JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
122 
[ August 11, 1881. 
difficulty in getting away a day to see a neighbouring garden 
or any sociable entertainment which may occur. In the 
summer evenings recreation may be properly indulged in ; but 
remember this, Do not make any games a hobby—always keep 
them secondary. “ Duty before pleasure " is an old rule, and a 
golden one. 
In reading peruse gardening books and papers, such as the 
Journal of Horticulture,, first, newspapers afterwards, and 
light literature only at intervals. Music practice, when kept 
in its place, is a harmless amusement, and young gardeners 
may be welcome additions to the choir ; this will afford prac¬ 
tice on one or two evenings a week, as w T ell as bring up young 
men to a good and commendable habit on Sundays. The 
drunkard or debauchee of any kind will too soon find his 
mistake. 
In concluding these remarks I may just remind young men 
that it is from personal observation and experience that I 
write—not from imagination ; and I may say, as before, there 
is abundance of talent amongst young gardeners of the present 
day. Let those willing to use it for the good of the cause be 
brought to the front, and those who are inclined to be idle or 
careless must fall behind.—A Kitchen Gardener. 
VALUE OF A NORTH WALL. 
Plants and trees suffer most when exposed to extremes of 
temperature, and it is quite in vain that we plant our most 
cherished favourites by sunny walls and in cosy nooks if we are 
unable to screen them from alternations of excessive heat and 
cold. Foliage and blossom brought forth early under the influ¬ 
ence of the sun’s kindly rays are so tender that a single untimely 
frost will blast them, and the promise and hope of an entire year 
will be lost; there is, therefore, considerable risk of loss among 
the trees of a wall facing the sunny south unless ample means of 
protection are within reach. 
Trees trained to a north wall are not subjected to such changes ; 
the lower but more equable temperature of the wall surface and 
the air in which the branches grow render them more hardy and 
much less liable to suffer from sudden changes of weather, agree¬ 
able and most important evidence of which is afforded in the 
abundant crop of fruit that such trees usually produce. Late 
Plums, Cherries, and Currants are usually grown against this wall ; 
but I have also planted three trees of Green Gage, and others of 
Purple Gage, McLaughlin’s Gage, Peine Claude de Bavay, Trans¬ 
parent Gage, with Coe’s Golden Drop and Blue Imp6ratrice, 
and find all the Gages answer so well that the season of this 
delicious fruit is materially prolonged. Green Gage ripens its 
fruit first, then comes the delicious and larger fruit of McLaughlin, 
followed by the still finer Eeine Claude de Bavay. Coe’s Golden 
Drop and Blue Imp4ratrice seldom fail to crop heavily upon this 
wall, and the fruit of both sorts is very valuable, not only when 
picked from the tree, but also for several weeks afterwards if kept 
in a warm dry room. Nobody who has tasted a Blue Imp6ratrice 
that has been left hanging upon the tree till it became shrivelled 
is likely to forget its delicious richness. 
Of Pears I have only been able to try Winter Nelis, Thompson’s 
Marie Louise, and Williams’ Bon Chretien, all of which answer 
well, the fruit of Bon Chretien being much valued because, like 
the Gage Plums, it ripens so late as to make a good succession to 
that of trees fully exposed to the sun. This fact is worthy of 
attention m relation to other sorts of Pears as well as this old 
favourite, for it is notorious how uncertain Pears are in the time 
of ripening, many of the later sorts often coming to maturity 
too early, which renders any means of prolonging the process of 
ripening doubly valuable. It will be well, therefore, next Novem¬ 
ber to plant cordons of favourite sorts in every available space on 
the north side of walls and buildings, and thus turn to account 
many an out-of-the-way position that is but too often left un¬ 
occupied.— Edward Luckhurst. 
CHINESE PRIMULAS. 
There are but few owners of small greenhouses and frames, or 
even the latter alone, who do not endeavour to grow a few Pri¬ 
mulas : but I am afraid the majority fail to have them in perfection. 
This is to be regretted, seeing how when well grown they will 
brighten the houses and windows at the dullest time of the year. 
Although a rapid improvement has been effected with the strains 
of Primulas, probably in most instances among the classes for 
whom these hints are intended the only variety that can be afforded 
is what is obtained in a mixed packet, or a packet each of some¬ 
body’s unapproachable strains of red and white Primulas. In 
good time it is to be hoped, a half-crown, or at the most five- 
shilling packet, will comprise all the undoubtedly novel, superior, 
and distinct varieties. Their culture is really not difficult, as 
beginners will discover if they strictly follow the advice invariably 
given in these pages at sowing time by various successful growers. 
