October 9, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
87 
Hardening ffoTEs from 
•[Scotland. 
Hints on Storing' Fruit. —At the present time 
the housing of fruit demands much attention, and in dis¬ 
tricts where scarcity prevails—and such are numerous, 
so far as Apples are concerned—the greatest care should 
be exercised that no loss is incurred through bruising the 
fruit by rough handling. It is not necessary to go 
much into details as to how fruit should be stored ; 
but it is of much importance, especially in northern 
parts, that the fruit should be in condition for gathering. 
Often Apples and Pears are all but ruined by harvesting 
them while they are not matured. The fear of injury 
from frost urges many to collect all and sundry hinds, 
and shelve or box them as expeditiously as possible. 
Apples are not generally the tender fruit which some 
believe they are. It is not uncommon to pick up, in 
orchards, Apples which have lain on the ground all 
the winter, and not the mildest of seasons either. We 
notice that on our heavily-cropped trees—not in the 
orchard—the fruit is still swelling rapidly. The mild 
weather which we have experienced for some ten days 
may be helpful to this, the thermometer several times 
standing at 60° during the night ; and while the fruit 
is improving we think it unwise to remove it from the 
trees. The fruit-house having been made clean, dry 
and damp proof, it is well to get the earliest fruit in 
first, keeping kinds in order according to their time of 
ripening. Some prefer thin layers standing singly, so 
that air may pass freely above and below the fruits. 
This is strictly essential for Pears ; but late-keeping 
Apples may be placed in boxes, barrels (as American 
fruit is consigned to this country), or in heaps along 
shelves, where they can remain undisturbed till they 
are wanted for use. We know how market-men have 
to turn their fruit-storing space to account, and ridges 
on floors like Potato-pits are had recourse to. Careful 
handling when gathering, separating the bruised ones 
from the sound fruit ; free ventilation at first till fruit 
has sweated dry ; close, dark, dry quarters afterwards, 
and even temperature are the chief items of attention. 
Pears are preserved in various ways, but we have 
seen them do best laid out thinly on shelves in a dry 
airy fruit-room, and then kept dark with sheets of 
paper laid over them to prevent evaporation. I am 
not sure that there is much good in the paper, but 
put a deal of value in not crowding them together ; 
wherever there is a bruise decay sets in. Arrange the 
kinds by themselves ; put each lot, for convenience 
sake, in divisions so that they may be comeatable when 
they are wanted. A few placed in heat every eight 
days or so, will keep up a supply for dessert, and help 
to prevent a glut coming in and going to waste. 
Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots will now be getting 
well over, and can be removed to a dry warm room to 
ripen. Where these are under glass they are very 
manageable—a dryness can be maintained, and sun- 
lieat harvested ; but in northern latitudes the ripening 
of these must take a very artificial form, and though 
they may slightly shrivel, they often are of great 
service. Walburton Admirable and Barrington Peaches 
we have often seen in fine condition at the end of 
October. Melons should be cut when the foliage shows 
signs of decay, and removed to a place where heat will 
ripen the fruit. Such practice is seldom necessary 
except where warmth from manure has to be depended 
on ; and late Melons from manure beds are not often 
first rate. The Beechwood and Golden Perfection class 
of Melons are very useful under such circumstances, 
and often attain excellent flavour weeks after they are 
cut. 
Plums are this season looked upon as something in 
the nature of a deluge, and many are allowed to 
waste because the prices are so low as to render it 
profitless work to gather the fruit. The heavy crop 
also has been the cause of much inferior quality, which 
has been all but worthless when gathered. Fine grown 
fruit, we notice, still commands a ready market, and 
are bringing fair prices. In northern districts, where 
standard trees are not planted orchard fashion as in the 
great Plum districts, there are not many of the fruits 
going to waste. There are many ways in cooking by 
which Plums are of great value. 
Wasps came very suddenly to grief this year, after 
a short but destructive period of existence. Many of 
the best kind of Plums on walls were attacked before 
they were ripe—especially Jefferson’s; but, though 
these are gathered comparatively hard, they come in 
useful enough, and not at all despicable on the dessert 
table. Flies, we notice, are busy at work, and not 
easily baffled in finding such favourite food as Plums. 
