JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  22,  1898- 
480 
a  handful  of  coarsely  crushed  bones  and  sharp  sand,  make  a  compost  in 
which  the  species  succeeds  well.”  He  does  not  reler,  however,  to  any 
difficulty  in  flowering  it,  which  is  somewhat  strange.  Perhaps  Mr. 
Wm.  Watson,  who  has  beeti  very  successful  with  many  tardily 
flowering  plants,  could  confirm  Mr.  Latham’s  ex|  erience. 
There  are  many  other  plants  in  the  Birmingham  garden  that  are 
worthy  of  note,  and  if  time  permits  I  hope  to  refer  to  them  on  another 
occasion.  With  the  present  great  demand  for  Chrysanthemum  news, 
I  expect  the  Editor  will  not  be  able  to  find  space  for  more  notes  of  this 
kind  now. — L.  Castle. 
A  MINCE  PIE. 
Now  that  the  rush  of  shows  is  over  “our  Journal”  makes  more 
enjoyable  reading — at  least,  that  was  my  impression  when  looking 
through  the  number  for  December  15th,  and  it  suggests  materials  for 
a  literary  mince  pie. 
Vines  and  Potatoes. 
What  a  prolific  writer  is  Mr.  G.  Abbey  !  One  week  we  have  a 
splendid  article  on  “  Rust,”  at  other  times  he  gives  us  excellent  advice 
on  the  treatment  of  Apricots,  and  last  week  we  had  exhaustive 
articles  on  “ Pruning  Vines”  and  “Diseased  Potatoes.”  Would  that 
everyone  who  has  a  Vine,  whether  he  (or  she)  be  an  amateur  or 
professional,  could  read,  learn,  and  digest  the  advice  given  on  pages 
449  and  450.  It  brought  to  my  mind  some  houses  of  apologies  for 
Vines  noticed  a  few  months  since.  Grown  on  the  spur  system,  with 
six  or  more  laterals  where  there  should  only  have  been  one,  and  each 
of  these  cut  back  every  year  to  one  bud,  a  thicket  of  small  useless 
shoots  was  produced,  but  no  Grapes.  These  Vines,  1  must  say,  are 
not  under  the  charge  6f  a  gardener,  or  at  any  rate  only  just  now  and 
again  is  one  called  in.  I  tried  to  point  out  to  the  owner  a  different 
method  of  working,  and  hope  he  will  obtain  better  results  in  a  few 
years.  I  wonder  how  many  gardeners  would  produce  such  work  as 
that  on  page  463.  I  have  read  it  through  several  times,  but  it  is  too 
big  a  dose  to  take  at  once.  I  should  like  to  commit  it  to  memory, 
and.  “  roll  it  off”  some  night  when  talking  about  insect  and  other 
pests,  but  am  afraid  it  would  be  rather  bewildering.  The  more 
practical  part — dressing  with  lime,  slag,  and  kainit — -will  be  of  great 
assistance  to  Potato  growers.  I  shall  take  this  number  with  me 
sometimes  on  my  rounds. 
Pruning  Fruit  Trees. 
“  Nurseryman”  (page  452)  sits  on  some  of  his  customers  because 
they  treat  his  (or  rather  those  trees  that  were  once  his)  improperly. 
Quite  right,  too  !  I  have  noticed  the  same  thing,  more  especially  with 
standard  or  orchard  trees.  It  is  a  too  common  practice  in  the  west  of 
England  to  see  farmers  and  others  plant  trees  from  five  to  eight  years 
old,  and  costing  from  4s.  to  5s.  each,  with  perhaps  from  a 
dozen  to  twenty  blanches  to  the  heads.  These  are  in  many  cases 
left  without  any  thinning  or  pruning  of  any  kind.  Result — no  growth. 
Some  varieties  would  produce  fruit  buds  freely,  bear  fruit  the  second 
season  after  planting  (and  perhaps  the  first),  and  become  cripples. 
The  only  way  to  get  growth  into  them  then  would  be  to  head  nard 
back  to  dormant  buds.  Would  it  not  be  better  practice  to  plant 
younger  trees,  say  three  or  four  years,  from  the  bud  or  graft,  thin  the 
shoots  at  planting  time  to  the  requisite  number  for  forming  a  head, 
and  shorten  these  in  the  following  spring,  taking  off  from  a  third  with 
strong  growing  varieties,  to  a  half  or  two-thirds  with  weaker  growers, 
to  make  them  break  strongly  ?  This  is  my  practice,  and  advice. 