It is of no use, however, to read the article at the time, losing 
sight of the number containing it, and gradually forgetting the 
primary details. Better by far file the number and refer to it 
when assistance is most required. 
One of the greatest mistakes made in Primula culture—and this 
is not confined to amateurs, but is more often committed by pro¬ 
fessional gardeners—is sowing seed very early, say in February or 
March, the aim being to have strong plants in bloom early in the 
winter. No doubt in many instances fine plants are grown ; but 
how much better is the result of sowing seed in May, and even in 
June, and growing on the seedlings without any check till bloom¬ 
ing time. In the former case the blooms have to be pinched out 
once or twice as being premature, whereas this is unnecessary in 
the case of those late sown, thereby securing a splendid pyramid 
of bloom, the central truss always being the most vigorous. 
Then, again, early-sown plants often, unavoidably it must be ad¬ 
mitted in many instances, become root-bound and impoverished, 
from which they do not readily recover when repotted. Those 
late sown are generally in a proper condition for their final pot¬ 
ting at a time when other work is less urgent—viz., early in 
August. 
Supposing some of the readers of these remarks have their plants 
in this stage of growth—that is to say, well rooted in 60-size pots, 
I should advise them to at once shift the plants into either 5-inch 
or 6-inch pots. This is the most critical operation, everything 
really depending on it. A great per-centage of plants annually 
die when they ought to be at their best, and this I am con¬ 
vinced is entirely owing to faulty potting. It is the stems that 
are usually affected by canker, the lower leaves first failing, then 
the flowers lose colour, flag during sunshine, and finally the plant 
fails entirely. All this is owing to high potting, and this must be 
apparent to those who, losing plants one season, pot high next 
season, thinking it the best remedy. By exposing the stems we 
invite the disease, and the only remedy is to pot deeply—that is 
to say, to bury the stems up to the base of the first strong leaf¬ 
stalks. This will obviate the use of pegs to steady the plants, 
and will also strengthen them, as the buried stems will emit roots 
freely. The orthodox compost consists of three parts of good turfy 
loam roughly broken with the hand, oue of sifted well-decomposed 
manure and leaf soil, with a liberal addition of silver sand. If 
the loam is not turfy a greater proportion of leaf soil should be 
employed, and a little rather fine charcoal or broken crocks in 
order to keep the whole porous. The pots ought of course to be 
clean and well drained, covering the crocks with a little moss, 
especially if fine soil is of necessity employed. The soil ought 
to be in a moist state, and the fresh soil must be made somewhat 
firm about them. 
The best place to grow Primulas is a frame sloping northwards, 
and the plants should be as near the glass as possible ; keep them 
rather close till established, shading from bright sunshine, and 
water them as required. To grow them a long way from the glass 
and to shade heavily naturally draws and much weakens the 
growth. A sturdy healthy growth will produce blooms of the 
best quality. The temperature of the flowering quarters, if it can 
be avoided, ought not at night time to fall as a rule much below 
50°, neither should the plants be crowded or the soil be allowed 
to become dry. Occasional moderate supplies of liquid manure 
will insure large blooms of the richest colour.—W. I. M. 
NEW PEAS. 
Day’s Sunrise Pea.— Observing the inquiry of “ G. S., Sand- 
beck Park," as to whether there can be two varieties of the above 
Pea in commerce, I have forwarded by this post one each of pods 
containing severally four, five, six, seven, and eight peas in a pod. 
The average pod with me is the one containing six peas ; the 
quality and size you will be able to judge of from the samples 
sent. The haulm averages 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches, grown on rich 
soil sloping to the south with an inclination slightly to the east. 
Sown March 17th ; first possible gathering July 12th. If “ C. H. P.” 
at Cardiff grew them 5 feet high, and gathered on June 20th, it is 
very evident that the query of “ G. S.” is a most pertinent one; 
and I would suggest that “JOURNEYMAN ” should send some of 
his with nine and ten in a pod, and that “ C. H. P.” should also 
send you some of his pods to enable you to decide. 
Carters’ Stratagem. —This Pea is bearing well with us. 
It has fine large pods, the average height of the haulm being 
