68 
JOURNAL  GF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  15,  190?, 
Walks  and  Promenades. 
Pathways  are  for  convenience.  To  lay  walks  in  useles.s  direc¬ 
tions,  for  the  mere  sake  of  turning  and  twisting,  is  ridiculous. 
The  general  walks  required  should  be  simple,  giving  an  easy, 
graceful  communication  with  the  various  places  of  interest. 
Usually  this  can  be  attained  by  a  road  around  the  property,  and 
another  around  or  through  the  centre.  Of  course,  this  rule  may 
vary,  but  these  two  points  should  be  kept  in  view  in  arranging 
grounds. 
Vines  from  which  Grapes  have  been  Lately  Cut. 
Prune  the  Vines  without  loss  of  time,  and  when  the  cuts  are 
dry  dressi  them  with  French  polish  or  patent  knotting  to  pre¬ 
vent  bleeding,  confining  the  dressing  exclusively  to  the  wounds. 
Early  pruning  not  only  avoids  danger  of  bleeding,  but  ensures 
complete  rest,  albeit  the  pruning  buds  profit,  though  unseen, 
and  plumping  and  preparing  for  a  good  start.  Cut  to  a  sound, 
round  bud  as  near  the  base  as  possible.  Some  Vines,  however, 
do  not  prove  verj'  satisfactory  when  closely  pruned.  The 
operator  must  act  accordingly,  and  choose  the  second  to  fourth 
bud,  or  the  best  bud  on  firm,  well-ripened  wood,  wherever 
situated.  This  will  cause  the  spurs  to  become  long,  but  that  can 
be  obviated  by  training  a  shoot  from  the  base  to  displace  it  after 
bearing,  and  the  Vine  Avill  be  all  the  better  for  the  extra  foliage, 
showing  it  in  the  finish  of  the  crop.  Remove  all  loose  bark ; 
avoid  peeling  and  scraping  into  the  quick  or  live  bark,  washing 
the  rods  with  paraffin  softsoap,  4oz  to  a  gallon  of  water,  and 
after  thoroughly  cleansing  the  house  dress  the  Vines  with  an 
insecticide.  If  there  have  been  any  fungus  pests,  use  a  solution 
of  green  vitriol  (sulphate  of  .iron),  lib  to  a  gallon  and  a  half  of 
tepid  water  (15  per  cent,  solution),  applying  with  a  brush  to  the 
rods.  Clear  away  all  loose  soil  or  mulching,  supplying  fresh 
lumpy  loam  in  its  place,  and  sprinkle  about  half  a  pound  of  the 
following  mixture  per  square  yard  when  the  Vines  are  in  need 
of  support.  Dissolved  bones,  dry  and  crun)bling,  three  parts 
or  pounds ;  sulphate  of  potash,  two  parts ;  sulphate  of  magne.sia, 
one  part;  air-slaked  lime  and  soot  in  equal  parts,  four  parts 
mixed.  If  only  moderate  support  be  needed  use  half  quantity, 
and  supply  the  other  about  the  time  the  Vines  are  fairly  in  leaf. 
Keep  the  house  as  cool  as  possible  to  secure  complete  re.st. — 
G.  A. 
Objectionable  Weeds  on  Greens. 
The  vast  .majority  of  players  of  golf,  tennis,  bowls,  &c.,  have 
a  very  decided  objection  to  Clover,  Plantains,  Daisies,  and  Dan¬ 
delions  on  their  greens  or  courts,  as  all  such  weeds  interfere 
more  or  less  with  the  accuracy  of  the  play  ;  and  what  the  player 
likes  to  see  is  a  green  with  a  close  sward  of  fine  Grasses  only. 
On  some  soils,  particularly  those  of  a  rather  heavy  nature. 
