358 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  14,  1897. 
not  always  that  our  gardening  friends  have  their  names  attached  to 
plants  whose  merits  entitle  them  to  this  distinction — and  one  so  dis¬ 
tinguished  as  the  curator  of  Trinity  College  Gardens  deserves  that  his 
name  should  he  given  to  no  mediocre  flower.  One  would  like  to  say 
that  this  Michaelmas  Daisy  does  full  justice  to  the  name  it  hears. 
That  were  hard  to  do ;  but  it  is,  notwithstanding,  a  plant  of  exceptional 
merit,  large  as  is  the  number  of  superior  Starworts.  The  catalogue 
description  is — “  the  best  of  all ;  colour  soft  rosy  blue ;  flowers  very 
large,  produced  in  the  utmost  profusion — Al.”  Without  committing 
oneself  to  the  opinion  that  it  is  “  the  best  of  all,”  one  may  with  safety 
say  that  Aster  F.  W.  Burbidge  is  a  beautiful  and  useful  variety.  The 
bright  colour  of  the  unopened  flowers  is  a  noticeable  feature  of  the 
plant,  while  its  habit  is  excellent,  being  graceful  and  of  medium 
height. 
Among  the  other  flowers  still  in  bloom  the  Crocuses,  as  usual  at 
this  season,  must  come  in  for  notice.  The  pretty  C.  iridiflorus,  the 
effective  C.  speciosus,  the  pleasing  C.  zonatus,  with  C.  pulchellus,  and 
others,  are  in  bloom.  I  do  not  know  why  it  is,  but  C.  zonatus 
seems  to  jwssess  a  special  attraction  for  the  slugs,  which  crop  off  the 
flowers  almost  as  they  appear,  although  frequent  search  is  made  for 
the  destroyers.  On  the  other  hand  C.  speciosus  is  left  almost  severely 
alone.  Of  the  autumn  flowering  Croci  none  of  the  white  forms  is 
better  than  those  of  C.  cancellatus.  This  is  a  variable  species  in 
regard  to  colouring,  as  it  varies  from  white  to  light  purple.  In  its 
more  Western  habitats  it  is  generally  white,  the  Eastern  forms  being 
blue  or  purple.  For  convenience  bulb  dealers  appear  to  recognise 
the  white  form  with  purple  at  the  base  as  being  the  typical  one,  and 
for  purposes  of  convenience  this  may  be  accepted  for  gardening 
purposes.  This  white  form  of  C.  cancellatus  is  of  good  substance 
with  flowers  of  a  fair  size,  although  coming  short  in  this  respect 
of  the  white  Dutch  Crocuses  so  familiar  in  our  gardens  in  spring. 
It  is  truly  a  pretty  little  flower,  deserving  a  sunny  and  sheltered 
place  where  the  autumn  sunshine,  cool  though  it  is,  may  strike  full 
upon  its  flowei’s.  There  are  several  varieties,  and  any  may  be 
safely  grown  so  far  as  their  beauty  is  concerned. 
With  flovvers  such  as  these,  even  when  October  has  come,  we  find 
much  to  admire,  and  others  bear  them  company  still.  ^lodest  little 
Cyclamens  rise  only  a  little  above  the  earth,  which  before  long  will  be 
hidden  from  sight  by  the  pretty,  marbled  leaves  of  this  Neapolitan 
Sowbread.  Charming  little  flowers  are  these,  yearly  growing  finer 
here,  and  never  losing  favour  in  our  eyes.  There  are  yet  dwarf 
Campanulas,  too,  mostly  in  flower  for  the  second  time.  C.  Porten- 
schlagiana  is  one  of  these,  and  it  gives  a  bright  tone  to  the  places  in 
which  it  grows.  Nowhere  does  it  look  better  than  hiding  some  crevice 
in  the  rock  garden,  where  its  purple-blue  flowers  and  fresh,  green 
leaves  seem  in  keeping  with  their  surroundings.  Late  as  is  the  season, 
one  might  particularise  for  long.  When  Sunflowers,  Heleniums, 
Michaelmas  Daisies,  St.  John’s  Worts,  Meadow  Saffrons  are  still  with 
us  there  is  no  want  of  a  text  on  which  to  found  a  homily.  Their 
glory  is  dimmed  but  not  obliterated.  It  shines  still  to  give  us  cheer 
as  the  garden’s  year  fast  runs  its  course. — S.  Arnott. 
THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  FRUIT  TREES. 
I  THINK  there  has  been  enough  of  word-chopping  over  this 
subject,  and  as  my  literary  opponent  appears  to  think  so  too,  we 
agree  with  each  other  on  one  point  at  least,  if  not  on  more,  and 
doubtless  several  readers  will  agree  'with  us  both.  Let  us  come  to 
practical  points.  We  neither  want  a  mass  of  crowded  shoots  on  the 
one  hand,  nor  gaunt  scraggy  branches,  however  straight,  on  the 
other.  Those  are  the  two  extremes,  of  which  there  are  too  many 
examples,  and  the  truth  lies,  as  usual,  between  the  two. 
In  the  cultivation  of  trained  trees  we  have,  or  ought  to  have,  two 
objects  in  view — 1,  the  uniform  covering  of  desired  space ;  and  2, 
the  production  of  fruit.  The  first  condition  means  that  there  must 
be  just  sufficient  branches,  the  leaves  of  which  can  develop  fully  for 
covering  the  space  and  no  more ;  the  second  condition  means  that  the 
wood  must  be  of  the  most  fruitful  character.  Neither  exhausted  wood 
on  the  one  hand,  nor  young  shoots  or  branches  too  closely  crowded  in 
on  the  other,  can  possibly  be  the  most  fruitful;  but  give  the  young 
wood  a  chance,  then  will  it  far  surpass  much  that  is  old,  too  old,  on 
many  trees  in  the  production  of  fruit.  This  I  have  proved  over  and 
over  again,  and  most  observant  gardeneis  of  equal  or  longer 
experience  must  of  necessity  know  the  truth  about  the  matter  as 
well  as  I  do. 
_  When  I  see  this  truth  exemplified,  no  matter  where,  of  space 
uniformly  covered  with  productive  branches,  the  sight  not  only 
affords  me  pleasure,  but  I  am  apt  to  think  a  narration  of  it,  however 
brief,  may  be  suggestive  and  instructive,  because  there  are  always 
men  who  err,  regardless  of  age,  in  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  extremes 
aforementioned.  Besides,  I  think  really  good  work,  b}’  whomsoever 
accomplished,  is  worthy  of  recognition.  I  was  therefore,  for  those 
reasons,  glad  to  be  able  to  fulfil  a  long-standing  promise  to  visit  IVIr. 
Kean.  In  the  fine  trees  he  has  produced  (page  311)  I  found  confirma¬ 
tion  of  what  I  believe  to  be  the  truth,  namely,  that  the  too  long  and 
rigid  adherence  to  a  particular  system  of  pruning  and  training,  after 
that  system,  no  matter  how  satisfactory  it  was  once,  has  ceased  to  be 
so,  is  a  mistake,  and  that  intelligent  departures  are  followed  by  better 
results. 
Let  me  cite  an  instructive  case.  On  page  333  appears  an 
excellent  porti'ait  of  that  accomplished  fruit  grower,  Mr.  George 
Woodward.  I  happen  to  be  able  to  tell  something  of  the  trees  which 
produce  the  grand  fruit  he  exhibits — I  knew  them  well  w'hen  I  was  a 
garden  lad.  The  gardens  at  Barham  Court  were  then  a  noted  home 
for  fruit  trees  trained  in  almost  every  conceivable  form,  and  in  no 
place  have  I  seen  trees  trained  with  greater  accuracy.  I  visited  the 
gardens  again  little  more  than  a  year  ago.  What  did  I  find  ?  The 
old  order  had  passed  away.  Many  of  the  trained  trees,  as  such,  had 
reached  the  limit  of  their  productiveness,  and  Mr.  Woodward,  like  the 
practical  man  he  is,  perceived  it  and  changed  his  methods. 
Horizontal  cordons  which  had  formerly  been  trained  to  look  so 
neat  beside  the  edges  of  the  walks  had  been  allowed  to  grow  more  in 
the  form  of  an  elongated  bush  than  a  cordon.  Apples  and  Pears 
growing  on  arches,  instead  of  being  spurred  in  closely  each  year  as  in 
the  old  days,  had  short-jointed  shoots  extending  above  and  around  the 
trellis  in  all  directions,  and  these  were  weighted  down  by  grand  fruits. 
