23<t 



JOtJBNAL OF UORTICULTUBE ASD COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ September 26, 1887. 



looked at from a distance, and for large park-like parterres 

 like that I know nothing more effective. I think it is better 

 than Cjbister, throws its blooms better above the foliage, and 

 is altogether freer. It is impossible as jet to judge of the 

 eSsct of varieties of which one only sees two or three ; but I 

 am very much mistaken if Lady Constance Grosvenor sent out 

 by Mr. Turner, of Slough, and King of Nosegays by Messrs. 

 Downie, Laird, & Laing, of Forest Hill, are not likely to eclipse 

 it and take the honour of the first position. They are better- 

 formed flowers, fuller in the truss, and do not blacken off so 

 much in the centre. 



In the scarlet Tom Thumb style I have as yet seen nothing 

 to beat Editor. It is somewhat taller in growth than Per- 

 fection ; but then its freeness of flowering and size of truss 

 make it so desirable that I wonder that it is not more generally 

 grown. Next amongst scarlets with a fine horseshoe foliage I 

 would rank Excellent, sent out by Messrs. F. & A. Smith, of 

 Dulwieh, although raised, I believe, by Messrs. Windebankand 

 Kingsbury, of Southampton. It is a flower of good form ; the 

 habit of the plant is good, and the flowers are abundantly 

 produced. There are a great many fine varieties, splendid in 

 form, with great substance; but then there not one truss is 

 produced where three or four of the others are. Such kinds 

 as Clipper, Provost, Dr. Lindley, &c., are most valuable for 

 pot culture, but they fail in effect in beds. There is one kind, 

 however, which I fancy is likely to combine both properties. 

 It is Sir Fitzroy Kelly, raised by Mr. Groom, of Ipswich; but, 

 as I have already said, it is very difticult to judge of these new 

 varieties where only three or four plants at most are seen. 



Amongst the rose-coloured varieties I think Rose Eendatler 

 is the best I have seen — that is, by applying the same rule. 

 For size of flower, substance, and beauty, Beaute de Suresnes 

 ia undoubtedly first ; but then its flowers are sparsely produced 

 — too much so for bedding purposes, while Eose Rendatler is 

 Tery fine. Lucius, a bright rose, is another fine flower, and 

 was exceedingly good at Battersea, where it is the favourite in 

 its .shade of colour, and ought to be more generally used. It 

 dses not, like Christine, seed so very freely, and hence is very 

 useful. Eve, a soft pink, with large flowers, I have also seen 

 very effectively used ; and Miss Martin, a soft waim rose, 

 promises well ; but it is new, and has its character to make. 



Amongst whites, which alter all do not make much of a 

 show, the only advance on Madame Vaucher is Purity, which 

 deserves its name for its exceeding whiteness ; and a new one. 

 Alba floribunda nana, equally well named, for the plants I had 

 of it were a mass of flowers. 



These, then, are the most effective and telling flowers that 

 I have seen this year. Persons may be surprised at the small- 

 neas of my list, but I can only speak of what has struck me. 

 There is a multitude of varieties, all very beautiful, and from 

 them selections may be of course made ; and indeed in each 

 locality there are favourite flowers which are said to eclipse 

 others. My list is given from several localities. — D., Deal. 



that some years ago I received a package of fruit trees from the 

 nursery in the first week in November ; they could not all be 

 planted for a few days, and, therefore, they were carefully laid 

 in, and in four days they had sent out numbers of fine white 

 fibres, in search of food no doubt. 



Great care is necessary in transplanting and root-pruning, 

 otherwise much mischief may be done ; for my part I like to 

 see the leaves put on their autumnal tint before I commence 

 operations. Local circumstances must also be taken into con- 

 sideration. I have seen much mischief follow root-pruning 

 when the operation has been injudiciously performed. For in- 

 stance. I once root-pruned some Pear trees on the walls, on es- 

 paliers, and others — such as Glou Mor{;'eau, AUhorp Crasanne, 

 Louise Bonne, Marie Louise, and many more, some on the 

 Quince, and these are the easiest to manage with, and some on 

 tlie Pear, which require more care. Those on the Pear were 

 very unfruitful, and had but few roots, and most of them tap 

 roots ; of course these I cut out. I examined a part of the 

 other roots, and gave them a little fresh soil. In the spring, 

 I found the trees so treated had received a very severe check, 

 and it was two years before they looked well again. In 

 the third year I was rewarded with a splendid crop of well- 

 ripened fruit from the once-barren trees. There need be no 

 hesitation about root-pruning, but it requires care and thought. 

