288 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  2(5,  1896. 
being  laid  between  the  rows  for  the  convenience  of  gathering  the 
flowers,  &c.,  an  excellent  plan,  and  worthy  of  imitation.  One  of  the 
most  important  features  connected  with  the  garden  is  the  regimental- 
like  line  of  well-painted  barrels,  containing  the  various  manures 
suited  to  the  necessities  of  each  class  of  plants;  the  locate  of  these 
food  larders  is  a  Privet  hedged-in  yard,  humorously  designated  the 
domicile  of  the  “Forty  Thieves.”  The  strictest  attention  is  paid  to 
every  detail,  and  neatness  and  method  is  everywhere  evident,  and  the 
genial  owner’s  motto  is  “  Excelsior.” 
Birmingham  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Association. 
The  above  Society  held  its  fortnightly  spring  meeting  on  the  16th 
inst.  in  the  Athletic  Institute,  the  occasion  being  the  exhibition  of 
single  pots  of  Hyacinths  and  Tulips  by  the  members  for  the  prizes 
offered  by  the  Committee.  The  competition  was  not  strong,  as  there 
were  but  half  a  dozen  exhibits.  The  winners  were  respectively — 
Hyacinths,  Messrs.  Haynes,  Walter  Jones,  and  Phoenix;  Tulips,  Messrs. 
Phoenix,  Oliver  Brasier,  and  Haynes,  all  with  creditable  examples.  A 
discussion  on  the  Hyacinth  and  Tulip  was  opened  by  Mr.  C.  R.  Bick, 
gardener  to  Walter  Chamberlain,  Esq.,  Harborne  Hall,  who  in  a  very 
practical  and  lucid  manner  described  his  system  of  culture.  An 
animated  discussion,  taken  part  in  by  Messrs.  R.  Sydenham,  James 
Deans,  Walter  Jones,  William  Spinks,  and  William  Gardiner,  the  latter 
mentioning  the  interesting  fact  that  the  value  of  the  Tulip  was  so 
extraordinary  in  1809.  and  that  a  single  bulb  was  sold  for  £300,  and  in 
1818  another  bulb  fetched  £500.  In  1854  the  late  Mr.  Groom  of 
Clapham  Rise  catalogued  some  Tulips  at  enormous  prices,  and  such  as 
Duchess  of  Cambridge,  Princess  Mary  of  Cambridge,  and  Miss  Eliza 
Seymour  were  sold  at  100  guineas  each.  The  following  year  the  whole 
of  Mr.  Groom’s  collection  was  sold  at  very  low  prices,  and  from  this 
time  the  Tulip  declined  in  public  favour  at  a  rapid  rate. — Viator. 
SPRING  FLOWERS  AT  HOLLOWAY. 
Everyone  loves  spring  flowers  ;  there  is  something  bright,  refreshing, 
and  invigorating  about  them  that  appeals  to  all.  Perhaps  it  is 
because  they  are  the  first,  the  harbingers  of  all  the  glories  that  follow 
throughout  the  summer  and  autumn.  There  are,  of  course,  various 
sections  amongst  the  early  blossoms  of  the  year,  and  enthusiasts  of  the 
herbaceous  and  rock  garden,  like  Mr.  Arnott  for  instance,  never  tire  of 
dwelling  on  the  merits  of  their  favourites.  Charming  they  are  beyond 
doubt,  and  worthy  of  every  whit  of  the  praise  accorded  to  them  ;  but  as 
their  merits  are  safe  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Arnott,  so  far  as  the  Journal  is 
concerned,  these  lines  shall  be  devoted  entirely  to  that  section  belonging 
to  the  forcing  department. 
Never  in  the  aDnals  of  horticulture  was  the  cultivation  of  bulbs  such 
an  industry  as  it  is  at  the  present  time  ;  nearly  everyone  has  a  weak¬ 
ness  for  them,  from  the  unassuming  amateur  who  rears  a  few  Hyacinths 
in  glasses  for  the  embellishment  of  his  sitting-room,  to  the  market 
grower  who  counts  his  by  the  thousand  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
masses.  The  art  of  the  hybridist,  too,  has  done  so  much  in  the  way  of 
producing  variety,  that  whereas  a  few  years  ago  such  flowers  as  Hyacinths, 
Tulips,  Narcissi,  and  others  were  represented  in  only  a  few  shades  of 
colour,  we  are  nowadays  almost  mystified  by  their  diversity. 
We  have  recently  had  opportunities  of  feasting  our  eyes  on  spring 
flowers  en  masse,  and  visitors  to  the  exhibitions  at  the  Crystal  Palace 
and  Regent’s  Park  could  not  help  noticing,  amid  the  blaze  of  bloom,  the 
well-grown  examples  for  which  the  well-known  Holloway  firm  of  Messrs. 
