THE COTTAGKE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 7, 1858. 
360 
meeting with strong prejudice for a few years, it ulti¬ 
mately led to annual or biennial transplanting. This, 
I suppose, the Americans would call going the whole 
hog. However correct this may be, few ordinary gar¬ 
deners, through tightness of labour, could entertain the 
notion ; for where a given number of hands are kept 
through the year, with no power of addition, it is cer¬ 
tain that whilst such proceedings are going on some 
other business must stand still. But root pruning is 
not such a great matter ; indeed a few cuts with the 
spade, without removing a particle of soil, will some¬ 
times accomplish it. There can, therefore, be no 
doubt about the efficacy of root pruning, when a Pear 
tree is too gross, and thereby becomes barren. 
Other ailments consist chiefly of a singular blister,— 
guessing, let us say blister fungus,—whether named 
correctly by our highest authorities in the world of 
science I know not, nor whether they do really know 
it. This pest appears in the shape of little pustules, 
spread over the leaf, and speedily extends to other 
portions of the foliage. It seems to derange, if not 
paralyse, the functions of the tree, when infested with 
it: about its baneful effects I have no occasion to give 
a remark. Then we have the maggot within the 
' foliage, in like manner as the Holly-leaf maggot, and 
also that of Celery. I have seen first-rate trees almost 
destroyed by it. Then comes the scale, but that is 
easily subdued. This last generally infests the stem 
and branches : soft-soap water—four ounces to the 
gallon,—well brushed in, will go far towards an entire 
extirpation. There is also a kind of gangrene, or 
canker, which infests certain kinds : the bark becomes 
what gardeners term cankery. If any one wants to 
look for it, let him seek for an old St. Germains, a 
T>'Auch, or a Brown BeurrS. Whether it means “ I 
am worn out,” I cannot say, but such is the fact. 
As to modes of training, they are hardly worth 
fighting about,—they may be trained in any form. 
But if any one chooses to adopt any fancy or fashion¬ 
able form, I advise him to consider well the effect of 
that form on the natural habits of the tree. 
R. Errington. 
A GOSSIP ABOUT MIGNONETTE. 
I will endeavour to meet different inquiries in as 
simple and plain a manner as possible. 
Eirst. I presume that “A Subscriber” has not so 
much in view the growing of Mignonette in winter as 
the keeping it in health, and only advancing very 
slowly, so as to have it in bloom in April and May. 
For this purpose the seeds should be sown in the 
beginning and middle of August. Plenty of manure 
and frame room will do but little in the way of grow¬ 
ing this plant rapidly; in fact, the application of 
much of the former, either in the soil, or round or 
below the frame, so as to cause extra heat, will be a 
dangerous experiment, so far as success is concerned, 
as heat from manure will also generate and keep up 
plenty of damp,—the great enemy of Mignonette in 
winter. 
To have nice pots of Mignonette in April and on¬ 
wards, pots about five inches in diameter answer very 
well. These should not merely be rubbed before using, 
but well scrubbed with hot water, if they had been 
previously used, so as to get rid of everything that 
would be likely to generate moulds and fungi. If 
the pots are new, they would be the better for being 
steeped in clear water, and used when dry. So much 
for pots. 
The soil, as a whole, should be chiefly good fresh 
loam. This I would divide into two portions,—one 
j enriched with a little, very rotten, sweet cowdung, or 
: well decomposed leaf mould; and, after suitable drain¬ 
age, I would fill the pots nearly half full with this com¬ 
post, rather less than more. The other part I would 
fill, within a quarter of an inch of the brim, with the 
pure undunged loam, the very top being made rather 
fine, the rest containing pieces of the size of Peas and 
Mazagan Beans. When this was pressed down, the 
seeds should be sown over the surface, about a dozen 
of what are thought to be good seeds, in a pot. Sup¬ 
posing the soil in good working condition, and the 
seed nice and new, I would now water gently with a 
fine rose; and as soon as the surface was dryish, 
which on a fine day it would be in an hour or two, I 
would cover with the eighth of an inch of rather fine- 
sifted soil, and press slightly down again with a round, 
flat board. The pots may then be set where they will 
have plenty of air, and be protected from fierce sun 
and heavy rains. As soon as the plants appear, light 
must be given in plenty, and extra wet guarded against. 
As soon as they can be freely handled, the plants should 
be thinned out regularly to six or eight plants in a pot. 
It is safest to have plenty at first. The surface soil 
should be broken or stirred with a pointed stick, or 
the point of a knife, so as to prevent a caked and 
cracked surface, and to allow air to get into the roots 
of the tiny plants. 
I have hinted that the plants should not be exposed 
to deluges of rain; and, from the period at which the 
plants appear, watering must form a matter of much 
importance. As the nights get long in autumn, water¬ 
ing in the afternoon must be dispensed with, so that 
the tender leaves may be dry at night ; and it should 
be given so soon,—say, nine o’clock in the morning,— 
that the foliage may be dry before the sun in its 
strength is likely to shine upon them. All the air 
possible should be given, until there is danger from 
frost, by having the sashes fully off in fine weather 
during the day. At night, and when likely to be 
changeable, the sashes may remain, but propped up 
some six or eight inches at back and front. During 
winter no indiscriminate watering should be thought 
of. If the waterer cannot be sure of so wielding the 
can as not to give a drop more than is necessary, and 
not slushing or spilling any where not wanted, the 
pots that are dry should be taken out, and only re¬ 
placed among their neighbours after they had been 
watered and allowed to drain. Everything in winter 
should be done to discourage damp and moist exhala¬ 
tions. Although the plants will suffer when the soil 
is dust dry, the chief mischief generally arises from 
excess of moisture. The moister the soil and the 
moister the position, the more liable are the plants to 
suffer also from frost. 
Their position in winter,—that is to say, after the end 
of October,—whatever it may have been previously, is 
a matter of great importance. Everything like old 
dung beds and frames should be discarded. The 
frames of our correspondent will do just as well, if not 
better than brick-pits, provided the position is all right. 
That position should be above rather than beloio the 
surrounding ground level. If six or twelve inches 
above that level, and the bottom, by concreting or 
otherwise, is made impervious to water rising, it will 
be a decided advantage. A rough, open bottoming may 
be given inside, which will facilitate the egress of water 
from the inside. But, if properly attended to, there will 
belittle water that will want to get out in winter. The 
frame, thus placed, may have the space inside covered 
with diy, rough, cindery ashes, or other open material; 
and upon these the pots should be placed within from 
six to nine inches of the glass. Unless when frosty, air 
should be freely given. In warm, damp weather, tilt 
the sashes, back and front. Anything in the way of 
hot manure should be sparingly used. The neatest 
mode of protecting the frames outside would be by a 
