262 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 22, 1881. 
close together on the stem. These, too, among the small forms 
are what we have selected for future culture, and the Drumlanrig 
and Glamorgan are our large kinds. So decidedly superior are 
these four to the others that we do not consider the remainder 
worth further trial ; but apart from usefulness, some growers 
attach considerable importance to variety in form and colour, 
and as a yellow Tomato Carter’s Green Gage is noteworthy. This 
is a prolific high-flavoured variety, and may be added as a fifth to 
those we have chosen. Yellow Trophy of the same colour is 
much inferior, and Yellow Cherry is not so good as Yellow Plum. 
General Grant has been poor with us, and it appears to be small. 
Stamfordian fruits too sparingly to please us, and many of the 
fruit have holes in the centre. This is great blemish in any 
Tomato fruit, and should always be avoided in selecting fruit 
from which to save seed. 
Few seeds are more easily saved than that of the Tomato, as it 
is quite ripe as soon as the fruit is ready for eating, and can 
easily be removed before cooking. Perhaps it may be as well 
to remark, that most of the kinds we have grown under glass 
have also been planted against the wall in the open air, and the 
results corresponded with those under glass.—J. Muir, Maryam. 
ANTHURIUM SCHERTZERIANUM. 
Unless potted in much too close and heavy soil this popular 
stove plant thrives fairly well ; but we think even the orthodox 
mixture of fibry peat and charcoal too close for first-class results. 
To be sure, if the peat be fibry enough, and plenty of charcoal or 
crocks be added, and the plant is not overpotted and is carefully 
watered, very satisfactory success will attend the cultivator if the 
other necessary conditions — heat and cleanliness — be ensured. 
But we would recommend a mixture of sphagnum and charcoal 
alone. It is perfectly evident that in its native home it does not 
bury its roots in soil, but is a true epiphyte, the roots of which 
delight in moist air such as exists among growing mosses. It is, 
in fact, very much of the nature of an epiphytal Orchid, the 
roots of which will thrive and find sustenance enough in air alone 
if moist. Such conditions may not be very easily imitated, but 
a porous potful of clean fresh sphagnum and charcoal alone offers 
a medium in which Anthuriums thrive surprisingly. 
Half filling the pots with crocks we consider a mistake. Ample 
drainage is decidedly necessary, for stagnant water is sure to 
cause the roots to decay, and then sickly plants must result. 
At the same time we recommend filling the pot with moss and 
charcoal from the bottom, with the exception of a concave crock 
over the drainage hole. When the pots are half, or even one- 
fourth, filled with crocks the best roots are starved, for to the 
bottoms of the pots the best roots go, and when they are there 
they should find something to live on. I can fancy some one ex¬ 
claiming that there cannot be much in sphagnum, and perhaps 
there is not; but quite as much in fibry peat, so long as it remains 
fibry, and when it ceases to be so it is worse than useless. 
A more generous diet assists them, however, as we have proved. 
This should not be in a substantial form, such as loam or other 
soil, but should be conveyed to the roots of the plants by means 
of water. We are learning now that a soil for plants in pots if 
mechanically right is very easily made chemically right, and that 
soil in pots, however generous to begin with, speedily has its good 
qualities exhausted by the plants or washed out by repeated 
waterings, and needs continual replacement by means of water. 
We like pots well filled with roots, for then we can keep the pots 
always moist with water tainted, and no more, with manure. 
We are never sure of not doing mischief with watering when 
small plants are in large pots, but it is quite different with large 
plants in small pots. When our Anthuriums fill their pots with 
roots we do not shift the plants, as some do, unless that be an 
absolute necessity ; but we taint the water with sewage, which is 
as good and cheaper than guano, and we find the result to be a 
magnificent growth such as the plants never attained under the 
orthodox treatment. This being so, we certainly advise your 
readers to try the system here indicated. If the result sets neigh¬ 
bours asking questions a service will be done them if they are re¬ 
ferred to this number of the Journal. We may add that the new 
Anthurium Audreanum will grow in a stove under the above 
treatment. We have seen several such plants under “ Orchid 
Culture.”— Single-handed. 
Mustard v. the Turnip Fly. —In many gardens, and still 
more farms this year, I noticed a second sowing had to be 
made owing to the ravages of the Turnip fly (Haltica nemorum, 
or more properly Phyllotreta nemorum), and this applies to the 
whole Cruciferae family, entailing loss of time, money and crops. 
