21 
January  L  1903.  ^  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
'■  '  LAPAGERTA  ENHEALTHY  (F.  X.).— Tlicrc  are  two  mani 
rea.sons  why  tlie.so  plants  are  often  in  an  unsatisfactory  state  in 
pots:— 1.  Close  soil  not  sufficiently  drained,  and  hence  sour  ;  2, 
Pots  so  densely  crowded  witli  roots  tliat  the  plants  do  not  receive 
adequate  support.  Lapagerias  usually  grow  best  planted  out  in 
a  bed  at  least  18in  deep,  the  bottom  bin  being  of  drainage,  broken 
clinkers  and  charcoal  being  excellent,  the  remainder  springy  turfy 
peat  and  loam,  twice  the  quantity  of  the  former,  with  a  liberal 
admixture  of  charcoal,  the  whole  to  be  pressed  down  a,s  firmly  as 
the  turfy  nature  of  the  compost  permits.  A  bed  thus, prepared 
can  scarcely  be  made  sour,  due  provision  being  made  for  the 
free  exit  of  water  from  the  drainage,  and  when  the  .soil  is  per¬ 
meated  with  roots  it  is  not  ea.sy  to  give  too  much  water ;  until 
then  water  must  be  given  more  sparingly,  yet  the  soil  should 
never  get  anything  like  dry.  If  you  prefer  growing  the  plant 
in  a  pot,  prepare  the  .soil  similarly.  In  the  event  of  your  plant 
not  having  rooted  freely,  it  will  be  advisable  to  remove  a  good 
part  of  the  old  soil,  which  will  be  sour,  and  give  fresh  as  sug- 
ge.sted,  thinning  out  and  .shortening  wiry  growths  to  the  best  buds 
you  can  find,  syringing  the  plant  twice  or  thrice  a  day  according 
to  the  weather,  to  prevent  excessive  evaporation  from  the  leaves, 
and  so  assist  the  emission  of  fresh  healthy  roots,  which  alone 
can  invigorate  the  plants.  We  know  of  Lapagerias  that  grow 
luxuriantly  and  flower  profusely  on  the  north  side  of  green¬ 
houses. 
NAMES  OF  FRUITS. — Correspondents  whose  queries  are  uu- 
ansioered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfidly  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  (.J.  M.). — Nos.  1  and  2  are  both  the  same  variety 
in  our  opinion,  and  difference  in  size  or  colour  may  arise  from  stoclx 
or  soil.  We  do  not  recognise  the  variety,  \vhicli  is  probably  a  loco  1 
om\  and  well  worth  looking  after. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
H.  C'anncll  and  Sons,  Swanley,  Kent. — Seed  Guide  for  1903. 
William  Clibran  and  Son,  Oldfield  Nurseries,  Altrincham. — Garden 
Seeds. 
Cooper.  Taber  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  90  and  92,  Southwark  Street,  London. 
S.E. —  Wholesale  Seed  Catalogue. 
Dickson  and  Robinson,  ^Manchester. —  .‘seeds. 
Dicksons,  lAd.,  Chester. — Seeds. 
E.  P.  Dixon  and  Sons,  57,  h)ueen  Street.  Hull. — Seeds. 
Debbie  and  Co.,  Royal  Seedsmen,-  Rothesay,  Seotlar.d. —  Seeds. 
.John  Foi’i.ies,  Bucclcuch  Nurseries,  HaAviek. —  Tegetable  and  Flower 
Seeds. 
C'hr.  Lorenz,  Erfurt,  Germany. — Seeds. 
Thomas  MetliA-en  and  Sons,  Edinbiu'gh. —  Seeds. 
Stancliffc  Estates  Co.,  Ltd.,  Nurserymen,  Stancliffe  Nurseries.  Darley 
Dale,  near  Matlock. —  Trees  and  Shrubs,  and  Hardy  Plants. 
J^oogood  and  Sons,  Southampton. — Seeds. 
Ed.  Webb  and  Sons,  The  Royal  Seed  Establishmemt,  Wordsley,  Stour¬ 
bridge. — Spring  Catalogue,  1003. 
W.  Wells  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  EarlsAVOod  Nurseries,  Redhill,  Surrey. — 
special  List  of  Chrysanthemunis. 
- - 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis- 
Avick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil, 
At  9  A.M. 
1902. 
December. 
o 
®  > 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
.H 
eS 
. 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
U  A 
3  CQ 
-*3  ® 
5  c3  cfl 
u 
5 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
•*9 
CO 
.a 
hO 
s 
CC 
<D 
o 
J 
4-ft. 
deep. 
®  o 
H 
Sunclay  ...21 
N.AV. 
deg. 
50-6 
deg. 
48-5 
deg. 
51-4 
deg. 
424 
Ins. 
deg. 
44-8 
deg. 
45'3 
deg. 
46-6 
deg. 
32-5 
Monday  ...22 
N.N.E. 
48-2 
47-7 
49  6 
48-0 
— 
45  7 
45-7 
46-8 
45-8 
Tuesday  ...23 
S.E. 
45-2 
41-7 
44-3 
42-9 
— 
45-7 
460 
468 
41-3 
Wed’sday  24 
SS.E. 
38-2 
36-8 
46-3 
37-2 
— 
44-3 
460 
46-9 
26-3 
Thursday  25 
S.'.V. 
45-9 
44-5 
51-3 
350 
— 
42-8 
45'5 
470 
34-5 
Friday  ...26 
S.AV. 
46-4 
42-4 
60-3 
45-6 
— 
44-6 
45-3 
470 
40-5 
Saturday  27 
S.AV. 
