492 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 3, 1897. 
% 
The plants were grown in houses recently planted 
with Vines and Peaches. Many of them were 
trained to the back wall at a considerable distance 
from the glass. Had they been grown in houses 
specially constructed, and devoted entirely to them, 
there is every reason to suppose that a heavier crop 
would have been obtained. 
An attack of Potato disease ( Phytophthora infestans) 
made its appearance early in May on the-Hackwood 
Park variety. The plants were sprayed with a 
solution of i lb. sulphate of copper and £ lb. quick¬ 
lime mixed in ten gallons of water, which removed 
all traces of the disease in the later fruits. 
Experiments in Manuring.. 
No manure was applied until the roots had taken 
full possession of the soil, at which time a number of 
plants growing in different houses, and under varying 
conditions as to light and sunshine, were selected 
for the purpose of experimenting with the following 
manures, which were applied fortnightly at the rate 
of one-eighth of an ounce to each plant. In each 
case where more than one kind of manure was used 
they were mixed in equal proportions, and the exact 
quantity given. The plants were carefully attended 
to, and their condition and results noted at the time. 
No. i. Nitrate of soda and muriate of potash. 
,, 2. Superphosphate of lime, muriate of potash, 
and sulphate of iron. 
„ 3. Sulphate of ammonia, and muriate of 
potash. 
,, 4. Muriate of potash, sulphate of iron, and 
nitrate of soda. 
„ 5. Sulphate of iron, and muriate of potash. 
„ 6. Muriate of potash. 
„ 7. Sulphate of iron. 
,, 8. Nitrate of soda. 
,, 9. Sulphate of ammonia. 
„ 10. Superphosphate of lime. 
Nos. 2, 5, 6, 7, and 10 were quite a failure ; the 
fruit was below the average size and the foliage had 
a yellow sickly appearance, indicating a deficiency 
of nitrogen in the soil. The plants appeared so 
unhealthy that several persons who were not 
experienced in plant growing noticed their poor 
condition. Nos. 3 and 4 produced a moderate crop, 
and appeared to be fairly healthy Nos. 1, 8, and 9 
were good strong healthy plants, and produced a 
full crop of fruit. These plants were very similar in 
condition to others which were supplied with diluted 
liquid manure from the stables and shippons, but in 
the end the latter manure produced the most 
satisfactory results. It may be observed that 
sulphate of ammonia alone, produced better results 
than when combined with muriate of potash. 
Potassic manures have long been considered the best 
for Tomatos, and yet when muriate of potash was 
applied by itself it proved to be a failure. In future 
experiments we shall endeavour to find out whether 
nitrate of potash, or kainit, will produce any better 
results than muriate of potash. 
Yield, and Value, and Varieties Grown. 
The first ripe fruits were gathered on May 4th, 
1896, and the average yield was over 8£ lbs per 
plant, the total yield of fruit from 130 plants being 
1127 lbs. The price varied from 6d. to is. per lb. 
The total amount realised, after payment of carriage 
and commission, was ^35 6s. 6d., thus averaging 7jd. 
per lb. The varieties grown were Hack wood Park 
and Neild’s Seedling. The former is a prolific 
variety, but its fruit is too large to suit the require¬ 
ments of consumers. The latter variety is a seedling 
of my own raising. It was tried at Chiswick last 
year, and was given an "Award of Merit ” by the 
Royal Horticultural Society, who state it is of "com¬ 
pact growth, great cropper, clusters overlapping each 
other, averaging six fruits each; moderate size, 
round, smooth, dark red, solid, and good flavour.” 
Smooth fruits of medium size are more highly 
appreciated in the market than large ones. In nearly 
every instance the smaller fruits realised from id. to 
2d. per lb. more than the larger ones. 
Packing and Ppeparing the Fruit 
for the Market. 
Large quantities of fruit are destroyed by bad pack¬ 
ing. In many instances the fruit is placed loosely 
several layers deep in baskets or boxes, with, the 
result that in most cases it arrives at its destination 
in a bruised and damaged condition. 
