154 THE FLORIST. 



dung in water till the whole becomes a semi-liquid mass, and then to 

 incorporate it, which in that state it easily does, with five times its 

 quantity of best loam. By the winter, if turned well two or three 

 times, it will be intimately mixed and ready for the frost, and by the 

 time the top-dressing is wanted, it will be ready for that purpose. 

 I used it as such without any further addition ; but it was rather too 

 strong. By this time, however, with the leaf- mould and decayed 

 wood I have by me, it makes apparently the best compost I have 

 ever had. 



I quite agree with you about the shutters in Dr. Horner's frame 

 for these plants. I had one made which answers excellently, except 

 the sliders. Had these turned upon hinges, as you recommend, 

 there would have been nothing to desire. I think, however, I shall 

 keep this for my best, and have another made on the plan and di- 

 mensions of Mr. Cooke's, which I expect will be a better recom- 

 mendation than his drainage. My frame is glazed with single panes 

 of plate glass reaching from the back to the front; by means of 

 which, being near the window, the bloom can be seen nearly as well 

 in wet weather as in dry. 



Last autumn more plants than usual bloomed, I believe, every 

 where. Nearly every plant I possess attempted to do so ; but in 

 most cases I pinched out the pips, leaving the stem, as soon as a leaf 

 appeared by the side. I wish, however, to mention what appears to 

 me a rather curious result of a trial, as to what time this practice 

 ought to be considered too late. In November Dickson's Matilda 

 and Hudson's Apollo sent up trusses. The latter, which was grow- 

 ing the faster, I treated so ; and it has not flourished at all this 

 spring : the former had ten pips, but the stem did not rise above an 

 inch and a half, and remained stationary ; so I left it, and expected it 

 to wither and perish. However, it did not, but swelled during the 

 warm weather of January, remaining still at the same height, and I 

 was several times going to pinch off the pips ; but I did not, and at 

 the usual time it rose to its proper height, and expanded all its pips 

 beautifully ; and when the first was just beginning to open, a central 

 spring truss made its appearance with seven pips, and the whole 

 seventeen were in bloom together. A truss, therefore, that comes 

 in November it seems should be left to itself. It is curious that the 

 extremely trying cold of the spring did not injure this visible truss, 

 though it spoiled for me several that had not emerged. 



Iota. 



[This communication, although but "semi-official," is too prac- 

 tical to be other than interesting to our readers. — Ed.] 



TULIPS. 



Grow t ers seem to be unanimous in opinion that the past blooms in 

 many localities have been more generous by far than they have been 



