822 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 24, 1889. 
first place tliere is always a demand for them as soon 
as they can be had ; then competition is less severe 
from foreign produce ; and when gathered now there is 
greater immunity from the attack of the Codlin grub, 
and windfalls, occasioning loss in that respect; and 
what is more important than either, an immediate 
return is secured. The latter point is one of which old 
market growers like to boast. Grow early varieties, 
they say, for the London markets, sell the produce, 
pocket the money, and there is no further trouble in 
the matter. 
One of the earliest varieties to appear in the market 
is Early Julian, a medium-sized fruit, ridged rather 
prominently from the eye downwards, with a pale 
greenish yellow skin more or less suffused with orange 
or red on the exposed side. It is an Apple of excellent 
quality, suitable either for dessert or culinary purposes, 
and when well coloured has rather a tempting appear¬ 
ance early in the season. The tree is hardy and dwarf, 
but an abundant bearer. Irish Peach is equally early 
as the above and generally pretty highly coloured. The 
fruit is small and medium-sized, somewhat flattened and 
angled ; on the shaded side the fruit is suffused with 
reddish brown, but on the sunny aspect becomes of a 
beautiful red, variously mottled, streaked and varie¬ 
gated with yellow. The samples on sale this year are 
of good average size and apparently clean. It is a 
dessert variety of great excellence, and it is chiefly 
disposed of for immediate consumption. The supply 
does not as a rule last for any length of time, and is 
most abundant about the middle of this month. 
Notwithstanding the finer season, the specimens of 
Devonshire Quarrenden seem even smaller than they 
were last year, the greater part of them not being larger 
than a pigeon’s egg. At present they are clean and 
highly coloured, but evidently unripe, as they have 
not yet assumed that shining or burnished look, 
which gives them so tempting an appearance. If record 
is to believed concerning this Apple, it has greatly 
degenerated in size from what it was many years 
ago. The fruits, however, sell at good prices in the 
market, and apparently all the more readily because 
stated to be English. The market people sell them 
under the name of Quarentine or English Quarentines. 
It is a very old Apple, having been recorded as early 
as 1690, and like several other old kinds is considered 
to be degenerating from sheer old age. The three above- 
mentioned kinds, although not exactly mature, are 
nearly so ; but this can hardly be said of the Keswick 
Codlin, a culinary variety often used for tarts by the 
end of June. There is, therefore, a long season in 
which it can be sold before reaching maturity, and, in 
fact, comparatively few really ripe specimens can be 
bought in the market for reasons above stated. It is a 
useful Apple, but by no means tempting in appearance, 
as the fruits are consumed while yet green, and before 
they assume their ultimate yellow colour, which 
they would do towards the end of August and in 
September. 
Other kinds are Lord Suffield, Manks’ Codlin, and 
Duchess of Oldenberg. The first bears the largest fruit 
of any mentioned, and would, no doubt, always fetch a 
good price, notwithstanding its sober green colour, were 
it not so liable to the black spot, which is usually very 
strongly developed by October, spoiling more than half 
the specimens exposed for sale. 
-- 
POTATOS AT CHISWICK. 
The several varieties of Potatos on trial this year in 
the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens were ex¬ 
amined on Tuesday last by members of the Fruit and 
"Vegetable Committee, and the following varieties were 
selected as productive and good in appearance. The 
heavy rains of the night previous to lifting affected the 
whole of them prejudicially, and though several were 
cooked, it was considered advisable to submit them to 
a further trial for satisfactorily determining their 
qualities. 
Vegetarian (Dean).—Oval, white, free cropper, fine 
sample. 
The Cannon (Dean). —"White, round, medium size, 
splendid crop. 
Edgcote Early.—Kidney, medium size, good shape 
and good crop. 
The Governor (Dean).—Kidney, white, large, even, 
and good crop. 
Crown Jewel (Fletcher).—"White, round, evenly 
shaped, medium-sized tubers, great crop. 
Bedfont Purple (Dean).—Fine uniform tubers, and 
a good crop. 
Irishman (Kane).—"White, round tubers, large with 
somewhat deep eyes ; very heavy crop. 
Debutante (Ross).—Bright crimson, round, uniform ; 
good crop, rather small tubers. 
Early Victor (Oakshott & Millard).—Large, white, 
flattish oval, even-sized tubers ; good crop. 
