JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ fair u, laes. 



so likewise on the Continenf. Around me there is little or no 

 frait, and on my olope-prnncd outdoor trees about one-fifth of 

 the UEual amount only. IMnms are n failure, Apples moderate 

 in number, but Pears show fairly. The cordons are here well 

 stocked. It is amneing to see a largo JtCterson Plam tree, fan- 

 trained, without a single fruit, while some ten diagonal Pear 

 cordons of, the very newest kinds, from Mr. Rivers, and occupy- 

 ing about the same wall space near it, are in free bearing, 

 b«ing young, and strictly thinned. 



But all^bie while I am forgetting my a3aal report on the 

 earliest Peaches in orchard houses. 



Notwithstanding the abeenoe of the bud's rays, the fruit is 

 ripening well, and the colour is good. The first Peach which 

 ripened was Early Beatrice (Rivers), and this actually was 

 gathered on the 12th of June, well coloured, but not bo large as 

 I should desire ; still it is the earliest Peaoh I have ever 

 gathered, grown as a diagonal cordon on the wall. 



The next to ripen was Early Rivers, also on a cordon, and 

 this was perfectly ripe by the Ist of July, and fit to take even 

 earlier. In size all the Peaches of this kind were remarkably 

 even, and all about 8» inches in diameter. The ground colour 

 of this beautiful Peach is a fine greenish yellow, mottled on 

 the sunny f-\<\e. The Khape is roundish, the flavour pungent 

 and "peachy," and the juice abundant. It is the finest early 

 Peach I have ever seen, and will soon advance to being here a 

 regular Jane Peach. I should prefer it to Early Beatrice, and 

 shall cultivate it largely. It is here from eight to ten days 

 oarlier than Early York, and larger than it this year. Mr. Rivers 

 has other kinds, he tells me, as good, if not earlier, and if so, I 

 congratulate orchard-house growers, for it i9 very early Peaches 

 which we most rtqnire. 



The next Peach which ripened was Early Victoria, a kind I 

 had not before quite liked, but this year it is extremely good, 

 well coloured, and of excellent quality. Early York is coming 

 in fast also, and to-day we gather the first regular supply. 



This seaPOD, therefore, is in nowise backward in its results; 

 80 far, I think, on the whole, that Peach-giowers will not be 

 disappointed, but that as the Slimmer proceeds they will find 

 their crops ripen and colour faiily. We know very little about 

 the rays which give colour to fruit, but certainly a white sky 

 which fatigues the eyes to stare at is very favourable, even 

 more so than a space of unclouded blue. As I said before. 

 Nature having taken the regulation of the crops this year in 

 hand, no doubt there will be a better season in 1870. 



Now is the time to try the close pruning of the summer 

 ahoots ; they grow rapidly this year, and ah excess of wood will 

 only augment October regulation, and half of the wood will be 

 unfit to bear fruit. If the Peach shoots have been stopped to 

 four leaves, then the second growths should be restrained to one 

 or two more. Already we shiuM decide on the shoot intended 

 to be the new fruit-bearer and that which shall be reserved for 

 auccessinn, and be cut back in October. No good pruner likes 

 to make ibe same shoot the fruit-bearer and the shoot-bearer 

 also, but prefers to have them alternately so occupied ; but in 

 this case he will not allow either to extend beyond wbut will 

 ripen fairly. In this way the " alternate System " of pruning 

 is properly carried out. 



X had firgotten to say that a new seedling Peach, No. 22 

 (Bivers). h-ts just been gathered here of a good size, well 

 ooloured, and very early also ; but my favourite is Early Rivers. 

 — T. BbIvHadt, Jlichmond House, Guernsey. 



CENTAURE.l CANDIDISSIMA CULTURK. 



