SeplcDubtr 9, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL GF H0IJTJCUL7UBE AND COITAGE QABJDENKR. 



221 



nolias, which were juBt coming into flower, and fine bushes of 

 Deutzia ercnata flore-pleno, and of the large-flowering white 

 Syringa, <ic. Some of the Pines End Firs were doing well, as 

 Capressns Lambertiana, Lawsouiaua, &c. The grase, as is so 

 often the case in public gardens iu hot countries, was utterly 

 spoilt from not being cut ; and there was less excuse tor this, 

 as there was plenty of water at hand to teep the grass fresh. 

 There were a few nice plants of Aruudo donax variegata just 

 beginning to throw up new shoots alongside the watercourses, 

 which promised iu time to bo very ornamental. On the whole, 

 these public gardens, with their avenues of trees and shady 

 walks, form a pleasant lounge for the people of Milan on a hot 

 summer's evening ; but it seemed to me a pity that a little 

 more care and attention was not paid to them, and that too 

 much was left to a naturally fine soil and climate. I should 

 much like to see one of the quarters of the garden planted 

 with subtropical plants, as Cannas, Eicinus, Maize, Abutilon, 

 &c., mixed with some of our choicer flowering plants, as I 

 think the climate and soil is such that nearly all the denizens 

 of our stoves, as AUamaudas, Clerodendrons, etc., would thrive 

 there under proper treatment during the summer months. 



The only other public garden we went to see at Milan was 

 the Orto Botanico, at the back of the Brera Gallery. This is 

 a closely walled-in space in the middle of the streets of the 

 city, and which we found after taking a great number of turns 

 along corridors, after leaving the Brera Gallery, with finger- 

 posts pointing to the Orto Botanico. The Curator received 

 ns in very fluent Italian, much of which I fear was lost on us. 

 He was very pi-oud of a very fine specimen of Purple Beech, 

 which certainly was the finest tree of its kind I had ever seen, 

 the bole measuring 12 or 13 feet in circumference, and the 

 stem straight. The head of the tree was tall, and the branches 

 very regularly and symmetrically arranged. He assured us 

 repeatedly it was the finest in any public garden, and that 

 several curators from other botanical gardens had expressed 

 their admiration of it. There was not very much else worthy 

 of note except a very fine specimen of Magfcolia, one of the 

 finest to be seen anywhere. I forget the name of the species, 

 but it was the glossy-leaved one, which is grown in many 

 places of England against our walls. There was also a very 

 good specimen of the Paulownia imperialis, with very fine broad 

 leaves ; and of the Catalpa andBiguonias. The garden on the 

 whole was too confined and divided — as are many botanical 

 gardens — into a number of small parallelogram beds, each filled 

 with their different genera of plauts, aaiongst which was a bed 

 with different kinds of wild English Geraniums. I was also 

 amused to see a number of our English-raised Colons seedlings 

 an the conservatory. I forgot to say that an attempt to grow 

 a few of the Vine and Fir tribes had sisually failed, one or 

 two Wellingtonias eking out a miserable existence. On the 

 whole I might say of Milan that while the avenues of trees 

 were well cared for, and many of the flowering shrubs, especi- 

 ally the Magnolias, seemed to flourish, there was a great 

 lack of flowers, I hardly saw any in shops or in windows; too 

 much seems to bo left to nature. "While driving along the 

 ramparts we overlooked several of the gardens at the back of 

 Bome of the rows of houses, iu which the Vines trained from 

 tree to tree seemed most flourishing ; but in these gardens 

 we hardly saw a flower. — C. P. P. 



TAKING-UP AND STORING POTATOES. 



In the Journal of August 20th " Yoekshieesun " gives some 

 advice as to the pulling the haulm from Potatoes to prevent 

 disease, but he leaves the matter in such an imperfect state 

 that many might be induced to try the experiment and spoil 

 the crop. He says, " It is a pretty well ascertained fact that 

 if the haulm is pulled away from the rows soon enough — that 

 is, before they are iu any way affected by the murrain, the 

 crop itself is safe." I take no objection to this statf.iient, 

 only that it ought to have been supplemented by another well- 

 known fact — viz., that if the tops are pixUed away from the 

 Potatoes before the latter are ripe the tubers are rendered use- 

 less for culinary purposes. Thoy are what housewives call 

 " sad," and no amount of skilful cooking or boUiug can render 

 them fit for the table. Thus it will be seen that the experi- 

 ment is a very critical one, and the chances of failure are 

 great, so much so that I know many growers who have tried it 

 Bay that they prefer to allow their crops to run the chances of 

 the disease sooner than resort to haulm-pulling. " Yoeksuibe- 

 KiK " tells us he has experimented considerably in the matter, 

 and he would render a great service if he could favour your 



readers with further particnlara as to when, how, and at what 

 stage of growth the haulms can bo pulled away without aiiect- 

 ing the flavour and value of the tubers. — Beta. 



