July 22, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
Amateurs. 
In connection with the National Rose 
Society a number of amlateur growers have 
been exhibitors for many years, and are 
re ally champions in the matter of Rose culti¬ 
vation. The leading place for thirty-six dis¬ 
tinct blooms of Roses was taken by E. B. 
Liudsell, Esq., Bearton, Hitchin, who secured 
the Champion Trophy. In his stand were 
grand blooms of Captain Hayward, Mrs. J. 
Laing, Comtesse de Nadaillae, Lady Moyra 
Beauciere, S. Marie Rodocanachi, Mildred 
Grant and others. He took the Society’s 
Silver Medal for the best H.P. with Ulster. 
He was followed by the Rev. J. H. Pember¬ 
ton, Havering-atte-Bower, Essex. He also 
had some charming Roses in his stand. Mr. 
W. Boyes was third. 
The Rev. J. H. Pemberton came to the 
front for twenty-four distinct blooms, show¬ 
ing very strongly. 
The Tea and Noisette Trophy, in the ama¬ 
teur’s section, was taken by the Rev. F. R. 
Burnside, Great Stanhope Rectory, Rochford, 
Essex. He had charming blooms of White 
Maman Cochet, Maman Cochet, Muriel Gra¬ 
ham, La Boule d’Or, Golden Gate, etc. He 
took the Society’s Silver Medal for the best 
Tea in this section with the White Maman 
Cochet above mentioned. 
The best Hybrid Tea in the amateur’s sec¬ 
tion was shown by A. Tate, Esq. (gardener 
Mr. W. Mease), Downside, Leatherhead, who 
staged a grand bloom of Bessie Brown in one 
of his stands. 
In the class for a bowl of Roses the first 
prize was taken by Mrs. O'. G. Orpen, Hillside, 
West Bei'gholt, Colchester, who had a very 
charming arrangement of the single Damask 
climbing Rose Mrs. O. G. Orpen. The same 
lady had the best bowl of single white Roses. 
The Girdlestone Memorial Prize, for eighteen 
distinct varieties of Roses, was taken by 
A. Tate, Esq., who had grand bunches of 
Moschata Nivea, Crimson Rambler, W. A., 
Richardson, etc. The Rev. J. H. Pemberton 
was second. Mrs. R. B. Langton, Hendon, 
had the best Wichuraiana Roses, and Lady 
Sutton, Benham Park, Newbury, had the best 
'Sweet Briers. 
Messrs. Cutbush and Son, Highgate, Lon¬ 
don. had a splendid non-competitive exhibit 
of the Rambler Rose Mrs. F. W. Flight, set 
up in Bamboo stands. 
An Erratic Foxglove. 
(Digitalis purpurea monstrosa.) 
The accompanying illustration was prepared 
from a photograph sent to us by Mr. John 
Andrews, of Woodbridge, Suffolk. It had 
been sent him by Mr. Leonard Hayward, a 
friend, who describes it as a Foxglove freak. 
Whether it may be regarded as a freak or not, 
it is a very constant variation in the common 
Foxglove, and obtainable from seed. 
The top flower on the stem has assumed the 
regular form, or peloria, so that instead of 
the usual tubular drooping flowers with seg¬ 
ments of regular size, we have a bloom on the 
top which is regular in all its parts ; that is, 
whatever the number of segments, they are 
all of the same shape and size. 
We shall not say the top bloom, obtained 
from seedling plants, is always the same, but 
rather that although always regular it varies 
considerably in form; sometimes it is merely 
erect and bell-shaped, while in other cases, 
such as shown by the accompanying figure, 
the top bloom is of very large size and widely 
expanded or basin-shaped. No doubt in many 
cases the top flower consists of two or more 
joined together, when it happens to consist 
of a greater number of parts or segments than 
five. Indeed, the flower shown would seem 
to consist of two, with at least ten lobes or 
segments. The other flowers on the stem 
vary in colour, but are always of the usual 
Foxglove type. 
There are several other plants belonging to 
the same order which vary in a similar man¬ 
ner, though they may not be regularly ob¬ 
tainable from seed in the same way as,this 
Foxglove. For instance, we have the peloria 
form in Linaria vulgaris peloria, also in 
Antirrhinum majus, and the improved race 
of Pentstemons often exhibits a regular flower 
oii the fop of the plant. 
