July 21, 1888. 
747 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
common garden Pink is D. sylvestris, having glaucous 
stems and foliage, and large flowers of an almost 
uniform bright rose, and fragrant. Yery different from 
all of the above is D. crnentus, an Eastern European 
species, with small blood-scarlet flowers, densely 
arranged in fascicles or heads, and continuing in flower 
for a long time. The gem of all, we consider, was 
D. superbus, with slender, graceful, somewhat leafy 
stems, which branch upwards, bearing a profusion of 
lively lilac flowers, with deeply-jagged or lacerated 
petals, furnished with a curious patch of brown hairs 
on the upper part of the claw of the petals. Both this 
and the last seem to have an odour peculiar to them¬ 
selves ; but independently of this, they are species 
which every lover of hardy garden flowers should 
possess. 
Victoria Improved Round Spinach. 
This is a greatly-improved form of round Spinach, 
producing strong vigorous leaves, and maintaining its 
growth much longer than the older variety. Where 
Spinach is a great requisite, as it is with me, this will 
prove a valuable kind for sowing extensively. I 
certainly abhor long names in flowers, fruit, or vege¬ 
tables, but especially so among the latter. Perhaps, 
as it becomes better known, Victoria Spinach will be 
found long enough for most purposes.— J. S. T. 
Tomato Disease. 
The editor of the Journal of Horticulture, sent a letter 
to the last meeting of the Scientific Committee, written 
by a Guernsey grower, detailing the course of this too 
well-known, or, rather, these too well-known diseases. 
The writer’s plants were in a span-roofed house, 60 ft. 
by 25 ft., and were affected last year, when sulphur 
was applied without effect; the leaves were speedily 
affected but not the fruits. After the removal of the 
crop the grower took the precaution to have the walls 
washed with lime, to renew the soil, and adopted every 
known means to secure healthy growth ; but this year 
the disease is worse than before. One grower was 
mentioned as having seven houses, each 350 ft. by 45 ft., 
decimated with the disease, before a pound’s worth of 
saleable fruit had ripened. Dr. Masters suggested the 
trial of sulphate of copper in fine powder, mixed with 
precipitated lime, and dusted over the foliage, as used 
in the French vineyards. 
Pea, Chelsea Gem. 
Among early dwarf Peas, this, I venture to say, will 
in future lead the van. Its earliness, great productive¬ 
ness, and excellent flavour will make it a great 
favourite. The pods are much longer than other dwarf 
kinds, and bear from eight to ten large peas in each 
pod. Where sticks are not readily obtainable, it should 
prove a desirable varietj 7 . It may be classed as a first- 
rate Pea.— J. S. T. 
Pears Flowering a Second Time. 
In the gardens at Tower House, Chiswick, some 
standard trees of Williams’ Bon Chretien Pear have 
behaved in a rather singular way this year. They 
flowered at the usual time, and set a fair crop of fruit. 
A great number of the terminal shoots, after they had 
made a considerable amount of fresh growth, produced 
trusses of bloom again, and were in full bloom the 
other week. We noticed instances of the kind last 
year in the autumn, and could easily account for it by 
the dry nature of the early part of the season. 
Lettuce, Veitch’s Perfect Gem. 
In this we have a variety which is very distinct, and 
possessing the quality of crispness, which most kinds 
of Cabbage Lettuce lack. It forms compact heads, 
and does not quickly run to seed. Should improve¬ 
ment be maintained among this form of Lettuce as it 
has done of late years, I opine that the Cos varieties 
will be doomed.— J. S. T. 
Lockie’s Perfection Cucumber. 
