Ut 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTOEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ August 27, 1868. 



poses. I hope soon to see some notes from others who may 

 have cultivated this class more extensively, as I believe it 

 contains many excellent sorts well worthy of cultivation. Be- 

 fore leaving this part of my subject I may add that Luna is 

 a charming variety ; very bright, and of an excellent dwarf 

 spreading habit. 



L'Elegante, a white-variegated Itv-lea^-ed kind, is very 

 useful ; it also forms a handsome object in a pot when well 

 trained. 



Of Gold-leaved kinds. Crystal Palace Gem, with its fine, 

 bold, handsome foliage, and sturdy compact growth, will, I 

 hope, quite take the place of Cloth of Gold, which, though very 

 good in the shade, cannot be depended on when fully exposed 

 to the sun. 



Having thus particularised a few of the most notable varie- 

 ties, I will now proceed to add a choice list of sorts which I 

 have found to possess many superior quaUties over other va- 

 rieties in each ef their respective classes. 



SELECT BEDDING PELAEGONIUMS. 



ScAKLET. — Lord Derby, The Clipper, Etna, Dr. Lindley, Faust. 

 Herald of Spring, Provost, Empress of the French, Kebecca, Roi 

 d'ltalie, Indian Yellow, and Rubens. 



DwAKF ScAELET. — Adonis, Glow, Little David, President, and 

 Beveil. 



Pink. — Christine, Rose Eendatler, Helen Lindsay, still nnsnqiassed 

 for the decoration of vases or for bouquets, Maid of Kent, Mrs. W. 

 Paul, and "VViltsbire Lass. 



Salmon and White. — Amelina Grisan, and Madame Radersdorff. 



Nosegays. — Stella, Cybister, Lady Constance Grosvenor, St. George, 

 Salamander, Le Grand, Minimum, Duchess of Sutherland, Lord 

 Palmerstou, Amy Hogg, Magenta Queen, Black Dwarf, Waltham 

 Seedling, Christine Nosegay, and Orange Nosegay. 



Golden Tricolors. — Mrs. Pollock, L'Empcreur, Lady CaUum, 

 and Howarth Ashton. 



Silver Tricolors. — Italia Unita. Several varieties of this class 

 nnder trial, I hope to notice on some future occasion. 



Golden Varieg.\ted. — Golden Chain, and Crj-stal Palace Gem. 



Silver Variegated. — Flower of Spiing, Bijou, .Jane, Perfection, 

 Alma, Lady Plymouth, Manglesii, and Stella albo-marginata. 



Gold and Bronze. — Beauty of Oulton, Luna, Vandyke, and 

 Sronze Shield. 



Ivy-leaved. — L'Elegante, Peltatnm elegans, and Old White, good, 

 but rather a shy bloomer. 



The foregoing list may, perhaps, be considered by some to 

 be too extensive, and yet how small it is in comparison to the 

 number of kinds one is obliged to grow in order to arrive at a 

 proper understanding as to what is good, bad, or indifferent. 

 I venture to hope these notes will induce others to take up this 

 subject, for I believe I am right in saying, that no class of 

 plants is more popular at the present time, and none more 

 jnstly so, for what would flower gardens have been without 

 the Pelargonium in the dry hot summer of 1868. — Edward 

 LrrcKHDRST, Egerton House Gardens, Kent. 



THE GOOSEBERRY. 



The observations made by Mr. Eobson, in page 71, on this 

 popular fruit are interesting and well deserving of considera- 

 tion. 



The present season has truly been a dry and scorching 

 one. and is, therefore, excellent for testing the capabihties of 

 certain plants and fruits as to their powers of endurance of 

 heat and dryness. " What, then, has been its effects on the 

 Gooseberry ? " Mr. Eobson asks. " Has the fruit been de- 

 ficient in Havour ? '' Mr. Eobson believes it has. I am in- 

 clined to think not. No. I have fancied that Gooseberries 

 have been even higher-flavoured than usual, and the reason I 

 had assigned for this was the brighter and more pure and 

 bracing air that we have been favoured with this season, with 

 an absence of that heavy mugginess of the atmosphere which, 

 I think, is more prejudicial to the Goosebeny than anything 

 else ; and, lastly, the greater dryness of the soil, which prevented 

 the fruit from becommg gorged with too much water, as they 

 generally are in this district, which is near London. Yes, I am 

 of opinion that the Gooseberries of this season in the south 

 ■were equal to the average as regards flavour. The crop was 

 abundant, the fruit smaller than usual, and they ripened early 

 ■ — much eailier than inordinary years. They were, in truth, soon 

 ripe and soou rotten. During the time that the Gooseberries 

 were ripening, up to the second week of July, the day tempera- 

 ture, although high, was not very exceptionally so, and the 

 nights were often cool, just such weather as we like for the 

 ripening piocess. The fierce sun heat was at times too strong 



for the fruit ; some were almost parboiled on the plants, and 

 the whole soon became " coddled " and sour ; yet with all this 

 hastening to maturity and decay, I am sure I tasted sweeter 

 Gooseberries this season than usual. 



