May  13,  189T. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
419 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Forcing  French  Beans. 
I  think  if  “  Stone  Warrilow  were  to  give  what  he  calls  the 
41  potting-on  system  ”  a  trial  he  would  find  out  it  possessed  some  advan¬ 
tages.  If  the  Beans  are  sown  in  60’s,  and  the  plants  transferred  to 
larger  pots  of  fresh  sweet  soil,  it  must  be  better  than  sowing  in  the 
fruiting  pots,  in  which  the  soil  is  liable  to  get  stagnant ;  and  he  would 
also  find  that  he  could  pick  Beans  a  week  or  two  earlier  than  by  the 
method  h§  advocates.  As  to  the  crops,  I  am  able  to  say  that  we  pick 
twice  the  number  of  pods  from  our  eight  plants  in  a  16-size  pot  that  he 
does  from  his  sixteen  plants  in  one  of  his  11-inch  pots.  Moreover,  it 
would  not  do  for  us  to  wait  till  our  Chrysanthemums  are  over  before 
sowing,  as  we  have  picked  two  or  three  crops  before  then.  My  chief 
has  taken  the  first  prize  with  a  collection  of  vegetables  at  a  November 
show  with  French  Beans  as  a  weighty  dish  grown  by  our  potting-on 
system. 
“  Stone  Warrilow  ”  says  he  cannot  see  any  beneficial  results  arising 
ffrom  the  use  of  liquid  manure.  Can  he  tell  us  why  French  Beans  should 
mot  be  benefited  by  liquid  manure  the  same  as  are  other  plants  ?  We 
■find  it  is  a  great  help  both  to  the  plants  and  the  swelling  of  the  pods. 
There  is  a  gardener  about  a  mile  from  us  who  used  to  sow  his  Beans  in 
■the  fruiting  pots,  but  seeing  our  system  he  has  followed  it  ever  since 
■with  much  better  results  than  before. — W.  W. 
Violets. 
This  flower  is  held  in  the  highest  estimation  for  its  exquisite  and 
delicate  perfume.  There  are  many  varieties,  but  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
describe  the  culture  of  a  few  of  the  best,  as  from  the  narration  the 
treatment  of  the  rest  may  be  readily  gathered.  My  favourite  trio  con¬ 
sists  of  Marie  Louise,  pale  lavender  ;  Neapolitan,  mauve  with  white 
eyes  ;  and  Comte  de  Brazza  or  Swanley  White. 
These  should  be  propagated  in  April.  When  the  plants  have 
flowered  for  the  season  remove  them  from  the  soil  in  which  they  have 
been  grown,  and  divide  them  into  single  crowns,  cutting  off  all  runners, 
selecting  the  strongest  only,  and  plant  them  4  to  6  inches  apart  with 
a  trowel  in  a  cool  frame,  pressing  the  soil  firmly  round  their  roots  ; 
close  the  frame  for  a  few  days,  and  shade  from  bright  sunshine  until 
they  show  signs  of  growth. 
When  rooted,  so  that  they  can  be  removed  with  a  ball,  they  Bhould  be 
transplanted  to  their  summer  quarters.  A  rich  and  well-prepared  piece 
of  ground  with  a  north-west  aspect  suits  them  admirably  ;  plant  9  inches 
asunder,  and  syringe  them  with  pure  water  in  the  evenings  of  dry  hot 
•days,  pinching  off  all  runners  as  they  appear,  and  keeping  the  bed  free 
from  weeds.  Nothing  more  is  required  during  the  summer  months. 
For  pot  culture  the  best  compost  is  formed  of  half  turfy  loam,  half 
^decayed  manure  and  leaf  mould,  well  mixed  and  turned  over  two  or 
three  times  during  summer.  This  should  be  ready  for  use  by  the  end 
-of  September.  At  that  time  the  plants  must  be  removed  from  the  bed 
with  as  much  soil  to  their  roots  as  possible.  They  should  then  be  divested 
-of  all  side  shoots  or  runners  and  placed  in  7-inch  pots.  The  pots  may 
be  well  drained  with  dried  broken  bones  instead  of  potsherds,  as  the 
roots  cling  to  the  bones,  which  gives  vigour  to  the  plants,  and  makes 
them  bloom  more  profusely.  Weeds  and  decayed  leaves  must  be 
jremoved,  and  water  given  when  necessary,  care  being  taken  to  wet  the 
leaves  as  little  as  possible.  In  March  and  April,  if  the  plants  have  been 
properly  managed,  they  will  produce  abundance  of  flowers,  and  con¬ 
sequently  require  much  more  moisture  than  during  winter. 
