December  19, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
573 
The  main  shoots  as  they  grow  will  eventually  form  the  framework 
of  the  tree.  If  any  of  these  show  signs  of  growing  too  strongly  nip  out 
the  points,  laying  in  sufficient  lateral  growth  to  fill  out  the  tree.  The 
aim  must  be  to  furnish  the  tree  from  base  to  summit  with  regular  bearing 
shoots,  laying  these  in  about  5  inches  apart.  It  is  seldom  that  I  find  it 
necessary  to  prune  back  the  bearing  shoots,  as  by  exposing  the  wood 
well  to  the  sun  the  growth  will  become  matured  its  whole  length. 
Careful  disbudding  will  also  have  to  take  place,  but  anyone  can  master 
this.  By  commencing  early  and  keeping  on  at  intervals — removing  the 
strongest  shoots  first,  taking  care  to  leave  a  growing  bud  at  the  base  and 
point  of  each  shoot,  intermediate  ones  being  removed  by  degrees,  also 
keeping  an  eye  on  the  formation  or  extension  of  the  tree,  if  a  young 
one,  also  guarding  against  crowding — a  well-balanced  tree  will  be  the 
result.  As  the  young  growth  becomes  long  enough  it  must  either  be 
neatly  tied  or  nailed  in.  If  this  proceeding  is  left  too  long  there  is  an 
ugly  bend  in  the  shoot,  and  besides  it  is  apt  to  break.  Another  advantage 
of  early  “  heeling  ”  in,  as  it  is  termed  by  gardeners,  is  that  all  parts  of 
the  tree  and  fruit  are  kept  well  exposed  to  the  sun. — A.  Young. 
(To  be  continued.) 
THE  GLADIOLUS  IN  1895. 
When  I  write  about  the  Gladiolus  I  have,  of  course,  always  in  my 
mind  the  varieties  of  what  is  called  the  Gandavensis  section,  that  being, 
as  I  conceive,  par  excellence,  the  Gladiolus.  Although  I  have  been  now 
for  so  many  years  a  grower  of  these  beautiful  flowers,  I  must  say  that 
they  are  very  trying  to  the  patience  and  temper  of  the  grower.  I  have 
grown  them  in  various  soils  and  in  different  situations,  but  I  have  never 
had  one  that  gave  them  an  immunity  from  disease.  I  think,  though  of 
this  I  am  not  quite  sure,  that  those  who  possess  a  garden  in  which  there 
is  good  strong  loam,  such  as  Strawberries  and  Eoses  delight  in,  have  the 
best  chance  of  success,  while  those  in  which  there  is  a  large  quantity  of 
humus  seem  to  be  unfavourable. 
A  good  stand  of  Gladioli  is  unequalled  in  the  autumn  months  for  its 
beautiful  and  striking  effect ;  the  flowers  are  most  varied  in  their 
colouring  of  brilliant  and  also  most  delicate  shades.  For  many  years  I 
was  a  successful  exhibitor  at  the  Crystal  Palace  show,  but  during  the 
nearly  twenty  years  that  I  competed  I  never  had  more  than  three  or 
four  competitors,  and  this  has  also  been  the  case  in  country  shows  that  I 
have  attended.  But  all  growers  are  not  exhibitors,  and  there  are  certain 
persons  who  will  be  glad  to  know  what  new  varieties  are  being  brought 
forward.  They  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  gardens  of  large  places,  but 
amongst  those  amateurs  who  spend  much  time,  thought,  and  trouble  on  their 
little  plot.  I  do  not,  of  course,  mean  that  the  varieties  in  the  following 
lists  comprise  all  the  novelties  of  the  present  year,  but  I  have  only 
included  those  that  I  grew  in  my  own  garden  and  have  therefore  been 
able  to  examine  leisurely.  Some  were  obtained  from  Mr.  Kelway  of 
Langport  and  Mr.  Burrell  of  Cambridge,  and  others  from  France. 
Geeteude. — A  large  and  striking  flower  ;  white,  with  a  slight  blush 
of  pink  in  it,  and  the  edges  marked  with  stripes  of  rosy  pink.  This  is  a 
grand  variety,  and  seems  to  be  of  good  constitution. 
Hilda. — This  is  a  fine  white,  somewhat  similar  to  the  preceding, 
probably  not  quite  so  large,  and  having  a  beautiful  yellow  throat,  which 
gives  it  a  charming  appearance. 
Eosalind. — A  very  large  flower  with  a  long  spike  ;  the  colour  pale 
rose,  richly  flaked  and  ribboned  with  crimson. 
Decima. — A  pale  rosy  white  grounded  flower,  flaked  on  the  edge  with 
crimson.  This  is  a  splendid  large  flower  and  spike. 
