March 19, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
455 
cottage homes in some suitable locality. I have but 
little doubt there are to be found some few kind 
philanthropists amongst our employers who would be 
willing to give a piece of land for such a cause, on which 
a few cottages could be built. Such homes would be 
much more natural for the children than being drilled 
by the machinery of a large institution. I would also 
suggest that these homes be managed by gardeners’ 
widows, who may have been left with children un¬ 
provided for, as who would be so likely as a widowed 
mother to administer to the wants of the fatherless ? 
Whatever steps are taken, I hope every gardener will 
do his best in assisting to carry the scheme to a 
successful issue.— J. Walker, The Gardens, Broomhall 
Field, Sheffield. 
I am desired to state that, as soon as arrangements 
can be made, a meeting of gardeners and others who 
have signified their interest and approval of the pro¬ 
position to establish a Gardeners’ Orphanage Fund for 
the orphan children of gardeners, will be held in 
London to discuss the matter generally, and to take 
what steps may seem necessary in furtherance of the 
object in view. In the meantime, it would facilitate 
matters greatly, if those who are disposed to support 
the proposition would kindly send in their names, with 
any suggestions ou the subject they may be pleased 
to submit, either to Mr. C. Penny, The Gardens, 
Sandringham, King’s Lynn, or to me as under.— A. F. 
Barron, Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick, secretary 
pro tem. [We have received several other communi¬ 
cations on this subject, for which we regret our inability 
to find room.—E d.] 
-*>X<-- 
OPEN-AIR PEACH CULTURE. 
, Until we know more of the operations of nature in 
the matter of heat production, it will be very difficult 
to determine how far the deletion of our coal strata is 
tending to the withdrawal of heat from the earth’s 
surface. It seems very unlikely that any act of man 
short of the absolute denudation of the land of woods 
and forests can materially affect climate ; and we may 
point to the fact that a century or two since we had 
weather of the most erratic, and often of the most in¬ 
clement, kind, showing that coal measures of the most 
extensive character, as then untouched, did nothing to 
promote heat on the earth’s surface. A leader-writer 
in a daily paper, the other day, very stupidly assumed 
that some of the supposed change of climate in this 
country was due to the fact that we, in altering the 
calendar, had put the months forward by eleven days. 
That, however, was of too trifling a nature for con¬ 
sideration, as the length of the year, and of the summer 
and winter seasons, remained the same. 
It is not many years since that we had a period of 
cold wet summers, which were most disastrous to vege¬ 
tation, and especially to fruit trees. Then since we 
have had a period of drier and warmer summers—pretty 
conclusive proof that variations in climate or weather 
must be due to other and greater causes than are the 
acts of man. In dealing with open-air Peach culture, 
we, perhaps, too hastily assume that it is more difficult 
to ripen Peaches on walls than it was in the olden times, 
but we have no exact data upon which to base an 
argument. We remember that Peaches were grown, 
and fairly plentifully, on walls forty to fifty years 
since, but then it had not become the rule as it is now, 
to grow these fruits under glass, hence the fact that 
fruits were obtained on walls is strongly impressed on 
the mind. Still there are few gardeners living who 
can tell all the difficulties which growers then had to 
encounter. We want to know something of the failures 
as well as the successes in open air Peach culture by our 
progenitors. 
Now we find it easy to obtain evidence of failures, 
and successes, of which there are still plenty, are less 
notorious. The age favours house culture, and, without 
doubt, house fruit must ever excel wall fruit in size, 
colour and richness. Thus whilst attempts to grow 
Peaches under glass are universal, the culture on walls 
is now held to be a very secondary consideration, hence 
there cannot possibly be any considerable record of 
successes. And yet some may still be found full of 
promise, leading to the belief that if the same skill and 
perseverance were brought to bear on out-door Peach 
culture as is evidenced in these few cases, then out-door 
Peaches might be found in abundance. There is danger 
of wall Peach culture becoming a lost art; that would 
be a misfortune, and there can be little doubt, but that 
with ordinary care, Peaches in abundance may yet be 
produced on open walls.— A. D. 
GARDEN PLANTS ILLUSTRATED. 
