50 editor's table. 



Mildew on the Vine. — A scientific ganleiHT declares, in the Cottage Gardener, that 

 wherever lie has seen the mildew prevail most in hothouses, it has been where great nuiu- 

 bei-s of ])lants were grown in the same house. The moisture arising from the necessary 

 waterings caused the mildew to spread rapidly. Few })lants in the vinery, and a free circu- 

 lation of air — especially in the morning — to carry oif the; damps, are highly important. 



Strawberries. — A refinement in strawberry culture may be practised with advantage 



where expense is no object, a, a bed of 

 young strawberry plants with the tiles 

 placed around them, b shows the end of a 

 bed, with the tiles placed down without the 

 plants, c shows the end of a bed with the 

 fruit and foliage upon the tiles. It would 

 be injurious to the plants to place these 

 tiles around the j>lants early in the season, 

 as they would deprive them of rain during 

 the growing season; but, just as the blos- 

 som is appearing, it is an advantage, as the 



fruit would lie dry and clean on the upper surface. These tiles are so constnicted, on fiange- 



like edges, as to give a good circulation of air below. 



Rose Culture. — Four things are absolutely essential in high rose culture — a rich and deep 

 soil, judicious pruning, freedom from insects, and watering when requisite. If any one of 

 these be wrong, the success will be in proportion incomjilete. Soil is the first consideration ; 

 what is termed a sound loam, they all delight in ; the soil should be adapted to the stock 

 rather than the scion, or kind worked on it. The common, or dog-rose stock thrives best on 

 strong loamy soil, in half-shaded situations near water, without manure ; cultivated roses 

 require the latter because they have more hard work to do ; their amount of blossom, if 

 weight alone be allowed as a test, would, in most cases, doubly and trebly exceed that of 

 the dog-rose — added to which they have less foliage. 



Roses, on their own roots, require that the soil be modified according to kind ; we should 

 not use so adhesive a soil to a Tea or Bourbon rose as to ordinary kinds ; organic matter is 

 here required. Depth of soil is of great importance to all kinds ; it is the deeper series of 

 fibres, situated in a proper medium, that sustains a good succession of flowers, in defiance 

 of heat and drought. 



Judicious pruning reduces the rampant growths, and increases the energies of those which 

 are of a more delicate constitution, relieves from superfluous shoots and useless wood, and 

 reduces the whole outline to a compact or consistent foi-m. Insect ravages must be guarded 

 against — tobacco water or fumes will do this ; bathing them twice a day with water from a 

 barrow-engine is only objectionable from the time required. If you have not provided deep 

 culture, watering, in dry times, will be requisite ; but this should be done thoroughly rather 

 than frequently, and the surface soil should be frequently stirred without injuring the 

 roots. Liqiiid manure — say two ounces of guano to a gallon of water — should be given once 

 a week. With this treatment, every one may have fine roses. 



Color and Odor of Plants. — MM. Fremy and Cloez have extracted and isolated the blue 

 coloring matter of flowers — a highly delicate operation. It is not indigo, as was supposed ; 

 they call it cj^anine. It is tunied red by acid vegetable juices, and they find it in certain 

 roses, peonies, and dahlias. Viale and Latlni, of the University of Rome, have, as they 



