250 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
S.  ptemcer  21,  189°. 
-  Abelia  uxiflora. —  This  Abelia  cannot  slrictly  be  termed  bar  ly 
except  in  a  few  favoured  localities  in  the  south  and  west  ;  in  othi  r  parts 
of  the  country  it  requires  the  shelter  of  a  wall,  or  to  be  grown  indoors. 
It  is  worth  growing  in  pots  for  the  conservatory  or  house  decoration,  as, 
although  a  free  growing  plant,  it  can  easily  be  kept  in  good  rendition  in 
saaall  pots  with  a  little  feeding.  The  flewers  are  terminal,  and  are  borne 
in  great  numbers  on  the  young  growths.  The  calyx  is  reddish  in  colour, 
and  usually  consists  of  three  or  four  irregularly  shaped  foh'aceo'is  bracts, 
which  are  surmounted  by  pinkish-white  tubular  flowers  about  half  an 
inch  long  ;  the  inside  of  the  tube  is  clothed  with  dense  white  hairs.  The 
leaves  are  opposite,  ovate  or  cblong  in  shape,  and  of  a  dark,  shining 
green,  showing  the  flowers  off  to  the  best  advantage.  It  flowers  outside 
during  August  and  September,  and  if  provided  with  a  position  sheltered 
from  north  and  east  winds — which,  as  a  rule,  cause  more  damage  to 
tender  plants  than  frost  does — will  be  found  a  welcome  addition  to  the  list 
of  autumn-flowering  plants  It  is  easily  propagated  by  cuttings,  which 
commence  to  flower  the  second  year  after  being  rooted.  It  is  a  native  of 
China.— C. 
Grape  Diamond  Jubilee. — I  was  pleased  to  tee  your 
notice  of  this  new  Grape  on  page  230.  No  black  Grape  has  been 
introduced  in  my  time,  and  I  am  not  a  young  man  now,  that  has 
impressed  me  more  favourably  than  this  one,  and  I  shall  be  much 
mistaken  if  in  a  few  years  it  is  not  the  leading  variety  on  the  exhibition 
boards.  It  possesses  one  great  merit,  a  splendid  constitution,  1  had  the 
privilege  of  seeing  it  at  Messrs.  D.  &  W.  Buchanan’s  establishment  a  few 
weeks  agn,  and  the  style  and  habit  of  its  growth,  with  its  free  setting 
qualities  were  just  what  a  Grape  grower  likes  to  see.  I  have  grown.  1 
think,  every  new  Grape  that  has  come  out  during  the  last  thirty  year  , 
and  sometimes  have  b<en  very  successful  wdth  the  most  difficult  of  them. 
I  cm  remember  the  great  flourish  of  trumpets  and  the  first  class  certi¬ 
ficates  which  accompanied  the  appearance  of  some  new  Grape,  which  now 
w  e  seldom  see.  I  never  hear  of  either  a  man  or  a  Vine  that  will  last  long 
wit  out  a  good  ct nstitution,  I  am,  therefore,  p’eased  to  welcome  a  new 
jrape  that  lias  such  a  noble  appearance,  and  which  appears  to  me  from 
w  at  I  saw  of  it)  to  be  as  sound  and  as  easily’  grown  as  a  Hamburgh. — 
A.  Kirk,  Norwood  Gardens,  Al'ou. 
'  "  ^  lvAR  ^  ILLIAM8’  Box  Chretiex. — This  fine  Pear  is  often 
un  errated  by  growers  who  have  it  trained  to  hot  walls,  where  it  comes 
much  too  quickly  to  maturity,  and  never  attains  to  its  proper  flavour. 
lave  hail  it  in  various  positions,  but  in  none  has  it  ever  been  so  good 
as  t  is  }ear  from  a  new  leud  grafted  on  an  old  tree  some  three  or  four 
3 ears  ago.  J ri  a  part  of  the  garJcn  where  a  screen  was  necessary  I 
mnd  an  old  I  ear  tree  that  was  quite  a  useless  variety,  and  to  make 
it  ot  some  use  I  grafted  the  Bon  Chretien  on  it,  and  it  has  grown 
'<iy  vigorous!},  being  now  a  large  lead.  The  fruit  is  very  large,  and 
was  gathered  the  second  week  in  August,  and  is  now  prefect  for  the 
variety.  Had  it  been  left  on  the  tree  until  ripe,  or  had  the  fruit  been 
grown  on  a  wall,  there  would  be  the  hard  core  and  gritty  ill-flavoured 
tiesh  ;  but  as  it  is  the  fruit  Is  excellent,  and  those  who  do  not  fancy  Bon 
<  rotien  should  try  it  in  this  way — in  the  open,  and  on  an  unrestricted 
tree,  I  he  fmit  on  walls  should  always  be  lightly  shaded  for  about  a 
ortnight  during  the  hottest  part  of  July,  and  this  gradual!}-  removed  ; 
.  ien  if  the  fruit  is  gathered  before  really  ripe,  the  flavour  will  come  up  in 
a  cool  fruit  room. — S.  E. 
