JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Marck 2, 1882 ] 
175 
3 feet long can be obtained, one end should be placed in a large 
well-drained pot, filling the space between the stem and the sides 
of the pot with peat and small potsherds, in which the roots of 
the plant must be placed. Another species of similar habit and 
best treated in the same way is P. melanochrysum. In that, how¬ 
ever, the veins are much lighter than the body of the leaf, and 
therefore stand out conspicuously. 
- It is surprising that the old and beautiful Abutilon 
insignE is not more frequently seen in gardens. Its richly 
coloured flowers are produced so freely and so continuously that 
the plant is unattractive but few months in the year. In January 
and the present month, perhaps, the beauty of the flowers is most 
notable, the crimson veining on the corolla rendering them quite 
distinct from all others in the genus. Trained to the rafters of 
an intermediate house the plant succeeds particularly well, the 
flowers being pendulous on long peduncles that admirably fits 
them for cutting and arranging in stands. 
- A correspondent of the Irish Farmers' Gazette , refer¬ 
ring to Peat Charcoal, is “very forcibly impressed with its 
great value both in the farm and the garden, as well as with its 
superiority over wood charcoal for nearly all purposes. For all 
domestic uses, save as fuel for exceptional culinary heating, for all 
farming purposes without exception, and for all gardening oper¬ 
ations, except, perhaps, Orchid-potting, the advantages which 
peat charcoal possesses can scarcely be gainsayed. As a component 
in Vine borders and composts, and in the culture of pot plants, 
gardeners are not insensible to its value ; but its extension to and 
more general employment in kitchen garden, fruit garden, and 
flower ground would, we think, be attended with equally satis¬ 
factory results. The process of preparation is a very simple one, 
and differs but little from the familiar farm operation of burning 
* beatin,’ as it is called. A base for the pile having been formed 
with a slight rise towards the centre, where a hollow shaft is 
formed to create a draught, when firing the pile, by inserting 
three billets of split wood triangular fashion ; or this temporary 
chimney may, too, be formed by an arrangement of the turves in 
building up the mound. The turves are piled on end in the form 
of a blunt conical mound ; this is closely covered with mould and 
overlapping sods, so as to prevent the least access of air except 
at the apex, which should be left uncovered till the pile is ignited- 
This is done by leaving three or four small openings at the base 
of the pile and firing them. As soon as combustion has fairly set 
in these and the aperture left at the top to secure a draught should 
be closed, and the covering everywhere made so close and secure 
as to be entirely airproof. To guard against the least access of 
air is the important point in the operation, and one w’hich re¬ 
quires the greatest vigilance, as any failure in this respect would 
encourage active combustion and spoil the work. It may be added 
that charring all sorts of garden debris and refuse is one of the 
very best ways of disposing of and utilising it, and indirectly of 
keeping in check insects, slugs, and other garden pests.” 
- A writer in The Gardener gives the following particulars 
of his mode of cultivating Schizostylis coccinea— “ This very 
bright and useful plant flowers throughout the winter months, and 
is grown in many gardens as a decorative pot plant. I have 
grown it generally as a producer of flowers for cutting purposes. 
In either case its culture is simple enough. If for flowering in 
pots the plants can be grown altogether in pots, or during the 
summer months planted out and transferred into pots in autumn. 
In any case strong growths must be selected in order to secure 
strong flowering spikes and plenty of them. As I cmld not have 
too many I had a deep frame of four sashes made to cover a bed 
of these throughout the winter, and have found this a very cheap 
way of getting plenty of crimson spikes of flowers in ordinary 
winters. Last winter and the winter previous proved too much 
for the spikes, and we cut very few. This year, however, they are 
again in plenty. The way 1 do is this : Beginning of April the 
old plants are lifted, the ground manured thickly, all the small 
and weakly growths cleaned off, and five or six strong growths 
allowed to remain as a clump. The clumps are put in 9 inches 
apart in rows 1 foot apart. The planting proceeds with the dig¬ 
ging, and if the weather is dry a good drenching of water is given 
as they are planted. During summer an occasional hoeing is of 
advantage. By the middle of October the frame should be placed 
over the bed, and the sashes in readiness to put on in case of frost; 
if wanted early the sashes may be put on in order to forward the 
spikes. When the first four flowers are open on a spike it may be 
cut, and if kept in water and in a room not over-hot the other 
flowers will unfold. After the past severe winters it may be con¬ 
cluded that this flower is hardy, though, of course, special care is 
necessary, as with the Chrysanthemum, in order to secure its 
flowers from the effects of frost.” 
