Janaary 23, 1866. ] 



JOUENAIi OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



65 



MUSA CA%rENDTSHn CULTUKE. 



Allow me space to say a word or two !or a favourite of mine, 

 tlie Musa, or Plantain Tree, -whicb, I tliink, would be a uni- 

 versal favourite were it better known. It is well worth growing 

 for its beautiful foliage as a siove plant, as well as for its fruit, 

 and Mr. Gibson, of Battersea Park, has shown us its capabili- 

 ties as an out-door ornamental plant. 



The species cultivated by me, Musa Cavendishii, is, I think, 

 the most tractable of the family, as well for fi-uitmg a-j for 

 growing, and fi'om my own experience of it, I will endeavour 

 to give a few hints as to its successful fi-uiting. Procure a 

 sucker — say in March, as it will then have the summer before 

 it. Supposing the sucker to be 3 or -1 inches in height, pot it 

 in a middling-sized pot — say a 16 or 24, in a compost of peat, 

 loam, and sand, well di-aining the pot, and potting rather 

 lightly. Do not give much water till the roots have reached 

 the sides of the pot, when the plant should be watered freely. 

 Let it remain in the same pot, and in an ordinary stove tempe- 

 rature, for six or eight weeks, by which time, if all go well, it 

 win be a good strong plant of "2 or 3 feet in height, with vv-eU- 

 developed foliage. 



The plant is then ready for the fruiting-pot, the size of which 

 with me is 3 feet in diameter r^t the top, and about 2 feet deep. 

 The pot should be placed where it is intended to grov,- the 

 plant, and drained with inches deep of oj-ster sheDs, charcoal, 

 and crushed bones. Placing the young plant upon the drain- 

 age without disturbing the ball more than can be avoidel, fill 

 ia at the sides of the fruiting-pot with strong yellow loam and 

 rotten tan, which compost I tuid most suitable for fruiting. The 

 plant will now be ready to be pushed along, and should receive 

 raiher liberal doses of liquid manure twice a-week — say 4 gal- 

 lons each time, and the same quantity of clear water in the 

 week as well. This treatment and a temperature of about SO', 

 not shading more than can be avoided, should by September 

 produce a plant 8 or 10 feet in height, and with its beautiful 

 foliage it will have a very good appearance in the stove, for 

 which it is an excellent centre plant. By keeping it dry for a 

 week or two at this time it will throw up its flower-spike, 

 which is a beautiful object, aiul as it continues to grow the 

 rows of fi-uit will appear overlaying each other. When the 

 first row of fi'uit is half-developed the watering should be re- 

 commenced as freely as ever, and with ordinary success there 

 will be by Christmas a bunch of fruit as long as the arm, or 

 thereabouts, and weighing 13 or 24 lbs, which should be ripe 

 about the end of February or beginning of March, making a 

 very unique addition to the dessert. I have a plant now grow- 

 ing, about 9 feet high, with a. stem measuring 2 feet in circum^ 

 ference. — W. C. 



REMINISCENCES OF TROPIC.VIi FRUITS. 



Some years have now elapsed since I had occasion to pass a 

 lengthened period in various tropical countries ; but the vivid 

 recollections impressed on my mind concerning many of the 

 fruits will never be effaced. 



I will first notice Artocaepus incisa, or Bread-fruit, which 

 attains the height of 30 feet in the South Sea Islands. It is a 

 beautiful tree at every stage of its growth, and easy of culti- 

 vation in our stoves. It is of great value to the natives of the 

 South Sea Islands, and fonns a considerable article of food. The 

 fruit is about the size of a child's head, and round; the outer 

 covering or rind is very hard, and contains a pulpy substance. 

 The fruit is generally cooked iu native ovens, and when pre- 

 pared has the appearance of new bread, and in taste comes the 

 nearest of anything that I know to badly leavened bread ; a 

 peculiar acid predominating, and a few strong fibres which 

 traverse the pulp, are an objection ; at the same time I have 

 eaten many worse vegetables. 



Artocvkpcs iNTEGRiroLiA is another noble member of this 

 genus, popularly known as the Jaca or Jack-fruit. It is veiy 

 ornamental in the tropics, but as it attains a height of .50 or 

 GO feet, I fear it will be seldom seen in this country. The fruit 

 is very curious, being of the size of a small Pine Apple, with 

 the stalk at the small end. The skin is rough, orange yellow, 

 tilled with an offensive pulp containing a number of seeds. 

 The fruit generally appears on short foot-stalks, which pro- 

 trude from the main stem or large branches, and is only eaten 

 by the black population. 



