48 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
ArRii. 20. 
It will afford me great pleasure to hear from you from time to 
time. 
“ With the expression of the most perfect regard, I am 
yours sincerely, “ l)n. Jtjs. Leibig. 
“To James King, Esq., 1 
Trrawang.” J 
{To be continued.') 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
MANAGEMENT OF THE IRISH YEW. 
“ In one of the numbers of The Cottage Gardener, a 
method was mentioned of pruning the Irish Yew so as to 
keep it in proper shape without tying, which always looks 
bad. Will you kindly tell me in what volume and page it 
was mentioned.—A. K.” 
[We had better give the directions again, and more fully, 
for the management of Irish Yew, so as to have it on one 
central stem was only incidentally mentioned along with the 
Italian Cypress (sempervirens). An Irish Yew, six or seven 
feet high, with three or four leading shoots to it from near 
the bottom, is worth what one chooses to give for it, but we 
would grudge and grumble very much indeed to be obliged 
to take a cart load of them for a gift, to plant in a cemetry; 
and we would not plant one in a geometric garden, or along 
a terrace, for the value of the whole load, the cart and horse 
included. The side branches of an Irish Yew, and of the 
upright or Italian Cypress, ought to be stopped four or five 
times every growing season, until the plants have attained 
their full height, and the sides ought to be as firm as the 
face of a strong hedge, without being regular, or even 
appearing to have ever been pruned, or stopped at all. All 
that can be done with plants which have been allowed their 
own way, is to cut back to different heights all the long 
shoots, except the middle or leader, when the plants are 
very large or very old, and that this would be a worse 
remedy than the fault; all that can be done is to keep the 
side leaders tied into the centre by tarred cord, or copper 
wire. All Yews, Junipers, Arbor Vitaes, Cedars, and Cy¬ 
presses, ought to be first trained to one leader, and to be 
kept to that one leader for many years before they are 
allowed to spread out in their natural style.] 
BANANA (MUSA CAVENDISHII) CULTURE. 
“ Busy-body will be obliged by any information respecting 
the culture of the Musa Cavendishii, and whether the 
temperature (during frost) of G0° is sufficient for it?” 
. [Sixty degrees is the lowest temperature that should be 
given to this Musa for the three winter months, if it is 
grown for its fruit. It will live, however, in a half-dry state, 
in any temperature above forty degrees. We have had it so 
ourselves for months at a time, but then, the fruit which 
followed was not worth anything. 
We may observe that we have tasted this fruit from the 
best growers in England and Scotland, Paxton and McNab, 
and we do not hesitate to say that their fruit was not worth 
dishing for table; it was what the Scotch say, “ a whim,” 
and nothing more. The Banana “whim” may be begun by 
a start with fresh young suckers, at the end of March to the 
beginning of May, using very strong, rich, porous loam, a 
bottom-heat of about 80°, and a moist top-heat of 05° to 80°, 
according to the sun, keeping the plants supplied with 
abundance of water till the end of September, then drier 
and less heat until you gradually arrive at the point we 
started from.] 
FRUITING CRATAEGUS TYRACANTIIA. 
“ Busy-body wishes to know the way to make the Pyra- 
canlha fruit all the way to the ground, instead of only on 
the upper branches." 
[This Thorn, flowers and fruits only on the last year’s 
growth, and it, therefore, fruits higher and higher on the 
wall, year by year ; but if people would take the same pains 
with it as they take with the Peach it would probably fruit 
all over the wall; we are not aware that this has ever been 
tried, and, probably, it may not be so easily managed as the 
Peach, but tire principle of management must be the same 
for both.] 
GRAFTING RHODODENDRONS. 
“ I should feel very much obliged if Mr. Beaton (or any 
of your other correspondents), would favour me with the 
best mode of grafting Rhododendrons, and the best time 
for it, as my gardener is not so successful as I think he 
should be.—R.” 
[The best mode of grafting Rhododendrons is one of the 
simplest operations in all gardening, hut the great art and 
mystery is, to take care of them after they are grafted, 
until the grafts have “ taken.” Any time in the whole year, 
except just when the plants are making theirannual growth, 
will answer about equally well for grafting these plants; we 
have so grafted them in every month in the year, hut from 
the end of July, to the middle of, or end of, September, is, 
perhaps, the best time. The stocks ought to be established 
in pots, and the grafts ought to be placed as low down as 
can be done. The operation is on this wise—make a down- 
cut on the side of the stock, about an inch long, and a 
quarter-of an-incli deep at the bottom ; make a cross-cut at 
this bottom the depth of the cut slice, then take a graft 
three inches long, square the bottom, and cut out a slice to 
correspond exactly with the slice from the stock, leaving 
the bottom of the graft just a quarter-of-an-inch in thick¬ 
ness ; place this on the notch in the stock, and if you did 
the thing properly, the cut parts of the stock and of the 
graft will fit as if they had been growing so; now tie them 
with a worsted thread round and round, just as you would a 
rose-bud, and no more is needed ; there is no clay or mess¬ 
ing about. The leaves of the graft may be tied up to the 
stock, and the stock is not cut back till the graft has taken. 
A close cold frame is best all this time.] 
REMOVING A LARGE ARBOR YIT-E. 
“ I wish to remove an Arbor Vitro tree, about twenty feet 
high, and seven inches diameter in the stems. Can you 
i inform me what is the best time to do this ?—J. B.” 
[Cut the roots all round at three feet from the trunk, 
before the middle of Maf, and remove it in dull, damp 
weather, any time after the first of September, and before 
the middle of October, and see that it is well staked, 
mulched, and watered the following spring and summer.] 
GROWING ORCHIDS IN PINERY. 
“ Having the offer of the following Orchids, but haring 
only two Pine-stoves and an early and late vinery, do you 
think I can grow them? Oncidium papilio, Zygopetalum Mac- 
1,-aj/i, Dcndrobium, different sorts. And please to inform me 
where I can get the best tobacco paper.— Q in the Corner.” 
[The Orchids you mention, and many others, such as 
CaUler/as, Barkrrias, Loeilias, some Epidendrums, Phaius, 
and most of the species from South America, will thrive 
and flower exceedingly well in your Pine-stoves. When 
growing, keep them moist by frequent syringings, shading 
them from the midday sun, and when the growths are 
perfected refrain from both syringing and shading, except 
in long continued sunny weather. Tiyo or three days of 
sunshine wil not hurt them. With regard to tobacco paper, 
we never recommend dealers. They should advertize.] 
POULTRY. 
HEN LAYING SOFT EGGS AT INTERVALS. 
“ Will you oblige me by giving me some advice upon the 
following case :—A Cochin-China hen, which is apparently 
in good health, lays a soft egg every other day. One day 
she lays in the nest, and the next it is usually dropt from 
the perch on which she roosts. This has been going on 
since the middle of January. Several times she laid two 
perfect, and one shelless, in two days. This circumstance 
arising with only one hen, and having several others, I do 
not suppose the food or treatment has anything to do with 
the imperfection of the eggs.—E. F.” 
[You have allowed this derangement of the egg system 
to go on too long. In all disturbances of so important a 
part the most prompt measures should be adopted. If we 
