644 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 9, 1888. 
C. alpinus growing only at Droylesden, near Man¬ 
chester, under the care of James Davenport, then 
gardener to a Mr. Christie.” Mr. Percival is quite 
right. What is generally grown as C. alpinus is really 
C. ochroleucus, or as it is now called Erysimum 
ochroleucum. 
Croydon Horticultural Society. — The annual 
summer exhibition of this society will be held on 
Wednesday, July 4th, and the committee, with the hope 
of further improving the Rose show, have added the 
following important classes to the schedule :—As a 
special prize for thirty-six Roses (distinct), the 
committee offer a RoseTrophy, value twenty-five guineas, 
and the National Rose Society’s Gold Medal, the 
trophy to be held by the winner for the year, and if 
won by the member two consecutive years it is to 
become his property. This competition is open to all 
gentlemen’s gardeners and amateurs. The second class 
is for district-grown Roses, and open only to gentlemen’s 
gardeners and amateurs within a radius of four miles of 
the Town Hall, Croydon. It is for six Roses (distinct), 
and the prize is a Rose Trophy, value seven guineas, 
and the National Rose Society’s Silver Medal. The 
trophy is to be held under the same conditions as in the 
open class. 
Dutch Bulbs.—Ample evidence of the smartness of 
the Dutch bulb growers is found in the fact that their 
catalogues for the current year’s bulbs are already to 
hand, for such is the competition in that direction now 
that each one is most anxious, if possible, to pick up 
the early worm in the shape of the first orders of the 
British buyer. Presently, no doubt, we shall find 
these lists issued a full year in advance. Happily for 
the bulb grower, his lists vary from year to year in¬ 
finitesimally. Bulbs are unlike free-seeding plants, 
which give ample variation in produce every year, and 
render largely-revised lists essential. They take long 
to increase, and new things come in slowly, so that 
alterations in the lists give little trouble. This sharp 
competition among the Dutchmen threatens to reduce 
wholesale prices to such a low pitch that any chance 
of bulbs being profitably grown in this country to 
compete with the Dutch growers seems hopeless. 
How could we, under any conditions, hope to grow 
good bulbs in colours at 5s. per 100, and make a profit 
out of it; for bulbs of Hyacinths require from three to 
five years’ continuous growth to bring them to the best 
blooming stage, and are not the mere products of one 
year. The prices of Tulips and other bulbs are equally 
low, and really heart-breaking to any intending home 
grower. Whilst we English consumers of bulbs are 
reaping the benefits of this foreign competition, and are 
thus enabled to beautify our gardens in the spring and 
summer at cheap rates, we have thus some money left, 
because of the low prices, to give for something else, so 
that some other producer is benefitted. Our trade 
interests are so great and complicated that it is difficult, 
if not impossible, for us to tell how far it may be 
possible to attempt to benefit one class of traders or 
producers without seriously and injuriously affecting 
some other classes of producers also. 
-- 
THE FLOWER FETE IN OOVENT 
GARDEN. 
It will be gratifying to the subscribers to the Gar¬ 
deners Orphan Eund, in aid of which an evening 
promenade and floral fete was held on Wednesday 
night, in the Wholesale Flower Market, Covent Garden, 
to know that from a financial, no less than from a 
purely horticultural, point of view, it was a decided 
success, and will be the means of adding materially 
to the reserve fund. It affords us great pleasure 
to announce that not only did the Duke of Bedford 
most readily and unreservedly give his sanction for the 
market to be used for the fete, but has further shown 
how great is the interest he has taken in the movement 
by contributing the handsome sum of £100. To this 
must be added £127, collected in money-boxes placed 
in charge of a number of young ladies, and several 
cheques for various amounts which have been sent to 
the secretary, so that after defraying expenses there 
will be a sensible balance in favour of the Fund. 
