330 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 23, 1886. 
enough for the occupants to catch the declining rays of 
the sun. Lastly, all cuttings should he removed from 
the close frames as soon as they have taken root, and 
gradually hardened off until they are ready for potting, 
a process which ought not to be delayed after the 
cuttings are sufficiently rooted.— A. Hemslcy. 
■ -- 
FRUITS, FLOW ERS & V EGETABLES. 
The New Peas.—We have now got the majority 
of the seedmen’s catalogues before us, and note that 
new Peas and new Melons appear to predominate. The 
great number of new Peas, and the great prices quoted, 
renders it impossible that a nobleman or gentleman’s 
gardener can purchase the lot. There are numbers of 
gardeners of my acquaintance who would like to grow 
them all, but for reasons above described, cannot do it. 
Mr..Editor, would you allow me to suggest that all new 
and scarce varieties of Peas should be sold in quarter- 
pint packages instead of half-pints. Here, let me note 
that a quarter of a pint of Peas will number from 350 
to 400, and I hold that this quantity is sufficient for 
two good rows of 72 ft. long each. This is done by 
planting four peas in a 60-sized pot, placing them 
either in cold frames or cool houses near the glass, and 
planting them oflt at 1 ft. apart in the latter part of 
March, and staking them up at the same time. The others 
may be potted in like manner in a month or five weeks 
time, so that a succession is formed, which will enable 
the holder to know the chief characteristics of all the 
new Peas of the season, at one half the price. — R. Gilbert, 
Burghley. 
Tea Rose, Sunset.—Of the flowers which can be 
obtained in winter none are so welcome as the Rose, and 
every addition to the varieties that can be grown to 
afford their blooms during the dullest months is, there¬ 
fore, very acceptable. One that will take a foremost 
place amongst such Roses is a variety which Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt, are sending out under the 
pleasing title of Sunset, an agreeable contrast to the 
Souvenirs, Countesses, Marquises, and similar conti¬ 
nental designations that are now so abundant. Sunset 
is a Tea Rose possessing a delightful fragrance, the 
blooms are of moderate size, very neat and pretty in 
the bud, and of a bronzy hue, slightly suffused with a 
reddish tint; the plant is of free growth, and is almost 
a perpetual flowerer. That it is still yielding blooms 
iu plenty after a long season is sufficient proof of its 
value in this respect, and Mr. G. Paul states that he is 
cutting hundreds of buds and blooms from plants in 
pots grown in an ordinary Rose-house. There can be 
no doubt that with so many recommendations it will 
become a general favourite for winter. 
Potatos for Exhibition: Judging Vege¬ 
tables. —Another question, besides those made in your 
last, well deserves the attention of flower show com¬ 
mittees at the present time, viz., the desirability of 
prohibiting the exhibition for prizes of all varieties of 
Potatos of known inferior quality. How can employers 
be expected to encourage their gardeners to compete if 
they find that their gardens are often filled with 
varieties that, when grown, are scarcely fit for eating? 
And yet such kinds, I am sorry to say, too often secure 
the leading prizes. Of course, the quality of many 
kinds of Potatos can only be known in the district 
where grown. I should like to see a reformation of 
the way in which many judges give their awards. In 
the case of vegetables, it would seem as if they can 
never get them too large, table quality being treated 
as quite a secondary matter. I shall never forget 
having once seen two judges disputing over the merits 
of two entries of Cabbages. The oldest j udge exclaimed, 
“Man, this is the sort that’ll fill the ‘coo’s’ belly !” 
and so gained his point.— A. Grigor. 
Vines Bleeding.—Although not a believer in 
what Mr. Fraser advocates on p. 284, I have as little 
faith in what Mr. Challis advocates on p. 315. I 
should like to know how lowering the temperature for 
two days would suffice to heal the wounds when months 
did not do it in the case of Vines pruned in November 
and not started until the middle of February.— A. 
Grigor, Fairfield, Aberdeen. 
Rhus cotinus.—Allow me to corroborate the 
remarks of your correspondents, “ R. D.” (p. 267) and 
“ T. W.” (p. 2S4) as to the beauty of this hardy shrub. 
