May 18. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
127 
can be grown well under canvass, even without flowering; 
and more than that, Roses that are forced under glass, and 
brought under canvass just as they are coming into 
bloom, will only keep in bloom half the usual time, and the 
growth and foliage look miffy in a few days; they particularly 
dislike the darkened light.] 
UNFRUITFUL APRICOT TREES. 
“ My Apricot trees produce an abundance of healthy 
leaves, but never any blossoms; they are planted against a 
south wall, and the soil is very good. The trees now are 
about seven or eight years old. I fear my having moved 
them to their present situation too early in the autumn of 
1810 may have had some influence.—A Constant Sub¬ 
scriber to the Cottage Gardener.” 
[Your Apricot trees are probably too luxuriant,—if so, 
root-prune them immediately. In all cases of fruit-culture 
you should carefully distinguish between luxuriance and 
disease, and this frequently requires the eye of a practised 
person. Train rather thinly, and persist in stopping or 
pinching all shoots not required for leaders, according to 
repeated advice in The Cottage Gardener ; and extir- 
minate all insects. Your early planting in 1810 has nothing 
to do with it; it is quite likely your soil is too rich.] 
FRUIT OF ELRUGE NECTARINES 
SHRIVELLING. 
“I have two Elruge Nectarine trees; dwarf; against a south 
wall; about six years old; and every year the fruit has 
shrivelled, more or less; became tough,and would rot rather 
than ripen. I cannot account for this, the soil is good loam, 
not over rich, well drained. I have always well ripened the 
wood, and thinned the fruit, mulched in dry weather; and I 
grow Peaches on the same wall. What is the reason ? and 
what must I do ?—W. J.” 
[Your case is odd enough. The Elruge is generally a juicy 
Nectarine. We should suspect torpidity of root action ; and 
unless they make much wood, we would apply liquid-manure 
freely in dry weather. We are glad to see that you recog¬ 
nize that fundamental principle in fruit culture— '‘ripening 
the wood.” What stock are your Nectarines worked upon ?] 
PLANTS FOR NORTH WALL. 
“ What would you recommend as being most suitable for 
covering the brick-work of a span-roofed greenhouse, north 
aspect, and being much in sight from the drawing-room 
window; height of brick-work, three feet; length, twenty 
feet.—J. H. Richmond,” 
[There are not many plants that will answer your pur¬ 
pose. The Irish Ivy will be one of the most certain cover¬ 
ings for the wall, but we should prefer the Larger Periwinkle 
( Vinca major). The colour of its evergreen leaves is more 
cheerful than that of the Ivy ; its blue flowers, also, are 
beautiful, and the wall being no more than three feet, if the 
border be enriched with a little very old stable manure 
annually, the branches would extend to that height. They 
will require to be trained against it, and for this purpose 
nothing is so good as galvanized iron network, to which and 
through which they may be fastened.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Error. —At page 90, line third of the notice of Dr. Waltich, for 
Plantes, read Planter. 
William Adams. —The receipt of the postage stamps from C. are 
gratefully acknowledged. The announcement of his death will have 
been seen already. 
Rose Caterpillar (A Gardener).—It by this “aggressor” you 
mean the larva of the Turtrix Bergmanniuna, or Rose Tcrtrix, no 
remedy is known but hand-picking, and cutting down the bushes and 
burning them. Being within a web, we fear that a dusting with White 
Hellebore powder would not reach them ; but it is worth a trial. 
Game Bantams ( F. E.).— We do not know of any one having eggs 
of these to sell- Having had more than one application, we think that 
any one having eggs of this variety for sale will do well to advertise 
them. 
Work on Silk-Worms (A Constant Subscriber), We know of no 
good one. Hid you see the series of papers in our tenth volume ? Your 
other query next week. 
Lily of the Valley (A/. M .).—See what is said to-day in answer 
to another correspondent. You had better make a new bed, as directed 
at page 86. 
Fruit-Tree Border (Frank). —If you mean the border nearest the 
wall, it should be eight feet, but separated from the wall by a path, 
eighteen inches wide. The walk being next the wall is convenient for 
pruning the wall trees, and it is the portion of soil least useful as pas¬ 
turage for the roots. 