Unclean  Fruit  Trees. 
I  have  backed  up  “  Nurseryman  ”  so  far,  now  I  want  to  side  with 
the  customers  of  nurserymen,  and  have  just  a  word  or  two  about 
dirty  trees.  1  know  the  majority  of  our  first-class  nurserymen  take 
exceptional  pains  with  their  stock  in  keeping  it  plean.  Others  are  not 
so  careful.  Large  quantities  of  trees,  Apples  chiefly,  are  sent  out 
infested  with  that,  almost  the  worst  of  all  pests,  American  blischt. 
Others  are  so  badly  covered  with  the  minute  Apple  scale  that  hardly  a 
bit  of  clean  bark  can  be  seen  on  the  stems.  You  may  think  this  is 
rather  a  strong  assertion,  but  I  can  back  it  up,  as  I  have  seen  hundreds 
of  these  infested  trees  within  the  last  two  years,  also  orchards  and 
gardens  where  American  blight  was  introduced  with  grafts  purchased 
from  a  distance.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  we  rarely  see  an  orchard, 
garden,  or  plantation  entirely  free  from  the  pest.  Some  few  weeks 
since  there  was  something  said  about  “  combined  effort  in  stamping 
out  codlin  moths.”  It  would  take  a  big  effort  to  stamp  out  the 
American  blight.  For  my  part  I  should  like  to  see  a  greater  effort 
made  by  some  of  our  nurserymen  to  stamp  it  out  in  their  nurseries. 
Flavouring. 
“Freaksof  Men,”  “Comments  on  Apples,”  and  “  Trials  of  Field 
Potatoes”  are  good  reading,  the  two  former  causing  one  to  smile  a 
little.  Was  the  Editor  giving  a  little  “pen  prick”  in  suggesting 
that  “  D.  W.”  struck  the  head  of  the  Sykehouse  Russet  tree  ?  1  am 
alraid  I  have  not  many  ingredients  in  my  mince  pie,  and  some  of  those 
are  in,  perhaps,  too  large  proportions,  but  hope  it  will  not  give  anyone 
indigestion.  The  Editor  may  not  serve  it  up,  but  he  knows  I  am 
a  “constant  reader,”  although  a  very  “inconstant  contributor.” 
Wnichever  way  it  is  I  offer  him,  and  all  the  readers  of  our  Journal, 
my  best  wishes  for  a  Happy  Christmas. — John  Ettle  ( County 
Instructor ),  Weston-super-Jlare,  Somerset. 
THE  NATIONAL  CARNATION  AND  NATIONAL 
AURICULA  SOCIETIES. 
JUDGING  from  the  meetings  recently  held  our  special  florieultural 
societies  appear  to  be  prospering.  The  National  Dahlia  Society  was  able 
to  show  an  excellent  record  for  the  past  year,  and  the  National  Carnation 
and  the  National  Auricula  Societies,  which  held  their  annual  meetings  on 
the  14th  inst.,  followed  suit.  These  took  place  at  the  Horticultural  Ciub, 
Martin  R.  Smith,  Esq.,  presiding  over  a  large  gathering  of  “  Carna- 
tionists.”  No  report  was  presented;  but  the  financial  statement  showed 
there  had  been  received  as  subscriptions  £248  Is.,  and  prizes  paid  to  the 
amount  of  £182  1 6s.  6d.  The  balance  in  hand  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year,  amounting  to  £208  16s.  9d.,  had  grown  to  £253  10s.  7d„  a  state  of 
things  of  a  highly  satisfactory  character,  and  it  is  mainly  owing  to 
Mr.  Smith’s  generosity  and  warm  personal  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
Society. 
As  there  were  many  cultivators  and  exhibitors  present,  advantage  was 
taken  of  the  circumstance  to  revise  the  schedule  of  prizes,  which  was 
extended  in  some  important  particulars,  and  especially  in  the  amateur 
classes,  some  new  ones  being  added.  Mr.  Smith  announced  his  intention 
to  withdraw  the  special  prizes  he  had  tor  years  past  offered  for  border 
varieties,  considering  they  had  amply  served  the  purpose  lor  which  they 
were  originally  instituted,  but  stated  he  should  offer  cups  in  other  classes 
in  lieu  thereof. 
