290 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ October 10, 1872. 



breast was forced out of its place some 3 inches. On exami- 

 nation were found two very fine edible Mushrooms, about 

 6J inches in diameter, very thick, just fully developed, and in 

 a perfectly healthy condition ; their form was, of course, some- 

 what compressed, and presented the appearance of the hat to 

 which the ladies have given the name of Dolly Varden. How 

 can the presence of these fungi be accounted for ? There is 

 no clear space beneath the floor, for it is of tiling laid on a 

 considerable thickness of engine ashes, a material not at all 

 likely to contain the spawn of the Mushroom. Can it be pos- 

 sible that they could have proceeded from the deposit of mice, 

 or from the rotten wood of the skirting itself, which is decayed 

 at the place where they were found ? We content ourselves 

 with stating the facts, leaving others more knowing in the habits 

 of fungi to account for what appears to be a strange mode of 

 introducing such an excellent esculent into the kitchen. — 

 Ceanston & Luck, Horticultural Building Works, Birmingham. 



YORKSHIRE BEAUTY APPLE. 



Axothek of the local varieties of Apple found about Wor- 

 cester, and sent us by 

 Mr. Eichard Smith, 

 is the Yorkshire 

 Beauty. It is a 

 fine, large, early cu- 

 linary Apple ; the 

 tree a great bearer, 

 perfectly hardy, and 

 of a good upright 

 habit. 



The fruit is large 

 ■ — 3J inches in dia- 

 meter, and 3 inches 

 high, roundish and 

 oblate, and angular 

 on the sides. The 

 skin is bright yel- 

 low, with a bright 

 red blush on the side 

 exposed to the sun. 

 Eye open, with short 

 erect segments in- 

 serted in a con- 

 tracted and angular 

 basin. Stalk very 

 short, deeply in- 

 serted in a rnssetty 

 cavity. Flesh 

 tender, juicy, and 

 with an agreeable 

 acidity. Yorkshire 



A first-rate early culinary Apple, ripe in the end of August. 



GARDEN NOTES ON THE SEASON OF 1872 IN 

 CENTRAL IRELAND. 



Our season here (north centre of Ireland) this year has in 

 many respects been the reverse of last year. Last year we had 

 a very fine June and a very wet July ; this year an extremely 

 wet cold June and a fine July, a tolerable August, and a per- 

 fectly fearful September. There never was anything so irregu- 

 lar as the growth of plants. Everything at all hardy grew all 

 through the season in the most rampant way — far too much so, 

 while no delicate plant stirred a leaf till the beginning of July. 

 Flowering Geraniums, Polemonium, Mangles's Geranium, and 

 Lobelias grew out of all bounds. Iresines and Bicolor and 

 Tricolor Geraniums grew less and less. Things then changed 

 as far as these last were concerned, and I never recollect such 

 a rapid growth in Bicolors as during the first fortnight of July. 



I have not many changes of opinion to announce since this 

 time last year. One is, that I now quite agree with Mr. Peach 

 in giving up Tom Thumb Ageratum. It does not do in this 

 wet climate at all. The flowers soil immediately, presenting 

 a marked contrast in this respect to Imperial Dwarf, which 

 stands bad weather remarkably well. No purplish-blue bed- 

 ding plant that I have seen anywhere this year, is to be com- 

 pared with Imperial Blue Pansy. I cannot understand why it 

 is not more grown. A bed of it with me came into bloom in the 

 end of March and remained in beauty till the middle of Sep- 

 tember, when the weather was so thoroughly diabolical that no 



blossom of any kind had a chance. This Pansy stands rain ex- 

 tremely well, and was brilliant when Purple King Verbena was 

 utterly washed out. While on the subject of Pansies I may say 

 that I suspect in Sandbeck Gem, procured by me from Mr. 

 Cannell, of Woolwich, we have a gem indeed. Its colour is a 

 bright yellow. It was the first Pansy to blow with me, and it is 

 still in fair bloom, having buried all its brethren. A bed of 

 Imperial Blue, with a broad edging of this one, would, I think, 

 be quite grand. These Pansies require care and watching : 

 I never allowed a seed-pod to form, and gave them repeated 

 drenches with liquid manure, and they well repaid the at- 

 tention. 



Crimson King Verbena would not grow or blow at all, and 

 Basilisk, the new bedder sent out by Messrs. E. G. Henderson, 

 is quite too rank a grower. I agree with Mr. Peach in think- 

 ing very highly of Little Gem and Indigo Blue Lobelias ; the 

 latter, when looked at from a distance, has much more blue 

 and less slate colour in it than the old speciosa, no matter 

 how good the strain of the latter may be. 



Now as to Bicolors and Tricolors. Beauty of Calderdale and 

 Her Majesty grew wonderfully, but they were very green, I 



shall discard them. 

 Crown Prince is 

 beautiful, but is too- 

 delicate for out of 

 doors here. I may 

 say the same of 

 Goldfinder, Coun- 

 tess of Kellie, Fairy 

 Eing, and Mrs. Allan 

 Lowndes. Lumi- 

 nator is too green, 

 and so has Dragon 

 been, but I have 

 heard such a good 

 account of this va- 

 riety from other 

 growers, that I shall 

 try it another year. 

 Auric, Waltham 

 Bronze, Charming 

 Champion, Prima 

 Donna, and Sybil 

 (I put them down 

 in order of merit) 

 have all been first- 

 rate ; fine decided 

 colours, no mottling 

 on the zone, and 

 good, healthy, com- 

 pact growers. 



Beauty. Prince of Wales 



is quite the best Tricolor here. It is a fine sturdy grower, with 

 a splendid colour. It has to be watched carefully, as slugs are 

 very fond of it. Mrs. Dunnett is not so good in any way. It 

 is far more delicate, but forms a very pretty-shaped plant, 

 which is more than can be said for Florence ; this variety grows 

 straggling, throwing out great arms and legs. It was variable 

 with me in colour, sometimes very good and of tener dull enough. 

 Lucy Grieve grew very well, but was not as bright in colour 

 as usual. Sophia Dumaresque was as good as ever, which is 

 saying a great deal; Lady Cullum not so good, too green and 

 brown. 



Among flowering Geraniums not one out of about twenty of 

 the newest kinds could be put in comparison with Vesuvius ; 

 during our fine July it was splendid. It grew, however, much 

 more rankly than it did last year. The next to it in order of 

 merit was Charley Casbon, which is a little treasure. Its 

 blossoms resisted our continual deluge better than any other 

 kind (Mr. Peach will kindly explain this), and Violet Hill much 

 the worst. 



Lastly, I cannot praise Abutilon Thompsoni too highly. I 

 think it possesses on the whole the most lovely variegated leaf 

 that we have, and the plant can be very easily kept over the 

 winter. 



I hope very much that other correspondents living in bad 

 climates will give us their experiences, that while living we 

 may learn. — D. F. J. K. 



Eotal Berks Root Show.— This is to be held at Beading on 

 November 23rd. It has become one of the largest root shows 



