322 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICtTLTDEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ October 29, 1888. 



kinds. I have had Beauty of Ribblesdale and the two above 

 mentioned almoet green tbronghcnt last antumn and spring, 

 and I had fully made up my mind that they had degenerated 

 since I saw them in such fine condition in May, 1867, at South 

 Kensington, but this was caused by the want of knowledge, and 

 not having a proper mode of growing them. 



"W. B. G." would almost lead one to suppose that Egyptian 

 Qneen is a very effective iirst-class variety as compared to 

 others ; but I think nearly all growers who have had this new 

 variety during the present season are unanimous in their de- 

 cision that it is not so good as others sent out this year. It 

 certainly falls very short in regard to the following qualities— 

 namely, substance of leaf, brightness of colour in both yellow 

 and bronze, and it is rather more delicate, and of more mode- 

 rate growth, than many varieties of its section. It is perfectly 

 true that the Committee gave their highest award to Kentish 

 Hero, and it was, no doubt, the most effective at the time of 

 examination ; but had they deferred their visit another fort- 

 night or three weeks, I feel convinced that other kinds would 

 have gained this honour. 



Kentish Hero is a strong and rather coarse variety ; its leaves 

 are far from being of a good shape, curved, and very much 

 vandjked. It is a good improvement on Perilla, and for large 

 beds, one of the best. For ordinary bedding purposes I think 

 there are several varieties that will prove far more useful and 

 effective than Kentish Hero, particularly in ordinary seasons. 

 •^H. Caknell, Woolwich. 



INSIDE VINE BORDERS. 



Some time in the autumn of 1807 a controversy took place 

 in your columns respecting this subject, and I think your corre- 

 spondents were referred to the vinery of T. N. Miller, Esq., of 

 Bishop's Stortford, Herts. 



This vinery, 200 feet long and 30 feet wide, has only inside 

 horders, the roots of the Tines being confined to them by 

 trick walls with deep foundations. The borders, or rather 

 horder, for there is but one occupying the whole width of the 

 house, has, I believe, an annual surface-dressing. The Vines 

 Lave been planted six years, and are at this time in the finest 

 possible health and vigour, loaded with fine bunches. This 

 method of forming a Tine border seems to me very simple, 

 doing away with the necessity of covering to keep off the 

 heavy rains of autumn and winter, which outside borders re- 

 quire ; besides which, the inside border partakes, to a certain 

 extent, of the temperature of the house, instead of being 

 chilled by the cold rains and frosts of winter, and thus roots 

 and branches are in harmony. 



An amateur, unknown to the annals of horticultural fame, 

 has thus given a lesson to Grape-growers. I scarcely need add 

 that Mr. Miller allows Mr. Ward, his gardener, to show his 

 Tinery to all persons interested in Grape-growing. — Vitis. 



EFFECTS OF THIS YEAR'S SUMMER IN OUR 

 GARDENS. 



Eighteen HuNDiiED axd Sixty-eight will be held in remem- 

 Iirance by many of the present generation, for the long-con- 

 tinued drought, and, at times, the almost unbearable heat. The 

 want of water in many places has been most keenly felt, and in 

 none more so than our own. For months we had none but 

 that which had to be brought from a distance. Still we have 

 cause for thankfulness ; trying as the season has been, we have 

 had a very good supply of most garden crops. This I attribute 

 to deep cultivation. 



The spring being early we had a good supply of Asparagus in 

 April from the open ground ; we lifted Potatoes, and gathered 

 Peas on the 2Cth of May ; from autumn-sown Cauliflowers we 

 hegan to cut in the beginning of June, and we have had a re- 

 gular supply up to the present time, and hope to continue it till 

 the winter ]3rocco!is come in. 



Considering the dryness of the season, and the little water 

 ■we had at command, vegetables have done very well indeed. 

 Onions and Carrots are rather small. Beet has done un- 

 commonly well this season; Carter's St. Osyth has proved the 

 hest, it is a good crimson Beet. Parsnips are really good. 

 Turnips have suffered much from mildew. Tomatoes against 

 the walls have been remarkably fine, and the crop abundant. 

 Early and late Broad Beans have been very fine. Beck's Dwarf 

 Gem is a useful kind for early work. Scarlet Runners and 

 Dvrarf Kidney Beans have been very fine, and in a great 



measure free from their worst foe, the red spider. The Early 

 Six Weeks is a good kind for early out-door crops. 



