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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  11,  1900. 
CARDEN.  CI/EANINCS 
The  Autumn  Squill  (Scllla  autumnalls). — It  may  be  of  interest 
to  some  of  yoar  readers  to  know  that  I  recently  saw  several  healthy 
colonies  of  this  interesting  and  rare  plant  near  Greenwich.  This  and 
Spiranthes  mstivalis,  which  I  discovered  near  Chiselhurst,  are  new 
additions  to  the  flora  of  Kent. — A..  D.  Webster. 
Fear  Beacon. — The  earlier  varieties  of  Pears  are  not  usually  of 
the  best  quality,  and  many  have  a  habit  of  getting  woolly  and  poor 
in  flavour.  Beacon,  however,  is  very  refreshing  and  juicy  with  a 
slight  musky  flavour.  There  is  an  entire  absence  of  that  gritty 
feeling  in  the  flesh  that  is  so  objectionable  in  many  varieties,  and 
is  good  quite  to  the  core.  When  fully  ripe  the  thin  skin  is  a  bright 
yellow,  slightly  marked  with  russet,  and  with  a  reddish  suffusion  next 
the  sun.  There  is  no  cavity  at  the  stem  or  eye,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say 
where  the  former  begins,  being  apparently  part  of  the  Pear.  The  trees 
are  bearing  few  fruits  this  season,  but  it  is  usually  free  and  of  a  good 
style  of  growth.— K. 
Failure  of  the  Currant  Crop. — A  correspondent  states  :  Prices 
of  Currants  are  advancing  with  alarming  rapidity,  owing  to  the  failure 
of  the  crops  in  Southern  Greece  and  the  Ionian  Islands  rendering  the 
yield  very  poor,  and  creating  iu  consequence  almost  absolute  penury 
among  the  cultivators  and  labourers.  The  normal  crop  is  usually 
200,000  tons,  but  the  present  maximum  yield  is  only  40,000  tons,  which 
is  quite  insnflBcient  for  general  consumption  here  at  home,  where 
between  now  and  Christmas  we  use  ordinarily  over  .50,000  tons.  The 
choicest  grade,  called  Vestizza,  has  advanced  within  the  last  few  days 
from  75s.  to  100s.  per  cwt.,  while  the  best  of  this  class  now  realises 
110s.  per  cwt.  The  general  condition  of  the  Currant  market  has  reached 
a  sensational  stage,  and  retail  consumers  will,  it  is  expected,  soon  have 
to  pay  Is.  6d.  per  lb.  for  their  Currants. 
An  American  Scale  for  Fruit  Judging. — The  Ohio  State 
University  has  adopted  the  following  scale  of  points  for  judging  fruits. 
On  Apples  they  give  skin  and  surface  20  points ;  keeping  quality 
15  points  ;  colour,  richness,  flavour,  texture,  and  cooking  quality 
10  points  each  ;  shape,  size,  and  core  with  5  points  each.  For  Grapes 
the  flavour  is  thought  of  most  value,  and  this  is  allowed  15  points, 
while  size  of  bunch,  size  and  uniformity  of  berry,  skin  with  bloom, 
richness,  texture  of  pulp,  seeds  and  keeping  quality  are  given  10  points 
each,  and  the  form  of  bunch,  adherence  to  stem  and  colour  have  but 
5  points  each.  In  Tomatoes  the  texture  or  solidity  ranks  first  with 
25  points,  and  shape  next  with  15  points,  while  size,  colour,  skin  or 
surface,  flavour,  seeds,  and  cooking  quality  have  10  points.  A  fruit 
that  is  defective  in  any  one  particular  is  so  much  below  the  100  points 
which  are  supposed  to  be  absolute  perfection. 
M’otes  on  Pines. — Plants  now  showing  fruit  will  supply  the 
finest  .ornament  of  the  dessert  when  fruit  is  scarce  and  dear. 
