January 13, 1900. 
ail 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
already described, taking care not to cover the 
crown. The soil should be made moderately firm. 
Adiantum Capillus-Veneris, var. imbricatum re¬ 
sembles the above. It succeeds equally well as a 
basket Fern, and also in a slightly lower temperature. 
With similar treatment the following are excellent 
basket Ferns:—Adiantum caudatum, A. Mooreii, A. 
aethiopicum var. assimile, and A. Edgeworthii, Gym- 
nogramme schizophylla var. gloriosa makes an 
excellent basket Fern. It requires a temperature of 
60° to 65° and also the same compost, with the 
exception that a little more peat may be added. 
Asplenium caudatum and A. longissimum are very 
graceful in habit and well adapted for a lofty stove, 
producing long narrow drooping fronds 4 to 5 ft. in 
length. Afford similar treatment.—C. P. Cntchley, 
The Honeys, Twyford, Berhs., January 6th, 1900. 
WHEN DOES THE FURZE BLOOM? 
This question, I think, might, with much propriety, 
be put in the negative form, viz., when does the 
Furze not bloom ? For, as far as my observation goes, 
it is more or less in flower the whole year round. 
So much, however, depends upon local conditions, 
the state of the barometer, and other causes, that 
an ever-flowering subject like the Furze or Gorse is 
sure to be in bloom somewhere in our country. 
" Sigma," however, does not dispute the partial 
blooming of our common Furze (Ulex europaeus) 
all the year round, but questions some statements 
of mine about its being flush, on Bucklebury 
Common, in the third week of November last. 
Possibly the statements referred to were too flori- 
ferous, or too poetical; but still after these have 
been denuded of all their drapery, the fact remains 
that U. europaeus—the species referred to—was 
not only in flower in considerable quantity, but that 
in the case of one bush the " pyramid of bloom " was 
so pronounced as to well deserve the epithet applied 
to it. The allusion to a " lantern," likewise, can, I 
think, be fully justified; for in several cases the 
bushes were enveloped in light, or, in other words, 
made such a grand show of colour as to merit, in 
my eyes, the quaint conceit. 
As to the time of flowering of the Furze, i.e., of full 
flowering, authorities differ. Nicholson gives two 
periods, viz., February and March, and August and 
September. Withering says May, and " occasionally 
at all seasons"; Johns quotes February to June; 
Pratt from February all through the summer months ; 
and Milner, in his "Country Pleasures," refers to 
it in March, July and October. 
With regard to October he writes "the sun 
brought out the scent of the Pines ; and across the 
stream (in North Wales), the steep un-wooded bank 
was covered with yellow Gorse, which, to our sur¬ 
prise, was still in full bloom.” Perhaps it was rash 
on my part to go one month further. However, al¬ 
though I cannot be quite sure what Milner means by 
" full bloom," I am in no doubt as to time and to the 
floral condition of the Furze in question— C. B. G., 
Acton, W. 
Your correspondent "Sigma" (p. 292) is evidently 
not far enough removed from the contaminated at¬ 
mosphere surrounding London to enjoy to the full 
the benefits of a clear unadulterated air and its 
consequent blessings. I can fully endorse your 
correspondent's statement about the Furze bloom on 
Bucklebury Common on his visit here in the third 
week in November; even had he said more he would 
have been well within the bounds of truth. After read¬ 
ing " Sigma's " query I went out on the common to 
see what the effect of the frost through which we had 
just passed (i8 c to 22 0 ) had been upon the Furze 
bloom. There were bushes in plenty with the 
withered flowers still upon them; and there were 
fresh flowers opened and others opening in numbers ; 
others in all stages down to the small bnds almost 
concealed in the axils of the leaves. Here and there 
bushes were still to be seen as sentinels bright with 
flowers watching those that were asleep; and as they 
faded away others were ready to take their place, 
until some morning we will wake up to find Buckle¬ 
bury Common a sheet of gold. Curicus to find out 
the opinion of some of the residents here on the 
subject, I put the question to several, and received 
the same reply from all, viz: " It's in flower all the 
year round.” No doubt situation and surroundings 
have much to do wtih the time the Furze flowers, 
but on a close examination of the plants many were 
showing signs of variety, both in the habit of the 
plants and in the size of the flowers. Should 
"Sigma" require some specimens to go botanising 
on, I will be pleased to send him some.— Alex. 