The Potato crop has been moat abundant, and of the very 

 best quality. We have had very little supertuberating in our 

 garden. The varieties we grow are Myatt's Prolific, Haigh's or 

 Lapstone Kidney, and the Fluke. We have tried the French 

 Kidney and other kinds for three years, but with us they do 

 not answer, therefore we have discarded them. 



Celery is with us a partial failure, partly, I think, owing to 

 the dry season. At the present time it has the appearance of 

 being scorched ; many of the leaves appear to have large 

 blotches on them, but from what cause I am unable to say. 



We have had to keep a vigilant watch for caterpillars, which 

 have been unusually abundant this season ; now that the frosts 

 and autumn rains have set in they have in a great measure 

 disappeared. 



Cucumbers and Melons have done well this season. Ridge 

 Cucumbers and Tegetahle Marrows have been very abundant. 



Fruit generally has been abundant, though with us the 

 Strawberry crop proved a partial failure. Currants of all sorts 

 were very plentiful and fine. Raspberries were abundant and 

 remarkably fine. Of Gooseberries there was a heavy crop, but 

 the bushes were severely attacked by caterpillars, which were 

 picked o2 and destroyed ; I find this the best remedy. Wall 

 fruit has been very good. Apricots, especially, were early and 

 of first-rate quality. Peaches and Nectarines were not quite 

 so good. Owing to their not having the requisite supply of 

 water they were in some instances rather small and not of 

 first-rate flavour, this being in some measure also attributable 

 to the red spider having become rather numerous. This insect 

 has been remarkably prevalent during the present year in many 

 places. 



Figs have come to great perfection this season. Plum trees 

 have produced a very fair crop of good quality, and the fruit 

 has kept well considering the multitude of wasps and flies we 

 have had. At the present time some of the later varieties are 

 hanging on the trees without any protection. These may be 

 kept for some time by taking them with their stalks carefully 

 from the tree, tying them to a string, and hanging them in a 

 cool, dry room. Coe's Golden Drop treated in this way, when 

 half dry, is really first-rate. IckwortU Imperatrice when thus 

 treated answers well for tarts, and other late kinds are desirable 

 as long as they can be kept. We had a splendid crop of Rivera's 

 Early Favourite, and Early Prolific ripe here in the end of 

 July. They are really first-rate early kinds ; so, too, is Pre- 

 ooce de Tours. 



Cherries have been abundant and good ; hut from want of 

 protection the birds had the lion's share. The Morello and 

 Coe's Late Carnation are still in good condition under the nets, 

 and are doing good service along with Red Currants that have 

 been covered up. 



Pears on the walls have been fine this season. We have 

 now in fine condition for the dessert Flemish Beauty, Seckle, 

 and Marie Louise. In the orchard Pears have also been good. 

 Apples have been most abundant ; they ripened early, and are 

 of good quality. Those which have been stored are keeping 

 well at present. 



The autumn showers have been a boon to us. The trees, 

 having ripened their fruit and wood, are beginning to shed 

 their leaves in abundance ; the rain, frost, and winds bring 

 them down rapidly. Root-pruning, planting, and any altera- 

 tions that may be in contemplation ehould now be pushed for- 

 ward. No time should now be lost by those who intend plant- 

 ing, the ground being in exceUent order. — M. H., Acklam Hall, 

 MiddksboTough-on-Tccs. 



FLO'W^R BEDS IN AUTUMN. 



GOLD AND SILVEB-EBGED VeTSllS TniCOLOK PELAEGOXICMS. 

 BEET AS A EEDDEK. 



The very practical remarks of Mr. Bobson under the above 

 heading, in page 2!)G, are well worth the consideration of all 

 gardeners having much to do in the way of flower gardening ; 

 I therefore wish to make a few remarks on the subject. 



In the first place I can fully endorse, as far as my own ex- 

 perience goes, Mr. Robson's opinion on the superior merits of 

 the Gold and Silver-edged Pelargoniums over the Tricolor va- 

 rieties for giving general effect, and particularly so when viewed, 

 as he very rightly remarks, from a distance; indeed, I con- 

 tider Golden Chain at any distance superior to Mrs. Pollock 

 when required as a contrast to other colours. In my opinion 



