January 16, 1867. ) 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



51 



nature — that is, wet or sandy, the place where the tree is 

 planted should be made quite impenetrable to the roots in a 

 downward direction. They have a disposition to go down by the 

 wall, and that may be prevented by concreting a space equal 

 to 3 square yards by the wall where the tree is to be planted. 

 The concrete should be quite close to the wall, and about 1.3 inches 

 from the surface. Some place a flagstone or slates immediately 

 under the tree by the wall, and this to some extent prevents 

 the roots going down, and induces them to spread themselves 

 through the border. 



Fig. 1 will serve to illustrate my views as to borders where the 

 soil is heavy, the subsoil retentive of moisture, and the situation 

 low and wet, subject to spring frosts, as low situations usually 

 are. To prevent the roots going down, the bottom of the border 

 is concreted at a a, and drains are laid at '/ b b to carry off 

 superfluous water. <■ c Is the border 2 feet deep, formed of 

 rather strong loam, the top spit, without admixture, d Is the 

 ground level ; so that the borders, <• c, for trees against the 

 wall, and at <• for pyramids and bushes on the Quince, are con- 

 siderably raised. 





egio 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 2 is intended to show a border where the situation is 

 not low nor wet, and the subsoil loose or free, as sand or gravel, 

 but not free from water lodging, a Is the border trenched 

 2 feet 6 inches deep, or to the depth shown by the dotted line 

 b b. c c c Are drain-tiles to carry off water passing through the 

 soil. « Is a space flagged, slated, or concreted to a distance of 

 a yard from the wall, 3 yards in length, and 15 inches from 

 the surface, to prevent the roots going straight down by the 

 wall into the subsoil, d. Espalier. — G. Abbey. 

 (To be contmued.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 The following are from Mr. G. J. Symons and other au- 

 thorities : — 



MINIMUM TEMrEEATURESDUKING THE FEOST OF JAN0.\RT 2Nn-5TH. 



Deg. 



Middlesex — Chiswick — 11.0 



Bucks— Datchct — 8.0 



Scotland — Kells — 8.0 



Middlesex— Staines — 7.0 



Surrey — Cobham Pyports — 6.8 



Berks— Wallingford — 6.0 



Stafford— Sugnall Hall . . — 6.0 

 Mdlesx. — Winchmore Hill — 4.0 

 „ IXammersmith — 3.0 

 Surrey — Cobham Lodge. . — .S.O 

 Berks— Maidenhead .... — 3.0 



Oxford — Dorchester — 2.0 



SuiToUt— Downham Mrkt. — 2.0 



Surrey — Camberwell — 10 



Armagh — Ai-magh . — 1.0 



Kent — Maidstone 0.0 



Hampshire — Laverstoke 1.0 



Herefordshire — Leominster . 30 



Deg. 



Somerset — Street 3.5 



Hampshire — Southampton . . 4.0 



„ Winchester 4.0 



Hertfordshire — Berkhmpstd. 4.6 



Surrey — Wimbledon 6.0 



Berkshire — Long Wittenham 6.0 

 Middlesex — Camden Town. . 6.7 

 Cambridgeshire — Cambridge 8.0 



Middlesex— Netting Hill 9.0 



Rutlandshire— Oakham 9.0 



Devonshire — Exeter 0.0 



N. Devon — Stevenstone 10.0 



Dorset— Bridpoit 11.0 



.Suffolk— Grundisburgh 11.0 



Westmeath— Mullingar 11.0 



Brecon — Hay 12.0 



Norfolk — Norwich 14.0 



Dublin — Monkstown 17.0 



The old tedious process of skeletonising leaves by slow 



decay in water is superseded by the following, communicated 

 to the Edioburgh Botanical Society: — " A solution of caustic 

 soda is made by dissolving 3 ozs. of washing soda in 2 pints of 

 boiling water, and adding 1 J oz. of quicklime, previously slacked ; 

 boil for ten minutes, decant the clear solution, and bring it to 

 the boil. During ebullition add the leaves ; boil briskly for 

 some time — say an hour, occasionally adding hot water to sup- 



ply the place of that lost by evaporation. Take out a leaf and 

 put into a vessel of water, rub it between the fingers under 

 the water. If the epidermis and parenchyma separate easily, 

 the rest of the leaves may be removed from the solution, and 

 treated in the same way ; but if not, then the boiling must be 

 continued for some time longer. To bleach the skeletons, mix 

 about a drachm of chloride of lime with a pint of water, adding 

 sufficient acetic acid to liberate the chlorine. Steep the leaves 

 in this till they are whitened (about ten minutes), taking care 

 not to let them stay in too long, otherwise they are apt to be- 

 come brittle. Put them into clean water, and float them out 

 on pieces of paper. Lastly, remove them from the paper before 

 they are quite dry,'and place them in a book or botanical press." 



