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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 13, 1866. 



garden soil, and in the hope that next year they will he found 

 in many a garden where they are now strangers. — H. M. K., 

 Potter's Bar. 



LATE PEAS. 



In your impression of October 30th, Mr. Record aslis, Has any 

 one tried the Ne Plus Ultra as a late Pea ? To that question I 

 reply in the affirmative, and I know it to be very superior. I 

 have grown it for the last twelve years as a summer and late 

 Pea. This year I gathered a very fine dish of Ne Plus Ultra 

 on the 31st of October. A gentleman said that he never before 

 tasted such Peas, and added that he had thought Flack's 

 Victory to be the best, but that he has altered his opinion. 



Carter's Victoria, Ne Plus Ultra, and Veitch's Perfection, are 

 standing side by side in the garden here. They were sown 

 about the 19th of June, and with the exception of being beaten 

 about by the wind, which we are much exposed to in this part, 

 they are in fine health and bloom ; and should the frost let. 

 them alone, I hope to have some Peas for table in November. 

 — Veritas, MiddUsbomagh-on-Tees. 



THE TRUE VIOLA CORNUTA (The Housed Viola). 



Since the first introduction of the Iresine to the public I 

 have had many battles to fight in its favour, but I believe it is 

 generally acknowledged to be all I ever represented it to be — a 

 valuable acquisition to our gardens. Last year, 1865, many 

 persons who saw the plant bedded here in large quantities, 

 and looking so well (or, as the late Dr. Lindley said of it, very 

 beautiful), declared theirs was not the same variety. How- 

 ever, since then they have acknowledged their mistake. Mis- 

 management was the only difference, and the same persons 

 have told me their plants were this season finer than my own. 



The question now discussing in the columns of a con- 

 temporary is the difference between Allamanda Hendersonii 

 and Schottii Hendersonii. Some persons believe they can find 

 a difference, others declare them the same. More care has 

 been, no doubt, bestowed on the new plant, thence, possibly, 

 the difference ; but should they next season prove identical, I 

 shall not be mistaken. Now, when doctors differ who shall 

 decide ? 



The Viola cornuta question is now under discussion in these 

 pages. That it is a valuable bedding plant there can be no 

 question, but like the Iresine it must be properly managed. 

 People have come here to see it and declare it the most lovely 

 thing they ever saw. I have given them roots of it, and the 

 next season when they visited Osberton they would complain 

 that it does not flower well with them, while others state the 

 Viola has been charming. So much for management. I can 

 confidently assert that I have had it blooming so profusely 

 here that the blossoms touched each other ; in fact, as full a 

 mass of blossom as it is possible to attain in any flowering plant. 



My object in again referring to the above is in consequence 

 of the tone of remarks made by Mr. D. Thomson in your 

 columns last week. I will now quote the words I used in your 

 Journal, and which have brought such a reply from Mr. Thomson 

 — viz., " That I never met with more than one variety of the 

 true Viola cornuta." I still assert I have not, neither can I find 

 any reason to believe otherwise. In looking over all the letters 

 I have had on this subject, including letters from those most 

 interested in the Viola, I cannot find one that will boldly 

 assert there is more than one true Viola cornuta. I did not 

 write on varieties, hybrids, or sports, which may be brought 

 forward to substantiate the fact of more than one variety; I 

 speak of Viola cornuta true, and Viola cornuta only. 



Before the present system of bedding came into vogue, and 

 herbaceous borders were much thought of, we had many 

 varieties of Violas that I fear have been entirely lost. That 

 Mr. Thomson has two varieties of Viola there is no question. 

 Where is calcarata ? has this become mixed up with cornuta ? 

 If so, this will at once account for the difference of habit. 

 This is a very old kind. Again, V. montana has been sent to 

 me for V. cornuta, and others which I never expected to have 

 seen or heard of any more. Indeed, I have had so many flowers 

 and pieces of plants sent by post that I am becoming tired 

 of the name of Violas. 



Viola cornuta is a native of the Pyrenees. I cannot say 

 exactly how long it has been known in this country, though I 

 could venture to say fourscore years and ten, and it has been 

 grown for upwards of fifty years at the place I received my stock 



from. Its true height is about G inches ; it is neither par- 

 ticularly procumbent nor upright, and flowers very profusely ; 

 it is propagated by cuttings ; the colour is a light mauve. This 

 is a true description so far as can be given, but with respect to 

 height and colour, both vary under different ways of culture. 