The fact that Mr. T. Lockie, of Oakley Court 
Gardens, Windsor, had this fine new Cucumber in 
such good form at the Ealing and Chiswick exhibitions, 
held during the second week in July, as to secure First 
Class Certificates of Merit at each, is one of the best 
testimonies to its excellence. The fruit is about 
15 ins. in length, most shapely, and of perfect form ; 
spineless, and of a dark olive colour, with a slight 
bloom. Mr. Lockie states that it is a cross between 
Purley Park and Verdant Green, and it promises to 
make one of the best home and market Cucumbers in 
cultivation. Having tasted the fruits, we can bear 
testimony to its fine table quality. It is quite large 
enough and long enough for exhibition purposes, and 
cannot fail to win when shown in such form as set 
forth above. The day for long giant Cucumbers of a 
coarse type appears to be gone. At exhibitions 
Telegraph is rarely shown of so large size as it was 
formerly ; at maDy country shows the largest fruits are 
frequently staged only to be left hopelessly in the rear 
by those of younger and more symmetrical development. 
Mimulus cupreus. 
Mr. Thomas Hewitt, who established the Solihull 
Nurseries, and retired from business a few years since, 
still resides at Solihull, and his garden all the year 
round is the admiration of all and the envy of many. 
It is indeed a charming villa garden, both the spring 
and summer bedding being a sight worth seeing. Of 
course everything is under a cloud just now through 
this long spell of terribly wet weather, but a long 
border of Mimulus cupreus, which stood out all the 
winter, and is therefore hardy, has given a mass of 
bright colour for a long time, a few gleams of sunshine 
bringing back its beauty after heavy rain. It is a 
charming plant, and should be freely used as a spring 
and summer bedding subject. A new variety from 
Germany, under the name of Mimulus cupreus Trince 
Bismarck, is a bright scarlet, and richer in colour than 
the old M. cupreus ; hardy treatment suits both of them 
best. Mr. Hewitt has also a large bed bordered with a 
very fine strain of Mimulus tigrinus, with flowers as 
fine and profuse as from plants in pots, and these also 
have stood the winter out of doors. — D. S. 
Elton Pine Strawberry. 
The Royal Nurseries at Slough are developing in 
extent at a rapid pace, and just recently Mr. Arthur 
Turner drove me to a new nursery comprising many 
acres, where fruit trees, Roses and other things are 
grown. In this nursery a great expanse of ground is 
appropriated to Strawberries, where it seems almost 
every sort is grown, including a considerable breadth 
of the old Elton Pine, heavily laden with fruit; and 
the question arises whether this good old variety, so fine 
in flavour, has been beaten by more recently introduced 
kinds. Of course, all soils do not suit it, but when 
it can be grown it is still a valuable variety. A 
quantity of strong runners in 60-size pots of leading 
varieties, for potting on for forcing, are already 
separated from the parent plants. — D. S. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Climbers in the Conservatory. —The plants in 
this structure require frequent renewals as they go out 
of flower, but a thorough change is necessary at stated 
times, in order to afford an opportunity for regulating 
the climbers, reducing them within proper limits, and 
clearing the house generally of insect pests if any are 
present. If any of them should be infested with 
green-fly, fumigate at night, and give a good syringing 
in the morning. Should the conservatory be attached 
to the mansion house, some objection may be made on 
account of the smoke entering the dwelling-rooms; but 
by hanging a wet cloth over the door communicating 
with them, the ingress of tobacco-smoke will be 
prevented. 
Habrothamnus elegans if it has finished flowering 
should be hard pruned back, when it will break afresh 
and come into flower in autumn, keeping up a succession 
of bloom for several months together. Plumbago 
capensis should be treated in the same way, after it has 
finished flowering. Where a sufficiently high tem¬ 
perature is maintained for flowering plants in the 
winter, the Plumbago will grow away vigorously and 
come into flower early next spring. Hardenbergias, 
Kennedyas and Bignonias generally make an enormous 
quantity of growth, more in fact than can be ac¬ 
commodated in the space allotted to them, and require 
thinning in the case of some, especially the Bignonias. 
The remainder of the shoots should be loosely tied in, 
leaving a few stray ones depending from the roof to 
take off the artificial appearance of training. If the 
shoots are pruned back, thus cutting away all the 
ripened wood, no flowers can be expected next season. 
The case is different with Ivennedya Marryattse, a 
rather soft-wooded but evergreen climber. When 
trained to a rafter, it forms long pendent shoots that 
continue flowering for months together ; but when 
these become played out, the plant should be subjected 
to a severe pruning, cutting back the side shoots to 
within a bud or two of the base, in the same way as 
Habrothamnus, Plumbagos, or as climbing Fuchsias 
are pruned in autumn when they have done flowering. 
