100 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Angnst e, 1867. 



of notice are the Greek Lemon, Slcaramanl'as les haroifstou, and an 

 immense variety 4^ to inches long ; the " Denx Mammelons," also a 

 large oval variety, with two great nipples, one at each end. The 

 Lemonier-bigarade is a hybrid between a Lemon and a Bitter Orange, 

 »ome being nearly round, with an orange colour, while others are oval, 

 and of a pale lemon colour. There ia a small egg-shaped variety, 

 which has red flesh and variegated leaves, and this is called Lemoni 

 TccTchinon. The Naples Lcmou is a very small variety, about the size 

 of a pigeon's egg, and is principally need for comfitures. Then there 

 is a Bweet Lemon, which is about the size of an ordinary Lemon, but 

 ■with a sweet flesh, and very agi-eeable. 



The Citron de Leonide is a large, rough, warted variety, and is the 

 only one of that kind exhibited. 



The Kergamottes or Limes are more numerous. They are of the 

 colour of a pale lemon, and rounder than that fruit usually is. The 

 most remarkable in this class are two kinds of Sweet Lime — 

 one called Zacharolemenon, which is a small, round, and ratlier oblate 

 fruit, lemon- coloured, and with a large nipple at the end like a 

 Lemon ; and the other Gli/lolejurnon, which ia quite round, and of a 

 deeper and more orange colour, and with not so large a nipple. The 

 common Bergamotte is that which furnishes the perfume known by 

 iiiat name, and which forms one of the principal ingredients in eau 

 de Cologne and other compounds of that class. There is also the 

 aromatic Lime of Chio, a small fruit of the size and shape of the 

 Manderine Orange, and has the same aromatic odour which that 

 variety has, but is distinguished from it by being of a pale lemon 

 colour and having an acid flesh. There are several specimens 

 of the Shaddock and the Forbidden Fruit, the latter being dis- 

 tinguished from the former in being pear-shaped, the former being 

 yonnd. 



Oranges occur also in the Algerian and Italian departments ; but, 

 as they are uot distingnished either by names or numbers, no 

 jeference can be made to them. Some of the specimens are very 

 good, and among them may be observed a large Fingered Citron, the 

 development of which is on the same principle as the Horned Orange, 

 already noticed in the Greek department. 



The Dates in the Algerian department will form a good subject of 

 Btudy, paiiicularly a collection of fourteen varieties in boxes, all care- 

 fully named, and which come from the pepiuicres of Bistra. These 

 vary in size, form, and colour, the last character varying from a pale 

 irownish cream colour to an almost black. The variety usually met 

 ■with in the shops of Britain attached to the rachis, or stalk, in strings, 

 3s called " Beglet noir de Souf." These are generally covered with a 

 eaccharine glaze, as is also another and a much larger variety, also 

 common in the grocers' shops, and not attached to the stalks, called 

 *Stima de Biskia." From the Algerian Government garden of accli- 

 matisation there are no less than fifty-five varieties; and from the 

 **pepinieres de Biskra " there is another collection of fifty-four varie- 

 ties. These, for the most part, are small, di-y, and farinaceous, many 

 of them not larger than an Olive ; and it is these that form the staple 

 of the food of the Arab population. All these varieties, it may be 

 well to know, are varieties of Phoenix dactylifera, which is as fertile 

 ia producing varieties of fruit as our Apple and Pear are. In the 

 Egyptian department there are also many varieties of Dates, among 

 which will be observed two varieties which form the large dry-skinned 

 Dates of our shops. These are called " Dattes de Dougolah" and 

 *'Datte8 Hamry do Belbeis et Salanieh." There is also a variety 

 which has no stone, and is called " sans noyau ;" and, if imported 

 into commerce, would doubtless prove acceptable from that circumstance. 



Dried Figs are an important feature in the Algerian, the Italian, 

 ihe Portuguese, and tbe Turkish departments. Here, again, it is 

 ^nch to be regietted that no names or numbers are attached to the 

 different varieties, so as to afford some index as to the sorts that are 

 aisually employed for drying ; and the persons in charge of these 

 departments are perfectly ignorant on tbe subject. It will, therefore, 

 Jbe permissible only to ohsei-ve the various forma in which they are 

 made up. Some of these are sufiiciently curious- — as, for example, 

 those impaled on wooden skewers, like larks for the spit. Some are 

 pressed into shallow frames made of Arundo donax ; others are 

 squeezed in masses, like thick sections of a Stilton cheese ; while 

 others are made to resemble squares of Windsor soap or German 

 sausages. There is a mode of making up Figs exhibited in bottles, 

 which consists in cutting two fruits lonpitudinally as far as the stalk, 

 then spreading them out and applying the two inner surfaces to each 

 other; in this form the fruit is dried, and in drying the two snriaces 

 adhere, and they are then mounted on skewers or strung on a cord. 

 The same fancies in the way of packing may bo observed in the other 

 collections ; but in no case are there any exhibitions of those large, 

 handsome Figs which are to be obtained in the shops of tbe United 

 kingdom. 



Almonds are weU repreeented in the Italian, Algerian, and Poriu- 

 gnese departments. The Jordan Almonds may there be seen under 

 the names of "Sultana" and " Delia Dama ;" while the other sweet 

 and bitter-kernellcd varieties will be found under their various names. 



