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JOUENAL OP HORTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



( April 26, 18W. 



It is not pleasant to confess failures, and that is the reason, 

 I suppose, why we hear so little about them. It is some 

 consolation, however, to know that those who will take the 

 trouble to read them may escape some disappointment. Small's 

 Admirable as a bush has only yielded one fruit for the last ten 

 years. It is of the Stirling Castle race, but by no means so 

 good. 



Ringer, bush, is a hardy, free-bearing, good Apple, like Lord 

 SulUeld, bat not equal to it in size or flavour. 



Rymer, very slow in coming into bearing, not prolific, and 

 fruit small. Climate too cold for it. 



Gravenstein declined to fruit. Requires a wall, I fancy. 



Bedfordshire Foundling grows freely on the Paradise. It 

 has, however, taken some years to consider whether it will 

 bear fruit here or not. The same may be said of Blenheim 

 Pippin. Nelson's Codlin is not equal to Lord SufHeld. Jolly 

 Beggar and Gloria Mundi are still thinking whether the climate 

 will suit them. These are all on the Paradise stock. Betty 

 Geeson being a dwarf grower was purchased on the Crab. 

 Daring the ten years it has been in my garden it has grown 

 into a compact bush, but it has not produced a single fruit. 



Keswick Codlin I have regrafted to some extent with Lord 

 Suffield, Stirling Castle, and Galloway Pippin. This last- 

 mentioned variety was sent out four or five years ago by 

 Messrs. Backhouse, from whom I received a pyramid on the 

 Paradise stock which has made healthy growth, and the tree 

 is now well furnished with fruit spurs, so I hope this kind will 

 prove to be a success. 



My gardener was delighted to read the aoconnt your Lincoln- 

 shire correspondent gave of an Apple styled Greasy Coat. 

 He recognised it at once from the very accurate description 

 given of it. A tree of that variety grew for many years against 

 the west wall in the rectory garden. East Marton, until that 

 garden was broken up. He says it was the most abundant 

 bearer he ever saw, and well deserves to be again introduced 

 into this neighbourhood. 



Mr. Robson rejoices in his orchard and trees that yield 

 Apples by the bushel ; but what are all those to do who are 

 not so fortunate as to possess an orchard ? Plant one, and 

 wait in all patience for an Apple pie for fifteen or twenty years ? 

 These days are far too hurried aud fussy for such a long 

 drawn-out process. I say, then, plant bushes and pyramids 

 on the Paradise, and these dwarf trees for the first eighteen 

 years will yield a larger number of Apples than the same kinds 

 would produce if grafted on the Crab. Few people would care 

 to provide for a supply of Apples in their garden for a longer 

 period. It is surprising how soon these dwarf trees begin 

 bearing, and what a quantity of first-rate fruit they will give. 

 In 1873 I had 19 feet of unoccupied wall, so I planted there 

 seven Apple trees on the Paradise — two of Dnmelow's Seedling, 

 Cox's Pomona, and Tower of Glammis, and one CeUini. All 

 these came from the nursery, trained upright, each having 

 five cordons. From these I gathered in 187 4 twenty-six fine 

 Apples, in 1875 seventy-seven Apples, in 1876 sixty-six fruit, 

 and judging from the amount of flower they are now showing 

 there will be quite as good a crop this year. This free bearing 

 of fruit did not prevent them from making year by year a free 

 healthy growth of wood. 



It is, however, notorious that Apples on this dwarf stock do 

 not always grow as they are wished, but remain puny and 

 stunted. To a certain extent this fault may be accounted for 

 in this way — there are Paradise stocks and Paradise stocks. 

 Mr. Rivers in that most useful book of his, " The Miniature 

 Fruit Garden," which has now reached the eighteenth edition, 

 says, "There are fourteen kinds of Paradise stocks; five of 

 these are remarkable for giving very dwarf trees, all the others 

 giving dwarf healthy trees." So wherever Apple trees on any 

 of these five very dwarf stocks are planted it is not to be 

 wondered at that they should make but little progress year by 

 year. To avoid such a disappointment as this the nurseryman 

 should be informed for what purpose dwarf Apple trees are 

 required, and doubtless he will send the most suitable trees, at 

 any rate it is very much to his own advantage to do so. — C. M. 



EBICA MEDITEERANEA. 

 Tnis giant Heath is now in full bloom, and is worthy of a 

 special note for two or three reasons, not the least important 

 of which is its large size, for it attains to the proportions of a 

 good-sized shrub, and forms a striking and important feature 

 in a shrubbery, especially when planted in large clumps. It 

 grows 80 fast, too, that young plants such as one usually ob- 



tains from a nurseryman will in four years be as many feet in 

 height; and when, as now, they are laden with large dense 

 clusters of blossom they are very ornamental. 



