JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDKNER. 



[ Jasnoiy 3, ISM. 



leading from two opposite angles. Tlie bars or posts are driTen into tbe 

 ground in snch manner that the grooves at the angles of one post shall 

 •ome opposite the ^ooves at the angles of the posts next to it. The 

 aheeta of glass or slate are then slipped down the grooves and are so 

 held in position. The posts may, if desired, be further secured by 

 wire tightpned by not and screw at one end. In order to keep the 

 glass (or slato used in the same manner on the north side) tight I 

 insert a small cord (soaked in creosote) into the groove ; I then place 

 the glass or slate in the groove against this cord, and I tighten the 

 whole work by means of a wire inserted throDgh all the bars and 

 sorewed-np at one end. Screens of glass or slate thus constracted may 

 be made into any shape required, being either made in straight lines, 

 circles, squares, zig-zags, or otherwise ; or in place of this what I call 

 glass hurdles may be formed of iron uprights which are to be driven 

 into the ground, and which carry grooved horizontal bars, into the 

 groove of ivhich the bottom and top edges of the sheets of glass are 

 inserted. To form moveable lights for covering rows of Vines, Straw- 

 berries, or other trees or plants, I take two pieces of rectangular bar 

 of some feet in length ; I insert the glass {slate for the north side) 

 into the groove of each bar, and draw the bars tightly to the glass by 

 means of a stout wire with nut and screw at one end ; if I wish to 

 .stiffen this tight I place two or three strips of sheet iron of the thick- 

 ness of the glass, flnd screw the bars tightly against thepe irons. 



" For growing Peaches, Nectarines, Crrapes, or other fmit out of doors 

 on walls I employ for this purpose a building or structure formed in 

 the following manner : — On the north side I construct a slate wall 

 (on the same principle as I have described for constructing a glass 

 wall) ; about ?• feet in front of this slato wall I construct a glass wall 

 1 foot lower than the slate wall, against this glass wall I train fruit 

 trees : when the sun shines on the slate the heat is thrown on to the 

 trees on the glass wall, the heat being prevented rising from the slate 

 wall by a foot or more of glass being inserted diagonallv in the cap of 

 the slate wall, forming a cave ; my plan is then not only to give 

 greater heat to the fruit and more light all round it, thus securing 

 colour and flavour, sufficient air being admitted at the top to keep-up 

 a constant circulation, but also to prevent antnmn rains falling in too 

 great abundance on the roots and causing the plants to st-nd out un- 

 fruitful wood : besides that, the expense of erecting a structure of this 

 kind is only about two-thirds of that of a common brick wall, and the 

 materials are not subject to become decayed." 



NOVEMBER, 1867 



Before the freehness of the impression has faded from tbe 

 memory, it may he worth while to note some of the pecaliar 

 features of the weather in Guernsey during the above-named 

 month for the purpose of comparison hereafter, more especially 

 when the month of June again comes round. 



These features are — 1st, the very small amount of rainfall 

 Irom the 1st to the 29th of the month ; 2ud, the unwonted 

 predominance of N.E. and S.E. winds ; 3rd, the warmth of the 

 first half of the month ; and lastly, the slight indications of 

 the presence of ozone. 



The readings of the thermometer from the 1st to the 15th 

 were, as it may be inferred, above the mean value ; but on the 

 morning of the ICth a strong gale from E.N.E. sprung np 

 suddenly, and continued with more or less violence, though 

 with slight variation in direction, nntil after midnight of the 

 18th. After this the temperature declined steadily, but not ex- 

 cessively, reducing the mean temperature of the whole month, 

 however, to lj° below the average of years. 



From the 18th to the 29th tbe weather, although gloomy, 

 was pleasant and comparatively calm. Vegetation had received 

 no check, there having been no hail showers and no frost ; but 

 on the morning of the 30th another severe gale arose, accom- 

 panied by rain to the amount of nearly 2 inches in the suc- 

 ceeding twenty-four hours. This was followed by very unsea- 

 sonable weather during the whole of the first week of December. 

 Compared with corresponding periods, the mean temperature 

 of the air of these seven days was found to be considerably 

 lower than it had been during the first week of any December 

 for five and twenty years. Tbe minimum thermometer, how- 

 ever, did not fall below 31', indicating merely 1" of frost, and 

 that of transient duration, when showers of sleet and melting 

 snow were falling. This temporary frost does not seem to 

 have inflicted much injury even on Pelargoniums and other 

 tender plants — not so much so, indeed, as the severe gales 

 without frost of the middle of November. 



