January i, 1898- 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



1 



Peaches Indoors and Out. 



ONE of the first questions which will arise is this : Must the trees be 

 grown indoors or out ? Indoors by all means, if a suitable house is pos- 

 sessed but outdoors if there is no structure available in which the con- 

 ditions to be mentioned can be provided. To begin with, we want a 

 house that is both light and well ventilated. A conservatory which has 

 to be adapted to the wants of a mixed collection of plants is not suitable, 

 nor is a span-roofed house with central and side stages for plants. The 

 most suitable structure is a lean-to, not too sharply pitched, for in such a 

 place the trees can be planted near the front, and their framework of 

 shoots trained to a trellis under the glass, while tall "rider" trees can 



be grown against the back wall. Where there is no convenience at all 

 for growing them under glass, they may be tried out of doors. Peach 

 growing out of doors is not practised so extensively as it was, but good 

 crops are still secured in some gardens. There should be a coping a foot 

 wide fixed to the wall at the top, and this, with protection for the blossom 

 in spring, will do much towards securing a crop. 



Planting. 



Planting may be performed from the time the leaves fall in the 

 autumn until the following April. Those who are going to grow them 

 out of doors should defer planting until February, so as to miss the 

 severest part of the winter ; by the following one they will be well esta- 

 blished. A sound fertile loam, such as would grow good potatos, will 

 be suitable, but peaches can do with a stronger soil than the noble 

 tuber, if it is well drained and friable. They cannot be relied upon to 

 give satisfaction, in a cold, heavy, adhesive clay. Where the soil is of 

 this description drainage and the addition of large quantities of gritty 

 matter will be needed before it will be in a suitable condition for the trees. 

 Do not incorporate large quantities of rich manure, for it will only en- 

 courage fgross, sappy, fruitless shoots. Mortar rubbish and wood ashes 

 will make better additions than manure. In planting the trees take great 

 care to have the soil firm. The firmer it is, short of being absolutely hard, 

 the better, for loose soil encourages soft growth, and only firm, well-matured 

 shoots will give heavy crops of fine peaches. 



Training. 



The best form of tree is the fan, so called from the shoots spreading 

 out diagonally, and so forming an outline very much resembling that of 

 a fan. There is no leader or upright growth, as in most other trained fruit 

 trees. The amount of early training required will depend upon the age of 

 the treesfwhen bought. A two-year-old is the best cheap tree, because the 

 framework has already been laid in the nursery, and a little observation 

 will suffice to make the system which has been followed, and which should 

 be continued, clear. It will be seen that the leader has been shortened, 

 and that shoots radiate from the main stem below the point of pruning. 

 AH the back and front buds have been removed, and this should always 

 be practised so as to have the side shoots on the top and bottom of the 

 branches, never sticking out at right angles to the framework, for then 

 they cannot be trained in to the wall. If the branches radiating from the 

 niain stem have not been shortened, cut them back to half their length, 



*A e ^ good foundation laid on 



wnicn to build up a good fruiting structure. 



How to Prune. 



PeJhil /n J 0WS * na - tUra S y ° n . the training ' and is > indeed > a P art of it. 

 to saJ shnnl nect y ines bear their to** chiefly on wood a year old, that is 



ob e/t i, ?n L adC ° ne ? eaS ° n bear the next This bei 4 the case, the 

 be ml a a r 3 rCgUla , r , succession y ear a *er year, a bearing shoot 



n themanne? ?J?£aC be ^ hav.ng laid the framework of the trel 

 such a dfst^nri ? lndlcated > tram in some young shoots, having them 

 sucn a distance apart that the leaves will not be crowding and over 



expan?on ^L W1 "i![^t n i.. in , S ,P nn ? wlU break Blossoms will 



Nephrolepis. 



