MARCH. 
54 
of maiden loam from an upland pasture. I have seen old and debilitated trees 
come back as it were to a new life, start into a fresh growth with vigour, and 
better than all, this new growth is almost invariably fruitful, so that in most 
cases the second year after renovation an ample return may be expected. But 
renovation in the sense in which I wish to impress it on the mind will be 
necessary long before the trees become old and debilitated so as to be almost 
useless, and should be applied at the very first symptoms of a downward ten¬ 
dency either in the trees or from the crops'around them. In such cases the 
addition of more manurial matter only adds to the evil, and increases the sour¬ 
ness of the soil, and the only remedy is to give it a sufficient pabulum of virgin 
soil on which the roots will eagerly seize, and a more healthy development of 
fruitful wood be produced. This applies principally to wall fruit tree borders. 
Renovation as applied to pyramids in the open quarters is a much more simple 
matter, because under good management they are subjected to periodical root- 
prunings ; and as this implies the removal of a good portion of the earth around 
them, it is only necessary to remove it, and supply its place with the virgin 
soil. John Cox. 
THE SEASON’S PROSPECTS. 
Now, whatever is a poor gardener to do in “these sensation days,” with all 
these so-called new things that are being sent out every year, and more espe¬ 
cially this year? He is considered quite behind the age unless he has tried 
Somebody’s Atlantic Cable Cucumber or Whoisit’s Pneumatic Peas, or some 
other such “ vast improvement on all existing varieties.” I have heard some 
people say that this is an age of humbug, and I really believe that a poor 
gardener has to put up with more than his share of it. 
I remember, in my young days, there were very few seedsmen at all who 
sent out a printed catalogue, but now-a-days every seedsman has his “ Little 
Book,” “Vade-Mecum,” or “ Amateur’s Guide;” and he is not content to have 
merely a list of seeds, but he must go into the thing, and make up, with illus¬ 
trations, testimonials, &c., a book of some seventy, eighty, or perhaps a hundred 
pages. Let us look at the prospects of the season presented us by two of the 
largest advertising firms in the seed trade. One of these houses offers no less 
than Jifty-two new and distinct varieties of vegetable seeds ! while the other, 
certainly more modestly, “directs especial attention” to forty-one new varieties. 
Now, let us assume the latter is more like the exact number of novelties 
offered this season, and see what we gardeners have to try this year in order 
to keep pace with the times. We have five new Peas, one new Bean, three 
new Borecoles, five new Broccoli, three new Sprouts, four new Cabbages, three 
new Cucumbers, one new Lettuce, five new Melons, two new Onions, four new 
Potatoes, three new Turnips, and a few other sundries, making up the total of 
forty-one. Now, I suppose we must try all these things because they are a 
careful selection of “ novelties worthy of especial attention.” 
I verily believe there is more humbug in early Peas than in anything else 
going. Formerly seedsmen were content to produce Expresses, Racehorses, 
Number Ones, &c.; but now-a-days these are far too long in coming to 
perfection, and the clencher is put upon us by the production of “ First and 
Best Early,” “ First Crops,’’ &c., a sure evidence that the horticultural millen¬ 
nium is fast approaching; but it seems to need heralding with a grand flourish 
of trumpets in the way of testimonials from my brethren, who, I fear, do not 
always stick to truth in their desire to see themselves in print. I cannot under¬ 
stand, myself, how it is that all the early Peas sent out this year have been 
