November 7, 1885. 
THE HARDENING WORLD. 
155 
Gregory's Late Peach. —This is the latest 
variety we have, and on one occasion it was in use a 
fortnight after Walburton’s Admirable. If any of your 
readers have had the opportunity of comparing it with 
other late Peaches of recent introduction, I should be 
pleased to have their opinion. Anyone having seen a 
tree of Gregory’s Late loaded with fruit cannot forget 
its appearance, or confound it with any other variety I 
have seen, on account of the strikingly pale green colour 
of the fruit on the shady or under-side, changing to a 
pale straw as the fruit ripens, with a splash of bright 
red on the sunny-side. The tree is a vigorous grower 
and the fruit sets freely, and grows as large as its 
neighbour, Dr. Hogg. Early Beatrice, Royal George, 
and Walburton’s Admirable gave us almost a con¬ 
stant supply from the 2nd of August to the 17th of 
October, and fourteen days after Bellegarde from the 
open wall. The house has rather a flat roof, and is so 
much shaded by trees that the sun has very little effect 
on it after mid-day, which will, in a measure, account 
for their lateness.— W. P. Pi. 
Pine Apple Nectarine.— Here, this is pre- 
fered to all other Nectarines, and I must say its hand¬ 
some appearance and rich flavour justifies the choice. 
The only tree we have is in the latest house, and we 
gathered our last fruit on the 26th of last month, and 
the last two were sent to table on the 1st of November, 
simply that it might be said that some Nectarines were 
eaten in that month. We have to confine our tree to 
a small space, which lessened the chances of supplying 
a full dish at that late date.— TV. P. R. 
Dipladenia Boliviensis. —Anyone who is on 
the look-out for first-rate autumn and early winter¬ 
flowering plants, will find in this a very valuable 
subject. Early in the year I purchased a good-sized 
plant, intending it to be in flower in August, for which 
time it was rather late. However, it began to flower 
then, and the plant has continued to bloom ever since, 
and has still a lot of buds to open. For bouquets the 
flowers are very well adapted ; also for sprays and other 
purposes ; indeed, I have never seen a better flowering 
plant for the purpose just named, in the end of October, 
when there is not much variety to be obtained, and 
little else than Chrysanthemums to be seen. This 
plant is growing in a stove, trained on a trellis close 
to the glass.— R. M. 
Duke of Buccleuch Grape. —“W. C. ” has 
gone far astray when he tries to make out that I meant 
size and quality to be understood as synonymous terms. 
I mentioned the great size of the “Duke,” and remar¬ 
ked that no other Grape can approach it for quality, 
meaning of course, that the combination of size and 
quality is so extraordinary, tlrat no ether Grape can 
approach it. We have large Grapes which are large 
without being first-rate in quality, and we have small 
Grapes which have quality, but in the case of the 
“ Duke ” we have both combined, and I maintain that 
when the berries of the “Duke” are 4 ins. or 5 ins. in 
circumference, no other Grape can approach it for 
quality, that is to say for the quality of size, of lusci¬ 
ousness, and of sweetness without being too rich 
and cloying to the palate. I have substantial grounds 
for thinking that “ W. C. ” did use the words 
“luscious” and “watery” in such a way as to 
lead one to conclude that he meant to imply the same 
thing. He said “ it (Duke) is refreshing and luscious ; 
but juicy—well—I always think it rather watery.” 
Note the “always” ! Under all conditions, “ W. C.” 
finds the “ Duke” “watery,” though at the same time 
“luscious.” I cut a bunch of the Duke one day last 
week (October 29th), the berries were golden, and it 
was “luscious,” without being in the least degree 
“watery”; large, and first-rate in quality. The 
“Duke ” that was cut in January some three years ago, 
was written about in the Journal of Horticulture about 
that time, it was A 1 every way, but of course I do not 
desire to advocate the merits of the “Duke” as a late 
keeper, I simply desire to record a fact. Candid criti¬ 
cism and unprejudiced discussion are always welcome, 
but the “Duke” has been often attacked with very 
apparent bitterness, not so much in the way of benefiting 
Grape culture, but in order that some petty spite might 
be indulged in.— J. [We must say for “ W. C.,” that 
we are certain in what he has written, he has had no 
unworthy motives in view. —Ed. ] 
Prizes for Grapes. —The prizes won by the late 
Mr. William Hill, of Keele Hall, at the Exhibitions of 
the Royal Botanic Society, Regent’s Park, between June 
29th, 1853, and June 24th, 1863, were ; twenty-three 
firsts, eight seconds, thirteen thirds, and Mr. Ivery’s 
prize. — Geo. Bolas, Ilopton. 
