404 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  10,  1900. 
Knott,  John  Ashton,  Emir,  John  Allen,  and  Forest  Queen  ;  sixth,  Mr. 
R.  Gorton  with  Miranda,  Sweet  Lavender,  Cecil  Rhodes,  Mrs.  Barnett, 
Dreadnought,  and  Dean  Hole. 
Class  10.  Four  dissimilar  Alpines— First,  Mr.  Lord  with  Dr.  Durn- 
ford,  John  Ashton,  Patience,  and  Pluto ;  second,  Mr.  Beswick  with 
Bright  Eyes,  Nonesuch,  John  Allen,  and  John  Ashton  ;  third,  Mr. 
Puckley  with  Dr.  Knott,  John  Ashton,  Dr.  Durnford,  and  Bright  Eyes  ; 
fourth,  Mr.  Stelfox  with  John  Ashton,  Bright  Eyes,  John  Allen,  and 
seedling ;  fifth,  Mr.  Gorton  with  Sweet  Lavender,  Cecil  Rhodes,  Prince 
Charlie,  and  Miss  Shaw;  sixth,  Mr.  Bentley  with  Mrs.  Martin,  Bright 
Eyes,  Dr.  Dxirnford,  and  John  Allen. 
Class  11.  Pairs  of  Alpines.  —  First,  Mr.  Bentley  with  Dr.  Durnford 
and  Bright  Eyes  ;  second,  Mr.  Buckley  with  Dr.  Knott  and  Evelyn 
Phillips;  third,  Mr.  J.  Goodier,  Middleton,  with  Dr.  Durnford  and  John 
Allen;  fourth,  Mr.  W.  Stringer,  Middleton,  with  Dr.  Knott  and  Bright 
Eyes;  fifth,  Mr.  G.  Thornley,  Middleton,  with  seedlings. 
Class  12.  Pairs  of  Alpines  (maiden  growers). — First,  Mr.  Goodier 
with  Dr.  Durnford  and  John  Allen. 
Class  13.  Single  Yellow  Centres. — First,  Mr.  Gorton  with  Prince 
Charlie;  second,  Mr.  Lord  with  seedling;  third,  Mr.  Beswick  with  Dr. 
Durnford;  fourth,  Mr.  Lord  with  John  Allen;  fifth,  Mr.  Gorton  with 
Seedling  91 ;  sixth,  Mr.  Stelfox  with  seedling. 
Class  14.  Single  White  Centres. — First,  Mr.  Lord  with  Patience ; 
second,  third,  and  fourth,  Mr.  Beswick  with  Beauty,  John  Ashton, 
and  seedling ;  fifth,  Mr.  Lord  with  Exonian ;  sixth,  Mr.  Gorton  with 
Seedling  118. 
Premier  Alpine  in  the  exhibition.— Mr.  Lord  with  Pluto. 
Polyanthuses. 
Class  15.  Three  hlach  ground  Polyanthuses,  dissimilar.  —  First, 
Mr.  Beswick  with  Mrs.  Brownhill,  Tiny,  and  Exile  ;  second,  Mr.  Stringer 
with  Trilby,  Tiny,  and  Mrs.  Brownhill ;  third,  Mr.  Thornley  with  Mrs. 
Brownhill,  Exile,  and  Cheshire  Favourite  ;  fourth,  Mr.  T.  Oldham  with 
Trilby,  Tiny,  and  Mrs.  Brownhill. , 
Class  16.  Three  red  ground  Polyanthuses  dissimilar.  —  First,  Mr. 
Thornley  with  Middleton  Favourite,  George  IV.,  and  Sidney  Smith  ; 
second,  Mr.  Beswick  with  Middleton  Favourite,  William  IV.,  and 
seedling  ;  third,  Mr.  Stringer  with  Middleton  Favourite,  Sidney  Smith, 
aud  William  IV.;  fourth,  Mr.  Oldham  with  Middleton  Favourite,  Sidney 
Smith,  and  seedling. 
Class  17.  Single  Plants,  Black  Grounds. — First,  Mr.  Beswick  with 
Mrs.  Brownhill ;  second,  Mr.  Oldham  with  Tiny ;  third,  Mr.  Thornley 
with  Cheshire  Favourite ;  fourth,  Mr.  Oldham  with  Trilby ;  fifth, 
Mr.  Thornley  with  Exile. 
Class  18.  Single  Plants,  Red  Ch-ounds. — First,  second,  and  third, 
Mr.  Thornley  with  George  IV.,  Middleton  Favourite,  and  Seedling ; 
fourth,Mr.  Beswick  with  Seedling;  fifth,  Mr.  Stringer  with  Sidney  Smith 
Premier  Polyanthus  in  the  exhibition. — Mr.  W.  Stringer  with 
Mrs.  Brownhill. — James  W.  Bentley. 
