42 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 21, 1889. 
Varieties. 
I have not tried at the same time all the varieties 
advertised in seedsmen’s catalogues, though I think all 
of these have been sown in their turn, hut none have 
given me such satisfaction as a good strain of Parsons 
White and Miles’ Hybrid Spiral, both of which, I 
believe, originated in a Brighton nursery. Some 
varieties are naturally dwarf and unsuitable to grow for 
specimens. The commonest of all of them may be 
grown to the dimensions already stated, but the flower- 
spikes are weak and poor. I have been frequently 
asked if the Tree Mignonette is a distinct variety, but 
all the gardeners present know as well as I do that it is 
not, and that any tall free-growing kind may be grown 
into tree-shape. I have spent much time over this 
method of culture to please others, hut I was never 
partial to it, and rather regarded it as barbarous treat¬ 
ment of the plant, and yielding no compensatory 
returns for the time and labour expended on it. 
Tree Mignonette. 
However, in case anyone may wish to grow the plant 
in this style a few cultural hints are offered. In order 
to secure a good plant place three or four seeds in the 
centre of a 3-in. pot in the month of March, and place 
them on the greenhouse shelf close to the glass. As 
soon as the plants are well up and it can be seen which 
is likely to be the best, pull the weakest out, leaving 
only one. As the pots become filled with roots move 
into larger ones, but it is not wise to give them any 
more pot room after August, as they make but few roots 
during the winter, and the fresh soil introduced round 
the roots is liable to become sour before they can enter 
it. 
Tie the plants to stakes when 3 ins. or 4 ins. high, 
and as side shoots are formed pinch them to one joint, 
and continue this process until the plant is the desired 
height for the stem. To my mind 18 ins. should be 
the maximum ; others might be 15 ins. and 12 ins. for 
convenience of arranging amongst other plants. Once 
the plant is left to branch out, the head begins to be 
formed, and then is the time to fix the trellis which is 
to support the shoots. All the flowers must be pinched 
out until October, as they only exhaust the energies of 
the plant, and they are not appreciated so long as there 
are any in the open air. The spurs resulting from 
pinching the side shoots may be cut off close to the 
stem, when the plant is fully formed, but up to then, 
they, as well as any shoots they may have thrown out, 
are absolutely necessary to form the substance of the 
stem by encouraging the circulation of sap. 
-- 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS AS 
BEDDED OUT PLANTS. 
The cold and wet season of 1888, and the almost as 
wet an one of the present, have more than proved the 
superiority of the tuberous Begonias as bedding plants 
for standing all weathers, short of frosts, as compared 
with most other tender bedding-out things, especially 
the Pelargoniums. Through sunshine and shower, 
rather heavy showers, too—in fact, storms, some of 
them—the Begonias have held on and continued to he 
one mass of bloom, so little have the stormy rains 
appeared to hurt them ; whilst, on the other hand, 
most of the Pelargoniums, including the Ivy-leaved 
varieties, have had a hard struggle to bloom at all. 
Last year they were a complete failure as far as bloom 
went, and this season, with us, at least, they are not 
much better. They have made plenty of growth and 
filled the beds well, but the quantity and brilliancy of 
bloom has been sadly lacking. The constant showers 
of rain continually damaged and rotted the trusses of 
bloom, and dashed to the ground the petals of every 
flower that managed to open. For about four days 
only can it be said the Pelargoniums have been fairly 
full of bloom and made a bright show—a sorry return 
for twelve months’ labour with them. 
There are now so many decided colours amongst 
Begonias that they might with advantage supersede the 
Pelargoniums altogether for bedding out. The change 
would be beneficial in more senses than one. On the 
score of economy alone it would be desirable, as a great 
saving would be effected. The cost in raising from seed, 
and the subsequent keeping up of stock of a few 
thousands of tubers of Begonias, their winter storage, 
and the preparing of them for the beds in spring, 
is considerably on the side of and in the favour of 
these plants as compared with Pelargoniums. 
