December 21, 1912 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



989 



confused apples as Pott's Seedling and 

 Grenadier, and Lane's Prince ^Ubert and 

 Striped Beefing. In each case the first-named 

 of the two pairs has very dark flowers, and 

 the second light, A further case may be 

 mentioned in that of "Williams' Favourite 

 and Worcester Pearmain, apples of the same 

 season and of often similar appearance. The 

 widely different colours of the buds will 

 make identification easv. 



Calyx. 



The size, shape, and wooUinees 

 of course, well observed in the fruit. 



are, 

 and 



we need not discuss them here, except to say 

 that the differences are more easily seen in 

 the flowering stage. 



Relative Length of Pistil and 



Stamens. 



Tliis is a character of some value, and is, 

 so far as our observation has gone, one of the 

 most constant. It should be observed that 

 the stamens usually attain their maximum 

 size first, and are generally dehiscing when 

 the pistil has reached its full length. Ex- 

 amples of these variations are as follows: — 

 Styles longer than stamens: Lane's Prince 

 Albert, Hormead's Pearmain, Gravenstein. 

 Styles and stamens equal : Baumann's Eed 

 Winter Reinette, Mother, Lord Derby, 

 Golden Spire. Styles shorter than stamens : 

 Bramley's Seedling, Sturmer Pippin, Corona- 

 tion. 



Various Style Forms. 



Two w^ell-defined forms exist. In different 

 varieties of the same type the column may be 

 longer or shorter, but it preserves on the 

 whole a very constant length, and a measure- 



vers, in which the average 

 length of column before division was 6^mm., 

 gave ojmm. as the shortest, and 7mm. the 

 longest . 



The second type has the styles divided to 

 the ba^e, and the constancy of the form is 

 even better maintained. The amount of 

 pubescence is also a guide, though not so 

 constant. In, some varieties the whole pistil 

 is quite glabrous, as in White Transparent, 

 in others small hairs are present at the junc- 

 tion. In a third ca^ the styles are hairy 

 almost to their summits. 



So far in the form in which they are 

 divided to the base, we have not yet found a 

 glabrous variety. It will be seen that, 

 taking the two types, columnar and sepa- 

 rate, we have two very clear-cut differen- 

 tiating characters. Examples of their utility 

 are shown in the following cases, in which 



are compared : — Styles 



two similar fruits 



divided to base: Cox s urange i'lppin, lor- 

 far Pippin. Styles forming column: The 

 Houblou, Xorman s Pippin. 



Correlation. 



The fascinating but dangerous task of 

 searching for some broad and general corre- 

 lation between these varying characters of 

 apples is one at which we can only permit 

 ourselves a hastv and hesitating glance. That 

 large flowers fndicatc large fruit is fre- 

 quently true, but exception^ i-xi^t. The 

 largest flower we have noted ivs that of 

 kelson Codlin, an apple of medium size, 

 ^oiour in flower and fruit seems to go moro 

 contrary rule, as the finest coloured 

 uowers are generallv those of pale yellow or 

 |reeu varieties, as in Lord Derbv, Forfar 

 P^mn, and Golden Spire. 



Latency in flowering has on the whole a 

 correspondence with lateness^ in the fruit, 

 but by no means in all varieties. 



ihe writer hopes that any departures from 

 tae tacts stated above may be brought to 

 fiis notice, as he ha^ not had the oppor- 

 tunity of studying the possible effect of any 

 ^larkrdly different environment^ upon thorn. 



a '*^''snips. — Tht^-e iiri' far superior in 



navonr if left in the or,,und for the next 

 ^i^ht weeks. If continuous fronts ;ire ex- 



ted, it is well to covt-r up a small portion 

 ]^ith litter to prevent the ground being 

 frozen hard. They will then be easy to dig 



re(,uired; in open weather draw^ the litter 

 <^n.-— G. Ellwoob. 



ANSWERS TO 



CORRESPONDENTS. 



Eiditorial Oommunications should be addrossed to the 

 Kditor of the Gakdeners* Magazine, 148 and 149, 

 Alderegat^ Street, E.G. 



