518 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 24, 1905. 
to spoil, a whole house at such a critical time 
as when the flowers are just setting, and had 
mine all been so forward as the few bunches 
in question at the moment the mishap oc¬ 
curred, I should now have to deplore the dis¬ 
figurement of the entire crop instead of look¬ 
ing forward hopefully, as I do-, to the best 
house of Muscats I have ever grown. In our 
modern, light-built houses, the temperature 
rises so very rapidly when the sum touches 
them that giving air properly is the one great 
thing to learn. ... A standing rule with 
me is never to wait for a rise of temperature, 
but give air in advance.” I have continued 
to grow grapes during the twenty-six years 
since these lines were penned/, and have seen 
abundant evidence that the above gives the 
correct solution to the problem. If, when 
the tiny berries are just forming, you allow 
moisture' to condense on them by a sudden 
rise in the temperature of 10 deg. or 12 deg. 
and then open the top of the house, the rapid 
evaporation of moisture causes a chill to the 
tender skin of the berry, and you are certain 
to have rust, though it may escape notice at 
the time. Probably “ C. M.” can inform us 
whether the bunches affected flowered earlier 
or later than the others. 
Wm. Taylor. 
(Author of “Vines at Longleat.”) 
Royal Blue Forget-Me-Not. 
“A. West” should secure seed of Sutton’s 
Royal Blue Forget-me-not. The colour is 
most brilliant and superior to the paler form. 
Nevertheless, the ordinary variety is very 
sweet, and in our garden it comes up wild 
owing no doubt to prolific seeding’ in years 
past. We have great clumps of this wilding 
in our dell, and right glorious they look from 
early April to end of May. The Forget-me- 
not is so easy to cultivate that “ A. W.” need 
not hesitate. I sow in drills in the open and 
prick out three or four together in August, 
the seed being sown at the end of June. By 
February the little patches have become dense 
little clumps, which shift most easily. 
A very pretty Myosotis is M. Victoria. This 
is a true perennial, and does not crow ram¬ 
pantly like the ordinary form. We propa¬ 
gate by division although seedlings are always 
appearing. The growth is very dwarf, and the 
flowers are oroduced in whorls, quite distinct 
from the old tvpe. The pips are small, but 
have a more distinct eye. Many open oink 
but chancre to light blue. This variety lasts 
quite a long 1 period, and it always attracts 
attention fi'om visitors bv its distinct growth. 
On the rockery beds or borders it succeeds 
beautifully. Cal. 
Grapes Rusting. 
This (see p. 482) is caused in some cases by 
careless damping, after the grapes are set and 
before the sulphur is applied. In order to get 
at the dry soil underneath the pipes use a 
long spouted can, and avoid raising a steam 
by throwing water over them when they are 
hot. This steam may be very well in a mush¬ 
room house, but it will not do in a vinery. 
Excess of ammonia, released by applying 
strong liquid manure, will no doubt bring 
about a like result, also ammonia fumes from, 
evaporating troughs when this kind of manure 
is placed in them. Using a syringe for damp¬ 
ing instead of a watering can is not to he 
commended, especially if only cold water can 
be had. ‘ H. Arnold. 
Elm Tree Blown Down. 
The trunk of a fine Elm 30 ft, in length is 
of considerable weight, and when covered with 
Ivy or Clematis would offer a huge target to 
the wind. If not firmly secured it would be 
dangerous. The roots on the under side 
should be severed, and a hole equal in size to 
the spread of the roots, and at least 5 ft. deep, 
dug directly behind them, partly undermin¬ 
ing the base. Using a screwjaek, raise the 
top, blocking up with solid timber until the 
roots and 3 ft. of the trunk slide into the hole 
prepared for them, then complete the work 
with pulleys and ropes, filling in with good 
soil for the creepers to grow ip. J. (). 
Fuchsias. 
In addition to your note (page 483) regard- 
mg I uchsias, may I add that cuttings taken 
m October and plunged in a propagating 
frame root readily. 'They should be given 
every encouragement, and kept in a light 
position to encourage stocky growth. Keep 
them shifted on as required, giving plenty of 
water in the spring, and syringe”to induce 
growth. These make good plants by the 
beginning of July. yy 
[By Rosecomb.] 
Last week I promised to have something 
more toi say as to why the new stock of birds 
purchased by the poultry-keeper who had 
found his old breed failing did not do well. 
V hen fowls are kept on one piece r f ground 
continuously it becomes thoroughly sodden 
with the excreta, and gets into such a, state 
that it. really poisons birds kept upon it. 
It gradually undermines, the constitutions of 
birds forced to live upon it, affects their 
livers, stops the egg-producing organs from 
working, and in time causes death. 
