Marcb 1, 1 81. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
169 
to pot plants is in the shape of manure water—i.e., manure in a 
liquid state. Standen’s or Clay’s Fertiliser are very strengthening 
to Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Chrysanthemums, and other quick¬ 
growing things, but Gloxinias, Begonias, and all bulbous plants are 
ruined by it, and these should oidy receive good water in which 
cow manure has been dissolved. Liquid manure is best made by 
putting the manure and soot into a canvas bag, and then sinking it 
to the bottom of a tub or tank, so that a clear filtered and not too 
strong an infusion is obtained. Weak and often— i.e., every 
alterioate watering—is the best way of applying liquid manure, and 
this only when the soil is full of roots. 
Improving Fine Flowers. —When an amateur has acquired the 
knack of growing his favourite flowers to perfection, he may add to 
his pleasure by stdl further improving and varying them by cross¬ 
fertilisation. Most flowers have a green-headed pin in the centre 
-communicating with the seed vessel, and this is the style, the green 
tip being the stigma, to which the pollen of other flowers may be 
applied with a wet camel-hair pencil or brush. The pollen, or 
feitilising dust, is contained in the anthers or yellow-headed fila¬ 
ments which stand around the central point of the flower. To 
•cross-fertilise flowers successfully one may grow the seed-bearing 
■plants at home, and get the pollen from flowers grown by flower- 
loving friends elsewhere, or it may be obtained from one’s own 
flowers, but never from the seed-bearing plant. Pollen should be 
obtained from the best habited varieties, and seed should be saved 
from the varieties that are large and richly coloured, and in both 
•cases from well-grown plants. In this way, by careful and constant 
■cross-fertilisation and good culture, every amateur may soon possess 
valuable races or strains of the flowers he likes best. The point 
as to decide on improving what you can already grow to perfection. 
Primroses, Auriculas, Narcissus, or what not, and then begin to 
cross-breed only the finest varieties. 
Coal Tar and Cement.— Let us begin with the tar. I often 
wonder this is not more generally used by gardeners and amateurs 
and cottagers who have either wood or ironwork around them de¬ 
serving of preservation from rot or rusty decay. It is as cheap as 
-dirt, cheaper in the end than dirt and neglect prove to be. 
Wherever Avooden labels or stakes, posts, &c., are used, the part in¬ 
tended to go into the earth should be first charred, then dipped in 
-coal tar, then dusted over with finely sifted coal ashes, and they 
will last three times as long as those not so treated. But this is 
not all, for it has been stated in the paper above cited—“ The 
•coating of brick and wooden structures with coal tar, as a rough 
and ready means of preserving them from the action of damp, has 
been common from the earliest days of gas industry. It has also 
been usual in chemical works to protect the stones used in the con- 
■struction of acid tanks, &c., by a preliminary soaking in heated tar. 
But the great improvement in strength and impermeability to 
moisture Avhich results from the simple operation of boiling bricks 
and stones in gas tar is certainly not so generally known as it should 
be. Professor Lunge, in the new edition of his work, ‘ Coal Tar 
and Ammonia,’ draws attention to the subject, and indicates several 
■useful applications. He points out that drain and roofing tiles, 
which are quite porous and brittle as they leave the kiln, may be 
rendered absolutely watertight and much stronger by immersion 
in a bath of hot tar. Building stones are greatly improved by 
similar treatment; and for many purposes the dead black colour 
which results is an advantage rather than an objection. The tar 
should be deprived of water and its most A’olatde oils ; and to pro¬ 
duce good results the bath must be maintained at a temperature of 
at least 100° C. The articles to be treated should be thoroughly 
•dried and alloAved to remain in the tar for some time.” 
Cement.—U seful as is coal tar, cement is almost of more im¬ 
portance to all good gardeners. You can do anything Avith cement 
if you Avill only try. Even rotten parts of the AvoodAvork of hot¬ 
houses filled and drawn with cement last almost as long as neAV 
repairs by a carpenter. Common AA'Ooden stages can be lined with 
cement, and so made AA’atertight and damp-proof. Edgings, piers 
or supports, steps, concrete slabs, and all sorts of rockAVork can be 
most effectiAmly produced in cement. Bare aauIIs coA'ered with 
common gas coke stuck on and coloured Avith cement form pretty 
ferneries. Concrete piers or supports are readily made Avith clean 
mashed graA’el or stones, or coke and cement. You can model any¬ 
thing in this plastic material, and the only tools are thin firm mould¬ 
ing boards, a troAvel, and a big paint brush to soften off and smooth 
surfaces or to form Avater Avorn boulders, &c., acl infinitum. A 
handy man in a garden can do Avonders AA'ith these cheap and simple 
materials.—D octor’s Boy. 
NOTES ON PEACH TREES. 
