156 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDE XCH. 
February  13,  1902. 
■*#*  All|correspondeiice  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  ‘‘  The“  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  pilvately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
REPORT  OF  WOOLTOX  GARDENERS’  SOCIETY  (J.  S.). 
■ — Matter  is  so  heavy  on  our  hands  that  we  cannot  hope  to  insert 
your  long  and  interesting  report  for  yet  awhile.  A  great  deal 
of  matter,  good  in  itself,  is  unavoidably  crowded  out  each  week. 
BOOKS  ON  CACTI  (John  Williams). — The  book  on  Cacti  that 
we  used  to  publish  has  long  been  out  of  print,  and  is  only  to  be 
had  secondhand.  Apply  at  once  to  Mr.  J.  Wlieldon,  bookseller, 
Great  Queen  Street,  London,  W.C.  He  has  one  in  stock,  price 
Is.,  we  believe. 
COST  OF  LOOKING  AFTER  A  BOWLING  GREEN  (W.  I.). 
— Taking  one  week  with  another,  two  days  would  be  required  to 
mow  the  grass  with  machine,  roll  the  green,  and  keep  the  walk 
and  border  in  order.  Some  margin,  however,  should  be  allowed 
for  unfavourable  conditions  of  weather,  therefore  we  should  say 
that  10s.  per  iveek  would  be  a  fair  rate  by  contract  for  attending 
to  the  Avork  pointed  out  in  your  letter. 
GRAFTING  APPLE  TREE  (T.  G.).— The  best  vay  is  to 
“  head,”  or  cut  back,  the  tree,  to  nearly  the  point  where'  the 
grafting  is  to  be  effected  u  hilst  it  is  quite  dormant,  or  noiv, 
leaving  three  to  five  of  the  best  limbs  about  a  foot  from  their 
starting  point  on  the  stem  for  forming  the  head,  and  ivhen  the 
sap  is  veil  up  cut  each  branch  a  little  shorter,  and  place  tivo 
grafts  in  each  by  what  is  knmvn  as  crmvn  grafting,  the  scions 
or  grafts  having  been  cut  and  kept  on  the  north  side  of  a  v^all 
or  fence,  inserted  in  soil  so  as  to  keep  them  quite  dormant.  It 
is  not  adidsable  to  graft  some  Pear  scions  on  it,  but  confine  the 
grafting  to  Apple  of  the  apiiroA'ed  variety. 
PLANTING  MALE  AND  FEMALE  PLANTS  OF  AUCUBAS 
TO  SECURE  BEBRYING  (J.  G.). — It  is  not  necessary  vhen 
*  idanting  Aucubas  for  the  male  and  female  to  touch  each  other  to 
make  the  latter  beri-y  ;  Ave  liaAung  under  observation  several  female 
plants  at  a  distance  of  a  feAv  feet  to  over  a  hundred  yards  from 
tAvo  male  plants,  and  these  suffice  for  fertilising  tlie  fioAvers 
of  female  plants  at  the  several  distances  ;  indeed,  some  plants  at 
the  greater  distance  are  the  best  berried,  and  this  not  in  one 
season,  but  in  a  succession  of  years.  We  notice  that  the  male 
plants  are  the  ordinary  green  form  of  Aucuba  japonica,  and  the 
female  plants  the  spotted  form  knoAvn  as  Aucuba  maculata.  They 
floAver  simultaneously,  the  males  slightly  in  adAuance  of  the 
females,  and  that  fertilisation  is  most  pronounced  on  the  side 
opposite  that  from  AAhich  the  Avind  happens  to  bloAV.  Probably 
non-fertilisation  in  your  case  is  a  result  of  the  male  plants  floAver- 
ing  in  advance  of  the  female  plants,  in  AAhich  case  it  is  necessary 
to  collect  the  pollen  Avhen  ripe  and  keep  it  in  clean  paper,  quite 
dry,  until  the  female  plants  are  in  full  bloom,  then  dust  the 
pollen  on  the  floAvors  by  means  of  a  camel-hair  bimsh.  This  is 
rather  a  tedious  process,  but  usually  very  effective.  Frost  some¬ 
times  occurs  and  destroys  the  fioAvers,  Avhen,  of  coui’se,  fertilisa¬ 
tion  cannot  take  place. 
