312 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  12,  1899. 
-  Cobcea  SCANDENS  VARIEGATA.— For  quickly  covering  a  large 
space  with  pretty  foliage  there  are  few  better  greenhouse  climbers  than 
this.  It  is  true  the  flowers  are  not  of  a  colour  to  show  up  particularly 
well  by  the  variegated  foliage,  but  this  in  itself  makes  the  plants 
worthy  a  place.  I  have  seen  it  covering  scores  of  square  yards  of  space, 
though  growing  only  in  quite  a  small  box,  and  this  is  one  of  its  chief 
advantages.  The  flowers  are  like  those  of  a  light  form  of  the  old  Coboea 
scandens. — C. 
-  Death  by  Suffocation. — Trees,  and,  indeed,  all  terrestrial 
vegetation,  will  live  for  months  in  winter  when  the  roots  and  stems  are 
wholly  under  water,  but  are  killed  in  a  few  days  if  a  sudden  overflow 
keeps  the  roots  under  water  in  the  growing  season.  The  roots,  neecing 
air  at  that  season,  are  suffocated.  The  practical  cultivator,  of  an  observant 
turn  of  mind,  makes  admirable  use  of  this  knowledge  in  many  gardening 
operations.  Plants  desired  in  low  situations,  where  they  would  not 
under  usual  conditions  survive,  should  not  be  set  deeply. — (“Meehan’s 
Monthly.”) 
-  Single  Petunias  fob  Bedding. — It  seems  like  harping  on 
an  old  and  worn-out  theme  to  refer  to  the  Petunia  as  a  bedding  plant, 
but  in  spite  of  this,  I  am  not  sure  whether  its  merits  are  fully  appreciated 
A  mass  of  flowers  is  often  what  is  wanted  on  beds  in  conspicuous  places, 
but  without  any  stiffness  or  formality.  It  is  here  that  Petunias  come  to 
the  rescue,  and  it  is  surprising  what  a  prolonged  display  can  be  had  from 
a  packet  of  seeds.  Early  this  summer  I  planted  a  bed  with  tiny  seed¬ 
lings,  that  did  not  appear  to  have  strength  enough  to  grow  under  the 
tropical  sunshine  ;  but  a  friendly  shower  gave  them  a  start,  and  since 
coming  into  bloom  they  have  been  a  perfect  picture,  and  now,  at  the  end 
of  September,  the  Petunia  bed  is  the  brightest  spot  in  the  garden. — G.  H- 
- Thinning  Peaches. — A  New  Jersey  Peach  grower  at  the  recent 
State  Horticultural  Convention  argued  strongly  in  favour  of  thinning 
Peaches  to  4  to  G  inches  apart  on  the  trees.  He  thought  the  work  was 
best  done  by  hand,  discriminating  somewhat  in  the  choice  of  those  left  on 
the  tree,  but  when  help  was  scarce  he  had  seen  good  work  done  by  using  a 
long  pole  to  knock  off  the  superfluous  fruit.  He  claimed  that  if  too 
many  Peaches  were  left  on  the  tree  the  fruit  was  undersized  and  insipid 
in  flavour,  or  the  tree  became  exhausted  by  overbearing  and  soon  died. 
We  think  we  have  seen  both  results  follow  the  same  crop.  But,  says  a 
transatlantic  journal,  the  most  convincing  part  of  his  argument  was  in  the 
figures  of  fruit  required  to  fill  four  baskets  weighing  100  lbs.  If  they 
were  2£  inches  in  diameter,  it  took  300  Peaches  ;  2\  inches,  500  Peaches  ; 
2  inches,  720  Peaches.  The  large  Peaches  would  sell  readily  at  a  good 
price,  and  the  small  ones  scarcely  pay  travelling  expenses,  while  if  mixed 
the  price  was  little  better  than  for  small  ones. 
