JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AprU 11, 1872. 



BtLGiAN ApPLBri [F. J.).— All the Apples you hail from Mr. Van Houtte 

 are dessert oues. Calville Blanche and CalviUe Graveustein arc the \Vhite 

 CalvUle and Gravenstein of the " Fruit Manual." Summer Beun-e d'Aremberg 

 i^ quite distinct from Beunij d'Aremberg. Thin and many other varieties 

 have come into existence since the last edition of the ** Fruit Manual " was 

 published, and will be included in the nest. 



Wild Flowers (Alice).— Yonv specimen is Veronica Busbaumii, and as 

 you found it near Croydon, that is the second locality near Loudon where it 

 has been detected. The other locality, Miss Plues saya, is a pasture, called 

 Weit-tieUl, near Richmona." Petasites fra:?rans (formerly Tussilago), is ad- 

 mitted among our native plants. It has been found in Devon, Kent, and 

 chewhere. We have it portraited in our " Wild Flowers." 



Variocs {Centurion). — Pear bloom desti-oyed by Cni'culio pyri ; nothing to 

 do with Pear fly. By Whitethorn, Mr. Rivers meant " White May," as you 

 call it. 



MvRTLES NOT Floweking (R. S. S.). — The plants, probably, have not a 

 light aud airy position. Continue them in the greenhouse until June, then 

 reaiove them to the orchard house, aud with the treatment given to Peach 

 trees they would succeed admirably, but we should continue them in pots and 

 remove them to the gi-eenhouse in October. They will also succeed planted 

 out in the orchard house, though in very severe weather it would probably be 

 nec3ssary to give a covering of mats. 



Am.ajiinthus salicifolius Seed Geuminatisg [A. A. 3/.)-— Place it in a 

 hotbed of 65' to 75^, and continue it there until the plants are established 

 singly in small pots, then it will succeed in a house with a night temperature 

 uf 55' to 60^ We do not think there is any hope of itii thriving if the tem- 

 perature of your house fall to 51' »> night in mild weather. We do not know 

 what has damaged the buds and leaf you sent, but we think the latter is 

 eitou by woodlice, which you may trap with a boiled Potato wrapped in hay 

 in a flower- pot. The buds may be eaten by woodlice or some weevil. Examine 

 the plants at night with a lantern. Dressing with tobacco water would 

 certainly ast as a preventive, by making the leaves and buds distasteful to 

 insects, but you must not use the tobacco water very strong, or it may do 

 injui-y. 



Various {Centurion). — Dianthus Ileddcwigi is a biennial, but flowers the 

 first year if sown early and gi'own in heat. It is well to keep the plants after 

 the first year iu frames, aud plant them out in spring. D. dentatus Gar- 

 nieriauus is a peronuial, and should be sown iu gentle heat, pricked off when 

 large enough, aud xjlantod out after the weather becomes miJd. Giant Cape 

 and large- flowering Emperor Stocks should be sown in August in pans or 

 boxes, and transplanted into sheltered borders of good rich light soil on the 

 approach of winter, or early in October. Cedronella cana is a perennial 

 rcqun-ing to be sown now iu paus iu light soil, pricked off when large enough 

 to handle, and planted out in June where it is to flowex-. We can only 

 acaount for your Apples Northern Spy aud Winter Peach not succeeding on 

 a south wall by the trees being infested with x*ed spider, arising from in- 

 sufficient supplies of water at the root. The Calville Blanche producing 

 abundance of flowers aud but little fruit, we should attiibute to the same 

 caU'^e— viz , dryness. Make holes with a crowbar down to the roots, aud give 

 a few good soakings of water now, again in May, and every month up to 

 SoptembcT. Syringe freely in di-y weather, aud iu the evening of hot days. 

 An east or west aspect is better for Apples than a south wall. Hollyhocks 

 sown now will not bloom this year. Shell-flower we do not know, Nemophila 

 insignis sown now will flower in June or July, 



Select Kitchen Apples (rrff»().— AlXi-iaton, Blenheim Pippin, Dumelow's 

 Seelling, Beauty of Kent, Cox's Pomona, Bedfordshii-e Foundling, Gooseberry, 

 Hollaudbury, Lord Suflield, Rymer, Tower of Glamis, and Winter Majeting. 