Mr.  J.  Douglas  renewed  his  efforts  to  secure  in  the  future  that  in 
the  classes  for  yellow  ground  Ficotees,  those  with  edges  approaching 
the  white  ground  Picotees  should  be  awarded  the  prizes,  his  contention 
being  that  flowers  of  dingy  yellow  grounds  and  longitudinal  markings 
are  accepted  by  the  judges  as  Picotees.  Mr.  Douglas  failed  upon  this 
occasion,  it  being  urged  against  his  proposal  that  there  are  very  few 
really  yellow  ground  Picotees —not  enough  to  justify  the  Committee  in 
setting  up  a  stricter  standard  of  flowers  than  has  hitherto  been  made. 
But  Mr.  Douglas  has  only  to  keep  hammering  away  to  carry  his 
point.  The  date  of  the  show  was  provisionally  fixed  for  Wednesday, 
July  19th,  as  usual,  at  the  Crystal  Palace. 
Mr.  Smith  was  re-elected  President  by  acclamation  ;  the  Vice-Presidents 
and  Committee  were  equally  fortunate  ;  and  Mr.  T.  E.  Henwood  was  re¬ 
elected  Treasurer  and  Secretary.  Complaint  was  made  of  confusion  and 
lack  of  space  in  arranging  the  exhibits,  but  Mr.  HeDwood  said  he  would 
be  personally  responsible  for  the  arrangements  in  the  future,  and 
promised  there  should  be  no  further  cause  for  complaint.  A  hearty  vote 
of  thanks  was  passed  to  Mr.  M.  R.  Smith  for  presiding. 
The  annual  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  National  Auricula  and 
Primula  Society  followed  close  upon  this,  Mr.  Harry  Turner  presiding. 
Considering  that  the  Auricula  as  an  exhibition  plant  is  somewhat 
sparingly  grown,  the  success  of  the  Society  is  encouraging.  As  no  report 
was  presented  no  statistics  were  forthcoming,  but  expression  that  though 
the  exhibition  held  in  April  last  was  satisfactory  in  many  respects,  yet 
owing  to  the  incidence  of  the  season  the  quality  of  the  flowers  was  not  up 
to  the  usual  average.  The  schedule  of  prizes  will  undergo  but  little 
modification,  but  the  gold-laced  Polyanthus  was  restored,  classes  being 
provided  for  three  and  one  plant.  It  was  announced  that  the  exhibition 
will  take  place  on  Tuesday,  April  18th,  at  the  Drill  Hall,  Westminster. 
Sir  John  T.  D.  Llewelyn,  Bart.,  M.P.,  was  re-elected  President.  The 
Vice-Presidents  and  Committee  were  also  re-appointed,  together  with 
Mr.  T.  E.  Henwood  as  Treasurer  and  Secretary.  A  vote  of  thanks  was 
passed  to  Mr.  Turner  for  presiding. 
-  Flower  Fertilisation.— The  fertilisation  of  flowers  has 
been  dealt  with  recently  in  Adelaide  by  Professor  Tate,  who  has  just 
concluded  a  series  of  lectures  on  this  subject  in  connection  with  the 
University  Extension  movement.  The  first  lecture,  reports  the  “Advertiser,” 
illustrated  various  floral  arrangements  which  facilitated  cross-fertilisation 
by  the  action  of  insects,  in  which,  however,  the  plants  were  essentially' 
passive.  Later  on  the  subject  was  continued,  and  extended  by  the 
illustration  of  several  floral  mechanisms,  whereby  the  visit  of  an  insect 
to  a  flower  released  mechanism,  and  in  so  doing  its  body  became  dusted 
with  pollen,  and  was  thus  carried  to  another  flower.  Among  these 
mechanical  devices  were  the  piston  mechanism  in  the  flower  of  Lotus 
australis  and  other  allied  Pea  flowers,  the  explosive  apparatus  of  the 
Broom  flower,  the  tilting  apparatus  in  the  garden  Sage.  As  illustrating 
the  mechanism  and  devices  by  which  insects  were  forcibly  detained  in 
flowers  for  a  certain  time,  reference  was  especially  made  to  the  South 
Australian  Orchids,  Pterostylis  longifolia,  to  Arum  plants,  and  to  the 
flowers  of  the  Birthvvorts.  The  carnivorous  habits  of  the  Australian 
Sundews,  Bladderworts  and  Pitcher  plants  were  discoursed  upon,  and  the 
methods  of  catching  their  prey  were  illustrated. — (“  Indian  Gardening.”) 
