278 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 3, 1891. 
harpeodes, which comes from the Andes of Quito, 
South Mexico, and elsewhere. The pinnoe are l\ in. 
to 2 ins. long, comparatively narrow, and drawn out to 
a long slender point; whereas in the more typical forms 
of the species the pinrne are short and comparatively 
blunt and rounded at the apex. A. 1. erectum seems 
to differ but very little from the last, for its fronds are 
18 ins. to 20 ins. in length, and the pinnae are incise- 
crenate, with a long acuminate point. It is therefore 
simply a strong-growing form of the species, specimens 
of which were collected on the Roraima Mountains of 
British Guiana. The form known as A. 1. pteropus is 
characterised by having a narrow wing along the edges 
of the upper part of the petiole and the whole of the 
rachis. From a horticultural point of view it presents 
no striking feature sufficiently differing from the type 
to render it worthy of cultivation for its own sake. It 
comes from Guadeloupe and elsewhere. 
A. 1. brasiliense is one of the most graceful and 
pretty of the forms, but it also varies considerably 
from different localities, and sporelings (seedlings) 
reared in this country also show a departure from the 
parent type, and appear distinct enough for garden 
purposes as to be worthy of another name. The fronds 
are rather narrow, slender and arching, with short, 
obtuse pinnse, rather broad at the base, and obtusely 
incise-crenate. The sori are so closely arranged that 
as they become mature and burst they cover nearly the 
whole of the under-surface with rich brown spore cases. 
Owing to its graceful habit it might with advantage be 
grown as a basket plant. Another form named A. 1. 
pavonieum, and gathered in the Sandwich Islands by 
Dr. Hillebrand, has fronds 15 ins. to 16 ins. long, and 
rather slender, with short, blunt pinnre, not unlike 
those of A. 1. brasiliense. 
A number of forms are distinguished by the pinnte 
being more or less lobed at the base, or pinnatifid for 
the greater part of their length, but owing to the 
range of variation they seem to merge into one another. 
A. 1. Macrsei has long narrow fronds and short pinnre, 
more or less lobed at the base, with roundly cuneate or 
obovate blunt segments. It comes from the Andes of 
Quito and New Granada. The same or a similar form 
has also been named A. 1. lobatum. An altogether 
more vigorous and robust plant from the Philippine 
and other Polynesian Islands named A. 1. lobatum is 
quite distinct and different from any of the above. It 
has also been named A. reclinatum lobatum and A. 
erectum lobatum. The most remarkable fact about it 
is that variously divided and shallowly crenate pinnae 
are to be found on the same plant. Some of these are 
pinnatifid or pinnatisect, with oblong or spathulate 
segments, while the apical portion is often undivided. 
The two sides of the same pinnse are often unequally 
divided. The fronds are-14 ins. to 16 ins. long, and 
both curious and ornamental. 
-»£*•- 
STAKING NEWLY PLANTED 
TREES. 
It seems to have escaped the notice of those who so 
strongly advocate the rigid staking of newly planted 
trees that the nurserymen plant thousands of tali' 
young stuff every winter, and yet does not stake one of 
them. If it be that ordinary yet careful planting in 
the nursery ensures the trees against harmful wind, 
why should not newly planted trees be equally safe 
from harm in garden, field, or orchard ? Probably the 
reason is found in the fact that planting is done with 
less care, although some will assume that it is because 
the trees are planted more thickly in the nursery, 
therefore they protect one another. On the other hand, 
in exposed places, and some nurseries are very exposed, 
the body of trees found in a quarter is not at all 
unlikely to catch far more rough winds than would 
single or isolated trees. 
Young trees which are planted in winter are usually 
leafiess; of course exception must be made in favour of 
Hollies or of tall forms of Conifer®, but these barely 
form the subject of debate. When trees are leafless they 
catch but little wind, and a mere modicum of support 
suffices. Without doubt, some three strands of tar- 
cord, or stout string, run out from the stem to small 
pegs or stakes would be better than a rigid tie to a 
rigid stake. Such support as this, whilst preventing 
harm, would allow some little play to the head and 
roots, so that the trees thrive better than when they 
are fixed hard to poles. 
