560 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  18,  1896. 
conspicuous  among  which  are  Rosa  canina,  the  intensely  fragrant  Honey¬ 
suckle  (the  most  tropical  in  its  aspect  of  all  British  flowers),  and 
the  pendulous  clustering  Eglantine,  which  grows  and  flowers  here 
luxuriantly  to  the  very  verge  of  the  sea,  I  am  not  forgetful  of  the 
beauty  and  attractiveness  of  the  garden.  During  the  last  fortnight 
Aquilegia  ccerulea  hybrida,  A.  canadensis,  A.  californica,  A.  alpina 
Buperba,  and  many  charming  varieties  of  the  Veitchian  hybrids,  which 
were  originated  at  Chelsea  by  Mr.  Harry  J.  Veitch,  who  is  a  great 
admirer  of  those  Orchid-rivalling  flowers,  have  produced  many  memor¬ 
able  and  striking  effects.  Aquilegia  chrysantha,  which  blooms  for 
three  months  in  cool  situations  such  as  those  I  have  assigned  it,  is  just 
preparing  to  unfold  its  primrose  flowers.  This  special  Aquilegia  grows 
grandly  with  me,  to  a  height  of  4  feet,  in  pyramidal  form,  and  nothing 
could  be  more  commanding  than  its  dense  masses  of  golden  bloom, 
which  it  pours  forth  incessantly  with  prodigal  affluence  during  its  long 
and  gracious  reign. 
Aquilegias  should  be  much  more  widely  cultivated,  both  in  England 
and  in  Scotland  ;  and  if  anything  1  have  written,  either  here  or  else¬ 
where,  in  vindication  of  their  rare  beauty  and  singularly  chaste 
formation  should  tend  in  any  measure  to  increase  their  popularity,  I 
shall  feel  amply  rewarded  for  my  efforts  in  this  direction.  I  hope  they 
are  widely  grown  and  much  valued  by  Mr.  Arnott,  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  many  contributors  to  this  Journal,  whom  I  have 
always  recognised  as  a  great  authority  on  the  subject  of  herbaceous 
flowers. 
Notwithstanding  the  long  prevalence  of  dry  and  sultry  weather, 
Oriental  and  American  Lilies  promise  to  bloom  abundantly  this  year. 
Such  varieties  as  L.  candidum,  L.  auratum,  L.  Szovitzianum,  L.  davuri- 
cum  (the  Siberian  Lily),  and  L.  chalcedonicum  are  full  of  promise  ; 
while  Lilium  dalmaticum  has  produced  on  one  stem  thirty-five  flower 
buds,  and  grown  to  a  height  of  7  feet.  I  have  this  year  among  my  most 
precious  floral  treasures  an  Asiatic  Lilium  that  I  have  never  seen  else¬ 
where,  or  even  heard  of  previously — a  pure  white  Szovitzianum,  a  unique 
variety,  which  should  prove,  when  propagated,  to  cultivators  of  the  Lily 
a  distinct  acquisition.  Lilium  Krameii,  judging  from  present  appearances, 
seems  likely  to  flower  with  me  for  the  first  time  this  summer.  It  is  of 
great  value,  if  only  for  its  distinctive  complexion. 
One  of  my  Magnolias,  M.  Watsoni,  has  recently  produced  a  superbly 
effective  creamy  white,  highly  fragrant  flower,  6  inches  across.  Many 
of  the  Californian  Calochorti  are  in  bloom,  and  the  Mariposa  Lilies  are 
sending  up  their  spikes,  crowned  with  an  abundance  of  buds,  to  a 
considerable  height.  A  large  number  of  my  Rose  trees  are  already  very 
effective,  especially  such  grandly  decorative  varieties  as  Marie  Van 
Houtte,  A.  K.  Williams,  Madame  Bravy,  one  of  the  loveliest  of  existing 
varieties  raised  by  the  late  M.  Guillot  of  Lyons  ;  Madame  de  Watteville, 
essentially,  by  reason  of  its  remarkable  colouring,  a  “  florists’  ”  Rose ; 
Souvenir  de  S.  A.  Prince,  which  I  hope  will  perpetuate  the  name  of  the 
Oxford  roBarian  ;  Beaut4  Inconstante,  a  consummate  beauty,  surpassing 
L’ldeal,  which  I  find  by  no  means  inconstant  here,  whatever  she  may 
have  proved  herself  to  Messrs.  Pernet  &  Ducher,  by  whom  she  was 
raised  ;  and  Kaiserin  Augusta  Victoria,  of  immense  substance,  one  of  the 
grandest  of  Hybrid  Teas. 
