tiarch  31,  UHil. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
reniov'ed  as  \^lieu  allowed  to  reiiuain.  Disease  does  not  attack 
Potatoes  solely  by  the  stem,  but  can  penetrate  the  skin  of  the 
tuber  from  the  exterior.  Jensen,  the  Danish  savant,  declared 
that  the  mycelium  is  not  carried  down  the  stem,  althougli  others 
declare  it  imxjossible  for  the  spore  to  live  in  the  soil. — 
T.  K..  Westox. 
- - 
Notes  on  Apples. 
Whether  my  concluding  remarks,  on  page  237,  arejvorthy 
of  the  attention  paid  them  by  “  Provincial  ”  on  page  257  of  the 
Journal,  is  a  matter  which  I  will  leave  to  him  to  decide.  He 
evidently  considers  them  of  great  importance,  as  they  appear  to 
form  the  keynote  of  his  reply.  It  may  be  a  matter  for  regret 
that  he  has'  not  been  able  to  complete  his  projected  series  of 
notes  on  Apples  through  the  interference  of  cruel  time.  ill 
“  Prov'incial  ”  please  accept  my  sympathy  for  the  heartless 
manner  in  which  he  has  been  treated  by  Time’s  rnthless  hand? 
and  in  the  future  I  hope  Pate  will  deal  kindlier  with  him,  so 
that  the  even  tenor  of  his  way  may  not  be  disturbed!  I  am 
glad  to  note  that  he  places  the  varieties  I  mentioned  on  page 
237  very  high  in  his  list  of  culinary  Apples.  This  I  consider 
is  as  it  should  be,  yet  surely  it  is  not  wisdom  when  commencing 
a  series  of  notes  on  Apples  to  make  the  first,  and  apparently 
only,  selection  of  second  and  third  rate  sorts,  which  those  men¬ 
tioned  by  “  Provincial  ”  evidently  are.  Such  a  method  is  mis¬ 
leading  to  those  who  are  nnacciuainted  with  the  better  and 
more  up-to-date  varieties,  yet  this  is  exactly  what  your  corre¬ 
spondent  has  done.  Of  course  we  are  aware  that  it  is  not 
practicable  in  the  limited  space  of  the  Journal  to  mention  and 
describe  all  the  widely-known  and  widely-grown  Apples ;  but 
what  are  recommended  .shoidd,  if  possible,  be  of  the  best,  and 
many  better  varieties  than  those  enumerated  by  “  Provincial  ” 
could  certainly  be  named. — S.  P.,  Wilts. 
—  - 
The  Varied  Action  of  Tree  (Vine)  Roots. 
This  subject,  so  well  discussed  by  “  W.  S.,”  on  j^age  24G,  is 
one  which  has  occupied  a  lai'ge  share  of  my  attention,  and  as  I 
l\appen  to  be  intimately  acquainted  with  one  of  the  peisons 
who  took  part  in  the  conti’oversy  in  the  Journal  some  years  ago, 
and  alluded  to  by  your  correspondent,  I  may  be  allowed  to  make 
a  few  furtlier  remarks  on  the  matter.  There  is  still  a  large 
amount  of  mystery  connected  with  the  subject,  and  no  scientific 
experimentalist,  so  far  as  I  know,  has  yet  studied  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Vine  in  this  respect.  Neither  am  I  aware 
that  any  writer  before  myself  mentioned  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
habit  of  this  plant,  when  in  a  healthy  and  vigorous  condition,  to 
form  leaves  before  it. commences  to  reproduce  I’oots.  When  it 
was  mentioned  it  was  met  by  stout  denials  in  influential 
quarters.  Once  I  thought  I  had  made  a  mistake,  and  that  the 
liabit  could  not  be  so  general  as  I  had  .stated  it  to  be.  This 
was  in  the  year  1873,  when  our  lamented-  friend,  the  late  Dr. 
Hogsc,  honoured  me  with  a  visit  at  T.ongleat  on  his  way  to  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  provincial  show  at  Bath.  As  my 
permanent  Vines  had  not  then  come  into  full  bearing,  some  pot 
Vines  were  grown  to  assist  the  supply.  These  Vines  were  of  one 
season’s  growth  only  ;  in  fact,  they  were  placed  in  the  forcing 
house  abotit  nine  or  ten  months  after  the  eyes  had  been  in¬ 
serted.  The  leaves  were  then  fairly  ripened,  but  had  not  all 
fallen.  The  house  was  one  of  a  number  used  for  growing  Melons 
and  Cucumbers,  and  consequenth’  had  bottom  heat  pipes  covered 
ith  rubble.  The  pots  were  plunged  over  these  pipes  in  some 
natural-made  leaf-mould,  such  as  accumulated  in  low  jjlaces 
in  parts  of  the  woods  where  there  was  little  or  no  undergrowth. 
