August 22, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
145 
return by (weather permitting) regular crops of fruit over the 
whole extent of their branches. 
All trees that are crowded should be attended to now by having 
a great portion of the shoot removed almost entirely rather 
than by shortening systematically the whole of the growths. 
At no other period of the year can the operator so well see 
what growths should be removed as at the present time. Let 
them be removed promptly, be they large or small, and much 
greater benefit will be done to the trees than can be efiected 
by any amount of winter’ pruning, however skilfully the work 
may then be done. The wounds made by the knife now heal 
much more quickly than do wounds made in winter; and 
if branches are severed when the trees are in a growing 
state the foliage remaining takes care that there is no waste of 
sap, which is simply diverted into other channels and turned 
to good account by the leaves then under the action of light. 
If the month of September proves bright fruit trees may yet, 
with such aid as can be afforded them by thinning and pruning, 
mature their wood and perfect fruit blossoms for another year ; 
butif the trees are neglected now and are permitted to struggle 
for the light they are seeking, we have no right to expect that 
they will in any reasonable time arrive at a fruit-bearing 
state-—AMATEUR CULTIVATOR, Oxon. 
SHOW PELARGONIUMS.—No. 2. 
APART from the admitted beauty of Show Pelargoniums 
they are interesting as showing in a remarkable manner the 
improvements that may be effected by judicious hybridisation. 
During late years varieties of the Zonal type have increased as 
if by magic, and the improved forms and new colours that 
have been produced haye excited the wonder of ordinary cul- 
tivators. So rapidly has one variety of this section succeeded 
another that the advances made in Show Pelargoniums have 
been comparatively overlooked. The improvements, however, 
in this fine section are none the less decided on that account. 
Indeed the difference between the original parents (if they 
can be traced) of Show Pelargoniums—such, for instance, as 
the loose white-petalled straggling grower P. grandiflorum, 
and the lilac-purple species P. cucullatum, and the splendid 
varieties now in cultivation—is even greater than the dissi- 
milarity between the modern Zonals and their progenitors 
P. zonale and P. inquinans. No flowers in cultivation have 
given a richer reward to hybridisers and cultivators than Show 
Pelargoniums, and no flowers even now give a better return 
for care and skill bestowed upon them than these beautifuland 
indispensable greenhouse plants. 
Whenever a supply of flowers of hich quality is desired in 
the late spring and early summer months, say from March to 
July, then Show Pelargoniums must be grown. The Zonal 
varieties are simply invaluable during the same periods, indeed 
at nearly all seasons ; but we have no right to make that an 
excuse for not growing the Show varieties. It were as reason- 
able, even more so, to refuse to grow Turnip Radishes on the 
plea that the long-rooted sort is better, as to contrast the 
claims of the two sections of Pelargoniums alluded to. They 
are in fact, to coin a word, uncontrastable, and are both for 
exhibition and home decorative purposes as distinct as if they 
belonged to two genera. 
If Show Pelargoniums have been “under a cloud” for a 
time we have the more reason to feel obligated to the nursery- 
man-florist, Mr. C. Turner of Slough, for continuing as he has 
done the cultivation and improvement of these plants. Never 
once does he appear to have flagged in his efforts in obtaining 
and introducing new varieties. He had faith in the flower, 
and a flower possessing such sterling merits as this was not 
likely to deceive him. Once again it is rising into popularity, 
as is evident by the increasing demand for plants made on 
those who sell them, and.the still more frequent requests for 
cuttings made to those who are supposed to give them away. 
I have ceased giving away cuttings indiscriminately, having 
found by experience that plants that cost nothing are often 
not valued at half their worth. If flowers are really loved 
they will be purchased by those who have the means of pur- 
chasing them, unless, indeed. money is loved for its own sake 
more than the flowers are for their beauty and for the pleasure 
they are in many ways capable of imparting. But many lovers 
of flowers hesitate purchasing because they do not know what 
to purchase. They are not practically acquainted with the 
varieties, and hesitate ordering plants lest they should be dis- 
appointed with them when the flowering period arrives. 
It is not usual that those who are commencing the cultivation 
of any particular class of plants purchase in the first instance 
the newest, and necessarily the most expensive, varieties. 
