Februiry 1, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULXUBfi AND COXXAGE GAEDENBS. 



81 



a shift into i 7-inoh pot, using a compost of two parts of 

 fibrona peat, one part of sphagnum rubbed through a sieve ; 

 the other part to consist of friable loam, coarse silver or 

 river sand, charcoal broken small, and a little well-decom- 

 pospd dried cow manure. Mix the whole well together, and in 

 potting be sure and drain f iiioiently, and keep the crown well 

 above the soil, and stagnation of water in the heart of the 

 plant will thereby be avoided and finer fronds will be produced. 

 Using such a porous compost renders liberal supplies of water 

 absolutely necessary, applying it close to the edge of the pot, 

 BO as to prevent the farina being washed off the young fronds 

 just emerging. 



Xhe plant must be placed in a position where it is not likely 

 to suffer from condensed moisture dripping from the roof of 

 the house, and it must not be syringed. It luxuriates in strong 

 moibt heat and a light position. It will bear more direct sun 

 than most Ferns, moderate sunshine enhancing the richness 

 of its silvery fronds. In June the plant should be moved into 

 a 10-inch pot, using the same compost as described above, 

 well warming it previously, and, if a suitable temperature is 

 afforded, a plant 4 to 5 feet across will be the result. 



It is during the winter months, however, that the plants 

 show a tendency to look weedy, and many are annually lost 

 because a sufficiently high temperature cannot be maintained. 

 Less than 55" nearly always results in the loss of the plant. 

 If a low temperature is the only alternative, keep the plant in 

 the driest and warmest part of the house, giving only sufficient 

 water to keep the fronds from shrivelling. In a warm stove 

 tbo plant is thoroughly at home, and requires moderate sup- 

 plies of water throughout the winter. 



A vorous soil, plenty of water during growth, a moist tropical 

 tempsrature, and warm wintar quarters are the chief require- 

 ments of this beautiful Fern.— A. W., Lincoln. 



and the young growths are both shorter-jointed and stouter 

 than when placed a greater distance from the glass. Xhe 

 after-training does not entail much, if any, more labour than 

 the ordinary method of tying to a trellis. As the growths 

 extend some sticks are placed in the pot at proper intervals, 

 and to these the growing shoots are secured, and a bush-like 

 form is attained precisely in the same way as with Heaths or 

 other bardwooded plants. 



A plant thus trained of Allamanda Hendersonii was last 

 season over 4 feet in diameter, and loaded with its large yellow 

 flowers from June till October. It would have bloomed much 

 longer only that I ripened it off to commence training early 

 for another season. Xhe Allamanda requires plenty of water, 

 and delights in occasional doses of manure water while growing. 



— J. W. MoOKM.VN. 



;The plant referred to was exhibited at Wimbledon, and the 

 mode of training was generally admired. — Eds.] 



LONICEBA FRAGBANTISSIMA. 



A HuNEYSucKLE in full bloom in midwinter is not a common 

 sight, yet a fine plant some 10 or 12 feet high of Lonicera 

 frsgrautissima is now full of flowers, which are most valuable 

 for cutting, the delicious perfume being quite equal in its 

 delicacy and sweetness to that of the Lily of the Valley. 



This Chinese Honeysuckle proves to be a very valuable ever- 

 green shrub, the short-jointed sturdy growth being clothed 

 throughout the year with deep green foliage, handsome in 

 form and of great substance. Although the mild weather has 

 caused its flowers to appear a fev weeks sooner than usual, 

 yet it may justly be termed the winter-blooming Honeysuckle, 

 as it generally comes into flower in February when planted in 

 a sheltered situation. So highly do I esteem it that I intend 

 planting several of it in different situations, so as to prolong 

 the season of its flowering as long as possible. — E. L., !::usscx. 



THE APPLE ELECTION. 



I SHOULD like to make a suggestion as to the arrangement 

 of names, &a. In reading over a list of Apples in the English 

 edition of M. de Breuil's " Fruit Xreee," I found an arrange- 

 ment there which I think with a little alteration would be 

 the very thing required. Summer Apples — Dessert, Kitchen. 

 Autumn Apples — Dessert, Kitchen. U'iuter Apples — Dessert, 

 Kitchen. 



In M. de Breuil's list there are less than six Apples named 

 for the summer, and a great many more for the winter, but I 

 propose to confine the number to six in all classes, to be men- 

 tioned in the order of ripening. — .\3iateck, Cirencester. 