Nelitris jAjrBosELLA is an interesting plant from the Society 

 Islands, attaining a height of from 7 to 10 feet. It belongs to 

 the order Myrtaceos, and is very neefflf allied to the genus 



Psidium, and by many would be taken for a Guava, the only 

 difference is, that the fruit or berry is not partitioned. It is 

 very refreshing, and I think worthy of cultivation. 



Inocarpus edclis comes from the same quarter, and is fre- 

 quently called the Otaheite Chestnut. The fruit has a vei-y 

 curious fibrous covering, and may be considered more in the 

 light of a curiosity than as being of use. The plant fruits in a 

 young state, and is worthy of a trial iu our stoves. 



Freycinetia Banksii. — This is a very omious plant, having 

 leaves much Uko a long, narrow-leaved Pine Apple or Pan- 

 danup, and fruit much in the form of Monstera deliciosa, but 

 smaller, and of a tine pink colour ; from it is made a veiy ex- 

 cellent jelly. I believe that it i.s only found in New Zealand, 

 where it ascends the highest trees by its creeping, rooted stem, 

 and adds a beauty to the trees not their own. While speaking 

 of New Zealand, there is a beautiful dwarf Palm, which produces 

 large clusters of scarlet berries (Ai"eca sapida), worthy a place in 

 the most select collection. 



DiospYRos Mabola, or Date Plum, of the Philippine Isles, 

 produces a fruit in size and form like a medium-sized Peach, 

 and D. Kaki, of Japan, produces a fruit much like an Apricot ; 

 but not having seen it iu bearing I know very little about it. 

 The fi-uits of both are very austere before matm-ity, and require 

 keeping imtil in a state of incipient decay, Uke our Medlars, 

 before being sent to table. 



Lucuma 5IAMM0SA, or Marmalade Tree of South America, is 

 very beautiful either when in fruit or not. The frmt is filled 

 with a pulp like Quince marmalade, and vei-ygood, but it is not 

 equal to that of a species I met with in Peru and Chih, called 



L. DELICIOSA. — This plant has larger and broader leaves , and 

 larger fruit than L. mammosa, I once saw plants of it in the 

 nm-sery of Messrs. Backhouse & Son, York. 



Grias cAULiFLora, or Anchovy Pear, a native of Jamaica, and 

 one of our most showy stove plants in or out of flower. The 

 ripe fruit is of little or no value for the dessert, but that which 

 is unripe makes an excellent pickle. 



Mahhea AMERICANA, and the various species of Xantho- 

 chjTnus, also belong to the same order as Grias ; and as the 

 whole of them have showy flowers and good foliage, all are 

 worthy of cultivation, even if fruit is not an object. 



Two species of Xanthochymus — viz., X. ovalifoUus, and 

 X. pietorius, succeed with less heat than the others, and wiU 

 do well in a conservatory. X. dulcis is the best. 



Eriobotrya japonica, or Loquat, is one of the easiest of 

 tropical fiiMts to fruit in our stoves, at the same time many 

 make soriy work with it, and say it is shy. I remember seeing 

 a large plant on the back of one of the old houses in the Glas- 

 nevin Botanic Garden, which had been muddled for years, 

 and never fruited, and I have seen it fruit on the open wall in 

 the west of Scotland without protection. We appear to have 

 only one variety in cultivation in this country ; many with 

 local names are known where it is much cultivated. There is a 

 variety with large white fruit, vei-y ornamental ; also, one with 

 much smaller fruit of a dark orange brown colour, and ex- 

 cellent in flavour. This is considered the best. I am trying 

 to introduce both. — Baddii, Peterborough. 

 (To be continued.) 



NOTES ON PEAR CULTURE. 

 In Mr. Bivers's last catalogue of fruit trees there are some 

 remarks on various fi'uits and their cultivation so worthy of 

 attention on the part of all fruit-growers, that I shall be 

 glad if you will give them a place in your widely-read Journal, 

 with a view to elicit the experience of cultivators, particu- 

 larly of Pears, in all parts of the kingdom. He says. Pears 

 " differ in their adaptation to soils and climates," and " we 

 have yet much to learn on this subject. Pears differ so much 

 in quality with very slight variations of soil and climate, that; 

 much allowance must be made " (for difference of opinion). 

 Again : " double-grafting of Pears will idtimately have a great 

 effect on their culture in gardens, they seem always to make 

 healthy and prolific trees ; it must not, however, be concluded 

 that to graft a free-growing Pear on the quince, and then to 

 regi-aft it with the desired sort, will always answer, some kinds 

 require the stock belonging to their race ; this can only be 



found out by the clever cultivator." "'When this 



scientific method of cultivating Pears is fuUy understood, those 

 who introduced the culture of Pears on the quince stock will 



have thanks instead of the usual deep grumble o£ 



the English gardener." 



