152 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ August 21,1890. 
next action of the fork brings them out. They are spread in 
rather thick heaps on the roadside, and covered with pea haulm or 
other material to dry steadily. Of all the cheaper kinds there are 
cartloads, yes, and of some of the dearer, cartloads too, but the choice 
and rare are mostly under cover. Fancy a ton or two of Emperors 
on a floor of one of the sheds. There are thousands of them of 
huge size. In one place we find a shedful of Maximus ; passing 
to another building we find the lower floor covered with Horse- 
fieldi ; and climbing the ladder are astonished by the flooring of 
Empress. Then we find floor after floor of the beautiful, and in 
every garden indispensable, Poeticus ornatus, the famous forcing 
variety that is sold in tens of thousands, and there were many tens 
of thousands on view. Benches in long glass ranges were filled 
with them drying ready for planting and packing ; and so I might 
go on enumerating, for all sorts are there, the rarer in boxes, the 
more plentiful in heaps—a perfect bewildering maze of brown 
pear-shaped Daffodils. There appeared to be millions of them— 
sufficient to stock a kingdom. To the observation, “ You are getting 
too many, Mr. Walker the reply came in a quiet, firm Scottish 
“ No, no, not too many, never too many ; all will be wanted—all.” 
Yes, most assuredly, he has faith in the future of bulbs. 
Faith in the future of fruit, too, or why these splendid glass 
ranges ?—eight new span-roofs, each 180 feet long, 24 feet wide, 
and about 13 feet high to the ridge, the sides 4 feet, half brickwork 
and half moveable glass sashes. These, also the top ventilators, 
open in 60 feet lengths by a simple cogwheel and rod movement. 
All these houses are intended for Peaches and Nectarines, and for 
the purpose they are models of lightness with neatness and strength. 
The sashbars, 18 inches apart, are glazed with 21 oz. glass, no 
top putty, stout T-iron being used as purlines, supported by pillars 
for strengthening the roof. In three years’ time the sight will be 
worth seeing, and if I am well and keep on good terms with the 
owner, he will, I hope, see me there again. Some of the houses 
are planted, and the growth the trees have made is wonderful. I 
have seen nothing like them since, some years ago, I saw in Sussex 
a lofty wall covered by Mr. Edward Luckhurst in four years, and 
a crowd of grand fruit from base to summit. “ I shall let them 
go,” remarked Mr. Walker, “ I like to see youthful vigour ; if 
they are not strong then what can we expect ?” Mr. Luckhurst 
“let his trees go,” and fed them with liquid manure, and the 
laterals from the summer’s growth ripened and bore fruit abundantly 
of the first size and quality. So will Mr. Walker’s if he does not 
overcrowd them. The trees were planted so that every other 
might, and will, be removed for furnishing the other houses, but 
they have outgrown anticipations, though no harm is done. Num¬ 
bers of the Alexander Peach and Lord Napier Nectarine have 
been wisely planted, for they are the best early market sorts, 
and are fortunately true. All the best of Mr. Rivers’ varieties 
are also included, and all the world does not know yet how 
good these are. Mr. Walker evidently intends to be in the front 
with Peaches and Nectarines, and there is no room for doubt 
that he will much more than hold his own with the French com¬ 
petitors in the English market. He has also hundreds of trees 
in pots that are bearing well, and will pay well, till the roofs of 
the houses are covered. 
