836 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 31, 1889. 
exhausted state of the plant or plants from long and 
continued cultivation in situations, localities, or soils 
not entirely congenial to them. It would be interesting 
to learn if the blue has been known to return to the 
pink colour. Perhaps “F.,” who has opened this 
interesting subject, will kindly give information on this 
point.— Gamma, Edinburgh. 
-— >X< —- 
SoTES ON ErUITS. 
Apple, Beauty of Bath. 
At the Taunton and Trowbridge shows this new early 
dessert Apple was exhibited in fine condition, and as is 
generally the case, took the leading prizes. At Taunton 
the class was for a single dish of dessert Apples, and 
Beauty of Bath and the Red Quarrenden—the latter 
unusually fine—divided the honours. At Trowbridge 
prizes were offered for two dishes of dessert Apples, and 
in each case where a prize was awarded, Beauty of Bath 
and Red Quarrenden won. The former was larger in 
size than I had seen it before. It is a good, medium¬ 
sized fruit when well grown, lovely bright red with 
white spots, clear and even skin, perfect in shape, and 
very handsome, having a brisk sweet flavour. Mr. 
George Bunyard states that it is a heavy and certain 
cropper, and this confirms the testimony of Mr. George 
Cooling, of Bath, who sent it out. I seem to form a 
higher opinion of it every time I see it.— R. D. 
The Melon Peak. 
The contradictory character of English names is well 
exemplified in the present instance, as the plant for 
which the name is intended is neither a Melon nor a 
Pear, but Solanum Guatemalense. The foliage offers 
nothing very peculiar, and taken together with the 
fruit bears a considerable resemblance to the Egg Plant, 
with a slightly differently-shaped fruit. This is oblong- 
oval, with a smooth shining skin, light green, and more 
or less striped in an irregular manner with purple, but 
as it matures the general ground colour becomes yellow. 
The flowers are borne in cymes on extra-axillary 
peduncles, not exactly opposite to a leaf, but quite in 
keeping in this respect with the other members of the 
Solanum family. They are deep purplish blue, with 
pale or whitish edges, and are drooping, just as the 
fruits are bound to be—at least, after attaining some 
size—simply by their own weight. There are two 
plants in one of the houses of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at Chiswick generally devoted to the culture of 
Tomato, another member of the same family ; they are 
about 18 ins. high, and now bearing a few fruits each, 
possibly the first that have been produced in this 
country, as although the species has been grown for 
some years in Britain, some cultivators fail to fruit 
them. This shy-fruiting character can hardly be 
peculiar to the Melon Pear in the New World, where it 
is of some repute from an economical point of view. 
-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
—— 
Propagating Alpine Plants. 
After a good season of growth like the present, with 
frequent showers, there is no difficulty in obtaining any 
quantity of cuttings from these subjects, which increase 
freely. A frame facing north is a good place in which 
to strike them. The frame should be kept quite close 
so long as there is anything in it not yet rooted. 
Anything giving evidence of being rooted by the fresh 
growth they are making, should be removed to another 
frame where a proper amount of ventilation can be 
given. In the absence of frames, hand-lights may be 
used. If not overshadowed by a wall, a mat or some¬ 
thing that will answer the same purpose should be 
thrown over the lights during the hotter part of the 
day, and after a few days be removed early in the 
afternoon. Get ready some 5-in. pots, and after 
crocking them well, place a layer of moss over the 
drainage. Fill up with light sandy soil, with a good 
proportion of leaf-soil; make the whole moderately 
firm, and place a layer of clean silver-sand on the top. 
Water down with a fine-rosed watering pot, and get the 
cuttings. Short side shoots quite free from flowers 
are best, and if they can be pulled off with a heel so 
much the better. In all cases dress the base of the 
cutting with a sharp knife, and remove a leaf or two in 
order to get it firmly secured in the soil. Longer 
shoots should be neatly cut just below a joint. Such 
things as Campanula pulla, C. pusilla, C. pumila, and 
others that throw up suckers from the root can easily 
be rooted by pulling up these shoots. Other subjects 
of a choice kind are Dianthus alpinus, D. petreeus, D. 
suavis, D. deltoides albus, Helianthemuns in variety, 
Iberis gibraltarica, I. conefolia, I. saxatilis, Litho- 
spermum prostratum, and others. 
