From observations taken near London during forty-three years, the average day temperature of the week is 42.0°; and its night temperature 29.0'. The greatest heat was 572, on the 3rd, 1860; and the lowest cold 11° below zero, on the 4th, 1867. The greatest fall of rain was 0.86 inch. THE NEW YEAR AND "OUR JOURNAL." HIS first number of "our Journal" for the year 1874 will bear upon its first page the date of the first day of that year. The two will begin together hand in hand like two little children, the new year and "our Journal" hand in hand from the first day of the new year. On this day, the year being so very new, a great many people will begin their letters with a wrong date; many a D for December will be blotted over, and turned into a J for January. A great many threes will be turned into fours; for, somehow, 1874 wo'n't come to the fingers' ends naturally; just as a very new bride, forgetting that after signing her name in the vestry of the old church at the old home, she has done with it for ever, will make a like mistake and write, or begin to write, her former name. But after a short while new year and new bride will come naturally to their places. Thus this year will be spoken of without the prefix "new," and "bride will altogether be gone, and that best name of all, "wife," reign permanently. But however we may make a mistake for awhile in a word or a figure, yet none of us, save very new readers, will make a mistake in the name of JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE, for it is getting an old periodical now; it has passed its coming of age, and even its twenty fifth birthday-it is more than a quarter of a century old, and like a man about that age, is better than in former years. Take, for instance, the engravings, which are twice in number to what they were some years ago, and, I make bold to say, twice as good. Among the engravings that gave me particular pleasure were those of Tortworth Court, and Beckett House, and Westonbirt, and Longleat, some well known to me, and the spirit and character of the places "L. B." has caught and well produced. Let her for "L. B." is a "her"-go on cheerily in her work, and prove that woman's dainty fingers can be useful fingers, and woman's little light hand be a breadwinner in an art in which man had once no competitor. Let women take courage, and without noisy women's-rights meetings, they may find work, and excel in work, and be something besides cooks and governesses. Nor let me speak only of the engravings of the past year. When old writers like old soldiers fall, I see others step into their places, and, if their hands lack all the cunning of the old ones, they have a freshness all their own. And in speaking of old soldiers falling, I feel I must speak of that special one, that excellent writer and excellent man whom we have this year lost-I mean, of course, Robert Fish. Much at the time of his decease was written of him, and nicely written, and feelingly written, in these pages of ours, but I must add yet a little more. Robert Fish knew what to say, and he knew also how to say it: these are rare gifts, or rather a kind of double gift. The man of deep knowledge so often lacks the power of pleasantly expressing his ideas, while the man who has a happy style has frequently but a small No. 666.-VOL. XXVI., NEW SERIES. store from which to draw. But not so Robert Fish: the wine was rich in body, and it came also bright-coloured and sparkling to the lip. Let me recommend a close perusal of Mr. Fish's papers to young contributors. For twelve years I read him closely, scarcely ever omitting an article, the style was so good, the words so wise. Let me ask younger writers to turn to Mr. Fish's charming contribution to our Christmas number of 1866; or if they have not that, to the piece which opened our volume for 1873. The latter he most kindly wrote in my place, for a terrible grief had caused my pen to drop from my hand, and his private letter to me on that occasion is among my veriest treasured letters. I knew Mr. Fish personally, and I am so glad I did. Some writers who please, do not please when seen in the flesh; they are men of the pen only, they feel all right, but are the slaves of an unhappy manner. Not one of these was Robert Fish-a little robin redbreast of a man (ah! how the little men do the work of the world with brain as well as body-e.g., England's Lord Russell, and France's M. Thiers) with a cheery eye and nice address, and a shake of the hand in the pressure of which you felt his heart. (Oh! how I hate a hand just coldly put into one's own--a fin rather than a hand.) But there was one point which in the many notices of Mr. Fish-viz., his eloquence of tongue, was not mentioned. I once heard him speak in public, and he was, to my surprise, an orator; his language choice, his tongue fluent. Gardeners, you have reason to be proud of Robert Fish! I scarcely ever knew a man of so complete a character, personally, literary, oratorically. He is gone, we have all of "our Journal" lost a friend. Young gardeners with now greater educational advantages than he had, press on in your profession, honour it, and bring honour on it. Be enthusiastic as to your