526 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  ANT)  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  2,  1897. 
Apples. 
Apples  prown  under  glass  develop  a  flavour  and  colour  hardly  ever 
attained  in  the  open  air,  especially  some  English  and  American  varieties. 
The  best  of  these  are  the  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  which  I  have  seen  alniost 
as  full  of  juice  as  an  Orange,  with  cells  as  fully  developed  as  a  Nectarine, 
and  as  rich  in  flavour  ;  Ribston  Pippin,  rather  hard,  but  very  good  ; 
Golden  Pippin,  small,  but  capital  ;  Braddick’s  Nonpareil,  and  all  the 
varieties  of  Nonpareil,  of  which  there  are  many  ;  Calville  Blanche,  the 
Pearmains,  and  King  of  the  Pippins  are  among  the  best  of  the  English 
Apples  ;  of  the  American  Apples  Newtown  Pippin,  Northern  Spy, 
Mother,  Reinette  du  Canada,  the  Melon,  and  Washington  are  the  best. 
The  trees  require  the  same  treatment  as  Pears.  Provide  the  fruit 
buds  by  stopping  the  first  summer  growth  at  five  buds  from  the  base 
when  the  shoot  has  made  from  nine  to  ten  leaves  ;  after  the  first  stopping 
allow  growth  for  a  time,  generally  till  about  the  end  of  July,  and  then 
repeat  the  pinching  ;  with  a  tree  full  of  fruit  much  summer  pruning  will 
not  be  necessary.  I  have  recommended  the  removal  of  Pears  to  the 
open  air  during  the  summer,  but  Apples  will  endure  the  heat  of  a  glass 
house  without  loss  of  flavour  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  developed  to  an 
extraordinary  extent.  The  trees  require  as  much  sun  and  as  good  a 
position  as  the  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  and  must  be  fed  with  the  same 
care  ;  the  more  food  the  better  the  fruit,  and  it  is  worth  the  trouble. 
Plums. 
In  selecting  varieties  of  Plums  some  care  is  required,  so  as  to  have 
fruit  through  the  summer  and  autumn.  The  very  early  and  very  late 
Plums  in  the  South  of  England  seem  to  ripen  in  the  orchard  house  with¬ 
out  any  loss  of  flavour  ;  but  the  midseason  Plums,  such  as  the  Green 
Gage,  De  Montfort,  and  the  Jefferson,  are,  I  think,  improved  in  flavour 
by  being  ripened  in  the  open  air.  About  the  end  of  J une  they  should  be 
removed  in  some  warm  and  sheltered  situation.  In  wet  and  moist 
climates,  where  the  Green  Gage  ripens  with  difficulty,  they  must  remain 
under  glass  all  the  summer.  For  the  first  take  the  Early  Favourite  and 
Early  Prolific,  two  excellent  sorts  which  ripen  about  the  middle  of  July. 
Next  in  succession  come  the  Czar,  Early  Orleans,  Early  Transparent 
Gage,  De  Montfort,  Denniston’s  Superb,  Green  Gage,  Angelina  Burdett, 
Kirke’s,  Guthrie’s  Late  Green,  Reine  Claude  de  Bavay,  Purple  Gage, 
Coe’s  Golden  Drop,  Jefferson,  Grand  Duke,  Golden  Transparent,  and 
Late  Transparent,  these  last  being  sweetmeats  if  left  long  on  the  trees. 
These  are  all  dessert  Plums  ;  but  some  of  the  well-known  culinary  Plums 
are  also  worth  growing.  An  orchard  house  of  Plums  offers  an  agreeable 
sight  in  the  autumn  if  the  colours  are  arranged.  I  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  obtain  some  seedling  Plums  that  prolong  the  season  to  the  end 
of  October  ;  these  are  the  Primate  and  the  Late  Orange.  Some  Plums 
of  the  future  have  been  sent  from  California  under  the  title  of  Japanese 
Plums,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  will  succeed  in  unheated  orchard  houses. 
Any  advance  in  cultivated  fruit  is  a  distinct  gain,  and  the  so-called 
Japane.se  Plums  may  be  an  improvement ;  but  I  think  the  Green  Gage 
and  its  relatives  will  be  cultivated  for  some  generations  yet  to  come. — 
{Paper  read  by  T.  Era  unis  Rivers  at  a  meeting  of  the  Horticultural  Club.) 
EDGBASTON  BOTANICAL  GALDENS. 
