Weekly Mail

J!y J. MUTR (Huntley, G1 once stershire.) answers TO CORRESPONDENTS. fcflV.ara Bloom.—H. Walker.—Please see last note,. trt.1118 Plum.Stillingfleet."—No. i, of Wales; No. 2, Fellenbarg. of Flower.—"W. T."—Gentiana g^^sii. a useful border flower at tliiJs New Pea.—"E. A." and Others.—Please ,to Messrs. Webb, Royal Seedsmen, 'orclsky, Stourbridge. taJJle of Apple.—"Throstle Ne8t."Loro ^osveuc^ but rather a small fruit. Please b:cb1& other Tariety to name. It is htgg in Waterglass.—"E. R."—Thanks for obi *urther letter. I quite understand your Wrcts' and v;iH be glad to knojw the result hav yon t€St tJle next lot- ki&e yourself, I no doubt about them. then116 of Flower.—"Swansea."—The name 01 J)a "Ower you saw growing over a porch at is So'lanum jasminum. It is quick- 'I\'u"rng, has a good, graceful habit, and d succeed with you near Swansea. alrJ. of Pear, &c.—L. G. Whiteley.—You say ■Vfi"1 inclose a few pears, and wish to know oJU is the matter with them. There was one specimen received in a small box. a. fruit of Doyenne du comic, and a very ene. ^6i1arnes Pears.—"Underwood."—No. 1, £ til re d'Amanlis: No. 2, quite decayed and »or y3. Louise Bonne of Jersey,. I am 4- No. 2 was not recognisable, as the other t0 *•"« excellent specimens, and I am glal Know you can grow such fine wears in ^fcerand. CocKpit y. Baldwin Apples.—"S. B."— Jja? apple you sent was certainly not the Co v ^n* a larger frnit than the j^Kpit, and much brighter in colour. As you it from seed, however, eeedlings vary n°t always coma true to the fruit .c. furnished the seed. 8e al!le of Plum.—'W. Scholey.—The fruit you Victoria, but not a very good form D »• and it is very small. There is no mora behfic plum than the Victoria, and it usually tho ^e, large fruit. I advise y-Ou to retain .es f°r another year or two. Spreal the manure round their stoma early in S1 ring, and yott will, I think, find the fruit •trcve much on that of this year. ^Tomato Fruit Bursting.—"J. W."—You have jj-fl feeding your tojnatocs too well. When ij^Qy of the fruit burst as it is ripening it s'n they are receiving too much water 8ca liquid manure at the roots, and this fl.0llld be reduced. If the plants are out of QJ.0^ in the open ground, and it comes a lot r,j»rain, which cause the fruit to burst, cut it ÎJ1 as it begins to change colour, and keep it aU airy room or kitchen till it ripens fully, frames of Apples and Flowers.—T. Piole sjoagh).- You had not packed the apples 3ni reiy. They rauld roll about in the box. fv the numbers had fallen off all but two. ftrfSe "were No. 2 (Franklin's Pippin) and No. 3 *lte-er °* Glamis). If you will -send me ot.ker t^Tnens with the numbers securely fixed on V3*1 I will be glad to name them. The flower ^lled Aehilloea aurea. It is a variety of and a useful, hardy, herbaceous plant. in Waterglaae.—"F. B." (Birkenhead) ]w'8:—"I And your notes very helpful in lofc.'try, and I have benefited greatly l^y fol- )'n your instructions about preserving eggs l^j-J^aterglass. I find the egffs equal to new- Clj5s in flavour after be-ins' from four to Of ^onths in the liquid, but the shells of some tim crac1,? when put in to boil." I some- litf,es hear of this complaint. It is the only egi failure that occurs with these preservad h0] and it may readily be prevented if a ♦lip ■ made in each with a pin before putting hi*?1 in- to boil. This is a very easily-applied 7e<iy. J^.P'wls for Small Run; Fruit Trees.—"H. F. ]a'vp"Your yard would accontmoctate eighteen ? hens and two cocks. I certainly advice ?virt to Plant frutt trees in it. The soil is Btj/^itly the right sort, and if you planted int^Td trees you would find they would not thp f re 'with anything, and th^y would afford f'0o)towls agreeable shade in summer. You tha* n°t make your ground more profitable j-qJ* to stock it with fowls and fruit trees. If Wb a(ided some horse manure tt> the roots Planting you would net req.uire to make preparation in such a soil. The frmt es would be no trouble to you. d in GraM Field.—"Croft House."—The ttvi is a of Geum or Avens, and is a 8 subject in a grass field or anywhere slj It is rot easy to eradicate, and you Mfh dig Üp the larsest- of t'lisj plants now tha? a .5ftta.ll fork. There is nothing to apply ti, x "Win kill them. I advise you to manure sfa &eld well this winter, or sow it with basic 4cwt. to the acre, as this would induce ^v '^Uriant, grewfh of best planta, and j. ~U t h in fan be eeenred the weeds are geae- » ly crowded out. Indeed, it is quite a jp^rnon occurrence to kill weeds by gene- ity to the ground and liberal feeding. j,^Utting Strawberry Plants in Greenho*ree to Ij^it.—"iluthin."