282 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 6, 1895. 
do we find ? As many laterals as there are feet each side, each lateral 
with at least six leaves. We stop the lateral at this length, the 
immediate remit being an imcrease in size of main leaves. Then also 
follows a quicker growth of the sub-laterals, i.e., leaves or shoots spring¬ 
ing from the base of eyes on new wood. Now, without going into details, 
I may say I preserve every one of these sub-laterals, pinching imme¬ 
diately when ready to one leaf. My contention is that a large leaf is 
far more value than any amount of small foliage or elongated wild 
growths. 
In a week or ten days the main lateral bud will start again into 
leaf growth. This new growth I pinch directly I can see the new shoot 
large enough ; and so 1 repeat during the growing season. I find this 
amounts to about four growths beyond the first stopping of lateral. 
Many gardeners will think with me that this is top growth enough. 
All sub-laterals on main lateral beyond this are kept to the one leaf. In 
Muscats I generally remove most of these small growths below the fruit 
on the score of getting more light to the fruit. I treat every lateral as 
if fruiting. Extreme cases there may be, but I question very much if 
for general practice this system is to be excelled. 
Leaving the top growth for the present, let us turn our thoughts to 
the roots. At the first stop of lateral, however active the old roots may 
be as sap providers, no new roots at this date are made ; but this check 
or arrest of sap, if I may call it, at the top is the first cause of new root 
action. Again, I question if any other plan, i.e., fine foliage would 
favour root growth so quick. That unchecked top growth will produce 
in time roots to correspond is true ; but who wants roots to any extent 
8 or 4 feet long? I am now dealing with the fruiting Vine. Boots 
of a fibrous character near the surface should be our aim, and this 
continuous summer pinching will favour the production of these, other 
conditions being favourable. Even tendrils I strictly keep down, being 
very sure these are a loss of strength to the Vine. I have spoken of the 
increase of size in foliage by this system of restriction, but omitted to 
note the corresponding increase of substance in texture, thick foliage 
being a very important feature in the well-being of the Vine growth. 
No amounc of reasoning will ever convince me that yards of unchecked 
growth is ever of benefit to the Vine other than in a case of accident. 
Thus we may have a touch of sun-burning or scorching, or a visitation 
of red spider. In such instances it will be desirable to encourage a free 
growth. 
To maintain a continuous summer and autumn growth should be 
our desire and aim, and heavily cropped Vines will not do this unless 
we feed and keep them in condition. I shall not expect the concensus 
of opinion to be on my side, yet even the ordinary reader must by this 
time suppose I should not go on year by year unless I had proof of the 
correctness of my practice. By accident, possibly in the busiest time, a 
bouse will get left a week beyond its usual time for stopping. Does it 
gain by so doing? Certainly not; it is quite the reverse, the tale being 
told all through the remainder of the season. 
Were I to tell all I have done in way of experiments in this 
particular line it would fill a book. But let us revert to another point 
in this question of restriction. Which practice makes the best wood, and 
also produces the best eyes for the coming season, which after all should 
be a true test, even though we have to look a season in advance? I 
emphatically say the duly summer and autumn-pruned Vines. In con¬ 
clusion I have not any possible doubt that a wild, or even a semi- 
restricted growth, especially late in the autumn, also produces a corre¬ 
sponding root growth, which probably decays or dies away during the 
winter unless in a very warm dry border. 
It may now not be out of place if I also note that even the first 
year of planting I keep Vines well in hand so far as all side growths are 
concerned, depending on the main rod for root-action, and yet I always 
get good fruiting canes of good substance, and this is repeated year by 
year. As Vine growers we should attach more importance to the 
perfecting of the present year’s growth, building up the eyes for some¬ 
thing good in the next season. Owing to the lateness of new root-action, 
if there is not a good show we are to a certain extent powerless to 
increase the size feed as we will. I question very much if any feeding 
is beneficial until Grapes are set. In planting Peaches and Vines in 
-March one cannot help being struck with the condition of roots, the 
former having many new roots, while Hamburgh Vines breaking are 
dormant so far as these are concerned.— Stephen Castle, F.R.H.S., 
Fordinghridge. 
SPRING FLOWERS AT HOLLOWAY. 
Whether or not Upper Holloway gets more than its fair share of 
sunshine a visit on a spring morning usually finds cheerfulness reigning 
supreme. Possibly fogs come rolling up from the not far-distant city 
now and then, but they are gladly forgotten when the dark days of 
winter pass away. A Journal representative with a weakness for bulbs 
was struck by the exceptional quality of the Hyacinths and Tulips 
exhibited by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son at the Royal Botanic Society’s 
Show a few days ago, and having little time for a close inspection at 
Regent’s Park called in at the Victoria Nurseries with a view to a more 
leisurely examination of the plants. He had an idea, too, in which he 
was not disappointed, that there would be other things worth seeing 
besides the bulbs. 
The old order has changed with respect to bulbs during the last five 
or six years. Time was when almost every leading dealer had a show 
of Hyacinths in the spring, and a brave display they provided, but now 
large trade collections are few and far between. Presumably there is a 
good reason for the change. Much expense attaches to the purchase of 
the bulbs and their cultivation, and it may be that the decreased sale 
price, so far at least as concerns Hyacinths, leaves too small a margin 
of profit to justify the outlay of a large sum on what is, after all, an 
advertisement of doubtful value. Many, without doubt, regret the fact, 
whatever its cause may be. 
