448 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[October 20, 1888. 



skies and wet, then a resort to fires must be had, but 

 with warm pipes ventilation should be constant. 

 This applies to Vines as well as other plants, and 

 especially to young canes, which, now that growth is 

 at an end, should have all the lateral shoots removed, 

 leaving nothing but the principal leaves ; the buds 

 will then have every assistance to develope and 

 mature. Rods bearing fruit, or from which fruit was 

 cut, should also have all new shoots they may have 

 made removed, as it is important that only the prin- 

 cipal foliage should remain ; and the best cultivators 

 rarely, if ever, allow Vines to run, or make growth, 

 after the first stopping takes place, unless it is to fill 

 up or extend the spread of the stems. Turning to 

 such trees as Pears, Plums, Cherries, and Apricots 

 on walls, or grown in other ways, all shoots that 

 have been made since the midsummer stopping 

 should be cut out at once, as their removal will not 

 only assist the back buds, but in the case of Pears 

 help much in finishing off any fruit which they may 

 have. J. S. 



BEDDING PELARGONIUMS.— On p. 301 of your 

 issue for October 6, " R. I)." speaks in favour of 

 Atkinson over Jacoby. I beg to say that I have bedded 

 out one — viz., Pride of Trent — which is superior to 

 any other scarlet I have tried. It is a vigorous 

 grower, throws up a strong flower-stalk, and stands 

 the rain better than any other ; in fact, this summer 

 when II. Jacoby, Vesuvius, Brighton Gem, and John 

 Gibbons, were nearly without a flower, Pride of 

 Trent was presentable ; then as a winter flowering 

 variety I have seen no equal to it. The raiser is 

 Mr. Anderson, Clifton Gardens, Notts. Mr. Ander- 

 son has used it as a bedder for three years with great 

 satisfaction ; I have used it for two, and can speak 

 well of it. The Pelargonium Henry Jacoby was 

 raised by Messrs. Pearson, of Chilwell, and is named 

 after Henry Jacoby, the MP. for Mid Derbyshire. I 

 invariably find it spelt Henri. A London gardener 

 argued with me about it, and insisted on using the 

 " i " instead of the " y." W. M. Geddes, Thrumpton. 



Plants and Their Culture. 



sometimes advisable to thin out the shoots some- 

 what at the first break, as from its mode of branch- 

 ing it would get very crowded by the end of one 

 season. F. Boss, Bletchingley. 



Gloxinias and Achimenes. — Any pots full of 

 these plants had better be now transferred to their 

 winter quarters, the tubers being allowed to remain 

 undisturbed. However, if space be limited, they may 

 be turned out and stored in dry sand, in paper bags, 

 being careful to keep the sorts separate, and labelled. 

 Any dry room where the temperature ranges from 

 40° — 50° would suit very well for the Achimenes, 

 but Gloxinias are safer where the temperature does 

 not fall below 50°. Late flowered batches of these 

 plants, and which have not yet lost their leaves, 

 should not be hurried to rest. A few weeks' atten- 

 tion to watering, and to affording a drier air, will 

 much improve the tubers. The summer-flowering 

 Nsegelias and Gesneras should be treated in a simi- 

 lar way, as also the plants known as Eucedonias, but 

 some of these are late flowerers, and may not yet be 

 over. 



Tuberous-rooted Begonias. — Plants which have been 

 standing out-of-doors, or have been removed from 

 the show-honse, should be protected from cold, and 

 placed where they can get abundance of light and 

 air to mature their growth, and which will enable 

 the tubers to make a more vigorous start next sea- 

 son, better than would be the case if the due ripen- 

 ing had been checked. When growth is quite sus- 

 pended stow them away in some dry place where they 

 will be safe from frost, but where a dry frame is at 

 command, in which to plunge the pots, no better 

 place need be desired, well covering pots, bulbs, and 

 all, with the plunging material. There they will be 

 safe during the winter. 