The Kennedya in question will bloom during the whole 
winter if furnished with a set of young shoot3. 
Fuchsias. —In the case of old plants, whether they 
are trained as pyramidal specimens or grown as bushes, 
according to the taste or custom of the cultivator, the 
pots will now be well filled with roots ; and in order to 
keep up the vigour of the plants, and prolong the 
period of flowering, assistance should be given in the 
shape of liquid manure or some of the artificial fertilisers 
whose value is sufficiently well known and proved. 
Whatever the manure employed, rather err on the safe 
side in giving it weak than run the risk of injuring the 
roots by an overdose. Large plants with limited pot 
room require an abundant supply of water, and should 
not be neglected or overlooked in this respect. A light 
compost is that in which Fuchsias succeed best, and a 
large supply of moisture is therefore necessary. Branches 
that grow rampantly should be looped up, so as to 
maintain a compact and tidy appearance, but on no 
account permit crowding. 
Plants for the Show House or Conservatory.— 
Besides the Fuchsias already mentioned, the show 
house may be made gay with a large number of plants 
different from the outdoor subjects, although the beauty 
and striking character of these cannot be overlooked 
when we have a batch of well-grown plants in pots. 
Of these Campanulas of various species (including 
C. isophyRa alba), Chrysanthemum coronarium, C. 
coronatum, and C. segetum grandiflorum might be 
mentioned. Hydrangea paniculata, H. hortensis, 
Statices, Celosia pyramidalis in variety (including C. 
coccinea, C. aurea and C. plumosa), Cockscombs 
(C. cristata), Gomplirena globosa nana compacts, 
Lilium auratum, L. speciosum, L. longiflorum Harrisi, 
and tree Carnations in great variety will furnish the 
gardener with ample material for making a display. 
Calceolarias. —For an early display a small 
quantity of Calceolaria seed may be sown, according to 
the requirements of the place. Sow thinly on a level 
surface, and cover very lightly. Place a square of glass 
over the pot or pan in which they are sown, and shade 
from sunshine till the seeds have germinated, when 
they should immediately be exposed to light to prevent 
drawing. Pot off as many as can be properly 
accommodated and looked after. It is bad policy to 
keep a superfluous number about the place when it is 
not intended to grow them on, as they only prove an 
encumberance and an eyesore. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
The Vineries. —The weather has been extremely 
unfavourable for the colouring of late Grapes, such as 
Lady Downe’s, Madresfield Court, Gros Colmar, and 
Alicante. What with snowstorms in some districts, 
accompanied by heavy rainfalls and low temperature 
almost everywhere else, growers in general have been 
at their wits’ end to keep things moving in the right 
direction. During the prevalence of such weather 
artificial heating will have to be employed to ward off 
damp and maintain a circulation of air, as ventilation 
must be given to assist in the proper finishing of the 
fruit and to develop good flavour. No damping down 
must be done, and should red-spider make its appear¬ 
ance paint the hot-water pipes with sulphur. Abstain 
from watering the borders during the ripening period, 
and be specially careful in this respect with Madresfield 
Court, as the berries are so liable to split. 
Peaches. — As the fruit in succession houses 
approaches maturity, leave off syringing as a preventive 
against cracking, to which some varieties are more 
particularly liable than others. More precaution will 
be necessary during wet weather than when the air is 
dry and bracing. Give abundant ventilation on all 
favourable occasions, and expose the fruit as much as 
possible to the light, as previously advised. Not only 
is the colour greatly improved, but the flavour as well, 
as both are dependent upon the oxidation of the 
ingredients of the fruit itself during the process of 
ripening. 
Melons. —If strong young plants are at hand, and 
the early crops of Melons have been cleared away, 
make up fresh beds of soil, raising it into little hills or 
mounds, on the top of which the plants should be 
inserted. In planting at this season for a late supply 
in autumn, only those varieties should be used which 
have been tried, whose qualities are known, and which 
