December  13,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
533 
ew  Frnit 
Gordon,  red  sepals  and  purple  corolla ;  Mrs.  Marshall,  white  sepals, 
scarlet  corolla ;  Lord  Beaconsfield,  Mrs.  Rundell,  and  Mr.  H.  Roberts, 
various  shades  of  salmon  and  rose,  and  any  other  varieties  that  have  a 
free  habit  and  flower  freely.  In  addition  to  these  the  species  F.  macro* 
etemma  and  its  varieties  globosa  and  gracilis  are  excellent  for  the  work, 
as  also  is  the  tall,  free  growing  F.  simplicicaulis,  which  bears  long 
pendulous  racemes  of  long  tubular  red  flowers  from  the  points  of  the 
shoots. 
Plants  grown  on  rafters  (fig.  136)  should  be  spurred  back  in 
mi  Iwinter  in  a  similar  m  inner  to  Vines,  while  by  taking  o  it  as 
much  as  possible  of  the  old  soil  from  plants  in  baskets  and  filling 
in  with  rich  compost  the  plants  will  do  duty  a  second  time  without 
being  turned 
.  right  out. — D. 
Fig.  136— fuchsias  ON  RAFTERS. 
Fuchsias  for  Baskets  and  Rafters. 
The  ready  way  in  which  the  Fuchsia  adapts  itself  to  varied  and 
ofttimes  very  adverse  conditions  has  led  to  its  being  used  for  a  great 
variety  of  purposes,  but  possibly  in  no  way  does  it  do  itself  such  full 
justice  as  when  grown  in  either  of  the  ways  above  mentioned.  Grown 
on  a  stage  the  beauty  of  the  pendulous  blossoms  cannot  be  appreciated 
so  well  as  when  hanging  from  a  basket  or  roof  ;  then  the  pendant 
shoots,  draped  with  multitudes  of  richly  coloured  flowers  and  bright 
green  leaves,  foim  a  bower  of  beauty  such  as  is  produced  by  few  other 
plants,  and  rarely  fails  to  leave  a  pleasing  impression  on  all  who  see  it- 
For  basket-work 
strong  bushy 
plants  should  be 
selected  in  Feb- 
ruary  which  have 
been  previously 
started  into 
growth.  These 
plants  ought  to 
be  placed  in  a 
basket  18  inches 
in  diameter.  The 
baskets  should  be 
lined  with  good 
fibrous  loam,  and 
a  mixture  of  two 
parts  loam,  one 
part  leaf  mould, 
and  one  part  dry 
cow  manure  used. 
To  ti.is  may  be 
added  a  little 
bone  dust,  wood 
ashes,  and  sand. 
After  planting 
an  intermediate 
temperature 
should  be  given 
until  the  plants 
are  growing  away 
strongly,  when 
a  cooler  house 
will  be  necessary. 
Until  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  May  all 
flowers  should  be 
removed  as  they** 
appear,  letting 
all  the  strength 
go  to  form  a  good 
foundation.  As 
the  branches  be¬ 
come  long  enough 
they  should  be 
arranged  about 
the  basket,  to 
hide  it  as  much 
as  possible.  After 
flowering  has 
Gardeners  gene- 
ally  are  no  doubt 
very  conservative 
in  their  views  in 
relation  to  fruits, 
especially  in  re¬ 
gard  to  new 
ones,  yet  now 
and  then  we  see 
evidence  of  am¬ 
ple  readiness  to 
grow  anything 
that  is  really 
good.  Thus  we 
have  seen  that 
now  universally 
grown  Straw- 
berry  Royal 
Sovereign  leap 
into  remarkable 
popularity  in 
some  two  or 
three  years,  and 
it  seems  to  be 
as  established  in 
gardeners’ 
esteem  as  is  any 
old  variety.  Sr. 
Joseph  also  is 
gradually  being 
grown  every- 
where.  These 
are  really-  g'>od 
things.  Siipeila- 
tive  Raspberry 
has  become  the 
most  popular  of 
all  those  fruits  ; 
so,  too,  has  Early 
Rivers  Nectarine 
amongst  stone 
fruits.  But  ill 
other  directions 
we  have  few 
such  evidences 
of  bounds  into 
popular  favour  us 
is  found  in  theie 
commenced  liquid  manure  or  some  fertiliser  may  be  given  once  or 
twice  a  week.  Placed  in  a  sunny  greenhouse  specimens  3  feet  through 
can  be  had  by  the  end  of  June,  which  will  continue  to  produce 
abundance  of  flowers  until  the  end  of  October. 
For  rafters  strong  cuttings  should  be  rooted  in  autumn  and  kept 
growing  all  winter.  The  plants  must  not  have  their  leads  removed, 
but  all  side  growths  cught  to  be  taken  out  as  they  appear.  This  should 
be  done  until  the  plants  have  reached  the  bottom  of  the  rafter,  when 
side  branches  must  be  encouraged.  Really  good  soil  is  necessary,  and 
the  plants  must  be  fed  liberally  while  growing.  By  following  this  plan 
rafiers  can  be  covered  in  a  short  time  with  plants  that  will  flower  for 
at  least  eight  months  of  the  year. 
Good  varieties  for  either  method  of  culture  are  Molesworth  and 
Gustave  Dore,  red  sepals,  double  white  corolla ;  Charming  and  General 
few  I  have  named.  Amongst  Apples,  Pears,  and  Grapes,  and  of  tl.e 
latter  fruits  especially,  how  many,  or  rather  how  few  of  those  that  have 
from  time  to  time  been  honoured  with  awards  of  late  as  new  have  male 
piopular  reputations  ?  A  gardener  wrote  recently  with  regard  to  two 
not  so  long  since  higfily  eulogised  twin  Grapes,  that  after  giving  them 
a  long  and  patient  trial  he  had  to  pull  them  out.  Will  anyone  t*>ke  the 
trouble  to  enumerate  the  Grapes  which  during  the  last  twenty  or 
thirty  years  have  been  introduced  as  new,  and  received  certificates  of 
merit,  that  are  at  all  widely  grown  ?  Where  is  the  new  Grape  that 
can  displace  Black  Hamburgh,  Madresfield  Court,  Gros  Cobnan,  Black 
Alicante,  or  Lady  Downe’s,  or  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  Foster  s  S'-ed- 
ling,  and  perhaps  Mrs.  Pearson,  all  now  comparatively  old  ?  And  yet  we 
go  on  certificating  Grapes  and  other  fruits  sent  as  new  with  facility. 
After  all,  there  is  far  more  honour  in  granting  an  awavd  to  an  old 
and  tried  variety  that  has  shown  its  value  in  a  thousand^  gardens,  than 
in  giving  such  to  something  that  never  will  be  of  service  in  horticulture. 
— A.,  Kingston. 
