39G 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



( N'OTCnilMt 18, IMS. 



ore, however, planted in the open border, and cannot be sent 

 before next summer. — Max. LKicnxLiN {Amateur ColUclor vf 

 scarce Bulbous i'lants), VurLirulu- {Badenj. 



PEACHES AND NKCTAUINES OUT OF DOORS 



The past season will be memorable for many years. I read 

 with great interest the causes to which the (ruit-fuilure was 

 attributed by our best gardeners. Some attributed the failure 

 to the non-ripening of the wood, some to winds blowing away 

 the pollen, and some to tlie wetting of the pollen. Not one of 

 tbese was the reason. Wood was never better ripened here. 

 Winds are most violent here, but that could not afleot trees in 

 orchard houses ; and the same may be said in respect to 

 wetness. The few Peaches and Xootarines that set here were 

 situated where rains could easily touch the blossoms. 



The following I believe' to be the cause of failure — a want of 

 heat — geothermttl heat, or earth-warmth ; for in heated houses 

 the crops of Peaches and Nectarines wore excellent, but out of 

 doors and in uuheated houses, with rare exceptions, the failure 

 was general. 



Here the Peach and Nectarine trees, in number about 127, 

 were in full bloom by February 1st. I never saw a more beau- 

 tiful floral sight, extending over 170 yards of wall. The blooms, 

 with sheets over them on running rings on rods top and bottom, 

 kept perfectly fresh for ten or more weeks, but there was no 

 advance. At last out came a withering sun, and the blooms 

 soon fell. About 220 Peaches and Nectarines were formed and 

 grew well to a size aa large as a marble, some larger, and then 

 dropped off. I only landed about thirty-five Peaches and 

 Nectarines. 



The only tree that held on to perfection all its set fruit was a 

 beautiful Nectarine, Rivera's Pine Apple. It set five fruits. 

 It is quite first-rate, being beautiful and of firat-rate flavour. 

 Kivers's Orange Nectarine, the kind gift of Mr. Turner, set 

 three and held on one. That was equally handsome, much 

 larger, and as good. I specially recommend these two Nec- 

 tarines. 



Now, though the result was so small, after so much expense 

 —the sheets, rods, rings, posts, and labour cost £25 — still I 

 am not disheartened : the failure was the effect of an extraor- 

 dinary and abnormal winter and spring. Nothing daunted, I 

 set about managing new wood for next year's crop ; and to me 

 there is no pleasure in horticulture so great as the daily super- 

 vision and management of my Peach and Nectarine trees. 



The country here is so cold that I gave away my two nice 

 Apricot trees, Gros Pi'cbe [Peach Apricot] and St. Ambroise, 

 both good sorts, especially the former. The Apricots here set 

 well, but perish with the cold afterwards. 



I will now say something of the way in which my trees are 

 managed. They are pruned alternately, aa recommended by 

 Mr. Brcihaut in his excellent work. Some are wholly short- 

 pruned, and have all bowjucts Jc Mai attached to the main 

 branches. All the trees here are tiuely furnished with triple 

 buds ; the leaves are clI, and the wood looks red and hard. I 

 do not disbud any but the back buds ; all the others are left on, 

 and shortened according to judRment. By this means the trees 

 are kept breaking all over, and the plants have lungs at short 

 distances. 



Gardeners disbud largely at the time the plants want lungs 

 most — that is, when the sap rises most abundantly ; and then 

 by long-pruning, having made their base and centre bare, and 

 having produced gum and canker, they ask in the periodicals, 

 •' Why do my fruit trees degenerate :'" It is always bad in my 

 opinion, when sap is in activity, to disturb the economy of the 

 tree by large removals of leaves or shoots at one time. I 

 stopped my shoots — not the extensions — on July 12th. On 

 August 12th I cut off halt of every leaf, to let in sun and air to 

 harden the wood ; and I removed a further portion of each 

 leaf on September 12th. Till fruit is off no leaves should be 

 removed, but only be penned bac!c. Maiden trees I cut to 1 yard 

 high, and train the wood herring-bone fashion. This causes 

 them to bear frequently in the lirst, and always in the second 

 year. This, of course, depends on the maturation of the wood. 

 Lord Palmerston (two plants), has never been cut down, and 

 next year (its second year), it will bear abundantly. 



I will not say a word against orchard houses, heated or other- 

 wise. If they are well managed tboy are good; but I will not 

 allow that we cannot ordinarily in llnglaud grow capital crops 

 of I'eaches and Nectarines without them. I like diihculties. 



