January  16,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
57 
By  the  end  of  June  they  ought  to  be  placed  in  pots  7  inches  in 
diameter,  which  will  be  large  enough,  employing  soil  similar  to  that  in 
which  they  were  last  placed,  with  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of 
old  decayed  manure.  Again  tie  down  the  shoots,  bending  the  points 
considerably,  which  will  cause  several  of  the  eyes  to  start.  With 
this  Euphorbia,  as  the  plants  become  larger,  bedding  the  shoots  is  prefer¬ 
able  to  pinching  out  the  points,  as  it  will  induce  more  eyes  to  break. 
Continue  the  treatment  as  to  heat,  water,  air,  and  a  thin  shade  when 
necessary  until  the  end  of  August,  when  dispense  with  shading  and  the 
use  of  the  syringe,  ventilating  more  freely,  which  will  gradually  suspend 
further  growth  and  ripen  the  shoots.  As  the  autumn  advances  reduce  the 
temperature  to  60°  in  the  night,  allowing  an  advance  of  5°  more  in  the 
day.  If  they  should  be  required  in  flower  by  the  end  of  the  year,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  keep  some  of  the  plants  5°  warmer,  standing  them  where 
the  tops  of  the  shoots  will  nearly  touch  the  glass.  This  is  essential  to 
impart  both  colour  and  substance  to  the  flowers. 
As  the  flowers  become  apparent  at  the  axils  of  the  leaves  the  plants 
will  be  greatly  benefited  by  an  occasional  supply  of  weak  liquid  manure, 
which  will  not  only  assist  the  first  bloons*  they  make,  but  enable  them  to 
make  the  second  growth  strong,  which  will  also  bloom.  Such  plants 
as  are  grown  cooler  to  succeed  the  first  must  not  have  too  much  water 
at  the  roots,  especially  if  the  temperature  is  kept  a  little  under  60°  in 
the  night,  but  it  is  not  safe  to  have  them  in  a  much  lower  heat  than 
this. 
After  the  flowering  is  over  allow  the  soil  to  become  considerably  drier, 
and  head  the  plants  down  to  within  6  inches  of  the  pot,  keeping  them  in 
a  temperature  of  about  65°  in  the  night,  and  giving  no  more  water  than 
will  prevent  the  soil  becoming  quite  dry  until  they  have  made  several 
inches  of  growth,  when,  if  more  plants  be  required,  the  shoots  may  be 
taken  off  and  rooted  as  in  the  preceding  spring.  The  other  plants  should 
be  turned  out  of  their  pots  and  two-thirds  of  the  old  soil  removed,  giving 
them  2-inch  larger  pots,  which  will  be  large  enough  to  grow  tt^m  in 
through  the  ensuing  summer,  assisting  them  with  liquid  manure  when 
the  soil  is  well  filled  with  roots,  treating  them  in  other  respects  as  advised 
for  the  preceding  season. 
This  Euphorbia  is  also  very  suitable  for  growing  on  a  back  wall,  in 
which  position  it  looks  well ;  but  the  flowers  will  not  be  so  highly  coloured 
as  when  they  expand  near  to  the  glass.  If  planted  in  such  a  situation 
the  border  should  be  limited  in  size,  for  if  the  roots  be  in  too  great  a  body 
of  soil,  they  are  liable  to  decay  when  the  plant  is  hard  cut  in,  which  it 
requires  after  blooming,  and  from  then  until  some  growth  has  been  made 
the  soil  must  be  kept  almost  dry.  Through  treatment  the  opposite  to 
this  Euphorbia  jacquiniasflora  when  so  situated  very  often  dies  after 
being  cut  back.  This  Euphorbia  is  less  subject  to  insects  than  most 
stove  plants,  although  thrips  and  spider  will  sometimes  attack  them  ; 
for  these  syringing  and  fumigating  afford  the  best  means  of  destruction. 
Should  mealy  bug  appear,  lay  the  plants  on  their  sides  and  repeatedly 
syringe  freely  with  tepid  water,  washing  them  with  insecticide  in  the 
winter  when  at  rest.  White  scale  is  so  difficult  to  thoroughly  eradicate 
when  once  it  has  attacked  stove  plants  such  as  these,  that  are  easily 
propagated  and  quickly  grown,  that  it  is  much  better  to  start  afresh 
with  clean  cuttings,  which  should  be  inserted  as  previously  recom¬ 
mended. — J.  H. 
