86 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 12, 1889. 
study the more intelligent we become ; and education 
giving us the reason and the theory, the why and 
wherefore of our work will make that work a pleasure 
and us better men. Such a subject as this cannot be 
too often discussed, and while we point out our diffi¬ 
culties and impracticabilities, these, instead of dis¬ 
heartening us, should prove greater incentives to study, 
in which case I am sure such men as Mr. Fellows 
would not consider they had laboured in vain.— 
Alfred Gaut, Berwick Gardens, Shrewsbury. 
-—>T-t-- 
ANTIRRHINUMS. 
Growing a large quantity of these beautiful biennials 
from seed yearly, I find them to make a grand show in 
the mass during late summer and autumn, and if the 
plants are shortened back and not too severely injured 
by frost, they will bloom grandly the following 
summer, sending up spikes 4 ft. in height. For the 
reason that plants bloom so well from seed, and 
generally reproduce all the best features of a fine strain 
in that way, I had not till last autumn troubled to 
propagate any plants by means of cuttings ; I did so 
then, however, striking many in pots. These were after¬ 
wards wintered in a cold house, planted out into a frame 
early in March, and finally transplanted to the open 
ground towards the end of April—good strong plants. 
The result was very disappointing, as not a plant turned 
out well. 
There was no regularity of style about their growth, 
no good spikes of bloom resulting, and later in the 
summer the plants became affected with fungus, or 
some other form of decay, and by September they were 
all dead. That was not an encouraging result, and I 
shall not take so much trouble again. I sow seed in a 
cool house without any artificial heat in February ; the 
plants grow slowly but are stout, and by the beginning 
of May are fit to transplant into the open ground ; they 
are simply lifted carefully and dibbled out like Cabbage 
planes in rows 18 ins. apart. Though a little checked 
at first, they soon get hold, then grow away rapidly, 
and by the end of July are blooming freely, continuing 
to do so till the end of September. They seed late, 
but being hardy, withstand all early frosts, and give a 
good crop at the end of October. In such big matters 
as several hundreds of plants, Snapdragons are gay 
indeed.— A. D. 
-- 
BOX EDGING. 
It is difficult to find a plant so suitable for edging 
borders, and especially for the sides of garden walks, as 
Box (Buxus sempervirens). This is a fitting time of 
the year to make new plantations for edging purposes. 
Box edgings that have grown and become large through 
neglect, or increased to an unnecessary width, should 
he lifted, divided, and all the young and bushy-rooted 
portions be re-planted. It is best to do this once in five 
or six years in order to keep the edging in good 
condition. It used to be the practice to clip the 
edgings in autumn, t it has been found when this is 
done that sharp frost has injured and disfigured the 
plants for a time. It is better and safer to clip in the 
spring, because it is soon followed by a young growth, 
and it does not look shabby for any length of time. 
Box is generally sold by the yard when ordered for 
planting purposes. The plants are laid out side by 
side and measured, and so anyone desirous of planting 
a given length of edging has simply to measure the 
ground to be planted, and order accordingly. It should 
be planted in a good loamy soil, and low down 
in it, so that the leaves may touch the ground, but not 
be buried in the soil, tramping it down very firmly. 
In my garden I had, two years ago, a line of Box 
edging that had grown quite tall, and become bare 
about the stems. With a sharp knife I cut all the 
plants down to about 4 ins. of the ground. I did this 
at the end of the winter. The result was that in early 
spring the plants began to break into growth, and I 
have now a good thick dwarf edging of the Box, in the 
place of the tall lanky plants. 
Box is an Anglo-Saxon word and takes the shape of 
Box or Bux. Buxus means a pyx or turned box made 
of wood. It is a dwarf bushy growing form we use for 
making garden edgings. The tree Box is of very slow 
growth and longevity. It will bear clipping into 
almost any shape. Our ancestors were great hands at 
clipping, and by so doing turned their trees into many 
fantastic shapes. Who knows whether, in the mutations 
of fashion, the art of the topiary may not some day be 
again put into requisition, and our gardens may not once 
more be tenanted by leafy birds, dragons and dolphins ? 