Just as branches develop under the action of wind, 
so will tree-stems if allowed some play. Motion per¬ 
forms some important duties in tree and plant life, and, 
so far as is consistent with safety, such motion should 
be duly encouraged. Some motion, so far from displac¬ 
ing roots, really promotes root action. It is as healthful 
in trees as in living beings ; vast areas of primeval 
trees have developed into the utmost grandeur of growth 
without artificial support.— A. D. 
ENDIVE FOR WINTER USE. 
There are two distinct races of Endive, but neither 
of them are so largely or widely cultivated in this 
country as Lettuce. The narrow or curled-leaved sorts 
are more suitable for summer than winter use, because 
they sooner become fit for use, and are on the whole 
rather more tender. Then again, because they are 
liable to run early to seed they are not suitable for 
extensive culture in the hotter part of the summer. 
The first sowing of auy extent should not, therefore, 
be made before the beginning or middle of July. The 
first sowing of the broad-leaved kinds should be 
made about the beginning of August, and another 
sowing about the middle or towards the end of that 
month, to furnish a supply for autumn and winter 
use as long as they can be preserved, which will of 
course depend upon the nature of the weather. 
A large number of kinds, both of the curled and 
broad-leaved races, have been grown on trial during the 
past season in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at Chiswick. We examined the plantations in 
the first week in December, some time after they had 
been subjected to rather severe frost in the open ground, 
thereby testing their frost-resisting capabilities pretty 
severely. They were grown on a west aspect border, 
and showed a considerable difference between those in 
close proximity to a wall and those nearest the walk, 
the latter being the most damaged. This would show 
that the old custom of planting in narrow borders 
close to the wall should be more extensively adopted 
than it is at the present day. This of course applies 
ouly to plants intended for preservation through the 
winter, or as far into it as possible. A position under 
a west aspect wall also offers the further advantage 
of shading the plants from the morning sun while they 
are yet in a frozen state. 
Curled-leaved Varieties. 
As already stated, the curled sorts are the most 
tender, and had suffered most when we saw them, but 
some of them exhibited greater hardiness than others, 
and those only we noted. Ruffec Large Green Curled 
is a vigorous, large-growing sort, and one of the 
hardiest and most suitable of the curled kinds for 
either summer or autumn use. The outer leaves are 
deep green and very ragged or cut, but the central ones 
were white when we saw them. It was the least injured 
of any of the curled Endives. TheHmperial Cuiled 
approaches the last in many respects, but the leaves 
are lighter in colour, less finely cut, and bear a con¬ 
siderable resemblance to a Curled Broccoli, especially 
with regard to colour. The rosette is of large size, and 
flat. Green Fine-Curled Winter is also a very flat or 
spreading kind, forming a broader rosette than the 
Anjou. The leaves are deeply ragged, and were 
comparatively little injured against the wall, although 
at some distance from it the centres were more or less 
damaged. Another comparatively hardy sort, much 
grown in the neighbourhood of Paris, and in the north 
of France, is Rouen or Stag’s-horn, which, as its name 
implies, has its leaves deeply cut into diverging segments 
suggestive of a stag’s horn. They are also deep green, 
rather narrow and flat. Some of the plants were quite 
fresh, others somewhat injured in the centre. The 
White Curled forms flat, spreading rosettes with deeply 
cut and lacerated very light green leaves, as if half 
blanched. The outer leaves were injured where closely 
packed, but not so where the plants were comparatively 
open. Evidently, however, the variety is not so hardy 
as any of the above. Several other Curled kinds, more 
or less injured, especially in the centre, gave evidence of 
being comparatively tender. 
Broad-leaved Varieties. 
The broad-leaved race is characterised by broader and 
less-divided leaves, which are firmer and coarser in 
texture, and generally more or less wrinkled or 
crumpled, or nearly flat. The plants on the whole are 
hardier, and therefore more suitable for autumn and 
winter culture. Queen of the Winter is a large and 
vigorous kind, with erect or ascending leaves slightly 
cut at the edge. Near the wall the plants were 
unhurt, but when more exposed the centre was some¬ 
what injured by frost. The White Batavian is notable 
for the pale green colour of its broad, spreading and 
flattened rosettes of leaves. The latter are also broad 
and considerably crumpled towards the edges. The 
plants were somewhat injured in the centre, although 
at the time of which we speak a considerable part of 
the leaves might have been utilised. The variety is, 
however, les3 hardy than the Broad-leaved Winter, 
which is also more vigorous, with more ascending or 
sub-erect leaves. The latter were light green, slightly 
crumpled, and a little injured at the centre of the 
crowns. It may be considered as a moderately hardy 
sort. 