Mr. WiLLLiM KiDD, so generally known as a lecturer 



and writer on birds and other domesticated pets, died on the 

 7th inst. at Hammersmith, aged sixty-four. 



An appendix is just published to Pritzel's Icomim Bo- 



tanicarum Indcc, a most useful work as a guide to all known 

 portraits of plants. 



WORK FOR THE -WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



On Friday night the 4th inst., we had 35° of frost in Kensing- 

 ton, with 12 inches of snow on the ground. The Aucubas and 

 other large shrubs have suffered severely. A thaw occurred on 

 Saturday, and now that the snow has vanished we can resume 

 operations in this department. See that the previous direc- 

 tions are carried out ; if not, take the first opportunity when 

 the state of the soil will admit. It is bad policy to tread upon 

 trenched ground when soddened with wet, and the delay of a day 

 or two will often be found a gain. Beam, to guard against 

 accidents sow in pots or boxes, or on strips of turf, a moderate 

 quantity of Long-pod Beans and Early Bcus for transplanting. 

 Place them in a vinery at work, or other place where there is a 

 gentle heat, and when about an inch high remove them to a 

 cold frame, secure from frost, to harden. The value of a little 

 seed is nothing compared with the loss of an early crop, and if 

 the weather prove favourable these transplanted crops will 

 come in as soon as, and very often sooner than those sown at the 

 latter end of the year. Embrace every opportunity of stirring 

 the surface about the advancing crops. Oiilnns, sow in a warm 

 corner for early spring use, and plant out small ones of last 

 year's growth for the same jmrposo and to bulb for kitchen 

 use ; the soil should be light and rich. Slialtot.i and Garlic, 

 plant out in hght rich soil ; draw a small drill, and fill it with 

 charred refuse and lay the bulbs thereon, but do not cover 

 them ; they will by-and-by require a shght pressing down. 

 Sea-lialc, see that the fermenting material about it is not too 

 hot ; begin in time, and give it a gentle heat, or the stalks will be 

 as weak as straws. Cover up a succession, taking care to place 

 pots or a substitute over the crown to keep it apart from the 

 fermenting matter, for notwithstanding all that has been said 

 in favour of covering with loaves or ashes, &c., without pots, we 

 feel sure that nothing will entirely do away with the earthy 

 flavour which it thus acquires. Manuring and trenching as 

 fast as the crops are cleared off will still be the principal 

 feature here ; turn over compost heaps in the frost, and pro- 

 cure a fresh supply if needed ; make up all vacancies in Box- 

 edgings, if the weather is open, and turn up gravel walks, 

 leaving them rough for a time. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



If not done in the autumn, prepare and wheel in soil for 

 fruit trees which are to be removed, or for tilling up vacancies 

 on the walls ; this, however, is far better done in the autumn. 

 See that the drainage is perfect. Stake all newly planted trees, 

 and mulch them whether on borders or in the open ground. 

 Continue pruning and nailing in favourable weather, and as 

 fast as the trees on the walls are completed manure the border 

 and fork it up. The quantity and quality of this manure must 

 depend on the crops taken from the borders ; it is never ad- 

 visable to plant any very exhausting crops on them, but we are 

 aware that in many gardens it can hardly be avoided, and 

 when this is done fresh soil and manure must be added. We 

 have a great objection to digging in manure on fruit borders 

 where the roots of fruit trees can take hold of it, because 

 we think it causes unfruitful luxuriance, but unless we could 

 dispense altogether with cropping the borders it can hardly 

 be avoided. In nailing, lay hold of the hammer in the right 

 hand, taking a nail between the fore and mid fingers, with the 