It was the opinion of the leading growers who have 
stands in the market that never before had the immense 
building been so completely filled with “ good stuff,” 
and certain it is that as a flower show it was at once 
a novel and most interesting sight. Every stand was 
filled to repletion, and set out in the most attractive 
of market styles. The estimated value of the whole, 
plants in pots and cut blooms, was £10,000, and we 
are pleased to hear that “ a good sale ” followed the fete, 
nearly the whole of the things staged being sold by 9 
a. m. next day. The market men right nobly carried out 
their part of the programme ; they showed the visitors 
what they can do with the 48 pot ; they provided a 
display such as it would be difficult to match in any 
other city in the world ; and they had their reward 
in the unstinted measure of praise accorded by the 
visitors. 
When the invited visitors entered the brilliantly 
lighted building vista after vista of the most gorgeous 
flowers and foliage met their view ; on either side of 
the numerous long avenues formed by the stands, 
nothing but the gayest of flowers, and the handsomest 
of Palms, and other fine-foliaged plants were to be seen ; 
and a most agreeable perfume pervaded the whole 
building. Shortly after the doors were opened at 
nine o’clock the crush was so great that only in a 
slowly moving stream could the visitors make their 
way along the avenues, and it was not until after 
eleven o’clock that one could enjoy the marvellous 
display with any degree of comfort. It was decidedly 
the event of the season, and we hope to give further 
particulars in our next. 
-- 
TOMATO CULTURE IN THE 
OPEN AIR. 
The culture of this wholesome fruit is rapidly ex¬ 
tending, and market gardeners round London, as well 
as in the provinces, are found planting out great 
breadths of plants. One can only imagine the enor¬ 
mous number of plants Mr. Philip Ladds puts out in 
the open air at his new nursery, at Swanley, but their 
name is legion. He has acres of them. The fact is, 
we, as a nation, appear to be awakening to the fact 
that the Tomato is a wholesome vegetable, and it is 
found that large importations, from abroad, as well as 
an immense home production is inadequate to meet 
the numerous demand for Tomatos. Tomatos appear 
to do well in a light land as opposed to a heavy clayey 
soil. It does not matter if it is stony ; so long as there 
is a good depth of soil, the plants will grow and produce 
heavy crops of fruits. It must be land of good heart ; 
a satisfactory yield of fruit cannot be looked for from 
poor land. 
The plants are raised from seed under glass, and they 
are grown on into size in pots, and thousands have 
been planted out in the open during the past three 
weeks. The method of culture is a simple one, and it 
can be followed by amateurs without much trouble. It 
is not necessary for the land to be highly manured 
because the aim of the cultivators is to get their plants 
into bearing as soon as possible. In the open fields 
they plant out about 2 feet or a little more apart. 
"When the plants have become established, advantage 
is taken of a fine drying day to give a hoeing to the 
surface, both to loosen the soil and kill the weeds ; then 
in a day or two a mulching of fresh stable dung is laid 
over the surface, and this tends to keep the soil cool 
and moist. "When the plant has developed four or five 
main stems all the lateral growths are pinched out, and 
the energies of the plant are directed to the production 
of flowers and fruits. Many growers do not place 
stakes against their plants, but allow the shoots 
to bend down towards the soil, and the mulching of 
straw prevents any splashing of the fruit through heavy 
rains. 
The sort I have seen generally grown in the fields is 
a very early and fine bearing one of the old large, red 
type, and a crop is gathered two or three times a week, 
or even oftener, according to the season. The labourers 
go through the plants occasionally, and keep all 
lateral growths pinched out, so that sun and air can 
have free access to the fruit. 
If the late summer proves damp and cold, the 
uncoloured fruit is gathered and placed in cold 
frames, under or on the shelves of the greenhouse ; and 
they soon ripen and colour. Many amateurs and 
cottages can grow a few enjoyable Tomatos in that 
way. 
I remember being once at a flower show where 
cottagers’ productions were shown on a large scale ; and 
one cottager, who was known to be a keen and enter¬ 
prising gardener, and fond of cultivating choice vege¬ 
tables, had, in a collection of six dishes, some excellent 
Tomatos, which he had grown at the back of a small 
homely glass erection that he found very useful in 
many ways. One of the judges was wooden-headed 
enough to propose passing the collection over—and it 
was one of great merit—on the ground that a cottager 
should not grow Tomatos, but confine himself to com¬ 
mon vegetables. My opinion was asked on the 
matter, with the result that wooden-head and his 
narrow mind went to the wall. This is an illustration 
of a lamentable fact that some people do object to 
cottagers growing Tomatos, Cauliflowers, Cucumbers, 
and other of what I may term the higher orders of 
vegetables ; but why should not a cottager grow these ? 
