JOTJENAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GASDENEE. 



[ December 22, 1863, 



Those fi-om Mr. Thompson, of Ipswich, I believe all grew ; 

 but I was much bothered in weeding theui, as, never having 

 seen them in their young state, I could not tell which was 

 "twitch" — i. e., couch grass, and, probably, threw hun- 

 dreds away. However, I raised to a good size seventy or 

 eighty uicu plants. I gave a great number away to persons 

 in various jiarts of the county, and I do not know what 

 became of the jilants. The remainder I planted otit and 

 iad vei-y bad fortune. Two extremely hard winters set in, 

 which made a clean sweep of nearly everything ; and the 

 •geese ate tlie survivors when they were beginning to sprout 

 and do well. The avidity with which the geese looked for 

 them was most remarkable. No matter in whatever secure 

 and secluded nook in the grounds they were planted the 

 geese found them out, as a hare or rabbit does a Pink or bit 

 of Parsley. I kept one plant in a pot iu the greenhouse 

 for the first winter, and it is now a splendid object and in 

 fine bloom. I have no doubt that it would have bloomed 

 in a great mass if it had not been for two nights of severe 

 frost in the early part of October. We have also had a 

 <ireadf'ul autumn ; incessant rain ever since the beginning 

 of September. My plant is in the centre of an " American " 

 ■feed, and, being close to the wash-house window, receives 

 plenty of soapsuds and greasy water. I find it a perfect 

 ■glutton iu this respect, and that it cannot be overdosed 

 •trith rich liquid stuff. May I ask if your corresjjondents 

 •find •fhem evergreen, or only so in mUd winters like many 

 ■other things ? Mine never suii'ered last winter, nor up to 

 iShis time, and I live in a cold locality, two miles from the 

 north side of Skiddaw. 



At the time that I so-wed the Pampas Grass I also tried a 

 packet of Erianthus Eavenna', wliich is described as hardier 

 and better in every way. None of my seed came ujj, and Mr. 

 Thompson informed me that none of his did. I have never 

 «een a jjlant of it, but it is stQl puifed and recommended 

 every season. Have any of your correspondents tried it ? 

 I also much ivish to know if the Pampas Grass ripens seed 

 in England or not ? 



I am now coming to the main point of my letter. "Why 

 is the seed of it so dear, and small plants a shilling each ? 

 One spike ■\vould contain seeds enough to plant at least half 

 an acre, if not far more. 



That it is the iinust introduction in its line that we ever 

 knew there cannot be the slightest doubt. If, as we are 

 given to understand, the Pampas Grass covers large plains 

 in South America, or wherever it conies from, could not the 

 seed be imported in large quantities also ? Vfhj should it 

 cost a hundred, or, perhaps, a thousand times as much as 

 the seed of cultivated grain, birdseed, &c. ? I am fii-mly of 

 opinion that it might become one of the permanent features 

 of the country, and I do not think the seedsmen are dealing 

 fah-ly TTith us by keeping up the present price. Standing 

 permanently a few yai-ds apart it would be a splendid cover 

 for game, and the leaves being very juicy and sweet would 

 be good food for hares in the winter season. If protected 

 tUl two or thi-ee years old no amount of hares would injiu-e 

 the plants. 



If, again, the seed were sold at a moderate price, a couple 

 of acres of it on a mountain would be invaluable as a refuge 

 for sheep as weU as game in deep snows — certainly much 

 better than the tops of stunted heather, which is aU they 

 can procure at certain times. Of course, I would plant it 

 in a snug sheltered place, and protect it tiU three or fouj- 

 yeai-s old— I mean prevent its being eaten. For om- mountain 

 sheep it would do splendidly, as they could biUTOw in it like 

 rabbits, and would have this great advantage, that it would 

 not tear the woo! off them, which is the great objection to 

 patches of Hazel, Sloe, Thorn, or Gorse. The number of 

 sheep that lose their lives in this part in a severe winter by 

 being hung in briars, where they go for shelter, is incredible. 

 I suppose I am justified in assuming that it is perfectly 

 hardy under favourable cu'cumstanccs. 



I have often urged and suggested to the Acclimatisation 

 Society the advisabihty of looking out for hardy shrubs and 

 grasses, affording at the same time food and shelter for 

 game. The British Isles are very badly olf in this respect. 

