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JOURNAL OF HOllTICULTOBE AND COTXAGE GABDENEB. 



( Octobor 7, 18(9. 



iti worst {orm. Ttie first canse of gamming is known by the 

 averluxnriant grontb, and the Eccond by the comparaliveJ; 

 slow and weak growtli. 



Bittfriifsf ()/ Fruit arises from an imperfect elaboration of 

 tbe eap. The neck is invariably more bitter than any other 

 part of tbe fruit. The evil is in most cases removed by an 

 increase of temperature, and keeping the shoots less crowded, 

 io as to expose them more fully to light. The quicker the 

 fruit is swelled ihe eweeter, crisper, and more wholesome it is. 



PlaiiU Dccluimy. — All tbe evils named are iusignilicant com- 

 pared to that fell disense which of late rears has been a cause 

 of great anxiety and annojauoe to the Cucumber-grower. Plants 

 that appear healthy and are producing or promise good crops, 

 go off in a day or night. It has been ascribed to soil and 

 nnmeroas other circumstances. I have tried various means to 

 avert the disaster — such ns fresh soil, change of seed and variety 

 — without effect, the plants diing oil as before, and without any 

 other warning than ihtir appearing to be at a standstill for a 

 few days ; tbe leaves not enlarging, the shoots not elongating, 

 nor the fruit swelling as they ought. Cuttings taken from 

 plants in that state perifh like the parent, and the roots do not 

 survive the tops. It attacks plants in houses and in the open 

 ground, in poor soil and in rich, in dry soil and in wet. When 

 it once appears nothing seems to arrest its progress. Like the 

 Potato disease, it comes sgftin when we think we have found 

 ont a way of viarding off its attacks. All we know of the 

 disease is — First, it rarely attacks plants from October to June, 

 seldom those grown in pots or from cuttings, and not often 

 until the plants are of a size fit for hearing, but most com- 

 monly when they are beginning to fruit. It is most prevalent 

 from June to September, and especially in the last-named 

 month. Fresh, sweet soil not of a rich nature seems least 

 favourable to it ; rich and wet soils appear to encourage it. 

 Secondly, it generally makes its appearance when, after dry hot 

 weather, the atmosphere becomes cool and moist and continues 

 80; the vegetation of the plants then becomes inactive, the 

 leaves wither, and the plants die. Thirdly, it does not confine 

 itself to tbe Cucumber, but extends to the Vegetable Marrow, 

 whose leaves go off in spots like those on Potato leaves, nn- 

 accompanied, however, by the peculiar o'lionr given off by a field 

 of Potatoes. — G. Abeey. 



AUTUMN CllOCUSES. 



Why is it that we see so little of those charming plants the 

 aatumnal Crocuses ? I have tried to procure some of those 

 choicest of Nature's gems in days gone by, but I trif d in vain. 

 Some time ago I made application to a leading firm for a 

 supply of Bome of those enumerated in their list, but tbe 

 reply, " We are sold out," reached me instead of the roots. 

 Time went on, and again I applied, but, judge my surprise, 

 when I expected to have received my parcel of bulbs, in their 

 place I received the infoimation, " Not in the trade." 



There are many named kinds of Crccus said to be autumnal, 

 but how seldom are they seen, and how diflicult to procure ! 



Beautiful as the vernal varieties are, those of the autumnal 

 race, if cultivated to half the extent of the former, would more 

 enliven our borders declining in beauty during the autumn. I 

 am inclined to think they belong to that much-neglected race 

 of what are called border flowers, and if brought into more 

 general cultivation would be equally interesting to many culti- 

 Tators. Sir J. E. Smith, in his " English Botany," tells us that 

 Crocus sativus is naturalised, but I have not met with it as 

 yet. It is by some called Crocus autumnalis. Crocus nudi- 

 florns he names as naturalised too, but it is said to be rare, 

 which no doubt is true. 



Native or not. Crocus nndiflorns is an acquisition to any 

 collection, and ought to be in each and all. Crocus speciosus is 

 said to be rare. I am inclined to think it must be both local 

 and rare. How often will the collector of novelties take the 

 last root that can be found of any choice but rare plant ? 

 Pity it is that we should be so bent on destroying a station of 

 anything of the kind. Some time now past I was one of a 

 party out collecting ; we came across a rarity in the neighbour- 

 hood, when it would have betn carried oft root and branch, but 

 I pleaded for future generations, and prevailed, in hopes that 

 many more of the same kind might spring up ; but I was 

 chagiined to find the next party that came secured it, one 

 saying I should look after mveelf, and let others do the same. 

