Jnne S, im ] 
JOURN-AL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
469 
healthy in leaf and bulb, and as floriferous as the most exacting culti¬ 
vator could desire, absolutely free from disease and insect. 
This by the way, the special object of my visit was to inspect the 
Calceolarias, and well worthy were they of a journey to see. I have 
seen some thousands of amateurs’ gardens in all parts of Great Britain, 
and Calceolarias in a good proportion of these, but I do not remember 
■ever seeing plants to surpass in healthfulness, in number, size, and 
form of flowers, those grown at Homewood, The seed was last year 
selected from a few chosen plants, and the results this season prove 
that the selection was a judicious one, while with a continuance of 
attention a “ strain ” will be formed equal to some of the most cele¬ 
brated. Much depends upon a good start in everything, and it is 
evident that at Homewood a capital start has been made with 
Calceolarias. 
But there are many points of interest that might be dilated upon, 
rot the least of which are the Roses in pots, among them being the 
■wonderful Mar6chal Niel cuttings, of which a note was published in 
this Journal recently. All the other Roses are, however, notable for 
their clean healthy condition and abundant flowers, which will soon be 
eucceeded by the plentiful stock of vigorous plants out of doors, for 
Roses are great favourites with Mr. Bullivant and his family. Straw¬ 
berries, too, are forced very successfully, and one remarkable fruit was 
obtained this year weighing 3 ozs., and formed a considerable item in the 
■dessert. Altogether there is a very agreeable atmosphere at Homewood, 
and it is especially pleasant to witness the feeling existing between 
in.aster and gardener, the latter studying his employer’s wishes in every 
detail, and the former endeavouring with the utmost cordiality to 
encourage a young and skilful man to advance in his calling.— 
Visitor. 
FRUIT FROM THE CAPE. 
Having seen in the Journal (page 415) some remarks on fruit from 
the Cape by “ .J. T.,” I enclose the Annual Report of the Cape Agri¬ 
cultural Society, from which you can publish an extract if you think it 
desirable.—J. Willard. 
“According to the promise made by Sir Donald Currie to a deputation 
from the Cape Agricultural Society, the R.M.S. ‘ Grantully Castle ’ was 
fitted with a cool chamber for experiment consignments of fruit to 
England. Valuable prizes were offered by this Society for competition 
In Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Apples, &c.; few exhibits, however, were 
received. The fruit was dispatched on 13th February last in the above- 
named vessel, consigned to M. J. Willard, an active member of the 
Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, who gave the 
following report on the condition of the fruit when received 
“ Holly Lodge Garden, Highgate, London, N. 
“ Dear Sir,—Your two letters came duly to hand. I called at Messrs. 
Silberrad’s, Crutched Friars, and left instructions for the cases to be 
sent on to me as soon as possible after landing. They accordingly came 
on Wednesday, March 6th, with the exception of No. 7 case. Messrs. 
Silberrad wrote to me to say that inquiries should be made about it, 
and that it should follow ; it came on March 9th, Sunday. I opened it 
at once, and regret to say every Pear was quite rotten; it had the 
appearance of having been opened and repacked ; it was not full, and 
the Pears were packed in hay. It appears the owners of the steamer 
bad some cases as presents, and this was taken by mistake with them. 
Now I will deal with the worst cases first. All three boxes of Melons 
were bad, with the exception of one fruit in No. 5. It was a good- 
looking fruit netted, but not much ribbed, and I should think as small 
as any of them ; but as most of them were quite rotten I could hardly 
tell what they were like. The decay of the Melons had made room for 
the Pears to knock about, and they had got mixed up with the pieces of 
the decaying Melons, so that they were partly spoiled. The flattish 
ones with the long stem are very good, but the larger and better looking 
is almost tasteless. So different are they in appearance from our Pears 
that I omit any name as to sort, but rather depend on describing each 
as near as I can, and this applies also to the Grapes. Box No. 3 of the 
Grap^ is the best; both have a Muscat flavour—that is, the dark and 
the light, I should think, if not the same, are very near the Muscat of 
Alexandria. No. 2 the next best, and No. 1 not so good as the others 
in any way. In my opinion they should be ripe or very near so before 
packing, the green ones being sour. But to send Grapes to be accept¬ 
able in Covent Garden you would have to dispense with cork packing 
and tissue paper. By the time the cork is separated from the bunches 
the Grapes have a very uninviting appearance, and would fetch next to 
nothing in the market. I took some to a fruiterer in Covent Garden 
market, and this is his opinion. Could they not be put in shallow 
boxes, say two layers deep, without any packing material beyond a 
piece of stiff paper under and on the top, or say a little straight straw 
under, then a layer, a little more straight clean straw, another layer, 
and straw on top ? As you know, filling a box is not packing ; they re¬ 
quire to be built in as tightly as possible without crushing. If some 
means could be found to send them clean and fairly ripe, then I think 
they might sell fairly well at this season ; but in England now glass 
houses have been built on a large scale, and I don’t think Grapes were 
«ver so cheap before at this season. Just a word as to Pears. In my 
opinion the early sorts, such as Williams’ Bon Chretien, will never pay 
to send ; they are soon over. The later sorts, as Easter Beurr6 and 
Glou Mor^eau, last much longer in condition, and would from now 
onward fecch a good price, as Pears are now getting scarce in the 
market, our English being about over. Good dessert Apples also would 
sell, but the packing is the great point—paper somewhat stiff is better 
than soft. I have to-day sent some of the best Grapes to Mr. Barron, 
Superintendent, Royal Horticultural Gardens, Chiswick, and asked him 
to write me his opinion, which, if I get it, will enclose with this. After 
all the trouble your Society has taken I feel anxious to do all I can and 
to put the matter in fairest light possible. Appearance is the first con¬ 
sideration, then flavour, for the London market. Large quantities of 
Grapes are now grown in the Channel Islands for the early market. 
