654 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 13, 1891. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
--*- 
SEASONABLE WORK in the GARDEN. 
Gardenias.—Now that the weather has greatly 
improved, the Gardenias may he removed to a frame 
and plunged in some gently fermenting material, 
which will greatly stimulate root growth. Full ex¬ 
posure to sunshine is also necessary, and syringing 
twice a day to keep the foliage clean and healthy. 
Should the plants be infested with mealy-bug, give 
them a thorough syringing with a mixture of paraffin 
and water at the rate of a wine-glassful of the former 
to four gallons of the latter. The plants should be 
laid on their sides over a tub to prevent the paraffin 
from reaching the roots. Wash with clean water 
immediately afterwards. 
Winter-flowering Plants. —The stove may now 
be cleared of the various batches of plants being grown 
on for use if not already done. They can be much 
better grown in frames close to the glass, and receive 
what special treatment they require. Leave plenty of 
room for growth between each plant, for upon their 
being well exposed to light will their dwarf and sturdy 
character depend. 
Euphorbias and Poinsettias. —Full exposure 
to light, with plenty of heat and moisture, are the 
principal points to be attended to in the summer culture 
of these things. Good results have also been obtained 
by plunging the pots of Euphorbia fulgens (Jacquinke- 
flora) in some gently fermenting material. 
Balsams. —The earliest batch of Balsams should 
now be ready to be placed in their flowering pots. The 
latter, even for plants of large size, should not exceed 
12 ins. in diameter. Rich, but open and porous soil 
should be used, and the compost not pressed too firmly. 
The plants should not be stopped in any way, but the 
shoots tied into position as growth proceeds. Remove 
the flowers that make their appearance on the main 
axis, while the plant is yet comparatively young. 
This will encourage branching. 
Azaleas. —The plants that flowered early will now 
have completed their growth for the season, and may 
be tied into shape, avoiding formality as much as 
possible. Gradually harden off and place them in the 
open air. The seed vessels should be picked off those 
that have just finished flowering, and the plants 
placed in heat to encourage growth. 
Camellias. —The plants that have finished their 
growth should be gradually hardened off by giving 
them more air in a cooler house, and finally transferred 
to some slightly shaded place in the open air to ripen 
the wood, and give the. foliage texture. Stand the 
pots on pieces of slate or on a good bottom of ashes. 
Lilies. —Those who placed their bulbs in the 
bottom of large pots, with the intention of afterwards 
top-dressing them, should now see to them, as roots are 
being thrown out from the stems above the bulbs. 
Figs.—The second crop on the trees that were 
started in November should now be swelling fast and 
even approaching maturity. If the plants are old and 
the fruit rather thickly set, it will benefit the remainder 
by removing or thinning out the worst. Figs are gross 
feeders, and should be liberally supplied with liquid 
manure during the growing season. Plenty of heat, 
light, and ventilation should be given, and the plants 
will be greatly improved thereby, and the fruit vastly 
improved with regard to flavour. 
Melons. —An increased supply of Melons can be 
obtained by utilising frames that have hitherto been 
filled with bedding plants. -If the frames can be placed 
in front of a wall in an aspect where they will receive 
plenty of sunshine for the greater part of the day, 
success will be rendered more certain in the absence of 
any other means of heating. All that need be placed 
in the frames is a barrow-load or two of good loam with 
an admixture of lime rubble. Syringe the plants at 
closing time on the afternoon of fine days. 
Bedding Out.—"When putting out such things as 
Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, Verbenas, and Ageratums 
it will be found a great advantage to remove the flowers 
in order to enable the plants to make a good start; and 
the loss of time will be more than made good when 
they commence to flower again. The process is the 
more necessary if the plants have been starved. 
Sub-tropical Plants. —Before any of these are 
fully exposed to the influence of our variable climate, 
they should have been well hardened off. Tall-growing 
kinds should also be staked immediately iflarge enough 
to be affected by the wind. 
