January 1, 1887. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
283 
herbaceous border in a good position, and a long ribbon 
border by the road, composed of choice evergreens. 
This is a specially pleasing feature, and here we may 
well conclude the notes of our visit.— IV. 
>X<- 
Cratsegus pyracantha. —Calling upon a friend 
at Christmas, I found that, in the absence of Holly 
berries, he had used in the decoration of his living- 
rooms sprays of berries of what is termed the Red 
Pyracantha, which were numerously produced during 
the past season ; and what a charming object it is in 
winter, when laden with its pale coral berries ! It will 
grow in almost any situation, but prefers a sunny one. 
The flowers of this evergreen Thom have a sweet smell 
resembling new hay, and with its shining evergreen 
leaves and bunches of bright berries, together with the 
docility with which it can be trained—although properly 
a shrub—it is well adapted for any vacant space of 
wall, looking particularly well against that of a dwelling- 
house, and unquestionably ranks among the highest 
ornaments of the winter garden ; indeed, it is attractive 
the whole year round, as the berries of the preceding 
season have scarcely disappeared before it is showing 
its white fragrant blossoms.— R. D. 
Christmas Rosss. —What is the reason of the 
Christmas Roses being so backward in flowering this 
season 1 The complaint, I find, is pretty general. 
Plants in pots under glass, though in a cold house, are 
not nearly so forward as they were last season, and I 
am informed this is the case with those plants forced 
into bloom in heat. Can anyone account for it ?— Quo. 
Climbing' Rose, Felicite Perpetue. —Allow 
me to put in a word or two in favour of this fine old 
Rose. It is one of the Multiflora section, the original 
type of which was introduced from China in 1804, and 
from it some twenty or thirty varieties at least have 
sprung, among them that named above, known also as 
Alba. The best time for planting is in autumn ; but 
it is so hardy and vigorous a Rose that when planted 
as late as March it does well. It is a remarkably rapid 
grower, with charming foliage, and bearing myriads of 
little globular creamy white blossoms. It is one of the 
most serviceable of the climbing Roses. — R. D. 
Achimenes coccinea. —For many years I have 
made a practice of growing this small-flowered but 
brilliant Aehimenes as a winter-flowering plant, and 
find it easy to manage, and most useful in the stove 
or for decoration indoors at this season. By delaying 
to plant the rhizomes until after midsummer, then 
placing the pots in a vinery or greenhouse, the growth 
is so retarded, that when they are subsequently put 
into the stove as the autumn advances, they are only 
in full growth, and about to flower early in December. 
By growing them in two batches, with some weeks 
between each planting, I get them to bloom all through 
December and January—a time they are more valuable 
for cutting than in summer when so many flowers are 
in blossom. Those to whom I have recommended this 
simple method, and who have tried it, speak of it as a 
great success, and a most useful help towards the 
supply of winter flowers. It is well to delay as long as 
possible their going to rest in the spring, so that they 
may provide good plump rhizomes for the subsequent 
planting.— J. T. Poe, Riverston. 
Celery and Seakale. — Celery is now being 
largely used as a substitute for Seakale, thus dispensing 
with the necessity of forcing the latter. At this time 
of year cottagers have a supply from their one ridge, 
without any heat, and the white varieties are preferred 
to the reds for stewing, as not being tinted with colour, 
while, at the same time, milder in flavour.— B. L. 
Soot and Celery. —What a wonderful stimulus 
to growth, what healthy dark green foliage soot gives 
to any vegetable product when judiciously applied ! 
Soot is largely used as a top-dressing by Messrs. 
Bleachers, of Huddersfield, at their vegetable farm on 
the borders of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The good 
and clean marketable samples that this firm imports 
into this town, shows the marked results of soot, as 
well as proper selection of soils and sorts. In many 
places it is often a difficulty to get a good stick of 
Celery without first having to pull the outer half of the 
leaves away, on account of their being riddled with 
slugs and snails; but a top-dressing of soot, once or 
twice during the summer, amongst the plants, will 
prevent all this. One firm of chimney-sweepers in¬ 
forms me that last year their supply alone to the above 
firm was over 30 tons of soot, and that the area of 
Celery under cultivation was some hundreds of acres. 
— B. L. 
