434 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  7, 1895. 
same  time,  your  correspondent  can  hardly  claim  to  have  observed 
William  Cobbett’s  never-to-be-forgotten  maxim,  “  Write,  not  so  that 
people  can  understand,  but  so  that  they  cannot  misunderstand.” 
Unfortunately  I  have  lent  the  files  of  your  Journal  to  a  sick 
neighbour,  and  am  therefore  unable  to  refer  back  to  his  letter,  in  order 
to  examine  his  precise  words,  but  the  sentence  he  now  quotes  respecting 
the  moving  of  the  under  tree  certainly  did  nothing,  to  my  mind,  to 
solve  the  enigma — rather  the  reverse,  as  it  puzzled  me  all  the  more. 
With  regard  to  a  tree  not  bearing  fruit  when  grown  in  the  shade  of 
another  ;  this  is  no  new  discovery,  though  the  actual  cause  is  hardly 
yet  fully  understood.  Doubtless  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that,  owing  to  lack 
of  sufiicient  sunshine,  the  chlorophyll  in  the  leaves  is  unable  properly 
to  perform  during  growth  its  peculiar  function  of  separating  the  carbon 
dioxide  contained  in  the  atmosphere  into  its  constituent  elements. 
The  vital  juices  of  plant  life  also  probably  circulate  less  rapidly  in  trees 
so  placed.  It  has  long  been  known  that  excessively  slight  electric 
currents  cause  the  upward  flow  of  the  sap,  and  these  are  presumably 
generated  by  light  and  heat  emanating  from  the  sun,  and  correspond¬ 
ingly  checked  by  overhanging  trees.  This,  however,  has  little  or 
nothing  to  do  with  the  “  ripened  wood  ”  controversy,  which,  briefly 
stated,  is  whether  hot  droughty  summers  like  1893  and  1895  are  more 
beneficial  to  vegetation  generally,  and  fruit  trees  in  particular,  than 
cold,  wet,  sunless  seasons,  such  as  1894  was. 
That,  I  must  again  insist,  is  the  crux  of  the  whole  question.  I  must, 
therefore,  again  thank  ”  Y.  B.  A.  Z.”  for  the  unconscious  support  he 
gives  to  my  heterodoxy  in  the  last  paragraph  of  his  letter.  He  there 
somewhat  triumphantly  reminds  your  readers  of  last  winter’s  frost.  I 
cheerfully  accept  his  test.  Owing  to  the  prevalence  during  last  summer 
of  low  temperatures,  wind,  cloud,  and  rain,  the  wood  of  1894  was 
“unripe” — indeed  this  was  admitted  in  your  columns  at  the  time — yet 
it  passed  scatheless  through  one  of  the  severest  winters  of  the  century, 
not  a  twig,  to  my  knowledge,  having  been  injured — a  very  unusual 
occurrence. 
Striking  facts  such  as  these  are,  I  suspect,  responsible  for  the  change 
of  opinion  of  one  of  my  strongest  opponents  a  year  ago,  Mr.  Eaillem, 
now  beginning  to  doubt,  on  page  412,  whether  it  is  not  possible  “  that 
we  may  have  too  much  of  even  such  a  good  thing  as  ripened  wood.” — 
The  Sceptic. 
P.S. — I  regret  having  overlooked  in  my  last  “  Y.  B.  A.  Z.’s” 
remark  concerning  his  Rose  shoot,  as  he  evidently  considers  it  a 
clincher.  Unfortunately  I  cannot  now  discuss  it  for  reasons  already 
given. 
[We  trust  our  correspondent’s  sick  neighbour  will  have  been  benefited 
by  the  copies  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  which  have  been  so  kindly 
prescribed.  We  have  received  a  little  medicine  for  “  The  Sceptic,”  but 
it  cannot  be  administered  this  week.] 
MORDEN  HALL,  WIMBLEDON. 
