July  2S,  18»B. 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  ANb  COTTAGE  GARDENER- 
75 
as  it  is,  the  energetic  fruit  grower  is  repaid  for  his  trouble  in 
fighting  the  foe,  whereat  if  there  were  no  such  enemy  the  careless 
grower  might  be  as  well  off  as  the  careful  one.” 
Still  another  sentence  must  be  given  in  which  is  compressed 
the  reasons  to  which  this  remarkable  man  attributes  his  success. 
“Smashing  up  the  land  deeply,  no  end  of  muck,  good  sorting, 
honest  packing,  no  topping,  a  fine  landlord  (in  Sir  William  Hart- 
Dyke),  and  a  tplendid  wife.  I  should  never  be  what  I  am  if  it 
hadn’t  been  for  my  wife.” 
To  Ml.,  and  not  less  to  Mrs  ,  Woods  thanks  are  tendered  for 
the  great  kindness  shown  by  them  to  —  Two  Interested 
Yisitors. 
METHODS  OF  TOMATO  CULTURE. 
So  much  has  been  written  at  various  times  by  able  men 
respecting  the  cultivation  of  thi#  popular  esculent,  that  it  seems 
almost  superfluous  to  attempt  to  offer  more  upon  the  subject. 
However,  as  different  modes  of  successful  cultivation  always  afford 
interesting  reading,  a  few  notes  respecting  the  routine  practised 
here  may  not  be  out  of  place. 
Soils  vary  so  much  in  different  localities  that  it  is  necessary  to 
regulate  the  compost  according  to  what  one  has  to  deal  with.  The 
sample  here  is  light  and  poor  in  quality,  lacking  in  mineral 
constituents,  and  soon  becomes  black  and  sour.  My  earliest 
experience  with  it  was  anything  but  satisfactory.  It  was  no 
trouble  to  get  the  plants  to  grow  well,  but  the  fruit  came  out 
rough  and  ill-shapen. 
After  various  experiments  the  following  compost  was  adopted, 
and  has  since  given  us  fine  crops  of  Tomatoes,  of  the  first  quality 
and  shape  ; — Two  barrowfuls  of  loam,  three-quarters  of  a  barrow- 
load  of  cleanings  from  the  surface  of  Yine  borders  or  something 
similar,  quarter  of  a  barrowload  of  wood  ashes,  half  a  barrowload 
dried  clay  (pounded  fine),  and  half  a  barrowload  manure  as 
prepared  for  Mushroom  beds,  adding  a  5-inoh  potful  of  I  horason’s 
manure  per  barrowload.  Failing  Yine  border  cleanings,  which 
contain  a  fair  proportion  of  lime,  a  spadeful  or  so  of  air-slaked 
lime  per  barrowload  is  used.  The  Thomson’s  and  the  horse  manure 
are  omitted  at  planting  time,  as  it  is  apt  to  induce  grossness, 
continuing  the  mixture  in  full  in  the  subsequent  dressings  that 
will  be  necessary, 
A  portion  of  the  plants  are  grown  in  12-inch  pots,  crocked  in 
the  usual  way,  the  rest  in  wooden  cases  or  triangles,  1  foot  wide 
and  10  inches  deep,  formed  of  inch  boards.  No  board  is  employed 
at  the  bottom,  the  case  simply  resting  on  loose  slate  stages,  through 
which  the  water  passes  freely,  no  drainage  being  needed.  If  the 
plants  are  wanted  extra  early  the  seed  is  sown  in  September,  so  as 
to  allow  them  sufficient  time  to  get  well  established  before  the 
winter,  maintaining  an  intermediate  temperature  during  the  darkest 
months.  The  seedlings  are  placed  in  3^  and  4-inch  pots,  in  a  good, 
but  plain,  compost,  ventilated  on  all  favourable  occasions,  and 
planted  out  16  inches  apart  as  soon  as  the  weather  is  suitable. 
We  find  by  this  method  the  plants  do  not  incline  to  rush  away 
too  grq^sly,  otherwise  for  an  early  start  the  seed  is  sown  about  the 
new  year,  and  the  planting  done  as  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  fit. 
