812 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 18, 1900, 
CHERRIES AND PLUMS IN POTS. 
At the Drill Hall, on Tuesday, July 31st, Mr. H. 
Somers Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, delivered a 
lecture on the above subject. It was a lecture 
pregnant with practical advice and, coming from one 
so competent to teach, the hints are of the highest 
value. Fruits in the open, Cherries and Plums par¬ 
ticularly are so liable to damage and depredation 
either from the elements in the one case, or by birds, 
that all things considered, the pot culture of the 
fruits above-named had much to recommend it. 
A span-roofed house of roomy dimensions was 
suggested, and the ventilators, doors, &c., should be 
screened by gauze. Considering the trees to be in 
pots they should be placed out of doors so soon as 
the crops are gathered, to ripen the wood and plump 
up the buds. Water them in dry weather and occa¬ 
sionally give them a brisk syringing. In October 
bring them in for repotting. Employ a good loamy 
compost, at the rate of one load to two of rotten 
manure, adding one barrowful of mortar. Drain the 
pots thoroughly well, carefully ramming the soil 
firmly. They will require complete repotting only 
in alternate years. Perfect drainage is very neces¬ 
sary for the successful culture of Cherries. Do not 
overpot ; an n-in. pot is quite large enough for a 
three-year-old tree. When finished, the trees are 
placed close together. Water is given till the leaves 
have completely fallen, but from the middle of 
November till the end of December no watering is 
necessary. At the end of February the trees are 
pruned. Sometimes no pruning is necessary for old 
trees in perfect bearing ; they confine themselves to 
forming spurs, Any strong shoots may be left with 
eight to ten eyes The pruning finished, the trees 
are now put out to their summer quarters. A path 
of 3 ft. width should run around the house, the bed 
being in the centre. When the pots are plunged in 
the beds, cover the surface with a 3-in. layer of 
sifted cinders. Group the trees in the order of their 
ripening. Fumigate with XL All. 
Thinning should be done when stoning is finished, 
allowing ample space to each fruit. During the 
blossoming period, all ventilation possible should be 
given. A single hot-water pipe round the inside 
edge of the house is alone required. When the 
foliage is expanding, water may be given very freely. 
Always damp down the paths and borders up to the 
flowering period, and after setting-time, syringe. 
Liquid manures or soot-water may be given twice a 
week. A good topdressing is necessary when the 
fruits are stoning, and again just before they colour. 
Blackfly is their worst enemy, but may be baffled by 
fumigating, which can be done at any period of 
growth. Richards' XL All may be used with perfect 
safety at any time. Good varieties of Cherries, in 
order of ripening, are : — Guigne de Louvain, Guigne 
d'Annonay, Belle d'Orleans, Bigarreau Jaboulay, 
Early Rivers and Belle de St. Tronc. These are all 
early Coming slightly later are Knight’s Early 
Black, Governor Wood, May Duke, Belle de 
Choissy and Montreuse de Mezel. Then Turkey 
Black Heart, Kentish Bigarreau, Royal Duke, Arch¬ 
duke, Black Tartarian, Bigarreau Napoleon, Guigne 
de Winckler and Belle Agathe are first-rate late 
sorts. Though not mentioned in the lecture, Noble 
may also be included. All the Bigarreau and black 
Cherries deserve culture under glass. 
Plums. —The same cultural directions given for 
pot Cherries hold good for Plums. Selections of 
the best were given :—Coe’s Golden Drop, Jeffer¬ 
son's, Kirke’s, Reine Claude du Comte Atthems 
(Comte d’Althan), Rivers’ Early Prolific, The Czar, 
Denniston's Superb Gage, Washington and 
Decaisne. 
The Japanese Plums could not be called a success 
in Europe, said Mr. Rivers. We have yet to discover 
the secret of their culture in orchard houses. Mr. 
Geo. Bunyard, V.M.H., and one or two others dis¬ 
cussed some of the points of the lecture, after which a 
unanimous vote of thanks was passed to Mr. 
Rivers. 
■ 4 * - 
WAR AGAINST PLANT PESTS. 