I  was  interested  in  the  trees,  and  inquired  closely  about  them.  Then 
Mr.  Woodward  willingly  informed  me  that  the  fruit  obtained  under 
the  close  pruning  system  was  not  abundant  enough  to  be  satisfactory, 
hence  the  change  in  their  management  and  the  grand  results.  Special 
attention  was  given  to  keeping  the  shoots  thinly  disposed. 
The  truth  about  fruit  trees  is  that  years  ago,  and  even  yet,  many 
trees  were,  and  still  are,  prevented  from  bearing  a  good  crop  of  fruit 
by  over-pruning  and  training.  Observant  men  began  to  see  the  mis¬ 
take  of  adhering  to  the  custom  of  cutting  all  summer  growths  back 
to  wood  that  could  not  bear,  while  some  of  that  removed,  if  rationally 
treated,  would  have  produced  good  crops  of  excellent  fruit.  This 
in  practice  was  found  to  be  so.  The  benefits  resulting  from  the 
change  were  made  known  in  conference  room,  lecture  hall,  and  through 
the  press,  and  things  began  to  improve.  May  still  further  progress  be 
made  in  the  important  work  of  fruit  production  is  the  wish  and 
object  of — H.  D. 
[A  most  commendable  wish  and  desire ;  and  when  controversy 
draws  forth  such  an  excellent  article  as  this,  from  one  of  the  best  of 
gardeners,  it  cannot  be  said  to  be  a  failure.  Not  only  mere  “  word¬ 
chopping,”  but  much  of  the  thoughtless  knife-hacking  of  many  fruit 
trees  might  with  advantage  cease.] 
VEGETABLES  FOR  HOME  AND  EXHIBITION. 
Leeks  and  Celery. 
Not  only  is  the  Leek  amongst  the  most  useful  of  vegetables,  but 
it  is  peculiarly  interesting,  inasmuch  as  it  is  to  Wales  what  the  Eose 
is  to  England,  the  Thistle  to  Scotland,  and  the  Shamrock  to  the 
Emerald  Isle.  Striking  by  contrast,  therefore,  are  the  parts  it  plays 
on  the  one  hand  as  the  popular  emblem  of  a  country  teeming  with 
history,  on  the  other  as  an  important  attribute  to  the  contents  of  a 
kitchen  garden ;  and  though  the  latter  may  appear  to  be  less  romantic, 
it  is  from  this  standpoint  of  utility  that  gardeners  have  to  look  at  it. 
For  exhibition  only  the  best  samples  are  suitable,  and  as  these  can 
generally  be  obtained  through  careful  attention  to  detail  in  cultivation, 
the  returns  given  are  well  worth  the  trouble  expended. 
Where  the  vegetable  is  required  in  quantity  successional  sowings  are 
advised,  the  first  to  take  place  in  IMarch  and  the  second  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  month.  Though  Leeks  will  flourish  fairly  well  in  almost  any  soil 
and  locality  a  rich  rooting  medium  is  conducive  to  size,  and  for  what¬ 
ever  purpose  they  are  required,  large,  sound,  silvery-stemmed  specimens 
are  always  appreciated.  A  great  mistake  often  made  is  that  of  leaving 
the  young  plants  too  long  in  the  seed  bed  before  transplanting,  with 
the  result  that  they  become  drawn  and  spindling,  with  the  roots  all 
matted  together.  As  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  about  6  inches  high 
they  should  be  carefully  transplanted  in  well  prepared  ground,  allowing 
10  inches  apart  if  large  stems  are  required,  and  about  6  inches  if  this 
is  not  the  chief  consideration.  A  dibbler  is  the  best  implement  for 
planting,  and  the  roots  should  be  inserted  as  deep  as  the  base  of  the 
leaves,  only  lightly  placing  the  soil  in  round  them.  Some  growers 
always  plant  in  trenches  the  same  as  Celery,  and  on  light  soil  the 
method  is  a  good  one;  but  where  the  medium  is  of  a  retentive  nature 
this  is  not  necessary  if  a  little  earth  is  drawn  up  to  the  stems  as  they 
increase  in  size.  Water  must  be  liberally  applied  in  dry  weather,  and 
the  surface  soil  kept  constantly  stirred  with  a  hoe. 
It  is  not  advisable  to  leave  the  best  roots  out  during  the  winter. 
