596 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 21, 189-2. 
FLiO^ICULiTU^E. 
The Royal National Tulip Show. 
The annual exhibition of the above is announced to 
take place at Manchester on June 8th, and that date, 
late as it may appear to us in the South, is, I should 
think, quite early enough for the northern growers. 
The place of the show is not yet announced, but 
that will appear in the schedule of prizes in course 
of preparation. An appeal is made by Mr. James 
W. Bentley, the hon. secretary, Stakehill, Castleton, 
Manchester, for subscribers, in order that the prize 
schedule may not suffer for lack of means. The 
committee of the show have to deplore so many 
losses of cultivators by death, and there is urgent 
need for some young growers to step in and take 
their places. It would be a great pity if a flower 
possessing such a fascinating vegetable physiology 
and of so much historic interest as the Tulip, 
should die out for lack of cultivators. It has 
almost ceased to be grown in the South ; a few can 
be found in the neighbourhood of Oxford. Warwick¬ 
shire furnishes a small quota of growers ; the main 
of the flowers are, however, cultivated in Cheshire, 
Derbyshire, and Lancashire. Time was when an 
exhibition of Tulips was held in London. Will a 
revival of the flower ever come in the South ? To 
lose the florists’ Tulip would be a decided loss to 
Floriculture.— R. D. 
_ _ 
♦ 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
“Cut-back v. Non-cut-back." 
At a recent meeting of the Dundee Horticultural 
Association the subject of cut-back and not cut¬ 
back Chrysanthemums formed the subject of two 
separate papers. Mr. John Machar, Corona Gardens, 
West Ferry, in opening the first-mentioned part of 
the subject, as it related to the production of large 
blooms, as well as for decoration, said that to produce 
and bring about an effective display of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums in the conservatory with a minimum amount 
of trouble it was absolutely necessary' to adopt the 
cut-back system. By its means they were enabled 
to produce plants of a convenient height. ITe then 
proceeded to give the more practical details of 
culture, recommending the cuttings of all the 
Japanese varieties should be rooted from the middle 
of December to the middle of January, and that 
about the first week in February the main batch of 
incurved varieties should be put in. General 
directions were given as to the soil most suitable 
for potting, along with the general treatment received 
by the young plants. Plenty' of air \Yas necessary, 
so as to encourage sturdy growth and firm foliage. 
This he considered the secret of success. Sprinkling 
the plants overhead with water, especially at night, 
was, he considered, detrimental to all good growth. 
Plants before being cut back must be established 
in yin. pots, and from 12 in. to 24 in. high, with 
a fine sturdy growth and firm leaves down to 
the soil. The stem might be cut down to within 
4 in. or 6 in. of the pot, provided sufficient foliage 
were left for the plant to perform its functions. He 
recommended to begin cutting down the late varieties 
about the middle of April, and continue the operation, 
according to varieties, up to the last week in May. 
None should be cut down later than the first week in 
June. 
Mr. Wm. Kennedy, Ardarroch Gardens, Dundee, 
followed with his paper on the non-cut-back system. 
He said the aim of those who favoured the cutting 
back of Chrysanthemums was principally to reduce 
their.rather objectionable growth, and he pointed 
out the evils arising from this system of culture. He 
preferred rather to delay rooting the cuttings until 
April and May. It was suggested by way of reducing 
the height of the Chrysanthemum to raise them from 
seed yearly, selecting only the most dwarfed of the 
crop. This repeated for a few years would, he 
thought, give us the height of plants required without 
having to transgress the laws of growth, which the 
cutting-back system demanded. A very interesting 
and instructive discussion followed on the various 
points brought forward by the readers, who at the 
close were heartily thanked for their papers. 
Chrysanthemums for Exhibition. 
Will some good Chrysanthemum grower kindly 
tell me when the under-mentioned Chrysanthemums 
should make their first or June break, so as to bring 
the crown bud of each variety out at the proper 
time:—Japonais, Madame Baco, Grandiflorum, Mrs. 
