166 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
November 16, 18S9. 
by suckers—and say that anyone who may be about 
to make new plantations should see that the plants 
come from a healthy and vigorous stock. If their own 
stock is in any way exhausted they had far better get 
a fresh supply from some other source. In selecting 
them take those of good robust growth without being 
coarse, rejecting the weakly ones, and if possible use 
only those which have a mass of fibrous roots. They 
will sever from the parent stem very readily when 
pulled by the hand, with very little assistance from 
the spade or fork. 
The time of planting is generally from the end of 
September to the middle of February, the sooner after 
the fall of the leaf the better. I have seen it done 
about midsummer with marked success. The suckers 
were brought from a distance, packed in wet moss, and 
when planted were shaded from scorching sun and 
well watered till established, which they very soon 
were. At the time it was considered that one season 
was gained. The only objection to the plan is that the 
stress of work is too great at that time of year to 
admit of its frequent adoption. 
Preparation of the Ground and Planting. 
If the ground can be trenched two spits deep it will be 
advantageous, only do not bring any crude and sour 
subsoil to the surface. Give a liberal dressing of de¬ 
cayed manure, and have the surface soil well pulverised. 
The distance at which the stools are to be planted will, 
to some extent, depend upon the system of training 
the cultivator purposes to adopt. There are three 
methods which are frequently met with. The ordinary 
plan is to tie them to stakes; another way is to 
plant them 4 ft. from stool to stool and 6 ft. from row 
to row. If this method be adopted, allow three canes 
for each stool; but when tied to stakes, from three to 
six canes may be tied in, according to their strength. 
The third method is to bend over the canes from one 
stool to the other and tie their ends together, so that 
when finished the row forms a series of arches. 
This plan, like the first, is very objectionable because 
of the crowded growth, excluding both sun and air 
from much of the fruit, and in dull damp weather 
causing much of it to decay from constant saturation. 
A better but more expensive and troublesome plan is 
to insert three stakes around each stool, at the top of 
which a small hoop is fastened, to which the canes are 
tied. The best system, in my opinion, for small 
growers is to plant them in continuous lines, and 
train them to a trellis of stakes and galvanised wire. 
If good strong stakes are used, or better still, mod¬ 
erate-sized posts, a trellis can be had which costs but 
little, and will stand for years. The canes may be 
tied to it from 4 ins. to 6 ins. apart, and being spread 
out singly in this way, derive all the advantages which 
full exposure to sun and air can give them, and the 
chances from loss of fruit during wet weather are reduced 
to a minimum. Our own plantations, trained in this 
way, have been in bearing for a number of years, and 
annually produce heavy crops of fruit. The distance 
between the rows is 4 ft. 
Summer Treatment. 
Should the flowering shoots on the canes be very 
numerous, they may have a slight thinning out early 
in May, and if suckers be too plentiful, thin them out 
early in summer, leaving only enough to lay in for the 
next season’s crop, unless they are likely to be required 
for fresh plantations. Leaving more than is wanted 
only leads to the plantations and soil being unneces¬ 
sarily exhausted. Immediately the fruit is gathered, 
cut out all the old canes, as they are of no further 
service to the plant, and their absence wall benefit the 
young canes by giving an increased exposure to light 
and air. In the case of autumn-bearing varieties, a 
better late crop will be secured by cutting away the 
previous year’s canes before they flower. 
Winter Treatment. 
Pruning may be done immediately after the fall of the 
leaf, or as soon after as convenient. Thin-out the canes 
where they are in stools, if healthy and strong, to at 
most four ; if weakly, six may be left. Cut them back 
to various heights. For instance, if trained to a trellis, 
cut one to the full height, the next 9 ins. lower, and 
another 9 ins. lower still, then up again, and so on 
until the work is complete. This gives a better distri¬ 
bution of flowering sprays, so that the fruit is produced 
from bottom to top of either stakes or trellis. When 
done, tie in the requisite number of canes, and remove 
all that are not wanted. Give a liberal dressing of 
half-decayed manure, to enrich the soil and serve as a 
mulching during the ensuing season. If this is not 
done at this time, it should be by the middle of May, 
for the Raspberry is a surface-rooting plant, and soon 
suffers from drought. In its wild state it is found in 
woods, where it i3 protected from the direct rays of the 
sun, to which it is generally exposed ; it is therefore 
necessary that some means should be adopted to com¬ 
pensate it for the increased exhalation of moisture from 
its leaves to which it is liable when under cultivation. 
