229 
Suppl  merit  to 
March  15,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND 
COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
CARDENjCI®NINCS 
I/., 
Parsnips. — It  was  said  the  other  day  at  the  Drill  Hall  that  the 
superb  samples  of  Tender  and  True  Parsnip  shown  by  Mr.  E.  Beckett 
were  of  the  Student  variety.  But  the  true  Student,  or  in  any  case  the 
variety  that  is  in  commerce  as  the  Student,  has  raised  necks  and  not 
hollow  crowns  as  Tender  and  True  has.  To  satisfy  critics  Mr.  Beckett 
sent  me  samples  of  both  varieties,  and  I  find  them  ta  be  exactly  as 
stated.  Tender  and  True  seems  to  have  been  a  white  and  more  refined 
selection  from  the  old  Hollow  Crown.  It  is  a  delicious  variety,  the  flesh 
being  very  soft  and  marrowy,  whilst  the  roots  as  a  rule  are  less  coarse 
than  are  those  of  the  Hollow  Crown.  Tender  aud  True  Parsnip  is 
to  be  grown  with  others  at  Chiswick  this  year,  that  its  distinctness 
may  be  tested. — A. 
Giant  Onions. — As  the  outcome  of  a  little  talk  the  other  day  as 
to  the  keeping  qualities  of  giant  Onion  bulbs,  Mr.  Beckett  has  kindly  ' 
sent  me  along  from  Elsti-ee  a  few  samples  of  his  splendid  bulbs  of  last 
season’s  growth  to  show  how  his ;  have  kept.  These  bulbs,  of  perfect 
form  and  finish,  and  varying  from  If  to  2  lbs.  in  weight,  are  as  hard 
as  nuts  and  certainly  would  keep  well  in  a  cool  dry  place  till  the  end 
of  April  at  least,  yet  they  have  been  ripe  and  pulled  since  the  middle 
of  September  last.  That  there  are  wet  cold  seasons  when  giant  bulbs 
do  not  finish  off  well  or  keep  well  there  can  be  no  doubt,  but  even  small 
or  ordinary  spring-sown  bulbs  are  similarly  affected.  No  one  must 
conclude  henceforth  that  giant  winter-raised  Onion  will  not  keep 
well  if  fully  matured. — A.  D. 
Xiondon’s  Almond  Trees. — After  referring  to  the  swelling  buds 
of  the  Almond  trees  in  the  London  suburbs  and  dilating  upon  their 
popularity,  a  writer  in  a  contemporary  proceeds  : — “  Though  originally 
a  child  of  the  East  of  Asia  and  the  North  of  Africa,  the  Bitter  Almond, 
or  Amygdalus  communis  amara,  came  into  this  country  more  centuries 
ago  than  anyone  can  tell.  As  far  back  as  the  eleventh  century  it  was  a 
favourite  with  high  and  low,  under  the  delightful  name  of  Easterne 
Nuttebeam,  and  our  good  old  gardening  friend  Gerard  tells  us  that  in 
his  time  Almond  trees  were  ‘  in  our  London  gardens  and  orchards  in 
great  plenty.’  Thus  it  has  gone  on  blossoming!  before  any  other  shrub 
or  tree,  and  taking  with  its  graceful  bloom  the  harshness  from  our 
harsh  month  of  March;  decking  itself  with  foliage  as  decorative  almost 
as  that  of  the  Ilex,  and  standing,  each  autumn, jwith  its  harvest  of  egg- 
shaped,  velvety  fruit,  which  gapes  when  ijpe,  throws  its  ‘  nutte  ’ 
lavishly  on  the  ground,  and  goes  contentedly  to  sleep.  Come  snow^ 
come  frost,  come  storm  and  flood  and  stress,  with  death  and  destruction 
to  other  imported  plants,  the  Almond  survive!  them  all,  and  justifies 
in  its  adopted  country  as  well  as  in  its  Eastern  home,  the  reputation 
implied  in  its  Hebrew  name,  Shakad — i.e.,  eai^y  awakening.” 