To few plants his a greater share Cf attention been given, 

 ao far as regards the correct method of its propagation, than 

 to Centaurea cnndidissima; whilst as Usual, when there is a 

 somewhat diflioult tuliject, many different modes have been 

 advanced, all of them more or less meritorious; but, as is 

 generally the case in such instances, the simplest method 

 proves to be the best. " A mm un to strike," observed an 

 acquaintance to me. " Why so 7 " said I. " Don't know," was 

 the very laconic but unsaiiefactory reply ; and then came the 

 additioual information that " the thing would do nothing but 

 damp-off, no matter how much it was coddled." Ob! thih 

 coddling Kjstem has caused the death of many a promising 

 batch of other things besides the Centaurea. Well, I confess 

 that I ado| ted the coddling system myself with the first o >n- 

 niderablo ba'ch of cutiiogs of this plant that came into my 

 hands. Ii happened thus; A cmtleman who was the fnrtu- 

 t ate possessor of a fine stc-k cf this {lant, when it ?B . ecaicer 



than it now is, offered mo n quantity of cuttings late in the 

 autumn. Although doubtful of my chances of success, I 

 could not resist the offer, and accordingly (he cuttings wore 

 inserted with the grestent possibl- care, and the pots were 

 plunged in a briEk bottom heat, when, although every care was 

 exercised in watering, not one cutting surviveJ. Un the giver 

 of the cuttings inquiring some time afterwards how I had sao- 

 ceeded, I could not help thinking that his countenance wore a 

 smile of rather malicious enjiymeot at the account of my 

 failure. However, an occasional failure, il acting properly oa 

 the mind, is but an incentive to increased exeition, and not 

 uofrequently leads to success. 



If rightly understood, the propagation of the Centaurea is 

 very simple, and by following a lew easy rules, it may be 

 practised with the greatest certainty of success in July and 

 August, as well as early in spring. I shall not dwell upon its 

 propagation at the latter period, ae it then strikes as readily 

 as most other plants if the cuttings are placed in a genial, 

 moist temperature, but will only note an erroneous state- 

 ment, that spring-struck cuttings form the best plants for the 

 ensuing season. My own experience is directly opposed to 

 this, for although glad to propagate it in spring when working 

 up my stock, yet I have never found the strongest spring plants 

 equal in vigour to those propagated in the preceding summer. 

 The method, then, which I practise, is to take cuttings as early 

 as possible in July, and firmly insert each in a thumb pot, 

 with soil consisting of loam, leaf mould, and sand, in equal 

 proportions. Care should be taken to leave an ample depth from 

 the soil to the rim of the pot, to contain water to moisten the 

 whole of the soil when necessary. The cuttings are then placed 

 in a greenhouse, where they enjoy an eqnable temperature 

 of about 70°, often much hotter in bright days, and are partly 

 shaded by the foliage of some pot Vines, but no regular shading 

 is used, neither is air withheld. The two chief points to ob- 

 serve are care in watering, and a temperature not averaging 

 much below 70°. It is of the greatest importance that the 

 cuttings should be firmly fixed in the soil ; a short stick of 

 the same size as the stem of the cutting, tied to it before it is 

 put in, is of great assistance in keeping it steady. By using 

 these sticks, more of the heavy leaves can bo retained on the 

 cutting. 



When roots are formed the yonng plants are at once removed 

 into the open air, where they remain till housed with the general 

 bedding stock. A second lot of cuttings is taken off in August 

 with equal success. I am aware it may be urged that July 

 is somewhat early to make cuttings, but in ordinary sea- 

 sons, if the plants are as vigorous as they ought to be at the 

 time of planting, good side shoots will be formed by the second 

 or third week in the month. The present backward season 

 will, I fear, form an exception, and consequently it would un- 

 doubtedly be an excellent plan to retain a few plants in a spare 

 border specially for propagating from; oi, better still, if the 

 plant is really hardy, to establish a few permanent plants en- 

 tirely for a supply of cuttings, A large plant growing here 

 has passed through two winters unscathed, and apparently with 

 increased vigour ; it now measures nearly a yard in diameter. 



The hardiness of this plant adds to its value. I this year 

 turned the whole of my stock into the open air on the 31st of 

 March, placing a double line of the plants close to the front waQ 

 of some pits, but with no other shelter, and as there was a con- 

 siderable number of them, the space under (,1hss gained by 

 their removal was very valuable. The free growth and elegant 

 proportions of Centaurea candidissima, together with its pecu- 

 liarly distinct soft grey colour, have justly given it a leading 

 position amongst oruamental-loliaged plants in the flower 

 garden, and if used with judgment, no plant (ends more to 

 ualiven a design ; but its bold appearance alsocauxes it to be a 

 somewhat dangerous plant to use ; for a flower garden contain- 

 ing a preponderance of light colours is quite ceririin to appear 

 so insipid as to afford very little pleawuie to the beholders. — 

 Epwabd LccKncBST, Effcrton Ilawie Gardens, Ken', 



VICOMTESSE HERICART DE THURY 

 STRAWBERRY. 

 Having grown this Strawberry for some years, I can folly 

 endorse all " Archamracd " has said in its favour. It is, with- 

 out doubt, one of tbe most useful Strawberries we have in 

 cultivation. For preserving, the Vicomtesse Ho>icart de Thary 

 Strawberry is a great acquisitiun, both ae regards its flavour 

 and its beautiful colour— a quality of no email importance. 