CoitYDALIS KoLPAKOWSKIANA. 
The slender glaucous leaves of this tuberous-rooted 
herbaceous plant are two to three times pinnatisect, or 
cut into wedge-shaped segments. The pale rose, some¬ 
times white, flowers are largely racemose. Its native 
habitat is Western Turkestan ; from whence we get 
numerous hardy bulbous and tuberous plants, through 
the instrumentality of Dr. Regel, of St. Petersburg. 
The specimens figured were flowered by Mr. Elwes in 
1867.— Botanical Magazine, t. 6925. 
Xanthoceras sorbifolia. 
Last year this beautiful, almost hardy shrub flowered 
in the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. The leaves are 
alternate and pinnate, with numerous leaflets ; flowers 
are freely produced in axillary and terminal racemes, 
and are white, stained with rose in the centre ; male 
and female flowers are produced on the same plant. 
The Apple-shaped fruits in the accompanying plate were 
sent by Max Cornu, of Paris ; and the Pear-shaped 
ones by I. Tail Volxem, of Brussels ; while the flowers 
were sent to be figured by Mr. Lynch, of Cambridge. 
The globose seeds are eaten by the Chinese, of whose 
country it is a native.— Botanical Magazine, t. 6923. 
Lapeyrousia (Axomatheca) grandiflora. 
The scarlet six-parted spreading flowers, with a deep 
coloured blotch on each of the three lower segments, 
recalls the smaller-flowered and better-known Anoma- 
theca eruenta, which has also been reduced to Lapey- 
rousia by Bentham. The flowers are tubular in the 
lower part ; and four to ten of them are produced on 
scapes, arising from between the ensifonn leaves. The 
species is a native of the Zambesi country, and was 
discovered by Sir John Kirk, when accompanying 
Dr. Livingstone.— Botanical Magazine, t. 6924. 
-- 
§ARDENING ffOTES FROM 
Scotland. 
Edinburgh Chrysanthemum Show, 1887. 
—At a recent meeting of the Council of the Scottish 
Horticultural Association, Mr. D. P. Laird, president, 
in the chair, the above show was arranged to be held 
on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29th and 30th. 
The exhibition which took place last December under 
the auspices of the association having proved a most 
successful venture, the Council have felt themselves 
warranted in adding a substantial sum to the prize list. 
The schedule will shortly be issued, and may be had 
on application from Mr. Robertson Munro, 33, St. 
Andrew’s Square. The funds of the association not 
being available for exhibition purposes, a special effort 
is necessary, and Mr. A. Mackenzie, Warriston Nursery, 
will gratefully receive and acknowledge any con¬ 
tributions. 
High Temperatures in March.— For some 
time we have been favoured with temperatures far 
above the average for this season of the year. During 
the present month on two occasions only has the glass 
gone below freezing point, and then only to the extent 
of 1° and 2°. On three different dates the thermometer 
during the night has registered 40°, the glass rising 
during day-time to 50° in the shade. These readings 
were taken at 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., the thermometer being 
3 ft. from the ground, and facing north in the gardens 
of Sir. Wm. T. F. A. Wallace, Bart., at Lochryan, 
which stand on the shore of Lochryan, Wigtonshire. 
It would be interesting to know if similarly high tem¬ 
peratures have been recorded in other districts.— James 
Cocken, Lochryan Gardens, March 9th. [An Edinburgh 
correspondent, writing on the 12th inst., states that for 
the previous three weeks the weather had been much 
like summer, but on the morning of writing there were 
13° of frost, and 4 ins. of snow.—E d.] 
Rhododendron argenteum at Pinkhill.— 
Amongst the early-flowering Himalayan Rhododen¬ 
drons, that under notice must be reckoned amongst 
the most striking and handsome. There are at least 
two varieties or forms of it in cultivation, and the pure 
white one, of which we have received a magnificent 
truss bearing seventeen fully expanded flowers from 
Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons, Pinkhill, Midlothian, we 
consider the purest, handsomest and most deserving of 
cultivation. The other form has the corolla more or 
less blotched with purple, and suffused externally with 
pale purple. The corolla is large and bell-shaped with 
a slightly spreading mouth, and with the exception of 
the stamens the flowers sent us were ivory white. The 
plant from which the flowers were taken has been the 
property of the firm for over twenty years, and did not 
flower regularly till within the last five or six years. 
