740 



THE GAUDENEHS' CE&ON1CLE. 



[December 22 1888. 



with stalks, put in a pan or basin, and boiling water 

 poured on them. In this they must remain for three 

 minutes only ; then take them out, tie a piece of 

 raffia round the stalks, and hang them up to dry. 

 With this treatment they will keep for a month or 

 more, and the only preparation they require is to 

 soak them twelve hours in cold water before cooking. 

 The Beans will come as fresh to table as if just picked 

 from the plants, and far superior to the bottled ones. 

 G. Howes, Merton. 



PEARS.— Whether there are too many Pears in 

 cultivation or not seems to be a matter of no great 

 moment, as all growers can suit themselves both as 

 to number and sorts. It would be a much greater 

 evil if we had too few kinds than too many, but with 

 so many we can not only make selections of the best 

 for cropping or for flavour, but we can also select 

 best sorts for diverse soils and localities. But there 

 is just now matter of greater importance to discuss 

 than is the subject of numbers. What we want to 

 know is how many Pears are there which are 

 good now, and will be so up to the end of March. 

 To keep a table supplied with Pears up to the end of 

 November is by no means difficult, but nearly two- 

 thirds and possibly nearly three-fourths of all Pears 

 are over or useless by the time December comes in, 

 so that it is of the first consequence we should know 

 what kinds are keeping not only sound, but good ; 

 that is, are good dessert fruits now. Is it possible to 

 give a list of 12 kinds, all good, which are not 

 only productive, but keep their fruits in good table 

 condition for any appreciable time after Christmas. 

 If 12 be too many, then we must be thankful if six 

 kinds can be found, but not one should be recom- 

 mended which is not soft fleshed, pleasant 

 flavoured, and really fit for table when ripe. Then 

 it is worth learning further under what form of 

 culture or training are the best keeping fruits pro- 

 duced. Do wall fruits, or those from dwarf bushes 

 or espaliers keep best? This branch of Pear culti- 

 vation is of the first importance, and at this season 

 specially worthy of the fullest attention and dis- 

 cussion. A. D. 



Under this heading, Mr. Wildsmith states, that 



a single paragraph in a note by " N. HP.," referring 

 to the above subject, in his opinion, settles the whole 

 matter, but in what way I fail to see. It may be 

 as well to repeat the paragraph, which runs as follows : 

 — " It appears to me that the requirements of the 

 family for whom the gardener has to provide as to 

 quantity required, and the fertility of Pears in the 

 neighbourhood must settle very largely the question 

 of varieties a gardener grows." Taking this as it 

 stands, we will suppose the requirements to be large 

 as to quantity, and if so, I maintain that they can just 

 as well be supplied by growing more trees of the best 

 kinds named by me, than a greaty variety of inferior 

 sorts, ripening at the same time, which, as I before 

 remarked, only bring about complaints as to quality 

 when sent in for dessert ; for who, after one day, 

 tasting a Marie Louise, Doyenne du Cornice, Glou 

 Morceau, or Winter Nelis, would touch a Doyenne 

 Boussach, Beurre de Capiaumont, or almost any 

 other out of the list ? If any employer did so, or 

 any of his guests, who happened to be judges of 

 Pears, did so, I think the dissatisfaction I spoke 

 of would come in, and the gardener would most 

 likely be made aware of it by being asked to 

 send in the same kind they had been using before. 