ARRANGING  STAGING  IN  HOTISES  (Ignoramus).- — As 
the  houses  are  only  10ft  7fin  Avide  internally,  and  you  propose 
to  brick  or  board  up  the  hot-water  pipes  at  the  front  of  the 
structure,  thus  forming  pits  2ft  Sin  Avide  over  all  (to  the  level 
Avith  the  AA’oodAA'ork  of  the  doors  at  end  of  partitioms),  there 
Avill  remain  8ft  4.rin  Avidth  for  apportioning  between  patlnvay 
and  staging.  Setting  apart  3ft  liin,  or  the  Avidth  of  the  doors 
and  frames,  for  a  patliAvay,  there  remains  5ft  Sin  available  for 
staging.  We  should  utilise  the  2ft  3in  AAudth  of  present  front 
stage  next  tho  path,  and  being  2ft  Gin  high  Avill  be  on  a  level 
Avith  sill  in  front  of  house.  Above  this  Ave  should  have  a  3ft 
AAidth  of  staging,  and  1ft  higher  than  the  2ft  3in  Avidth,  thus 
forming  a  step  or  tier  .stage,  and  Avith  the  loAver-groAving  plants 
on  the  lowest  stage  and  tallest  groAving  on  the  upper  one,  Avater- 
ing  could  be  effected  AA'ith  facility  from  the  patliAA’ay  in  front, 
the  back  part  being  easily  reached  by  remoAung  a  feiv  plants  at 
interA-als  on  the  loAver  stage.  This  Avould  give  you  the  greatest 
Aitilisation  of  the  space.  Of  course,  the  pit  in  front  must  not 
enclose  the  four  roAvs  of  Jin  hot-AAater  pipes  in  the  tivo  com¬ 
partments  next  the  boiler  or  Iaa  o  roAvs  in  the  other  compartment, 
for  these  Avill  be  required  to  maintain  the  heat  in  the  houses  at 
the  proper  temperatures.  We  should  therefore  keep  the  present 
staging  in  front  and  provide  ncAV  for  the  back  part,  groAving  the 
Cucumbers  and  Melons  in  boxes  and  the  Tomatoes  in  pots. 
FLOWERS  OF  CYPRIPEDIUMS.— “  Cypripedium  No.  1.  I 
believe  to  be  C.  x  Cythera,  a  hybrid  betAveen  C.  Spicerianum  and 
C.  purpuratum,  originally  described  in  1890  (G.  C.  vii.,  page  73). 
It  has  all  the  characters.  No.  2  is  C.  x  Leanum  var.,  not  quite 
identical  Avith  any  variety  that  I  remember.  It  is  not  quite 
good  in  form,  but  has  the  petals  spotted  almost  throughout,  and 
the  spots  on  the  dorsal  sepal  small,  numerous.  Have  they  any 
value I  should  keep  them.  No.  2  should  improve,  and  the 
other  is  pretty  enough.  Of  course,  mercantile  A^alue  is  difficult 
to  estimate. — R.  A.  Rolfe.” 
BEARING  OF  APPLE  TREES  (P.  W.).— “  I  AA-ish  to  know  how 
soon  I  could  get  fruit  from  Apple  trees  if  I  planted  the  follow¬ 
ing  varieties — Cox’s  Orange,  Lord  Suffield,  Bismarck,  Lane’s 
Prince  Albert,  Lord  Gro.svenor,  Newton  Wonder,  Worcester 
Pearmain,  and  Irish  Peach — next  October,  putting  in  tAVO-year- 
old  plants.  Hoav  soon  Avould  it  be  safe  to  let  them  bear  one 
bnshel  of  fruit  each  ?  Also,  supposing  I  planted  Lord  Suffield 
alternately  Avith  other  kinds,  Avith  the  mtention  of  getting  fruit 
from  them  as  soon  as  possible,  and  grubbing  up  the  Lord  Suffields 
Avhen  Avorn  out  or  the  others  had  come  into  bearing,  hoAv  much 
fruit  might  I  expect  from  the  Lord  Suffields  the  first  year  and 
hoAV  much  the  second  ?  Is  there  any  other  A'ariety  Avhich  will 
come  quicker  into  bearing  and  profitable  for  groAving  for  market?” 
[If  you  plant  tAvo-years-old  trees  from  the  bud  or  graft  next 
October  they  Avould  grie  some  fruit,  if  furnished  Avith  fruit  buds, 
the  folloAving  year  (1903)  ;  but  this  is  not  advisable,  even  if 
blossom  buds  are  present,  for,  OAA'ing.to  the  removal,  they  AA'ill 
need  all  their  energies  for  re-establishment,  Avhich  is  of  more 
importance  than  fruit  production  in  the  early  years  of  the  trees. 
