3G6 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ October 21, 1880. 
London shows pass their first stage under a thick covering of 
this material, which is preferred to ashes or any other medium. 
It harbours neither worms nor grubs, retains a uniform moisture, 
is clean, light, and altogether beneficial, and, further, being so 
extremely cheap it is surprising that a supply of it is not pro¬ 
vided in all gardens. Yet this is by no means the case. It is 
cheap enough for incorporating with the strong soils of gar¬ 
dens, and rendering them not only more easily workable but 
more fertile; indeed it was the striking results of its use in 
this respect that induced Mr. Beaton to test its value for 
plants in pots, the results of which he communicated to 
your columns for the benefit of the public. The soil of the 
then Experimental Garden at Surbiton was so strong, unfertile, 
and difficult to manage, that it occurred to the clever 
manager and quick-witted observer, that a few loads of the 
huge pile of vegetable refuse that inconvenienced the owners 
of a cocoa-nut matting manufactory at Kingston would im¬ 
prove the staple of his garden. He was readily given as much 
as he liked to cart away, and as he did nothing by halves he 
spread it on the ground a foot thick or raoi’e and forked it 
in. The effect was astonishing; the flowers and vegetables 
that before could only be grown with difficulty now grew 
luxuriantly, and the value of the refuse was established. 
Mr. Beaton has written, “ My own garden, which was a 
poor black sand, is now one of the most fertile in Surrey by 
mixing two parts of the stuff to one part of the black sand to 
the depth of 18 inches ; but I have it mixed twice that depth. 
Use it like leaf mould, or in lieu of peat; mulch and mix 
with it all kinds of soils. Even clay can be made into potting 
loam by mixing twice its bulk of the refuse with it in two 
seasons. When mixed spread out as thin as possible to get 
it well frosted and sunned, and when it is quite dry in July 
or August run a roller over it, and then give it another frosting 
and summering, and it will be ready for use. This fibre is 
free from any acid, saline, or tannin principle. Worms do 
not like it, and snails and slugs cannot well crawl over it, as 
it sticks to them, the surface of it being as dry as powder 
when the weather is anyways dry. It is the best mulching 
stuff, and 2 inches thick of it on a Vine border would keep 
the surface of the border as moist as need be a whole season, 
with no danger about keeping the air or the heat of the sun 
from the soil. Every plant, bush, and tree over the roots of 
which a few inches of it are placed, will root up into it in one 
season, and every root will ‘ fox-tail' in it, as being so very 
porous, so retentive of moisture, and so free from taste, smell, 
and qualities which roots dislike, they run freely in it and feed 
abundantly on the moisture it holds. The more recent or fresh 
it is the longer it will last, and the better it is for all the 
purposes for -which it is used." 
For Ferns, Camellias, and Orange trees it has been found 
valuable ; it is best and neatest of all mulchings for flower 
beds in summer, and it is useful for placing over the roots of 
tender plants in winter, also for surfacing the beds of Pinks, 
Pansies, and bulbs ; in fact, its uses are manifold, and a supply 
ought to be at the command of every gardener.—A Nurseryman. 
[We have received samples of the cocoa-nut fibre refuse 
from those who advertise it in our columns, and in each case 
the substance is of excellent quality. We have used it for 
various purposes -with the best results.— Eds.] 
THE STAPLEFORD ROSES. 
As the merits of these Roses seem to be up for discussion, it 
would be interesting to many if one or two of our amateur Rose¬ 
growing friends would favour us with their experience. 
One of our leading nurserymen (Mr. B. Cant), whose knowledge 
of what a Rose is and should be I think none will dispute, says 
in his catalogue, page 13—“ Bennett’s new hybrid Tea Roses have 
with me turned out perfectly worthless. It will be as well to 
give them a trial another year before throwing all of them away, 
which I anticipate will be their ultimate fate.” 
At the dinner upon the occasion of the Rose Show at the 
Crystal Palace we had as guests two eminent nurserymen and 
Rose-growers from the United States. They were very decided in 
their opinion as to the unsuitability of these Roses for outdoor 
culture, but spoke well of them for forcing. 
If the constitution of Mr. Bennett’s Roses is such that they 
will not open in our moist climate, and are only suitable for pot 
culture, our best thanks are due to our worthy friend “ D., Deal," 
for his seasonable remarks, which will have prevented many from 
ordering, thereby saving much disappointment next season.— 
M., Chester. 