A  RECENT  casual  visit  to  these  interesting  gardens  disclosed  a  fine 
collection  of  Chrysanthemums  (about  1200  plants),  amongst  which  were 
contained  several  of  the  leading  varieties.  Some  of  the  earlier  sorts, 
however,  were  past  their  best,  though  such  varieties  as  Edith  Tabor, 
Niveus,  Mutual  Friend,  Graphic,  Mons.  Panckoucke,  Souvenir  de  Petite 
Amie,  Mdlle.  M.  Hoste,  Rose  Wynne,  Viviand  Morel,  Miss  Ethel  Addison, 
Mrs,  H.  Weekes,  Duchess  of  Fife,  Phoebus,  Charles  Davis,  Lord  Brooke, 
Etoile  de  Lyon,  Mrs.  C.  Blick,  J.  Agate,  and  many  others  were  fresh  and 
bright.  We  were  informed  that  the  display  had  proved  a  source  of  con¬ 
siderable  attraction  for  several  weeks  past  to  the  numerous  visitors  to 
the  gardens. 
When  passing  through  one  of  the  houses  our  attention  was  drawn  to 
a  fine  and  well-grown  collection  of  Primulas  in  close  association  with 
several  plants  of  the  useful  winter  flowering  Plumbago  rosea.  Here,  too, 
was  observed  Begonia  insignis  with  its  flesh  pink  coloured  flowers,  now 
too  seldom  seen,  and  which,  when  well  grown,  as  it  was  by  the  writer 
upwards  of  forty  years  ago,  still  plays  second  to  none  for  late  autumn  and 
winter  work. 
A  visit  to  the  Orchid  compartments  almost  at  any  season  of  the 
year  is  sure  to  evolve  something  more  or  less  interesting,  and  on  this 
occasion  attention  was  especially  drawn  to  a  new  hybrid  Cypripedium 
raised  by  Mr.  Latham,  the  courteous  Curator.  The  plant  was  display¬ 
ing  its  first  blooms.  Its  specific  name  is  Deedmanianum,  in  honour  of 
the  expert  grower,  Mr.  Deedman.  The  hybrid  in  question  is  a  cross 
between  C.  Spicerianum  (the  seed  parent)  and  C.  Chamberlainianum, 
and  though  it  evidences  markings  of  both,  it  may  be  considered  a  glorified 
Chamberlainianum  both  in  foliage  and  flower.  Its  dorsal  sepal 
resembles  in  colour  and  markings  the  seed  parent. 
Conspicuous  amongst  other  Orchids  in  bloom  were  two  or  three 
specimens  of  the  extremely  pretty  and  interesting  Coelogyne  (Pleione) 
maculata  growing  in  baskets  suspended  from  the  roof  of  one  house.  A 
large  specimen  of  Cymbidium  giganteum,  with  several  long  racemes  of 
brownish-purple  flowers  growing  in  close  proximity  to  the  former,  was 
especially  attractive,  as  also  were  examples  of  such  as  C.  Masters!,  Vanda 
Kimballiana,  Cattleya  Bowringiana,  and  the  delicately  green-tinted  and 
sweet-scented  Lycaste  lanipes.  Healthy  specimens  of  Lselia  auturanalis 
were  on  the  eve  of  making  a  fine  display.  Amongst  Cypripediums  several 
specimens  of  the  good  old  insigne  and  C.  Spiceriannm  contributed  to  the 
spectacle,  whilst  Cattleyas,  of  which  there  had  been  an  attractive  display, 
were  on  the  wane. — W.  G. 
LILIUMS. 
Amongst  the  most  beautiful  of  our  flowering  plants,  Liliums  must 
undoubtedly  be  accorded  a  first  place.  They  are  so  useful,  both  in 
the  town  and  country  garden,  that  everyone  should  grow  them.  They 
are  of  easy  culture,  and  reasonable  in  price,  two  very  great  advantages 
to  many  growers.  Liliums  are,  I  might  almost  say,  essential  in 
every  greenhouse ;  their  place  cannot  be  taken  by  any  other  plant  in 
cultivation.  The  majority  of  them  are  free  flowering,  and  last  when  in 
bloom  for  a  considerable  time  in  a  most  perfect  state.  Yet  another 
distinct  advantage  which  belongs  to  these  plants  is,  that  if  by  any 
accident  a  bud  should  get  broken  off,  it  will,  when  placed  in  water, 
open  quite  perfectly.  The  fragrance  is  most  delicious,  perhaps  a  trifle 
too  pronounced  for  some,  but  not  so  much  as  to  render  them  objection¬ 
able  to  anyone.  They  have  been  grown  in  our  gardens  and  green¬ 
houses  for  many  years,  and  appear  to  have  been  known  from  time 
immemorial.  Shakespeare  mentioned  them  in  the  following  words  : 
“  Like  a  Lily, 
That  once  was  mistress  of  the  field,  and  flourished.” 
And  Spenser  speaks  of  the  Lily  as  the 
“  Lady  of  the  field.” 
These  lines  are  singularly  appropriate  and  applicable  to  the  chaste 
beauty  of  the  Lily. 
