Daaambar 91. U8T. ] 



JOUHNAL OF HORTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE OABDENBB. 



4tt 



the new piece some dry turfy soil, which wo can have either 

 ns port of the covering of soil, or may incorporate with the 

 mannro before spawning. Wo very often use a considerable 

 portion of dry turfy eoil with the muaure, especially in winter. 

 Aa it is right, and only right, that a partial failure should be 

 chronicled as well as a snccess, we may mention t.hat our last 

 piece or bed in the open shed has not done so well as usual, 

 as, do what wo would, we could not prevent its being the 

 favonrito pleasure ground of mole?, and the very porosity of 

 the materials of the bed balllcd us and our traps in attempts 

 at catching them. It is very singular how one man will catch 

 moles and rats, ,(c., and another man will be unsuccessful, 

 though setting his traps equally carefully, and so like the suc- 

 cessful trapper that no diUercnce can be seen, unless in the 

 result. We believe that tho dirtirenco is chielly to be traced 

 to tho taint left behind one person being stronger than that 

 from another, and traps that leave behind them much of the 

 smell of the hand aro next to useless. 



Tainted \\'ati->: — We are much obliged to " SlEncv," page 

 4(!7. for telling ns how to let the frogs get out of the tank, by 

 having a slanting piece of wood at tho corner. We have no 

 doubt that "MruiY" has found the plan effectual, and there 

 may bo something in the Hat piece of board, which we will try ; 

 but hitherto we found that they did not come up on the round 

 trunk of a small tree in a similar manner. When we could 

 manage to keep a few of those great friends of the gardener, cats 

 at liberty, we lost some in our tanks, before we placed this 

 round polo or tree at a corner. After that, besides the wetting, 

 when the cat plunged in after her prey, she received no 

 further injury, but mounted the pole as a matter of course. 

 We value the hint of •• Minicv " all the mora, as frogs aro 

 friends to us. rather than enemies, just as the splendid-eyed 

 toad is, and which, besides, is warm-blooded enough to be ex- 

 tremely sensible of kindness. 



fhuit oakdev. 



Proceeded in favourable weather with a little pruning. Have 

 some Gooseberries under nets, unti\ wo have time to tie up, 

 and whiten the bushes. As stated lust week, we have been 

 forced to thin the tomtits bullfinches, and sparrows. If the 

 tomtit would only keep to the Larch trees, ttc, in the woods 

 DOW, and would come to u> when tho bloom-buds had unfolded, 

 we would be thorough friends, for then after that he would be 

 one of our best helps in looking after caterpillars and insects, 

 and we would not bCi;ru!lge him in tho autumn a piece of even 

 our best Pcirs and Apples, but if let alone, he and the bull- 

 finch will clear the fruit-buds now, so that nothing for fruit will 

 he left. As soon as we can, we will syrinj:e limewash on 

 all our bush and pyramidal trees, as so long as the while 

 colour remains, it acts as a protection, though all the acridity 

 of the lime has departed. 



The hard frost furnishes a good chance for preparing for new 

 plantations if deferred thus long. Iteraoved a good portion of 

 our Strawberries in pots into the orchard-houses, where the sir 

 will be quiet and still, though cold in severe frost. Those left 

 standing in beds on hard ground are covered up with litter in 

 frosty nights. Not a root has as yet been injured. A very 

 little litter saves plants that thus stand on the ground, as the 

 heat in the unfrozen ground beneath comes to their relief. 

 Long littery dung from which the droppings have been shaken 

 ont, answers very well, but clean straw is better, and can be 

 more easily put off and on. Other matters much as in previous 

 weeks' notices. 



o^.^•.^^^E^•T\^, i>F.r.\nTMEKT. 



The frost and snow have put a stop to most ont-door 

 work ; but before they came considerable time was spent in 

 cleanine up lawns, and brushing and rolling walks. The most 

 of our tender plants, besides Cinerarias and Calceolarias, have 

 now been moved where a little dry hcit can be given in cold, 

 frosty, or damp weather. Cinerarias will keep and grow well 

 in cold frames, from which the frost is merely excluded ; but 

 they will not bloom well in winter without a warmer and a 

 drier atmosphere. To save smokingfor insects, tho great point 

 is to supply a cool moist atmosphere and a damp standing 

 place, in greenhouses and conservatories the chief matters 

 now to be attended to, as alluded to in the notices for previous 

 weeks, are making the plants safe ; but, provided safety is se- 

 cured, allowing tho temperature to fall in severe weather rather 

 than raising it immediately with fire heat ; tho second is giving 

 no more water than is absolutely necessary, and not spilling a 

 drop on the lloor or stage that can be avoided ; and thirdly, the 

 giving air in severe weather, chiefly at the top of tho house, 

 and then not more than is ueoessary, taking care to give that 



early, and then never so much at a time that the cold air out- 

 side will at once strike on the plants without being mellowed 

 first by the warmer air of the house. Much will also depend 

 on the leaves and everything about tho plants being kept 

 clean. — It. F. 



