554 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 2, 1891. 
The Best Fruits. 
The fruit trees best suited for planting in a house of 
this description are Cherries, the season of which can 
be considerably lengthened in this way ; indeed, the 
fruit of the Cherry improves in quality by being kept 
as long as possible after it fis ripe. Gooseberries, 
although they are by some not considered worthy of a 
place amongst dessert fruits, are by others much 
esteemed, and in most places they would find a place 
in a house of this description. Bed and white Currants 
should also not be forgotten, for when other fruits are 
getting scarce they are useful for a change. Black 
Currants would also prove a welcome dish, also Black¬ 
berries. more especially some of the newer introductions, 
especially as they ripen later than the other kinds. If 
planted along the side of the house the shoots can be 
trained to the netting, and are thus secure. Although 
the Blackberry may not be considered a dessert fruit, 
it is eagerly sought after for puddings, &c. The Alpine 
Strawberry could also be grown here. It could be 
planted along the sides of the paths, and would be 
prized during the autumn. If our hybridists would 
take up this Strawberry and improve it, a valuable 
addition to our dessert fruits would be made. 
Description of Fruit House. 
The size of the house would of course depend upon 
the demand that has to be met, but the following is the 
method of erection. It should for preference be a span- 
roofed one. The posts for the side should be about 
9 ft. long, and about 6 ins. or 7 ins. in diameter, and 
if larch posts can be had about that size, they last for a 
long time. Char the base, so as to preserve it as much 
as possible. Let the post into the ground about 
2^ ft. in depth, thus leaving about 6 ft. above the 
surface. The posts may be placed 6 ft. apart, and see 
that the tops are kept level. On the top of them place 
a cell plate 44 ins. by 3 ins., bevelling off g in. to the 
inside, so that the water will readily run away. The 
rafters, which will be placed at the same distance apart 
as the posts, may be 44 ins. by 2 ins., using a ridge 
board 7 ins. by 1-j ins. At every other rafter place a 
tie rod of half-iron across the house to strengthen the 
whole. It will be necessary to leave a door at each end 
of the structure, and they should each be fitted with a 
lock. The netting suitable for covering is 1 in. mesh 
galvanized wire. This will exclude all birds likely to 
o 
do any harm. The wire can be put on the length way 
of the house and the edges bound together with wire, 
making it fast with staples to all the posts and rafters. 
If considered desirable a- covering made with two 
boards can be fixed at the ridge to protect the roller 
blinds from wet. The blinds for shading should be of 
canvas, such as that used for shading, only use the 
stout kind. Before the netting is fixed it would be well 
to paint the woodwork so as to protect it from the 
weather. The roller blind will be found useful in 
spring when the trees are in flower in protecting them, 
from frost, and when the fruit is ripe in shading from 
bright sunshine, thus helping in the first place to 
ensure a better supply, also preserving it a longer time 
in perfection. The arrangement of the house will 
depend upon its width. If not exceeding 20 ft., a path 
through the centre will be sufficient, but in a wider 
structure it would be advisable to make a central bed 
with a path round it, thus leaving a bed on either side. 
The large trees can by this means be kept in the centre 
of the house, and the bush fruit round the sides, the 
ends being planted with Blackberries. This would give 
ample space for full development. 
Preparation of the Soil. 
In the preparation of. the ground it is important to 
trench it thoroughly—viz., two or three spits deep, 
giving at the same time a good dressing of manure, 
with plenty of lime rubbish added to it. Where chalk 
can be had it may be substituted, that which has been 
pulverised by exposure to weather being preferred. 
Wherever stone fruits are grown lime should form an 
essential element in their successful culture, many 
failures in Cherry, Peach and Nectarine growing being 
traced to the want of this material in sufficient quantity 
in the soil. It therefore becomes important that 
simple details like this are not overlooked in making a 
fresh plantation. This also explains why stone fruit 
generally does so well on chalky soils. If the soil is 
too heavy, more lime rubbish or chalk may be added, 
as well as plenty of rubbish from the fire heap where 
garden refuse has been burned, all cf which will keep 
the soil open. On the other hand, if the ground is 
light, it is best to give a heavy mulching of cow 
manure. 
