JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
376 
[ May 12, 1881. 
subjected to early forcing. Considering its very superior quality 
it is valuable for forcing to ripen in early June ; indeed for flavour 
it has no equal, and in setting it is fully equal to any, Royal 
George excepted. 
Budding Established Peach and Nectarine Trees. —It some¬ 
times happens that varieties are planted which are not true to 
name, or the sorts are not suited for the purpose. Instead of 
removing the trees to give place to young trees, buds of some 
approved kind may be inserted in the current year’s young wood 
as near to their base as practicable, and the growths having 
proper attention will afford a change of kind in a couple of years 
without loss of crop in the meanwhile. This method is also appli¬ 
cable where a long succession of fruit from one tree is desired, 
which is often advisable when the demand is moderate. It is better 
to have three or more varieties on one tree which can be allowed 
fair extension than the same number of trees when there is really 
but room for one. Granted a tree of Royal George to occupy a 
trellis 12 feet by 10 feet, or it may be twice the area, or 240 square 
feet, a sixth may be budded with Early Beatrice to afford a few 
dishes of fruit six weeks in advance of Royal George ; another 
sixth with Early Alfred or Hale’s Early, which will follow in 
fourteen to twenty-one days; a third sixth with A Bee, coming 
in after the other two in a similar time ; a fourth sixth Royal 
George ; a fifth sixth with Violette Hative, succeeding Royal 
George ; and the sixth and last part with Stirling Castle ; this 
will give a succession during eight to ten weeks. If to those 
mentioned be added Grosse Mignonne, Noblesse, Bellegarde, 
Dymond, Barrington, and Late Admirable, we have a dozen of 
the choicest and most reliable Peaches for any purpose. Nec¬ 
tarines may be changed in a similar manner ; Peaches may be 
inserted in Nectarine trees, and vice versa. Lord Napier, Stan- 
wick Elruge, Yiolette Hative, Humboldt, and Victoria are good 
Nectarines. 
Sulphuring Hot-vater Pipes for Destroying Bed Spider. —This 
pest has had a fine time, the cold weather having necessitated 
more fire heat than usual where early forcing is practised, and 
precluded the employment of sufficient moisture. For destroying 
this insect fumes of sulphur are mostly effectual, flowers of sulphur 
being formed into a thin cream with skim milk and applied with 
a brush to the pipes when at a temperature of not less than 160°. 
If the pipes in the house have to be kept at a high temperature 
there is danger in applying the mixture to the flow pipes freely, 
as the fumes will injure the foliage and skin of the Grapes. I 
wish to draw attention to the effect of the fumes on different 
kinds of Grapes, for the berries of Hamburghs and those which 
have not a Muscat flavour are not injuriously affected, and black 
Muscat Grapes are not affected so much as those with white 
skins. When stoning is completed strong sulphur fumes cause 
the berries to assume at first a leaden, and afterwards as the 
ripening advances a bluish or purplish tinge, especially near the 
footstalk, giving them the appearance not infrequent in Grizzly 
Frontignan. How is this ?—G. A. 
ROSES AT REGENT’S PARK. 
Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son of Waltham Cross now have their 
customary exhibition of Roses in pots at the Royal Botanic 
Society’s Gardens, and rarely have the plants been seen in better 
health than they are on this occasion. Two hundred and fifty 
specimens are shown, mostly in 10 or 12-inch pots, with clean, 
well-developed, rigorous foliage, each plant bearing from eighteen 
to two dozen blooms, the colours of which are as clear, bright, and 
fresh as could be desired. Owing, however, to the position the 
plants occupy in the corridor being rather too much exposed to 
the sun, and the awning employed to shade them being scarcely 
heavy enough, the majority of the blooms have become somewhat 
too fully opened, and in consequence their distinctive characters 
cannot be seen to the best advantage. On the opposite side of 
the corridor, which is much more shaded, a number of smaller 
specimens in 8-inch pots represent some of the chief new varieties, 
and on these the flowers are excellent in size, form, substance, 
and colours. In addition to these, twelve boxes of cut blooms are 
shown in similarly satisfactory condition. 
A large number of varieties are represented, including many 
novelties as well as the older favourites. Among the newer forms 
two unnamed seedlings are noticeable—one with neat well-formed 
blooms, something in the way of Duchess of Bedford, but of a 
darker colour ; the other has very broad rounded petals of good 
substance, and very dark crimson in colour. Both appear to be 
really fine dark-coloured Roses. Of the other new Hybrid Per- 
petuals William Warden is noteworthy for its handsome pink 
blooms, the petals of great size, the flower being generally full and 
of excellent substance. Souvenir de Madame Robert is another 
pretty pink variety ; while Crown Prince and Pride of Waltham, 
with many others, well maintain the credit of the firm. A new 
Tea named Dr. Bertbet, with a beautiful blush-tinted flower sug¬ 
gestive of Souvenir d’un Ami also attracted much attention from 
the visitors. 
