September 4,1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
219 
can be devoted to them in the seedling stage. Although the seeds will 
germinate if sown in the border with the other annuals, it is always 
safer and more profitable to sow in pots and prick out where they are 
intended to remain. 
E. creticum, the most generally grown of the two, is a charming 
procumbent species, and very suitable for a place near the front of the 
mixed border ; and, indeed, might be judiciously mixed with summer 
bedding plants, so freely does it produce its pretty reddish purple 
flowers. It is never more than a foot in height, and of a dense compact 
habit. The leaves are lanceolate, hairy, and about 2 or 3 inches long. 
feature to the surroundings. The variety luteum is very handsome 
also with bright yellow flowers. 
The best mode of propagation is by seed, as the plants form long tap 
roots, which are very difficult to lift without damage.—M. S. 
FERTILISERS FOR FRUITS. 
In the cultivation of fruits we should not be misled by the fact that 
they do not in themselves exhaust soils, except in a slight degree. The 
constituent principles of fruits are, to a large extent, organic, and, theret 
fore, derivable from water and the atmosphere. Sugar, the importan- 
Fig. 38 .—Echium italicdm. 
The reddish purple flowers are produced half way down the stem, and 
continue in unremitted succession all through the summer and autumn. 
Amongst the perennials few stand our severe winters better than 
B. italicum, represented in fig. 38, and being easily affected by damp 
this should be guarded against in choosing positions. E. italicum, or 
Wall Viper’s Bugloss, is a very charming plant for borders. With us it 
grows about G feet high, much branched, and densely covered with its 
large intensely blue flowers. These are very showy, and although they 
may not last longer than one day others are ready to open, thereby 
keeping up a continual succession. Unlike the others, not being in the 
least fastidious, it will grow almost anywhere, and nowhere appears 
more charming than in the open border or isolated in the pleasure or 
wild garden. Its flowers, quite conspicuous in the distance, lend a 
principle of all fruits, takes nothing from the soil which has money value. 
The albuminoids, as has been shown, are very sparsely distributed through 
most of our fruits, and as they hold the nitrogenous element, it is seen 
that nitrogenous manures are not needed in large quantities in orchards 
or fruit gardens. Analysis of the Grape shows that in most varieties 
nitrogen, as supplied in manures, is not necessary. The results of analysis 
in the case of all fruits have been satisfactorily confirmed in my practical 
experience. 
I have never found nitrogenous manures to exert marked specific 
influence upon any of my fruit crops, and years ago I discontinued their 
use. Fruit trees, shrubs, and Vines need nitrogen, but the spontaneous 
supply in soils is fully equal to the comparatively small amounts required. 
There is one mineral element which may be said to be the pabulum 
cxcelleiico of growing fruits, and that is potash. It is certainly truo 
that we cannot raise perfect and desirable fruits if we withhold this 
element from the soils of our orchards. When it is considered that we 
