Maj 9, 18U. ] 



JOUENAL OP HOETICULTUEB AlO) COTTAaE GABDEKEE. 



S9 



and plant them out without removing the ball of earth and 

 difleutangling the roots, which will be matted round the 

 inside of the pots ; then take up with the spade other sii 

 plants, leaving the earth more or less compact about the 

 roots, and plant both sets of six in the same bed or quarter 

 of the garden in which you plant a dozen Strawberries, the 

 roots of which have been disencumbered of the smallest 

 particle of soil, but which have been spread out in an oblique 

 direction at planting. The latter twelve plants wiU soon ac- 

 quire a great degree of vigour, whUst, on the other hand, the 

 other twelve will most likely have a q>iite different appear- 

 ance. Whether this planting out or replanting be done in 

 autumn or spring, a mouth or two afterwards dig up the 

 whole plantation, and it wiU be found that the plants whose 

 roots were freed of earth will have fibrils and spongioles in 

 abundance, that the adventitious roots from the coUar wiU 

 have insured the re-establishment of the plants, and that 

 these will be in a condition favourable to their withstanding 

 summer's drought and winter's frost. Examine, on the other 

 hand, the plants turned out of pots, or taken up out of the 

 ground, and even aftei- they have been planted six months it 

 will be found that they are not so well established as the 

 others. The difference between the two modes of treatment 

 will, on consideration, be readily understood, and it will be 

 found that Strawberries not properly planted will not resist 

 heat and cold so well as those differently treated. Any 

 Strawberry-grower may make the experiment himself, and 

 report the result, and in less than a year " G. S." could 

 ascertain whether I am right or not in what I advance. 



Before concluding I am induced to say a few words on 

 another question, which has been from time to time can- 

 vassed in the pages of this Journal and elsewhere — namely, 

 the artificial fertilisation of the Strawberry. For thirty years 

 I have been acquainted with this theory and have carefully 

 practised it, but never with satisfactory results. With regard 

 to one variety making a better mother than another, before 

 plunging into a sea of suppositions it would be far better to 

 examine closely the constitution of the variety, and its bo- 

 tanical character. Does the variety intended to produce seed 

 exhibit at the time the requisite degree of perfection ? Is it 

 sufficiently hardy in all seasons ? Is the growth firm and 

 moderate ? Is the fruit of good quality, smooth-fleshed, pro- 

 duced in long succession, and long-keeping ? Has the variety 

 been tried in aU ordinary situations and in the different 

 climates of the temperate parts of the globe ? Has it been 

 grown for ten years ? and has a sufficient amount of evidence 

 been collected on the above points to form a judgment in con- 

 formity with the most severe standard of perfection recog- 

 nised in this branch of culture ? When a variety is found 

 to possess all these qualities, that is the variety to save 

 seed from with the view of obtaining an improved variety. 

 It must not, however, be forgotten that perfect seed can 

 only be obtained from healthy adult plants carefully cul- 

 tivated, and under no extraordinary conditions as regards 

 situation. 



When I hear of any one having artificially fertilised a 

 flower of any hermaphrodite Strawberry I doubt the truth 

 of the statement. Let any one examine the flower of the 

 Strawberry before the coroUa opens, and on raising the 

 petals he will flud that the anthers covering the stigma 

 of the pistil spring from the pits in the forming receptacle. 

 By the time the corolla has opened fertilisation has taken 

 place. On examining with a magnifying glass the orifice of 

 the withered stigma it will be found that the ovary is closed, 

 and that natural fecundation has been already effected. It 

 is then impossible to introduce the poUen of another variety. 



There is yet another principle which is pretty generally 

 admitted by those best acquainted with the subject. It is 

 this — The more a variety of fruit, after successive deviations, 

 differs from its primitive type, and the further it is removed 

 from the place of its origin and the conditions of climate 

 which it there enjoyed, the greater is its inclination to vary 

 still further when raised from the seed carefuUy selected. 

