48 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 22 , 1888. 
very high-class Grapes, and grown here 
chiefly to furnish some useful big bunches. 
They come to us packed in barrels, and in 
dry cork dust, from which they are easily 
cleaned. Of course, with such competition 
as this there is poor prospect of any profit¬ 
able sale of home-grown Grapes, except those 
of superior quality. Yery likely many persons 
grumble considerably at this form of foreign 
fruit competition; but to object would be 
specially cruel, not only because it is abso¬ 
lutely out of our power to produce decent 
glass-grown Grapes under Is. per lb., which 
would he out of the reach of the poor, but 
also that these foreign Grapes do get into the 
homes of the poor, and especially into the 
mouths of miserably poor town children, to 
whom they come as a blessing. For their 
sakes especially these Grapes deserve a wide 
sale. 
The Dianthus Family. — The granting of 
a Certificate of Merit by the Floral Committee 
of the Eoyal Horticultural Society to a new 
hybrid Dianthus last week, may help to draw 
some attention to the fact that in the above- 
named family of plants we have one of 
exceeding beauty and of ' interest, and still 
further, one which perhaps has no superior 
in popularity in gardens. Whether we take 
the sweet-perfumed Pink section, as found 
in Dianthus plumarius; the ever beautiful 
and generally sweet-scented Carnation and 
Picotee, D. caryophyllus; the Sweet William, 
D. barbatus ; the lovely section of Indian and 
Japanese Pinks found in D. chinensis and 
D. Heddewigi, or in the many beautiful 
rock Pinks, which present such lovely objects 
in rock gardens, all are, indeed, charming 
as well as popular flowers. Possibly few of 
the family have wider culture than has the 
old Sweet William, the pride of cottagers 
everywhere, and now not neglected even by 
the precise florist. We have gone ahead 
with Sweet Williams during the past twenty 
years wonderfully, and can now show strains 
so fine and varied as would, indeed, make 
the eyes of our forefathers to blink, could 
they return to life. Possibly in richness, 
as well as in variety of colouring, none of 
the family excel the grand-flowered form of 
D. Heddewigi, the blooms being so fine and 
so wondrously fringed. To D. chinensis 
has been so far ascribed the chief credit 
of producing double flowers; but D. Hedde¬ 
wigi now gives doubles plentifully; indeed, 
the distinction between the two forms—for 
they can hardly be termed species—is hard 
to find. As to pure hybrids we have seen 
not a few in the past, one of the best of 
which is, perhaps, the old Mule Pink ; and 
the one just recently certificated—if a really 
fixed form, as apparently it is—should make 
a capital bedding and border plant, as its 
height is even, its stems stiff and erect, and 
its single, crimson hued flowers are borne all 
through the summer in great profusion. A 
sort of perpetual Sweet William would indeed 
be a real acquisition. 
Forecasting. —Probablybecause “hope springs 
eternal in the human breast ” there are already 
forecastings made as to the probable nature 
of the fruit crops of next year. There is 
too, some good sense in the very natural 
reasoning which avers that if the present 
season’s comparative scarcity of tree fruits is 
due to root drought, naturally the summer’s 
ample and remarkable moisture having tho¬ 
roughly saturated the roots of all trees now, 
should lead to an abundance of fruit next 
year. “Yes,” say the pessimists, “but how 
about getting the present year’s wood ripened 
this autumn 1” Well, let us remind such 
reasoners that Apples and Pears, at least, 
do not hear fruit next year on this year’s 
wood, while all two year-old-wood will be 
thoroughly matured. Still, there seems to be no 
doubt but that the present season’s wood on 
most fruit trees will ripen well, for only 
in exceptional instances has it been of un¬ 
usual robustness; indeed, many trees of 
usual health have not made more wood 
than they did last year, hence there is no 
exceptional growth to mature. 
