October  2,  1902. 
317 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
Six  Varieties. 
Early  Rivers 
Humboldt 
Lord  Napier 
Dryden 
Stanwick  Elruge 
A'ictoria 
Three  Varieties. 
Lord  Napier 
Elruge 
Victoria, 
Two  Varieties. 
Lord  Napier 
Humboldt. 
One  1 
ariety . 
Stanwicl 
irieties  for  forcing. 
c  Elruge 
Ear 
lies/. 
Cardinal 
Advance 
Precoce  de  Croncels 
Early  Rivers 
Second 
Early. 
Lord  Napier 
Rivers’  Early  Orauge 
Darwin 
Rivers’  AA’hite 
Mid-season. 
Elruge 
A'iolette  Dative 
Goldoni 
Pineapple 
Humboldt 
Dryden 
Late. 
Prince  of  AVales 
A'ictoria 
Spencer 
Galopin 
Three  for  Earl;/  Forcing. 
Cardinal 
Pr6coce  de  Croncels 
Early  Rivers 
Three  for  Second-earhj. 
Lord  Napier 
Rivers’  Early  Orange 
Stanwick  Elruge 
Three  for 
Mid-season. 
Elruge 
Violette  ILitive 
Humboldt 
Three 
Late . 
Pineapple 
A’ictoria 
Dryden 
Varieties  to  give  a  long  succession  of  fruit. 
Early  Rivers 
Lord  Napier 
Stanwick  Elruge 
Humboldt 
Pineapple 
Victoria 
-G.  Abbey. 
Best  quality  Nectarine. 
Stanwick  Elruge 
Best  Forcing  Nectarine. 
Pineapple 
- <•©•> - 
White  Heathers. 
At  present  Erica  cinerea,  the  fine-leavecl  Heath,  has  the  most 
beautiful  variations  of  tone  to  be  found  in  any  one  of  our  hardy 
Heaths.  In  the  Calluna,  the  Heather  or  Ling,  there  are  fewer 
good  colours,  the  tones  in  some  of  the  varieties  being  somewhat 
dull,  although  effective  enough  when  seen  in  masses.  Few  plants 
show  such  a  diverse  habit*  as  the  Heather,  and  what  with  dwarf 
and  tall,  spreading  and  erect,  variegated  leaved,  and  varieties 
with  flowers  from  pure  white  to  deep  crimson,  and  many  shades 
between,  one  may  have  a  rich  display  of  colour,  with  much 
interest  in  the  autumnal  garden  from  the  presence  of  this  one 
moorland  flower  and  its  varied  forms  alone.  If  the  choicest  of 
forms  were  selected,  such  would  surely  be  the  white  Heathers, 
and  by  these  are  meant  the  white  flowered  Callunas,  for  it  may 
be  well  to  refer  to  the  British  Ericas  as  Heaths.i.  Calluna  v. 
dumosa,  is  of  dumpy,  stiff  habit,  as  neat  as  a  trimmed  Box  edging, 
and  the  earliest  of  all  white  Heathers  tc  commence  flowering. 
The  similar  stiff  habit  is  seen  in  the  varieties  Hammondi,  tomen- 
tosa  alba,  and  Serb,  although  not  to  tiie  same  extent  ;  and  while 
dumosa  is  a  very  dwarf  plant,  these  three  white  Heathers  rise  in 
a  fastigiate  way  to  several  feet  in  height.  One  of  the  prettiest 
Heathers  is  C.  vulgaris  alba.  It  is  much  looser  in  growth  than 
those  already  mentioned,  and  is  dwarf  without  being  stiff.  This 
is  an  elegant  rock  garden  plant.  At  the  recent  Caledonian 
Flower  Show, Mr. Hayes,  nurseryman,  Keswick,  included  in  a  stand 
of  Hardy  Heaths  and  Heathers  a  charming  seedling  Calluna.  Its 
well  chosen  name  is  Calluna  vulgaris  gracilis.  It  is  a  spreading 
plant,  with  numerous  very  slender  shoots,  that  are  well  wreathed 
with  blossom.  'The  diffuse  habit  of  this  seedling  will  render  it 
an  admirable  companion  and  contrast  to  the  sturdier  varieties, 
while  none  could  wish  for  a  better  representative  of  the  Scotch 
Heather  with  which  to  adorn  the  rockery  or  garden. — D.  S.  Fish. 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
“Here  awa’,  There  awa’." 
For  many  generations  now,  the  Rivers  of  Sawbridgeworth,  in 
Hertfordshire,  have  cultivated  fruit  and  farmed  their  extensive 
estate  in  that  picturesque  district.  Their  work  continues  still 
on  the  lines  that  have  placed  the  firm  high  and  secure  in  its 
reputation  for  quality  in  the  stock  produoed.  New  orchards  of 
trees  that  are  readily  saleable  take  the  place  of  those  that  have 
gone  before,  and  even'  extra  ground  has  been  taken  under  fruit 
culture  during  the  past  few  years.  The  older  orchards  are 
remarkably  fruitful,  especially  the  Plums,  and  so  are  some  of  the 
Apples,  even  in  this  unfavourable  year ;  but  the  promise  all 
round  at  the  flowering  time  was  rosy  indeed,  till  frost  withered 
both  flowers  and  hopes. 
Varieties  of  Plums. 
