JOUKNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



(!May 14th). The Grapes are of escellent flavour. The present crop is sixty- 

 three bunches, of which he will cut off twenty-three at least. This Grape 

 does not acquire its full flavour till after Chi-istmas. It is as hard as iron 

 Two Vines of Maili-eslield Comt have twenty-one bunches on." 



Scale on Atuicot Twigs (S.). — The semi-globose objects (half the size 

 of a pea) of a maroon colour, are the swollen bodies of the females of the 

 Coccus Adonidum, beneath each of which a great number of minute white 

 eggs ai-e to be seen, which will quickly hatch unless destroyed by hand-pick- 

 ing. The yellow ones are swollen females, which have not yet deposited 

 their eggs beneath their bodies ; and the small white transparent scales are 

 the coverings of the pupte of the winged males. — I. O. W. 



American Asparagus {H. C). — It probably is the common Aspaiagus 

 highly cultivated. We have grown the common Aspai-agus to such a size 

 that sis heads weighed a pound, by supplying the beds two or three times 

 a-week with strong liquid manure. 



TiOLET-coLOURED Glass (J. J. Ri/an). — Write to any of tho dealers in 

 glass who advertise in om* Journal, and tell them the colours of the glass you 

 need. 



Kats in Outhouses {Elgin).— The following is a proved and harmless 

 mode of destroying them; — Melt hog's lard in a bottle, plunged in water 

 heated to about 150' Fahi-enheit; iutroduce into it half an ounce of phos- 

 phorus for every pound of lard, then add a pint of whisky ; cork the bottle 

 firmly after its contents have been heated to the above degree, taking it at 

 the same time out of the water till the phosphorus becomes uniformly 

 diffused, forming a milky-looking Uquid. This liquid being cooled, will form 

 a white compoimd of phosphorus and lard, from which the spirit sponta- 

 neously separates, and may be poured off to be used, for it merely serves to 

 diffuse the phosphorus through the laid. This compound on being warmed 

 vei*y gently may be poured into a mixture of wheat fioui- and sugai, mixed, 

 and then flavoured with oil of rhodium. This douj^h being made into pellets, 

 lay it in rat-hoies. By its luminousness in the dark it attracts the rats, and 

 bein^T agreeabJe to their noses and palates, it is readily eaten, and proves 

 certainly fatal. — {English Mechanic.) 



Coverinxt Roof a>-d Sides of a Woodek House {Experientia docet). — 

 Cover the roof with felt, and tar that and the sides with Stockholm tai-, and 

 whilst this is sticky dust thickly both the roof and sides with the siftings of 

 bricklayers' lime rubbish. 



Seedling Gloxinia (0. 0.).— We never saw a Gloxinia that is not beauti- 

 ful, and yours is not an exception, but there are many like it. We caimot 

 name your Gaiadium, nor any mere florists' varieties; they ai*e in legions, and 

 so nearly alike that we cannot spare time to identify any specimen. 



Phlox in Pots (A. A. M.).—Xs yoxxr plants have but one stem we should 

 top them at 6 inches, and that will cause them to branch, but they will not 

 flower so finely as if you were to let the one stem grow without stopping. 

 We like them best when they have fi-om five to a dozen stems according to 

 the size of pot and strength of plant, thinning-out the weakest of the shoots, 

 and so encouraging the strongest and best shoots. Give them plenty of 

 moistui'e, and water them occasionally with liquid maniue, but not too strong. 

 1 oz. of guano to a gallon of water, and strained before use, will be su^ciently 

 powerful. 



DAHLLi niPERALis CULTURE (An Amateur, Warwick). — Your plants do 

 not flower because you do not give them sufficient encouragement. Give them 

 plenty of pot room, and rich light soil with good drainage, watering abund- 

 antly, but not saturating the soil ; water once or twice a-week with weak 

 liquid maniure. Syringe morning and evening, and afford a light auy position. 

 It will flower late in autumn, and to do well requires a temperature of 50^ 

 Do not place the plants out of dooi-s, though you may do so after May, but 

 house the plants in September. 



Grapes Severely Spotted (B. G., Subscriber). — See what we said on 

 page 411 of our last number. 