Wright. 
STOVE FLOWERING PLANTS. 
The many practical articles on greenhouse flower¬ 
ing plants by Mr. J. Mayne, appearing in your 
valuable paper of late, prompts me to offer a few 
cultural remarks on some of our stove occupants 
that flower during winter and early spring, when 
anything in the way of cut-bloom is highly prized by 
all who are fond of their garden. Practically speak¬ 
ing, flowers are at a minimum except where otherwise 
sheltered with glass in some form or another. 
Plumbago rosea is a most useful plant for this 
structure, of easy cultivation, and not subject to 
many insects. Thrip is its greatest enemy, but 
with careful syringing this pest can be kept under. 
Cuttings should be taken in February or March from 
plants that have been cut back after flowering, and 
stood well to the light to strengthen the same, usiDg 
sandy soil, placing six or eight in a sixty size pot, 
keeping close in a Cucumber or Melon house, or, 
failing this, plunged on a hot-bed, where they 
quickly emit roots. A few days after they are out of 
the case or frame they should be potted off singly in 
thumbs or three-inch pots, placing them back in a 
temperature of sixty to sixty-five degrees, plying the 
syringe well up under its foliage. In a youDg state 
this plant is not at all fastidious as to soil, but when 
placing them in the pots you expect them to flower, 
a little fine peat added to loam, leafsoil and sand, will 
grow them a treat. Though some, I believe, add a 
little well decayed manure, I prefer to feed them at 
a later stage, when growth is Well advanced. Two 
shifts are sufficient for the first year, 4f-in. or 5^-in. 
pots being large enough to get well branched plants 
in by the month of November; and stopping of the 
shoots must be frequently practised up to July, or 
else they soon sho-v flower. Very little fire-heat is 
necessary during July and the next two months, in 
fact, a cold frame will do for them if well syringed, 
and by closing same not later than three o'clock on 
bright days, using a thin shade from io a m. up to 
closing time. Before taking them into the plant 
stove make sure they are free from all insect pests, or 
else trouble will be in store for you. Place a neat 
stake to each plant and loop up the flower shoots to 
the same, giving a light position. The overhead 
syringing must be discontinued as soon as the flowers 
begin to open, as they are easily dislodged. It is an 
old inhabitant of our garden, and was introduced 
from the East Indies as long ago as 1777, but a later 
variety, P. rosea coccinea, from Neilgherries in 1863, 
has larger and brighter flowers than the type, and 
should be preferred. Old plants can be grown on 
by cutting down after flowering, or early in spring, 
shaking out when on the move, giving a trifle larger 
pot, and growing the same as young plants. The 
Plumbago belongs to the Lead-wort, so called, and 
said by Pliny to be efficacious in curing a disease of 
the eye. 
Eranthemum Pulchellum is a lovely, intense 
blue flower, and well worthy of our attention, as any¬ 
thing of the blue order seems so rare with us under 
glass and even out of doors. This, too, is an old 
inhabitant of our gardens, coming from the same 
locality as the former over 100 years ago. It is 
known to some as Daedalacanthus nervosus, or 
Justicia nervosa, but, by whatsoever name known, 
makes it none the less valuable. Nice plants, in 
5$-in. and 6J-in. pots, are now, early in January, 
quite telling among a collection of stove plants. The 
flowers that are gone past should be removed 
each day or else the plant looks rusty. A little 
feeding should be practised when fairly established. 
The same treatment as the first-named plant suits 
this also, both doing well under the same conditions 
as to propagation, soil, and after attention, in the 
way of pinching, shade, &c. Mealybug isaoout the 
only insect that haunts this plant, and steps should 
be taken to clear it of this in its early stage, as the 
foliage, being rough underneath, harbours such a 
pest. Young plants should be rooted every spring ; 
and, when making free growth, plants fifteen inches 
through or more, and as much in height, can be had 
by the autumn in 5J in. pots. Cuttings root quickly 
if kept moist and fairly close.— Grower. 
