August 16, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
791 
these that ho has the pleasure of seeing all prospering 
in his hands. 
Those of your readers who may be tempted to visit 
the county of Wicklow at any time will, I am sure, 
bear me out when I say that for beauty it stands 
unsurpassed by any county in the United Kingdom, 
and also that it contains some gardens—foremost 
amongst them Coollattin—that are to be numbered 
amongst the best kept in the country. While staying 
with Mr. Whytock, I had the pleasure of visiting 
Glenart, Lord Carysfort’s place ; Shelton Abbey, Lord 
Wicklow’s ; Humewood, Mr. Dick’s ; Courtown, Lord 
Courtown’s ; and I may, with the editor’s permission, 
give a few notes on them in future issues of The Gar¬ 
dening World. [Please do.— Ed.] Meantime I lay 
down the pen with a lively recollection of a pleasant 
time spent amongst kindly people, lovely scenery, and 
general evidences of the assistance art is to nature 
when applied in such a way as seen at Coollattin. 
The future of the splendid young Vines will be 
matter of interesting speculation, and judging from the 
promise of the present, splendid grapes will be produced 
in future years .—John Thomson, Clovenfords. 
-- 
GOOD EARLY FRENCH BEANS. 
A trial of a large number of varieties of French Beans 
is being carried out in the Chiswick nursery of Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. All were sown on the 20th 
of April, and the first to come into use was that named 
Pale Dun. The stems in the heavy rich soil at 
Chiswick are only 10 ins. or 12 ins. high. The crop 
was a good one, and the gathering was completed early 
this month. The next in use was Long Sword, a 
variety growing to the height of 12 ins. and bearing 
well. The crop has also been gathered. Canadian 
Wonder succeeds the above mentioned in point of time 
if all have been sown on the same date. It is now in 
bearing, and has long narrow green pods. The stems 
are very robust compared with most of the kinds on 
trial, and stand about 15 ins. high. The leaves are 
also very broad, and the variety appears capable of 
producing a fine sample of the popular esculent in 
kindly soil. 
One of the most popular varieties of the present day 
is Ne Plus Ultra. The short-jointed stems grow only 
to the height of 8 ins. at Chiswick, bearing a fine crop 
of pods. It hardly ever fails to give satisfaction, and 
never grows rankly. For this reason it is well adapted 
for pot culture, and is a strong competitor with 
Osborns Prolific for favour with gardeners for winter 
work. Sown on the 20th of April in the open air, it 
has now been in use for three weeks. Sion House is 
also an early and heavy cropper, and is now in use. It 
is a stronger grower than the last, the stems being 
about 1 ft. in height with good foliage. The pods are 
green and slightly striped with brown near the base. 
- 
STOCKS. 
Few plants, fragrant or otherwise, enjoy such universal 
popularity as do Stocks. The merest tyro in horti¬ 
culture can say something about them, and if the 
plants are put into his hands he can, as a rule, 
do something with them. The good-natured 
rivalry that exists amongst numerous and widely 
different-sphered people in the growing and ex¬ 
hibiting of Stocks is marvellous. This is brought out 
in evidence at local as well as at provincial shows, 
when we scan the exhibits in the different cut-flower 
classes. The Ten-week Stock in its varieties is still 
very popular, and justly so ; but the good old 
Brcmpton is not so often seen in either the gardens of 
the noble, nor in that of the humble “ cottar,” as in 
former days. The latter is a good and useful Stock, 
however, blooming as it does with so much freedom, 
and that with very slight protection during the dark 
days of winter, and ushering in the fragrant flowers of 
spring with an odour that vies with the Violet, the 
Hyacinth, and its near ally the "Wallflower. This 
conspicuous absence of an pld friend may be found in 
the introduction in later days of the far-famed East 
Lothian Stock, which few can equal, aud certainly none 
excel. This is no extravagant view to take of this 
latter species, seeing that it may be had in bloom all 
the days of the year, while its habit adapts it for various 
purposes. No doubt the Brompton can be had in 
bloom throughout the year also, but is apt to become a 
little loose in the spike, and also to lose its colour in the 
summer months ; it is, therefore, a truer winter than a 
summer friend. 
