570 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  19, 189S. 
Personally  I  should  prefer  to  have  them  in  tubs,  while  if  there 
would  be  no  necessity  to  move  them  about,  then  I  would  plant 
them  in  square  pits  formed  with  loose  bricks.  Vines  succeed 
remarkably  well  in  temporary  pits  18  inches  to  2  feet  square,  and 
can  easily  be  given  a  “shift”  by  taking  down  and  setting  out  the 
walls  a  few  inches  wider  all  round.  These  loose  walls  also  afford 
good  opportunities  for  watching  the  root  action,  for  testing  the 
state  of  the  soil  and  such  like,  a  side  being  partly  taken  down  and 
restored  without  disturbing  the  soil, — W.  Iggulden. 
FLORAL  FACTS  AND  FANCIES.— 15. 
Chrysanthemum  shows,  so  Mr.  Edwin  Arnold  tells  us  in  his 
“  Sea  and  Land,”  are  one  of  the  features  of  Japanese  life,  and 
afford  an  agreeable  break  in  its  rather  monotonous  onflow.  The 
usual  charge  for  admission  is  but  a  cent,  which  is  certainly  mode¬ 
rate.  Much  attention  is  given  to  the  training  and  culture  of  the 
plants  during  spring  and  summer.  One  peculiarity  of  these  shows 
is  that  the  Japanese  have  booths,  in  which  are  represented  fables 
or  historical  incidents,  and  Chrysanthemums  are  deftly  arranged  to 
serve  as  robes  or  scenic  accessories.  Another  display,  that  is  quite 
unlike  anything  to  be  seen  in  our  flower  shows,  consists  of  our 
miniature  trees,  to  the  production  of  which  the  Japanese  gardeners 
often  devote  themselves.  By  snecial  treatment  of  the  buds  and 
rootlets  such  trees  as  Oaks,  Firs,  Thujas,  and  Plums  are  curiously 
dwarfed,  yet  made  to  resemble  in  figure  those  of  natural  growth 
and  great  age.  These  are  exhibited  in  pots,  being  perhaps  only 
20  inches  high  or  thereabout  while  sixty  years  old,  perhaps  more 
aged  than  that.  Then  a  number  of  them  are  grouped  to  form  a 
mimic  landscape,  hills,  valleys,  and  streamlets  ;  cascades  even  are 
ingeniously  contrived  to  complete  the  illusion. 
Commonest  of  Japanese  trees  in  many  districts,  this  traveller 
says,  is  the  Persimmon  or  Date  Plum  (Diospyros  virginiana),  the 
fruit  often  hanging  up  outside  cottages  to  dry,  or  showing  on  the 
leafless  autumn  trees  like  a  small  elongated  Orange.  This  exotic 
has  its  meaning,  for  the  flower,  of  greenish  hue,  is  symbolic  of 
“  love  of  Nature.”  Other  fruit  trees  have  had  a  variety  of 
meanings  associated  with  their  flowers,  some  of  which  are  curious. 
The  bloom  of  the  Apricot  (at  first  people  called  it  “Apricock”), 
a  tree  supposed  to  have  been  sent  us  from  a  country  much  talked 
about  now — that  is,  Armenia;  this  was  an  emblem  of  “doubt,” 
because,  flowering  early,  there  was  an  uncertainty  whether,  in  our 
changeful  spring,  the  flower  would  be  succeeded  by  fruit.  Rosy  in 
hue,  the  Peach  flower  became  a  symbol  of  “  deep  affection,”  and 
the  like  meaning  seems  to  have  been  attached  to  the  Pear,  owing 
perhaps  to  the  early  legend  that  a  faithful  old  couple  were  trans¬ 
formed  by  Apollo  into  Pear  trees.  “  Good  education,”  we  are  told, 
is  called  to  mind  by  the  flowers  of  the  Cherry,  for  some  stroller  in 
gardens  took  note  of  the  fact  many  years  ago  that  training  and 
pruning  did  much  to  improve  this  fruit  tree,  and,  indeed,  many 
others. 
