THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 22 1859. 
ally shouldered. Berries small, round, and unequal in 
size. Skin, thin, blue-black, and covered with blue bloom, 
l'lesli firm, red, and juicy, with a rich vinous and musky 
flavour. Ripens against a wall in favourable situations 
and in warm seasons ; but is generally grown in a vinery 
(To be continued.) 
GRAFTED CONIFERS. 
Bv Mr. W. Paul, of The Ctteshunt Nubsertes, IIerts. 
I have long been satisfied that tho popular prejudice existing 
against grafted Conifers lias no substantial foundation, provided 
proper scions and stocks are used. But in no branch of horticulture 
is this matter more important, or worthy of more attentive study. 
It is unfortunate for purchasers that unsuitable natures should 
so readily unite to assume the appearance of healthy and perfect 
trees, while in reality they contain within them the seeds of de¬ 
crepitude and early death. We could almost wish it was not so ; 
hut, as it is so, the best guarantee against disappointment and 
loss rests in the intelligence, experience, and honesty of the 
cultivator. 
It is well known that the heavy-wooded Pines—as Pinus 
ponderosa and P.macrocarpa —will grow very well if grafted on 
the Scotch Pine ; but, so treated, they soon over-swell the stock, 
become top-heavy, and pass into a stunted and deformed state. 
If, however, these kinds are grafted on the Austrian Pine, and the 
scions are rooted from the lower end, perfect and durable trees are 
the result. And this is hut an example where many cases of a 
like nature might be adduced. 
But there is also an objection against grafted plants existing in 
point of time, rather than in fact. If side-shoots of Pinus and 
Abies are used as scions, however suitable the stocks, a portion 
only will form leaders, and these at long intervals of time. Such., 
therefore, should not be purchased until they have attained the 
condition of perfectly-formed trees, with good leaders ; or the 
purchaser may have to wait for the denouement somewhat longer 
than is agreeable. 
Once more. Using a tender stock, as the common Cypress, 
or China Arbor Yitse, for the genera Cupressus and Thuja, is ob¬ 
jectionable ; because such plants are liable to be killed at the root 
in case of severe frost. With these exceptions, I cannot see why 
a grafted Conifer should not be ns good as a grafted Apple or a 
grafted Pear; and if the objections rest only on prejudice, it is 
most desirable that they should be removed. 
Let me now adduce one or two facts in support of these 
opinions. Many years ago, I commenced forming an arboretum, 
intended to contain specimens of the most valuable hardy trees 
suited to the open air in the climate north of London ; and these 
now amount to nearly 1000 species and varieties, gathered from 
various sources, at home and abroad. At the outset, many of 
the Conifers could not be obtained otherwise than grafted, nine¬ 
teen out of twenty of which are now handsome and flourishing 
tries. Finns Lambertiana, grafted on P. excelsa, is fifteen feet 
high, and everything one could wish for. Pinas macrocarpa, 
grafted on the Austrian Pine, is sixteen feet high. An incident 
in the history of this latter tree may not be uninteresting to your 
readers, as showing the advantages arising from the application 
of such horticultural knowledge as we may possess. 
The first year after being turned into the ground, the plant 
made but little progress, which led me to suspect that all was 
not right at the root; accordingly, in the month of October, the 
soil was carefully removed ; when lo ! the scion was found over¬ 
lapping the stock on one 6ide. The fact was unsatisfactory, but 
(he remedy was apparent. The point of a knife was inserted two 
inches above the line of junction, and pissed through the bark, 
drawing it downwards the length of four inches. The projecting 
portion of the scion, which extended and formed callus nearly 
the half of its circumference, was then pared down with the 
knife, and the soil firmly replaced. Two years afterwards, the 
soil was again removed, and the other half of the scion, although 
firmly and satisfactorily united, was served in the same way ; an 
abundance of roots was emitted from these incisions ; tho plant 
soon commenced growing vigorously, and is now as handsome a 
specimen, for its size, as any in the kingdom. 
