244 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March 23.1882. 
reference to India, the lecturer said that in India they saw the two 
things invariably linked together—on the one hand, disforesting and 
drought; on the other hand, forests and abundant rainfall. Having 
indicated the grounds upon which he urged that a proper system of 
forest conservancy in India was absolutely necessary, Sir Richard 
proceeded to ask to what extent that necessity had been properly 
recognised by the Government of India. There was now 25,000 square 
miles of forests in India that were properly preserved, and 50,000 
square miles of forests which were imperfectly preserved—in all, 
75,000 square miles. In Scotland they reckoned their forests by 
acres. British India had an area of 1,000,000 square miles. There¬ 
fore 75,000 square miles of forest represented that 7£ per cent, of that 
area. Or if they chose to reckon only the 25,000 square miles that 
were properly preserved, that would give 2g per cent, of the total 
area. If they took it in acres according to the Scotch plan, they had 
48,000,000 of acres preserved, perfectly and imperfectly together, of 
which 16,000,000 were, he ventured to say, perfectly preserved, even 
in the manner which w'ould be approved by practical Scotch foresters. 
Let them compare this result with the result which had been men¬ 
tioned by Mr. Hutchison. He had made out that though there had 
been a regrettable falling-off in the forest area of Scotland, still, as 
against 900,000 acres of forty or fifty years ago, they had 750,000 
acres, or three-quarters of a million of acres under woods and forests. 
That gave just per cent, upon the total of twenty millions of acres 
of area in Scotland altogether. So that, on the whole, India compared 
favourably with Scotland as regarded the total area of preservation, 
perfect and imperfect together, but compared unfavourably with 
Scotland in respect of the area of perfect preservation. With refer¬ 
ence to the financial result, he said they would be happy to hear that 
the Government of India was deriving a considerable income from 
those forests. The gross proceeds amounted to £750,000 per annum, 
and the expenditure to £500,000, giving a net return of £250,000 a 
year .—(Colonies and India.) 
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the trees daily with clear rain water not less in temperature than the 
mean of the house. Attend to tying-in the growing shoots as they 
advance, stopping the shoots reserved to attract the sap to the fruit, 
at every leaf, and laterals on all growths to one joint as made. 
In succession houses tying and regulating the shoots as necessary 
must be attended to, being careful not to overcrowd them. Disbudding 
in the latest houses must be done gradually. Thin the fruits, leaving 
sufficient for the crop, and an allowance for losses. Syringe 
regularly in the morning and afternoon of fine days, and the inside 
borders must be watered as needful, examining them not less fre¬ 
quently than once a week for this purpose, and when a supply is 
needed let it be sufficient to moisten the soil to the drainage. Fumi¬ 
gate upon the first appearance of aphides. In the latest house great 
care will be necessary in order to keep the crop back for succes¬ 
sion, as, owing to the fine sunny weather, the trees have flowered and 
set their fruit much earlier than usual. Yentilate freely in favour¬ 
able weather. 
Pines .—The rooting of the recently potted suckers or plants will 
be indicated by the growth, and as soon as this is effected constant 
attention must be paid to the bed, as the young roots which issue 
from vigorous suckers or plants are tender and easily injured by 
excess of bottom heat, hence 85° is sufficient, and the pots should 
be lifted if it exceed this. Under good treatment these plants will 
make roots rapidly, therefore have the needful materials in readiness 
so that the potting can be done at the proper time, which is when 
they are moderately well rooted, it being important .that the plants 
to give satisfactory results be grown on without check. As this 
will be the final potting the compost should consist of fibrous lumps 
of loam, which must be rammed firmly round the roots of the plants; 
and they should be supplied with tepid water at once, plunging them 
in a bed having a temperature of 90° to 95°, which should be main¬ 
tained until the roots have grown into the new soil. Fruiting plants 
or such as are flowering should have a temperature of 65° to 70° at 
night and 5° more by day, and from 80° to 90° by sun heat during 
the day, closing the house with sun heat at 85°, well damping the 
house at the time. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Pruning evergreen shrubs may now be done with safety, and this 
though frequently neglected amply repays for the labour required. 
