152 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[October, 
way readily strike root and become strong 
plants, while most of the cuttings inserted in 
the usual way perish. The aged father of my 
master advised me to give this plant a trial 
once more according to his method, namely, 
to surround each shoot at the point of incision 
with a small loam ball, and not till then to set 
it. So said, so done. Ten shoots prepared in 
this manner were set and closed up in fives 
close to the rim of 2^—3 in. pots, but were 
not kept very warm. After the lapse of some 
weeks all the shoots were found to have rooted. 
In the same way roots were more speedily 
produced with the English and Odier Pelar¬ 
goniums. 
In order to increase Carnations by slips, 
the plan is to cut otf young side shoots under 
a joint; these must be split through crosswise, 
and the cut shoots with the split ends put for 
twelve hours in fresh water, by which means 
the four parts produced by the cross incision 
become separated ; the end of the slip is then 
to be supplied with the pat of loam so that the 
opening between the cross slits may be filled 
up with it, the shoots being then either planted 
out in a close frame or separately in small 
pots. The shoots of Koses in the open air in 
summer, planted as cuttings, were also supplied 
with the pat of loam in a similar manner. 
Such experiments are now thrown aside as 
frivolous, and perhaps not without some reason. 
Nevertheless, it has been clearly ascertained 
that the loamy soil prevents rotting, and there¬ 
fore it would seem that it might be employed 
with advantage in the multiplication of difficult 
rooting plants. Naturally, it has to be applied 
in particular ways for particular objects. Thus 
it ought to consist of the loam pap (pulp) mixed 
with pulverised charcoal when used for cover¬ 
ing the cut ends of the shoots.—R. Muller, 
Praust, Danzig (Garten-Zeitung), 
THE POMEGRANATE. 
T Mr. B. S. Williams’s Victoria and 
Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, 
a beautiful collection of Pomegranates 
[Piinica Granatum), consisting of 
many varieties, is now to be seen, many of the 
kinds being in full bloom, and presenting a 
display of some novelty in London. The 
plants are mostly standards with heads vary¬ 
ing from eight inches to two feet across, neat, 
bushy, and compact. Beside the old double 
red in different shades, and the old double 
Carnation-striped kind, several new ones are 
in flower, the most noticeable being the new 
double white, and the fine double scarlet 
variety called Liuhvica Taverna. The single 
varieties are also very attractive, the beauty 
of their flowers being further assisted by a 
plentiful display of fruits which make the 
little trees look very quaint.—J. O’Brien. 
JUDGING MELONS. 
I T is by no means a new idea to judge 
Melons by sight only. If fine appearance, 
smell, and weight, were the only merits 
desired there need be no difficulty what¬ 
ever in the way ; but depth of flesh, texture of 
the same, thinness of skin, and above all, 
flavour, are items to be considered, and care¬ 
fully too, as they are of far greater importance 
than the three first properties. I never have, 
when judging or testing flavour privately, been 
able to form my judgment by my nasal organ. 
Often the best scented melons are in a state of 
semi-decay and worthless ; and without cutting 
how is one to know scarlet from green-fleshed 
kinds. Over and over again we have seen the 
one colour exhibited for the other. Last 
season we cut a large number of Melons during 
November, and kept many till February in 
fair condition as to flavour, and some without 
scent, till cut, were the best.—M. Temple. 
DESIRABLE HARDY FRUITS. 
S the planting season is now at hand 
I venture to name a few sorts of 
hardy fruits that have done well 
with us on our somewhat stiff 
soil resting on magnesian limestone. I am 
particular to mention this, as I feel sure that 
soil is a very important factor in the success 
or otherwise of many varieties of fruits. I 
do not advance this as new, knowing that 
scores of gardeners and others are fully alive 
to it, but there may be others amongst your 
readers who may not be. 
To begin with Peaches. We find Pied Xec- 
tarine Peach to he one of the best and surest 
croppers and healthiest trees we have for out¬ 
door purposes; it is also a capital one for a 
midseason peach-house ; it is very closely 
related to Bellegarde, but in my opinion dis¬ 
tinct, the colour of the flowers being of a 
