August 14, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
795 
If the early-flowering varieties are required for exhi¬ 
bition, they will require to he flowered under glass, or 
some temporary shelter, such as calico made waterproof, 
to protect the blooms from wet, and they should be 
taken under cover when the buds show colour. 
The November flowering varieties should be housed 
about the first week in October. Those varieties re¬ 
quired for late blooming should be kept out-doors as 
long as possible. If a temporary covering can be 
erected over them on the approach of frost, they will be 
sufficiently protected till severe weather sets in, when 
they should be taken into the house. 
In all cases when the plants are housed, abundance 
of air must be admitted both night and day. 
When the plants are housed they should be carefully 
looked over, and, if any signs of mildew appear, they 
should be dusted with flour of sulphur. 
Having now given a general outline of the culture of 
the Chrysanthemum, if there are any readers of The 
Gardening World who may at any time wish for 
further information, I am sure the editor will be pleased 
to insert their queries, when they shall receive due at¬ 
tention.— TV. E. Boyce, Archway Road, High gate. 
. -►>:£-<- - 
FRUITS, FLO WERS & V EGETABLES. 
Mammoth Scarlet Runners.—I was going 
my rounds the other morning and found an extra fine 
lot of Scarlet Runner Beans in the kitchen garden. I 
pulled three off one stalk, each of which measured be¬ 
tween 10 in. and 11 in. in length, and quite fit for 
cooking. The sort is one called Mammoth, recom¬ 
mended by Messrs. -J. Veitch & Sons. I have sent you 
thirteen, which weigh 1 lb. 2 ozs., there has been no 
extra cultivation given to them, and a row of the old 
sort, 6 ft. away from the Mammoths, are certainly not 
so fine or so prolific. Prodigy, a new Pea sent out by 
the same firm, has turned out a great cropper and of 
first-rate quality. It is certainly worth growing a 
second year. I still stick to my old favourite, “Jay’s 
Conqueror,” a sort that never fails to give the greatest 
satisfaction to the kitchen server and to the cook.— 
G. B. [The pods received are very fine, all measuring 
from 1 in. to 1J in. in breadth, and very tender in 
flesh. A good thing evidently.— Ed.1 
The Amsden Peach.—This variety is unknown 
to me, but I am pleased to inform your correspondent, 
Mr. Gilbert, that Princess Beatrice is the first to ripen 
here ; some seasons it ripens earlier than others. I 
have gathered it in the second week in July ; this 
season it was about the 20th of July when the first 
fruit was ready. This tree has borne about twelve 
dozen of fine fruit for four successive years. This, the 
second week of August, we have a few left. I may say 
as to Alexandra, that I gathered fruit in the fourth 
week of July, equal to Royal George in colour, though 
not in size, but a fair size for an early Peach. Hale’s 
Early will be ready in a few days ; when Beatrice is 
done Hale’s Early is generally ready with me. The 
latter I consider a grand Peach for colour, size and 
flavour ; our tree carries about eight dozen of grand 
fruit this season. I may say that I feed very heavily 
with Clay's Fertiliser and Bone Meal. If the Amsden 
Peach is so much earlier with Mr. Gilbert than Beatrice, 
I see no reason why it should not be earlier here. I 
hope others will give their opinion of this Peach 
through the columns of The Gardening World.— 
Robert Smith, The Gardens, Kenward, Ycilding, Kent. 
Chrysanthemums and Earwigs.—Having 
read the interesting and practical notes by Mr. Kidson 
on the Chrysanthemum, I am led to say that I believe 
the remarks by Mr. Kidson on the Earwig to be quite 
sound, as his observations exactly coincide with mine. 
Last year having had several shoots oh my plants eaten 
just as Mr. Boyce describes in your last issue, I suspected 
the Earwigs,and having caught several, I put themunder 
a large bell-glass with some young shoots of the Chrysan¬ 
themum. I also shook in some hundreds of green-fly 
along with the shoots, making all secure ; the result was 
that every green-fly was eaten up within thirty hours, 
and it was not till forty-five hours had passed that the 
earwigs began to eat the shoots, and then they ate 
round holes in one of the leaves—all the Earwigs eating 
at the same leaf. They did not touch the stem of the 
shoot; indeed the earwigs seemed to relish the fly so 
much that they ate many of them up while I was look¬ 
ing on in the daytime. From this I think the Earwig 
will prove more a friend than an enemy to the Chry¬ 
santhemum in its growing stage. I am inclined to 
regard woodlice as the real culprits, or the green cater- 
dillar, as both I have found on my plants.— J. Waldie. 
