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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Jane  19,  1902. 
Camden,  I  was  much  struck  by  the  magnificence  of  the  Beeches. 
However,  everywhere  around  the  Wells,  in  whichever  direction 
you  wend  your  way,  it  is  impossible  not  to  note  these  grand  and 
elegant  denizens  of  the  fore.st,  and  their  remarkable  height ; 
indeed,  the  latter  trait  astonishes  one  the  most,  perhaps.  In 
close  proximity  to  many  a  fine  specimen  of  Beech  niay  frequently 
be  noticed  some  grand  monster  Oak,  as  if  bidding  for  a  com¬ 
parison  of  its  charms  in  friendly  rivalry,  but,  as  sings  the 
minstrel  : 
Each  gives  each  a  double  charm, 
As  pearls  upon  an  Kthiop’s  arm. 
And  in  very  sooth  these  “  green-robed  senators  of  mighty 
woods,”  when  seen  in  their  first  spring  freshness,  are  perfect 
models  of  power,  symmetry,  and  beauty.  Very  large  numbers 
of  this  essentially  English  tree  of  indigenous  growth  may  all 
around  this  district  be  seen,  and  the  value  of  many  estates  where 
they  seem  to  1^  peculiarly  flourishing  must  of  consequence  be 
very  largely  enhanced  by  t^ieir  presence. 
In  closing  I  cannot  refrain  from  the  mention  of  a  six  hundred 
year  old  Kentish  rectory  in  the  Sevenoaks  neighbourhood,  where 
amongst  much  that  was  beautiful  and  picturesque  in  the  fine  old 
grounds  sloping  gradually  from  the  little  shingle  steepled  church 
in  the  peaceful  God’s  acre,  far  from  gay  cities  and  the  ways  of 
men,  to  the  curious  old  rambling  house,  made  up  of  half  a  dozen 
styles  of  arcliitecture  and  more,  I  was  much  impressed  by  a 
colossal  Cedar  of  Lebanon  on  the  lawn,  of  mighty  girth  and 
towering  height.  Though  there  was  timber  in  plenty  all  round 
of  fine  proportions  and  elegant  contours,  I  could  not  help  think¬ 
ing,  as  I  gazed  at  the  far-.spreading  giant  before  me,  of  those 
words  of  Pope : 
I  am  lii.s  Highness,’  dog  at  Kew, 
Pr.iy  tell  me,  sir,  whoso  dog  are  yon. 
The  mammoth  seemed  to  be  vaunting  some  such  words  as 
these  in  its  pride  at  belonging  to  the  Rector  and  overtopping  all 
else  with  its  embracing  limbs.  As  regards  age,  however,  I  regret 
to  say  our  friend  w’as  an  impostor.  No  one  would  have  put  him 
down  at  less  than  that  of  the  rectory  itself,  yet  I  was  credibly 
informed  descendants  of  bygone  villagers  knew  it  to  be  no 
more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  that  as  a  small  stripling  it  was 
brought  over  from  Palestine  to  begin  its  guardian  vigil  oyer  the 
manse.  Truly,  however,  it;  had  made  the  most  of  its  time.  I 
had  the  curiosity  to  measure  its  circumference,  and  found  it  to 
be  about  24ft  round  at  the  extreme  base,  while  one  of  its  lateral 
branches  was  no  less  than  54ft  in  length.  The  height  was  a  very 
considerable  one,  but  I  had  no  means  of  finding  the  true  span. 
How  these  measurements  compare  with  other  Cedars  in  Eng¬ 
land  I  know  not,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  our  centenarian 
will  take  some  beating. — J.  A.  Carnegie-Cheales. 
Figs  under  Glass. 