For  this  operation  only  enough  compost  is  uied  to  cover  the  balls 
of  the  plants  about  an  inch,  this  quantity  being  added  to  as  the 
roots  get  well  through,  by  another  layer  of  2  inches  or  so.  This 
plan  is  continued  as  the  roots  show  themselves  through  each  fresh 
layer  of  the  mixture  until  the  pots  or  cases  are  filled,  when  a 
mulching  of  decayed  manure  is  given.  W'hen  the  plants  are 
swelling  large  quantities  of  fruit  a  dusting  of  Thomson’s  manure 
is  given  occasionally,  and  frequent  waterings  of  liquid  manure,  the 
treatment  being  modified  according  to  the  behaviour  of  the  plants. 
As  the  fruits  begin  to  ripen  the  leaves  are  gradually  shortened,  not 
in  wholesale  fashion,  and  in  very  hot  weather  a  temporary  light 
shading  is  advisable,  thus  saving  the  fruit  from  blistering. 
During  the  whole  period  of  the  growth  of  the  plants  a  steady 
even  temperature  is  maintained,  the  atmosphere  of  the  house 
always  kept  on  the  dry  side,  and  a  gentle  heat  in  the  hot-water 
pipes  unless  the  weather  is  fine.  At  most  times  a  little  air  is  left 
on  the  top  of  the  bouse  at  night,  and  also  at  the  lower  parts  if  the 
weather  is  good.  The  watering  we  endeavour  to  get  through  early 
enough  to  allow  of  any  superfluous  moisture  drying  away  before 
nightfall,  or  else  it  condenses  on  the  foliage,  and  the  plants  get 
ove.Tun  with  fungus. 
As  to  varieties,  the  medium-siz  id  ones  are  good,  clean  setters, 
and  most  generally  useful.  If  large,  clean  fruit  are  wanted  of  the 
Perfection  type,  any  fasciated  blooms  are  removed,  and  those  left 
are  fertilised  with  a  camel-hair  brush  about  mid-day,  although  a 
smart  tap  of  the  trellis  it  sufficient  to  set  the  flowers  as  a  rule. 
With  so  many  excellent  varieties  now  in  commerce,  it  is  easy 
enough  to  select  a  good  one  for  any  purpose.  This  year  we  are 
trying  Frogmore  Selected,  and  so  far  it  is  acquitting  itself 
splendidly.  If  small  clustering  Tomatoes  are  liked,  two  attractive 
and  excellent  sorts  will  be  found  in  Sutton’s  Dessert  and  Golden 
Nugget.  These  can  be  grown  in  10-inch  pots,  and  trained  up  wires 
at  the  end  of  a  light  span- roofed  house,  in  which  position  they  are 
very  ornamental. 
Under  the  above  methods  of  culture  we  are  never  troubled 
with  diseases  of  any  description,  care  being  taken  to  guard  against 
depressions  in  the  temperature,  especially  on  cold  wet  nights.  White 
fly  is  sometimes  troublesome,  but  this  we  keep  in  check  by  frequent 
light  fumigations,  thus  preventing  the  insects  depositing  their 
numerous  eggs.  This  year,  up  to  the  present  time,  we  have  never 
once  been  obliged  to  fumigate,  as  not  a  white  fly  has  been  seen. 
Whether  this  immunity  is  general  this  year  I  cannot  say.  Here¬ 
with  Mr.  Editor  I  forward  you  two  samples  of  Tomatoes  grown 
in  the  manner  described,  and  I  think  you  will  agree  that  the 
fruits — in  quality,  form,  and  size — bear  out  the  correctness  of 
the  methods  followed. — J.  J.  Craven,  Allerton  Priory  Gardens, 
Liverpool, 
[The  Tomatoes  are  in  all  respects  splendid.  The  fruits  of 
Frogmore  Selected  are  the  finest  we  have  seen,  and  those  of  Perfec¬ 
tion  would  be  dangerous  rivals  at  any  exhibition.] 
NOTES  ON  LILIES. 
I  HAVE  been  for  a  great  many  years  an  admirer,  and  in  a  small 
way  a  grower,  of  this  very  beautiful  tribe  of  plants  ;  I  have  also 
noted  their  cultivation  in  many  gardens,  both  public  and  private, 
and  especially  with  regard  to  the  three  mentioned  in  your  article 
on  “  Lilies  for  Profit  ”  (page  2.5),  I  think  I  can  say  something. 
