- 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



April 13, 1912. 



ripen quite early in April if required, and 

 etjuallj s<) in September ; none can equal 

 it for ease of gro\vth and adaptability to 

 site, and for quality it stands quite in the 

 forefront. Madreslield Court is a seedling 

 from Muscat of Alexandria and Black 

 Morocco, and was sent out about 1870. This 

 is very popular, more so now than for- 

 merly, when its splitting propensities were 

 not understood. Nothing biit praise can 

 be given this grape, as it grows well in 

 a warm house, and equally well in a peach 

 house or greenhouse, and it is quite first 

 class, 



Mrs. Pinoe is a chance seedling, raised 

 some fifty years ago. To those requiring a 

 late-keeping grape with a Muscat flavour 

 this is a desiral)le variety. Though some- 

 what capricious in its behaviour, wheal it 

 succeeds it is excclh'iit. Lady Downes is 

 quite the l>est of late black grapes; it does 

 riot give a showy bunch, but m(jre from a 

 utilitarian standpoint it is first rate. It is 

 a Yorkshire-raised grape, and appeared 

 about 1835. I do not know of a grape that 

 will keep longer and retain its pleasant 

 flavour. Muvscat Hamburgh was raised 

 about fifty years ago, and where higli 

 flavour is required no grape can equal it; 

 a];art frr)ni tlint I do not advise its inclu- 

 sion in a limitiHl cnllcct ion . A j^plej^ Towers 

 is a (Uvsii al)lo grap*^ \\ hero large bundles 

 and better flavour is required than ob- 

 tained from Ladv Downes, and for this 

 reason it is (h^sirable, while its good keep- 

 ing qualiti(^s enhance its reputation. 



Alicante is supposed to be of Spanish 

 origin, and is quite the easiest of all grapes 

 to grow ; indeed, it is a ca]>ital amateur's 

 grape, succeeding under cool conditions, 

 and it will carry a heavier crop without 

 injury to the vines than any other sort. 

 In point of quality it is exceedingly poor. 



The above varit^ties include all that 

 are necessa ry for 



black grapes, except, perhaps, foi- market 

 culture, and tlien I should add Gros Col- 

 . mar, but niy notes are not written from 

 a commerfial ]>f)int ()f view. Tlier*^ are 

 several otlior ]>lack grapes wliich some 

 exhibitors admire, because they have a fine 

 ap])ea!-ance. but the less said about tlieir 

 quality tlie better. T alhnle to such sorts 

 as Grf)s Maroc. Alnwick Seedling, Gros 

 Guillaimie, Diamond Jubilee, and Direc- 

 teur Tisserand. 



White grapes are fewer iii number. The 

 best early white variety is Buckland Sweet- 

 water. This is an English-raised variety 

 from Continental seed, and appeared prior 

 to 1860. Foster's Seedling was raised 

 about the vear 1835, and it is more free 

 fruiting than Buckland Sweetwater, but 

 not so good in quality, though for its hardi- 

 n ess and heavier c r o pp i n g qualities it is 

 sometimes preferred. Muscat of Alexan- 

 dria is by far the finest of white grapes ; how 

 and when it was raised it is difficidt to 

 ■say. It has many synonyms, but I do not 

 consider any variety distinct save Canon 

 Hall Muscat. With the exception of an 

 early variety, and the late-keeping Lady 

 Hutt, I do not think it necessary to grow 

 another white graj)e. except, perhaps, on 

 account of requiring an early bunch along 

 with such sorts as Black Hamburgh. Mus- 

 cat of Alexandria, does not succeed with 

 the latter ; indeed, it is best grown alone. 



Although there are several other white 

 grapes, such as Duke of Buccleuch, 

 White Tokay, Frontignan, White Lady 

 Downes Seedling, White Nice, Trebbiano, 

 Royal Muscadine, Raisin de Calabre, Mrs. 

 Pearson^ Golden Queen. Golden Hamburgh, 

 Chasselas Musque, and Duchess of 

 Buccleuch. I do not consider any one 

 is required except under special cir- 

 cnmstanres. E. Molyneux. 



anv piupose among 



ORNAMENTAL ASPARAGUS. 



Since the introduction from South Africa 

 of the various ornamental asparagus, 

 much has been said and written in their 

 favour, and deservedly so, for but 

 few plants, from a florists point of 

 view, have been more useful. Some 

 4)f the species have almost ousted the once- 

 popular Adiantum cuneatum, and where 

 houses were occupied with this latter for 

 furnishing supplies of the fronds for 

 market, we find them filled up with the 

 various forms of asparagus. Although 

 these latter are so generally grown, it is 

 not always one sees them in that state 

 of perfection so desiral)le, for not in- 

 frequently the foliage is so disfigured 

 with red spider and other pests as to render 

 it quite useless for any purpose, and 

 the plants, instead of being an ornament, 

 are an annoyance and trouble. Now, when 

 we consider that most of the species of 

 asparagus grow A'ery rapidly, there can be 

 little wonder that they become starved 

 when their roots are confined in a limited 

 space, and where this limitation of root 

 room is considerable the plants soon begin 

 t:> suffer unless recourse be had to extra 

 feeding. 



With due care and attention there is no 

 reason why the foliage of these usefid 

 ])lants slioidd not always be fresh and 

 green. The old foliage is sure to become 

 somewhat shabby, but this ought to be re- 

 moved so that the young growths may 

 have more room to develop. One of the 

 greatest mistakes the cultivator makes is 

 in keeping them too long. Young plants 

 grow away far more rapidly, and give in- 

 finitely better results than old worn-out 

 ones. Therefore, a batch of fresh plants 

 should be raised each season to take the 

 place of those that liave become exhausted. 



