L’kbbuary ^(i. 
COUN'rUV GKNTLKMAN’S COMPANION. 
;j!i7 
fov this sort of work, that is, a small, narmw saw, having line, 
sharp teeth. It may, therefore, be jn-efeiahle to have tlie 
; circular boai\ls prepared by a carpcaiter, if there hap]iens to 
be one at hand. (Jertaiuly, a handy person may make a 
shift with a sharp knife or a cliisel, but neither is so good 
as a saw, when it can he obtained. \ small brad awl and 
i some nails of different sizes will also be indispensable. 
llegin work by preparing the rilw, cutting them to the 
same length, tapering them evenly towards the bottom, and 
; pointing them at the end which is to ba uppermost. Keep 
j them as nearly as possible to the same form, and cut tins 
j bottom end smooth. 
I When the ribs are neatly prepared, nail them on to the 
i smaller of the two circular boards which is to form the 
I bottom. If they have been properly prej^ared they should 
lie close to one another, and be as near as possible at right 
angles with the bottom ; that is, they should not lie to one 
i side, though sometimes in the pi’ocess of being put together 
' they may get out of place. It ought to be noticed here, 
I that a ring or hoop, made of an osier twig, is used at the 
inside near the top, in order to keep the ribs in their places, 
and it is desirable to introduce it at once. Therefore, nail 
on two ribs, first of all, at exactly opposite points, and nail 
the hoop to them. In this way it is much easier to adjust 
j all tlie others. But though this appears, at first sight, to 
j- bo a very simple affair, it will be found that considerable 
care and nicety are required to have the ribs uniform and 
close together, with just the exact number wanted to till up 
the whole all round. This is the point which proves the 
clever workman in such a form of stand, but, to be sure, 
so great nicety is not essential to its general appearance. 
It may be seen, by occasional inspection in the process of 
working, whether the ribs occu 2 )y tlicir proper positions; 
and it will, perhajis, hapjien that one or two require to be 
made a little narrower, either near tbe toji or bottom. After 
thus nailing the ribs to the bottom, secure them in the 
same way to the hooia at the top. 
Now, the larger of the two boards is firmly mounted on 
the legs, which are nailed at equal distances to hoops, one 
near the bottom, and another near the top, as seen in the 
tigure. But, instead of a lioop, a board may be placed near 
the bottom, and a dowering-plant or evergreen can be put 
on it when wanted. 
The bottom of the basket, that is, the larger of the two 
boards at a having been properly “bevelled” at the be¬ 
ginning, is now neatly covered with the scales of I’ir cones, 
arranged in an overlapping manner. Those quite close to 
the bottom of the basket will require to be shortened a 
little, and the whole may be either fastened with glue, or 
small tacks without heads ; indeed, the nails in every case 
should be as small as jiossible. It is scarcely necessary to 
add more, for a little practice is better than a volume of 
directions. There is, however, 07ie jtoint yet which needs 
especial notice, that is, the process of pi’eparing the branches 
for the riba. Whatever kind of wood may be chosen, the 
I branches should be cut into lengths of eight or teii inches, 
I and laid ufi to dry for some time ; if those lengths ai'e with- 
j out knots, so much the better; and if they cannot be evenly 
j split, they must be sawn with a sharp “ ripping saw,” but 
I they must be held quite firm while being sawn. For this 
pur 2 )ose the hand will not be sufllcient, and, therefore, some 
way of keeping them firm in position must be contrived. 
The most fertile cause of disappointment in all work of this 
kind is the want of proper tools, and the means of keeping 
the work firm and steady.—F. B. K., Ptirin. 
THE FORELT.E PEAE. 
The Forelle or Trout Pear is a beautiful Pear, and should 
be grown in all collections. I know of no Pear so handsome, 
when well grown on a west wall, gathered at the right time, 
and nicely finished ripening in a cool fruit-room. Nothing, 
I think, makes so elegant a dish in the dessert. 