As  a  symbol  of  “maiden  purity  ”  the  Orange  blossom  has  for 
centuries  been  worn  by  brides,  and  the  kindred  Lemon  speaks  of 
“  loyalty,”  so,  too,  the  Citron.  Neither  of  these  appear  to  have  been 
grown  in  England  till  1648,  at  Oxford,  when  the  heat  of  the  Civil 
War  was  cooling  down.  The  Orange  tree  itself  is  a  representative 
of  “generosity. ”  From  the  idea  that  the  Pineapple  is  the  most 
delicious  of  fruit,  its  flower  was  made  a  token  of  “  perfection,”  but 
the  Apple  runs  it  close,  since  its  fruit  is  esteemed  the  wholesomest, 
therefore  it  tells  of  “preference,”  though  the  Crab  blossom  implies 
“ill-nature,”  and  that  of  the  Vine  naturally  conveys  a  caution 
against  loss  of  self-control.  To  the  Black  and  the  White  Mulberries 
different  significances  have  been  given  ;  the  flowers  of  the  former 
are  expressive  of  “grief  for  the  dead,”  and  we  are  reminded  of 
“  wisdom  ’’  by  those  of  the  latter.  Standing  sometimes  alone  upon 
the  bleak  hill-top,  braving  wind  and  weather,  we  see  “  indepen¬ 
dence  ”  in  the  wild  Plum,  and  the  cultivated  species  is  supposed  to 
tell  us  that  “  promises  are  sacred  ;  ”  the  flower  of  the  Pomegranate 
is  somehow  typical  of  elegance. 
Why  the  low-growing  Strawberry  should  suggest  “  futurity  ”  is 
a  query  to  which  the  likeliest  answer  is  that  the  fruit  is  sure  to 
follow  the  flower  if  the  usual  precautions  of  culture  are  taken. 
Rough  must  have  been  the  Raspberries  men  first  so  named,  for 
such  is  the  significance  of  the  word,  but  we  have  sweetened  them 
now,  a  shrub  this  which  symbolises  “remorse,”  for  ancient  story 
associates  it  with  the  hills  of  old  Troy.  Again,  the  Fig  flower  is 
an  emblem  of  “  strife,”  and,  in  truth,  it  is  a  tree  the  culture  of 
which  has,  in  the  past,  caused  much  discussion  amongst  gardeners. 
Monck  said,  years  ago,  that  of  all  fruit  trees  it  is  the  least  under¬ 
stood  and  the  most  tractable  ;  perhaps  he  was  right.  The  flowers 
of  the  Gooseberry  represent  “  anticipation,”  and  those  of  the 
Gurrant  “  timidity,”  as  they  oscillate  and  seem  to  shrink  from  the 
wind. 
The  Magnolia,  when  lit  was  first  introduced,  was  valued  as  a 
medicine,  the  bitter  bark  being  esteemed  a  remedy  for  coughs  and 
other  complaints,  but  travellers  who  had  seen  in  its  native  land 
specimens  of  M.  grandiflora  100  feet  high  recommended  its  cultiva¬ 
tion  as  an  ornamental  tree,  and  the  whitish,  fragrant  flowers 
merited  their  meaning  of  “peerless  and  proud.”  But  the  Chinese 
M.  purpurea,  which  thrives  on  the  London  clay,  and  was  formerly 
very  common  in  its  suburbs,  showy  with  its  large  flowers  and 
leaves,  speaks  to  us  of  the  “  love  of  Nature  ;  ”  and  perhaps 
M.  tripetala,  the  “  umbrella  ”  Magnolia,  was  made  a  symbol  of 
“  perseverance  ”  because  it  produces  its  long,  curiously  rayed  leaves, 
and  drooping  flowers,  followed  by  conical  rosy  fruit,  under  cir¬ 
cumstances  that  seem  unfavourable. 
A  native  of  Britain,  but  frequent  in  shrubberies,  the  Guelder 
Rose  (Viburnum  opulus)  called  after  a  district  in  Holland,  where  it 
abounds,  is  said  to  indicate  “  good  news  ”  by  its  white  flowers  and 
red  berries  ;  this  is  one  of  the  shrubs  into  which,  according  to  the 
old  myth,  the  spirit  of  some -woodland  nymph  has  passed.  Its 
relative,  V.  lantana,  from  its  mealiness,  has  bad  the  name  of 
Cotton  Tree,  and  Wayfaring  Tree,  as  growing  along  roadsides, 
though  it  is  admitted  to  some  gardens,  and  Mrs.  Howitt  suggested 
that  it  had  a  resemblance  to  the  Hydrangea. 
