616 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 14, 1900. 
less decidedly essential to ensure success 
during the average spring. This protection 
can only be extended to Peach and other 
valuable trees upon walls ; but if a crop 
can be ensured by such extra trouble it well 
repays the doing. Coverings of a heavy 
nature, or such as would obstruct the light 
too much, must be taken down or rolled up 
during the day; but double folds of netting 
may be left on continuously till all danger is 
past. Independently of actual cold, there are 
other agencies or causes that contribute to 
success in the setting of the fruit. Sunshine 
matures the pollen and dries it, while a free 
play of air, or in ether words a buoyant 
atmosphere, contributes largely to its proper 
dispersion. 
Many a gardener observes and deplores 
the fact that his trees may be laden with 
blossom, yet not always, however, followed 
by a bountiful crop. The failure may be 
attributed to frost; but in the absence of 
such, some other detrimental cause must be 
found. Some attribute the failure to lack 
of sunshine to ripen the wood during the 
previous autumn. That cannot be the con¬ 
tention on this occasion, for last summer 
and early autumn was exceptionally dry and 
warm. Other gardeners consider that a 
heavy crop of blossom detracts from rather 
than adds to the chances of a satisfactory 
crop, and they, accordingly, practise the 
thinning of the unexpanded flower buds. 
Whether this is so or not the majority of 
gardeners practice the thinning of the fruits 
after they have reached a certain stage of 
advancement to the benefit of the trees 
during the current and succeeding year, and 
to the advantage of the size of the fruits. 
Heavily laden trees if left to their own re¬ 
sources cast a large number cf the fruits 
while yet small ; and little doubt can be 
entertained that this is a device to get rid of 
an overwhelming load. The heavy rainfall 
during February last has made a sufficiency 
of soil moisture certain for the needs of the 
trees during the early part of summer at 
least; so that gardeners can observe and 
put on record at the end of the season how 
far this has been contributive to a full crop, 
and the free swelling of the fruits. There 
can be no doubt on the other hand that a 
droughty spring retards growth and the pro¬ 
per development of the same ; while it often 
if not always causes a wholesale dropping 
of the fruits of Peaches, Apples and Pears. 
The lack of moisture during the later stages 
of summer is less injurious than a droughty 
spring. Trees that are well laden with 
fruit always repay the labour and expense 
of mulching and watering, particularly if the 
gardener or fruit grower has the command 
of water that can be applied by means of 
the hose. This will arrest the dropping of 
fruits, as well as contribute to their swelling 
properly even in the event of drought during 
July and August. 
Another explanation of the wholesale 
dropping of the flower buds is that the trees 
themselves cannot accumulate sufficient re¬ 
serve matter in their tissues to bear a heavy 
crop every year, and in the absence of 
material wherewith to build up and mature 
the fruit they cast the blossom. If this is 
really the case some varieties differ materi¬ 
ally from others in their capabilities, for on 
certain soils at least they bear a fairly heavy 
crop annually. The fact does not contra¬ 
dict the former supposition, for individual 
and varietal differences come within the 
natural law of variation. The subject of 
fertilisation is fraught with great possibili¬ 
ties. In the first instance it is a question 
of chance or luck in escaping late frosts 
when in the newly-expanded and critical 
stage. Secondly, all varieties are not fertile 
alike. In the case of Pears more particu¬ 
larly the pollen is often deficient, and may 
be incapable of fertilising the flowers of the 
same or any other variety. It would be 
highly advantageous therefore to plant 
different varieties in contiguous rows so that 
the pollen of one variety might fertilise the 
flowers of another through the agency of 
wind or insects, chiefly the latter. 
