October 10, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 28 
or 
LOMBARDY POPLAR STEMS DAMAGED (Poplar).—The trees that have 
been scrubbed halfway through the stems would be better removed and 
replaced by fresh trees, as if left they would be liable to have the heads 
snapped off at the wounded part by high winds. 
HOUSES FOR GROWING SMALL PLANTS (S. H.).—The best form of house 
is the span without side lights, having ventilation only at the upper part of 
the roof, and a pathway up the centre about 2 feet wide, and a bed on each 
side of 4feet width. It is sufficient if the roof has a fall of 1 foot in 3 feet. 
The side walls need not be more than 2 feet 6 inches high. A sunken path 
will give all the head-room required. Shelves may be put up, but they are 
more injurious than otherwise, as the drip from the pots in watering is 
injurious to the plants under the shelves. 
SELECT PHLOXES (Z. E. B.)—Early-flowering : A. McKinnon, rosy purple, 
crimson eye; Magnum Bonum, rosy crimson, rose eye; The Shah, rosy 
purple; John Watson, white, shaded rose, crimson eye; Miss Robertson, 
white ; Mrs. Thorn, white, crimson eye ; Perfection, white, rose eye : Duchess 
of Athol, white, rosy crimson eye; Rosy Circle, rosy lilac; Archibald 
McKeith, rosy purple; Miss Doig, white, shaded rose, crimson eye; and 
Elvina, rosy crimson, dark eye. Late: D. P. Laird, rosy lilac, crimson eye ; 
Lothair, light scarlet, shaded purplish violet; Madame Domage, white, 
marked purple; Mrs. Standring, pale rose, rosy crimson eye; Monsieur 
Delamore, red, black centre ; Regalia, rosy crimson, dark eye; James Allan, 
salmon scarlet, crimson eye; Lady Middleton, white, rosy crimson eye; 
Flora McNab, rosy pink, magenta eye; Monsieur Hugh Low, red purple; 
White Lady ; Aurore Boreale, salmon vermilion ; Rey. W. Baillie, rosy purple, 
crimson eye. There is not much difference in the height, which depends 
considerably upon the richness and moisture of the soil. Spring is the best 
time to plant, doing so early before much growth is made. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM BUDS DESTROYED (W. 7. F. M. J.).—We should 
attribute the loss of the buds to some caterpillar, which frequently does con- 
siderable mischief. They are usually secreted in the centre of the shoots 
among the leayes, feeding upon the buds. We cannot form an opinion of 
what the small grubs are to which you refer. 
PRECEDENCY (JW. X.).—We cannot undertake to answer the question. 
NAMES OF FRUITS (Lady VM. 7.).—The two Apples sent are the Rosg 
Nonpareil. 
NAMES OF PLANTS (L. Hanson)—We do not recognise the specimen. 
Leave your Rose buds till the spring before cutting the Briars back. 
(Ramatho).—Nephrolepis exaltatum. The small white dots are young sori. 
(A. B.).—1, Adiantum concinnum latum; 2, A. trapeziforme; 3, Phle- 
bodium aureum; 4, Pteris serrulata cristata, (A. Z.)— Pyrethrum uli- 
ginosum. 
THE HOME FARM: 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
STORING AND PRESERVATION OF ROOTS. 
