THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 5, 1858. 
13 
will produce the largest bulb of these Lilies in the highest 
perfection. We have seen them thus in the Kingston Nursery, 
this season, by hundreds. Also, three bulbs in such pots, 
the bulbs flattened to the side of the pot, for want of room, 
and nothing could be finer. They seemed to live on the 
watering alone. Shake off, very carefully, as much of the 
mould as will not stick to the soft fleshy roots, whenever you 
repot these Lilies. But they do not require to be often re¬ 
potted after they are of good flowering size,—once in three 
or five years is quite often enough.] 
YALLOTA PURPUREA—COCKSCOMBS. 
“ The Vallota purpurea has generally seven or eight 
blooms on a head with us. A good-sized bulb sends up two 
flower-stems, each containing eight flowers. I had one this 
year with nine flowers on one head, and another strong 
flowering-stem pushing up. These were bought as Vallota 
purpurea, with no major to their name, though Mr. Beaton, 
in The Cottage Gardener for September 21st, says the 
common Vallota has never more than six blooms. 
“I should be grateful for information as to how those 
splendid Cockscombs were grown, which were shown at the 
Crystal Palace, September 8th and 9th, as we are unable to 
succeed in obtaining heads above a few inches long.” — 
Excelsior. 
[The common Yallota produces, generally, five flowers on a 
head, and a very good bulb has six, and sometimes seven 
and eight; but the last two, which are centrifugal, as often 
perish in the. bud as come to perfection. Your Vallotas, 
therefore, are out of the common, and show that, by an un¬ 
common good attendance, Vallota purpurea minor may 
be made to produce as many flowers on one head as the 
major; and, when that is the case, the latter has only the ad¬ 
vantage of size and brilliancy in the individual flowers. But 
the most extraordinary thing about these Vallotas is, that 
there is not the slightest botanical or natural difference be¬ 
tween them and Cyrtanthus, which has the flowers hi narrow 
tubes hanging down from the top of the spathe. 
We, too, as well as the Horticultural Society, would be 
pleased to know how to grow Cockscombs like those you refer 
to; but, if you had seed of a good kind, there is no great 
difficulty in getting good ones. It is a spring question.] 
WALL BORDER AND ERUIT TREES TO PLANT 
ON IT. 
“ A Subcriber,” residing on the low, marshy lands which 
border the river Thames, asks for advice on the training of 
some fruit tree borders he has recently made, and also what 
description of trees to plant there. It is well he has named, 
draining, as it is likely to be wanted, the soil being a stiff 
clay. Now, presuming the wall to be new; and, by the sketch 
he has sent, it contains all aspects,—that is, if trees be planted 
on both sides,—which, in the absence of information to the 
contrary, we take to be the case; and the wall being 106 feet 
long, and ten feet high,—we will treat it as being double the 
length mentioned, and being likely to be planted on both sides. 
But first of all the draining must be done, which process de¬ 
mands some little attention. 
Assuming the locality to be one of those dead flats whose 
surface is nearly an exact level, and but little elevated above 
high-water mark, deep draining cannot well be performed, as 
there will be a difficulty to get rid of the water. Drains, 
therefore, a moderate depth—say, three feet—will do. Be 
sure to put in plenty of them,—about six or eight feet apart 
will not be too close; and, as this is not an expensive affair, 
it had better be done securely at first; and care should be 
taken that the outlet does not get choked up. The draining 
being accomplished, the border Boil may be seen to. Generally, 
the surface soil in such places as the vale of the Thames is 
very good; therefore, it need not be deeper than eighteen 
inches, or two feet at the most, provided the bottom be a 
sound, healthy clay; the deepest soils are wanted above a 
hungry, unproductive sand or gravel. Clays generally retain 
the manurial substances in greater abundance than sands or 
gravel, and, if not too retentive, are useful as conservators of 
all that is useful. Assuming this to be settled, we now come 
to the width required for the use of the wall trees. 
