554 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



very profitable on a north wall. A very hot position appears unsuit- 

 able to the choicest Cherries ; and oftentimes they are difficult to keep 

 clean on an east wall — a])hides being their great enemies. A west 

 aspect then is most suitable to Cherries; and such varieties as Knight's 

 Early Black, May Duke, Black Tartarian, Governor Wood, Elton, 

 Black Eagle, Late Bigarreau, and Late Duke are worthy of such a 

 position. 



Red Currants, Gooseberries, and Currants. — To afford a late supply 

 of these, the north walls and borders will be found of great service. 

 The former, in our case, are in possession of a moderately high north 

 wall, and the buttresses and spaces midway between Plums aYid other 

 trees on north-west and east walls — in each instance yielding heavily. 

 By covering some of these with mats early in September, the fruit can 

 be kept till late in the season. Ruby Castle is the most suitable 

 variety for the purpose. Gooseberries are sometimes trained to north 

 walls, having all lateral growth kept spurred back similar to the Red 

 Currants ; but however well they may succeed, they are not very re- 

 munerative, especially seeing the fruit hangs as long on protected 

 bush-trees. The Red Warrington and Sulphur are well adapted for a 

 late border, these being of good habit — cropping heavily, late keepers, 

 and good dessert sorts. Of Strawberries we have had capital late 

 supplies from a north-west border ; the varieties being President, Sir 

 Charles Napier, Dr Hogg, and Eleanor. Sir C. Napier was much 

 damaged in the open last winter, but escaped comparatively uninjured 

 in the cooler position. W. Iggulden. 



NOTES FROM THE PAPERS. 



Every critic of Darwin's book on Worms, from the ' Athenaium ' down- 

 wards, has instanced the horticultural writer as one whose " inability 

 to sum up the effects of a continually concurrent cause" has retarded 

 the progress of science ; but really it may be doubted if Mr Darwin 

 could appeal to any class of observers who could substantiate his 

 views and credit his statements so readily as gardeners. The " stupen- 

 duous" work of the worms any gardener can comprehend who ever 

 swept the worm-casts off a lawn. Many a gardener has grumbled at 

 the time and labour lost removing these at certain seasons of the year ; 

 and recognised that the accumulations of mould raised daily by the 

 worms on the smooth surface of a good lawn was equal to a man's 

 work to remove on a not very large space of ground. It has also been 

 recommended before now to roll the worm-casts down in preference to 

 sweeping them oft', on the plea that the tine mould cast up exercised a 

 manurial influence upon the grass. Indeed, in many poor lawns 

 where the turf is never enriched artificially, it cannot be doubted 

 that the worm-casts exercise a beneficial infiuence, like the excrement of 



