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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December 13, 1864. 



Short, gardener, Clewer Park, Windsor, sent a seedling 

 Melon, which for so late in the season possessed a great 

 deal of merit. It was of large size and yellow. The flesh 

 was of dark green colour and very well flavoured. 



PEODUCE OF POTATOES. 



In publishing the results of my experiments as to the 

 comparative productiveness of Potatoes, in your Number of 

 November 1st, my sole motive was to elicit from those who 

 had made experiments, the results of their experience in 

 such matters, and to induce others to make trials of various 

 sorts of Potatoes for themselves. I was not weak enough 

 to suppose that all the results of experiments made would 

 agree with my own, because I am quite aware that the re- 

 lative produce of everything, but especially, I think, of 

 Potatoes, would depend much on climate, soil, &c, and in 

 such a dry summer and autumn as our last on the quantity 

 of moisture obtained, either from dews, or from partial 

 showers. My object, therefore, is in some measure obtained 

 by such information as "Agbicola" gives, but when he 

 goes on to say that "some such mistake has insinuated 

 itself into the Prescot experiments, seems certain from this, 

 that the return claimed is altogether incredible," I must, 

 in all courtesy, beg leave to say, that there is no mistake, 

 and can be no mistake in the produce. The "proof of the 

 pudding is in the eating." 



I only obtained from Mr. Paterson 14 lbs. of seed of his 

 Blue. That I did get from this seed 618 lbs. of marketable 

 produce, is known to very many. About this there is no 

 mistake, and the best proof I can offer to " Agkicola," is 

 to say that should fate or fortune lead him to this neigh- 

 bourhood, I should be very glad to show him about 600 lbs. 

 of the sort which I have kept as seed for next year. 



I may add that I do not know Mr. Paterson; that I 

 have no personal interest in the matter at all ; that I was 

 only induced by a Scotch friend to give these new sorts a 

 fair trial, and were I at home (which I am not), I would 

 send for your inspection (Mr. Editor) Mr. Paterson's bill, 

 proving that I only bought 14 lbs. of seed, which I again 

 affirm produced 618 lbs. of Potatoes.— W. W. H., Knowsley 

 Cottage, Prescot. 



P.S. — Mr. Paterson will probably speak for himself, but, 

 I think, he wrote me word, that some of his experiments on 

 a larger scale had produced even more favourable results. 



[There is no need for our correspondent to produce proofs, 

 we have known him many years, and are able to say that 

 his word is quite sufficient testimony to the truth of any fact 

 within his own knowledge. 



That Messrs. Paterson should have obtained at the rate 

 of more than 1400 bushels per acre, intimates that an ex- 

 periment on a small scale cannot be relied upon as evidence 

 of the produce obtainable per acre, for we fear no Potato 

 will yield 1400 bushels on that space. The first President 

 of the Horticultural Society, the late Mr. Knight, tried many 

 experiments on Potatoes, and he only has recorded his hope 

 that 1000 bushels might be obtained.— Eds.] 



than from any mere surface application, whether mechanical 

 or chemical. When insects appear on the growing plant, 

 Gishurst water and other mediums will be useful, and if the 

 Gishurst is made with water a day previously, the un- 

 pleasant smell will be dissipated. For mere painting de- 

 ciduous fruit trees, so as to smother up all insects' eggs, 

 clay paint is as good as any, and that may be made of any 

 colour with sulphur, soot, and lime, all of which ingredients 

 are unpleasant to insects, though in their mere mechanical 

 condition they will not kill them. — E. P.] 



SULPHUR v. RED SPIDEE. 