Many  acres  are  devoted  to  orchards  of  standard  trees,  the 
ground  beneath  them  being  kept  clean  by  surface  culture.  Plums 
and  Apples  are  grown  thus  extensively  with  Currants  occasion¬ 
ally  beneath  and  between  the  lines  of  well  developed  trees.  At 
the  time  of  my  visit  during  the  last  week  in  August,  Czar  Plums 
were  being  gathered  from  the  trees,  and  tons  each  day  Avere 
despatched  to  the  London  and  Birmingham  markets,  Avhere  good 
prices  were  accorded.  Czar  Plum  has  been  heavy  this  year  at 
Sawbridgeworth.  Monarch  promised  excellently.  This  is  an 
oft  decried  variety,  and  private  gardeners  are  said  to  affirm  that 
they  fail  to  fruit  it.  Under  genuine  orchard-culture  on  the 
Rivers’  estate  it  ropes  the  branclilets  heavily  with  handsome 
fruits,  and  is  consistently  a  successful  cropper.  Grand  Duke  was 
seen  in  splendid  condition,  and  affords  a  good  late  dessert  Plum 
for  walls.  In  normal  seasons  fruits  ripen  in  the  middle  of 
October,  and  besides  being  A^ery  large,  the  flavour  is  altogether 
excellent.  Diamond,  a  good  black  cooking  Plum,  for  use  at  the 
end  of  this  month,  is  hardy,  Angorous,  and  prolific,  and  the  sight 
of  a  “screen-belt”  of  it  bearing  prolificly,  gave  one  more  con¬ 
fidence  than  before,  if  that  Avere  needed,  in  its  attributes  of 
hardiness.  Williams’  Golden  Gage,  a  big,  handsome  Plum,  crops 
moderately  one  year,  and  generally  misses  the  next ;  it  may  bo 
less  popular  on  that  account.  Sultan  is  an  early  kitohen  Plum, 
with  large  round  fruits  of  a  dark  red  colour,  and  yields  a  full 
crop  regularly.  Another  reliable  variety  for  orchard  culture  is 
Autumn  Compote.  It  may  be  seen  in  a  well-deA*eloped  state  at 
the  present  time  (middle  of  September),  and  begins  hoav  to  yield 
its  handsome  red  fruits.  Grand  Duke  is  a  seedling  from  it. 
Pershores,  of  course,  require  no  description,  but  is  it  generally 
known  that  seiwiceable  fruiting  trees  of  the  Arariety  are  readily 
attained  from  suckers?  Their  habit,  when  developed,  however, 
causes  them  to  produce*  suckers  luxuriantly,  Avhich  places  them 
somewhat  under  a  bane.  Still,  among  Plums,  comes  Belle  de 
LouArain,  a  dark  purple  kitchen  sort,  in  use  as  August  closes. 
This  has  also  yielded  satisfactorily  in  a  poor  fruit  year  in  the 
orchards,  and  so  has  the  Early  Orleans,  Avhich  Avas  being  gathered 
a  month  ago.  Its  agreeable,  juicy  character  is  appreciated. 
Fruiting  on  the  borders  of  the  plantations  Avas  the  common 
Damson,  the  true  old  variety,  Avhioh  must  recall  to  many  minds 
the  orchard  scenes  of  one’s  earliest  years. 
The  late  Mr.  Thomas  Rivers  raised  a  large  number  of  seedling 
Plums,  among  which  are  the  names  of  most  of  those  I  have 
mentioned.  His  heirs  to-day  continue  the  work  of  crossing  and 
raising.  Deeply  set  amidst  an  orchard  of  trees  of  a  newer  genera¬ 
tion,  stands  the  original  Early  Rivers  Plum  bearing  an  inscrip¬ 
tion  which  informs  the  Arisitor  that: — 
This  is  the  original  tree  of  the 
Early  Prolific,  or  Early  Rivers  Plum, 
raised  by  Thomas  Rivers  in  1S34.  ‘ 
The  gnarled  patriarch  (for  Plums  are  not  famed  for  longevity) 
is  lichen-covered,  having  two  main  trunks  and  others  branching 
from  them,  these  being  propped  up  on  tAvo  or  three  sides.  The 
variety  is  a  very  early  kitchen  Plum,  and  generally  Avell  known. 
Under  glass,  in  pots,  the  Early  Transparent  Gage  delighted  the 
eyes  and  tempted  the  palate,  for  it  is  an  undoubted  gem  amongst 
early  Gage  Plums.  Transparent  Gage  ripens  some  days  later. 
In  season  at  the  present  time  are  Bryanston  Gage,  a  round, 
greenish-yellow,  juicy  sample;  Denniston’s  Superb,  Avhich  Ave  find 
fruiting  Avell  on  a  gravelly  loam,  and  trained  to  a  south  Ava  11.  It 
is  robust  and  a  free  grower.  The  fruits  are  greenish-amber,  of 
large  size  for  a  Gage,  round  in  form,  with  a  SAveet,  juicy  flesh. 
Reine  Claude  de  Bavay,  comes  into  use  noAv,  and  furnishes  another 
variety  of  fruitful  character,  and  generally  dependable.  A  neAv 
Gage  is  the  Reine  Claude  du  Comte  Atthems,  a  very  fine,  round 
and  red,  late  Plum,  Avith  fruits  of  good  size,  firm  and  excellently 
flavoured.  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright  finds  it  succeed  satisfactorily  on  his 
dry,  sandy  soil  at  Chiswick,  and  speaks  in  its  favour.  The  same 
remarks  apply  to  the  early  ripening  McLaughlin’s  Gage,  a 
greenish-yelloAV  American  Plum  of  merit. 
Of  the  dessert  Plums  not  already  mentioned,  I  may  name  the 
lovely  little  Coe’s  Golden  Drop;  the  popular  Jefferson,  good  for 
any  garden;  Kirke’s,  which,  if  memory  serves  us  right,  Avas 
disqualified  in  a  class  at  the  fruit  sIioav  last  AA'eek.  and  stated  to 
