August 12, 1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
789 
Cherry Pie is a common name for Heliotrope. 
The Fairies are Baking is a pretty little Scotch 
saying, heard when the sun is seen to shine through 
rain. 
Crude Petroleum, though rather offensive to the 
smell, if used for destroying weeds on walks, answers 
perfectly, killing them, it is reported, for four or five 
years. 
Bedding at the Zoo.—Nowhere in London will 
such beautiful flower beds be seen at this time. Not 
only are the combinations perfectly amazing, but the 
purity of the foliage and flower colour tones, and the 
healthy vigour of the same is better than anything 
I have seen for a very long while. No doubt the 
manure which can be secured so easily is liberally 
dug in. At any rate the floral display itself is worth 
is.— D. 
Phormium tenax, Powerscourt variety.—There is 
to be seen in full flower a grand plant of the above 
at 8, Islington Avenue, Kingstown, the residence of 
Mr. D. McLeod. There are four or five very large 
spikes thrown up, but this is the first time that Mr. 
McLeod has got them to flower. There is another 
plant of this flowering at Booterstown. It would be 
interesting to know if its flowering be of common 
occurrence this year, and if so, to what cause can it be 
attributed. 
Gooseberry Picking.—We all know how sore a 
business it is to pick Gooseberries from the tangled, 
low-hanging, basal shoots of the bushes. In parts 
of Canada by a simple device, consisting of an iron 
hoop, the growers are enabled to raise the shoots 
upward. The hoop is round and severed at one 
part, the ends being bent back to form hooks which 
clasp to complete the circle. Three wires are 
attached at regular distances apart around the hoop 
and these wires are joined above to the top of a 
stake. This, on being pushed down the centre of 
the bushes, affords a fulcrum for the supporting 
wires holding up the hoop. 
Sutton’s Bulb Annual.—The severe drought has 
had a marked effect on gardens. In all probability 
the result will be that beds and borders will be 
cleared of their present occupants at an earlier period 
than usual to make way for the planting of Dutch 
and other bulbs. No other flowers can be cultivated 
with such ease. A child may grow them with 
almost assured success, for the principal part of the 
work has already been accomplished by the contin¬ 
uous care of experts who have watched over their 
welfare during the three or four years necessary to 
bring them to maturity. Bulbs offer many other 
advantages, They make brilliant decorative subjects 
for the conservatory and greenhouse, and they 
furnish the home with pure and vivid colouring 
during winter’s darkest days and the opening weeks 
of spring. In beds and borders they are equally 
effective; indeed it is a question whether summer 
bedding in the height of its beauty can equal the 
displays of spring. Not only are the flowers varied 
and attractive, but the smoky atmosphere of towns 
appears to be almost incapable of injuring them. 
Another feature, which has largely contributed to 
their popularity, particularly among amateurs, is 
that bulbs are sufficiently hardy to endure our 
severest winters. Sutton’s Bulb Annual for 1899 
contains lists of all the finest and most popular 
varieties of bulbous flowers, and the brief descrip¬ 
tions simplify the task of selection. Those who 
experience the least difficulty are offered the choice 
of a series of collections adapted to meet the require¬ 
ments of windows, greenhouses, or conservatories. 
For the garden assortments are offered which are 
suitable for a few effective beds or sufficient to 
make a vast terrace garden glow with inimitable 
colours. Lilies form a different class, and it is need¬ 
less to refer to their beauty, for this is universally 
recognised. But it is interesting to note that their 
number has received several remarkable additions in 
recent years. Other beautiful subjects such as 
Begonias, Cyclamens and Gloxinias, which can only 
be successfully raised under glass, have long teen 
specialities of the great Reading house. For these 
superb flowers honours have again been won .in the 
current year. Sutton’s Bulb Annual is a very dainty 
work, illustrated on almost every page with repro¬ 
ductions from photographs, and is bound in an 
artistic cover containing several charming character¬ 
istic views of the " land of bulbs.” 
The Grading of Fruits for market is receiving 
serious attention in Canada. The Canadian Horti¬ 
culturist wages war against bad packing, and really it 
is time that exporters made an effort to be genuine. 
