May  17,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
421 
CARDEH,Cl£EANINCS 
,iy<c.v 
Pine  N'eedles. — The  Pine  needles  of  South  Oregon  are  beicg 
utilised.  The  needles  are  first  boiled  and  then  run  between  horizontal 
wooden  rollers,  which  extract  the  juice.  This  is  called  Pine  needle  oil, 
which  is  supposed  to  possess  medical  properties.  The  pulp  is  used, 
says  a  transatlantic  contemporary,  as  a  medicated  material  for 
upholstering,  and  it  is  also  said  to  be  a  good  substitute  for  horsehair. 
It  is  said  that  insect  pests  will  not  live  in  furniture  that  has  been 
upholstered  with  Pine  needles. 
Strawberry  St.  Antoine  de  Padoue. — Whilst  this  variety 
seemed  to  present  an  undoubted  advance  on  its  parent,  St.  Joseph,  when 
presented  to  the  Fruit  Committee  at  the  Drill  Hall  last  week,  the 
committee  all  the  same  thought  that  it  exhibited  no  merit  as  a  forced 
variety,  indeed  was  for  such  purpose  a  poor  variety  compared  with  its 
great  parent.  Royal  Sovereign.  The  committee  were  not  informed  as 
to  whether  the  plants  sent,  each  carrying  one  ripe  fruit,  were  brought 
on  in  considerable  warmth  or  at  what  temperature,  but  if  such  fruits 
could  be  had  in  the  gentle  temperature  of  an  amateur’s  greenhouse  in 
May  no  doubt  the  variety  would  be  acceptable  for  such  a  purpose. 
Naturally  the  committee  wish  to  see  the  new  variety  in  the  autumn, 
when  it  can  be  properly  compared  with  St,  Joseph,  as  not  so  much  a 
perpetual  as  an  autumn  fruiter. — D.  K. 
Apple  Bloom.  —  This  has  been  marvellously  abundant  and 
beautiful.  No  trees  that  are  fruitless  can  excel  in  floriferousness. 
Thousands  of  Apple  trees  as  seen  this  spring  literally  garlands  of 
flowers,  and  not  a  leaf  visible.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  bloom  is  very 
fine — indeed,  it  is  impossible  that  it  could  be  finer  or  of  richer  hues. 
I  do  not  build  up  great  anticipations  upon  this  immense  flowering,  as 
we  all  know  too  well  how  often  the  promise  in  such  case,  and  how 
poor  the  realisation.  Our  best  hopes  are  founded  not  on  the  abundance, 
but  rather  on  the  fine  character  of  the  bloom  ;  the  abundant  rain  of 
the  winter,  which  gave  trees  so  thorough  a  soaking ;  and  the  fact  that 
we  have  not  had  a  great  Apple  crop  for  two  years.  I  note  that  Pears 
are  setting  fairly  well — indeed,  a  moderate  crop  of  those  fruits  is 
always  best.  Plums,  too,  so  far  look  well,  and  of  those  and  Cherries 
there  may  be  almost  a  glut,  which  is  no  gain  to  anyone. 
Prunus  perslca. — Among  spring-flowering  trees  this,  with  its 
numerous  varieties,  makes  a  conspicuous  object ;  and  few  trees  are 
more  easily  grown,  or  can  be  depended  on  to  give  a  better  display. 
A  great  range  of  colour  exists,  from  pure  white,  through  various  shades 
of  rose  and  pink,  to  deep  red.  Many  of  the  varieties  have  double  or 
semi-double  flowers,  and  are  a  decided  acquisition,  the  flowers  lasting 
much  longer  than  those  of  the  type.  They  are  to  be  obtained  either  as 
tall  standards  or  bushes,  and  in  either  case  they  make  a  fine  show. 
They  make  admirable  plints  for  forcing,  and  may  be  either  lifted  and 
potted  in  autumn  or  grown  in  pots  in  a  similar  manner  to  fruit  trees. 