profession, feel that none is its equal-that is what each man in every profession should feel if he wishes to excel in it. You gardeners, remember that you can boast of some living, whom I know, who have brought honour on old Adam's trade, and among them none wiser, kinder, abler than was Robert Fish. Peace to his memory. I write of him even now months after his decease with dimmed eyes. Follow him, men of the spade, read his writings, and each say, "I too will be what he was in character, if I cannot in ability." In looking through the numbers of the past year I notice some indications of a revival of the love of oldfashioned ways and old-fashioned flowers. Thus there was an article, given the place of honour by our Editors, on avenues by one of our rising writers. It has often struck me that this artistic way of planting trees is not sufficiently followed now-a-days; perhaps because like "Pears, they are planted for our heirs" chiefly, and this is a hurrying, railway, rapid-developing age that does not like to wait; and money's worth is wanted for the money, and paid down at once, too. Belts of wood are imposing, massive clumps tell well. Openings cut in woods to let in views show taste and add to the landscape, and please as much as the atmospheric distances in Claude's pictures; but the old-fashioned avenue has its distinct charms, it No. 1818.-VOL. LI., OLD SERIES. speaks of man's triumph over Nature's luxuriant wildness, and of mighty trees made to stand side by side, and each show forth the other's mightiness. Those to whom the Long Walk at Windsor is familiar, and still more the avenues of Bushy Park seen in May time when the Horse Chestnuts are in bloom, and the shorter but telling avenues at Hampton Court are known, will fully bear me out in the good taste displayed in a well-planted avenue, and the permanent pleasure which arises from such a planting of trees. There must have been at one time almost a rage for such an arboreal arrangement, for, if I mistake not, the majority of avenues are of about the game date. Cowper thus speaks of the avenue— "Not distant far a length of colonnade From sultry suns; and in their shaded walks And long-protracted bowers enjoyed at noon lication of our Mr. Wright's grand work, a work which even in parts has had a marked influence on the poultry world in England and America. The other great influence, if I may so speak, is the great national Show at the Crystal Palace. Provincial shows are admirable and interesting, and the things for the provinces, and reflect the peculiarities of each part of the country; but everything national must be connected with the metropolis of the nation; and how fortunate we are in possessing-whether for fowls, Pigeons, dogs, Canaries, or cats such an exhibition-room as the Crystal Palace. To exhibit the Game Bantams just over the Game fowls, and the eye thus being able to see the two at one and the same time, was a thought worthy of a genius. Little need be said about the poultry, but I would just say this, that at any rate quite enough has been written about Malays, which are neither ornamental nor useful, and only interesting as our first-imported Asiatic fowls; while too little has been said of the Polish of all varieties, which, though they may not And then he thanks his neighbour, the squire of Weston be a useful variety, are among the most ornamental at a show, Underwood, who, he says, "Spares me yet These Chestnuts, ranged in corresponding lines; Pointing, I fancy, to many landowners of the day, who, influenced by "Capability Brown," scarcely left three trees in a line from Land's End to the Tweed: hence the poet says plaintively "Ye fallen avenues! once more I mourn Nor must it be forgotten that the avenue was the great teacher of the Gothic architect. Gothic arches are but lofty trees of stone. Walk down the aisles of a cathedral-there you have avenues. The thoughtful architect took his hint from the lofty Elms, whose branches ran into each other. Gothic architecture, because imitated from Nature, is more beautiful than Grecian or Roman, and more suitable to become, as it has become, Christian architecture. We in a Gothic edifice seem to be worshipping the Creator in a place resembling His creation, for above is "the branching roof." Many a country church is tree-like, "With pillars crowded, and the roof upheld With the revival of Gothic (Christian) architecture in this century the planting of trees in avenues may well and suitably be revived. A lingering love, never wholly eradicated, for old-fashioned border flowers has cropped-up and strengthened. I agree with the gay bedders for beds; we in England have over-much green, and want striking colours for contrast and variety; but I grudge that borders should have been invaded, and the term "ribbon border" ever been invented. It is now positively difficult to procure-at least I find it to be so-the border plants proper. Therefore never did I read (and I am sure many others) any articles with greater interest than those by "PHILANTHOS" and my old friend Mr. Robson on Primroses and Polyanthuses, which the former truly says were "long ago the delights of almost every garden." Then with the interesting