 To those who have to learn the practice I would say. Root- 

 prune only a few trees in a season ; by this means you can 

 operate upon them in rotation. Some kinds are best root- 

 pruned at twice. 



As to stocks for Pear trees, I prefer the Pear stock to the 

 Quince for garden and orchard trees, and the Quince for some 

 kinds in pots. All do not do alike. The Pear stock, regularly 

 transplanted, produces abundance of fibrous roots. Why I object 

 to the Quince is that sometimes at the junction of the bud or 

 graft the trees become unsightly from the stock not keeping pace 

 with the bud ; sometimes they die off altogether. 1 would 

 strongly advise those who have to learn to procure Mr. Rivers'S 

 '• Miniature Fruit Garden," and study it ; aU that is needed is 

 there. 



We last November moved an Apricot and Peach tree of about 

 six years' growth ; they have both ripened an excellent crop of 

 fine fruit this season, and are very promising for the next. 01 

 course they have been carefully attended to as regards watering 

 and syringing. I am inclined to think that the cause of so 

 much fruit falling, of which there are such numerous com- 

 plaints at times, is in a great measure the want of moisture at 

 the root when the fruit is stoning. Perhaps some of your 

 readers can help us in this matter. 



At page 194 Mr. W. Paul details some good information 

 respecting the Doucin stock for Apples. The old Burr Knot 

 Apple answers well for stocks for some kinds of Apples, espe- 

 cially whore small trees are desired. It strikes freely from 

 cuttings. — M. H., Acklam Hall. 



JUDGING GRAPES— TRANSPLANTING AND 

 ROOT-PRUNING— APPLE STOCKS. 



I QUITE agree with Mr. Thomson in what he lays down as 

 a standard for judging Grapes. To my mind there is nothing 

 more pleasing than to have a dish of well "finished" black 

 Grapes to send to table — I mean finished in bunch, in berry, 

 in colour, in bloom, and in flavour. I am quite of opinion 

 ttat Grapes sent for competition ought to be tasted. I do not 

 or one moment entertain the idea that an employer who de- 

 sires to see horticultural exhibitions succeed would object to 

 have his Grapes tasted ; besides, the men who are chosen to 

 be judges are men who are selected for their ability, and know 

 fall well how to handle a bunch of Grapes without disfiguring it. 

 I would not under any circumstances have red Hamburgh Grapes 

 called black ; if they are not so, let them have a class to them- 

 selves, but do not let us call them black when they are red. I 

 know of nothing more disheartening to a Grape-grower, when 

 he has used his best endeavours and his employer's means 

 for the purpose of obtaining black Grapes, than to find that 

 they will be red in spite of him. 



At page 151 information is solicited respecting transplanting 

 and root-pruning. When I have any transplanting to do I 

 choose the last week in October, weather permitting, and by 

 the middle of November I like to have all trees planted or 

 removed if possible. I believe that root-action is very active 

 in iruit trees at that season. As a case in point I may state 



TOMATOES IN AN UNFAVOURABLE SEASON. 



A FINE bright summer or the reverse has so much influence 

 in causing the success or failure of many crops under the gar- 

 dener's care, that it is no wonder his anxiety is great when an 

 adverse season threatens to prevent his supplying all the articles 

 of produce which he is expected to furnish. A wet cold autumn, 

 with an early winter, is fatal in many cases to the ripening of 

 Tomatoes out of doors ; even in favoured places they are leas 

 abundant, if they ripen at all, which is not always the case in 

 very cold seasons. At the same time there are plants for which 

 the benefits of a fine autumn come too late. Onions like 

 bright hot weather, but their growth, and ripening, and even 

 harvesting and storing, ought to be done before the middle of 

 September ; so that, unless they have fine weather in June and 

 the early part of .luly, they do not benefit much by that which 

 may come later. But this is not the case with out-door Grapes, 

 Tomatoes, and some other things which require a long summer 

 and fine weather at the end of it. 



I believe that after the present season has passed away it 

 will be looked upon as being only an indifferent one in its 

 action on fruits and tender plants, for there will be few out-door 

 Grapes that will ripen, and Tomatoes threaten also to be late 

 and anything but plentiful. I recollect one fine season (I think 

 it was 1858), when some plants of Tomatoes that by accident 

 came up on a north border from self-sown seed were allowed to 

 remain, and a few boughs were laid on the ground, on which 

 the tops rested, and bore finely ripened fruit in abundance ; 



