586 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 16th, 1885. 
Fruit Culture under Glass.— Figs : Houses 
in which the fruits are either ripe or approaching 
maturity, should be ventilated freely during favourable 
weather, and a somewhat dry atmosphere should be 
aimed at to insure high flavour. As soon as the fruit 
has been gathered, give the trees a good soaking of 
clear water at the roots, and a good washing overhead 
with the syringe, and keep the house rather warmer, 
and the atmosphere more moist, to encourage a second 
crop of fruit to swell. The trees in successional 
houses should have occasional waterings of tepid 
liquid manure at the roots, and should be syringed 
overhead morning and afternoon with clear tepid 
water, as much with a view to keeping the foliage free 
from the attacks of red-spider as promoting a genial 
atmosphere in the house. Pinch the points out of 
young shoots as soon as they have obtained to a length 
of 18 ins. or 20 ins., to encourage thereon the formation 
of young fruit as well as a balance of growth on the 
individual trees. 
Peaches in the early house can, if desired, be 
pushed on rapidly by closing the house sufficiently 
early in the afternoons of bright sunny days to run 
the temperature up to 90 degs. or 95 degs., with 
plenty of atmospheric moisture, providing the trees 
are sufficiently moist at the roots, and that they are 
otherwise in good condition. The trees in successional 
houses should also be syringed well overhead morning 
and afternoon, and be kept well supplied with water 
at the roots. It will not be advisable to give liquid 
manure to the roots until the fruits have stoned, 
after which critical period is over it may be applied 
copiously with great advantage to the trees, which 
will swell larger fruit in consequence. 
Long-keeping Geapes. —These include Muscat of 
Alexandria, Gros Colmar, Black Alicante, Mrs. Pince’s 
Black Muscat, Gros Guillaume, Lady Downes, and 
Gros Maroc, and they should all have the berries 
thinned well out in the bunches, as much with a 
view to securing large berries as insuring their 
keeping qualities, by reason of the berries being less 
close together in the bunch, and therefore less liable 
to suffer through damp and friction of the berries 
as bunches not so thinned would be.— H. W. Ward, 
Longford Castle. 
A Good Late Apple, Lodgemore Nonpareil. 
—A very interesting correspondence has lately taken 
place in the columns of The Field, respecting the 
flavour of late Apples. As the result of some 
unfavourable comments by the Editor on the poor 
quality generally of the sorts of Apples sent to market 
after Christmas, he has been favoured with specimens 
of a number of varieties, more or less esteemed for 
their good flavour by those who sent them, but only 
one of them has really reached his standard of 
excellence. This is the Lodgemore Nonpareil, or 
Clissold’s Seedling, concerning which the sender 
writes:—“There is no excuse for there not being a 
supply of this Apple in London, or anywhere else. It 
is a regular every year bearer, but never of a very 
large crop. It is also a healthy tree, having the 
peculiarity that it is quite a month behind all the 
others (with one exception) in putting forth leaf and 
bloom. It looks like a birch broom, and is often 
pointed out as dead when all the other kinds are 
green. I believe this to be the best of all the Non¬ 
pareils to grow, though I am not sure that it quite 
equals the real old Nonpareil for richness; yet it 
certainly is a kind to save seedlings from, and one 
from which to take pollen for artificial impregnation.” 
The fruits are described as small, but well formed, 
with a truly refined and high flavour—“the best 
Apple,” remarks the Editor, “ yet sent to us late in the 
year.” Dr. Hogg describes its season as being from 
February to June, and states that it was raised at 
Lodgemore, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, by Mr. Cook, 
about the year 1808. Judging from the fact that only 
eight dishes of it were shown at the Apple Congress, 
and that it does not appear in any of the lists of 
varieties selected by the exhibitors, the Lodgemore 
Nonpareil is not much knoivn or not so much 
appreciated as its merits appear to deserve. 
