JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 6, 1881. ] 
3 
metal was as rusty as ever ; it was then cleansed, but not with 
acid, and oiled again, and the same results followed. The 
cleansing and oiling were repeated, and still the acid escaped, 
rendering the oil useless; and he has no doubt that if a Peach 
shoot or the young growing lateral of a Vine had been placed 
in contact with the metal the escaping acid must have injured 
them. This supports the statement of the individual alluded to 
last week, that the acid escaping from the wire must be in¬ 
jurious. I have a little further testimony to adduce in support 
of that view. On my questioning the soundness of the theory the 
propounder of it replied, “We will soon settle the point,” and he 
obtained some pure zinc wire and fixed it amongst the other kinds 
of wire in a small house of Vines where some experiments were 
being conducted, and remarked, “ There ! there is no acid in that 
wire, and it will not hurt the Vine shoots, see if it does.” It has 
not injured them, for the one solitary speck on a shoot that wrs 
secured to it was so slight as to amount to “no injury,” while 
others in contact with some samples of galvanised wire were 
seriously and unmistakeably corroded. This, as the matter now 
stands, looks almost conclusive, but on proceeding further we shall 
find one or two obstacles to that mode of settling the question. 
The first is perhaps not a very serious one, but it must be men¬ 
tioned for what it is worth. The pure zinc wire was not obtained 
until the so-called galvanised wire had been on trial two months, 
and thus the former was not submitted to an equal test in point 
of time; and as the Vine laterals were more sensitive of injury 
early in the season than later, the pure zinc wire was not so fully 
tested as could be wished. The next is a far more formidable 
impediment against the conclusiveness of the “escaping acid” 
proposition, and opens up another aspect of the general question 
that demands careful consideration. I must, however, record that 
the propounder of the above idea states that while the acid in the 
iron will escape through the coating of zinc it will not penetrate 
through two or three coats of good lead paint—a statement that 
has received abundant confirmation. 
Now to the great difficulty No. 2. When discussing the elec¬ 
tricity theory on page 568 (last volume), I stated that while that 
element is undoubtedly general, I should be able to show pretty 
conclusively that the injury resulting to trees and plants in con¬ 
tact with the wire under notice is markedly local. That remark 
has caused a little surprise, and its accuracy has been doubted. It 
was founded on the published statements of the many writers who 
took part in the discussion on the effects of galvanised wire last 
spring. 
On careful perusal of the several communications one striking 
fact comes to the surface that, I think, must not be lost sight of, 
as it appears to be of considerable moment. It is this : Every 
writer save one who adduced testimony of the injurious effects of 
galvanised wire recorded his experience as it was gained within 
the smoke radius of some large city or town, or in contiguity to 
some works or manufactories that contributed to the impurity of 
the atmosphere ; and, on the other hand, in every instance where 
a writer gave contrary testimony—namely, that the wire was not 
injurious, he resided far remote from large towns and in the pure 
air of country districts. I have had one letter from a country 
gardener whose trees have suffered by the cause indicated ; but 
the substantial fact remains that it is within the smoke “measur¬ 
able distance ” of London, Liverpool, Leeds, Derby, Sheffield, 
Wakefield, &c., that the injury has been severe ; while writers 
residing in the “ truly rural” districts of north and south York¬ 
shire, Lincolnshire, Sussex, Wiltshire, and East Surrey have all 
pronounced the wire perfectly safe. I have visited the majority 
of the places named and am convinced of the accuracy of the 
statements. I have also employed the wire in the country with¬ 
out any signs of injury resulting, while near London it has proved 
most decidedly injurious. It has either had to be removed or 
painted in numbers of gardens near towns, including the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens at Chiswick, but in remote rural 
districts recourse to such measures have very seldom been ren¬ 
dered necessary. I submit, therefore, that there is justification 
for regarding the injury as “markedly local,” for it exists in the 
most unmistakeable manner where smoke more or less prevails, 
and the greater the smoke the greater the injury, while in the 
pure and salubrious air of the country the evil is comparatively 
non-existent. 
Bearing in mind this element of the case, it necessarily follows, 
if the injury is solely due to the acid escaping from the wire, that 
all the wire that has been the most saturated with the acid has 
been employed in the vicinity of towns, while all that has only 
had a slight acid bath for cleansing it has been sent into the 
country. This result is so extremely improbable, not to say im¬ 
possible, that the proposition under notice that at first looked so 
feasible becomes seriously weakened. That there is “ something 
in it ” is possible, even probable, but it does not appear to afford 
a solution of the question by any means satisfactory. 
