74 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 1, 1887. 
ARDENING 
ISCELLANY. 
American Blight: Blight-proof Stocks.— 
At p. 684 of your journal for June 25th last, recently 
received, I notice an inquiry respecting American 
blight. It would interest me to hear whether English 
growers have yet adopted the plan of working Apples 
on blight-proof stocks, and if not, why not ? Out here 
Apples unless so worked would not he saleable, except 
to the uninitiated. The kinds most generally used as 
stocks are the Northern Spy and Winter Majetin, both 
of which are exempt from the attacks of the blight, 
as also some other kinds, including Irish Peach. The 
trees even when on blight-proof roots will sometimes 
get a little blight on the heads, but as the insect 
retreats to the soil before winter, and finds nothing to 
support life below the union of stock and scion, it 
apparently perishes. Of course, old trees without blight- 
proof roots can only be treated with insecticides, but 
we practice on the theory that 11 prevention is better 
than cure.” If dwarf trees be required we have to 
resort to double working; the French Paradise is 
worked on the blight-proof stock, then the fruiting 
kind on that.— G. Bennett, Standard Nursery, Home- 
lush, New South Wales, Aug. Yith, 1887. 
Webb’s Sensation Tomato. —Undoubtedly 
this is the grandest Tomato I have ever had any 
experience of. It is the only large fruiting kind that 
we have here this season, and those who profess to 
criticise it .at South Kensington ought to see it growing 
here, when they would readily observe that it is 
genuine and distinct. It has no right to be compared 
to Stamfordian, with us that has always been a light 
and straggling fruiter, while the Sensation is the very 
opposite. It begins to bear so near the groimd that 
the first fruits rest on the soil, and they are produced 
in a continuous mass all up the stem ; they would 
average 10 ozs. each, and we have cut them this 
summer weighing 19 ozs. With a rare exception they 
are quite smooth, and its style of fruiting is in the 
highest degree satisfactory. For some time past it has 
been ripening freely in the open air, and in this 
position it displays all the excellent characteristics 
which are so conspicuous and attractive under glass. 
I have grown many Tomatos here ; one year 'I had 
thirty-six kinds on trial, but I have now fully made 
up my mind to confine our culture to Sensation. ‘ ‘What 
about the flavour?” Well that is as good as it 
possibly can be, either cooked or raw, and I feel 
confident that all who grow it will be highly gratified 
with the results in every respect. It may be briefly 
described as a unique Tomato, but it requires to be seen 
growing to understand its extraordinary productiveness. 
— J. Muir, Margarn Park, Port Talbot, South Wales. 
Zinnias at Hoole Hall. —Seeing, last week, in 
your valuable paper a note on Zinnias by “A. D.,” I 
might say that about a fortnight ago I was looking over 
the houses and gardens of Arthur Potts, Esq., at Hoole 
Hall, Chester, and there saw in a nice sheltered border 
at the side of the tank-house the most charming bed 
of Zinnias I ever set eyes upon. The colours ranged 
in all directions—whites and light-tinted shades, pinks, 
intense scarlets, crimson, yellow, and cream ; in fact, 
every colour you can imagine were to be found there, 
and as to size, I never saw any grown larger. The 
smallest were as large as Pompon Dahlias, and some 
3§ ins. across. I was so taken back at the sight that 
I told Mr. J. Taylor, the courteous gardener, he could 
bring me a chair, and leave me admiring this display 
for half a day, so grand was it. There appears to be no 
great secret in growing them, except that they like 
rich soil well worked, and, when putting them out, 
shading with scrim for about forty-eight hours, after 
which time they never look behind. The strain of 
seed that was sown came from Messrs. Yeitch, of 
Chelsea. This may interest some of the lovers of these 
flowers.— J. H. D. 
Prunus Pissardii. — This seems to be a good 
plant at all points. First it came to us as a purple 
foliage shrub, afterwards it is found to be a pretty 
flowering bush, and in a small state a very effective 
pot plant for forcing. Now, it is generally admitted 
that its fruits are by no means bad, and they will make 
up a late summer and autumn dish, which will give 
variety, and be very pleasing to some. In size they 
resemble large Cherries, and in the firm character of 
the flesh they are like them ; but those of P. Pissardii 
have a piquant acid taste, which I must confess I like, 
and I have heard others give the same opinion.— J. B. 
Unity amongst G-ardeners.— I thank Mr. 
