December  20,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
561 
EffNINCS> 
iio  Old  Fuchsia. —  We  have  some  effective  examples  of  the 
striking  old  Fuchsia  Dominiana  now  flowering  in  pots,  that  were  lifted 
from  the  open  ground.  The  cuttings  were  rooted  in  March  and 
eventually  planted  out.  In  the  autumn  when  the  flower  buds  were 
showing  the  plants  were  potted  in  good  soil,  and  they  will  in  all 
probability  continue  flowering  throughout  the  winter.  The  beauty  of  its 
bright  trumpet -shaped  flowers  is  enhanced  by  the  rich  dark  foliage, 
which  is  much  finer  than  that  of  most  other  Fuchsias. — J. 
Pear  Charles  Ernest. — I  liked  this  Pear  very  much  indeed  when 
presented  to  the  Fruit  Committee  on  the  4th  inst,,  when  it  was  just 
about  a  couple  of  weeks  past  its  best.  Whilst  not  quite  up  in  that 
condition  to  the  flavour  of  Nouvelle  Fulvie,  it  has  smoother  flesh,  more 
melting,  was  finer  and  handsomer,  and  in  this  case  had  been  produced 
from  young  trees  in  the  open  nursery  quarters  at  Langley,  where  it 
had  fruited  well.  This  naturally  leads  to  the  assumption  that  it 
will  make  a  first-rate  variety  for  bush  or  pyramid  culture  in  gardens 
on  the  Quince  stock.  On  the  other  hand  Nouvelle  Fulvie  can  be 
induced  to  produce  good  fruits  even  in  Kent  only  on  a  wall.  I  should 
think  that  generally  southwards  Charles  Ernest  would  make  a  fine 
Christmas  Pear  if  it  were  grown  on  a  north-west  wall,  where  its 
maturation  might  be  slow. — A.  D, 
A.  Word  for  the  Epacris. — Surely  the  popularity  of  the 
Chrysanthemum  has  had  much  to  answer  for  in  relegating  to  almost 
oblivion  many  charming  winter-flowering  plants  that  used  to  delight 
and  prove  of  interest  in  a  mixed  collection  of  greenhouse  plants.  The 
Epacris  used  to  hold  a  very  prominent  position,  and  there  was  no 
denying  the  fact  that  well  grown  plants  having  their  tall  slender 
shoots  literally  wreathed  the  whole  length  with  waxy  flowers  of 
crimson,  white,  pink,  or  rose,  were  objects  of  interest,  beauty, 
and  usefulness,  the  shoots  cut  their  full  length  coming  in  useful  for 
the  lighter  forms  of  decoration  ;  so  that  now,  when  the  Epacris  is  in 
season,  the  gardener  who  would  have  variety  might  safely  invest  in  a 
few  plants,  and  so  keep  in  prominence  a  most  ornamental  family  of 
plants  of  very  easy  culture. — P. 
A  Note  on  lilbonlas. — The  great  secret  in  growing  these  beautiful 
dwarf  flowering  plants  is  the  thorough  maturation  of  the  wood,  other¬ 
wise  the  plants  flower  poorly,  and  are  of  little  decorative  value 
The  plants  are  now  showing  abundance  of  flower  buds.  Bushy  plants 
in  5-inch  pots  well  flowered  are  invaluable  for  the  conservatory  or  any 
other  structure  kept  gay  with  flowering  plants.  Our  plants  have  been 
kept  as  cool  as  possible  up  to  the  present  time,  and  will  be  retarded  for 
some  time  longer  in  the  greenhouse.  A  good  place  for  them  is  a  shelf 
close  to  the  glass.  If  any  of  these  plants  are  wanted  in  flower  select 
the  earliest,  and  they  will  come  forward  quickly  if  introduced  into  an 
intermediate  temperature.  Water  carefully,  and  supply  weak  stimulants 
every  alternate  time  they  require  water,  or  apply  a  little  artihoial 
manure  to  the  surface  of  the  soil. — F. 
