22 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Flowering will continue till the latter end of May, when the plants 

 should be stood in a cool house or pit, receiving plenty of air and 

 light, in order to ripen the wood and prepare the plant for another 

 growing campaign. 



The two best species of this charming family for purposes of 

 decoration and perfume are radicans major and florida. There are, 

 however, other species indigenous to Sierra Leone, which are perhaps 

 more interesting from the peculiar markings of their flowers than 

 for their great beauty. This genus appears to have a wide geogra- 

 phical range, and to be distributed throughout the continent of 

 South America, the Cape, and Japan — the latter country having 

 recently furnished the strangely-marked florida variegata. 



THE HOEIZONTAL COEDOK' 



IT is well known that we have strongly advocated the culture of the 

 apple on the true French Paradise stock. It should be equally well 

 . known that some of the most distinguished horticulturists in the 

 j aJLejBll country have condemned it. During the past season, we have had 

 many opportunities of testing the grounds of their opinions, and found 

 them all wanting, and that the apple trained as a horizontal cordon is a perfect 

 success in all sorts of soils and climates, provided it be in all cases grafted on the 

 true French Paradise stock. What is called the English Paradise is entirely unfit 

 for this purpose, except on the dry est and poorest soils, and even then only with 

 frequent removals. 



As will be readily seen, this is no matter or argument, but simply one for expe- 

 riment ; and we appeal to the horticulturists of Britain to settle the question by 

 direct trial, a thing they can so readily do. The English Paradise, recommended 

 by Mr. Rivers for this purpose, is the Doucin — one that is intermediate between the 

 crab and the Paradise, well fitted for neat standards, pyramids, large bushes, etc., 

 but growing too vigorously to furnish anything but disappointment if planted as a 

 low cordon, except on very light calcaieous or "burning" soils. To plant the 

 apple on the common or crab stock, and expect to form a dwarf fertile tree, is simply 

 folly. By mutilation, removals, etc., you may secure a crop, and keep the Doucin, 

 or English Paradise, within bounds ; but what we want is a stock that will furnish 

 a dwarf and fertile growth, without any root-pruning or attention whatever, beyond 

 that of pinching in the shoots two or three times in summer, according to luxuriance. 

 This we exactly have in the Paradise stock, grown by millions in the nurseries 

 around Paris, and in many other parts of France. What we say of it can be 

 proved at once by any person having loamy or clayey land ; and yet Mr. Rivers has 

 completely denounced this plant, the value of which it is not easy to exaggerate, 

 inasmuch as it enables us to grow the finest apples ever seen in an incredibly short 

 time. 



With many of our friends, we intend trying it forthwith ; and those of our 

 readers who wish to fairly test the system, and find any difaculty in procuring the 

 finer kinds of apple on the true Paradise stock, will find them in the nurseries of 

 Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough ; Mr. B. S. Williams, of Holloway ; and Mr. J. F. 

 Meston, of Woodham Nursery, Addlestone, Surrey ; who have, at our request, 

 undertaken to keep a stock of these trees on hand. We furnish a list of the very 

 best apples for this purpose. Possibly all of them may not be found grafted on the 

 French Paradise, but in any case it is desirable that the very best kinds be made 

 known. 



As the system is chiefly valuable for the production of superb dessert fruit, only 

 the finest kinds should be selected ; but, as some appks are of high value both for 

 kitchen and dessert, some of the finer kitchen apples are included in the following 