Having thus prepared the ground, laying out the 
beds will next demand attention. We may suppose 
for convenience that the house is 30 ft. wide, which 
will allow of a centre bed being formed 12 ft. wide, in 
which may be planted Cherries, either trained on 
trellises across the bed or as pyramids. If the former 
mode of treatment is adopted, the trellises may be 
constructed under the rafters, by placing a support at 
each side of the bed. and making the top secure to the 
rafter. The trellis may then be formed by wiring at 
6 ins. apart, and by placing one under each pair of 
rafters in this way a space of 6 ft. is allowed between 
the trees, which will be found to be sufficient. 
Training the Trees. 
The best form of training to adopt is that so well 
known as the “fan.” This is without doubt the best 
form for all stone fruits, as a young branch can be 
more readily laid in, if by chance any should go off 
with gumming. If on the other hand pyramid-trained 
trees are to be grown, two rows may be planted in the 
bed, and at 5 ft. or 6 ft. apart. This will give ample 
space to form good-sized trees, the fruit of which can 
be readily reached, and it would also be possible to 
give every attention to them. This system allows of 
double the number of varieties being grown in the same 
space. I am inclined to think that there would be 
little difference as to the quantity of fruit gathered 
from either system, but where variety is wanted 
pyramids should be planted. 
-—- 
RANUNCULUS BILOBUS. 
There are several species of Crowfoot which from their 
dwarf and compact habit may be looked upon as the 
gems of their kind ; and for this reason they are well 
adapted for associating with other plants of similar 
habit on the rockery. There are several white-flowered 
species besides that under notice, but the whole plant 
in this case is strikingly different from other Crowfoots 
in cultivation. The leaves are reniform, crenate, 
netted, smooch, shiniug, and of a leathery or sub-fleshy 
texture, similar to that of the Lesser Celandine or even 
Caltha paiustris. The scape is only about 2 ins. high, 
furnished with two bracts, and bearing a soPtary but 
proportionately large flower. The five petals are broad 
and emarginate, or slightly bilobed at the apex, as 
implied in the specific name. The yellow anthers are 
conspicuous by contrast with the pure white corolla. 
A plant is now flowering in the herbaceous ground 
at Kew. 
-- 
A PERUVIAN APPOINTMENT. 
The Peruvian Corporation (Limited), of which Sir 
Alfred Dent, K.C.M^L, of Messrs. Dent, Brothers & 
Co., merchants and commission agents, Old Broad 
Street, London, is chairman, have just arranged with 
Mr. Arthur Sinclair, Meadowbank, Cults, Aberdeen, 
with whom is associated Mr. Alexander Boss, of 
Stonehaven, near Aberdeen, to undertake a piece 
of very important survey work for them in Peru. To 
the general reader it may be necessary to explain that, 
in consequence of grave financial difficulties into which 
it had got, the Peruvian Government ceased to pay 
interest on its public debts (amounting to about 
£56,000,000) several years ago, and after protracted 
negotiations a powerful British Peruvian Corporation 
came to the rescue, headed by Sir Alfred Dent, who 
had done excellent work in connection with the 
British North Borneo Company, of which he is still a 
director. 
Amongst the many concessions made to this company 
by the Peruvian Government, one was the right to 
select and utilise some 10,000,000 acres of land in the 
valley of the majestic Amazon river. The commission 
that has now been entrusted to Messrs. Sinclair & Ross, 
on very handsome terms as to remuneration and other¬ 
wise, is to fix generally the locality for this very large 
selection, with a view specially to the adaptation of the 
land to tropical agriculture. For this purpose, situation, 
climate, and the. general capabilities of the prevailing 
soils will all have to be carefully noted and reported 
upon to the directorate of the Peruvian Corporation ; 
and the work, including the passage to and fro, is 
expected to occupy not less than five months. Much 
gratification is being expressed in Aberdeen at the fact 
of these two gentlemen being appointed to so important 
a mission. Ho one who knows the career of either will 
doubt the wisdom of the choice made by Sir Alfred 
Dent and his co-directors of the Peruvian Corporation, 
Both have had ample experience of tropical agriculture 
as planters in Ceylon. In the case of Mr. Sinclair, the 
fact of his having been bred to the occupation of 
gardener, with a good practical knowledge of botany, 
enabled him at once to take to the work in which he 
was engaged for a score of years or thereby in the 
1 ‘ spicy isle ” with the greatest advantage ; and for a 
good many years he acted as general superintendent of 
a large number of Coffee plantations with the highest 
efficiency, his duties in that way giving him an 
acquaintance with the conditions of tropical agriculture 
generally, as well as with a large part of the area of 
Ceylon, such as few men have had an opportunity of 
acquiring. In addition to this, Mr. Sinclair spent 
over a couple of years in Australasia, chiefly in 
Tasmania, where he had further opportunities of 
observing sub-tropical vegetation. Of Air. Boss it can 
also be said he has had a lengthened experience as a 
successful planter in Ceylon.— Aberdonian. 
