344 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND C011AGE GARDENER. 
[ October 15, 1885. 
Calanthes, Euphorbias, and Poinsettias. It would be difficult to find a 
place where Poinsettias are better grown than they are at Ingestre. Toe 
low houses devoted to Gardenias are filled with the customary clean and 
healthy stock, and Ficus repens growing from the rafters of the fernery 
gives a charm to what would otherwise be an ordinary lean-to house, but 
which contains fine specimens and half-specimens of the usual cultivated 
Ferns. The Melon house was filled with beautifully netted and tempting 
fruit, the principal varieties being Bellmore Hybrid, Hero of Lockinge, 
and Eastnor Castle. An adjoining house was filled with Tomatoes bear¬ 
ing a heavy crop. The late varieties were filled with finely grown and 
finished fruit, Muscat", Alicantes, White Tokay, Hamburghs, and Gros 
Guillanme in particular. The Peach houses were nearly cleared of their 
fruit—and such fruit 1—Salwey alone remaining. The trees promise 
to do as well in the future as in the past, and that is not saying a little as 
to their condition. 
In the large conservatory the specimen Camellias are showing abun¬ 
dance of bloom, and the fine Dicksonias are in the rude3t of health. 
There is a good specimen of Grevillea robusta, which reminds me that 
this elegant and easily grown plant is not si often seen as it deserves 
to be. Flower gardening, in the general interpretation of the phrase, is 
in abeyance at present owing to the building operations at the Hall, but 
the surrounding pleasure grounds are as orderly and well kept as though 
the family were in residence. In the frame ground were some grand 
Chrysanthemums for decorative purposes ; they were sturdy bushy plants, 
clean and well set with buds. By the side of the kitchen garden walks 
were several thousands of Strawberries in pots with thick, dark, and 
massive foliage and plump crowns, which promise to bring forth 
abundantly in due season. In one quarter of the garden was a splendid 
and regular crop of Brussels Sprouts. Mr. Gilman pins his faith to the 
old imported when it can be obtained true. Carrots were clean and 
abundant, as were all other vegetables. Hardy fruits of all kinds were 
plentiful. The walls of Mr. Gilman’s cottage were covered by bright 
red clusters of Crataegus pyracantha, which are netted to preserve them 
from the birds, and are used in winter for decoration.—J. U. S. 
FRUITS IN 1885. 
The season of 1885, speaking generally, is one of the best I ever 
remember, and, with but few exceptions, the majority of fruit trees 
have borne abundantly. Gooseberries were a good crop. There was 
a very heavy crop of Black, White, and Red Currants, and the fruit 
was of good quality, especially from young trees six and seven years 
old. Anyone having old stools of Black and Red Currants may mark 
a great difference in the quality of the bunches of fruit, as from a 
young plantation it is much superior, and, what is of equal importance, 
requires much less time to pick. The present is a good time to insert 
cutting3 of Gooseberries or Currants or to buy young trees from the 
nurseries. A good dressing of decayed manure should be dug into 
the land previous to planting, and if possible choose a dry day. A 
good distance for the permanent rows is 6 feet apart, and the bushes 
4 feet asunder. 
Raspberries were plentiful, but Strawberries with me this year 
were a failure, particularly those on the south borders. The only 
crop I had worth speaking of was on the north border, where the soil 
was heavy and cool. 
Plums have borne abundantly. Early Prolific, Victoria, Orleans, 
Mussel, Kirke’s, Green Gage, Reine Claude Violette, Jefferson's, 
Coe’s Golden Drop, Mitchelsou’s, and the Red and Yellow Magnum 
Bonum have all had heavy crops. I never remember to have seen the 
^ ictoria so good as it has been this year. Of Damsons I have only 
few trees, but the Prune Damson is particularly good. There is a 
Plum in this neighbourhood ripening about the first and second week 
in August that has done well this year. The cottagers know no other 
name for it than the “ Wheaten ’ Plum ; that is the name it has been 
known by within the memory of the oldest inhabitant, and is so 
called because it ripens about the same time as the Wheat. I have 
not seen its name in any trade catalogue, but it is an excellent Plum 
for preserves, resembling the Green Gage in flavour, and usually 
realises a good price in the market. It is quite green when ripe, of 
medium size, oval shape, and easily falls when ripe, so it should always 
be planted in an orchard with grass beneath to keep the fruit clean. 
