172 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 25, 1881. 
propagated in large quantities. It will be found upon examin¬ 
ing the plants that many of the shoots have produced roots. 
• These shoots should be slipped off and dibbled in on the north 
side of a wall in rather sandy soil, where they quickly become 
established. The unrooted shoots can also be taken off in the 
same way and placed thickly together under handlights. They 
should be well watered, and the handlights kept close until roots 
are formed.—S cientia. 
RIPENING THE WOOD OF VINES AND PEACH 
TREES. 
The need for the thorough ripening of the wood of fruit-bearing 
trees as a means of securing crops of fruit is so generally re¬ 
cognised, that it appears almost unnecessary to call attention to 
the subject. It is one of those points which everybody is supposed 
to make sure of, and yet it is one in which we may sometimes fail. 
I presume everyone who cultivates the soil occasionally makes 
mistakes, and he who is also engaged in the culture of plants and 
fruits under artificial conditions may well have mistakes consider¬ 
ably augmented. 
We have four Vines of Gros Guillaume, and these have refused 
this year to carry more than the .sixth of a crop, and I have no 
doubt that want of thorough ripening last autumn was the main 
cause of the comparative fruitlessness of these Vines this season. 
Acting on that belief the two vineries in which they are growing 
are having a two-months course of high temperature. It will not 
do the other Vines any harm, and I think it will cure these of 
their tendency to become barren. The degree of heat depends 
greatly on the weather. At the end of September this hard firing 
will be stopped. The Vines were started in February, and if 
they are not sufficiently ripened by the time stated they never 
will be. Every sub-lateral growth and leaf has just been removed, 
so that the aid of the sun will be obtained as much as possible. 
I always make a point at this season when the fruit has coloured 
to remove lateral growths. I imagine the fruit keeps much 
better; certainly in old and not very watertight vineries we very 
seldom have to remove bad berries, even in that most trying of 
months for late Grapes, November. To support a heavy crop year 
after year on old Vines all the foliage it is possible to expose to 
the light is required, but after they are coloured the foliage may 
be thinned out to the greatest advantage. A house of Black 
Hamburghs which is started in April has given greatly improved 
Grapes this year as a result of two weeks’ hard firing last 
September. 
Those who have unbeafed Peach houses to deal with in the 
north know somewhat of the difficulty, nay, the impossibility, of 
inducing an average state of fruitfulness in the trees. We have 
a Peach house here which is kept open night and day after the 
cold winds have gone in the early part of the season, our aim 
being to keep the fruit as late as possible. In 1879 the middle of 
November was reached before the last fruits were eaten, and yet 
by the application of heat for two weeks or a little more every 
autumn these trees have never failed with us to bear heavy crops. 
Our best late Peach is Thames Bank. On the walls we have 
this year very marked instances of the necessity for ripeness of 
the wood. Plum trees on south-western and south-eastern ex¬ 
posures are bearing large crops ; on the west and east exposures 
they are almost a failure. Ooe tree looked as well ripened as 
another, but results show it was not so ; and so it is with trees 
under glass. To outward appearance everything may be first-rate, 
and yet failure ensues. In fact these Peaches are occasionally 
quite green in the bark, yet they never fail.— B. P. Brotiierston. 
[An example of green wmod bearing fine fruit accompanied this 
communication, also excellent Grapes, and sprays of Camellias in 
superior health grown under Vines, other sprays from plants in 
the open air being much less healthy.—E d.] 
TAUNTON DEANE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Amongst those societies which hold on through various vicissi¬ 
tudes the even tenor of their wav, that of Tauuton stands amongst 
the foremost. Nowhere do we see a better collection of plants, a more 
varied exhibition in the various departments of fruit, vegetables, 
and flowers ; nowhere a larger gathering of people in comparison 
with the size of the place, and certainly no show where all classes 
of people enter more thoroughly into the excitement of the day. 
The country gentry make a point of being at home for the exhi¬ 
bition day, while from the country round persons of all grades fill 
the town (which is quite en fete), and as the time for cheap admission 
arrives flock into the grounds of the Vivary Park, where the Show is 
held. And, to their credit be it said, no meretricious attractions are 
needed to draw them there ; it is simply the Show itself, and it may 
be the excellent music which is always provided for them, for the 
fireworks in the evening involve a separate charge, and there is 
nothing else provided to draw them. Many reasons, perhaps, con¬ 
duce to this, but chief among them must certainly be placed the 
fact that they have a Committee which works harmoniously and with 
a good will, and that they have always been able to secure the 
services of an active and courteous Secretary. I have been there for 
many years. There have been four changes in the secretariat, but of 
all of them one may say that the gap has always been well filled, 
and the mantle of the previous Secretary seems to have fallen on 
his successors. 