This  essentially  suburban  residence  of  G.  Hatfield,  Esq.,  lies  com¬ 
paratively  near  London,  yet  does  it  seem  in  all  its  surroundings  to  be 
essentially  rural.  Travellers  by  the  short  branch  line  of  rail  that  runs 
from  Wimbledon  to  West  Croydon  can  have  hardly  failed  to  notice  the 
extensive  park  which  the  line  skirts  after  leaving  Morden  Station,  and 
especially  have  noted  with  surprise  that  a  considerable  herd  of  deer  is 
running  in  it,  an  unusual  feature  in  a  private  park  anywhere,  but 
specially  so  near  to  London.  The  estate,  for  it  is  a  considerable  one,  is 
freely  watered  by  the  river  Wandle,  and  within  its  bounds  there  is  yet 
found  an  ancient  snuff  mill  in  constant  use,  where  the  ribs  and  stems  of 
the  tobacco  leaves,  so  largely  used  in  London  for  the  making  of  popular 
tobacco  brands,  are  converted  into  that  powder  which  seems  still  to 
find  users.  The  mill  is  worked  by  water  power.  The  river  also  forms 
some  few  stillv\l^ter  canals  or  streams,  one  of  which  flows  through  the 
middle  of  the  kitchen  garden,  and  another  encloses  the  extensive  lawn. 
Naturally  an  estate  so  placed  is  flat,  but  the  soil  seems  to  be  very  fertile 
when  well  cultivated. 
Mr.  C.  Alderman,  the  intelligent  and  energetic  gardener,  belongs 
to  the  most  useful  order  of  all-round  men.  He  has  to  do  more  or 
less  with  almost  everything,  and  strives  his  utmost  to  do  well.  It 
seems,  too,  that  he  does  so.  The  place  when  I  called  on  him  the  other 
day  was  far  from  being  at  its  best,  as  frosts  had  destroyed  all  tender 
plants,  and  leaves  were  falling  thick  and  fast.  The  flower  gardens  just 
passing  through  a  transition  stage,  furnished  little  for  comment,  but  I 
noticed  that  in  the  kitchen  gardens  considerable  provision  had  been 
made  for  a  good  supply  of  spring  flowering  plants,  in  Wallflowers,  Violas, 
Polyanthuses,  a  bed  of  some  600  of  the  latter  from  the  famous  Bedfont 
strain  giving,  from  a  spring  sowing,  very  strong  plants,  already  blooming 
freely,  and  of  all  sorts  of  colours.  These  will  be  employed  to  furnish 
the  flower  garden  so  soon  as  all  the  leaves  are  down,  and  that  desideratum 
the  recent  sharp  frosts  have  greatly  helped  to  bring  about.  A  range 
of  glass  houses  is  full  to  repletion  with  useful  materials.  The  first  is 
full  of  all  sorts  of  plants  useful  for  indoor  decoration,  whilst  along  the 
front  in  a  narrow  bed  are  planted  Telegraph  Cucumbers  that  have 
already  made  strong  growth,  and  are  about  to  furnish  fruits. 
The  next  house  is  a  projecting  span,  used  as  a  greenhouse,  but  chiefly 
filled  now  with  fine  Maidenhair  Perns,  all  in  robust  health  and  a  mass 
of  matured  fronds.  Some  ordinary  flowering  plants,  however,  give  a 
gay  face  to  the  front ;  then  follows  a  lean-to  filled  with  table  plants, 
of  which  a  large  quantity  is  needed.  Crotons  and  Dracaenas  for  this 
purpose  are  many,  and  could  indeed  be,  for  their  dimensions,  hardly 
excelled.  Such  Crotons  as  Mrs.  Dirman,  gracilis,  Chelsoni,  Superbum, 
Countess,  and  angustifolia,  and  Dracaenas  nigra  rubra  and  superba, 
with  Cocos  Weddelliana  are  beautiful  for  the  uses  to  which  put.  The 
next  house,  a  lean-to,  is  full  of  bedding  plants  and  cuttings,  whilst  over¬ 
head  a  very  good  crop  of  Black  Hamburgh  Grapes  is  furnished.  The 
Grapes  have  to  become  here  comparatively  secondary  consideration, 
but  still  they  are  excellent.  Along  the  back  of  the  house  are  numerous 
strong  Chrysanthemums  to  furnish  flowers  for  cutting.  Necessity 
renders  the  utilisation  of  every  inch  of  room  needful.  Following  is  a 
lean-to  Peach  house,  occupied  by  a  very  old  tree,  beneath  which  are  fine 
Chrysanthemums  in  pots  now  showing  blooms  of  excellent  promise. 
