April  26,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Phlox  canadensis. 
“  Flower  Gardener,”  on  page  326,  under  the  title  of  “  Dwarf 
Phloxes,”  gives  thoroughly  deserved  praise  to  a  number  of  the  best 
varieties  in  cnltivation.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  your  contributor’s 
remarks  may  tend  to  popularise  these  beautiful  plants,  which  do  such 
a  large  share  in  adorning  our  rock  gardens  at  various  periods  of  the 
year.  To  those  mentioned  on  the  page  quoted  I  would  like  to  add 
Phlox  canadensis,  the  beauty  of  which  cannot  be  questioned  for  one 
moment.  It  is  a  dwarf-growing  plant  that  produces  a  really  surprisingly 
large  number  of  flowers.  The  colour  is  one  that  is  not  particularly 
easy  of  description,  and  may  perhaps  be  safely  termed  bluish  lilac  of 
a  peculiarly  shining  hue.  It  thrives  remarkably  well  in  a  pan,  and 
becomes  quite  covered  with  its  attractive  flowers.  In  a  mass  in  the 
rock  garden,  however,  it  is  seen  to  the  greatest  advantage,  and  it  is 
then  admired  by  everyone  who  sees  it.  I  have  been  told  that  it  is 
not  invariably  satisfactory,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  have  the  experience 
of  other  cultivators  on  this  point. — F.  R. 
Planting  Vines. 
I  HAVE  read  the  remarks  of  “  A.  J.,  Moor  Hall,”  page  310,  on  this 
subject,  and  think  it  will  not  be  amiss  if  I  give  my  views,  derived  from 
upwards  of  half  a  century’s  experience. 
The  Grape  Vine  starts  naturally  into  growth  in  cool  houses  during 
April,  and  this  is  a  good  time  for  planting  young  canes.  The  holders 
for  Vines  generally  may  be  partly  within  and  partly  outside,  planting 
the  Vines  inside.  For  early  forcing  the  borders  are  preferably  inside, 
and  internal  borders  only  are  best  for  Muscats.  When  the  Vines  are 
only  required  for  producing  summer  Grapes  the  borders  may  be  wholly 
outside.  These  are  unquestionably  the  best  for  greenhouse  Vines,  as 
the  rainfall,  except  in  droughty  periods,  is  ample  for  them.  Extensive 
and  expensive  borders  are  altogether  unnecessary  where  the  natural 
soil  is  of  a  friable  nature  and  well  drained.  Fertile  garden  soil  will 
grow  high  quality  Grapes,  mixing  ^ith  it  some  well  decayed  manure, 
and  stirring  to  a  depth  of  2  feet.  If  the  soil  be  rather  heavy  2  lbs.  of 
basic  slag  phosphate  may  be  applied  per  square  yard,  and  4  ozs.  of  some 
approved  mixture,  such  as  Thomson’s  Vine  manure. 
In  case  of  the  natural  soil  being  unsuitable,  or  a  border  has  to  be 
made,  proper  drains  and  outlets  should  be  provided  with  1  foot  thickness 
of  rubble  about  the  size  of  half-bricks  at  the  bottom  and  getting  smaller 
to  the  size  of  road  mettle  at  the  top.  It  is  best  covered  with  a  layer  of 
old  mortar  rubbish,  free  from  pieces  of  wood.  Thirty  inches  depth  of 
border  is  ample,  and  it  need  not  be  wider  at  the  start  than  6  feet.  Good 
turfy  loam  taken  from  an  old  pasture  where  the  soil  is  of  a  friable 
nature  is  the  most  suitable  main  ingredient  for  a  Vine  border.  Of  this 
a  dozen  barrowloads  or  cartloads,  two  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  one  of 
wood  ashes,  and  one  of  “  nuts  ”  charcoal,  mixed  together  after  chopping 
the  turf  into  pieces  forms  a  good  compost,  and  should  be  placed  in  the 
border  when  moderately  dry,  and  be  made  firm  with  the  fork  in 
preference  to  treading. 
The  Vinps  having  been  cut  back  in  early  winter,  and  kept  in  a  cool 
house,  will  now  have  the  buds  grown  to  a  length  of  a  couple  of  inches. 
