57° 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



September 



3. 189?. 



Apples in Northumberland. 



The season has again come round when we naturally consider the 

 pros and cons of the several systems of growing fruit. Where there are 

 large demands for fruit, one is compelled to adopt methods which are 

 most productive. This trying season has again shown the advantage of 

 growing the apple on the Paradise stock in this district. A large number 

 of the dwarf bush trees are in the most perfect health that we could 

 desire after this very dry season ; many of them are bearing such 

 splendid crops that we have been obliged to place stakes for their 

 support. The fruit is holding on better than we expected five weeks 

 since, when Nature usually thins the crop. This season has shown that 

 the dwarf open bush form of tree is about the best to grow. Three years 

 ago, when a frost on May 20th did so much damage to the apple blossom, 

 the flowers on the orchard standard trees were largely destroyed, but we 

 had eventually a splendid crop set on most of the dwarf bushes. We 

 have now had bush trees at Alnwick for sixteen years, and are quite 

 satisfied that it is the best style of tree for providing a crop in the worst 

 of seasons. This I would especially emphasise is for gardens. Orchards 

 should have trees on the free stock where there is plenty of room, but 

 even in orchards the dwarfs could be planted between the standards to 

 produce fruit the first ten years, while the bigger trees were becoming 

 established. 



The site for planting any and every fruit tree should be carefully pre- 

 pared. Trees are a failure very frequently because this is not done. No 

 one description can explain how this should be done, because of the 

 variety of soils to be dealt with. The subsoil should be in a sweet con- 



fer the varieties are selected as a result of carpf 1 k " ' — * 

 many years. There are many other kinds doing well \n^f° n duril * 

 the above are worthy of cultivation, even in a laL wav i; 2 C ° Unty > S 

 of success if good trees are carefully planted. a CCrt ainty 



We cannot speak with the same emohasU r» en ^ j 

 with the kitchen sorts, but we are far more L^^«?£S^ n fruits * 

 since that there are many kinds of apples which will W*] S T e ycari 

 Paradise stock here, and are useful for dessert ^ 

 without the protection of a wall. Irish Pearh T c 7, , cn 8 ro *n 



Pear m a ? and Red Astrakhan are good ; Sd^£ U?£ 



good. It is cropping well here, but we have not tasted I ih. r ° "* 



flavour. 



dessert apples In the hird week in August we gathered Beauty of Bath" 

 nice fru. and in the last week we had Lady Sudeley, beautiLl from a 

 south wall finely coloured and large fruit. Worcester Peannain wS 

 follow. Then we have Cox's Orange Pippin, the richest flavoured 5 

 apples, but not so heavy to crop as the Ribston : which is again splendid. 



Alnwick Castle Gardens. George Harris. 



Anthericums. 



Although a fairly large genus, only a few species of anthericum for 

 tunately the most showy and hardy, are in culture, and constituting some 

 of our most useful of perennials, being equally well adapted for beds 



• ^ m mm 



ensure success it is most 



important that all anthericums should be planted at a time when they 

 are at rest, or seemingly so, this being soon after they have died down, 

 and in the early part of autumn. They are not very particular either to 

 soil or situation so far as most species are concerned, but such small- 

 growing kinds as A. serotinum are best planted on the rockery only. 



A. liliago (St Bernard's Lily) has a fleshy root stock, whorl-shaped, 

 similar to that of the asphodel and eremurus ; the leaves aie narrow, 

 linear, and channelled, glaucous green, about a foot long. Stem about 

 two feet high ; flowers racemose, star-shaped, pure white, flowering in 

 May and June. The plant is common in Central Europe, on dry hillsides 

 usually, and in sunny positions. 