Clover  is  very  persistent,  and  certain  manures  encourage  the 
plant,  such  as  superphosphate,  and  manures  containing  a  large 
percentage  of  potash ;  and  if  applications  of  them  are  repeated 
annually  tas  is  often  the  case),  there  is  a  danger  of  the  Clover 
forming  the  major  part  of  the  sward.  Such  manures  should 
therefore  be  avoided,  and  those  only  used  which  will  assist  fine 
Grasses  and  discourage  all  objectionable  plants.  A  mixture  that 
has  been  used  with  splendid  results  on  some  well-known  golf 
links  in  the  neighbourhood  of  London  is  made  of  equal  propor¬ 
tions  of  nitrate  of  soda  and  sulphate  of  ammonia,  and  applied 
at  the  rate  of  lib  to  the  rod  (S-J-  square  yards).  This  is  given 
several  times  during  the  summer  months,  and  if  the  weather  is 
dry  it  is  thoroughly  watered  in.  More  than  lib  to  the  rod  is 
never  applied  at  a  time,  as  it  is  found  that  it  is  far  better  to 
use  only  that  quantity,  and  repeat  it,  than  to  apply  a  stronger 
dressing.  Before  the  application  of  the  nitrate  of  soda  and 
sulphate  of  ammonia  the  greens  w'ere  literally  covered  with 
Clover,  but  all  the  plants  with  objectionable  broad  foliage  have 
disappeared,  the  reason  being  that  the  manure  falls,  on  the  flat 
leaves  and  kills  them;  and  by  frequently  repeating  the  appli¬ 
cation  any  new  growths  are,  from  time  to  time,  destroyed,  and 
this  con,tinual  w^eakening  of  the  plants  eventually  de.stroys  them 
altogether. — (“Journal  of  Royal  Horticultural  Society.”) 
Melons. 
Seedlings  from  seed  sown  at  tlie  new  year  should  be  earthccf 
up  as  they  advance  in  growth,  not  briiiging  the  warmed  soil  quite 
up  to  the  seed  leaves  (cotyledons),  keeping  the  plants  near  the 
glass,  and  look  out  for  predatory  pe.sts,  such  as  slugs,  woodlice. 
&c.  Soil  should  be  placed  under  cover,  so  as  to  become  dried 
preparatory  to  forming  into  ridges  or  hillocks  in  the  Melon 
house.  Good  turfy  loam,  rather  strong  than  light,  is  suitable  for 
Melons,  and  if  it  has  been  laid  up  in  ridges,  so  as  to  kill  and 
reduce  the  herbage  to  mould,  it  will  be  in  a  fit  condition  far 
the  purpose.  If  deficient  of  grit,  add  a  fifth  of  road  scrapings, 
and  if  not  calcareous  a  fifth  also  of  old  mortar  rubbish.  If  there 
is  need  of  manure,  horse  droppings  are  good  and  not  liable  to 
eelworm.  The  mixture  in  that  case  w’ould  consist  of  four  parts 
loam,  one  part  each  of  horse  droppings,  road  scrapings,  and  lime 
rubbish.  For  frame  culture,  seed  should  be  sown  early  in  next 
month.  The  materials  should  be  prepared  and  the  bed  made  up 
forthwith  in  the  manner  described  above  for  Cucumbers. — G. 
Holland  House,  West  Kensington. 
The  now  famous  gardens  of  this  historic  home  of  the  Earl  of 
Ilchester,  are  still  being  improved  and  extended.  We  recently 
paid  a  surprise  visit  to  Mr.  Charles  Dixon,  for  nearly  forty  years 
the  head  gardener  here,  and  found  him  more  enthusiastic  tliau 
ever  (if  that  'ivere  possible)  in  caiwying  out  his  lordship’s  plans.  A 
vastly  better  effect  on  the  western  slopes  of  the  grounds  will  be 
effected  when  the  border,  now  being  made  by  the  side  of  the 
w'est  avenue,  is  completed,  for  the  alteration  carries  back  tlie 
old  shrubs  into  something  like  an  effective  line-belt,  which  will 
be  fronted  by  choice  plants  and  little  shrubs  during  the  spring. 
