JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  19,  1904. 
434 
Thinning  Grapes. 
Tlie  timely  remarks  from  the  pen  of  “Onwards,”  on  page 
404,  are  worthy  the  attention  of  all ;  but  more  especially  are 
they  to  be  commended  to  the  consideration  of  the  dwellers  in 
the  Journal  “Domain.”  Young  men,  some  little  more  than 
lads,  hove  of  necessity  to  be  piessed  into  this  work.  To  some 
no  doubt  it  is  a  tedious  task.  The  man  who  will,  however,  give 
some  thought  as  to  the  ultimate  finish  of  each  bunch  taken  in 
hand,  when  the  different  shapes  and  sizes  of  bunches  and  berries 
shall  have  each  attained  their  proper  form  and  dimension,  will 
find  the  work  as  interesting  as  any  operation  in  gardening. 
It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  youths ;  t\yist- 
ing  and  wrenching  the  bunches  so  that  access  may  be  gained 
in  tbe  easie.st  possible  manner,  will  on  occasion  .spoil  hue  clirsters. 
One  would  have  thought  that  thinning  Grapes*  would  have 
proved  congenial  work  for  women,  yet  I  know  at  least  one  large 
grower  for  market  who  has  found  their  services  in  this  con¬ 
nection  anything  but  satisfactory.  He  emphatically  declares 
mat  not  one  woman  would  find  employment  in  his  vineries  at 
thinning  time  if  only  a  sufficient  number  of  men  were  forth¬ 
coming.  As  is  weil  known,  many  an  otherwise  “out  of  work,” 
who  can  deftly  handle  a  pair  of  sci.ssors,  may  find  a  few  weeks’ 
employment  at  this  busy  season. — Grower. 
The  Strawberry  Supply, 
In  your  issue  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  on  page  404, 
May  12,  1904,  under  heading,  “  Some  Sources  of  the  Straw¬ 
berry  Supply,”  the  statement  is  made  that  “English  growers 
do  not  pay  as  much  attention  to  the  wants  of  individual  plants 
as  the  Erench  cultivators  do.”  Then  a  little  lower,  “If  our 
growers  paid  anything  like  the  attention  to  their  crops  that  the 
Paris  Strawberry  raisers  do  to  theirs  the  average  output  of  the 
fields  of  Britain  would  soon  be  doubled.”  The  latter  part  of 
this  statement  is  both  interesting  and  very  important.  May  I 
ask  two  or  three  questions  ? — 1st,  Please  explain  what  is  meant 
by  attention  to  the  individual  plants;  is  it  meant  that  at  a 
certain  period  of  growth  each  individual  plant  or  stool  should 
be  fed  in  the  same  way  as  Cauliflowers  often  are  in  Britain  ? 
2nd,  Can  you  explain  what  attention  we  can  give  which  will 
double  our  crop  ?  3rd,  Can  you  explain  the  manures  used,  and 
the  methods  of  culture  applied,  by  which  we  can  secure  such 
results.*^  An  answer  to  the  above  would  greatly  oblige.— H.  A., 
Nottingham. 
[As  our  correspondent  would  notice,  the  article  was  quoted 
from  the  “  Newcastle  Chronicle,”  but  we  publish  the  queries  in 
the  hope  that  some  reader  may  be  able  and  willing  to  oblige. 
The  note  Avhich  follows  may  supply  some  u.seful  hints. — Ed.] 
Strawberry  Culture  in  France. 
In  France  the  Strawberry  growers  depend  chiefly  upon  such 
varieties  as  the  Princesse  Boyale  (conical),  Vicomtesse  Hericart 
de  Thury  (conical,  or  heart  shaped),  Marguerite  (elongated 
conical),  Docteur  Morere  (short  and  wide),  Docteur  Nicaise 
(cockscomb  shaped),  Jucunda  (heart  .shaped),  and  Gloire  de 
Zindwyck  (conical).  The  Docteur  Morere  is  large  and  a 
tremendous  cropper,  so  is  Docteur  Nicaise,  many  of  the  fruits 
of  the  latter  weigh  from  one  to  one  and  a  half'  ounces  each. 
