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JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 26, 1876. 



"I have had a rather longer experience of this Peach than 

 your correspondent Mr. Taylor, and though with me it has 

 been satisfactory as a good cropper, and generally swelling out 

 its fruit well, I could not recommend it to anyone whose wall 

 space is limited, but if room can be spared for a tree it is 

 worth its room for the sake of a few splendid-coloured fruit, 

 though but second-rate in flavour." 



JUDGING VEGETABLES. 



There can be no harm in eliciting the opinions of corre- 

 spondents as to the relative value one vegetable may be sup- 

 posed to have over another in collections; but I am afraid 

 after all, judges will act on their own individual opinions, and 

 award the prizes to the collections having the greatest general 

 merit, irrespective of what they are composed. In some in- 

 stances it may be right to give a point more to Potatoes than 

 Tomatoes, but in the majority of instances it is likely to be 

 wrong. To assume, as Mr. Fairweather does, that Potatoes 

 should, whatever their merit, have priority of place in col- 

 lections because these are of "the utmost importance and 

 value to all," is about as weak an argument as could be pro- 

 duced. As well allow a dish of culinary Apples to usurp the 

 place of a Pine Apple, or a diBh of Muscat Grapes, in a col- 

 lection of fruits. 



I believe I was " one of the Judges " at the " local show " 

 alluded to by Mr. Fairweather, where I and my fellow Judges 

 had small difficulty in determining betwixt the rival col- 

 lections, despite the circumstance that the first and second- 

 prize collections contained Tomatoes, Vegetable Marrows, and 

 Cucumbers, which Mr. Fairweather is pleased to state " were 

 of no great merit," though in the opinions of the three Judges 

 they were considered of fair average merit. The commended 

 lot, which according to Mr. Fairweather contained such 

 " superior examples" of Potatoes, Peas, and Cauliflowers, be- 

 longed to himself, which circumstance may account for his 

 surprise at the Judges arriving " at such a conclusion." — 

 Jas. Adamson, The Gardens, Brynkinalt. 



EARLY APPLES— ROSES— UMBRELLA PINE. 



I, as well as many others, have been perusing the interest- 

 ing discussion in your pages about early Apples. I am some- 

 what surprised that more prominence has not been given to 

 that very excellent early dessert Apple called the Arbroath 

 Pippin, a synonym of which is the Oslin Apple. I have to 

 endorse what one of your correspondents says about the 

 Quarrenden, which is described by everyone else as being 

 highly ornamental and of delicious flavour. Now, I quite 

 agree in thinking its appearance is handsome ; but here the 

 fruit is uneatable excepting when cooked, and by no means 

 first-rate when forming part of a tart or pudding. I Bhould 

 like to hear more about the Domino Apple. I have found in an 

 old fruit manual an Apple called Dominiska, but the latter is 

 not an early Apple, nor does it otherwise answer to the descrip- 

 tion of Domino. 



I have had some magnificent Peaches of Crawford's Early 

 this year, and as good as they were handsome, so that I can 

 fully corroborate the acoount given in your journal. 



Among the Roses I see no mention of a very old-fashioned 

 one called Pierre de St. Cyr, one I should not like to be with- 

 out. Its size is not large, but it is well formed, flowers in 

 large clusters, will grow in almost any soil ; its colour is lovely, 

 it is deliriously perfumed, and blooms later I believe than any 

 other Rose. 



Will you kindly tell me what is the name of the Pine which 

 we see in the neighbourhood of Rome and Naples, with a tall 

 stem and spreading top ? I have heard it called the Umbrella 

 Pine, but no doubt it has some specific botanical name. Would 

 that Pine stand an English winter ? — C. R. 



[Sciadopytis vertiriilata is the Umbrella or Parasol Pine. It 

 is a native of Japan, and hardy. — Eds.] 



MARTYNIA DIANDRA. 

 Something more than ordinary care is required to cultivate 

 successfully the family of plants our figure lepresents. These 

 beautiful plants are met with in various parts of the world, 

 and many years have passed since some of them were intro- 

 duced to our notice. Martynia diandra is said to be from new 

 Spain, others are from Mexico, the Cape, and America, all 

 requiring the same treatment, and are what are termed stove 



annuals. The seed requires sowing in early spring in vfell- 

 drained pots, in soil composed of sandy loam and peat in equal 

 quantities, with a little leaf soil, charcoal dust, and silver sand. 

 The soil in the seed pots should be made moderately firm 

 before sowing, covering the seed lightly, pressing it down, and 

 plunging the pots in a brisk bottom heat. As soon as tlm 

 plants make their appearance they should be gradually exposed 

 to the atmosphere of the house, taking care at all times to 

 shield them from cold draughts, which are very injurious to- 

 them. When large enough to handle they should be potted- 

 off into small pots, singly or two or three in a pot as may be 

 thought desirable. They should be plunged after potting in 



Fig. 52. — Martynia diandra. 



bottom heat, and potted-on as they may require while progress- 

 ing. They require a humid atmosphere to hold in check red 

 spider and thrips. When the flowers appear the plants may be 

 hardened-off and placed in a cool stove or warm greenhouse ., 

 and they will repay any amount of labour bestowed upon 

 them.— N. 



TOMATOES DISEASED— PACKING FRUIT. 



I have observed in two or three late numbers of the Journal 

 communications relative to the appearance of the Potato dis- 

 ease among Tomatoes. The experience of your correspondents 

 varied. It may, therefore, be useful to give my experience also. 



For several years I have grown Tomatoes in a cool vinery, 

 and most prolific have they proved when so grown. I am 

 satisfied that one year I gathered a bushel of fine fruit from 

 each plant. The plants were allowed to grow without stopping, 

 and on an average covered a space about 6- feet by 8. Latt 

 year (1875) I raised but two plants, judging they would suffice 

 to supply my table, and doubting whether too many Tomatoes 

 did not rob the vines. But in the autumn, I think in Septem- 

 ber, both the plants and their fruit suddenly turned black, amd 

 both my gardener and myself recognised the Potato disease, or 

 what exactly resembled it. The plants were destroyed, but 

 much of the fruit ripened on the shelves. Now comes the 

 point of my story. There were no Potatoes in the neighbour- 

 hood ; I had grown Borne of the early kinds, but they had 

 long been dug up and eaten, therefore the Tomatoes had not 

 taken the disease by infection. Another of your correspondents 

 is at fault in supposing that growing Tomatoes under glass 

 would effectually proteot them. 



While I have my pen in hand I should like to give my fellow 

 gardeners a wrinkle touching the packing of fruit. I had be* u 



