May 12, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
581 
The Cones of Pinus muricata are believed never 
to open naturally, never even to fall from the tree. 
Forest fires have been suggested as the means where¬ 
by the seeds within the cones may be liberated so as 
to perpetuate the species. A correspondent, how¬ 
ever, makes the very reasonable suggestion that 
squirrels may be the real instruments for liberating 
the imprisoned seeds, having seen a cone half eaten 
by a squirrel. 
Forced Bulbs.—Daffodils and many other bulbs, 
but Daffodils (Narcissi) especially, after being forced, 
should be taken due care of, as when slowly matured 
they recuperate from much of the strain which 
forcing affects on them. After the expense of very 
little patience or trouble, plant them out in prepared 
groups over secluded meadow-land, grassy knolls, 
banks, or shrubbery edges. In two years the young 
bulbs will flower strongly and well. 
“ People’s Journal ” Long Service Medal.— 
Among the veterans who are now the wearers or 
owners of the well-known People’s Journal Long Ser¬ 
vice Medal we read of Mr. John Deans, the coach¬ 
man-gardener to James Oliver, Esq., Hawick. Mr. 
Deans has been a servant of Mr. Oliver's for the 
long period of 474 years. The medals are awarded 
by the proprietors of the above paper to those whose 
names are recommended, and who prove their title 
to the honour. 
Canker Germs and Animals.—We heard a 
rumour recently that the germs, spores or mycelium, 
we cannot say which, of the fungus causing canker in 
fruit trees, had been successfully (so far as the act as 
an experiment can be termed successful) inoculated 
in the blood of an animal, with the result that 
scabby cancerous growths arose in parts of the body 
as a consequence. Pity we could not inoculate 
Bracken spores into kine. Ferns might then grow 
out and the cattle could have a feed when other stuff 
was short. 
New York Grapes.—The Grape belt of New York 
Consists of about 30,000 acres, of which | of this 
area is in nine towns on the borders of Chautauque 
Lake in the State of New York, and | in two towns 
of Pennsylvania. An average yield is 7,000 car¬ 
loads in a season, 3,000 baskets to a car. The bulk 
of these are Concord Grapes, whose value is set 
down as 7 cents (3jd.) per basket. Computation 
gives the number of "pickers” as 6,oco, there being 
eight to ten women to one man, the latter do the 
heavier work, as hauling, lifting, and driving. A 
good picker gets 80 to go cents, a day, boarding ex¬ 
cluded, or 3 dols. a week and board for working ten 
hours a day.— Midland Counties Herald. 
On Choosing a Country House.—"I would say to 
anyone who is thoroughly in earnest about a 
country home—make it yourself. Xenophon, who 
lived in a time when Greeks were Greeks, advised 
people in search of a country place to buy of a 
slatterly and careless farmer, since in that event they 
might be sure of seeing the worst, and of making 
their labour and care the largest results. Cato, on 
the other hand, who represented an effeminate and 
scheming race, advised the purchase of a country 
home from a good farmer and judicious house 
builder, so that the buyer might be sure of nice cul¬ 
ture and equipments. It illustrates rather finely an 
essential difference of the two races and ages—the 
Greek earnest to make his own brain tell, and the 
Latin eager to make as much as he could out of 
the brains of other people.” 
The Flavour of Vegetables.—Flavour in vege¬ 
tables, according to very many connoisseurs, is being 
overshadowed by the craze for increased size. A 
contemporary remarks :—" High sounding names 
are given to coarse big Beans, and priced at three 
times the value of the old-fashioned Broad Bean, 
although none are superior in flavour.” We think 
that flavour has not altogether deteriorated. " The 
Broccoli sent to the London markets do not at all 
compare with those obtainable in France. In Paris 
or any of the large towns, one can always obtain 
French or Kidney Beans, of the right size and 
exquisite quality. The common Swede Turnip 
grown in the fields is in many cases far more delicate 
in flavour than the majority of Turnips. In Covent 
Garden it is well nigh impossible to get vegetables 
with a good flavour. Anything not of good flavour 
is not worth growing.” 
The Plum in America, is now receiving the closest 
attention from orchardists and nurserymen. 
APPLES. 
We have frequently read the pointed remarks of " J. 