 " Bear and forbear " is a grand motto, and is as applicable to 

 plants as to animals. 



In looking over the names enumerated in the " Cottage Gar- 



deners' Dictionary," I find twenty or more Crocuses coining 

 from as many different piaces) said to flower in the autumn, 

 and exhibiting nearly as many shades of colour. My mind 

 rests upon tuch a eight as twenty or thirty kinds of Crocases 

 in bloom in Stptember and October with a feehng I cannot 

 explain, but I should like to see such a eight in reality. The 

 question, however, arises. How are we to get them ? Not many 

 of us have the means to go to Naples, for instance, nor yet to 

 Florence, to say nothing of the Cape, the Continent, Asia, 

 Africa, or America; Seldom do we meet with half-a-dozen 

 kinds ! 



There is another desirable plant for autumn, Colchicnm 

 autumnale, which much resembles a Crocus, showing its lovely 

 pale flowers among the grass in limestone districts, and which 

 may be procured much more easily than Crocuses. It will 

 grow in almost any soil or situation, and is an acquisition to 

 tbe borders in September. The double variety is a little later, 

 but is more showy than the single kind. — M. H., Acklam Hall, 

 Midtlltubrough-on-'Tfis. 



IRESINE HERBSTH. 



Mucn has been said and written on the merits and demerits 

 of this plant as a bedder, and after having been run down as 

 good for nothing, it has generally become acknowledged as a 

 valuable plant. But how little has been said of it as a decora- 

 tive plant I Yet I am assured that it is a very excellent one 

 for this purpose. I saw the other day at Messrs. Windebank 

 and Kingsbury's, at Southampton, a plant at least 13 feet high, 

 and Mr. Kingsbury told me that when in bloom it is a most 

 beautiful object, blooming something like Humea elegans, but 

 more elegant even than it, and that it continues in flower from 

 October to March in any house from which frost is excluded. 

 It may be worth notice, then, by those who wish to have 

 decorative plants during the winter months. 



May I take the opportunity of tendering my thanks to those 

 fellow rosarians who have kindly taken my hint, and written 

 their experiences ? I may have something to say about them 

 by-and-by, and in the meantime would say. Let none of those 

 who grow and love the Base be deterred from writing what he 

 knows about it by the fear that he is writing truisms ; we 

 want information, and from all sorts and conditions of soil, 

 climate, &c. — D., Deal. 



THE CLIMBING DEVONIEXSIS ROSE. 



Though not a Kose-grower but only a Kose-lover, I may 

 venture to quote my own small experience of the growth and 

 management of the so-called Climbing Devoniensis, the future 

 of which puzzles my worjhy friend, " Y. B. A. Z." Ten years 

 ago 1 planted apainst a paling, 9 feet high, a plant of thatEose 

 grafted on the Manetti stock ; it was, of course, planted some 

 inches below the scion. After a while it began to grow vi- 

 gorously, but did not produce more than some stray blossoms ; 

 nevertheless, it was allowed to grow as it liked, its only prnning 

 being the tying-in and bending down its straggling branches. 

 One year I had a shoot at least 18 feet long which was not in- 

 terfered with, and it is now nearly 8 inches in diameter. The 

 result has been, that two years ago I had at least four hundred 

 blooms, and branches laden with blossoms were cut off for 

 home exhibition. This year one day one hundred lovely buds 

 were gathered, and two days afterwards sixty were gathered, 

 leaving scores for future plucking. These were independent 

 of the continual gathetiags for weeks, as we always expect to 

 find some buds during the summer months, though its bloom 

 is not nearly so continuous as that of its neighbour, the Gloire 

 de Dijon, in the praises of which no one can be too eloqnent. 

 If " Y. B. A. Z." leave his strong shoots alone and do not 

 tip them (as the winter will do this effectively), but gently 

 bend them when they will bear handling, he will have more 

 blossoms than he will know what to do with ; though this is 

 scarcely possible, as his lady friends will fully appreciate 

 Devoniensis buds in any stage. 



In contrast with this luxuriant growth, I may mention that 

 at the same time I planted a Devoniensis originally budded on 

 the Briar. This was planted with equal care, but the stock 

 was stagnant, and though the graft was some inches below the 

 surface, the Devoniensis has never attained any vigour, nor 

 thrown up shoots more than 20 inches high, and it only con- 

 tinues to live, thonch it has grown more this year than it has 

 previously done. Never remove a tree, especially a Eose tree, 

 if there is any growth, is my limited experience, for after a 