-  Devon  Gardeners’  Association. — The  Mayor  of  Exeter 
presided  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’ 
Association.  The  annual  report  stated  that  at  the  commencement  of 
this,  the  ninth  winter  session  of  the  work  of  the  Association,  the  Com¬ 
mittee  was  in  the  gratifying  position  of  looking  back  upon  the  past  year 
with  satisfaction,  and  looking  forward  hopefully  to  the  coming  season,  for 
which  an  admirable  syllabus  of  work  has  been  arranged.  The  Associa¬ 
tion  appeared  to  have  settled  down  to  a  course  of  useful,  plodding,  and 
unpretentious  work,  with  the  original  aims  steadily  in  view.  Tlie  Com- 
mittee  was  pleased  to  be  able  to  report  that,  on  the  whole,  the  Association 
was  in  a  healthy  and  flourishing  condition,  and  appeared  to  have  a  good 
future  before  it.  The  financial  statement  for  the  past  year  showed  a 
balance  in  hand  of  £16  11s.  9d.  The  Mayor  moved  the  adoption  of  the 
report  and  financial  statement,  and  regretted  the  absence  of  the  venerable 
President,  Mr.  Sanders,  because  he  always  made  a  most  excellent  Chair¬ 
man,  and  because  they  had  in  him  one  of  their  leading  residents,  whose 
character  commanded  the  respect  and  admiration  of  them  all.  The 
speaker  then  referred  to  the  report,  which  he  characterised  as  a  very 
gratifying  one.  It  seemed  to  look  back  upon  the  good  work  done  with 
satisfaction,  and  to  look  forward  with  a  great  deal  of  hope  to  the  future. 
That  was  an  enviable  state  of  mind  for  any  person  or  society  to  arrive  at. 
He  said  the  papers  were  most  practical  and  instructive.  Another  equally 
good  list  had  been  arranged  for  the  coming  season.  Referring  to  the 
management  of  the  Society,  the  Mayor  said  they  had  two  most  excellent 
officers  in  their  Hon.  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  so  long  as  they  could 
command  the  services  of  such  men  as  Mr.  Hope  and  Mr.  Mackay  at  the 
helm,  and  the  patronage  of  men  like  Mr.  Sanders,  their  esteemed 
President,  he  could  not  think  the  interest  in  the  Society  would  in  any 
degree  diminish,  but  would  maintain  the  prestige  already  earned  and 
recognised  as  one  of  the  useful  institutions  of  the  City  of  Exeter.  On  the 
motion  of  the  Mayor,  seconded  by  Mr.  P.  C.  M.  Yeitch,  the  reports  were 
adopted. 
-  Agapanthus  umbellatus. — It  is  questionable  whether  we 
have  many  more  useful  plants  than  the  blue  African  Lily,  as  it  can  be 
put  to  a  variety  of  uses.  The  plant  is  easy  to  grow,  accommodating  in 
habit,  and  its  graceful  spikes  ot  flowers  are  always  admired.  For  the 
embellishment  of  conservatories  in  the  summer  large  plants  ol 
Agapanthus  umbellatus  in  pots  or  tubs  are  extremely  useful,  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  them  when  grown  in  this  way’  for  standing  on 
terrace  walls  and  other  conspicuous  sites.  On  several  occasions  I  have 
seen  them  in  the  south  of  England  planted  out  on  sloping  banks,  but  it  is 
only  in  favoured  localities  where  they  can  be  subjected  to  this  method  of 
growth.  There  is  a  white  form  of  Agapanthus  which  is  very  charming, 
but  the  flowers  are  smaller  than  the  better  known  type. — W. 
-  Fruits  of  the  Philippines. — Fruits  grow  in  great  abund¬ 
ance,  and  the  reputation  of  some  of  them  is  established  even  abroad. 
This  is  tiue  of  the  Mango,  which  is  the  best  representative  of  its  class. 
Other  fruits  of  the  island  are  the  Ate  (the  Cinnamon  Apple  of  the  French 
colonies),  the  Mangosteen  (found  only  in  the  Sulu  Islands  and  the 
southern  part  of  Mindanao),  the  Pine  Apple,  the  Tamarind,  the  Orange, 
the  Lemon,  the  Jack,  the  Jujube,  the  Litchi  (the  king  of  fruits  according 
to  the  Chinese),  the  Plum,  the  Chicomamey  (the  Sapodilla  of  the  West 
Indies),  the  Breadfruit,  and  the  Papaw.  The  Papaw  is  eaten  like  a 
Melon,  and  is  said  to  act  as  an  efficacious  digestive.  The  juice  of  this 
fruit  furnishes  an  extract  that  is  used  as  a  medicament  under  the  name 
ol  papaine  or  vegetable  pepsin.  The  Banana  grows  abundantly  in  the 
Philippines.  This  fruit  is  a  great  boon  to  the  poor  people,  supplying 
them  at  little  cost  with  a  delicious  and  exceedingly  nutritious  article  of 
food. — (“American  Grocer.”) 
