January  13,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
43 
Mens  L4on  le  Clerc  are  sure  bearers.  The  former  is  the  better  flavoured, 
and  both  are  good  doers.  Dr.  Trousseau  has  a  peculiar  flavour,  and  is 
only  appreciated  by  a  few,  but  is,  nevertheless,  a  fine  November  I’ear  of 
extra  size. 
Where  one  has  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  younger  branches  of  a  family 
with  fruit,  the  Seckle  comes  as  a  general  favourite.  This  sweet,  musky, 
delicious  Pear  never  goes  begging.  Beurr(i  Bachelier  is  a  large  green, 
unc.uth  Pear,  of  only  moderate  quality  ;  it  is  a  good  show  fruit,  and  a 
strong  grower.  The  Crassane  Pear  is  easily  recognised  by  its  long  stalk  ; 
it  generally  bears  at  the  extremities  of  the  branches,  and  is  not  a  heavy 
cropper,  but  has  an  agreealde  flavour.  In  my  case  it  was  planted  on  a 
north  wall,  which,  I  take  it,  is  much  too  cold  a  situation.  I  have  given  a 
brief  list,  and  shall  be  glad  to  note  other  articles  dealing  with  the  merits 
or  demerits  of  this  indispensable  fruit — the  Pear — in  other  quarters. — 
Geo.  Dyke,  Stubton  Gardens.  Newark. 
EELWORM  DESTRUCiTION  AND 
CONTPOVERSY. 
I  THINK  the  last  twelve  words  of  your  footnote  to  Mr.  Abbey’s  article 
on  “  Eel  worm  Destruction”  (page  16)  would  meet  with  the  approval 
of  many  subscribers  to  your  Journal.  Perhaps  these  good  men  who  write 
so  airily  in  your  columns,  and  quote  certain  cures  one  week,  and  the  next 
state  that  the  cure  before  mentioned  is  worse  than  the  disease,  little  think 
what  anxiety  they  cause  to  small  growers  of  Tomatoes  and  Cucumbers 
like  myself,  to  whom  the  loss  of  plants  by  eelworm  or  otherwise  is  a  loss 
indeed.  Besides,  of  what  use  or  interest  is  it  to  your  readers  to  watch 
Mr.  Dyke  and  Mr.  Abbey,  or  anyone  else,  writing  caustic  remarks  anent 
one  another’s  experience  ? 
j  Reading  Mr.  Dyke’s  short  article  re  the  application  of  kainit  and  basic 
I  slag,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  advice  from  such  a  practical  source 
i  must  be  right,  and  applied  the  manures  as  advised  to  my  borders.  Now 
■  this  week  I  understand  from  Mr.  Abbey  that  I  have  probably  poisoned  my 
borders. 
Who  is  right  and  who  is  wrong?  “Less  bantering  and  boasting.” 
Just  so.  A  little  less  of  that  and  more  precise  and  clear  information 
would  be  more  appreciated  by  the  subscribers  to  your  excellent  .Journal, 
from  whose  pages  I  have  culled  many  a  wrinkle  and  spent  many  happy 
hours  in  reading.  Now,  Messrs,  Dyke,  Abl^ey,  and  Iggulden,  a  plain 
answer  to  a  plain  quesJon  :  Is  it  safe  to  plant  Tomatoes  and  Cucumbers 
in  my  borders  as  prepared  ?  I  trust  3'ou  will  find  room  for  this. — W.  B. 
[We  are  pleased  to  find  room  for  matter  which  imparts  or  elicits 
definite  information  as  well  as  for  that  which  entertains  and  enables 
pleasant  moments— in  the  aggregate  “ happy  hours” — to  be  ‘‘spent  in 
reading,”  but  we  do  not  invite  communications  in  which  the  main  object 
of  a  writer  appears  to  be  the  tripping-up  of  another  whom  he  likes  to 
regard  as  an  “opponent,”  and  airing  his  own  superiority.  There  should 
be  no  opponents  in  the  worst  sense  of  that  term,  but  coadjutors  who 
respect  each  other,  while  in  different  ways  seeking  for  truth  in  the 
interests  of  alt.  At  the  same  time  many  readers  like  occasional  relief 
from  stern  work,  as  the  following  postcard  indicates  : — 
“Plain  solid  beef  and  pudding  are  most  excellent  in  their  way,  but  occa¬ 
sionally  the  stomach  craves  lighter  food.  This  applies  equally  well  to  the 
mind,  and  we,  the  readers  of  the  Journal,  owe  ‘  Ess  and  I  ’  a  debt  of  thanks 
for  calling  forth  that  piece  of  light  reading  in  last  week’s  issue.  How 
‘  Ess  and  I  ’  may  like  it  is  another  question,  possibly  they  are  quite  glad 
to  be  pilloried  for  the  general  benefit.  ‘  Alt  w’ork  and  no  play  makes 
Jack  (and  his  missus)  dull.’  ’’ 
Reverting  to  the  slag  and  kainit  mixture,  obviously  Mr.  Dyke  gave  a 
record  of  practice  and  its  results  on  page  547,  December  9th,  but  at  the 
same  time  clearly  stated  the  dressing  was  given  long  prior  to  the  planting 
of  the  Tomatoes,  for,  he  says  the  soil  was  “  again  forked  over  in  February,  ’ 
Mr.  Dyke  stated  that  2  lbs,  of  basic  slag  and  1 2  ozs.  kainit  per  square  yard 
were  well  blended  through  the  soil  by  twice  forking  it  over.  Mr.  Abbey, 
on  page  16,  January  6th,  says,  that  after  several  years’  experiments  “  1  oz. 
