282 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  28,  1 8f>9 
Forcing  Strawberries  (.Voeice). — A  selection  should  now  be  made  ol 
the  plants  for  early  use,  taking  those  in  the  most  forward  condition  as 
regards  plumping  tie  crowns  and  completing  their  growth.  La  Grosso 
Sucrde,  Royal  Sovereign,  and  Vicomtesse  Hdricart  de  Thury  are,  all 
points  considered,  the  best.  The  selected  plants  may  remain  outdoors 
until  the  approach  of  fVost,  and  should  then  be  placed  well  up  to  the  glass 
in  frames,  only  affording  protection  from  heavy  rains  and  frost,  other¬ 
wise  exposing  fully  or  ventilating  freely.  The  plants  must  not  lack 
water,  yet  needless  applications  cause  the  soil  to  become  sodden  and  sour. 
Any  plants  that  appear  in  the  latter  condition  should  have  the  drainage 
examined.  Where  the  crowns  are  numerous  the  small  ones  should  bo 
removed,  with  a  wedge-like  piece  of  hard  wood,  without  injuring  the 
leaves  or  central  crown.  This  will  concentrate  all  the  vigour  on  the  chief 
crown,  and  though  there  will  be  fewer  trusses  of  bloom,  there  is  no  need 
to  fear  a  deficiency  of  crop.  The  plants  must  have  plenty  of  space  for  the 
full  exposure  of  the  foliage,  which  is  essential  to  sturdy  growth  and 
plump  well-developed  crowns.  Remove  all  runners  and  weeds  as  they 
appear. 
The  Nectarine  Peach  ((?.  _£*.). — The  fruits  you  sent  with  the  specimens 
of  growth  and  particulars  of  the  flowers  rendered  identification  easy,  and 
for  your  benefit  and  that  of  other  readers  we  give  an  illustration 
(fig.  56)  of  the  not  very  often  seen  Nectarine  Peach.  The  fruit  is  large, 
and  is  remarkable  for  being  terminated  by  a  nipple,  like  Teton  de  Venus 
and  A  Bee.  There  is  a  little  down  on  the  skin.  The  skin  is  yellow, 
and  with  a  bright  mottled  rad  on  the  side  next  the  sun  ;  the  suture  well 
Fig.  56. — The  Nectarine  Peach. 
defined,  particularly  near  the  nipple.  The  flesh  is  semi-transparent  with 
a  brilliant  red  stain  round  the  stone,  from  which  it  separates,  leaving 
some  strings  behind  it.  It  is  melting,  very  richly  Savoured,  and  with  a 
fine  racy  smack.  The  stone  has  a  tendency  to  split,  and  the  kernel  has  a 
very  mild  bitter  taste.  It  ripens  about  the  middle  of  September.  Flowers 
large  ;  glands  kidnej-shaped.  The  variety  was  raised  by  Mr.  Rivers 
from  seed  of  a  variety  named  Grand  Noir,  imported  from  Holland.  Some 
growers  find  it  of  rather  weakly  habit  out  of  doors. 
Chrysanthemum  Buds  Rotten  in  the  Centre  ( F .). — The  buds  of  the 
varieties  G.  J.  Warren  and  Madame  Carnot  have  been  carefully  examined. 
No  traces  of  any  animal  pests  were  found,  and  only  one  form  of  fungus, 
Cylindrosporium  Chrysanthemi,  which  causes  brownness  or  blackness  and 
decay  in  the  leaves,  especially  of  young  plants.  We  have  not  noticed  it 
before  in  the  flower  buds  unless  also  on  the  leaves,  and  those  of  the 
growths  sent  were  perfectly  innocent  of  the  fungus,  and  this  was  only 
present  in  some,  not  all,  of  the  flower  buds.  The  appearance  of  the  buds 
indicates  their  having  the  centres  eaten  out  and  destroyed  by  some 
animal  pest,  and  accords  with  that  of  the  Chrysanthemum  bud  mite, 
Phytoptus  Chrysanthemi.  This  occurs  most  commonly  in  a  dry  season, 
being  first  not  ced  in  1893,  and  was  figured  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture 
September  28th,  page  291.  The  specimen  then  examined  was  from 
Scotland,  the  variety  Wm.  Holmes,  and  the  time  September  11th,  the 
sprays  being  despatched  on  the  8th,  the  sender,  “  G.  B.  A.,”  saying,  “  these 
buds  were  taken  early,  and  have  remained  in  nearly  the  same  state  for 
about  six  weeks.”  Such  data  is  valuable,  as  it  indicates  the  period  when 
the  buds  are  liable  to  attack  by  the  mite  and  the  continuance  of  the 
infestation.  It  also  affords  guidance  in  determining  the  causes  of  similar 
affections,  which  we  suspect  has  been  the  mite  in  your  case.  Though  no 
mites  were  present  in  the  buds,  they  may  have  eaten  what  they  required 
and  departed.  The  fungus,  though  a  parasite,  appears  to  have  been  only 
secondary  in  your  case.  As  a  preventive  of  both  mites  and  fungus 
spraying  with  a  solution  of  sulphide  of  potassium  or  liver  of  sulphur, 
^  oz.  to  I3  gallon  of  water,  just  before  and  again  when  the  buds  appear, 
repeating  at  intervals  of  about  ten  days  for  a  month,  is  the  best  we  have 
tried.  Buds  such  as  those  sent  are  beyond  remedy,  we  are  sorry  to  say, 
and  we  should  burn  them  for  destroying  any  germs  and  preventing 
further  infestations. 
