258 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  17,  1903. 
itself  to  equalising  the  growth  of  the  branches,  and  afford¬ 
ing  a  style  of  contour  in  agreeable  harmony  with  the  geo¬ 
metrical  plane  of  the  gable  Avail. 
TJvedale’s  St.  Germain  Pear  is  an  exceedingly  vigorous  sort, 
and  produces  enonnous  fruits,  almost  like  Swede  Turnips. 
A  specimen  I  have  in  my  mind’s  eye  is  growing  against  one 
of  the  four  gable  ends  of  the  commodious  stables  at  Weston 
House,  Shipston-on-Stour,  in  South  Warwickshire,  the 
splendid  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Camperdown.  The  tree  must 
be  more  than  an  octogenarian,  inasmuch  as  upwards  of 
half  a  century  ago  the  AA^riter  recollects  that  it  Av^as  then 
almost,  if  not  quite,  as  large  as  at  the  present  time. 
Nevertheless,  good  crops  of  fine  fruit  have  been  annually 
borne,  and  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  that  in  my  aspiring 
early  ‘‘  teens  ”  I  was  privileged  by  my  father  to  “  try  my 
’prentice  hand  ”  on  fruit  tree  pruning  and  training  by  com¬ 
mencing  upon  the  v’eteran  in  question. 
The  gaWe  has  a  southern  aspect,  which  no  doubt  materi¬ 
ally  contributes  to  the  fertility  of  the  tree.  Mr.  John 
Masterson,  the  competent  gardener  at  Weston  House, 
courteously  gave  me  a  photograph  of  the  tree,  which  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  reproduced  in  1902.  The  total  weight 
of  the  crop  of  fine  fruits  (some  of  them  nearly  2lb  each  in 
weight)  Avas  at  that  time  2cAvt.  Many  first  prizes  have  been 
Avon  from  the  tree,  including  first  at  the  Crystal  Palace 
ShoAA"  in  1894  and  1895.  The  tree  has  never  been  fed  with 
stimulants,  nor  has  it  been  root-pruned,  and  its  roots  are 
in  the  bed  of  a  wide  carriage  drive  leading  to  the  back  pre¬ 
mises  of  the  mansion.  Gravel  encircles  the  base  of  the 
stem,  Avhere  it  measures  6ft  in  circumference.  Doubtless 
the  roots  have  rambled  a  considerable  distance,  and  also 
come  in  contact  with  the  stable  drains,  thus  deriving 
the  nourishment  required  by  so  large  a  tree. 
The  principal  front  of  the  stables,  facing  east,  was 
formerly  furnished  with  fine  old  fan  and  espalier  shaped 
Pear  trees,  now  supplanted  by  a  mantle  of  Pyracanthas 
and  Ivies,  planted  some  twenty  years  ago.  The  kitchen 
garden  walls  at  Weston  House  are  also  furnished  Avith 
many  fine  old  Pear  trees.  Fig  trees  used  to  bear  very  good 
crops  of  fruit  at  Weston,  and  a  long  wall  is  furnished  Avith 
them.  Another  long  and  high  Avail,  leading  into  the 
kitchen  garden  on  the  far  side  of  the  stables’  chief  front, 
Avas  formerly  clad  with  Figs,  but  is  now  appropriated  to 
Apricots. 
Amongst  the  numerous  instances  of  notable  gable  end 
fruit  trees,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  recently  subject  to 
the  notice  of  the  Avriter  Avas  a  fine  specimen  of  a  tall  tree 
of  Marie  Louise  Pear,  growing  against  the  high  gable  end 
of  one  of  the  garden  offices  at  Elvaston  Castle.  The  tree 
is  about  34ft  high,  and  was  laden  with  fruit,  and  was  also 
at  the  time  the  heaviest  laden  Pear  tree  in  the  gardens 
there. 
In  the  choice  of  varieties  suitable  for  gable  ends  or 
similar  spacious  walls,  the  grower  must  be  controlled  in  a 
great  measure  by  the  aspect ;  but  in  nearly  every  case  they 
should  be  vigorous  growing  varieties  grafted  on  tall,  free 
stocks.  The  latter  proviso,  how’ever,  is  not  essentially 
necessary,  excepting  that  a  tall  stem  affords  a  better  means 
of  regulating  the  growth  of  the  branches,  and  also  by  allow¬ 
ing  the  basal  ones  to  be  trained  in  a  dowmward  direction, 
and  thus  funiish  the  lower  portion  of  the  Avail  with  fruit 
bearing  shoots,  not  so  readily  available  by  the  fan  system. 
