June 9, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
651 
cultivation in any garden soil. It is the Symphytum 
orientale of botanists, and is now in prime condition in 
the gardens at Chiswick. 
Columbines. 
I have now in full bloom in my garden a number of 
delightful single and double varieties of these, varying 
greatly in shape and colour, from the peerless Aquilegia 
glandulosa (Grigor) to the purest white. I have one 
with rich purple-blue sepals and a pure white corolla, 
while another has a very delicate tint of azure blue on a 
white ground. They grow in any soil, and bloom with 
remarkable freedom.— R. D. 
Nelson’s Phlox or Moss Pink. 
A mass of this at a little distance looks like a heap of 
driven snow. On close examination, however, Nelson’s 
Phlox (P. subulata Nelsoni) is seen to possess a small, 
double, and pale violet spot at the base of each segment 
of the corolla, so that collectively they form a distinct 
hut not very conspicuous zone round the eye of the 
flower. In the ordinary pink or pale purple form this 
zone exists in a more intensified degree, and explains 
its presence in the white form. There is another variety, 
however, named P. s. nivalis, in which this zone has 
entirely disappeared. Both may be seen at present in 
splendid condition in the garden of De B. Crawshay, 
Esq., Rosefield, Sevenoaks, Kent. They form large 
masses on the rockery, and at a short distance have a 
very telling effect as the garden is approached from the 
road. Scarcely any other class of hardy plants have a 
finer appearance at this season of the year than the 
dwarf Phloxes. 
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FRUIT PROSPECTS. 
Bush fruits of all kinds are a very promising crop in 
this neighbourhood. Strawberries are strong and 
blooming well. Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots are 
a fair set, but some of the Peaches are very much in¬ 
fested with aphis and blister. Cherries, particularly 
Morellos, are a good crop. Plums will probably be an 
average crop. Pears bloomed profusely and set a fine 
crop, but the caterpillars or maggots have completely 
ruined it, nearly all the pears being more or less eaten. 
Apples have bloomed very well, and would have been a 
nice crop, but the same wretches that played such 
havoc on the Pears have attacked the Apples, all the 
foliage being riddled, and the prospects of anything 
like a fair crop is small. I think most fruit growers 
will agree with me that insect pests have vastly in¬ 
creased of late years, and the question is what are the 
best means to adopt to prevent their ravages ? My 
experience is that any insecticide is comparatively 
useless if applied when the trees are in. growth, as the 
grubs so curl themselves up in the leaves that nothing 
can get at them to do any real good. 'I believe it is the 
Apple weevil that deposits its eggs in the growths, and 
therefore, if something were invented to put on the 
surface to force the insects from the soil and kill them 
before they could do any damage, and at the same time 
not injuring the roots of the trees, it would prove a 
boon. Two years ago I applied salt, at the rate of 
5 cwt. per acre, to our Apple trees with good results, 
they being free from insects and the fruit very fine. 
"Whether that would suit all soils I could not say, but 
ours being of a light nature it proved beneficial. I 
should state that it was applied in February.— S. T. 
Wright, Glewston Court Gardens, Ross, Herefordshire. 
Now that the season is so far advanced, a general 
review of the fruit crops may be taken, and considering 
everything the outlook is entirely satisfactory and 
encouraging. The warm weather and showers lately 
experienced has brought on things wonderfully, but 
much more rain is wanted. Apples promise exceedingly 
well; there was an abundance of blossom and a good 
set has resulted. Pears are very good, indeed above 
the average ; those trained over espaliers and on walls 
will bear good crops, noticeable among which may be 
mentioned the following : Marie Louise, Louis Bonne, 
Beurre d’Almaine, Glou Morceau. In some instances 
trees which yielded well last season are destitute of 
fruit this year. Plums are a failure, while Cherries are 
just the reverse, the trees being covered with fruit, 
Morellos being especially so. Coming to bush fruits, 
for Currants the prospect is good, and Gooseberries too, 
if the latter be not attacked with grub to such an 
extent as last year, consequent on the prolonged dry 
summer. Strawberries are blooming well, and will 
yield good fruit provided it be not too dry. With regard 
to Raspberries it may be said that they are healthy, and 
show very well for bloom. Of Peaches and Nectarines 
on walls there will only be a sprinkling of fruit.— 
F. R. S., North-west Notts. 
RIDGE CUCUMBERS. 
