120 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 31, 1859. 
more than twice as much rain occurs as in the most eastern 
counties, or in the proportion of 42 to 19 ; therefore, a soil in 
the east of England, for any given crop, may be richer and more 
tenacious than the soil required for it on the western coast. 
Alumina, or clay, imparts tenacity to a soil when applied ; 
silica, or sand, diminishes that power; whilst chalk and lime 
have an intermediate effect. They render heavy soils more friable, 
light soils more retentive. These simple facts are important; 
two neighbouring gardens, by an interchange of soils, being often 
rendered fertile, which, before, were in the extremes of heaviness 
and lightness. 
From these statements it is evident that no universal standard, 
or recipe, can be given for the formation of a fertile soil; but a 
soil, the constituents of which approach in their proportions to 
those of the following, cannot be unproductive in any climate. 
It is a rich alluvial soil which Mr. Sinclair, in his “ Hortus 
Gramineus Wobumensis,” gives as being the most fertile for the 
grasses : — 
“Fine sand, 115; aluminous stones, 70; carbonate of lime, 
23 ; decomposing animal aud vegetable matter, 34; silica, 100 ; 
alumina, 28; oxide of iron, 13; sulphate of lime, 2; soluble, 
vegetable, and saline matter, 7 ; loss 8 ; total, 400.” 
It may be added, that, to constitute a soil eminently fertile, 
much of its earthy particles must be in a minute state of division. 
In the above analysis, 185 parts only were separable by sifting 
through a fine searce; 215 parts were impalpable; whereas poorer 
soils will often have 300 parts of coarse matter to every 100 of 
finely pulverised constituents.—J. 
{To he continued.) 
PINE APPLE SEEDLING- AND BAEBAEOSSA 
GRAPE. 
Ik your paper for April the 12th is a notice of a seedling 
Fine Apple, which, your correspondent appears to think, was 
raised at Moseley Hall. Although the main stock is in Mr. Fairie’s 
hands, 'it was not raised there, but a few miles distant, by a 
hard-working, industrious gardener. It certainly possesses many 
good qualities, such as compactness and good flavour; but is sur¬ 
passed by a seedling, equally dwarf, which has been raised in the 
Dukcries, Notts. 
The treatment of the Barbarossa, as followed at Escrick Park, 
does not always produce full crops of fruit, for the appearance 
this season is anything but what I should like ; and, after all, 
what is it but an uncertain, thick-skinned, insipid fruit, not to 
be compared with the Lady JDownes, which is a certain bearer, 
good keeper’, and good-flavoured fruit — in fact, the best late 
Grape I am acquainted with ?— Ebor. 
MANAGEMENT OP GOLD AND SILVER PISH. 
Ik accordance with your wishes, I have given an account below 
(as far as 1 am able) of the treatment of gold and silver fish, 
which I hope will prove interesting to your readers. 
These beautiful little creatures, which are now the pets of 
almost every drawing-room, are rather tender and troublesome to 
keep, on account of the warmth of the climate from which they 
were originally brought. 
In winter time, if they are in an aquarium holding about two 
gallons of water, and containing about six middling-sized fish, 
the water requires changing about once a-week, provided there 
is an equal balance obtained by plants or Confervse. 
Their food should be a little vermicelli about once in two days 
(of which they are very fond). Care must be taken in the 
winter not to put the water into the aquarium cold. Let it stand 
in a warm room for two or three hours—it is then ready for use. 
1 n summer this is not required, uuless the weather should have 
been unusually cold. In the height of summer the water requires 
changing about once in three days ; but not an entire change, as 
removing the fish is likely to injure them. 
To all who are admirers of that pretty ornament, the aquarium, 
I should advise no plants to be used, i.e., if it stands in a situation 
where a good light shows upon it. Cover the bottom with granite, 
broken unevenly, to about the size of pigeons’ eggs; then sift 
some fine shingle between so that the rough edges protrude above 
it; put the water in, and allow it to stand about a week exposed 
to the light; it will then become covered with Conferva;, which 
will be found more healthy than anything ever yet introduced 
into the aquarium (the rotting of the plants at the bottom causing 
the fish to be very unhealthy). Any reader who possesses an 
aquarium, and tries this, will find it to answer his expectation, 
and repay the little trouble it may cause. 