—Strawberry plants cannot forced at midwinter, and they do not suc- unless with special facilities unttj -nto tha spring. If you were g i hem in tiio greenhouse in r¡b"1: and getting them to bear ^Otji^fruit about tho end of April. you rUit them easily grown then, an^ the b^fi Would be more numerous and of a much l¡q1't. class then than earlier. If you have a W ^r of plants you could put a few in to ,V^Ce in February, and tho remainder in ff^h, when you would get a succession ef fj Oj, aralyais in Dog.—"H. M. J."—This is not an Astern?011 complaint in dags. It often follows JiatirvrT r' an<^ is sometimes caused by eonsti- as debility. Feed chiefly on lJierijpa Porridge and mutton broth. As a Quiji'119 following is a good remedy: — Igr.; extraet of gentian, 2gr.; stryeft- g;C. l-40gr.—these t« oompose one pill, and V6 a pill twice a day. Tell your chemist to <tr eareful ani^ n°t to exceed the quantity of '■-p^shnine stated. There is a syrup called fij]?stori's which is often very succe.ss- Siven ill such cases. Your chemist may of this. Give the dog gentle, but not j^'sive, exercise. and Treatment of Eose.—"Parkwood." rose you have rooted is the climbina: W.^nensis. It is a very useful and beautiful Wfty. It is quite hardy, and you not )Ol:¡,d to protect it in winter. The best thins: *0h CaP do is to plant it out at o*ce where ^ish it to grow. It would do on the it g'da where you have marked the A. Give >0wL^eep, rieh soil, and put a little manure ..(! d th stem in winter. The Virginia t!'r which clings as it grows is named ^lopsis veitchii. It will grow in any tjv and soon rover a lar°re space at.trac- Tou should plant it out in March. It litres a somewhat porous soil and very v 8 manui'e. J'e.es of Apples and Pear. Ac.—"J. F. Comte de Lamy. Apples: No. 1. Biis- tea..k; No. 2. Frogmore Prolific: No. 3, Grey ^in lriSton: No. 4, Bramley SeedlirH1, No. 5, %tf>5?er; No. 6. Yellow Ingestrie: No. 7, Oravon- No. 8, Gogar Pippin; No. 9. absent ):If 10, Bumelow's Seedling:: No. 11. Annie lh*y»eth. They are all rather small. You l'ald spread a layer of enw or hor«e manure each stem in March next, aud more in as th-ey evidently nesd feeding. You thfi also fork a quantity of manure im* W sWrface in November. Young trees do not hually bear much the first season after yeJ*tini|. but- ynu may expect some fruit next r> aifd an increase amnually. >^r>?^)"ooted Tomato Plants.—"Cactus."—It is ciwf, Unusual for tomato roots to be so mucit I ^oed at the roots as the. plants you send. V0 saw the deformity so excessive before, niugt have grown it in some peculiar soil, Probably, used artificial manure unsuit- to the roots. There is no semedy for the plants, aB nothing would rectify such Next year you should grow them in l3^T-decayed, turfy soil made very firm 'Jw^taining only a small quantity of horsa 1,111 ?8- This mixture will be sure to keep tew.f°ots right and plants healthy and bj. Ue■ Avoid artificial manures until the '$>, bearing a good crof>, and then you ^IJ,6 them a little guano water or Thom- iljJ 8 Plant Manure. Always avoid having the j, ta extremely wet at the roots. ^i^1 Sore Teats.—"Eufus."—Young sows t^-J'tten a little difficult- to> get on with when bring their first litt«r. Tlrey have fre- .not mJch milk. This causes the to puM more vigorously and often teats than ie usual with sows which t^Sood supply of milk, and the result is >0vj the teat3 become sore. More than likely not have any trouble with her next ?*!<} e9Pecially if she is in good condition W^abie of giving plenty of milk. Should. the teats become sore again, and examine them a week nr so before ipSf,la-rr-)Wf!. wash them with a lotion com- ..°f two scruples of sulphocarbonate of ^<5 iV^ssolved in half a pint of rain water, ?f f.then dress with an ointment consisting t¡..t r-1).aT1:s of vaseline and one-part of car- JV e ()f zinc. Do this twice daily. ^b^^PatinfT Blackberries and Black Cur. —"H. A."—Blackberries are not propa- from cuttings. Young plants ate ??°t t ky digging up the little plants that i«ieafcfnd grow at the sides of the old ones. v*ritl eia3r be nP. and planted any time l winter. Wilson Junior is the best a blackberry anyone can grow. It Wiw American sort. It is very hardy, quick an^ immensely productive, the fruit rnnch larger and finer than our own The black currant, may be propagated jjfttttirigjg. These should be taken off and ttti 11 from November till March. Make the tJilgS about one foot long, and of the noints ¡Ii¡ e. slloots that are well grown. Dibble qt tKmto a sandy son about one foot apart fclpt,6?1 in the soil about four inches. Black v,>je the best variety of black currant. vJ-c-ijl^in? and Drying Maidenhair Fern Mi 'There is no better way of ^,Maidenhair fern fronds than between i qite blotting-paper. Let the paper he vij^etw quite dry. Put the fronds carefully «ht n an^ PresB it hard by a heavy ?n the top. This must remain on for ?c*t, or until they are dried, but v-t th "-he paper every other day, as they dry better and retain their colour ajly than if dried with the sap which tt¡.I..put of the fronds at first to contend V1 t IS very unusual for fronds dried in t^M^ilr to lose their green colour. Try again, and be sure the fronds are 'ly^n^n form and quite green when put e PaPer- The fronds should also be Vi* ig and firnt. ænd not soft growth w^v *J°t matured. Fronds cf a soft nature y°tinj* would not be of a good colour, ipr Autumn Flowering.