April 2S, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
819 
freely. Fumigate lightly, and supply liquid manure as the pots 
become filled with roots. This being done there is no fear as to 
the result —R. P. R. 
GREEN FLY OX PEACH TREES—SETTING FRUITS 
WITH THE SYRINGE. 
I HAVE read with some interest the criticism of Mr. H. Dunkin in 
answer to taj remarks as to syringing Peach trees in bloom, and he 
has certainly tried in a very elaborate manner to upset my opinion 
on the subject. I may tell him at the outset that I am in no way 
prejudiced against any system that can be proved to be sound, but 
1 am not going to depart from the beaten track until I have more 
conclusive proof of the superiority of the syringe over the camel’s-hair 
bru.sh. 
The^ system of the followers of the beaten track has proved itself 
sound in principle for years, and it is a system that the overwhelming 
majority of the best practical men pursue, and that has produced some 
of the best results. I consider in the first place that syringing during 
the flowering period of Peaches is no more beneficial than judicious 
damping ; all we require is a genial condition to facilitate the object in 
view. Syringing early in the day may possibly be rapidly followed by 
snow or rain, when the house must of necessity be closed, and cannot be 
of any benefit to the trees in flower to be then laden with moisture. 
Onr friend’s system may answer in some cases, but not all ; it depends 
ill a great measure upon the construction of the house and its adapta¬ 
bility for the occupants therein, but I maintain it will not answer 
generally. The camel’s-hair brush is safe anywhere and under all 
conditions. Constantly syringing trees in the early stages to prevent the 
appearance of green fly is altogether a f illacy ; the thing is to annihilate 
the enemy before the blooms expand, for it is quite possible it may be 
lurking near although not perceptible, and if it gains a foothold with 
the opening of the first few flowers then look out, for all the syringing 
will not arrest its progress. So much syringing about trees wdth very 
little leaf or root action is the way to ’oring about an unfavourable 
atmosphere and to encourage the pest. 
With regard to having practical proof of the method your corre¬ 
spondent so bravely upholds, I may tell him I have tried it upon a 
variety of plants. Vines included, and I cannot say much in its favour. 
It is a doubtful method, and it happens that the doubt is nearly 
always well founded. I find I can obtain more satisfactory results on 
the good old practical lines, and as long as that continues to give 
*ach satisfaction I shall not turn aside from the beaten track, as our 
friend so aptly terms it. 
Fumigating is certainly a serious item in most gardens of any 
jorctensions, but the cost of a few pounds of tobacco paper is nothing 
when the importance of the object is considered. It is no use spoiling the 
ship for the proverbial ha’porth o’ tar, and prevention is better than 
cmv, for I want more proof to believe that syringing Peach trees in 
bloom will prevent the appearance of green fly. When I spike of 
fumigating after the fruits were set on the firat appearance of aphides, I 
meant when they were visible in different pares of the house. Of 
<;ourse, if there were only a few confined to one corner the person in 
charge must exercise his judgment as to the necessity of fumigating the 
whole structure. Then Mr. Dunkin tries to find a loophole in my 
term, which I will modify a little for him, and say generally, in all sorts 
and condifons of houses. Syringing in many naturally damp structures, 
and especially if unheated, requires a good deal of discriminition, and so 
-iloes fumigating, but in the hands of a careful man who know's his 
business I consider the latter can be applied generally ; but syringing 
trees in bloom cannot, no matter how careful the operator. The injury 
arising from fumigating is the fault of the individual doing the work, 
net of the system, and before the flowers expand he would be indeed 
clumsy to do any damage. After the trees begin growing a great deal 
•of care is necessary, but so little smoke keeps the pest down that it is 
‘<lLfficult to go far wrong if common sense is used ; only what that able 
cultivator Mr. W. Coleman once called an animated machine, would do 
damage anywhere. 
I do not believe it necessary to keep such dry atmospherical 
conditions when Peaches are in bloom as many cultiva''ors do. What is 
irequired is a congenial state of things, neither too dry nor too we*'. 
Another point is that when the stigma of a flower situated on the top of 
the tree next the glass is elevated above the stamens, the pollen is more 
apt to fall downwards than to lodge upon it, under the syringing 
jirocess; at any:rate there is no fear about missing it with the brush. 
Then your correspondent calls my theory a fallacy, when as a matter of 
fact it is not my theory, nor is it a theory at all, but a plain solid fact, 
that has been practised for years by the majority of the most successful 
men of the present day. 
Next we come to the large flowering Peaches, when I must still beg 
■to differ from our friend, but he has selected the three most certain 
croppers of all. What about Noblesse or Hale’s Early in flower in 
January ? And to conclude, any practical person knows at what a 
rapid rate evaporation takes place on a sunny day if a house is syringed 
ap.d ventilation left on ; and although while in flower there is no foliage 
do burn, as the season advances and the sun gains power it must 
•certainly be doubtful practice with re pect to the delicate floral 
organs. But upon the lines I follow 1 secure highly satisfactory 
recults, and until I can procure some stronger evidence of the 
superiority of Mr. II. Dunkin’s plan I shall pursue the even tenour of my 
way.-J. J. C. _ 
I HAVE for many years read with pleasure and profit the admirable 
articles which have appeared in the Journal from the pen of Mr. Wm. 