of  kainit  and  3  ozs.  of  lime  may  be  used  per  square  yard,  to  each  one 
inch  depth  of  rich  vegetable,  worked,  or  prepared  soil.”  Suppose  the 
depth  of  soil  is  12  inches,  where  is  the  difference  between  the  dressings  of 
the  two  advisers  ?  The  amounts  of  kainit  would  then  be  the  same  in  both 
cases,  while  there  would  be  a  decided  excess  of  lime  in  Mr,  Abbey's  dress¬ 
ing  over  that  in  the  slag  of  Mr.  Dyke,  while  the  phosphates  in  this 
would  be  beneficial. 
If  Mr.  Abbey  said  (as  we  do  not  think  he  did)  that  such  a  dressing 
would  poison  the  borders  they  would  be  poisoned  by  his  own  advice.  He 
has,  perhaps,  confused  you  by  a  curious  reference  to  “  12  ozs.  of  kainit  to 
a  gallon  of  water,”  as  if  Mr,  Dyke  had  advised  the  solution,  which  we  do 
not  remember  seeing,  and  if  he  did  not,  though  he  has  made  no  complaint 
on  the  subject,  we  are  sorry  the  reference  appeared  on  the  page  last 
cited.] 
HAREWOOD  HOUSE  GARDENS. 
During  a  few  days  in  the  county  of  broad  acres  I  paid  a  visit  to 
Harewood,  one  of  the  stateliest  of  homes  in  a  county  of  historic  houses. 
As  a  brief  outline  of  the  exterior  siflendour  of  this  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Harewood  was  given  in  the  Journal  of  Horticidture  on  the  22nd  of  July, 
1897,  my  remarks  will  touch  only  on  a  few  salient  features  in  the  houses. 
No  one  expects  to  find  a  gorgeous  display  of  bloom  or  a  wealth  of  luscious 
fruit  in  the  dark  and  waning  months  of  the  year, 
A  series  of  large  house  parties  had  been  given  for  the  shooting  season, 
and  this  means  an  absorption  of  fruit,  flowers,  and  vegetables.  The  first 
house  I  entered  was  one  kept  principally  as  a  flowering  house,  about 
60  feet  long,  and  of  proportionate  width  and  height.  The  back  wall 
Mr.  Jeffrey  has  planted  with  an  assortment  of  old-fashioned  climbing 
plants  too  rarely  seen,  amongst  which  were  o)«erved  Swainsonia  alba  ; 
Lasiandra  macrautha,  displaying  its  intense  purple  blooms  ;  Luculia 
gratissima,  clothed  with  its  fragrant  clusters  of  delicate  mauve  flowers. 
Habrothamnus  elegans  was  also  in  flower,  and  Lophospermum  scandens 
was  luxuriating  on  this  wall  in  company  with  the  peppermint- scented  Pelar¬ 
gonium  and  Ivy-leaved  varieties.  Up  the  rafters  were  Bougainvillea 
glabra  and  Clianthus  puniceus,  whilst  in  the  centre  of  the  house  was  an 
arched  bower  of  Marechal  Niel  Roses.  These  climbers  are  all  thinly  and 
regularly  trained,  and  no  plants  are  allowed  tall  enough  to  obstruct  the 
light  in  front  of  them.  This  is  evidently  the  secret  of  their  floriferousness 
as  seen  at  Harewood.  The  centre  bed  of  this  house  was  enlivened  with 
Camellias  in  flower.  Granges  in  fruit.  Chrysanthemums,  and  Indian 
Azaleas,  the  front  of  the  lirickwork  being  luxuriantly  draped  by  Trades- 
cantia  zebrina,  often  seen  in  a  higher  temperature  than  an  ordinary 
conservatory,  and  less  pleasing  than  here.  The  front  stage  was  gay  with 
Chinese  Primulas,  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Paper-white  Narcissus,  and 
Linum  trigynum. 
The  ne  A  two  plant  houses— stoves— have  been  entirely  reroofed  and 
fitted  with  modern  ventilators  since  my  last  visit.  They  were  mostlv 
filled  with  ornamental  foliage  plants  and  climbers  on  the  roof.  Ipomtea 
Horsfieldi  was  displaying  its  charming  blooms,  and  several  plants  of 
Strelitzia  Reginse  were  opening  their  gorgeous  flowers,  and  it  was  interest¬ 
ing  to  learn  from  Mr.  Jeffrey  that  these  have  great  endurance  when  cut. 
One  forcing  house  was  occupied  with  Asparagus  and  French  Beans, 
another  with  winter  Cucumbers  in  bearing,  and  also  French  Beans. 
