298 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 2,1890.' 
Merveille de Lyon, and that is just what it looks like. A very happy 
thought, Messrs. Dickson, and what is more, a very happy result ; a 
grand broad white Rose with the point of Lady Mary in the centre of 
the cup of Merveille, just where it was wanted. It certainly looks as 
if this was going to be our best white H.P., at all events for show 
purposes. 
To look even further, Mr. B. Cant has kindly sent me some specimens 
of a sport from Madame Falcot, which he is testing. It seems a decided 
improvement upon the original ; stouter, fuller, and larger. One at 
least of the blooms sent was quite good enough in centre, fulness, and 
shape for “ the likes o’ me ” to show in a Tea class. If Mr. Cant 
decides to send this out I think it may be fully relied on. “ D., Deal," 
has remarked, in giving lists of new French Roses, that to a certain ex¬ 
tent we have to trust at first to the reputation gained by the raisers 
as to how their Roses have turned out and answered their descriptions 
in other years. Mr. B. Cant has sent out one Rose, Prince Arthur, and 
it will be remembered, I think, that he originally did not announce it 
as a show Rose at all, yet it has turned out to be one of no mean quality. 
I have also been favoured by Messrs. Harkness with a specimen of 
their striped sport of Heinrich Schultheis. It was a poor bloom in 
itself, sent only to show the colour ; there was a fair specimen, I hear, 
among their Roses at Tibshelf, and they inform me that they have had 
it really fine and good. Now, again, when a comparative stranger tells 
us he has had such a Rose fine and good, we natura'ly think to ourselves 
what is his ideal and knowledge of what is a good and fine Rose ? but 
of course such an inquiry is unnecessary in this case, for if Messrs. 
Harkness do not know what a fine Rose is, who does ? But I confess I 
do not like striped or parti-coloured Roses, they look to me tinselly, 
meretricious, clown-like, bizarre among self-coloured blooms, like the 
lady who appeared in the park the other day with sleeves, &c., of 
different colours. The tints of this sport are very much like those of 
the old so-called York-and-Lancaster, and the flower is, therefore, at 
least brighter and more cheerful than Pride of Reigate, which, in my 
private opinion, is sufficient to spoil the appearance of any stand ; but 
taste, as Mr. Squeerssaid of “ Natur,” “ is a rum thing,” and it is wise 
to keep to the old rule —Degustibus non disputandum .— W. R. Raillem. 
WOKK,foi\,theWEEK,. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pines. —To maintain the sturdy healthful appearance of young 
plants free ventilation is necessary, the plants being afforded ample space, 
maintaining the bottom heat about the roots at 80°, watering the plants 
whenever they require it, employing weak liquid manure always, and 
avoiding the use of the syringe too frequently, merely damping the 
paths morning and afternoon daily will suffice. Fire heat must 
be resorted to to maintain a night temperature of G0° to 65°. Newly 
potted plants should have a bottom heat of 90° to 95°, with a view to 
the roots speedily penetrating the soil. Recently started suckers 
should, as soon as the roots are plentiful, be raised near the glass, it 
being essential that those intended to be wintered in small pots be 
brought on gradually. 
When the suckers started this autumn are rooted pot them without 
delay, draining the pots well. Employ the fibry part of turfy loam, 
and do not tear it up too fine, but use it in lumps proportionate to the 
size of the pots. The strongest plants may be transferred to the fruiting 
pots at once, the size of the pots being proportionate to the robustness of 
the varieties. Jamaicas do not require large pots, 9 or 10 inches are 
quite large enough, as they go too much to leaf when more pot room is 
given them. Queens do well in 10 or 11-inch pots, Smooth-leaved 
Cayennes are accommodated in 11-inch pots, or 12-inch pots at 
largest, and Providence, of which it is desirable to grow some on account 
of its fine appearance, do well in 12 or 18-inch pots, which will afford 
fruit of the largest size, the cultural treatment being good. To get fine 
fruit the plants must be given plenty of space, and be kept well up to 
the light so as to form a sturdy thoroughly solidified growth and well 
developed base. Where smaller plants and fruit are required pots an 
inch or two less in diameter will answer. Plants not of a size fit for 
transferring to the largest pots can be shifted into 8-inch pots, in which 
they may be kept until spring, and then be transferred to a larger size. 
Fruiting plants should have a night temperature of 70°, 80° to 90° 
during the day, closing at 85°. 
Cucumbers. — The autumn fruiters must have every attention, 
affording weak liquid manure whenever water is required. Syringe 
only on bright afternoons at closing time, which should be soon after 
midday so as to command a good sun heat. Pinch out the growing 
point one or two joints beyond the fruit, examining the plants at least 
once, better twice, a week for that purpose, retaining no more foliage 
than can have full exposure to light. Remove all staminate and surplus 
pistillate blossoms, and pinch off tendrils early. Earth up the roots as 
the plants advance in growth from time to time, and take care that the 
soil, also water or liquid manure, is given at the same temperature as 
the bed. Pot the seedlings raised at the beginning of September for 
winter fruiting directly they are large enough, not allowing them to 
become stunted, plunging the pots in bottom heat until the plants are 
established, then raise them well up to the light, keeping near the 
glass. Maintain a temperature of 70° at night, 75° by day, with an 
advance from sun heat of 10° to 15°. Where fermenting materials are 
used for bottom heat they must be in course of preparation for forming 
the beds. For producing fruit in January onward through the spring 
months a sowing should be made at once, the plants being kept sturdy 
by keeping near the glass. 
