336 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 17, 1S89. 
some peculiar experience in Worcestershire, where new gardens, 
park, and grounds had been stopped during their formation, 
and while clearing away the work which had been going on fer 
years, we found among quantities of shrubs, heeled in, a number 
of bundles of fruit trees among the trees and shrubs. They had 
been planted somewhere, but injured by sheep, and removed to the 
untoward quarters where we found them. All that seemed worth 
planting were trimmed at the roots, dead branches removed, the 
mutilated stems washed and brushed over with lime. They were 
all standards, Cherries and Apples. They were planted in rich soil 
and mulched. In the course of two years afterwards the decaying 
bark was healed and the trees were in robust health, bearing 
abundantly, and called forth expressions of admiration from the 
late Archdeacon Lea, who was one of the best judges of hardy 
fruits I ever knew. His death we deeply deplore, and will miss 
him as a kind friend who commanded the esteem of all who knew 
him. Many, horticulturists especially, will deeply regret his 
removal and lose his kind sympathy and judicious advice. Many 
singular episodes might be related which occurred in this Worcester¬ 
shire garden while endeavouring to make a good fruit garden, but 
we pass on to our present position, where root lifting and pruning 
is at present going on apace, and can look on trees loaded with 
fruit which were left to go wild for over half a century, and were 
cankered so much that bark and wood were nailed over the 
wounds of some of the old trunks. Even old trees of the character 
indicated are not beyond a remedy, and their recuperative powers 
astonish me.—M. T. 
MALYASTRUM GILLIESI. 
It is well for the future of this little alpine that the evil odour 
which is generally associated with the use of an alias in human life 
does not follow the possession of a synonym in plant life. Were 
such the case the reputation of this little beauty would be hope¬ 
lessly injured, as in addition to the name given above it is generally 
called Modiola geranioides, and at one time rejoiced under the 
name of Malviscum geranioides. I have no knowledge of the 
genesis of any of these names, having received the plant some three 
years ago from a most reliable source as Modiola geranioides, 
which I am bound to say is more euphonious than Malvastrum 
Gilliesi, which I have adopted on the strength of the well-known 
firm from whom I received my plant, and who now catalogue it 
under this title. Less musical this may be, but we may be thankful 
that M. Gilliesi is a native of North America, and not of Central 
Asia, or it might have laboured under some of the “ owsks ” or 
other combinations so frequent in the names of plants received 
through a Russian introducer. 
This is one of the extremely small number of plants belonging 
to the natural order Malvaceae which are worthy of cultivation on 
rockwork. Looking over an extensive catalogue of alpines the 
other day I noted with some surprise that this Malvastrum and 
Callirhoe involucrata were the only plants of this order catalogued. 
It forms a neat, dwarf, slender-looking plant some 4 or 6 inches in 
height, formed of finely cut leaves, bearing some resemblance to 
some of the Geraniums, or to one or two of the scented-leaved 
Pelargoniums. The leaves and stems die in winter, and in early 
summer new ones proceed from the root, which is tuberous, and 
bears a resemblance to a single tuber of a Dahlia. The flowers, 
which are of a beautiful crimson-purple with a fine satiny lustre, 
are about 1 inch across, and are freely produced over the plant on 
short stems raising the erect flowers well above the foliage. 
It grows very freely on a high, dry, sunny part of the rockwork, 
in light, rich, sandy soil, and late in summer sends out runners, 
which will root at every joint. These I take off and insert in pots 
in sandy soil until fully rooted. 
One weak point in M. Gilliesi is that it will not flower unless in 
full sun, and only when the sun shines, the flowers being easily 
destroyed by a heavy shower. 
The summer of 1888 was a most disappointing one in this 
respect, as I had only one fully opened flower. This year, how¬ 
ever, has recompensed me for last year’s non-success, and so lately 
as October 6th I had the pleasure of seeing a flower fully open. 
So far as my experience goes the Malvastrum is perfectly hardy, 
and as it is now moderate in price should be more frequently met 
with.—S. Arnott. 
NOTES ON EARLY ENGLISH HORTICULTURE. 
(Continued from page 109.') 
