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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  8,  1900. 
grown  on  trenched  ground.  The  trenching  should  be  done  as  early 
in  the  winter  as  possible,  always  long  enough  in  advance  of  cropping 
for  the  ground  to  settle  down  considerably,  as,  though  a  deep  root-run 
is  desirable,  it  is  very  important  that  the  staple  be  firm  in  the  case  of 
deeply  stirred  soil,  or  there  is  danger  of  too  much  leafage  being  formed 
and  the  useful  part  of  the  crop  prejudiced. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,’’  IZ,  nsitre  Court  Cbambers,  Fleet  Street, 
liondon,  B.C.  It  is  reqn  sted  thut  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
Australian  Plants  (/.  J.  K.,  Melbotcrne) . — Though  we  cannot  add 
to  the  pressure  of  routine  duties  that  of  mediator  in  the  negotiations 
of  the  nature  suggested  in  your  interesting  letter,  we  readily  send  it  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  case  he  should 
know  any  Fellows  of  that  great  organisation  who  would  like  to 
communicate  with  you. 
Book  on  Rose  Culture  (H.  H.) — There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
“  Book  of  the  Rose,”  by  the  Rev.  A.  Foster-Melliar,  is  quite  the  best 
for  your  purpose,  as  it  covers  all  the  ground  specified  in  your  letter — 
in  fact,  it  is  a  complete  work  on  the  queen  of  fiowers.  The  publishers 
aie  Messrs.  Macmillan  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  St.  Martin’s  Street,  London,  and  the 
price  is  5s.  The  bjok  may  be  obtained  through  any  bookseller,  or  direct 
from  the  publishers.  In  the  latter  case  the  postage  would  be  about 
sixpence. 
Rose  Heps  (P.  B.  L.). — These  are  in  no  way  injured  by  remaining 
on  the  trees  to  be  frozen  to  some  extent,  indeed  it  is  questionable  if 
severe  frosts  are  detrimental  to  their  geimmation.  Gather  when  ripe, 
open  them  and  store  the  seeds  in  damp  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  or  leaf 
mould  till  spring.  They  may  be  sown  either  in  pots  or  boxes  in  a  frame 
on  a  mild  hotbed,  or  in  drills  in  the  open  ground  in  March.  Some  of 
the  seeds  are  often  slow  in  germinating,  therefore  there  must  be  no 
undue  haste  in  disturbing  the  beds,  or  withholding  water  from  pots  or 
boxes  in  which  the  seeds  have  been  sown.  As  you  do  not  state  your 
conveniences  for  raising  the  plants  a  choice  of  methods  is  given.  Cover 
the  seeds  an  inch  deep,  and  keep  the  soil  uniformly  moist  by  shading  to 
arrest  evaporation,  and  watering  to  supply  moisture  as  it  may  be 
required. 
Unhealthy  Pear  Trees  (PF.  D.  D.). — Judging  from  the  spur  sent  we 
suspect  the  cause  of  the  unhealthiness  of  your  trees  to  be  ungenial 
and  possibly  water-logged  soil.  If  the  ground  is  wet  drain  it  thoroughly 
to  a  depth  of  3  feet,  having  a  clear  outlet  for  the  water.  If  the  subsoil 
is  not  wet,  then  the  condition  of  your  trees  is  attributable  to  poverty 
of  the  soil.  The  remedy  in  this  case  is  to  remove  the  surface  soil, 
just  clearing  the  roots,  covering  them  with  the  best  compost  you  can 
obtain,  and  over  this  place  a  good  quantity  of  rich  manure.  Limewash 
the  trees,  or,  what  is  equivalent,  dust  them  with  dry  lime  when  the 
branches  are  wet.  If  blossom  buds  predominate  over  wood  buds 
remove  some  of  the  former,  especially  taking  off  any  at  the  tips  of 
the  branches.  Your  aim  must  be  to  induce  clean  healthy  young  shoots, 
not  permitting  the  trees  to  blossom  profusely,  and  your  trees  will  regain 
their  vigour. 
Grubs  in  Garden  Soil  (C.  W.  p.)._The  land  is  probably  full  of 
predatory  vermin,  and  will  not  be  freed  by  a  single  dressing  of  any 
kind,  for  when  the  soil  gets  foul,  whether  it  be  with  weeds  by  allowing 
them  to  seed,  or  with  vermin  by  allowing  them  to  breed,  the  remedial 
measures  must  of  necessity  be  more  extended  and  more  persistent  than 
when  the  malady  is  of  a  less  chronic  character.  We  should  apply  a 
dressing  of  gas  lime  now,  or  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  clear  of  its  crops, 
at  the  rate  of  a  peck  per  rod,  mixing  it  with  two  or  three  parts  of  fine 
dry  soil,  or  fine  ashes,  so  as  to  admit  of  its  more  equal  distribution. 