RABBITS  AND  TREES. 
Having  received  two  inquiries  on  this  subject,  we  think  the  following 
notes  by  a  gentleman  who  has  had  much  experience  in  planting  and 
protecting  game  coverts  may  be  more  useful  than  brief  replies  :  — 
If  it  is  practicable  entirely  to  exclude  rabbits  and  hares  from  the 
parts  planted,  I  would  advise  that  the  wire  netting  used  be  not  less  than 
3  feet  wide,  and  not  of  larger  mesh  than  If  inch.  It  should  be  fixed  to 
upright  stakes,  and  be  well  pegged  down.  Three  inches  at  the  bottom 
should  be  turned  oHtwards,  and  laid  flat  on  the  ground,  which  should  be 
levelled,  and  made  up  over  the  bottom  of  the  wire  along  the  whole 
length,  The  rabbits,  hurting  their  claws  without  result  in  the  buried 
horizontal  portion  of  the  wire,  soon  give  up  scratching  at  it ;  but  some 
one  should  occasionally  go  round  and  make  up  the  ground  to  the  wire 
where  required. 
I  wish,  however,  to  speak  more  particularly  of  planting  single  trees 
or  shrubs  in  bare  parts  of  coverts  or  plantations.  It  is  provoking  to 
have  these  devoured  year  after  year,  and  I  think  it  better  to  plant  fifty 
with  efficient  protection,  than  five  hundred  to  be  barked  and  mutilated, 
to  take  their  chance  of  surviving  in  a  deformed  and  stunted  condition. 
It  is  known  that  trees  when  first  planted  are  especially  liable  to  be 
attacked  by  rabbits.  We  observe  loppings  of  trees  in  coverts  entirely 
cleared  of  bark,  whilst  branches  and  twigs  of  the  same  size  growing 
within  reach  are  untouched.  In  the  same  way  recently  planted  trees 
are  sure  to  be  selected  amongst  others  of  the  same  kind  and  size.  I  have 
found  the  recommended  preparations  of  night  soil,  gas  tar,  train  oil, 
and  quicklime,  both  bad  "for  the  tree  and  inefficient,  unless  renewed 
every  month.  I  have  used  cradles  made  of  common  wire  netting  2  feet 
wide,  2-inch  mesh.  This  I  cut  or  rather  break  across  into  lengths  of 
about  2  feet.  These  I  place  round  the  young  trees  with  the  rough  ends 
of  the  wire  at  the  bottom  and  the  top,  and  bring  the  level  sides  together, 
fastening  them  with  soft  wire  previously  cut  into  lengths  of  3  or  4  incheB. 
About  2  inches  at  the  bottom  and  top  of  the  cradle  should  be  turned 
outwards,  which  gives  additional  protection.  Each  cradle  should  be 
pegged  down  with  two  pegs.  The  diameter  of  these  cradles  will  be 
about  8  inches,  the  height  about  18  inches,  and  the  cost  about  3d.  This 
may  seem  a  large  cost  to  protect  a  tree  worth  only  a  penny,  but  much 
vexation  is  saved,  and  they  require  no  renewal.  The  labour  of  fixing  is 
inconsiderable.  I  can  fix  from  twenty  to  thirty  in  an  hour  with  ease. 
Such  trees  as  Larch  and  Spruce,  if  3  feet  high,  which  I  find  the  best  size 
for  planting  from  my  own  nursery,  into  which  I  introduce  them  at 
1  foot,  will,  of  course,  have  their  lower  branches  compressed  by  such 
cradles ;  but  I  do  not  find  that  this  interferes  with  their  growth.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  Hollies,  and  other  evergreens.  If  larger  cradles 
are  desired,  the  netting  may  be  obtained  of  any  width,  and  the  width 
must  be  three  times  the  diameter  required  for  the  cradle.  Babbits  are 
more  likely  to  jump  inside  the  larger  cradles,  which  should,  therefore,  be 
higher.  Much  additional  protection  is  obtained  by  putting  pieces  of 
Gorse  or  Thorns  inside  the  cradle,  and  reaching  over  the  top  of  it.  I 
tried  last  year  tying  Gorse  twigs  with  the  bushy  end  resting  on  the 
ground  about  2  feet  up  the  tree.  This  appeared  to  answer  until  the 
snow,  when  the  rabbits  ate  first  the  Gorse,  and  then  the  tree.  Thorns 
cut  up  into  short  pieces  are  a  much  better  protection.  A  few  handfuls 
of  these  placed  round  the  tree  to  a  width  of  a  foot  and  a  height  of 
18  inches,  seem  as  good  as  the  wire  cradles,  and  cost  less. 