Ih Number of November 29th, a mixture of clay and sulphur 

 is recommended as a paint for fruit trees. Does this act me- 

 chanically by smothering the insects ? Last year, hoping to 

 get rid of the unpleasant smell in Gishurst due to the chemi- 

 cally combined sulphur, I tried a number of mechanical 

 mixtures of soap and sulphur on orchard-house trees, the 

 proportion of sulphur being so large that the trees were 

 quite yellow after painting. Por a time I hoped that the 

 washes had succeeded, but later on, red spider appeared 

 active among the particles of sulphur. It would, therefore, 

 seem that sulphur mechanically mixed has not the same 

 effect as sulphur chemically combined, as in Gishurst. — 

 G. W. 



[It is quite true. We have seen red spider as merry as 

 crickets among lumps of sulphur; but we have seen the 

 same thing among dried Gishurst, and every other mixture 

 that we have heard of or tried. We have more faith in the 

 fumes of sulphur from a heated wall, or a hot-water plate, 



PYRAMID BEDS. 



Some time ago we were promised a description of the 

 pyramid borders at Bentley Priory. As they were again 

 alluded to last week as being very ornamental at Mr. Eaikes 

 Currie's new residence, I am induced to beg the favour of 

 a detailed account of the mode of grouping, height, &c, 

 at some convenient and early period. Is the Geranium 

 Manglesii the same as Mangles' Variegated ? if not, please 

 describe it. — Essex. 



[As soon as we can we will say a few words concerning 

 Bentley Priory ; and, were we to give all the details of the 

 pyramidal beds, not borders, at once, we should only be 

 spoiling the table by removing one of the best dishes. Last 

 year an engraving was given of an avenue of pyramids 

 at Putteridge Bury, and their planting in circles. These 

 were very fair, but they were far behind the pyramids of 

 Mr. TiUyard's at the Priory, which pyramids were of one 

 thing and one colour. The beds at Putteridge, and perhaps 

 at Mr. Eaikes Currie's, were themselves considerably ele- 

 vated. The mere beds at Bentley Priory are flat, the pyra- 

 midal appearance being given by the plants alone. The 

 Calceolaria amplexicaulis and the Heliotropes were magni- 

 ficent; but, like our old parish schoolmaster, we will not 

 anticipate. Possessed of vast funds of knowledge, he_ par- 

 ticularly delighted in Eollin's History and Plutarch's Lives ; 

 and when, to whet our anxiety, he would give us an outline 

 of the facts, and the philosophy of such a life, he would 

 stop short with — "I must not anticipate !" In the mean- 

 time our correspondent may as well save a few old tallish 

 plants if he can. It will require him some years to rival Mr. 

 Tillyard.; 



Geranium Manglesii and Mangles' Variegated, are the 

 same variety. This is generally used in combination ; but, 

 when well grown, a massive bed has a splendid effect, with 

 its gossamer feathery-like flowers, which, with the light 

 foliage, produce a charming effect. It is one of those plants, 

 however, that do well in some places without any trouble, 

 and will only do very middling in other places, do what you 

 may.] -'■ 



MANAGEMENT OF PEACH TREES IN POTS 

 AND MAIDEN TEEES. 



Should Peach trees in pots be taken out of the orchard- 

 house after the fruit is gathered? My man has plunged 

 mine under a wall in the open garden, and I find others are 

 doing the same; but I see nothing about it in Mr. Eivers's 

 book. Which do you consider right, to keep them all the year 

 round under glass, or turn them out in the autumn P Alco, 

 when should they be brought back under glass again ? 



One more question I should like answered. I have bought 

 about one hundred maiden Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot 

 trees, which I am now having cut down and potted, but I 

 have no room to put them in my orchard-house; but I have 

 purchased a piece of ground where I intend building a resi- 

 dence, and hope to have a large orchard-house there. Now, 

 I want to know whether I can keep these maiden trees (which 

 are now being potted), for two years out of doors, so as to 

 bring them to nice bearing trees by the time my orchard- 

 house is ready, if so, is any particular treatment required ? 

 I am having them potted in 11-inch pots now, and thought I 

 could shift them into a size larger next season, and the follow- 

 ing season (two years' time), into still larger pots in which 

 they would remain and be transferred to the orchard-house. 

 — S. D. 



[Such trees may either be set out of doors or kept in-doors 

 with very good results. In a fine summer like the last, when 



