410 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 27, 1886. 
foxtail. A shake of the Vine in passing when the 
pollen is in order is sometimes sufficient ; but I would 
also advise the use of the feather in addition. I would 
advise “T. W. B.” not to leave as many as three 
shoots to one eye till tying down time ; this is an un¬ 
necessary waste of force, and also is calculated to help 
to weaken by overcrowding. Two may be left at some 
of the eyes, especially if there be plenty of room ; but 
to leave three shoots from each eye till tying down 
time simply for fear of breakages, is a mistake. The 
Duke, if not tied down too soon, and carefully handled 
when tied, is not so very bad for breaking as “ T. IV. B. ” 
seems to think. 
I would also advise a gradual tying down ; sling the 
shoots for a time, perhaps, half-way towards where 
they are ultimately to be tied, and the final operation 
will be much more easy and safe. By all means avoid 
crowding the shoots ; let them have plenty of space to 
develop their leaves to the fullest extent, and also get 
every chance to get thoroughly ripened by the influence 
of plenty of air and light upon them. The ripening of 
the shoots is one difficulty which sometimes attends the 
culture of the Duke, therefore extra endeavours should 
be made to overcome it. If possible, “ T. W. B. ” 
should try to maintain a rather drier condition of soil 
and atmosphere towards the time of changing colour 
than is necessary in the cultivation of most other Grapes. 
When the Grapes are ripe the house should be kept 
as cool, dry, and airy as possible, and such being the 
case, and the border an inside one, there need be little 
fear of cracking. Where the Duke is in an outside 
border, or partially so, it would be well to cover the 
part of the outside border in rainy weather with boards, 
so that cracking may be guarded against; I mean, of 
course, at the period when the Grapes are beginning 
to change colour, and from thence on till cut. Before 
then the Duke may be watered freely, but not 
“ stewed” in a steaming atmosphere. When “T. W. B.” 
prunes his Duke next autumn, he should leave three 
or four eyes, as such a style of pruning suits the Duke 
best. Regarding the question of the Duke ripening 
in the beginning of June, I am not able to say that it 
will do so to be as satisfactory as it will be if allowed 
till July to develop its excellencies. Certain it is, that 
grown in a house of Black Hamburghs, which are grown 
to be used at the end of July and beginning of August, 
the Duke is eatable before them. However, I cannot 
advise “ T. W. B.” on the matter of having the Duke 
ripe in June from personal experience, and that no 
doubt is what he wants. Perhaps some other culti¬ 
vators may be able to do so. 
Should signs of cracking appear when the Duke is 
getting towards maturity in spite of the precautions I 
have mentioned, then cutting the lateral half through 
between the bunch and the main stem should be resorted 
to. This has proved effectual in stopping cracking, 
notwithstanding the fact that some writers have at¬ 
tempted to ridicule such a method of coping with the 
evil of cracking. Very learned disquisitions have been 
indulged in in the past numbers of some of the gardening 
papers on the question of cracking, its cause and cure, 
I do not intend here to attempt to prove or disprove 
anything by learned arguments, but simply state the 
fact that cutting the laterals has been followed by an 
immediate stoppage of cracking, and that is sufficient 
forme. “T. W. B.” will remember when thinning 
the Duke that its berries are enormous, and consequently 
he must thin out to an extent that no other Grape 
save perhaps the Gros Colmar requires. I speak of 
course of Vines in full vigour. 
Thinning should be delayed as long as possible, so 
that it may be easily discerned which are the properly 
set berries. It is also impossible for a cultivator getting 
his first experience of the Duke, to overthin the 
bunches, and “ T. W. B.” may have to go over them 
again after the berries have begun to swell in earnest. 
The Duke has been seen with berries nearly 5 ins. in 
circumference, and when such is the case overtliinning 
is not easy. “ T. W. B.” may not have the Duke in 
such vigour this season that he will have berries up to 
this size, but judging from his description, his vine is 
so strong, that if he secures a proper “set” of berries, 
he may thin very freely, because he will certainly have 
berries as large as Gros Colmar. I hope that “T. W. B.” 
will be able in future numbers of The Gardening 
World to announce that he has been entirely successful 
in his cultivation of the Duke, which is a noble Grape, 
in spite of some peculiarities which have been the cause 
of many and warm discussions in the horticultural 
journals.— Reader. 
