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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 20, 1870. 



shed was ever erected — heavy rafters, moveable lights, high 

 back walls, arches of brickwork for Yine roots to pass into, 

 sunk borders, &c. What possible advantage rafters and move- 

 able lights confer I am quite at a loss to conceive. The disad- 

 vantages are very obvious, one would think. The roof is heavier 

 and darker, and much more expensive. Moveable lights mean 

 friction, numerous Bpaces for moisture to act on wood and 

 paint, and the impossibility of ventilating in rainy weather 

 without letting in the wet, and very oiten they mean a good 

 amount of drip. How anyone who has seen ridge ventilation, 

 and light grooved sashbars all of a size, forming a fixed and im- 

 penetrable roof free from drip in all weathers, taking about half 

 the paint that a roof with heavy rafters requires, costing less, 

 and lasting longer, can go back to the old and stupid plan of 

 building I can never imagine. Want of thought and routine 

 must be the only explanation. 



Then, again, how often do we see 2 or 3 feet of soil removed 

 to make a Vine border. Can anyone doubt that a Vine border 

 would not in all cases be better, warmer, drier, if raised above 

 the surface? Again, if the situation be naturally dry or well 

 drained, what possible advantage can there be in laying a bed 

 of concrete under a Vine border, or masses of broken stone or 

 bricks ? In low situations, where the land is cold, heavy, and 

 wet, one can understand the necessity, though we must feel 

 surprised at such a situation having been chosen for a garden 

 in the first instance ; but in dry and favourable situations what 

 end is sought by such preparation ? Has it been found that in 

 farming, for instance, a hard and impenetrable pan under a 

 cultivated soil is an advantage ? Or is it thought an advantage 

 to cut off the natural effects of capillary attraction in dry 

 weather ? I think there can be no doubt that the Vine is the 

 most easy fruit tree in the world to grow, that it will endure 

 worse and more unnatural treatment than any other tree, or, 

 I am sure, a bunch of decent Grapes would be a much rarer 

 sight, for no plant appears to me so badly used. Instead of 

 copying Nature in its cultivation, every unnatural and expen- 

 sive plan appears to have been hit upon to increase the risk of 

 failure ? When will people throw red tape and routine aside, 

 and think for themselves ? — J. R. Pearson, Ghilwell. 



BEDDING GERANIUMS. 

 (Continued from page 261.) 



Next to the Golden Tricolors, and not far behind them in 

 beauty, come the Silver Tricolors. Of these I have but three 

 varieties — Mabel Morris, Princess Beatrice, and Empress Eu- 

 genie. They are all three lovely as pot plants, but have done 

 next to nothing in the borders owing to the excessive drought. 

 As this has been my first year's trial of them in the open air, 

 I can say no more than that I hope to be better acquainted 

 with them in the future. 



More striking, perhaps, and very beautiful are the Bronze 

 Zonals or Bicolors. Of these I have the following — Goldfinch, 

 Eclipse, Mrs. Bass, Madeleine Schiller, Egyptian Queen, Perilla, 

 Compactum, Beauty of Oulton, Black Prince, Southern Belle, 

 Ebor, Prima Donna, Sybil, and several seedlings not differing 

 much from the latter. Of these, Egyptian Queen has carried 

 off the palm for richness of foliage ; its growth, also, has been 

 such as to indicate an improved vigour of constitution. Older 

 plants have grown better than cuttings of last year, and when 

 pegged down have covered the ground very nicely. Next comes 

 Black Prince, which has beaten every other of my Bronzes in 

 vigour and habit, although it has yielded the palm for warmth 

 of foliage to Egyptian Queen. I consider this Geranium a 

 great acquisition, having tried it under very different circum- 

 stances, as well under partial shade as in the full blaze of the 

 sun. I can imagine it might grow somewhat rampantly in 

 moister seasons, but by taking off cuttings from time to time 

 during the summer, it can be kept easily within bounds, and 

 it yields them very freely. Another advantage of this plant is 

 the character of its bloom — fine trusses of a rich crimson scarlet 

 on sturdy stems thrown up just above the (oliage ; nor do the 

 leaves burn and become unsightly as with many others of this 

 class. This is a great fault of Egyptian Queen. Black Prince 

 will also bear pegging down very well. 



Of the rest, Sybil is an exquisite Geranium, but I planted it 

 too near some Echeveria metallica, which, being a gross feeder, 

 no doubt robbed Sybil of some of its fair share of nutriment. 

 Hence it made but little growth, and remains still on its trial. 