- - 
Tlie  Young  Gardeners’  Domain. 
Begoi|ia  Gloire  de  Lorraine. 
This  beautiful  Begonia  is  very  useful  for  winter  flowering,  and 
makes  a  grand  display  for  quite  three  months  when  arranged  amongst 
other  plants  in  the  flowering  house.  It  looks  very  effective  when  grown 
in  baskets  suspended  from  the  roof  of  a  plant  house,  and  it  is  also 
useful  for  table  decoration  when  used  with  spikes  of  Dendrobium 
Phalsenopsis  Schroderianum  or  Calanthe  Veitchi,  lightly  arranged 
above.  B.  Gloire  de  Lorraine  may  be  propagated  from  cuttings, 
several  of  which  can  be  placed  round  the  edge  of  a  4-inch  pot,  in  good 
sandy  soil,  and  plunged  in  a  propagating  case  with  a  good  bottom  heat, 
where  they  will  soon  take  root.  They  can  also  be  propagated  from 
leaves  placed  edgeways  in  pans  of  sandy  soil  plunged  in  a  good  bottom 
heat.  The  pans  should  be  covered  with  sheets  of  glass,  these  being 
turned  over  every  day  to  let  the  condensed  moisture  escape,  as  if  this 
is  allowed  to  drip  on  to  the  leaves  it  often  causes  them  to  decay. 
When  the  cuttings  or  young  plants  are  well  rooted  they  should  be 
placed  into  3-inch  pots,  using  a  compost  of  peat,  loam,  leaf  mould,  and 
silver  sand  in  about  equal  parts,  and  then  be  placed  on  a  shelf  in  an 
intermediate  house.  Watering  must  be  very  carefully  attended  to. 
When  the  plants  are  well  established  in  these  pots  they  ought  to  be 
transferred  into  clean  well  drained  5-inch  pots.  The  plants  should  be 
neatly  staked  with  small  green  stakes,  using  six  or  eight  in  each  pot, 
as  they  well  repay  a  little  extra  trouble  in  this  respect.  If  specimens 
for  suspension  are  desired,  four  plants  may  be  placed  in  a  basket  or 
large  Orchid  pot,  three  near  the  edge  of  the  basket  or  pot,  and  allowed 
to  hang  naturally  round  the  sides  ;  the  other  plant  should  be  placed 
in  the  centre  and  neatly  staked. 
Before  flowering  the  plants  ought  to  be  kept  in  a  moist  intermediate 
temperature,  where  they  will  get  plenty  of  light,  but  be  shaded  from 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  When  flowering  they  should  be  placed  in 
rather  a  cooler  and  drier  temperature  to  prolong  the  flowering  period. 
Liquid  manure  and  clear  soot  water  may  be  given  with  advantage 
about  twice  a  week.—  F.  W.  P. 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Mulching  Fruit  Trees. — The  practice  of  mulching  fruit  trees  has 
many  advantages.  It  prevents  rapid  evaporation  from  the  soil  of  much 
valuable  moisture  during  hot,  dry  weather,  and  tends  to  keep  the  roots 
cool  in  consequence.  When  moisture  is  available  in  the  surface  soil 
the  flne  roots  will  remain  there  instead  of  descending  to  a  lower  level. 
The  character  of  the  subsoil  may  prove  inimical  to  the  welfare  of  the 
roots  if  they  pass  into  it  in  search  of  moisture.  Hence  the  chief 
advantage  of  mulching  lies  in  keeping  the  roots  ramifying  near  the 
surface.  Weakly  trees  are  benefited,  also  trees  bearing  crops,  especially 
when  the  burden  is  heavy. 
W7)en  to  Mulch. — During  cold,  wet  periods  in  winter  and  spring  it  is 
obvious  that  a  thick  coating  of  manure  over  the  roots  of  young  fruit 
trees,  especially  in  heavy,  clayey  land,  is  not  conducive  to  healthy 
growth,  and  should  be  avoided.  The  best  period  for  laying  on  a 
general  mulching  is  in  May,  when  the  soil  has  naturally  become 
warmed  by  the  sun.  Mulching  young  fruit  trees  immediately  after 
planting  is  not  always  good  unless  the  proper  material  is  used.  Winter 
dressing  with  decomposed  manure  is  good  for  old  trees,  but  cannot  be 
recommended  for  young  trees,  as  it  naturally  prevents  the  soil 
becoming  warmed  because  of  its  close  texture.  Perhaps  the  best  time 
to  apply  it  is  immediately  after  a  good  rainfall  in  May,  at  which  time 
the  soil  is  both  warm  and  moist.  Immediately  following  a  copious 
watering  is  also  a  suitable  time,  more  especially  in  the  case  of  wall 
trees,  as  the  soil  over  the  roots  is  so  fully  exposed  to  drying  influences. 
