January 8, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
295 
■with. rose. The petals are much broader, hut 
similar in colour. The lateral lobes of the lip are 
small and rosy purple, but the middle lobe is deep rose- 
purple, and gives character to the whole flower. —Orchid 
Album, t. 268. 
-->33*-- 
OESTRUM AURANTIACUM. 
Few of the species of Cestrum are worthy of the 
attention of cultivators, and those few apparently all 
belong to the section Habrothamnus, under which name 
they are generally best known in gardens. The species 
under notice belongs to that section, and is one of the 
most useful winter-flowering shrubs that could be in¬ 
troduced to the greenhouse or conservator} 7 . Owing to 
its naturally attaining a considerable size before it will 
flower freely, the best method of treating it is to train 
it up a rafter or against a pillar of the house. If allowed 
to run up for 6 ft. or 10 ft., the quantity of flowers it 
will produce in the dull, sunless winter months is truly 
astonishing. 
The flowers are a deep Apricot colour, scarcely orange, 
as the specific name would lead us to imagine, and 
produced with great freedom in terminal panicles. So 
long as fresh growth continues to be made, every shoot 
terminates in clusters of flowers, proportionate in 
numbers to the size of the branch producing them. 
These flowers serve not only for the adornment of 
greenhouses, but are equally serviceable for cut flower 
purposes. The flowers are succeeded in their native 
country by snow-white pear-shaped berries, but they 
do not seem to set fruit in this country, owing probably 
to the unfavourable season at which they expand, when 
light, temperature and insect life are all at a discount. 
The cultural requirements of the plant are few, 
especially when planted out where the soil is moderately 
rich and well drained, and when it has a full and perfect 
exposure to light. Young plants can be obtained by 
cuttings in the usual way, and when planted out and 
well established are long-lived, only requiring to be 
well pruned back when growth and flowering have 
exhausted themselves. The species is figured in the 
Botanical Register, 31, t. 22.— J. F. 
-- 
Hardening ffoTES from 
Scotland. 
Fruit Bushes. Various systems are strictly 
adhered to as beiDg the best for pruning fruit bushes; but 
though the fear of depredations from birds often causes 
delay, we believe early pruning to be most satisfactory. 
To make one’s practice of growing small fruits intel¬ 
ligible to the numerous cultivators of these—and most 
northern gardens of every size are generally well 
stocked it is necessary to enter into very minute par¬ 
ticulars. Many are afraid of the knife being applied 
with undue severity to fruit bushes, and while they are 
often seen going to ruin, the fruit crops are abundant 
and good ; but ultimately the wild growth (unlimited 
often) defeats the object in view. While we do not 
ad\ ise such manipulation as too often causes a mass of 
growth minus fruit, severe cutting always has its 
attendant evils by the increase of much useless young 
wood. The bushes should have a fair amount of room, 
such as 6 ft. or 7 ft. for black Currants, and 5 ft. to 6 ft! 
for red and white Currants and Gooseberries. Rich 
strong soils may cause such growth as will require wider 
dimensions than what we now adduce, though lifting, 
re-planting and a little root-pruning is always a cure 
for extra grossness. Liberal mulching is a good re¬ 
novator of all fruit bushes, and, other conditions being 
equal, is also a substantial aid in securing large berries. 
Blac;- Currants are especially improved by upward 
rooting into rich surfacing. 
Pruning the bushes is generally performed between 
the time of the falling of the leaves and the starting of 
growth in spring, but the sooner in autumn and early 
winter the better. While pruning, it is well to keep 
up a succession of young healthy growth, and make 
way for the same by the removal of the oldest wood in 
proportionate quantity. Black Currants should be 
thinned regularly, cutting out crooked and crossing 
shoots, leaving strong upright growers, and removing 
those which have been weighed to the ground by heavy 
crops of fruit; natural spurs—short, stiff, fruitful 
shoots—may be left, but it is not advisable to form 
artificial spurs. An uniform height of 4 ft. or 5 ft 
may be maintained for black Currants, and to reduce 
the bushes to this, it is better to cut out long loose 
shoots, leaving the short young ones. 
