468 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 19, 1878, 
In the “Doings of the Week” it is quite the reverse—highly 
useful, almost indispensable, and easily managed. He has 
himself been using the same for years with the most satisfac- 
tory results, and without a word of complaint. 
T haye heard a good deal of surprise expressed at Mr. Doug- 
las’s sudden and peculiar change of opinion by those who are 
familiar with his writings, and no wonder. The readers of 
the Journal need not, however, be disconcerted. What Mr. 
Douglas has there written is right ; what he writes now is, in 
my opinion, wrong. He has espoused a cause that has broken 
down miserably at the outset, and unless he is prepared to 
tell us that what he has written under the head of “ Doings of 
the Week”’ expresses neither his convictions nor his practice 
at the time, as they were supposed to do by every reader of 
the Journal, I doubt if he can furnish one single argument in 
support of his new opinions, from his own practice, as to the 
treatment of early Vine borders. Up to the beginning of the 
forcing season for 1878 (vide the Journal of Horticulture for 
December 20, 1877) he continued by his writings to profess 
unabated confidence in the use of fermenting materials, and 
but for an accidental remark dropped by him in conversation 
it is doubtful if the public would ever have known that the 
author of the “ Doings of the Week” for years back had ceased 
to believe what he had himself so long taught confidently to 
others. 
Mr. Douglas’s conversion took place between last December 
and April of the present year, and it would be interesting, and 
no doubt instructive, to know what happened in that short 
interval to cause him to alter opinions based upon the highly 
successful practice of his whole past career as a Grape- 
grower.—J. 8. W. 
THE WINTER HELIOTROPE. 
THE plant that commonly bears this name is no relation 
to the sweet but tender Cherry Pie of the flower garden. It 
is only a humble Coltsfoot (Tussilago fragrans), and the 
more aristocratic name has been applied to it on account of 
its fine scent, which is very like that of the Heliotrope. In 
appearance it is a most unattractive plant, with coarse, roundish, 
toothed leaves, and before many of these appear it throws up 
a short stout spike or thyrsus of whitish composite flowers ; but, 
homely-looking though it be, scented flowers being at a premium 
in midwinter, a few pots of it will be found well worth their room. 
Its natural season of flowering in the open border is during 
the month of February, but if lifted in clumps, like Lily of 
the Valley, and potted in November it will flower by Christmas 
in a cool greenhouse, and a very little heat will force it into 
flower any time during the winter no matter when it is lifted, 
when it will be found very useful for mixing with cut flowers 
of a showier description. 
Itis anative of Italy and Greece, but has become naturalised 
in some parts of Britain. By the side of the Doon at Monk- 
wood, near Ayr, it is very plentiful, and fifteen years ago it 
_ used to run riot in a belt of wood at Croxted Lane near Dul- 
wich.—R. D, TAYLOR. 
NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
ALTHOUGH a week of unmistakeable winterly weather has 
been experienced in the south, yet the FROST IN THE LONDON 
DISTRICT has not been nearly so severe as in more northern 
counties. The frost has varied considerably in intensity in 
localities. In Battersea Park only 10 degrees of frost have been 
registered, in Mr. Cutbush’s nursery at Highgate 10 degrees, 
in his Barnet nursery 16 degrees, in Lord Londesborough’s 
garden at Norbiton 9 degrees, and in Mr. Baring’s at Coombe 
Cottage—half a mile distant—l4 degrees. The most severe 
frost we have heard of near London was in Mr. McIntosh’s 
garden at Duneeyan, where 21 degrees of frost were registered. 
Only about an inch of snow has fallen in London, but south 
of the metropolis, in Kent, the ground has been covered about 
4 inches deep. Yesterday (Wednesday) morning it was thawing 
in London, and some rain fell. : 
REFERRING to our note on page 450 relative to the 
NATIONAL CARNATION AND AURICULA SOCIETIES, Mr. Dod- 
well assures us that he sent us the financial reports of the 
above Societies on November 23rd. Although these reports 
never reached us we do not doubt that they were duly sent as 
stated. Mr. Dodwell further adds that, “owing to deaths and 
the change always the work of time, though we start with 
a balance in each case in hand, yet without very liberal help 
from new friends we shall inevitably be left with a deficit at 
the close of the season, and I appeal earnestly to those of your 
readers who love flowers and have means, to sustain us in the 
effort to give effect to the art involved in their development 
and in the wider knowledge well-sustained exhibitions confer 
upon an outside public. Iam loth to refer to myself, but with 
seriously impaired health I have a double anxiety that associa- 
tions which have undoubtedly elicited a wide-spread interest 
should sustain no interruption in their progress, and therefore 
I urge this appeal.” 