Light  soils  need  mulching  sooner  than  heavy  ground. 
Material  for  Mulching. — For  trees  well  established  and  bearing  good 
crops  the  mulching  will  not  only  conserve  moisture  but  contains 
fertilising  matter  that  the  rain  or  artificial  waterings  will  wash  into  the 
soil.  Short,  decomposed  manure  is,  therefore,  good  for  these,  and  also 
for  weakly  trees  needing  some  assistance  to  impart  vigour ;  vigorous 
young  trees  do  not  require  stimulation  at  the  roots,  yet  need  some 
material  to  insure  the  soil  being  kept  in  a  medium  state  of  moisture. 
Littery  manure  will  effect  this,  preventing  the  escape  of  surface  soil 
moisture  in  light  soils,  and  cracking  of  the  surface,  common  on  heavy 
ground.  If  the  soil  round  young  trees  cannot  be  mulched  with  manure 
from  various  causes,  the  next  best  thing  to  do  is  to  maintain  the  surface 
loose  with  the  hoe.  Short,  lumpy  material  forms  a  good  medium  for 
mixing  in  any  artificial  fertiliser  for  the  benefit  of  the  trees,  and  also 
assists  in  distributing  economically  applications  of  liquid  manure  or 
water.  The  mulch  should  extend  as  far  as  the  roots  spread  cut  from 
the  bole. 
Mulching  Strawberries. — Strawberries  in  a  fruiting  condition  should 
always  be  mulched  at  this  season  with  a  mixture  of  short  and  long 
manure.  Liquid  manure  can  be  poured  over  the  mulching  around  the 
plants,  and  it  will  assist  the  fruit  to  develop.  On  light  and  shallow 
soils  a  mulching  will  be  beneficial  even  to  young  plants. 
Apricots. ^ — A  preliminary  thinning  may  be  given  to  the  trees  as 
soon  as  the  fruit  has  attained  to  the  size  of  horse  beans.  All 
the  worst-placed  fruit  should  first  of  all  be  removed,  and  those 
which  are  improperly  fertilised  known  by  their  backwardness  in 
swelling.  Also  shorten  foreright  shoots  not  wanted  to  lay  in  to  three 
leaves,  and  cut  out  entirely  ill-placed  growths.  This  timely  attention 
at  frequent  intervals  results  in  the  trees  being  kept  well  regulated  as 
to  growths  and  the  fruit  well  proportioned.  Vigorous  trees  may  be 
allowed  to  carry  the  most  fruit.  Give  the  final  reduction  after  the 
stoning  period,  which  is  a  critical  time. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Cutting  out  ill-placed  shoots  is  still  an 
essential  operation.  Lay  in  the  successional  bearing  shoots  in  the  proper 
direction.  When  disbudding  leave  a  growth  above  the  fruit  in  order 
that  sap  may  be  attracted  through  the  shoot,  some  of  it  being  diverted 
to  the  fruit.  Commence  to  thin  the  fruit  early,  removing  the  incon- 
veniently  situated  as  soon  as  possible.  The  border  containing  the  roots 
often  becomes  dry  quickly  at  this  season,  hence  to  insure  the  fruit 
swelling  regularly  fortify  the  soil  with  moisture  and  food. 
Training  Young  Fruit  Trees. — The  chief  care  just  now  in  managing 
young  specimens,  either  on  walls  or  in  the  open,  is  to  see  that  growths 
or  shoots  are  being  formed  in  suitable  positions  for  forming  the  main 
branches.  Secure  growths  as  near  as  possible  at  regular  distances 
apart,  and  train  them  in  the  desired  direction,  equalising  the  vigour  of 
trees  by  the  simple  expedient  of  depressing  luxuriant  shoots,  and 
training  weak  growths  in  a  perpendicular  direction.  This  is,  of  course, 
only  temporary,  and  when  the  desired  end  is  secured  lay  in  the  shoots 
in  their  proper  positions.  While  retaining  and  encouraging  the  principal 
shoots  some  attention  must  be  •given  to  removing  superfluous  and 
crowded  growths  or  stopping  extensions.  Trees  liable  to  insect  pests 
should  be  well  syringed  on  warm  afternoons.  This  will  tend  to  keep 
down  such,  and  at  the  same  time  encourage  good  growth.  Lateral 
shoots  starting  from  the  main  branches  of  wall  trees  should  be  shortened 
at  the  fifth  or  sixth  good  leaf. 
