266 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 3, 1878. 
PROPAGATING PILEA MUSCOSA (Paddle).—It is propagated by cuttings, 
which strike freely at any time of the year in gentle heat or in a stove, 
Keeping them moist. 
RAISING PRIMULA JAPONICA FROM SEED (Jdem).—We experience no 
difficulty, merely sowing in pans so soon as the seed is ripe, just covering it 
with fine soil and keeping it regularly moist. It is perfectly hardy ; seed 
vegetates as freely as Polyanthus seed if sown so soon as ripe on a shady 
border. We presume your seed has been old, which does not vegetate freely, 
often not until a year after sowing. Procure plants, and you will soon havea 
stock by saving the seed and sowing as advised. 
DAHLIA PARAGON.—‘ W. B.” says that is not new, for he has grown one 
so named for nearly fifty years. They may not be the same varieties not- 
withstanding. We have known flowers totally distinct called by the same 
name in different localities. Send us a bloom by post. 
GRAFTING (R. Bickum).—* Fruit Gardening for the Many,” published at 
our office, contains directions for grafting. You can have it free by post if 
you enclose six postage stamps with your full directions. A small pamphlet 
by Mr. D. T. Fish, entitled “Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees,’ is also 
published at the Bazaar office, price 1s. 
PRUNING TACSONIA (/dem)—Cut it back to 2 feet in spring, and secure 
strong shoots from near the base for covering the wall, and there will then 
be no difficulty in securing shoots for the roof. 
LOBELIAS FAILING (W. G.)—They fail either from poverty of soil, a 
deficiency of water, or excessive rains. We find that by selecting the best- 
habited plants and deepest-coloured flowers for seed that the seedlings come 
quite true, and usually grow more freely than cuttings. Lobelias have not 
done well this year. The drought in July caused a cessation from growth 
and the production of seed, and the showers of August cansed many plants 
to decay. They are not wanted for carpet beds, and are not now employed 
in such beds in any of the London parks. 
WINTERING ALTERNANTHERA AMCENA (A Five-year's Subscriber).—It 
should be taken up before frost, potted, and kept in a temperature of 55° to 
50°, with sufficient water to keep the foliage from flagging. The tuberous- 
rooted Begonias should be kept with the soil just moist, inclining to dryness 
during the winter, in a cool house; but if space be a consideration they may be 
taken from the soil after the leaves and stems fall, and stored away in damp 
sand in a cool place safe from frost. 
GROWING VINES AND FIGS IN POTS (/dem).—There is no objection to 
your growing Vines in pots on one side of the house and Fig trees in pots on 
the other, the latter not having the Vines directly over them, confining the 
Vines to the south side of the house. 
NAME OF TREE (W. D. H.).—Taxodium distichum, a native of North 
America, from whence it was introduced in 1640. 
NAMES OF FRUITS (Jf S. K.).—1, Hollandbury; 2, Dumelow’s Seedling ; 
3, not known; 4, Lucombe’s Seedling; 5, Devonshire Buckland; 6, Robin- 
son’s Pippin. (Shkrewbridge Hall)—1l, not known; 2 and 3, Marie Louise ; 
4,Comie de Flandre. (7. W.).—1 and 2, Royal Russet ; 3, Sykehouse Russet 5 
4, Ashmead’s Kernel; 5, Winter Greening ; 6, Sweeny Nonpareil. (WW. G.).— 
1, Hither Northern Greening or Lemon Pippin, we think it is the former 5 
2, Baldwin; 3, Russet Table Pearmain; 4, not known; 5, Elford Pippin; 
6, Northern Spy. (Juvenile)—1, Barcelona Pearmain; 2, Beauty of Kent; 
3, Selwood’s Reinette. (A. G@. S.).—A, not known; B, Dumelow’s Seedling ; 
C, Jersey Gratioli; D, decayed, but probably Fondante d’Automne; E, Cockle 
Pippin; F, Brownlees’ Russet. (J. R. P.)—The green one is Ord’s; the 
yellow one Manks Codlin. (Z.).—We cannot possibly name forty specimens. 
Our rule is to name six only, and we cannot go beyond thatnumber. Pears: 
2, Beurré Diel; 3, Duchesse d’Angouléme. Apples: 123, Gloria Mundi; 138, 
Dumelow’s Seedling ; 120, Blenheim Pippin ; 122, Cellini. 
NAMES OF PLANTS (W. HZ. F. B.).—We cannot identify plants from their 
leaves only. (Lancashire).—1, Rivina leyis; the Ferns are without spores ; 
4 seems a variety of Pteris cretica. (Wovolk)—1, Polygonum cuspidatum ; 
2, Spirea Douglasi. (if. D. D.)—A Vine of some kind, but the specimen is 
insufficient. (RA. 7.).—Boussingaultia baselloides. (dA. B. C.).—Specimen 
much too young. (C. 7.).—Lastreasp. (Z£. £. £.)—Genista monosperma, 
(A Subscriber).— Amelanchier Botryapium. 
