November 11, 1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 433 
subjoined to the Latin, and there is also an alphabetical list of 
English names. 
Dr. Robert Morrison was appointed professor in 1GG9. He was 
physician to Charles II., and is chiefly noted for his “ Hortus 
Bloisensis,” and a history of the plants at Oxford, which he com¬ 
menced but did not live to complete. In 1G7!) the elder Jacob 
Bobart died, having reached the advanced age of 81, and from his 
time until the present century we have few records of the suc¬ 
ceeding curators. Jacob Bobart, son of the last named, was 
appointed professor on the death of Dr. Morrison, but little is 
known respecting his works, except that he published a continua¬ 
tion of Morrison’s history already referred to. Of Mr. Edwin 
Sandys and Mr. Gilbert Trowe who succeeded him it is not 
necessary to give any details ; but the garden was greatly im¬ 
proved about that time by the liberality of the eminent Dr. 
William Sherard, a friend of Ray and Dilenius. He contributed 
large sums of money during his life and by will towards the 
improvement of this garden and the support of a professor. He 
also obtained the appointment of Dilenius as professor in 1728. 
The latter is so well known that any particulars respecting him 
would be needless, and the same may be said of Dr. Humphrey 
Sibthorp and Dr. John Sibthorp, who followed in the capacity of 
professor. The “Flora Grmca” of the last named is justly famed. 
Dr. George Williams succeeded and fully maintained the cha¬ 
racter of the garden, the lowest parts being raised to avoid the 
inconvenience of the occasional floods to which they had been 
subject. Dr. Charles Daubeny was appointed to the chair in 
1834. Many and important improvements were effected during 
his life, and are still admirably continued under the direction of 
the eminent and respected Professor Lawson who now holds the 
chair. 
In connection with the history of the garden it only remains to 
refer to the Baxters, who have so admirably performed the duties 
of curators for the past seventy years. The present condition of 
the garden is a sufficient indication of the care and intelligence 
with which it is conducted ; and perhaps a greater compliment 
could not be paid to Mr. W. H. Baxter, the present curator, than 
by stating that he well continues the creditable management his 
father exercised before him.—L. C. 
TRAINING ESPALIER FRUIT TREES. 
What should be the proper or best form for a hedge or fence ? 
A practical common-sense labourer would answer the above ques¬ 
tion by saying “ Hog-maned or tapering upwards.” Well, if that 
is the best form for a hedge, why should it not be the best for 
espalier fruit trees ? But what as a rule do we see ? Why, 
espalier fruit trees bare of foliage at the bottom, and the top tier 
of branches overhanging the lower. This cannot be the proper 
method of growing espaliers. Why not, as in the case of a hedge 
or fence, allow the lower branches to extend their shoots so as to 
encourage the formation of wood, and thus give vigour to the 
base of the trees / I believe their productiveness would increase 
on account of the increase of healthy spurs at the base of the 
tree. 
I have been encouraging for three years the increase of the 
basal growths on both Apples and Pears, and can see a positive 
improvement in the health, vigour, and form of the trees so 
treated. Last season was not a favourable one for fruit crops, but 
I anticipate with anything like a favourable season to have better 
crops from the espaliers so treated than have been realised for 
several years. No doubt my opinion may be thought crotchety, 
but 1 maintain that without plenty of good healthy foliage and 
well-ripened wood it is impossible to insure good crops of fruit, 
aud the spurs on the lower branches of the trees cannot be so 
well ripened as they should be if they are shaded by the upper 
branches. I am also of opinion that frequently for the sake of 
neatness fruit trees are the victims of the gardener’s knife, which 
is as baneful in its effects as the gardener’s foot.—J. Gadd. 
GOLD AND SILVER FERNS. 
Among the numerous handsome Ferns which now have a place 
in our houses, few are more generally admired than the Gold and 
Silver Ferns, as the species and varieties of Gymnogramma are 
appropriately designated. Having elegantly divided fronds, 
usually dark green on the upper surface and plentifully sprinkled 
with a yellow or whitish powder beneath, being easily and quickly 
grown and readily propagated by means of spores, the plants 
possess ample merits to entitle them to popularity. It is there¬ 
fore scarcely necessary to say much in their favour by way of 
inducing their more extensive cultivation, for there are few lovers 
of Ferns who do not include in the smallest collections some 
specimens of these attractive plants. However, as there may be 
some who are unaware how easy it is to obtain such Ferns in 
good condition, a few remarks upon the treatment that I have 
found to suit them will possibly be of some utility. 
