March 27, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
471 
brilliant ringed flower, have given a grand progeny, all 
fine robust plants, probably a thousand or more in 8-in. 
pots showing a very fine strain. These singles are fast 
opening, and will present a brilliant show worth going 
a long journey to see. The strain has not only a first 
rate habit, but is not excelled by any other. 
There is also a huge lot of fine plants of herbaceous 
Calceolarias, and their robust healthy appearance shows 
that the cultivation of these somewhat difficult green¬ 
house plants is fully understood at Swanley. The 
strain is a beautiful one, and presently the plants will 
exhibit a glorious show. Of miscellaneous things their 
name is legion ; in fact, Mr. Cannell seems to have in 
stock and grow well something of everything. Tree 
Carnations alone fill a house 150 ft. long and some 
12 ft. wide, and within it may be seen the finest stock 
extant of that beautiful yellow self, Pride of Penshurst. 
The work of propagation goes on incessantly, and yet 
there is grass in immense quantities should any be 
wanting, cuttings of all the varieties. Out in the 
frames there are some 20,000 plants in small pots of 
Carnations, Picotees, Pinks, &c., of all kinds ; indeed, 
the stock is a marvellous one, and indicates how popular 
have this section of the Diantlius family become. 
Dahlias are a remarkable feature, and are being pro¬ 
pagated in great numbers. Mr. Cannell has long been 
to the fore with the Cactus section, and has in a box a 
choice lot of roots, just in from Portugal, where hun¬ 
dreds of seedlings of the Juarezi section are grown for 
him. The flowers of these novelties will be seen later. 
In one house was a large number of Orange plants, 
ranging from 12 ins. to 20 ins. in height, full of de¬ 
liciously-flavoured ripe fruits. These plants, thanks 
to the parcels post, are sent away singly in considerable 
numbers through that medium. Roses are being grafted 
in bulk in one house. In another may be seen a large 
collection of succulents of all kinds ; in another a lot of 
pretty pyramids of the pleasing Tropaeolum tricolorum ; 
in another vast quantities of Chrysanthemums, &c., so 
that Swanley is not merely a floral home sectionally, 
for it shelters almost every flower which may be found 
in modern gardens.— D. 
-—»*<-- 
Scottish Gardening. 
Pigs in the North. —It would appear that the 
cultivation of Figs on walls is becoming a thing of the 
past in northern parts. Like Peaches and Nectarines, 
they are, no doubt, considered to give more labour than 
profit. Figs under glass, in cool as well as hot-houses, 
have increased of late years, and evidently they are still 
making headway. When proprietors are accustomed 
to have this most wholesome fruit on their tables for 
dessert, they do not like to be without them for any 
lengthened period. The finely-ripened, delicious, and, 
one might add, nutritious Fig always becomes a special 
favourite when a taste for them has been acquired. 
The treatment of some kinds has to be almost of an 
opposite character to others. The strong growers, like 
Castle Kennedy, require a deal of curtailing and cramp¬ 
ing at their roots till they are made to bear freely, or 
trees of limited size, we do not refer to pot trees and 
thosebuilt into brick basins, but trees trained to say 10 ft., 
15 ft. or more apart, and it is trees of such dimensions 
one occasionally sees on Scotch walls, but only in 
favoured positions. 
In East Lothian and along the south coast of Fife I 
have seen Figs, and in a few cases doing tolerably well. 
The kinds which seemed to receive most favour were 
Brown Ischia and Brown Turkey, evidently two of the 
hardiest. The greatest faults we have noticed in con¬ 
nection with the cultivation of Fig trees, both in north 
and south, is allowing the branches to become matted 
with small growths. The crowding of the shoots to¬ 
gether probably indicated a desire to secure abundance 
of fruit—many of these branches no doubt showing 
abundance of young Figs which dropped “untimely.” 
But the very means (still very common) used to secure 
plenty is what defeats the object in view. The same 
may be said of most kinds of fruits, and the “letalone” 
system of root and branch management too often ex¬ 
hibits this ; mistake. Figs are by no means tardy iu 
taking to almost any kind of soil, and will make growth 
almost in any position, but ripening of fruit in such 
positions is quite another matter. Were we to start 
growing Figs in any of the favoured districts north of 
the Tweed, thorough drainage, plenty of shelter, and 
free exposure to sun would be of primary consideration, 
and under such conditions we have seen very fair Figs 
ripened north of the Forth. 
