October 2, 1884. ] 
JOURl^AL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
315 
ties and a few of Mr. Kelway’s, so ttat there is a very varied selection. 
With regard to his culture, the soil is heavy, and therefore not over-well 
suited for them, while the climate is mild and mo st. So far, theu, from 
any exceptional advantage enjoyed by Mr. Dohree, the odds are against 
him ; but, of course, he knows how to cope with these difficulties, as his 
success proves. I noticed that his beds were not mulched at all, even in 
this hot season, as he considers the bulbs are much more likely to get 
diseased when this is done, for he is one of those who recognise in the 
cause of the severe loss we have .all to mourn over who grow Gladiolus the 
existence of a disease which I cannot but believe to be engendered by our 
moister climate, for at Fontainbleau the other day I saw but litile 
symptoms of the malady which causes us so much grief over here, while 
(although this is a subject I must revert to by-and-by) this dry summer 
has been far more favourable to the bulb than any previous one that I 
have known. 
Amongst the French varieties of recent years, Mr. Dobree’s are 
Mabel. Nereide, Bicolore, Arabi Pasha, Grand Rouge, Baroness Bur- 
dett Coutts, Corinne, Victor Jaccpieminot, and Mdlle. Marie Verdale. Of 
the varieties of last season he places Crepuscue, first; then Pyramide; 
Medici, somewhat in the way of Ovide, third ; Gallia, fourth ; Colorado, 
fifth; and Conquest, which he does not consider an improvement on 
Corinne, sixth. He has not grown Tamerlane, to which I am inclined to 
give the first place, an opinion borne out by Messrs, gonillard & Brunelet. 
Mr Dobree has been very successful in raising a goodly number of 
seedlings of excellent quality. With the high standard of excellence 
before him in the more modern varieties he has felt that it must be some¬ 
thing good, something of real excellence, either in novelty of colour, ex¬ 
cellence of form, or hardiness, which would be worth keej^ing. Thousands 
have to be cast away, as, although pretty, they fail to fulfil these condi¬ 
tions, and, like every seedling grower of judgment, he feels it is better 
to have a few good ones than a multitude of indifferent sorts. Amongst 
these I particularly noticed Hubert, a fine flower, somewhat in the style 
of Dalila, which, as I have said, was overlooked at Taunton amongst the 
varieties that ought to have been certificated ; Feather Gem, a very 
beautiful variety; F. Bonamy Hankey, a very vigorous free-blooming 
plant; Queen of Canaries, certificated at Taunton, a very delicate and 
beautiful shade of primrose yellow; Richard; Pi’ebendai’y Knowling; 
Miss Paterson, snowy white, a colour somewhat rare of late years, few 
varieties of value having been added to our li-t since Norma and Madame 
Desportes ; Mrs. Knowling, Millie Dobree, Reputation, and Jessie Fox. 
It is of little use mentioning these except to .'.^how that Mr. Dobree has 
been successful in obtaining fine varieties, as they not likely ever to be 
in commerce. 
We so rarely meet now-a-days with anyone who grows to any extent 
this lovely autumn flower, that it was a great pleasure to me to have the 
opportunity of having this talk with Mr. Dobree. I have seen the report 
of the wonderful blooms exhibited at the Crystal Palace from Scotland, 
and have since met Mr. Douglas, who fully confirmed what had been said 
in your columns. I was sorry to have missed them, but I was unable 
to get there, and yet withal, grand as they are, they entail a vast amount 
of disappointment; and when so able a gardener as Mr. Douglas, who can 
grow well-nigh anything well, says that jn-actically they have beaten him, 
what can we minor gardeners hope to do ? I trust, however, that Mr. 
Dobree will still continue their growth, and that we shall be able to p dnt 
to one amateur at least who still worthily cultivates this lovely but 
capricious beauty.—D., Deal. 
gardener, starts the tubers on a hotbed in February, and has large plants 
by that time. I forgot mentioning Delia ; it makes a massive bed of the 
most intense dark crimson that would out-distance the Zonal Pelargonium 
Henri Jacoby. Newer intr iductions have been found in many respects 
behind those old varieties. Though this has been the driest season for 
twenty years, the naturally moist soil here partly explains the above 
success. 
In the conservatory were some fine plants. Flowers of a small 
plant of Mrs. Freeman measured nearly G inches, not merely across, but 
both ways, for the bloom, unlike most other.s, is almost circular, of a most 
pleasing shade of rose pink, and of great substance. I understand this, 
like many others here, was raised at Staustead by Messrs. Laing. Mdme. 
Stella, light pink; Mdme.. Peasonneau, large blu.sh ; Snowflake, nearly 
circular also, and almost pure white ; Princess of Wales, a rose white, and 
contrasting well with the two adjoining, Bonfire and the Hon. Mrs. Brassey, 
orange and rich rosy crimson. Both of those, though large rnd robust, 
seemed pigmies beside the well-known Countess of Kingston, a deep crimson 
red, and that Iasi year I have seen doing admirably bedded out in Cork. 
Very commendable, too, seemed Sir Stafford Northcote, Bayard, A. H. 
Laing, and the fine dirk red Princess of Teck. I may remark that these 
were among the varieties conspicuously in bloom, and does not include 
some very fine seedlings raised on the premisf-s, principally whites and 
yellows, and shades thereof, not named. Another peculiarity noticed is 
that some varieties come out very fine—even double or semi-double, and 
the subsequent blooms are comparatively inferior, as if their constitution 
on the threshold of existence suddenly began to fail. The bedders named, 
however, have now been tried for several years with others, and have been 
finally selected. 
