February 24, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 149 
worst is planted, as sometimes happens, and on the same soil, there 
can be little doubt that the answer must be in the affirmative. I 
conducted experiments at the Government Training Agricultural 
College at Glasnevin about twenty years since, and except one or 
two there are few of the then varieties now in general cultivation. 
As a matter of fact there is a tendency to degenerate, but the 
degeneracy is mainly owing to want of selection. To all my 
inquiries in Ireland at present, and I have a short time since been 
through the four provinces, the best general crop Potato is the 
Champion.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
CULTURAL NOTES ON GLADIOLI. 
Much has been written concerning the successful cultivation 
of Gladioli, but I venture to offer a few hints upon them, having 
grown them with success for some time. An open warm situation 
sheltered from high winds should be chosen. Apply manure 
liberally, and trench the ground about 2 feet deep in winter or 
early spring. I do not approve of the situation being changed 
every season ; on the contrary, when you have been at the trouble 
of having the ground well manured, let the Gladioli remain there 
for a few seasons. To secure a continuous display of flowers 
during the autumn months plantings should be made from the 
beginning of March to the middle of May. The corms should be 
planted 1 foot apart and at least 6 inches deep, covering each 
with prepared light soil. In some parts of the country where the 
atmosphere is dull and soil cold in the months of March and 
April I advise potting the corms singly in 5 or 6-inch pots, 
employing a compost of rich loam, well-decomposed manure, and 
a little sand ; place them in a greenhouse or cool frame, where 
they will be safe from frost ; attend carefully to the supply of 
water and in ventilating, and by the end of May all danger will 
be past. The plants by that time will be about 6 inches high. 
See that they are well hardened off, and plant them out in the 
prepared ground. Those that are planted out in March and April 
in more favourable situations will be well forward. After the plants 
are about 6 inches high the ground should be covered with half- 
decayed manure or cocoa-nut fibre refuse. Apply water liberally 
during dry weather. Stake the plants carefully as they advance 
in growth, and as soon as the flowerspikes appear weak liquid 
manure may be advantageously given once or twice a week. 
Successful cultivation depends in a great measure upon liberal 
manuring, deep planting, and plenty of water during the growing 
season. 
Gladioli are invaluable for conservatory or greenhouse deco¬ 
ration during the autumn months. For this purpose the corms 
should be potted about the middle of March in 6 and 7-inch pots, 
using a rich soil ; protect from spring frosts ; in May plunge the 
pots in an open, warm, sheltered situation ; and be careful in 
supplying water, especially during dry weather. Stake the plants 
carefully as required. As soon as the flowerspikes appear a liberal 
supply of liquid manure should be given once or twice a week. 
When the flowers begin to show colour the plants should be re¬ 
moved to the greenhouse or conservatory.—W. Muir. 
PLANT APPLE TREES. 
I noticed in his speech at the dinner of the Chippenham 
Agricultural Society Sir Gabriel Goldney stated that “he saw 
from the agricultural returns no less than a quarter of a million 
of acres of land had, during the past fourteen months, been turned 
into orchards and market gardens.” 
Permit me, as having paid some attention to the subject of 
fruits both theoretically and practically, to say a word on this 
subject, for I verily believe there is benefit to be derived from 
the cultivation of fruits, particularly of Apples ; benefit to be 
reaped in a few years by the owner and tenant. 
Go where one will American Apples are in fruit-shop windows 
—Red Baldwins show their rosy, and Newtown Pippins their 
olive green cheeks. I am told that each year more and more 
Apples from America are in the market. This surely need not 
be ; for Apples, if of the right sorts, and the trees of the right 
age, are in average years one of the surest of crops. But more 
than half the Apple trees in England, save in the cider districts, 
want grubbing up ; they are too old, they are “ have beens,’ but 
their day is over. The miserable, gnarled, bent, blight-beset 
lichen-covered trees one sees in numbers of orchards have for 
years been only fit for firewood. Again I would say, Plant 
Apple trees on arable land; the standing crops preserve the 
young trees from mischievous boys, and the young roots are un¬ 
injured by entangling grass. Mind at the same time the plough 
does not go too near the said roots. The land can be regularly 
cropped until the trees grow of considerable size—a double gain, 
as there will be two crops, and also the Apples cannot be so easily 
pilfered — then after some years lay down the land in grass. 
