566 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 7, 189-2. 
Mr. Palmer, the foreman, has a keen and intelligent 
interest in this profitable and highly commendable 
walk of advanced horticulture. Mr. Dunn in his 
wonted genial and courteous manner spared no 
pains to make our visit one of the most interestingly 
intellectual and pleasant we have enjoyed for many 
a day.— X. TV. 
--*•- 
A PROFITABLE CHERRY 
HOUSE. 
Cherries, like several other stone fruits, are re¬ 
latively short-lived, particularly in some soils, so 
that when trees are grown as standards of large size, 
they very often require a long time to come into full 
bearing, and then perhaps when only about fifteen 
years old they suddenly die off when in full vigour 
and bearing, apparently without any cause. 
Standards moreover are very difficult to protect from 
birds in much wooded districts and where only a few 
trees are grown. Under g’ass, however, there is no 
difficulty in protecting them from such enemies, 
while the blossom is equally free from being 
destroyed by frost, no matter what is the nature of 
the spring. The trees, furthermore, can be 
restricted in size, and confined to a few rods or cor¬ 
dons, say from one to five. The more vigorous 
kinds, such as Pigarreau Napoleon and Black Tar¬ 
tarian, may be trained to five cordons, which means 
allowing them to attain something of their natural 
vigour. If confined to a single rod of moderate 
length the restriction w-ould cause a production of 
gross wood which would be prejudicial to their 
fruitfulness. 
At Gunnersbury Park, under the skilful care of Mr. 
Reynolds, a low half-span-roofed house is solely devo¬ 
ted to Cherries which never seem to fail in producing a 
good supply of fruit every year. Should any particu¬ 
lar tree give indication of failing vigour, its place is 
supplied by another tree in full bearing from the 
open, so that the house is always kept well stocked. 
The fruits are now advancing rapidly, the more for¬ 
ward of them being about the size of large peas, 
while the Late Duke is scarcely out of flower. In 
virture of the number of kinds, a succession can be 
kept up by the use of those kinds -which flower aad 
ripen at different periods. Whether for indoor or 
outdoor culture, Bigarreau Napoleon is one of the 
best and most profitable of the Bigarreau type. The 
pale yellow skin is heavily suffused with deep red on 
the sunny side. Another Cherry of great esteem 
amongst cultivators is Black Tartarian, of w-hich 
there are three or more trees in the house, each 
trained to five rods and now heavily laden with fruit 
about the size of large peas. Tlje skin is of a 
shining black when mature, the flesh purplish, juicy, 
and richly flavoured. Another tree of five rods and 
in profuse bearing is Frogmore Early, a Bigarreau 
ripening as early as May Duke. 
The trees of Early Rivers are trained with three 
to five rods, and do well under glass. They bear 
abundantly, and the fruits when ripe are of a deep 
shining black. The variety is a seedling from the 
Early Purple Gean. The latter is also grown here, 
and bears a heavy crop. The fruit ripens about 
fourteen days before that of the May Duke, and is 
superior to it in flavour. The Early Jaboulay, also 
known as Bigarreau Jaboulay and various other 
names, is grown here as a single cordon. It is a 
Gean and not a Bigarreau, notwithstanding the name 
being often applied to it. The skin is amber, dotted 
or blotched with red, and the flesh is very pale, 
juicy, and richly flavoured. The Bigarreau Noir de 
Schmidt has a large and shining black fruit with a 
firm dark red flesh of good quality. It is grown as a 
single cordon, as is Mammoth which bears a clear 
yellow fruit, marbled with red and measuring more 
than an inch in diameter. 
A tree of Tradescant’s Heart, known here as 
St. Margaret’s, was lifted from the open ground in 
the autumn and brought in to supply the place of 
another ; but, notwithstanding this, it is now carry¬ 
ing a heavy set of fruit. The latter is dark red at 
first, but gradually changes to a blackish-purple with 
a flesh of the same hue, and of a sweet but slightly 
acid flavour. The tree is trained to five rods. The 
Florence Cherry is a tree of moderate growth, and is 
grown here as a single cordon which is well set with 
fruit. The skin is pale yellow, mottled with red, 
but more particularly on the exposed side. The 
moderately firm flesh bears some resemblance to 
that of a Bigarreau, but is more tender and juicy. 
