120 
October 21, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
and deeply hooded with a short, straight, laterally 
compressed spur. The petals are small and pink 
with a red base; and the miniature lip is red with a 
white spot upon it. The stems attain a height of 
i8in. or more and appear quite of vigorous constitu¬ 
tion. First-class Certificate. It was exhibited by 
the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew. 
-- 
^afieiief/ Ipiprolfepiept Pppociatiopp. 
Exeter.—At a well-attended meeting of this Associa¬ 
tion held on the iith inst., Mr. D. C. Powell, 
gardener, Powderham Castle, read an instructive 
paper on “ Pears and their Culture.” Mr. Powell, 
in the course of his address, said the Pear is a most 
delicious fruit, and is grown principally for dessert 
purposes, and for that it is preferred by most people 
to the Apple. Many varieties are grown for culinary 
purposes, and he thought it would be well to turn 
attention to cultivating more of this section. The.se 
varieties, too, are most of them long keeping, and do 
not assume the soft texture when ripening as the 
dessert kinds do, and, of course, are adapted for 
storing. To grow Pears to perfection a good know¬ 
ledge of the proper soils, pruning, training, gathering 
and storing of the fruit, diseases, and insects affecting 
the health of the tree must be understood to be 
successful. The soil that the Pear succeeds best in 
is a moderately strong loam, 2 ft. deep, and well 
drained. Heavy clay soil is not suitable for pro¬ 
ducing fruitful trees, as it is known to retain mois¬ 
ture to a great extent. With such, drainage must 
first of all be done, and the soil returned to the pit 
for planting the tree in must have other lighter 
sandier soils incorporated with it, so that the roots 
can readily ramify in it and receive the warmth and 
air necessary for the formation of fibrous roots, which 
are the real fruit producers. In preparing soils for 
Pear trees one should bear in mind that one object 
in fruit culture is to discourage by every means the 
downward tendency of roots into the subsoils. There¬ 
fore, the subsoils should neither be loosened nor 
manured. Where clay or other strong soils exist it 
is advisable to use stone or slate slabs at the bottom 
of the pits where the trees are to be planted. 
This also facilitates the operation of rootpruning. 
Light sandy soils that are not considered of sufficient 
depth and strong enough in texture should be taken 
out in pits not less than 6 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep, in 
order that sufficient soil may be introduced to last 
and keep the tree in health for many years, some 
stronger soil introduced mixing with it, the sandy 
soil taken out if needful. If the soils are not rich 
at the time of planting nothing better can be used 
than some loam. It is well also when planting to 
use some of the surface soil from parts of the garden 
under cultivation for vegetables, which has been 
enriched by constant dressings, for placing immedi¬ 
ately over the roots. A little manure is advisable to 
use about the time of planting in and around the 
roots, and this in proportion as the soil is rich or 
poor. The operation of planting should be per¬ 
formed immediately after the fall of the leaf. Plant 
ing should not be done in wet weather, but deferred 
until the soil can be worked well. The soil having 
been previously prepared, pits should be taken out 
at least one foot wider than the breadth of the roots 
of the tree, which should be inserted to show when 
finished as much of the stem as when growing in 
the nursery ground. The soil should be made firm 
with the foot as the work proceeds, and when 
finished a mulching of long straw or litter should be 
secured to the ground to preserve the moisture in 
the soil at the root, and serve also for protection of 
the young roots from damage caused by severe 
weather. All trees of heights requiring support should 
receive it immediately. Wall trees when newly 
planted should have a few of the main branches 
secured to the wall to prevent friction with the 
rough bricks or stones. For planting in the open 
ground pyramids are as desirable as any; while 
bush-trained, umbrella-shaped, espaliers, cordons, 
etc., may be grown in most gardens with very 
satisfactory results. The growth of the Pear is 
such that almost any shape may be obtained that 
one wishes. As the Pear has a natural tendency to 
grow pyramidal and upright, there is no difficulty 
in acquiring a pyramid. In its natural state the 
Pear grows upright and very vigorously—hence to 
grow trees in a small compass a great deal of 
retriction is required. This is best effected by 
using the quince stock, which has a very deranging 
influence on the Pear, exactly what is required. 
