550 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 28, 1876. 



main, a free, regular, and healthy Bap-movement is fostered 

 and the Vines thicken at their lower parts and produce there 

 laterals and bunches equally as fine as at the tops of the canes. 

 I am well aware that Vine3 will thus bear without a horizontal 

 main rod when judicious pruning is adopted and the lower 

 laterals have that attention which is given by the best cul- 

 tivators ; but I am nevertheless of opinion that Mr. Taylor's 

 plan is the best in principle, and is calculated, with a mini- 

 mum amount of care being bestowed, to produce a maximum 

 value of fruit, and especially an equal distribution of that 

 fruit on every part of the Vine. 



But without adopting the extension system of growing the 

 Vine much may be done by training in securing an equali- 

 sation of fruit, and in having the lower portions of the stems 

 of Vines as thick or thicker than the upper. If Vines on the 

 single-rod system are trained slantingly at an angle of 45° 

 instead of tying the rods directly upwards, the growth is more 

 regular, in consequence of the sap being more surely guided 

 into the lower laterals, yet it has sufficient force for ensuring 

 growth sufficiently robust. I fancy I can perceive in the 

 illustration that Mr. Taylor's fruiting rods are trained slant- 

 ingly notwithstanding the horizontal main, and no doubt he 

 is quite right in so training them, for it is the very position 

 which the young growths would seek for themselves, thus 

 giving a hint which an observant and practical man would be 

 likely to follow. 



Vines grown on the restricted or single-rod system I have 

 found to be decidedly superior when trained slantingly than 

 when what I may term vertically trained. This has been so 

 in a house having a great length of rafter, and the advantages 

 can hardly fail to be still greater in short-roofed vineries, for 

 it is clear that by training slantingly a much greater length of 

 cane is obtained, and which is often of great value in contri- 

 buting to the Vine's health and its continued prosperity. 



In this mode of training one condition must be carefully 

 attended to — the rods must not be too close together. I know 

 it answers well when the canes are trained 3 feet 6 inches 

 apart. I should not think it wise to adopt the system with 

 rods much closer, or the foliage might not receive sufficient 

 light, and especially if the roof of the vinery was somewhat 

 flat. 



I think the training of Vines is important as exerting con- 

 siderable influence on growth. The matter is worthy of 

 being alluded to by other growers who have studied the habits 

 and requirements of the Vine. If gardeners are " the slaves 

 of fashion " in one thing more than another, I think it iB in 

 limiting Vines, however short they may be, to one rod, and 

 training that rod over the shortest course to the apex of the 

 house in a manner as nearly vertical as the circumstances will 

 permit. — A Noethebn Gardener. 



A PLEA FOR JAPANESE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 



" What lovely artificial flowers ! What beautiful paper 

 flowers you have there !" These were the exclamations 

 accorded by some visitors a few dayB since on seeing a stand 

 filled with cut blooms. 



They were indeed wrong in their judgment, but many of the 

 Japanese Chrysanthemums may be likened unto artificial flowers 

 from their grotesque appearance. The fantastic and twisted 

 florets of some bear a very close resemblance to artificial flowers. 

 The Japanese possess many advantages over the round incurved 

 varieties, having a lightness of their own. They are among 

 the first to bloom, James Salter and Elaine being the earliest ; 

 the first a pleasing lilac, the other pure white, and a well 

 formed flower under high cultivation ; and in this section are 

 also to be found some of the latest to bloom of the whole 

 family, and which will assist in keeping the conservatory gay 

 to the end of the year. 



I have now before me (December 23rd) creditable blooms of 

 Meg Merrilees,The Mikado, and Grandiflora, but the majority 

 are over ; still with a selection blooms may be had from Oc- 

 tober to Christmas, and in arranging them for home deco- 

 ration they are most suitable, keeping for weeks in dry rooms 

 if the water is attended to. 



Their culture is very similar to that already advocated in 

 previous articles, merely taking Btrong cuttings from now till 

 March, and growing the plants on without interruption, dis- 

 budding for early flowering and exhibition purposes ; but if 

 late blooms are desired disbudding need not be resorted to, 

 but the smaller and later buds should be permitted to expand. 

 I have never seen these plants grown into specimens, still I 



think it possible that James Salter, Magnum Bonum, Fair 

 Maid of Guernsey, and some others might be advantageously 

 used for that purpose. Some of the varieties are very shy in 

 throwing-up suckers for propagation, and others increase most 

 readily. 