We now arrive at Mr. Taylor’s suggestion, that the impurities 
of a smoke-laden atmosphere may be brought down by the rain 
in contact with the wire, and, combining with the sensitive zinc 
coating, produce a result noxious to vegetation. This is not at all 
unlikely—is, indeed, very probable ; but injury has been serious 
under glass where the rain has not penetrated, and in some cases 
where the syringe has not been used. In the structure in which 
different kinds of wire have been employed one Vine has been 
syringed occasionally, and it has sustained the greatest injury, 
but the four other Vines that have not been syringed have been 
seriously enough affected ; so that water is not the sole medium 
of producing the noxious irritant, and we must look in another 
direction for a solution of the problem. 
I had hoped to have concluded the subject this week ; but it is 
so intricate, and the divergence of opinion relative to it is so great, 
that the examination of the question must be as close and thorough 
as possible, as dealing with it in a superficial manner could not 
possibly give satisfaction. The concluding notes, with a reference 
to some experiments, must therefore be deferred to a future issue. 
—J. Weight. 
SERICOGRAPHIS GHIESBREGHTIANA. 
This old inhabitant of our plant houses is now gay with its 
light sprays of scarlet flowers. Individually its flowers are not 
very showy, but the profusion in which they are produced renders 
them very attractive. Where autumn and early winter flowers 
are required it is surprising this useful old plant is not more 
largely grown. When in flower it thrives either in the conser¬ 
vatory or in the stove, but in cool quarters the flowers last best. 
The cultivation is simple, and dwarf plants are admirably adapted 
for room or table decoration ; and although it is classed amongst 
stove plants, it thrives well under cool treatment and requires but 
little heat. Useful plants can be grown in a season from cuttings, 
and if larger plants are required the old specimens can be cut 
back, partially shaken out, repotted, and grown on. Propagation 
is easily effected by means of cuttings in spring. The tops of the 
shoots root freely; or the suckers that are often produced from 
the bottom. A number can be inserted together in 5-inch pots or 
singly in small pots, which is the better plan, as every cutting is 
sure to strike. The small pots should be filled with sandy peat, 
watering the soil as soon as the cuttings are inserted, which 
will root freely with or without a propagating frame if placed in 
moderate heat. The process of rooting is quicker in a frame or 
under a bellglass. When rooted the young plants should not be 
subjected to too much heat, or they soon become weakly and a 
prey to scale. A temperature of 55° to 58° is sufficient, as the 
plants grow more sturdily, and when stopped branch more freely. 
This plant is of upright habit, and requires to be pinched when 
only a few inches high. This is an important operation to form 
bushy plants. 
When the plants require potting sandy loam and a small pro¬ 
portion of manure form a suitable compost, in which they will 
do well. They must not be left in the small pots too long, or 
they are very liable to be seriously checked. When the ex¬ 
ternal temperature is sufficiently warm artificial heat can be 
dispensed with through the summer months. Syringing and 
early closing the frame or house in which they are grown en¬ 
courages free growth during summer, and good plants can be 
obtained in 5 and 6-inch pots, which are large enough for all 
ordinary purposes. Stopping must not be done late in the season, 
as the growth must be thoroughly ripened to ensure the satisfac¬ 
tory production of flowers. After the final potting and when the 
pots are full of roots supplies of liquid manure must be giveD, 
and while growing liberal applications of water are needed both 
at the roots and upon the foliage. In early autumn when the 
nights become cold the temperature of 50° should be maintained, 
which is ample to bring the plants into flower.—W m. Bardney. 
PRUNING FIG TREES. 
“ Would you kindly inform me if wood like the enclosed 
examples should be cut out now the trees are at rest ? Will such 
wood bear in the coming summer 1 The trees were planted out 
last February in a span-roofed house and have borne a good crop 
of fruit, being large trees. Must they be pruned something like 
Peach trees ?” Thus writes “A Novice ” to us ; and as he sub¬ 
mits both fruitful and unfruitful wood we cannot make the subject 
so plain to him as by the aid of the following figures and instruc¬ 
tions, written by a skilled cultivator of Figs, and which can 
scarcely fail being useful to others as well as to our correspondent. 