Secrertariee of horticultnral societies are invited to 

 send early notification of forthcoming: exhibitions 

 and meetingrs, and are requested to advise us con- 

 cerning chajiges of dates. 



Specimems of plants, flowers, and fruits for naming 

 or opinion should be sent to the Editor of the 

 Gardeners' Magazine, ^* Endsleigh," Priory Tark, 

 Kew, Surrey, and as early in the wet^k as posfiible! 

 Ail parcels must be sufficiently prepaid. 



The Editor will be glad to receive photographs of 

 gardens, plants, fiowers, trees, fruits, etc., for 

 reproduction in. the Gardeners' Magazine. He will 

 also be greatly obliged by correspondents sending 

 ea-rly intimation of interesting local events relating 

 to horticulture. In sending newspapers containing 

 matter to which they wish, to draw attention, cor- 

 respondents are requt^sted to distinctly mark the 

 paragraph. 



ELOWERING EVBEGOIEEN PLANTS 

 FOR EDGINGS.— E. L. S., Saffron Waldcn : 

 You will very greatly oblige me by suggest- 

 ing a few .subjects perennial evergreen 

 character that are suitable for the formation 

 of edgings to flower borders. If the plants 

 ar© also good flowering gubjeots, so mucJi the 

 better, iiy evergreen^ I mean not deciduous. 



^Plants that are always presentable, of neat 

 habit, and therefore suitable for edgings, 

 and yet which flower well, are not numerous. 

 Pinks, especially the variety Mrs. Sinkins, 

 are especially good, while thrift, London 



Pride, arabis, violas (if planted early in the 

 autumn), Saxifraga caeispitosa, S. hypnoides, 



S. muscosa, aubrietias, and either the green 

 or yellow-leaved form of the Creeping Jenny 

 (Lysimachia Nummuldria) may be u-sed with 

 success for edgings. 



THB MORELLO CHERRY. — M. F., 

 Cashel : The Morello cherry differs so largely 

 from the sweet cherries that I have often 

 wondered liow it originated. Can you give 

 any information upon this point ? — The 

 origin of the Morello cherry is "wrapped in 

 mystery." It is a very old variety, and was 

 mentioned by Parkinson in 162^). Dr. Hogg 

 considers " The great bearing cherry of Mas- 

 ter Miller," which Parkinson also refers to, 

 as being identical with the Morello, a variety 

 Switzer call^ the Milan — a reasonable great 

 red cherry bearing plentifully, although it 

 bee planted against a north Avail, yet it will 

 bee late ripe, but of indifferent, sweet, and 

 good relish." This is about all we can tell 

 you of the origin of one of our most useful 

 fruits. 



AUBERGINE OR EGG PLANT.— P. S., 

 Harpenden : What is the best time to sow 

 seeds of the Aubergine or Egg Plant. I 

 should like to grow a few plants this coming 



and should like to have an idea of 



ning water it is soon carried away unless 

 l>enned into a little bay by means of line 

 wire or a few strips of Avood^ AVithout doing 

 damage to fish and to surrounding vegeta- 

 tion, we do not know of any means whereby 

 Azolla caroliniana can be' prevented from 

 becoming a nuisance in still water, unless at 

 regular intervals the stock is severely reduced 

 by means of a skiin-net. 



HABROTHAMNUSES OR OESTRUMS.— 

 G. H.^ Harrogate: Will you be good enough 

 to let nie know which are the best kinds of 

 habrothamnus to grow as pillar plants in a 

 warm conservatory? — ^Tlie proper generic 

 name for tliese plants is Cestrum, not llabro. 

 thamnus, tliough tlie latter title is still very 

 popular in gardens. The best kinds to grow 

 are C. aurantiacum, orange-yellow summer- 

 flowering; C. elegaus, rosy-carmine, winter 

 and spring-floAverin^ ; and C. Newelli, crim- 

 son, summer-flowering. 