It is surprising how seldom it is to be met with. I 
have only seen one really good plant of it, and that 
was on a small lawn in front of a villa in the village of 
Cacklebury, in Sussex. The plant I refer to was about 
6 ft. high, as near as I can remember, and nearly as much 
through and about thirty years of age. I learnt the 
latter from a previous resident at the villa alluded to, 
and who had excited my curiosity to see this remarkable 
shrub in flower. Perhaps it is too slow growing for 
most people to wait for it, although some I planted a 
year since have made 18 ins. of growth. I also saw 
some smaller plants of it at Battle Abbey about eight 
years ago, and which, 1 imagine, are nice bushes by 
this time. Being by the roadside, the specimen 
referred to had a quantity of visitors from the neigh¬ 
bouring town of Hailsham come on purpose to see it, 
aud not a few carriages stop for its occupants to admire 
it.-— E. Dumper, Limerick. 
Salvia Heeri. —Anyone having a few plants of 
this grand old Salvia will find it remarkably useful 
now T and for some time to come. Although S. splendens, 
S. gesnei'feflora, S. Betheli, and some others I could 
mention are fairly good varieties, they cannot, to my 
mind, by any means equal the subject of this note, 
which, for all purposes combined, must, I think, give 
it the first place among Salvias. I do not, by any 
means, wish to depreciate the merits of S. splendens, 
which stands next in my estimation ; but it wants 
more heat than S. Heeri to do it anything like justice. 
The latter will do well in an ordinary greenhouse, but 
it may cause them to be somewhat later in coming into 
flower than if it can be afforded a little heat. For 
cutting purposes the scarlet spikes of blossom of this 
beautiful sage is very light and striking when arranged 
with most other flowers that are to be had at the 
present time. I do not forget their utility in the con¬ 
servatory either, where they show off to the best advan¬ 
tage, especially if there is space to admit of half-a- 
dozen plants at a time arranged not too close to each 
other, being of both a light habit, and adding bright 
colour to the other plants.—-A 1 . Dumper Limerick. 
Sawdust as a Medium for Blanching 
Celery. —Anent the correspondence in the two last 
numbers of The Gardening World on the earthing 
up of Celery, it might be useful to some of your readers 
to mention a system I saw carried out a few years ago. 
The garden in question had a jyery stiff cold soil, and 
and Celery culture had generally proved a failure. It 
grew well enough until earthing up time came, and 
then what with the stiff cold soil causing it to rot, and 
the number of slugs that attacked it, it did very badly. 
The season I visited this garden, the gardener had 
procured a quantity of sawdust and earthed the Celery 
entirely with it; it proved very successful, as some 
samples that were dug in my presence proved cleaner 
Celery could not have been lifted. Should any of your 
readers have tried this plan, they might be able to tell 
how the sawnlust agreed with the land for after crops.— 
Clias. Denning, Holme Lacy. 
G-ros Colmar Grape. —The usefulness of this 
Grape is gradually becoming known, and its culture is 
proportionately extending. As a late-keeping free- 
cropping Grape of fine appearance it is much appreciated 
whenever it has been fairly tested, and Avhen w r ell 
grown it is of very fair quality. I have given it several 
seasons trial, and though prejudiced against it at first, 
I have since had reason to alter my opinion, and would 
now as freely recommend it to gardeners ■who have not 
included it in their late house. As with other varie¬ 
ties, it has some peculiarities which require to be 
carefully studied, and the most marked of these is the 
tendency of the foliage to become burnt; the result of 
this is that the foliage is lost early in the season, 
the fruit colours imperfectly, is poorly flavoured, and 
the wood is not properly matured for another season. 
