320 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



May 



Anna Olivier, Catherine Mermet, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Hon. Edith Gifford, 

 Ernest Metz, Francisca Kruger, Marxian Cochet, Madame Cusin, Madame de 

 Watteville, Souvenir d'Elise Vardon, Caroline Kuster, Madame Hoste, Marechal 

 Niel, Innocente Pirola, Niphetos, Souvenir de S. A. Prince, The Bride, 

 Devoniensis, Rubens, Medea, Madame Lambard, Jean Ducher, Perle des Jardins, 

 and Alba Rosea. 



Erection t f F^nce. — W. S., New Maiden : The question whether you or 

 your neighbour should erect a fence can only be answered after a careful consider- 

 tion of the conditions under which the land was purchased. Usually when land 

 is sold in parcels, it is stipulated that the purchasers shall erect certain fences, 

 and probably this was done in your case. If an examination of these conditions 

 should show that your neighbour should provide the fence required for the separa- 

 tion of the two parcels, your proper course will be to call upon him to erect the 

 fence, and intimate that you will hold him responsible for any damage that may be 

 done by cattle in consequence of his failure to do so. Should there be no stipula- 

 tion as to the erecticn of the fence, either in the conditions of sale or of the con- 

 veyance, you might consult a solicitor with reference to the matter, or proceed to 

 protect your stock with a fence ; and posssibly the latter course will be 

 preferable. 



Variation in Seedling Maidenhair Ferns.— C. A. N., Doncaster: 



AH seedling plants when grown in quantities present to the experienced eye a 

 large amount of variation, notwithstanding the general fact 1 hat many good species 

 of ferns and flowering plants come very true from seed. Wherever several species 

 and varieties of maidenhair ferns are grown together in the same house there is 

 likely to be a considerable variation from the spore parent in the resulting seed- 

 lings, for the spores are so minute and easily carried from one plant to another by 

 air, water, &c, that unless very great care is taken it is almost impossible not to 

 sow other kinds than that you intend to propagate. This being so, it follows 

 that several kinds of maidenhair ferns may be sown together, quite unintention- 

 ally, and then when the prothallus stage of germination has taken place, the 

 sexual stage is reached, and so what to all intents and purposes is hybridisation or 

 cross-fertilisation ensues. Very frequently it is possible in seedlings of maidenhair 

 ferns to tell what the parents have been, so well are their characteristics combined 

 in the progeny. 



Forcing: Seakale. — A. C, Rochester : There is no great art in the forcing 

 of seakale, provided the plants have been well grown, the crowns properly ripened 

 and kept, and that warmth and darkness can be provided. The question as to the 

 soil in which seakale should be forced is a simple one, and easily answered ; 

 practically any material that will hold moisture, will not ferment, and can be 

 presssed around the crowns, will do. You seem surprised to have seen seakale 

 produced in boxes eight cr ten inches deep ; many folks would have very little 

 seakale if they did not grow it in boxes. We grow first-rate seakale by putting 

 the crowns about three to four inches apart each way in boxes sufficiently deep to 

 hold the root-stock ; the material we use is cocoa-nut fibre refuse, as it is easily 

 carried about, and after use is available for other purposes. Over the box of 

 crowns we invert another box of the same size, and stand the lot in a cupboard 

 where the water-box for the supply of the kitchen boiler keeps the atmosphere 

 somewhat moist. Waterings with warm water are occasionally given. Later 

 batches are produced in the cellar without any artificial heat to assist them. The 

 secret of the whole matter is to thoroughly cultivate the thongs, and so obtain stout 

 stocks each with a single fat and well -ripened crown. 



