138 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 31, 1885. 
improvement in growth and appearance, must have 
attained to large dimensions. Winter and Spring- 
flowering plants were growing in pits and sheltered 
situations out-of-doors. I allude to such plants as 
Primulas, Cyclamens, &c., also Salvias, Chrysan¬ 
themums, &c. 
In the afternoon we visited Smeaton, Sir T. Hepburn’s 
pretty place, gardener, Mr. Black ; Whittinghame, the 
Right Hon. A. J. Balfour’s fine seat, gardener, Mr. J. 
Garret; and Beil, the picturesque residence of Miss 
Nisbel Hamilton, gardener, Mr. T. Muir; passing west¬ 
ward, Luchie and Newbyth, the respective seats of Sir 
H. Dalrymple and Sir David Baird on our return 
journey to Ivy Cottage, upon nearing which the air 
became perfumed with the odour of sweet flowers, from 
the neatly arranged and well attended to garden in 
front. Here, I may remark, over the arched entrance 
is flourishing—as it is in several window-boxes in the 
neighbourhood of Prestonkirk—the beautiful Tropaao- 
lum speeiosum so seldom met with in England, and in 
the raised border surrounding the green undulated turf, 
out of which the flower-beds have been cut, is a variety 
of Rose trees, Shrubs, &e., including not a few from 
different parts of England, &c., which Miss Inglis 
planted in her bijou garden as momentos of her visits 
to those parts, the whole being fringed with Mignonette, 
the latter the best I have ever seen this year. In con¬ 
clusion, I may be allowed to acknowledge the great 
kindness which I experienced from Mr. and Mrs. Inglis 
and family, during iny very enjoyable visit to Ivy 
Cottage.— H. IF. IVard. 
-- 
THRASHING WALNUTS. 
It is a Norfolk proverb, that the more women and 
walnuts are thrashed, the better they do, but I will 
say nothing as to its wisdom. Our Walnut trees are 
thrashed every year, because they in general bear good 
crops. This year is an exceptional season for nuts. 
The markets were glutted with them, and the grower 
hardly obtained the cost of thrashing, shelling, and 
taking to market. I have several old trees under my 
charge, which grow close to an old manor house, that 
was originally surrounded by a moat, a part of which 
is still in existence. At the latter part of the last 
century, the owner commenced to build a new mansion 
on a hill a little distance off, and the old one was 
reduced in size, and converted into a farm-house, and 
as these Walnut trees are close to the farm premises, 
I am compelled to have them thrashed as soon as they 
show signs of being fit, because the farm boys will 
throw their cudgels at them. The Walnut bears its 
fruit on the current year’s growth, and most old trees, 
if healthy, make sliort-jointed growth, whereas young 
trees make louger shoots, and do not fruit until they 
have attained'to a good age. In the terrible gale that 
passed through the country in October, 1881, when 
thousands of trees were blown down, we had a Walnut 
tree, growing against some glass structures, which was 
so shaken, that it was deemed necessary to take it 
down, for fear it should fall upon the roof. When the 
branches were all cut off, and the top cut too, then its 
owner altered his mind about it, and would not have 
it taken down. The following spring—1882—it made 
a good growth, and has now assumed great proportions, 
and is fruiting this year ; but the crop is not so thick 
upon the wood as it used to be upon this same tree 
before it was lopped four years ago. 
The subject of thrashing Walnuts came upon me 
forcibly a few weeks ago. When we were so occupied, 
I happened inadvertently to look into Macintosh’s 
Practical Gardener, and my eye caught upon Walnuts. 
The author says, on p. 343, “Walnuts, when fully 
ripened, will drop from the trees, or may be shaken 
off; but they should not be beaten with rods, as is so 
often practised. This latter plan has been recommen¬ 
ded, because the breaking and bruising of the branches, 
which necessarily follows, have been considered as a 
species of pruning ; and, indeed, in the south of Europe 
they even thrash their Walnut trees with poles stuck 
full of nails, the more completely to wound and lacerate 
the bark of the trees. So ridiculous and absurd a 
practice cannot be too severely condemned.” When 
reading these remarks, I thought I was being taken to 
to task, because I was practising what this authority 
condemned. But then, if I could insure the crop by 
letting them remain on the tree until they dropped of 
their own accord, I should do so ; but as I cannot— 
and I presume that many more must be in the same 
position—I must have to resort to this condemned 
practice of thrashing. It certainly does mutilate the 
trees, for it breaks the branches, and destroys much of 
their foliage before it is fit to leave the tree. Yet, 
some of our old trees, that are annually thrashed, bear 
very good crops year after year. One tree, that pro¬ 
duces a small early nut, must have had quite ten 
thousand nuts upon it .—North Norfolk. 