After  the  first  crops  from  early  forced  trees  are  gathered, 
generous  treatment  will  be  needed  to  enable  the  trees  to  sw’ell 
the  second  crop.  Syringing  twice  a  day  is  needful  to  keep  the 
trees  free  from  red  spider,  though  that  is  hardly  possible  in  early 
forcing;  but  a  little  sulphur  on  the  hot^water  pipes  is  a  great 
deterrent  of  this  pest  and  “  spot-fungus.”  If  an  insecticide  be 
used,  it  must  be  such  as  Avill  not  injure  or  discolour  the  fruit, 
which  is  easily  done  by  a  corrosive  substance,  or  even  rubbing 
with  the  hand  or  clothes.  Afford  liquid  manure  when  watering 
is  necessary,  trees  in  pots  requiring  it  daily,  sometimes  twice  a 
day,  and  trees  in  borders  once  or  twice  a  week,  according  to  the 
extent  of  the  rooting  area.  The  second  crop  should  be  thinned 
when  the  size  of  Hazel  nuts,  always  before  they  are  the  size  of 
Walnuts,  and  in  thinning  reserve  the  largest  at  the  base  of  the 
shoots.  Top-dress  trees  in  pots  with  rich  material,  supplying  a 
little  chemical  manure  occasionally ;  planted  out  trees  mulch 
with  short',  sweet,  lumpy,  partially  decayed  manure,  about  an 
inch  thick,  and  renew  from  time  to  time,  so  as  to  maintain  that 
thickness. 
Succession  Houses. 
When  the  fruit  commences  to  ripen  a  free-  circulation  of  air 
must  be  afforded,  and  it  shoukl  be  warm,  as  cold  air  moisture 
settles  on  the  fruit,  and  may  cause  decay  or  re, suit  in  cracking  or 
“  spot.”  Attend  to  tying-in  and  regulating  the  shoots  by  thinning 
and  stopping,  so  as  to  afford  the  fruit  the  benefit  of  all  the  light 
practicable.  The  moisture  in  the  atmosphere  will  need  to  be 
moderated,  not  wetting  the  fruit,  though  if  red  spider  attacks 
the  trees  the  fruit  should  be  picked  rather  closely  and  a  good 
syringing  given,  which  will  not  injure  the  remaining  fruit,  pro¬ 
vided  it  is  done  early  on  a  fine  day,  so  that  the  moisture  does 
not  remain  long  on  them.  Do  not  allow’  any  lack  of  water  at 
the  rcmts  yet  guard  against  excessive  moisture  in  the  soil  by 
affording  lessened  supplies  than  w'hen  the  fruits  are  swelling. 
The  trees  for  next  year’s  early  forcing  must  not  be  neglected 
in  any  cultural  essential,  or  disappointment  whll  be  the  conse¬ 
quence.  They  must  have  all  the  light  possible,  and  be  kept  as 
near  the  glass  as  practicable  without  touching,  so  as  to  secure 
sturdy,  well  ripened  grow’ths,  keeping  these  clean  by  syringing 
a,nd  the  application  of  an  insecticide  if  necessary,  and  affording 
liquid  n\anure  to  afford  a  stout  growth.  Suckers  must  be  removed. 
When  the  growth  is  completed  the  trees  may  be  stood  outdoors 
in  a  sunny  place  to  induce  rest,  but  the  wood  must  be  well 
ripened  previously’,  and  the  sooner  the  better  for  early  forcing. 
If  any  fruit  shows  it  should  be  removed.  This  will  not  prejudice, 
but  favour,  the  formation  of  bud  Figs  in  embryo  for  producing 
the  first  and  most  valuable  crop  another  season. — Grower. 
Notes  on  Hardy  Flowers. 
The  new’  Fritillaria  tuntasia  has,  I  believe,  made  its  appear¬ 
ance  at  the  Drill  Hall  this  season  for  the  first  time,  though,  less 
favoured  than  F.  askhabadensis,  it  w’as  not  honoured  with  an 
award.  This  is  not  surprising,  as  a  casual  glance  does  not  give 
one  a  pow’erful  impression  of  its  merits  in  the  garden.  The 
floorers  are  a  rather  glossy  black-brown  on  the  outside,  and  are 
thus  far  from  fascinating.  Like  many  other  Fritillarias,  how¬ 
ever,  they  have  beauties  which  are  Avithheld  from  those  w’ho  do 
not  examine  them  more  carefully,  for  the  inside  of  the  flow’er 
is  its  strong  point.  It  is  of  a  warm,  deep,  chestnut  brown, 
perfectly  velvety  in  appearance,  and  set  off  by  the  bright  yellow 
of  its  reproductive  organs.  This  Fritillaria  was  one  of  the 
earlie.st  to  appear  here,  and  it  had  to  withstand  the  hardest 
fro.st  of  the  pa.st  winter  when  in  bud,  and  almost  at  its  full 
height  of  about  a  foot.  Much  to  my  surprise,  it  w’as  uninjured, 
and  came  into  bloom  in  March  unharmed.  My  specimen  came 
to  me  last  year  from  Herr  Max  Leichtlin,  but  I  am  at  present 
without  particulars  of  its  native  habitats. 
