4 feet 9 inches, and as they grow on opposite sides, north and south, of the trunk, they have an appearance that is very peculiar. The Yew stem almost encircles the northern limb, and with it is completely amalgamated, the barks being ([uite level at their point of junction. When viewed from the public path, f n nn which it is II yards di.stant, these comliiiied trees present a curious appearance, particularly when the Oak is destitute of leaves, the commingled deciduous and evergreen brandies being then most noticeable. How 'this union of the two trees, but particularly an evergreen Conifer and a deci