San Jose Scale.—Despite the fact that this is one 
of the more serious pests known in modern orchards, 
and even after passing an Act some two years ago in 
Ontario for the destruction of all infected orchards, 
the provisions of the said Act have not yet been 
enforced. There is now, however, a strong cry 
raised to have its effect brought into play. 
A Seedling Plum.—In the July issue of the Canadian 
Horticulturist there is figured a seedling Plum of re¬ 
markable productiveness, and also, it is stated, 
hardiness. Indeed, its fault seems to be in bearing 
too many fruits, whose weight breaks the branches. 
Propping up or thinning, of course, would mitigate 
this. Scions are offered to any who may wish 
tnem. 
Big Squashes—As a member of the Cucurbitaceae 
the Squashes (so-called) form when well grown 
specimens cf monstrous vegetation, in so far that 
they are annual. From Canada comes a big record, 
substantiated by excellent photographs, too, in the 
Canadian Horticulturist, of three fruits of the Squash, 
weighing 388J, 355$, and 344 lbs. respectively. 
They were grown and exhibited last autumn by 
Mr. Wm. Warnock, cf Goderich, Ontario. 
Driving Insects out of Gardens.—Such is the rather 
humour raising title in one of the society papers. 
One fancies the procession must be a droll one, loop- 
backed caterpillars and all the fly tribes marching 
steadily but greatly disconsolate, driven from the 
feeding grounds by the hateful ingenuity of the biped, 
man. The recipe given is to mix one part of soot with 
three parts of water and spray the leaves of Cabbages, 
salads, &c., three or four times during growth, and 
all insects are driven away. 
One and All Annual Flower Show.—The " One and 
All ” flower show in conjunction with the National 
Co-operative Festival falls on Saturday, August 
19th. But from the Monday previous, that is, August 
14th, till the Saturday (19th) each day is arranged 
for some items of attraction For instance, on Mon¬ 
day the 14th, Earl Grey, the President of the Festival 
for the past year, has kindly undertaken to induct 
the new President, Dr. Lorrimer, of the Tremont 
Temple, Boston, for the coming term, who immedi¬ 
ately delivers his inaugural address. In the exhibi¬ 
tion of horticultural photographs, which form one of 
the peculiar and principal features of the “ One and 
All ” show, there are, for the first time, two distinct 
classes of prizes. One class of awards goes for hor¬ 
ticultural effect, the 0 ther for photographic merits. 
The number of photographic views largely surpasses 
that of last year, which was very great. Besides the 
two addresses on the opening Monday already men¬ 
tioned, T. W. Sanders, Esq., F.R.H.S., wi 1 deliver 
a lecture on " Workers’ Gardens,” with reference to 
both beauty and utility. Snowden Ward, Esq. 
(Editor of the " Photogram ”) will deliver a lantern 
lecture on "Horticultural Photography.” On the 
second day (Tuesday) the Right Hon. Gerald Bal¬ 
four, M.P. (Chief Secretary for Ireland;, will open 
the exhibition of goods produced ia Co-operative 
workshops. And the same day George Gordon, Esq., 
V.M.H., will lecture on " Vegetables for Small Gar¬ 
dens.” D. T. Fish, Esq., F.R.H.S., gives a lecture 
the following day on " Fruit for Cottagers,” and on 
the Thursday, Richard Dean, Esq , V.M.H., speaks 
upon “ Flowers for Workmen.” At 3 o’clock on the 
Friday, D. R. Scratton, Esq., of Ogwell, Devon, for¬ 
mally opens the great “ One and All ” F'lower Show. 
On this day, too, J. Wright, V.M.H., F.R.H.S., is 
announced for a lecture on " Allotment Cultivation.” 
Snowden Ward, Esq., delivers his second and final 
lecture on " Horticultural Photography.” We can¬ 
not here make mention of all the various and very 
valuable prizes, but an idea of the number and worth 
may be conceived when we say that silver cups, and 
gold, silver, and bronze medals are not wanting. The 
prize schedule extends to 140 pages, including over a 
thousand ordinary prizes, aggregating in amount to 
/350. The separate exhibits will run to 5,000. 