Nothing is more disheartening than to have a fine promise of 
blossom, and then as soon as the trees are started to see the buds 
fall in showers. Early-forced Peach trees are notorious for such 
behaviour, some varieties more than others, and although much has 
been written detailing the real or fancied causes, it is unfortunately 
far from uncommon, hence any information likely to throw any 
light on the subject must be of service to many readers of the 
Journal. We are frequently told to keep our Peach borders moist 
through the winter, or Avhen the trees are at rest. It is very good 
advice, but not always sufficient to prevent the buds falling, as I 
have many times proved ; indeed I can go further, and say that, 
provided the wood be thoroughly ripe, a Peach border may become 
very dry and not a bud be lost. 
Not long ago I had to take charge of some Peach trees which, 
partly from their position and partly from neglect, had become so dry 
that it was impossible to moisten the soil more than an inch below 
the surface. One reason for this was, they were planted on a level 
with the front sash of a lean-to house, so that what little water 
had been given quickly ran off to the level of the floor, which was 
2 feet 6 inches below them. There had been no fruit for some 
years past ; the huds fell every spring. The trees made very little 
wood, but that, which was small and wiry, was eA’ery autumn well 
set with fruit buds, notwithstanding that red spider had devoured 
the foliage by the middle of September. We tied the trees to the 
roof, undermined them, and wheeled the soil to the garden, which 
after a winter’s rain, was found as dry as dust 3 inches below the 
surface. After putting the drainage right the trees were lowered 
to the level of the floor, the space was filled with fresh loam, well 
watered, and the surface mulched with littery manure. Not a bud 
fell the following spring, and we secured a good crop of fruit. 
I have mentioned this, not to recommend border drought, but to 
show that Peach borders may become very dry without the trees 
losing their buds, and that dryness at the roots is not always the 
cause of buds falling. There is no doubt, however, that if means 
had not been taken to supply moisture before the trees started the 
buds would have fallen in showers, as they had done in previous 
years ; hence the lesson is, always thoroughly soak the borderi 
before starting Peach trees. 
Immaturity of the wood is generally the cause of buds falling, 
so that any information likely to help us to secure thoroughly 
ripened shoots is valuable. According to my experience the very 
worst form of house for early forcing is a span-roof with fixed 
sashes, and the best is a lean-to with a south aspect and portable 
lights. I have always found Peach wood ripen best when the 
lights can be taken off after the fruit has been gathered, and 
especially so with early forced trees. As long as there are leaves 
the trees must be kept syringed in houses with fixed lights, in order 
to keep red spider in check, and that of necessity creates a condition 
in the house more favourable to the growth than to the ripening of 
Peach shoots. If some experienced correspondents would discuss 
this subject further they would be doing valuable work.—J. H W. 
ASP AK AG US CULTURE. 
Mr. G. Abbey, in his very excellent articles on Asparagus in last 
year’s Journal, August to October, advises sowing or planting on ridges 
S feet apart ; and in the commencement of his paper in the Journal for 
September 1st. page 191, last Amlume, he says, “ Let the height of the 
ridges be as before stateil,” but I find he has omitted giving the height 
of the ridges. As I am thinking of sowing a good piece this spring I 
should esteem it a favour if Mr. Abbey will rectify the omission in your 
next issue.—K. J. A. 
I AM obliged to “ K. J. A.” for directing attention to my having 
omitted to state the height of the ridges at the respective distance apart 
of the rows and plants. In the Journal of Sept. 1st, 1887, page 191, it 
is stated, “ For the 18-inch rows plant on the flat,” AA-hich precedes the 
quotation of your correspondent—viz., “For the other distances let 
the height of the ridges be as before stated.” Now planting on the flat 
in the manner stated is the key to the ridge. There is clearly no ridge 
made before planting, but one is made by doing this in the Avay indicated 
—viz., “ Stretch a line at the required distance ” 18 inches in 
planting on the flat), “ or along the centre of each ridge, and make a 
sloping cut on both sides the lines at an angle of about 45° where the 
plants are required,” &c. “ The plants are placed astride the ridge, &.C., 
to insure having all the crowns level with the surface.” So far, there¬ 
fore, there is no ridge, but the covering with an inch of fine soil, and 
over the crowns with a still further 2 inches raises a ridge of about 
3 inches. For sowing Avhere the plants are to remain the ridges should 
be 3 inches high for rows 18 inches apart ; 0 inches high for roAvs 3 feet 
apart ; 8 inches high for rows 4 feet apart; and 9 inches high for row's 
44 feet apart. In planting, the height of the ridges w-ould be, for iws 
18 inches apart flat, the planting forming the ridge about 3 inches high ; 
for 3 feet rows, 3 inches ; for 4 feet rows, 5 inches ; and 4 feet 0 inch 
row's, () inches. CoA'ering with soil at jflanting Avill raise the toaa's 
directly over the plants 3 inches, and taking out the soil from the space 
betw'een the rows for covering the roots and crowns Avill correspondingly 
increase the height of the ridges, it being further increased by the ope¬ 
ration being performcil from the spaces betAveen the toaa's — i.f., the 
