JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
311 
September  30,  1897. 
THE  ONION  CROP. 
Tins  will,  in  the  majority  of  instances,  have  been  stored  by  this 
time,  and  judging  from  my  own  experience,  and  from  that  of  others 
in  the  neighbourhood,  the  yield  has  been  a  thoroughly  satisfactory 
one.  The  bulbs,  though  not  exceptionally  large,  are  clean,  firm,  and 
well  ripened.  A  few  weeks  ago,  when  wet  weather  prevailed,  many 
cultivators  were  sorely  puzzled  about  what  to  do  with  their  Onions, 
as  experience  had  taught  them  that  if  wet  weather  continue  for  a  long 
period,  many  of  the  bulbs  will  split  and  begin  to  grow  again  at  a 
time  when  they  should  be  ripening  and  becoming  firm,  conditions 
absolutely  necessary  for  good  keeping.  Just  in  the  nic  t  of  time, 
however,  the  weather  changed,  and  instead  of  sunless  days  we  weie 
blessed  with  bright  drying  ones. 
Fortunately  I  took  the  first  opportunity  of  having  our  crop  pulled 
up,  and  the  bulbs  turned  with  their  roots  facing  the  sun.  With  a  little 
further  attention  in  the  way  of  turning  the  bulbs  occasionally,  thanks 
to  the  settled  weather,  the  ripening  process  was  soon  completed,  and 
the  “  Onion  loft  ”  is  now  groaning  with  the  weight  of  a  bountiful  crop. 
At  one  time  I  took  a  great  pride  in  growing  a  few  rows  of  large 
specimens,  simply  for  the  sake  of  having  the  satisfaction  of  pointing 
to  a  few  great  ones,  but  I  found  they  were  not  appreciated  in  the 
kitchen.  A  large  supply  is  wanted,  but  the  cry  is  always  for  small 
Onions,  which  are  as  useful  for  flavouring  and  making  up  into  a 
variety  of  dainty  dishes.  This  year  I  therefore  left  about  half  the  crop 
unthinned,  so  there  is  no  lack  of  “  picklers,”  and  others  of  still  smaller 
size  to  suit  the  wants  of  the  most  fastidious  chef. 
In  these  times  of  depression  in  agriculture,  and  to  some  extent  in 
market  gardening,  many  might  do  worse  than  seriously  turn  their 
attention  to  the  culture  of  Onions  on  a  large  scale,  especially  to  the 
production  of  “  picklers.”  A  wonderful  yield  could  be  obtained  from 
a  single  acre  with  little  outlay  in  cultural  operations.  A  medium 
or  rather  light  soil  would  answer  the  purpose  well.  There  is  plenty  of 
such  land  to  be  had  cheaply  enough.  For  many  crops  it  would 
require  to  be  heavily  manured ;  for  this  one  a  heavy  dressing  of  soot 
would  suffice,  as  a  rather  poor  soil  is  a  great  aid  to  the  production  ot 
small  firm  bulbs.  Deep  digging  should  be  practised,  however,  to 
enable  the  young'  plants  to  withstand  drought.  Land  cleared  of  late 
Broccoli  would  answer  admirably,  as  the  seed  need  not  be  sown  till 
the  first  week  in  May;  the  Onion  crop  could  then  be  cleared  soon 
enough  to  plant  Cabbage  in  September.  This  would  introduce  a  crop 
rotation  to  keep  the  land  constantly  going,  and  in  great  contrast  to 
much  of  it  at  the  present  day. 
I  have  tried  the  plan  of  sowing  the  seed  broadcast,  but  do  not  like 
it  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  keeping  down  weeds.  If  it  is  sown 
in  drills  8  inches  apart,  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  the  development  of 
both  tops  and  bulbs,  as  well  as  for  hoeing  between  the  rows.  Some 
will  perhaps  think  Onions  grown  in  the  way  indicated  a  risky  under¬ 
taking,  owing  to  the  serious  consequence  a  bad  attack  of  maggot 
might  have.  This  season  we  have  certainly  been  very  free  from  it, 
and  under  no  circumstances  do  I  think  it  would  seriously  injure  the 
crops  if  the  plentiful  use  of  soot  is  persistently  indulged  in.  This,  as  I 
have  previously  stated,  should  be  freely  worked  itjto  the  land  before 
sowing  takes  place.  As  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  clearly  visible, 
another  dressing  ought  to  be  given  in  showery  weather,  to  be  followed 
by  others  till  the  dangerous  stage  is  passed. 
I  have  never  knowm  this  plan  fail,  though  I  have  seen  it  tried  in 
many  distriets  where  maggots  were  causing  disaster  around,  and  I 
have  heard  some  maintain  that  soot  is  not  effectual  with  them  ;  but  I 
think,  in  such  instances,  it  is  generally  a  case  of  “  letting  the  horse 
out  of  the  stable  before  the  door  is  locked.”  With  a  population 
increasing  by  leaps  and  bounds,  it  behoves  Britishers  to  look  to  the 
requirements  of  the  future,  instead  of  calculating  only  upon  the  pre¬ 
sent  demand,  and  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  see  the  farthest 
are  likely  to  reap  the  greatest  reward. — Kitchen  Gardener. 
