December 8, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 220 
Lawn-Sprinklers are used in great numbers in the 
Chicago public parks during summer, some working 
for ten hours a day. 
Weather in London.— Mildness with a consider¬ 
able amount of rain and occasional breaks of sun¬ 
shine have been the weather conditions of the past 
week. 
The “Hurst & Son” Musical Society. — We 
have received notice of a smoking concert to be 
given in the Corn Exchange Restaurant, Mark Lane, 
E.C.,on Tuesday.December nth (Cattle Show week), 
by the above society. An attractive programme is 
being arranged, and judging from previous “ Hurst 
& Son " concerts, we anticipate something good on 
this occasion. Tickets, price 6d. each, may be 
obtained of all the members, or from 152, Hounds- 
ditcb, E. Mr. F. Washington is the hon. sec. 
New crops suitable for Australia.—Among the 
p'ants which have been suggested for trial in suitable 
regions of Australia, by Mr. Despeissis, the expert in 
horticulture to the Department of Agriculture, two 
aie specially mentioned. These are Agave mexicana 
for the sake of the fibres it yields ; and the Pineapple, 
which is not grown yet which might be. These, 
according to the Journal of the Department of Agri¬ 
culture of Western Australia, are what have been 
mentioned. The Agaves are grown among other 
places in Mauritius in the most arid place, and 
furnish " Sisal hemp ” and 11 Mauritius hemp.” In 
the case of the Pineapple several tons of delicious 
fruits can be obtained from an acre. 
Fruits, and where Imported from.—It should 
tre interesting to gardeners to know where the market 
•fruits are at present imported from. Apples are sent 
from Canada, the United States, Belgium, France. ‘ 
and Holland ; Pears from Belgium, France, and 
Holland ; Oranges from France, the , Canaries, 
Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Madeiras ; 
Lemons from Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, 
,&c. ; Tomatos from the Canaries. France, 
Madeiras, Spain, and Portugal. Nuts ccme 
from Persia, Ceylon, Morocco in northern Atrica, 
:Spain, and France Apricot pulp comes from 
IFrance ; Pineapples from the Azores ; Bananas from 
(the Canaries, and Pomegranates from Portugal. 
(Grapes come from all the southern continental 
countries. Beans and other vegetables come from 
‘Germany, Frapce, Holland, and Belgium. 
Funny !— Says a writer in an American paper : — 
•’I once read of an American florist who advertised 
in foreign papers, giving an elaborate description of 
‘the great American velvet plant.' All his orders 
were executed in Mullein plants. Another florist, a 
student of human nature, once sold to a rich cus¬ 
tomer. whose financial resources were greater than 
his floral information, a big order of plants. He 
called everything by their high-flown L-.tin names 
so that the purchaser did cot know what he was 
buying. The customer came back, however, and 
reported that there must have been some mistakes, 
as the Helianthus that was sent to him was nothing 
but a devilish big Sunflower, the Celosia was nothing 
but a blamed little sawn-off Cockscomb, Salvia was 
only Sage, and the Amaranthus was nothing but 
Prince's Feather.’’ 
Trade Poisons Bill.—A third and final meeting 
•of the Chemical Trade Section of the London 
Chamber of Commerce was held on Tuesday after¬ 
noon this week to consider the above Bill (which has 
been formulated by the Traders in Poisons and 
Poisonous Compounds for Technical and Trade 
Purposes Protection Society, of 5, Clements Inn, 
London, W.C ), which has for its objects the altera¬ 
tion and amendment of the law, relating to the sale 
of poisons and poisonous compounds for agricultural 
and other trade purposes in Great Britain and 
Ireland, and to decide what action, if any, should be 
taken by the Chemical Trade Section in the matter. 
There was a very full attendance of members and 
others intere'sted, and after considerable discussion, 
the following resolution was proposed by Mr. 
Thomas Bennett (Messrs. Bennett Lawes & Co., 
Ltd ), and seconded by Mr. J. J. Bowley (Messrs. 
