April  27,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
347 
■of  supply  of  the  right  men  for  filling  vacancies  in  the  respective 
districts.  We  happen  to  know  that  last  week  a  well  written  letter, 
by  the  chairman  of  one  of  those  associations,  was  not  without  effect 
in  gaining  for  a  member  a  favourable  hearing  as  applicant  for  a 
coveted  position  beyond  the  district  in  which  the  association  is 
•established.  A  letter  from  a  “Union”  of  the  other  chimerical  kind, 
would,  there  is  little  doubt,  have  been  summarily  rejected. 
Our  ardent  young  men  who,  with  the  best  intentions,  would  flounder 
about  in  the  Press,  if  Editors  would  allow  them,  in  the  advocacy  of 
■“  Unions”  for  “altering  things,”  do  not  appear  to  know  that  the  plan 
has  been  tried.  They  seem  to  be  in  blissful  ignorance  of  a  smart 
secretary  drawing  2d.  a  week  from  between  200  and  300  men  employed 
in  gardens  near  London  for  preaching  to  them  when  he  could,  writing 
to  the  Press  (but  not  printed),  and  to  individuals  (uselessly),  also  in 
other  ways  fooling  his  “  clients.”  But  though  these  facts  are  not 
known  to  the  present  would-be  “  leaders  ”  in  a  crusade,  they  will  not 
perhaps  be  surprised  to  hear  that  the  “  secretary  ”  was  too  fully  engaged 
to  do  any  work  for  two  years.  All  he  did  during  that  time  was  to 
draw  £300  in  “  tuppences,”  and  as  the  payers  were  not  a  penny  the 
better,  the  “Union”  was  “wound  up,”  and  the  wide-awake  secretary 
is  probably  living  on  his  wits  in  some  other  congenial  occupation.] 
EPACRIS. 
Although  these  very  beautiful  hard  wooded  plants  are  at  the 
|)resent  time,  like  Ericas,  under  a  cloud,  I  feel  sure  that  they  will 
again  become  popular  and  be  largely  grown.  Their  culture  is  by  no 
means  difficult,  and  when  well  grown  they  supply  beautiful  cut  blooms 
-during  January  and  February — months  when  flowers  are  scarcer  than 
at  any  other  season.  When  cut  with  long  slender  stems  few  flowers 
•can  equal  them  for  giving  lightness  to  cut  flower  arrangements. 
Hybridists  have  succeeded  in  raising  new  varieties  which,  in  point 
of  showiness,  are  far  in  advance  of  older  ones,  and  with  further  efforts 
in  that  direction  we  may  confidently  anticipate  that  still  better  results 
will  be  obtained. 
Epacris  are  not  only  useful  for  supplying  cut  flowers,  but  are  of 
great  service  for  use  as  pot  plants 
too.  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of 
the  important  part  they  played  in 
some  ball-room  decorations  I  assisted 
to  carry  out  in  my'  younger  days. 
The  plants  were  irregularly  disposed 
among  groups  formed  in  recesses  in 
front  of  the  orchestra  and  along 
the  sides  of  a  corridor.  They  were 
set  in  a  groundwork  of  Ferns  and 
foliaged  plants.  Hyacinths,  Tulips 
and  Primulas  beingalso  interspersed 
between  them,  with  large  Palms 
waving  their  arching  leaves  over¬ 
head.  Yet  among  the  many  beauti¬ 
ful  plants  used  in  these  arrange¬ 
ments  the  Epacris  were  certainly 
the  most  conspicuous  when  seen 
under  artificial  light ;  their  long 
slender  shoots  gave  the  necessary 
touch  of  lightness,  combined  with 
delicate  colouring. 
Those  who  contemplate  making 
a  start  at  Epacris  growing  will  do 
well  to  purchase  a  few  small  plants, 
for  although  they  are  not  difficult 
to  raise  from  cuttings,  the  process 
takes  a  long  time ;  too  long,  in  fact, 
for  these  hurrying  days,  when 
speedy  results  are  looked  for.  My 
advice  in  the  matter  is,  obtain  a  few 
dozens  of  plants  at  once,  and  when 
these  have  been  grown  into  shapely 
little  specimens,  make  a  point  of 
inserting  a  few  cuttings  each  year; 
the-jstock  is  thus  gradually  in¬ 
creased,  and  vigorous  youngsters 
are  always  ready  to  take  the  places 
of  any  that  go  wrong,  as  some 
assuredly  will  do,  under  the  best 
of  management. 
Young  plants  in  3-inch  pots,  if  obtained  now’,  will  be  ready  for  a 
shift  into  5-inch  ones.  Good  fibrous  brown  peat,  similar  to  that 
advocated  for  Ericas  on  page  303,  with  sharp  sand  added,  forms  the 
best  potting  compost.  Ample  drainage  must  be  given,  and  firm 
potting  practised,  to  insure  satisfactory  results.  After  potting,  place 
in  some  structure  where  a  gentle  heat  is  maintained,  syringe  lightly 
Epaceis 
Fig.  79. 
MINIATA  SPLEKDENS. 
18 
Watering 
enough  to 
be  accom- 
during  bright  weather  several  times  daily,  ani  shade  for  a  few 
hours.  The  aim  should  be  to  secure  long  and  strong  shoots  ;  it 
better  to  have  a  few  of  such  than  numbers  of  weaker  ones, 
must  be  carefully  performed,  but  when  it  is  done  give 
moisten  the  old  ball  throughout.  This  cannot  always 
plished  in  one  application.  A  good  waterer 
will  attend  to  the  driest  plants  first,  and 
then  give  each  a  second  application  as  the 
work  of  examining  the  whole  stock  proceeds. 