(To be continued.) 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
The Training of Young Fruit Trees. 
Many and oft repeated are the derogatory opinions 
of old fruitsmen who view the system of fruit tree 
training which exists so freely at the present time 
in the bulk of formerly well-kept gardens There is 
not the number of men kept that there used to be, or 
the demand for fruit has grown to that limit which 
compels the gardener to adopt a system whereby he 
secures a larger return of fruit, though at the 
expense of perfect form, exactitude of symmetry, and 
general evenness. The foregoing may be qualified 
by the practice of a friend of mine who had some 
splendidly trained old wall Pears. The continual 
close spurring was believed by him to be a means of 
crippling the fertility of the trees. Every other 
branch was therefore pruned out, and the yourg 
wood from the spurs was laid in to fill up the wide 
spaces thus left. The result in fruit yielding was 
perfectly satisfactory. 
Still, trees ought, and can, receive sufficient 
attention to train them both beautifully and for 
profitable returns. 
There is no necessity for the exactitude of another 
craftsman known to me, who found one of the main 
branches towards the centre of a fan-shaped tree, 
1 in. from the line he judged it should have followed, 
and who made his young men loosen the whole of one 
side, and refix the branches. Good nailers will do 
their work speedily and well. Say the tree is a 
young horizontally-trained Pear on a bad wall for nail¬ 
ing to. Bad walls cannot be easily altered and there 
are plenty in a crumpled state. Where a shoot has 
been pruned, and the part where one should like to 
fix the nail does not admit of this, either from want 
of hold or from the presence of a large stone in 
walls built of such material, some method has to be 
thought out for the purpose of fixing the branch 
The “ hanging ” plan is not a nice one, that is, the 
fastening of tar-twine to the point of the shoot as a 
means for straight guidance. It becomes necessary 
to stretch a string from two points close to the wall 
and tight, and at right angles to the shoot. The 
shoot can then be fastened by meaus of a lighter 
cord to this, the supporting cord. Where no hold 
whatever can be secured for a nail, wedge-shaped 
pieces of wood have to b: knocked into the wall. 
The shreds can then be nailed to the wood. It is 
well to have some taste in the choice of shreds. 
Nothing appears more " ungarden-like " than scarlet 
and yellow shreds. Again, they are very often 
made much too long, and the ends are not doubled 
in. This is a mistake. A nice length of shred for 
all ordinary nailing is about 3J ins. Both ends can 
then be doubled in upon themselves and the nail 
put through them. This lends firmness. B.tween 
the horizontal branches of a wall or espalier tree, a 
space of 15 ins. should be left. Apples, when grown 
on walls,should be trained fan-shaped. It is d.fficult 
to keep them at anything like regular distances apart, 
and straight at the same time. Peaches on w. lls 
adapt themselves to fan-training, and so with 
Cherries, Plums, and Apiicots. For the formation 
of standard trained trees, a single shoot must be le i 
up to the height desired. Any side shoots should be 
removed when the height has been gained, leaving 
only half a dozen buds toward the apex, from which 
to obtain the leading shoots. The central shoot, and 
the two base shoots, having been roughly laid down 
in their proper positions, that of the others in 
between can then be fixed up. For a start, this is 
all that is needed. They should be cut back rather 
hard for a few years, especially the central branches. 
From them the shoots which break forth have to be 
selected and latterly laid in, allowing them space 
enough to receive light and air freely. The bottom 
part of the centre should always have an abundant 
furnishing of young wood, and no careful gardener 
will allow his trees to run away and be left bare at 
this part. Dwarf trained trees have to be cut back 
to just above the working and the issuing shoo:s 
taken and laid in. Cordon trained trees, of course, 
only require to be shortened back to firm wood, and 
spurs require to be developed. For pyramid and 
bush Apple, Pear, and Plum trees, the chief care 
is to have shapely specimens with branches coming 
equally from all sides,and by root pruning and shift¬ 
ing, to develop sturdy shoots laden with fruit-buds. 
A good central stem must carefully be led up and 
the bottom branches duly held back.— J. H. D. 
