352 THE FLOKAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



Treatment of Calceolarias. — M. S. Q. — You are fortunate in Laving such 

 nice round-headed plants of Aurea Jlorihunda as you describe. We should take 

 tliem up carefully and pot them in good loam, mixed with a little rotten dung, and 

 keep through the winter in the greenhouse or cold frame, with just sufficient protec- 

 tion to keep them from frost. The only attention they will require beyond the pro- 

 tection will be to remove the decayed leaves, and water when needed. They will 

 probably require two or three smokings to keep down the green-fly, for that pest will 

 soon ruin them if allowed to get ahead. In the spring, when in Hower, they will he 

 glorious objects, with heads of bloom two feet in circumference, and be grand for 

 mixing with the early-flowering pelargoniums. Frince of Orange is very good for 

 pot-cultuie, but its brownish-coloured flowers do not contrast so well with the ros}"- 

 hues of the geraniums and cinerarias as the bright yellow-coloured flowers of Aurea. 



Name of Plant. — Inquirer. — The leaves enclosed are those of Oesneria zehrina 

 and Q-. cinnabarina, two of the prettiest winter-flowering plants we have : treat them, 

 to a little warmth, and they will continue flowering for some time yet. 



CREErEii F ju, A Eailixg — UNFKnrFUL Plum-Trees. — Lavender Sill. — One 

 of the very best plants in the world for a " railing round an area" is Crataegus 

 j}yracantha, the evergreen thorn, which can be easily trained, and when it has 

 stood a few years, bears abundance of scarlet berries. The Irish ivy is invaluable 

 for the purpose, and the Virginian creeper is not to be despised. Your plum-trees 

 have probably sent their roots too deep into a cold, damp soil. Pi-obably, if they 

 were now taken up, and carefully root-pruned and planted again, with some fresh 

 soil and manure to h< Ip them, they would again become fruitful. 



Recent Subscriber will find in the " Town Garden," price 3s. 6d., ample informa- 

 tion on the management of the flower-garden and window plants. 



Mrs. Crawley may use for plunging either tan, moss, cocoa-nut fibre refuse, or 

 even sawdust. 



Ada's fern is Adianfum reniforme. 



Bombastes is respectfully informed that editors are human and fallible, and there- 

 fore apt occasionally to make mistakes, and see a likeness between M and N. Bom- 

 hastes will find, if he has patience to read the August number of the Floral World, 

 that his letter was answered to the signature of E. instead of B, But then Bombastes 

 writes B in such a w^ay, that to these editorial eyes it appears to be E ; and if he 

 goes on in that way, he must expect to be alv/ays on the quarrel with those he 

 honours with his autograph, unless the Almighty should suddenly bless him with 

 an inspiration of common sense, which, perhaps, is the only absolute necessity of 

 which he stands in need. 



Devonshire near (or bear). — We cannot affo rd time to examine your plan. We 

 would not advise without seeing the ground. The subject is not one for an editorial 

 opinion given gratuitously, but for a professional opinion rendered on the spot, and 

 paid for. 



C. M. — Hood's work on heating is the best. On the other subject, see the 

 " Gardener's JMagazine" of Dec. 29, 1866. 



Y. Z. E. — Eep'.ied to in article by Mr. Williams, of Ormskirk. 



3Irs. Young.— Vfe really know nothing of the invention you inquire about. 



Thomas Baker. — The principal use of sand in composts is to give the mass a 

 porous texture. Any sand that does this will ar.swer, but sand of a binding, adhesive 

 nature is not suitable ; we want it granular or gritty. Sea-sand usually answers 

 well for potting, and the small amount of salt it contains does more good than 

 harm. 



Tree Carnations. — B. — Your seedlings will probably flower in a few weeks ' 

 time from this, if the weather continues warm, In the Floral World of April 

 1865, was published the first thoroughly practical paper on winter-flowering carna- 

 tions. In consequence of your inquiries, we have induced the writer of that article 

 — who is one of the most successtul trade cultivators of these flowers — to take up 

 the subject again, and treat it more extensively. You had, therefore, in the October 

 number a fuller reply than could be given here. 



Chinese Primula. — TT. C, Helensburgh.— '&&& an article on Primulas in 

 Flobal World lor March, 1866. It is no injury to these plants to nip out the 

 flower-buds before they expand. We never recommend dealers ; the house you 

 name is one of the best in the trade. 



