THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 191 



silver or river sand will do. The soil must be rather light — such as may be obtained 

 by mixing fibrous loam and leaf-mould together in the proportion of two-thirds of 

 the former to one of the latter. After the soil has been spread regularly over the 

 surface of the fermenting materials, made firm, and the sand spread over that and 

 well watered through a fine rose, everything will be in readiness for the reception 

 of the cuttings. The best wood for cutting is the stout, healthy, half-ripened 

 shoots that have not flowered. Now, if you cut these back about half-way, the 

 remaining portion will break and flower freely in the autumn, and the piece taken 

 off will supply you with materials for propagating. The top portion of the shoots 

 will be too soft for the purpose, so cut these pieces back to the third leaf, and throw 

 away the top portion. Cut clean just under the joint, remove the lower leaf, and 

 dibble them in firm up to the second or middle joint. After they are put in, give 

 one good watering to settle the soil. Keep the frame close and shaded until the 

 cuttings begin to callus, and are able to bear the air. They must be frequently 

 sprinkled lightly, and the sand kept just moist. If it is too wet, the cuttings will 

 rot. What is required is an atmosphere just moist enough to keep the leaves fresh, 

 and no more. A little air will be necessary to keep the atmosphere sweet ; but it 

 will be well to keep the lights quite close for the first few days, and then for the 

 next two weeks the lights should be tilted about half an inch. After that, of 

 course, more will be necessary. The rooted cuttings can remain where they are 

 until spring, or be taken up in the autumn, and potted. In any case, they should 

 have the protection of a cold frame during the winter. 



Pruning Roses. — C. E. C. T. — You have read the " Rose Book " carelessly. 

 Read again from page 86 to page 90. The whole case may be put thus — pruning 

 must be performed at all seasons, but the spring pruning is the most important of 

 all, and the particular pruning then required should be performed late rather than 

 early, as explained at page 88. 



G. M. Hewitt. — The best book on the vine is that by William Thomson, pub- 

 lished by Blackwood, price 5& 



Floral World. — Country Squire. — A fi;w complete sets remain of the Floral 

 World, from 1858 tc 18(38. Complete sets of the " Garden Oracle" do not exist, 

 but yon can have all except that for 1867. 



Union Fly. — Yorkshire Gardener. — The onion fly, Anthomya ceparum, rarely 

 makes much havoc iu beds that have been surfaced with charcoal, for the fly la\ r s 

 her eggs in the charcoal instead of in the young plant, and the maggots consequently 

 perish. This is one of the reasons why charccal dressings are so useful ; another 

 reason is that the material is nourishing, and absorptive of sun heat. On light soils, 

 where this fly is commonly obnoxious, great benefit will result from a thin coatino- 

 of fresh gas lime laid between the lows ; of course this can only be done where the 

 onions are sown in drills, which indeed is the proper way to sow seed of all kinds • 

 broadcasting renders it next to impossible to cultivate properly. 



Flora. — We can make nothing else than " ramo-marginatum" of your Scolopen- 

 drium, of which it appears to be a very rich and fertile form. 



Trailer for North Border. — Inquirer. — "Something to grow on the border, 

 and hang over the stones ; aspect north." Well, you might have a lot of pretty things. 

 Suppose you fix upon a certain number of subjects, and repeat them again and a°-ain 

 till the whole length of the border is filled at about eighteen inches apart. You might 

 have six kinds of Periwinkles, namel} r , Yinca major, and its varieties elegantissima 

 and reticulata ; Yinca minor, and its varieties argentea and aurea ; Ajuga reptans, and 

 its three varieties, fol. var., alba maculata, and purpurescens ; Alyssum saxatile, and 

 its variety fol. var. ; Arabis alpina, and its variety fol. var. ; Ballota nigra (a rather 

 coarse plant) and its variety fol. var. argentea ; Chelidonium majus, and its variety 

 fol. var. ; Giechoma hederacea fol. var. aurea maculata (the specific form not worth 

 having) ; Iberis sempervirens, Lamium album fol. var. (specific form not worth 

 having) ; Lysimachia nummularia, and its variety fol. var. ; Melissa officinalis fol. 

 var.; Prunella vulgaris, and its variety fol. var. ; Saxifraga umbrosa, and its variety 

 fol. var. ; Salvia cbamaj Irilolia, Thymus lanuginosum, Trifoliam rubrum pictum. 

 You have thus choice of a number of beautiful hardy plants, allot' which if left alone 

 will grow into great tufts, and " hang over" the stone edging. If you do not want 

 many, secure first all the specific forms, or have varieties only of such as are easily 

 procurable in your district. If there is a moderate amount of sun on the border in 

 summer time, you might plant ivy-leaved Geraniums and Mesembryanthemums 



