136 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



seed, and this blackberry, though a blackberry, 

 is a raspberry in habit. Wait patiently, don't 

 disturb the ground, and in a few weeks you will 

 have young plants. It is a strong grower, wants 

 a deep rich soil, aud plenty of room for fruiting. 



Liquid Manuee ron Ko.-es. — Amateur. — House 

 sewage is certainly the best liquid manure for 

 roses, and it is usually sullicieutly diluted as 

 obtained. It may be used once a-week irom 

 tiiis time to the end of August, after which, we 

 think it best not to stimulate them. Use it a 

 little stronger for a fortnight as soon as the first 

 blooms are over. Guano 101b., soot (i quarts, 

 water 100 gallons — this is a capital mixture for 

 roses. 



Tifi'ak y-iiotjSes. — A. B. — The best plan for 

 amateurs who intend to grow pot fruits ana 

 roses in these house3 will be to have the 

 tiffany on rollers, so that the whole roof 

 can be rolled up in lengths by pulleys to 

 the ridge, and the sides the same to the 

 plates. Luring winter a second thickness of 

 tiffany, nailed up inside, the thickness of the 

 rafters from that outside, would enclose a stra- 

 tum of air, and form a non-conducting roof, very 

 proof against frost. Such we understand to be 

 Mr. Standish's method. In our remarks on 

 mineralizing tiffany, an error occurred; it should 

 be 1 lb. of blue vitriol to twenty quarts of water. 



Tomatoes. — A. B. — These may be grown till they 

 show flower in five-inch pots; larger pots would 

 be waste of room. 



Pea Hubdles.— S. W. says he finds common 

 wire netting, supported with iron rods or stout 

 stakes, a very cheap and orderly mode of training 

 peas, andthe netting can be rolled up andpacked 

 away in a small compass when don-; with lor the 

 season. 



Stove Plants. — Bex. — The nettle-like leaf, 

 with light green ground and rich chocolate 

 centre, breaking into spots towards the margin, 

 which is regularly notched, is Plectranthus 

 picturatus. The companion leaf, with less 

 chocolate, and a margin more irregularly 

 and deep notched, is a variety, whether from 

 seed or a sport we do not know. The 

 species is very beautiful as a foiiage plant, 

 but the variety is not worth pot room, so far as 

 respects its pretensions to beauty. The best 

 winter Achimine is splemieus, a dazzling 

 scarlet. The plantused in winter as a substitute 

 for orange blossom is Gardenia citriodora, which 

 no amateur collector should be without. The 

 smallest bits of plants bloom most profusely, 

 aud the flowers are delightfully scented. 



Spot in Pelabgonii'MS. — Constant Header built 

 a house last year, and stocked it with pelargo- 

 niums. He was away for a tune this spring, 

 and, on returning, finds that his plants have all 

 perished from spot, and asks it we think the 

 gardener was to blame. We are always 

 cautious not to bring gardeners into disre- 

 pute, and would rather defend than accuse 

 them, because even a word inadvertently uttered 

 here would do a gardener serious injury, wlien, 

 pei haps, he might, if judged on all the facts, be 

 found free from blame, in this case we cannot 

 help saying that the loss of a houseful of pe- 

 largoniums reflects most discreditably on the 

 person in v\hose charge they were left, because, 

 at the first breaking out of the disease, he should 

 have detected it and taken immediate steps to 

 save the stock. Spotia a physiological mystery, 

 which we do not undeitake to solve; but our 

 private opinion is, that it oiiginates at the root 

 through want of drainage, a sour state of the 

 soil, too much water, sudden cooling of the whole 

 plant by moisture and draughts, v\ ant of venti- 

 lation, too rapid forcing, too much manure, too 

 copious a supply of manure water, or other cir- 

 cumstances ol a similar nature, acting separately 

 or conjointly to derange the functions ot the sap 



vessels. This much in favour of the gardener 

 to whom we have imputed blame — when the 

 spot once gets hold of a collection, there are 

 ten chances in favour of the death of the 

 whole lot to one in favour of their recovery. 

 Now, what shall we do when it does appear? 

 First of all rem ve the plant or plauis affected 

 and either burn them root and branch, or give 

 them careful nursing in a structure as far re- 

 moved as possible from the geranium-house. 

 There cut them down, and make them rest com- 

 pletely, and they will probably throw up a new 

 growth free from spot, and once more acquire 

 health and vigour. In the meantime get cut- 

 tings of all the sorts most prized from healthy 

 stock, and set them going, to take the place of 

 the plants in the house, in case the disease 

 should prove universal anion, st them. To pre- 

 vent its doing so, while the cuttings are making 

 root, keep tbe house well aired, and as dry as 

 possible, not, however, to kill the plants in the 

 drought of sun-heat, but .-ufficiently dry to check 

 succulent growth, and cause the ripening of tbe 

 wood they have already made. In letting pints 

 down lrom a state of high growth to one ot com- 

 pulsory rest needs as much caution as letting 

 down a racehorse from his high training, and 

 the leading element in the affair is to withdraw 

 not too suddenly the chief source of growth, viz., 

 moisture. 



Geeaniujis Tcbning Yellow. — II, Thorpe Ab- 

 bey. — This correspondent complains that her 

 geraniums turn yellow, and drop their leaves, 

 a malady arising from causes the very opposite 

 o I those which produce spot. Plants lose their 

 foliage when going to rest according to the 

 course of Nature, or when unable to hold them 

 through want of nourishment. M's geraniuii;s 

 are either in exhausted soil, or have too little 

 water, or are burnt at the roots through the 

 action of the sun on the pots for want of shading. 

 If turned out at once into beds they would soon 

 recover ; if required in pots all the season, they 

 should have a shift into fresh soil. By fresh we 

 mean soil that has not been used before for any 

 kind of pot plants, and the best for the purpose 

 ■would be loam from a stack of old turf. 



Lawn Mowees. — W. P., Bontefract. — Though 

 there are so many, each professing to be the 

 best, they really do not .differ much either in 

 principle or construction. "Where there is any 

 breadtli of grass it is positive waste ot time to 

 use the scythe. A machine will soon pay its 

 cost in the saving of time; it will mow the grass 

 better; it can be used when the grass is dry, 

 and by a person not accustomed to use the 

 scythe. The cheapest is Boyd's, and that has 

 been p roved to be thoroughly effectual, though 

 with less expensive gear than some of the fancy 

 kinds. "Write to Samuelson, Cannon Street, or 

 Deane and Co., London Bridge, for prices. 



Local Shows. — Rules and lists of prizes, Maid- 

 stone Horticultural, received ; also rules and 

 schedules of Swadlincote Floral So:iety. Wed- 

 nesday, theSth of August is the date of the ex- 

 hibition. In the last-named there are extra 

 prizes for border tiles, flower pots, and garden 

 labels. 



"Vakiotjs.— B.I). — Kindly meant, no doubt, but 

 not the less in error. It's very odd — no real 

 name — different initials every time ; queries all 

 attended to with a care they would not have 

 in other quaiters, and then a fizzing of 

 gunpowder. Surely your liver is out of 

 order. N. S. — The specimen was past recog- 

 nition when it reached us. Thelygonum Cyno- 

 crambe, or Hog's Cabbage, is a native of the 

 South of Europe, and is usualiy regarded as a 

 hardy annual. T. A., Ilusu-ell t Hill.— The 

 subject shall have early attention. M. E. B. — 

 Very pretty, but not practical enough for our 

 pages. 



