470 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 25, 1880. 
clearly betokened a want of attention or nourishment. The 
soil here, though remarkably silicious, is lamentably deficient 
of stones, and requires an extra amount of care and labour. 
The lesson, then, taught by the late seasons of extraordinary 
cold and wet are never to make a garden in low-lying damp 
situations ; to give the fullest attention to securing a warm 
aspect and abundant shelter ; to thoroughly drain the soil; to 
impart mechanical division artificially if the soil does not 
possess it naturally; and to keep it well broken up among 
young trees and shrubs. Pray note that I do not advise 
frequent digging among old shrubs that are in a satisfactory 
condition of health, for then a firm unbroken surface is un¬ 
doubtedly best. This remark also applies with equal force to 
fruit trees in full bearing. I have no latticework or expensive 
perforated iron over the paths of Peach borders, but I take 
good care that they are thoroughly fertile, and then make a 
walk of coal ashes upon them, trampling it as firmly as any 
other garden path. 
Let there be plenty of cosy nooks among the shrubs too, 
open to the sunny south, but shut in from colder aspects ; and 
here let us try at least two of every novelty of promise, and 
we shall be far more successful than when we plant them in 
less favourable situations.— Edward Luckhurst. 
GARDEN REFUSE AND ITS USES. 
The late Mr. Robert Fish, who was well known by bis writings 
in this Journal, was deservedly admired for his advocacy of 
economy in garden management. Many things he would turn 
to good and profitable use which others were inclined to pass as 
worthless, and perhaps in nothing was this quality better exem¬ 
plified than in the way he utilised the refuse of his garden. He 
used to say that the contents of a well-managed rubbish yard 
were a boon to any gardener, and so they undoubtedly are, as 
myself and many others have proved ; yet to this day the import¬ 
ance of vegetable refuse is not fully appreciated by all cultivators, 
many of whom would rather trust to the scanty supply of farm¬ 
yard manure, which, by-the-by, is in most cases difficult to 
obtain, than turn to good account the refuse which is daily col¬ 
lected from and around a garden. It is not difficult to have four 
or five different classes of well-decomposed soil at command for 
any purpose, provided care is taken to have the refuse overhauled 
once a month and a selection made of the various materials 
brought together. 
The rubbish should be if possible placed in a yard in the back¬ 
ground and out of sight of much-frequented walks. There a pro¬ 
cess of burning and charring should be going on at intervals, 
according to the quality of the refuse, which will generally be in 
the greatest bulk during the autumn and winter months. All 
hard substances, such as primings of hedges, fruit trees, shrubs, 
and the like, should be kept by themselves ; sweeping of walks 
and drives also, because the seeds of weeds are sure to be present 
in such material. Short grass from the lawn, if not used for mix¬ 
ing with manure for hotbeds, should be laid with the leaves of 
vegetable crops to decay, and the refuse from under the potting 
bench should be first sifted, as it contains most of the best mix¬ 
tures of soil; the finest may be laid aside for immediate use for 
common purposes, and the other placed with the coarser material 
for burning or decaying. Leaves of trees from the garden and 
pleasure grouuds should be stored apart from other rubbish to 
make leaf soil for commoner use, or they may be added to the 
heap. 
Having accumulated a sufficient quantity of materials, which 
may take one month, or it may be three—a little time should be 
devoted to their preparation—first of all a tire should be started 
with the coarsest substances to be burnt quickly if only ashes are 
required ; but if to be charred only when the fire is well alight 
add some of the other rubbish or sweepings, which will steady it, 
and by that means a heap similar to that of burning charcoal 
may be made up to last several days, and in which almost any¬ 
thing can be charred or burnt. By this process no insect can live 
nor the seeds of weeds retain vitality, consequently it is the best 
way to reduce or purify such rubbish into a useable state again. 
The heap for decaying should be turned frequently, and at each 
alternate turning a portion of quicklime should be added, which 
will hasten the decomposition. When all is burnt or decayed the 
heap should be turned over, the charred material being separated 
from the other for special use, all the rest being thrown into a 
heap and well mixed so as to be ready for use when wanted, and 
it will be gratifying to the gardener to know that he possesses 
several tons of rich fertilising soil to add to any part of the garden 
that stands in need of it, for such compost is more beneficial to 
many garden crops than pure farmyard manure would be. 
