October 26, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
393 
out the recently certificated Black Champion Currant, raised at Mr. 
Dunnett’s, Dedham, the surprise of all who saw the berries. Nothing 
I had seen hitherto were to me more interesting than the large space 
devoted to Lilies, and I was fortunate in finding many, both of the 
Japanese, Martagon, davuricum, and lancifolium types in bloom. 
I find any time from this to the beginning of winter the best for 
planting the bulbs. I have some from imported bulbs obtained last 
year, and planted in ornamental wooden boxes about a foot square, 
and the same deep, in soil containing at least a third of peat, and 
I find the blooms 16 inches in diameter, and an average of six 
to the bulb. I have seen larger blooms in the borders with Mr. 
Burbidge, Trinity College Gardens, Dublin, a fortnight ago, but I 
consider this satisfactory, and not always obtained the first year of 
planting. I use those boxes and Lilies on Sunday for church decora¬ 
tion, and know of few floral ornaments so convenient to compare 
with them. As this use of Lilies is not common the digression may 
be pardoned. 
I also noticed a large square of Tropaeolum Empress of India, 
and I cannot remember ever seeing anything more brilliant, while the 
dark-tinted foliage showed the flowers to advantage. While I must 
pass many things. I cannot pass the new Calendula officinalis Meteor 
without commending it to your readers. It is perfectly hardy, very 
showy, with bright gold orange pencilling on each floret, and pro¬ 
duces seed freely. Though I have already exceeded the space you 
are likely to have to spare, I have not even yet a reference to single 
Dahlias, Carnations, and their congeners of the Dianthus family, not 
a word of the beautiful tricolor Chrysanthemums, or any of the 
Composites, but I must stop to single out Harpalium rigidum, that 
you figured recently. There are two further houses yet to notice, and 
that I must dispose of in a line, devoted to a young stock of 
Calceolarias, including the new Cloth of Gold, and Cinerarias. We 
next arrive at the trial grounds for vegetable and farm seeds, 
returning by the Dahlia and Bose grounds, and could see through 
the shades of evening that the Tea Boses were remarkably fine for 
the season, and the Hybrid Perpetuals had commenced to wreath 
themselves a second time in their glorious tints.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
ANNUAL CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
I noticed in the Journal of Horticulture last week a few 
remarks concerning the beautiful Chrysanthemum coronarium, 
and I consider the plant fully deserves all that your correspondent 
“Sussex ” has said in its favour; for in addition to its merits as 
a border annual or for lifting in the autumn for the conservatory, 
it may be grown with advantage for the conservatory in spring. 
I sowed a few seeds in February of the present year in a little 
heat, from which I had good plants in full flower in May. They 
were much admired, and nothing could have had a more pleasing 
effect than had these plants mixed with the ordinary greenhouse 
plants in flower in the latter part of spring and early summer. 
In addition to C. coronarium I would advise those who have not 
done so to try some of Messrs. Carter & Co.’s annual Chrysanthe¬ 
mums for the mixed border. Some of these, such as Dunnett’s 
Golden, Dunnett’s Snow White, Lord Beaconsfield, and some 
others, are extremely pretty. They will do well in any ordinary 
garden soil, and being of rapid growth they soon make an attractive 
display.—E. B. 
Tropaeolum Bedfont Bival. —This Tropaeolum, which I have 
known the past ten years, is, I consider, the best for bedding purposes. 
At present, when Pelargoniums are quite without flowers owing to 
recent heavy rains, it is one mass of scarlet. It is quite distinct from 
any Tropaeolum I know, and has a good formed flower, intense scarlet 
in colour, with light green foliage. On light soil it is at all times 
better than any bedding Pelargonium that I am acquainted with. 
