November 12, 187-1. 1 



JOUENAL OF HORTIODLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



42;i 



canes together is always objectionable. Tying the canes to 

 upright stakes in bundles is also objectionable, though the 

 simplest plan, as there is not sufficient room for the develop- 

 ment of the young canes and the fruit-bearing shoots together. 

 This bundling system is not favourable to a proper circulation 

 of air among the ripening fruit. The espalier system is much 

 to be preferred, as it allows room for the fruiting branches to 

 extend right and left, they receive an abundant circulation of 

 air, the young canes have room to grow, and finally, the fruit 

 can be gathered with more facility. The best liaspberries 

 with which we are acquainted are the Red and White Antwerp, 

 the Fastolf, and the Sweet White Antwerp. 



The autumn Baspberries — October Bed and Yellow — unlike 

 the common summer kinds, are of a drooping, more straggling 

 habit, and partake more of the habit of the Blackberry or 

 Bramble. They require a dry warm situation, in order that 

 they may ripen off their fruit at a season when there are much 

 rain and occasional frosts. They are more slender in habit 

 than most of the summer sorts, and like the Bramble fruit on 

 the current year's growth from the stool ; they should there- 

 fore be entirely cut over early in spring. The Bramble finds 

 support by spreading itself over the hedgerows, or any support 

 which may be near. The autumn Raspberries must also have 

 some support, else the fruit gets chafed and broken by the 

 wind, A good plan is to drive in three strong stakes round 

 each stool, and tie a wire or wooden hoop to them horizontally ; 

 spread out the canes of the Easpberry, regulate and tie them 

 to the hoop, letting them hang over to tho outside. All weak 

 growths must be pulled up in summer, leaving six or eight 

 of the strongest canes. It must not be expected, however, 

 that these autumn Raspberries are equal in flavour to the 

 summer varieties, nor are they so large as the Bed and Yellow 

 Antwerp. They are, however, very prolific, and come in to 

 help the dessert and the cook at a time when small fruits are 

 scarce. 



Raspberries will occupy the same situation for many years 

 in succession, and yield good crops where the soil and climate 

 are favourable to them ; but in many instances, especially on 

 dry soils, it will be necessary to renew frequently, if strong 

 growth is to be maintained, and consequently crops of fine 

 large fruit. The Baspberry has a tendency also to spread, and 

 the stools get ragged and worn out. To form new plantations, 

 the strongest suckers should be carefully lifted and trans- 

 planted into nursery lines for a season, to gain strength and 

 make roots and buds at the bottom ; the following season, 

 when ground has been trenched and prepared for them, they 

 may be finally planted as before indicated. Old plantations 

 will be much improved by having the soil dug away from 

 around the stools up to the points of the roots, and also shaking 

 away the soil partly from the roots, and substituting fresh rich 

 soil, spreading the roots well out in it, and afterwards well 

 mulching with rotten dung. 



The canes of Raspberries should not be pruned or shortened 

 until the wood is ripened and the foliage fallen ; and there 

 should be no deep digging between the rows, so as in any way 

 to injure the roots. — {The Gardener.) 



FLOWERS FOE OUE BOEDEES.— No. 43. 



WULFENL4. CAEINTHIACA— CiBiNTHiiU WvLFENii. 



It is not uninteresting to note that the immense variety in 

 form, size, and colour which obtains among the members of 

 the vegetable kingdom extends also to their distribution. 

 Thus we find that while some are almost iibiquitous, and 

 others are spread over wide areas of the earth's surface, many 

 are restricted to a few localities, and occasionally to a single 

 spot. To the latter class belongs the subject of our illustra- 

 tion, it being found only, so far as is yet known, upon one 

 mountain in Carinthia. 



Of the numerous alpine plants now at the disposal of the 

 lover of these floral gems there are not many possessing greater 

 claim to attention than this beautiful little plant. To some of 

 our readers the Wulfenia cariuthiaca is probably an " old fa- 

 miliar face ;" but it is much less extensively grown than might, 

 perhaps, be inferred from the mere date of its introduction. 

 In the front ranks of the mixed border its spikes of bright blue 

 flowers produce a charming effect, especially when grown, as it 

 may be, in a good patch, or if several plants of it are grouped 

 together. It may be termed a spring flower, for it usually 

 commences blossoming in May, and continues in bloom until 

 July. 



The Wulfenia carinthiaoa is a perennial plant of dwarf habit, 



its foliage, which is all radical, not exceeding 6 inches ; the 

 flower-scapes, however, often grow to the height of from 12 to 

 16 inches or more before the blossoms are all expanded. The 

 leaves are obovate, blunt, with doubly crenate margins, and 

 when full grown are spread flat on the ground ; the small 

 leaflets attached to the flower-scape are more acute and sessile, 

 with their margins rolled back. 



The spike of flowers is at first drooping, but afterwards 

 becomes nearly erect, though there is generally a slight in- 

 clination to one side. The flowers are bright blue, with a 

 yellow throat, on short peduncles, closely arranged, and are 

 somewhat remarkable for their oblique position. 



Fig. 117. — Wulfenia carinthiaca. 



From the character of its natural habitat it will be readily 

 inferred that the Wulfenia is an excellent rook plant, but it 

 will not endure full exposure to sunshine, neither will it 

 flourish if allowed to suffer from drought ; a partially-shaded 

 situation should therefore be allotted to it. In the border 

 it will succeed in any light rich soil free from stagnant 

 moisture, which is injurious to it, especially in winter. In 

 severe weather it should be covered with an empty flower pot, 

 and in long-continued rains in winter the same precaution may 

 be adopted with great advantage. In unfavourable localities 

 it may even be advisable to pot it in autumn, and preserve 

 it through the winter in a cold frame or turf pit, though 

 this precaution will hardly be necessary south of the Trent. 

 It may be increased by division in spring and autumn, and 

 also by seeds, which it sometimes ripens ; if a few of these are 

 saved annually its protection will then be a matter of less 

 importance, as young plants are readily raised from seed. — 

 (IC. Thompson's English Flower Garden, Revised by the Author.) 



THE HOESE AND SWEET CHESTNUTS. 

 In an extract from " The Household Guide," in your issue 

 for October 15, page 346, there are remarks on the Horse 

 Chestnut which certainly are at variance with the opinion of 

 most, if not all, who have had anything to do with such trees, 

 more especially the recommendation for the fruit to be given 

 to cows to increase the amount of milk ; for most certainly in 

 all places I am acquainted with the injury done to the milk of 

 cows who partake of Horse Chestnuts is of so serious a kind as 

 to unfit the butter for all except the very commonest of pur- 

 poses. We all know, or rather I ought to say all country 

 people living where Horse Chestnuts abound know full well, 

 the acrid bitter taste of the otherwise tempting fruit, and we 

 alec know how quickly milk is acted upon and partakes of the 



