August 8. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
3G5 
fuel would far outstrip their value; and if so numerous as to 
, be worth that expense, they would injure your A roes for 
l years to come. 
S. The presence of these bunches, and shows of bunches, 
is one of the best evidences that there is no inherent cause 
of unfertility in the borders, or elsewhere; and, as you state, 
they have been well drained, we would disturb them in no 
way whatever; but, if you imagine that, as advised, its ma¬ 
terials are too adhesive; you may keep it with advantage 
forked upon the surface, and add there rough lime-rubbish, 
burnt clay, brickbats broken small, and bruised bones, if 
you can procure them. From three to six bushels of bones 
will not hurt them for one dressing, and several, or yearly 
repetitions of dressings of the other materials for an inch 
or two in thickness, will be better than one thick dressing. 
And, finally, believing there is not much the matter with 
! the border, keep it in good order, and encourage the roots j 
near the surface by means of these dressings, and a pro- 
' tection of litter in winter, taking care, if the situation is low, , 
! or the main part of the border is very adhesive, to take | 
j means foi* throwing off a portion of the winter rains from , 
November to April; and if we have not met or divined your 
case, let us hear again.] 
FRUITING FINE-APPLES. 
“■What distance should Fruiting Pines be planted from 
each other regularly ? but, if you are cramped for room, what i 
is the least distance you recommend ? Does it make any 
difference whether Pines are fruited in pots, or planted out in 
the bed ? AVhat colour do you consider best for the wall of 
a Peach-house built after Mr. Fleming’s plan, or the wall of 
a lean-to vinery?—W. K. II.” 
[Fixes planted-out on the Hamiltonian system require 
more room than those in pots, and the reason is, that they 
grow more rampant in the foliage. It may be taken as a 
principle applicable to all plants in which either seed, root, : 
or fruit is profitable, that the stronger the plant, the more 
room is requisite. This will be found of universal applica¬ 
tion, whether amongst our cereals, root crops, or even fruits, 
up to the Pine-Apple. 
It is a common practice to allow about twenty-four to 
thirty inches between fruiting pines in pots, but four to six 
inches more may fairly be given when planted out, especially 
if to remain for years on the Hamiltonian plan. If cramped 
for room, you must even try about twenty-six inches. 
As to the colour of a Peach-wall in doors, we should say a 
white, ora mellow-looking drab or sound stone-colour; there 
is assuredly no reason for a heat-absorbing colour here, 
the trees will be far more likely to need an increase of light 
than heat; and it is a false principle in gardening to pay an 
j overwhelming attention to the latter, when the former is 
| frequently deficient. White, of course, increases the light of 
j the house.] 
PROPAGATING HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
“ How, when, and where, am I to propagate Cheiranlhus 
Marshallii! I want to get a stock of hardy herbaceous 
plants; such as Rockets, Phloxes, Pseonies, Potentillas, 
Delphiniums, &c.; when should they bo moved?—F. E. R., j 
Oxon.'' 
[As to Cheiranlhus Marshallii, see what Mr. Fish soys to- : 
day. Then, as to propagating Double Rockets, we may 
observe, that sometimes a few young shoots appear on the 
main flower-stems, especially if that should be damaged, 
these slipped off’ when from one to two inches in length 
will succeed, as recommended for Pinks. The general 
mode, however, is to wait until the plants have finished 
blooming; cut down the flower-stalks, the plants will soon 
begin to push afresh, and then early in autumn.the plants 
should bo raised, and divided into pieces, and planted in 
light, rich, sandy soil, into nursery rows. Each of these 
will generally be a nice strong plant before spring, when 
they should be. thinned out, and placed in their blooming 
quarters. Phloxes, Pceonies, Potentillas, and Delphiniums. 
may be moved whenever they have done blooming and 
the leaves are withered. Some of the tender kinds are most 
safely divided when growth is just commencing in spring.] 
PRESERVING GARDEN TALLIES. 
“ Is there any way of making deal garden tallies last a 
little longer? Those I marked Crocuses, &c., with, last 
autumn, have nearly all lost their ends now, so I must mark 
them afresh. I have tried charring the points, but the re¬ 
medy is as bad as the disease.—C. S.” 
[We do not understand how charring is as bad as the 
injury it is effectual in preventing. The tallies may be 
charred easily by dipping them into melted lead. A more ex¬ 
pensive preservative is dipping the points into Gutta-percha 
dissolved in Naptha.] 
MILDEWED GRAPES. 
“ Requested, your opinion of the cause and proper treat¬ 
ment of a disease in vines under the following circum¬ 
stances— 
“ Towards the end of June, an appearance like white 
mould shewed itself on one or two bunches in the middle of 
a house; in four days it had extended to every berry in that 
and an adja’cent house ; they were about the size of large 
peas, and became completely covered with a white sub¬ 
stance, partly dry and flying about when shaken, yet, at the 
same time unctuous to the touch and resisting water; they 
appeared as though they had been dipped in flour. The 
foliage shews comparatively little injury, having only a faint 
dust upon it, with blotches on a few leaves, like the spots on 
paper which has lain in the damp ; for the last four days 
strong fires have been applied to the hot-water pipes, which 
are drossecl with sulphur and water, the houses kept close, 
and perceptibly filled with sulphur vapour, but no change 
has yet taken place. Where the powder has been rubbed 
off with cotton wool it has not reappeared. 
“ The previous treatment of the vines has been uninformly 
as follows for the last twelve years, and always with success. 
The greenhouse, rather than hothouse culture is adopted, 
slight fires only when in bloom, and again as the fruit is 
ripening, and ripe, if damp weather. 
“ The system of long pruning has been used, as more 
ornamental, and certain of shewing the required number of 
branches properly placed. The plants are rather weak in 
habit than full, growing in a very light gravelly border, (with 
a broad walk near), which was not richly made at first, and 
the fruit has always been well flavoured rather than very 
large. 
“ They have always been watered, within and without, 
rather freely, with slight admixture, sometimes, of guano, 
or wood ashes, but kept dry as the ripening season advances. 
“ There has been no deviation from this treatment this 
year, unless it be rather more water from the dry season, 
and a little more guano, and possibly, in my absence, the 
houses may have been open rather late in the evening, 
though in hot weather I have often left them open all night. 
The sorts are Black Hamburghs, Princes, Muscats, and 
Muscadines ; some are planted inside and some outside the 
house.—ViCAit.” 
[There is no doubt that your Grapes are attacked by the 
Grape Mildew or Fungus (Oidium Tnckeri ), and as this pest 
has devastated the best-managed vineries as well as the 
Vineyards of all Europe, you need not suspect that the 
disease has come to you in consequence of your gardening 
mistakes. The only known remedy is sulphur, or some of 
its preparations. We have known the most violently-affected 
Grapes cured of this disease by rubbing them over with 
flowers of sulphur. A plate full of the sulphur was held 
under each bunch, whilst the operator dipped it in and rub¬ 
bed each berry over thoroughly with the sulphur.] 
CULTURE OF THE GENUS SCILLA. 
“ Last spring I had a fine bloom of Squills in pots in my 
small conservatory ; the kinds were— Scilla pracox, S. Sibi- 
rica, and S. campanulas. When they had ceased flowering 
the water was diminished, and when the leaves decayed was 
withheld altogether, and the pots placed on their sides, on a 
shelf at the back of the greenhouse. The earth has become 
quite dry. I intended leaving them there till the autumn, 
and then repotting them for next spring, but I observe the 
(S', pracox is starting. Have I placed them in too warm a 
situation ; and shall I lose the chance of successfully bloom¬ 
ing them next spring ? The neighbourhood is so surrounded 
