290 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 5, 1889. 
Gardening NotesfromIreland. 
Greenhouse Plants. 
Of flowering plants for greenhouse decoration, there are 
many things to he met with worthy the attention of 
the private grower. In the Camellia house at Glasnevin 
there are many of these plants in flower, and here 
and there, in front of them, one still finds plants 
of Chrysanthemums doing duty, the blooms still 
looking fresh, although somewhat drawn. Along the 
shelves I noticed a good plant of Rhododendron Princess 
Royal covered with flowers, and another of R. jas- 
miniflorum. Both these plants are most desirable as 
flowering subjects at this time of the year. In this 
house also were some well-grown plants of double 
white and pink Primulas, of which too much could not 
he said regarding their handsome and long-flowering 
properties for greenhouse or table decoration. The 
wonder is that more use is not made of them for either 
purpose. Zonal Pelargoniums in flower are always 
welcome as imparting a gay decorative tone when used 
among other subjects ; hut when one sees plants 
at this season carrying trusses 6 ins. across, and 
of the most dazzling colours, their importance can hardly 
he overrated. Of this class is Daphne, Cannell’s Paul 
Charhonier (a semi-douhle), Hettie, Mrs. Keiller, Kate 
Farmer, Mrs. Gordon, Rubis (another semi-douhle), and 
the well-known old and useful Henry Jacoby. Ho 
doubt to secure such fine trusses of bloom there must 
be a large stock of plants kept up, as special treatment 
will be required for them. The way adopted here is to 
pinch out the points of the shoots as soon as a few 
flower trusses are formed, and the plants are usually 
confined to 6-in. or 7-in. pots. This, of course, makes 
it necessary to change the plants often, but where a 
large number can be kept, there need be no difficulty 
experienced, as the various batches of plants can be 
made to succeed each other regularly. Cinerarias also 
have begun to put in an appearance here, and altogether 
this house presents a good floral display for a dull 
season. If the Chrysanthemum display held in these 
gardens lately attracted such a vast number of visitors 
to it, there is a plant now in a tall conservatory, 
which is a wonder in itself, and well worth a visit 
from anyone wishing to see a plant furnishing 
so unusual a profusion of flowers under glass. This 
is the Luculia gratissima, and it would be no easy task 
to convey an idea of its appearance by trying to give a 
description of it. It appeared to me to be planted out 
in a very confined space for the roots to work in, 
considering the large amount of head room it occupied. 
It was trained along a frontage of 5 or 6 yards, and 
ran to a height of 8 ft. or 10 ft., and from the ground 
upwards the plant was covered with hundreds of its 
pink, Syringa - perfumed blossoms. It was by 
the merest accident that I came across the plant, and I 
should have been sorry had I missed such an oppor¬ 
tunity. Sometimes the plant is to be found in plant 
collections, but only in pots, and anyone having 
seen it grown as such, can hardly realise what it is 
when grown planted out, and with good head-room to 
run in. I would certainly advise more use to be 
made of it by those who can give it a place on the 
walls or pillars of greenhouses or conservatories. 
Ageratum, Cupid. 
Fof. the formation of a blue band or line among dwarf 
bedding plants, I saw no Ageratum during the past 
summer and autumn equal to Cupid. notwithstanding 
the excessive amount of rain that fell during that period, 
the plant maintained its fine dwarf habit, as well as its 
very floriferous character. Although it has been in 
cultivation now for several years, it does not appear to 
be so well known as it should be. Anyone having 
much summer bedding to attend to would do well to 
look it up for next season. 
Impatiens Hawkerii, &c. 
From: time to time complaints are heard as to failures 
attending these plants when in a progressive state of 
growth—that is, when they require shifting into larger- 
sized pots. I do not know if the various failures can 
be due to one cause only, but I have known many 
failures to arise from the neck or collar of the plant 
being placed at a lower depth in the soil than it was 
previously. Another point of danger is giving what is 
known as a good shift, and then giving a good 
watering “to start them,” the result being in most 
cases that instead of “starting” them into renewed 
vigour, they “start” to rot at the neck. This latter 
part of the plant should be always kept high, so as to 
prevent the possibility of water being retained about it, 
and water should be given very sparingly at potting 
time, and until the plants have taken hold of the new 
soil. In trying to have rich soil, the mistake is often 
made of causing it to be somewhat retentive of mois¬ 
ture ; there can be no objection to having the soil 
rich, but while doing this care should be taken to have 
it perfectly porous. — W. D. 
