September 10, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
731 
Astiike chinensis. 
The fine exhibit of the above subject at tliei Holland House 
Show recently by MM. Gt. van. Wa.veren and Kraijff served 
us as a reminder of this beautiful Chinese plant. The flowers 
were rather darker than usual, and the plants were said to 
be a hybrid between A. chinensis and another allied subject. 
The ordinary wild form of the plant, however, hasi pink 
flowers, which, we understand, varies in the depth of colour 
in different individuals. In the latitude of London, the plant 
prove® hardy, and may do so much further to the north. 
Under ordinary treatment in the herbaceous border A. dbinen- 
sis makes a. plant about 2 ft. high, and the plumy inflorescence 
has a charming effect. An ample supply of moisture ait the 
root, which all of this clasisi of plantsi enjoy, might cause it 
to grow taller. Both flower's and foliage have such a, refined 
appearance that the species might well find a, place on large 
rockeries. A good depth of soil is necessary to ward off the 
effects of a long spell of dry weather like that to which we 
have been subjected lately. A highly interesting and beau¬ 
tiful race of garden plants, might be raised between this 
specie® and A. Davidi, also from China. The latter would 
supply greater depth of colour and taller stems if required, 
though we do ,no-t think there is much necessity for increasing 
the height of the stems or the hulk of 'the foliage, seeing that 
the plants may be put to other purposes,' such a,s> pot culture 
for general decorative purpose's. Quite a, number of colour's 
might be originated by crossing the two species above men¬ 
tioned. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be put 
as briefly as possible, and written on one side of the paper only; a 
separate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Readers are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
of their experience b’l sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications art treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World, 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Plants for the Sea Bank, 
Being a reader of your valuable paper for a few years back, both 
as journeyman and since I have been head gardener, I wish j our 
opinion on the growing of trees and plants, about the Castle 
I mav say it stands on a rock right on the edge of the sea, and 
fully"exposed to every wind that blows. Nearly every sort of 
tree and flower has been tried, and is always a failure, the 
plants do very well the first summer, but after that they never 
appear again. Bedding stuff and annuals do all right for a few 
months in the summer, but they have always a stunted scorched 
appearance about them. My opinion is that the winds, off the sea, 
beino- charged with salt, do damage. I have often seen all t e 
e-rounds covered with salt spray after a gale. I leave it for you 
to say if my theory about the salt spray is right or wrong. ie 
soil is all right. Thanking you in anticipation of a reply m your 
paper. (Ckttdex Scaws.) 
The Leading Food Beverage. 
Don’t, overrate your powers of endurance. Take due pre¬ 
cautions, and face the world with the comforting assurance 
that you will he able to stand the strain. W bat you leally 
need to do 1 this effectually is a, beverage at once refreshing, 
pleasant to the palate, and strengthening to both mind and 
body. Such a food beverage is Dr. Tibbies’ Vi-Cocoa. It has 
made happy many a, home which otherwise to'-day would have 
been, wretched, and the ultimate effects of which it is impossible 
to, foresee. For breakfast, dinner, supper—indeed at any hour 
of the twenty-four-—Dr. Tibbies’ Vi-Cocoa will be found light 
and refreshing; it, leads the way among all beverages, and 
nothing can equal it. 
We are of opinion that the salt spray would be injurious during 
rather severe storms about the time the trees come into leaf, and 
the foliage is tender. In such exposed places the wind is usually 
very severe upon plant life, and, notwithstanding the idea of 
the salt spray, we. have seen ample evidence that long continueJ 
or prevailing winds during the period of growth have a marked 
effect upon the same a, long way inland from the sea. The trees 
in the hedgerows have all their longer and best branches directed 
to one side, showing that the prevailing winds from year to year 
prevent any satisfactory growth on the other side. We conclude, 
if you bad the means of affording shelter to the plants against the 
effect of wind, you could grow them quite close up to the sea- 
bank. We know that this is very difficult by the use of plants 
alone, and unless you were to build a wall or a close wooden 
fence you would have difficulty in rearing any plant in the most 
exposed positions. The common Beech is a tree that we have 
seen most capable of forming a hedge near sea banks in northern 
counties. TLis might very well be tried, unless you have 
hitherto done so and failed to 1 get it established. Several of 
the Pines might be tried if they were hardy enough, but you 
might at least try Pinus Laricio nigricans, better known as Pinus 
austriaoa. This iis a very hardy Pine, and well calculated to 
break the force of the wind and yet make a fairly good growth. 
This applies to) moi’e inland situations, as a rule, than on the 
sea bank, but it might very well be tried if it has, not hitherto 
been done. You say the sod is all right, and we suppose by that 
you mean that it is also of sufficient depth to keep the plants 
supplied with the necessary moisture and nourishment. If you 
could once get anything established to break the force of the 
wind, even if the plants were only of moderate height, then von 
could succeed in cultivating many other things inside the shelter. 
A large number of plants succeed in the south of England which 
would not be able to outlive the winter on a cold north-eastern 
sea hank. It, is more difficult to establish vegetation on the east 
than on the west coast. Other plants that we could recommend 
you to try, mixed amongst Beecli and Austrian Pine, would be 
the common Gorse (Ulex europaeus) and the common Bioom 
(Cytisns scoparius). The common Lilac might also be tried, and 
we should use small plants of each kind, in order to get them 
rooted before exposing much surface to the full force of the wind. 
Peach Stone Splitting. 
I have a Peach tree, but the stones in many of the fruits are 
splitting when about ripe. Any information would be grate¬ 
fully received. (W. Smith.) 
The splitting of the stone or hard portion of the kernel of the 
Peach is of frequent occurrence, and is most troublesome when 
it happens in the early stages of growth, causing thf fruits to 
fall long before they have attained full size,. It is net always 
easy to determine the cause of it without evidence. In some- 
cases it might be due to imperfect fertilisation during _ the 
period of the seeding of the fruits. At other times it might 
be due to imperfect growth as a result of injury to the roots 
through cold, damp weather, following after being waterlogged, 
for instance. If the fruits hang on and ripen upon the tree, 
the imperfection of the kernel would be quite a small matter, 
unless you require the stones for the raising of young trees. 
We have seen imperfect Peaches in this way brought about by 
the plants being forced too rapidly by excessively high tem¬ 
peratures at a time when the roots were scarcely able to supply 
the necessary water. In other cases the soil might he water¬ 
logged, thus preventing the roots from performing their proper 
functions, and under such conditions many of them eventually 
die. These are suggestions we make, so that being on the spot 
you might be able "to determine what is the cause of the malady 
in this particular instance. 
Fungus on Peach Roots. 
I herewith send you a few Peach tree roots and soil. All 
the roots and soil in immediate contact with them are the same 
as the sample. The tree had good growth of fruit and looks in 
. good health, but drops most of the fruits before they are 
thoroughly ripe. T came to the conclusion that this fungus 
was the cause. Perhaps you will oblige by giving me some in¬ 
formation through your invaluable paper (which I get every 
week). I threw out- of the same house and burnt two trees 
which were in bad health last autumn. I found the roots just 
like this one. Please let me know what you think about it. 
(J. S. D. D.) 
The main roots which you sent us in most cases were quite 
fresh and healthy, although the fibrous roots were moi’e or less 
in a decayed condition. The soil sent seems to have had a 
proper composition, including a fair amount of lime, hut it 
was very deficient in fibre. In fact, no fibre could be detected 
in it except that belonging to the roots, of the tree. The soil 
was quite dry by the time it reached us, so that nothing could 