—"T. C."— Wv' Mflpiaison is one of the^very ^•^etiea of rosea to bloom in autumn. Gloir de Dijon is also most useful at that time, as it blooms freely quite up till Novem- ber. W. Allen Richardson and Charles Lefebvre are not so good. Cheshunt Hybrid is also a bright good autumn blwomer, and your giving them a south. wall would improve them very much. Fortune's Yell aw and what are known as the Waltham climbers, Noe. 1. 2. and 3, are excMlent. The Provence roses are not good autumn bloomers, but the China, such as Admirable Courb^t, Archduke CSmrles, and the Beurbon Queen, of the Bedders, are splendid for late flowering. The last-named is especially ftne. I know the varieties I recom- mend would give you satisfaction, and flower at the time you- desire them in the late autumn. Vine in Cool Glass-house.—"G. G." (ITall).- Pines succeed very well in cool greenhouses, especially the Black Hamburg variety. The plant you have in a pot would have been stronger and better if you had only one stem to it. It should have been reduced to this number last spring. Put it out in the open at once against a wall fully exposed to the' sun. Keep it moist at the roots. In February or March you can plant it in your hq.use. Give it a Bed of rich soil, and be sura it is well drained nndernea'th. The (krakiage may be one foot in depth, and the soil two. Train the three rods up. but do rtot let it form more for the first year. Keep the soil at the roots moist and the atmosphere humid till growth is free and luxuriant. I generally deal with the management of. suh vines when the proper time arrives in spring, but you will have no difficulty in getting it to grow and fruit. Bark Splitting on Pear Tree.Beginner. The bark on fruit trees sometimes splits from accident, and m other cases from old age and decay. I think the latter is the cause of your paar bark splitting and the wood decaying. and treatment* may not be able to stop it. but you can try. Get some plaster of Paris of cement (the former is the better), and after making it into a plaster- like mixture fill the hale carefully up with it. You cannot remove the greater part of the decayed wood before doing so, and do not put it on quite level wath the bark. Let it be a little below it. as the bark may grow over the plaster, and if it does the stem will be nearly as good a.s ever. You should give it this attention at once. As the pear is such a good one, do you know its name? If not, send me a specimen, and I will tell you, and if you think the free is likely to go on decaying from old age it might be a good plan to plant a' young oils of the same variety to take its place. Utilising Frame in Wi-nter. &c.Cold Frame "—The wallflowers you have do not need to be put in a frame in winter. They require no prgteqtion. You should plant them out in October in the place where you wish them to grow and bloom. You can keep your geranium, calceolaria, and other cuttings in the fntime in winter. You should put a little platform inside it to raise the plants up close to the glass. They will remain more robust here than down deep in it. Give the plants as much air as you can up till the time frast occurs, but close the frame when it is fro-sty. and cover it over at night, but not Til the day. unless it is very severe, and let them have air when the weather is mild in the day-time- throughout the winter. Do not give them much water at the root, and keep the atmosphere as dry as you can inaide the frame, as damp is often more injurious than cold in winder You will be able to utilise the frame in spring to raise many seedling flowers and vegetables before those in the open air, and you could grow cucumbers in it in summer. Treatment of Geranium. Ac.—H. Nolan.