A. liliago major {Phalangiitm algeriense) has leaves about eighteen 



hpc lnnor nnrl Vi n 1 f o*> h*4«Ii «•« mm*Jm>%i iVki j ibitM #M«tai » — }' lo WCTS 



wers 



dition, not sour through lack of drainage, for if it should be the trees 

 will be injured by canker. We find that where there is a fairly dry clay 

 under about fifteen inches of soil, the trees should be planted fairly high, 

 with a little mound around them. In our dry, light, sandy soil, we are 

 obliged to mix a compost of any good soil that can be spared with the 

 staple, and we place a layer of clay three inches thick, twenty-two inches 

 or so deep, and over the bottom of the hole, mixing some of it through 

 the compost This mixture has kept our trees in good bearing condition 

 through a number of years. The roots fill this healthy compost, to which 

 lime rubbish and hotbed manure are added, with a mass of roots that 

 need much water and plant food to sustain the trees in fruit-bearing 

 condition. Our practice has been to give 7 lbs. to the perch of a good 

 artificial manure, rich in phosphates, potash, and nitrogen. This is done 

 once only during the spring, when a light dressing of old hotbed manure 

 is also dug in the borders. The exceptionally healthy condition of our 

 trees this season is no doubt partly due to there being plenty of plant 

 food for the roots, and partly to the effect of the application of that very 

 fine insecticide, % lb. caustic soda and the same quantity of pearl ash to 

 every five gallons of water, dissolved by pouring hot water on each 

 separately, mixing, and then thoroughly syringing the trees with it 

 during March before the buds begin to open. This strength is 

 not for trees in leaf. One hears so many complaints of the 

 destruction of the leaves by red spider and fly. This remedy for spider 

 should be tested by anyone anxious to secure healthy trees. The trees 



"ft- *a bemg S ° h ^ alth y were not so a * ew years ago, but were badly 

 affected with red spicier. They were syringed two or three years in suc- 

 cession, but being so clean they were not dressed last spring, and yet are 



exceptionally clean and healthy. The best specimens of our bush trees . ^ * „ - A kIr 



are trained low by cutting out the centre shoot when the trees are young, and about three-quarters of an inch in width ; light green. A nowe p 



and training the branches as regularly as can be, and allowing the leading for gardens, and easily grown. A native of the Alps of Switzerland, 



shoots about a foot or fifteen inches increase every year. We spur back all llli astrum major is a taller growing, larger flowering form, from 



the side shoots at the winter pruning, and keep the branches wide apart, Pyrenees. At one time this plant was fairly plentiful, but owing to oti- 



so that the sun and air may ripen the buds for the following season. lectors not only taking too many plants, but often destroying wtiax mj 



Unless this is done crops of high class fruit cannot be grown year after could not take awav. in nrHpt- T snnnnse to defv competition, 

 yctir« 



inches long and half an inch in width, light glaucous green. Flo 

 large, star-shaped, pure white, stem wiry, two to three feet high ; flo — 

 produced in May. This is a very pretty Mediterranean plant, locally 

 common in Algeria, where it is found among low-growing shrubs. I. . 

 perfectly hardy here, but not before it is thoroughly acclimatized after 

 importation. Fortunately it is easily increased by division, so that there 

 is always a good supply without resorting to importation. A. graminj- 

 folium (A, ramosum) has linear, grass-like leaves six to nine inches long 

 and glaucous green ; stem two feet high, much branched ; flowers small 

 and pure white, produced in July, and continuing often till Novemb" 

 Found growing on hillsides among low growing shrubs and grass 

 Central Europe. 



A. liliastrum (Paradise lily) is also known under the name of P0+ 

 disia liliastrum. Its rootstock is fleshy and whorl-shaped ; stem simple, 

 eighteen inches high ; flowers racemose, campanulate, large, and lily- 

 like, pure white, and sweetly scented. The leaves are linear, a foot long, 

 — J ^ — ^ ' ... idth . Ijght greC n. A nobk plant 



km. v. \^aony grown, n. native of the Alps of * 



liliastrum major is a taller growing, larger flowering 



in 



A. 

 the 



After all, a great point for success is to plant free-fruiting kinds. We 

 nave tried a large number of varieties, and some have not proved suffi- 

 ciently constant in bearing. We also have many on trial of which we hope 

 to speak another season. In private gardens a goodly number of 

 \ aneties are useful, as all kinds do not crop well every year, but still 

 several varieties are almost regular croppers. The earliest kitchen apple 

 we gather is Red Calville, a red apple, and on either stock, a real good 

 cropper, always safe to plant for early gathering. Of the Keswick Codlin 

 type, Domino is the most constant heavy cropper that we have ; during 

 the last few years it has been heavily cropped, and is so now. Lord 

 orosvenor is another heavy cropper in orchard or garden ; Grenadier is 

 good, and Lcklcnville Seedling, which I have often said should not be 

 ™y P_ am ? d >.! s splendid this season. I would leave out Lord Suffield, 



where it does succeed 

 both in quality and 



suppose to defy competition, it is no» 

 type, is, however, easily increased, and 

 i nave never known of a failure, unless it were due to transplant. ng * 

 the wrong time of the year. Plants should only be moved dunn 5 " * 

 autumn, or early part of winter, unless grown in pots. Mr. Ware, 01 

 tenham, was the first to introduce this plant to cultivation. 



