310 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND vOTTAGE GARDENER 
t October IS, 1887. 
It is commonly said that exceptions prove the rule, 
but such exceptions as these show how difficult it is to for¬ 
mulate generalities. As to the usefulness of the Quince as 
a stock for bush and pyramid trees in most gardens there 
can, however, be no question; they come into bearing 
quickly, are generally prolific, and are by no means short¬ 
lived when well treated. The late Mr. T. Rivers was a 
strong advocate for this stock for Pears, and assisted largely 
in its extension with considerable benefit to many owners 
of small gardens. 
Double-grafting for Pear trees has not been so much 
practised in England as on the Continent, though some 
nurserymen have found it beneficial in the case of delicate 
varieties that do not succeed well direct on the Quince. 
The introduction of some hardy variety as an intermediary 
facilitates the matter, and fine fruits are thus obtained 
where considerable difficulty had been previously ex¬ 
perienced. That fine old Pear, Gansel’s Bergamot, has 
been found most satisfactory in this way, and Marie 
Louise also. Much more might, however, be done in this 
direction. 
Judging by the Apple Report already mentioned, 
which gives the experience and opinions of over 250 
practical men, the Crab stock is most generally satisfactory 
for Apples, and a number of very old trees are named as 
still fruitful and healthy. But some of the best speci¬ 
mens were from trees on the Paradise, and it appears 
that many of the others are orchard trees, for which the 
Crab is undoubtedly the most fitted. For smaller grow¬ 
ing trees of the bush, pyramid, or cordon style of training 
are preferable on the Paradise. 
It would take too much space to refer now to the 
other hardy fruits and their several stocks. The Apricot 
and Peach are particularly interesting, as they have been 
tried upon so many different stocks, but perhaps other 
readers can tell us something about these, together with 
the Plum and the Cherry.—C. 
OCTOBER FLOWERING PERENNIALS. 
The recent rains which followed the long-continued drought of 
the summer now passed has been conducive to the production of 
plenty of hardy flowers out of doors up to the present time ; 
indeed, there is a wealth of flowers still, which but for the cold, 
chilly, and frosty nights occasionally experienced of late might lead 
•one to believe that we are still in summer, though this is again con- 
.tradicted by the appearance of many strictly autumn-flowering 
plants. I will point to some of the more worthy still in bloom as 
well as those which are fading. 
I will first take the Sunflowers, of which there are five varieties 
still producing good flowers. These are Helianthus multiflorus 
plenus, H. m. major, H. m. grandiflorus. These three are still in 
excellent condition and promise a continuance of flowers for some 
time to come, and this notwithstanding that they have been pro¬ 
ducing abundance of flowers since July. The two other forms are 
H. intermedius and H. rigidus latifolius, the last named just passing 
out of bloom, while H. rigidus completed its flowering about three 
weeks since. The plant which I here allude to as H. rigidus lati¬ 
folius is that generally sold as H. japonicus, but as there is no 
species whatever found in either China or Japan, there is no doubt 
that such a name is quite erroneous. These Sunflowers are beauti¬ 
fully adapted for the decoration of large borders, and their bold 
flowers are very handsome ; for large vases or the like they are very 
pleasing. The Gaillardias are useful. A large bed planted in spring 
has given hundreds of their gaily coloured blossoms, which continue 
to expand as fresh as ever. Wonderfully varied, too, are these 
flowers ; some are pure golden seifs, others light yellow seifs, and 
others again are aglow with shades of crimson and scarlet and a 
belting of gold to complete it. Such flowers as these cannot fail to 
become popular. They are so gay, so profuse, and so easily grown 
that no garden should be without a dozen clumps of these strikingly 
beautiful plants, which are quite unique for their wonderful com¬ 
bination of colour. For vase deeorati n under artificial light they 
are extremely effective. 
The single Pyrethrums seem next to demand a passing word r 
and while they do not boast the array of colour which the Gaillar¬ 
dias assume, they are pleasing and highly interesting at this time.. 
They close their flowers early in the afternoon (the florets drooping 
after the manner of some of the annual Chrysanthemums) and 
remain in this state till about 10 a.m., earlier or later according to- 
the presence or absence of sun. In a cut state they are delightful,, 
and by adopting special means in their culture they may be had 
with flowers equally large and handsome as in the height of their 
season. At present the most conspicuous colours are crimson lake, 
amaranth, various shades of rose, rosy blush, lilac blush, together 
with white and many shades of pleasing rosy lilac. 
