64 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



trees suffer more from their attacks than the peach and nectarine against old walls 

 to dress the trees with any composition is of very little service, while there are 

 myriads of insects safely sheltered in the nail-holes and crevices of the wall. Loosen 

 the trees from the wall, and let the wall he washed with a mixture of cement, fresh 

 lime, soot, and sulphur, mixed with soapsuds to the consistence of thick paint, and 

 laid on with a brush so as to fill the nail-holes and crevice?, and consequently 

 destroy all insects that may he harboured there. The proportions of the mixture 

 may be two parts Portland cement, one part fresh burnt lime, two parts soot, and 

 one-half part sulphur, with sufficient soapsuds to make it of the proper consistency. 



Tank in Propagating House. — H. T.— You ere quite right in conjecturing 

 that to carry a pipe through the tank might result in leakage. It can be done, of 

 course, but there is no need to incur the risk. Let the pipe dip and rise again j the 

 interruption to the circulation will be too trifling to take notice of, especially if the 

 pipe rises a little after the dip, which perhaps you can manage. The ventilation of 

 the propagating house must be in part determined by the position of the pipes. If 

 these are near the ground, have ventilators close to them, for the air to be quickly 

 warmed as it enters, but top ventilation will do with careful management. In any 

 case a propagating house requires but little air, but it must have a little, and in the 

 gentlest way possible. 



W. B., Woolwich. — We thank you for your kind offer, but are unable to 

 accept it. 



Lycopodiums and Ferns.— C. Y. M—li you cannot obtain peat, use as a 

 substitute, light Bandy loam, with one-fourth well-decomposed leaf-mould, some 

 sand, and a small portion of chopped moss. Put plenty of drainage in the pot?, 

 and pot lightly. 



Oxon. — We cannot answer your query. If properly answered it would 

 amount to an advertisement. 



Primula. — A. B. — From your description we cannot judge whether the 

 plant was a primula or not, but large specimens of primula may be produced by 

 nipping out the flower-buds as soon as they are sufficiently advanced. Do not 

 attempt to keep the plants a second season, as they invariably rot off just above 

 the soil, and the flowers are always small in size and poor in colour, compared 

 with young plants. Perhaps your plant resembled the primulas referred to on 

 page 96 of last year's volume. 



Pruning Fruit Trees.— B. T. A".— As stated in the lecture, we are not 

 prepared to lay down a rule that a fruit tree should never be pruned in any 

 way whatever, but we do say that pruning is a delicate business, and is generally 

 done too much. See page 86 of last year's volume. The subject is too extensive 

 for us to devote space to it here, but it will be treated on in Mr. Hibberd's new 

 book, The Amateur's Kitchen Garden, which will appear shortly. Thanks 

 for your references concerning " Lilies of the Field." 



Frozen Plants.— Woodville.— The best method to recover plants touched 

 with frost, is to thaw them as slowly as possible in the dark. Light and moisture 

 at such a time are ruin to plants of delicate constitution, and if they recover at 

 all it is only by thawing them gradually in some place only one or two degrees 

 warmer than freezing point. 



Lime as a Manure.— Junior. — Lime will be a capital dressing on your 

 heavy loam, which has been unfilled for years, especially to prepare it for potatoes . 

 Use one bushel to every three perches. 



Putty. — G. H. Zayton. — Greenhouse putty should be made of whiting and 

 linseed oil, well worked and left in a lump to " sweat " for eight or nine days 

 before using it. No other ingredient is required. Whitelead will cause it to 

 harden quickly, but should never be used for that very reason, for if an accident 

 happens, the putty made as above may be cut with a knife for many years after- 

 wards, and a square put in without difficulty. Sashes should be primed and 

 painted before being glazed, and after glazing should not be painted for two or 

 three months. 



Gloxinias. — Polly. — Gloxinias should be started at once ; the heat should be 

 gradual at first. They ought to do well in the moist heat of a cucumber frame. 



Propagating Case.— A. E. W.—A description of a propagating case shall 

 appear in the March number. 



