418 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t November g, l88ff. 
the cultivation of so large a number of plants, but we think this 
might be overcome, as several are favourable to the idea who could 
assist materially in its furtherance. 
THE WEATHER AND SOILS. 
The past summer will long be remembered by gardeners as a 
most trying and perplexing one. In the spring grave doubts were 
entertained that we might have a repetition of the previous summer’s 
hot dry weather, as perhaps there was hardly ever known a drier 
seed-sowing time ; so dry, in fact, that the work at that busy 
season was greatly retarded, and the proper germination of seeds 
generally was a matter of serious consideration, when so much 
depends upon warm genial showers at that season to give all 
vegetable life a good start, so essential for securing successful 
crops. However, our anticipations were greatly upset, as the 
following months proved a striking contrast to the same of last 
year. Week after week nothing but dull sunless days, with heavy 
rainfalls and cold nights, the effects of which are now easily traced 
in our fruit crops. Soft fruit, such as Raspberries and Strawberries, 
were soon over, and those that were obtained were mostly deficient 
in merit. The cold nights were greatly against Apples and Pears 
swelling freely, while the sunless days prevented the fruit attaining 
a good colour, and in many cases a good flavour, though the fine 
weather of late has done much to improve matters in those 
respects. 
The effects of the past season upon the fruit crops is not so 
much the subject of my remarks as the effect it has had upon the 
soil. Though we may have had what might be termed a wet 
summer, the soil in many places a few inches below the surface 
was, quite recently, as deficient of moisture as it was last season at 
this date, at least such was the case in this neighbourhood. The 
land received such a thorough parching last year, followed by 
an unusually dry winter, that the rain has been absorbed on the 
surface, and much is needed to penetrate thoroughly to what I 
may call tillage depth. This has come forcibly under my notice 
the last few days. We are preparing land somewhat extensively 
on this estate by trenching, with the object of planting later on. 
In each position where the soil has been broken up the second spit 
was so hard and dry that the pick had to be constantly employed, 
and to use the men’s own words, “ It’s as hard and dry as though a 
fire had been under it.” 
Another case under notice was in removing Peach trees from 
outside walls to a late Peach house. It was surprising to see the 
state of the soil, in spite of frequent waterings and syringings 
during the summer. This points in a very forcible way how mis¬ 
leading and dangerous a summer like the past might prove to fruit 
trees by trusting to outward appearances only, especially to trees 
that are growing under what I may term unnatural conditions, 
such as small trees and Yines in restricted borders. It is the 
practice of some to cover outside Yine borders at this season to 
protect them from winter rains and snow ; a wise course, no doubt, 
in some cases, but if adopted this year without a thorough exami¬ 
nation of the border to some depth, the evil, I believe, will be shut 
in instead of being kept out. Over-dryness at the roots of Yines 
or any fruit-producing trees is as injurious at the present season as 
at any during the year, by producing premature ripening and fall 
of the foliage before it has carried out its proper functions in 
drawing up a sufficient quantity of sap for the proper development 
of the buds for future fructification. I have known Yines that 
have not been all that could be desired to have suffered from over¬ 
dryness of the border, while the evil has been attributed to a cold 
wet one, but upon a thorough examination, the moisture for a few 
inches on the surface has been misleading, the bottom half of the 
border being as dry as dust. This is greatly brought about by 
trusting too much to the natural rainfall, or by watering in drib¬ 
lets, forgetting that Yine borders are mostly provided with artificial 
foundations to secure thorough drainage. This being so, the ordi¬ 
nary rainfall cannot possibly be sufficient to keep the roots in a 
proper state of moisture, as apart from the great quantity of water 
a Vine requires to insure perfect health, there is sometimes this 
over-drainage going on, besides evaporation by the sun and air 
acting on the border. The more elaborate and expensive the for¬ 
mation of the border is, the less chance is there of its being a 
successful one, unless time and attention can be bestowed in copious 
waterings. 
