

64 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



January 27, 1912. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Orange are 



Apple Blenheim Pippin: W. II. Cohham. 

 Blenheim Pippin and Blenheim 



synonyms. Blenheim Orange is the name 

 adopted by Dr. Hogg in the Fruit Manual, 

 The following account of the origin of the 

 Variety appeared in the GardtH* > Chronicle 



for April 12, 1851, p. 228: "In a somewhat 



dilapidated corner of the decaying b< trough of 

 ancient Woodstock, within 10 yards of the 

 wall of Blenheim Park, stands all that remains 

 of the original stump of that beautiful and 

 justly celebrated Apple, the Blenheim Orange. 

 It is now entirely dead and rapidly falling to 

 decay, being a mere shell about 10 feet high, 

 loose in the ground, and having a large hole 

 in the centre; till within the last three years 

 it occasionally sent up long, thin, wiry twigs, 

 but this last sign of vitality has ceased, and 

 what remains will soon be the portion of the 

 woodlouse and the worm. Old Crinimett, the 

 basket-maker, against the corner of whose 

 garden wall the venerable relict is supported, 

 has sat looking on it from his workshop 

 window, and while he wove the pliant osier 

 has meditated, for more than 50 successive 

 summers, on the mutability of all sublunary 

 substances, on juice, and core, and vegetable, 

 as well as animal, and flesh and blood. He 

 can remember the time when, 50 j ra ago, he 

 was a boy and the tree a fine, full bearing 

 stem, full of bud, and blossom, and fruit, and 

 thousands thronged from all parts to gaze on 

 its ruddy, ripening orange burden; then gar- 

 deners came in the spring tide to select the 

 much coveted scions, and to hear the tale of his 

 horticultural child and sapling from the lips of 

 the son of the white-haired Kempster. But 

 nearly a century has elapsed since Kempster 

 fell, like a ripened fruit, and was gathered to 

 his fathers. He lived in a narrow cottage garden 

 in old Woodstock, a plain, practical labouring 

 man, with his bees and flowers around him, 

 and his * glorious pride ' in the midst ef his 



little garden he realised Virgil's dream of the 

 old i nrycian : * Et regum equabat opes 

 animis.' The provincial name for this Apple 

 is still ' Kempster's Pippin,' a lasting monu- 

 mental tribute and inscription to him who first 

 planted the kernel from whence it sprung." 



Auriculas : //. T. Articles on the Auricula ap- 

 peared in the issues for May 4, 1907, Decem- 

 ber 14, 1907, December 21, 1907, January 25, 

 1908, October 17, 1908, April 30, 1910, and 



March 18, 1911. 

 Caustic Alkali on Vines : G. B. It would not 



be safe to spray vines with caustic alkali wash, 

 even when they are dormant. Neither would 

 it be safe to use this preparation on Peach 

 or Nectarine trees under glass. Voss's car- 

 bolised wash No. 1 is recommended by the 

 makers for destroying mealy-bug on vines. The 

 specific must be worked, by means of a stiff 

 brush, into the lurking places where the in- 

 sects hide. The other trees may be sprayed 

 with the same firm's No. 1 wash at a strength 

 of one in one hundred parts of water. In 

 using washes 'of this nature the operator should 

 protect his hands with leathern gloves. 



Compensation: Market Gardener. The ques- 

 tion as to whether you are entitled to claim 

 compensation or not in connection with the 

 Market Gardeners' Compensation Act will 

 depend upon many circumstances besides those 

 mentioned in your letter. In such a matter 

 you will do well to consult a solicitor, giving 

 him access to all the documents you possess. 



Decay in Tree -trunks : C. C. In an article by 

 Mr. W. J. Bean, in the Gardeners' Chronicle 

 for April 21. 1906, p. 244, on pruning trees 

 and shrubs, he states that all. or as much as 

 possible ; of the decayed wood should be re- 

 moved ; then the surface should be w r ashed 

 with a strong solution of carbolic acid ; after 

 this has become quite dry, the surface 

 should be smeared with coal tar. This 

 antiseptic treatment is intended to destroy 

 parasitic fungi and arrest the decaying 

 process. The hole must then be filled up and 

 made water-tight. If it be small, the best 

 "stopping" is formed of a piece of oak made 

 to fit ; but large holes should be filled with 

 cement. In either case a final coating of tar 



should be given. Except when the hole is very 

 large, a new layer of bark will grow over the 

 cavity, when filled in the way described. 