AS Christmas trees choice, beautiful, and not common, 
few can rival ARAUCARIA EXCELSA. Small trees from-3 to 
6 feet in height as grown in the different nurseries are band- 
some objects for room and corridor adornment at this festive 
season, and it is not surprising that such trees are in demand 
by the affluent as suitable Christmas presents among friends. 
These miniature trees are living presents, growing in beauty 
yearly in the conservatory, and have a distinguished effect 
when plunged in lawns during the summer. All the tender 
Araucarias are beautiful; some are massive. others slender ; 
some quaint, others stately ; but all without exception orna- 
mental, A few very distinct are excelsa, Cooki, Cunninghamii, 
Rulei, and Goldieana. 
WRITING to us on RIPENING PEARS IN WINTER, & 
correspondent states—“ If you want to have the fruit in the 
finest condition ripen it in a temperature of 80° to 90°, and 
keep it there as long as possible, so that it does not become icy 
cold before it is placed on the dessert table. There is no com- 
parison between Pears ripened in a cold fruit room and others 
ripened in a warm stove. By placing fruit in a close box, and 
placing it in a Pine stove a week or ten days before Christmas, 
I shall have Beurré Diel, Joséphine de Malines, Winter Nelis, 
and Beurré Sterckmans in prime condition for the Christmas 
dessert ; but if I left the fruit to ripen in the cool fruit room 
the only Pears I could place on the table would be Beurré 
Diel and Ne Plus Meuris, of second-rate quality. If you want 
to enjoy the full rich aroma of Pears, ripen the fruit in heat 
and eat it before it is cold.” 
—— THE following seasonable note has been received from 
an experienced gardener on WORK FOR SEVERE WEATHER— 
“ Ag soon as anything like a settled frost sets in and the ground 
is too hard for working it is common for men to be at once set 
to work amongst stakes and Pea sticks. This is often a mis- 
take. So long as the surface of the ground is dry much soil 
moving, manure carting and wheeling, tree ‘snaring ’—that is, 
the removal and clearing away of large branches, can be done 
in the easiest and most economical manner; and such work 
as making stakes, Pea rods, pegs, &c., can be conducted during 
the thaw when it is impossible to work on the ground and 
walks often for ten days or a fortnight together. By a little 
forethought in arranging work it is surprising how fully and 
profitably men may be employed even during a long period of 
adverse weather. This hint is founded on experience—experi- 
ence which included mistakes of the nature indicated, and 
which it will be well for others to avoid. Hence this note on 
the eve of what looks like an old-fashioned winter.” 
WRITING from Tyninghame on December 14th Mr. 
Brotherston observes—“ We have had FROSTY WEATHER about 
a week, and 4 inches of snow has covered the ground for the 
last four days. Yesterday the frost held hard throughout the 
day, and by 11 p.m. the thermometer was at 9° Fahr., and fel3 
during the night to 65° on the scale. To-day it has not been 
so cold. The barometer is about 29:9°, but varies. To-day’s. 
Scotsman reports 12 to 18 inches of snow in the Kelso district, 
and the Tweed hard frozen. On the Cheviots over 2 feet of 
snow is reported. From 14° to 17° Fahr. is the lowest degree 
of cold generally experienced here, so that it may be concluded 
the 253° of frost we had last night will be exceeded in inland 
and high-lying districts.” 
—— THE following is Mr. W. Bardney’s mode of growing 
sticks of HORSERADISH 24 inches in diameter as detailed in 
“The Gardener :’’—‘‘Now is a good time to lift the whole 
stock, which we would recommend to be done annually, and 
lay in some conyenient place that portion of it that is fit for 
use. In lifting, the side rootlets should be selected for re- 
planting. Cut them into lengths 7 or 8 inches long, and all 
the young fibry roots should be scraped off with the back of 
an old knife, and then be rubbed with a rough cloth, with the 
exception of half an inch at the bottom, which should be left 
to form roots when planted. After undergoing this scraping 
process they should be tied in bundles and plunged in coal 
