September 15, 1870. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



199 



So much for Bedfordshire Damsons. A Damson I introduced 

 from Germany some years since is very remarkable. I have 

 named it the Sweet Damson. It is a lump of sugar, and 

 shrivels on the tree, it then eats like a small rich French Plum. 

 Eugene Fiirst is its German name. It is. however, damsonian 

 in habit. Another variety with downy leaves is peculiar to the 

 valley of the Severn near Gloucester, where it "makes a for- 

 tune " for the growers. It is a variety of the Violet Plum, but 

 ripens a fortnight or more after the Early Violet. I have 

 named this the Summer Damson ; it is excellent for tarts and 

 puddings, as are all the tribe. Lastly, we have the White 

 Damson, a very old sort. There are several varieties of this; 

 the best among them gives handsome yellow fruit, and is really 

 good. A tree trained to a S.W. wall in my son's garden gives 

 fruit as large as moderate-sized Green Gages, and he says 

 they are as good, having a charming, unkillable, yet agreeable 

 acidity. — Thos. Rivees. 



GERANIUMS AND OTHER BEDDING PLANTS 

 IN 1870. 



The season being far advanced, I send a few notes on bed- 

 ding plants as grown here, trnsting they will be found nseful 

 by those who, like myself, have little space for wintering 

 bedding plants, and yet have a great number of beds to fill. 



By way of preface, I must state that I do not wait for any 

 particular time after July comes in for putting in cuttings of 

 Geraniums. I take them off as early as possible, as by doing so 

 the beds present a more uniform appearance during the grow- 

 ing season ; and should I not have put in sufficient cuttings by 

 the third week of August, I find it an easy matter to secure a 

 great number without spoiling the appearance of the beds. On 

 the other hand, by letting the plants grow at will till August, and 

 putting in the cuttings at once, both the neatness of the beds 

 and the flowers are spoilt. Cuttings inserted in beds out of 

 doors require but little attention, and make bushy plants with 

 plenty of hard wood. SyriDging at night is all the care they 

 need, and though they will flag in the bright sunshine, do not 

 Bhade them, nor give them water. 



I will now begin with the different Variegated Geraniums. 

 The first on my list is Luna, a bronze ; it is a really splendid 

 bedding plant when used in a bed or masB by itself. By no 

 other Geranium is the same effect produced, and unlike moBt 

 of the Variegated or Tricolor kinds, it is not necessary to take 

 off the flowers. I do not like it in ribbon borders, except when 

 planted in a double row. Too much cannot be said in praise 

 of this variety ; it is a Geranium that can be kept through 

 the winter well, being as hardy, or nearly so, as Tom Thumb. 

 This quality is a great consideration, and though the leaves 

 become nearly green during the dark months, they regain their 

 beautiful colours in spring, or sooner if placed in gentle heat. 

 Luna is also very readily propagated either in autumn or 

 spring. My mode of doing so is to take up the old plants in 

 October, pot them in moderately rich compost, leaving the tops 

 on, and to place them in January or February in an early 

 vinery. As soon aB they are fairly growing I take off the tops. 

 Luna is but a moderate grower, but very compact. A few 

 cuttings inserted in thumb-pots in August, kept growing 

 throughout the winter, and potted in -1-inch pots in February, 

 make useful decorative plants for the conservatory. Beauty of 

 Oulton must give way to Luna both for foliage and flowers, but 

 is useful as a pot plant. 



Mrs. Pollock, a well-known Golden Tricolor variety, is un- 

 doubtedly good, but the flowers should never be allowed to 

 remain, as I consider the beautiful markings of the leaves are 

 lost when the blossoms are preserved. To prove this I ask 

 any of your correspondents who are growing Mrs. Pollock to 

 allow the plants of one bed to flower, to pull the flowers off the 

 other, and to note the difference. This is an excellent bedding 

 plant, of much quicker growth than Luna, and inclined to be 

 loose in habit, though this defect is remedied by taking the 

 long shoots off, and putting them in as cuttings. It requires 

 a little heat and but little water, in fact the less the better, 

 to keep it through the winter. I find autumn-struck cuttings 

 keep better than the old plants, and are less troublesome. Sun- 

 Eet is but a poor bedder, though useful for pot-culture. 



Cloth of Gold has done well with me, but I have decided to 

 discard it, and replace it with Crystal Palace Gem. The latter 

 is a decided acquisition, the foliage being good and the flowers 

 and habit better. A bed of it is very striking, the rose-coloured 

 flowers showing it off to perfection. It should be kept rather 



dry during the winter, and is apt to become nearly green unless 

 it is in a warm atmosphere. 



