88 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 31. 
health, producing fine glossy foliage with short jointed wood, 
and trained horizontally. I further beg to state, that the 
ground round the tree is never dug, but is covered with turf, 
with some clumps cut out in front of the tree, but not suffi¬ 
ciently near as to injure the tree in any way whatever, as 
the roots of the tree occupy the ground all round the stem 
for several feet. I have examined the soil, and find it a dry, 
sandy loam; therefore, from the above statements, I am 
entirely at a loss to account for the tree producing such fruit 
as the one sent. I have grown this variety of Pear on walls 
with different aspects, and also as dwarf and tall standards, 
but never saw any fruit like the enclosed from any of them. 
—Geo. Hunter.” 
[The Pear enclosed was contracted on one side, and that 
side was covered with small bumps. We have seen many 
similarly deformed, and attribute it to injury inflicted by the 
early spring frosts. No variety of Pear is a more uncertain 
bearer, owing to its liability to suffer from the frosts in the 
prime of the year. This letter was mislaid, or it would have 
been answered much earlier.] 
WALL-FRUIT TREES FOR DURHAM. 
“We have the following spaces available for wall fruit 
trees, and we shall be obliged by your recommending such 
trees as would be most suitable, taking into account the 
latitude we are in (Middleton-on-Tees), and being subject 
to a long continuance of easterly winds in the spring, and 
that we should prefer to plant such as would bo most 
likely to ripen their fruit. I intend, also, to plant some 
pyramidal Pears, and some on trellises, and reserve the 
walls for superior fruit, making the borders in front of the 
walls ten feet wide (?) and to plant all trees on ‘stations. 1 
“ The aspect of the boundary wall is south; C° west; 
height nine feet; divided in the centre by a brick pillar, 
leaving two spaces of twenty-one feet in length each—call 
the spaces A and B. Next are three spaces: aspect west; 
0° north :—C, height twenty-two feet, and eighteen-and-a- 
half feet long. D, ten feet high, twenty-three feet long. E, 
ten feet high, and nine-and-a-half feet long. What would you 
plant against A, B, C, D, and E ? and what against C, D. 
and E, having the opposite aspect, viz.east, 0° south ? 
There are two windows in front of each house ; I propose to 
plant Roses (what kind?), Clematis azurea grand)flora. 
Wistaria sinensis, and Passion-flower (what kinds ?). Will 
these do to train against iron rods; or what else do you 
suggest ? Do you think there is a fair chance of succeeding 
with pyramidal Pears, Plums, etc., as recommended by Mr. 
Rivers, in this latitude ? And on what stocks should the 
wall-trees be grafted.— Middleton.” 
[Your wall trees may be from ten feet to sixteen feet 
apart: the higher the wall the closer they may be planted, 
and vice versa. Station distances may be from eight feet 
to twenty feet, according to the mode of training; but this 
is advised with especial reference to small gardens. For a 
South aspect in your case, and on a wall,—Early Duke 
Cherry ; Moorpark Apricot: Royal George Peach; Elruge 
Nectarine ; Winter Neilis Pear. 
For East and West aspects,— Plums, Greengage, Hiding’s 
Superb, and Orleans. Cherries, Elton or Morello, Late Duke. 
Pears, Jargonelles, Thompson’s, Dunmore, Marie Louise, 
Beurre d’Amalis, Winter Nelis, Beurre Diol. 
North-wall. —Morello Cherries, Magnum Bonum Plum, 
and stewing Pears. 
These are advised with reference to the climate, &c, and 
a succession. Hoses for windows. Airnie Yibert, Pierre de 
St. Ayr, Geant des Batlailles, Gloire de Rosamene. Wistaria 
sinensis, it is too far north for; Passiflora c tern lea will suit. 
Let them be on a wire trellis, two inches from the wall. 
As to the Pears of Mr. Rivers' catalogue, he should be 
best able to answer for them. Only remember, that yours 
is not a coaxing climate, and much caution is necessary, or 
you will meet with disappointments. We should, however, 
recommend Quince-stock Pears in general; but you must 
protect, for they rush earlier into blossom than those on free 
stocks, and this is a great fault.] 
SELECT POTATOES FOR SEED. 
