June 25 , 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
679 
Duchess of Edinburgh. —The whole flower is of a 
soft orange-scarlet colour, and very effective. In their 
rounded outline they approach the florists’ ideal. 
Princess Louise. —-The white forms have improved 
gradually from time to time, until in the present 
variety they are of good size and substance. The 
sepals are broad, rounded, and slightly undulated at 
the margin. 
Scarlet Perfection. —Double Begonias continue to > 
improve, and this is one of the finest scarlet forms. 
The outer sepals are much longer than those which fill 
up the centre of the flower. It is, however, an ex¬ 
cellent variety. 
Terra Cotta. —The undulated sepals of this showy 
double remind one, at a casual glance, of a Hollyhock. 
The whole flower is quite full, semi-globular, and of a 
fine rosy scarlet colour. 
Marginata. —This showy variety is characterised 
by the presence of two distinct zones of colour in the 
flowers, which are double. The outer sepals are of a 
delicate rosy pink colour, while those in the centre are 
white, hut vary in the extent of the flower they occupy, 
or with age. 
Alba MAGNA. —The flowers of this form are double 
white, and of great size, as the name implies ; but the 
most striking feature is the presence of several small 
centres, around which the sepals are arranged. 
Princess Royal. — This is another fine double 
white, with a slight tint of yellow in the centre ; hut 
this would probably fade away as the flower gets fully 
expanded. 
Mrs. Apthorpe. —The delicate Carnation or soft 
pink colour of this fine double we frequently find 
amongst the garden forms of the Carnation. The 
flowers are very large, with a small -white centre. The 
above nine were exhibited by Messrs. John Laing & 
Co., Forest Hill, London. Fioricultural Certificates. 
Fancy Pelargoniums. 
Iona. —As exhibited this was very dwarf and free- 
flowering. The two upper petals are deep rosy red, the 
others being suffused rose and violet on a white ground. 
Ambassadress. —All the petals of this variety are 
of a lively bright rose, with a white eye to the centre 
of the flower. The plant is dwarf and floriferous. 
Exhibited by Mr. Charles Turner, Slough. Fioricul¬ 
tural Certificates. 
Show Pelargonium Duke of Clarence. 
For description, see South Kensington report. Ex¬ 
hibited by E. B. Foster, Esq., Clewer Manor, "Windsor. 
Fioricultural Certificate. 
Pyrethrums. 
Merry Hampton. —This is a single of considerable 
merit, owing to the distinctness of its intense red, 
almost crimson, rays. The disk is bright yellow. 
Florentine, Magician, Aphrodite, and Figaro.— 
For the description of these four double varieties, see 
report of last meeting at South Kensington. Exhibited 
by Messrs. Kelway & Sons. Fioricultural Certificates. 
-->X<-- 
§ARDENING ffoTES FROM 
fcOTLAND. 
, 4 - 3 , 
Black Hamburg]! Vine at Auchmore. 
—At Auchmore, near Killin, the property of the 
Marquis of Breadalbane, there is a Black Hamburgh 
Tine, which occupies about double the amount of space 
of the famous Vine at Hampton Court. It was 
planted about 1831, and has a girth of stem of 1 ft. 
10 ins., rises ft., and then branches right and 
left to the extent of 103 ft. each way. From these 
main rods, secondary canes break at 4 ft. intervals, 
and these run to the top of the house, about 17 ft. 
Since 1879 the gardener, Mr. Cant, has kept a record 
of the number of bunches cut off green, and of those 
which came to maturity, and the figures this year 
stand as follows :—-Taken off green, 2,018 bunches ; 
coming to maturity, 530 bunches; total 2,548. The 
average weight of the bunches is about 2 lbs. 