I now come to a different section — the Silver Variegated, of 

 which Flower of Spring Bhall be the first noticed. This is really 

 a first-class variety both in respect to its habit, which is un- 

 surpassed, and its flowers, which are fine. It may be classed 

 with Luna for keeping in the winter; it is also readily propa- 

 gated in spring, and I find cuttings strnck then do as well as, 

 or better than, autumn-struck cuttings or old plants. Bijou, 

 which has been useful in its time, has seen its day with me; 

 it has a good silver variegation, but tbe habit is wretched. 

 Flower of the Day, a good old variety, is still useful, though 

 inferior to Flower of Spring. 



Italia Unita is a lovely variety. Too much cannot be said in 

 praise of it. The habit is unique, and the colour of the 

 leaves beautiful ; it blooms freely, and the flowers are good. 

 It should be planted rather thickly, so as to make a display at 

 once, for it is a rather slow grower. It is also a good kind for 

 keeping through the winter, either as cuttings or old plants. 

 The old plants, lifted in October, potted in light rich soil, and 

 kept growing steadily during the winter, make a grand show 

 for the conservatory in March or April, and can then he 

 hardened-off and planted-out as usual. 



Countess of Warwick is good for pot-culture, but makes toe 

 much growth with me to be useful for bedding. Lady Ply- 

 mouth is still a favourite of mine, though it is difficult to keep 

 it in winter, the autumn-struck cuttings doing best. It is 

 nseful for mixing in bouquets, and is very fragrant. Mangiest 

 Variegated, though old, is still unequalled as an edging plant, 

 and its treatment is very simple. In October I lift a few old 

 plants, place them in small pots, and keep them rather dry 

 during the winter ; early in the year I place them in an early 

 vinery, they afford abundance of cuttings, and spring-struck 

 cuttings of this variety are better marked than old plants and 

 autumn-struck outtings. Attention must be paid to pegging 

 it down, otherwise it Boon grows out of bounds, being of very 

 free growth. 



I now come to the NosegayB, of which Stella stands un- 

 doubtedly first as regards its flowers, the trusses of which 

 are enormous, its habit, its foliage, and its hardiness. It is 

 easy of propagation, but this should be done in the autumn. 

 It is so well known that I need say no more respecting it. 

 With respect to Lady Constance Grosvenor, I must wait till 

 another season before I say much of its qualifications, though 

 so far there is nothing to say against it. Lord Palmerston, 

 another well-known variety, though rather loose in its truss, is 

 still worth growing, and is one of the best for pot culture. 



Of the Zonals, I will first notice an old variety, and a 

 favourite with me — Ivery's Masterpiece, which I have not seen 

 grown for some years. I consider it very effective in foliage, 

 and the white flower stems with good trusses of light scarlet 

 flowers are very showy. I hope to have a good stock of it by 

 May, having now about a hundred rooted cuttings ready for 

 potting. The wood being very soft, it must be kept rather dry 

 during the winter. Autumn-struck cuttings potted as soon as 

 rooted make useful decorative plants for the conservatory. It 

 is very early-flowering. No manure should be used where it is 

 intended to plant this kind. 



Beauty of Calderdale I believe will be the best of its class, 

 but I will wait till another season before I say much about it. 

 Madame Vaucher does well here in light soil. It is one of the 

 first to bloom in spring if kept in small pots : it is, therefore, 

 useful for the greenhouse or conservatory. Mrs. William Paul 

 is an excellent variety for potB, but not of much value for bed- 

 ding. Of Rose Rendatler I must say the same. Roi d'ltalie 

 is good, but to keep it bushy it should have the tops pinched 

 off early in summer ; it is free-blooming, and very effective. 

 William Underwood is good, though inclined to make more 

 wood than flowers. The same holds true of Dr. Lindley and 

 Clipper, each of which is good for pot culture. Christine is 

 still useful ; in fact, I have not seen anything to equal it for 

 blooming, though it requires constant attention in picking, as 

 it Boon becomes seedy. The cuttings should not be put in 

 later than August, and should be potted as soon as rooted, and 

 have every attention to keep them from damping. Trentham 

 Rose is another good old variety, very free-blooming, of a good 

 colour and good habit. This is a good, useful variety, and re- 

 quires about the same treatment as Christine in the winter. 

 Tom Thumb, though good, is too well known to need comment. 

 Little David I like ; it is dwarfer than Tom Thumb, as free in 

 blooming, and is readily known by its white eye. 



In concluding my remarks on GeraniumB, I must say that 



