December 19,18S9. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
525 
fore in planting endeavour to provide for keeping the roots near 
the surface, where they will feel the warmth of the sun—then, 
-other things being equal, the wood and buds are sure to ripen, and 
fruit will follow. 
To be successful in the cultivation of choice fruit on heavy clay 
soil we must have the roots completely under control, and provision 
must be made for preventing the border from become water¬ 
logged, even through the wettest seasons. The mechanical con¬ 
ditions of a fruit border, whether indoors or out, is of the greatest 
importance, for if we can get a border thoroughly permeated with 
healthy fibrous roots the necessary chemicals can be easily 
supplied, either by natural or artificial manures ; indeed, there are 
hundreds of barren fruit trees —not because they are growing in a 
poor soil, but because its mechanical condition prevents the trees 
from making anything but strong fibreless roots, consequently only 
sappy unfruitful shoots are produced. 
It is not always a gardener’s fault that the fruit trees under his 
charge are unfruitful, for he is frequently debarred for want of 
means and material from making the thorough preparations that 
his experience has taught him are essential to success. Garden 
proprietors will sometimes build walls at a great expense, but if a 
gardener asks to have a narrow border enclosed, so as to have the 
roots of his trees completely under control, he is often considered 
overreaching or putting the proprietor to unnecessary expense ; 
hence he is obliged to plant his trees under conditions that can only 
bring him partial success. It is far better to prevent growth that 
is not wanted than to have to resort to the baneful practice of 
cutting out a quantity of shoots every year to keep the trees 
within bounds. We are well aware that judicious root-pruning 
uvill do much towards checking wasteful growth and promoting 
fruitfulness, but as prevention is better than cure, fruit trees that 
have to submit to any formal training should only have a limited 
root-space. This would prevent strong useless growth and induce 
fruitfulness. A shallow well-drained border, with some means of 
keeping the roots in it, is simply imperative on a heavy cold clay 
for the successful cultivation of all choice fruit. It would be 
difficult to estimate the quantity and value of manure and manure 
water that is annually wasted about the roots of fruit trees, 
because they are completely beyond the reach of it. First-class 
fruit that will ripen even in dull seasons is not produced after this 
fashion. Cultivators of such fruit know where t ■> find the roots of 
their trees. They are, therefore, rewarded for the rich top-dressing 
•and liquid manure that they annually give them.—J. H. W., 
Leicester. 
AURICULAS SIXTY YEARS AGO. 
I have been looking over the “ Florists’ Guide and Cultivators’ 
.Directory, containing Coloured Plates of the Choicest Flowers 
Cultivated by Florists, with their Descriptions and an Account of 
-the Most Improved Methods of Culture,” by Robert Sweet, F.L.S., 
published by James Ridgway, Piccadilly, 1827 to 1829. To me 
•this old volume is of intense interest, as some beautiful and truth¬ 
ful coloured plates of the leading varieties of Auriculas, Tulips, 
■Carnations and Picotees, Ranunculuses, and other flowers are 
given, a Mr. E. D. Smith the artist, the illustrations being so true 
to Nature, and the colours still so good ; in fact, it is a happy 
reminder of old days and old favourites, and growers long since 
-gone from us. 
Sixteen leading varieties of Auriculas of those days are illus¬ 
trated and botanically described. These are Page’s Duchess of 
Oldenburgh; Taylor’s Glory in those days and for long after re¬ 
garded as a glorious white edge, and still in Mr. Charles Turner’s 
catalogue at 5s. ; Stretch’s Alexander, black velvety body colours 
.and fine green edge, and described as being figured from a plant in 
•the collection of J. Goldham, Esq., a name remembered by many 
an old florist as a cultivator of Tulips, Auriculas, and other florists’ 
flowers, a long number of years since ; Page’s Champion, then a 
very beautiful green-edged, grown for a long period of years, and 
I believe still in some collections. The Editor remarks of this 
flower : “ Our drawing was made from a plant in the collection of 
Mr. W. Smith, at Willow Walk, Bermondsey, from a plant that 
gained the first prize at the Hammersmith Show in April last 
^1826),” and further states, “It is one of the first-rate flowers 
when well blown, and is entitled to a place in all collections, but 
it requires particular care to keep it in good health, as it is not so 
free of growth as some varieties.” Hedges’ Britannia, another 
grey-edged variety, is figured, and it is stated that in Mr. Hogg’s 
-catalogue of that period the price was 20s. per plant. In Mr. 
Dannell's catalogue for 1881 this variety is named at 2s. 6d. as 
Britannia (Edge). It should be Hedges, as we well remember the 
variety ; and in Cannell’s subsequent lists it appears as Britannia 
-(Smith’s), and it is called “ Smith’s ” in Mr. Turner’s catalogue. 
I presume that at some time or other Smith’s name was adopted, 
as in the book I am referring to it is stated that, “ Our drawing 
was made in April last from a plant in the collection of Mr. W. 
