1880 . ] 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
175 
plentifully, between the rows, and also in lines across 
the bed, so as to stop either caterpillars or slugs 
straying about, and the result is so satisfactory that 
since its application only one plant has been lost. It 
is an excellent manure on much of our villa-garden 
soil, as the calcareous constituents are just suited to 
counteract the growth of club, and when duly ex¬ 
posed the other constituents also have their uses. It 
is impossible to be too careful in using it when fresh, 
as it would destroy all it touched. 
— H useful note on the kinds of Apples 
and other hardy fruits which succeed in the 
climate of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, 4G0 ft. above 
the sea-level, the soil stiff, adhesive clay, was con¬ 
tained in a paper by Mr. J. Whittoo, Coltness 
Gardens, read before the Scottish Horticultural 
Association:—The following sorts of Apples succeed 
grown as standards :—Stirling Castle, Lord Suffield, 
Keswick Codlin, Hawthornden, Ecklinville, Irish 
Peach, Tower of Glamis, Court of Wick, Paradise 
Pippin, and Aitkin’s Seedling; the following in 
addition to the above on walls—Cellini, Blenheim 
Orange, King of Pippins, and Nonsuch. Pears on 
walls: Crawford, Hessle, Jargonelle, Brown Beurre, 
Marie Louise, and Moorfowl Egg. Plums on walls : 
Orleans, Victoria, Nectarine, Jefferson, and Coe’s 
Golden Drop; Magnum Bonum and Greengage do 
not succeed so well. Cherry : the Morello is the 
only one which does w T ell; Mayduke is the only 
sweet cherry planted, and that very sparingly. 
Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots: grown only 
under glass. Small fruits are grown much more 
extensively, and give more satisfaction, heavy crops 
being the rule, with the exception of the Black 
Currant, which is sometimes subject to a disease 
locally known as the “ knot ” or “ bud. 
— ®¥0 very good Cucumbers of recent in¬ 
troduction, writes Mr. Ward, of Longford Castle, 
in tlie Gardeners Chronicle , are Sutton's Duke 
of Connaught, an excellent variety, and Freeman’s 
Yard Long, an appropriate name enough, both of 
which have proved themselves during the present 
season here very good and prolific varieties, and, in 
consequence of the fine size and general good ap¬ 
pearance of the fruit, and the luxuriant growth of 
the plants (the leaves being of an enormous size and 
of a dark rich green), have been very much admired. 
In order to thoroughly test the merits of the above- 
named Cucumbers as winter-bearing varieties, he has 
planted several plants of each this autumn in the 
early house, with an equal number of Telegraph, 
and, judging from their present appearance and 
prolificness, they are likely to prove as good winter¬ 
bearing Cucumbers as the latter, with the advantage 
of the fruit being larger than that of the Telegraph. 
— new Damson, Bradley’s King of the 
Damsons, is offered for sale, in a circular issued 
by Messrs E. Bradley and Sons, of Halam, near 
Southwell, Notts., from which we glean the follow¬ 
ing particulars respecting it :—“ Our ancestors have 
for three or four generations been raisers of New 
Fruits, some of which are known and highly esteemed 
wherever fruit is grown. Following what has now 
become little less than an inborn principle, our Mr. 
B. Bradley, some twenty or more years since, re¬ 
solved to take the Plum tribe in hand. After much 
patient attention and care, a large number of seed¬ 
lings have been obtained, many of which are no im¬ 
provement on their parents, and have been destroyed; 
but a few, which possess properties of no ordinary 
nature, have been retained. One amongst these 
select kinds is a true damson, of surpassing excel¬ 
lence, described in our notes as ‘ a genuine damson 
in flavour, juicy, brisk, very sweet and good, about 
the same size as a medium Yiolet Plum, or nearly 
double the size of the largest fruits of the Prune 
Damson, but not so thin and tapering; skin very 
fine dark purple, almost black, covered with a dense 
blue bloom ; ripening about a week before the Prune 
Damson. The tree has a distinct habit of growth ; 
leaves and wood quite smooth; an early and immense 
bearer.’ These notes were made several years since, 
and have been confirmed by further experience. 
We have had the fruit cooked in various ways, and 
in all it is superior to and quite distinct from all 
others. Several first-rate practical judges of such 
things have seen and tasted the fruit, and are 
unanimous in their high opinion of its merits. We 
had intended to send some of the fruit to an ex¬ 
hibition in London, but either the exhibitions or the 
damsons have hitherto come at the wrong time ; 
and now the majority of the stock being at onr Rain- 
worth Nursery, the lease of which expires next 
March, we have decided to offer it to the public, 
rather than be at the expense and trouble of trans¬ 
planting the trees. We honestly believe that it is 
highly deserving a place in every garden, but have 
no wish to represent it as an unheard-of wonder. 
We pledge our word that it is all that we claim for it, 
and with that assurance it must stand or fall.” 
— HI very pretty white Pompon Chrysan¬ 
themum, Souvenir d’un Ami, grown by Mr. T. 
S. Ware, appears to be a very free-flowering 
sort, and likely to be useful both for decorative 
purposes as a pot-plant, and also for cutting pur¬ 
poses. It was in full bloom about Michaelmas. 
— 3It is to be regretted that the new edition 
of Paxton’s Flower Garden (Cassell and Co.) 
should have appeared in its present form. As 
a book of botanical authority, the plates and descrip¬ 
tions of the original work were freely quoted by 
writers on botany. Now comes a revised edition, 
with the numbering of the plates altered, to the 
utter confusion of past and future references to tho 
work; indeed, plates 1 and 2, the only ones in the 
number before us, are entirely new subjects. We 
advise the publishers, even now, before further 
mischief is done, and while alteration is possible, to 
change the title of the reissue. If it is to bo made 
up of some old and some new plates, tho book will 
be virtually a new work, and should stand on its 
own merits. The same remark applies to the wood- 
cuts and descriptions called “Gleanings,” wherein the 
old is at once distinguishable from the new by the 
absence from the latter of authorities for the names. 
This, too, if it has to be recast, virtually comes forth 
as new, and should not bo issued as “ Paxton’s Flower 
Garden.” As to the new plates before us, they are 
not better than the old, nor are they so good as 
they might be, being coarsely executed and not cor¬ 
rectly coloured. Mr. Baines’ text is all very good, 
so far; and it is not in his line to have experience 
of the inconveniences to which we have pointed, 
consequently we may acquit him of the blame, but 
the publishers should have avoided so glaring a 
fault. The public should either have had a new 
title for the revised and renovated materials, which 
would probably have been the best course, or they 
should have had a faithful reissue of the work, with 
only such needful changes and corrections as lapse 
of time had necessitated, and such as could have 
been put into the editor’s foot-notes. The printing 
of specific names with a capital initial letter is, 
moreover, a transgression of the canons of botanical 
literature. 
