7S6 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



December 3 , ^ 



Cactus Dahlia Progenitor. 



Cordon g 



There are a number of dahlia growers and enthusiasts who consider that Among small fruits the gooseberry ranks as one of the 



the dahlia has by no means yet given us all the diversities of form and luscious, and accommodating ; it i s very hardy, and 

 gradations of beauty it is capable of producing. Such an opinion coming 

 from those who make both a hobby and business of raising new varieties 



most useful 



luscious, ana accomi..uu dl mg , K 1S very hardy, and will thrive ,« ., ' 

 as well in the northern parts of Britain as in the south, and probabl • 



hot, dry seasons, notably in 1898, the fruit will be better flavoured 



y in 



of dahlias is well worthy of consideration, especially when it is backed last longer in perfection in the counties north of London 'than"^}? 1 ^ 



up by specimens which one instinctively feels are the progenitors of new south of the metropolis. The season of the year has arrived for °h* 



and distinct classes. Mr. Wyatt, proprietor and manager of the firm of formation of new plantations, and I propose in these notes to record h 



Messrs. Keynes, Williams, and Co., Salisbury, has been as energetic in methods adopted in these gardens in the cultivation of gooseberries 



the cultivation and production of dahlias as he has of roses, and the cordons. Some of the advantages that will accrue from this system 



results of his efforts have been seen in very many excellent dahlias, both neatness, ease in pruning, gathering, and protecting the fruit from b'^T 



of cactus, pompon, and show forms. Each year has brought us new and wasps, the prolongation of the season in which ripe fruit m 'hi 



colours or shades, and some seasons new forms also, as in the case of gathered, and last, but not least, the ease with which the v a ,-;„„ - &y 



Arachne and The Clown, and even more markedly in the case of Pro- * ' be held in chec k I am mnvinr^ ^Z l ? c mSect 



genitor, the variety figured in the present issue. This form has the ? eStS ™l be , , . am convmced al *o that finer and better 



wn in 



Jr. . 



• 



New Cactus Dahlia Progenitor 



general characteristics of the cactus dahlia, and in addition the twisted 

 florets are much divided at and near the apex in a most peculiar and 

 yet pleasing manner ; the colour is rich and bright scarlet. The name, 

 .Progenitor, could scarcely have been improved upon, for, unless we are 

 very much mistaken, it is the commencement of a class that will run 

 the Japanese chrysanthemum very close for elegance, grace, and beauty. 

 Wherever exhibited, at Shrewsbury, Crystal Palace, Royal Aquarium, 

 and the Drill Hall, Progenitor has been greatly admired for its own 

 beauty, and for the promise it contains of further developments. It has 

 gained an award of merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. 



A Few Good Apples.— At the Yoik Chiysanthemum Show I carefully 

 examined a collection of about one hundred dishes of apples, mostly of very fine 

 samples, from Messrs. Backhouse and Son, and a few points gleaned by question- 



1 E 8 k F ower ma y ^ worth recording. First of all Annie Elizabeth was one of 

 the brightest and most showy cooking apples on the table, and very large fruit. 



experience of it on the standard is that it is a very shy bearer, but I was 

 assured that on the Paradise stock, either as bush or pyramid, it crops freely, and 

 is a hne late keeping apple. Blenheim Pippin is generally considered a shy bearer 

 or the first ten years at least, but on the Paradise stock it crops freely on young 

 trees. I noted the following six dessert apples that are not grown so much as they 



™ \ C,a >B at e Pearmain, Golden Reinette, Lord Burleigh, Brownlee's 

 Kusset, Manmngton Pearmain, and Barnack Beauty, the last-named a heavy 



worth a trial. Two years ago we planted Colonel Vaughan, 



fr«5f' T'l- P a P P ' andone commended in the south as a good market 

 h« ™t J?\l S TT r th o ^^very heavily cropped, and produced nice fruit, 

 be a 1 eavv V' n £*5 ^\^ugh it is still a desirable kind, and promises to 



SSiSS 1 E Per m A he n ° rlhern counti <*. Lord Derby promises to be a fine 

 kitchen apple here.— George Harris. 



flavoured fruit can be produced on cordon trees than on those gro 

 the orthodox way, as bushes. 