Pea Weevil.— R. S. M., Worcester : The pest from which your peas are 

 sufiering is the f triped pea weevil [Sitones lineatus). It sometimes does enormous 

 damage over large pea-growing districts, consequently every possible means should 



be taken to remove it. The weevils first appear during 

 March, and later broods arrive during April and May to 

 prey upon the new pea growth. The margins of the tender 

 leaves are first attacked, and if not stopped the pest passes 

 on to the succulent stems. The perfect insect does this much 

 damage, while the grubs work under the soil and feed upon 

 the more fleshy portions of the roots, so that between insect 

 and grub the pea plants have a bad time of it. Soot and 

 lime should be applied to the rows and between them, as it 

 makes matters distasteful to the pest ; in damp weather 

 soot should be used frequently to render the plant 

 obnoxious to the voracious beetles. Then also it 



Stkited Pea Weevil. 



is wise to promote rapid growth by occasional top- dressings 

 of stimulating growth, and by applications of clear water 

 in dry weather supplemented by liquid manure as the peas become strong 

 and well rooted. 



Successions! Flowers — C. H. B., Norwood: A careful perusal of the 

 columns devoted to Work forthe Week, would enable you to determine what 

 to plant, sow, or propagate of the various plants that would serve ti provide a 

 succession of flowers the whole year round. Limits of space prevent us from 

 giving such a detailed account as you desire in this column. If, however, you have 

 a file of the Gardeners' Magazine for 1897, and those numbers of the present 

 year up to date you should find no difficulty in the matter. You are, however, 

 seriously handicapped by lack of a warm pit or intermediate house where a 

 moderate amount of forcing could be conducted. In the winter you might have 

 bulbous flowers of various kinds, provided they are potted early in autumn ; 

 there would also be cyclamen, and primulas, azaleas, bouvardias, and forced 

 spirals, arum lilies, winter-flowering begonias, &c, not forgetting Helleborus 

 niger, for Christmas and the new year, out of doors. For spring, 

 many of these subjects would still be available grown in frames or out 

 ot doors, with lily of the \ alley, zonal pelargoniums, eupatoriums, cinerarias, 

 wallflowers primroses, polyanthuses, violas, &c, and late flowering narcissi to 

 keep up the supply until the early summer flowers commence. In the summer 

 abundance of flowers can be obtained if a large garden is provided ; roses would 

 naturally be largely used, with liliums of sorts, sweet peas in plenty, irises of sorts, 

 'u'l! an< cornflowers,, pyrethrums, double and single, candytuft, begonias, 

 erinn rhrT^T™' &<S "- V 5l with gladiolus, dahlias, michaelma.s daisies, early flow 

 rS feri emUmi V and helia ™h«ses for autumn use. Following these are the 

 vZt as it be housed in th * greenhouse, and salvias, bou- 



and heHewL Li nP"T ,as to hel P ^ngs along until the forced flowers 



and co ere?! •ifw ^ J he ' atter might be made much of if grown liberally 

 and covered wnh frames or handlights as soon as the buds are fully formed. * 



•898. 



New Invention. 



New Lawn Mower.— We recently had submitted 

 Follows and Bates' new " Chain Tennis » Lawn Mowers 



« s one of Mt^ 



possessed by this is the use of an admirable, although siinnT* ^« • adv «H»e 

 the gear chain. Behind the drum, or cylinder, is placed a it u f ° f 

 axle of the drum, upon which the driving wheel is fixer! • th L Contr oUthe 



Konnt'nn ln n c» a eUr,V.f rtinWmpnt n f fk*. 1 J . ' lnUS » When the Ch^Q j. 



" CRITICISM WILL FOST F R tat RNT^ Z », J ii . 



« — i-n r. • ecessarv t , is an adage too well known to need dilating 



.:?. s ? e something which for many years has defied adverse 



upon, especially as it 



critidsm. Hollow ay s Fills and Ointm V "** vl . ,uu 5 ,w.«u«i«,«u, C i ac 



fr miliar than " household words "he* - ♦ 15 sterling remedies for all complaints, are more 

 their possession as a positive' nT" 5 * m cons T tant daily ^ by thousands of people, wbo look upon 

 reliable medicines in times of need ic Leadirg medical authorities advise their use as 

 whilst for bile, rick headache flttnW* SC?.*"* 1 for a11 skin diseases they are unequalled, 



been truly said they are worth ^^ifeST* ??* a,1 , Hver and Slomach & has 



ww 6 at m gold. — LAdvt.j 



hanging loose a slight movement of the lever draws the whe^I 

 distance, and the chain is consequently tightened, and fimd u ' • - any re V"W* 

 service. The Gorton firm are introducing upon their invent' ° n ° r funl * 

 equal to that used in the production of the best cycles This mTw ^l* 7 of 

 an attachment for adjusting the cutting cylinder to any required h^b P ° S * 5Stt 

 desired length of cut may be ensured, and the method is so easv'fw s ? k lhal «f 

 have had no great experience can readily make the necessary adjustmc t *** 



Markets. 