Digging  in  the  Remains  of  Bedding  Plants  ((?.  F.). — The  old 
“Geraniums”  and  other  summer  flowers  should  not  be  dug  into  the 
ground  to  enrich  it,  as  the  woodier  portions  will  not  decay  soon  enough, 
besides  fostering  various  pests  that  may  take  a  fancy  to  living  plants. 
Clear  the  plants  away  to  decay  elsewhere,  and  give  the  beds  or  borders  a 
dressing  of  well-decayed  manure,  if  they  need  enriching  ;  autumn  is  the 
best  time  to  do  it. 
Cape  Gooseberry  ( Idem ). — The  Cape  Gooseberry  (Physalis  peruviana) 
is  a  greenhouse  plant,  and  requires  a  light  situation  to  fruit  satisfactorily. 
It  has,  however,  fruited  this  season  outdoors  in  the  south  of  England  ; 
but  the  weather  has  been  unusually  warm  and  dry.  Perhaps  you  mean 
the  Winter  Cherry  (P.  Alkekengi),  which  is  hardy,  and  requires  a  generous 
soil  and  sunny  situation  to  fruit  freely.  It  is  advisable  to  thin  them 
occasionally  and  transplant  the  divisions,  if  crowded,  every  autumn. 
It  ought  to  succeed  in  an  herbaceous  border  in  a  sunny  position. 
Coelogyne  cristata  (J.  W.). — The  plants  should  be  kept  in  a  mode¬ 
rately  cool  house  during  the  winter  months,  50°  as  a  minimum  being 
suitable.  Only  sufficient  water  should  be  given  to  prevent  shrivelling 
until  the  plants  begin  to  grow.  Your  plants  were  probably  weak  at  first, 
for  when  C.  cristata  makes  strong  growth  it  very  seldom  fails  to  bloom. 
Equal  parts  of  peat  fibre,  chopped  sphagnum  moss,  and  leaf  mould  would 
be  a  good  compost.  If  a  surface  dressing  would  suffice,  we  should  advise 
you  not  to  pull  them  about  at  the  roots,  as  C.  cristata  is  rather  impatient 
of  root  disturbance.  Add  plenty  of  rough  material  as  crocks  or  charcoal 
when  top-dressing.  > 
Cold  Endurance  by  Seed  (Disputant). — What  you  have  been  told  is  no 
“  wild  cat  story,”  as  you  assume.  Your  informant  had  no  doubt  read  in 
the  “  Times,”  or  some  other  newspaper,  that  at  one  of  the  meetings  of 
the  British  Association,  held  at  Dover  during  the  present  month,  Sir 
W.  Thiselton-Dyer  described  certain  experiments  that  he  had  made,  in 
conjunction  with  Professor  Dewar,  to  ascertain  the  influence  of  the 
temperature  of  liquid  hydrogen  on  the  germinative  power  of  seeds.  The 
result  of  the  experiments  went  to  show  that  life  goes  on  at  a  temperature 
so  low  that  ordinary  chemical  action  is  practically  stopped.  Ordinary 
commercial  samples  of  the  seeds  of  Barley,  the  Vegetable  Marrow, 
Mustard,  and  the  Pea  were  used.  They  were  actually  immersed  in  liquid 
hydrogen  for  more  than  six  hours.  The  lowest  temperature  to  which 
they  were  subjected  was  453°  Fahr.  below  the  temperature  of  melting 
ice.  The  seeds,  after  being  so  immersed,  showed  no  change  visible  to 
the  naked  eye  whatever.  They  came  out  of  the  ordeal  as  fresh  and  - 
bright  as  they  were  before,  and  all  germinated  after  they  were  planted. 
