272 THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [ December, 



It will grow freely in equal parts of fibry peat and turfy loam, with a good 

 portion of silver sand, well mixed ; the pots must be well drained. Cuttings may 

 be struck in sandy peat, under bell-glasses, in bottom-heat. 



The Gardens, Elmham Hall. Wm. Smythe. 



STYRIAN PEAE. 



'LONG with specimens of this highly-coloured autumn Pear, Mr. Hill, of 

 Keele Hall, has. sent us the subjoined memorandum, recommending its 

 ^sS^ more extensive cultivation in districts where the tenderer varieties will 

 c) not thrive. The shape of the fruit is peculiar, and its quality, though 

 scarcely first-rate, is by no means to be despised. It has sometimes been called 

 the Keele Hall Beurre. The pyriform fruit tapers off to the thick fleshy stalk, is 

 of a beautiful citron-yellow, with a bright red cheek on the exposed side, and is in 

 use in the early part of October. The flesh is very buttery, fine-grained, and juicy, 

 and has an agreeable vanilla flavour. It is somewhat remarkable that this useful 

 and handsome pear is not oftener met with in cultivation. Mr. Hill's note is 

 as follows : — " I send you specimens of this, with us, excellent Pear. The fruit 

 is not so large this season, or so highly coloured as Ave generally have it. When 

 crafted on Citron des Carmes, it comes in fully a month earlier, and is beautifully 

 coloured, but much smaller than on the Pear stock. It is also very good from 

 standards in this part of the country (North Staffordshire), where most kinds of 

 Pears are too tender for the climate." 



Keele Hall Gardens. W. Hill. 



SEASONABLE HINTS FOR AMATEURS.— DECEMBER. 



'LL out-door operations for this month will depend on the state of the 

 weather. As long as it continues mild, planting, draining, turfing, the 

 formation of new beds or borders, and all similar work, should be pushed 

 on as much as possible. 

 Now the leaves are all off the deciduous trees and shrubs, there should be a 

 general clearing-up of the whole place. Lawns and walks should be swept clean, 

 and then well rolled while dry. All the borders should be neatly dug over, 

 the leaves on them being dug in, and not raked off, as is sometimes done. All the 

 leaves that are swept off the lawns, walks, and other open spaces should be care- 

 fully collected into a heap ; they will be found useful for covering Seakale, 

 Rhubarb, &c, and for making hotbeds in spring, and when rotten they are in- 

 valuable for many purposes. All bulbous roots should now be protected with a 

 coverino- of litter, leaves, tan, or ashes. Trees and shrubs may be planted in 

 mild weather ; if the situation be an exposed one, they should be well secured to 

 stakes, to prevent their being blown about. Many kinds of Thorn are very orna- 

 mental, and should be more extensively planted than they are. No place, how- 