To  have  an  abundance  of  fine  flowers  of  -Russian  Violets  in  the 
autumn  and  early  spring,  these  should  be  planted  in  beds  near  a  wall 
having  a  warm  aspect.  The  soil  should  be  light  but  very  highly  manured, 
with  a  large  quantity  of  sand  underneath  the  top  soil.  Plant  in  rows 
;about  4  inches  apart,  and  keep  well  watered.  Every  year  in  April, 
•immediately  after  the  plants  have  ceased  flowering,  the  beds  should  be 
broken  up,  the  soil  renewed,  and  fresh  plants  put  in  for  another  year.— 
<C.  W.  M. 
The  Melon. 
C Continued  from  page  397.) 
To  insure  a  good  set,  if  the  weather  is  at  all  favourable,  air  should 
ffiave  been  admitted  early,  in  order  that  the  atmosphere  of  the  house 
may  be  dry.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  dull  or  wet,  additional  pipe 
heat  must  be  resorted  to,  but  this  ought  not  to  be  too  fierce,  as  it  would 
encourage  red  spider  to  make  its  appearance.  As  there  are  generally 
pollen-bearing  and  fruit- producing  flowers  open  at  the  same  time  on 
each  plant,  pollen  from  the  former  should  be  transferred  to  the  latter. 
If  necessity  compels  fertilising  with  different  varieties  the  fruits  should 
be  marked,  and  unless  the  seed  be  required  for  experimental  purposes 
it  must  not  be  saved,  as  a  mixture  of  varieties  would  occur,  and  at 
least  some  of  them  inferior. 
When  the  fruits  are  set  and  swelling  more  atmospheric  moisture  will 
be  required,  but  be  careful  with  the  syringe  for  some  time,  contriving 
to  maintain  a  genial  temperature  by  damping  the  walls  and  paths  of  the 
house  rather  than  by  syringing  the  plants.  Should,  however,  red  spider 
make  its  appearance  the  syringe  must  be  resorted  to,  being  careful  not  to 
wet  the  young  fruits  too  much,  or  they  may  become  marked  and  have  an 
unsightly  appearance.  All  through  the  growing  period  be  very  careful 
with  ventilation,  admitting  a  little  air  with  a  gradual  increase  is  best, 
always  striving  to  avoid  draughts.  When  it  is  observed  which  fruits  are 
swelling  freely  three  will  be  sufficient  on  a  plant  if  they  are  expected  to 
be  very  fine.  As  swelling  takes  place  more  water  will  be  required  at 
the  roots,  an  occasional  application  of  weak  liquid  manure  or  a  light 
dressing  with  some  proved  fertiliser  being  very  beneficial. 
Supports  must  be  placed  under  the  fruitB.  Some  growers  use  boards 
suspended  by  string,  others  nets  made  especially  for  the  purpose,  and 
both  are  good.  As  the  fruits  'continue  swelling  copious  supplies  of 
water  will  be  found  necessary,  never  allowing  the  roots  to  become  dry, 
or  the  Melons  will  crack  and  be  useless.  Continue  occasional  applica¬ 
tions  of  liquid  manure  to  help  the  fruit  to  attain  to  a  good  size.  When 
fruits  change  colour  less  water  will  be  required  at  the  roots,  and  lesB 
moisture  in  the  atmosphere,  at  the  same  time  admitting  more  air,  and 
then  when  the  fruit  is  ripe  it  will  be  found  of  good  flavour.  To  keep 
up  successions  sow  at  intervals  of  one  month  sufficient  stock  to  replenish 
the  whole  space,  or  grow  in  pots,  as  the  case  may  be. 
It  is  advisable  to  renew  the  border  after  the  fruits  are  ripe,  also  to 
thoroughly  cleanse  the  house  so  that  all  insect  pests  may  be  eradicated, 
and  a  clean  start  made  with  the  young  stock.  Melons  are  subjected  to 
canker.  On  this  being  observed  a  little  fine  quicklime  dusted  on  the 
affected  part  will  be  found  an  efficient  remedy. — Semper. 
Bouvardias  from  Root  Cuttings. 
The  usual  treatment  of  the  Bouvardia  is  to  dry  the  plants  off  after 
they  have  done  flowering,  and  then  to  place  them  in  heat  to  produce 
cuttings.  The  cuttings  are  taken  with  a  heel  when  the  young  growths 
are  2  inches  or  3  inches  long,  inserted  in  prepared  pots,  and  placed  in 
the  propagating  frame.  I  should  like  to  bring  to  the  notice  of  other 
young  gardeners  what  I  have  found  in  practice  to  be  a  better  system — 
namely,  to  propagate  by  root  cuttings.  To  obtain  these  dry  the  plants 
off  in  the  usual  way,  but  instead  of  placing  them  in  heat  to  make 
young  growths  shake  them  out  of  the  pots,  remove  the  soil  from  the 
roots,  and  cut  them  back  to  about  an  inch  from  the  old  stem.  These 
roots  are  cut  into  lengths  about  1£  inch  long,  and  spread  on  the 
surface  of  prepared  pans.  Any  light  soil  is  suitable.  Cover  the  roots 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  depth  with  finely  sifted  soil,  and  place  in 
the  propagating  frame  or  on  a  botbed.  The  growths  from  these  small 
pieces  of  roots  will  be  found  to  almost  equal  in  growth  those  from  the 
plants  introduced  into  heat,  but  with  this  difference — the  growths  from 
the  roots  are  already  plants,  while  those  from  the  plants  have  still  to  be 
rooted.  And  it  is  here  the  great  savins:  in  time  comes  in  ;  while  the 
cuttings  are  making  roots  the  rooted  cuttings  are  making  plants,  and  bo 
gaining  a  great  advantage.  After  a  thorough  trial  of  both  systems  I 
should  be  sorry  to  return  to  cuttings  for  producing  strong  plants  for 
decorative  purposes. — J.  C.,  Lancashire. 