I  ORtv  FLORISTS. — The  Ancient  Society  of  York  Florists  held 
its  tifth  Show  of  the  season  in  the  Guildhall,  on  the  13th  inst.,  and  it  was 
a  very  successful  one,  there  being  a  splendid  display  and  a  numerous 
attendance.  Admission  was,  as  usual,  free.  This  was  the  Dahlia  Show, 
and  the  chief  interest  centred  upon  the  grand  exhibit  on  presented  by 
Messrs.  II.  Cannell  &  Sons,  Swanley,  Ken*,  more  especially  their  Cactus 
Dahlias.  I  hey  had  a  hank  40  feet  in  length  by  3  feet  in  width,  and 
about  eighty  varieties,  comprised  in  something  like  120  bunches,  were 
shown.  Messrs.  Cannell’s  collection  w-as  not  for  competition,  and 
the  gold  medal  and  certificates  of  merit  awarded  by  the  Society  were 
well-deserved  recognitions  of  beauty  and  excellence.  The  dir  phi}*  of 
hard}*  herbaceous  perennials  was  imposing.  Messrs.  Haikness  &:  Son, 
Bedale  ;  Hutchinson,  Kirbymoorside  ;  and  Cotlam,  (Nottingham,  were  the 
leading  exhibitors.  Mr.  Hutchinson’s  first  prize  Gladioli  were  fine. 
Marigolds  formed  a  large  and  varied  collection.  The  few  cut  Bot.es  v  nten  d 
were  choice.  Asters  also  were  very  nice.  The  first  and  second  prize- 
winning  hand  bouquets  looked  excetdingly  pretty.  Altogether,  says  a 
orkshire  contemporary,  the  Show  was  of  a  superior  character. 
Remembering  the  moisture-absorbing  nature  of  growing.  Dahlias,  it  was 
a  little  surprising  to  find  such  a  good  display.  The  exhibitors  totalled 
about  forty,  und  a  gum  of  £30  was  divided  in  priz’s. 
-  Dwarf  French  Bean  Magnum  Bonum. — I  enclose  a  few 
pods  of  this  excellent  dwarf  Bean,  which  is  now  cropping  freely  here.  As 
our  Coombe  soil  is  shallow  and  light,  we  sow  in  trenches,  and  Veep  well 
watered.  This  variety  is  a  strong  grower,  and  must  not,  therefore,  be 
planted  closer  than  a  foot  in  the  rows,  and  a  little  extra  labour  is  well 
repai  1  in  a  good  crop  of  fir  e  beans. — T.  II.  Bolton,  Coombe  End.  [The 
samples  were  splendid,  and  represented  a  good  variety,  in  conjunction 
with  sound  cultural  principles  carefully  carried  out.] 
-  Rudbeckia  Golden  Sunset.— The  perennial  Ruibeckias  are 
well  known  as  useful  hardy  flowers  for  cutting  and  garden  display,  but 
the  annual  Coneflowers  are  not  so  well  known  or  appreciated.  This 
one,  for  instance,  is  a  very  useful  annual,  bearing  large  chrome  )ellow 
and  maroon  blossoms  that  are  extremely  useful.  The  cone  of  the  flower 
is  covered  with  black  anthers  and  yeliow  pollen  at  first,  which  against  the 
bright  rosy  florets  have  a  very  pretty  appearance.  Sown  in  March  and 
transplanted  to  a  warm  border  in  April  or  May  the  plants  are  soon  in 
flower,  and  they  keep  up  a  continuous  succession  for  a  long  time. — R. 
