THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



143 



readers is the book, and to reply to queries 

 privately would be prejudicial to our readers, 

 and to the interests of the "Floral World." 

 Cacti. — S. A. C. — The cacti are strictly seasonal 

 in their habits ; when they grow they grow, 

 and when they rest, they rest. Make tbem 

 grow when they ought to rest, aud j'ou do them 

 harm, indeed, they may grow rotten at the 

 base ; aud many folks lose tliem iu winter, 

 through being afraid to let them go dust dry, 

 or in spring, through giving water when there 

 is not sufficient heat to enable them to absorb 

 it. Yours are iu a good place, because they 

 have plenty of hght, which' they like at all 

 seasons. As yours are beginning to swell, give 

 them a little water, by laying the pots on their 

 sides, and di-enchiug the heads with tepid water 

 from a fine rose. Let uone go to the root until 

 they show that they Uko it overhead. Then 

 moisten the soil through thoroughly, and give 

 them aU the heat aud light at your command, 

 and sprinkle them overhead very often iu the 

 morning ; but never give water at the root 

 more than is necessary to keep them moderately 

 moist. During hot weather, when they are in 

 full growth, give plenty of water, and as soon 

 as the spines change colour, dry them up slowly 

 for the winter. Whether E. rigidus will bloom 

 or not, depends how it was treated last autumn, 

 more than on its treatment now. If well 

 ripened and put thoroughly to rest, it is very 

 likely to give you some blooms. A glass shade 

 may be used over them during July and August, 

 and at no other time ; but a moist air in a warm 

 house is better. Treat your aloes in the same way. 

 Wallflowers and Acacias. — jS. J. C. — The 

 best time to strike double waUHowers is when 

 they are making new growth, after having 

 flowered. Take off young side-shoots with a 

 heel, nip off the lower leaves, and dibble them 

 close together in a mixture of half sand and half 

 loam, and cover with a beU glass. Sprinkle 

 them frequently, and after a week tUt the bell 

 glass, aud leave it otf every night for another 

 week, and then take it away. In three weeks 

 they will be rooted, and as soon as they begin 

 to grow, prick them out on a bed to strengthen 

 for final planting in the autumn. A compost of 

 loam three parts, sand two parts, and lime 

 rubbish one part suits them well ; and they are 

 safest in winter on a raised bed, or on rock- 

 work, for damp is a greater enemy than frost. 

 Leave your seedling acacias alone till they 

 begin to crowd each other, and then pot otf into 

 thumbs, and when the pots are full of roots, 

 phift into sixties, and after that give pot-room 

 as required. Sand, loam, and turiy peat, iu 

 equal proportions, is the proper soil for them. 



Waltonian Case. — C. M. — This does not re- 

 quire a "bright sunshine;" a very moderate 

 amount of dayhght is sufficient, because it is 

 used only for propagating, hence your small 

 room wUl I)e a good place for it. If you can 

 get to it conveniently is of more importance 

 than the amount of light; but as the cuttings 

 root and the seeds come up, they must be taken 

 into the greenhouse, or they will soon get drawn. 

 The preservative pit, when filled with coal 

 ashes, should be on a level wth the ground, or 

 it will be too damp. If raised six inches above 

 the level it would be better than having it 

 below, and the pots bemg plunged keep moist 

 for a long time. We camiot say why your 

 azaleas should have perished, probably they 

 were too damp at the coUar through being 

 potted too deep, or from having a top-dressing, 

 which rotted the wood. Lateritia and Glecl- 

 staneai are very hearty kinds. Was the "mo- 

 derate heat " immoderate .' We suspect it was. 

 By referring back you -svill find many notes on 

 azaleas. 



Woodlice.— F. jB., Subscriber. — Pour boiling 

 water into the chinks they infest, and along 

 the foot of the wall. A little patience iu hand- 

 picking would clear them all away iu tune, 

 because the pots are traps for them. If they 

 get in among the crocks, turn out the ball from 

 each pot, and destroy them. Traps may be 

 placed for them all along the walls of a house, 

 by means of tiles or pieces of wood, for they 

 will collect in any dark, damp, warm spot. Gas 

 Ume will cause them to Hit, but we doubt if it 

 will kill them. We always depend on trapping, 

 and use lids of baskets, or any such things that 

 may be handy. F. It. should not use corrosive 

 sublimate, as it may render the manure in- 

 jurious to plants ; but boiling water will settle 

 the woodlice most effectually. 



Botanical Specimens. — R. S. — You can obtaiu 

 information as to the arrangement of a herba- 

 rium, aud also any number of specimens for a 

 gardener's collection, or for school pui-poses, as 

 well as single specimens of British plants, by 

 applying to Mr. F. Y. Brocas, botanist, So, 

 St. Martin's Lane, London, W.C, Mr. Brocas 

 purchased the herbarium of the Botanical 

 Society of London, and has now about 90,0j0 

 British and exotic specimens, from which pur- 

 chasers can make selection. Sets of British 

 grasses, ferns, etc., may be had of him, at very 

 reasonable prices, neatly mouuted, named, and 

 arranged in classes. 



Planting Sets oe B-eds.— Tulip. — Plan I. — 1. 

 Geraniiun album, edged with Lobeha eriuus 

 speciosa. 2. Calceolaria, Prince of Orange. 3. 

 Calceolaria, Orange Boven. 4. Verbena, Geant 

 des BatailJes. 5. Verbena, BriUiant de Vaise. 

 6. HeUotropc aucubcBfolium, edged with Little 

 David geranium. — Plan II. — 1. Geranium, 

 Flower of tlie Day. 2, 3, i, 5, G. Tom Thumb 

 geranium. 7. Lantana crocea. 8. Calceolaria 

 Frostii. 9. Heliotropium Peruvianum. 10. 

 Ageratum celestinum. 



Asp.veagus Knives. — Asparagus. — The heads are 

 not better sawn otf, but should always be cut 

 with an asparagus knife, which is the least likely 

 to injure the crownsof the roots, besides cutting 

 more regular, and not so deep. Those who 

 practice Mr. Weaver's method of culture can 

 be in no difficulty about the cutting. The heads 

 are allowed to rise six inches out of the ground, 

 aud are then cut level with tlie surface. Every 

 other method injures the plauts, and sends to 

 table a large proportion of uneatable stems. 



News from Canada. — I send you subscription for 

 the "Floral World," in obtaining which out 

 here I have great difficulty, as I have also in 

 getting the Cottarje Gardener. Here tlie climate 

 is very different to what we were accustomed to 

 in the old country, and it is rather sharp work 

 on our greenhouses with nearly six months 

 constant tiring— the thermometer sometimes 

 at 30' below Zero, that is, 62° of frost. There is 

 no such journal as the "Floral World" in 

 this country. The Iforficulfurist is a bit of an 

 old wife, and the good things are mostly taken 

 from the English journals. — Preston, Canada 

 West. R. Bell. 



[Thanks for your note andrenoittance, which was 

 sent to office of Cottage Gardener, aud by the 

 editors kindly loi-warded to us. The " Floral 

 World" is altogether distinct from the Cottage 

 Gardener, and our publishing ofltice is 5, Pater- 

 noster Kow, London. We have forwarded the 

 numbei-s from February. — Ed. F. W.] 



Seedling Dielvtras.— ./"chc K. II.— The diffi- 

 culty has been overcome, and Messrs. E. G. 

 Henderson enter spectabilis in their seed list, 

 and those who wish to raise seedlings have a 