The following will be found a good selection of eighteen 

 varieties : — James Salter, Elaine, Fair Maid of Guernsey, Ful- 

 ton, Baronne de Prailly, Magnum Bonum, The Mikado, The 

 Daimio, Chang, Anratum, Meg Merrilees, Madame Godillot, 

 Erecta Superba, Prince Satsuma, The Wizard, Garnet, Dr. 

 Masters, and Grandiflora. — J. W. Moorman. 



CUCUMBER CULTURE. 



I quite agree with your correspondent (page 516) as to turfy 

 loam and manure water instead of mixing manure in the soil, 

 as I have grown Cucumbers both ways, and in 1874-5 I grew 

 rather largely for Covent Garden Market. 



The Cucumber houses were four span-roofs — two 96, and the 

 other two were 100 feet in length ; of course it was no use 

 putting a few seeds in a bell-glass or a single flower pot, so I 

 put the seeds in some shallow boxes and placed them in the 

 propagating pit, and as soon as the plants were large enough 

 to handle I potted them into 60-sized pots, from them into 

 48-sized pots, afterwards planting in the beds in turfy loam. 

 For the first month they received clear water only, and then I 

 commenced using weak manure water twice a-week, and con- 

 tinued doing so throughout the season. As soon as the roots 

 were well through the soil a thin layer of fresh loam was added 

 all throughout the season, and the result was I lost only one 

 plant the first year and none the second, and no plants could 

 have been healthier nor could have fruited better than they 

 did. I feel sure that if the manure — which very often contains 

 a quantity of grubs, &c. — were lesa used Cucumbers would be 

 more plentiful. I am still of opinion that manure has some- 

 thing to do with the plants being so liable at times to disease. 



As to sorts, I have tried a large number from time to time 

 which I have seen recommended ; but with me, either for 

 market or for private use, I have never found any to beat 

 Telegraph, Sion House Improved, and Munro's Rabley, which 

 I have proved to be quite as hardy or hardier than Telegraph. 

 — J. B. Wetheringsett, Stonham, Suffolk. 



THE CHRISTMAS MARKET AT COVENT 

 GARDEN. 



Saturday morning, the 23rd inst., was a "lively time" at 

 Covent Garden, when the best of garden supplies were struggled 

 for even with unusual zest (if that is possible here), for the 

 vast requirements of London during the festive week. There 

 is no mistake about the citizens enjoying themselves at Christ- 

 mas. The festival is prepared and provided-for for months 

 previously, and the humblest are not satisfied with less than 

 the "best" of what is provided at this special season: 

 hence the piles of vegetables were hurried off almost before 

 daylight. The residue remaining at nine o'clock was composed 

 mainJy of the coarser vegetables, such as Savoys, Turnips, <fcc. 

 Broccoli (Scow's Winter White) was speedily seized, also the 

 best of the Brussels Sprouts, and there was the usual rush for 

 Sage and Onions. The vegetables were generally good, thanks 

 to the long mild autumn, except Potatoes, and these were 

 coarse. Seakale and Rhubarb were plentiful and good. Aspa- 

 ragus was also represented but sparsely, and salads of all kinds 

 were abundant. Holly was unusually destitute of berries, and 

 Mistletoe, perhaps, unusually fruitful. 



The flowers were very attractive, and " shined through the 

 gloom " of the foggy sleety morning. Poinsettias were bril- 

 liant with their fiery heads, and baskets of Roman Hyacinths 

 were lovely in their snowy whiteness. Dutch Hyaoinths were 

 also " in " in their various colours, and were excellent con- 

 sidering their earliness. Duo Van Thol Tulips — white and 

 scarlet — as mixed in close large masses had a most cheerful ' 

 effect. There were also Heaths, Azaleas, Callas, Solanums, 

 Draca5nas, Palms, Primulas, and Lily of the Valley. 



But as if these were not enough, or their price, perhaps, 

 too much for many, there were artificial plants and flowers 

 struggling through the mist, as if trying to look natural, and 

 almoBt succeeding. There were " vegetable flowers," too — 

 flowers delicately .carved from roots and tinted with various 

 colours. The designs formed with Everlasting Flowers were 

 numerous and tasteful, white largely predominating in their 



