340 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 29, 1887. 
up old orchards are not neglecting the require¬ 
ments of the future, or, indeed of the present; 
and, whilst having other orchards in fruiting 
form, have also planted, or are planting, 
orchards for successional purposes. If we 
traced the origin of the little paragraph which 
has so much excited leader-writers, no doubt 
we should find that some local correspondent 
of one of the press associations, in his rural 
perambulations, espied an old orchard in pro¬ 
cess of demolition, and indited upon that 
fact—otherwise most uninteresting—an unpre¬ 
tentious paragraph, hut a formidable inference. 
From such trifles sometimes do great causes 
spring. If all the old and comparatively ex¬ 
hausted orchards in the kingdom were to be 
grubbed up now, very ample employment 
would be furnished to a large body of men for 
some time hence, for the condition of many of 
those fruit orchards is anything but creditable 
to our taste or judgment. 
On the other hand, there would be a very 
considerable demand for young trees were all 
these old exhausted orchards replaced by new 
ones. Even in the simple matter of rehabili¬ 
tation very much of good might be done if the 
saw were put to work in the old and stunted 
tree heads, and a very liberal thinning given ; 
if the stems were scraped, and dressed with 
some composition for the eradication of con¬ 
ferva, the soil beneath being broken to a 
moderate depth, and the roots helped with a 
liberal dressing of manure. Under such con¬ 
ditions even old trees might spring into a new 
life, and produce more really good crops of 
useful fruits. But, oddly enough, whilst so 
much has been made of this apparent decadence 
of fruit culture amongst us, based upon the 
assumed grubbing up of a few orchards, nothing 
is said as to the unquestioned expansion of new 
orchards in other directions. If this be not 
the case, then what has become of the tens of 
thousands—nay, more, hundreds of thousands— 
of young fruit trees which usually go out from 
our fruit-tree nurseries 1 Do these, go out of the 
country 1 We very much doubt it; and they 
are not sent out in such exceeding numbers to 
be faggoted and burnt ; of that we may be 
sure. It follows, then, that they are planted 
somewhere, and within the borders of the 
kingdom. How absurd, therefore, does it 
seem to pen a jeremiad over the grubbing out 
of a few orchards, when so many new ones are 
being formed ! 
Then, how many orchards have in the past 
been planted in the wrong localities or aspects 1 
Too late has it often been found out that the 
soil is unsuitable, or the aspect is too cold or 
too much exposed to fierce winds, or some other 
objectionable element is discovered. Fruit 
culture under such adverse conditions is not 
only disheartening, it is folly, and the sooner it 
is agreed to root out the trees, and start afresh 
under better auspices, the better. 
There can be no doubt whatever that all 
through our southern counties there are vast 
tracts of land that are equal in suitability of 
aspect and generosity of soil to the best Kent 
can supply, and where, with shelter, warmth 
and good cultivation, we ought to be able to 
produce crops equal to the best Canada or other 
favoured climes can send us. No doubt the 
giant obstruction in the form of restrictive land 
laws and customs and rental and rating exactions 
stand in the way, and will do so until outer 
competition has forced a drastic change. If, 
however, landowners would best study their 
own interests in the light of passing events, 
they would see that land can only be valuable 
as long as it is productive, and to make it 
productive is the most beneficent form of land 
management. We may just now be beset with 
some considerable market difficulties, but it 
will lie a national misfortune when we cease 
planting fruit trees. 
The Exhibitions of the Royal Botanical and 
Horticultural Society of Manchester, for the 
present year, will take place on the following dates: 
March 15th and 16th and April 29th, at the Town 
Hall ; and the Whitsuntide Exhibition, at Old Trafford, 
will open on May 27th. The dates of the Carnation 
and Chrysanthemum Shows are not yet fixed. 
We are requested to state that the late Mr. John F. 
McElroy was the secretary to the United Horticultural 
Benefit and Provident Society for the space of fourteen 
years, and not eight only as stated in the obituary 
notice which recently appeared in these columns. 
Mr. E. G. Wheeler, foreman at Birr Castle, Parsons- 
town, is Mr. McElroy’s successor at Moray Lodge. 
On Saturday last, Messrs. Webb’s clerks, numbering 
about fifty, had their annual dinner at the Mitre 
Hotel, Stourbridge, and after full justice had been done 
to the excellent spread provided, Mr. J.P. Hitchings took 
the chair, and a varied programme of vocal and instru¬ 
mental music was gone through in a very creditable 
style. The toast of the evening, “ Success to Messrs. 
Webb & Sons,” was proposed by Mr. Berrington, and 
honoured with great enthusiasm, which testified to 
the good feeling existing between Messrs. Webb and 
their staff. Mr. Hitchings responded on behalf of the 
firm. 
Mr. Mauson, manager of the Golden Acre Nursery, 
Edinburgh, who has been appointed by the Liverpool 
Horticultural Co. manager of their Gateacre Nursery, 
was entertained at dinner by a large company of gar¬ 
deners and friends in the Peacock Hotel, Newhaven, on 
Tuesday evening last. Mr. .T. Cameron occupied the 
chair, and Mr. Morris, Hay Lodge, acted as croupier. 
On proposing the toast of the evening, " Our Guest,” 
the chairman commented in eulogistic terms upon Mr. 
Mauson's practical knowledge of his profession, and his 
courteous demeanour towards all; and in the name of the 
company congratulated him on his new appointment. 
The annual general meeting of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society will be held at 3 p.m., on Tuesday, 
February 8th, in the East Crush Room, Royal Albert 
Hall. The council having entered into preliminary 
negotiations with the Royal Albert Hall Corporation 
for the future accommodation of the society, questions 
of the utmost importance to the well-being of the 
society will come before the meeting. The council 
therefore hope there will be a large attendance of the 
Fellows on the occasion. The retiring members of the 
council are Mr. A. B. Mitford, C.B., Sir. W. Haughton 
and the Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen, and the council 
recommend for election in their place Mr. George Slaw, 
F.L.S., the Rev. W. Wilks and Sir. Arthur W. Sutton. 