The colour is a delicate citron, highly polished, and thickly 
studded on the side towards the sun with small crimson 
spots. The flesh is tender, juicy, and melting, with a very 
agreeable brisk flavour, slightly subacid, partaking of a 
slight flavour of the Apple. 
The tree; is a vigorous grower, and bears well on a west 
wall. I have not tried it, or seen it tried, in the open quar¬ 
ters of the garden; but I think it would succeed if grown 
pyramid fashion. It appears not to be very well known or 
so extensively grown as it should be. It is very much 
admired by all who have seen il. Could you tmlighten irs a 
little on its history ? — M. Busby, iSlorl irood 
[See page 2S5, Yol. xiv., for a histoiy and description of 
the Forelle Pear,—En. C. G.J 
THE STANWICK NECTAEINE. 
So much lias been said and written on the merits and 
demerits of the Stanwick Nectarine, that, perhaps, you will 
say —“ Enough.” Still, I think it has not been suHiciently 
tried to be condemned, nor, on the other band, to be fully 
recommended. In what little experience I have had with 
it, I like it much. It fruited here the first time last season, 
and the fruit was ripe, on the open wall, the second week in 
September. It showed no symiitoms of cracking, and is 
what I should consider a very excellent late Nectarine, of 
a good size, and finely coloured. The flavour is ricli and 
grateful, very juicy, more so in the open ground than any 
Nectarine we liave, and which flavour it retains to the last, 
which is more than can be said of some others. Probably, the 
season and the soil might have had some inthumce. The 
soil here is on the clay formation, and twenty feet through 
to the chalk, and therefore calculated, particularly in hot 
seasons, to suit the Peach, 
I was so pleased with the appearance of this Nectarine, 
that I removed, last autumn, a strong plant into the Peach- 
house, where it is at the present moment, nth of Februaiy, 
covered with large blossoms. Should it force well, I hoire to 
be able, at a future time, to let you know.—A Busby, Stvcli- 
tvood P(irl\ 
E AN UNCUT,USES. 
Not for a moment do I think it is necessary to fell the 
growers of this delightful plant that now is the time to 
plant it. On the contrary, the growers of florists’ flowers, 
at least, those that deserve the name, do not forget them, 
and are as conversant with the habits and wants of their 
pets as tbe loving mother, the careful and affectionate nurse, 
is of those of her children. But, though it is not necessary 
to tell the above, I luqie it will not be lost on those that 
have never tried them, and that, befori' long, this pretty, but 
neglected, plant will be placed .amongst the first of its 
class, which it so richly deserves. 
As the I’oots of Banunculuses strike deep, the soil in the 
beds for them ought not to be less than thi'ee feet deeji. 
Those that cannot fill the sjiace required for them with 
three portions of good, fresh, sandy loam, and the otlier 
liortion of cow's manure, u]i to two inches of the surface, 
must be content with ti’enching Iho gi'ound to this deivth, 
and adding one-fourth cow’s manure. If the earth is adhe¬ 
sive, a portion of sand should he added also, and if from 
the sea shore so much the better. Supjrosing this is done, 
and if draining jripes, say two inches in diameter, .are 
inserted six inches below the surface, and one foot apart, 
communicating with the surface with pipes, this will be 
found an excellent way to give Banunculuses either liquid- 
manure or plain water, as their wants may require it. 
Supposing the bed has been piroperly prepared and 
levelled, I should then place half-an-iuch, or an inch, of 
leaf-mould mixed with sand over the whole; then take a 
straight rod and mark the lines out for the rows across the 
bed, say five inches apart, and, when planting, allow about 
four inches betwixt them in the row; jiress the claws of 
the roots a little into the earth, to prevent them being 
disturbed when covering them over, which covering should 
not to be more than one-inch-and-a-half deep, and ought to 
consist of about equal portions of leaf-mould, fresh loam, 
and sand. As soon as the plants begin to make their 
appearance above ground, 1 would give them a slight 
mulching of cow’s manure, as it is an excellent regulator 