Is this the same variety for which Mr. Dean received a first-class 
certificate last summer? I first saw it in 1872 in the gardens at 
Heslington Hall, York, but where it came from I am unable to 
say.— John Short. 
oTllf 
WORl\. FO fi. THE WEEK.< 
3W1NIJ 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Clear the ground of all exhausted crops, so as to have it in readiness 
for digging and trenching as may be found necessary. Where manure 
is required it should be placed on during dry weather, nothing being 
so prejudicial as working ground during wet weather. Soils of a 
heavy retentive nature should be thrown up in ridges, so as to expose 
as large a surface as possible to the action of the atmosphere during 
winter. All soils under high cultivation, which means manuring 
after every crop and surface-mulching such as require it, along with 
deep stirring, will in the course of a few years have the soil very rich 
and liable to become close and soapy. Such must be trenched at 
least every third year, and a good liming given in the spring prior to 
the co ntemplated trenching. In trenching care should be taken not to 
bring much of the bad soil to the surface, but by loosening it at the 
bottom of the trenches seek to increase the depth of rooting and 
percolation of water through the soil. In the case of trenching 
manure must be applied afterwards, so as to enrich the comparatively 
poor soil brought up. It may be applied any time during the winter 
in favourable weather, pointing in spring prior to sowing or planting. 
Soils that do not require trenching and have the soil rich in de¬ 
cayed matter, consequently full of humus, may be given a dressing of 
lime, forty bushels per acre being sufficient for light soils, and double 
the quantity for heavy soils, whilst those that have not been dressed 
with lime for seven or more years may be given double the quantity. 
It should be applied in dry weather either in autumn or spring. 
Yery light and shallow soils will not be improved by turning them 
an d exposing to the action of the atmosphere during winter; in 
their case the ground may be manured so as to admit of the soil 
being turned in spring. If a good dressing of clay or marl could 
be placed on during frosty weather, and after being pulverised by 
frost or atmospheric influence dug in, such soils will be improved 
immensely. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Pines .—Plants on which fruit is now showing will be ripe at a 
time when other kinds of fruit are scarce, therefore such plants 
should be given a good position, where every advantage, both 
natural and artificial, may be obtained. Continue the temperature 
and treatment as last indicated in this calendar, but should the 
weather become cold and dull a fall of 5° in the temperature should 
be made. During the process of flowering it is not usual to wet 
the fruit, and should not be done through the winter months. The 
lights of all Pine houses or pits must now be washed. Plants 
expected to show fruit early in the ensuing year should now be 
rested for a time after having made growth, and as Queen plants do 
not generally start into fruit so readily as some other varieties it is 
advisable to treat the plants very carefully. The temperature at the 
roots should fall gradually to 70°, that of the house being kept at 
C5° by day and 60° at night. Houses which are naturally moist from 
being sunk, and having fermenting beds, must not be sprinkled, and 
water should only be given when absolutely necessary, which will 
not often be the case with plants plunged in fermenting beds. 
Ventilate at 70°, and freely above that temperature, closing at 70°. 
Cherry House .—Dishes of fresh ripe fruit are not very plentiful in 
1 ate April, May, and early June, hence Cherries afford an acceptable 
addition. A lean-to house from 8 to 12 feet in width is the most 
suitable, the last greatest w’idth allowing a row of trees in front and 
the utilisation of the back wall by a row of trees, the front trees only 
occupying a part of the roof to the extent of about 10 feet up the 
rafters. For the front trees the trellis should be about 12 inches 
from the glass. The borders may be about 30 inches deep, with 
9 inches of rubble at the bottom, and drain to carry off the super¬ 
fluous water; 6 feet width is ample. Loam of a calcareous nature 
is necessary, and, if deficient of that, a tenth of old mortar rubbish 
should be incorporated, with a sixth of road scrapings. In selecting 
trees for planting under glass it is advisable to employ such as have 
been trained to walls for three or four years, as they come into 
bearing at once, and if carefully lifted and planted as soon as the 
leaves are falling they will afford early fruit the first season. The 
soil should be firm, and after planting a good watering must be 
given, mulching over the roots. Empress Eugenie, May Duke, and 
Black Tartarian are the best of the dark Cherries, and of the light- 
coloured Early Jaboulay, Elton, and Governor Wood. The house 
unless required for Chrysanthemums and similar plants, which will 
need mere protection from frost, wdth free ventilation, should not 
have the lights placed on for another month or six weeks. Trees in 
pots requiring a shift should be given pots 3 or 4 inches larger, and 
those requiring surface-dressing must be attended to at once, 
removing the mulching; and the soil near the sides of the pot as 