It bears abundantly even in the open air after having 
got established. The variety was originally intro¬ 
duced from Florence about the end of last century. 
Emperor Francis is also grown as a single rod, and 
is now bearing a good crop of fruit. 
-- 5 *- 
BRITISH FRUIT 
GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The two conferences held last week at Newcastle- 
on-Tyne, under the auspices of this Association and 
in connection with Newcastle Spring Flower Show, 
were not so well attended as could have been wished. 
As the Chairman remarked, the interest in some 
matters is too often in inverse proportion to their 
importance. In a paper on " Apples for Market,” 
Mr. A. H. Pearson, of Chilwell, recommended the 
thinning of fruit trees, because, though there was 
less fruit to gather, there was better money for it, 
and the trees instead of being exhausted, were ready 
to carry an equally good crop in the ensuing season. 
The trees, he said, should be planted in pyramid 
form, and worked on a Paradise stock. He con¬ 
sidered that the cultivation of fruit in allotments, 
instead of interfering with the market grower, would 
make the business better. In the discussion which 
followed the reading of this paper one grower said 
that though Apples to compare for size and colour 
with those of the South could not be grown in the 
North of England yet good serviceable fruit could 
be cultivated. Another thought that in the valley of 
Ain was some cf the best land in England for fruit 
growing, while Durham on account of its cold 
clayey soil was a poor country. 
In his paper on "Culture of Bush Fruit,” Mr. 
Wm. Goaring, lecturer to the Hants County Council, 
advised cultivators to unite in planting the same 
kinds in quantities in order to gain a good reputation 
for the neighbourhood. Bushes should be kept thin 
and fruit should be plucked in the green stale for 
the first two or three years. A grower advised, as 
the result of experience in theNorth of England, the 
cultivation of Raspberries and Strawberries instead 
of Red and Black Currants. 
Mr. George Gordon, read a paper on ” Fruit Culture 
on Small Holdings.” He declared that fruit culture 
intelligently carried out would yield a good return 
for the capital and labour invested ; that in districts 
favourable to hardy fruits the returns would be in 
excess of those obtainable from the ordinary farm 
crops, and that this culture would be especially 
suitable for small holdings. He added that mixed 
planting of small and large fruits would prove the 
most profitable, and the most suitable fruits for the 
Newcastle district were Apples, Plums, Currants, 
Raspberries, and Gooseberries. 
An interesting statement was made by a grower to 
the effect that sparrows when living on the ground 
and feeding on green stuff all the year round did not 
spoil fruit ; they would not touch it except in severe 
weather, but he admitted it was different with town 
sparrows. The hedge sparrow was given a better 
certificate of character than his town cousin received. 
—North Eastern Gazette. 
, ♦ t 
jMEW § RARE PR?jpg. 
The subjects here enumerated were exhibited at the 
second spring exhibition of the Royal Botanic 
Society, Regent’s Park, on the 27th ult., and received 
certificates as indicated below. 
Aglaonema costatum. — The leaves of this Aroid 
are ovate-cordate or strictly heart-shaped, with 
short stalks and are of a rich dark green with a 
broad silvery midrib and numerous blotches all over 
of a similar hue. It is a native of the Malayan 
Archipelago, and is apparently quite dwarf 
compared with any already in cultivation, or maybe 
kept so by occasionally taking cuttings and rooting 
them afresh. The foliage is highly ornamental, and 
the plant would be suitable for small stoves. 
Tillandsia Moensii.- — The habit of this plant is 
precisely that of T. tessellata, and the chequered 
variegation also reminds one of it. The curious 
changes that take place in the leaves at different 
stages would however in themselves constitute a 
marked distinction. The youngest in the centre of 
the crown of foliage are greenish-yellow with closely 
arranged deep green veins arranged in longitudinal 
stripes ; older ones have transverse, irregular and 
wavy, deep olive green bands in addition to the 
others ; finally these transverse bands become so 
widened as almost to cover the upper surface of the 
outer and older leaves. 