The Pear stock, or what is termed the free stock, is 
raised from pips, and is only suitable for weak 
growing varieties, to be grafted on or for orchard 
work. For walls, the horizontal, fan-shaped, and 
cordons are the best. These at the time of planting 
should have their stems so placed that, when 
finished, the base of them should be not less than 
4 in. from the wall. Mr. Powell then dealt with the 
work of pruning, and remarked that summer pruning 
should be done at the end of July and August, not 
earlier, as the buds left would be induced to make 
growth instead of flower buds. If summer pruning 
has been attended to, little would be left over for 
winter work, except on the walls, when, of course, 
the annual inspection of the means used for securing 
the trees to the walls takes place, and this must be 
done in a deciduous state. For Pear trees on walls 
he would recommend the use of galvanised wall 
eyes, to be driven into the wall, to be permanent, 
and the branches fastened with tarred cord. The 
gathering and storing of the fruits were next dealt 
with, and a list of suitable varieties given. A long 
discussion followed, and the meeting terminated 
with a vote of thanks to the essayist. 
- m%m - 
SOCIETIES. 
Dundee Horticultural.—The annual general meeting 
of the members of the Dundee Horticultural Society 
was held on the 13th inst. in Lamb's Hotel. There 
was a large attendance, ex-Provost Moncur, presi¬ 
dent, in the chair. The Treasurer, Mr. David 
Greive, gave in his report—the total revenue for the 
year amounted to ;^^6o4 6s. iid., and the expenditure 
to £6y^ IS. 6d., exhibiting a loss of £^0 14s. yd., and 
lowering the funds of the Society to ;^49 is. 3d. 
The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the 
report, said that there had been deficits for three 
years in succession, and he thought the time had 
come when a desperate effort must be made to get a 
balance on the right side. He mentioned a few 
reforms which he had thought of, such as less 
expensive music than 104, and reducing the advertis¬ 
ing under £^,2. A few members also made remarks. 
It was agreed that all the members of committee 
retire annually. It was also resolved to reduce the 
salary of treasurer and secretary from £1^ to £10 in 
each case, the object being one of pure economy. 
Both Mr. D. Greive, treasurer, and Mr. Thos. 
Buick, secretary, declined to accept the posts at the 
reduced salary, as it was an inadequate honorarium 
for the work. Accordingly Mr. W. F. Hill was 
elected secretary, and the appointment of a treasurer 
was left in the hands of the committee. An influential 
committee was also elected. On the question of 
prize money it remains the same, viz., ;^240. This 
was carried over an amendment for £200. It was 
also agreed that the next show be held in the Drill 
Hall. 
--- 
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN, 
Pancratium speciosum. —As the flower spikes of 
this species are removed, encourage the bulbs to 
make as good growth as possible by feeding them 
with weak liquid manure. The finer the leaves they 
develop, so will the flowers be, provided the plants 
are reasonably exposed to light to prevent drawing. 
Urceolina pendula. —When this bulbous plant 
commences to throw up its flower spikes, stand it in 
a position where the stems will be exposed to light 
to prevent any undue elongation. They are not 
accompanied by foliage, so that the aim of the 
cultivator should be to get the stems as dwarf as 
possible. 
Clerodendron fallax. —Reuove decayed blooms 
as soon as they make their appearance, otherwise 
they will soon spoil the rest. A stock of young 
plants may be raised should the old ones ripen 
seeds. The latter should be sown at once and 
grown on through the winter to have them in good 
flowering condition next autumn. 
Euphorbia fulgens (jacquiniaeflora). —The 
more sunshine this plant gets to ripen its wood the 
better it will be ; after this season particularly it 
cannot get too much attention in the way of exposing 
to light. The flowers will then be more abundant 
and durable than if brought on in a shady position 
with too much atmospheric moisture. 
Poinsettias.—What applies to Euphorbias will 
apply with almost equal force here. The large 
leaves will require more moisture, however, to keep 
them in a healthy condition, and to prevent the 
lower ones from being shed. Supply the plants 
with weak liquid manure, and the bracts will be all 
the larger for it, besides the advantage which the 
foliage will derive. 
