1210 
THE FIELD. 
under a bank, you may look nt him within a yard or so, 
and he will sail on and take the fl.es uponthe water as 
calmly and majestically as if you.were invisible, instead oi 
storing him full in the face. J his is 
THB TIME ron FlSniNO IX SCOTLAND. 
I have ever preferred angling in summer and in autumn, 
though well aware that April and May fishings arc excellent. 
The trouts are ready, and hovo got, or are getting, into 
good order ; but the land is not, and the forests are black 
and leaflet. In April au.l in May the ground is drear, and 
cold and black in Scotland, aud even in England. I prefer, 
therefore, June or July, August, and September aud even 
October, though lato for sport. 1 love to wander by the 
banks of streams, and on the by-patlis in lonely glens, 
when west winds are beginning to strew the woodlands with 
yellow leaves ; when salmon and grilse begin to run for the 
mountain streams, leaving their undiscovered oceanic haunts; 
pensive to mark, unpinched by eastern gales and splashing 
rain aud sleet, the water-ouzel flitting from pool to pool, the 
rampaguolo plunging beneath the overhanging bank ; to 
listen to the turtle-dove cooing in the wooded slopes ; to 
mark the melancholy and solitary heron standing motion- 
less by the willow-shaded pool. In a word, let not the 
angler seek the Scottish rivers too early. 
Springtime is beautiful, most beautiful; but there is, 
properly, no spring in Scotland. Until Juue, the country 
is desolate ; then comes forth joyous Nature, young, fresh, 
reanimating the lifeless earth. Hut pensive autumn has also 
its beauties ; though summer, bright and glowing, is the 
noontide of life. 
Here is a hint worth remembering : 
TROLLING WITH MINNOWS. 
And now you want some minnows; but where are they 
to bo had ? Perhaps you have brought some salted ones, and 
I have known such answer tolerably well. In England 
they have all sorts of artificial minnows, of silver and of 
brass, bright, burnished, like nothing that ever, came from 
Nature's Lauds ; and you may buy also artificial minnows 
tolerably well coloured, so as to resemble the real. Between 
the milldnm of Abbey St.. B.athan’s aud the first heavy 
stream opposite the Retreat, I have caught in the Whitadder, 
with eight Baited minnows, withered and dried up. six large 
trout, not one of which could be readily stowed away in the 
basket. »••♦**.** 
Bnt to return. A minnow is an excellent bait for trout : 
it is the best, for it takes all the largest. You may fish with 
it in the smallest streams or largest rivers, in still water or 
in the rapid flowing current ; at all times of the year, late in 
autumn, early in spring. To be a perfect angler with a min- 
now, you must have a strong arm and hand, and be at least 
five feet ten inches high). The minnow must bo made to 
touch the waters as softly as a fly : it must be made to spin 
or revolve dexterously, and must show life by motion, 
although it be dead : for trout generally will not look at a 
straight and dead minnow, dragged by an unskilful fisher 
through the waters. Fishing for trout with a minnow is the 
most difficult mode of angling. It requires real dexterity — 
that is, if you are to fish, as it were openly, on the bank. 
The strength of the stream is your point, near some eddy 
or sunken rock ; a rough stream full of large stones, long 
since fallen into the river. Such you find in mountain 
passes, where the river is making its way from one valley to 
another. But you may fish with minnow, successfully if 
dexterously, in brooks and small streams, standing well 
back, and cautiously dropping the minnow over the bank 
at the top of the stream. An excellent minnow fisher, a 
clergyman, who fished to supply the larder, assured me that, 
sauntering one clear, cold, and dreary day, along the banks 
of the Whitadder, the river low, the east wind blowing, and 
hopeless of success, he merely, iu sport, threw the minnow 
across the river, to a point where a small mountain stream- 
lot, more like a drain, joins the main stream, never dreaming 
that there could be any trout there, or if there, any fish 
would he found insane enough to take the bait. But so it 
was, for four large trout came out in succession from their 
hiding-places, aud were successively taken. 
I have inysolf seen something like this, but nothing quite 
so bad, and can account for it only by imagining that during 
the prevalence of the easterly winds in Britain, neither man 
nor fish are absolutely in their senses. * * * 
Nevertheless I have had, on a Scottish river, an evening's 
sport whilst a strong east wind blew, which all but exceeded 
any I ever saw : it was in September.* To this I shall re- 
turn when speaking of the Whitadder. Minnow fishing, to 
be entirely successful in small waters, where the trout are 
shy, requires you to carry a small jar, filled with fresh water 
aud a good stock of live minnows. These you use when re- 
quired. When trout are shy, they must be tempted with a 
fresh minnow, untouched, and but that moment used. With 
these precautions you may take trout iu the smallest rivu- 
lets ; for, indeed, it is often there that the largest trout are 
found. 
