October 22, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
84B 
Coe's Golden Drop. —One of the most useful late Plums, fre¬ 
quently hanging upon a wall until late in October. This only 
succeeds as a standard in some localities. 
Guthrie's and McLaughlin's Gages. —Good varieties of rich 
flavour, more properly classed here than in the Gages. 
Red and Purple Plums. 
De Montfort. — A medium-sized oval fruit which ripens very 
early on a wall, and, in fact, is the earliest dessert Plum. Its 
colour is a curious mixture of green, red, purple and violet, and it 
is a little known variety well worth cultivation. Its flesh is 
handsome greenish and peculiarly rich in flavour. 
Stint. —This new seedling of Messrs. Rivers, a small red Plum, 
transparent in appearance and the earliest of all dessert Plums to 
ripen ; it is refreshing in flavour. 
Prince of Wales. —A sweet early Plum of the Orleans race, 
purplish red in colour, juicy and pleasant in flavour, very free 
bearer and worth a good place on a wall. 
Kirlce's Blue. —A large violet Plum, rich full flavour ; it 
requires a wall, as it seldom bears freely in any other form. Its 
appearance renders it indispensable in a collection. 
Angelina Burdett. —A small delicious fruit of great richness, 
not so sweet as Green Gage, but of a peculiarly agreeable flavour ; 
it is, however, a sparse bearer, but rather late and useful. 
Ickworth Imperatrice. —A very small late Plum, valuable for 
October desserts when grown on a wall, where it shrivels and 
becomes delicious. 
Purple Gages. 
Comte Althanns Gage. —A medium-sized purple red Plum with 
greenish markings, a very nice flavour and profuse bearer. This 
will probably prove one of our most reliable kinds. 
Red Gage. —Reine Claude Rouge. A small round fruit of a 
singular colour, which when fully ripe and partially shrivelled is 
most delicious. 
The Blue or Purple Gage. —Reine Claude Yiolette. This is 
similar to the red, except that its skin is a different colour. It is 
equally rich and a valuable dessert Plum. 
This exhausts all those with which I am familiar. Purposely 
I leave out Washington, though a grand Plum when well coloured, 
but it bears so indifferently that others are perferable, and the 
same remarks apply to Boddaert’s Gage. We have not yet found 
any of the Japanese Plums to bear fruit, but they are forming 
good trees, and a new departure may be found in them, but I 
think in the comparatively flavourless Myrobalan type, as judged 
by the foliage, it will be understood that dessert Plums are a 
matter of taste, and in a scarce season many classed as kitchen 
sorts will be used. The season of Plums commences early in 
August with Stint, Denniston’s Superb, and De Montfort, followed 
by Oullins Golden, then a large number ripen, and the season is 
closed by Coe’s Golden Drop and Imperatrice at the end of Sep¬ 
tember and early in October. This year they are fourteen days 
later than usual. 
Cultural Hints. 
A few hints on culture may be added. The only objection to 
fruit grown upon pyramids and open trees is that the rains wash 
off that pretty frost-like bloom which adds so greatly to their 
appearance. The flavour is generally better when grown in the 
open. A wall, however, allows some of the early kinds to be grown 
for very early dishes on warm walls, and to extend the season by 
placing some on north walls, but a satisfactory mode of culture is 
to grow them in pots in a cold orchard house where they can be 
produced in great perfection and with very little trouble. As I hope 
some other member of the Club may give us a paper on their 
culture in this form I need not enlarge upon it here. I feel, how¬ 
ever, that in the restricted growth thus induced we get a hint as 
to their treatment in other forms, and I would strongly advise all 
wall trees, pyramids and cordons, to be frequently lifted and root- 
pruned, this will check that overcrowded and hard pruning which 
prevent the formation of fruit buds. 
Plums are among the most useful of fruits, as they can be 
used half grown (say thinnings) cooked in various forms, bottled, 
and as a conserve as “ Plum cheese,” as well as for dessert. It 
may be added the Early Damson, Frogmore Prolific, the late small 
Prune Damson, and Bradley’s King, are rich and well worthy of 
the dessert. 
FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS. 
[Read at a meeting of the Chiswick Gardeners’ Association, October 9th, 1891, by 
Mr. H. Dunkin, gardener to the Earl of Warwick.] 
In the many nurseries of this country we have such variety of 
flowering trees and shrubs that it is somewhat surprising to find so few 
private gardens in which a really good collection is established. In far 
too many instances large masses of common evergreens, such as Laurels, 
Box, and Yew, are planted without any attempt being made to give 
variety and brightness. True, these have their uses, and are always 
desirable for planting under the shade of trees, or where quick growth 
is required to shut out unsightly objects or create secluded spots ; but 
after due allowance has been made for these facts, there is still abundance 
of room for the more varied and skilful arrangement of shrubberies. 
Wherever these are situated in an open position in which choice shrubs 
appear likely to thrive, the common ones should be very sparingly 
planted, reserving them for the background, or positions where they are 
not much seen. My ideal of a well-planted shrubbery is one in which 
evergreens of various types are judiciously intermixed according to their 
habit of growth and the varied colours of their leaves, deciduous and 
flowering trees and shrubs being dotted about at irregular intervals, so 
that at every season of the year infinite variety of colour is produced, 
beginning in the early spring months with those harbingers of coming 
beauty, Daphnes and Ribes, which put forth their refreshing flowers 
before the tender leaves unfold ; these to be followed by Cydonias, 
Deutzias, Almonds, Cerasuses, Berberisee, gorgeous masses of Rhodo¬ 
dendrons and Azaleas, Spiraeas and Hibiscuses, and a host of others. At 
the same time changing leaf colourings of such a variety of trees and 
shrubs are in themselves a constant source of delight. First the pale 
green of the opening leaves create a lovely scene, then as they gradually 
develop and assume a deep green colour they look rich and striking 
under the influence of bright sunlight ; and again, as the dull days of 
autumn come the bronze and yellow shades of colour which deciduous 
trees present are to many a greater attraction than the verdant beauty 
of spring. 
I have in the course of my gardening career seen many fine gardens 
with pleasure grounds abounding in noble specimens of Conifers in great 
variety, but in very few instances have I seen places which were not 
lamentably deficient in flowering trees and shrubs. This is to be 
regretted, for however stately and imposing the noble proportions of 
sombre-hued trees may be, we want also some bright cheerful bits of 
colour to relieve the eye, and arouse into enthusiastic admiration those 
natures which are not easily stirred by arboreal beauty alone. There is 
much more interest in pleasure grounds which abound in flowering trees 
and shrubs, as well as gigantic specimens which possess no floral beauty, 
than can be found in gardens which are planted in the style which is so 
common. We have a rich store of plants to select from, and there is 
room for all. By all means let us have grand spreading Cedars, 
picturesque Firs, stately Oaks, and noble Piceas, but their beauty will 
be enhanced by a liberal admixture of flowering trees and shrubs. For 
the greater convenience of all I will divide my subject into three heads, 
viz., Azaleas, Rhododendrons and American plants; evergreen trees and 
shrubs; and deciduous trees and shrubs. 
Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and American Plants. 
It is generally admitted that all plants catalogued under this 
heading succeed best in peat soil, and it is always a safe proceeding 
to plant them in peat, but I know of localities in which they succeed 
admirably in a stiff yellow loam, but it is not wise to plant extensively 
in any soil but peat until it has been clearly ascertained that the plants 
will thrive in other soil that may be at command. Where the expense 