;SIany correspondents have urged an election of Apple 

 trees. We cannot undertake to arrange returns from the 

 fruit-growers of our islands, but if anyone will undertake the 

 task we will aid him in every way within our power. Will our 

 correspondent oblige us by a list of the fruits he has elected 

 for Gloucestershire '.'—Eds.] 



BUSH ALLAMANDAS. 



Everyone who has seen thepe magnificent free-flowering 

 plants growing in the stoves of Wimbledon House, and alluded 

 to by Mr. Ollerhead on page 6 of the present volume, must 

 have been struck with their great beauty ; but it is not all 

 who can afford such an expanse of roofing to allow AUa- 

 mandas to display their natural beauty, and such persons 

 must he content with growing a few plants in pots, which, as 

 Mr. Ollerhead hints, often find their way to our public ex- 

 hibitions. No stove plant is more worthy of a place there, 

 for its large yellow trumpet-shaped flowers are very striking; 

 but the plants are so often seen trained so closely to a balloon 

 trellis that they present a stiff and formal appearance. The 

 mode of training I adopt is a bush-like form, and plants so 

 trained present a very satisfactory appearance, showing the 

 flowers oli' to great advantage. 



The present is the time to commence training operations. 

 My usual mode at the commencement of the new year, and 

 after the plants have become dry and well ripened, is to cut 

 away all green shoots, and prune well into the ripe wood. 

 Should the plants require repotting, which is usually the case, 

 I place the ball in tepid water to ensure its being thoroughly 

 moistened, and after it has drained, a portion of the old soil is 

 removed, and the plant is repotted, using good fibrous loam 

 with an iidmixture of sand. I then tie each shoot down as close 

 to the rira of the pot as possible. When all are brought down 

 they bear a clof e resemblance to a bundle of dead sticks ; but 

 this low trainit'g induces thesfioots to break well back. When 

 all is firiirhf d I plice tha plants as near the gbiea as pos&ible, 



ROSE-GROWING IN YORKSHIRE. 



A YoEKSHiKEjiAN Is always jealous for the honour of his 

 native county, not less so a Yorkshire woman. I quite believe 

 that the brother of " Wyld Savage" will not find his Eoses 

 flourish under the " depressing ciroumstauces " mentioned in 

 Tuur number of 25th January ; but allow me to say that all 

 Yorkshire is not so unfortunate, as it comprises many soils and 

 many climates. 



Here, near Hull, one mile from the east coast, our inland 

 friends pity us for what they unwittingly designate our " fearful 

 climate," While I walk round my garden in the midst of my 

 Koses, in bloom early and late, and whilst admiring my 

 favourites lean afford tolaugh at my friends, for who amongst 

 them, down to rosy Hertfordshire, can show finer blooms than 

 I ? whilst I enjoy them none the less because they are most of 

 them raised and nursed by my own handf. 



I do not feel at all iuclined to tell " Wvld Savage " that he 

 knows nothing whatever on the subject of Koses, but I do 

 maintain, from my own experience, that Teas and Noisettes 

 should be as little moved as possible in this district. The soil 

 is clay and not a very kindly one, the winters very mild, the 

 springs very cold and dry with frosty nights and hot sunny 

 days. Xhese are what we have to guard against, and Xeas as 

 well as other kinds of Roees so often die if planted in the 

 spring, and are checked if moved in the winter, that I avoid 

 the risk as far as possible. Xhe only protection I ever give is 

 a little shading with a few branches of furze to a few of the 

 more delicate varieties, and I think of this the less tho better. 

 My garden is not large, I think I should not love it so well if 

 it was ; hut T can safely say that the winters have never killed 

 me either a Tea or Xoieette Rose. The only Roses I ever lost 

 from frost were one or two of the old Bourbon Charles Duval 

 in the winter of 18(j0-61. 



I cjuite agree with "Wild Sav.we" in thinking that Tea 

 Roses do not do well under a wall nor yet on it ; indeed, so 

 sure was I that nailing to a hot wall did not suit them, that I 

 had mine unfastened and staked some years ago, since which 

 they have done much better, audit was very satisfactory to me 

 to find my own views corroborated afterwards in the pages of 

 this Journal. There is no place where they thrive as they do 

 in an open though sheltered border. I have all my Eoses 

 manured with a lavish hand as early iu winter as I can tolerata 



