988 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
December 3, i904. 
Apples Cheap in Aberdeen. —Tlie season lias now arrived 
when Apples are imported in abundance into this country. In 
Aberdeen prices, on the whole, are low, and there is a large 
demand. 
* * * 
An Apple-woman’s Goon Fortune. —An old Apple-woman of 
Kiel, who accepted as payment for Apples sold to an impe¬ 
cunious customer a ticket for a Berlin lottery, has been for¬ 
tunate. enough to win a prize of 3,000 marks. 
* * * 
Choked by Damson Stones. —It was supposed that a little 
girl named Evelyn Downward, living in Idulme, Manchester, 
who was suffocated, had died from swallowing a Damson stone. 
At the inquest it was stated that no fewer than four stones had 
been discovered. 
* * * 
Cold Storage at Southampton. —We understand it is the 
intention of Messrs. Garcia, Jacobs and Co., of Cove-nt Garden, 
to keep a stock of 50,000 barrels of Apples in the cold store 
at Southampton. Thet plan hitherto adopted has been to retain 
a large stock in cold storage in New York, but the present plan 
is obviously more advantageous, inasmuch as the fruit is always 
immediately available when wanted. The Southampton route 
is more expensive, but more convenient than by way of the 
Thames, owing to delays on the latter*. 
* * * 
New East End Gardens. —On the 19th ult. Mr. J. W. Bonn, 
M.P., chairman of the L.C.C., opened two recently-acquired 
gardens in the East End, Arbour Square and York Square, 
Commercial Road, and Brickfield Gardens, Limehouse. The 
two former properties have been secured on lease from the 
Mercers’ Company at a nominal rental, but the Limehouse site 
had to be acquired under the Council’s compulsory powers, the 
cost being just over £7,000. There was a liberal display of 
bunting, and at each ceremony a band was in attendance, and 
entertained the crowds of dwellers who flocked to the pro¬ 
ceedings. 
* * * 
The Currant oe Commerce. —The proper name of this is 
Black Corinth, a name given to a- small variety of Grape from the 
fact that it is extensively cultivated for the sake of its fruits- in* 
the district of Corinth, in Greece. It is also cultivated in other 
parts of Greece, but the area over which it gives full satisfaction 
is not very extensive. As much as 75,000 tons of the dried fruits 
have been sent off from tire districts of Corinth, Zante, and the 
town of Patras in one season. In the reign of Queen- Elizabeth 
Sir Walter Raleigh had a monopoly of the importation of dried 
Currants. 
*• * * 
Greenhouse Scare at Walthamstow.— We were correct in 
supposing that the tax on greenhouses proposed by the local 
authorities at Walthamstow related only to those which were 
utilised for commercial purposes. The account which got 
abroad, however, was rather vague, with the result that the 
inhabitants of Walthamstow who indulge in greenhouses have 
for the last few days been in a state bordering on panic. 
Rumour* had it that the local authorities intended to rate all 
greenhouses at a fourth of the house assessment. Not caring 
to risk such a tax, many householders promptly removed the 
roofs from the little greenhouses that had been the envy of 
their London friends, while others inundated the Press with 
letters of protest. Inquiry at the Council offices, however, 
elicited the fact that the proposed rate only applies to green¬ 
houses used for trade, and does not apply to those erected 
in private gardens for the personal use of householders. 
* * * 
Prickly Pear Blossoms Park and Recreation Ground. - 
The above name has been given to a new park gifted by Mr. 
AY. H. C. Nation for a public park and recreation ground to 
the National Trust for the Preservation of Places of Historic 
Interest or Natural Beauty. The name was given in allusion 
to Mr. Nation’s work, entitled “ Prickly Pear Blossoms,” which 
contains tales of country life and descriptions of various flowers, 
plants, and rural scenery in the neighbourhood of Rockbeare, 
Mr. Nation’s estate. The park is about 500 ft. above sea-level, 
and is not far from the city of Exeter and the towns of Honiton, 
Ridmouth, and Halberton. At present it is thickly planted with 
Scotch Firs and Larches. Previous to its being opened to the 
public it will be planted with Prickly Pear shrubs (Opuntia). 