-  Cacti  as  Greenhouse  Plants. — There  appears  to  be  a 
growing,  or  rather  an  awakening,  taste  for  these  plants,  and  the  fine 
groups  put  up  by  ex’  principal  trade  growers,  especially  of  Phylto- 
cacti,  show  v  hat  Gij  plants  they  are  for  a  display.  Glowing  and 
rich  colours,  beautiful  pare  white,  and  combinations  of  most  other  colours, 
are  included,  so  no  fault  can  be  found  with  them  on  this  score.  Why, 
then,  should  they  have  gone  out  of  fashion  ?  It  is  not  that  they  are 
difficult  to  grow,  for  few  plants  are  easier,  but  I  think  tl  e  idea  that 
many  gardeners  had,  that  they  required  starvation  treatment,  had  a  good 
deal  to  do  with  the  matter.  The  consequence  of  this  method  was  that 
the  plants  could  not  get  sufficient  nutriment  to  thrive,  hardly  to  live,  ami 
so  they  gradually  got  into  bad  odour.  The  Phyllocac  i  are  not  gross¬ 
feeding  plants  by  any  means,  nor  do  they  require  the  assistance  of  strong 
manures,  animal  or  chemical,  but  a  sound  loamy  compost,  with  sufficient 
plant  food  to  get  along  with  is  necessary.  A  compost  that  will  grow 
good  Zonal  or  Regal  Pelargoniums  will  suit  these  plants  well,  but  they 
do  not  require  so  much  feeding  at  the  finish. —  H. 
-  VITIS  AGNUS  CASTUS.— The  ( rder  Yerbenaccse  is  not  rich  in 
hardy  shrubs,  but  for  all  that  it  contains  several  which  are  well  worth  a 
place  in  the  garden  as  showy  flowering  plants,  with  the  additional 
recommendation  of  coming  into  bio  m  during  late  summer  and  early 
autumn,  when  flowering  shrubs  are  scarce.  Of  this  number  the  subject  of 
this  note  is  by  no  means  the  least  desirab’e,  and  in  places  where  it  can 
be  given  a  sunny  position  in  a  corner  sheltered  from  cold  winds,  or, 
better  still,  a  place  on  a  wall,  it  fully  justifies  its  inclusion  in  a  selection 
of  plants  for  such  favoured  spots.  It  is  a  native  of  South  Europe,  and 
makes  a  large  spreading  bush  when  allowed  to  grow  naturally.  The 
uomoound  leaves  are  made  up  of  from  five  to  seven  lanceolate  leaflets,  the 
largest  of  which  are  4  inches  long.  The  flowers  are  borne  in  loose 
terminal  panicles  often  18  inches  long.  They  are  white  in  colour  with 
occasional  tinges  of  hlac,  and  are  arranged  in  dense  whorls  fairly  close 
together  on  the  stem.  It  grows  well  in  light  loam,  and  is  improved  by 
an  annual  pruning  in  spring.  When  grown  on  a  wall  it  is  a  good  plan 
to  prune  to  spurs  ;  by  this  means  vigorous  growths  are  made  which 
produce  immense  heads  of  flowers. — Kewite. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AT  CHISWICK. 
— Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens— height  above 
sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Rain. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest 
Temperature 
on  Grass. 
1899. 
September. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
|  | 
At  At  At 
1-ft.  2-ft.  4-ft. 
deep.  deep.  deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest 
Lowest. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
ins. 
deg.  1  deg.  j  deg. 
deg. 
Sunday  . .  10 
W.N.W. 
59'9 
50  5 
63-9 
52 -9 
0  01 
62-2  03-3  61-5 
44  8 
Monday.  .11 
N. 
58 ’9 
50-l 
05-8 
40-5 
— 
69 ’5  62-5  61 ’6 
320 
Tuesday  12 
N.N.E. 
59-2 
56-5 
68’2 
53-9 
— 
60-5  01  ’8  ;  61-2 
44’5 
Wed’sday  18 
E.N.E. 
001 
67-0 
70-3 
44-5 
— 
59’6  1  61-5  |  61’1 
30-5 
Thursday  14 
E.  N.  E. 
fy,)*  1 
54*6 
66-9 
57’5 
— 
01-6  61-2  60-9 
64-7 
Friday  ..15 
N.N.W. 
58'5 
51*8 
67-l 
42-8 
0-19 
59’9  61-5  C0-7 
32-7 
Saturday  10 
W.N.W, 
58-9 
58-5 
68 '9 
54-0 
004 
60-8  01-1  1  60-6 
48-2 
Total 
Means  .. 
58-5 
54  -3 
67  3 
1 
1  49-4 
0’24 
60-6  01 -S  61-1 
43-9 
The  weather  has  been  dull  and  cloudy,  with  a  few  show  ers  and  strong 
wind  from  the  north  and  cast. 