 Then the question arises, what is the use of others 

 left on hand in the fruit room ? Instead of the 

 twelve or fifteen varieties I stand out for, as being of 

 first-rate quality, Mr. Wildsmith states that he can 

 name at least fifty, but by what standard he adjudi- 

 cates them first-rate against those I have enume- 

 rated, I am at a loss to conceive. That there are 

 many good kinds other than this twelve or fifteen 

 I readily admit, but most, if not all, are autumn 

 ripeners, and are not to be compared with Beurre 

 Superfin, Marie Louise, Doyenne 1 du Cornice, and 

 Glou Morceau ; then why cumber the shelves with 

 their fruit? Many argue the matter, and try to 

 meet it by asserting that the choice Pears named are 

 not of equal quality in all soils and districts, which 

 is correct, but surely what tells against the best 

 operates in an equal degree against the others, and 

 makes the bad sorts still worse, and renders them 

 more unfit fortable. As to Beurre Ranee, I only named 

 that as one of the very latest, which we can only re- 

 main at all satisfied with till a better sort is pro- 

 duced to come in at the same time, and I distinctly 

 stated that it and others, ripening after January, 

 were uncertain, and wanted fine seasons and warm 

 sunny aspects to get them at all up to the mark. I 

 am glad to have the occasion to break a lance with 



Mr. Wildsmith, who has so distinguished himself as 

 a gardener, and I am proud to have had him here for 

 a time. J. OI 



DISEASED VINE ROOTS.— I enclose specimens 

 of fungi growing upon decayed Vine roots and 

 should be glad of your opinion of the small fungus 

 present on the roots, and whether it is the cause of 

 the decay noticed, or is simply a consequence of it. 

 I may here explain that we are renewing the border 

 entirely, in order to put in a fresh lot of young 

 Vines, and at the same time have the bottom con- 

 creted, the old border having been made upon an 

 open gravel and sandy bottom, out of which the Vine 

 roots could not be kept, and which was the cause 

 yearly of shanking more or less. Three years ago 

 the roots were lifted and replanted near to the 

 surface ; they were all at that time in as healthy a 

 condition as could be desired. The border was 

 made up of the best loam to be found in the place, 

 and I thought all would then go on right ; but, to my 

 disappointment, shanking has rather increased since 

 the removal. I then determined to have all cleared 

 out. In doing this I was very much astonished 

 to find a quantity of the roots in the condition of 

 those sent. About half of the roots are inside of the 

 house, and are apparently in a more healthy condi- 

 tion. The curious part of this little annoyance 



Fig. 105.— coxiocyde pallida. 



is that we cannot trace any cause whatever in our 

 treatment that would produce it. And I should feel ■ 

 very grateful to have your ideas upon the subject, 

 which my long experience fails to give. John Webster. 

 [The growth on the Vine roots belongs to a lichen 

 named Coniocybe pallida ; the same growth has 

 been described as a fungus under the name of Rres- 

 leria hypogaaa, by Dr. Thumen, in his work on 

 Diseases of the Vine, and by Mr. Berkeley as a fungus 

 under the name of Sphinctrina coremioides. At 

 first sight the plant greatly resembles a Coremium 

 (=Penicillium) or even the doubtful Vibrissea lutea. 

 There is an illustrated account of this lichen, as 

 found growing on Pear roots, in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle for January 13, 1872, p. 40.] 



