HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 8

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

By J. Gebbib.

A LARGE TOMATO HOUSE. The tomato-growing industry in this district receives a fair share of attention, and as the. fruit, is rapidly growing in general tstimation large quantities are grown both in the open air and tinder glass. The lateßt addition to our local grower! is Mr J. Watson, of Newborough, who has erected a inbßtantial glass structure for the purpose of growing for the market. The building is 170 ft long and 26ft wide ; tbe sash bars are of iron, and the side supports of the roof are of stone. Due regard has been paid to ventilation, and it it Mr Watson's intention to introduce a proper heating apparatus so rb to be able to have his tomatoes ready for,

market early in the season, when good prices can be obtained. Tbe building was only erected last spring, and the tomato plants put in rather late ; however, ripe fruit has been gathered from the beginning of this present month. A few days ago I paid a visit of inspection, and found the crop looking well. The varieties cultivated are Challenger, Dunedin Favourite, Perfection, and Conference. Mr Watson considers ChalleDger to be the best. The fruits are borne in clusters of 10 or more, of medium size, but heavy, good flavour - with little core, and bright scarlet in colour. Dunedin Favourite is also very good, being early, symmetrical in shape, very solid, and the colour is very attractive. Of course every grower has his own particular favourite to cultivate, and a variety which may do exceedingly well with one may with another in different soil and situation be anything but profitable to cultivate. I trust that Mr Watson's venture in toraato-growing may prove remunerative. PLATYCODON QEANDIFLORUM. Such is the name of a beautiful campanulalike plant now flowering in our borders. It is one of the showiest herbacious plants we bave, and one that continues in bloom for two or three months. Introduced into England . in 1782 from Japan, where there are several species grown, it has become a favourite border plant. It forms fleshy tuberous root?, which send up during summer several spikes of flowers which vary from a purplish to a deep blue. A rich sandy soil and a well exposed situation in one in which it thrives to perfection. The best way to propagate it is from seed, which ripens freely, and from which youcg plants can be easily raised. FIIYSALIS FRANCIIETI. A few days ago I received a coloured plate of this Japanese novelty. The plant is described as growing from ISm to 24in high, the fruit being enclosed in a hulk much the shape of a Chinese lantern, and when ripe it is of a bright orangs-red colour. Branches of the fruit cut and dried retain their colour and make winter ornaments with grasses, ice. We have several plants which t raised from seeds sown in the spring, but they bave not yet fruited. Had I seen the plate when I received the seed last spring more attention would hare been given to them to hasten their fruiting. TEOOMA. CAPENSIS. A few days ago I saw on the front of a dwelling a fine plant of this beautiful and little known climber, covered with numerous trusses of scarlet trumpet-shaped blossoms. The individual flowers are about.. 2in long, and being in clusters of 20 or more it iB a most attractive plant. It grows freely in ordinary garden soil, bat requires a suuny situation, so that the shoots may be properly matured by exposure to the influences of sun and air, otherwise there will be few or no flowers. Being a native of the Cape and other parts of South Africa, it is only in the drier and sunnier parts of Otago that it will flower satisfactorily. TECOMA (JKANDIFLOBA. This iB another hardy species similar to the above, and I bave seen it flowering freely as a shrub in the neighbourhood of Dunedin. Like oapensis, it requires a sunny position, and is a most showy plant when in flower. The blooms are large, orange-red in colour, and borne in clustors on the points of th« shoots. In China and Japan, of which countries it is a native, it is one ef the most popular of garden plants. TECOMA JASMISOIDES. j This is a beautiful greenhouse species, a native of Australia, and at one time it was to be seen in perfection at the Dunedin flower shows, but like many other good things it has been neglected of late years. It is an easy plant to grow, and may be flowered in small pots if its requirements are attended to. In ordinary potting toil with exposure to sunlight and air during summer it will Beldom fail to produce in autumn on the young ripened shoots large clusters of bloom, which are white with a deep red throat, in shapa something like a petunia. Public Gardens, Oamaru.