-->X<-- 
ABUTILONS FOR WINTER 
FLOWERING. 
The ease with which the improved garden forms may 
be flowered during the winter months, should ensure a 
more general cultivation than they now enjoy. Their 
distinctness from the general run of flowering plants at 
this season is another point in their favour which 
ought to be taken into consideration where variety is a 
desirability. Their lobed foliage is distinct and hand¬ 
some, while there are several forms in cultivation whose 
foliage is so distinctly variegated or variously blotched, 
as to merit a place in collections for grouping and 
associating with the flowering forms, or to mix with 
other stove or greenhouse plants, in groups or singly as 
may be expedient. Their value in the summer flower 
garden or in sub-tropical bedding is also well recognised 
in some places. 
For winter-flowering purposes they may be struck 
some time during the summer months, if small plants 
are most desirable, and immediately they are rooted 
should be potted singly. They grow rapidly, and, 
having a largely developed root system, require frequent 
shifting into larger pots to induce a continuous growth, 
as flowers are only produced by plants in an active state 
of growth. Some cultivators prefer plants confined to 
a single stem, and the neat cylindrical outline of plants 
grown in that manner is not devoid of attractiveness. 
They are well suited for table decoration in that size 
and form, and, although there is never a profusion of 
flowers at any one time, the succession produced con¬ 
stitutes a special redeeming feature of this deficiency ; 
so that if the flowers are destroyed in the atmosphere 
of a room, the plants may be put back in a glowing 
temperature and resuscitated. 
A warm greenhouse or conservatory, where a tem¬ 
perature of 50° to 55° Fahr. is maintained, -will form an 
admirable place for their reception, where they should 
be kept as near the glass as possible, to keep the foliage 
healthy, and the plants from being drawn. By the 
end of the winter these will have grown too tall for the 
purposes mentioned, and may be headed back to obtain 
cuttings, or planted against pillars or rafters to be 
trained and treated as climbers. If bushy plants are 
considered most desirable, they should be pinched back 
several times as soon as they have taken to the soil and 
recommenced growing after their transference from the 
cutting pots. Of course, under such a system of treat¬ 
ment, they will require to be rooted earlier for winter 
flowering than where they are allowed to run up without 
any check, and may be treated accordingly. 
The undermentioned are flowering in the garden of 
the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick, where 
they form a pleasing and attractive background to 
double-flowered forms of the Chinese Primula in a well- 
lighted house with an intermediate temperature. 
Boule de Neige has always been, and probably 
will always maintain its position as a useful and freely 
flowering white kind. The flowers are large and pure 
white, with the exception of the stamens, which are 
bright yellow. Some recommend the removal of these, 
as a blemish to the snowy purity of the flowers, but their 
absence would cause a void to which all lovers of natural 
beauty should object. This applies to the flowers in a 
cut state only, as no valid objection could be made to 
such colours on the plant, where all shades are well 
toned down by the ample vine-like foliage. 
La Loraine. —By way of contrast, the large brick- 
red flowers of La Loraine are well marked and strongly 
characterised by a branching venation of a deeper tint. 
This is more or less evident throughout all or most 
Abutilons of this type ; but is more distinctly seen in 
those varieties whose predominant colours are of some 
shade of red. In another form of this type — namely, 
Souvenir de St. Maurice — the flowers are of a 
different shade of red, and veiny. Reine d’Or is a clear 
canary-yellow, with deep yellow stamens. The indi¬ 
vidual flowers are large, freely produced, and have a 
fine effect contrasted with their own foliage or with the 
white and red flowers of the other varieties. 
Clocheton. —The soft red flowers of Clocheton are 
also distinct, and may be compared to those of Azalea 
mollis ; while another sort has large flowers of a distinct 
rose colour, shaded with darker veins. 
Variegated Abutilons. 
No less interesting are the sorts whose leading 
feature is their variegated foliage. A. Thompsoni is 
valuable in summer flower-bedding, but does not seem 
to maintain its character for brilliant colouration in 
winter, owing, probably, to the great deficiency of the 
light at this season. The flowers are small and of no 
special merit compared .with the numerous and com¬ 
paratively recent improved forms that have been put 
into commerce by different cultivators. A double- 
flowered form of the last also keeps company with the 
rest, but the blossoms are small and do not seem to 
open freely, nor possess the desirable vigour required 
by a winter-flowering subject. 
In striking contrast to the two latter sorts, A. Dar- 
wini is a picture of robust health, with a brilliant and 
attractive variegation. The brick-red flowers are of- 
medium size and widely expanded, but the value of the 
plant, particularly at this season, resides in its leaves 
being closely and elegantly blotched or spotted with 
pale and creamy yellow on a deep green ground. The 
habit of the plant is dwarf, constituting it a valuable 
subject for the front row of a group either of Abutilons 
or other conservatory plants. 
-^>X<-- 
HELLEBORUS MAXIMUS. 
Unlike your correspondent of last week (p. 32S) 
from Bishopsteignton, Devon—who was able to send 
you a collection of Hellebores from the open garden— 
to have them in flower here by Christmas, we are 
obliged to have them under glass in November. My 
practice, which may be interesting to others situated 
like myself in a locality not so favoured by climate as 
Devon, is to lift them in October, placing them in 
18-in. pans in good turfy soil; a cold Peach house suits 
them well, as they require no heat to bring them into 
flower. Tlaiits so treated were in flower by Christmas. 
1 have produced three or four dozen blooms on each 
clump. After these plants have finished flowering, the 
