Febrnary 23, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



135 



are really unsound, and it is no easy matter to restore them to 

 a sound state. 



_ ordly, of Propagating. The Camellia is propagated by cut- 

 tings, by grafting, by budding, and by inarching. Propagation 

 by cuttings is principally applied to the species (the Single 

 Bed), on which the choicer varieties are grafted, budded, or in- 

 arched. Many of the double kinds root and grow well enough 

 froni cuttings, and are grown largely in this manner in America ; 

 but in this country they appear to grow faster and thrive better 

 generally when grafted on the species. The young shoots of 

 the species, when not over-ripe, say in August, are cut into 

 pieces about 2 inches long, and placed in pots of sand, and set 

 in a close house or frame under glass, where a gentle ground 

 heat is maintained until they are rooted in the April following. 

 They may then be placed each in a separate pot and kept in 

 the same house or frame until they become established in the 

 pots (September), when they may be removed to pass the winter 

 in a cold pit. If heat be given duiing the growing season of 

 the second spring, these young plants, or stocks, as they are 

 technically called, Trill be ready for grafting in the following 

 autumn or spring. 



Grafting is the method usually applied for increasing the 

 finer kinds of Camellias. In autumn or spring pieces about 

 li inch long, with two leaves on each, may be out oi^ the plant 

 which it is the intention to reproduce ; the lower end of these 

 pieces should be pared flat on one side, and the stems of the 

 stocks being pared in a similar manner, the two flat sides are 

 then brought in contact and bound together with cotton or bast. 

 The plants thus grafted should be kept in a close pit or house 

 for a few weeks, after which period they may be gradually 

 inured to the open air. In spring the dormant buds of the 

 scion or stranger plant may be allowed or encouraged to vege- 

 tate, but those of the stock should be kept in check. When 

 the adhesion is solidified the ligature may be withdrawn, the 

 portion of the stock that has been left till then may be cut 

 away, and the stock, or species, is to all intents converted into 

 the variety we have laboured to reproduce. The cultivation 

 of these yonug plants is henceforth the same as that of older 

 plants. 



Propagation by budding may be followed sncceBsfuUy, but as 

 I do npt consider that mode so eligible as grafting for the 

 Camelha, I need not occupy your time by entering upon it. 



_ Propagation by inarching was much resorted to in the olden 

 timep, and is a sure plan, and a capital one too, if a few large 

 plants instead of a greater number of small ones are sought 

 for. A good-sized branch of any favourite variety may be united 

 to the stem of any less-valuable kind in the same manner as 

 in grafting, except that in inarching the branch is not wholly 

 detached until the union is perfected. The two plants are set 

 Bide by side, a branch of the one is pared, laid, and bound on a 

 pared branch of the other, and when the union is complete 

 (in a few months), the two are separated, and the inarched plant 

 is treated subsequently as it it had been grafted. 



_ Propagation by seed is principally used to obtain new va- 

 rieties. Siocks for grafting on are also raised in this manner, 

 but I prefer those raised from cuttings of the species which is 

 of a known hardy constitution, whereas seedlings are apt to 

 vary much in that respect. The seed should be sown as soon 

 as ripe, for if stowed away and allowed to dry the shell or 

 exteiior coating becomes so hard that the process of germination 

 is retarded, and the chance of a crop lessened. Sow in pans 

 in peat or light sandy loam, covering with the same soil to the 

 depth of li inch, where there is artificial ground heat. Keep 

 the soil regularly moist. When the germ pushes through the 

 soil, constant shade is indispensable. The seed is often long 

 in vegetating — it has been known to lie dormant for two years — 

 and the seedlings will not usually bloom until four or five years 

 old. I can see no reason why Camellias should not be raised 

 from seed as extensively in England as elsewhere ; it is merely 

 a question of cost, and there is certainly no finer field open 

 to the experimentalist. — William Paul, Pair's Nurseries, 

 Waltham Gross. 



heat, would produce a few good dishes in a very short time. 

 Turnips sown now on a warm border would be found very 

 useful, as they almost always begin to run to seed, instead of 

 making bulbs, if sown early. Salsafy and Scorzoneratops make 

 good substitutes for Spinach, and may be blanched like Sea- 

 kale if preferred. Celery makes a very useful dish if boiled 

 and served up lite Sea-kale, although we do not often see it used 

 in that way. Early long Kadishes will be found very accept- 

 able if boiled and served the same as Asparagus ; and if Cu- 

 cumbers be cooked like Vegetable Marrows it will hardly be 

 possible to detect the difl'erence in their taste. — Laxcashiee 



SUBSCEIBEE. 



