FEKraiAUY I'2. 
COUNTRY OENTF.EMAN’S COMPANION. 
I 
•Sol 
proposed ])lan would not answer. I mentioned, some 
time ago, liow ]\Ir. Judd concretes the surface of his 
outside borders every year, and many adopt a similar 
plan. 
J)[STANCR OF IIratino-pipks froiu Vine stems planted 
inside, and from the soil. A few inches from the soil, in 
tlie latter case, and from nine to fifteen inches will be 
quite safe in the other; or even less, if a piece of board 
stands between the pipes and stem. 
IIeatixq Houses at an unequal t.evel unoAr one 
Borr.EP.. —In this case, from the ground sloping to the 
east, the level of one house is four feet lower tlian the 
other. Place the stock-hole and boiler between them, 
and so sunk that the top of the boiler will be below tbe 
lowest pipe in your lower bouse. From the top of the 
boiler take a flow-pipe into an open cistern, placed, at 
least, one foot higher than the highest pipe in the 
highest-levelled house, and have two more ])ipes fixed 
in the cistern, with sto]) cocks, one of those com¬ 
municating with one of the houses. Allow the flow- 
pipe in each house to rise a little to the fartlier 
extremity, and there insert a small air pii)e. 
Kind and Size of Boiler. —A small conical, or 
saddle boiler will beat two such houses. You would 
require a surface of from three to four square feet to be 
exposed to the lire. 
Cheap siode of Heating, —Tn answer to several, T 
may mention, that I saw a very large span-roofed house 
heated the other day, with a Hue on each side, formed of 
round earthen pipes, about nine inches in diameter, and 
cost about a sixpence per foot. With the exception of 
one or two next the furnace, they stood the heat well, 
though_very hot. They replaced galvanised iron, which 
had soon decayed. 
Kinds of (Jrapes. —For an early house, one Dutch 
Sweet Water, one Royal iMuscadino, three Black Ham¬ 
burgh, one White Frontignan, one Stockwood Golden 
Flamburgh (in autumn, as it is not yet in the market), 
one Black Prince. For a htle house, tlie grapes intended 
to hang long, choose iMusent of Alexandria, West’s St. 
Peter’s, and Barbarossa; and, jierbaps, one plant of 
Cannon Hall Muscat, with another plant of Black 
Hamburgh to come early. For a greenhouse, to come 
late and to have little assistance with extra beat. Mus¬ 
cadines and Hamburgbs, with one of Black Jhince, will 
answer best. B. Fisn. 
The Stepi'e-witcii. —“ Professor Schleiden, in Jena, 
in bis excellent lectures on tbe life of a jilant. em]doys 
the word burjan for a particular plant, namely, G'v/p.s’op/ti/d! 
panicidata, which the Russians, however, do not include 
under the appellation. The Oiipsophila 2 ')/tuicul()ta, li., 
a very well-known steppe-plant, is known by tbe name 
of Perekalqiole, or the Stei)pe-Jumper, and jdays the 
])art of the Rose 5f Jericho, especially in children’s 
stories. 'I'his plant (the Gysophila), which has latterly 
been used in Germany for nosegays (bouquets), on 
account of its light a|)pearancc and pretty little flowers, 
branches repeatedly just above the root, so tliat it forms 
a close round bush. After it has ceased blowing, it 
sheds its seeds, the principal stalk breaks olf at the base, 
and the round plant is carried hither and thither by the 
slightest wind. Other small plants, also withered, 
become attached to it, and they gradually form a thick 
ball, which in a strong wind is easily carried over the 
steppe. This is the Steppe-witch, which brings people 
good or ill luck. Jt is, however, not always the Gyp- 
sophila paniculala, L., which forms this ball, and has 
given origin to all kinds of tales. The Fhlomis jmnyens, 
Wind., wilich is indeed heavier, but likewise grows in 
the form of a round bouquet, is also carried by the wind 
through the steppe, and saluted by children as the 
Stepiie-witch.”— [Koch's Odessa and the Crimea.) 
WOODS AND FORESTS. 
[Coiiliiiued from I'M ye 258.) 
PRUNING. 
“P. B.,” a correspondent from Nantwich, in Cheshire, 
writes thus : “ Please to inform me when is the best time 
to crop (lop would be a more correct term) or prune 
branches of growing forest trees, say about twenty 
years old. I think I have heard they are not so liable 
to bleed if it is done when the tree is in full leaf.” 
This is not, by many, the only correspondent who 
writes for information on this all-important operation. 
I Unfortunately, too many such correspondents leave a 
, large margin for imagination as to the state the forest, 
wood, plantation, belt, bedge-row, timber, or single tree 
is in at the time ; whether it has over been pruned or 
I thinned at all ; also, whether the situation of the 
! objects of inquiry is elevated or low ; whether sheltered 
or exposed ; and, lastly, the kinds of trees that are 
supjiosed to want pruning. All, or as many as may be 
requisite, of these points ought to be mentioned and 
described in the correspondence, in order that the right 
I sort of information ibr the jicculiar cases might be 
given. However, in order that no lime may bo lost, I 
have hastened, according to our Editor’s request, to 
! reply to “ P. B.;” and shall extend the answer, so as not 
I only to meet his question as to the right time of 
I ]iruning, but also the best methods of performing it. 
I J may, )iossibly, not meet every case ; but I do trust the 
information 1 can give, from many years’ experience 
, and .study on the subject, will be found useful to many 
I whose ])lan‘ations have hitherto been left uncared for, 
I to live or die, thrive, or dwindle into a state anything 
' but ])leasant or profitable. 
Previously to entering upon the practical parts of 
the subject, I would make a few remarks on the use of 
pruning, and mention the tools necessary for the 
operation. When prolit is the main object in growing 
* timber trees, the use of jiruning is to produce a clean, 
I straight trunk or stem in the least possible time. Now, 
. if tbe Oak, the Elm, and other naturally-spreading 
trees are left unpruned, the branches may be large, but 
' the timber will be small, and, consequently, not so valu¬ 
able, com|)ared with the stem of a properly-pruned tree. 
; If the trees grow close together, and the pruning is left to 
; nature, by the lower branches being killed with the shade 
i and drip from the upper ones, the timber wdll be knotty, 
and, consequently, fit for notbing but fuel. 'J’he most 
' valuable, however, of all trees is crooked or bended 
oak, and this may be obtained by judicious pruning; of 
wbicb, more bereafter. I’runing, then, is tbe art of 
assisting nature to form trees most suitable for the 
' wants of man. 
^ 'J’he tools necessary arc only two, a strong knife and 
a good saw. 'Two of the latter, of different sizes, would 
not be objectionable. 1 have used one with a narrow, 
long, stool plate, and the other a common carpenter’s 
saw. J'he teeth should be set wider apart than for saw- 
I ing dry v/ood. 1 would observe, however, once for all, 
that every saw-wound should be pared quite smooth with 
the knife (immediately after the saw-cut) ; and after 
■ that I would recommend the wounds, if large, to be 
painted over with any common oil paint of a non-glaring 
colour. 'This prevents the wet from jienctrating into the 
sound wood of the tree. 'The expense w'ould be well 
bestowed. 
1. 'The Best Seasons for Pruning. —Our corres¬ 
pondent is evidently afraid that his trees will bleed. 1 
can assure him they wdll not if pruned any time from 
October to the end of January, and even after that the 
Oak, Ash, Elm, and Beech, wdll not bleed (unless very 
young) if pruned so late as the 1st of iMarch. Sycamore, 
Birch, and all tlie coniferous tribe wdll bleed severely if 
pruned during February, March, April, and May. It 
