THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



63 



crease the temperature, and give air only 

 when the weather is mild. As soon as 

 the fruit is set, throw water on the paths, 

 to make a moist air, and use the syringe 

 freely. Tie in the shoots before they get 

 unmanageable, and stop laterals at the 



first eye beyond the bunch. Rods saved 

 from the prunings may be put in heat to 

 strike ; hardy kinds will strike in the open 

 air in precisely the same way as currant 

 canes. 



TO CORRESPONDEXTS. 



Cpltukk of Root Crops. — Please tell 

 me what is the best stimulant for carrots 

 and parsnips ? — B. H. [Salt is largely 

 i\sed in the field-culture of these roots, 

 but the best way to insure a fine crop 

 is to manure the bottom of the trench, 

 and have no manure at all in the top 

 spit. Then by deep hoeing of the soil 

 between the rows until the leaves meet 

 and cover the ground, the spring showers 

 will have their proper effect. The best 

 soil to choose for these roots is a poor, 

 sandy loam, trench it deep, manure the 

 second spit, sow parsnips on the 1st of 

 March, and carrots on the 10th.] 



Variegated Kail. — A lady correspondent, 

 dating from Norwood, has sent us some 

 specimens of garnishing kail, in order 

 to call attention to its merits for winter 

 decoration. These specimens are cer- 

 tainly most beautiful, and worthy of a 

 place in the epergne or drawing-room 

 vase, or to group in winter bouquets. 

 They comprise shades of cream, pure 

 white, delicate green, and rosj- flesh all 

 on the same leaf, which is elegantly 

 crimped and curled like the best milli- 

 ner's frilling. Other specimens are deep 

 crimson, lively orange red, several 

 shades of purple, and one leaf is a richer 

 maroon red than purple orach. 



Heating Forcing House. — J. R. — The 

 heat from your pipes is nearly all 

 thrown away. Tour gardener would 

 have placed them much better. But 

 why don't you make hot water tanks of 

 your pits. Your striking and cucumber 

 growing, or whatever else you wish to 

 do, will be much more eff'ectually done 

 by such an arrangement. Take the tan 

 out of the pit, fill up to within a foot and 

 a-half of the top with rough gravel, or 

 any other hard material, on that place 

 a paving of common Yorkshire stone in 

 pieces the width of the pit. let the joints 

 and sides be well cemented. Cement 

 the wall five or six inches from the 

 stone, so as to make the whole water- 

 tight ; then make a division by a brick 

 on edge throughout the entire length of 

 the pit, to cause flow and return of the 

 water, and cover the whole with thin 



slates well cemented at the joints to 

 keep out steam. This will leave you ten 

 or eleven inches of space in which to 

 place mould for your cucumbers, or 

 cocoa-nut fibre, or other plunging mate- 

 rial in which to strike your cuttings. 

 Do not fix your tank to the outside wall, 

 but leave a space wide enough to take a 

 pipe all round, which will be found use- 

 ful in raising the temperature of the 

 house, and drying up excessive moisture. 

 Fit the pipe with a stop valve. 



Gladioli in Bloom in August. — /. H. — 

 Brenchleyensis, very showy, Adonis, 

 Aglaea, Courant fulgens, Don Juan, 

 Goliath, Fanny Rouquet, Aristotle, 

 Madame Condere, Hebe, Mathilde de 

 Landevoisin, Jane Eyre. 



Catalogues Received. — "Alexaader 

 Laing, Beverly, Yorkshire, Select Cata- 

 logue of Home and Continental Seeds." 

 " Garden, Agricultural, and Flower Seed 

 Catalogue." Two copious lists, adapted 

 for customers to fill in the quantities re- 

 quired. — "E. G. Henderson and Son, 

 Wellington Road, St. John's "Wood, 

 Catalogue of Flower Seeds, and of Agri- 

 cultural and Vegetable Seeds." This 

 substantial trade list has always been 

 held in the highest estimation, and is 

 this year fully as interesting and valu- 

 able as ever. — " James and John Eraser, 

 Lea Bridge Nurseries, Essex, Catalogue 

 of Stove and Greenhouse Plants, Roses 

 Fruit-trees, Conifers, and Miscellaneous 

 Evergreen, and Deciduous Shrubs " A 

 fair reflection of the resources of thi.-i 

 spirited firm. — "Hooper and Co., Central 

 Avenue, Covent Garden, Spring Cata- 

 logue of Flower, Shrub, and Tree Seeds." 

 A first-rate business and botanical list of 

 eighty-six pages, the descriptions full 

 and accurate, and the native country and 

 other particulars given throughout. — 

 "Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, 

 Slough, Catalogue of Seeds for Kitchen 

 Garden, Flower Garden, and Farm." 

 Very carefully arranged, so as to in- 

 clude only the cream of old and new 

 varieties. — " Catalogue of Fruit Trees, 

 Roses, Conifers, etc." Like the former 

 restricted to those of universal merit. — 