Carnations Indoor and Out. —Permit me to 
acknowledge first the courteous reference to my con¬ 
tributions, in the gardening journals, of “Dianthus,” 
p. 772, and then to add a few observations to my notes, 
p. 746, that unintentionally seemed to anticipate a few 
things I would otherwise now remark. “Dianthus” 
says, “no one who grows Carnations, Picotees, and 
Pinks to have them in bloom in July, think of growing 
them within doors.” In the previous sentence he 
described a remark of mine, having special reference to 
outdoor hardy flowers, and under that heading as 
“ tantalising,” and inexplicable. Now I think I may 
fairly borrow his description of me, and even question 
its accuracy. As a matter of fact, was there a single 
Carnation at the last Carnation Show at Kensington, 
or at the Carnation and Picotee Union at Mr. Dodwell’s 
on the 3rd inst., grown wholly in the open air? If 
there was not, what is the meaning of the sentence 
quoted ? I see from your description of the latter show, 
p. 780, referring to those grown, and not for com¬ 
petition, by Mr. Dodwell, “all his frames and houses 
were full of blooming plants.” I need not say, nothing 
I wrote would justify the assumption that I meant to 
have tree Carnations or forcing Pinks in bloom in the 
open air in February and March, it is, therefore, purely 
gratuitous. There is then a petulant remark, that I 
mean to have a “sly hit” at “the florists, as they are at 
times contemptuously termed,” and then magnanimously 
claiming for them the liberty to please themselves. 
This sort of criticism is always easily indulged in, and 
whether meant or not could do no good, except to pro¬ 
duce an unkindly feeling towards me by gentlemen for 
whom, individually and collectively, I have the most 
profound admiration. For years my great sin, if so it 
can be called, has been to recommend the extended 
culture in the open air, of every florist flower, that will 
at all bear that treatment, so as to place them within 
reach of the masses—to give the greatest pleasure to 
the'greatest number. I may err in detail, but I believe 
the principal is right. — TV. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
The Fruit Crops. —The crops here, and in this 
neighbourhood, in some instances, are extremely dis¬ 
appointing to those who noticed how gay the trees were 
with flower during the spring, but the old adage says, 
“it is not all gold that glitters,” and Apples are a very 
moderate crop. Pears are a very good crop, Beurre 
Ranee figuring very conspicuously ; Cherries on the 
whole are good, as also Plums, especially Kirk’s and 
Victoria ; Filberts and Hazel Nuts are good—while 
Kent Cobs are fair. Strawberries have not been so 
plentiful as last year, but Raspberries and red, white, and 
black Currants are in abundance ; Gooseberries are a 
medium crop ; Peaches and Nectarines are very scanty, 
having suffered severely from the late spring frosts. 
On the whole, the fruit trees are very free and clean.— 
Charles Grant, The Rookery Gardens, Dorking. 
Peas not Germinating-. —I had hoped that 
among your numerous correspondents, some one would 
have been found to throw more light on Mr. Gilbert’s 
non success with some of his Peas, as recorded in a for¬ 
mer issue. In my own experience, I have had what at 
first sight seemed very surprising things happen, and 
which have made me very cautious in imputing 
blame to the seedsman. I believe that among the re¬ 
spectable members of the trade, such a thing as sup¬ 
plying seeds of low germinating power (unless, indeed, 
the customer is warned that owing to adverse seasons 
it cannot be avoided) is an event which seldom happens, 
and yet failures similar to Mr. Gilbert’s do occur, and 
will often puzzle anyone to give a satisfactory explana¬ 
tion of the failure. 1 once sowed a frame of [Carrots, 
every reasonable care being taken to ensure success, but 
scarcely a plant made its appearance, and to satisfy 
myself as to the quality of the seed sown, the remainder 
of the packet was sown on the same soil, and we had a 
splendid crop. I never could assign any positive 
reason for this failure, and similar experiences will no 
doubt be fresh in the memories of many of your rea¬ 
ders. Last autumn we sowed, on the same day, three 
rows of Peas and two of Seville Long Pod Beans, and 
finding the Peas were above ground, and the Beans not 
making their appearance for some time afterwards an 
examination were made, when the Beans were found 
to be in a decaying state, while a later sowing from the 
same sample grew first rate; our explanation is that 
the frost got at them just as they were germinating, 
and an alternate thaw and frost checked the growth 
and ultimately killed them. The Peas being protected 
with a mulching of Fir leaves, the primary object of 
which was to keep the birds from them, were pro¬ 
tected alike from birds and the severity of the frost. 
