November 19, 1838. ] JOURNAL OF HORTIOOIiTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



387 



object, then tlio mnnure may be well mixed with the soil. On 

 talking over this matter with an enthuBiastic amateur he in- 

 stanced, in coutraveution of seme of these statements, that 

 Bome of our celebrated fruit-tree dealers actually had trenches 

 taken out and liberally dunged for their fruit trees ; and if the 

 nurserymen found the system suited them so well, why (-hould 

 it not suit him ond liis purpose equally well ? And so it would 

 if he grow trees to sell. The nurseryman wants a good-looking 

 saleable article in as little time as possible, and people will 

 have fine-lool;iug young wood, even if not the most thoroughly 

 ripened. If the purchaser wish to have a large fine tree as 

 Boon as possible, by all means let him contiuuo tho high and 

 rather deep manuring of tho tree-raiser and seller ; hut it he 

 want the tree thus purchased to fruit as soon as possible, and 

 in rather limited room, then the chief manuring should be 

 given near tho surface. 



It is not impossible by any means to combine both objects. 

 Thus, we purchase a email tree that had been forced to grow 

 luxuriantly hy rich manuring ; wo wish it to attain a certain 

 size as soon as possible, and after that to become fruitful. We 

 then imitate the treatment of the fruit-tree raiser, and then 

 when the tree is large enough wo either root piune, or, in some 

 cases, carefully raise it and replant, which gives such a check 

 to mere growth, that surface manuring will be sufiicieut for a 

 long time afterwards to maintain tho fertility of the tree, and 

 just enough of growth to keep the tree healthy. Once obtain a 

 good crop from such trees, and, as stated lately, there will 

 generally be little necessity for root pruning, or, indeed, prun- 

 ing of any kind, for a full crop is a great equaliser of strength. 

 A tree thus made fruitful, has a natural tendency to continue 

 so, if the help given by manure is applied at tho surface. 

 What we mean by " equaliser of strength," is, that so far as 

 productiveness is concerned, roots and fruit-buds are brought 

 more into harmony. Excess of fertility would too much di- 

 minish necessary vigour ; but this can be helped iu two ways, 

 thinning the fruit, and surface manuring. 



Condition of Manure when Applied. — This has been passingly 

 alluded to. In much of the manure that comes to the garden, 

 there can be little question as to its application. Rotten and 

 half-rotten hotbed dung is always ready to be applied in any 

 way, and so are the droppings of all kinds of animals, as 

 horses, cows, rabbits, &c., which can often be procured with 

 but little litter mixed up with it, from the metropolis and large 

 towns. This may be used at once, but more sparingly in pro- 

 portion to its newness. For tender things, when mixed with 

 the soil, as for pot plants, such droppings should heat, and be 

 spread out and dried before using them, as then at a little loss 

 of nourishing matter they will be sweeter. All stable and cow- 

 dung, &c., that comes to us with a good proportion of straw or 

 litter, is generally the better of undergoing a process of fer- 

 mentation. Some of the nutritive gases will thus be lost, but 

 we gain in compactness for carriage, and the celerity with 

 which such manure acts on the plants cultivated. When tho 

 manure is intended to act chiefly as a mechanical agent, as 

 in stiff laud, we would not let the fermentation and decom- 

 position proceed far before using it, and would place it in the 

 soil as soon as possible. For rank feeders, such as Turnips, 

 we would have the heap farther decomposed, so as to be moist, 

 and short, and would turn it beneath the soil ag soon as pos- 

 sible. We often see huge fields covered with little heaps 

 for days, and even weeks, before the dung is ploughed in, 

 and such manure, good it may be at first, is thus by a pro- 

 cess akin to haymaking, rendered little better for the purpose 

 contemplated than so much dry litter. As stated above, we 

 are well aware that in thus decomposing a heap of manure, 

 we lose valuable proi^erties, but this may be counteracted by 

 spreading a thin layer of soil over the heap when in a state of 

 fermentation. It is very easy to allow such a heap to ferment 

 too long, which it will have done generally when it can be 

 pitched into a cart with a spade or shovel, instead of a steel 

 fork. When used iu a fresh, unfermented state, it should be 

 placed deeply iu the soil, and though such manure will act 

 slowly, it will continue longer to exercise an influence. The 

 question of carriage, by cart or barrow, is often a serious one, 

 and so far as that is concerned, and also so far as quick results 

 are calculated on, it is well to use littery manure partly fer- 

 mented and decomposed. Hotbeds made of such material, 

 when they remain fi-om eight. to ten months, are generally too far 

 reduced to cont.iin all their best properties as manure, though 

 very useful in gardens ; hut much farmyard manure might be 

 used as temporary hotbeds, and then be none the worse for 

 the farm.— R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



James Smith, Darley Dale Nurseries, near Matlock, Derby- 

 shiro. — li'holesale Catalnijae of Trees, Shriibis. tic. 



