Uurcb 11. 1869. ] 



JOOBNAL OF ilOHTiaOLXURB AND COl'TAQE GABDENEB. 



• I 



in 



THE LARGE PORTUGM^ ONION. 



■p^y^ E have received tlie following c jmmuiiioation 

 if^W', from Messrs. Barr & Sugden, to wiiom it 

 was addrcsacd ; — 



I have great pleasure in complying with 

 your roquest to send you a small quantity 

 of tho seed of tlie large variety of Onion 

 exported from this place and from some 

 parts of Spain. 



The variety is not, in ray cpin.'on, a per- 

 manent one. Its great size and mild flavour 

 depend upon tho conditions of soil, climate, and cultivation, 

 and in unfavourable seasons, or with careless cultivation, 

 the plant perceptibly degenerates, even in this country. 



It ia usual to sow at about the season of the autumnal 

 rains in well-manured seed beds. These beds are, if neces- 

 sary, well watered in dry weather during the winter, and 

 the young plants, not subjected to any check from continued 

 frosts — for it is a rare circumstance for a hoar fro;:t to 

 remain ou the ground after eight o'cloclt in the day — enjoy 

 a continuous growth till the spring. In March or April 

 the young plants are taken up, being then (i or 8 inches 

 in length from bulb to top, and are planted at intervals of 

 16 inches in fun-ows made by the plough or tiio hoe, and 

 filled to the depth of 'i or 4 inches with fresh manure. 

 I observe that tho young plant is placed with its roots in 

 actual contact with the manure, which is either cow dung, or 

 a mixture of cow dung and night soil, or a not-very-wcll- 

 decomposed compost of night soil and earth, weeds, &,o. 

 A most essential condition of the successful cultivation of 

 these Onions is water — that is, water irrigation ; and the 

 abundant and timely watering of the plants requires great 

 and constant attention. 



The formation in this neighbonrhood ia granitic, and tho 

 soil is light ;;nd very friable. The Onion is said to thrive 

 in the same ground yi'ar after year. 



These are, so far as my observation goes, the chief con- 

 ditions of tho sue/iessfiil growth of the Portugal Onion. In 

 England you can, no doubr,, iind as good, or better, soil, and 

 you probably would not require the water ; but what I fear 

 you could not get, except artilicially, would be the long 

 unchecked growth of the phmt for eleven or twelve months. 

 To this, cfuefly, I believe, the bulb owes its size and 

 flavour. — OswAij* CiuwtuHD, II.M. Consulato, OjporUi. 



RAISING VARIETIES OF AUOUBA .JAPONICA. 



The Aucuba japonica is so handsome, ho varied in its 

 foliage and markings,' and so ornamental when in fruit, 

 that these qualities, combined with its hardiness of consti- 

 tution, and the facility with which it yields to the efforts 

 of the hybridist, render it one of the most promising 

 objects on which the amateur can bestow his attention. 



Though unaoquaiuted vvitli recent introductions, and 

 possessing but limited experience hi the crossing of the 

 different varieties, I venture to offer a few remarks on the 

 improvement of tliis interesting plant^ witli llie hope that 

 more competent hybridists will enlarge on tho subject. 



Ko. 4M.— Vol. XVI., New Sfj)ie9. 



The Aucuba is accommodating as regards climate ; for 

 example, last year my plants produced more than a thou- 

 sand berries. Tho plants weru in tho open border, in a 

 cold frame, in a greenhouse, and lasily in a vinery, wheie 

 the temperature varied from 85° to 110\ and in each 

 situation the plants have remained in perfect health, the 

 only difl'erence being that the fruit is either qnite ripe or 

 ripening. 



That the sporting tendencies of tho Auouba are great is 

 evident from the repeated instances of laii-maculata and 

 aurea ha'/ing been raised from nuttings of maculata ; 

 again, longifolia varicgata originated in a similar manner 

 from the green longifolia. Further, when maculata is 

 judiciously crossed with highly-coloured males, its berries 

 produce many varieties, a fair proportion of them posseBsing 

 great beauty. Thus, .'tyo berries gathered from one plant 

 of maculata gave -to green plants, 45 slightly spotted, 

 3 yellow selfs, and 05 beautifully marked, leaving 171 that 

 decayed, owing to mismanagemoiit, imperfect berriea, and 

 a dciiciency of bottom heat. On the contrary, 120 plants, 

 raided from berries of vhidis fertilised with picta bieolor 

 and Siebold's maculata, are almost all green-leaved, the 

 exceptions being a few that have loaves neatly marked, 

 and six or eight yellows. 



The produce of those two batches of seeds indicates that 

 green parents are to he avoided, and that all green males, 

 excepting where the foliage Js desirable, should be destroyed, 

 as the female plants aie moro seiwiseable for contrast or for 

 decorative purposes. 



I hesitate to offer any very distinct advice regarding the 

 selection of berry-bearing varieties ; maculata, on account 

 of its cheapness^ is for the present valuable, and as Aucuba 

 himalaioa will freely hybridise with Auouba japonica, it 

 should be tried. Longifolia is such a free seeder and bears 

 such large berries that it must be a certain favourite; it is 

 also said to produce good varieties. Longifolia variegata 

 and limbata will probably afford good resnlLs, but the 

 former is yet very scarce, and the latter a shy bloomer. 



In selecting male plants, those possessing deep green 

 leaves well covered with white markings are the most 

 valuable, whilst varieties like picta are objectionable, be- 

 cause the large yellow blotches on the centre of their leaves 

 cause them to curl up, and become unsightly. Bieolor, on 

 account of its small foliage, is free from this fault, and if 

 the pollen of its flowers be used for impregnating those of 

 longifolia variegata the result will probably bo handsome 

 forms of small or narrow-leaved blotched varieties. Sie- 

 bold's maculata is good if the farina is taken from blooms 

 produced on finely-marked branches. Here it is proper to 

 observe that several males, such as picta and bioolor, often 

 bear green branchea ; these must bo removed, otherwise 

 flowers fertilised from the male flowers of such degenerate 

 shoots will produce worthless berries. 



Much time and trouble may be saved by preparing the 

 male flowers a few hours before they are required for use. 

 This is accomplished by taking them off tho plant before 

 they exude a viscid sccretiou, which, if allowed to remain, 

 destroys the pollen: tho petsiJs may then ba fchortened, 

 and the blooms pinned on a board covered with tinfoil. 



Ko. JC07.— Vol., XLI^, Old Skbihb. 



