February 9, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
309 
mite, yellow tlirip, which is so destructive to Gloxinias, 
Orchids, &c., where it once gets a footing ; green-fly, 
mealy-bug, &c. Also sections of Monocotyledonous 
and Dicotyledonous plants, Antheridia and Archegonia 
of Marcliantia, &c., kindly lent by Mr. Fraser, Kew 
Green. As this was a social meeting, great interest 
was taken in the various objects exhibited, and a good 
number of the members took part in a discussion which 
was initiated. It was also decided at the same meeting 
to hold a musical entertainment in connection with the 
society, the proceeds of which are to be handed over to 
the Gardeners’ Orphan Fund. 
The Royal Horticultural Society of Southampton. 
—The annual general meeting of the members and 
subscribers of this society was held in the Phil¬ 
harmonic Rooms on Monday last, when the 
chair was taken by the president, W. H. Myers, 
Esq., J.P. From the report of the Council, presented 
at the meeting, we gather that through the very 
inclement and continuously wet season with which the 
society had to contend last year the result is a 
statement of accounts showing a considerable balance 
on the wrong side. On the occasion of the summer 
show, the extraordinary cold and dampness of both days 
entirely neutralised the extra exertions made by the 
Council to attract a large attendance. The takings on 
Bank-holiday were the lowest recorded for many years. 
The Council were equally unfortunate, in this respect, 
in the evenings selected for the promenade concerts and 
sports, and in their other efforts to make the society’s 
grounds at Westwood Park self-supporting. From 
these adverse causes, the Council had to seriously 
consider whether the Chrysanthemum Show should be 
abandoned, or whether the payment of the prizes 
should be entirely contingent upon the receipts at the 
door, all other expenses having been first met. 
At the express desire of many exhibitors, who were 
anxious, in the interest of the society, that the show 
should be held as usual, the latter course was adopted. 
The Council have great pleasure in drawing attention 
to the action of the exhibitors on that occasion, because 
the show was in every respect equal to any of its prede¬ 
cessors, and one of which the most flourishing society 
might be proud—notwithstanding the certainty that, 
under the most favourable circumstances, the com¬ 
petitors could only receive a very small amount 
in prize money. Although unfortunate, financially, 
during the last two years, the Council hope, if favoured 
with finer weather in the coming season, to place the 
society in a better position, and confidently appeal to 
the public to assist them in their endeavours. 
The Reading Flower Shows.—The exhibitions of 
the Reading Horticultural Society will take place as 
follows :—Spring show, May 29th ; and Summer show, 
August 28th. As is usual, the exhibitions will take 
place in the Abbey Ruins and Forbury Gardens. The 
annual Chrysanthemum show will take place on 
November 14th, in the Town Hall. This is distinct 
from the Reading Horticultural Society, and is managed 
by a special committee, Mr. Richard Catchpool being 
the honorary secretary. This show has been held at the 
Town Hall for a few years past; but in the autumn, 
on application being made to the Borough Council, as 
usual, permission was refused on the ground that the 
presence of plants for two days generated moisture, 
which had injuriously affected the organ, and caused 
the pipes to rust. This statement was questioned, and 
Mr. Catchpool made a second application to the council, 
backed by letters from Manchester, Birmingham, Hud¬ 
dersfield, the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and the 
Royal Aquarium at Westminster, which went to show 
that though flower shows were frequently held in 
buildings where there were organs, no complaint what¬ 
ever had been made as to any injury done through 
damp. The council therefore rescinded their former 
resolution, and granted Mr. Catchpool the use of the 
Town Hall, as heretofore. 
APPLES PROM CUTTINGS. 
What seems to be a very absurd suggestion has been 
made again—for it has been made scores of times in 
the past—namely, that we should propagate Apple 
trees by means of cuttings. Now, it is obvious that 
could such a method have been found practicable it 
would have been adopted long ago ; but because it has 
been tried over and over again, and has always failed, 
it has become clear that nothing is to be gained by an 
attempt to perform the impossible. It is true that 
some kinds of Apple trees—notably of the Codlin type, 
but especially trees which burr or produce knotty or 
gnarled protuberances on their stems—will, if cut off 
in the form of branches and sunk 9 ins. into the soil, 
in time produce roots. 
I have seen such trees, and never found one robust 
or a decent sample of cultivation ; indeed, it is but the 
more worthless kinds that are amenable to that method 
of propagation. Good rooted stocks, no matter whether 
budded or grafted in their proper seasons, will always 
produce in the end finer, handsomer and more pro¬ 
ductive trees than any form of cuttings will do. 
It has also been urged that we should propagate 
Roses far more largely by means of cuttings than we 
now do. That is very good advice—not very acceptable 
to the trade perhaps, hut easily carried into practice by 
gardeners. Still, there are many Roses which not 
only root indifferently as cuttings, but even when 
rooted will make but weakly plants. The hardier and 
more robust kinds will strike root freely enough if the 
cuttings be properly made from good sound wood, 
plant edat the proper season, and protected through 
Lastrea Filix-mas crist at a angustata. 
severe weather. All the same, Rose growers prefer 
budding or buying to troubling with cuttings. Some 
cf the sucker-producing Roses, like the old red Moss 
for instance, may be increased just as readily as 
Raspberries are, and in precisely the same way.— A. D. 
-- 
TWO HARDY LASTREAS. 
