November 5, 187-1. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTORE AND OOTTAOB GAEDENEE. 



401 



orangeries, ferneries, Cacti, Palms, and other plants too 

 numerous to mention ; but in summer the flower beds on each 

 side of the principal walk and in front of the Palm house 

 are the greatest attraction, and to them the gardens owe much 

 of their beauty. The position of the beds is all that could be 

 desired, and the plants are artistically disposed in different 

 figures corresponding to one another, producing the most 

 striking and ornamental effect. The brilliant colours of the 

 flowers are relieved by the more sober tone of the fine-foliaged 

 plants that are advantageously introduced in all directions, 

 which is indispensable now that it is fashionable to intermingle 

 foliage with flowers in groups or masses. A beautiful example 

 of this is to be seen in the accompanying design (/!<;. 11,3), for 

 they are disposed so as to correspond harmoniously.— N. Cole, 

 Kensinijton Gardens. 



KEEPING GRAPES THROUGH THE "WINTER. 



To preserve Grapes successfully on the Vines through the 

 winter months, in the first place the crop should be rather on 

 the light than the heavy side, the berries should be more 

 severely thinned than in the case of summer Grapes, and they 

 should be thoroughly well ripened by the end of September. 

 Large bunches should be even more severely thinned than 

 smaller bunches, v,'hich latter generally keep better than larger 

 ones, because the air circulates more freely through the heart 

 of them, and consequently damp is not so likely to settle about 

 them. It is also of much importance that the foliage should 

 be kept healthy as long after the Grapes are ripe as possible. 

 Grapes grown in heavy damp soils are not so likely to keep 

 well as in drier borders ; aud in localities where the autumn 

 rainfall is heavy, it is advisable to protect the outside borders 

 from rain before the Grapes are quite ripe, for Grapes ripened 

 under the influence of wet borders do not keep so well. The 

 inside border shou'd not be damped in any way after the Grapes 

 have commenced to colour, but a slight top-dressing of dry 

 finely pulverised old Mushroom-bed dung should be spread 

 over it, and allowed to become perfectly dry and remain so all 

 winter. Not a pot plant requiring water should be allowed in 

 the house. An equable temperature of from 45' to 50°, accord- 

 ing to the weather, should be kept up by means of fire heat 

 when necessary. Extra heat should be put into the pipes on 

 fine days, and air put on at top and bottom to expel damp 

 from the house. Avoid the practice of firing with a view of 

 drying up damp on wet or foggy days. It has the effect of 

 drawing a stream of moisture through the house, to be con- 

 densed on the surface of the berries, aud cause them to damp. 

 When such weather occurs, ratber keep the ventilators shut, 

 and keep a very slight warmth in the pipes. Grapes are now 

 very successfully preserved by being cut before the dead of 

 winter, after the Vines have shed their leaves, with a portion 

 of wood attached to the bunch, which is inserted in bottles of 

 water having a few pieces of charcoal in them, and ranged in 

 rows in racks made for the purpose, in a dry room where the 

 temperature can be steadily kept at about 40°. In this way 

 they can be kept for many weeks ; and where it is necessary to 

 have plants stored in late vineries, it is much preferable to 

 leaving the Grapes to take their chance along with them. Of 

 course the flavour of the Grape is slightly deteriorated from 

 imbibing part of the water ; but it allows the vineries to be 

 used for other purposes, and the Vines being prnned before 

 there is any chance of their bleeding. — D. Thomson (in Tlie 

 Gardener.) 



THE LATE MR. BETTERIDGE. 



I HOPE that there are some readers of "our Journar' who 

 will sympathise with me in my present unfortunate position. 

 I am threatened with an action, not for manslaughter, but 

 actual murder, and one correspondent evidently gloats over 

 the idea of hanging a parson. The fact is that I have killed 

 the wrong man ; for in announcing the death of Mr. Betteridge 

 it should have been, not Mr. James Betteridge of that ilk, but 

 Mr. R. H. Betteridge. The information was given me by a 

 friend, and as they were neither of them known to me person- 

 ally, I made this blunder. What can I say but " Mea culpa, 

 mea maxima culpa .'" — D., Deal. 