- ->*<—■ - 
FRUITS, FLOWERS & VEGETABLES. 
Lavatera arborea variegata.—This makes a 
very good mixed border plant. This year I grew a few 
for trial, sowing the seeds early in spring under glass, 
and growing them on’until they became nice plants by 
bedding out time. I planted them at intervals of a few 
yards along the middle of a mixed border, and for the 
last three months they have been very effective, and 
are still quite fresh and beautiful. The plants are 
nearly 3 ft. high, densely clothed with a beautiful 
and handsome palmate foliage very prettily marbled 
white and green. Where ornamental foliage plants 
for summer planting out are in request, this is a very 
good one, and in many small villa gardens, where a few 
sub-tropical plants are used, this would be a very orna¬ 
mental one indeed.— 11. M. 
Goniophlebiuxn, or Polypodium subau- 
riculatum. —This is one of the grandest Ferns I 
know for basket work. I saw a splendid specimen the 
other day at Welcombe, Stratford-on-Avon, which was 
growing in a basket suspended from the roof of a stove, 
its graceful lively green fronds, nearly 6 ft. long, hanging 
down and forming a perfect bower. It is a beautiful 
evergreen species, worthy of a place in every collection. 
It is a native of the Malayan Archipelago, and is some¬ 
times called Schellolepis subauriculata. — A. 0. 
Tropseolum Ball of Fire.—For cut flowers in 
winter and spring there is no better plant than this 
Tropsolum. It grows well in light rich soil, and if it 
receives frequent supplies of liquid manure during the 
flowering season, the flowers will be better and the 
blooming period considerably prolonged. The roof of a 
well situated greenhouse is an excellent place for the 
development of its flowers. Cuttings can easily be struck 
at any time in sandy soil and a little heat, but for 
flowering, with the above detailed treatment, plants 
about one year old are preferable, The flowers are of a 
rich velvety scarlet colour, and as they can be plentifully 
produced, when most flowers are very scarce, they are 
exceedingly useful and effective for room decoration.— 
M. Barker. 
Pelargonium Volunte Nationale alba.— 
This is a sport from the well-known Volunte Nationale, 
sent out by Mr. Fred Perkins, of Leamington. It is a 
beautiful thing possessing all the good qualities of its 
parent, but differing from that vell-knoum variety in 
the flowers being pure white, except the two top petals, 
which are slightly dashed with rose ; it is very useful 
for decorative purposes, being a very free bloomer. It 
is grown extensively by Mr. Perkins, who finds it in¬ 
valuable for cut flowers through the winter.— A. 0. 
Stewed Pears.—To one like myself, who is often 
accused of being immoderately fond of stewed Pears, 
your remarks on them at p. 115 savours very much of 
rank heresy. Our homely way of managing them is as 
follows After paring them they are placed in a stone 
jar, containing from] one to two dozen fruits, with a 
table-spoonful of coarse brown sugar, one half-pint of 
water, and from six to twelve cloves, or a few slices of 
lemon-peel. They are placed in the oven in the evening 
and allowed to stand till morning. The longer they 
can be kept there -without drying up or burning the 
better colour will they have. They are first-rate eaten 
with blanc-mange or milk puddings of any description, 
and are much appreciated by all. Pear pie, too, if 
properly made, is not to be despised by anyone, but 
for this purpose softer fruit should be selected than for 
stewing. The smaller and misshapen fruits of Marie 
Louise come in well just now. Pare the fruits aud cut 
them crossways in wafers, add a few Cloves or a little 
Lemon-peel, a table-spoonful of water, aud a small 
quantity of sugar. I should have stated that a very 
pretty dish for either dinner or supiper is made with a 
blanc-mange in a glass dish with stewed Pears laid 
round it with the juices. To those who can afford it, 
the addition of port wine to the stewed fruit is said to 
be an improvement, but owing to my Blue-ribbon pre¬ 
judices, I am unable to add my personal testimony on 
the subject.— W. B. G. 
