118 
THE GARDENING! WORLD 
October 24, 1885. 
development. This only takes place in the case of 
plants in their natural state, and not when under cul¬ 
tivation. 
A vote of thanks to the lecturer terminated the 
proceedings. 
--->X<-- 
THE BEAN WEEVIL. 
Having received, in the early part of the present 
year, a packet of seed Beans, a large portion of which 
were infested by Bruchus rufimanus, I determined to 
sow a cpiantity of the damaged seed in order to ascertain 
the true extent of the mischief wrought by the beetles. 
I therefore selected twenty Beans, three of which had 
each been perforated by three weevils, five by two, and 
twelve by one only, and sowed them under the most 
favourable conditions for their growth and general 
welfare. In about a fortnight the young plants ap¬ 
peared, seemingly in no way the worse for the injury 
received by the seed. The growth was strong and 
vigorous, and the condition of the plants all that could 
he desired. When the time for fruition came round, 
however, a great change took place. The blossoms 
were scanty and small, the foliage faded and withered, 
and in several cases tile plants died off without pro¬ 
ducing a single pod. 
The first three plants or those raised from seed 
pierced by three weevils, were naturally the least pro¬ 
ductive. One of these was altogether barren, while the 
remaining two bore but three pods between them, none 
of which arrived at perfection. The next five, grown 
from seed tenanted by two beetles only, were slightly 
more fruitful, bearing in all six pods, of which five 
reached their full growth. Two of these five plants, 
however, were barren. Upon the remaining twelve, 
the seed of which had but one perforation, I counted 
twenty-three pods, not more than ten of which arrived 
at maturity. Only one plant of this latter group was 
entirely unfruitful. It will thus be seen that the 
twenty plants bore among them but thirty-two pods in 
all, of which less than one-half came to perfection. The 
Bean in question, I should mention, was not one of the 
most freely-bearing varieties,, six pods being the average 
yield of each plant. The difference, however, between 
the produce of the infested seed and of that sown at the 
same time, which was free from the weevil, proved 
beyond question that the presence of the beetle is highly 
prejudicial, not to the germinating qualities of the seed, 
which appeared to be uninjured, but to the reproductive 
capabilities of the adult plant. 
A striking feature in connection with the above ex¬ 
periment was that the plants raised from weevilled 
seed, with one single exception, altogether escaped the 
attacks of Aphis rumicis, from which scarcely another 
plant in the garden was free. From this I infer that 
the sap of the weakened plants was of too deteriorated 
a character tosatify the fastidious taste of the “colliers.” 
— Theodore Wood, in Entomologists’ Monthly Magazine. 
-*«£<-- 
Scottish Gardening. 
Garden Memoranda. —Having seen a little more 
of the doings of my friends this season than usual, it 
would be discreditable both to myself and those visited 
if we did not learn something from the mutual ex¬ 
change of thoughts and ideas. When I had paid my 
first visit to Parkhall, which was in the early part of 
the summer, I was so much struck with the extensive 
scale on which fruit culture is conducted under glass, 
that I made up my mind to revisit the gardens before 
the season closed, to make a few notes on the quality 
and general value of the stone fruits. Circumstances 
threw me a month later than I had planned ; but the 
loss in one sense was gain in another. Driving along 
the brow of a hill leading to our destination, a scene of 
beauty presented itself, which I think would be diffi¬ 
cult to surpass in any agricultural district, even in 
bonny Scotland ! The wide fertile district stretching 
away east, north, and south, and bounded all along by 
the glittering river Forth, widening as it wends its 
way to the Firth of the same name, and the woods and 
hills beyond give a grand character to the whole 
picture ; and which compels me to admit, that my best 
conception of an exquisite landscape was before my 
eyes. On the low ground, not far from our route, is 
the main road from Edinburgh to the north, passing 
through a district teeming withhistoric scenes of many 
conflicts, where the names of the Grahames and 
Wallace are yet familiar, and where the numerous 
hosts of warriors passed to Bannockburn—- 
“As far as e’er the eye was bourne 
The lances waved like autumn corn.” 
To “ tame their hardy northern foes” (but did not). 