Beenice. — This  beautiful  flower  belongs  to  a  class  which  is  some¬ 
what  scarce — 1  mean  the  yellows,  and  there  has  not  been  the  advance 
in  them  that  there  has  been  in  other  colours,  for  Nestor,  Pactole,  and 
Eayon  d’Or  do  not  stand  in  the  first  rank,  and  retain  their  place, 
perhaps,  more  for  their  colour  than  anything  else  ;  but  this  flower  is  a 
decided  improvement.  It  is  large,  has  a  good  spike,  and  seems  to  be  of  a 
vigorous  constitution. 
Bebeyee. — A  fine  and  beautiful  cherry  red  flower,  lightly  shaded 
with  lilac,  with  a  large  white  spot,  fine  spike,  and  striking  colour. 
Behauzin.—A  large  and  long  spike  of  a  somewhat  remarkable 
colour,  having  a  scarlet  ground  deeply  shaded  with  slaty  brown,  with  a 
white  line  in  the  middle  of  each  division.  I  do  not  think  that  this  tint 
of  colour  is  much  appreciated  by  us,  although  the  French  seem  very 
fond  of  it ;  but  in  this  variety  the  white  line  in  each  petal  may  give 
some  set  off  to  the  dark  shading. 
Diademe. — This  is  considered  by  the  raisers  as  the  finest  yet  gained 
in  the  yellow  series  of  flowers;  1  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  are 
right,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  it  comes  to  us  in  the  same  year  as 
Burrell’s  Bernice. 
Gaegantua. — A  very  large  well-opened  flower,  carmine  red  colour 
abundantly  striped  with  violet  red,  and  very  light  in  the  centre  ;  a 
superb  flower. 
Olympe. — A  large  spike  furnished  with  fine  well-opened  flowers  of 
an  intense  rose,  shaded  with  lilac,  with  a  pure  white  spot. 
Tigeidia. — A  salmony  yellow  flower  very  large  and  well  opened 
irregularly  striped  with  carmine  rose. 
Valkyeie. — A  very  striking  and  novel  variety  ;  the  spike  is  long 
and  the  flowers  are  large  ;  the  colour  is  bright  orange,  oddly  marked 
with  slaty  violet  ;  very  distinct  and  original. 
I  should  like  to  see  every  good  garden  with  its  collection  of  named 
Gladioli,  and  this  can  be  done  now  at  a  very  trifling  expense,  so  as  that 
in  the  multitude  of  counsellors  there  is  wisdom,  we  might  be  able  to 
overcome  the  difficulties  of  their  cultivation. — D.,  Deal. 
MODERN  GRAPE  GROWING— KEEPING  THE  FRUIT. 
{.Continued  from  page  504.) 
Well-GEOWN  Grapes  are  comparatively  easy  to  keep,"  and  they 
generally  pay  for  keeping.  Badly  grown  ones  soon  decay  or  shrivel,  but 
while  they  last  they  are  thrust  on  the  market  in  large  quantities,  and 
keep  the  prices  of  even  the  best  down  to  a  very  low  figure.  Fruit  may 
be  kept  on  the  Vines  till  the  first  week  in  January,  but  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  keep  it  there  later  without  injury  to  the  Vines,  which  ought 
then  to  be  pruned  without  delay. 
The  principal  conditions  requisite  to  keep  the  fruit  sound,  whether 
on  the  Vines  or  off,  area  comparatively  dry  atmosphere,  an  even  tempera¬ 
ture,  and  provision  for  absorption  by  the  stems  of  sufficient  water  to 
replace  that  which  evaporates  from  the  berries. 
Possibly  some  day  we  may  have  a  plan  for  preventing  or  checking 
evaporation  from  the  berries,  and  at  the  same  time  preventing  fungus 
spores  or  whatever  it  is  that  causes  their  decay  from  coming  in  contact 
with  them.  In  the  case  of  Almerian  Grapes  this  is  effected  by  packing 
in  cork  dust,  and  I  take  it  that  although  the  material  is  valuable  for 
filling  up  interstices,  keeping  the  berries  in  their  places,  and  partly 
isolating  any  damaged  berries,  its  greatest  value  lies  in  the  fact  that  it 
excludes  the  external  air  with  all  its  impurities  and  preserves  a  com¬ 
paratively  uniform  temperature.  Where  there  is  uniform  temperature 
there  can  be  no  condensation ;  and  consequently  decay,  except  when 
produced  by  disease  or  parasites,  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  Has  anyone 
tried  to  keep  Grapes  in  air-tight  cases  ?  I  know  from  experience  that 
they  will  keep  a  long  time  in  closed  show  boxes,  although  I  have  never 
seen  a  fair  trial  of  what  can  be  done  in  this  way.  In  the  first  place,  the 
boxes  were  not  air-tight,  and  when  I  have  kept  any  Grapes  in  this  way 
it  has  been  after  they  had  been  exhibited,  consequently  the  stems  were 
somewhat  shrivelled  to  start  with,  and  the  berries  even  if  not  damaged 
were  coated  with  dust. 
