October 16, 1831. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
845 
decorative purpose that they are seldom left hanging long upon the 
branches. I have planted A. Unedo, A. Rollissonii, A. rubra, 
A. procera, and A. Crooraii, and find the two first fairly vigorous and 
hardy, but I am doubtful as to the utility of the remainder. 
Since the introduction of the male Aucuba the grand old variegated 
A. japonica has sprung into the front rank of winter ornamental- 
berried shrubs. No artificial impregnation is required. A little plant 
of the green-leaved male variety barely 2 feet high planted near 
several large female specimens had the pollen of iis flowers so well 
distributed by insects that they were all gay with bright red berry 
clusters in the following winter. In no shrub is the effect of a rich 
soil more remarkable than the Aucuba. Shoots of wonderful substance 
and vigour come clothed with foliage quite double the ordinary size, 
and there is such a depth, richness, and brilliancy of colour in the 
leaf-marking as to draw exclamations of approval from those whom 
I have heard declare variegation to be a disease and the reverse of 
ornamental. Like the Holly, it bears shade, drip, and smoke with 
impunity ; but neither of these valuable shrubs are seen at the best 
under such trying conditions. They exist and are fairly healthy, and 
are therefore regarded with a friendly eye and placed altogether 
above criticism by those who with praiseworthy preseverance strive 
to surround their town homes with as much of plant life as possible. 
Cratajgus Crus-galli, the Cockspur Thorn, with its large deep 
scarlet fruit, is so ornamental that one wonders it is not more common 
both in gardens and woods. It grows slowly in a poor thin soil, but 
in a deep loam it soon attains the proportions of a small tree with a 
round yet spreading head, and is then very attractive. The common 
Hawthorn, too, should be planted in all large shrubberies both for its 
fragrant flowers and its abundant crop of scarlet “ haws ” in winter. 
The great beauty of the berries of the common Guelder Rose has 
been mentioned. It may be included among winter berry shrubs, for 
its berries frequently hang till late in the year. 
Cotoneaster Simmonsii has its long branches laden with bright 
scarlet berries in winter. It requires careful pruning every winter 
after the berries fall, or, as is but too often the case, are eaten by 
the birds. If left unpruned its branches become long, spreading, and 
thin, imparting a loose ragged appearance lo the shrub that is the 
reverse of ornamental, but with due care pretty compact specimens 
may soon be had, and they are quite worth having, for they impart 
much brightness to the shrubbery for a month or two. 
For planting near the front of a group Skimmia japonica is in¬ 
valuable. Its large, deep, rich crimson berries come so abundantly 
that, though a dwarf shrub, it is conspicuous, and is quite our best 
front rank shrub throughout winter. S. oblata is more vigorous and 
compact in its habit of growth than japonica, forming nice little 
specimens of a handsome globular outline. Both answer perfectly 
in our poor thin silicious soil, growing with an amount of freedom 
and vigour as would induce one to suppose they were in rich soil. 
Both the old and new varieties of Pernettya are useful marginal 
shrubs, and the large handsome berries of the new kinds should bring 
them quickly into favour. 
I have heard it laid down by no mean authority that Pampas 
Grass and Reeds should not be planted among shrubs, but should 
either be out upon the turf singly or upon slopes and in dells. With¬ 
out attempting to criticise this dictum, I am bound to point to the 
bright cheerful effect of the silvery plumes of the Pampas Grass 
among the shrubs late in autumn and onwards into winter. How 
much we should miss them, and how comparatively dull-looking the 
shrubbery would be without them. I have tried the Pampas Grass 
in various situations, and have good specimens on turf, on gravel, 
and in shrubbery borders ; but of several planted in a valley only one 
poor plant is alive. It must be owned that the soil of the valley is 
cold and wet, and early and late frosts are prevalent. Uader such 
adverse conditions this noble Grass will not thrive. 
Arundo conspicua, the New Zealand Reed, had its plumes fully 
developed in July this year, but they are not so fine as usual, owing 
probably to drought. Arundo donax has its plumes nearly full groAvn 
now, and the Pampas Grass gives promise of soon being in full beauty 
once more. Phormium tenax Veitchii has made some strong growth 
this summer; so, too, has Cordyline indivisa ; and Eucalyptus globulus 
has made a wonderful growth of about 7 feet this summer.— Edward 
Ldckiidrst. 
(To be continued.) 
LARGE ONIONS. 