Many other great items, as in the musical competi¬ 
tions hnd Dr. Lorrimer’s speech before an audience 
of many thousands, occupy the closing two days. All 
the arrangements and attractions are on a colossal 
scale and of the very best. 
Cats in Gardens.—Here is a plan which has been 
effective with a contributor to the Irish Farming 
World. He got cardboard in sizes something like 
playing cards and stuck a number of tacks through 
these cards from the back and placed another piece 
of card on the back to keep them from falling out. 
These were placed along the cats' runs and thinly 
covered over with fine soil. The result when the 
cats came that way the next time may be imagined — 
but since then he has had no trouble from this 
source. 
-- 
WEATHER AND CROPS IN WEST 
LOTHIAN. 
This has been one of the most disastrous seasons 
within memory, as far as gardening in this district 
is concerned. After a terribly late, cold and wet 
spring we had a four weeks’ spell of drought, just at 
the time when genial weather was most needed. 
The drought again has been followed by several 
weeks of dull, wet weather, and as may easily be 
imagined, everything is practically out of season. 
Strawberries that promised so well, when in 
flower,' have turned out anything but satisfactory. 
The quantity is there, but the fruit is small, so it 
bulks badly, and slugs are a perfect nuisance in the 
Strawberry bedsowing to ths moist, warm weather. 
Duke of Edinburgh is the only variety that has 
withstood the weather, and given anything like a 
satisfactory return. Cherries are a fair crop, but 
the fruits are much under size. Plums are a heavy 
crop. Apples and Pears nil. Black Currants are 
thiD, but very fine, large fruits. Red Currants are a 
heavy crop ; while Raspberries are much above the 
average, if the fruit only swells to a good size. 
Tcfmatos are, of course, not grown out of doors; 
but under glass are this year exceptionally fine. In 
passing I should say that one of the finest Tomatos 
I have yet seen is Laird's Supreme. I have it this 
year for the first time, and find it has all the virtues 
of a good Tomato, namely, good size, fine shape, 
grand flavour, and most important of all, it is a very 
free setter. Another of Messrs. Laird's Tomatos, 
Stirling Castle, I consider it would bi difficult to 
beat. It does not grow to a large size, but it sets so 
well that no other variety carries the same weight of 
fruit to the plant, and every fruit is perfect in shape 
and flavour. 
Bedding plants, with the exception of S'ocks and 
'Verbenas, have done well. Begonias are finer than 
ever before seen in this locality ; while herbaceous 
plants are for the most part doiDg splendidly. One 
fact I must not forget to mention is the extraordinary 
growth made by all evergreen trees and shrubs. 
This is most noticeable in the Holly, boih green and 
variegated, and in all classes of Rhododendrons. If 
the autumn is dry and warm to ripen the wood, I 
should expect a fine display of bloom next season. 
I almost forgot to mention the Roses now (July 24th) 
in full bloom with us. They are very fine but suffer 
much from the heavy rains.— Black Watch. 
- «#. - 
THE SWELLING AND RIPENING OF 
FRUITS. 
What a lot of care and work there is when we 
think of it all, before a crop of fruits, indoor fruits 
more especially, are set upon the table ready to eat. 
Without beating about the bush, however, let me 
dive into the work on hand. We have a crop. It 
may be large, or small, or a medium crop. Say first 
a large crop, whether of Grapes, Peaches, Nec¬ 
tarines, Cherries, or any other fruit. You let the 
"set” advance just enough t6 see that all are in 
good condition, even of form, and swelling up in a 
rational way. Presently it behoves you that a 
lighter load would let the selected remaining ones 
become the more creditable and worth more. It is 
well to bear in mind that one of the greatest rules to 
heed in fruit culture is that of thinning early. The 
reason should be clear to any thinker. 
Having thinned, say, with Strawberries, to nine or 
ten to a plant; Peaches, both smooth and hairy, one 
fruit generally per square foot ; Cherries regulated 
to just a nice sprinkling, though it is not often they 
require such attention; and Grapes, of course, 
largely depend on the variety and other circum¬ 
stances, but it may roughly be taken as from a-half 
to a whole inch between the berries in a bunch. 
After having thinned them, and those left to form 
the crop doing well, the cultivator must see about 