I  have  at  last  been  successful  in  establishing  that  most  brilliant  of 
all  climbing  flowers,  Tropacolum  speciosum,  in  various  shadowy  regions 
of  my  garden.  It  has  already  made  every  adequate  preparation  for 
blooming  to  a  height  of  14  feet.— David  R,  Williamson. 
EARLY  LOUISE  PEACH. 
There  are  few  varieties  of  Peaches  or  Nectarines  that  can  bear  the 
Btrain  of  very  early  forcing.  By  this  term  is  meant  the  starting  of  the 
trees,  and  bringing  them  on  so  as  to  ripen  the  fruit  in  April  or  early  in 
May.  The  American  varieties,  Alexander  and  Waterloo,  which  are 
much  alike,  and  both  clingstones,  with  a  deep  suture  on  one  side  and 
much  depressed  at  the  apex,  are  not  reliable.  These  varieties  have 
pleniy  of  colour  in  the  fruit  when  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  the  quality  is 
unimpeachable  for  early  fruit.  The  great  defect  of  the  trees  is  that  they 
cast  the  buds  as  certainly  as  the  seasons  come  round.  There  are 
exceptions,  which  are  about  as  rare  as  Madeleine  Rouge,  or  Red  Magdalen, 
producing  both  Peaches  (downy)  and  Nectarine  (smooth  skinned  fruit) 
on  the  same  tree,  and  still  rarer  on  the  same  branch.  Indeed,  they  so 
cast  the  large  buds,  and  the  small  are  so  few  that  there  is  seldom  any¬ 
thing  but  much  chagrin  to  the  grower  and  disappointment  to  the  would- 
be  eater.  For  growth  in  houses  not  started  before  the  new  year,  and 
then  not  brought  forward  rapidly  for  ripening  the  fruit  before  May,  they 
do  better,  yet  even  then  the  buds  are  usually  ca9t  at  the  rate  of 
90  per  cent. 
Such  are  the  doings  of  these  very  early  varieties  from  the  New  World 
in  the  Old  upon  a  run  of  years  when  the  trees  are  forced  very  early,  and 
in  consecutive  years  under  fixed  roofs.  A  grower  who  forces  Peach  and 
Nectarine  trees  in  pots  to  ripen  the  fruit  in  early  May  considers  them 
excellent,  inasmuch  as  the  trees  only  cast  the  buds  on  the  older  parts  of 
the  last  year’s  wood,  and  retain  sufficient  on  the  later  formed  or  more 
sappy  wood,  and  on  the  last  formed  spurs  for  a  crop.  Thus  there  are 
more  ways  than  one  of  doing  a  thing — one  way  a  failure  and  the  other  a 
complete  success.  The  trees  in  the  grower’s  case  mentioned  are  stood 
outdoors  as  soon  in  June  as  the  weather  is  favourable,  syringed,  watered, 
and  fed  during  the  summer  as  required  ;  the  “  grand  secret,”  as  the 
grower  says,  is  to  keep  them  clean  and  the  leaves  on  until  Michaelmas 
or  after,  and  to  repot  or  top-dress  on  the  Rivers  system  whilst  the 
leaves  are  still  green  and  fresh  on  the  trees.  Then,  he  says,  the  fresh 
rootlets  lay  hold  of  the  new  soil  at  once  and  the  young  fruit  is  well 
supplied  with  nourishment,  even  while  dormant  in  the  bud,  taking 
care  to  leave  the  trees  outside,  where  they  are  safe  from  everything, 
and  the  pots  are  plunged  over  the  rims  in  ashes  until  the  time  arrives 
for  starting. 