NOTES FROM GARDENS. 
Some Notable Trees at Spixworth Hall.— 
In the grounds surrounding Spixworth Hall, near 
Norwich, there are some very fine timber trees. One 
of the most remarkable is a Beech with a bole that 
measures 18 ft. in circumference at 2 ft. from the 
ground, and from this height it has five boles towering 
up 60 ft. to 70 ft. high. Some of the lower branches 
extend 45 ft. out from the stem, and these branches 
have taken root on their way out to this distance, and 
form trees of themselves, though not separated from 
the parent tree. The ground beneath it is carpeted with 
moss, and here very large numbers of ladies and gentle¬ 
men have sat at the garden parties given by Mr. R. P. 
Longe, J. P., who resides here. In another part of the 
grounds there are two more very fine Beeches near to 
each other, I measured the one whose bole looked the 
smallest and at 3 ft. high it was 13 ft. in circumference ; 
these send up clear boles 20 ft. high, and then part into 
two or more limbs. One of these two affords a 
striking illustration of natural inarching, inasmuch as 
when the two boles proceed up from the height stated, 
they are again united Siamese twin fashion. In the 
space between were these two gigantic growths leave 
the column to the union above, a good-sized boy might 
crawl through ; the union may extend about 1 ft. in 
height or length, and then they separate again into 
two boles as before. There is also a very fine Sycamore 
in the dressed grounds, whose bole looked as large as 
one of the latter-mentioned Beeches ; and here too is 
also a very old Hickory tree or Carya. 
Spixworth Hall is a very fine old Elizabethan 
mansion, covering a large area, and has three spacious 
garden fronts, on the north side being the garden offices. 
It stands in a well-wooded park of some 170 acres, and 
has been owned by the Longe family for nearly two 
centuries. The gardens and grounds are finely laid out 
in the old English style. A great deal of shrub plant¬ 
ing had been done many years ago, and there seemed 
to me to be miles of grass and gravel walks winding 
about amongst these shrubbery gardens, with seats and 
vases nicely arranged about. A spacious conservatory 
extends nearly the whole length of the south front, and 
was very gay in the second week in February. There 
are, too, some very fruitful Orange trees, bearing from 
200 to 300 fruits each ; also Citrons and Shaddocks in 
plenty. Mr. Longe is fond of his garden, and has a 
good gardener in Mr. Golden. — Visitor. 
-- 
FRUITS, FLO WERS & V EGETABLES. 
Three good Carnations. —All who grow these 
much esteemed subjects for winter flowering will do 
well to put in a good stock of cuttings of the following 
varieties :—Andalusia, Valencia, and Empress of Ger¬ 
many. The first named is a fine full primrose-yellow 
flower, and very floriferous when the plants are in good 
condition. Unfortunately this variety does not produce 
cuttings from the base of the plant so freely as one 
would wish, for nearly every shoot shows unmistakable 
signs of being a flowering one, and, consequently, they 
will not make good cuttings, but if these are stopped 
early in January they will produce side shoots suitable 
for cuttings, if taken off with a heel when they are 
about 2 in. long. Valencia is a splendid deep red, 
almost the colour of the old Clove (border Carnation), 
and flowers and produces cuttings freely. Empress of 
Germany is the largest flower of the three and a 
grand thing in every way, the ground-work of the flower 
being white, irregularly marked with small bars and 
spots of rose, the whole presenting a most pleasing 
appearance.— U. Dunkin. 