SUBSTITUTES FOR USUAL VEGETABLES. 



Me. Addeelet asks (page 66) for information respecting the 

 test substitutes for Greens, &c., killed by the late severe winter. 



Parsnip tops I have found very useful when I have been 

 short of Greens. Although they have rather a peculiar flavour, 

 they are not to be despised ; the crowns cut oS the Parsnip 

 will freely take root, and produce a good crop if planted firmly. 

 Common Tarnips and Svedes, if planted on a little bottom 



THE DOYENNE D'ALENCON, alias DOYENNE 



D'HIVER NOm^AU. 



TouE correspondent, " B.," has done good service by bring- 

 ing this old but rather neglected Pear into notice. I received it 

 under the latter name about the year 1840 ; I find it in my 

 catalogue for 18i3 under that name. It was, after a few years, 

 on its origin being known, changed to Doyenne d'Alenijon, it 

 being a seedling found in the environs of Alentjon. I remem- 

 ber having an argument with the late Mr. Thompson, of Chis- 

 wick, he thinking it to be identical with our Easter Bourre — 

 Doyenng d'Hiver. I think he had received the latter sort 

 under the name of Doyenne d'Alenpon. I soon convinced 

 him of his error by sending him some leaves. These are most 

 unlike the Easter Beurre, as they are glaucous and downy. 

 The climate and soil of Frogmore — an English paradise of 

 fruits — must suit it well if it bears freely as a standard on the 

 Pear stock. Here it succeeds on the Quince, and its fruit 

 having a family resemblance to the Easter Beurrg, is often 

 good till May; in some seasons it fails to ripen, like other very 

 late Pears. It requires, as I have always said, a warm climate. 

 It has been distributed from here to a considerable extent for 

 many years past. 



There are two valuable late Pears allied to the Doyenne race, 

 and likely to be hardy and valuable — viz., Dnchesse de Bor- 

 deaux, alias Beurre Perrault, and Marie Benoist. These two 

 kinds ripen in February and March, they are quite hardy, and 

 likely to prove valuable. The finest and hardiest of our late 

 Pears is Bergamotte Esperen. I have eaten one to-day of 

 rather a large size, as it was as large as a Brown BenrrS — its 

 flavour and texture as nearly as possible perfection. This sort 

 but seldom fails to ripen well here from pyramids on the Quince 

 stock. Louise Bonne de Printemps, a very handsome Pear, 

 seems inclined to ripen, after our last warm summer; and 

 Olivier de Serres, a spring Nelis, ripens well in March and 

 April, and has not yet failed to do so. 



I ought not to forget to mention a fine late Pear, Passe 

 Crasanne, a specimen of which I ate this day (February 12th) 

 a few minutes since ; its appearance, yellow and red, very 

 handsome ; size, medium or large ; and its flesh quite melting, 

 quite juicy, and quite rich, with its after peculiar and grateftil 

 aroma. Only one fruit out the locker was ripe and ready. 

 This is a Pear raised at Eouen several years ago. It does well 

 on the Quince, and forms a close pyramid, under which form 

 it has been grown here for a few years. A seedling from it, 

 Prince Napoleon, they say is even better than Passe Crasanne. 

 We shall, I hope, see it this season. I believe it to be good, 

 because the raiser is an honest Rorman. — Thos. Eivees. 



VARIEGATED PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA. 



Pla^jtago laxceolata bids fair to rival, if not to surpass, in 

 beauty the smaller varieties of Funkias, being in its best con- 

 dition in the spring — an advantage the Fankias do not'pos- 

 sess ; but it is not of much value during the summer months, 

 owing to the plants during hot weather losing their variegation, 

 which they again regain on the approach of winter. 



The variegation mostly consists of broad marginal bands — 

 white, cream-coloured, or yellow, and sometimes there is a 

 central variegation. These forms can seldom be produced from 

 seeds, and the plants must be multiplied by division of the 

 crown, or by cuttings with a small portion of the root stem 

 attached, placed in spring in a sUght bottom heat. They 

 quickly make good plants, and may then be planed out. Theirt 

 low growth and rosette-like appearance render them very at- 

 tractive. 



There are also several varieties of Plantago lanceolata with 

 yellow and yellowish green variegation. These may be pro- 



