124 
THE C0T1AGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 27, 1860. 
and applied in this state over stem and shoots. My trees set far 
more than sufficient of blossoms. 
Until Gishurst had established its character, it was a regular 
scapegoat. When anything went wrong with any of my friends’ 
trees, it was invariably laid to the Gishurst, and a bitter com¬ 
plaint came to me. However, in most cases, the true cause was 
afterwards traced out and honestly admitted. 
I never recommend any application without having first care¬ 
fully tested it, and believe that eight ounces to the gallon 
cannot do mischief if the wood be at rest; if not, two ounces are 
sufficiently strong.— George Wilson. 
PAMPAS GEASS NOT ELOWEEING. 
I HAVE a plant of the Pampas Grass about four years old. 
Last year it was as fine a specimen as could be desired and 
flowered magnificently. I did not meddle with it through the 
winter; but in the spring, on finding it had been severely cut by 
Lost, I cut it in to about a foot from the ground. I fancied it 
was dead; but late in the summer it put forth grass, but no 
flower, the grass being very scanty. 
Will you inform me how to treat it now ? The old stems of 
1859 still remain about a foot from the ground, and are barely 
hidden by the grass of the current year. Should it be cut down 
close to the ground, or taken up and divided ?— A Subscriber. 
[Was your Pampas Grass fed with liquid manure in 1859 ? 
Most of those that were have suffered severely last winter like 
your plant. What you must do now is to make it quite safe 
from frost this winter as it stands ; and at the beginning of 
April take it up with all its roots, and divide it into as large 
plants as possible, and keeping as many of the live old roots as 
you can to begin afresh, but on no account put the young stock 
in heat unless them roots are very good indeed. Any strong, old 
plant may be so treated for increase.] 
GOOSEBEEEY TEEES NOW BLOOMING. 
A CORRESPONDENT writing from the neighbourhood of Shrews- 
bury, says, “ We find (and it is the case elsewdiere in this neigh¬ 
bourhood), that all our Gooseberry trees are coming into flower. 
Can you account for tliis ? I fear we shall smart for it next 
summer.” 
[This is one of the most singular consequences of the late 
exceptional season that has been brought to our notice. We 
presume that near Shrewsbury, as elsewhere, the inclement 
summer sent the Gooseberry trees early to rest. We know 
many places where they were leafless in September. Then the 
increased temperature of October and early November would 
easily arouse the trees into prenatural growth, especiallv in 
sheltered places.— Eds. C. G.] 
COCOA-NUT FIBEE. 
At page 109, in your last publication, in reply to a corre¬ 
spondent, we are informed that this article is only to be obtained 
at Eingston-on-Thames. In large quantity this is probably 
correct; but to amateur Fern cultivators it may be well to say 
that Cocoa-nut husks are obtainable amongst the Whitechapel 
Jew fruit dealers, and often in Covent Garden, sufficient for 
small growers like myself. I can only say that for a shilling I 
got enough for the wants of the season, with only the trouble of 
chopping up the husks.—T. 
SPEEGULA PILIFEEA CULTUEE. 
I AM one of the few who have been successful in the cultivation 
of Spergula pilifera ; and thinking that a few hints, with the 
result of my experiments, might be acceptable to those of your 
readers who are about to lay down or form a lawn, has led me to 
communicate my experience. 
I began in July, 1859, when it was very hot indeed. I sowed 
seeds on one piece, which vegetated freely and made good plants 
m a year, and is now a thick turf but rather yellow. I am not 
at all surprised at that; as I never prepared the ground but 
sowed the seed on the hard surface after taking off an inch of 
grass turf. 
In September of the same year I planted two plots more—one 
w ith Spergula pilifera, and another with Spergida pilifera and 
saginoides mixed. The former I feel quite sure can ba second to 
none; lor it is really beautiful and admired by all who see it, 
and pronounced to be even more than a perfect substitute for 
grass lawns, as the worms find it impossible to raise their hillocks 
through the thick wiry turf, and sweeping and rolling are dis- 
pensed with, as well as mowing, &c. 
I he latter plants grow freely together; but saginoides being 
more luxuriant than pilifera, soon overgrows it and kills it. This 
shows liow careful one ought to be in making a purchase; 
for there is not the least doubt that, as saginoides is so fast¬ 
growing and large stocks of it easily propagated, it will be 
found amongst what is too often called pilifera. I am sure 
mine is the true sort, as I had it from the original stock at 
Forest Hill. 
The last piece was planted in February last with inch pieces a 
foot apart. In May it looked as though it would die soon ; but 
I did not give it up, as the rest had done well close by its side. 
I then cut a lot of evergreen branches about a foot high, and 
stuck about between the plants, and left them there until I was 
sure that the roots had gone down a sufficient depth to be able 
to support their creeping branches beneath the scorching sun ; 
and those very pieces which were then only an inch square are 
now very nearly a foot square. I also find that it grows as well 
without rolling as with it. I may just say I am so well satisfied 
with the merits of the little plant, that I have marked out another 
plot to be planted very soon.— Luna, Canterbury. 
OECHAED-HOUSES AND PEAES IN THEM. 
At the meeting of the Fruit Committee of the Horticultural 
Society on the 13tli inst. there happened to be two fruit of the 
Baronne de Mello Pear from the Society’s Garden at Chiswick. 
These were so much finer than specimens of the same sent from 
the same place, that some inquiry was made as to the circum¬ 
stances under which they had been grown; and a tree in a pot 
in the orchard-house was found to have produced them. There 
were but two fruit, and one of these was quite past: there was 
consequently, only one to divide among several tasting members! 
Those who were favoured with a slice will not easily forget its 
exquisite refreshing flavour and its melting nature, as it seemed 
instantaneously to dissolve in the mouth. In the large collection 
of Pears tasted on that day there was not one to compare with 
this orchard-house Pear. 
In the article “ Orchard-Houses,” No. 633, page 88, para¬ 
graph 5, read 11 lean-to houses are to be preferred for such 
places instead of “most.” In the same paragraph read “ sun 
heat” instead of “ dry heat.” Correctness is most necessary in 
writing about structures, however simple.—T. R. 
OENAMENTAL BULBOUS AND TUBEEOUS 
PLANTS. 
Under this title the Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, of the 
Wellington Road Nursery, St. John’s Wood, London, have iusfc 
issued a monograph of the same size and form as their “ Illus¬ 
trated Bouquet,” and which may be bound in one of the volumes 
of that work, as a useful addition to our knowledge of the best 
kinds of bulbs or tubers in each genus, from Achimenes to 
Zephyranthus. The work is arranged alphabetically, and 
embraces hardy, half-hardy, greenhouse, and stove bulbs and 
tubers, giving instructions on the general management of the 
plants in each genus, and a list of the most popular kinds 
in each, together with valuable rules and suggestions for the 
best methods of grouping hardy bulbs in flower-beds or border* 
and for the forcing of such kinds as are best fitted for the 
process ; also, the kinds of soils most suitable to the various 
bulbs and tuberous plants. We hail this practical work with 
pleasure, and recommend it to our readers as a ready and sure 
guide in the management of a class of plants which are not at all 
so well understood among a large class of cultivators as their 
uses and the gorgeous splendour of the colours of many of them 
would lead us to desire. 
Y e are not told how the work is to be obtained, or upon 
what terms ; we can, therefore, only refer to the firm as above. 
