410 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 15, 1883. 
ashes are left and much good manure lost. It is not merely to get refuse 
out of the way that we advise burning, but the main object to be kept in 
view is to secure as many ashes as possible, as for many crops these are 
most valuable as a manure. Iu burning aheap of rubbish, the flames 
should never be allowed to ascend, but the whole should smoulder until 
everything is charred. When we make up our heaps we put all the 
prunings in the centre, and weeds, edgings of walks, and all short 
rubbish are thrown over the top, and after this has been submitted to 
the action of a slow fire there is a large quantity of ashes, which we value 
above everything for vegetable-growing.— A Kitchen Gardener. 
SIX MONTHS IN A VINERY. 
Feb. 12th. —We liave not had occasion to give air a second 
time yet, as there has been no continued sunshine since the 8th, 
but the shoots have strengthened wonderfully, and as our space 
between the trellis and the glass is limited to about 10 inches we 
have thought it well to commence tying down the forwardest 
shoots. About one-third of them have been thus tied to-day 
and the point of the shoot pinched out at the same time, leaving 
generally three leaves beyond the bunch besides the one exactly 
opposite to it. Were there less than 3 feet between the rods we 
would only allow two leaves beyond the bunch to remain. Of 
course these leaves are very small at present, and the operation 
of pinching out the point requires some care, but the sooner it 
can be done the less will be the loss. 
Tying down the shoots is a very delicate work, and can only 
be done by degrees. A piece of matting a quarter of an inch 
broad is placed over the shoot beyond the bunch, and a loose 
loop two or three times as large as the stem is tied. The other 
end of the matting is brought down to the trellis, and merely 
pulled and fastened sufficiently tight to bring the head of the 
shoot down 2 or 3 inches without putting any pressure on the 
union of the old and young wood. It does not signify at all 
about the shoot being bow-shaped now, when it becomes tough 
later on it can be bent to anything, but at present the least little 
pull too much will snap it off, and there is a risk of disfiguring 
the Vine for life. 1 have seen many shoots tied down, apparently 
safe during a bright day, and the operator congratulated* himself 
about the neat way in which he had done it; but the next morning 
told a different tale, for during the night while the house was 
damp and thei'e was less evaporation, the young growth had 
more than regained its former rigidity, and as the tie would not 
give way the shoot did. 
Feb. 24th.—Since the 12th we have had four bright days— 
viz., IGth, 18th, 19th and 23rd, and on each of these occasions 
we have given a little air between 8.30 and 8.45, closing again 
between 12.30 and 1 p.m. On all other occasions the house was 
kept close. As the effects of the watering were plainly visible 
for a fortnight on the surface we have only had occasion to damp 
down twice since the watering was finished on the 6th. The 
shoots have been brought further down by placing a shorter tie 
on them than was given at first, and some of the forwardest are 
now nearly in a horizontal position ; others have only had a first 
tie, inclining them only slightly as previously mentioned. All 
have now been stopped with the exception of a few of the very 
weakest and a few sublaterals—?>., branchlets springing from 
the axils of the fruit-bearing shoots (or laterals) have pushed 
sufficiently to be also stopped to one leaf. 
The oldest of the main leaves are enlarged so as to measure 
7 to 7J inches across and about an inch more in length. The 
green colouring matter is now spread throughout, and the oldest 
of the leafstalks and veins of the leaves are assuming a brownish 
red colouring. This colouring is also seen slightly on the stems 
of the laterals where they are most exposed to the sun, which 
gives a hardy look, and causes one to think they are getting all 
they want, and are making good use of the same. 
The bunches have been reduced to one on each lateral, the 
tendrils removed with the finger and thumb, and the ugly-looking 
or badly balanced shoulders as well. 
Written instructions on temperature given on the 15th inst., 
and still in force, are “ 55° night and 60° day by fire heat, 
80° to 95° with sun.”—W m. Taylor. 
(To be continued.) 
CATS v. RATS AND MICE. 
On page 374 your correspondent “B. S.” asks for information as to 
the best method of destroying field mice without endangering dogs. I 
say, writing after rather unpleasant experience, that cats are the only 
remedy. On taking charge of these gardens I found they were over¬ 
run with field mice or voles, and rats, these coming in the first instance 
from the park and preserves surrounding us. The mice gnawed the 
bark off the fruit trees under glass and in the open, cut down the 
Boses in pots, cleared off whole breadths of Carrots, spoilt great 
quantities of Strawberries for the sake of the seeds, ate all seed peas not 
soaked in paraffin, besides doing much damage among Carnations, 
Pinks, and other flowers. They burrowed in the ground, grew fat, and 
increased in all directions. Endeavouring to trap them when thus 
well established was simply waste of time, and although we succeeded in 
poisoning some, this was both a dangerous—in fact, we killed more birds 
than mice—and an ineffective remedy. They will not take bait, either in 
traps or poisoned, similar to the house mice, but must be tempted with the 
same kind of food they are feeding on, even if this be Rose shoots. 
