572 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  27,  1900’ 
delusion  and  a  snare  ;  so  also  is  a  very  high  top  temperature, 
one  ranging  between  60°  and  65°  is  quite  as  high  as  it  is  safe 
to  give.1 
In  some  gardens,  where  the  houses  are  not  fitted  with  the  most 
modern  appliances  in  the  way  of  chambers  with  hot-water  pipes  for 
supplying  bottom  heat,  early  forcing  is  conducted  at  a  disadvantage, 
but  by  the  exercise  of  a  little  ingenuity  some  way  may  usually  be 
found  to  secure  the  desired  results.  In  houses  where  the  pipes  are 
arranged  under  the  stages,  a  plan  I  have  found  to  answer  admirably  is 
to  place  the  pots  or  boxes  on  them,  cover  the  bulbs  for  a  time  with 
sheets  of  paper,  and,  when  the  shoots  have  grown  a  couple  of  inches, 
remove  the  covering.  When  managed  on  these  lines,  it  is  necessary 
to  see  that  the  soil  never  gets  too  dry,  or  many  of  the  young  roots 
will  be  killed.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  I  find  water  is  needed 
every  day,  and,  if  applied  through  a  rose,  it  helps  to  insure  even 
distribution,  and  also  prevents  the  soil  from  being  washed  away. 
This  watering  through  a  rose  I  always  recommend  for  bulbs,  as 
my  observation  has  taught  me  that  progress  under  such  conditions 
is  usually  tl  or  ughly  satisfactory.  After  the  green  colour  comes 
in  the  young  leaves  or  shoots,  remove  the  plants  to  a  stage  or  shelf 
where  the  advantage  of  full  light  is  secured,  to  give  substance  and 
colour  to  the  flowers. 
The  above  remarks  apply  principally  to  Tulips,  but  early  stocks  of 
Roman  Hyacinths  succeed  well  under  similar  conditions.  From 
Christmas  onwards,  however,  bottom  heat  is  seldom  required.  Plants 
set  cn  stages  or  shelves  in  a  house  when  the  temperature  ranges  from 
65°  to  65°  come  on  quickly  enough.  A  point  in  connection  with 
Roman  Hyacinths,  which  does  not  receive  as  much  attention  as  it 
should,  is  that  the  flowers  ought  to  be  left  uncut  till  thoroughly 
developed,  as  during  the  later  stages  they  increase  greatly  in  length, 
and  I  find  that  with  good  treatment  the  second  spike  on  a  bulb  has 
time  to  develop  while  the  early  spike  is  still  fresh  ;  when  showy 
potfuls  are  required  this  is  a  matter  of  considerable  importance. 
Daffodils  seld(m  require  bottom  heat  to  start  them,  as  if  they  are 
potted  early  top  growth  is  usually  2  or  3  inches  in  length  by  the 
middle  of  December,  and  it  is  seldom  necessary  to  introduce  them  to 
heat  before  that  time,  for  if  forced  too  rapidly  there  is  great  risk  of 
sending  many  of  the  flowers  blind. 
In  special  reference  to  Narcissus  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that 
some  varieties  are  much  more  amenable  to  a  little  persuasion  eirly  in 
the  season  than  is  the  case  with  others.  For  example,  the  old  double 
Daffodil  when  rationally  treated  may  be  brought  into  flower  at  and 
before  Christmas,  and  at  that  period  I  have  seen  many  handsome  flowers 
from  bulbs  in  shallow  boxes  similar  to  those  employed  for  Roman 
Hyacinths.  Qf  single  Daffodils,  the  most  satisfactory  variety  for 
forcing  is  Narcissus  obvallaris  (Tenby  Daffodil),  which  seldom  fails  to 
produce  good  blooms  if  sound  bulbs  are  prt  cured  and  potted  or  boxed 
as  early  as  possible.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  in  relation  to  early 
flowering  bulbs  to  enlarge  upon  the  value  of  the  Paper  White  and 
double  Roman  Narcissi,  which  respond  readily  to  forcing  measures  and 
practically  keep  pace  with  Roman  Hyacinths  in  this  respect;  for  th's 
reason  they  are  invaluable.  It  would  not  be  possible  within  the  limits 
of  a  comparatively  brief  article  to  enumerate  the  various  miscellaneous 
bulbs  that,  in  a  minor  degree,  are  utilised  for  early  flowering.  This, 
however,  is  unnecessary,  as  the  general  principles  laid  down  are 
suitable  as  well  lor  these  as  for  others. 
For  making  up  tasteful  combinations  of  various  bulbs  associated 
with  a  few  small  Ferns  it  is,  of  course,  necessary  to  lift  the  bulbs 
when  the  flowers  are  of  full  size,  yet  just  before  they  begin  to  open, 
but  before  this  is  done  a  few  days’  sojourn  in  a  somewhat  coo'er 
structure  is  an  advantage.  Whenever  numbers  ot  flowers  are  ready  for 
use,  a  few  days  before  being  required  during  winter  they  may 
be  kept  in  good  condition  in  a  cool  house;  indeed,  they  are  much 
improved  by  the  treatment,  gain  in  substance,  and  last  longer  when 
used.  After  January  bulbs  of  all  descriptions  advance  splendidly 
on  stages  of  houses  where  a  gentle  heat  is  regularly  maintained. 
Those  required  for  late  flowering  should,  of  course,  be  kept  in  cool 
houses  or  pits. — H.  D. 