The best system of packing is to place the fruit in 
a single layer in shallow boxes. The boxes should 
be strong and light, holding from ten to fifteen lbs., 
and when a larger quantity is to be sent away a 
number of boxes could be placed on the top of each 
other, and fastened together with strong cord. A 
little soft hay, sphagnum moss, or wood wool should 
be placed in the bottom of the box, and on this 
a covering of soft white paper. The fruit should be 
packed closely together, stalk end downwards. 
When the box is filled, or the requisite quantity put 
in, the fruit should be covered with paper and all 
vacant spaces filled with the packing material before 
the top is put on. Too much emphasis cannot be 
laid upon the absolute necessity of packing the fruit 
firmly, to prevent it moving about, as it would there¬ 
by become damaged. Neither grass, nor any damp 
material, should be used for packing Tomatos, for if 
they remain in the boxes for several hours heating 
or fermentation takes place, which materially injures 
the quality of the fruit. When Tomatos are sent to 
market or have to undergo a railway journey, it is 
advisable to gather them before they are fully ripe, 
as in that state they should reach their destination in 
a better condition. It should, however, be remem¬ 
bered that probably there is no fruit that deteriorates 
more quickly than the Tomato after it is removed 
from the plant. It is owing to this fact that good 
home-grown Tomatos are so incomparably better 
than those imported. When Tomatos have attained 
their full size, and are cut off in a green state, they 
will subsequently assume an appearance of ripening, 
but there can be no comparison between such fruit 
and that which is ripened on the plant. 
Experiments in Grafting. 
An interesting experiment was made by grafting the 
Tomato plant on the stem of the Potato, and vice 
versa. The Tomato grafted an the Potato produced 
a good crop of fruit, although not equal in quantity, 
nor were the individual fruits so large as those 
produced by plants growing on their own roots. The 
Potato stock did not produce the least perceptible 
change in the flavour of the fruit. 
A curious circumstance in connection with this 
union was that the Potato tubers emitted roots quite 
freely where, under normal conditions, buds are 
produced. The Potato stems grafted on Tomato 
plants did not grow so freely as the Tomato on the 
Potato. Small tubers were produced in the axils of 
the leaves. The tubers were quite green, and in 
course of growth produced a number of small buds. 
— IV. Nield, F.R.H.S., Holmes Chapel, March 15 th, 
1897 . 
-- 
HARD-WOODED PLANTS AT BUSH 
HILL, 
In addition to the great reputation possessed by 
Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., with regard to all that 
relates to Orchids, they have long been cele¬ 
brated for their cultivation of hard wooded subjects, 
more particularly those commonly known as New 
Holland plants. Orchids are the, flowers of to-day, 
Heaths, Epacrises, and Acacias are the flowers of 
yesterday, but it is not at all an extravagant expecta¬ 
tion to anticipate another time in the future when 
the sun of popular favour shall again shine upon 
what is after all a highly decorative class of plants. 
The Messrs. Low’s establishment at Bush Hill Park, 
Enfield, is one of the largest of those complex 
machines—a modern nursery. The glass depart¬ 
ment is especially spacious, and indeed it had need 
so to be, considering the great variety of the subjects 
that receive skilled attention, as well as the vast 
numbers in which they are annually turned out. We 
may say at the commencement that the standard of 
attainment with regard to cultural skill there 
exhibited is great ; and more, that it is maintained 
throughout, no matter what is taken in hand. 
Ericas. —There is but a moderate demand for 
these at the present time ; that is to say moderate as 
compared with former years, when they were at the 
flood-tide of public favour. Actually, however, con¬ 
siderable numbers are still sent out each year. E. 
wilmoreana is one of the best late flowering forms, 
and when properly looked after is a great success. 
The variety E. w. caliculata is similar to it with 
regard to size and habit, but the flowers have a 
strongly developed petaloid calyx, bright rosy pink 
in colour. This is about half the length of the carolla, 
and gives the flower a very distinct appearance. E. 
regerminans has pale red flowers, rather small, but 
very attractive in the mass. They are also very 
sweetly scented—an additional attraction. E. per- 
soluta alba, a well-known variety, was represented 
by large batches of bushy healthy plants, in large 
forty-eight or small thirty-two sized pots. All of the 
plants were showing well for flower, and will make a 
brave display in the near future. E. melanthera is 
a very free flowering species of exceedingly compact 
habit. The flowers are of medium size, and of a 
charming pink shade. The exserted black anthers 
are at once distinct and attractive. E. gracilis is 
often seen upon the markets through the winter 
months, and may ordinarily be depended upon to 
come in for the Christmas season, when the spikes of 
rich purple red flowers are well received. Some 
later plants are still in flower at the Bush Hill 
Nurseries. 
