December 28, 1871. ] 



JOUBNAIi OF HOKTICULTDEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



503 



cold wind. We had as strong growth this unfavourable season 

 in a Ehododendron bed as in pots in the orchard house. 



I do not believe in mixing dung with Lily oompost, unless, 

 indeed, it is bo old that it has ceased to be dung ; but where 

 the bulbs are very strong and planted very close together, a 

 top-dressing of old dung seems to be only beneficial. I have 

 been told that L. ligrinnm Fortunei will stand and thrives upon 

 a strong dose of dung, but I have not yet tried this treatment. 



If these are the sort of notes you care to have I may, perhaps, 

 send a few more, or I shall be happy to answer questions. If 

 many growers would give us their experience we should soon 

 get more facts to work by. — Geobge F. Wilson. 



FORCING VEGETABLES.— No. 4. 



THE PEA. 

 HiiHEETO comparatively few gardeners have attempted to 

 produce this vegetable to any extent, much before the season in 

 which it comes to perfection in the open ground. Doubtless 

 the chief reason was the want of a dwarf-growing prolific sort, 

 as the tall rambling habit of most varieties requires more room 

 than can conveniently be spared in the forcing department at 

 that time of the year. Now this objection has, in a great 

 measure, been overcome by the introduction of such dwarf- 

 growing sorts as Tom Thumb, or what some call Beck's Gem, 

 McLean's Little Gem, and another kind called Multum-in- 

 Parvo, a dwarf-growing productive variety, not one of which sorts 

 exceeds 18 inches high. I have grown them all, and if I have 

 been supplied with the true varieties, I, notwithstanding, have 

 been unable to discover any material difference between them. 

 The pods are produced plentifully enough, but the peas within 

 are few and very small. 



For forcing, however, these dwarf-growing sorts are far pre- 

 ferable to any of the taU-growing ones, the best of which was 

 Bishop's Dwarf Longpod, the only kind used for forcing years 

 ago. But I find from experience that of all the vegetables which 

 admit of forcing, the Pea is the least profitable, not only from 

 the large space required for a succession of crops to grow in, 

 but also because it takes a long time to bring it to perfection. 

 Still these difficulties should not deter us when we remember 

 how delicious is a dish of Peas, and how admired and valuable 

 they would be if placed upon the table at a season of the year 

 when vegetables naturally grown are scarce. 



The treatment required to force the Pea successfully is not a 

 diflScult one for a beginner to learn. The principal point to 

 observe is that the plants are grown at starting in a moderate 

 temperature of about 45°, with a gradual rise to 60° up to and 

 during the time that they are in flower. Afterwards an increase 

 of 5° or 10° will suit them until the crop is fit to be gathered. 

 Air IS very important, and should be plentifully given up to the 

 setting of the fruit, but after this a slight diminution of the 

 afternoon and night air will help to swell the pods perfectly. 

 While the plants are growing water should be given sparingly 

 and judiciously, or else they are apt to run too much to straw ; 

 but from the beginning of the blooming and onward to the 

 swelling of the pea, it must be given plentifully. Like any other 

 plant grown in an artificial temperature, they will succeed the 

 better if the water can be applied in a chilled state. 



The transplanting is another very important part in the cul- 

 tivation of' Peas under glass. This should be particularly at- 

 tended to, as it prevents them from running too much to straw, 

 and if in the ease of the plants blossoming freely, the tops of 

 the shoots are pinched o2, their tendency to grow to straw will 

 be reduced, and additional sustenance will be added towards 

 the formation of pods. Syringing overhead once a-day while 

 they are growing assists them, but it should be discontinued 

 after the fruit is set, and a moist atmosphere supplied instead. 

 It matters little what structure the Peas are grown in, so long 

 as the above conditions are attended to. I have grown them 

 in pigeon-holed pits, and on the borders of a Peach house, by 

 placing about 8 inches depth of soil on the border, not in the 

 border, and planting them in it. They may also be grown in 

 pots, and transferred from one house to another as occasion may 

 require. Orchard houses are very suitable places in which to 

 bring forward a crop of Peas, and I have found them do better 

 there than in any other structure I have tried. In these there 

 is more room fcr their natural habits to become developed; but 

 in whatever structure they are grown, if planted out, they should 

 first be sown in pans or boxes, and when about 2 inches high 

 planted out about an inch from plant to plant in the rows, 

 which ought not to be less than 2 feet from one other. Eemove 

 as much earth with the roots as possible, so as to cause the 



plants little check, and reduce the necessity for shading on any 

 but very bright days. Avoid giving the Pea a very rich soil. 

