M A lien li. 
COUNTRY GENTLl^lMAN’S CdMIUVNlON. 
often neglecti'd. Some assert that the more leaves the}' 
have the more success, whicli is simply nonsense. Success 
depends on the streiifiih and size of the leaf, and on its ob- 
tiiiiiing as much light, and air, and moisture, ns it can 
digest, so to speak, one sucli leaf is worth tliree small ones.] 
MUSA COCCINKA ROTTIXO AT TIIH COLLAR. 
“ Can you tell the reason of Afnsn Cnn 'nirn going black at 
the bottom of the stems and rotting off. Is it by roasmi of 
the stove being cold for them ; or is it a disease in tliem ? 
Tlie heat of the stove is from bs° to 0O° at night. They 
liave been kept as dry as possiltle. They Iiavc much gone 
off these two last winters. AVhat is the reason ; and what is 
best for me to do for them ? What soil ought they to be 
grown in?—A Constant SrjiscmBr.u." 
[We do not clearly see the reason of this dt'cay, ns the 
plants are kept dryish ; otherwise they would have reipiired 
5“ more of teinperatuie, and would like that as well even 
now. lias the hous(' been raised sufficiently to give a 
current of air during the day ? A close, humid atmospliere, 
and any thing like drip, long continued at the collar of the 
plant, might produce tin.' evil complained of. Sandy, fibry- 
loam, and iieat, with a little leaf-mould, will answer well for 
this Musa; and towards winter it Mould be advisable to pick 
away, Mith a pointed slick, the old soil from the collar, and 
replace it with fresh and dry soil.] 
RROTHCTION 
“Will you oblige me by staling which 
is the best protection from frost tliat can 
be placed over the blossom of Apricots 
ami other wall fruit in spring? — An Kn- 
OUIItEU.’ 
[There can be no doubt that a glass 
lean to, like .a range of closely fitting tJu- 
cumber glazed lights, is the hrst protec¬ 
tion orthekind you emiuire for. If you 
had askctl h)r the chca/icst jirotection mc 
should have named sprays of Fii's, Lau¬ 
rels, and other evergreens. If you were; 
to refer to the Inde.xes of previous volumes 
you Mould find the cotton and M’oolien 
coverings recommended by Air. Kriington 
ami other good authorities. 'J'he most 
recent of these is that employed success¬ 
fully at Snelstone. Hall, near Ashbourne, 
in ] terbyshiri', the seat of .lohn llariison, 
I'lsq. 
“A rod is ])lace,d horizontally beneath 
the coping of the Mall. AmUher hori¬ 
zontal rod is fixed upon posts three feet 
from the bottom of the Mall, and eighteen 
inches from the ground; the two hori¬ 
zontal rods are connected at intervals by 
slight braces, or roils, as is shown in the 
annexed Moodcut. 
“A covering, prepared hy soM’ing woollen 
netting on its upjier and lower edges to 
coarse calico, is then attached to the upper 
rod by loops and to the loM'er by jiieces of 
tape, M-hen the protection is complete. 
“Air. Harrison states that the cost of 
the worsted net (which is two yards M’ide), 
is Is. 81I. per yard running. The calico, one yard wide 
2 d. or 2 ^d. according to quality, and when used to slit doiyn 
the middle, and one half being sewn to the top, and the 
other to the bottom of the net, the covering becomes three 
yards wide. The tape and making up he linds of small 
cost, M’hile of poles he has abundance of no value. The 
whole together, in London, where every article has to be 
purchased, ought to be under g.s. a yard running, includ¬ 
ing making and putting up. 
“The walls at Snelstone arc brick, eleven feet high, M'ith 
stone coping, which projects about tM'o inches on each side. 
The trees aio unnailed before winter, and fastened loosidy 
to the Mall to prevent their being broken by the w’ind. In 
this state they ime kept until they are ready to burst into 
flower, the object being to retard vegetation at that season 
as much as possible. They are dressed with the following 
composition, namely Take equal quantities of sul|)hur 
vivum, Scotch snuff, and unslaked lime, the lime to be sifted 
through a fine sieve; then add Indf quantities of lamp-black, 
and mix the mIioIo M ith urine and soft soap-suds to the con¬ 
sistency of thick paint. The old and young wood is dressed 
M'ith this with a painter's brush, after the trees are pruned, 
after which they are nailed all from the upper side of the 
leading branches. 
“ Air. Harrison’s walls are fined, but the fire is used only 
to ripen the fruit in succession if required, and, in a very wet 
season, to ripen the wood after the fruit is gathered. Tlie 
flues are never used in the spring. 
TOR FRUIT RLOSSOAI. 
IS 
“ The advantages of this netting are very great. The 
w'alls at Snelstone contain eight peach and eight nectarine 
trees. The netting is fixed up and taken dow'n in tw'o or 
three hours, is set up M’hen the blossom cannot longer be 
kept back, and remains permanently fixed, until taken down 
about the latter end of Alay, wdien all danger from frost is 
over. The gardener can M'alk and w’ork under it to nail or 
disbud the trees; there are no blistered leaves, and the first 
shoots ahvays ripen their wood, insuring fruit for the follow¬ 
ing year. 
“ It may be added, that the woollen netting used by Air. 
Harrison is purchased of Alessrs. AVeatherhead, Irongate, 
H rby .”—Iforticiilhnal iSiiciclij's Journal. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Name of Fi.ower (R, D. T.). —Your flower is cailed Elh-hrysum 
bractenluiH. This is doinmortly called “Yellow Everlasting.” It is a 
half-hardy annual; and there is a pale or white variety of it. There are 
many other plants commonly called “ Everlasting Flowers,” too, such 
as the purple and white Xvriirif/ieinum annitum, Antcnniirhi mar/rari- 
tacca, Gniipliallum nrianriinn, and Fi/iigo gKrtnanica. There are 
fourteen volumes of The Cottage Gardener, besides that now 
publishing. You can have them at 8s. 6 I. per volume. Mr. Teget- 
meier’s Prajitahle Poultry, an eighteen-penny book, will suit you. 
Cheap Green Paint For rough out-door work the 
following recipe, we are told, makes a bright green and durable paint. 
Yellow ochreand wet blue, of each !23 lbs.; road-dust, sifted fine, 42lbs.: 
blue-black, aflbs.j grind them well together, and mix with gallon of 
r ( 
T- 
.--f- 
