190 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[August 18, 1888. 



1726. It, however, seems a wonder to me why such 

 a beautiful tree is so seldom seen in English 

 gardens. It has one special recommendation, that 

 whereas other trees have finished blooming, the 

 Oatalpa in August is in all its glory. Thus last 

 August I noticed a very fine one in the public garden 

 at Richmond lately owned by the Duke of Buccleuch. 

 I have not seen more than half a dozen of these trees 

 in England during the last twenty years. It will 

 grow in London, for there, is or lately was, one in 

 Park Lane. I planted two several years ago in the 

 grounds of the Lock Hospital, in the Harrow Road, 

 and two in the gardens of the Athenaeum, Morley 

 Hospital, Wimbledon, and these have done well. I 

 believe one reason for its scarceness is that, like my 

 favourite Tulip tree, it does not blossom till several 

 years after being planted, but, independent of this, the 

 golden-leaved variety deserves a place in gardens for 

 its beautiful foliage, I treat it as I do the Tulip 

 tree for the first two or three years after trans- 

 plantation — I have a matting or hay band placed 

 over it during winter. With some protection the 

 tree would do well in the Southern Counties. In 

 some parts of Belgium I noticed specimens of what 

 I supposed were the variegated forms of Acer poly- 

 morphum, encircled by plants of Purple Hazel, which 

 had a very pretty effect. John Colebrook, [The Catalpa 

 is a good town-tree, but apt to lose its branches. Ed.] 



POTATO DISEASE.— As is well known, the 

 fungus which causes this disease is seldom seen till 

 the end of July or the beginning of August. Until 

 the end of July nothing whatever was seen by me 

 of it here, but during the first days of August a 

 few purple-black flecks appeared on the Potato leaf- 

 tips with the mildew beneath ; the two sunny days 

 of last week dried the fungus temporarily. To-day 

 (Sunday) I have been over the workmen's garden 

 plots ; now the fungus is general — no varieties are 

 free, and a few plants have already fallen into 

 putridity. At this time the weather is all in favour 

 of the fungus, and the Potatos are at a disadvantage, 

 for the wet summer has caused a great development 

 of juicy haulm. Some of the Potatos were lifted 

 here last week, and I now observe the fungus- 

 infested haulms (some still green) neatly laid in 

 heaps at the plot corners, the white fungus itself 

 being quite visible to the unaided eye : other blight- 

 stricken haulms are on the paths, to be trodden 

 in — still others are laid one on another upon heaps 

 of stable manure, ready for digging into the ground. 

 The fungus is not at its worst yet ; it is only just 

 commencing operations, but I do not remember 

 seeing it in a more general or threatening oondition. 

 W. G. Smith, Dunstable. [It is time that the labourers 

 and growers generally should be taught the criminality 

 of their carelessness. Ed.] 



FRUIT CROPS AT WORKSOP.— The sandy soil of 

 this district is unfavourable to the cultivation of 

 the Apple, and it is only by the admixture of clay 

 loam in the borders, and by frequent waterings with 

 liquid manure that anything approaching success 

 can be hoped for. The form of trees which obtain 

 mostly with us is that of the bush, grafted on the 

 Paradise and free stocks. Owing to the exceptionally 

 cold spring and the almost complete absence of 

 summer weather the crop, though fairly plentiful, 

 will be late, while the fruit is small. The dessert 

 varieties that find most favour here are Cox's Orange 

 Pippin — in my opinion one of the best flavoured 

 Apples cultivated in this country — King of the 

 Pippins (also a good variety), Margil, Ribston 

 Pippin, Worcester Pearmain, Maltster, and Mr. 

 Gladstone, the latter variety not inappropriately 

 named for its vigour and fertility, though it unfortu- 

 nately lacks the resistence to early decay of its 

 namesake. Dutch Mignonne being a sure bearer 

 and a heavy cropper, I would strongly recommend for 

 market use. Ratford Beauty also finds favour with 

 us, on account of its late keeping property, while 

 the fact that it is a sure and heavy cropper 

 and of fairly good flavour is an additional 

 recommendation. Of culinary varieties the most 

 successful are Lord Suffield, Keswick Codlin, Cellini 

 Pippin, Lord Derby, Ecklinville Seedling, Warner's 

 King, Dumelow's Seedling, and Cox's Pomona. 