While  the  fruit  is  hanging  on  the  Vines  I  do  not  think  that,  in  the 
south  of  England  at  any  rate,  there  is  anything  gained  by  trying  to 
keep  a  lower  temperature  than  50°,  Fruit  may  shrivel  in  this  or  any 
other  temperature,  but  this  degree  of  temperature  would  not  cause  it  to 
shrivel,  and  the  fault  must  be  looked  for  elsewhere.  At  the  same  time, 
if  the  weather  should  be  severe  after  the  leaves  have  nearly  finished 
their  work,  I  would  rather  allow  the  temperature  to  go  considerably 
lower  than  fire  hard  to  keep  it  up  to  this  figure.  When  the  temperature 
rises  rapidly  from  natural  causes  it  is  necessary  to  be  very  much  on  the 
alert,  and  rather  anticipate  the  rise,  for  the  formation  of  dew  on  the 
berries  is  detrimental  at  any  time,  and  doubly  so  when  the  fruit  is  ripe. 
Small  structures  can  be  covered  with  canvas  and  kept  in  darkness, 
and  consequently  with  a  comparatively  even  temperature  after  the  leaves 
are  matured  ;  but  this  is  hardly  possible  with  large  houses,  therefore  we 
must  do  our  best  till  the  fruit  is  cut,  by  timely  ventilation,  to  keep 
the  house  in  the  best  possible  condition  to  prevent  decay. 
In  most  large  establishments  there  is  a  Grape-room,  and  it  is  a  very 
necessary  adjunct  to  any  establishment  where  it  is  attempted  to  keep 
Grapes  in  quantity  through  the  winter.  An  ordinary  fruit-room,  where 
Apples  and  Pears  are  kept,  is  not  suitable,  because  the  exhalations  from 
other  fruits  are  deleterious  to  the  Grapes.  A  lean-to  building  facing 
north  is  to  be  preferred,  and  there  should  be  no  window  on  which  the 
sun  can  shine,  or  if  that  is  unavoidable,  then  let  it  be  double-glazed,  so 
as  to  be  impervious  to  sun  and  air  ;  the  roof  should  have  a  layer  of 
straw  or  other  non-conducting  material  between  the  slates  or  tiles  and 
the  plaster,  and  the  walls  if  not  very  thick  should  be  hollow-built. 
Provision  must  be  made  for  warming  when  necessary,  and  also  at  the 
highest  point  for  a  little  ventilation. 
Failing  a  properly  constructed  Grape-room,  a  spare  room  in  a  dwell¬ 
ing  house  may  be  fitted  up  for  the  purpose.  It  is  best  not  to  have  it  on 
the  ground  floor,  and  the  more  it  is  surrounded  with  other  rooms  the 
better.  The  commonest  plan,  and  it  answers  very  well  for  a  few  bunches, 
is  to  suspend  rails  or  rods  across  it,  and  to  use  bottles,  pint  champagne 
bottles  for  medium-sized  bunches  and  quarts  for  larger  ones.  But  any 
sized  bottle  will  do  so  long  as  the  end  of  the  stem  is  kept  in  water.  If 
a  rack  can  be  made  to  hold  the  bottles  in  a  slanting  position  and  allow 
the  Grapes  to  hang  clear  of  everything  all  the  better,  and  they  can  be 
stored  closer  together  than  when  they  are  merely  hung  on  a  rod  by  a 
string. 
When  all  is  ready  and  the  room  thoroughly  dry — a  fine  day  is  chosen 
for  the  purpose — the  Grapes  are  cut  with  as  much  stem  as  can  be  spared, 
brought  in  a  few  at  a  time  and  immediately  placed  in  position,  the 
bottles  having  just  sufficient  water  in  them  that  when  the  Vine  stem  is 
inserted  there  will  be  no  overflow.  Should  the  stem  below  the  bunch 
not  be  of  sufficient  length  for  the  purpose,  it  answers  just  as  well  to 
turn  it  topsy-turvy  and  insert  the  upper  end,  for  Vines  are  very  accom¬ 
modating,  and  will  grow  backwards  as  well  as  forwards. 
During  the  first  few  days  a  large  quantity  of  water  will  be  absorbed, 
and  strict  watch  must  be  kept  that  it  does  not  get  out  of  the  reach  of 
the  stems,  for  if  this  happens,  and  is  not  attended  to  for  a  few  days, 
not  only  will  the  stems  shrivel,  but  the  water  will  lose  its  purity.  While 
the  stem  is  in  the  water  some  sort  of  circulation  is  going  on,  and  the 
water  will  keep  sweet  for  several  months,  but  once  the  stem  is  out  of  it 
it  very  soon  becomes  putrid. 
During  very  severe  weather,  if  there  is  no  other  way  of  keeping) the 
frost  out,  one  or  two  paraffin  lamps  may  be  used  for  the  purpose,  not 
that  I  believe  frost  of  itself  does  much  harm — indeed,  I  have  had  them 
frozen  for  weeks,  when  the  bottles  have  broken  away  and  left  the 
bunches  sticking  in  a  solid  mass  of  ice — but  there  is  a  risk  when  the 
thaw  comes  and  the  place  turns  very  damp.  Of  course  it  is  .possible 