It is very doubtful if in the many years in which the Upper Ho’loway 
firm have grown a collection of bulbs they have ever had a finer display 
than that of the present season. Both Hyacinths and Tulips are 
magnificently grown, and many bulb lovers must have noted with 
pleasure the splendid trusses of the former, and the large, substantial, 
shapely blooms of the latter. Such Hyacinths as Lord Derby, King of 
the Blues, Koh-i-Noor, Von Schiller, Charles Dickens, La Franchise, 
King of the Blacks, Captain Boyton,.and La Grandesse may be instanced 
as splendid examples, the trusses being large and massive, and the foliage 
of the dwarf character which adds so greatly to the quality of the 
plants, but many others might also be mentioned. White Joost Van 
Vondel, Proserpine, Vermilion Brilliant, Chrysolora, Ophir d’Or, Murillo, 
and Van der Neer were a few of the most noteworthy Tulips. The 
wisdom of the Dutch growers in meeting the increasing demand for 
these splendid flowers by enhancing the prices considerably was ques¬ 
tioned in these pages some time ago, and not without reason. 
Clivias constitute a useful class of plants for winter and spring 
flowering, a trifle too robust perhaps in colour to suit some tastes, but 
none the less acceptable during gloomy weather. We do not see them 
so widely employed as window plants as might be expected. It is a uss 
to which they are admirably suited. Messrs. Williams & Son grow them 
somewhat largely, and their plants are now in fine bloom. Aurantiacum ; 
the rich reddish orange Meteor, one of the largest and brightest of all; 
Model, and Ambroise Verschaffelt with its huge truss, may be noted as 
four of the most conspicuous. 
The Amaryllis have wintered well, and are showing some very fine 
spikes, a large proportion having two to a plant. The house in which 
they are grown has a middle bed the length of the structure, with side 
beds also. The plants are plunged in ashes, which is preferred to fibre ; 
but in the winter, whilst in the resting stage, they are lifted out of the 
ashes, and stood on the top; then in the middle of January, when 
repotting takes place, plunging in ashes up to the rims cf the pots is the 
course of procedure adopted. Littla water is applied until strong 
growth commences, the watering process being increased as growth 
advances; this goes on until they have completed their growth, then 
the water is gradually withheld until they become quite dry. A few of 
the best sorts were the following :—Ophelia may be regarded as one of 
the very finest in the collection ; it is a light-coloured flower suffused 
and shaded with purple, having a narrow crimson margin, flower 
inches in diameter, and of good substance. Harry Williams is one 
of the very earliest to flower, a bold bloom of a deep crimson colour 
speckled with white. George Wainwright is a large flower, being 
8 inches in diameter, of fine substance and good form. Dazzle is a fine 
bright scarlet, having a central white stripe. Loveliness is extra fine, 
very soft salmon in colour. Joseph Broome, deep purplish crimson, is a 
well shaped flower. Distinction is a large orange-scarlet, base of 
segments light green. Emperor Frederick is 8 inches in diameter, deep 
orange scarlet and purplish crimson, very fine. Crimson Banner is a 
very strong grower, crimson, with a stripe of white down the centre of 
each segment. Maiden’s Blush is a charming variety of fine form and 
substance, white ground suffused and striped with crimson ; one of the 
best. Lord Salisbury is a fine bold flower, colour crimson purple. 
Princess Victoria, pure white, is very fine in shape and substance ; as a 
rule it has two spikes with five flowers on each. 
The Orchid department contributes a distinct quota of interest. The 
Vandas, for which the Upper Holloway nursery is so famous, are in 
splendid health and bearing many flowers. V. suavis, V. tricolor 
insignis, and V. tricolor superba are all beautiful. Cymbidiums have 
sent up wonderful spikes of buds, and in a few weeks will be a beautiful 
sight, and a magnificent piece of Cattleya Lawrfenceana is full of 
sheaths. Lselias are flowering brightly, L. harpophylla and L. flava 
being conspicuous amongst them ; so too are Calanthes, Lycastes, such 
as costata and varieties of Skinneri, and Cattleya Trianae formosa, a 
richly coloured form. Dendrobium Findleyanum is bearing dense 
clusters of flowers, and there is another striking representative of the 
genus in D. infundibulum giganteum, a large and beautiful form. 
Cypripediums contribute largely. In the cool houses Odontoglossum 
crispum is represented by many beautiful varieties, the whites being 
charming to a degree. 0. prionopetalum, 0. mulus Holfordianum, and 
0. cirrhosum are also in bloom. The two first-named have much the 
game colouring, being lemon with brown blotches, but they differ greatly 
in other respects. 
Foliage plants are abundant and healthy. Crotons and Dracaenas 
are a special feature. Aralias, such as Veitchi and Reginae, are also in 
strong force. These add interest to a visit, and all who have an hour or 
two to spare will spend it wisely if a call at Williams’s is decided upon. 
BROCCOLI. 
In the cultivation of this esteemed winter and spring vegetable 
various circumstances have much to do with the results obtained. It 
would be utterly useless to attempt to grow Broccoli, even fairly well, 
on such land as I have to deal with, if it were not dug prior to planting. 
Plants put out in undug land do not make nearly enough growth to 
