314 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 1% 1889. 
point at issue, a Pear and a Mayduke Cherry. Both are cankered ; the 
former is recovering, while the latter, except one leader, is nearly dead. 
This tree was formerly a fan-trained specimen, but owing to the stealing 
propensities of the mining population, lias been allowed to grow as it 
will. The stock of the Pear has not the vigour the graft has, and is much 
less in size. The graft has for some time past been making an effort to 
establish itself on its own roots, the wood and bark swelling towards the 
ground, which it has now reached, and I suppose, although no roots are 
as yet formed, the bark absorbs the sap, the only way I can account 
for the canker wounds healing. The Cherry tree has been making a 
stronger effort than the Pear in the same direction, and one of the 
leaders has established itself on its own roots, which is the only healthy 
part of the tree. My theory is that, like the infusion of blood from one 
person or animal to another, success will only be certain when the cor¬ 
puscles are of the proper size. So with trees, if the vessels of the stock 
whereby the sap ascends are smaller than those of the graft, sufficient 
nourishment cannot ascend to keep the tree healthy.—A. L. B. K. 
SEASONABLE HINTS ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Whatever may have been its effects on agricultural produce, there 
can be little doubt that the cool and showery weather of August, which 
so much retarded the operations of the farmer, was highly beneficial to 
our gardens, and more especially to florists’ flowers, while the bright 
weather of September has also been beneficial in ripening the wood of 
other things. Boses have largely benefited by it in ripening the wood, 
and as a consequence I believe most growers of these plants are con¬ 
gratulating themselves on the appearance of their favourite flowers. 
In giving them directions as to the management, I would again remind 
my readers that I write, not from the exhibitor’s point of view, but from 
the amateur’s, who likes to grow his plants as if he were going to 
exhibit, but is not troubled by many of the perplexities which worry 
him who grows for competition. 
Auriculas. —I have never had so few autumnal blooms as this 
season. There arc some kinds, such as Acme, which are proverbially 
prone to do this, but even they have done so very little this year, while 
the plants in general have that stout and stocky appearance which 
fills the grower with hopes of a good blooming time next year, it will 
now be necessary to prepare to place the plants in their winter quarters 
— i.e., to remove them from their present position facing north to one 
facing south. Before doing so it will be desirable to go through the 
collection carefully, examining each pot, stirring the surface of the 
soil, removing all dead leaves and weeds, brushing off any aphides that 
may appear on the plants, and carefully removing any woolly aphides 
from around the collar of the plant. Whether the creature is injurious 
or not may be a moot point, but it certainly can do no good, and there¬ 
fore wherever it is detected it should be removed. They will not re¬ 
quire much watering now for some months, but at the same time they 
must not be allowed to get dust dry, and above all things it must be 
seen that the frames are drip proof. Nothing is so injurious to the 
Auricula as a drip; even if it does not go into the heart of the plant, and 
so occasion decay, yet if it falls on the surface of the soil gradually 
rendering it soddened and sour, the plant gets sickly, and ultimately 
dies, and, for the same reason, the dislike of the Auricula to damp, it is 
desirable to give air whenever the weather is at all fine. Where the 
frames have to move on hinges it will be necessary to be very careful when 
air is given, for as the angle of fall is then not so sharp there may be a 
possibility of the water (should it rain) running back through the laps 
of the glass. At the same time it must be remembered that although 
not susceptible to frost so far that it will not kill the plants, yet it is 
very apt to crumple and spoil the bloom, even when it is ensconced in 
the heart of the plant ; therefore, should early frosts occur, it will be 
well to be provided with frigidomo or some other material to place on 
the frames in frosty weather ; in a word, be careful, but do not coddle. 
Carnations and Picotees. — Here again one sees the favourable 
effects of the season. The plants rooted well, and there was but little 
necessity for artificial watering; the rain came down so plentifully 
and at such good times that one seldom had to use the watering can. 
As far as my own small collection is concerned I never had finer 
layers, with that beautiful bluish green foliage which so delights the 
heart of the grower. I have just potted mine, and have placed the 
layers a few in each pot (48’s), so that when I pot them in the spring 
there will be little disturbance, as they merely want separating a little, 
and the roots need not be at all broken. The compost should be 
nearly all loam ; a little leaf mould and sand or road grit may be added, 
and when the plants are done they should be placed in a close frame, 
shaded from the sun for a few days, and then the light may be taken 
off and plenty of air given, until they, like the Auriculas, are placed in 
a warm position for the .winter. Care must also be taken with them 
that they do not suffer from damp ; this is apt to bring spot on the 
leaves, which not only disfigures the plant, but‘is injurious to its health. 
If there are any dead leaves they should be removed, and the plant kept 
scrupulously clean. 
Pansies. —Where these are grown in pots it will now be necessary to 
have the collection safely housed in small pots. I generally adopt the 
lazy plan of planting out the old roots, and at this season take them 
up, clear away all the old and long shoots, and then retain a stout and 
stocky plant. These I place two in a pot, the same as I do with Carna¬ 
tions and Picotees,'and then they are very little disturbed when I have 
to pot them in the spring. I do not venture to grow Pansies in beds, 
for in these southern counties it is vanity and vexation of spirit between 
the loss from drought and the destruction of the blooms by slugs, earwigs, 
&c., and so I confine myself to Fancy Pansies grown in pots. 