Good loam with a dash of sand and lime rubbish iu 
it does well for Fig growing, stones, brickbats, and old 
plaster, made thoroughly firm makes an excellent 
bottom for the roots, and with ample drainage under 
them one need not fear that the feeders would become 
waterlogged. We prefer building a front to the border 
to keep the roots under control, and when they become 
a mass of fibre good top dressings may be given, and 
drenehings of manure water during the summer as may 
be required. In managing the trees during the growing 
season, we believe in getting the tree to the desired size 
(trained according to taste), horizontal, vertical, or fan, 
all do well. We like to get good clean growths, as one 
would a Pear, retaining them as main stems, training 
the young bearing shoots on one or each side of these 
main branches, cutting out the old in the autumn when 
they have borne one crop (a second or third in the north 
is out of reason) allowing the young growths which are 
to fruit the following year all the sun and air possible ; 
regulating the root growth gives a decided advantage 
to fruiting. Early ripened stiff shoots a few inches long 
do not fail in showing fruit, and all other things being 
equal they are not apt to drop “untimely.” Well 
managed trees in course of time require next to no stop¬ 
ping or pruning. The emission of suckers should 
always be carefully avoided—a clean stem from the 
root 1 ft. or more long, is very desirable with all wall 
trees. 
In the application of liquid manure many errors are 
committed ; strong, but putrid liquid manure is the cause 
of much mischief. Instead of the roots being refreshed 
and the trees fed by such applications the former are 
destroyed, or, at least, rendered unhealthy, and one 
need not add that flabby looking foliage and badly 
ripened wood follows suit. There are good artificial 
manures (the properties of which have been abundantly 
proved), which can always be used with safety and 
with much advantage to the trees. We do not know 
any fruits which manure water tells more decidedly on 
than Figs, but rank fibreless roots receiving copious 
draughts of liquid manure only gives w r ood and foliage 
minus fruit. 
The protection of Figs (especially in such wintry 
weather as we have been experiencing), is of great 
moment ; we have seen fine Brunswick trees on open 
■walls killed outright about 400 miles southward from 
where we write. Strawbands twisted round the stems, 
a thatching with straw, thick coverings of Spruce 
branches, thatched portable hurdles, and coatings of 
Fern are some of the methods adopted for the protection 
of Fig trees. They are covered at the fall of the leaf, and 
uncovered when frost is well past in spring (about 1st 
of May). No one would recommend the planting of 
Figs on open walls while they had glass cases or other 
structures at command, but in the absence of the latter, 
would certainly in favoured positions do something 
with wall culture. On the fronts of houses, similar to 
what one is so familiar with in Apricot culture through¬ 
out Oxfordshire, would be positions 'which we should 
choose for Figs. We do not know to what extent the 
grafting of Figs has been tried, but it has been done 
at Callandar House Gardens by the successful fruit 
grower there, Mr. Boyd, and we hope to examine the 
experiment when the season is further advanced.— 
M. T. 
Aberdeen Horticultural Association.— 
The monthly meeting of the members of this Associa¬ 
tion was held in the Young Men’s Christian Institute, 
Aberdeen, on Friday, 19th inst., under the presidency 
of Mr. Peter Harper. There was a good attendance. 
Professor James W. H. Trail (Professor of Botany, 
Aberdeen University) read an interesting paper on the 
history of well-known plants, specifying the different 
orders, and then sketching the history of the different 
plants comprised under each. The plants named in¬ 
cluded the Cabbage, Turnip, Radish, Pea, Bean, Carrot, 
Parsnip, Parsley, Celery, Lettuce, Dandelion, Arti¬ 
choke, Potato, Tomato, Spinach, Beet, Asparagus, 
Onion, &c. None of the plants, he said, were indi¬ 
genous to Scotland, but they had been introduced by 
the original settlers, by the Romans and others. At 
the close of the paper a cordial vote of thanks was 
accorded Professor Trail on the motion of the chairman. 
A paper sent by Mrs. Farquharson, of Haughton, on 
“ Fern spores and their development” was then read 
by the secretary of the Association (Mr. Reid). The 
paper, which was illustrated by mycroscopic slides, was 
exceedingly well received, and the thanks of the meet¬ 
ing ordered to be conveyed to the writer. Several 
plants w T ere exhibited on the table, which the com¬ 
mittee inspected. These were a Cyclamen from Mr. 