Clervdendron fragrant flore-pleno. — The deliciously 

 scented flowers of this plant never fail to please, but 

 as it is often met with, growing in small pots witli a 

 single head of flower, the true character of the plant 

 is not observable ; but if it be planted out growth is 

 rapid, and the plant soon grows into a large shrub, 

 with numerous corymbs of flowers, which last much 

 longer than those on a small plant ; indeed, 

 by taking care to have the bad pips regularly 

 picked off, it gives a succession of flowers 

 for a long period. About the close of the 

 year the shoots should be cut back and the plants 

 put into shape, at the same time giving a good rich 

 top-dressing. This, with an occasional application of 

 liquid manure during the growing season, completes 

 the routine of its management, unless perhaps it be 



The Hardy Fruit Garden. 



I'rcit Gathering. — The succession of sharp frosts 

 which we are now experiencing will necessitate the 

 ingathering of all varieties of Apples and Pears still 

 hanging on trees out in the open. But as regards 

 late Pears on walls, as the season has been such a 

 backward one the fruits are as yet rather immature, 

 and if the situation be somewhat sheltered it would 

 be well to allow them to hang another week or ten 

 days, providing, of course, that the state of the 

 weather will allow of this being done. The fruit will 

 then keep all the better, and ripen properly for being 

 allowed to hang a little longer. 



Both Apples and Pears should be gathered care- 

 fully so as to avoid bruising the fruit, for they cannot 

 be expected to keep well if they are subjected to rough 

 usage. If the fruit-rooms are commodious the fruit 

 should be laid out on the shelves in a single layer 

 only, as they can then be inspected easily, and all 

 decaying fruits be at once detected and removed. 



Walnuts are now dropping fast, and when they are 

 required they should at once be knocked off the trees. 

 After separating them from the husks dry and store 

 away in a cool place. 



Late varieties of Plums had better be gathered, 

 and if laid out thinly on a shelf in the fruit-room 

 they will keep in a fit state for dessert for some days. 



Strawberries. — The beds and borders should be 

 looked over once more, and all runners removed. 

 The surface of the soil between the rows should then be 

 lightly loosened with either a hoe or a fork preparatory 

 to their being mulched with half-decayed manure. 

 It is always a good plan to get this done early in the 

 autumn, so as to let the rains work the essence out 

 of the manure down to the roots, and which proves 

 of the greatest possible benefit to them. The manure 

 also helps in a great measure to protect the foliage 

 in bud, and prevents it from being injured by very 

 severe frosts. A. Ward, Stoke Edith Park, 



The Kitchen Garden. 



Box Edgings. — The present is a good time for 

 mending gaps in and relaying these where necessary. 

 Any repairs that may be required in the walks should 

 first be attended to, keeping the walk slightly higher 

 in the centre than at the sides, and putting in drains 

 if required. Before commencing the Box a few 

 pegs should be inserted along the centre of the 

 walk for the purpose of having fixed points to 

 measure from, and a line stretched parallel with 

 these at the sides where the Box edging will be 

 planted. After digging the ground on the line of edging, 

 tramping and beating it firmly and making level, a 

 trench 4 inches deep with a perpendicular face 

 against the line should be cut ; and having broken the 

 Box in pieces 7 to 8 inches long, place it moderately 

 close together along the trench, filling in the soil 

 with the hand, or a trowel, and finally with a spade 

 put back the remainder of the soil and tread firm. 

 No clipping should be done until April. 



Preparing for Winter. — Every advantage should be 

 taken of fine days to get all weeds and rubbish 

 cleared out_of the garden. Brussels Sprouts, Cauli- 

 flowers, &c, should have their dead leaves removed. 

 Peas and Beans, &c, that are finished bearing 

 should be cleared off and weeds hoed up and raked 

 off clean. Some beds or rows of Parsley should be pro- 

 tected before hard frost occurs, and a plentiful supply 

 of dry bracken or straw got in readiness for protect- 

 ing vegetables in the open. Celery should now be 

 earthed up finally in dry weather, leaving but little 

 of the top exposed to the action of frost. W. II, 

 Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford. 



CATTLEYA DOWIANA AUREA — A specimen of 

 this very striking variety is now in flower at Gun- 

 nersbury Park ; it has three remarkably fine blossoms, 

 the sepals and petals sulphur-yellow, the massive lip 

 4£ inches in length and 2£ inches broad, is grandly 

 reticulated with gold; the margin of the lip crimson- 

 purple with an edge of pale lilac-purple. This is 

 indeed a noble and striking Cattleva. 



