JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 26, 1882. ] 
called Court-pendu in North Kent, where it is much grown, and 
held in high repute for the excellence of its peculiar flattened 
fruit, and for the abundance of its annual crop, a failure hardly 
ever being known owing to its lateness in starting into growth 
and blossom. Downton Pippin, Court of Wick Pippin, Golden 
Harvey are much valued as dessert Apples. Winter Quoining. 
Duchess of Oldenburg, is termed a dessert sort in the “ Fruit 
Manual, 1 ’ but which I consider my best early kitchen Apple. It 
never fails to bear fruit abundantly, and growers for market 
would find an orchard of it a profitable investment. The late 
Mr. J. R. Pearson of Chilwell first called my attention to the 
attractive appearance of its bright-coloured fruit, for which he 
said it was much valued in Nottingham, preference always being 
given to it by purchasers, nor was its gay appearance misleading, 
for it is excellent either for eating or cooking. Dumelow’s Seed¬ 
ling is a popular kind in Kentish orchards. Lord Suflield, of 
which I have seen standards heavily laden with fruit in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of smoky Manchester. Irish Peach, very fruitful and 
excellent. I have known it and liked it from boyhood ; it was an 
especial favourite of my father’s, who had two large trees which 
rarely failed to bear fruit freely. Its growing popularity and the 
warm praise recently accorded it prove that, in this instance at 
any rate, my boyish taste was not at fault, though I fear I was 
then almost equally fond of Golden Knob. Summer Pearmain, 
of which I once knew a tree of extraordinary size. Blenheim 
Pippin, Keswick Codlin, always good upon standard or dwarf ; 
Sam Young, and Flower of Kent. 
Standards answer well in situations sheltered from high winds 
and in good deep soil, which is quite indispensable, for it is 
useless to expect them to become large trees and bear abundant 
crops of fine fruit in a poor thin soil. Pay especial attention 
to planting well and to securing the trees erect and firmly in 
this their permanent position, and they will reward your care 
with stout free growth and soon afford some fruit.— Edward 
Luckhurst. 
(To be continued.) 
EAST LOTHIAN STOCKS. 
It is thought that something in the climate or soil of the 
“ Garden of Scotland” is a necessity when this variety of Stock 
is grown ; in short, that you must reside in East Lothian before 
you can succeed with it. That opinion may be a correct one, but 
to aid those disposed to try their skill with this beautiful variety 
I will relate how it thrives in its native country ; at the same time 
I may state that friends a few hundreds of miles off have written 
delightedly of their success. 
As I grow only a few hundred plants the seedlings are raised 
in boxes. The beginning of February is a good time to sow seed, 
though it may be deferred to the middle of that month. A tem¬ 
perature of 55° is suitable, and a position near the glass when 
the seed leaves are developing renders them much stronger and 
more healthy than if raised away from the direct light. When 
the seedlings are at this stage many find damping a cause of 
annoyance and loss. To obviate that keep the structure well 
ventilated, and when the soil requires moistening dip the boxes 
into a tank of water, at the same time taking care that the water 
does not flow over the surface of the soil. But the most certain 
preventive of damping is to prick the seedlings out in cold pits 
or frames. Ordinary spring frosts if protection be given do the 
plants no harm. 
A good compost for the seedlings is made of two parts loam to 
one part old Mushroom-bed refuse. Place this 2 or 3 inches 
thick on a hard bottom, and plant out the seedlings 3 inches 
apart each way. Treat the plants according to the weather, 
always bearing in mind that they are hardy in ordinary winters. 
Cases occurred even last winter of plants passing through it 
safely. In April I plant them out, protecting them from sun the 
first few days after the process by inverting flower pots over 
them. To do well a highly cultivated soil is required. Treated 
as above the plants are in flower in July. We are cutting up to 
the present time a gallon hamper of flowers weekly from our 
small stock of plants. The only thing that affects their continued 
flowering in the autumn is drought.—R. P. B. 
Early Peas. —Many find it convenient to start their Peas in boxes 
under glass, or in pieces of turf, with the view of transferring them 
subsequently to prepared trenches. In doing this there is one error 
too likely to be committed where press of other business causes the 
Peas to be forgotten, even for a few days. They grow rapidly when 
the temperature exceeds 50°, as it has even in the open air on the 
majority of days here the present winter. If the Peas have a deficiency 
of either light or air they grow long, thin, and delicate, and never 
recover. A gardener lately pointed out his crop to me grown under 
67 
those circumstances. They shouM be fully exposed during such mild 
weather. I have Carter’s Challenger, a dwarf, robust, stout grower, 
3 inches high already ; an admirable kind, not exceeding 2£ feet high 
in ordinary seasons.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
LITIIOSPERMUM PROSTRATUM. 
This is a useful plant for a rockery, and is well known in 
many gardens where such structures receive some attention. The 
plant grows freely, trailing over the stones or rocks, and clothing 
them with its dark green shoots and foliage, amongst which 
appear the rich dark blue flowers in profusion. For the margins 
of borders where the soil is not too heavy, or the situation too 
low and damp, this little Lithospermum is also well adapted, 
and blooms throughout the summer months and often late into 
autumn. Mr. J. Moorman, gardener to the Misses Christy, Coombe 
Bank, Kingston, has it growing in this way, a border near the 
Fig. 14.—Lithospermum prostratum. 
house being rendered very attractive by a band of the plants. 
These were flowering as late as the first week in November of the 
present year, and a spray from one of them is represented in the 
woodcut (fig. 14), which shows the chief characters of foliage and 
flowers. 
THE WEATHER IN DURHAM. 
The weather here has been of the most spring-like description 
since Christmas. Everywhere signs of life in the vegetable world 
are seen. Daisies, Dandelions, and other wild flowers have never 
ceased to bloom, and since the advent of the year I have seen a 
bloom or two of the Coltsfoot, or, as we call it in the north, Foal¬ 
foot. Grass is growing rapidly, and the buds of all trees are 
swelling. Roses are more demonstrative than ever 1 have known 
them at this time of the year. Outdoor work is well on, and the 
land is in “rare fettle,” as we call it, so much so that we do not 
hesitate to recommend the immediate planting of Potatoes where 
there is a difficulty in keeping them from growing or sprouting. 
The land was not in such good trim for the reception of seed 
last year in April as it is now, and farmers here are taking full 
advantage of it. Large breadths of ploughing have been finished 
in dry weather—an important factor of success. Last year I saw 
water follow the plough down the furrow in April; this year in 
the same field the soil is turning up light and dry, and might be 
planted at once as far as the condition is concerned. 