B.  S.  Williams  &  Son  were  responsible.  Having  therefore  had  the 
opportunity  of  seeing  the  flowers  at  the  shows,  we  were  seized  with  an 
inclination  to  see  them  at  home,  with  the  result  that  a  journey  was 
made  for  that  purpose,  nor  were  we  disappointed,  as  the  idea  hitherto 
formed  as  to  what  they  would  be  like  was  fully  realised  on  arrival  at 
the  nursery. 
Taking  the  Hyacinths  first,  it  would  be  difficult  to  speak  too  highly 
of  them,  either  respectively  or  collectively,  and  though  the  following 
opinion  may  not  be  generally  entertained,  we  have  few  flowers  in  which 
good  culture  or  otherwise  can  be  detected  more  easily  than  those  of  this 
family.  The  size,  freshness,  and  sturdy  appearance  of  the  spikes  showed 
plainly  that  their  treatment  bad  been  of  the  best,  while  the  diversion 
in  colours  was  sufficient  to  result  in  the  confusion  of  any  spectator.  All 
the  best  known  varieties  were  represented,  and  among  the  shades  of  red 
were  the  rosy  pink  flowers  of  Charles  Dickens  and  Von  Schiller,  the 
telling  carmine  striped  spikes  of  Macaulay,  and  the  deep  blush  of 
Gigantea.  The  deep  rose  hue  of  Koh-i-Noor  was  there  side  by  Bide  with 
the  salmon  pink  of  Fabiola. 
Amongst  whites,  it  seems  needless  to  again  praise  such  favourites  aa 
Alba  superbissima,  Baroness  Van  Tuyll,  La  Grandesse,  and  Mont  Blanc, 
but  so  good  were  they  that  it  would  be  unfair  to  pass  them  over.  Blues, 
too,  were  well  represented  by  fine  spikes  of  the  sky  tint  of  Queen  of  the 
Blues,  the  pleasing  lilac  hue  of  Charles  Dickens,  the  azure  blue  of  Czar 
Peter,  and  the  bright  shade  of  Grand  Maitre.  Among  the  darker  forms 
were  noticed  Baron  Van  Tuyll  and  King  of  the  Bines,  deepening  till  we 
arrive  at  the  purples  Haydn  and  S.  H.  Barkley,  and  finally  King  of  the 
Blacks,  which  reeds  no  description. 
Turning  to  the  single  Tulips,  the  same  high  standard  of  excellence 
was  noticed,  while  to  pick  out  one  variety  and  deem  it  the  best  was 
a  task  beyond  us.  The  pure  yellow  of  Canary  Bird  was  exceedingly 
striking,  as  also  was  the  clear  golden  shade  of  Ophir  d’Or.  Very 
conspicuous  was  Vermilion  Brilliant,  which  needs  no  description, 
while  amongst  the  whites  Joost  Van  Vondel  bore  the  palm.  The  rich 
Bilky  rose  flowers  of  Proserpine  and  Keizers  Kroon  with  its  large 
crimson  scarlet  blooms  broadly  edged  with  bright  yellow  made  them¬ 
selves  conspicuous,  and  amongst  the  many  others  noticed  were  Van  der 
Neer  (violet),  Prince  of  Orange  (a  fine  orange  red,  and  sweetly  scented), 
and  Couleur  Cardinal  (flsmed  scarlet). 
The  beauty  of  the  Clivias  left  little  to  be  desired,  as  the  plants 
appeared  to  be  one  mass  of  flowers.  As  these  differ  only  in  shade,  to  the 
casual  observer  but  little  contrast  is  presented  in  the  varieties.  One  of 
the  prettiest  we  have  seen  was  Holloway  Beauty,  a  new  light  form  raised 
by  Messrs.  Williams.  We  were  also  struck  with  Meteor  and  Baroness 
Schroder,  which  are  very  distinct  :  while  others  worthy  of  mention  were 
Ambroise  Verschaffelt,  anrantiaca,  cruenta,  Marie  Reimer,  Surprise,  and 
Van  Houttei.  We  could  not  help  expressing  a  regret  that  we  were  a 
little  too  soon  for  the  Hippeastrums,  as  the  number  of  plants  grown  and 
quantity  of  spikes  showing  were  evidence  that  the  show  will  be  a  fine 
one.  True,  there  were  a  few  of  the  seedlings  in  bloom,  and  we  were  not 
surprised  to  see  that  one  had  been  given  the  name  of  the  South  African 
lion — Dr.  Jameson,  this  being  of  a  very  bright  shade  of  scarlet. 
The  above  remarks  only  deal  with  the  principal  flowers  noticed. 