The Wallflower-leaved varieties of the East Lothian 
Stock are exceptionally fine, and, strange to say, as a 
rule produce a greater percentage of doubles than the 
typical varieties. This is most remarkable in the 
white Wallflower-leaved, and it is not at all uncommon 
to see 99 per cent, of it double. Not only so, but this 
variety is of a purer white than the typical sort, more 
compact and dwarf, and has spikes of a more useful 
size. 
To have East Lothian, as also Brompton Stocks, in 
good condition for winter they must be sown in spring, 
and any time in April will do; whereas to have them 
in bloom in summer they should be sown from the 
beginning to middle of August, in any sheltered corner 
where they will not become “ drawn.” When of 
sufficient size to handle, they should be pricked out in 
a cold frame in which a layer of short dung, leaf-soil 
and loam, equal parts, has been placed to the depth of 
3 ins. or 4 ins., and well - firmed. Where newly pricked 
out, the sashes should be drawn over them, and shaded 
and kept close for a few days. When established they 
cannot have too much ventilation, and this must have 
attention on every favourable occasion all winter; 
closing and matting up in severe weather only. These 
means must be adopted to keep them sturdy, which 
should be the constant aim of the cultivator. In dry 
localities Stocks may be successfully grown at the base 
of a wall—indeed, I have seen very good results from 
this practice, although not to be compared to the plants 
wintered in a cold frame. 
At the approach of fine weather in spring they may 
be planted in their permanent positions, lifting them 
carefully with a trowel, and firming the ground well at 
the roots as the work proceeds. From the fact of their 
having been grown sturdy, no apprehension of a few 
degrees of-frost need cause alarm, as when so grown 5° 
of frost will have no effect on them. For the successful 
culture of Stocks the soil cannot be too rich ; and if 
liberally grown it is quite a common thing to see them 
2 ft. in diameter—in fact, I have seen them a yard in 
diameter, with scores of spikes on them. 
For ordinary summer display, East Lothian Stocks 
may be sown in January, pricked out in boxes, or on a 
gentle hot-bed, and nursed on until fit to plant out, 
which would be in April. Of course, they must be 
carefully hardened off before planting. It must be 
understood, however, that they do not make such noble 
plants, nor, indeed, such spikes either, when grown in 
this way as they do when sown in August, and nursed 
as advised ; but withal the practice is quite commend¬ 
able, and with care the results are good. "VVe have a 
few hundreds grown in this latter way in fine bloom 
just now, and have been since the end of June ; from 
these we are cutting daily, but they will not bear com¬ 
parison with autumn-sown plants. The Brompton and 
East Lothian are biennials, and are therefore all the 
better if regarded as such, and sown the season previous 
to that in which they are expected to bloom. 
"Where Stocks are in great demand for cut purposes or 
house decoration during the winter months, now is a 
good time to prepare them for that special work. It 
is a very good plan to grow some in patches where a 
frame may be placed over them on the first appearance 
of hard weather, but many successfully maintain 
supplies by lifting and transplanting in pits or frames, 
or potting up into 7-in. pots sturdy plants from the 
January sowing. One advantage of the latter method 
is, that all the plants will be worth the labour incurred, 
seeing that they have already flowered, and being 
double, have been selected. Another method may find 
favour—one we formerly practised—and that is, the 
pricking in boxes, allowing the young plants to remain 
so until they show flower, and potting up, or planting 
as above indicated when it is ascertained whether they 
are double or not. This method has one disadvantage, 
and that is, the plants are sure to become stunted in 
growth before they show flower, thus reducing the 
chances of luxuriant growth afterwards. Presuming 
they are to be planted in pit or frames, a good rich 
compost must be given them, and they must be kept 
rather on the dry side at the roots and overhead during 
the dark days of winter ; this precaution is necessary, 
as they are so liable to “damping,” and losing limbs. 
In pots matters are otherwise, as they may be placed 
in an ordinary glasshouse or conservatory, and the 
warmth in these structures will help to ward off this 
dreaded malady ; not only so, but their fragrance in a 
dry, warm atmosphere can be appreciated to the full. 
