December  30,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
621 
-  Weather  tn  the  North. — From  the  14th  to  the  21st  inst., 
with  an  occasional  touch  of  frost,  and  the  I8th  a  good  bright  day,  dull 
and  changeable  weather  prevailed.  Then  followed  (21st  to  24th)  three 
days  of  keen  frost  averaging  about  12°,  accompanied  by  unusually  dense 
rime.  On  Christmas  Ere  the  frost  gave  way  ;  Christmas  Day  was  raw 
and  cold,  and  since  then  rather  high  winds  have  occurred  and  a  good 
deal  of  rain  has  fallen.  This  continued  on  Tuesday  morning  which  was 
windy  and  wet,  — B.  D.,  N.  Perthshire. 
-  A  Multum  in  Parvo  Diary. — Messrs.  Lever  Brothers,  of 
“  Sunlight”  fame,  send  us  what  they  call  the  “  Waistcoat  Pocket  Diary” 
for  1898.  It  fits  easily  into  that  familiar  receptacle,  is  3  inches  long, 
2  inches  wide,  and  J  inch  thick,  gilt-edged,  contains  tables  on  money, 
mensuration,  and  sundry  other  things,  space  for  entries  of  various  kinds 
for  every  day  in  the  year,  with  blank  pages  for  addresses  and  memoranda  ; 
it  is  clear,  good,  and  a  model  in  condensation,  meriting  the  name  which  we 
have  ventured  to  give  it— a  veritable  sound  English  lever  that  ought  to 
keep  us  up  to  time  during  the  coming  year. 
-  Some  Rare  and  Expensive  Drugs. — A  writer  in  the 
.January  number  of  “  Chambers*  .Tournal  ”  throws  some  interesting  light 
on  rare  and  peculiar  drugs.  Saffron,  he  points  out,  would  strike  an 
ordinary  observer  as  decidedly  expensive  at  56s.  a  pound,  until  told  that 
it  is  composed  of  the  central  small  portions  only  of  the  flowers  of  a 
Crocus,  70,000  of  which  it  takes  to  yield  the  material  for  one  pound. 
Otto  of  Roses  sells  at  £28  odd  per  pound,  and  it  takes  10,000  pounds — 
or  nearly  five  tons — of  Roses  to  obtain  one  pound  of  the  oil.  Aconitine, 
extracted  from  the  root  of  IMonkshood,  is  said  to  be  the  very  strongest 
poison  extant,  the  dose  being  l-600th  of  a  grain.  It  is  sold  at  the  rate 
of  £27  per  ounce  ! 
-  Professor  Huxley  and  his  Flowers.- The  “Westminster 
Gazette  ”  says  some  interesting  glimpsea  of  the  late  Professor  Huxley's 
home  life  are  given  by  his  son,  Mr.  Leonard  Huxley,  in  the  “  Century  *' 
Magazine.  In  his  later  years  especially  the  Professor  took  great  interest 
in  his  garden.  “  I  begin  to  think  with  Candide,’  he  writes  in  1881,  “  that 
cultioons  notre  jardin  comprises  the  whole  duty  of  man.”  From  this 
time  his  letters  contained  many  references  to  the  garden.  His  son 
writes  : — “After  his  long  battlings  for  his  early  loves  of  science  and 
liberty  of  thought  his  later  love  of  the  tranquil  garden  seemed  in  harmony 
with  the  dignified  rest  from  struggle.  To  those  who  thought  of  the  past 
and  the  present  there  was  something  touching  in  the  sight  of  the  old  man 
whose  unquenched  fires  now  lent  a  gentler  glow  to  the  peaceful  retire¬ 
ment  he  had  at  length  won  for  himself.  His  latter  days  were  fruitful 
and  happy  in  their  unflagging  intellectual  interests  set  off  by  the  new 
delights  of  the  sxiccidiam  alteram,  that  second  resource  of  hale  old  age  for 
many  a  century.”  All  through  his  last  and  prolonged  illness  he  longed 
to  hear  how  the  garden  was  getting  on,  and  would  ask  after  certain 
flowers.  These  children  of  his  old  age  helped  to  cheer  him  to  the  last. 
-  An  Eminent  Lady  Horticulturist.— The  Duchess  of 
Sutherland,  like  her  sister  the  Countess  of  Warwick,  is  an  earnest  horti¬ 
culturist.  At  Trentham  a  great  speciality  is  made  of  Orchids,  especially 
Cypripediums  and  Odontoglossums,  also  of  the  finest  Malmaison  Carna¬ 
tions,  which  are  splendidly  grown  by  Mr.  Blair.  At  Littleshall  in 
Shropshire  there  is  an  extensive  Rose  garden,  which  she  carefully  super¬ 
intends  ;  while  at  Dunrobin  Castle  there  are  millions  of  Snowdrops,  her 
head  gardener,  Mr.  Melville,  taking  a  deep  interest  in  their  welfare. 