Auld, the Firs, Murtle, near Aberdeen, for which a cul¬ 
tural certificate was awarded ; a pot of Lilies from Mr. 
R. Gregor, Sunnybank ; and Cinerarias from Mr. 
Smart, Lesmurdic, to each of whom a vote of thanks 
was awarded. A similar compliment having been paid 
the chairman the proceedings terminated. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
After so many weeks waiting, favourable weather 
has come at last, and as suddenly as might have been 
expected from an almost Arctic winter, we were hurried 
into mild spring-like weather, releasing the ground 
from the frost-grip, and permitting much overdue work 
to be accomplished. It is surprising what a rapid 
effect the higher temperature has already had upon the 
fruit trees, and what few vegetables there are left. 
Apple and Pear tree flower buds are gradually extend¬ 
ing from their scales, and will soon expand if this 
weather continues. Red Currants are similarly show¬ 
ing, while some early Gooseberries have shoots | in. 
long, others breaking rapidly also. A few Turnip-tops 
and Brussel Sprouts, which had been given up as no 
good, but left in the ground on the bare possibility of 
a renewal of growth are starting again, and we shall 
secure a cutting or two that will be most serviceable 
now all is so scarce. Sowing seeds must now be 
proceeded with as rapidly as possible, as there is so 
much lost time to make up that no further delay can 
be afforded. We had sown a few early Peas before the 
frost, and now w r e have got in another lot—a few rows 
each of Maclean’s Little Gem, and King of the Marrows, 
which are favourites rvith us in addition to those we 
have previously recommended. It is not necessary to 
have a large number of varieties of Peas to keep up a good 
supply, as this can be regulated better by successional 
sowings than in any other way, for Peas that come in 
at different seasons can be sown at the same time and 
as they will come in their natural order, Peas will he 
obtained in good succession, and a glut at any one time is 
avoided. Beans and any of the other general crops 
mentioned in our last calendar can be sown now, and 
we are putting Lettuces and Radishes out freely, as 
both these are in good demand. Asparagus beds may 
be attended to if the work has been delayed—planting 
fresh ones, or giving a good dressing of old manure to 
the established beds. Any planting in arrears must 
now be got through quickly, for the sun has gained so 
much power that on clear days it has an injurious 
effect upon plants that have been disturbed at their 
roots. Frames containing seedlings must be well 
ventilated. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
A good opportunity is now afforded for a general 
clean-up, sweeping and rolling lawns and paths, trim¬ 
ming the margins of lawns or beds, and where the 
latter are not occupied with bulbs or spring bedding, 
they should be prepared for their summer occupants. 
Dig the beds well, and use a little old leaf-soil, but do 
not employ any rank manure for those that are to contain 
Pelargoniums or similar plants, as if these are induced 
to make very luxuriant growth they will never flower 
satisfactorily. It is far better to have the soil intended 
for flowering plants of this character rather poor than 
otherwise, and it applies equally to the tricolor and 
silver variegated Pelargoniums as well as those used in 
carpet bedding, such as Alternantheras. For sub¬ 
tropical plants of the Castor Oil and Canna types a rich 
soil is requisite, as the object with these is to get as 
rapid and vigorous a growth as possible, or the beds do 
not become well filled in one short season. A dressing 
of old manure may, therefore, be dug in for them, the 
soil being pulverised, and large stones removed. Lawns 
that have the grass rather thin in patches should have 
a little fine soil strewed over the bare places, and some 
mixed seed sown with some Clover if it is wished to 
make a thicker foundation. "W here moss is abundant, 
strew a little lime over the place, and then rake slightly 
to remove the moss, subsequently sowing seed as 
advised. Annuals may be sown in warm borders, or, 
preferably, in pots placed in frames, and subsequently 
planted out. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
The plants in this house will now require much 
attention, supplying water more freely, and ventilating 
liberally. Whenever this house has to be kept closed 
for some time, it is impossible to have the plants in 
satisfactory condition, the growths become drawn and 
weak, the foliage loses its natural colour, and the 
flowers do not last so long as when in a well-ventilated 
