362 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 25, 1893, 
Letters to the Editor. * 
Book on Gardening. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—T. Henry asks for a good book on gardening, to let him 
know wliat to do in his greenhouse and garden week by week. 
I would advise him to get the “ Greenhouse and Garden,” which 
will inform him what to do day by day. It is priced at 3s. 6d., 
and can be obtained from L. Upcott, Gill, “Bazaar” office, 
Strand, London, W.C. J. K. I). 
—o— 
Black Spot in Tomatos. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Dear Sir, —I am much obliged for the answer to my inquiry 
re Tomatos becoming rotten in the centre in your issue of the 
21st ult. I am afraid I cannot at present send you a specimen, 
as the plants are only now ready to plant out. In your reply to 
my question you say the indications point to what is called the 
Black Spot in Tomatos. I think from what I have seen it would 
quite bear out your opinion. If you could suggest a remedy for 
that disease I should be obliged, and if the disease appears again 
I will send you a specimen. Subscriber. 
—o— 
The Critics. 
To the Editor of Tile Gardening World. 
Sir, —As a reader, and I trust an observant one, I take the 
liberty of saying that it appears that your weekly prize is causing 
the heads of a few worthy sons of Adiam to lamentably swell. 1 
have hitherto judged Scotsmen to be quiet, pushful, and careful 
beings ; yet here we see two of the profession working themselves 
into a fury and whirling their pens like an Irishman’s club. And 
what is it all about? One makes remarks concerning his suc¬ 
cessors methods, probably little thinking that the said successor 
was also a reader, and when the latter ventures to state his case 
he is assailed with wliat I may term vicious remarks and poetical 
quotations, which in all probability were curtailed by the Editor 
before publication. 
Tliis same penman next assails a. writer, who, without any at¬ 
tempt at disparagement,recalls the days of long ago, and asks for 
a little enlightenment as to the present state of the gardens he 
refers to. 
However, a word of genuine advice, avoiding personalities, 
brings the wrath of those concerned upon his devoted head. Great 
stress is brought to bear upon the question of anonymity, which 
clearly indicates that little thought has been given to the subject. 
Modesty is undoubtedly the cause of many withholding their 
names, but there are often private and business reasons for doing 
so. Britain is a free country, yet it behoves the man in the street 
to proceed with caution, for there are ways in which he is made to 
suffer for his temerity. 
As the Editor remarks, names carry no weight, for an 
article stands upon its merits. Were every writer to give his 
name and address be would be pestered with communications. 1 
have occasionally suffered in such a manner to .some considerable 
extent. Moreover, a discussion in a paper should be confined to 
the. paper only ; therefore it matters little as to whether the 
writer's name is Brown, Smith, or Jones. 
How many of our great men adopt a no in de plume in all their 
writings ? Disclosure of names does not bring writers any closer 
together. Even if it did, say your next-door neighbour was your 
opponent, it would not affect the question one iota, A discursive 
writer would, and should, refuse to hold a personal discussion 
after a subj eot has been started in a. paper. I myself have known 
the best of friends to wrangle desperately in print, yet their 
friendship was sound. Such could not he done without a nom de 
plume on at least one side. 
The second writer apparently imagines that the aforesaid cor¬ 
respondent is twitting his prowess, and advises the latter to take 
shelter from the storm. The versatile pen of the “ Quizzer ” 
appears to land him also into many scrapes, from which he seems 
to emerge with the smiling serenity of a cherub. I wander 
whether he is one of the scribes who consider yet never speak of 
their own experiences ? 
In conclusion, I fear the compulsion of latitudes would be oi 
little avail, for this country is not like the U. S.A., which com¬ 
prises the Tropics with the Arctic regions. 
Finally, I feel tempted to suggest that all warriors who like to 
hear the sound of their voice should, to use an Americanism, 
“Go and hire a hall.” T. A. AY, ’ 
- -—o—- 
A Fine Hartstongue. 
