81 



JOUBNAIi. OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Januarj- 31, 1867. 



Snpposing the sum total to be h'jipllftd forprir.es to remain 

 the same in the case of the Orj-stal I'ulace schedule, there ia 

 loom nfiortled tor such eonipeiiBation. Inopftn competition 

 any place obtaineil is honourable to the competitor, especially 

 if within the first four plnees ; hut no one, that I am aware of, 

 ■Bots a particular value on a tiflh prize. At Kensington none 

 of the )irizes extend heyonj a fourth. At the Crystal Palace 

 seven cla«ses are stretched out to a fifth. I.et the tifth prizes 

 be abolished. Again, tllass 5 hati hitherto been twelve varieties, 

 one truss of each, for niuserynien only; and Class 14, for 

 ivoses in pots, confined to new Hoses first sent out in the pre- 

 vious ;\eur. Neither of these classes is necessary, the first re- 

 quiring too small a nuoibpr fron^ gfpwers for sale, and the 

 .second being sufficiently provided for in the classes for new 

 Roses and Roses in pots. If the .<:nm applied to these classes, 

 and to fifth prizes, were added to the prizes in Class land 2, 

 fhe highest for nui-sei-ymen only, th'e amount would not only 

 <!over what is assigned to Classes .■! and 4, but leave a margin 

 to he applied to some other nsefnl classes, or for the intro- 

 duction of some new feature in the Show, as a class for Tea 

 Rose?, siome single variety. Yellow Hoses, i-c. 



ISy this arrangelnent, if the entries by one exhibitor be re- 

 :stricted to two classes, as they are for amateurs at Kensington, 

 the great growers will lose nothing, so far as the value of the 

 prizes is concerned. Or, if this restriction he objectionable, let 

 Class 3 be for twenty-fttnr varieties, three trusses of each, EC- 

 montaut Hybrids only, as at Kensington, allowing competitors 

 to enter for any three classes, thus leaving Class 4 to be con)- 

 peted for by small growers, if they decline to enter for the 

 liigher classes. It would do no harm to try tli,e experiment of 

 this slight restrictiotf 'libtii W'KfiisagtbttJafatf^thB' Crystal' 

 Palace. '■ ^ ;■■'■■" r;ilij /,a r.J .'...rr;-.!!; ; ».j-3-^ ■■, •(..■; 



A great improvement in 'the Show at Kensington was effected 

 by the introduction of classes for Yellow, Tea, Noisette, and 

 Moss Roses. Of six classes assigned to these, one at least ap- 

 pears supeifluous. Last year. Class 14 was for twelve Tea and 

 Noisette Roses, distinct kinds, for amateurs only; Class IS 

 was similar, but for nnrscrymetr only; ftnd Class l(j W^ 

 .similar, but open. The la^-t might be dispensed with, the coifl- 

 petitiou in all of them being as yet but vei-y limited. Classed 

 like these should be introduced into the schedule of the Crystal 

 Palace Show. " " 



As regards the number of flowers required in the several 

 classes, the most objectionable is the ninetj-sfx in the first 

 class for nurseiytneu "at the Crystal Palace. At Kensington, 

 the greatest number required is seventy-two. I say objection- 

 able, for allhouph there are several hundreds of varieties in 

 cultivation, yot if improvement is aimed at, and the selection 

 kept within reasonable bounds by the i ejection of inferior 

 kinds, a lower number than ninety-six will et^ect the object, by 

 bringing the Very choicest together in the best condition. 

 Ninety six Tai'ieties;are not wanted, nor do ninety-six varieties 

 of equal merit exist. Scarcely hall ninety-si.v. It most not be 

 inferred that all Roses specially pointed out as the best, should 

 he after one unifoim model ; on the contrary, we de.sire va- 1 

 liety in form as well as in colour; hence we have the cupped, j 

 globular, imbricated, &e., and this difference of form adds in 

 no small degree to the pleasure and interest of Cultivation. 

 A globrdar Charles Lefebvre, or Chabiillant. and a Lord Clyde 

 with the form of William CiiiMths; would life very beantiful ; 

 but nobody would dream of esrchidiug them because they are not 

 so. Seventy-two varieties would include every perfect form 

 aiid coloiir yet known.— -Adoli'Uus H. Kfisi.- - — - - — "- 



Hence it is vei^ late before they require disbudding, and I 

 never stop the shoots until August, when I nail in and stop 

 rather closely to expose the fruit to the sun. We have but little 

 sun here after .Tuly, and I am glad to say I, like " A Constant 

 RuAnER," was amply rewarded for my trouble with a fine crop 

 of fruit, well coloured, but not quite up to the maik as to 

 flavour. 



I ought to have said my disbudding in Februnry was in a 

 Peach-house, and the frnit was ripe in May ; but here my trees 

 are all out of doors, facing south-east, and were not protected 

 from frost in the least. Some trees that I have on a south- 

 east-by-east Wall were well protected with matting, and there 

 was but a dozen Peaches on a wall (SO feet long iiy 14 high. 

