June  8,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  nORTTGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
477 
thickness  of  fish  nets,  blister  in  the  leaf  has  been  almost  entirely  absent. 
Apricots  are  about  half  a  crop  ;  the  prospect  at  the  time  of  flowering  did 
not  give  the  hope  of  any  remaining  after  the  destructive  frosts  which 
prevailed  at  the  time. 
It  is  yet  early  to  speak  of  Strawberries  more  than  to  say  there  is  a 
good  show  of  flower  trusses,  the  plants  generally  vigorous,  and  the  soil 
well  stored  with  moisture.  Many  of  the  earliest  blooms  were  blackened 
by  the  frost  of  the  ‘27th  and  28th  ult.— W.  S.,  Wilts. 
THE  CARE  OE  CUT  FLOWERS. 
There  is  no  sweeter  sound  for  the  florists’  ear  than  the  sharp,  crisp 
rustle  of  a  bunch  of  fresh  lioses,  Chrysanthemums,  Violets,  or  Carnations. 
The  rustle  tells  the  story  of  their  (juality,  perhaps  more  than  any  other 
one  point,  yet  how  rare  it  is,  especially  in  a  box  of  blooms.  The  care 
of  flowers  during  and  after  cutting,  during  and  after  travelling,  is  as 
important  a  consideration  as  their  cultivation,  and  it  is  useless  to  try  to 
produce  good  flowers  unless  proper  care  is  given  them  afterwards.  Many 
a  splendid  bloom  has  failed  of  a  good  sale  because  of  careless  handling. 
The  responsibility  of  the  man  entrusted  with  the  care  of  the  stock 
between  cutting  and  its  final  sale  is  second  only  to  that  of  the  grower, 
and  he  is  fully  as  difficult  a  commodity  to  secure  as  is  the  good  grower. 
A  prominent  Rose  grower  has  stated  that  one  of  his  most  troublesome 
problems  is  to  find  men  who  know  when  a  bud  is  ready  to  cut.  This 
ability  is  a  sort  of  intuition  governed  by  no  exact  rule,  impossible  of 
intelligent  analysis,  and  imparted  with  greatest  difficulty  to  even  the 
aptest  scholar. 
The  fewer  handlings  a  flower  has  to  encounter  the  better,  and  this 
fact  should  never  be  lost  sight  of  from  the  moment  the  bud  is  first 
touched  to  cut  it  off.  Alt  flowers  are  improved  by  having  the  stems 
immersed  in  water  for  a  number  of  hours  immediately  after  cutting.  The 
jars  should  be  of  varying  depths,  sufficient  to  accommodate  a  consider¬ 
able  part  of  the  stem,  and  numerous  enough  so  that  any  crowding  of  the 
flowers  can  be  avoided.  The  flowers,  w'hen  placed  in  jars,  must  be 
graded  according  to  length  of  stem,  for,  with  Roses  especially,  much 
damage  is  done  to  the  shorter  stemmed  buds  by  the  spines  on  the  stems 
and  leaves  of  others,  and  alt  flowers  are  subject  to  more  or  less  damage 
if  irregularly  bunched.  Wetting  of  the  petals  should  at  all  times  be 
guarded  against.  Carnations  and  Violets  will  be  mined  by  wetting,  and 
Roses  are  better  without  it.  Violets  or  other  short  stemmed  blooms 
when  bunched  ought  to  be  placed  in  pans  of  water,  sunported  by  racks  of 
wire,  or  other  construction  that  will  admit  the  stems  to  the  water  but 
leave  the  flowers  perfectly  dry.  While  on  the  subject  of  Violets  it  may 
be  added  that  a  hood  of  waxed  paper  carefully  adjusted  over  each  bunch, 
and  left  there  until  they  are  sold,  will  do  much  towards  retaining  the 
very  evanescent  perfume  without  which  the  Violet  is  an  unsaleable 
commodity. 
As  to  the  place  of  storage  during  the  hardening  process,  it  is  a  matter 
which  does  not  receive  the  consideration  from  the  average  grower  which 
its  importance  warrants.  A  mouldy,  musty  cellar  is  no  fit  place  for 
delicate  flowers.  In  all  cases  the  storage  room,  whether  in  a  cellar  or 
elsewhere,  must  be  for  flowers  exclusively,  and  if  with  separate  com¬ 
partments  for  different  varieties,  so  much  the  better.  It  must  lie  dry, 
absolutely  free  from  draughts,  and  scrupulously  clean  at  all  times.  It 
should  be  sufficiently  roomy  that  the  jars  will  never  bo  crowded  together, 
and  so  that  they  can  be  handled  or  removed  without  being  brushed 
against. 
