September 29, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
71 
and of other species, including the yellow C. aureus 
and C. susianus, all of which are perfectly hardy. The 
Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa Lucilhe), Erythronium 
Dens canis, E. giganteum, Puschkinia scilloides, 
Snowdrops in variety, Daffodils and several others 
may be employed with fine effect. The little beds 
dotted about the lawns and planted with standard 
Eoses would be rendered very interesting in spring by 
having a margin of Crocuses. There are some parts 
of the lawn where they are not required to be mown very 
early in spring ; such might be greatly beautified by 
being planted here and there with irregular clumps of 
bulbs, making the whole appear as natural as possible. 
Suitable places can also always be found on a rockery 
for the disposal of a few choice bulbs. 
Gooseberry Bushes. 
The value of this popular fruit cannot be over¬ 
estimated, and seeing that the crop has just recently 
been gathered, the size, colour, and qualities of the 
different kinds will still be fresh in the memory. The 
present is therefore a suitable time for setting about 
the propagation of the more important and useful 
kinds. Nearly a season is gained by making the 
cuttings at the present time, and inserting them in 
some slightly-shaded border. Strong young shoots of 
this year’s growth should be selected, and the buds at 
the base, for a distance of 8 ins. or 9 ins., entirely cut 
away, to prevent suckers from developing afterwards to 
the injury of the bearing powers of the bush. Shorten 
back to the firm wood, leaving the cutting about 12 ins. 
or 14 ins. in length, which will allow of a sufficient 
length for insertion in the ground, and also for a clean 
stem to carry the bushes well above the soil. Leave 
about four buds on the top, which will be almost 
certain to make three shoots, with one to spare in the 
event of an accident, or in case some of the buds should 
not start. It will be necessary to remove the blades of 
the leaves to prevent the weakening of the cuttings by 
the evaporation of their moisture. Insert them in 
rows 12 ins. asunder, and from 4 ins. to 6 ins. apart in 
the row, so that they may readily be kept clean by 
hoeing and weeding. Tread them in firmly as each 
trench is dug over, and by spring the cuttings will have 
rooted, and be ready to grow away strongly. 
-—- 
Motes on B ruits. 
Extension of Fruit Culture. 
Your correspondent “J. S. T.,” whose letter on this 
subject was published in your last, harps on an old 
string, the music of which has long lost its virtue. He 
asks why so many special societies and associations, 
why not one central one ? "Well, the reason for the 
establishment of so many diverse special bodies is 
found in the fact that the spirit of the age is decentra¬ 
lisation, and also distrust of great central bodies. As 
long as these central or big bodies choose to work hard 
and make themselves worthy of confidence, all goes 
well; but the moment they become sluggish and inert, 
or ignore the special claims of horticulture for some 
other considerations, then is a great harm done. 
With a number of smaller bodies in operation, each one 
stimulating the other, and further, each one more fully 
amenable to the pressure of its members, really active 
work is done, and as the accomplishment of good work 
in horticulture is the chief end in view, better that be 
done well by many small bodies than not at all, or 
perhaps badly, by one sluggish, inert body. 
We might just as well attempt with Mrs. Partington 
to stop the flow of the Atlantic with a broom as to hope 
to check the formation of special societies, for the per¬ 
formance of special work. Here we have “J. S. T.” 
bravely suggesting a departure from ordinary operations 
in proposing to form a company or association to buy 
up land and to let it out for the purpose of fruit 
culture. That may be a good thing, but it seems as if 
the moment farmei’3 and others are willing to embark 
in fruit culture, and have learned how to set about it, 
that the land will yet be wanting. Still further, your 
company may prove in the end to be a commercial 
speculation ; it must be a very hard taskmaster, and 
like the Irish mortgagee, may soon grind the unfor¬ 
tunate tenant to death. A company undertaking the 
collecting, transit, and sale of fruit and vegetables 
might prove a valuable aid to rural fruit growers, 
provided its charges were not permitted to exceed, say 
10 to 15 per cent, of the return ; but if allowed to 
make its own charges for such purposes, then would 
the unfortunate vendor soon find this intermediary to 
be a sort of Frankenstein, which literally ate him 
up.— Leo. 
