is the delicate grace of its pendulous twigs, that the columnar variety shown in the illustra tion (fig. 68) must be regarded as one of the most remarkable of the many varieties of that popular tree. I believe it is quite uncommon, Although such a variant from the type, it is in no way deficient in elegance, especially when, as in the picture, it is seen bending to the breeze (fig. 68). [We received a specimen from the late M. Van Volxem, which has now attained a considerable size.-ED.]

BETULA PUMILA FASTIGIATA.-The "Low Birch" is a native of North America, and this erect variety of it is also of American origin. It forms a columnar shrub 6 to 10 feet high, distinct, but of no particular merit as an omamental plant.

ROBINIA PSEUDACACIA FASTIGIATA. -This curious tree, now seldom seen, is represented in the collection of Leguminosa at Kew by a specimen 50 feet or so high. In habit it is one of the most erect and columnar of this class of trees, narrower, indeed, in proportion to its height than the Lombardy Poplar (fig. 69). Among the many curious varieties of the Acacia is one which has the divisions of each leaf reduced to three or even to one large leaflet only. It is called var. monophylla. Like the or dinary pinnate-leaved form this also has sported into a fastigiate form, thus making a doubly curious tree. W. J. Bean.

same name.

WILTON PARK, BEACONSFIELD. A MOST pleasant run of about 40 minutes from Paddington, through scenery unsurpassed in the vicinity of London, brought me to Beaconsfeld Station, and after a drive of about 15 minutes I came to the straggling, old-world village of the From the eastern end of the wide street which forms the main thoroughfare may be seen the main entrance to Wilton Park. Dismissing the vehicle at this point, I walked about three-quarters of a mile to the gardens, where I was met by the energetic and genial head gardener, Mr. H. Perry. On walking through the park, which is pleasantly undulating, I was impressed with the fine specimens of forest trees, indicating in a marked degree the rich

FIG. 68.-BETULA ALBA VAR. PYRAMIDALIS. (For text see page 150.)

character of the soil. There were noble specimens of Oak, Elm, and Beech; especially fine were the Oak and Beech, and though unquestionably of great age, they exhibited a vigour rarely seen in old trees. They contained no dead and decaying wood, therefore the roots have not suffered from the drought of recent

seasons.

The mansion, at present in the occupation of Sir John Aird, Bart., is admirably situated on the crown of a gentle elevation, and commands a lovely view of a charming dell adjacent to the house, and a more extended view of the district known as Gerrard's Cross. It is a substantiallooking structure, and suggests comfort rather

than architectural grandeur. Formal flower gardening is not practised at Wilton, and with good reason, as the position of the mansion and grounds, with their ornamental trees, shrubs, Roses, and a few flower beds judiciously interspersed, convey a picture to the lover of pleasure ground effect such as could not be obtained from any amount of summer-bedding, however skilfully arranged. The present occupier, being a true lover of Nature and keenly observant, has planted clumps of choice Rhododendrons in positions from which the best effect can be obtained. These were planted freely apart in the grass, no formal beds having been made, though, of course, fresh soil was used in planting, and evidently this had been of the right kind, for, despite the extreme drought of the past season, the growth made was in every wav satisfactory. I also noted a newly planted Cherry orchard, which in its own season will beautify the landscape.

On entering the kitchen garden, which is 5 acres in extent and which has been skilfully laid out, one is impressed by the evidences of a bygone art, viz., well-trained fruit trees. Here are to be seen Pears, Peaches, and Figs exhibiting in their growth an amount of vigour that is marvellous; but if any doubt should exist as to the age of the trees, the peculiar system of training which was a feature of the forties and fifties, is so well illustrated that any practical gardener readily arrives at their approximate age.

Here also was seen a splendid border of hybrid perpetual Roses. Rarely have I seen stronger growths, and that in varieties that are by no means strong growers generally; th the peggingdown system is adopted here, and I have no doubt that when in full bloom the plants will present a feature of grandeur.

Herbaceous plants are here represented, not in,, massive clumps but in substantially laid out borders skirting the garden paths, and they are represented by the best known varieties of this useful family, especially those adapted for cut flower purposes.

trees.

