THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



239 



may be buried in darkness for a fortnight at a 

 time, by means of mats, or even a temporary 

 thatch of straw, or turf, to be removed at the 

 first break of tho weather. The drenching rains 

 of October and November ruin tender plants ex- 

 posed to it, more than a slight frost, and, indeed, 

 render them unable to bear a little freezing. If 

 got under cover before the heavy rains set in, 

 protection from severe and long-continued frosts 

 is all that is necessary. Try one of Carman's 

 patent stoves, sold by Carman, of Newgate-street, 

 London, and burn in it charcoal dust, with the 

 finest of the powder sifted out. It may be sus- 

 pended in the centre of the shed, and is a very 

 safe means of keeping frost out. But beware of 

 making a dust among the plants. It' your shed 

 shuts up close, a large stone bottle, holding from 

 four to six gallons, painted outside with lamp 

 black and size, would, perhaps, suffice, if filled 

 every night and morning with boiling water 

 during frosty weather, with a few mats outside. 

 Taking up Geraniums. — A Young Gardener 

 — Take them up complete, and with as little 

 damage to the roots as possible, and at the 

 very first opportunity, before heavy rains 

 come. Take off the flower trusses only, but 

 do not damage a leaf. Pot them in as small pots 

 as you can get them into, using pure loam and 

 sand only— no leaf-mould, and no manure. 

 Syringe them frequently, and keep them close 

 and warm till they hold up their heads, and 

 then give them plenty of air and light, and, with 

 heat enough to keep out frost, you have nothing 

 to fear. Mr. Hibberd spoke of cutting off the 

 leaves only of plants that were to be hung up by 

 the heels — if potted, and kept growing, the more 

 leaves the better. Two things bear in mind : 

 Where there is only enough heat to keep the 

 plants, they should not be pruned till spring — 

 the knife should not touch them, and every old 

 geranium is of more value than half-a-dozen 

 young ones. Some people throw away the old 

 stumps — foolish practice! Keep cupheas, but 

 throw away ageratums, as not worth the room 

 they will occupy, unless you wish to keep a few 

 in bloom till after Christmas, which you may 

 easily do. 

 Oleander. — H. Nixon. — Nerium Oleander is de- 

 cidedly a greenhouse plant, and one of those 

 which cannot be well grown by makeshift; 

 methods, as geraniums, and many other such, can. 

 They require a winter temperature, averaging 

 45 clegs., and will enjoy a temperature of 70 

 degs. when pushing into bloom. To do any good 

 with them, they ought to be started early in 

 spring, in a rather "high temperature, and be 

 kept very moist after the}' have commenced 

 growth. The proper soil for any of them, is a 

 mixture of peat, two parts, loam, two parts, and 

 one part of cowdung, and one part leaf-mould. 

 The blossoms come on ripe shoots of the previous 

 year. The three species iu cultivation are 

 Nerium odorum, red ; Nerium oleander, red ; 

 and Nerium thyrsiflorum, pink. Of these, the 

 following varieties are very beautiful, and as 

 they bloom in August, serve to keep the house 

 gay, when the chief part of the stock is turned 

 out for the season— Carneum, flesh-coloured; 

 album, white-flowered ; variegatum, striped. 

 Mandevilleas and Passifloras. — Amateur. — If 

 you have a conservatory with a border, plant 

 out the Mandevillea at once without breaking 

 the ball. It never does well as a pot plant, but 

 is a fine conservatory or greenhouse climber, 

 where it can have head and root room, and a 

 temperature of 45° to 69^ all winter. Passiflora 

 coerulea you may shift into a next sized pot, and 

 keep in a frame or greenhouse all winter, and 

 pext May to be turned out under a south wall, 

 there to remain as a hardy climber— that is to 

 say, if you live any where within hearing of the 



nightingale. If your house is near John 

 O Groats, or in any bleak position, use it as a 

 greenhouse climber, in the same wav as we 

 advise for the Man levillcasauvcolens Passiflora 

 racemosa, must have stove or warm greenhouse 

 treatment, and will do as a pot plant if you shift 

 as it requires more room ; but it is better 

 planted out, with a good space, to run along a 

 rafter. ° 



Delphiniums.— c. Z>.-Formosum is decidedly au 

 improvement on Hendersonii, having larger 

 flowers, and a more dwarf habit; though the 

 latter is a lovely and most useful sort. You 

 did quite right by your roses ; we supposed, from 

 your statement, they had only just been budded. 



Passiflora catavLEk.— Subscriber.— Train in the 

 strongest shoot of each, thin away by cutting 

 close to the root, all superfluous spray, so as to 

 expose the main stems to be ripened. In March 

 cut in the roots, so as to confine them to a radius 

 of not more than four feet, or even three feet 

 from thecollar, to check then- excessive luxuriance. 



Thompson's Gas Stove.— At last, we hear of one 

 casein which this invention has given satisfac- 

 tion. We have no permission to publish the 

 name of the proprietor, whose gardener writes to 

 say, that a conservatory and greenhouse are 

 efficiently heated by it. J. G. St., Surbiton.— 

 The invention has been altered since it was first 

 brought out. If yours is so constructed that the 

 consumed air passes right away at once, you may 

 get on very well with it. If the heated air has 

 access to the house, you may get on very well 

 for awhile, but your plants will be in danger, and 

 may, some day or other, exhibit the effects of 

 contact with poisonous vapours. 



Hcmea elegans.— Several correspondents have 

 written in answer to Q, all agreeing that Humea 

 elegans does not produce any unpleasant effects 

 on the skin when handled, or even if the face is 

 for several minutes covered with its sprays. To 

 prevent young plants damping off, put a mixture 

 of powdery peat and silver sand round the 

 collar of each. They ought to be sown in spring 

 and put out all the summer to get them strong 

 before housing. Late sown plants are the most 

 likely to break down in winter. 



Holly Berries..— A'otnce.— Gather the berries 

 when dead ripe, and heap them together in sand 

 in a spare corner, exposed fully to the weather. 

 Turn the heap every two or three months for a 

 year, then sift out the seeds, and sow in February 

 in beds of fine rich soil, liaising hollies is slow 

 work, but very sure. It is very difficult to strike 

 them from cuttings, but it can be done, as may 

 be seen at the Highgate Nurseries, where Mr. 

 Cutbush strikes them by thousands under hand 

 lights. 



Salvia Lbaf.— S. J. C— Eaten at night ; by what 

 we cannot say. There is a slight trace of th e 

 black spots which thrips deposit as they feed, 

 but you would have found thrips had they been 

 there. 



Evergreens.—/. B. — Evergreens moved last spring 

 ought to have had abundance of water all the sum- 

 mer, to get them established. The one you speak 

 of as dead, is very likely not dead,'and if cut over 

 close to the ground, may throw up fresh growth 

 from the root. The sprig sent is one of the lighter 

 kinds of arbor vita;. 



Lahurnum in Bloom.— H. S. T., Rye.— The La- 

 burnum in bloom in the garden of the parish 

 clerk, at Bredc, in Sussex, is not an exceptional 

 case. Laburnums frequently bloom twice in the 

 same season, so docs the Glycine sinensis, or 

 purple laburnum. We have a Kibston pippin 

 apple at the present time covered with fruit, and 

 well sprinkled with blossoms. The fact is 

 interesting, but not extraordinary. 