THE HOME FARM: 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
THE CULTIVATION OF WHEAT. 
(Continued from page 250.) 
THE preparation of light soils for the wheat crop now demands 
our attention, and under the designation of light land we must 
include gravelly, sandy, and thin chalk soils. The two first- 
named soils will require different management from the last- 
named, and we will therefore refer to the preparation of the two 
first named. The usual course adopted is the four-course—first, 
roots ; second, Lent corn; third, clover and grass ; fourth, wheat, 
The wheat will therefore be sown after one ploughing-out of 
clover lea, except in case of failure of the clover, in which case 
the land would be sown with an early sort of pea, so that the 
land may be nicely prepared for wheat by scarifying before 
laying out the dung. It is best to lay-out the dung upon the 
clover lea, and dress the peas eddish with 3 cwt. of Peruvian 
guano sown broadcast, and harrowed-in just before the wheat is 
drilled. Let us suppose, however, that the clover lea is perfect. 
Upon these soils we do not wish to sow the wheat very early 
because it is usual to carry a large flock of sheep, and although 
it may be right on the loamy land to plough-in all the flag or 
late grass which may arise after harvest, yet upon these light 
in almost eyery county or district. 
soils it is advisable to feed the clover lea bare, and instead of 
looking to the vegetable manure where the late growth is 
ploughed under, it is preferable to look to the manure left by 
stock after feeding. In this light land, too, the clover ploughed- 
in would make it too light and more subject to depredation by 
the wireworm and the plants thrown-out by frost, whereas if fed 
close before ploughing the land would settle down firm and give 
a better seed-bed for the wheat. In this land the season for 
ploughing and sowing may often be deferred until the latest 
period, say from November 14th to the 10th of December, for 
upon such land if it is liberally manured and the young plant 
just shows above ground before Christmas it is early enough. 
It is not subject to the growth of weeds when drilled thus late. 
Ploughing and pressing must be the rule, and sometimes when 
the land is very dry Crosskill’s heavy or the Cambridge ring- 
roller may be used before harrowing and preparing for the drill. 
When sown thus late from two and a half to three bushels of 
seed per acre will be required, for it is sure to suffer more or less 
from larks, rooks, &c., which prey upon the grain as soon as it 
germinates. The distance between the rows is of some conse- 
quence, because upon sandy land and also upon gravelly land 
some annual weeds such as the poppy, the marigold, &c., will 
make their appearance in the spring, when it will be necessary 
to both horse and hand-hoe in some seasons. 
We will suppose that the clover lea has been dunged, but if 
not there is no better dressing than 3 cwt. per acre of Peruvian 
guano sown after the presser. It will then be properly buried, 
and deep enough by the action of the harrows to benefit the wheat 
plant to the fullest extent without feeding the surface weeds. 
It often happens that the best guano contains portions and lumps 
as hard as rock ; but we get this broken at the bone mill, because 
when the men at the home farm are set to break it the work is 
often badly done, and one lump which ought to dress half a rod 
of ground will destroy all vegetation within reach of its influence, 
on account of the concentrated action of the ammonia it con- 
tains. The sorts of wheat adapted to light land will vary ac- 
cording to the climate, because we have some of these light lands 
In the eastern and southern 
counties white wheat will do weil, such as Morton’s White and 
several sorts of white wheat propagated and grown as Hallett’s 
Pedigree ; but in the western, northern, and some midland dis- 
tricts the coarser red or brown varieties answer best, such as 
Golden Drop, Browick, Red American, or Spalding, together with 
some of the Red Pedigree sorts. 
In preparing yard dung for application to these light lands it 
is a good plan to have a portion of clay or strong loam mixed as 
compost. This is often done by making a bottom for the manure 
heap and covering also of clay, &c., so that when tumed-up 
together it makes a very beneficial compost for light land. But 
the best of all ways in making such a compost is to haye the 
strong loam used as a bottom for the farmyard, and also for all 
pens where either horses, cattle, or pigs are kept. In this way 
the whole of the manure is obtained ‘and retained in admixture 
ready to go upon the land when wanted. We haye on various 
home farms used with the best advantage in this way upwards of 
150 cartloads of earth in a year. We would further remark that 
these dry soils do not require to be early ploughed, for unlike 
heavy land they are benefited and consolidated by the heavy 
autumnal rains peculiar to our climate previous to being ploughed. 
The treatment of dry chalk soils forms the last division of our 
subject, and it will be found to some extent to differ from the 
cultivation before described for other lands. Still upon good 
substantial loams resting on chalk where the climate and aspect 
are good, the management will be very similar to that before 
described for dry loams. Yet upon the chalk hill farms in various 
counties where climatic influence is adverse, and which we now 
propose to consider, is somewhat peculiar, Home farms are 
often of small extent, particularly of arable land, but we know 
yarious farms which are attached to park lands of considerable 
extent and capable of carrying a flock of breeding ewes numbering” 