There would be no propagating of thousands of 
cuttings in the autumn, and the consequent taking up 
of so much glass space—which could be more profitably 
occupied—to winter them under, followed by the inevit¬ 
able potting or mossing them off in the spring with the 
concomitant every-day watering, if in pots, till they 
are finally placed in the beds they are to occupy through 
the summer. Such is the inevitable roll to be gone 
through anuually with Pelargoniums. With Begonias, 
after the first lot of tubers is raised, the stock is easily 
and cheaply kept up to the numbers required by sowing 
a little seed every year; as to wintering the tubers, 
all that is needed is to lift them from the borders after 
the first frost has cut the plants down, allow them to 
dry a little, then pack them in sand or coco fibre in 
tubs, boxes, or any other suitable vessel, and place 
away in some cool dry shed free from frost. 
In spring, about the last week in March, a frame or 
frames should be placed in an open sunny spot on a 
hard bottom, a light soil mixed with coco fibre being 
prepared and put into the frames to the depth of 
3 ins. The tubers are then brought from their winter 
quarters and looked over, and any large ones that will 
bear division are cut into two or more sets, the tubers 
being run out in two lines in the frames about 3 ins. 
apart, and covered with the prepared soil to the depth 
of 1 in. The lights are put on and kept closed till the 
shoots begin to appear through the soil, when a little 
air is then given by degrees every day, and as soon as 
the weather permits the lights are taken off altogether. 
When the plants are 2 ins. to 4 ins. high they are lifted 
with balls, and then transferred to the beds they are to 
occupy through the summer. 
Such is the simple procedure we adopt with our 
bedding-out Begonias. We never allow them to feel 
artificial heat after the seedling stage, they are better 
without it. Some few Begonia enthusiasts prefer to 
raise their stock for bedding out from seed sown every 
year, and to depend solely upon them for the current 
season’s floral display. Some soils and localities may 
favour such a practice, and be more conducive to a 
quick and free blooming of the plants than others. 
Your correspondent, “ Somersetshire Rector,” must be 
favoured with such a convenient position, as he is quite 
an enthusiast for, and champions current year’s seedlings 
for a good floral display. By-the-bye, he pleasantly 
reminds me (p. 834) of the friendly tilt I had with him 
in these columns last year on the subject of current- 
year’s seedlings versus two or more years’ tubers for 
making the best floral display. 
I am glad to hear that he is again this year so 
successful with his seedlings, and I am sure if he had 
me by his side in his Somersetshire garden he would 
find me a warm admirer of all he could show me in the 
Begonia line, and appreciative of his efforts to make 
current-year’s plants take the place of older tubers, and 
thus bridging the time in having them available for a 
good display the first season. 
I fear, however, that I should still remain sceptical 
about current-year’s seedlings being as good in every 
respect as older tubers for making the best floral 
display. I know from my own practice and experience 
that it is possible to have a good display of bloom the 
first season from seedling plants, by planting them 
thickly, but in no’instance have 1 found them to come 
up to older tubers in size and substance of bloom, which 
should count for a great deal with the Begonia. As 
“ Somersetshire Rector” has never tried second year’s 
tubers I would urge him to make a trial, and if he does 
not have in the bulk a larger mass of bloom, he will at 
any rate have much finer flowers to feast his eyes with. 
This, at least, has always been our experience of 
them. I think this is the twelfth year we have bedded 
out Begonias, and our first essay was with tubers sent 
us from Cannes, but we found that these south of 
France Begonias were too tender for our soil and 
position, and had to give up planting them out. 
Amongst them were some lovely yellow and deep 
orange-chromes. "We have still some of the best of 
them, but keep them in pots under glass for home 
decoration. Our present stock of bedding-out tubers 
is from Messrs. Laing’s well-known strain, purchased 
direct, both seed and tubers, from that firm. We keep 
our stock up now by sowing a little seed of our own 
selecting and saving every year. This season we have 
planted out over 1,000 from one to four-year-old tubers, 
and some 200 current-year’s seedlings, and I cannot 
help paying “Somersetshire Rector” the return com¬ 
pliment of wishing I had him here by my side to-day 
(Sept. 12th). It would not take him long to decide 
between current year’s seedlings and older tubers. The 
latter have had the best of it with us all the season 
through. We have them planted in separate colours, 
in mixture in floral arrangements, in isolated beds and 
in Ivy-clad baskets, and as single plants. In each 
position they look well—indeed, it seems almost impos¬ 
sible to misplace Begonias ; they look pleasing and 
appropriate in almost any position. So much cannot 
be said for hosts of other tender bedding-out plants. 
