410 
JOURNAL OF EOR1IGUL1URE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ November 8, 1883. 
one stamen is combined with one of the sepals. Such freaks cannot be 
accounted for; they simply prove the convertibility of the different organs 
into others, and indicate the probability of the accepted theory that they 
have a common origin. 
Late Dessert Apples (II. J.). —The following are richly flavoured, late 
keeping, and good bearing varieties, that will probably answer your 
purpose :—Scarlet Nonpareil, Braddick’s Nonpareil, D’Arcy Spice, and Ash- 
mead’s Kernel. We do not know the Gipsy King Apple by any other name, 
though other names may probably be given to it locally. We are not able 
to say in what form the record of the late Apple Congress will be published. 
Back Wall of Vinery (F . J.). —If the roof of your house is to be thickly 
covered with Vines you must not expect any very profitable return of fruit 
of any kind from the back wall, and it will be of little or no use your planting 
either Peaches or Nectarines, as they would give little fruit, but might 
produce excellent crops of red spider. We have seen a fairly good crop of 
Black Alicante Grapes on the back wall of a vinery, also of Brown Turkey 
Pigs ; but if no sun can reach the foliage of Vines or fruit trees they cannot 
be productive. You may grow good crops of Tomatoes for a year or two, 
but these will not bear freely when the shade becomes dense. Camellias are 
good for covering the back walls of vineries. We have no preference for 
either of the boilers you name ; both are good, and with pipes arranged 
properly will answer their purpose. You will not err if you decide on the 
question of cost. 
Vines on the Continent (II. S .).—It is impossible to give categorical 
replies to your series of questions, for the simple reason that as many 
methods of treatment are adopted in training and pruning in the Trench 
vineyards as are practised here in vineries, and more. In the south of Prance 
the fruit needs shade, therefore the growths are allowed to extend from the 
stem in all directions, and cover the ground much in the same manner that 
the growths of Brambles are seen at home, but more thinly disposed ; and in 
the winter a selection of the best young canes is made for the next crop, the 
others being cut away. In other districts they are trained in all the modes 
that are represented in training Kaspberries in British gardens—namely, 
against fences, secured to stakes of various heights, and the canes bent and 
secured to each other without stakes. In all cases the bearing parts are cut 
down and young canes secured for the next crop. We have seen three or 
four canes tied to a stake 4 or 5 feet high, and we have seen stakes driven 
in slantingly, three or four round each Vine, and a cane secured to each. 
Disbudding is a question of judgment, and depends on locality, as in the 
hot districts, as before stated, shade is needed by the fruit; in the colder 
more direct sun is essential to its ripening. The number of bunches left on 
the laterals depends on the strength of the growth and the size of the 
bunches, as in English vineries, and the stopping the growths is practically 
the same in both countries. There is no rule-of-thumb process adaptable to 
all circumstances in the culture of Vines, either under glass or in the open 
air. 
Planting Shrubs (.4. II. P .).—We have never had greater success in 
transplanting Hollies than when the work was done in April; but small 
shrubs of all the kinds you name for inserting in quantity may be planted 
as soon as your ground is ready for them, provided the weather be mild and 
the soil is in free working condition. When planting is deferred until 
spring it is of the utmost importance that the roots of shrubs do not become 
dry in transit, as they not infrequently do, and failures consequently occur. 
When the roots are kept moist the shrubs usually succeed admirably. 
Loudon’s “ Encyclopaedia of Trees and Shrubs ” is the best work on that 
subject you can have. If you require a work on Conifers there is none 
comparable with Veitch’s “ Coniferae.” Sutherland’s “ Hardy Herbaceous 
Plants ” also might be useful; but the most complete work of that character 
is in French—namely, Vilmorin’s “ Plantes Vivaces de Pleine Terre.” 
Dog’s-tooth Violets (H. A). —It is getting late for planting the bulbs, as 
last month would have been the most suitable time, but if the weather 
continues open and not too wet they may still be planted. The soil should 
be good loam, not very heavy, and it must be well drained to insure their 
success—indeed, it is advisable to place a little sand round the bulbs to 
prevent them decaying. They may be placed in masses, but lines are pre¬ 
ferable, and th se should be near the front of the border, the bulbs being 
about 4 inches apart in the rows, and just beneath the surface of the soil. 
