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JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 28, 1872. 



Greening. Keswick Codlin had a full crop of small, very 

 much, pithed fruit. The other kinds that had fruit were Cox's 

 Pomona and Ribston Pippin. 



Cherries were a total failure, even the Morello failed. 



Of Raspberries we had a good crop. Fastolf grows very strong 

 here and bears heavily, but does not produce nearly such 

 fine large fruit as Antwerp Red, which grows weakly, having 

 short canes. Our Raspberry plantation has not had the soil 

 moved with either a spade or fork these three seasons ; and so 

 convinced am I of the soundness of the plan of not disturbing 

 the ground, and of mulching 9 inches to a foot thick with 

 litter after the canes are thinned, shortened, and tied (leaving 

 the mulching on constantly throughout the year), that I shall 

 continue it, and not only with Raspberries, but with Black 

 Currants as well. This season, after pruning, I shall mulch 

 the groxtnd all over the plantations of Gooseberries and Red 

 Currants with litter 6 to 9 inches deep, not disturbing the soil 

 at all. I am persuaded it would answer well for every kind of 

 fruit tree, particularly in a light soil. This depth of Utter is 

 entirely gone by the autumn following its being put on. 



Gooseberries were about half a crop. Red and Black Cur- 

 rants good. 



Strawberries were good, but suffered much by the heavy and 

 continued rain. The best was Sir Joseph Paxton, planted out 

 from pots after forcing. Next came President, also plants 

 that had been forced, then Sir Charles Napier, Dr. Hogg, and 

 British Queen ; the last three the second season after planting. 

 The year following a July planting, Strawberries are not a 

 crop ; they bear a few fine fruits, but the best crop is produced 

 in the second year, and I consider forced plants give a more 

 certain crop, heavier, with enough fine fruit for dessert, clearing 

 them off the ground after they have fruited ; or they may remain 

 a second year, and will produce a good crop. If I had just 

 a sufficient number of plants to turn out after forcing, I should 

 plant runners as soon as they could be had, planting on well- 

 trenched and highly manured ground, and I should not expect 

 any fruit until the second year after planting. It would be 

 well not to allow many runners, only taking those which are 

 needed for stock, and such it would be well to peg either on 

 pots filled with soil or in the ground, in order to insure their 

 speedy rooting, removing all other runners as they form. In 

 this way we have strong, well-ripened crowns. The ground 

 being light, nothing that will go deeper than a hoe comes near 

 the plants, and this only in autumn, before applying a good 

 dressing of rather littery manure — that is, not pointed-in in 

 spring, but allowed to lie. The surface may be stirred if the 

 weeds are troublesome, but not so deeply as to cut or disturb the 

 roots. To afford runners for the forcing plants, runners should 

 be planted every year. I like those best from one-year-old 

 plants. I think they are stronger, and that is overcome by the 

 potting. Were it not for that, the Strawberry with me would 

 be an annual out of doors — that is to say, one year fruited in 

 pots, and one year in the open ground. Convinced I am that 

 here, and no doubt in other cold north-country places, the 

 Strawberry must be grown one year at a loss, unless this plan 

 be resorted to. 



The kinds that do best are Sir Joseph Paxton, President, 

 Sir Charles Napier, Dr. Hogg, and British Queen. I have 

 only one other sort — Black Prince, which I shall discard. It 

 will not bear fruit at all fine, either in the open ground or 

 forced, and it is not earlier than Sir Joseph Paxton : it is 

 worn-out with me. The kinds I force are those named above. 

 All have fine large fruit, and I have no fault to find with any, 

 only President is snbjeet to " blight " or mildew, which it ex- 

 hibits alike in as out-doors. To make up half a dozen, I think 

 of adding Eleanor as a late kind, but should like a better, it 

 being so acid ; and yet I consider it better than either Elton or 

 Frogmore Late Pine. Is there a better late kind than any of 

 the three ? 



Respecting in-door fruits I have little to say, and may just 

 say Grapes have, as a rule, coloured very badly. Melons, 

 which are never so good as in a hot dry season, have not done 

 well. I allude to dung beds, in which way, probably, more 

 Melons are grown than any other. There is not much to be 

 said of some new kinds I had this season. Paterson's Superb 

 is a large, deeply-ribbed, and warted sort, with a rind very 

 thick ; flesh red, not very juicy, and of very poor flavour. As 

 a curiosity, and to make persons stare, it may do, but setting 

 aside its size and curious surface — similar to the Rock, it is 

 of no use. Cox's Golden Gem is of a globular shape, and 

 finely netted ; colour of rind bright golden, very beautiful. 

