176 
JOURNAL C7 HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 1889* 
due to the swo'len or bladder-like greenish flower tubes, which are 
surmounted by small orange-brown sepals. It thrives very well in 
sphagnum and peat in an intermediate temperature. 
APPLICATIONS OF CLAY TO GRAVEL. 
Soon after I came here I was made aware of a Government 
surveyor taking the dimensions or outlines of a small pond at the 
corner of my garden ; some mistake had occurred in the previous 
survey, and he was there correcting it upon a section of a map. I 
informed him that I was a new proprietor since the local survey, 
and was it too late to alter the name of the place from “Folly 
Farm” to “Cottage Farm?” He thought not, so Cottage Farm 
was written, and Cottage Farm it is in the new survey. A friend 
and historian of the neighbourhood called upon me lately and said, 
“Mr. Fenn, you have altered a landmark of history by blotting out 
the name of ‘ Folly ’ and reinstating that of Cottage.” How so ? 
I was aware of the penalty expressed by the removal of one’s 
“neighbour’s landmark,” but how the substitution of the appro¬ 
priate word Cottage in lieu of Folly to my place could efface 
history passed my comprehension. Quoth my friend, “ Folly in 
Roman history means a crossing place or way, and it was some¬ 
where about here that the old Roman-way used to cross the river 
Rennet” (the old Silchester Roman station is about three miles from 
here). Well, I replied, in that case I must beg history’s pardon, 
hut why I altered the name was because I thought at the time I 
really had committed a folly in purchasing the hungry gravelly 
looking place. They twist surnames about here, and as “ Folly ” 
might merely mean a corruption of Foley, the name of old residents 
in the parish, I changed the name in fact to cover my chagrin. 
Time, however, has convinced me that I did not commit a folly, as 
I have succeeded in making another portion of this fair earth to 
blossom as the Rose. Since the above accusation of my friend I 
have read in “ Old and New London ” where mention is made 
of Folly Ditch, ora ford leading to Jacob’s Island. Historians please 
infoim. But the above must be allowed in a measure explanatory 
as leading to the application of clay, which a correspondent asks me 
to favour him with on page 110. 
Now is the time. The grand secret of the Woodstock soil was 
the subsoil of clay. The top soil was worn out, giving it the 
appearance of mere coa- se gravel. Bastard trenching was at once 
resorted to, and about 3 inches of the clay hoisted on to the surface 
as the digging proceeded for the sun and air to act upon it at once, 
and afterwards the frosts of winter, then to be dug or forked in as 
a top spit in the spring with dung or any other manurial accumula¬ 
tions. The effect will be magical ; at least, it was with me. When I 
left Woodstcck “ Fenn’s fads ” were quickly done away with ; the 
garden was laid down to grass as a croquet ground, and Mr. W. 
Crump, who then resided at Blenheim Gardens, had the superin¬ 
tendance of the mowing of the Rectory ground. He told me, as a 
grievance, that he was obliged to send men to do so twice a day. 
Well, Mr. Crump is alive and well amongst us, I am happy to say, 
and if the above words to me are doubted I cannot help it. 
My garden here is a more decided gravel than that at Wood- 
stock. I had it drained and trenched, keeping the bottom down, 
but turned over, as the clay in situ is too hungry and stoney to be 
brought to the surface. I have capital sub-banks of pure clay in 
my fields ; portions of this were and are periodically dug and carted 
and lain upon the surface for the winter frosts to split up. 
Manures cannot beat it for effect. Strawberries, fruit quarters, 
orchard trees surfaced, all become dosed, though, excepting the 
arable land, never dug, and the clay soon becomes amalgamated 
into loam. Your correspondent’s subsoil is a gravel. I advise it 
not to be disturbed ; let him haul clay at once on to the sui face 
and cultivate as I have said in the spring. My ground is un¬ 
dulating ; on a declining side of one of my fields strata of clay and 
gravel alternate ; the conr equence was a wet sour surface which 
medium drains did not correct. Drains approaching to deep 
ditches were dug and piped at bottom, which corrected matters, 
and left me clay for surfacings and to spare fur burning. I place 
the gravel over the pipes, and a main drain empties into the river. 