Charred refuse and burnt soil form a first-rate mixture for 
adding to stubborn soils. It is very quick in its action, and a 
capital manure for the Onion bed, and is beneficial in a great 
degree when trenched in the ground for Carrots, Parsnips, Salsafy, 
Artichokes, Turnips, and other similar crops. It is better than 
the rich farmyard manure for the Broccoli crop, for it does not 
induce a too luxuriant growth, which should be guarded against 
in growing winter and spring crops of this vegetable. For 
summer Cabbages and Cauliflowers it is excellent, and is equally 
good for mixing in the soil for fruit trees, either when they are 
newly planted or root-pruned. For Asparagus beds it makes a 
substantial dressing, and for surface-dressing shrubbery borders 
and beds it is most useful; more especially when the shrubs are 
old and the soil almost exhausted by the roots, a surface dress¬ 
ing will have a marked effect. For flower beds, too, and borders, 
whether used for spring or summer bedding, or both, it is a valu¬ 
able addition ; but it must be employed with judgment, as some 
bedding plants will, by its application, be induced to grow too 
luxuriantly at the expense of flowering. It is, however, a good 
manure for Calceolarias, as I have often proved. Some of the 
best of it may be selected for mixing with loam for potting pur¬ 
poses, and nearly all bedding plants will thrive in it in pots. 
Sufficient, however, has been said to prove that the rubbish yard 
with its accumulated contents, commonplace as they may seem to 
be, is not to be despised and neglected.— Thomas Record. 
NOTES ON FRUITS. 
Several of our Apple trees having cankered, died out, or 
refused to bear, are about to be replaced ; and the communication 
of “ Wiltshire Rector,” November 18th, enabled me to decide 
ou giving Stirling Castle a trial. With us Cellini does not canker, 
but bears freely large well-shaped and finely coloured fruit, which, 
when judiciously gathered and carefully kept, make excellent 
dessert fruit. So does Lord Suffield, but this year the clear 
golden hue has been disfigured by black specks. Many of the 
Marie Louise Pears have been deformed, drawn up like an S ; 
few have been of good size or form or have attained richness of 
flavour. As to Jargonelle, our tree on a somewhat shaded western 
wall will not bear ; it made me almost envious to read of it 
“fruiting so regularly and abundantly”—that most juicy, 
delicious, and graceful Pear, with tapering body and long 
slender stalk, as I remember it in former days. Our tree has 
been root-pruned ; a great tap root removed. What more can be 
done ? I am quite sure there is the soundest wisdom in the 
suggestion of “Wiltshire Rector,” both as to fruit trees and to 
Rose trees, that few varieties, several specimens of each if you 
have room for them, proved to do generally well in a soil to them 
kindly and suitable, repays one far more satisfactorily than in 
after certain limits attempting to cultivate varieties with which 
the soil or situation disagrees.—A. M. B. 
THE STAPLEFORD ROSES. 
In No. 17 of the Journal I notice an article on the Stapleford 
Roses, in which reference is made to an opinion given by me 
respecting these Roses. I think the writer must have partially 
misunderstood me, and I therefore will repeat my opinion there 
expressed, and add such observations as the little additional ex¬ 
perience of the past season will prompt. From what I saw of the 
Stapleford Roses in England, as grown out of doors, I did not 
think that they would prove as valuable as had generally been ex¬ 
pected ; I found very few specimens that had opened well or that 
came in good form, and it seemed to be the prevalent opinion that 
they would not be of great worth for out-of-door culture. It is to 
be remembered, however, that these Roses have been forced and 
weakened by propagation, and that a trial of one year will not 
accurately determine their value for outside culture. Many excel¬ 
lent Hybrid Perpetuals, we find, make a poor show for the first 
year, that afterwards develope their true worth ; and it is possible 
that some of these will act in the same way. While, therefore, 
I should not advise anyone to plant them largely out of doors, 
it is too early to condemn them as unfit for the open ground ; 
it will take another season to determine their worth for this 
purpose. 
As Roses for forcing under glass, I regard them as worthy of the 
highest esteem. There are few among the Teas that will give the 
same quantity of fine blooms during the winter that these do. 
All of them are to be prized for culture under glass, excepting Jean 
Sisley, Nancy Lee, and perhaps Viscountess Falmouth. Two of 
these varieties do not open well, and if the former prove a valu- 
