ISi 



JOURNAL OF HOKTIOOLTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ September 10, 1868. 



not too new. The advantage of this over the nsnnl STsttm is 

 that the Celery is not so liable to rot ; the blanching, too, is 

 effected more readily. At any rate, the size of his jjlants 

 seemed to prove that he made his plan succeed. 



But what chiefly struck me was his method of pinching bact 

 his Peas, which enables him, as he stated, to obtain a con- 

 tinuous crop from the same rov.3 from July to October. When 

 three blossoms on each shoot are developed, he pinches back 

 the shoot, which after a time throws out fresh blossoms, so 

 that he thus obtains a constant supply of new pods. This 

 system, he thinks, cannot be adopted with every kind of Pea, 

 but succeeds, aocordinR to his experience, with Ward's In- 

 comparable, No Plus Ultra, and other such sorts. I should 

 add that while the Peas in my own garden had at that date 

 (the first week in August), ceased to bear, his rows were covered 

 with 23ods.— E. Bakieum, Great Eerhhampstead. 



A FEW WORDS ABOUT TLUMS AND 

 APRICOTS. 



I GROW in my garden a few Plums, of which I wish to give 

 your readers my experience. 



The Washington, which in ordinary seasons is said in gar- 

 dening books to lipen in September, this year, Being an excep- 

 tional season, ripened in the middle of August. My tree grows 

 on a south aspect, and is remarkably healthy. Its leaves are 

 very large. It is not an abundant bearer. The fruit is finely 

 formed, oval, pale yellow, with a lovely pink bloom which any 

 maiden of bashful fifteen might covet. The fruit keeps well 

 for at least a week after being fully ripe, if not handled. It is 

 what our esteemed friend Mr. Eivera would call a luscious 

 melting Plum, and has this advantage over the Green Gage, 

 the flavour of which it resembles, with more of it — namely, it 

 does not crack after a shower of rain. On any aspect but south, 

 it is of a pale green, and of very ordinary flavour. Much 

 depends on the judicious selection of aspect for successful fruit 

 culture. The Washington is not subject to the aphis, but a 

 large brown grub is very partial to its line foliage. 



Several Plums are not considered worth growing on account 

 of their not being afforded a proper situation with regard to 

 the sun. Of the Orleans I have two trees, one on a south 

 aspect, the other on the west. The latter is a luxuriant tree, 

 and the flavour is exquisite. The fiuit of that on the south is 

 more beautiful, but far inferior in flavour. I infer, therefore, 

 that east and west-aspect walls, more particularly the latter, 

 are the best for the Orleans. This Plum is very subject to the 

 aphis. 



Several Plums go by the name of Coe's Golden Drop. I 

 have a large tree on an east wall, with some boughs trained 

 south, but it does not improve the fruit. The fruit is very 

 large, of brilliant colour, excellent for jam, but not by any 

 means a table Plum. For jam it is preferable to the Apricot. 

 It is subject to the aphis. 



The Nectarine Plum is not much cultivated ; but grown on a 

 south wall is a fine-flavoured fruit, well worth cultivating, but 

 is apt to drop its fruit the instant of ripening. It is of the 

 same shape as the Washington, pale pink in colour, and quite 

 as large. The blossom is very beautiful. The tree is not so 

 much subject to the aphis as the Orleans. The leaves ai'e 

 large atd hard, like those of the Gage. 



Plum trees do not requue root-pruning like Pears and trees 

 of a too luxuriant growth. If properly planted on a dry subsoil 

 or limestone foundation, they will manage themselves with a 

 very little assistance from a gardener who understands summer 

 pruning a la Sir. Rivers. The high road to successful culture 

 is defending them from the aphis in May. That season can 

 only be passed well by daily constant watching. These garden 

 pests call forth man's vigilance. During the season I never go 

 out without a soft brush, a painter's tool, and as soon as I see 

 a leaf curl I brush off the cause — the green aphis. I practise 

 the same with my Morello Cherries for the black aphis, so that 

 now from attention they are in splendid condition. I have a 

 plentiful supply of Cherry brandy for my friends at Christmas. 

 I do not recommend growing this fruit, for I find certain mem- 

 bers of my family, who have hitherto been free from aches 

 and pains, often fly to this brandy-made-wholesome for relief, 

 imaginary or otherwise. I have tried every known remedy for 

 the destruction of blight, and I find nothing like hand-labour. 

 I am speaking only of a garden on a small scale. To the gar- 

 dener Plums are a paying fruit. Orleans sold this year at 



Id. each in Devizes Market, and such Plums as my Washington 

 would have been cheap for a dessert at Sd. I have never seen 

 any Plums worth growing in pots, the fruit being small and 

 inferior in flavour. 