So  successful  is  that  method,  that  the  grower  absolutely  refused  an 
offer  to  have  a  new  house  and  trees  on  the  orthodox  flat  trellis  system. 
But  he  is  also  a  grower  of  Chrysanthemums,  which  he  declares  require  a 
house  to  themselves  from  October  1st  to  January  1st.  As  for  the  three 
months,  Tomatoes  are  brought  on  in  pots  elsewhere,  and  are  in  fruit  when 
the  house  is  ready  to  receive  them.  These  give  about  1  lb.  of  fruit  at 
4d.  per  superficial  foot  of  area  enclosed  by  the  walls  (boards  tongued 
and  grooved)  and  the  simple  glass  roof,  with  about  15  inches  glass  at 
the  side  next  the  eaves.  One  Peach  or  Nectarine  (he  is  enraptured 
over  Early  Rivers)  is  also  had  from  a  like  area,  and  the  crop  brings  30s. 
per  dozen.  Las',  but  not  least,  every  superficial  foot  of  area  affords  a 
specimen  bloom  of  Chrysanthemum,  worth  4d.,  or  for  the  whole  three 
crops  3s.  2d.  per  superficial  foot,  the  cost  of  production  for  the  whole 
being  Is.  8d.  per  foot,  leaving  Is.  6d.  profit,  interest  on  capital,  wear  and 
tear,  and  (be  it  said)  loss,  which  it  is  as  necessary  to  make  provision 
for  as  for  other  certainties  of  business.  “  It  pays,”  we  remarked.  “  Not 
much,”  is  the  rejoinder  ;  “  there  is  a  living  in  it,  and  by  thrift  some¬ 
thing  for  a  ‘  rainy  day,’  and  may  be  ‘  old  age.’  ”  Three  good  things, 
which  come  surest  by  striving  for  intelligently,  and  not  clamouring 
for  protection,  State  aid,  and  Government  old  age  pensions — alias 
pauperisms. 
Alexander  (not  the  Great)  and  Waterloo  (not  Wellington’s)  Peaches 
are  not  so  satisfactory  as  Early  Louise  over  a  run  of  seasons,  and  it  is 
thoroughly  orthodox,  doing  even  better  on  the  flat  trellis  system  than 
those  in  pots.  Everybody  knows  it,  for  it  ripenB  on  walls  outdoors 
about  the  middle  of  July,  and  is  the  earliest  Peach,  combining  attractive¬ 
ness  with  productiveness  and  usefulness.  Early  Beatrice  is  a  few  days 
earlier,  but  the  tree  is  not  nearly  so  healthy,  being  as  fickle  as  the 
old  Red  Magdalen,  of  which  type  it  is,  though  raised  from  White 
Nectarine  by  Mr.  Rivers,  nor  is  the  quality  equal  to  Early  Louise. 
Dr.  Hogg  describes  Early  Louise  Peach  in  his  “  Fruit  Manual  ”  as 
follows  : — “  Fruit  of  medium  size,  round,  marked  on  one  side  with  a 
deep  suture,  which  is  deep  over  the  crown.  Skin  highly  coloured  and 
bright  red.  Flesh  very  tender  and  richly  flavoured,  yellowish  white, 
even  to  the  stone,  to  which  it  adheres.  Flowers  small.  Leaves  with 
kidney  shaped  glands.” 
