642 
June 10, 1898. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
now of some size and evidently past the most 
critical period. 
Apples on the whole are very variable, both in the 
case of young and old trees. Most of the young 
bush trees are rather thinly furnished, but if the 
remaining portion of the season proves favourable 
we may expect heavy fruits in autumn. The young 
trees in many cases have had a struggle to get into 
leaf, as is still evidenced by the crumpled state of the 
leaves at the base of the shoots. Good crops of 
fruit may, however, be noted on Mank’s Codlin, Lord 
Suffield, Duchess of Oldenburg, Ingestrie Yellow, 
and Baumann’s Red Winter Reinette. Younger 
trees of Stirling Castle, on the Doucin stock, and 
Lord Suffield and Cellini on the Paradise stock, have 
a wonderful crop of fruit, notwithstanding the fact 
that the trees were transplanted to a fresh piece of 
ground in winter. Considering the size of the trees 
the latter may even be said to bear an unusually 
heavy crop. The fruits are also swelling wonder¬ 
fully and promise to do well. If so, the fact would 
tell greatly in favour of the two dwarfing stocks 
named. Old bush or dwarf standard trees vary con¬ 
siderably, some being thin and others heavily set. 
In most cases, however, the fruits are dropping 
badly, the result, no doubt, of the drought and the 
impossibility of attending to the trees in the matter 
of watering. The ground underneath those trees 
must also be poorer from not being deeply worked 
and for want of manuring. 
Pears generally are in no better condition, although 
several varieties may be singled out as having set an 
abundant crop, but many of them are dropping for 
want of rain. Some of them are producing late 
trusses of bloom, but whether they will be of any 
service in the production of useful sized and per¬ 
fectly matured fruit remains to be seen. Beurre 
Grise is exceptionally well set, and Charles Van 
Mons, Emile d'Heyst, and Williams’ Bon Chretien 
are a little less favoured in that respect, but satis¬ 
factory. This refers to the old pyramidal trees. 
Some of them which were transplanted last winter 
are only just getting into leaf and show little sign of 
making good growth this year. Plums generally are 
very thin or entirely fruitless. Sharp’s Emperor 
and a few others have a light crop. Cherries are 
ripening on a west aspect wall, including Kentish ; 
but with exception perhaps of Madelaine on a north 
aspect wall, the crop may be regarded as unsatisfac¬ 
tory. This was not owing to the want of bloom, for 
the remains of numerous flower stalks on the trees 
show that the bloom must have been particularly 
heavy. 
Gooseberries bear heavily, particularly the old 
bushes, but it is more than probable that the drought 
will have some effect upon the size of the berries. 
Red Currants are plentiful and now commencing to 
ripen, but the berries are small and the bunches 
short. The same may be said of Black Currants, 
which require a considerable amount of moisture to 
bring them to perfection. Raspberries have flowered 
and set well, and the rains we recently received will 
help them considerably, but more is still wanted to 
ensure success. Notwithstanding the mulching and 
occasional heavy waterings that have been given the 
Strawberries, the fruits will be small in most cases, 
a fact to be regretted, considering the otherwise 
favourable nature of the season and the heavy crop. 
-- 
SINGLE PEONIES. 
These are now mostly out of bloom, but in spite of 
the dry weather, they made a fine display during 
last month, and might have been seen at their best 
as early as the first week in May, in the nursery of 
Messrs. Barr .& Son, Long Ditton, Surrey. Like 
everything else, they flowered much earlier this 
year than usual, but they were not affected by the 
drought to the same extent as many other classes of 
flowers, and were merely somewhat dwarfer than 
they would be in seasons with an average rainfall. 
The flowers of Pseonia Sabinii are brilliant red, 
and consist of about eight petals. A floriferous and 
strong growing Pseony is P. decora, with rosy-pink 
or purple, fragrant flowers. The leaves have long, 
linear-oblong segments, that are decidedly glaucous, 
particularly beneath. The flowers of P. anemenae- 
flora are rich crimson, with very numerous yellow 
anthers that are very prominent in the centre. The 
flowers of P. corallina are of a rich dark purple, and 
showy, but the ornamental character of the flowers 
is greatly augmented by the bright coral red colour 
of the stems, petioles and ribs of the leaves; the 
segments of the latter are broad, ovate or cordate 
and very distinct. 