Select Dessert Apples (/drwi).— Cox's Orange Pippin, Reinette du 

 Ciuada, Sykehouse Russet, Maunington Peai'maLn, Adams' Pearmain, Irish 

 Pea-jh, Pitmistou Nonpareil, King of the Pippins, Keddlestone Pippin, Fearns' 

 Pippin, Diit^h Mignonne, aud Cuckle Pippin. 



Green Scuii ox Puxu {C. L. .S'.).— This we attribute to the water being 

 stagnant. The only way we know to keep the water free of it is to clean out 

 the ponl aud cjver the b)ttom with gravel, putting in a layer all over, ram- 

 ming hard, then another layer, a::ain ramming, and finishing off with 2 or 

 3 inches of loose gi'avel. This and frequent cleaning-out are the only means 



Preserving Aucuba Pollen (if. W. K.).— Yoiu- plan of keeping it in a 

 glass pot is good and could not be improved on, but we fold it up in writing 

 paper and keep it in a diy place. It is best applied to the flowers with a 

 camel's-hair brush. 



Fki:— 1 i: I I ,N <ASE— GltEENHOfSE FERSS FOR In-DOOR DECORATION 



— Fjm I .1 ■ . ' I'MXTS (M. G.).—For C«^o.— Acrophorus hispidus, Adi- 

 autnin :i ;iii ;■ , (I. liiium australe, Doodia aspera, Drynariapustulata, Pteris 

 serrulii i > 1 1 r i' i, m I Xephrolepis tuberosa for the centre. For Decoration. — 

 Blc'^buum Spicaut ramosum; Lastrea dilatata cristata, L. FiUx-mas cristata, 

 L. opaca; Polystichum angiUave proliferum, ScolopemMum vulgare corymbi- 

 fevum, I'amo-cristatum, and cristatum, Adiantum ciineatum, Asplenium di- 

 moi-phum, A. bulbiferum, Chiihiiit!n.s ebj^'aus. Douilia aspera. Lastrea acumi- 

 nata, Nephrodium mi>!l , ,, I ;,,*v; 'Nil 1 .nni.li!..ii:!. Ptfris cretica 

 albo-lineata, P. Ben-uli- ■■ , , . /■,,,, ,,,/,,,,„,/ fhtnts. — Abu- 

 £ilon Thompsoni, A'.;i i , i ,|i„;i,;i-^ n i. -atus, Axalia 

 Sieboldi variegata, A-ii. . : .ri, I'.^nlii .i iMitim.i varie-^ata, 

 Centaurcft Clemcutei, Cliumatujis t v. < Isa, Ctprusma Bauerinna vaiiegata, 

 Coryphft australis. Dractena austi-alis, Eurya latifolia vax-iegata, Ficus clastica, 

 Lomatia ferrugmea, Phormium tenax. Yucca aloifolia vaiiegata, Y. filamentosa 

 variegata, Y. quadricolor. Shru (>».— Berried Aucubas, Bambusa gracilis. Myrtle- 

 leaved Portugal Laurel, Cupreasus Lawsoniana and var. stricta, Retinospora 

 pisitera, R. plumosa, Taxus elegantissima, T. pyiumidalis, Thujopsis borealis, 

 T. dolabrata. Thuja orientalis, T. aurea, T. stricta, T. elegantissima, and 

 T. peudula. Of some you may raise plants from seed, but plants would be 

 preferable. To give you the treatment for all the plants named would take up 

 too much of oiu- space, and for the kinds that can be raised from seed consult 

 a seed list. 



