2 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
July  4,  1901. 
much  so  that  one  or  two  seasons  immediately  succeeding  a  “  big  ”  crop 
are  remarkable  for  no  crop  at  all.  Diseases  also  are  induced. 
The  benefits  accruing  from  proper  thinning,  on  the  other  hand,  are, 
to  those  who  have  never  experienced  them,  a  matter  of  faith  while 
untried.  They  are,  however,  none  the  less  real.  Fruit  is  improved  in 
size  and  also  in  quality.  None  of  it  need  be  wasted  on  account  of 
worthlessness,  and  in  the  matter  of  late-keeping  Apples  the  fruit 
passes  the  months  of  waiting  in  the  store  room  comparatively  frre 
from  the  troubles  that  carry  off  small  and  ill-matured  fruit.  The 
trees  on  their  part,  never  burdened  beyond  their  powers  of  production, 
respond  annually  to  Nature’s  stirring,  and  provide  each  year,  with  few 
exceptions,  their  quota  of  fruit.  And  it  is  a  curious  result  of  attention 
in  this  matter  that  trees  carefully  thinned  of  fruit  show  a  less  tendency 
to  produce  what  are  called  extraordinary  crops  than  those  left  to  them¬ 
selves.  They,  in  fact,  become  more  domesticated,  more  subject  to  rule, 
and  fit  themselves  to  the  conditions  forced  upon  them. 
Now,  as  it  is  never  too  late  to  mend,  so  is  it  never  too  late  to  thin 
overburdened  fruit  trees.  At  the  same  time,  the  best  results  follow 
the  removal  of  the  superfluous  fruit  while  yet  small.  Then  we  not 
only  secure  to  that  left  to  mature  the  fullest  size  the  nature  of  the 
season  permits,  but  the  tree  is  kept  in  exuberant  health  and  in  a  fit 
and  proper  condition  to  form  the  right  sort  of  buds  for  the  crop  of  the 
following  year.  Broadly  speaking,  up  to  the  period  of  stoning,  in  the 
case  of  drupaceous  fruit,  both  the  tree  and  its  crop  is  benefited  by  the 
operation.  After  that  process  has  been  completed,  an  over-heavy  crop 
has  already  weakened  the  tree  beyond  its  power  to  make  good  the 
same  season,  but  a  reduction  of  the  fruit  has  a  beneficial  effect  on  that 
left.  With  regard  to  Apples  and  Pears  there  is  room  for  a  greater 
degree  of  laxity,  for  experience  proves  that  up  to  a  late  period 
superflucus  fruits  may  be  advantageously  removed. 
So  marvellously  do  Apples  respond  to  thinning,  that  in  the  case 
of  early  sorts  it  is  porsible,  though  perhaps  not  always  judicious,  to 
keep  thinning  and  using  the  larger  fruits  from  the  time  they  are  fit, 
and  finally  to  leave  a  fair  crop  of  the  smallest  to  swell.  The  crop  is, 
of  course,  much  later  in  maturing ;  I  have  had  Lord  Grosvenor,  for 
instance,  keep  on  swelling  till  the  end  of  October.  Pears,  it  is 
perhaps  needless  to  say,  do  not  respond  in  the  same  way.  It  may  be 
thought  that  a  judicious  lessening  of  the  numbers  of  the  larger  Apples 
and  Pears  would  practically  meet  the  merits  of  the  case.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  the  best  results  are  obtained  in  the  case  of  the  smaller  late 
kinds. 
Such  a  delicious  Pear  as  Winter  Nelis,  for  example,  when  vigorously 
thinned,  not  only  in  its  fruit  receives  a  large  access  of  bulk,  but  the 
quality  is  very  much  better.  So  with  the  eating  late  Apples,  Duke  of 
Devonshire,  Krngof  Pippins,  Cox’s  Golden  Pippin,  Claygate  Pearmain, 
Beachamwell,  and  others  of  that  class,  if  severely  thinned,  are  improved 
to  a  really  extraordinary  extent.  In  the  north  some  of  the  smaller 
fruited  varieties,  which  are  hardly  worth  harvesting  when  grown 
without  thinning,  become  really  usetul  after  due  attention  in  that 
matter. 
How  many  ought  to  be  left  to  secure  these  ends  ?  To  answer  that 
would  entail  a  large  discussion.  A  safe  rule  to  follow,  however,  is  to 
err  on  the  side  of  undercropping.  It  is  perhaps  necessary,  if  the 
season  proves  a  leBS  than  ordinarily  good  one,  and  in  all  kinds  of 
seasons  it  is  to  the  advantage  of  the  trees.  A  fair  crop  properly 
distributed  year  after  year  is  more  than  sufficient  for  all  the  require¬ 
ments  of  any  private  establishment.  Thus  there  is  no  good  reason 
for  greediness  in  trying  to  obtain  very  large  crops,  while  on  the  other 
hand  there  is  every  inducement  to  produce  annually  an  average  crop  of 
nigh-class  fruit. — E.  P.  Protherston. 
