June 4, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
473 
Transplanting Evergreens—Box Edging (J. L.). —August is not as a 
rule the proper time for this work, as the weather is usually too hot and 
dry. In dull wet seasons and districts some well-rooted evergreens may, 
with care, he successfully moved at any time, and Box edgings laid, but 
this is exceptional, and the work can be more safely and successfully 
accomplished during favourable weather from October till April. There is 
no better time than immediately the ground has been made thoroughly 
moist by early autumn rains and while it is still warm, as root-action then 
commences at once and the evergreens become established before winter. 
Vine Roots Decayed (J. 8. A.).—There is no phylloxera on the root 8 
sent, nor is it likely there ever will be in such heavy wet soil as that sur¬ 
rounding them. We do not believe they could exist in such a medium, and 
we shall be very much surprised if your Vines can long remain healthy and 
E roduce anything like good crops of Grapes. The border appears to be a 
eavy soapy mass, practically impervious to heat and air, and there is no 
wonder the rootra are in such an unsatisfactory state. 
Plum Trees not Bearing ( F . D., Gravesend). —When fruit trees bloom 
freely and there is “no frost whatever ” to do injury, and no excess of 
moisture to prevent the dispersion of the pollen, the absence of fruit is 
usually the result of immature wood, the trees being overcrowded with 
luxuriant growths. On such growths, though blossoms may form and be 
apparently fine in appearance, yet a close examination often reveals a defect 
in the organs of fructification. If your trees grow excessively, root-pruning 
would in all likelihood be very beneficial, digging each tree half up—that is, 
cutting right round one side, severing the roots smoothly, with any that 
strike straight down, as if preparing it for removal, but placing in the soil 
again and treading it firmly. If this does not sufficiently arrest the growth 
the other side can be treated similarly another year. 
Grapes not Setting (Williams). —There is no doubt in our mind as to 
the cause of the Grapes not flowering and setting freely. The “ greenhouse 
vinery ” has been kept very much too damp—so damp, indeed, that the 
pollen has been converted into paste, and glued the anthers of the flowers 
together. You have not only used too much moisture for the Vines, but 
more than it was necessary to employ for the plants, while you have not 
ventilated the house judiciously. It has been too moist at night by late 
syringing and damping, with probably a low temperature during the recent 
cold weather. We have grown “ Roses and other plants ” in vineries for thirty 
years, the houses often being crowded with them, yet we never failed to have 
full bunches of well-finished Grapes. You say you need say “ nothing about 
the borders as the ‘ trees ’ are quite healthy.” No doubt the Vine from 
which you sent the best samples (which are good) is in a satisfactory state 
at the roots ; but the roots of mismanaged Vines soon go wrong however 
good the border may be. Crop lightly, train the laterals thinly, ventilate 
judiciously, especially early in the morning, avoid late syringing, and do 
all you can to produce stout-textured foliage and matured wood, or the 
roots will soon be like the bunches, weak and unsatisfactory. 
Leather Shreds for Wall Trees.—Would you kindly let me know, if you 
can, if there is any demand for leather strips for nailing up trees, &c., how 
long the strips ought to be, and the best way to dispose of them ? I am 
trespassing on you in the cause of charity. A leather case cutter lost his 
sight a year or so ago, but is now able to follow out his trade to some 
extent, and he has a great many strips that could be cut up into short 
lengths and used for the purpose indicated. He is in very necessitous cir¬ 
cumstances, and if he could utilise his strips it would be a great help to 
him.—H. S. E. 
[We print the inquiry of our correspondent in case any of our readers are 
desirous of procuring leather shreds, and at the same time assisting an 
afflicted man. These are the most durable of shreds for securing the 
branches of trees to walls where it is desired they shall remain as long as 
possible. Eor small annual growths of fruit trees cloth ligatures last quite 
long enough, but leather shreds can be used with advantage for the perma¬ 
nent branches of various kinds of trees that are grown against walls. The 
size of the shreds must obviously be cut according to the average size of the 
branches, the thinnest leather being cut into the smallest portions, com¬ 
mencing at half an inch wide and 4 inches to 6 inches long, increasing the 
widths slightly according to the greater lengths, which of course may exceed 
the dimensions indicated to any required extent. We will send any letters to 
our correspondent that may be forwarded to us on the subject, as we are sure 
he would not interest himself in an undeserving case. We apprehend it 
would be best to sell the shreds by weight.] 
Names of Plants.—We only undertake to name species of plants, not 
varieties that have originated from seed and termed florists’ flowers. 
Flowering specimens are necessary of flowering plants, and Fern fronds 
should contain spores. Specimens should arrive in a fresh state in firm 
boxes. Slightly damp moss or soft green leaves form the best packing, dry 
cotton wool the worst. Not more than six specimens can be named at once. 
