856 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



December 24, 18984 



NSWER S T 

 CORRESPONDENTS 



V/' 



Editorial communications should be addressed to the Editor of the Gardeners * 

 Magazine, 148 and I49» Aldersgate Street, E.C. 



Specimens of plants, Bowers, and fruits for naming or opinion should be sent to 

 the Editor of the Gardeners' Magazine, " Endsleigh," Priory Park, Kew f 

 Surrey, and as early in the week as possible. All parcels must be sufficiently 

 prepaid. 



The Editor will be glad to receive photographs of gardens, plants, flowers, trees, 

 fruits, &c, for reproduction in the Gardeners' Magazine. He will also be 

 greatly obliged by correspondents sending early intimation of interesting local 

 events relating to horticulture. In sending newspapers containing matter to 

 which they wish to draw attention, correspondents are requested to distinctly 

 mark the paragraph. 



Secretaries of horticultural societies are invited to send early notification of forth- 

 coming exhibitions and meetings, and are requested to advise us concerning 

 change of dates. 



Croton Van (Esterzi.— E. E. P., Tottenham : This isa stove plant, 

 and probably has not been afforded sufficient heat ; consequently the leaves are 

 falling. Excessive drought would also bring about a similar result. 



Sanitary Pipes for Heating Purposes. — E., Lincoln : The pipes 

 would not do for hot water heating, as they would not be able to resist high pres- 

 sure. Large pipes may be used for heating if joined as a flue to the furnace. 

 This method is adopted at the Quessy Forceries illustrated in the present issue. 



Packing Material.— K,B. : The beet material for packing fruits is wood 

 wool made from white wood. It is far superior to cotton wool and much cheaper. 

 You can obtain it from any of the horticultural sundriesmen, and through the 

 majority of the nurserymen who advertise in the pages of the Gardeners' 



Magazine. 



Brier Seed.— Hip- Berry, Leicester : Gather the hips and place them in a 

 box or large flower pot with dry sand between each layer. ^ They may remain in 

 the sand until March, when the seed should be rubbed out in the sand. Sow the 

 seed thinly in shallow drills about twelve inches apart and keep the intervening 

 spaces free from weeds, and thin the briers where much crowded. 



New Chrysanthemum. — A. F., Huddersfield : The sport is very distinct 

 from the parent, and with special culture should produce useful exhibition blooms. 

 The name 14 Nortonthorpe " is suitable. The best way to test the variety will be 

 to cultivate it for exhibition and send blooms to the N.C.S. and R H. S. next 

 November, . 



Backwall of Vinery. — Provided the vines fill up their allotted space you 

 should be satisfied with a crop of grapes and leave the backwall bare. If during 

 full leafage plenty of light reaches the wall, then other vines or tomatos might 



be planted against it. We expect all correspondents to send name and address 



wit h their questions. 



Mushrooms and Insects. — Worthing: We find no insects in the small 



box of soil and embryo mushrooms sent. It is very probable, however, that 

 woodlice and slugs are the offenders, and these must be trapped by means of 

 dry moss, cabbage leaves, hollowed potatos, &c. If you can find the haunts of 

 woodlice boiling water will soon rid you of the pest. A little careful hunting and 

 watching should remove the evil. 



Prize Chrysanthemums. — R. Rogers, Stexted Hall : We greatly appre- 

 ciate your kindness in sending a photograph of the magnificent stand of chrysan- 

 themums for which you were awarded the piece of plate offered by the Mayor of 

 Colchester for the best stand of twelve blooms. The photograph is, however, 

 hardly suitable for reproduction, and would fail to do the blooms justice. We are 

 at all times pleased to receive photographs of objects likely to interest our readers. 



Violets Damping.— J. K., Northants : The moist, warm weather of 

 autumn has tended to produce damping of violet foliage wherever the plants have 

 had anything less than exceptional care taken of them. Where the plants have 

 produced large quantities of foliage damping has, in some instances we have 

 noticed, obtained a hold before the grower knew damage was done. Violets in 

 frames need frequent examination and the removal of all decaying foliage and 

 stems, in addition to careful watering and abundance of air on all favourable 

 occasions. 



Zonal Pelargoniums in Winter. — F. II. : There is no special race of 



winter flowering zonal pelargoniums, but the varieties differ somewhat in freedom 

 of flowering duiing the winter months. One of the chief points is to have young 

 plants nicely established in five or six inch pots at the end of September that have 

 not been exhausted by flowering. Another point of importance is to place them 

 in a medium-sized house where they can have a position near the glass, enjoy 

 uninterrupted light, and have the assistance of a temperature of about 50 degrees. 

 A dry atmosphere and moderate ventilation are also essential to success. 



