February .9, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
149 
all the new ones. In the first place it has an excellent constitution, and 
•grows with the utmost vigour. It begins fruiting early, and long con¬ 
tinues bearing. Last year I bought 2s. fid. worth of seed of it from Mr. 
Laxton, and although we gathered many dishes from it we managed to 
save several quarts of seed, and when the frost came late in November 
thousands of pods remained. It is useful for the earliest crop or the 
latest, and for exhibition, Last year I saw Mr. Laxton exhibit it several 
times in wonderful condition, especially at the Shrewsbury Show, and in 
every case it found many admirers. Fine as Mr. Laxton’s pods were, 
they were only fair representatives of what it produces in all gardens. 
The pods average 10 inches and 12 inches long, and I have seen some 
longer than this. They are tender up to the time they are almost fully 
•developed and well flavoured.—J. Muir, Margam. 
GOOSEBERRY BUSHES AND BULLFINCHES. 
The late mild weather has made the fruit buds on Gooseberry and 
other bushes rather prominent, and I find the bullfinches and also the 
house sparrows have not been slow in taking advantage of the changes 
Where birds were numerous and troublesome in former years I have left the 
bushes unpruned until they began to show leaf, but the plan has not alway. 
been reliable. In cottage gardens it is a common practice to tie rags and 
string on the bushes, and also on lines of Peas, &c. I had looked upon this 
practice for some years as useless, but last year I pruned rather early, and 
had the bushes strung all over with cotton, crossing it about the bushes from 
one branch to another at the tips of the branches. The plan was quite a 
success, and the crop of fruit was enormous for both size and quantity. I 
adopted the same plan with some bush Plums. The result was that I bad 
plenty of blossom*, and notwithstanding the severe frosts we had at the 
time they were in bloom we had about half a crop of fruit on several of 
the bushes. 
I have found black cotton the best, which is scarcely visible at a little 
distance. This has a deterring effect on the birds, as they cannot very 
well see it until they become entangled in it. I am adopting the same 
plan again this year. Directly the bushes are pruned a boy with nimble 
fingers will go over several bushes in a little time, and the cost of material 
s small. I find the sparrows are very troublesome, and I am of opinion 
they often do more mischief than the bullfinches do, not individually, but 
collectively, as they are so numerous.—A. 0. W. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 
February is or ought to be a busy month for florists, as indeed it is 
for all gardeners. There are Auriculas, Chrysanthemums, Carnations 
and Picotees, Pansies and Ranunculuses, and Gladiolus, all to be thought 
about, and indeed most of them requiring active work it may not, then, 
be unseasonable to give a few hints concerning their requirements. 
Auriculas. —This has always been considered the time for what 
used to be considered the important operation of top-dressing, but of late 
years questions have been mooted as to whether it is at all necessary. It 
used to be said, “ Remove all the earth as far as you can without disturbing 
the roots and then fill in with rich compost,” and those who adhere to the 
old-fa9hioned way will still do this, and now is the time for doing it; but 
I have this year treated my small collection according to the newer plan— 
merely stirring the surface and filling up with compost of a similar 
character to that used for potting. In doing this I have examined, by just 
simply turning the pot on my hand, a considerable number of the plants, 
and have not found a trace of woolly aphis (except in oDe case). They 
are now in the pit I bloom them in, and which but for my misfortune 
ought to have been full of good plants. 
Chrysanthemums —The instructions given in last week’s Journal on 
the propagation of this fashionable and useful flower are so explicit and 
so in accordance with common sense that I need add nothing to what is 
there stated. 
Carnations and Picotees. —These are now moving. Where they 
have been grown in beds (as mine are) they will simply require to have 
the surface stirred and kept clear of weeds. I may say that I have not 
lost a single plant out of doors this season. Where they are grown in 
pots they now require repotting ; and where it is usual to pot them in pairs 
in pots about 9 inches across, in a compost composed, say, of two parts 
loam, one leaf mould, one old manure, and a little road grit, this is no 
doubt the best mode of growing them, although the most troublesome. The 
best, for they are under command, can be moved about at will, and layer¬ 
ing is much more easy, as the pot can be placed on a bench and stooping 
avoided. When potted they should be placed under shelter until they are 
established, as the check that they receive in repotting makes them less 
capable of bearing rough and cold weather. 
Gladiolus. —It will now be time to sew seed and also the small spawn. 