Hollies, common and Portugal Laurels, soon become ill-shapen, but 
timely attention to pruning induces freer growth and increased root- 
action. Rhododendrons bear pruning in closely, but it is necessary 
to do this now, as when the pruning is deferred until after flowering 
the growth is made so late as not to become sufficiently ripened to 
bear the weather should it prove severe. The early pruning destroys 
the current year’s flowering, but it is the safest method for over¬ 
grown bushes. The planting of evergreens is perhaps best done when 
they are starting into growth or a little advanced, moist genial 
weather at the close of this month or early in next month being the 
most suitable for transplanting the choicer kinds and Conifers. 
Pruning Roses should be completed, and as these have made con¬ 
siderable growth from the points of the shoots they should be cut 
back to three or four buds at the bottom, according to the vigour of 
the shoots. Remove all old weakly wood, and as it is likely we may 
yet experience severe weather those pursuing this practice may escape 
injury. 
Grass is growing fast, and must when necessary be mowed, keeping 
it well rolled, edging the sides of walks, flower beds, &c., so as to give 
them a neat appearance and facilitate edging with the shears during 
the remainder of the season. Where bare and mossy patches occur 
in lawns stir the surface with a rake, then sow grass seeds to be 
covered with fine sifted soil and lightly rolled. For renovating lawns, 
soot and wood ashes applied in equal proportions at the rate of a 
peck per rod are unequalled, and the present is a suitable time to 
apply it. 
A sowing of hardy annuals of the most showy kinds may be made 
in the open borders; and if a sowing be made in small pots placed in 
a cold frame, hardening the seedlings before planting out in May, 
they will enliven the borders in early summer. Seed of half-hardy 
annuals must be sown soon, nothing being gained by too early sowing 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
The continuance of efficient protection for the flowers of fruit trees 
against walls is at the present time one of the most important 
matters in this department, and when the fruit is set the protection 
must not be hastily withdrawn, as the destruction of the young fruits 
of the Apricot and Peach by frost is not an unusual occurrence even 
when they have attained considerable size. The blossom of fruit trees 
is unusually abundant, and, although thinning is sometimes advised, it 
is seldom practised. It may, however, be done with advantage in 
cases of trees producing a superabundance of blossom, especially 
weakly trees. Apricots have set well, and where the fruits are very 
numerous some should be removed when they become the size of 
horse beans, but it is advisable to do this gradually. When the fruit 
of Peaches and Nectarines is set the trees should be examined, and 
if aphides are present on the young foliage syringe the trees with 
tobacco water, a gallon of juice diluted with eight gallons of rain 
water, the mixture being strained before use. The afternoon is the 
best time for the operation, especially when it is likely the night 
will be mild. Disbudding should be attended to as soon as the 
shoots are sufficiently advanced, reserving a shoot at the base of the 
current year’s bearing wood, and another on a level with or above 
the fruit, which should be stopped at the second or third joint. 
Shoots on extensions of last year should be reserved 15 to 18 inches 
apart,, a similar distance being allowed between the branches ; but as 
the trees are trained fan-like, this refers to the branches at 3 or 
4 feet from the point where they originate. Fig trees trained to 
walls in the open air may now have the protection removed from 
them, and the shoots should be thinned as may be found necessary, 
afterwards tying or nailing them to the walls. Regrafting such 
fruit trees as the Apple and Pear when needed should be proceeded 
with at once. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—The stoning in the earliest house will 
soon be completed, but until this is effected the temperature must 
be equable. In the latest stages of stoning the night tempera¬ 
ture may range from G0° to 65°, and 70° to 75° by day from sun 
heat. Red spider must be effectually kept in check by syringing 
