M ay 9, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
569 
OXALIS VALDIVIENSIS. 
Of the 220 known species of Oxalis, very few are cul¬ 
tivated to any extent in this country, notwithstanding 
the fact that many of them are beautiful, both in 
flower and foliage. The habit is also distinct, and the 
general appearance so different from other types of 
vegetation that a number of them might find a place 
in gardens, particularly those that are hardy. A few 
have the annoying habit of spreading themselves all 
over the ground by means of their tuberous and some¬ 
times scaly roots, resembling small bulbs. 0. valdivi- 
ensis being an annual, does not possess this objectionable 
habit. It branches very freely from the base, however, 
producing a great number of flower stems all through 
the summer, terminated by umbels of large bright 
yellow flowers, sometimes tinted with a bronzy red on 
the outside. The plant is a native of Chili, and proves 
perfectly hardy in this country, where it may be sown 
in the open in the same way as Godetias, Candytufts, 
or Larkspurs. Additional interest is attached to it 
from the fact that it has recently been discovered in 
Patagonia by Mr. John Ball, F.L.S., as is related in 
the Journal of the Linnean Society. The evidence of 
its hardiness is thus considerably augmented. 
-- 
THE GOOSEBERRY. 
This is one of the most useful and wholesome of our 
hardy fruits, and yet if any one will look through a file 
of any of our gardening papers he will perceive 
that in comparison with the Grape, Peach, Apple, &c , 
but little is said about the Gooseberry. I am wondering 
if anything has ever been said in the columns of The 
Gardening "World since that admirable paper came 
into existence to the great delight of gardeners 
generally. 
My attention has been turned to the Gooseberry from 
a communication I received from a friend who is an 
excellent cultivator of hardy fruits. He said that 
during the autumn and winter he made a fresh arrange¬ 
ment of his stock of Gooseberries, and after making a 
selection of sorts, planted each in lines by themselves. 
As the most useful green Gooseberry he selected the 
"Whitesmith, an upright grower and a good cropper, 
excellent for gathering green and early for the purposes 
of tarts and bottling. Next came Ironmonger, another 
strong and upright grower, the berries being of medium 
size, oval and hairy ; a first-rate old Gooseberry, and 
thoroughly excellent when ripe. Then came the Red 
Warrington, the best perhaps of the large reds, the 
young wood always describing a curve ; a variety in 
great repute for preserving, and the best for netting to 
hang late. Then followed a few of the Early Sulphur, 
the first to ripen ; also some of the Amber, a very 
robust grower, the growth curving and spreading, and 
a great bearer, the fruit amber-coloured and firm. A 
few of the Lancashire prize sorts were included for the 
sake of variety—viz., Roaring Lion (like a purple 
Magnum Bonum Plum), the Green Gascon, the 
Hedgehog, &c. So much then for his selection. 
But my correspondent is very favourable to hairy 
Gooseberries, and asserts that he always backs a hairy 
Gooseberry for flavour, and the more hairy the better. 
Just in the same way as some gardeners assert that 
the more russety an Apple or Pear, the better is the 
flavour. 
A method for retarding the Red Warrington Goose¬ 
berry, adopted in some places in the north, is to plant 
it under a north wall, with Morello Cherries. The 
same net can be used to preserve both, and it can be 
stretched from the top of the wall to the edge of the 
path. The method of growing Gooseberries, espalier 
fashion, by training the branches to trellises, is one 
much favoured in some parts of the country, and those 
who follow the practice, say they get remarkably good 
crops. Others prefer to grow as bushes in rows 6 ft. 
apart every way, keeping the bushes thin by pruning, 
applying manure as a top-dressing, merely covering it 
with a sprinkling of soil, and dressing with quicklime 
on the first appearance of caterpillar. Quicklime, 
either dry or as a paint, is with many gardeners a 
panacea for not a few insect troubles.—A. Z>. 
-- 
PROLONGING THE SUPPLY OF 
HARDY FRUITS. 
