380 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  22,  1903. 
Spiraea  Thunbergi. 
The  short  notice  (page  327)  of  this,  one  of  the  most  elegant 
of  all  the  shrubby  Spiraeas,  served  to  remind  me  of  an  old 
favourite  amongst  this  not  too  highly  appreciated  class  of 
plants.  The  illustration  upon  another  page  of  the'same  number 
scarcely  does  the  plant  justice.  Where  the  plant  succeeds,  its 
long  arching  growths  of  delicate  greenery  are  very  beautiful, 
especially  in  spring,  and  make  excellent  material  for  asso¬ 
ciating  with  many  blossoms.  The  small  white  flowers  are 
pretty  and  very  freely  produced.  It  is  true  the  plant  likes  a 
rather  warm  and  sheltered  position,  but  it  is  a  pity  to  see  it, 
as  one  sometimes  does  crammed  into  shrubberies  with  scarcely 
room  to  breathe,  so  to  say.  Given  room  for  development  a 
well-grown  bush  is  a  charming  object  and  worthy  a  position 
in  any  garden. — Countryman. 
The  Colouring  of  Apples. 
In  answer  to  “Lamasool,”  (page  359)  I  have  observed  during 
many  seasons  that  Apples  very  much  increase  in  colour  after  the' 
first  “snap”  of  cold,  and  rarely,  I  think,  attain  good  colour  without 
it. — W.  R.  Raillem. 
An  interesting  theme  is  that  put  forward  by  “  Lamasool  ” 
(page  359).  The  problem,  however,  seems  to  me  one  that  needs 
the  science  scholar  to  deal  with  satisfactorily,  for  without 
scientific  knowledge  and  training  it  could  not  be  readily  said 
what  are  the  influences  of  wind,  rain,  and  cold  nights  bearing  on 
this  matter  of  Apple  colour.  If  wind  and  rain  account  for  the 
higher  trend  of  colour  in  Apples,  surely  the  passing  year  has 
been  one  that  should  have  given  of  that  quality  in  abundance ; 
but  some  will  be  heard  to  say,  fruit  is  absent  this  year,  and  thus 
no  food  for  experimental  thought  existfj  There  are  Apples  in 
some  places,  even  in  this  barren  year,  and  at  the  late  Chiswick 
Show  one  ought'  easily  to  find  an  answer  to  such  query.  Person¬ 
ally,  I  did  not  come  away  so  much  impressed  with  the  Apple 
colours,  save  those  grown  under  glass;  these  certainly  had  colour 
so  highly  developed  that  it  almost  appeared  overdone  ;  and  why 
this  in  glass-grown  fruit,  when  out.side  so  little  excess  was 
apparent?  I  quite  believe  that  rain  in  the  autumn  tends  to 
the  development  of  colour  in  late  Apples,  but  that  the  theory 
of  wind  and  cold  nights  being  a  still  greater  power,  extends 
somewhat  beyond  my  grasp. 
The  few  pertinent  questions  asked  by  “  Lamasool  ”  give  rise 
to  a  few  more,  at  least  to  the  thinking  reader,  and  probably  the 
more  one  thinks,  the  greater  depths  of  unintelligible  vein  extend 
beyond  his  sphere,  except,  of  course,  as  before  said,  to  the 
scientifically  trained  scholar.  When  the  mind  rests  on  sharp, 
cold  nights  for  a  moment  as  being  a  factor  in  develoiring  colour, 
one  is  made  to  reflect  on  the  warm  nights  of  August,  and  com¬ 
pare  their  issues,  and  also  that  of  rain  and  wind  with  the  Apples 
that  ripen  and  are  gathered  in  that  month,  notably  Beauty  of 
Bath,  Red  Astrachan,  Devonshire  Quarrenden,  &c.,  and  the 
somewhat  later  W^illiams’  Favourite,  Gravenstein,  or  Lady  Sude- 
ley.  In  these  are  to  be  seen  as  good  colour  as  in  that  of  later 
autumn  and  winter  fruits,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  Pears; 
Then,  too,  a  change  of  root  environment  is  sometimes  made 
to  accelerate  fruit  colour.  By  root-pruning  I  have  in.stances  this 
year  of  a  change  of  colour  which  almost  places  the  fruit  beyond 
recognition  compared  rvith  former  memories ;  yet  no  change 
happens  in  the  form  of  the  tree  or  its  treatment  other  than  its 
roots;  but  the  same  influences  from  wind,  sun,  and  rain  are 
present,  not  more  or  less  than  heretofore.  In  the  growth  of 
pot  trees  neither  rain  nor  cold  winds  can  have  any  far  reaching 
influences,  yet  the  colour  developed  in  their  fniits  is  such  that 
the  merest  novice  can  distinguish  between  them  and  the  out¬ 
door  grown  specimens.  There  is  scarcely  any  ground  for  argu¬ 
ment  in  dispensing  with  sun,  rather  than  wind  and  rain,  so  far 
as  it  affects  colour  in  Apples.  A  crowded  tree  will  soon  give  a 
foretaste  of  wdiat  would  happen  without  the  influence  of  sun 
acting  upon  the  fruit.  This  would  also  prevent  the  action  of 
rain  and  wind. 
