September 9, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 229 
varieties, although there has been a great advance in that direction 
of late years. 
That the plants should be grown as single stems and disbudded 
of all laterals cannot .be too often or too strongly impressed upon 
those who are about to start for the first time their cultivation. 
As illustrating the results of the practice advocated by me in 
the Journal during the spring, I had thought of sending to the 
Editors a sample of those grown out of doors with all laterals 
removed, and I cannot do better than do so at the present time, 
when the subject has been so well treated by Mr. Iggulden. 
The sample sent is one of fifteen plants trained diagonally at an 
angle of 40° against a low wall, and from which we commenced 
gathering ripe fruits in July. The whole of the plants are equally 
good with the sample sent, which is a portion of the plant. The 
lower part having yielded its fruits has been removed, also the 
top with but recently set fruits. The fruits are not so fine as 
those in the houses, but my object is to show that it is not neces¬ 
sary to stop Tomatoes after the first three or four trusses are set 
to insure a crop of ripe fruits out of doors in ordinary summers, 
although it is beneficial when, owing to bad seasons or other causes, 
the energy of the plant might be wasted for supporting late fruit 
that has no chance of coming to maturity. 
The variety sent is a seedling of my own, which I have grown 
exclusively for outdoor purposes for several years.— R. Crossling. 
[It is evidently a very useful variety. The fruit is large, rather 
corrugated, and terminates with a blunt apex—is, indeed, of 
almost the exact form of the Custard Vegetable Marrow. The 
crop is a heavy one—quite a rope of fruit, and admirably illus¬ 
trates the value of the system of culture above indicated. —Eds.] 
VIOLET ARGENTEAFLORA AND OTHERS. 
Through the courtesy of Mr. Lee, who sent me a bundle of 
plants in the spring, I have also been able to test the merits of his 
new Violet Argenteaflora. Like Mr. G. Abbey I have found it a con¬ 
tinuous summer bloomer. Of course the quality of the flowers is 
not what one would be satisfied with in the spring. Still they are 
fairly good and very sweet and acceptable, coming as they do at 
a time when the scent of a Violet is a luxury often unattainable. 
V. odorata pendula, or New York, is the only other variety known to 
me from which one can generally gather a few sweet if not very 
presentable blooms even in summer. 
Everyone who loves Violets and can spare a frame for its 
accommodation should grow this fine variety. Now is the time to 
make preparations for a supply of these delicious flowers through 
the autumn, winter, and spring. I find that it does better planted 
out in a cold frame than in any other way. The situation should 
be sheltered and slope slightly towards the south, so that every 
ray of the winter sun can be caught. The soil should be rich and 
light. If that universally recommended commodity, well rotted 
manure, can be incorporated with it so much the better. Chimney 
soot is also useful, and keeps away the worms. Take up the 
plants with a ball early in September and plant them in rows about 
8 inches apart. Give a good watering, shade for a few days if the 
sun is hot, and they will at once make themselves at home and 
begin to bloom as if nothing had happened. New York will give 
you a good crop of fine flowers before the lights need be put on, 
which should be in October. Very little water is needed in 
winter, and as much air should be given as possible whenever 
there is no frost. After the first of the autumn bloom is over 
there will probably be a slight break in the supply, but New 
York even in the depth of winter never ceases blooming altogether, 
and in February comes again with a rush in all its soft splendour. 
My long frame last spring was very beautiful. The remem¬ 
brance of it is a joy to the present time, and animates me in my 
present endeavour to secure a similar treat in the coming season. 
Few who have not seen it have any idea of the beauty and size to 
which a well-grown Violet attains. 
The general run of the blooms of New York in spring are as 
large as a florin, perfect rosettes of a rich lovely mauve colour 
with white and red eye. I grew also a frame of Belle de Chatenay, 
with which I am delighted. This fine double white Violet is not 
an autumn or winter bloomer, but in spring I have found it to be 
more than equal to the raiser's description. I gathered many 
specimens which more than covered a halfcrown ; they were pure 
white, and had the appearance of small white Roses. Each 
flower was sufficient for a buttonhole. I do not mean to say that 
every bloom is up to this mark ; what flower is there that does not 
produce many inferior specimens for one good one ? But this 
Violet produced last spring an abundant supply of good flowers, 
many of them magnificent, of the kind described. I have grown 
it ever since it came out. It must have the protection of a frame 
to do its best. 
La Reine is also good with the same treatment, but the white is 
tinted with a dull purplish colour, which rather spoils its 
appearance. 
