46 



JOURNAL OF HOETICtrLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Joly 19, 1864. 



I send you a specimen of Peaches grown in the gardens 

 of J. 0. March, Esq., and I have had a good crop for the 

 last fifteen years, except one season. The largest Peach 

 was 12-J- inches round, of the Eoyal George variety, the same 

 as I send. The tree has no grand south border to grow in, 

 hut the roots are under a path 4 feet wide. The sun shines 

 on it about three hours in a "day. There are Vines in the 

 house as well. 



If we poor soot-persecuted gardeners grow fruit like that 

 I send, what ought our more favourably-placed brethren to 

 grow, with their pure air and fine soil — for ours is nearly 

 clay — with good leaf earth ? Nothing will grow in our leaf 

 mould ; it seems to poison everything. — J. Acomb. 



[The Peach sent was a very fine specimen 10i- inches in 

 circumference, weighed fully 9 ozs., was highly coloured on 

 the most exposed side, fully ripe, and of good flavour.] 



WHITE HELLEBOEE versus GOOSEBERRY 

 CATERPILLARS— BIRDS. 



It is all very well for your Yorkshire correspondent to 

 talk of his Gooseberry trees being free from caterpillars, and 

 to give the credit to the birds. Birds abound in my garden, 

 and caterpillars would abound too unless means were taken 

 to prevent it. There is an easy cure for the Gooseberry 

 caterpillar, and a certain cure if it be only rightly used, and 

 that is hellebore powder. Some will tell you that hellebore 

 does no good, and no wonder when it is used in the manner 

 many do. They let their trees get half covered with the 

 caterpillar, then sprinkle them with the hellebore, and think 

 they have done what is necessary. They might just as well 

 do nothing. The right plan is for a man to keep his eyes 

 open, and so soon as he sees the very first signs of the 

 caterpillar to dust all the trees with hellebore, and to repeat 

 the dose in two or three days. Let this be done when the 

 caterpillar first shows itself, and success is certain. But I 

 repeat that all depends upon the remedy being applied in 

 time. Many, very many, gardeners spoil their work in this 

 and other things for want of being soon enough. They are 

 constantly too late, and you will see them locking the stable 

 door long after the horse has been stolen. 



And now for a word about " the birds." They are very 

 pretty to look at, and it is very pleasant to hear them sing; 

 but, notwithstanding, I would rather have their room than 

 their company. I am told they do much good. It may be 

 so, but I am sure they do a great deal of harm. "While the 

 good in my judgment is problematical, the mischief is mani- 

 fest. In the matter of fruit, birds are the greatest possible 

 nuisance. It is impossible to keep any fruit from them with- 

 out nets, and not seldom they will have it in spite of nets. 

 It is fortunate that orchard-houses help us here as well as 

 in other points. I am glad to say that my orchard-houses 

 are again full of fruit this year, as they have been for the 

 last eight years, notwithstanding that I rive so far north as 

 — North Lancashire. 



furze versus gooseberry caterpillars. 

 As regards the plaeing of Furze in a bush for the destruc- 

 tion of the caterpillars, I can say that 1 tried it in one bush 

 which was much infested, and in a few days they had all 

 disappeared, nor have I seen any one since on that bush, 

 though plenty have made their appearance in other parts of 

 my garden. — A. H. F. 



garlic versus gooseberry caterpillars. 



Having noticed the discussion as to the prevention of the 

 caterpillar by Furze, I think it may be interesting to some 

 of your readers to know, that I was looking over a gentle- 

 man's garden in the neighbourhood a few weeks ago, and 

 observing some roots of Garlic planted round the Gooseberry 

 bushes, I asked the gardener what they were planted there 

 for, and he replied, " To keep the caterpillars away," and he 

 assured me it was quite effectual. This remedy may be 

 worthy of a more extended trial, for Garlic is more useful 

 than Furze in a kitchen garden, and it may as well be 

 planted round the Gooseberry bushes as anywhere else. 



Can you inform me if there has been published at any 



time any alphabetical list of flowers with the different com- 

 posts proper for them ? Such a list on card in the form of a 

 chart to hang up in the potting-shed would, I think, be 

 useful to many amateurs, at least, I know it would be so to 

 me and to all beginners. I have often thought of preparing 

 such a list for myself, but could never find the time. — E. B. B. 

 [We know of no such list. A gardener would not require 

 it, and an amateur would consult our " Garden Manual," or 

 some other work if he had any doubt as to the formation of 

 the compost.] 



tan versv.s gooseberry caterpillars. 

 My Gooseberry bushes were much damaged by caterpillars 

 last year; and as I read in your paper that the best remedy 

 was to place a circle of tan about 2 inches deep under each 

 tree, I have this season tried it with perfect success to the 

 present time ; and as the Gooseberry bushes in the garden 

 adjoining mine are this year, although not, perhaps, so much 

 as last, attacked by the same pests, I am glad to make 

 known what I believe is a simple as well as effectual remedy 

 for this evil. — H. M. Gammon, Oqfwd. 



broom versus caterpillars. 

 If your readers will, as I have done for many years with 

 perfect success, twist a good wisp of fresh Broom round the 

 stem of each Gooseberry bush, so that no vermin can creep 

 up from the earth except through the Broom, and see that 

 it is properly twisted round and not a mere show, and that 

 it is done just before the leaf-buds begin to open, so as to 

 be fresh and bitter to its crawling friends, they never will 

 be troubled with caterpillars. — J. Mackenzie, M.D. 



FAILURE OF SELAGINELLA DEKTICTJLATA. 



edgings foe conservatory flower-stands. 



In an open colonnade here we have three semicircular 

 stands exactly like those in the conservatory at Kensington. 

 This is the second year we have had them, and as yet we 

 have not been able to make the Lycopod (Selaginella den- 

 ticulata) answer well for the edging. Do you think the 

 following mode of treating it ought to insure success ? 



In March of this year I filled the wire baskets nearly to 

 the top with good turfy loam chopped fine. I then spread 

 the Lycopod all over the surface, and covered it th i n l y with 

 finer soil, and placed the baskets under the stage in the green- 

 house, where they remained until the end of June, when 

 they were placed round the stands. The Lycopod seemed to 

 be going on nicely np to that time, but since then it has 

 begun to look worse. My opinion is, that the cause of 

 failure may be attributed to the fact, that from the time the 

 sun reaches the meridian until the time of setting, it shines 

 full upon the stands. My employers have an idea that 

 Mignonette would answer better than the Lycopod. — 

 Bolnore. 



[The full exposure to the sun of the stands in the open 

 colonnade is the reason why your Selaginella denticulata 

 will not answer round the edges. It must have partial 

 shade as well as moisture. Instead of Mignonette for such 

 edgings, we would recommend a fringe of drooping Ana- 

 gaflis, or of Verbena pulchella. If the sides of the stands 

 are of a white colour, dull them to a dark colour. After the 

 creepers are all over it, the colour will be of less consequence.] 



SALVIA ARGENTEA. 

 Among the many plants which are cultivated for the 

 singularity of their foliage this is by no means the least 

 remarkable. "With a leaf as large as that of a Cabbage 

 when fit to transplant, and of a thick and woolly texture, 

 its appearance amongst other plants is singularly beautiful. 

 In point of whiteness it is not equal to Centaurea candidis- 

 sima, nor even Cineraria maritima, but it is possible by 

 planting it in suitable soil that it may be improved in that 

 respect ; but in its dwarf sturdy habit, and thick blanket-like 

 foliage, clothed with a long hairy down, it possesses features 

 widely distinct from anything else that I am acquainted 