A. Hookeri {Chrysobactron Hookeri) has a fleshy, w h . orI - sha j^.^ 

 stock, of a brownish or bronze-yellow colour ; leaves linear, nesu , 

 succulent, one inch broad, and six to twelve inches long. S>tef B 

 three to five feet high ; flowers racemose, bright golden JJWJ 

 shaped, about half to one inch across. This does best in gooa nu. 

 fairly moist, and half shady. It is from the Alps of New / 



wlicn u/^ll rr™,.,~ :„ „ t_ j j:„.:„M n lont A. Rossi 1 



star 

 so 



Zealand, *» 



as its constitution is not good in many places, but \ 

 l.!L e 1! ?° a PP\V»>at we can name superior to it, 



iu »a, i ucneve, not in culture ai wc p» ...... 



A. serotinum {Lloydia serotina) is a very interesting 

 tiny plant, consisting of a semi-bulbous rootstock and a few 



rassy 



r>?, P L t0 ^r^fj from the middl e of August to the middle of November. -*** «"«u«ie, suorc, tne upper Dract-uKc. r ~"~„ »h*> tempert" 



uuchess of Oldenburg is a small but useful variety. Royal Jubilee pro- segments oval or elongated. This truly Arctic plant is, n i tne rj ( j$ 



mises to be a first-rate early, though it is exceptionally late in flowering, P ar < of Europe, only found where the northern flora still e . ^ 



Nohp Af t 5 xpand ' ng When the most injurious frosts are usually past. ? a,d to be found on Snowdon, in Wales, and I have se verai u 



term: 



oaL 



K 'T S expanding when the most injurious frosts are usually past. 

 November previ0US memi °ned kinds are of use beyond the middle of 



? C fr ° m u hat V me t0 Ch "stmas Stirling Castle is one of the most 



• w 1 J wu til 



ing among grass in stony soil. 



certain trs i ^"iiauiutS) ruining v_,a->uc ii uuc ui uic iiiuai : i \mM0 



the tai °, hoTe^r" h°a4 n HLe m l\ mi,r f h ™ ? ° d °," ^ ''x ' ■ WMtt Cos Lettuce.-Afte, having se e „ so ™' ^rl*^" 



Dumni; ' ■ , ' j r fe lupes ot onions sometimes. iNortnern 

 umpiingjs iar ge ^nd free one of the most popular in Scotland and good 



•fter planting L g * & for Christmas, but does not fruit so soon 

 a«er planting as many kinds do, but when it comes of age it : - 



splendid. 



and Bramlev's S^u^ *^ Ibert ls one o{ the most certain croppers, 

 of fruit Nei^^tejr° \ He ^ kee P erS ' bearin & - heav y b "^hes 

 after that is a regular r SOme five y ears to make a start, but 



Dumelow's Seedlimr ?P* p - er ' New Northern Greening, Loddington, 



m« be trusted bv thoti u » u Ston ' are a11 « ood and late kinds - Th 's list 



oy mose Hho have not sufficient experience to guide them, 



, since m 



it w« a ireat to see such grand heads or hearts as i high , 



gardens of Maiden Erleigh, Reading Mr. Turton, who spoke ™ "^h*^: <# 

 the variety, said that it wa/betfer than Superb White. I couW but w.^ ^ „ 



tagers and allotment holders could obtain sucn a ^ juch ^ «t 



'" cu inc y wouia »ave good lettuces to exhibit rather MWJ WhiM <oC k. ^ 

 have seen so generally this year. The variety is of the Fans hearttf-J 

 reminded me of one known as the Alexandra cos that was sucn ^ ^ 



— ;arS since. It is o ^^.JidSg 



^ good «uch sDlendid long -s .anu » 



be had in plenty.— -A. D. 



