Juiaary 11, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTOBE AND OOITAGE GARDENER. 



25 



have lost quite two-thirds of a really fine crop), we revel ia 

 abnndanoe of sound tubers. Why ? Not because peculiar ad- 

 vantages of cUmate, soil, or cultural skill are found here, but 

 simply because timely lifting is practised. 



Never was there a more favourable season for the lifting 

 than that of last year, and yet it was lost. The fine hot dry 

 weather departed, the usual rainy season set in, second growth 

 followed in the haulm, the tubers became changed into seed 

 and put forth an abortive crop of other tubers, blight followed, 

 and then arose the outcry at the severe but not unmerited 

 loss. Why will not good people help themaolves a little, and 

 avoid an evil when it is in their power to do so ? All that is 

 wanted is a Uttle care, energy, and forethought. Only resolve 

 to save the crop if it is possible, and little difficulties will 

 easily be overcome ; and this brings me to my last point — 

 sometimes made a difficulty of. 



4, The storage. A short time ago when explaining the 

 beneficial results of early lifting to a gentleman having the 

 management of several large estates in the south of Ireland, I 

 was asked, "How about the storage? Starting from the 

 admitted fact that most of our people are without storehouses 

 or sheds of any kind, how can the Potatoes be stored so as to 

 avoid injury from the excessive sweating or heating to which 

 they would be liable when lifted in an immature condition ?" 

 I replied, that the storage might be a difficulty, bat it was not 

 insuperable, far from it. Given a field of Potatoes, a tree or 

 two, and a bog covered with Heather, and it seemed to me 

 that I had everything ready to my hands. In a corner of the 

 field I would make a pit, taking care to surround it with an 

 open drain to carry oS water ; from the trees I would cut poles 

 to make a roof to be thatched with Heather brought from the 

 bog, and I should have an excellent storehouse quite dry and 

 impervious to frost. I quote this partioalar case as it is an 

 extreme one, my object being to show that there is no difficulty 

 in this respect which might not be oveicome by adapting our 

 plans to existing circumstances. Of course everybody would 

 like to have a storehouse replete with shelves and every con- 

 venience, but the want of such desiderata ought not to hinder 

 the practice of early lifting, nor can I suppose a case in which 

 the method of culture once more set forth might not be 

 followed. If such a case is supposed to exist I invite dis- 

 cussion in the pages of the Journal for the general good. Tell 

 US your difficulties and let us see if we cannot find a remedy. — 

 Edwabd LucKHuasi. 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR NON-EXHIBITORS. 



There have lately appeared in the Journal some excellent 

 articles on growing Chrysanthemums, chiefly addressed to 

 those who wish to grow them for exhibition. There is, how- 

 ever, another and larger section of the community who would 

 like to grow Chryeantbomuma, bat hesitate to do eo on account 

 of the expense incurred to grow them as they are grown for 

 exhibition, and it is to those I wish to address these remarks. 



Growers for exhibition recommend the cuttings to be put-in 

 in November. Whether thi3 is absolutely necessary I am not 

 in a position to decide, as I have had no experience iu the 

 matter ; but this much I can say, that for growing for home 

 decoration November is quite four months too early to strike 

 the cuttings, and if very large plants are not required the last 

 week in May is not too late. This will give time for the plants 

 to fill 8 to 10-inch pot?, and with twice stopping (which must 

 be performed as soon as there is anything to stop) they will 

 make very fair specimens, requiring no training beyond four or 

 five small stakes and a little matting or twine ; and the large- 

 flowering section, if disbudded as soon as possible to a single 

 flower on a stem, will produce from ten to twenty flowers, per- 

 'fect in form and large as Dahlias. Plants of this stamp are 

 much more useful for general decorative purposes than those 

 which are much larger, and the expense of growing them is 

 probably not a tenth. 



Cuttings may be inserted under hand-lights any time between 

 March and June, potted-oS singly as soon as struck, placed 

 under hand-lights or in a cold frame again for three or four 

 •iays, and then gradually inured to the weather, by which time, 

 •eay in about three weeks or a month from the time the cuttings 

 are put in, they should be potted into their blooming pots and 

 placed outside, where they may remain till the blooms are 

 .partially expanded. In the absence of a glass house or pit 

 they would expand very fairly in a cottage window, but light 

 and shelter from rain and wind are absolutely necessary at this 

 atago if clean and perfect flowers are required. 



