October 7, 1869. } 



JOUBNAIi OP HOBTICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



287 



reason for eajing we are not to blame, and that another trial 

 next snmmer will lead him to think as we do of the Pea. — 

 HtmsT & Son, 6, Leadenhall Street. 



" C. C. E." positively enrpriees ns when stating that Laxton's 

 Supreme Pea " in no way reeemhled its picture and description, 

 save in its pods." Did " C. C. E." satisfy himself, by examin- 

 ing every pod, of the exact maximum of peas in a pod ? Did he 

 actually measure the hanlm himself and discover the length to 

 be as he asserts ? Lastly, will he acknowledge the fairness with 

 which the Boyal Horticultural Society's trials are conducted, 

 and the honesty of onr intentions when endorsing our own ex- 

 perience with the evidence of such trials? 



Now, as to the price. " C. C. E.'s " ideas are so original, 

 that whilst at one moment we realise the severity of his remarks, 

 at another we are almost disposed to flatter ourselves with the 

 belief that he treats us as horticultural philanthropists. For 

 instance, he says, " it matters not to the grower whether they 

 (the enterprising seedsmen) give £100 or 100 pence per bushel 

 for the Peas ;" and whilst acknowledging the great tljiugs we, 

 with many others, have done for horticulture, he add?, '• their 

 (the seedsmen's), prices for stock seed is their affair, not the 

 growei's (purehaser'f), being purely a trade speculation, Sza." 

 The question, therefore, is best answered in " C. C. E.'s " ad- 

 mission, that it is "purely a trade speculation, founded on 

 their own experience and acumen." — J.iiiES Carter & Co. 



[The last is an extract from a communication received 

 from Messrs. Carter & Co., and here the controversy must 

 close. By most growers of the Pea in question it is stated to 

 be of average quality, but it is not a dwarf variety, except on 

 poor soils. Tbe preceding notes and many others in our 

 possession, signed "Kitchen I-Jakdeneb," " A Victim," &c., 

 are from practical laen, and they all condemn the exaggerated 

 Btatements. — Ens.] 



GRAFTING TRICOLOR PELARGONIUMS. 



Most gardeners are aware of the feet that these beautiful 

 plants are very slow growers, and, consequently, they find a 

 great difficulty in propagating a sufficient number to meet 

 their requirements. Now, if any of your readers have this 

 difficulty and wish to overcome it, I advise them to follow my 

 plan, which I shall describe as briefly as possible. 



In March select some old plants of Eubens, Tom Thumb, or 

 Punch Pelargoniums, which are strong growers, place them in 

 a brisk heat so as to drive the sap strongly up, then head them 

 down to about 2 inches, and graft Italia Dnita, Sophia Duma- 

 resque, or Lady Cnllum upon the stocks. This must be done 

 neatly and expertly to insure success. 



In about three weeks the scion and stock will be found ad- 

 hering to each other, and will soon be throwing out buds in all 

 directions, and the plants will be ready to plant out at the same 

 time as the rest of bedding plants, if gradually hardened off. 



It is astonishing how quickly Pelargoniums grow when treated 

 in this manner. This spring, for instance, I had one plant, a 

 very small one, of Italia Unita, from which I took a graft, and 

 the grafted plant furnished thrice as many cuttings, and made 

 a finer plant too than the plant on its own roots. I am aware 

 that grafting these plants is no novelty, but where cuttings 

 are wanted the practice is well worth carrying out. I did not 

 observe that grafting had much effect on the colours, but it 

 certainly induced a vigorous constitution in the graft — a great 

 desideratum where a specimen plant is required for exhibition, 

 or for general conservatory decoration. — John Bowlby. 



MARECHAL NIEL ROSE. 

 It may be useful to Eose-growers to know that llarfichal 

 Niel succeeds admirably on Jane Gray. I had a tree of the 

 latter Rose against a south wall, which, even here in Devon- 

 shire, would not flower ; in despair I moved it into a corner of 

 the kitchen garden, and budded it on one stem with Maifichal 

 Niel, and now it has fine flower buds and blooms. All 

 its shoots are exceedingly vigorous, though against a north 

 wall.— G. E. E. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



On a reference to our advertising columns it will be seen 

 that a second edition of the Kev. J. Fountaine's pamphlet. 

 'The New Method of Gkowino Fruit," is no.v published, 

 and may be had at onr office. 



The Bight Hon. George Patton, L:ird Justice Clerk, 



and Lord President of the Second Division of the Court of 

 Session in Scotland, under the title of LordGlenalmond, whoso 

 melancholy death occurred on the 20th ult., was third son of 

 the late James Patton, Esq., of Gleualmond. Sheriff Clerk of 

 Perthshire, by Anne, his wife, daughter of Tliomas Marshall. 

