178 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 30, 1883. 
require any care except a top-dressing with light sandy soil after the 
foliage dies down. One more useful plant is Hookeria latifolia, 
which has beautiful dark bronzy foliage. It is most striking in the 
spring and early summer for cutting purposes.—A. Young. 
DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH GRAPE. 
When at Drumlanrig lately I had an opportunity of seeing some 
fine samples of the Duke, and also of noting a fact that interested me 
not a little. The Vines were growing in a partially sunk three-quarter- 
span house, some of them planted outside, others confined entirely to 
an inside border. The inside and outside Vines were alternate, and the 
spectacle was presented of beautiful bunches and splendid spotless 
berries on those Vines planted outside, and side by side bunches that 
had every berry badly spotted, these being on the inside Vines. Gene¬ 
rally the reverse has been the case, but here we have a striking example 
of the very opposite. The Duke is much appreciated by the noble 
owner whose name it bears, and its cultivation has been largely extended 
at Drumlanrig. Notwithstanding that it has a delicate constitution 
and requires special care and attention, the Duke, when obtained in 
such perfection as exhibited on some of the Vines at Drumlanrig, well 
repays its cultivator. 
What the reason is for the spotting of those planted inside it would 
be interesting to discover. Generally, the writer has seen the Duke 
finest on Vines confined to borders where perfect control could be 
exercised in regard to moisture. When planted in outside borders and 
exposed to much wet cracking has often been a source of trouble, but 
at Drumlanrig this does not seem to be the case.— Visitor. 
CUCUMBERS. 
As no one has yet noticed Mr. S. Castle’s request on page 26 to give 
their experience on the old system of culture, I venture to trouble 
you with a few remarks showing how we have succeeded this year. 
Our practice is to give sufficient air to prevent scorching of the foliage, 
ventilation being liberal in the morning if the weather is very bright, 
and gradually reduced in the afternoon when the temperature declines 
inside, and at length the lights are closed, syringing at the same 
time freely, so as to give a rise to 95° if possible, but not higher. 
Fire heat is afforded if required to prevent the temperature falling 
below 65° to 70°, but is not used unless really necessary. The shoots 
are well thinned, tied, and stopped, and the foliage is kept as clean as 
possible. Shading is practised in very bright weather, just enough 
to prevent injury to the foliage. Soil consists of a good turfy loam 
used moderately rough, so as not to bind together, with about a fourth 
part of coarse leaf soil added. Plenty of water is given to keep the 
soil always thoroughly moistened, at the same time guarding against 
saturation and consequent canker, liquid manure being used when 
the condition of the roots, crop, and weather show it to be advisable. 
Owing to circumstances beyond control at the time of sowing no 
bottom heat was used. 
The house is a span-roof running from east to west. It is 30 feet 
long inside by 12 feet wide ; the angle of roof is 22° ; the bed on 
which the plants were grown is in the centre of the house, and as a 
path 2 feet wide runs round both sides and one end it is only 28 feet 
long by 8 feet wide. The trellis does not extend over the path, and 
is 15 inches from the glass. 
The seeds were sown on April 19th, two seeds being placed in 
each hill of soil, of which there were ten, five on each side of the 
bed, the weakest plant in each hill being eventually removed. Some 
seed was also sown in pots at the same time in case any of the seeds 
failed to grow. This proved to be the case with some, and as others 
had to be planted in their places this gave them a check for a time, 
which accounts for one plant fruiting fourteen days before the others. 
This one, not having been disturbed, grew where it was sown, and 
yielded the first fruit on June 4th. On June 18th several of the 
others had fruit ready, the numbers cut on that date and after being 
as follows :—Total quantity of fruit cut up to June 12th, 13 ; 18th, 
36 ; 20th, 73 ; 27th, 153 ; 30th, 223 ; July 7th, 328 ; 12th, 406 ; 
16th, 435 ; 23rd, 500. Thus nearly 400 were cut in the month from 
June 18th to July 18th. The greatest quantity cut in one week was 
148, from June 27th to July 3rd ; and on July 10th fifty were cut. 
These were all large full-grown fruit, such as would fetch the best 
price in the market. 
And now comes a partial failure, which is only mentioned in the 
hope of preventing others from making the same mistake. Up to 
this time the plants could not have done better, but they now required 
another top-dressing, and, our stock of good turfy loam having run 
short, we were obliged to use the remains of an old turf pit which 
had been lying at least five years. This, although mixed with leaf 
soil as usual, soon ran close together owing to the fibre having 
perished ; then the supply of fruit diminished to about half what it 
was previously, and some of the plants began to canker. This was 
prevented extending by careful attention, and the plants are now 
(August 18th) still healthy, and if we could spare the house for them 
would probably continue bearing a long time. The total number 
cut up to August 18th is 654. They have never got over the close 
soil, and their roots have never appeared on the surface since. 
