106 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 15, 1887. 
most elegant of mosses ; and the new white Oplismenus 
should make an useful plant for decoration. 
No one can pass in or out of this old nursery without 
noticing the miDgled sprays of white and red Lapageria 
which cover the whole of the long corridor leading to 
the plant houses. Such a sight should encourage 
gardeners to plant these together in suitable places; 
but for such a display as that at the Royal Exotic 
Nursery, of course, they must wait. 
-- 
ARDENING fflSCELLANY. 
The Royal Horticultural Society. — In 
your good article on p. 83, you speak of my ignoring 
the democracy of gardeners. I have too many good 
friends among gardeners to ignore them in any way. 
confined the appeal to employers throughout the 
country, as being a class which might be made to help 
much, who hitherto have helped little. Democracy 
does not exist among Freemasons ; and where employers 
take much interest in their gardens, and gardeners 
are fond of their art, there is a great deal of free¬ 
masonry between them. My doubts as to half-guinea 
subscriptions are, that each Fellow- causes expense to 
the society, and half-guineas will not hear deductions, 
and that there are many gardeners who would be good 
members, but who could not afford the half-guinea, 
which would be a serious percentage off their income. 
When the suggestion of guinea Fellowships was made 
formerly, several well-known employers showed their 
adoption of it by making their gardeners Fellows. In 
the list I sent you, you will see that the Rev. E. R. 
Benyon, of Culford, made his gardener, Mr. Peter 
Grieve, a patron four-guinea fellow ; and that Mr. 
R. Hanbury, of The Poles, Ware, made Mr. Hill, his 
gardener, a guinea member. It is probable that 
these examples would be followed. You give me credit 
for enthusiasm ; alas, this good quality becomes feeble 
at the age of sixty-five, but perhaps experience takes 
its place —George F. Wilson, Heatherbanlc, Weybridge 
Heath, October 8th. 
Pachyphytum bracteosum. —I have several 
plants of this that threw up their inflorescence in 
autumn. I have wintered these plants now for several 
years in a cold house, and so long as they are allowed 
to go quite dry about the roots, the hardest frost does 
not injure them. I re-pot them about once in three 
years, giving them some good yellow loam, leaf-soil, 
and sand, and they make a vigorous growth. Young 
shoots are thrown out of the base of the parent stem, 
and as soon as they have put forth roots I re-pot them. 
At this season of the year the plants are gone through, 
cleaned, top-dressed, and made neat for the winter. We 
have now had two severe winters, and I have never 
lost a plant. I water abundantly during summer, but 
in winter not a drop is given from the beginning of 
December until early spring has set in. It is handsome 
all the year round, but particularly during winter, when 
in a cold house there is little in flower, and anything 
in the way of ornamental foliage is acceptable.— JR. JD. 
British Queen Pea. —As old Peas are being 
again referred to, I would mention that, when at 
Hackwood Park early in September, I saw a grand row 
of British Queen Pea, some 8 ft. in height and 30 ft. 
long, fruiting wonderfully. Mr. Bowerman told me 
that he had taken bushels of pods of this row of Peas 
previously, and it looked as though it would give 
bushels more up to the end of that month. Such a 
row of Peas of any kind, but especially of this grand 
old Marrow, must be a perfect treasure in any garden. 
An entire row had to be closely netted over to keep off 
birds, but that was a small matter compared with the 
abundant crop secured. In this neighbourhood a very 
popular tall sugary Marrow is grown, known as Thorp’s 
Pea, because saved and distributed in the locality by a 
Mr. Thorpe ; it is of the British Queen type, and is, I 
think, identical with a popular tall kind of some twenty 
years ago, being held in great esteem in this district.— 
A. D. 
The Apple Crop. —Our Apple crop is very short, 
for which, in a great measure, we have to thank the 
maggots. I do not remember seeing the crop so badly 
attacked by them since 1852 or 1853.— G. 
Bouvardia .President Cleveland. —This is 
another very fine introduction from America. The 
flowers are single, intense scarlet in colour, and freely 
produced. It is a great advance on Dazzler, and 
decidedly ranks as the best of its class. We saw it a 
few days ago in good form at Mr. B. S. Williams’. 
Double-spiked (Fasciatedd Gladiolus 
Gandavensis. —Permit me to ask you, or some of 
your readers, if this is not uncommon ? I have grown 
several hundreds of the best varieties for many years 
past, and never saw a spike with four tiers of flowers, 
if I may so describe it, before to-day, when Mr. 