The fact remains that all kinds of hardy 
fruit in the open are two or three weeks be¬ 
hind what they were at this time last year; 
so that if fine weather sets in presently we 
may have a heavy set of fruit, and prospec¬ 
tively an abundant harvest. Apples and 
Pears do not seem to have advanced in any 
appreciable degree since February, though 
we can hardly imagine that such a state can 
last much longer. Gardeners believe and 
do not hesitate to say that an early spring 
does not mean an early harvest, so that 
precocity in flowering would be no advan¬ 
tage, even if the trees should escape frost 
when in blossom. An early spring in the 
garden means plenty of early vegetables, 
and that is about its chief advantage. This 
year the vegetable gardeners are most 
likely to cast in their lot with the grumblers ; 
but hitherto the fruit growers, resting upon 
the hope that their trees will escape late 
frosts, and the prospect of a golden harvest, 
have been happy. 
Wearing the Green.—Bank holiday trippers 
dancing on Kew Green. 
Croydon & District Horticultural Mutual Im¬ 
provement Society.—The next meeting will be held 
on Tuesday evening, April 17th, when a paper will 
be read by Mr. C. B. Green, Chairman of the Ealing 
Gardeners’ Society. The subject will be “ How 
Plants Feed.” 
“ The Culture of Hops ” is the title of a new 
book shortly to be published by Scott, Greenwood 
& Co., 19, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C. It will deal 
exhaustively with the growth of the plant for brew¬ 
ing purposes, and the application of manures and 
insecticides. 
Royal Scottish Geographical Society.—At a 
meeting of this society, held on Thursday, March 
29th, Dr. Mill gave a lecture on "A Study of Local 
Geography.” Dr. Mill illustrated the principles of 
geography by the example of a small area in the 
South of England, showing how the configuration of 
the land was explained by its geology, and climate 
combining to influence vegetation and agriculture, 
and how all, together, combined to throw light on 
the distribution, occupations, and movements of the 
inhabitants, and on the boundaries of parishes, the 
sites of towns, and the position of roads. 
The Reading Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Association.—The fortnightly meeting of the above 
association was held on Monday evening last in the 
Club Room, at the Old Abbey Restaurant, when Mr. 
E. Fry presided over a good attendance of members. 
The subject of the evening was “ Vegetables, the 
Varieties I Grow and Why I Grow Them,” by Mr. 
John House, The Gardens, Northlands, Winchester, 
one of the earliest members of the Reading Gardeners’ 
Mutual. Mr. House, in mentioning the various 
varieties he grew, said that he was greatly 
handicapped in his selection, as he had to contend 
with a soil of only 18 in. in depth, and therefore 
many sorts which Reading gardeners could grow 
would be utterly unsuitable for his district. An 
interesting discussion followed, in which Messrs. 
Burfitt, Neve, Townsend, Wilson, Nichols, W. 
Smith, Exler, Pigg, Alexander, Fry, and Ager took 
part. A feature of the meeting was a large and 
splendid exhibit of flowering bulbs by Mr. F. Lever, 
of The Gardens, Hillside, especially noticeable being 
Alba Regalis, Vermillion Brilliant, Crimson King, 
Blanchard Silver Wing, and Fairy Queen Tulips; 
King of the Blues, Obelisque, Yellowhammer, and 
La Belle Hyacinths. A remarkable freak was seen 
amongst the Tulips, two bulbs in one pot carrying 
no less than nine blooms. Mr. Cretchley, The 
Gardens, The Honeys, Twyford, staged a lovely 
specimen plant of a light-coloured Star Cineraria. 
Century Book of Gardening.—We have now 
ascertained that Mr. Edwin Beckett, of Aldenham 
House Gardens, wrote the leading article on " The 
Culture of Vegetables,” also the two leading chap¬ 
ters on Chrysanthemums, entitled " Culture of Chry¬ 
santhemums for Exhibition,” and "Chrysanthe¬ 
mums for the Greenhouse and Conservatory " re¬ 
spectively. 
