Skptembee 1, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



245 



ursery Notes. 



NOTES FROM SOUTHFIELDS NURSERY. 



In looking over these grounds of Messrs. J. Veitcli 

 & Sons, Chelsea, we could not but remark the change 

 in the age and general appearance of the trees there 

 grown for sale, and doubtless to be observed also in 

 most other fruit tree nurseries. Whereas, formerly, 

 fruiting stuff was difficult to obtain, and always dear, 

 it is now found in quantity to meet the demands of 

 the day. Men will not wait to see a tree grow from 

 a diminutive " maiden " as was formerly done, but they 

 must have their young trees sent to them in a bear- 

 ing condition. This is the natural corollary to growing 

 Apples and Pears on dwarfing stocks to obtain re- 

 turns earlier than is the case when Crab and wilding 

 Pear are employed for the purpose. At this nursery 

 fruiting trees take up much of the area that in 

 past years was under a crop of young fruitless 

 maidens, and one or two-year " cut backs." At the 

 time of our visit there were cordon Gooseberries, Cur- 

 rants, Apples, Pears, and Plums, besides bush and 

 pyramidal formed trees of the last three in bearing 

 condition. 



Peaches were well set with bloom-buds ; Cherries, 

 of late Duke and Morello varieties, and Plums were 

 loaded with fruits, the trees being fan-trained gene- 

 rally, although in the case of Plums we found 

 horizontal-trained examples. 



It may be of interest to name some of the varieties 

 of Apples which, in this unfavourable season, are 

 bearing plenty of fruit as bushes and pyramids, and 

 in scanning the list it will be remarked that most cf 

 them are varieties which have become popular by 

 reason of their good cropping or other desirable 

 properties, viz. : — King of the Pippins, Kerry, Ribston, 

 Stunner, and Oox's Orange Pippins; Dumelow's 

 Seedling, Ecklinberg, Keswick Codlin, Beauty of 

 Kent, Alexander, Schoolmaster, Worcester Pear- 

 main, Stirling Castle, Bauman's Red Reinette, Betty 

 Geeson, Alfriston, Lane's Prince Albert, Boston 

 Russet, Warner's King, Grenadier, Old Hawthornden, 

 and Winter Hawthornden, Rosemary Russet, and 

 Lord Suffield. 



Amongst Plums in fruit may be mentioned 

 Wilmot's Orleans, and as large as the early variety, 

 but of better quality ; the Czar is another prolific 

 variety. 



As a stock for dwarf-trained Cherries the Mahaleb 

 has quite usurped the place of the wilding Cherry, 

 its growth keeping better pace with that of the scion, 

 and as it is almost free from shoots and suckers it 

 is as smooth as a gun-barrel, and well looking. 



Three fine Figs will be sent out from this nursery 

 shortly, viz., Violette Sepor, with very dark flesh, 

 and a delicious flavour ; Pingo de Mello, a fine fruit, 

 and the tree an excellent cropper, producing well 

 thrice in a season ; and St. John's, a white Fig of 

 the best quality. These Figs are of Portuguese 

 origin, the best which a connoisseur could select 

 amongst the numerous varieties grown in that 

 country. 



Useful Inventions, 



HIGH-LEVEL WATERING-POT. 



By means of this kind of watering-pot much loss 

 of time, and some inconvenience are avoided in sup- 

 plying plants with water when standing on over- 

 head shelves in plant-houses and rockeries, 

 both indoors and out. As will be seen from the 

 figure (a, fig. 29), the pot may be tilted at any desired 

 angle to allow the water to flow out, by means of a 

 6hal't of wood with which a jointed iron rod con- 

 nected with the spout of the can runs parallel. As 

 a watering-can is not a discriminating being, we do 

 not understand by what means the gardener who 

 does the watering finds out which plants want his 

 attention and which do not, without mounting a 

 pair of steps, and examining them. So much for its 

 drawback when used to water subjects above man's 

 height. 



Weed Eeadicator. 

 The other implement figured (n) is a handy kind of 

 hoe, likely to prove of great use in cultivating and 

 stirring the soil amongst, Onions, Carrots, Lettuces, 

 and bedding plants. Owing to its form it may be used 

 sidewards to scrape away small weeds, or with its 

 narrower face downwards to cut off weeds and loosen 

 the surface. Both implements are the patented in- 

 ventions of Mr. G. R. King, Upton, Torquay, and 

 may be obtained retail at all ironmongers and seeds- 



Home Correspondence 



THE POTATO CROP. — The southern division of 

 Essex has surt'ered much from the rains of July. In 

 that month we had 757 inches of rain, and doubt- 

 less to that rainfall must be ascribed the sudden 

 appearance of the disease. When I sent you my 

 notes, which you published at page 154, there was 

 no disease, but suddenly, like a thief in the night, 

 it came, in spots in the garden and in the field, and 

 has since spread in all directions. I fear our pro- 

 mising crop will be almost lost. The old Ash- 

 leaved variety on an early border was nearly ripe in 

 the haulm when the blight came, and I find a tuber 

 here and there diseased. Myatt's Kidney, in a later 

 position, promised to be the best crop I ever saw — 

 in fact, we had begun to dig them. They were all 

 sound at first, but now, after ten days, about one 



tuber in five only is sound. I fear, by the look of 

 things, all our fine lot of Victorias will go. It is 

 generally hit hard. There is a large lot of Myatts 

 in the same field for early winter use ; we shall 

 perhaps get one bushel out of six that are sound ; 

 perhaps not. I hope Sutton's 3G will stand better ; 