It is a good plan when this can be done to appropriate a frame for the 
purpose, half filling it with loam properly prepared for the purpose ; 
indeed, if there be a sandy loam it is almost sufficient without any addi¬ 
tion. The spawn should be sown in shallow drills and the seed scattered 
broadcast over the bed. after which some loam and leaf mould may be 
sifted over it until it is covered. Towards the end of the month a fresh 
planting of bulbs may be made, although the main planting had better 
ne deferred until March. 
Pansies. —Here, too, it will depend a9 to whether they are grown in 
pots or not. In pots they will now be showing for bloom, and the shoots 
will require staking and the pots kept clear of weeds ; in beds the surface 
had be.ter be stirred and a slight top-dressing of decayed manure given 
to them. The hot season of 1884 completely destroyed my collection 
which I had again made, and indeed it is a heartless task growing them 
down south. 
Ranunculuses. —I have always considered the 12th of February to be 
the orthodox day for planting Persian Ranunculuses, and on the 14th I 
this year had some planted. I never saw the ground in more beautiful 
condition ; they were planted in rows about 6 inches apart and about 
4 inches in the rows. Where this has not been done no time should be 
lost, as so much depends on getting them in the ground in good order.— 
D., Deal. 
VINERIES. 
I have no doubt that Mr. Ward carefully thought over all things 
connected with vineries before penning his instructions on the building 
thereof ; still I fail to see that his plans are the only proper ones to 
arrange all the details therein. It may answer his purpose very well, 
and still not please everyone. What I said about arranging the pipes 
was with the idea of advising persons to guard against the attacks of red 
spider. I consider prevention in most cases is better than cure. Mr. 
Ward must not suppose that everyone understands the use of liquid 
manure in the evaporating troughs of the pipes to prevent the spread of 
red spider so well as be does himself. What I advised was, I contend, 
a better way for the generality of persons to follow, as from Mr. Ward’s 
own admission, page 113, red spider does attack Vines through the heat 
beiDg “.centralised.” In my way of arranging the pipes such a thing 
cannot happen through the same reason as he admits is sometimes done, 
hence my reason for arranging the pipes which would equalise the heat 
through the house. 
Mr. Ward admits that the heat is “diffused” by the Altemantheras 
and other plants growing over the front pipes. Now were they not so 
placed no “ diffusion ” would be required. If it is an advantage to fill 
the evaporating troughs with liquid manure for the benefit of the Vines, 
this can be done just as well under the system I advocate as it can he 
done by Mr Ward’s plan, and better too ; because there can be more 
troughs, as the flow pipes (five) are more in number, and the ammonia 
arising from the liquid is more equalised over the house. 
I did not say it was an “ obstacle ” having some of the bunches earlier 
in one part of the house than the other. I do not consider making or 
renovating the border very difficult with the pipes, as I suggest, 1 foot 
9 inches apart; that can hardly be called a “ trelliswork” of piping, the 
difficulty is more imaginary than real. 
Everyone does not wish to have Vines to furnish the hip roof of the 
vinery, particularly where the house has to do double duty for plants, &c. 
Some require the back walls furnished with climbing plants ; the back or 
hip roof can be used to suspend shelves from, on which French Beans or 
Strawberries can be grown. Taking these things into consideration I do 
not think using of the space required for the cement path for a Vine 
border is for a “ better purpose.”—E. Molyneux. 
The Trustees of the Veitch Memorial Fund have decided to 
offer the following medals and prizes during the present year namely, 
one medal and prize of £5 to the Botanical and Horticultural Society 
of Durham, Northumberland, and Newcastle-on-Tyne ; one medal and 
prize to the National Rose Society ; and one medal and prize to the 
National Chrysanthemum Society. These medals and prizes are to be 
offered for subjects to be selected by the Committees of the respective 
So defies. The Trustees have also determined to place three medals 
and £5 prizes at the disposal of the Committee which is to have charge 
of the Orchid Conference, to take place at South Kensington in May 
next. In all cases the awards are to be made in favour of bona fide 
gentlemen’s gardeners and amateurs only. 
_ The Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen have 
issued their schedule for 1885, from which we learn that the summer 
Exhibition will be held in the Links, Aberdeen, July 29th, 30th, and 31st ; 
the autumn Exhibition being announced to be held early in September, 
but the date is not yet fixed. At the first Show 201 classes are prov.ded, 
at the second 197, the prizes including numerous Bilver medals, silver 
enps, kc. 
- The death is announced of Mr. Charles Downing of Newburgh, 
U.S.A., a noted pomologist, at the age of eighty-three. He was a brother 
of Mr. A. J. Downing, a brilliant horticultural writer and a skilful 
American landscape gardener, whose magazine and other works were 