The houses for which the supernumerary Peach trees referred to 
are being grown are this year occupied with Tomatoes, mostly the 
new Chiswick variety named Conference, the finest stock, probably, 
in existence. As a Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society 
Mr. Walker was entitled to a packet of seed, and he has made the 
best of it. Not only did he take care of every plant, but took a 
cutting from each, and then perhaps others ; be that as it may, he 
has hundreds of plants bearing as no other Tomato of its size can 
bear. The fruit, like its parent, Horsford’s Prelude, is borne in 
long bunches or racemes, the lowermost hanging down and resting 
on the ground, and those above overlapping. The plants are con¬ 
fined to one stem, and the earliest topped at 6 or 7 feet, so that the 
crop can be over and the houses cleared for Chrysanthemums. The 
fruits are medium sized and take well in the market, because they 
are smooth, firm, and rich glossy scarlet in colour, with more than 
three or four in a pound. As sixpence a pound was the lowest'- 
return, a “ few hundreds ” will probably be made from the- 
packet of seed. “No, no ! Mr. Wright, don't say so” (with an 
emphasis on the so), is what Mr. Walker will say when he sees- 
these lines ; but I have said it, and he ought to be very proud of 
his work. The soil was as hard as a board, as dry as dust on the- 
surface, and the air like that of a desert. That is the way to- 
evade the disease in Tomatoes, as I have many times said, and Mr~ 
Walker believes in the doctrine. I do not pretend to say the 
disease can be absolutely prevented, but judging from experience r 
I honestly believe that in nine cases out of ten when Tomato crops 
have been ruined under glass the calamity has been the conse¬ 
quence of mismanagement in forcing growth unduly by over-rich, 
soil, too much water, and a too close and moist atmosphere. 
Just a few lines only on hardy fruit. Mr. Walker has so much 
faith in the future of Apple growing that if he had 500 acres of 
land to spare he would plant it with bushes of varieties that he 
is proving to be profitable. He has fifteen to twenty acres planted,, 
and the free open bush trees are most promising. In my essay I 
ventured to say Lord Grosvenor was likely to supersede Lord 
Suffield. With Mr. Walker it has outdistanced it by a very long 
way, the trees of the former being twice the size of the latter, and 
the crops five times more valuable. At the time of my visit the 
large but not very symmetrical fruit were realising 5s. per half 
bushel, and half the crop had been gathered, the fruit thinned, and) 
certainly half a hushel remained on each tree ; but Lord Suffield 
had only a slight sprinkling of fruit. A long row of Lane’s Prince 
Albert, a very compact grower, was bearing well. It is an 
excellent and profitable variety for bush culture, and takes up> 
little room. Much the same may be said of Stirling Castle, which, 
was bearing well, as it usually does, and often when many others- 
are barren. Warner’s King and the New Hawthornden were 
proving their usefulness, as were Yellow Ingestrie and Cox’s- 
Orange Pippin. A little known variety, Peter the Great, was 
bearing handsome fruit, and the free growth and free spurring, 
character of the tree made it a favourite in the collection. Mr. 
Gladstone was bearing highly coloured saleable fruit, but Lady 
Sudeley and Worcester Pearmain were bearing sparsely, though 
they must be ranked amongst the best, as must King of the 
Pippins (Golden Winter Pearmain) for profit, though not for the 
highest quality. Duchess of Oldenburg was bearing fairly well,, 
and will bear still better. It is of substantial value, and the New 
Northern Greening, if I remember rightly, for I took no notes, and 
Dumelow's Seedling were promising well for future profit.. 
Two Apples which Mr. Walker has not planted, but I think should 
do so, are Domino and Bramley’s Seedling, the former one of the 
best of the early Codlins, and the latter for storing for late use. 
More might be written on the work at Ham Common, but 
enough is said to show that Mr. James Walker, like Mr. Ladds, is 
a worthy representative of industrial enterprise in horticulture, 
and there are others able to meet all comers in our markets. We 
ought to be proud of such men. They are creators of wealth, and 
by the employment they give provide for the needs of many who 
strive to make happy, if humble, homes by the labour of their 
hands.—J. Wright. 
PRIMULA OBCONICA. 
Attention is not directed so often as it might appear desirable 
to this useful, showy, and free flowering plant. Everyone who 
has any demand for cut flowers is aware of its value, as a good 
plant in a vigorous condition will positively revel in the early 
spring and summer months in having its flowers freely cut, pro¬ 
vided the plant receives plenty of water and frequent doses of 
weak stimulating liquid manure. It is not very particular what it 
is if it is only used clear, so that no sediment is left on the 
surface of the pot to clog up the pores of the soil. Plants treated 
in this manner become almost continuous bloomers far into the 
