150 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t August 12 , wao. 
the soil is very strong the Briar would he the most suitable stock, and many 
varieties would also do well on their own roots. We are quite ready to name 
some good varieties for you if you will let us know how many you require. 
White Foxglove ( Risley Hall). —The flowers had all fallen from the 
branch and were much withered. It appears sufficiently distinct to be pre¬ 
served with the object of ascertaining if the change of form is merely acci¬ 
dental or not. You might also save seed from the large bell-shaped flowers, and 
possibly you may obtain a distinct and pretty variety. 
Agave densiflora (C. J/.).—It is impossible to advise you as to the treat¬ 
ment of the plant without seeing it. The most satisfactory course would be to 
take the opinion of a practical gardener in the neighbourhood. The fact of the 
Orange pips producing “ apparently wild trees with thorns ” indicates the 
tendency evidenced by all cultivated plants to return to their original form. 
Vines Unhealthy (J. T. <$'.).— You have misunderstood us. We did not 
say the scorching of the foliage was caused by syringing too-early in the 
afternoon, but endeavoured to inform you that it was caused by the house being 
too moist in the morning before the ventilators were opened. Your Vines are 
undoubtedly scorched, and are more liable to injury on account of their un¬ 
healthy state. The leaves, instead of being stout and leathery, are thin and 
flimsy, quite destitute of tissue, and this has not been caused by insects, but is 
the result of some fault in management or unsuitable soil. There are no insects 
nor eggs nor larvrn of insects in the excrescences of the leaf sent, which we have 
carefully examined with the aid of a powerful microscope. The Melon leaves 
were beyond question infested with red spider. There may, of course, be some 
other insects on the plants, but there were none on the leaves sent. There are 
no so-called “ Vine bugs ” on the leaf we have examined but only warts, with 
traces of red spider and mildew—the latter being consequent on the ruptured 
tissue. It is not common for red spider to “ eat holes ” in the leaves, but when 
the insects are so numerous as they were on the Melon leaves sent, they so ex¬ 
tract the juices that a shrinkage of the foliage often follows, and occasionally the 
leaves appear as if roughly perforated. The same effects follow when the young 
leaves are much attacked, and afterwards increase in size. Neither does the 
Vine coccus eat holes in the leaves. Whether there are other insects or not on 
your Vines besides the red spider you cannot err by sponging the foliage as 
you propose with a mixture of softsoap and hellebore. It is our duty to inform 
you that you are quite in error in describing the warts on the leaf before us as 
“nothing more nor less than the bug or coccus in their larvm state.” We 
cannot tell what you have on leaves that we have not seen ; but this we 
know, that your Vines have been mismanaged and your Melons devoured 
with red spider. You had better sponge the leaves now and give the Vines and 
house a thorough cleansing in the winter. 
Various (£.). —If you have employed light open nets, old herring nets, for 
the trees, they are not the cause of the foliage falling. The trees are probably 
weak as well as old, and in that state the foliage is very liable to the attacks of 
red spider, which does little harm to young and vigorously growing bushes. 
The tendency of early defoliation is to restrict root-action, which renders the 
trees still weaker, and the fruit smaller each year. Keep your old trees till the 
others are in a bearing state, then destroy the former, having still younger 
plants coming on to maintain the supply. All the trees you name may be safely 
removed if they are taken up with great care, planted well, and staked securely. 
Evergreen Oaks, however, do not transplant well, and special attention must be 
given them both during their removal and afterwards. If biennials are grown 
in specially prepared beds,-each kind having a bed to itself, they may be planted 
in early autumn ; but if they are required to bloom in mixed borders they are 
preferably planted in spring, just when fresh growth is commencing. Fruit is 
generally small this year, the u eather not having been favourable for its free 
development. A greenhouse with a north aspect is suitable for Ferns, Sela- 
ginellas, fine-foliaged Begonias, and even Fuchsias in the summer; also for 
Camellias and many other plants. 
Boxes for Exhibiting Cut Flowers (San Juan). —There is no work 
published on this subject. The boxes described iu the book you name will, as 
to size and distances of the tubes, answer equally well for Pelargoniums, and 
Pansies may be shown in boxes that are used for Carnations, the dimensions of 
which are given as follows by the National Carnation and Picotee Society:—• 
For twelve blooms there should be three rows of four each, from centre to centre 
3f inches; from centre to outside, 2J inches ; outside length, 15^ inches; width, 
12 inches; depth, 4J inches ; to be painted a bright green. The collections of 
sixes should be in three rows of two each, with the flowers at the same distance 
from centre to centre, and centre to outside, as in the collections of twelves. 
The collections of twenty-fours may be composed of two boxes of twelves, 
making three rows of eight in each row, or in one box, as may be convenient 
to the exhibitor, but the same space should exist between the flowers. The 
same boxes will also do for French Marigolds. Asters and African Marigolds may 
be shown in the Rose boxes, or boxes of the same size, for they are not shown 
on moss the same as Roses are. Carnations, Picotees, Pansies, and Asters are 
usually shown on white paper collars. 