Another hint: Mind and plant, but not bury the trees. As to 
soils, the Apple certainly prefers a sandstone, while the Pear re¬ 
joices in a calcareous soil; still, any good loam will do. The 
situation should be to the south or south-west, and a protecting 
wood to the east and north is of value in preserving the blossoms 
from the spring frosts. As to purchasing trees, I would say, Buy 
of the large nurserymen only ; they are sure to sell you trees 
true to name—this is very important, and they are able to sell at a 
reduction. It would pay landlords to be the purchasers. If my 
plan be judiciously followed there need not be in a dozen years 
a single Apple sent to us from America. 
On the subject of Apple culture I have consulted one of the 
very first and highest authorities in England. His reply to me 
is as follows—“I think your suggestion of planting far more 
land with Apple trees is a very good one. 1 know there are 
thousands of acres in this country let at 30 s. to 40.?. an acre that 
would bring £5 after being planted ten or twelve years with 
fruit trees of good and suitable sorts. Of course the trees must 
be protected from the injury of cattle and such like damage. 
Below I give the names of some of the most useful and robust- 
growing kinds for profit, sorts applicable generally for eating, 
cooking and grinding, or any other purpose that the market for 
the time may prove most advantageous. I would never advise 
planting sorts that can only be used for cider, because the sale 
is so limited ; and it is a well-established fact that the highest 
flavoured Apples make the richest cider—such as Golden Pippin, 
Golden Hervey (brandy Apple')—in short, all such as have enough 
malic acid, and this is readily tested ; those that turn brown soon 
after being cut with a knife are always good for cider. 
“ The following are good and profitable kinds :—Lord Suffield, 
Keswick Codiin, Cellini, Dumelow’s Seedling, Blenheim Pippin, 
Worcester Pearmain, Ecklinville Seedling, Golden Winter Pear- 
main, Beauty of Kent, Malster, Tower of Glammis, and Peasgood’s 
Nonsuch.” 
Every word of the above I beg to endorse. I say, Plant these 
Apple trees and at once, for there is just time—plant carefully, 
almost on the soil, spread carefully the rootlets and tender fibres, 
do not roughly thrust the trees into holes, but use them tenderly 
and stake well, and sure profit will come.— Wiltshire Rector 
(in the Devizes Gazette'). 
EFFECTS OF THE FROST IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 
“ W. J. M.” asks for information with regard to Veronicas, as to 
how they have withstood the severe frosts. There are several 
varieties of these shrubs grown in this neighbourhood in the Isle 
of Wight; in fact, Veronica Hendersoni is used in many gardens 
as a hedge planted in the soil by the side of walls, where the walls 
are used as retaining boundaries on sloping banks, which is often 
the case in the Undercliff gardens. I do not know whether all the 
forms, such as Hulkeana, decussata, salicifolia, and pinguifolia, are 
grown here, but in nearly every case the upper shoots and more 
succulent growths have suffered severely, especially where ex¬ 
posed to the cold winds which preceded the snow of the 18th of 
January, and also where the plants were not protected by the 
snow, which fell to more than the depth of 2 feet in this neigh¬ 
bourhood, and in fact all over the island on the 18th and 20th. 
As there was a strong south-easterly wind blowing at the time the 
snow fell, especially on the 18th, very deep drifts were formed, the 
remains of which are still to be found in some places about here 
(Ventnor) even now, more than four weeks after the fall. In 
nearly all cases the younger shoots of all the different species of 
Veronicas I have examined have been quite killed, and the older 
growth much damaged. One reason why the younger shoots have 
suffered so much was owing, I think, to the very open and unusu¬ 
ally warm weather at the end of November and all Decembei , in 
fact there was no frost of importance here till after the 10th of 
January. All the Veronicas, therefore, were still growing, and 
most of the varieties still in full bloom. 
I am afraid many other varieties of the less hardy evergreens 
have also suffered much, as some of the kinds of Euonymus, 
especially the silver variegated variety. All the plants, too, of 
Eucalyptus globulus are killed, some of which at Bonchurch had 
survived several winters, and were from 20 to 25 feet high. There 
are several very fine trees of the Paulownia imperialis in Ventnor 
and Bonchurch which were very full of flower buds, the spikes in 
some instances from 7 to 10 inches long. The shoots are still quite 
upright and have not flagged, but the flower buds seemed so 
unusually forward at the beginning of the year, it is still rather a 
question how much they may have been injured, as in no instance 
could they be protected by snow ; and those who, like myself, are 
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