There are several vspecies and varieties 

 of ornamental asparagus. Some have been 

 known to cultivators for a considerable 

 time ; others are of more recent introduc- 

 tifju. Take A. falcatus, for instance; this 

 was introduc(Hl frcnn the East Indies far 

 more than a hundred years agf). It grows 

 much after the manner of A. Sju-engeri, 

 lynt is more loose in habit, and when well 

 looked after and liberally treated will pro- 

 duce shoots in one season f i-om fifteen 

 to twenty feet in length. This species, 

 like A. tenuissimus, has the habit of mak- 

 ing a quantity of laterals from the joints 

 below where a piece has been removed, and 

 thcvse growths are most useful, as they 

 make fine sprays from eighteen inches to 

 two feet long, which may be used for de- 

 corative purposes. Unfortunately, this 

 plant grows too large for the ordinary 

 stove, therefore is not so well adapted for 

 small places. To grow it to perfection 

 ample room should lie given, and when 

 planted out against the back wall of a 

 large stove and allowed to ramble at will 

 it grows away rapidly. 



For baskets A. Sprengei'i certainly has 

 but few equals. Its bright green glossy 

 foliage is always cheering, whether the 

 plants are large or small. For cutting it 

 is in great request, as the stems are stiff, 

 and, therefore, well suited for decorative 

 purposcvs. When plants l)ecome old they 

 will fruit most freely. We have had them 

 in fruit through the winter months, when 

 their bright red berries, interspersed 

 amongst the bright green foliage, produce 

 a charming effect, especially when the 

 plants are well grown, having growths from 

 five to six feet in length, 



A. plumosus scaudens is a ramblijig 

 kind, and when in a robust state of health 

 will make growths from fifteen to twenty 

 feet long. It is more suited for training 



under rafters than for growing in j>ots as 

 its loose nature renders it necessary to have 

 supports of some kind. The foliage is pro- 

 duced in flat sprays, which makes it most 

 useful for arranging with cut flowers, ett- 

 There are several varieties of A. plumosus. 

 One called nanus I have not seen in fruit 

 though I have grown some thousands of 

 plants. We alwavs 



dividing the plants. 



ture 



propagate this by 

 It has pale green 

 foliage, and does not grow more than a foot 

 or fifteen inches high. There is a variety 

 of plumosus that has a very slender habit, 

 and instead of the foliage being produced 

 in flat sprays they are of a more feathery 

 nature. This is one of the most useful foV 

 cutting, as it is so well adapted for making 

 shower bouquets, etc. It is, indeed, the 

 most useful of all the asparagus, as it 

 makes such nice plants in small pots, thou- 

 sands of plants being raised for this pur- 

 pose. 



A. tenuissimus is a peculiar asparagus, 

 having light feathery foliage, and is most 

 valuable for cutting. When grown against 

 the back wall of a house, where ample niois- 



can be provided, it will send out 

 abundance of roots from the joints, there- 

 fore there is no difficulty in working up a 

 stock in a short time. It shoidd be grown 

 by all who have large quantities of cut 

 flowers to arrange, as its liglit pale green 

 foliage is very telling with choice flowers. 



A. deflexus is admirably adapted for 

 baskets. Its drooping growths, which are 

 thickly clothed with heavy foliage of a 

 dark green hue, renders it a most useful 

 plant for baskets, or for like purposes, but 

 it does not make a good pot plant. 



A. myriocladus is a most useful kind, of 

 neat habit, and is worthy of a place in 



all gardens. 



Asparagus are gross feeders, therefore 



soon exhaust the soil in which they are 

 planted, and unless the nutrient matter is 

 replenished from time to time by liberal 

 supplies of artificial manures, the plants 

 will soon show signs of poverty. 



Most of the kinds make thiek fleshy 

 roots; in fact, some of them have roots 

 quite tuberous, and as these soon fill the 

 limited space of a pot, tluu-e is but httle 

 room for the soil, unless those of extra 

 size are employed, which is not always con- 

 venient. . 



Where plants are grown in pots specially 

 for house or conservatory decorations a 

 batch or two should be raised each year. 

 Seeds of most of the kinds are very cheap, 

 therefore there should be no difficulty in 

 working up a stock, but as some of the 

 species root so freely either from layers 

 or cuttings, propagation may be effect^! 

 in this manner. The stock may also be m- 

 i-reased by dividing the roots, but it is no 

 well to let the plants attain a considerable 

 age before this is effected. The asparagus 

 delight in ample moistui-c both at the roots 

 and over the foliage, but they will not gvow 

 in stagnant Avater. Given a good rich soi 

 and ample moisture, with a suitable atnio- 

 sphere, they will grow most luxuriantly, 

 whereas in a dry atmosphere and high tem- 

 perature they soon become shabby, 

 when once tliis ha])pens it is far 

 to work up a young stock than to tiy 

 bring the old phuits into health again. 



H. C. Prinskp. 



Azara integ^rif olia varie^ 



•In the milder parts of the country tn^ 

 azaras form valuable outdoor shrunk- ' ; 

 in other districts the protection of 



or glass is necessary. Tliat above ^^^^Y^^^the 

 forms a very pretty greenhouse slirub, 

 small, rounditsh, dark green, shining l^^'^^^J 

 being heavily margined with cream, 

 often suffused with red.- — T. 



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