They  AAmuld,  hoAvever,  bear  a  little  without  prejudice  in  1904, 
and  increase  in  early  groAvth  and  production.  It  Avill  not 
hoAvever,  be  until  the  seventh  year  that  the  trees  Avill  be  in 
profitable  proeluction,  Avhen  they  may  produce  from  a  peck  to  a 
bushel  of  fruit  per  tree,  it  not  being  possible  to  give  any  precise 
data,  as  so  much  depends  upon  soil,  situation,  season,  and 
variety.  The  loAver  rate  of  production  is  tho  .safest.  Not  until 
the  fifteenth  year  Avould  the  trees  be  capable  of  producing  a 
bushel  of  fruit  each,  they  being  bushes  and  planted  12ft  apart, 
and  this  amounts  to  7|  tons  per  acre,  quite  as  much  as  the  trees 
AA'ill  average,  one  year  with  another.  As  regards  planting  Lord 
Sufifield  alternately  AA'ith  other  A'arieties  with  the  intention  of 
removing  them,  then  the  produce  in  the  first  year  Avould  be  nil 
and  in  the  second  year  no  great  amount,  for  it  is  not  until  the 
fifth  year  that  profitable  production  is  reached,  even  in  the  early 
bearing  varieties,  and  a  peck  of  fruit  per  tree  is  the  maximum 
that  could  be  expected  from  them.  We  should  prefer  White 
Transparent  to  Lord  Suffield  for  early  bearing  and  compact 
groAA’th,  and  instead  of  Irish  Peach  harm  Lady  Sudeley.] 
FLOWERING  MALMAISON  CARNATIONS  IN  FEB¬ 
RUARY  (R-.  W.  D.) — “  I  Avould  be  much  obliged  if  you  Avould  be 
so  very  kind  as  to  let  me  knoAV  hoAV  to  floAver  Malmaison  Carna¬ 
tions  at  this  time  of  year.  Hitherto  I  hav'c  thought  this  impos¬ 
sible  in  a  general  AAay,  though  I  IiaAm  had  occasional  blooms  in 
inidAvinter,  but  this  I  attributed  to  the  bud  having  partly  formed 
before  the  layering  Avas  done.  M.y  employer,  avIio  is  an 
enthusiastic  gardener,  paid  me  a  high  compnment  lately  by 
remarking  that  our  small  collection  of  one  hundred  Malmaisons 
Avas  absolutely, the  strongest  and  healthie.st  looking  he  has  seen 
this  year,  and  I  knoAv  that  includes  some  Awry  extensive  ones; 
but  he  also  said  he  saAv  one  collection  just  beginning  to  floAver, 
and  Avondered  if  I  could  not  floAver  our  oavu.  I  frankly  admitted 
I  could  not.  Is  it  really  the  fact  that  some  gardeners  can  do 
this,  and,  if  ,so,  hoAv  is  it  done?  ” 
[Souvenir  de  Malmaison  Carnation  and  its  many  sub-Amrieties 
do  not  usually  floAver  Avell  at  the  early  part  of  the  year,  and  when 
doing  so  it  is  commonly  on  plants  that  arc  .struck  as  cuttings 
in  July  in  gentle  heat,  or  layers  of  old  plants  at  that  time  in  a 
frame.  When  Avell  rooted  the  cuttings,  or  layers,  are  potted 
off,  the  smaller  into  Sin  and  the  larger  into  4i.n  pots.  In  these 
the  plants  are  Avintered  in  an  airy  position  near  the  glass.  The 
second  season  the  plants  are  groAvn  on,  and  not  alloAved  to  bloom 
through  the  summer,  giAuhg  about  tAvo  shifts  until  they  are  in 
the  size  of  pot  desired — lOin  being  the  maximum — feeding  AAuth 
liquid  manure  being  attended  to  after  the  p-ots  are  filled  AAuth 
roots.  About  the  middle  of  September  the  plants  are  taken 
indoors,  giving  plenty  of  air  for  some  days.  By  maintaining  a 
temperature  of  from  45deg  to  50deg  some  fair  blooms  may  be  had 
in  Avinter  and  early  spring  months;  but  to  insure  Avell-developed 
floAvers  a  temperature  of  oOdeg  to  oodeg,  Avith  a  free  circulation 
of  air  on  all  favourable  occasions,  is  all-important.  Another  plan 
is  to  put  in  cuttings  about  the  middle  of  February,  striking  them 
in  a  bottom  heat  of  70deg  to  75deg,  potting  off  as  soon  as  rooted, 
gradually  hardeued  so  as  to  bear  remoA'al  to  a  house  Avith  a  green¬ 
house  temperature,  AA'hero  they  remain  until  April.  They  may 
then  be  shifted  on,  buds  for  bloom  being  pinched  off.  In  Sep¬ 
tember  the  plants  are  housed  and  air  freely  admitted,  affording 
a  temperature  of  50deg  to  55deg  in  order  to  have  bloom  in  winter 
and  early  spring  months.  We,  hoAVCA-er,  strongly  advise 
adherence  to  the  practice  you  have  found  .succe.s.sful,  the  very 
early  blooming  not,  in  our  experience,  being  generally  .sati.s- 
factorjn] 