Wonderful  as  this  may  appear,  you  may  accept  the  facts  as  determined 
by  such  high  authority  as  indisputable. 
Bunch  Gooseberries  (J.  C.). — Referring  to  the  illustrations  by  Mr. 
Abbey  and  his  remarks  on  the  fruits  sent  to  him  ( Journal  of  Horticulture , 
September  14tb,  page  326),  you  think  the  variety  “has  little,  if  anything, 
to  do  with  Ribes  oxycanthoides  ”  (the  fruits  of  which  you  say  are  “  black  ”) 
“  but  more  closely  resemble  those  of  R  divaricatum  ;  ”  but  according  to 
Mr.  Card,  page  463  of  “Bush  Fruits”  (Macmillan),  they  do  not.  The 
fruit  of  R.  oxycanthoides  is  described  as  follows: — “Berry  round, 
perfectly  smooth,  but  with  a  delicate  bloom,  small  or  medium-sized, 
yellowish  green  or  reddish  when  ripe.”  Mr.  Abbey  described  the 
specimens  figured  as  a  “pale  pink  to  rosy  flesh  colour.”  We  examined 
the  fruits,  and  regard  his  description  as  correct,  and  there  was  certainly 
no  suspicion  of  blackness  about  them.  Mr.  Card  describes  the  fruits 
of  R.  divaricatum  as  “  dark  purple  or  black,”  and  if  he  is  right  (as  a 
professor  of  horticulture  in  an  American  University  ought  to  be  in 
treating  on  American  fruits)  then  the  specimens  figured  cannot  be 
R.  divaricatum.  The  author  named  describes  eighty  species  of  Ribes, 
but  makes  no  mention  of  R.  robustum  (your  alternative  guess,  and  which 
you  allude  to  as  “an  unknown  hybrid  with  a  lot  of  R.  divaricatum  in 
it”),  nor  does  Mr.  Bailey  in  bis  “Evolution  of  our  Native  (American) 
Fruits.”  Wo  have  afforded  Mr.  Abbey  an  opportunity  of  perusing  your 
letter  (which  you  do  not  wish  to  see  in  print)  and  hero  append  his 
reply  :  — “  The  bunch  Gooseberry  figured  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  is 
not  that  of  Ribes  divaricatum,  for  the  fruits  of  this  are  black,  smooth, 
and  round,  with  an  agreeable  flavour.  The  berries  come  nearest  to  those 
of  R.  oxycanthoides,  which  are  seldom  produced  more  than  three  in  a 
bunch  ;  and  as  for  the  Dog  Bramble  (R.  Cynobasti)  the  fruits  are  prickled 
like  a  burr,  or  rarely  smooth.  R.  robustum  I  do  not  know,  but  if  it  is 
at  all  like  R.  divaricatum  in  berry  is  certainly  not  the  variety  or  species 
figured.  As  for  the  Buffalo  Currant  (R.  aureum)  I  fail  to  see  the 
slightest  resemblance,  but  a  very  decided  one  to  our  native  Catberry  or 
wild  Gooseberry  (R.  Grossularia)  in  the  long  or  oval  fruits,  and  in  the 
round  to  a  mixture  of  it  and  the  Garnet  Berry  or  wild  Currant  of  our 
woods  (R.  rubrum),  in  fact  a  natural  hybrid.  I  regret  not  having 
retained  any  of  the  berries,  but  they  are  faithfully  represented  in  the 
illustration  and  accurately  described.”  We  may  add  that  our  reference 
to  R.  Cynobasti  was  simply  as  affording  an  example  of  bunch  Goose¬ 
berries,  and  for  indicating  where  information  could  be  found  on  species 
of  American  bush  fruits.  We  pointed  out  differences  between  it  and 
R.  oxycanthoides,  and  may  note  a  difference  between  Mr.  Abbey  and  the 
American  authors  named.  The  former  says  “  the  fruits  of  R.  Cynobasti 
are  prickled  like  a  burr,  rarely  smooth  ;”  the  two  authors  say  they  are 
“  often  ”  smooih.  In  Mr.  Bailey’s  photographic  illustration,  natural  size 
(“  Evolution  of  Fruits,”  page  398),  four  of  the  seven  fruits  are  more  or 
less  spiny,  two  smooth  and  one  nearly  sc,  none  prickled  “like  a  burr.” 
Mr.  Abbey  may  be  right  in  his  surmire  as  to  the  variety  figured  being 
a  natural  hybrid  between  the  wild  Gooseberry  and  Currant  of  our 
woods. 
