■October 19, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDEN EH 
853 
Bernard, Mrs. Wheeler, Edwin Molyneux, G. C. Scwabe, Sunflower, Mrs. 
Irving Clarke, W. Tricker, and Avalanche. Of newer kinds the most 
promising are Beauty of Exmouth, Lord Brooke, William Shrimpton, and 
Princess May. Amongst incurved the Queen family is represented by 
fine plants and stout foliage, but Mr. Burden is afraid that the buds are 
not so kind in opening as in other seasons, but he will have fine blooms 
nevertheless. Princess of Wales, Mrs. Heale, and their sports are fine, 
as are also Prince Alfred, Lord Wolseley, John Salter, Jeanne d’Arc, 
Refulgence, and Lady Harding. Of the newer kinds Mons. R. Bahuant 
is grand, but inclined to be early, whilst Madame Harrier is superb. 
Boscobel, Noctoeum, Cheshire, 
The residence of C. J. Proctor, Esq., the esteemed President of the 
Birkenhead Chrysanthemum Society, is well worthy of mention, by 
reason of the excellent blooms which Mr. J. Williams, Mr, Proctor’s 
gardener, exhibited last season. They grow over 200 plants which are 
this season most promising. The best of the Japanese are W. H. Lincoln, 
Stanstead White, Mrs. F. Jameson, Etoile de Lyon, Vi viand Morel, 
Mdlle. Marie Hoste, Mons. Bernard, Avalanche, Mrs. Wheeler, W. Tricker, 
Sunflower, G. C. Scwabe, and E. Molyneux, The incurved are very fine, 
and particular mention should be made of Princess of Wales types and 
those sometimes “ miffy ” ones, John Salter and Refulgence, Madame 
Harrier is excellent. 
Ceofton, Aigbueth. 
Here Mr. Honald Forbes has some grand plants, fully equal to 
former years. The fine summer seems to have suited especially such kinds 
as E. Molyneux, Mrs. C. Wheeler, Beauty of Castlewood, G, C. Schwabe, 
W. Tricker, Mrs. F, Jameson, Viviand Morel, Gloire du Rocher, Colonel 
W. B. Smith, W. H, Lincoln, Avalanche, W. Lane, Aida, Coronet, 
Mdlle. Marie Hoste, and Stanstead White. Of newer kinds, those 
which at present stand out prominently are Wm. Seward, Horothy 
Shea, Mrs. C. Harman Payne, Mrs. E. H. Adams, L’Ami Etienne, Chas. 
Bavis, Brookleigh Gem, Lucy Kendal, Henry Perkins, and Baron Hirsch. 
The Queen and Princess types are most promising. The open weather 
has been most favourable since the plants were housed, and should it 
continue the prospect is good for our early Show. 
Aigbueth Hall, 
The residence of Mrs. Arthur Cooke, is a fresh addition to these 
notes, but as the gardens are presided over by Mr. Charles Osborne, who 
made his name famous when at Aymestrey Court, Woolton, all readers 
will be glad to hear something of his doings in his new charge. Though 
rather late on entering his duties here, he has a good collection of fine 
healthy plants, the best Japanese being Bouquet de Bame, Anna Hartz- 
horn, two varieties ; Sunflower, E. Molyneux, W. Tricker, Puritan, Stan- 
stead White, Boule d’Or, W. W. Coles, and Mrs. F. Jameson. These are 
excellent, and rightly timed. Newer varieties very good in bud are 
R. C. Kingston, Florence Bavis, Col. Smith, and W. Lane. Of incurved, 
the Queen family on early buds are inclined to be rough. Plants 
stopped the first week in June are very promising. All the Princess 
family are just unfolding ; these were stopped the second week in June. 
Mons. R. Bahuant is very fine, and Lord Wolseley and Madame Carrier, 
as elsewhere, are excellent. Viviand Morel on the early bud is exactly 
similar to Meg Merrilies without a tinge of pink in it. 
