180 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March s, issi. 
receive a thorough washing of the same mixture as the trees. In some of the 
washes lime is recommended ; but where the walls are of brick, or even of nice 
cleau stone, those whitened patches always look unsightly in a garden, and we 
do not attach so much importance to the efficacy of the action of the lime as to 
consider it an essential ingredient; soft soap and brine are both sufficiently 
injurious to insect life, and after their application they leave no unsightly 
effects behind them.” The remarks apply to the stems and branches of old 
orchard trees that are often encrusted with moss and lichens ; they also apply 
to similar portions of old trees on walls, and to the walls themselves, not to the 
spurs and fruiting parts of the trees, to which the brine would probably be 
injurious at this season, when the buds show signs of swelling. Brine is formed 
by placing sufficient salt in water to enable an egg to float in it, and a quarter of 
a pound of soft soap dissolved in a gallon of water will be the right strength for 
mixing with the brine for dressing the mossy trunks of old trees and the surface 
of the wall ; but we do not advise to apply such a strong solution of salt to the 
younger growths or fruiting portions of the trees. 
Raising Cucumbers (C. C„ Donegal). —The same frame in which you 
raise the plants will do for their aftergrowth, but it is more economical as regards 
manure to raise the plants in a smaller frame. It is not necessary to sink the 
beds below the level of the ground. The materials for making up the beds 
should be thoroughly well worked by being turned over four or five times, 
shaken together well and mixed, and if dry and husky be thoroughly well watered 
at the first two turnings as the work goes on. The lumps should be broken up, 
and the short mixed with the long, until the whole mass has one uniform appear¬ 
ance and is nearly half decayed. The size of the beds depends on the season. In 
February 6 feet high at back aud 3 in front; in March a foot less will be sufficient. 
A dry bottom is desirable, and the materials well put together, shaken up, and 
beaten down well with the fork as the work goes on, treading all round the sides 
occasionally, and the bed should be always 6 or 8 inches wider than the frame all 
round. As soon as completed put on the frame and lights. When settled, and 
all has become sweet and healthy, the hillocks of earth may be put on for the 
young plants to be placed in ; but before the hillocks are made—particularly in 
the early season, when the very strong beds cause some danger of burning— 
some preventive measures must be adopted. Almost every dungbed Cucumber 
grower has his favourite way to prevent this occurrence. Some pave the bottom 
of the hillock with six or eight bricks ; others with a thick twist of straw or 
some haybauds, over which 3 or 4 inches thick of cow dung are placed of about 
the substance of mortar; others, again, remove a little of the centres, and place 
therein a good thick turf with the grass side turned downward, and on this a 
good thick paste of cow dung. Whichever method is adopted the hillock must 
be about a bushel of rich earth prepared for the purpose, and in a cone shape, 
so as to bring the plants within 6 or 7 inches of the glass. As the roots grow 
round the hillock they should be covered with a handful or two of earth, and if 
all goes on well the hillocks will very soon require to be extended, and the plants 
stopped and pegged down. The seed should not be sown until the heat of the 
bed is sweet and healthy, to which state it may be hastened by its surface being 
stirred once or twice daily and watered, plenty of air also being given. The best 
material to put on the seed bed to plunge the pots or pans of seeds in is old tan 
or well-decayed dung or leaf soil, which may be run through a very coarse 
sieve. With this material the bed may be covered, or any part of it, to 
any thickness, to suit the purpose intended ; and its being sifted makes it the 
more pleasant to handle, either for raising the plants nearer to the glass or 
lowering them. The seeds may be sown either in small pots or in pans, and the 
seedlings to be moved from one to three plants in a pot. If sown in the pots, so 
as not to need shifting, the pots may be crocked, and a little better than half 
filled with earth, and three seeds in each covered half an inch deep. When the 
plants are up they may be thinned either to one or two in each pot, and as the 
plants advance in height so the pots may be filled up with rich light earth, 
which should be kept in the frame for the purpose ; also, a small pot of water 
should be kept in the frame for moistening the earth or sprinkling the plants 
when required. The plants should be kept within 3 or 4 inches of the glass. As 
soon as the young plants have formed two rough leaves they should be stopped. 