letterpress came also in its midst those admirable engravings of the "Hose-in-Hose," "Pantaloon," "Galligaskins," and the rest-flowers which I have not seen for years. These papers are good signs, and I hope the cultivation of these and like flowers may be revived ere too late, for even in cottage gardens near me they are gone. "Lost them years ago," is the answer I get, for from mansion garden and rectory garden the bedders have travelled down to farm-house garden, to cottage garden. I, on behalf of hundreds of readers, thank all the writers on those interesting and sadly-neglected flowers. Leaving now the flower department of "our Journal," I turn to that more particularly my own-my own from my scribbling in it for eleven years-the poultry and Pigeon department. The great event of the year is, no doubt, the pub | and may be kept in an outhouse or small wired enclosure. Of Pigeons I gladly chronicle that they are more admired than ever, more numerous than ever, and new fanciers are everywhere rising up. The Tumbler proper, the Flying Tumbler, had a class to himself at the Palace Show, and deserved it. Short-faced Balds and Beards also deserve encouragement, for Dragoons are also everywhere improved, and do not look like no Pigeons are prettier or more distinctly marked. young Carriers. The In turning to Canaries, in which I am always interested though not a breeder now, the event of the past year is the discovery of the method of colouring by food. The defence by chemical analysis of the honesty of the method was searching, and the exhibitors enjoyed the triumphs of honest Englishmen. But yet a word of praise to Messrs. Bemrose & Orme for the revealing of the secret, which will be a benefit to all Canary fanciers, and even to all visitors at shows. Speaking of Canaries, there is a touching story told of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first of the English school of portrait but that matters but little, for there is so much more worth painters, when he became blind. He had always been deaf, seeing in the world than worth hearing. If the eyesight be given and preserved, deafness is little felt. But the time came when the great painter's eyes grew dim indeed. Well, one day he was found by a friend wandering round the rails of his house in Leicester Square (No. 47; mark the number, lovers of painting and painters), seeking for a pet Canary of his that had strayed. He never could have heard the little bird's song, but he had formerly seen it. It was an old friend, and he wished it to be still his own, his pet. Scorn not little pets. The man who drew Mrs. Siddons as the tragic muse, and wrote the great lectures on painting, and was the Royal Academy's first President, yet loved a little Canary. How tenderly are pets loved! how diligently cared for! But, perhaps, there is no instance on record of a whole city's people loving and tending their pets as that of the citizens and the Pigeons of Venice. A daughter of mine the other day was in the Great Square of St. Mark, at two o'clock, when the thousands of Pigeons are fed. Down they came at the sound of the bell, the city was alive with wings-from every quarter they came. A little Italian boy gave the young lady a packet of Maize; the Pigeons saw the act, and so tame and confiding are they, that my daughter's hands, arms, and shoulders were covered by the pretty birds. Oh! ladies who frequent Hurlingham Pigeon shooting, would you not look prettier-I appeal to your vanity, I will not try a higher feeling-covered by confiding happy Pigeons, than enjoying dying, bleeding, broken-winged, legless Pigeons ? But I must conclude. I know how "our Journal" tends to foster an innocent love for innocent things-I know the resources that a garden affords to those whose duties confine them much to one spot. Thus, a master of a Union, a winner of many prizes each year at a horticultural show, said to me, looking up from the pages of "our Journal" (he studies them weekly), "This place without my garden would be a cage." With it as a resource he lives on happily. There is one other name I feel I must mention before my pen stops, it is that of Mr. Hewitt. "He who," as Mr. Wright truly says, "has devoted years of his life gratuitously to aiding, by his vast experience and knowledge in awarding prizes, the general improvement of poultry; he is among those who have done a good work for their country." Every reader of this Journal, whatever part he may specially read, yet well knows Mr. Hewitt at least by name, but all do not know that his health is not now what all his friends (and we are all of us his friends) wish it to be, and also that he has had sorrow. I therefore wish editors, sub-editor, writers, readers in all parts a happy new year, and also add to that wish that the coming year may be a happier and healthier one to Mr. Hewitt. WILTSHIRE RECTOR. WAR OF THE ROSE STOCKS. I AM glad of the war of the Roses-not the York-and-Lancaster this time, but Briar v. Manetti. I have been expecting a vigorous Briareus to attack my article on Manetti, but no sign of a powerful onslaught has yet been made, except it be the statement of the length of shoot that has or can be made from a Rose on a Briar