120 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
August  7,  1902. 
usually  do  better  against  the  noith  than  the  south  side  of  a 
house.  Moist  shady  woods  also  not  unfrequently  abound 
in  Ivy.  I  believe  that  it  is  likewise  plentiful  in  soi’s  con¬ 
taining  a  good  proportion  of  calcareous  matter.  It  will, 
however,  do  well  in  some  soils  of  an  opposite  nature  ;  and, 
indeed,  it  is  so  obedient  to  the  requirements  of  the  culti¬ 
vator  that  it  may  be  made  to  succeed  almost  anywhere,  and 
that  with  a  very  small  spree  for  its  mots  to  run  in.  It  will, 
in  fact,*  struggle  for  a  living  in  ground  closely  matted  with 
the  roots  of  plants.  ’ 
The  propagation  of  the  Ivy  is  exceedingly  easy  and  rapid. 
Seed  is  abundantly  produced,  and  it  germ  nates'  freely 
enough — too  much  so  in  some  cases.  Plants  may  also  be 
raised  in  abundance  from  cuttings,  or  rather  slips,  put  into 
the  ground  almost  at  any  time,  but  certainly  the  autumn  is 
the  best  period  for  doing  so  ;  while  if  valuable  kinds  be 
trained  over  the  ground  and  pegged  down,  roots  will  be 
emitted  at  each  joint.  In  this  case,  if  the  shoots  be  cut 
through  some  time  before  the  plants  are  removed,  the  latter 
will  be  much-  improved  in  strength.  There  modes  will 
generally  be  sufficient  to  increase  this  plant  to  any  reason¬ 
able  extent.  Autumn  I  believe  to  be  the  best  time  to  plant 
Ivy,  but  I  have  met  with  good  success  by  planting  in  May, 
while  March  is  perhaps  the  worst  period  ;  but  plants  in  pots 
may  be  turned  out  at  any  time,  and  where  only  a  few  are  to 
be  planted  it  is  best  to  obtain  such,  as  they  become  more 
speedily-  established,  and  commence  growing  sooner. 
With  regard  to  trimming  the  Ivy,  I  by  no  means  agree 
with  some  instructions  as  to  the  proper  time  for  doing  so 
in  the  south  and  more  favoured  parts  of  England,  though 
the  case  may  be  different  in  the  north,  where  the  plant  is 
less  robust.  The  plan  we  adopt  here  is  to  cut-in  closely  the 
Ivy  covering  dwelling-houses  in  the  beginning  of  August, 
very  often  scarcely  leaving  a  leaf,  and  yet  the  whole  plant 
is  again  densely  covered  with  foliage  five  or  six  weeks  after¬ 
wards  ;  and  the  season  being  then  too  far  gone,  the  growth 
is  -  confined  to  leaves,  which,  with  us,  become  firm  and 
established  before  winter,  so  as  to  sustain  no  injury  from 
frosts.  Thus  the  Ivy  looks  trim  and  neat  up  to  the  follow¬ 
ing  June,  when  the  summer  shoots  begin  to  elongate.  It 
will  be  seen  that  there  is  with  this. plan  a  period  of  fully 
eight  or  nine  months  in  which  the  plant  looks  as  trim  and 
uniform  as  the  wall  against  which  it  clings,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  time  may  be  divided  about  equally  between 
the  period  of  the  shoots  growing  in  early  summer  and  that 
of  the  formation  of  foliage  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season. 
Now,  let  us  see  what  are  the  effects  of  cutting  Ivy  in  March. 
The  formation  of  fresh  foliage  or  shoots  will  then  take  about 
the  same  time  as  in  the  former  case,  while  the  period  during 
which  the  Ivy  forms  a  close  carpet  is  very  short  indeed. 
Shoots  of  some  length  are  formed,  and  these,  remaining  un¬ 
shortened  until  the  following  March,  are  often  in  the  way 
when  a  trim  and  symmetrical  appearance  ought  to  prevail. 
As  to  the  propriety  of  covering  a  dwelling-house  with  Ivy, 
there  are  various  opinions,  many  contending  that  appear¬ 
ance  is  the  only  recommendation  it  has  ;  but  to  trees  it  is 
very  injurious,  many  an  Oak  has  been  strangled  in  its 
embraces,  and  Pmuses  suffer  still  more.  Within  a  very  few 
yards  of  where  I  wwite,  a  Spruce  Fir  upwards  of  70ft  high 
has  been  for  some  years  struggling  for  an  existence,  which 
is  gradually  drawing  to  a  close.  A  few  small  patches  of 
green  on  the  tips  of  some  of  its  branches  are  all  the  signs  of 
life  which  it  exhibits.  The  tree  may  survive  one  more  year, 
while  the  mantle  of  Ivy  triumphantly  takes  possession  of 
the  whole  of  the  trunk  ;  the  Ivy  branches,  dense  as  Box, 
protrude  in  all  directions,  forming  an  elongated  cone  of 
greater  symmetry  than  ever  the  Spruce  did  in  its  best  days. 
The  Ivy  has  not  taken  possession  of  any  of  the  dead  blanches, 
although  many  of  them  are  from  4in  to  6in  in  diameter  at 
their  base  ;  but  the  creeper  apparently  disdains  to  trust  them 
as  supports,  and  confines  itself  to  the  trunk.  This  support, 
however,  will  also  have  an  end,  for  we  have  lost  several 
trees,  which  had  become  quite  denuded  of  branches,  and 
only  presented  a  beautifully  tapering  Ivy-covered  spire. 
The  trunk  of  the  tree,  when  deprived  of  its  vitality,  can  no 
longer  resist  decay,  and  when  it  becomes  too  weak  to  with¬ 
stand  a  high  wind,  its  load  brings  the  whole  down.  Even 
Spruce  and  Larch  trees  containing  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
or  more  cubic  feet  of  timber,  are  not  proof  against  the 
elements. — J.  It. 