Invincible Carmine New Sweet Pea.— 
This did not come up to my expectations last summer. 
When the first flowers of it opened they were very 
attractive, and certainly were a finer colour than those 
of the old Invincible ; but as the season advanced I 
could not perceive any improvement in blooming 
capacity, but rather the reverse, a,s the old Invincible 
with me flowered much freer. Taking into account the 
better constitution of the latter, I have some doubts as 
to whether the new variety is any better. The season, 
however, may have been the cause, as some culinary 
kinds also—no doubt good Peas—turned out with me 
very badly. Last season I also tried a packet of seed of 
the new Sweet Pea Princess Beatrice. Of this I am 
not able to give an unqualified report, as after it began 
to flower the plants seemed to go back, and the general 
blooming properties were not what a grower would 
desire ; nevertheless, the colour of Princess Beatrice is 
a very pleasing one, and one that would be most useful 
for cutting, as it is such a fine, pleasing, soft shade of 
pink.— R. M. 
Pelargonium Henry Jacoby. —Mr. Hathway, 
Lathom House, Ormskirk, grows this extensively for 
winter-flowering, and after trying several varieties, he 
has not met with anything to equal it for this purpose. 
The plants when I saw them in the middle of September 
were flowerless bushes, 15 in. in diameter, apparently 
in 7 in. pots, and judging from their appearance, would 
produce a fine show at Christmas and onwards. — Visitor. 
Single Dahlias and Chrysanthemums 
for Cutting. —Who that wauts flowers in quantity 
for cutting and decorative purposes, would be without 
numbers of these ! There are some double and semi¬ 
double Dahlias, such as the recently introduced Picta 
formossissima, striped crimson and pale yellow ; the 
various forms and colours of the Cactus Dahlia, the very 
curious Germania Nova, and many of the best singles 
which never bloom in profusion until September and 
October with me. Rather curious, they were cut away 
on the 27th September by frost in all surrounding 
gardens and mine escaped. I have been cutting every 
day since, and splendid bouquets they make with 
Chrysanthemums Mdme. Desgrange, the beautiful 
reflexed La Vierge, Sceur Melanie,’Alexander Dufour, and 
Cannell’s Yellow and White bedders, all cut from the 
open air.— TV. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
Senecio Jacobasa flore pleno.— These were 
extremely effective in the borders of the kitchen garden 
at Lathom House, Ormskirk, during the past summer. 
They were arranged in lines of different colours as well 
as filling odd corners. If they succeed yearly as they 
have done this, they ought to be extensively grown in 
northern gardens, especially in those of amateurs and 
cottagers. I omitted to enquire as to this of Mr. Hath¬ 
way, but if this should meet his eye, probably he will 
inform your readers if this year was an exceptional 
one ; also if he sows them outside or under glass, pricking 
them out after in their permanent quarters. — Visitor. 
Dahlia White Bedder is considered by Mr. 
Hathway one of the most useful of Dahlias, and should 
be grown by all who have occasion to make wreaths and 
crosses. Passing through the village of Farnborougli, 
Kent, on the 20 th inst., I noticed the best part of an acre 
of it in a roadside market garden with about two dozen 
flowers on each plant. This would be nothing very 
remarkable were it not for the fact that all the Dahlias 
in the country were supposed to have been destroyed 
by frost, whilst not one injured leaf could be seen on 
these. — Visitor. 
The Winter Aconite. —Who was it that, a 
little more than 300 years ago, introduced to this 
country from the mountains of Lombardy, this charm¬ 
ing and useful Crowfoot ? It grows wild also in Switzer¬ 
land and Germany. One can almost imagine it is a 
British plant, for it is not infrequently found in woods 
and plantations; such as at Chippenham, in Cam¬ 
bridgeshire, in parts of Lincolnshire, and other places 
throughout the country. But it is not considered to be 
indigenous, but may have at some time escaped from 
gardens, and become naturalised. I never saw it in 
more imposing force than at Castle Ashby, North¬ 
amptonshire, where it had grown so thickly and 
established itself on such a space of ground that it 
