January 9. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
281 
the effects of such an unusual severe amount of cold on 
various trees and shrubs. It is useful, too, in warning 
us what to expect if we plant largely comparatively 
newly-introduced plants; as for instance, some of the 
Himalayan Pines, Gup rests us torulosa especially; whilst, 
on the other hand, we may be encouraged to cultivate, 
with perfect confidence, any trees, or shrubs, that will 
bear such a severe cold. The following have passed 
through this extreme ordeal totally uninjured. 
Abies Douylasii, A. morinda, A. Frazerii, A. 
Menziezii; Cryptomena japonica (this is a great fact); 
Fitzroya patajonica; Forsythia viridissima; Picea pin- 
sapo; Finns insignis, monticolo, nobilis; Bcnihamiana 
ayacaliuite, and Sabiniana. This last-named is u truly 
noble tree here, and has improved greatly within the 
last two years; the last-made branches are much more 
densely clothed with foliage, and the leaves are longer. 
It is, I believe, allowed to be the finest specimen in 
Britain, Pinus Lindleyana has also proved hardy here, 
as well as at Chiswick. This is one of the handsomest 
of the Mexican Pines. Saxegothea conspicua is not 
injured in the least, neither is Taxodium sempervirens 
(tliis is also a great fact). 
Injured a little, but partially recovered, is Cedrus 
Deodara. I was sorry to see this fine, elegant tree so 
much cut. Many of the branches are quite dead ; but, 
I as a matter to rejoice at, none of the trees are quite 
I destroyed. 
I Injured severely, are Araucaria imbricata. One or 
two trees of it are quite dead, whilst others have their 
tops alive, but the lower branches destroyed. Gupressus 
torulosa, Buxus balearica, cut down to within three 
feet of the ground ; but have, during the summer, sent 
out numerous young shoots. 
Gupressus Lambertiana is killed; but let not the 
planter despair, because such fine trees as the Deodar 
and the Araucaria have suffered. If, because an extra 
hard winter has injured them in some places, we refuse 
to plant them, then we may give up planting the 
common Laurel, the Sweet Bay, and many others that 
we always call hardy. I have no doubt, in my own 
mind, that when those somewhat tender trees attain a 
considerable magnitude, they will bear our winters much 
better than they do whilst they are young and near the 
ground. It is a well-ascertained fact, that frost is more 
keen close to the earth than at a considerable elevation 
above it. At Rolleston Hall, the Laurels, the Laurus- 
tinus, Sweet Bays, and the old Catalpa were so much 
cut, that many of them had to be pruned down to the 
ground. 
The hardy Fernery here is being enlarged. Some 
very interesting ruins of an old monastery, abbey, or 
church, were rescued from destruction, and have been 
fitted up as a ruin near to the Fernery, and combined 
with it. I know no hardy Fernery with so many 
interesting and different parts. In one place, the Ferns 
loving moisture are planted in a small dell; in another, 
the wild inhabitants of the rock have a suitable habita¬ 
tion ; and in another place, such as love the shade have 
a home provided for them. Here I saw the rare Irish 
Fern, the Trichomanes brevisetum, growing in the open 
air, but in a dense shade under a bell-glass. Close to it, 
behind a stump, Sir Oswald has a bottle of water kept, 
and whenever he passes this thirsty Fern he gives it a 
sprinkling. A Wardian case is made use of to cultivate 
the Hymenophyllum Tunbrigense. It has a double cover, 
that is, the glass of the case aud a bell-glass over the 
Fern pot. This case is also in a dense shade. To a 
lover of Ferns, this is as interesting a spot as any he 
ever met with. 
I saw, in the front of the Vineries, a good kind of 
covering for the roots of the Vines. It is formed of 
frames, with boards nailed ou them, like the slates on 
the roof of a house. These frames are nine feet long, 
and three-and-a-half broad. They rest on the front 
wall, and on a strong spout in front, which spout carries 
off the water, fn the house, I noted some excellent 
Muscat and Black Tokay Grapes, aud also many fine 
bunches of the Syrian Grape. This, when well 
ripened, is an excellent fruit, and hangs long ou the 
tree. T. Appleby. 
CUCUMBER FORCING. 
(Continued from page 263.) 
In following out the subject of Cucumber growing, it 
is proper now to say a little on the subject of soils, lor 
much difference of opinion exists on that head, aud we 
have often seen the most differing composts used with a 
fair share of success in both instances. 
This would imply that other agencies were at work to 
correct the one, or mitigate the benefits of the other; 
for though some plants of robust habit grow freely 
enough in all kinds of soil, yet most plants have their 
favourite ; and though it would be wrong to say they do 
not grow in an opposite one, yet they cannot be expected 
to thrive in it. A Heath would not easily flourish in a 
stiff' clay nor chalky loam; neither would a marsh plant 
grow vigorously on a dry, heathy, or gravelly hill; but 
the Cucumber being so much the creature of art, a soil 
differing widely from that in general used will often 
produce a good crop of useful fruit; the benefit being 
due, more especially, to other agencies at work. We 
need not, therefore, be surprised at Cucumbers being 
grown in peat soil alone, while, at the same time, it is 
seen to flourish iu a rather stiff’loam, with only a very 
moderate share of lighter substance added, to keep the 
material from becoming too impervious to air and water; 
but, as in most cases the most successful practice will 
often be found midway between, so, in this, the gene¬ 
rality of Cucumber growers prefer a light open soil, 
more or less rich in manure, in some shape or other, to 
peat or heavy loam alone; or, iu fact, any other extreme 
mixture, as some enthusiastic growers have succeeded 
in. For instance, I have seen excellent fruit grown ou 
plants whose roots ramified through a substance one- 
half of which was charcoal; this was, of course, in the 
“charcoal era,” when that agent was thought, like 
“ Morrison’s Rills,” or “ Holloway’s Ointment,” a 
perfect cure for all the evils we had to complain of; 
but though charcoal is doubtless very good in its | 
way, yet, like many other good things, it may be taken | 
to excess; and 1 have a shrewd guess, the vigorous 
growth of the plants I saw luxuriating iu it was, in a 
great measure, owing to other things, most probably 
liquid-manure, for charcoal is an excellent thing for 
absorbing such a fluid, which it would part with as 
wanted by the plant. 
As we all know that plants of rapid and vigorous 
growth subsist, in a great measure, on liquid substances, 
it is only fair to suppose that those which contain the 
most nutriment in that shape, or are capable of receiving I 
it from other sources, will be the soil iu which “the j 
Cucumber” delights to grow iu ; for we may class it 
among the “ gross feeders,” although differing, perhaps, 
iu character from something to which that term is 
applied, for the health aud vigour of the Cucumber is, 
in a measure, owing to the atmosphere in which it lives, 
as well as the soil or compost in which its roots are 
placed ; and 1 have uo doubt, but in the instances where 
an extreme soil was used, the atmosphere of the place 
was all that could bo desired, serving, iu fact, most of 
the purposes of the soil, and neutralising its inefficiency; 
for an atmosphere charged with moisture of an agreeable 
kind will maintain vegetable life a long time with but 
very little assistance from the soil in which its roots may 
be placed; Jjut, be it remembered, such growths are 