F. Bowley & Sons) : — " The Chemical Trade Section 
recommended the Council of the Chamber of 
Commerce to actively support in Parliament the 
proposed Bill to alter and amend the law relating to 
the sale of poisons and poisonous compounds used 
for agricultural and other trade purposes." The 
resolution was carried 
ROOT PRUNING 
Is a subject that the writer meant to have penned 
quite a month ago, and such would have occurred, 
but owing to pressure of work, &c., it has been 
deferred till now ; but it is none too late to carry out 
this work provided the weather keeps mild. Of 
course, these remarks refer to fruit trees in the open 
which have, during the past year or more, made 
too much strong growth instead of forming fruit buds 
or spurs, especially Apples, Pears, and Plums. Often 
it becomes necessary to lift and replant the tree 
entirely, but this cannot well be done with large 
trees, hence the cutting of the strongest roots which 
generally has a tendency to go downwards or quite 
in the opposite direction of the cultivator’s wishes. 
Firstly, take out a trench from 2 ft. to 3 ft. deep 
right around the tree, keeping the same distance 
away from the bole of tree accordiug to size. Then 
gradually and carefully with a five-tined fork reduce 
the ball of soil, preserving all fibrous roots and 
shortening back all those devoid of fibres, not omit¬ 
ting to work fairly well under the tree, for it is here 
often the mischief is done. Use the knife and not 
trust to the spade to do the work, as some think good 
enough. When the operator considers the mischief 
has been rectified replace the soil again, carefully 
laying out straight each root in its place and 
encourage upward those that have a tendency to go 
downwards. Make the soil quite firm as the work 
proceeds, in fact ram the soil under the tree if much 
has been removed (bearing in mind that a good firm 
soil is far more conducive to fruit bud forming than 
a loose one. Especially is this the case with all 
stone fruit. Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, and Plums 
on walls are dealt with in the same manner when 
necessary). Some advocate a little good soil to be 
worked in as the work proceeds, but I consider this 
is adding insult to injury, for it must be patent to 
the merest novice that if the tree has grown too 
strong and rampant in its old soil, by adding a better 
larder, you are aggravating instead of rectifying the 
evil. Nay, I would rather replace the former soil or 
part of it with one more hungry. Those trees that 
have been operated on would be better with a good 
mulch early in the spring, and a good watering now 
and again in summer, if any exhibit signs of distress, 
though this does not often happen uuless the tree is 
old. 
This article would not be complete without a word 
as to the pruning of the shoots on trees so dealt with. 
This must not be neglected, but deferred until late 
in the spring or just as growth is pushing. Writers 
disagree upon this point, or upon newly planted trees 
from the nursery, which amounts to about the same 
thing if severely dealt with. I can’t see the good of 
postponing the pruning of shoots for one year on 
such trees. On the contrary, I can see the folly if 
left undone, I mean the properly balanced 'tree, 
especially if for walls .— J. Mayne, Bieton. 
-— 
NOTES ON VINE GRAFTING. 
Your veteran correspondent, Mr. Temple, has an 
able article on the above. May I supplement a few 
remarks which have come under my own experience. 
I have always found the Black Hamburgh the best 
stock unleis with two cases. I put the Gros Maroc 
and Mrs. Pince on the Black Hambnrgh. They grew 
very well but failed to fruit. The Gros Maroc is 
doing splendidly on Foster’s Seedling; Muscat of 
Alexandria on the Duchess of Buccleuch is splendid ; 
while on the other hand Muscat of Alexandria was 
no use on Chasselas Musque. It grew well enough 
but failed to fruit. I have Gros Colman on Black 
Hamburgh, splendid ; I have Mrs. Pearson on Lady 
Downes, doing splendidly for this last sixteen years ; 
but the tinge of the Lady Downes is likely to produce 
rust in the white Grape. I have put on a graft of 
Colman upon Mrs. Pearson. It has made a good 
cane, but I will not know thetesult till another season. 
I have not had a chance to try Mrs. Pince on any 
other. I grew Trebbiano on Black Hamburgh. It 
did very well in one case, producing a bunch, 5 lbs. 
in weight, which I exhibitited at our local show ; but 
as it was robbing the Black Hamburgh I took it off. 
Trebbiano did equally well upon Foster’s Seedling, 
but it was no better in flavour if as good. Gros 
Colman is reckoned very good in flavour, while Gros 
Maroc is not equal in flavour to the Colman. It is 
fairly good and keeps well till Christmas. Muscat of 
Alexandria was also a failure as regards fruiting 
upon Buckland Sweetwater. — Wm. Johnstone, The 
Elms, Arbroath. 