Freshness  and  crispness  being  of  first  importance,  it  follows  that  the 
least  possible  time  after  they  are  in  good  condition  should  be  consumed 
in  getting  the  flowers  from  the  greenhouse  to  the  cu^tomer,  and  during 
the  time  they  are  in  transit  every  device  that  will  conduce  to  this  end  is 
worthy  of  adoption  and  employment.  Whether  lor  a  short  or  a  long 
journey,  the  expert  flower  packer  will  provide  for  the  arrival  of  his  goods 
at  their  destination  in,  as  nearly  as  possible,  the  same  perfection  in  which 
they  start,  by  packing  as  late  as  practicable  before  despatching  time,  by 
acquainting  himself  fully  with  starting  and  delivery  hours  of  trains,  by 
insisting  on  the  co-operation  of  the  companies  in  the  matter  of  promptness 
and  care,  and  assisting  them  to  this  end  by  informing  them  of  the 
perishable  character  of  the  stock  and  by  providing  convenient  boxes  with 
rope  or  other  handles  by  which  they  may  be  carried  right  side  up  always. 
In  packing  he  will  take  precautions  against  bruising,  breaking,  tearing, 
shifting,  heating,  freezing,  or  soaking  by  packing,  so  that  no  flower  will 
come  in  contact  with  the  side  or  emt  of  the  box  or  any  other  avoidable 
substance,  by  firming  the  stems  with  frequent  cleats,  and  by  abundant 
paper  coverings  in  cold  weather. 
Roses  are  best  packed  in  lines,  ono  bud  at  a  time,  with  layers  of  soft, 
non-absorbent  paper  between  each  row  to  prevent  tearing  of  petals  or 
foliage  by  contact  with  thorns,  and  with  an  occasional  cleat  of  wood 
fastened  across  the  stems.  Some  Carnation  growers  who  aim  for  the  best 
results  pack  their  choice  blooms  in  like  manner,  giving  each  individual 
flower  careful  attention,  and  it  pays,  for,  while  Carnations  w  ill  stand  more 
rough  handling  than  some  other  flowers,  yet  their  recent  development  has 
made  buyers  critical,  and  they  want  individually  perfect  blooms,  for  which 
they  are  willing  to  pay  the  difference.  In  no  case  should  Carnations  be 
tied  in  bunches  of  more  than  twenty-five  blooms,  and  tens  or  twelves  are 
still  better.  Callas  and  Lilies  are  benefited  sometimes  by  a  wad  of  soft 
cotton  carefully  inserted  in  the  flower  to  help  in  retaining  its  shape,  but 
it  should  be  done  very  delicately. 
Boxes  must  be  shallow.  Except  where  Smilax,  Ferns,  or  other 
material  that  will  bear  crushing  is  included  in  the  receptacle  deep  boxes 
are  entirely  out  of  date,  for  no  flower  can  sustain  the  crushing  of  several 
layers  on  top  of  it  and  be  in  condition  to  offer  to  the  critical  buyers  of 
the  present  day.  Never  despatch  flowers  in  bo.xes  that  have  been  used 
for  coffee,  jieppermints,  salt  fish  or  other  odoriferous  material. — 
(“American  Florist.”) 
A  JiOOSE  SURFACE  FOR  REACH  BOIiDERS. 
Fruit  borders  of  all  kinds  often  get  into  a  close  and  ccked  con¬ 
dition  by  the  constant  waterings,  and  in  many  cases  growers  are  afraid 
to  break  this  for  fear  of  damaging  the  surface  roots.  I  am  as  fully  alive 
as  anyone  to  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  surface  roots  intact,  and  avoid 
disturbing  one  of  them  if  it  can  be  helped.  But  to  leave  the  mrface  in 
the  condition  described  aliove  is  worse  than  breaking  a  few  roots,  for  it  is 
impossible  for  either  air  or  water  to  filter  through  it.  Nor  is  either  of 
these  conditions  necessary  ;  that  is  the  surface  may  be  kept  loose  and 
open  without  damaging  more  than  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  roots. 
A  plentiful  supply  of  burnt  earth  and  garden  refuse  is  of  the  greatest 
benefit  to  Peach  and  Nectarine  borders,  having  a  slight  manurial  value, 
and  being  a  great  mechanical  aid  in  keeping  the  surface  soil  loo.se. 
Immediately  after  watering,  borders  top-dressed  with  this  material  may 
be  lightly  raked  over  and  tidied,  this  being  quite  impossible  when  not 
top-dressed,  and  even  when  litter  has  been  used  the  appearance  is  not  the 
same.  Where  the  burnt  refuse  is  not  at  command  the  borders  ought  to 
be  lightly  pricked  up  with  a  fork  ;  not  deeply,  but  only  just  sufficient  to 
break  the  surface  and  allow  the  free  passage  of  air  and  water.  Trees 
in  such  borders  are  much  more  likely  to  succeed  than  others  as  noted 
above. — B.  S.  E. 
(JOLDEN-LEAVEl)  SHRUBS. 