Mr. Knox enters at some length into the much-vexed 
fiuestion, What is the parr? lie contends, with arguments 
that appear to be conclusive, that it is not. as some assert, 
the young salmon, but a distinct fish. Here is a curious 
anecdote of 
TTIF. SOLITARY TROUT. 
About a mile and a half, or it may bo two miles, below 
Mill Know, travelling by the banks of the river, the stream 
forms a line or pool at the base of a scarbrae. As I ap- 
proached this, the last time I ever fished the Whitadder, it 
seemed alive with largo trout. They rose at flies almost 
every instant. At the first cast of the line, I hooked a good- 
sized trout, anil, placing it in my basket, threw again. 
Nothing rose : I stood amazed ; for that pool, which an 
instant before was so full of life aud of the finuy brood, was 
now still as death. I mused and pondered. At once it 
fl uhe 1 across my mind that 1 had caught the sole tenant of 
the pool and stream. To remove it carefully from the basket, 
to place it gently by the margin of the stream and in water 
sufficiently deep to recover it, was the work of an instant. 
At first it lay motionless, aud turned upwards. I thought 
it dead. But presently I could perceive signs of returning 
life. It made a convulsive gasp or two, and springing above 
the waters, next diving into the pool, it disappeared. 
Seated by the banks, I watched for some time to see if it 
should again appear; it did #o, in chase of flics. I felt re- 
lieved and rejoiced, as I journeyed homeward, that I had 
not caught aud destroyed the sole tenant of the pool. 
We take brotherly leave of Mr. Knox, with some truthful 
remarks suggested by 
SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED. 
At Peebles, the ang ler cannot fail of sport, whilst lower 
• In the Whitwatcr, under Shanna Bank ; in "the Boat Hole." 
down, at Clovenford, he h sure to meet with salmon. It is 
not worth while fishing the Tweed, especially at this point, 
with a rod of less than twenty or more feet in length ; aud if 
you put on a pair of grilse flies, see that the runuing-line be 
clear, presenting no obstacles to the run of the fish. I once 
hooked a seven-pound salmon in a stream near Clovenford : 
it ran out some forty feet of line iu an instant. I held on 
as well a< 1 could ; deep pools formed by heaps of stones, 
thrown in to protect the banks, flanked me on either side. 1 
moved round one of these with great difficulty, aud reached 
a gravelly and open bank. The salmon now ran directly 
across the river, and brought the top end of tho rod under 
the water. I could do uo more than hold on. At Inst he 
fatigued himself so much that I managed to get him safely 
landed on the gravelly bank. When tho angler reaches 
Kelso, he will find a different mode of fishing for salmon 
practised. The river is all taken, but the fishermen will hire 
a boat to you, aud assist you with rod, line, &c. ; the charge 
ia moderate. What salmon or sea trout you take you may 
have at a reasonable charge. I thing nothing of this kind of 
fishing. < hnnmend me to the river bank, taking every chance. 
It is the exercise, the exertion, the skill required, which 
constitutes the pleasure of angling ; now roaming by some 
steep mountain side, now through tho precipitous rooky 
gorge, or following the stream as it bursts forth from its hilly 
harriers, winding through woodlands and fields rich in grain. 
To follow the stream free and unrestrained i3 my delight, 
littlo booting whether the basket is to be filled or not; there 
is always enough to amuse, to interest, to induce me to travel 
onwards, never tired of the landscape, to mo over new, ever 
changing. 
THE 6AR©EM. 
-♦ 
THE GREENHOUSE IN WINTER. 
As we do not profess to write for the information of ex- 
perienced gardeners, we must, in order to be useful? come 
down occasionally to what perhaps the gardener of his 
grace or my lord would term small gardening; and, in so 
doing, descend to those minutiae which it is necessary for 
the amateur or young gardener to become thoroughly 
acquainted with. We apprehend much benefit may 
arise from our labours through their adaptability to the 
period nt which they appear to point ; but, whilst we do 
this, wc shall ever be alive to the propriety of inculcating 
those general principles which are common to all 
seasons, and which may be said to constitute tho. basis of 
every horticultural proceeding. 
