February 20, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



141 



" I am convinced that this cutting-down system of the same 

 season's growth is a good one, and I mean to adopt it. The 

 main bud that in ordinary circumstances would not burst till 

 next Tear, must be made to push by removing all the laterals. 

 —D. Thomson."] 



LUCUMA DELICTO SA. 



Ix Tour Number for December '26lh your correspondent 

 " Rmim " asks if Lucuma deliciosa has fruited in this 

 country, to which you say " There is no species known to bo- 

 tanists, we think, as Lucuma deliciosa. Our correspondent 

 probably refers to L. mammosa, or Teated Mammee Sapota, 

 &c." In walking through the gardens of James Bateman, 

 Esq., at Knypersley, the other day, I saw in the old tropical 

 fruit-house a plant about 5 feet high of Lucuma deliciosa. It 

 is a native, I believe, of Peru, and was sent to Mr. Bateman 

 from the continent. Mr. Bateman has just fitted up a large 

 house for the growth of tropical fruits on the principle of 

 " J. H.," .ind of which you will hear more anon. — Q. Read. 



[We find no species so named in any botanical work. — Eds.] 



NOTES ON CYCLAJVIENS. 



All admirers of the Cyclamen tribe must feel much obliged 

 to Mr. Wanklyn (" W. X. W."), for his interesting notes on 

 Cyclamens, and their native habitats, &c., page 378 of the last, 

 and page 23 of the present volume of The Jocrn-A-l of Horti- 

 cuLTUEE. With respect to the species found by Mr. Wanklyn 

 in the spring in Sicily, I have gi-eat doubts of its being hederae- 

 folium (neapolitanum of Tenore), as that is essentially an 

 autumn bloomer, and the flowers for the most part rise 

 before the leaves make their appearance. I have very Uttle 

 doubt but it would prove to be Cyclamen repandnm of " Flora 

 GriEca," and some other authorities, which is by no means 

 confined to Greece, but is widely distributed over the south 

 of Eui'ope, Turkey, and probably Syria. I can speak to its 

 being almost, if not quite as frequently met with as hederae- 

 folium (neapoUtauum) iu middle and southern Italy, and they 

 are often found growing together in the same locality. Its so 

 rapidly coming into bloom, as Mr. Wanklyn notices, and also 

 the period of the year, quite correspond with the habits of 

 C. repandum. The flowers vary in the shade of colour ; it does 

 not generally rise to the surface of the soil, out of doors much 

 before March ; its growth is then very rapid, and it is quickly 

 in bloom. Hederrefolium (neapoUtanum) would by that time 

 be rapidly going to rest. The large tuber observed by Mr. 

 WanMj-n, at Solomon's Pool, near Jerusalem, would probably 

 be C. persicum, that being a native of Palestine. I have some 

 now in cultivation the tubers of which were brought direct from 

 thence. Being at all times much interested in learning any 

 facts relative to the habitats of any of the Cyclamen tribe, and 

 not fond of guess work on subjects of this sort (of which the 

 poor Cyclamen family have long had abundance), I would, pro- 

 vided Mr. Wanklyn will not consider me troublesome, and will 

 kindly favour me with his address, either privately or through 

 the Editors of this Journal, endeavour to clear up this point by 

 sending him some flowers and leaves of the true Italian C. re- 

 pandum when it is in bloom, probably about April or May. 



Without entering on the general subject embraced in Mr. 

 Abbey's papers on this family, I would just remark that he is 

 rather hasty in stating (page 5'23), " there being no good white 

 form of C. europfeum." He may not have met with one, but I 

 can testify to the reverse, having repeatedly, though rarely I 

 admit, found good pure white ones amongst the Alps of Switzer- 

 land and Savoy, and still grow them. I certainly had not 

 C. europffium album in view when I spoke of G. odoratum 

 being with some identical with C. europ;i?um, but rather the 

 southern variety of that species recently figured as C. europaeum 

 Peakeanum, which, as your correspondent " S." (page 501) 