-- 
DAFFODILS AT LONG DITTON. 
Like everything else, the Daffodils are late, owing to 
the long cold spring. "When we visited the grounds of 
Messrs. Barr & Son, at Long Ditton last week, a few of 
the earliest were getting past their best, but the bulk 
of the trumpet varieties were either in full bloom or on 
the point of expansion. Of course there are also some 
late ones which will hold the field when the others are 
on the wane. With the exception of the Poeticus 
section, most of the others are now represented. 
Trumpet Daffodils. 
These are now so numerous that space can only allow 
the best of them to be noted. Amongst those with 
white segments, Empress and Bicolor Horsfieldi still 
hold a prominent position ; Grandis is only yet in bud. 
Weardale is said to be one-third larger than the magni¬ 
ficent Madame de Graaf. Amongst the yellow ones of 
the same huge type are Emperor, Glory of Leyden, P. 
R. Barr, described as a late-flowering Emperor, and 
Monarch, of deeper colour than the latter. Weardale 
and Monarch are new varieties raised from seed. The 
Countess of Annesley is an early Daffodil of Irish 
origin, with sulphur segments and a wide-mouthed 
golden yellow crown. Mrs. H. J. Elwes is some shades 
darker. Maximus with its huge crown belongs, as is 
well known, to the golden yellow section. Its leaves 
are remarkably narrow in comparison with the size of 
the flowers. Other early-flowering varieties of bold 
habit and golden yellow flowers are. Henry Irving, 
Golden Spur, and Golden Plover, all differing in siz9 
and shades of colour. Spurius and Princeps are also 
large Daffodils of this class, and largely grown. There 
are forty-eight beds of the latter. The brightest, 
perhaps, of all the golden yellow kinds is Santa Maria, 
easily recognised by its twisted segments. 
The Rev. J. B. M. Camm may be compared to 
Madame de Graaf, as the segments are white and the 
trumpet yellow at first, but soon changing to a creamy 
white. Lady Grosvenor is much smaller, with a lemon- 
yellow crown ; and Duchess of Connaught has, in 
addition, sulphur segments. W. P. Milner is a dwarf, 
small, and free-flowering Daffodil of the latter type. 
Snowflake has good-sized, pure white flowers, but when 
the latter first expand the crown is clear yellow. Nor 
must the early-flowering Pallidus pneeox be forgotten. 
The white Narcissus moschatus may be mentioned here, 
as its drooping flowers never attain a great size. F. ML 
Burbidge has much larger flowers and a pale lemon 
crown, and is less drooping than Swan’s Heck, better 
known as AA 7 m. Goldring ; the segments of the latter 
are very long. 
The varieties of Johnstoni are graceful and elegant 
little Daffodils with clear yellow segments and a yellow 
crown. The Queen of Spain may be recognised by its 
revolute segments ; there are twenty-four beds of this 
variety. Its ally, Mrs. Geo. Cannell, has short and 
broad segments. Both were collected in Spain in 
1888. Of quite another type is Hume’s Giant, of 
dwarf habit, with drooping flowers and ascending 
segments longer than the crown. Han us is a tiny but 
pretty Daffodil of the same type as H. Pseudo- 
Harcissus. It seems strange to class H. cyclamineus 
amongst the Trumpet Daffodils, but so it must be. 
AVe noted a large quantity of it in different parts of the 
ground. The supposed natural hybrids, with crowns 
half as long as the segments, are very interesting. 
Amongst those we noted were Helsoni majus, with 
white segments ; Backhouse’s Rev. AA . AA ilks, with 
sulphur-white ones ; and Tridymus, with much smaller 
yellow flowers. Some forms of H. triandrus had large j. 
pale flowers, and others small and pure white. Double 
Daffodils were well represented in Pip A r an 4A r inkle, 
Eystettensis, Plenissimus, Cernuus plenus, white, and 
the common double. 
Incomp ARABiLis, Leedsii and Barrii Types. 
Amongst the first-named type Sir AA atkin is un- 
