152 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[July, 
produced; a soft neutral colour, novel and effective for grouping. Awarded a 
First-class Certificate. 
Novelty (Cocker and Son).—A showy variety, of free-growing habit, but 
getting rather tall; the flowers are reddish or pucy-purple, with yellow eye, 
showy ; a pleasing variety amongst the self-coloured flowers. Awarded a First- 
class Certificate. 
Magpie. —An old but still useful variety, of vigorous habit, and of a hardy 
constitution ; it is striking in appearance, from the strongly-contrasted colouring 
of its flowers, and an abundant bloomer, but rather tall-growing ; the flowers 
are blackish-mulberry, with a large wedge-shaped spot of white at the tip of 
each petal; the spotting sometimes runs out, when it becomes self-coloured. 
Awarded a First-class Certificate. 
To secure a good bloom of these showy flowers, young plants should always 
be used, these being planted out in autumn or very early spring, according as the 
situation and soil may be favourable or otherwise. Where they are apt to die off 
in winter, early spring planting should be adopted, the plants being wintered in 
a frame, and the sashes removed on all possible occasions. A top-dressing of 
light rich soil, administered after the first flush of bloom is over, is very beneficial, 
—T. Moore. 
COVERING PEACH-BORDERS. 
« T appears that there is great diversity of opinion regarding the covering of 
Peach-borders, when the trees are forced early. Some are in favour of 
f employing warm fermenting material (such as manure and leaves), while 
others object to anything warm, but simply protect the borders from cold 
rains. From many years’ experience, I find that the trees grow healthily, the 
fruits set freely, and they swell best, when dry litter or fern only is used. I 
have often observed that when hot material is used, the trees do not ripen so 
freely, and the flower-buds are weakly. My observations are not confined to 
Peaches, but include Vines also; and I am by no means sure that it is the best 
advice we so often read—namely, that Vine-borders should have a good coating 
of fermenting material or litter placed over the roots early in the autumn, say about 
the beginning of October. This is often done with the view of harvesting sun- 
heat, by which the border is well warmed; but we often have fine warm weather 
up to November, so suitable for ripening fruit-trees, while at that time we have 
the borders thickly covered with materials which entirely keep out sun-heat, and 
in a great measure the air as well. This state of things appears to be unnatural, 
and not calculated to be advantageous. 
The remarks of Mr. Henderson, of Cole Orton, in a contemporary are suggestive, 
and teach a lesson that many others have experienced to their cost. It will be 
remembered that Mr. Henderson refers to covering a vine-border for early work, 
where the roots were active, and showing themselves close to the surface of the 
soil. They were carefully covered without disturbing them ; but mark the result, 
the vines fell two months behind the proper time of ripening the fruit, the roots 
apparently having kept on growing without driving sap to the vines. 
