September  30,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
323 
Cauliflower,  Runner  Beans  (Ne  Plus  Ultra),  ^liddleton  Park  Beet,  and 
Exhibition  Scarlet  Intermediate  Carrot.  Mr.  G.  Wells,  Tysoe,  AVarwick, 
was  third,  also  showing  well. 
The  collection  of  eight  distinct  kinds  of  vegetables  shown  by  amateurs 
and  cottagers,  as  before  remarked,  were  most  creditable,  a  great  advance 
on  any  previous  show.  Mr.  G.  AA^ells  was  first  with  fine  Runner  Beans, 
Celery,  and  Cucumbers.  Mr.  Ellmer,  Cuckfield,  second,  and  Mr.  AV. 
Butcher,  Tysoe,  AA^arwick,  third. — G.  I. 
THE  YOUNa  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Palms. 
At  the  present  time  these  plants  are  recognised  as  the  most  useful  for 
house  decoration,  and  it  cannot  be  wondered  at,  for  with  care  and  atten¬ 
tion  with  regard  to  watering  and  the  position  in  which  they  are  placed 
there  is  no  limit  to  some  of  the  varieties’  term  of  duration.  They  are 
grown  extensively  for  conservatory  and  decoration  both  in  pots  and 
planted  out  in  beds,  and  large  specimens  have  an  imposing  appearance. 
Palms  thrive  best  in  a  compost  of  two  parts  of  fibrous  loam,  one  part 
of  peat,  and  one  part  of  charcoal  and  sand,  with  a  little  artificial  manure 
added.  AA^hen  potting  they  should  have  thoroughly  good  drainage,  and 
the  soil  must  be  well  rammed.  The  base  of  the  plant  ought  never  to  be 
below  the  surface  of  the  soil,  but  just  on  the  level,  so  that  when  new  roots 
are  emitted  they  will  at  once  enter  the  compost.  During  the  spring  and 
early  summer  months  a  somewhat  high  temperature  is  required,  one 
ranging  about  80°  to  90°  in  the  daytime  with  sun  heat,  and  not  to  fall 
below  65°  at  night.  As  the  summer  advances,  and  the  plants  have  got 
well  established,  more  air  may  be  admitted  and  the  plants  gradually 
hardened  previous  to  winter. 
Heavy  shading  is  required  to  secure  a  rich  green  colour,  also  plenty 
of  moisture  both  at  the  roots  and  in  the  atmosphere.  Syringing  with 
weak  soot  water  will  impart  a  dark  colour  to  the  fronds,  and  it  may  also 
be  given  them  occasionally  at  the  roots.  A  top-dressing  of  artificial 
manure  is  beneficial  when  the  plants  have  plenty  of  root.  Shading  may 
be  dispensed  with  about  October,  and  during  the  winter  months  syringing 
will  not  be  necessary  except  on  bright  days,  and  then  only  once,  about 
midday.  At  this  jieriod  very  little  water  is  required  at  the  roots. 
The  varieties  Latania  borbonica,  Chamserops  excelsa,  C.  humilis, 
Livistonia  rotundifolia,  Corypha  australis,  and  Thrinax  elegans  are 
strong  growing,  and  especially  adapted  for  conservatories.  They  have 
large  fan-shaped  leaves,  often  measuring  3  feet  across.  In  the  small 
state  they  are  useful  for  house  decorations.  The  Chamaerops,  Latania, 
and  Corypha  will  stand  outside  in  summer  if  they  have  previously  been 
inured  to  the  cooler  temperature.  Cocos  flexuosa  is  now  extensively  used  in 
comers  and  behind  screens,  where  the  tall  handsome  foliage  towers 
above,  and  shows  to  advantage  near  the  ceiling,  unless  the  room  is  extra 
high.  A  plant  in  a  12-inch  pot,  if  in  good  condition,  should  be  12  feet 
high. 
To  the  Kentias  falls  the  chief  part  of  the  work  both  in  the  house  and 
conservatory,  and  when  in  a  small  state  are  used  for  table  decoration. 
The  best  varieties  are  K.  Belmoreana,  K.  Fosteriana,  K.  australis, 
and  K.  Canterburyana.  Arecas  are  somewhat  similar  to  the  Kentias  in 
growth  and  shape  of  foliage,  and  are  equally  well  adapted  for  house  and 
table  decoration,  but  do  not  last  quite  so  long.  The  best  varieties  are 
A.  sa])ida,  A.  Baueri,  and  A.  lutescens.  Of  the  genus  Phcenix,  P.  rupicola 
is  the  best,  as  the  foliage  is  more  graceful  than  the  other  varieties. 
