272 
April  (),  1?99. 
.JOURNAL 
OF  IIORTTCULTURE  AND 
CO TTA  GE  GA  R DENER. 
itself.  It  is  “clear  as  crystal,”  “  hard  as  iron,”  and  “cold  as  charity 
hut  it  has  been  the  delif^ht  of  the  missus  in  hot  summer  weather, 
when  the  hiitfer  “  run,”  for  then,  hy  some  cloth  envelope  arrangement, 
it  is  entered  into  a  bucket,  which  by  the  aid  of  a  long  chain  is  sunk  to 
the  bottom  of  the  well,  to  he  again  withdrawn  in  the  course  of  an 
liour’s  time  linn  and  fit  for  “making  up.”  Our  spring  water  is  so 
charmingly  soft  that  we  never  want  the  well  water  for  the  household. 
Hard  water  is  best  for  brewing  with.  1  used  it  here  for  two  years, 
till  the  American  Ap]iles  spoilt  my  Reading  market ;  but  now,  except¬ 
ing  those  the  missus  reijuires  for  home  supply,  and  a  good  village 
request,  I  make  the  rest  into  cider  and  save  iny  brewer’s  bill,  and  the 
sewage  siqiply  that  the  trees  get  secures  and  maintains  for  us  cood 
crops  of  fruit,  ])lus  the  fowls,  for  ever  since  we  came  here  the  orchard 
has  been  the  “chicken”  run.  Albeit,  this  makes  us  look  out  for  the 
fallen  I'ruit,  more  ])articularly  those  of  the  first  to  e.scape  from  the 
trees — the  grub  containers  ;  at  least,  that  is  when  the  cocks  and  hens 
allow  us  the  clianco,  for  they  ([uickly  run,  or  rather  liy,  to  the  spot 
directly  they  hoar  the  concussion  with  mother  earth,  and  then 
unfortunate  Ap[)lo,  woe  be  to  the  maggot — no  cider,  no  moth  to  follow 
from  you. 
Well,  T  felt  as  I  read  friend  Pownall,  on  jiage  200,  of  what 
encouragement  the  lecturers  and  illustratois  receive  from  the  county 
councillors  in  his  latitudes.  How  I  should  like  to  live  in  a 
recognised  position  !  My  first  orchard  that  I  [danted,  to  set  an 
example  to  follow  on,  was  in  1837,  and  my  first  treatise  on  “  Planting  ” 
was  published  in  the  pages  of  the  Cotlaye  Gardener  in  1851.  1  have 
been  “  at  ”  this  sort  of  thing  ever  since,  and  now  this  place  is 
completed  as  a  grown-up  lecture — thoroughly  drained,  the  arable  land 
laid,  if  down  to  grass  now  become  well  “knitted,”  fruit,  forest,  and 
ornamental  trees  planted  now  grown  up  and  growing  into  production  ; 
a  model  of  what  a  small  residential  property  or  cottage  farm  should 
be.  Put - 1  have  never  been  able  to  “catch  the  Speaker’s  eye” — 
to  receive  the  slightest  County  Council  encouragement,  or  a  pat  on  the 
back  from  any  high  authority  in  the  way  of  rendering  the  slightest 
assistance  ;  all  done  single-handed.  aSA’  sicgloria  omnes. — Rout.  FeNN, 
Snlliamfitead,  near  Jlcadiruj, 
A  TRANSFORMATION. 