These begin to come into the market in May. 
“ Enclosed I send Mr. Barron’s letter just received. I may say that 
I cut the decayed berries out of the bunches sent to him. In other 
respects I put them in the cork packing as received, and may add that I 
have known Grapes packed in bran, but they were wrapped in paper 
first, so that the bran did not get amongst the berries. If you could 
send to England such Grapes as were packed in No. 3 case at this 
season of the year it is worth another trial, and I would advise sending 
either without or with as little packing as possible, and if you could 
consign them to some house in Covent Garden no doubt they would 
suggest the best mode of packing, &c., as they are constantly receiving 
frnit from abroad. And now I think I have written you in full, but if 
in the meantime I can learn anything as to the best plan of packing for 
long distance I will forward such to you on some future occasion.— 
J. Willard.” 
There has been so much said and by so many respecting the 
cultivation of this ever lovely Rose that I scarcely know where or how 
to begin. A few remarks, however, may not be out of place in reference 
to a house here. In the early part of 1884 we did away with one of our 
vineries (30 feet by 16 feet), and in January, 1885, we planted five 
Marechal Niels and one Fortune’s Yellow ; the former were budded on 
Briars, the buds being then in a dormant state. That season each bud 
produced 60 to 80 feet of wood, the result being we cut nearly 700 blooms 
from them. After they had finished flowering I cut them back to one 
eye. So ■well did this system act I have ever since adopted this plan, 
with such marked results that I shall ever continue it. We have this 
year cut over 2000 blooms. They are trained and tied to wire 14 inches 
from the glass ; the annual shoots make from 20 to 25 feet, and 3 or 
4 inches apart; the size of wood vary from 1 to 2 inches in circumference. 
One and all who grow this Rose are ever afraid of the appearance of the 
canker that so often fatally destroys the best of plants. Most growers 
are aware also that it is the overflow of sap that is the cause of the ever 
regretful disease. Prevention is better than cure. Now, nine times out 
of ten this Rose is pruned when full of sap, and consequently the buds 
where pruned back to are unable to receive the amount of sap that is 
flowing ; the result is the sap has nowhere to go ; the earth cannot again 
receive it, therefore it must have vent somewhere. Subsequently we 
find the bark in various places splitting from it, and there is the canker 
brought about by our own hands. It is a fatal mistake to treat them 
thus in my opinion. 
The Roses here never receive any water after we commence cutting, 
which lasts about a month. At the expiration of this period they are 
cut back to one eye as above stated. By this time the sap in a thorough 
deelining stage, syringing is immediately commenced in order to 
prepare the eyes (cut back to) to receive the sap as it gently flows. In 
ten or twelve days watering is commenced, with clear tepid water, and 
not too much of it until the small shoots appear, when a most liberal 
supply must be given. This is often continued. If the plants break 
weakly we give liquid manure, or, what is better, a good sprinkling of 
native guano forked in the border. If fairly good growths are made, 
no more liquid or native guano is applied until just before the flower 
buds appear. A good supply is then given with excellent results, and 
a sure prevention of the canker. 1 am of opinion that if this method 
be strictly carried out there will be no necessity for cutting and 
scoring the trees described by some writers—at least that is my ex¬ 
perience of our sixteen years’ standing with this Rose. As to air¬ 
giving, we seldom give bottom air unless very hot, and in winter none 
at all only on bright days, then just for one or two hours’ duration. 
Fumigating is occasionally done, after which we syringe with a half-pint 
of paraffin to four gallons of softsoap water, hence they are kept clean, 
and always have a healthy appearance. I send you a photograph. 
Although a bad one, it shows last year’s growths. If any advantage, I 
will send one of the house when the Roses are cut down, which then 
undergoes a thorough cleansing. 
Kindly return photograph. If any of the above remarks are of any 
use to you they can be utilised as you may think fit.—J. B. Jones, 
TAe Grange, Ellesmere, Salop, 
[We have seen the Roses, which are much better than the photo¬ 
graph, and Mr. Jones is to be congratulated on his excellent work.] 