RORAIMA, A MOUNTAIN OF 
BRITISH GUIANA. 
The following are a few extracts from a paper read 
by Mr. H. J. Perkin—who accompanied Mr. Im 
Thurn in his successful ascent of this hitherto un¬ 
explored mountain—before the Boyal Geographical 
Society 
“ The north-east and west sides of Boraima are 
forest covered, but on the south and south-west it is 
for the most part devoid of trees until a height of 
5,890 ft. is reached, and from here up to the cliff-face 
the slope becomes far more steep and is covered by a 
thick dense undergrowth; there are very few large 
trees, and even they are small when compared with 
the giant vegetation of the forests we had passed 
through.” 
“ At about 5,600 ft. we found a large piece of 
swampy ground filled with most exquisite varieties 
of Orchids and Ferns, and also the Utricularia 
Humboldtii, which grows to greater perfection here 
than on the Kaieteur savannah. Here, also, we found 
the Heliamphora, or pitcher-plant, whose cup-shaped 
leaves were full of water; it bears a delicate white 
flower without smell.” 
“ On the 10th, with Mr. Siede, we went up a path 
cut by a Mr. Whitely, in 1883, to the face of the cliff, 
and on our way, at 6,410 ft., found a lovely flowering 
plant, the Leiothamnus Elizabethan, of Schomburgk ; 
it has deep carmine star-shaped flowers, with a white 
star centre, the points of which radiate down the 
petals. At 6,841 ft., we rediscovered another exquisite 
flower, first found by Bichard Schomburgk, an 
Utricularia, with a large deep crimson blossom. The 
plant grows on the branches of trees, and is about 
2 ins. to 3 ins. in height; the bloom completely 
hides the stalk, and is about lj in. long, by 
\ in. wide; sometimes there are two flowers 
on the same plant, but usually only one. The 
appearance of one of these bright blossoms on the 
sombre tree-branches has a most peculiar effect, and 
one’s admiration is divided between the brightness 
of the flower and the wonderful energy of the tiny 
plant that produces it. Pursuing our way we reached 
the cliff at twelve o’clock, nearly three hours from the 
start, the way being extremely rough and steep, over 
roots and trunks of trees and bare rocks ; at times we 
could hear water running among the stones under our 
feet. 
“ There are no trees of any very great size growing 
on that, portion of the mountain, but the varieties of 
Ferns are very numerous and beautiful, varying from 
small filmy to tall tree ferns, some 20 ft. to 30 ft. in 
height; but the plant that seemed to arvaken for the time 
as much interest with us as any other, was the Bubus 
Schomburgkii, or Boraima Blackberry, which greatly 
resembles the English Bramble ; -we gathered several 
branches of the fruit, which possibly does get sweet, 
but none of those we obtained were at all eatable.” 
After describing how the explorers passed the 
waterfall, getting thoroughly drenched, Mr. Perkin 
goes on :— 
“ From this fall to the top the last portion of the ledge 
slopes at an angle of 30 degs., and is in places quite 
twenty or more yards in width ; it is covered by a 
dense growth of moss, and in spots tall coarse grass, 
which gives way here and there to flowering plants 
and small shrubs. Of the flowers, one in particular, 
a species of Heath, took our fancy by its dark pink 
blossoms of six petals, about the size of a halfpenny, 
which lay in quantities along our path. 
“ So occupied were we in securing each new treasure, 
that we had almost gained the top before being aware 
of it, for near the summit the ledge loses its steepness 
and is, so to speak, merged into the top itself. 