A word or two about Apricots. As much doubt exists about 

 the cause of boughs of the Moorpark suddenly dying, I have 

 paid more than ordinary attention to the subject. After the 

 leaves had fallen last year I unnailed a tree I have growing on 

 a south wall, and carefully inspected with a powerful magnify- 

 ing glass every bud. I observed in the fork where the blossom 

 bud forms, close to the wall, something like a fine web, which 

 occurred to me must be the covering of the eggs of some insect. 

 1 removed them all carefully, and out of perhaps a dozen one 

 only appeared to have come to maturity. On a closer inspec- 

 tion I observed a small hole at tho top of the bud, which I 

 removed, and I found in it a small maggot three-eighths of an 

 inch in length and about the thickness of .in ordinary piece of 

 worsted, white with a black head. This insect, I am inclined 

 to believe, is the pioneer to the mischief which eventually 

 follows. But I do not consider the gumming of the Apricot 

 arises from the same cause. I believe that to arise from some 

 injury to the tree, by which the sap is prevented from flowing 

 in the proper channel, and then, as it cannot circulate, coagu- 

 lates into gum. Where this occurs I advise removing the 

 bough. I believe the little insect I have mentioned does its 

 mischief in the winter ; and the bough, having some vitality 

 left, puts forth leaves and blossoms, but as the supply of sap 

 is cut off it speedily dies. If any of your readers will give this 

 subject atttution they may bo able to clear up the mystery 

 better than I pretend to. — Excelsioe, Seend Villa, ]f'ilts. 



PLANTS IN FLOWER DURING AUGUST. 



August 3. McDtha viridis 

 piperita 

 Cletbrft alnifolia 



„ 7. Clematis florida 

 Erica tetralis 

 Gaultheria procumbens 

 Lonicera sempervirens 

 Oxalis comiculata rubra 

 Hydrangea aiborea 

 Dryas octopetala 

 Magiiolia glanca 

 Jasminum officinale 



humile 

 Cytisns leucfintliua 



„ 10. Erica arborea 



lihododcntlronponticum 

 Sopbora japonica 

 Rhus cotiDUS 

 Escalloiiia rubra 

 Dahlias 

 Trop^oluma 

 Asters 

 Balsams 



Lophospenuum scan- 

 dens 



„ 12. Ipomjea hederacea 

 Poiiulacas 

 Senecio elegans 

 Zinnia elegans 



„ 17. Chelone barbata 

 glabra 

 Gladiolus 



Colchicum autumnale 

 (Enothera Fraseri 

 Drummondi 

 macrocarpa 

 Clematis erecta 

 Ceanotbus azureus 

 Critbmum maritimum 



„ 20. Gaillardia picta 

 Liatris elegans 

 Helianthus multiflorus 

 Lilium lancifolium 

 Linum tnuricum 

 Glaux: maritima 

 Clematis glauca 

 Aristolochia sipho 

 Wyosotis palustris 

 Campanula piimila 



„ 22. Hieracium aurantiacum 

 Eccremocarpua acober 

 Delphinium sibiricuui 

 plenum 



August 22. Pentstemon diffusum 

 Potentilla 'gnescena 

 Ijinnria cymbalaria 

 Statics limoniuta 

 Stipa pennata 

 ViUart-ia nymphieoidea 

 Stenactis speciosa 

 P>Tethrum partbenium 



plenum 

 Salvia bicolor 



tricolor 

 n 26. Tigridia pavonia 



couchiflora 

 Ailnnthus glandulosa ' 

 Catalpa sj-riDgsefolia 

 Aster tripolinm 

 Aralia japouica 

 Clematis vitalba 

 Dracocepbalum graudi- 

 flurum 



sibiricum 

 Ipomcea quarcoclit 

 Helianthus annuua 

 Physalis Alkekengi 

 li> thrum roseum 

 Paidbeckia fulgida 



Newmanii 

 Amaranthus caudatna 

 „ 2S. Clematis Hendersoai 

 Linaria peloria 

 Polygonum biatortam 

 Mirabilis rubra 

 Commelina tuberosa 

 Crucianella stylosa 

 Loasa Hcrbertl 



aurantiaca 

 ICicotiaua rirginica 

 Aloysia citriodora 

 Tolpis barbata 

 Meeembryantbemum 



crystallinum 

 Fabiana imbricata 

 „ 31. Aster cbinensia 



Achillea fBgyptiaca 



ptarmica plena 

 Amraobium alatum 

 Statics bellidifolia 

 Impatiens glandulifera 

 Helicbrysum bracte- 



atum 

 Petunia grandiflora 

 Anagallis grandiflora 

 Lavandula spica 



-H. H., Acklam Hally Middkshoivuyh-on-Tees, 



Eeine du Portugal Rose. — I see that by some this Roae is 

 very highly recommended. It is very beautiful, but (ah ! that 

 tireeome word), I do not think that it will ever do out ol doorni. 



