Fei.ruary  5,  I9c3.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
WILLOW  PROPAGATION  (T.  H.).— The  various  specieis  of 
Salix,  or  Willows,  will  strike  from  cuttings  at  any  time.  In¬ 
sert  stout,  clean-cut  shoots  of  Gin  or  more  firmly  in  clamp  soil  or 
mould. 
LEAVES  OF  MARGUERITES  INFESTED  WITH  GRUBS 
(D.  A.).—  The  only  thing  you  can  do  is  to  crush  the  bodies  of 
the  grubs  as  they  lie  in  the  tissues  of  the  leaves  between  your 
finger.s  and  thumb.  We  hope  to  review  the  life  history  of  this, 
the  composite  leaf  miner,  in  an  early  issue. 
^  AVATER  PLANT  GOING  ROTTEN  (Anxious).-  Your  plant  is 
Eichornia  speciosa,  and  eve  sliould  say  your  tank  is  too  cold  for 
it.  This  interesting  plant  thrives  in  comparatively  warm 
waters — 60  degrees  to  65  degrees.  Try  what  a  change  in  this 
direction  will  do,  and  keep  your  plants  thinned  out,  else  they  j 
may  decompose  through  harmful  congestion.  1 
^lARKI’lT  PRIC’ES. — Owing  to  pressure  of  other  matter  our 
corrected  lists  of  market  prices  are  crowded  out.  The  following 
articles  have  either  been  added  to  our  lists,  or  their  price  alteivcl 
sinco  the  publication  last  week.  Thus  :  Grapes,  Is.  6d.  to  2s.  6d. 
per  lb  (average  wholesale  prices  in  all  cases);  Muscats  are. scored 
off;  Cauliflowers  are  from  Is.  6d.  to  2s.  per  dozen  heads; 
Tomatoes,  per  case,  4s.  to  4s.  6d.  ;  Cinerarias,  8s.  to  9s.  ; 
Spiraeas,  9s.  to  IGs,,  in  5in  pots  ;  Arums  (cut  flowers),  3s.  to  4s.  ; 
Daffodils,  6s.  to  7s.  ;  Lilium  Harrisi,  4s.  ;  and  Narcissus  Soleil 
d’Or,  dozen,  Is.  6d.  to  2s.,  and  the  same  for  Paper-white. 
PAINTING  HOT-WATER  PIPES  VtlTH  LAMPBLACK 
AND  BOILED  LINSEED  OIL  (J.  Macdonald).— This  is  the 
proper  article  to  use,  the  iraint  being  rather  thin  and  applied 
whilst  the  pipes  are  rather  warm,  and  if  opportunity  is  taken 
at  a  time  when  air  can  be  given  for  painting  the  pipes  no  harm 
will  result  to  the  plants,  as  the  fumes  will  pass  off  as  soon  as 
the  paint  has  dried.  The  painting  should  be  done  thinly,  yet 
brushing  well  into  the  surface  of  the  iron,  so  as  to  coat  the  i^ipes 
evenly  all  over.  If  the  house  cannot  be  ventilated,  choose  a 
time  when  the  hou.se  is  clear  of  plants. 
TIME  FOR  STRIKING  CUTTINGS  OF  GOOSEBERRIES, 
BRIERS  (T.  H.). — Gooseberry  cuttings  can  be  inserted  now, 
though  November  i.s  the  better  month.  Take  clean,  well- 
ripened  young  .shoots,  and  cut  them  off  at  about  12in  to  14in 
from  their  tips.  All  the  buds,  save  three  or  four  at  the  tips, 
should  be  carefully  picked  out  with  the  point  of  a  sharp  knife. 
Plant  the  cuttings  in  rows,  6in  apart  either  waj%  and  at  least 
Gin  deep  in  the  soil,  making  them  very  firm.  Let  them  remain 
all  summer,  and  transplant  to  nursery  beds  next  October  or 
November.  Briei's  may  also  be  put  in  now,  though  it  is  late. 
