AUGUST 20 



1898. 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



Early Tomatos. 



It may at first sight seem out of place to write about early tomatos at a 

 season of the year when the fnms are plentiful, bo. ,„ secure ea^y f™ £ 

 next year one must be on the alert now, and make preparations accord- 



BRITISH RAISED ROSES. 



The list of roses of British origin which have achieved the greatest 

 eminence is now a very comprehensive one. Of late years we have been 

 j a lj y indebted to such firms as the Pauls, of Waltham and Cheshunt, 

 Xhe Dicksons, of Newtownards. Lord Penzance has given us some ingly. Many growers »w 



~ " aDS - thft moSt attraCtlVC are Teanme ^ U PP^ es ; b f if fwn at the earlier date, with bad weather intervening 



growth is slow, the progress made is poor, and the crop cannot be termed 



o plaits ^ for-Somf^ °/ tomat <> s > bu < «»P> ^ a limited numbed 



August f ° rkh0me SUppI y ' and t0 meet the demand we raised olants in 



rateable hybrid briars, of which, perhaps, the most attractive are Jeannie 

 Deans Amy Robsart, and Lady Penzance, which, however beautiful, 

 have this serious limitation, that they are even more evanescent than the 

 Austrian briars, which I have elsewhere described as " dreams of beauty 

 loo bright to last." The Messrs. Cocker, of Aberdeen, have been the 

 raisers of several roses of the greatest attractiveness, of which the latest 

 introduction, Mrs. James Cocker, is an interesting cross between Mrs. 

 John Laing and Mabel Morrison, and partakes to some appreciable 

 extent of the attributes of both ; though I do not hesitate to say that I 

 prefer it, in some respects, to either of these. Through a special kind- 

 ness of the Messrs. Cocker, I have it at present in bloom in my garden, 

 ami admire it greatly ; much more, indeed, than Duke and Duchess of 

 Fife, or Duchess of York, and that is saying much. 



Of the numerous roses raised by Mr. William Paul some of the 

 finest are Pride of Waltham, valuable for exhibition ; Crown Prince, 

 ich has always been very popular with the great French rosarians ; 

 Beauty of Waltham, a rose of much sweetness, which still retains its 

 Iden popularity ; Clio, a worthy rival of Margaret Dickson ; Duke of 

 York and Queen Mab, the two last named China roses of much fascina- 

 tion, which, however, have not succeeded well with me either in a shady 

 or sunny situation ; also Corinna, Medea, Enchantress, and Empress 

 Alexandria of Russia, tea roses of great beauty. 



From Messrs. Paul and Son, of Cheshunt, have come several very 

 useful garden roses ; also such brilliant varieties as 



Charles 



with its exquisite shading of 



Duke of Teck, 

 the lustrous 



. w marone, 



Ckeshunt Scarlet, and Sultan of Zanzibar ; also that grandest of all the 

 Biurbons, Mrs. Paul, a remarkable derivation from Madame Isaac 

 rereire, a rose of richest fragrance and imposing dimensions. 



For some years I relied on plants raised from cutting struck in the 

 autumn, but this was only a partial success, as the cuttings did not erow 

 free enough from November to January, and in the latter month maSy of 

 the plants became smaller, instead of larger, and so we had to look for 

 another and a more suitable system. Fog is one of the worst enemies 

 the tomato has to contend with in mid- winter, for as they need light and 

 air they soon show signs of distress after a few days 1 fog, and we found 



CUtt J ing L C0U n0t stand extremes of any kind like plants raised from 

 seed. Many may think by giving warmth the evil effects complained of 

 could be counteracted, but this only adds to the evil, for the cooler the 

 plants are kept from November to January the better in every way for 

 them, as they then start away freely into growth, and when given more 

 warmth as the days lengthen they respond quickly. 