You must maintain a night temperature of 65°, with the lights propped up half 
an inch or so at the back, the glass being covered with mats if needed. The day 
temperature with sun may be 85°, ventilating with great care. Cold draughts 
and cold water are fatal to young Cucumber plants. Seed may be sown any time 
during the present month, a suitable temperature for plunging the pots in being 
80° to 85°. Telegraph is a very useful variety. 
Transplanting Carnations (Idem ).— If you require a mass of flowers 
for cutting the plants may bloom in their present position. If you wish to 
have them distributed in your borders you can take out every alternate plant 
from the beds, retaining as much soil about the roots as possible, aud replant 
carefully at any time during the present month when the weather and soil are 
favourable. If the plants are not removed they will not need top-dressing, but 
if a portion of them are taken from the bed the spaces they occupied should be 
covered with fresh soil and manure. 
Repotting Haresfoot Fern (Idem ).—Two-thirds of turfy peat, one-third 
of turfy loam, and a liberal admixture of broken charcoal, will form a suitable 
compost. Drain the pots thoroughly, and see that the soil in which the plant is 
now growing is not dry when removed. Towards the end of the present month, 
or when fresh growth is commencing, is the proper time for potting. 
Grafting Rhododendrons (Idem). —The usual plau is to have the seed¬ 
ling stocks in pots, and graft them either at the present time in heated pits or 
in August in cold frames, or inarching may be done in September in the open 
air. 
Names of Plants (G. 0. S .).— Ruscus aculeatus or the Butcher's Broom 
i i the name of the plant of which you enclose sprays. It not only forms a good 
barrier against dogs and cats, but grows well under trees. Your notes are turned 
to much better account than the one you suggest. We are always glad to hear 
from you. (Constant Reader). —1, Totally insufficient; 2, also very small, but 
apparently Veronica Andersoni. (C. T.). —Franciscea eximia. (S. B.). —1, a 
good form of Cypripedium insigne ; 2, Tillandsia zebrina ; 3, Blechuum boreale. 
(II. Shaw).— Acacia dealbata. 
from the intense rigours of the winter. Do not disturb the snow, then, until a 
thaw begins to solidify it, as then the water running through it would work 
damage and it would become impervious to air ; but in removing it cause as 
little jar as possible, and shade the hive mouth carefully for a time lest the 
iniiood of light should tempt the prisoners out to their destruction. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.—MARCH 2. 
OWING to the frost trade keeps very quiet. The bulk of hothouse Grapes is 
now arriving very much shrivelled, but fine samples are realising high prices. 
FRUIT. 
s. d. b. d. 
Apples. Jsieve 2 6to4 6 
Apricots. box 0 0 0 0 
Cherries. I? 1 lb. 0 0 0 0 
Chestnuts. bushel 12 0 16 o 
Figs. dozen 0 0 0 0 
Filberts. lb. 0 0 0 0 
Cobs. ^ib 2 0 0 0 
Gooseberries .... 4 sieve 0 0 0 0 
Grapes . lb 3 0 12 0 
Lemons. case 12 0 18 0 
s. d. s. d. 
Artichokes. dozen 2 0to4 0 
Asparagus. bundle 0 0 0 0 
Beans,Kidney .... ^100 10 16 
Beet,Red. dozen 10 2 0 
Broccoli. bundle 0 9 16 
Brussels Sprouts.. 4 sieve 0 9 13 
Cabbage. dozen 0 6 10 
Carrots. bunch 0 4 0 6 
Capsicums. & 100 1 6 2 0 
Cauliflowers. dozen 0 0 3 6 
Celery. bundle 16 2 0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 2 0 4 0 
Cucumbers. each 13 2 6 
Endive. dozen 10 2 0 
Fennel. bunch 0 3 0 0 
Garlic . ^lb. 0 6 0 0 
Herbs . bunch o 2 0 0 
Leeks. bunch 0 3 0 4 
s. d. s. d. 
