March 6, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
427 
varieties are grown, but the old Neapolitan appears to 
be the most reliable kind. There is also a wide ex¬ 
panse of well-kept lawn, and about two acres of kitchen 
garden ; the whole standing in the midst of a spacious 
park containing many fine examples of noble trees and 
shrubs.— J. H. Walker, Hardwickc House, Nottingham. 
-- 
FRUITS, FLO WERS & V EGETABLES. 
Old Double White Primula. —We have at 
the present time some dozens of this superb old plant 
in cold houses, in which they have been all the winter 
without heat, except the little they have derived from 
the sun ; they are quite green, in the best of health, and 
full of bloom. I was not before aware that they are so 
hardy, but that fact makes them more valuable still. 
Some years ago, “ R. D.’’told us in one of the gar¬ 
dening papers that for real usefulness they beat all the 
new doubles. At tjiat time I w T as sceptical, but I have 
lived long enough to prove that he was right.— E. 
Gilbert, Burghley. 
Vines Bleeding. —On p. 379 I observed Mr. 
Fry’s notes on Vines bleeding. His remarks are 
evidently based upon practical experience, and ought 
not to be overlooked, for we hear of, and see so many 
cases of Vines bleeding, that I feel convinced the cause 
is not generally understood, and, as in many other 
cases, the evil is not thonght of till it shows itself, 
then the remedies are more numerous than the cures. 
The Potato, or styptic, or something else is then applied 
with the idea that all will be right again, and the 
remedy inherits an instantaneous recommendation. 
Probably there are many others who, like myself, 
entertain grave doubts as to the magic of these highly 
commended remedies. In my opinion the cause of 
Vines bleeding may in some instances be attributed to 
mismanagement, but not always so. The practice of 
exposing the Vines to the hands of nature is, I fear, 
not so generally adopted as in former days. At the 
present day gardening is more or loss carried on under 
the banner of £ s. d., and it is difficult to’draw the line 
between the gentleman’s garden and the market garden. 
£ s. d. is the motto in many gardens with which I am 
acquainted, and while this is carried on, one cannot 
wonder the practice of bygone days is not now in vogue. 
Many gardeners have now to keep two objects in view—- 
that of supplying the house to the best of his ability 
and convenience with all that is requisite, and, secondly, 
to get produce into the market when the demand is 
great. Now, I do not wish to infer that all cases of 
Vine bleeding'can be attributed to the “market mania 
but I contend that in gardens where the object is 
money-making, some things must fall short of some 
essentialities -which otherwise would have received due 
attention. The cause of Vines bleeding does in some 
instances occur through mismanagement, in others 
through “ robbing Peter to pay Paul.”— C. G. 
Trichomanes radicans: the Killarney 
Pern.— A gentleman who has devoted much time and 
attention to the culture of plants in cities and their 
suburbs, writes as follows : “If I could have but one 
plant for city culture, and could select that one, it 
Would be Trichomanes radicans, commonly known as 
the Killarney Fern. This was one of the first plants 
that was grown in complete confinement in a close case. 
It is said that the first experiment was in a -wide¬ 
mouthed bottle, covered with oiled silk, where it lived 
for about four years, without water being given afresh 
to it. At the close of this time, outgrowing its room, 
it was placed under a bell-glass, in a Fern-house, where 
it soon produced fronds 15 ins. high. In a Wardian 
case it does well. One thing it will not bear—the rays 
of ‘heaven’s glorious sun,’ and it seems to enjoy a 
subdued light. But few years have passed since the 
culture of this beautiful Fern baffled the skill of ex¬ 
perienced gardeners. Loddiges often tried to grow it, 
and always failed ; and Baron Fischer, Superintendent 
of the Czar of Russia’s botanical establishments, seeing 
it with the late Dr. Ward, flourishing in one of his 
Wardian cases, took off his hat, and made to the plant 
a low bow, saying, ‘ You have been my master all the 
days of my life.’ ” 
Propagating Violets.— Violets are valued 
everywhere, and it is seldom that gardeners have as 
many as they need, also, it is not always convenient to 
buy fresh plants when it is wished to increase the stock, 
and the only method of doing so is to resort to propaga¬ 
tion. Wherever a few frames of early Violets are 
grown this can be readily effected, as an abundant 
supply of young shoots or runners can be procured from 
them, and these are soon converted into useful plants 
if rightly managed. Prepare a firm bed of leaves and 
a little old dry manure, upon this place a frame of any 
kind or size that is at command, so long as it is fur¬ 
nished with moveable lights, cover the bed with a 
layer of light sifted rather sandy soil, about 6 in. deep, 
and in this place the young runners ; dibble them out 
in rows 4 in. apart and the same between the plantlcts, 
until the frame is filled, when they must be well watered 
with a fine rose-can and the frame closed. If the 
weather is bright, slight shade will be needed for a 
week or two in the middle of the day, but the frames 
should be kept closed until it can be seen that the young 
Violets are established, when ventilation must be 
gradually increased until the lights can be entirely 
removed. In the meantime the soil must be kept 
uniformly moist by -watering and syringing daily, and 
when once the plants have formed roots their progress 
will be rapid, useful “stools” for the following season 
being thus obtained.— G. 