Ornamental Fence (Suburban). —Peeled oak cord-wood makes a first-class 
rustic fence, and its peculiar forms may be arranged to suit almost all tastes. 
An examination of a rustic chair will suggest something of the appearance of 
Oak cord-wood made into a fence ; but you can have it placed to suit your own 
fancy, for rustic work is ornamental in proportion to its rudeness. A fence of 
this kind covered with Ayrshire Roses is one of the finest objects in a garden. 
The branches of the English Maple (Acer campestre), are the best of all wood 
to form a rustic ornamental fence ; but they can rarely be had. The thinnings 
of Larch plantations are most used, and may be made to assume a variety 
of forms, the commonest of all being upright posts driven into the ground 
close enough to keep sheep out, with a half pole on top for capping. This is 
commonly known as the Scotch fence. Any joiner would suggest to you 
several shapes and put them together iu squares, triangles, or diamonds to suit 
your taste. 
Names of Fruits (G. P., Hants ).—The Pear was much decayed, but appears 
to be Citron des Cannes. 
Names of Plants (Sal). —The plant resembles a stunted form of Francoa 
appendiculata. (G. P .).—The Rose was too much withered to be recognisable. 
The yellow flower is Tanacetum vulgare, the other is Rhus Cotinus. (F. T .).— 
1, Anemone coronaria; 2, Leycesteria formosa; 3, Completely withered. (G. J. S.). 
—The plant to which you refer is Tritoma Uvaria. (IF. A.).—Your specimens 
when submitted to us were too withered to be identified. (J. T., Sloke ).— 
1, Spiraea Menziesii; 2, Too withered to be recognisable; 3, Astrantia major; 
4, Habrothamnus elegans ; 5, Veratrum nigrum ; 6, Funkia ovata. (Cuctfield ).— 
Achillea Ptarmica flore pleno. (M. Roper). —The small fronds of the Ferns we 
received were quite without spores, so their names could not be determined with 
certainty. 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
ROTATION OF CROPPING FOR HEAVY OR MIXED 
LOAMY SOILS. 
We are aware that we have undertaken a difficult task in 
endeavouring to indicate the best rotations of cropping for heavy 
or mixed loamy soils, but our experience of the systems of crop¬ 
ping adopted upon various loamy soils has been so extensive that 
our remarks may be the means of inducing the home farmer to 
consider the subject attentively. One of the chief difficulties we 
shall have to contend with will be difference of soil, situation, and 
aspect. The soils, and the variations from flat to hilly land, even 
where the soil is similar, will be sure to influence the cropping ; 
we shall therefore endeavour in the various divisions of soils to 
name them, in order that each may the more readily be treated 
by different modes of cropping. In carrying out our intentions 
we shall, however, be obliged to allude incidentally to the system 
of stocking as well as cropping, for it is important that wherever 
stock is kept it should be shown practically how it is made suit¬ 
able to both soil and climate. 
We will first consider the treatment of clay soils. These vary 
much in consequence of the difference of the subsoil, yet there is 
a similarity among them which either excludes sheep from the 
land, or at any rate from consuming roots upon the land in the 
winter months. Still on many farms, especially those situated 
upon a chalk subsoil, sheep are kept in large numbers. Let us 
first discuss a rotation of cropping for such soils, including a pro¬ 
vision for sheep feeding off green crops during the summer 
months ; and we must here remark that the present time is the 
best, not only for setting out the rotation, but also for altering 
any mode upon which a farm may have been previously con¬ 
ducted. We will illustrate our advised system by the cropping 
of a farm of 200 acres of arable land. First year a preparation 
by autumn fallow, sown with Rye, Trifolium, and winter Vetches 
in autumn, and Mangold in the spring, extending over 20 acres, 
in such proportions as the requirements of the stock may dictate. 
As we are advocating what may be called a five-course rotation, 
each division will contain 40 acres, thus there are 20 acres more 
to crop in this division. This should be sown equally with Beans 
and Peas, which may be succeeded by Wheat following a fallow 
made after the Rye, Trifolium, and Vetches have been fed off by 
sheep. The Mangolds should be pulled for food at the homestead, 
or for feeding sheep in the following spring upon the land. As 
soon as the Beans and Peas have been harvested the land should 
be scarified and autumn-fallowed, and the whole 40 acres under 
preparation for Wheat must be manured at a convenient oppor¬ 
tunity. If the season is unfavourable for the dung being laid 
out artificial manures may be applied—a portion at seed time, 
and the remainder in the spring. The land where the sheep have 
been folded on the green crops will, with the autumn fallow 
succeeding, be well prepared for Wheat without any manure 
until the spring, when, if requisite, it may be dressed with nitrate 
of soda. We have thus accounted for two years out of the five 
by green crops, roots, fallow, and pulse crops in the first year, 
and Wheat in the second year. The third course should be Lent 
corn, either Oats or Barley, or both in admixture, called drege. 
If for Barley the land should be prepared by steam power, and 
broken up roughly to lie the winter. In the spring the Red 
(lover seeds will be sown in the Lent corn upon half the lain 