No one can regret the change which has taken place 
since the fiery onslaught of “fierce Southerns” and 
“hardy Scots,” so vividly described by Scott. To 
witness such a land of beauty and industry, demands 
the admission that this is in reality a bonny Scotland. 
Arriving at Parkhall, I met my quiet, sagacious, 
and estimable friend, Mr. Murray, whose skill and 
perseverance (backed by a most considerate and liberal 
employer) has raised the place to a high position in the 
records of modern horticulture. We began our in¬ 
spection and discussion (lasting over some hours) by 
entering the nearest of the two span-roofed vineries, 
each measuring 100 ft. long, by 25 ft. wide : these are 
chiefly for late Grapes. The vines are planted on each 
side, and are allowed to make all the wood and foliage 
which is consistent with the free admission of light 
and air—for the future well-being of the vines. The 
kinds are such as are generally grown to supply a 
winter demand, and specially well done is Gros Colmar. 
It has here larger and handsomer bunches than are 
generally seen ; and the foliage, which is generally 
found of a brown and scorched-like hue at the close of 
the season, is here large, of leathery texture, and of a 
dense green hue. The Alicantes are superb. Gros 
Guillaume has bunches remarkable for their compact¬ 
ness, fine colour, and large berries. The latter is 
always deemed of special excellence when found so 
uniform in the bunches, as it often shows numerous 
small berries, but not so at Parkhall. Lady Downes 
was here of special merit, with berries and bunches 
large, and covered with a dense bloom. These are not 
lightly cropped vines, to create sensational Grape¬ 
growing, but are giving a heavy return for the length 
of rod under crop ; and it would be difficult to find 
vines anywhere in a more satisfactory condition. Mr. 
Murray is not a “beaten track” man ; and though he 
has seen many of the finest Grape-growing establish¬ 
ments in England and Scotland,, yet he pins his 
practice to no one’s coat-tails, and to this, I think, 
much of his success is due. The time has come when 
horticulturists must think and act for themselves, if 
they expect to rise even to the medium standard of 
fame. 
Leaving these lofty and handsome structures we pass 
to the larger range, forming three sides of the vegetable 
garden. The houses are wide and roomy, well-propor¬ 
tioned for the purpose for which they were erected, and 
well heated and ventilated ; these are items of great 
importance, as well as being truly economical where 
good results are desired. False economy is the ruin of gar¬ 
dening in many places, and the ‘ ‘ penny wise and pound 
foolish ” policy has by no means become extinct even in 
liberal Scotland. We enter a Peach-house some 85 ft. 
long by 13 ft. wide and 14 ft. high. Peaches in pots 
are numerous, as well as trees trained on trellises in 
front and up the back wall. Much of the pot system 
has been given up throughout the country because of 
repeated failures and the extra labour of watering, &c. 
I must confess to being not very affectionately disposed 
towards pot-work where it can be dispensed with, not 
that I ever had to complain of non-success with this 
system, but chiefly upon economical grounds ; as by 
a proper system of feeding, ripening, cleansing, judici¬ 
ously watering, resting, airing, &e., successful growing 
of stone fruit can be done and is done, of which fact 
there is ample proof at Parkhall. But the requirements 
indicated must not in the most minute form be neglected ; 
once or twice a “half-watering,” a bad attack of insects 
(black fly especially), the late opening of ventilators, so 
that a shock from burning heat is given, bringing forth 
red spider, cold driving in volumes through ventilators 
which had been left too long fully open, and air not 
reduced or shut off from the front, are some of the 
evils which have to be combatted with, and if untutored 
“helps” are in charge of such trees, and the only 
reparation which can be given by them for neglect is, 
“ I clean forgot ’ “ or I didna ken,” soon puts an end to 
pot-culture of stone fruits. But such is not likely to occur 
at Parkhall, for under the vigilant eye of Mr. Murray, 
success has gone hand in hand hitherto, and we trust 
“ sae will it yet. ” Though our visit was late enough 
to see the fine crops noted in early summer at perfection, 
they were by no means at an end. 
The favourite Peaches in this house seemed to be 
Stirling Castle, Crimson Galande, Royal George, Dr. 
