JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Julf 11, 1863. 



(or blooms), be good, never mind those of our cotemporary 

 being better. 



I recommend to " Country Curate " an admirable article 

 printed in the " Gardeners' Annual," which contains ten 

 excellent rules to guide the Eose exhibitor. The direction 

 given in one of those rules — namely, to cut the Eoses in the 

 morning with the dew on them is a good direction for Eoses 

 grown on the hills where the dew is moderate ; but in valleys 

 the dew in summer, which is in the same ratio as the solar 

 heat, is so copious that it is very little short of rain. It pene- 

 trates into interstices between the petals, and when the Roses 

 are exposed to the heat of exhibition the colours fly. %\'hether, 

 therefore, I exhibit far or near, I cut overnight as late as I 

 can, and leave the lid of the box trigged open, but sufficiently 

 close to prevent the dew from falling on the blooms. They 

 will thus absorb quite sufficient moisture. I have always ob- 

 served at shows that my Eoses stand the heat and keep their 

 colours better than those of many others. — W. F. Radclyffe, 

 Tairant linsIUon.] 



CUTTING ASPARAGUS. 

 I WILL reply to yonr correspondent, " J. K.," page 488, from 

 a totally diiierent point of view. When a garden is much in- 

 fested by the Asparagus beetle, it is obWous that by cutting off 

 all the sprouts, you deprive them of a place to lay their eggs, 

 and thus diminish them. On this principle I cut my beds 

 clean, but find great difficulty in forming a new bed, from the 

 impossibility of cutting, and the trouble of hunting after the 

 grubs, which become beetles. — G. S. 



FROGMORE EARLY BIGARREAU CHERRY. 



This production of the Royal Gardens is one of Mr. Ingram's 

 most successful efforts in raising new fruits, and will prove a 

 great addition to our varieties of early Cherries. The original 

 tree is gi-owing against a north-east wall, and the fruit was ripe 

 this season on the 17th of June. Unlike the class to which it 

 properly belongs, it has a tender melting flesh, and furnishes 

 another instance of Nature rebelling against the devices and 

 systems of men. In eveiy respect this is a Bigarreau in habit, 

 leaf, and appearance of the fruit, and must be classified along 

 with these varieties ; but as if to set at nought all human 

 arrangements, it persists in having a delicious melting flesh 

 instead of one that is hard and crackling. 



Frogmore Early Bigarreau Cherrj-. 



The fruit is large, obtuse heart-shaped, with a very shallow 

 suture. Skin with a brUliaut red cheek, dotted with minute 

 yellow points, and of a remarkably pale almost pure ■white 



where shaded — so susceptible is it of shade that the point of a 

 leaf or the shadow of a twig would be photographed on this 

 brilliant red. Stulk 2 inches long with a very small receptacle, 

 and set in a shallow and narrow cavity. Flesh very delicate 

 and translucent, perfectly tender, melting, and veiy juicy, 

 with a rich sweet flavour. Stone small. 



The tree is a great bearer ; clusters of a dozen and a half to 

 two dozen large handsome Cherries being produced on a small 

 spray. 



AUCUBA JAPONICA. 

 Now that in our gardens this Aucuba perfects its brilliant 

 berries, or drupes, to speak botanically correctly, it has acquired 

 a very great additional interest, and, indeed, when loaded with 

 its coral fruit it has such a novel aspect, that we heard a lady 

 inquire "where this new species came from? "and, as this 

 query led to others, and as the information eUcited ia not 

 devoid of interest, we will arrange and detail it. 



There is no doubt that Ka>mpfer was the first European to 

 see it, describe it, and pourtray it. In his " Amoenitates 

 exotica>," published in 171'2, he describes the " Aiikuba " 

 very accurately as having " red oblong fruit, rather larger than 

 that of the Laurel ; flesh slight, white, slightly sweet ; nut 

 inclosed, rather hard and harshly flavoured." 



More than half a century later, Thuuberg also noticed it 

 when in Japan. He says, in his " Travels," that in 1776, 

 when travelling near the Japanese town called Kokura, " I 

 foimd near the bath at an inn a tree which is called Aiikuha, 

 and another called Nandina, both of which were supposed to 

 bring good fortune to the house." 



That benign influence did not extend to its European dis- 

 coverers and the introducer to our gardens. Kiempfer returned 

 from Japan with shattered health, and died four years after he 

 had published his description of the Aucuba ; Thunberg 

 lingered for years suffering from accidental poisoning; and 

 John Grffifer, who first cultivated it in Europe, was murdered. 

 This last-named botanist is so Uttle known that a few 

 relative particulars deserve recording. He was a native of 

 Germany, and came to England about the year 1760, to be a 

 pupil of Philip Miller, by whose recommendation he was 

 advanced to be gardener to Mr. James Vere, of Kensington 

 Gore, one of the originators of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. 

 After a few years he became a partner with Messrs. Thompson 

 and Gordon in the Mile End Nursery, but he left the concern 

 when Mr. Gordon died, and accepted a high appointment in 

 Italy. On the title page of the only book he pubhshed he 

 is designated " Botanic Gardener to the King of Naples," and 

 to this he was appointed at the recommendation of Sir J. 

 Banks. In the preface to the same work, published in 1789, 

 he is mentioned as favourably laiown to our Admiralty for his 

 " invention of prepared vegetables." This, and perhaps the 

 influence of Lady Hamilton, who had a taste for gardening, 

 and whose husband was then our ambassador at Naples, 

 obtained for Mr. Grfefer the superintendency of Lord Nelson's 

 Sicilian Estate at Bronte. 



Then came the Neapolitan revolution ; the Royal family 

 were driven from the throne, and Murat became King of Naples. 

 Unluckily for himself Gra>fer still retained his appointment, 

 for he was assassinated near his residence at Caserta in 1816. 



Mr. Aiton in his " Hortus Kewensis," states that the Aucuba 

 was introduced by Mr. Grafer in 1783. For some years, with 

 praiseworthy care, our gardeners preserved it in the stove, 

 whence, says Mr. Cm'tis, it was removed to the greenhouse or 

 eonser\'atory, and is now (1809) found to be as hardy as the 

 Laurel or Laurustinus. The drawing of it in the " Botanical 

 Magazine " for that year is excellent. Unfortunately only a 

 female plant was introduced, and no one had the good thought 

 to strive for the acquisition of a male plant, until Mr. Fortune 

 visited Japan in 1861. He sent it with other valuable acquisi- 

 tions to Mr. Standish, and it was thus noticed by our reporter 

 soon after its arrival in 1862 : — 



" There is a plant — familiar even to those least versed in 

 plant-leaniing, which is to be seen in the smoky squares in 

 London, or breathing the clear air of the country ; dingy it 

 may be in the first case, and showing a fresh morning face in 

 the other ; which is to be found in every garden, and which 

 succeeds well in all, alike resisting cold and heat, wet and 

 di-j-nesB. This is the Aucuba japonica, or rather a variegated 

 variety of that plant, for that which has been so long known 

 under this name is merely one of many such varieties only now 

 brought to light. 



