132 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 16, 188S. 
with its spike of yellow, often golden, flowers, is really worth 
growing, and as far as my experience goes needs no special 
care. It does not push until winter is nearly over, and it has 
the early spring before it in which to expand its leaves busy 
with the task of making next year’s bulb. An Iris of recent 
introduction known as I. orchioides splendens is closely allied 
to I. caucasica major, but yet both in foliage and flowers is 
sufficiently distinct to deserve a separate, perhaps a specific 
name ; but my knowledge of this is slight. 
These are the more common forms of the Juno group; 
but besides these are many forms growing in the East, 
especially in Central Asia, already known, and probably 
many more yet to be discovered and, let us hope, introduced. 
I. PalaastinfB from the Holy Land belongs to this group, but 
is hardly handsome enough to be much desired for our 
gardens. This, however, cannot be said of I. Aitcliisoni from 
the Punjaub, especially a variety with bright full golden- 
yellow flowers. And I have just received from a generous 
friend a bulb of a new Juno with bright blue flowers from 
Bokhara. But of these rarer forms there is not much to be 
said, save perhaps to reiterate the lamentation that our 
travellers in Persia, in Beloocliistan, in Afghan, and nearer 
home in Palestine and Syria, think so lightly of the desires 
of gardeners such as we whose circumstances compel them 
to stay at home. — M. Poster. 
THE HEREFORDSHIRE ORCHARDS. 
WOOLHOPE CLUB. 
To the many benefits the Woolhope Club has rendered to the 
district in which it exists, it has added another, which in our opinion 
far exceeds in importance and lasting good to the country any of its 
former achievements, important and useful as these may have been. 
It is an old cry that the varieties of cider Apples which made the 
reputation of the Herefordshire orchards had died out, and that even 
their progeny had so far partaken of the senility and effeteness of 
their parents that they, too, had lost all the vigour that was necessary 
even to existence. This is an idea which we have always fought 
against ; we have denied over and over again that there was any 
truth in the theoretical views that have from time to time been pro¬ 
pounded by those who professed to base them on what they vaguely 
term scientific and physiological principles. We are glad to know 
that the Woolhope Club have discarded such views, and have entered 
upon the work of restoring to the Herefordshire orchards the old 
orchard fruits which have added fame and fortune to the county. 
Since the Club has engrafted pomology on their constitution attention 
has been given to this all-important subject, and willing hands and 
sound heads have not been wanting to help in furthering the good 
work. There have always been in the country a few trusting men, 
firm in their own convictions, who either disbelieved the prevalent 
error, or were so sceptical on the subject that they have been silently 
doing their own work and perseveringly preserving some of the best 
sorts of cider Apples, grafting and regrafting from young and 
vigorous trees, till they have established and fixed a progeny which 
possesses alj the vigour and health of the original trees. Witness, 
for instance, what has been done by Mr. John Bosley of Lyde in the 
case of the Foxwhelp. He has proved conclusively that these old 
varieties can be restored ; and although the cider from young trees 
cannot be expected to be of a quality equal to that made from old 
and matured ones, any more than fine wine can be obtained from a 
young vineyard, still every year these trees live they are approaching 
nearer maturity, and every year becoming of greater value. We are 
convinced that landowners who will now set to work and plant 
orchards of Foxwhelp and Skyrme’s Kernel Apples and Taynton 
Squash Pears of the true sorts, such as are being supplied by the 
Woolhope Club, will add greatly to the value of their estates—a value 
which will every year increase with wonderful rapidity. 
We have been led to make these remarks from having received 
the following circular from the Secretary of the Woolhope Club :— 
SPECIAL NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF THE CLUB. 
The Pomona Committee have the great satisfaction to inform the mem¬ 
bers that the experiments they have caused to be carried on during the last 
four years for the restoration of those valuable orchard fruits, the Foxwhelp 
and Skyrme’s Kernel Apples and the Taynton Squash Pear have completely 
succeeded. They have now upwards of 800 young trees in vigorous health 
—viz., 
Skyrme’s Taynton 
Foxwhelp. Kernel. Squash. 
One-year maidens, about 3 feet high ... 500 ... 100 ... 30 
Two-years-old trees, 4 to 5 feet high ... 80 ... 30 ... 18 
Standard Foxwhelp trees, 5 to 6 feet high . 100 
The prices of these trees are 2s. 6d. each for maidens, 3s. 6d. each for two- 
year-old trees, and 5s. each for the Standard Foxwhelp trees. 4ney 
offered, in the first instance, to members of the Club, who will be allowed a 
reduction of 10 per cent, on these prices. . 