— The geranium leaf indicates the plant to be in bad health, and not right at the roots It tteema very much as if you had given it an over-dose of artificial manure. Have you been using any? Too much water at the root would also cause the sickness. You cannot do much at this time to get it into a good plant, as this is not the season of growth, but you tfhonld keep the roots moi3t only during the winter with clean water, a-nd give it plenty of air, and in March next re-pot it into another pot with soil you are sure does not contain any worms, and treat it all you did this spring. The variety is Henry Jacoby. and one of the flowers you send has formed a seed pod. If this seed was ripened on the planr you could grow young plants from it in the spring, especially if you could give them the protection of a grass-house. Your other plant is mot a heliotrope, but a hardy border flower named Dielytra spectabilis. It is not very suitable for pot culture, and does not succeed as a window plant You should plant it out in the open ground at once. Worms at Root ef Mareehal Niel Rose, Ac. "F. Il.It is the worms in the tub in which your M-are«hal Niel rose is growing which have caused fhe soil to become fine and powdery This is a bad state, and you will find that your plant will not continue healthy in such soil. It is not good for the roots, and the drjrinnge will be blocked up. About. the middle of October or earlier you Rhoulrl take it out of the tub. Clean the inside, and re-arrange the drainage. Put some thin turf, grass side down wards, over it. nnd then put th'j plant bad: in new soil. Bo not remove all the r:l from the robt-s'if yoa can help It, hut the fine stuff wiJl fall off. The new soil should consist of chopped-up turf. with a little grit and some cow manure addNl. and also a eprinklinsr of soot, as this will prevent worms from becoming injurious again. Water the roots ^nce thoroughly, and then keep them merely moist during the winter. In future water the roots wNh soot rnce a fortnight or so when the plant is making its growth It is a cater- pillar that has eaten and perforated the leaves. If you look amongst and under the leaves sometimes you can Slid them and kill them before ftiey do any harm. Whenever you see a little bit eatsn off a leaf'you must look for them. PROPAGATING ECiES FROM CUTTINGS. The demand for rases is always gyeat. It exceeds that for any other kind of flowering bush. They are much cheaper now than I can remember them. when nane could be hnd under a shilling a piece, but they are attain- able now at haif that, and often less. Amateurs have often a desire to propag-nt? and root plants that are more difficult L deal with and much less useful than the rose, and it is surprising more do not attempt their increase from cuttings. I have rarely known every cutting put in succeed, but,, as a rule, the majority dtt, and with a little care at the worst enough will always roat and be- come plants to compensate for all the labon" of treating them. Some kinds root more freely than others, but it is best to put in cuttings of all the best sorts, and try them The present is a good time to put the cuttinm. in. as it is very desirable to have the shoots well ripened, and they are in this condition now. The cuttings should be made of thE. ends of short-jointed shoots. By "short- jointed" is meant wood with the leaves closf to eaeh other. Uhis stamp of wood is ne*Ter so soft as, arid always beiter ripened than, where tha leaves are far apart. Do not make the cuttings of little odds and ends of shoo's, but those well developed and fully exposed to the sun. Quit them about six inches in length. Take the bottom leaves off to a distance of about half the length. This will leave a bare stem to ga in the ground. Do not take the thorns off with the leaves, as these will help 10 hold the (Sittings firm in the soil. Dig a piece of ground ove# deply. Mix sand or road grit in with it. Do not put any manure. The position should be a sheltered spot, but exposed to the sun. Put fouV boards rcmnd the piece, and make them firm, as a shelter in winter, when a glass or some kind of protection can readily be put over them in severe weather. Put a. ifeyar of sand one inch deep all over the surface. Insert the" cuttings about t-hr.