September 25, 1890. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
265 
lutescens, heterophylla, the Norway Maple and the purple leaved 
Sycamore. Planes, Poplars and Limes, too, are all evidently in 
large demand. Caution is necessary in planting the first two, for 
Poplars are apt to become too obtrusive, and Planes are not suitable 
for cold heavy soil or low damp situations. Plant them there, 
and the most frequent result is the curious anomaly of a few 
healthy trees whose growth is entirely satisfactory, and many 
sickly ones with branches destroyed by frost, or roots perishing in 
■a sodden soil. Yet I have seen fine Planes low down on the slopes 
•of a valley that had been sufficiently sheltered when young to 
escape damage from frost, and once above the frost line they were 
■safe from check or damage from atmospheric influences. The 
soil was an alluvial deposit that evidently suited them ; for in 
sixty years they had become fine timber trees of such stately 
appearance as to show how effective a grove of them would be 
if they were planted far enough apart for individual development. 
To all readers of the Journal who intend planting trees in 
forest, park or orchard this autumn, I say Go to St. John’s and see 
the trees now, and especially try and see the Acers, the Corstorphine 
Planes, Silver Lombardy Poplars, Acacia Decaisneana, which 
grows faster than the ordinary kind and has pink flowers, the 
Purple Plum (Prunus Pissardi) with its rich purple foliage, 
the Golden Elms, Purple Sycamores, the Silver Spruce (Abies 
Parryana glauca), the Silver Cedar (Cedrus atlantica glauca), and 
pray do not forget the Hollies. Never before had I seen such a 
magnificent lot of Hollies of all kinds, every one of them an 
example of careful cultivation, all of them symmetrical, healthy 
specimens, and yet they are but an example of everything else here 
where the aim is perfection, and the result a very close approach 
to it.— Edward Luckhurst, Warrens, Harold Wood, Romford. 
TAINTED FRUIT. 
It is a fact not perhaps generally known that it is possible to 
spoil the flavour of almost any kind of fruit grown in this country. 
No fruit that I am acquainted with is more susceptible of injury 
in this respect than the Strawberry. Who has not, at some period 
•of his gardening career, discovered that the greater portion of a 
crop of this favourite fruit has been spoilt by tobacco fumes, the 
fumigation in some instances actually taking place before the fruit 
is half ripe ? When once the fruit has become tainted in this 
manner it is spoilt beyond recovery. A too free use of strong¬ 
smelling manures is also liable to injuriously affect the flavour of 
‘Strawberries, and the more pure and airy the atmosphere is kept 
•during the ripening period the better will the flavour always prove. 
If it is advisable that the surroundings of ripening Strawberries 
should be kept as sweet as possible, it is absolutely necessary that 
the ripe fruit, after it has been gathered, should not come into 
•contact with anything that smells in any way, and above all should 
•not be packed in scented boxes, or a flavour foreign to it will 
inevitably be introduced. 
Peaches are nearly or quite as liable to be spoilt by contact 
with any scented substances, and though I have never tasted any 
fruit flavoured with tobacco, I should be sorry to risk anything 
by fumigating a house containing a crop of Peaches and Nectarines 
after the final swelling had commenced. But if instances of fruit 
having been spoilt before it was taken from the house in which it 
was grown are rare, I have frequently tasted both Peaches and 
Nectarines which were badly tainted, owing to the fruit either 
■resting on or being packed in scented material or boxes. As a 
rule our fruit, according as it is gathered, is laid on sheets of cotton 
wool covered with clean packing paper. This season we are using 
wood shavings—a new packing material—this smelling like newly 
cut deal when first opened out. Ripe Peaches and Nectarines were 
laid on without a paper covering for about four days, and at the 
end of that time were badly tainted or nearly spoilt. Even moss 
is apt to impart an earthy flavour to Peaches ; and on the whole 
cotton wool, though not perfect, is the least objectionable material 
for packing this class of fruit in. In any case, it is imperative 
that every fruit be carefully and completely folded in soft tissue 
paper prior to surrounding it by other soft springy material. 
Enclosing the fruit in paper will not, however, prevent injury 
accruing to it if scented boxes of any kind are used, and I shall 
never forget tasting a Peach that had been kept in a fragrant soap 
Fox for about twenty-four hours. What holds good with regard 
to Peaches and Nectarines is equally applicable to Figs, the flavour 
of these being very easily tainted, and nearly as much care must 
<be taken of Melons, or they will be spoilt. 
