14 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[January 1, 1887, 
placing nine or ten bulbs in a pot, or for the open 
border planted in patches, or rows, it is equally 
suited, and should find a place wherever Scillas are 
appreciated. А self-coloured dark blue variety or 
species named C. sardensis is also procurable, havi ing 
somewhat larger foliage, though it is not’ likel ly to 
st дуре the lovely Lucilire. Win. Earle, y, [foi 4, 
COCKSCOMBS. 
Tue la rge, striking, » crested Cockscombs will long 
ry pr a 
finely cultivated, Cockscombs exhibit in a large 
degree the skill of the gardener; when the еу are 
badly grown they are fit only for the rubbish- -heap. 
Some gardeners make a specialty of the Cockscomb, 
* combs” 
on quite dwarf but very stocky plan 
I have often speculated on ool is IL 
aa a large size 
ell, and grew res 
he Foriculuna € Cabinet for 1834 c 
this plant, who sates 
knowledge. Moreover, this cultivator states that 
when the comb was opened the extreme length was 
35 feet. ; 
There appears to be very little diference between 
the method of culture ado that followed 
ted, and if sown later, say in April or May, they 
are apt to run up with a long stem which spoils their 
. The seeds can be raised in a hotbed, 
the seedlings be pricked out singly and early in very 
small pots, and then be shifted on as required so as 
to encourage growth without any check, and keeping 
the plants in the hotbed until the combs are formed. 
Bal growers adopt the 
paaa of * асса g off the young plants into boxes 
and then starving them somewhat, so so as to promote 
premature production of combs, and e selecting 
the best to grow on 
. Fifty years ато the ences Min o were potted 
singly into 60-sized pots as soon as they were large 
enough to handle, and. they were placed as near the 
glass as possible, and the plants kept in them until 
the combs began to show themselves ; and the opinion 
held then was that those which commenced to show 
employed generally for exhibition speci- 
present =. but 1А had liquid manure 
ct 
adhering and struck as cuttings in a hotbed, when 
е roots with mimm rapidity y. - The 
cuttings should be put into pots a size smaller than 
those in which the Mens are growing, and in this 
manner excellent combs can be produced on dwarf 
E 
ockie, as a successful exhibitor, _lays great 
named 
There are then three important points to 
be observed in Cockscomb culture :—1st, sow the seed 
the first week in March; 2d, prick off the young 
growing them vigorously, at the same time near the 
glass to maintain them dwarf and stocky, and the 
leaves "rus well developed and healthy. A good 
compost ockscombs will be found in one half 
ч old growers used to cut off the tip of the fleshy 
oot at the second shift to induce the formation 
a hend roots, Ep 
THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
GENERAL pikto TIONS. 
Tux most important operations at this time of the 
year are the planting, pruni ng, and training of the 
trees, of which work, owing to the severity of the 
weather сепа lately, much will yet remain 
to be done. Advantage should be taken to wheel 
the manure on to the fruit quarters, leaving it in 
heaps till the pruning is саа before spreading 
and pointing it in. In planting trees on walls, 
d that the old soll be taken out to the 
depth of about 18 ее ke to about 6 feet distant 
from the wall 1 
of drainage; still in heavy adhesive soils great care 
should be taken to put wd drainage in perfect order 
before beginning to plant. When planting trees 
spread some fresh loam over the bottom of the hole, 
which latter Should be larger i in area than the pes 
of the roots, s th 
some more fresh loam, keeping the stem a doi 
inches away from the wall. I generally use about 
three barrowloads of fresh soil to each tree, if small, 
then fill in with the best of the staple omy leaving 
the worst to be spread about on the surfac 
Where Pi 
oung trees each side of the old stem, 
about 8 feet away from it, and cut away some of the 
lower branches, to allow sufficient room for the 
young trees, and cut others awa room for 
extension is required, and so eventually work out 
oe old trees. By doing this there is a erop of fruit 
ine m both old and young trees, and all the 
wall space is filled; whereas, if € old trees were at 
once removed, le would take some few pu to fill 
the space re the wall are but 
be the advantage of securing trees of 
Smart Frurr Вознезѕ, 
„з : vacancies should 
ita, о which a good number 
always be 
various 
Jú i plain tvs here T wond make holes to about 
11 inches ing trees here Two feet in diameter, c - 
the turf and returning it to the bottom of the hole, 
and use about a barrowload of fresh loam wherewith 
to cover the roots, and proceed as directed for wall 
trees. The bare patches of soil can be sown i 
March or April with fine grasses and Trifolium 
minus, во as to present а uniform appearance, 
Edward Ward, Hewe!l, Bromsgrove 
THE NOVELTIES OF 1886. 
IN reviewing the gains which horticulture has 
cates of either the Royal Horticultural Society or 
the Royal Botanic Society, as they have been tested 
by an amount of scrutiny to which other new or re- 
putedly new or recently introduced plants have not 
beensubjected. Many of these latter are well worthy 
of keeping company with the best I am aware, of such, 
for example, is that beautiful and interesting hybrid 
of Messrs. Veitch, Lelia Batemanniana, and of such 
are many other new Orchids,- of which the dried 
flowers and cers bear witness ; but let them 
wait-their turns, 
А Овснішв 
Cattleya Lawrenceana has proved itself a worthy 
flowered, light-coloured Mossizs ; 
splendidissima, also of Messrs. L 
largest and richest coloured of the species, and the 
Mossie Silvia of Mr. s, & very pretty 
and distinct form. Of Trianws, only two varieties were 
certificated, but they are both v very fine; the C. 
T. Schróderiana being in form and size of flower and 
colour oflip second to none ; and the C. Т. Ernesti 
r.R t novelty with flower 
is a fine form, very rich in colouring; the C. specios- 
issima, Fairfax of анн Fairfax, а grand flower; 
C. Eldorado virginalis of Mr. H. M. 
Pollett, а chaste white and fragrant variety. 
If value has anything to do with merit, some of these 
of this year should be superb, for three of them 
realised in the aggregate over £409. Foremost 
among them must be placed Baron Schréder’s О. 
Hrubyanum, of 
Baron von Hruby, very like the preceding, but not 
uite so good; с. Mrs. Dorman, a fine white, 
completes the certificated crispums of the year, and 
I do not think that any who know the large ped 
submitted will accuse the committee of the Ro 
in all sections of plants, 
Knox's var., is a gra 
form; O. P. Vervaetiana of Vervaet 
pure ‘white, with heavy violet markings; O. mulus 
Courtanldiana of Sydney Courtauld, Esq. a fine 
yellow-grounded erimson-bloteh flower, of great fra- 
grance ; and О. luteo- ера leucoglossum, and 
О. Ruckerianum margina Messrs. F. Sander & 
Co., of special merit, During the year that — 
tionably pretty scarlet Masdevallia racemosa 
(first exhibited by J. Fellows, Esq., of West Bio 
wich), was certificated to Sir Trevo 
beautiful species, exhibited by Mr. B. S. Williams, 
of Holloway, i in July, and greatly admired by all; D. 
Wardianum erassinode from 