-  Aster  SINENSIS. — This  annual,  whatever  its  origin,  deserves  to 
be  much  more  widely  known  than  it  is.  As  a  September  flowering  plant 
it  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  garden.  For  cutting,  too,  it  is  a  real  gem,  a3 
the  blooms  last  fully  a  fortnight  in  water  in  a  cool  room,  and  it  is  one  of 
those  plants  that  look  so  well  under  artificial  light.  The  mauve  colour 
is  most  pleasing,  enhanced  also  by  the  bright  yellow  disc.  The  blooms 
from  strong  plants  are  fully  4  inches  in  diameter,  and  have  only  a 
single  row  of  florets.  In  height  it  grows  18  inches,  and  as  much  as 
2  feet  in  diameter.  Its  spreading  habit  of  growth  is  all  in  favour  of 
displaying  its  blossoms,  of  which  as  many  as  fifty  are  produced  on  one 
plant.  Sown  on  a  spent  hotbed  early  in  March,  or  in  a  cold  frame  in 
February,  the  plants  are  early  pricked  out  and  grown  in  good  soil,  so 
that  they  branch  out  freely  from  the  base,  afterwards  they  are  easily 
raised  and  grown.  For  the  front  of  a  Rose,  herbaceous,  or  shrubbery 
border  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  plant  to  equal  it  at  this  season  of 
the  year. — E.  M. 
-  Liquid  Manure. — The  liberal  use  of  liquid  manure  is  well 
known  to  be  an  invaluable  aid  in  the  growing  of  vegetables.  The 
drainage  from  stables  and  dwellings  is  among  the  best  and  most 
stimulating  liquids  for  plants,  and  yet  it  is  seldom  that  an  effort  is 
made  to  utilise  it.  Being  always  ready  for  use  it  is  one  of  the  most 
economical  in  its  application.  Many  spend  time  in  steeping  and  mixing 
solids  of  one  kind  or  another,  when  with  the  aid  of  a  pump  in  the  sewer 
tank  or  barrel  sunk  in  the  ground  in  some  convenient  place  near  the 
stables,  a  constant  supply  of  these  powerful  liquids  can  always  be  had. 
Even  where  there  is  only  one  horse  or  a  cow  kept  it  will  pay  to  catch  the 
drainage  of  the  stable.  All  unsightliness  may  bo  destroyed  by  hinging 
a  lid  on  to  a  frame  of  wood  over  the  barrel  and  giving  it  a  coat  of  paint. 
A  little  judgment  will  be  necessary  in  its  use,  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
use  it  too  strong  ;  it  is  better  to  dilute  it  well  with  water  until  we  learn 
by  experience  its  effects. — J.  Hobson  (in  “  American  Gardening”). 
-  Grape  GroS  Colman. — If  those  who  are  so  fond  of  running 
down  this  fine  Grape  would  only  give  it  time  enough  to  ripen  properly 
they  would  find  it  a  far  different  flavour  from  what  they  are  used  to  when 
starting  the  vinery  in  which  it  is  grown  in  March  and  cutting  the  fruit 
in  September.  As  a  matter  of  fact  Gros  Colman  requires  as  long  a 
season  as  Black  Alicante,  and  this  needs  more  time  than  is  usually 
allowed  it.  I  am  now  cutting  Gros  Colman  from  an  early  house  where 
it  has  been  grown  in  company  with  Black  Hamburgh  and  Lady  Downe’s, 
but  were  I  able,  I  should  plant  Gros  Colman  in  a  house  by  itself, 
where  it  could  be  “  grown  ”  all  the  time,  not  hampered  by  any  other 
variety.  The  large  berries  want  time,  and  just  as  Black  Hamburgh, 
Gros  Maroc,  and  other  black  varieties  are  finishing,  Gros  Colman  requires 
growing  without  a  doubt.  The  Vines  should  be  liberally  fed,  and  a  house 
started  at  the  new  year  should  be  allowed  to  hang  until  the  end  of 
September,  later  houses  being  allowed  almost  as  long.  To  expect  to  ripen 
Gros  Colman  in  six  months  from  the  date  of  starting  is  wrong,  and  leads 
to  shanking,  foxy  berries,  and  other  evils.— S. 