Wall borders are too often illtreated. A good fruit crop is 
always expected, or wished for, and too often a heavy vege¬ 
table one at the same time. The temptation to plant early 
vegetables on such a border is too great to be resisted, and 
the trees are injured in consequence. But, as it is impossible 
to avoid this evil, let the border be made about twenty feet 
wide, or more; and set off a portion of six feet nearest the 
wall for the express use of the wall trees, but do not plant 
anything else within this boundary. This being settled, the 
trees must next be seen after, or rather the sites for them 
pointed out. 
The wall in question having four returns in it, of eleven 
and twelve feet each, these portions, though small, must be 
sites for one tree each. The other portions of the wall, a 
thirty-three feet length, and a twenty-seven feet, will allow of 
two trees on each face, which, in all, will make sixteen wall 
trees. If the wall be planted on both sides, which, perhaps, 
is not the case, but assuming it to be so, it is only necessary 
to mark out the spot for each tree; and, if the border be 
likely to be very damp, I would advise the six feet next the 
wall to be concreted at bottom,—say, eighteen inches from 
the surface ; and let the concrete fall from the wall that dis¬ 
tance, and have a drain there to receive the water. But, if 
the border be not very wet, this may be dispensed with, and 
the ordinary soil, if fresh, will do pretty well for all kinds of 
trees, without any manure. But, if the soil be exceedingly 
stiff, river, not pit sand, may be added in liberal quantities, to 
make it more porous. Brick-dust will also do, but lime is not 
exactly suitable for the Peach and other stone fruit. 
The border being in readiness, there remains nothing now 
but to arrange the fruit trees that are most likely to be 
wanted, and, as there will be aspects of all the four kinds, they 
may be planted somewhat thus :— 
On the south side.— Teach and Nectarine, 
On the west aspect.— Apricot. 
On the east aspect.— May Duke Cherry, and Washington 
Plum. 
On the north side.— Morello Cherry, and any hardy Plum. 
A tolerable good selection may be somewhat as follows :— 
Peach. — Violette Native and Ned Magdalen. 
Nectarine. — Newington and 1 Elruge. 
Apricot. — Moorpark and Musch-Musch. 
Plum. — Washington , Golden Nrop, Green Gage , and 
Goliath. The last-named for a north wall. 
Cherries. — May duke for east or west aspect, and a Morello 
for the north one. 
Peaches and Nectarines will also do on east and west walls ; 
and, if two trees of each be not sufficient, add Grosse Mignonne 
and Late Admirable Peach, and Ned Noman and Due de 
Tello Nectarine. The Jefferson, Noyal Nawphin, and Orleans 
Plum may also be planted on the north walls, if those above 
do not occupy the whole. But I should observe, that 200 super¬ 
ficial feet of wall is not too much for one tree, and it is not 
advisable to plant too closely. Pears might also be planted, if 
thought well of. But, as many of the most popular fruits of 
these are better flavoured when grown as standards, in the 
south of England, they are not advised as wall trees here; 
and, as a Pear requires a much larger space on a wall than 
any’otlier fruit tree, it is better to have other fruit when walls 
are scarce. An odd corner may often be usefully employed in 
ripening Tomatoes; or, if on the back wall, red or white 
Currants may be grown, and if matted up will keep a long time, 
—this depending on the tastes or wants of the party in occu¬ 
pation.—J. Robson. 
REGULATING A GREENHOUSE EIRE. 
« I have a small greenhouse, heated by a flue, which I find 
extremely tiresome on account of the fire burning out too 
quickly. The furnace is lighted from outside the house, 
somewhat below the level. The chimney is lofty, reaching to 
the parapet of my neighbour’s house, in fact forms the end 
of the back wall, and, therefore, does not appear an oyesore 
from the garden. I think that the height of the chimney 
may be the cause of the great draught. The furnace is 
enclosed by a trap-door. Would keeping that shut be the 
means of reducing the draught? T. S. 
[Shutting the trap-door will help you. Never mind the 
