January 29, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
101 
month if you like, and ask aDy further questions, as we should like you to 
succeed in your object. -«@8.s ewro* HOJSAVj --~ r * «mn« njuoHH orgio* 
Soil for Fruit Trees (<7. Duke ).—The preparation of the soil depends 
very much on the kind of trees intended to be grown. In planting fruit 
trees, unless the soil be absolutely poor, or in a very exhausted condition, it 
is better not to apply manure except very sparingly. In most gardens the 
soil is usually sufficiently good to produce a healthy growth; and as the 
object is not to obtain large trees, but an abundance of fruit, the point 
should be to discourage a luxuriant production of wood, and to develope as 
much as possible fruit-bearing shoots and spurs. Many amateurs and even 
professional gardeners err in this respect. They think that a richly manured 
soil produces an abundant crop of fruit, whereas the tendency is rather to 
induce a great development of branches, which do not produce fruit till the 
tree has either grown out of all bounds or the roots have been subjected to 
pruning. We then counsel all fruit-growers to be careful in this respect, 
and not to plant their trees in too rich a soil. In planting orchard trees the 
case is very different, for then the object is to obtain trees of large dimensions 
with stout timber-like trunks, and the branches sufficiently high to be out of 
the reach of cattle. In such cases the soil should be made sufficiently rich 
to induce a vigorous growth, yet not too vigorous even for orchard trees, 
because when there is an excess of vigour in a climate like this, where the 
summers are frequently wet and sunless, and the autumn cold and frosty, 
the wood is not perfectly ripened, and the ccnsequence is a rupture of the 
sap vessels, producing canker—a disease'.which the tree rarely ever recovers 
from. If the soil is really poor, make a good large hole a yard in diameter, 
and about 18 or 20 inches deep ; fill this with good sound loam, and if it has 
a small admixture of calcareous matter in its composition so much the better. 
In planting the trees great care should be observed that they are not placed 
too deep in the soil. A very good rule is to plant them just as deep as they 
had previously been in the nurseries, which is easily ascertained by observing 
the collar, where the portion that has been under the soil exhibits the bark 
much smoother and paler than that which was above it; but allowance 
should also be made for the soil subsiding, which it will inevitably do; and 
if the roots are not kept well up to the surface, they will be liable to get too 
deeply covered. 
Names of Plants ( B. M .).—By consulting the stipulations referring to 
correspondence you will see that we do not undertake to name varieties of 
flowers such as the Chrysanthemum. ( H. E. M .).—Lasiandra macrantha. 
See reply above respecting the culture. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— JANUARY 26th. 
MARKET very dull. Good samples of Apples in demand at higher quotations. 
FRUIT. 
Apples .. .. 
8 . 
2 
d. 
6 
8. 
to 4 
d. 
6 
Oranges . 
s. 
4 
d. 
0 to 
• 
a. 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
.. bushel 16 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
perdoz. 
0 
0 
0 
Cobs, Kent . . 
per 100 lbs. 
55 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Currants, Red 
.. J sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,, dessert 
dozen 
2 
0 
6 
0 
„ Black 
.. } sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English .. Ib. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Figs .. .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Plums . 
i sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes .. .. 
2 
0 
5 
0 
Strawberries.. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons .. ., 
, ,. case 
10 
0 
15 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
. .each 
3 
0 
r 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
Artichokes 
.. dozen 
s. 
2 
d. 6. 
0 to 4 
d. 
0 
Beans, Kidney 
ID. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
.. dozen 
I 
0 
2 
0 
Broccoli .. .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Brnssels Sprouts 
.. 4 sieve 
2 
6 
$ 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
0 
0 
1 
0 
Capsicums .. 
100 
1 
8 
2 
0 
Carrots .. .. 
0 
t 
0 
4 
Cauliflowers ... 
.. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Celery .. .. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Coleworts dcz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Cucumbers .. 
.. each 
0 
4 
1 
0 
Endive .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Herbs .. .. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Leeks .. .. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Lettuce .. .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
S3TP- 
Mushrooms .. 
. .punnet 
s. d. 
0 0 
S. 
to 1 
d. 
6 
Mustard and Cress punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Ouions .. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Parsnips .. .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Potatoes.. .. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
,, Kidney 
.. cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Rhubarb .. .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Salsafy .. .. 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Scorzonera 
.. bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Seakale .. 
per basket 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Shallots .. .. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Spinach .. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Tomatoes 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Turnips .. .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
THE LAMBING- SEASON. 
In the west and south the lambing season has already begun; 
in a short time it will have become general, and we may now 
usefully turn our attention to a brief consideration in detail of 
the points worthy of especial care in this important branch of 
farming. No doubt many a farmer is now ready enough to say 
that profitable sheep farming i3 a thing of the past, and it 
certainly is heavily handicapped by foreign competition both in 
wool and mutton; bat it still affords a profit at any rate, and 
the agricultural returns of last year show a decided improvement 
in numbers both for Great Britain and Ireland. With upwards 
of 26,000,000 sheep in the country we are fully justified in 
regarding the lambing season as important. 