Boses.—From the earliest expansion of the leaves 
till well into summer, roses are liable to be attacked 
and greatly injured by a small yellowish insect (Typh- 
locyba Rosse). This is especially the case in dry 
positions. The underside of the leaves should be well 
syringed with a strong solution of soft soap, to which a 
little tobacco water has been added. 
-- 
MR. RIVERS ON FRUIT CULTURE 
IN ENGLAND. 
AVe are indebted to the Bristol Times and Mirror for 
the following report of Mr. Rivers’ lecture delivered 
last week in the Horticultural Pavilion at the Bath 
show :—The lecturer, in his introductory remarks, said 
that great interest had been taken in fruit culture in 
this country during the last few years, mainly, he 
thought, owing to some remarks made by Mr. 
Gladstone on the importance of fruit culture as a source 
of profit among farmers and others interested in the 
land, and also upon the advantage of increasing our 
national industries by the manufacture of jam. Fruit 
growing under proper conditions was a profitable 
occupation, and it was certain that fruit growing could 
with advantage form a part of the industrial economy 
of all farms which, by soil and position, were adapted 
to the purpose. England had many varieties of soil 
and climate, and where both were favourable there was 
no reason why fruit growing should not be profitable 
to the planter. Although the area of the land did not 
increase, its productive power did, owing to the growth 
of an increased knowledge of cultivation and the 
judicious use of manures. Bearing in mind its health¬ 
giving ; properties, fruit should be much more freely 
used than it was. There was no reason why its growth 
and cultivation should be in the hands of foreigners 
when Englishmen might grow nearly all they wanted. 
The fruit-growing industry need not enter into com¬ 
petition with any other industry. 
As to the quality of home-grown fruit, shows of 
reeent years indicated that English fruit stood second 
to none. He (the lecturer), however, would have to 
suggest a very different system of cultivation to 
that adopted by their forefathers, whose trees and 
orchards, although very picturesque, were in many 
instances of no more practical use than their old three- 
deckers. Under the new system of planting and 
cultivation, one rood of land would produce as much 
as three or four acres under the extravagant system of 
planting adopted by past generations. The conditions 
of soil and climate for certain classes of fruit needed to 
be carefully considered, and he attributed a great deal 
of his own success to a careful analysis of the statistics of 
the soil, which must not be judged by appearances, but 
by an intimate knowledge of its chemical constituents. 
Having given his audience some hints on dressing the 
soil, planting, &c., the lecturer remarked that, as a 
people who were first in national importance, they 
should not allow foreign nations to usurp their position ; 
b'ut they must send the best fruit into the market, 
because if they sent second or third-rate growths they 
would not be able to hold their own. 
It was admitted that English Apples were the best 
in quality, and all that was wanted to command good 
profits to growers was the exercise of skill in cultivation. 
If growers were disappointed in the price, it would 
arise from a want of care in cultivation. Plums were 
perhaps the most economical fruit grown, and one 
which could be eaten with pleasure either cooked or 
uncooked. He had hoped that they might have been 
able to compete with Frenchmen in the matter of dried 
plums, but it was a peculiar industry, and was confined 
to certain localities, and almost to one sort of them, 
which did not take kindly to the soil and climate of 
this country. Pears were a very popular and pleasant 
fruit, but some localities could not grow them. In 
the "West of England, however, they were more 
fortunate, and there was no doubt it was an orchard 
fruit of great economic value, and there were certain 
soils in the "West which would be found suitable to the 
growth of choice Pears for the London market. He 
grew all his own Cherries under glass to protect them 
from the birds, but when arrangements could be made 
to protect the fruit from these winged enemies, its 
cultivation would prove a profit to the grower. 