“ A curious sight met our eager gaze as we passed 
the boundary line of the unknown ; on all sides were 
grouped rocks of every shape unimaginable, weird, 
strange, and fantastic, first a row of huge oblong stones 
that looked like rude cannon placed there to guard the 
approach; further on another rock like a giant’s 
umbrella on a short thick stem of about 4 ft. or 5 ft. 
in height, and others like miniature castles and ruins 
of old churches, leaning so much that had they not 
been solidly connected with portions of the enormous 
sandstone bed, they would have fallen. We saw no 
lake, however, but several pools of water here and 
there. The vegetation on the summit was extremely 
scanty and insignificant. There being no trees, only 
small bushes from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in height, growing 
at long intervals, and, with the exception of a few 
scrubby Orchids, two species of thick-leaved Ferns, and 
a variety of the red Utricularia from below, there was 
no other plant there, owing, no doubt, to the absence 
of soil; for it is not possible for earth to collect on 
the s umm it, as it would be almost immediately carried 
over by the rain-water, which finds its way over the 
edge of the enormous cliff soon after it has fallen in 
most splendid waterfalls, some- of which have a clear 
faB of 1,500 ft.” 
Work in the Plant-houses.— Ferns : These 
will require to be gone through now, and many of them 
potted on into larger pots. In preparing the compost 
for any of the free-growing sorts of Pteris, a little 
artificial manure may be used with advantage; or where 
the plants are not to be potted on, a slight sprinkle 
on the surface of the soil may be applied if the pots 
are well filled with roots. Adiantum cuneatum should 
be grown where it can be well exposed, and if the 
watering is properly attended to it will only require 
a slight shading when the sun is very bright. If 
grown where it can be well exposed, and the size of 
the pots is limited, the fronds will not only be harder 
and stand better after they are cut, but will be of 
that pale green shade which is now considered so 
desirable. 
Palms. —Although many species of Palms will grow 
in a low or intermediate temperature, and will stand 
a great amount of exposure to the sun, yet almost 
all of them that are to be grown on for decoration 
will make better plants for the purpose if grown on 
in a high temperature and kept well shaded, as under 
such treatment the leaves will become more elongated, 
thus giving the plants a more graceful appearance. 
Palms may be grown to a great size in comparatively 
small pots ; in fact, we think that over-potting, and 
too much water at the root, is often the cause of 
failure in Palm-growing. A moist, humid atmosphere 
must be maintained; and the plants should be 
supplied with manure in some form or other from 
time to time; either liquid manure may be used, or 
any of the artificial fertilizers will be found very 
efficacious. 
As a liquid manure for Palms we like that made 
from cow-dung and soot, and Standen’s manure is 
one of the best artificial manures for the purpose. 
For syringing, pure rain-water should aways be used 
if procurable. Water that contains chalk should be 
avoided, as after frequent syringing this will leave 
a whitish deposit on the surface of the leaves, which 
will be very difficult to wash off. In selecting Palms 
for decoration care should be taken to use only those 
that have their leaves well developed, as those with 
young leaves will not only be more liable to get 
damaged, but the undeveloped leaves will not grow 
away again after being exposed. 
-- 
Marguerites.—Of all the forms of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums that we term Marguerites, I think the very best 
is the old frutescens ; the foliage is so elegantly 
cut, it is so free, and so easily managed. What an 
immense number of flowers a good-sized plant will 
supply ! I have one in a 24-sized pot in my green¬ 
house, in the full glare of the sun, and I keep it 
standing in a pan of water. It is said by some not to 
be such a vigorous grower as some of the other forms, 
but in good soil and well tended it grows fairly 
vigorously and blooms abundantly. You can cut at 
a time nearly or quite fifty flowers, and others soon 
take their place. Halleri major and Halleri maxima 
are two forms of a vigorous growing type producing 
white flowers, both very free and of great value for 
cutting from; maxima is regarded as one of the 
finest of the group, the flowers being large and of 
the purest whiteness. Madame Farfoullion is a very 
dwarf and compact-growing variety, the flower pure 
white, and it is very useful for bedding purposes. 
Then there is what is known as the Hair-leaved 
Marguerite, C. pinnatifidum, so fine is the foliage; 
the flowers are pure white, and the plant has a very 
neat and graceful appearance. There are two yellow 
