FebraiUT K, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



131 



which have been for some tune under the scythe, mosses are 

 found to increase so much as to injure the better sorts of lawn 

 grasses. This is the best time to eradicate tliem, and a shai-p- 

 toothed iron rake or light drag is the best implement for the 

 purpose. It should be worked sufficiently to bring up the 

 moss, which must be cleared oil and the lawn left for some 

 time, when the operation may be repeated if necessary. Sow. 

 thickly in March Sheep's Fescue Grass and Crested Dogstail, 

 and apply a dressing of sifted lime rubbish and fresh soil, or 

 the latter and hue bone dust. RoU occasionally to keep the 

 ground firm, and a good sward will soon be obtained. Prepare 

 giound for Koses, and if it is poor remove as much soil as 

 possible, and replace it with equal parts of rotten dimg and loam. 

 Eoses to flower in perfection must have rich soil. Prune 

 stocks budded last autumn, leaving inches of the shoot above 

 the place where the bud is inserted ; this portion of shoot will 

 serve as a support when the buds form young shoots in the 

 spring. Prepare for planting Eauunculuses, and if any frosts 

 occur give the bed a turn. There has been so little frost 

 lately, that exposure of this kind has been impossible. Pre- 

 pare" the roots for planting by removing all that are small ; 

 these should be immediately planted by themselves, and as but 

 few will flower this year, they will gather strength and size for 

 the next. In arrangement, diversify the colours as much as 

 possible. Examine carefully the stock of Car-nations and 

 Picotees, remove every appearance of spot, and if the plants 

 exhibit symptoms of disease, let them be placed ajiart from 

 the healthy stock. Tulips, Pinks, and Amiculas will requue 

 similar treatment to that lately recommended. 



GEEENHOrsE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The conservatory should now be gay with Camellias, Heaths, 

 and Epacrises, Hyacinths and other bulbs from the forcing 

 pits, tree and Neapohtan Violets, Mignonette, Epiphyllum 

 truncatum. Euphorbia jacquiuiieflora, Lucuha gratissima. 

 Begonias, and, of com-se. Azaleas, Lilacs, Rhododendrons, and 

 some of the freer-blooming Chinese and Bourbon Roses. Keep 

 a mild slightly humid atmosphere of from 40° to 55°, recollect- 

 ing that the colder the exterior atmosphere is, the less neces- 

 sity there is for maintainuig a high in-door temperatm'e. In 

 the mixed greenhouse avoid any approach to a high artificial 

 temperature. Place neat trellises to the Tropreolums that are 

 not already fm-uished with such. Attend in good time to the 

 training, commencing to fmnish the bottom of the trellis 

 bountifully ; the top will be covered readily enough. The 

 Kenncdyas, Zichyas, Hardenbergias, and Gompholobiums 

 should have particular attention in regard to trellises and 

 training ; young vigorous plants of Polygala, Muraltia, Pulteniea, 

 Oxylobium, Dillwjiiia, Eriostemon, Cborozema, Hovea, Les- 

 chenaultia, Pimelea, and Epacris, iSc, should have all theh' 

 strong shoots stopped in due time, in order that the plants may 

 form good specimens. "Where valuable plants are kept, a stock 

 of the various kinds of loams and peats should always be kept 

 in readiness for potting. For all potting i)urposes a soft, 

 sandy, yellow loam is to be preferred. Such should have been 

 dug "not more than G inches deep, with the turf, and after 

 havmg been stacked long enough for the grass to decay it may 

 be considered as fit for use. Silver sand, rotten leaves, and 

 di-y weU-rotted cow dung, are all necessai-y ingredients in clifier- 

 ent composts. The best peat for Heaths and hardwooded 

 plants is that from Wimbledon and Shirley. With these 

 soils, clean dry pots, crocks of various sizes, and dry moss, 

 potting will go on without interruption. As it is not good 

 XJractice to water heavily immediately after potting, see that 

 the roots are more moist than diy when turned out. This is 

 more particularly necessary with Heaths and all plants grow- 

 ing m heath soil. Plants should likewise never be potted and 

 cut back at the same time, but the heading-back should pre- 

 cede potting by a sufiicient length of time to enable the plant 

 to begin a fresh gi'owth. 



STOVE. 



