Jannaiy 11, 1877. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTUBB AND OOTTAGB GARDENER. 



and more attractive plants. Small and inconepicuoua to or- 

 dinary observers, the Lichens and Mosses gain their full meed 

 of admiration from the stadent of Nature, who sees within 

 their tiny cups and the manifold diversity of their miniature 

 forms a marvellous instance of the limitless wonders of 

 Nature. This is the season also of their fructification, when 

 the exquisitely delicate greens and greys, so distinctive of these 

 families, are in many instances relieved by thread-like roseate 

 stems and blossoms, if we may so term them — so lilliputian as 

 to appear like tinted hairs. The old orchard trees in Devon- 

 shire are so covered with grey Lichens that, save on the youngest 

 wood, the bark of the tree is never seen ; and this is the time, 

 too, when in Worcestershire and other counties the Mistletoe 

 in its peculiar hue of faded green, appearing like Lichens of a 

 larger growth, is cut from the Apple trees on which it grows 

 so abundantly. 



When, as so frequently of late, 



" The tain and wind beat dork Cecember," 



the wintry aspect of Nature is almost forgotten, the grass re- 

 mains so fresh and green beneath repeated showers that a few 

 hours' sunshine makes us almost believe it is spring, even 

 while yet the winter solstice has not been passed. Bat the old 



and so we may still believe that Winter in his old-fashioned 

 garb of frost and enow will yet come to us. But whatever the 

 weather — boisterous wind and driving rain, hard frost and 

 deep snow — December brings us to the end of the year, and 

 with the opening days of January we feel a change, too subtle 

 to be seen, in all around. It is, as it were, the mysterious voice 

 of Nature which speaks to our inner consciousness of reviving 

 life. Day by day a few more minutes of light, and day by day 

 we breathe an atmosphere which inspires hope, for the darkest 

 days are past and the months to come are full of promise. 

 '* These as they change. Almighty Father, these 

 Are bat the varied God. The roDingyear 



l9 fall o( Tbee 



In winter awfal Thoa I with cloads and atorms 

 Around Thee thrown, tempest o'er tempeat roU'd, 

 Majestic darkness ! on the whirlwind's wing 

 Biding snblime, Thoa bidet the world adore. 

 And humblest nature with Thy northern blast. 

 Mysterious ronnd I what skill, what force divine. 

 Deep felt, in these appear 1 A simple train. 

 Yet HO delightful, rais'd with such kind art, 

 Sach beauty and beneficence combin'd ; 

 Shade, unperceived, so soft'ning into shade; 

 And all so forming an harmonious whole, 

 That, as they still succeed, they ravish still." 



— T. S. J. 



MES. PINCE'S BLACK MUSCAT QBAPE. 



Hy experience of this Grape coincides with Mr. Anderson's 

 given on page 516. My Vines of it are all grafted, chiefiy on 

 Black Hamburghs. It is a Grape evidently requiring a long 

 season to ripen thoroughly, and hence should be started earlier 

 than Lady Downe'e or Black Alicante. I have never seen it 

 really well coloured, there being always more or less of redness 

 at the stalk end of the berry. In appearance it cannot compare 

 with Alicante, but is quite equal to it, if not superior in keep- 

 ing qualities, while in point of flavour it is far before it ; in 

 fact, so far as my experience goes it is the finest fiavoured of 

 all late-keeping Grapes. I have had it in good condition until 

 April. I find it sets freely in a low temperature, if care be 

 taken to shake the bunches or draw the hand carefully over 

 them once a-day when in bloom. I have tried it in several 

 vineries, but always obtain by far the beet coloured and finest 

 fruit off a Vine growing within 3 or 4 feet from a hot-water boiler, 

 where when in growth the roots always have a very consider- 

 able amount of bottom heat. In this position the Vine of 

 course requires abundance of water. 



With regard to late-keeping Grapes generally, I give the first 

 place to Lady Downe's, and putting aside the question of 

 bloom and colour, the second place to Mrs. Pince, Black 

 Alicante standing third on my list. If appearance alone must 

 decide the merits of the last two, Mrs. Pince mast necessarily 

 occupy the third place. — J. E. 



PREPARING POTATOES FOR PLANTING. 



I CANNOT quite agree with "A Nohtdern Gaeheneb" (see 

 page 62HJ in his mode of preparing the Potato before planting. 

