September 14, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
27 
Transcendant Crab. —Fruiting and heavily-laden 
branches of this beautiful Crab Apple were exhibited 
by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. The fruits 
are larger than a pigeon’s egg and yellow with a 
bright red cheek more or less streaked with a darker 
hue. As an ornamental tree the value of this Crab is 
great, but it may also be utilised for culinary purposes 
to great advantage. 
The subjects recorded below received First-class 
Certificates at the Royal Aquarium on the 3rd 
inst.:— 
Dahlia Douglas, Fabio, and Nerissa. —For 
description see above. All three were shown by 
Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 
Dahlia Ganymede. —In this we have an exceed¬ 
ingly neat and beautiful pompon of small size, and 
pink, shaded with yellow, at the base of the florets. 
Mr. C. Turner. 
' Dahlia Endymion. —The flowers of this Cactus 
variety are of medium size, bright scarlet, with long 
and narrow pointed florets, and very choice. Mr. C. 
Turner. 
Dahlia Mr. A. Beck. —Here again we have a 
true Cactus Dahlia, in this case of large size, with 
orange-scarlet, long pointed florets, and very hand¬ 
some. Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, 
Tottenham. 
Dahlia Mrs. Wilson Noble. —Here we have a 
beautiful and very distinct colour even for a Cactus 
Dahlia, being of a rich orange-salmon. The blooms 
are of large size and the florets of the true Cactus 
type. Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, Sussex. 
Dahlia Valkyrie. —The florets of this Cactus 
variety are long, narrowly pointed, and brilliant 
scarlet, making a bloom of fine form, though only of 
medium size. Mr. J. T. West, The Gardens, Corn- 
walls, Brentwood, Essex. 
Dahlia Fusilier.- —The large blooms of this 
Cactus Dahlia are orange-salmon, with long pointed 
florets, narrower and darker than those of Mrs. 
Wilson Noble. Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co., 
Salisbury. 
Gladiolus Blushing Morn. —The large blooms 
of this Gladiolus are blush, coloured with a crimson 
zone at the base of the tube. Messrs. J. Burrell & 
Co., Cambridge. 
Gladiolus Sunray. —The flowers in this instance 
are large and pale salmon-pink, with a dark blotch 
on the lower segment. Seventeen blooms were freely 
expanded on the noble spike shown by Messrs. J. 
Burrell & Co. 
Gladiolus Tessa. —The flowers of this beautiful 
sort are of a salmon hue, flaked with darker markings 
towards the margin. Messrs. J. Burrell & Co. 
—- ■ * !» - 
HARDY FRUIT DARIEN. 
The all-absorbing task now will be the gathering of 
Apples and Pears as fast as they fall ripe—this year 
a pretty heavy task throughout the country generally. 
Care must be taken in all cases that the fruit is fit 
for gathering before being operated on, otherwise it 
will be useless to expect it to acquire its full flavour 
and delicacy. The following are very sure tests as 
to whether Apples are fit to be gathered or no:— 
First, the fruit will begin to fall naturally from the 
trees; secondly, the pips, if one of the fruits are cut 
open, will be found to be plump and brown; and 
third, a very little pressure only is required to detach 
them from the tree. Pears which it is suspected are 
in fit condition for gathering should be lifted in the 
palm of the hand with the fingers clasping the fruit 
near to the point of attachment. Then a gentle 
upward pressure may be given, and if the footstalk 
parts readily then it may be taken for granted that 
the fruit is ready to pick. As bruised and damaged 
fruit will only keep for a very short time it is evident 
that no rough measures must be used, otherwise the 
value of the crop will be considerably discounted. 
A good layer of hay or straw should be placed in the 
bottoms of the baskets, which should not be filled 
too full, otherwise the fruit will be bruised by its 
own weight. Any necessary transference of fruit 
from one basket to another, or from the baskets to 
the storehouse must always be effected by hand— 
there must be no pouring from one basket to 
another, 
Storerooms. —So plenteous is the fruit crop this 
year that, where there are large orchards to gather 
from, it may be a matter of difficulty to find storage 
room. Any underground cellars or arches that are 
handy to the fruit grounds may be called into 
requisition ; for these places make admirable store 
houses provided they are sweet and clean. In the 
storeroom proper a thorough turning out will have 
been given in readiness. Where possible a coat of 
limewash upon the walls will be of considerable 
service. It is necessary also from obvious reasons 
to see to it that all bolts and locks are in thorough 
working order.— A. S. G, 
FRUIT UNDER GLASS. 
Peaches. —Continue to ply the syringe vigorously 
upon these to keep down the ravages of red spider. 
Air well, and freely attend to the supplying of suf¬ 
ficient water to the borders as occasion requires. In 
the earliest house a small twigged broom may be 
passed lightly over the trees from the base upwards. 
This will remove a great number of the riper leaves 
without injury to the tree. Be careful, however, to 
use nothing like violence, or harm will result in the 
leaves being thus rudely forced off before they are 
ready. Where plants in pots carrying fruit have 
been stood out-of-doors in a comparatively shaded 
corner, in order to keep them back, they may now be 
given a position under glass where ihey will get the 
full benefit of the rays of the sun, and will thus come 
in after the fruit on the outside walls are finished. 
Vines. —The bright weather we have been blessed 
with during the last week has proved of immense 
service in assisting late crops of Grapes to colour, 
and if proper attention is paid to airing and watering, 
there is no reason why the crops should not finish 
off exceptionally well. It is not advisable to pinch 
the laterals of these late vines too closely provided, 
of course, that the foliage is not crowded. Every 
advantage should be taken of wet days to cut out 
any bad berries that may be seen, more especially 
upon those perfectly ripe bunches which are only 
hanging upon the canes until wanted. 