PUBLISHER’S  COMMISSION  AGENT  SEEING  A  PUR¬ 
CHASER  (Enexuirer). — A'ou  state  in  your  letter  that  a  publisher’s 
commission  agent  came  to  you  endeavouring  to  sell  a  book.  You 
were  persuaded  to  sign  a  paper,  one,  we  presume,  which  con¬ 
tained  particulars  of  the  book  and  its  purchase.  You  did  this 
)iot  with  the  intention  to  buy  the  book  until  you  had  seen  it ; 
that  is,  it  Avas  to  be  sent  “  on  approbation,”  as  we  dirdne  from 
your  communication.  Undoubtedly  you  did  a  weak  thing  in 
signing  any  paper  at  all,  and  the  agent  may  (though  it  is  very 
improbable)  sue  you  at  law.  We  once  heard  of  a  similar  ease, 
where  one  of  these  men  buttonholed  a  raw  apprentice,  getting 
him  to  sign  for  an  expensive  work  under  the  promise  of  sending 
it,  as  he  stated,  ‘‘  on  approbation,”  these  rvords  being  rvritten 
(in  pencil!)  on  the  order  sheet.  The  book  came  in  due  course, 
but  there  was  then  no  ejuestion  of  consideration,  and  only  the 
strenuousness  of  the  boy’s  father  overcame  thei  publi.sher’s  can¬ 
vasser.  You  must  be  firm,  and  make  the  best  of  your  position. 
BULBS  FLOWERING  IN  AVINTER  (Amateur).— We  do  not 
know  the  secret  of  making  moss  fertile  or  of  converting  it  into 
a  substance  like  Jadoo.  Perhaps  some  correspondent  will  oblige 
with  irarticulars.  Of  bulbous  plants  that  flower  in  winter  and 
spring  mention  may  be  made  of  Freesias,  that  may  be  had  in 
floAver  from  Christmas  to  June  by  potting  bulbs  in  succession 
from  the  end  of  July  and  forcing  in  batches.  For  floAvering  in 
spring  not  any  bulbous  plants  ecjual  the  Hippeastrums, 
H.  pardinum  often  floAvering  in  winter,  and  choice  A'arieties  floAver 
about  April.  Clivias  floAver  in  the  spring,  and  are  among  the 
most  useful  of  plants  for  decorative  purposes  in  the  spring 
months.  Cyrtanthus  lutescens  blooms  in  February,  and 
C.  angu.stifolius  and  C.  obliquus  in  May  and  June.  Urceolina 
aurea  or  pendula  floAA'ers  in  midAvinter.  Heemanthus  sanguineus 
blooms  in  autumn,  and  H.  natalensis  in  February.  A'allotas 
cannot,  so  far  as  Ave  are  aAvare,  be  had  to  floAver  in  spring  or 
early  summer,  and  it  is  better  that  Avay,  as  they  Avould  only 
clasii  Avith  the  choice  varieties  of  Amaryllis  or  Hippeastrums. 
To  the  foregoing  list  Ave  Avmdd  add  Antholyza  fethiopica, 
A’eltheinna  viridifolia,  Brodisea  SelloAviana,  and  others,  and 
PliEedranassa  Carniola. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS. — Correspondents  whose  queries  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
following  number.  (J.AAh). — 1,  Begonia  ( doire  de  Sceaux  ;.  2,  President 
Carnot.  (Sender  of  < )rchid).— Dendrobium  Picrardi.  (Ingrain). — 
Next  Aveek. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
F.  Cooper.  Bulb  S])ceia!i.st.  30,  Alniiners  Street,  AVcllington,  N.Z.-— 
Bajfodils. 
B.  1\.  DaA'is  and  Sons,  The  A  eovil  Nurseries,  A'eovil,  Som.  Bcgi.^‘'-aS' 
Dobie  and  Dlason.  22,  Oak  Street,  Alanehcster. —  Sc  ■  s. 
Heinrich  Henkel,  Darinstadf.  Germany. — List  of  Aquatic,  and  Bo<j 
Plants. 
Robert  Holmes,  NorAvich. — Cln'ysanthcmunis. 
Kerr  and  Co.,  63.  C)ueen  Street,  GlasgoAV. — Seeds. 
John  R.  Tranter,  Hart  Street.  Henley-on-Thames. — Seeds. 
A\^.  AValters  and  Co.,  16.  AVater  Lane,  GrCat  ToAver  Street, Jjondon. — 
Lath  Roller  (ireenhouse  Blind, s  and  Baskets. 
C.  E.  AWst.  Horticultural  Sundriesman,  Roundhay. —  Tjist  oj  Garden 
Sundries. 