Maintain  a  temperature  of  70°  at  night,  75°  artificially  by  day,  up  to 
85°  or  90°  with  sun,  closing  at  85°,  sprinkling  the  paths  when  the 
surfaces  become  dry,  and  occasionally  dewing  the  plants  on  fine 
afternoons.  Keep  the  bottom  heat  steady  at  85°  to  90°.  Examine 
the  plants  once  a  week  for  water,  and  if  any  require  it  afford  a 
copious  supply  of  clear  liquid  manure  at  about  the  same  temperature 
as  the  beds.  Plants  to  fruit  early  are  of  great  importance,  but  there 
is  not  always  a  certainty  of  their  throwing  up  fruit  unless  they  are 
given  a  period  of  comparative  rest  after  making  good  growth.  Queens 
are  the  best  for  this  purpose ;  the  plants  intended  to  show  fruit  early 
in  the  year  should  be  kept  in  a  temperature  of  about  65°  in  the  daytime 
by  artificial  means,  60°  at  night,  ventilating  at  70°,  allowing  the  bottom 
heat  to  fall  to  70°.  Water  the  plants  when  necessary.  All  young 
plants  should  now  be  arranged  so  as  to  derive  the  fullest  benefit 
from  light  and  air.  As  the  sun  diminishes  in  power  a  corresponding 
diminution  of  temperature  must  take  place  at  night  until  it  reaches 
the  winter  standard  of  55°  to  60°  at  night  and  65°  in  the  daytime. 
Ventilate  freely  whenever  conditions  are  favourable,  paying  particular 
attention  to  watering.  Examine  the  plants  once  a  week,  and  whenever 
one  needs  water  supply  copiously  at  about  the  same  temperature  as  the 
bed. — Practice. 
Rapid  Growth  In  the  Arctic  Summer. — Things  grow  very 
fast  in  the  short  Arctic  summer.  As  soon  as  the  snow  melts  off  in 
many  places  the  ground  is  covered  with  a  vine  which  bears  a  small 
berry  something  like  a  Huckleberry,  Porwong  it  is  called.  It  is  sour 
and  has  a  pungent  taste,  and  the  natives  leave  off  work  and  go 
Porwong  hunting,  cramming  themselves  with  the  berries. 
Fragarla  Indlca. — This  small-leaved  species  of  Strawberry  is 
usually  grown  as  a  hanging  plant  in  greenhouses,  or  at  least  afforded 
protection  in  winter.  It  is  flowering  and  fruiting  now  on  a  small 
rookery  in  Mr.  Barron’s  private  garden  at  Chiswick,  where  it  has  been 
established  for  four  or  five  years.  The  flowers  are  yellow,  as  bright  as 
a  Buttercup,  and  the  fruits  about  the  size  of  Hazel  nuts,  glossy  crimson 
in  colour.  The  many  friends  of  the  veteran  will  be  glad  to  hear  that 
his  health  has  of  late  been  improving. — A  Caller. 
Pea  Bucliess  for  Autumn  Use. — I  am  forwarding  a  few  of 
the  Duchess  Pea,  as  personally  I  think  it  very  valuable  for  use  at 
this  time  of  the  year.  I  have  been  picking  from  these  for  the  past 
fortnight,  and  I  have  suflioient  coming  on  like  them  to  last  another 
week  or  two.  They  were  sown  the  second  week  in  June.  I  have 
grown  this  variety  for  the  past  four  years,  and  it  has  always  given 
satisfaction. — W.  M.  D.  [The  pods  were  as  green,  fresh,  and  well 
filled  as  we  have  seen  win  prizes  in  July,  and  the  peas,  when 
cooked,  were  excellent  in  colour  and  quality.] 
