370 



JODBNAZi OF HOBTICULTUIVE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ November U| ] 



grown ; it is dwarf and compact, vritli abandaoce of finely 

 formed trasses, and is first-class in every respect. I'.clat is 

 evidently closely allied to Lo Grand, which it very strongly 

 resembles both in its gro^vth and flower truss, but it is of a 

 much deeper shade of cjlour. It is a desirable variety. Blue 

 Cell is of strODg growth ; its trusses are large, and its singular 

 colour, a bluish pink, gives it a distinct and striking appear- 

 ance. Next comes the beautiful Glory of Walthnm with its 

 deep rich glowing crimson scarlet trustees, which are large and 

 compact; its very deep colour, together with its plain green 

 foliage and spreading habit, tend to make thi^ a distinct and 

 excellent kind. It is superior to Crimson Queer, to which its 

 flowers are very similar. Grand Duke is a bold, striking, and 

 splendid variety, having immense trusses of orange scarlet ; 

 the flowers are very large, and the habit is moderately vigorous. 

 Next this La reyrouse may worthily occupy a place, for it is a 

 splendid variety, moderately strong in its growth ; its extremely 

 Urge trusses, which render it so conspicuous, are produced in 

 sufiicient abundance to make it a valuable bedding plant. The 

 colour is an intermediate shade between Bebecca and Provost. 



Among broad-petaled scarlets, several kinds of nearly equal 

 merit claim notice. Lord Derby, Ardent, Scarlet Circle, and 

 The Clipper are aU equally good, all producing fine large trusses, 

 with dowers of ex'iui-itc form, and bold and handsome foliage. 

 A bed of The Clipper has been very beautiful, and I am inclined 

 to yield precedence to it for that purpose ; the ilowers of Ardent 

 are rather larger, but its habit is scarcely so good, nor is it 

 equalled as a bedJer by Lord Derby, with vyhich it has been 

 grown side by side. Some beds of the old variegated llanglesii, 

 alternating with others of Purple King Verbena, had a good 

 effect. A new and meritorious sort resembling this old favourite, 

 is called Dake of Edinburgh. 



It will, I hope, prove useful to conclude these notes with a 

 selection of one or two first-class kinds in each section. 



Taking zonal Pelargoniums first, we have Faust as a strong- 

 growing scarlet. The Clipper of medium growth, and Presi- 

 dent Eeveil as a splendid dwarf kind. Among the lighter 

 shades of scarlet. Provost is too good to be left out, and for pro- 

 ducius a rich bright mass of orange scarlet Grand Duke has no 

 equal. Of bright pinks, Christine, Maid of Kent, and Blue Bell 

 will suffice. And then amongst Nosegays the brightest of all 

 bright scarlets is Cybister, and for a strong-growing, deep, rich 

 scarlet St. George, and Violet Hill for a lake rose or cherry 

 colour ; while either Lord Palmerston or Micimnm will please 

 as light crimson shades. No finer deep crimson can be had 

 than Glory of Waltham, or a brighter rose colour than Dr. 

 Hogg. 



Of kinds grown for the effect of their foliage nothing can be 

 better than Crystal Palace Gem for a yellor, and Cistlemilk 

 for a white leaf; and from the multitude of kinds known as 

 gold and bronze, Her Majesty may be chosen for its broad 

 handsome zone, and Beauty of Eibblesdale lor its narrow zone 

 and fine bright yellow colour. Of Golden Tricolors, Lady 

 Cullnm and Louisa Smith will be sure to please, the first by 

 its richueps as a mass, and the second by its very large bold 

 foliage and free growth. Of Silver Tricolors I i-hall say nothing 

 as bedders ; but for pots. Glen Eyre Beauty, Italia Unita, 

 Queen Victoria, and ImpCratrice Eugenie are all distinct and 

 good. 



My object in offering so short a list is to render it useful to 

 those who may require a few choice kinds, and in making the 

 selection I have been obliged to pass over many of my fa- 

 vourites, but of those chosen I have no hesitation in saying 

 that they are the cream of a collection of several hundred 

 ■varieties. — Edwabd Luckhuest, Egerton Rouse Gardens, Kent. 



PROPAGATING PLUMBAGO C.VPEXSIS. 

 Seeing in your last number an article on Plumbago capensis, 

 signed " C. A. G., Ealipg," in which some details as to the 

 plant's propagation are desired, I feel much pleasure in com- 

 municating my simple method of producing plants. When I 

 received my plant I was informed that I could only propogate 

 it by suckers. Having had my plants for nearly three years 

 without producing a sucker, and thinking it necessary to prune 

 it last spriu'^ with the idea of getting it into le'ter shape, I 

 took care of what I cut off, selecting from the pranings four 

 which had new shoots from 2 to 3 inches long. These new 

 shoots only I put into a pot of good mould with which I mixed 

 a little silver sand, covering them with a tumbler-glass, and 

 giving them a little vrater to prevent them irom drooping. I 



placed them in a shady part of my little greenhouse for a few 

 days, and then exposed them to light and sun. taking care to 

 supply them with water that they should not flag. I kept the 

 glass on until I saw they were growing, only occasionally taking 

 it off to give a little fresh air for a few minutes. I have now 

 four plants, two about C inches high, and two fully 1 foot high, 

 and branching. I shall repeat the experiment next spring, as 

 I am very fond of my plant. The flowers aie exceedingly 

 pretty and delicate. 



