THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



263 



Trigonella corniculata syn. Lotus Indicus (stove 



and greenhouse annual). 

 Eupatorium foeniculaceum (hardy herbaceous). 

 Michelia chainpaca (stove evergreen). 

 Cereus multangularis. (greenhouse succulent). 

 Cajsalpinia coriaria? (stove evergreen) 

 Stachytarpheta mutabilis (stove evergreen). 



,, „ orubica (stove biennial). 



Jute seed. 



Camellias, etc., to keep back.— Clericus. — Yon 

 scarcely need fear your camellias opening too 

 soon. They will even show colour, and yet 

 stand still at this time of year if out of doors. 

 Mind the frost does not nip them ; give as little 

 ■water as possible to the roots, but let the foliage 

 be syringed occasionally. Merely turning a 

 plant out of its pot without damaging a single 

 fibre, and then replacing it, will give it a check 

 sufficient to retard the blooming. If geraniums 

 are too forward, cut them in moderately, and 

 shift them into smaller pots, and shift again into 

 blooming pots about the middle, of December, 

 or pinch out the points that show bloom, and 

 pot them on to one size larger, and they will 

 make finer specimens for blooming in March. 

 Crocuses may be planted any time up to the 

 middle of December, and bloom well if good 

 bulbs. The middle of October is the best time, 

 and as soon alter that as practicable. Your 

 other query is answered in an article in this 

 number. 



Vaeiegated Mint. — Cockney. — The variegated 

 mint may be struck by thousands all the summer ; 

 the cuttings should be three inches long, and the 

 lowest pair of leaves removed. We grow hun- 

 dreds of them in pots for furnishing ; they come 

 in usefully in a hundred ways, and make pretty 

 edgings to baskets of pot geraniums, the pots 

 being set round the edge and mossed over. It 

 is quite hardy, but it kept in pots in a cold- 

 frame, grows earlier in spring than in the open 

 ground. It is more showy than variegated 

 balm. Look over your Wardian case by 

 candle-light after watering, and you will pro- 

 bably catch the depredators. There are plenty 

 of unnamed hardy white and lilac phloxes in 

 gardens; of named varieties the following will 

 suit you: — Antagonist, Ave Maria, Eucharis, 

 Formosus, Belle Etoile, Bourbonensis, Candi- 

 dissima nova, Comte de Cambord, Crepuscule, 

 La Fiancee, Lilaciua, Mont Blanc; the last seven 

 are the hardiest. 



Shrivelled Grapes. — Tyro. — We believe your 

 vine is healthy and right at the roots, and that 

 the bad state of the berries is owing to atmos- 

 pheric causes. When you were away was the 

 house shut up, and the vine denied fresh air and 

 moisture? Such we believe to have been the 

 case from the appearance of the berries sent. 

 It would be as well, however, to consider if the 

 roots have got into a cold wet soil, and you will 

 be the best able to judge on that point. Don't 

 hesitate to write again if you still remain in 

 doubt ; now is the time to determine for better 

 or worse next season. 



Calceolabia. — Admirer.— Prince of Orange has a 

 robust constitution, and requires no coddling. 

 We winter it with others of its class in a cold 

 pit. The dahlias you name are first-rate for 

 home culture. See our notice of the Dahlia 

 Show in this number. Lobelia speciosa will 

 winter most safely in a mixture of sandy peat 

 and leaf-mould, and must be kept growing ; if 

 once it gets dust- dry, it will never recover. 

 " Garden Favourites," published by Groom- 

 bridge and Sons, contains the "best practical 

 treatises " on popular flowers. 



Glossary, etc. — C. H. Simms, Scarborough. — We 

 endeavour to make every instruction as plain as 

 possible, but we cannot prevent the occasional 



introduction of terms that may not be under- 

 stood by beginners. The many practical men 

 who write for our pages, all agree to make 

 their articles as simple as possible; such 

 technicalities as do creep in, you will get to 

 understand in time, and then you will also 

 understand how unavoidable technicalities are 

 in some measure. But we could not possibly 

 comply with your wish. 



Verbena Cuttings.— Subscriber.— They will root 

 if you are careful; but you are a day or two 

 after the fan-. Let them remain in the cutting- 

 pots till spring. Defiance, red ; Mrs. Holford, 

 white ; Brilliant de Vaise, crimson ; Andre, bluish 

 purple; St. Margaret's, crimson scarlet; Mul- 

 berry, dark ; Blue Bonnet, almost blue ; Impe- 

 ratrice Elizabeth, striped lilac fancy, will suit you, 

 and are easily managed. You are right about 

 the numbers, it should have been two batches ; 

 the 1,400 is a consequence of the first conclusion. 



Bedding-plants, etc. — A. B. — The same period 

 applies to the bed as to the pots ; we should pre- 

 fer the latter. The prepared soil should be 

 peaty, poor, a«d very sweet. Young geraniums 

 will do as you propose, but don't be in a hurry 

 to cut any geranium, large or small, where they 

 must bear rough treatment; ii causes them to 

 make new shoots, which may be cut off by frost. 

 You have precisely the right idea of a turf-pit. 

 Fruit-room next month. 



Cold Pit, etc. — The bottom may be below the 

 level in a very dry soil, but, generally, it would 

 be too damp, though warmer. The turf walls 

 are simply turves of a regular width, neatly 

 stacked, to form the sides and ends when the 

 dimensions of the pit have been marked out. 

 Read the article on the subject in number one, 

 and you will easily understand the whole affair. 

 We will describe the Waltonian case in detail in 

 good time for its use next spring. 



Cheap Greenhouse.— L. Treleaven.— The aspect 

 is ;the best you can have For the measure- 

 ment you give, we should advise the height to 

 be five feet high in front, and nine feet at back. 

 You will not want a flue; a little iron stove, with 

 pipe through the top, covered outside with a 

 mushroom protector, will do to keep frost out. 

 If we knew exactly what the "back-house" 

 consists of, we would advise you in detail. 



IIdysiies Victoria Pear.— A. Brown, Elmcrofts. 

 — We believe this to be a first-rate variety, and 

 it will probably do well as a standard in a good 

 climate. At present, it is only to be obtained 

 through the agency of the Horticultural Society, 

 which distributes grafts of it every spring. If 

 you kr.ow a Fellow, get him to bespeak a few 

 scions for you at once j it is not in the trade 

 yet. 



Lawn with Beds, etc.— M. A. Arnold.— Don't 

 disturb the arrangement now, put up with it. 

 A few small shrubs from a nursery would afford 

 you something to look at, and they might bo 

 plunged in pots to be removed in spring. Next 

 month we will give you some suggestions. 



Flowers in the City. — Rev. A. J. — We are 

 delighted to hear of your success, and we wish 

 the city could present a few other such examples. 

 Kindly give us till next month for a reply to your 

 queries; our engagements are just now over- 

 whelming. 



Verbena Venosa.— P. B.— This requires green- 

 house protection ; it will be sure to perish in a 

 frame or cold pit. Rich sandy loam is the best 

 for it, and to be kept growing all the winter : 

 young plants are easier to manage than old 

 ones. 



Guyot's Straw Protector. — J. L., Brecon. — 

 We can gain no tidings of M. Guyot. 