This appears to be a heritage from the ancients, for 
amongst the Romans this taste prevailed largely in the 
time of Martial, who alludes to the “ tonsile ” properties 
of the Box tree ; and of the addiction of our forefathers 
to the practice. Some specimens still remain in old- 
fashioned gardens. 
The Box is referred to by the prophet Isaiah in his 
description of the glory of the latter days : “ The glory 
of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the Fir tree, 
the Pine tree, and the Box tree together, to 
beautify the place of my sanctuary.” Mr. Folkard 
states that it is thought to be the Asliur wood of the 
Scriptures, and to be referred to by Ez-kiel when, in 
describing the splendour of Tyre, he alludes to the 
benches of the rowers as being made of Ashur wood 
inlaid with ivory. That the ancients were accustomed 
to inlay Box wood with ivory we know from Virgil and 
other writers, who allude to this practice. 
In several parts of the north of England, when a 
funeral takes place, a basin full of sprigs of Box is 
placed at the door of the house from whence the coffin is 
taken up, and each mourner is expected to take a sprig, 
afterwards casting it on the grave of the deceased.— 
B. D. . . 
-- 
NOTES ON VEGETABLES. 
Brussels Sprout, The Aigburtit. 
We have tried several sorts during the last few years, 
and amongst them this undoubtedly is one of the very 
best all round sorts in existence. In future more of 
this and less of others will be grown. A pinch of seed 
sown twice at the end of February and April, will give 
a prolonged season of delicious sprouts. 
Beet, Nutting’s Dark Red. 
This is the most asked for in the kitchen, and fortu¬ 
nately it has done best. It is net one of the largest, 
but when carefully boiled and served up the colour is a 
splendid cochineal. We drill seed in finely pulverised 
and good hearted soil in rows 1 ft. apart early in May. 
Cankered Parsley. 
In face of a long winter, cankered Parsley begets a 
cantankerous spirit. We have been pretty free these 
last few years, but unforeseen enemies, like weeds, will 
make their appearance, and when seen the cause is 
difficult to discover. Some say it is the soil—a liquid—a 
gas—checks in too much of this and that—certainly it is 
not grubs, frosts, nor flies ; but just as certain is it that 
our beds are cankered, and that is enough for me. 
Carrot, Manchester Table. 
For shallow soils the intermediate types, as figured B 
in The Gardening World, p. 57, is to be more 
recommended. Manchester Table is an excellent sort, 
nearly one uniform thickness, and little waste .—A 
Kitchen Gardener. 
-- 
CORDON PEARS AT CHISWICK. 
There is on a west aspect wall at Chiswick, in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, a collection 
of Pears pruned and trained as oblique cordons, and 
grown on the Quince stock. The trees are, of course, 
quite young, and not yet bearing full crops of fruit, 
with exceptional instances ; but many of them have 
now covered the wall, and will presently be useful. If 
the fruits are fewer in number than on pyramidal trees, 
the advantage is very obvious from their greatly in¬ 
creased size. 
The fruits of Louise Bonne of Jersey are not so 
highly coloured this year as we have seen them, but 
those grown on the cordon trees were well shaped, and 
about twice the size of those from the old pyramids. 
Although now over a hundred years since the variety 
was raised, it still remains one of the most popular 
and most regularly fruiting Pears, and has not 
apparently degenerated by age. Another tree that 
bore well was Fondante des Charneuses, also known in 
the gardens here as Beurre des Charneuses. The fruit 
is long, pyriform, green, spotted more or less with 
russety grey, and is in season during October. Belle 
Julie is evidently a sure and heavy cropper, whether 
grown on the pyramidal or cordon system. The fruits 
are pyriform, usually small, and the skin is covered with 
pale grey russet. A considerable improvement has 
been effected in the size of those fruits grown on the 
cordon trees ; but one could hardly help admiring a 
pyramidal specimen of this variety heavily laden with 
its beautifully-shaped, though dull-coloured fruits. 
An old but little-known variety named Vineuse 
fruited well on the cordon wall. The fruits are gener¬ 
ally described as of medium size, but those we noticed 
were heavy, reminding one somewhat of Souvenir du 
Congres. They were green slightly speckled with 
russet, obovate, and very broad at the apical end, the 
surface being rendered very uneven by depressions and 
elevations, giving the fruit a rough appearance. The 
flesh of this variety is said to possess a delicate perfume 
and a sweetness like honey. It ripens in September 
and the early part of October ; and notwithstanding its 
qualities and its age (seeing that it was raised in 1S40) 
the British public have not recognised it so much as 
might have been expected. Williams’ Bon Chretien 
also fruits well on this plan, and is otherwise so well 
known as to require no comment. 
