140 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 29, 1887. 
white bunch, the fruit being a pendent bunch of white 
berries. White fruit is by no means of common 
occurrence ; but in this case it has the purity of snow, 
with the exception of five black spots indicating the 
insertion of the floral envelopes at the apex of the 
berry. By a singular coincidence the corolla is also 
white, conical and deciduous, along with the calyx. 
When covered with fruit it is a very ornamental 
member of the Heath family, and comes from the 
mountains of the East Indies. Seeing that such is the 
case, it may be grown in a conservatory or greenhouse, 
and in a compost similar to that given to greenhouse 
Rhododendrons, Azaleas or Heaths. 
Immersion a Destroyer of Scale. —It is 
well known that all insect pests on plants have a great 
dislike to cold water, but recently a novel and effectual 
means of applying it to plants attacked by scale came 
under my notice. A friend having some plants of 
Gardenias and other things, which by neglect had 
become covered with scale in all stages, resolved to try 
what immersion in cold water would do. He, therefore, 
packed a number of the plants in a tank, filled it with 
cold water, and left them immersed for two days and 
nights. On removal the plants were found to be none 
the worse for their ducking ; but the scales were dead, 
one and all, old and young, and % quickly dropped off, 
or were easily removed by rubbing. I know by 
experiment that many plants will bear being kept 
under water for a week without injury, but insect life 
is soon destroyed by such treatment. The best of the 
immersion treatment is that it destroys the whole oi 
the pest, whereas the most careful cleaning by hand 
leaves a plentiful succession to make the plants as bad 
as ever in two months. Even provided all plants will 
not stand the cold-water operation, how many there 
are in gardens, such as large old Gardenias, Orange 
Trees, Stephanotis, and other things, which having 
become infested with insects it is impossible to clean 
by hand, and yet their valuable flowers forbid their 
being thrown away ! These by a couple of days’ 
immersion in summer in a large tank or pond may be 
thoroughly cleansed. Plants in large conservatories 
and other places, where some of them are out of the 
range of the eye, will get insects on them, and it is no 
disgrace to the gardener in such cases when it takes 
place ; but for his own sake, and for the comfort and 
appearance of the things in his charge, he should avail 
himself of every means in his power to keep down insect 
pests on them. Fir Tree Oil is an admirable, safe, and 
sure cure and preventative, and 1 cannot help thinking 
the cold bath may be of great service. For mealy bug 
I believe it is equally effectual.— J. B. 
The Season’s Produce. —The crops gathered 
in, and others matured, now show what a productive 
season we have had here amongst the limestone hills. 
Potatos are very fine and heavy crops, especially 
Sutton’s Magnum Bonum, grown on an open, bleak 
moor, and in light soil. Tankard Turnips and Swedes, 
adjoining, are better than they have been for years. 
All round this place, Apples are an abundant crop, and 
of Walnuts there has not been such a crop known for 
over twenty years. Filberts, too, are in great abund¬ 
ance. Strawberries were unusually good both as regards 
crop and flavour, and especially President and 
Yicomtesse Hericart de Thury, on a shady flat. Rasp¬ 
berries were in great abundance, though small. Black¬ 
berries are very plentiful. Black, Red, and White 
Currants were never finer, and the same may be said of 
Gooseberries ; Marie Louise and Brown Beurre Pears 
are a heavy crop and fine ; Plums and Damsons good. 
In the kitchen garden, Cauliflowers have been poor ; 
Onions, a heavy crop, Beet, Carrots, Turnips, fine : 
Peas, excellent, we gathered a capital lot of Sutton’s 
King of Marrows the first week of this month. Sown 
in the middle of April, this Pea with He Plus Ultra 
and Walker’s Perpetual Bearer, produced a good second 
crop. The former has plenty of peas on now, but 
touched with the frost. A variety with purple flowers 
is now one mass, over 10 ft. high ; it is very hardy, 
but the frost injured the pods, leaving the flowers and 
haulms intact. A flat of Sutton’s Superb White Cos 
Lettuce has not received the slightest injury, and are 
very useful now. It has proved itself the best Cos 
with me all the summer. Standwell is equally as good 
as a Cabbage Lettuce. Jack Frost visited us in the 
second week of this month, killing Dahlias, Bocconias, 
&c. ; but Calceolarias and Scarlet Pelargoniums give us 
a bit of colour yet, and are fresh. Some good spikes 
of Tritonia and a few Hyacinthus candicans are also 
left, and masses of Chrysanthemum maximum and of 
varieties of Michaelmas Daisy are flowering well.— 
Geo'rge BoIoa, Eopton, Wirksworth. 