In the height of summer the amount of time occu¬ 
pied by the hard worked gardener in his endeavours 
to prevent the encroachments of insect pests, 
amounts in many cases to one-half his time. Cer¬ 
tainly if he can prevent a settlement in the first 
instance this would seem the most commendable 
way, but to carry out the work of prevention and to 
keep it up appeals to not a few as being quite as bad 
as it is to allow things to go untended till necessity 
compels one (reluctantly though it may be) to put 
forth the ultimatum, and to wage the war of 
extermination. 
As the opening lines say, the height of summer 
brings an abundance of pests along with the other 
returns. 
The following few hints may be useful to other 
gardeners at the present time. Blackfly on Cherries 
(and on other things) is a nasty plague. Strong 
Tobacco water should be used, or if anyone can get 
a supply of gas liquor in an easy way, this, diluted 
with one-third water, may be employed. If syring¬ 
ing can be vigorously performed this method will 
do ; otherwise, the affected shoots will have to be 
hand-washed. The Black Aphis is far harder to get 
rid of than Greenfly ; it seems to stick so much 
firmer. The first syringing or washing should be 
followed up by a second and third on days succeeding 
each other until the pest has been got entirely rid of, 
or greatly suppressed. The chief point of value in 
commencing operations early enough, that is, before 
the flies have obtained a firm hold, lies in this, that 
the leaves have not yet become curled up as they 
usually do to shelter the pests. Greenflies attack 
nearly everything that is soft and juicy enough for 
them. When a syringe or garden engine with 
clean water alone is used, this little insect finds it 
difficult to thrive. It is good for the plants, as a 
rnle, in more ways than one, to give them a frequent 
washing, fumigating is often the best plan for 
plants which are grown under glass, but for those in 
the open, which are troubled with Greenfly, any of 
the following solutions may be made and used. An 
easily prepared mixture is composed of soft soap, 
Tobacco liquor, and rain water. It is well to make 
liberal quantities to start with. The Tobacco liquor 
should be added at the rate of one in twelve to the 
rain water, be it gallons or hogsheads ; and soap in 
the proportion of three-quarters of a pound per 
gallon. Another preparation not often made, but 
still recommended, consists of 2 lb. of washing soda, 
1 oz. of bitter Aloes, and when cold one gallon of 
water. 
Quassia chips are often used, and to good purpose. 
Boil 4 oz. of these in a gallon of soft water; strain 
off the chips and add 4 oz. of soft soap, which may 
be dissolved as the water cools. Syringe with this, 
and about twenty minutes later syringe again with 
clear water. 
Ants are troublesome little things even though 
they are so interesting. They congregate in myriads 
on stove plants chiefly, and in the propagating pits 
they certainly are not welcome. One of the best 
means of eradicating them is to lay bones about, so 
that they may infest these, whence they can then be 
quickly, yet quietly lifted and plunged into a bucket 
of boiling water. Carbolic acid squirted here and 
there eradicates them effectively. Care is required 
when using this poison. Paraffin oil, benzoline and 
kerosene are also valuable in this connection. 
Mildew is universal, it attacks many of our finest 
garden subjects, and is one of the gardener’s worst 
complaints. The very best preventive or combatant 
is sulphur, either syringed upon the foliage or 
vapourised by means of heat. — S., N. B. 
Gardening Miscellany. 
RASPBERRY THE HORNET. 
Why such a name was given to this fine variety of 
the popular fruit is just one of those things a fellow 
cannot understand That it is not more grown is, 
I think, easy to explain because it is a tall-growing 
variety. I know one man who makes a speciality of 
it for the Brighton market, who is credited with 
taking the finest crops there. It is just possible that 
his ground suits this variety better than many soils 
do. This at all events is his own opinion. Last 
year he had one fruit over J oz. in weight (this can 
be attested). Those who have a somewhat damp 
soil, an open situation, and can command stakes 
some io ft. to 12 ft. in height, if required, should give 
this a trial. The flavour is excellent.— W. B. G. 
