THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Septemuer IS. 
11(3 
plement of these vermin, which raake sad .havoc of the 
outside leaves of the Celery, and mark the inner ones 
besides. Coal-ashes, and the residuum from a forcing- 
house furnaces, &c., are a good antidote to these. A 
small quantity will go a great way, if economically 
applied, so as merely to surround the plant, and nothing 
more. For this purpose, for single rows, and for 
beds alike, I have used boards, to he placed pretty 
close to the plants, longitudinally, or across, as the 
case might be, and then placed a few semicircular 
pieces of zinc, two to each plant, as it stood in the row, 
either longitudinally or across the bed. Between the 
boards and the plant, and these zinc pieces and the 
plant—a small square piece of board would answer just 
as well—the ashes were trundled in, and the earth 
banked-up in the usual way, and firmly pressed as the 
hoards, &c., were withdrawn. By this mode, it will 
be seen that a cone of ashes, however narrow, sur¬ 
rounded each plant, and served for a long time, at least, 
to repel worms and slugs from eating and disfiguring 
the inside. 
Protecting and Keeping Celery in Winter.— 
Notwithstanding the above mode with the ashes, in 
heavy soils I have found the plants suffering greatly 
from dampings of the foliage after changes of tempera¬ 
ture, and heavy, saturating rains. The best remedy for 
this is to use a lighter material than even earth and 
ashes for the last banking-up. I never preserved my 
Celery better than when I used the following means:— 
The plants were earthed up fully half-way for the winter 
crops, as advised above. Much of the Park was then in 
pasture, and much rough withered matter with decayed 
bents was left in winter; this I was then allowed to 
take, by mowing it in a morning, and I did not spare it. 
This dryish windlestraw hay, mixed with an equal por¬ 
tion of tree-leaves, newly fallen, 1 used for finally earth¬ 
ing, or covering up my Celery beds and rows, previ¬ 
ously giving the plants a rough, thickish dusting of 
ashes and soot. 1 have used this mixture of hay, grass, 
and leaves, from six inches to fifteen inches thick. 
If thicker, they might have heated, and frustrated my 
object. Whether in beds or row's—kept highest some¬ 
what cone-like in the centre—the surface soon became 
so consolidated as to throw off the worst rains, while, at 
the same time, the mass was so loose that air could pe¬ 
netrate pretty freely, and yet frost be excluded. In very 
severe frost, extra covering was necessary to protect the 
exposed foliage; but, altogether, I have found nothiug 
in stiff soils so good for covering Celery, and have often 
had a wishful eye to the long, useless grass from which 
1 have been debarred. Neither leaves by themselves, 
nor straw, nor both mingled, answer so well; and, be¬ 
sides, straw cannot be got for the mere cutting and 
carting of it. 
I prefer covering with litter, instead of taking much 
Celery up before severe weather, as it sometimes loses 
its crisp sweetness. A head of Celery from a storehouse 
is too much on a par with a dish of Peas obtained from a 
sack in Covent Garden; the bulk is present, the best 
qualities are gone. 
And now, after all, I have said or repeated nothing at 
all uncommon; but that the piece-and-piece earthing-up 
of Celery, especially of that which is early, is one great 
cause of the plants boltiuy ; and yet, simple as this idea 
may seem, I am certain there are subscribers that will 
estimate aright its value and importance. 
R. Fish. 
Ax American Aloe. —There is now in bloom at 
Eywood, the seat of Lsuly Langdale, an American Aloe, 
which is upwards of ninety years of age. The flower- 
stalk began to appear on the 9tli of May, aud is now 
upwards of twenty Ret high. To euable it to attain its 
full growth, an opening has been made in the roof of 
the house, and when fully developed it will have not 
less than 2000 blooms upon it. 
NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Aries Kcempferii.—A new and beautiful Fir from 
China, where it is called the Golden Pine. Mr. Fortune 
says it is named so from the rich yellow, in autumn, of 
its cones and leaves. These latter are from three to 
four inches long, and are deciduous, that is, falling off 
in winter. It grows in its native wilds on elevated or 
mountainous districts, where it reaches more than a 
hundred feet high, with a slender, tapering trunk, j 
measuring at the base eight feet diameter. The timber i 
is excellent, equal, if not superior, to our common j 
Larch. It seems to be a connecting link between the I 
Cedar of Lebanon and the Larch, being like the former 
in the disposition of its branches, and like the latter in its 
straight tapering trunk and deciduous leaves. It is, as 
i yet, extremely rare; but will, no doubt, produce seeds 
; in this country, and will then be planted largely, aud 
prove another valuable acquisition to our hardy trees. 
, Cephalotaxus Fortunii (Mr. Fortune’s Cephalo- 
| tax us).—Though this plant has been introduced more 
than seven years, yet it is very little known, and the 
reason, hitherto, has been its high prices. A large im¬ 
portation of seeds, however, took place two years ago, 
and now plants may be had at forty-two shillings the 
dozen. It is a native of Japan and China, and has 
proved perfectly hardy. During the late severe winter 
i it has been fully exposed, in various parts, without a 
leaf being injured. It is a tree that grows sixty feet 
high, and must then be exceedingly handsome. Even 
young trees are beautiful, the foliage being broad for a 
Yew, and of a light, pleasing green. We possess, in 
this country, male and female plants, so may reasonably 
expect seeds will be produced in abundance as soon 
| as the trees are old, and large enough to produce them. 
; Cryptomeria viridis. — (The Green Gryptomeria).— 
Though the G. japonica has proved to be a perfectly 
hardy tree, yet, in some places, the leaves turn brown in 
winter, which detracts from its beauty greatly ; whereas, 
C. viridis, a distinct species, preserves its colour in all 
situations, through the most severe frost,—such, for 
instance, as we have had during the last two winters. 
As an ornamental Conifer it is very handsome, and 
deserving of general cultivation. 
| Juniperus Sphcerica (The Round Juniper.)—This 
is a new Juniper, bearing a considerable resemblance to 
Cupressus macrocarpa , but is specifically distinct. It is 
a true Juniper, a native of the north of China, where it 
forms a large, handsome tree. It is, by far, the hand¬ 
somest species of the whole genus, and ought to be in 
every Pinetum in the kingdom. It has proved to be per¬ 
fectly hardy, having been exposed to the severest frosts. 
! Retinospora ericoides. —(Heath-leaved Retinospora.) 
—A very pretty, low growing Conifer, perfectly hardy, 
having borne the rigour of our late severe winters. It 
i ought to be genei’ally grown on account of its unique 
appearance and beautiful green foliage. 
Thuja Craigiaxje. —(Cragie’s Arbor Vitae.)—A newly- 
introduced tree from California. It was found on the 
banks of the river Sacramento, growing more than a hun¬ 
dred feet high, with a stem measuring seven feet dia¬ 
meter. We are accustomed to regard the Arbor vitas 
as only tall shrubs, or, at most, low trees ; but here is 
one that reaches to a tree of the first magnitude. Its 
hardihood has not yet been sufficiently tried to ascer¬ 
tain if it will bear our winters,—though, from the fact 
that olhers from the same locality are hardy enough, we 
l may reasonably suppose this will prove hardy also. 