Narcissi  and  Lily  of  the  Valley  were  blooming  in  large  numbers.  Bright 
masses  of  Azalea  mollis  added  no  small  share  to  the  display  ;  and  last, 
but  by  no  meanB  least,  was  a  fine  collection  of  Cyclamens,  characterised 
by  fleshy  marbled  foliage  and  large  well  formed  flowers,  forming  crowns 
to  numerous  sturdy  footstalks.  Enough,  however,  has  been  said  to  show 
that  the  well-known  Holloway  firm  has  mastered  the  art  of  bringing 
spring  flowers  to  a  high  Btate  of  perfection  ;  at  any  rate,  the  recent  visit 
impressed  this  on  the  mind  of — G.  H.  H. 
WOKK.foii.the  WEEK.. 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Crafting  Fruit  Trees. — Grafting  is  mostly  employed  as  a  means 
of  renovating  old  but  healthy  trees.  Those  which  give  inferior  fruit 
may  often  be  profitably  renewed  by  placing  on  the  principal  stems, 
shortened  to  within  2  feet  of  the  boles,  grafts  of  approved  varieties. 
The  system  of  grafting  best  suited  for  these  is  crown  or  rind  grafting. 
For  young  stocks  side  or  whip  grafting  is  best,  the  stock  and  Bcion  in 
this  case  both  being  of  equal  thickness.  In  order  to  be  successful  in  all 
forms  of  grafting  it  is  essential  that  the  scions  to  be  used  be  in  a 
perfectly  dormant  condition,  this  being  insured  by  cutting  them  from 
the  trees  early  in  the  year  and  laying  them  in  in  a  cool  moist  position 
until  wanted.  Old  trees  should  have  their  branches  headed  down  early, 
and  a  fresh  portion  of  wood  removed  when  ready  to  graft,  so  that  it 
will  be  possible  to  work  where  the  bark  is  fresh.  The  best  time  to 
graft  is  when  the  buds  are  bursting,  the  sap  having  then  commenced 
circulating. 
Crown  or  Rind  Grafting. — Preparation  of  the  Stochs. — Cut  the 
branches  transversely,  making  the  wood  and  especially  the  edges  of  the 
bark  smooth.  There  should  be  no  knots  or  rough  projections  on  the 
branches  at  the  points  selected  for  grafting.  Make  a  slit  in  the  bark 
from  ihe  top  of  the  stock  downwards,  2  inches  in  length  and  deep 
enough  to  cut  through  the  bark,  reaching  the  alburnum  or  sapwood. 
Then  with  a  wedge-shaped  piece  of  ivory  or  similar  smooth,  bard 
substance  lift  the  bark  gently  on  each  side  to  admit  the  scion. 
Preparation  of  Scions. — The  scions  should  be  portions  of  last  year’s 
wood,  the  central  part  of  well-ripened  shoots  being  the  best.  Cut  them 
about  6  inches  in  leDgtb,  leaving  three  bold  buds  above  the  portion 
prepared  to  fit  the  stock.  In  cutting  the  scion  make  a  clean  slanting 
cut  at  the  lower  end  the  same  length  as  the  incision  in  the  stock.  Take 
out  a  small  portion  of  wood,  cutting  transversely  inwards,  where  a 
commencement  is  made  in  shaping  the  scion.  This  will  allow  of  the 
latter  resting  securely  on  the  stock  when  inserted.  Three  scions  may 
be  inserted  in  the  larger  6tocks,  two  in  the  smaller. 
Tongue  or  Whip  Grafting. — Preparing  the  Stochs. — Seedling 
stocks  and  stocks  of  small  diameter  are  operated  on  by  this  method  of 
grafting.  If  the  branches  of  young  trees  are  to  be  worked  they  must 
be  shortened  to  within  2  feet  of  their  origin,  cutting  them  so  as  to 
leave  a  gentle  slope  just  over  a  bud  situated  on  the  opposite  side. 
Seedling  stocks  must  be  cut  in  a  similar  way  6  to  9  inches  from  the 
ground.  To  form  the  tongue  incision  begin  a  little  distance  from  the 
top  of  the  sloping  cut  on  the  stock,  and  make  a  cut  downwards,  but 
inclining  slightly  inwards.  Then  make  a  vertical  cut,  commencing  a 
short  distance  above  the  last  cut,  meeting  it  at  the  bottom.  This  will 
detach  a  wedge-shaped  portion  of  wood,  and  form  a  tongue  on  the  stock. 
Preparing  the  Scions — The  scions  must  he  the  same  thickness  as 
the  actual  stocks  on  which  they  are  to  be  worked.  Having  cut  them  the 
proper  length,  so  as  to  leave  four  bold  buds  when  fully  prepared,  make 
a  sloping  cut  downwards,  corresponding  in  inclination  with  the  first  cut 
in  the  stock  and  of  the  lame  length.  This  is  followed  by  two  cuts 
upwards  in  the  scion  to  form  the  tongue,  which  fits  into  that  of  the 
stock.  The  cuts  must  be  made  clean,  using  a  sharp  knife,  and  taking 
care  that  the  incisions  are  not  made  too  deep. 
