36 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 16, 1860. 
ours boasted be succeeded without bottom heat. But did he ? 
On examining his practice we found a quantity of moss was 
placed on the top of a strong covered flue ; in this moss his buds 
in pots were fixed—and then, forsooth, he grew his young Vines 
without bottom heat!! There is no difficulty in rearing young 
plants with toj) heat alone. The question is, Will you get them 
equally early and good as by the plan proposed. We have grown 
Vines from eyes in a common greenhouse; but then we did not 
think of fruiting them until, and then latish, in the third summer, 
instead of the second from the eye. Moreover, according to our 
correspondent’s account, we cannot see how he grows his Vines 
without bottom heat and top heat too. We should desire no better 
place and command of heat for growing them. He seems to have 
bottom heat fully at command, and top heat by means of his 
wooden pipes; and if he wanted more, he has ouly to have 
several openings from the shallow chamber containing his pipes 
furnished with slides to let out top heat at will. If we should 
differ at all in practice, it would be to have a corner of one of 
these beds filled with tan, or sweet dung and tree leaves, for 
starting his Vine-buds and giving them a shifting or two. We 
could desire nothing better than the fine-chopped sods so nicely 
heated for setting them in afterwards. When it was wished to 
start them into fruit, nothing could answer better. The heat 
top and bottom could be regulated to a nicety; and though 
fermenting matter might be more genial in the first instance, the 
roots getting into the fine-chopped turf must tell more favourably 
on the swelling of the bunches. This custom, though a common 
one, can hardly be said in thorough correctness to be fruiting the 
Vines in pots; as the Vine roots under such, circumstances, if 
not hindered, will roam quickly far beyond the pots. We would 
not damp the zeal of our correspondent in the least—we hope to 
whet it, by telling him that many would make more of such a 
house than striking 2000 cuttings in autumn and growing Ferns 
under the Vines in winter and summer. There is a great charm 
to some people in having Vines and other fruit trees in pots; 
and when done well, as in the present case, they always display 
good management and unremitting attention. But were economy 
in labour a great consideration, that economy would be consider¬ 
ably promoted by planting out Vines in such at least two-and-a- 
half-feet-deep pits, in such nice chopped sods, mixed with some 
five-hundred weight of broken bones, and giving rich top-dressings 
every year, instead of having fresh ones grown every year in pots. 
If Vines do so well in pots set in these chopped sods, we feel 
confident that established Vines would do equally well. There 
is, under such circumstances, everything to help the early pro¬ 
duction of good fruit at a tithe of the labour of forwarding them 
in pots. However, we have no wish to damp the energy of our 
successful correspondent, but cordially wish him greater success, 
and will be glad at all times to know the particulars of that 
success.] 
AEABIS LUCID A V ABIE GAT A AS AN EDGING. 
On two former occasions you have been pleased to express 
your approbation of two of my suggestions with regard to plants 
suitable for edgings for flower-beds ; and I am now gratified to 
see the Variegated Mint, and the Lamium macula turn album in 
almost every garden which has any pretension to a place in the 
first-class.” 
I now venture to offer to you a third suggestion, and to enclose 
a plant of what I am accustomed to call and to hear called, 
Arabis lucida variegata. In my opinion it makes a better 
yellow-tinted edging than any plant that I know. It is hardy, 
easily increased, easily kept within bounds, and is evergreen, 
producing an immediate and permanent effect. I should be glad 
if you would give it a fair trial. When I was walking through 
the gardens at the Crystal Palace and at Kew this summer, I 
could not help wishing that the conductors of those establishments 
had a, stock of plants of it, as I am quite sure that the effect 
-ouidbc great, and the saving in half-hardy plants very con- 
siaerable. 
? t ) :iafc its increase is effected the most readily by scattering 
a little light, good soil amongst the offsets which are produced 
by it m great abundance. They soon take root. 