Seduji spectabile. 
One of the brightest and most cheerful flowers in the 
borders during September is Sedum spectabile. It 
never attains more than 1 ft. in height, and always 
forms a compact bush with upright or slightly- 
spreading stems, terminated by a broad corymb of rose- 
coloured flowers. The pale green or glaucous leaves 
are fleshy, rounded and stalkless. Those who possess 
large plants can obtain a fine effect by cutting off a 
number of the supernumerary shoots and inserting 
them round the margins of beds or elsewhere. Not 
only will the flowers expand and look as gay as those 
left on the plants, but the greater part of them will 
produce roots and buds at the base, forming nice little 
plants for the rockery the succeeding year, or they may 
be potted up and used for greenhouse, window, or 
balcony decorations. For the latter purpose they are 
extremely suitable, because if they get dried up oc¬ 
casionally they will take little harm. They might 
also be used for the door-steps, where the lively effect 
they will produce in autumn will be much appreciated. 
For these and similar purposes the plant is not half so 
much grown as it ought to be. Its neat habit and 
durability in trying times of drought are facts that 
should not be overlooked, in searching for subjects that 
will appear happy and comfortable in exposed places. 
Plants with a single stem can be grown on from buds 
with a piece of the rootstock attached to them, taken 
in spring. Such will prove most suitable for small 
pots, but specimens of any size may be grown in large 
pots or tubs. Do not forget to feed them well while 
making their growth, giving supplies of liquid manure, 
and the results will be fine heads of bloom. 
Herbs. 
The best time to collect herbs is when in full bloom. 
They then possess the greatest quantity of those 
essential qualities for which they are valued. If 
allowed to stand on the ground, till they are running to 
seed, they will be deteriorated in proportion to their 
age. The fragrant and essential oils with which the 
leaves of Mint, Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Rosemary, and 
Marjoram are stored, are in perfection just when the 
vegetable vigour of the plant gives place to that of the 
production of flowers and fruits, and all those harvested 
at that time in good condition will give the greatest 
satisfaction as to quality and flavour. They should be 
cut when dry and hung up in bundles, top down¬ 
wards, in some cool airy shed till they become perfectly 
dry, when they can be stored elsewhere in a dry place 
or allowed to remain where they are until required for 
use. 
Aucuba, Euonymus and Cherry Laurel Cuttings. 
Those who desire to increase their stock of these useful 
evergreens may now do so by cuttings. The latter 
should consist of the side shoots that have just been 
made, and are now getting firm. If taken off with a 
heel of the old wood they generally root with more 
certainty. Cuttings of Aucubas 6 ins. to 8 ins. will 
be quite sufficient, while those of the Cherry Laurel 
may be 1 ft. in length. The evergreen Euonymus 
japonieus and its variegated forms need not be longer 
than 3 ins. or 4 ins. They will also root with more 
certainty and in greater numbers if they are inserted 
in pots and stood in a frame or under hand-lights. In 
the case of Aucubas and Laurels, however, it would 
scarcely be worth while putting them under glass, as 
they will root readily in the open ground. A sheltered 
border on a north aspect should be chosen for them. 
Take out an opening or trench, and after digging over 
a second trench into this, cut the sides of it straight by 
the use of a line, and you will be ready for the first line 
of cuttings. The latter will require very little pre¬ 
paration, merely cutting the bases neatly with a sharp 
knife, and removing a few of the lower leaves. 'When 
a line of cuttings have been laid about -3 ins. or 4 ins. 
apart in the row, dig over another trench, breaking the 
soil carefully over the base of the cuttings, and then 
treading it firm. The process may then be repeated to 
prepare the ground for another line of cuttings, and so 
on till the whole is completed. About 1 ft. between the 
lines will be quite sufficient. Those that are not killed 
during the winter will commence to throw up shoots 
from the base in spring. They will generally be ready 
for transplanting in autumn if required—that is, after 
having been a year in the ground. 
Gooseberry Cuttings. 