-- 
CONDENSED FRUITS AND 
VEGETABLES. 
The introduction of preserved or condensed foods, both 
of animal and vegetable origin, in hermetically sealed 
tins, has developed to an enormous extent of late 
years. One of the most successful of the recent intro¬ 
ductions is undoubtedly the Pine Apples that are 
imported from Singapore. Many persons, who have 
an objection to tin food generally, have pronounced 
these to be of excellent quality and flavour, and though 
they are to be obtained at almost any grocer’s, and at a 
very cheap rate, they are not in such great demand as 
might be expected. The prejudice against new products 
or preparations is difficult to overcome, and this preju¬ 
dice is more general even amongst the poorer and 
working classes than even amongst those better 
informed. There is a general belief amongst them that 
only the commoner qualities of food products are put 
up into tins, and, consequently, they reject them. The 
success of the Pine Apple, however, treated thus ought 
to dispel that notion, and to lead to other fruits, 
especially those of tropical countries, being similarly 
treated for export purpeses. There seems to be no 
reason why Mangoes, Guavas, Rose Apples, and a host 
of others should not become regular articles of import 
and consumption, and even, perhaps, some of the other 
vegetable productions of distant lands. That the 
ordinary English vegetables and fruits can be pre¬ 
served for winter use when the fresh ones are not 
obtainable has been proved over and over again. 
The preservation of vegetables and herbs by desiccation 
by the natural action of the sun has been kuown to 
and practised by agriculturists from time immemorial. 
Within historical times it has been supplemented and 
improved upon by the introduction of drying in kilns. 
Both the ancient Chinese and Egyptians used this 
method in remote ages. The vegetable substances 
offered great difficulty for stowage and transport in 
consequence of their bulk, and to the imperfect nature 
of their preservation. This difficulty was very success¬ 
fully overcome in 1846 by a M. Masson, who was head 
gardener to Louis Philippe, King of the French, and 
who invented a process by which kiln-dried vegetables, 
herbs and fruits could be compiessed by powerful 
hydraulic pressure, retaining their hygienic properties 
for a length of time. By this process a quantity of 
vegetables sufficient for a mess of 40,000 persons was 
reduced to the volume of 1 cubic metre (1 yard and 3 
ins. cubic), thus effecting. an enormous saving in 
stowage and in transport. 
Later on the invention was patented by Messrs. 
Chollett & Co., of Paris and London, who introduced 
improvements, and have ultimately brought the process 
to its present state of perfection, so that their successors, 
Messrs. C. Provet & Co , prepare enormous quantities 
of dried and compressed vegetables and fruits for the 
supply of the British army and navy, the Board of 
Trade making it compulsory that every outgoing 
vessel be supplied with a certain quantity. 
At the time of the Crimean war these prepared 
vegetables were very largely used, and were mixed, 
dried and compressed under certain rules laid down by 
an International Anglo-French Military and Naval 
Medical Cmimission, to which the celebrated Alexis 
Soyer, who was Chief Inspector of Army Cookery to 
the campaign, gave practical assistance. For the mixed 
vegetables, the following proportions were decided 
upon, and are still adhered to :—- 
Potato. 
Carrot ... 
Cabbage . 
Turnip .. 
Seasoning herbs (Onion, Leek 
Parsley, Parsnip, &c.) 
Celery, 
Per Cent. 
. 40 
. 30 
. 10 
10 
10 
100 
The vegetables are gathered in the autumn, when 
they are in their prime, and carefully sorted, then 
cleaned, washed, peeled, sliced, and slightly steamed 
(fixing the saccharine and albuminous parts, preventing 
to a great extent the volatilisation of the essential oils, 
and thus preserving their hygienic and anti-scorbutic 
properties). The various manipulations were formerly 
performed by hand, but all are now done by machinery. 
The vegetables thus prepared are then dried in kilns 