(Concludedfromp. 654.) 
Pruning. 
Nothing further will require attention before the end 
of February, when pruning may be done. Cherries, if 
grown on the fan-trained system, will require little 
more than the tops of the shoots taken off, or if any 
strong shoots should be likely to outgrow the others on 
the tree, cut them back the same length as the weaker 
ones. The system of cutting the growths back to 
within 5 ins. or 6 ins. of the base, as recommended by 
different authors, finds few adherents amongst the 
present generation of gardeners. All stone fruit trees 
should be cut about as little as possible, and to avoid 
this in training the Cherry trees I would recommend 
summer pinching as being preferable. This also 
exposes the fruit better to light and air, and so im¬ 
proves the flavour. In planting Gooseberries select 
bushes having stems 1 ft. or more high, which will 
keep the fruit from the ground, where it is apt to get 
spoilt after being ripe if wet weather ensues. The best 
system of pruning to adopt with Gooseberries is the 
thinning of the young shoots, leaving plenty of young 
growths for fruiting. Spur pruning still finds many 
advocates, but in the south thinning out of the shoots 
answers better. With Gooseberries I would also advise 
the removal of all strong growths from the centre of 
the bushes during the summer, so as to allow plenty of 
air to circulate among the fruits, and the wood is also 
better matured. This is often neglected in most 
gardens, but I think on account of the pressure of 
work in other directions at the time ; but if one goes 
to the expense of erecting a protection for the trees, 
every precaution should be taken to ensure the greatest 
success. 
Red and White Currants should also be selected with 
clean stems at least 1 ft. in length between the ground 
and the lower branches. The fruit is not only kept 
away from the ground, but suckers cannot form at the 
bise of the bushes. The pruning I would advise being 
carried out on the spur system, so well known as to 
need no repetition here ; but the same remarks apply 
to them as to the Gooseberry, with regard to the 
removal of all gross and unnecessary growth during the 
summer. Black Currants require somewhat different 
treatment as regards pruning, and the bushes should 
only be thinned out at the winter pruning. In cutting 
the branches back see that some are cut down near the 
base so as to encourage young growth, which will keep 
a good supply of young fruit-bearing wood from the 
base to the top, and so secure a larger crop. 
Blackberries should be planted about 2£ ft. apart, 
and the young growths trained to the end of the house, 
or if planted against a trellis leave sufficient shoots to 
tie in about a foot apart. Remove all superfluous 
shoots as they grow, and the old bearing wood will 
require to be removed every year, the young growths 
being laid in their place. If the latter are strong and 
robust they may be cut back to about six feet in 
length. Plant the Alpine Strawberries from runners in 
the usual way, and the plants in rows need not be more 
than nine inches or a foot apart. This Strawberry is 
generally planted in beds, but will succeed better if 
allowed ample room. It will require to be renewed 
from time to time by runners or by the raising of 
seedlings as a means of producing distinct and 
improved varieties. 
Management of the House. 
The summer management of the house I have described 
would consist in having all the fruit trees mulched 
with long manure, such as may be had from the stables. 
This will prevent evaporation, and keep the fruit clean. 
During dry weather well water the trees and syringe 
the Cherries until the time the fruit begins to colour. 
If insect pests appear, steps should be taken to get rid 
of them. Black-fly will be found one of the most 
troublesome to the Cherry, but can be kept in check 
by syringing with a mixture of soapy water and quassia 
chips. If caterpillars infest Gooseberries and Currants, 
hellebore powder is an effectual remedy. The usual 
way to apply it is by dusting the bushes, but a better 
way would be to mix the hellebore powder in water, 
and syringe the bushes with the mixture. After 
erecting a house of this sort, every care should be 
taken to give the trees the attention necessary to ensure 
the best results, and this is best done by attending to 
every detail at the proper time, never putting off until 
to-morrow what can be done to-day. 
Varieties to Plant. 