I  warn  your  readers  not  to  be  misled  by  lists  of  trees  and  shrubs 
which  it  is  said  rabbits  will  not  eat.  I  have  tried  nearly  all,  and  the 
only  evergreens  I  find  untouched  are  Yew,  Box,  and  Rhododendron. 
My  plantations  are  mostly  narrow,  bounded  by  grass  or  arable  fields, 
FIG.  9. — A  BABBIT-PROOF  FENCE. 
and  I  keep  no  more  rabbits  than  I  am  obliged  to  do  in  justice  to  the  foxes, 
that  these  important  animals  may  earn  an  honest  livelihood,  and  not  be 
driven  to  rob  the  farmyards. 
Larch  is  the  worst  of  all  trees  to  get  up  amongst  rabbits.  They 
bark  it  even  in  the  sum  mer,  and  eat  it  quite  down.  Spruce,  Silver  Fir,  and 
Scotch  Fir  are  all  eaten  down  in  severe  weather,  especially  when  rabbits 
can  reach  to  the  top  of  them,  though  their  bark  seems  less  attractive. 
Do  not,  however,  confuse  the  work  of  rabbits  or  hares  with  that  of 
squirrels,  which  bite  off  the  leaders  of  young  Spruce,  apparently  to 
exercise  their  teeth,  as  they  leave  the  tops  on  the  ground.  Squirrels 
must  be  Rilled  if  Spruce  are  to  be  reared.  Oak,  Spanish  Chestnut,  and 
nearly  all  forest  trees  are  liable  when  first  planted  to  be  barked  by 
rabbits,  and  should  be  protected  as  directed  above.  Of  Holly,  Privet, 
and  common  Laurel,  rabbits  and  hares  eat  both  bark  and  leaves.  Broom 
hares  bite  quite  down,  even  when  of  large  size,  and  eat  the  young  twigs. 
Berberis  Aquifolium  and  Portugal  Laurel  are  amongst  the  last  shrubs 
touched,  but  in  severe  weather  the  rabbits  attack  young  plants  of  both, 
citing  the  leaves  off  the  former,  though  they  do  not  seem  to  eat  them, 
and  barking  the  latter,  though  to  no  great  extent.  I  have  not  spoken  of 
choicer  Conifers,  but  I  find  that  Abies  Douglasi,  Cupressus  Lawsoniana, 
Wellingtonia,  and  probably  most  of  the  others  suffer  more  or  less. 
I  may  conclude  by  saying  that  where  cover  for  game  is  the  chief 
object  nothing  answers  so  well  as  the  common  Bramble  or  Blackberry, 
and  the  varieties  of  Briar  or  Dog  Rose,  including  Sweetbriar.  These 
take  readily  to  any  soil,  require  no  nursing,  grow  very  fast,  and  as 
shelter  are  far  preferred  by  pheasants  to  the  smooth-leaved  Berberis,  and 
to  Rhododendrons. — C.  W.  D. 
[The  method  advised  of  fixing  wire  netting  to  exclude  rabbits  from 
a  plantation,  and  we  know  from  experience  it  is  good,  is  represented  in 
the  illustration,  fig.  9.] 
ORIGIN  OF  COOPER’S  BLACK  GRAPE. 
The  Grape  called  Cooper’s  Black  was  not  raised  by  the  late  Mr. 
George  Cooper  ;  but  the  original  Vine  was  found  planted  in  Armagh 
Palace  Gardens  when  he  took  charge  of  them  in  1854.  Till  that  date  no 
one  seemed  to  know  anything  regarding  its  fruiting  qualities.  Mr. 
Cooper  made  all  possible  inquiries  at  the  time,  and  the  only  information 
he  could  gain  was  that  it  was  planted  there  about  the  year  1845. 
The  Grape  was  first  brought  into  local  notice  in  the  spring  of  1857, 
when  dinner  parties  were  given  at  the  Palace,  and  Mr.  Cooper  sent 
to  table  some  fine  bunches,  many  present  admiring  them  on  account  of 
the  large  berries  and  good  bloom.  Several  asked  for  eyes  which  were 
given  ;  some  I  know  went  to  Scotland.  But  the  first  eyes  were  given  to 