Turn  them  out  of  the  pots,  remove  every  particle  of  soil,  preferably  by 
washing  with  water  at  110°,  as  this  will  disinfect  them  from  phylloxera, 
if  any,  carefully  preserving  the  fibres.  Spread  the  roots  out  straight, 
covering  them  to  the  depth  of  3  or  4  inches,  working  the  soil  well 
amongst  them  with  the  hand.  Give  a  good  supply  of  tepid  water,  and 
mulch  with  a  little  short,  sweetened  litter.  If  the  canes  have  not 
been  shortened  it  will  not  do  to  prune  them  now,  but  remove  the 
growths  from  the  upper  portion  down  to  where  fresh  shoots  are  desired 
to  push,  and  cut  away  the  disbudded  part  when  the  Vines  have  made 
some  leaves,  as  there  is  then  no  danger  of  bleeding.  Sprinkle  the 
Vines  and  house  twice  a  day,  but  avoid  a  very  close  and  saturated 
atmosphere.  Temperatures  of  55°  at  night,  65°  by  day,  and  70°  to  75° 
with  sun  are  suitable.  If  the  weather  be  bright,  and  the  panes  of  glass 
large,  shade  lightly  from  9  a.m.  to  2  p.m.  If  the  temperature  run  up  to 
85°  or  more  it  will  be  an  advantage.  Where  the  Vines  are  planted 
outside  the  stems  must  be  carefully  wrapped  with  haybands,  and  the 
apertures  in  the  wall  be  closed  round  them  with  elastic  material. 
When  the  Vines  commence  to  grow  give  every  encouragement, 
increasing  the  temperature  to  60°  to  65°  at  night,  70°  to  75°  by  day, 
and  80°  to  85°  from  sun  heat.  Young  Vines  of  this  year’s  raising  may 
be  turned  out  with  the  balls  entire,  or  being  in  turves,  which  is  the 
better  plan,  the  soil  should  be  well  firmed  about  them  so  as  to  secure 
a  fibrous  root  formation,  and  the  house  be  kept  at  the  temperature  last 
named. — G.  A. 
Apple  Norfolk  Beefiijg. 
Because  this  Apple  is  pronounced  hifin  in  Norfolk,  your  corre¬ 
spondent  “  H.  T.  H.”  (page  329)  thinks  that  name  to  be  right  and 
“Beefing”  wrong.  I  am  unable  to  agree  wit'h  him  or  to  accept  Dr. 
Nuttall,  who  was  not  a  pomologist,  to  Dr.  H'gg  who  was,  as  the 
greater  authority  on  the  point.  “  H.  T.  H.,”  who  has  “  known  the 
Apple  for  over  sixty  years,  has  never  heard  it  called  Beefmjr  by  a 
Norfolk  man.”  Neither  have  I,  though  I  have  only  been  acquainted 
with  the  Apple  for  about  fifty-five  years.  It  was  not  in  Norfolk,  and 
two  Norfolk  men  in  the  garden  always  called  the  Apple  Biffin,  but  as 
they  called  beef  bif  I  did  not  regard  them  as  authorities  on  orthoepy. 
Dr.  Hogg  distinctly  states  that  the  dried  fruits  are  called  Biffins,  but 
explains  that  the  name  is  derived  from  the  similarity  of  the  baked  fruit 
to  beef,  and  is  “  more  correctly  Beefing.”  The  Dr.,  with  whom  I  had  a 
good  deal  of  correspondence,  was  most  careful  in  his  nomenclature  and 
spared  no  pains  in  his  researches  in  the  interests  of  accuracy.  1  did 
not,  however,  find  any  fault  with  the  name  “Biffin”  as  attached  to 
dried  fruits,  when  first  referring  to  the  subject  ;  it  is  a  good  and  well 
understood  commercial  term,  but  I  drew  attention  to  the  inaccurate 
name  “  Beaufin,”  as  applied  to  an  English  Apple  in  some  catalogues, 
from  which  it  had  probably  been  copied  by  a  correspondent,  and  gave 
him  the  proper  name  of  the  variety. — Pomologist. 
Judges  ai|d  Judgiiig. 
As  an  official  of  a  flower  show,  I  have  naturally  read  with  interest 
the  correspondence  which  has  appeared  on  this  important  subject. 