Nearly a year will be gained if cuttmgs are taken now, 
stripped of their leaves, and otherwise prepared by the 
removal of the lower buds, and then inserted in the 
soil of the border. They will root during autumn and 
the milder parts of winter and be ready to start into 
vigorous growth in spring. There is also the additional 
advantage that the best fruiting kinds will still be 
fresh in the memory. 
Hardening §[iscellany. 
--r-- 
Taxus adpressa variegata. 
A plant of this, about 2 ft. in height, was exhibited 
by Messrs. Fisher, Son, & Sibray, of Sheffield, at 
the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 
when a First Class Certificate was awarded it. We 
have long had varieties of the common Yew, but the 
present one is a decided acquisition, and will take its 
place alongside of the others in gardens where variety 
is admired. The shrub (for we can hardly call it a tree) 
forms a compact semi-upright bush, with short, closely- 
arranged evergreen leaves, broadly and distinctly 
margined with pale yellow. In this respect it is like 
the variegated Irish Yew, but the short leaves, inde¬ 
pendently of anything else, renders it quite distinct. 
For growing in pots or on the margin of the shrubbery 
amongst select plants it will be an acquisition. 
A New Form of Asparagus plumosus. 
There are to be seen in the nursery of Messrs. John 
Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, some specimens of a form of 
Asparagus plumosus, with the same habit precisely as 
A. p. nanus, but much more graceful. We observed it 
many months ago, but had doubts of its remaining 
distinct, that is, of retaining its characters. The plants 
in question are now of some considerable size and age, 
and have retained their characters quite distinct. The 
chief points to be noticed are the slender and graceful 
appearance of the branching plumes, chiefly due to the 
shortening of the small branchlets, popularly, though 
erroneously, termed leaves. They are arranged in 
fascicles or whorls in one plane, exactly in the same 
way as those of A. p. nanus, and owe their distinctness 
to their being very much shortened. The different 
groups do not therefore much overlap one another, if 
they do so at all; hence the slender and graceful ap¬ 
pearance of the stems with their lateral branches. The 
small, scale-like, but morphologically true leaves are 
white, and rather conspicuous in the young state of the 
shoots, but this also is precisely similar in the case of 
the other forms of A. plumosus, and disappears as the 
fronds become mature and fit for service. 
Pteris serrulata densa. 
This may well take rank alongside of P. s. compacta, 
because the fronds are similarly crested, tasselled, and 
compactly arranged ; but, although it may be compared 
to that useful variety in habit, the general appearance 
is quite distinct, on account of the fineness or narrow¬ 
ness of the many segments composing the crest. We 
have seen other varieties equally finely cut, but the 
fronds were generally few and straggling, so that this 
one combines fineness of cresting together with a dense 
habit. It will no doubt take rank as a useful market 
variety, especially if it prove equally hardy in consti¬ 
tution as the older variety. A fine plant of it was 
exhibited by Mr. H. B. May, at the Drill Hall, on 
Tuesday last, when the Royal Horticultural Society 
awarded it a First Class Certificate. 
The Floral Committee as Interpreters. 
Apropos of this matter, a reference to which appeared 
in The Gardening World of last week under this 
heading, allow me to state that the exhibition of the 
Devon and Exeter Horticultural Society took place on 
August 14th, the day after the matter was submitted 
to the Floral Committee of the R. H. S. There were 
three exhibitors in the class, and only show Dahlias 
were staged. There did not appear to be the slightest 
conception on the part of an}' one of the exhibitors that 
other than the ordinary show Dahlias would be admitted. 
It would appear that all the bother was caused by a 
floricultural parson, who, growing Dahlias for the first 
time, aspired to exhibit ; but having only a limited 
collection, thought he could make up a stand by showing 
all sorts and conditions of flowers. He made inquiry 
of the secretary, hence the inquiry addressed to the 
Floral Committee and the Gardeners' Chronicle ; but 
his Reverence did not appear as a competitor. Pro¬ 
bably he attended the show. Let us hope he returned 
a sadder and a wiser man. But the Floral Committee 
of the R. H. S. ! Oh, dear !—Westward 0. 
The Cornish Heath. 
The popular name of Erica vagans derives its origin 
from the fact of its being confined to Cornwall as a wild 
plant in this country. The specific title refers to its 
wandering or trailing habit, as it seldom rises above 
1 ft. in height, although it will occupy a considerable 