The  Philadelphus  or  Mock  Orange,  with  bloom  that  has  been 
supposed  to  resemble  the  true  Orange,  has  leaves  that  were 
formerly  fancied  to  taste  like  Cucumber — but  no  one  eats  them 
now — was  grown  plentifully  by  Gerard  inhisHolborn  garden  four 
centuries  ago.  It  is  a  type  of  “  deception,”  and  has  somehow 
got  confused  as  to  its  names.  There  is  no  reason  it  should  have 
the  Latin  one  of  Philadelphus,  which  belonged  to  a  tree  we 
cannot  now  identify  ;  and  Syringa,  one  constantly  given  it,  belongs 
to  the  Lilac  ;  also  it  was  occasionally  called  “  Pipe  Privet.”  Some 
believe  that  the  perfume  causes  headache.  The  Laburnum  has  a 
name  of  uncertain  meaning  ;  perhaps  it  alludes  to  the  hardness 
and  excellence  of  the  wood.  The  flower  represents  “  beauty,” 
and  its  drooping  clusters  suggested  the  name  of  “  Golden  Chain  ;  ” 
another  was  Peascod  Tree.  It  is  unfortunate  that  many  persons 
are  unaware  of  the  poisonous  nature  of  the  seeds,  but  they  do 
not  appear  to  injure  animals,  and  the  foliage  is  eagerly  eaten  by 
hares  and  rabbits. 
The  Lilac  or  true  Syringa  received  its  name  from  the  fancy 
that  the  rustic  pipe  or  musical  instrument  of  the  shepherds  was 
made  from  its  branches.  The  purple  is  symbolic  of  “youthful 
love,”  and  the  white  variety  of  “  innocence.”  It  is  a  pity  the 
Coronilla  or  Scorpion  Senna  is  not  more  cultivated.  We  have 
had  it  since  1596  ;  it  is  quite  hardy,  and  mikes  a  capital  hedge. 
The  yellow  coroneted  flowers  are  a  token  of  “success.” — J.  R.  S.  C. 
DUKE  OF  BUCCLEUCH  GRAPE. 
The  Editor  has  forwarded  me  a  letter  from  a  correspondent. 
Part  of  the  letter  I  have  replied  to  privately,  and  the  other  part 
I  will  now  endeavour  to  answer  through  the  columns  of  the 
Journal.  It  has  reference  to  the  above  Grape. 
From  what  Mr.  C.  says  in  his  letter  he  grows  “  Gros  Colman  ” 
splendidly,  not  only  heavy  crops,  but  good  coloured  and  well 
finished  fruit.  I  am  pleased  to  hear  this,  and  hope  he  may  long 
continue  to  grow  Grapes  as  well  as  he  seems  to  be  doing  at 
present. 
If  Mr.  C.  will  turn  to  the  article  on  “The  Duke  of  Buccleuch 
Grape,”  which  I  wrote  for  the  Journal  of  September  5tb,  1895,  he 
will  there  find  pretty  full  details  in  connection  with  its  culture. 
Its  various  good  qualities  are  enumerated,  and  its  special  weak¬ 
nesses  are  also  mentioned. 
As  I  remarked  in  the  article  referred  to,  “  The  Duke  ”  is  much 
better  when  not  subjected  to  much  knocking  about  in  sending  to 
market.  It  is  essentially  a  Grape  for  cutting  and  placing  on  the 
table,  or  presenting  to  the  invalid,  not  exposing  it  to  the  rough 
treatment  often  bestowed  on  produce  sent  by  rail.  At  the  same 
time,  if  special  care  be  taken,  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  “The 
Duke,”  when  well  grown  and  placed  in  the  market  in  prime  con¬ 
dition,  would  command  a  higher  price  than  any  other  variety.  We 
sell  nearly  all  we  grow  of  it  to  private  individuals,  who  have 
found  out  its  splendid  qualities  and  appreciate  it  accordingly. 
In  regard  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the  weight  of  crop  we  have  had 
on  “  The  Duke,”  I  have  to  say  that  we  have  never  had  more  than 
about  25  lbs,  on  a  15-feet  rod,  and  consider  that  quite  heavy 
enough.  With  that  weight  of  crop  “  The  Duke  ”  has  coloured  well, 
and  in  fact  developed  all  its  good  qualities. — John  Thomson, 
Clovenfords. 
[We  know  of  a  long  span-roofed  house  in  an  Essex  garden  in 
which  most,  or  all,  the  popular  varieties  of  Grapes  are  grown, 
including  Gros  Colman.  During  some  seasons  the  bulk  of  the 