In  the  latter  case  they  should  be  well  fed  while  growth  is  active,  and 
stood  outside  when  all  danger  of  frost  is  gone,  so  that  the  wood  may 
become  thoroughly  ripened.  Whether  flowering  naturally  out  of 
doors  or  in  pots  in  the  conservatory,  the  bright  colouring  is  equally 
attractive.^ — R.  G.  K. 
Protecting  Tree  Stems  from  Cattle. — I  have  not  elsewhere 
seen  practised  the  method  Mr.  John  Miller  employs  at  Ruxley  Lodge, 
Esher,  for  the  protection  of  some  Sweet  Chestnut  tree  stems  from 
injury  by  sheep  and  horses.  The  trees  forming  an  avenue  in  the  park 
have  stems  ranging  from  12  to  18  inches  in  diameter.  They  are  all  coated 
with  an  armour  of  fairly  straight  bean  rods,  some  6  feet  in  height, 
placed  close  together,  and  secured  round  the  stems  by  stout  galvanised 
wire  ties  three  in  number.  When  the  copse  cutting  proceeds  on  the 
estate  straight  sticks  are  selected  for  this  purpose  when  needed, 
although  the  armour  usually  lasts  for  three  years.  If  the  tree  stems 
swell  so  fast  that  the  wire  ties  are  burst,  and  that  occasionally  happens, 
other  ties  aie  fixed  and  drawn  tight  by  twisting  the  ends  with  pincers. 
The  plan  adopted  of  getting  the  rods  close  to  the  trees  is  to  place 
round  them  a  stout  cord,  to  one  side  of  which  is  fixed  a  thick  stick,  and 
that  being  twisted  draws  the  rods  close  and  tight ;  then  the  wire  bands 
are  added,  and  the  work  is  complete. — A.  D. 
Tomatoes  as  Medicinal  Plants. — According  to  a  continental 
journal,  it  appears  that  a  Scotchman,  after  an  experience  of  several 
years,  is  convinced  that  the  daily  use  of  Tomatoes  is  an  excellent 
remedy  for  liver  troubles.  In  America,  also,  the  use  of  the  Tomato  is 
considered  as  a  remedy,  and  prized  very  highly  as  a  strengthener,  and 
for  purifying  the  blood. 
Burning  Weeds.— It  is  a  mistake,  says  a  transatlantic  con¬ 
temporary,  to  let  weeds  go  to  seed  in  the  garden  or  around  the  farm, 
under  the  impression  that  they  can  be  destroyed  if  gathered  in  the 
autumn  and  burned.  In  the  first  place,  the  job  is  apt  to  be  forgotten 
until  most  of  the  weed  seeds  have  been  scattered.  Even  if  a  weed 
is  burned  its  seeds  may  not  be  destroyed,  unless  a  hot  fire  of  brush 
is  first  made  and  the  seeds  are  thrown  on  a  mass  of  burning  coals. 
If  weeds  are  piled  in  heaps  they  burn  slowly,  and,  as  the  seed  falls 
to  the  ground  it  is  protected  from  burning  by  the  stratum  of  carbonic 
.  acid  gas  that  is  found  at  the  bottom  of  all  slow-burning  fires. 
Cleanliness  In  the  Garden. — Some  men  can  do  twice  as  much 
on  an  acre  as  another.  It  is  order,  system,  and  cleanliness  that 
enables  him  to  do  it.  “Dirt  is  matter  out  of  place.”  That  is  a  true 
definition.  I  once  found  fault  with  a  man,  who  was  then  a  partner, 
that  his  rubbish  pile  contained  everything  from  decent  potting  soil  to 
broken  glass,  hoop  iron,  and  empty  beer  bottles.  He  rather  peevishly 
replied  that  he  had  no  time  to  spare,  and  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  the 
stuff  out  of  the  greenhouses.  That  “time”  excuse  is  the  worst  of  all, 
and  the  man  who  lets  his  wagon  stand  out  in  the  sun  till  the  hubs 
are  cracked,  has  always  the  most  time  to  spin  a  yarn,  or  see  how  much 
old  Bill  Jones’  cows  bring  at  auction.  If  my  friend  had  had  a  pile 
for  stuff  that  was  purely  rubbish,  and  another  for  old  soil  and  nlants 
and  vegetable  matter  that  would  come  useful  some  day,  it  would  have 
been  time  and  money  saved. —  (“Scott’s  Florists’  Manual.”) 