Space, I know, is. space to many who keep 
fowls just for sake of a few eggs for the house, 
but when and wherever possible it is wise to 
have a double run. Keep the birds in one 
inn, say, for a month, then take them out 
and give the other run a turn. When the 
birds are removed turn over the soil in run 
No. 1, and sow it down with some Mustard 
seed. This will grow quickly, and being a 
seed which takes a great deal out of the soil 
very soon absorbs all the excess of excreta 
which the run contains. After a time the 
birds can be removed back into the original 
run, and run No. 2 may be sown down in the 
same fashion. By this means, the runs are 
kept from becoming overcharged with manure, 
and never go sour, whilst the growing 
Mustard provides plenty of nice green food 
during the greater portion of the year. 
This system of sowing down the runs with 
Mustard was adopted some years ago by a 
friend of mine- who had very little room in his 
garden, yet always kept a few fowls', and, what 
is more, used to breed and rear winners in his 
little back garden. So successful was he that 
on two or three occasions at the great event- of 
the year he was able to beat all competitors, 
and become the fortunate winner of the highly 
coveted challenge prizes offered by the 
specialist club devoted to his variety. 
'It must ever be remembered that if fowls are 
to be kept in health and free laying form they 
must never be allowed to live on sour soil, 
and must also have a plentiful supply of green 
vegetable food. If the space at command will 
allow it grass runs should be provided, and 
the birds continually shifted from one to the 
other. It is astonishing how quickly birds 
will eat down the grass in a run, and care 
must be taken not to let them eat it down too 
close, or it will not recover itself in time for 
them to come back on to it. 
In small confined runs the soil should be 
tinned over with a prong or spade at least 
once a week. If this is done, and the fowls 
moved about from run. to run as advised 
above, eggs will be plentiful, the fowls will 
keep m good health, and the profit and loss 
account will come out with a good heavy 
balance on the right side. J 
Just now some of the birds will be thinking 
about- falling into the moult, and it will be 
advisable to give them a little iron in the 
drinking water every day. A convenient- form 
is sulphate of iron, a piece about the size of 
a walnut to each gallon of water. It must 
however, not be used in zinc vessels. It- is 
wise not to use tin or zinc vessels for drink¬ 
ing water. There is nothing to beat earthen¬ 
ware drinking vessels for cleanliness and 
safety. Many substances act- on metal, and it 
is not at- all an unknown circumstance for 
birds which have had to take water from metal 
drinking vessels to be poisoned owing to the 
action of the water upon the metal, some out¬ 
side agent which has accidentally found lodg¬ 
ment therein, or from medicine administered 
through the medium of the drinking water. 
Therefore avoid all risk, and use only earthen¬ 
ware vessels for water. 
The Snowy Medlar, or Grape Pear 
(Amelanchier canadensis.) 
This pretty little tree, which was formerly 
much planted, was introduced into this coun¬ 
try from Canada as long ago as 1746. Fine 
specimens, some of them 20 ft. or more in 
height, and which were recently covered with 
snowy white flowers, are still to be met with in 
suburban gardens. In the autumn, when the 
leaves colour amber-gold and red, the tree 
again presents a very beautiful aspect. This 
tree is well worth planting. Other varieties, 
introduced from different parts of North 
America, are A. c. florida, A. c. ovalis, and 
A. c. parvifolia, which, although differing 
somewhat from the type in minor details, are 
good in effect. E. W. C. 
New Fellows or the R.H.S.—Recently- 
elected Fellows of the Royal Horticultural 
Society include the Dowager Lady Ashburton, 
Lady Deane, Lady A. Fitzwilliam, Lady 
Constance Hatch, Lady E. Malet, Lady 
Barbara Smith, Lady Beatrix Stanley, Lady 
Violet Villiers, Lady Clementina Waring, the 
Hon. Mrs. Farquhar, the Hon. James Hozier, 
M.P., the Hon. Mrs. Percy Mitford, the Hon. 
J. S. Talbot, M. P., Sir R. Drummond 
Momcrieffe, Bart., Sir Vincent Caillard, Mr. 
Richard L. Loveland, K.C., D.L., Lieut.-Col. 
E. Tufnell, M.P., Leiut.-Col. J. W. Yerbury, 
and Mr. T. Courtenay Warner, M.P. 
* * * 
150 Miles of Glasshouses. —Guernsey lias 
an area of 18,100 acres, of which about 12,000 
acres are callable of cultivation. This acreage 
is in the hands of about 1.800 persons, the 
average size of a holding being about six 
acres. When last enumerated the number of 
glasshouses was 4,500. their length 153 miles, 
and the area covered 632 acres. Besides this 
area there are from 300 to 400 acres planted 
in bulbs and flower crops. The crops grown 
for export are fruits, vegetables, and flowers, 
the later and Tomatos being the main crops. 
Poor land is worth in Guernsey £80 ner acre ; 
land used for horticultural purposes is worth 
£150 to £300 per acre. Extreme prices re¬ 
cently realised for such land were £500 and 
£600 per acre. 