Some  time  after  the  leaves  had  fallen  from  the  Vines,  the 
roots  were  examined  and  found  to  l)e  active.  This  was  a 
tJiizzler  and  threatened  to  upset  all  my  previously  formed  ideas. 
But  afterwards,  when  the.se  Vines  were  coming  into  leaf,  they 
were  examined  again,  and  there  was  not  a  white  rootlet  to  be 
seen.  Hoot  hairs  had  all  disappeared,  and  such  as  remained  of 
the  root  fibrils  had  decreased  in  size,  and  had  a  loose  covering  of 
dead  matter.  Perhaps  someone  nil!  suggest  that  I  had  killed 
the  young  roots  by  bad  treatment.  But  that  this  was  not  the 
case  was  proved  by  the  fact  that  each  Vine  ripened  and  pei'- 
fectly  coloured  four  bunches  of  Gi’apes,  several  of  which  weighed 
over  three  pounds  each,  and  all  of  them  were  good.  The  quality 
of  the  fruit  was  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  leaf-mould  was 
afterwards  found  to  be  as  full  of  roots  as  the  soil  round  a 
healthy  Box  tree.  Such  leaf-mould  cannot,  I  think,  be  made 
artificially,  and  is  of  immense  value.' 
Well,  then,  the  facts  mentioned  above  tend  to  show  that  the 
roots  of  Vines  are  active  after  the  leaves  have  fallen,  and  thus 
make  up  for  theii’  tardine.ss  in  , starting.  I  cannot  positively  state 
that  this  is  ahvays  the  case,  but  I  i)§rieve  it  is,  and  it  should  be 
a  lesson  for  tho.se  cultivators  who  allow  their  borders  to  get 
rather  dry  while  the  fruit  is  hanging-  on  the  Vines  late  in  the 
season.  Here,  then,  is  a  que.stion  for  the  physiologist.  What 
can  the  plants  do  in  the  way  of  feeding  after  the  leaves  have 
fallen.^  The  root  hairs  mentioned  are  there  for  some  pui-pose, 
2711 
and  it  cannot  be  merely  for  absoi  bing  water,  because  water  is 
imbibed  all  through  the  winter,  and  in  the  case  of  the  Vine  in 
immense  (luantities  in  the  .s])ring  befoi'e  root  extension  com¬ 
mences.  I  have  looked  up  the  Dr.’s  nott's  in  the  Journal  of 
July  3,  1873.  in  the  hope  of  finding  mention  made  of  the  pot 
Vines,  but  although  there  is  much  that  is  flattering  to  myself, 
there  is  no  attempt  at  any  details,  and  the  Vines  in  question 
are  not  alluded  to.  If  my  memory  serves  me  right,  no  notes 
were  taken  excepting  as  to  the  measurement  of  hon.ses. —  W  M. 
Tayloh.  Bath, 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
Handy  Plants  at  Long-  Ditton. 
liven  thus  early  in  the  .season  there  are  many  beautifid  plants 
in  flower  at  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons’  nunsery,  Long  Ditton. 
Surrey.  A  patch  of  Arabis  albida  nana  compacta  grandiflora  is 
a  gem  upon  the  rockeiy,  as  it  ought  to  be  with  such  a  descriptive 
name.  The  flowers  are  large,  round,  very  white,  and  borne 
)nimerously  in  clusters.  Iris  foetidi.ssima  variegata  fnrni.shes  a 
pretty-foliaged  subject,  while  the  white  Scilla  sibirica,  and  an 
albino  form  of  Chionodoxa  Lnculije  are  each  exceedingly  chaste. 
Aubrietia  Royal  Purple  has  .si)read  over  two  or  three  square 
yards,  and  its  large  showy  flowers  are  specially  effective.  This 
is  (|uite  distinct  from  A.  Hendersoni,  and  seems  to  be  richer. 
A  passing  reference  must  also  be  made  to  Hedera  Helix  minima, 
one  of  the  dwarfest  Ivies  for  use  upon  the  rock  garden.  The 
stems  grow  erect,  and  bear  straight  I'ows  of  very  small  trian¬ 
gular  leaves  on  opposite  .sides.  H.  H.  minima  and  H.  H.  con- 
glomerata  are  two  suitable  species  for  rockeiies. 
Some  of  the  Primroses  are  very  fine,  as  foi-  example  Ro.sy 
Gem  (ro.sy-pni-ple)  and  Cecil  Rhodes  (rosy-crimson),  both  .singles. 
