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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  29,  1898. 
few  scattered  fruits  on  them.  We  looked  and  looked,  and  at  last,  again 
like  the  famous  queen,  “there  was  no  more  spirit  left  in  us,”  and  we  said, 
“  Why,  there’s  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  pecks  !  ”  “  Yes,”  was  the  reply, 
it  my  father  calculates  that  there  is  something  like  4000  pecks  on  the 
place,  if  not  more,  for  we  are  expecting  that  if  we  get  rain  they  may- 
swell  out  a  bit  yet.” 
Well  !  we  had  seen  Bramley’s,  and  so  astounded  were  we  that  we  had 
eyes  for  nothing  else.  Nothing  we  saw  besides  made  any  impression  upon 
ns.  It  must  be  the  most  wonderful  Apple  sight  in  the  kingdom,  and  we 
could  not  have  believed  it  if  we  had  not  seen  it.  In  their  kindly  hospitable 
way  they  gave  ns  some  tea,  but,  with  Bramley’s  in  our  eyes  and  Bramley’s 
in  our  heads,  we  almost  automatically  partook  of  it,  though  the  tea  table 
was  presided  over  with  charming  grace  by  the  daughter  of  the  firm. 
Every  Apple  lover  should  see  that  sight.  I  send  you  these  rough 
notes  so  that  any  reader  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  who  has  opportunity 
may  do  so  before  the  crop  is  gathered,  which  we  understood  will  not  take 
place  for  three  weeks,  or  thereabouts. — L.  H.  G. 
[We  do  not  suppose  that  the  writer  of  this  article  intended  the 
alphabeticals  to  signify  Level  Headed  Gardener,  though  that  is  exactly 
what  he  is,  the  result  of  fifty  years’  experience,  even  if  he  does  write  like 
an  ardent  young  enthusiast.] 
GRAPES  AT  CARDIFF  CASTLE. 
There  is  always  much  to  see  and  admire  in  the  gardens  at  Cardiff 
Castle,  our  old  friend,  Mr.  A.  Pettigrew,  not  having  abated  a  single 
jot  of  his  enthusiasm  and  skill  as  a  gardener,  and  in  particular  as  a 
prominent  fruit  grower.  In  the  large  span-roofed  vineries,  to  the 
contents  of  which  I  have  previously  had  occasion  to  allude,  I  again 
observed  grand  crops  of  Grapes,  as  heavy  and  good  as  anything  our 
leading  market  growers  have  produced,  and  that,  too,  at  the  end  of 
eighteen  years  of  “  hard  labour  by  the  Vines. 
One  large  compartment  is  wholly  devoted  to  the  variety  Alicante, 
four  Vines  in  all,  these  occupying  a  width  of  15  feet  each.  The  fruit¬ 
ing  rods  are  trained  3  feet  apart,  and  to  every  length  of  12  inches 
there  was,  and  probably  still  is,  a  large  bunch,  in  numerous  cases 
weighing  from  3  to  4  lbs.  each.  By  the  end  of  August  at  the  latest  the 
crop  would  be  well  ripened,  yet  Mr.  Pettigrew  assured  me  the  bulk  of 
the  bunches  could  be  kept  till  March  if  desired.  Ripened  under  such 
favourable  circumstances  as  usually  prevail  in  J uly  and  August, 
Alicante  berries  are  not  mere  bags  of  sugar  and  water  as  described  by 
non-admirers  of  the  variety,  but  are  crisp,  juicy,  and  fairly  rich  in 
flavour,  the  full  development  of  saccharine  matter  and  the  disappearance 
of  water  favouring  long  keeping  and  otherwise  improving  the  Grapes. 
What  I  consider  even  more  noteworthy  were  the  extraordinary 
crops  produced  by  a  few  Vines  in  pots.  These  were  occupying  the  roof 
of  a  lean-to  he  use,  and  presented  3uch  a  beautiful  sight  that  were  I  the 
owner  I  should  have  been  tempted  to  keep  them  as  long  as  possible  to 
look  at.  The  rods  were  about  12  feet  long,  and  were  furnished 
throughout  with  bunches,  principally  in  pairs,  perfect  in  form,  size  of 
berry,  and  colour.  The  Vines  of  Poster's  Seedling  were  each  carrying 
eighteen  bunches,  or  a  total  weight  not  far  short  of  36  lbs.  Those  of 
Alnwick  Seedling  were  each  furnished  with  twenty  bunches,  from  1  lb. 
to  1J  lb.  in  weight  ;  and  the  Black  Hamburgh  were  not  greatly  eclipsed 
by  the  other  varieties. 