It is a common desire to have Onions as large as pofs'ble. I never 
knew anybody who cultivated them that was not anxious to excel all their 
previous attainments in size. If every one of the bulbs could be grown 
lo measure 18 inches in circumference or more the cultivator’s delight 
would be complete ; but 1 think his joy would end there, as, speaking from 
experience dating back many years, I must say that I invariably find large 
Onions the most worthless in the kitchen, and they are certainly of no 
use as long keepers. This latter disqualification is one of their worst 
points, and it ought to stand at the top of the list in considering how best 
to keep up the all-important supplv of Onions. In July and August and 
until November the large ones may not fail, but in January and h’ebruary 
and on to Easter or after that of what use are they ? They split and grow 
long before their time, and not unfrequently they perish altogether. A 
week or two ago we had a fine lot of large Onions—bulbs running from 
1 lb to 1;^ lb. each, and we were rather proud of them at one time ; but 
this was before we observed that they were becoming soft and useless ; 
then we took some barrowloads to the dunghill and gave the remainder 
away for immediate use. Had we been depending on these for our winter 
ani spring supplies I fear we should not dare look the cook in the face for 
six months to come, and it would he to the advantage of all to study to 
produce Onions of the best keeping qualities. These, I find, are small 
hard bulbs from 4 to 6 ozs. in weight each, and they are produced on firm 
moderately rich soil.—A Kitchen Gardener. 
THOUGHTS ON CURRENT TOPICS. 
“ Second thoughts are best ” is a time-honoured axiom, and my 
“second thoughts” are that “ T. W. G.” on page 303 meant what he 
said in his eulogistic remarks on my brief notes on liquid manure 
(page 282), notwithstanding the pleasantly racy style of his communi¬ 
cation, and I will ask him to consider me as bowing my acknowledge¬ 
ments. Although there is no necessity for “gold letters,” I am positive 
if persons would think more before they act in giving liquid manure to 
unhealthy plants, or giving it when the soil is dry, there would be less 
waste of material and less injury done than is the case at present by 
unreflecting cultivators. 
My object in recording my thoughts on such subjects as they happen 
ti rest in perusing the pages of the Journal, is not to evoke flattery. 
If that were so I should append my name ; nor is it to search for faults 
and expose them in a manner calculated to weaken the authority of 
writers who are probably better men than myself ; my desire is to 
stimulate to further thought, and to drop a hint by the way that may 
perchance be useful. If my thoughts happen to run in a different 
channel from those of writers who called them into action, I shall not, 
I trusi, seek to glorify myself at their expense, knowing that if I do 
discrimmating readers will not be slow to detect my weakness, and I 
shall simply get laughed at for my pains. 
Nor am I so mentally constituted as to pmsume to express my 
thoughts on the productions of others, and at the same to object to 
have my own opinions dissected in the frankest possible manner, pro¬ 
vided it be done with an honest effort to correct an error for the general 
benefit, or to render clear what may be more or less obscure. When 
conducted on these lines, and with that object, I rather invite than resent 
criticism, which will be welcomed from whomsoever it comes, and shall 
have the respect it merits ; but mere word-snatching I will not indulge 
in, that is exercise for school boys, of which I had my little share nearly 
half a century ago. 
I HAVE been led into this train of thought by the remarks of a corre¬ 
spondent, who not inappropriately signs himself a “Non-Believer” on 
page 303, and who almost intimates that I cannot tolerate his “ doubting 
my teachings,” and suggesting that the rule I ventured to lay down is not 
“true.” I can tolerate this very comfortably, yet let me say that notone 
word that I have written above is directed to anything in that short article ; 
but I have been about long enough to have observed that disputations, 
small in their beginnings, have not unfrequently degenerated into un¬ 
seemly personalities, which have been by disinterested and impartial 
readers unanimously condemned, and I therefore take this opportunity of 
stating that nothing shall tempt me to encourage in the slightest degree 
anything of the nature indicated. As a practical method of admitting 
that “ Non-Believer ” is animated by similar feelings, I will give his 
letter my best attention, and devote to it my “whole thought” this 
week, for the subject of it is of general interest. 
In the first place your correspondent disputes the soundness of the 
principle which I embodied in the words, “ Liquid manure should never 
be given when the soil is dry, even if the plants need extra support.”' 
To that statement I shall adhere, and for the reasons previously adduced, 
until its inaccuracy is proved, and I venture to think that very different 
arguments will be needed to demolish it than the rather topsy-turvy ones 
in the letter under notice. 
Opposition to my views is founded on the alleged practice of Mid- 
Lothian farmers “ waiting for a shower or a wet day before they apply 
nitrate of soda, &c., to their crops.” It is quite true they do this, and 
their action is wise; but then—and this is where the topsy-turvyism cornea 
in—a “ Non-Believer ” does exactly the reverse. They wait for rain—and 
glad enough they often have been if the shower extends to a “rainy 
day ”—before applying the manure ; he has no occasion to wait for rain, 
for he has water laid on and can apply it through hose, yet he lets the 
soil get dry and the crops suffer, then gives artificial manure to this dry 
soil and washes it in through the hose ; he also gives liquid manure, 
“ washing it in ” similarly. 
It is passing strange to me that the soil should be allowed to become 
so dry as to cause the crops to suffer to the extent indicated, when by 
simply turning a tap the drought and exhaustion could be prevented. I 