Lonergan, a neighbouring gentleman, sent me one. 
The varietj 7 I take to be “ W. Thornton,” sent out, if 
I remember rightly, by Mr. Kelway, of Langport, a few 
years ago, and, like many of the specialities from that 
place, is noted for its vigorous growth ; yet I cannot 
say vigorous growth is the cause of fasciation, for I have 
now several, including Duchess of Edinburgh, James 
McIntosh, Marquis of Lothian, and others, 7 ft. high, 
with twenty-two blooms to the spike, but they never 
come fasciated. What is the probable cause 1— W. J. 
Murphy, Clonmel. 
Tomato, Harefleld Grove. — To those who 
have not grown or do not know this variety of Red 
Tomato I would recommend its culture, on account of 
its great hearing qualities. We have it growing in a 
cool house, and find it produces more fruits than any 
other sorts we have grown. We have one cluster of 
seventeen fruits, weighing 3f lbs., and there has been 
several nearly as heavy ; also, outdoors, we had ten 
fruits in a cluster, which weighed 2 lbs. 9 ozs.— A. L., 
Worcester, October 7th, 1887. 
Tomato, Sensation. —When I was ignorant of 
Tomato culture, I thought, as “A. D.” does now, that 
a fine climate might be accountable for the production 
of good fruit, but now I know it may be attributed 
a little to culture and a great deal to variety. To me 
there is nothing remarkable in Sensation producing 
heavily up the stem, fruit averaging 10 ozs. each. Our 
indoor plants are growing in what we term “the 
Geranium pit.” This is a low lean-to structure, with 
a passage along the centre, a stair-like stage at the 
back, and a flat trellis along the front. It is on the 
latter the Sensation Tomato is planted, the stage being 
about 15 ins. from the glass. Last spring small 
mounds of soil were put down every 18 ins., and a 
Tomato planted in each. Being only about 10 ins. 
from the glass they grew very sturdy, and their near¬ 
ness to light and air benefited them greatly. They 
were not allowed to ramble, as Tomato plants often are, 
but each plant was strictly confined to one stem, like a 
Grape Vine. In this way the leader soon became as 
thick as a walking stick, the joints were very closely 
produced, and the fruit more closely still ; in fact, the 
system and position suited them so well, as to cause 
them to produce the fruit which has startled your 
correspondent, and I cannot now say too much in 
favour of the variety or of this particular system of 
growing it. That this system of cultivation will pay 
handsomely I have no manner of doubt, as we have 
had heaps of fine fruit for the house, as well as surplus 
dishes, which helped us greatly to win the first prize 
for six dishes, and also for nine dishes of vegetables at 
the recent Cardiff show, as well as other prizes else¬ 
where. I believe the editor of this paper saw some 
specimens of Sensation staged by me at the last 
Shrewsbury show. They were not exhibited for 
competition, and the heaviest weighed 1 lb. 3 ozs. 
[Quite right. —Ed.] Since my first notes on Sensation 
appeared in your pages, I have had application for 
specimen fruits, and I know of several who received 
them weighing 15 ozs. If “ A. D.” thinks I ought to 
take the result of the Chiswick trial as conclusive, and 
allow Sensation, Glamorgan, and half-a-dozen more, to 
be regarded as one, he is greatly mistaken. I think I 
have given sufficient attention to Tomatos to be able to 
form an opinion of my own, in such a case as this at 
least; and in justice to the Tomato in question and 
myself, I trust you will allow these notes to appear in 
your next issue. — J. Muir, Mar gam. 
Rangoon Creeper. —The flowering of this plant 
(Quisqualis indica) must be of rare occurrence in this 
country, save in those places in possession of a large 
plant, such as there is in the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Edinburgh, where, in the second week of September 
last, a fine old plant draped the roof of the tall Palm 
house, laden with brilliant red flowers, produced with 
great freeness in axillary and terminal umbellate 
clusters. They are deliciously scented with a fragrance 
comparable to that of Pine Apples, and would, no 
doubt, prove very acceptable amongst cut flowers if 
procurable by the public generally. We are convinced, 
however, from what we have seen of small plants, that 
flowers are only produced, at all events, in abundance 
after the climber has attained the wonted size in its 
native home, where we should expect from its habit it 
climbs to the tops of trees, and then appears in all the 
vigour and beauty it is capable of producing. From 
the floor of the house the flowers dwindle into in¬ 
significance owing to the great height above the eye of 
the spectator, hut they are seen to much greater 
advantage from the gallery, to which some of the 
branches are quite close. The plant thrives in a 
compost of two-thirds fibrous fresh loam, and one- 
third peat, with good drainage ; but to secure the best 
results it should be planted in a large tub, or better in 
a bed—as it enjoys at Edinburgh—and allowed to 
clamber up to the roof of a tall house. A large plant 
of Ficus nitida is its companion and support till the 
stems reach the top of the house. 
