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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. T November 24, 1881. 
year the fruit is very fine, indeed the largest Apple in the garden. 
Reinette Superfin and Warner’s King had each a few fruits on 
young trees. Missouri Pippin, a very handsome and useful 
American variety, has borne freely on quite young trees and seems 
an acquisition. French Crab has had a few fruit in both years. 
The following good Apples have not fruited as yet at Girtford—• 
viz., Ribston Pippin, Annie Elizabeth, Nelson Codlin. and Blen¬ 
heim Pippin ; and although I have grown the latter Apple in 
various forms and in many situations during twenty years, I have 
never seen but two or three fruits on it. All the Apple trees seem 
well set with plump buds, and augur well for a crop next year if 
only the spring be propitious. Several seedlings have borne a 
few fruits this year, and in more than one instance this is appa¬ 
rently owing to the ringing or tying of branches tightly round 
with wire, the consequent stoppage of the flow of sap tending to 
early fertility. I am trying also the French Paradise as a stock 
for this purpose.—T. Laxton, Bedford. 
THE PHYLLOXERA CONVENTION. 
We have received from Mr. Aug. Van Geert, President of the 
“ Chambre Syndicale” of Belgian nurserymen, the terms of the 
Convention which was signed at Berne on the 2nd inst. relative 
to the exportation of plants from one country to another. The 
Convention of the 17th September, 1878, is annulled, and the 
following are the terms of that of the 2nd November :—Plants, 
shrubs, and all vegetables except the Vine sent out from nurseries, 
gardens, and hothouses are admitted to international transit, but 
cannot be introduced to a State except through the custom house. 
The said objects shall be packed securely, but in such a manner 
as to permit the necessary authentication, and ought to be accom¬ 
panied by a declaration of the sender and an attestation of the 
competent authority of the country whence sent out— a, That 
they come from a soil separated entirely from the Vine by a space 
of 20 metres or less, or by some obstacle to the roots judged suffi¬ 
cient by the competent authority ; b, That the soil does not itself 
contain a plant of the Vine ; c, That it is not there made any 
depot of that plant ; d, That if it had there had Vines attacked 
with the phylloxera, total eradication, poisonous operations re¬ 
peated during three years’ investigations, have been made, which 
assure the complete destruction of the insect and the roots. 
The declaration of the sender accompanying plants of Vines 
ought—1, To certify that the contents of the packet are entirely 
sent out from his establishment; 2, To indicate when they have 
been received, and the address of the consignee ; 3, To declare 
that no Vines are in the package ; 4, To state if the package 
contains plants with clods of earth ; 5, To bear the signature of 
the sender. The attestation of the competent authority ought 
always to be based on the declaration of an official expert. The 
convention of September 17th, 1878, is referred to on page 2, vol. i., 
new series, the issue of July 1st, 1880. 
LATE-STRUCK CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
It was not till the present season that I discovered the value of 
late-struck Chrysanthemums. I do not claim originality for the 
method, for I believe it has been practised for years by some gar¬ 
deners, but at the same time it is not generally known and 
practised. Chrysanthemums may be said to be chiefly grown in 
gardens for two purposes, one for the embellishment of the con¬ 
servatory, the other to supply blooms for cutting. The old method 
of growing Chrysanthemums answers admirably for the latter 
purpose, but in some conservatories tall plants cannot be accom¬ 
modated. At one establishment where I was employed the show 
house was rather a peculiar one : it was a span-roofed structure 
with a passage down the centre, all the plants had to be arranged 
on the two shelves; the consequence was that no tall plants could 
be employed. In such establishments the use of late-struck or 
dwarf Chrysanthemums is apparent. Last year we grew a few 
late-struck plants, but owing to some mismanagement they did 
not prove equal to my expectation. This season I have grown a 
good batch and paid a little more attention to them ; the result is 
we have some first-rate plants, and I find them extremely useful. 