There was one point which should be taken into 
account by growers of fruit, and that was the processes 
of drying it. There was a lamentable waste in this 
respect where they had a glut of fruit. According to 
Mr. Colchester Wemyss, the drying of Plums was put 
upon an almost impossible platform ; but the Americans, 
in a book written by Mr. Thomas, in 1S66, were 
referred to as drying fruit by the aid of furnaces and 
heated flues round the buildings, with proper ventila¬ 
tion for the escape of watery vapour, twenty-four hours 
completing the drying process. Many English Apples 
could be dried equally as well as American fruit. In 
conclusion, the lecturer said that he hoped the interest 
awakened in England during the last few years in fruit 
culture would result in the spread of education in this 
respect. County Councils recognised the advantage of 
giving grants for technical instruction in various 
industries, and surely fruit-growing should not be 
omitted. Grafting, planting, pruning, and a know¬ 
ledge of the constituents of the soil should be taught 
to all who were willing to learn. Since the County 
Councils had learnt that fruit-growing was an industry 
which should not be neglected, perhaps they would be 
ready to give them a grant towards it. At any rate 
they might make application for it. 
-- 
CHOICE TROPiEOLUMS. 
There are close upon three dozen species of Tropceolum, 
all natives of South America, and the degree of hardi¬ 
ness which they possess depends upon the district and 
elevation from whence they come. The greater number 
are perennial in their own country, and notwithstand¬ 
ing the fact that T. majus and T. minus are treated 
generally as annuals in Britain, they are really peren¬ 
nials when grown under glass during winter, as are 
several of the choice forms such as the double varieties, 
Hermine Grashoff, Grandiflorum plenissimum, and 
several other named bedding kinds. Those which are 
treated as annuals produce seeds in great abundance ; 
but the choice-named varieties must be perpetuated or 
propagated by means of cuttings. Those with tuberous 
roots or fleshy underground rhizomes are increased by 
these means. In the latter case there is no difficulty 
in that respect, for division of the rhizomes may be 
carried on to any extent provided the plants are placed 
under suitable conditions for making good growth. 
The soil and the conditions necessary for this will best 
be mentioned under each species. 
Hardy SrECiES. 
The Flame-flower (T. speciosum). — This is 
undoubtedly the finest of all the hardy and half-hardy 
climbers, such as are generally regarded as perennial. 
The leaves are small, subpeltate and deeply six-parted, 
while the flowers are of a fiery crimson-scarlet, and 
produced in such profusion that the whole plant seems 
a mass of bloom. It is a native of Chili, and has 
proved incontestably that the northern part of the 
island, with its cooler and moister atmosphere, is best 
suited for its well-being generally, for there it flowers 
in the greatest profusion and ripens seed. In the 
southern part of England a cool and shaded position is 
the only one where any degree of success may be 
expected with it. By the use of a considerable amount 
of peat in the soil the roots can be kept cool, and that 
with a somewhat shady position will enable the 
cultivator in the south to grapple vith it. Shade is 
not absolutely a necessity provided the plant can be 
kept cool and moist; in fact, good exposure to light 
ensures a greater amount of bloom. Introduced in 1S46. 
The Yellow Rock Indian Cress [T. polyphyllum). 
—Like the last, this is also a native of Chili, from 
whence it was introduced in 1827. The leaves are 
digitate, with ten to twelve oblong leaflets, and the whole 
is only of moderate size, so that the stems and foliage 
together present a graceful appearance. The flowers 
are yellow and showy when produced in Abundance, 
although devoid of that grandeur which is character¬ 
istic of the Flame-flower. The stems are prostrate on 
the ground, as they are in their native habitats on 
rocky places. The species is, therefore, well 
adapted for rockwork where the trailing stems may be 
allowed to hang over the ledges. A sunny position 
should be chosen for it, as the flowers will there be 
produced in greater abundance, and the tubers will 
ripen off better. A rather dry soil than otherwise 
would therefore be beneficial. 
Hale-Hardy ok Greenhouse Perennials. 
The Peruvian Nasturtium (T. tuberosum). —The. 
peltate leaves of this species recall those of T. majus, 
but they are more deeply lobed, and the flowers 
smaller but conspicuous from their dark red and yellow 
colour. The rootstock is tuberous, of some considerable 
size, and edible when boiled. A rather dry soil and a 
sunny position suits this plant best in Britain, and 
some protection should be given in winter to place the 
tubers beyond the reach of frost. The latter might 
even be lifted in autumn when frost cuts down the 
stems, and preserved in moist sand till all danger of 
severe frost is over. The climbing stems are admir- 
