356 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 21, 1875. 



them to put forth the requisite number of laterals. To main- 

 tain as true a balance as possible the laterals — really the fruit- 

 ing wood — are left on the upper side of the lower, and on the 

 under side of the upper branches. 



No immunity from blight or disease can be claimed even for 

 trees vigorous as these are, but it is certainly reduced to a 

 minimum. Curled and blistered foliage, caused by cold cut- 

 ting winds or the attacks of aphides, has been more or less 

 prevalent every year during the earlier months when the growth 

 is young and tender, and red spider comes later if the weather 

 prove very hot and dry when the fruit is ripening. No harm 

 can arise from such attacks if they are only met with prompti- 

 tude and care. Plenty of clean water upon the foliage and 

 branches, and screening from frost and the direct force of 

 east winds, is all that a vigorous tree requires. 



The mean monthly temperature of this part of Sussex will 

 certainly bear favourable comparison with that of Greenwich, 

 and after calmly reviewing the matter I am inclined to agree 

 with Mr. Taylor that the climate is really not so bad as was 

 supposed. There is, however, a peculiarity about it which 

 adds materially to the difficulty of ripening the wood, which 

 is that in the present month there is a mean decrease of 7° 

 of temperature — there have been instances of its falling as 

 much as 13' from that of September — and this decline is 

 accompanied by very wet dull weather, the rainfall of October 

 exceeding that of any other month. 



I may add that the gardeners of this county cannot have 

 much faith in the climate as being suitable for Peach-oulture, 

 lor I have found Peach houses and glass casings to Peach walls 

 in almost every garden that I have visited. — Edwabd Luckhuest. 



PLANTS FOR CUT FLOWERS AND SPRATS. 



No. 5. 



Gladiolus. — Invaluable for vases and for specimens in 

 glasses are spikes of Gladioli, every bud in the spike develop- 

 ing when placed in water. Their season of flowering is a long 

 one, commencing iu June and continuing uutO the late autumn 

 months. The earliest may be G. blandus, G. communis, vars. 

 albns, roseus, and ruber ; G. byzantinus, G. Colvilli albus, 

 G. eardinalis and its variety roseus, and G. ineignis are all of 

 the early-flowering class, and succeed admirably planted in 

 October in any rich light soil, well drained, doing remark- 

 ably well in peaty or vegetable soil, increasing amazingly, and 

 once planted not needing any attention, never taking the 

 " yellows " as the highly-bred varieties of both ramosus and 

 gandavensis. They do well in the open spaces iu the front 

 lines of shrubberies, and planted half a dozen or more together, 

 they being planted -1 inches deep, will give annually in June 

 and July nice spikes of flowers for cutting. The clumps in- 

 crease in fize and beauty from year to year. G. ramosus in 

 its many varieties is more tender by the continued improve- 

 ment of the hybridist, and this section coming in after the 

 G. communis and other kinds named should be planted ex- 

 tensively, for though the ramosus section have not the stateli- 

 ness of the gandavensis, they are equally bright and varied in 

 colour. Plant in November and again in February 4 inches 

 deep, and mulch over the surface with about an inch thickness 

 of partially decayed leaves or other refuse of a light protective 

 description. Wet, however, is the great evil, and the ground 

 should be well drained, and if grown in beds protection may 

 be given from heavy rains and severe frost. The bulbs may 

 be 6 inches apart and the rows 9 inches, which wiU be suffi- 

 cient space for this section. A top-dressing of manure in 

 spring, cow dung being best, will add to their vigour, applying 

 it after the stems rise, and being careful to stake as the stems 

 advance in growth, and applying liquid manure after the flower 

 buds appear. 



G. gandavensis hybrids. — These are magnificent for late 

 summer and autumn, planting during the first mild weather in 

 March 3 inches deep and a foot apart every way. The ground 

 for them to be trenched and manured very liberally, mixing 

 the manure with the soil, and in a thoroughly decompoeed 

 state by planting time. Planted after the middle of March, 

 and at monthly intervals to the middle of May, we may look 

 forward to a good stock of spikes of matchless beauty for 

 cutting in late summer and autumn. The varieties are very 

 numerous both of gandavensis and ramosus, bo that I shall 

 not pester your readers with names, which may be taken from 

 the hst at the price suited to each purchaser. For very late 

 flowers plant in June with a certainty of a speedy loss of bulbs. 