The  Apple. 
The  Apple,  Pyrus  Malus,  natural  order  Rosaceae,  is  a  native  of  the 
British  Isles  and  most  parts  of  Europe.  It  is  the  most  useful  of  all 
cultivated  fruits,  and  probably  the  most  extensively  grown.  The  Crab 
was  known  in  the  earliest  times,  and  our  cultivate;!  Apple  was  most 
likely  introduced  by  the  Romans.  Pliny,  the  Roman  historian  and 
naturalist,  knew  over  twenty  varieties.  The  Apple,  as  Mr.  Wright  says 
in  the  “  Fruit  Growers’  Guide,”  is  the  rich  man’s  fruit  and  the  poor 
man’s  fruit,  and  should  be  planted  in  every  garden. 
Soil. — The  Apple  does  best  in  loam  containing  a  little  sand.  In 
such  a  medium  Apples  colour  well  and  grow  to  a  large  size  ;  the  trees 
continue  in  health  and  bearing,  and  are  seldom  attacked  with  disease. 
A  deep  soil  is  not  required  to  grow  Apples  in,  2  feet  being  ample.  In 
wet  localities  the  ground  will  require  to  be  well  drained  before  planting 
Apple  trees,  as  they  generally  do  better  in  dry  than  wet  soils  if  not 
thoroughly  drained. 
Situation. — An  open  position,  facing  south,  east,  or  west,  sheltered 
from  the  east,  as  wind  from  that  quarter  is  so  prevalent  when  Apple 
trees  are  in  flower. 
Stocks. — Mr.  Rivers  has  raised  several  varieties  of  Paradise  stock 
from  seed,  and  they  are  remarkable  for  promoting  early  fruitfulness  in 
Apple  trees  worked  on  them.  The  French  Paradise  is  supposed  to  be 
the  best  dwarfing  stock  for  dessert  Apples,  and  all  worked  on  it  come 
into  bearing  quickly,  give  heavy  crops,  and  in  wet  districts  are  free  from 
canker  when  those  on  Crab  or  free  stocks  are  not.  The  Crab  is  the  best 
stock  for  standard  and  half-standard  Apple  trees,  and  is  noted  for  its 
hardiness. 
Pruning. — That  the  knife  is  too  much  used  on  Apple  trees  in  most 
gardens  is  my  opinion,  and  instead  of  cutting  back  every  year  I  would, 
if  possible,  not  prune  at  all  after  the  heads  are  formed,  except  to  take 
out  any  branches  that  are  too  close  or  badly  placed.  After  a  couple 
of  years  all  buds  will  be  fruit  buds  where,  under  close  pruning,  there 
would  be  nothing  but  growth.  If  Apples  on  Paradise  stocks  grow  too 
strongly  and  do  not  fruit  freely  lift  and  replant  the  trees,  using  some 
fresh  loam  if  procurable.  If  on  the  Crab  or  free  stock  root-pruning  is 
best,  cutting  a  trench  round  the  trees  and  filling  with  fresh  loam.  Mulch 
round  the  trees  after  either  operation — in  fact,  all  fruit  trees  are  the 
better  for  a  mulching  every  year ;  it  arrests  evaporation  and  prevents 
some  soils  from  cracking  in  dry  weather. 
Varieties. — Twelve  good  varieties  for  dessert  are  Mrs.  Gladstone, 
Irish  Peach,  Beauty  of  Bath,  Worcester  Pearmain,  King  of  the  Pippins, 
Blenheim  Pippin,  Wyken  Pippin,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  Ribston  Pippin, 
Cockle’s  Pippin,  Claygate  Pearmain,  and  Sturmer  Pippin,  ripening  in 
the  order  named. 
It  is  hard  to  single  out  twelve  sorts  and  say  they  are  the  best  cooking 
Apples,  soil  and  climate  having  a  wonderful  influence  on  the  size,  colour, 
and  flavour  of  some  varieties.  Lord  Suffield,  Domino,  Ecklinville, 
Warner’s  King,  Greenup’s  Pippin,  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Mdre  de 