1  WAS  pleased  to  see  that  your  correspondent,  ^[r.  Geo.  Picker,  has 
drawn  attention  (i)age  240)  to  the  neglected  state  of  many  of  our  fruit 
trees,  in  allowing  them  to  be  covered  with  moss,  lichen,  scale,  American 
blight,  and  red  spider.  Three  years  ago  I  heard  a  lecture  on  fruit 
culture  by  Mr.  I<i.  Molyneux,  who  also  showed  samples  of  Apple  and 
I’ear  trees  dressed  with  caustic  soda  and  poarlash.  In  March,  1896, 
I  ordered  a  Vermorel  knapsack  sjtrayer  with  the  extra  8  feet  of  rul)ber 
hose  and  the  IG-feet  telescope  brass  rod  with  the  three  different  sized 
nozzles.  I  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  the  potash,  as  1  wanted  a 
special  make — viz,  Greenbank’s  X,  1)8  per  cent.  When  my  dressing 
was  ready  the  leaves  were  fast  expanding,  so  T  could  only  apply  the 
mixture  to  the  trunks  of  the  trees  and  to  a  few  feet  of  their  branches. 
1  used  about  350  gallons  of  the  liquid  that  season,  and  so  effectual  was 
it,  that  this  month,  March,  1899,  1  can  tell  to  an  inch  where  the  dressing 
was  ap])lie(l.  It  seems  to  have  destroyed  the  outside  of  the  bark,  which 
has  dried  up  and  fallen,  leaving  the  tree  stem  bright  and  green.  This 
year  I  have  done  more  with  it,  having  used  ^  cwt.  caustic  soda  and  ^  cwt. 
pearlash,  which  made  825  gallons  of  mixture.  With  this  I  dressed  over 
2000  trees,  varying  in  size  from  3  to  35  feet  high,  and  from  3  to  40  inches 
diameter.  With  the  Vermorel  sprayer,  and  using  the  medium-sized  nozzle, 
a  grand  spray  is  secured,  so  much  so,  that  people  watching  the  work  said 
we  were  smoking  the  tiees. 
It  is  a  very  lively  time  for  all  insects.  Scale  I  have  seen  fall  from  the 
tree  on  the  slightest  touch  ten  minutes  after  dressing.  Workmen  on  this 
job  should  wear  their  oldest  clothes  and  boots.  To  protect  the  hands  use 
rubber  gloves,  such  as  are  used  by  doctors  for  post-mortems.  At  the  end 
of  the  glove  bind  round  the  wrist  a  piece  of  cloth  to  prevent  the  solution 
running  down  the  arm  when  working  with  the  arms  above  the  head.  I 
also  guarded  my  face  with  a  bee-veil,  which  must  be  washed  every  night, 
or  the  potash  will  dry  and  tiy  off  in  a  powder  and  get  into  your  nose  and 
throat,  which  is  very  unpleasant. 
In  mixing  I  dissolve  5  Ihs.  pearlash  in  hot  water  and  5  lbs.  caustic 
soda  with  boiling  ivater.  Great  care  is  required  in  dissolving  the  soda, 
as  it  boils  over  if  too  much  water  is  added  at  a  time.  With  these 
quantities  I  make  50  gallons  of  solution.  I  should  certainly  have  tried 
the  softsoap  had  I  known  of  it,  and  will  bear  it  in  mind  another  year. 
I  see  on  page  230.  under  “Orchard  Spraying  in  Nova  Scotia” — potash 
spray  :  that  I,  lb.  to  1  lb.  of  crude  caustic  potash  is  used  to  the  gallon  of 
water.  Would  not  this  bo  too  strong  for,  say,  last  year’s  growth  of  our 
fruit  trees  ?  I  should  like  also  to  ask  the  same  correspondent  if  be  can 
name  the  liest  thing  to  rub  on  the  hands  and  face  before  using  the  above  I 
I  see  for  Bordeaux  mixture  he  recommends  mutton  fat.  Before  using  a 
veil  my  face  was  burnt  all  over  by  the  falling  spray. 
Any  hints  to  prevent  injury  to  users  of  the  spray  will  be  thankfully 
received.  Of  course,  by  the  use  of  a  veil,  the  sight  is  obstructed.  It  is 
time  wasted  to  use  old  chemicals.  I  used  some,  left  over,  three  years 
ago,  with  little  effect.  The  trees  so  dressed  will  have  to  be  done  again 
next  year. — Jno.  Miles,  Southampton, 
iSOME  OLD-FASH  LONE  1)  PLANTS. 