 suggests, is certainly only the variety of C. europaeum found 

 in several localities " on the Italian slopes of the Alps." Its 

 habits are precisely what he describes. ■.Under shelter and 

 with moderate warmth it is evergreen, and almost constantly 

 in bloom, but under natural treatment has its period of rest 

 the same as most other plants, and is benefited thereby. I have 

 grown it ever since about 18-13, and some years since I brought 

 home a considerable quantity from its native habitats. During 

 the many years I have been a collector of Cyclamens, I have 

 received it under the names of odoratum, tragrans, Clusii, 



aestivum, littorale, and some others. It is, therefore, by no 

 mea ns new, though a very desirable variety, and well worthy of 

 more extensive cultivation than it, as well as some other va- 

 rieties of C. europanim, have hitherto received. A tuber I have 

 on rockwork in a hardy Fern-house, commenced blooming early 

 last Jime, and continued until the end of Januaiy. Being with- 

 out artificial wai-mth it will probably before a great while go to 

 rest. — J. Atkins, Paiiisicick. 



INCISIONS IN VINE ROOTS. 



I OBSERVE that "A Constant Reader," in the .Journal of 

 February 6th, asks if his Vine, whose roots he has nicked as 

 I did those at Wrotham Park, will bleed to death. The cases 

 are, however, not parallel, for those that I nicked were cut off 

 from supplies of sap, torn as they were out of the ground 

 altogether. In his case I think it extremely probable that they 

 wiU bleed, but not so as to cause the death of his Vine. In 

 common with every one who has taken up a tree the roots of 

 which had previously been cut-in, and fresh soil put to them, 

 I observed that they made fine tufts of new roots ; and to 

 make the long bare Vine roots that I had raised out of the old 

 effete soil do this along their whole length, as well as at their 

 very extremities, I cut the notches in question, which were about 

 a quarter through the root, and on alternate sides throughout 

 the length of the roots. The effect was just what I have stated 

 in the work he refers to. 



Your correspondent need be under no apprehension that his 

 Vine will die. If it bleeds severely, its doing so may retard 

 the bursting of the buds, and the growth for a time may be 

 weaker than usual ; but if he lay fresh soil round the wounds, 

 into this, during the summer, the upper lips of the incisions 

 wiU most certainly send young roots, and the Vine instead of 

 being killed will ultimately be benefited. — Wm. Thomson. 



THE COIL SYSTEM OF PLANTING GRAPE 



^^:NES. 



I AM .aware that no one should think lightly of anything from 

 the pens of two such horticulturists as Mr. Rivers and Mr. 

 Thomson ; but having had a fair share of experience during 

 the last fifteen years in Vine planting, I must say that I have 

 great objections to the layering system. 



In the spring of 1850 I assisted in planting a new vinery ; 

 but not an inch more of the stem was covered than could be 

 avoided, and the Vines have done well from that time to this. 

 Again in 1855, at another place, I assisted in making Vine- 

 borders and planting them, also in layering some Muscat and 

 Pvoyal Muscadine Vines, which never grew satisfactorily, and 

 which, at the end of two years, were taken out and planted 

 again, while the Vines not layered did remarkably well, and 

 were the admiration of some of our most successful Grape- 

 growers. 



In my next situation I had the care of some very fine vine- 

 ries, which had been the means of causing some hot discus- 

 sions twice or thrice in ten years ; but the gardener leaving 

 soon afterwards, his successor obtained permission to take up 

 the Vines in what had been the early-house. They were taken 

 up as carefully as possible, for it was intended to replant some 

 of them, and the border was re-made on what was by some con- 

 sidered the best plan, and there was a chamber underneath, 

 heated by four four-inch pipes. By the way, this plan I never 

 could approve of, and ventured to say so at the time. Well, 

 seven of the old Vines were replanted, the rods being layered 

 in the border and covered for 6 or 8 feet ; the rest were young 

 Vines, obtained from Mr. Rivers's nursery, and were also layered. 

 The house being set to work, the young Vines did better than 

 the old ; but not one reached the top of the house, and the 

 canes were very little thicker than a writing pen. The old 

 Vines had a hard struggle for existence, and did not grow more 

 than 3 feet ; in the following spring they started somewhat better. 

 Having obtained another situation, I left ; but feeUng very 

 much interested in these Vines, I made in the autumn a long 

 journey to see them, and found them in a soiTy plight. I then 

 remarked to the man who had been with me, that the Vines 

 would not be long before they would have to be removed, and 

 so it proved ; for after another year's trial they were taken out 

 and the house replanted, but not on the layering system. I 

 understand they are now satisfactory. 



I have had four vineries built here and planted, and if it 