Standard fruit trees, like those on the walls, are showing signs of age, but are still vigorous and produce large quantities of sound fruit, Cox's Orange Pippin being represented by many The glasshouses are of the old-fashioned. type and by no means suitable for present-day requirements; but already a start has been made. to remodel this department, and a very nice range of plant-houses has been put up. On the occasion of my last visit these were well filled, one house being allotted to Souvenir de la Malmaison Carnations, of which Mr. Berry had a fine collection. The plants were in perfect health and absolutely free from "rust" Another house was devoted to the tree or winterflowering section, of all of which Sir John Aird is a devoted admirer. These plants were also in excellent condition, producing gabundant flowers, the well-known Enchantress being con spicuously fine.

Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, without which no garden seems complete nowadays, was occupying the front position of yet another house, while useful-sized plants of Adiantum cuneatum Fern filled the back stages. Stove and greenhouse plants, especially the most useful types, were well represented by healthy, clean stock, each seemingly getting the treatment suitable to bring out its best points.

several

I noted a great number of Roses in pots, which are in their turn placed under glass, and I was informed they were satisfactory in every respect. Violets, too, are grown in frames, and like everything else in these gardens, were absolutely clean and flowering profusely. Mr. Berry has been very busily employed since taking charge of these gardens, in the planting before noted, and in putting the garden and other paths into a good condition. His efforts in

this respect speak for themselves, as the neat appearance of the newly-laid edging, with a liberal coating of gravel, and in some cases a foundation of ballast on the paths, gives the garden a neat appearance which cannot fail to please.

Mr Berry's extensive and varied experience in some of the leading gardens of the country, not

FIG. 69.-ROBINIA PSEUDACACIA VAR. FASTIGIATA. (For text see page 150.)

ably Clumber, The Dell, and Dover House, now stand him in good stead; and I have no doubt were the principals under whom he served to see the garden now under his charge they would be highly pleased with the results of the performances of their old pupil. J. F.

THE STERILISATION OF SOIL. (Continued from page 130.)

LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. ANOTHER method by which free nitrogen is reclaimed from the atmosphere is by the combined action of certain species of bacteria and some of the higher plants. Green-leaved plants, other than those of the great family of Leguminosæ and a few others, are unable to make use of the free nitrogen of the atmosphere. It has been found, however, that Beans, Clovers, Peas, and other leguminous plants growing in soil poor in nitrogen obtained this substance from some source other than the soil in which they grow. This nitrogen has been found to be derived from the atmosphere. A leguminous plant develops upon its roots small nodules or root tubercles, and these are found upon microscopic examination to contain little colonies of bacteria. The plant and the bacteria together succeed in extracting the nitrogen from the atmosphere, which permeates the soil, and becomes fixed in the tubercles and the roots in the form of nitrogen-compounds. The result is that after a proper period of growth, the amount of fixed nitrogen in the plant is found to have decidedly increased.

The food cycle is a complete one. The food matter leaves the soil to enter the plant, from the plant passes to the animal, from the animal to the bacterium, and from the bacterium through a series of other bacteria back again to the soil. Thus the condition of Nature and the existence of life is based upon the ubiquitous presence of bacteria, and upon their continual action and re-action in connection with both destructive and constructive purposes.

For the micro-organisms to carry on their work successfully, there must be a sufficiency of oxygen, warmth, moisture, and salifiable base in the soil. The soil must be permeable to gases, or the organisms will not develop and carry on their work. Moisture also must be present, but not in excess, for this will prevent the air from penetrating into it, and the organisms then work slowly or not at all. Warmth is all important, for, according to Schlosing and Müntz, soil-bacteria develop quickest at 99° Fahr., and are extremely feeble at a temperature below 40° Fahr., or above 122° Fahr. On the other hand, the fermentative bacteria, as in the case of those found in silos, and in fermenting beds and manure heaps, grow rapidly at a temperature of 140° to 160° Fahr,

The bacteria affecting agriculture and horticulture, so far as nitrate production is concerned, comprise those engaged in the decomposition of nitrogenous matter; the nitrifying organisms whose work is to oxidise the products of previous decomposition into nitrites and then into nitrates, and the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that appropriate the atmospheric nitrogen. They first thrive at a temperature of 140° to 160° Fahr., the nitrifying are most active at a temperature of 99° Fahr., and the nitrogen-fixing species carry on their work successfully at 50 to 65 Fahr.. What, then, must be the effect of steaming or baking soil containing the all-important bodies known as bacteria?