AN ERRATIC FOXGLOVE. 
Pruning & Training Fruit Trees. 
Pruning and training are necessary and 
very important operations in the cultivation 
of all fruit trees, whether growing under glass 
or in the open air. The form of training 
adopted must to a certain extent depend upon 
the space at the disposal of the cultivator. 
For all young trees'some people advocate a 
free and unrestricted growth called extension 
training, a system which has its advantages, 
if not carried too far, as the allotted space 
can be filled in a short time, and a quick 
return in the shape of fruit obtained. There 
must, however, come a time of restriction, and 
if the trees have been allowed to grow with¬ 
out due regard being given to having the bases 
well furnished, a difficulty will be experienced 
in keeping a supply of fruitful wood in the 
body of the tree. 
It is not, however, any particular form of 
training that I wish to discuss, but to point 
out the time and manner of performing the 
operation best suited to promote the well¬ 
being of the trees. With this object all dis¬ 
budding and pruning should be performed at 
such a time and manner as will result in the 
least possible waste of force to the trees. This 
important point does not always receive suffi¬ 
Ono 
cient thought and consideration, but where 
roots and brandies are confined it is a matter 
of great moment that the trees should not be 
permitted to waste their energies upon super¬ 
fluous growth, only to be removed as soon as 
made. The Vine, being a rapid grower, will 
soon accumulate a mass of shoots if neg¬ 
lected, or if from lack of time or other causes 
it is not regularly attended to, and if these 
shoots are cut off by the armful, a consider¬ 
able check is given to the Vine, as they, when 
thus severed, represent so mluch waste force 
which might have been directed to the im¬ 
provement of the fruit and the condition of 
the Vine. If by neglect or an error of judg¬ 
ment growth does accumulate beyond what is 
required, it should be removed gradually, so 
as not to expose too quickly to the influence of 
the sun’s rays the foliage, which has not sub¬ 
stance enough to stand the flood of light sud¬ 
denly let in amongst it. Ample growth 
should always be encouraged, but crowding 
avoided. 
Peaches often suffer by overcrowding of the 
shoots, double the number required for next 
season’s crop being encouraged to grow, only 
to be cut off, thereby robbing the remainder 
of strength and solidity, besides obstructing 
from the fruit light and air, two elements 
most essential to high colour and good flavour. 
The manipulation of the shoots best suited 
to the Peach is not at all difficult to learn ; 
anyone whose heart is in his work can soon 
master its details. When he has done so, 
and is sure of which shoots to leave, and only 
leave those to extend to their full length 
which are intended for next year’s fruiting 
wood, stopping or removing all others, train¬ 
ing will be a simple matter compared with the 
practice of leaving a forest of shoots, which 
must either be cut off or tied upon each 
other. 
Trees which bear their fruit upon spurs re¬ 
quire careful treatment to maintain an even 
balance between wood and fruit. Fruit spurs 
cannot form upon branches crowded with 
shoots a greater part of the summer and 
suffered to remain until the winter pruning ; 
neither are fruiting spurs produced by the use 
of the knife when the trees are dormant, but 
by the attention bestowed upon them during 
the season of growth. It is better to have too 
few branches if they are furnished throughout 
with firm growth than to have too many on 
trees which are restricted to a given space. 
With trees having plenty of head room it is 
not well to let them grow their own way en¬ 
tirely, but commence while they are young 
to remove a few branches and regulate the 
shcots. They will by such attention and with¬ 
out w r asting their energies upon useless 
growth, make shapely trees and bear fruit 
over the entire length of their branches. The 
practice often followed is to leave the trees 
alone until they become thickets of wood, 
when a severe thinning out takes place, from 
which they are a long time in recovering, and 
will never equal those upon which a little 
timely attention has been bestowed. 
J. W. J. 
-♦- 
CrRiors History of the Tomato. —After 
the Revolution of San Domingo many French 
families came from there to Philadelphia, 
where they introduced their favourite pom me 
el’amour. Although introduced from South 
America into England as early as 15"96, it was 
looked upon with suspicion, and its specific 
name — Lycopersicum, derived from lykos 
(wolf) and persikon (Peach), referring to the 
beautiful but deceptive appearance of its fruit 
—intimates pretty closely the kind of estima¬ 
tion in which it was then held. 