Covent Garden. 



The moderate supply of fruit meets an eager demand, and prices are hie* n 

 sell at high rates, but lemons are somewhat cheaper. Vegetables url i , Uran §» 

 sell at moderate rates, though for forced or early imported subjects the priSml!? 



FRUIT.-Tasmanian apples 10s to 16s. ; Californian, 8s. to 1 1 s E ^ ™ ^ 

 Scotian 15s to 25s per barrel: English grapes, 3s. to 4 s.6d.; Gunnel M^hV? 

 to 4s. : Dutch 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per lb. ; pineapples, 2s. 6d. to 4 s.6d. each - h,!^ 

 5 s. to 9 s, per bunch; Valencia oranges, 12s. to 25s. per case ; Tafia, 10s to i^w 

 per box ; lemons, 8s to 15s. per case. ^' 10 I2 >« M. 



Flowers.— Arums, 2s. to 4 s. ; carnations, is. to 3s. ; eucharis « tn . 

 gardenias, is. to 3s.; Lilium Harrisi, 2s. to 4 s.; tea roses, 6d. to is • nink JL' 

 3 s. to 6s. ; red roses, 2s. to 4 s. ; cattleyas, 6s. to as. ; Odontogloss\Im crK* 

 is. 6d. to 4 s. ; and tuberoses, is. to is. 6d. per dozen blooms ; Adiantum cunea^m' 

 to 8s. ; marguerites, 2s. to 4 s. ; narciss, various, is. to 3s. ; daffodils 1? I to 

 w ^ ; tulips, 3s. to 6s. : mignonette, 2s. to 4 s. ; pelargoniums (scarlet) m to'b • 

 wallflowers, 2s. to 3s. ; polyanthuses and cowslips, is. to is. 6d. ; primroses' od to r 

 bluebells, gd. to is. ; and violets, 9d. to 3 s. 6d. per dozen bunches • azaleas 6d to 

 9d. ; stephanotis, 4 s. to 6s. ; lily of the valley, 6d. to is. ; and pelargoniums *L 

 to 6d. per dozen sprays ! bouvardias, 6d. to 8d. ; white lilac. 2s. to 3s per bunch ' 

 Vegetables.— French asparagus, 2s. to 5s. ; giant, 5s. to 7 s. 6d. ; Worcester 

 is. gd. to 2s. 3d per bundle ; mushrooms, 6s. to 9s. ; eschallots, 2s. to 2s. 6d per 

 12 lb. ; broccoli, 6d. to is per dozen, 35. to 4 s. 6d. per crate ; new cirrots, 6s. to 8$. 

 per dozen Lunches : spinach, is. 6d. per bushel ; cabbages, 3s. 6d. to 4 s. 6d. per tally ; 

 Egyptian onions, 6s. to 85. per cwt. ; English spring, 2s. to 3s. per dozen buncta; 

 green peas, 4 d. per pocket ; French beans, 3s. to 3s. 6d, per basket; rhubarb, 2?! 

 to 3s per dozen bundles ; cucumbers, 23. to 5s. ; endive, is. to i*. 6d. ; lettuce,' 6d* 

 to gd.; cos, is. 6d. per dczen ; seakale, 6s. to 12s. per dozen punnets ; Canary new 



4S 



to 4 s 



tubers 



Borough Potato Market 



In view 

 si icker>i ng 

 generally. 



Brood M 



Teneriffe kidneys, 1^. to 15s. per cwt. ; Lisbon rounds, 5s. to 5s. 6d. per box; ler* 

 hothouse, 3W. per lb. 



WEATHER DURING THE WEEK 



Stations. 



Temperature of the Air. 