stock in one season; but as I have myself measured Général Jacqueminot 9 feet to 11 feet 6 inches in one season, and Gloire de Dijon on Manetti 17 feet, I do not think 13 feet 6 inches on the Briar quite such a poser. I question much whether it was on a standard, and if it was on a standard it would have nearly all to come away for the sake of the symmetry of the head. Again I say, Where there is a heavy clay or an unctuous tenacious loam, stick to the Briar, but then not as a standard, but budded on the seedling; or when a man does not care for a bedded-out Rose garden, and does not mind about an untidy quarter of Roses, and wishes to go in for amateur Rose-showing, let him each year bud on the Briar as many as he has room for, and dispose of them as best he may after the season. Mr. Baker says he agrees with me in the main, but would not mulch. I do not mean by mulching putting on heavy wet manure, but warm littery manure, leaving air to the roots and stems, but still affording great protection from frost. | but also of reducing the already-too-small tree, and then there is the loss, in most instances, of the unopened bud that will in the majority of cases be situated near, and which would be most acceptable by-and-by. I think, therefore, your lady readers who have but a plant or two will thank me for giving them a hint on this subject. Now, the remedy I adopt is a great advantage to the tree, and not less so to the person for whom the bloom is intended. It is simply to pull-off the bud or open bloom gently from the plant, leaving the wood and an open bud for further service, and place it on wire. The bloom answers the same purpose without the wood as with it-nay, even better, for it is not liable to be knocked-off, as is often the case when left on the wood. It can at the same time be better arranged to suit the button-hole, the hair, or in hand bouquets. Of course, the wood is necessary when blooms are employed for specimen glasses or stands for table decoration; even then it is a wise plan to thrust a few wires through the base of the flower, thus keeping it together for some days longer than it would otherwise do. I take the buds or open blooms without wood, and thrust about four or five bouquet wires into the base of the petals, place the blooms at the required distance this is easily done by having the wires of different lengths-then twist the wires all together close at the base of the flower. I have then two leaves of the Camellia also placed each on a wire, and neatly put one on each side of the flower, with a good moderate-sized frond of Fern at the back, and with just a small bit under the front of it so as to hang down a little carelessly. Now gently twist the wires together so as to form a stem about 2 inches long. The work is then done. The bloom will last a night well, and will give greater satisfaction to the wearer, and, of course, to the gardener (nothing exasperates him more than having to cut too much at his Camellias), for he knows that "his" plants are none the worse of the blooms being removed. STRAWBERRY FORCING. If I might venture to answer Mr. Camm's queries about Tea Roses for exhibition stands, I would say persons too often put in Tea Roses, not because they are really first-rate, but to J. T., Maesgwynne. diversify a stand. A really fine Tea Rose or Noisette, such as Maréchal Niel, Souvenir d'un Ami, Madame Willermoz, and others not only diversify but beautify a stand; but a secondrate Tea Rose is not better than a second-rate Hybrid Perpetual-certainly not so good as a first-rate Hybrid Perpetual. Tea Roses protected against a wall too often come in before the rest of the Hybrid Perpetuals, and then inferior blooms on side shoots are put into stands because they are favourites with the exhibitor, and because he thinks the judges will make allowances for its being a Tea; but they too often hang their heads, and appear as if they were ashamed of looking the judges in the face. Choose the best, the freshest, and most perfect-shaped Roses you have to put into your stands, never minding whether they are all Hybrid Perpetuals or not; but if you have a really good Tea by all means let it come to the front. Some rosarians have a penchant for flat Roses; some ignore the merits of La France because of a loose petal, and praise a Rose of the shape of an inverted Mushroom; some like dark Roses or dull-coloured Roses like Felix Genero, because they weather well; but an indulgence of these fancies on an exhibition table would seriously militate against the chance of a prize. It is now three or four years since I was able to avail myself of the request to judge at the Crystal Palace. Saturdays for parsons who live two hundred miles away are not good days for Rose shows; but I have a very lively recollection of very good and pleasant dinners, under the auspices of the worthy Superintendent, Mr. Wilkinson; and I feel sure than any hint for a breakfast and pleasant meeting for rosarians would be quickly carried out, as one especial feature I have always noticed at the Crystal Palace is their readiness to accommodate the public, and to accede to any proper request. So I hope Mr. Farren will succeed in satisfying his wants, both of a good breakfast and a good talk. Roses-to the front.