I remember what Napoluon I. said — " I delight in danger and 

 dilhculties ; it is for your kings of Cockaigne to sit at ease." 

 Tbe diOiculty of the attempt forms the triumph of the accom- 

 plishment. 



I differ from many gardeners and amateurs in these two 

 things : I tie with bast instead of using verniin-harbonriog 

 shreds, and I keep many sorts instead of a few large ramblers. 

 I allow them only is inches of border, remove them frequently 

 with care, and root-prune them. The nails are cast iron ; 

 instead of drawing tbem I either leave them where they are or 

 break them off by a gentle tap. Thus, there are neither ehreda 

 nor holes for harbouring insects. I keep down red spiders 

 with a syringe, and sponge with methylated spirits (Mr. 

 Bivers's recommendation) the branches affected with scale, 

 which here is very troublesome. It is instant death to the 

 insects and a very cheap remedy — fl*. per gallon. 



I have just added three of Mr. Rivers's seedlings to my col- 

 lection — viz , Karly Rivera, Mogdala, and the Peach Nectarine. 

 The last two are especially fine growers. At present Magdals is 

 the favourite. 



I conclude by saying that as many as are thonghtful and 

 wise gained better fruit than Peaches and Nectarines, if they 

 learnt by last year's failures how abortive ore all hnman 

 attempts unless favoured by the Divine blessing. — W. F. Rad- 

 CLTFFE, OkeJ'ord Fitzpaine. 



THE 



NEW GIGANTIC AROID 

 AMERICA. 



FROM CENTRAL 



Our readers will remember that some six weeks since a new 

 gigantic Aroid was exhibited at one of the fortnightly meetings 

 of the Boyal Horticultural Society. This extraordinary plant, 

 which has proved to be the sole representative of a new mono- 

 typio genus of plants, has been figured in the last number of 

 the " Journal of Botany," where a detailed description may 

 be found from the pen of its discoverer. Dr. Berthold Seemann. 

 It is allied to the genua Dracontium, but differs from that 

 genus in having twice as many stamens as perigonal segments. 

 It produces but a solitary leaf, this one leaf with its petiole 

 being some 14 feet in length. When the leaf has quite died 

 down the flower appears, after the manner of tbe Colchicnm of 

 our meadows, but the flower of this giant Aroid measures 2 feet 

 in length, and 1 foot 8 inches in breadth. The leaf of the one 

 figured attained a height of 7 feet in two months, the leafstalk 

 acquiring a circumference of '.I inches. The same plant ulti- 

 mately nearly attained the dimensions of the Nicaraguan 

 plants : the leafstalk has a beautifully mottled metallic surface, 

 brimstone yellow in colour, barred and striped with purple, 

 looking, says Dr. Seemann, " like a snake standing bolt upright 

 at the command of some eastern charmer." It was discovered 

 in January of tbe present year near the Javali Mine, in the 

 Chontales Mountains of Nicaragua, and is altogether the largest 

 Aroid of which we have any knowledge. Its flowers emit the 

 odour peculiar to many Aroidea>. The base of the spadix, 

 preserved in spirits in Central America, is now in the her- 

 barium of the British Museum. 



Dr. Seemann for several good reasons has named this nniqna 

 plant G nluiuia girias, in honour of one of the Fellows of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society — viz., Mr. George Godwin, F.R.S., 

 F.il.I.BA., F.S.A., &c., architect, author of "Another Blow for 

 Life," ttc, one of the founders of tbe Art Union of London, 

 and editor of the Buildrr, mainly in recognition of the willing 

 and substantial aid he has so often rendered to literature, 

 science, and art in this country, and for the active support he 

 has given to window gardening in the metropolis, thus helping 

 to spread successfully amongst " even the humbler classes 

 that taste and love for plants, without which, after all, the 

 race of botanists would soon be extinct." 



I think a generic name has seldom been better or more 

 deservedly applied than in the dedication of this genus to Mr. 

 Godwin, for his exertions for the benefit and well-being of the 

 people.— W. G. S. 



HARDINESS OF PLUMBAGO CAPENSIS. 



Of this plant, which is such a special favourite with your 

 correspondent " C. A. G.," I have had some experience, with 

 very little trouble, for the last twenty years. 



A large stub on my lawn was furnished with various plants 

 about the year 1850, and among them was Plumbago capensis. 

 Some of the plants were housed for the winter, and some the 