Apples.  ‘ 
In  the  gardens  and  orchards  of  this  country,  as  in  the  matter  of 
Pears,  so  also  is  it  with  Apples,  or  in  great  measure  it  is  so,  there  is- 
the  same  mixture  of  ancient  and  modern  varieties.  *  The  possible 
exception  is  in  the  gardens  and  orchards  of  the  farm  and  cottage.  In 
the  latter  cases  there  is  a  greater  indifference  apparent  on  the  part  of  the 
owners  as  to  varieties,  suggestive  of  the  fact  that  in  these  instances  the 
young  trees  have  been  bought  in  the  bundle  in  the  market  on  the  solo 
recommendation  of  the  seller.  He,  of  course,  sold  what  he  had,  and 
as  no  seller  cries  “  stinking  fish,”  we  may  be  quite  sure  he  gave  an 
excellent  character  to  the  sorts  in  the  bundles  of  trees  he  was  selling. 
In  the  better  class  gardens,  no  doubt,  in  the  first  instance,  when 
the  gardens  and  orchards  were  originally  planted,  and  the  gardener 
had  the  choosing  and  planting,  the  collection  would  be,  for  that 
time,  a  generally  useful  one.  If,  however,  it  was  let  as  a  job  or 
contract  to  some  local  grower,  of  no  particular  standing  except  in 
his  own  immediate  neighbourhood — a  thing  often  done — well,  it  would 
be,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  a  collection  of  just  the  sorts  he  happened  to- 
have  in  stock.  These,  too,  would  be  planted  without  order  or  purpose,, 
as  if  they  might  have  been  dropped  out  of  the  dray  and  at  once  put 
into  the  ground.  I  say  this  collection  would  be  (as  it  is  Christmas 
time  we  will  be  charitable !)  only  so,  so,  and  would  certainly  form 
a  yearly  source  of  anxiety  and  trouble  to  any  gardener  who  had- 
charge  of  them.  Every  year  the  gardener  would  have  to  regraft 
some  varieties  to  bring  the  collection  up  to  modern  requirements. 
In  every  neighbourhood  it  is  interesting  to  note  how  certain, 
varieties  prevail,  how  these  special  varieties  are  grown  extensively 
and  almost  exclusively,  whilst  other  varieties  which  in  their  own 
neighbourhoods  do  well  and  are  much  grown,  are  left  out.  There 
seems  a  sort  of  unwritten  law,  the  result  of  the  experience  of  manjr 
generations  of  growers  which  has  become  the  cultural  genius  of  each 
respective  neighbourhood,  unconsciously  acting  on  the  people,  and 
when  all  is  said  and  done,  it  is  a  safe  leading  to  follow.  Because, 
however  we  may  explain  it,  it  is  indisputable  some  varieties  of  Apples 
(and  not  only  Apples,  mind  you  !)  will  not  do  well  in  some  places, 
and  in  places  geographically  almost  in  the  same  area,  whilst  those 
very  varieties  which  fail  in  the  one  place  will  do  prosperously  and 
productively  in  the  other.  This  is  a  very  subtle  problem,  and  we 
all  of  us  have  to  study  it  and  act  on  its  compelling  principle. 
I  could  give  names  of  varieties  which  would  illustrate  the  above 
remarks,  but  by  so  doing  I  should  inevitably  bring  a  hornet’s  nest 
about  my  ears  in  the  indignant  remonstrances  of  rival  Apple  growers 
in  defence  of  their  pet  varieties,  so  (and  Christmas  time  too — thfr 
time  of  peace)  I  forbear,  though  gardeners  all  over  the  country  can 
bear  out  all  that  I  have  brought  forward. 
Looking  over  the  list  of  Apples  nowadays  sent  out  by  the  principal 
growers  one  is  struck  by  the  enormous,  portentous  length  of  such 
lists,  and  the  question  comes  up  in  one’s  mind.  What  need  of  all 
these  many  varieties  ?  For  instance,  I  have  just  stopped  to  count 
the  lists  of  Apples  of  three  of  our  principal  producers  of  young  trees, 
and  they  are  respectively  158,  139,  and  108.  Then  the  other  thought 
arises ;  “  How  many  varieties  do  I  rely  upon  for  my  household 
supply  ?  ”  and  you  are  amazed  to  find  that  from  a  dozen  to  tw'enty 
kitchen  varieties,  and  sometimes  less,  and  a  half  dozen  table  varieties, 
or  thereabouts,  are  all  that  you  require  and  that  you  rely  upon  to 
furnish  the  season’s  supply.  The  strongest  argument  for  the  increase 
of  varieties  lies  in  the  fact  that  in  order  to  insure  a  supply  of  fruit 
the  season  through  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  few  extra  varieties  in 
order  that  if  one  variety  misses  fruiting  by  reason  of  the  spring  frosts 
or  other  disturbances  some  of  the  others  may  escape,  and  so  keep  up 
the  calls  made  by  the  household ;  but  then  you  do  not  need  158 
varieties  to  do  this.  No,  one  may  say  ;  but  here  comes  in  again 
your  argument  of  the  likes  and  dislikes  of  varieties  of  different 
neighbourhoods,  and  each  neighbourhood  has  to  be  catered  for,  and  so 
I  suppose  something  must  be  allowed  on  that  score.  All  the  same,  I. 
am  still  of  opinion  that  some  lists  would  be  all  the  better  if  they  were  - 
severely  blue  pencilled.  What  do  other  gardeners  say  ? — N.  H.  P. 
