134 THE GARDENER. [March 



the tap-root. This gives some trouble, but it is difficult to kill the Mulberry. 

 The " lane I live in," until covered with houses, was celebrated for the Mulberry. 

 There are two or three feet of light soil, then eight or ten feet of sand and stony 

 gravel, affording perfect natural drainage. In this the Mulberry thrives and 

 fruits. In the Hector's garden there exist the venerable remains of a Mulberry- 

 tree, of uuknown age. In my own garden there was a Mulberry of apparently 

 equal date ; it was called Queen Elizabeth's Mulberry — the garden having been 

 a part of the domain of Catharine Parr, sixth wife of Henry the Eighth, and 

 tradition fixed the planting of the tree on the " Virgin Queen." I have a very 

 fine Mulberry, planted 35 years ago, which never fully bears, having been planted 

 where the gravel has been dug out ; it has run to excessive growth, and fails in 

 bearing fruit. Down South. 



TROP^OLUM SPECIOSUM. 



I WAS glad to see that " W. S.," in the September number of the 'Gardener,' 

 is also an admirer of this charming hardy herbaceous plant. Having grown it 

 with success for the past ten years, and found it to bloom much easier than de- 

 scribed in said number, if you think it worthy of a place, I give you my treatment; 

 for although I live within twenty miles of the granite rock and the wind-raked 

 terraces referred to, I am not of opinion that locality makes much difference, as 

 it flourishes as a creeper in the greenhouse as well as it does out of doors in nine 

 small flower-beds which it occupies — only that in the greenhouse it blooms early, 

 and frequently makes a second bloom about this time, 20th October ; but the 

 bloom does not stand so long in heat as in the open air. First, then, when I 

 wish to renew or make a new bed, I excavate the soil to the depth of about 18 

 inches, then lay about 4 or 6 inches, tramped down, of old pea-sticks upon this ; 

 then I lay 9 or 10 inches of good old hotbed dung or rotted manure, beating 'the 

 whole firm to prevent the bed sinking. Slightly cover with soil, then lay the 

 roots pretty thick over the bed, covering with 3 or 4 inches of soil. Afcer the 

 beds may have stood a few years, to exhaust the manure, a mulching might be 

 given as nourishment; but such is not necessary to guard against frost, as the 

 roots are perfectly hardy without it — only, as the roots start early iuto growth, 

 planting should be done not later than January ; and by such treatment I have 

 always had" them bloom fair the first season, and perfection afterwards. Pre- 

 vious to the young shoots coming above ground, I stick with decayed spruce 

 hi'anches 5 or 6 feet high, in a cone shape if circular beds, which they mostly are. 

 This they soon cover, and after blooming, they are covered with little purple 

 seeds, which also have a fine appearance ; and as a creeper upon a house or wall, 

 I know nothing to surpass it. R. F. 



NEW PLANTS OP THE PAST MONTH. 



In relation to the production of new plants, the first two months of the 

 year may be regarded as a period of quiet and comparative rest — like 

 a truce coming between two battles ; it is at once a respite from the 

 cares of a past campaign, and a time of preparation for another swiftly 