Smith, Bermondsey,” who seems to have been a celebrated grower. 
Grimes’ Privateer, grey edged, is figured from a plant growing 
in Mr. Davy’s nursery in the King’s Road, Chelsea, London. Mr. 
Davy was a well known nurseryman in those days, and many an 
“ old hand ” will remember the old Pelargonium Davyanum, which 
made a sensation in those days. Grimes’ Privateer still appears in 
Mr. Turner’s catalogue at 3s. Gd each. Cockup’s Eclipse was for 
a long number of years held in great estimation, a fine green edged, 
and it still finds a place in Mr. Turner’s catalogue, but it should be 
known as Cockup’s, not “ Cocup.” Pollet’s Highland Boy was a 
popular flower, so also was Mare’s Navarino, a flower in which the 
green edge was very prominent. Another illustration is that of an 
old white-edged flower, Wild’s Black and Clear, very distinct in its 
markings and colours, and taken from a plant in Mr. Hogg's 
celebrated Paddington Green collection : Redman’s Metropolitan, 
a shaded self or Alpine, fetching in those days 7s. 6d. each. 
Smith’s Waterloo, a large, bold, green edged, was much esteemed 
then, the selling price being 15s. to 203. per plant, but I think this 
variety has passed out of cultivation. Lawrie’s Glory of Cheshunt 
was in those days a very fine variety, and described as such in 
Hogg’s catalogue and priced at 15s. to 20s. each. Howe’s Yenus 
is figured and described as a shaded Alpine. Booth’s Freedom, for 
many years a very fine variety, is also illustrated, and the selling 
price 20s. to 25s. a plant. It is not improbable that this old 
variety still exists in some collections. Lawrie’s Hertfordshire 
Hero, another large green edged variety’, is also figured. With 
two or three exceptions these varieties formed part of a large col¬ 
lection of all the leading varieties in cultivation, which were under 
my charge close upon fifty years since, and the following varieties 
that we grew then are still to be found in Turner’s and Canned s 
catalogues—namely, Waterhouse’s Conqueror of Europe ; Chap¬ 
man’s Maria and Sophia; Fletcher’s Mary Ann and Ne Plus Ultra ; 
Trail’s Beauty, I think ; Kenyon’s Ringleader; Lee’s Bright 
Yenus ; Taylor’s Ploughboy ; Heap’s Smiling Beauty ; Hepworth s 
True Briton ; Litton’s Imperator ; Oliver’s Lady Ann Wilbraham 
and Lovely Ann ; Dickson’s Prince Albert; Smith’s General Bolivar; 
and last, but by no means least, old Summerscales’ Catharina, 
raised near Halifax in Yorkshire. I think we grew all these in 
our collection, at all events their names are very familiar to me, 
but I am trusting entirely to memory, as I have no notes by me of 
so far back. 
We grew Auriculas then in span-roof pits, the brickwork 
about 2 feet high, and filled nearly to the top with rough ashe=°, one 
side of the span with glass lights, the other with shutters ; the 
latter on the north side in winter, and used for shading on the 
south side in the spring and summer, plenty of air generally, and 
not grown in too large pots, and potted firmly. The soil, good 
loam, decayed cowdung, a little leaf soil and some sand. No cod¬ 
dling, but just good attention in watering, ventilation, and the 
removal of any decaying leaves or growths. Mr. Sweet, the author 
of “The Florist’s Guide and Cultivator’s Directory,” I have before 
referred to, writing in 1827 to 1829, gives the following instructions 
as to culture :—“Wethink there can be no doubt but a mixture of 
nearly one-half of fresh light loam, chopped up small, and mixed 
with fine white sand and rotten dung in equal proportions, would 
answer just as well as all the compositions recommended (by others). 
The dung we would advise to be spread out then to sweeten it 
with the air, to keep the soil light, so that the roots may find their 
way through it with ease. Another thing of consequence to the 
health of the plants is to have the pots well drained, that the water 
may pass away readily.” 
In another old book, “ Maddock’s Florists’ Directory, by James 
Maddock, florist, an edition published in 1822, edited by gamUel 
Curtis, the following compost for Auriculas is recommended 
“ One-half rotten dung two years old, one-sixth fresh sound earth 
of an open texture, one-eighth earth of rotten leaves, one-twelfth 
coarse or river sand, one-twenty-fourth peaty or mossy earth, one- 
twenty-fourth ashes of burnt vegetables and the author goes on 
to render this complicated arrangement of soil mote complicated 
still by various other instructions, which in these days would 
frighten many a beginner.—W. D. 
YELLOW TOMATOES. 
Varieties of Tomatoes that produce yellow fiuits do not as 
yet appear to have gained much ground in the estimation of the 
Tomato loving section of our countrymen, but unless I am much 
mistaken the prejudice against them is in a fair way to be dispel e . 
For many years Carter’s Greengage and the Large 1 ellow were 
the only two. The former with me has always proved somewhat 
too robust and shy bearing under glass, but it succeeds bettei in the 