Cannon  versus  Hall  In  French  Vineyards. — Mr.  J.  C.  Covert 
United  States  consul  at  Lyons,  writes  that  a  concerted  effort  is  being 
made  by  the  surrounding  vineyard  owners  to  prevent  the  ruinous  hail¬ 
storms  which  frequently  destroy  whole  crops  in  a  few  minutes.  Fifty- 
two  cannon  have  been  distributed  over  an  area  of  2500  acres.  At  tlie 
centre  of  this  tract  is  a  central  signal  post,  and  when  a  shot  is  fired 
there  all  of  the  cannon  are  fired ;  at  first  twice  a  minute,  and  then  more 
slowly  after  the  first  ten  shots.  The  method  is  said  to  have  proved 
effective  in  many  instances,  and  similar  organisations  are  being 
established  in  other  vineyard  districts.  It  is  said  that  this  practice  of 
shooting  at  the  clouds  was  followed  in  France  over  100  years  ago,  and 
that  it  originated  in  Italy. 
The  Peach  In  Ancient  Babylon.  —  Nothing  is  now  more 
universally  accepted  than  that  the  Peach  is  an  improved  variety  of  the 
Almond.  The  Almond  has  a  thin  shell  around  the  stone,  which  splits 
open  and  exposes  the  stone  when  mature.  This  outer  skin  has  simply 
become  flesh  in  the  Peach,  so  that  is  all  that  gives  it  its  specific 
character.  It  seems  now  clear  from  investigation  in  the  history  of 
ancient  Babylon,  that  in  their  gardens — now  nearly  four  thousand  years 
ago — the  Peach  was  cultivated  as  it  is  now.  It  must  have  been  many 
years  before  this,  says  the  “  Journal  of  the  Jamaica  Agricultural 
Society,”  that  the  Peach  was  improved  upon  the  Almond,  and  this 
fact  goes  to  show  the  great  antiquity  of  the  fruit.  Possibly,  gardening 
in  some  respects,  at  least  so  far  as  it  relates  to  many  of  our  cultivated 
fruits,  was  as  fsr  advanced  six,  or  perhaps  eight  or  ten  thousand  years 
back  as  it  is  to-day.  Phoenicians,  as  proved  by  the  records,  had  in 
their  gardens  Almonds,  Apricots,  Bananas,  Citrons,  Grapes,  Olives, 
Peaches,  and  Pomegranates  ;  and  even  Sugar  Cane  was  in  extensive 
cultivation.  Certainly  this  shows  how  very  far  advanced  these  nations 
were  in  garden  culture  these  many  years  ago. 
Primroses  In  Bloom. — At  this  time  of  the  year  one’s  natural 
inclination  is  to  talk  in  melancholy  fashion  of  the  picturesque  falling^ 
of  the  leaves,  and  the  shortening  of  the  allotted  hours  of  daylight.  It 
is,  therefore,  more  than  a  little  interesting  to  learn  that  Primroses 
and  Violets  'are  blooming  at  Stroud,  and  that  the  first-named  flower 
is  also  to  be  seen  at  Clapham  and  Tankerton-on-Sea,  Whitstable. 
Politicians  may  be  tempted  to  regard  these  facts  as  an  augury.  The 
Primrose  is  to  many  men  not  merely  a  lovely  bloom,  a  fond  reminder 
of  the  days  when  they  lived  in  the  country,  but  a  symbol  of  the  great 
ideas  which  were  impressed  on  the  mind  of  the  nation  by  the  Earl  of 
Beaconsfield.  Students  of  the  British  climate  will,  however,  says  the 
“Morning  Post,”  take  it  more  seriously,  for  of  course  the  appearance 
of  these  flowers  at  this  time  is  due  to  the  fact  that  we  have  not  yet 
had  the  inclement  weather  which  generally  comes  as  soon  as  there 
has  been  any  reason  for  believing  that  summer  has  arrived  from  over¬ 
sea.  The  man  who  cares  merely  for  his  own  personal  comfort,  and  is 
not  interested  in  botany  or  in  meteorology,  will  probably  feel  unhappy ; 
for,  if  there  be  Primroses  at  Stroud  in  October,  there  will  almost 
certainly  be  frost  and  snow  all  over  the  distracted  land  in  May — or,  at 
least,  in  the  April — that  follows. 
