616 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Juue 29, 1893. 
during the winter and spring, and for this and other reasons, which 
were conveyed or hinted at when these remarks commenced, some 
of the so-called Tomato houses ought to be devoted to plant and 
cut-flower culture during the late autumn and winter months, if 
not still longer. Chrysanthemums are somewhat overdone, but 
that they still pay fairly well is evident from the fact that some 
growers annually house them by tens of thousands. What I find 
pay best are the Madame Desgrange family, taking care to house 
these before early frost injure the delicate buds ; and any white 
and yellow varieties that are at their best late in December and 
during January. There is only a very limited demand for Chrys¬ 
anthemums of any shade of colour during the height of the 
season, even specimen blooms failing to sell well last year. Those 
who can grow neat plants of any variety in 8-inch pots would 
find they sell readily enough at 9s. per dozen wholesale, and 
Is. or rather more each retail, paying therefore better than cut 
flowers.— Market Grower. 
(To be continued.) 
FLOWERS AND MUSIC AT EARL’S COURT. 
The management of the Horticultural Exhibition at Earl’s 
Court are to be congratulated on the change which they have made 
in the disposition of the flower tent. Last year the shows were 
held in the building at the extreme corner of the grounds behind 
the band stand allotted to the Grenadier Guards. This plan, how¬ 
ever, did not work satisfactorily, as the counter attraction of the 
music seemed to intercept the public while seeking the flower show 
in such a secluded situation. The new flower tent is stationed 
midway between the two chief band stands, and fairly in view of 
the constant stream of visitors passing between these centres of 
attraction. The flower show is consequently a much greater point 
of interest than was the case last year. It might be suggested, 
however, that the music and the flowers are still more divorced than 
is consistent with the title of the Exhibition, and that certain other 
arrangernents might have been sacrificed for the purpose of bringing 
the two into actual contact. The more they are approximated the 
less are they set into competition against each other. At present 
the flower shows indicate a tendency to suffer by the estrangement, 
though they are more patronised than last season. How much 
better and more instructive it would be if those persons who are 
idly promenading around the bands could listen to the music 
and contemplate the floral exhibition at one and the same time. 
The tent is a lofty and handsome one of some 120 feet in 
length, and lighted from above by two brilliant incandescent 
globes. The floor is of strongly consolidated gravel, almost as 
hard as concrete and most agreeable to walk upon. In an even 
more favourable situation and with constant inducements to 
exhibitors, it might become, as it ought to be, the chief feature of 
the Exhibition. 
During the Show of last week the central stages were devoted 
to the exhibits of Messrs. Barr & Sons, while the whole of the 
outer sides of the tent were occupied with those of Mr. H. B. 
May. Both displays very naturally showed the effects of the great 
heat, and besides necessitating constant attention, were only to be 
seen in their perfection during the early days of the week. 
Prominent among the exhibits of Messrs. Barr were Irids, 
Liliums, Alstroemerias, Iceland Poppies, with several varieties of 
CEnothera, and other herbaceous plants. The collection of Ferns 
of Mr. H. B. May, which occupied the whole of a side of the tent, 
was, however, the chief feature. These were most tastefully 
arranged, among them being a very fine specimen of Agliomorpha 
Mejerians, and a handsome plant of Cibotium regale. Nephrolepis 
exaltata was also very distinguished, and here and there the 
curiously whorled Platycerium. The whole presented a most 
refreshing sight in the hot weather, if one disregarded the risk 
run by so exposing the plants. 
On the other three sides stood a great variety of artistically 
arranged exhibits, also from the establishment of Mr. May, in 
which Kentias, Crotons, Aralias, Cocos, Dracaenas, Alocasias, 
Araucaria excelsa, and other foliage plants formed a background, 
lightened by the judicious interspersion of flowering plants, such 
as Lilies, Carnations, Anthuriums, Begonias, and Hydrangeas, the 
whole being lightened with a liberal interposition of Adiantums 
and Mosses. Such standing exhibitions as this are highly to be 
TOmmended, and it is to be hoped that the authorities at Earl’s 
Court will see their way clear to repeating them frequently 
during the season, and so render their enterprise a true resort 
for the lover of plants and flowers. 
CANKER IN FRUIT TREES. 
I DO not profess to know anything about the science of canker in 
fruit trees ; but as to its being a contagious disease I think that theory 
is a myth. I am of the opinion that it is all a question, as “A. D.” 
points out (page 498), of soil. I know that some varieties will not grow in 
certain soils, no matter what is done to them in the way of replanting. 
The soil appears to be deficient in some element or it has too much of 
another to enable the trees to mature the young growth annually. 
