264 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEx.. 



[ Apri 6, 1876. 



is a man or a woman. Nothing reqaireB greater care or more 

 patient love than the Marechal Niel indoors. An even tem- 

 perature, regular watering — not an occasional deluge followed 

 by the drought of Egypt. Fumigate regularly to destroy the 

 aphides. If you are forcing your Koses you will find the fly 

 more troublesome than if your Rose tree is merely protected 

 by the glass. Always shade when the sun is hot, and keep the 

 syringe going when the sun is o£f. These are my rules, and 

 as soon as this sees the light you will have hundreds of others 

 given yon by more correspondents of the Journal, and you 

 will be able then to try them all one after another, and then 

 write and tell the Editors of the result. — John B. M. CAiiii. 



A FEW NOTABLE HAKDY EOCK PLANTS. 

 Aetificial rockwork is never much cared for till it is partly 

 concealed by the growth of such plants as find a suitable home 

 among its crevices. Preference is usually given to alpine suc- 

 culents of lowly growth and exquisite form, but so minute 

 withal that a considerable space of time must elapse before 

 they can become really effective ; hence it is desirable to blend 

 with them other plants of more rapid growth and bolder ap- 

 pearance, so disposed as to afford a partial clothing of greenery 

 to the larger masses of rook as quickly as possible, and yet 

 leaving ample space for the pretty little alpine gems, which are 

 certainly most worthy of all due prominence. Among several 

 plants which I have tried for this purpose a few have answered 

 the desired end so admirably as to be worthy of especial notice. 

 One of the best of these is 



Pyrctltrum Tcliihatdieici. — This plant has been brought 

 somewhat prominently into notice as a substitute for lawn turf, 

 which it decidedly is not. For spreading over the surface of 

 rocks it is almost unrivalled ; the dense, compact, moss-like 

 growth, decumbent spreading habit, and the lively colour of 

 its evergreen foliage, combining to render it an attractive 

 object at all seasons of the year, but more especially during 

 winter, when the perennial greening of its mossy branchlets 

 spread cushion-like upon the face of the hard bare rock stand 

 out in pleasing contrast to the bare death-like aspect of de- 

 ciduous plants. 



Silene maritima is also a perennial altogether of a bolder 

 type than the Pyrethrnm. Its well-shaped leaves are set thickly 

 upon the long, flexible, spreading growth. Planted upon the 

 edge of a rock it will spread over a space of nearly a yard in 

 diameter in one season, forming charming pendant masses of 

 bright green, which in early summer are enlivened with nu- 

 merous white flowers. No especial care is required to obtain a 

 stock of plants, every branch rooting freely wherever it touches 

 the BoU. 



Linaria cymbalaria. — This is the common Ivy-leaved Li- 

 naria so frequently to be seen trailing over old ruins and walls. 

 It spreads with surprising rapidity, and will cover many square 

 feet of rock surface in a few months. The slender growth 

 bears elegant foliage and pretty simple little pink flowers, hang- 

 ing its wild festoons over the rocks in such graceful garlands 

 of greenery that one wonders why it is not more frequently 

 found in gardens. Surely it ought no more to be excluded 

 because it grows wild than SUeue maritima, which is also a 

 British plant. 



Lithospcrmum prostratmn. — An invaluable plant for the 

 rockery as well as for many other purposes. It has a low 

 dense habit of growth, the spreading branches having a thick 

 perennial clothing of dark green foliage. The pretty deep blue 

 flowers open abundantly in May and June, continuing a long 

 while in full beauty. Early summer may therefore be named 

 as the season of its fullest beauty, but in sheltered nooks it is 

 never without a few flowers at all seasons of the year, even in 

 the depth of winter. Cuttings of the young growth root freely 

 in a cold frame. Planted in rich loam it forms tufts of 1 to 

 2 feet in diameter in a single season. 



Antennaria Candida. — This plant was sent to me with a 

 strong recommendation, as being greatly superior to A. to- 

 mentosa. It has not disappointed me, making such excellent 

 dwarf edgings of soft grey, and so quickly, as to induce me to 

 put a few plants of it among the rocks, where it forms pretty 

 grey cushions of about a foot in diameter, offering a pleasing 

 contrast to the red sandstone as well as to the green-leaved 

 plants. 