STEAMING, BAKING AND SCALDING SOIL. Steaming may mean any temperature from 212° to 1,146° Fahr., baking implies any heat above the normal up to a temperature of 1,141° Fahr., the heat of a common fire (Daniell), and scalding, a very old method of so-called sterilisation, any temperature above the ordinary up to 212° Fahr.; thus the maximum heat of scalding is the minimum temperature of steaming, and baking is seldom carried beyond that heat (212° Fahr.).

The process of scalding is performed wholly from above, that is, the soil or compost has the boiling water poured upon it, and this procedure means. that whilst the immediate surface may receive the water at little less than 2129 Fahr., the heat will gradually diminish as the

water penetrates or sinks into the soil, so that at a foot depth it certainly will not raise the temperature of the soil above the mean of the two-the boiling water (212° Fahr.) and that of the soil (say, 60° Fahr.), or 126° Fahr. This is 4° Fahr. more than the temperature (122° Fahr.) at which soil bacteria become, as we have seen, extremely feeble.

In baking the heat is not applied from above, except in the case of paring and burning, or burning rubbish or weeds on the surface, which practically sterilises the places of fire to the extent of prejudicing the crop, except as regards legumes, Clover, for instance, growing well where there has been bonfires, so that either the free nitrogen utilising micro-organisms are not killed, or the micro-organisms exist in the plant, that is, in the Clover seed. Baking may be done

[MARCH 9, 1907.

ding, is not nearly so highly heated. The heat of this may be 180° to over 212°, but, as a rule, the compost being only baked on the outside, and then withdrawn, it is not more than 160to 180° Fahr. inside, so that the putrefactive micro-organisms, though certainly prejudice. as well demonstrated in the case of overheating of fermenting materials, or dung heaps, may not be destroyed, but the subseque fermentation in case of the hotbed or manure is relatively feeble, and the putrefaction c organic matter in baked turves takes place very slowly for a time, the heating having a scr of preservative effect on the organic substances, so that baked soil does not give as good immediate result in growth as compost from similar turves that have been stacked until all vegeta tion has been reduced to the condition of moul and the decomposition carried to the extent of a large formation of nitrates of lime, potash, and soda in the heap. George Abbey.

(To be continued.)

PLEIONE YUNNANENSIS.

A LITTLE more than twelve months since Messrs. Sutton exhibited before the Orchid Com mittee specimens of this very pretty species which was referred to the Scientific Committee. where it at once received a botanical certificate as a new and interesting species in gardens. Shortly after this Mr. Rolfe described and figured the species in the Orchid Review, 1906, p. 81, fig. 10. The history of the plant and of its original discovery in the mountains of Yunnar by Mr. W. Hancock is given in the publication above cited. Quite recently we received from Mr. James Edwards a photograph taken by him from a plant growing in the collection of H. J. Elwes, Esq., with the information that it was grown in an intermediate house. The flowers are of a rosy-lilac colour and borne on a long staik, hence it is suggested that the plant may be useful to hybridists as affording a means of lengthening the stem in some of its congeners. Whether that would be any improvement is a matter of individual taste. In any case P. yunnanensis is an interesting addition to a beautiful genus.

TREES AND SHRUBS IN
SCOTTISH GARDENS.*
(Continued from page 118.)
DUNKELD.

No true arboriculturist would pass Dunkeld for the first time without making a pilgrimage to the two famous so-called "parent" Larches standing near the old cathedral. [See Gar deners' Chronicle, Feb. 12, 1876, p. 209.] They are the survivors of five trees planted there in 1738 by the then Duke of Atholl. It is a matter for regret that one of them is now dying, having, it is believed, been struck by lightning. The dimensions of the other are given on a tablet at its base: Height, 102 feet; girth at 3 feet, 17 feet 2 inches; girth at 68 feet, 6 feet 1 inch. Near the house are several other magnificent Larches, scarcely, if at all, inferior to this-one in particular was noticeable for its enormous bulb-like base, 8 feet in diameter.

