572 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 28, 1893. 
is gradual, and the soil is kept open, so as to receive the full benefit 
from the action of winds and frost. 
In cases where the soil is of an unusually retentive nature a 
commendable practice is to throw it up in sharp ridges about 2 feet 
asunder, by so doing a greater surface is exposed to the influence of 
the weather. In the spring these ridges should be levelled, and a 
coating of burnt refuse, coal ashes, leaf soil, old mortar, or sharp 
sand from the roadside be spread upon it and forked in, the fork¬ 
ing again being repeated before planting. This practice was 
persistently followed in a garden in which I was employed some 
years ago, with the result that a stubborn clay was converted into 
a rich friable loam. Especial care should at all times be taken to 
keep off the land when it is in a wet condition. Any soils which 
have been thrown up roughly, but not ridged, ought, if possible, be 
forked over several times during the spring, and some of the 
opening materials above named be well worked in as the work 
proceeds. 
Lime is also an excellent agent in effecting the better working 
of heavy soils, as well as in sweetening those which are over-rich in 
vegetable matter. It should be covered with soil till slacked, and 
then spread upon the land at the rate of half an hundredweight 
per rod, and be properly forked into the surface. When the top 
spit has been improved in this way the work of deepening the soil 
should begin. This is best accomplished by double digging, by 
which means the soil is loosened and enriched to a great depth 
without changing the position of that on the surface. Commence 
by marking off a width of 2 feet at one end of the quarter to be 
operated upon. Take out the soil one spit deep and wheel to the 
opposite end, next place a thick layer of rough manure in the 
bottom of the trench, and mix it thoroughly with the soil as it is 
turned up another spit in depth. Then mark out another 2 feet 
strip, and place the top spit of it, as well as the shovellings, on the 
top of the subsoil first broken up, mixing manure with it as the 
work proceeds. When the end of the quarter is reached, the last 
trench can be filled up with the soil previously wheeled back. 
Land treated in this way will speedily exhibit a marked improve¬ 
ment if abundance of rough manure is used, but no half measures 
in this direction must be relied upon to ensure satisfactory results. 
—H. Dunkin. 
(To be continued.) 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES. 
Lubinia atropurpurea. 
Thb lover of hardy flowers has, above all others, most cause to 
look with suspicion upon what are called “ reintroductions ”—that 
is, plants which have at one time been grown in this country, but 
have from various causes been lost to cultivation. This is, of 
course, not an invariable rule ; but, as a rule, one may look 
with suspicion upon the “ reintroduction ” as having “ either an 
old fault or a new one,” the fault in most cases being that the 
flower is either not quite hardy or that it is worthless from an 
ornamental point of view. Lubinia atropurpurea has been recently 
again offered to the flower-loving public, and I fear the experience 
of those who are induced to purchase will not be such as to render 
them enthusiastic in its praises. I have had the opportunity of 
thoroughly examining the Lubinia, and I fear I cannot speak so 
favourably of it as I should willingly do. It comes under the list 
of those which possess the two great faults of the reintroductions 
being neither very hardy nor very ornamental. 
L. atropurpurea, which belongs to the natural order Primulaceae, 
was introduced from the Cape of Good Hope so far back as 1820, 
and a pretty full account of it will be found in Maund’s “ Botanic 
Garden,” vol. iii., page 52. Maund, while speaking generally in 
high terms of the Lubinia, admits its sombre appearance unless 
when the sun shines upon it, and goes on to speak of the beauty of 
the Lubinia as seen through a microscope, the petals and filaments 
being gemmed with minute Pear-like substances which, when viewed 
through a more powerful instrument, are seen to be glands “ each a 
little gland on a cylindrical pedestal.” As the specific name would 
lead us to infer, the flowers are of an intense dark purple. The 
plants grow about 2 feet in height, and may be increased by division 
or seeds. The latter do not appear to germinate well, and some 
protection in winter will be found advisable for plants left in the 
open ground. 
Stokesia cyanea. 
It is seldom that this fine composite is seen in gardens, due no 
doubt to its late flowering habit and its doubtful hardiness north of 
London. I should, possibly, not have mentioned it now had it not 
been that some time ago I saw in a greenhouse a plant of it just 
coming into flower, and which was intended to be cut for 
exhibition in a stand of hardy herbaceous flowers. I cannot say 
that I approve of this system of growing hardy flowers for exhibi¬ 
tion, but there the plant was, and I am doubtful, if the way 
schedules are generally worded, a judge would be justified in 
excluding a stand in which the Stokesia appeared. At all events 
the few flowers which were open showed how beautiful they 
would be with their brilliant blue Cornflower-like heads. 