 Beauty of Oulton has been much admired, and has stood the 

 season well. It is a healthy vigorous plant, and will maintain 



its ground here for some time, I think, but it comes far below 

 Blaok Prince in many points of excellence. All the others 

 have disappointed me in various ways, notably Southern Belle 

 and Prima Donna, from which I expected great things, but they 

 were placed in the driest of the dry, and therefore had no fair 

 chance against the others ; in fact, one plant of Southern Belle 

 fairly died from want of moisture. 



Amongst the older varieties of this class Eclipse and Mrs. Bass 

 have a charm of their own which makes me retain them. 

 Their paler foliage contrasts more strikingly and looks more 

 brilliant at a distance than some of the finer Bronzes, but they 

 have great faults which detract from their beauty, particularly 

 in the way the leaves fade away and shrivel to a dirty whity- 

 brown shade : hence their dismissal from the garden is only a 

 question of time. 



I defer some remarks I have to make upon the Zonal and 

 Nosegay section to a future occasion. — B. & W. 

 (To be continued.) 



PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 



The season is now (October 11th) over. My last dish of 

 Nectarines was Eivers's Victoria, a large and invaluable sort, 

 and my last dishes of Peaches were the Princess of Wales, 

 Walburton Admirable, and Lord Palmerston, all fine late sorts. 

 There could not have been a better season than the past. The 

 fruits were abundant and of great size. All the trees, except 

 Walburton Admirable, bore great crops. I have no Peaches 

 and Nectarines under glass. All were grown on 6 or 7-feet-high 

 brick walls on east, west, and south aspects. The gardens are 

 nearly as open to violent winds as the Eddystone Lighthouse, 

 Stonehenge, or the Bill of Portland. "D.," of Deal, saw the 

 fruits in a young state on July 26 th ; I wish he had seen them 

 at maturity. 



The following are the Peaches grown here: — Early York, 

 Early Victoria, Dr. Hogg, Early Ascot, Early Alfred, Marquis 

 of Downshire, Groese Mignonne, Royal George, Noblesse, 

 Violette Ha'ive, Bellegarde, Barrington, Nectarine Peach, 

 Prince of Wales, Princess of Wales, Walburton Admirable, 

 and Lord Palmerston. Lady Palmerston, Mr. Radelyffe, Mag- 

 dala, Golden Frogmore, and Early Rivers were not in crop this 

 year. The old sorts are well known, and, as midseason 

 Peaches, will not be easily beaten. 



Dr. Hogg is a splendid early Peach. Early Alfred is a great 

 cropper, early, and good. Nectarine Peach is a jewel ; it is as 

 smooth as a Nectarine, of fine form, colour, and flavour; of 

 the late series it is the best of all. Prince of Wales, Princess 

 of Wales, and Lord Palmerston are grand late Peaches. Prin- 

 cess of Wales and Lord Palmerston are here the largest of all 

 the Peaches ; both have creamy cheeks with blush suffusion ; 

 they are very late, and very valuable. The above new Peaches 

 were raised by Mr. Rivers. The blossoms of Princess of Wales 

 and Lord Palmerston are the finest of all the sorts here. Early 

 Ascot is a Peach of great beauty, and of first-rate formation 

 and flavour. It is as smooth as a Nectarine. Marquis of 

 Downshire bore (second year) a fine crop. It is later than 

 the former. They are both plants of excellent habit, and do 

 Mr. S'andish great credit. Of these novelties, for a small 

 selection, I name Dr. Hogg, Nectarine Peach, Prince of Wales, 

 Lord Palmerston, and Early Ascot. 



If the reader will recollect that Walburton Admirable is a 

 shy bearer, it is impossible for one to burn his fingers with any 

 of the others, old or new ; they are hardy, good growers, great 

 bearers, and altogether excellent. There is no Peach here 

 superior to the Royal George for habit. The leaves and triple 

 buds are so near together, that if a man cannct get a crop off 

 it, the sooner he gives up Peach-growing altogether the better. 

 Tbe Prince of Wales, Early Ascot, and Marquis of Downshire 

 have the same good attributes. The Noblesse and Nectarine 

 Peach have been tbe best in flavour and quality of flesh. No- 

 blesse has but one fault — it is shy of producing leaves. 



The Nectarines here are Newington (Rough Roman), Elruge, 

 VioIetteHative, WhiteNectarine, Murray, and Balgowan. These 

 are all well known, and are excellent. Newington is a cling- 

 stone, and one of the richest when ripened to shrivelling. The 

 following are new : — Eivers's White, a week or more earlier 

 than White Nectarine ; Eivers's Orange, Rivers's Pine Apple, 

 and Rivers's Victoria, the latest of all. The two last-named I 

 specially recommend ; they are the finest of all, and very valu- 

 able. Now, if the reader cannot please himself out of the 

 above, I fear nobody else can please him. They are all hardy, 