Stone Fruit and Firm Soil. —We notice in 
many cases this season that where soil is firm, like rock 
encasing the roots of fruit trees (stone fruits especially), 
the fruit has been abundant and of extra quality. 
There has been no gross growth to shade the fruits, by 
excluding sun and air, and the preparation for next 
year is of the most hopeful kind, the wood being short, 
stiff, and firm as whalebone. The foliage, too, on such 
trees, by its firmness, compares favourably with those 
which have their roots running loosely in ordinary soil. 
Apricots and Peaches (the former especially) have 
formed many natural spurs an inch or two long. They 
set fruit freely, and dropping is almost unknown from 
these natural spurs. Plums and Cherries which have 
filled their wall space, and with soil thoroughly firm 
about their roots, will require very little use of the 
knife this season, the growths being so short. It has 
never appeared to us that any style of training made 
any particular difference to the well-being of the trees 
or the supplies of fruit. There is abundant evidence to 
prove that the state of the roots and the treatment 
they receive has much to do with the production of 
fruits, always provided that climatic conditions are 
favourable. The keeping of roots upwards has a 
marked difference on colour, flavour and the keeping 
qualities of fruit.— Caledonian. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
Plants foe Table Decoration. —How that every¬ 
thing is safety housed, more time can be devoted to 
special subjects—such as the selection and placing by 
themselves of plants which may be required for the 
table and special decoration ; unless this be done, one 
is almost sure to be disappointed when selecting later 
on—either by Dracaenas having become disfigured by 
thrips, or Crotons, through being crowded, losing a 
greater part of their bottom foliage, rendering them 
quite useless. If a particular place cannot be given 
them, let them be placed on inverted pots among the 
general collection, where they receive more light and 
air and stand well. 
Especial care should be taken in the selection of 
off-sets of Pandanus Yeitchii, which when property 
grown is one of the most useful of all decorative plants, 
and greatly admired. The plants need not get beyond 
the 48 size of pot for two seasons ; the great object 
should be to obtain a well-balanced variegation, as in 
the case of the selection of Alocasia macrorhiza variegata. 
I f too much white prevail at a certain stage of their 
growth the plants never thrive satisfactorily, and are 
absolutely unsightly when of that rank green growth 
so often to be met with, particularly in private es¬ 
tablishments. 
Gesnerias are now throwing up their spikes quite 
stoutly, and should be kept neatly and regularly tied 
to the stakes, which were placed as directed some time 
since ; the foliage also will have become settled into 
position, and form a beautiful carpeting to the bright- 
coloured flower-spikes. Unless staged very thinly, it 
will be better to dot them through the stoves on inverted 
pots, as the foliage is so impatient of damp at this 
season. G. exoniensis requires a higher temperature 
or it is very apt to be blind, but, when well flowered, 
it is very striking and fully repays extra care ; but, 
for general purposes, nothing is so reliable as the old 
G. zebrina. We have again overhauled the earliest- 
potted bulbs, and those ready have been removed 
from the plunging material to the north pits and 
treated as advised with regard to the light to be 
admitted. 