There are many which must be included in this short note, and 
among these just now Leucanthemum maximum and Pyrethrum 
uliginosum deserve special note as being useful and both having 
white flowers which are produced freely. The first-named is keeping 
up its flowering late, for it did not produce flowers with its usual 
freedom in summer on account of the parching heat. The latter is' 
a strictly autumn flower, and very serviceable too at this time. The 
one great drawback respecting it appears to be the height which it- 
attains—viz., 6 feet, but I have made it exactly half that height by 
cutting it to within 6 inches of the ground in the first week in June r 
afterwards pinching out the points of those breaks that would appear 
to take the lead, and at this height it makes a splendid bed. For 
those who require plenty of flowers when hardy flowers are swept 
away by frost I suggest growing it in pots plunged in the open 
ground and cut hard back as recommended, lifting them at flowering 
time for the decoration of the conservatory, or grown in this way 
it would make a fine companion plant for Aster amellus bessarabicus 
and A. longifolius formosus. These three would make a delicious 
autumn bed, placing the Pyrethrum as a centre with Aster bessara¬ 
bicus next, and the latter forming the margin. This would make a 
pure white centre, with purplish blue next, and a margin of bright 
rose, lasting a long time in perfection. 
For another plant with trusses of light pink flowers we must 
turn to Sedum spectabile, which attains to about 15 inches high, 
and has broad flattish heads of bloom. It is a very free bloomer 
and suited to dry hot positions, but is more vigorous in loamy soils. 
Another conspicuous plant is Rudbeckia Newmanni, growing 2 feet 
high, flowers deep gold with a black disc in the centre. It is a. 
valuable plant in the border, and a grand summer plant may be 
found in Rudbeckia purpurea, a fine plant by no means common. 
Now look at something quite distinct in point of colour, I mean 
Aconitum japonicum, the flowers of which are an intense deep 
violet, habit dwarf and sturdy, and just now in its prime. It is 
quite alone among perennials and should not be lost sight of, for it 
is a valuable colour. Beyond this we have the gay flowers of the 
Pentstemons, very effective and varied. These are very attractive 
and useful as summer and autumn bedders, and their spikes of 
richly coloured flowers find but little to oppose them in the waning 
months of the year. There is, however, ample room for greater 
variety in this group, and it is in this respect they appear to have 
stood unaltered and unimproved for years. 
Herbaceous Phloxes are nearly past, though one or two seem 
determined to make the display as lengthened as possible, Mrs. 
Grundy, lilac, suffused white, and Queen of Lilacs, pinkish lilac 
with salmon shade, being among the best remaining. Then to give 
some idea of the wide range in the flowering of Lilium auratum 
and its varieties, I may mention that plants are still producing good 
blooms, the earliest of which began in July. These all occupy the 
same bed, were planted at the same time, and yet there is a difference 
of three months in their time of flowering. We shall not have 
many more expand out of doors now, for the nights are too cold ; 
but those who have spikes of well-formed buds may be glad to 
know that the buds will all expand if placed in water either in the 
greenhouse or the sitting-room, though for many people their per¬ 
fume is much too powerful. Equally variable, too, is the colouring 
of the L. auratum, following which come platyphyllum and the 
varying forms of Virginale. In some cases the latter are of the 
purest white and spotless, others have few spots, and are thus inter¬ 
mediate with platyphyllum. 
Lastly, among the incessant flowerers are the Violas, in which 
Archie Grant, always to the fore, is conspicuous. I have not seen 
finer blossoms the whole year than I have gathered this week, with 
others of Skylark and its margin of deep violet; the colour of this 
is much deeper than in spring, and is certainly quite novel and 
pleasing. Bullion is improving. Mrs. Gray, Queen of Lilacs, 
and others still continue much the same. Michaelmas Daisies are 
very pleasing, and contribute shades of blue, violet, white, &c., and 
besides those mentioned are summer-flowering Chrysanthemums in 
variety, Dahlias of all sections, Alstromeria aurea, Gladiolus on the 
wane, also Liliums of the speciosum type, and when I conclude by 
saying that any and all of these may be found in any good collection 
of hardy plants in October, I think there is little room left for 
