236 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 23 1882. 
T 
ten are produced from each bulb, of the yellow variety especially. 
A number of Daffodils have been planted in the grass, and these, 
too, have a cheerful appearance. A great number of trees have 
lately been planted by Mr. Newton, such as the Abele Poplar, the 
Mountain Ash, Paul’s Scarlet Thorn, Laburnums, and various 
others that usually succeed well in towns ; these trees, which are 
very fine, having been supplied by Messrs. W. Paul, Turner, and 
Lane. It is gratifying to notice that a disposition exists on the 
part of the directorate of this garden to render it additionally 
attractive, and to permit the public to share in the enjoyment 
that such a large well-kept open space affords almost in the centre 
of the metropolis. 
-A correspondent, referring to the inquiry concerning the 
culture of Oranges in the Tropics, which was answered on 
page 205, sends the following extract from the “ Leisure Hour ”— 
“ The inhabitants of St. Michael live to a very considerable extent 
on Oranges, which are the principal product of their island. 
Boid mentions a curious display of epicurism among the upper 
classes there. He says they eat only that side of the Orange 
which has been most exposed to sun, and which in fresh fruit is 
quite as easily distinguishable as in our Apple. The trees here are 
said to be wonderfully prolific. They are propagated from layers 
bent down and covered with earth until they form a few rootlets, 
when they are separated from the parent tree and set in small 
plantations. So delicate is the Orange tree, however, that though 
the temperature of St. Michael never ranges farther than from 
about 50° to 75° Fahr., these offsets have to be planted in little 
hollows some 3 feet deep and surrounded by Firs and shrubs, and 
a pile of loose pieces of rock with which the soil abounds. Thus 
protected they soon become stout young trees, and are removed 
to the positions they are destined to occupy permanently. In 
this genial climate it is said they attain a good fruiting condition 
in seven or eight years, whereas in most European Orange gardens 
from sixteen to twenty years are required for young trees to 
attain the same stage. And not only do they bear very early 
but the crops are sometimes enormous. It is said that a single 
tree has been known to bear 26,000 Oranges when at its prime. 
This however, if a fact is quite exceptional, though it has been 
asserted on good authority that from 12,000 to 16,000 Oranges 
are not an uncommon crop for a tree in St. Michaels. In Spain 
or Portugal 3,000 to 4,000 are thought to be very satisfactory 
crops. The St. Michael Oranges come into market packed like 
the Spanish fruit, in chests and half chests containing 1000 and 
500 Oranges respectively, and realise from 30.?. to 50.?. per chest.” 
WASPS, AND HOW TO GET RID OF THEM. 
The time has now arrived when our old enemy will be making 
an appearance ; indeed, only the other day our estate carpenter 
caught a queen wasp in his workshop. I should like to see their 
prevention taken in hand more vigorously than at present by gar¬ 
deners and their employers. I took the hint from that good 
gardener, Mr. Taylor of Longleat, of paying for queen wasps and 
their nests as the best mode of saving the fruit. Towards the 
middle of March we commence paying 2d. each for all queen 
wasps caught in the gardens or within a mile of the mansion up 
to about haymaking time, and then 4 d. per nest for all that are 
brought to me entire till October. I have not my book at hand, 
or I could give the exact amount I paid for queen wasps and their 
nests last year ; but this I know, that we had hardly any wasps, 
to the great advantage of our fruit crops. Last year was the 
first year we tried this plan, and I am so far satisfied with the 
result that we shall continue the practice this season.—H. S. 
James, 1'arleigh Castle. 
Planting Potato Sets Beneath or on Manure ?—I am almost 
ready to plant the general farm crop of Potatoes, and recently found 
to my surprise that two intelligent practical men here, one a successful 
farmer and the other a gardener, held opposite views upon this matter, 
and both claimed to be successful. I am alluding to drill cultivation, 
where the manure is applied at the same time as the sets are being 
planted. I think there is much to be said on both sides, and would 
like to hear the views of any correspondent who has both theo¬ 
retically and practically thought over the matter. One maintains 
that the feeding roots go down for sustenance, the other that those 
feeding roots branch out from the stem towards the surface. The 
point is not mentioned at page 211.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
LABELS FOR PLANTS. 
When we figured Mr. Wolley Dod’s’label on page 173 we did 
so because we thought it good in prin¬ 
ciple, and in the hope that improvements 
might follow. An improvement, or at 
least so we consider it, did follow. This 
was Mr. Garner’s label described last 
week on page 212. Since Mr. Garner’s 
letter and our reference to his label 
appeared, we have been requested to 
supply “ further particulars.” As we 
cannot describe the mode of fixing the 
wire more clearly than our correspon¬ 
dent has done on the page quoted, we 
have had a front and back view of the 
label engraved. The method of attach¬ 
ing the wire, which is simple and effec¬ 
tual, will now be clear to all. It will be 
remembered that Mr. Garner applies a 
mixture of yellow and white paint to 
the labels, and after writing on them 
gives a dressing of spirit varnish, which 
he states stands the weather well. The 
colour is very agreeable. 
FERTILISERS. 
I WAS much interested as well as in¬ 
structed by the admirable article pub¬ 
lished on page 187 of the issue of the 
9th inst. on "Fertilisers and their Use.” 
Your correspondent," Single-handed,” 
writes so well, that if I venture on a few 
remarks upon the subject I trust he will 
deal mercifully with me. I can pretend 
to very little science and still less prac¬ 
tice, but Liebig tells us that we must 
look to the united efforts of the chemists 
of all countries in order to “ arrive at a 
rational system of horticulture and agri¬ 
culture,” and that these efforts must be 
aided by enlightened practical men such 
as “ Single-handed,” and 1 am en¬ 
couraged to offer such trifling help as I can give to enable him to 
work out the great problem which he has taken in hand. 
“ Single-handed” advocates the use of potash in abundance 
with farmyard manure, and in this I have no doubt he is right; 
but I lately heard from a gentleman who has the best means of 
knowing what is the practice of the agricultural chemist, that the 
chemist in returning the fertilisers of a manure does not, unless 
specially requested to do so, take any notice of the potash that 
may be present. Indeed, our greatest horticultural chemists of 
the present day are quite persuaded that the soil naturally contains 
so much potash that any additional quantity in the shape of arti¬ 
ficial manure is quite unnecessary. The analytical chemist, there¬ 
fore, ignores the important fact, so thoroughly recognised by your 
correspondent, that unless the food elements are offered to the 
plant in the form in which the plant can avail itself of them, they 
might as well not exist for any good that they can then do it. 
As Liebig amusingly puts it, “ They are ready to enter into circu¬ 
lation, like a maiden to dance ; but a partner is necessary.” The 
partner they are for the time tied to is unable to move. 
In illustrating this point “ Single-handed ” quotes the case of 
sulphate of potash, which he had observed remained for a long time 
inactive after application and only became available for subsequent 
crops; and he says that the reason is, it takes time to convert the 
sulphate into carbonate, “ in which state potash is alone available 
practically as plant food.” Is your correspondent right in this ? 
I have been led to believe that sulphuric acid has a stronger 
affinity for potash than for ammonia, which “ Single-handed ” 
believes is the agent for converting the potash into carbonate, 
by means principally of the carbonate of ammonia escaping from 
stable-yard manure. I shall be much obliged if your correspon¬ 
dent will consider this point again. It is one of great interest 
in the manure question. I am aware that sulphate of lime is con¬ 
verted into carbonate of lime by carbonate of ammonia, although 