Dunkeld is the original home of the Larch in Britain in more senses than one. It was here that the first plantations on a large scale were made, and the names of successive Dukes of Atholl in the 18th century will always be remembered as the pioneers of this branch of forestry. According to Hunter, in his Woods, Forests, and Estates of Perthshire, plantations of 27 millions of Larches were made by the fourth Duke alone-still known The Planter."

as

As is well known, Dunkeld is situated in a district of singular natural beauty, and the grounds are amongst the loveliest in Scotland. Lofty precipitous hills rise around them, and a charming grassy walk, broad and closely mown, winds by the side of the rushing Tay. The collection of Conifers is being added to, but the number of species represented by unusual

*Contributed to the Kew Bulletin of Miscellaneous Informa tion by Mr. W. J. Bean.

specimens is not great. The common Silver Fir, however, is in magnificent condition; one of them is estimated to be between 140 and 150 feet high. At Kew this tree can only be kept alive for a few years. There is also a fine Thuya dolabrata, 20 feet high, and not showing its usual disposition to become thin and lanky at the top. Of numerous well-grown hardy shrubs I noted Kalmia latifolia, 9 feet high and 12 feet through, finely in flower, and Viburnum prunifolium, 20 feet high.

BLAIR CASTLE.

The

This is another of the seats of the Dukes of Atholl, and, like Dunkeld, is one of the most beautiful places in Scotland. The gardens are picturesque, with fine views and very pretty avenues and drives, and to the west of the castle there is a magnificent gorge and a waterfall. An avenue of Silver Birch is so delightful that one wonders this tree is not more often used for minor avenues. The kitchen garden, too, is, I think, the most charmingly situated of any I have seen. It covers the opposite slopes of a valley, the bottom of which is filled by a large piece of water with islands in it. grounds are furnished with many fine trees, but in size these are not equal to others elsewhere mentioned in these notes. There are several Larches here said to have been planted, like those at Dunkeld, in 1738. A most noteworthy tree is a specimen of the distinct and elegant Abies magnifica, 60 feet high, and in perfect health and form. Abies Nordmanniana, planted by her Majesty Queen Alexandra in 1872, is 45 feet high; and A. nobilis, planted by her six years later, is the same height. Both here and at Dunkeld Larix leptolepis is thought to be a promising forest tree. A plantation of this species mixed with a few others is making excellent growth; the trees were planted 17 years ago and some already girth over 2 feet.

INVEREWE, ROSS-SHIRE.

The house of Inverewe was built by Mr. Osgood H. Mackenzie in 1864 on what was then a bare hillside clothed with nothing bigger than heather and bracken. It is now surrounded at the back and sides by thick woods, 60 feet and more high, and gives an excellent example of what can be done, and what results obtained, in one man's lifetime-and he still in hale middle life. Mr. Mackenzie's garden, although not a large one (it is worked, I believe, by one or two men), has in recent years acquired a reputation as being one of more than ordinary interest. It is situated within a short distance of Poolewe, on the shores of Loch Ewe, and in the great parish of Gairloch, Ross-shire. It is, consequently, 20 to 30 miles farther north than Inverness. Yet there are growing here in great luxuriance trees and shrubs from Chili, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Himalaya, which near London have to be grown under glass. The climatic conditions, therefore, must be very similar to what obtain in S.W. Ireland and Cornwall, although no doubt the mean annual temperature is considerably lower.

In approaching the house one is struck by the number of Eucalypti sprinkled on the outskirts of the wood. They are mostly E. coccifera, and although but 10 years old are now 35 feet high. An interesting experiment might be made in this or some similar part of the country by planting an acre or two of this Eucalyptus, E. Gunnii and E. urnigera, under forest conditions. Nothing, except perhaps Poplar, could be got to grow faster, and the reproduction of an Australian gum-tree forest on even a small scale would be particularly interesting. It is also not improbable that the timber would prove of some value.

Mr. Mackenzie's rarer shrubs are planted in clearings of the plantations near the house. They are consequently well sheltered. Among Himalayan plants a representative lot of Rhododendrons have been planted, but although very healthy they are yet small. Buddleia Colvillei, however, the finest of all the Buddleias, was in flower. Since this species flowered for the first time in the British Isles with Mr. Gumbleton, near Cork, in 1892, it has done so in several other places in Ireland and England, but Invercwe must be one of the first places where it has flowered in Scotland. It was growing quite in

the open.