It is most important that an accurate register of the rainfall be 
kept in all gardens, as this is of great assistance to the cultivator ; 
in fact, without such a guide one really works in a haphazard way, 
as sometimes a shower is very misleading, often appearing more 
than what has really fallen, and though at times we may have 
1 inch of rain—a heavy fall for twenty-four hours —still, when we 
come to reckon it up, it is not such an enormous quantity for a 
border 3 or 4 feet deep, full of roots, and thoroughly drained ; in 
fact, during the growing season, it is almost impossible to overwater 
such borders. To neglect giving them sufficient is a sure way of 
driving the roots out. If they cannot find their natural require¬ 
ments in the border, especially moisture, they wander in search of it. 
The consequence is the roots suffer from cold more than from 
over-moisture—or the two together — the result being inferior 
Grapes, and the expense of forming elaborate borders is thrown 
away. Not only are Yines often misjudged in this way, but also- 
fruit trees trained to walls and buildings. These sometimes receive 
a check during the year from insufficient moisture at the roots, 
thereby doing secretly an amount of evil which is irreparable the 
following season. 
These remarks are made with the view of throwing out a hint 
that though we may have the past ungenial summer fresh in mind,, 
we must not be led away with the idea that sufficient rain has fallen 
to supply the wants of our fruit trees, especially those growing; 
under what I term artificial conditions, such as alluded to above, 
when perhaps the soil is in a perfect state of dryness, and it wou'd 
be a wise course for anyone to examine their fruit borders 
thoroughly, to see that the past perplexing season has not been 
misjudged, and thus guard against serious results.— R. Parker,. 
Impney. 
FORCING LILY OF THE VALLEY. 
I have often heard those soliciting orders for Lily of the 
Valley roots assert that they could readily be forced into flower by 
Christmas, but if this statement is not misleading in all cases it 
certainly is in a great many, as it is only with exceptional facilities- 
that Lily of the Valley can be forced into flower in December, or 
indeed in January. Some hundreds of crowns or scores of roots 
may be placed in to force for flowering before the new year, and 
some of them may produce a few sprays by that time, but a dozen 
spikes from as many clumps cannot be regarded as successful, and 
I am of opinion that Lily of the Valley cannot be had satisfactorily,, 
as a rule, until February and onwards. I make exception in the 
case of places specially constructed for forcing for market, but my 
remarks apply to the majority of private gardens and almost all 
amateurs. I have known gardeners to be told by their employers 
that they had seen “ such lovely Lilies of the Valley from Covent 
Garden ” the latter part of December, and some of them could not 
understand why it was not being produced at home at the same 
time. This is easily explained—first by stating that Lily of the 
Valley is one of the most difficult of all plants to force at mid¬ 
winter, and, secondly, it is only in very few gardens that the 
forcing appliances are so good as to be able to accomplish it. 
Buying “ specially selected crowns ” is often held out as an induce¬ 
ment to secure early flowers, and good crowns will blossom before 
weak ones, but the best crowns count for very little where the 
forcing appliances are deficient, and no one need run away with the 
idea that if they only buy the best of crowns flowers will be 
secured at any time. I never mislead anyone on this point, neither 
do I encourage anyone to force for Christmas flowers, but l 
strongly advise all to reserve their best crowns and clumps until 
the turn of the year. The pure white graceful and sweetly 
fragrant sprays will be as much valued in February or March as 
they would be in December or January, while three times the 
quantity will be produced in spring to what is possible to secure at 
midwinter. 
I do not write without experience. I have tried many times to 
have “ fine Lilies of the Valley for Christmas,” but regarding them 
as favourably as I could, they never merited being termed more- 
than “ miserable.” It is not so, however, with our spring roots 
that are forced in the same structure, as these produce beautiful 
green foliage and a profusion of flowers. I suspect if you were 
chronicling all attempts to force Lily of the Valley in December 
five hundred failures and one success would be the average result. 
It is as an Easter flower rather than a Christmas one that Lily of 
the Valley should be grown. As a rule foreign crowns are better 
developed and matured than home-grown ones, and many of the 
former give profitable returns in February and March, whde good 
home-grown roots will always force well by Easter.—M. M. 
NOTES ON GRAPES. 
The exceptional season we have just passed through has left its 
mark upon many kinds of garden produce, especially upon both out 
and indoor fruits, which have in many cases been unusually late in 
coming to maturity, and in others deficient in either colour or 
flavour, and in some instances lacking both these essential qualities. 
Doubtless many useful lessons may be learned by noting the effect 
the dull wet summer of 1888 has produced upon different varieties 