As a remark, it may be stated that the general stillness of 

 the air, and the obscurity of sky noticed during the latter part 

 of November, reminded many persons as well as myself of the 

 atmospheric condition preceding a rather sharp shock of earth- 

 quake which was felt in this island on the 22nd of December, 

 1843. This shock, which is described somewhat in detail in 

 the " Proceedings " of the Boyal Society for the year 1814, 



seems to hare been associated with an eruption of Etna. M* 

 sign of Tibration, however, was experienced here in November 

 last during the period of stillness alluded to ; but at that timg 

 the crater of Vesuvius is reported to have been in a state of 

 great disturbance. Another shook of earthquake was felt in 

 this island in April, 1853, and was concurrent with a violent 

 eruption of Mount Uecla. These coincidences, although not, per- 

 haps, of any importance, are curious nevertheless, — S. Elliott 



HOSEINS, 



CANADA AGAIN! 



It is some time since I last sat down to pen a contribution 

 to the columns of " our .Journal," and I think I may truly be 

 called an " occasional writer." It was " Wiltshire Rkctor's " 

 robin that stirred me to join the fraternity, and it will soon be 

 time for master redbreast to carol again. 1 trust before old 

 King Christmas oomes to set foot again on my native laud, 

 and to see personally the genial Editors of our fireside com- 

 panion, as also some of my brother quill-drivere. 



In this part of the world we have just passed through a Terr 

 extraordinary and discouraging season. Up to the middle of 

 May we were deluged with rain, so that both agricultural and 

 horticultural operations were quite set back. Since that time 

 I think I may safely say that not one inch of rain has fallen 

 until to-day (November 29th), in consequence of which our 

 crops of all kinds have been quite a failure, with the exception 



I of -Apples : these, liowever, on account of the drought, have 

 ripened so thoroughly on the trees, that we experience great 



' difficulty in keeping them, even the later sorts now showing 



' symptoms of immediate maturation. 



! The damp spring weather caused all the Peaches to cast 

 their blossoms. Cherries were dried up by the after-drought ; 

 Pears much diminished in size, and a very light crop ; Plums 

 none. Strawberries and other small fruits were almost a total 

 failure. 



Vegetables, too, have suffered terribly, and my English 

 varieties of the Potato are, as the Americans would say, 

 " Small Potatoes, and few in a hill." The excessively dry 

 weather was even too much for Maize and Tomatoes ; the 

 former in many cases being quite bnrned-up, and the latter a 

 very short crop. I should say that we still find the Orange- 

 field Tomato the earliest and best variety we have, the result 

 of our experience thus coinciding with that of the Committee 

 of the Boyal Horticultural Society in the trial garden at Chis- 

 wick. 



Little Gem Pea was, considering tbe season, simply grand. 

 Advancer maintained its former excellence. These two varieties 

 with us stand unrivalled, and by a succesion of sowings Peas 

 may be had all the season through. 



The wells and streams in this vicinity have all given out, 

 and for months the farmers for miles around have been en- 

 gaged in drawing water in barrels from Lake Ontario. That 

 person of undoubted veracity, " the oldest inhabitant," does 

 not recollect such a season, and I sincerely hope I may never 

 again experience another like it. Unless we should have a heavy 

 rainfall before the ground freezes-up the result will really prove 

 calamitous. On the Atlantic seaboard, not four hundred miles 

 away, the summer was a wet one, and everything suffered from 

 too much rain. — W. T. GoLDsaiiin, St. Catlierine's, Ontario. 



ZONAL PELARGONIUMS AND ROSES 



AT lin. WILLUM PAI;l'3 nurseries, WALTiUM CROSS. 



The Zonal Pelargoniums, both with and without tricolor 

 markings, seedlings as well as named varieties, which I saw at 

 these nurseries, were especially beautiful ; and the manner in 

 which sports originate upon seedling plants, as there exem- 

 plified, interested me much. 



Plants which as seedlings were perfectly green, save that a 

 faint zone was distinguishable upon them, now and then broke 

 forth into a variety of distinctly and beautifully marked shoots. 

 The same plant would have on one side a shoot with foliage 

 exactly resembling Mrs. Pollock or Luoy Grieve, and on the 

 other something as bright as Countess of Kellie ; whilst amongst 

 all these leaves are constantly forming parti-coloured ones, 

 and others possessing many markings of great beauty. The 

 object with such plants is to fix any sport which is likely to 

 prove an advance in the right direction. With this view all 

 simply green leaves are constantly pinched-off as they appear, 

 those only being allowed to grow which by their distinct mark- 