-C. P. PEACH. HOW TO TREAT CAMELLIA BUDS AND BLOOMS. At this time of the year there is generally a great demand for Camellia buds and blooms, and unless there are houses containing large trees planted-out it is difficult to obtain enough without overtaxing the few trees that can be kept in a miscellaneous collection of hardwooded plants. It is not every person who has such housefuls as are to be found at Bicton, Sion, Chatsworth, or the Exeter Nurseries-I have driven-out cartloads from the latter. We not only, by cutting a bloom with the wood to it, run a risk of destroying the means of producing a crop of flowers in the following season, I SUPPOSE We have all heard of the famous culinary recipe that commences with "First catch your hare." No really good cook would attempt to make hare soup without at least a small portion of that animal to flavour it with. To beginners in forcing I would say, First have properly prepared plants. It is useless to attempt to force fruit on a plant that has not already perfected its arrangements to bring forth flowers. The flowers must be there in embryo and ready to burst forth when the necessary heat is applied; the plants must also be ripened to a certain extent. By the number of failures we read and hear of year after year it would seem that this is not thoroughly understood, because Strawberries are certainly not more difficult to force than many other fruits when once we have the plants and suitable accommodation. Whatever the size of the pots used, they should by the middle of September at the latest be so full of roots, that on turning a plant out scarcely a particle of soil can be seen amongst them. This accomplished, all the rest is easy. The pots should be kept on a hard substance to prevent rooting through-mine are placed on inverted 60-pots. The plants will perfect their crowns and ripen in spite of sunless weather and autumn rains, and by the end of November most of the outside leaves will have changed colour, and all will appear almost dormant. Those who have plants of this description may commence at any time; and those who have nothing but soft green leaves, whatever size their plants may be, had better throw them away and have some clean 7-inch pots and stiff loam, such as Melons delight in, ready next June, and I will then tell them how to start afresh. It is useless to attempt to do anything with unripe plants; nearly all the art of forcing lies in preparing the plants beforehand. This applies to flowering plants generally as well as to those grown for their fruit. To have good fruit ripe by the first or second week of April the plants should be placed in a little warmth not later than the first week of January. To plunge them in a bed of warm leaves and cover with a frame, is a good old plan that is not yet beaten for the earliest batch or two, giving air whenever the temperature can be kept up to 48° or 50°, removing the lights altogether during mild weather, and covering a little during frosty nights. In a mild season this treatment may be continued till the crowns fairly begin to open, when the plants should be removed to a light house or pit where a temperature speaks of man's triumph over Nature's luxuriant wildness, and of mighty trees made to stand side by side, and each show forth the other's mightiness. Those to whom the Long Walk at Windsor is familiar, and still more the avenues of Bushy Park seen in May time when the Horse Chestnuts are in bloom, and the shorter but telling avenues at Hampton Court are known, will fully bear me out in the good taste displayed in a well-planted avenue, and the permanent pleasure which arises from such a planting of trees. There must have been at one time almost a rage for such an arboreal arrangement, for, if I mistake not, the majority of avenues are of about the game date. Cowper thus speaks of the avenue "Not distant far a length of colonnade From sultry suns; and in their shaded walks And long-protracted bowers enjoyed at noon lication of our Mr. Wright's grand work, a work which even in parts has had a marked influence on the poultry world in England and America. The other great influence, if I may so speak, is the great national Show at the Crystal Palace. Provincial shows are admirable and interesting, and the things for the provinces, and reflect the peculiarities of each part of the country; but everything national must be connected with the metropolis of the nation; and how fortunate we are in possessing-whether for fowls, Pigeons, dogs, Canaries, or cats —such an exhibition-room as the Crystal Palace. To exhibit the Game Bantams just over the Game fowls, and the eye thus being able to see the two at one and the same time, was a thought worthy of a genius. Little need be said about the poultry, but I would just say this, that at any rate quite enough has been written about Malays, which are neither ornamental nor useful, and only interesting as our first-imported Asiatic fowls; while too little has been said of the Polish of all varieties, which, though they may not And then he thanks his neighbour, the squire of Weston be a useful variety, are among