Members desiring to have any of these trees should, apply immediately to 
Mr. Theo. Lane, the Secretary, who will register the list for the Committee 
in the order of application up to the end of August, when the list will be 
closed. The trees will be sent out in October. 
The Committee are very desirous that every care should be taken to main¬ 
tain the vigour of the young trees. They beg therefore to suggest : 
1. That the trees should be planted on fresh ground, well drained, ana 
deeply trenched. 
2. That holes 1 yard square, or trenches 1 yard wide, be dug at once 
in readiness. . . , ..... 
3. That the loam from the ground be mixed with turf parings and a little 
lime rubbish to fill the holes, and be firmly trodden down. . 
4. That the roots be carefully spread out immediately below the suitace, 
and covered with fine soil, thus avoiding the error of deep planting. 
5. That the young trees be firmly staked when planted ; and lastly, 
C. That a thick layer of rotten manure be placed on the ground above 
the roots to preserve moisture and keep out frost. 
CAULIFLOWERS FOR SPRING, SUMMER, AND 
AUTUMN. 
These by many persons are sown too early. In tbe southern part 
of the kingdom, as far as my experience goes, the first week in 
September is the most suitable time. Small plants have many 
advantages over large ones for standing the winter, and not the least 
of which is that a greater number can be protected in a frame of a 
given size. . 
I sow tbe seed broadcast on a south border where the soil is light. 
The plants as soon as they have made one rough leaf are pricked out 
4 inches apart each way in a frame slightly raised above the ground 
level by means of a little litter or rubbish, more to secure perfect 
drainage than anything else, about 6 inches of light soil being placed 
inside the frame. The variety preferred for this purpose is still a 
good selection of Early London. This Cauliflower seems almost 
as hard to surpass as tbe old Ashleaf Potato. The said Potato was 
raised or sent out in 1804. Reputed earlier and better varieties have 
been brought out almost annually ever since, but still the old Ash¬ 
leaf holds its ground, and it is not only a week earlier than any 
other variety, but as a new Potato to be used fresh from the ground 
and before it is quite ripe it is still very far in advance of any other. 
If it is fine autumn weather when the Cauliflowers are pricked into 
the frame they will be best with the lights off night and day during 
the continuance of such weather. We merely want them to become 
a little established before winter. They will have to remain in their 
present quarters from four to five months, and at the end of that 
time we do not want their leaves to be so close together that we 
cannot see tbe soil between them. It is plain, then, that this must 
not grow fast. Moreover, small plants are decidedly preferable in 
February for planting out permanently, but still they must not become 
stunted. Stunted plants will button— i.e., will make small insignificant 
premature heads, and so will large ones from the check they receive 
by removal. What we want is just to have them sufficiently large 
that the ball of earth we are able to take up with them may be 
able to support them without flagging, and if the soil is suitable 
all the 4 inches in breadth as well as 4 inches in depth may he 
carried with them. 
Ilandlights are expensive, and I expect are becoming less used 
than they were formerly. What I have used for many years to 
transfer the plants to in February or early in March is simply two 
boards supported by a few stakes driven into the ground with some 
old lights laid across. In the severest weather they have an addi¬ 
tional covering of some shutters, but all through winter as well as 
spring they are covered only sufficiently to prevent injury by frost. 
For the final planting the soil should contain abundance of vegetable 
matter, such as old Mushroom-bed manure, or from a hotbed pre¬ 
viously exposed to the air and sweetened, or good leaf soil, such as 
was described in this Journal by Mr. Wright some time ago. Plants 
are placed about 20 inches apart, and some are cut while the heads 
are very small, so as to admit light and air to the remainder. 
In the event of the autumn-sown plants failing seed may be sown 
at almost any time during winter in an intermediate house. The 
treatment as to temperature and airing which will suit bedding 
Pelargoniums will suit young Cauliflowers admirably.. If the sowing 
is deferred till February a piuch of Veitch’s Forcing Cauliflower 
should be sown at the same time ; for although this variety can hardly 
be said to be equal in quality to Early London, it comes in very much 
quicker, and for that reason it is a decided acquisition. It requires 
to be kept growing freely and pricked out very early, otherwise the 
heads will be too small. It will do well if pricked out on a slight 
hotbed any time during February, and by this means it may be made 
to come in as early as an autumn-sown crop of Early London. We 
generally have sufficient plants from the autumn sowing to allow of 