APPLES. 
BUSHES AND PYRAMIDS ON PARADISE STOCKS. 
(Continued frontpage 91.) 
By way of experiment I planted two rows with a bush and a 
pyramid alternately, in order to prove conclusively the real merit 
of each method of training, all of them being grafted upon Paradise 
stocks. Many of the bushes, some trained in the form of a basin, 
others more erect, in the form of a goblet, have answered well : 
but the pyramids, while yielding fruit as abundantly as the best 
bushes branch for branch, and more abundantly tree for tree, by 
reason of their larger size, or rather from the greater number of 
their branches, are so decidedly superior in appearance, that I shall 
plant no more bush-trained Apple trees. 
Two only of the bushes may be said to be really ornamental— 
a Margil, a charming little tree, wonderfully productive, bearing 
fruit freely every year ; fruit that is as delicious to the palate as 
it is attractive to the eye, coming into use in October and con¬ 
tinuing good well into the present month, the few that are now 
left being as firm and fresh as when picked from the tree. Its 
blossom is said to suffer from frosts, but I have ample reason to 
regard it as singularly hardy, for the tree stands out upon a 
quarter of the kitchen garden and has nothing to shelter it in 
spring, yet it has never failed to bear a fair crop since it com¬ 
menced fruiting several years ago. The other bush which I have 
specially mentioned is a Lord Burghley. It, however, has come 
very slowly into fruiting, and bore a moderate crop of fruit last 
year. The fruit is handsome, of medium size, crimson on the 
outer side, of fine flavour, very juicy, wfith firm flesh, and keeps 
well. It is an excellent new sort, worthy ot a place among the 
choicest dessert kinds. Boston Russet is a fine sturdy bush with 
growth of remarkable vigour. It had an abundant crop of 
medium-sized fruit, which keeps well, and is very sweet, rich 
and juicy. It is one of the best late dessert fruits. Wormsley 
Pippin is another excellent bush, with clean healthy growth, and 
is so easily trained that it would evidently make a good pyramid. 
The crop was a good one, the fruit large, and excellent for 
cooking purposes in autumn. Old Nonpareil is trained both as a 
bush and an espalier, answering tolerably well both ways, but its 
fruit is so decidedly second-rate in flavour that I cannot re¬ 
commend it. A w'ord of praise must be given to a neat little pair 
of bushes of Golden Pippin, which had a good crop of its pretty 
little golden Apples. Pitmaston Golden Pippin ought to have 
been mentioned among the espaliers, for it is certainly a valuable 
variety for the table of a connoisseur, handsome and richly fla¬ 
voured. Sturmer Pippin is a bush of sturdy erect growth, well 
set with fruit buds, and it had a fine crop of its valuable fruit last 
year. None of it has yet been used, for from its present appear¬ 
ance it will probably prove to be our latest dessert kind. Its 
season is stated in the “ Fruit Manual ” to be from February to 
June, but judging from one I have just tasted it will not be fit for 
use for another fortnight. 
Golden Winter Pearmain, better known perhaps by its synonym 
King of the Pippins, is a very fine bush, with very robust growth 
thickly set with spurs in excellent fruit-bearing condition. It 
had a heavy crop of its handsome high-coloured fruit, which was 
useful in autumn and early winter. I have had this old favourite 
as a standard, dwarf, pyramid and espalier, in various soils and 
situations, and it has invariably proved free-growing, healthy and 
prolific. As a market sort it is invaluable—precisely the kind of 
fruit a salesman likes a heavy consignment of. Bright yellow and 