(" inches apart. Wake a hole with a stick a little thicker than ilu cutting for each one, put the it-nd of the cu'- tinil in about half-way its length, and then ram the soil firmly against it. In doing this do not be rough or squeeze too hard to injure the cutting. It may be made quite firm with less pressure. Water the whole of the bei thoroughly afterwards, and then do not be liberal wrth moisture. They may not require more excepting the rain that falls on them. The leaves will remain on for a time. but they will fall off later. Then there will be nothing to indicate the plants bat the bare wood. They have little of the appearance of plants at that time, but wait. The wood will not shrink, but remain fresh during the winter. No roots will form until the spring. In the meantimo they will not be quite inactive. Before rooting each cutting goes under the process of forming a callus at the and where it was cut. This is a kind of crust, and preoedes rooting. In March or April they will beg-in to root. and then they must be kept moist, both overhead and in the soil. Those which are not going to root will shrink and perish in the spring. Thoee which root should be allowed to remain all next year and until the following spring: before being transplanted elsewhere. EXPLANATION OF THE DIFFERENT FORrs OF FRUIT TREES. A correspondent this week very aptly asks what is the meaning of the different names applied to fruit trees, such as "standatd," "half standard," "bllfih," "dwarfs," "pyra- mids," Ac., and. no doubt, many who are not familiar with fruit trees will be glad of expla- nations, especially those who intend to plant trees this autumn or wilnter-a, class, by the way, I am glad to know, wl-fich will be extremely numerous. "A bush" and "dwarfs" are one and tftie same. This is a tree that is budded near the ground, and grows in the form gene- rally known as a. bush. A "half-standard" is a tree with a clean stem from three to four feet in length. It is chiefly planted in vegetable gardens, when other crops can be planted under theia. A "standard" is a tree with a stem from six to eight feet long, sur- mounted. like fhe halPstandard. with a head of branches. This iA the class of tree always planted in orchards when it is desired that the ground underneath should be used as grazing IbT stock, as the long stem takes the branches, leaves, and fruit away up out of the reach cf cattle. This form is also gene- ra? ly planted in market gardens, where a top and bottom crop is usually aimed at as top and bottom crop is usually aimed at as being most profitable. The full standard is a better form than the half standard when such an object is in view, but the half stan- dard is better in a windy position, as not being so much exposed, and the dwarf or bush is tho tree to plant where it is really bleak. A "pyramid" is a superior trained bush. Pt has a. strong, straight centre stem of various heights,, with the branckes radiating from it on all sides. It is a tree meant to "be retained in a neat form by careful prdning and keep- ing the branches in their original directions. "Dwarf trained" and "standard trained" apply to trees trained fan-shapie to plant against walls. "Horizontal trained" is a tree with an upright stem and several branchea, trained horizontally on each. side, "Upriiht I trained" trees have generally a middle branch and one on each side. This tree is usually planted against a wall. The "cor- dons" are usually trained with one stem only, or, maybe, two. They are planted against walls at a distance Si eighteen inchen or so, and give a great variety of fruit from a small space if a good selection of trees is introduced. The fruit from cordons is generally very superior. They are also trained horizontally on stems about eighteen inches from the ground, with one or two stems, and planted along the sides of walks and different places. The "espalier trained" is much the same form of tree, but with a great many branches on each si&e. These are often planted to form a kind of fruit hc1.ge, but all of this class require care- ful and annual pruning to keep them in shape. THE BEST FOEMS OF TEEES-TO PLANT. Many of those who read of all these forrrs of fruit trees will naturally ask, 'Which are the best to plant? The most generally planted are the standards and bushes—the former in orchards, and the latter in gardens. The half- standard is not a useful kind of tree, as it is neither one thing nor the otlrer. For all orchards none .can equal the standard, and it may also be planted in the garden; while bushes are invariably useful. These are the two cheapest forms of trees, too, and this has to be considered. If wall trees are required, the dwarf trained is the most serviceable, then comes the standard trained. The cordons may be planted close together, and those with a limited wall space may get a long succession of fruit from a well-seleoted dozen or so of trees. The fruit from them is very often exceedingly fine, and I am in favour of this form in many ways where a wall has to be furnished. Fancy-trained trees, however, as a rule, cannot be recommended, as very few attend properly to their training annually, and when allowed to grow out of form they are no credit to the owners. It is from the French we have borrowed our ideas of train- ing fruit trees in fancy forma, but we