Jnne 4, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
455 
month will not be taken until November, 1886, and so on every 
year. In this way, with proper after treatment, the best pos¬ 
sible results are obtained. 
EUPATORIUMS AGERATOIDE8 AND RIPARIUM. —These, though 
somewhat weedy in appearance, are nevertheless two useful and 
most easily managed autumn and spring-flowering plants. The 
first mentioned, which is from 3 to 4 feet high, and of erect habit, is 
the more useful to grow, seeing that it comes into flower at a time 
when flowers in the conservatory or greenhouse are less plentiful 
than at any other time in the year—viz , just when the autumn¬ 
flowering plants are going out of bloom and the winter-flowering 
ones coming in. The plants should be cut into shape, and the balls 
of earth and roots be considerably reduced before being planted 
out in the manner already indicated, giving them sufficient room 
from plant to plant to develope themselves. One-year-old plants 
and rooted cuttings, by keeping them well pinched for a couple 
of months after the roots have taken to the soil, and adequately 
supplied with water at the roots during the summer, make the 
best and most useful sized plants for conservatory and house 
decoration. 
Solanums and Salvias. —Solanums, of which S. capsicastrum 
is the best and most useful, are amenable to the same treatment as 
that recommended for the Eupatoriums, as indeed, also are 
Salvias, but with this difference, that in order to prevent 
plants of the Salvia, of which splendens, Bethelli, Pitcheri, and 
gesneraeflora are the best, from making an over-luxuriant growth, 
they should be set in' 6 inches of soil placed on a hard bottom. 
In this the roots will be kept within bounds, and the plants will 
make a more stocky and consolidated growth in consequence. 
Schizostylis coccinea. —This is of very easy culture, and 
may be had in flower from October to J anuary by retarding a portion 
ofthestock, and introducing as manyas may be required to keepup 
the supply at short intervals into a gentle heat. The habit of 
this plant, with its dense grass-like foliage and deep crimson 
flowers, which are produced on stems from 9 to 15 inches high, 
is graceful, and can be increased readily by division of the roots, 
and it will do well if planted out in rows at from 15 inches to 
18 inches apart, according to the size of plants aimed at, and at 
the same distance in the rows ; after which the only attention 
they require, until taken up again, is to be kept free of weeds and 
supplied with water at the roots as they may require it. The 
plants, like those previously mentioned, should be taken up and 
otted early in September in suitable sized pots, and housed 
efore frost sets in. Considering the tine effect the Schizo¬ 
stylis produces when grouped with Chrysanthemums, Richardias, 
Eupatoriums, and similar plants, the wonder is that it is not 
more extensively grown and more frequently met with in 
gardens.— H. W. Ward. 
SOLID CELERY. 
Solid well-blanched Celery is always fully appreciated, and 
is much less hard of digestion than the hollow stringy “ sticks ” 
that are too often produced. It is not always the fault of the 
cultivator that the Celery is really unfit to eat, as after various 
trials in at least six different gardens and localities, I have 
arrived at the conclusion that a judicious selection of varieties 
has much to do with the ultimate success. Some sorts have done 
remarkably well in one garden, and yet proved worthless in 
another, and that too under precisely the same treatment as 
that which has resulted in the production of excellent samples of 
other varieties. It is now too late to alter what has been done 
in the way of changing varieties, unless the seedlings be procured 
from a neighbour and at once pricked out. What I wish to 
impress on my readers is the unwisdom of continuing to plant, 
or to rely exclusively upon a variety that has previously failed. 
One of the best varieties for all purposes is Major Clarke’s Solid 
Red, and it has never yet failed with me. Leicester Red is 
nearly or quite identical with it, one being equally as good 
as the other. We plant the first-named principally for 
affording medium and late supplies, while for early lifting we 
plant Drumlanrig Solid White, and Williams’ Matchless to 
succeed it. Cole’s Crystal and Sutton’s White Gem are also 
excellent white sorts for early work, and Sulham Prize Pink 
also succeeds admirably in many gardens. We have failed con¬ 
spicuously with the latter, but have observed many really fine 
samples of this variety in the prize collections at various flower 
shows, especially last season. Carter’s incomparable Crimson is 
also a fine Celery, and is particularly good for late crops. White 
Celery being the easiest to blanch may well be grown for the 
earliest supplies, but they rarely equal the red sorts in point of 
solidity and quality, and are besides more liable to bolt; con¬ 
sequently one, or at the most, two rows, are all that should be 
planted, especially in small gardens. 
