326 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 4, 1894. 
and the roof thus made for all practical purposes rigid, and there was 
no “ rattle ” of the glass from rough wind. In case of accident squares 
of glass can be removed from the inside from any part of the roof and 
others affixed, as was done on the occasion. 
Such is a plain unvarnished record of Board’s wire tension houses, 
“ discovered ” by Mr. Iggulden and examined by his invitation. As is 
apparent, neither paint nor putty is needed ; as also is apparent they 
ought to be durable and the reverse of costly, while they are as “ light 
as day.” Some have gone to America, others are going to the Channel 
Islands, and they must now fight their way and find their level in the 
world of commercial horticulture. They ought to tried at Chiswick and 
in the Duke of Bedford’s fruit experimental establishment at Woburn 
too. They were well worth going to see by, in very fact—A Jaded 
Londoner. 
National Chrysanthemum Society. 
On Wednesday, the 26th ult., the Floral Committee of this Society 
held a meeting at the Royal Aquarium, Mr. Geo. Gordon occupying the 
chair. The attendance of members was somewhat below the average, 
and but a few novelties were submitted, Mr. W. Wells being the only 
exhibitor. The following awards were made :— 
Miss Dorothy Franhland,. —A fair-sized Japanese variety of a deep 
yellow colour, with long, stiff florets, curled up at the tips, and toothed 
(first-class certificate). 
Ruth Wells. —A reflexed Pompon, deep rosy pink, passing to white ; 
short, flat florets. A free blooming decorative variety (commended). 
For a collection of cut blooms Mr. Wells was awarded the bronze 
medal of the Society. 
Chrysanthemums in Southwark Park. 
Will you announce to the public that we are going to open the 
large Chrysanthemum house on the 6th inst. from ten till four o’clock 
every day ? The Chrysanthemums are much earlier this year and 
give promise of making a splendid display. Many are in full 
bloom already. Over 4000 plants, including all the newest and latest 
varieties that can be obtained, are included in the collection.—■ 
R. Curle, Su;perintendent. 
Chrysanthemum Golden Wedding. 
My stock of this variety consists of one plant, which grew and did 
well until the wet weather set in in July. It then commenced to turn 
yellow and sickly in the foliage, and continued so for some weeks. It 
was also attacked with mildew, which I destroyed by applying sulphur 
to the foliage. The plant seemed to get worse, and eventually the 
leaves on one of the three shoots commenced to curl up and die, then the 
shoot itself, beginning at the top. I cut it off, and watered the plant 
twice after with clear lime water, rather strong. From that time the 
plant began to improve, and is at the present time in perfect health, 
and swelling a promising looking bud on each of the two shoots I left. 
I am inclined to think that the lime was the medicine which restored 
the plant to good health.— R. Morse. 
I HAD three equally strong plants of this variety, and two of them 
were stopped, one breaking naturally. The latter is in perfect health, 
although the buds are later than those on the other two plants. The 
first shoot to show signs of disease was one that had made an extra 
swelling at the break from the main stem. On cutting this I found it 
discoloured. The second plant showed the disease at the same period on 
two shoots, but the third shoot remained good for some time. 'The other 
plant is in the most luxuriant health, and the buds were taken two 
weeks since. These plants were all in the same row, fully exposed to the 
sun, running due east and west. This, I think, shows the disease to be, 
like the plant, of American origin, seeing that no other sort has taken 
it.—C. H. 
I HAVE read the different complaints relating to the failure of 
Golden Wedding Chrysanthemum. It is very curious for this one 
kind to act in the way it has done in so many places. We have some 
plants here that were grown in an exposed position with the rest and 
received the very same treatment, and yet they are in perfect health, 
and to all appearance will yield good flowers. A gardener close by here 
has lost three plants out of four. It quite convinces me that position 
and potting material is something to do with it; perhaps in several of 
these cases it was too high a nature for such a robust kind. 