are still far behind them in this respect, all sorts of forms, some of them very grotesque, being seen there; but I do not think anyone need ha..e a hankering after th'em, a&-a teiil-kig to them means a great deal of work, and it is quite certain these fancy trees do not bear any more fruit than the more easily managed bushes or standards. These two iri the most 7iseful forms that can be introduced generally to our orchards and gardens. PLANTING CABBAGE FOR THE SPRING. The plants raised from the seed sown some weeks ago are now large enough to put out, and they should be moved at once. I need hardly point out how very important the spring cabbage crop is. At the time it is reachr t.hnre irc often no other vegetable avail- able. It is always most welcome for home use and a paying market crop if got in early. Readers who have plenty 01 ground and who wish to make a profit on it could not do better than plant cabbage largely, especially if their position is an early one and a good market is convenient. The crop must be done well. It will neither grow early nor fine on poor soil. A goou piece of soil should be well manured and deeply dug for the reception ef the plants. Draw the largest from the seed bed first. Put some water and soot in a bucket. Mix them together, and before planting dabble the roots well in the liquid. This will make them fresh and moist. It will also have si tendency to present grubs from eating the roots. Put the plants in rows ekrht-een inches apart. Let them well into the soil, and make them very firm. If planted at once after digging the ground they will grow sooner than otherways. If it is wet weather at the time of planting, this particular is not of so much importance. Never let the roots dry up or tne lcavea wither before planting, if it can be helped. If the plants are bought, it is impossible to prevent them from drooping, but the bath at tho roots will help to revive them. PEEPAEING FOWL-HOUSES FOR. WTNLTrii. Last week I recomniended all poultry keepers to see that the exteriors of their poultry-houses were put in good order before winter. This incladed repairs to roofs an It other parts, as well as painting or tarring and especially making the roof Waterproof. Th'.a is most important, but further attention iu needed, and the interiors should be thoroughly cleaned now. Some poulti^-keepera clean out their fowl-houses once a week. This is a goci plan. Others do not clean them out more than once a month, or. I fear. at longer periods. This I cannot commend. All would find their poultry-keeping affording them mll)f2 pleasure if they would clean the houses out once a week at the furthest. T'hp fowls would enjoy this, too, as they would then roost in a puro atmosphere and be lea's .pestered with insect pests than they are in dirty houses. Of late many of the fowls have been moulting. There is a great accumulation of feathers in the houses, and thes2 harbour vermin, and an extra cleaning should be given. If the manure is sticking to the floor. get to the bottom of it and scrape it clean off. Remove the old nest material, and bwish every particle of rubbish out. Put all thie material in a heap with other refuse. Let it rot till the spring, when it will be most valuable for the garden crops. Get some, fresh lime-a bucketful will do; make it into a wash, and lime wash all the inside walls and nests, or. indeed, every part. Do th3 (horoughly. Put it in the joints of woodwork or stone, and the floor may also be drenched with a thin lime liquid. If there is plenty of lime, put it on the floor in a powdered form. Do not forget the perches. Tbesa often har- bour lice and other vermin, which have no difficulty in getting on to the fowls, and if one part is cleaned and another omitted the result will notjbe satisfactory. Put new and fresh material into ths ne.ts. This may con- sist of bay, straw, or chaff. Peat moss litter is also suitable, and the floor may be bedded with straw or sawdust. That from pine or fir wood is the best. EUNNERS ON STRAWBERRY PLANTS. Younv. etrawbsrry plants put out early m August have grown exceedingly well, and t11. later onea. too. are very promising. Tfley 0.1d be encouraged to make ail the growtn possible whnle the weathcr is still favourable, btrt sida l-unners tfhould be closely restricted. The term "runner" npplies to the growtnw that all strawberry plants send forth. These grow in the form of a piece of string in appear- ance, run out- to a foot o.r more in length, and then a yoyung plant is produced at the end. soon roots into the ground, and strong plants will have many of these on them. In fast, if allowed to grow, they soon form quite a mass of young plants and leaves round the old ones. They shnde the main plants from the sun-shine, and deprive them of much of their nourishment.VJ side-growths should, therefore, be removed from the phi nr.