Great care must be taken not to let the sun shine through an 
aquarium, as it is annoying to the fish;—the sun shines down 
upon them when in ponds, &c. This is easily altered by placing 
a screen in front during the time the sun shines upon the 
aquarium. 
As to breeding gold and silver fish, they require to be removed 
during the winter from ponds situated in the open air. They 
thrive best in ponds into which warm water is constantly flowing. 
Yarrell says—“It is well known in manufacturing districts where 
there is an inadequate supply of cold water for the condensation 
of the steam engines, recourse is had to what is called engine 
dams, or ponds, into which the water from the steam engine (or 
condensed steam) is thrown for the purpose of being cooled. In 
these dams, the average temperature of which is about 80°, it is 
common to keep gold fish; and it is a notorious fact that they 
multiply in these situations much more rapidly than in ponds of 
lower temperature exposed to the variations of the climate. Gold 
fish are by no means useless inhabitants of these dams; they 
consume the refuse grease, which would otherwise impede the 
cooling of the water by accumulating on its surface.”—G. M. B., 
Yarmouth. 
ALOES FOR DESTROYING INSECTS. 
Ik reply to the inquiry at page 50, April 26tli, with reference 
to the effects of Aloes as a destroyer of aphis, &o., “F. W. S.” 
begs to inform the Editor of The Cottage Gardener that the 
experiment has been tried in his own, and in two neighbouring 
gardens, and has proved a total failure. 
A syringing with the solution produced no effect whatever on 
the aphides; and even after an immersion of the plant in the 
solution to the discoloration of the foliage, many of the aphides 
were, the day following, as lively as ever. 
“F. W. S.” is now trying the “ Gishurst Compound,” on the 
efficacy of which he will be happy to report, if desired. At 
present he can only speak to its smell, which is truly abominable. 
This neighbourhood (Melton, Suffolk), has suffered most 
severely from the ungenial weather of the past few weeks. The 
wall fruit and Pears (both on common espaliers and pyramids 
on the Quince) are all cut off, as well as the Morello Cherries. 
The Walnut trees have the appearance of being scorched; the 
young growth on the Deodars ditto ; Wistaria sinensis has lost 
every"blossom ; and even more hardy and common things, as the 
Lime trees and Hawthorns, are much nipped on the side ex¬ 
posed to the north and east. 
[We shall be glad to hear the result of your experience with 
the Gishurst Compound. Our own experiments with Aloes on 
the Peach aphides coincide with yours. Some of the very young 
insects were killed by it; but repeated immersions, on successive 
days, of the shoots attacked by them, left the fidl-grown aphides 
uninjured.— Eds.J 
NEW DOMESTIC FILTER. 
This is a very ornamental, simple, and effectual contrivance 
for filtering water for domestic purposes on a small scale. It 
consists of a glass vessel in the form of a bell-glass, with the 
mouth turned upwards. At the base there is a narrow bottle¬ 
like neck, through which a glass tube is introduced; one end 
being inserted into a ball of compressed charcoal, and the other 
left open to deliver the filtered water into the vessel below. The 
large bell-glass is filled with water,—it matters not how muddy or 
foul it may be,—and, filtering through the charcoal mass, is passed 
by the glass tube in a clear, limpid, somewhat dripping stream, 
into a water bottle, or any other vessel. The principle is good, 
and its action unexceptionable. 
Chufus, ok Earth Almonds (Cyperus esculentus). — This 
produces tubers about the size of a Chestnut; they resemble 
it in taste, but are more delicious. They are very productive. 
We counted the product from one tuber, and the result was four 
hundred perfect tubers, exclusive of several small ones. This 
esculent is worthy of cultivation, riant, from the 15th of 
April to the 1st of June, in drills two feet apart and twelve 
inches asunder, one tuber in a hill, — {American Country 
Gentleman, j 