SUM3IER- PRUNING GOOSEBERRY AND CuREANT BuSHES (iT/innic).— We 



highly approve of your pinching the spray back to two or three leaves, hut by 

 no means slipping the shoots off, unless they come from the base or bottom 

 of the bushes or lower parts of the branches ; when they are so situated and 

 are likely to crowd the centre of the bushes, which should always be kept 

 open, they are better removed. We advise yon to pinch back all the shoots 

 on the branches to within two or three leaves of their base, and that through- 

 out the summer, leaving the best- situated, if more shoots ai-e required, and 

 the shoots from the ends of the branches, which, however, may be stopped at 

 the sixth leaf. The stopping of the spray will admit Ught and air to the spurs, 

 and contribute to then* fuller development. At the winter pruning the shoots 

 of the current year should he cut back to within three- quai-ters or an inch of 

 their origin, but the spurs should he left entire. The terminal shoots of all 

 the branches may be pruned to 6 inches, or left longer according as size is 

 wanted. 



Asparagus Planting [Idein). — It is now a good time to plant Asparagus. 

 Take ap the plants carefully, and put them in before the roots have dried. 

 You may procure plants three years old of the nurserymen. We consider two- 

 year plants are quite old enough. They will need to be packed, if they come 

 any distance, so that the roots will not dry. and after having been planted 

 they should be carefully watered if the weather is dry. They can scarcely 

 have too much liquid manure in summer. 



Failure of Peach Trees (W. R. J.).— As you have planted your trees in 

 the same soil out of doors as you have in your house, it cannot be anything 

 in the soil that is the cause of failure. Aie the trees fi'ee from red spider and 

 aphis ? If either of these pests is allowed much license in summer and 

 autumn the wood does not ripen well, and in consequence of this much of it 

 dies off in winter and spring. We do not think the climate with you can 

 exercise any imfavonrable influence, except that some seasons aie more 

 favourable to the ripening of the wood and fruit than others Last season 

 was a had one. 



Pear Trees Diseased (P. 3/.).— We discovered several thiips on the 

 specimens sent. We would syringe the trees with a decoction of 2 ozs. of 

 soft soap and 2 ozs. of tobacco to the gallon of water. In winter we would 

 mLx a double quantity of tobacco and soap to the gallon, and add to it 8 ozs. 

 of flowers of sulphur. With this we would dress the trees. 



Tree Fern Treatment (An Old Subscriber).— Iticksouio. si]nani'.sa and 

 Cyatheadealbata will succeed in a greenhouse or consen-atory tempLiatuie. 

 Water abundantly at the roots, and keep the tranks always luoi^^t l>y fre- 

 quently sprinkling them from a syringe. Two or three times a-clay will be 

 suflicient. Do not pour water down the stem, though that will do if it be 

 kept from the centre or heart of the plants, and you may syringe them over- 



Gooseben-y Saw-fly. 



head morning and evening. They should have shade fi-om bright sun, and 

 we should not advise you to place them out of doors in summer, unless you 

 can command a very sheltered position. They will thrive much better under 



Myosotis — Lettuce — Pruning Evergreens (Don's).— We advise you to- 

 sow more seed of Myosotis sylvatica, and gi'ow the seedlings so as to have 

 good plants by autumn. The old plants ar-e not so free-growing nor pn r.nod 

 as young plants. Sow the seed atonce. All the Year Round i^ r* ^no-l i .>t'vr., 

 withafirm, crisp, close hear-t ; and Tom Thumb a close-ii^ "-■■■■1 :w - ^ 

 little Lettuce, good for serving whole or in halves. ProbaM i 



Cabbage Lettuce is Neapolitan. Now is a good time toi.\; > ._..:. .,,:., 

 shape, but it ought not to be longer delayed. Tiitomas ruuy u^- .. Lu u. . idul , 

 but we prefer doing so early in April, or in autumn after flowering. Let each 

 of the divisions have some good roots, and water if the weather be at all diy. 