the most ornamental at a show, Underwood, who, he says, "Spares me yet These Chestnuts, ranged in corresponding lines; Pointing, I fancy, to many landowners of the day, who, influenced by "Capability Brown," scarcely left three trees in a line from Land's End to the Tweed: hence the poet says plaintively "Ye fallen avenues! once more I mourn Nor must it be forgotten that the avenue was the great teacher of the Gothic architect. Gothic arches are but lofty trees of stone. Walk down the aisles of a cathedral-there you have avenues. The thoughtful architect took his hint from the lofty Elms, whose branches ran into each other. Gothic architecture, because imitated from Nature, is more beautiful than Grecian or Roman, and more suitable to become, as it has become, Christian architecture. We in a Gothic edifice seem to be worshipping the Creator in a place resembling His creation, for above is "the branching roof." Many a country church is tree-like, "With pillars crowded, and the roof upheld By naked rafters intricately crossed, Like leatless underboughs in some thick wood, All withered by the depth of shade above." With the revival of Gothic (Christian) architecture in this century the planting of trees in avenues may well and suitably be revived. A lingering love, never wholly eradicated, for old-fashioned border flowers has cropped-up and strengthened. I agree with the gay bedders for beds; we in England have over-much green, and want striking colours for contrast and variety; but I grudge that borders should have been invaded, and the term "ribbon border" ever been invented. It is now positively difficult to procure-at least I find it to be so-the border plants proper. Therefore never did I read (and I am sure many others) any articles with greater interest than those by "PHILANTHOS" and my old friend Mr. Robson on Primroses and Polyanthuses, which the former truly says were "long ago the delights of almost every garden." Then with the interesting letterpress came also in its midst those admirable engravings of the "Hose-in-Hose," "Pantaloon," "Galligaskins," and the rest-flowers which I have not seen for years. These papers are good signs, and I hope the cultivation of these and like flowers may be revived ere too late, for even in cottage gardens near me they are gone. "Lost them years ago," is the answer I get, for from mansion garden and rectory garden the bedders have travelled down to farm-house garden, to cottage garden. I, on behalf of hundreds of readers, thank all the writers on those interesting and sadly-neglected flowers. Leaving now the flower department of "our Journal," I turn to that more particularly my own-my own from my scribbling in it for eleven years-the poultry and Pigeon department. The great event of the year is, no doubt, the pub and may be kept in an outhouse or small wired enclosure. Of Pigeons I gladly chronicle that they are more admired than ever, more numerous than ever, and new fanciers are everywhere rising up. The Tumbler proper, the Flying Tumbler, had a class to himself at the Palace Show, and deserved it. Short-faced Balds and Beards also deserve encouragement, for no Pigeons are prettier or more distinctly marked. Dragoons are also everywhere improved, and do not look like young Carriers. The In turning to Canaries, in which I am always interested though not a breeder now, the event of the past year is the discovery of the method of colouring by food. The defence by chemical analysis of the honesty of the method was searching, and the exhibitors enjoyed the triumphs of honest Englishmen. But yet a word of praise to Messrs. Bemrose & Orme for the revealing of the secret, which will be a benefit to all Canary fanciers, and even to all visitors at shows. Speaking of Canaries, there is a touching story told of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first of the English school of portrait but that matters but little, for there is so much more worth painters, when he became blind. He had always been deaf, seeing in the world than worth hearing. If the eyesight be given and preserved, deafness is little felt. But the time came he was found by a friend wandering round the rails of his house when the great painter's eyes grew dim indeed. Well, one day in Leicester Square (No. 47; mark the number, lovers of painting and painters), seeking for a pet Canary of his that had he had formerly seen it. It was an old friend, and he wished strayed. He never could have heard the little bird's song, but it to be still his own, his pet. Scorn not little pets. The man who drew Mrs. Siddons as the tragic muse, and wrote the great lectures on painting, and was the Royal Academy's first President, yet loved a little Canary. How tenderly are pets loved! how diligently cared for! But, perhaps, there is no instance on record of a whole city's people loving and tending their pets as that of the citizens and the Pigeons of Venice. A daughter of mine the other day was in the Great Square of St. Mark, at two o'clock, when the thousands of Pigeons are fed. Down they came at the sound of the bell, the city was alive with wings-from every quarter they came. A little Italian boy gave the young lady a packet of