-«>$€*- 
ONIONS. 
That the Portugal Onions sold so cheaply by grocers 
are milder flavoured and therefore pleasanter eating 
than our own, there can be no doubt, and if some of 
that mildness should be found in the new kind, Lord 
Keeper, referred to on p. 246, it will be none the less 
meritorious. Certainly the Portugal and Spanish im¬ 
ported Onions lack that firmness and solidity which our 
best grown Onion bulbs present, but both features may 
be as much due to climate as to any other cause. How 
no one wants big Onions for ordinary domestic use— 
indeed, they only result in great waste, and perhaps, on 
the whole, do not give a better return per rod of 
ground than do some kinds which give a fine crop of 
medium-sized hard handsome bulbs ; and certainly are 
less profitable in the market. But still a really fine 
stock gives just such a return as this under what may 
be called ordinary garden culture, and perhaps there 
are fewer more profitable crops than is found in a large 
breadth of Onions, if of good size, thick and handsome. 
But whilst we may not, because of the objectionable 
perfume emitted, partake of Onions too freely, it is 
certain that some of the larger and milder bulbs, 
stewed or baked, and served up with melted butter and 
condiments, do make a fine supper dish for the winter 
season. The cooking seems to abstract the objec¬ 
tionable perfume, and the native hotness gives place to 
the more appreciated heat of the fire. Then when 
colds are prevalent—and during the winter these 
physical ills seem to be always with us—there are few 
more appetising bedtime doses than a basin of Onion 
broth or porridge. Perhaps the Onion has some 
medical virtues, perhaps its native heat is helpful in 
exorcising the cold, in any case the patient rarely rises 
from his bed after partaking of an overnight basin of 
Onion porridge, without finding himself greatly 
benefited. — Lactuca. 
-- 
OTES ON fgRUITS. 
The Quarrenden. 
Anyone would have thought “F.” could have given 
some good reason for being amused at this Apple being 
called Quarantine, but from his silence I presume he 
has none. In your issue of the 15th inst. I note your 
editorial remark that the Devonshire Quarrenden is 
mentioned in the Complete Planter and Cyderist, 
published in 1690, and also that it was not grown in 
London nurseries before the beginning of the present 
century ; this somewhat strengthens my statement, as 
my ancestor, who I contend introduced and named the 
Apple Quarantine, kept a nursery at Ealing some time 
between the years 1780 and 1810. Although “A. D.” 
(at p. 264) holds that Quarantine is a corruption, he 
gives no proof, therefore his opinion as to the correct 
name is really valueless, but he is quite correct in his 
description of the fruit as it was forty or fifty years ago, 
for the Apples we now get bearing the name are very 
unworthy descendants. Perhaps some of your numerous 
readers, who possess old pomological books, can give a 
description of the Quarrenden as it appeared in 1690 or 
thereabout that perhaps would throw some light on the 
matter. — S. 
Anne de Bretagne Pear. 
Out of thirty-one varieties of new Pears sent by the 
Messrs. Transon, of Orleans, to another grower in 
France, the above has as yet turned out to be the best. 
It was raised in 1883, and has already given great 
satisfaction with regard to size, beauty, fertility, 
keeping qualities, and flavour. In the latter quality 
it is compared with Doyenne du Cornice, while it 
is as large as Catillac. During 1887 a pyramidal tree 
of four years’ growth matured thirty fruits of great 
size, and the same tree last year gave twenty-six fine 
fruits, but rather smaller than those of the previous 
season. The description of the fruit is large or very 
large, always of a bright vermilion on the side next 
the sun, marked with pale specks ; before it is ripe the 
skin is rough and deep green, but afterwards it becomes 
glossy and pale green on the shaded side. The flesh is 
melting, slightly aciduous, and of the first quality ; 
and the fruits are in season from Hovember to January. 
