November 9,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 425 
colour but of delicious flavour, and is always asked for by those 
who have previously had it. It ought to be grown by every 
gaidc-ner, and then, no matter how wet the period during the 
Strawberry season, a dish of delicious Strawberries could be had. 
Next year I intend it to form my main crop ; also of advantage, it 
has a long season, and every blossom appears to produce a perfect 
fruit. I have also the other Duke of Edinburgh, but it does not 
appear to thrive on my rich loamy land.— Joseph WlTHEESPOON, 
1led Hose Vineries, Chester-le-Street. 
HYACINTHS AND TULIPS. 
Amongst all the beautiful plants in our gardens which flower 
in early spring few surpass Hyacinths and Tulips for great and 
pleasing effect. These flower in April and May—a season when 
flower gardens generally are comparatively dull. Flowers out of 
doors in spring are always welcomed. For many years I planted 
annually about £80 worth of Hyacinths and Tulips (reckoned at 
wholesale prices) in flower gardens, and it was my happiness to 
know that in spring they gave great pleasure and satisfaction to 
my employers. Families that go to London or leave their country 
seats during the spring months will not care for a display of flowers 
then in their gardens, but to those who remain at home I strongly 
recommend planting bulbs now for a spring display. October or 
early in November is the best time for planting Hyacinths, Tulips, 
and Crocuses—as soon as the bedding plants are removed. Early 
planting is doubtless advantageous, as the bulbs obtain a better 
hold of the ground, and thus gain strength to produce stronger 
flower stems. If planted late in November they do not root so 
well. The soil is too cold, and the time for rooting too short 
before the winter frosts arrive. Late planting is altogether disad¬ 
vantageous, for the bulbs so planted flower at the same time as 
those planted earlier. 
In buying Hyacinths for outdoors, only those with single flowers 
should be selected. Indeed, I prefer the single varieties for cul¬ 
ture in pots also, as they produce far better bells and more massive 
and effective spikes. In arranging the colours of Hyacinths in 
planting I employed the three colours red, blue, and white in 
equal proportions—that is to say, thirty-three of each colour in a 
bed of one hundred bulbs, mixing them in planting, and not keep¬ 
ing the colours in separate rows. Massing the three colours 
separately is not so pleasing. In planting Hyacinths in shrubbery 
borders it is better to plant three in a group than singly. As the 
heads of single flowers are heavy they should be secured to neat 
stakes before the flowers expand. Even in a conservatory I prefer 
three bulbs in a pot. For outdoor display the mixed reds, mixed 
blues, and mixed whites are used, being much cheaper than named 
varieties. After they have done good service in the flower garden 
the bulbs should be carefully taken up and preserved for forcing 
for cut flowers in their second year. The second year’s flowers 
from good Dutch Hyacinths are quite large enough for cutting, 
and at market prices are worth nearly their original cost. 
Tulips are planted about 8 inches asunder in beds, and about 
3 inches below the surface. If the most effective sorts are used, 
and the colours are well balanced in planting, no other known 
flowers can produce a more striking effect in a flower garden than 
a bed of single Tulips during the month of May. I have found 
that the most brilliant effect was produced by three colours only— 
scarlet, yellow, and white, mixed in the proportion of three scarlet, 
two yellow, and one white. The best scarlets for effect are Ver¬ 
milion Brillant and Samson ; for yellows I like Canary Bird and 
Yellow Prince—both are excellent and cheap. For white there is 
none better than White Pottebakker—a rather high-priced Tulip, 
but pure white. Double varieties are objectionable for outdoor 
work, owing to the weight of the flowers and length of flower 
stems. In mixed borders Tulips should be planted in patches 
of a dozen bulbs rather than singly. To all who want to have 
charming beds in spring I commend a trial of such Tulips as those 
named above, and planted as I have indicated. Bulbs may be 
forced a second year for cut flowers at Christmas. 
Crocuses are so chexp, early, and pleasing that they should be 
largely used in gardens. In small gardens they should be planted 
in large patches, and in gardens with large shrubberies sheets of 
Crocuses about the grounds are very pretty. Crocuses once planted 
will last for many years.—A. Pettigrew. 
POTTS’ SEEDLING APPLE. 
According to Mr. Petch, the experienced representative of 
Messrs. Richard Smith & Co. of Worcester, this Lancashire 
Apple possesses a property that entitles it to the consideration of 
those who have gardens in smoky districts. “ There is no Apple 
in existence,” Mr. Petch says, “ that will grow so well in and 
near large towns as Potts’ Seedling, and it should be recom¬ 
mended particularly for that purpose.” As confirmatory of the 
accuracy of this estimate we recently saw fine crops of splendid 
fruit in Mr. Firth’s garden at Riverdale, Sheffield. Mr. Abbott, 
the gardener there, regards it as the most useful Apple in the 
collection, and wishes that half of the entire number of trees 
were of this variety. Many of the Sheffield-grown fruits were 
much larger than that represented, which is submitted as a fair 
average specimen. 
The fruit of this Apple emits a powerful scent of ether or chlo¬ 
roform. It is very irregular in outline, roundish and flattened, 
very angular on the sides and at the base, also puckered and 
ribbed round the eye. Skin smooth, shining, and unctuous when 
ripe, of an uniform greenish straw colour, and sprinkled with 
russet dots. Eye large and closed, set in an angular and ribbed 
basin ; tube wide, conical ; stamens marginal. Stalk half an inch 
long, stout, inserted the whole of its length in a deep cavity. 
Flesh very tender and pleasantly subacid, with all the character 
of the flesh of Codlins. Cells of the core open ; cell-walls elliptic, 
obovate, with toothed fungoid veins. An early Apple, ripe during 
September, of the Lord Suffield and Domino class, but heavier 
and keeps longer, often remaining firm until November. The 
tree is a good grower, with large roundish leaves like the Haw- 
thornden, and bears freely. 
Mr. Nelson of Catcliffe, near Rotherham, found this Apple 
about thirty years ago in the garden of a Gooseberry grower at 
Oldham, who, he stated, had procured his trees from a Mr. Potts, 
who had raised it. Mr. Nelson’s letter appears on page 322 of 
our issue of the 5th ult., and he speaks in high terms of the 
Apple in question. 
USEFUL HINTS. 
PELARGONIUMS. 
To have short and sturdy Pelargoniums of the show and decora¬ 
tive types next season they should now be placed on a shelf close 
to the glass in a cool and well-ventilated house, and have mode¬ 
rate supplies of water. If the Pelargoniums have been well 
ripened under this treatment the growths they make will be very 
healthy and sturdy. If they are growing through the winter the 
shoots will be weak and watery. Subsequently the plants will be 
very drawn by the time their flowering period arrives, and the 
blooms will be poor. 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS FOR BEDDING. 
The past season has again shown how well adapted the Tuberous 
Begonia is for bedding. I think a few beds should be in every 
garden, if only for a late display, when Pelargoniums are past their 
best. The plants should now be lifted and placed in a dry shed 
until the tops decay, after which they should be packed closely 
together in boxes and placed in a cool and dry place safe from 
frost. I find the best tubers to plant are those that are not dis¬ 
tinct enough to name and too good to discard, of which some 