(Continued from p. 443.) 

 not so here, most of the fine fruit is produced on 

 accidental trees, either found in gardens on taking 

 possession, or planted by incoming tenants. Taking 

 into consideration the time necessary to get a stock 

 of trees into a good bearing state, few tenants would 

 care to adopt any system of planting or training from 

 which they would not derive some immediate advan- 

 tage. 



The cultivation of the Pear has been so very re- 

 munerative for years past, that it has been made a 

 subject of more general study and system. Many of 

 the old gardens, established half a century or more 

 ago, offer evidence of the walks having palisades on 

 both sides, for the purpose of training Pear treis 

 upon them, and in some cases, the palisading h; s 

 been double, so as to admit of trees being trained on 

 both sides, one foot or less being the intervening 

 space between the rows of palisades. Trees planted 

 in this way are generally productive, the main lateral 

 branches being trained and supported horizontally ; 

 a regular and continuous supply of sap is provided 

 during the growing season for the development of the 

 fruit. This system has and does answer well, and as 

 long as the trees continue healthy, they bear good 

 crops of fruit, the size of which much depends upon 

 the amount of thinning practised. Against wallf, 

 both horizontal, fan, and cordon styles of training 

 are practised, all of which answer well in the hands 

 of careful attendants. Dwarf bush and pyramidcl 

 trees are also grown, many acres of ground being 

 devoted to the cultivation of the celebrated Chau- 

 montel Pear. The great number of excellent varie- 

 ties grown, and their exquisite though varied flavour?, 

 make the Pear a fruit of general acceptance, though 

 few varieties are much grown. Citron des Cannes, 

 Jargonelle, Williams' Bon Chretien, Louise Bonnp, 

 Marechal de la Cour, Beurrees d'Amanlis, andDiel, 

 Duchesse d'Angoulerne, Doyenne du Cornice, Chau- 

 montel, Glou Morceau, and Easter Beurr<5 are more 

 often met with than other varieties ; and amongst 

 culinary pears, the Belle de Jersey (syn. Belle 

 Angevine), and Catillac, or Pound Pear, are con- 

 sidered the best. 



A rich, strong loam suits the Quince stock best, a 

 lighter soil suits the free stock for Pears. The 

 advantage of growing Pears on the Quince as a stock 

 is early fructification, whereas, the generally accepted 

 axiom respecting Pears grafted on the free or Pear 

 stock is, that — 



" He who plants Pears, 

 Plants for his heirs." 



There are but few large Pear trees on the island; 

 occasionally one or two are met with, towering 

 above the Apple trees in the orchards, but such trees 

 are the exception, and land is so expensive in Jersey 

 that no room can be spared for unproductive trees 

 (which is the case whilst the tree is growing). 



The Jersey farmer, cultivating 20 acres of land, 

 and making a comfortable living off so small a sur- 

 face, cannot afford to allow a single perch of it to 

 remain unproductive, and every square yard is made 

 to contribute towards the general expenses. The 

 space allotted to kitchen gardening and fruit culture 

 is generally near the homestead, the pathways being 

 planted on either side by bush Apple and Pear trees, 

 Currant and Gooseberry trees filling up the inter- 

 vening spaces in the rows until the trees have grown 

 sufficiently large to cover the whole space. These 

 highly cultivated and richly manured pieces of ground 

 are made to produce crop after crop in rapid succes- 

 sion. No sooner is one crop off the ground than 

 another replaces it (organic and not artificial manures 

 being used). The trees get the benefit of these 

 repeated dressings and the manipulation of the soil. 



THE CONFERENCE. 



This was held at one end of the great vinery, and 

 was well attended. The President took the chair, 

 and was well supported by his colleagues in the 

 Council, most of whom were present on the opening 

 day, together with a large and representative assem- 

 blage of gardeners, among whom we noticed many of 

 the leaders of the craft from various parts of England 

 and Scotland. The papers read at subsequent 

 meetings are given elsewhere. 



The Conference was opened by an address from 

 Sir Trevor Lawrence, the President of the Society, 