A  Wonderful  Iris. — Under  this  heading  Mr.  Peter  Barr  writes  to 
the  “  Sh^perton  (Victorian)  News  ”  regarding  a  new  Iris  as  follows  : — 
Those  that  visited  the  Tatura  Show  on  Wednesday,  October  l7th, 
must  have  seen  Iris  Painted  Beauty.  It  was  conspicuous  in  the  fine 
but  crowded  box  of  cut  flowers  staged  by  Miss  Love  of  Tatura,  and 
was  during  the  day  the  cynosure  of  the  exhibits.  Its  beauty  was  of 
a  very  exceptional,  marked,  and  distinct  character,  and  was  the  general 
topic  of  conversation.  An  expert  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  no  Iris 
of  so  much  refined  beauty  had  ever  before  been  seen  in  this  or  any 
other  country.  It  belongs  to  the  group  commonly  known  as  German 
Iris.  The  flower  is  pure  white,  and  consists  of  three  upright  petals 
called  standards,  and  three  lower  petals  called  falls.  Each  of  these 
petals  are  veined  all  over  with  rich  rosy  red.  The  pitcloid  stigmas, 
from  beneath  which  runs  the  primrose  beard,  are  of  the  purest  white. 
Up  the  centre  of  each  runs  a  rosy  red  beam,  terminating  in  a  feathery, 
club-like  knob.  Mr.  Barr  estimates  the  value  of  the  stock  of  this  truly 
beautiful  Iris  at  £50,  and  congratulates  Miss  Love  on  having  raised  an 
Iris  worthy  of  world-wide  fame. 
Cbrlstmas  Tree  I>and. — The  trade  done  in  Christmas  trees  in 
Germany  is  astonishing ;  every  house,  however  poor  its  occupants, 
showing  one.  It  is  not  necessary  that  there  should  be  children  in 
the  house,  even  crusty  old  bachelors,  says  the  Berlin  correspondent  of 
a  daily  paper,  making  a  point  of  having  a  “  weinachtsbaum.”  The 
markets  all  over  the  country  look  like  huge  gardens  at  this  time  of 
the  year,  being  laden  with  Silver  Firs,  some  as  high  as  a  small  house, 
others  no  larger  than  a  hand. 
The  Promise  ol  Fruit. — Barely  have  we  had  such  a  long  spell 
of  almost  summer-like  weather  or  such  continuous  rain  as  that  through 
which  we  have  lately  been  passing,  and  it  makes  one  wonder  what  the 
tffect  on  fruit  will  be  if  it  continue  for  any  length  of  time.  I  have 
been  examining  a  large  plantation  of  fruit  trees,  with  a  view  to 
rbnovating,  and  also  planting  young  ones ;  and  although  I  knew  many 
would  have  to  be  sacrificed  owing  to  their  worthlessness,  I  could  not 
help  noticing  the  vigour  and  abundance  of  fruit  buds  which  they 
displayed.  Not  only  are  old  trees  so,  but  the  young  ones  are  even 
more  full.  Given  some  nice  frosty  weather  and  a  good  spring,  I 
predict  for  next  year,  especially  for  Apples  and  Pears,  a  crop  that 
should  well  repay  the  cultivator. — E, 
Pineapple  Nectarine. — This  is  a  very  good  Nectarine,  which 
should  be  accorded  a  place  in  every  garden.  Few,  if  any,  surpass  it 
for  richness  of  flavour,  high  colouring,  or  freedom  of  frait-bearing.  Its 
parent,  Pitmaston  Orange,  is  a  grand  variety  of  first-rate  flavour,  but 
for  colour  cannot  be  compared  to  the  Pineapple.  Although  Elruge  is  a 
valuable,  well-coloured,  free-fruiting  sort,  it  cannot  favourably  compete 
with  the  Pineapple,  which  is  much  better  than  any  variety  I  am 
acquainted  with.  It  appears  to  have  one  fault  in  some  gardens,  and 
that  is  cracking  ;  but  whether  this  is  really  a  fault  of  the  variety  or  the 
system  of  cultivation  I  do  not  know.  In  our  case  it  has  never  produced 
a  cracked  fruit,  but  it  is  kept  a  little  drier  at  the  roots  when  the  fruits  are 
ripening  than  is  necessary  with  any  other  variety  I  grow.  This  appears 
to  suit  the  Pineapple,  and  the  fruits  swell  to  a  large  size.  It  is  a  very 
accommodating  Nectarine,  and  will  do  well  at  the  coolest  end  of  a 
second  early  house  as  well  as  in  later  succession  houses,  and  is  valuable 
for  the  latest  house  of  all. — B.  W. 