We would, therefore, advise the removing of all the 
fruit to a dry, cool room ; and, if the quantity will 
admit of it, a portion of the Plums can be removed to 
a dry warm position to ripen as they are required. 
Coe’s Golden Drop does well with such treatment. 
Reine Claude de Bavay is liable to .crack if left out at 
this season. It may be kept like Golden Drop for 
weeks to come.— if. T. 
Scottish Horticultural Association. —A 
meeting of the Scottish Horticultural Association was 
held on Tuesday evening at 5, St. Andrew Square, 
Edinburgh—Mr. Alexander Milne, president, in the 
chair. A paper on “The Cultivation of Orchids” was 
read by Mr. James Cole, Craigleith Nurseries. He 
pointed out that the cultivation of orchidaceous plants 
was no longer the privilege of the few, now that their 
nature and requirements were better understood. The 
present development of cultivation was chiefly due, 
first, to the useful information given by those who had 
studied the plants in their native habitats ; second, to 
the practical application by home cultivators of the 
varied observations of travellers ; and third, to the 
discovery that many of the most ornamental species 
required less heat and less expensive appliances than 
was at one time thought necessary. A paper on “The 
Propagation of Plants ” was read by Mr. Charles Taylor, 
Royal Botanic Gardens. He said the whole system of 
successful propagation might be briefly described thus : 
to produce circumstances and surroundings that would 
prevent undue evaporation, and at the same time to 
maintain circulation and plant growth until roots 
could be formed in the cutting, and a union between 
stock and scion. Amongst the exhibits forwarded to 
the meeting were Chrysanthemum blooms (Madame 
Desgrange) of the white and golden varieties, from 
Mr. W. Rushton, Clerwood, and a collection of Apples 
from maiden trees, including an American variety 
named Washington, from Mr. John Downie, Beech 
Hill, Corstorphine. Discussions, followed the reading 
of both papers. 
-- 
NOTES ON LILIUMS.— VII. 
In the various chapters’which have preceded the 
present one, I have endeavoured to bring before the 
readers of The Gardening World some of the best 
and most important species constituting a race of plants 
which, as a whole, is unparalleled. In the present 
chapter I shall chiefly refer to the Tiger Lilies, L. 
tigrinum, which during August and September form 
one of the principal features among Lilies in the 
embellishment of the hardy plant garden ; not that 
they are during the time herein stated the only Lilies 
to be found in flower, for some of the auratums are then 
resplendent with beauty, and bear their noble flowers 
away into the latter months of the year ; even now, 
October 5tli, I have auratums struggling to expand, 
and if the weather continues favourable, I shall hope 
to have flowers for some time yet. Still, I must add, 
these are being produced from late importations, and 
are the exception rather than the rule. 
The Tiger Lilies are highly decorative subjects, 
very hardy, of good habit, and vigorous constitution ; 
and growing luxuriantly in the most ordinary vegetable 
soil. It is equally at home in the humble and modest 
garden of the cottager, as it is in the more sumptuous 
flower borders or beds which invariably surround the 
mansion of the noble lord. No late-flowering Lily is 
better adapted for massing than this one, not only on 
account of its perfect hardiness and the ease with which 
it may be grown generally, but on account of its 
cheapness ; indeed, a hundred of good-sized bulbs—all 
flowering bulbs, too—may be purchased for less than 
single bulbs of some of the rarer species and forms. For 
these reasons the Tiger Lilies should be planted by 
hundreds in all establishments where large and spacious 
borders exist, or where there are thinly planted shrub¬ 
beries or woodland-walks where they may be eventually 
naturalised. In the herbaceous or mixed border none 
are more thoroughly at home than these, for they soon 
become established, and annually increasing in size and 
importance, form, in a couple of seasons, highly valuable 
and imposing objects for early autumn blooming. The 
varieties of this species are not numerous, and next 
week I will name the whole of them that are worthy 
of cultivation.— J. 