[Some of the berries of Mrs. Pearson were a 
iittle rusty, but we must say we have seen the variety 
much worse. It gives good growers a little trouble, 
and more than likely the rusty colour of the skin may 
be due to other causes than to the Lady Downes stock 
upon which it is grown. Gros Colman was of better 
flavour than Gros Maroc, but it (the former) was not 
very well coloured. Mrs. Pince and Gros Colman 
require a long season and more heat to mature them 
properly than Black Hamburgh, Muscat of Alex¬ 
andria and others. Gros Maroc is generally con¬ 
sidered a much supetior variety to Gros Colman in 
the matter of flavour, but time is required to mature 
them properly. The berries of both, but particularly 
of Gros Maroc,were of large and handsome size, the 
latter being also well coloured.— Ed.] 
■-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM CUTTINGS. 
If Chrysanthemums are required to carry from 
twelve to twenty good blooms, now is a good time to 
put the cuttings in, as it allows them time to get 
properly struck, and have a good start as the days 
begin to lengthen. The cutting are best inserted 
singly in thumb pots in a hand light, using a blunt 
dibber and seeing that the cutting is on the bottom 
of the hole, or if hung up in the pot they will never 
strike. Keep them in a cool structure, with a tem¬ 
perature ranging from 45° to 50°, being careful to 
wipe the glass of the lights dry every morning as it 
will help to keep the cuttings from damping off. In 
about a month they will be nicely struck, and by the 
beginning of January will be ready for their first shift. 
My choice of a dozen varieties for this purpose would 
be: W. H. Fowler, Souvenir d’ une Petite Amie, 
Viviand Morel, Charles Davis, Lady Hanham, 
Matthew Hodgson, Mons. Chenon D. Leche, James 
Bidencope, Phoebus, Louise, Etoile D, Lyon, and 
President Nonin. These are on the whole dwarf and 
compact. The middle of December to my idea is 
soon enough to put cuttings in for large flowering 
plants, and the beginning of the year for the decor¬ 
ative varieties,— H. Willis, 42, Alexander Road, Engle- 
field Green, Egham. 
PENZANCE SWEET BRIERS. 
This section of the Rose family is not nearly enough 
grown, owing, perhaps, to misunderstanding its 
simple requirements and sometimes from premature 
conclusions arrived at from written descriptions. 
The Penzance Sweet Briers are lovers of freedom, 
and will not bear pruning like hybrid perpetuals, 
therefore, they are unsuited to the garden bed or 
border. Some believing them very vigorous place 
them in the back portion of shrubbery borders where 
they soon die from want cf air or poverty of soil. 
Planted in the open lawn, these charming Roses 
flourish and well repay the attentive cultivator with 
floods of delightful perfume from early spring to 
late in autumn. Their flowers are single and sweetly 
scented, they are pretty durable in a cut state if 
taken in the bud stage and produce a naturally 
serene effect when arranged lightly indoors. The 
flowers are replaced by bunches of "heps” or 
berries, which grow brighter amongst the scented 
foliage, or dangle on long arching shoots as the days 
grow shorter and shorter. These Sweet Briers were 
first obtained by Lord Penzance by crossing old 
garden Roses, Austrian Briers, &c., with the common 
Sweet Brier, the delightful fragrance of which is 
strong in the hybrids. Though they resent pruning 
it is necessary that dead and weak wood or an un¬ 
desired shoot should be cut away.— Henry H. Gibson, 
The Gardens, Glencairn, Belfast. 
SEAKALE. 
Of all vegetables tftat undergo the process of forcing 
during the winter months none is more deservedly 
appreciate! than Seakale. Its flavour is delicious 
and it is in use from the present time until June. 
For the earliest supplies, the roots are lifted, 
trimmed and placed closely together on the floor of 
a Mushroom house, or any underground cellar. If 
such houses are not about big pots can be used 
instead, placing the crowns close together with 
another pot inverted on it to exclude light and put 
under a greenhouse stage for, say, five days, when 
they can be put in a little more warmth of from 
6o° to 65 p . Seakale produced from the cutting 
principle is the best. When lifting and preparing 
the crowns for forcing, select roots -J in. in diameter 
that are being cut off and make cuttings 5 in long, 
