U4 THE GARDENER. [March 1870. 



A. B. C. — "We would expect paraffin -oil applied to Peach-trees to do them 

 very serious injury, if it did not kill them. AVe have known carbolic acid, at 

 the rate of 1 ounce to the gallon of water, clear Peach-trees of scale, and do 

 them no harm. 



Inquirer. — You may inarch Vines by placing old wood to old wood, young 

 wood to old wood, or young wood to young wood. In the latter case, the 

 wood should be pretty firm. Place the plants to be united close together, 

 then with a sharp knife take a slice off each, not quite into the pith; place the 

 wounds together— two of the edges of which should be exactly together — then 

 bind them firmly together with matting, and let them remain so for two months, 

 at the end of which time the union should be formed. The matting may then 

 be removed and retied slacker, to allow the wood to expand. No clay is neces- 

 sary, and ninety-nine out of every hundred should form a perfect union. The 

 Duchess of Buccleuch makes a good stock. 



Viola "Blue Perfection." — I have been greatly pleased to notice that the 

 young plants of this very beautiful Viola which I have here growing in my garden, 

 display a creeping habit, a quality that cannot fail to greatly enhance its value as 

 a bedding-plant ; for, instead of growing straight upward, as is usual in this class 

 of plants, it strikes right away horizontally, thus manifesting a decided variation, 

 even in its growth, as well as that which also exists in its flower, to such a marked 

 degree. It may interest those to whom it is yet unknown if I state that I had 

 the good fortune to see this Viola used as an edging-plant in one of the finest flower- 

 gardens in the south of England during the hot and dry month of August last ; 

 and it was not only to me a great surprise, in consequence of its novelty, but 

 also a matter for congratulation that there existed a dwarf blue bedding-plant so 

 constant in its character, and at the same time so effective in its decorative use- 

 fulness. It is no exaggeration to say that there was nothing else in the garden 

 equal to it. "Whatever may have been its origin, I am certain it will obtain a large 

 share of popularity, and I trust will also prove the progenitor of a decidedly im- 

 proved race of Violas. — A. D. 



Books (A Subscriber).— Kemp's ' How to Lay out a Garden,' and ' How Crops 

 Grow,' are likely to suit you, though, like most works of the character, they 

 are rather high in price. The former is published by Bradbury & Evans, 

 London, and would cost about 15s. ; the latter by Macmillan & Co., Lon- 

 don, price from 5s. to 7s. " Subscriber " asks if there are any good books on 

 landscape-gardening and horticultural chemistry published at a cheap rate, as 

 works like M'Intosh's and Loudon's are quite out of his reach, owing to their 

 high price. Can any of our readers suggest works likely to be of use to " Sub- 

 scriber," and within his means for obtaining them ! 



Salsafy and Scorzonera. — I am very much pleased to see "D. T." telling us how 

 to grow these two excellent vegetables, the culture and use of which are so little un- 

 derstood in England. On the Continent they are very much used, and, with a mutton- 

 cutlet, either of these vegetables makes up a most enjoyable supper. My object 

 in writing to you is, to ask "D. T." or some other correspondent to tell us how 

 these vegetables are dressed on the Continent ; and this information can easily be 

 gleaned from some chef de cuisine in a large establishment. A boon will be con- 

 ferred on myself and mauy others if this information can be given to us. 



Vegetarian. 



