December 1, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
487 
former popularity of this beautiful, but now neglected, class. There is 
still a splendid display of them, and in noting the number of houses and 
pits full of plants it would be easy to imagine that a revival had sprung 
up. A fine house of Epacrises at Clapton is noteworthy in itself, but 
far more so are the long ranges of pits full of Heaths. The plants are 
propagated from cuttings by thousands without the slightest trouble, 
and are in all stages, some 3 or 4 inches high and as much through ; 
others of flowering size. All are the picture of health. They grow with 
the greatest freedom, so thoroughly have all their wants and peculiarities 
been taught by the experience of years. At Bush Hill Park there are 
great houses full of plants in bloom. E. ventricosa, E. hyemalis, and 
E. melanthera are a trio that are grown in thousands. Acacias are 
another remarkable feature, the beautiful and easily managed Drummondi 
being one of the most largely grown. Then there are Chorozemas, of 
which Lowi is very much in evidence ; Genetyllis tulipifera in large 
quantities ; Pimeleas, Boronias, such as heterophylla, elatior, and mega¬ 
stigma ; Aphelexis, and many others. Correas magnifica, picta superba, 
Brilliant and cardinalis also form a beautiful display. 
Other plants can only have a passing reference to indicate the scale 
on which they are grown. There are thirteen long pits full of English 
grown Azaleas at Clapton, splendid plants all of them. Of Genistas 
there are several more, together with houses at Bush Hill Park. There 
are Gardenias in enormous numbers, all glistening with health. Cycla¬ 
mens form a little nursery of their own, for there are ten large houses 
full of beautiful plants. Berried Solanums, Bouvardias, Camellias, and 
Daphnes are grown in thousands, while pot Roses are another nursery in 
themselves. 
Roses and Fruit Trees. 
The wonders of the glass houses at Bush Hill Park do not exhaust 
the interest of the nursery, for, as mentioned above, there are 50 acres 
of fruit trees and Roses. The dwarf Roses for sale are a magnificent 
collection, being fine healthy plants full of vigour. Besides them there 
are 120,000 budded this season, and thousands of cuttings for own-root 
plants have recently been put in. Apples and Pears in all the popular 
varieties are represented by splendid trees in all stages. One piece of 
budded Apples, comprising 25,000, is very striking. There are fine 
quarters of standard trained Peaches and Cherries, also of espaliers and 
pyramid Pears, while two-year-old Apples have all the vigour and 
substance of trees at least a year older. Vines are another strong feature. 
Want of space forbids any further enumeration. Let it suffice to say 
that everything bears the impress of high culture. That is the great 
secret of success everywhere, and in the case of Low’s it has undoubtedly 
had a large share in the enormous magnitude of their trade.—W. P. W. 
THE BLUE TIT AND FRUIT BUDS. 
I READ with much pleasure in your last issue Mr. Hiam’s defence of 
the blue tit. Notes from such an observant naturalist are valuable, and 
I know of few men who take so much pains to verify their statements 
as my friend of “ The Wren’s Nest.” The blue tit is one of the 
gardener’s best friends. In the winter he is busy among the fruit and 
other trees searching for the ova of insects. Now above, now swinging 
under the branches, here, there, up and down, with quick action he peers 
into every crack and cranny, not only for the ova, but also for the 
dormant insects. Many a time have I watched these birds through a 
glass and seen how dexterously they with their sharp-pointed beak clear 
out the fruit-tree pests, and thus I have benefited by their work. What 
millions of insects and ova these little creatures must destroy in the 
winter months, and what “ a blight ” there would often be in the spring 
were it not for them. A few weeks ago I watched a party of these 
beautiful birds among some large Thistles (commonly called the Scotch), 
and I was delighted to find they were feeding off the seeds, and for two 
days then they were swarming about the Thistle heads until “food there 
was none.” This was new to me, though I have been a field naturalist 
all my life. Goldfinches I have often seen thus employed, but never 
blue tits, but I have cole tits. True, when the weather is very dry and 
food scarce these blue tits will sometimes peck holes in Pears, &c., but 
that oftener is very far outweighed by the vast amount of good they do. 
Both the cole and the marsh tit are of much service, and I am glad to 
see all in my garden frequently. 
I quite agree with Mr. Hiam, and that without any reservation, that 
the bullfinch and the sparrow are birds not wanted in or about our 
orchards, fruit trees, or gardens. I have watched these for more than 
half a century, and beautiful as I think the bullfinch is, and inter¬ 
esting in many ways, I would not have one about, or a sparrow either, 
if I could help it. Both have tried my patience even beyond endurance, 
and if more people would only note the true habits of birds as closely 
and as carefully as Mr. Hiam we would not be so often troubled with 
assertions about bird life that are scarcely founded so much upon fact 
as sympathy ; and yet no one can say but what Mr. Hiam, and I will 
also include myself, has and have a delight and continued pleasure, nay 
even a love, for birds. Neither of us speaks because we would destroy 
simply. Truth must stand, however it may be denied. The bullfinch 
and sparrow are pests.— Harrison Weir. 