* as fest as they appear. Til its will make theaf rr.ucfti more robust rnd fuller in the crown-a no centre gr.iwtha, ond i,"urease the chances very nuc11. of 3L crood crop being produced next Gason. WOEMS ON LAWNS. A. correspondent, writing from Wigati. remarks that lately he has noticed some little mounds of soil thrown rip oa his lawn htr worms, and, as they disfigure the grass, a remedy is asked for. These little mounds are very common on lawns ix the autuum, and are caused by ordinary earth worms. During the dry weather, when the soil is hard. the worms aTe rarely seen, but when the autumn rains soften the turf the worms become very active and rise to the surface. In doing this they pueh a quantity of soil before them, like a mole coming-out of its run, frnd some lawns are quite covered with the earth. They are unsightly, and a little later, when the leaves fall off the trees, it will ba found that the worms draw them down into the soil a little, and when an attempt is made to clean the lawn it is very difficult to get the leases removed. They Btick in the soil, and give the lawn an unclean appearance. This is another nuisance created by the worms, and it is best, if possible, to try and prevent their working on the lawna. This should be seen to at once, and the best antidote is soot or lime. A good dressing of either the one or the other should be put, on the surface, when the rain will wash it down and make the ground very distasteful to the worms. The soot or liniti should tie quite fresh and of a fine description. These dressings will not only prevent the worms from working, but they will fertilise the soil and make the grass green and healthy. If a dressing is put on now, another may be required in a month hence, but its application then will depend on whether the worms are working or not. EARTHING UP CELERY. A great deal of fhe inferior cerery we find on the taljle is due to mismanagement in earthing up. The earthing up ie an operation requiring the greatest care, whereas it is often negleeted or done in a careless manner. Good celery is generally earthed up at three different times, and on no occasion should it be done carelessly, but it is the first time that the greatest care is needed, as if the heads are in any way twisted then or the soil allowed to fall into the centre of the plants t'beý will be spoiled from the very first. Beginners may not fully understand the object and advantage of earthing celery. Tt is done wifh the view of making the et(table part crisp and tender, and also to protect it from severe weather. If celery were never earthed up, it would be so tough and hard as to be quite unfit to eat. and stewing would not make it perfect; but when the stems are covered up with soil they become white or a cream colour and tender and crisp. In begin- ning to earth it up all the short leaves must be removed from round the outside of the piant. The tall ones left should be tied together in a bunch at the top. This will keep the plant compact while the soil is being put to it. Clean and tie tffim all first, then break the soil down on the ridges fine with a. epade. Work it in between the plants, and press it round each one with the hands. From six to nine inches are enough to raise the soil round them at oae earthing. Dwarf varieties may be earthed up twice, tall varieties three times, and at intervals of three weeks or eo. Do not on any account let the soil fall into the middle of the prants. Some who only earth up once and put a great deal round them then make a mistake, as they raise the soil so high that some of it tumbles into the plants, and wken such come to be used it is gritty celery. The soil, too, causes, the hearts to decay prematurely. When all the soil has been put to them, beat the sides smooth and neatly, as this will help to throw off the rain from the plants, as an excess of it is never beneficial to them in winter. Take all the ties off when each earthing is finished, and put them on again next time. If the roots" are dry before earthing is commenced, glhTe them a thorough soaking, as they can be better waterad then than when the soil is put to them. Some who are most careful to keep the soil out of their celery and blanch it as well as possible wrap a strip of strong paper round each stem first, and then put the earth to it. Sopie years ago there was a special paper collar invented for the purpose, and growers for exhibition are much in favour of this system, as it keeps the celery so clean.