Not the least important to a majority of our readers will 
he the greenhouse ; or, it may be, greenhouse and vinery 
combined. Villas and suburban residences by thousands 
may be found near our principal towns, having this ne- 
cessary appurtenance ; for, in truth, it is in general the 
first structure thought of, and not unfrequently the only 
one possessed by the owners. Now, as the treatment of 
these structures with vines, and without, varies occasionally, 
we must dodge from one to the other, us we see occasion, 
mid thus suit all parties if possible. 
During the dead of winter, frost and confined damp are 
the two great enemies to contend with ; but there is yet 
another evil, of a serious character generally, arising from 
a dread of the visitations of King Frost, and this is an ex- 
cessive degree of aridity, caused by strong fires. We need 
scarcely urge economy in the use of fuel ; this will readily 
suggest itself, and, we may add, that the less fire-heat is 
used the more robust will the stock be in the spring. 
Nevertheless, the use of it must not he so niggardly as to 
endanger the health or life of the inmates by frost; and, 
moreover, as many greenhouses contain plants which 
are of the nature of what are termed stove-plants, some 
compromise becomes essential ; it is, indeed, unavoidable; 
we must therefore, in such cases, do as well as circumstances 
permit. 
Temperature. — Before proceeding to advise on this 
head, let us observe, that to attempt to maintain 
a fixed day temperature would be most erroneous, 
whether in winter or summer — more especially the former. 
Our readers must here remember that it is a maxim with 
all good gardeners to apportion their heat to the degree of 
light. Plants grow, certainly, in the absence of light; hut 
either blanching or attenuation of parts must be the 
necessary consequence, and that in exact proportion to 
the absence of light and the increase of temperature. 
When, therefore, a winter greenhouse contains plants 
which it is desirable to encourage by heat beyond the 
average of ordinary greenhouse plants, one of the prime 
secrets of management is to inclose much solar heat. There 
is no danger to be apprehended in winter from suffering an 
advance of fifteen degrees under such circumstances. As 
ordinary winter day temperature, by artificial warmth, we 
may say from forty to fifty-five degrees ; and, as night tem- 
perature, from thirty-five to forty. In all cases of intense 
frost, and where it is difficult to sustain even these tempe- 
ratures, it is lur wiser to adopt even a lower standard, 
remembering that the thermometer must never be permitted 
to sink to the freezing point. The character of the in- 
ternal atmosphere is, however, a tiling of the utmost 
importance ; and we must make the readers of The Field 
familiar with the gardening phrase “ coddling,” for plants 
may be coddled as well as men. We need scarcely tell our 
friends that the longer any room is shut up closely the 
more vitiated the air becomes; and if this be true of the 
drawing-room or parlour, where there is no vegetable 
perspiration, or miasmal air, arising from the exuviae of 
decaying vegetables— no water thrown about to counteract 
dry heat — how much more necessary must ventilation be 
to a greenhouse, in which all the corrupting conditions just 
alluded to at all times exist in some degree ? Thus 
much for argument; but it is, perhaps, superfluous; 
most of the readers of The Field will have anticipated it. 
Ventilation, then, is one of the most important duties 
of those who attend plant-houses ; and tho problem is bow 
to “ give air," as it is termed, practically, without admitting 
cutting winds, or even currents of too low a temperature 
to be favourable to vegetation. 
We may here observe that we consider it necessary to 
give air in some degree, if possible, in severe weather; 
however, it sometimes happens that we gardeners cannot 
“ give air ” for two or three days together. Such, however 
arc extreme cases, and we merely quote them to show the 
young gardener what strange vicissitudes he must expect. 
As to the mode of ventilating, most houses possess the 
power of admitting fresh air nt a low level, and of dis- 
charging the heated air nt a high level ; we may here add 
that the lower the one, and the higher the other, the more 
complete is the ventilation. Frequently, however, the 
front sashes of a greenhouse are the only means of giving 
fresh air ; and as there is commonly a shelf or shelves corn 
tabling choice plants in that position, the giving air at 
front requires much caution in severe weather— as much in 
regard of cold currents ns of severe frost. In such cases 
tla- back apertures alone may be opened, and such may 
suffice for a few days ; it is well, however, to seize every 
fair opportunity of opening the front sashes (if only an 
aperture of a quarter of an inch), for this better dispels any 
stagnant air than when the back sashes alone are opened. 
Whatever be the mode of ventilation, let all sharp draughts 
be avoided by all means ; there can be no doubt that a 
somewhat vitiated atmosphere is better than a sharp and 
cutting nir. 