One  of  the  most  suitable  varieties  for  a  north  aspect  is 
the  prolific  BeuiTe  d’Amanlis,  which,  being  a  vigorous 
groAver.  Avould  soon  fill  the  allotted  space.  Williams’  Bon 
Chretien  also  is  a  suitable  v^ariety  for  the  aspect  indicated, 
and  AA’hereby  a  longer  succession  of  this  popular  Pear  may 
be  acquired.  For  a  western  aspect  Louise  Bonne  of 
Jersey  is  one  of  the  best,  and  Pitmaston  Duchess,  also  its 
prototype  Duchesse  d’Angouleme,  which  is  well  adapted  for 
an  eastern  aspect.  Of  course,  there  are  several  other 
varieties  suitable  for  the  different  aspects  (for  a  south 
aspect  Passe  Colmar  may  be  mentioned),  but  I  have  named 
the  best  of  the  several  varieties  adapted  for  this  position. — 
W.  Gardiner. 
Crown  Imperials. 
This  is  Fritillaria.  imperialis,  a  hardy  bulbous  plant  which 
does  well  in  a  shady  border,  in  deep,  rich,  rather  adhesive  soil. 
The  floAvers  are  drooping  and  bell-shaped.  The  bulbs  may  be 
planted  now  4in  to  Gin  deep,  in  groups  of  three  or  four.  They 
Avill  need  no  further  attention  for  several  years,  with  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  an  annual  top-dressing  of  decayed  manure. — S. 
Edibh  Fungi. 
Said  a  A’isitor  to  me  in  the  Drill  Hall  on  Tuesday:  “What  are 
they  doing  Avith  these  things  here  ”  We  Avere  looking  at  Dr. 
Cooke’s  coloured  draAA’ings  of  tAventy  edible  Fungi,  and  in  a  feAV 
Avords  I  told  the  man.  I  said  Dr.  Cooke  Avant.s  us  to  study  these, 
and  use  them  for  food,  and  he  has  described  them  to  us.  Before 
the  man  left  me  (he  groAA’s  Orchids)  he  asked,  “  And  Avhere  is  the 
one  that  is  poisonous?”  Such  simplicity,  alas!  is  too  common 
amongst  us. 
But  that  there  are  large  numbers  of  men  and  Avomen  at  Avork 
studying  Fungus  groAvths — certainly  Avith  various  objects  in  vueAv 
■ — the  meeting  convened  last  Tuesday  in  the  James  Street  Drill 
Hall,  W'estminster,  gave  ample  proof:  they  Avere  there  Avith  note¬ 
books,  handling,  smelling,  examining  the  species  in  the  numerous 
collections.  Moreover,  there  has  been  no  such  croAvded  audience 
in  the  Drill  Hall  for  months. 
Dr.  Cooke  (the  record  of  Avhose  surprisingly  varied  life  from 
solicitoPs  clerk  to  Board  teacher  and  botanist,  in  England  and 
America,  Ave  gave  in  1902)  began  his  remarks  by  .stating  that  he 
meant  to  be  popular,  rather  than  severely  scientific,  in  the  treat¬ 
ment  of  his  subject.  There  are  four  chief  groups  of  edible  Fungi, 
Atrarics,  Morels,  Truffles  and  Puff  Balls.  Briefly  tracing  the  life 
hi,story  of  a  type  plant  (the  common  Mushroom,  Agaricus  campes- 
tris).  he  then  quickly  ran  through  the  folloAving  list,  pointing  out 
the  prominent  characters,  and  gave  some  facts  of  their  history, 
properties,  and  commercial  or  domestic  importance.  Thus — 
Agaricus  campestris ;  A.  c.  .sylvicola;  A.  villaticus,  the  Giant 
Mushroom;  A.  elvensis.  Scaly  Mushroom;  A.  arvensis,  or  Horsa 
Mushroom  ;  A.  hsemorrhoidarius,  the  Bleeding  Mushroom. 
Tricholoma  gambosa,  St.  George’s  Mushroom;  T.  personata,  or 
Blewibs;  T.  nuda,  or  Blue  Caps. 