CAMELLIAS DROPPING THEIR BUDS.—" What is 

 the cause of Camellia buds turning black and 

 dropping, and how may it be averted ? " was a ques- 

 tion put to me a few days ago by a friend. Many 

 causes may contribute to bring about this annoying 

 loss of flowers, but to be able to give any advice on 

 the matter, we must first find out, if possible, the 

 true cause of the mischief. If the plants are pot- 

 bound great care must be taken to see that the 

 water does not escape between the side of the pot or 

 tub and the ball, as it very often does when the soil 

 is filled with roots. In that case the interior of the 

 ball may be dust-dry, if not the whole ball of soil, 

 On the other hand it is necessary to guard against 

 the soil becoming too wet ; and I have found the 



Camellia as sensitive to neglect on this side as the 

 others. It is often found that, when these plants 

 that have been standing out-of-doors"are housed in the 

 early autumn, if the house is not kept as cool as 

 possible, and all the air given them by day and 

 night for some time afterwards, they will drop their 

 buds more or less ; and in some smoky localties 

 Camellias do much better when kept under glass 

 the year round. In the neighbourhood of Glasgow I 

 never practised putting out my plants during the 

 summer and I certainly had as fine a crop of flowers 

 as could possibly be desired, whilst my neighbours, 

 who stood their plants outside during summer, had 

 rarely a dozen good blooms off two or three dozen 

 plants. Therefore, I am of opinion that the cause 

 of failure in my friend's case is chiefly due to him 

 being compelled to put them out during summer, as 

 many others have to do. In this garden there are 

 about six dozen plants which are now carrying 

 a very large number of buds, and some of the plants 

 are in full bloom ; but all of them were kept inside 

 during the past summer. J. Mcintosh, Glenmachan. 



NEMATOID WORMS. — I have read with much inte- 

 rest the Rev. C. Wolley Dod's letter at p. 608 on these 

 little depredators. In the spring of this year the 

 same little worm gave me much trouble, and I may 

 say thousands of bedding plants been destroyed, and 

 these chiefly pelargoniums. I have little doubt but 

 that nematodes were the cause of the loss. The 

 potting soil consisted of the materials — partly — of 

 an old hotbed, and I am led to believe that 

 this is where we got such a brood of the worms 

 from. There seems to be no question but that 

 they are bred in decaying vegetable substance. 

 Can their presence be due to anything contained 

 in the excrement of the animals kept here? 

 For their destruction, the Horticultural and Agri- 

 cultural Chemical Co.'s worm destroyer was used. 

 This substance will kill ordinary worms in pots, and 

 it was used in a stronger state than was advised in the 

 directions accompanying it, but I am not prepared 

 to say that this dose actually killed them, but it 

 enfeebles them, and they come to the surface of the 

 soil, and sides of the pots. I should be glad to hear 

 if a weak solution of sulphate of copper has been 

 tried, and with what effect. J. Yoimg, gardener, Zoo- 

 logical Gardens, London. 



NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE SOCIETY. 

 — There are several inaccuracies in the report of the 

 last committee meeting which I should like to cor- 

 rect. It is not the case that the yellow selfs may be 

 shown in the class for yellow grounds, but the word 

 Picotee was struck out, in order to allow Carnations 

 to be shown as well. The sum in the Treasurer's 

 hands was not £40, but £30, and it was to be in- 

 vested in the names of Mr. Hibberd and Mr. 

 Leonard, neither Mr. Douglas nor myself having any- 

 thing to do with it. No reference is made to the 

 fact that the scarlet and rose-edged Picotees are to 

 be divided. Chairman of Commi.tee. 



LILIUM NEILGHERENSE. — A fine specimen of 

 this Lily is now in bloom in the conservatory here. 

 It is 6 feet high in its pot, has five flowers on the 

 stem, and scents the house. In Elwes' Monograph 

 it is said, " Though I have not seen more than three 

 flowers on a single stem, I believe it is capable of 

 producing far more." Perhaps some of your readers 

 who know the Lily in its own country will inform 

 us how many flowers they have observed in its wild 

 state. George F. Wilson. 



STACHYS TUBERIFERA, KNOT-ROOT.— We pro- 

 pose the name of " Knot-roots " for Stachys tuberi- 

 fera. The appearance of the washed roots is like 

 that of a series of five or six simple knots tied on 

 a piece of string. Stuart <J- Mem. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM DRAFTING— During the past 

 season I have grafted a few varieties, and carefully 

 watched them from the beginning till the end. They 

 were stood together in rows — the grafted on one side, 

 and those on their own roots on the other — both 

 plants having the same treatment afforded them. 

 Those on their own roots were much more ad- 

 vanced than the others in the first part of the season, 

 but as time went on the grafted plants began to over- 

 haul them, surpassing them in build and foliage, the 

 latter being much more leathery. This I thought 

 was a great improvement. The next was the bud on 

 the self-growing plants, which made its appearance 

 on April 30; this fact will be thought to be due 

 to early striking, but the cuttings were put in on 

 January 14, which I think is a good time for striking 



