April 10, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
801 
fish for keeping in such places. I put nine in about two years ago, and 
have not lost one. They are very lively, and apparently hardy. Gold 
fish I cannot keep any length of time. The small Prussian carp do 
very well, and breed.—B. [The weed referred to is probably Anacharis 
alsinastrum.] 
- Staphylea COLCHica. —At a recent meeting of the Birming- 
ham Gardeners’ Association, when Mr. Groves read a paper on “ Insect 
Pests,” Messrs. Hewitt & Co. exhibited a plant in full flower of this 
charming hardy shrub in a forced state, but the “ forcing ” was of a 
very mild character. These plants are kept under glass to make early 
growth, taking care to keep the shoots short by pinching when neces¬ 
sary, and the roots confined to the pots, plunging them out of doors to 
secure a well ripening of the wood. The plants are placed in a cool 
house during the winter, and are gradually brought on in moderate 
warmth. At Solihull they had a supply for Easter, and the Staphylea 
will, when better known, be much in demand as a decorative plant and 
for cut flowers.—D. S. H. 
- The Eeadixg and District Gardeners’ Mutual Im¬ 
provement Association. —A well attended meeting of this Associa¬ 
tion was held on Monday, the 31st ult. Mr. W. Lees occupied the chair- 
After the usual business had been disposed of Mr. George Cannon of 
Ealing read an able paper on “ The ‘ Outside ’ Cultivation of Roses.’’ 
Having referred to the early history of the “ Queen of Flowers,” and 
its popularity among the Greeks and Romans, Mr. Cannon traced the 
progress made in culture and in the raising of new varieties during the 
last fifty years, and gave lists of varieties found most suitable for various 
purposes. He also gave sound advice on the selection of stocks for 
different soils, and clearly explained the details of culture requisite in 
order to achieve the best results. A discussion followed, and Mr. Cannon 
was warmly thanked for his practical paper. A fine healthy specimen 
of Angrmeum sesquipedale was exhibited by Mr. Woolford, one 
characteristic of this variety being the long tail depending from the 
base of the flower. 
- Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ valuable work on the “ Culture of 
Vegetables and Flowers” has reached a fourth edition of 5000 
copies, 13,000 having been sold of previous issues. This is a remarkable 
circulation for a work of this size and character. It is a substantial 
well bound volume of 410 pages, including an excellent index. The 
practical matter occupies 402 pages, and is as good as the paper and 
print on and by which the various cultural details are represented, and 
that is saying a great deal. Vegetable growing is made plain, and no 
one can err in following the instructions. Similar remarks apply to the 
cultivation of all the popular kinds of flowers. A chapter is devoted to 
the formation of lawns from seeds, also to insect and fungoid enemies, 
admirably illustrated. It is a standard work for the libraries of pro¬ 
fessional and amateur gardeners. 
- Weeping Ash at Nostell Priory.—T here is a very large 
and beautiful specimen of the Weeping Ash growing in the grounds 
adjoining the garden at Hostell Priory, the seat of Lord St. Oswald, near 
Wakefield, Yorkshire. Its measurements, taken a few days ago, are as 
follows The girth of the stem at 2 feet from the ground is 7 feet— 
the narrowest part of the stem ; at 4 feet up it is 7 feet 3 inches in 
girth ; and at G feet up it is 8 feet G inches. At this height the branches 
begin to spread upwards and outwards till they reach a total height of 
about 50 feet, and a diameter of G7 feet the broadest way through them, 
the top being considerably flattened at the sides by the proximity of the 
agent’s house on one side, and a fine Holly hedge on the other. When 
in full leafage in the summer season it affords a cool shady retreat, and 
forms an exceedingly graceful object—a miniature mountain of greenery 
—in the beautiful grounds around the Priory, one of the many fine old 
family seats so numerous in the district of Yorkshire.— J. H. 