Other accommodations for the convenience of the public will 
be provided, and monumental stones will be set up, bearing 
inscriptions selected from Mr. Nation’s work as above named. 
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 by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies cannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
enve’ope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World,” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Tea Roses for Bedding. 
Please name six or eight Tea Roses suitable for bedding 
purposes to give plenty of flowers. (G. P.) 
The varieties which we give below are very useful for bed¬ 
ding purposes—at least, in the South—but you can scarcely 
expect all varieties to do equally well in different parts of the 
country. The best plan would be to plant a bed of each sort, 
even although the bed in some cases may not be large. In 
this way, those that succeed in your district may be allowed 
to- go on undisturbed, while if any of them should prove a 
failure the plants could be lifted, and something else put in 
their place which you know to succeed, or you can try another 
which you may not yet possess. Two lemon-yellow varieties 
are Isabella Sprunt and Lucie Faure; one or other of these 
should be given a trial, as both are very successful in the South. 
Princess de Sagan is a rich crimson ; Shirley Hibberd, golden- 
yellow ; Corallina, rosy-crimson; Fairy Queen, fawn and 
creamy-white ; Chameleon, rosy-flesh ; Dr. Gill, coppery yellow, 
fawn, and rose; and G. Nabbonnand, flesh-coloured, with long 
pointed buds. For bedding purposes, of course, all these should 
be allowed to grow naturally, without disbudding. As soon as 
the blooms fade they should be removed, to encourage further 
growth. 
Tlie New Varieties of Chrysanthemum maximum. 
Do you think that King Edward VII. and other new varie¬ 
ties of Chrysanthemum maximum have been crossed with 
Pyrethrum uliginosum? The height of the plants would seem 
to suggest this, or, at least, something more than the species. 
(J. J. L.) 
In the absence of recorded parentage it would be necessary 
to examine .the new plants very closely, particularly as to the 
form of the leaves at different elevations on the same. The 
cut specimens brought to- exhibitions are scarcely sufficient to 
show whether any hybridising lias been effected or not. A 
number of the Oxeye Daisies are very similar in structure so 
far as the flowers are concerned, and when larger varieties are 
developed under cultivation it is difficult to say whether the 
seedlings are mere varieties or have been crossed by some other 
species. We should not, however, suggest C. uliginosum, which 
you give under Pyrethrum, because the leaves of this latter 
are very strongly serrated by comparison with C. maximum and 
its allies. If the new plants ai*e the result of hybridising, we 
should suggest C. latifolium as the other parent. 
Apples for a Sandy Soil. 
Could you suggest the names of a few varieties of Apple which 
would be likely to succeed on soil of a sandy character? 
(F. S.) 
Strong-growing varieties are generally recommended for Ibis 
purpose, but they do not succeed equally in different locali¬ 
ties. You might, however, give leading places- to King of the 
Pippins, Lane’s Prince Albert, Devonshire Qiiarrenden, 
Grenadier, Keswick Codlin, and Ecklinville Seedling. Before 
planting, the soil should be trenched to a good depth, retain¬ 
ing the best material on the top. During the first few sum¬ 
mers, at least, you should mulch the ground, and give copious 
supplies of water during dry weather. This will enable the 
-trees to make headway during the earlier stages- of growth. 
Large Tree Fern. 
We have a tree Fern which is getting too tall for the house. 
Would it be likely to succeed if we cut off the lower half of 
the ball, in order to give it more head room? (T. W. D.) 
If it is one of the thick-stemmed species you can with safety 
cut away the greater portion of the ball of soil, leaving just 
sufficient to steady the plant in the new pot or tub. If the 
lower portion of tlie stem is gradually embedded in soil by 
top dressing during the next few years it will encourage the 
development of roots higher up, so that by this means you 