Many correspondents having written to us enquiring 
where Fluke and other varieties may be obtained from the 
north-west of England, but especially from Cheshire, we 
forwarded the inquiries to Mr, Errington, and the following 
is his reply:— 
[I beg to inform the readers of this work, that those on 
sale at present are of rather suspicious character. In fact, 
few are selling around this district (Tarporley, in Cheshire) 
except on the score of disease. In a few weeks’ time things 
will be in a different position; the diseased tubers, where 
any exist, will have been picked out, and then samples can 
be pretty well relied on. Our readers, therefore, had better 
wait a little while, as I think I have a good many to spare 
myself, of some kinds; all taken up before the disease had 
commenced; for my crops were very early. My seed, there¬ 
fore, has never shown the least symptons of disease, with 
the exception of the Regents. I will, however, inquire, and 
let our readers know further shortly.—R. Errington.] 
STAPHYLINID-E.—RANUNCULUS SOIL. 
“ A few days ago I was sitting in my garden, when I 
observed one of those large insects, the Stuphylinidec, make 
its appearance on a flat stone, erect its head, and snuffing, 
as it were, the breeze with its antennee, it made a rush 
towards me, but fell over the ridge of the stone, and, 
whether from anger or not, it seized a Cherry-stone, which 
it appeared to me to keep grinding away with its mandibles, 
until at last I made a movement, and it then rushed under 
a cinder—I should think twenty or thirty times heavier 
than itself—which it tossed about as if it was a feather. 
Think of a man getting under a boulder, and uplifting it in 
this manner! Now, I wish to be informed, do these 
insects eat wood ? for if they do, they must be really very 
mischievous in a garden. I saw one, last year, seize a dead 
worm, and walk off with it. I thought that they were only 
carnivorous; but it looks as if nothing came amiss to them 
in the eating line. 
“ Can you inform me if it is best to tread the ground 
before Ranunculuses are set ? I had some Turban last year, 
but could only make two flower out of fifty. This year I 
have planted at this season, and will let 'them take their 
chance through the winter.— Joseph Lloyd Phelps." 
[The larger species of Staphylinuhe are bold insects, 
biting anything that opposes them; their food is generally 
worms and such insects, or dead animal matter, as comes 
within their reach. The smaller species frequent decaying 
vegetable matter, feeding upon it, as well as upon the softer 
species of insects which also occur there. They are powerful 
in their muscles, but not more so than many other insects; 
the muscles of insects being, in general, far more powerful 
than those of men. They do not eat wood; but, if they did, 
it does not seem very clear, from J. L. P.’s statement, how 
they would, therefore, be very mischievous in gardens. 
The soil, or rather compost, in which the Ranunculus is 
planted should be tolerably firm and good. This plant re¬ 
quires much sand and cow-dung. See The Cottage Gar¬ 
deners’ Dictionary.] 
NOSEGAYS—PYRAMIDAL TRAINING. 
“ Are the early-flowering border-plants, spoken of by Mr. 
Appleby, September 19, page 477, herbaceous plants, or 
raised from seed; and where are they to be got? I am de¬ 
lighted with the French nosegay by “ T. F. Iveir.” Ask him 
to write a little more on the subject. I cannot build it very 
well holding it in the hand. Is there a foundation, &c. ? 
As for the pyramidal way of growing plants, I can think of 
nothing else. I know they must be beautiful, and have 
made a beginning. Please say what plants look best in this 
form besides Geraniums and Azaleas; and will you favour us 
with a drawing of a wire pyramid ? Should the frame be 
used to all plants ? I have a Scarlet Geranium with the 
centre stem five feet high, the stem bare of shoots. Can I 
do anything with this ? It is in a very large pot, and bloomed 
in the greenhouse during the summer.— Mary.” 
“ P.S.—JVhat is tho price of “ The Cottage Gardeners’ 
Dictionary ?” [Eight shillings and sixpence.] 
[All the early-flowering border-plants spoken of by Mr. 
Appleby are herbaceous plants, but seeds 'of very few of 
them indeed can be had. Herbaceous plants, properly so 
called, are seldom increased by seeds, except by nurserymen 
for their own stock; and there is no demand for such seeds 