Though  rebutting  evidence  may  be  brought  forward  tending 
to  diminish  one,  or  enhance  the  influence  of  another,  of  the 
several  factoi’s,  one  must  even  then  voluntarily  recognise  that 
each  play  their  separate  part  tending  towards  this  natural 
development,  not  only  in  Apples,  but  other  fruits  as  well.  A 
wall-trained  tree  affords  an  example.  Here  there  is  a  higher 
and  more  delicately  toned  complexion  in  the  fruit,  yet  they  are 
subject  to  the  same  influences,  rain,  wind,  and  sun,  variously 
modified,  the  same  as  the  open-air  tree.  There  is.  and  must  be, 
so  to  speak,  a  confusion  of  theories  when  the  several  factors  are 
analysed  and  comparisons  made  dealing  with  the  circumstances 
as  they  concern  the  tree,  the  variety,  the  weather,  or  the  culti¬ 
vation.  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  the  chemical  constitution 
of  the  soil  has  the  most  marked  influenoe  on  colour. — W.  S. 
[If  “W.  S.”  refers  to  the  pot -trees  as  shown  by  Bunyard  for 
example,  we  would  say  that  these  are  finished  in  the  open-air, 
and  not  under  glass. — Ed.] 
In  reply  to  the  inquiry  made  by  “Lamasool,”  it  is,  if  I  mis¬ 
take  not,  during  the  last  year  or  two  that  I  contributed  a  refer¬ 
ence  to  this  subject  in  connection  with  certain  effects  on  the 
growth  of  Peas,  to  rvhich  I  will  recur  presently,  as  I  attribute 
both  results  to  the  same  cause  :  but  will  first  refer  to  Apples. 
Several  of  the  great  shows  at  the  Crystal  Palace  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  of  autumn  fruit  have  been  successively 
described  as  rather  “green,”  and  wanting  in  colour  on  the 
average,  in  comparison  to  other  years.  We  had  a  fair  opportu¬ 
nity  for  obseiwation  in  the  course  of  the  series  of  dry  years  from 
1893  to  1901,  when  the  excess  of  sunshine  should,  according  to 
popular  tliought,  have  resulted  in  a  colour  picture  of  Apples 
shown  ;  but  which  were  precisely  the  seasons  declared  “  green.” 
It  is  thus  I  have  what  I  think  recognised  the  probably  true  cause 
of  differentiation.  It  is  well  known  that  the  sun’s  heat  is  re¬ 
quisite  for  the  highest  nitrification  of  the  soil,  so  that  this 
development  occurs  most  effectively  in  the  months  of  July  and 
August;  but  as  nitrates  primarily  foster  vegetal  growth,  it  is 
the  size  of  Apples  which  is  thereby  affected,  other  features,  such 
as  quality,  flavour,  and  colouring,  depending  on  other  factors. 
When  relatively  heavy  rains  fall  about  August,  their  effect  is 
to  cool  the  ground ;  nitrification  is  checked,  and  growth  of  fruit 
suspended,  and  energy  diverted  to  the  promotion  of  the  other 
features  referred  to.  Indeed,  this  is  proved  in  relation  to 
colouring  by  copious  watering  and  syringing  of  Apple  trees  about 
August  in  droughty  seasons,  which  latter,  if  continuing  through 
September,  would  produce  generally  a  “  green  ”  crop.  The  effect 
of  water  on  colouring  is  best  attained  at  the  period  of  about  six 
weeks  to  a  month  before  picking,  be  it  natural  or  artificial. 
