112 THE GARDENER. [March 



A remarkable exhibition of flowers that was from the Edinburgh Botanical 

 Gardens in which those rare subjects the Senecio vulgaris and the Leontodon tar- 

 axacum were found. We once saw a magnificent display of the first in the trial- 

 grounds of an eminent seedsman not far from Tooting. We clambered over the 

 fence one Sunday morning to see it, and afterwards wrote to the proprietor 

 to compliment him on his acquisition, and was assured that he believed he 

 had the best collection of the kind in England. We believe he still has a 

 fine stock of it. 



Mr Wright, of the * Journal of Horticulture,' has, we think, made rather an 

 important discovery. For years back it has been perfectly well known that 

 galvanised wire seriously injured the trees that were trained to it, under 

 certain circumstances, but what the circumstances were was a puzzle. Mr 

 Wright has, however, made out pretty clearly, from experiment and evidence 

 which he has collected, that the injury is caused by a certain acid in the wire, 

 but which becomes dissipated in time. New wire, it appears, is never safe, 

 but after a few years it becomes harmless, while a good coat or two of paint 

 prevents injury at all times. 



The 'Journal of Horticulture ' speaks highly of Geranium Guillon Mangilli as 

 an unusually good kind, and particularly serviceable for winter flowering; and 

 we have ourselves heard its good character confirmed by excellent judges. 



There appears to be something very like a famine this season in certain 

 kinds of vegetable-seeds, and what seed has been harvested is of indifferent 

 quality. We believe the seedsmen never had greater difficulty in getting in 

 their stocks of some kinds, and they are issuing advice to their customers to 

 sow thickly such subjects as Kidney Beans, Peas, Onions, Lettuce, and Rad- 

 ishes, &c. As might be expected, seeds are also dearer than they have been 

 for some years. Reader. 



HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 



It is a judicious practice, where young trees have been planted on 

 walls or fences, to allow^ them to sink with the soil before training is 

 performed ; and now that dry weather may be expected (and probably 

 March dust), these trees may be trodden firmly, the mulching adjust- 

 ed, and training done at earliest convenience. Training, like many 

 other operations, is a matter of taste — the methods are almost endless ; 

 but on walls of limited extent, if variety is wanted (as is often the case 

 with proprietors of the amateur class), the extension system, as prac- 

 tised by some, cannot be recommended. Trees planted from 12 to 15 

 feet apart will meet the wdshes of any class of cultivators ; and if, for 

 variety's sake, a cordon (upright) be put between each tree, a goodly 

 collection may be grown. What we say might be done ; we do not 

 always advise its being put into practice. Rather get a selection of 

 kinds, especially those which do well in the soil of the district, and 

 which the climate suits. As an example, we visited the famous Dr Ro- 

 den on the 12th inst., who is so successful in raising Strawberries and 

 managing pyramid and dwarf Apple-trees. He has whole lines (from 