There  is  also  at  Trentham  a  unique  collection  of  Oriental  and  American 
Lilies,  many  of  which,  however,  as  the  soil  is  not  entirely  favourable  for  their 
cultivation — notably  L.  giganteum  and  L.  longiflorum  Harris!— are  grown 
under  glass,  and  much  used  for  the  decoration  of  Stafford  House.  The 
Duchess  of  Sutherland,  who  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Earl  of  Rosslyn, 
inherits  her  distinguished  father’s  literary  gifts,  and  especially  his  intense 
love  of  Nature,  which,  as  her  recent  article  on  Sicily  in  “  The  Lady’s 
Realm,”  sufficiently  indicates,  is  her  predominating  theme.  The  Duchess 
has  also  proved  in  this  and  other  contributions  to  periodical  literature 
that  she  can  write  very  gracefully  upon  the  subject  of  horticulture. 
Some  years  ago  she  gave  to  the  world  an  interesting  book  entitled,  “  How 
I  Spent  my  Twentieth  Year,”  which  has  passed  through  several  editions. 
— David  R.  Williamson. 
NOTES  ON  PEARS. 
The  contribution  by  “  ,T.  H.  W.”  (page  .572)  will  be  accepted  as  a 
corresponding  experience  with  that  of  many  of  the  .Journal  readers,  and 
the  last  paragraph  is  particularly  applicable  to  my  case  when  he  says, 
“  All  are  ripening  a  month  earlier  than  usual,  and,  what  is  worse,  remaining 
a  much  shorter  time  in  prime  condition.”  Such  a  disappointing  trait  in 
the  Pear  supply  leads  to  many  difficulties,  and  explanations  in  numerous 
cases  have  been  oft  repeated  between  gardeners  and  employers  when  a  poor 
supply  only  is  forthcoming  and  the  usual  demand  a  heavy  one.  Where 
there  is  provision  made  for  a  fruit  supply  in  gardens — and  it  is  a  poor 
garden  indeed  that  has  not  a  collection  of  fruit  trees— owners,  as  a  rule, 
do  not  care  for  the  alternative  of  procuring  their  supply,  probably  of 
foreign  growth,  from  the  fruiterer. 
The  unfortunate  part  of  a  fruit  failure  with  many  employers  uninitiated 
in  its  growth  is  their  inability  to  grasp  what  influence  frost  has  on  the 
tender  flowers  in  tlie  spring,  or  a  mild  autumn  and  early  winter  in  the 
keeping  of  the  fruit  when  there  is  a  crop,  light  or  heavy,  as  the  case  may 
be.  It  is  true  there  are  other  contributory  causes  for  the  failure  of  trees 
to  bear  fruit  beside  the  action  of  frost  on  the  tender  blossoms,  none  of 
which  is  more  certain  than  when  trees  are  left  alone  at  the  roots,  and 
closely  pruned  about  their  heads.  This  unequal  balance  between  branch 
and  root  is  sure  to  bring  about  an  unfruitful  disposition  on  the  part  of 
most  trees,  but  particularly  in  Apples  and  Pears.  The  closer  and 
severer  the  pruning,  the  stronger  is  the  resultant  lateral  growth,  and  the 
hope  for  fruit  buds  become  less  each  year,  until  a  balance  has  been 
effected  by  a  proportionate  shortening  of  the  thong-like  roots,  which  are 
the  actual  offenders.  In  gardens  having  a  clayey  subsoil  trees  seem  moie 
prone  to  go  deeply  than  on  gravelly  stations.  There  would  seem  a 
peculiar  attraction  in  sandy  clay  for  the  roots  of  trees,  but  whether  it  be 
of  a  light  or  heavy  nature,  it  results  in  the  same  strong  unfruitful  growth 
once  roots  penetrate  deeply  into  it.  Canker,  too,  comes  from  the  same 
cause,  especially  in  ground  not  well  drained. 
To  prevent  this  deep  root  growth  some  growers  employ  large  stone 
or  slate  slabs  immediately  beneath  the  trees,  while  others  will  put  in  a 
bed  of  concrete,  either  of  which  prevent  tap  roots  from  descending 
immediately  beneath  the  trunk  or  stem.  It  is  these  centrally  situated 
roots  that  give  so  much  trouble  in  the  course  of  root-pruning,  especially 
in  a  large  tree,  and  there  is  sure  to  be  disappointment  if  only  one  strong 
root  remain  unsevered. 