Wheeler, J. Delaux, Mrs. J. Laing, Baron dePrailly, 
Comte de Germiny, Mrs. F. Jameson.— IF. 5 
With the exception of Mrs. Falconer Jameson all 
the above are what would be termed ordinarily 
managed varieties, needing nothing special to pro¬ 
duce exhibition blooms at the usual time—from the 
first to the middle of November. If the cuttings 
were inserted any time during December, the plants 
grown strongly on since then, restricted to one stem, 
some of them will be showing their first bud, others 
will quickly follow. Where a difficulty is experienced 
in obtaining the first natural break of the plant at 
the correct time it is generally owing to some mis¬ 
management in the cultivation of the plants, the 
cuttings inserted two months after the best time, or 
the plants have been huddled together in a too warm 
house which induces an unnatural growth; small 
wonder then if we hear complaints that the buds do 
not show at the correct moment to ensure good 
blooms. The best method of obtaining the finest 
blooms of Mrs. F. Jameson is to place two plants 
in one 9 in. pot or three in a 10 in. one, restrict the 
growth to one stem each and thus seucre one bloom 
only on each plant. The finest blooms of this 
variety are obtained by “ taking ’’ that bud which 
forms at the first break, this variety is later than the 
majority in showing the first bud. Although this 
may appear to be much too early to “ take ” flower 
buds it is not so, this variety requires a very long 
time to develop from that stage.— E. Molyneux. 
--j-- 
A HEAVY SET OF 
PEACHES. 
Much anxiety was felt for the fruit crops during the 
trying month of April, and even in the first half of 
May. Even yet it may be somew'hat difficult to 
guage the extent of the Apple crop, for late as was 
the blossom in expanding it did not escape the 
relatively severe frosts in the first week of this month 
which killed the pistil in all the open flowers, causing 
it to become black to the very base of the ovary. 
The effects were very] deceptive, because, although 
all the centre of the flowers was dead, the petals ex¬ 
panded as if nothing had happened, and the stamens 
were in many cases only partially injured. All these 
flowers must, however, eventually drop whether the 
others do so or not, and then will the extent of the 
disaster be more fully seen. 
Peaches on the open wall were in full bloom at a 
much earlier period, and, although frosty nights pre¬ 
vailed, both the atmosphere and the trees were in a 
very dry condition, so that, with a little protection, a 
considerable amount of frost could be warded off. 
Wherever we have examined the Peach walls since 
then we have noted a good set of fruit, but nowhere 
yet have we noted such a crop of young fruits as that 
to be seen in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at Chiswick. The trees were protected by 
means of light shading material hung from the top of 
the walls on what threatened to be frosty nights. 
The trees now show no evidence of a severe spring, 
but, on the contrary, would suggest that there had 
been a fine autumn succeeded by a propitious and 
favourable spring. In some establishments the 
effect of the sunless and rainy autumn is more evi¬ 
dent upon the trees under glass than those on the 
open wall, the wood being green and badly ripened. 
There are two Peach walls at Chiswick, both, as a 
matter of course, having a southern aspect. Part of 
the older planted wall is covered with obliquely 
trained trees, having single stems and short ascending 
branches on each side. These were originally 
planted thus closely together because trees were 
numerous, and to cover the wall quickly. The rest 
on this wall are planted relatively closely together, 
compared with the old system of planting fan-shaped 
trees at long distances, and waiting for years to 
have the wall covered. The branches are trained 
in the usual ascending fashion, but the trees can 
hardly be termed fan-shaped, as they are too near at 
the base to allow of the plan in its strict form to be 
followed. 