When lifted and potted up, or planted as recom¬ 
mended, all advanced blooms should be removed, as 
the energy requisite to nurse them, combined with the 
check consequent on lifting, may prove too much for 
the plants, and at best is unnecessary. A spraying 
overhead several times daily, the sashes being shaded, 
will soon have its effect on those “at home,” but it 
is well to guard against superabundant moisture, as 
that would destroy the foliage at any time, and might 
pave the way to introduce “damping.” On the first 
appearance of “black spot,” measures must be resorted 
to to prevent its spreading — in short, to extirpate it; and 
I find that cutting out the affected parts with a sharp 
knife, and applying charcoal dust or quicklime (I 
prefer the latter) is a sure remedy. Coddling is fre¬ 
quently the forerunner of this malady, and it therefore 
should never have any countenance, especially in pits 
or frames where no artificial heat can be applied to 
expel moisture. In potting Stocks, a compost of good 
sound loam one half, and pounded charcoal, cow-dung 
and old mortar rubbish for the other half will be 
suitable, potting hard. 
As regards colours, I am partial to white for two 
reasons : First, it is most useful for special occasions, 
and secondly, it can be so readily associated with other 
colours. The red and purple have the fault of “colour 
running,” and in this way not infrequently impart 
their colours to their associates, especially if combined 
with other cut flowers which happen to have dew or 
moisture of any kind adhering to them when placed in 
position. 
The fragrance of Stocks in quantity, as recommended, 
or grown in a house by themselves, with a temperature 
of 50° and a dry atmosphere, almost baffles imitation. 
Their colours too, with the soft-looking foliage of the 
typical variety, and the dense green of the Wallflower¬ 
leaved kinds, render them objects of attraction ; and 
once seen in good condition, with their combined 
usefulness for cutting, they will impress the hard- 
pressed gardener, and the easy-minded, though perhaps 
no less arduous admirer, with a feeling of genuine 
sympathy for the lover of these plants. In short, once 
seen in good order they are sure to be grown ; and once 
grown, always grown.— J. Proctor, Glcnfinart. 
--- 
COTTAGERS’ SHOWS. 
To the visitor who passes through a village where he 
can see a number of cottage and allotment gardens, 
clean and thoroughly cultivated, with a few border 
flowers and Roses, kept with pride by the occupier, 
something must strike him as to the cause of this. Can 
it be that the land is unusually good ? This is not so, 
as I have seen the same ground not cultivated, but a 
garden of rubbish. You will say then, Where has the 
improvement originated ? The influence that brought 
about the change is the cottage gardening society. 
What we want to do is to rouse up our gardening 
friends, not by means of a show, with tempting prizes 
for professional men, but for the improvement of the 
cottagers and their gardens. How many parishes are 
there where practical men besides amateurs reside, and 
yet the cottage gardens are a disgrace ? Never a 
thought has crossed their minds to attempt to improve 
them. Does not “ every man to his profession ” apply 
in this case ? Who could organise an army better than 
a soldier ? Then it follows that no one better could 
organise a cottagers’ show than a man of the gardening 
profession. 
I could mention a cottagers’ show where, unfor¬ 
tunately, there is no practical gardener connected with 
it; the consequence is a downright muddle in every¬ 
thing. If a thing is properly managed, then it is a 
success, for all are willing to help it along, from the 
squire downwards, and all goes as merry as the marriage 
bell. When this cottage gardening society started 
twelve years ago, the gardens were in a dreadful state, 
taking them as a whole. Roses and other flowers were 
few, but now they are abundant in almost every garden. 
There are prizes given for cottage and allotment 
gardens, which must be entered a month before the 
show, and inspected twice by the committee, instead of 
being left till the show day. If the latter is the case, 
the cottager is afraid to take up the best of his produce 
for the show, for fear of losing the prize. The last time 
they are judged is about four days before the show, 
which gives an equal chance to all. The judging is 
done by means of a book, in which every crop is noted 
and regulated by a scale of points for being very strong, 
strong, medium, or weak, for the manner in which it is 
arranged, cultivated, and for cleanliness. 
Within a few miles there are no less than four other 
societies which have sprung up, proving the good work 
a cottage gardening society is capable of doing. I 
consider this a fact that cannot be explained away— 
that cottage industry, no matter whether inside or 
outside, gives pleasure and not trouble to the promoters, 
besides being a substantial benefit to the working class 
and all concerned.— H. Newton. 