The  smooth,  fleshy-leaved  P.  nivalis  with  beautiful,  pui-e  white, 
sweet-.scented  flowers  is  in  pots  within  frames;  and  the  same 
applies  to  the  dwarf  P.  spectabilis,  with  rosy-purple  blossoms 
hai'dly  rai.sed  above  the  close-set  leaves.  Along  with  these  in 
neighbouring  frames  were  quantities  of  mixed  varieties  of  the 
Japane.se  Pi  imrose — Sieboldi ;  the  small  pots  being  all  plunged 
in  ashes.  Mr.  William  Bail'  has  a  number  of  vaiiously  coloured 
seedlings  from  P.  denticulata,  but  none  of  them  are  good  enough 
to  keep;  yet  he  intends  to  continue  with  this  variety  in  the 
hope  to  “get  fresh  breaks.’’ 
A  cultural  point  of  some  intere.st  Avas  noted  in  the  treatment 
of  the  Alpine  Auriculas,  small  plants  of  which  are  so  very  apt 
to  damp-off  when  grown  in  pots  and  Avintered  in  frames.  By 
placing  the  pots  on  their  sides  in  layers,  each  on  the  top  of  the 
other,  to  the  height  of  3ft  or  .so,  AA’ith  the  croAA  iis  facing, out  on 
both  sides,  the  liability  to  dampness  is  qAiite  overcome,  and  the 
plants  remain  tough  and  healthy.  They  even  continue  to  groA\' 
though  the  soil  in  the  pots  seems  dust  dry. 
One  ought  also  to  mention  the  pretty  pink-floAAered  Arabis 
aubi’ietioides,  AA'hich  groAA’s  compactly,  and  floAvers  very  eai'ly. 
Saxifraga  Grisebachi,  also  iioaa',  is  one  of  the  freest  floAA'ering 
members  of  the  encru.sted  section,  and  thi'OAAS  np  quite  a  long 
red  spike  AA'ith  green-tipped  l)racts  from  each  rosette  of  limy- 
flaked  leaves.  The  dainty  little  floAAers  are  neaidy  hidden  by 
the  pretty  bracts.  Since  it  AA  a.s  certificated  this  pretty  species 
has  spread  about  very  considerably,  and  Messrs.  Bai  r  and  Sons 
have  a  goodly  .stock  of  small  plants.  S.  Sancti  and  S.  apiculata 
as  Aveil  as  S.  Burseiiana,  are,  of  course,  AA’ell  knoAAU. 
Within  the  shelters  made  of  laths  on  frames,  or,  in  other 
cases,  slender  canes  and  reeds,  many  choice  alpines  that  love 
shade  and  a  damp  liottom  are  groAAii.  At  this  time  of  year 
there  is  little  to  note  in  actual  floAA’er.  Soldanella  alpina,  Iioav- 
ever.  manages  to  display  its  fringed  lavender  floAAers,  and  the 
plants  hei’e  are  groAAing  in  leaf-moidd  mixed  AA'ith  the  sandy 
loam,  AA'hich  they  .seem  to  enjoy.  This  plant,  according  to  Mr. 
Barr,  delights  in  a  top-dressing  of  .sand  during  the  summer,  and 
this  applies  particularly  to  gardens  in  the  South.  Hardy 
Cyclamens  in  small  pots  Avere  also  plunged  in  mould.  In(|uiring 
of  my  ho.st  Avhether  these  dainty  little  plants  AAere  much  more 
in  demand  than  the.y  used  to  be,  he  AA'as  unable  to  say  that  ther(' 
AA'as  a  greater  call  for  them.  IMany  private  gardeners  hardly 
knoAv  them,  and  they  .seem  to  prefer  to  leave  untouched  plants 
AA'hich  tliey  have  no  acquaintance  Avith.  Saxifraga  oppositifolia 
major  furnishes  a  very  satisfactory  hardy  plant  for  outdoor  floi'al 
display  at  this  season  of  the  year. 
And  a  passing  AA  ord  is  desei'ved  b,y  Ki  ica  carnea.  aa  hich  ought 
really  to  be  planted  ten  times  more  freely  on  banks  or  in  beds, 
oi-  as  edgings  to  shrubberies;  also  to  Erica  vulgaris  ai'gentea. 
and  E.  v.  aurea.  the  former  Avith  silvery  groAA'ths.  and  the  lattei' 
AA'ith  inten.se  biilliant  crim.son.  Though  named  “  aurea.”  tlu' 
AA'inter  colour  of  the  shoots  and  their  shortened  leaves  is  as  1 
have  de.scribed  it--inten.se  crim.son.  a  colour  almost  or  quite 
nni(|ue  among  dAA  arf  shi'iibs.  I’his  rich  colour  onlv  exists  on  the 
upper  or  exjjosed  sides  of  the  shoots,  hoAA'ever ;  for  the  njidtu- 
surface  remains  green. — Wandeuino  Willie. 
- - 
The  Iving  has  consented  to  become  a  patron  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society. 