These  Vines  were  rooted  from  eyes  early  in  1897,  and  eventually 
shifted  into  12-inch  pots,  in  which  they  were  fruited.  When  the  time 
came  for  fruiting  the  Vines,  their  pots  were  plunged  in  other  larger  pots, 
with  moss  packed  tightly  between  the  two.  This  admitted  of  their  being 
set  on  the  hot-water  pipes  as  I  saw  them,  the  moss,  kept  constantly 
moist,  saving  the  plunged  pots  and  their  contents  from  becoming  rapidly 
dry  at  any  time,  and,  unless  I  am  much  mistaken,  many  roots  also  found 
their  way  into  it.  Thomson’s  Vine  manure,  supplemented  with  frequent 
supplies  of  farmyard  liquid  manure,  must  have  contributed  largely  to  this 
success  ;  but  these  fertilisers  would  have  been  of  little  avail  without  the 
constant  care  and  attention  bestowed  on  the  Vines  by  Mr.  Pettigrew  and 
his  young  men. 
This  was  no  mere  chance  achievement,  nearly  or  quite  as  good  crops 
having  been  produced  by  pot  Vines  in  these  gardens  in  former  years  ; 
and  if  the  state  of  the  young  Vines  raised  this  season  is  any  criterion, 
those  who  visit  Cardiff  Castle  and  Mr.  Pettigrew  in  the  summer  of  1899 
will  see  some  grandly  fruited  Vines  in  pots. — W.  IGGTJLDEN. 
TlBOUCHlNA  HETEROMALLA. — Among  Melastomads  there  are  many 
very  beautiful  garden  plants  which  are  rarely  found  in  cultivation 
outside  botanic  gardens  ;  the  one  under  notice  is  of  that  number.  It 
is  a  native  of  Brazil,  and  makes  a  large  spreading  busb  6  feet  high  of 
striking  appearance.  The  ovate  leaves  are  7  inches  long  by  4J  inches 
wide,  and  are  thickly  covered  with  soft  downy  hairs,  which  on  the  under 
surface  form  a  white  felt.  The  flowers  are  violet  or  purplish  violet 
14  inch  across,  and  are  produced  fifty  or  more  together  in  upright 
terminal  panicles  from  every  shoot.  It  succeeds  best  in  a  mixture  of  peat 
and  loam,  and  grows  well  either  as  a  pot  plant  or  border  plant,  providing 
that  an  intermediate  temperature,  good  drainage,  and  plenty  of  water  is 
given  when  growing,  with  a  rest  in  winter.  Cuttings  root  readily,  and 
quickly  form  good  plants.  Two  plants  5  feet  in  diameter  are  to  be  seen 
in  flower  in  the  Mexican  house  at  Kew. —  D.  K. 
STRAWBERRIES— OLD  PLANTS  v.  STARVED 
RUNNERS. 
The  present  season  has  been  beyond  question  a  most  disastrous  one 
for  many  Strawberry  cultivators.  The  long  spell  of  hot,  dry  weather 
has  so  shrivelled  and  dwarfed  the  runners  (not  laid  in  pots)  as  to  render 
them  practically  useless  for  fruiting  next  year,  even  should  the  autumn 
prove  genial  for  their  growth.  Those  cultivators  who  have  not  layered 
a  sufficient  number  of  runners  in  pots  where  they  could  be  well  watered 
and  attended  to,  must  now,  if  they  have  any  last  year’s  plants,  or  even 
two  or  three-year-olds,  look  well  after  them,  and  let  all  the  runner 
starvelings  go.  Cut  these  from  the  parent  plants,  and  if  there  are  any 
cracks  or  fissures  in  the  beds,  break  up  the  surface  lightly,  destroying  any 
weeds  that  may  be  present,  and  filling  up  all  the  crevices.  Then  well 
mulch  with  good  manure,  not  a  mere  skimming  but  a  substantial  dressing, 
so  that  when  the  rain  comes,  as  surely  it  must  ere  long,  the  plants  will 
recuperate,  and  there  may  be  yet  time  for  them  to  lay  up  a  store  of 
strength  for  the  succeeding  year.  By  doing  this  with  the  old  plants,  and 
leaving  the  present  year’s  apologies  for  runners  alone,  disappoint¬ 
ment  i may  be  averted  and  useful  crops  of  fruit  obtained  next  year. 
With  runners  early  layered  in  pots  we  can,  in  a  sense,  defy  the  dry 
weather,  and  many  growers  have  no  doubt  their  quarters  filled  with 
promising  plants,  but  even  this  can  only  be  effected  with  any  great 
measure  of  success  by  a  liberal  and  unstinting  water  supply  ;  but  this, 
where  it  exists,  means  an  immense  amount  of  labour,  which  the  average 
gardener  cannot  command  ;  therefore  my  advice  is  to  look  well  after  the 
older  plants,  and  live  in  the  hope  of  a  more  genial  Strawberry  season 
next  year  than  the  past  one  has  been, — A  Midland  Gardener. 
DELPHINIUMS. 
Plants  with  bright  blue  flowers  are  not  common,  and  are  usually  of 
dwarf  growth  ;  but  in  Delphiniums  we  have  plants  of  stately  habit 
attaining  a  height  of  over  6  feet,*being  fine  for  back  rows  in  borders. 