Hardy  Flower  Notes. 
.  .  As  though  June  ne’er  before 
Had  filled  her  lap  with  Roses. 
But  a  few  days  ago  one  felt  tempted  to  agree  with  the  title  of 
Theodore  Watts’  sonnet  “  Natura  Maligna,”  for  the  fierce  north-west 
wind  which  sweeps  down  the  side  of  the  mountain  near  by,  and  which 
is  our  most  destructive  one  for  the  flowers,  was  raging  with  even  moie 
than  its  usual  vehemence,  and  with  more  prolonged  duration  than 
usually  occurs.  It  was  pitiful  to  see  the  taller  plants  struggling  to  hold 
their  own,  and  to  see  them  and  the  shrubs  and  trees  being  greatly 
despoiled  of  the  freshness  of  their  foliage,  so  that  one  lelt  as  it  one  was 
at  the  mercy  of  some  unbeneficent  power  for  the  time.  Leaves  were 
blackened,  and  the  beauty  of  some  things  taken  away  for  the  rest  of 
the  year.  Magnolia  ccnspicua,  which  locked  so  pretty  even  without  a 
flower,  has  lost  a  number  of  its  fine  leaves,  and  many  more  from  others 
were  blown  abcut,  the  old  Lilac  tree  having  quite  a  hecatomb  of  such 
wind-riven  leaves  all  about  its  base.  Now,  however,  it  is  no  longir 
“Natura  Maligna,”  but  Natura  Benigna,  for  rain  has  come,  the  wild 
has  changed,  and  freshness  and  bloom  once  more  appear.  The  Bose 
buds  have  become  Eoses,  and  we  are  revelling  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 
these  gracious  flowers,  and  feeling  as  if  we  had  never  seen  such  a  sight 
before.  It  seems  as  if  we  were  to  have  a  good  Rose  season  here,  for 
they  are  blooming  with  great  freedom,  both  singles  and  doubles. 
William  Allen  Richardson  on  the  house  gable  is  finer  in  colour  than 
usual;  the  pillar  of  Longworth  Rambler  is  both  full  of  blow  and  is 
giving  better  bloom  than  is  usual  here  ;  and  Alisier  Stella  Gray, 
generally  late  here,  is  blooming  much  earlier  than  is  its  wont  in  this 
garden.  But  “Mr.  Raillem”  and  other  rosarians  will  think  I  am 
going  too  far  if  I  say  more  about  my  few  Roses,  which  are,  in  truth, 
grown  as  “  garden  Roses  ”  purely  and  simply,  and  include  too  many 
“  species  ”  to  find  much  favour  in  their  eyes. 
Irises  have  also  done  well,  and  I  must  thank  Mr.  Brotherston  for 
his  welcome  article  on  the  Fleur  de  Lys,  which  recalls  so  many 
interesting  things  about  this  fine  flower.  One  would  like  now,  how¬ 
ever,  to  say  a  word  for  the  pretty  white  Siberian  Iris,  I.  sibirica  alba, 
which  finds  but  little  recognition  nowadays.  A  good  clump>  in  bloom 
in  my  front  garden  looks  well,  and  is  appreciated  by  more  than  myself 
for  its  small  but  shapely  blooms.  The  white  variety  is  even  prettier 
than  the  type,  although  there  are  tints  about  it  which  would  refute 
any  claim  it  might  make  to  being  absolutely  white.  There  is,  how¬ 
ever,  so  much  of  it  about  the  groundwork  that  the  little  marking  and 
the  few  other  tints  about  the  base  of  the  falls  only  serve  to  make  the 
flower  the  prettier,  though  we  should  appreciate  a  variety  from  which 
all  these  were  eliminated,  and  only  pure  white  remained. 
Rather  a  fine  Geranium  is  that  introduced  by  Max  Leichtlin,  as  we 
aopreciatingly  call  the  floral  savant  of  Baden-Baden,  as  G.  grandi- 
florum.  It  reminds  one  much,  it  is  true,  of  our  own  G.  pratense,  but 
it  has  better  flowers  of  much  the  same  shade  of  blue,  and  its  foliage 
is  prettier  by  far;  there  is  a  deeper  shade  of  green  about  them,  and 
they  partly  assume,  as  well,  a  few  nice  tints  of  red  and  yellow,  such 
as  we  may  see  cn  G.  pratense  at  the  autumn,  but  not  till  then.  At 
the  same  time,  I  question  much  if  we  would  not  deceive  one  of  the 
best  of  our  botanists  if  we  submitted  a  piece  of  G.  grandiflorum  to 
him  for  name  ;  I  fancy  he  would  say,  “G.  pratense,  unmistakeably.” 
