THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November Z7, I860, 
117 
be cleanest to have the furnace outside. See that it is twelve inches 
to eighteen inches lower than the flue. The glass if lapped 
might either have lead laps, or a small sprig of metal stuck in at 
the corners ; but if the glass at such a place was placed edge to 
edge no such thing would be required. The felt will be an ad¬ 
vantage, but if the wood is close it will not be needed in the 
heated part. An iron or a brick stove might be used in other 
parts where desirable. We do not know exactly the form of 
your house, but the more glass the better, if the cold be excluded. 
This has been a bad season for ripening Peach trees inside or 
out. Unless your trees were excessively vigorous, we would 
have preferred baring the roots and cutting a few roots to 
transplanting them, though we think the latter will be in their 
favour. The process would only arrest growth. After the end 
of October it |would do little to mature fruit-buds. The season 
has fought against all of us in this respect. It is not likely that 
second or third shoots of this season will be productive ; in good 
seasons second shoots often are. The Pear trees you may cut 
back again to within a bud of where they were shortened to.] 
CAUSE OF CAMELLIAS FAILING. 
A CONSTANT reader will feel obliged for a few remarks on the 
failure of the above. They were treated as follows :—There are 
eight of them planted out in the conservatory-border. They 
made from five inches to seven inches of young wood last spring. 
After the wood being ripened they were thinned out, and made 
uniform. During the summer months they were kept rather 
drier than usual in consequence of the wet season, but not so 
dry as to deprive them of due nourishment. Two of the strongest 
and healthiest of them became blotched on the leaves about the 
latter end of August, as if caused by condensed drips ; but there 
was due circulation of air given both top and bottom at all 
favourable opportunities. About the middle of September they 
showed symptoms of growth ; and in order to check the growth 
and give due time for the flower-buds to form, they were kept in 
a drier state for three or four weeks, then they had a more 
liberal supply of water. At intervals they dropped some buds, 
and in these last few days a great many of the buds have dropped 
off. The plants in pots were subjected to the same treatment, 
but had a more liberal supply of water. Plants which were not 
pruned are keeping their buds best 3 but they are all making 
young growth at present.—M. J. 
[After growth in spring the buds would form at the points of 
shoots. It was too late then to prune. After ceasing growing 
the wood should have all the air possible, and as much light as 
not to burn the leaves; but the plants should never be dry to 
any extent. The allowing the plants to get so dry is the chief 
cause of failure, so far as we see, and most likely the cause of a 
second growth so late in the season. The blotching of the leaves 
might be partly owing to the want of moisture to keep up the 
evaporation from the foliage; but most likely was chiefly the 
result of a bright sun striking the leaves when in that condition, 
after a week or a fortnight of dull weather.] 
COVERING VINE-BORDERS. 
I MAT just say on this point that my friend, Andrew Scott, 
gardener to David Harrison, Esq., of Staleybridge, covers his 
borders (which are twenty feet, or so wide), with boards which 
have been coated with gas tar. They are placed lengthways from 
the top to the bottom of the border. They are put on in October, 
and remain until the latter end of March, so that no rain falls 
upon the borders during that time. He grows some splendid 
fruit, the berries often are like good-sized Plums.— J. Hague, 
Gardener , Groby Lodge. 
GREEN STAINS ON STONE-WORK. 
In your number of The Cottage Gardener for November 
6 th, you recommend an annual coat of stone-coloured paint for 
a stone stage of a conservatory to keep down the green stains on 
the same. Allow me to say how I manage mine, which consists 
of five steps or shelves, with a bottom face of worked stone three 
feet six inches in depth. I am often told how clean it looks, yet 
I only wash it three, or, at most, four, times in the year. 
I adopt the following plan :—At the time I am changing the 
ants—for instance, when taking out the Fuchsias, &c., and 
about to bring in the Chrysanthemums, I get some fine white 
sand, or the common red sand, a stone about the colour of the 
stone of which the stage is built, but softer, if possible (a piece of 
a broken scythe-stone is first-rate), a mop-rag, and some clean 
water. I wash all the green off with the rag and water. It comes 
readily off by my plan. After I have washed the dirt off the 
stone-work I slightly wet it all over, and sprinkle some fine sand 
on it not too thickly, and then stone it well with the soft stone. 
