124 THE GARDENER. [March 



Is Desse Tardive a new Peach? I saw a large tree of it during the 

 past season trained to a wall at Hallinbury House in Essex, and Mr 

 Spring, the gardener there, told me that it was one of the finest late 

 Peaches, and that he had gathered fruit off it 12 inches in circum- 

 ference. James Douglas. 



LoxFOUD Hall. 



THOMSON'S STYPTIC. 



This is undoubtedly a most valuable preparation for stopping bleeding of the 

 Grape Vine. About two years ago I had the misfortune to have an early Vinery 

 frozen when in flower, and coming in to bear their first crop. The sap at that 

 stage was in full flow ; in fact, all going on as well as could be desired. Seeing 

 the mischief was beyond recovery, I determined to cut down the Vines to the 

 bottom, and bring away fresh rods. Accordingly I did so, and bleeding severely 

 followed. But not dismayed, I perseveringly applied the styptic. Rubbing it 

 in with finger and thumb, the force of the sap burst through the large bubbles 

 several times. Eventually it obtained the mastery and held its own, and no more 

 bleeding was to be observed during the remainder of the season. Very soon after- 

 wards the Vines broke, and such monster breaks. I trained two rods from each, 

 ■which quickly reached the top and down the back wall of a fifteen-feet-wide house. 

 They ripened well. Before I left the scene of this disaster, in October last year, 

 several Grape-growers called, saw, and heard the above. All were unanimous on 

 the merits of the styptic. One high authority on Vines (well known to the 

 Editor) declared he never saw finer Vines in all his experience. 



This being the season, many a Grape Vine will receive its annual pruning and 

 dressing, I would strongly recommend all interested in their culture to have a 

 bottle by them. "When bleeding show^s itself, either in planted-out or pot Vines, 

 they have an unfailing remedy. Alexander Temple. 



Saltmarshe, York. 



THE BEISTEFICIAL RESULTS OF TRElSrCHIWG. 



It is well-known, or at least should be, to all gardeners, that trenching 

 is to the soil one of the most beneficial of gardening operations. 



The past summer will long be remembered as one of the hottest on 

 record, and has proved to my satisfaction that deep stirring of the soil 

 is the best remedy against the evil effect produced on the various crops 

 in the kitchen-garden by a long and severe drought. 



When I entered my present situation twelve months past, the kitchen- 

 garden, 3 acres in extent, was in a most uninviting condition. My 

 employer told me it produced little the previous summer, weeds excej^ted; 

 and I had ocular proof, in the luxuriant crops of groundsel and other 

 weeds, some of which had recently underwent the operation of mowing, 

 that his information was not to be doubted. 