I observe Mr, J. Hiam, Astwood Bank, is of the opinion that the 
above birds do not injure fruit buds nor kill bees. Parus minor is not 
so destructive to living bees as Parus major, but while plenty of 
dead ones are about contents itself with them. This, however, does 
not prevent it catching living ones, both during winter and while 
feeding its young. In a very short time one bird will destroy all the 
buds of a fair-sized Currant or Gooseberry bush, and if several are about 
they will attack a Plum tree, and not leave it until but few buds 
remain. Sparrows do the same, and, like the tits, have virtues as well 
as vices. For the former substitutes can be found, but the latter 
cannot be overcome without great expense. Parus major is very 
destructive on living bees, but less so on bush buds than Parus minor. 
It is, however, too mischievous in that respect to be tolerated. It also 
attacks buds of other fruit trees the lesser one does not interfere with 
—W. T. 
Your correspondent, Mr. Hiam (page 459) inquires for the experience 
of other readers on the above. My experience is that both “A Lanark¬ 
shire Bee-keeper ” and Mr. Hiam are right so far—namely, that titmice 
in the winter and early spring are very fond of bees when other food 
is scarce, particularly the large oxeye tits. I have watched them picking 
the bees to pieces, and have seen the snow sprinkled with the remains of 
the bees after they have been feeding. They will even tap the hive, 
woodpecker fashion, for the bees to come out to their destruction. I 
have a good many hives of bees and a large number of fruit trees, and I 
quite agree with Mr. Hiam that titmice do not eat fruit buds. I have 
many times watched them, and found it was insects they were in 
search of, but they have a nasty habit of pecking Pears near the foot¬ 
stalk in the autumn, causing them to decay ; and they are certainly fond 
of late Peas in October. To my mind the only bird that destroys fruit 
buds in rural districts is the bullfinch, and if you want fruit where they 
are numerous they must be destroyed.—R. Maher, Yattenden Court. 
VINE LEAVES AND LATERALS. 
I am pleased to see the name of Mr. D. Buchanan appear in the 
Journal again, especially in connection with this subject, as I am aware 
of the varied experience he has obtained in the Grape-growing establish¬ 
ments of Scotland. That he is doing good work in the Forth Vineyard 
is made very clear to my mind by the description given of the brightly 
coloured leaves in the large vinery there. My opinion is that beautifully 
tinted leaves are a sure indication that the Vines carrying them are 
in excellent health, full of activity at the roots, and that the house 
management is such as to secure a gradual and natural ripening of the 
foliage. Unhealthy Vines sometimes during the growing season produce 
pale green or even yellow leaves. This may be in consequence of the 
soil being deficient in those constituents which supply chlorophyll to the 
leaves, or because through other causes the roots are not active enough 
to extract a sufficient quantity from the soil when it is present. Some 
might argue from this that beautifully tinted leaves were a sign of 
unhealthy Vines, but they should remember that the gradual change in 
the colour of foliage in autumn is due to a diminishing flow of sap which 
takes place after the leaves have performed their proper functions, not 
before, as in the case of yellow ones produced during the growing 
season. My opinion is that the beautiful colour in Vine leaves which 
Mr. Buchanan speaks of is not accounted for by the particular kind of 
soil in which the Vines are grown, so long as that soil is capable of 
producing good foliage and wood, but that they are the natural conse¬ 
quence of proper treatment. This opinion I think I can support with 
plenty of facts. 
In the first place take as an example Vine leaves which have been 
badly infested with insects during any stage of their growth. Instead 
of turning yellow, bronze, or red, they assume a rusty brown colour as 
autumn approaches and shrivel prematurely, while the footstalk is left 
hanging to the Vine shoot, proving conclusively that the leaf tissue 
collapsed before its natural time ; leafstalk and leaf should fall almost 
simultaneously. Next call to mind Vines which have been kept per¬ 
fectly healthy up to the stage when the Grapes begin colouring. Moisture, 
with some cultivators, is then suddenly withheld, the atmosphere of the 
house being kept too hot and dry causes the leaves to lose their fresh¬ 
ness and to become dry and brittle. Leaves on Vines so treated turn a 
rusty brown at the edges ; they often have well coloured markings, but 
the colour is not vivid and they lack that glossy appearance which 
healthy leaves have quite up to the time of falling. Leaves such as 
those which I have described do not fall gradually, but some down in 
showers. 
Contrast such leaves with those on Vines in perfect health, receiving 
good treatment and plenty of fresh air night and day while the Grapes are 
hanging. The colouring of the leaves then takes place gradually, there 
is a fresh glossiness in their appearance, they have no rusty brown 
edges which are brittle enough to crumble to pieces when pressed 
between the fingers, and even when they do fall they seem to do so 
reluctantly, one falling here and there, instead of coming down in 
showers. They fall simply because they have arrived at maturity, and 
having thoroughly performed their functions, the supply of sap, which 
has been gradually diminishing, at length practically ceases to flow. 
In regard to the leaves sent by “ J. L.” and Mr. G. Nuttage I doubt not 
that they were wonderfully fine samples, but it should no . be forgotten 
that with the exception of Trebbiano, Gros Maroc produces the largest 
leaves of any Grape in cultivation.—H. Dunkin. 
The identity of correspondents has little to do with honest 
discussion, so passing on to Mr. Dunkin’s third sentence (page 433) I 
make bold to say every reader will agree with its truth—“ The test of 
experience is displayed in the results achieved.” I think Mr. Dunkin 