P.  dactylifera  has  stout  erect  fronds.  Two  other  good  varieties  are 
P.  sylvestris,  and  P.  reclinata. 
Seaforthia  elegans  and  Ptychosperma  Macarthuri  are  two  tall  grow¬ 
ing  varieties,  with  large  spreading  fronds.  Chammdorea  Wendlandi, 
Rhaphis  flabelliformis,  and  R.  humilis  are  three  Palms  with  Reed-like 
stems,  and  are  excellent  for  standing  rough  treatment.  Daemonorops 
jdumosus.  Geonoma  gracilis,  and  Cocos  AA^eddelliana  are  elegant  for  table 
decorations,  the  leaves  being  very  light.  They  are  little  used  for  rooms, 
as  they  will  only  stand  a  short  time.  They  also  require  a  rather  higher 
temperature  than  the  other  Palms. 
Scale,  thrip,  and  mealy  bug  are  the  worst  enemies  of  Palms,  and 
when  these  put  in  an  appearance,  the  plants  should  be  sponged  with  an 
insecticide. — Elveden. 
Apples  in  Ireland. 
Apples  over  the  most  part  of  Ireland  are  only  a  partial  crop,  odd 
trees  lieing  heavily  cropped,  while  there  are  no  fruits  on  other  trees  close 
by,  though  often  the  same  variet3^  The  varieties  carrying  the  heaviest 
crop  in  our  garden  are  the  following; — Ril)ston  Pippin,  good  on  walls  and 
trees  in  the  open  garden.  Never  have  I  seen  the  fruit  larger  or  the  trees 
growing  better.  The  wood  is  clean  and  free  from  canker,  the  Ribston’s 
greatest  enemy  here  as  in  several  other  places.  Alfriston  is  another 
variety  having  a  heavy  cro]),  many  of  them  being  of  a  beautiful  red  colour 
on  the  side  next  the  sun,  though  most  seasons  such  is  entirely  absent. 
Lord  Suffield  bore  splendidly,  the  trees  being  now  healthy  and  making 
tine  growth  free  from  canker.  They  sneered  badly  when  closely  pruned 
every  year,  which  was  the  practice  until  the  last  five  years.  Bishop’s 
Hero,  an  Apple  very  like  Lord  Suffield,  which  keeps  till  Christmas,  is 
bearing  a  heavy  crop  of  large  fruit. 
Bedfordshire  Foundling  never  fails,  and  this  year  the  Apples  are  larger 
than  usual.  It  keeps  till  April,  and  is  then  a  lovely  colour.  Cox’s 
Orange  Pippin  is  only  a  poor  crop,  most  of  the  flowers  having  been 
blackened  in  the  Imd.  Hoary  lAIorning,  AV^arner’s  King,  Frogmore 
Prolific,  Wyken  Pippin,  AVinter  Hawthornden,  and  several  of  the 
Codlins  are  all  carrying  good  crops,  Blenheim  Orange  is  moderate,  the 
same  remark  applying  to  King  of  Pippins,  Cockle  Pippin,  Court  Pendu  Plat, 
Alere  de  Menage,  Stirling  Castle,  Peasgood’s  Nonesuch,  and  a  red  Apple 
which  I  imagine  must  be  a  local  variety,  as  I  have  never  seen  it  else¬ 
where.  Lady  Ilenniker,  Gravenstein,  some  trees  of  Devonshire  (^uarrenden, 
Irish  Peach,  Early  Madaline  and  Greenup’s  Pippin  are  almost  failures 
this  year. 
I  thought  the  cold  wet  season  would  have  caused  the  fruits  to  be  small 
aud  poorly  coloured,  but  it  is  not  so.  AA'e  have  had  very  fine  weather  for 
close  on  three  weeks  now,  which  has  not  only  done  fruit  a  lot  of  good, 
but  also  corn  and  hay. — AV.  T.,  Ireland. 
Bougainvillea  glabra. 
When  in  perfect  health,  trained  to  the  roof,  and  densely  covered  with 
its  rosy  or  pale  mauve  bracts  or  flowers,  few  plants  have  a  more  striking 
effect  than  this  climber.  Unlike  many  others  its  season  is  not  of  short 
duration,  but  it  keeps  up  a  beautiful  appearance  for  several  weeks  during 
the  summer  if  not  subjected  to  too  high  and  moist  a  temperature.  A 
warm  greenhouse  is  probably  most  suitable  to  its  culture,  although  it  is 
generally  grown  in  the  stove  or  intermediate  house. 
It  may  be  grown  in  pots,  and  trained  over  a  balloon  trellis,  or  in  a 
border  for  covering  a  back  wall,  or  training  to  the  roof.  The  Bougainvillea 
thrives  admirably  in  a  compost  of  light  fibrous  loam,  old  lime  rubble,  with 
a  sprinkling  of  coarse  gritty  sand,  and  a  few  half-inch  bones  and  charcoal. 