F. & A. Dickson & Sons, 100, Eastgate Street, and Upton 

 Nurseries, Chester. — Catalogue of Forest Trees, Hardy and 

 Ornamental Trees, iC'c. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Novr.MBEn 18. 



Onn markfcl boH been very dull during tbo prist week, and prices have 

 ft dowuward tendency, pinbiil)ly nwiiur to tbe excitement of tbo oloctiona, 

 tbe wboleBiilo tiiidu beiiij,' eirpiMMuIIy ([niet. Pears aivi good, and comprise 

 Winter Nelis, Oluu Morroau, (.'liaumuiitel, and Beurr<- Bosc. 



FKUIT. 



S. d. 



Apples ?-i flieve 1 (!to2 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chebtnuts bnsli. 15 



Oarrants y_^ Bieve 



Black do. 



FlRS . 



doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



CJooseljerriea .. qnart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 

 Lemons 100 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus 100 



Beans, Kidney Jil Bieve 



Beot, Ited doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brne. Sprouts J-j sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



CaiTots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bnnch 



Horseradish . , bundle 



Melons each 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears (dcBsert) .. doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums y, hieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspbeniea lb. 



d. 8. 

 Otofi 

 



12 



9 



2 6 



4 7 



4 6 



9 1 







Strawberries., per lb. 



Walnuts bush. 10 16 



do per 100 1 2 



VEGETABLES. 



B. d. n. d ; 



a otoG 







4 

 ft 



2 







2 







8 







2 



2 

 8 



Leeks hnncb 



Lettuce .... per score 

 Mnsbrooms .... pottle 

 Muatd.ft Cress, punnet 



Onions per bushel 



Parsley per eieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney de. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach busbel 



Tomatoes.... per doz. 

 Turnips bunch 



d. B.(3 



4 too 6 



4 



3 



a U 



7 



4 



1 

 



6 



7 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communication a should therefore be addressed soJehj to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, tCc, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Stachys lanata.— " If ' F. J.' wishes to have a utock of Stacbys lanatt 

 for next spring, I will forward him a few scores of very large plants tha, 

 will break up into hundreds for spring and summer gardening. — Nemo 

 Potter's Bar Post Office, Herts." 



Roses for Exhibition (J. C. Miiclcrosa, Killarney). —-Yonr qnestlons 

 were answered October i;i)tb, page 32G. Wc conclude you mean Medlars; 

 we never heard before of " Medearrts." 



Roses Budded this Year (A Lady, Somersetshire). — "Do not move 

 any of the dormant buds now. If they are shooting, or threatening, 

 perhaps it would be best to take the plants up, shake out the soil, and put 

 them back again. Litter or straw, placed so as not to exclude air, will be 

 a good protection to the buds. The Manetti stock should not be cat 

 back in spring till the hnds show a disposition to start. Th«^ beginning 

 of March is the usual time. Be guided by the weather.— W. F. Rad- 

 CLTFFE." (J. R.). — "Tho best thing to do with your Manetti Rose 

 buds is to fasten straw over them, but not so as to exclude air. — W. F; 

 Radclyffe." 



Luminous Insect (Observer).— That which yoa noticed was of the 

 species we named in our last number. 



Fhuit-gaeden Arranging (7". T.). — We do not think your ground could 

 be better arranged for a fruit garden than it now is, tbe walks being well 

 disposed for aflurding ready access to every part. We have no fault to 

 fijid, only we should have liked tho walkd better had they been wider, for 

 the sake of appearance ; but in so small a tpace we consider them suffi- 

 cient, and as they exist we would not alter them. The whole of the trees 

 which you do not consider worth saving should be cleared out, and 

 those which you wish to retain we woold take up and lay iu, entirely 



