May  5,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
397 
Knd  View. 
A  SMALL  GLASS 
HOUSE  (Amateur). —  For 
such  a  plain  glass  honse  as 
you  suggest,  we  think  the 
diagrams  that  accompany 
this  may  be  of  some  assist¬ 
ance.  Of  course  the  dimen- 
sicjns  could  be  increased, 
though  still  preserving  the 
model.  A  very  few  bricks 
will  be  necessary,  and  the 
boax'ding  should  be  xvell- 
seasoned  deal.  Use  stout 
18oz  or  21oz  British  glass 
for  glazing. 
A,  gutter  at  back  xvall ;  h, 
gutter  in  front  ;  d, 
door.  Height  to  apex 
of  roof, 7ft  Sin.  Height 
in  front,  8ft.  Height 
of  front  boarding  and 
end  brickwork,  3ft. 
Height  of  front  sashes, 
3ft  ;  length,  10ft  ; 
Avidth,  4ft.  Sin. 
FltOXX  VlEAV. 
AMERICAX  AGRICn.TURAL  BUI.LETTXS  (V.  31.).- 
These  are  piihlislied  by  the  various  experimental  stations,  and 
may  he  obtained  throngli  Putnam’s  Sons,  American  publishers, 
London.  ;  i  > 
DESTROYIXG  EARTHWOR3IS  (Sulxscriher).- Apply 
broadcast  one  bushel  of  nnleached  hardwood  ashes  to  each  100 
square  feet.  If  spread  upon  the  surface,  the  potash  will  be 
carried  into  the  soil  in  watering,  but  it  xvill  he  better  to  fork 
it  evenly  in  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  4in.  If  to  be  worked  in 
deeper  than  this,  the  amount  should  be  inci’eased.  Saturating 
the  soil  xvith  lime  xvater,  or  the  use  of  151b  of  kainit  in  100 
square  feet  are  other  remedies. 
ABIES  LOSIXG  IjEAVES  (Hortus). — The  branch  is  affected 
by  the  disease  known  as  defoliation,  and  chiefly  prevails  on  Abies 
excelsa,  A.  pinsapo,  A.  Nordmanniana,  and  A.  Donglasi.  The 
defoliation  results  from  the  injury  done  by  a  minute  and  incon¬ 
spicuous  fungus,  called  Oospora  abietum.  A  single  row  of 
minute  greenish-grey,  fluffy  tufts  on  each  side  of  the  neiwe,  and 
on  both  surfaces  of  the  leaf,  come;  tO' the  surface  through  the 
stomata ;  the  delicate  hyphm  composing  these  tufts  prodtice 
minute,  colourless,  elliptical  conidia,  which,  beinof  scattered  by 
xyind  or  rain,  alight  on  other  healthy  leaves  and  spread  the 
disease:-  The  disease  is  most  prevalent  during  a  wet  season, 
the  affected  leaxms  falling  off,  and  .sometimes  almost  entirely 
defoliating  the  branches.  It  does  not,  however,  appear  to  affect 
the  wood,  and  the  trees  usually  grow  out  of  the  disease.  The 
only  preventive  means  advised  is  collecting  all  fallen  leaves  and 
burning  them.  Pos.sibly  spraying  xvith  ammoniacal  carbonate  of 
copper  solution  xvould  arrest  and  prevent  the  spreading  of  the 
disease.  This  preparation  does  not  disfigure  the  tx'ees,  as  is  the 
case'xx'ith  dilute  Bordeaux  mixture. 
BIRDS’  EGGS’  PRESERVATIOX  (Idem).— In  forming  a 
collection  of  birds’  eggs,  it  is  necessary  that  they  he  xxdiat  is 
known  as  "blown,”  that  is,  be  emptied  of  tbeir  contents,  at 
least,  sucb  is  the  general  practice ;  but  tbere  may  be  other 
ixxeans,  tbough  xve  are  not  acquainted  xxitb  tbem.  Puncture 
each  end  of  the  egg,  and  blow  out  the  contents. 
NAMES  OF  FRUITS. —  Correspondents  laliose  queries  are 
unanswered  hi  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult 
the  following  number.  (C.  E.). — Apple,  Straxvberi’y  Norman. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS.  —  Correspondents  whose  queries  are 
unanswered  in  the  present  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult 
the  following  number.  (R.  W.  C.).— Spi’ekelia  (or  Amaryllis)  formo- 
sissima.  (Hortus). — Mxxehlenbachia  platyclada.  (M.  L.  G.). — A 
form  of  Anemone  fnlgens.  (J.  T.). — 1,  Scilla  amcena ;  2,  Corydalis 
nobilis  ;  3,  Saxifi’aga  Sibthoi’pi ;  4,  Arnebia  echioides.  (N.  F.). — 
Saxifraga  cordifolia  atro-pnrpurea.  (N.  J.). — 1,  Amelancbier 
canadensis;  2,,  Eiaca  Teti’alix;  3,  E.  arborea.  (B.  B.). — Kerria 
japonica  fi.-pl.  ' 
- 4.^ - 
APPLICATION  OF  GAS  LI3IE  (Nemo).— Gas  lime  is  not  a 
manure.  It  acts  as  a  sxveetener  or  purifier  of  sour  soil ;  it  kills 
moulds  of  fungus,  such,  for  instance,  as  produces  club  in  Cab¬ 
bages  ;  and  it  destroys  grub,  xvirexvorm,  and  other  insect  life. 