Some varieties are more difficult than others to winter, and those of 

 the Perfection type, though our most shapely fruits are not so suitable for 

 winter or early spring fruiting ; on the other hand, I am disposed to think- 

 that any kind which grows rank should be omitted, though one may do 

 much by pot culture, and to curb the roots and cause free setting. My 

 best winter variety for years was Horsford's Prelude, but the fruits came 

 very small. Conqueror was tried, and this comes much corrugated, but 

 many of our best kinds come so more or less when grown under adverse 

 conditions. The last few seasons we have grown a selection of the Old 



■ ■ ■ mm a _ « mm m _ - ^""^ _ 



I he varieties which were raised by the late Mr. Henry Bennett were Red, and this is reliable, not a smooth fruit by any means, but one must 

 .ery numerous that not a few of them, such as Purity and Laurence " 

 A! «n, have only quite recently been for the first time introduced. Of the 

 «er and more familiar roses of his raising are Mrs. John Laing, an 



>ense favourite with exhibitors, by reason, probably, of its reliability : 



though 



not be too particular with fruits at the season named. Last year Frog- 

 more Selected proved a reliable setter early in the year, and I hope to 

 grow it in greater quantity this season. Still, most readers will admit we 

 have not yet secured a tomato that will set fruits in winter, I mean from 

 November to January. Fruits set previous to the earlier date are 



j|. ftlf>rv " www uc lmjJIUVCU J Willie 11 IS VdlUdUlC 11 I 



mo verv prolific \ iscountess Folkestone, one of the most precious, for and March. 



Xliam PC h I?*' ° f th , e hybrid teas ; Grace Dar,in ^ Lady Mary, 

 •2, a**"? acquisitions to "this iiiporS 



ripen 



lection 



Wales 



•owe 



ih€ 0 i?n r „ y i™!. ar characteristics are the Newtownard 



The great majority, 



m *ny famous 

 «»»nated from 



■•Cr VArirtv <.., 



that 



s roses ; especially 

 perpetuals and hybrid teas which have 

 regmn. It would be difficult to discover a 



hybrid 



§*cimen for efferTivV 1 v v u ™ ar S aret "ickson, or a grander 

 P that wh I Hhe ZZ b,UOn than Ma , rCh ° ness of Londonderry. I 

 * : thehSriTSS " V™***™*** indifferent to atmospheric 

 • h *h. "herelo J TZSSSS^ A « influence of rain / from 



«*s.derablv less C exh,b 't'°n it reauires 



Mrs. ShVrmar^L nana ,'. ,t ,sam uch fuller and more maiestic 

 fi? <**ory ^BifS? I 8 a Vanet >; Which ma y Placed in the 



Win I * Ji _ 1 a,so it seems to me. nn th*» co mA u: 'u i * i • , 



requires protection. It has 



J*» .Uini7to Ihichkilf S JZ S ?° me 'i° n l ? e Same h * h »evel7 w^h M7s: 



^rior in 2? s ? ,s at J east e q«al in form (though nnt in rfwri 



Mrs. W 



*«ibe 



Hitherto I hive 'rega7ded 



uT* 10 ^ when full hX. ? , U P etals .and therefore not entirely dry atmosphere is maintains oy Kmn K ..«d 

 t^-Milliar that IS ? ra , tified . * 'earn from the Rev" watering early in the day. _P ants not grown 



Culture is simple ; we sow early in August and grow the plants as 

 hardily as possible from the start, sowing in cold frames and potting the 

 seedlings when large enough, still keeping the plants near the glass, and 

 when the plants are strong enough we leave the sashes off at night to 

 ensure a sturdy habit. By October the plants have filled a six or seven- 

 inch pot, and they are wintered in these in a cool house, or shelves 

 near the glass, just keeping them from frost Water is given very 

 sparingly from November onwards, but if any fruits are set at the 

 lower part of the plant, a little fertiliser is given, to keep them mov ing. 