Anemophoagma racemosum. —Equally rare 
in cultivation as the Rangoon creeper, we rarely have 
an opportunity of seeing this plant in flower outside 
botanic gardens, and although we have previously seen 
it in flower, the plant at the Edinburgh Botanic 
Gardens was the most floriferous. Belonging as it does 
to the same family as the Bignonia, to a species of 
which it bears considerable resemblance, we should 
naturally expect it to be a climber. The plant in 
question was grown in a stove, and was of no great 
height, so that it may be grown in a comparatively 
low-roofed house. The large tubular flowers are pale 
or buff-yellow, produced in racemes from the axils of 
the leaves, and very handsome. There are about 
twenty species known to science, but the present seems 
to be the only one in Britain, introduced in 1879 from 
Brazil. The Bignonia Chamberlaynii of the Botanical 
Magazine, t. 2148, would seem to be the same thing 
or something closely allied to it. 
Rubus australis. —Interest is attached to this 
plant in more ways than one. As commonly seen in 
gardens it consists of an intricate mass of slender spiny 
stems and interlacing branches, with the leaves reduced 
to wiry, spiny mid-ribs difficult to handle, and the 
blade of the leaf represented by mere linear or lance¬ 
shaped toothed fragments that are almost nnnoticeable. 
This state of matters is no doubt a development from a 
more ordinary form of Bramble as we are accustomed 
to see, and the reduction of the area of the transpiring 
foliage is, doubtless, a provision of nature to guard 
against the evil effects of a dry and arid atmosphere to 
which it may be subjected in its native home—New 
Zealand. Seedlings, which we inspected in the Botanic 
Gardens, Edinburgh, showed the primary leaves to be 
simple and heart-shaped with an ample blade, giving 
place to lanceolate ones, and then compound with three 
leaflets, which finally give place to the slender midribs 
that are nearly or altogether devoid of a lamina. 
When grown out of doors in the south of England, it 
proves quite hardy and forms a curious and ornamental 
wall climber. 
Proliferated Mignonette.— A curious form of 
the common species (Reseda odorata) is grown in the 
Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, and, although highly 
interesting, cannot be called pretty. When the flower 
first opens the capsule is carried up on a long stalk 
above the calyx, and from a primary capsule a second 
flower emanates. Another stalk is then developed from 
the secondary flower bearing numerous bracts, from the 
axils of which arise numerous small flowers. Seeds do 
not appear to be produced, so that the plant must be 
propagated from cuttings. It is a case of median 
prolification of the floral organs, resulting, as sporting 
frequently does, in plants that have long been cultivated, 
improved and selected from seeds. Mr. Lindsay, the 
curator, takes great interest in such anomalies, and 
preserves them out of curiosity and for scientific 
purposes. 
The Pedigree Tomato.— We have noted Mr. 
Geo. Fry’s letter in your columns of October 1st, and 
Mr. W. Cotterell’s reply in your last issue, respecting 
this meritorious Tomato, which was sent out by us last 
spring. Our experience of it is similar to Mr. Cotterell’s, 
as we find each fruit to be of medium size (sometimes 
large), smooth, and symmetrically-shaped. When ripe 
it is very highly coloured, fleshy, and heavy, and of a 
superior flavour. It is a most prolific variety, producing 
from five to nine fruits in a cluster, and is also very 
good for outdoor culture. We may say that we have 
had many complimentary letters respecting its superior 
qualities. We send for your inspection a sample lot of 
ripe and unripened fruit.— John Laing & Sons, The 
Nurseries, Forest Hill, S.E. [Undoubtedly, one of the 
best varieties.—E d.] 
An Appeal to Fruit Growers. —We are 
holding weekly meetings in the largest halls around 
London during the next six months, with a view to 
increase the demand for fruit as food. To enable the 