Those who order the novelties generally have a special know- 
ledge of the plants they cultivate, and require new sorts to 
add to their already good collections. I will not on that, and 
-also on another account, enumerate the latest introductions ; 
the “other account”? being that I have only seen some of 
them and have not proved them. Those that I recommend as 
worthy of general cultivation I have proved. 
The difficulty is, out of varieties so numerous and yet so 
good, tomake a limited selection. The following, however, are 
all good, embrace a wide range of colour, and are not expen- 
sive ; they are, indeed, as well worth the money they cost as 
any other varieties of any other plants with which I am 
acquainted—Ruth, prevailing colour very deep rose with a 
maroon spot on the upper petals and a pure white centre ; it 
is of fine form, smooth and glossy, and is without doubt one 
of the most beautiful varieties in cultivation. Prince Leopold, 
very bright, approaching scarlet, smooth and free. Purple 
Gem, the finest of its colour and very distinct. Claribel, a fine 
contrast to the above; old, but still one of the best whites. 
Example, rosy crimson with dark blotch; constant and free. 
Ambassador, rich pink; white eye. Potentate, top petals 
maroon, lower petals rose ; white centre. Scottish Chieftain, 
top petals dark maroon, lower petals crimson ; rich and free. 
Troubadour, orange pink, maroon spot, white centre ; smooth 
and good. Charles Turner, orange scarlet ; a brilliant flower of 
fine form, Forester, deep rosy pink, maroon spot, white eye ; 
distinct. Gipsy, very dark and rich; white eye. Achieve- 
ment, rosy lilac and maroon, white centre ; distinct and good. 
Diplomatist, rosy purple and maroon, white eye; fine. Chal- 
lenger, deep scarlet and maroon ; very rich. Archduke, maroon 
and pink ; white centre. Brigand, cherry pink, with maroon 
spot and white centre. Chieftain, rose, maroon spot; lower 
petals shaded with lilac, white centre. Constance, fawn shaded 
with orange; a fine variety. Vesuvius, bright scarlet and 
maroon; free and good. Mountaineer, a fine bold flower ; 
crimson and maroon, light centre. Kathleen, salmon pink, 
maroon spot; smooth and tine. Crown Prince, crimson and 
maroon, clear white centre ; fine. Charlemagne, salmon peach 
and maroon spot ; large flower of good form. 
The above-named twenty-four varieties are all good. If 
only six sorts are wanted take the first six, and if twelve choose 
the first twelve ; and if the plants are well grown they can 
scarcely fail to give satisfaction A NORTHERN GARDENER. 
ONIONS. 
OtR Onion crop has proyed very good this year. We sow 
the seeds and treat the crop as has already been described in 
the Journal; and perhaps it would not have been worth 
while calling attention to the subject again, only I wish to 
give my opinion of two Onions we have grown this season for 
the first time. The first is new Queen. I cannot quite make 
out the relation between our sort and the description of it 
given in some nurserymen’s catalogues, as it is described as 
being a small Onion. At the time James’s Keeping, Bedford- 
shire Champion, Danvers’ Yellow, and others had not formed 
a bulb at all, our new Queen had roots 6 and 7 inches in cir- 
cumference, and they are now 15 inches round. So much for 
its size; but its earliness is its greatest recommendation, and 
if itis grown on this account it will be found very useful. 
The next one is the Improved Banbury. This has also taken 
the lead of all the others in size, and it is of first-class form 
and as hard as a stone. We have them measuring 13 inches 
round, while none of the others will exceed 12 inches. Of 
course these measurements only refer to spring-sown produce, 
raised without any “feeding” or assistance but the ordinary 
soil they grow in. 
The Queen Onion, I should think, would be very suitable 
for autumn sowing, and would in all probability form bulbs in 
spring sooner than any other variety A KITCHEN GARDENER, 
WALTHAM CROSS VINE. 
I PLANTED a cane of it on the 3rd of May, 1877. It grew 
very vigorously last season, and the rod this year is 18 feet 
long and stout in proportion. After being cut back it pro- 
duced several bunches, three of which I have left on. These 
are now just ripening. The berries are very large and hand- 
some; the flesh is firm, but it is not yet sufficiently ripe to 
judge of the flavour. I find it a free setter—quite as free as 
