December 24, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
545 
appearance directly I stopped the water supply. For the first time 
Tomato growing was a failure. Next year I tried the planting out 
system ; again failure was the result. 
In the beginning of this year I thought failure the third time would 
never do. I must return to my first plan. So I started very carefully 
with four sorts—viz., Sutton’s Earliest of All, which I find very much 
like the old Large Red, Hathaway’s Excelsior, Dedham Favourite, and a 
very fine variety I had from Winslade. Instead of one row of plants 
in each bed I planted two, taking care to plant the bed the north side 
of the house first, so that the plants gained the full light from the south 
side. Afterwards I planted, or rather plunged, the pots on the south 
■side of the house, taking care not to let the plants starve before 
plunging. The thought ot the dreadful Tomato disease came over me, 
so I determined to be very careful in airing. In fact, I left the venti¬ 
lator open day and night; at night about half an inch at top and the 
same at the sides, so that the air was kept fresh and moving. The 
plants started capitally, and began to set freely at the base of the plants ; 
when the fruit get the size of marbles I began to feed and water freely. 
I also top-dressed to make the soil level between ridge and ridge. The 
first manuring I gave was one of native guano, which I scattered plenti¬ 
fully between the plants ; then with the hose I gave them a perfect 
deluge of water. The next time I used Thomson’s Vine manure, well 
drenching it in. The third and last manure I used was Peruvian guano, 
which I sprinkled about in the same manner as the other manures, but 
taking the precaution to have the hose running at the same time to 
prevent the guano burning the roots, which were by this time running 
luxuriantly. A friend coming in at the time exclaimed that I had 
ruined the house of plants, as all the roots must perish. Result—a better 
house of Tomatoes I never saw, and all free from disease. 
Otkn-air Cultivation. 
My experience in open-air culture has not been great. Several years 
I planted out, but I think owing to the lightness of our soil I could do 
nothing with them. This year, for the first time, I tried plunging out 
in pots. The result was that I cut from the open by the middle of 
August and have had a succession till October, not cutting a single 
Tomato to ripen in heat, as many have done this sunless summer. I 
give an extract from a correspondent at Manchester. He says, “ Living 
not very far from Manchester, I cannot boast of having the largest share 
of sunny days, but for fog and smoke I believe we can vie with any 
district in the kingdom. Nevertheless, I generally succeed in getting a 
good supply of Tomatoes well ripened before autumn frost sets in. I 
propagate by cuttings, putting them in about the beginning of Septem¬ 
ber, and propagating from them in the following spring. In this way 
plants bear and ripen sooner than those produced from seed. Now, my 
experience of plunging in pots is that I get the same result as propa¬ 
gating from cuttings. The great difficulty we have now in keeping 
cuttiDgs through the winter is the disease. 
Diseases of the Tomato. 
The most common is the Cladosporium, which affects the leaves. 
Its first appearance is marked by whitish, woolly patches on the under¬ 
side of the leaves, which rapidly increase in size and nirmber, at the 
same time deepening in colour till they are of a dark brown. Another 
disease—cladosporium lycopersicum—unlike the other form, attacks the 
fruit. Black spots are observed where a clean eye should exist. It 
rapidly spreads, and, by the time the fruit is ripe, it has become a mass 
of decay of a jet-black colour. I have never seen this disease in plants 
grown under glass. I had a few fruits attacked with it towards the 
latter part of the season in the open. Dactylium roseum appears in the 
form of a rose-coloured mildew upon the foliage. Though, fortunately, 
not very common, it is a most deadly disease, affecting plants in the open 
as well as under glass. Peronospora infestans is identical with the 
ordinary Potato disease ; it attacks the Tomato both in the open air and 
under glass. It first appears in the stems and foliage, and in severe 
cases spreads to the roots, in which case the plant speedily dies. It is 
identified by the peculiar odour that is noticeable in a field of diseased 
Potatoes. A positive remedy for Peronospora is said to have been found 
in sulphate of copper, the Inspector General of Agriculture to the 
French Institute having recently reported that he had found a solution 
of six parts each of the sulphate and of lime in a hundred parts of 
water, the plants to be thoroughly syringed with the liquid twice or 
thrice in succession, watering at the same time with a solution of 
sulphate and ammonia and a little soot to enable the plants to grow out 
of the disease. My advice is, “ Prevention is better than cure.” Keep 
the plants in a perfect state of health by carefully looking after the 
airing and watering. Wherever the shutting up system is practised then 
•the disease is invariably present, and since I have left the ventilators 
open a little night and day I have had no disease. 
I think the only insect which attacks the Tomato may be said to be 
the aphis, or black or green fly, which may be dealt with by fumigation, 
or syringed with tobacco water. If red spider or thrips occur, it is in 
consequence of gross neglect. 
Varieties. 
The following I believe to be the best at present in cultivation : — 
Perfection for its solidity, Hathaway’s Excelsior for sure-setting 
properties, Dedham Favourite for its handsome shape, King Humbert 
because it does well in the open air, Hackwood Park, the old Large Red, 
a sure and abundant cropper, and for a pretty yellow variety Golden 
Sunrise. Flying Dutchman, a new variety, sent out by Messrs. Veitch 
of Exeter is highly spoken of both for its fine flavour and free setting 
qualities. Surprise, I have no doubt, will be caused by my leaving out 
Ham Green Favourite, but as I have not given it a fair trial I do not feel 
qualified to speak for or against it. From what I have seen of the fruit 
I should think it is of great merit. You will see by the plan that the 
house I grow Tomatoes in has not a long rafter, about 8 feet, I believe. 