STAR ANISE.— M. A. R.. Bristol: I have 

 been given a few seeds of Star Anise; would 

 it be possible to raise plant>; and, if so, Iioav 

 should I proceed? — If the seeds are sound, 

 they should be soAvn in moderate heAt. Pot- 

 the seedlings i^ingly A\*hen large . uough, 

 adding some peat to the soil. A warm 

 greenhouse will suit them when once estab- 

 lished. When you have a few plants a year 

 or so old try one or two against a warm 

 south wall. Your seeds may be either lUi- 

 cium anisatum or I. verum, 



MALMAISON AND PERPETI AL ( AR- 



NATIONS.— Corunbian, Redruth: Will you 



kindly let me know if I am riglitlin tliinking 



that the treatment required for chrysan- 

 themums Avill ansAver Avell for ]>erpetiud 



Seeds should be eown in c-ii(('e->!ve season. 



year, 



liow to proceed, 

 light soil, in a heated pit or stove, early in 

 Eebruary, and the seedlings must be potted 

 singly at an early date. Keep the young 

 plants on a shelf near the glass in a quite 

 Avarm house; pot again as necessary, and 

 use rich substantial soil. Pot^ six inches 

 in diameter should be large enough to fruit 

 the plants in. An intermediate house Avill 

 suffice in early summer^ while an unheated 

 pit AAall provide sufficient protection during 

 the height of summer, provided the plants 

 are Av^ell adA'anced, When the fruits have 



NEWS FROM HEADQUARTERS. 



WHAT THE SEED BUYER OWES 

 TO THE BIG SEED HOUSES. 



When revelling in the delights of your gar- 

 den, haA'e you cA-er giA-en a thought to Avhat 

 you OAve to the big seed houses ? 



Did you know that a house like James 

 Carter and Co. spends from JC'SAKK) to "£4,000 

 a year on arresting seed-degeneration, and 

 on progressiA-e researches r 



In all cultivated plant life tliere is a per- 

 petual tendency to rcA'crt t<> the original 

 type. If, for example, you reproduce from 

 seeds of j'our oaa^u growing, you will find 

 your plants groAv weaker and weaker each 



fullv 



developed they may 

 for the table or the plants may add to the 

 attractiA^eness of the conservatory. 



AZOLLA CAROLINIANA.— C. H. T., 

 Cranbrook: I enclose a few tiny plants of a 

 very pretty little aquatic that is quite liardy 

 and multiplies gO rapidly here on still Avater 

 tliat it becomes a nuisance. At the present 

 moment it completely covers the pool, so 

 that, from a little distance, no Avater is 

 seen, bu^;. a surface tliat looks as solid and 

 IcA'ol as a pathway. What can be done to 



|)?tn-t'iit tlie ]ilaiit i']"om spreading so rapidly, 



and what is it> nanu^- — Ihe pretty miniature 

 aquatic sent is Azolla <ai'<>liii iana. In very 

 still Avater it incronses apace, but where there 



i-v r(nr^i(](M'ablo ?H<»v<'n!oiit in 1 lie watcv it _ _ _ 



.>vvn\> ti> iuciea>L' le>.^ rapidly, Avhilo in run- RAYNES PARK 



be either used 



That inexactly what would happen uniA^er- 

 sally, but for the big t>eed houses. Only a 

 visit to the gix?at Exliibition Warehouse of 

 James Carter and Co., at Ravnes Park, can 

 giA'e you any adequate idea of t]ie extraor- 

 dinary mea.surt'> taken — not merely to clieck 

 the cxiltivat-ed ])lant from running back to 

 its original form, but to force it to a higher 

 and yet higher form of deA'elopment. Costly 

 lalx>ratories are maintained, AA'here scientists 

 pursue their horticultural researches all the 

 year round, and the magnificent buildings 

 are surrounded by exten.'sive trial grounds 

 AA'here the plants undergo their final c-tage of 

 examination. 



After all, there is little difference between 

 the deA'eloi)nient of plant life and the breed- 

 ing of a racehorse. The parents of the seeds 

 liaA^e to be selected Avith just as much regard 

 to their strength, maiturity, and fitness. The 

 more thoroughly this great selective and 

 crO'-s-fertilisingVork is clone the greater will 

 be the reward. And it is precisely here that 

 the -lod-buA'cr s-'ets valne Avhen cinninq- to a 



big seed house. 



JAMES CARTER & CO. 



Seedt^nicn to His :Majo-ty the Kino-. 



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LONDON 



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