I 
December 19. THE COTTAGE 
Class 19 .— Aylesbury Ducks. —First prize, Mr. T. Dark, Broughton. 
Second prize, Mr. W. Pearsc, Langley. Highly Commended.—-Mr. C. 
T. Downes. Commended.—Mr. E. Dowding, Bath. (A meritorious 
Class.) 
Class 20.— Rouen, or Lincoln Ducks. —Second prize, Mr. W. 
Pearsc, Langley. (First prize withheld.) 
Extra Stock. —Prize, Joseph Nicld, Esq., M.P. (A pen of six Buff 
Cochin Chicken.) Prize, Rev. P. Methuen, All Cannings. (A pen of 
six White Bantam Chicken.) 
GllAPE-VINE PLANTING. 
Being about to erect three Vineries, and knowing your 
kindness in giving assistance, I beg to lay my views before 
your readers, so that if any one will be kind enough to give 
me any practical hint, I shall feel truly grateful for such. 
In the first place, in my early house, the border will be inside ; 
the house will take eight vines, viz., four Hamburghs, two 
Joslin’s St. Albans, and two Sweetwater; these I want ripe I 
in March. My second house will take ten,—five Hamburghs, 
two Cannon Hall Muscat, two Muscat of Alexandria, one 
White Frontignan ; these I want for August, September, and 
October. My third house I shall want to hang as late as 
possible. This house will take ten,—four Barbarossa, two \ 
West’s St. Peters, four Muscat of Alexandria. Do you 
think.this selection will ensure Grapes eleven months out of 
of twelve ? or do you think I could make a better selection ? 
My borders I shall make as follows. I shall take the soil 
out ten inches below the surrounding ground, and make a 
concrete bottom, with a slight fall from back to front (so as 
to be impenetrable to the roots of the Vine), laying on four 
inches of drainage; then run a drain along the front, which 
will, I think, make the drainage complete; then lay on two 
feet six inches of strong loam that has been worked up with 
rotten dung for two years, to within a short distance of the 
young Vine, where I shall put fibry loam and leaf-soil; as I 
think they will emit roots more freely, which is an object of 
importance. As Grape-growing is at present engaging 
much attention, perhaps this may he of interest to your 
readers, and of great importance to me.— 1’. Mariot, Tring. 
[We have to apologize for this not appearing sooner, 
owing to its having been mislaid.] 
THE GRESFORD YEWS. 
Seeing a notice of some remarkable trees in The 
Cottage Gardener, it strikes me that some mention of 
those at Gresford may be acceptable to you. 
Grosford is situated between Wrexham and Chester, 
and is remarkable for its beautiful church. There are 
nineteen Yew trees in the church yard, all of them fine 
trees; hut one at the south-east corner is that which I 
would bring to your notice. I measured it at four feet from 
the ground, and found it twenty-six feet in circumference; 
hut on referring to “Hadyn’s Dictionary of Dates,” I find the 
following account: 
“A Yew is now growing in the church-yard at Gresford, 
North Wales, whose circumference is nine yards nine inches. 
This is the largest and oldest Yew tree in the British 
dominions ; but it is affirmed, on traditionary evidence, that 
there are some of these trees in England older than the 
introduction of Christianity.” 
The trunk separates about five feet from the ground, into 
six or eight enormous branches, each of which would be a 
magnificent tree. 
There is, also, near the church, a fine Sycamore, at the 
foot of which Queen Margaret is said to have rested after 
one of the defeats of King Henry IT. There are the 
remains of a cross under this tree. The name of Gresford 
is derived from Croes-fford, viz., the road of the cross. 
The church was built in the reign of Henry VII., and 
the peal of bells is one of the wonders of North Wales.— 
M. E. G. 
[We shall gladly insert the description of any fine trees, 
if accompanied by recent measurements of their size. 
Traditions, local or historical, connected with such trees, 
will render the communication additionally interesting.] 
GARDENER. 231 j 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
PROPAGATING CINERARIA MARITIMA. 
“I should bo much obliged if you could tell me how and 
when to propagate the Cineraria marilima with certainty, as 
I have tried it in different ways, during the autumn, with 
very little success. I have preserved my old plants, and 
wish to propagate extensively.—H. II." 
[The reason why your cuttings of the “frosted silver 
plant ” did not strike, was, that you took them from the 
flowering wood, or shoots in which tho flowers were formed 
I inside, hut not yet visible. Cuttings of some other plants 
j fail from this cause; therefore, to get rid of this bother, most 
gardeneis put them off till the spring, when the shoots 
are young and easy to root in a hotbed; and if there are 
not enough for all the cuttings they want, they put such 
plants into heat in January, to force them into new shoots. 
Another thing these knowing gardeners are fond of doing, 
is to take very short cuttings, so as to make the most of their 
stock ; and the very first lot of cuttings are not potted off, 
or taken from the bed as soon as they are rooted, but are 
allowed to grow on till their tops are long enough, for more 
cuttings. There is no end to this kind of forcing, till one 
has enough and to spare.] 
FORCING SEA-KALE. 
“ I have long tried to force Sea-kale out-of-doors, so as to 
obtain it early ; but, considering the number of years I have 
tried, it is extraordinary that I could never succeed. I will 
give you an outline of the system I adopt. In August, I cut 
the old roots and replant in number three-sized pots, so as 
a kale-pot will cover them. In the autumn, when they fade, 
I clear the old leaves away, and put the kale pots over them. 
I then put a quantity of hot manure round the pots, and 
keep them free from vermin; but I always find that they 
draw weakly and come late. If you will, therefore, instruct 
me in the culture of the above, you would confer a great 
favour on—E. Ian.” 
[Most probably you do not supply the Sea kale in tlie pots 
v.'itli liquid-manure, and other good culture in the summer, 
to enable the plants to store up their sap, from which they will 
make strong growth when forced. We recommend you not to 
grow in pots at all, but turn the plants out into a bed, three 
feet apart each way; give them plenty of manure, liquid and 
solid; and, after a good summer’s growth, in November, or 
early in December, clear away all the leaves and weeds, and 
give a good dusting with slacked lime. Fork up the beds care¬ 
fully, and top-dress them. Those who wish for early cuttings 
may now cover up a small quantity, say twenty or thirty plants. 
First examine the crowns with the hand, and find out their 
extent, so as to know where to place the pots over them ; 
then give the ground about them a thorough good dusting 
with quick-lime, and put the pot over immediately, 
seeing that it fits close at the bottom, so that tho 
steam cannot get in from the fermenting materials 
which are to cover the pots. Stable-dung that has 
been turned over three or four times to sweeten, may he 
used for this purpose, but leaves are very much better; and 
a good manager has always a comer where he collects all 
his leaves for this and other purposes. Give the pots a 
good covering of these leaves to the thickness of a loot or 
eighteen inches all round, and over them, pressing the leaves 
as close and as snug as can he done, leaving the work in a 
ridge-shaped form ; after which, a few barrowfuls of long 
stable dung, or old thatch, or any other such material, may 
be put over the whole, which will tend to warmth, aud 
prevent the wind from blowing the leaves away; altogether, 
this should give a temperature of about 55°. A fine day 
should always be chosen for this work, and never leave off 
the job until it is finished.] 
PLANTING AND FORCING POTATOES. 
“Please inform me, if it will do to plant “ the Fluke ” 
now; and what some call, the “White-blossomed Kidney 
Potato?" Itis, I think, rather earlier than the “ Asli-leaved.” < 
Also, state how deep they should be planted; and what dis- I 
tance, or room they require? My reason for thus writing is, | 
that I have spare ground ready for planting. Will straw j 