Highest. Lowest. 



London 



Croydon 



Brighton 



Bristol 



Wolverhampton 



Norwich 



Nottingham .. 



Liverpool 



Huddersfield M 



Bradford 



Hull 



j Fahrenheit. 



68 0 



4i'3 



68 -o 



33-5 



64'4 



43'4 



62*0 , 



39"o 



58-9 ! 



36*2 



64-4 



39"6 





38-3 



6i'8 



4i'5 



1 60*5 



40 4 



61 *o 



4J'4 



63 0 



37 '0 



Mean. 



Fahren- 



Centi- 



heit. 



grade. 



5i"9 



iTo6 



50*6 



io'33 



52*5 



it -39 



4 8'6 



9*22 



46 3 



1 7'94 



49'4 



9 6 7 



47 8 



8*78 



48 8 



9*33 



47'3 



8*50 



49 9 



I 9'44 



47*5 



861 



Rainfall. 



In 



Inches. 



In Ct-:. 



0*58 

 o 78 



o-86 



o'v3 



I'OJ 



0*92 



0*38 



0*30 



0-58 

 0*46 



1- 4* 



111 



2- 1* 



3» 



t'47 

 1*62 



ru 



097 

 076 



1 1; 



I 17 



Then 

 of the Ther 



1841—00. The direction of the wind was variable, the horizontal movement of t . n «~[ k - 

 28 per cent, above the week's average in the 16 years 1860-75. The duration of regis. . ^ 

 sunshine in the week was 36*6 hoars. The measured rainfall amounted to o'5S ot an im 



ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 



MEETINGS. 



Wednesday, May 18.— Society of York Florists : Second exhibition. 

 Friday, May 20— Royal Botanic Society's Lecture. . . T.mwortk 



Saturday. May 21.— General Meeting of the Royal Botanic Society, lamwm 

 Viola Exhibition. 



AUCTIONS. ( . 



Monday and Friday, May 17 and 2 o.-Japanese Lilies, Asters, f Carnations, Urcow* 



Seaforthias, Phloxes, Hollyhocks, &C, Protheroe and NIornsS rooms. 

 Tuesday and Wednesday, May 17 and 18. -Greenhouses Hot- water 1 ipwy, ^ 



trarden Utensils, The Surbition Nurseries, Ewell Road, Surbmon. 



I J!2 i* 



CONTENTS. 



* 1 ■ 



l # • 



Answers to Correspondents 

 Average Life of the Potato 

 Engagements for the Ensuing Week 



Exhibition Chrysanthemums 



Exhibitions and Meetings : — 



National Tulip Society 



Royal Botanic Society 



. Royal Horticultural Society ... 



Scottish Horticultural Assoctation 

 Fruit Blossom 

 Markets 



Memories of Ghent 



Narcissus at Vaileyfield, Penicuik 

 Notes of the Week 



Fruit and Vegetable Imports 

 Planting Roses in Spring 

 Prevention of Club-root ... 

 Yucca Fertilisation 



PAGE 



3 T 9 



3 10 

 320 



... 3°9 



• • • 



• * • 



■ • « 



... 



• ■ • 



t • • 



• • • 



■ • ■ 



• • • 



t • t 



• • 1 



• • • 



• • • 



• • ■ 



• • • 



• • t 



- • • 



• • • 



• * * 



• » • 



• • * 



3*9 



317 



3i7 



3 10 

 310 



320 I 



3 11 I 

 3'Sl 



306 I 



305 



3°5 , 

 300 I 



New Inventions ••• 

 New Plants, IHojgef*. ana 6 

 Non-warranty of Seeds 



Obituary ... ••• , "J. ner 

 Peaches in the Open dun. 1^ - 

 Pear Beurre de JongWe 

 Pyrus Sikkimensis - - 

 Seakale in the Open Grounu ... 

 Swanleyand Eynsford... 

 The Granard Nursenes 



The Weather ~L 



T oo-much-alike Chrysantbemur 



Work for the Week ^ 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Diagrams of Fruit lUossom ... 



Group of the Lady Pni 

 Pyrus Sikkimensis • - 



t • • 