Red and white Currants do 1X611 on the spurring 
system, keeping an open centre for admission of sun 
and air; portions of old wood may be removed more orless 
every year, which keeps the bush vigorous, and is more 
productive of large fruit than old strong stems, which 
get into a mass of snags and long spurs. It is not 
necessary to cut the young tops down to a few buds if 
taller bushes are desired ; on young bushes—when an 
increase of leading shoots are wanted—pieces of 15 ins. 
long or more may be left for fruiting and forming the 
permanent shoots, which are afterwards to produce side 
shoots, and these can be cut in to an eye or two, forming 
fruit-bearing spurs. 
Crowding is not productive of abundance of fruit, 
and what appears is small and badly ripened. The fine 
berries and large bunches of Currants which are seen 
on young undeveloped bushes is a proof of this. Red 
and white Currants are very serviceable when grown on 
walls with north aspects ; they are netted to defy birds, 
and give supplies for weeks after the ordinary crops are 
gathered. Plantations of young bushes with three 
shoots placed against a wall, two of them taken hori¬ 
zontally and the centre one perpendicularly, will soon 
cover a large space, with upright shoots a foot apart, and 
closely spurred plants with two shoots ; the one taken 
to the right and the other to the left will soon produce 
plenty of upright growths. Cordons on high buildings 
are also very easily got up. Gooseberries, we think, 
are generally over pruned in Scotland. They are often 
seen done similar to red or white Currants, with old 
stems of great thickness ; we prefer a medium course 
of spurs and young roots. To keep up a supply of young 
Currants and Gooseberries, it is well to put in a few 
cuttings occasionally; strong short ones may be selected 
now.— M. T. 
Vegetables. —It is necessary to take into con¬ 
sideration what one’s latitude and altitude are when 
the time of sowing seeds is determined. Peas, for 
example, are seldom gathered in the north before the 
20th to the end of June; and those sown now in boxes, 
on turves or in pots for planting out, are invariably 
the more satisfactory for general early crops. They 
should be sown thickly, and kept cool and airy after the 
green leaves are developed ; there is nothing gained by 
forcing on growth. If land can be prepared for the 
reception of the seed, a sowing for a succession crop 
may be made on a warm border, and sow more thickly 
than for later crops ; a quantity of fine ashes, sand, 
light soil or tan may be placed over the rows which are 
coming through the surface. These early sowings, to 
which we previously referred, are preferred by many, 
and growers with no means of protection will use every 
effort to raise early Peas when they have got a liking 
for them. Pinches of Cauliflower and Brussels Sprout 
seeds may be raised in boxes and kept near the glass, 
but free from frost or rain. No coddling or hard pushing 
by heat is necessary, merely protection with plenty of 
air whenever it can be admitted. Brussels Sprouts 
raised in this manner last year have given excellent 
supplies since the middle of September till now, and 
though there are good crops from the ordinary spring 
sowings, the plants raised under protection have been 
vastly superior to them. The general forcing of vege¬ 
tables is well advised, and suitable at this season for 
north and south alike.— M. T. 
--5-3K--- 
The Ab atedrs’ Garden. 
After the Snow. —Owing to the continuance of 
the snow-storm that commenced on the afternoon or 
evening of the 26th of December, little or nothing can 
be done out of doors except wheeling of manure to 
vacant ground, or dressings of leaf soil, where such 
is needed. This, of course, can only be done when the 
nature of the weather will permit, because the alternate 
freezing and thawing cause interruptions in work of 
this kind ; the soft nature of gravel walks, and the 
plastic nature of the soil when the frost is thawing, 
renders all such work undesirable. Rather than cut 
up the walks and destroy them with soil that is carried 
off the borders in the process of wheeling, work of 
another kind would be more profitable in the end. 