If mealy bug exists here, even to the slightest extent, never 

 cease to wage war against it as long as there is the least sign 

 of the insect to be discovered. Perseverance now in this 

 respect wiH save weeks of toil and annoyance at a season when 

 there is less time to attend to them. After all, perhaps, the 

 shaap eye of a practised workman, with a small brush and 

 copious syringing with tepid water, is the safest, if not the 

 most expeditious, means of banishing those pests. Temperature 

 from 55° to 65°, or lower if the weather is severe. 



COLD riis on ekames. 

 Frost and damp will, doubtless, have reduced the numbers 



of some kinds of plants; therefore pots of "stores" which 

 became well established in autumn — such as Verbenas , Fuchsias , 

 Petiuuas, Heliotropes, SaMas, Calceolarias, &c. — should be re- 

 moved forthwith to some of the houses or pits to enjoy, if pos- 

 sible, a moderate bottom heat, watering them with liquid 

 manure. These will quickly furnish an abundance of early 

 cuttings, which should be slipped off and propagated at once. 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Wet, and still wet. Even now it is astonishing what good 

 will be effected by a little surface-stirring of the soil among 

 Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Lettuces, and other crops, if a few di'y 

 hours can be obtained for the purpose. All forced vegetables 

 have been very good. 



FRUIT garden. 



See previous notices, and let beginners be careful that in 

 this duU weather Strawberries are not overwatered. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



We swept and rolled the walks to keep them firm on the 

 surface. We also looked over plants, taking off every decaying 

 leaf, and made arrangements for putting in numbers of cut- 

 tmgs.— R. F. 



rWe regret that illness prevented our reporter writing more 

 fully.] 



TRADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



William Paid, Waltham Cross, London, N. — Seed Catalogue, 

 1872. 



Th. Van der Bom, Oudenbosch, Netherlands. — Catalogue of 

 Trees and Shrubs. 



James Vick, Rochester, New York. — Viek's Illustrated Cata- 

 logue and Floral Guide. 



Robertson it Galloway, 157, Ingram Street, Glasgow, and 

 Helensbm'gh. — Descriptive Seed Catalogue and lAmateur's 

 Pocket Guide. 



Sutton & Sons, Reading. — List of New and Choice Seeds 

 for the Vegetable and Flower Garden. — Select List of Choice 

 Seed Potatoes. 



B. R. Davis, Middle Street, Yeovil. — Descriptive Catalogue 

 of Vegetable, Flower, and Agricultural Seed^, rOc. 



S. Dixon & Co., 48a, Moorgate Street, Loudon, E.C.—Select 

 List of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, ft:c. 



Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle. — Spring Seed Guide. 



Robert Bowie, 22, Maxwell Street, Glasgow. — Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Gladioli, Ac. 



Drummoud Brothers, 52, George Street, Edinbui'gh. — Cata- 

 logue of Vegetable and Flower Seeds. — Select List of Glaiiioli, 

 Hoses, <0c. 



Y. Strachan, 4, High Street, Wrexham. — Catalogue of Agri- 

 cultural, Vegetable, and Flower Seeds, Plants, ite. 



J. W. Mackey, 40, Westmoreland Street, Dublin. — Annual 

 Descriptive Seed Catalogue and Amateur's Guide. 



B. J. Edwards, 222, Strand, and 25, Bishopsgate Street 

 Within, E.C. — Catalogue of Choice Flower and Vegetable Seeds, 

 Gladioli, ,\:c. 



Edmoudson Brothers, 10, Dame Street, Dublin. — Spring Cata- 

 logue of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, tte. 



J. Carter, Dmmett, & Beale, 237 and 238, High Holbom, Lon- 

 don, W.C. — Carter's Farmer's Calendar. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 



correspondents of the " Jomual of Horticulture, Cottage 



Gai-dcuer, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 



ore subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 



communications should therefore be addressed solely to 



The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, etc., 171, Fleet 



Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 



same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 



Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them 



answered promptly and conveniently, but wi'ite them on 



separate communications. Also never to send more than 



two or three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered untU next 



week. 



Maidenh.uk Fern Browked {Subscriber, DuhUn).—1he fronds you sent 



us ave biownod, wc think from the wont of a proper temperature and moistorc, 



tlie former being too Imy, and the latter too gieat. Keep up a temperature of 



55 to GO' at night, but with the soil moderately moist, but do not syringe 



overhead at this season, nor ovcRiator. Eemove all the old fronds down to 



the roots, and i-epot early in March. 