Gymnogramraas are chiefly natives of tropical regions, the 
forms in cultivation being from the West Indian Islands and 
South America. One of their most important requirements is 
therefore a stove temperature, or such as is provided for tropical 
Ferns where a separate structure is devoted to them. During 
winter this should not be allowed to fall below 50° Fahrenheit, a 
range of 10° upwards being permitted ; but too high a temperature 
at that time of year is inadvisable, as it tends to cause a weakened 
immature growth. In the summer the maximum should be about 
80°. They need more exposure to light than many Ferns, the sunny 
side of a fernery or a slightly shaded position in an ordinary stove 
suiting them admirably. Abundance of water is required whilst 
they are growing and during hot weather, but as they are most 
impatient of any approach to stagnation the composition of the soil 
and the drainage must be carefully attended to. A compost of 
fibrous peat, light loam, abundance of sand with some small pieces 
of charcoal well incorporated, constitute a good soil, encouraging 
vigorous and healthy growth. The drainage should be regulated 
according to the size of the pot, placing the large potsherds at the 
bottom of the pot concave side downwards, filling up to the neces¬ 
sary height with small pieces and covering with a layer of moss. 
Upon this some of the compost described above can be placed 
and the plant potted rather firmly, allowing a moderate space 
from the rim of the pot to the soil to facilitate the supply of 
water. In some of the varieties the fronds are long and heavy 
with rather weak stems, necessitating the employment of a few 
light thin stakes, to which the fronds must be secured, or they are 
liable to be broken. Another point that needs attention is to 
avoid wetting the fronds, as the delicate silver or gold farina is 
quickly washed off and the chief beauty of the plants destroyed. 
This is one inconvenience that attends the introduction of Gymno- 
grammas into a plant stove, as unless they can be allotted a posi¬ 
tion where they will not suffer from the frequent syringing 
required for the other plants their appearance is never very 
satisfactory. 
Gold and Silver Ferns are most readily increased by spores, as 
these germinate in a few weeks ; in fact, they are some of the 
quickest to germinate of the whole family of Ferns. The best 
mode of effecting this increase is to remove the fertile fronds from 
the plant before the spores are fully mature, placing them in a 
dry warm house until they are ripe. Shallow pots or pans should 
be prepared by thorough drainage, upon which there should be 
placed a layer of sphagnum, filling up with very finely sifted 
loam and sand ; and if the former has been baked it is better, 
though so much care is not needed with these as with more deli¬ 
cate or longer-germinating Ferns. It is one of the peculiarities 
of the genus that the young plants produced in this way are ex¬ 
tremely variable both in the form of the fronds and the colour of 
the meal or farina, and it is owing to this circumstance that many 
forms, varieties, and probable hybrids have been obtained. 
The following will be found a good selection :—Gold : G. chrys- 
ophylla, G. Laucheana, G. L’Herminieri, G. Martensii, G. decom- 
posita, and G. sulphurea. Silver: G. Calomelanos, G. tartarea, 
G. peruviana and var. argyrophylla, G. pulchella, and G. Bearcei. 
—C. S. 
PLANTING POTATOES IN THE AUTUMN- 
PREPARING SEED TUBERS. 
A few weeks since you stated that you would insert in the 
Journal any communications on planting Potatoes in the autumn. 
About twenty-six years ago I commenced planting in the autumn, 
and continued it for several seasons. They were chiefly late Potatoes. 
Some were planted on a heavy loam, where the slugs devoured 
many of the sets. The crop produced was not nearly so heavy as 
those planted in the spring. The same varieties were planted on 
a sandy loam, where the soil runs closer together ; consequently 
the slugs did not injure the sets so much as the others. They 
were planted about 7 inches deep. The growth did not appear 
as soon as of those planted in spring ; 'the produce was more 
uniform in size, but there were as many diseased tubers, and I 
think a few more, as they were not ready for digging so soon as 
the crop from the spring-planted tubers, which were not planted 
so deep and had more heat from the sun. I found that on the 
autumn-planted ground the weeds commenced growing a long time 
before the Potatoes, which made it difficult to keep them clean, as 
it was not safe to use the hoe ; the heavy soil became very hard 
during dry weather. 
I have occasionally planted a few early varieties in the autumn 