48-7 
45-1 
51-6 
460 
0.08 
44-8 
45-5 
47-0 
39-4 
Means  ... 
45-9 
43-8 
49'3 
42-4 
Total. 
008 
44-7 
45-6 
46-9 
37  2 
The  Aveather  during  the  Aveek  has  been  dull  and  dark,  Avith  a  fcAv 
intervals  of  bright  sunshine. 
In  Old  Friend. 
Not  with  a  neAv  face,  but  Avith  interesting  features.  There 
will,  in  every  book  of  this  description,  be  one  or  more 
articles  that  stand  out  in  interest  before  others — although  all 
may  be  and  are  good.  There  are  ‘‘  better”  and  ”  best.”  Current 
topics  are  discussed  by  men  Avho  are  quite  an  fait  at  their 
subject,  and  the  marvel  is  to  us  that  the  editor  prevails  on 
such  busy  men  (as  some  of  them  undoubtedly  are)  to  sit 
down  ancl  write  for  a  shilling  almanac ! 
The  first  paper  is  on  “  Coaching  Days.”  Welh  this 
generation  and  the  one  behind  it  knoAV  little  or  nothing 
of  the  realities  of  the  coaching  days,  except  by  tradition. 
They  liax^e,  perhaps,  seen  the  gentlemen’s  coaches  muster 
in  Hyde  Park,  and  some  of  those  coaches  that  in  pleasant 
summer  Aveather  freciuent  the  neighbourhood  of  fashionable 
watering  places  ;  but  that  is  mere  play,  not  to  be  spoken  of 
in  comparison  Avith  the  coaching  in  the  claj's  Avhen  roads 
were  irnmacadamised,  and  all  weathers  and  all  roads  had  to 
be  faced.  Fancy  the  condition  of  outside  passengers  in 
winter  weather — it  is  too  horrible  to  think  of — Vjut  the  system 
bred  hard  men  and  harder  horses,  a  type  that  are  noAv  practi¬ 
cally  non-existent. 
The  article  by  Sir  Albert  P,  Muntz  on  “  Shire  Horse 
Breeding”  should  be  read  in  connection  Avith  that  of  Pro¬ 
fessor  Wortley  Axe,  “  Some  Aspects  of  the  Prevention  of 
Disease.”  The  first  dwells  on  the  wonderful  progress  and 
development  made  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  Shire 
horse  breeding.  The  society  laid  dowm  for  itself  stringent 
rules,  and  by  a  strict  adherence  to  these  rules  has  built  up 
a  marvellously  strong  superstructure.  Sir  Albert  sounds  a 
note  of  Avarning  ;  he  saj^s  to  breeding  farmers ;  ‘  Don  t  be 
tempted  by  long  prices  to  sell  olf  your  best  mares,  they  are 
the  groundwork  of  the  stud  ;  it  is  a  case  of  the  goose  and 
the  golden  egg.”  Now  turn  to  the  professor.  Owing  to  the 
stringency  of  Society  rules  against  the  admission  of  animals 
with  any  defect,  many  of  which  used  to  be  common,  hereditaiy 
diseases  are  distinctly  on  the  decline,  and  it  becomes 
breeders,  eA'en  if  they  are.  not  members  of  any  of  the  greax 
horse  societies,  to  do  their  level  best  to  get  rid  of  such 
diseases  as  can  be  carried  on  from  generation  to  generation. 
The  professor  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  use  of  those  entire 
horses  Avhich,  although  handsome  looking  in  appearance, 
haA^e  still  some  inherited  defects.  These  horses  are  dis¬ 
carded  from  the  studs  of  the  best  and  careful  breeders,  but 
fall  into  the  hands  of  people  Avho  do  not  care  as  to  what  the 
future  may  bring  forth,  if  they  only  have  a  horse  Avhich  Avili 
attract  a  goodly  percentage  of  unAvary  breeders.  Now  it 
these  horses  were  castrated  before  they  were  sold,  one 
obvious  source  of  risk  Avould  be  stopped.  The  same  reniarks 
quite  as  much  apply  to  the  mare  ;  if  her  dam  Avere  subject 
to  ringbone,  side  bone,  curb,  spavin,  or  so  forth,  however 
beautiful  the  daughter  may  be,  it  is  more  than  possible  that 
her  offspring  Avill  either  be  born  blemished  or  develop  a 
blemish  in  early  life.  The  professor  instances  the  case  of 
a  clean  legged,  pretty  looking  mare,  whose  four  foals,  by 
different  horses,  Avere  all  subject  to  bog 
Wortley  Axe  speaks,  too,  of  the  great  possibilities  ot  bringing 
on  or  rather  out,  latent  disease  by  improper  or  too  trying 
work.  Sufficient  care  is  not  taken  with  young  draiight 
horses  in  choosing  for  them  tasks  AA'hich  are  not  beyond  then 
strength,  especially  that  strength  which  is  to  be  found  in 
feet  and  legs.  He  brings,  too,  a  strong  indictment  against 
stable  builders,  and  here  we  are  very  much  at  one  with  him. 
They  are  often  built  in  defiance  of  all  sanitary  axioms.  No 
ventilation,  bad  drainage,  no  light,  and  often,  even  wh^e 
there  is  plenty  of  room,  the  stables  are  sadly  too  small.  He 
suggests  that  a  well  littered  yard  with  good  shedding 
be  far  more  conducive  to  health  than  the  majority  of  the 
present  stables.  There  is  one  question  Ave  wojild  ask : 
*  l.iviA  Stock  .I'lKr.Kil  Alnianac,  ’  \  i:il‘:ii  iiiid  Co. 