The Amateors’ Garden. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
A general clearing up will now be the principal 
work in the kitchen garden, all spent crops removed, 
the ground re-dug and planted for winter, and every¬ 
thing placed in order before bad weather renders the 
work difficult or impossible. The season is keeping 
exceptionally fine, the few slight frost.s we experienced 
last month did very little damage, and if it were not 
for the falling leaves we might fancy it is still summer. 
The ground is in capital order for digging or lifting 
roots of all kinds, and the late Potato crops should be 
taken up without delay, storing them in a cool, dark, 
but not too damp a place ; or where there is a large 
quantity, they are sometimes placed in heaps covered 
with dry soil, and then with straw or litter. 
In all households Onions form an important part of 
the vegetable supply, particularly in winter. The 
harvesting of these needs some care, and though 
reference has been previously made to the subject, a 
few additional notes may be useful. 
When lifted or pulled from the ground, the Onion3 
should be laid on the surface, if the weather be dry, for 
a day or two, to permit the superfluous moisture to 
evaporate ; and the brighter the weather when thus 
exposed, the more likely are they to keep satisfactorily. 
There is also another point that requires attention— 
viz.., when they are sufficiently dried, and the tops 
removed, they should be sorted according to their 
sizes, placing the smallest by themselves for late use, 
and the largest, which are generally also the least well 
ripened, must be used first. Solid, firm, properly- 
matured Onions of medium size will keep well for a 
great time if stored thinly in a cool place, either on 
shelves or floors. 
It may be also desirable to lift the Beet now, and 
these require special care to avoid injuring the skin of 
the roots, or they will lose colour and prove very dis¬ 
appointing when cooked. The leaves should be cut 
off, but not too close to the crown of the root, and the 
latter must not be broken or cut in any way. When 
they have dried somewhat on the surface they may be 
stacked in a frost-proof shed, and covered to prevent 
damp getting at them. Carrots can be treated 
similarly, but these and Parsnips will not be injured 
by frost ; indeed, some people prefer them after they 
have been frozen, and the only advantage of lifting a 
few is that they may be ready to hand at any time 
when the weather is very severe, and it might be 
difficult to dig them from the open ground. It, of 
course, seems unnecessary to perform these operations 
while the weather .continues so warm, but it may 
change very suddenly, and heavy storms of rain would 
render the ground very difficult to work properly, and 
would, moreover, unfit the roots for storing, as if put 
away in a wet state they will not keep so well. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Very seldom are we favoured with such a prolonged 
display of flowers as is the case this season, and the 
warm weather seems to have given new life to the 
majority of autumn-flowering plants ; Dahlias are still 
quite gay, Sunflowers are as showy as ever; the 
Michaelmas Daisies adding wonderfully to the beauty 
of the garden. We have one long border which is very 
attractive with Stocks, Asters, Convolvulus, Tropaso- 
lums, and other annuals from late-sown seeds ; 
Mignonette still affording abundant supplies of its 
fragrant and favourite flowers. We always have a good 
supply of the last-named from early summer to late 
autumn out of doors, and then we have some in pots 
for the greenhouse, so that we are not without its 
flowers for a very long period at any time of the year. 
We have three Michaelmas Daisies that can be strongly 
recommended, namely, Aster novie-anglse rubra, red ; 
A. novi-belgii, blue ; and A. amellus bessarabicus, dark 
lilac. These are so distinct in colours, and such wonder¬ 
fully free fiowerers that they can be safely included in 
any collection, being far superior to the old form of A. 
amellus. 
Leaves are falling rapidly, especially from the Limes, 
and attention must be given to sweeping these up from 
lawns and paths, as in the event of rain coming they 
are liable to be drawn in by worms, and paths are then 
much spoiled in appearance. Place the leaves together 
in a heap or slightly spread out, as they will be useful 
for placing on the borders when partially decayed. 
Have the lawn mowed now, and it will not need much 
more cutting ; trim the edges, and give the same care 
in clearing up as advised in the Kitchen Garden.— 
Scolyt-us. 