Maize; the Pigeons saw the act, and so tame and confiding are they, that my daughter's hands, arms, and shoulders were covered by the pretty birds. Oh! ladies who frequent Hurlingham Pigeon shooting, would you not look prettier-I appeal to your vanity, I will not try a higher feeling-covered by confiding happy Pigeons, than enjoying dying, bleeding, broken-winged, legless Pigeons ? But I must conclude. I know how "our Journal" tends to foster an innocent love for innocent things-I know the resources that a garden affords to those whose duties confine them much to one spot. Thus, a master of a Union, a winner of many prizes each year at a horticultural show, said to me, looking up from the pages of "our Journal" (he studies them weekly), "This place without my garden would be a cage." With it as a resource he lives on happily. There is one other name I feel I must mention before my pen stops, it is that of Mr. Hewitt. "He who," as Mr. Wright truly says, "has devoted years of his life gratuitously to aiding, by his vast experience and knowledge in awarding prizes, the general improvement of poultry; he is among those who have done a good work for their country." Every reader of this Journal, whatever part he may specially read, yet well knows Mr. Hewitt at least by name, but all do not know that his health is not now what all his friends (and we are all of us his friends) wish it to be, and also that he has had sorrow. I therefore wish editors, sub-editor, writers, readers in all parts a happy new year, and also add to that wish that the coming year may be a happier and healthier one to Mr. Hewitt. WILTSHIRE RECTOR. WAR OF THE ROSE STOCKS. I AM glad of the war of the Roses-not the York-and-Lancaster this time, but Briar v. Manetti. I have been expecting a vigorous Briareus to attack my article on Manetti, but no sign of a powerful onslaught has yet been made, except it be the statement of the length of shoot that has or can be made from a Rose on a Briar stock in one season; but as I have myself measured Général Jacqueminot 9 feet to 11 feet 6 inches in one season, and Gloire de Dijon on Manetti 17 feet, I do not think 13 feet 6 inches on the Briar quite such a poser. I question much whether it was on a standard, and if it was on a standard it would have nearly all to come away for the sake of the symmetry of the head. Again I say, Where there is a heavy clay or an unctuous tenacious loam, stick to the Briar, but then not as a standard, but budded on the seedling; or when a man does not care for a bedded-out_Rose garden, and does not mind about an untidy quarter of Roses, and wishes to go in for amateur Rose-showing, let him each year bud on the Briar as many as he has room for, and dispose of them as best he may after the season. Mr. Baker says he agrees with me in the main, but would not mulch. I do not mean by mulching putting on heavy wet manure, but warm littery manure, leaving air to the roots and stems, but still affording great protection from frost. but also of reducing the already-too-small tree, and then there is the loss, in most instances, of the unopened bud that will in the majority of cases be situated near, and which would be most acceptable by-and-by. I think, therefore, your lady readers who have but a plant or two will thank me for giving them a hint on this subject. wise do. Now, the remedy I adopt is a great advantage to the tree, and not less so to the person for whom the bloom is intended. It is simply to pull-off the bud or open bloom gently from the plant, leaving the wood and an open bud for further service, and place it on wire. The bloom answers the same purpose without the wood as with it-nay, even better, for it is not liable to be knocked-off, as is often the case when left on the wood. It can at the same time be better arranged to suit the button-hole, the hair, or in hand bouquets. Of course, the wood is necessary when blooms are employed for specimen glasses or stands for table decoration; even then it is a wise plan to thrust a few wires through the base of the flower, thus keeping it together for some days longer than it would otherI take the buds or open blooms without wood, and thrust about four or five bouquet wires into the base of the petals, place the blooms at the required distance this is easily done by having the wires of different lengths-then_twist the wires all together close at the base of the flower. I have then two leaves of the Camellia also placed each on a wire, and neatly put one on each side of the flower, with a good moderate-sized frond of Fern at the back, and with just a small bit under the front of it so as to hang down a little carelessly. Now gently twist the wires together so as to form a stem about 2 inches long. The work is then done. The bloom will last a night well, and will give greater satisfaction to the wearer, and, of course, to the gardener (nothing exasperates him more than having to cut too much at his Camellias), for he knows that "his" plants are none the worse of the blooms being removed. STRAWBERRY FORCING. If I might venture to answer Mr. Camm's queries about Tea Roses for exhibition stands, I would say persons too often put in Tea Roses, not because they