J. S. Trevor (p. 4) for his favourable reply to my note ; 
but I am afraid we are much too sanguine in imagining 
that the times are propitious for taking up this question. 
Is it the times, or are we, as a class, so very much 
behind the times ? Other trades and professions 
combine, and form associations amongst themselves for 
their common and general benefit. Even the agri¬ 
cultural labourer has his Union ; but the poor apathetic 
gardener must be left out in the cold. I was telling a 
gentleman, a short time ago, how much I should like 
to see a gardeners’ union established for educational 
and general purposes, and he replied, “Is it possible 
that amongst such a body of intelligent men no such 
union exists ? I could scarcely have believed it!” I 
am sure if we had an organisation amongst gardeners, 
many a good man would be brought to the front, who, 
for want of facilities under present circumstances, has 
a hard struggle to maintain his position. It is, I 
believe, universally admitted that such an organisation 
would greatly benefit us as a body. This is not the 
first time this question has been mooted ; but it has 
never yet got beyond pen, ink, and paper—very useful 
things in their way, though not sufficient for the 
present purpose. All that we want is a few good men 
to lead the way ; but where are they to be found—have 
we any l—Alfred Gaut, The Gardens, Copped Hall, 
Totteridge. 
Flame-flowered Nasturtium. —Such is the 
popular name of Tropaeolum speciosum, an appellation 
that is well deserved on account of the brilliancy of the 
flowers. Seldom have we the opportunity of seeing 
this fine hardy Chilian species in such attractive form 
in the drier and more southern counties of England as 
we see it in the north, and especially in Scotland, 
although we battle bravely against the untoward or 
unsuitable atmospheric conditions. When once estab¬ 
lished, it grows like a weed in Aberdeenshire, as we 
have observed it at Fyvie and Brucklay, and at Glen- 
bervie and Arbuthnot, in Kincardineshire. It seems 
particularly happy when allowed to establish itself in a 
sunny position in front of a house, up which it can be 
trained, constituting a living drapery of scarlet, for 
when thoroughly established, the flowers almost conceal 
the peltate finely-lobed leaves. When first planted, 
Mr. Cruickshank, of Glenbervie, says the tubers may 
lie in the ground for a year, and appear, to all intents 
and purposes, dead ; but patience is ultimately rewarded 
by a luxuriant growth, that increases every year till 
all the available root-room is occupied with its tuberous 
or fleshy rhizomes. For this reason he has now learned 
not to plant it where there is any danger of out-crowding 
and destroying other things, because when once in 
possession of the soil it is extremely difficult to 
eradicate. 
Glangwna Flower G-arden, near Carnarvon, 
is worthy of a note in The Gardening World. Some 
time ago there was an article about these gardens in 
your columns, but nothing was said about the flowers. 
Although the past season has been very trying for most 
bedding plants on light soil, the plants here have made 
a good growth, and the arrangement of colours reflect 
great credit on the gardener, Mr. Windsor. Some 
specimen Pelargoniums grown in pots, plunged in dif¬ 
ferent places around the flower garden, have a fine 
effect. The variety is Lady Constance, a scarlet nose¬ 
gay, and it seems to stand the winds better than most 
varieties, and is a very free bloomer. There are also 
some specimen Myrtles, which were just coming into 
flower—such plants as are rarely seen. Any gardening 
visitor to the district would do well to call and see 
these gardens.— G. Tyler. 
Beauty of Hebron Potato. —When on a 
visit to the well-kept gardens of Shipley Hall, the 
residence of E. M. Mundy, Esq., Mr. Elphinstone, the 
enthusiastic gardener there, showed me a tuber of this 
variety weighing 3 lbs. 2 ozs., which had been pre¬ 
sented to Mr. Mundy by one of his allotment holders, 
it having been grown upon one of the allotments set 
apart by this gentleman for his workmen. The tuber 
referred to is as grand a specimen as one could wish to 
see, being of fine shape with very few eyes. It is a 
rose-coloured Kidney flaked with white, and the crops 
in this district are very fine this season, the quality 
being good. Is not the weight for a single tuber of this 
variety extraordinary ?— Rusticus. 
