February 9.1832.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. Ill 
any part of the wood ; but I prefer to make an incision and hide the 
seed from birds that otherwise generally carry them away. Some 
years must elapse before many berries appear, as they grow slowly. 
—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
PTES-GLEPJ 
IBS. 
On Saturday last the Fog in London was extremely dense 
and for several hours during the afternoon and evening, espe¬ 
cially in southern districts, it became so thick that all traffic 
was stopped. In the morning, too, and on the previous evening, 
it was also very dense in some portions of the suburbs. It is said 
that many of the waggons and carts engaged in conveying vege¬ 
tables to Covent Garden Market, instead of reaching their destina¬ 
tion early on Saturday morning as usual, were so much delayed 
that they did not arrive until late in the afternoon. 
- It would seem that the culture of vegetables for 
sale in England is likely to become more profitable than has 
been the case in some recent years. As will be seen in our 
Home Farm article, it is stated that if the treaty with France is 
not renewed it will greatly interrupt the supply of vegetables 
which are largely imported thence every year, especially early 
in the season. The larger portion is usually sent over by back 
carriage at a small charge. If, however, the treaty is not renewed, 
whole freights will have to be paid, which will no doubt not 
only diminish the importation but considerably raise the prices 
here. This, however, is a better prospect for cultivators than it 
is for consumers. 
- In some districts vegetation is dangerously forward, but 
the lower temperatures we are now experiencing will have a 
tendency to check this undesirable advance. Some fruit trees, 
especially Pears, in the south were expanding their buds last week. 
We noticed at Chiswick several Pear trees with the buds so far 
advanced that it appeared a week’s fine weather would cause 
them to fully expand. Such a condition with the temperature 
12° below freezing point, as it was last Thursday, is certainly 
rather dangerous. 
- Mr. W. Taylor writes—“ In the garden of A. R. Baily, 
Esq., Willow Vale, Frome, I was lately shown what was to me a 
NOVEL mode of striking Roses. Some cuttings were taken off 
and made about two months ago, and immediately buried in sand 
in a box and placed in a shed. A layer of sand was first placed in 
the box, then a layer of cuttings, another layer of sand, and then 
another layer of cuttings, till the box was filled and all the 
cuttings were out of sight. The sand was merely kept from 
getting dust-dry and that is all. I examined several of the 
i | cuttings and found them nearly all callused and ready to emit 
roots, which I have no doubt they would speedily do were they 
inserted where they could be shaded for a time. Mr. Baily’s 
gardener told me that the idea was taken from an American 
paper, in which the writer stated, also, that he had inserted Pear 
;; buds on Quince shoots before burying them in the same way, and 
that on uncovering them the buds had taken and the cuttings 
callused.” 
- Concerning his treatment of Chrysanthemum Mrs. 
Charles Carey, “A Grower” writes, “was grown in the 
ordinary manure in a very large pot, and allowed to make as 
many shoots as possible, which were disbudded at the usual time.” 
- Respecting the discussion upon cutting early Pota¬ 
toes “Single-handed” writes—“As far as preventing Potatoes 
sprouting is concerned I quite agree with Mr. Iggulden, but he 
seems to doubt that the starch in Potato tubers acts in the same 
way as the starch of Wheat or Vine rods. In former remarks 
this was put in the form of a query, for it has not, I believe, been 
certainly ascertained. Some further remarks upon planting 
Potatoes whole at certain times, and cutting them into smaller 
pieces than is common at others, must be reserved for another 
communication.” 
- Mr. Alfred Waller, writing in “Science Gossip” for 
February, gives the results of some rather interesting observations 
concerning the relative proportion of colours of flowers in 
British plants. The total number of species examined was 
1113. Of these the plants with yellow flowers were 254, white 217, 
and purple 165, which are much more numerous than the other 
tints, and include more than half the total. Blue flowers are 
stated as 71, pink 41, red 26, and green 15, with a number of 
intermediate shades represented by a few species. They are also 
arranged under the months in which they flower, June and July 
including over 800, or nearly three-fourths of the total. 
- At this dull season, even though many plants are very 
forward in their growth, there is little on the rockery to plea c e 
the eye, except, perhaps, a few Crocuses, and it is now that the 
Mossy Saxifrages appear to the best advantage. Such species 
as Saxifraga hypnoides and S. emspitosa, with their varieties, form 
neat tufts or cushions of a most lively green colour, and impart 
a freshness that is much appreciated when most occupants of 
such structures are far from attractive. They grow freely, 
flower abundantly, and are very little trouble, though they 
certainly should not be grown to the exclusion of other choicer 
plants. 
- Several pretty early Crocuses are flowering in gardens 
now ; and brief as their duration is, they are well worth a place 
in the border or at the base of a rockery, as they very agreeably 
remind us of the approaching spring. Foremost is C. Imperati 
with its purplish-tinted flowers that in some gardens are now 
past their best, as this season they appeared early in January. 
C. chrysanthus is a striking contrast to the above, of very dwarf 
habit, and producing its rich golden or orange flowers in profusion. 
C. Sieberi has neat purplish flowers, very pretty ; while other 
good forms, such as C. etruscus, C. biflorus, and C. vernalis, are 
fast advancing. 
- “Among old but useful plants,” writes an Essex gardener, 
“ I greatly value SpArmannia africana, as for at least ten 
months during the year it affords flowers which are greatly ap¬ 
preciated by my employers. I have one large specimen 7 or 8 feet 
high, and a number of smaller plants, which I grow in 48 and 
32-size pots for conservatory decoration. The large specimen 
supplies the flowers required ; indeed, during the past year I cut 
many bushels from it. Easily grown and requiring very little 
attention, I consider this one of the moat useful plants I have.” 
- Mr. W. Iggulden writes—“I have a good batch of 
Suttons’ Reading Pink Primula which proves very attractive 
to visitors. Though scarcely so robust as might be wished, in 
other respects it is most commendable. It is compact in growth ; 
and the pyramid of bloom, of a pleasing shade of pink with a 
yellow eye thrown well above the foliage, renders the variety a 
decided acquisition. The trusses are very compact, and as the 
colour is so much admired I am venturing to pack them with 
other flowers for the town house. They are flowered in a tem¬ 
perature seldom much below 50°, and this apparently suits other 
strains of Chinese Primulas equally as well, or even better, than 
a lower temperature.” 
- “A Cultivator of Heaths” considers that “the 
beautiful and useful Erica melanthera is not sufficiently 