C., Chard,” on fruits—Apples in particular—and as 
late keepers, in good condition, are of special value 
everywhere, I would be pleased to learn if he has 
tried Sandringham for late service. I have some at 
present remarkably sound and of fine appearance; 
but I am afraid that I have over-rated its quality, 
as when tried under culinary manipulation Sand¬ 
ringham appears mealy and lacking of crispness, 
compared with such sorts (now in excellent con¬ 
dition, April 7) as Yorkshire Greening and Seaton 
House, Nevertheless the flavour is good, and loss 
by decay or shrivelling is at a minimum rate. 
Northern Greening and Wellington (Dumelow's Seed¬ 
ling), are shrivelling and not keeping nearly so well 
as those indicated. It is of the utmost importance 
to get Apples (which are to keep late) thoroughly 
ripened. Many are in too great a hurry in storing 
the fruit. Many Apples are much hardier than 
generally believed to be. Fruits of sorts which 
have fallen aud remained out all the winter among 
leaves have been picked up in early spring, quite 
fresh and sound. We have gathered in Scotland, 
from a wall with north-west exposure, Margil as 
late as Christmas. This is one of the best dessert 
Apples known, being a remarkably free bearing sort, 
with flavour equal to Ribston Pippin. In the southern 
counties of England it comes to great perfection. In 
Scotland it does well on a wall, but I have not 
seen it ripen freely on standard or on bush trees. 
There are often far too many early Apples cultivated 
in some gardens, giving a glut of fruit which cannot 
be used when in proper condition. Keswick Codlin, 
Stirling Castle, and Lord Grosvenor are always a 
heavy crop here and give good supplies to the end of 
the year; and Seaton House, Northern Greening, 
and Yorkshire for latest, keep well for use till 
June. Exposing the fruit to currents of air and heat 
reduces their keeping qualities. We get good tuition 
in keeping Apples from the American grower, who 
packs them in barrels.— M. Temple, Canon, N.B. 
ORCHID NOTES & GLEANINGS, 
Dendrobium thyrsiflorum walkerianum. 
—There is at present in the gardens of the representa¬ 
tives of the late C. B. Davidson, advocate, Aberdeen, 
a magnificent specimen of Dendrobium thyrsi¬ 
florum walkerianum, which I think is well worthy 
of notice in the p3ges of your esteemed paper. The 
plant in question was imported from Burmah some 
seven years ago, put into a g-in. pot, and has gone on 
improving yearly without ever having been repotted 
or even top-dressed, and grown in a small house all 
the year round of intermediate temperature. The 
plant would be about two and a-half feet through, 
and bears thirty-four large trusses of flowers, several 
of which measure twelve inches long, each truss 
having from thirty to forty-five fine individual 
flowers. The above specimen has been grown 
under the able management of Mr. Petrie, the 
gardener at Round Hay, who is not only conspicu¬ 
ous in the cultivation of Orchids, but of every other 
class of plants, both inside and outside.— A. 
-—- 
MARLSTON HOUSE. 
Marlston House, Newbury, Berks, is the residence 
of J. W. Palmer, Esq., of the famous Reading firm, 
whose legend of inscription is Huntley and Palmer. 
The parish is a neighbouring one to Bucklebury. 
Marlston House is situated in a valley at the foot of 
rising ground, which when seen from some com¬ 
manding height appears to be a thinly wooded hill. 
The mansion is new, having been quite recently 
built on the site of a less commodious structure 
belonging to an older member of the same family. 
It would be conspicuous from afar were it not for 
the beautifully undulated and almost hilly character 
of this part of Berks, which conceals many of the 
houses and scattered family residences until one is 
almost upon them. Elms here constitute the tall 
" ancestral trees ” which afford shelter on the 
northern side of the mansion and grounds. 
On Bank Holiday we had a hurried run through 
the premises, and at that time it was practically 
early spring, and only the Primroses, Wallflowers, 
and similarly early flowers had dared to peep out, 
though had we gone a week later, the transform¬ 
ation would no doubt have been immense as it was 
elsewhere. The garden had been so thoroughly re¬ 
novated that it was practically as new as the mansion. 
The glass ranges have also been rebuilt and sub¬ 
stantially so, having been constructed of teak wood. 