 He advises that the sets should be carefully looked over and 



set upon their ends in a light place, so that the tubers may 

 be able to strengthen their growths before they are planted. 

 Now my opinion about this is that if those Potatoes, such ae 

 early kinds, were at this period of the year carefully planted 

 on a warm border at the depth of 6 inches, that the tnbers 

 would grow quite as strongly on the ground if not stronger 

 than if placed in the light. 



I think we should have better crops if we planted earlier in 

 the season than is usual. They should all be in by the latter 

 end of February, and I advise that we grow more of the kidney 

 and what we called the second early kinds, and not so many 

 of the late sorts ; for I am of opinion that if more of these 

 kinds were grown we should not be troubled nearly so much 

 with the disease as we have been of late, for we shotild be 

 able to have the Potatoes out of the ground, dried, and stored 

 away before the autumn rains set in. During the past season 

 all the early sorts of Potatoes, not only when dug turned oirt 

 a fair crop, but not a bad one was seen amongst them, but the 

 later kinds when taken out of the ground were quite half of 

 them bad. That is why I advocate growing more of the 

 earlier kinds. — A Young Amateur. 



EARLY-FLOWERING AZ.VLEA INDICAS. 



Plants flowering in advance of the generality of their kind 

 are very valuable, inasmuch as they are more readily forced ,^ 

 and by their earliness contribute to producing a long season of 

 bloom. Irrespective of forcing. Azaleas may commence flower- 

 ing in February and be continued to June by a selection of 

 early, midseason, and late varieties, ordinary greenhouse treat- 

 ment being given the plants. 



The early-flowering varieties are the most desirable for 

 forcing; they are more readily excited into growth, taking 

 less time and a lower temperature to have them in bloom by 

 a given time than the midseason kinds. The new year usually 

 brings along with its festivities a great demand for flowers. 

 None are more desirable than Azaleas both as plants for deco- 

 ration or as affording flowers for oatticg. Small standard 

 plants a foot to 15 inches high, with heads as round as a ball,, 

 covered with flowers, are admirably adapted for table decora- 

 tion. Pyramids are certainly very gorgeous when in flower,, 

 and exhibit great skill in training ; but why not have variety 

 in form ? Why not more plants be allowed to assume their 

 natural bush-like habit ? A half-ball is no despicable form of 

 Azalea. 



Double flowers as a rule are not only more beautiful but 

 more lasting than singles : hence their greater value for cutting. 

 In Azaleas we lose in doubles the beautiful marking of the 

 singles, the doubles being mostly selfs or their marking and 

 shading are indistinct. Nevertheless the doubles have a ful- 

 ness and an endurance fully compensating for any loss of 

 marking. 



Amongst the best of the early-flowering Azaleas are *Narcis- 

 siflora, double white, very profuse-flowering, and certain ; 

 "Borsig, double white, very fine and equally free ; Bernhard 

 Andreas is another fine double white; 'Franc^oisDevos, double 

 deep crimson, is of capital habit and very free ; Eoi des 

 Doubles, double rosy carmine, very free ; Eoi des Beiges, 

 double bright red; and * Am ana, violet purple, small, semi- 

 double, well known, excellent for forcing. In singles we hav e 

 •Alba, pure white ; 'Fielder's White, Magnet, rosy salmon ; 

 Madame Van Houtte, white, flaked rose and crimson ; Eoi 

 d'HoUande.deep red ; and *Vittata elegans, white, red edges. 



Those distinguished by an asterisk are fine for forcing, and 

 ought to be grown in quantity by those having flowers largely 

 in demand. They can be had in flower at the dullest season 

 with alight forcing. — G. Abbey. 



TABLE DECORATION. 

 The following arrangement came under my notice at a dinner 

 table the other day, and I write, as I consider it worth copying. 

 The foundation of a centre bouquet at table was a plant of 

 ordinary Maidenhair (Adiantum) in an 8-inch pot. The pot was 

 screened by one of the expansible wooden screens, and among 

 the fronds of the plant were inserted, at the height proper to 

 be effective, flowers tied to sticks or wires concealed by the 

 Fern, notably AUamanda Schotti, Lapageria rosea, Poinsettia 

 pulcherrima, a solitary Rose, Primula sinensis, various Gera- 

 niums, and other flowers not so noticeable. The effect was 

 charming, the more so as the fronds of the Fern were naturally 

 disposed more gracefully than they could have been done had 