I wish much that you would once more take in hand the list 
of variegated plants fit for edgings, and give us the names of a 
dozen of what you consider the cream of the lot.—A Yorkshire 
V'EEBGXMAN* 
a ^ See , mS a . 8 fr° n g er ‘gi’Owing variety of the plant oalled 
labis lucida variegata about London than we see thereabouts. 
It is, properly, a variety of alpine only, a more upright kind. 
The London sort seemed to us a mere interesting alpine plant 
for pot culture only; but whether this is quite different, or the 
effect of soil and situation, must be proved. It looks very dif¬ 
ferent, and more like half Iberis saxatilis variegata, and half 
Arabis lucida variegata of the London nurseries. It ought to- 
get into the London trade. 
Mr. Beaton has written lately on all the variegated plants 
that have been used in flower gardens in England in his time, 
and added to them. Being all fancy plants, there is no room for 
individual choice of sorts. Let every plant of this kind be 
described and compared with other plants of the same kind, and 
let each choose for himself. Cerastium tomentosum is Mr. 
Beaton’s own favourite white edging; and Golden Chain for 
yellow, and Lobelia speciosa for blue.] 
SIMPLE AKBANGEMENT FOB TIGHTENING 
WISE. 
On a visit to the country seat of H. J. Williams, Esq., at 
Chestnut Hill, Pa., we noted in the vinery a very shnple but 
effective method of tightening wire, of which the annexed sketch 
will afford an idea. • 
A rafter; B B wire; C C narrow strip of wood fastened to 
the rafter by a screw in the middle, with the wire, as represented, 
passing over the ends. 
When the wire is attached at first, the top brace is screwed on, 
and the wire drawn over, and attached to the base of the rafter 
loosely. The lower brace of the same length as the upper is then 
placed in near the bottom, and drawn downward until the wire 
is sufficiently tightened, when the screw is applied to fasten the 
brace to the rafter. The lower brace at the tightening may be 
kept at an acute angle, so that when the wire slackens, by lessen¬ 
ing the angle the wire is tightened. When the brace has assumed 
a right angle, should the wire again become loose the brace can 
be unscrewed, and set an inch or so lower down, when the 
operations before described can be repeated. 
The beauty of tliis simple plan is, that instead of continually' 
unfastening wires in order to tighten them, and tliis, too, usually 
unsatisfactorily, a single turn of the thumb, or of the screw¬ 
driver, effects the whole in a moment. 
The principle can be applied as well to wires on arbours and 
trellises as to those in graperies or greenhouses. — (American 
Gardener's Monthly .) 
HOBTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 
Fruit Committee. —A Meeting of the Fruit Committee was 
held on Tuesday the 9th inst. Mr. Edmonds in the chair. 
There was a large quantity of fruit exhibited. Prizes of £3 
for the best, and £110s. for the second best, collections of Grapes 
were offered ; and the first prize was awarded to Mr. Hill, of 
Keele Hall, and the eecond to Mr. Henderson, of Trentham. 
Prizes of £1 for the best, and 10s. for the second best, dishes of 
the following Pears were also offered. And in Class B, Seckle 
Pear3, the first prize was awarded to Mr. Bain, gardener to 
A. Perkins, Esq., Hanworth Park ; and the second to Mr. Park, 
gardener to G. H. Vernon, Esq., East Retford. Class C, White 
Doyenne—the first, Mr. Mason, Margotsfield, Bristol,- second, , 
Mr. Spivey, Hallingbury, Bishops Stortford. Class D, Fondante 
d’Automne—Mr. Whiting, the Deepdene, first ; Mr. Snow, 
Wrest Park, second. Class F, Marie Louise—In this class there 
were some remarkably fine specimens of fruit, but all were 
unripe, and it was decided that they should be placed in the 
fruit-room of the Society till they were in a fit state to be judged. 
Glass G, any variety of Dessert Pear—the first prize was awarded 
to Mr. S. Rolpli, Mount Felix, Walton-on-Thames, for Gansel’s 
Bergamot; and the second to Mr. Whiting for Beurre d’ Amanlis. 
