April 29, ISfla. 1 



JOtTliN'Ar, OP Hb'ltTICtTLTURfe"iND COTTAGfe GATITDENER. 



28$' 



of tho Apple, and that form iu no rospeot roaemblos the ludi- 

 oroua shapoa the tree is forced to assume. An expanded head 

 on a stem more or leas elongated— such is tho Apple tree in 

 goneral, some varieties being more upright than others. 



As I find my remarks have CKtcnded to a greater longth than 

 I anticipated, I must defer those on the Apple as a standard 

 tree till another time, hoping, nevertheless, that those who 

 have been very sncoeasful in obtaining good crops of fruit from 

 troos trained in some of tlio miniaturo forma recommended by 

 persons who liivo seen budU trees growing abroad, will report 

 their practice. If they havo bscu able to attain reaulta at a 

 lesa cost than haa been nocomplished in tho ordinary way by 

 tho large trees met with ia to many places, I for one shall be 

 glad to follow so good an cKample. - .1". Robson. 



IS THE POTATO DISEASE HEREDITARY? 



I pr.ANTED in 1865 some Piiilt Kidney Potatoes of alatn-lteep- 

 ing kind, called here Yorkshire Kidnoya. They produce much 

 haulm, and are a little given to disease. The crop was 

 diseased. I selected from the diseased Potatoes twelve of the 

 very worst — so bad, so rotten, as Boarcoly to have any vitality, 

 and planted them in Mirch 1853, on a piece of poor ground 

 without any manure. The reauU waa seventy-one Potatoes 

 (jaite sound, and fifteen diseased. In 18G7 I planted the dis- 

 eased Potatoes and a few sound ones, auffioient to make a long 

 row ; the result was scarcely any disease at all. In 1668 I 

 planted two rows, taking all the diseased and small Potiitoes, 

 tho result waa a good crop and no disease. 



To day (April 21 st), I have looked over the Potatoes left, about 

 half a bushel, and cannot find ft trace of disease. 



I have this year planted one row of large, sound, Potatoes, 

 and will in due time give you tlu result. — W. Kebe, Ajii/meriny, 

 Arundel. 



SUMMER GALES. 



There is little, if anything, cither of novelty or originality 

 in the following remarks as to the manner in which injury is 

 inflicted upon flowering plants in summer by the action of 

 violent gales of wind; nevertheless, it may not he ill-timed to 

 call attention to the subject. 



We seldom neglect to shelter out-door plants from frost and 

 snow during winter, or from hail storm.? in the spring ; but, 

 we are not always sufficiently careful in guarding against the 

 tempestuous weather which is not unusual in many localities 

 about the period of the summer solstice. That thi^ kind of 

 weather was reckoned upon iu former days, as well as now, 

 may be inferred from the following deprecatory proverb : — 

 *■ No tempefct good July, 

 Lest cora come off blue by ! " 



The precise meaning of the phrase blue by is rathe^:' obscure, 

 but it signifies most likely some kind of bUght ; and, it is well 

 known that corn ia very liable to injury when tho plant is 

 in bloom, that side of the ear exposed to the wind being prin- 

 cipally affected. 



Some months ago, one of your correspondents very properly 

 urged the expediency of tying Rose shoots securely, in order 

 to preserve them from " the furious assaults of the sotith-west 

 wind ;" another gentleman, however, failing to adopt protec- 

 tive measures, had to lament the total destruction of his 

 ornamental bedding plants owing to the effects of a severe gale 

 in the month of July. A plant has been aptly defined to be 

 "» living body that has no power of motion except when acted 

 upon by external force;" tho action of wind, therefore, accord- 

 ing to its force or direction, is calculated to affect it either 

 beneficially or injuriously. The benefit accruing from gentle 

 breezes ia obvious ; they are essential to the healthful per- 

 formance of all the functions of a plant by keeping its leaves 

 in constant motion so as to vary their surfaces, and thus ex- 

 pose each in turn to the salutary influence of solar light. Far 

 otherwise is it, however, if a plant be assaulted by boisterous 

 winds, when heavily laden with foliage, and consequently in a 

 state most of all susceptible of vital injury. The nature of the 

 injury inflicted under such circumstances is, in the first place, 

 mechanical. For instance, when the stem of a plant ia awayed 

 extensively to and fro, the root becomes loosened from its hold, 

 its spongelets are more or less torn asunder ; the branches are 

 broken off, and the leaves bruised and lacerated. The rupture 

 of the spongelets, which readily ooonra, as they are exceedingly 

 delicate, impairs their Action m absorbing and feeding organs. 



