Angnst 29, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



1C7 



autumnal Fig3 grown so largo as to be cut off Ly tlic London 

 frosts, survive the Jersey winter. What wonder, then, if fruit 

 which starts in the spring with the advantage of four or five 

 weeks' growth during the preceding year, should ripen earlier 

 than those embryos which have had to make almost all their 

 growth during the ciurent year ? Besides this, from the severity 

 of London spring frosts, it is necessary to keep tlie trees matted 

 up fill late ; while in Jersey, the standard trees, open to every 

 ray of spring sunshine, awake earlier from their winter's sleep, 

 and thus gain still more on their northern brethren. — G. S. 



MR. STANDISH'S GLADIOLUSES. 



Having just had an opportunity of \-isiting Mr. Standish's 

 nursery at Ascot, and seeing some of las Gladioluses in bloom, 

 for many had not yet sho^vn flower, a few notes on them may 

 not be unacceptable to some of the readers of The Journal of 

 HouTicnLTURE who ai'e lovers of this beautiful autmnual (lower, 

 which deserves more encouragement than it has yet received 

 on this side of the Channel. In Ireland it is different ; and 

 Mr. Standish was just sending off his fine collection to compete 

 for the ten-guinea cup which is offered by the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society at their autumn show to be held to-day (Aug. 

 24th), and wliich the Council had asked me to attend as Judge 

 —an invitation I was obhged to decline owing to engagements 

 at home. 



My (wliat Mr. Standish calls) severe taste in these matters, 

 leads me to regard with favour only those flowers which fulfil 

 my ideas of goodness. They ought to be weU-shaped, and not 

 flimsy in petal, and showing the spike all on one face ; not 

 winged flowers, with so much of the oppositiflorus blood in 

 them. Hence in my list No. 1 I have taken what our neigh- 

 bours call the creme de la crt'me. Many in No. 2 are exceed- 

 ingly beautiful and would satisfy the vast majority of people, 

 aUhongh they may not come quite up to my standard. 



List No. 1. 



J. TV. Law. — A noble flower ; bright vermilion, with a large 

 yellow star in centre, and deep lake eye. 



Eleanor Norman. — A lovely flower, of fine shape and habit ; 

 beautiful clear white, most deUcately striped with purple. One 

 of the best. 



Cantnr. — Fine rose ; with carmine stripes and pencilling. 

 Very effective. 



Vr. Hogg. — A brilliant, rich, scarlet crimson, with violet tint 

 in the throat. 



Mm. Domhrain. — A remarkably beautiful flower ; pale rose, 

 largely striped, and washed with deep lavender. Tei-y striking. 



Mhs Howdl. — Light rose, pencilled with carmine ; white 

 midribs and yellow throat. Very fine. 



Susan Ingram. — Buff, changing to white ; pm'ple feathers 

 and throat. Fine. 



ScottUh Chief. — Fine peach, striped and spotted with car- 

 mine ; purple feathers on damask. Very beautiful. 



Beauty of Bagslwt. — Fine creamy rose, with deep velvety 

 markings. 



List No. 2. 



Aurclian. — Scarlet. 



Caroline. — French white, with purple. 



Mr.EiKker. — Fine red; purple feathers, and white markings. 



Mrs. E. Nott. — Buffish yellow ; long spike. Flowers too fai- 

 apart. 



Juliet. — Very fine white. 



Basil. — Fine pencilled carmine. Flowers somewhat loose. 



Norma. — Very pretty; white, striped rose; rosy carmine 

 feathers. 



John Leech. — Salmon rose, striped with deeper rose ; bronze 

 tongue. 



Mrs, Hogg. — ^Fine lavender-coloured flower. Very large. 



General Lee. — Bright crimson scarlet, pencilled on theedge 

 with deep lake. 



Sultana. — Pale rose ; yellow throat. A pretty flower. 



Excelsior. — Bright salmon, buff-striped. 



Joseph Meston. — Fine scarlet, with purpUsh-violet throat. 

 Excellent. 



Samuel Weymouth. — A most brilUant-colour — scarlet, with 

 yellow throat. 



The Ensign. — A remarkably fine aud brilHant flower, fiery 

 red, with hght crimson feathers. 



Garminata. — Light carmine ; vei-y large and brilliant flower. 