They may be left undisturbed for two or three years, when they can be taken 
up and divided if necessary, but unless very much crowded they thrive best 
when undisturbed. 
Artesian Wells (IF. II.). — Though we are willing to answer your 
question, “ What is an Artesian well ? ” it is not likely you will make one for 
supplying water for your Cucumber house. An Artesian well is a perforation, 
often of many hundreds of feet, into the lower strata of the earth, for tapping 
the subterraneous reservoirs, and securing an unfailing supply of water. 
The name Artesian is derived from Artois, a province of Prance, where 
especial attention has been given to this means of obtaining water ; but it 
appears, from sufficient historical evidence, that wells of this kind were 
perfectly well known to the ancients. Niebuhr cites a passage from 
Olympiadorus, who flourished at Alexandria about the middle of the sixth 
century, in which it is stated that when wells are dug in the Oasis to the 
depth of 200, 300, or sometimes 500 yards, rivers of water gush out from 
their orifices, of which the agriculturists take advantage to irrigate their 
fields. The oldest Artesian well known to exist in Prance is in the ancient 
convent of the Chartreux, at Lillers in Artois. It is said to have been made 
in 1126. Others exist at Stuttgard of great antiquity, though their dates 
cannot be fixed with precision. The inhabitants of the great desert of Sahara 
appear also to have been long acquainted with this mode of obtaining water, 
and the Chinese are said (but the truth of the statement is questionable) to 
have practised it for thousands of years. If you reside in a marsh or fen 
country where there are no rocks an Abyssinian pump might answer your 
purpose, and of which you can obtain particulars from an ironmonger. Do 
you store all the rain water that falls on the roofs of your premises ? 
Dinner-table Decorations (C. E.). —There is no book that will give you 
the precise information you need. Dinner tables are not so heavily laden 
with flowers as formerly. Some years ago a very good judge suggested that 
the following canons of judgment and taste should prevail :—1, The greatest 
effect produced by the simplest materials ought certainly to be considered 
an important point. 2, That it is essential that the tables be not so crowded 
in the centre that the view is distorted. 3, That large quantities of strongly 
scented flowers should not be introduced. 4, That harmony of colouring 
should be considered, and the effect of light on certain colours. For these 
there are good reasons. The first can hardly admit of cavil. Everywhere 
and in everything true taste is always simple. What is that which we call 
“cockneyism” but the flagrant violation of simplicity? What is it we call 
“ ladylike ” in dress ? is it not simplicity ? The second reason ought to be 
equally as readily acknowledged. It is true people do not talk across the 
table, and we do not require a clear stage and no favour ; but withal, the 
coup d’ceil of a dinner party ought to be considered, and to so divide the 
guests by tall and cumbrous decorations as to make it two dinner parties is 
clearly a great mistake. We have, by the diner d la Rnsse, got rid of the hot 
steaming dishes with their strong savoury smells, but we do not want to 
exchange that for the equally strong odour of highly scented flowers. To 
have quantities of Lilies, Stephanotis, and such flowers is to load the 
atmosphere with perfumes which are positively intolerable to some and 
disagreeable to many. With regard to the fourth, it must be remembered 
that there are many colours which might harmonise well by day, but which 
do not look well at night. Blues ought to be avoided, as, although the 
stands are exhibited by day, they are intended for night when artificial light 
is used. All deep blue flowers become nearly black at night, and yellows 
fade into whites. Again, it must be remembered that a good deal of coloured 
glass is necessarily now used—ruby and green for light wines ; and too much 
colour, then, in the flowers ought to be avoided as tending to glare—the 
fault, par excellence, of bad taste. The Marsh stand is one of the best 
for the centre of a small dinner table that can be used, because it does 
not obstruct the view, a point always to be studied in table stands. To 
arrange such a one in good taste Pern fronds are indispensable. Care 
must be taken in dressing one of these stands not to crowd them with great 
variety, or overfill them ; a few simple medium-sized flowers, properly and 
tastefully associated with foliage, being more effective and pleasing than a 
huge display of large flowers and glaring colours. Small fronds of Lygodiums 
or frondules of Selaginellas have a beautiful effect trained round the shaft of 
of the stand. Head Mr. Luckhurst’s article on this subject in our present 
issue. 
