96 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Planting Ghound Vineries. — A. B. — You may box in the roots of the vines 

 with concrete to prevent them running into the clay. We should not trouble to do 

 it. The possibility of draining the damp side of the bed can only be determined 

 by a competent person on the spot. If there is a fall and an outlet any place may 

 be drained. Give us fall and outlet sufficient, and we would drain the Atlantic, if it 

 Avere desirable to do so. Your neighbour need not put flags beneath the drainage 

 in his vinery border ; a foot of rubble will answer quite as Avell. The amount of 

 elevation of a vine border must depend on circumstances. There are some very 

 absorbent chalky and sandy soils in the eastern parts of England, where the rainfall 

 scarcely ever exceeds twenty inches, and in such spots to elevate a, vine border would 

 be bad practice. In your rainy climate, probably, an elevation of five or six feet 

 might be desirable both for di-yness and to catch the sun's rays abundantly. A good 

 border should slope gradually to the south, and to avoid excavating deep at the 

 extreme dip of the border, it might be made shallower there. Anyone who has a 

 glimmering sense of the meaning of the plans adopted in vine culture will not be 

 troubled about an inch or a foot this way or that ; no two gardens are alike, and 

 no two rules, however good, can be uniformly followed. 



Loudon's " Hortus Britannicus." — W. — There have been several editions since 

 1830. To ascertain the exact state of the case, ask your bookseller to inquire date 

 and price of last edition, or apply direct to Messrs. Longmans. There is no recent 

 book that can be said to take its place. 



Fishpond, Forced Eosep. — J. G., Kendal — In clay soils it is usually sufficient 

 to cut out the pond, and puddle the sides and bottom. Experienced workmen 

 should be employed to do this, or leakage is sure to occur. Whex-e there is 

 no clay, and the surrounding soil is of an absorbent nature, the only safe course is 

 to have the sides of the pond bricked in cement. After it is finished it should be 

 filled, and a continuous run of water kept up for three months before putting fish 

 into it. Your roses in the greenhouse are probably not well rooted in their pots. 

 They ought to be in the pots some time, a year if possible, before forcing them, in 

 order to flower satisfactorily. 



Fern Cases. — A. J. — True, we say but little about the condensation of moisture 

 within the cases, for we see very little of it, thougli we have cases in several parts of 

 the house, entrance-hall, drawing-i-oom, bed-room, etc., etc. It must be a matter of 

 management. No doubt nine-tenths of all the cases in use are supplied with an 

 excess of water. None of our cases have had a drop of water for tiiree or four 

 months past ; the soil is moderately moist, the ferns are glossy with health and 

 pushing new fronds freely, and there is so little condensation that the view is never 

 interrupted. Try a drier regimen. We have become quite sick of using hot water ; 

 all our cases are cool now, and we trust they will continue so, for to keep them 

 2;oing with heat needs a system of engineering that pretfy well turns a dwelling- 

 house into a workshop. 



Trees, etc. — Crito. — The exposition of the general law on the subject was 

 offered as a general reply to a number of queries similar to yours. It appeared to 

 us quite unlikely that the ablest reply that could be given to your queries would be 

 of any interest to our readers. Respecting the trees, we do not want them, we 

 did not say so much. But you must know that many trees are named from their 

 flowers or their fruits, and that leaves alone are insufficient for their determ.ination. 

 Imperfect specimens reach us daily, such as fern fronds without spores, leaves of all 

 kinds of plants, sometimes seeds, dried geranium flowers, and smashed particles of 

 vegetation, that may be flowers or leaves, or pulp of apples or potatoes. To name 

 them is impossible. Experience has taught the necessity of dealing with such 

 things in a summary manner, and it was in no spirit of discourtesy to you that we 

 put the leaves into a huge drawer, where they still lie waiting for an opportunity. 

 The probability is that we know them all, and shall give you all the names. Thanks 

 for the off'er of the Carlina. We have long possessed it, and have access constantly 

 to one of the largest collections of herbaceous plants in England. Liquidamher imberhe 

 is entered in the following catalogues : — Paul and Son, Cheshunt ; Rivers and Son, 

 Sawbridgeworth ; Lawson and Son, Edinburgh. L. styradjiua may be obtained 

 almost anywhere. 



Cooking Sea Kale. — Mrs. IB. S. — The bitterness is not the fault of the gar- 

 dener, but of the cook. It is a proof it has been boiled in an insufficient quantity 

 of water. Put it in plenty of water with salt, let it boil fast half an hour, drain it, 

 and serve it hot with melted butter, and there will be no bitterness. 