The hundreds of Cucumbers that one sees hawked for 
sale in the London streets in August and September, are 
mostly Bedfordshire grown. In that county, very large 
numbers of plants are grown in open fields ; they sow a 
broad band of Rye or Wheat across a field, then they 
leave an empty space of a certain width, and another 
band of Rye comes in. Between the breadths of Rye 
they plant out their Ridge Cucumbers, generally 
allowing 20 feet width for them. The great advantage 
received from the neighbourhood of the Rye is that it 
affords protection to the Cucumber from cold late 
spring winds. There are spots in the amateurs’ and 
cottagers’ vegetable garden in which a few Cucumbers 
can be grown. When fresh they are wholesome and 
palatable. Seeds sown under glass in April, will by 
this time have produced good plants. Some persons 
sow their seeds in the open ground, leaving them to the 
tender mercies of warm weather, and when they begin 
to grow, the plants come away with surprising quickness. 
This should be done only in the case of a light early 
soil. 
But there is always some risk of the seeds rotting in 
the ground, and so it is safest to sow a few seeds in a 
pot or light soil early in April, raising the plants in a 
frame, potting them off singly when large enough, and 
then planting out in well-manured trenches. The best 
plan is to dig out trenches 3 feet in width and 15 
inches deep, placing the earth dug out along by the 
sides of the trench. The trench should be filled with 
stable manure, prepared as for a hot-bed, raising it 1 ft. 
or so above the level of the ground. Then the manure 
is covered with a portion of the earth that was taken 
out of the trench, and the rest laid on the side of the 
ridge so as to make the whole into a bed in the centre. 
When the ridges are thus prepared, holes should be made 
in them for the reception of the plants, and a little 
good soil put into them. 
Those who make a speciality of growing ridge 
Cucumbers for market adopt the practice of placing 
hand-glasses over the holes in order that the earth may 
be warmed by the steam rising up from the manure. 
Then in two or three days after they plant out, covering 
the plant with the hand-glass at night until warm 
weather is assured. But if the cottager or amateur 
has no hand-glasses he must trust to nature ; should the 
night promise to be cold he will do well to shake a 
little light litter on the plants, removing it in the 
morning after the sun has risen. Vegetable Marrows 
may also be grown in this way, but they will do well 
with less cultivation than Cucumbers. One of the best 
places on which to plant them is on a heap of refuse, 
if there is soil enough among it to afford root room 
and nourishment for the plants.— R. D. 
-- 
Gardening 
ISCELLANY. 
Planting Tender Annuals, &c. 
Between the merits of a moist season for planting 
out and of a dry one, opinions may well oscillate. 
When the weather is moist all plants make quick 
growth and root freely, never suffering from heat or 
strong sunshine, whilst the soil is rendered loose and 
pliable ; indeed, in showery weather the planter has 
nothing more to do but to plant on until his labours 
are complete ; at least, such is the accepted belief in 
regard to a moist planting season, but gardeners have 
to tell a different story. The slugs form a terrible fly 
in one’s pot of ointment in showery weather, and give 
exceeding trouble. An old legend represented a poor 
wretch subjected to the torments of Tantalus, who, as 
fast as he put in his Cabbage plants, had them pulled 
up by a demon who followed. The material demon is 
found in slugs who prey upon tender plants, and 
especially upon annuals, with frightful voracity, not 
even dressings of soot and lime being always able to 
protect them from the attacks of the creeping enemy. 
This season slugs have had a bad time of it, because, 
with one special exception, it has been so dry. Thus 
while the labour of planting out thousands of tender 
annuals is great, at least the plants' are saved. The 
surface of the soil is dry and nubbly, but some 
compensation is found in freedom from the attacks. 