Pines Ripening— Si-<kt:rs on Olu Plants (H. ^.).— Plants flowering in 

 Februaiy may be espr, h I ■ . m|.. n i mt at the close of .Tune or beguming of 

 July. Suekei-s left on ; t)i.j old plants being cutaway, if top- 



di-essed with soU to in i ■ ...t , will fruit next yeai-, or at the same 



time as if suckers wtn 1. i.i i,. .1, We prefer taking them off aud gi-owing 

 them like young plants. 



_ Cheilantiies Fronds Browsed— Palm Seed Germination {ir. iV.).— 

 The frondu of Cheilanthes appear to be browned through being syringed aud 



the sun shining on them. Cheilanthes are very impatient of water on the 

 fronds ; therefore do not syringe them, but maintain a moist atmosphere by 

 sprinkling two or three times a-day every available eorfaco. Palm seeds are 

 sometimes three months or more before they germinate. They require a brisk 

 bottom heat of 75'^ to S:**^, and a top heat of 60" to 75'\ Fumigating a gi-een- 

 house with tobacco is not injurious to Ferns, but the house should not be 

 excessively filled with smoke. The fronds should be dry when the house is 

 fumigated. 



Trees to Plant in Warm District (P. L.).— Austrian Pines, and others 

 of that tribe taken fi-om a cold district would succeed as well, as if not better 

 than, those from the locality where they are to be planted. Fourths quality 

 glass is not quite good enough for a gi-eenhouse. We prefer thirds, 21-oz. 



Aspect for Pear and Plum Trees (H. C). — Plums do best on an east 

 and Pears on a west aspect. If we had the choice we should put Plums and 

 Cherries on the east aspect, and Pears on the west. Turnip-rooted Celery is 

 not easier to grow than the upright or stalked kinds; it requires similar treat- 

 ment, but not nearly so much time in cultivation. It needs some earthing* 

 up, likewise protection from fi'ost. It is about as hardy as the other sorts. 

 Asparagus roots grow partly horizontally and partly perpendicularly, and when 

 the soil is smtable penetrate to a gieat depth, hence the necessity for trench- 

 ing to afford a suitable open rooting medium. 



Protecting Wall Trees with Netting (E. B.). — We have used old 

 heiTiug nets to protect the blossoms of trees fi-om fi-ost. They were put on 

 double thickness and allowed to remain until all danger of fiost was over. 

 The thicker protecting material, which is much superior, we would remove by 

 day, either pulling it up with rollers or by hand, and fasten it under the 

 coping. In bad weather, such as we had from the 2lHt to the 28th of March, 

 we would allow the protection to remain by day as well. 



Aphides on Fruit Trees (J. i='.).— You will find the aphides most nu '. 



merous on the points of the young shoots. Cut the affected Iparts off, and if ] 



yom- collection is not very extensive dust all the under sides of the remain- 

 ing leaves with dry Scotch snuff or tobacco powder, choosing a di-y day to do 

 it in. In four or six hours after, give the trees a thorough washing with a 

 powerful gai'den engine, using rain water in which 2 ozs. of soft soap to the | 



gallon have been dissolved. Six hours af tenvards give them a similar washing 

 ivith clear rain water. 



Vines and Peach Trees in the Same House { ricrtr).— Yom- arrange- 

 ment will do vei-y well, and you may grow Peaches and Vines in your nan-ow ] 

 house either together or separately. If you grow Peaches under the shade ^ 

 of tho Vines, the latter should bf planted at least 5 feet apart; grow a ] 

 single rod from each Vine on tip :. -■]■ m >^teni, tj-ing and pinching-in 

 the side shoots closely. This \m': I ■ li- s on the back wall a chance 

 to ripen. We do not know wlirtli' , i i i 1.: ■ i ■(.- and Early Rivers are good 

 mai-ket Peaches. We know t hut l.ul} "i i ! i —that we can highly recom- 

 mend; Early Grosse Mignonne is also aline early Peach. For succession, : 

 Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, aud Bellegarde. The second named may be 

 a week later than the first, and Royal George a week later, followed by tho 

 others iu close succession. Desse Tardive is a vei-y fine Peach, later by ten ! 