The gooseberry will thrive in any good garden soil, provided the sub- 

 soil be of an open, dry nature ; if the cultivator has to deal with a cold" 

 wet, retentive soil, it will be advisable to drain it. In old gardens that 

 have been under cultivation for a great number of years I find the 

 cordons are somewhat liable to die off suddenly, which gives the trellis 

 a patchy appearance, this being most noticeable in trees that have 

 become aged. I advise in such instances replanting every ten or twelve 

 years, and, if possible, in a new situation ; if this is not practicable 

 remove the exhausted soil, replacing it with good loam, as in this medium 

 it is very seldom a gooseberry dies if proper attention is afforded. The 

 situation must be an open one and well exposed to the sun's rays! The 

 position our trellises occupy is an open one in the kitchen garden,' where 

 they form a background to the herbaceous borders ; no better position 

 can be given them than this. 



Planting may be performed at any time from the fall of the leaf until 

 the month of February, but the earlier it is done the better, for several 

 reasons. The trellises here are one hundred and fifty feet in length and 

 five feet in height, with wires placed six inches apart. If two strong 

 posts be placed at either end for straining the wires to, lighter posts of 

 iron will answer well for the remainder, and these should be inserted at 

 distances of ten feet apart ; indeed, the required number of posts may be 

 of iron if desired. The whole should be well painted and dried before 

 planting. A suitable distance at which to plant is one foot apart, making 

 the soil firm and afterwards tying the rods neatly to the wires. If any 

 difficulty is experienced in procuring young cordon trees, those usually 

 advertised will answer the purpose if the side branches are pruned back to 

 within two inches of the main stem, leaving the strongest shoot as a leader, 

 also taking out any growths at the bottom of the main stem, so as to ensure 

 a clean stem free from suckers. 



Careful attention to watering during the season of growth will be 



necessary, for if allowed to become dry at the roots red spider will soon 



be very much in evidence, and, should this pest once obtain the upper hand, 



it will be difficult to eradicate. An occasional watering with farmyard 



liquid will be very beneficial, and a heavy mulch of manure or spent 



mushroom bed refuse should be applied early in the summer, this 



tending to conserve the moisture and keep the numerous surface roots 



cool. The side growths should be shortened twice during the growing 

 season. 



The winter pruning of the gooseberry may be performed soon after 

 the fall of the leaf, for it is seldom that birds attack the buds of our 

 trees, for a good syringing with quassia compound or spidacide, followed 

 by a dusting with lime, will make the buds distasteful to them. The 

 spur system of pruning is practised, cutting back each shoot to within 

 three or four buds of the previous year's wood. The whole of the 

 prunings should be collected and burnt. A good mulch of manure 

 should then be forked in, but on no account should a spade be used for 

 this operation. 



It is somewhat difficult to say which of the two most formidable 



enemies to the gooseberry is the worst, viz., red spider or gooseberry 



sawfly. In dry seasons the former will be sure to put in an appearance, 



and strong measures will have to be adopted to keep it in check. We 



find that if the hosings or syringings be frequent, and done with deter- 



, . ^ ^ ^ trees break intQ grov ^ t h 



will be needed, but an occasional syringing 



mmation early in the season 

 few insecticides 



with 



an approved insecticide will act as a preventive early in the season, but 

 if given later the fruit may be flavoured with it. Prompt measures must 

 be taken with regard to the sawfly grubs, as they will devour the leaves, 

 with the exception of the petiole, often defoliating the trees. When full 

 grown these pests descend to the ground and change into pupic, from 

 which another brood of sawfly emerges. Hand-picking is the most 

 effective remedy, going carefully over the trees every morning. Sprinkling 

 the trees when the dew is on them early *n the morning with soot and 

 lime alternately will be beneficial. Also removing the surface soil entirely 

 in winter to about two inches deep, burning it, and replacing with fresh 

 maiden soil is a preventive measure. 



The supply of ripe gooseberries maybe prolonged considerably by 

 planting some trees against a wall having a north aspect, and covern g 

 them with a double thickness of fish netting, as in ordinary seasons fruit 

 fit for dessert may be gathered as late as the end of October. Suitable 

 varieties for this position are Pitmaston Greengage, Warrington, Co* » 

 Late Red, and Viper ; whilst for early use on trellises such varieties as 

 Champagne, Whitesmith, Whinham's Industry, Golden Drop, and Crown 

 Bob cannot be surpassed for general excellence. 



Stoneleigh Abbey Gardens R T ' Marti * 