Emp -yment at Kew Gardens : Kewite. Appli- 

 cation for admission as gardener in the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, Kew, must be made on a 

 form furnished by the Director of the Gardens. 

 Applicants must be unmarried, between the 

 ages of 19 and 24, and must have been em- 

 ployed for not less than four years in good 

 gardens or nurseries. They must be healthy, 

 free from physical defects, and not below aver- 

 age height. Applicants are informed whether 

 their names have been entered for admission, 

 and on a vacancy occurring will receive a 

 notice to that effect. Should an applicant not 

 be appointed within three months after the 

 date of his application, he should write 

 again if he still desires admission. Those 

 selected for appointment as gardeners who are 

 British subjects, if they render approved 

 service, are eligible to remain at Kew for a 

 period of two years from the date of joining. 

 At the termination of two years' experience 

 in the Royal Botanic Gardens, a gardener 

 ceases to be employed at Kew unless he has in 

 the meantime been selected for service as a 

 sub-foreman for a further definite period of 

 strictly limited duration. Gardeners whilst at 

 Kew receive an allowance of 21s. per week to 



meet the cost of subsistence. Sub-foremen 

 are paid 27s. per week. 



Eremurus : /., S. E. Eremuri should be planted 

 not later than the end of January in your 

 district. Choose for them a sunny site, 

 sheltered from strong winds, especially those 

 from the east. Plant the roots 4 inches or 

 6 inches deep in well-stirred soil, and if 

 the ©oil is of a heavy and close texture, 

 a PPty a good dressing, both above and be- 

 low the roots, of old mortar rubble. If 

 the staple is light and friable, lime will 

 not be necessary. When the crowns appear 

 through the soil cover them with Spruce or 

 Fir branches to protect them from severe 

 frosts. This method of protection will pre- 

 serve the plants from damage by strong 

 winds. If the soil is of a light nature it will 

 not be necessary to lift the crowns every year, 

 but in heavy, wet land lift the crowns when 

 the foliage dies down, store them in a box of 

 sand in a dry shed, and replant them 

 in well-worked soil. December, if the soil 

 is not too wet, is the best month to plant 

 in your district, but it is better to plant a 

 month later in wet, sticky soils. E. himalai- 

 cus, E. robustus, and E. Elwesianus are the 

 best kinds to commence with, and as you 

 gain knowledge of their requirements you 

 might try E. Bungei, E. Shelford, and E. 

 Olgae. The three last-named should form a 

 group apart from the others, it being quite- 

 unnecessary to lift these roots every year. 

 Eremuri require plenty of root-room. We 

 thank you for your complimentary letter, and 

 for your expression of good wishes. 



Names of Fruits : J. House. Scarlet Pearmain. 

 — tt\ Thompson. D'Arcy Spice.— J. IF. H. 

 1, Royal Jubilee; 2, Claygate Pearmain; 3, 

 Northern Greening; 4, Imperial; 5, Curl Tail. 

 — /. Harris. Hormead's Pearmain. — A. H. 

 Abrahams. 3, Claygate Pearmain; 4, Pile 

 Russet; 6, Egremont Russet. The other 

 fruits were inferior specimens and could not 

 be named with certainty. Next time send 

 better examples. 



Names of Plants: A. G. B. 1, Fittonia 

 argyroneura; 2, F. Pearcei ; 3, Dracaena 

 Godseffiana; 4, Maranta Makoyana. — 

 W. G. H. 1, Leptospermum scoparium ; 2, 

 Spiraea Thunbergii ; 3, Anona Cherimolia. — 

 J. $. K. The Chrysanthemum closely re- 

 sembles the variety Mrs. Swinburne. 



Public Appointment : Out-of-work Gardener. 

 It is most improper for exclusive information 

 to be officially supplied to certain candidates 

 when applying for public appointments. The 

 preference shown to one of the candidates as 

 described in your letter should not have been 

 permitted. We fear that you cannot claim ex- 

 penses incurred in keeping your appointment 

 with the committee unless the committee had 

 entered into an agreement to pay such ex- 

 penses. The publication of your letter would 

 not be likely to effect any good. 



RAILWAY Fare: Stafford. If you have an 

 agreement stating that your employer would 

 return you after six months' service the 

 travelling expenses incurred by your accept- 

 ance of the situation, there should be no diffi- 

 culty in compelling him to pay that sum. On 

 the contrary, if you have no agreement to this 

 effect, we fear you have little chance of obtain- 

 ing redress on the strength of a mere verbal 

 statement of the head gardener. 