EXCELLENCE  IN  PEAR  CULTURE. 
The  success  of  Mr.  Kean  (F.  Williams,  Esq.’s,  intelligent  gardener 
at  Watchbury,  Barford)  in  the  Pear  classes  at  the  Birmingham  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  Show  last  year  caused  me  to  make  a  mental  note  to  endeavour 
to  see  his  fruit  on  the  trees  another  season.  Having  received  a  hearty 
invitation  to  do  so,  I  thought  I  might  venture  to  take  the  trip  on  that 
labour-saving  wonder,  the  modern  “bike.”  I  felt  it  was  a  rather  risky 
undertaking  for  one  so  old  and  grey  as  “  H.  D.,”  but  then  I  remembered 
that  the  roads  were  good,  and  so  screwed  up  my  courage  to  make  a  bold 
venture  on  a  very  substantial  “  Safety,”  fitted  with  a  powerful  brake. 
I  reached  the  pretty  village  of  Barford  after  the  ex])enditure  of  perhaps  a 
good  deal  of  unnecessary  force.  I  am  not  sure  that  the  pace  was  great, 
oy  that  I  steered  a  very  straight  course,  still  I  got  there,  and  found  my 
friend,  Mr.  R.  .Tones,  ready  to  bear  me  company  in  search  of  productive 
trees  and  gigantic  Pears. 
Under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Kean  we  soon  found  plenty  of  both,  and 
in  a  short  time  I  was  thoroughly  convinced  that  I  might  go  a  long  way 
before  meeting  with  an  equally  good  collection  of  really  fruitful  Pear 
trees,  in  which  good  culture  and  well  selected  varieties  show  clearly  what 
grand  Pears  can  be  grown  in  the  heart  of  England.  In  a  large  garden  the 
high  brick  walls  were  entirely  covered  with  Pear  trees,  and  I  do  not 
remember  seeing  a  single  blank  space. 
Around  the  sides  of  the  walks  pyramids  are  planted  at  good  distances 
apart.  One  vigorous  pyramid  was  carrying  a  very  heavy  crop  of  that 
fine  stewing  Pear  Bellissime  d’Hiver,  a  crop  which,  if  judged  by  its  market 
value,  must  be  an  extremely  remunerative  one.  Leon  l.e  Clerc  de  Laval,  on 
the  wall,  also  had  a  heavy  crop.  Catillac,  though  rather  a  thin  crop, 
was  represented  by  fruits  of  great  size.  General  Todleben  was  also 
conspicuous  by  reason  of  the  size  of  the  long  fruits— large  enough,  in  all 
conscience,  to  serve  as  a  feast  for  a  giant.  Beurr^  Bachelier,  Beurre 
Clairgeau,  Gansel’s  Bergamot,  Durondeau,  Glou  Mor^eau,  Thompson's, 
Passe  Colmar,  were  in  good  condition,  the  fruits  being  clean,  and  the 
crops  varying  from  fair  to  heavy. 
Upon  specimens  of  Souvenir  du  Congres  and  Pitmaston  Duchess 
the  highest  praise  must,  however,  he  bestowed.  These  were  grand  in 
every  way,  the  size  being  wonderful,  and  the  absence  of  speck  or  blemish 
particularly  noticeable.  Mr.  Kean  has  good  reason  to  be  proud  of  his 
fruit  as  well  as  the  fine  condition  of  the  trees. 
Now  for  a  word  about  the  training.  It  is  done  well,  but  not  quite  in 
the  style  of  the  old  masters,  for  wherever  a  vacant  space  occurs  a  shoot 
is  trained  in  to  fill  it.  If  a  well  placed  one  can  be  had  so  much  the 
better,  if  not,  the  nearest  one  is  selected,without  waiting  for  it  to  apj)ear  in 
the  precise  place  in  which  a  Meltonian  must  have  it. — II.  D. 
COTONE  ASTERS. 
Like  many  other  ornamental  fruiting  shrubs,  the  Cotoneasters  are 
now  at  their  best,  and  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  draw  attention  to  a 
few  of  the  most  noteworthy  for  general  garden  work.  Roughly  speaking, 
they  may  be  divided  into  two  groups — “  evergreen  ”  and  “  deciduous.” 
The  former  we  will  deal  with  first. 
