December 23, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
565 
housed the lights are dispensed with entirely, “ T. P.” says good plants 
and bracts may be grown in 7-inch pots. I have seen some at 
Marston growing in 48’s from 12 to 16 inches in height, bearing heads 
of the same dimensions as their height. These were young summer 
struck plants of the November flowering variety. 
Useful as they undoubtedly are in the month named, they are, I 
think, still more so in December, when there is not the same wealth of 
Chrysanthemums, and the nearer they approach the great winter festival 
the more value is set upon them, partieularly in the case with those who 
have to supply flowers for the decoration of churches. For this work 
Poinsettias are much sought after, and furnish perhaps the boldest and 
most striking flower obtainable. They have a peculiarity quite their 
own as cut flowers, some standing erect and fresh for several days, often¬ 
times a week or more ; others droop the same day or the next 
after they are arranged either in living rooms or in church, 
all being equally fresh and gathered at the same time. Such 
an erratic custom is very disappointing to those who have 
to purchase them at the high price usually charged at 
Christmas time. The searing of the cut end with a red 
heated iron immediately on being gathered prevents their 
drooping so quickly as they will do, even if placed at once 
into water, because the ends being slightly charred prevents 
bleeding. 
The above advice has been oft repeated in the Journal , 
and I have on more than one occasion proved its soundness. 
I cannot, however, explain why such severe flagging should 
occur in some bracts, while others equally fresh when cut 
should stand erect for days without showing any such ten¬ 
dency. Perhaps other readers may be able to throw some 
light on the subject for the benefit of those who use Poinsettias 
in a cut state.—W. Strugnell. 
county is not the most favourable for growing, you will doubtless 
consider them worthy of notice.—C. D., Yorks. 
[The Pears sent by our correspondent were excee lingly fine, and 
arrived in splendid condition a few days before Christmas. The 
illustration (fig. 75) represents a well grown Doyenne du Comice, 
such as those referred to.] 
AN ATTRACTIVE BED—WINTER CHERRY. 
A plant not too well known, and not cultivated so much as it Bhould 
be, is the perennial Winter Cherry (Physalis Alkekengi). Although 
said to be a native of Southern Europe, it seems to withstand our severe 
IMPROVING HEAVY SOILS. 
My experience with very strong soil is different from 
that of Mr. Igguiden, as described on page 519. I find it 
is best when first taken in hand to bastard trerich it at once ; 
it is the only way I can make the land at all workable. 
After the surface soil is moved the depth of a fork there 
is below this a hard pan-like subsoil ; into this the roots 
of no kind of crop can penetrate. To assist the quick 
percolation of water also from the surface it is necessary 
to have the subsoil broken up 2 feet deep from the surface. 
In this way the soil is rendered fairly dry—at least, water 
does not lay on the surface where the soil has been moved 
in the way advocated. Although the land is heavy and 
retentive, it is not clay exactly, but a near approach to it, 
being freely mixed with flint stones. When the soil has 
been moved to the depth named, the stones act as a perco- 
lative medium. 
Drains appear to be useless in this land, owing, I suppose, 
to the number of stones contained in the soil. The gar¬ 
den when made, fourteen years ago, was drained, 18 feet apart 
and 4 feet deep ; the pipes were covered with stones 1 foot 
thick, and over these were laid Thorn cuttings from the hedges. 
From the appearance of the drains one would think there had 
not been a drop of water through them since. By the addition 
of plenty of long manure on the top of the broken subsoil, and 
by adding abundance of decayed vegetable refuse, leaf soil, and 
road grit to the surface soil, frequently forking it over when 
dry, we are enabled to grow fairly good crops of vegetables 
and some kinds of fruit. 
I also find this land is made much better and more easily 
managed if bastard trenched about every second or third 
year. ° Where it is longer neglected than this the subsoil 
“ callusses,” and is not favourable to the growth of anything 
in the way of annual crops. Cow manure I found was not 
the best to use here ; it adds to the heaviness of the land, 
keeping it cooler, and obstructs quick percolation during 
sudden and heavy rainstorms. 
Hereabouts chalk is largely employed for mixing with the 
surface soil, containing, as it does, a certain per-centage of 
lime. How much I do not exactly know, as the quantity 
contained in various chalks is not the same. Excellent building lime is 
made from chalk in some localities, but in others it is useless for this pur¬ 
pose. The manner of “ chalking ” in this part is to lay it fresh from the 
quarry on to the land early in the winter, frost pulverising it to a powder, 
when it is then forked into the surface, and acts mechanically in loosen¬ 
ing the soil, and chemically, too, I suppose.—E. Molyneux, Swanmore, 
A CHRISTMAS PEAR. 
ACCORDING to my experience, Doyennd du Comice is one of the 
best Christmas Pears in cultivation. The fruit, when well grown, is of 
a large size and most delicious flavour. Invariably, too, the tree is a 
good cropper, and with me gives the most satisfactory results. 
To corroborate my statement regarding this Pear, I send you a few 
samples, which, I think, will be sufficient; to prove that it is worthy 
of all that can be said in its favour. The Pears sent herewith were 
grown on a south wall in Yorkshire, and considering that this northern 
FIG. 75.—PEAR DOYENNE DU COMICE. 
winters. In a bed 12 feet in diameter are planted seven or eight 
Japanese Maples of the polymorphum type, and well coloured in the 
spring and summer months. They have stems about 2 feet in height, 
and their heads spread out 2 to 4 feet across. 
Three years ago, in the month of April, young plants of the Physalis 
that were just shootiDg up from an old bed were planted as an edging to 
the Maple bed about 9 inches apart, and also a few were dotted about 
beneath the trees. Previous to plantingtwo barrowfuls of decayed manure 
were lightly forked in, but the bed has had no other stimulant or digging 
since. The Physalis grows about 18 inches in height, and during the 
summer is not attractive, only as a green plant, but it is in the months 
of October, November, and even December that it is so telling. Even 
at the present time this bed, with its hundreds of leafless stems, but 
covered with its bright orange red calyces is very effective at 200 yards 
distance, quite a blaze of colour. 
It is an old-fashioned hardy perennial, and has been found eligible 
in a class for hardy perennials at the Royal Horticultural Society in 
the month of October. The foliage is all off the Maples now, or the 
undergrowth of Physalis would not show up so well. Anyone who has 
