vation, it is hoped the reader will secure for himself another season of as great beauty and abundance as I presume he is enjoying at the present time.-(Gard. Chron., 1847, p. 541.)

Pruning the Banksian Rose.-This rose differs widely in appearance from other roses, and the difficulty experienced by many in inducing it to grow and flower freely, points out the error of treating it as other roses. It is met with in the regular course of business, and the question that it is a rose being satisfactorily determined, it is pruned as a rose; the how, when, and where being never once thought of. Hence the cause of the disappoint ment that so frequently ensues. Now, how pleasant it would be, if, with a little management, the many barren plants could be induced to change their character, and thus convert barrenness into a source of admiration and delight. To accomplish this end, do not prune the Banksian at set seasons, as with other roses. It is disposed to form strong shoots in the summer time. Watch for the appearance of these, and, so soon as they are about a foot long, pinch off their tops. In consequence of this check, they will form laterals, which become well ripened, and flower with certainty. It is necessary to cut their tops off early in spring, and from this period the plants should be watched throughout the growing season. Where too many shoots arise from one spot, let some be broken out entirely when young, and let the others be stopped when they attain the length before mentioned. There was a plant which covered one side of a house in this neighborhood, but which was unfortunately destroyed by the severe frost during the winter of 1837-8. It was subjected to the treatment mentioned above, and produced annually thousands of its beautiful blossoms.—(lb. pp. 511, 542.)

Replacement of Branches in Fruit Trees.—I observed that Monsieur Jamin (Paris) whenever his pear trees, trained distaff fashion, required a branch, he made, in the autumn or winter, an incision above a dormant eye through the bark and down the sides, and that this process invariably produced a branch. I have followed this plan last year with success, except that, in some instances, a bloom shoot, instead of a leaf-shoot, has been produced. I observe that Mr. Rivers has not yet explained the rationale of double-working refractory pears. I suppose he will if he can. I have a tree of the purple-leaved filbert, which, last year and this year, bore fruit, and a few of them, the husks being of a beautiful purple brown, mixed with the common sort, is very ornamental in a dessert-plate. The tree itself is nearly as beautiful, as a shrub, as the purple beech.-(lb. p. 541.)

Autumn Pruning Fruit Trees.-The present is one of the most important periods of the whole year as to giving due attention to fruit-trees. The autumn will soon approach with rapid strides, the solar light become much diminished, and the soil perhaps starved by heavy rains. It will then be too late to talk of the benefits of light to trained fruit-trees. We are of opinion that all tender fruit-trees, trained, will now be benefited by a con stant stopping of the growing shoots. Any amount of control may be exer. cised over the roots by such means. Of what use is the excitement of so late a root action as we frequently see encouraged by means of enriched

soils and the neglect of stopping? As much of the ascending current as will keep the leaves well fed and sustain their color, will, we believe, be quite sufficient after the middle of August. In looking over peaches and nectarines, it will be found that many of the shoots, which were deemed necessary and nailed in for succeeding crops, will begin to overlap each other. We stop many of these at this period without hesitation. Pears, too, whatever superfluous shoots may have been retained-with the idea of preventing the blossom-buds of next year from " breaking" should now be well shortened back. In doing this, there is no occasion to strip them entirely away; this would remove too many valuable organs. Our practice is, and we are very successful in pear culture, to merely shorten them sufficiently to admit the sun's rays with freedom. The stumps cut thus back (each carrying three or four efficient leaves) will assist in producing elaborated matter, both to feed the fruit and to invigorate the embryo blossom buds, now actively engaged in depositing food for a healthy development in the ensuing spring.-(1b. p. 544.)

Culture of Vines in Pots.-At p. 292, "A Novice" requested information on this subject, and, as the call has not been responded to, I venture to send you the details of a practice which will afford ample success, if followed out. Any variety may be fruited in pots, but there are some which ought to take the lead, either in a limited, or extensive, collection, amongst which are the Black Hamburgh; the White Muscat of Alexandria, which is a truly splendid grape, in pots, and much more certain in setting the fruit than when planted in the border; the White Frontignan; Chasselas Musque; St. Peters; and, for very early forcing, the White Verdelho: these are established favorites, but others may be introduced when variety is desired. Propagation should be effected from single eyes, and it will be necessary to consider if they will be required for very early forcing, or not, because it is well known, that a vine acquires a constitutional habit of breaking early, or otherwise, accordingly as it has been treated.