Names of Fruit (J. Mackenzie ).—As the small Pear invariably ripens in 
November it can scarcely be Winter Nelis, but both in size and quality the 
fruit resembled that variety, which sometimes ripens prematurely ; we 
therefore indicated our uncertainty of the name. No. 2 was so very inferior 
—in fact, worthless—that we hesitated to name it at all. It may be Beurrd- 
d’Amanlis in very bad condition. Beurrfi Superfin has been bearing fruit 
for thirty-nine years. (A. J. Broione). —1, Reinette de Canada ; 2, Doctor 
Harvey ; 3, Lewis’ Incomparable ; 4, Claygate Pearmain ; 5, Gravenstein ; 
6, Not known. (11. IF.).—Cox’s Pomona. (IF. IF.).—1, Lord Suflield; 
2, Summer Golden Pippin ; 3, Sweeny Nonpareil; 4, Not known; 5, 
Urbaniste. The Lapageria will be referred to. ( Capt. Isacke ).—The Cluster 
Golden Pippin and the Bedfordshire Twin Apple frequently grow in the 
manner of the one you have sent. Does yours often come so ? (II. L. K .).— 
1, Beauty of Kent; 4, Herefordshire Pearmain ; 5, Cox’s Orange Pippin ; 
6, Bess Pool. Tickets were displaced from two ; the green-striped flat 
Apple is Yorkshire Greening. (W. A. P.). —1, Cellini; 2, London Pippin;. 
3, Christie’s Pippin ; 7, Winter Greening ; 10, Minchull Crab ; 12, Dumelow’s 
Seedling. 
Names of Plants (/.-IF. Hall ).—Gloriosa superba. (IF. (?.).—As we 
have stated on many occasions, we do not undertake to name varieties of 
florists’flowers, but only species of plants. Yarieties of Chrysanthemums, 
Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, ifcc., that are so readily raised from seed are so 
numerous, and many of them resemble each other so closely, that it is 
impossible for anyone to name them with accuracy, except by comparing 
them with others in a large collection. We do not refuse to give the name 
of any flower with which we are familiar when a good example is sent; 
those you have sent are so imperfect that no one could determine their 
names with accuracy. (IF.).—Epidendrum dichromum, var. amabile. 
Bees Irritable (E. S. W .).—Bees are always more irritable at times 
when there is little honey to collect, while we find them most docile during 
a glut of honey. The past unsettled summer caused bees to be more than 
usually spiteful. Robber bees are also very touchy customers to deal with. 
When once they have learnt the practice of habitual robbing (and some few 
bees in every apiary always seem to become so demoralised) they will often 
without any molestation dart at the face or hands of a bystander ; they seem 
to consider that every man’s hand is against them, and they are ever ready 
to show fight. Robber bees are readily known by their wavering, fussy 
habits ; they hover before the entrance of this or that hive uncertain as to 
whether they dare run the gauntlet, whereas the lawful occupants of the hive 
deliberately settle among the guards or fanners and pass at once through 
the doorway. The loss of a queen has the effect of making the bees of the 
bereaved hive wholly demoralised, less careful to collect stores, and to guard 
that which is already collected, but we do not think such a loss, after the 
first day or two, tends to render them spiteful. The fobbing which 
you knew nothing about until the hive was entirely depopulated may 
have been going on all the while the hive was being fed, and all the food 
given had been taken away by the robbers as fast as it was put on, while the 
hive really may have been untenanted for a long time by permanent occupiers. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— November 7th. 
Business steady, and no alteration in prices with the exception of Bines. The 
first cargo of St. Michael’s to hand affecting the value of home-grown fruit. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples . . , 
l 
0 to 3 
0 
Melons . 
2 
0 
to 3 
0 
. per barrel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines .. 
dozen’ 
0' 
0 
0 
0 
Apricots 
. . . box 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
0 
0 
id 
0 
Chestnuts 
. .. bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches .. 
dozen 
0; 
D 
0 
0 
Figs .. . 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Pears, kitchen 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Filberts .. . 
.ft. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
8 
0 
Cobs .. . 
1 
3 
1 
4 
Pine Apples English 
.. lb. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Grapes .. . 
. lb. 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Plums and Damsons 
• • 
0 
0 
0 
0! 
Lemons.. . 
0 
35 
0 
Strawberries.. 
.. ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