All the trees I have seen have been so planted, as they find that much 
the easiest way to gather the fruit is to shake the trees and pick it up 
from the ground. It is propagated by suckers, and when about 
6 feet high it bears fruit, never growing to a very great height. In 
some cases I have seen the suckers thinned out and left about 6 feet 
apart to form trees, cutting the old ones down when exhausted. 
Old orchard trees of Apples in most cases have heavy crops of 
fruit. One of the very best for culinary purposes that rarely fails is 
Keswick Codlin. It has been in use from the end of July till the 
present time, October 1st. It is very prolific. One unpruned standard 
has had ten bushels of fruit picked from it. King of the Pippins 
also bears abundantly and seldom fails. Ribston Pippins are a good 
crop this year. Other varieties that are bearing well are Potts’ Seed¬ 
ling, Striped Beefing, two very large varieties, as pruned bushes ; 
Nonesuch, Borovitzki, Hawthornden, Nonpareil, Adam’s Pearmain, 
Minchall Crab, Dumelow’s Seedling, Leydon Pippin, and Baldwin, 
the three latter being excellent keeping varieties. Some others have 
only partial crops, but those named are established and in full 
bearing. 
Pears appear to be plentiful this year, and in most cases of good 
quality. More sunshine, however, is needed to finish off some of the 
late varieties. The first with me to ripen was Doyennh d’Ete, a 
good early Pear for the end of July. Next came the Lammas, only 
second-rate, then Beurrd Gifford and Jargonelle. Williams’ Bon 
Chretien followed next. This fine variety wants very little praise. 
Several trees of it should be planted in different positions in the 
garden to make its season last as long as possible. Orange Bergamot, 
a very old variety, is now in use and of good quality. It does well 
as an orchard standard. Louise Bonne of Jersey, Crasanne, Duchesse 
d’Angouleme, Forelle, or Trout Pear, very handsome ; Beurre Diel, 
Beurre Superfin, Beurre Ranee, Chaumontel, St. Germain, Catillac, 
and a few others unknown by name to me are all bearing heavily. 
Apricots were a good crop and required thinning ; Moorpark was 
first-rate. Peaches and Nectarines bloomed well, but the east wind 
in the spring crippled the trees so much that there has been only a 
Fig. 54.—Miltonia cuneata. 
second-rate crop of fruit. Cherries, especially Morellos on a north 
aspect, were plentiful. Old orchard trees of Elton, Dukes, and 
Black Hearts in the neighbourhood had good crops of fruit.—A. 
Harding, Orton Hall Gardens, Hunts. 
MILTONIA CUNEATA. 
The Miltonias constitute a genus of handsome Orchids. The name 
was given in honour of Earl Fitzwilliam, who was an ardent admirer of 
plants of this nature. They are mostly natives of Brazil, and conse¬ 
quently require a warm stove temperature, especially during the season 
of growth. If given heat and a moist atmosphere few Orchids grow 
more freely or flower more profusely, and their richly coloured flowers are 
admirable for cutting and the furnishing of vases. 
The plants will grow either in baskets or in pots; if in the latter it 
is necessary that they be potted very high—that is, the pots should be 
nearly filled with crocks ; and the material, very fibrous peat, sphagnum, 
and charcoal, should be made to torm a cone above the rim of the pot. 
The creeping stems from which the pseudo-bulbs grow should be pegged 
to the surface of the compost with small hooked pegs, and with goo 
cultivation the plants will increase in size rapidly. If grown in baskets 
the plants require much the same treatment as S .anhopeas as to heat 