Many of the doubles that had been blooming for months were past their 
best, but the following deserve notice. Mons. Keteleer, a very double rosy 
flesh-coloured pink ; Laing’s David M. Home. One of the best of the salmon- 
shaded seemed Pasonaeflorm ; then the hardy good old double Gloire de 
Nancy that bears muchrough treatment, resembling the best. Onethatshould 
be in every collection is Mrs. Laing, asofcrose white that contrasts well with 
the tall robust grower Duchess of Cambaceres. A very desirable white 
and salmon is M^rie Lemoine, with full centre; and of equally good 
shape was Mrs. Wise, a bright rose pink. I must include Dinah Felix, 
and that peculiar serrated-petalled crimson flower Esther, with an enticing 
rose pink centre. Though I have thus brought under your notice some 
excellent varieties grown indoors, single and double, my primary object 
was to show that with good varieties, suitable soil, and proper treatment. 
Tuberous Begonias are most commendable for outdoor work and garden 
decoration even in unfavourable years ; but at the same time I would like 
to maintain that varieties, soil, and treatment are indispensable conditions 
to success.—W. J. Mukphy. 
^ WOKK.foi\.theWEEK.. 
IN 1 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS AT RATHRONAN MANOR, CLONMEL. 
I HAVE just returned here from having some holidays—some at flower 
shows, and the majority in visiting any fine gardens that came in my way 
in two provinces. Gardening has had many things to contend with in 
recent years in Ireland, yet, without introducing any debatable matter, I 
am proud to think, while many have dropped out from one cause or 
another, steady progress has been making. I know a good deal of Eng¬ 
land north and south, and Ireland well, and speaking from that experience 
I am not sure but we do many things here better than they are done in 
the wealthier island. Take a possible illustration. This is the residence 
of the Hon. Judge and Mrs. Gough : a short distance from this town, to 
which a small party of us went to see a dozen beds of Tuberous Begonias 
in the flower garden that have been blooming since May, and an extensive 
conservatory well stocked with the more select singles and doubles, for 
since their introduction, though other good things are not neglected, these 
have been made a speciality. Many have doubted their suitability for 
bedding out at all, and, particularly this year, I have heard others “ damn 
them with faint praise.” The former I admit were those that never gave 
them a fa'r trial, and the latter were chiefly those who had the misfortune 
to get a bad strain of seed, or mismanaged good named kinds. Now, 
this point of getting good “named” varieties is all-important, especially 
for beginners. I say “for beginners” advisedly, for, ten chances to one, 
bad kinds, and they are much easier to get than good ones, will disgust 
the first time, and not be tried again. I admit good seedlings can be had. 
I raised sufficient for making a large bed from the seed of a well-known 
Kentish florist, the flowers being of great size and substance—but they 
are the exceptions. At Rathronan, though seedlings have been raised 
largely, named sorts indoor and out are principally depended on. We 
first admired those dozen large bods. They were a mass of bloom. 
B. Sedeni and B. Vesuvius had their foliage wholly hidden by the blooms. 
Worthiana, Paul Slasurel, Oriflamme, Etna, Model, &c.. were very little 
behind in this respect; and this since May last, for Mr. Mulcahy, the 
Gathering Fruit .—Much watchfulness and care are necessary now 
amongst Apples and Pears to secure the crop of fruit when it is ready for 
the fruit-room. If gathered too soon it becomes withered; if left too long 
upon the tree much is spoilt by wasps and birds, and the best fruit, which 
is usually found upon the upper branches, may be shaken off by the first 
storm of wind. Almost daily inspection has to be made where the collection 
is a large one, and we have several times lately found so many sorts ready 
for gathering on the same day that two or three extra men have been taken 
for the work. We rather object to this, for rough hands unaccustomed to 
the work are apt to play sad havoc with the laterals. Repeatedly have we 
pointed out that the blossom buds for next year’s crop of fruit come close 
to stalks of the fruit which is now being gathered, and yet how frequently 
do we find them broken off! Great care is required in the gathering, the 
carrying to the fruit-room, and in putting in the cribs and upon shelves. 
Apples and Pears must not be shot out of the baskets into the cribs like 
Potatoes. No matter how hard the fruit may be, every blow from rough 
usage makes a bruise which eventually causes premature decay. Early 
autumn Pears require frequent examination after they are gathered. 
Fondante d’Automne, though the most delicious Pear just now, is by no 
means a safe sort—once ripe it soon deteriorates and is seldom good after 
a fortnight. Like many other of our best sorts, its season may be ex¬ 
tended by planting trees against different aspects and by gathering only 
part of the fruit at first—some fruit is always more forward than the re¬ 
mainder. Apples, too, require care. That valuable sort, Warner’.s King, 
often decays quickly when once fully ripe, and it is the best fruit which 
spoil first. Since our last calendar appeared we have gathered an ex¬ 
cellent crop of many sorts of Apples, including Adams’ Pcarmain, Cobham, 
Bedfordshire Foundling, Hubbard’s Pearmain, Brabant Bellefleur, Gloria 
Mundi, Cockle’s Pippin, Reinette Van Mons, Melon, Golden Noble, Blen¬ 
heim Pippin, Beauty of Kent, Dumelow’s Seedlimz, Mere de Mdnage, 
Tower of Glamis, and King of Pippins. Of Pears, Jer.sey Gratioli, 
Fondante d’Antomne, Beurrd Clairgeau, and Louise Bonne of Jersey. A 
tree against a south wall has given us a nice lot of fine highly coloured 
fruit of Wulburtou Admu’able Peach, but the last will be gathered by the 
