5G 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ APltlL, 
never had the good fortune to find one, though 
I have tried many which were stoutly affirmed 
to be certain cures. Eather than grapple with 
this pest, I would advise my younger friends 
to do the best they can to select a situation 
free from red-spider. 
The kind of soil I found to bo the most 
suitable for the healthy growth and blooming 
of the Polyanthus was good sound yellow loam 
from an old pasture. When I could not obtain 
it from such a source in the early spring, I 
used to get from a neighbouring farmer a 
couple or three cart-loads from the headland of 
one of his corn-growing fields. This I had 
sifted through a ^-in. or £-in. sieve. I then got 
a few barrow-loads of clean solid cow-dung 
from the cowshed, which was put into a large 
tub with water, and well stirred up, so as to bring 
it to the consistence of paste. A layer, 10 in. 
thick or so of the sifted mould was laid down, 
and on it a quantity of the liquid was poured; 
then another layer of mould, then liquid again, 
and so on till the lot was placed in a solid heap, 
in which state it was allowed to lie for three 
months or so, when it was chopped down, and 
thrown up into a fresh heap for another month 
or six weeks. By that time it was ready for 
use, either for potting Polyanthuses or for the 
growth of Carnations and Picotees —none better. 
I can also assure Tulip-growers that this same 
preparation of soil will grow and bloom a bed 
of Tulips in first-rate character, where the air 
is pure, and situation anything near the mark. 
In the earlier part of my Polyanthus-grow¬ 
ing I had the plants stored through the winter 
and early part of spring months in a rather 
shallow wooden frame. Later on I had a frame 
built of bricks, which I found to answer better. 
I did not have it built so much above the level 
of the ground as the Auricula frames ; it was 
raised three bricks in front and six at the 
back, and previous to placing the pots 
in it, I had the mould taken out to the 
depth of about two feet below the level of 
the ground ; then, if practicable, I placed a 
quantity of lime-scraps in the bottom, filling up 
with coal-ashes to about a couple of inches 
below the level outside—not higher, as the Poly¬ 
anthus likes best a bottom where there is a little 
moisture, only the plants will require watching to 
keep them clear of slugs, earwigs, beetles, &c. 
In order to keep the plants clear from such 
pests, I used to lay traps to catch them. My 
trap was simple enough—an old broom-head with 
the bristles extracted; this I found to be just the 
thing for the purpose, for at break of day 
these pests will hide themselves in the holes in 
the broom-head, if that be placed in any part 
of the bottom of the frame; and when taking off 
the lights for airing, the trap must be quietly and 
carefully lifted, so that in case any vermin are 
found in the holes, they may not slip back into 
the frame. Slugs will not readily leave their 
hiding-places, but beetles, earwigs, and the 
forty-legged ‘ twinge ’ will slip out, unless care 
be used. 
I give the names of a few sorts of Polyanthus, 
which I looked upon as being the best at the 
time I was growing them. There may now be 
other good sorts of more recent d<ate, which I 
have not had the opportunity of seeing; the few 
I mention here I can vouch for as being well up 
to the mark, and fit to take a respectable place 
on the exhibition-table. I shall name them in 
the order of merit, and venture to say that, so 
far as I have seen, Beauty stands A 1 :— 
Beauty of England (Summerscales). 
Alexander (Pearson), the mother of the above. 
Bang Europe (Nicholson). 
Invincible (Cronshaw). 
Exile (Cronshaw). 
Cheshire Favourite (Sanders). 
Princess Royal (Collier). 
Elizabeth (Hepworth). 
Lord J. Russell (Clegg). 
George IV. (Buck). 
Emperor (Turner). 
Prince Regent (Coxe). 
I have grown a goodly number of other sorts, 
but I believe the twelve above named are the 
best of the lot.— John Hepworth, Crosland 
Moor , Huddersfield. 
BERGAMOTTE ESPEREN PEAR. 
is a medium - sized grey Pear, 
f rec kled over with dark spots from the 
shank to the crown, slightly tinged with 
pink on the sunny side, and shaped like a Winter 
Crassane. I have grown this Bergamotte for 
several years, and seldom found it fail in fruit¬ 
fulness nor time of ripening in winter or spring. 
The last quality is often deficient in some late 
kinds of Pears, though highly spoken of. I 
mention this in particular, for it is grievous to 
grow Pears unavailable for dessert, especially at 
the time they are expected to ripen. There¬ 
fore I consider Bergamotte Esperen one of our 
best late kinds which seems to deserve better 
attention. It has the bergamot flavour, and 
frequently is more juicy than some Autumn 
Bergamots, and not mealy, like some other late 
Pears, for instance, the Winter Crassane. The 
Soldat Esperen, though it is a great bearer, 
seldom ripens or becomes juicy, even though 
grown in favourable seasons, yet this Pear is 
noticed in some catalogues as “ a rich, sugary, 
melting kind.” Need I say that all such state¬ 
ments in catalogues not only tend to mislead 
nurserymen, but are often the cause of disesteem 
of the gardener on the part of an employer ?— 
J. Wighton, Cossey Park. 