Begonia Frcebelii.—Though it may seem pre¬ 
mature to comment on an article “ to be continued, 
still what has been written on “The Tuberous Begonia ” 
seems complete, so far as it has gone. I would say 
I have remarked that the distinctive feature of this 
brilliantly coloured Begonia, namely, its flowering in 
mid-winter, has been omitted from the description, 
which is an omission the plant does not deserve. The 
improved form of it, B. Frcebelii incomparabilis, also 
sent out by Mons. Froebel, of Zurich, is a much hand¬ 
somer flower than the type. A plant of it, which I had 
from Mons. Frcebel when first sent out, has been in 
bloom here for more than a month past, and has been 
the brighest spot in an intermediate house, where its 
brilliant scarlet-crimson flowers are welcome at this 
season, and contrast so well with the Roman Hyacinths 
and other flowers.— J. T. Poe, Riverston. 
The Carnation Maggot.—I read with much 
interest the note by “R. D.,” on p. 26/ of December 
25th, on this subject. The Carnation maggot is no 
new thing amongst Carnations and Picotees, as it has 
been known for a long time, and I have myself been 
acquainted with it ever since I began to grow the flowers. 
It generally starts at the top or centre of the plant and 
progresses downwards into the very pith of the plant; 
but I never knew it to reach the collar, as stated by 
“ R. D.,” except in very small plants before the grub 
appears to be fully matured. The maggot is about 
3-16 of an inch in length, and it takes about one month 
from its first appearance to its being fully developed, 
when it is of a reddish brown colour. After it gets to 
this state it does not seem to do any more harm to the 
plants. I never knew it to make such serious inroads 
on a collection as “ R. D.” describes, especially at this 
time of the year. Its ravages have generally been worst 
in August and September, after the plants have been 
layered. After reading “ R. D.’s ” note, I looked over 
my stock with great care, but could not see more than 
four or five plants which had been injured by the 
maggot. I find it the best way to look over the plants 
once a week, and to destroy such things as maggots 
and slugs, as it is easy to see at once where they are or 
have been. How the maggot originates I cannot say, 
but I think it comes with the manure, as I noticed 
more of it one year than I had done before. I had the 
soil and manure examined, and we found in the 
manure some of the same form of maggot but of a 
larger size.— Frank Law, Rochdale. 
Cotoneaster frigida and C. afflnis.— How 
that we are in the midst of the planting season, 
special notice may be directed to the above, as being 
two very excellent subjects, well adapted for planting 
in shrubberies and pleasure grounds, where something 
both pleasing and effective is desired. At the present 
time and for some weeks past both species have pre¬ 
sented quite a charming and captivating appearance ; 
the former by its long pendulous branches, weighed 
down by its clusters of brightly coloured scarlet berries, 
and the latter with berries of a dark brown or deep 
chocolate hue. The first-named is infinitely the better 
of the two, and, in my opinion, second only to the 
Holly, amongst our hardy trees and shrubs for 
effectiveness at this time of the year. Both species if left 
unpruned will grow to a height of something like 20 
ft., and will stand the test of our severest winters ; at 
the same time, we may remark, they do not fruit so 
freely every year as they are doing this year.— J. II. 
Gros Colmar Grape.—In the late vinery at 
Clarendon Park are some high-class bunches of Gros 
Colmar, i.e., as regards colour, size of berry and flavour. 
Most truly this variety may be termed an invalid’s 
Grape when grown in its best form, i. e., when the berries 
are black and something like 4 ins. in circumference, as 
•were those we had the pleasure of tasting.— Visitor. 
Mistleto.—I will, with your permission, supple¬ 
ment Mr. R. Dean’s remarks on Mistleto at p. 248, and 
for the interest of some of your readers, add a record 
of trees upon which this parasite grows, in some cases 
many feet in diameter. In Herefordshire it may be 
seen thriving in great abundance on the Apple trees. 