He can sell them, or if he does not sell he can eat his 
fruit himself, and Tomatos served up with a little 
vinegar give a zest to homely food. 
Tomatos can be grown in the open air against sunny 
walls and fences, to which their shoots can be fastened ; 
but plants to be placed in the open should always be 
brought on quickly, so that they may be as strong as 
possible when placed out. They then get into bearing 
all the more quickly.— E. D. 
-->Z<-- 
OLD FUCHSIAS. 
I think that very pretty old white Fuchsia, Yenus 
Victrix, must have been put into commerce quite as 
. early as 1850—thirty-eight years ago, if not even 
earlier, as I remember that in 1851 in the garden in 
which I was working, we had two handsome plants 
from 3 ft. to 4 ft. in height, indicating fully a year’s 
age in a kind which makes but slow growth. "We were 
very proud indeed of those, for when in bloom they 
were regarded then as exceedingly charming specimens. 
Another very pretty white, having a maroon-purple 
corolla I remember to have been Dr. Jephson, and I 
think there was also one other which I cannot now 
recal to mind. As these kinds ranked amongst the 
very earliest introductions in white Fuchsias, naturally 
they were held in high estimation. All the first 
early whites were moderate growers. 
It is hard to carry the mind back fully to mere 
details of some thirty-eight to forty years ago, and 
notes made get lost. I should very much indeed like 
to be enabled to remember fully what were held to be 
the best Fuchsias of those comparatively remote days. 
Turning to reds, of which we grew many fine samples, 
in large tubs, I specially remember the old Corallina, 
with its long, stout, short and large dark leafage. 
This was in that day also known as Carolina. Grand 
plants of this old variety may still be seen growing 
like shrubs in the open air over in the Isle of Wight 
and elsewhere, for it is a capital robust variety for 
outdoor planting, sending up stout sucker-like shoots 
early in the summer, and which form large handsome 
bushes of flowers and foliage later. 
One of the then best of the red reflexed flowers was 
Exoniensis or Oxoniensis, for it was variously spelled, 
and I am not sure which was the correct way. This 
was a robust-growing free-flowering variety, and made 
a very handsome pyramid. Fuchsia Riccartoni was 
then held to be a very good greenhouse variety, and 
a very pretty form it is, £s may be evidenced also in 
the Isle of Wight, and specially on the western coast 
of Scotland, where it thrives gloriously as an ordinary 
shrub. Then we still had a huge standard of the old 
Fuchsia coccinea, growing in a big tub, which was 
lifted out into the open every summer. This had a 
tall, clean stem of considerable dimensions, and carried 
during the summer a very beautiful head. We seldom 
meet with fine standard Fuchsias of that character 
now. 
Some of the oldest plants in the kingdom may perhaps 
be found at Dropmore, where old Frost’s relics are well 
represented by some huge stems, proving the necessity 
which exists for lifting into largo pots yearly these big 
fellows. The roots and heads are never so extensive as 
would be the case where they are grown in large 
tubs or boxes. There is in one part of the grounds a 
retired piece of lawn enclosed by big trees, on which 
every summer these Fuchsias are planted out. They 
include old kinds, of course. 
I do not know any class of greenhouse flowering 
plants which seem more suited for the decoration of a 
place like, Dropmore, than are large pyramidal and 
standard Fuchsias. They do not present much trouble 
once the tubs needful for them to grow in are provided, 
for with a good annual top-dressing they will do well 
without a shift for three or four years. The chief 
necessity is found in some roomy conservatory into 
which the plants may be lifted, and preserved from 
frost during the winter months. Given these facilities, 
and Fuchsias may be made to play a prominent part 
in the decoration of gardens. Positions somewhat 
sheltered from strong winds should be selected for the 
purpose. 
I may mention that the gardens in front of Mrs. 
Paice’s house at Egham are, during the summer months, 
always very beautifully decorated with Fuchsias in 
this waj'.— A. D. 