Young trees and Vines fill the Peach houses and 
vineries. Bedding stuff occupied one of the former. 
The back wall was covered with Ivy-leaved Pelar¬ 
goniums, full of healthy vigour and flowering freely. 
There is no question that this is the best way of 
growing such plants if a heavy and continuous crop 
of blossom is the desideratum, whether for cutting 
or leaving on the plants. Charles Turner and 
Madame Crouse are the varieties grown, and though 
young they are 6 ft. to 8 ft. high. Next came a 
Peach house with young trees against the back wall 
and the front glass. The Melons in the Melon 
house had four or five fruits on each plant. Cucum¬ 
bers were bearing in another house ; and here was a 
fine batch of Calanthes starting away vigorously. 
In the stove some plants of a deep blue variety of 
Saintpaulia ionantha were remarkably floriferous. 
Crotons, Dendrobiums, and Begonia Gloire de 
Sceaux were also amongst the occupants,the latter be¬ 
ing in bloom. A similarly warm house accommodated 
healthy Smilax,Palms,Dracaenas, Caladiums, Coleus, 
Saintpaulia (in grand form), Cattleya Trianaei, Den¬ 
drobium thyrsiflorum in bud and Cypripediums 
grown in Orchid pans. 
Freesias were splendidly grown in the greenhouse 
and filled the whole structure with their aroma Mr. 
B. Dockerill, the gardener, informed us that they 
constituted the stock of an old original batch of 
many years standing, so that there is no question of 
degeneracy of this bulbous Irid. The house was 
also rendered gay by a great variety of spring 
flowering subjects such as well grown Lachenalia 
tricolor in pots, Cinerarias, Primula sinensis and P. 
obconica, Amaryllis, Tulips, Intermediate Stocks, 
Deutzias, Azaleas, Astilbe japonica and Streptosolen 
Jamesoni, young plants opening their orange flowers 
freely. On the roof was a fine mass of Tropaeolum 
Ball of Fire commencing to bloom. A large stock 
of bedding Pelargoniums occupied the frames. 
In various parts of the grounds and about the 
house are beds of Rhododendrons and choice shrubs. 
A bank that was too steep for grass, and otherwise 
requiring to be rendered attractive, was laid out as a 
rockery, in which were Brodiaeas, Tulips, Primroses, 
Polyanthus and other interesting, old-fashioned sub¬ 
jects. Herbaceous plants are evidently favourites 
here, for a large and varied stock of the more useful 
subjects has been got together and planted in bor¬ 
ders, which they entirely monopolise. The White 
Lily (Lilium candidum) is making vigorous growth. 
Though rarely seen in private gardens, Polygala 
Chamaebuxus is hardy, neat, extremely pretty and 
ought to be planted on every rockery. Other plants 
in bloom included Daffodils, Crocuses, Scillas, 
Chionodoxas, Primulas, Polyanthuses, &c. A suc¬ 
cession will be kept up by Lavender, Paeonies, 
Irises and many other subjects that time did not 
permit noting. Close by these borders is the wild 
garden on the side of a steep bank, faced up with 
rockwork representing different strata, the work of 
Messrs. Pulham & Co. A cascade or dripping well 
occupies the central and lower portion of the 
declivity. On the shelving rocks are masses of Peri¬ 
winkles, Cytisus scoparius andreanus and others. 
Some of the larger beds in the immediate vicinity 
contain many choice shrubs, including Ledum 
palustre, Erica carnea, E. mediterranea, Calluna 
Erica, Gaultheria procumbens and others. Some 
tall plants of Dimorphanthus mandshuricus, and the 
Maidenhair tree will be interesting presently. The 
Rose garden is a circular area enclosed by a Yew 
hedge. Standard Roses are planted round the outer 
boundary of this enclosed area and beds of dwarf 
Roses occupy the centre. The development of all 
these things will bs interesting to watch, for the 
place everywhere in the vicinity of the mansion and 
garden is practically new. The grounds here all 
slope to the south or nearly so. Meadow land occu¬ 
pies the green valley and all up the slopes of the 
opposite side, which is interspersed with tall, stately 
and shapely trees, consisting of Elms, Limes, Oaks 
and others, which give the whole grounds the aspect 
of a park. 
In another direction we noted what seems the 