The usual remedy is dusting with slaked lime, sulphur, or both ; 
road dust, soot, or drawing a tarred or oiled cloth over the plants 
to catch the ravenous black larvae when they leap upwards. I 
noticed in a market garden to-day what was to me a novel 
remedy, though it may not be new to all your readers—a central 
line of Mustard, with seedling Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and Broc- 
colis on one side, and various Turnips on the other, ail without a 
leaf touched. I understand this is a perfect remedy.—W. J. M., 
Clonmel. 
CHOICE PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 
Nearly all those who grow Peaches and Nectarines are anxious 
to know what are the best early varieties. Ours are grown in 
pots in a good orchard house, and they have succeeded remarkably 
well this year. Alexander is certainly the best early Peach ; next 
to it is Amsden June—both American-raised varieties. Alexander 
is the better of the two. The fruit is larger and quite of as good 
quality as that of Amsden June. They ripened together in the 
same position. They both produce better fruit than Early 
Beatrice, and were a few days earlier ; but I ought to say that 
the tree of Early Beatrice did Dot occupy quite such a good posi¬ 
tion. Goshawk (Rivers) is a very good late Peach, bearing some 
resemblance to Barrmgton, but earlier; the fruit is of large size 
and excellent quality. Lord Napier is the best early Nectarine 
—no other ought to be named beside it. The fruit is of the 
largest size, the best quality, and is the earliest good Nectarine. 
Stanwick Elruge is also a splendid, richly flavoured, highly 
coloured variety, ripening before Yiolette Hative or Elruge. It 
should be grown in the most select collections.—J. Douglas. 
THE PROPAGATION OF CONIFERS. 
( Continued from page 216.) 
In addition to the large number of Conifers raised by cuttings 
thousands are annually propagated by means of grafting. The 
extent to which this operation is carried out in large nurseries 
where Conifers are a speciality would surprise those who have no 
knowledge of such work ; but the most surprising part of all, 
when the work is judiciously performed, is the small number of 
deaths that follow. Successful results mainly depend upon proper 
accommodation for treating the plants after they are grafted and 
after they leave the propagating house. The Conifers grafted are 
principally new and choice varieties. Whether they succeed 
better on their own roots or when grafted it is not the object of 
these notes to consider; but one thing is certain, that delicate- 
growing kinds are considerably improved when worked on strong¬ 
growing stocks. By grafting, a stock of young plants can be 
raised more quickly than by cuttings, for if propagation by cut¬ 
tings only were adopted a considerable time would elapse before 
plants are sufficiently developed to give many cuttings. The 
portions of growth employed for scions can be much smaller, and 
in consequence a good stock is raised in less time. 
Before the operation of grafting is performed considerable 
labour is entailed in preparing the stocks. Generally they are 
established in 3 or I-inch pots. The stocks are potted any time 
during the winter and spring as opportunities present themselves 
—for instance, during wet or bad weather, when it is impossible 
to proceed with outdoor work. The plants selected for the stocks 
are not the most handsome specimens, because those generally are 
selected that are not likely to become symmetrical plants ; but 
they must be free and healthy. One or two crocks are placed at 
the bottom of each pot, and the stocks are potted in a soil con¬ 
sisting of good loam, a portion of decayed manure, and a little 
red or river sand. As the stocks are potted they are placed out¬ 
side and plunged, covering the pots with soil, or they are placed 
on hard beds and the spaces filled in between and over the top 
of the pots with spent tan, ashes, or any material that may be 
at hand. They remain in this position through the summer 
until required about this season of the year for grafting. The 
only attention they need is to give them plenty of water, the 
object in plunging beiDg only to save labour in this respect. 
The stock usually employed is Cupressus Lawsoniana for C. L. 
lutea, and lutea aurea, C. pyramidalis alba, p. argentea, p. sulphurea, 
and other choice kinds. Choice Junipers, such as J. chinensis 
aurea, J. japonica albo-variegata, J. japonica aurea, and others 
are worked on the common J. chinensis. Many of the Golden 
and choice Yews are worked on the common English Yew, Taxus 
baccata. The choice and Golden Thujas are worked on Thuia 
occidentalis, others on T. gigantea and T. orientalis. Thuiopsis 
borealis is used for T. b. aurea, T. argentea variegata, and the 
variegated form of T. dolabrata. The common and strong-growing 
Retinosporas serve for the rare and more beautiful varieties. 