I have known persons to express a feeling of dielike to this 

 Heath on the score of the colour of its flowers — a pale lilac, 

 which is certainly somewhat tame when contrasted with the 

 gay pink bells of E. carnea ; but it should never be forgotten 

 that we have ample compensation for this dullness of the 

 flowers in their delicious perfume, which E. mediterranea 

 possesses in a higher degree than any other Heath with which 

 I am acquainted. Its various qualities combine to render it 

 one of our prime favourites, worthy to rank high among spring- 

 flowering shrubs. — Edwabd Luckhubst. 



EFFECTIVE AREANGEMENT OF SPRING 

 FLOWERS. 



The Crocus. — A great variety of colours are found in this 

 charming family — yellow, purple, white, blue, lilac, and other 

 shades, either plain or with blotches and stripes. They produce 

 an excellent effect either when planted separate or blended 

 together. I once saw a mixed bed of Crocuses thinly planted 

 and growing through a carpet of the green Spergula pilifera, 

 which set off the flowers to the best advantage, and this bed 

 had a different effect every day, for one day yellow would pre- 

 dominate, another day blue, and another day white, &e. The 

 principal value of this bulb, however, consists in its suitability 

 for planting near the margin or edge of flower beds so as not 

 to require removing. 



The Narcissus family is numerous, and how charming is the 

 gay Daffodil, the sweet single kinds — the white, red, pheasant- 

 eyed Narcissus, and many others which merit a place in every 

 garden. A bed of Narcissus with a band or ring of an early 

 scarlet Tulip is very pleasing both near and at a distance. 



The Saxifrages are a most desirable class of plants, which 

 combine easy culture and profuseness of blossom. They make 

 cheerful beds by themselves, for there are various shades of 

 colour. I once saw a bed of Saxifraga crassifolia, reddish pink, 

 and the yellow Primrose blooming together, and it was a 

 pleasing combination. Double Primroses make a beautiful 

 bed, for we have yellow, white, lilac, and crimson. A bed of 

 Alyssum saxatile, yellow, edged with Gentiana acaulis, rich 

 blue, has a fine effect. Beds of white Alyssum edged with 

 pale blue Pansies are good. Pansies in mixture with an edging 

 of Aubrietia purpurea are also attractive. 



The Hepatica is in its glory in April. The effect produced 

 with the red, white, and blue is quite delightful. I am sur- 

 prised they are so rarely to be met with. 



The SciLLAS. — These lovely dwarf flowers are especially 

 pretty. Their star-like forms with golden anthers have a good 

 effect, and the white variety of the same habit looks well in 

 rows, patches, or in small beds. A bed of white Saxifraga 

 granulata associated with a pink-coloured Squill is distinct 

 and pretty. Forget-me-not, an edging of Golden Feather, and 

 mixed Polyanthus with an edging of double white and red 

 Daisies, are also effective. 



Crown Imperials are a noble tribe of plants, consisting of 

 single and double kinds. The colours are red, orange, and 

 yellow, also striped. The surface of the bed containing them 

 should be covered with the Dog's-tooth Violet, both foliage 

 and flowers of which are distinct and pretty. 



Anemones. — Those are highly ornamental, and are admir- 

 ably adapted for producing a display during the early spring. 

 The single-flowered varieties are crimson, scarlet, white, blue, 

 purple, rose, blush, and are also variously striped. The foliage 

 is elegantly divided. They yield a long continuation of bloom, 

 and when grown in masses nothing can be prettier. They are 

 easily cultivated and cheap. 



A bed of mixed alpine Phloxes with an edging of Nemophila 

 insignis makes an elegant picture. This class of Phlox is 

 dwarf, neat, and uniform in habit, with pleasing shades of 

 colour. An effective bed may be made by planting Dielytra 

 spectabilis and Saponaria calabrica together, with an edging of 

 Golden Thyme. Another and equally effective bed is com- 

 posed of scarlet and white Intermediate Stocks, with a band 

 of yellow Violas. A bed of purple Silene pendula edged with 

 Iberis (Candytuft) is always admired. A bed of Wallflowers 

 is worthy of a place in every garden, for this is a sweet old 

 flower, and there are now some distinct colours both doable, 

 semi-double, and single. Seeds of Wallflowers should be sown 

 in April; Stocks, Alyssums, and Forget-me-nots in July; and 

 Saponaria, Silene, and Nemophila in September. 