THE cost and charges in various ways of producing root crops 
are so great that it is of the utmost importance the roots should 
be as carefully and economically preserved as possible, not only 
when they may be required for the stall feeding of fatting 
bullocks or dairy cows, young stock, &e., but also when they are 
to be fed by sheep in the open fields. We will first consider the 
question of storing for the winter feeding of horses, cattle, pigs, 
&c., as being the most important and leading branch of the 
subject. The growth of roots for consumption on the home 
farm has much extended during the last ten or twelve years in 
consequence of the greatly increased number of cows kept for 
dairy and milking purposes. Mangolds with a portion of carrots 
upon the sandy soils are now generally grown with the view of 
being stored for use during the winter and spring months, the 
mangold being required for general purposes on the home farm ; 
but carrots are required for use first, as they do not keep so 
well as mangolds, besides which they gain nothing by keeping, 
and are excellent food at any period of their growth; whereas 
mangolds not only keep well but improve by keeping when pro- 
perly preserved by careful storing at the right time. The best 
time to commence storing mangolds on the home farm is what 
we have first to consider, for these suffer more from frost than 
any other roots. The best time for lifting mangolds is from 
the 20th of October to the 1st of November. It is, however, a 
question of early or late sowing, for when sown early the crop 
may be sufficiently ripe for storing the second week of October; 
if sown late the roots will not be ripe in the second week of 
November. But this matter in a late crop should not be allowed 
to interfere with the taking-up; for they will always keep 
better in heap or store if they are unripe. We have often 
noticed that ripe roots in the work of carting receive blows 
and bruises which leave a black ‘mark, and sometimes decay 
ensues in the heap; on the other hand, when the roots are 
growing and unripe at storing time, every bruise or injury 
the roots receive in lifting or carting will heal in the store, 
because vegetation will be partially continued in the heap if 
the roots haye been properly and carefully treated at the time 
of pulling. This brings us to the point as to how the roots 
should be treated in taking them out of the land and preparing 
them for the heap. It is a common practice to let the work of 
lifting, &e., at so much per acre. It is, however, in such cases 
often done very roughly and without sufficient care. After 
pulling the roots, which should be done by hand, instead of cut- 
ting off the greens we prefer to have them twisted off, because 
the heart bud of the plant is then left entire and the bottom of 
the strong succulent leaves are also twisted off. We find the 
roots always keep best in this way, because they strike-out 
some greens in the heap, and, in fact, partially vegetate, which 
is quite sufficient to heal any bruises they may have received 
at the time of heaping. Again, when the leaves are twisted off 
there are no stumps of leayes left as there is when cut off, neither 
is there any fear of damage to the roots by the decay of leaves 
or portions of leaves, We neyer allow a knife to be used either 
for cutting of greens or rootlets,as the latter are necessary to 
nourish the bulbs in heap, nor do we object to a portion of earth 
adhering to the fibrous roots; but when the heaps are opened 
and the roots prepared and trimmed in readiness for the cutter 
the earth and trimmings should be preserved as manure, for 
when artificial manures are used as well as yard dung for the 
crop there will always be found a portion of the manure at- 
tached to the small roots, and quite enough to pay for taking 
care of, but in case of field-feeding of sheep it should be spread 
on the land; if at the homestead for bullock feeding it should 
be added to the manure heap. At the time of lifting the crop 
we prefer to carry to the heap or store the roots as fast as they 
are taken out of the ground, and we never think of leaving any 
pulled roots in the field at night time, because we often get night 
frosts, which would be of no consequence if the bulbs were not 
pulled, but when they are left and exposed at night they are 
sure to suffer more or less damage, for that part of the bulb 
which grows under the surface is very tender and susceptible of 
injury by frost. In making store heaps for mangolds itis not of 
so much consequence as to the size, or width, and height of the 
heap, but it is more a matter of convenience or economy. The 
heap may therefore be made 10 or 12 feet wide at bottom, carried 
up to a point at top, and covered with short straw, rough border 
grass cut from the fields or plantations, stubble, or seaweed 
before thatching, the latter being the best of all coverings which 
we know, requiring no thatch in addition, and less earth as a final 
covering. We also recommend that at every 2 yards a small 
drain-pipe should be set on end at the top of the heap, which will 
allow any undue accumulation of heat to escape. The position 
of the heap should be a southern aspect, near to a hedge or other 
shelter. After the bulbs are carted away the greens left on the 
land may be ploughed-in for manure if the ground is to be sown 
with wheat immediately after, but when held over the winter for 
barley or oats we have often folded the sheep on the greens, upon 
which food they will do very well if they have change of pasture 
food as well. 
We now come to carrots. These require more nicety in the © 
taking-up, for they cannot be pulled by hand like mangolds or 
turmips. We use for this purpose a steel fork introduced at the 
side of the plants, press down with one hand, and pull the greens 
perpendicularly with the other, and only in this way can the 
roots be lifted without breaking or bruising. We advocate the 
early raising of the crop whilst the greens are full of growth, as 
they are a very valuable food for all kinds of stock, especially 
milch cows and pigs. The greens should be cut off so as not to 
injure the heart bud, and when making the store heap it should 
not be more than about 4 or 5 feet wide at bottom, and carried up 
to a point. Carrots do not require so much covering in heap as 
mangolds, although the heap may be covered in the same way. 
When required for sheep feeding in the open fields, as they often 
are upon the sand soils, they only require to be pitted in the field 
in the same manner as Swedish turnips. It is, however, of more 
