326 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 20, 1900 “ 
Tree for Cities—The Carolina Poplar, a tree of 
quick growth, is recommended by an American 
paper for street planting in cities, from its power to 
withstand smoke and gas. 
Various Washes or Condiments for painting young 
trees as a preventative against the gnawing of 
rabbits, &c., have at times been given. The latest 
is a mixture made from blood and lime, and used 
extensively in New South Wales. 
Productive Crops of Tomato3.—From a very limited 
piece of ground we have found a spiral method of 
Training Tomatos a very economical one. Five 
stout stakes, placed to form a circle, constitute the 
support. Three plants are planted at distances 
apart around these stakes, and are made to wind 
spirally upwards. Some say that heaviest crops are 
thus secured from the individual plants, but there 
is no need to make comparisons in this direction. 
One thing can be demonstrated, and that is, that the 
greatest returns in the least space are got thus. 
Our French Fruit and Vegetable Commerce. —From 
The Fruit Grower we take the following figures to 
show our custom in fruits, &c., with hot-headed 
France :—“ In twelve months we take on an average 
about 180,000 bushels of Apples, 21,700 of Oranges, 
193,000 of Cherries, 6,500 of Grapes, 296,150 of 
Pears, 509,930 of Plums, and various other fruits to 
the extent of 133,400 bushels. At the present time, 
choice Pears, Walnuts, Chestnuts, Apricot pulp, 
Prunes, and crystallised and bottled fruits, are being 
sent into our ports w eekly in enormous quantities. 
In regard to vegetables we buy each year 1,150,000 
bushels, and of Onions, 400,000 bushels." After 
which nothing need be said. 
Storing Potatos. — The following appears in a 
weekly newspaper. It is a reference to an experi¬ 
ment which has been made in the storing of Potatos : 
—"After digging the Potatos, those which show 
evidence of decay, should be rejected, and the sound 
Potatos packed in boxes with dry sand in a sufficient 
amount to just prevent the Potatos from touching 
each other in the boxes. The boxes should be placed 
in a cool, dry cave, freedom from moisture being 
particularly desirable." Fancy any experimental 
body wasting time and money to discover such im¬ 
practicable methods. Any novice knows without 
telling that a Potato if kept dry,cool and free will last 
undecayed so long as it has any vitality in it. The 
system, too, is advised on an extensive scale ! It is 
time common sense came to the rescue. 
Wa’er in Pleasure Grounds. —Water always forms 
a charming feature of a park or private pleasure 
grounds. It gives rest and variety to the landscape 
and affords great opportunities for the landscapist’s 
art. In The Canadian Horticulturist for December 
there is a beautiful plate showing the effect of still 
waters, at whose sight the song of David ushers itself 
upon us, "Thoumakest me to lie down in green 
pastures, Thou leadest me by the still waters.” The 
heightening effect of a bridge and other simple archi¬ 
tecture is giveD, between the combinations of which 
is formed a most pleasant view. It is an instructive 
picture. Streams existing within many pleasure 
grounds are often allowed to remain with unsightly 
banks which, with the exercise of care and some 
money, could be made beautiful and comfortable. 
In America: School of Horticulture. —A proposition 
or promise rather, has been made that if there is a 
sufficient number of applicants, a school of horticul¬ 
ture will be inaugurated at Rhode Island College, 
Kingston, R.I. The term will only last for one fort¬ 
night, beginning on February 26th. The plan is to 
crowd all the clear cut practical horticultural in¬ 
struction possible into this brief space of time. 
Special effort will also be made to familiarise 
students with horticultural literature in order that 
they may know where to look for information when 
needed. The work will include a study of soils, 
fertilisers, plant life, fruits, vegetables, ornamental 
gardening, propagation, spraying, &c. Special 
attention will be given to bush fruits. We do not 
know whether a like course would be successful if 
tried in our own land; we should think so. A 
months’ teaching, however, is short enough. The 
Highland and Agricultural Society has such a 
scheme. Students can have one month’s theoretical 
instruction in Edinburgh. 
The Canned Fruit Jellies in common use are said 
to be mostly made from Apples boiled down in 
diluted sulphuric acid and flavoured to resemble the 
jellies of the various fruits. Sayings, however, 
should be found proven before being accepted as 
gospel. 
Carnation Bed Fertilisers.—For a dressing to a 
Carnation bed, wood ashes are beneficial, but bone 
meal is even preferred by some growers. A peck of 
wood ashes per yard of soil before planting takes 
place is 11 all right." A solution of nitrate of soda 
(1 lb. to 50 gallons of water) applied occasionally as 
a watering is beneficial. 