I  well  remember  removing  some  fairly  large  Pear  trees  a  few  years 
since  that  had  never  given  any  trouble  at  their  roots,  and  always  produced 
a  wealth  of  blossom  in  tbe  spring.  These  satisfactory  conditions  were 
brought  about  by  a  layer  of  lime  refuse,  perhaps  8  inches  in  thickness, 
about  1|  foot  from  the  surface.  Not  a  root  ventured  to  penetrate  this 
mass  of  dry  lime,  and  the  object  of  the  planter  completely  obtained.  It 
is  quite  true  that  material  of  this  kind  in  quantity  is  seldom  to  hand  at 
planting  time,  but  certainly  where  deeply  rooting  and  barren  trees  are 
troublesome  it  would  be  well  worth  the  labour  in  carrying  out  a  similar 
provision  in  the  planting  of  additional  or  replacing  worthless  ones  with 
5’oung  trees  from  the  nursery. 
Commenting  on  the  shortness  of  the  crop  of  'Williams’  Bon  Chretien 
to  a  large  fruiterer  in  the  late  summer,  he  remarked,  “Well,  I  am  very  glad,” 
and  on  my  inquiring  his  reason,  he  said,  “I  lose  more  on  that  variety 
than  on  any  other  during  the  season,  simply  because  there  are  invariably 
such  heavy  crops.”  This  bears  out  what  “  J.  H.  W.”  says  in  his  notes  of 
the  reliable  cropping  of  the  Bon  Chretien.  Doyenne  du  Comice  with 
me  is  unsatisfactory  as  a  jiyramid,  and  what  fruits  there  are  wasps, 
hornets,  and  tomtits  show  such  a  great  partiality  for  that  few  sound  ones 
remain  at  gathering  time.  On  an  east  wall  they  do  not  attract  this  notice 
from  our  winged  enemies.  Emile  d’Heyst  with  us  ranks  next  to 
Williams*  for  regular  cropping,  makes  a  good  pyramid,  and  its  quality  is 
first-rate,  and  it  seemed  particularly  so  this  year.  It  ripened  early, 
however,  and  did  not  remain  in  use  a  long  time,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  Winter  Nelis  and  Josephine  de  Malines.  I^aster  Beurre  does 
ripen  here,  but  some  months  before  the  festival  from  which  it  takes  its 
name,  and  its  quality  is  far  below  that  of  the  two  kinds  previously 
mentioned,  Ncc  plus  Meuris  and  Marie  Louise  d’Uccle  are  others  that 
always  crop  freely  with  us,  and  although  both  are  useful,  they  are  not 
particularly  high  in  quality. 
There  are  many  October  and  November  Bears,  but  few  reliable  ones 
of  good  quality  for  December  and  onwards.  A  short  list  of  sorts  that 
could  be  depended  on  for  that  part  of  the  winter  season  would  form  a 
useful  and  valued  contribution  from  any  grower.  In  this  case,  presumably, 
the  co-operation  of  southern  and  northern  growers  would  be  desirable, 
for  sorts  that  might  prove  useful  in  December  in  the  latter  case  would  be 
in  conflict  with  other  November  Bears  in  the  milder  counties.  At  the 
present  time  I  have  a  few  Beurr^  d’Aremberg,  which  are  small,  and  of  no 
particular  quality  ;  Easter  Beurr6,  most  of  them  ripe  ;  Nec  plus  Meuris, 
a  few  have  ripened,  but  the  bulk  will  last  for  some  time.  This  is  not  of 
very  high  quality,  but  is  nevertheless  useful  on  account  of  its  lateness  and 
regular  bearing.  In  each  case  they  are  borne  by  old  trees,  which  to  some 
extent  account  for  their  being  unsatisfactory  in  size  and  richness. 
Glou  Mor5eau  is,  according  to  my  judgment,  an  over-rated  Fear  ;  its 
appearance  bespeaks  better  quality  than  it  actually  possesses.  No  doubt 
the  fruit  room  has  a  lot  of  influence  for  good  or  otherwise,  but  of  this 
most  gardeners  are  without  any  choice.  I  have  never  seen  a  thatched 
building  in  a  private  garden,  such  as  may  be  seen  in  Messrs.  Bunyard’s 
nursery  at  Maidstone,  and  which  is  said  to  be  so  eminently  suited  to  the 
purpose  in  question. 
Bear  and  all  other  trees  at  the  present  time  are  full  of  promise  for 
another  year,  and  it  only  requires  a  freedom  from  frosts  and  insect  inter¬ 
ference  to  make  the  coming  season  a  contrast  to  the  one  just  complete. 
It  is  to  be  hoped,  at  any  rate,  that  cur  anticipations  may  be  realised,  and 
that  if  we  do  not  get  a  heavy,  we  may  be  favoured  with  a  more  uniform, 
crop  than  in  1897. — W.  S.,  Wilts, 
[Mr.  J.  Jvyne,  the  well-known  gardener  at  Foxbury,  Chislehurst,  has 
a  thatched  fruit  room  in  which  Bears  and  Apples  keep  splendidly.] 
