A few plants of Lilium candidum were growing in a damp shady corner, in loam approaching to clay; and though the flowers were formed they never fully expanded. As the leaves of this plant at its flowering season begin to appear unsightly, all the plants were cut down to within a foot of the ground. In the Autumn much surprise was excited by two of the plants showing bulbs at the axilla of the remaining leaves; not like those of L. bulbiferum and tigrinum, but soft, white, and succulent, and composed of several scales, being about the size of a small hazel nut.

A bulb of L. canadense, var. rubrum, was planted in bogearth; not showing any leaves in June, the upper part of the bulb was carefully exposed, but appearing very white, (the incontestible mark of health in the North American species,) it was covered, and allowed to remain until the Autumn, when it was taken up and examined; several new and large bulbs had formed, so as to increase it to triple its former bulk. The mode of increase in the North American species (at least in Canadense and superbum) appears peculiar; the parent and young bulbs are connected somewhat in the manner of Tulipa sylvestris.

I have seen the leaf of Lachenalia tricolor form bulbs on the torn edge, when it has been half divided by accident. I am, Sir, &c.

Hendon, Middlesex, May 2.

E. M. BAINES.

ART. XI. Observations on Reverse Grafting. By Mr. WILLIAM BALFOUR, Gardener to the Earl Gray, at Howick.

Sir,

I HAVE been favoured by a friend with a sight of your Gardener's Magazine, in which I perceive you have noticed my method of reverse grafting in rather an illiberal manner. From the respect you appear to have for improvement in general, and particularly in gardening, I should have expected that an improvement, however simple, would have been treated by you in a different manner. You go on by saying,-" All these advantages may be much more readily attained by reversing the young side-shoots." I have proved by experience, that reversed side-shoots do not come into bearing, nor are they so easily kept within due bounds as are the shoots from reverse grafts; and, moreover, shoots cannot be made to break from a desired spot, while a graft may be put on wherever you please; and, besides, reverse-training the side-shoots would not alter the kind, which may at some times be desirable. In all horizontal

trained trees, young shoots seldom issue from the main stem without amputation. I grant, that trees grafted and trained in the reverse manner cannot be kept in exact uniformity of training;-utility was my object, as also neatness of training, so far as the nature of the thing will admit. I must say, that I do not envy the taste of the person who would prefer a tree trained in exact symmetry, bearing leaves only, to one trained somewhat irregular, bearing a crop of fruit; and to keep a tree in regular bearing, a succession of young shoots must be annually laid in.

Howick, April 14. 1826.

I am, Sir, &c.

WM. BALFOUR.

ART. XII. On improving the Gardens of Cottages, as practised by the late Lord Cawdor at Stackpole Court, in Tembrokeshire. Communicated by Mr. WILLIAM BUCHAN, F.H.S., Gardener to Lord Bagot, at Blithfield, near Litchfield.

Sir,

IN your Gardener's Magazine, I have seen a paper on the benefits to be derived by the country labourer from a garden, and the means of teaching him how to acquire those benefits, by William Stevenson, Esq.; and considering that it might be of service to some of your readers, I shall endeavour to describe a method of teaching labourers to benefit by their gardens, which differs from Mr. Stevenson's, and which, in the hands of an indulgent master, I have in some measure been instrumental in effecting, when in the service of the late Lord Cawdor, at Stackpole Court, in Pembrokeshire.

His lordship, ever anxious to promote the comforts of his dependants, gave directions for additional chambers, and a better system of ventilation in his cottages; to repair the exterior in the cottage style, and build new ones where wanted. I was then instructed to put the gardens in a proper form behind each cottage, and to make a court in front, for the cultivation of flowers. I furnished them with such fruit-trees as were best adapted for that climate, and stocked their courts with herbaceous plants, shrubs, and creepers of the common kinds; informing the cottagers at the same time, that they would have to keep the whole in good order for the future; and I must here observe, that the information was not received with a good grace by some of them, prejudiced as they were against the introduction of any thing new.

Five premiums or rewards, of different value, were then offered to those who had the best cultivated garden, and most flowers in their courts, and about the 10th of August I inspected their gardens, and awarded the premiums. As the garden labourers, from the nature of their employment, had some advantage over the others, they were not allowed to compete with them, but were competitors among themselves; and the premiums were not confined to those who had had their gardens put in form for them, but extended to the cottagers of the three parishes.

The successful candidates were so elated with the idea of having gained a prize, and the others flattered with the hope of doing the same the following season, that the spirit of gardening soon became general, and cuttings of fruit-trees, plants, and flower-seeds, were in great request with those very individuals who were most prejudiced against them at the formation of their little gardens.

The village of Stackpole was now frequented in the Summer season by the ladies and gentlemen of the neighbourhood, to see the flowers and improvements of the cottages; and many of the labourers, who had worked about the gardens for years, and never asked the name of a plant, began to ask the names of flowers that a certain lady or gentleman had admired the preceding day.