Melons . each 0 0to0 0 
Nectarines. dozen 0 0 0 0 
Oranges . iff 100 4 0 8 0 
Peaches . dozen 0000 
Pears,kitchen .. dozen 2 0 3 0 
dessert. dozen 4 0 8 0 
Pine Apples .... Vft 1 0 20 
Plums . J sieve 0 0 0 0 
Walnuts . bushel 0 0 0 0 
ditto . V 100 0 0 0 0 
s. d. s. d. 
Mushrooms .punnet 1 Otol 6 
Mustard* Cress .. punnet 0 2 0 3 
Onions. bushel 3 6 SO 
pickling. quart 0 0 0 0 
Parsley.doz.bunches 6 0 0 0 
Parsnips. dozen 10 2 0 
Peas . quart 0 0 0 0 
Potatoes. bushel 3 9 4 0 
Kidney. bushel 4 0 4 6 
Radishes_ doz .bunches 16 2 0 
Rhubarb. bundle 0 4 0 6 
Salsafy. bundle 10 0 0 
Scorzonera . bundle 16 0 0 
Seakale . basket 3 0 8 8 
Shallots. ^ Tb. 0 3 0 0 
Spinach . bushel 3 0 0 0 
Turnips. bunch o 4 0 0 
Vegetable Marrows each 0 0 0 0 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
THE MANURING AND IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURE 
AND PARKLANDS. 
Grass land management is a subject of far more importance 
than it has ever been before, for in consequence of the general 
depression existing in connection with agricultural pursuits large 
tracts of land have been thrown upon the proprietors’ hands— 
much of it in an impoverished state and foul condition. Upon 
various estates it will require all the practical knowledge and 
judicious treatment which the agent or home farmer can com¬ 
mand to meet such an emergency as now prevails ; in fact, some 
fields are actually run to waste in those instances where the 
owners cannot find capital sufficient to cultivate and lay down 
the land to permanent pasture. The last is certainly the extreme 
difficulty, but in case we look at it fairly under the heading of 
our subject there is no reason why land run to waste cannot be 
brought into profit without the expense of tillage and cultivation, 
supposing the water passes from it freely and the fields are level 
enough to bear mowing and the ordinary treatment of pasture 
land. Although we have named an extreme case we have known 
large areas of land thus situated, which have been manured and 
renovated without tillage, and the letting value so much improved 
that it has been comparatively easy to find a tenant. 
If the home farmer will refer to the articles in this Journal 
Bees Covered by Snow (J.S., Cairnie ).—You ask whether it would be 
wise to remove the snow from your hives which have been now buried beneath 
4 or 5 feet of it for approaching two months. The snow thus covering your 
hives is a great advantage to your bees— i.e , if the snow is light and fleecy it 
secures for them a perfectly still air, and thus saves them altogether from one 
main loss of heat—viz., that occasioned by chilling draughts entering the hive 
mouth with every puff of wind. The snow will have been melted away from 
immediate contact with the hive entrance, and through it (the snow) quite 
sufficient air will percolate into the space thus occasioned to supply all the 
wants of the bees. In Russia it is quite common for hives to stand much more 
deeply buried than yours, and the bees thus situated are protected admirably 
dated the 24th and 31st of January, 1878, pages 75 and 95, under 
the heading of “ Management of Pasture and Parkland,” and also 
to the articles under the heading of “ Laying Down Land to 
Permanent Pasture,” February 5th, 12th, and 19th, 1880, pages 
105, 126, and 145, much information on the general subject will 
be found. We have named these references because we do not 
intend on this occasion to examine the whole subject again, but 