 I have written, along with other gentlemen and naturalists 

 who saw this great want, several letters on this subject to 

 the paper which has liitherto been the organ and exponent 

 of the Acclimatisation Society. Tliis Journal, however. 



having lately discarded in a great measure its correspon- 

 dence on natural history, and taken to other subjects, we are 

 at a loss to know how to communicate our wants and in- 

 formation to each other. 



What sort of thing is the " Elephant Grass " that the 

 Acclimatisation Society state they have received seeds of? 

 Do any of your readers know anything of its habitat or 

 peculiarities? I could obtain some if it were worth ■while 

 or if I knew how to ti-eat it. 



Amongst other things I may mention that I have a great 

 mmiber of tlie Tritoma. In the last fine summer we had, I 

 saw some seed advertised in your columns as having ripened 

 about Kingston-on-Thames. I procm-ed a packet, and I 

 believe every seed grew. I have a great niimber now coming 

 into bloom daily iu the open an- in December. They seem 

 quite hardy, and some of them ai-e quite tlifl'erent fi-om any 

 I have seen in nursery gardens. Many of the florists about 

 here have lost all theu' stock long ago. I do not know what 

 to do with mine, as to be in full luxuriance now seems so 

 unnatural, and I am afi-aid of the effects of frost. If I 

 had had a large greenhouse or orchard-house like some 

 people, I shordd have had an avenue of them. How well 

 they would have looked along with the Agapanthus, which 

 is now in full bloom. 



AUow me to deplore the death of Mr. Beaton. Having 

 been a subscriber to your work from the first, I have always 

 read his shrewd and practical remarks with the greatest 

 avidity and pleasiu-e. His death is an irreparable loss to 

 the experimental part of floriculture. I think he was wrong 

 about the pronunciation of Gladiolus. I ought to be some- 

 what of a classic, and, taking it from its root, gladius, it 

 decidedly ought to be pronounced" Gladdy-o'-Luss," like an 

 Irishman's name, softened somewhat for the sake of euphony. 

 — Jackson Gillbanks, Whitejield, Cumberland. 



EEKEWING AIv^D PLAJXTESTG A VINE-BOEDEB. 



I AM about to renew my Vine-border, and I intend to 

 plant the Vines inside, so that the roots can pass through 

 arches to the outside border ; but I find the crown of the 

 arches is nearly 2 feet lower than the top of the outside 

 border. Shall I have to lower the border? or will it injure 

 the roots by being so deep, as I intend jjlaeing the greater 

 portion of the roots as far through to the outside border as 

 I possibly can v/hen I plant the Vines ? Also, there is a 

 slate tank, about feet from the ii-ont wall, sunk in the 

 inside border level with the surface. WiU tliat injure the 

 roots passing round and neai' it, as I intend the house it is 

 in to be my early house to start about Christmas, after 

 two or three years ? What sorts would you suggest my 

 planting ? I shaD have room for seven Vines in each house ; 

 one house to come on with but little ai'tificial heat. — 

 An Osonlan. 



[The ai'ches of your vinery fi'ont are much too low ; and 

 to allow the roots to pass out under such a depth of soil 

 would be very undesirable, and could not fail to act against 

 the success of your Vines, more particularly if your subsoil 

 is cold, and the border only on a level v.'ith the sm-rounding 

 surface. It wiU therefore be necessary to have the soil not 

 more than or 10 inches above the crown of the arches — 

 in fact we prefer, when it can be done, to have the crown of 

 the arch not more than 6 inches below the surface of the 

 soU. The roots are sm-e to go out deep enough. Now, if 

 the, surface of yoiu' border requires to be 2 feet above the 

 ai'ches in order to bring it to the level of the surrounding 

 ground, to have it at the depth in relation to the arches that 

 we have recommended would throw j'our border considerably 

 below the natural level, which would not only be injurious 

 but very unsightly. Granting that such would be the case, 

 we would recommend that the arches be built up altogether 

 with brick or stone, and that holes be cut in the front wall 

 above the bricks ■n-hich form the arch. This would not in 

 the least weaken the front of your vinery ; and it would let 

 the roots out at the depth of, say, or 10 inches below the 

 surface of the soil. And this is not aU that would be gained 

 by such an airangement : it would prevent the roots from 

 going out deep, which is always desu-able, as the tendency 

 of roots is almost iJis^ays downwards to too great a depth 

 before they take possession of outside borders. We adopted 