Notes  on  Figs  Under  Glass. — Where  it  is  desired  to  have  ripe 
Figs  in  April  the  trees  must  be  started  at  once,  and  they  must  consist 
of  the  early  varieties,  and  such  as  hold  the  first  crop  fruits,  than 
which  there  are  few  to  equal  Early  Violet  and  St.  John’s.  These 
properties,  however,  depend  on  the  trees  not  carrying  heavy  second 
crops  the  previous  season,  and  on  the  autumn-set  being  on  sturdy, 
well-ripened  wood.  Angelique  is  also  a  good  forcer,  and  so  is  White 
Ischia.  For  general  purposes  Brown  Turkey  surpasses  all  others, 
being  good  both  in  first  and  second  crops,  but  it  must  not  bear  the 
latter  on  the  points  of  the  shoots.  The  trees  for  early  forcing  should 
be  thoroughly  established  in  pots.  A  slight  warmth  at  the  roots  is 
highly  beneficial.  The  temperature  of  the  house  should  be  55°  at  night, 
gradually  increasing  it  to  60°,  and  65°  in  the  daytime,  5°  more  in  mild 
weather,  and  70°  to  75°  with  sun  heat  and  moderate  ventilation.  Water 
in  a  tepid  state  must  be  supplied  to  the  roots  as  required,  and  the  trees 
and  house  syringed  morning  and  afternoon,  damping  the  structure 
later  on,  but  not  the  trees,  as  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  foliage  fairly 
dry  before  nightfall. — Geowee. 
Tbe  Bermuda  Buttercup.  —  The  long  sounding  name  of 
Oxalis  cernua  lutea  simplex  is  the  catalogue  title  given  to  this, 
one  of  the  most  charming  of  the  Oxalises,  and  the  beauty  of  its 
Shamrock-like  foliage  and  richest  of  yellow  flowers  are  not  surely 
generally  known  by  those  who  want  variety  of  plant  and  colour  of  flowers 
amongst  the  ordinary  occupants  of  a  warm  greenhouse.  As  a  basket 
plant  the  variety  would  lend  itself  admirably,  the  flowers  drooping  and 
hanging  below  and  amongst  the  foliage  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it 
look  remarkably  becoming.  The  type  was  introduced  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  as  far  back  as  1757,  but  this  does  not  make  it  any 
the  less  beautiful  or  less  worthy  of  cultivation.  A  splendid  batch  of 
flowering  plants  was  noticed  recently  in  Messrs.  Clibran  &  Sons’  Oldfield 
Nursery,  Altrincham,  the  floriferons  habit  being  most  marked,  and  a 
Cre4it  to  the  growers.  Dormant  tubers  may  be  purchased  in  their 
season  and  potted  in  a  fairly  light  compost,  abundance  of  water  being 
required  during  the  growing  season,  as  the  roots  soon  take  hold  of  the 
compost,  and  nothing  is  more  fatal  to  their  beauty  than  a  check  of  any 
description.  In  concluding,  I  may  remark  that  it  is  one  of  a  large 
number  of  neglected  plants  that  ought  to  be  brought  to  the  front. 
— R.  P.  E. 