I prefer planting Begonias rather thinly than other¬ 
wise, and covering the ground underneath them with 
some green carpeting plant, such as Herniaria glabra. 
When planted too thickly as to unduly crowd each 
other, air cannot well circulate through them, and 
what with the dropping flowers and water lodging on 
the leaves after dewy nights at this season of the year, 
rotting of the leaves and stems soon takes place, and 
ugly gaps in the beds follow.— J. Kipling, Knebicorth. 
-- 
APPLES AT CHISWICK. 
The most interesting lot of Apple trees in the gardens 
of the Royal Horticultural Society at Chiswick are 
those grafted on the French and English Paradise and 
Doucin stocks. Having been grafted at different times 
they vary of course in size and age. The most recent 
plantation, consisting of very small trees, has borne but 
sparingly, but most of the others where not yet 
gathered are bearing good average crops, while some 
varieties are so heavily laden that branches are almost 
breaking down under the weight. This is particularly 
the case with Cellini and Small’s Admirable. The fruits 
of the former are of medium size owing to their great 
number, but very highly coloured. The same character 
applies to Small’s Admirable, the fruits of which should 
be above the medium size when at their best. There 
are two sets of trees here, and in both cases are they 
heavily laden. A striking contrast is exhibited in Yew 
Hawthornden, the fruits of which are more thinly 
scattered over the trees, and of great size, somewhat 
flattened, greenish yellow and red on the exposed side. 
The trees of Stirling Castle are of slow growth, with 
spreading heads, and bear with remarkable freedom. 
The fruit has a tender and juicy white flesh, similar in 
character to that of Hawthornden, and like that, is 
now a popular kind. Lord Suffield, another large and 
free-fruiting variety, also bore a heavy crop. The 
crops of Duchess of Oldenburg have been gathered, but 
while still hanging on the trees had a splendid effect, 
owing to the bright colour of this early Apple. The 
flesh is firm, crisp and juicy, and the Apple may be 
used either for cooking or dessert purposes, as it proves 
refreshing and agreeable to the palate of many. Its 
earliness and handsome appearance should ensure its 
admission to every collection. Another large-fruiting 
kind, named Opetien Pommiers, has flattened, green 
fruits, speckled with red on the exposed side. York¬ 
shire Beauty bears heavily at Chiswick, producing 
clean fruits of fair size, but they are greenish yellow, 
ripening off yellow with a red side, and do not exhibit 
the splendid red colour which they assume in other 
more favoured localities, with regard to atmospheric 
influences, both north and south of London. Frogmore 
Prolific is a large Apple, and most esteemed for its 
qualities as a cooking sort. The skiu is greenish 
yellow, mottled with red, while the flesh is white, 
juicy and sweet. We noticed some fine fruits on a tree 
about 3 ft. in height. 
A number of first-class quality Apples, independent 
of their economical value, might be grown for their 
ornamental appearance along the more prominent parts 
of gardens or orchards, where they could hardly fail to 
attract the eyes of the public. They might even act as 
an incentive to fruit-growing, for nothing is more orna¬ 
mental in a garden than a standard with a well-shaped 
head heavily laden with richly-coloured fruit. Amongst 
this class Worcester Pearmain takes the front rank. 
It has brilliant red, conical fruits, and notwithstanding 
their shape, the variety is said to be a seedling from 
the rather flat-fruited Devonshire Quarrenden. 
Baumann’s Red Winter Reinette, as seen at Chiswick, 
is rather an erect tree bearing a heavy crop of deep red 
fruits. They are not very large, but the quantity and 
their bright appearance are very effective. Dutch 
Mignonne is well known as an abundant bearer on the 
Paradise Stock, and here the trees are literally being 
broken down by the weight of the fruit. The latter 
is moderate in size, greenish yellow, variously mottled 
or streaked with red, especially on the exposed side. 
Another exceedingly pretty Apple is Benoni, reminding 
one of small specimens of Cellini. The fruits are also 
more globose or oblate, greenish yellow with a red 
side, mottled and striped with red elsewhere. It is of 
American origin, and has a firm, yellow and delicate 
flesh, with a rich aroma. Yellow Ingestrie may also 
be placed here, because the trees are very ornamental 
when heavily laden with their shortly-cylindrical pale 
yellow fruits, as they are in this instance. They are 
now ripe or mostly so. 
Cox’s Orange Pippin does not assume its best colour 