There are several very distinct varieties of P. 
arietina, differing chiefly in the size and colour of the 
flowers. Those of P. a. Rosy Gem are of large 
size, deep rosy-purple, and consist of eight or nine 
petals. P. a. Purple Emperor has rich dark purple 
flowers; and in the case of P. a. Diogenes, they are 
of a rich rose red. The finest and boldest, not only 
of the varieties of P. arietina, but also of all the 
single kinds is P. a. Northern Glory, which stands 
out boldly and prominently from all the rest of the 
collection, on account of the size of its flowers, and 
the freedom with which they are produced. The 
petals are of a soft pink, and rose at the base. The 
plant is about 2 ft. high, and in average seasons 
would exceed that considerably. The segments of 
the leaves are very broad, oblong and glancous 
beneath, and for boldness, are in keeping with the 
rest of the plant. 
The leaves of P. decora elatior are also very large 
and glaucous, while the flowers are of a soft rich 
rose. Those of P. d. Gertrude Jekyll are soft pur¬ 
ple, but more intensified towards the base. P. 
anomala is a better-known plant in gardens, and 
approaches P. tenuifolia in general appearance, but 
the linear segments are much broader. The crimson- 
red flowers resemble those of that species likewise, 
and also P. officinalis. An early flowering and flori- 
ferous sort is P. peregrina, Ruby Queen, with soft 
rosy flowers. The old P. officinalis is also repre¬ 
sented by several varieties, but a very choice one is 
P. o. lobata, with rich cerise salmon, sub-globose, 
and handsome flowers. The double varieties of this 
species are early, and some of them may be noted 
here. P. o. rosea plena has flowers of a rich dark 
rose, and very numerous narrow segments inside of 
the broad, outer and true petals. P. o. fimbriata has 
double, dark rosy-purple flowers, with broader, but 
deeply lacerated petals in the centre. All of the 
above are well adapted for cultivation in the ordinary 
herbaceous border,and produce a display considerably 
in advance of the double varieties of P. albiflora now 
getting plentiful in gardens. 
-- 
EARLY STRAWBERRIES AT CHISWICK. 
There are something like ioi varieties of Straw¬ 
berry grown on a west aspect border in the gardens 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, Chiswick. The 
collection may be termed a trial, but owing to the 
small number of many of the kinds, and the ex¬ 
ceptional character of the season, it will be necessary 
to continue the trial for some years longer, to give 
all of them a fair chance. Many of the late kinds 
are only yet in bloom, and some having well-set 
fruits, are still throwing up stray trusses of flowers. 
The old Black Prince, with its small and dark col¬ 
oured fruits used to be considered one of the earliest; 
but many large fruiting kinds have now out-distanced 
it considerably. When these notes were taken on 
the 27th ult., only one ripe fruit could be seen in the 
whole row, not another fruit having commenced to 
colour. 
The first ripe fruits were obtained from King of 
the Earlies on the 20th ult., and at that time, Noble 
looked as if it would require another week to be fit 
for gathering. Both were raised by Mr. T. Laxton, 
Bedford, who was also the raiser of the next ten, 
which we noted all of different degrees of earliness, 
Many of the seedlings of the same raiser we pass 
over at present, because they had not begun to colour 
when we saw them. Next in order may be placed 
Field Marshal, with conical or often flattened fruits, 
deeply pitted, and dark-crimson red. A dwarf variety 
is General, with broadly conical, deeply pitted, and 
dark-crimson red fruits of fairly good flavour. Major 
has transversely broader or roundly conical fruits of 
rich, slightly acid flavour. They are shallowly pitted, 
and deep crimson-red. The variety seems lairly 
fruitful, but the berries are not very large, owing 
probably to the dryness of the season. The fruits of 
Sargeant are broadly conical, but often elongated, 
rather deeply pitted, and deep crimson-scarlet. The 
plants are dwarf and very fruitful. Much the same 
may be said of Corporal, which has broadly conical 
fruits, or the small ones rounded. The crop is not 
quite so heavy, perhaps. 
