134 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GLIDE. 



he syringes twice as much as other 

 people, and is not afraid to give air 

 after syringing, for he will have it 

 that his neighbour cooks what few 

 plants the vermin spare by shutting 

 up and firing. Another of our friend's 

 plain notions is that plants like to be 

 washed in the same way as children ; 

 so he uses soap and water freely ; his 

 camellias have it always when put in 

 for flowering, and again when removed 

 to the conservatory, where they look 

 as bright as if the leaves were stamped 

 in painted vellum. They ask him how 

 he managed to take first prize with 

 such a plague as Clianthus Dampieri, 

 whereas in all the houses round about 

 it turns to spider and disappears. He 

 replies, laconically, " Rich sandy soil 

 and lots of water ; keep it going, and 

 it will go ! " 



Our dolorous friend believes the 



west wind to be at the bottom of it 

 all ; but he thinks he might take Mr. 

 Successful's advice, and give plenty of 

 air, repot all the starvelings, burn a 

 lot of scrubby shrubs that almost re- 

 fuse to furnish cuttings, and keep 

 every bit of woodwork, glass, and 

 flooring as clean as if he had to spread 

 a dinner in the house for the Queen 

 and Koyal Family. " But what about 

 the succulents ?" he asks, as he retires. 

 " They are very bad surely ; they are 

 alive with scale, and sickening to look 

 upon." Mr. Successful whispers in 

 his ear, " Sweet oil." He hurries off: 

 sweet oil is too much for him ; the 

 man is evidently an impostor or a 

 conjuror, and in either case very dan- 

 gerous company. Sweet oil! Who'll 

 believe it? who'll try it? Not the 

 man who goes home groaning, " Oh, 

 the vermin!" Tee-to-tum. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Catalogues Received. — " E. G. Hender- 

 son and Son, Wellington Road, St. 

 John's Wood. Spring Catalogue of 

 Bedding and Furnishing Plants." This 

 list is always well worthy the best at- 

 tention of both gardeners and amateurs, 

 as it contains a summary of the exten- 

 sive collection of plants in the nursery 

 of this celebrated firm. The present 

 issue is particularly rich in new bedding 

 plants, the novelties are very numerous 

 Jind unusually good, and therefore de- 

 mand the careful attention of those who 

 care to be in the front rank in the march 

 of improvement.- — " Frederick Boshell, 

 86, High Street, Borough, S.E., Cata- 

 logue of Dahlias." A well- selected and 

 reliable list with a fine lot of novelties, 

 printed on a large sheet in good clear 

 type. — " Richard Bead, 35, Regent 

 Circus, " Piccadilly, W., Catalogue of 

 Horticultural Engines, Machines, and 

 Syringes." We have before spoken 

 favourably of the instruments manufac- 

 tured by Mr. Read, and find that they 

 fully bear out our encomiums, for being 

 thoroughly well made, they are very 

 durable. — " Sutton and Sons, Reading, 

 Berks." The sheet lists of bedders, green- 

 house seeds for present sowing, and of 

 farm seeds in request at the present 

 season, present to their respective readers 



the best of the several classes of subjects, 

 enumerated in such a way as to facili- 

 tate selection. 

 Figs in Vinebies and in Pots.— I have 

 figs on the back wall of my cool vinery, 

 they have been planted two years, and 

 in the spring showed an abundance of 

 fruit which swelled to the size of large 

 nuts, and then fell off, except perhaps two 

 or three of them. I had also a few fig- 

 trees in pots, plunged in my early vinery 

 over a hot water piping, which also 

 showed a quantity of fruit, but they r all 

 fell off when they were small ; the first 

 year after they were potted I had a large 

 crop which came to maturity in the 

 early vinery. Can you supply me with 

 information on this subject ? — An Old 

 Subscriber. [Fig trees so seldom go 

 wrong at the root, that we fear you have 

 dealt badly with j-our trees in the matter 

 of air, heat, water, etc. Do you wet the 

 fruit as it begins to soften? for if you do, 

 the crop will be spoiled. Do you use 

 the syringe over the foliage, and keep a 

 damp atmosphere as the small fruit is 

 swelling, as that 'is needful ? Do you 

 give too much air, and allow the east 

 wind to bite off the fruit ? Do you 

 give them weak liquid manure as soon 

 as the fruit is visible ? you ought to. 

 Are the trees gross through over good 



