152 



JOUENAL OP HOETICTTLTTJUE AND COTTAGE GAUDENER. ( February 21, im. 



ditto worth eight guineas, with good third and fourth money 

 prizes, are oflered for the best thii'ty-six Gladioli, containing 

 not less than eighteen varieties. I think this beats South 

 Kensington and the Crystal Palace too." I should think so 

 too. Why, at South Kensington no prizes are offered, and 

 at the Crystal Palace nothing higher than two or three 

 pounds, and for these all have to compete together. Why, 

 they do these things better at Brighton ; there they give 

 £3 for their fij-st prize, which I am glad to say I carried off 

 this year. And what is the result in a commercial point of 

 view ? The cheaper and easier-grown Gladioli find a sale 

 about London, but none of the more expensive kinds. 



What is to be done ? As to the Royal Horticultm-al So- 

 ciety ever doing any good for floriculture I must confess my 

 most decided doubts, and those who think otherwise are of 

 a more sanguine temperament thn I am. My own opinion 

 is that some fresh organisation is wanted. The florists 

 should meet together and talk over their grievances, and 

 try what plans can be adopted to remedy them. National 

 societies, as they are called, have proved a failure. At such 

 we may have a good display ; but then, they are not national ; 

 the difference in climate between the north and south of 

 England is so great, that when flowers are out of bloom in 

 the one they are only just coming in in the other. Take, 

 for example, the National Auricula Show, to which, let me 

 say, I wish all honour, especially as this year it is to be under 

 the fostering care of that veteran and kindly florist, Mr. 

 Headley, of Stapleford, near Cambridge. If it is held, as it 

 has been done, on the 30th of April, nearly all the southern 

 growers are shut out, except perhaps such as Mr. Turner of 

 Slough, who has such a large stock that it would be difficult 

 at any reasonable Auricula time to catch him napping. But 

 at neither of the two National Shows that I have attended 

 could southern growers have a chance ; while last year, so 

 backward was the spring, that the more northern ones had 

 not their collections in bloom. Hence I would advocate a 

 society, irrespective of any party, clique, or set of men what- 

 ever, for the purpose of seeing if something cannot be done 

 for floriculture in and about London. See how Tulips, Carna- 

 tions, Piootees, and Pinks are going out of favour and culti- 

 vation ; and if we do not wish aU florists' flowers to share 

 the same fate something must be done. 



And now I have had my howl. Much good may it do me, 

 say some. I have, however, I think, pointed out a defect in 

 our present horticultural arrangements, and hope some one 

 may agree with me. — D., Deal. 



STEAWBEERIES. 



In page 112 of The Journal of IIokticultuee, February 

 7th, is an article by "A Fraoarian," headed "La Constante 

 and Some Other Strawberries." That article refers to my 

 quotations from Mr. Taylor's note, and I will now reply to 

 " A Fraoarian's " article, in which there are seven para- 

 graphs. 



First paragraph. It must be a long lino of Strawberries 

 to produce 230 runners, judging by the slow running of La 

 Constante here, during the four year.s that I kept it. If the 

 reader will refer to Mr. Turner's catalogue, I think he will 

 nee it stated, that in his fine land it is a slow grower. I 

 first gave it to Mr. Kivers about two years ago, and also to 

 Mr. Turner. The former was this year obliged to send to 

 France for runners. When I sent it to them, I was obliged 

 to Hend some offsets with the runners, on account of the 

 difficulty of obtaining the latter. When plants are dis- 

 fruited, they usually run freely, and at once ; but, even on 

 this plan, I found a difficulty in obtaining runners. Straw- 

 berries may, like some Roses which are not hardy in all soils 

 and situutions, be hardy in land suited to them. The British 

 Queen is an instirtice. Again, Strawberries which otherwise 

 suffer much, may be hardy if well established before winter 

 acts in. In a word, from slow and late-running, tliey require 

 two winters' and one summer's nursing before you can crop 

 them, unless yon hove a sufficient number of plants to bed 

 them, and depend npon numbers for crop. Tliis, of course, 

 can be done, and the plants- may bo thinned for the next 

 year. When La Constante is established it is liardy, though 

 not so hardy as Eliza and Wonderful. Early running and 

 quick establishment arc deriderala in Englan'l, as stated in 



an able article by Mr. Cox, in the "Florist," of February. 

