Angnst 14, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



115 



eye ! But I must stop for the present, and on another occa- 

 sion note a few more of these beauties, and also attempt to 

 describe the unique underground ferneiy. — D., Deal. 



SHADES AND SHELTERS.— No. 4. 



NoTwrrnsTAN'DiNG the ntility of the well-known bast mat for 

 the winter protection of plants in minor glass and other struc- 

 tures, mats made of straw will be found equally effectual in 

 keeping out frost ; and although the former may be preferred 

 for more than one reason, a store of straw mats is a necessity 

 where much temporary corering is requii-ed. Where straw is 

 plentiful they can be made easily and cheaply, and afford suit- 

 able emploj-ment for the men in wet weather ; I will therefore 

 give a few instructions on making them. 



Instead of the very common way of making these protectors 

 by simply lacing the straw between several poles, it would be 

 much better to make them as shown in fig. 12, upon a wooden 



framework, the constmction of which I will endeavour to de- 

 scribe. The frame may bo made of any convenient lengt'i ; 

 A, A, are the side bars, which should be cut to the length of the 

 longest mat that is likely te bo made ; these are supported at 

 each end by cross bars n, n, which are also made long enough to 

 allow of the side bars being shifted for the maldng of a wider 

 mat. After deciding upon the size of the mat to be made, get 

 some stout string or rope yarn, and fasten several pieces at 

 regular distances apart as shown in the figure, to one of the 

 cross bars at either end. Pass each of these through the 

 holes in cross-bar c, which can be shifted up or down the 

 longitudinal ones, as the maker requires either a short or 

 long mat. Its principal use, however, is to keep the cords in 

 their proper positions so that the tying may be both neat and 

 strongly done. For a mat 3 feet wide four cords will be suffi- 

 cient, but for one from 4 to .5 feet wide six cords will be re- 

 quired ; each of these cords will need to be three times the 

 length of the mat to allow for tying and binding. This done, 

 select the straightest and best rye or wheat straw that can be 

 bad; then, beginning at one end, lay it on crosswise in very 

 small quantities, and bind it as you go on. Always take care 

 to put the cut or lower ends of the straw to the outside, leaving 

 the top or corn ends to meet in the middle. Press the straw 

 tightly, and keep it to a uniform thickness of about an inch. 

 Laoo it tightly to the longitudinal cords making every stitch 

 fast by itself, so that if one should by chance be undone or 

 broken it will not loosen all the rest. When the desired 

 length is worked up fasten each string off sebnrely, and with a 

 pair of clipping shears take off all loose straws and clip the 

 sides square, then release the mat from the frame, and you 

 will have one of the neatest and most useful of protectors. It 

 will be a saving of time, and the work will bo much better 

 done, if two men be employed to each mat, and the framework 

 placed npon a bench instead of on the ground, which would 

 oblige the men to stoop. — Thos. Record. 



Bluf; Stems.— Mr. Wright (page 94) observes that no stems 

 are blue. He has forgotten Eryngiima amethystinum.— G. S. 



The body of the tree is very crooked, and the course the light- 

 ning took was exactly down the centre or body. In its course 

 downwards it came in contact with a small hranch, which it 

 cut oft', passing down to the roots. Do you think the centre 

 of the tree attracted the lightning in any way, as the course 

 was veiy crooked? This tree is causing a great deal of talk, 

 and has been seen by thousands of people. It stands close 

 behind the hotel at Eastham Ferry, on the Mersey, Cheshire 

 side. — Jaiies R. Pocock, Bromhrovgh Hall Garden, Cheshire. 



NEW PEAS. 



Just a word about some of the new Peas. The following 

 have been proved by me to be truly excellent, and anyono 

 who produces a really good thing, bo it a new vegetable, 

 flower, or fruit, deserves his meed of praise as a public 

 benefactor. 



James's Prolific is everything described by Messrs. Carter 

 and Co. , a very handsome white wrinkled variety, about S feet 

 high, with fine large pods of a light green colour, containing 

 from six to nine large peas of the finest flavour. This is a 

 grand Pea, and ripens-off its crop pretty much at one time, so 

 that the ground can be at once cleared for some other occu- 

 pant. I am so much pleased with this Pea that I intend to 

 adopt it for my principal mid-season ciop, sowing it at proper 

 intervals for rapid succession. 



Blue Peter is another first-rate variety, and as a dwarf Pea-, 

 attaining only aloiit 18 inches in height, is, to my mind, a 

 great improvement on Beck's Gem, Little Gem, &c. The pods 

 ai'e dark green, larger than the above varieties, and contain 

 from five to eight, and sometimes nine, large peas of excellent 

 quality ; a capital bearer, and early. I intend also to plant 

 this extensively next season, to come in before the previous 

 sort. A large quantity of good peas may thus be grown on a 

 small piece of ground without the expense of stakes. 



G.F. IVilson is another new Pea already favourably noticed. 

 This is an excellent variety, similar in character to Veitch's 

 Perfection, but growing, perhaps, a little higher and a better 

 bearer. The pods are large and hand.»ome, containing from 

 seven to nine tender deliciously-flavoured peas, and, being a 

 little earlier than Veitch's Perfection, this will bo sure to be- 

 come a general favourite; indeed, all three of the foregoing 

 sorts have worthily merited the approval of the Eoyal Horti- 

 cultural Society. 



A worthy successor to the above to finish the season is 

 Williams's Emperor of the Harrows. This has been thought 

 by some persons to be only a good stock of British Queen. I 

 cannot help thinking, however, after two years' experience, 

 that it is more branching in its habit, and certainly pods lower 

 down on the haulm, than that variety. I beUeve it to be as 

 good as British Queen (no mean praise) , and its crop is some- 

 thing wonderful, the plant continuing to bloom and pod till 

 frost sets in. This sort should not be planted too eai-ly in the 

 season, otherwise it attains a height almost unmanageable. If 

 planted about the 1st of May, it commences to ripen-off its 

 first pods about the present time, and is then a reasonable 

 height, and keeps bearing till the end of the Pea season. 



For early work, Laxton's William I. will become a favourite, 

 and Alpha is Uked by most judges of a good Pea. Its only 

 drawback is that it chiefly bears its pods singly ; but it is so 

 tender and good in quality that it must be grown among the first 

 earlies in every good establishment. — William Eoden, M.D. 



TnCT:s S-rarcK bt LionTsrso. — During the thunderstorm 

 which passed over this neighbourhood on the 22nd of July, the 

 lightning struck a large Oak tree. It commenced at the top 

 of a small branch, following it to the centre or body of the tree. 



DISEASED POTATOES. 

 Mn. BnEHAUT's is the first instance that I know on record of 

 the disease presenting itself so early as April in this country 

 or in Europe, when (as the Editors say in noting the break- 

 ing-out of the disease in Sussex, page 84), " it cannot bo said in 

 this instance that electricity and electric storms have contri- 

 buted towards the development of the disease." Mr. Bn'haut 

 alludes to the manure employed being too fresh, which would 

 have the effect of inducing a grosser growth than if older and 

 less stimulating manure had been applied ; and are not the 

 Potatoes with gross haulms, made gross by the application of 

 manures, the most virulently attacked by the disease ? Why 

 should the planting in old garden soil which had last season 

 borne good and bad Potatoes, give to the succeeding cr"p the 

 disease? Are the germs of the Potato disease in the soil ? I be- 

 lieve not, for on gi'ound that last year produced more liad than 

 good Potatoes they are sound, and the seed was of the same 



