THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
December 27 ^ 1913 . • *. 
• * 
remarks follow, and Miss .Hemns. conclude* 
that, ‘‘since there is no .jipst^,vo^/and ho 
possibility of real^ij-eforaiJaiv the pf^ent 
Society^ it is necessaivform «^n*ew’pnej 
and I venture to propose thie;.ind--ajso to 
g^ive the following idea, of M'hat wovikt’seein 
to be the objects most jvoHhj^ of its, <ijcti- 
vity; (a) To grow every. allegWl variety in 
existence, and rediice the list to a com¬ 
paratively short on,e. (b) 1'hereafter y'^arly 
to grow all approved varieties against new 
challengers. (c) to dominate nomencla¬ 
ture.” An annual subscription of 3s. (M. 
per annum is suggested. 
A Fine Chestnut Orchard.— 
Little heed is paid to the Sweet Chestnut 
in this country except as an ornamental 
tree, but quantities of nuts are imported 
each year from Frahce, where chestnuts 
are planted in orchards. In the riiite<l 
States the Sweet Chestnut is very popular, 
are very popular, and sweet peas enter 
largely into the designs of wall-pa|H*i s. etc., 
nowadays, sc this further a<lvance is not 
unexpected. 
A Splendid Crop of Potatoes. 
—It is reported that 725 bushels of i>otat<H\s 
have been lifte<l from one acre of ground at 
Cape Ihvton, Nova Scotia, on the farm of 
a Air. H. AMImui, who went to that counXrV 
from Scotland a few years ago. At first he 
worke<l as a miner, b\it s<MMng the grevat 
possildlities the Cape Breton -soil offi‘r<*d. 
and the splendid market right at hand. l:e 
Imught a farm, and although for .Mueial 
years it had bw*n devoid of })ro]>er care and 
require<l much lalmur to bring it up to a 
Britisher's standard, this potato yu'hl 
proves he has ac*coinplislHMl his purpose in 
a remarkable degre<‘. 
The Larg^est Apple, like the big 
gooseberry an<l the tallest sun flower, srenis 
971 
•• 
TO- thejact that long years ago a large nuiii- 
law^of narrow, acre stri]>s of land were de- 
votinJ to agriculture in the neighlK>urhood, 
ami as the ends of these small holdings 
cBtie out i*ito Bark ].<aiio, the prcisent zig- 
za^ appearance of the frontage line re- 
.‘mltcHl. 
ROBINIA PSEUDACACIA 
DECAISNEANA. 
Among the ntunerou.s' varietal forms of 
the Fals<‘ .\cacia, or Common Locust Tree, 
Bohinia pseudacacia, Dt'caisne’s rohinia, is 
•ne of the m(»st <listinct ami valual>le. It 
<liffer.s fnMii the type in having rosy-pink 
flowers, whicli are at their host in .Line, 
a month later than the familiar whitc- 
flowertHl Kals<* Ai-iiria, and it hius fewer 
sjiimvs. Though not common in oiir gar- 
(1 ns, B. p. I)e<'ai.sneana is a fairly old 
ROBINIA PSEUDACACIA DECAISNEANA. 
and considerable attention has been paid 
to its improvement as an orchard fruit. 
At Lewisbnrg, Pa. one grower has over 
400 acres under the i^aragon Chestnut, con¬ 
taining alxuit 50,000 trees, from six 
to fourteen years old, and all in 
bearing. An eleven ^year-old tree will 
carry a bushel of nuts. As an indication of 
the interest taken in sweet chestnuts we 
may add that this same grower has 300,000 
grafted trees ready for the market, and 
above a million seedling stocks for grafting. 
How Sweet Peas Set Fashions 
in Colour. —Sweet peas are answerable 
for many things, and now we learn that 
Mons. Rodier, of Paris, has had quantities 
of dress fabrics dyed in shades of colours 
found in sweet peas for ladies’ wear next 
summer. He grew a large number of varie¬ 
ties of this popular annual, and then sub¬ 
mitted blooms to his dyer, who in turn re¬ 
produced the colours in dress materiak;. 
Artificial sAveet peas for use in millinery 
to be a source of never-ending interest. Not 
long since Co vent Carden was startled by a 
Gloria Miindi apple weighing 32ioz., but 
this is “ beaten to a frazzle,” as our Ameri¬ 
can friends say, by an example of Sixikane 
Beauty, orchaVd grown, and weighing 38oz. 
This monster is vouched f ir by Mr. J. T. 
Bealby, of Nelson. British Columbia, and 
was exhibited at Vancouver on the occa¬ 
sion of the first Canadian National Apple 
Show, in 1910. It was Aveiglnxl in the pre¬ 
sence’of the Deputy Minister of Agricul¬ 
ture for British Columbia, so we cannot 
dispute the figures, and must, for the 
moment, hide our diminished heads until 
someone ooraes forward with a 40oz. speci¬ 
men. 
Small Holdingrs in Park Lane. 
_ The favourite thoroughfare along the 
east side of Hyde Park, London, is by no 
means straight, and the frontage of the 
houses is very irregular. Sir Laurence 
Gomme states that this irregularity is due 
A’ariet\’, and Avas figured in the “ Revue 
Hortic'ole ’’ for 1803. The tree is free in 
growth, and, in common with other robi- 
uia.s, thrives in sandy, comparatively jK)or 
and dry soils. In addition to its value for 
park and pleasure-ground planting, it is a 
suitable tree for street planting. A speci¬ 
men groAving in the Kew Road, Riclunond, 
is the object of considerable attention Avhen 
in fiower, Avith its tender green leaAes, and 
pendulous racemes of dainty, rosy-pink 
flowers—a stnking contrast to the elms, 
London planes, etc., close by. 
Decaisne’s rohinia may be raised from 
se(‘ds, a fair nunilxw coming true, Avith, oc- 
easionally, a tree with darker-coloured 
flowers, to Avhieh the name of rubra has 
been given. The seeds should Ix' sown as 
soon as mature, otheiAvise germination is 
very irregular. To saA^e time, m nurseries, 
grafting on the common rohinia is the more 
generally favoured method of propagation 
A. O. K. 