And now a word as to the variety. I have already stated there 
are ten plants in the bed. Six of these are Yeitch’s variety of Rol- 
lison’s Telegraph, which I can truly say I have never seen equalled 
yet for general purposes by any other variety. The remaining four 
plants are from home-saved seed which unfortunately got crossed, 
and these have not borne so freely as the others by a long way. I 
should think, taking a plant of each, the proportion would be three 
of Telegraph to two of the other variety. Thus it will be seen the 
total quantity cut would have been much greater had all the plants 
been of the best variety.—W. H. Divers, Burghley. 
Several of your correspondents have written on the subject of 
Cucumber-growing without ventilation, and I should like to add a 
short account of my experience to that already given. 
About a month back I tried the plan of growing the plants with¬ 
out ventilation, by simply not opening any of the ventilators. The 
houses were from 90° to 100 Q , and very wet and humid ; the result 
was that the constant wet and condensation kept the blossom on the 
young fruit in such a saturated condition that they damped off, fruit 
and all. I was again obliged to open the sashes, or I should not 
have secured any fruit. 
Again, nine days ago I wanted an extra lot of Cucumbers, and I 
tried the same plan with the same result of damping off. I now 
go on with plenty of fresh air all day, giving a large supply of 
water to the roots of the plants, and I never syringe the leaves. My 
plants are particularly healthy and the admiration of all who see 
them.—T. E. Roberts, Denbigh. 
P.S.—I may add that I think the reason of failure is, that my 
houses are very well constructed and almost air-tight when closed. 
The Prescot houses, on the other hand, are roughly built, and very well 
ventilated through the chinks between the glass. 
CHIONODOXA LUCILLE. 
This is a charming early spring-flowering bulbous plant, and as the 
time for planting is not far distant a few remarks may not be out of 
place. The bulbs should be planted as early as they can be obtained, 
and the best way to display the full beauty of the Chionodoxa is to plant 
them in good clumps or masses. No conception can be formed of its 
true character when single bulbs are dotted about, but the contrary is 
tbe result when planted in masses, and credence can readily be given 
to the accounts of it in its native home. Good patches are delightful 
amongst rock work or in borders of mixed plants, but is more lovely still 
rising out of the grass in close proximity to trees where it will not be 
overshaded. Well may it be termed the “ Glory of the Snow,” for it is 
indeed delightful when in flower and the ground is covered with snow, 
as we were able to see it last spring. It is not injured by severe frosts, 
even when in full bloom. 
It has been recommended for pot culture indoors, but judging from 
my experience it will never become popular for this purpose. It appears 
naturally even outside to flower rather irregularly, and this is even more 
marked when grown in pots. From its earliness we might conclude that 
it would prove equally as serviceable for decoration in pots as Scilla 
siberica, but this is not the case, as the slowest system of forcing proves 
detrimental. Even under cool-frame treatment in pots, as we grew it 
here last year, it was most unsatisfactory, while the other bulbs flowered 
profusely outside. Its cultivation will not again be attempted here in 
pots.— Scientia, 
AMERICAN BLACKBERRIES. 
I wish Mr. Muir could visit the garden at Ellough Rectory, near 
Beccles in Suffolk. He would see American Blackberries there which 
form really a splendid sight; the plants are loaded with fruit, all of 
them so fine that when ripe they look very much like Mulberries. The 
rector, Mr. Earnshaw, tells me that they have been planted for four 
years, and that it is important that they should not be moved nor 
unnecessarily disturbed. As he is a bee-keeper the flowers of his berries 
were all fertilised, and unless Mr. Muir has given his plants the same 
chance I venture to submit that as yet they have scarcely had fair play. 
At all events so impressed were the party with me with what we saw 
in Mr. Earnshaw’s garden (I bad never seen Blackberries cultivated in 
this way before), that some of us certainly intend to follow his example, 
and if there is any spare space introduce the cultivated American Black¬ 
berry.—E. Bartrum, Berkhamsted, Herts. 
BRODLEAS. 
(Continued from page 134.) 
Brodicea lactea, Watson (fig. 31).—Leaves narrow, slightly glaucous. 
Scape from 1 to 2 feet high, smooth, terete, umbellate at the top. Flowers 
usually numerous, the umbels of my plants measuring nearly 4 inches 
across, and thickly set with flowers upon very slender pedicels from 1 to 