Bonemeal  for  Vines. — It  is  doubtful  whether  the  value  of  bone, 
meal  is  fully  recognised  for  application  to  Vine  borders  as  a  surface 
dressing.  Last  season  I  saw  some  old  Vines  treated  to  a  fairly 
liberal  application,  and  the  numbers  of  roots  that  were  attracted  to 
the  surface  were  remarkable,  as  were  others  which  issued  from  the 
main  stem  on  the  border  line.  Bonemeal  enters  largely  into  the 
composition  of  some  prepared  manures,  and  no  doubt  with  pot  plants 
it  has  a  beneficial  action  in  inducing  root  a|itivity.  In  the  case  of 
Vines,  however,  it  would  not  avail  much  iiij  attracting  roots  to  the 
surface,  unless  some  provision  is  made  to  assist  their  progress  when 
formed.  A  dressing  of  decayed  manure  and  fresh  soil  would  furnish 
this,  and  give  the  roots  something  agreeabl^  in  which  to  burrow  aud 
at  the  same  time  to  feed  upon.  Active  surface  roots  are  always  held  as 
a  sign  of  satisfaction  on  the  part  of  the  Vinej  and  such  a  response  to 
the  treatment  given  cannot  be  otherwise  than  gratifying  to  the  grower. 
I  was  so  impressed  by  the  action  of  bonemeal  in  the  case  under 
notice  that  I  resolved  to  give  it  a  similar  (rial,  not  only  to  Vines  but 
other  fruit  trees,  as  an  alternative  to  othtr  specially  prepared  dry 
manures.  I  remember  some  years  since,  vhen  fish  manure  was  so 
freely  used,  the  quick  response  there  was  in  surface  roots  from  Vines. 
I  do  not  know  whether  there  is  any  standari  quality  in  bonemeals,  or 
if  the  same  results  can  be  expected  from  e^^ery  preparation.  It  may 
not  be  so. — E.  A. 
Blue  Gums. — Beading  the  English  papers  one  finds  occasionally 
an  article  referring  to  something  with  which  we  in  New  Zealand  are 
more  familiar  than  the  writers,  and  they  amuse  us  a  little.  For 
instance,  some  time  ago  someone  spoke  of  “  Blue  Gums  ”  Eucalyptus 
as  trees  that  “  shed  their  bark  instead  of  their  leaves.”  That  they 
shed  their  bark  is  undoubtedly  correct,  but  they  could  give  any 
deciduous  tree  you  ever  heard  of  points,  and  then  beat  them  at  leaf 
shedding.  They  are  evergreen,  of  course,  but  are  shedding  leaves 
every  day  in  the  year,  particularly  in  summer,  when  dry  weather 
compels  them  to  relieve  the  strain,  and  the  ground  beneath  them  is 
always  strewn.  In  this  respect  they  are  rivalled  only  by  Pines,  notably 
insignis  and  maritima,  and  the  “  Karaka  ”  Corynocarpus  Imvigata 
— W.  H.  T. 
The  Witch  Hazels.  — The  pleasing  sight  of  a  cut  branch  pro¬ 
fusely  laden  with  the  attractive  and  curiously  composed  flowers  of 
that  winter-flowering  Witch  Hazel  (Hamamelis  arborea  syn.  japonica), 
actuates  me  in  attempting  to  draw  increased  attention  to  this  most 
desirable  species.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  pairs  on  separate 
stalks,  two  of  which  latter  spring  from  a  bud  on  the  ripened  wood. 
Unlike  the  Japanese  Allspice  (Chimonanthus  fragrans),  and  the 
Carolina  Allspice  (Calycanthus  floridus),  the  flowers  of  the  Witch 
Hazels  are  unfortunately  devoid  of  appreciable  scent.  The  Virginian 
species  (H.  virginica),  produces  its  flowers  in  the  autumn,  and  its 
fruits  ripen  in  the  spring  time.  In  conclusion  it  may  be  interesting  to 
remark  that  the  name  Witch  Hazel  is  due  to  the  supposed  virtues  of 
a  forked  twig  as  a  “  divining  rod.” — G.  W. 