It does somewhat astonish us to find how slowly that valuable 
esculent the Potato advanced in public favour during the seven¬ 
teenth century. Wits have attributed this to unfortunate methods 
of cooking. Early in the reign of Charles II. a Somersetshire 
gentleman named Buckland called the attention of the Royal 
Society to this vegetable as one likely to furnish a staple article of 
food, and he urged those members who owned land to plant Potatoes 
freely, also to recommend the practice amongst their friends ; but 
little seems to have been done, and Evelyn refused to take the 
matter up—indeed, he subsequently, in his “ Gardeners’ Ivalender,” 
wrote slightingly of the Potato, telling gardeners to plant it in any 
soil, and dig up the tubers about November, when, few or many, 
there would be quite enough. Woolridge, in 1687, suggested that 
Potatoes might be grown in quantities to feed swine or cattle, 
and he adds the statement that some gardeners planted them in 
order to use them for forcing fruits, which seems somewhat 
ambiguous ; but I presume they were allowed to decay, and then 
applied as manure to the roots of trees or plants in the early months 
of the year. That the London gardeners had acquired some skill 
in forcing by the middle of this century appears from an account 
of a banquet given to the king on April 23rd, 1667, when, amongst 
other fruits placed on the table, ripe Cherries and Strawberries are 
specified. From references made by some writers to the use of 
dung in forcing, it seems that about this time the gardeners not 
unfrequently placed manure against a wall of boards, and not 
directly in contact with the plants they wished to force, applying 
side heat to their frames, not bottom heat ; these were often sunk 
deeply in the earth. It is likely that the dishes of early Peas, raised 
at a period when hothouses were certainly unknown, were obtained 
from plants set in pits and covered at night with cloths. 
There was an increased cultivation of the Fig and Orange in the 
reign of Charles II. The fame of the orangeries at Kew, Bedding- 
ton, and elsewhere made the Orange a fashionable tree, and 
numbers of young Oranges were brought over from Italy. These 
were planted in boxes, and placed in a row during the summer 
along the principal avenue of a residence, sometimes alternating 
with Figs similarly planted in boxes. Only two varieties were then 
known, the Black Syrian and the White Marseilles. They were 
also arranged along walls, but the yield of fruit was small. Melons 
were planted freely on the low ground near the Thames in Surrey 
and Middlesex. It is doubtful whether the gardeners succeeded 
with a plant which so much needs warmth. References to “ King ” 
and “ Queen ” Pines occur about this time. These, I think, were 
probably imported. Attempts may have been made to grow the 
plant here, but they hardly obtained fruit till a later period, when 
stoves had been contrived. 
No important additions to the English stock of Apples and 
Pears seem to have signalised the reign of Charles, though what 
was first called Scudamore Crab, and afterwards the Redstreak, 
brought by that nobleman from France before the civil war, and 
for years confined to a few orchards, was distributed over the 
country. The Catherine Pear is said to have been named after 
the queen, a small early ripening sort, still supposed to be in 
existence. It was by the order of this king that lines of Apples 
and Plums were planted round St. James’s Palace, which led many 
of the nobles to follow his example at their residences. A curious 
account is given by an old author of the spring garden at Vauxhall, 
laid out as a public resort, and planned in squares of about 20 yards 
each. As this chronicler notes that in one of these squares he saw 
growing Roses, Beans, and Asparagus, the arrangement then was 
apt to be rather mixed. More important is the fact that there 
were hedges of Gooseberries, so now this shrub has fairly arrived 
south. First cultivated in Lancashire it travelled slowly across 
England, and Ray mentions yellow, blue, white, and green, the 
yellow kind being most esteemed. 
Towards the close of the seventeenth century quite thirty varie¬ 
ties of the Vine are enumerated, but not above a dozen of these 
had any importance. Lord Capel and Sir William Temple imported 
several varieties. The latter is credited with six, named Chasselas, 
Parsley, Frontignac, Amboyne, Burgundy, and Black Muscat. 
But to John Rose, at first gardener to the Duchess of Somerset, 
and afterwards to the king, belongs the credit of having, by his 
“ English Yineyard Vindicated,” published in 1666, encouraged the 
culture of what he styles the “ Prince of Plants,” and which he 
thought was falling into neglect. Also he was a dealer in Vines, 
for his book ends with the statement that “he had a plentiful 
stock of sets and plants of all those sorts which he chiefly recom¬ 
mended.” His instructions are carefully given, and particulars- 
added as to the varieties yielding most fruit, or best adapted for 
wine making. With the next and much advanced generation of 
gardeners Rose is linked by his connection with London, who- 
worked under him when a young man. At the request of Rose he 
was sent to France so that he might inspect the Versailles gardens, 
and some others reputed to be examples of the art of laying out. 
Concerning Rose’s skill in ornamental gardening we get little infor¬ 
mation, we read, however, that his lawns and walks were highly 
commended ; also, it seems, he rather objected to borders, prefer¬ 
ring to cultivate flowers in beds or plots. Rose died in 1677, 