These  are  often  rather  sickly  or  poor-looking  objects,  and  many  fail 
to  keep  true  to  their  characters  in  the  majority  i  f  soils,  especially  those 
that  are  heavy  and  cold.  T  here  are  some  soils  which  appear  to  have  a 
peculiar  effect  in  giving  rise  to  golden  and  variegated  forms  of  plants,  and 
I  knew  a  nur.scry  some  years  ago  that  w'as  noted  in  this  way.  16  often 
happens,  however,  that  it  such  variations  ore  not  well  fixed  before  sending 
them  out,  or  they  ore  propagated  rapidly  under  artificial  conditions,  they 
soon  lose  their  beauty  of  foliage. 
The  Golden  FIder  is  one  of  the  most  reliable  of  the  stronger  growers, 
and  is  invaluable  for  towns  and  smoky  districts.  Amongst  smaller 
growers,  but  still  healthy  and  free,  are  two  that  are  not  very  commonly 
seen — t.e,Neillia  opulifulia  var.  lutea,  which  is  compact  in  habit,  3  or 
4  feet  high,  with  small  lobed  leaves  of  a  bright,  clear,  and  uniform  yellow 
tint.  Arranged  in  a  mass  in  the  front  part  of  a  shrubbery,  or  as  a  separate 
bed  on  a  lawn,  this  is  a  useful  addition  to  the  attractions  of  a  garden. 
A  few  taller  trees  of  the  reddish  bronze-leaved  Prunus  Pissardi,  rising 
from  amongst  these  or  similar  golden-loliaged  shrubs,  also  heighten  the 
effect. 
The  Golden  Mock  Orange  orSyringa,  Philadelphus  coronarius  aureus, 
is  another  useful  shrub,  of  moderate  growth  and  capital  colour,  which 
lasts  well.  Amongst  tlie  Dogwoods  ami  Weigelas  we  also  have  some  fine 
golden-leaved  varieties,  and  as  a  diminutive  shrub  the  golden  form  of 
Ribes  alpinum  is  a  favourite. — L.  C.  P, 
N I U 1 1  T-iS( JENTE 1 )  F LO  \\;E RS. 
AMONtiST  the  several  comparatively  cheap  and  easily  grown  night- 
scented  flowers,  Mathfola  bicornis  claims  a  foremost  position,  and  with  its 
congener,  M.  trieuspidata,  should  have  a  place  in  every  garden.  A  few 
patches  of  seed  distributed  here  and  there  over  the  borders  in  the  spring 
will  afford  plants  sufficient  to  pervade  the  garden  each  evening  with  the 
delicate  fragrance  of  the  lomewhat  insignificant  flowers.  The  flowers 
close  during  the  day  (is  it  the  sleep  of  the  plant  ?)  and  are  then  nearly 
scentless.  Its  relation,  M.  trieuspidata,  was  introduced  from  Barbary  in 
1739,  and  is,  in  some  resjiects,  superior  to  M.  bicornis — the  flowers  are  of 
a  slightly  deeper  lilac  purple  colour,  and  remain  expanded  during  the  day. 
The  shrubby  Trumpet  I'Tower  (Brugmansia  (Datura)  arborea)  also 
possesses  the  property  of  emitting  a  more  powerful  perfume  in  the  evening 
than  in  the  daytime— a  proclivity  not  jiossessed  by  its  near  relation, 
B.  suavcolens.  The  nighi-Howeriiig  Cactus  (Cereus  granditforus),  holds 
a  leading  position  as  a  powei  fully  scented  flowering  plant,  but  it  is  not  so 
commonly  cultivated  in  our  hothouses  as  it  was  half  a  century  ago.  It  is 
perhaps  not  generally  known  that  the  night-flowering  Convolvulus 
(Ipomoeabnna  nox)  possesses  a  very  agreeable  perfume  ;  while  deliciously 
scented  is  Bouvardia  llumboldti  corymbiflora,  particularly  after  sunset. 
In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  the  two-spiked  Water  Hawthorn  or  Cape 
Pondweed  (Aponogeton  distachyon)  is  said  to  bo  additionally  fragrant  at 
night,  as  also  is  Schizopetalon  Wulkeri— a  while  flowered  annual  Crucifer 
from  Chili.  Doubtless  other  night-scented  plants  could  be  mentioned, 
but  the  above  alone  form  a  collection  worthy  of  considerable  notice  to 
those  interested  in  such  sweetly  smelling  flower.s. — W.  G. 
Messrs.  Kent  &  Brydon,  Dareinutox.— We  are  authoritatively 
informed  that  Messrs.  Kent  &  Brydon  were  appointed  on  the  Ist  inst. 
seed  merchants  to  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales,  the  wmrrant 
being  granted  to  Mr.  John  Brydon  personally,  as  trading  under  the  above 
well-known  designation. 