Sutton’s Primula “Gipsy Queen.”— I am 
the fortunate possessor of a nice batch of these glorious 
Primulas. 1 am a true lover of this class of plants, and 
the advent of anything new, if good, in the .way of 
Primulas delights me beyond measure. In the plant 
under notice, we have magnificent foliage followed by a 
succession of beautiful white flowers, with an occasional 
red stripe ; under gas-light the leaves are transparent, 
and being fern-leaved adds much to its beauty. No 
collection, however rich, is complete without it. The 
time for sowing Primulas is now at hand, and I would 
say to all growers “order at once,” and you will never 
regret it. No plant of my knowledge pleases me more 
than “Gipsy Queen” Primula for table decoration.— 
R. Gilbert , Rurcjhley. 
Setting the Fruits of Strawberries.— 
During the end of January and through February, the 
setting of Strawberries in Vineries and Peach-houses is 
a very uncertain operation, inasmuch as the treatment 
usually given to the Vine and Peach are so opposed to 
that required by the Strawberry when in flower. Hun¬ 
dreds of plants are annually thrown away that have not 
set a fruit solely on account of.the moist close atmos¬ 
phere of the structures they are in acting adversely on 
the fertilising organs. Hence writers on the Straw¬ 
berry tell us to keep the atmosphere dry and admit a 
little fresh air during the time the plants are in flower ; 
but who cares to discontinue using the syringe, filling 
the evaporating pans, or damping the floors and borders 
of a Peach-house or Vinery for two or three weeks, 
which is about the time a batch of Strawberries takes 
to set at this early date. Ours were longer than that 
this season in consequence of the absence of sun during 
the time they were in flower. By starting the plants 
a month or six weeks before the Peach trees, in a pit or 
some other structure where a temperature of 45° to 55° 
may be maintained, so that both may be in flower at 
the same time, they may be set fairly well. The treat¬ 
ment required by the Vine and Peach from the time of 
starting suits the Strawberry well ; but we dare not 
risk them when in flower, and as they expand we 
move them into the Pine stove and place them on 
a shelf near the glass and close to the ventilators, so 
that they may have air whenever it can be admitted. 
The temperature this season has been oftener at 63° 
than below it at ten o’clock at night, which is rather 
higher than anyone would care to recommend for 
setting Strawberries, but they set very well indeed, 
and by the time these lines are out of the press we 
hope to have some ready to pick. We placed about 
two dozen pots on a shelf over the path in a span- 
roofed house devoted to Tea Roses, Bouvardias, and 
Tree Carnations, where the temperature would be 10° 
lower than that of the Pine stove, as well as being 
more freely ventilated. Here they all set, but not so 
even or so rapid as those in the Pine stove. From 
this time onward there will be no difficulty in seeming 
a good set in Vineries and Peacli-houses, as we shall 
have more light and sun, and air can be more freely 
admitted, and for the short period the plants are in 
flower the internal atmosphere may be regulated to 
suit their wants. If the first thing in the morning the 
leaves or flowers carry the least condensed moisture, it 
is sure evidence that matters are unfavourable for 
Strawberry setting, and a drier atmosphere must be 
maintained. The atmosphere of a plant stove in 
February would be more suitable than that of a Peach- 
house or Vinery, or at any rate it could be made so 
without seriously affecting its regular occupants.— 
TV. P. R. 
Carter’s Blenheim Orange Melon.—Allow 
me to substantiate all that your correspondent Mr. 
W. J. Murphy says anent this excellent Melon, it is 
in my opinion without exception the very best scarlet- 
fleshed Melon in cultivation. It is a strong grower, 
sets its fruits freely, is of handsome appearance, perfect 
in shape, and most beautifully netted with very 
deep flesh, ripening well back to the rind, and of most 
exquisite flavour. Anyone who may not have grown 
it, cannot do better than give it a trial this season. 
We get our seed direct from Messrs. Carter, as then we 
have a better chance of getting it true to name. — W. C. 
How to Winter Strawberry Plants.—I 
notice that a short discussion is taking place in one of 
your contemporaries as to the wisdom or unwisdom of 
stacking pots of Strawberries on their sides in ridges, 
according to an old method, during the winter months. 
We speak of^old methods as time-honoured, and as 
gaining a kind of sanctity by usage ; but gardening, in 
common with many other methods of opinion and 
practice, is progressive, and old methods are found 
giving place to new ones. The old method of stacking 
pots of Strawberries on their sides in order to ripen 
them off and make them fruitful, is strongly advocated 
by Mr. T. Challis, of Wilton Park Gardens, backed by 
that sturdy gardener, Mr. R. Gilbert, of |Burghley 
Park. Now, my neighbour, Mr. J. Roberts, of Gun- 
nersbury Park, is a strong advocate of a very opposite 
practice, and he carried it out, too, and is found assert¬ 
ing that it answers so well, that he would not on any 
consideration revert to the old plan. He forces an¬ 
nually some S,000 or 9,000 pots of Strawberries, which 
affords a fair test of the system. As the winter 
approaches, the pots of Strawberries are stood in sunken 