If required for early purposes, prominent eyes should be chosen, from early forced vines. The mode of making the cuttings is immaterial, provided there is a portion of wood, say an inch, left on each side of the eye; make the cuttings at the time of pruning, and preserve them in sand. At the time of starting, which may be from the beginning of December to the end of February, prepare some eight-inch pots, by half filling them with broken crocks then, to within an inch of the rim, with a compost of light loam, leaf mould, and a little sand; lay the cuttings on this (horizontally, with the eye uppermost) pretty thickly, press them slightly down, and cover with sand; some prefer sand, but this is immaterial. They should then have the brisk bottom heat of a dung-bed. As soon as they are rooted, which they will indicate by starting into growth, they must be potted off into five-inch pots, and replaced in the frame, keeping up a brisk heat thereto, and giving them air at every possible opportunity, otherwise they will draw too much the object is to induce a stocky habit. When these pots are well filled with roots, give them a shift into larger pots, and still keep them in the frame, until they have again rooted well, when they should be shifted into eight-inch

pots, and placed in the vinery. If it is desired to have fruit the next year, a portion of the strongest must be placed in the best situations, near the glass, and forwarded, by successive shift ngs, into the fruiting pots; but, as these never succeed so well as canes from year-old plants, I always leave them, the remainder of the season, in the eight-inch pots, allowing them to make as much wood as they will, without stopping them, as this induces the formation of a good stock of roots. The compost for these shiftings should consist of strong, fibry loam, very roughly broken, with a little admixture of rotten manure.

In producing fruiting canes, from year-old plants, thorough drainage is indispensably necessary, and, unless this is carefully attended to, the results will be unsatisfactory. Therefore, presuming that the fruiting pots are at least fifteen inches deep, six at the very least should be open drainage, for which purpose I have found old bricks, broken rather small, to answer exceedingly well; amongst which, I have occasionally mixed some rough charcoal, with very good effect. The fruiting pots being thus prepared, select the strongest and best-rooted vines from the stock, and pot them into the fruiting pots at once. The soil I use, and should recommend, is chopped turf, from a heap which has been laid together one year, mixed with a few finely-broken bones; this is the best medium for their roots.

Some years ago, I happened to hear an exceedingly clever and intelligent man descanting on the culture of vines in pots, and he made a remark, which, I think it worth while to record, because it ought always to be avoided; he said, "vines are great feeders, and the more nourishment you can crowd into a pot, in the shape of rich manures, bones, and the like, the better it will be for them." To myself, who, at the time, was but a tyro in pot-vine-culture, this seemed plausible enough, but further experience soon convinced me of its fallacy that they are gross feeders is quite true, but they must have stimulatives a little at a time, in a clear liquid state, and the medium through which this percolates, must be as porous as possible, in order that the spongioles may not be gorged with too much nourishment, otherwise the result is, long-jointed, weak, unfruitful wood. The three great requisites, then, are perfect drainage, pure soil, and stimulation, at intervals, in a liquid state.

When the vines are potted, place them in good situations along the vinery; or wherever the canes can be trained near the glass, and keep them liberally supplied with pure water until they have well filled the pots with roots, when they may occasionally have some liquid manure; the latter is best made by stirring sheep or deer dung in water, and leaving it to settle, using only the clear liquid; and always, in every stage, both that and the water employed should be applied in a tepid state. When the shoots have formed six or seven joints, stop them, and remove the lateral from the terminal bud, keeping the other laterals closely stopped at the first joint; this will cause the top eye to break again, and give the buds below increased strength to bear fruit; stop the canes again at five feet, and they will not require further attention than stopping the axillary shoots, and applying water. When the growth is over, prune off all the axillary shoots at once, and secure the

roots from frost. At the time of starting, let the pots be top-dressed; a little fine bone-dust may be used amongst the top-dressing. Apply liquid manure once a week at first, and twice a week when the fruit is set; but discontinue it entirely when the ripening process begins. Do not leave more than eight or ten bunches of fruit on each vine; the bunches should be well thinned, and the growth judiciously, but not too severely stopped. After the fruit is cut, if the soil is all shaken out from the old plants, and they are re-potted in fresh soil, and headed down at the proper time, they will make superior canes the next year. By using a very porous soil with good drainage, and keeping up a good supply of stimulants, I have taken good fruit from the same vines tour successive years; this was done by training a young cane from the base of the fruiting one, and removing the latter as soon as the fruit was cut.-(Farm. and Gard. Journal, 1847, p. 4.)