Mr.  Alderman  does  not  attempt  great  things  in  this  way  because  of 
lack  of  space  and  want  of  time  to  give  full  attention.  Still  he 
will  have  many  fine  fiowers.  A  Muscat  of  Alexandria  house  comes  next, 
giving  a  capital  crop  of  well-finished  Grapes,  though  the  bunches  are 
not  large.  Here,  again,  the  floor  is  used  to  house  Chrysanthemums, 
and  there  is  a  good  collection  of  Chinese  Primulas  on  the  front  stages. 
Last  of  all  is  the  early  vinery  planted  with  Black  Hamburgh  Vines, 
from  which  a  heavy  crop  of  bunches  has  been  taken,  and  beneath 
is  a  capital  group  of  Chrysanthemums,  that  include  most  of  the  best 
ordinary  varieties  in  fine  bloom.  The  kitchen  gardens  are  some  3^  acres 
in  area,  enclosed  by  a  high  wall,  and  in  addition  about  1^  acre  used 
as  fruit  and  vegetable  gardens  are  outside.  The  walls  are  fairly  well 
furnished,  but  as  many  trees  are  very  old  they  are  being  gradually 
removed  and  their  places  occupied  by  young  ones,  and  so  far  as  possible  of 
better  sorts.  That  is,  however,  a  slow  process,  as  only  a  few  are  planted 
yearly  ;  but  what  is  done  in  this  direction  is  done  well.  The  main  fruit 
trees  in  the  quarters  are  old,  and  also  are  being  gradually  removed,  being 
replaced  by  bush  trees  of  the  best  varieties. 
In  the  orchard,  planted  several  years  since,  chiefly  with  standards 
— these  replacing  old  and  almost  worthless  varieties — very  fine  crops  of 
Apples  and  Pears  have  been  produced.  A  peep  into  the  fruit  room 
affords  ]ust  now  a  delightful  spectacle,  as  not  only  are  the  average 
samples  very  fine  and  clean,  but  selected  fruits  placed  prominently  form 
quite  a  respectable  exhibition.  How  enjoyable  would  be — at  this  time 
of  the  year  in  any  considerable  garden — a  roomy,  cool  fruit  room,  where 
the  best  samples  alone  could  be  displayed  for  inspection  !  Of  kitchen 
varieties,  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  Lewis’s  Incomparable,  a  very  handsome 
Apple  ;  Alfriston,  Gloria  Mundi,  Lord  Derby,  Waltham  Abbey  Seedling, 
Wellington,  and  Warner’s  King ;  of  desserts,  Ribston  Pippin,  Cox’s  Orange 
Pippin,  King  of  the  Pippins,  Blenheim  Pippin,  and  Court  of  Wick, 
Golden  Russet  are  all  first-rate.*  Of  Pears — Marie  Louise,  singularly 
russetty  and  golden ;  Gansel’s  Bergamot,  Doyennb  du  Comice,  Chau- 
montel,  and  Easter  Beurrb  show  that  the  best  flavoured  varieties  are 
grown. 