The most noteworthy among the older varieties were Baron 
de Bonstettin, Xavier Olibo, Magna Charta, Dupuy Jamain, 
Etienne Levet, Camille Bernardin, Paul Neyron, Victor Verdier, 
and Lselia, of the Hybrid Perpetuals ; and among the Teas were 
some good examples of President and Niphetos, some flowers of 
the latter having been of extraordinary size. The arrangement 
of the plants has been carefully performed, and the general effect 
is highly satisfactory. 
HINTS ON RAISING PLANTS FROM SEED. 
General directions on this subject are nearly as difficult and 
perhaps as dangerous as on the kindred subject of watering, no 
two cases being exactly similar. The difficulty is not diminished 
at present (April 22nd), when there is a cold, searching, north¬ 
east wind blowing, a few hours’ exposure to which would greatly 
injure any tender plant. To make matters worse the temperature 
is 10° less than the week previous. I have no doubt it is lower, 
and the effect of the weather more injurious in the north of Ireland, 
some parts of England, and the whole of Scotland too. Those 
living in southern valleys sheltered from the northerly blasts enjoy 
a warmer climate. I am acquainted with a few gardens fully 
exposed ; and when the climatic influences are as at present, the 
temperature behind the house—northerly, is always 10° less than 
at front—looking south. Now such considerations and observa¬ 
tions are very important for those with limited appliances and 
limited time when raising plants from seeds, which so many are 
doing now. What complicates all this is the influence of the sun. 
While writing there is no sunshine—the day might be one in 
December ; yet in half an hour the sun may come out in full force, 
raise the temperature of greenhouse or frames to 70°, and with 
moisture scorch the tender expanding leaves of half-hardy plants 
and cuttings. There is no remedy for this except precaution. A 
few days since I sowed some valuable Primula seed in pans; and 
the remainder of the package, which I considered would have 
made the seed too thick, I put separate. The seed germinated, 
and in the pans that were slightly covered with moss, which acted 
as a shade and retained moisture, the seedlings escaped, while 
the others while moist were caught by strong sunshine and de¬ 
stroyed. The same thing happened to Godetia Lady Albemarle 
and Browallia elata, which I put outside when the weather 
came moist and genial a week since. Buying expensive seeds, 
going to much trouble preparing composts, sowing, and watching 
for a suitable temperature—all this may be wrecked at a critical 
moment if persistent attention is not maintained. If kept in a 
moist frame with a heat not exceeding 65° except from sun heat, 
and with moss spread on the surface of the pot or pan or a sheet 
of whitened glass, little watering will be necessary. Watering 
from a large rose, and especially with hard water, such fine seeds 
as Tuberous Begonias, Show Auriculas, <kc., would be instant 
death, besides scattering the soil on all sides. Many are uneasy 
when they do not see such plants as those named coming up rapidly 
in a fortnight or so. Many of the hardier florists’ flowers, even 
Carnations, Primulas, Pansies, See., take months before the whole 
of this have germinated. Geranium seed I sowed in January are 
still germinating. [Primrose and Polyanthus seeds, especially if 
dried or kept long without sowing after gathering, will often 
remain six months before they germinate. 
At present I have a quantity of Primula japonica sown last 
October just coming up — seven months after sowing, and the 
seed was taken off the heads of the plants fresh. I should strongly 
recommend amateurs to gather seeds from any novelties that 
come under their notice, and sow it as soon as ripe. Very few 
seeds improve by keeping. There are a few vegetable seeds, and 
I believe Asters, that a year’s keeping will not injure—rather give 
a stocky and more compact habit of growth ; but the reference to 
sowing as above indicated applies to rare plants, and implies that 
you have the means of keeping them over the winter if necessary, 
a.s the autumn is the general season when this recommendation 
can be taken into effect. Many good plants will grow and live 
outside during the severest winters. Take a case of a universal 
favourite, the Pansy. Away on vacation last year, I noticed in a 
gentleman’s garden in Connaught a very curious Pansy. Fortu¬ 
nately there were many pods of almost ripe seed which the head 
gardener plucked for me. They were completely ripe in my 
portmanteau when I returned here in August. I sowed them in 
a box in the open air, and I believe every seed soon germinated. 
Without any protection except what some fine hay and the snow 