The Exhibition this year was certainly equal in many respects to 
any that have preceded it. When I say that in stove and greenhouse 
plants Mr. Cypher and Mr. Tudgey had to give way to Mr. G. Cole, 
gardener to Mr. Lawless, readers may readily believe that the plants 
exhibited were of a high order of merit. It were needless to enume¬ 
rate the plants shown, but the best of those of Mr. Cole may be 
interesting. His collection included Eucharis amazonica, the finest 
bloomed and best grown specimen I have ever seen exhibited ; Erica 
Austiniana, E. Marnockiana very fine, Dipladenia amabilis, Bougain¬ 
villea glabra, Clerodendron Balfourianum, AUamanda Hendersonii, 
Ixora Prince of Orange, Ixora Dixiana, Erica Jacksonii. Mr. Cypher, 
who was second, had fine plants of Stephanotis floribunda, AUamanda 
nobilis, Ixora Fraseri, Ac. In the class for fine-foliaged plants Mr. 
Cole and Mr. Cypher were placed equal first. The former’s plants 
included Alocasia intermedia, Croton vanegatus, Latania borbonica, 
Croton undulatus, Gleichenia rupestris, and Livistonia altissima. Mr. 
Cypher had a fine Latania borbonica, Thrinax elegans, Cordyline 
indivisa, Ac. In the class for amateurs’ flowering plants Mr. Lawless 
had Ixora Colei, I. Williamsii, Lapageria alba, Dipladenia amabilis, 
Bougainvillea glabra, Erica ampullacea, Dipladenia Brearleyana, Alla- 
manda Hendersonii, Ac. The other exhibitors showed very well. 
Indeed, in looking back upon the exhibitions of some years ago one 
may safely say that the third prizes in the amateur classes would 
have safely been first. Pelargoniums were exhibited in large num¬ 
bers and in their usual excellence. 
Amongst cut flowers Boses were very indifferently shown, but Mr, 
Keynes’ Dahlias were very fine. His stand comprised Lady Chelms¬ 
ford, John Butler, Herbert Turner, Hon. S. Herbert, Goldfinder, Duke 
of Connaught, John Dobbs, Mr. Dawkins, Seedling Yellow, a fine 
flower : Empress Maud, Picotee, Prince Bismarck, J. C. Bead, Alex¬ 
ander Cramb, Lady Gladys Herbert, Bev. S. Geddes, Mrs. Hodgson, 
Prince of Denmark, and some seedlings. Mr. Dobree exhibited some 
fine Gladiolus—amongst them Queen of Taunton, a seedling very 
much in the style of De Mirbel ; Pictus, Camille, Madame Desportes, 
Miss M. Dobree, seedling ; Painted Lady, Ball of Fire, President, 
Agrius, Aster, La Perle, Ac. 
Fruit was exhibited in large quantities, and was, especially the 
Grapes, excellent in quality ; while of vegetables both in the amateurs’ 
and cottagers’ classes there was a very large and excellent display. 
The table decorations were not superior, owing in a great measure 
to their being confined to ladies resident in the county. This 
is a mistake which will not be repeated. The exhibition of such 
stands as Miss Cypher’s has a most beneficial effect as showing the 
manner in which it should be done, that which obtained the prize 
having that elegance and lightness for which she is so well known. 
Fashions and taste change. Thus, one Jady v’ith whom I talked 
about that exhibited said she liked to see tables decorated with all of 
one colour—yellow' at one time, blue at another, Ac. I objected that 
yellows would look white, and blue a dirty black under artificial 
light, and that certainly a little more variety would be pleasing; but 
I believe this is the fashion now, although doubtless after a time we 
shall reach to the style which has obtained so much praise wherever 
examples of it have been exhibited. 
The day was not so fine as those with which the Taunton Show' is 
generally favoured, but a large company assembled, and I hope it 
was financially a success. The Committee worked with their usual 
energy ; and there is no exhibition where more activity and courtesy 
is exhibited, and w'here the comfort of all—exhibitors, visitors, and 
Judges—is more studiously considered ; while their new Secretary, 
Mr. Sampson, is a w'orthy successor of those who have preceded him 
in the office.—D., Deal. 
JOTTINGS FROM THE NORTH. 
Notwithstanding the continued prevalence of cold and wet 
v.'eathcr since May, Boses have done well, especially the darker 
varieties. I never cut more good flowers of the latter than I have 
done this season. My losses from the severity of the winter 
amouuted to two standards, and a few dwarfs were injured. Close 
pruning at the end of April was followed by excellent growth 
and fine flowers. But that dreadful pest, orange fungus, has as 
usual attacked my plants, and in a very short time has rendered 
some almost destitute of foliage. On observing it I picked off 
the leaves affected, and syringed the trees with a strong solution 
of soft soap mixed with flowers of sulphur. Now there appears 
something like a check to its progress, but still it spreads. Can 
nothing be recommended by any of your readers as a preventive 
or remedy ? 
1 have a few of the newer Boses that have succeeded well with 
me, and which I have not observed in the show reports. Duchesse 
