FOREIGN NOTICES. 



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Jon of the horticultural societies, gardening jour- 

 nals, and the number of prizes that a new variety 

 has gained at tlie shows, as better guides in these 

 matters — and judging from these there is little 

 doubt that this is really a very fine new sort. — Ed. 

 Thk Goldkn Fleece, (Union.) — Golden nan- 

 keen buff, tinted with orange. A flower of so 

 much rarity and beauty, matchless petal, perfect 

 svmmetry, producing blooms 4:1 inches in diameter, 

 unusually double and in circles closely rising above 

 each other, whereby the edges only are visible, 

 which gives it a revolving appearance ; full con- 

 stant centre, and well up ; the color is so bright 

 and enchanting, it would exhaust the power of any 

 adjectives to promote the idea, and no pencil can 

 do justice to its hue. It may be likened to sunset, 

 when the orb of day reflects upon the verge of the 

 clouds the memory and image of its departing glory. 

 Mr. Salter, an eminent French cultivator, pronoun- 

 ced it to be urdns;e glace, which, from its metallic 

 lustre, might be termed or en Jlamme, and, having 

 seen it growing, will confirm its superior habit of 

 plant and bloom, which latter is alike erect, con- 

 stant, and profuse. The stock is very limited. 

 No discount. Plants, 10s. 6d.; ground roots, 5 

 guineas. .... 



Figs. — With regard to these, I hes to offer a few 

 remarks on what I have observed and put success- 

 fully into practice. The year 1818 was remarka- 

 ble for abundance of figs, on account of its long 

 duration of heat and drought. Happening to call 

 during that year at the Duke of Richmond's Gar- 

 dens, Goodwood, near Chichester, in August, I 

 was much pleased, and at that time ([uite aston- 

 ished, to see a row of very large standard Fig trees 

 loaded with the greatest abundance of fruit, both 

 ripe and unripe, in the highest possible perfection. 

 The soil there is shallow, on a bed of chalk. I 

 likewise observed during the same year abundance 

 of Figs in many of the cottagers' gardens in Sus- 

 sex, produced on standards that were growing in 

 the same kind of shallow soil, and where the bottom 

 was nothing but chalk. Figs appeared to be no 

 luxury in tliat quarter. In Kent I have observed 

 good Figs and very fruitful trees on a similar bot- 

 tom. At the late Lord Audley's Gardens, Belve- 

 dere, Erith, I have observed the most abundant 

 crops of fruit, raised for several years in succession 

 in the highest state of perfection, where the soil is 

 shallow and dry, and where the subsoil is nothing 

 but a rock or bed of pebbly gravel, called there 

 pea-gravel ; after a heavy rain, scarcely a particle 

 of earth was there to bo seen on the surface. I 

 have long observed that shallow dry soils are the 

 best for producing good crops of P'igs, and where 

 the trees have been planted without much care, and 

 allowed to grow without much pruning or nailing, 

 which does not at all suit the Fig. Such places as 

 stable-yards, farm buildings, in any dry corner, 

 amongst stones, chalk, brick-bats, or lime-rubbish, 

 where they are well trodden or paved about the 

 trees, are the places to see fine crops of good Fiijs. 

 Trees in such situations have a number of joints in 

 the length of one inch of yoimg wood. Over-luxu- 

 riant trees never bear abundant crops. The wood 

 of a Fig tree that is long jointed, jiithy, and soft, 

 does not produce Figs in perfection. The growth 



of the Fig requires to be checked, if fruit is want- 

 ed. In preparing for growing Figs, instead of 

 trenching the ground, I should recommend merely 

 forming a flooring under them with concrete, brick- 

 bats, stone, chalk, gravel, lime-rubbish, or with 

 whatever is most convenient to be had, it the bot- 

 tom is not natur.'illy chalky, rocky, or gravelly. 

 Those that are troubled with over-luxuriant Fig 

 trees might practice the following method, whicu 

 I have myself done with good success : — Cut a 

 trench, three or four feet wide, in front ol the 

 trees, (if against the wall, or all round them, if 

 they are standards,) below all roots, which should 

 be cut clean off as the trench is dug, then fill up 

 with any of the above materials that can be pro- 

 cured, ])ouring a quantity of grout amongst it as 

 the filling up proceeds, or the roots will soon get 

 through it ; otherwise, build a wall, as recommend- 

 ed by Mr. Errington. Figs require to be planted 

 high, and the depth of soil about them should not 

 be more than one foot. If the season is very dry 

 when they are ripening their fruit, tlie trees will be 

 much benefitted by giving them a trood soaking of 

 water, as that is the time when they will be bene- 

 fitted by water. Observer. Gard. Chron. 



Garden Walks. — Permit me to remind your 

 readers of the following plan for making garden 

 walks, which has now been published by you so 

 long as to have been forgotten by many. Procure 

 a quantity of road sand, or similar powdery mate- 

 rial (finely sifted lime rubbish will do.) and let it 

 be thoroughly dried, so that it feels like dust when 

 handled. Also sift out of the cinders of the dwell- 

 ing-house, &.C., the finer parts, and let them also 

 be made perfectly dry. Mix these carefully, two 

 parts road sand to one of ashes. In a dry place on 

 a dry day, spread a quantity of the mixture as a 

 bricklayer spreads his lime, with a hollow in the 

 middle. Into this hollow pour some coal-tar boil- 

 ing hot ; incorporate the whole with a shovel, as if 

 making mortar, and when a thick paste spread it 

 three or four inches thick over the ground laid out 

 for the walk. The ground should be previously 

 beaten as level as possible. Powder it all over 

 with dry and rather coarse sand, alter which a few 

 passages of the roller will press it level. Leave it 

 for a few days to harden, after which the walk is 

 fit for use, and will last for very many years. The 

 The composition must be made and laid down in 

 very dry weather. As it appears to bo quite hard 

 and impervious to water, it might probablv be used 

 advantageously in cattle boxes, dung pits, and farm 

 yards, to prevent the liquid part of the manure es- 

 caping, and would serve as an answer to the ques- 

 tion once asked in your columns — "What is the 

 best and cheapest flooring for a pigsty." Garden- 

 ers' Chronicle. .... 



Directions for Cucumber Growing for the 

 Market. — My seed pit is built of solid 4-inch brick 

 work laid in cement : it holds 200 4-inch pots, and 

 has two lights ; but of course the size should be in 

 proportion to the demand. The laps of the ulnss 

 are all puttied, and painted with anti-corrosive 

 paint, which is cheaper and lasts much longer than 

 any other paint; no putty is employed, except in 

 the bedding of the squares, they are merely paint- 