 A fresh loamy soil not too light will suit admirably. From 

 three to five months, according to the season and the treat- 

 ment they receive, will elapse between the time of sowing and 

 fruiting. — Thomas Eecokd. 



OLD PEAES "WITH NEW NAMES. 



Some time early in November I received two or three Pears 

 from Glastonbury of a large size, covered with russet, and of a 

 texture and flavour remarkably fine, the latter with a smack of 

 aniseed very agreeable. These I found had been submitted to 

 Mr. Cramb and some nurserymen, who pronounced them to be 

 the Brown Beurrl. 



A few days afterwards my son brought from the neighbour- 

 hood of Bristol, from the garden of a friend to whom I had 

 preBtnted a tree some ten years since, an equally fine specimen 

 of the Pear received from Glastonbury. This tree had a label 

 with the name on it as sent from here, and this was one long 

 since known to me and forgotten — the Esperione. This was 

 a clue, and I at once went to my preserve — my plantation of 

 stock trees, and there I found the tree, which had borne some 

 fruit. In my fruit-room I found them to be the same Pear, 

 but much inferior in size to those from the west. About the 

 middle of the month I received from another part of Somerset- 

 shire two or three specimens of the same Pear, but this time 

 with a name. On examination I found them much inferior in 

 size and flavour to those I have mentioned, owing, probably, to 

 stock, or site, or soil, but evidently the same Pear. 



Now I fully believe that unless I had recognised these Pears 

 we should have had two new sorts added to our collections, for 

 the Fruit CJ&mmittee, not knowing the first mentioned, would 

 have given it a certificate, and probably the second also, thus 

 benefiting the pockets of the growers. I mention these un- 

 known Pears because I feel assured there are hundreds of French 

 and Belgian Pears that have lost their names and have had 

 local names attached to them, as is doubtless the case with 

 Wheeler's Brockworth Park Pear. The history of this showy 

 Pear seems to be this. In 1870 Mr. Wheeler saw it growing 

 against a wall at Brockworth Park, and sent it to the Fruit 

 Committee. It proved very handsome and good, and had a 

 first-class certificate. In 1871 it was not so good. Now, al- 

 though it could not be proved to be a seedling, it is now called 

 Wheeler's Brockworth Park. This is not pomologically correct ; 

 it might have been called temporarily a foundling till its true 

 name is found, which it assuredly wiU be. 



This naming of unknown fruits used to be very common, 

 but Thompson spoilt the trade in guinea and half-guinea quasi 

 new fruits when he published his " C-italogue of the Horticul- 

 tural Society," and I quite thought the practice was entirely 

 out of date till my attention was called to it recently. No fruit 

 should be called a seedling or named as such till its origin can 

 be fully proved. There is a sort of assurance in a man placing 

 his name to a fruit unless it can be proved to be a seedling. 

 Mr. Wheeler is not to be blamed for introducing a Pear unknown 

 to him but of good quality, but he is not blameless for attach- 

 ing his name to it as if it were a seedUng. If I had bought a 

 tree at one guinea, I should hold him responsible for that sum 

 when its true name was discovered. 



It is curious to observe the change in some Pears brought on 

 by the soft mild climate of the west of England. Some sorts 

 are much improved both in size and flavour, and others are to 

 a certain extent the contrary ; so that my axiom is good — Try 

 and try again before any kind is fixed upon for extensive culti- 

 vation.— T. B. 



AUTUMN-BLOOMING DAFFODIL. 



In your number of August 31st (page 164) is an interesting 

 article on autumn-flowering Crocuses. Will you allow me to 

 call your attention to an old-fashioned autumn flower, which 

 would, I believe, at the present time be a most valuable addition 

 to our flower gardens — I mean the autumn-flowering Dafiodil ? 

 I have repeatedly asked for it at seed-shops, but it seems un- 

 known ; and the only work I know of in which it is mentioned 

 is Parkinson's " Garden of Pleasaunt Flowers," date 1689, 

 under the name Narcissus autnmnalis major, 



I have seen the flower twice : first, some years since in a 

 garden at Ipswich, the owner of which did not know the name 

 of the flower, and again about two years ago in an old garden 

 at Bexley Heath. On both occasions I procured roots ; the 

 first time I bought, the next I begged them, but I am sorry to 