A large number of varieties are planted on this 
wall, there being few duplicates, so that should they 
mature only a tithe of the fruit set upon them (and 
there is a reasonable prospect that they will), a good 
opportunity will be afforded of comparing the rela¬ 
tive merits of the different varieties. It will in fact 
constitute a trial of Peaches and Nectarines. As far 
as an unusually heavy set is concerned the following 
may be placed in the front rank, namely, Dr. Hogg, 
Early Louise, Prince of Wales, Late Admirable, 
Acton Scott, and Early Rivers on the obliquely 
trained single-stemmed trees ; while amongst trees 
trained in the usual style are Frogmore Golden, Late 
Admirable, Stirling Castle, French Mignonne, Yio- 
lette Hative, Stump the World, Goshawk, and Early 
Beatrice. If any might be mentioned specially for 
their crops they are, Goshawk, Dymond, and Dr 
Hogg, but a second tree of the first named is not so 
well set. 
A number might be placed in a second rank, els 
they are not so heavily set as those above men¬ 
tioned ; they, nevertheless, bear far too many fruits 
for the trees to bring to perfection, so that even here 
a considerable amount of thinning will have to be 
done later on even after making some allowance for 
dropping. In the second rank there may be placed 
Vanguard, Gregory's Late, Early Alfred, Bellegarde, 
Waterloo, Malta, New Dark Newington, and dupli¬ 
cate trees of Early Beatrice and Goshawk. Still 
lighter but fairly respectable crops are borne by Sal- 
way, Red Magdalen, Radcliffe, Crawford’s Early, 
Alexander, Exquisite, and Teton de Venus. 
On the same old wall, but chiefly towards one end 
of it, is a collection of Nectarines, although not 
nearly so extensive as in the case of Peaches. All 
have a single main stem obliquely trained, and a 
heavy crop is being developed by Elruge, Scarlet, 
Victoria, and Cricket. A more moderate but still 
too heavy crop is carried by Violet Hative, Hard- 
wicke Elruge, and Red Roman. To the third place 
may be relegated Grosse Violet Hative, White, and 
Due de Telkers. 
Another wall was planted about three years ago, 
and if anything the crop is heavier and perhaps 
more nearly uniform than in the other case, where 
many of the trees are older. The trees were planted 
about 8 ft. apart all along the wall, and the branches 
on each side of an upright stem are trained in an 
ascending direction. There is not sufficient room to 
train them in the true fan-shaped style ; but as the 
object w’as to have the walls covered as soon as 
possible the object has certainly been attained, for 
there is hardly a vacant space, and not sufficient 
room to train a Rose or a Tomato trained to a single 
stem. 
The trees can hardly be expected to live so long as 
those that are allowed greater space for extension, 
but the wall is profitably occupied, and a few crops 
in their lifetime like that now on the trees would pay 
those who should undertake to grow them as a 
commercial speculation. Granted a favourable 
season to ripen the crops, the producer could afford 
to sell them at a low rate and still leave a considerable 
margin for profit. The question of close planting in 
the case of Peaches might therefore occupy the 
attention of those who have wall space at command ; 
for, seeing that healthy young trees can be obtained 
cheaply enough, good walls should not be encumbered 
and wasted with unhealthy old specimens that bring 
no return, especially seeing that a profitable return 
qan be obtained and the walls covered two or three 
years after planting. 
-*5-- 
PHALENOPSIS SCHILLERIANA. 
On the opposite page we give an illustration of a 
fine plant of P. Schilleriana (prepared from a photo¬ 
graph), which was grown in the collection of 
G. Singer, Esq., Coundon Court, near Coventry. 
The plant was grown in a basket, the latter being 
merely stood in a pot for temporary purposes. It 
carried eight leaves of fine dimensions, the longest 
one being iSJ in by 4J in. wfde. There were two 
branching flower stems about 32 in. high, carrying 
in the aggregate 84 flowers. Those who know the 
plant (and there are few Orchid growers who do 
not) can well understand the fine effect such a 
specimen would have either on the table of a 
dwelling house or in the Orchid house amongst 
others enjoying the same temperature. After I’. 
Schilleriana and other species of this type get to 
large dimensions, the mistake is sometimes made of 
putting them, baskets and all, into others of larger 
size, and then heavily mossing them over with 
sphagnum, completely covering the roots clinging to 
to the sides of the first basket. The effect, instead 
of being beneficial and encouraging further growth, 
has a disastrous effect, for the plants after that date 