Apple, Stirling Castle. 
Some good-sized bush trees of this fine Apple worked 
on the free Doucin stock are just now a great sight at 
Gunnersbury Park, for they are literally breaking down 
with the great crops of fine fruit they bear, and have 
to be supported to prevent partial destruction of the 
trees. This is the Apple to cultivate for profit, as it is 
a certain and very free cropper, while as a culinary 
Apple it is almost unsurpassed. It is an early Apple, 
being in use at the end of August and beginning of 
September. Gardeners of all classes make a note to 
plant Stirling Castle this autumn.— R. D. 
Niton House Apple. 
In a fine collection of hardy fruits exhibited by Messrs. 
James Veitch & Sons, at the meeting of the Fruit 
Committee on Tuesday last, were some good samples 
of this variety, which we do not remember to have seen 
before. It is, however, a sort that will come to the 
front, being of a similar character to the Stirling 
Castle, but keeping quite a month longer than that 
variety. The tree is said to be a tremendous cropper, 
and we should be glad to know something of its origin. 
"Which is Right? 
In the report of the Apple Congress at Chiswick in 1883 
I find the following “ The Professor, cul., small, 
round, ovate, greenish yellow, acid, mid-season; 
worthless.” In Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons’ catalogue of 
fruits just published—a very useful one indeed—I 
read : “ The Professor. Kit. and Tab. Sept, to Oct. 
Large, conical, golden yellow, first quality, and free 
bearer.” This is my impression of this variety as I 
saw it at the Messrs. Cheals’ nurseries at Crawley a 
few days ago. But was it a false or a true Professor 
that put in an appearance at Chiswick ?— R. D. 
A New Melon : Glenhurst Perfection. 
The standard of perfection, with regard to Melons, 
adopted by the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, is a high one, consequently it is not 
a matter of surprise that so few varieties gain the 
coveted award of a First Class Certificate. This season 
the committee have been specially unfortunate in 
having to taste so many bad ones, but on Tuesday they 
had a welcome change in the form of a really high- 
flavoured fruit, which was shown under the name of 
Glenhurst Perfection, by Mr. C. J. Waite, gardener, 
Glenhurst, Esher. It is of medium size, round, slightly 
ribbed and heavily netted ; the rind thin, and of a 
dark lemon-yellow colour ; the flesh green, deep, with 
little waste, melting, and exceedingly rich. It was 
awarded a First Class Certificate. 
-~>rc<--- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
Reading Express Savoy. 
Among the subjects received by me for trial this season 
is the above-named Savoy, sent by Messrs. Oakshott & 
Millard, of Reading, and I must say that by reason of 
its early development it will unquestionably prove an 
acquisition. I am very much pleased with it. It is 
one of the partially crinkled-leaved section, is of 
compact growth, and consequently does not require 
much space. It has large, whitish, well-formed heads 
of good quality.— Gf. T. Miles, Wycombe Abbey. 
Bronze-leaved Ampelopsis tricuspidata 
(A. Veitchii). 
With regard to the shape of the leaves there is always 
considerable variation in this plant, whether grown 
under glass or out of doors. The variation is moreover 
not confined to large plants, as may be seen when a 
large collection of young plants is grown in pots. 
Some of these seem inclined to produce undivided 
leaves only, while others have a greater or less number 
of them deeply three-lobed, so that in whichever way 
we look at them there does not seem to be any regular 
order of development. They also vary greatly when a 
number of plants are grown on walls apparently under 
the same conditions. There is a very distinct variety 
in the nurseries of Messrs. John Laing & Sons at Forest 
Hill, where a large plant covering a wall exhibits 
various tints of bronze, bronzy red ; and later in the 
season, but yet much earlier than in the case of the 
typical form, the leaves assume brilliant shades of red 
and crimson. The plant in any form is always a neater¬ 
growing subject than A. quinquefolia, better known 
under the name of A. hederacea, and which loses 
somewhat in value owing to the coarseness of its 
foliage and the length of the petioles. 
New Cannas. 