Killing Slogs (A Constant Reader). —These are not organized like 
Earthworms ; cutting them in two destroys them. 
Pear Culture (H. T.). —“ R. Errington begs respectfully to inform 
this gentleman that he will do the best in his power to comply with his 
desires concerning Pears, &c., as occasions may offer; and to his worthy 
and very clever coadjutor, Mr. Fish, he tenders his thanks. It is, however, 
but an exchange of compliments, as R. E. has several times taken a leaf 
out of Mr. Fish’s book.” 
Swindlers. —“We are much obliged for the notice taken of Cox, 
the swindler, in The Cottage Gardener. There are several others in 
this neighbourhood (Manchester), who obtain malt, hops, poultry, &c., 
by writing a business-like letter to individuals in places where there are 
no protective societies. The Editor of Tiie Cottage Gardener would 
confer a favour on its readers if special notice was given in it, at the 
same time advising the parties applied to to write to the Secretary of the 
Protective Society, or to the chief Superinteudant of the Police in the 
town the application comes from; by this they would save their property. 
—Geo. Potter.” [This is sound advice, and we hope our readers will 
remember it when they receive orders from unknown correspondents.] 
Camassia esculenta, &c. —“Is Camassia esculenta worth cultivating 
as an esculent; and, if so, how is it to be used? The New Street 
Carrot. —Is this of the Daunts tribe? Is it wholesome, and how used 
in cookery ? If any of.your correspondents can answer the above ques¬ 
tions they will oblige.—K. G. B.” 
Poultry Shows (More Anon).—Your communication on this sub¬ 
ject is inadmissible. We do not agree with you in thinking the prizes 
not large enough, nor in the opinion that some of our largest breeders do 
not shew because those prizes are not more valuable. We shall be glad 
to see your notes upon Sebright Bantams. 
Exhibiting Spikes of Hollyhocks (J.S.). —The following is 
Mr. Paul’s opinion, published in The Scottish Florist The practice 
of limiting the length of the spike is, we think, not desirable, for, if the 
flowers can be maintained in perfection, the longer the spike the grander 
the effect. In judging of the comparative merit of spikes, we should 
award the palm to those which were longest, broadest, and best filled, 
provided the shape of the individual flowers was equally good, the 
colours equally clear, and the collection as well varied. In judging, 
these points require to be considered, first, separately, and then collec¬ 
tively. By the term best * filled,’ we mean to imply that the spike 
should form a perfect column of colour, free from gaps or interstices, not 
that it should be so crowded that the guard petals cannot freely unfold, 
for this we should consider as great a defect as if the spike was 
imperfectly filled. We should give the preference to spikes in which the 
! flowers were fully expanded from the base to the summit, to those with 
expanded flowers below and buds above; in other words, a perfect spike 
should present an even and unbroken mass of colour from top to bottom. 
Of course the shape of the flowers, individually, is of the very first 
importance, and in our opinion the shape of the centre florets should be 
a trifle less than half a ball; they should be closely packed, and without 
‘pockets,’ so that no anthers are seen. The centre and guard petals 
should be free from indentation or notch ; the latter smooth, flat, and 
of good substance. The larger the individual flower the better, pro¬ 
vided the shape be good; but if the flower be flimsy or ill-proportioned, 
great size produces coarseness, and is a disadvantage rather than other¬ 
wise. The most perfect flower I have yet seen, taking into consideration 
proportion, smoothness, substance, colour, and size, is the ‘ Beauty of 
Cheshunt,’ a variety originated here. In exhibiting spikes various 
modes have been adopted. We use painted flower-pots, of the size 
called 48, filled with sand and inverted in pans; the hole is then made 
large enough to receive the lower end of the spike, which is pressed 
through into the sand and fixed tight with slips off the stalk. 
Name of Plant (F. W. S., Milton).— It is Asperula taurina, one 
of the Woodroffs, and native of Italy. It was introduced here in 1739. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. ‘2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ 
Church, City of London.—May 18th, 1854. 