Barly  Cabbages. — The  race  of  small  first  early  Cabbages  now  so 
plentiful  has  proved  to  be  a  great  boon  to  gardeners  in  helping  to  tide 
over  a  difficult  period  in  gardens,  when  all  other  descriptions  of  green 
stuffs  run  short.  The  seedsman  in  selecting  his  stock  seems  to  secure 
one  that  is  very  true  to  character  so  that  the  plants  heart-in  simul¬ 
taneously.  That  is  undoubtedly  a  good  feature  in  any  stock,  but 
it  is  not  entirely  acceptable  to  a  gardener  who  in  a  bed  of  several 
hundreds  of  plants  likes  continuity.  A  big  breadth  turning  in  all  at 
once  looks  well,  but  is  not  a  convenience;  a  breadth  that  turns  in 
and  furnishes  a  supply  of  hearts  for  some  three  or  four  weeks  is  better. 
That  has  generally  been  a  feature  of  an  ordinary  stock  of  Ellam’s 
Early,  but  it  seems,  in  spite  of  all  the  care  taken,  to  characterise  most 
selections.  Thus  it  is  difficult  when  seeing  only  a  few  hearts  of  the 
very  earliest  plants  to  determine  whether  the  entire  breadth  is  the  same 
or  whether  many  plants  are  sufficient. — A.  Kingston. 
“  Barwln  ”  Tulips.  —  That  most  interesting  section  of  late 
Tulips  grown  so  abundantly  by  Messrs.  Barr  &  Sons  at  Long  Ditton, 
evidently  owe  their  popularity  to  the  fact  that  they  are  almost 
entirely  self-coloured.  The  section  is  very  beautiful  for  garden 
decoration,  because  the  breaking  tendency  observable  in  the 
florists’  section  is  rare  with  Darwins,  hence  their  original  characters 
are  well  preserved.  It  is  a  great  feature  of  these  varieties, 
and  the  feature  runs  through  all  the  late  section,  that  once 
planted  fairly  deep  in  garden  borders,  they  continue  to  grow,  flower, 
die  down,  and  reappear  for  generations.  We  like  for  such  purpose  to 
plant  in  clumps  of  half  a  dozen,  always  taking  care  that  the  position  of 
each  clump  is  marked  that  the  bulbs  be  not  injured  by  digging.  Of 
course  the  bulbs  do  well  lifted  each  year,  as  is  the  case  at  Long 
Ditton.  But  all  gardeners  do  not  care  to  take  so  much  trouble.  The 
following  give  a  fine  selection — White  Queen,  blu?h  flushed  rose; 
King  Harold,  rich  crimson;  Corregio,  bluish-lake,  very  charming; 
Peter  Barr,  heavy  maroon ;  Charles  Dickens,  bright  reddish  rose  ; 
Joseph  Chamberlain,  blood  red  ;  May  Queen,  soft  rosy  pink;  Sultan, 
almost  black  ;  Zephyr,  rose  shaded  heliotrope ;  Professor  M.  Foster, 
rich  carmine  shaded  vermilion ;  Purple  King,  purplish  crimson  shaded 
maroon  ;  and  Golden  Beauty,  brilliant  yellow,  though  not  a  Darwin. 
All  these  bloom  simultaneously.  Of  other,  or  Fancy  Tulips,  the 
following  are  beautiful — Picotee,  white,  heavily  edged  red  ;  York  and 
Lancaster,  white  flaked  red  ;  macrocephala,  scarlet  self ;  Golden  Crown, 
bright  yellow  feather  edged  red;  elegans  alba,  white  fine  carmine  edge; 
Fulgens,  crimson  scarlet;  Summer  Beauty,  white  flaked  and  flushed 
scarlet  lake;  Buenaventura,  yellow  heavily  flaked  ^scarlet,  a  real 
beauty  ;  vitellinum,  lovely  soft  lemon  ;  and  Chamaeleon,  having  .several 
quaint  colours.— Inspector. 