In the Cannas that are now being introduced so freely 
to public notice we have handsome foliaged, still more 
handsomely flowered, and easily grown subjects for the 
decoration of the greenhouse in autumn and winter, 
that all who want good and striking plants for this 
purpose would do well to take in hand. At the Floral 
Committee meeting on Tuesday, Messrs. Cannell & 
Sons again showed a series of admirable varieties, one 
of which received a First Class Certificate. This bore 
the name of Paul Bert, and it had good points to 
recommend it in its handsome, broad, bronze-coloured 
leaves and massive crimson-scarlet blossoms. Messrs. 
James Yeitch & Sons also showed a plant of a variety 
named Geoffry St. Hilaire, about 5 ft. high, with 
bronze-green leaves, somewhat narrower and more 
pointed than the last named, and large flowers of a 
bright orange-scarlet colour. This also was awarded a 
First Class Certificate. 
Eucomis punctata. 
I OWE this deliciously scented bulbous flower a special 
debt for the sweet perfume it has thrown around my 
sitting-room for several weeks past. I cannot re¬ 
member where I got the small bulb last spring. I 
potted it up and put it in a frame on a bed of leaves. 
It must have been frozen there at times, but it seemed 
none the worse for that. Leaves burst out, and it grew 
vigorously in a 3|-in. pot. The spike elongated in 
July and August, and the first blooms opened the end 
of the latter month. This spike is now about 2| ft. 
long, and cylinder-shaped, the blooms forming and 
opening up along gradually all around. The scent is 
very peculiar, unlike anything else I know, resembling 
Lilium speciosum Kratzeri and Cinnamon combined. 
Those flowers, like many other Cape bulbs, are shaped 
like small Ixias or Sparaxis, but are more massive and 
wax-like. The best is now opening—about 200 in all— 
and the first has not yet decayed. Surely this is a 
bulb no one should be without. — W. J. Murphy, 
Clonmel. 
Calliopsis coronata. 
I put this variety at the head of all the annual 
Calliopsis. The flowers are pure golden yellow ; they 
are large in size, of a very showy character, and it is 
very free blooming. A selection of twelve choice hardy 
annuals should include this fine form.— R. D. 
Carnation, Souvenir de la Malmaison. 
This beautiful summer-flowering greenhouse subject 
deservedly retains the foremost place in this extensive 
genus, and on account of its popularity no pains should 
be spared which will tend to its successful culture. 
Plants layered in the middle of August should now be 
ready to pot into 60’s, soil composed of loam, leaf-soil 
and sand suiting them admirably. Lift with a nice 
ball of earth attached, although if well rooted the soil 
will, as a matter of course, adhere to them. After 
potting, place them in a frame where they can remain 
for the winter, care being taken to exclude frost. In 
the spring give a shift into 32’s., in a compost similar 
as before. Some can remain in that size, if desired, to 
flower the same year ; but for flowering twelve months 
later a final potting into 8-in. or 10-in. pots should be 
given. Plants layered last year and grown on as 
observed above, ought to be making nice material 
for next summer. Give plenty of air, and if green¬ 
fly appears fumigate at once, as it soon cripples them, 
while occasional doses of soot-water will be found 
beneficial. Let the operation be performed carefully, 
especially at the present time and through the coming 
winter, as neglect in this respect may tend to over¬ 
watering, causing rot, which no after treatment can 
remedy. In the spring and summer more water will he 
wanted, and liquid manure can be given two or three 
times a week.— F. R. S. 
Aster Townshendi. 
Under this name Mr. T. S. Ware exhibited on Tues¬ 
day some cut blooms of the perennial species, most 
generally recognised as A. Bigelovii, but which—what¬ 
ever is its correct name —is undoubtedly one of the 
finest of the genus. It was introduced some ten years 
ago from Colorado, and has large flowers, most freely 
produced, with the disc yellow, and the ray-florets 
mauve shaded with cerise, a bright and pleasing 
colour, somewhat difficult to accurately define. It 
grows about 2\ ft. high, and is a very handsome plant 
for the herbaceous border. Awarded a First Class 
Certificate. 
