FEBRUARY. 
81 ' 
sure, be so to many others when they give it a trial. It grows a little over 
a foot high, is very productive, and the produce is of first-rate quality. Its 
dwarf productiveness so astonished me that I determined to try it in pots 
during the winter. About the first week in September I took a few dozen 
eight-inch pots, which were three parts filled with soil; I then placed about 
a dozen of the Peas round the sides of each pot, and filled the remainder up 
with the soil. The following is the result. In the month of December 
they produced three dishes, and now they are covered with blossoms and pods. 
Again, in the middle of October I sowed another batch, which is equally 
healthy, and will yield pods fit to gather about the 1st of March. I must 
not omit to say, that there are no symptoms of mildew, but the plants are 
as healthy as possible. It seems to me, from the trial which I have made, 
that if space will admit, we may have Peas all the year round. 
Sandringham. - W. Carmichael. 
ON CONIFERS. 
(Concluded from page 7.) 
The severe frost of December, 1860, following a summer remarkable 
for its long continuance of wet weather, low temperature, and absence of 
bright sunshine—all conditions very unfavourable for the ripening of wood, 
made sad havoc among Conifers, and not only among the more tender sorts, 
but also among those that were considered perfectly hardy. This, for a 
time, acted as a check on the planting of Conifers. Many persons imagined, 
from the wholesale destruction of fine specimens which they witnessed, that 
the cultivation in our climate of the species killed was almost hopeless, not 
considering how very exceptional the season of 1860 was. 
Because many perfectly hardy Conifers were killed in different parts of 
the country in 1860, we must not on that account consider them too tender 
for our climate ; it would be very unpliilosophical to do so. We may with 
as much propriety class our common Holly among tender shrubs, because 
many hundreds of trees were killed that season by the frost, and many of 
the dead boles may yet be seen in the hedges in various parts of the country. 
All low, flat places suffered most in 1860. We had some losses here, but 
on the whole escaped better than the generality of places in this part, 
principally, no doubt, in consequence of the high and undulating character 
of the ground. Among the losses were the following:— 
Araucaria imhricata. — Some plants of this Conifer were killed and 
others were severely injured. Some of the latter have now quite recovered. 
We have not planted any since 1860. 
Pinas insignis .—There were several fine plants of this, all of which were 
completely killed. One of these was a superb young tree, the handsomest 
specimen of its size that I had ever seen. It had been planted ten years, 
and was the admiration of every person who saw it. It was in an exposed 
situation, and had stood every winter uninjured except that of 1859-60 (in 
which there had been a long continuance of severe frost), when the foliage 
was slightly browned. This fine plant was completely killed that season ; 
we have not planted any since. 
Gupressus macrocarpa .—Of this we had a very fine promising specimen. 
It was completely killed, as were also several fine young plants of C. torulosa 
and C. funebris. Of these we have planted none since. With the excep¬ 
tion of a few plants of Cedrus Deodara, these include our principal losses 
in Conifers from the frost of 1860. 