A curious coincidence with us is G. W. Newitt. We have three 
plants, and in each case they have made good growth till the buds 
showed, about the 25th of September, then four leaves up, within four 
joints of the bud, have entirely withered away, thus leaving the top and 
bottom in good condition. These plants have received the same treat¬ 
ment as the rest. I think the cause is chiefly this, that the sap failed 
to be proportionate at its bud-making, being taken up by the bud, so 
causing the top to remain healthy, and of course the start would keep 
the bottom foliage also, the withered leaves being passed. Should this 
be the reason good high culture is needed.— Robert Bassil, King's 
Ride, Ascot. _ 
Many persons think this variety has some disease brought with it 
from America, but if this w'as the case I t’nink it would have been seen 
last year. I think the sudden changes of the atmosphere had the most 
to do with the young tender points going off, or perhaps a strong dose 
of chemical manure. In many cases I know the plants were healthy 
until feeding had commenced. My own plants are healthy as any 
other varieties, both those in pots and those which are planted out for 
stock. This is not the only variety which has given disappointment 
this season, for many persons must have had Princess Victoria, Baron 
Hirsch, C. B. Whitwell, Mrs. Wheeler, and others go wrong in the 
foliage. This was not seen last season, so that Golden Wedding may be 
something the same character, but shown in a different way.— 
W. Wells, Earlswood. 
MODERN GARDENING. 
[A Paper read at Birmingham by Mr. H. DVNKIN.] 
{.Concluded from page 277.) 
I NOW come to that important branch of the gardeners’ art—fruit 
culture. During the last ten years rapid strides have been made in the 
production of superior samples of hardy fruits. British growers have 
at last been led to see the necessity of doing something more than merely 
planting fruit trees and leaving them to take care of themselves. In 
many of the most favoured districts of England we now see fruit 
plantations springing up, which are managed on lines that cannot fail 
to make them cultural successes. I spent the early part of my life in 
one of the most flourishing fruit growing centres of Kent, and I think 
few young gardening aspirants took a more thorough interest in fruit 
growing than I did then. This fact was being continually impressed 
upon my mind. While those who were wanting in energy and enter¬ 
prise were bewailing the unprofitableness of fruit growing the shrewd 
ones were planting as fast as their means would allow such varieties as 
from their quality, appearance, or productiveness were likely to be the 
most profitable. That they were right in their judgment may now be 
seen by the way they are enjoying the fruits of their early labours. I 
paid a visit to several of these successful ones a short time ago, when 
they readily told me that when well carried out fruit culture gave a 
good return for the outlay made. 
Before concluding this portion of my subject I should like to briefly 
contrast our present method of Reach pruning with that of past times, 
when the trees were shortened back so severely year after year. This 
practice not only deferred the production of a full crop of fruit for 
several years, but also in mqny cases caused gross unfruitful growth to 
be produced, which gave considerable trouble for years. Now, by laying 
such strong shoots in their whole length, training thinly, and resorting 
to judicious summer pinching, we secure a full crop of fruit at least 
two seasons earlier than by the older methods. In some cases perhaps 
trees so treated do not quite satisfy those who are so careful to have 
every branch trained with mathematical precision, but in these 
utilitarian days the production of fine crops of fruit is a far greater con¬ 
sideration than mere accurate training. 
Turning to Grape culture, I think few will be inclined to dispute 
that a distinct advance has been made during the last ten or twenty 
years. Not only have a few very superior samples been produced, but a 
vast number of cultivators grow them wonderfully well. Those 
gardeners who have been frequent exhibitors at the leading fruit shows 
of recent years have been forcibly impressed with this fact. Not many 
years ago it was the exception to find Grapes perfectly coloured in the 
case of more than one or two exhibits. Things are quite different now. 
In favourable seasons the proportion of badly coloured Grapes is very 
small. Judges have now much greater difficulty in making their awards, 
and the time seems to have arrived when the value of the prizes awarded 
should be divided according to the relative merits of the winning 
samples. _ 
The subject of my paper has so wide a range and supplies such a 
vast amount of material that I am afraid I have only been able to do it 
scant justice by touching on some of its most salient features, and from 
fear of inflicting too great a trial on your patience I shall only be able 
to touch in the briefest possible manner upon the subject of vegetable 
culture. When we look upon the splendid collections of vegetables so 
frequently staged by well known growers I think there is no just ground 
for believing that this department of gardening has deteriorated, and 
the splendid produce staged at many of the cottagers’ shows throughout 
the length and breadth of England shows in the clearest possible way 
how much the national desire to excel is encouraged by these useful 
societies. The young aspirant in the art of vegetable growing has also 
plenty of useful information up to date on the subject written, and by 
well known cultivators. _ 
Having now shown the great expansion that has taken place in the 
horticultural world, and pointed out the direction in which I consider 
the greatest improvements have been made, I will endeavour to trace 
the causes which have combined to bring about these satisfactory results. 
