November 5, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
397 
it to a variety of Floerkeana, Schrad., which is no doubt its right 
place. It seems a variable plant ; in some of the forms the leaves 
deeply and sharply crenated, while in others the crenations are 
hardly distinct, showing how little reliance can he placed on mere 
leaf characters when the plant has a wide distribution. It grows 
2 or 3 inches high, the sturdy scapes supporting two or three fine 
rosy purple flowers, about an inch in diameter. The leaves are 
spathulate, gracefully curved, deeply crenated, and forming a com¬ 
pact little rosette. It grows best in a loose well-drained soil, lime 
predominating, and wedged between pieces of limestone. It likes 
plenty of sun and light. Native of the Tyrol and granitic Alps on 
east and west exposures, flowering in May and June.—D. 
(To be continued.) 
ESTIMATES OF VEGETABLES. 
KIDNEY AND RUNNER BEANS. 
These are of two kinds—viz., the Dwarf or French, and Runners. I 
was told the former did not pay, being next to unsaleable, and that the 
latter would only bring in a plenteous season Is. 6d. per bushel. This I 
thought a poor affair if true, especially as they were quoted at 3d. to 4d. 
retail in the list of Covent Garden Market prices as given in the gardening 
papers, and as I sell wholesale, or rather the Covent Garden salesmen do 
forme, I entered on their cultivation with great misgivings as to the result. 
However, 1 resolved to put matters to the test, finding a season’s experi¬ 
ence of more value than a lifetime of hearsay information. My first con¬ 
signment of French Beans realised Is. per lb. on July 11th ; on the 18th 
the price fell to 6d., 4d. on the 21st, and on August 1st the value per half¬ 
sieve of 16 lbs. had fallen to Is. Scarlet Runners brought Is. Id. per 
half-sieve of 16 lbs. on August 1st, and on August 4th French Beans 
brought 2s. per bushel of 32 lbs. ; and on August 8;h Scarlet Runners sold 
for Is. 6d. per bushel. Between this and autumn the prices fluctuated 
from 3s. to 4s. per bushel; the last sold October 17th, bringing 2s. 61. per 
half-sieve of 16 lbs. 
Then I was told that Runners yielded best when treated as dwarfs— i.e., 
stopped and not staked, which might have been another stumblingblock, 
only I did not care to see it, as I had determined to have half an acre, 
and meant to stake half and stop the others, leaving them all the same 
distance apart, or 5 feet, with a row of French Beans between the rows of 
the Runners intended to be stopped. The results were that the Runners 
pinchei afforded pods fit to gather ten days earlier than those staked, and 
everything looked in their favour, but the staked Runners gave twice as 
many pods row for row as the stopped ones, and the quality was much 
superior. This was only what might have been expected, as the stopping 
concentrated the strength of the plants on the first fruits, and they in 
consequence swelled and came to maturity— i.e., use, ten days in advance 
of those running up stakes, which were making unchecked growth, and 
with a better hold of the soil they were enabled to give a better crop, 
though somewhat later ; but the advantage of earliness in the stopped is 
counterbalanced by their being sooner affected by drought, and in the 
liability to be cut off by the early autumn frosts whilst the staked ones 
escape, consequently affording a much later supply. Our stopped Runners 
were cut by the frosts that occurred at the end. of September, whilst the 
staked rows were not injured and gave Beans fully a fortnight later. 
For early use I find Osborn’s Forcing excellent, but I do not care to 
grow many of it as its pod is small in comparison with those that come in 
a little later, and it is fine appearance with good quality that bring the 
best returns from the salesman. Of Dwarf or French Beans I award the 
palm to Ne Plus Ultra, of dwarf habit, a great cropper, with fine straight 
pods, and good colour. Equally good, but a stronger grower is Negro 
Mammoth Long-podded, a great advance upon the old Negro, having pods 
twice as long and giving qufle as many of them. It is a really good 
variety, and has not the purple tint on its pods to the same extent as the 
old sort. Canadian Wonder also deserves praise in common with the other 
two, and comes in a little later, being stronger in growth thm Negro 
Mammoth, is a very fine-podded variety and heavy cropper. Those three 
I consider the best of the Dwarf Beans. 
Of Runners I find Scarlet Champion a long way ahead of the old 
Scarlet, especially when the plants are given stakes, as its pods are truly 
grand, we having had them 7 inches long, not a few picked pods here and 
there on the rows, but by the bushel. I have no fault, however, to find 
with the old Scarlet, as it crops well and gives useful pods, which fill with 
beans more quickly than Champion, which is a matter of consequence, 
especially in a dry season like the past one, and nothing taking so much 
from the energies of the plants as seed-formation we are pointed to a more 
speedy exhaustion. What of the Giants ? I have only grown Giant 
White, an excellent cropping sort, with long fleshy pods, but I consider 
it tender, and if grown should have stakes. Girtford Giant I have not 
grown, but if it only gives pods 7 inches long in what is it superior to 
Champion ?— Utilitarian. 
STEPHANOTIS AND GARDENIAS. 