Satisfaction (Oakshott & Millard).—White, round, 
heavy crop of good-sized tubers. 
Tacoma (Bliss).—Pink, large, roundish; a heavy 
crop. 
Ellington’s Prolific.—White, round, medium size, 
even ; very heavy crop. 
Hardening Hjscellany. 
Queen of the Prairie. 
Botanically this is Spirsea lobata, an old-fashioned 
herbaceous plant that has been cultivated in Britain 
since 1765, but for some unaccountable reason or other 
it has not been very plentiful for the last twenty or 
thirty years at least. It is liable to mildew when 
grown in dry rather light soils, and then presents a 
sorry spectacle rather than a pleasant one. When 
grown in damp places or near water, the stems attain 
a height of 4 ft. to 6 ft., and in its native country 
(North America) is said to reach the height of 8 ft. 
The flowers are of a warm rosy pink or rich peach- 
blossom colour, and are produced in terminal, much- 
branched, cymose panicles, much in the same manner 
as in our native Queen of the Meadows (S. Ulmaria). 
The leaves are divided much in the same way as those 
of the latter species, but they assume a very different 
appearance on account of the great size of the terminal 
lobe or leaflet, which is large and seven to nine-parted, 
appearing as if it constituted the whole of the leaf, as 
in the case of S. kamtschatica ; but the foliage of both 
these species show how a transition can be made 
towards the strictly palmate leaf of S. palmata. There 
is a beautifully dwarf form of S. lobata on the rockery 
at Kew, not exceeding 10 ins. or 12 ins. in height, and 
being constant, it might not inappropriately be named 
S. 1. pumila or S. 1. nana, for it is a real pigmy com¬ 
pared with the wild types, reaching a height of 8 ft., 
or even in comparison with the plant seen in old 
gardens under the name of S. venusta, which, of course, 
is a mere synonym of S. lobata. 
Eccremocarpus scaber. 
A very interesting subject for covering walls and trellis- 
work is this Chilian climber. It is evidently hardier 
than most gardeners generally believe it to be, as it 
thrives and flowers almost as freely many miles north 
of the Tweed as it does in the more sunny south. The 
root consists of a large fleshy tuber, and if the safety 
of this is secured by planting it in a well-drained soil 
at the foot of a wall, the plant withstands the severity 
of our winters without artificial protection ; and even 
if this were necessary a small quantity of coco-nut fibre 
or dry leaves placed over the top of it would answer 
the desired end. Provided the tuberous roots are kept 
in a moderately dry condition during winter, no 
difficulty will be experienced in growing the plant in 
almost any part of Britain. The leaves are twice or 
three times divided into broadly ovate, slightly-toothed 
leaflets unequalat thebase, and terminate in a repeatedly- 
branched tendril. The primary divisions of the leafy 
portion are opposite, while the secondary and tertiary 
divisions are alternate. Curiously enough the branch¬ 
ing of the tendrils are just the reverse, and this is all 
the more remarkable seeing that they constitute the 
apical portion of the leaf, so that they must have 
developed along different lines after being reduced to 
the condition of tendrils. The primary divisions 
are alternate, while all the rest are repeatedly forked, 
each branch of the fork being equal. The orange- 
scarlet, tubular and ventricose flowers are produced in 
one-sided racemes opposite the leaves.— F. 
Eryngium planum. 
Those who object to E. giganteum, E. alpinum, E. 
Oliverianum, and others of that class on account of the 
size of the heads and the somewhat stiff and rigid habit 
of the plant cannot complain in that respect with 
regard to E. planum. The stems are comparatively 
slender, very much branched, and bear a great number 
of moderate-sized heads of blue flowers, surrounded by 
six to eight deep steel-blue-coloured bracts. The lower 
leaves are oval, and serrated with a cordate base, and 
quite unlike those of the species above mentioned. 
The stem-leaves are very much smaller and deeply five- 
lobed. The species is a native of eastern Europe, is 
quite hardy in this country, and is one of the oldest 
inhabitants of our gardens, having been originally in¬ 
troduced in 1596. The stems average about 2 ft. in 
height, and the herbaceous border is therefore the most 
suitable place for the plant, although it is occasionally 
grown on the rockery, where its deep blue heads and 
bracts contrast finely with other subjects. Propagation 
is effected by means of seeds and by division of the 
rootstock. A3 the latter does not increase very fast, 
division must be carefully effected with a knife or 
something that will make a clean cut without unne¬ 
cessarily injuring what is left. 