Notes on Potatos. — I was much pleased with 
your leader of the 17th of October. It would, I think, 
be a most important advantage to the growers 
of the noble tuber if the suggestions there made were 
acted upon. But there is one other point which I think 
is just as important, which is that the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society lay down a rule, and adhere to it, that 
no Potato should receive a First Class Certificate unless 
it is grown at Chiswick, and receives the full number 
of marks for quality and productiveness. [This is 
practically the case now.— Ed.] This would shut 
out such noble-looking, but inferior eating kinds as 
International. The Society should also insist that no 
Potato sent for trial shall bear the name of any other 
variety then in commerce, or which has been already 
been tested at Chiswick. The last season’s trial at 
Chiswick proved the necessity of some such law. 
General Gordon, a W. R., received a First Class Certifi¬ 
cate, but another General Gordon described as a White 
Kidney, W. K., was favourably reported on by one of 
your contemporaries. This, however, may have been an 
error, and to show how easily errors do occur, I may 
say that I was sent a beautiful Potato for quality for 
my opinion ; it was called Beauty of Tdebron, an l 
though I knew there was a white Beauty of Hebron, I 
thought the quality too good, and on enquiry found it 
was Beauty of Eydon, which has also been stated in 
print to be the same as Fuller’s Prolific instead of 
Fidler’s Success.— H. J. 
Veitcli Memorial Prizes, 18SQ. —The trustees 
of the Veitch Memorial Prize Fund have decided to offer 
next year the following prizes, the dates for which will 
shortly be announced :—At Stoke-on-Trent, a Veitch 
Memorial Medal and prize of £5 for a group of Orchids 
with Ferns intermixed ; at Stoke-on-Trent, a Veitch 
Memorial Medal and £5 for a Group of Miscellaneous 
Flowering and Foliage Plants ; at Exeter, a Veitch 
Memorial Medal and £o (subject not determined) ; at 
the Royal Botanic Society, Regent’s Park, a Veitch 
Memorial Medal and £5 for twelve Amaryllis ; at the 
Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, a 
Veitch Memorial Medal and £5 for a Collection of 
Forced Salad Plants. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES 
Winter Propagating. —During this season of the 
year, when large fires have to be kept up, there is 
generally a greater amount of bottom heat obtainable 
than at any other time. Many things may be pro¬ 
pagated which would otherwise have to be done in the 
spring, a time when all available space for propagating 
is so much in demand. Crotons : Good-sized tops will 
root freely where there is a brisk bottom heat, but they 
should be kept quite close to prevent the cuttings from 
withering. Well-coloured tops struck at this season 
make useful plants for spring work. Dracaenas : Any 
of these that have lost their bottom leaves may be 
taken off and rooted, and the bottoms will give good 
material for extra stock. 
Ficus elastica : This useful plant may be propagated 
any time during the winter months. The tops should 
be taken off while they are in a dormant state, and 
some dry sand should be at hand to apply to the ends 
to prevent bleeding ; a little sand should also be ap¬ 
plied to the plants where they have been cut. When 
it is necessary to propagate from eyes, these should be 
taken about ten days or a fortnight after the tojis have 
been taken off, as if left until the buds begin to swell, 
they start into growth much sooner after they are 
rooted. Dieffenbachias : Any old plants of these may 
have their tops cut oil' and propagated now, and the 
old plants will throw out side-shoots, which should be 
taken off and rooted as soon as large enough. 