are really first-rate, but to J. T., Maesgwynne. diversify a stand. A really fine Tea Rose or Noisette, such as Maréchal Niel, Souvenir d'un Ami, Madame Willermoz, and others not only diversify but beautify a stand; but a secondrate Tea Rose is not better than a second-rate Hybrid Perpetual-certainly not so good as a first-rate Hybrid Perpetual. Tea Roses protected against a wall too often come in before the rest of the Hybrid Perpetuals, and then inferior blooms on side shoots are put into stands because they are favourites with the exhibitor, and because he thinks the judges will make allowances for its being a Tea; but they too often hang their heads, and appear as if they were ashamed of looking the judges in the face. Choose the best, the freshest, and most perfect-shaped Roses you have to put into your stands, never minding whether they are all Hybrid Perpetuals or not; but if you have a really good Tea by all means let it come to the front. Some rosarians have a penchant for flat Roses; some ignore the merits of La France because of a loose petal, and praise a Rose of the shape of an inverted Mushroom; some like dark Roses or dull-coloured Roses like Felix Genero, because they weather well; but an indulgence of these fancies on an exhibition table would seriously militate against the chance of a prize. It is now three or four years since I was able to avail myself of the request to judge at the Crystal Palace. Saturdays for parsons who live two hundred miles away are not good days for Rose shows; but I have a very lively recollection of very good and pleasant dinners, under the auspices of the worthy Superintendent, Mr. Wilkinson; and I feel sure than any hint for a breakfast and pleasant meeting for rosarians would be quickly carried out, as one especial feature I have always noticed at the Crystal Palace is their readiness to accommodate the public, and to accede to any proper request. So I hope Mr. Farren will succeed in satisfying his wants, both of a good breakfast and a good talk. Roses-to the front.-C. P. PEACH. HOW TO TREAT CAMELLIA BUDS AND BLOOMS. AT this time of the year there is generally a great demand for Camellia buds and blooms, and unless there are houses containing large trees planted-out it is difficult to obtain enough without overtaxing the few trees that can be kept in a miscellaneous collection of hardwooded plants. It is not every person who has such housefuls as are to be found at Bicton, Sion, Chatsworth, or the Exeter Nurseries-I have driven-out cartloads from the latter. We not only, by cutting a bloom with the wood to it, run a risk of destroying the means of producing a crop of flowers in the following season, I SUPPOSE We have all heard of the famous culinary recipe that commences with "First catch your hare." No really good cook would attempt to make hare soup without at least a small portion of that animal to flavour it with. To beginners in forcing I would say, First have properly prepared plants. It is useless to attempt to force fruit on a plant that has not already perfected its arrangements to bring forth flowers. The flowers must be there in embryo and ready to burst forth when the necessary heat is applied; the plants must also be ripened to a certain extent. By the number of failures we read and hear of year after year it would seem that this is not thoroughly understood, because Strawberries are certainly not more difficult to force than many other fruits when once we have the plants and suitable accommodation. Whatever the size of the pots used, they should by the middle of September at the latest be so full of roots, that on turning a plant out scarcely a particle of soil can be seen amongst them. This accomplished, all the rest is easy. The pots should be kept on a hard substance to prevent rooting through―mine are placed on inverted 60-pots. The plants will perfect their crowns and ripen in spite of sunless weather and autumn rains, and by the end of November most of the outside leaves will have changed colour, and all will appear almost dormant. Those who have plants of this description may commence at any time; and those who have nothing but soft green leaves, whatever size their plants may be, had better throw them away and have some clean 7-inch pots and stiff loam, such as Melons delight in, ready next June, and I will then tell them how to start afresh. It is useless to attempt to do anything with unripe plants; nearly all the art of forcing lies in preparing the plants beforehand. This applies to flowering plants generally as well as to those grown for their fruit. To have good fruit ripe by the first or second week of April the plants should be placed in a little warmth not later than the first week of January. To plunge them in a bed of warm leaves and cover with a frame, is a good old plan that is not yet beaten for the earliest batch or two, giving air whenever the temperature can be kept up to 48° or 50°, removing the lights altogether during mild weather, and covering a little during frosty nights. In a mild season this treatment may be continued till the crowns fairly begin to open, when the plants should be removed to a light house or pit where a temperature |