THE 
AUGUST 8, 1874.] 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
161 
NEW STRAWBERRIES. 
| LRAVELLER,’ 
First-class Certificate, Royal Horticultural 
Soci 
Unquestionably the best Strawberry for 
flavour, firmness of flesh, and handsome ap- 
pearance. The fruit is of good size, solid, 
highly glazed, and ripening well to the point. 
Stalk strong, foliage dark glossy green: the 
plant hardy and healthy, and producing suf- 
ficient but not an excess of runners. 
Raised by Mr. Laxton from a cross be- 
à tween La Constante and Sir Charles Napier, 
= and. has deservedly 
of “ Traveller ” 
i: suitability for packing, which renders it un- 
= doubtedly the best Strawberry in cultivation 
o for transmission. 
received the name 
on account of its great 
The Gardeners’ Chronicle says — “the 
flavour was considered so remarkably fine by 
the whole of the members of the Committee 
{R. 
H. S. Fruit, &c.] that it was deemed 
worthy of a First-class Certificate.” 
The Yournal of Horticulture say ——“ It 
nical and occasionally slightly cockscomb 
pe The skin is very dark red, and 
y quite ripe approaching dark mahogany. 
seeds are large and prominent, the flesh 
firm and solid, with a brisk and rich 
similar to the Hautbois.” 
g Plants now ready, 25 for £1 1s., 
£3 per 100, 
114 , 
EXQUISITE.” 
This is another firm-fleshed, high-flavoured, 
ing seedling of Mr. Laxton’s, and was 
ists from a batch of many hundred 
S, and having been repeatedly tested 
' the British Queen and other richly- 
Strawberries, can be recommended 
taining fully the rich vinous flavour of 
variety, and although not so large, is of 
Size, ripens fully to the point, and is 
and more fertile than the Queen, 
g Plants now ready, 25 for 12s, 6d., 
E TERMS ON APPLICATION. 
will be executed in strict rotation by 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 
eee 
PLEACHED ALLEYS. 
I WISH every garden had its summer and 
winter pleached alley. The summer one, 
consisting of the orthodox Shakspearian Roses 
and lush Woodbine, commencing with the early 
white and very sweet Lonicera fragrantissima, 
Sweet Briar, and Scotch Roses (attracting early 
bees), and ending with the evergreen L. glabra 
and Gloire de Dijon—tempting sunning places 
for the latest butterflies (Red Admiral)—both o 
which, if the season be favourable, would flower 
far into December. Among the Honeysuckles I 
would also include the delicious L. flexuosa, 
L. xanthocarpa, and: L. parviflora, that form fine 
clusters of yellow and red berries ; and I would 
pair a have a single Persian yellow and 
copper Austrian Briar up the trellis for the sake 
of their refreshing and fragrant early foliage. 
The Sweet Briar would be as a hedge outside 
the whole length, and all varieties of Scotch 
Roses in a row on the other side. With the tiny 
allée of Rose (Scotch) and the huge Gloire 
extremes would meet, and make a long season 
for the Beatrices to “run like lapwings” to 
their “ Woodbine coverture.” A light pair of 
steps should be kept at hand, to reach the late 
Roses, that one may never fancy them “ sour 
Grapes ;” the dwarf Scotch bushes are con- 
enient to hover over and, select and re-select 
1874. 
my 
ops 
er. 
But the winter alley would, I am confident, be 
the most pleasant resort in a close summer day. 
I would make it entirely of these four Poplars— 
Balsam, Aspen, Italian, and Abele. The first, 
with its aromatic fragrance in earliest spring, 
would form principally the sides, and the roof 
would be arched over with the sweet tinkling 
tre 
species. © 
the sake of their white under-leaves, to give 
light as well as air to my high roomy alley, an 
a wand of Willow here and there of all those 
sorts that have early and pleasant catkins, and 
bright red, yellow, and purple barks within 
reach of eye an 
I would make the entrance through =e ore 
I came out to watch the stirring of the Balsam 
buds, and see if the resinous sap was showing. 
There be a hedge oema on the 
one side of this alley, and a bed o 
Thymes, Lavender, and all s ite of sweet 
aromatic green herbs on the ones all collected 
together safe under my eye. But t it is as an 
“of the winds” mer, I would principally 
advocate this Poplar, a am sure popular, 
covered walk. ao of the endless and beau- 
tiful effects reeze could con- 
veniently be studied, and we do not in planting 
take this sufficiently into account—the bad 
effects of wind we are always eS Pre 
We are sure to have wind; therefore 
; leaf of 
of the under surface of the leaf in A. A apem“ 
platanus purpureum in our plantati and 
woods, and in particular Lombardy Ponik for 
their peculiar and beautiful swoop in a breeze. 
from 
waving line it 
forms when agitated by inl. Most trees under 
these circumstances are partially agitated—one 
side is at rest while the other is in motion— 
but the Italian Poplar waves in one simple sweep 
from the top to the bottom— elle plie et ne 
se rompe pas? All the branches coincide in 
the motion, and the least blast makes an im- 
pression upon it when other trees are at rest.” 
(Vide Macdonala’s Dictionary of Practical Gar- 
dening, 1807.) 
In the alley not a “catspaw” will be lost ; long 
before one feels it it will be seen in the gentle 
quiver of one or two leaves (not always at the 
top or on one side of one branch) ; it will be 
heard first in the sweet tinkle of the Italian, more 
sensitive than the Aspen, and of a c sly 
different sound, How instantaneously does the 
Aspen stop at times, or, may be, go on pattering 
like rain for a few seconds ; no two airs 
the same sounds. I always fancy Poplars make 
the best trees for hot weather, as they multiply 
and utilise the slightest breat 
rippling sound cools one, and they certainly 
eep off flies, which heavy shade trees like 
Sycamore and Horse Chestnut do mt for 
insects cannot settle upon their restless foliage, 
which in July, methinks, is no small advantage. 
After a kuoa or steady rain, pe the 
summer flower-alley will be dripping an 
authorities tell us, suffer so little from storms. 
with Rose petals and Honeysuckle flowers, 
Poplar le: 
. In 
spring the alley would be bright yellow with the 
young Balsam leaves, and rich gold in autumn 
with the old foliage of the Aspens, beautiful to 
look at as well as to hear at that season. 
As all Poplars have suckers more or less, a 
succession crop can be selected to have tops on 
a mee with the eye; the leaves on the young 
rank suckers do not twitter so well as those on © 
the lies wood. We have all paused to listen 
to the arse h 
needles e fragrant t Larch in spring, or er 
louder sinees of the hard evergreen 
the Scotch Fir in winter, =a the brittle raped 
of Beech leaves in autumn; but for summer 
sounds there are no trees like the Poplar, as 
sensitive as an Æolian harp, but not made by 
man—they are perfect, and never go out of tune. 
ee Goéthe (as I have read somewhere) 
true Penseroso 
had these wailing instruments, 
. nantes “ most sane most melancholy,” 
ne in the trees in his garden. If I live to 
have Æolian harps hung up (air harps pip are 
algi in gamma large one at the entrance 
where there will be the strongest 
and little ones riepen the Aspen branches—in 
keys (they are usually in A, three | eee 
suit my aged quivering fancies and humours 
when the Poplars are silent. 
would be sure to have robins and we Toor 
f c Fut hue, — 
In winter the birds would be fed ele 
both alleys, and, thus encouraged to scien ae 