The five plants which I have thus described are suitable for 

 rockeries large and small, being easily kept within bounds. To 

 them I wUl add the small-leaved kinds of Helianthemum or 

 Rook Cistus, a charming family of dwarf, recumbent, shrub- 



like perennial plants, yielding a profusion of blossom in early 

 summer. Nothing can be more charming than the €fftct of 

 the bright masses of their flowers, ranging through various 

 shades of white, pink, yellow, and violet. All the kinds that 

 I have grown are readily increased by seed or cuttings. — 

 Edwabd LncKHCEST. 



THE HAWTHORNDEN APPLE. 



I THINK that this Apple has scarcely had justice done it, or 

 at least that it has only had that kind of justice called " scant 

 justice." It is a very popular Apple, and has been so for many 

 years. Now, no Apple is lastingly popular unless it is useful 

 and beautiful, or if not beautiful it must be excessively useful. 

 As to the beauty of the Hawthornden I own I seldom see it on 

 the tree or gather it without being forced to admire it. Its 

 full form, its delicate silver-like skin and refined bloom, then 

 its bright blush on the sunny side — all these make together 

 a truly beautiful Apple. Its cooking (jualities while in season 

 are great, particularly when roasted, when its white creamy 

 flesh breaks through the embrowned skin ; while its flavour, 

 however cooked — baked, roasted, or boUed — is excellent. The 

 New Hawthornden will hardly take its place, as it comes in 

 later; indeed, I do not know any Apple which does or will, 

 though I write under correction in this. As to the time in 

 which it is in season doctors differ. The "Fruit Manual" 

 says, " from October to December ;" Mr. Richard Smith says, 

 " September to December," while here in this south-west of 

 England I have found it good only, or chiefly, in September 

 and October. 



While all would readily own the beauty of the Hawthorn- 

 den and its good flavour, there remains the point of the tree's 

 unhealthiness. In the fens of England, where the eubsoilis in 

 fenny parts blue clay ; in the islands on which (for originally 

 they were islands) most of the fen towns stand, the subsoil 

 is gravel. In these parts I have always found that the Haw- 

 thornden did not prosper, but became hopelessly cankered 

 and a disagreeable object after a few years, but at the same 

 time bearing well untU wholly overcome by canker. Now 

 in this part of England, North Wilts, with a good loam 

 and a sandy clay for subsoil, and a mUd air, this variety of 

 Apple does well. I have a tree forty years old scarcely at all 

 cankered — not indeed noticeable by the presence of disease, 

 and another twenty years old which is as smooth in skin as 

 can be desired. Both trees bear heavily every year, and the 

 fruit is as healthy as can be wished. I think most of the 

 writers who have spoken of the Hawthornden as doing badly 

 reside either in the north or east of England. I find, how- 

 ever, that in all cases, in spite of soft air and good soil, the 

 Ribston Pippin becomes here terribly diseased ; more's the 

 pity, for I know no proper substitute, but not so diseased is 

 the Hawthornden. I incline to think that with depth of soil 

 and rather heaviness of soil, with a subsoil of clayey sand, 

 and particularly in the west or south of England, the Haw- 

 thornden, in spite of its northern origin, does well. Hence I 

 agree with the remark of " An Old Gakdenek," that " in a 

 generous and well-drained soil this Apple will do well. Further, 

 I think it is too valuable an Apple to be " written down," and 

 that the favourable account given of it in the " Fruit Manual " 

 is correct where the soil, ttc, is suitable. May I suggest that 

 cultivators of Apples and those interested in them would 

 supply lists — they need not be numerous — of those Apples com- 

 bining beauty and usefulness which thrive best in their dis- 

 tricts, particularly as guides to amateurs ? I see Mr. Robson 

 states " there are plenty of Apple trees now with all the quali- 

 ties of the Hawthornden, and much better constitution." 

 He might kindly tell us these. I think it would be a good 

 thing to know for certain what Apples, cooking and dessert, 

 did best. Good cooking Apples are, of course, most valuable 

 late in the season ; but in September, if not earlier, Apples 

 are welcomed on many tables in tarts and puddings, while as 

 to dessert Apples they are wanted as early as possible, and till 

 Apples come again. The last word that has been spoken in 

 favour of my old friend the Hawthornden is, I see, in the 

 number of March Oth by " M. H., Camp}tilt,Bedale, Yorkshire ;" 

 and his or her — for M stands for Mary as well as for Matthew — 

 account is important, as stating that, given a good and suitable 

 soil, this Apple does well in the north of England, even in the 

 northern part of Yorkshire. 



In conclusion I must remark how glad I am that much 

 attention and much information are being given concerning 

 hardy fruits, and particularly to that most useful of hardy 



