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TO COEEESPONDENTS. 



The Garden Oracle for 1867 will be published on the 15th of December. 

 Many letters have come to hand, the writers of which urge the necessity and 

 importance of early publication. We can assure the writers of these letters that the 

 plan of the " Oracle" does not admit of earlier publication, for its principal contents 

 are original and strictly horticultural — a peculiarity in which it differs from other 

 so-called garden almanacs, which are but compilations, or devoted to enunciations 

 of the opinions, feelings, prejudices, blunders, and threatenings of their editors. The 

 " Garden Oracle" for 18G7 will contain a new list of fruits of all kinds for orchard, 

 garden, and greenhouse culture ; for forcing, exhibition, market, etc. ; the whole 

 arranged in such a manner as to enable all classes of cultivators to discover at a 

 glance the names of the varieties best adapted for their several wants and wishes. 

 In addition to this distinctive feature, there will be complete descriptive lists of new- 

 plants, new flowers, and new fruits ; and the usual selections of the best varieties in 

 every department for the guidance of both trade and amateur cultivators. The 

 preparation of these lists is a laborious task, and incompatible with early publication. 

 The last issue of the " Oracle" was not ready till far into January, yet it sold more 

 extensively than any of its predecessors. 



Apbicots, Peaches, and Nect.wunes in' Open Borders. — W. B. — Tou do 

 not state what part of the British isles you dwell in, therefore it is impossible to tell 

 you if you may safely invest in these trees without the aid of walls or glass. If 

 yours is a bleak starving place where spring frosts are usually severe, it is no use 

 to plant these trees as bushes in open borders, but in all the southern counties, and 

 everywhere in Britain, in warm sheltered places as far north as Nottingham, and as 

 far west as the Irish channel, the experiment may be hazarded without fear of 

 its proving an utter failure. In 1863-4-5, we saw and tasted excellent 

 samples of these fruits in the nursery of Mr. lUman, of Strood, near Rochester, 

 Kent. The trees were planted out without any kind of protection, just as apple, 

 pear, or plum trees are planted, six years ago, and had been exceedingly productive. 

 In the past season (1866) there was a good crop, but very few of the fruits attained 

 perfection. We state just what we know on the subject, and leave W. B. to form 

 his own conclusions, but it seems proper to add that if a failure occurs once in four 

 or five years, it is still well worth while to plant a few of these trees ; for after all, 

 apples and pears fail now and then, and even such things as cabbages do not always 

 come to perfection. The following are the names of the several varieties that have 

 proved most hardy and fruitful when grown as bushes in open quarters : — Apricots, 

 Alberge de Montgamet, Breda, Gros Peche, Hemskirke, Early Masculine, Large 

 Early, Early Orange, Roman, Roman Orange, Blenheims. Nectarme.i, Violette 

 Hative, Due de TeUiers, Downton, Elruge, Early Newington, Scarlet Newington, 

 Murray, Pitmaston, Orange Red, Roniwn, Golden Roman, Rivers's Orange, Hunt's 

 Tawney. Feaches, Early Anne, Early York, Grosse Mignonne, Red Magdalen, 

 Bellegarde, Walburton Admirable, Barrington, Royal George, Violette Hative. 



Cbanberries.— iaf/_y C. R. C. — It is not at all likely that these will be fruit- 

 ful in the p:sition you propose to plant them. They need water, and if the natural 

 disposition of the spot is not adapted for them, an artificial swamp must be formed. 

 This is not a difficult matter if there is such in the vicinity, and the soil is of a peaty 

 or sandy character. The most economical method of procedure would be to lay out 

 a series of beds of spongy peat soil, and conduct water through them in a system of 

 channels, so as to keep the beds in a constantly saturated state. To keep the plants 

 alive is another matter, as we can testify by the fact that at Stoke Newington all 

 the hardy species of oxycoccus and vaccinium have been veiy well grown in peat 

 beds in the front of rhododendrons, where there was no more moisture than resulted 

 from the rain-fall. Here they grew and flowered in perfect health, but we never 

 saw a ripe fruit on any of them. The best for culinary purposes is the AmericBn 

 cranberry, Oxycoccus macrocarpus, of which there are several varieties. The 

 English cranberry, O. palustris, is, however, quite worthy of a place in a suitable 

 position. 



Stephanotis. — G. — The great secret in the cultivation of Stephanotis is to get 

 the wood well ripened by growing it in the lightest part of the hot-house, and as 

 near to the glass as possible. Let the shoots be laid in thinly, so that they may 