There is a goodly number of New Zealand and Tasmanian plants here too, and a suggestive

indication of the character of the climate is afforded by the way in which they thrive. Veronicas, for instance, are coming up over the place from naturally sown seed, and V. salicifolia is 7 feet high. Rich as Scotland is in her Conifers, one would scarcely expect to find Podocarpus Totara-the "Totara" of New Zealand, and perhaps the most valuable of its timbers-growing out of doors. Yet here it is in perfect health. A plant of Billardiera longiflora, 8 feet high, and trained up a tree trunk, was very prettily in flower, but it is even more attractive when followed by the crop of bright violet-blue berries. Olearia Traversi and Leptospermum lanigerum were both 8 feet high, and Correa alba, on a wall, was 6 feet high. Olearia macrodonta has, I believe, been very fine this year in Ireland and other mild districts. A fine bush, 14 feet in diameter, and some smaller ones were simply masses of white flowers.

Of Chilian shrubs I noted the following:Lomatia ferruginea, often known as L. pinnatifolia, very healthy (I learnt that in another Ross-shire garden it was 10 feet high); Mutisia decurrens, the rare climbing Composite, in good condition; Abutilon vitifolium, 10 feet high, and flowering freely; Azara Gilliesii, Escallonia pterocladon (very charming here as elsewhere in Scotland), Cestrum elegans, Tricuspidaria, Eucryphia cordata, Desfontainea spinosa, and Fuchsias as hedge plants.

Of species from the Cape of Good Hope, Phygelius capensis, a bush 7 feet high, and a very healthy Freylinia cestroides were the most noteworthy that I saw.

DRUMMOND CASTLE.

The ancient seat of the Earls of Perth is about three miles out of Crieff, being set on an eminence and approached by a long narrow avenue of Beech and Lime. It is now one of the seats of the Earl of Ancaster, but the pre

sent residence is a modern building quite sepa

rate from, but close to, old Drummond Castle, This latter building (or, rather, what remains of it) is still in perfect repair, and from its highest tower a glorious view is to be had: mountain in the distance, wooded country and loch nearer, and, close beneath, the unique formal garden of Drummond. This garden, which is of an imposing and elaborate design and admirably kept, was originally planned and carried out in 1703 by a former proprietor and his gardener named Kennedy. The original design has been maintained for over 200 years, although additions have been made. The beds and masses are in geometrical form-triangular, circular, &c. and they are largely filled with shrubs of various sorts kept low and flat, whilst the paths are bordered with a variety of shrubs clipped into narrow, columnar shape. These columnar trees are as good as any of the kind I have seen; they are now 80 years old, in excellent health and perfectly furnished. The plants used are Box, Yew, Purple Oak, Fern-leaved Oak, Thuya occidentalis, and the golden and silver varieties of Holly. The effect of the. whole is impressive, especially when seen from the castle on its abrupt eminence above. This was, no doubt, the point of view of the original designer, for, like all examples of this type of gardening, it is the view as a whole that constitutes its chief raison d'être. Seen in detail, its lack of variety, the absence of light and shade, and its general monotony are apt to

weary.

The

But the formal garden, whilst the chief feature at Drummond Castle, is not the only one. fine Yews planted in 1703 are now enormous specimens with trunks 8 to 10 feet in circumference, and both Conifers and "hardwoods". grow finely here. Wherever one goes in Perthshire one hears about the great storm of November 17, 1893. Patriarchal trees that had withstood the gales of centuries succumbed that night, and whole plantations were levelled as if the trees had been so many nine-pins. Evidences of this terrible storm are to be seen even now in many parts of the country-uprooted tree stumps, decaying prostrate trunks, and bare hillsides. At Drummond a noble Abies pectinata was blown down, but the stump, 3 or 4 feet high, still stands where it grew. It shows that the tree was 210 years old and that its trunk was 6 feet 6 inches in diameter; it contained 1,010 cubic feet of timber. This must have been nearly, if not quite, the largest common Silver Fir in Britain of which there is any record.