Vegetables  here  are  abundantand  fine ;  Carrots,  both  New  Intermediate, 
or  Matchless,  and  Model  are  superb  samples.  Mr.  Alderman  stated  that 
only  one  piece  of  ground,  made  up  largely  of  old  hedge  loam  and  road 
trimmings,  would  grow  Carrots,  and  he  had  cropped  that  piece  for  seven 
years  in  succession,  getting  very  superior  roots.  Potatoes  come  of  great 
size,  varieties  like  Beauty  of  Hebron,  Colossal,  The  Bruce,  and  Reading 
Giant  giving  immense  crops  and  huge  tubers.  The  Ashleaf  Kidney  is, 
however,  much  preferred  for  eating.  Beets,  too,  especially  Pragnell’s 
Exhibition  and  Nutting’s  Dwarf,  are  handsome  and  good.  All  Brassicas 
are  fine  and  abundant.  Seakale,  Rhubarb,  and  Asparagus  are  largely 
forced,  and  Mushrooms  well  done.  Everything,  however,  is  the  product 
of  hard  work,  and  reflects  on  the  esteemed  gardener  the  highest  credit. 
—A.  D. 
SEEDLING  FRUITS. 
Seedling  fruits  may  be  divided  into  three  classes.  First,  those  of 
purely  accidental  origin  ;  second,  those  whose  origin  is  the  result  of 
some  purpose  or  intent  ;  and  third,  fruits  which  have  originated  from 
careful  and  systematic  hybridising  with  a  specific  purpose.  Almost 
every  fruit  grower  has  raised  some  fruit  under  this  first  class,  and,  with¬ 
out  a  doubt,  vast  numbers  of  these  “  accidental  seedlings  ”  have  been 
propagated  and  placed  on  the  market,  when  they  should  never  have 
been  known  outside  of  their  particular  birthplace.  It  is  the  delight  of 
the  orchardist  to  believe  that  the  Peach  or  Plum  which  had  its  origin  on 
his  place  is  a  little  better  than  any  other.  He  will  persuade  the  local 
nurseryman  to  take  it  up,  propagate  it,  and  offer  it  for  sale,  while  it 
may  not  be  as  good  as  others  well  known,  or  at  least  it  is  so  similar 
that  its  propagation  would  only  lead  to  confusion  in  nomenclature. 
Accidental  or  chance  seedlinga  which  are  believed  to  be  distinct,  and  of 
superior  merit,  should  be  tested  for  at  least  three  years,  and  then  sub¬ 
mitted  to  the  State  Horticultural  Society,  or  some  organised  body,  for 
approval  or  rejection,  and,  if  approved,  for  a  name  also.  Some  of  our 
most  valued  fruits  have  their  origin  in  this  way  as  mere  chance  seedlings, 
notable  among  which  are  Marshall’s  Red  Apple,  Muir  Peach,  Clyman 
Plum,  Tennant  Prune,  McDevitt  Peach,  and  many  others. 
The  production  of  good  fruits  under  my  second  heading  is  simply  a 
practical  illustration  of  the  law  of  natural  selection.  The  seeds  from 
specimens  of  the  finest  fruits  from  the  finest  trees  are  carefully  planted 
and  cultivated.  From  the  plants  resulting,  wood  is  selected  from  the 
most  promising,  and,  to  hasten  maturity,  grafted  on  an  older  tree. 
From  this  method  often  are  produced  fruits  noticeably  finer  than  their 
maternal  parent.  The  late  B.  S.  Fox  of  San  Jose,  California,  introduced 
some  fine  Pears  in  this  way,  such  as  P.  Barry,  Wilder,  B.  S.  Fox.  Some 
of  the  finest  Cherries  now  generally  propagated  were  originated  in  this 
way  by  W.  H.  Chapman  of  Napa,  California,  such  as  Centennial, 
seedling  of  Napoleon  Bigarreau  ;  Chapman,  seedling  of  Black  Tartarian, 
ripening  much  earlier  ;  California  Advance,  seedling  of  Purple  Guigne. 