The Solanums and Callas which were potted up 
and placed in the frames are now, as occasions permit 
by the removal of Fuchsias or other plants that go out 
of flower, introduced to the show house, the richly- 
coloured berries of the former and the deep green foliage 
of the latter giving a pretty effect to the staging. Be 
careful and pay full attention to the Chrysanthemums, 
for very frequently after being lifted from the plunging 
border (where in all probability the roots have travelled 
through the bottoms of the pots for a considerable 
distance) they are apt to suffer from a want of water, 
and should such be the case at this period of their 
culture, it will most certainty result in a loss of any¬ 
thing like good flowers, with most likely one-sided or 
deformed centres. Ours are opening very well indeed, 
and, as advised, manure water of some kind is used 
constantly ; niggardly treatment simply results in a 
paucity of flowers. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
French Beans. —The value of pits for French Beans 
is now apparent, as they are now giving us some first- 
rate dishes, which are much valued, as the frost has 
put an end to many sources of supply. The sowings 
made in pots will form a succession, but another must 
be put in this week, as they come on rather slowly at 
this season of the year. If not already done, a good 
batch of Sea Kale must be lifted at once and planted 
in leaf-soil in the Mushroom-house, where it may be 
kept quite dark. The temperature of this house exactly 
suits it, as, if subject to much heat, it becomes drawn 
and spoiled ; if necessary it may be cut and kept in 
damp sand for several days until wanted, as this is 
preferable to allowing it to overgrow. 
Rhubarb. —A few stools of the earliest Rhubarb 
should also be put in ; this is necessary where the supply 
of Apples is at all short. Use leaf-soil in packing the 
stools, as all forced subjects root so readily into it; and 
to prevent undue sprinkling of the crowns, we cover 
with an inch or so of loose straw-litter. Too frequent 
damping thus early causes the young foliage, as it is 
starting, to rot off. Our house of Tomatos is now 
giving us a nice lot of fruit, which may be safety put 
on the table as salad, without the flavour being 
questioned ; those cut from out-of-doors and ripened 
under cover will do for kitchen use only. 
Cucumbers are making fine growth, and are carrying 
as many fruit as we think will be needed for supply ; 
of course, if foggy weather prevail, it will be found 
necessary to resort to artificial fertilisation, so as to 
ensure fruit. The weather having kept so open, we 
have not yet added to the bottom heat, but should a 
change occur it will be done at once ; all stopping 
should now be discontinued, except in the case of a 
single gross shoot on any plant. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
General Work. —Following the directions given, 
we have finished the planting out of spring-flowering 
stuff, and the clearing away of all summer-flowering 
plants, and we now intend to go through the Rosery, 
and lift the greater part, as in many instances they are 
making too rank a growth, consequently, they do not 
flower so freely as they should. In some places the soil 
is light, and in re-planting we add half-a-barrow-load 
of stiff loam to each plant, treading firmly, and giving 
a bucket of water to settle the soil about the roots. I 
ought to add that before planting all are root-pruned, 
viz., all strong roots shortened well in, and suckers 
removed, leaving only fibrous roots. 
Y T e have given the final earthing to Celery, but as 
the soil was rather dry it must be gone over and 
finished off after rain, later on. We shall complete the 
binding up of remainder of Cardoons this week, then 
all that will be necessary, in case of severe frosts, will 
be to cover with mats or bracken. Asparagus beds 
have been mown over with the scythe, afterwards hoed 
and raked off, and put clean for the winter. 
One matter which has been deferred through the 
drought is the cutting of turf, which we have now taken 
in hand ; but even now, where at all sheltered, some 
of it is dust dry under the sod. This is, however, 
preferable to its being very wet, as when stored in such 
a condition, it rots too rapidly. Be careful that the 
early pits of Potatos are freely ventilated, and do not 
use fire-heat, unless compelled by the severity of the 
weather.— Walter Child, Croomc Court. 
-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
. ♦ . 
♦ 
Catasetum. gnomus. —A grand inflorescence of 
this rare and singular Orchid comes to us from F. AY. 
Moore, Esq., curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Glasnevin, Dublin, which is rich in rare and singular 
plants, as well as fine varieties and showy ones. The 
spike in question is 2 ft. in length ; the upper half 
being furnished with eleven flowers, at intervals of 
about an inch. The flowers, which are gracefully borne 
on footstalks, are 4 ins. in length, and nearly 4 ins. in 
the expansion of their sepals, the two side sepals being 
horizontally extended, giving the whole flower a resem¬ 
blance to some of the goblins seen in illustrations of 
legendary lore. The petals clipping close to the third 
sepal, and the curiously ornamented hood-like pouch 
represents the head, while two sepals imitate the 
extended arms, and the petals the body. In colour the 
sepals are chocolate, petals green and heavily barred 
with the same colour, and the pouch white and green 
marked with crimson. The fine C. sanguineum is also 
in flower at Glasnevin. 