It is a well-known fact — well known, at least, to all " north- 

 erners " who have come south — that the Gooseberries of Scot- 

 land are far far superior in flavour to the same varieties when 

 grown in the south of England. The difference has even been 

 noticed as far as Yorkshire ; midway in distance, midway in 

 flavour. Probably the finest districts for this fruit are those 

 of Perth and Aberdeenshire. Aberdeen is also famed for its 

 Strawberries ; immense tracts of land are devoted to the 

 cultivation of this fruit for the supply of the London and 

 Dimdee confectioners, some hundreds of tons being sent to 

 London every season. Gooseberries are, however, the popular 

 fruit of the district. They are known there and spoken of as 

 " the berries," just as if there were no other berried fruits in 

 cultivation, the Strawberry being quite in the background. In 

 London just the reverse of this is the case ; the Strawberry is 

 the favourite, while the Gooseberry is voted a coarse fruit, and 

 is mainly used for tarts, &c. 



Now, let us consider what is the reason of this superiority in 

 flavour. Is it owing to the climate, soil, or cultivation ? To 

 the climate chiefly. The air of Scotland is of a much more 

 bracing character. The sun may be powerful and hot during 

 the day, yet the nights are generally cool, although in summer 

 very short, and there is an absence of that close moist muggi- 

 ness of the atmosphere which is so oppressive here, but which 

 is so beneficial to vegetation in general, although not to the 

 Gooseberry. Then soil and cultivation have some influence as 

 well. The richest Gooseberries that I have ever tasted have 

 been grown on very poor sandy soil not more than G inches in 

 depth ; the subsoil, if it can be called so, the rotten granite 

 stone. From C to 12 inches is the average depth of the cul- 

 tivable soil in many parts of Aberdeenshire, below that it is 

 either clay or stone. Now, in soil like this it is easy to under- 

 stand that there very seldom is any superabundance of mois- 

 ture ; in fact, it is there nearly always what it has been here in 

 the present summer— that is, the ground is dry and parched. 

 The Gooseberry there makes very little young wood. It is 

 pruned on the close-spur system, all the young shoots being 

 cut closely in to the old stems, on which are situated the buds 

 which are to bear the next season's crop, very little fruit ever 

 beiug produced on the young shoots. Now, if we here prune 

 the Gooseberry after the same fashion we obtain no fruit, 

 nothing but a forest of leaves and shoots. The Gooseberry 

 with us bears best on the young shoots, so that all we dare do 

 is to thin-out these .-hoots in order to secure a full crop. I 

 beheve that we err by growing the Gooseberry in too rich soil; 

 we strive too much for size of berry, forgetting that that is 

 generally obtained at the expense of flavour. Plant the Goose- 

 berries in poorer soil, in any exposed situation ; keep the shoots 

 thin, and allow the wind to whistle through them, and I think 

 it will be found that the fruit will be improved in flavour, 

 although the sun may be a trifle too hot for them at times. — 

 Archamdacd. 



HYACINTHS. 



The announcement that the Dutch growers have offered 

 special prizes to be competed for at the Spring Exhibition of 

 the Eoyal Horticultural Society will, doubtless, give a stimulus 

 to Hyacinth-growing; and it is to be hoped such an equitable 

 arrangement of the prizes shall be made as will make it accep- 

 table to all classes of amateurs and growers for sale. It may 

 be as well, then, to say a few words as to varieties, which 

 may be a guide to some who may wish to compete. An erro- 

 neous notion prevails with some that it is absolutely necessary 

 to have the high-priced varieties. A reference to the prize 

 hsts at any of our exhibitions will show how unfounded such a 

 notion as this is. Of course exhibitors like Mr. Cutbush and Mr. 

 William Paul can and do exhibit these high-priced varieties, 

 but by the amateur they are unneeded. This mistake is some- 

 what fostered by the injudicious plan of offering prizes for new 

 Hyacinths. Nothing can possibly be more fallacious ; for if 

 the variety is worth anything the price immediately is raised 

 by the Dutch raisers, and for years no more is heard of it— and, 

 indeed, in nine cases out of ten it would be of very little conse- 

 quence if they were never heard of. 



I have for a good many years had the opportunity of carefully 



going through the collections of some of the largest growers 



i when in bloom, and have also grown for the same length of 