A coloured plate of it is given in the Bulletin d'Arbori¬ 
culture, de Floriculture, cfee., for December last. The 
fruit there represented measures about 4J ins. long 
and ins. at the thickest part. 
Keswick. Codlin Atple. 
It would seem superfluous to speak of this Apple about 
three months after it is reckoned to be out of season. 
This is generally considered to be out of season about 
two months after ripening ; but such need not be the 
case if it be kept in a cool dry place. Specimens kept 
up till the end of December lose greatly in flavour it 
is true, but it is an Apple that might certainly be kept 
for a much longer period than is generally the case. 
During August and early in September it is rushed 
into the market, and that in most cases in a green and 
unripened condition, and we see no more of it for 
another year. "What is more, it seems to be degenera¬ 
ting under the present system of culture, as we seldom 
see good samples of it in the market. Probably the 
trees are old, but an early culinary Apple having the 
good qualities of Keswick Codlin ought to receive more 
generous treatment. It has been in cultivation at least 
since 1793, and as in the ease of other valuable old 
Apples, the question might well be raised whether the 
constitution of the said varieties is becoming played 
out, or whether the system of culture is at fault. — F. 
■ -—>TE<—- 
THE CULTURE OF ASPARAGUS. 
(Concluded from p. 278.) 
In the spring of the third year additional soil of the 
same character as had been already employed was added 
to the sides of the ridges, which now transformed them 
into beds 3 ft. wide, with 1 ft. of an alley between 
them. They were now practically completed, so far as 
additions of soil were concerned, no more being necessary. 
From some of the strongest plants a few heads might 
have been taken for table, but this was not done, and 
the plants were allowed another season for their 
development. The same course of treatment was 
pursued as in the two former years. This year, as the 
plants were throwing up from eight to twelve stems 
each, of an average height of from 5 ft. to 6 ft., it was 
found that to support the entire plantation individually, 
a large number of strong stakes would be required. A 
simpler method had therefore to be adopted. At 
distances of 10 ft. or 12 ft. along the rows stout posts 
or stobs were fixed, and to these two strong tarred 
cords were stretched equi-distant, and to this fence-like 
erection the stems of the Asparagus were tied. After 
the ripe stems had been cut down in autumn, 2 ins. or 
more of the surface soil was drawn from the beds into 
the alleys, the annual top-dressing of manure, about 2 
ins. in depth, being then spread over the beds, and 
covered with the soil in the alleys. This completed the 
third year’s course of cultivation, and in subsequent 
years the same routine is gone through. In the fourth 
year the plantation was in a bearing state. 
This plan of forming a plantation of Asparagus may 
appear unique ; that it is a variation from the well- 
known method I admit, but it is only a variation to 
suit a peculiar circumstance. It is entirely based on 
the French system of cultivation. The French, on 
their porous sandy loam, form little trenches, similar to 
those employed for Celery, but not so wide nor so deep, 
in which to grow their .Asparagus. In these trenches 
they form small hillocks on which to sit the plants, 
and by degrees they annually add the soil of the ridges 
to the trenches, until the ground again resumes its 
natural level. The difference, therefore, between the 
French method and the way I have described is not 
great. The French plant on hillocks in trenches, while 
I planted on hillocks on the surface ; that is all the 
difference. To have formed small trenches on adhesive 
clay, and planted in them as the French do, would 
inevitably have led to failure, because in winter the 
plants would be in the same condition as in a wet 
ditch. On the sandy ridges of prepared soil the 
crowns were comparatively dry in winter, and what 
rain fell quickly passed through them. 
All growers seem to concur in this—viz., that 
though Aspar^us likes plenty of water when growing, 
it cannot do with it stagnating about its roots at any 
time, but least of all in winter. Such is a brief 
outline of a method devised to meet the exigencies of 
an unfavourable situation. 
The results were not extraordinary, but where I am 
led to believe Asparagus had previously been a failure 
a fair degree of success has been attained. Last 
summer, the fifth of the plantation’s existence, and 
being a wet one, the plants grew stronger than usual, 
many of the stems reaching 7 ft. and 8 ft. in height. 
It is a truism that in gardening matters hard and 