About fifty plants in 6-inch pots for conservatory decoration are 
worth mentioning. The main plants were run on to four shoots after 
the break, and the second week in July one top shoot was taken from 
each plant, placed in thumb pots and put under handlights in the 
greenhouse. As soon as rooted they were transferred to 6-inch pots. 
Now they are from 3 to 22 inches high, with grand buds and every 
promise of proving a welcome change from all those grown on the 
orthodox system. 
Clevelby, Allerton. 
Never on any previous occasion has Mr. Cromwell had such a 
promise of fine flowers, the 700 plants being perfect. The Princess 
family have fine shapely buds. Those of the Queen types, which are 
excellent, are Queen of England, Mrs. Robinson King, Lord Alcester, 
Empress of India and others. The Japanese are very good, and the 
following are now developing into substantial blooms, viz.. Beauty of 
Castlewood, W. Tricker, Florence Bavis, Mdlle. Marie Hoste, Sunflower, 
Viviand Morel, Stanstead White, Mrs. F. Jameson and others. Of the 
newer ones, Wm. Seward is very fine, and we must bid adieu to Jeanne 
Belaux to make way for the new comer, which besides its colour, has 
such a robust constitution. G. W. Child, John Shrimpton and Colonel 
W. B. Smith are developing into fine flowers. Baron Hirsch is very 
promising as a new incurved, and one of the best of its colour. 
To the above I may append a note which should not be overlooked 
by gardeners who grow Chrysanthemums for decoration as to the 
usefulness at the present time of the three varieties—Bouquet de Came, 
Mons. Wm. Holmes and Gorgeous, white, red and yellow, which flowers 
in advance of the general collection. The corridor at Cleveley at the 
present time contains 120 plants of these varieties, each plant carrying 
three fully developed blooms, and I need hardly say that the effect is 
grand.—R. P. R. 
LESSONS OF THE DRY SEASON. 
[Read by Mr. George Bunyard at the last meeting of the Horticultural Club.] 
The year 1893 will stand out in the memories of all connected with 
gardening and agriculture as an unprecedented one, the absence of 
rain for such long periods and the extreme heat having in some cases 
had disastrous effects alike on garden, arable field, and pasture. In 
opening a discussion on this question one is struck by the many-sided 
phases of the subject, and it will be only possible to take up that 
embraced by the word Horticulture. Starting in February, we had a 
month of almost continued wet. The land was happily saturated, and 
lucky were those whose soil permitted them to get in the main garden 
crops early while the moisture was able to assist germination. In the 
vegetable garden the crops most affected were Peas, Broad Beans, Beet, 
Turnips, and Onions. Some of the seeds of these never germinated, and 
until the May rains came there seemed little chance of crop, but when the 
plants began to grow they made quick progress, and from the evidence 
of many vegetable shows most excellent examples were produced. 
Never has there been a year in which the cultivators have so beaten 
the mere “ growers,” for where deep cultivation and frequent loosening 
of the surface soil by hoeing was carried out the crops did not suffer to 
the same extent as where the land was left alone ; and on the farm it 
was the same, grand crops being secured where high-class farming was 
carried out. 
Naturally the vegetables liking warmth, or native to warmer climes, 
have done well. Tomatoes ripening thoroughly outside ; Bwarf French 
Beans grew rapidly, but soon became too old for the kitchen ; Runners 
grew, but the blossom fell off wholesale, and there was one crop near 
the ground and another at the top. Marrows grew finely where they 
had any food to live on, but outdoor Cucumbers were nil. At one time ic 
looked as if Winter Greens and Sprouts would be altogether lost, but 
they have pulled round. These results emphasise the fact that all the hard 
work of a kitchen garden should be done in the winter— i.e., trenching, 
manuring, and preparation of the seed beds. So far for vegetables. 