It should on no account be disturbed, unless the 
presence of Couch or Bear-bine demands it, and these 
must be rigidly kept under. 
A good selection of sorts would be Antwerp Red, 
Antwerp Yellow, Baumforth’s Seedling, Fastolf, 
Carter’s Prolific, and October Red (Merveille de Quatre 
Saisons).— TV. B. G. 
-- 
FLORAL DECORATIONS.* 
In treating of this subject I shall endeavour to confine 
my remarks chiefly to decorations as they affect a gar¬ 
dener in a private establishment. I believe there 
never was a time in the annals of gardening when more 
choice cut flowers had to be provided than at the 
present time. Sometimes we hear it said that the 
present race of gardeners are behind the times as com¬ 
pared with our predecessors. I do not believe it, but 
am inclined to think it is otherwise. This I firmly be¬ 
lieve, that we have nowadays to extract more out of the 
glasshouses at our disposal than ever was done in the 
past. In years gone by we did not hear so much of 
mealy-bug in Vines as we do now. And why 1 Well, 
I think it is to a great extent to be attributed to the 
excessive number of plants that have to be grown for 
decoration, either in a cut state or on the plant, and 
possibly to the lack of a determination on the part of 
some to master this pest, if possible. Having to face 
this fact, we have to grow more of what are termed the 
decorative class of plants ; this has forced many of the 
fine Cape and Hew Holland plants almost out of the 
field. Where now do we see the fine Leschenaultias, 
Dracophyllums, Boronias, and hard-wooded Ericas, 
which were the glory of the shows in these gardens in 
years gone by ? These have had to make room for 
plants that can more readily be turned to account to 
meet the demands of the present time. I fancy the 
erection of so many conservatories in our day has had 
something to do with this alteration in the aspect of 
affairs. To meet 
The Demands of the Time, 
We must grow what is most suitable to each case, 
and in the use of that we must economise a3 best we 
cxn. This, as it pertains to floral decoration, can be 
met in two ways : first by providing a good amount of 
foliage to use in combination with flowers as back¬ 
grounds or groundwork to the arrangements ; and, 
secondly, in avoiding that commonest of all errors, viz., 
the pernicious habit of overcrowding. Hot only is 
this the ca3s with cut floral decorations, but it applies 
with equal force to plants as they are grouped for 
effect in our conservatories and other positions. How 
the result of this is a consequent waste of material in 
both cases, which, if it could be avoided, might result 
in the quality of the productions being proportionately 
increased. Examples of judicious grouping of plants 
are seen at most of our leading exhibitions. This is 
undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Which are 
the most successful in these competitions, may I ask ? 
Is it not those who combine foliage with flowers in a 
judicious manner, the former not of too heavy a 
character, the latter not use 1 to excess or in too great 
variety of colour? I firmly believe the groups as now 
seen exhibited are having a good effect in home deco¬ 
rations, whether it be in the usual routine work of the 
conservatory or on special and particular occasions in 
the house or elsewhere. In the past there has been, 
without doubt, too much dependence placed upon a 
mere blaze of colour to produce effect. Effect of a 
certain kind, I admit, but not one that is obtained by 
taste in arrangement, certainly. Viewed from another 
point, such a mode of procedure is calculated to pall upon 
the taste, and cause a lack of interest from the mere bulk 
of material employed; or, to put it short, it becomes 
“Too Much of a Good Thing.” 