Improving Fruit Trees. — A garden has re¬ 
cently come under my charge which has been somewhat 
neglected for several years, and, in consequence, the 
fruit trees are not quite so satisfactory as might be 
desired. There is not a bad show of fruit buds on 
standard and pyramidal Apples and Pears, but I am 
told that the fruits for the past two or three seasons have 
been undersized, though fairly abundant. I have else¬ 
where seen examples of the good results obtainable from 
the application of rich top-dressings of manure to such 
partially exhausted trees, and I am trying the effect of 
similar treatment upon these. Fortunately we have a 
good supply of stable-manure at command, and I have 
had the larger portion shaken out from a large heap ; the 
other part we are now applying as a good layer round 
the stems, and to a distance of 6 ft. to 9 ft. or more 
from their trunks, according to the size of the trees. 
It is slightly pointed in with a fork, and then levelled 
with a rough rake, leaving a thickness of about 3 ins. 
on the surface of the soil. I am hopeful that this may 
effect an improvement this year ; but, at all events, u r e 
may expect to sec a difference another season. We 
want to encourage some young roots near the surface, 
where they will be more immediately under our control; 
and it is only then that fruit trees can be satisfactorily 
managed. For young trees such treatment would not 
be desirable, as a too vigorous growth invariably results 
in sterility. The trees I am referring to seem, however, 
so deficient in vitality, that the first step towards their 
recovery is infusing a little fresh vigour into them.— B. 
Cyclamen Culture. — “ Ah ! the best lot ot 
Cyclamens I have seen this season.” Such was the 
remark made to me early in January in the greenhouse 
here, by a nurseryman’s traveller, and it helped to 
strengthen an idea I had myself entertained, viz., 
that Cyclamen persicum was not generally so well 
grown as it might be, and as I have been tolerably suc¬ 
cessful I will give you a biief summary of our modus 
operandi. Before proceeding farther, I would say that 
we treat them as annuals, throwing the conns away as 
soon as they have done blooming. We generally sow the 
seedjn August in a mixture of equal parts of leaf soil, 
peat, and sand, covering the seed pans with a piece of 
slate, and place them in a Cucumber pit; the seedlings 
will begin to appear in about two months, when the 
pans should bo placed close to the glass. When they 
have attained two leaves prick off into other pans using 
the same mixture as for seed sowing, and again return 
the pans to the shelf in the Cucumber pit or stove. 
The plants ought to be ready to pot into small pots 
early in March, use the soil as rough as possible, and do 
not press it down more than is necessary for holding 
the plant upright. I am very particular about this 
matter, I know that most soft-wooded plants require 
hard potting, but Cyclamens are certainly an exception 
to this ride, you cannot pot them too light; after pot¬ 
ting place them in a warm frame, and grow on as fast 
as possible, they will be ready for their flowering pots 
by the middle of July, and 5-in. or 6-in. pots are large 
enough for them. After they are potted place them in 
a cold frame facing the north, in which they may remain 
until the end of September, after which time they should 
be removed to a greenhouse shelf, where they will soon 
make a grand show and continue in bloom until March 
or April.— J, W. L. 