Scotch Fir leaves, or as the country folk call them 
“pins and needles,” are the only protection we use 
against birds for our Pea crop. Pea guards, string or 
scarecrows are not wanted where a supply of these are 
available, however numerous the birds may be, and 
they are in strong force here ; with half an inch of 
needles scattered along the rows the birds will never 
molest them. I have lost sowings of Peas occasionally 
in dry weather, till I took to mulching them immedi¬ 
ately they are sown. It will sometimes happen that 
there is just enough moisture in the soil at sowing time 
to make the seed germinate, and from the want of fur¬ 
ther supply from the clouds or the water pot the soil 
becomes too dry to supply the requirements of the 
plants at a critical period in their existence, and they 
succumb for lack of moisture ; when, if the whole of 
the ground had been mulched immediately after sow¬ 
ing, very much of the moisture in the soil would have 
been retained for the benefit of the crop, instead of 
being evaporated into the ah. Mr. Gilbert’s failures 
occurred so early in the season that at first sight there 
seems great reason to doubt if they could have come 
about in this way, though it is quite possible they re¬ 
sulted from a somewhat similar combination of circum¬ 
stances.— TV. B. G. 
-—- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
♦ 
♦ 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
If the directions given in previous calendars have 
been followed and carried out, there will be somewhat 
.of a lull in this department, notwithstanding, there 
must be no semblance of neglect, or it will surely make 
itself felt sooner or later, but at the same time it will 
allow of a more general survey and re-arranging where 
necessary being given. More particularly will this be 
necessary in the intermediate house, where the occupants 
are growing in the greatest luxuriance, and unless given 
more room for development, will be spoiled except for 
grouping. Seedling Begonias are flowering very freely, 
and where specimens are required for house decoration 
(and for which they are well adapted if prepared), they 
must be staged thinly, or better still, if they are placed 
on inverted pots among the other plants, they will help 
to relieve the monotony of the “bank,” and also be 
greatly benefitted. 
The stock of plants of Hedychium Gardnerianum, 
in this house, are flowering admirably, giving us 
spikes of bloom from 1 ft. to 15 ins. in length, and 
of equally good girth. This is a grand old plant for 
summer decorative work, but one seldom sees it, and even 
then, as a rule, in a most unsatisfactory state. We find 
that, like the Eucharis, it must not be dried off; during 
the summer months it may be grown in any structure 
where a moderate temperature is maintained, and it 
will make satisfactory growth and flower quite freely if 
not too shaded. It quite enjoys and repays the most 
liberal treatment and attention in the way of an 
occasional dose of liquid manure water, and during 
the growing season of an abundance of water to 
the roots, and the free use of the syringe. Towards 
September water and syringing must be gradually 
reduced, and the plants may be subject to a rather 
lower temperature so as to induce rest, but at no time 
must they be placed out of sight, such as under a stage, 
or it will prove fatal to good heads of flowers. Keep 
them always exposed to the light, a late Yinery is a 
good place for them, and as they only require an oc¬ 
casional watering they are not at all in the way, and 
should the foliage become dirty, sponge them ; they 
may be readily placed to look quite refreshing amongst 
the Grapes, instead of, as may be supposed, an eyesore. 
Preparation must now also be made for the propagation 
of the bedding stuff for next season’s use, that is in the 
way of the boxes in which the cuttings are to be placed 
being cleaned and crocked, the heap of soil prepared, 
so that when the work is begun it may be completed as 
quickly as possible, for it must be remembered that 
each day brings its work, and therefore dilatoriness 
must not by any means be countenanced. For the 
propagating of the Alternantheras, Lobelias, Yerbenas, 