When  the  young  shoots  have  grow'n  a 
few  inches  in  length  gradually  admit  more 
air,  and  during  June  provide  all  the  air 
possible  night  and  day,  excejit  when  high 
winds  prevail.  Early  in  July  place  the 
plants  in  a  sunny  position  in  the  open  air, 
plunging  the  pots  to  about  two-thirds  their 
depth  in  ashes.  This  full  exposure  will 
have  the  effect  of  thoroughly  ripening  the 
wood,  a  most  important  point  in  connection 
with  Epacris  culture,  for  without  well 
ripened  wood  shoots  wreathed  with  flowers 
cannot  be  obtained. 
About  the  middle  of  September  remove 
the  plants  to  their  winter  quarters  ;  a  green¬ 
house  or  other  cool  structure,  from  which 
frost  is  just  excluded,  is  a  suitable  piosition 
for  them,  so  is  an  early  vinery  in  which  the 
laterals  have  been  shortened  to  admit  light. 
If  a  few  plants  are  wanted  in  flower  during 
January,  by  the  end  of  November  place 
some  of  them  in  a  house  where  a  tempe¬ 
rature  of  from  50’ to  60°  is  maintained,  with 
a  suitable  amount  of  moisture.  Unlike 
Ericas,  Epacris  will  bear  a  little  gentle 
forcing.  Plants  kept  in  quite  cool  houses 
will  form  a  succession.  After  flowering,  the 
erect  growing  varieties  require  hard  jiruning, 
cut  them  back  to  within  one  or  two  eyes  of 
their  base,  place  in  gentle  heat,  and  when  the 
young  shoots  are  from  1  to  2  inches  in  length, 
shift  into  larger  pots,  and  treat  according 
to  directions  previously  given  fur  guidance 
during  the  growing  season.  A  Uw  pendulous 
growing  varieties  never  make  very  strong  shoots ;  in  their  case 
little  pruning  is  needed ;  it  only  amounts  to  shortening  a  few  of  the 
longer  shoots  to  preserve  the  balance  of  growth. 
The  following  are  all  excellent  varieties  :  miniata  splendens  (fig.  79), 
exoniensis,  Exquisite,  Fireball,  hyacinthiflora,  h.  alba,  h.  candidissima, 
h.  carminata.  Lady  Alice  Peel,  Lucifer,  densiflora  tlegans  (fig.  80), 
grandiflora,  rubra  superba,  and  Viscountess  Hill. — Plantsman. 
P.S. — On  page  304,  a  few  lines  from  the  end  of  my  article  on 
Ericas,  I  see  a  slight  error  has  crept  in ;  “  ivater  constantly  at  critical 
times,”  should  read  watch  constantly,  &c. 
Fig.  80. 
Epaceis  elegaks. 
PEACHES. 
In  penning  the  paragraph  mentioned  by  “H.  D.,”  on  page  294,  1  had 
no  thought  of  binding  myself  to  the  magical  six  ;  I  spoke  of  Barrington 
and  Crimson  Galande  as  if  included  in  a  general  collection.  Further¬ 
more,  I  explicitly  said  my  remarks  were  in  reference  to  outside  culture 
only.  “Speak  as  you  find”  is  a  golden  rule,  and  so  I  referred  to 
Barrington  as  being  a  free  and  generous  bearer.  I  have  heard  of  the 
fault  of  defective  stoning  before  ;  the  remedy  of  applying  lime  need  not  be 
peculiar  to  this  variety  alone  ;  all  Peaches  need  lime.  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  replying  to  “H.  D.”  anent  Crimson  Galande.  My  experience  of  the 
variety  in  question,  in  totally  different  soils,  on  a  south-eastern  aspect 
as  well  as  a  southern,  in  more  than  one  locality,  leads  me  to  say  that  I 
should  certainly  recommend  Crimson  Galande  lor  outdoor  culture  in  any 
district  I  know" in  preference  to  Royal  George. — Kitchen  Gaedener. 
-  Street  Trees  and  Patent  Pavements.  — It  is  to  be 
expected  that  everyone  in  planting  trees  will  exercise  the  usual  care  to  see 
that  drainage  conditions  are  satislactory  ;  bat  when  the  street  pavement 
and  side  walk  are  asphalt  or  other  patent  material,  unusual  care  is  neces¬ 
sary,  says  “Meehan’s  Monthly-,”  to  have  not  only  good  underdrainage, but 
also  good  conditions  above  for  the  encouragement  of  moisture.  A  hole 
1  foot  in  diameter  is  insufficient  if  cut  directly  through  the  pavement,  as 
both  air  and  water  must  pass  through  for  the  support  of  the  tree.  Two  feet 
width  is  better,  and  6  inches  more  will  be  acceptable  ;  and  if  the  surface 
be  depressed  towards  the  tree,  to  attract  rain  water,  so  much  the  better. 
Add  a  top  mulch  of  hay  or  strawy  manure,  and  the  conditions  will  bo 
improved.  A  layer  of  well-rotted  manure  placed  just  above  but  not  next 
to  the  roots  will  hold  moisture,  at  the  same  time  giving  food  to  the  roofs. 
Brick  pavements  are  not  as  objectionable  to  trees,  as  there  are  many 
openings  to  admit  the  elements  needed. 