Grapes for Exhibition. — G. F. B. f Salop: The suitability of the several 

 varieties for exhibition purposes depends to a material extent upon the season 

 , of the year in which you wish to show them. If you have but one division in the 

 house you purpose planting we would suggest that you substitute Alicante for 

 Madresfield Court* It is not so highly flavoured, but it is more easily grown to 

 a high degree of perfection, and is more suitable for associating with Gros Colmar. 

 It should have a place at the cool end of the structure, as it does not require so 

 high a temperature as the other varieties. 



Diseased Kales. — W. S. : The disease which has so greatly damaged your 

 crop ot kales is known as club root, and is caused by a slime fungus, Ploxmodiophora 

 bramcm. You can do nothing to improve the condition of the crop, and we would 

 suggest that it be used as quickly as possible, and the ground receive a dressing of 

 gas lime at the rate of two tons per acre. Spread the lime over the surface and 

 allow it to remain for at least three weeks before digging it in. As the spores 

 retain their vitality in the soil for at least two years, the ground should not be 

 cropped with kales, cabbages, cauliflowers, or broccoli for at least three years. 

 The stumps should be either dug i n or burnt on the ground and the ashes dug in, 

 for when they are taken to the rubbish heap they decay and the spores become 

 mixed with the materials forming the heap, and when the latter is wheeled out the 

 ground to which it is applied becomes infected with the fungus. 



Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution. — G. F. B. ; There is no 



formality with regard to membership of this charity, and if you inform Mr. G. 

 J. Ingram, the secretary, whose address is 175, Victoria Street, S. W., that you 

 desire to become a member he will at once add your name to the list. The 

 annual subscription is one guinea, and it will be advisable to send that sum with 

 your application. 



Heavy Soil.— T. G. O. : It may be that much of the difficulty you have 

 experienced in dealing with the heavy soil is due to your having brought the 

 bottom spit to the top in trenching. It is desirable to break clay soils up to as 

 great a depth as possible, but that should be accomplished by the course of proce- 

 dure technically known as bastard trenching. In breaking up the soil by this 

 method a trench is opened out in the usual way to a depth of twelve inches and 

 the soil is put on one side. The bottom of the trench is then forked over to a 

 depth of eight or ten inches, and the soil is well broken but allowed to remain in 

 the trench. When this has been done the soil from the second trench is turned 

 over into the first trench and the bottom spit broken up by the fork as in the first 

 trench. This process is repeated until the whole of the quarter has been dug 

 over, when the soil removed from the first trench is used for filling the last one, 

 precisely as in the case of ordinary trenching. When, as sometimes happens, 

 heavy soil is trenched over and the subsoil is brought to the surface the difficulty 

 of cultivation is materially increased for several years, as a considerable period 

 elapses before a stubborn clay becomes sufficiently ameliorated by atmospheric 

 influences and good cultivation to admit of its being readily worked, and the roots 

 extending freely through it. Liberal dressings of newly slaked lime will be highly 

 beneficial, and surface soil of vacant quarters should be left in a rough state during 

 the winter. It is also an excellent practice to throw the soil up into ridges for the 

 winter for the purpose of exposing it more fully to the action of frosts. 



Names of Plants.— E.E. P., Tottenham : Croton Van CRsterzi. 



C. M., Liverpool : i, a poor form of Cypripedium insigne ; 2, Oncidium 

 varicosum Rogersi ; 3, O. tigrinum. 



M. E. : I, Dracaena congesta ; 2, not recognised ; 3, Hoyacarnosa ; 4, Platy- 

 erium alcicorne ; 5, an oleander, send a flower. 



P. W., Worcester: I, Eranthemum Andersonianum ; 2, Linum trigynum ; 

 3, Euphorbia splendens. 



A. L. S., Wellingborough: 1, Sciadopitys verticillata ; 2, Osmanthus illici- 

 folius ; 3, Jasminum nudiflorum ; 4, Swainsonia galegifolia ; 5, Erica hyemalis. 



B. J. G., Hemel Hempstead: 1, Retinospora plumosa ; 2,'Hedera dentata; 



3, Eurya latifolia variegata 



Wyk 



Names of Fruits ~. ~., , . — — 



M. R., Mitcham : I, Beurr^ Bachelier ; 2, Marechal Vaillant ; 3, Nouvelle 

 Fulvie ; 4, Glou Morceau. 



T. R. C., Caterham : I, Nec Plus Meuris ; 2, Fearn's Pippin ; 3, King of the 

 Pippins ; 4, Blenheim Pippin. 



H. II., Birmingham: 1, Jean de Witte ; 2, Beurre d'Aremberg ; 3, Winter 

 Nelis ; 4, not recognised. 



THE WEATHER DURING THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 17, 1898. 





Temperature of the Air. 