Trees  for  Different  Soils — The  experiences  of  our  most 
successful  foresters  go  to  show  that  trees  are  just  as  particular  in  the 
matter  of  soils  as  are  almost  any  other  plants.  Some  delight  in  deep 
loamy  land,  others  are  at  their  best  on  thin  shallow  soils,  on  which, 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  a  deep-rooting  plant  would  be  expected 
to  find  the  greatest  difficulty  in  maintaining  an  existence.  Among  the 
trees  which  do  best  on  very  shallow  soils  are,  says  a  contemporary,  the 
Spruce,  the  Mountain  Ash,  the  Birch,  and  the  Mountain  Pine.  Soils 
of  medium  depth  are  best  suited  for  the  Alder,  the  Beech,  and  Austrian 
and  Weymouth  Pines.  Soils  which  are  deeper  still  are  required  for  the 
Scotch  Pine,  the  Silver  Fir,  the  Elm,  Maple,  Ash,  and  Lime  ;  while  the 
Larch  and  the  Oak  are  capable  of  producing  the  best  results  only 
where  the  roots  are  given  an  opportunity  of  penetrating  to  a  very 
considerable  depth. 
Blackberries  In  Hew  Zealand.— A  correspondent  writes  from 
Wellington,  New  Zealand  “  I  was  interested  in  reading  an  account 
in  the  Journal  of  Blackberry  gathering  in  Australia.  We  do  some  of 
that.  At  a  place  called  Kaitoke,  over  thirty  miles  from  here  at  the 
foot  of  the  Tarrarua  Ranges,  is  a  valley  where  Blackberries  luxuriate 
To  get  there  for  blackberrying  it  is  usual  for  parties  to  go  in  vans,  each 
having  a  pair  of  horses,  for  though  the  railway  is  near  the  spot  it 
would  not  be  convenient  for  the  purpose.  I  have  been  several 
times,  principally,  however,  to  see  the  Ferns.  We  leave  here  about 
six  o’clock  on  Saturday  evening.  Eight  miles  of  the  journey  winds 
around  the  western  side  of  our  harbour,  then  through  a  flat  fertile 
valley,  or  rather  two,  called  respectively  Lower  Hutt  and  Silverstream, 
and  Upper  Hutt.  This  part  of  the  journey  is  about  twenty  miles. 
Lower  Hutt  contains  our  two  chief  nurseries  and  most  of  the  market 
gardeners  who  supply  Wellington  with  green  vegetables.  After  getting 
out  of  the  valley  we  ascend  a  small  mountain  (Mungaroa),  around  the 
spurs  of  which  the  steep  read  winds  in  a  fashion  quite  alarming  to 
newcomers.  Up  this  we  have  to  travel  on  shank’s  ponies  for  nearly 
an  hour,  then  dip  down  to  the  Pankuratchi  (pronounced  Pokrati) 
river.  A  further  slight  ascent  is  negotiated,  and  we  are  at  our 
destination.  The  time,  about  1  a.m.  We  next  gather  logs,  which  are 
abundant,  make  a  fire  in  the  open  air,  boil  billies,  and  make  tea.  After 
supper,  those  who  can  manage  it  wrap  their  coats  about  them,  and 
stretch  out  near  the  fire  for  forty  winks  ;  no  one  gets  much  more,  for 
I  must  tell  you  that  the  nights  here  are  always  cold.  Daylight  shows 
the  Blackberry  bushes  hanging  on  the  steep  sides,  and  dotted  about 
the  bottom  of  a  snug  valley  beneath  us.  Howjlthey  came  there 
originally  I  do  not  know.  There  they  are,  and]  there  is  the  fruit, 
bushels  of  it.  About  three  hours  of  work  will  gather  70  lbs.  of  selected 
fruit,  gathering  none  but  the  ripest  and  best.  A7e  start  for  home  again 
in  the  evening.  The  Blackberry  ground  is,  asj  I  said,  in  a  valley 
perhaps  I  should  have  said  gully,  less  than  half  a  mile  long,} but  is  at  a’ 
considerable  elevation  above  sea  level— I  do  uot^know  exactly,  but  I 
suppose  about  1000  feet.  It  is  subject  to  frequent  rains.” 