A few days later in ripening than the above are 
Doctor, Quartermaster, Mrs. Laxton, and Lieutenant. 
The fruits of Doctor are broadly conical or flattened, 
transverse, and bright scarlet. The surface is 
shallowly pitted. The leaves are dwarf, and 
the plants fruitful. The fruits of Quartermaster are 
short and round, or slightly transverse. The plant 
is dwarf, but only middling in fruitfulness. The 
leaves of Mrs. Laxton are dwarf and numerous, and 
the fruit stalks rather short, and seemingly the variety 
is not a heavy cropper,*but it must take a season or 
two to determine this with satisfaction. The broadly 
conical fruit is crimson-scarlet, and shallowly pitted. 
The fruit of Lieutenant is conical, often compressed, 
or even three-angled, shallowly pitted, and deep 
crimson. It is evidently a fruitful kind with very 
dwarf leaves. Teutonia is somewhat later than the 
above by a few days, and has broadly and bluntly 
conical, moderately deeply pitted, crimson-scarlet 
fruits, produced in what would be termed a good 
crop. 
The succeeding varieties are by other raisers, and 
the same differences in their period of ripening may 
be noted. John Ruskin ripens about the same time 
as Ncble, and compared with King of the Earlies 
may be considered a second early at Chiswick, 
although the difference is not really very great. The 
fruit of John Ruskin is broadly conical, shallowly 
pitted, and crimson-red, but rather watery and 
tasteless in Savour. The fruit stalks are moderately 
long and bear well, the fruits being very equal in 
size. The leaves are relatively few to a plant, so 
that the fruits are well exposed to the sun. Almost 
as early is Mons. Dupanloup, with conical, elongated 
fruits, or the larger ones transversely broader, rather 
deeply pitted, and crimson-red. The fruit stalks are 
short, and fairly fruitful, while the leaves are short 
and light green. Wilson’s Improved would ripen 
about the same period as Doctor, Quartermaster, 
and others of that group. The leaves are only 4 in. 
to 6 in. high, and the short, but broadly conical 
fruits are of a bright crimson-red. The fruits of 
Pauline are large, greatly elongated, often angled, 
and sometimes flattened. It is moderately fruitful 
with relatively dwarf leaves. That and Early 
Prolific would ripen about the same time as 
Wilson’s Improved, and therefore take a third 
place as to earliness. The fruits of Early 
Prolific are conical, and very moderate in size, the 
leaves few, and only 6 in. high. Sharpless No. 1 
would take a fourth place as to earliness, and has 
conical, elongated, or lobed fruits just commencing 
to colour. The leaves are few and the plant fairly 
fruitful. 
Taking all things together, this is an exceptional 
season, and not a very good criterion to abide by in 
judging of the capabilities of new Strawberries, 
except to test their earliness in fine seasons. No 
idea can be conceived of the size the fruits are 
capable of attaining, because of the dryness of the 
atmosphere which prevented the normal growth of 
everything, notwithstanding whatever water may 
have been given artificially. Many of the varieties 
at Chiswick are represented by a couple of plants, 
and of them we can say nothing as yet. Others are 
small and weak, so that another season at least is 
necessary to judge of their merits. 
-- 
THE MARKET GARDENERS’ 
COMPENSATION ACT. 
The following Bill has been prepared and brought into 
Parliament by Sir Edmund Lechmere, Mr. Jesse 
Codings, Sir Frederick Dixon-Hartland, Sir Algernon 
Borthwick, and Sir Richard Temple to extend the 
provisions of the Agricultural Holdings (England) 
Act, 1883, so far as they relate to market gardens:— 
A Bill to extend the provisions of the Agricultural 
Holdings (England) Act, 18S3, so tar as they relate 
to market gardens. 
Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent 
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons in this 
present Parliament assembled, and by the authority 
of the same as follows. 
1. This Act may be cited as The Market Gar¬ 
deners’ Compensation Act, 1S93, and shall be read 
and construed as part of the Agricultural Holdings 
(England) Act, 1893, hereinafter called the principal 
Act. 
2. This Act shall come into operation on the first 
day of January one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, 
which date is hereinafter referred to as the com¬ 
mencement of this Act. 
3. From and after the commencement of this Act 