As  to  results  on  Peas,  I  have  repeatedly  read  about  a  want  of 
effect  of  farmyard  manure  on  crops  gathered  after  the  earlier 
ones,  say  well  into  July  and  later,  wdiereas  earlier  crops  show 
the  distinct  difference  between  well-manured  and  unmanured 
crops  of  that  vegetable.  The  cause  is  that  the  natural  nitrifica¬ 
tion  of  the  soil  in  July  and  August  overlaps  the  effects  of  dung, 
which  is,  therefore,  relatively  useless  on  later  crops,  and  could 
with  advantage  be  replaced  by  watering. — H.  H.  Raschen, 
Sidcup,  Kent,  October  19,  1903. 
Rose,  The  Meteor. 
In  the  Journal  of  last  week  it  is  stated  that  this  Rose  is  not 
described  in  the  last  (tenth)  edition  of  “  The  Rose  Garden.”  If 
the  writer  of  that  notice,  wherein  he  so  faithfully  describes  it, 
will  turn  to  page  332  of  the  tenth  edition,  he  will  find  it  described 
and  commended  under  the  letter  “  T.” — The  Meteor.  I  know  of 
no'  failings,  and  shoidd  speak  of  it  in  ordinary  conversation  as  a 
beautiful  Rose.  Although  not  one  of  my  seedlings,  it  was  first 
sent  out  by  my  firm  some  years  ago.  It  was  raised  by  the  late 
Mr.  Henry  Bennett,  and  sold  in  the  first  instance  to  a  grower  in 
America. — Wm.  Paul,  Paul’s  Royal  Nurseries,  Waltham  Cross. 
Potato,  Northern  Star. 
I  learn  that  4201b  of  tubers  of  the  above  came  from  21b  of 
seed.  (This  is  a  bona-fide  crop,  by  the  way,  grown  at  Liphook, 
Hants.)  This,  hoAvever,  is  nothing  very  startling,  compared 
Avith  the  crop  of  1,3011b  got  from  11b  of  seed  of  Empire  State 
Potato  in  1885,  in  America;  nor  does  it  equal  the  thirteen 
bushels  groAvn  in  England  by  a  gardener  of  Lord  Londes  many 
years  ago,  and  shoAAn  in  London.  Like  many  others,  Mr.  Yates 
(page  337)  asks  Avhat  is  the  source  of  Northern  Star’s  origin. 
We  are  not  told.  We  learn  hoAV  hybrid  Orchids  are  raised,  but 
the  humble  Potato. — Ave  have  to  be  satisfied  to  get  it.'  An 
eminent  foreign  Potato  raiser  has  stated  hoav  all  his  seedlings 
Avere  obtained  in  order  to  shoAV  buyers  Avhat  sort  of  “  blood  ”  is 
in  them.  Under  the  dumb  system  Ave  get  a  neAv  thing,  that 
Avhilst  in  its  early  youth  appears  vigorous,  yet  after  a  few  trials 
suddenly  collapses  or  loses  its  original  qualities.  Ea'cii  Northern 
Star  is  not  entirely  fixed.  Mr.  Yates  expects  the  millennium 
Avhen  he  Avaits  for  a  disease-proof  Potato.  Northern  Star 
certainly  stands  longer  than  any,  although  one  Kentish  groAver 
states  that  his  Avere  diseased  as  quickly  as  other  sorts.  As  for 
cropping  poAvers  by  ordinary  backyard  culture,  I  knoAv  one  groAver 
Avho  gi-eAV  Northern  Star,  yet  his  crop  in  no  Avay  equalled  Sir  J. 
LleAvelyn. 
To  get  nearer  home,  hoAvever,  Northeni  Star  alongside  many 
others  in  my  ]Alot  AAas  a  disgrace  at  lifting  time.  I  absolutely 
refuse  to  state  hoAv  many  I  lifted,  but  it  AA'as  bad  ;  nay,  Avorse  than 
my  Avorst.  That  is  to  say,  Avorse  than  any  hill  of  any  A-ariety  that 
had  haulm.  Respecting  Evergood,  I  may  tell  Mr.  Yates  that 
it  has  been  out  several  years,  for  it  sells  at  16s.  per  cAvt.,  and 
he  may  take  it^  from  me  that  Evergood  is  almost  as  long  standing 
as  Northern  Star,  Avith  about  ten  times  the  cropping  capacity  mi 