 Pears are an abundant crop, but, like the Apples, 

 are backward. The late varieties, unless favoured 

 with more sunshine during the autumn, will be 

 worthless. Doyenne d'EtcS, Williams' Bon Chretien, 

 Clap's Favourite, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Beurre 

 Hardy, Beurre Clairgeau, Beurre Diel are amongst 

 the best. Clap's Favourite is scarcely ever a failure 

 here. The crop is usually abundant, the appearance 

 of the fruit is attractive, while in flavour it surpasses 

 Williams' Bon Chretien, Peaches and Nectarines 



are a good average crop, while Cherries, both sweet 

 and Morello are above the average. Plums and 

 Apricots are almost a failure. Strawberries are an 

 abundant crop, Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury taking 

 premier honours again this season. The other small 

 fruits have been our heaviest crops, red Currants 

 holding a foremost place. The leaves unfortunately 

 have become diseased, with the result that in a few 

 weeks the trees will be completely bare. The leaves of 

 the Pears are similarly affected, but not to the same 

 extent. In Potatos the early varieties have been a 

 good crop, though the quality of the tubers was 

 greatly deteriorated owing to the incessant wet, 

 while the appearance of later varieties is all that can 

 be desired. The disease has not hitherto appeared. 

 In the noted fruit-growing districts of East Mark- 

 ham and Luxford the crops are very variable in their 

 character, apparently depending on the position of 

 the orchard. Apples do not reach the average 

 standard, while Plums, in some instances a very 

 heavy crop, are in other cases a comparatively poor 

 yield. Cherries generally (both sweet and Morellos) 

 are a good crop. Owing to the continuous downpour 

 of rain when the fruit was almost ripe, the former 

 suffered considerably from cracking. Strawberries 

 are a good crop, but had to share in the general 

 havoc caused by the continuous rain, the great bulk 

 of the fruit having rotted before an attempt could be 

 made to gather it. What struck me most in making 

 a short tour through the above districts was, 

 that though some tons of jam were annually 

 manufactured, yet no attempt had hitherto been 

 made in the produce of Cider. In these days 

 of general agricultural depression I think this is an 

 industry deserving attention, while others fail to see 

 the reason why the bottling of such fruits as Plums, 

 &c, should be almost entirely monopolised by the 

 French and Germans. To give emphasis to my re- 

 marks, I may add that 488 tons, 7 cwt., 3 qrs. of 

 Plums were put on the railway at Tutford and East 

 Markham in 1886, while the* yield of the following 

 years, if not greater, was at least of equal quantity. 

 The figures given do not by any means represent the 

 quantity grown in these districts, as much of it found 

 its way into the neighbouring towns by conveyance 

 other than rail. I would draw the attention of the 

 fruit growers of these districts to the approaching 

 Conference of Fruit Growers at the Crystal Palace 

 (on September 7 and 8), where the various methods 

 of preserving fruit will be treated by the best men, 

 and the adaptability of the various fruits to each 

 system of preserving will be thoroughly explained. 

 M. Gleeson. Clumber Gardens, Worksop. 



HOLLY TREE. — On visiting Kirkmichael House 

 on the 6th of this month, I was greatly surprised 

 when Mr. Shannon, the gardener, drew my attention 

 to a Holly tree still carrying a full crop of last year's 

 berries, as well as a crop for this year, a sprig or two 

 of which I send you. From what Mr. Shannon says, 

 the tree has never before been known to do this. 

 J.8.E. 



ADIANTUM FARLEYENSE. — I have this morning 

 received from Mr. William Goldby, Edgend Nur- 

 series, Brierfield, Burnley, a frond of this beautiful 

 Fern, cut from a plant (one of a batch of twenty- 

 one) grown by him from spores of his own sowing. 

 It is the first I have ever had, and Mr. Goldby's 

 communication was highly interesting to me, all the 

 more so as I have on several occasions in past years 

 written on this subject in your columns, having 

 failed, after more than twenty years' experience of 

 growing this Fern in all sizes, to find even a trace 

 of fructification. Mr. Goldby tells me that the 

 spores were found on one frond only of a large plant 

 belonging to Mr. Edward Eckroyd, of Edgend Hall, 

 and that even on this they were scantily found. He 

 intends to exhibit some of the young plants at the 

 Royal Horticultural Society's September meeting, and 

 it is to be hoped that he will then furnish full details 

 of the way in which he raised them. I wish I could 

 have seen even one solitary specimen of the pinnae 

 in fruit, so that I could have preserved it. Seeing is 

 believing ; but I need hardly add, that I cheerfully 

 accept every word Mr. Golby has written, and I am 

 greatly obliged to him for his courtesy in thinking of 

 and writing to me. He is to be heartily congra- 

 tulated on his success. T. M. Shuttleworth, F.Z.S., 

 F.E.H.S., Preston, Lanes. 



CLEMATIS JACKMANNI ALBA. — I have read with 

 interest Mr. Noble's note, p. 152, concerning the above, 

 and regard it as an excellent exemplification of the 

 value of patience and perseverance. I now give my 

 experience of the variety in question. In the autumn 

 of 1885, or spring of 18S6— I forget which — I planted 



a young plant against the east side of the mansion 

 here, with the result that two or three weak growths, 

 about 4 feet long, were made during the summer. 