It is the shoots of the previous year’s growth that suffer during the 
winter and fail to grow the following spring. I have proved many times 
that the soil has much to do with it. I have a standard tree of Kibston 
Pippin that was planted fifteen years since ; the stem is thicker than it 
was then, but the head is no larger than at planting time. It has grown 
and died back, repeating the process for years in spite of the number of 
times it has been replanted. It is strange how a certain variety will fail 
in one garden and be a success in another. I have noticed endless 
instances of this. Pott’s Seedling is the latest case of canker that I have 
experienced. This variety does not appear to succeed with me, even when 
planted carefully in fresh ground. I know another garden where this 
is the best Apple they have for surety in crops; the tree is an aged standard. 
I also know that it is possible to make some sorts canker in one garden and 
by replantingit in soil quite different in character to renovate the same trees. 
If this can be done in the same garden, how can canker be other 
than owing to the unsuitable character of the soil for that particular 
variety ? I have known persons attempt to cure the disease, as it was 
termed by them, with the aid of lime and petroleum, scraping the 
wounds and lifting the trees and manipulating the roots. Instead of 
killing the canker the tree was killed. 
In the case of Pear trees, if we plant Marie Louise, Jargonelle, or 
Louise Bonne de Jersey in the open the wood cankers as fast as it is 
made, but if the same sorts are planted against a wall they bear fair 
crops of fruit and do not show the slightest sign of canker. This fact 
proves to me that the assistance of the wall enables the wood to mature 
and thus bear the effect of the frost better. Trees of the two first named 
were allowed to remain in the open, first as pyramids and afterwards as 
loose bushes for ten years, but not a single fruit was ever gathered from 
those trees, although a quantity of blossom was upon them every year. 
Surely this is a distinct case of maturation of the wood and not anything 
approaching to a contagious disease.—E. M. 
[We have received several other communications on this subject, 
including an exhaustive article from Mr. Abbey, for which space cannot 
be found this week.] 
NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS. 
I have been very much interested with the notes on the Night¬ 
blooming Cereus. I have a photograph showing a plant with twenty- 
five blooms, not very distinct, and I have seen thirty-five and thirty- 
seven fiowers fully expanded. Unfortunately the plant was broken at 
the stem during some alterations. I kept it for eighteen months 
without any roots by syringing and damp moss.—W m. Scales. 
I WAS pleased to see the references regarding the Night-blooming 
Cereus in the Journal of Horticulture, and I think I can fairly 
accurately fix the varieties we had formerly. They were three—Cereus 
grandiflorus, and I believe C, nycticalus and C. Maedonaldiae. The first 
named I am quite sure about, and it was a glorious flower in every 
way. The petals were pure white, standing very erect ; the sepals, which 
were brown outside and bright yellow inside, thrown back almost at 
right angles from them, the effect of the snowy white petals, backed 
and surrounded by the halo of yellow, being exceedingly striking. 
Added to all this, the flower had a most powerful perfume of vanilla, 
which scented the whole house, and combined with the other qualities 
already mentioned to make it, I think I may say without any hesita¬ 
tion, the most attractive flower in the whole of my father’s collection. 
I am practically certain that the second plant I have mentioned 
was C. nycticalus, as what I remember of it tallies exactly with the 
description and illustration of that variety given in the first volume of 
the “ Dictionary of Gardening,” page 298. It was a larger flower than 
grandiflorus, but not so striking when compared with the latter, as the 
sepals were of a much paler yellow, the contrast with the petals, there¬ 
fore, not being so great, and it entirely lacked the delicious perfume, 
but seen alone it seemed perfect, the great size being very impressive. 
The third species I do not remember to have seen in flower, as I 
believe it was a plant of this one that was lost a number of years ago 
through frost getting into the house owing to something going wrong 
with the hot-water pipes one night, a loss which was a constant source 
of regret to my father, as it was getting a fine plant, and he had 
only one or two small cuttings left. I see from the Dictionary already 
referred to the description is as follows:—“Sepals bright red and orange, 
radiating and very numerous, petals delicate white.” 
The habits of the two first-named plants were much the same, as 
far as I know. Sometimes in dull weather it appeared uncertain for 
two or three mornings whether the flower would open the same night; 
but if, on the other hand, it was bright and sunny, although in the 
morning it seemed quite unlikely, yet in the evening it would expand 
contrary to expectation. From this it may be judged how rapid the 
final expansion was, as an artist friend found to his dismay when he 
started to sketch it early in the evening, as before he was able to outline 
the whole the appearance had entirely changed. As far as I remember 