Apple Storage.—In Grand Isle County, Canada, the 
storage houses of Apples are becoming common 
occurrences. These houses are built without means 
of artificial refrigeration. They can be kept cool 
enough from the outside atmosphere; and can 
usually be kept warm enough if the walls are care¬ 
fully built. A small stove is usually kept burning on 
specially cold nights. Old barns or graneries are 
sometimes used to advantage. Adequate protection 
from the cold weather and suitable ventilation are the 
principal requisites. The storage room should be 
kept at a temperature of from 33 0 to 35 0 Fahr. The 
same cellar which keeps vegetables perfectly will not 
give the best results with Apples. 
Trees Struck by Lightning.—Under this title, Mr. 
Howard B. Little, in Knowledge for January, discusses 
some remarkable cases of trees shattered by the 
dread stroke, for particulars of which the original 
article should be consulted, but we may quote here 
a single passage :—" P. de Jersey Grut gave particu¬ 
lars of a case which is perhaps more interesting 
than any yet cited. In this instance the tree struck 
was encircled by a rope some 25 ft. from the ground, 
and it so chanced that an end of the rope stood out 
from the bark of the tree, so that during the earlier 
part of a rain-storm the tree was damp from the top 
to the rope, while the lower portion of the trunk 
was kept comparatively dry. The tree in this con¬ 
dition was struck, the lower part only being damaged. 
And the damage followed, downwards, a path which 
the twist in the fibre of the wood made easiest.” 
Chilian Agri- and Horti- culture—About three 
quarters of the people in Chili, South America, are 
engaged in agriculture and the producing of fruits 
and minor food crops. On each farm live a num¬ 
ber of farm labourers, who are allowed a house to 
live in, and a piece of land sufficient to cultivate 
enough Maize, Pumpkins, Potatos, and Onions for 
the feeding of their families. They also grow Grapes, 
Oranges, Peaches, Quinces, &c. The valley of 
Aconcagua is celebrated for its fine quality of 
Walnuts, honey, wax, Potatos, Onions, &c. About 
3,000 tons of Walnuts are gathered yearly in Chili- 
The Papa Colorado, or red Potato, is largely grown 
to supply their own provinces. The same broad 
valley is planted with leagues upon leagues, as far 
as the eye can reach north and south, with Vines of 
a certain black Grape, from which is made cider, by 
boiling, sieving, and fermenting Grapes, together with 
the skins. It is estimated that a million gallons of 
good, sound, wholesome claret could be made yearly 
from the Grape crops. The whole region along the 
Aconcagua is rich in Grapes, vineyards being every¬ 
where. 
OLD OAK AT TEWIN WATER. 
The garden and mansion of Tewin Water, Welwyn, 
Hertfordshire, the residence of H. Tower, Esq , are 
situated in the bottom of a deep valley by the River 
Maran, and on either hand the ground rises with a 
steep slope, laid out in pasture or arable fields, with 
several plantations of timber trees, some of which are 
very old. In several of the grass parks are clumps 
of trees of considerable interest. The Oak under 
notice is a solitary one of no great height, but 
evidently of great age. In its youth it must either 
have been blown down, undermined with rabbits, or 
met with some accident. Whatever the misfortune, 
the tree proceeded to establish itself on the fresh 
basis, uprearing its head, and thriving vigorously. 
The bole still decidedly shows the result of the 
accident in the strong curvature below the straight, 
upright portion. It measures close upon 24 ft., at 
4 ft. from the ground, and presents a rugged and 
massive appearance, while it possesses a broad, 
spreading head of branches, as if it had been 
pollarded at an early stage of its existence. The 
accompanying photograph of it was taken by a son 
of Mr. F. C. Thomson, the gardener. 
- « 1 - 
PINGUICULA CAUDATA. 
Whilst we have dwarf flowering plants for our cool 
houses in fair abundance, this little Butterwort from 
Mexico has, besides the beauty of its flowers, an in¬ 
terest from the fact of its structural adaptation. 
It is classed as a carnivorous plant. All over the 
epidermis of the flat, creamy leaves, tentacles arise, 
having slightly swollen heads, from which a gummy 
excrescence is given out. Smail flies alighting upon 
a leaf are caught and held fast, held, indeed, until 
the exuded gummy and other matters have done the 
work of dissolution. The flowers are somewhat in 
the shape of a small Miltonia, pinkish, and borne on 
short stalks. The compost in which they are found 
best to develop is one formed largely of peat and 
clean sphagnum, with a plentiful supply of coarse 
sand, some pounded charcoal, and a slight addition 
of fibrous loam. The plant likes an Orchid house 
or cool fernery, somewhat shaded, moist, and for 
water it must have an abundant supply. Knowing 
this, good cultivators always provide abundance of 
drainage material. It may be increased from seeds, 
cuttings or leaves. A very fine batch is to be seen 
in flower at Syon House.— H. 
Old Oak at Tewin_Water. 