It is now 10 ft. high, 6 ft. through, and floweis 
abundantly every year, creating a display of no ordinary 
kind, such as would not soon be forgotten by those 
who can admire the magnificence of floral wealth. The 
silvery, evergreen, large leathery leaves are attractive 
at all seasons. 
-->35<-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
Bedding Plants.— If not already done, the potting 
up of such things as Pelargoniums should be completed 
without further delay, as if this is not done early, the 
best part of the season is lost before the plants become 
established in the ground after they have been planted 
out. This applies to those in cutting pots, boxes or 
old plants lifted in autumn, and placed two, three, or 
more in a pot for the sake of economising space. All 
should now be potted singly, and placed in a house 
where the temperature is sufficiently high to give them 
a start. After this they may be placed in cold frames, 
which if unheated will easily be protected from all 
danger of frost by covering up with dry mats at night. 
Lobelias, Ageratums, Alyssum maritimum, Verbenas 
and other bedding plants of that nature, if the stock is 
insufficient to meet the requirements of the coming 
season, should be kept in the warmest place at the 
amateur’s disposal, so that growth may be encouraged 
from which a supply of cuttings can be obtained. 
These root in a comparatively short time if the propa¬ 
gator has a little bottom heat at command. In the 
absence of such aid, of special propagating cases or 
frames, the amateur who possesses merely a greenhouse 
(which we presume is heated with a flue, or, preferably, 
hot-water pipes) can raise cuttingsof the kinds mentioned 
by placing a square of glass over the pan or box in 
which the cuttings are inserted. In the absence of 
anything better, hand-lights even of a temporary con¬ 
struction can be hastily got together to afford the 
cuttings that necessary protection to retain the moisture 
about them. Shade from strong sunshine for a few 
days until they have taken to the soil, or in other 
words, commenced to root. After this no more shading 
than is absolutely necessary should be given, as it all 
detracts from their sturdiness, causing the stems to 
elongate or become drawn. As soon as they give 
evidence of being fairly well rooted, the truest economy 
lies in having them potted immediately, to give room 
for further batches of the same or something different. 
Pruning. —Where such has not been completed, in- 
the case of fruit trees and bushes, no time should be 
lost in executing what is necessary. The fruit buds 
are now plump and full, ready to burst into bloom 
wdien the weather becomes milder, especially in the 
case of Peaches, Apricots, Plums and Pears, so that 
the most casual observer would have no difficulty in 
distinguishing the fruit from wood buds. Standards 
will require thinning, and the removal of all weak, 
decayed, or useless wood. Pyramids and trees on 
walls—whether cordons, espaliers or fan-trained—must 
be systematically pruned, of course, and the young 
shoots of last year all cut back to one bud, with the 
exception of the leader of each branch, which may only 
be shortened back according to their strength, and the 
space at command for their extension. Bush fruits, 
especially Gooseberries, are now well advanced, and 
should be pruned—if not already done—before the 
forward state of the buds renders the operation difficult. 
Grafting. —Although this operation is mostly left 
to the nurseryman, there is no reason why the amateur 
should not try his hand in order to improve any tree 
already in his possession. For instance, some of his 
Apple and Pear trees might be shy bearers, or produce 
fruit of so indifferent or useless a nature, as to render 
re-grafting or the removal of the tree inevitable. In 
such cases they may fearlessly be headed down, and 
grafts of a more useful or productive kind inserted on 
the stems. The operation is not difficult, and may be 
overcome by a little attention. By reference to some 
of the books on grafting, it will be seen that the inner 
bark of the scion and stock have to coincide before 
union can take place. Cut stock and scion, so that one 
may be the counterpart of the other. Hold them firmly 
in this position, and bind round with a piece of matting 
or raffia. Over this, to exclude air, place a piece of 
grafting clay, consisting of some good plastic material 
mixed with cow manure to hold it together. Cover this 
with moss, and bind it round with a string when the 
operation is complete. 