 Esq. He was born in 1803, and after following his studies at the 

 Perth Academy and the University of Edinburgh, finished bis 

 education at Trinity College, Cambridge. Adopting the profes- 

 sion of the law, he became a Scotch Advocate in 182i?, and was 

 Solicitor- General for Scotland in 1859. In June, 1HC6, he was 

 returned to Parliament by Bridgwater; but, accepting shortly 

 after the appointment of Lord Advocate, he had to vacate his 

 seat, and was defeated by Mr. VanJerbyl at the eleclian which 

 ensued. In 1867 he succeeded Mr. Inglis (Lord Olencorse) as 

 Lord Justice Clerk, and was sworn of the Privy Council. He 

 married, in 1857, Margaret, daughter of the late Lieutenant- 

 General Bethune, of Blebo, in the county of Fife. 



Mr. Patton was fond of gardening iu all its departments, 

 but especially of arboriculture. He aided in founding the 

 Oregon Botanic Association, and one of the Conifers resulting 

 from its researches was named in his honour Abies Pattoninna. 

 It is the Great Californian Spruce, and well merits to be more 

 cultivated. The following is extracted from Gordon's Supple- 

 to his " Pinetum :" — " Tiiis Fir grows under favourable cir- 

 cumstances to an immense size in the Oregon country, where 

 not unfrequently trees are seen from 30 to 40 feet in circum- 

 ference, i feet from the ground, and towering upwards some 

 250 feet, or more, with 100 feet of the trunk entirely free from 

 branches. The timber is excellent, splits freely, and quite 

 straight in the grain. 



"Dr. Newberry, in his report on the Exploratory Expedition 

 and Surveys from the Mississippi Kiver to the Pacific Ocean, 

 describes this Fir under the name of Abies WiUiamsonii ; and 

 more recently, Mr. Bridges, a collector in California, has been 

 disposing of seeds of a very different kind under the same name ; 

 Dr. Newberry's sort being identical with Abies Pattoni (tho 

 Giant Fir of California), while that sold by Bridges under the 

 name of Abies WiUiamsonii is the same as Abies Mertensiana 

 (the Hemlock Spruce of California). 



" The Abies Pattoni occupies the most elevated parts of the 

 Sierra Nevada, and seldom descends lower down than 100 yards 

 from the line of perpetual snow, where in moist situations it 

 forms a tree from 100 to 130 feet high, with a trunk sometimes 

 3 feet in diameter. Its branches spread out horizontally from 

 the main stem, but become drooping towards the extremities, 

 and with the brauchlets thickly set round with solitary leaves 

 about two-thirds of an inch long, grass green above, and pale 

 green beneath, with those towards the points of the branchleta 

 spreading, and silvery white below. The cones are about 

 2 inches long, and 1 inch in diameter, in the widest part ; when 

 young, dark purple, but when old, pale brown. Male flowers, 

 or catkins, two-eighths of an inch long, and of a violet colour. 

 The timber is of a reddish colour, close, and fine-grained, and 

 remarkable for its strength and durability, and as an ornamental 

 I tree for parks or pleasure grounds, or for general planting, no 

 tree can be more recommendable ; and, judging from the soil 

 and situation in which it grows, it may be considered the 

 hardiest of all the Californian kinds. 



" Mr. William Lobb found it in abundance, on the highest 

 peaks of the Sierra Nevada, near the head waters of the north 

 tributary of Feather Eiver, and more to the south, toward Lake 

 Bigler, forming immense trees, in habit of growth and general 

 appearance much rssembling the Deodar, but being more 

 thickly branched, and densely clothed with foliage ; by far the 

 handsomest tree." 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Where B,-;::- edgings r»quire lelaying, or walks require 

 gravelling, let me work be done at once, for when the season is 

 further advanced frosts interfere, and other pressing work, as 

 nailing, will require attention. Continue to trench every spare 

 piece of ground, either to receive crops or to benefit by the 

 action of frost and air. It is now high time to check Broccoli 

 that is growing luxuriantly, by laying the plants dciwn. Con- 

 stant attention is necessary to secure from slugs the plantations 

 of iCabbages, and of Cauliflowers under hand-lights, frames, or 

 in other places of shelter ; dust the ground between the plants 

 every second day with soot and quicklime, and make good the 

 blanks from the seed beds. The same directions apply to the 

 winter icducciTake care to secure a good supply of Endive 