What we do see on every hand is a re¬ 
markable developing or plumping up of fruit 
spurs, and these, so far, only an unusually 
severe winter can injure. There may he 
some reason to fear that a very hard and 
harmful winter may follow upon so wet a 
summer; but on the other hand we have had 
no excess of moisture, and the land every¬ 
where is not a drop too wet, whilst many 
big trees and shrubs are but just now 
beginning to feel the full benefit of that 
abundant moisture. The worst element to con¬ 
tend with in fruit crop forecasting is to be found 
in the depredations of the caterpillars early in 
the season; but a very liberal growth since, 
with ample moisture at the roots, and a 
fairly dry, warm autumn, may do very much 
indeed to correct what is so obvious a dis¬ 
turbing element in the outlook. 
-- 
Liverpool Horticultural Association.—"We regret to 
hear that at a special meeting of the committee of this 
association held recently, it was decided, owing to 
financial and other matters of an unsatisfactory 
character, to discontinue the spring show, which has 
been held during the last few years in St. George’s 
Hall. 
Exhibition of Fruit, Potatos, &c., at Barnet.—Mr. 
John Munro, formerly of Potters Bar, and now of Hew 
Barnet, is actively engaged in organising an exhibition 
of the above on a considerable scale at Barnet, which 
is to take place at the end of September or beginning 
of October. A schedule of prizes is on the point of 
being issued, and further particulars will be shortly 
announced. 
The Fig in Scotland.—We learn from an Edinburgh 
correspondent that the weather there, as in the south, 
has been very fine, bright, and warm during the last 
ten days. Our correspondent also mentions that about 
a month ago, when he called at the Glenburn Hydro¬ 
pathic Establishment at Rothesay, he was surprised to 
see the fine fruits on a standard Fig tree growing by the 
side of the tennis lawn. These are now ripening off, 
and on Monday last Mr. Philp showed some fruits in 
Edinburgh, one of which weighed 2J ozs. The 
“ Brighton of Scotland,” at all events, can have little 
to complain of as regards want of sunshine. 
Preston and Fulwood Horticultural Society.—The 
tenth annual meeting of this society was held re¬ 
cently, when A. Tullis, Esq., was elected president, 
and Mr. J. B. Dixon and Mr. John Atherton unani¬ 
mously re-elected as treasurer and secretary respectively. 
The report of the committee of management was in all 
respects satisfactory, and the statement of accounts 
showed a balance in hand of nearly ,£17. The various 
officers for the ensuing year having been elected, Mr. 
W. H. Ashworth read a paper entitled “A few Practical 
Hints on Window Gardening,” which was much appre¬ 
ciated by the subscribers present. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society’s Catalogue. 
—We have before us a copy of the new catalogue of 
Chrysanthemums, which has been prepared by a specially 
selected committee of the National Society, and have 
no hesitation in commending it to the notice of all 
“ Mum ” lovers as at once the most complete and best 
list of Chrysanthemums that has yet been published. 
Summarising its contents in a brief way, we may say 
that following the preface which, records the measures 
taken by the society and its working committees to 
attain the objects in view, comes a concise history of 
the Chrysanthemum by Mr. C. Harman Payne. Then 
follow descriptive alphabetical lists of varieties, arranged 
in sections under the following headings :—Incurved, 
Japanese reflexed, Reflexed, Large Anemones, Japanese 
Anemones, Pompons, Pompon Anemones, Early- 
flowering varieties, and Late-flowering varieties, with 
introductory paragraphs describing the characteristics 
of the section preceding each ; and last of all a 
most carefully compiled alphabetical list of varieties, 
with a reference to the class to which each belongs, 
and a brief description as to colour added to those sorts 
which for various reasons have not been included in 
the previous sections. This we regard as a valuable 
addition to the catalogue, and taken in conjunction 
with the sectional characteristics and the rigidly 
selected lists, will render the catalogue of great value 
as a work of referenee. The Revision Committee— 
Mr. Lewis Castle, Mr. George Gordon and Mr. Harman 
Payne—in carrying out what must have been a long 
and tedious task to so successful an issue, have rendered 
yeoman service to the society, and well deserve the 
hearty thanks of all its members. They undertook the 
work as a labour of love, and have ably carried it 
through. 