The ewes should now be upon a dry sound pasture, with 
plenty of rock salt to lick. Crushed Oats, bran, and chopped 
hay well mixed is given them in troughs, Ox Cabbages put daily 
about the pasture, but they have no Turnips, as we regard them 
as a frequent cause of abortion, and therefore avoid using them 
for the ewes. Shelter of some kind is indispensable for the 
lambs and forward ewes. If the ewes were marked every week 
after being with the ram, a calculation.can easily be made of the 
number that are likely to require shelter at the same time. But 
it is always well to make liberal provision of enclosures and 
covered pens. We once saw a snug circular nook at the base of 
the South Downs turned to admirable account for this purpose. 
Parallel rows about a foot apart of thatched hurdles were put 
right round the circle, the space between the hurdles was filled 
with straw, and from the top of this wind-proof wall other 
thatched hurdles projected inwards and upwards at a sufficiently 
shai’p angle to throw off rain; a few pens were made under one 
part of the roof for cases requiring especial care, and the re¬ 
mainder of the fold was left open for the flock, plenty of dry 
litter being kept scattered about it. The farmhouse was close 
by, and by this sensible arrangement the flock could be driven in 
at night, kept in altogether on stormy days, and the farmer 
could give an eye to it by night as well as by day. No matter 
how experienced and trustworthy a shepherd may be, the lamb¬ 
ing season is a time of anxiety for the master, and when snow is 
falling fast and being driven by a strong wind into deep drifts 
he cannot remain in bed. It is at night when a cold cutting 
wind from the north or north-east sweeps across open pastures 
that heavy losses among lambs frequently occur. The man who 
wilfully subjects his lambs to such exposure is decidedly unfit 
to have charge of them. 
Difficulties. —Parturition does not often require inter¬ 
ference, but cases occur when the throes continue for several 
hours without a birth, the ewe becomes exhausted and assistance 
must be given. A tablespoonful of equal parts of brandy and 
nitre, and two tablespoonfuls of a strong infusion of ergot of 
rye will strengthen the ewe and enable it to bring forth the 
lamb if it be alive and in its natural position with the forefeet 
on each side of the head, if it is dead it must be removed by 
the thumb and two fingers. This operation requires some skill 
and much patience, and the ewe must be held to prevent 
struggling. The vagina is then carefully washed with warm 
water, and a mixture of one part of Calvert’s carbolic acid and 
seven parts of gallipoli oil applied to the uterus with a syringe. 
One application of this invaluable mixture is usually enough. It 
is equally efficacious in cases of straining, or when there are 
symptoms of fever or inflammation. The cure is speedy and 
certain, and the heavy per-centage of losses at one time con¬ 
sidered inevitable in a breeding Hock is altogether avoided. We 
have never forgotten the first case which we so treated. The 
ewe had been straining for several hours, and was much ex¬ 
hausted. A dead lamb was taken from it, and the acid and oil 
applied. The poor animal at once appeared soothed and easy, 
as though pain had ceased. We thought it necessary to repeat 
the dressing in about four hours, but when we went to do it we 
found the ewe quietly feeding, and evidently so comfortable as 
to require no further help. 
It happens occasionally that the ewe refuses to take the lamb 
or allow it to suck, and when this unnatural freak is persisted in, 
the lamb has to be put to another ewe or brought up by hand. 
The culprit then has a swollen udder, -which may or may not be 
troublesome, but when a ewe loses its lamb after suckling it for 
several days, the udder quickly becomes distended and hard, 
causing it much inconvenience and pain. Equal quantities of 
olive oil and eau de Cologne poui’ed in the hand, mixed with a 
finger, and rubbed persistently over the udder, soon soften it 
sufficiently to allow the milk to be drawn easily from it 
Protrusion of the uterus occasionally occurs after severe 
straining. When this happens we regard the ewe as useless 
for breeding, and at once tie a strong ligature around the pro¬ 
truding part as high up as possible, and it falls off in a few days. 
The pain is, we believe, only momentary; numbness must appa¬ 
rently quickly follow the tying, for the animals we have so 
treated showed no signs of uneasiness or pain, and they fatten well 
after the weaning of the lambs. Gentleness and patience are 
essential in the management of the breeding Hock. Sheep are 
timid animals, and ewes sustain much harm from being driven 
carelessly or hastily. Kind treatment and gentle usage go far to 
ensure success with the lambing. But the most essential thing 
of all is the master’s eye; with that frequently among the flock 
by night as well as by day, nothing can go far wrong, always 
provided he possesses the necessary knowledge and experience to 
guide matters with a prompt and sure hand. 
(To be continued.) 