The Destruction caused by the Storm to trees and 
shrubs, especially those of an evergreen kind, cannot 
be fully rectified while the storm lasts ; and, of course, 
those that have been much broken down will never 
regain their former symmetrical appearance. The snow 
came so unexpectedly that no preparation had been 
made for it, but it would be well to anticipate destruc¬ 
tive snow storms of the kind, and have a few long poles 
ready, with which to shake off the snow from such 
valuable subjects as Conifers, Magnolias and evergreen 
Oaks, that are likely to be damaged by the weight of 
snow. Raising of specimens that have been prostrated 
cannot be executed while the ground about their roots 
is in either a frozen or sodden condition. If they are 
secured from further damage, no more can be expected 
until the state of the weather and soil is favourable. 
"Work Indoors. —Now is the 'time to prepare all 
sorts of stakes for summer use ; it saves an immense 
amountof valuable time, and almost wasted labour, when 
the season arrives for planting and staking. Strong 
stakes may be got ready for securing the evergreen 
shrubs, especially conifers that have recently been pros¬ 
trated by the weight of snow. Dahlia stakes, if neatly 
done, always repay a little extra labour, by their more 
presentable appearance in the border in summer. Owing 
to their naked appearance during the early part of the 
season, it improves their neatness considerably, and 
adds greatly to their durability to have them painted ; 
a pale dull green colour is the most unobjectionable 
paint that could be used. More attention was paid to 
matters of this kind formerly than by the present 
generation of gardeners ; but there is no reason why 
this should be, although more stress of work may be 
urged now than in the old gardening days. 
Stakes for Herbaceous Plants can profitably be 
got ready. It is not so necessary to dress and paint 
stakes in this case as for Dahlias, because they are more 
hidden by the plants themselves from the commence¬ 
ment, but neatness in everything is most desirable in 
gardens. Pea stakes may be collected, assorted or cut 
into lengths suitable for different kinds of Peas, pointed 
and stored away in their respective places in the wood 
yard. During the occurrence of frosty weather, due 
attention must be given to the maintenance of proper 
Temperatures in the Houses. —It cannot be too 
strongly urged that the lowest temperature compatible 
with safety is that which should be kept up in the 
different houses. So much firing is necessary in severe 
weather as to cause excessive evaporation of moisture. 
Plants that in mild or wet weather required little 
attention in the matter of watering will now have to be 
carefully gone over and watered, to prevent their being 
killed through excessive dryness. This had best be 
done in the morning, so that superfluous moisture may 
dry up before night. This is most essential, in houses 
where the lowest possible temperature is maintained at 
this season, for those plants where growth is undesir¬ 
able at present. 
If difficulty is experienced in keeping out frost from 
places near the glass in which Cinerarias are housed, 
the latter may be temporarily removed to the middle 
of the house, where frost will be longer in reaching 
them. Where the collection is not extensive, the 
plants may be removed from their positions during 
severe nights only, and replaced during the day. The 
leaves of Cinerarias are more readily and permanently 
damaged than those of Primula sinensis and similar 
subjects in hand at this season, and hence greater pre¬ 
caution is necessary to prevent injury ; nor should 
such subjects be transferred from house to house in 
frosty weather, unless the houses are connected, and 
there is no necessity for taking the plants out of doors. 
Chrysanthemum Cuttings. —If these are not all 
put in by this time, no delay should be made to secure 
that end. Cuttings can, of course, be inserted a couple 
of months hence ; but large specimens or blooms can 
hardly be expected from plants if their propagation is 
delayed much longer. Some bottom-heat is essential 
to the proper production of roots at this season.— F. 
Snow Guards. —Like your correspondent, ‘ 1 Surrey,” 
(p. 279), I was caught napping some years ago, and had 
the whole roof of my greenhouse broken in by the falling 
snow. I tried a weather board along the guttering, 
but the wind meeting with great resistance therefrom, 
at length tore it from its fastenings and sent it through 
the roof of my greenhouse. I was then advised to try 
Braby’s snow guards, which a friend in the trade ob¬ 
tained from them for me, I believe, in the Euston Road ; 
and they have been a great success, for I have not had 
a pane of glass smashed, while my friends on ail sides 
have had their roofs damaged. — IF. E. B. 