-->X<-- 
NOTES FROM EASTBOURNE. 
A visitor to Eastbourne at this particular period of 
the year cannot fail to observe, even if he be not im¬ 
pressed by, the arboreal characteristics pertaining to 
this salubrious and beautifully-situated seaside resort. 
A special, a grateful, and an interesting feature of the 
town and its surroundings consists in the large number 
of trees and shrubs everywhere apparent ; and this is 
the more remarkable seeing that the nature and quality 
of the soil, which is nearly pure chalk, would imply 
conditions inimical to the full and free development of 
the coarser forms of vegetation. 
As a matter of fact, although trees are plentifully 
dispersed about the roads and promenades, and in some 
instances form delightfully cool and refreshing over¬ 
arching avenues, yet in the majority of cases it must be 
admitted they assume a somewhat dwarf and stunted 
appearance, as might be expected when the nature of 
the conditions under which they exist, and their 
approximation to the sea coast, is fully considered. 
The trees in question are almost entirely Elms, and if 
individual specimens do not assume gigantic propor¬ 
tions, perhaps this is more than compensated for by the 
number and symmetry of their beautiful forms. I 
understand that when the intelligent idea of beauti¬ 
fying the roads and streets of the borough was first 
mooted, the usual opposition was forthcoming, and the 
suggestion was ridiculed as insane. However, common 
sense prevailed, and the result is such as to warrant 
the highest encomiums being passed upon the local 
authorities, as I think few will now be found to travesty 
the opinion that trees are a real adornment to any 
town. 
Evergreen shrubs are also a great and permanent 
feature in the gardens and windows, in fact, they 
occupy every conceivable position of this charming 
watering place. One of the most prominent is Euony- 
mus latifolius, and this, with its varietal forms of 
E. aureus marginatus, E. albus marginatus, and many 
others, seem to thrive satisfactorily and vigorously, 
judging by the wondrous shades of tint and colour, 
which I have nowhere seen to greater perfection than is 
here apparent. In this notice of trees and shrubs, I 
must not omit to mentipn, and make some remarks 
upon, the magnificent effect produced along the sea¬ 
front by the wholesale planting of that saline-loving 
shrub, the Tamarisk. Now the Tamarisk seems to be 
a very accommodating plant, for if it be cut down 
annually, as is here the practice, it never rises above 
the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft.; but if, on the other hand, 
it be left alone it soon begins to assume tree-like pro¬ 
portions. The Tamarisk seems to luxuriate in carbon¬ 
iferous soil and the sea breezes, under which conditions 
the development of this elegant shrub reaches its 
climax. It possesses fine Asparagus-like foliage of a 
dark green hue, and seems particularly suitable for the 
purpose for which it is here used. Great sloping banks, 
or, I might say, miniature plantations of this Tamarisk, 
divide the upper and the lower promenades from each 
other, and the effect thus produced at this time of the 
year, under the genial influence of a warm September 
sun, is of the most pleasing description.— C. B. G. 
-*->K-- 
SEDUM STOLONIFERUM. 
There are several forms of this species in gardens, and 
which have created a great amount of confusion on 
account of the numerous names that have been applied 
to them by different cultivators from time to time. 
The typical form has pink or pale purple flowers, and 
to this such names as S. dentatum, S. denticulatum, 
and S. spurium have been applied. A dark rosy purple 
form has been widely disseminated under the name of 
S. spurium splendens, while an equally distinct, but 
less conspicuous or showy white-flowered variety has 
gone under the name of S. ibericum in gardens. The 
dark variety is most certainly the best, and ought to 
be extensively grown for the purpose of covering dry 
exposed banks, which it literally clothes with.a living 
verdure, and flowers profusely during July and August— 
earlier or later, according to the latitude and the 
locality. 