Of the common Male Fern there are several very 
beautiful varieties that never fail to please when well 
grown. One of these, which we illustrate, is Lastrea 
Filix-mas cristata angustata. When hardy Ferns were 
more popular amongst professional growers than they 
are at present, this beautiful variety was held in high 
estimation because it is a hardy and beautiful sort, 
either for outdoor culture or for cultivation in pots. 
Lastrea opaca. 
What can be more elegant than a healthy piece of this 
for a hardy Fernery among a collection of other choice 
subjects ? Its value, however, is greatly increased when 
grown under glass, either in a cool fernery proper, or 
in a conservatory where there is no heating apparatus. 
It is peculiarly adapted for the latter place when 
situated on the northern aspect of a dwelling-house, 
where flowering plants altogether fail, especially in 
winter. Under these conditions it becomes strictly 
evergreen, maintaining its fronds till new ones are 
produced. The fronds are linear lance-shaped in 
outline, crested on all the pinnse, and elegantly tasselled 
at the apex. It is a garden variety of a British Fern. 
The other species illustrated is an exotic, a native of 
Japan, and hardy under favourable circumstances in 
this country, but succeeds best when grown under glass 
in a cool house. It has thick, leathery, evergreen 
fronds, triangular in outline, and once or twice cut or 
divided. The stalks and midribs of the fronds are 
clothed with black, chaffy scales, and the numerous 
black sori on the under-side of the pinnse render the 
plant interesting. It may be grown in a pot or basket. 
In both cases they like plenty of water while making 
growth. 
PRUNING GOOSEBERRY 
BUSHES. 
In very many gardens the Gooseberry is very hastily 
and but indifferently pruned, perhaps owing to the 
great stress of work during the spring months, and 
also besides being one of our commonest fruits will 
bear fair crops under indifferent pruning, and yet no 
fruit will more amply repay a proper and careful 
attention in this respect. Of course, there are many 
bright exceptions ; in some places the Gooseberry 
occupies a high position in the estimation of the owner 
or grower, and receives all the attention it deserves, 
but I have seen bushes hacked and cut about most 
unmercifully, breaking off some of the branches with 
the feet when they were thick, and even clipping them 
over with a pair of shears. In some instances they 
have been scarcely pruned at all from one year to 
another, and consequently present quite a confused 
entangled mass of young and old wood, often with 
innumerable suckers springing up from the roots, with 
masses of bindweed, which under such circumstances it 
is difficult to eradicate. 
The fruit of the Gooseberry is produced on wood of 
the previous year's growth, and it is well to properly 
consider this in whatever method of pruning we adopt. 
Some prefer the spur system, cutting down the young 
wood to within three or four eyes at the bottom of the 
branches, but I do not think this the best way, because 
such a system would naturally produce a superabun¬ 
dance of young wood during the ensuing summer, 
which would not admit sufficient light and air, so 
necessary to highly-flavoured, good-coloured, and well- 
developed fruit, and also to properly ripen off the 
young wood which is required for future crops. The 
best way, in my opinion, and in which I have seen the 
most successful results, is to thin out the old and 
young wood every year to proper distances, having due 
regard to the proper symmetry of the bush, well cut¬ 
ting out the centre to admit plenty of air, and leaving 
as much young wood as possible in order to secure a 
good crop without cuttjng it back at all; but that 
which it is necessary to take out, cut back as close as 
possible to the old wood, in order to prevent an over¬ 
quantity of young growth starting, which would have 
the effect of thickening the bush too much. But 
should this take place, a portion of it may. with 
advantage, be rubbed out by hand when an inch or 
two long. Under this system we should secure 
abundant crops, with plenty of vigorous young wood 
year by year for after-produce. 
In order to properly carry out this system, and to train 
them in the way they should go, it is necessary to 
start with young bushes, with clean stems 4 ins. or 
5 ins. long, and to prune rather severely the first year or 
two, and on no account to allow suckers to grow. I 
do not think it necessary to say anything about 
pyramids or standards, and other fantastical methods 
of training, which are more for fancy than profit. 
When it is necessary to train late kinds of Gooseberries 
on north walls for late use, the same method of 
pruning as is adopted for Peaches and Nectarines 
should be practised, that is, nailing in the young wood 
as much as possible in all parts of the bush at proper 
distances, but not to attempt too much disbudding, as 
they will not bear it. The early part of the month of 
March is universally considered to be the best time 
for pruning Gooseberry bushes, because sparrows and 
bullfinches are rather fond of the buds. In order to 
prevent this, they should be well watched during the 
winter and spring months, and the bushes syringed 
at times with lime and water, containing something 
bitter or distasteful in it, such as naphtha, paraffin, 
camomile, or Feverfew plants, &c., steeped in hot 
water, and afterwards mixed with the lime, which will 
effectually prevent these attacks .—Alfred Gaut. 
-—- 
PELARGONIUM, BRILLIANT. 
When reading the list of successful candidates for the 
pension of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, 
though regretting the necessity for her application, I 
was pleased to see that Mrs. Helen Lessels had been 
returned, for it was to the late Mr. Lessels, when 
gardener at Formack Hall, Burton-on-Trent, that we 
owe the origination of the old Brilliant Pelargonium. 
It is now an old variety, and not much grown, having 
been superseded in the march of improvement that has 
been going on in variegated Pelargoniums. The origin 
of Brilliant took place before my time, but I have 
heard that there was some controversy in the horti¬ 
cultural press, owing to Brilliant getting into other 
hands, Mr. Lessels asserting that it was purloined by 
some young men who came to look round the place ; 