This county being celebrated for its Apple orchards, as 
well as for the cultivation of Hops, it may be readily 
conceded that there is a great quantity of this parasite, 
and tons of it are cut annually and disposed of. I may 
inform your readers who are not acquainted with the 
fact, that Messrs. R. Smith &Co., St. John’s nurseries, 
Worcester, are able to supply Apple trees with Mistleto 
growing thereon, and anyone desirous of introducing 
this parasite into other counties, will find it a much 
easier way than the more risky one of rubbing the 
berries on the bark. I read lately that great quantities 
had been cut and exported to New York, from Mon¬ 
mouthshire ; this is noteworthy from the fact that large 
quantities are sent to the London markets from 
Brittany. Appended is a list of the trees which I 
have been enabled to collect together, upon which the 
Mistleto grows :—Acacia at Alderley, Gloucestershire ; 
Acacia atFaversham, Kent; Acacia at Westwood Park, 
Worcestershire ; Aspen Poplar, Birch, Chestnut, 
Hawthorn, Lime, Magnolia glauca, Maple, Mountain 
Ash, Oak, Rose, Service Tree, Sycamore and White 
Beam. It may also be seen glowing at the under¬ 
mentioned places on the Oak :—Burningham Farm, 
Dunsfold; Badliam’s Court, Chepstow, Monmouthshire; 
Bredwardine, Herefordshire ; Cheltenham, Gloucester¬ 
shire ; Eastnor Park, Herefordshire; Forest of Deerfold, 
Herefordshire ; Frampton Severn, Gloucestershire ; 
HackwoodPark, Basingstoke; Hendre,Monmouthshire; 
Knightwick Church, Worcestershire ; Lee’s Court, 
Faversham, Kent ; Lindridge, Worcestershire ; Plas 
Newydd, Anglesey ; Plymouth (near); Saltmarsh Castle, 
Bromyard ; and Tedstone Delamere, Herefordshire.— 
J. S. T. 
Wintry Weather in Ireland. — We are 
having just now what might justly be called real 
Christmas weather. Commencing with a slight frost 
on Wednesday night, we had 12° on Thursday and 
Friday nights. Saturday morning came in with a 
heavy fall of snow, which continued up till evening, 
when it was 20 ins. deep. Some old men employed in 
these gardens tell me that they do not recollect such a 
heavy fall in this part. Saturday night cleared up for 
frost, and towards morning we registered 14° ; and on 
this Monday morning, December 20th, we had 27° of 
frost ; and now at the time of writing, 6.15 p.m., the 
glass is standing at 10°, making 22° of frost. I do not 
anticipate much injury to shrubs or Alpines or any 
delicate plants, on account of the covering of snow. 
There is a generally prevalent opinion that the West of 
Ireland is very mild, but from the plants we have lost 
here it could be abundantly proved that such is not the 
case ; certainly not at all to be compared with the 
West of Scotland, as your account of the vegetation in 
the favoured Island of Arran and notes from other 
western places show. I had the pleasure in 1883 of 
taking a hurried run through the beautiful and well- 
kept gardens of Poltalloch, in company with Mr. 
Russell, and of noticing various plants in vigorous 
health then, that were killed outright during the 
winters of 1879 and 1881. Some of the plants referred 
to are Desfontainea spinosa, of which there are fine 
shrubs at Poltalloch standing in the open ; we had but 
one plant of this in 1879 which was killed, but last 
year we planted two out against a wall, and they both 
perished. Garrya elliptica, Arbutus Unedo, Buddlea 
globosa, the Pampas Grass, and others, which I have 
seen doing well in the West of Scotland have all been 
killed here. I attribute a good deal of our losses to the 
wet climate.— J. JIcP., Markree Castle, Co. Sligo. 
Classification of Pears as to Quality.— 
At p. 202 your esteemed correspondent, Mr. Murphy, 
suggests that those having a classified list of Pears as 
to quality, should place it before your readers. This 
is a capital suggestion, in my opinion, and I fully an¬ 
ticipated seeing several communications on the subject. 
However, no one having yet replied, I will give the 
names of a few as selected from a goodly number grown 
here, and which, for quality and usefulness together, I 
believe to be the best in the season from August to the 
middle of January. Marie Louise, in its season, I 
would without the least hesitation give the premier 
place ; and next to it I am inclined to place that not 
over handsome variety, Thompson’s. It is really a 
first-rate quality Pear, and its appearance is its only 
fault. Doyenne du Comice is remarkably good with 
us, the fruits growing to a nice dessert size, and for 
quality is all that could possibly be desired. The 
following are a few that I consider to be the best here. 
I name them somewhat in the order of ripening :— 
Jargonelle, Williams’ Bon Chretien, Madame Treyve, 
Fondante de Automne, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Thomp- 