 The flesh is white, the rind very thin, the flavour high. It is 



one of the very best of Melons, not of a monstrous size — 

 usually over 2 lbs. weight, which I consider a fair size ; and it 

 is also a free setter. Gilbert's Victory of Bath is evidently a 

 fine sort, yet in a frame over a dung bed it did not fruit well ; 

 notwithstanding, I have seen sufficient of it to put it down as one 

 of the finest green-fleshed sorts, particularly for house culture. 

 Williams's Paradise Gem is a moderate-sized fruit, scarlet- 

 fleshed, and highly flavoured; a very free setter, perhaps the 

 freest-setting of any, whilst it ripens its fruit in fewer days 

 from setting than any other sort I know, and does not crack, 

 or very little, which is more than can be said of the rest of the 

 scarlet-fleshed kinds grown in dung beds. It is, however, 

 small — too small, but for early work desirable. Had I to grow 

 but one kind, it would be Cox's Golden Gem, then Beechwood, 

 the round, netted sort ; and I must confess to being at a loss for 

 a scarlet-fleshed variety. Will any of your correspondents name 

 a good sort — one that will not crack in a dung frame in a wet 

 season ? 



As to Cucumbers, Cox's Volunteer beats all for prolific, early, 

 and continued bearing, and uniform good quality. — G. Abbey. 



THE GLADIOLUS AND POTATO DISEASE. 

 Your correspondent, " D., Deal," in writing of the Gladiolus 

 disease in your last, says, " I consider it analogous to the 

 Potato disease ; and the analogy is no way disturbed by the 

 fact that we know nothing at all about it, for surely the letters 

 that have appeared in the public papers show that we are as 

 much at sea both with regard to the cause and remedy as we 

 were when it first appeared." These words from such an ex- 

 perienced plant-grower, writer, and acute reasoner as " D., 

 Deal," are perfectly surprising. The letters he refers to cer- 

 tainly prove the crass stupidity of the writers of the letters, 

 but not that we (everyone) know nothing about the Potato 

 disease, when anyone with a little common sense and a simple 

 microscope may confirm the accuracy of the published state- 

 ments and illustrations of Berkeley and others. Why does 

 " D.,Deal," associate the cause with the remedy in this way? 

 I maintain that the cause is known, but it does not follow 

 that the remedy is known also. A doctor may know that his 

 patient is suffering from a severe attack of cholera morbus, 

 but it does not follow that the doctor must be able to cure his 

 patient. " D., Deal," says he considers the Potato and Gladi- 

 olus disease " analogous," yet that we " know nothing at all " 

 about either. Perhaps he will tell us, therefore, on what basis 

 he founds his analogy. — W. G. S. 



ELECTION OF EOSES. 



Beiefly in answer to " Senateuk Vaisse," I cannot but 

 think a reply to his questions as to colours far more difficult 

 than mine. Mine are not perfect, I well know, and would have 

 been better placed inversely — viz., fifty best Roses, under- 

 lining best twelve; 2nd, twelve best Teas or Noisettes; 3rd, 

 best Rose, if restricted to one only. Of course, the meaning of 

 the word " best " depends somewhat on the views of the person 

 replying, but I apprehend most of us understand it to mean 

 that we should prefer to keep the Roses we name to those we 

 omit. Opinions would differ as to the merits of a single bloom, 

 and, of course, they must differ over the value of the plants, 

 especially when we take into account the likes and dislikes of 

 persons, the differences of locality, soil, climate, &c. As Mr. 

 Peach has remarked, few persons would agree as to colour, and 

 if " Senateur. Vaisse " has any really blue or black Roses I 

 shall be glad of any plants he has to spare. Imperfect as the 

 questions may be, yet the number of votes that each Rose ob- 

 tains is certainly a measure of the estimation in which it is 

 held, and it may be safely said that any Rose that receives 

 two-thirds of the possible number of votes, or even half, is 

 worthy of cultivation. I have already received about thirty 

 replies. I propose closing the poll the last day of this month, 

 and shall tabulate the results as soon as possible afterwards. — 

 Joseph Hinton, Warminster. 



P.S. — I have several catalogues by me, and as an example, 

 Ferdinand de Lesseps is described in one as " purple shaded 

 with violet," in another as " rich crimson finely shaded," in 

 another as "dark crimson shaded with violet." Voting by 

 colour, I apprehend, would not prove very much. 



The Ice Plant. — I have in my garden, standing uninjured 

 and unprotected, several plants of the common Ice Plant, and 

 I think it equally remarkable that they are from self-sown 