Vermin on Fruit Trees. —The present season 
is such as one would have expected to have been visited 
by swarms of vermin of various kinds, such as black 
and green aphis, caterpillars, grubs, &c. ; but that has 
not been our misfortune yet. Several syringings with 
a mixture of Pooley’s tobacco-powder, sulphur, and 
soft soap before the blossoms of the trees opened has 
done a deal to ward off the enemies. On walls we 
notice the remains of the applications are still visible, 
and no doubt have made the quarters the reverse of 
tempting for insect life. On young trees it is par¬ 
ticularly desirable to keep growth unmolested, so that 
the full dimensions of the tree may be attained without 
let or hindrance. Often, for the sake of a few fruits, 
the tree has to take its chance and lose time. "We 
would prefer to let the fruit go in order to get the trees 
established, and then get them to produce crops. As 
the vermin attacks the points of young growth, there is 
comparatively little harm done to old trees if there is 
no wall or other space to fill up. The injured points 
may he nipped off and the remains fastened close to the 
walls. Such stopping suits Apricots, Plums, and 
Cherries well. We notice that some Apricots which 
have been treated thus of late years are clustered with 
fruit. Of course, the wood which is left to bear is 
fastened close to the walls. No outgrowing wood 
should be tolerated, especially in the north, where the 
ripening process moves slowly. 
On Apricots grubs may be seen curling in the 
young growths, and should be hand-picked as soon as 
detected. The vermin may he put into an apron, 
worn by the operator, tucked up forming a bag, and 
all the pickings carried to the rubbish heap to be 
burnt. A man -who is active at his work can go over 
a large amount of wall space in the course of a few 
hours. Black-fly is found on the points of Cherries, 
and where they are carefully managed on the spur 
system, which we think is best for these, the points 
with the aphis may be picked off, acting as stopping ; 
and in autumn, before the leaves drop, all the cutting 
which the Cherries require may be done. Young 
growths which are desired to form permanent branches 
may be dipped into vessels containing Tobacco-water 
mixed with a little soft soap to make the liquid stick. 
These growths should be put into their positions as 
early as possible, ripening of wood being of great 
moment, both for the health of the trees, and for fruit 
hearing next year and onwards. 
Gross "Wood is not desirable, and means, which we 
will revert to, must be put in practice to arrest its 
over vigorous progress. "We are often consulted as to 
the reason why certain trees do not bear fruit. In¬ 
spection invariably shows that disappointment has 
resulted either from the destruction of foliage by 
vermin, or is a case of unnatural watery growth from 
the action of gross roots, destitute of fibre, growing 
rapidly into loose rich soil. Where lime is abundant, 
and used liberally in the soil—along with brick- 
rubbish, stones, &c., and made as firm as possible, this 
gross undesirable growth is not likely to take place. 
We have the best results, on Cherries especially, to 
show what can be done by root-pruning between June 
and September.— Caledonian. 
Colouring of Fruit. —Exposure of fruits to 
light and air is universally agreed to be of primary 
importance in securing colour and flavour, and we hold 
that this should have attention as soon as the fruit is 
well formed and swelling. Plums often by this 
practice can be got from green and red to a deep purple 
next the sun. Peaches are always vastly changed in 
colour and general appearance by timely attention to 
exposure. We value ordinary standard-grown Peaches 
less than those trained to receive abundance of sun, 
because the former are in a great measure shaded by 
the branches of the trees which cannot be well placed to 
admit light. Thinly grown standard trees, of course, 
can be made to allow the sun to enter freely through 
them. It is admitted that black Grapes do better 
shaded than exposed to the sun. They certainly 
retain their black colour longer when shaded, but 
plenty of sun about the fruit during the swelling and 
ripening period is advantageous. Blue tissue paper 
can then be used to keep the fruit from the light. 
Those who do not tie down the young growths of their 
Peaches till the fruit is ripened lose much colouring 
matter.— Caledonian. 
The Fruit Crops in Perthshire, this season, 
promise to be uncommonly good. I send you a sample 
of Cherries from a south wall at Mongie Castle, Crieff, 
which have had no protection and yet are nearly ripe. 