BO that circulation throughout the vessels of the stem and 

 branches becomes enfeebled, and tho supply of fluid required 

 by tho loaves for the performance of their various oflloea is in 

 a groat measure diminished. In the next place, fracture of the 

 branches entails exudation of sap from their wounded surfaces ; 

 and lastly, tho contusion and abrasion of the leaves interferes 

 with the processes of reapiration and exhalation, checking, if 

 not preventing, the decompoaition and asBimilation of elemonta, 

 liquid as well as gageous, derivable from the atmosphere and 

 other sources. 



From this enumeration of what takes place in extreme 

 cases it would appear that tho causes of miaohief to vegetable 

 organisation from strong currents of air are threefold — that is 

 to Bay, mechanical, physiological, and chemical. As the 

 mechanical is evidently the proximate cause of all the evil 

 that ensues, tho moat rational proceeding, on the principle of 

 the adage " a stitch iu time," will be that of staking, or other- 

 wise aecuring tho stem so as to prevent undue oscillation. It 

 must not be lost sight of, that when once the spongelets are 

 seriously injured mischief will be progressive without much 

 chance of its being arrested. 



Now, the question naturally arises. Is there any rule to guide 

 us as to the proper tjmo for adopting preventive measures '.' 

 The answer to this question may be briefly stated as follows : — 

 Watch attentively the signs of the weather, when your plants 

 are sufliciently advanced in growth to suffer from excessive 

 motion, and also consult the barometer frequently. If a rapid 

 fall of the quicksilver take place whilst the wind shows a ten- 

 dency to back against the course of the sun, lose no time in 

 staking and fastening your plants, for the signs just mentioned 

 indicate a gale more or lesa violent from some point of tha 

 compass. Forecasts of weather for more than two or three 

 days are well known to be illusory, but within this range the 

 indications above mentioned maybe depended upon. In order 

 to impress this fact upon the mind, it may be allowable thus 

 to imitate one of the iavouiite distichs of the late Admiral 

 Fit2roy ;-- 



" When the wintl backs, and the weather-glass falls. 

 Then, be on youi; gnard against gales and equalls." 



In regard to precautionary measures, none seem likely to 

 answer better than those adopted last August by the Rev. T. G. 

 Brfihaut, for tho preservation of his crop of Indian Maize. 

 He placed stakes at, each end of the row, with cords of spun 

 yarn interlacing the plants, and " With this protection," he 

 informs us, " my beautiful plants bent their heads without the 

 least injury before squalls of 30 lbs. to the square foot." 



It may be stated, ii* conclusion, that for purposes of staking 

 and interlacing, the galvanised iron uprights with prongs, used 

 for wire fencing, are well adapted, strands of spun yarn instead 

 of wire being passed through the holes with which they ar^ 

 pierced. These pillars, being very durable, are available foR 

 other purposes at all seasons ; and as they occupy but little 

 space, when out of use they are conveniently stowed away.— 

 S. Elliott HosKiNSrDil.i '■.•!;.-iv ■■ 



.;,i.)',v) 'r'--':ri:- 



CATS re/aam NEMOPHILA INSIGNIS. 



HaVe you ever noticed the partiality of the feline race for 

 this pretty sky-bine annual ? Our hardy annuals are now well 

 above the ground, and I anS "sorry to say our garden is not cat-' 

 proof ; consequently these animals have commenced their old 

 game. They scatch it n,Pj and eat it (I wish it were poiaon), 

 and roll in it like dorikfeys, and they not only spoil the clutnp' 

 of the flowers in question, but a good part of the bed round it.' 

 I have stuck pieces of glass amongst it, but they seem to enjoy 

 it all the more. Can you suggest anything to prevent the 

 nuisance ? The river is very convenient at tho bottom of the 

 garden, and I have already disposed of four of the pests by- 

 tying a brick round fheiif neck and throwing them in ; but' 

 some neighbours have come next door, and, " horror of horrors." 

 brought three cats and a fabulous number of dogs with theru. 

 There are ten houses in the row, and each ia the home of at 

 leaat two cats, and I believe three have three a-piece. It this 

 is not enough to send one mad, what is? The more I dispose 

 of them the faster they come ; and aa to the midnight sere- 

 nades, I will only aay ihey are aomething enchanting.— A' 

 Disconsolate Victim'. ' ' . ' 



[Gray puts the questipn, " What cat's averse to fish? " aid' 

 we have heard that the whole race are frantic after the roots of 

 Valeria^, but we nevei; before heard that they are monomaniacs 

 in tiieir love for NemophilA insignia. Bits of meat powdered 