I borrow soil from other parts to pay ihe filling up. I also 
stifle burn a portion of clay every autumn after this fashion :— 
Collections of hedge trimmings, roots of trees, and other debris, 
which are sure to be collected by those on the look-out, and the 
clay hauled to the spot. On a farm it is usually not found very 
difficult to cut a load or two of turf sods. These are placed around 
to form, so to speak, a turf-walled furnace ; a wood fire is started 
therein, and whilst this is being attended to to produce a good body 
of fire build up another wall of sods about 2 feet distant all round, 
ani well packed within with prunings, and some of the larger wood’ 
with a sprinkling of small coal or cinders. Do not hurry on the 
-central fire by heaping on too much ; make sure of a good central 
body of fire, and by degrees place sods upon it, and now and again- 
a few more, intermixing a portion of the clay. The inner circle- 
of sods will by this time have become ignited, and will serve to 
retain the fire, and so communicate through to the second circle,, 
which will follow on and maintain itself. Now pack around from- 
base to top the larger roots, intermixed with the clay, along with a 
portion of small coal. Attention will be required perhaps all night, 
or at least till a good body cf fire maybe considered as secured,, 
and then keep gradually heaping over the clay where the smoke- 
attempts to burst forth ; but never overheap too much at once, as 
it is then that failures are made. Perhaps it may be advisable to- 
continually intermix some small coal where clay burning follows on. 
upon a large scale. 
Apropos of this subject, a few years ago Mr. Buckmaster came 
to stay with our late rector for the purpose of delivering an agri¬ 
cultural lecture in our school-room. Mr. Gladstone’s famous- 
advice to farmers about planting fruit trees and making jam was 
then fresh on the tapis, and Mr. Buckmaster laid stress upon it in 
his lecture. My place adjoins the glebe, and as I had known Mr.. 
Buckmaster for some years a vbitto me next morning was planned, 
where he found my wife’s shelves well furnished w T ith jams, the 
cellar stocked with cider and perry, and the fruit trees that produced 
them “ all alive and a growing.’’ “ Why,” said he, “ you already 
have Mr. Gladstone’s theory practically illustrated.” “ Yes,” I 
answered, “it was in 1851 1 caused to be printed in the pages of 
the Cottage Garden r much the same advice, and long before 
that, and ever since. I have in a great measure subsisted upon, 
what I then recommended.” (I have sixty gallons of wine now 
working in the barrels, and our shelves are well furnished with 
jams, but I shall not be able to make any cider or perry this year).. 
“ Well,” Mr. Buckmaster said, “ my train is due at 12.30 ; I should 
like to spend a longer time with you, but just let me advise potash, 
for your soil.” We were close to my heap of smother burning, 
so with a “ pikle ” which was standing handy I broke into the side 
of the heap, and out came a charred mass of charcoal wood and 
burnt earth. “ There," I exclaimed, “ that is what I apply every 
year, and as much as I can get of it, to my soil, and thus I do use 
potash.” Mr. Buckmaster went. Now, if our good friend and 
correspondent wall take my advice, and our Editor will forgive my 
prolixity, he may reckon upon his land with confidence, and if he- 
feels i’ the vein he may repeat the following incantation :— 
“ Black spirits and white, 
Brown spirits and grey ; 
Mingle, mingle, mingle— 
—Robt. Fenn. Ye that mingle may.” 
STRIKING DRACAENAS IN BOTTLES OF WATER. 
This simple method of propagating Dracaenas does not appear tor 
be practised as much as it should be, considering it offers greater advan¬ 
tages and gives less trouble than any other known method of rooting 
large tops of these showy and useful plants. Those who have not the 
convenience of a propagating house have often great difficulty in finding’ 
handlists, bellglasses, or frames with bottom heat large enough to- 
place over good sized tops of Dracaenas to keep them close till rooted 
when inserted in pots in the usual way. But if bottles filled with. 
water are used it is not necessary to keep the cuttings in a perfectly 
close atmosphere, the large amount of water which the cuttings absorb 
when placed in water prevents their showing the least signs of distress, 
if in a warm moderately close house where direct sunshine does not reach, 
them. When placed on the beds in Cucumber and Melon houses where 
the plants are trained overhead they root with certainty, and give but 
little trouble. Whenever we have plants that have become too tall, we 
cut off the tops to the required length, leaving a couple of inches of 
stem below the leaves, place them in bottles which have been previously 
filled with water and a few pieces of charcoal added, the bottles are 
then stood in positions above indicated as being suitable. The only atten¬ 
tion they require ti 1 rooted is to keep the bottles filled with water, the 
tops being syringed when the other occupants of the house require that 
attention. When the roots are a couple of inches long the tops should 
be placed into small pots, and in the same positions that they occupied 
before being potted, till the roots are found to be working freely into 
the soil, when they may receive the same treatment as the ordinary, 
stock.—H. Dunkin. 
CANKER IN FRUIT TREES. 
Ip “W.” (page 108) thinks I am only writing for the sake of. 
“ making a point,” he is certainly mistaken, and whether he believes me 
or not, I am tired of this subject. At the same time, for the sake of 
fruit growers in general who do not entertain my views, I think it only 
my duty to put such information before them that I can with a view to 
getting rid of the old notions that have been drilled into us from child¬ 
hood, and which I claim were upset upon the principle that insect life 
is at the bottom, or primary cause, of canker in fruit tre s. I have no 
“ razois” to sell, no pages to fill, or books to sell, therefore I have nj 
interest in continuing writing for the sake of wwiting j but, on the other 