Another and comparatively distinct sort is named 
the Improved Round - leaved, characterised by its 
spreading and flattened rosettes, the leaves of which are 
roundly-obovate, coarsely toothed at the margin, of a 
sub-glaucous green colour and slightly crumpled. It 
is very vigorous, and was less injured than any of the 
above named sorts, but appeared rather coarse, although 
the quality may be as good a3 several of the sorts 
mentioned. One of the most distinct we noticed in 
the whole collection was that named Courte a Cloche, 
that is, short for Bell-glass. The plant on the whole is 
moderate in growth, flat, and very hardy, for not a 
single crown was injured. The outer leaves are some¬ 
what folded, but the inner ones densely so, forming a 
firm crumpled centre, as if a series of papers had been 
laid over one another and firmly squeezed together, 
causing them to become crumpled. The above by no 
means include all the varieties in cultivation, but 
merely some of the best for autumn and winter use. 
-- 
EFFECTS OF FOG ON PLANTS. 
Ie evidence were wanting as to the increasing intensity 
of the London fogs as well as to their duration, the 
fact might well be established by the destruction of the 
foliage and flowers of plants during the month which 
has just closed. Great complaints are made by 
Orchid growers as to the destruction of the flowers of 
their favourite plants, but cultivators generally within 
the London area will have more reason to complain, not 
merely of the los3 of flowers, but also of the foliage, to 
the entire disfigurement of the plants for another season. 
In some cases the foliage has been entirely destroyed. 
Plants belonging to certain natural orders seem to 
have suffered more severely than others ; but this is 
probably due to the nature of the leaves themselves, 
than to the fact that the plants belonged to any 
particular order. Subjects with thin or membranous 
leaves have suffered most, although in some cases those 
with moderately leathery leaves have not escaped 
scatheless. 
A visit to the gardens at Kew at the present time 
will show the work of destruction that has been effected. 
The large number of natural orders represented there 
affords an opportunity of witnessing the effects on 
different classes of plants. In former years the 
Leguminos® or members of the Pea family were the first 
to show signs of distress, particularly those species 
having thin and delicate leaves like the Sensitive Plant 
and its allies. This might have been brought about by 
the mere absence of light for a few days, for a large 
number of such are peculiarly sensitive to light. The 
oldest leaves are generally the first to turn yellow and 
drop, as if the effect was to hasten their maturity. In 
this respect the Rain Tree (Pithecolobium Saman) 
seems to be exceptional, for the terminal and youngest 
leaves have fallen. Others of this family which have 
suffered the loss of their lowest leaves are Parkia 
Roxburghii, Cassia auriculata and others. 
The numerous Acanthads now rather extensively 
cultivated for winter flowering are liable to lose their 
leaves more or less in ordinary seasons by sudden changes 
of temperature, by dryness at the root and other checks 
to growth. The fog, however, has caused these 
to drop wholesale, utterly ruining such plants 
as Libonia floribunda, Aphelandra Liboniana, Eran- 
themum albiflorum, E. Andersoni, E. nervosum, 
better known as E. pulchellum, and the dark, purple¬ 
leaved E. nigricans. In the same list comes Ruellia 
macrophylla and the Caricature Plant (Graptophyllum 
hortense), which latter is as entirely depleted as if it 
had been exposed to severe frost. The popular Rein- 
wardtia trigyna has been greatly crippled, and its 
flowers crumpled up while half open, as if the plants 
had been desiccated. R. tetragyna has fared worse, 
for both leaves and flowers have dropped even while 
yet in bud. A similar fate has befallen the famous 
Poison Tree of Australia (Laportea moroides), the fruit 
of which, however, still hangs on the naked stems. 
It must have fared badly with London growers who hada 
large stock of Poinsettias for Christmas, for the plants 
seem like so many sticks with a few red rags fixed on 
the top. 
The somewhat succulent leaves of Begonias have 
behaved differently in various cases, some becoming 
blotched and disfigured, while others have dropped, 
and a third set have apparently suffered but little 
injury. The lower and older leaves of such as B. 
ulmifolia, B. Hookeriana, B. maculats, B. disticha, 
B. Arthur Malet, B. Gloire de Sceaux, and others, have 