Orchids,  of  which  there  is  a  small  collection,  looked  healthy. 
Bouvardias,  Calla  sethiopica.  Double  White  Primulas,  Zonal  I’elar- 
goniums,  t'livias,  Freesias,  and  Lachenalias  were  all  in  gool  health; 
whilst  bulbs  in  variety,  with  Lilac  Charles  X.,  Azalea  mollis,  and  Violets 
were  present  to  supply  the  wants  of  a  great  house. 
In  the  exotic  fernery  the  collection  numbered  by  dozens  of  large 
plants  of  Adiantum  farleyense  and  Cheilanthes  elegans  were  most 
remarkable.  The  former,  with  large  broad  fronds,  are  mostly  in 
8-inch  pots.  These  plants  have  all  been  grown  from  single  crowns, 
which  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  successful  culture.  As  this  house  faces  due 
south  great  care  is  exercised  in  shading.  Recently  two  of  these  large 
A.  farleyense  were  used  on  the  dinner  table,  set  in  vases  of  gold. 
Among  Grapes  the  large  old  Canon  Hall  Muscat  had  still  about  fifty 
bunches  hanging  of  a  golden  amber  tint,  and  consequently  perfect  in 
finish.  Gros  Colman  was  also  in  another  house,  faultless  in  size  and 
colour.  The  late  house  had  over  lOO  bunches  of  Lady  Downe’s  and 
Black  Alicante,  perfect  in  every  respect.  A  rod  of  Mrs.  Pince’s  Black 
Muscat  in  this  vinery  was  almost  faultless  in  finish.  The  Peaches  in 
the  four  houses  had  made  clean  and  well-ripened  gi’owth,  bristling  with 
fruit  buds.  Royal  George  is  a  great  favourite  here,  and  a  tree  or  two 
of  this  variety  is  grown  in  each  house.  Many  large  Palms  are  required 
for  room  decoration,  and  in  one  house  were  some  good  examples  of 
Kentia  Fosteriana,  K.  Belmoreana,  Phoenix  tenuis,  and  Chamserops 
Fortunei. — F.  Street. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Onion  Culture. 
The  Onion  requires  a  deep  rich  rooting  medium,  therefore  the  soil 
must  be  well  trenched  and  manured.  The  best  soil  for  general  purposes 
is  one  of  a  deep  sandy  nature  ;  but  for  exhibition,  better  results  are 
obtained  in  a  strong  black  or  red  loam,  in  an  open  situation.  Prepare  the 
ground  in  October  by  a  trenching  three  spits  deep,  at  the  same  time  work¬ 
ing  in  plenty  of  good  farmyard  manure,  the  shortest  and  most  decomposed 
being  placed  near  the  surface.  Leave  the  surface  rough,  so  that  it  will  be 
exposed  to  frosts.  In  January  it  should  receive  a  heavy  top-dressing  of 
soot  and  lime,  this  being  forked  in  during  March. 
For  general  purposes,  the  third  week  in  the  latter  month  is  early 
enough  for  seed  sowing,  when,  in  the  case  of  light  soils,  the  surface  should 
be  raked  level,  and  rolled  or  trodden  firm.  Sow  the  seeds  in  drills  6  or 
7  inches  apart,  and  if  procured  from  a  reliable  firm,  sow  thinly,  and  leave 
all  the  plants  to  grow.  As  soon  as  they  are  2  or  3  inches  high,  hoe  them 
carefully,  and  about  every  fortnight  afterwards  as  long  as  the}'  continue 
to  grow.  Keep  free  from  weeds,  and  in  dry  seasons  they  will  be  greatly 
helped  by  liberal  supplies  of  water  and  a  mulching  of  short  manure. 
As  soon  as  the  tops  show  signs  of  ripening  pull  them  up  by  hand, 
and  lay  two  rows  facing  each  other,  the  roots  being  uppermost  to  get 
plenty  of  sun  and  air.  If  the  weather  is  fine  turn  them  at  intervals  of 
two  or  three  days,  so  that  every  part  will  become  properly  ripened.  In 
the  event  of  showery  weather  they  may  be  better  harvested  if  empty 
cold  frames  are  at  hand,  laying  them  out  thinly,  turning  them  as 
previously  advised,  and  giving  them  plenty  of  air.  When  well  finished 
the  loose  scales  and  tops  should  be  removed  from  them,  sorting  out  the 
picklers  and  diseased  ones  as  the  cleaning  proceeds.  Store  them  in 
cool  airy  sheds  free  from  frost,  or  in  a  room  kept  specially  for  them. 
For  exhibition  the  ground  should  receive  the  same  treatment,  and 
the  seeds  be  sown  in  boxes  in  February  placed  in  a  cool  vinery  or 
frame.  When  the  young  plants  are  an  inch  or  two  high  prick  them 
off  into  other  boxes  of  light  soil  2  or  3  inches  apart,  growing  them 
in  gentle  heat,  and  gradually  hardening  before  planting  10  inches 
apart  each  way.  When  growing  freely  liberal  supplies  of  liquid  or 
artificial  manure  are  beneficial,  also  hoeing  and  mulching  as  before 