Plants in dung-heated frames or pits will continue to afford good 
fruit for some time, only the linings are renewed as required, the foliage 
kept rather thin, all bad leaves removed, exhausted growths being cut 
away, and the shoots stopped to one joint beyond the show of fruit. 
No more water should be given than to secure healthy moisture for the 
roots, discontinuing syringing or damping overhead. If mildew appear 
dust with flowers of sulphur, and arrest canker by dusting with quick¬ 
lime. Afford the protection of mats over the lights on cold nights. 
Cherries. —These are not seen under glass to anything like the 
extent they deserve. They succeed admirably in any light well venti¬ 
lated structures without heat ; but they force readily only they are not 
hurried in the early stages. They may be grown in pots or planted out 
in bush or pyramid form, and they succeed admirably trained to 
trellises. It is essential to success in forcing that the roof lights be 
moveable, as the Cherry is liable to over-maturity of its buds when 
subjected to early forcing in consecutive years. The best time to plant 
trees under glass is when the leaves begin to fall. The most eligible 
are those trained four to six years against walls, and subjected to 
annual or biennial lifting. Trees from the open answer well, only 
they have been lifted so as to move safely, and are free from gum. 
Trees that have been grown in cool houses are the best of all ; but they 
can seldom be had in trained trees, and that is no drawback, as they 
succeed very well planted out in bu9h or pyramid form, or they can 
be grown in pots, whereby the house is liberated for Chrysanthemums 
in autumn. The Cherry succeeds best outdoors in a silicious soil, bub 
indoors it requires a more retentive soil. Good turfy loam, inclining to 
be strong rather than light, four parts, one part each old mortar rubbish 
and road scrapings thoroughly incorporated, form a suitable compost, 
the border being 21 inches deep over 9 inches of rubble secured with a 
layer of old mortar rubbish, and about 6 feet wide is ample for trellis 
trees. The very finest varieties are Early Rivers, Empress Eugenie, 
May Duke, Black Tartarian, and Large Black Bigarreau. Of the light 
coloured varieties, Early Jaboulay, Governor Wood, and Elton are excel¬ 
lent. In planting, the soil should be made firm, a good watering given, 
and the surface mulched with an inch of short but rather fresh manure. 
The lights having been removed some time from houses that are regu¬ 
larly forced they need not be replaced for a month or six weeks, the 
old surface soil being removed without injury to the roots and replaced 
with fresh compost, that above-mentioned answering with the addition 
of a fourth of manure. A handful of steamed bonemeal or ground 
coprolites may be given per square yard. Trees in pots required 
to be shifted into larger pots should be attended to at once, 
and those not required to be so treated should be turned out of 
the pots, removing a few inches of soil from the base, cutting 
back the roots, and supply fresh loam with a sprinkling of half¬ 
inch bones, good drainage being provided. The surface soil should be 
removed, supplying the above compost, adding a fourth of decayed 
manure. The soil should be made firm. Afford a good watering, and 
place the trees where they can have plenty of air. If stood outdoors 
they should be plunged over the rims of the pots. 
Strawberries in Pots. —Autumn fruiters afford acceptable dishes 
of fruit, their bright appearance affording a pleasing variety at dessert* 
All the varieties forced are not good autumn fruiters, but the early 
forcers, as La Grosse Sucrfie, Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, and Sir 
Harry, are most suitable through their quality being higher than the 
larger fruited varieties. Plants that have been forced in spring, shaken 
out, repotted, and grown on are excellent for autumn and early winter 
fruiting, or if planted out and duly attended to they can be lifted at the 
end of September, potted, and placed in a frame. After the fruit 
begins to swell they should be encouraged with weak liquid manure, 
guano water being suitable, and where the plants are weak they may 
have an occasional dose of nitrate of soda, half-ounce to the gallon of 
water. Early autumn fruiters with the fruit approaching maturity 
should be placed in frames with abundant ventilation, which will assist 
the fruit to ripen, improving its colour and quality considerably. Any 
autumn fruiters not required to fruit for some time yet may be retarded 
by p’acing them on a north border, assigning them plenty of space on a 
hard bottom. 
The earliest intended for early forcing should now be selected, 
taking with the most promising crowns, well developed, and plumped, 
giving them p'enty of space, so that they will become well matured in 
their growths, and before heavy rains place them in frames plunged to 
the rims of the pots in ashes, and well up to the glass, so that with that 
perfectly clean they will be assured plenty of light, and air must be 
afforded abundantly by keeping the lights tilted in rainy weather and 
withdrawn when the weather is mild and fair. The plants must not 
lack vrater at the roots. A loose surface for Strawberries in pots pre¬ 
vents the soil leaving the sides of the pots, and admits of the water 
passing equally through the ball and moistening it thoroughly. A little 
dried horse droppings or cowdung rubbed through a half-inch sieve 
applied to the surface will keep all right there. Remove all runners as 
they appear, also weeds, and do not allow the plants to suffer through 
insufficient supplies of water. The plants should have plenty of space 