Perhaps  the  Princesse  Koyale  is  more  largely  grown  than  any 
other  kind.  It  always  makes  the  best  prices  in  the  Central 
Market  at  Paris,  and  is  raised  in  nearly  all  the  commerciai 
Strawberry  grounds  in  France. 
The  success  of  the  French  Sti’awberry  growers  is  due  to  the 
following; — (1)  The  use  of  a  firm  soil;  they  are  wise  enough  to 
know  that  the  soil  in  which  the  roots  rest  cannot  be  made  too 
firm,  this  sends  the  plants  to  fruit ;  (2)  twice  a  week  shallow 
surface  stirrings  from  the  first  day  the  ground  is  workable  in 
the  spring  until  the  mulch  is  put  on  ;  (3)  ample  moisture  from 
the  time  the  young  fruits  set  until  they  begin  to  change  colour ; 
(4)  Mulching  in  the  winter  after  the  first  frost;  and  (5)  the  use 
of  pedigree  or  properly  propagated  plants.  If  Strawberry 
growing  were  carried  out  on  skilled  lines  in  this  country,  the 
English  county  grower  could  do  much  better  than  the  French 
gardener,  because  the  English  berry  is  of  far  superior  quality 
to  the  foreign  fruit. 
Societies, 
Royal  Horticultural,  Drill  Hall,  May  17tli. 
In  a  large  sen.se  the  exhibition  on  Tuesday  was  a  Tulip  show, 
apart,  of  course,  from  the  few  competitive  classes  arranged  by 
the  National  Tulip  Society’s  annual  exhibition,  which  came  in 
conjunction.  The  nurserymen  .staged  groups  of  Darwin  Tulips 
in  all  parts  of  the  hall,  and  the  display  was  indeed  rich  and 
varied.  But  the  lovers  of  hardy  flowers  were  delighted,  per¬ 
haps,  with  Mr.  C.  G.  Van  Tubergen’s  hybrid  Regalio-cyclus 
Irises  (or  Onco-Regalia)  more  than  with  anything  else,  and 
they  were  perfections  of  grace,  rarity  and  beauty.  We  would 
draw  special  attention  to  the  eight  certificated  varieties 
described  at  the  end  of  our  report.  Orchids  and  alpine  plants, 
together  with  Roses,  ferns,  and  stove  plants,  were  each  well 
repre.sented.  A  lecture  was  delivered  at  3  o’clock  by  Mr.  R. 
Hedger  Wallace  on  “  School  Gardens.” 
Fpuit  Committee. 
Mr..  Leopold  de  Rothschild  (gardener,  Geo.  Reynolds), 
Gunnersbury  Paik,  Acton,  obtained  a  cultural  commendation 
for  a  dish  of  Peach,  Duke  of  York. 
Mr.  John  Hodges,  Rusper  Vineries,  Fay  Gate  Station,  con¬ 
tributed  a  collection  of  marketable  Grapes  (Black  Hamburghs) 
in  market  baskets.  (Silver  Banksian  medal). 
Rhul)arb,  Holday’s  Giant,  from  Mr.  G.  Holday,  Havering 
Road,  Romford,  had  .stalks  fully  4ft.  long. 
Orchid  Committee. 
Messi-s.  Hugh  Low  and  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  Enfield,  staged 
Dendi'obium  Bensonire  xanthinum,  D.  Parish!,  LEelia  purpurata 
Baronisholt  variety,  a  very  jmetty  form;  Cattleya  Skinneri, 
which  was  excellently  flowered ;  also  C.  intermedia,  C.  Mo.ssim 
Reineckiana,  a  gem  ;  Lycaste  aromatica,  Oncidium  cucculatum, 
and  O.  phymatochilum.  (Silver  Banksian  medal). 
Mr.  H.  S.  Goodson  (gardener.  Geo.  E.  Day),  Fairlawn,  West 
Hill,  Putney,  .staged  a  bright  group  of  well-flowered  orchids, 
including  Dendrobium  Jamesianum,  D.  thyrsiflorum,  Cattleya 
Mossire,  Cymbidium  Lowianum,  Dendrobium  Devonianum, 
Cypripedium  eximium,  and  some  hybrid  Phaius.  (Silver  Flora 
medal). 