Two years before I left Stackpole Court, the premiums were discontinued, being considered unnecessary; and it was gratifying to see that the cottagers paid the same attention to their gardens, in the evenings and mornings, as usual; they had experienced the comfort and advantage arising from so doing; for their fruit-trees were now in a bearing state, and their market for common fruits and early vegetables was tolerably good.

Having seen the desired effect accomplished, by the above method of teaching labourers to benefit by their gardens, I should be happy to hear of that, or a similar method, being adopted by those who have it in their power; and the poor man's cottage made comfortable and ornamental in scenery, instead of the levelling system which is practised by many. I am, Sir, &c.

Blithfield, May 13th, 1826.

WILLIAM BUCHAN.

We earnestly recommend to our readers the practice recommended in the above communication. There is scarcely any person fond of gardening, and of promoting the comfort of his

fellow-creatures, who might not do something. The humblest individual might give away seeds or plants, and, wherever he saw them, commend neatness and good crops, and blame slovenliness. Clergymen might do much in this way. Village clubs might be formed by the richer inhabitants, for giving instructions verbally and by printed tracts, and also seeds and plants, and awarding premiums to their more humble neighbours, in Lord Cawdor's manner. On large properties, where all or most of the cottages belong to, or are held of one individual, the premiums, &c., should be given by him, and the mode described above seems to be the best hitherto devised. Many country gentlemen only require to have a good thing such as this proposed to them, in order to its adoption. We recommend such gardeners as can do it, to hint the thing in a proper manner to their masters, and especially to their mistresses, and the young ladies of the family. A great deal is yet to be done both in the horticultural and architectural improvement of cottage residences. Even the best sorts of apples, to ensure a succession of that fruit to the cottager throughout the year, are not generally known. We earnestly request information on every thing relating to the improvement of cottagers and cottages. One movement of improvement given to the lowest classes will produce an impulse through all those above them; but the reverse does not happen so quickly. When speaking on this subject to country gentlemen, we have frequently been told of the impossibility of overcoming the habits and prejudices, and even vices, of the lower classes on their estates; but though this may not be done at once, and entirely, it may be done by degrees, and in great part. The very reason of these bad habits and prejudices, is the neglect and bad treatment of the superior classes, for the same reason that the rudeness of the populace of the metropolis, when they get into public gardens, museums, &c., is because they are generally excluded from such places. Were they as commonly admitted to them as in France and Germany, they would do them as little injury as in these countries; and were all cottagers treated like Lord Cawdor's, they would, in time, become as industrious and amiable. It is a common case with masters of all classes to think that their servants have more faults than those of others; but this, we suspect, is a vice belonging to the condition of masters. Buonaparte observed to M. Rochelle, that "children and servants are just what we make them." The same thing may be said of the cottagers on gentlemen's estates.-Cond.

ART. XIII. On the Cultivation in the Open Garden and Treatment in the Forcing-house of the Strawberry known as "Wilmot's Superb." By Mr. ISAAC OLDACRE F. H. S. Gardener to the Emperor of Russia.

Sir,

HAVING had an opportunity of observing the progress of "Wilmot's superb" strawberry from its first production, with the cultivation and management practised by Mr. Wilmot, I flatter myself a few remarks on it will be acceptable to the numerous readers of the Gardener's Magazine. The excellence of this strawberry is too well known in the metropolis and its vicinity to require any comment; nor do I think any fruit garden can be complete without this fruit. Its ripening later than the pine, and most other strawberries, enhances its value considerably.

The plants being stronger in their growth than any of the other varieties, they are planted at a greater distance from each other. The rows are two feet and a half apart, and the plants two feet, plant from plant, in the rows. They are left to grow in single stools, and the ground betwixt them is always kept free from weeds. Where the runners are not wanted to make plants for new plantations, they are taken off as they appear, because if suffered to grow they would weaken the old plants, and prevent them from producing their fruit so large the following year. They thrive best in a rich loamy soil.

This strawberry, if not put into the forcing-house till the end of February, or beginning of March, forces well; the fruit does not set well in a high temperature; from 50° to 55° is the heat that suits them best, with a free admission of air in the middle of the day until the fruit is set; after that they will bear a stronger heat.

A very good description of this strawberry has been given in the Horticultural Transactions, vol. vi. p. 208. (and Gard. Mag. p. 230.) I am, Sir, yours, &c. ISAAC OLDACRE,

Spring Grove, March 6th, 1826.

ART. XIV. On the Importance of Regularity and Systematic Conduct in Practical Gardeners. By G. R. Gardener, Champion Hill, Surrey.

Sir,

WITH every disposition to support the Gardener's Magazine, from the conviction of its universal utility among