Selaginellas : A batch of these should be propagated 
as opportunity occurs. The Kraussiana (denticulata) 
section should be done in 48-size pots, putting in about 
six little tufts of the young growths into each pot. If 
kept close for a week or so these will soon make nice 
pots. S. Martensii, or any others of similar growth, 
may be propagated by putting three or four good 
cuttings into small 60-size pots, and potted on into 48’s 
as soon as they are well rooted ; they will soon make 
nice plants. For filling the pots for Selaginellas any 
rough siftings may be used, with a little finer soil for 
the surface to put the cuttings into. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Heeling Over Broccoli Plants. —In view of early 
frosts, the advisability of “heeling over ” our Broccoli 
plants as a means of checking exuberant growth if it 
exists, and also of saving the crop from the fate of the 
plants in 1880-81 once more forces itself upon us. It is 
rather a perplexing point to advise upon, seeing that 
unless the winter be a severe one, the “heeling over” 
process is not only so much labour wasted, but the 
produce is also considerably diminished thereby. How¬ 
ever, where the plants have made a luxuriant growth, 
and upon the principle that “half a loaf is better than 
no bread,” it may be desirable to heel over, if not all, 
at least a portion of the plants, with their heads inclining 
northwards. 
This may be easily done by removing two spadefuls 
of soil from the end of the row on the north side of the 
plants, and putting it into a kind of ridge sloping 
towards the plants—say at an angle of 30° or there¬ 
abouts—so that the base of the head may rest against 
the top edge of the ridge ; -the sjiade should then be 
thrust to its full depth about 1 ft. in front of the plant, 
and the latter, rvith the assistance of the spade inclined 
forward, and the stem, which—when fully exposed to 
severe frosts suffers from its effects—should then be 
covered with a couple of spadefuls of soil taken from 
the front of the next plant, thus making a sort of 
bolster for the latter. Where the plants have made a 
short consolidated growth, with sturdy leaves close to 
the ground, they are less likely to be injured by frost. 
In fact, dwarf sturdily-grown Broccoli plants which 
have been transplanted into firm soil, are almost proof 
against frost, suffering but little injury. 
The Mushroom House.— Beds which were made 
towards the end of August and the middle of September, 
and spawned a week or ten days later, will, during the 
last few weeks (providing the spawn and treatment have 
been both good), have been, and should be still, yielding 
good supplies of Mushrooms, and those which have 
been made during the interval should now be showing 
signs (by the white thread-like surface of the beds) of 
yielding a like satisfactory result. Collect horse- 
droppings for successional beds, and place them in a 
dry airy shed, where they can be turned over three or 
four times before being taken into the Mushroom-house 
to dry, and also to allow of the rank heat escaping—a 
procedure that should be repeated for a few mornings 
after the droppings have been placed on the shelves 
with the same object in view. This done, the material 
should be beaten as firmly as possible, and when the 
heat has declined to 70° the spawn may be inserted in 
the bed at about 6 ins. apart, and a little fresh 
droppings be pressed over it ; and when it has been 
ascertained that the bed is not likely to rise above 70°, 
it can be covered with about 2 ins. thick of maiden 
loam of the same temperature, or thereabouts, as the 
house. 
Should woodlicebe troublesome, boiling water should 
be poured along the sides and ends of the beds in the 
morning, the sliding shutter having been previously 
drawn back to let the light in on them, which will 
cause them to retreat to the places indicated, where the 
boiling water can be applied with effect and without 
fear of injuring the spawn. Although the droppings 
have been turned over a few times in a dry shed, as in¬ 
dicated above, prior to their being taken into the 
Mushroom-house, they are sure to undergo another 
process of fermentation when placed on the shelf in a 
close house ; therefore, the top ventilator should be 
opened sufficiently wide to allow of the steam arising 
therefrom escaping from the house, otherwise the Mush¬ 
rooms in various stages of growth on the forward beds 
would be likely to suffer in consequence.—AT. TV. 
Ward, Longford Castle, Salisbury. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Renovating Vines — Late Varieties. —Vines 
which have not yielded such satisfactory crops as could 
be desired during the last year or two, should, as soon 
as the crop has been taken, be examined at the roots 
with a view of ascertaining and correcting the cause of 
their unsatisfactory condition. But before proceeding 
with this operation, a sufficient quantity of suitable 
soil for carrying out the work should be prepared, so 
that the process of lifting and laying the roots in a 