When  grown  for  training  on  the  wall  or  roof  it  should  be  planted  in  a 
border  about  3  feet  wide  and  2  feet  deep,  properly  drained,  by  placing 
broken  bricks  and  crocks  6  to  9  inches  in  thickness,  with  turves 
over  the  drainage  to  prevent  it  from  becoming  choked  with  loose  soil. 
AA^hen  filling  the  border  the  soil  should  be  made  firm,  which  to  a  con¬ 
siderable  extent  prevents  the  plant  from  making  too  gross  a  growth  at 
first ;  and  for  a  time  after  putting  out  the  plant  great  care  must  be  taken 
as  regards  the  watering.  But  as  soon  as  the  b^order  has  got  well  filled 
with  roots  an  abundance  of  water  should  be  given  with  liquid  manure 
every  third  time  throughout  the  growing  and  flowering  season. 
Some  people,  I  think,  make  a  mistake  in  not  pruning  this  plant  closely 
enough.  It  is  better  to  prune  close  to  the  old  wood  to  one  or  two  eyes, 
and  in  the  early  part  of  the  growing  season  some  of  the  young  shoots 
may  advantageously  be  rubbed  off.  The  drying-off  system  should  not 
be  practised  to  the  extreme,  but  keep  the  roots  in  a  moderately  moist 
condition  throughout  the  winter,  as  is  the  case  with  Vines. 
Young  plants  may  be  quickly  reared  from  cuttings  if  taken  off  when 
a  couple  of  inches  long,  and  with  a  small  portion  of  the  old  wood  attached. 
These  should  be  inserted  by  the  side  of  the  pot  in  a  light  sandy  soil, 
and  placed  in  a  propagating  frame.  When  rooted  they  must  be  at  once 
potted,  and  afterwards  repotted  when  necessary,  using  a  somewhat 
lighter  soil  than  that  previously  recommended  for  making  up  of  the 
border  -  in  fact  till  the  plants  have  grown  to  a  good  size,  and  are  in 
a  fit  state  to  be  transferred  to  their  permanent  position. — Young 
Practitioner. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines. — Early  Forced  in  Pots. — This  is  the  most  advisable  method  of 
securing  a  supply  of  thin-skinned,  fi*esh,  ripe  Grapes  early  in  spring, 
which  are  a  necessity  in  some  establishments.  The  best  varieties  we  have 
tried  are  AVhite  Frontignan,  Foster’s  Seedling,  Black  Hambiu’gh,  and 
Madresfield  Court.  The  great  evil  in  early  forcing  Vines  in  pots  or  any¬ 
where  is  overcropping,  the  berries  not  attaining  the  size  and  perfection  of 
colour  and  finish  so  essential  to  their  high  appreciation.  AVhere  bottom 
heat  can  be  given  to  start  them  they  will  show  their  estimation  of  it,  and 
the  constant  soft  glow  of  moisture  given  off  by  the  fermenting  material 
in  breaking  freely.  It  is  desirable  to  stand  the  pots  on  brick  pedestals, 
placing  the  bricks  loose  and  so  high  that  the  rims  are  slightly  higher  than 
the  pit  edge,  the  arrangement  being  such  that  the  pots  will  be  in  the 
centre  of  the  bed,  which  should  be  about  3|  or  4  feet  wide  and  as  much 
in  depth.  Leaves  being  placed  in  to  fill  the  pit,  a  gentle  warmth  will  be 
afforded  the  Vines,  and  the  roots  will  pass  from  the  pots  into  the  leaves, 
deriving  support  beneficial  to  the  health  of  the  Vines,  swelling  and  per¬ 
fecting  of  the  Grapes. 
To  have  Grapes  ripe  at  the  end  of  March  or  early  in  April  the  Vines 
should  not  be  started  later  than  the  early  part  of  N  ovember,  and  they 
ought  to  be  placed  in  ])osition  iiy  the  middle  of  October,  so  that  they  may 
have  about  a  fortnight  of  preparation  in  the  way  of  admitting  air  freely 
above  50°,  this  being  secured  by  artificial  means,  and  then  the  sap 
will  become  quickened,  ready  for  starting  the  Vines  away  strongly 
when  forcing  proper  commences.  The  canes  must  be  depressed  to  a 
horizontal  position,  or  lower,  to  secure  them  breaking  regularly.  Damp 
the  canes  morning  and  afteimoon,  but  not  keeping  them  constantly 
dripping  with  water.  In  an  atmosphere  kept  at  a  temperature  of  50°  to 
55°  the  buds  will  soon  begin  to  swell,  then  gradually  raise  it  day  by  day 
to  60°  to  65°  when  they  are  breaking,  allowing  an  advance  of  10°  to  15° 
