March 22, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



209 



some plants for the oonaervatory, ia which strnctnre, if kept 

 tolerably well shaded during bright sunshine, they will last in 

 bloom until very late in the autumn. 



When flowering is almost pa3t water should be partially 

 withheld and the wood be well ripeued, and be allowed a period 

 of rest in some place where frost is excluded. While at rest 

 the plants should be pruned hard back, and about January be 

 introduced into a tempsrature of about 50'. As soon as the 

 bads have grown nearly an inch shake all the soil from the 

 roots, and place them in smaller- sized and clean or new pots. 

 If it is convenient the pots can be plunged in a very mild hot- 

 bed, which assists them to root quicker and break earlier and 

 stronger, and, if wanted for exhibition, stopping and training 

 as advised must ba attended to. Some of the early whites, 

 saoh as Rose of Cistile and Arabella, can be stopped as late 

 as eight weeks before the show, but some of the doubles will 

 require ten and twelve weeks, and the final potting should not 

 be made closer than three months to the show. Should some 

 of the plants as they become old not break well from the 

 bottom cut them down, they will then with very little attention 

 make useful bushes for conservatory decoration. I also train 

 Bome plants as standards, which form associates well with other 

 plants employed in grouping and massing. — J. W. Moorman. 



WBOUQHT-IRON STANDARDS FOR WIRE 

 FENCING. 



We have detailed on page IGO our 

 high opinion of this kind of fencing. 

 Messrs. Barnard, Bishop, & Barnards 

 have sent ns the accompanying wood- 

 cut of their anchor-footed fencing, 

 and state that the same heights may 

 be pierced for any number of wires 

 without extra charge. 



-n 



CARBOLIC ACID FOR SEEDS. 

 It answers admirably for both 

 Wheat and Peas ; but the mice or 

 rooks will work the insides out of 

 Broad Beans. A table-spoonful will 

 drees a quart of Peas; sprinkle the 

 dressing over them, after putting the 

 Peas in a flower pot or basin, and stir 

 with a label until all the Peas are 

 covered. Three pints will dress two 

 bushels of Wheat. It costs only 

 2*. 6d. per gallon. How it is mixed 

 I know not ; that I fancy will be a 

 trade secret. Full instructions for 

 dressing the seed are sent with the 

 liquid, " King's patent carbolic dress- 

 ing, prepared by Mr. Edmund King, Ashley, Cambridge."- 

 J. Douglas. 



PROTECTING FRUIT-TREE BLOSSOMS. 



■Nearly every year great damage is done to fruit trees by 

 the severe frosts of spring. Last year spring frosts were most 

 disastrous, and this year the blossoms are in a dangerous state. 

 Much may be done by protection for preserving the crops on 

 choice fruit trees on walls, and also pyramids ; but orchards 

 of course must take their chance. 



I have noticed that destruction is frequently done during 

 two or three nights. For weeks when protection is not needed 

 it is afforded, and then when the " pinch comes " the covering 

 is not sufficient. I allude now to permanent coverings such 

 as nets, which occasionally first make the blossoms tender and 

 then do not save them. When slender nets are used which 

 exclude 4' or 5' of frost, there are almost certain to come 

 nights of, say, 10° to 12" of frost, and then additional pro- 

 tection is needed to save the crops. 



My opinion about the protection of fruit trees is this — The 

 trees should not be covered at all unless absolutely needed, 

 and then the screens should be sufficiently stout to resist 10° 

 of frost. I have observed that the losses have been as great 

 with trees which have been what I call half-covered during all 

 weathers — mild as well as severe — as when other trees have 

 not been covered at all. I will go further and say that I have 

 known Apricot trees which have never been protected produce 



better crops than others which have been screened with nets 

 for weeks. I have no doubt but that others have noticed the 

 same circumstance, for it is by no means uncommon. 



