15G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 23,13? 3. 
without disturbing the roots. This Anthurium is not only a most 
tolling plant for exhibition, but can usually be depended on, as it is 
almost sure to be in bloom for the early summer shows and lasts a 
long time in beauty ; but it is better not to allow the spathes to 
remain too long on the plants, as this weakens them considerably.— 
A. Young. 
ALNWICK SEEDLING! GRAPE AND MELONS AT 
OSBERTON. 
During a recent visit to the gardens at Osberton, Hall, Worksop, I 
was much struck with the splendid crop of Alnwick Seedling Grape 
growing there. After having seen this Grape grown and exhibited on 
several occasions, I venture to say the Osberton examples rank amongst 
the finest in the kingdom. Some of the bunches are upwards of 5 lbs. 
in weight, having very large berries, none of them stoneless, and all of 
them perfect in colour ; in fact, it has set as freely as an Alicante. On 
inquiring of Mr. Woods how he succeeded in setting them so freely, he 
informed me that at the flowering period he carefully went over them 
in the early morning with a fox’s “ brush ” to take the moisture off the 
stamens, then at midday he went over the Alicantes and Hamburghs 
that were in flower with the same “ brush,” finishing off with the Aln¬ 
wick Seedling. The result is a most splendid set. Gros Guillaume and 
Black Hamburghs are also very good. Most of the Vines have all been 
planted within the past four years, and are making a very strong growth. 
Melons are also well grown. These are in span-roofed houses. Mr. 
Woods’ treatment differs somewhat from that practised by some good 
growers. He allows the plants to grow at will, taking up five or more 
shoots from each plant, not stopping them in any way until the crop of 
fruit is swelling. By this method he obtains very heavy and successional 
crops of fine fruits.—G. S. 
TEA ROSE BEDS. 
The difficulty of growing Tea Roses, and their value and beauty when 
obtained, makes it a duty to chronicle success when achieved. This has 
been achieved to a very remarkable extent by Mr. H. Appleby of the 
Box Hill Nurseries, near Dorking. He seems to me to a very great 
extent to have solved the problem. A well-known Scotch adage, speak¬ 
ing of some excellent highland roads, remarks— 
“ Had you known these fine roads before they were made 
You would lift up your hands and bless General Wade.” 
I knew Mr. Appleby’s gardens long before they were made. He took 
possession of an open corn field, and has made it into one of the show 
gardens of the neighbourhood. He had certainly no special advantages 
for growing Tea Roses. The spot was swept by winds in all directions ; 
the soil is light and rather poor ; it is also sufficiently in the valley of the 
Mole to be liable to our terrible winter frosts. The main feature of the 
garden now is one long walk, containing 1200 standard Roses. The 
usual houses and glass fill up the front of it. The three Tea Rose 
gardens, of which I wish to speak, are on either side of the main walk. 
In three instances a spot, about 22 poles long by G wide, has been 
planted with Arbor Vitae. The young trees are now about 10 feet high. 
A narrow walk runs up the middle, on each side of which are the rows 
of Tea Roses. They had no protection through the winter except 
manuring, they were not mulched until the beginning of July, and they 
have flowered incessantly (being constantly cut from), besides throwing 
up strong shoots. At this date, August 10th, they look able to supply 
as good a box of twelve or eighteen as need be wished for at any of 
our greatest Rose shows. I never saw Roses that seemed more fully to 
enjoy themselves. The contrast to my own Teas under south and east 
walls, and what I consider favoured nooks, is most depressing. These 
Roses are perfectly free from the mildew, which has been worse this year 
than I have ever known it, and are as vigorous as heart could wish ; 
indeed, Gloire de Dijon and its offspring, Madame Berard, shows a 
robustness which will lead, I apprehend, to their speedy expulsion. 
Madame Lambard is blooming as I have never seen it this year. 
Catherine Mermet and Madame Bravy are in the rudest health, and that 
beautiful red Aline Sisley, with Marie Van Houtte, are also very con¬ 
spicuous for their abundant foliage and blossom. How the Teas will 
fare when the trees surrounding are three or four years older and help 
themselves to soil is perhaps a question, but at present no greater success 
is conceivable. 
Mr. Appleby calculates the outside Arbor Vitte bordering at about £5. 
The protection seems exactly what these fickle beauties like. They get the 
air they require, but it comes filtered through to them in softened 
proportion.—A. C. 
PIGEONS IN GARDENS. 
f I have noticed in your Journal a correspondence relative to the above 
subject. It appears Mr. Dolby is a grower of the very best qualities of 
Peas for seed, and that for a considerable period his crops have been 
mutilated, and indeed rendered comparatively worthless, by trespassing 
pigeons. A short time ago his son shot one whilst in the act of uprooting 
the Peas, and the owner instituted proceedings in the County Court for 
its presumed value, and was awarded by the presiding Judge a sum thought 
by many persons to be ridiculously wide of its worth. 
I will draw your attention to the following matter. I have many 
splendid pigeons in confinement, and some common birds at liberty. A 
short time ago I sowed some seeds in my garden, and as they did not 
germinate as anticipated, others were sown; this lot was likewise faulty. 