Royal Horticultural Society's Examination 

 for Public Park Employes: T. B. Write to 

 the secretary, Rev. W. Wilks, Vincent Square, 

 Westminster, for a copy of the syllabus. 



Seedling Oranges : F. J. R. Oranges may be 

 propagated in two ways, by budding and by 

 grafting. Budding is the most simple plan, but 

 should not be carried out until the first week 

 in July. The process is identical with that 

 of budding fruit trees and Roses. After the 

 trees are budded they should be placed in a 

 somewhat shady position, and watered when- 

 ever necessary in order to cause the sap to 

 flow freely Grafting should be done during 

 the first or second week in March. The b t 

 kind of grafting for Oranges is " side graft- 

 ing." Cut down the trees to the required 

 height, and select a scion about half the size 

 of the stock. The scion should be securely 

 tied to the stock with worsted, or if the tree 

 forming the stock is extra large, some un- 

 twisted soft string may be used to advantage. 

 Bast or raffia should on no account be used. 

 Grafting-wax, sufficient to cover the top of 

 the stock and scion, should be applied to the 

 graft in order to keep out water. The grafted 

 trees should be kept in a close place, pre- 

 ferably a pit, and shaded whenever there is 

 sunshine. The temperature of the pit may range 

 from 40° to 45°. After the grafts have formed 

 a good callus the trees may be gradually 

 brought to the light, and the shading discon- 

 tinued. The grafts need not be untied until 

 the autumn, unless the tying material is found 

 to be cutting into the stock. If you intend to 

 use your seedling trees as stocks it will be 

 necessary to obtain scions of good varieties 

 from a nurseryman. Probably Messrs. Rivers 

 & Son, Sawbridgeworth, would be able to 

 supply you. 



Violas for Exhibition: E. P., Alderley Edge. 

 The following 24 varieties of Violas are re- 

 commended by Mr. W. Cuthbertson for exhi- 

 bition purposes in the most recent work on the 

 subject, Pansies, Violets and Viola* [Present- 

 day Gardening Series] : — Agnes Kay, white 

 centre, edged with heliotrope; Archibald 

 Grant, rich, indigo-blue ; Duke of Argyle, 

 glossy-purple, striped with rose; Geo. C. 

 Murray, smooth back, bottom and side 

 petals, top petals light, sky-blue; General 

 Baden Powell, large, orange-coloured, rayless 

 self; Glencoe, lower petals rich mahogany, 

 deepening towards the centre, upper petals 

 copper colour; Helen Smellie, white centre, 

 without rays, evenly edged blue; Hugh Reid, 

 rosy-purple, a shade lighter on the top petals; 

 Kate Cochrane, lower petals crimson-purple, 

 with a trace of lavender ; Kate Houston, white 

 ground, heavily belted with rosy-mauve ; Lady 

 Knox, large primrose self, rayless ; Lawmuir, 

 rich crimson, streaked with magenta; Lizzie 

 Storer, glossy black under petals, each tipped 

 with lavender ; upper petals clear lavender ; 

 Louie Granger, rose-coloured self ; Mme. A. 

 Gray, large white, rayless; Madge Craig, 

 lower petals deep rose, alittle darker in centre, 

 upper petals lavender flushed with rose ; Mary 

 Burnie, creamy-white or primrose, edged with 

 dark heliotrope, rayless; Mrs. C. M'Phail, 

 heliotrope deepening to pale purple ; Mrs. H. 

 Pearce, large, pure-white, rayless self; Nellie 

 Chapman, white, edged and shaded with blue ; 

 Rose Noble, rich orange-yellow, rayless ; Viola 

 Stirling, creamy-white, edged with heliotrope ; 

 and W. P. A. Smyth, cream ground, clouded 

 and edged with heliotrope, a very large flower. 



Communications Received.— Erin_J. B._W. F.& [ o. 

 -.P. H. D._X. Y. Z._Cyc Peach_T. S._G. F. H._ T. M-, 

 Denmark— J. A. T._F. C. P.__J. B. H._E. D~ S. A.--- 



F. C. E.__Bo<?bean_E. M W. C, Ramsgate_H. H w * 



~-H.T — A.. B. W._Ii. J., Brussels_G. G.— J. H^A- 

 C. H. P.__G. M. T._W. H. A._C. T. D _H. R. D- 

 Journeyman_A. H. T.__J. H._C. O.—E. R. 