Melons. —Full advantage must now be taken of 
the sun’s rays if well-flavoured fruit is expected from 
the late plants. Air may be admitted in the forenoon 
but must be taken off very early in the afternoon. 
Meanwhile, continue the daily syringings during 
bright weather, and give a little more fire-heat than 
before, so as to keep the temperature well above 70® 
Fahr. For Melons in frames which are backward, 
a renewal of the fermenting material around them, if 
this has grown cold, will greatly assist them in 
finishing. 
Strawberries in Pots. —These must be gone 
over every now and again and any runners that they 
may have made removed before they get too long. A 
sharp look-out must be kept upon them for water, 
and on no account must they be allowed to suffer for 
lack. A good syringing overhead after the sun has 
gone off them will also be of much benefit to the 
foliage.— A. S. G. 
- » «-■ - 
TIE FLOWER DARDEN. 
The Herbaceous Border will now be needing an 
increased share of attention if its tidy appearance is 
to be maintained. Many of the annuals which com¬ 
menced to bloom early in the season will now have 
gone so far out of flower as to have become shabby, 
and should, therefore, be pulled out root and branch, 
together with the stakes that have supported them. 
Seeds of any choice kinds that it is desired to save may 
be gathered and placed in a dry room to ripen. See to it 
that all the larger growing plants are secured properly, 
for September usually brings, towards its close, gales 
of wind and storms of rain that severely try the 
supports and fastenings of heavily growing plants. 
Pay as much attention as time will permit to the 
keeping of the land free from weeds. The surface 
should be occasionally broken up by means of the 
Dutch hoe. 
Sweet Peas.— With the exception of the latest 
rows these will be getting out of flower. Attention 
should now be paid to the gathering of the seed, if 
sufficiently good varieties are grown to warrant this. 
The best and fullest pods should be selected, laid in 
shallow boxes or trays, and placed in warm, dry 
positions to ripen, after which they may be labelled 
and packed away in the usual manner. It will be 
rather early to pull the haulms up yet, for some of 
the rows, checked in their flowering early in the 
season, through the dry weather, are now, after the 
rain, throwing up a few flowers, and although these, 
as a matter of course, are not nearly so fine as those 
produced earlier, they will yet come in very handy 
where there is a great demand for cut flowers. 
Flower Beds. —As the work of propagation is 
now going on apace the beds from which the cuttings 
have been taken will need a little care bestowed upon 
them in order to put things straight again. All the 
yellow leaves that have been brought to light must 
be removed, together with all old blooms, the inter¬ 
vening spaces being afterwards Dutch hoed so as to 
obliterate all footmarks. Treated thus, these beds 
will look gay and bright for a good while yet, always 
supposing the frost does not step in and make an 
end of it. 
Alternantheras, Iresines, Mesembryanthemums, 
Lobelias, etc., will be found to strike most readily in 
a frame placed on a hot bed, and any time, spent in 
making such an erection, will be well repaid by 
results. The cuttings should be kept pretty close and 
shaded from the sun. It is necessary, however, to 
allow the rank gases generated by the decomposi¬ 
tion of the materials composing the hot bed to escape. 
A thin label should therefore be inserted under the 
lights so as to allow a little chink of air which must 
be left on day and night. In this atmosphere it will 
be found that they will not dry up much, and after 
the initial watering in, but little further water 
will be required, particularly in the case of Lobelias. 
———§•—-- 
THE DRUM HOUSES. 
The Lookout.— We are getting such splendid 
weather every day that one can hardly realise that 
within a very short time we shall have to use the 
heating apparatus both night and day, but that such 
will be the case is only too true, and it will be as 
well to remind those that have not already taken the 
precaution to have the boilers and hot-water pipes 
tested, to have them seen to at once. We have 
this last week had all ours tested, the boilers emptied 
and filled with clean water, so that everything should 
be in readiness. A little forethought now oftentimes 
obviates a breakdown in the depth of winter. 
Shading. —I often think this month, like March, 
is a tricky one for shading. One does not like to let 
them be down too late in the afternoon, yet to roll 
them up too early might be the cause of damage 
being done to some of the young growths that have 
not become fully matured. The position of the 
house will, of course, have a lot to do with it, houses 
running north and south requiring different working 
from those running from east to west. 
Working the Houses.— There is much more in 
these simple words than many think, for it is on the 
working of the houses, as regards heat, moisture, air, 
and shade, that the well being of the plants depends 
— more so, I think, than the particular kind of pot, 
basket, or even compost that is used—and the man 
that looks about him will be most likely to find out 
the why and the wherefore, and act accordingly. No 
two houses are alike in their working, so that it is 
difficult to advise without seeing them. 
Oncidium zebrinum. —Not attractive enough for 
me, was the remark of a grower to me<the other day 
when looking round, yet there is something about it 
that appeals to you on closer observation ; besides, it 
makes up well as buttonhole bouquets and for 
sprays. It is a scrambling grower, and delights in 
the compost being in a very rough state ; the lumps 
of peat when used should be rather large and of the 
best; mix with this live moss and rather large pieces 
of crocks. Pans of medium depth we find best for 
them, as being lanky growers the pans reduce their 
height somewhat. Like the beautiful O. macran- 
thum, cool treatment suits this species best, but it 
must not be allowed to go down lower than 45 0 or 
the plants will suffer. 
Cattleya pumila with its varieties, now in 
bloom, is one of those pretty little Orchids which 
take up but a very small space, and yet what a 
wealth of bloom you get from quite small plants. 
True they rarely produce more than one bloom to a 
growth, yet in a 6-in. basket as many as eight or ten 
flowers may be had. Peat and moss, not crammed 
in too tight, grows them well.— C. 
