no 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 24, 1876. 



planted with Black Hjmburghs. The fruit wag about quarter 

 ripe, and a few nights previous they were well syringed for 

 what was intended to be the last time. The ventilators were 

 closed for the night as usual, and next morning nearly the 

 half of the berries on every bunch were burst. The atmospheric 

 dampness was the only difference to what they had been ac- 

 customed from the time they started to colour. I have since 

 been told of one or two other cases of the same kind, and I 

 think it may safely be inferred that an over-damp atmosphere 

 is one of the chief causes of Grapes cracking. 



Vines may be syringed after the fruit commences colouring, 

 and where insects are plentiful it is necessary to do this ; but 

 when such has to be done great care should be taken to leave 

 both top and bottom ventilators open a little, so that a current 

 of air may pass through the house until it is quite dry. Many 

 Grape-growers are in the habit of leaving the ventilators open to 

 a certain extent night and day, and if this plan was more adopted 

 there would be fewer cases of Grapes cracking — J. Muie. 



THE TIMBER SUPPLY— TREE PLANTING. 



The articles which have been published under the above 

 heading relate to matters of considerable importance. One 

 «annot read of the wanton destruction of valuable timber with- 

 out regret, let such waste occur where it may. That our 

 American friends, with their vast timber resources, are recog- 

 nising the necessity of cheeking the destruction of timber is a 

 ■circumstance from which we may profit ; for if in England we 

 have no such corresponding waste, the waste of previous gene- 

 rations is both seen and felt, and the dearness following the 

 scarcity of English timber is unfortunately too well established. 



In many of the rural districts of England timber has be- 

 come so scarce that tradesmen and farmers have to travel 

 many miles to " wood sales," and the eagerness which they 

 display at these gatherings to become possessed of the different 

 " lots," demonstrates in a most conclusive manner that timber 

 is regarded by those best able to judge as a scarce and valuable 

 commodity. 



I cannot say that I read with pleasure the account of the 

 waste of timber going on in America which appeared on 

 pp. 140-141, but I read it with interest, and I was gratified to 

 notice the editorial remark — that " the planting of timber 

 trees should be encouraged." 



Certainly tree-planting should be encouraged in England, 

 where felling trees has been carried on to such an extent that 

 in some districts there are scarcely any trees left standing, and 

 no young plantations are being established. Apart from the 

 timber supply the clearing the land of trees is an unwiEe 

 policy, for there is little doubt but that such denudation is 

 fraught with disadvantages. I have been informed that since 

 large districts in India and America have been denuded of 

 trees that the atmosphere has become greatly changed, and 

 that long periods of drought have succeeded. A clergyman in 

 Eogland some years ago entered an earnest protest against 

 the destruction of the only large wood in his locality, on the 

 ground that the rainfall of the district would thereby be so 

 greatly diminished as to be detrimental to the prosperity of 

 agriculture. That district is now one of the driest in England, 

 and is notorious for the tracks of thunderstorms which, almost 

 with the regularity of clockwork, pass it by on either side. 



Woods and trees serve also an important purpose, in afford- 

 ing both shelter and Bhade — shelter from cutting boisterous 

 winds, and shade for the panting herds and flocks from the 

 fierce rays of the summer's sun. It is only those dwelling in 

 woodless districts who can adequately appreciate the value 

 of r-hide, and considerable expense has been incurred in pro- 

 viding it in an artificial manner after the error was perceived 

 of removing the natural shade — the trees. There are agricul- 

 mral " reformers" who are so ardent that the sight of a tree 

 nils them with horror, but were tbey transported to wholly 

 neeless districts their propensity for felling and "stubbing" 

 would probably become modified. 



But while some districts have been almost entirely denuded 

 of useful timber trees by felling of the old and neglecting to 

 j.lant the young, others there are which are heavily wooded, 

 and yet the wood is in a great measure unprofitable. Woods 

 are preserved in many instances, not for the value of the trees, 

 but for the "game" which they encourage, and for fear of 

 " disturbing the game" there must be little or no felling of 

 trees, and the timber on hundreds of acres of land is in a 

 measure rotting on the ground. That is a great waste and a 

 great error. Woods and plantations are frequently so man-aged 



— or rather mismanaged — that they are a great loss to both 

 the owners of them and the inhabitants of the district. Owners 

 have a right to enjoy their own — to their game and their 

 woods, but one would imagine that they would eDJoy it the 

 more were it profitable, as all wooded property might be, and 

 have " game " into the bargain. 