We draw shallow drills, and dibble out the plants, 
giving them one or two waterings ; or else, should the 
soil be rather rough and hard, run water along the 
drills first. Slugs, when able to work, soon eat off 
Marigolds, Balsams, Asters, Zinnias, Petunias, and 
similar things. If the plants can get but a week or so 
in which to harden the stems before the slugs work 
they are pretty safe. This year the rate of planting 
out is of necessity slow, but so far it has been assured. 
—A. D. 
The Japan Quince. 
A large specimen of a very fine variety of this tree, 
or rather shrub, has been flowering for some time on a 
wall in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden at 
Chiswick. It had previously occupied another position, 
where it attained considerable dimensions, and was 
transplanted to the site which it has now occupied for 
at least eight years. Growth was somewhat checked 
by the removal, but having taken firm hold of the new 
soil it seldom fails to flower most abundantly. The 
tree is spur pruned, but, nevertheless, maintains its 
reputation as a free-flowering variety, and has large, 
deep or brilliant scarlet flowers produced in dense 
clusters, even in positions where we should least expect 
it. Fruit is also produced in some seasons. 
The Golden Box. 
Under the name of Buxus japonicus aureus, a variety 
of the common Box (B. sempervirens), from Japan, is 
rapidly finding its way into many gardens, and is really 
a fine thing. It increases rather slowly, otherwise it 
should have enjoyed a more extended cultivation than 
at present. The leaves are unusually broad, but closely 
set, resembling in this respect the variety B. s. suffru- 
ticosa, so much used for edgings. They are also heavily 
and richly variegated with golden yellow, especially in 
spring, when the new growth is being made. In the 
Royal Horticultural Society’s garden, at Chiswick, it is 
used as an edging to a flower bed with very fine effect, 
as at present it resembles a ridge of an almost uniform 
golden yellow. 
Veronica Guthrieana. 
The smaller or dwarfer kinds of the Veronicas are 
admirably adapted for cultivation on rockwork, and 
although they neither require much space nor a large 
body of soil, yet it is greatly to their advantage to have 
the latter of sufficient depth in order to ensure a 
constant supply of moisture. Under these conditions, 
they attain greater luxuriance, and continue flowering 
for a much longer period. The plant under notice is a 
garden hybrid, one of the parents of which is V. sax- 
atilis, after which it takes by its procumbent habit. 
The flowers are large, deep blue with a purple eye, and 
very attractive. One, however, rarely sees a mass of it, 
as it grows rather slowly. A beautiful bit of it may be 
seen in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
Chiswick, planted on the rockery. 
Myosotis dissitiflora grandiflora. 
One of the most charming sights I have seen lately in 
the way of spring flowers was a broad expanse of a new 
variety of Myosotis dissitiflora, very appropriately 
named grandiflora. This truly grand improvement on 
the old dissitiflora, both in the size of its flowers— 
many of which early in the season average the diameter 
of a sixpence—and also in the profuse manner in which 
they are produced, coupled with its compact habit, will 
certainly render it a valuable acquisition to the select 
list of spring bedding plants. The entire stock of this 
novelty is in the hands of Mr. H. Virgo, of Portishead, 
who grows it largely for market purposes, and judging 
from the increasing demand for sprays composed of 
these lovelj^ floral turquoises, this variety of the 
poetical “Forget-me-not” will undoubtedly become 
very popular. — M. C. 
Breeder Tulips from Holland. 
A BOXFUL of Tulip flowers, seedlings of Tulipa Gesneriana, 
has reached us from Messrs. E. H. Krelage & Sons, 
Haarlem, Holland. They were in grand condition, 
and exhibit an endless diversity of colouring, that is, 
in different varieties. They have not yet become 
broken, as the florist would say, but merely exhibit a 
uniform colour throughout, with the exception of the 
very base, especially internally, where the segments 
have a large, black, blue or white blotch. Florists 
value the white above all others, and this is by far 
the most prevalent in these breeder or mother Tulips. 
As to shades of colour they are simply endless, and vary 
through white, pink, rose, crimson, purple, and dark 
crimson, almost black shades. They arrived in prime 
condition at our office on the 30th of May, thus showing 
them to be much later than those already in cultivation, 
and, in fact, Messrs. Krelage & Sons describe them as a 
strain or collection of late breeders. The great size of 
the flowers, no less than their colour and lateness, 