- Bouyardias. —When I penned the few lines relative to plant¬ 
ing out Bouvardias, which appeared at page 15G, I did so more with a 
view to show that good results could be obtained by the practice than 
to criticise Mr. Bardney’s excellent article on their culture entirely in 
pots, page 12. I had no wish to convey the idea that better results 
could be achieved by the method I described, a method which he 
pronounces “ excellent in every way, &c.” (I thank him for the compli¬ 
ment), but why he should in the next paragraph proceed to question 
the soundness of the practice, or part of it at least, is to me not quite 
clear. I place out these and other plants during the summer to save 
time and labour in watering, for in these days when much is ex¬ 
pected and often but slender means allowed to accomplish it, any 
help, however small, which will enable an overworkeil brother gardener 
to produce what is required with less labour than formerly, is a step in 
the right direction. As Mr. Bardney wishes to know why I partially 
lift the plants a fortnight ago or so before potting, I may say that I do 
so in order to ensure (as he rightly supposes) a more compact ball of 
roots ; and I water and syringe to prevent a serious check taking place 
through the operation. I do not say that they receive no check—they 
must; nor would I undertake to transfer a strong, healthy plant of any¬ 
thing from the open ground to a pot without a check ; but I think it 
need be but a very temporary one, and therefore not of a “serious’ 
character. A method that will afford strong bushy plants with an 
abundance of flowers at a minimum expenditure of labour is surely 
worth a trial where the situation is suitable. Were I as far north as 
your correspondent, I certainly should not turn out the whole of my 
stock.—T. S., Ilenbury Hill, 
-Birds and Fruit Trees. —Although a lover of birds I am- 
forced to the conclusion that the sparrows are more numerous and 
destructive than profitable. I regret to have to say this of them, as 
sometimes they are the gardeners’ friends. I always find that birds are 
most destructive to fruit buds during rainy and open weather. In times 
of drought they do little harm. A proof of that is afforded this year 
with us, not a single fruit bud of the Victoria and other Plums has 
escaped them. The blue tomtit (Parus minor) is as bad as the sparrows. 
Red and White Currants are almost as badly attacked, and Gooseberries 
are much spoiled, even the Morello Cherries did not escape. What is 
the cause of so great an increase of sparrows, and I may add mice and 
rats 1 I answer the wholesale destruction by gamekeepers of the natural 
enemies of vermin, such as owls, hawks of sorts, and all the weasel 
tribe.—W. T. 
- Francisceas.— 1 find these very useful plants and a hint on 
our present treatment may be useful. We prune them back to within 
a few eyes from where they started last year, and place them in brisk 
heat. After they have commenced growth they are repotted if they need 
it. If the plants are already in pots large enough, and the drainage is 
good, feeding with weak stimulants may be resorted to. If the drainage 
is defective and the soil in an unsuitable condition turn out the plants, 
and carefully work from amongst their roots a good portion of the old 
soil, and repot the plants in the same size with equal parts of peat and 
fibry loam with a liberal addition of sand. These plants will do very 
well in either all peat or all loam and sand, but the mixture appears 
to suit them admirably. The soil should be pressed firmly into the 
pots, and where practicable plunge the pots in gentle heat until root 
activity has commenced. The plants must be watered carefully at 
first.—N. G. 
- Allamandas. —When grown in pots the roots of those needed 
for flowering early may be reducediby one-half, and returned to the same 
size pots. If dry soak them in tepid water, and allow them to drain 
thoroughly before potting them. Use a compost of fibry loam, one- 
seventh of manure and sand, and press it firmly into the pots. The 
plants afterwards may be stood in the stove, or better still plunged in 
slight bottom heat, and syringed freely until they start into growth. 
- Plants of Adiantum cuneatum that have been cut over 
and rested in a temperature of 50° should be pushed into growth. If 
they are in pots as large as it is advisable to have them in, they may 
either be cut in two or the roots reduced. The last method is the best, 
as the plants quickly start again into growth, and produce large fronds 
long before the others. Where it is possible give the plants a shift into 
larger pots. The pots should be liberally drained, as the plants root 
abundantly near the surface. The new soil may be pressed moderately 
firm into the pots, so that the old soil will not be left dry by the water 
passing through the lighter material. These plants do better without 
peat than with it in the compost. We have long since discontinued its 
use. They grow remarkably well in loam and sand, but not so rapidly 
as in a lighter and more open compost. Where leaf mould that has been 
well prepared is plentiful, nothing better can be used, with the addition 
of sand, lime rubbish, or any gritty material. Our compost consists of 
one-third loam to two-thirds leaf mould and lime rubbish. They grow 
freely and root splendidly in this compost, which remains perfectly 
sweet when plenty of lime rubbish is added. If slugs exist about 
the crowns, dust them with soot, and the slugs can soon be picked off. 
Place the plants after potting in a temperature of 60°.—B. 
-The Bog Garden at High Beech. —I was very pleased to 
read in a recent issue of the Journal that Mr. G. Paul considers his bog 
garden a success. I feared it would be otherwise. This particular spot 
has always been an object of interest to me. I well remember its con- 