 it has given us the best crop and the most 

 handsome tubers I ever saw, but I fear nothing 

 will withstand such an acute attack. I walked 

 through some neighbouring fields for a few miles 

 in the gloaming last night. It soon became 

 too dark to distinguish one crop from another, but 

 the sense of smell was enough for a field of Potatos: 

 and yet it is not all bad. I saw a field of Regents 

 being dug to-day ten minutes walk from where I 

 write this. It is light soil over gravel and very dry ; 

 the haulm is not yet stricken, consequently the tubers 

 are sound. I suggested sending them off at once, 

 but the answer was returned " We want some for 

 winter use." Our soil is heavy, and the sudden 

 downpour of 349 inches of rain in three days was 

 too much for our drainage. The water was held 

 back over all the crops for thirty-six hours. The 

 rock garden was under water, there was 5 feet of it 

 in the stokehole ; it stood 1 foot over the top of the 

 hot-water boilers. We were thirty-six hours before 

 we could pump and bale it all out. I trust that the 

 disease is local, as few districts can have suffered so 

 much from back-water as we did. The low grounds 

 in the valley of the Roden, near Romford and Ilford, 

 were quite under water for twenty-four, and in some 

 parts forty-eight hours. The local papers say it was 

 all caused by the sluices at Barking Mills being 

 closed, and that they could not be opened when the 

 rush of uncarted out grass from the meadows poured 



down the river and was stopped at the closed sluices. 

 J. Douqlas. 



Grapes in Bad Condition.— In his commu- 

 nication of August 25, " J. C." does not say anything 

 about the drainage under his Vine border. The 

 subsoil may be water-logged, or it may be too dry. 

 Either extreme will cause " shanking," so also will 

 red-spider, which greatly injures the foliage, and 

 causes its premature discoloration. The Vines are 

 planted too closely together, and both foliage and 

 roots must suffer. It would have been better to 

 have relied upon the old Vines throwing up fresh 

 canes rather than to have planted young Vines 

 between them, as they rarely do well under such 

 circumstances. If it were my case, I should cut the 

 Grapes as soon as possible, sponge the underside of 

 the foliage with soapy water, syringing afterwards 

 on fine evenings. Give plenty of top- ventilation, 

 maintain a gentle warmth in the grape house, avoid 

 sulphur, and encourage the formation of healthy 

 leaves and well-ripened wood. I should keep the 

 border both outside and in rather on the dry 

 side during the winter, and look well to the 

 drainage. In the spring the Vines might be allowed 

 to start with little or no fire-heat, and no watering 

 except with the syringe before the shoots are 3 inches 

 long. The border inside should then receive a copious 

 supply of tepid rain-water, and the temperature of 

 the house should be gradually raised. During the 

 summer water should be given both outside and in 

 whenever required. If not satisfied with the old 

 Vines, in May or June I should root them up and 

 plant yearling Vines prepared in readiness. They 

 never do so well as when planted early in June in 

 fresh warm compost. The growth they make the 

 first season is astonishing, and Vines planted thus 

 in a green and active state ever after show a supe- 

 riority over those planted at any other time. In old 

 houses Vines are generally trained too near the glass. 

 The top ventilation is often insufficient, and much 

 scalding occurs through not opening early in the 

 morning. W. R., Streatkam Bill. 



GENTIANA ASCLEPIADEA.— In reply to the in- 

 quiry of "C. E. F." in the Gardeners' Chronicle for 

 26th ult., I would state that the above hardy her- 

 baceous perennial may be propagated by seed sown 

 as soon as it is ripe, in a mixture of sandy leaf-mould 

 and loam, and placed in a gentle heat. The young 

 plants should be gradually hardened off before being 

 planted out, which may be done in the spring. The 

 plant may also be propagated by division of the roots 

 in the spring. W. A. Hodge. 



VEGETABLES. — Although most gardeners have 

 been lamenting the scarcity of fruit this season, 

 they have reason to rejoice in the abundance of 

 vegetables, as never, perhaps, was there a summer 

 so suitable for most garden crops, and Peas and 

 Scarlet Runners seem quite to revel in the weather. 

 The first-named, however, have not set quite so 

 full as they do sometimes, but they have gone up the 

 sticks and far beyond, or are drooping down again, 

 or striking out right and left, searching for some- 

 thing to lay hold of to support themselves, and 

 nearly choking or smothering each other with 

 haulm. In ordinary years mildew would have been 

 rife long ere this, but as yet (August 13) no trace 

 of it is to be seen, and we may with some confidence 

 look for a full supply of Peas late in the autumn. 

 Scarlet Runners are setting and swelling freely, but 

 dwarf French Beans like it a little warmer, and are 

 lagging behind, looking a little chilly, but they can 

 well be spared, and the wonder is that they should 

 be grown so largely as they are, considering that the 

 Runner kinds are so much more hardy and so 

 superior in flavour. Broad Beans are also cool 

 weather plants, and instead of being dried up as they 

 usually are at this time of year, or intested with 

 blackfiy, they are fresh and full of bloom or pods ; 

 and Cauliflowers are just as fresh, close, and 

 white as they are in spring or autumn; and all 

 the Brassica tribe, instead of having the "blues," 

 are rampant in growth, and look too " proud " to 

 face a hard winter. Celery, strange to say, has 

 not made the headway one might have expected 

 from its being half aquatic, but it is on the move 

 now, and no doubt will make rapid progress after 

 this, as the roots have a good hold. Tomatos 

 are very backward, as they are lovers of sunshine, 

 and the weather cannot well be too hot for them. 

 The set is also bad, the wet and absence of solar 

 rays having caused most of the first flowers to fall, 

 and I doubt if those on the plants now will set in 