When a very severe frost occurs and continues, it is the 
best practice to cover the roof with some material which 
may, if needs be, remain on for several days continuously ; 
but, in this case, much caution must be used as regards 
fire-heat. Under such circumstances, a day temperature 
of forty degrees is as much ns ought to be permitted, 
whilst at night it will be quite sufficient to keep out the 
frost— say from thirty-four to thirty-six degrees. Under 
these circumstances, the plants will remain stationary, 
such temperatures being too low to encourage growth ; and 
the development of blossoms will be, in like manner, 
arrested ; the only mischief that can result will be a slight 
degree of etiolation ; the paleness of the foliage will, how- 
ever, soon be restored with returning sunshine and fair 
weather. 
We may now advert to the application of water, whether 
to the roots of the plants, as helping them to sustenance, or 
as applied to floors, flues, or pipes, in order to counteract 
the aridity occasioned by the use of fire-heat. Tho fol- 
lowing may, we think, be considered three sound maxims 
in the management of the atmosphere of hothouses or 
plant-houses : — 
1st. The more light plants receive, the better will they 
endure or enjoy a corresponding increase of heat. 
2nd. The more heat and light they receive, the more 
they require an increase of air-moisture. 
3rd. The more light, heat, and air-moisture they receive, 
the greater need is there for a liberal ventilation. 
We need scarcely remind our readers that the above 
maxims refer to plants in a growing state. 
But now the remaining part of our discussion refers 
chiefly to the degree, mode, and time of application of 
water in the greenhouse. We consider that, for the 
winter season, from nine to eleven o’clock a.m. is the best 
period at which botli to water the pot plants, and to apply 
water, according to existing needs, to the floors, flues, or 
other surfaces. One thing we protest against, and that is 
the attempt to produce sudden gusts of steam from hot 
surfaces of piping or flue. When steam must be obtained 
by such means, wc hold firmly to the opinion, that the 
surface, of whatever kind, on which the water is thrown, 
should be no more than milk-warm ; or, let us say, not 
more than eighty degrees. But, in truth, very little 
“steaming" is requisite in greenhouses. The fact is, that 
.where there is a house full of pot-plants of various kinds, 
■ the probability is that some few will require water daily, 
even in winter; and this, performed every morning about 
ten o'clock, will of itself produce ns much air-moisture as 
the plants will require. If, however, signs of great aridity 
appear, let the floors be thoroughly washed, and any 
surfaces of walls or otherwise not hot receive a moistening. 
If any water is applied to pipes or flues, let it be when the 
fire is very low. 
Another great point in greenhouse management during 
the dead of winter must be here adverted to — the picking 
off, at least once a-week, all decayed or decaying foliage. 
Such is a fertile source of a corrupt atmosphere, and clean- 
liness in every respect must be persisted in. The changing 
or moving of the plants is a thing of importance. The 
oftener they are changed, if done with cave, the better. 
Every time a plant is changed, the chances are that n fresh 
portion of the foliage is presented to the sunlight, and this 
it is which prevents plants from becoming one-sided. 
Changing plants has a tendency also to prevent what is 
termed by gardeners “ drawing that is to say, acquiring 
a lengthened or weak appearance. 
Those who have plants of tenderer habit than ordinary 
greenhouse things may remember that in most houses 
there is one end a little warmer than the other; they 
should, therefore, keep their more tender pots at that end, 
as far as practicable ; and, in addition, they may give less 
nir nt that end. By such contrivances, a temperature of 
nearly five degrees higher may be sustained on the average ; 
and this, in winter, is very important to some things. 
Vines in Greenhouses. — Of course, where there are 
vines above, and pot-plants beneath, the vines will be con- 
fined to the rafters; nt least, this is the usual practice, and 
it can scarcely be mended. Such vines will now be in a 
dormant or rest state ; the leaves all fallen, or, if not so, 
let every one be pulled oft', for foliage is of no use to vines 
when decayed and totally inactive. This, of course, refers 
to greenhouse vines, and when pot-plants have been kept 
beneath them. The vines must be pruned as soon ns pos- 
sible, the old loose bark peeled off, and the wood be 
instantly brushed over with the following mixture Soft 
soap, three ounces ; sulphur, one pound ; slacked lime, two 
quarts : these beat up thoroughly in a gallon of warm 
water. Every crevice must he searched with the mixture, 
and it may be ‘applied with a painter’s dusting-brush. The 
lime is put in partly ns a tell-tale. When the wood is 
dry, it will be seen if any portions have been missed. 
When done, the vines may be tied close to the rafters 
until February. Wc may suggest, ns concluding advice 1 
that if any portion of the glass of the house has become 
soiled or dimmed, it ought to be immediately washed, both 
/ 