An enormous Beech near by was seriously injured by the same gale; the trunk of this tree girths 19 feet 5 inches at its narrowest. Many other trees are in good condition here, but are not so notable as those seen elsewhere and mentioned in other parts of these notes. (To be continued.).

The Week's Work.

THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN.
By J. MAYNE, Gardener to the Hon. MARK ROLLE,
Bicton, East Devon.

The Fig.-Unprotected trees, even in favoured Devon, have felt the severity of the winter. It will now be safe, however, to remove the pro-tective material in order that the necessary pruning may be accomplished. Shoots that are more or less crippled by frost should be cut out entirely, if they can be spared, otherwise the damaged points should be shortened to an uninjured node. The embryo fruits can now be seen, and pruning must be regulated so as to pre"A serve as many as possible. The old adage, pruned Fig tree is always barren," is scarcely correct, yet proper curtailment of the roots and extra care in disbudding dispenses largely with the need for the knife, and it is certain the less the latter is used the better will be the crop. In training, of which the fan shape is the best, allow a space of 6 inches between each shoot, for this will allow young growths to be "laid in " later where necessary. The Fig will bear good crops of fruits for several years without top-dressing, providing the trees are well fed with liquid manure during the time the fruits are swelling, This is much better practice than giving an annual top-dressing of rich soil, which would promote rank growth rather than an increase of applied in summer time while the fruits are crop. Top-dressings or mulchings should be swelling. At the present season fork in a light dressing of wood ashes and lime without disturbing the roots.

Strawberries.-These plants have also suffere 1 from the effect of frost and cold cutting winds, which have turned the greater part of the older foliage quite brown. Cut away all these injured leaves, and destroy any weeds that are present. Young Strawberry plants are liable to become lifted out of the soil by frosts; they should therefore be made secure by treading.

The Pear Midge.-The larvæ of this pest lies buried beneath the ground under the trees from June to early April, at which time the flies emerge and attack the blossom. On cultivated ground it is possible to destroy the grubs by turning the top spit of the soil upside down during the winter and early spring months, and then making it very firm, so as to prevent them coming through just when the trees are in flower. A surface dressing of kainit in the month of June has also been recommended as a destroyer of this insect. This dressing may. well be applied on grass land after it has been mown closely at the base of the trees. I have tried spraying before the flowers open, and again whilst they were in bloom, but with little success. Varieties especially liable of attack are Winter Nelis, Easter Beurre, General Todleben, and Marie Louise. By picking off the affected Pears on small and medium-sized trees and burning them, scores of the tiny white maggots may be destroyed.

Raspberries. Shorten any canes that the frost may have injured, to a plump bud. Uninjured canes should be pruned to a desired height. Whilst it is inadvisable to allow recently planted canes to bear fruit the same season as planting, there need be no hurry in cutting them down, but rather wait until the new growths from the base reach a height of about 6 inches, when the old cane may be cut to within that distance of the ground. Treated thus, one would hear less of newly planted canes refusing to grow satisfactorily in the spring.

The Loganberry.-This American introduction is worthy a place in all gardens, and stools may still be planted. It requires similar treatment to the Raspberry, but being a rampant grower, the canes should be planted 5 feet to 6 feet apart in the row, so that the large leathery foliage may have space to develop. The fruit ripens about the middle of July, and proves most useful

either for tarts, jellies, or jams. The berries remain in good condition a long time on the plants. We are training some canes on a high north wall in conjunction with the Red Currant. The Rathburn Blackberry requires similar treatment to the Loganberry.

Newly-planted trees, whether against the wall or in the open, should now have all necessary pruning and training performed. The question of pruning newly-planted trees is a debatable subject, but experience has taught me that trees whose roots have been more or less curtailed in transplanting need similar restrictions to their growths above, so that root and branch are somewhat equally balanced. Growths necessary for the proper formation of the tree should be cut back to within 9 inches of their origin; the remaining ones should be spurred back to within two eyes;" growths under 6 inches in length may be left intact.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

By A. C. BARTLETT, Gardener to Mrs. FORD, Pencarrow, Cornwall.