These  will  carry  the  gardens  out  further  than  they  have  been 
before,  and  will  lead  up  w  ith  greater  effect  to  the  Japanese  garden 
with  its  rustic  bridges,  its  pools,  and  stepping-stones  and  gold¬ 
fish,  and  Japanese  lanterns  on  tall,  stout,  grey  granite  columns. 
Certain  thinnings  among  the  Bamboos,  and  redisposition  of 
groups  and  lines,  have  been  for  the  better;  while  in  the  high 
grounds  the  more  noticeable  undertakings  were  the  new  Rose 
plantations,  which  work  has  entailed  both  a  huge^  amount  of 
labour  and  an  extensive  purchase  of  plants.  By-ahd-by  we  may 
refer  to  the  effectiveness  of  the  groupings,  the  vistas,  the  beds, 
the  rockeries,  the  pools,  and  the  grandeur  of  the  ornamental 
Great  Orchard. 
Diseases  of  Fruit  and  other  Trees. 
The  fungi  attacking  living  trees  may  be,  as  a  matter  of  con¬ 
venience,  divided  into  tw’o  groups ;  the  large,  wood5q  and  often 
perennial  forms,  including  Polyporus,  &c..  growing  on  the  root 
or  trunk ;  and  the  small,  mostly  microscopic  kinds,  met  with  on 
young  shoots,  leaves,  and  fruit.  All  the  larger  forms  agree  in 
being  what  are  termed  wound  parasiteis,  which  means  that  when 
the  spores  germinate  the  germ-tubes  cannot  directly  penetrate 
an  unbroken  surface  of  the  tree,  but  can  only  gain  an  entrance 
through  some  wound  or  broken  surface.  Hence  the  importance 
of  carefully  protecting  all  cut  surfaces  wdth  a  coat  of  tar  imme¬ 
diately  after  pruning;  branches  broken  by  wind  should  also  be 
removed,  and  holes  made  by  woodpeckers,  &c.,  filled  up.  The 
Polyporus  most  destructive  to  fruit  trees  in  this  country  is 
P.  hirsutus,  which  grows  out  from  the  trunk  like  an  inverted 
bracket,  measuring  from  5in  to  Sin  across.  The  upper 
surface  is  brownish  and  coarsely  hairy,  the  under  surface  dingy 
greenish  yellow,  full  of  very  minute  holes  or  pores  containing 
the  spores.  The  entire  substance  is  rather  soft  and  spongy,  and 
contains  a  quantity  of  water,  which  frequently  drips  from  the 
lower  surface.  A  second  kind,  Polyporus  fomentarius,  also 
occurs  on  fruit  trees,  but  is  most  abundant  on  Beech  trunks.  It 
somewhat  resembles  a  horse’s  hoof  in  shape,  upper  surface 
smooth,  dark  brown,  and  hard  ;  under  side  flattish,  pale,  and 
pierced  with  very  minute  holes  containing  the  brown  spores, 
which  are  produced  in  enormous  numbers,  and  fall  on  the  trunk 
and  surrounding  bodies  in  a  mass  resembling  snuff.  These  spores 
are  scattei'ed  by  wind,  and  in  turn  infect  other  trees.  Several 
other  kinds  of  Polyporus  and  allied  forms  attack  living  trees, 
and  all  agree  in  being  wound  parasites.  All  such  fungi  should 
be  cut  away  and  the  wound  protected  by  a  coating  of  gas-tar. 
It  is  all-important  that  the  fungi  removed  should  be  burned,  and 
not  left  lying  about  to  shed  their  spores,  as  it  is  only  by  means 
of  spores  carried  by  wind  or  other  agents  that  healthy  trees  can 
be  infected. — (“Journal  of  Royal  Horticultural  Society.”) 