I do not know the variety, but it is ripening much 
earlier than I ever remember its doing before. Crieff 
has the honour of producing Scotch earthquakes \—John 
Ehind. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
Stone Fruits. —Notwithstanding the amount and 
beneficent effect of the rain that preceded the present 
spell of dry warm weather, there will be a general 
outcry for more before long, especially if the drought 
continues. Under the circumstances, it behoves all 
good gardeners, whether amateur or professional, to 
make a free use of the garden-hose, engine, or whatever 
other means he may have at command, to keep plants 
vigorous. To none does this apply more forcibly than 
to stone fruits, especially Peaches, Nectarines, and 
Apricots. Much of the disease and insect pests to 
which these trees are subject might be averted or kept 
in check by a judicious and free application of water in 
dry weather. During the so-called stoning of the 
fruit, dropping of the latter would be greatly prevented 
by a thorough watering of the borders at this time. 
Insects are liable to make their appearance just now 
in prodigious numbers, especially on the young and 
growing shoots. These may be removed shoot and all 
if not necessary for the extension of the tree ; other¬ 
wise the garden-engine should be brought to play upon 
them. 
Runners, Peas, &c.— Where a late supply of these 
is desirable or necessary, the latest sowings may now 
be made in suitable places. Late sowings are liable to 
be affected by drought, and Peas to attacks of mildew. 
In gardens where the soil is light, it would repay the 
trouble to take out shallow trenches, working manure 
into them if necessary, and sow Runners or Peas along 
the bottom. This will not only ensure a greater supply 
of moisture at the roots, but they may be heavily 
watered at any time, if necessary, by the garden hose. 
Early and second-early varieties of Peas only should be 
used now. In northern districts where the climate is 
moister, it is needless to sow thus late, as, except in 
unusually dry summers, growth generally holds out 
until frost or cold weather checks it. 
Herbaceous and Alpine Plants. —Now is the 
season when a great mass of hardy subjects should be 
at their best. Timely attention will do much to 
prolong their season of usefulness and beauty. Staking 
of herbaceous plants in those cases where support is 
required, should not be delayed till the stems become 
twisted or are blown about by the wind. In such cases 
their pristine symmetry is never regained by subsequent 
staking, unless very carefully and tediously done. 
Stakes, of course, should have been prepared in winter, 
and now in readiness. Where done at all, it should be 
done neatly, as nothing is more liable to mar the effect 
of an otherwise well-kept garden, than rows of naked 
clumsy-looking stakes. They should not only be 
arranged in proportion to the size of the plants they 
are intended to support, but inserted in such a position 
as to be least conspicuous from walks, grass, or the 
beholders’ standpoint. 
Although the rockery is the best place for alpines in 
British gardens, it must not be forgotten that the 
atmospheric conditions of our climate are very different 
from those of their native regions. Exposure of those 
subjects that like sun, necessitates much watering in 
order to prolong the season of flowering during pro¬ 
tracted periods of dry weather, such as has prevailed 
for some time past. Both on the rockery and her¬ 
baceous border, keep the soil well stirred or loosened 
up from time to time, which will greatly assist 
vegetation. 
The Greenhouse. —This useful structure and its 
contents are liable to be neglected during the present 
glut of hardy flowers ; but at no season of the year is 
harm more liable to be done by a short period or even 
a day’s neghct. In bright weather both foliage and 
flowers will be much benefited, and their season pro¬ 
longed, by a shading of some thin material, such as 
tiffany, that may be rolled up some time in the after¬ 
noon, according to the aspect of the house and the 
amount of direct sunshine. Pelargoniums—both show, 
fancy, and zonal—have been flowering abundantly for 
some time, and in addition to shading should receive 
abundance of air night and day. This is necessary to 
prevent spoiling of the foliage and undue elongation 
and spindly growth of the stems. Hydrangeas, 
Fuchsias, New Holland plants, and countless odds and 
ends, are now flowering abundantly and well repay 
attention. Tuberous-rooted Begonias are becoming 
more and more recognised as indispensable for the 
summer decoration of greenhouses, and nothing is 
more satisfactory, both as to growth and the production 
of flowers, when kept as cool as possible, with abun¬ 
dance of air and shading during the hotter parts of the 
day. — F. 