My plan of growing them is a very simple one. In spring 
after the cuttings are taken from the old plants the stools are 
then planted out. They require no more attention through the 
spring and summer. It is from these that I take the cuttings for 
my late plants about the first week in August, selecting, of 
course, the strongest shoots. The cuttings are inserted in large 
GO-pots, placing three cuttings in each, and using a rather light 
compost of loam, leaf soil, and sand in equal parts. The pots are 
then plunged in a dung frame made up expressly for the purpose, 
and kept close till the cuttings are rooted, shading of course 
being employed in bright weather. The young shoots are rather 
hard at this time of year, and they take a little longer to form 
roots than they do in spring. When the cuttings are rooted 
more air must be admitted in order to prevent the plants being 
drawn. After the pots are filled with roots the young plants should 
be potted into 48-sized pots, using a good rich soil, one-fourth 
of which should be well-decayed manure. After the plants are 
established in the new compost the lights may be removed al¬ 
together for a time, and weak liquid manure may be given 
advantageously twice or three times a week till the plants are in 
bloom. It is, perhaps, necessary to state here that no pinching is 
required, for they invariably break with three side shoots. I 
have some plants that have as many as twelve shoots from the 
three cuttings, and many of the flowers are 3 inches across ; 
others, again, do not break out but continue to grow on. These 
produce the finest flowers, some of which are 5 inches or more 
in diameter according to the variety. They are very useful in 
many ways. They are admirably adapted for small vases where 
single plants are required, as they carry their foliage to the rim 
of the pots, looking as fresh and healthy as the day the cuttings 
were taken from the parent plants. I have a good batch of these 
late-struck plants in bloom now, and others coming into flower, 
whilst the late plants are only just showing flower. Thus a good 
long season of flowering is obtained.—W. K. 
We have received a copy of the third edition of M. Ed. 
Pynaert’s work, “ Les Serrls Vergers,” which is a complete 
treatise on the forcing of fruit trees under glass. The subject is 
treated most skilfully and exhaustively, and the text is copiously 
illustrated by well-executed woodcuts. In this edition M. Pynaert 
has made many additions and improvements on the former ; all 
the latest systems and appliances are referred to, even including 
Dr. Siemens’ experiments with the electric light as applied to 
plant-growth. 
-- Relative to the mildness oe the autumn a Lincoln¬ 
shire correspondent informs us that Wallflowers are blooming in 
his garden, and Myosotis dissitiflora is a sheet of blue. A writer 
from Hertfordshire says that Primroses, Polyanthuses, and Auri¬ 
culas are flowering very freely ; and a gardener writes from Kent 
that “ the Black Currant bushes are swelling their buds rapidly 
as if it were spring.” 
-“■ W.X.” writes, “ Chrysanthemum Madame Desgrange 
should be grown by everyone having a supply of cut flowers to 
maintain. It is past now, but was in full beauty a month ago. 
The flowers are pure white.” 
-We note with much regret the sudden death of the 
Hon. A. Leslie Melville of Branston Hall, because he was 
such an ardent garden admirer, and had such a great respect 
for gardeners as a body, many of whom he esteemed as his 
friends. By his great practical knowledge of horticulture and 
the high social position which he occupied he was frequently 
applied to for gardeners, and many good men obtained excellent 
appointments on his recommendation. Mr. Melville had long 
found the advantage of sending his gardener to see the works 
of others, and he was, in fact, visiting the Chrysanthemum 
shows near London when his esteemed employer died. He was 
one of the oldest contributors to the Cottage Gardener, and 
occasional notes from his pen appeared in our columns up to 
a recent date. He died on Saturday last in the 82nd year of 
his age. 
- The testimonial fund that was a short time ago instituted 
for Mr. Bruce Findlay has resulted in the noble sura of 
£1078 17.?. The presentation, we presume, was made last even¬ 
ing (Wednesday), a circular before us announcing that as the 