One  of  the  most  important  features  in  the  cultivation  of  Liliums  is 
to  provide  a  suitable  compost  for  them.  They  will  certainly  grow  in 
almost  any  soil  that  can  be  procured,  but  according  to  the  old  adage, 
that  “  A  thing  worth  doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well,”  applies  to 
Liliums.  It  is  always  advisable  to  get  the  best,  and  the  following  will 
be  found  to  meet  their  requirements  : — Three  parts  of  good  turfy  loam, 
one  part  thoroughly  decayed  cow  or  horse  manure,  one-sixth  part  of 
coarse  sand,  with  a  small  quantity  of  crushed  charcoal  and  bonemeal. 
If  it  is  found  difficult  to  procure  manure,  decomposed  leaf  mould  can  be 
substituted  with  a  certainty  of  almost  equally  as  good  results,  and  road 
drift  can  be  used  for  the  sand.  It  is  important  that  these  ingredients 
should  be  thoroughly  incorporated.  The  compost  ought  not  to  be  wet, 
neither  should  it  be  dust  dry  ;  if  used  when  it  is  pleasantly  moist  the 
bulbs  will  not  require  watering  after  potting  until  they  start  into  growth. 
In  potting  the  bulbs,  which  should  be  procured  now,  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  place  them  too  high  in  the  pot,  as  the  stems  of  Liliums  emit 
roots,  rendering  when  they  are  making  rapid  growth  a  good  top-dressing 
necessary,  which  should  consist  of  a  compost  containing  a  rather  larger 
percentage  of  leaf  mould  or  manure  than  that  recommended  for  potting. 
The  size  of  the  pot  must  of  course  be  regulated  by  the  species  grown 
and  the  size.  The  same  sized  pot  would  not  do  for  a  L.  lancifolium 
as  would  be  suitable  for  a  L.  longiflorum.  Good  dramage  must  be 
accorded  to  them,  for  though  water  may  be  given  in  great  quantities 
with  absolute  impunity,  Liliums  do  not  like  soil  which  has  become 
sour  and  sodden.  Under  such  conditions  the  bulbs,  o^ing  to  their 
scaly  substance,  rapidly  decay.  A  little  rough  material  should  he  placed 
immediately  over  the  drainage,  which  helps  keep  it  clear  and  free. 
After  potting  the  pots  may  be  put  in  any  cool  place.  If  space  in  the 
greenhouse  will  not  permit  of  their  being  placed  in  during  the  whole  of 
the  initial  stages  of  growth,  they  may  with  safety  be  put  outside,  the 
pots  being  plunged  in  ashes  or  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  to  prevent  the 
frost  either  getting  to  the  roots  or  cracking  the  pots.  Do  not,  no 
matter  where  they  are  placed  after  removal  from  the  plunging  bed, 
allow  the  young  growths  to  become  drawn  and  weakly  by  full  exposure 
to  the  light,  as  if  they  do  no  one  can  expect  to  have  a  good  quantity 
of  fine  flowers  as  a  reward  for  their  labour. 
The  finest  Lilium  for  pot  culture  is  L.  auratum  (Golden-rayed  Lily 
of  Japan).  It  is  very  beautiful,  deliciously  scented,  and  one  of  the  easiest 
to  grow,  success  with  oi’dinary  care  being  practically  certain.  There  are 
various  forms  of  it,  but  the  one  most  commonly  seen  is  very  fine,  and 
is,  moreover,  very  reasonable  in  price.  L.  speciosum  (lancifolium) 
rubrum  and  album  should  not  be  omitted  from  any  collection  however 
small,  the  pure  white  recurved  flowers  of  the  latter  being  most  charming. 
The  Bermuda  or  Easter  Lily  (L.  Harris!)  is  another,  which  is  an 
acquisition  to  any  collection,  no  matter  how  large,  its  long  trumpet¬ 
shaped  pure  white  flowers  having  a  most  chaste  and  exquisite  appear¬ 
ance.  It  can  easily  he  had  in  flower  at  Easter,  hence  its  common  name, 
when  it  was  very  largely  used  for  church  decorations. 
Amongst  the  many  other  very  beautiful  varieties  well  worthy  of  cultiva¬ 
tion  are  the  following,  which  are  chosen  for  their  easy  culture,  certainty  of 
flowering,  and  bright,  cheerful  appearance  when  at  the  summit  of  their 
beauty  : — L.  Thunbergianum,  red  ;  L.  Krameri,  blush  pink  ;  L.  Kraetzeri, 
pure  white  ;  L.  canadense,  the  flowers  of  which  vary  from  yellow  to 
orange,  and  are  spotted  with  black  ;  Humboldti,  golden  yellow,  with 
crimson  spots  ;  Washingtonianum,  the  flowers  of  which  are  white  tinged 
with  lilac  ;  pyrenaicum  (Turk’s  Cap),  yellow  with  black  spots.  Superbum 
is  a  beautiful  variety  with  orange  coloured  flowers  having  black  spots  ; 
and  szovitzianum,  which  has  reflexed  flowers  of  citron  yellow  colour 
sparsely  spotted  with  black. — D.  R. 