 Bulbs of the ramosus section, if potted iu November, three in 



a 0-iueh and five in a 7-inch pot, an inch deep, and plunged 

 in a cold pit, removing to a greenhouse when the spike rises, 

 will flower six weeks earUer than those outdoors, and some 

 being left in the cold pit will succeed them and continue the 

 display until those in the open ground bloom. If very early 

 bloom be wanted it is better to pot some of the G. blandus, 

 communis, or other of the early-flowering sorts, in October ; 

 these gently brought forward after Christmas will flower in 

 May or earlier. Gandavensis varieties are also grown in pots, 

 but not for our purpose, except it be a late batch, put-in in 

 June and kept plunged in ashes outdoors and well supplied 

 with water, giving them the shelter of a cold pit or cold house 

 in autumn. Two parts medium-textured turfy loam, with a 

 part old cow dung and a half part of sand, will grow Gladiolus 

 in pots perfectly, but I have a hankering after peat — sandy 

 fibrous peat. All the species like it, and in it never, that I 

 know, have the " yellows." 



Pancratium epeciosum has large white fragrant flowers during 

 the spring or early summer months, and is quite equal to the 

 famous Eucharis amazonica, having usually eight flowers in a 

 scape. P. Carriba;um has also large white fragrant flowers, 

 both being stove plants requiring abundant supplies of water 

 when growing, and continued until the growth is complete or 

 fuU-sized, and then gradually reducing, giving only sufficient 

 to keep them from flagging, and not allowing them to be dry 

 at any time. Good turfy loam three parts, one part each sandy 

 peat, old cow dung, and silver sand with good drainage will 

 grow the plants well. 



P. Cunninghami has campanulate white flowers about an 

 inch wide, and for button-holes superior to the Eucharis. It 

 requires a warm greenhouse, and the plants should be well 

 watered during growth, and not dried-ofi when at rest. 



P. illyricum and P. maritum have both white flowers, and 

 are hardy in sheltered positions, and a Uttle protection in 

 severe weather. A well-drained soil is essential, and equally 

 so is abundant watering during growth. Not the least charms 

 of Pancratiums are the delicate green stripes which pervade 

 their pearly white flowers, and their scent. They are easily 

 cultivated and free-flowering, and are deserving of extended 

 culture, especially P. speciosum, also P. mexicanum (notatum), 

 which has often a dozen flowers of snowy whiteness on a scape, 

 the flowers being very fragrant. It is a stove species, though 

 both the two last-named will do in a warm greenhouse. 



Amakyllis and HirpEASTEUii are magnificent as cut flowers, 

 but we confound the one genus with the other. The true 

 Amaryllis is characterised by flowering before the leaves, and 

 is as thoroughly deciduous as the extremely beautiful Amaryllis 

 Belladonna, which is one of the most beautiful of hardy bulbs, 

 and on which a very opportune and excellent article was given 

 by "W.," at page 183 of the present volume, to which the 

 reader is referred for particulars of treatment. The Belladonna 

 Lily is the true type of an Amaryllis, and would be immensely 

 improved were it induced to produce its flowers and leaves simul- 

 taneously. There is no afiinity between the Hippeastrum and 

 Amaryllis, hence it has been suggested by some to gain foliage 

 for the Amarylhs at the time of flowering by crossing with 

 Vallota, but the hybridisation cannot be efiected. 



Hippeastrums in their original types are evergreen, of 

 which none are more representative than the very beautiful 

 H. pardinum, one of the many beautiful plants brought to 

 notice through the Messrs. Veitoh ; but the Hippeastrum has 

 been crossed this way and that, and so thoroughly subdued 

 by a continued system of drying culture as to become every 

 whit as leafless as the Amaryllis in the resting season, and 

 in this respect at least the alteration has been of a retro- 

 greseive kind. Hippeastrum and Amaryllis are the most 

 magnificent of aU bulbous plants, their immense trumpet- 

 shaped flowers being truly grand in a cut state. They flower 

 usually during the early summer months, but may be retarded 

 or forwarded by keeping cool and dry, or starting in bottom 

 heat with a brisk heat and moist atmosphere. 



Hippeastrum pardinum is a fine cream colour, closely dotted 

 with crimson-red. It is strictly evergreen, and should not 

 be dried-off; H. equestris major, orange and green star, is 

 also a true type of Hippeastrum, the double form H. eques- 

 tris being novel ; H. Alberti flore-pleno is very double 

 and a fine orange-scarlet ; H cinnamomea, rose, is sweet- 

 scented ; H. Ackermanni, and its variety pnlcherrima, being 

 really grand, having large crimson-scarlet flowers very flnely 

 marked ; Aulica platypetala is red tipped with green with 

 yellow stripe. This is one of the best for forcing, and may 

 be had readily in winter by affording heat and moisture after 