Messrs.  .James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea,  were  re¬ 
presented  by  Dendrobium  Jamesianum,  Masdevallia  ignea 
(splendid  pieces  in  pans),  Oncidium  Marshallianum,  Leelio- 
cattleya  Highburiensis,  Lmlia  purpurata  Ru.sselliana,  Cymbi¬ 
dium  Lowianum,  Oncidum  leuchochilum,  Ltelio-cattleya  Wells- 
iana  (a  very  beautiful  orchid).  Oncidium  sarcodes,  Lrnlia 
Latona,  and  L.-c.  x  Ascania.  (Silver  Flora  medal). 
Mr.  de  Barri  Craw.shay  (gardener,  W.  J.  Stables),  Rose- 
field,  Sevenoaks,  sent  Odontoglossum  crispum  Crawshayanum, 
O.-c.  Angel  (a  gem.  and  very  beautiful);  O.-c.  Raymond  Craw- 
shay,  Muth  eleven  flowers,  and  O.-c.  Theodora  (A.M.). 
Odontoglo,ssum  crispum  Raymond  Crawshay  and  O.-c. 
Grairianum  each  excellent ;  also  O.-c.  Harold  (which  received 
a  F.C.C.)  were  staged  by  Mr.  Norman  C.  Cookson  (gardener, 
H.  J.  Chapman),  Oakwood,  JVylam-on-Tyne. 
Floral  Committee. 
Messrs.  J.  Laing  and  Sons,  Forest  Hill,  arranged  a  semi¬ 
circular  group  on  the  floor,  consisting  chiefly  of  stove  and 
greenhouse  plants.  The  flowering  section  was  represented  by 
Anthuriums  in  variety,  and  Clerodendron  Balfouri.  In  the 
foliage  section  the  Crotons,  Dractenas,  and  Aralias  were  most 
conspicuous.  The  firm  also  exhibited  a  nice  strain  of  Strepto- 
carpus  hybrids. 
From  Messrs.  Paul  and  Son,  Cheshunt,  came  a  varied  dis¬ 
play  of  Roses,  Azaleas,  Tulips,  and  rock  plants.  Tlie  Roses 
were  Tea  Rambler,  a  glorious  plant,  and  Snowstorm.  Azalea 
mollis  Fire  King  was  conspicuous  for  its  bright  colour.  The 
single  white  Pteonia  Emodi  was  also  noted.  The  rock  plants 
were  arranged  naturally,  and  were  well  displayed. 
A  nice  table  of  herbaceous  Calceolarias  and  Gloxinias  came 
from  J.  A.  Y'oung,  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  J.  H.  Street),  Stone 
House,  Putney,  all  of  which  exhibited  robust  health  and 
excellent  strains. 
]\Ir.  John  R.  Box,  We.st  Wickham,  had  a  nice  table  of 
double  Begonias  in  pots,  the  chief  varieties  being  Mrs.  J.  R. 
Box,  a  fine  white;  Mis.^  Woodhead,  Lord  Milner,  Sunri.se,  and 
Samuel  Pope. 
Me.ssrs.  W.  Bull  and  Sons,  Chelsea,  were  represented  by  a 
collection  of  table  plants,  which  consisted  of  decorative  .sub¬ 
jects,  such  as  Aralia  Veitchi  gracillima,  A.  leptophylla, 
A.  elegantissima,  and  Chabrieri.  Palms  in  vai-iety,  Draemn-as 
His  Majesty,  Mayi,  Lord  Wolseley,  and  Exqui.site also  several 
other  plants  useful  for  decorative  purposes. 
The  Guildford  Hardy  Plant  Nursery  contributed  a  nice 
display  of  hardy  plants  naturally  arranged,  backed  with  flower¬ 
ing  .shrubs.  The  exhibit  was  ta.stefully  arranged.  A  feAV  of 
the  most  prominent  features  were  Primula  japonica  splendens, 
Gentiana  acauli.s,  Haberlea  rhodopensis,  Androsace .  sarmen- 
tosa,  Linaria  anticaria,  and  Anemone  sylvestris  major. 
