September s, 1881 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 217 
economical aspect, I maintain that the system I have recom¬ 
mended is when fairly carried out equal in appearance to any 
other, and that as the greater part of the wall is covered in two 
or three years there is less waste of space than there is with fan¬ 
training. 
I have no doubt my critic considers himself witty, and enjoys 
giving a sly poke at me and my “ extraordinary ignorance but 
that is not gardening, and were I ever so clever in retort there is 
no room for banter and gossip in the Journal of Horticulture. 
Such dainties are better suited to the columns of “Truth” and the 
“ Cuckoo ; ” but I may hint that my friend’s arithmetic is a little 
faulty, also that I have the results of my Peach-training to show, 
and shall be glad to hear where I can see his, or, in the case of 
that being amongst the invisibles, where I may see outdoor fan- 
trained Peaches at the present moment which approach the models 
drawn in the standard works on gardening, and which are equal 
in vigour throughout. 
I think the term “ oblique training ” is not appropriate to a 
system which has upright stems, though we hare the authority of 
that estimable man and clever pomologist, Mr. Robert Thompson, 
for calling it by that name. Would not “ fish-bone traiuing ” be 
better ? 
How is it that Dr. Hogg Peach, which used to be early, has with 
me for several years now been a midseason Peach, as late as 
Bellegarde, or even later ? Early Ascot is the only one I have 
to follow closely after Hale’s Early and Early Rivers. Lord 
Napier Nectarine and Early Ascot Peach are ripening simul¬ 
taneously. Will other growers kindly say what Peaches they 
have ripening at the same time, and immediately after this fine 
Nectarine ?—Wm. Taylor. 
WINTER CUCUMBERS. 
It will be an advantage if plants are already established, yet 
Cucumber seed may still be sown to obtain plants for fruiting in 
winter, therefore a brief record of my practice may be useful. 
The seeds should be sown singly in GO-sized pots placed near the 
glass. The best variety for winter is, I believe, Rollisson’s Tele¬ 
graph ; some recommend Cardiff Castle, but as it was only tried 
here last summer I cannot speak as to its winter bearing qualities. 
The soil in which the plants are to be grown should consist of 
about one-half loam and the rest of decayed manure (that from 
an old hotbed being preferable), and leaf soil. The compost 
must be well mixed and placed in the house at least two days 
before planting is to be done, so that it may be warm quite 
through. The glass and woodwork should be thoroughly cleaned 
previously, both to give light to the foliage and to destroy any 
insects that may be in the house. 
When the plants are to be turned out of the pots care should be 
taken that the soil is thoroughly moist. They may be syringed 
twice a day except on very wet days to check red spider and 
thrips, and if the syringing is done thoroughly no insects will 
appear. As soon as the fruit commences swelling it is advisable 
to apply liquid manure water in a tepid state to the roots; this 
should be weak and applied often. 
The temperature should range between 65° and 75° Fahr., but 
on bright sunny days with a little air it may be 5° higher ; 
in fact with a little extra fire heat it will be well to have 
the ventilators open every day. The atmosphere as well as 
being warm should also be moist, and for this purpose water 
must be thrown on the floor occasionally, but not too often, 
because in the dull winter months the leaves are liable to be 
attacked by mildew, which, if it appears, should be promptly 
destroyed by dusting with sulphur. 
If too many fruits appear all but the best should be removed, 
as too heavy a crop at first exhausts the plants. The shoots must 
be stopped at every second joint when the trellis is sufficiently 
covered, and some of the old wood can be cut out to allow the 
young growths room to develope.—A. R. P. 
GAILLARDIA PICTA var. LORENZIANA. 
Mr. Cixr. Lorenz, seedsman of Erfurt, Prussia, sends us the 
annexed figure of a new and remarkable variety of Gaillardia, 
which exhibits a phase of floral transformation that is occasion¬ 
ally observed in other members of the natural order Composite. 
The central tubular florets are developed to such an unusual 
extent that the flat ligulate florets at the circumference are either 
not produced at all, or so imperfectly and so small that they are 
scarcely perceptible. If the flower heads are produced as large 
and full as that shown in the woodcut the plant will undoubtedly 
prove an acquisition of considerable value, and will merit the 
attention of all who grow hardy plants. Mr. C. Lorenz also 
gives the following account of the plant, and states that it will be 
shortly sent out :— 
“ Gaillardia picta is generally appreciated as one of the most 
beautiful garden plants, and though in mild climates biennial and 
even perennial, it is generally cultivated as an annual. The corollas 
in the circumference of the flower head are ligulate, three-toothed 
at the edge, at the upper part yellow, the lower portion purple, 
the disk florets tubular and five-toothed. In the course of the 
time several varieties have been obtained—viz., var. grandiflora, 
var. albo-marginata, var. sulphurea, and others ; but eight or ten 
years ago the species showed the propensity to transform the ray 
florets and sometimes those of the disk into much-prolonged infun- 
dibuliform, regularly four or five-cleft tubular flowers ; but only a 
few flower heads of this form were then to be seen, and they were 
developed very imperfectly, mostly with only two rings of such 
tubular florets. Attempts to improve this form and raise it to a 
certain degree of constancy were for a long time unsuccessful. 
But in Gaillardia picta var. Lorenziana we have at last attained 
our object. The form is distinguished not only by a regular 
development of tubular florets constituting a beautiful globular 
head, but a satisfying degree of constancy has also been secured. 
From this we have raised six beautiful varieties, which show the 
colours of the ordinary varieties in a different arrangement. 
1, Claret or purple tube, the segments tipped with white ; 2, ama¬ 
ranthine tube, the segments tipped with gold ; 3, golden tube, 
throat claret; I, gold tube, throat amaranthine ; 5, purple tube, 
Fig. 36.—Gaillardia picta Loreuziann. 
segments tipped with gold ; and 6, pure yellow. Also these 
varieties are constant in a certain degree. The flower heads are 
3 to 4 inches in diameter.” 
[We shall be glad to receive a flower-head of one of these Gail- 
laraias equal to that represented in the engraving.—E d.] 
SOUTH SHIELDS FLOWER SHOW. 
The South Shields and Wistoe Floral Society held their thirty- 
eighth Exhibition in the cricket field, Westoe, in a spacious oblong 
marquee 80 feet by 40. The interior fittings of the marquee were 
very neatly covered with Heather in full bloom, which was inter¬ 
spersed with Asparagus foliage, causing a most pleasing effect. 
The Show, with few exceptions, was much superior to that of last 
year, the entries being greater and the quality of the exhibits gene¬ 
rally much superior. The Society is divided into open (or gentlemen’s 
gardeners’, amateurs’, and cottagers’) classes. For six stove and green¬ 
house plants in bloom the Society offered £15 divided into five prizes 
averaging from £G to £1 each. 'For these there was a very strong 
competition. No less than six lots were staged. Mr. John Thompson, 
nurseryman, was first with a superb plant of Lapageria alba with 
over two hundred flowers open. He had also a good specimen of 
L. rosea, remarkable for its large superbly coloured flowers. His 
best other plants were Stephanotis floribunda and Bougainvillea 
glabra. Mr. Appleby, gardener to H. Craven, Esq., Briery, Sunder¬ 
land, was second with much smaller plants, but even and well 
flowered, consisting of Erica Marnockiana, Erica superba, Bougain¬ 
villea glabra, Dipladenia amabilis, and Phcenocoma prolifera Barnesi. 
Mr. Battensby, Hagg Hill, Blaydon, was third, his best plant being 