I blamed birds and slugs, and immersed the next seed in some poisonous 
Wheat-dressing, and then found out the culprits, for four of my own 
pigeons lay dead on the beds. Will you tell me whether if these birds had 
belonged to another person I should have been pecuniarily responsible . 
I cannot think so. ., 
For the past twenty years I have (like many other chemists) sold 
arsenic, vitriol, and other poisonous preparations for dressing Wheat to 
prevent the ravages of the slug, grub, and wireworm, and if a farmer 
were drilling Wheat so dressed and a neighbour’s pigeons came and 
followed the drill and ate the seed, would the farmer so sowing be subject 
to the neighbour for any fictitious value put on the trespassers ? I regret 
to say that the verdict given in Mr. Dolby’s case has provoked gieat 
censure, as it is thought by so many people to be very unnecessarily 
harsh. —Jno. Queenboro’. 
[The statute governing this case is that of 26 and 27 "Vic., cap. 113, 
which imposes a penalty not exceeding £10 (recoverable before two 
Justices of the Peace) for selling poisoned grain, seed, or meal, and a like 
penalty for sowing the same, but also provides (sectiou 4) that “ nothing 
in the Act shall prohibit the offering or exposing for sale, or selling, or the 
use of any solution or infusion or any material or ingredient for dressing, 
protecting, or preparing any grain or seed for bona fide use in agriculture 
only, or the sowing of such last-mentioned grain or seed so prepared.] 
TOMATOES. 
On reading the note on Tomatoes at page 118, I referred back to the 
Journal of the week previous to the note from Mr. Thomson. Though 
our Tomatoes are planted in loam without any other addition, we have 
them later, when in full bearing, growing in almost half horse droppings. 
This is added in the form of surface mulchings,_ which are applied 
every ten days. Each mulching is about l£ inch in thickness. These 
Tomatoes are growing on the shelf of a vinery. They also receive 
a little guano in the water every time water is applied. Others planted 
out in a lean-to pit after Melons, and in the same soil, have done perfectly 
well without any mulchings, while in a span-roof pit with a few inches 
in depth of soil we have the largest crop of all. Under these last nameu 
Maidenhair Ferns are grown, and to obtain large fronds of these the 
atmosphere was kept rather moist, with the result that about ten days ago 
signs of the disease were apparent amongst the Tomatoes. _ However, a 
change to a dry airy atmosphere has stayed the plague. This is the brs., 
time I have noticed the disease indoors, and to overmuch moisture and a 
too stagnant atmosphere I attribute the cause. The variety of Tomato 
is the “ Drumlanrig,” the most profitable in a market point of view 1 
have yet obtained. We have been cutting from 50 to 60 lbs. weekly of 
late from this sort alone. Neither Trentham Fillbasket, Criterion, 
Excelsior, nor any other kind I have tried approaches this as a heavy 
producer. .. , 
Potash is without doubt the best manure for Tomatoes. Our earnest 
crop last season w r as grown in a root space of about 9 inches wide bj 
about the same depth. The same manure the Potatoes were dressed wit h 
was supplied to these Tomatoes, and they perfected a good crop. P°ta,sh 
was the dominant manurial agent it contained, though both phosphates 
and nitrogen were present.—B. 
Since I last wrote on this subject, on page 118, I have received from 
Mr. W. Thomson of Clovenfords two Tomato fruits, the larger one 
weighing 15 ozs., perfect in shape and colour, indeed a beautiful fruit of 
Hathaway’s Excelsior. The smaller fruit, weighing about 3 ozs., is to 
me a mystery, and after careful examination I must confess I am at a 
loss to comprehend why this fruit should show such a peculiar appearance. 
Generally speaking, so far as my own experience goes, the Tomato when 
diseased from cold and wet seasons begins to decay at the stalk of the 
fruit, but this small fruit looks as if it had been simply peeled or injured 
in some way. , . 
Is it possible that Mr. Thomson has many fruits on his plants like 
the one sent to me ? It has the appearance of a young tree damaged by 
cattle eating off the bark. If not entirely barked all round the tree will 
each season grow or form new bark until it has clothed or covered the 
wound. The Tomato would not do this because of the nature of its 
fruit being liable to decay, but certainly it has the appearance of having 
overgrown the wound as if it had been skinned. I can only add that I 
never saw a fruit on any of our plants like the one Mr. W. Thomson 
sent to me. . 1QQ 
I beg also to thank Mr. Thomson for giving us a recipe at page Id . 
for growing the Tomato well. Another season I hope to try the compost 
described, and if I can grow Tomatoes similar to the large one sent me 
without the help of stimulants I shaU be satisfied.—H. Cakebreap, 
Rayners. 
AN EASY METHOD OF DESTROYING WASPS’ NESTS. 
Gardeners have many foe3 to contend with in the shape of bird?, 
animals, and legions of insects, and are often puzzled to discover the 
easiest and most effectual method of destroying those troublesome pests 
of the garden. Among the gardener’s most annoying of enemies, especially 
during the fruit season, are wasps. Grapes seem to be the most tempting 
to their palates of all fruits, and in some districts unless precautions are 
taken to exclude them crops suffer heavily from their ravages. Many 