Epiphyllum truncatum and its varieties.— 
The dry and cool atmosphere of the greenhouse or 
conservatory will be a suitable place for Epiphyllums 
while in bloom, as the flowers will last a longer 
period under those conditions. Less water must be 
given until they are again brought back into warmer 
quarters, otherwise the plants will suffer, particularly 
the roots. 
Chrysanthemums.—Even the latest varieties 
and those which have been planted out with the 
intention of potting or transferring to the borders of 
vineries, etc., should no longer be left at the mercy 
of the elements, as we may have sharp frosts at any 
time. After so much rain the buds would naturally 
be easily damaged. 
Primulas.—The double kinds and also the early 
sown varieties that are now pushing up their blooms, 
should be kept as near the glass as possible on front 
benches, or on shelves hung up close to the glass. 
Of course all this will be unnecessary where the 
houses have low span roots and are otherwise built 
on purpose for this class of plants. 
Vineries.—Where the Grapes are required to be 
ripe at a very early period, the first house should be 
closed by the end of this month. The vines them¬ 
selves should be pruned and the rods tied down in a 
horizontal position. The borders may still be top- 
dressed if they are in an exhausted state. Take off 
the top soil carefully so as not to injure the roots; 
and the soil used should be sufficiently dry to permit 
of its being well trodden down immediately it is put 
on. Look over the bunches of Black Hamburghs 
two or three times a week to remove any decayed 
berries, especially if it is intended to keep them till 
the end of the year. Keep the pipes warm and the 
top ventilators open more or less to maintain a circu¬ 
lation of air. The temperature in the Muscat house 
may be kept at 55° at night, but for other houses 50° 
will be sufficient. 
Orchard House.—The present is the best time 
to take a survey of the trees in order to determine 
which are worn out and require replacing by young 
trees. Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines are 
amongst the shortest lived of the stone fruits and re 
quire more frequent renewal. All should now be 
stood out of doors and the pots covered with Bracken 
or plunged in Cocoa-nut fibre until it is time to bring 
them indoors for starting. 
Carrots.—The main crop cannot be expected to 
grow any more, and the roots may be lifted and 
stored. This should be done carefully, the tops cut 
off, and the roots carefully stored away in moist 
sand or in small pits covered with turves to which a 
little soil may be added later on. 
Vacant Ground.—It is often found that the soil 
is in better condition for trenching in the autumn 
than in winter or early spring. As much of it should 
therefore be trenched or dug two spits deep as is 
possible while in this condition and laid up roughly 
to expose it to frost and rain. Where the soil is 
shallow and the subsoil poor or stiff clay, it should be 
thoroughly loosened up, but left in the bottom. It 
should only be gradually incorporated with the good 
soil. 
- mi, - 
Quejcionj ADD ADJOJeR^- 
N.\mes of Fruit. — Adam R. Wilson: Pear 
Uvedale’s St. Germain, a good specimen. James 
Milligan : 4, Rymer; 5, Tower of Glamis ; 6, 
Braddick's Nonpariel; others not known. A. B. : 
7, Beurre Clairgeau ; 8, Napoleon ; 9, Marie Louise ; 
10, Beurre Diel; ii. Cockle’s Pippin ; 12, Braddick’s 
Nonpariel; 14, Catillac; 15, Duchesse d’Angou- 
leme; 16, White Doyenne; 17, Wyken Pippin. 
Anxious-. I, Calville rouge precoce, not F'earn’s 
Pippin; 3, Winter Hawthornden ; 4, Glout Mor- 
ceau ; 5 and 6, Pyrus japonica and P. japonica 
Maulei. Fruit may be made into jelly. 
Names of Plants. — J. Kipps : i. Geranium 
Endresii; 2, Salvia Horminum bracteis violaceis ; 
3, Erigeron pulchellus (probably) ; 4, Campanula 
carpatica ; 5, Hyssopus officinalis; 6, Chlorophytum 
datum variegatum.— Oxon ; Aster Novi-Belgii var. 
