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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Febkuaey 9, 1858. 
an y ram vras from the 5tli to the 16tli of December eleven 
days. 
The highest range of the barometer was on the 13th ot 
December, 30'30; and the lowest, October 8, 28'48. 
June, August, September, October, November, and De¬ 
cember, were all warmer months than they usually are. May 
and July not remarkable. February very dry. April more 
exempt from late frosts than usual. January and March not 
remarkable. 
The past year has been regarded as, on the whole, favour¬ 
able to vegetation. The rain and warm weather in September 
started every thing into life with hotbed speed; and the showers 
before that time fell at such periods as did much good. 
There was such a total absence of frost in the autumn, that 
Potatoes, left in the ground, started growth, and were eight 
inches high and more in unsheltered situations ; and they re¬ 
mained unhurt by frost till after Christmas-day. Other plants, 
of tender habit, were in like manner unscathed by the cold, 
though suffering from the damp, dull days ; and flowers of 
various kinds might be gathered up to the end of the year 
Roses, especially, being very good. 
With us, 1857 has been drier than 1856, though not so dry 
as 1855; the rain on these two occasions respectively being 
27*79 and 20'84 inches. 
The sharpest frosts were on January 1st, 17°, and January 
6 th, 18°. Between and after these dates the frost continued 
! steadily from 13° to 8° below the freezing point. —J. Robson. 
DESTROYING- WEEDS ON WALKS. 
Few things are really more annoying than weeds or moss 
| on garden walks; and any cheap mode of destroying these, 
without disturbing the walk, or injuring it or the edging, 
would be regarded as a boon of great worth. Salt and hot 
water have long been tried with varied success ; but on a firm, 
compact, surfaced walk, there is a shiny substance left behind, 
always unpleasant and unsightly. On walks having a little 
i loose material at the top, this evil is not felt; and, conse- 
! quently, salt will do in this case. But for the other, I should, 
j like some of our chemical friends to furnish us with a cheap 
j and an efficacious receipt for destroying these unsightly in¬ 
truders. We all know gas water will do this : but when this 
| article is to carry twenty miles or more, it cannot be used 
i very extensively. Some cheap soluble poison would seem to 
| me to be the best. I have seen some refuse copperas answer 
very well; but I fear that cannot be obtained in sufficient 
quantity. I have also seen arsenic used in a similar way. 
But it is only near manufactories of such articles that they 
can be obtained: and, perhaps, after all, it would be unsafe to 
encourage their use in every case, as the roots of trees and 
j shrubs running underneath would suffer. Yet there are cases 
in which, I think, it might be used with advantage and 
safety: and I hope some of our chemical friends will test it 
and report the result, as an efficient “weed destroyer” is 
much wanted on closely-bound walks (the hoe and fingers 
will do elsewhere). As we have an abundance of insect 
destroyers, and rats and mice are said to succumb to the many 
compounds prepared for their annihilation, let us have a 
“weed destroyer” added to the list of deadly ingredients 
furnished to our use.— John Robson. 
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QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
TO MAKE A YOUNG WALNUT TREE 
FRUITFUL. 
“ I wish to ask for information regarding the treatment of 
a Walnut tree standing in my orchard ; having been planted, 
as I suppose, upwards of thirty years, growing luxuriantly in 
a light soil, sloping to a river which flows about forty yards 
from it. It never yet lias shown the least inclination to bear 
a fruit.”—J. H. P. 
[It is very seldom that a young Walnut tree which grows 
luxuriantly produces any fruit: and it is equally rare to see 
old trees of it, which make very little fresh growth, fail to bear 
abundantly iu a “Walnut year.” Therefore, after a young 
Walnut tree comes of age to bear fruit, and fails to do so, the 
only mode known to gardeners to cause it to bear is to check 
its growth, so as to cause it to make short-jointed young 
wood, like that of an old tree. But as the Walnut is not an 
easy tree to transplant-, after having had its own way for 
thirty years, the next best plan is to root-prune it in the 
spring. First, ascertain if there is a tap root or roots. If 
there is, cut them as near to the bottom of the tree as you 
can reach. If there are no tap roots, or only one, you should 
cut one-tliird of the strongest side roots a yard from the tree. 
First, open a trench all round at that distance before you cut 
any roots; then you will be able to judge better which roots 
to cut. Always cut the strongest. Where you meet a space 
with less roots, or no roots, work back from that part of the 
trench in search of tap roots.] 
MANAGEMENT OF PANCRATIUM MARITIMUM 
—VARIEGATED - LEAYED GERANIUM FOR 
BEDDING—HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
“ I have had Pancratium maritimum for several years; 
but I cannot get it to flower. Should it be taken up in the 
winter ? I let mine remain in the ground. I should also 
feel obliged by your saying which scarlet Geranium with 
white variegated leaves you would recommend for bedding. 
I have tried Mountain of Light , but I have not succeeded 
well with it. Is Mountain of Snow as good as any other ? 
It is recommended by some. I should like a good flower as 
well as a good variegation. 
“ Is there any bedding Calceolaria of the same colour as 
Amplexicaulis, with a better-shaped flower, and habit not so 
tall as that variety ? May I trouble you to give me the names 
of a few of the best hardy herbaceous plants in your next.”— 
An Amateuk. 
[This hardy Pancratium flowers, or never fails to bloom, in 
most parts of the country; and in other parts it is rare to 
hear of one of it in bloom. There are three kinds of these 
bulbs cultivated under one name; and two of them flower 
very sparingly : they are Maritimums from different localities. 
Maritimum Illyricum is the true flowering kind; at least, it 
flowers much more freely, and it can only be distinguished by 
its leaves dying down in winter. The true old Pancratium 
maritimum is difficult to bloom. The old way of managing it 
is “ to set it out doors late in the spring; and at the latter 
part of the summer to bring it into the stove to flower, re¬ 
moving it afterwards into the greenhouse.” That is probably 
your bulb, but not the modern Maritimum , which blooms 
freely in any common border. For a bed of Variegated-leaved 
Geraniums we prefer Brilliant', but that is no reason why 
you should. For an edging, Blower of the Lay has had the 
greatest run. But we still want a good variegated Geranium, 
with a large truss and good colour. 
There is no bedding or pot Calceolaria of the same colour 
as Amplexicaulis. 
Loronicum Austriacum is the best of the earliest herbaceous 
plants. Lielytra spectabilis has no rival in that class. Lu- 
pinus polyphyllus is the best Lupin; and there is a white 
kind of it. (Enothera macrocarpa is the best of that class. 
Papaver orientate is the most beautiful of all the Poppies. 
Delphinium formosum the same among Larkspurs; but they 
and Pentstemons, Mimulas, Potentillas, Phloxes, Campanulas, 
and all such numerous genera should be brought in collections 
of from six to three kinds, and the responsibility left to the 
dealer. You buy all from a perfect list, and you will have no 
redress, as many of the best kinds have more than one name. 
The latest of the best kinds is Tritonia aurea.~\ 
MELON GROWING. 
“The few words in a late number concerning Dr. Beck’s 
success in growing Melons have made my mouth water. You 
must know that I consider a good Melon as the king of all 
fruits. I grow them pretty considerably: and, like Dr. Beck, 
manage them almost entirely myself, save the assistance of 
“ a gossoon.” I generally succeed pretty well; but the last 
two years I have been much less successful: and had it not 
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