After this I take the mop-rag and spread the stoning over any 
place that may have been missed. I then let it dry, sand and 
stoning together. When it is dry I take a common hand-brush 
and sweep the rough particles of sand off. It then looks like 
stone-work itself. By this plan there is a fine coat of sand and 
stone left on the stage, which prevents stains from sinking into 
the stone, and dirt is very easily washed off. There is no eye¬ 
sore about it if too much sand is not put on, and I can assure 
you it is a great convenience to me, for I have considerable stone¬ 
work to deal with. I sweep it once a-week, and it is rarely that 
I have anything more to do to it beyond the times I have 
named. —John Hague, Gardener, Groby Lodge, Ashton-under¬ 
line. 
PREPARATIONS FOR THE WINTER SUPPLY 
OF VEGETABLES. 
In my last paper the duty of securing certain vegetables at 
present in use from the severities of the weather was dwelt upon : 
it ia now proper to make a few observations on what can be done 
to forward others, which up to the middle of November may be 
expected to be at rest, their summer growth being perfected, 
buds set for the next growing season, and the plants enjoying 
that repose Nature and the coldness of the ground have decreed 
they should have at this season. Beautiful as this design may be, 
the tastes of the time 3 sometimes require that it should be dis¬ 
turbed, and the intended repose of such plants as Sea-kale and 
Asparagus abruptly broken. This, however, ought to be as 
gently as possible, as plants as well as animals require a period 
of rest; and the more this is shortened to suit some artificial 
purpose, the less the duty that each will perform until the natural 
period of rest returns again : therefore, those who wish to have 
Sea-kale by Christmas, must not expect it to be so good as those 
who are willing to wait until February for it. But it may be had 
at both times, and, like most things else, the earlier that it can 
make its appearance the more it is admired : therefore, those 
who wish to have either of these articles by Christmas, must 
begin by the middle of November at latest, and commence the 
forcing of each as gently as possible. But as these and other 
plants deserve a separate notice, it will be best to give it here in 
that order. 
Asparagus. —Like most plants of a truly herbaceous charac¬ 
ter, this plant stores up a considerable amount of what may not 
be improperly called vital energy before its foliage dies down, 
which, in the shape of plump, well-formed buds or eyes, at¬ 
tached to vigorous and healthy roots, furnish the “heads” the 
ensuing season in greater or less perfection according to the 
strength of the plant. Now, these buds may bo started into 
growth long before their ordinary season of doing so, by applying 
heat in some form or other to them; but as this cannot well be 
done on the natural ground where the plant is growing, it is 
generally best to take them up with as little damage to the 
rootlets, and as much earth attached to each as possible, and 
carry them to some place where heat may be gently given to 
them at first; but it may be increased afterwards as may be 
necessary. Where there is the advantage of a fire or hot-water- 
heated structure, this gradual change from the icy-cold ground 
to gentle, and then to moderate warmth, is perfectly at com¬ 
mand, and the result be all that can be desired; but this can 
seldom be done. Nevertheless, very good Asparagus is often 
obtained by very simple means. Roots taken up carefully a 3 
above, and placed close together on a bed of leaves not less than 
three feet deep, and a frame or box placed over them, will be 
brought forward very well 3 and if after the crowns have started 
there should be a slackness of heat, a good lining of hot dung 
will renovate it much 3 but, in general, a bed of leaves will 
afford heat sufficient for two crops of Asparagus, especially if 
they be Oak, Beech, or Chestnut leaves. A little fine earth 
mixed with leaf mould may be put on the bed before the plants 
are put on, and the same over and amongst them when they are 
packed in ; but the crown need not be r ered more than two 
inches or so, unless a greater length of the bead requires blanch 