Gladiolus. —It has been a capital time for these, and how useful 
and long continued in blooming they are. I began to cut about July 
20th, and to-day, October 3rd, have sent in quite a sheaf of really good 
flowers for a sale of work, &c. It will be desirable now to take up sticks 
which have been used to support them, and where they have made holes 
in the ground to close them up so as to prevent water laying at the 
roots. I find the foliage of my plants assuming a yellowish autumnal 
hue, which augurs favourably for their ripening, and should we only 
have a dry October I expect the roots will lift well. I have had fewer 
casualties than usual amongst the corms, and am very hopeful of a good 
harvest. Nothing can be done to the beds until the time for lifting 
comes at the end of November. 
Roses. —This will be a busy month with Rose growers, and before 
the time for planting comes and alterations have to be made, it may be 
as well to go through them, cut out the wood that wou'd have to be cut 
out in the spring, shorten any very long shoots, so as only to have the 
pruning to do in the spring, when many things press on our notice and 
demand our care and time. Where there is fear of frost it may be as 
well to be provided with bracken or such like foliage to place between 
the branches, but where dwarfs are grown this is a matter of compara¬ 
tively little moment, especially if they are well protected about the 
roots. 
Tulips and Ranunculus. —These may be looked over on some wet 
day to see that they are all right and free from mildew. Tulips and 
Turban Ranunculuses may be planted, but at present nothing can be 
done with them.—D., Deal. 
PEAS—THE SELECTION OF THE FITTEST. 
While staying on the Norfolk coast late in last month (September) 
I often looked with interest at the little carts of vegetables which came 
into the town once or twice a week, and on one occasion a woman 
showed me some Peas. The pods were fresh and full, the peas very 
large, about ten in each pod. I bought some, by the half-peck. 
“ That’s Cater’s Teelephune,” said the woman. “ Oh, I know the name 
well,” I replied; “ Carter of Holborn, London.” “Yes, that’s he ; my 
husband and I saw it advertised and we sent for some, and we were sore 
when the packet came down, that little as yer could hold in the holler 
of yer hand ; but he sowed them and sowed them for three years (they 
cost us 3s. 6d.) ; and saved them, and then we begun to sell. And they 
are beautiful ; and they come always like that, and they are just as; 
good till the frost comes. And we have a good profit out of them, and 
sell a lot cheaper than you can buy them in the shops.” That was true ; 
the Peas cooked to perfection, vivid green, soft, of delicious flavour, and 
I think no better Peas could well have been eaten than those sold to me 
in the street at Cromer, the variety Telephone, raised by a trustful, 
persevering cottager and her husband.—A. M. B. 
TREATMENT OF SOILS AND MANURES. 
Mr. Bishop’s quotation from Johnston and Cameron confirms my 
statement that “ the compound commonly called carbonic acid is car¬ 
bonic dioxide CO2.” The same authority, as quoted, states that “ real 
carbonicacid ‘would have’ the composition H2CO3,” not “has” that com¬ 
position, for such carbonic acid has never been isolated, and has only a 
theoretical existence. No argument is necessary to prove that CO 2 is an 
anhydride, for no one disputes it. I did not charge Mr, Bishop with 
supposing that “ carbonic dioxide of the air occupied the whole space 
but 1 stated in effect that if his theory was correct the stratum of the 
air in contact with animal life would consist mainly or entirely of 
carbonic acid, in which animal life is impossible. To make the sentence 
intelligible to him I ought to have qualified the word “ stratum ” with 
some such addition as “ lowest,” or “ in contact with the earth,”' 
though it was scarcely necessary, as the context implied that the 
stratum in question was that in which in an ordinary atmosphere 
animals live. I was referring to his astounding doctrine, “ this is one 
of the wise provisions of Nature, so that the carbonic dioxide of the 
atmosphere (being one of the heaviest vapours we have) falls to the 
ground.” 
Small as is the quantity of carbonic acid in the atmosphere, averag¬ 
ing only four volumes in 10,000, it is quite sufficient, if it did really fall 
through its superior weight to the ground, to make the stratum of air in 
contact with the ground to consist only of carbonic acid, and be incom¬ 
patible with animal life. 
Mr. Bishop repeats his extraordinary delusion as to the behaviour 
of mixed gases in his last letter, when again utterly ignoring the recog¬ 
nised law of the diffusion of gases. He asserts, “ If the gas were 
lighter it would all ascend ’ —that is, the atmosphere, instead of con¬ 
sisting mainly of a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbonic acid 
intimately associated, the proportions of each in given quantities only 
varying in infinitessimal degrees, it would consist of a stratum of 
carbonic acid in contact with the surface of the earth, above which 
would lie a stratum of oxygen capped by one of nitrogen. This, 
being a fair sample of Mr. Bishop’s scientific teaching quite justifies 
my strictures on his first article on the treatment of soils and manures. 
I have not dealt with those which followed, as the first was sufficient 
for my object of warning such of your readers as had not studied the 