A PRETTY COMBINATION. 
As edging to walks or in dry strips of ground, the 
silvery Euonymus radicans variegata makes a pretty 
carpeting plant. And if the common Bluebell be 
planted in small clumps among the Euonymus, the 
combined effect, or contrast, is charming. 
DWARF PEARS. 
There is one special advantage in growing dwarfs 
instead of standards, and that is the case of gather¬ 
ing the fruits. But from want of knowledge, or for 
lack of applying wbat one does possess, orchards of 
Pears are not always so snccessful as they ought to 
be. What the'faulty points of treatment are, The 
Canadian Horticulturist for May endeavours to point 
out. These are: First, planting on poor soil. 
Fruits of large size and in quantity can never be 
obtained from a light sandy soil. A sandy loam will 
do very well, but a rich clay loam, well drained, is 
best of all. Second, lack of cultivation. A standard 
Pear may get along fairly well nnder moderate 
attention, but the Quince stock on which the Pears 
are dwarfed is a surface rooting tree, and mnst 
have top mulchings and proper tillage. Thirdly, 
neglect of pruning. Proper treatment of a dwarf 
demands annual and vigorous cutting back of all 
new wood if over a foot in length. The idea in 
mind for a dwarf tree should be a pyramid. And 
fifthly, unprofitable varieties should be discarded. 
MOLTKIA PETRAEA 
Is a hardy little shrub, in the southern counties at 
least, with blue and reddish Borage-like flowers, 
borne in clusters on the young wood of the current 
year. So numerous are the clusters of flower stalks 
with their bunches of bloom that a bush of 3 or 4 ft. 
in circumference forms quite a feature of any rock- 
garden. The foliage is somewhat grey and resembles 
that of dwarf Rosemary. The species under note is 
supposed to thrive best in a cool greenhouse. The 
culture is similar to that of Onosma, notes upon 
which appeared at page 696. 
SARRACENIA STEVENSII. 
For a piece of bog-land or damp ground the Sar- 
racenias are mostly suitable, but none more so than 
S. Stevensii. The flowers are very peculiar, droop¬ 
ing as they do on loDg stalks. The rich blood-red 
sepals, and greenish yellow inner segments contrast 
finely. A sheltered corner is necessary. 
TROPAEOLUM LEICHTLINII. 
It is not so many years since this bright flowered 
trailing rock plant was introduced by the German 
nurseryman whose name it bears. The long stems 
trail about over and among the stones of the rockery, 
bearing blue-grey foliage, and sending up from the 
upper surface thick clusters of its moderate sized 
orange-yellow flowers. These are on stalks a few 
inches long, and come freely all along the stems. 
When once it becomes established it furnishes a 
very conspicuous object in the rockery. 
DICENTRA EXIMIA. 
This dwarfer and more compact species of Dicentra 
(Bleeding Heart) has had its praises sung frequently 
in these pages. It is a plant which one does not 
grow tired of, for both the Fern-like foliage and 
the trusses of pink flowers are very pretty. It 
grows bushy and remains for a very long period in 
flower, months indeed, when the position suits it. 
- - 8 — 
SOCIETIES. 
WEST DERBY SHOW. —August 6th. 
During the ten years’ existence of this society, no 
gathering has been held which has brought out such 
exhibits of high merit. A word of praise is due to 
the stagers who did their work remarkably well and 
well up to time. 
In the gardeners' section, Dr. Duffus (gardener, 
Mr. G. Osborne) was awarded the chief prize for the 
Single Palm, staging a fresh Areca lutescens. For 
four stove or greenhouse plants, two to be in flower, 
A. H. Bencke, Esq. (gardener, Mr. E. Bache), se¬ 
cured premier honours. For the group of 100 ft., 
three excellent lots were set up, Mr. C. Osborne 
leading with a fresh lot of plants, his Crotons being 
highly coloured. 
Mr. Ogden secured the first award for six table 
plants. Fruit was in good form, Mrs. Wright (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. W. Cross) winning in the class for black 
Grapes with Black Hamburghs, fine alike in berry 