Keeping Grapes in Bottles of Water.— 
In November last we bottled a large quantity of both 
Lady Downes Seedling and Black Alicante Grapes. 
We keep these in our fruit-room in which no heat is 
used, except when a fire is made occasionally in the 
seed-room, which adjoins the fruit-room. They have 
generally kept well to the end of March—in fact, until 
they are finished. Lady Downes keeps better and more 
plump than Alicantes, which shrivel and become rather 
dry. Showing a friend from the north, a great Chry¬ 
santhemum-grower, round one day, he observed, “ I 
always keep my Grapes in the cellar, and find they 
keep much fresher.” Well, I thought, if my friend’s 
kept better in the cellar mine would. Therefore, one 
bunch of Alicantes was put in the cellar in a bottle o! 
water. This day (March 1st) they were brought up 
from the cellar, compared with the same variety kept 
in the fruit-room, judged by myself and my foreman, 
and we came to the conclusion that they were much 
fresher, and the flavour better preserved, than were 
those kept in the fruit-room.— E. Gilbert, Burghley. 
A Failure with Lobelias.— I believe there is 
equally as much good done by chronicling failures as 
by recording successes. Thoughtful men who have 
failures should always look for a remedy ; but in this 
instance time will not admit, or, perhaps I should say, 
answer my purpose. I am free to admit that my great 
failure this season is with the Blue Lobelia. It may 
be said “Sow seed” at once ; but unless the seed is 
special it again becomes a failure. Therefore, if this 
should meet the eye of any of my friends who may be 
overstocked they will know what to do.— E. Gilbert, 
Burghley Gardens, Stamford. 
Specimen Fuchsias.— It would materially help 
young growers of Fuchsias if Mr. Lye, or some other 
able grower of specimen Fuchsias, would supplement 
what information “ R. D.” has so far given respecting 
Mr. Lye’s procedure in the process of creating big 
specimen plants. That the Fuchsia is essentially of 
pyramidal habit of growth all know ; but the hand¬ 
somest young plants can never be induced to come out 
themselves into giant pyramids of good form, unless 
some considerable training be bestowed upon them. 
It is the detail of that training, which is so desir¬ 
able, and which we want to know more about. 
Very many are the growers of specimen Fuchsias who 
fail in producing fine handsome ones, simply because 
they do not understand the nature of the initial train¬ 
ing required. The first year’s growth is that which 
must be clearly understood, and what follows in future 
years will be but the corollary of that, as no one, be he 
ever so clever, can hope to create a giant pyramid in 
one year, barely, perhaps, in two years. If we take a 
fine young plant early in the spring, no matter of what 
kind, keep it in gentle warmth, and by constant shift¬ 
ing keep it growing on, it is certain that, whilst it 
will form a natural pyramid, no power beyond that of 
pinching off the blooms, or pinching the blooming 
shoots, can prevent the plant from blooming as the 
summer advances. What does Mr. Lye do in such 
cases ? Does he pinch off the blooms only, or does he 
stop the shoots and cause them to break again, or does 
he let the plant bloom as it likes, and then cut it back 
in the winter to break afresh and build up another tier 
of branches and growth the following summer, and thus 
gradually construct his skeleton framework for the pro¬ 
duction of the grand show plant a year or two later ? 
Any information in detail npon these points would be 
very acceptable to many a Fuchsia grower. 
Begonia manicata.— Small plants of this old 
Begonia are extremely useful at this season of the year 
for indoor and conservatory decoration, it being so well 
adapted for mixing with more showy plants, in order 
to produce a light and graceful surface ; for, however 
imposing a number of richly-coloured plants may look 
when massed together, they certainly lack taste in 
their arrangement unless they have a few of more 
graceful habit—if less imposing appearance—inter¬ 
spersed among them. In order to have good plants of 
the Begonia in question for next season’s use, young 
tops with two or three leaves attached should be 
inserted in 60-sized pots, and placed in a warm propa¬ 
gating house, where they can be kept close for a time ; 
and as soon as they are rooted, grown on in an inter¬ 
mediate temperature till the beginning of June, when 
they can be transferred to a pit or frame, which is a 
capital position for them dining the summer months. 
While there, they should be shaded from bright 