To the Editor of The Gardening Would. 
Sir,— My attention has just been drawn to a paragraph in your 
issue of March 7th on page 206, headed “A Fine Hartstongue.” 
In this, it refers to* a collection of British ferns of my late 
father, and says that owing to his death it has brought about its 
dispersal. As this is not true, 1 should be glad to have the same 
contradicted, for I have still the collection, consisting of 7,000 or 
8,000 plants, which I am open to sell a good number of ; but 
anyone reading the paragraph above mentioned would take it that 
I bad none, and you will undoubtedly see that it is open to do me 
a great deal of harm. Richard Ht. Broughton. 
Hardy Fruit Budding. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir, —Your correspondent “ W. AY.” is all in good time with 
his enquiries as to the best time for budding fruit trees—instruc¬ 
tions which will in due course appear in these pages—and it is 
hoped “ AA T . AY.” will still be a reader of the ITT. TV. ; but to set his 
mind at rest for the present I may briefly state that such work 
cannot well be undertaken until the second week in July, as suit¬ 
able buds will not be forthcoming as found on the summer shoots, 
therefore the scions “ W. AY.” has by him would be useless for 
this work. Buds must be taken from summer shoots, and these I 
must be wood buds, which are more pointed than fruit buds, the 
latter being round or blunt, though in the Apricot there is not so 
much distinction, fault if carefully examined it will be noted that 
the fruit buds ai"e much larger than wood buds. I am delighted 
your correspondent takes such a lively interest in hardy fruit 
culture ; depend on it, there is money to he made if only it is 
worked right, and the better kinds only are cultivated, stored in 
the cool fruit room, and put on the market the end of January 
up to the middle of May. Those high prices paid for Canadian 
or Tasmanian fruit should also, be within the Britisher’s reach. 
These latter remarks refer to Apples only. J. Matne. 
—o— 
Cypripedium Venus Oakwood var. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,— As published in the description in The Gardening 
AVorld, I note a grave error in the recording, of the parentage. 
The original cross producing C. Venus was included in the 
Woodlands list of Cypripediums published by Mr. R. H. 
Measures in December, 1893, the parentage given being Cypripe- j 
dium insigne Sanderae and C. niveum. The photograph you A 
so finely reproduced was taken from the plant raised by N. C. 
Cookson, Esq., Oakwood, Wylam-on-Tyne, from the inter¬ 
crossing of C. niveum and C. insigne Sanderae. It was exhibited 
at the R.H.S. meeting, January 28th, 1902, and was awarded 
a first-class certificate by the Orchid Committee. It was fully j 
described in The Gardening World (among recently certifi- j 
cated plants) in records of the albove meeting. Like many other | 
rare and beautiful hybrids, this was the only plant procured 
from the seed sown. It is the most vigorous-growing plant 
among the whole section of C. niveum crosses. Last year 
when shown it only had a single growth with a small break 
at the base. At the present time the plant is again in flower, 
having carried two spikes, and has seven strong growths. It 
is certainly one of the most beautiful Cypripediums in cultiva- 11 
tion. The ground colour, being almost pure white when fully 
developed, with the light brown spottings, makes a desirable, 
as well as a distinct, contrast. H. J. Chapman. 
[Evidently two distinct hybrids named Cypripedium A T enus 
have been recorded. In the publication to which you refer 
both are given, namely, C. Venus (niveum x insigne Sanderae) 
and C. ATenus (albanense x reticulatum). The above is the 
order in which they are recorded in “ The Woodwards ” list. 
In the “ Cambridge Lodge ” list, 3rd edition, fay Mr. R. I. 
Measures, C. Venus (albanense x reticulatum) is placed first 
on the list. In “ Sanders’ Orchid Guide ” both are given in 
Table I. of the hybrids, but only C. Venus (albanense x reticu¬ 
latum) in the list of genera, species and hybrids, so that one is 
easily misled by it.—E d.] 