Their  flowers  are  borne  in  long  spikes,  some  very  close  and  without  much 
branching,  whilst  others  branch  considerably,  and  the  branched  parts  of 
the  spike  are  extremely  useful  for  cutting  and  mixing  with  other  flowers. 
The  full  spike  is  most  effective  in  large  vases,  imparting  a  stateliness  that 
is  never  obtained  by  the  employment  of  a  number  of  sprays  of  flowers 
varying  little  in  height.  The  peculiar  form  of  the  flowers  gives  a  fitness 
for  association  with  other  plants  which  is  strikingly  effective  and 
pleasing.  Two  of  the  great  merits  are  their  hardiness  and  ease  of  culture. 
They  will  grow  almost  anywhere  in  an  open  situation,  but  they  are  not 
seen  at  their  best  in  shrubbery  borders,  as  the  soil  is  too  poor  or  shaded 
to  allow  of  their  standing  forth  in  their  full  proportions.  A  rich  soil, 
deep,  well  drained,  and  light  rather  than  wet  and  heavy,  is  the  most 
suitable  ;  and  the  situation  should  be  open,  although  a  position  sheltered 
from  high  winds  is  desirable.  The  soil  where  Delphiniums  are  to  be 
grown  should  be  well  and  deeply  stirred,  working  in  plenty  of  manure, 
leaf  soil,  or  the  refuse  of  the  rubbish  heap,  whilst  the  refuse  from  the 
potting  bench  — crocks  and  all— is  good  for  mixing  with  and  improving 
soils  that  are  heavy,  as  also  are  sand,  ashes,  and  charred  refuse. 
The  best  time  to  plant  is  in  early  spring,  just  when  they  are  pushing 
the  stems  from  the  crowns  ;  and  that,  too,  is  the  best  time  for  propaga¬ 
tion,  as  the  rooting  is  accelerated  by  fresh  growth,  and  the  divisions  soon 
become  established.  I  have  divided  the  plants  many  times  in  spring,  and 
find  they  do  much  better  than  from  divisions  made  in  autumn.  When 
divided  at  the  latter  time  the  chances  are  that  wet  will  act  very  disastrously 
on  the  cut  part  of  the  divisions,  often  causing  decay  ;  and  slugs,  which 
are  very  fond  of  Delphiniums,  do  much  injury.  Every  bud  that  can  be 
detached  with  a  portion  of  the  root-stem  or  crown  will  grow,  but  too 
much  division  weakens  the  plants,  and  the  divisions  are  not  likely  to 
flower  well  the  first  season.  The  soil  should  be  made  moderately  firm 
about  them,  and  if  dry  watered.  They  should  be  planted  with  the  crown 
about  2  inches  beneath  the  surface. 
The  divisions  made  in  the  spring  will  flower  a  little  later  than  plants 
that  are  not  disturbed,  the  usual  time  of  Delphiniums  being  in  early 
.Tune  onwards  ;  and  they  not  only  continue  some  time  in  bloom,  but  when 
the  first  flower  stems  are  beginning  to  wane  fresh  ones  issue  from  the 
base  and  form  another  display,  which,  if  not  equal  to  the  first,  is  very 
serviceable  for  cutting  and  effective  as  well.  The  only  thing  to  guard 
against  is  not  to  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  in  cutting  the  first  flower  stems 
and  to  keep  them  from  seeding,  or  the  second  growths  will  be  poor ; 
hence  when  the  first  flowering  stems  have  bloomed  to  the  points  they  may 
be  removed,  and  the  young  ones  from  the  base  will  by  that  time  be 
considerably  advanced.  During  May  and  onwards  liberal  supplies  of 
water  or  liquid  manure  in  dry  weather  will  help  the  plants,  and  a  mulch 
about  the  plants  will  cause  them  to  flower  finer  and  longer  whilst  encou¬ 
raging  a  second  growth.  Some  enriching  material  placed  over  and 
around  the  crowns,  pointing  it  in  lightly  in  spring,  is  all  the  care  estab¬ 
lished  plants  need  ;  and  about  every  third  year  they  should  be  lifted  and 
divided,  planting  the  same  day,  or  as  soon  as  possible.  Stakes  should  be 
put  to  the  plants  in  good  time,  securing  the  stems  to  them  with  soft 
tarred  twine,  and  where  the  growths  are  too  numerous  they  must  be 
reduced,  reserving  the  strongest  and  most  promising. 
The  varieties  are  abundant,  and  where  a  number  are  grown  it  is 
remarkable  how  many  fine  forms  can  be  raised  by  a  careful  selection  of 
seed.  Very  good  varieties  can  be  raised  from  a  packet  of  seed,  which 
may  be  sown  in  March,  forwarded  in  a  hotbed,  pricked  off,  grown,  and 