Take another instance. A small plant of Ficea nobi/is was 
purchased of the late Mr. Cunningham, of Edinburgh; it was a 
mere side-shoot grafted on the Balsam, or Silver Eir. For five 
or six years it retained the lateral growth ; a leader then sprung 
into existence, favoured by pruning and liberal feeding; and tho 
tree is now ten feet high, as symmetrical as if it had been cast in 
a mould. 
M tide speaking of the Ficea nobi/is, I may, perhaps, he allowed 
to express the opinion that grafted plants' may be preferable to 
seedlings, unless the latter have been raised from foreign seed. 
It is said that much of the seed perfected in England is the result 
of artificial fertilisation with the Silver Fir. Now, if this is so, 
is it not probable that the seedlings will partake, in some degree, 
of the nature of eaeii parent ? And if the. habit of vegetating 
before the spring frosts are gone—natural to the Silver Fir, but 
from which the Ficea nobilis is happily exempt bo transmitted 
to these seedlings, they will clearly be of little value; for, while 
of matchless beauty, the greatest value of t.lie Ficea nob Ms attaches 
to the fact that it docs not grow until late in spring, thereby 
escaping the damaging effects of (lie late frosts.—( The Scottish 
Gardener.) 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
EVERGREENS FOR THE BACK OF A COOL 
CONSERVATORY. 
“ Please to publish a list of evergreen plants (not Camellias), 
best adapte'^for the hack wall of a cool conservatory, eighteen 
feet in height.’'—A. B. 
(Hard-wooded Climbers. —Kennedyu Murry at hr, scarlet; K. 
Comptoniana, blue ; nigricans, purple, green ; K. macrophylla, 
large-leaved and yellow. Evergreen Shrubs. —Acacia arinata j 
A. affinis; A. dealbata; A. spectabilis ; A. grandis ; or the 
orange tribe. A strong grower, of rather rambling and herb¬ 
aceous growth, is Coboea seandens : one plant would soon fill a 
house. Succulents. —Cereus speciosissimus ; Epiphyllum speci- 
osmn ; E. Jenkinsonii; E. Ackermanii. Any of these divisions 
will render a back wall interesting.] 
WALNUT-LEAVED AND ASH-LEAYED KIDNEY 
POTATOES. 
“ Messrs. Sutton, in their Catalogue, say, ‘ Early Ash-leafKidney, 
or Walnut-leaf, a well-known early sort.’ I have also noliced 
something similar in The Cottage Gardener. But, when in 
America, two distinct sorts, equally early, were there so called; 
the Walnut-leaf, round, purplish red, and with shorter, finer 
haulm than the Ash-leaf and, I think, a better Potato.”—Dio. 
[These arc two very distinct varieties. Tho Walnut-leaved 
Kidney is much more dwarf than the other; the leaves highly 
glazed; and the tubers form in a cluster, or rather whorl, close 
round the stem. The Ash-leaved has leaves much more like those 
of the tree from which it is named; the plant rather taller than 
the preceding; the tubers much larger, and on strings.— Eds.] 
HOT-WATER PIPES REQUIRED FOR HEATING. 
“ I beg to thank you for your polite attention by replying, in 
your Number 538, of January 18, 1859, to my inquiry respecting 
the relative proportion of liot-water pipes to space ; and will now' 
avail myself of your kind proposal, to furnish further information. 
Respecting the cubical contents, I multiplied the length by the 
width and mean height; therefore the contents, 2,730 yards, are 
correct. The walls are bricks, and contain five windows on two 
of the sides, or ten in the whole. Six of them being rather large. 
The room is open to the top, the slates being plastered under. 
The total height being 36T0, the mean height 2G’5—this, of 
course, if lofty. 
“ The pipes are laid on the lloor, and the floor is not a perfect 
level. Where the pipes enter from the boiler, I believe the lloor 
to be three inches higher than it is at. the point where tlie pipe 
from the hot-water ones permits the escape of the confined air. 
Should not that pipe be connected with them at the highest 
point?”—P. B. 
[We do not now recollect the number of feet of pipe you had ; 
but, so far as we do remember, we think you will want rather 
more pipe, with such a lofty root and six large windows, fry, 
however, with what you have first: you can easily add more, by 
merely joining them with a connecting inch-pipe ot lead, or any 
