52 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 23, 1860. 
shanking is confirmatory of our experience, for the branches 
and roots of the Vines which bear them are exposed to tem¬ 
peratures balanced and regulated by Nature. 
Mr. Caulfield’s treatise won the prize, defeating fifteen com¬ 
petitors, offered by our spirited and ably-conducted contem¬ 
porary, the Dublin Agricultural Review. The author was 
formerly gardener to Lord Plunket, Bishop of Tuam, and is 
now Superintendent of the Nurseries of Messrs. Farrell & Son, 
Eichniond, near Dublin. Mr. Caulfield is a very successful 
Grape-grower. 
TRADE LISTS RECEIVED. 
A Descriptive Catalogue of Fruits cultivated and sold by 
T. Rivers, Nurseries, Sawbridgeworth, Herts. — This is much 
more than a mere enumeration of varieties alphabetically ar¬ 
ranged, It gives a description of each, its quality, the soil and 
stock on which it thrives best, and its season of ripeness. Nor 
is this all, for there are drawings and descriptions of each form 
•of training, besides much miscellaneous useful information in¬ 
terspersed. For example:—“There are soils in which some 
kinds of Pears, in spite of good cultivation, do not succeed on 
the Quince stock. In such soils trees of some such free-growing 
sort as Prince Albert should bo planted and the recusant soils 
grafted on them ; they will then to a certainty succeed, and bear 
quickly and well. The following method may be followed: 
young and healthy trees budded on the Quince stock of Prince 
Albert or Bezi Goubault should be planted and suffered to grow 
•one season, and then early in spring be cut down and grafted 
with delicate-growing kinds. Pear culture is yet but in its in¬ 
fancy.” “ The American varieties of Apples named in the above 
list deserve a few words of commendation, and more attention 
in their culture than they have hitherto received. Their flesh is 
•delicate, juicy, and easy of digestion, more so than that of our 
European sorts, the best of which—such as the Ribston Pippin, 
tjie^ Cornish Gilliflower, and the Brandy Apple—require masti¬ 
cating and digestive powers of the first order. The Melon, the 
Mother Apple, and the Early Harvest seem to be very hardy, 
and bear well in our gardens in the south as bushes or pyramids 
on the paradise stock, but are quite worthy of a wall in cold 
-climates. The Northern Spy is a magnificent Apple, but it 
should be grafted on the paradise stock, and be planted against 
a wall with a warm aspect, and the trees removed biennially; it 
is backward in coming into bearing. The Newtown Pippin 
lequiies the same treatment, and when properly cultivated is 
quite equal in size and superior in flavour to those imported. 
We have hitherto thought Apples unworthy of high culture; the 
above kinds, with the Mela Carla and Calville Blanche, should 
be cultivated in the orchard-house or trained against walls. The 
latter is most remarkable for its delicious flavour when grown in 
the warmer parts of France, whence it is brought to Paris in 
large quantities in winter. It is also most excellent when cooked. 
Many of our old garden walls, which are now partly covered 
with diseased Peach and Nectarine trees, should be appropriated 
to the culture of fine Apples and Pears, and Peaches and Necta¬ 
rines grown under glass.” “ There is no species of fruit which 
has advanced so rapidly in favour as the Plum, and its culture 
and estimation will continue to increase when it is found that 
as bushes and pyramids it may be cultivated with success under 
tiflany-houses to shelter the trees from the effects of sprino- frosts. 
A few years since only the Green Gage, Coe’s Golden Drop, and 
a few other kinds requiring wall culture were known in our 
gardens ; but now we have late and early hardy varieties of great 
excellence, keeping our desserts and kitchens supplied from the 
end of July to the end of October. Their culture in orchard- 
houses is a great triumph. The Green Gage tribe has lately 
received some most valuable acquisitions. The July Green Ga<m 
is, perhaps, the most valuable Plum that has been introduced 
since the advent of the old Green Gage. It is larger than its 
type, and has all its fine aroma; it ripens in orchard-houses 
about the middle of July, and in the open air, in the southern 
counties, towards the end. Oulins’ Golden Gage, Lawrence’s 
Gage, M Laughlin’s Gage, Transparent Gage, Brahy’s Green 
a f®> Jodoigne Green Gage, Guthrie’s late Green Gaee 
anc the Reine Claude de Bavay succeed it and carry us through 
September till late m October, so that we can have these de- 
.licmus lums on our tables for nearly three months. Late Plums 
enouid be gathered just as they commence to ripen, and be laid 
«LLf rCen i°n Se fuUy ex P. osed t0 the sun, they then shrivel 
Biigntlj, and become very rich and good.” 
Catalogue of Plants cultivated and sold by G. Jackman 4' Son, 
Woking Nursery, Surrey -—This is a good enumeration not only 
of fruit trees, but of Roses, Conifer so, and other plants, with 
prices attached to each. 