While  the  societies  which  have  plenty  of  funds,  and  can  afford  to  pay 
for  judges  of  the  highest  qualifications,  would  have  little  difficulty  in 
securing  new  judges  now  and  again,  the  smaller  shows  would  not  find  it 
easy  to  make  many  changes.  Good  judges  for  small  shows  are  not 
readily  found,  and  officials  are  glad  to  know  of  suitable  men  who  will 
come  year  after  year,  and  whose  decisions  give  satisfaction  to  reasonable 
competitors.  I  am  aware  that  the  view  that  there  should  be  occasional 
changes  is  held  by  some  of  the  judges  themselves,  but  one  usually  finds 
that  any  change  not  due  to  the  inability  of  the  former  judge  to  return 
is  looked  upon  as  a  slight  by  some  men  of  ability  and  high  character. 
I  daresay  there  would  be  some  advantage  now  and  again  in  making  a 
change,  but  it  would  not  always  be  for  the  better.  There  is  a  saying 
in  Scotland  which  has  a  good  deal  in  it,  though  expressed  in  a  strange 
way.  It  is  that  “  Ye ’d  better  hae  the  deil  ye  ken  than  the  deil  ye 
dinna  ken.”  It  is  sometimes  better  to  put  up  with  a  few  known  evils 
than  to  run  the  risk  of  falling  into  worse.  I  think  a  good  many  others 
who  have  had  experience  similar  to  mine  will  be  disposed  to  thitik  it 
better  to  keep  good  men  we  know,  while  we  can  have  them,  than  to 
get  untried  men  in  their  places. — A  Secretary. 
- <«»»> - — 
TI|e  Gardeijers’  Royal  Beijevoleiit  Institution. 
“  A.  B.”  concludes  his  excellent  leader,  or  pleader,  if  one  may  so 
term  it,  on  page  300  by  asking,  “  Who  will  not  answer  the  call  ?  ” 
From  the  depths  of  my  own  experience  and  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  Institution  I  venture  to  reply  :  The  great  majority  of  gardeners  in 
the  prime  of  life,  the  bulk  of  those  a  little  beyond  it,  and  wi'  h  very  few 
exceptions  those  who  are  farther  on  still,  where,  in  “  A.  B.’s”  happily 
expressed  words — the  hand  trembles,  and  the  eye  becomes  dim  with 
the  mist  of  years.  These  “  will  not  answer  the  call.”  Why  ?  may  be 
asked.  I  do  not  know.  In  fact,  does  anyone  know  ?  For  over  a  score 
of  years  it  has  been  an  enigma  to  me,  and  is  likely  to  remain  so  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter.  Did  these  men — good  men  and  good  gardeners  we 
know  they  are — “  answer  the  call,”  which  has  been  so  persistently 
shouted  in  their  ears  from  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  there  would  be 
no  need  for  the  special  appeals  made  from  time  to  time  by  those 
“  above  all  pain,  yet  pitying  all  distress.” 
To  many  young  head  gardeners  have  I  broached  the  matter.  They 
would  “  think  about  it.”  To  many  an  old  head  has  the  theme  been 
diplomatically  and  delicately  introduced.  They,  too,  would  “think 
about  it.”  A  fig  for  such  thoughts  which,  like  Turnip  seeds  kept  too 
long,  they  hold  in  their  bosoms  until  they  are  past  sprouting  into  life. 
I  now  venture  to  sever  the  “not”  from  “A. B.’s”  question  and  trans¬ 
form  it  to  Who  will  answer  the  call  ?  I  look  for  an  answer  to  this.  I 
seek  for  it  in  the  bothy,  where  the  great  future  of  gardening  liys. 
In  our  boys  of  the  bothy  brigade  is  my  hope,  in  them  is  my  faith. 
They  will  answer  the  call,  for  not  only  is  it  the  right  thing  to  do,  but 
theirs  is  the  prerogative  to  do  it  at  the  right  time.  Perhaps  it  is  a 
heavy  call  upon  them  and  one  would  fain  lighten  it.  Herein  lays 
another  question.  Will  not  the  executive  of  the  G.  R  B.I.  meet  them 
half-way  by  admitting  them  at  a  reduced  fee  on  conditions  that  when 
filling  the  position  of  head  gardeners  they  then  become  full  sub¬ 
scribers  ?  Surely  this  matter  is  worth  its  attention.  Anyway,  I 
sincerely  believe  that  many  of  my  dear  young  comrades  of  the  craft 
•will  answer  the  call,  and  that  they  will  not  let  the  seed  now  sown  lay 
in  the  cold  soil  of  supreme  indifference.  Hurry  up,  then,  boys,  and 
still  further  increase  the  esteem  in  which  you  are  held  by — 
The  Old  Brigadier. 