 In some long lines planted here it does not reach C inches in 

 height ; in other places I have it 12 inches high. The colour 

 also slightly varies with the soil. 



As I stated before, no one knows how to manage this plant 

 better than Mr. Wills, and the way in which he does it has 

 been the means of creating quite a mania for it. 



I am pleased to see Mr. Thomson speak so highly of Tagetes 

 signata pumila in the north. Four years ago, when I first re- 

 commended this for bedding and ribbon-borders, I was told I 

 extolled it too much, but time has proved I was correct. — 

 Enwn. Bennett, Osberton Hall, Worksop. 



THE TLUM AS AN ORCHARD TREE. 



PEr.iurs some of your readers will be interested in the few 

 notes we give below on the subject so well touched upon by 

 Mr. Robson in your last week's impression, and we will, as he 

 requests, first set him right in the name of the Plum " De la 

 Sue," (the local name), but which is La Deliceuse or Cooper's 

 Large Plum, a fine market sort and a great bearer. 



The Diamond Plum originated at Brenchley, in Kent ; and 

 was named after the raiser, who was foreman to Mr. Hooker, 

 of the (then) Brenchley Nurseries. There is also one in culti- 

 vation called the " Dummer," which is the same kind. The 

 Diamond is in great demand, being a showy market Plum, and 

 if gathered a few days before ripening it retains a fine bloom 

 and travels well. 



The Prolific Damson is a very abundant bearer. We have 

 seen young trees with as many fruit as leaves, and in many 

 places the shoots were completely hidden by the clustering 

 fruit. It is also called locally the " Cluster Damson," " Far- 

 leigh Damson," and " Crittenden's Damson." We have had 

 fruit on maiden trees in our nursery gardens. It has been hut 

 four or five years in the trade, and is not so widely known as 

 its merits deserve. A vast quantity of these and other 

 Damsons find their way into cheap Port wine. 



The Cheshire Damson is largely grown, and the old sort 

 with Bullaces, is generally planted at the edges of plantations 

 for shelter, to " break the wind " as the farmers say. Besides 

 those named by Mr. Robson, the following are coming into 

 repute with fruit-growers : — 



Prince Englebert. — A sturdy grower, and a free-bearing 

 kind ; its upright growth is greatly in its favour, and the 

 fruit, though large, is not liable to crack. 



Mitchelson's Damson. — As large as a small Plum, a free 

 grower, and a heavy cropper. It will take first rank as a 

 market Plum ; though it has been known in the London 

 markets for some years, it was only recently introduced here 

 by us. 



Rivers's Early Prolific and Rivers's Early Favourite are 

 being more planted every year. They are most valuable sorts ; 

 the fruit finds a ready sale at a long price, and the trees though 

 I fine-wooded are pretty strong in a few years, and bear well. 



Bush Plum. — A very valuable market Plum ; its late season 



I and abundant cropping make up for its deficient flavour. It 



is largely grown in some parts of Kent. A sturdy grower, and 



not so liable to split and break as many Plums are. It is a 



good kitchen Plum ; medium-sized fruit. 



We also anticipate that the following — Cox's Emperor, 

 Denniston's Superb, Jefferson, Autumn Compote, and probably 

 Isabella — will be largely grown in a few years ; but, as Mr. 

 Robson says, the growers for market " regard innovation with 

 suspicion," and it takes a long time to convince them of the 

 superiority of any fresh sort, however desirable, and it is 

 perhaps right that they should act with caution. We our- 

 selves have found many Plums that promised well quite 

 useless for market purposes, though the sorts may have been 

 welcome additions to a gentleman's garden under wall and bush 

 culture. 



We have heard a grower say that from four to five hundred 

 bushels have been gathered off an acre of Plums in good order. 

 The price varies considerably, according to the crop, and it is 

 perhaps as well the yield this year was small, as the pre- 

 valence of the cholera has been much felt by fruit-growers this 

 season, and it would have been difficult to have sold the fruit at 

 all had there been such a crop as in 18C0. They sometimes fetch. 