Of the singles I can strongly recommend Victoria Regina and 
Odoratissima. These do well without any protection here.— 
R. W. Beachey. 
THE FRUIT CROPS. 
This year many fruits are sadly deficient with us, notably 
Apples, Pears, Walnuts, Filberts, Peaches, Nectarines, and stan¬ 
dard Plums. Strawberries were a heavy crop, but many of the 
finest fruits were spoiled by the wet weather. President, Margue¬ 
rite, and Sir Joseph Paxton were the most productive varieties of 
several grown here ; and it may be noted that the oldest plantation 
(nine years) was the most productive, although I am aware that 
in some soils, particularly shallow light loam resting on gravel, 
Strawberries are nearly useless after three successive years’ crop¬ 
ping. Marguerite is a first-rate variety, and I should advise 
anyone who has not grown it to give it a trial. 
Raspberries, Red and Black Currants, and Gooseberries were 
excellent crops. The practice of mulching with well-decayed 
manure over the roots of the trees 1 believe to be a good practice. 
Plums on walls are a good crop, especially Kirke’s Blue, Coe’s 
Golden Drop, Jefferson’s, Greengage, Victoria, and Orleans, but 
there are scarcely any on bushes or standards, with the excep¬ 
tion of Diamond (a handsome Plum) and the Prune Damson. 
Anyone making a new plantation of Plum trees will find the last- 
named an excellent variety, and more reliable for bearing than 
many. The last three seasons old trees of this variety have been 
heavily laden with fruit. It is also an excellent plan to place a 
covering of decayed manure 3 inches in depth over the roots of 
these apparently old trees, so that the rains may wash the nutri¬ 
ment down to them. 
Apricots have been an excellent crop here. More fruit has been 
taken from the trees this season than in the three preceding 
seasons together. The trees are on south and west aspects, but were 
equally good. When the fruit is all gathered the trees are ex¬ 
amined, the dead wood cut out, all misplaced shoots and those not 
wanted are removed ; those remaining that are required to keep 
up a supply of bearing wood are nailed in their full length, 
except at the top of the tree and where there is not room for 
extension, allowing plenty of room and light for each shoot. If 
the thinning-out is done with judgment the trees will neither 
require pruning or nailing in winter or the early spring months. 
Young shoots of Apricot trees that I saw nailed-in to the wall and 
pruned in the cold weather two and a half years ago were nearly 
all dead the following summer. That taught me to touch the trees 
as little as possible during the winter time, but to prune and regu¬ 
late the trees after the fruit was picked. The short natural spurs 
produced are best left, as these often produce the best fruit, which 
ripens the earliest. If very few bees are about at the time of wall 
trees flowering, the syringe with a fine rose attached is employed 
for sprinkling the trees once or twice in the middle of the day. 
I think it helps to scatter the pollen grains. 
Peach and Nectarine trees are a complete failure ; the two past 
sharp winters with cold springs and with last year’s unripened 
wood has left the trees in a sad plight. Some were killed out¬ 
right—young newly planted trees as well as old trees. Of the 
young trees two varieties are worth noting as having withstood 
the climate better, and that is Barrington and Crawford’s Early 
Peach. The last-named is an excellent, early, and handsome 
Peach. The only Nectarine I have with any fruit on is Hunt’s 
Tawny. 
Apples showed a plentiful bloom, but not one tree in twenty 
bears what can be termed a crop. Codlins that did not bear any 
or very little last year are good this. Hollanden Pippin is good, 
and has been so for the past three seasons, and a very useful 
Apple it is for dessert, lasting (if enough of them) two or three 
months—from November to the end of January. Ribston Pippin 
is scarce both on old and young trees. An Apple called Nonsuch 
has borne well the last two or three seasons as a bush. Nearly all 
kinds of Pear trees were deficient in bloom, consequently there is 
no fruit on them worth speaking of. Jargonelle has borne well 
against a south wall, and is in use at the present time. Doyenne 
d’Ete is the best early Pear we have, being in use at the end of 
July or beginning of August, and very constant in bearing. 
Passe Colmar is bearing well this season, as it did last, against 
a wall with a south aspect. Williams’ Bon Chretien, Duchesse 
d’Angouleme, Autumn Bergamot, Forelle, Beurre Bose, Beurrd 
Diel, and Winter Nelis have very little fruit. Culinary Pears of 
Catillac and Uvedale’s St. Germain are a thin crop. 
Cherries, particularly Morellos, have a full crop, but the trees 
were very much affected with aphides early in the season ; the 