Rose pruning.-In the milder parts of the country the coming week will be found a suitable time to prune most of the Roses. Where colder conditions prevail it will be wise to delay the operation for a week or more longer. Pruning of any sort should not be done during frosty weather. Unless the plants are in very good order, it will be found more satisfactory to use a pruning knife than the more expeditious secateurs. Each individual bush, even though of the same variety, requires different treatment, and it is therefore impossible to lay down any hard and fast rules for Rose-pruning. As a general principle, the stronger the shoot the less it should be pruned, and in dealing with such hybrid perpetuals as Abel Carrière, Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty, &c., stout growths made last season should be cut back to within about 6 inches of their starting point, and the weaker shoots on the same plant to within 2 or 3 inches. The less vigorous the leading shoot the closer back it should be pruned, so that such kinds as Alfred Colomb, General Jacqueminot, Marie Baumann, Madame Victor Verdier, &c., will flower all the better if their leading shoots are cut close back to a good, plump bud. Pillar Roses rarely require much pruning, it being, as a rule, sufficient to cut away the exhausted and dead branches. It is usually wise, however, to cut hard back all immature and weakly shoots upon Roses of any type.

Tea Roses, being more tender, should be left unpruned for three or four weeks longer. Although autumn is generally the best season for planting, it is often necessary, when dealing with cold, heavy soils, to delay the planting until the present time. Everything should be in readiness so as not to unduly expose their roots to the drying influence of the air. Plant firmly, and afterwards apply a mulch.

Edgings. All blank spaces which may occur in box edgings should now be filled, well breaking up the old soil, and, if necessary, adding some fresh soil. Where there are no reserve plants, a strip on each side of the gap may be lifted, the plants divided, and used to fill up the vacant place. Any new edging necessary for herbaceous borders may now be laid. The fancy tiles sometimes seen are incongruous, and not to be recommended. The most harmonious edg. ing to such borders is one composed of rough, local stone, broken to fairly even size and firmly laid. The spaces between them may be planted with a variety of dwarf, trailing plants, which will quickly cover the bare earth, and ramble partly over the stones, and also inwards between the taller-growing plants, forming a pleasant groundwork. If an edging composed wholly of plants is preferred, such species as Arabis and Aubrietia in variety, Double Daisies, Thrift, Gentianella, and dwarf Campanulas will be found suitable.

THE KITCHEN GARDEN. By WILLIAM HONESS, Gardener to C. COMBE, Esq., Cobham Park, Surrey. Swing seeds.--Although the season for sowing early seeds is now well advanced, the weather until quite recently has been severe and alto-, gether adverse to this important work. As recently as February 24 and 25, we registered as much as 15° and 13° of frost. In late localities and

on heavy soils very little seed-sowing can have been done in such conditions, therefore the sowing of such crops as advised in previous calendars must now be given the first consideration, in consequence of the satisfactory change that has taken place in the weather.

Broccoli.-A small sowing of such varieties as Michaelmas White, Shaw's "Winter" or "Self Protecting" should now be made, to be followed by another sowing at the end of the month or early in April. Early Turnips and Turniprooted Beet should also be sown in small quantities on a warm border, and given the protection of Spruce or Yew boughs, by simply laying them over the surface, and as these early sowings are by no means to be relied upon, further sowings must again be made at about the end of the month.

Cauliflower plants that have been wintered in frames will now require full exposure by day and increased ventilation at night, for they will by this time have become sufficiently hardy to withstand a few degrees of frost; continue to stir the surface soil frequently, and if a slight dusting of soot be given occasionally this will be of great assistance in keeping slugs in check.

Marrows.-Early Marrows, like all other vegetables that can be got in early, are much appre ciated, and if seed of the Custard and Pen-y-Byd varieties be sown in heat, and either grown on in this way or planted out on a good hot-bed in a heated frame, they will produce good results.

Peas.-Dwarf varieties that were sown last November in sheltered positions will now be sufficiently forward to require the aid of short sticks. These will also afford considerable protection from any rough or cold weather which we may yet experience. Later batches that were sown in January or early in February will soon be ready for planting out in the open, and should now be getting well hardened in prepara. tion for this. I prefer to place these in shallow trenches which have been previously got out and prepared by placing a layer of rotten dung at the bottom, and mixing a good dressing of wood ashes with the surface soil. If the Peas are planted thinly in these trenches, and short sticks are put to them at the time of planting, no further protection will be necessary, and the young seedlings will grow away without suffering a check.