■WHY PEUNE SO MUCH? 



I REMEMBEr. years ago when the question, in a well-known 

 periodical, was asked, "Why shave?" produced in the public 

 mind a wonderful sensation. I wish to produce a sensation 

 by asking. Why prune so much ? 



Of late something has been said in our Journal about 

 spurring Morello Cherry trees. Frpm my own experience I 

 am satisfied that none need hesitate about adopting the 

 plan, for I have practised it in years gone by on standards, 

 pyramids, bush, and wall trees, and, to say the truth, I never 

 thought the subject worth naming. I, however, will not 

 quarrel with those who cling to the young-wood system with 

 its hundreds of nails and shreds in a full-grown and well- 

 managed Morello Cherry tree. 



Forty years ago, when uuder-gardener in a nobleman's 

 establishment, when sent to work, no matter what the weather, 

 I was expected to remain the time, and I have stood by the 

 walls during winter when I have not known whether I had 

 hands or none. I resolved then, if it fell to my lot to have 

 men under me, that the curse of no poor man's child should 

 rest on my head on that account, and I am thankful to say I 

 have kept tho resolve. I know, too, that a better state of 

 things exists now, and with care very much of winter nailing 

 can, and in many places is, dispensed with. For my own part 

 I am satisfied with the spur, aud for convenience sake I intend 

 to follow on, but I do not mean to say that I ihall not have 

 young wood in my trees as well. 



While on the subject of spurs I may say that I have tried 

 to have Peaches and Nectarines partly ou spurs, and it I had 

 a sufficient number of trees I should not hesitate to give the 

 plan a further trial, for I am quite satisfied with the partial 

 result. Awhile ago, iu company with one of our craft, I was 

 advocating the spur, aud while descanting over a splendid 

 Peach tree indoors (tor my friead is well up in the fruit 

 department), I put tho qnestioa, How about spurring the 

 Peach tree? "Why, man," said he, " I durst not attempt it." 

 Having my eye ou two or three splendid natural spurs likely 

 to have eight or ten blooms on each, I pointed to them, and 

 said, " Of course you will dispense with these, then." He con- 

 fessed that he liked them too well for that. 



Do we not sometimes err iu following too fine a line in the 

 matter of routine ? If some of our scientific and practical 

 friends would give ns their experience ou this matter it might 

 be of service. I do not see why anyone should hold back any 

 information or suggestion, for we are in need of a constant 

 interchange of ideas, and I look on our Journal as a v.^luable 

 medium for the conveyance of such to its readers. — Onwaed. 



Ma. Peaeson's Golden Qdeen Geape. — We hear that this 

 is better than ever this season, though carrying a crop of 

 eighteen bunches. It certainly has been well tried by the 

 raiser. It bore five bunches as a pot Vine in 1S72, thirteen 

 in 1873 when it received a flrst-claas certificate, fifteen in 1874 

 when it wa3 again shown before the Fruit Committee, aud now 

 carries eighteen bunches, which are better even than those o£ 

 last year. Mr. Pearson has offered a prize of £5 for the best 

 single bunch to be shown in the autumn of 1877, and £2 and 

 £1 for second aud third prizes; the time to be fixed after 

 consultation with the Frait Committee of the Boyal Horti- 

 cultural Society. 



NEW EARLY AND LATE STKAWBEKRIES. 



No. 1. 



I NOW supplement my former article of some two years 

 ago, with further notes aud illustrations of such sfe:lling 

 Strawberiies as have seemed to me by extended observation to 

 be worthy of a place in the Journal; and, thanks to the en- 

 graver's art, I am enabled to give faithful representations of 

 the average sizes and most predominant forms of tho respective 

 fruits. 



The season just past has, like that of 1873, been highly 

 favourable to the growth and development of fine epeeimena 

 of Strawberries iu general, but I have been especially careful 

 to avoid exaggeration, and to place before the artist such 

 moderate examples of fruit as any amateur with ordinary care 

 and attention to the necessary means of culture, aud having a 