Tillandsia Massangeana superba. —This plant 
may likewise be compared to T. zebrina on the 
lower surface, and to T. hieroglyphica on the upper 
surface. The leaves are ligulate, cuspidate, and of a 
light greenish yellow, heavily banded beneath with 
dark brownish purple, and on the upper surface with 
a somewhat lighter hue. The bands on the upper 
surface are exceedingly variable both in the distri¬ 
bution and direction of the bands and lines. 
Grevillea robusta elegantissima. —For 
description of this plant see p. 546. All of the 
above four were awarded Botanical Certificates. 
Streptocarpus Sidonie. —The leaves of this as 
well as the four undermentioned varieties are 
narrowly oblong or strap-shaped, somewh t undu¬ 
lated and crenate. The flowers are generally borne 
in pairs upon the scape, and are of a light blue with 
seven intensely purple lines in the throat. 
Streptocarpus Nestor. —In this case the scapes 
bear from two to six flowers each, and the latter 
are of a deep purple on the inner face, with a large, 
blackish-crimson blotch in the throat; the tube is of 
a paler purple externally. 
Streptocarpus Linda. —The flowers of this 
beautiful variety are pure white with three intense 
blackish purple bands running from the base of the 
segments down into the throat. Two, four or six of 
these are borne on a peduncle. 
Streptocarpus Gaiety. —Here again we have a 
similar number of blooms on a peduncle as in the 
last named, and they are white with seven violet 
lines on the base of the three lower segments, and 
running down into the throat. 
Amaryllis Crimson King. — For description of 
this fine variety see p. 546. All of the five above 
named received Floricultural Certificates ; and the 
whole of the nine subjects were exhibited by Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Begonia Princess May. —This as well as the 
four succeeding are varieties of tuberous Begonias. 
The flowers in this case are large, fully double and 
pure white. The sepals are broad and arranged 
round one principal centre. The leaves are of 
moderate breadth, half cordate, deep olive green, 
and slightly lobed. The variety is certainly a gem 
amongst the white kinds. 
Begonia Mrs. Coomber. —The leave of this 
variety are large, half cordate, and lobed. The 
flowers are double, and creamy in the centre when 
just opening with a rosy edge, but when fully ex¬ 
panded all the outer sepals at least change to a 
delicate flesh colour, still retaining the rosy margin 
which gives the variety a Picotee-edged appearance. 
This is most conspicuous on the outer and true 
sepals, which have abroad red margin. 
Begonia Mrs. Regnart. —The leaves are broad, 
obliquely heart-shaped, toothed, and of a deep green 
hue. The flowers are large, double, and bright 
yellow, with broad, wavy sepals arranged round one 
principal centre. The plant is dwarf, being about 
15 in. high. 
Begonia Baroness Burdett Coutts. —The 
leaves of this are somewhat similar to those of the 
last, being large and of a rich dark green. The large 
double flowers are of a beautiful salmon-rose, and 
resemble those of a double Hollyhock owing to the 
much undulated or wavy character of the sepals. 
The plant is also of dwarf habit. 
Begonia Princess Christian. —The foliage 
again is ample and of the same type as the last. 
The large, fully double and creamy-white flowers are 
faintly edged with blush. The broad, rounded sepals 
are arranged round one centre and are wavy, although 
not so decidedly so as in the case of Baroness Bur¬ 
dett Coutts. 
Clivia Lady Wolverton.-— The flowers of this 
fine variety are relatively short, and widely funnel- 
shaped or almost campanulate with revolute seg¬ 
ments. The latter are very broad, overlapping, of 
great substance and of a deep orange except at the 
very base of the throat, which is pale yellow and 
white. 
Streptocarpus The Pearl.— The flowers of this 
variety are white with a pale violet line extending 
from the base of the middle segment of the lower lip, 
down into the throat, with three short ones of the 
same hue on each side of it. Each scape bears from 
two to four flowers. The above five Begonias, the 
Clivia and the Streptocarpus were awarded Flori¬ 
cultural Certificates. 