Protection during mild weather renders the blossoms tender, 

 and then when a rather severe frost occurs they snocumb ; 

 while blossoms which have not been covered are more hardy 

 and better resist the effects of a " nipping night." 



It is self-evident that when, as is the case in some gardens, 

 ample coverings are provided and they are judiciously used 

 the crops are rendered safe. I mean moveable coverings of 

 canvas or some other stout material. These are the best 

 coverings, and the trees are well worthy of them. They are 

 not, however, always provided, and the labour of pruning, 

 pinching, training, and syringing, as well as wall space and 

 root space, have been lost when frost has prevented the pro- 

 duction of the crops. 



The garden that I " look after " is only small in comparison 

 with many others, yet it contains several wall trees and some 

 profitable pyramids. The blossoms of these, or most of them, 

 I have generally contrived to prpserve. I have a length of 

 herring net sufficient to cover the entire wall. That net I 

 might place over the trees early in March and there let it 

 remain, fondly hoping the blossoms would be safe; but kuow- 

 iug that such a net so used is only deceptive, I do not put it 

 up in that fashion. 



The only permanent coverings, if I may call them so, are a 

 few bare poles. These are fixed during March, and remiin 

 until the end of May. Perhaps during that time the poles 

 and trees are covered on twelve nights, rarely more, but fre- 

 quently less, and during those nights they are covered well, 

 at least as well as my means will permit. 



As to the coverings, in the first place I must say that I have 

 a conservatory to " look after." For this a eanvas blind is 

 provided for shading the flowers during the summer. This 

 blind just covers the "best Peach tree" in the spring, and has 

 always been effectual. The value of the fruit saved by this 

 covering has been more than would pay for the canvas five 

 times over ; but still my " governor " would not buy other 

 canvas for other trees. 



After the conservatory blind comes the herring net ; single 

 it would cover the entire wall, but then it would not afford 

 sufficient protection, so it is folded into five or six thicknesses, 

 and covers a portion of the trees, and in that form it does its 

 work well. 



After the net come the mats (I have only a few of these), 

 and after the mats the (and here is the advantage of being a 

 groom) harness screen, horse rugi, and other sundries. Out 

 they come if the night is sharp and the time critical. What 

 harm can a " night out " do such things as those ? None 

 whatever; it sweetens them and kills the moths, besides saving 



1 the fruit. But these do not cover all the trees, and then 

 comes — straw ; not straw, however, as a real gardener would 



I use it (and here comes the advantage again of being a groom), 



I but straw as used by the sometimes despised, sometimes 



I valued, " horsey " man. 



i Have not gardeners often seen the neat fringes of straw 

 fabricated by grooms and spread along the fronts of the stalls 

 to make them look " trim " — a row of knots neatly made, and 

 then a fringe of straight close straws'? Well, these are first- 

 rate "protectors." When made of "selected straws" each 

 fringe will cover a surface of wall or tree of more than 3 feet 

 depth. They are light, take up little room when folded, and 

 with care they last three or four years. Three poles fixed 

 round a pyramid Pear tree and covered with the straw fringe 

 render the blossom of that tree safe, and the same on wall 

 trees. Do not despise a groom ; the gardener at the hall did 

 not when he asked me to teach his men to make protectors of 

 the same kind. The men — garden men — now make them on 

 wet days, and they are used during frosty nights, and much 

 fruit is saved that would be otherwise lost. If yon print this 

 I will tell you next week how I make miniature frames for 

 raising flower seeds, &o., without infringing on anybody's 

 patent. Mr. McSandyson, the baronet's gardener, says it is a 

 capital idea, but not new. Old practices are sometimes as 

 useful as new notions. — Groom and Gakdeneb. 



BEAUTY OF GLAZENWOOD ROSE. 



Is consequence of the Floral Committee of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society having pronounend " Beauty of Glazsnwood " 

 to be identical with the old " Fortune's Yellow Rose," Mr. 

 Woodthorpe, the nurseryman at Glazenwood , writes as follows : — 