The other kinds of dried or natural fruits that are exhibited are 

 dried Apples, Kaiains, Mulberries, Pistachios, and pignons, the latter 

 being the kernel of the seed of the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea). In 

 tnoet of these countries the Jujube is also shown. This is sold in 

 Covent Garden Market under the name of " Japonicas," and with 

 what reason it is ^impoBBible to tell, it being the fruit of the Zizyphus 



vnlgaris, a tree extensively grown in the south of Europe, where its 

 fruit is dried, and serves aa a winter dessert. It is from this fmit 

 that the confection called " jujubes "' receives its name, and which 

 should consist of gum arabic and sugar dissolved in the decoction of 

 this fruit and then evaporated to its proper consistence ; but, as made 

 in this counti-j-, the fruit forms no part of the ingredient. In the 

 Algerian department may be seen specimens of the Lotos of tbe 

 ancient Lotophagi, and which is the fruit of Zizj-phus lotus ; they are 

 about the size of a Cherry, and of a purplish colour. In the interior 

 of Africa these are pounded in a mortar and made into cakes, which 

 are eaten by the natives. 



PresnTea limits. — In the Algerian collection are good specimens 

 of the fruit of Carica papaya, or Papaw. This, when young, is used 

 for sauce ; and water impregnated with the juice acquires the pro- 

 perty of rendering all sorts of meat steeped in it tender. The flesh 

 of old fowls or other animals becomes tender when fed on the leaves 

 and fruit, and joints of meat are prepared for cooking by being hung 

 in the upper branches of the tree. There are also examples <« 

 Sechium edule, or Choko, which is now considerably gi-own in Algeria 

 as a substitute for the Potato. The only other fruits that are pre- 

 served are Manderine Oranges, Peaches, and Loqnats, or Japanese 

 Medlars. In the Dutch department there are excellent examples of 

 Apricots, Peaches, Plums, Cherries, and Mulberries. Similar collec- 

 tions may be seen in the Bavarian depariment, and a very extensive 

 collection is sent by the United States of America, consisting of Pine 

 Apples, Peaches, Cherries, Gooseberries, red and yellow Tomatoes, 

 Plums, Grapes, Pears, Siberian Crab, Lawton Raspberries, Barberries, 

 Whortleberries, Quince, Currants, and Sweet Corn. These are all 

 preserved in spirit. Russia exhibits dried Apples, Pears, Prunes, and 

 Melons cut in slices. 



VIOLA CORNUTA AND LUTEA AS BEDDING 



PLANTS. 



Mr. Wills asks for information from me concerning Viola 

 cornuta, and if the favourable opinion I entertained of it last 

 year is still maintained. I have great pleasure in stating that 

 after having cultivated it throughout last season and up to the 

 present time, I am more delighted with it now than when I 

 last wrote respecting its merits. With us it is perfectly hardy, 

 and, which is of the greatest importance at the present day, this 

 invaluable plant forms one of the most lovely and effective 

 beds for early spring-flowering I ever beheld, commencing to 

 flower in April, and continuing to do so in the greatest profu- 

 sion up to this time. Temperature and the weather do not 

 injuriously affect its beauty to the same extent as other early 

 spring flowers ; and to show Mr. Wills the high estimation 

 in which his favourite plant is held at Denhies, I have had 

 planted nearly one thousand plants of it for the edgings of a 

 series of ribbon-beds, which extend in one continuous line 

 from the south end of the conservatory. These plants were 

 reproduced from cuttings in January last, and were planted out 

 in the end of May. They now form a charming edging 1 foot 

 wide and in full flower. — J. Drewett. 



I AM glad Mr. J. Wills has spoken so favourably of that beau- 

 tiful bedding plant, Viola lutea. It deserves all that he has said 

 in praise of it. I have a small circular bed of it and Carter^s 

 dwarf lilac Lobelia Beauty of llavensbourne planted alternately, 

 and the two colours contrast very well indeed. The flowers of 

 V. lutea are longer and broader in the petals than either of the 

 two varieties of V. cornuta — viz., Mauve Queen and Purple 

 Queen, and the colour is a bright canary yellow. It is a vigorous 

 and yet dwarf and close grower, and blooms and seeds pro- 

 fusely. I obtained my plants of V. lutea from my brother, 

 Mr. W. Dean, Bradford Nursery, Shipley, Yorkshire, and they 

 are, I imagine, identical with Mr. Tyerman's variety. It is a 

 perfect gem for the summer flower garden. 



I saw at Kew, early in the spring, a variety of Viola lutea 

 considerably smaller in the size of the flower than that which I 

 am growing, while the foliage was not nearly so robust. The 

 weather was very cold, and the plants were by no means young. 

 Probably this will account for the apparent difference both in 

 size of flower and strength of foliage ; for my own plants 

 were fresh from the cutting-bed when I received them very 

 early in the year. 



1 can bear testimony to the differences to be seen between 

 the two varieties of V. cornuta as stated by Mr. Wills. I can 

 the more readily substantiate his statements, as I obtained the 

 plants of Purple Queen from a friend who had them direct 

 from Osberton, while the other variety came in a similar way 

 from Mr. Wills. In growth, in constitution, in the jagged edges 

 of the leaves, in the size of the flowers, and the breadth of 