Some  American  Ways. 
In  our  last  article  Ave  Avere  speaking  of  some  of  the  diffi¬ 
culties  that  beset  the  children  of  the  farm  labourer  AA'ho  live 
in  those  lonely  places  far  from  the  village  schools.  To  school 
they  have  to  get  fair  Aveather  or  foul,  and  to  school  they  do 
get,  and  Ave  don’t  for  a  moment  suppose  that  a  moderate 
amount  of  Avalking,  even  in  bad  Aveather,  does  them  harm ; 
but  AA^hen  it  comes  to  seven  miles  a  day  five  days  a  Aveek  (often 
six)  for  these  good  day  scholars  are  oftenest  the  best  Sunday 
attenders,  Ave  think  the  distance  is  too  far,  and  that  the 
Avearied  bodies  Avill  make  Avearied  minds. 
But,  hoAveA'er,  since  last  Aveek  AA*e  haAC  been  reading  the 
Agricultural  Year  Book  (1901)  of  the  States,”  and  almost 
the  first  article  is  on  Rural  Schools  and  hoAv  to  make  them 
more  effective.  The  idea  that  the  young  American  needs 
education  has  eA'^er  been  very  present  to  those  in  authon^, 
and,  according  to  their  lights  they  have  done  their  best  in  the 
past.  Noav  they  find  that  when  all  is  done,  their  children 
fall  far  short  in  acquirements- Avhen  compared  Avith  those  of 
the  toAvn,  and  they  fully  realise  there  is  much  still  to  be 
accomplished.  True,  there  are  schools  scattered  broadcast 
over  the  country  ;  in  many  cases,  indeed,  there  are  too  maoy, 
and  the  cause  of  education  has  suffered.  Hoav  can  this  be  ? 
In  many  parts  the  population  (agricultural)  is  sparsely 
scattered,  the  land  is  Avide,  the  people  feAv  ;  but  children 
Avere  there,  and  therefore  a  school  had  to  be  run  up  and 
teachers  provided.  But  as  the  children  Avere  feAAq  a  small, 
insufficient  school  Avas  considered  good  enough,  and  the  funds 
did  not  run  to  paying  the  salary  of  a  good  teacher.  Ihe 
teachers  AA’ere  mostly  either  young  and  untrained,  or 
very  rudimentary  training,  or  else  aged  men  and  women  who 
practically  Avere  failures  and  of  no  use  Avhere  up-to-date 
methods  preA'ailed.  Thus  AA’e  see  at  once  that  the  multiplica¬ 
tion  of  small  schools  stands  in  the  Avay  of  real  sound  educa¬ 
tion.  AA^e  all  knoAv  Avhat  a  bit  of  emulation  will  do  ;  hoAA/ 
much  better  AA'e  all  AA’ork  AA’hen  pitted  against  othei  s,  and 
hoAA'  narroAv  isolated  folk  groAA'.  _ 
To  shoAV  hoAV  small  some  of  these  schools  AA’ere,  AA’e  niight 
mention  that  in  Connecticut  one-tenth  of  the  schools  have 
an  average  attendance  of  less  than  eight  ;  m  A\  isamnsin, 
nearly  1,000  schools,  less  than  ten  ;  in  Iowa,  2,o00  district.s 
report  an  average  attendance  of  less  than  ten,  and  over 
9,000  of  less  than  twenty  ;  in  Indiana  4,000  schools  have  less 
than  tAventy.  The  school  authorities  are  agreed  that  these 
small  schools  that  average  under  twenty  must  be  suppressed 
and  that  large,  AA’ell-equipped  central  schools  must  he  (and 
are)  established.  To  make  this  effective,  i.e.,  to  get  the 
children  to  put  in  the  proper  attendances  at  the.se  more 
distant  centres  in  eighteen  States,  transportation  of  pupds 
at  public  expense  is  already  permitted  by  existing  laiA  s.  Ihe 
first  State  to  adopt  this  plan  Avas  Alassachusetts  as  far  back 
as  1869,  and  each  year  finds  more  of  the  States  falling  into 
line  The  schools  are  better,  the  teachers  better,  the  equip¬ 
ments  better,  and  the  pupils  themselves  benefit  most  of  all. 
And  financiallv,  the  result  of  these  consolidated  schools  is 