During  the.  summer  months  Stocks  of  Ten-week  and  Inter¬ 
mediate  strains  stand  in  the  froptjrank  among  atinuah  f or; 
the  garden  and  lawn  beds  anti  bprders.  Though  so'  much 
thoiight  is’ 'given  them  for  kuminer  rise, -there  does- not  seem 
the  same  attention  paid  them  generally  as  a  greenhouse 
subject,  a  purpose  for  which  they  are*  so  well  fitted.  Not 
only  do  they  afford  decorative,  material  for  the  greenhouse, 
conservatory,  or  dwelling-room  in  pots,  but  for  vases  and 
florists’  woik  they  are  equally-  adapted  and  much  valued. 
There  are  now  fortunately  a  good  range  of  suitable  selec¬ 
tions  for  pot  work  varying  in  style  or  colour.  Some  are  tall 
and  branching,  like  Princess  Alice,  for  instance,  while  others 
are  dwarf  and  bushy. 
Cannell’s  Forcing,  Sutton’s  Winter  White,  and  All  the 
Year  Round  represent  a  section  remarkable  for  the  size  of 
the  individual  flower  pip  and  pure  colours,  and  while  some 
are  plain  leaved,  others  have  the  deep  green  Wallflower-like 
foliage.  For  cutting,  the  branching  Stocks  have  a  marked 
value,  and  the  sweetness  of  such  flowers  cannot  fail  to  enlist 
the  sympathies  of  the  least  observant  of  flower  lovers.  Much 
the  finest  Stocks  I  have  grown  for  winter  cutting  is  Sutton’s 
Perfection,  both  white  and  crimson.  Weekly  cuttings  set 
up  a  lateral  growth  which,  with  a  good  batch  to  draw  upon, 
provide  light  sprays  for  weeks  in  succession,  and  these  same 
plants,  when  they  have  clone  duty  in  pots,  may,  with  a  little 
preparatory  hardening,  be  planted  in  the  garden  borders, 
where,  -with  renewed  root  action,  they  soon  furnish 
additional  flower,  and  this,  too,  before  the  spring-sown  Stock 
js  ready. 
From  June  to  August  afford  a  suitable  period  for  seed 
sowing,  the  number  and  extent  of  sowings  being  guided  by 
the  ultimate  use  and  demand.  It  must  be  reasonably  con¬ 
ceded  that  for  an  early  winter  display  a  correspondingly 
early  start  must  be  made.  Cool  frame  and  outdoor  stations 
should  be  assigned  them  in  order  that  their  growth  may  be 
sturdy  and  progressive.  At  this  late  period  it  would  be 
advantageous  to  sow  the  seeds  in  small  pots,  so  that  their 
transfer  shall  not  hinder  their  necessary  advance.  They 
quickly  suffer  from  severe  root  disturbance  at  any  time. 
While  occupying  cool  frames  it  is  necessary  to  give  close 
attention  to  ventilation,  otherwise  mildew  quickly  takes 
possession  of  them,  much  to  their  disadvantage.  Their 
removal  to  an  airy  greenhouse  is  advised  before  cold,  damp 
weather  sets  in,  as  a  preventive  of  mildew  troubles. 
They  do  well  in  pots  ranging  from  3in  to  Tin  in  diameter, 
and  in  small  pots  the  dwarf  section  are  highly  decorative 
in  the  conservatory  or  greenhouse  whilst  in  flower.  As 
winter  advances  there  may  be  found  a  necessity  for  a  little 
more  warmth  than  an  ordinary  greenhouse  affords  ;  at  any 
rate,  when  they  are  required  in  early  bloom.  When 
advancing  into  flower,  and  the  pots  filled  with  hungry  roots, 
a  liberal  fare  is  called  for  to  sustain  a  requisite  vigour.  If 
starved,  the. bottom  leaves  die  prematurely.— W.  S.,  Wilts. 
- <•«•> - 
The  Sparrow. 
At  no  time'  of  the  year  are  the  mischievous  habits  of  sparrows 
mere  strikingly  illustrated  than  at  the  present,  when  the  grain 
crops  are  approaching  maturity.  Later  on,  when  ripe  corn  is 
more'  general  and  plentiful,  the  damage  is  not  so  conspicuous,  but 
at  this  stage  the  depredations  are  easily  seen,  because  of  the  con¬ 
centration  of  the  winged  forces  on  the  earliest  patches  of  corn. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  large  portions  of  the  crops  are  practically 
threshed  as  a  result  of  the  attentions  of  the  hedge  sparrows,  and 
yet  these  restricted  areas  merely  furnish  examples,  and  do  not 
constitute  the  whole  of  the  damage  for.  which  these  birds  arc  re¬ 
sponsible.  The  sparrow  is  not  without  its  champions,  but  they 
are  not  to  be  found  among  those  whose,  crops  it  largely  lives  on 
and  who  are  in  a  proper  position  to  judge  of  the  habits  of  the  bird. 
Let  anyone  who  is  still  in  doubt  as  to  the  attitude  which  the 
farmer  should  adept  towards  the-  sparrow  take  a  walk  through  the 
cornfields  as  the  crops  are  assuming  the  harvest  colour,  and  they 
will  promptly  have  their  mind  made  clear  on  the  point.  The 
sparrow  may  have  possibly  its  uses,  even  from  the  farmer’s  point 
of  view,  but  there  must  be  few  observant  agriculturists  who 
would  net  endorse  the  opinion  that  its  possible  good  qualities  are 
far  outweighed  by  the  mischief  it  is  responsible  for. 
