THE FLORAL WORLD AND O-ARDEN aUIDE. 



191 



Order so much glass (but not until the work is 

 sufficiently advanced to show exactly the width 

 required) ; there will then be sullicient left to 

 compensate lor breakages iu glaziiij;, etc. If 

 attention is given to the scaiitlings above given, 

 it will be seen that Eedwood dejls, 20 It. long, 

 9 in. wide, and 3 in. thick, will cut all the scant- 

 lings in the most economical way, and that about 

 11 wiJl bo required. Inside the house build 

 three courses of brick on each side of the path 

 to confine the cinder-ashes or gravel used for 

 setting the pots upon. 

 DWAKF Apples and Pears. — A. B. — To obtain 

 well furnished and fruitful dwarf trees, procure 

 this autumn nursery plants of the sorts you 

 want ; the pears on quince stocks, the apples 

 on the paradise. They should be worked just 

 above the collar, and not have been disbudded 

 on the main stem. V/hen planted, trim them 

 with a priming-knife to a regular shape; any 

 long shoots cut back to an outside bud, and ill- 

 placed shoots cut clean away. Next season, as 

 they make growth pmch them back — that is, as 

 fast as new shoots acquire a length of a foot or 

 fourteen inches, nip out the pomt, and repeat 

 this occasionally till August ; after which pinch. 

 no more but let the wood ripen. The knife 

 ought never to touch them after the first pruning 

 from the nursery, and they should be taken up 

 and carefully, but not severely, root-pruned 

 every other year. With good soil, good sorts, 

 and good aspect, this plan is sure to prove suc- 

 cessful. We have a large stock of such dwarf 

 trees that are models of shape and proportion, 

 none of them more than six feet high, that have 

 been managed iu this way. They have never 

 seen the knife since their first x^kmting. — Sow 

 Phlox decussata now, and keep the young plants 

 over winter iu a jpit to be turned out next 

 spring. No heat reqtured. 

 Pests of the G-eeexhouse. — -L. Jf. D. has a 

 greenhouse, and is greatly annoyed by the green- 

 Jly and other insects. Seeing the enclosed in a 

 newspaper, she begs the Editor of the Florai- 

 AVoRLD Avill state his opinion, in the August 

 Number, of the ingredient of the black paint, if 

 he approves of its use : — " A gardener having 

 occasion to newly paint the wood-work iu the 

 interior of his greenhouse, determined to make 

 trial of the theory of the absorption of heat 

 by black colour, with the view of promoting 

 the maturity of his plants and shrubs by means 

 of a greater quantity of caloric. Iu the prei^a- 

 ration of the black paint he used coal tar, that 

 is to say, tar produced by the distillation of coal 

 in the manufacture of gas. This coal tar, be- 

 sides the advantage of its colour, otters con- 

 siderable economy in painting, being about one- 

 eighth of the price of the material generally 

 used in mixing black paint. The painting here 

 in question was executed before the sotting in of 

 wuter. On the retiu-n of spring the gardener 

 observed, with no less surprise than satisfaction, 

 that the spiders and other insects which had in- 

 fested his greenhouse had totally disappeared. 

 He, moreover, remarked that a vine, trained 

 on an espalier which, for the space of two years 



said, been attended by the same excellent re- 

 sults."— T/te {London) Bidlelin. ."The nigra- 

 dient" of the black paint is stated in the above 

 to be " coal tar," and that is the only uigicdient 

 necessary to make a very lasting coat ot so- 

 called " black paint." A greenhouse so tieated 

 would have a queer appearance, but insects 

 would be very etfectually banished lor at least 

 one season. Very many plants would be 

 banished too, if they were put in before the rank 

 smell of the coal tar had gone off. Plants m a 

 state of rest sulier no injury from coal tar, as we 

 know from having dressed wall-trees with it 

 in winter. A. M. D. will find at page loO, a 

 wash described for fruit-waUs which may also be 

 used for old waUs of greenhouses. 