 Last year these produced a few flowers of the cha- 

 racter described by Mr. Noble, viz., semi-double, 

 solitary, and of a bluish French grey ; and although 

 I cannot say I disliked the flowers, my employer and 

 myself thought it inferior to Lucy Lemoine — a double 

 white variety of the Florida type — at the time, and 

 did not regard it as an acqusition. The plant gained 

 vigour, and made young shoots 10 to 12 feet long, 

 which, in their turn, produced an abundance of pure 

 white single flowers in September, and which were 

 much admired. This circumstance, however, was 

 rather a puzzle to me, and I was asked the question 

 " Why is it that the flowers are single and pure 

 white, whereas the others were nearly double, with a 

 bluish tinge ? " It was certainly difficult to answer 

 the question offhand, and I was obliged to fall back 

 on the stereotyped reply, " It is one of those varia- 

 tions in Nature which sometimes occur and cannot 

 be accounted for." Mr. Noble's note, however, is a 

 clear exposition of the why and the wherefore, and I 

 for one tender him many thanks for sending it to 

 your columns, and for this grand introduction to our 

 gardens. Seeing that our plant made such strong 

 growth last summer we were looking forward with 

 interest to see if its behaviour would be the same 

 this year, but we have been doomed to a certain 

 amount of disappointment, the severe frosts of 

 January having killed it down to the ground. In 

 the spring two or three young shoots were seen to 

 be throwing up from near the base ; one of these 

 has already attained a height of 14 feet, and is 

 showing an abundance of flower-buds, which pro- 

 mise to give us a fine display in another week or 

 two. Can any of your readers say from experience 

 if it will live through a severe winter if grown on a 

 south wall, i.e., wood of the previous or current year's 

 growth ? Our situation is low and damp, and subject 

 to late spring frosts ; on a south or west aspect we 

 find Lucy Lemoine and other varieties of the Florida 

 and patens type too tender to withstand severe 

 winters. J. H. 



SUTTON'S ROYAL JUBILEE PEA.— As this Pea 

 becomes better known it is sure to be extensively 

 cultivated, as it is suited alike for the poor man's and 

 the rich man's gardens, and as an exhibition Pea it 

 has few equals. It is a vigorous grower, and although 

 the height of the haulm is given in Messrs. Sutton's 

 catalogue as from 3 to 4 feet, it has this year attained 

 a height of 6 feet — a surface-dressing of rotten dung 

 to the thickness of 6 inches having been laid on both 

 sides of the ranks when transplanted out of pots, in 

 February, the haulms being heavily laden with large, 

 handsome, sword-shaped pods, containing from nine 

 to twelve large and deliciously-flavoured Peas each. 

 All being well, I shall grow Royal Jubilee largely 

 next year. This year the ranks of it are the admira- 

 tion of all who see them. H. W. Ward, Longford 

 Castle. 



MILNE'S PATENT SADDLE BOILER— A CORREC- 

 TION. — In reference to the above boiler at p. 161, 1 

 find I have made a slight error as regards the room 

 required to set it in, which in reality is as follows : — 



4 feet in depth, 5 feet in width, when set by itself; 

 but if two are placed side by side somewhat less, and 



5 feet 6 inches in length. The boiler itself is 4 feet 

 long, 3 feet 5 inches wide, and 2 feet 4 inches in 

 depth, thus commanding a considerable area for 

 external flues should occasion require, and which 

 would add materially to its existing heating capa- 

 bilities. This is, however, a very simple matter, and 

 could be adopted or dispensed with at will. I believe 

 I am correct in saying that all those at present in 

 use have no external flues, and I may also remark 

 that all internal flue tubes are cast independent of 

 the boiler itself, and are inserted and caulked in the 

 usual way. J. 



HARDY FRUIT TREES.— Our good friend and 

 veteran horticulturist is hereby exonerated in full for 

 his " Essay at Correction " {Gardeners' Chronicle, p. 

 161) of my article on "Hardy Fruit Trees" 

 (Gardeners' Chronicle, 3rd series, vol. Hi., p. 615), and 

 I hope he will forgive me if I still adhere to my 

 statement that some of the very best and most fertile 

 of American Apples are not European introductions 

 but seedlings from these introductions raised in 

 America. To begin, I find Mr. Meehan not precise 

 in his arguments against my paper. First he tells 

 us that there have been no introductions of Russian 

 Apples to America up to within the last ten years, 

 and then in enumerating the best half dozen kinds 

 of Apples grown in Canada (Ontario), he names at 

 least two full-blooded Russian kinds, viz. Red 