In  a  Peach  house  started  on  January  1st  for  many  years  it  has 
always  been  remarkably  fertile,  90  per  cent,  having  to  be  taken  off  in 
some  years,  as  Mr.  Blackmore  says,  should  be  “  right  early,”  and  ripened 
two  fruits  per  superficial  foot  of  trellis  covered  by  the  tree  by  the 
middle  of  May  on  an  average  of  ten  years ;  while  the  old-fashioned 
Royal  George  has  been  five,  and  sometimes  six  weeks  later  in  ripening 
in  the  same  house.  Hale’s  Early  interloped  between  the  two  varieties 
gives  an  excellent  succession,  and  the  quality  of  the  trio  is  superb. 
The  tree  of  Early  Louise  is  an  excellent  grower,  healthy  and  a  good 
bearer.  In  but  one  instance  have  we  record  of  its  casting  the  buds,  and 
that  was  clearly  traceable  to  defective  root  moisture,  the  tree  having 
become  over-luxuriant  and  water  withheld  to  check  the  exuberance, 
resulting  in  “deaf”  or  imperfectly  formed  buds. 
Early  Louise  appears  to  do  better  on  the  planted-out  and  trellis 
system  than  on  the  potted  and  cramped  principle  ;  hence  it  does  well 
against  a  wall  with  a  south  aspect,  and  sometimes  ripens  its  dainty  fruit, 
essentially  a  ladies’  one,  by  the  middle  of  July  and,  as  a  rule,  from  that 
time  to  the  end  of  the  month.  Both  Alexander  and  Waterloo  are  apt 
to  have  the  fruit  “  warted”  if  the  weather  be  at  all  dripping  when  the 
last  swelling  is  being  taken,  but  this  defect  never  comes  to  the  fair 
Early  Louise.  The  skin  is  always  a  delicate  greenish  yellow  with  a 
flush  of  bright  red  on  the  cheek,  and  as  sleek  as  possible.  In  brief,  as  a 
tree  for  forcing  to  ripen  fruit  by  the  middle  of  May,  and  for  a  south 
wall  to  give  it  two  months  later,  Early  Louise  is  the  best  very  early 
Peach. 
What  a  change  has  come  over  Peach  and  Nectarine  growing  during 
the  last  half-century  1  Early  Anne,  a  medium-sized  pasty  fruit, 
which  as  a  recorded  variety  dated  from  1724,  ripened  about  the  middle 
of  August  on  walls,  and  to  have  fruit  in  May  trees  of  this  variety  had  to 
be  started  in  December  or  even  before.  Now  no  one  need  care  to  start 
before  the  new  year,  then  by  rational,  not  the  “  express  ”  and  “  smash 
up  ”  system,  treatment  both  ripe  Peaches  and  Nectarines  can  be  had  by 
the  middle  of  May,  and  a  succession  insured  from  such  house  for  two 
months. 
My  selection  of  six  varieties,  three  Peaches  and  three  Nectarines,  are  : 
— Peaches,  Early  Louise,  Hale’s  Early,  and  Dymond  ;  Nectarines,  Early 
Rivers,  Stanwick  Elruge,  and  Pineapple.  No  great  amount  of  forcing  is 
necessary,  and  the  free  ventilation  to  insure  a  long  succession  of  fruit, 
prevents  very  early  formation  and  over-maturity  of  the  buds. 
Then  with  a  south  wall  and  a  proper  selection  of  varieties,  Early 
Louise  being  one  to  begin  the  Peach  season,  and  Early  Rivers  included 
to  commence  the  Nectarine  year,  both  luscious  Peaches  and  Nectarines 
may  be  had  into  October,  for  these  fruits  can  be  grown  quite  as  well  as 
ever  against  walls,  if  afforded  the  needful  protection  in  the  spring  and 
the  requisite  cultural  management.  The  climate  of  this  country  has  not 
changed  for  anything  but  the  better  during  the  last  half  century,  every¬ 
thing  being  benefited  in  health  by  the  thorough  systems  of  drainage 
throughout  the  country,  except  the  riders  of  hobbies. — Half-century. 