This  should  be  spread  evenly  on  the  surface  and  left  for  a  few  days, 
then  point  in  lightly  with  a  fork  and  leave  it  for  a  fortnight.  After 
this  the  ground  may  be  manured  and  dug  over  for  the  winter.  The 
gas  lime  will  have  lost  much  of  its  deleterious  effects  before  spring, 
and  in  a  measure  be  less  likely  to  prove  injurious  to  vegetation,  indeed 
we  have  not  found  the  effects  of  dressings  of  gas  lime  at  the  strength 
named  at  all  injurious  ;  but  for  ordinary  dressings  we  only  apply  half 
the  quantity  of  the  gas  lime.  If  the  land  is  much  infested  with  slugs 
it  may  have  a  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda  at  the  rate  of  I  lb.  per  rod 
before  putting  in  the  crops,  or  be  dressed  with  a  mixture  of  quicklime 
and  soot  in  equal  parts,  with  a  half  part  of  salt,  all  being  thoroughly 
dry  and  well  mixed,  and  applied  at  the  rate  of  a  peck  per  rod,  pointing 
in  before  sowing  or  planting.  This  is  an  excellent  fertiliser,  and  a 
valuable  agent  in  the  destruction  of  predatory  vermin. 
Asphalt  Paths  (J.  if.  G.).  —  Take  two  parts  of  very  dry  lime 
rubbish,  and  one  part  coal  ashes,  also  very  dry,  and  both  sifted  fine.  In 
a  dry  place  on  a  dry  day  mix  them,  and  leave  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the 
heap  as  bricklayers  do  when  making  mortar.  In  this  pour  boiling  hot 
coal  tar,  mix,  and  when  as  stiff  as  mortar  put  it  down  3  inches  thick  to 
form  the  walk.  The  ground  should  be  dry  and  beaten  smooth.  Sprinkle 
over  it  coarse  sand.  When  cold  pass  a  light  roller  over  it,  and  in  a 
few  days  the  walk  will  be  solid  and  waterproof.  A  neater  appearance 
is  given  by  sprinkling  with  spar,  yellow  or  other  gravel,  which  must, 
of  course,  be  fine,  and  put  on  immediately  after  laying  down  the 
asphalt,  in  place  of  the  sand. 
Transplanting  Standard  Variegated  Holly  Trees  (H.  M.). — May  is 
the  best  month  in  which  to  plant  Holly  trees,  it  being  important  in  the 
case  of  large  trees  that  they  be  lifted  with  all  the  roots  practicable, 
and  with  a  ball  of  soil  if  possible,  choosing  rather  damp  weather  for 
the  operation.  As  this  cannot  always  be  relied  on,  it  is  well  to  shade 
the  heads  for  a  short  time  each  bright  day  from  powerful  sun,  and  in 
the  evening  sprinkle  them  lightly.  This  is  better  than  deluging  the 
soil  with  water,  though  a  good  watering  should  be  given  to  settle  the 
soil  about  the  roots,  and  afterwards  sufficient  ought  to  be  supplied  to 
render  it  moist,  avoiding,  however,  a  very  wet  condition  of  the  soil, 
as  this  retards  rather  than  favours  root  formation.  •  It  is  also  advisable 
to  reduce  the  heads  somewhat  rather  severely,  though  this  is  only 
feasible  when  the  growths  are  straggling  and  a  neater  habit  desirable. 
The  Holly  breaks  freely  from  the  old  wood,  so  that  shortening  of  the 
twigs  and  branches  may  be  performed  to  almost  any  extent. 
Growths  at  Ends  of  Yew  Twigs  (C.  C.  E.). — The  small  green  bunches 
with  which  the  Yew  tree  is  covered  are  caused  by  the  Yew  gall  midge 
(Cecidomyia  Taxi),  a  small  fly  with  a  long  ovipositor,  which  deposits 
eggs  in  the  centre  of  the  terminal  buds.  The  larvae  or  maggots  hatch 
out  and  set  up  the  irritation  resulting  in  the  development  of  each 
affected  bud  into  a  small  bunch  or  cone  of  green  leaves,  called  a  gall, 
amongst  which  the  larvae  live,  feeding  on  the  extravasated  juices  of  the 
would-be  young  growth,  and  thus  apppropriating  the  substance  that 
would  otherwise  have  gone  to  form  a  shoot.  When  the  larvae  are  full- 
fed  or  grown  they  drop  to  the  ground,  enter  it,  and  Vjecome  pupae,  in 
which  state  the  winter  is  passed,  and  the  midges  or  flies  emerge  in  the 
spring.  The  galls  formed  by  the  gall  midge  are  usually  solitary,  though 
two,  or  even  three,  may  be  found  side  by  side  at  the  tip  of  the  twigs, 
the  growth  of  which  they  check.  They  do  not,  however,  inflict  much 
injury  on  the  tree.  Should  it  be  desired  to  get  rid  of  the  galls,  they  are 
so  conspicuous  that  they  can  readily  be  detected  and  cut  off.  This 
should  be  done  as  soon  as  possible  after  their  formation,  while  they 
still  enclose  the  larvae,  and  burning  them. 
