October 13, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
327 
development of foliage the more perfect will be the elaboration of 
the sap and its assimilation by the Vine. I adopted the system of 
stopping Vine laterals at the bunch as the result of observations 
made during the cultivation of Melons and Cucumbers for the last 
ten years. I have found that both of those fruits (for in this 
reference we may call the latter a fruit) swelled more quickly and 
with greater certainty when stopped at the fruit, than when one 
leaf was left beyond them in the orthodox way. As regards 
Cucumbers, the plan enables you to take double the quantity of 
fruit off a given space, and does away with the necessity for 
thinning the fruit, as they come in the proportion the plant can 
support. There is no wasted energy so to speak, as the first fruits 
are half grown before the second one appears. 
I may state that the girth of the Vines from which the leaves 
were taken are at 2 feet from the ground, 3| inches, at 9 feet from the 
ground, or 7 feet up the rafter, 2f inches.— John Swan, Gardener 
to A. L. Holmes, Esq., Mansefield, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire. 
[The Vine leaves sent by our correspondent are very fine indeed. 
We have seen many of greater expanse, but not many heavier 
according to their size—a much more important test of value. The 
leaves are a foot across, and five of them with the footstalks weighed 
5 ozs., the sixth being withered weighed only three-quarters of an 
ounce. We once weighed a leaf taken from a young Vine at 
Abberley grown by Mr. Arthur Young. This leaf weighed 1J oz., 
and the average of those on the Vine would be about the same as 
those before us. The girth of one of the leafstalks in its thickest 
part, half an inch from the base, is 1^ inch. Growers of Grapes 
can now measure and weigh a few fine Vine leaves, and note how 
far they exceed in substance those referred to. It will be observed 
that the rods are an inch thicker 2 feet from the ground than they 
are 9 feet above it. The reverse is often the case when the stems 
from the ground to the base of the rafters are denuded of growths. 
Mr. Swan evidently wastes no space. Mr. Iggulden will assume 
his happiest smile on reading the experience of his supporter. 
Mr. Dunkin will probably want to know something of the character 
of the crop the Vines produce next year, and not a few readers 
will feel a desire to hear something about the border in which Mr. 
Holmes’ Vines have grown so well.] 
Events of the Week. —The ensuing week will not be a particularly 
busy one. The National Chrysanthemum Society’s Exhibition, which 
opened at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster, yesterday, October 12th, 
will continue to-day (Thursday) and Friday. The usual Committee 
meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society will be held in the Drill 
Hall, Westminster, on Tuesday, October 18th, when prizes to amateurs 
for Apples, Pears, and Grapes will be offered. A paper on “ Cycads,” by 
Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., will be read at the afternoon meeting. Several 
sales will take place, for particulars of which see advertisements. 
- The Weather in London.—T he present week opened dull, 
wet, and cold, rain falling heavily in the metropolis on Sunday morning. 
As the day advanced, however, it cleared, and has been bright but cold 
ever since, the wind being in a north-easterly direction. Several slight 
frosts have occurred at night. At the time of going to press the 
barometer is firm, and there are indications of the fine weather 
continuing. 
- Weather at Liverpool. — Perhaps at no time during the 
whole of the present season have we been visited by such incessant 
rain as during the past week. The only portion of fine weather was 
on the Tuesday, the Monday preceding it being a pitiless downpour. 
Since Tuesday rain has been almost continuous, and the gale of yester¬ 
day (10th inst.) caused great destruction amongst the fruit, bringing it 
off the trees, although not ready for gathering. Potatoes are badly 
diseased, and in some places the fields are flooded. There is a quantity 
of corn not yet secured, and altogether the season is one which is certain 
to cause a great amount of suffering amongst the smaller farmers. 
—R. P. R. 
- Gardening Appointment.— Mr. Samuel Scott, late gardener 
at Rathmore, and previously foreman at Brocklesby Park, has been 
appointed gardener to the Hon. Mrs. King-Harman, Rockingham, Boyle, 
Co. Roscommon, Ireland. 