Hogg, Alexandra Noblesse (a superb Peach), and Prince 
of Wales. This is a good kind, and becoming a general 
favourite, but not likely to displace from general col¬ 
lections the first three old favourites. The Nectarines 
in this house which appeared to give the greatest satis¬ 
faction for general purposes are Lord Napier, a capital 
kind, which has been well abused by some (it appears 
to me great audacity for anyone to denounce either 
fruits, flowers, plants, or vegetables because they have 
no knowledge of their requirements and the absence 
of skill or means prevents them from attaining 
success), Rivers’ Orange, Elruge, and Victoria. These 
kinds, I think, are good everywhere, whether in the 
hands of a novice or an expert. The latter is a great 
cropper and grows to a good size. 
The next house we entered is 50 ft. long and 18 ft. 
wide, well filled with standard trees kept thin ofi wood 
to let sun and air enter their centres, thus colouring the 
fruit and giving it flavour. Though I go in for training, 
yet I would adopt this system did circumstances demand 
it, and would have no fear of the resnlts. There 
is a difference in having a tree filled up with wood 
like a brush and keeping one thin, where the Peaches 
may hang as if roped, exposing the greater portion of 
the fruit to sunlight. I observe in a contemporary that 
two combatants, worthy of each other’s steel, are in 
conflict over this system. They may sheath their 
weapons as they are both right, but only under certain 
conditions of management. Among the best managed 
examples of standard Peaches planted out in borders 
under glass I ever saw were at Hardwicke House, under 
the management of Mr. D. T. Fish, nearly twenty-five 
years ago. The fruits were of immense size and in 
great numbers, proportionate to the size of the trees. 
If I recollect rightly, the shoots seemed to be well 
thinned out and left long. Such trees do well under any 
system of management. 
With Peaches there were numbers of Plums, grown 
mostly as pyramid bushes, and the kinds which hold 
the first position here are Rivers’ Prolific, a great and 
early fruiter ; Kirke’s, a grand old sort ; and Gages in 
variety. The old Greengage is still one of the best; 
but all are valuable when well grown and properly 
ripened, but as they do not all behave alike, a variety 
of treatment must be accorded. Strong growers can 
easily be checked by root-pruning, and weakly kinds 
assisted by stimulating them with manure. Jefferson’s 
and Coe’s Golden Drop had their usual good characters 
well maintained. Plum growing at Parkhall is attended 
with much success. 
The next house we enter is a structure 90 ft. long by 
18 ft. wide, set apart chiefly for the growing of Peaches 
and Nectarines in pots. Among the best Peaches are 
River’s Early, Early Alfred, this kind I know nothing 
of, but it is well spoken of at Parkhall ; Royal George, 
Early Leopold, Stirling Castle, Gladstone, which is said 
to be of much excellence, and Barrington ; such kinds 
as these command a good succession. To do this well 
anywhere, one must have a variety of kinds, early, 
mid-season, and even late sorts are not without value 
in such a structure. While one can always admire large 
trees on the “extension system,” the great objection 
to them is the want of variety and succession. Figs 
are almost the only kinds of fruit which one can freely 
adopt the extension system with fairly, but they too 
should be blacks and whites. The Brown Turkey and 
white Marseilles being the favourites with most people. 
Still there are a goodly number of kinds which are 
valued much, and they are well represented in the Fig 
houses at Parkhall. The Nectarines in this 90 ft. long 
house, in pots and trained on a back wall were mostly 
past, but those which were highly spoken of were 
Victorias, and those grown in pots were more highly 
flavoured than the trained trees on wires ; withholding 
water at the right time has much to do with the 
flavour of some kinds. In the next house which is 50 
ft. long, the Darwin Nectarines were of extra merit. 
Pineapple Nectarine holds about the highest position 
of merit on the whole place ; this kind is much valued 
by most people who have tasted well grown kinds. 
f To be continued.) 
North op Scotland Horticultural Associa¬ 
tion. —The following is the programme for the present 
season of this association, the head-quarters of which 
are at Aberdeen :—November 20th, ‘ ‘ Climbing Plants ” 