The members of this genus are nearly all natives of tropical regions, 

 though this does not make them any the less useful, for it is surprising 

 the low temperature they will withstand, and even thrive in, under 

 cultivation. They thus form some of the most useful of ferns for 

 domestic decorations. All are of easy culture, and may be very readily 

 propagated in several ways, either by spores— which is, of course, the 

 most prolific method— or by the young plants which are very freely 

 produced upon the thin wiry rhizomes that run so freely from all sides 

 of old specimens. Another mode of propagation in some species is by 

 the fleshy tuberous roots, that are also produced in quantity along the 

 rhizomes of some species, and these, if detached and planted, soon form 



species enjoy a rich compost of a loamy 

 nature, with the addition of plenty of leaf-soil and sand if the loam is 

 inclined to be at all clay-like ; and it is important to bear in mind to 

 a ways give good drainage, as they all revel in an abundance of water at 

 almost all seasons of the year. 



For indoor decoration it is advisable to have a few young plants 

 coming on to take the place of older specimens which are apt to become 

 crowded, their crowns becoming raised above the soil, and thus 

 preventing a vigorous growth. If this condition of the plants is allowed, 

 they are more liable to become dry, and this is soon made evident by the 

 casting of their pinnae, and thus becoming entirely disfigured and useless. 

 The number of species in cultivation is small, but they are all worthy of 

 a place in collections of useful ferns. Several are extremely useful for 

 planting out in rockeries, where they should be placed in an elevated 

 position where the long drooping fronds are allowed room to develop to 

 perfection. Among the best for this purpose is N. cordifolia v. tuberosa, 

 the fronds growing several feet in length, and forming a beautiful 

 covering to rocks. N, acuta is also useful in this way, as it is also for 

 basket work, when, if planted in lasting material, it will last for several 

 years without renewal. N. cordifolia has several varieties of ^reat 

 value for pot plants, N. compacta being one of the most generally seen 

 plants of the genus, grown as it is in large quantities for market purposes. 

 N. c. pectinata and N. c. phillipinensis are of a compact habit, and sturdy 

 small specimens are always admired. 



For exhibition or large specimens, the Japanese species N. davalli- 

 oides and its variety furcans are both desirable, large and handsome 

 plants being easily and quickly obtainable. This species was intro- 

 duced into this country by the Messrs. Rollisson in 1852; the fronds 

 are pendent and of a graceful nature, of a green glabrous nature, growing 

 about three feet in length. The variety has the advantage of its pinnae 

 being crested and the apices being also deeply crested, thus forming a 

 most striking object. Another large growing kind is N. rufescens var. 

 tripinnatifida, which is distinctly a tropical fern, requiring a moist, hot 

 condition of temperature. To grow this we'l it is best to start with 

 young plants in spring, and to keep them growing by giving occasional 

 shifts, and also preventing any attacks of thrips, which quickly disfigure 

 this handsome species. It is erect in habit, with fronds, sometimes four 

 feet long, of a pleasing light green colour. N. plum a, a Madagascar 

 species, is of a very light elegant habit, especially suited for baskets, 

 deciduous during winter. It possesses narrowish pale-green fronds, and 

 requires to be rested in a good temperature, and never allowed to become 

 thoroughly dry at the roots. A well-known form is N. exaltata, a plant 

 common in the tropics everywhere, and introduced in 1793 to Kew. The 

 fronds are slender, glabrous, and the pinnae with serrated margins. N. 

 exaltata v. hirsutata is less well known, and is known by its fronds being 

 covered by ferruginous scales. 



A very distinct species is N. Duffi, a native of Australia. In habit 

 it is close and tufted, with thin rhizomes on which young plants are 

 developed in quantity. The drooping character of the fronds, which are 

 branched and slightly tasselled, giving it a peculiarity at once distinguish- 

 able. It grows about eighteen inches in height, and requires a stove 

 treatment to succeed well. The fronds are said to never produce spores 

 under cultivation, and must necessarily be propagated by divisions, and a 

 somewhat lighter and more peaty compost is required for this species 



expand on them, and shoots will begin to push Remove nll^wfwi than the majority of this genus enjoy. Considering the usefulness and 