Judging Potatos. 
I should like to have the opinion of some of the 
Potato growers and exhibitors who are readers of The 
Gardening World, as to the expediency or wisdom 
of cutting Potatos when they are being judged at 
flower shows. At the exhibition of the Taunton Deane 
Horticultural Society, on the 15th inst., a large 
number of very fine Potatos were staged, and particu¬ 
larly in one class—that for cottagers, of six varieties. 
The awards were made by two judges, who, I think, 
were gentlemen’s gardeners residing in the district; and 
they made a point of cutting through one tuber out of 
the twelve forming the dishes, and it appeared that if 
anyone of these tubers showed the slightest sign of 
blackness in the flesh they were passed over. The result 
appeared to be that large but worse Potatos came to 
the fore because they successfully passed the ordeal of 
one tuber being cut. Now, I think, if one is cut all 
should be cut. The system of cutting only one cannot 
possibly be satisfactory, and as to cut all would be wanton 
destruction of good Potatos, the best plan is to judge 
according to external appearance, as is done at all the 
London exhibitions. I hope, therefore, the committee 
of the Taunton Deane Horticultural Society wiU put a 
veto upon this foolish practice in the future .—A 
Sufferer. 
The Lettuce, New York. 
The testimony as to the excellence of this variety 
given by Mr. Kipling is, I find, quite in accordance 
with the experience of others who have tried it. The 
supplementary details as to culture so kindly given by 
Mr. Kipling in your last, leaves no doubt now as to its 
distinctness and value. What surprises me more than 
anything is its adaptability to the transplanting process, 
for Lettuces, as a rule, bolt quicker after transplanting 
than they do when left as sown, after being thinned. 
On this account alone the variety in question should 
be worthy of extended cultivation. The largest and 
best-hearted sort I have grown is Buttercup, which 
stands longer than All the Year Round, a variety it 
much resembles, except in its citron-coloured leaves.— 
A Kitchen Gardener. 
The Old Vines at Pledwick House, near 
Wakefield. 
At the residence of Mrs. Norton, Pledwick House, near 
Wakefield, there are some enormously large Yines 
about fifty years old, and which, owing to neglect and 
mismanagement, during a period of several years had 
got in an unfruitful and otherwise sad condition. 
During the past three years they have been under the 
management of the present gardener, Mr. Griffiths, and 
it is with pleasure that I record the fact of his close 
personal attention being attended with the happiest 
results, for the fine old Vines are now healthy and 
fruitful, and bear an excellent crop of large bunches. 
Mr. Griffiths’ skill as a cultivator is evidenced also in 
other departments, for on a recent visit I noted fine 
crops of Peaches, Nectarines, Cucumbers and Melons 
under glass, a fine strain of Gloxinias in the conser¬ 
vatory, with other choice flowers, and some magnificent 
specimens of Eucharis amazonica, perfect masses of 
bloom. The bedding out in the flower garden is also 
of the most attractive character. — JV. Pearson , August 
19 th. 
Dianthus Seguieri collinus. 
Whether the type or this variety is grown, it cer¬ 
tainly constitutes a very handsome and gay plant for 
either the border or rockery ; for it proves quite at 
home in either. Something of its floriferous nature 
may be recognised when we state that almost every 
shoot that springs from the rootstock produces a flower- 
stem, so that during the flowering season it would be 
impossible to propagate it extensively from cuttings. 
Later on, however, cuttings are more plentifully pro¬ 
duced. Owing to the want of foliage, which is so 
conspicuous a feature, and forming evergreen cushions 
in D. caryophyllus, D. plumarius, D. eresius, and 
others, D. Seguieri is all the better for the support of a 
few stakes to keep the flower-stems from falling about 
or being laid by heavy rains, when grown in soil con¬ 
ducive to a rank and vigorous growth. The flowers 
are of a bright rosy purple, and the petals are mod¬ 
erately broad, toothed at the apex, and furnished with 
a transverse irregular dark purple line, which gives to 
the whole flower a zoned appearance. The species 
enjoys a pretty wide distribution in south and eastern 
Europe, and Asia, and was originally introduced in 
1832, although by no means so common yet as its 
merits deserve. The flowers are as large as those of a 
good wild type of D. plumarius, the common Pink. 