List of Superb Double Hollyhocks and Pansies : W. Chater, 
Saffron Walden Nursery. —The silver cups iron by Mr. Chafer’s 
Hollyhocks at Bishop’s Auckland, Brighton, and the Crystal 
Palace arc sufficient evidence of his superior excellence in the 
selection and cultivation of those flowers. A very full descrip¬ 
tive list is given, and the following hints as to their culture :— 
“ They require good old garden soil, well trenched over to the 
depth of two feet, with plenty of thoroughly decomposed manure, 
such as old Cucumber-beds, or night soil mixed with the earth. 
If the subsoil is wet they will thrive remarkably well in the 
summer, but in the winter wet is very injurious to them, when 
old plants are allowed to remain; to prevent which I remove 
the mould round the neck of the plant, and fill up with white 
sand, about six inches round the stem, level with the surface ; 
it is simply to preserve them from wet and insects, from which, 
in the winter, they are apt to suffer very much if not killed. 
I strongly advise young plants being planted every year, as you 
would Dahlias, to secure fine flowers. They may be propagated 
by single eyes in July and August, also by cuttings in the spring, 
placed on a slight bottom heat. Plants raised in the summer are 
best preserved by repotting them in October into large pots—the 
larger the better—in light, rich, sandy earth, and placed in a 
cold frame or greenhouse, giving plenty of air on all favourable 
occasions ; they will then grow during the winter. In March 
or April turn them out into the open ground, and they will 
bloom as fine and as early as if planted in the autumn. Plants 
even put out in May will flower the same year. Plant them not 
less than four feet from row to row, and three feet apart in the 
row. If grouped in beds, not nearer than three feet each way. 
They will grow r well in the shade of distant trees, but by no 
means must the roots interfere. In May or June, when the 
spikes have grown a foot high, thin them out according to the 
strength of the plant; if well established, and very strong, leave 
four spikes ; if weak, two or three; when they are required for 
exhibition only one must be left.” 
William Paul's Rose Catalogue , Cliesliunt Nursery and Seed 
Warehouse, Waltham Cross, N. —This is divided into two parts. 
I, Summer Eoses, flowering from May to July ; and 2, Autumnal 
Eoses, flowering from May to November. In addition to this, 
they are arranged in the usual classes, with good descriptions. 
We need only add that Mr. W. Paul is also author of the follow¬ 
ing excellent works on this flower :—“ The Eose Annual,” “ The 
Rose Garden,” and “ Morning Eambles in the Eose Gardens of 
Hertfordshire.” 
Descriptive Catalogue of Selected Roses cultivated for Sale by 
J. Cranston, Nurseryman , Sfc. , King's Acre , near Hereford .— 
This begins with a descriptive list of the “ New Eoses of 1860 ;” 
and then gives a list of older varieties classified and arranged 
like that just noticed. It is a very full and excellent catalogue. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Insect on Fuchsias (A. Paine ).—All the insects had departed, but 
judging from the state of the leaf we are pretty certain that the plants are 
overwhelmed with the thrips. Dust them thoroughly and repeatedly with 
Scotch snuff: and when once you have subdued your enemies keep them 
from returning, by having the house better ventilated and the air con¬ 
stantly more moist. 
Mushroom-beds (A Subscriber ).—In previous volumes Mr. Fish, Mr. 
Errington, and others have given the most minute particulars as to Mush¬ 
rooms in various circumstances. In your house, we presume, you have no 
means of heating. You must have decaying organisable material in which 
to plant your spawn. Horse-droppings, sheep and deer-droppings, are the 
best for this purpose—sufficiently dried before using, so as not to waste too 
fast or heat too violently. In want of these, well worked dung from the 
stables, such as would be fit for a Cucumber-bed, will do well if firmly packed 
together. In such a case as yours you might have a bottom made of such 
material a foot thick, and horse-droppings mixed with a portion of litter 
nine or twelve inches more. If this is dried a little beforehand, a few 
inches may he put on at a time firmly beaten, and a few inches more when 
it does not heat much. A little dry earth will be useful at this time fi r 
moderating the heat. When the bed is about 80°—like new milk in warmth 
— it may he spawned, plaoingpieces like Walnuts eight inchesapart all over 
the bed, merely covering them; beat firm when done, and watch as to 
heat. If it does not rise higher in a few days, then cover with two inches 
of soil, beat firm, moisten the surface, and make smooth, and, when dryish, 
cover with litter to keep up a heat of from 50° to C0° on the surface of the 
bed. Take care the bed does not get too hot. Provided the bed is made at 
the end of this month, it may require to stand a week or more before it is 
safe to spawn it; then it may be another week or more before you can 
earth it; and after that you must calculate on six to eight weeks before you 
got Mushrooms. There will be more on this subject shortly. 