 We pot up in poor soil and as firm as possible from the first shift, 

 as growth is not so much needed after November ; if heat is used, 

 air is always given by the top ventilators. In January the plants 

 are started by being placed in small pits, and either p.jtted into nine- 

 inch pots, or planted out in beds. We prefer pots, and these are placed 

 on a warm bed with a couple of hot water pipes beneath, the house 

 being kept at sixty degrees by day, and five to ten degrees lower 

 by njgbt. Those planted out have no bottom heat : indeed, those in pots 

 have very little, for there is a thick layer of ashes over a slate bed under 

 which the pipes run. If the plants need shifting in November we treat 

 them accordingly in preference to keeping them in small pots, but the 

 moisture supply needs more care. Flowers show readily m February ; 

 these are fertilised, and the plants have weak supplies of liquid manure. 

 Useless growth is removed, and each plant is kept to one stem ; a 

 dry atmosphere is maintained by giving heat and air, and by careful 

 A *• Hav Plants not grown in pots are only given a 



^^^oodbt i U g C snow 



>' r ;- ; r -r > ear ; p^ 



Sfi^on T'Hden'S 1 S, a ff nd even more' dfficuft" of 



J?* ter would nr«K-.K?.. , Keller ' *-arIof Dufferin (which th* D«n nf 



possible at planting, 

 T.Ta'n t ; r v of wood ashes or old mortar rubble mixed in the 



u wurc man usual attention. sou ; tnese mm A r ^A «St/*n cnrfir* rlrpssin^s I have 



essrs Dickson are Lady Helen they will fruit for. months ,f fc^ W*J»*ewng. ha e 

 ;e % after th* *a ni^^jL^ Q ' xven seedlings raised in the early winter every aucnuun, uui mwu w 



M asU as Jro. p,nts ra.sed now pother handouts 



^%r^^&^*r the surl ' as these respond 



better to the warmer treatn.ent early in the year. 



f V : ' ,; . on the other K 1 3 ""iewnat over-estimated ; better to tne warn 



i'^omewhat d ^SSSji" JSlJS r ^eived,. perhaps by Syon Gardens. 



Wy 



***** oses l,nc ? ,v « characteristics. 



2?*Anhu r?™*4by I'Titish ro 



*bm^ Mrs - Harry 

 Sine, 



Wolsel 



•^2^^ Mr, r a ° ° Ve L 1 h ave been 



555 fc, > tu ^, ha, s Cocker > for w 



• ; . ' . nas rained »lL -_i 



t- \ e most important are 

 which we are indebted to Mr. 

 Jjt and the Crimson Bedder, 

 nave come to us from Here- 

 name is suggestive of the place of 



new 



^ and is SJ 5 fir Vanety ' h is fascinating alike 



^'Wa P C a m ° St valua ble acquisition. 



** "****, ll'&onskire NB D R ' WlL UAMSO N . 



Salvia oatens. -Undoubtedly the Salvia patens is the best blue bedding 

 Salvia P"*"?; . ^ yet it is much neglected I have a Urge 

 out plant we have for large ^ X k . Flowers of Spring, and this 



bed of it edged wrthjhe wtnte patens was first introducedin 1838 



, „ . ,. „ n _ [WUW „-half feet high, with most beaudful spikes of blue 

 from Mextco ; 1 £rows ^ « s cQmes This ^ o1d lant 



flowers and these conunw ^ to p. ^ ^ fa 



should be ^J^S^bSu As soon as the seedlings are large enough prick 

 sandy soil and plac ed IS J ra . ^ lhem QUt J the beds ahout the middle of 

 them off into pans or pots, p ^ ^ freely ^ ^ ^ ^ 



May ; they " Q tober I take the old roots up, and store them away for 



heat. At the end o f OcWM und£r £ ouse st tUl the end of 



£ C r'lft ^ Sotted off and put in pits or greenhouse. When the 

 March, toy. ' « P^ , th stdke readn vvheI1 using Salvia patens 



growths are about su mcne g , ^ j ^ flQwer remarkab , y 



SdTSS only Snf from f.elve to fourteen inches high.-W. Sm ythe, 

 Basing Park Gardens, Alton. 