 days or a fortnight than Bellegai-de. All are free setters. You may also in- | 

 troduce pot trees to be placed out of doors in summer, when the fniit is set 

 and all danger of frost is over. Had we the charge of your house we would 

 have the Vines and Peaches iu sepoi-ate compartments. As to ventilation, we 

 would have glazed lights at the apex of the roof. They may be 6 feet long by 

 1 foot 6 inches wide ; fix them to the wall-platc at the back by hinges, opened 

 by a rod fixed to each, notched or di-illed with holcj^ so that the lights may 

 open to any suitable distance. This is all the ventilation necessary. If you , 

 decide on havin:- - |> imS i ji]partraents,iu the Peach-house division grow all 

 the trees in p-! | ii . planted on the back wall. The following is a 

 good Hst of pn[ I . ' —Early Beatrice, Eariy York, Early Grosse Mig- ] 

 nonne, Royal i.. r . , \;. . mara, Bellegarde, Grosse Blignonne, Walburton ' 

 Admirable, Dcsse larmve, and Lady Palmerstou. Nectarines — Hunt's ' 

 Tawny, Rivers's Orange, Violette Hiitive, Balgowan, Downton Pine Applti, 

 and Victoria. 



Treatment of Young Vines (A Subscriber).— li yom- Vines are to be \ 



peiTuaueut cut off all the branches, train up two young rods fi-om each Vine, ] 



aud select the best for fniitiug next season, and as the permanent rod; 2 feet 

 9 inches is a good distance to have the rods li'om each other. 



Thinning and Pinching the Growing Shoots of Vines (Amateur). — Let 

 us suppose 3'oui- Vine rods arc 2 feet 9 inches apart, and trained on the short- 

 spm- system. Begin at the base of the rafter, aud select two strong shoots as 

 neai-ly opposite to each other as yon can; select two more as nearly as possible 

 18 inches fm-ther np the caue ; proceed in this way until the top of the cane is j 



reached, then rub off all intermediate shoots. You will thus have a cane with ' 



neaiiy opposite side shoots, at an average distance of 18 inches from each , 



othei". These shoots must be carefully trained to the wire, and as soon as i 



the shoot has formed two leaves past the bunch, pinch the points out at tho | 



second leaf ; all after-lateral shoots should be pinched at the fii'st leaf. It is 

 higlily injuiious to the Vines "to cut and slash away at the fohage." No 

 shoots will be formed if you pinch out the gro'wing points with your fingers 

 evei7 fifth day. From the time Vines are fairly stai-ted into growth until the 

 fiTiit is thinned, they require unremitting attention. 



Fuchsia venusta. — "Ancient" is desirous to know where she can obtain 

 this plant. She has applied to two of the principal London nurserymen in 



Vine Shoots Stopping {A Sitluffribcr).— Stop at the joint beyond the 

 bunch, and the resulting laterals at the fii'st leaf. Rub off all after-gi-owths 

 below the bunch, and those above keep stopped at evei-y joint or leaf. Do 

 not stop the main shoot or rod until it has gi'own a foot beyond the point to 

 which you intend to pinino next yeai-, or early this winter, then take out its 

 point. "When it breaks again, one of the laterals may be traiued-up imtil it 

 has reached to within a foot of the top of the house, it may then be stopped. 

 All laterals on the rod should be stopped at the fii-st leaf, and at everj- suc- 

 ceeding leaf afterwai'ds. 



Red Beet Planting {God(le8s).—They should be planted without delay, to 

 be of any use with spring flowers. Those you see in the parks are not autumn- 

 sown, but have been left over the winter. If you wish to have them in spring 

 it is well to sow in June or July, and transplant them in autumn or eai'ly 

 spring. They are better than eailier-sown plants, and do not run so quickly 

 in the following summer. 



Repotting Camellias and Azaleas (G. Ai-ch€r).—Theve is no time so 

 good for potting Camelhas as when they are making fresh growth, as it cannot 

 well be done without injui-y to the loots, which is likely to cause a check. 

 Either it should be done whtn the gi-owth is beginning, or when it is com- 