Lilium  auratum  has  always  been  a  crux  for  gardeners.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  of  bulbs  are  imported  annually  from  Japan,  yet  every 
year  more  are  wanted.  Why  is  this  ?  It  is  not  the  case  with  many 
other  Lilies,  even  Japanese  Lilies  ;  it  must  arise  either  from  some 
peculiarity  in  the  constitution  of  the  species,  or  from  the  unseason¬ 
able  time  of  its  exportations  to  Europe.  I  believe  very  few 
persons  ever  succeed  in  keeping  it  more  than  a  few  years  ;  it  either 
rots  away  entirely  or  break#  off  into  a  number  of  small  useless 
offsets,  and  hence  most  growers,  whether  public  or  private,  prefer 
treating  it  as  an  annual.  The  most  successful  culture  of  this  Lily 
that  I  can  call  to  remembrance  is  that  in  the  late  Mr,  Mclntoih’s 
garden  at  Duneevan,  Weybridge,  where  it  was  not  unusual  to  see 
stems  from  6  to  8  feet  high  peering  above  the  Rhododendrons. 
Whether  they  continue  thus  to  prosper  I  cannot  say.  I  recollect 
seeing  a  grand  plant  once  exhibited  at  the  Drill  Hall  with  upwards 
of  100  blossoms  on  it,  but  this  is  an  exceptional  case  ;  and  as  good 
sized  bulbs  can  be  purchased  in  the  auction  rooms  of  Stevens, 
or  Protheroe  &  Morris,  from  23.  6d.  per  dozen  and  upwards, 
there  is  really  very  little  use  in  taking  trouble  to  overcome  its 
capriciousness.  . 
I  cannot  understand  its  being  grown  for  cut  blooms.  The 
odour  is  so  very  strong  and  offensive  in  a  room  that  I  should 
think  people  would  prefer  not  having  it.  Yery  often  it  comes 
with  fasciated  stems,  producing  thirty  or  forty  small  sized  blooms 
all  huddled  together.  There  is,  however,  a  variety  known  as 
platyphyllum,  obtained,  I  believe,  from  a  different  locality  to  that 
which  furnishes  the  chief  portion  of  our  importations,  which  seems 
to  possess  a  better  constitution  than  the  ordinary  variety,  but  is 
not  sufficiently  common  as  yet  to  supersede  it. 
Lilium  Harris!  is  a  curious  instance  of  the  change  wrought 
by  climate;  it  is  none  other  than  the  well' known  Japanese 
Lily  japonicum  or  longiflorum,  which  produces  one  or  two 
bloom#  on  a  stem.  It  was,  however,  exported  to  Bermuda, 
where  its  character  seemed  quite  changed.  There  it  is  grown 
by  the  million,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  bulbs  are  annually 
exported  to  Europe.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  those  who 
grow  for  profit  throw  away  their  bulbs  after  blooming,  and  obtain 
a  fresh  supply  each  year ;  but  this  is  not  because  the  bulb 
dies  off  or  degenerates  as  auratum  does,  but  because  it  hark# 
back  to  it#  original  character,  and  instead  of  throwing  up  a  stem 
nearly  4  feet  high,  with  eight  to  ten  blooms,  goes  back  to  a  dwarf 
stem  with  only  one  or  two  blooms  ;  the#e  bu'bs  would  then,  of 
course,  be  utterly  useless  for  commercial  purpose#. 
Lilium  candidum  has  of  late  years  come  much  into  favour,  and 
a  great  deal  has  been  written  about  it.  It  seems  to  be  capricious  in 
its  liking,  in  some  place#  growing  most  luxuriantly,  and  in  others 
dying  away.  In  going  through  this  parish  now  I  find  many  of  the 
cottage  gardens  aglow  with  this  beautiful  Lily  ;  especially  does  it 
leem  to  flourish  in  the  driest  and  most  sandy  portions  of  the  parish 
in  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun.  It  is  never  taken  any  care  of,  and 
throws  up  stems  3  or  4  feet  high  with  large  blooms.  I  have  one 