- Nemesia Strumosa Suttoni. —Messrs. Sutton &. Sons send 
us flowers of this distinct and attractive annual, as they think it will 
interest our readers to know that the plant flowers freely so late in the 
autumn. It was figured in our columns at the time it was honoured by 
a first-class certificate, and we suspect this Nemesia will become a 
popular garden favourite. 
- Perennials at Chiswick.—A number of the later species 
and varieties of perennial Asters are now blooming in the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, where there is to be found pro¬ 
bably one of the most complete collections of these plants in the world. 
They are well worth a visit from all lovers of the Starwort family. The 
collection of Apples has been stored in the fruit room, and as each 
variety is correctly named the attention of Fellows and others interested 
in the cultivation of the best kinds suitable for particular purposes is 
called to the fact. The Grapes in the large conservatory are now ripe, 
and the fine hanging clusters present a remarkably fine appearance. 
- Harvest Festivals. —These are now the order of the day 
but seldom do the gardening charitable organisations derive any benefit 
from them. An exception, however, has been made at Shirley, near 
Croydon, where the Rev. W. Wilks, Secretary of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, is Vicar. Mr. Wilks made an appeal to his parishioners on 
behalf of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, with the result 
that over £30 were collected at the harvest festival, and this sum, it is 
said, has been handed to that organisation. We commend Mr. Wilks on 
his thoughtfulness. 
- Daniel’s Dwarf Perfection Aster.—I should like to call 
the attention of readers of the Journal to this new Aster. It attains a 
height of from 10 to 12 inches, is freely branched, the flowers large, 
reflexed, and of every shade of colour found in Asters. The rose, 
pinks and whites are particularly beautiful. In my opinion this Aster 
will run the good old Chrysanthemum kind hard for first place when it 
becomes better known. I have both these varieties planted side by side, 
and the Perfection has a decided advantage over the Chrysanthemum in 
point of freedom of flowering, and is much more freely branched.— 
T. A., Cirencester. 
- Tritoma Uvaria. —Notwithstanding the number of excellent 
sorts now at command, there is no bolder, richer plant for lighting up 
autumn gloom in the garden than Tritoma Uvaria. For some time past 
a splendid bed of it has been producing a magnificent effect in the 
nursery of Messrs. Neal & Co. at Wandsworth. Seen from the road at 
a distance of 100 yards or so with an ample background of shrubs they 
present their most glowing appearance. The “ pokers ” are of a light 
orange-scarlet hue, and the shade is always intensified by a dark back¬ 
ground. When planted alone they are hardly so striking, though by no 
means devoid of beauty. Bold clumps in large mixed borders are very 
fine.— Wanderer. 
- Long Runner Beans. —So much did Runner Beans suffer 
from the frost of September in many places that they have ceased to 
crop. I was therefore unprepared to see such splendid samples of 
Beans at Earl’s Court as Mr. Waite and Mr. Friend had in their collec¬ 
tions, whilst Messrs. Wilkins and Lye had none. Mr. Waite’s 
sample of Prizewinner was one of the best I have ever seen, and as an 
example of their quality I asked for and obtained one Bean, the which I 
found on reaching home to be exactly 10 inches in length, perfectly 
straight, narrow, and handsome. I made a rough tracing of it for 
future reference. I hardly think it will be possible to excel such a 
sample. The large Giant Runner Beans range from 1 inch to 1^ inch 
broad, that is too coarse. The one in question was just tbree-fourths of 
an inch broad.—A. D. 
- Rhythm in Plants. — Some interesting experiments in the 
artificial production of rhythm in plants have been exhibited by Francis 
Darwin and Miss D. F. Pertz, says a scientific journal. The plant under 
observation was fixed to a spindle, and by a clockwork escapement was 
given a suddensemi-rotation at the end of every half hour, which caused 
a series of alternations of the direction in which the plant tended to 
curve, through the influence of either light or gravitation. This induced 
a rhythmic state closely resembling the periodicity set up by the alter¬ 
nation of day and night. Stopping the clockwork gave a remarkable 
result. The plant continuing to curve with an acquired rhythm as 
before, having, in fact, learned and remembered the half hour period. 
This is precisely similar to certain natural rhythms, such as the regular 
opening and shutting of flowers for a short time after being placed in 
constant darkness. 