( L. H .).—1, Nicotiana affinis ; 2, Deutzia gracilis; 3, insufficient without 
flowers. (Constant Header). —1, Prunus Padus ; 2, Arum italicum ; 3, 
Vicia sepium. (W. B .).—1, Sedum album; 2, S. rupestre ; 3, Saxifraga 
hypnoides. (C. Williamson). —Prunus Padus, commonly called the Bird 
Cherry. (F. G .).—Campanula glomerata. The Carnations are by no means 
equal in merit to others of the same colours in commerce; still, the buff one is 
pretty and worth growing for your own garden; we mean it possesses no 
commercial value. (No Name). —The red tubular flower is Mitraria coccinea. 
(W. S.). —The Orchid is Lycaste cruenta. There is no certain remedy for the 
Cucumber disease (fruit form), and the only way in which a supply of fruit 
can be maintained is by constantly raising young plants and growing them 
in a very high temperature, so as to secure a fruit or two from each before the 
plants succumb. This, however, cannot be. done if the disease is highly 
virulent, and Cucumber culture has then to be abandoned for a year or two in 
that position. (E. B., Forest Hill). —The grass is Alopecurus agrestis ; the 
blue flower is Veronica hedersefolia; the other is Capsella Bursa-pastoris. 
(W. H.). —The Cattleya is C. intermedia; the Deudrobium is D. triadenium. 
( W. W.). —1, Cattleya intermedia ; 2, Odontoglossum Roezli; 3, Dendrobium 
moschatum ; 4, Possibly a variety of Epidendrum setigerum, but there are 
over 400 species in this genus, many of them much alike in floral characters, 
and leaves or pseudo-bulbs are therefore useful in determining them; 
5, Dendrobium Freemanni. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— June 3rd. 
Business better. Prices firmer, with a good supply of all classes of 
fruits and vegetables. 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
Apples. 
A sieve 
2 
6 
to 4 
6 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
4 
0 to 
7 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
bushel 16 
0 
0 
0. 
Peaches . 
perdoz. J5 
0 
21 
0 
Cobs, Kent .. per 100 lbs. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen 
dozen 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Currants, Red .. 
A sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,, dessert 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,, Black .. 
\ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English .. lb. 
2 
0 
S 
0 
Figs . 
dozen 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Plums . 
J sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes. 
.. lb. 
3 
0 
5 
0 
Strawberries.. 
..lb. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Lemons.. .. 
.. case 
10 
0 
IS 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
. .each 
3 
0 
7 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
s. d. 
s. d 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Artichokes .. .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Lettuce. 
. dozen 
1 
0 to 
2 
0 
Asparagus .. .. 
bundle 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
0 
0 
1 
4 
Beans, Kidney 
100 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red .. .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
S 
0 
Brussels Sprouts .. 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage. 
dozen 
0 
0 
1 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums .. .. 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
,, Kidney . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots. 
bunch 
0 
S 
0 
4 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celerv . 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera .. . 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts dez. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale .. .. per basket 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cucumbers .. .. 
each 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Shallots. 
.. lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Heros . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. .. 
.. lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Leeks . 
bunch 
0 
s 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
DAIRY FARMING. 
SPRING. 
( Continued from gmge 452.) 
A cowman should live close by his cows, and he should 
never be long absent from them when they are in the yards, 
and they should be seen two or three times daily when out 
upon the grass. Experience shows how necessary this close 
supervision is, for it is undoubtedly the teaching of experi¬ 
ence that accidents occur among cows in many strange and 
unexpected ways, and we all know how easy it is to be wise 
afterwards. “ If I had only thought about it! ” is what 
most people have said—at any rate to themselves—after 
something has gone wrong. Let not, therefore, a word or 
two of caution about the most trivial matters be considered 
misplaced or uncalled for; we have all tried our “ ’prentice 
hand,” and all blundered more or less. When the cows were 
first let out of the yards this spring it was not into the large 
open pastures, but into a small meadow of only a few acres, 
well sheltered by trees, yet open to the south, and with an 
early strong growth of grass. We have several such meadows 
of from four to seven acres, all well supplied with water, and 
we find them most useful both for cows and calves. A lodge, 
large in proportion to the size of the meadow, closed with 
boards on three sides, and with fully two-thirds of the fourth 
side also boarded, a large opening being left for the cows 
—simply an opening without any doors; plenty of pure 
water, and a rich pasture, renders such enclosures invaluable 
for the care and comfort of the herd. The one used first this 
year is near the yards, and it was there that the new cows 
and heifers were introduced to the herd, a close watch being 
kept to prevent injury to the young cows, new introductions 
generally causing much excitement in the herd, which often 
continues for a day or two. 
Cows are as equally sensitive to cold and damp as horses. 
Their actions show this plainly, a shower of rain causing 
them to run to any place of shelter, however bad, the hardy 
little Kerry cows being the only exception to this rule in our 
experience, and even they will eventually become more de¬ 
licate from being reared in lodges and yards instead of the 
bleak slopes of Kerry. We might go farther, and assert 
that cows are more liable than horses to sustain harm from 