Among  tall-growing  ones  we  find  C.  buxifolia,  C.  Simonsi,  and 
C.  rotundifolia,  all  good  growing  and  free-fruiting  species.  C.  buxifolia, 
as  the  name  implies,  has  foliage  resembling,  to  a  certain  degree,  that  of 
the  common  Box.  The  leaves  are  about  the  same  size  as  those  of  the 
Box — olive  green  above,  whitish  (from  the  presence  of  a  quantity  of 
silky  hairs)  underneath.  The  fruits  are  bright  red,  and  produced  one  or 
two  together  from  short  secondary  liranches  or  spurs  on  the  old  wood. 
It  is  a  dense  grower,  and  if  allowed  perfect  freedom  will  in  a  few  years 
make  a  perfect  thicket.  It  is  a  native  of  the  temperate  Himalayas. 
In  habit,  C.  rotundifolia  resembles  the  preceding  to  a  great  extent  ; 
the  leaves,  however,  are  rounder  and  slightly  larger.  The  fruit  is  very 
similar  to  that  of  the  former.  C.  Simonsi  is  one  of  the  most  common 
species,  and  well  known  in  most  gardens.  It  is  of  more  upright  habit, 
and  is  not  so  dense  as  the  two  before  mentioned.  Like  them,  though,  it 
is  a  Himalayan  jdant.  The  fruit  is  orange  and  red,  and  produced  in 
abundance. 
Of  dwarf  growing  evergreen  species  we  have  C.  thymifolia,  C.  hori- 
zontalis,  C.  microphylla,  and  C.  microphylla  gracilis  among  the  most 
distinct  and  useful.  All  are  from  the  temperate  Himalayas.  C.  micro¬ 
phylla  is  often  seen  trained  to  walls  or  growing  on  rockeries.  It  adapts 
itself  well  to  this  kind  of  treatment,  for,  when  planted  in  good  ground,  it 
grows  quickly  and  soon  covers  a  good  sized  space.  Grown  either  way, 
the  small,  pretty  foliage  and  red  fruit  make  a  very  pleasing  sight  during 
autumn  and  winter.  C.  thymifolia  does  not  appear  to  fruit  so  freely  as 
some  of  the  others,  but  it  is  worth  growing  for  its  usefulness  as  an  ever¬ 
green.  Its  small  Thyme-like  leaves  are  very  distinct,  and  the  plant 
makes  a  good  one  for  rockery  or  border. 
C.  horizontalis  appears  to  be  a  connecting  link  between  the  evergreen 
and  deciduous,  for  although  the  leaves  fall  before  the  new  ones  appear 
they  are  usually  retained  until  early  spring.  It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of 
the  dwarf  section,  whether  in  or  out  of  fruit.  The  leaves  are  about  a 
([uarter  of  an  inch  across,  deep  green  and  glossy  ;  before  falling  they 
usually  turn  to  a  pretty  orange  red.  The  bright  red  fruit  is  produced 
erect  on  the  branches,  and  peeping  out  from  among  the  bright  green 
foliage  looks  charming.  It  is  seldom  seen  more  than  1  to  foot  in 
height,  but  branches  and  widens  quickly.  It  is  a  very  suitable  plant  for 
covering  a  bank  or  growing  on  rockwork. 
Of  the  deciduous  species  the  following  may  be  taken  as  the  best — 
C.  frigida,  C.  vulgaris,  C.  laxiflora,  C.  pannosa,  C.  bacillaris,  and 
C.  bacillaris  floribunda.  Taken  from  a  fruiting  point  of  view  only,  the 
Himalayan  C.  frigida  is  by  far  the  most  beautiful  that  has  been  men¬ 
tioned.  It  makes  a  large  spreading  bush  10  or  12  feet  or  more  in  height, 
and  produces  with  great  freedom  large  drooping  heads  of  scarlet  fruit. 
C.  vulgaris,  or  as  it  is  now  called  C.  integerrima,  is  the  only  one  found  in 
the  British  Isles,  being  occasionally  met  with  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Llandudno.  The  fruit  of  this  is  black.  C.  bacillaris  is  a  tall,  coarse 
growing  Himalayan  plant.  It  is  weU  adapted  for  growing  in  jdantations 
where  it  can  have  plenty  of  room.  It  fruits  freely,  the  fnut  being 
dark  purple,  almost  black.  C.  bacillaris  fioribunda  is  an  improvement  on 
the  type.  It  is  not  so  coarse  growing,  produces  more  fruit,  and  shows  it 
off  to  better  advantage.  C.  laxillora  and  0.  pannosa  are  grown  more  for 
the  sake  of  their  flowers  than  fruit.  Both  have  a  light  and  graceful 
habit,  and  produce  their  white  star-shaped  flowers  in  great  profusion. 
The  home  of  the  former  is  Siberia,  and  of  the  latter  Yunnan. 
Given  a  light,  sandy  loam  and  sunny  position,  a  selection  of  the  best 
of  these  shrubs  will  be  found  to  be  a  useful  and  interesting  ac<]uisition  to 
any  garden. — Keavtte, 