Cultivation of Tea China Roses.-The following article, though relating to Tea roses, may be applied, in our climate, to some of the other kinds, and especially to the Bourbon, Noisette, and China varieties:

Having seen in print, and often heard the fact remarked, that this description of rose rarely succeeds, if grown in the open borders of gardens near London, perhaps a few remarks, deduced from experience, might prove interesting, more especially respecting this particular family; for it is admitted by every one, that no collection of roses, however small, can be complete without them; their general appearance being so distinct, and, adding to this their delicate and tinted colors, the beauty of their foliage, and peculiar scent, renders them objects of special admiration to all who see them.

About three years ago, I for the first time procured several of these roses, and planted them in a south border, in ordinary soil, tolerably well manured, but they grew poorly, and made only a few blooms, and certainly did not repay the trouble they had cost; and, moreover, the ground would have been better occupied in growing Verbenas, or other bedding plants; and, by most people to whom I mentioned my disappointment, I was told that the suburban atmosphere was not sufficiently pure to allow of the growth of these roses. But, determined not to abandon their cultivation without a further trial, I removed them, in the autumn, into a much richer soil; but, in spite of carefully protecting them from severe frost, I lost about half during the winter; those, however, which survived, grew and bloomed beautifully through the summer and autumn, and which tended to show, that soil and treatment had more influence than the slightly impure atmosphere; and, encouraged by this partial success, I determined, if possible, to render it more general in the following season; and, being convinced that damp was the cause of so many dying in winter, I saw that it was essential to provide drainage.

As my garden is not naturally drained, nor is it exactly practical to do so artificially, I therefore adopted the following plan to effect that object, upon that part where I intended to plant these roses, by taking away the earth entirely to the depth of about 12 or 13 inches, and then filling up 2 or 3 inches with stones, or other rubbish, and placing a little moss or straw above,

to prevent the earth mixing with the drainage, and which I find answers every purpose, except during the heavy winter rains, when the water cannot pass off quickly enough below the drainage; and, to rectify this, I dig, early in the autumn, a deep trench at the end of the border, into which the water runs, and which might otherwise lie stagnant amongst the soil and stones, and but for this precaution, all the pains taken might be rendered nugatory.

Having said so much about drainage, if not too tedious, I will now proceed to describe the soils, and their proportions, which I used to carry out my experiment. I divided the space of ground, above described, into four parts, and fil'ed up the first with equal portions of earth I had taken out, and manure, (remains of an old hot-bed ;) the second, with two-thirds of common meadow turf, and one-third manure; the third, with manure entirely, as recommended by Mr. Rivers in his last year's catalogue; and the fourth, having exhausted all the manure, I used instead, scalded sphagnum about one-third, turfy peat one-third, and one-third of ordinary soil; and, in each case, I have been fully remunerated for the trouble taken, by the vigorous growth maintained, the abundance and constant succession of bloom, and the beauty of the individual flowers; and, although in each of the soils tried the result was satisfactory, I will just mention the differences observable between them. In the first-named soil, the growth was vigorous, and blooms good and abundant, and the plants but slightly cut by frosts in winter. In the second, the growth was more vigorous, and the blooms finer than the first, and not more than a few twigs killed by the frost. In the third, the growth was exuberant, and the foliage magnificent, but the blooms were not so abundant as in the preceding cases, and sometimes singular abortions or sports were produced-affording strong evidence of the validity of the theory of morphology. They, however, had so strong a disposition to grow during the mild rainy seasons in autumn and winter, that some were much injured by the frost, and others quite killed;-and the fourth, the result was similar to the first, with the exception of being a little more injured in winter.

It will, therefore, be seen, all points being considered, that, in the case where two-thirds turf and one-third manure was used, the roses succeeded best; the cause of which appears to me quite obvious, in the fact of the requirements of the plants being better supplied in this soil than in the others, viz., free access to the roots of atmospheric air, and being a soil that would not bind, the roots meet with no check in their progress, and nourishment is supplied through the most advantageous medium, and from the best source, the soil never containing more moisture than it holds by capillary attraction.

I must, however, just advert to protection during winter, respecting which I can only give the result of two years' experience, having both seasons tried about equal numbers, by protecting the roots of some with moss, about 6 inches thick, as recommended in Mr. Rivers' catalogue, and others by laying branches of evergreens or fern over them, while others have not received further protection than merely placing saw-dust, or cinder-ashes,