In the fruit crops the summer has done wonders. Starting with 
Strawberries, where these were planted on deeply trenched and enriched 
land they gave splendid results, and many second-rated kinds came to 
best quality, as Noble, Competitor, John Ruskin, and others. The 
Queen race did not do so well, the late ones were unable to hold out till 
the crop set. Strawberries from Hampshire were in the London 
markets on the 4th May, and extraordinary prices ruled for the early 
pickings. Paxtons made 10s. 6d. per gallon. The lesson we have in these 
useful fruits is evident where growers had left beds over two years old. 
They failed to get a crop worth the trouble of picking, and it was the 
same in gardens. I am more than ever convinced that two years is the 
full limit of a paying Strawberry crop. We have had several pounds of 
fruit in October from Vicomtesse H^ricart de Thury, Gooseberry and 
Currant crops were in many cases quite dried up, and in July put on 
their September garb, but what fruit was saved was of fine flavour; and 
Raspberries were almost a failure. These again are left too long on the 
same land. If planted on well prepared ground and thoroughly surface 
dug they will last good for six years, but new beds are better then made, 
and the manure should be put on the surface. 
As may be supposed, extra fine Peaches and Nectarines have been 
grown on open walls this year where care has been taken to water 
the trees freely and to keep them syringed. Apricots have borne the 
best crop for many years, and no doubt the well ripened wood in these 
stone fruits will remain a witness to the grand time they have had. 
Nectarines from their more tender skins were sadly spoiled and 
shrivelled by the scorching sun, and the lesson we may learn from this 
is that they will in such times pay for a partial shade, and more foliage 
should be left on them than we usually leave on Peaches. The flavour 
of both has been exceptionally fine, and the crop from two to four 
weeks earlier than usual where these fruits were grown in an orchard 
house. They have needed great care, and some shade was necessary to 
reduce the excessive evaporation. 
Pears were literally scorched off the trees by the heat and sun in 
April. The few remaining on some trees naturally came to an abnormal 
size, and the fruit shows have given us notable and record examples. 
On walls the crop has been good generally except where very hot, as 
stated above. We had a long line of cordons quite fruitless because we 
put them on a tarred fence and omitted to whiten it over. Many kinds 
which only come to perfection in such seasons as the past have been 
extra fine and clear in the skin, I allude to such as Glou Mor^eau, 
Bergamotte Esperen, Easter Beurr6, Madame Millet, Beurr^ Ranee, 
Chaumontel, Bachesse d’Angouleme, Beurrd d’Anjou, being grand in 
size and without a crack or spot. The palpable lesson here is that we 
ought to place all such good, but “ difficult-to-grow ” sorts, on south or 
south-west walls, where they would in many cases do better than 
Peaches and Nectarines, especially in those old gardens where the nail- 
holes in walls form a happy hunting ground for aphides, red spider, and 
that evil family. Many sorts have taken on grand co’our, and the open 
cordon Williams’ Bon Chretien have been equal to the imported fruit in 
point of colour and clearness of skin. Never before have we seen such 
grand crops of this Pear on standards, in which form many others 
came large and fine in colour and quality. I anticipate the late and 
fine sorts, such as Beurre Ranee. Boyennd d’Alen^on, Buchesse de Bor¬ 
deaux, and Olivier des Serres, will, beyond the above, be of fine quality, 
while healthy wood fully ripened will, in a great measure, prevent canker. 
Pears, usually ranked second-rate, has been grand; General Todtleben, 
Beurrd Clairgeau, and Grosse Calebasse quite fine. 
Apples, the great Biitish crop, have been a grand exhibition. All 
kinds have developed not only size but splendiil colour and clear 
skin. There is only one that has failed to reach its maximum —i e., 
Ecklinville. It may be that it misses the frequent showers of its native 
Emerald Isle. Calviile Blanc, Rvinette de Caux, and even Newtown 
Pippin have been quite good outside, and no kind has shown any spot or 
crack where cultivation has been carried out liberally. The so-called 
growers of fruit in neglected orc’uards have had a reverse, which it is 
