350 



TO COEEESPONDENTS. 



Leicester Garden Vase. — A. B. S. — We had one of these in use during the 

 past summer, and it has been much admired by all our visitors, and henceforth we 

 shall recommend tliem as amongst the most useful and economical garden orna- 

 ments. Ours was painted a warm brown colour, and tilled in with turf grass side 

 outwards, and then filled up with moss, and kept furnished with pot-plants, which 

 were frequently changed. Twice during the season th^ grass was clipped close, 

 and it is quite green now. It would be a good plan, in the case of one of these 

 vases being filled with soil, to insert crocus and snowdrop bulbs in the turf all 

 round. A very hard winter might kill them, but as a rule they would no duubt 

 flower well. It is quite unusual for Brussels sprouts to become variegated. It 

 matters not how beautiful may be your plant, it is but a curiosity of no value, and 

 the seed from it will probably not produce variegated plants. The hardy borecole 

 is much given to variegation, and the form of the plant is favourable to its use for 

 winter embellishment of the garden, and some of the varieties in cultivation are 

 extremely beautiful. The sport of the Neottopteris is valuable if beautiful ; not 

 otherwise. From your description we conclude that it is a depauperated variety of 

 no value at all. The defect in camellia catalogues is owing to the fact that they 

 are all copied from the lists issued by the continental growers who supply the 

 English market. 



Mildewed Tixes. — J. JE. — It does not follow that, because your vines have 

 been affected with mildew, you should remove them. As soon as the vines have 

 shed their leaves prune them, and burn the prunings ; then strip away the old bark, 

 and burn it ; and lastly paint them all over with a mixture of sulphur, tobacco- 

 liquor, and clay. Next year's growth and fruit will probably be as clean as any 

 the vines ever produced. 



Forcing Strawberries. — Subscriber. — The principal points to be attended to 

 in forcing strawberries are the following — To have plants from the earliest runners, 

 and that have been well grown all the summer, and have plump crowns ; to force 

 gently, never driving them in a strong heat ; to keep them very near the glass, in 

 the sunniest part of the house ; to give air as often as the state of the weather will 

 permit ; to keep them regularly "watered, as, if they once go quite dry, they will 

 never recover. In the Floral World for December, 1861, we published the best 

 essay we have yet seen on forcing the strawberry. It was written by Mr. Sparkes, 

 of St. Mary's Cray. We advise you to obtain the number, and carry into effect 

 Mr. Sparkes's plan. The best sorts of strawberries for forcing are Lucas, Black 

 Prince, Eclipse, British Queen,* Marguerite, President,* Prince Arthur,* and Sir 

 Joseph Paxton. The best three are marked with asterisks. 



Worms ox Lawns. — S. L. — We are not at all favourable to the destruction 

 of worms on lawns. Frequent rolling destroys their earth casts, and they never 

 do harm, and probably do much positive good. But to be rid of them is easy 

 enough. Procure some fresh unslacked lime, and stir it up in water (rain-water is 

 the best), in the proportion of a pound of lime to four or five gallons of water. 

 Leave it a few hours to dissolve and settle, then water the lawn with it, and the 

 worms will come out and die on the surface, presenting a somewhat inelegant spec- 

 tacle. In making lime-water it matters not if the lime be thrown in without 

 measure or study of proportions, provided it is allowed to become almost clear 

 before using it, as the water wiU dissolve only a certain quantity, and when dra-wn 

 off more water may be put on the lime left, and so on again and again. 



Evergreen Shrubs fob a Border. — H. L. — Your border is bounded by a bed 

 on one side and a lawn the other ; no trees near, and the place cold, windy, and 

 smoky. Hollies, ivies, Japanese privets, several kinds of tree box — excluding the 

 Minorca, which is tender — Cotoneaster microphylla, Garrya elliptica, and Skimmia 

 Japonica will thrive there. To give character a few coniferous trees might be 

 inserted at intervals, such as hemlock, spruce, Lawson's cypress, red and white 

 cedar, common yew, and the comnion arbor vitae. Plant in the spaces between, for 

 lighting up the front, a few rose bushes ; such varieties as Bourbon Queen, Jules 

 IVIargotiin, General Jacqueminot, Fellenberg, Baronne Prevost, Louise Darzins, 

 common China, and Anna Alexieff will answer admirably. As for hardy herbaceous 

 plants, you may select almost at random if you give preference to showy subjects. 