 aine shoots crra^nniu, x. ... 6 ., K , • remove an tnese bud- r „„u,,^ nt + v oc « niontc ™ ™u^*;^ „r r^™,, k» 



ding shoots era<]ZuJL T g " u P , ft ' Kemov e all these bud- 

 ti P The fo^ U i? J£^ pt K 0Ile . nCa r he 5 ase and another near the 

 is to draw the sao ?n ^ f 'f™? sl T ° f next ^ and *e latter 

 healthiCand when th. f v\ U,t - u Let the y° un & basal shoot develop 

 the place ^ht^^^ ^^ gat £ ered U wiU be read y to take 

 system to follow seasnf tl Whl ° h ^ ay then be cut out - That is the 

 shoots are no? warned 1 ( u Very Str0n ^' coarse succession^ 



and are 4° thTck lift tlnl t ^ *a thc ? rUn t0 two feet lon S or ™re, 



tnick, lift the tree and replant it, so as to impart a check. 



T1 . A Selection of Varieties. 



and caremusl' & laken ^n ffn^ 63 a J d nectarines > ar * very numerous, 

 "Pen together. The fol Zlt 00S]n 8 } hem > so as to avoid sorts which all 

 «Hent varieties • Alexand^ S ? CC ^ ed e3ch ot her, and are ex- 



ease of culture of these plants, no collection of ferns can be complete 

 without the more popular of their number ; and for amateurs few can 

 be more strongly recommended. 



Edinburgh. 



R. L. Harrow. 



The Black Fly. 



This does terrihl * ^* 

 ° f the growing shoots 'ZlV^v^ T™' establisb ing itself in the tips 

 r/, eC ° Ver a »<he season K« Pplln ? th T ?° badl y that they often do 

 »J directly one is seen onf f P * ^ lo ° k -° ut for this P es < in spring, 



a Soluti °n by soakin. f ^ t0baC r C ° Water in a b ™ J or basin, or 

 3 l the n ? 8a,lon of wte r g ISKS ° f ? P ° und of q uassia ^ips o^er- 

 d 'P the infested shoots t h e vel 5 el & ° UnCeS ° f S ° ft SOap ' then 



1 , Kentish Gardener, 



The Ground Nut {Apios tuberosa) is a fairly commDn plant in this country, 

 where its graceful twining growths bear numerous brownish purple and fragrant 

 flowers during the summer. It is a leguminous plant, and requires support ; it is 

 perennial, and can be readily propagated by means of its pear-shaped tubers, 

 which are numerous ibut not large. These are farinaceous and edible, but so far 

 as we are aware they have not been used with any degree of success or popularity 

 as a vegetable. A correspondent to Garden and Forest writes : " Hiving read of 

 the edible character of the roots of Apios tuberosa I was curious to find out what 

 they were like. This beautiful wild plant is familiar to all, but its curious tubers, 

 strung along the underground shoots like beads on a string, are not so commonly 

 known. I had used the plant to cover a bare wall near the house, and the ot'.cr 

 day I dug up a few of the tubers. They were about the size of small S:cT;el 

 pears. I noticed that, even when slightly cut, or pricked, they exuded a £ura-iike 

 iuice, white and sweetish, something like India-rubber, in its elastic nature, and 

 not easily dissolved in the mouth. Possibly this gum might prove to have some 



UOUi iaj w% . u economic value. I baked the tubers in the oven for about fifteen minutes and 



so badly that they often do iownd them delicious. When done they were mealy and creamy white in colour. 



k-nnt tik;« r^r-f. ;~ ^ : Their flavour was strikingly delicate ; something between that of a very fine potato 



and a sweet potato, with a suggestion of the chestnut, also. If farmers and mar ket 

 gardeners would take pains to cultivate Apios tuberosa they would undoubtedly 

 make handsome profits, for the tubers would be in demand both as a novelty and 

 as a welcome addition to our edible vegetables. It is not unlikely that, with 

 cultivation, new varieties would be developed, perhaps approaching the sweet 

 potato in size, and possibly even improving upon the present flavour," 