 Books amd Catalogues Received.— Kecrea- 

 tiva Science," No. 1. This more than realizes 

 the expectations we had formed respecting it. 

 It is beautifuUy got up, and is a most suitaOie 

 work for the drawing-room table in every wtel- 

 lectual circle, and especially where there are 

 youu" people amlntious of attaining scientitie 

 knowledge. "SVe observe among the autfiors 

 who have contributed, Mr. Lowe, of the liign- 

 field Observatory ; Mr. WiUiam Kidd, the orm- 

 thological magician of Hammersmith; Professor 

 Malone; Dr.SpencerThomson; Mr.Hain^ris- 

 well; Mr. Noel Hmnphreys; Mr. Tufien West; 

 and Mr. Shirley Hibberd. The articles vari- 

 ously embrace every one of the physical sciences, 

 and, though learned and copious m their tone, 

 are nevertheless well adapted to interest the 

 most youthful philosopher. That marvellous 

 instrument the gyrasoope is ably figured and 

 described by Mr. Wood. Here is a "ew field 

 opened in current hterature; we wish the tillers 

 of it a joyful success.-" Descriptive Catalogue 

 of Hyacinths and other Bulbs imported by 

 Messrs. Cutbush and Sons, Highgate Nurseries, 

 1859 " This is an admitable list, especiaUy ot 

 hyacinths, crocuses, and tulips, of which many 

 new and well-proved sorts are introduced, to 

 take the places of many old kinds that have 

 been superseded. Messrs. Cutbush enjoy the 

 fame of being the leading growers ot the 

 hyacinth, having taken first prizes in regUiav 

 succession every season for many years past. 

 They now announce a second exhibition ol 

 their own at the Homa Nursery, Highgate, com- 

 mencing on the 12th of March next. 

 Magnolia— Gold Fisu.-- S'.iJ., Tipperar;/.— Yon 

 may move the Magnolia, as it is a young one ; 

 but they are awkward things to deal with on 

 account of the fleshy nature and paucity of then- 

 roots. Nine-tenths of the gold fish introduced 

 as di-awinQ,--room ornanientsperish through star- 

 vation. They are supposed to feed on ammal- 

 culte, but they really require something more 

 substantial. Tell the gardener to supply you 

 with small red earth-worms of not more than an 

 inch long, and let them have a lew every day, 

 but no more than they can eat, or the ^yater will 

 be rendered foul. A greenhouse is the worst 

 possible place for an aquarium, unless the vessel 

 is well shaded, and kept cool. The "Bookot 

 the Aquarium" is very decisive on this point. 



had been sensibly decaying, and which he had [ Cucumbees in a 'Viseky.—E. M., Banburj/. A 

 ■ '■ ■ ..... I hot water tank in a forcing-house, fifty feet long, 



is just the place in which to make sure of iirst- 

 rate cucumbers without diflicidty, unless there 

 be some pecidiarity in the structure or ar- 

 rangement to justify the gardener in refusing; to 

 grow them. Cissus discolor requires a winter 

 temperature of about 50', and if estabhshed is 

 as easy to keep as a vine. In spring it must 03 

 cut back, to keep it within bounds. ^\ hy set 

 your heart upon it when we have so many noDie 

 creepers and clunbers to choose from ? 



proposed to uproot for the purpose of plantin; 

 another in its place, had acquired such renewed 

 health and vigour as to he oapable.of producing 

 excellent table grapes. Having applied hisnew 

 paint to the props, treiUages, and espaliers of 

 all his sickly trees and shrubs, as well as those 

 which, though in full bloom, were being de- 

 voured by insects, success again crowned his 

 experiment. Caterpillars and snails disappeared 

 as rapidly as the insects had vanished from the 

 greenhouse. The fruits produced by the trees 

 thus treated have eUcited the approval and 

 eidogy of purchasers. Similar experiments 

 tried on the vineyards of the Giroude have, it is 



_creepers ; 



St. Martin's Lane, has just added to his stoeic 

 some extensive collections of foreign plant., m- 