The two means that I have found most effectual in 
preventing all these are an abundant supply of water 
to the roots and moderate shade for the foliage. My 
attention w 7 as first directed to the matter in a market 
garden near litre, where there are several span-roofed 
vineries running east and west, therefore one side of the 
roof faces the south wall, the other the north wall. A 
large number of Vines of Gros Colmar are grown, for 
this Grape, owing to its fine appearance, has been proved 
to be a valuable one for market, and iu the majority of 
cases they are grown on the north side of the house and 
trained to the north roof, thus being to a great extent 
shaded by the Vines on the opposite side, chiefly Lady 
Downes, if I remember rightly. The Gros Colmars so 
planted each year possess the most vigorous foliage, and 
retain it considerably longer than is usually the case, 
the result being beautifully coloured well ripened Grapes, 
displaying the characters of the variety to the best 
advantage. Acting upon the hint thus gained, I 
planted some Vines in a similar position, and we have 
not since been troubled with the leaf scorching and 
unripened fruit that had previously caused us so much 
trouble. —R., Brighton. 
Pepinia aphslandragfiora.— There are many 
Bromeliads that deserve more attention in gardens than 
they receive at the present time, and amongst the 
neglected ones must be included the Aphelandr® 
flowered Pepinia, a pretty plant for winter but little 
known. My attention was first drawn to it in Mr. B. 
S. Williams’ nursery two t or three seasons ago, and I 
was easily induced to obtain several plants which have 
succeeded very satisfactorily -with me since, and I am 
increasing my stock. It has slender graceful dark 
green leaves curving elegantly round the pot, and the 
bright scarlet flow'ers are borne in spikes somewhat 
like the Aphelandras. The plant is as easily grown as 
any of its class, a light turfy loam and peat with sand 
suiting it best, and not the least of its good qualities is 
that it flowers in. a young state. — E. 
Peas for Exhibition. —The wonderful Peas that 
take the prizes at the principal exhibitions during the 
summer often excite much surprise, not only amongst 
the non-liorticultural visitors, but also in the minds of 
gardeners who are content to obtain liberal crops of 
a good quality variety, without studying the size of the 
pods too closely. There are, however, no great secrets 
about the matter, and anyone so disposed could grow 
their Peas to the exhibition standard, though not all 
equally fine, as something depends upon local influences. 
The one leading item is a bountiful supply of rich 
manure, and one of the most successful exhibitors 
informs me that he has found none to equal pig manure 
in its effects, and he has tried all kinds. Whatever is 
used a trench is formed 1 ft. deep, throwing the earth 
up on one side as a protection, placing it on the north 
side if the trenches run east and west, as the grower 
named prefers ; then this trench is three parts filled 
with the manure employed, and over thatis placed a layer 
of fine soil 2 ins. or 3 ins. deep in which the Peas are 
sown, A slight covering of ashes is then given, and 
the chief after care is a dusting of soot when the plants 
appear and liberal supplies of water. — M., Retford. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
In this department so many subjects claim our im¬ 
mediate attention, more particularly 7 so, as, unless due 
regard is now paid to their requirements, failure in the 
supply will have to he chronicled next autumn. I 
allude more particularly to Gesnerias, which having 
finished flowering must not at once be relegated 
under the stage or other unseen corner, but must he 
carefully and systematically dried off by keeping them 
were they can be attended to and occasionally watered 
until finally ripened, they may then he stored, and 
when potting comes round for them the extra 
attention paid will he well rewarded by the increased 
size and quality of the roots. 
The same remarks apply equally to the kindred 
subjects Tydaeas, although these must not be subject 
to so long a resting period, in fact, iu some species 
divisions can be secured even while the parent plant is 
in bloom. Let the Gloxinias which were stored now 
be looked to, and those that are started be brought to 
the light and well soaked with water preparatory to 
being repotted, and iu doing this be sure and do not 
use pots beyond 6 ins. in diameter, and I would advise 
a plentiful use of half-decayed leaf-soil in preference to 
the use of cow-manure in mixing the soil. 
Bouvardias and all autumn-flowering plants must 
also now receive attention, look over the stock and 
select some of the strongest of each variety to place at 
once into heat for growing the first batch of cuttings ; 
be sure and do not neglect to have a good supply of 
President Garfield and Alfred Neuner, two of the 
very best for all purposes, and especially for button¬ 
hole work. Flowering Begmias also must be treated 
in the same way, in fact, if they are plunged in a slight 
liot-bed they will furnish a much better stock of cut¬ 
tings, and which, in addition, will strike more readily 
than if taken from the plants as they stand. I need 