If  you  think  insects,  grubs,  or  eggs  are  xvintering  in  the  soil 
about  your  fruit  ti'ees,  a  dressing  of  the  lime,  11b  to  the  square 
yard,  xx^ell  broken  up  and  alloxved  to  lie  txvo  or  three  xveeks 
before  being  xvorked  in,  may  do  good.  But  as  your  trees  have 
been  recently  root-pruned,  follow  in  3Iay  xvith  a  surface  of  half- 
decayed  manure  as  a  summer  mulch  and  to  xvasb  in.  You  can 
apply  gas  lime  at  once  to  any  vacant  ground  if  it  is  sour  or 
needs  some  agency  to  destroy  fungoid  or  insect  life.  If  not,  then 
it  xvill  do  no  good.  A  proper  dressing  is  at  the  rate  of  txvo. 
bushels  to  three  rods  of  ground,  alloxved  to  lie  for  a  month,  xvell 
pulverised,  then  dug  in.  It  does  not  help  poor  ground,  xvhich 
xvould  be  helped  by  a  manure  dressing.  Apply  superphosphate 
and  kainit  (potash),  and  dig  it  in,  at  the  rate  of  Gib  per  I’od,  in 
January^  and  31b  per  rod  of  sulphate  ammonia  after  the  crop 
has  made  pax’tial  groxx’tb. 
NITRATE  AND  SUPERPHOSPHATE  (F.).— Please  let  me 
knoxv  if  nitrate  of  soda  or  sulphate  of  ammonia  can  be  mixed 
with  superphosphate  without  causing  a  chemical  change.  To 
use  nitrate  of  soda  for  the  Turnip  crops,  can  it  he  better  applied 
than  putting  it  in  xvith  the  seed.*^ — [Sulphate  of  ammonia  may 
he  safely  enough  mixed  xvith  the  superphosphate,  but  it  is  Hot 
safe  to  mix  nitrate  of  soda  xvith  superphosphate  unle,ss  the 
mixing  be  done  very  shortly  before  application.  When  nitrate 
of  soda  is  mixed  xx-itli  superphosphate  the  sulphuric  acid  in  the 
superphosphate  combines  xvith  the  soda  in  the  nitrate,  and  the 
nitric  acid  is  liberated,  and  pas.ses  off  in  the  form  of  a  poisonous 
gas.  It  is  not  desirable  to  apply  nitrate  until  the  roots  of  the 
•crops  ax-e  i-eady  to  take  it  up,  as  it  is  very  apt  to  he  xvashed  out 
of  the  soil  by  rains.  In  the  case  of  manuring  the  Turnin  crop,, 
it  is  xio  doubt  desirable  to  give  a  little  nitrate  at  time  of 
seeding,  in  oi’der  to  push  the  plants  forward  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  "fly,”  but  the  main  part  of  the  nitrate  dressing  should  he 
applied  after  the  plants  have  been  singled  and  ready  for 
"  furring  up.”] 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
Clibr^n  and  Son,  10  and  12,  Market  Street,  Manchester. — Plants. 
M.  V.  Seale,  The  Nursei'ies,  Sevenoaks. — Dahlias  and  Bedding  Plants. 
James  !  Stredwick  and  Son,  Silverhill  Park,  St.  Leonards-on-Sea. — 
Dahlias. 
Faults  in  Farming. 
This  is  the  title  of  a  series  of  articles  which  have  been 
appearing  xveekly  in  a  xvell-knoxxn  agricultural  organ.  AVe  do 
not  knoxv  the  xvriter,^  hut  this  may  only  be  a  proof  of  our 
isolated  ignorairce.  AVe,  as  a  body,  are.  so  used  to  castigation,, 
and  to  being  told  that  xve  do  not  understand  our  business,  that  xve 
are  a  little  hardened  and  stiff-necked  toxvards  reproof.  In  the, 
first  instance  this  gentleman  doubts  very  much  xvhether  farmers, 
as  a  i)ody,  are  in  any  manner  of  distress.  He  ba.ses  his  argument, 
on  the  fact  that  he"  finds  fexv  names  of  farmers  in  the  list  of 
bankrupts.  This  he  never  xvill  do,  for  it  is  only  an  odd  farmer 
that  does  not  get  pulled  up  before  that  point,  either  by  his 
landlord  or  some  of  his  tradespeople,  notably  the  seed  mer¬ 
chant,  the  cake  dealer,  or  manure  manufacturer.  The  farmer 
xvho  is  xvorsted  in  the  fight  generally  keeps  things  quiet,  gives  up, 
and  his  stock,  crop,  and  valuation  go  to  pay  all  outstanding 