There  is  so  much  of  the  pleasure  of  a  garden  yielded  by  watching 
new  flowers  coming  into  bloom,  that  one  must  not  a  ways  feel 
aggrieved  if  the  expected  swans  prove  geese  after  all.  If  we  seek 
novelty  we  must  pay  the  price,  and  part  of  it  is  the  disappointment 
which  falls  to  our  lot  if  the  flower  does  not  come  up  to  expectations. 
I  am  feeling  rather  sore  about  such  a  disappointment  with  a  plant  I 
found  in  a  nursery  under  the  name  of  Silene  Requieni,  and  which 
was  sent  to  me  safely  in  a  pot,  and  has  been  watched  with  particular 
attention,  and  guarded  with  peculiar  care.  I  make  no  complaint  about 
the  vendor,  who  did  not  even  recommend  it,  but  left  me  unsolicited  to 
buy  this  or  that.  Well,  it  has  bloomed,  and  the  result  belies  the  fine 
fat  buds,  which  promised  a  good  flower.  A  small  white  flower  with 
an  inflated  calyx  will  serve  for  a  description,  though  the  neatness  of 
the  plant  made  one  expect  a  superior  alpine  flower. 
Such  a  di-appointment  only  serves  to  heighten  one’s  pleasure  when 
we  have  a  really  gocd  find  among  these  new  plants,  and  such  I  have 
had  with  Veronica  filifolia,  one  of  the  prettiest  little  plants  it  has 
been  my  good  fortune  to  see  for  a  long  time,  though  there  is  some 
dread  mingled  with  the  enjoyment,  that  the  plant  may  either  be  an 
annual  or  may  be  rather  tender.  It  came  to  me  lrom  France,  and 
has  been  in  flower  for  nearly  a  month,  1  should  say.  It  is  probably 
V.  filiformis,  an  Asia  Minor  plant  ;  it  is  of  dwarf  growth,  not  being 
more  than  9  inches  high.  The  flowers  are  those  of  our  Germander, 
but  are  white  lined  with  lilac,  which  is  deeper  on  the  upper  than  on 
the  side  petals,  which  again  are  deeper  in  their  lining  than  the  lower 
one,  which  is  almost  unmarked.  The  leaves  are  so  narrow  as  to  be 
well  described  by  the  specific  name  filiformis  or  filifolia.  I  hope  to 
have  a  favourable  report  about  it  for  another  June,  if  all  go  well 
Then  Campanula  persicifolia  Moerheimi  bodes  well  to  justify  the 
encomiums  it  received  last  year  when  it  was  shown  in  London. 
Sometimes  a  plant  shown  well  at  an  exhibition  is  not  of  much  value 
as  a  garden  flower,  where  it  has  to  adapt  itself  to  the  vicissitudes  of 
gardens  where  special  care  cannot  be  given  to  everything,  and  where 
flowers  find  their  level  better  than  when  they  have  been  expressly 
cultivated  for  the  public  eye.  The  Moerheim  Bellflower  is  really  a 
good  thing,  with  its  pure  white  flowers  of  much  size  and  substance. 
Our  old  double  white  form  of  C.  persicif  >lia  is  not  so  perennial  in  some 
places  as  it  ought  to  be,  but  the  Moerheim  one  should  supersede  it 
where  such  flowers  are  in  demand.  But  there  are  many  other  things, 
so  many,  indeed,  that  one  feels  as  if  the  month  had  never  before  filled 
that  lap  so  full,  not  only  with  Roses,  but  with  other  flowers  as  well. 
Sweet  Pinks,  no  less  fragrant  double  Rockets;  queer,  but  pretty, 
Astrantias  ;  tall  and  miniature  Campanulas,  bright  Sun  Roses  and 
Rock  Roses  as  well ;  exquisite  Violas,  white  and  coppery  and  purple 
Mulleins  ;  Poppies,  not  all  “black-hearted,”  as  the  poet  called  them  ; 
pretty  Heucheras,  “Fraxinellas,”  perennial  Peas,  Orobuses,  glowing 
Eschscholtzias,  even  a  Lily  or  two,  as  if  to  keep  up  the  old  challenge 
to  the  Rose.  The  wealth  of  June  is  spread  out  before  us,  and  we  are 
welcome  to  pariake  of  the  riches  of  Flowerland,  so  freely  and  so  fully 
displayed. — S.  Arnott., 