Clitocybe  nebularis,  the  Dusky  Caps;  Lepiota  procera,  the 
Parasol  Mushroom;  Coprinus  comatus,  Shaggy  Caps;  Cantharel- 
lus  cibarius,  the  Chantarelle;  Marasmius  oreades,  the  Fairy-ring 
Champignon. 
Boletus  edulis.  the  Edible  Boletus;  B.  scaber,  the  Rough¬ 
legged  Boletus ;  Morchella  sp.  (Morels) ;  Heh'ella  lacunosa,  the 
Dusky  Helvella ;  Lycoperdon  bovista,  the  Giant  Puff  Ball. 
All  the  drawings  Avere  by  Dr.  Cooke  himself. 
“  If  the  mysterj’  of  cultivating  edible  Eungi,”  said  Dr.  Cooke, 
“  could  be  discovered,  Ave  should  be  able  to  cultivate  many 
species.”  .He  himself  has  eaten  eighty  species,  all  more  or  less 
wholesome.  The  cultivated  Mushroom  (Agaricus  campestris)  is 
a  most  widely  spread  species.  It  is  found  in  Siberia,  Northern 
India,  Mongolia,  Ceylon,  North  and  South  America,  South  Africa, 
Oceana,  Tasmania,  and  everyAvhere,  indeed,  if  a  suitable  climate 
exists.  It  is  recognised  as  good  for  food  in  a  number  of  countries. 
The  Chinese,  he  remarked,  cultivate  a  number  of  species  of  Fungi, 
but  it  is  not  knoAvn  Avhether  this  is  included. 
The  common  Mushroom  is  subject  to  considerable  variation, 
and  numbers  of  Avell-marked  forms  are  knoAvn  to  experts.  One  of 
the  best  knoAA’n  is  A.  c.  elvensis,  Avell  known  in  Italy.  Another  is 
A.  c.  sylvicola,  commonly  found  in  our  OAvn  Avoods,  and  has  a  white 
cap  or  pileus',  smooth  like  a  glove. 
The  lecturer  emphasised  the  strong  need  to  cook  Agarici  as 
soon  as  possible  after  they  are  gathered.  “In  the  morning,  Avith 
the  deAv  still  upon  them,’’  is  the  best  time  ;  and  he  further  stated 
that  many  cooks  did  not  knoAV  hoAv  to  properly  preserve  their 
goodness;  in  short.  Iioaa'  to  cook  them.  A  reverend  gentleman, 
at  the  end  of  the  address,  said  that  he  had  tasted  all  the  kinds  of 
edible  Fungi  Dr.  Cooke  had  mentioned,  and  he  thought  it  hardly 
.safe  to  eat  some  of  them.  The  Puff  Ball,  for  instance,  in  the 
cooking  gave  off  poAverful  fumes.  The  essayist  again  reiterated 
his  plea  for  cooking  Avhile  the  samples  Avere  perfectly  fresh.  True, 
many  .stomachs  are  highly  sensitive  ;  he  had  even  knoAvn  a  person 
the  skin  of  Avhose  hands  became  inflamed  by  handling  the  culti¬ 
vated  Mu.shroom  ;  and  he  Avent  on  to  observe  that  the  chemical 
ingredients  of  the  Fungi  change  on  undue  exposure  to  the  air, 
making  them  deleterious  if  the  change  is  carried  far  enough. 
Some  folks  thought  that  all  edible  Agaric.s  and  edible  genera 
generally,  had  a  flavour  akin  to  that  of  Agaricus  campestris,  and 
that  this  Avas  one  means  of  identification.  Dr.  Cooke,  on  the 
other  hand,  .stated  this  to  be  unreliable,  as  many  species  hav^e 
decidedly  distinctiA^e  flavours.  There  is  no  Royal  road  to  a  knoAA’- 
ledge  of  good  and  bad,  poisonous  and  non-poisonous  kinds:  they 
must  simply  be  .studied,  until  one  gets  to  knoAV  them. 
Numerous  enquiries  were  heard  for  a  good  text-book,  in  order 
to  learn  .something  more  of  so  fascinating  a  subject.  Students  in 
reach  of  London  can  get  a  Li.st  at  the  Natural  History  Museum, 
Cromwell  Road,  South  Kensington.  The  Society  for  the  Promo¬ 
tion  of  CTiristian  IvnoAvledge,  London,  publish  coloured  plates  of 
life-sized  specimens,  mounted  on  cloth,  price  one  shilling  each. 
(To  be  continued.) 