Amongst the hardwood section of heaths which is 
now very seldom seen in private gardens are not a 
few pretty plants. They are usually regarded as 
being difficult of culture, and this has doubtless 
militated against them. E. Holfordii is well worthy 
of attention. It is very dwarf in habit, and produces 
its light red tubular flowers in terminal whorls in the 
same way as the better known E. fairieana. E. vernis 
coccinea bears curious subglobose flowers, singly and 
in twos and threes at intervals along the stem. The 
flowers are large and bright red in colour. 
Epacrises. —When well grown, as they are by 
Messrs. Low, these plants have few compeers, and 
for conservatory decoration in the winter months 
they are all that could be desired. A single well- 
flowered plant is brilliancy itself; what then must be 
said of large batches of such plants all flowering from 
end to end with colour ? for such was the sight that 
we were favoured with. E. Alba Odorata is a well- 
known white of great beauty, but it is far outdone by 
E. Her Majesty, This has pure white flowers fully 
double the size of the former variety ; moreover, it 
is taller and more vigorous, for plants in 48's were 
many of them bearing racemes of flower fully t8 in. 
in length. E. Diadem is the counterpart of E. Her 
Majesty as far as size of flower and habit go, but 
the colour is a rich rosy carmine. Other notable 
forms are E. exquisita, rosy magenta, and Viscountess 
Hill, brick red, both of them being varieties of a good 
many years standing. 
Acacias. —Bearing in mind the size of this genus 
with regard to the number of species it contains, as 
well as its importance from a garden point of view 
of the decorative value of the plants, and the 
variety of habit that they manifest, it is a pity that 
Acacias should be so inadequately represented in our 
greenhouses. A. armata may be seen almost any¬ 
where it is true, and the same may be said of A. 
dealbata, and A. Drummondii, but beautiful as these 
are, they are by no means all that are deserving of 
cultivation. A. riceana, for instance, cannot be 
surpassed for grace and elegance, with its huge pen¬ 
dulous trusses of pale-yellow flowers. Several grand 
specimen plants possessed by Messrs. Low were a 
perfect picture. A undulata is very close to A.armata 
but differs from it in having larger heads of paler 
yellow flowers, and the stems are pale red instead of 
white. A. pubescens makes a very handsome 
specimen, and is very suitable for planting out in the 
conservatory. It has long sub-pendulous branches, 
and the bright-yellow flowers are disposed in 
compound axillary racemes. The leaves are 
bipinnate, and with the younger stems thickly clothed 
with short downy hairs. A. cordata with its long 
dense spikes of pale-yellow flowers, and its small 
cordate phyllodes shows a marked difference of habit 
from the foregoing. In a small state for window 
decoration it is a great success. A. platyptera was 
out of flower at the time of our visit, but earlier in 
the season had been very gay. It is grown in con¬ 
siderable numbers in common with the other forms 
noted. 
Greenhouse Rhododendrons are a specialty at 
Bush Hill, and the collection comprises some charm¬ 
ing varieties. One of the finest is Lady Alice 
Fitzwilliam, and it is certainly the largest in point of 
size. The pure white blooms measure between four 
and five inches in diameter, and are deliciously 
fragrant. Princess Alice is a white variety with pale 
yellow stripes. Gibsoni is white striped faintly with 
pink. Countess of Sefton is white with a large light 
yellow blotch at the base of the tube internally. 
Multiflorum a pink flowered variety has rather small 
flowers, but is of dwarf and compact habit and very 
floriferous. Exoniensis is white flushed with pink, 
with a yellow blotch at the base of the tube. All 
the above are very sweet-scented. The plants them¬ 
selves were shapely samples of their kind in small 