C0\T;NT garden market.— Deckmbeu 2:}. 



Tiiiuu: is nu cbuogc here, supply uad demand much aa osucil. 



Applos \ slovd 



Apricots doz. 



Cborries lb. 



Cbostaots bush. 



Corrants ^ s'^v^o 



d. fl. 



Cto4 

 U 



Black do. U 



FiK3 doK. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Goosoberrios .. quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse. lb. 

 Lcmoua 100 



ArtichokeB doz. 



Beans, Kidney 100 



Boot. K«d doz. 



Broccoli bundlo 



Bms. Sprouts \ sieve 



Cuhboi^e doz. 



C^ipsicams 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery baudle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling .... doz. 



Endivo doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



d I B. 



I Melons etch 'J 



. Nectarines dox. 



Oranges 100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) ..doz. 2 



Ploo Applos lb. 4 



Plnms i sieve U 



QuiDcos doz. 'Z 



Kiispberries lb. U 



Slrawberrioa lb. 



Walnuts bush. 10 



do per lOO 1 



d. a. 



UtoS 



U 







































u 



d 







u 

 lu u 



VEGETABLES, 

 d. B. d 

 OtoO 

 ti 



1 

 

 8 

 8 

 2 6 





 8 



1 G 



2 6 

 2 

 8 



8 

 6 



1 6 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Leeks bnnch 



Lettuce per scuro 



Mushruoraj pottle 



MuBtd.& Cress, punuet 



Oaious perbasbel 



Parsley per sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Ridishesdoz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Toruips buQCfa 



B. d. B. 



»toO 



1 



2 



a 



3 



4 

 9 

 8 6 

 3 G 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEWED. 



Archibald Henderson, Sion Nursery, White Horse Boad, 

 Thornton Heath, Croydon. — Descriptive and Priced, Catalogue 

 of General Nursery Stuck. 



Sutton & Sons, lieading. — Buttons' Amateurs' Guide and 

 Spring'CataLiijite /or 18ti8. 



James Backhouse & Son, York. — Catalogue of Hardy Treet 

 and Shrubs, including Conifers. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



••• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentlemiin." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, die., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mil np on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 I'oultry and JBee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also nover to send more than 

 two or three questions at once, 



N.B. — Many questions must remain tmanswered trntil nest 

 week. 



B.\CK NrvBERs (J. /?.).— You can liave the two nninbcTs you mcntioB 

 if yuu enclose eight postage stamps, with your address, and spociiy 

 again the nuiabcrs yon require. 



Books (T. /).). — Yon can have both Mr. Pearson's and Mr. Thomsoa'S 

 volumes from our office. Of the other work wo know uolhing. 



FinsT BoTAxic Garden- in E.101.AKD {A. H. 0/ B.).— Tho earliest w«s 

 that ol Oxford, founded in 1632. 



SrosF.i.rss FiuiT (/"nulinc f. H.).— Your young friend conid not haw 

 weighed Iho meaning o( the word when she snid that she "vouches the 

 truth " of Chcrrj- trees bearing stoneloss fruit if Ihey .aro deprived of 

 their pith. It is not true, but is one of tho many prepi>sl<Tv»u3 erron: 

 believed in former days, when the suggestions of the iningination were KB 

 much regarded as are now the decisions of ezpcriment. 



Brnxixc. Sctrucn (O. S.).— TTe would never prictiso this in > vinetr 

 or peacherj*. though the trees were at rest, 'lue sulphurous acid forme« 

 by Ibc buruiog is so rapidly absorbed by moist bodies Ibat we should fear 

 fatal results to tho buds. Vonr Pear is the Uarch Bergamot. 



Skibworts — " Can yon tell mc what Skirworls arc ? An old gazettetr 

 speaking of Pontcfract, says it is 'a town aitoated in a rich soiiTand b 