In  out  of  the  way  places  one  finds  some  of  our  old  favourites  still 
grown,5  cherished  perhajis  for  old  association’s  sake,  or  for  the  merits 
inherent  in  themselves,  hut  which  in  these  days  of  growing  for  cut  flowers 
have  in  many  instances  become  neglected.  The  plants  of  which  I  intend 
to  mention  are  really  useful  for  the  embellishment  of  the  greenhouse  or 
conservatory,  though  their  flowers  may  not  be  of  much  value  in  a  cut 
state. 
lAhonia  floribunda.  —  How  handsome  are  well-grown  specimens  of 
Libonia  floribunda.  When  I  observe  them  grouped  amongst  Callas,  Eupa- 
toriums,  and  Azaless,  1  cannot  help  wishing  they  were  oflener  seen. 
They’  are  easy  to  propagate,  easy  to  grow,  and  it  may  well  be  added  easy 
to  spoil.  Cuttings  of  young  growths  root  readily  in  a  frame  on  a  hotbed 
at  any  time  when  procurable,  though  spring  is  perhaps  the  best.  When 
rooted  the  young  plants  should  be  placed  in  3-inch  pots,  in  a  compost 
consisting  of  sandy  loam  and  leaf  mould,  and  kept  in  a  close  frame 
for  a  time,  be  repotted  as  soon  as  the  roots  rewch  the  sides  of  the  pots, 
and  placed  back  in  the  frame  until  the  roots  lake  to  the  new  soil,  when 
the  plants  may  be  gradually  hardened  and  stood  out  of  doors  on  a  bed  of 
coal  ashes  until  the  approach  of  bad  weather.  A  fairly  warm  light 
greenhouse  suits  them  best  in  the  winter.  Plants  in  6-inch  pots  are 
generally  large  enough  ;  afterwards  an  annual  slight  reduction  of  the 
ball  and  a  return  to  the  same  size  of  pot  with  fresh  soil  will  keep  them 
in  health  for  some  years.  Care  is  necessary  to  supply  abundance  of 
water  when  the  pots  are  full  ot  roots,  as  neglect  of  this  will  often  cause 
the  leaves  to  fall,  thus  rendering  the  plarts  unsightly,  and  at  the  same 
time  cause  an  absence  of  flowers. 
Streptosolon  Jamesoni. — Efforts  have  once  or  twice  been  made  to 
popularise  this  old  friend,  but  so  far  it  is  rarely  grown.  Its  rather 
straggling  habit  militates  against  its  becoming  a  general  favourite. 
The  colour  of  the  flowers  should  recommend  it  however,  being,  under 
good  cultivation,  a  deep  reddish  orange.  The  cultural  conditions 
accorded  Libonias  apply  equally  well  to  this  plant,  with  the  addition  of 
a  few  stakes,  as  it  requires  tying  into  shape. 
Miinulus  {Diplacus)  glulinosus. —  Why  this  is  not  more  often  grown  for 
house  decoration  in  small  pots  it  is  difficult  to  understand.  The  blooms 
are  not  only  of  a  beautiful  colour,  but  are  also  quaintly  shaped,  and 
ladies  readily  fall  in  love  with  them.  It  stands  and  keeps  iresh  in 
rooms  a  long  time,  when  receiving  due  care.  After  our  plants  have 
finished  flowering  we  usually  insert  a  few  cuttings  in  a  close  frame.  A 
rather  light  sandy  soil  suits  the  plants  best,  with  ordinary  greenhouse 
treatment.  The  leaves  are,  as  the  name  implies,  sticky,  and  not  pleasant  to 
handle. 
Scented  "  G erani’xms.” — How  often  in  cottage  homes  have  these  given 
pleasure  ?  They  are  also  useful  for  the  greenhouse,  and  u  few  sprays 
mixed  with  cut  flowers  are  at  times  greatly  appreciated.  Cuttings  of 
clean  healthy  growth,  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  spring,  and  placed  in  a 
warm  corner,  soon  root,  and  may  be  quickly  grown  into  lair  sized 
plants.  The  old  oak  leaved,  the  peppermint  scented,  the  lemon  scented, 
and  the  variegated  Lady  Plymouth,  are  all  of  easy  growth. 