New Habitat fok Eeica Mackayana. — The only habitat 

 for this rare Irish Heath was that at Craiggamore hill, and 

 between that and CUfden. In August of the present year it 

 was discovered in its most typical form not far from tho newly- 



built police station at Carna by that indefatigable and very 

 successful explorer of the Irish flora, Ac, Mr. A. G. More, of 

 the Natural History Department, Eoyal Dublin Society. The 

 rare Erica ciliaris, discovered at Craiggamore by Mr. Bergin in 

 184C, and again gathered between Clifden and Eoundstone by 

 Professor Balfour six years later, would seem in the interval 

 since to have somehow altogether disappeared from these 

 localities. Mr. More informs us that, at the same time as bo 

 discovered the new habitat for E. Mackayana, he made a 

 minute search, as also did Professor Balfour and party, for 

 E. ciliaris, but without success.. — {Irish Farmers' Gazette.) 



VIOLETS. 



The Violet is one of the most cherished of plants, and held 

 in high estimation by all lovers of fragrant flowers. The 

 colour too — blue, is one not overabundant at any time, and 

 especially in the dullest half of the year. Being hardy, the 

 flower is within the reach of all possessed of a few yards of 

 ground ; it is not very particular in its requirements, but thrives 

 in towns as well as in the country, needing only shade, mois- 

 ture, aud moderately rich loamy soil. 



The varieties are tolerably numerous, but with only three or 

 four of them the pretty sweet-scented flowers may be secured 

 from September to May, and in quantity proportionate to the 

 number of plants and means. It is not practicable to have 

 Violets with certainty during the winter from the open ground, 

 but they will continue to produce their blooms more or less 

 according to the mildness or severity of the weather. In a 

 frost of a week's duration, the ground being covered with 

 snow, blooms not being forthcoming outdoors, these may be 

 had from plants in frames which are protected by mats from 

 the severity of the weather. A narrow pit along the front of 

 a greenhouse or other house, cold of course, but deriving 

 some warmth from the house adjoining, and having a south 

 aspect, will, with a mat over the lights, be found a desirable 

 means of growing them, the plants being planted so as to have 

 their leaves from 4 to 6 inches from the glass. The best 

 time to plant them in frames or pits is the end of September, 

 but it may be practised up to November, the plants being 

 moved with balls of soil, and after planting well watered. 

 They can hardly have too much air if frost and heavy rains 

 be excluded ; and about a fortnight after the plants are put in 

 look over for yellow leaves, which at once remove, and a dust- 

 ing of charcoal pounded small dusted over the plants, brushing 

 the leaves afterwards with the hand so as to dislodge any char- 

 coal that may have settled upon them, will be found useful in 

 preventing mildew. Charcoal dust also improves the hue of 

 the blooms, making it deeper. 



By April the blooms from the plants in frames wiU be over ; 

 they are then taken up and divided, the crowns, having each 

 nice roots are sorted, the strongest forming one lot, and the 

 weakest the other. They aie planted in rows a foot apart, and 

 that distance from each other in the rows for such kinds as Czar 

 and Victoria Kegina, also Queen of Violets ; but the Neapolitan 

 aud Double Kussiau (purple) and King of Violets are planted 

 in rows a foot apart, and 9 inches from plant to plant. A 

 north border is chosen, liberally manured, and leaf soil added, 

 in which the roots of the Violet delight. They also prefer 

 rather strong loam to a light and sandy one. After plant- 

 ing watering is duly attended to, and during summer weeds 

 are kept down and runners cut off as they appear. I do not 

 consider runners nearly so good for propagation as suckers, 

 and do not keep them longer than time can be spared to re- 

 move them. Plants for outdoor flowering are treated in the 

 same way, fresh plantations being made every year aud tho 

 old destroyed. Young plants afford finer blooms than old 

 ones, and, growing stronger, are not so liable to red spider. For 

 avoiding this pest a few dressings of soot are the best means, 

 with liberal waterings in dry weather. The soot may be ap- 

 plied every month from May to September. 



The pot-culture of Violets I have abandoned, but those wish- 

 ing to grow them in that way will find plants grown in the 

 open air far superior to those kept in pots in frames if taken 

 up in September or October with nice balls of soil, potted, and 

 placed in a frame on ashes, duly watered, ventilated, and the 

 yellow leaves removed, to be introduced to a light airy position 

 in a greenhouse, and set on a cool bottom. The tree kinds are 

 best for pot-culture, and those even are not so healthy kept in 

 pots through the summer. Better plant out in spring, keeping 

 off all suckers and other hindrances to a tree-like growth, and 

 pot early in autumn. The Chinese Tree Violet (Viola arborea) 