Stations. 



Highest. 



Lowest. 



Mean. 





Fahrenheit. 



Fahren- 

 heit. 



Centi- 

 grade. 



Rainfall. 



In 



Inches. 



In Centi 

 metres. 



London 



Croydon ........ 



Brighton 



Bristol 



Wolverhampton 



Norwich 



Nottingham 



Liverpool 



Huddersfield •• 

 Bradford 



Hull 



54 6 



55*5 

 55*o 

 54 o 



55*4 

 54*8 



55*7 

 56-0 



54*o 



55'2 

 56 o 



3^ 4 

 33'6 



36*0 

 38-0 



34*2 



34'° 



32*6 



4i"4 

 35'2 



34'o 

 33'o 



48*0 

 468 

 48-1 

 47-6 

 467 

 45 '8 

 45'6 



49 '4 

 46*1 



47*0 

 44' 5 



8*89 



8*22 



8-94 

 8'6 7 

 8*17 

 7-67 



7'55 

 9*67 



7 83 

 8*33 

 6*94 



o 00 

 0*07 



0*20 

 0*0 7 



o'oo 

 0*03 

 0*02 



0*29 



0*21 



o 04 

 o'o6 



000 



0*18 



0-51 



o'i8 



O'OD 



o'o8 



0*05 



0*74 



o'53 

 o*io 



o 15 



The mean reading of the Barometer during the week at Greenwich was 30*12 inches, and that 

 of the Thermometer 48°'o, the latter being 7°'o above the week's average in the 50 years 

 1841—90. The direction of the wind was south-westerly, the horizontal movement of the air being 

 8 per cent, above the week's average in the 16 years 1860—75. The duration of registered bright 

 sunshine in the week was o"8 hours. No rain was measured during the week. 



ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 



AUCTIONS. 



Thursday, December 29— Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Carnations, &c, Messrs. Protheroe and 

 Morris's Rooms, Cheapside, E.C. . , 



Friday, December 30— Imported and Established Orchids, Messrs. Protheroe and Morris s 

 Rooms, Cheapside, E.C. 



Wednesday, December 28.— Dwarf Roses, Ornamental Shrubs, &c., Mr. J. C. Stevens, King 



Street, Covent Garden. 



Thursday, December 29.- Great Sale of Orchids, Mr. J. C. Stevens, King Street, Covent 



Garden. ^ 

 Friday, December 30.— Palms, The British Horticultural Association, 33A, Ludgate Hill, E.C, 



Contents. 



1 • * 



1 » ■ 



Answers to Correspondents 



A French Fruit-growing Establishment 

 A Variable British Fern 

 Chrysanthemum Golden Shower 

 Chrysanthemums in Vases ... 

 Engagements for the Ensuing Week 

 Exhibitions and Meetings : — 



Anc : ent Socrety of York Florists 

 National Dahlia Society 

 Shirley Gardeners' Association'.!] 



The Horticultural Club 



Wool ton Gardeners' Society 

 Fruits f< r Cottagers and Small Farmers 

 G evillea Robusta 

 Horticultural Education 

 Is the Onion Surface-rooting? 



Leaves from a Rambler's Note-book 

 Markets ... 



• • • 



PAGE 



8c 6 



... 848 



851 

 848 



850 



856 



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• 



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• - 1 



• • t 



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• • a 

 a • • 



« • • 



854 



854 



8.54 

 854 

 854 



846 



S50 



852 



852 



846 



855 



• • 1 



• • • 



• • ■ 



Monsieur Ernest Fierens 



New Books ... ... 



New Chrysanthemums 



Notes of the Week S— 



Imports of Fruits and Vegetables 

 The Possibilities of the Sweet Pea 

 Too Much Alike Chrysanthemums 



Rose Notes ... ••• 



The Barr Daffodil Cup 



The Weather 

 Work for the Week 



» • ■ 



• • • 



• • • 



PAGE 



846 



855 

 845 



■ l I 



• • » 



• • . 



• • • 



• •• 



• • • 



• • t 



• • • 



841 

 841 



84I 



84I 



847 

 856 



853 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Decorative Chrysanthemum Golden Shower 849 



Monsieur Ernest Fierens ° 4 ° 



The Barr Daffodil Cup ... ... ••■ 047 



Vinery Planted with the Black Hamburgh g 



Grape at Quessy « ••• 4 



wi 



of Hollo way's Pills good value for 



direst, is a rare thing for people 



sshing to know thit in 



ed. They never fail to give instant rehej 



stomach, liver kidreys and bowels. Their secondary action strengthens^ 

 No drug can be so harmless yet so antagonistic to disorders caused by brai 

 perfect reliance may be placed upon their regulating and renovating virtues. 



the nervous ce 



The 



tost 