What applies to plants as grouped for effect applies too 
with equal force to cut flowers as used in floral decora¬ 
tions. It has, however, I think, taken a far longer 
time for some of our craft to learn a lesson in these 
arrangements than in the case of plants. Still, without 
doubt there are signs of improvements, thanks to our 
horticultural societies, for the encouragement they have 
given for years past to what are termed table decora¬ 
* A paper read by Mr. J. Hudson, Gunnersbury House, 
Acton, at a late meeting of the Chiswick Gardeners’ Association. 
tions. I believe I am right in stating that it was the 
Royal Horticultural Society who first made a step in 
this direction, now nearly thirty years ago. I remember 
the circumstance well of the success then achievedow, 
the Misses Marsh. I did not see them myss'appointed. 
recollect reading the descriptions given at the tiune, was 
can still imagine with what consternation the exhibitors 
in many instances must have viewed the awards of the 
judges as given against them and in favour of light and 
tasteful arrangement. The unsuccessful exhibitors 
then, as since, have found out, I trust, by experience 
not to rely so much on quantity or quality as on tasteful 
arrangements. Quality in the flowers employed is no 
doubt an important factor in producing good effect, but 
in this even there is a danger of falling into the error 
of employing too much material merely through having 
it at command. Some few years ago at our country 
flower shows it used to be the practice to offer prizes 
for the best designs of something or another made in 
flowers. Huge lumps, so to speak, used to be brought 
together with no other particular merit in them than 
their size. These are now gone out of fashion, and are 
a good riddance too as far as taste is concerned. The 
encouragement, as previously alluded to, in offering 
prizes for floral decorations gradually increased, till at 
a show of more recent years at South Kensington there 
was a fine display brought together (I think that would 
be about sixteen years back). There again was a sharp 
lesson given to those decorators who went in for huge 
masses of colour as against light arrangement, the 
latter winning to the utter astonishment of the others. 
In this case the first prize winner was Miss Hassard, 
whose arrangements were most simple yet effective. 
As another instance of the interest taken in decorations 
in recent years, I merely allude to the evening fete 
held every year at the Royal Botanic Girdens, Regent’s 
Park. Hearly every show at the present time has its 
classes for floral arrangements. These should, and no 
doubt do, exercise a good influence in cultivating the 
taste of arranging flowers effectively yet economically. 
(To la continued.) 
-- 
ffoTES ON fgRUITS. 
Calville Rouge PrScoce Apple. 
According to the report of the Apple and Pear 
Conference of 1S8S, at Chiswick, and also that of 18S3, 
this Apple is described as of medium size, round, red, 
beautifully spotted throughout, sweet and early, but of 
second quality. We fully endorse what is said of it, with 
the exception of the statement with regard to quality. 
Probably, however, it varies greatly according to the 
soil on which it has been grown, the tree bearing it, 
and the season at which it is used. Being an early 
variety, its qualities ought not to be called in question 
in Hovetnber, but even then some specimens will be 
found in splendid condition, with a white, crisp and 
tender flesh, slightly streaked with red aloug the veins 
or vascular tissue leading to the core, just as we see it in 
the variety called Duchess. It is also sweet with a 
piquant aromatic flavour of quite a distinct and 
agreeable kind. At the same time, however, it may be 
said that other individual specimens may be found at 
the same date, which have lost this pleasing and 
decided flavour, and have become comparatively taste¬ 
less. It is a dessert variety, and from its beautiful red 
colour, is admirably adapted for table use. Another 
peculiarity is that the surface is covered all over with 
triangular and arrow-shaped or four-rayed markings, 
the regularity of which is striking. 
DovENNfi du Comice Pear. 
There is some excuse for the extensive cultivation of 
Apples as compared with Pears, but there can be less 
excuse for growing bad kinds of the latter, when better 
are to be had. The variety under notice first ripened 
fruit as long ago as 1S49 at Angers, where it was 
raised. Some describe it as the best Pear in cultivation, 
but that might be a matter of taste. It is, however, a 
delicious Pear, ripening in Hovember, or rather coming 
into use at that date, for some are able to have it ripe 
so far as the tree is concerned by the end of September. 
It keeps longest and best if gathered before being 
quite ripe, and stored in the fruit room to mellow. 
The fruit is large, turbinate, or shortly obovate, 
greenish yellow, ultimately losing its green hue, and 
more or less suffused in places with pale brown russet, 
the latter predominating sometimes over a great extent 
of surface. Under a clear sky and in an open position it 
becomes flushed with red on the sunny side. About 
London, however, as at Chiswick, where it is grown in 
the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, there 