LIFTING UNRIPE POTATOES. 
To the accusation of “A. K. B.” on page 351, that he has been 
misled by any statement of mine, I emphatically plead not guilty. 
Never has any article been written by me “ advising the lifting 
of all Potatoes when still in a growing state,” but for many years 
I have repeatedly urged upon your readers to lift the Potatoes 
as soon as growth ceases, and before the disease has touched 
them. Not only have 1 so taught but so acted, not with invariable 
success, for, as has so frequently been explained, nothing can save 
Potatoes from disease in a wet summer ; but given a few fine days 
at that critical time when growth has ceased and the ripening 
process begun, and the tubers are lifted, housed, and invariably 
saved. But mark this, they are never put in the store sheds and 
left for long ; on the contrary, they are examined frequently for 
about six weeks afterwards, and the discovery of a single diseased 
tuber is the signal for an immediate and thorough overhauling 
of the whole of them. For the closest observer may overlook 
traces of incipient disease at the time of lifting ; a single shower 
while we are asleep may have brought it, and then it is only by 
the exercise of great watchfulness and care that the crop can be 
saved. 
This year, as was stated, the entire crop was lifted and placed 
in the store sheds early in August. Since then the whole of the 
tubers, nearly 200 bushels, have been handled and closely ex¬ 
amined five times. They are now perfectly dry and sound, well 
repaying the pains and care bestowed upon them after the lifting. 
Had “A. K. B.” so acted, he would have had no “tale of horror ” 
to tell. Again I say to all, Lift early, store thinly, keep your eyes 
open and your wits about, and do not hastily condemn a well- 
tried plan simply because you do not understand it.— Edward 
Luckhurst. 
The failure of “ A. K. B.” detailed on page 351 has, I am con¬ 
vinced, arisen from some error in management, and is not the 
fault of the system that has been practised successfully by Mr. 
Luckhurst and other cultivators for many years. I am not aware 
that anyone has advocated the lifting of “all” Potatoes when still 
in a “growiDg state.” What has been advised and adopted with 
uniformly satisfactory results, is the lifting of the crop immediately 
the tubers have attained their full size, not waiting for the haulm 
to decay. For more than twenty years I have taken up my crops 
of early Potatoes as soon as the tubers attained their full size, 
whether the haulm was green or not, and not in one instance has 
anything like such a disastrous result followed as that recorded 
by your correspondent. There is a difference between the haulm 
being “green ” and the crop “ still growing.” There is a cessation 
of growth where the tubers have attained their full size ; and if, 
as is nearly always the case with the early varieties, this occurs 
before the disease sets iD, the taking-up of the crop, or the pulling- 
up of the haulm, leaves the produce sound. If the fungus has 
attacked the foliage before the removal of the haulm or the digging 
of the crop, then the early digging or haulm-removal goes for 
nothing, and the lifted produce will decay. I have never been 
able in this cold northern district to save the late crops, such as 
Paterson’s Victoria and York Regents, by the practice in question, 
simply because the tubers have not attained their full size before 
the disease has set in ; but in the district in which Mr. Luckhurst 
labours the crops are earlier, and he succeeds in saving late as 
well as early varieties. As proof of the safety of the practice 
advocated by Mr. Luckhurst when rightly carried out, I am 
intimately acquainted with a cultivator who has adopted it for 
forty years without failure, and his stock of Early Ashleaf so long 
preserved is as productive as ever.—A Northern Gardener. 
Injury to Wellingtonia gigantea. —Mr. Geo. Parkin writes 
as follows in the “ Journal of Forestry:”—“ This magnificent 
tree seems to have fallen in for a full share of the injury 
which has been inflicted this summer upon almost all kinds of 
trees, whether deciduous, evergreen, or Conifers, by the different 
insect tribes. There are a few fine specimens of the Wellingtonia 
gigantea on the Wortley estate, the seat of the Earl of Wharncliffe, 
varying in height from 5 feet to 30 feet, the lesser portion of 
which are still in the nursery grounds. About the beginning of 
last month my attention was attracted by the appearance of the 
tips of the branches, which, as well as the leading shoots, were 
drooping and turning brown. On carefully examining the trees 
I found them infested with a kind of spider, rather transparent, 