The rats established themselves in the forcing pits, and having a long 
run through the courses of the bottom-heat hot-water pipes, could not be 
dislodged. They cut down numbers of Dracaenas, and formed nests 
with the leaves of these, Panicum, Ferns, and other valuable material. 
Others established themselves in a protected Vine border, and formed a 
large nest wdth various materials, and did not forget to destroy the 
greater portion of our first batching of ducks. In the houses and pits 
we trapped and poisoned a few, but the latter, being difficult to get at, 
nearly poisoned us with the stench arising from their decomposition. 
Two cats soon changed the whole state of affairs. The mice they 
gradually cleared out, and the rats soon disappeared, as is their wont 
when they see danger. Cats, to be serviceable, should be kept entirely 
in the gardens, as they are of no service in the garden when encouraged 
in a living-house, especially where there are children, and overfed. A 
little bread and milk is all ours have, and the rest they must catch for 
themselves. When our first pair took to poaching in the surrounding 
game preserves they, after one promised “let off,” had to go the way of 
all poaching cats. This, no doubt, will be the case if “ B. S.” tries my 
remedy, but he, like us, will have fully realised their value, and will 
quickly procure two more strong kittens.—W. Iggtjlden. 
On page 374 a correspondent, “ B. S.,” complains of the trouble 
field mice cause him. A few years ago I was troubled in the same way, 
also with rats, their runs often being at the foot of a south wall ; but the 
rats were generally in the bank of a pond situated in the middle of the 
kitchen garden, some parts of which were completely honeycombed with 
their runs. A good cat was on the premises, and used to catch many, 
but failed to keep them down enough. Placing poison about was not to 
be thought of, and they are usually wary of traps. One day, however, 
about two years ago, my attention was attracted at the pond bank to a 
little animal that I thought at first was a rat, but which proved to be a 
stoat. On its being pursued it started into one of the many runs the rats 
had made, and all attempts to catch it were unsuccessful; but I have 
never seen but one rat in the garden since that time, and only a few mice, 
as I quite believe the stoat has destroyed them. Afterwards I saw on 
two occasions the stoat at the runs at the south wall where the mice 
were so plentiful, and I have been troubled very little with mice since. 
I have also seen a weasel in the garden, and if either of these little 
animals cannot be procured, plenty of traps and cats must be provided.— 
A. Harding. 
UNITED HORTICULTURAL BENEFIT AND PROVIDENT 
SOCIETY. 
The admirable article under this heading, which appeared on page 
349 of your issue for October 25th, is so seasonable and so kindly 
appreciative as to deserve the thanks of all gardeners interested in the 
question. There is no antagonism between the above and the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution. The United Horticultural Benefit Society 
reeks to assist a class of gardeners that it is very unlikely will ever be in 
a position to be benefited by the latter, and I trust the publicity you 
have so generously given to the Society will result in a large accession of 
members. 
I can bear personal testimony to the business-like way in which the 
affairs of the Society are conducted. As one of the honorary members 
it has fallen to my lot for two years past to preside at the annual 
meetings of the Society, and I have been greatly pleased to see the 
earnest attention given to the affairs of the Society by the numerous 
body of members that are then brought together. The Committee of 
Management is openly selected from the members, and there is no pre¬ 
vious manipulation of that body by the Secretary or any little clique of 
members. 
Suffer me to take this opportunity of appealing to the trade to 
support this deserving Society by becoming honorary members. They 
will be assisting a deserving body of men, as one of the objects of the 
Society is to create thrifty habits on the part of many gardeners in 
subordinate positions in the gardening world.— Richard Dean, 
Ranclagh Road, Ealing. 
Referring to several articles that have appeared recently in your 
valuable paper respecting the above, allow me to state my experience 
exactly coincides with Mr. Heales’—viz., the coolness hitherto shown 
by many gardeners in reference to the Society. No doubt Mr. Divers’ 
assertion, if authentic, respecting gardeners being so favourably recog¬ 
nised by insurance societies will be a welcome surprise to many; till 
now I have been under the impression such a favour was only allowed to 
abstainers from intoxicants. If “ Sussex Gardener” joins this Society 
and induces others, and I earnestly hope he will, he will do exactly what 
most of the members have already done, which has lifted the Society into 
its present flourishing condition. As to “ J. B.’s” concurrence with the 
addition of the word “blot,” such an expression is uncalled for. After 
the publication of the article at page 349 surely the allegory, “ hiding 
its light under a bushel,” is misapplied ; and allow me to respectfully 