Lord Clyde. — Cerise ; yellow throat ; rich plum feathers, 

 with yellow maridngs. 



Katlileen. — White, striped and tinged with violet. Beautiful 

 flower. 



Mrs. Standish. — Clear white, with deep velvety feathers, 

 very similar to Mrs. Dix. 



Lord Sliafteshtinj. — Very showy flo^ver, light rose Jor peach, 

 striped with pink ; pink feathers. 



Lucy Neal. — Fine rosy crimson flower, with white stripes. 

 Very distinct. 



Garibaldi. — Very bright crimson ; violet throat. Fine. 



Brian Born. — Large showy flower. 



I hope to have the opportunity of adding to these lists before 

 the season is over, and also of giving notes of some of the 

 best foreign flowers, amongst which are some really splendid 

 varieties, M. Souchet still maintaining the foremost position 

 in France as Mr. Standish has done here. — D., Deal. 



BLACK HAMBURGH GRAPES NOT COLOURING. 



My Hamburgh Grapes planted inside my vinery seem to have 

 forgotten that they ought to ripen this year. I started them on 

 the 1st of March, and judging by neighbouring vineries, they 

 ought to have been rijie in July, yet not a bunch is free from 

 greenish berries (inside the bunch), and I have left so many 

 bunches on, that I do not expect them to turn black. My house 

 is seldom under 75°, and the temperature often mounts up to 

 85°, or even 90° with sun. The border is damp enough, if I may 

 judge by the leaves aud young spray, and the laterals are ripen- 

 ing their wood quickly, so that I have no idea why the bunches 

 seem to have made no progress in ripening for a month past, 

 and if you can teU me I shall be much obliged. I may mention 

 th.it alternate plants of Lady Downe's last year as well as this 

 (my plants are only three years planted) have been, and are, as 

 finely coloured as possible, yet they have and had a heavier 

 crop of Grapes than I left on the Hambm-ghs.— J. Mac- 

 kenzie, M.D. 



[The heavy crop certainly had some influence in preventing 

 the colouring, but the chief cause is the great heat — not under 

 7.5°. The smi heat will not hurt them, but Hamburghs wUl 

 ripen and colour better if you do not have them above G0° at 

 night, even 55° would be better than 75° at night.] 



KITCHEN GARDENING. 



MAY AND JUNE. 



As these remarks on kitchen gardening are chiefly directed 

 to cropping and keeping up a constant supply of vegetables, I 

 think I may take May and Jime together ; for in both months 

 the work to be done is almipst identical. The first crops will 

 now be in a fair way to yield their produce. 



As early in the month as the young plants of winter stuff are 

 large enough to handle, I prick them out into beds to become 

 strong for putting out between the rows of Peas or Beans. The 

 spring Spinach being now fit to pick, the old bed of winter 

 Spinach, wliich by this time will be running to seed, should be 

 cleared, and the ground having been well manured, dwarf Beans 

 are sown in rows at 5 feet apart, thus lea\'ing room between 

 the rows for Celery trenches, or whatever may be most in 

 demand. The remains of the winter crops may now be cleared 

 off, and the ground heavily manured, as it will have to carry 

 two crops during the greater part of the summer. 



I generally sow my Scarlet Runners in two successions, on 

 the ground intended for winter stuff. I sow three rows at 

 the end of April, or beginning of May, 5 feet from row to 

 row, these will be sticked, and in bearing in July and August ; 

 the winter stuff being planted some time in July. These 

 three rows must be pulled up towards the middle or end of 

 August to give the winter stuff the chance of establishing itself, 

 though it wUl seem almost a sacrifice to puU up the Beans 

 when in their prime ; but they can be spared, as I sow three 

 rows in the end of May, and they will take their place. The 

 last-mentioned three rows I generally allow to stand over the 

 winter, as the winter stuff between them being lajer, and, in 

 consequence, not so hardy, will re.quire the protection which 

 the Bean-sticks with the dead haulm will afford ; thus placing 

 utility before ornament in this case at least. 



As regards the Asparagus, which will be, so to speak, the 

 most important vegetable in May, on no account cut any after 

 the Peas are in, which wUl be in the end of May or beginning 

 of June. The plan which I usuaUy adopt, is to salt the beds 

 and alleys as soon as the grass has grown about 1 foot high, 



