COUNTllY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
9 
I OcTOBEU 
i 
of these shows, stavtin" with great promise, continue a 
very few years, and die away, in consequence of acts like 
j the above, or other systems of corruption, which are said 
1 to creep in, or are suspected to do so. The counten- 
I ance and siqiport of some inilucntial individual will 
I often carry out such a show well; and I could 
j point out some that have existed in a healthy state for a 
< great many years, and an evident improvement in the 
' garden cultivation of the district is the result. 
1 will not here enter into the details of what constitutes 
i a cottager in the sense understood as qualified to exhibit 
garden produce in that class; but I must certainly protest 
against depriving garden labourers of doing so, unless 
some special reason can bo urged against them on other 
causes. An ordinary working man, in many gentlemens’ 
gardens, has certainly advantages of obtaining cuttings 
or slips of flowering plants, which are not so easily 
obtained by those whose employment may be elsewhere; 
but the majority of vegetables, fruits, &c., are so well 
known, and their varieties so well appreciated, that it is 
questionable if the best are not oflener found in the 
cottager’s garden than in that of the more opulent. 
This is more especially the case with such things as 
aftbrd many varieties,—the Cabbage tribe, for instance. 
Peas, Onions, Lettuce, &c.; and although these things 
may often be found crowded in an unbecoming man¬ 
ner, still the varieties are the same. But in admitting 
labourers in a garden to compete with others, I would 
certainly not sanction those doing so who have any 
charge, or power, for it is reasonable to suppose that in¬ 
dividual to have moi'e advantages than others, and, con¬ 
sequently, is fitted for a higher class. But 1 leave others 
to draw the line of distinction, for local interest ought, 
in all cases, to be consulted first, and, no doubt, are best 
done by those on the spot. One thing, certainly, all will 
agree in, that such societies, or shows, be they under the 
patronage of one great man, or supported by a com¬ 
munity, tend to improve the gardening of the district 
they are in, and, consequently, deserve all the encourage¬ 
ment that can be given; and as it is not an expensive 
aft'air commencing such a thing, it is to be hoped that 
the wealthy will come forward and assist their poorer 
neighbours, in a case wherein the benefits accruing being 
of a national kind, calculated alike to improve the mind 
and benefit the circumstance^ of those around them. It 
is to be hoped that another year will see these objects 
greatly multiplied. J. Hobson. 
USE OF CALISTEGIA PUBESOENS. 
Wiiri your permission, I will give my opinion of a climber 
called “ Cdlisteghi pulesceiis,” from China, differing, in some 
3neasure, from the opinion expressed by you in No. 214, 
Yol. X. of The Cottage Gaedener. I recommend it 
particularly to those who have unsightly out-houses in their 
flower-gardens, from which I suffer myself. Having obtained 
one of these plants, three years ago, in a pot, in which it 
certainly does not flourish, I planted it under a wooden 
balcony in a southerly asi^ect; there it grew and flowered 
luxuriantly. Early i.n this spring, I planted it from a 
rockery throughout the lengtli of the out houses, placing 
arches for it to climb over; also under Apple-trees that 
grew in the flower-garden, to hide the nakedness of the 
stems ; therefore, it was planted in every aspect open to the 
sun. I must give you to understand, that I do not rely 
entirely iq>ou this climber, but accompany it with the 
Convolvaliis major. Nasturtiums of various colours, together 
with Sweet and Taiijerc Peas. From the rockery, a raised 
border is carried throughout, planted with ornamental 
shrubs, mixed with Mignonette and other sweet flowers, 
such as German, Sloc/cs. I have lately added Gvo more 
attractions'-to the vest, Viz, Honegsuckle and White Jasmine, 
raised easily from cuttings. 
1 consider the double Oalistegia puhescens preferable to 
the single one, as the blossom assimilates to that of the 
Oleander, to my fancy, at least; of course it has not the 
sweet odour of that plant. 
I omitted to mention the nature of the soil of the 
garden, which is much like bog-earth, having been under 
cultui’o beyond 100 years, very black. Ithododendrons 
flourish in it. The subsoil, a clayey, loamy, will crumble in 
tlic hand. Three years since I had it double-trenched 
throughout. Vegetables of all kinds grow vigorously. — 
Suburban. 
RAISING ASTER SEED IN ENGLAND. 
Mr. Beaton, in Ins article on Asters, states that there is 
no reason why seed ripened here should not he as good as 
that imported from Germany. I take the liberty, therefore, 
of wi'iting to say (to prove that IMr. Beaton is right), that I 
took the first prize for German Asters, at the last Teddiug- 
ton Show, with some Asters raised from some of my own 
seed, and that the seed originnUg came from a garden fifty- 
six miles north of Edinburgli. My China and German 
A.sters were pronounced by Mr. Kinghorn, and many other 
eminent gardeners, to be far superior to any yet grown ; in 
fact, perfect. I bought, last autumn, some seed abi’oad, and 
also some in London. The seed bought abroad has not 
produced first-rate blooms, and the seed purchased in 
London is worthless.—A Subscriber, Twickenham. 
r.S.—I have had one bloom of a purple China Aster this 
season 14| inches in circumference. 
STOCKS FOR PEACH-TREES. 
I FIND stated, at page 320, in The Cottage Gardener 
of the 31st July, that Peach-trees on their own roots will 
stand rougher treatment than those worked upon the usual 
stocks. Now, after many yeai's practice, and numerous 
opportunities of judging of the capabilities of both systems, 
I am in the full belief that all that has been written, since 
the commencement of “ Loudon’s Magazine ” on this subject, 
is nothing but a pack of nonsense. Did you ever see or 
hear of Peach-trees going wholly oif at their union with 
the stock ? I never did, with the exception of young trees 
being killed by the frost. I attribute the sole cause to the 
following. In the first place, I do not hesitate to say, that 
half the Peach-trees out-of-doors are in the hands of those 
who know nothing about their proper treatment. 2nd, They 
are planted in .situations where they ought not to be placed ; 
and are growing in borders more suitable for Vines than for 
Peach-trees. Succeeding admirably, perhaps, for two or 
three years, under favoiu’able seasons, till a wet, cold autumn 
is succeeded by late spring frosts, and then all is over. 
Peach-trees will stand much frost, if dry, and under 
cover ; as an instance, I have, in May, run my hand along 
behind the trellis and the glass, and torn the young shoots 
away when the leaves were frozen to the glass, without the 
shoots being injured. You may rely on it, that the glass will 
do the same for them that this late season has done for the 
Pears—do away with much of the absurdity about stocks 
for either. 
Peach-trees, in my opinion, ought to be pruned three 
times in the season; the principal pruning, without delay, as 
soon as the fruit is gathered. Not a shoot that is not con¬ 
sidered absolutely necessary for the following seasmi should 
be left. The next, pruning just before the sap rises, at 
which time shorten in what shoots require it, and clear 
away any one that ivas overlooked in the autumn; and, 
thirdly, wlien you are going over the disbudding for the first 
time, just after the fruit is safely set, cut out any shoots not 
required, that may have been left where there were doubts 
of the fruit setting ; and I would rather thin out the flower- 
buds than leave a load of useless fruit till after they were 
stoned. But to ray text— 
Suppose you raise Peach-trees from stones, what will 
you gain by it? To begin, you will lose two or three years ; 
and then, ten chances to one but you get disappointed, by 