Diamond -shaped  Bed  for  Bulbs  {Amateur). — In  a  diamond-shaped 
bed  planted  only  with  bulbs  we  should  place  in  the  centre  either 
Hyacinths  or  Tulips  or  a  mixture  of  both,  and  on  each  side  of  these  a 
clump  of  single  or  double  Daffodils,  either  separately  or  mixed.  On  the 
other  vacant  sites  plant  a  mass  of  Scilla  sibirica,  a  pretty  blue  flowering 
bulb,  and  fill  up  the  bed  with  Crocuses  and  Snowdrops,  the  latter 
planted  next  to  the  grass.  If  it  is  not  desired  to  plant  the  whole  bed 
with  bulbs.  Pansies  might  be  introduced,  or  a  clump  or  two  of  Forget- 
me-nots,  Wallflowers,  or  Polyanthuses.  Any  of  these  would  of  them¬ 
selves  form  an  attractive  bed,  but  for  the  sake  of  variety  a  mixed  bed 
of  these  with  a  few  bulbs  of  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  or  Narcissi,  and  edgings 
of  Crocuses,  Snowdrops,  or  Scillas,  would  form  a  most  enjoyable  spring 
display  of  flowers,  lasting  over  a  long  period.  No  special  soil  is  needed, 
only  it  should  be  dug  deeply  and  broken  up  well,  so  that  thorough 
drainage  is  insured.  If  the  soil  is  heavy  leaf  soil  should  be  incorporated 
with  it,  and  if  poor  well  decayed  manure  should  be  dug  in.  The  bulbs 
may  be  placed  in  the  soil  about  twice  their  own  depth,  the  largest  being 
disposed  about  6  inches  apart,  and  the  smaller  according  to  their  size. 
Planting  the  bulbs  may  be  done  at  any  convenient  time  during  October, 
November,  and  December;  but  the  plants  should  be  placed  in  their 
intended  positions  as  soon  as  possible.  Protection  from  rain  or  snow  is 
not  necessary. 
Improving  Lawn  Tennis  Ground  (F.  C.  B.). — It  is  not  unlikely  that 
the  lawn  requires  draining,  and  if  so  the  first  step  to  take  is  to  put  in 
drains  6  or  7  yards  apart  and  18  inches  deep,  with  proper  falls  into  a 
main  drain,  and  a  clear  outlet  for  the  water.  Three-inch  pipes  will 
suffice,  and  they  should  be  covered  6  inches  deep  with  rough  cinders  or 
gravel  to  render  them  permanently  effective.  Drainage,  however,  may 
not  be  needed — of  this  you  ought  to  be  the  best  judge  ;  but  whether  it 
is  done  or  not  a  heavy  dressing  of  fresh  soil,  with  a  liberal  admixture 
of  manure,  lime,  and  wood  ashes  spread  over,  so  as  almost  to  cover  the 
grass,  cannot  fail  be  of  great  benefit.  Before  applying  the  dressing 
comb  off  all  the  moss  possible  with  a  small  sharp-toothed  rake.  This 
may  be  done  at  any  time  when  the  ground  is  dry,  very  early  in  spring, 
and  later,  when  the  weather  is  genial,  sow  seeds  of  a  renovating  lawn 
mixture  thickly.  Rake  it  in  and  roll  the  ground  lightly,  and  you  may 
expect  a  greatly  improved  lawn  a  few  weeks  afterwards.  If  you  state 
the  extent  of  the  ground  to  any  seedsman  or  firm  who  deal  largely  in 
grass  seeds,  the  proper  quantity  of  a  suitable  mixture  will  be  sent.  If 
the  lawn  is  full  of  deeply  rooted  weeds  you  had  better  dig  it  up,  forking 
and  picking  out  all  the  rubbish,  then  making  it  level  and  firm,  and  sow 
it  as  before  advised.  In  this  way  you  may  form  a.  cleaner  and  better 
lawn  than  by  taking  up  the  old  and  laying  down  fresh  turf,  as  you 
firopose,  as  however  clean  the  turf  may  be,  the  roots  of  weeds  left  in  the 
ground  will  grow,  and  the  new  turf  will  soon  be  as  unsightly  as  the  old. 