Not a few amateurs prefer to procure good sized plants for 
the trenches instead of raising their own. No greater mistake 
can be made in Celery culture, unless indeed they can purchase 
them conveniently near, as those bundles of plants without a 
particle of soil attached to the roots, or as usually sold in the 
markets, would be “ dear at a gift.” If plants must be bought, or 
begged from a neighbour, endeavour to procure them either before 
they are drawn and weakly, and prick them out at once, or if it 
can be managed, select sturdy plants about 4 inches high that 
were raised thinly on a mild hotbed, and since been well exposed 
to all weathers Such plants may be at once dibbled into the 
trenches where they are to grow, and if occasionally supplied 
with water will make capital progress. Most of the market 
growers adopt this plan of transferring the plants direct from 
the seed beds to the trenches, and the best Celery I have ever 
grown was treated similarly; in fact I consider it one of the 
best methods of treating the plants, always supposing the 
trenches can be dug early in the season. I find that when these 
sturdy little plants receive no preliminary preparation in the 
way of pricking out they make much the most solid growth, 
owing to the roots inevitably wandering out of the trenches and 
into the surrounding soil, thereby becoming less dependent upon 
the watering pot for sufficient moisture. 
When small plants only are available, and which are raised 
rather thickly in pans or boxes, the requisite number should be 
pricked out on beds of solid manure, protected and shaded for a 
time. We usually stand a certain number of frames on a hard 
bottom, on which is placed a firm layer about 4 inches thick of 
nearly decayed manure, surfacing this over with about 2 inches 
of fine soil. The seedlings are pricked out in straight lines, and 
about 4 inches apart each way. The frames are kept rather 
close till the plants are well established, afterwards the lights are 
removed. Then before the plants are in the least crowded they 
are transferred to the trenches, this being done preferably, 
though not necessarily, in showery weather. Each plant is cut 
out with a good square mass of manure and roots, which comes 
away cleanly from the hard bottom, and very rarely do they give 
any signs of being much checked by the operation. On no 
account should they remain till they become crowded before 
they are planted out, and from first to last they should never 
suffer by want of water. Any serious check may result either in 
bolting or an injury to the quality of the Celery. We use plenty 
of good manure in the trenches, plant in single rows, and keep 
all suckers pulled away from the commencement, or when they 
are being planted. During the season a dusting of soot and a 
little salt is occasionally watered in, these acting as good ferti¬ 
lisers and a deterrent of worms and slugs. On heavy wet land 
the Celery should be planted nearly on the leyel, and earthed 
up, and it will then keep satisfactorily.—W. M. 
WHY GRAPES CRACK. 
Few gardeners would object to be termed practical, but on the 
contrary the majority would consider it a compliment. A few there are 
who are both practical and scientific, and such men as a rule are both, 
envied and respected. In the latter category I have long included our 
critical friend, Mr. “ Thinker,” but his latest dissertation on the causes 
of Grapes cracking (page 371) has somewhat shaken my faith in him. It 
seems to me he is airing his rather superficial knowledge of chemistry at 
the expense of his own common-sense view of the matter. Doctors agree 
to differ, and I suppose it is the same with professors of chemistry. At 
any rate in most cases they start with a pre-conceived theory, and all their 
experiments tend to prove their pet notions to demonstration. As a 
consequence many of their experiments and discoveries are of little or 
no practical value. If your correspondent had let Mons. Dutrochet and 
his theories alone, or at any rate had not too readily become convinced 
that endosmose was the sole cause of Grapes splitting, I should have 
been much better pleased with him. As a matter of fact I assert that the 
primary cause of Grapes splitting is faulty ventilation. Other causes 
there may be, but in most cases the misfortune of the disfigurement of a 
crop may easily be prevented by a more intelligent method of ventilating 
the houses, more especially during dull and maybe warm and showery 
weather. Of course I hear in my imagination Messrs. Mclndoe and 
“ Thinker” say, “ This would naturally check the absorption of moisture by 
the berries, and favours the endosmose theory ; ” but I do not intend them 
to pick me to pieces so easily as that. Candidly, are there any practical 
men besides those two undoubtedly clever men who believe it possible 
for Grapes, or indeed any other kind of fruit, to absorb sufficient moisture 
through their skins to cause them to burst ? 
Having ventured to disagree with such eminent authorities I must 
perforce give my reasons for it, and in so doing shall support my argu¬ 
ment with facts gleaned from better men than myself, both in this and 
former seasons. On page 402 Mr. W. Thomson writes:—“ Then the 
difficulty crops up of being able to account for the action of endosmose on 
one Grape more than another in the same circumstances.” Just so, and 
why confine the discussion to the failings of the Duke, when there are 