Primula  alba  ^j'ena.  — Since  the  introduction  of  the  semi-double  varieties 
of  Primula  sinensis,  this  useful  plant  has  fallen  somewhat  out  of  culti¬ 
vation.  This  is  lather  to  be  deplored,  as  of  all  the  indoor  Primulas  this 
is,  I  think,  the  most  beautiful.  It  is  at  times  a  cause  of  slight  trouble  in 
jiropagating,  but  if  the  lower  parts  of  the  young  growths  are  mounded 
up  wiih  some  light  sandy  soil,  consisting  chiefly  of  leaf  mould,  roots  will 
soon  bo  emitted  if  tlie  mnlching  round  the  collar  be  kept  moist.  When 
this  has  taken  place  they  slioulil  be  severed  from  the  parent  plant  with  a 
sharp  knife,  potted  into  small  pots  an  1  be  kept  close  on  a  hotbed  until 
growth  has  well  commenced.  Afterwards  they  may  be  hardened  and 
placed  with  the  other  plants  which  are  being  grown  in  cold  frames.  This 
plant  repays  for  rather  a  higher  temperature  than  is  usually  accorded 
Primulas  m  the  winter,  and  also  responds  to  liberal  treatment  in  the 
matter  of  feeding. 
Crassula  (^Kuiosanthes)  coccinea. — Of  very  little  or  no  use  for  cutting  is 
this  old  occupant  of  our  glass  houses.  It  may  be  charged  with  being  of  a 
siiff  and  rather  ungainly  habit,  yi  t  the  deep  rich  green  of  the  leaves,  and 
the  bright,  swect-sct-nted  flower-heads,  have  a  beauty  all  their  own,  and 
room  may  well  be  found  for  a  few  plants  whore  possible.  Cuttings  shouid 
be  rooted  annually,  three  or  fjur  in  a  3  iuch  pot,  as  these  kept  through 
the  winter  and  repotted  in  spring  make  good  plants.  Care  is  necessary 
during  the  dark  dull  days  in  the  matter  of  watering,  otherw'iso  the  culture 
is  of  the  easiest. 
Begonia  metallica. — This  is  not  quite  such  an  ancient  occupant  of  our 
gardens  as  some  of  those  already  mentioned,  but  has  been  known  suffi¬ 
ciently  long  to  be  included  under  the  heading.  A  rather  higher 
temperature  than  the  ordinary  greenhouse  is  most  suitable,  but-  it  will 
grow  and  make  a  useful  plant  in  cool  quarters  if  care  is  taken  with 
watering.  Cuttings  inserted  singly  in  thumb  pots,  or  three  or  four  in 
larger  ones,  placed  in  heat,  soon  jirow  and  make  useful  stocli.  The 
flowers  in  themselves  are  prett}-,  if  of  no  use  in  vase.«,  and  add  consider¬ 
ably  to  the  beauty  of  the  jilant. 
I  could  enumerate  many  more,  such  as  Rhyncospermura  jasrainoides,  a 
favourite  inmate  of  oiir  glass  houses  ;  Linum  trigynum,  with  its  lovely  yellow 
flowers,  which  drop  all  too  quickly,  but  if  the  plants  are  grown  strongly  and 
bloomed  in  a  cool  house  the  trouble  is  lessened  in  a  great  measure  ;  also 
some  of  the  old  climbers,  such  as  Tecoma  jesminoides  and  Abutilon 
voxillarium,  amongst  many  others.  But  I  must  stop,  such  hosts  of  recol¬ 
lections  and  memories  arise  as  I  write  of  these  old-time  lavourites  that  I 
fear  my  pen  may  stray  to  some  divergent  theme.— J.  Shaleord. 