 So ranch for covering fruit trees. — T.-Elcojik, rJiuii Uanlens, 

 Concen, i^hihli Wdtk.' 'f-^'""' "-'" '■'■' •"^"' 



sMihavo'.Jdooar eii 



moii.i ao R 



'li ino 901 i&'jii lliv? ni.:,j,. ^ .,,i n! n: 

 jyad sradfo idtila ol hajLj^.-v.-.- .,.,■.; r.f ,..,,,/; 

 ,y0S!iJ.n'i .!I .1 — .Ilol ai amtj ym bsnsis avav/Ia avai I asJtiiw 

 PINCHING FRUIT TREE SHOOTS,'- > >! , 



On looking over your Journal of December 18th, I see that 

 " Thf.ta " .wonld Jikft Si little/informatiott respecting pinching 

 and --tiipiiing fruit tree shoots. Perhaps my remarlis may be of 

 service to him, 



My ]ilan is to distnd 'a Peafeti tree as soon' as the "bud is 

 well iu^leaf,, leaving the buds after disbudding .5 or Cinches 

 apart,, a^d fe'icl^' fcud'iiterfi'a'tely iiboVe' kbS, beneath' the twig or 



fpiij!:\, '://".:■:;•''':'■■' •''-] /■"'"":' ' '" ,,' : 



^ f. never, stop the snoctts Until they Imve five or six' joints. 



There is no fixed date to pinch or disbud a Peach tree. I 

 have disbudded as early asFebrniiry and as late as .Tune. My 

 frees here are so covered with the aphis as soon as they come 

 into hlot'in that thejj lose all their first leaves in April ccnse- 

 quenflythey are a^'lohg iinie ■iii*"inikllig' a second gjrdwth. 



'^^tll^-LY EOMAN HYACINTH. 



Tms puj-e white and delightfully fragrant Hyacinth flowers 

 in November at a time when scented flowers are very scarce. 

 Each bulb produces three or four spikes of flowers, resembling 

 a very large Lily of the Valley, and when half a dozen bulbs 

 are planted in a six inch pot their bloom forms a perfect bou- 

 quet. I, for one, can vouch for the justice of the recom- 

 mendation niade by Hr. Ker, of Basnett Street, Livei-pool, 

 having grown a quantity this season. The plant has been in 

 bloom with us about two months, and has been very tuuch 

 admired. / ' ' 



From th'e'ibw pMcffof "the bnlba' I Hive' ti.of fhe least doubt 

 that when better known the Early 'Rftilnan 'Hyacinth will be 

 much more extensively grown. Planted in large shallow pans, 

 similar to those used for propagating bedding plants or glowing 

 Achimenes, the bulbs placed about 4 inches apart, when in 

 bloom they are very heautiful. Visitors for the last three 

 years in November, at the shows at St, George's Hall, Liver- 

 pool, will remember how beautiful .they were.- -William Hill, 



i^.f<'ii^ff.(iMiiitffMr4M:":?-iii,.ii a;ji.i a.j 



:-,ijoi-ij^v \r, ^^);)i:je-rq f'fi ji .5noijiag££ .r.^iicc- 



JiiiiHssi'-' a liiJoiH. fi'C )'■> 'j;.;.!': &;!.' ■ ■ •■■ .j j ■ 



■iH ,9lqcai^ 03 ei CASiMrlllGA- EDULIS. fi! jrii-/.-: .•> ii-y 

 ■ TntftWIspWhifs tfothirig ^o easy as to enundate fine moral 

 sentiments, except it be not acting up to them. So at least I 

 thought when reading the article on Psidiums by " Raddii, 

 PL'tabnrmnr'i," at page 44, where he says, " This assertion 

 shows how careful people should be before they make a positive 

 statement;" and yet at the end of his short paper, in leferring 

 to Casimiroa ediilis he writes thus, " I see the above-named 

 plant advertised by a London nurseryman, giving a flaming 

 account of its capabilities of adapting itself to various situa- 

 tions. It may exist in the west of England in a sheltered 

 situation, but it requires a stove to grow it in perfection, when 

 it becomes a large bush, having numerous Apple-shaped fruit." 

 Now, having a pretty general acquaintance with London nur- 

 serymen and their catalogues, I could recollect (and subsequent 

 search has continued this), that Casimiroa edulis is only ad- 

 vertised by Mr. Wm. Bull, of Chelsea; and yet after all 

 "Ratoii's" moral indignation at positive statements, it is 

 certainly amusing to And that this London nurseryman gives 

 no flaming account, but merely quotes the words of that eminent 

 botanist I'r. Scemann. 



Mr. Bull says, '-This new fruit has been sent me by that 

 zealous botanist and enterprising traveller. Dr. Seemann. In 

 w^itug from Nicaragua he says : — ' With other seeds I have 

 the pleasure to send Casimiroa edulis, a large fruit like an 

 Apple, which was brought to this country from Mexico by the 

 soldiers and colonists of Montezuma, ami of which you will see 

 a figure in" Botany of the ' Herald.' " I fancy it may prove 

 hardy in the southem parts of England, and might be intrc- 

 duceil into Australia with the greatest advantage, as it is ever- 

 grCi^n, and capable Of standing any amount of drought and 

 some degree of cold.' 



" This frnit is described in 'Botany of the Voyage of HM.S. 

 " Herald," Flora of North-Western Mexico,' and thus spoken 

 of: — 'This tree has a reiuail(able tendency to accommodate 

 itself to different climates. It grows from the lowest coast 

 region to an elevation of 7,000 feet, producing everywhere an 

 abundant harvest.' " 



Now surely there is no flaming account by a London niirserj^- 

 man here, but simply statements from two sources of un- 

 doubted integrity and scientific anlbority ; and so far from any 

 assertion as to its hardiness, Dr. Seemann only says, " I fancy 