Bardney, but I cannot agree with him in his recent note on the above 
subject. Rea{lers will naturally infer from his opening remarks that 
he considers Peach culture without aphides is well nigh an impossi¬ 
bility, and to use his own words, “ Neither will syringing nor other 
treatment, however wise and good, prevent their appearance. ’ Granted 
that when once the trees have been attacked by these pests some of 
them are continually lurking about the house, yet there is not the 
slightest difficulty in keeping them away if the trees are syringed 
regularly till they come into flower. Then the usual practice is to 
keep the atmosphere of the house much drier, and syringing is dispensed 
with for a time, conditions favourable to the spread of aphides. 
After having kept the trees clear of the attacks of green fly up to 
the flowering stage the question arises as to the best means of keeping 
them free from these pests, and at the same time securing a ” perfect 
set of fruit,” and let it be noticed here that I draw a great distinction 
between a “ full” and a “ perfect ” set of fruit. If a sufficient number 
to form a good crop were set this might certainly be termed a full one, 
but it would not be a perfect set unless there was a sufficient number to 
choose from, and to be able to select the best placed and most vigorous 
fruits, equally distributed over the surfacemf the trees, and situated on 
the upper side of the shoots so that they may be evenly coloured when 
rip’. Returning to the treatment of the trees during the flowering period 
I cannot admit that a perfect set can be insured with certainty by 
simply shaking the trees, although it is quite possible it may happen 
occasionally. In dull weather this method would not be effective, and 
in bright weather a gentle syringing in the middle of the day is a much 
better plan, because it creates conditions unfavourable to the develop¬ 
ment of aphides, and anyone who has given the matter a fair trial 
cannot dispute its efficacy in setting the fruit. 
I ask readers generally to consider the kind of weather we frequently 
have when Peach trees in midseason and late houses are flowering. 
Cold nights are followed by bright days, often attended by a drying 
wind ; by midday the atmosphere of the house is dry, and often feels 
quite parching on entering the house. This might be counteracted to a 
certain ex'ent by sprinkling the floors, but it would not eo effectually 
freshen the trees and tend to keep them in a healthy growing state any 
more than they might be kept so in other stages by damp ng the floors 
only instead of syringing the trees ; and when, as in this case, the 
syringing also performs the work of fertilisation, it seems to be the best 
method to pursue. The services of careless men are not much valued 
in gardens. I have never yet been unfortunate enough to have to deal 
with Peach trees which retained moisture upon the flowers until 10 A.M. 
Where such is the case I should consider the situation must be very low 
and damp, or the roof of the house less acute than a well arranged Peach 
house should be, or - and perhaps this is most important—air was not 
admitted soon enough.—H. Dhnkin. 
NOTES ON HYACINTHS. 
Before it is too late—before the last bulb of spring has faded 
and gone—let me crave space for a little chat about those value! flowers 
of spring. Hyacinths and Tulips—the former now, the latter in a sub¬ 
sequent paper. Many Hyacinths are already over, and have long 
since completed their season’s duty, but in some greenhouses and 
conservatories later varieties are still making a display in company with 
their brightly coloured associates. I am tempted to enlarge on the 
exceptional beauty of these lovely flowers in a general sense, but, after 
all, this is now generally recognised, and though the time has not yet 
come when they are to be found in every house and glass structure, they 
are spreading year by year. 
It is very pleasing to note that the flowering this season has been, 
and is, eminently satisfactory. The Hyacinths at the spring shows have 
been admirable examples, thorn of Mr. Douglas at Regent’s Park being 
worthy of his best days. Messrs. Williams & Son of Holloway and 
their namesakes of Finchley also exhibited some splendid specimens. 
Generally speaking, whites have been very fine, blues good, reds only 
moderate. It is not easy to understand why the latter are so far below 
the usual mark. There may be some abstruse physiological problem to 
solve before the reason is ascertained, but it is unquestionably a fact. 
I inspected those at the shows with the greater interest from desiring a 
comparison with the condition of my own not meagre collection, in 
which the reds were not quite so good as the others. Von Schiller, 
usually one of the finest of all, has not been in its best form, but it has 
nevertheless been an admired object. The feature of this beautiful 
variety is its dense truss. The colour, red with a lighter edge or band, 
is distinctly pleasing, and the massive spike of bloom is always 
conspicuous. Lord Macaulay, which has also been a little weaker than 
usual, somewhat resembles it. Vuurbaak is one of the most beautiful 
of the deep re Is ; the truss is not of the largest size, but it is beautifully 
formed and the colour is exceptionally rich. Mr. Douglas had a magni¬ 
ficent examp’e of it at the Botanic Show. Koh-i-noor, semi-double, 
bright rose in hue, is a charming Hyacinth with a shapely truss, but 
somewhat high-priced. Rubra maxima is a very pretty pale pink, and 
Moreno is another variety of somewhat similar colour that is well 
worth growing. Piince Albert Victor, with its very neat truss and rich 
colour, has greatly pleased me. It would be largely grown if cheaper. 
