22 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ February, 
B. S. Williams,lias become sparingly distributed 
in gardens. It is a very handsome plant, the 
fronds being regularly and symmetrically 
crested, of the same drooping habit as the 
parent, two to three feet long, the pinnse all 
tasselled at their tips, and the top of the fronds 
also expanded into a broadly-cristate tuft. 
From its drooping habit, it will be a remark¬ 
ably handsome basket-fern for the greenhouse 
and cool conservatory ; and from its large size, 
it will make an equally elegant and efficient 
exhibition plant, or a fine pot plant for home 
decoration. Well-grown pot plants rvould 
serve admirably for furnishing a bracket, or 
for setting on a slender pedestal occupying 
a prominent position.—T. Moore. 
GLASS COPINGS FOR WALLS. 
ApA’AVING- devoted many years to the culti- 
q (A?) vation of Peaches and Nectarines in 
low-lying situations, liable to be effected 
by early autumn and late spring frosts, I have 
found that the use of glass copings, combined 
with the Trentham system of frequent lifting 
and replanting in pure loam, furnish the most 
successful means of ensuring satisfactory results. 
Where glass copings have been tried during the 
season of 1877 for the first time, their con¬ 
demnation would be unfair, as lialf-ripened 
wood never produces good crops of fruit. Some 
years ago, I placed glass copings over four 
Peach-trees on a wall 80 ft. in length ; and 
although I have lost crops of fruit and the 
trees also on other walls protected by boards and 
fishing-nets, I have never missed gathering a 
crop from the glass-coped trees. Last year, so 
fatal in many places, their foliage was quite clean 
and free from curl. The fruit set well, and 
required frequent thinnings, and the trees are 
again furnished with promising wood. The 
other set of trees to which I have referred, on 
a higher level, consequently a better wall for 
resisting the effect of cold, was so much injured 
by blight and curl, that the crop so failed, 
and many of the trees have had to be removed. 
Glass copings should be light, portable, and 
inexpensive. Mine are twelve feet long, of 
plain deal, grooved and painted, the glass (21- 
oz.) being slipped into the grooves, and the 
last square fastened by a small screw. They 
are placed over the trees before the blossoms 
open, and remain on until all danger from 
spring frost is over. They are then taken 
away to the store-house, and the trees are 
well syringed, mulched, and watered. 
In elevated gardens enclosed with high 
walls slight protection is all that is required 
for securing crops of fruit. At Madresfield 
Court, the magnificent set of Peaches and 
Nectarines was last year laden with fruit, and 
the only protection Mr. Cox uses is two or 
three folds of fishing-net, but then his walls 
are high and well coped, and he has wisely 
selected an open, elevated position for his new 
kitchen garden. 
In making a selection of trees for low, damp 
situations, I have discovered that short or half¬ 
standards on the Mussel stock are hardier and 
last much longer than the ordinary dwarf tree, 
which is worked a few inches above the level 
of the ground.—W. Coleman, Eastnor Castle. 
NEW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 
New Fruits of 1877. 
fcjAATlE past year (1877) will stand on 
record, like its predecessor, 1876, as 
one of the lean years as regards the 
production of fruits. No more ungenial 
spring succeeding an open, mild, wet winter 
was perhaps ever experienced, and the coldest 
period occurring just as the fruit-trees were 
blossoming and setting their fruits, the result 
was an almost entire failure of out-door fruits. 
We, at the same time, mourn the loss of one 
whose name has so often appeared in the front 
rank as the introducer of novelty in fruits— 
Thomas Bivers. 
Of Grapes we have no novelties of any parti¬ 
cular merit to allude to. Several new seedlings 
and introductions have appeared, but they have 
proved either inferior, or similar to existing 
varieties. Messrs. Lee bring forward one 
named Dc Coster , but there is no information 
to be obtained about it. Another reputed 
new sort appears in Belgium, which seems to 
be identical with our Muscat Hamburgh. 
Last year we had to notice the introduc¬ 
tion of a good late Grape, called Clive House 
Seedling: this name, from some irregularity, 
was changed to Alnwick Seedling , by which 
designation it is now known. It is no doubt 
the best late Grape of recent introduction. 