September is its nominal time of flowering, but we cannot get 
it in bloom until much later, unless by growing it under glass in 
spring, and planting out then, lifting in the autumn, and flowering 
under glass. I do not care for either system, but if we wish to 
grow this beautiful Stokesia some such method must be adopted. 
S. cyanea comes from Carolina and other Southern States of 
America, and grows from 18 inches to 2 feet in height. The 
spatulate leaves, which are slightly hairy, are stem-clasping, and 
the flower heads which are large are of a deep sky blue. Were it 
not for the fault indicated—truly a grievous one—this would be 
one of the best of our garden plants.—S. Arnott, Dumfries. 
MARGARET CARNATIONS. 
The above-mentioned Carnations are very useful for providing cut 
flowers. Ours were raised from seed sown in March, and when large 
enough the seedlings were pricked into pans filled with light soil. 
When sufiBciently strong the young plants were placed singly into flO-sized 
pots, kept in a frame until established, and then put out of doors in a 
sunny position. They were subsequently shifted into 5-inch and 6-inch 
pots, using good loam with a little leaf mould and sand and a sprinkling 
of horn shavings, making the compost rather firm. 
When the pots were filled with roots the plants were fed with soot 
water and liquid manure about every third watering. They commenced 
flowering about the end of September, when they were placed on the 
shelf in the greenhouse. From about seventy plants we are able to 
gather an abundance of flowers every week. 
We have tried the planting out system during the summer, but it 
did not answer half so well as keeping them in pots.—W. S. 
SOME GOOD APPLES. 
Magnum Bonum. 
This is an Apple not much known, having flesh of the Golden Spire 
type. The fruit is quite conical in shape, skin smooth and of a deep 
golden yellow when ripe, at the end of September or early in October. 
In habit of growth the tree is upright, requiring but a small amount 
of space. 
Greenup’s Pippin. 
I find that Counsellor, Yorkshire Beauty, and Red Hawthornden 
are simply synonyms of Greenup’s Pippin. It is a pity that Apples 
almost a century old should be re-named, thereby misleading the 
inexperienced. Apart from this, however, I wish to call attention to 
the Apple under notice, not only for its good appearance, but for its 
quality as a cooking variety. I know of no Apple that when roasted 
preserves its form so well and is apparently quite hard, but it is, never¬ 
theless, just the reverse. The flesh is white when cooked. In 
shape the Apple is faultless, having a smooth skin and a rosy cheek. 
For home use or for market this cannot fail to be a profitable variety 
to grow. It is in use in September. 
Kirke’s Fame. 
This Apple is seldom mentioned in the horticultural press. According 
to Dr. Hogg in the “ Fruit Manual ” its proper name is Pomeroy of 
Herefordshire. After describing it, the above mentioned authority 
remarks that it is a very richly flavoured dessert Apple. With this 
description I quite agree. From its appearance I should say that the 
proper season for it is in October. It is an excellent cropper ; the tree 
is of upright growth, not requiring much space, therefore all the more 
to be encouraged as a garden variety. 
Peck’s Pleasant. 
This is an Apple not largely grown or widely known. The skin is of 
a russety dull red thickly covered with large white spots, which renders 
it somewhat remarkable in appearance. The eye is deeply sunken, the 
fruit rather flat. Altogether it appears to be an Apple worthy of 
extended cultivation. 
Cardinal. 
As an early culinary Apple for market this is to be recommended, 
coming to a large size at the end of August. In addition, its colour 
and perfect shape are sure to command a ready sale. The tree is a 
vigorous grower, the foliage is really handsome, so luxuriant is it. For 
a small garden Cardinal is just the Apple to plant, bush trees requiring 
but little space. 
Cox’s Pomona. 
I would draw attention to this culinary Apple as a market variety. 
Not only is it a good cropper, but the colour which it carries is all in its 
favour. As a rule the colour spreads entirely over the fruit, and is less 
affected by non-exposure to the sun than the bulk of other sorts. With 
me the colour, streaks of bright crimson on a yellow’ base, is as much 
deflned at the base as the apex.—E. M. 