 Substituting the word "straw" for " grass," I assent to it 

 cordially. I found here that La Constante after being nursed 

 for this long period gave me one good crop, but the plants 

 sickened, did not run, and were worthless the next season. 



Second paragraph. I regret much the loss of Mr. Nichol- 

 son, a most kind man, to whom I am indebted for Wonder- 

 ful. The runners sent here from his establishment were 

 always first-rate. I had some La Constante from him, as 

 well as from France, but the result was the same. No man 

 is more willing to acknowledge its merit as a fi-uit. Its 

 flavour is sni rieneris. Its form, both as to plant and fruit, 

 is perfect. " A Fkagarian " concedes what I have stated. 

 He says ; " It requires good and patient treatment, for it 

 puts forth its runners so late in the autumn, that they are 

 not able to gain size and strength sufficient to bear fruit the 

 foUoiving summer." Life is short, and this process is too 

 slow. 



Third paragraph. That the process is slow, observe the 

 following in proof. He says : " About Christmas they [that 

 is, the runners planted 6 inches apart] are mulched with 

 strawy manure, care being taken not to smother the plants. 

 In the August following [that is, when the plants are twelve 

 or thirteen months old] another trench is dug about a spit 

 deep. The yearling plants are taken up carefully with a 

 trowel, and they are planted in iftiie prepared ground in 

 patches of two or three together, a space of 14 or 15 inches 

 intervening between the patches. They are mulched again 

 .at Christmas. The following summer, plants so treated 

 have never failed to produce an abundant crop of first-rate 

 fruit." I doubt not this at all. Still La Constante suff'ers 

 in burning summers ; the fruit is all exposed and baked, and 

 being ripened simultaneously, you must eat it as fast as you 

 can. 



Of course, " A Fraoarian " has told us by a periphrasis, 

 that his land is first-class, for he speaks of removing two- 

 year-old plants, a practice that will certainly not succeed 

 in any land that is not naturally a Strawberry soU. Still 

 it is fair to say, that I have known two-year-old British 

 Queens removed, and crop heavily ; but this was in the very 

 finest and deepest land, genial to the variety. 



Fifth paragraph. As regards Empress Eugiinie, I admit 

 that in cold wet seasons, being so large, it is not good, but 

 it is a noble production. Excepting the Frogmore Pines, it 

 is the best of all the very lai-ge sorts. Strawberries which 

 have travelled a distance are very different from those tasted 

 in loco. We must have quantity as well as quality, and 

 both in one. A beggar once told me there was " no taste 

 in nothing." 



Sixth paragraph. I admit the excellence of the Straw- 

 berries named ; but some of them are only suited to first- 

 class land. I should not say Elton Pine (called in Prance 

 pickled Gherkin) is the best late Strawberry. It is hardy, 

 handsome, and useful. The Frogmore Pines are far in ad- 

 vance of all other late sorts. In evidence of its fine con- 

 stitution, I may observe that I fruited heavily, they running 

 at the same time, my two-ycar-old-plauts kindly given me 

 by Mr. Turner. I sent Dr. Hogg the second picking, and 

 he can tell whether they were large and good. The plants 

 brought their heavy crop to perfection, and are strong for 

 IRfiS. 



Seventh paragraph. I agree to this. We cannot form a 

 just estimate till we get our own runners put in sufficiently 

 onrly to be established before winter sets in. 



Lastly, in future, I shall take no notice of any rcmai-ks on 

 my contributions, unless the writer give his name and 

 place of abode. I never myself pay the slightest attention 

 to such communications. — W. P. Radolyffe, Tarramt 

 Rushton, Blandford. 



CLIMBING DEA'ONIKNSIS EOSE. 

 Having read in your .Tournal of a climbing Devoniensis 

 Rose sent out by Mr. Curtiw. of Torquay, it may be interest- 

 ing to your readers to know the true history of its origin. 



in the year 1857 I budded some of the old Devoniensis on 



the Celine stock, when on the following year many of the 



plants made shoots from .'i feet to 9 feet in length. I have 



i now in ray stock one of the original plants I obtain ray 