Potato planting will be in progress in some of the more favoured localities, but bearing in mind the late severe frosts we have experienced the last two or three seasons, this should not be attempted without full consideration, and unless plenty of protection can be afforded the growths later on.

PUBLIC PARKS AND GARDENS. By W. W. PETTIGREW, Superintendent of the Parks and Open Spaces in the City of Cardiff.

Trout rearing.-In addition to the scenic value lakes or streams may possess in public parks, they are also a great acquisition in being capable of affording under certain circumstances a number of additional pastimes for visitors. A pastime in point is fishing, and when this can be provided in a town park at a reasonable charge it is very popular. Needless to say, there is fishing and fishing, and its quality mainly depends upon the quantity and freshness of the water that has to be dealt with. If it has not a good circulation and is not of the very freshest character, it is at best only capable of supporting what are known as coarse fish, such as carp, chub, roach, rudd, and dace. On the contrary, if a lake is fed by a constant supply of good fresh water it should be suitable for stocking with trout. Anglers are generally agreed that few fresh-water fish give so much sport, or are so valuable for food, as the common brook trout; hence, whenever water is suitable for the maintenance of these, it should be stocked with them in preference to any of the coarse fish already mentioned.

Trout hatchery advisable.-It naturally follows that in public waters where a great deal of trout fishing is done, it is necessary to be more or less continually re-stocking. Under these circumstances, it generally means that either a large fee has to be charged to those who indulge in the sport, or that the authority who has charge of the water loses money by the provision of the fishing. To meet these difficulties --that is, to provide anglers with cheap but good

trout fishing without causing the town to be at a loss in consequence-there is nothing better than the establishment of a trout hatchery where practicable. To carry on such an institution successfully and at the minimum of cost, there are practically only two great essentials—a plentiful supply of clean fresh water and a stock of good breeding fish that can easily be captured when needed. Where these two requirements are fulfilled there is little difficulty keeping the most heavily-fished waters well stocked by the aid of a hatchery. In one of the parks in this city we are fortunate enough to have a fresh-water lake 32 acres in extent which contains a plentiful supply of a good type of the brown brook trout. Although only 5s. per season is charged to anglers for fishing over this water-in consequence of which very large numbers avail themselves of the privilege-only once in fourteen years has it been necessary to pay for re-stocking it, and then only a very small sum was expended. The secret of the abundance of trout is that for a number of years past we have been carrying on a trout hatchery of our own, from which we have regularly stocked our lake and the adjoining brooks which run into, and from, it. As a short account of the methods adopted in carrying on the work of this hatchery may be of interest, and perhaps of service to some of the readers of this colume, I propose to give a brief outline of our process of fish breeding.

Habits of the Trout.-Before describing this process, however, it may be as well for the benefit of those readers who are not familiar with this subject to mention a phase in the life history of the trout which will enable them the better to understand what follows The brook trout, like its near relative the salmon, breeds during the winter months, and for this purpose, as a rule, travels up stream to the shallow gravel beds from about the middle of October to the beginning of January. The female trout (usually preceded by the male burrows in the gravel near the surface of the water, lays her eggs over which the male sheds his milt, and then covers them up with the gravel. As copulation does not take place among fish the eggs are not fertile till after the milt is discharged in this way by the male, and it can readily be understood that it is not always possible for the milt to reach the eggs before it is carried away down stream, hence a large percentage of the trout ova laid in a wild state is infertile. A further check to the natural pro cess of stocking streams and lakes is the fact that in addition to the ordinary enemies of treat ova that have to be contended with, trout them. selves devour each other's eggs whenever they get the chance. Even the male trout, according to some observers, is as ready to eat the ova discharged by the female as to fertilise it. The facts show why it becomes necessary to ar ficially stock lakes and streams, which, although possessed of good breeding grounds, are t able to support the continuous fishing which generally takes place over public waters.

Percentages compared in the stream and in the hatchery. It has been estimated that whereas nature only about .2 per cent. of the ova la.! by trout ever develops into adult fish, in a car fully managed hatchery which has plenty roomy rearing ponds from 25 to 30 per cent. the ova artificially incubated reaches the mature stage. This is surely an indication that fish hatcheries have a great future before them.