Having no c>>nvcnience for a hotbed or bottom heat, I 

 generally succeed in growing plants by this method. 



I am indebted to your cnrretpondent for the information as 

 its being half-hardy, which will enable me to plant it in the 

 garden for the summer months. — T. H. W., Drittol. 



ORCHARD-HOUSE CROPS. 



In a season of failure generally, the orchard house has again 

 given us a good crop of fruit. This most assuredly must be 

 attributed to the house being heated ; at the time the trees were 

 in flower, the weather was most unfavourable to the setting of 

 the fruit. Continued low temperature, if the air is dry at the 

 same time, is not so injurious, but the atmosphere was charged 

 with moisture as well, so that it was necessary to have the 

 house warmed artificially by day as well as at night. The fruit 

 has been very fine ; this year Peaches and Nectarines are the 

 principal crop, but a few of the finer varieties of Pears are 

 grown ; all of them are in pots, and aro now moved out of 

 doors in order that the house may be filled with Chrysan- 

 themums, so that as soon as the interest in the trees ceases, 

 the interest in the flowers begins. 



There are still gardeners who are averse to orchard houses, 

 and some of the correspondents of the Journal are not favour- 

 ably impres-ed with them. I think a garden incomplete with- 

 out an orchard house, it is quite as good as a Peach house for 

 growing Peaches and Nectarines, and very much more in- 

 teresting, owing to the greater facility with which the trees and 

 fruit can be examined, and the greater number of varieties 

 which can bo grown in the same space. Trees cultivated in 

 pots require a greater amount of attention as regards watering, 

 bat the expense of wiring the honse and training the trees to 

 the tvires afterwards is avoided. Pears are also grown to great 

 perfection in pots in the orchard house. Some cultivators 

 advise moving Pear trees out of doors to ripen their fruit, but 

 I have not obtained fruit of such good quality by doing so ; the 

 best Fears are those ripened under glass. 



I weighed some of the fruit this year from the pot plants ; 

 the Summer Benrru d'Aremberg (Eivers) were very small, four 

 of them weighed 12ozs. ; three fruit of ■^'illiams's Eon Chretien 

 weighed l.Jlb. ; and three Beurrij d'Amanlis, lib. 11 ozs. 

 Madame Treyve is a free-bearing Pear, the fruit juicy, and of 

 an agreeable flavour, four weighed 2 lbs. 7 ozs. Louise Bonne 

 of Jersey is one of the very best Pears for orcliard-house 

 culture, it is always full of blossom-buds; four of the fruit 

 weighed 2 lbs. 7 ozs. Beurru Diel is also an excellent variety, 

 it is of good flavour, and the largest of dessert Pears ; one of 

 the fruit weighed 18J ozs., and three together were 3 lbs. 1 oz. 

 General Todtleben is a very fine Pear, but it is not a fiee- 

 bearing variety. I have had fruit of it weighing 18 ozs. 



The Peaches and Nectarines ripened earlier than nsnal. 

 Early Beatrice Peach is the earliest now; it ripened on the 1st 

 of July. This is a useful variety, although it ie only of medium 

 size ; it is a good-flavoured Peach, and keeps pretty well after it 

 is ripe. Early Bivers ripened ou the 8th of the same month ; 

 this is also of medium size, the fle'^h is very melting, and the 

 fruit decays directly it is ripe. Hunt's Tawny Nectarine did not 

 ripen until the 20th. This is the earliest Nectarine here ; it is 

 a very useful sort, but very much subject to mildew. This can 

 only be kept under by repealed dustings with flowers of sul- 

 phur. Early Grossc Miguonne Peach was the next to ripen on 

 the 21st. succeeded by Dr. Hogg and Boyal George on the 

 21th. In the first week in August, I picked the following 

 varieties of Nectarines — Downton, Cricket, Murray, Bivers' 

 Orange, Violette Hative, and Balgowan; of Peaches — Grosse 

 Mignonne, Galande, Eellegarde, and Violette Hative. Prince 

 of Wales and Victoria Nectarines ripened about the middle of 

 August ; these two are the latest Nectarines. 



There arc some good late Peaches to select from now, and 

 some of them set their fruit much more freely than Late Ad- 

 miiable. Walbnrton Admirable is also a very fine Peach, but 

 shy in setting its fruit. Another very fine late Peach is Kx- 