Rare Blooms. —Dr. Paterson’s communication 
in the Scotsman the other week about Rhododendrons 
then flowering at Bridge of Allan, makes me write to 
say, that there are several specimens of Rhododendron 
ponticum now in bloom in the extensive shrubberies 
surrounding the beautifully situated mansion of Conis 
Head Priory Hydropathic Establishment, on the shore 
of Morecambe Bay. Striking objects of interest here 
at present are large and handsome specimens of the 
Mulberry tree, loaded with its rich Raspberry-like 
fruits ; the scarlet Berberry with lovely clusters of 
bright, shiny, elongated berries ; Cedar of Lebanon in 
brilliant foliage ; Spanish and Horse Chestnuts, Oaks, 
Arborvitses and Thorns, all heavily loaded with fruit. 
— W. 
Sutton’s White Gem Celery. —This is cer¬ 
tainly a gem among early white varieties. Although 
this season has been greatly against early Celery, I 
commenced to lift on September the 1st, and not a 
plant has bolted. This variety, when it gets better 
known, will become the first early Celery of the day ; 
I have grown a good many early varieties, but this is 
superior in every respect.— G. Tyler, Plastirion, near 
Carnarvon. 
Globe Artichokes from Seed. —I sowed 
some Globe Artichoke seeds last March, and am much 
pleased with the result, as I have been cutting beautiful 
heads for the last two months. I can strongly recom¬ 
mend any of my gardening friends to try a packet of 
seeds ; and provided they are sown in good deep soil, 
kept free from weeds, and thinned to 2 ft. from plant 
to plant, they do remarkably well.— G. Tyler, Plas¬ 
tirion, near Carnarvon. 
Downie’s Amateur Pea. —Where dwarf Peas 
are a desideratum, especially in northern climates, 
where the rainfall is generally so heavy as to induce a 
coarse and rampant growth, this new variety would 
doubtless prove a great boon. This year’s results may 
not be thought a final or fair test, considering the 
dry nature of the season ; but being sown in a low- 
lying and naturally tolerably moist part of Air. Downie's 
nursery at Rosemount, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, in rich 
soil, the plants had every encouragement to develop 
their true character. Under these conditions, the 
height of the stems varied from 2 ft. to 3 ft., with an 
average considerably under the latter figure, and they 
were furnished with a healthy dark green foliage, and 
bore a heavy crop of pods about 3 ins. to 4 ins. long. 
They were straight, almost cylindrical, and well filled 
throughout with eight or nine large peas, and these 
characters were very constant, as far as we could 
discern. When fit for use, the peas are sweet, well- 
flavoured, and when ripe show themselves to belong to 
the Green Wrinkled Marrow class. 
Eccremocarpus scaber. —Some fine specimens 
of this handsome Chilian climber trained to trellis- 
work adorn the front of Oswald House, Oswald Road, 
Edinburgh, and the free way in which it was flowering 
and fruiting about the second week of September last, 
shows that those dwelling in the neighbourhood of 
London, or even in the more favoured southern counties 
of England, do not possess a monopoly of the pleasure 
of enjoying this plant in all its natural beauty out of 
doors. One would hardly expect to find it hardy so 
far north ; but Mr. Grossart, the gardener, seems to 
experience no difficulty with it, provided the fleshy 
tuberous roots are planted in a well-drained and rather 
dry position ; and the results certainly warrant the 
statement. The synonym under which this was 
formerly described, namely, Calampelis, means beau¬ 
tiful vine, and the appellation is well merited, for the 
tall stems are well furnished with finely divided leaves 
developed into tendrils at the apex by which the plant 
is able to cling to an object, and requires no other 
support, as the stems themselves die down annually. 
The orange-red or scarlet flowers are freely produced in 
racemes from the same nodes as the leaves, and are 
certainly of great decorative value, especially consider¬ 
ing the hardiness of the plant, and the little care 
necessary for its preservation. 
Tomato, Pedigree. —This Tomato was exhibited 
last season, and, I believe, sent out this spring ; it is 
very probable, therefore, that it is now being grown by 
several. Should any of your readers be cultivating 
this variety, I should esteem it a favour if they would 
describe its form and general characteristics, showing 
in what respect it differs from some of those in 
general cultivation. I may state that I obtained 
plants of Pedigree from a reliable source, and now that 
they are in fine bearing condition I find the fruit 
dissimilar in form. All are really good ; but there are 
some plants the fruit of which appears quite distinct, 
and give every prospect of being fine-looking varieties. 
Of course, I have long since proved that even the 
Tomato is likely to sport if great care is not taken in 
saving the seed, and then it is a great question, in my 
mind, if there is not an inherent disposition to do so.— 
George Fry, Lewisham. 