Many years ago I was under the impression that when a noble 
lady asserted she could detect the flavour of almost any kind of 
material used for packing Grapes, and the bunches had to be packed 
in Lime leaves whenever these were procurable. Since that time I 
have had good reason to think there was “ something in it,” as it 
has forcibly come home to me that Grapes can be more easily 
tainted than many gardeners are aware. With their smooth and 
apparently non-porous skin, it might be imagined that the berries 
are impervious to tobacco smoke even, but such is not the case. 
Instances could be given where fumigating was resorted to after 
the Grapes were nearly ripe in order to check the spread of thrips, 
and it was subsequently found that the crop was spoilt, all the 
bunches being badly tainted by the tobacco. That Grapes are among 
the least susceptible of injury from odours of any kind I readily 
admit, but maintain that no risks should be run, and that the 
packing material and boxes used should be of a non-scented 
character. 
With regard to most of the fruits just mentioned these remarks 
are not particularly opp 'rtune, but when we come to Apples and 
Pears the case is different. There are far more of these in many 
parts of the country than is generally known, and even if there 
were fewer this would be a stronger reason for taking good care 
that they should not be spoilt in any way. Apples are remarkably 
porous, and the flavour may be spoilt in a few days, yet very few 
growers appear to be aware that such is the case. I have before 
mentioned in these pages, having once had to take part m the 
tasting of about sixty dishes of fruit staged at a November Show 
at Bath, the class being for a single dish of any variety, to be judged 
by flavour ; but of that number 75 per cent, gave only too strong 
evidence of having rested for some time on straw. Worse material 
for the fruit to rest on could not well be selected. At the outset it 
may be sweet and fresh enough, but it is not long before the moist 
fruit causes it to become musty, and in a short space of time this 
disagreeable flavour is communicated to the Apples. Not merely 
should the material on which the fruit rests be clean and sweet, but 
the surroundings ought to be equally so. Dark musty sheds, 
disused Mushroom houses, dirty badly ventilated cellars, and other 
makeshift storing places are apt to spoil the flavour of both dessert 
and culinary fruit, and should be avoided as much as possible 
accordingly. A clean room, with newly whitewashed ceilings and 
walls, and the boards and shelves covered with fresh kitchen paper, 
will not injuriously affect the flavour of the fruit stored in it, and 
such ought to be connected with every garden. Failing these 
Apples keep admirably aud without detriment to the flavour in 
clean boxes or paper-lined hampers stored in dry rooms. None but 
sound fruit being placed in them the lids may be put on, and no 
further trouble beyond protecting from severe frosts need be taken 
with them. 
It is my impression that Pears are scarcely so porous, and there¬ 
fore not so easily tainted as Apples ; but whether this is so or not 
there is yet every necessity for storing them amidst sweet surround¬ 
ings, and also for packing in unscented material and boxes. They 
do not suffer for a few hours’ storage or transit in soft sweet hay, 
always providing each fruit is wrapped separately in a square of 
clean paper, but on no account should hay any more than straw be 
used as a bed for resting Pears on in the fruit room. In many 
instances nothing but latticed stagings or shelves are used for the 
storage of single layers of fruit, but I have a weakness for the 
boards to be covered with fresh kitchen paper, especially in rooms 
where there is no possibility of excluding severe frosts. Paper 
bel >w, and more on the top when necessary, will frequently prevent 
injury from frosts, and if need be cotton blinds can also be used 
without tainting either Apples or Pears.— W. Iggtjlden. 
THE CARNATION. 
[Read before the Sheffield Floral and Horticultural Society by Mr. F. Hardy.] 
Properties of a Good Carnation. 
Carnations are divided into three classes—namely, bizarres, 
flakes, and seifs. The flowers of a good Carnation should not be 
less than inches across ; the guard or lower petals, not less than 
six in number, should be broad, thick, and smooth on the outside, 
free from notch or serration on the edge, and lapping over each 
other sufficiently to form a circular Rose-like flower. The more 
perfectly round the outline the better. Each layer of petals should 
be smaller than the layer immediately under it. There should not 
be less than five or six layers of petals, laid regularly over each 
other, and the flower should be stiff and slightly cupped. The 
stripes or markings should be clear and distinct, and not running 
into each other. The ground colour must be perfectly clear, and 
the other colours must be bright and clear, whatever variety they 
may be ; if there be two colours the darker one cannot be too dark, 
or form too strong a contrast with the lighter. That is a great 
point in an exhibition bloom. If the colours run into the white 
and tinge it, or the white is not pure, the fault is very great. The 
pod of the bloom should be long, to enable the flower to develop 
without bursting it ; but this is a rare occurrence. The best way 
is to tie each pod half way up, and open each section down to the 