 Placing more reliance on this principle than on the new 

 system of artificial fetilisation, 1 saved the seed of a dozen 

 plants of La Constante, carefully cultivated, and in a situa- 

 tion where it was impossible that the flowers could be im- 

 pregnated by the poUen of any other variety, and the re- 

 sult was very convincing as to the soundness of the above 

 principle. Prom these seeds were raised the new varieties 



Lucas, La Fertile, Souvenir, Hero, Model, Bijou, &c., all of 

 them differing from each other. This tends to prove that the 

 improvement by seminal variation arises from a combina- 

 tion of circumstances quite distinct from artificial fecunda- 

 tion, and such is my conviction based on a series of facta 

 observed by myself. If any one does not agree with me on 

 this point, I would advise him to experiment for himself, 

 and draw his conclusions from facts actually observed.^ 

 J. DE JoNGHH, 9, Rue Coenroets, Saint-Qilles, Braasels. 



SOIL FOE EHODODENDEONS. 



In No. 206 of The Journal op Hoktictjlture I find 

 attention is drawn to this subject. Having a considerable 

 extent (upwards of fifty acres), of the hardy kinds of Khodo- 

 dendrons under my charge, and in very different soils, I can 

 fully corroborate aU Mr. Kobsou says with regard to the 

 diversity of soils they will grow in. With regard to the 

 sawdust, I can assure Mr. Eobson that that is not the cause 

 of failure, even though it contains that from resinous trees, 

 for we have young seedlings growing in soil freely mixed 

 with it. 



Many of the hybrid Ehododendrons, I fear, are far too 

 tender, except in very sheltered places ; at least, I find 

 them so here. I obtained a lot from an eminent firm in 

 England, and was assured they were perfectly hardy. I 

 planted them by the side of common kinds, but they would 

 not do ; they scarcely kept alive, though the soil was all that 

 could be wished. I removed them to another spot, and 

 they are doing well, but many of them open too early, and 

 are spoiled by late spring frosts. As they are now planted 

 they are surrounded by common kinds that do well, so that 

 there can be no difference as to boU and situation, and the 

 very common Ehododendrons will not succeed well unless 

 they are sheltered considerably from the prevailing winds, 

 especially in spring. 



The nature of the soil under Ehododendrons is here very 

 variable, and the most numerous and best seedlings for trans- 

 planting are on a graveUy loam, and in the shade. There 

 might be more seedlings at the mountain glens but for the 

 Heath and Moss ; where they do take is chiefly by the side 

 of drains. 



In my humble opinion the three essentials for the success- 

 ful growth of the Ehododendron are shelter, shade, and 

 moisture while growing, with a spongy black turf freely 

 mixed with sandy gravel, and not too deep — not exceeding 

 2 feet. Never plant in what is termed a soapy turf; and 

 when mountain turf is scarce, a good mixture of leaf mould 

 may be used with the turf of a sandy loam pasture cut an 

 inch thick, and laid by until it is half rotten, using aand 

 and gravel freely. 



In removing Ehododendrons I have used, with good suc- 

 cess, moss wrapped around each plant, and left on when 

 planted; the ball being being kept moist the roots soon 

 pass into the moss, and when once started they endure the 

 presence of unsuitable substances much better. Be sure to 

 give a good soaking at planting and again in a week or so, 

 if the weather shoiSd set in dry. — Geoeob Becej;tt, SMn- 

 bally, Clogheen, Ireland. 



FEEJSrCH ASPAEAGUS. 



Eefeeking to the correspondence in your Journal lately, 

 " English versus French Asparagus," I requested L'Herault, 

 of Argenteuil, to send me a bundle, which I have received 

 this day. Thirty-six heads weigh lOJ lbs. I send you here- 

 with ten heads, and shall be glad if you will cook and eat 

 them this day, and decide the question, whether all that is 

 not green is as " tough as the roots of an old Elm tree," as 

 our friend Mr. George Abbey asserted.— H. S. Watson, The 

 Cottage, Old Charlton. 



[We obeyed our correspondent's injunction. The ten 

 heads were 9 inches long, 4 inches in circumference in their 

 largest part, and weighed rather over 2i lbs. _ Their upper 

 3 in-ohes were perfectly tender, and the interior of the re- 

 maining 6 inches was scarcely less so, but the fla^^our of the 

 top 3 inches was much weaker than that of our weU-groWH 

 full-coloured Asparagus.] 