Many years of experience tell me that wooded property if 

 rightly managed is as lucrative to an owner as the acres which 

 he " lets " to his tenants for agricultural purposes. I am 

 intimately acquainted with an estate, the miles of woods of 

 which were for generations profitless to the owner, but which 

 for the last twenty-five years, under different management, 

 have been " self-supporting ; " and much more than that, for 

 the additional labour which has been employed ha3 been bene- 

 ficial to many families, the timber that has been produced has 

 been of great value to the trading community, the owner has 

 derived an income from land that was formerly a loss to him, 

 and "game " is as plentiful as ever. 



In these woodB there have been annual fellings of trees — 

 thorough clearances — and annual plantings — that is, that for 

 every large timber tree that has been cut down certainly 

 twenty small trees have been planted. For twenty and more 

 years from 50,000 to 150,000 trees have been planted yearly. 

 These have been principally Larches, which have been planted 

 about 4 feet apart as nurses to the Oak*, which are to be the 

 permanent trees. The liberal planting of Larches is profitable. 

 In a very few years thinning must commence ; the first thin- 

 nings Belling freely as stakes, the seconi as stouter fence wood, 

 the third as email poles, and so on according to the growth of 

 the trees. I have known more profit derived from a given 

 acreage of Larch over a period of thirty years than has been 

 obtained from any other portion of an estate which was rented 

 by agricultural tenants. The planting of trees, therefore, 

 should be encouraged, both as a profitable investment on the 

 part of a proprietor, and also as conferring benefit in many ways 

 to a district. 



There are thousands of acres of "scrubby" woods and profit- 

 less wastes which could bo utilised by the planting of trees 

 freely, and especially Lurches ; and on soils wherein Larch will 

 not grow Scotch Firs will flourish, be the soil ever so poor. 



Our timber supplies are becoming so exhausted that it is 

 well that attention is being directed to the subject, for if the 

 whole question is thoroughly examined it can hardly fail to 

 result in the more general and systematic planting of trees, and 

 the converting of almost useless wastes into profitable tracks. 

 If the matter of timber preservation and the necessity of plant- 

 ing is of importance in America — and such appears to be the 

 case — it is of far greater importance in EDgland, where the 

 scarcity of wood has caused it to rise 100 per cent, in value 

 during the last half century. — A Fokestek. 



A HARDY PERENNIAL FLOWER BORDER. 



A Boeder or bed of hardy flowers that is thoroughly well 

 managed is one of the most attractive features of a garden 

 not merely at a stated season but throughout the year. In 

 the very depth of winter it has its snowy masses of Hellebore 

 (Christmas Rose), and quaintly formed succulents, among 

 which Bpring-up the Crocus and Snowdrop — heralds of spring, 

 while it is yet far off — Erica carnea with its thousands of deep 

 pink bells, the Gentians and Anemones in all their charming 

 varieties, while a host of other gems come crowding upon us 

 as the year advances. 



There is a very prevalent idea that when onoe the flowers 

 are planted in such a border very little subsequent care or 

 attention is necessary. Nothing can be more erroneous than 

 such an impression, leading as it does to neglect that is as 

 hurtful as unintentional. When flowers for all seasons are 

 planted, the fact of itself implies that frequent attention 

 to staking, tying, pruning, thinning of crowded growth, is 

 necessary ; also if the soil is a deep, sound, and tolerably rich 

 loam, as it ought to be, this involves much lifiing, division, 

 and re-arrangement — all apparently trifling matters, but yet 

 they cannot be ignored if we wish to preserve our plants in 

 full health and vigour. I am very well aware that flowers 

 even in profusion may be found in borders that have remained 

 undisturbed for years, but all such borders that have come 

 under my notice have been very far below the standard o 

 perfection which it is possible to approach. We want less 

 roughness, crowding, and confusion, and more of trimness and 

 individuality. Now individuality or tone ib easily imparted. 

 Take for example a border sufficiently wide to admit of a bold 