Chrysanthemum Grafting.—It would be a big hit 
for any Chrysanthist to produce for exhibition such 
a plant as was shown at the Chicago horticultural 
exhibition. The subject noted is figured in Gardening 
(American) for December 1st, being a balloon-trained 
specimen, having twenty-two distinct varieties, all 
bearing flowers at the same time ! The photograph 
shows Japanese reflexed and Japanese incurves, true 
Japs, and true incurves. 
Photinia japonica.—The flowers of this Photinia, 
otherwise known as the Loquat, are remarkably 
strongly scented. They may be compared to Haw¬ 
thorn, very much intensified and sweetened, a spicy 
aroma emanating from them that is rather attrac¬ 
tive. They are small, white, borne in dense pani¬ 
cles, and are really allied to the Hawthorn. The 
large, oblong, leathery leaves are very striking. A 
bunch of flowering shoots was exhibited at the 
Drill Hall on the 10th inst. by Mr. J. Fitt, gardener 
to F. W. Campion, Esq., Colley Manor, Reigate. 
Colour in Fruits.—Apropos to what we wrote anent 
the colouring of Apples, Pears, Peaches, and so on, 
a writer in a contemporary says that " air in plenty 
plays a much more important part in giving colour 
to fruits than we generally meditate.” The writer 
has just gathered the usually pale Peach, Princess 
of Wales, from a house wherein the ventilation has 
been liberal, and he never has had rosier Peaches. 
Colour, of course, is not always synonymous with 
quality, but market men can sell brightly coloured 
fruits, no matter what the flavour is, whereas pale¬ 
skinned fruits toddle off slowly. 
Proposed Improvements in Edinburgh Parks.— 
The Public Parks’ Committee had before them on 
Thursday, the 29th March, proposals for the provi¬ 
sion, at Iverleith Park, of cloak-room for skaters, 
store-rooms for yachts, a football pavilion, and a 
covered space for the storage of goal-posts, &c. The 
total cost of these and other proposed improvements 
is estimated at £1,600. The same committee granted 
permission to the Judge Dunlop Memorial Com¬ 
mittee to erect a drinking fountain in Iverleith Park, 
as a memorial to the late councillor. It was also 
agreed by the committee to recommend the formation 
of a proper access to Blackford Hill from South 
Oswald Road at a probable cost of £300. 
Ealing and District Gardeners’ Society.— The 
twelfth annual dinner of this society has come and 
gone ; the results, however, which were substantial 
and satisfactory, yet remain. The dinner took place 
at the Drayton Court Hotel, Ealing, on the 3rd inst., 
R. D. Preston, Esq., presiding. Between forty and 
fifty members and friends contributed to the dis¬ 
persal of the viands and the success of the evening. 
Many little speeches were, of course,delivered—sound, 
scientific, or humorous—the tone and tenor of most of 
them reflecting the greatest credit on the speakers; 
and proving, if proof were necessary, the value of 
such institutions as a means to enable a man to mar¬ 
shal his facts coherently, and to dilate thereon. The 
toast of the evening, perhaps, related to the success 
of the society, which the Chairman gave in terse, but 
flourishing form. He largely contributed to that 
success himself by a substantial donation to enable 
the committee to carry out their useful work. Mr. 
W. Roberts (hon. secretary) responded. He said 
the society was in a satisfactory way (applause); 
the papers and lectures had been of a high order of 
merit, and that eighty members were on the books. 
After the distribution of prizes — which were 
numerous—other toasts followed, and general har¬ 
mony prevailed. Mr. Geo. Gordon spoke about the 
president, officers, and committee, and other matters. 
He attached great importance to such societies—the 
benefits could not be over-estimated. Mr. C. B. 
Green replied. Mr. D. Cooper was entrusted with 
the “Donors of Prizes,” to which Mr. Callard 
responded with two guineas, as well as some excel¬ 
lent advice. Messrs. Scott, Gingell, Edwards, Long, 
Cannon, Holloway, Prichard, Burgess, an j others 
assisted at the oratorial display; while Messrs. 
Disley, Prichard, Miles, and Parr-Head interspersed 
that display with philomel. 