This treatment also suits the eccentric-looking Japanese 

 varieties, amongst which I think Pair Maid of Guernsey the 

 most beautiful of all Chrysanthemums. Of course florists 

 would not agree to this, but there is no reason why they 

 should have it all their own way. 



Many of the Pompons in a mild autumn will flower very 

 fairly outside, or placed where they can be merely sheltered 

 from frost by boards or canvas, the wet not hurting them as it 

 does the large-flowering kinds ; but the Anemone-flowered 

 section is much improved by glass. 



Disbudding and watering should be attended to in the same 

 way as is directed to be done when growing for exhibition, 

 but the training is altogether different ; the shoots are never 

 turned back or twisted, but are allowed to grow in a more 

 natural manner, and as the plants are grown so quickly and 

 are never stunted, insects and mildew are generally unknown. 

 Should it, however, be necessary to apply sulphur, it is beat to 

 mix it with water and apply it with a syringe. — Wm. Taylok. 



THE RUSSIAN TRANSPARENT APPLE. 

 Having received through the Editors of the Journal of Horti- 

 culture many inquiries relative to obtaining trees or grafts of 

 the above valuable Apple, I regret that I am unaware that 

 trees can be obtained from any nursery. I am cognisant that 

 trees are purchasable under the names of White Transparent, 

 Transparent Codlin, &c., and I know of many which have been 

 bought under these names, but iu no instance have they 

 proved identical or of equal value with the real Russian va- 

 riety. In order, as far as possible, to accommodate those re- 

 quiring this Apple, I have communicated with a cottager in 

 my native village with a view to purchasing grafts for dis- 

 tribution. Grafts, he informs me, are scarce, for even during 

 the past season, when almost all other trees were barren, the 

 BuEsian Transparents were so heavily laden with fruit that 

 very little young wood has been made. He is willing, how- 

 ever, to send what grafts he has, and purchase others which 

 both he and myself know to be genuine. I have offered to 

 give sixpence each for grafts, and I am willing to distribute 

 them at the same price, with the addition of two penny 

 stamps per dozen grafts to pay postage. I will guarantee 

 that the grafts are true to name, but beyond that I incur no 

 responsibility, and cannot entertain any complaints as to their 

 size, either as being too large or too small. As a matter of con- 

 venience the whole of the grafts will be sent to Mr. Wright, 

 41, Ashbury Koad, Shaftesbury Park, London, S.W., who has 

 kindly consented to distribute them (on receiving stamps) until 

 the small supply is exhausted. As I have nothing to gain by 

 this arrrangement, my only object being to extend the culti- 

 vation of one of the most useful of Apples, the Editors will 

 perhaps permit this announcement being made in their columns. 

 The grafts will be posted iu the same rotation iu which applica- 

 tions are received, and stamps will be returned in full whea 

 grafts can be no longer supplied. — J., Lincolnshire. 



ROSES ON POOR SOIL. 



A coERESPONDENT fpage 8) asks for information concerning 

 Roses which are to be grown in poor sandy soils and in a 

 smoky atmosphere. He gives a list of the Roses which he has 

 found answer in smoky neighbourhoods, but does not say any- 

 thing of those he has tried on very sandy soil. 



I do not think it is possible for anyone to have a worse soil 

 for Rose cultivation than I have. Some years back I sent a 

 sample to the Editors of the " Rose Journal," and they for- 

 warded it to the Rev. C. P. Peach, who described it as the very 

 worst he had ever seen. I also sent a hamperful of this 

 miserable apology for soil to Mr. Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, 

 who promised me to try what he could do with it. He potted 

 some Roses in it, but his foreman when repotting forgot to 

 leave those alone that were iu my soil, so when I went to 

 Sawbridgeworth I could learn nothing of the experiment. 



My soil is mostly greensand and flinty gravel, which the 

 people in Dorset call " ridscript." It certainly is the worst 

 stuff 1 have ever seen. " Hercules " used to laugh at ma 

 when I spoke of my soil being bad. "What! Amanshowlike 

 you do, and then to pretend that he has a bad soil ! — it is simply 

 ridiculous." After a time, however, he came to see me and 

 walked all round my place, his eyes here, there, and every- 

 where, never saying a word. Suddenly he halted and said, 

 " Now I see that you have iniieed a bad soil." 



The question then arises, How with such a soil did I contrive 