I fail to see how Mr. Muir arrives at the conclusion that I regard 
these as the only pretty and good flowers, inasmuch as I mention at 
page 324 some twelve other choice g« nera, exclusive of the two above- 
named, of our best plants for cutting. It would not assist if Mr. Muir 
had known hundreds instead of scores of growers with bitter complaints 
as to the increase of mealy bug in mixed collections after the introduction 
of Gardenias, for I feel sure that many hundreds of gardeners, and nursery¬ 
men too, are compelled to grow both in a collection of other plants, the 
places, either trade or private, where special houses are devoted to them, 
being in the minority. Those healthy Gardenias at Chilwell are associated 
among a great variety of stove plants, which include, if memory serves 
me right, choice Palms in variety, Eucharis Sanderiana, Jasminum gracil- 
limum, various stove bulbous plants, Allamandas, Orchids in variety, and 
many more. Mr. Pearson points to the fact, as also do several corre¬ 
spondents, myself included, that these plants may be grown minus that 
dreaded pest, and cases innumerable have been brought to light where 
once they abounded, but now unknown. Moreover, Mr. Pearson says his 
Gardenias “ have not been washed for years.” I saw these plants a little 
over twelve months ago, and most creditable they were, and if Mr. Muir 
would <nly persevere, he, too, like Mr. Pearson, would be free of these 
plant parasites. 11 Bitter complaints ” will never get mealy bug out of 
plant stoves, but give them a dose or two of pretroleum, examine them 
once a week, and await the result. In the list of substitutes Mr. Muir 
names Bouvardias, which will habour bug as badly as most plants, but it 
must be kept under. Mr. Muir protests against wire for Stephanotis, but 
can he utilise the long delicate tubes of Bouvardia Humboldtii corymbi- 
fl ra without these or similar aids ? if so, I shall be grateful if he will 
inform me. I have grown Bouvardias by thousands, and have cut and 
wired the produce of hundreds of plants. Either for wedding or ordinary 
bouquets, wreath or buttonhole work, artificial stems of some kind must 
be used with many Bouvardias, and other plants too, unless you are 
prepared to sacrifice a quantity of lateral blossoms.—E. Jenkins, 
OUTDOOR PEACHES FROM JULY TO NOVEMBER. 
To many readers the above heading will doubtless appear strange, but 
our experience of the past three years quite justifies the phrase, and as 
the planting season is now at hand a few remarks on the subject may 
possibly be of interest to those of your readers who has not yet dispatched 
their orders for trees. It may be as well to state that this note is applicable 
to the southern counties only, and, further, we do not wish to imply 
that a continuous supply of fruit can be had except where a large collection 
of variet’es and a good number of trees are grown, these being on the three 
different aspects of south, east, and west. Even under these conditions 
there may occasionally be a break of a few days. In our own case, how¬ 
ever, we have this season only experienced two—viz., the second week in 
August, and the third week in October. 
Taking the varieties in the order of ripening, we have first Alexander, 
a really high-class early variety, and of which we gathered our first ripe 
fruit this year on July 20th ; for flavour, colour, an! size it is superior to 
any other early sort with which 1 am acquainted, and in my opinion is 
destined to become very popular when better known. It is said to have 
been raised and sent to this country by our American cousins; it would 
be interesting to learn its parentage. 
Early Beatrice is a few days later than the preceding, still it is a very 
useful Peach and well worth growing ; its chief defect is its being small, 
and when fully ripe very thin-skinned and easily bruised — not very 
great faults certainly. 
Early Louise is very similar to the last named, but by many considered 
to be the better of the two ; fruit medium size, highly coloured, and of 
good flavour. 
Early Rivers, fair-sized fruit, pale straw colour, but in my opinion not 
worth growing owing to its cracking or splitting propensity. 
Early York, until recent years first favourite amongst early Peaches, 
ripens in August, and too well known to need any lengthened comment. 
Suffice it to say that no collection is complete without it. This brings us 
to the end of |our list of the early-fruiting varieties, andjl would certainly 
advise the planting of at least one tree of etch on an east or west wall to 
prolong their duration of fruiting. 
Royal George still holds its own, and is a very reliable free-fruiting 
mid-season Peach largely grown in most districts; with us, however, it 
it perhaps more susceptible to mildew than any other variety. 
George IV. is nearly lost to cultivation, but it is difficult to say why, as 
it possesses real merit, being strong-constitutioned, a free bearer, of good 
flavour and colour, and large size. The oldest Peach tree ip our collection 
is of this variety, and our wall man John, who has been here many years, 
says that he has never known it fail to give a good crop. 
Dr. Hogg, a large handsome Peach, is well worth growing if only for 
appearance, ripens towards the end of August or beginning of September, 
and of very fair flavour. 
Noblesse is an excellent high-class variety that should find a place in 
all collections ; if has also the additional merit of being very hardy and. a 
good grower, but does not at all times set freely. 
Barrington may invariably be depended upon to give a good crop; 
fruit large and quality first-rate ; all points considered it may be regarded 
as one of the best of our mid-season Peaches. 
Sea Eagle.—Within the past few years this variety has been brought 
prominently before fruit-growers through the horticultural press, and in 
my opinion deservedly so ; indeed, if I were compelled to grow one late 
variety only it would be Sea Eagle. The fruit grows to a good- size, 
averaging about 10 ozs. when n >t overcropped, highly coloured on the 
sunny side, of excellent flavour, strong constitution, and free bearer; & 
character honestly given, and which ought to satisfy the most fastidious 
of specialists. Duration of ripe fruit this season from September 18th to 
October 12th. 
Walburton Admirable is in all respects a high-class Peach, being of 
large size, highly coloured, and good flavour. In some localities it is 