Geum  montanum. 
This  old  border  or  rockery  plant  is  very  attractive  as  I  w’rite, 
and  looks  well  at  the  base  of  the  rockeries,  or  in  the  border, 
with  its  prettily  formed  leaves  and  bright,  golden-yellow  flow’ers. 
I  look  upon  it  as  one  of  the  most  easily  grown  of  a  genus  which 
does  not  present  many  difficulties  to  the  gardener,  as  it  will 
flourish  well  in  almost  any  soil,  and  either  in  full  sun  or  in 
comparatively  deep  shade,  although  I  should  not  plant  it  under 
the  drip  of  trees.  Yet  I  have  know’n  it  to  be  lost  in  good  gardens, 
a  fact  which  I  attribute  to  w’ant  of  top-dressing,  and  from  the 
hard  stem  or  stock  of  the  plant  thus  becoming  too  much  exposed. 
It  can  stand  a  fair  amount  of  dry  w'eather  when  this  is  beneath 
the  surface,  but  the  plant  rapidly  deteriorates  if  top-dressing 
is  long  neglected.  While  it  can  thus  stand  drought,  it  likes  a 
fair  amount  of  moisture,  and  has  a  preference  for  a  moist,  peaty 
.soil.  There  is  a  large  flowered  form  called  major  or  grandi- 
florum,  and  with  the  suffix  of  aurantiacum,  a  hybrid  plant  with 
orange-coloured  flowers,  which  comes  from  this  species,  and 
G.  Heldreichi,  is  procurable.  The  typical  G.  monatum  grows 
from  Cin  to  12in  high. 
Anemone  Pulsatilla. 
W^hile  to  those  who  are  on  chalky  soils  this  old  Basque  Flow’er 
is  one  of  the  easiest  po,ssible  things  to  grow,  it  is  different  with 
those  who  have  a  garden  with  but  little  calcareous  matter  in  it, 
and  who,  moreover,  have  a  moist  climate,  w’hich  A.  Pulsatilla, 
like  many  other  pubescent  plants,  dislikes.  It  is  so  pretty  in 
all  its  forms  that  it  ought  to  have  a  place  in  all  gardens,  espe¬ 
cially  the  white  variety,  which  is  an  acquisition  Avorth  securing. 
There  is  not  much  difficulty  in  giving  it  some  old  mortar  or,  lime 
rubbi.sh  to  suit  its  ta,stes  for  calcareous  soil,  but  the  matter  of 
overhead  moisture,  in  very  Avet  places,  is  more  difficult  to  deal 
Avith,  and  is  best  secured  by  covering  the  plant  Avith  glass  for  a 
little  Avhile  in  spring  after  it  appears,  and  also  later  in  the  year. 
It  is  not  impossible,  however,  to  pick  for  it  a  dry  place  in  the 
garden ;  and  I  find  that  in  the  garden  in  front  of  my  house,  Avhich 
is  drier  than  the  remainder  OAving  to  the  house  stopping  a  good 
deal  of  the  rain  Avhich  comes  from  the  west,  these  silvery  or  hairy 
leaved  things  do  better  than  elseAA'here.  This  Anemone  is  among 
the  nuihber,  and  Avhile  I  have  frequently  lost  it  elseAvhere,  it 
proves  quite  long-lived  and  free  floAvering  on  dry  rockAvork  in 
this  part  of  the  garden.  Nor  does  it  require  much  lime  or  chalk 
there,  Avhich  points  to  Avhat  one  finds  in  many  things  that  the 
chalk  secures  greater  dryness  by  absorbing  a  comsiderable  amount 
of  the  rainfall,  Avhich  the  plant  might  otherAvise  resent.  If  we 
look  upon  these  provisions  of  avooI,  hair,  or  tomentum  as  pro¬ 
visions  to  AA'ithstand  drought  or  cold,  as  they  usually  are,  we 
shall  help  ourselves  in  the  study  of  cultural  points  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  treatment  of  many  plants. — S.  Arnott. 