It is necessary that the plants fruit low. By plunging in pots the 
plants are stopped from making that over-vigorous growth, and by the 
time the plants require more nourishment than they get from the soil 
in the pots, roots are parted from the stem above the pots, top-dressings 
of loam are given, and a good crop of fruit is secured from the base to 
the top of the plant. Mr. Bartlett was telling me he had been speaking 
to a gentleman who had seen Tomatoes grown largely in Spain. He 
says they are planted in trenches and flooded with water ; and as it is 
a native of the seashore, I feel sure that plenty of water is one of the 
most essential elements for the Tomato. 
In the discussion which followed, Mr. Lansdale said he had tried a 
good many varieties of Tomatoes for outdoor growing but had always 
found the best to be The Challenger. Mr. G. C. Crabbe (Prospect 
Park) endorsed Mr. Lansdale’s remarks as to The Challenger variety. 
He said his first experience with this variety was when he had some, 
which were dead ripe, sent to him from his home in the eastern counties 
early in the second week in September. He thought that this showed 
that they were a good variety. Mr. Ebbutt (Winslade Gardens) said 
whatever variety of Tomato they grew the principal thing they would 
want was a firm solid loam to grow them in. With regard to disease he 
said he believed it generally came from indifferent management. As to 
water and temperature, he believed they could deluge Tomatoes and get 
fine fruit as long as they had good firm soil to start with. The temperature 
should not be less than 50°, and should be between that and 60°. Mr. 
A. George (of Heavitree, and late of Bicton Gardens), said by growing 
the plants in 10-inch pots and placing these on a hard surface they 
would get sure growth. 
Mr. P. C. M. Yeitch, Royal Nurseries, spoke as to the cultivation of 
outdoor Tomatoes. He had had experience in the Humbert variety. 
His method was to pot them hard in outdoor frames, and when they 
were set to plant them out in nothing but loam. This resulted in an 
extraordinary crop. There was not a sign of disease, he believed simply 
because the plants had no manure whatever about them. He thought 
under this system of growing the plants were very much less liable to 
disease out of doors. With regard to disease indoors, a good many had 
said it was due to stagnant air, and this was no doubt so to a certain 
extent ; but he thought disease was also in a good many cases due to 
alternative temperatures at the roots. He had read of a method of 
curing Tomato disease. This consisted in putting the diseased plants 
into a temperature of over 80°. Mr. Hope said he had not heard anyone 
say whether one variety was subject to the disease more than another. As 
Potato varieties were thus subject, he thought it possible that the 
Tomato might be. Mr. Hope referred to the Old Red Tomato, and re¬ 
marked that it was unfortunate that there was a prejudice against 
it among fruiterers, on account of its corrugated form, as it was one of 
the best varieties. The yellow Tomato was also one against which he 
believed there was a prejudice, but it was also a very good variety. Mr. 
Locke said he had heard that some people had altogether cured indi¬ 
gestion by eating the fruit. The mee’ing closed with vote of thanks to 
Mr. Rowland for his lecture, and to Mr, Powell for presiding. 
BLACKLOW HOUSE, ROBY, LIVERPOOL. 
There are many places round about Liverpool of great interest to 
the lover of horticulture, and on the occasion of a recent visit I had the 
privilege of visiting the gardens attached to Blacklow House, Roby, the 
residence of Edward Banner, Esq., and of making the acquaintance of 
the able gardener, Mr. R. Pinnington, who is a frequent contributor to 
the pages of the Journal. 
A short run from Lime Street brought me to Roby station, and a 
few minutes’ walk to the entrance to Blacklow House, and I at once saw 
that, although not extensive, the grounds and gardens had been laid out 
with great taste, and that every care was taken that they should be 
maintained in the best of condition. Near the entrance gate is one of 
the features of the grounds—a small but beautifully planned pond, 
spanned by a pretty rustic bridge and surrounded with rockeries filled 
with hardy Ferns and with walks spanned by arches of old-fashioned 
Roses, than which there is nothing better adapted for such a purpose. 
The pond and its surroundings formed a charming spot, and one which 
it was hardly to be expected would be found in such a place. Not the 
least of its charms was that it was so naturally constructed that it 
seemed as if Mr. Banner, when the house was erected nearly forty years 
ago, had chosen some natural pond and planted his house close by. It 
is not so, however, but the pond and a considerable portion of the 
ground adjoining was a marsh, and part was formed into a pond and the 
remainder reclaimed, thus making what would have been both unsightly 
and unhealthy into a thing of beauty. This art, which will not obtrude 
itself, is what should be aimed at in all such arrangements. 
Passing on we come to one of the lawns in front of the house, where 
one of the first things which attracted my attention was one of the 
arrangements which are so natural and so beautiful that we are led to 
wonder we had not thought of it before—a bed of Roses carpeted with 
Musk. The bed is in a conspicuous position, and the “ happy thought ” 
which carpeted the bare earth beneath the Roses with a plant so neat 
in habit, pretty when in flower, and with so exquisite a perfume 
