152 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t February ja, issi. 
berry, I shall resume the routine of work for the rest of the 
season. As soon as the fruit is gathered the runners that may 
meanwhile have been thrown out should all be cut. This is most 
satisfactorily done among old plants by means of a common reap¬ 
ing hook or sickle-shaped knife set in a handle about 2 feet long. 
Many use a revolving cutter made from an old circular saw and 
fastened to the side of a light plough, but this is not a satisfactory 
system ; it only cuts those runners that are not in the line of the 
plants, and, especially in stony ground, soon becomes so blunted 
that it rather tears than cuts, and consequently tends to disturb 
th« old plants. All loose straw, runners, and weeds should now 
be carted off and a more thorough cleaning commenced. As the 
ground is now trodden hard from traffic in gathering, See., it must 
be thoroughly loosened between the rows either by hand labour 
with the digging fork or by means of the paring plough or 
grubber passed both ways. In the former case though more ex¬ 
pensive, the whole work may be finished at one operation, the 
weeds from several rows being thrown together into one and 
wheeled off as they accumulate. In the latter case the common 
hoe, or better still the American steel-toothed hoe, must be used 
to finish the work. The soil should be gradually worked towards 
rather than away from the plants, so as to give the new roots now 
forming a better chance. A fresh mulch and a final turn of the 
harrow finishes the work for the season. In succeeding years the 
routine of work should be similar to that just described. The 
winter season may be profitably occupied in collecting material 
suitable for compost, such as turf, road scrapings, leaves, runners, 
Sec., to be reduced by means of lime and worked up with manure 
as before described. Where clearing has been neglected in autumn 
it is better left till spring. In conclusion I may add that all ex¬ 
perience in this quarter favours deep cultivation. I have just 
opened a gravel pit in a plot of Elton Pine plants, and find a 
mass of the root fibres round its sides that have penetrated to 
the depth of from 24 to 27 inches, half of that into the gravel; 
and as these roots seem to have taken a nearly perpendicular 
direction, there is far less risk of damaging them by deep digging 
between the rows than is generally imagined.— William Raitt, 
Blairgowrie. 
m 
imm 
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Just on the eve of going to press we have received two small 
but excellent works on gardening—“ Carters’ Practical Gar¬ 
dener,” and “ Roses in Pots,” by Mr. William Paul, both of 
which demand fuller reference than we can give now. Mr. Paul’s 
book is the fifth edition of a work that all cultivators of Roses 
in pots should possess. Messrs. Carters’ issue is an entirely new 
work, new both as regards writers and many of the subjects. 
We can only say at present that it far surpasses all former editions 
in appearance, size, and quality, and that all those who purchased 
the old work and were satisfied with it may safely purchase the 
new ; while those gardeners and amateurs who do not possess 
“ Carters’ Practical Gardener ” need not hesitate to add it to their 
libraries, for its subjects are varied and its teachings reliable. 
- We learn that the specimen of Pritchardia grandis 
referred to last week is not the only one in this country, as Messrs. 
Veitch have young plants, and others are included in some 
English botanic gardens. It appears a case of young plants was 
sent to England a short time since, from which the stock has 
been derived. There is thus a probability of this handsome 
Palm coming into cultivation, though the number of plants 
must necessarily be extremely limited at present. 
- As will have been seen by an advertisement in our 
last issue, Mr. W. Iggulden has prepared a Manual on the 
Tomato, giving cultural directions for maintaining a continuous 
supply of fruit. The work contains chapters on early, succes- 
sional, and late crops ; culture in frames and in the open air; 
growing the fruit for exhibition and market purposes ; with 
instructions for amateurs, an estimate of varieties, and a list of 
uses to which Tomatoes may be applied. The work is thus com¬ 
prehensive ; while the information, being a record of the practice 
of one of the most successful Tomato cultivators of the day, is 
thoroughly sound. The author has evidently endeavoured to 
“ tell all he knows ” on the subject, even at the risk of approach¬ 
ing prolixity. All who are desirous of having sound information 
on Tomato culture in a space of seventy pages cannot do better 
than obtain this Manual ; and if they adopt intelligently the 
practice detailed they will achieve success in the culture of a fruit 
which is so rapidly rising in public estimation. 
- The “ Journal of Applied Science ” has the following 
note upon fruit trees in Bohemia —“ According to recently 
published statistics the number of fruit trees in Bohemia of all 
sorts, but chiefly Apples, appears to be 14,000,000. Of these 
10,000,000 are in gardens, 1,600,000 in waste lands, and about 
2,000,000 on the sides of the public roads. The number of young 
trees annually planted is about 1,500,000. Between 6,000 and 
7,000 miles of road are planted with fruit trees, mostly of the 
best sorts, and the revenue therefrom is very large. The fruit is 
largely exported to the north of Germany and Russia.” 
- The members of the Liverpool Horticultural Asso¬ 
ciation are to be congratulated on the condition of a Society 
which, although only two years old, appears to be established on 
a substantial basis. With such distinguished patrons as the Earls 
of Derby, Sefton, and Dalhousie, with the Mayor as President and 
an influential list of Vice-Presidents, with nearly three hundred 
honorary members and a still greater number of ordinary members, 
including nearly all the gardeners of the district, with a practical 
working Committee, the prospects of the Society are bright, and 
with unity of effort and the support that an excellent organisation 
demands the objects sought will be attained. These are, as stated 
in the report, to promote public interest in, and the practice of 
scientific horticulture in Liverpool and the district, and afford the 
members opportunities of becoming mutually acquainted, and 
of profiting by each other’s knowledge and experience by the 
reading of papers on the subjects which interest them, and hold¬ 
ing exhibitions to enable them to compare the results of their 
knowledge and skill with those of the members of other societies 
and of gardeners from other districts. The income of the Society 
last year was £1118 16s. 3 d. ; and although, in consequence of 
inclement weather, a loss of nearly £80 was incurred at the 
autumn show, yet there is a balance of income in favour of the 
Society of £234 8s. Kkl., which is a considerable increase on that 
of the previous year, and indicates judicious management on the 
part of the officials. 
■-■ A paragraph was sent to us last week which we pub¬ 
lished on page 132, directing attention to Mr. Shirley Hibberd’s 
Synoptical list of varieties of Potatoes. The list, which 
is the result of “severe selection” includes 313 varieties. Such a 
list will perplex at least as much as it will aid the majority of 
Potato cultivators, and our friend may well have another “ melt¬ 
ing down” day, for it is conceivable that not half the above 
number of varieties are needed either by growers of Potatoes for 
exhibition or culinary purposes. Short classified lists of Potatoes 
in the different sections would be useful, and especially so would 
an accurate list of synonyms. We think a “ severely selected ” 
list should only include varieties of merit, yet the first named 
in the selection in question (Acme) is described as a “ coarse and 
worthless American variety,” and several others are referred to 
in similar terms. No doubt this is useful information, but why 
include such varieties at all ? We hope Mr. Hibberd will pursue 
the subject of selection and elimination further, for we agree 
with him that “ it is surely time we had some good Potatoes,” 
and we shall arrive at this desideratum the sooner by excluding 
all the bad ones. The Potato exhibitions have done much good 