Cherries. —In the case of these, early and late varieties 
are wanted so as to extend their season over as long a 
time as possible, and for this purpose I would recom¬ 
mend the following varieties : Early Lyons, fruit very 
large, light red and yellow, June ; Early Rivers, fruit 
large, black, late June ; May Duke, fruit large, red, 
late June; Frograore Early Bigarreau, fruit large, 
yellowish red, middle of June ; Black Tartarian, fruit 
very large, black, June to July ; Governor Wood, fruit 
large, light red, July ; Large Black Bigarreau, fruit 
very large, black, July ; Napoleon Bigarreau, fruit 
large, yellowish red, July to August ; Late Duke, fruit 
medium, red, August. The Morello Cherry I would 
leave out of this house, as there is generally a north 
wall which can be used for this useful kind. 
Gooseberries. —Late varieties are required rather 
than early ones, as an early supply can be had from the 
open quarters of the garden, and for this purpose I 
would recommend the following kinds : Red—Crown 
Bob, Roaring Lion, Whinham’s Industry, Lancashire 
Lad, and Marquis of Stafford ; White—White Lion, 
Crystal, and Abraham Newland ; Green—Green Myrtle, 
Laurel, and Jolly Angler ; Yellow—Gunner. Red and 
White Currants Red—La Versailles, Red Dutch ; 
White—White Dutch and White Grape ; Black—Cham¬ 
pion and Lee’s Black Prolific. 
Blackberries. —Pride of the Market, Wilson Junr., 
and Best of All are most useful. 
Strawberries. —The Red Alpine or a stock raised 
from selected seed should have preference. If this 
system of raising from seed and selecting the best 
varieties were more largely carried out, it might be the 
means of bringing this class of Strawberry into general 
culture, especially if crosses could be made with some 
of the larger varieties, but yet preserve the season of 
fruiting of the type.— A. Wright , Devonlmrst. 
--» K -- 
THE COMING FLOWER FOR 
HOUSE DECORATION. 
The Himalayan Rhododendron is I am strongly con¬ 
vinced, fa3t becoming a favourite for house decora¬ 
tion, and I am not singular in believing that in the 
near future it will be the leading one. Many ladies of 
high rank and great artistic taste, as well as a Court 
florist and decorator, have expressed the same idea to me. 
For a dinner-table what can be more beautiful than a 
large bowl of Himalayan Rhododendrons for a small 
party, and a set of three for a large one, with glasses 
or jars of china for single trusses opposite each guest, 
or stood between the dessert ? Again, a table may be 
dressed with moss or foliage, and trusses or single 
blooms used according to taste. On a low decora¬ 
tive table we could have the most delicate colours, a 
most agreeable scent, and blooms varying in shape, size 
and colour. The flowers used in such decorations 
should if possible be accompanied by their own foliage, 
as nothing shows or goes with them so well. 
Then for reception rooms where a selection is grown, 
and grown freely, they can be cut for epergnes, tall 
glasses, &c., any length required, as when once estab¬ 
lished they make free growths to the length of 27 ins. 
in a season. These, when branched with three or four 
trusses, each one with from five to ten blooms, many 
of the blooms individually measuring 6 ins. across, 
make a grand display when set up, and the more the 
plants are cut the more compact^they will be. "What 
has mainly prevented a public demand for this class of 
plant is, I think, the way they have been presented in 
a cut state, just the trusses only, with no foliage or 
stem, rendering them useless for decoration, and only 
fit for wiring for wreaths, crosses, &c., for which pur¬ 
pose they are well adapted, as they can be used in 
quantities, without the scent at any time becoming 
overpowering. 
Hybridisers have done much to improve and enlarge 
this class. A gentleman well known to many of your 
readers, the late Mr. Mangles, of Valewood, a near 
neighbour of ours, was most interested in this class, 
but dying suddenly, and having kept no record of his 
crosses, his seedlings, as it were, died with him. Had 
he lived, before this many a “startling” flower would 
have been seen. The large-flowering section is the one 
I recommend for house decoration, and I will note a 
few varieties best adapted for the purpose. 