Caterpillars on Gooseberry Trees {S. G.). — The "green grubs" are 

 the larvae or caterpillars of a Saw-fly. The cross lines show the natm-al size 

 of this Saw-fly. This insect, which has been named by entomologists 

 Nematus tiimaculatus, Nematus Kibesii, Tentlu-edo Gr-ossulariae, and Teu- 

 thredo ventricosa, comes forth in the course of April. Its body is yellowish- 

 brown; its antennffi nine-Jointed and brown; the cro^vu of the head, eyes, 



three large spots di- 

 vided by a light line on 

 the back and a large 

 spot on the breast, are 

 all black; the bodv, or 

 beUy, is orange; the 

 wings reflect the co- 

 lours of the rainbow; 

 and theirner^'es, with a- 

 large spot on the front 

 edge of the foie wings, 

 ar-e brown ; the legs are 

 brown also. The female 

 lays her eggs along the 

 principal nerves on the 

 underside of the Goose- 

 berry leaves, and less 

 frequently on those of 

 the Bed and White 

 Currant. The eggs ai-e 

 hatched within ten 

 days ; and the arrival of the caterpillar's may be known fr-om the leaves being^ 

 eaten through into numer'ous small holes. These eater-pillars ar'e pale green, 

 with one ring at each end yellow ; the head, tail, feet, and rows of spots on 

 their sides being black. Siiccessional broods are hatched from the beginning 

 of May until October, but it is during May and June that they are usually 

 most abundant and destructive. Some of these descend into the earth from 

 cocoons, and bring forth fresh flies at the end of the summer; but the later 

 broods of caterpillars remain in their cocoons thr-oughout the winter, and give 

 birth to the earhest spring swarm of Saw-flies. You may kill the caterpihars 

 by dusting over them fr-esh white hellebore powder, which you may obtain of 

 a chemist ; and you may prevent then- recm-rence hj covering the surface of 

 the soil around the bushes 2inches deep with spent tanners' bark. 



Specimens for HoRTictrLXURAL Shows (F. G.). — To answer your query 

 fully would occupy space needlessly. Reference to reports of exhibitions in 

 former years at other places, held at the time you propose (whicli you do not 

 state), would be a safe guide. Any specific answer to a query we will readily 



Roses under Yines (G. V. L.). — Keep them well watered, and give weak 

 liquid manure once a-week. Syringe them fr-equently. To remove the mildew- 

 now on them, dust ^ith flowers of sulphur thoroughly ; let the sulphur 

 remain on two days, then syringe. Repeat this treatment until the mildew 

 disappear-s. 



Destroying Slugs (A.E. Lock). — If you were to dust v.itli fn h ] ;; . >■, . 

 or three times a-week when the weather is moist, continuin 

 season, we have no doubt you woi^d subdue them. The dn. ; : . . I 



soot has not been effectual because not long enough crmtiiii. .1. i! i iit 

 destroy one generation of slugs, hut a numerous progeny would be left. And 

 you wUl need to be ready for them when they appear. Besides, your land ivill 

 be much benefited by the dr-essing of lime, and the pointing-in with a luik 

 will tend to bring it in contact with the slugs as well as to loosen the siufaee. 

 Where forking is impracticable, stirring the surface with a hoe wUl frequently 

 answer. The lime is best applied in moist weather, when just slacked and 

 cool enough to handle, at dusk or early in the morning. We do not know ouy- 

 fching else that will answer except paring off the surface and burning it. 



Setting Vanilla Flowers {Linda). — It would be well if you were to 

 fertilise the flowers ; the probability of their setting would be greater. Yoa 

 must be able to command a good heat, and to keep a dry well-ventUated at- 

 mosphere. The stigma and anther are in the same flower, the pollen powdery 

 or cohering in small gramrles, the anther terminal and opeiring by a lid. It 

 is a difficult process to fertilise Orchids, but we trust you will meet with 

 success, of wluch we shall be glad to hear. 



Woodlice in Old Walls {J. A.). — The mode refen-ed to of destroying 

 woodlice is anything but like placing salt on a bird's tail! On such au uUl 

 wall so irrfested as yours, we would have engined them freely with water at 

 20(r, when the buds were dormant. Even now we would syringe or en-iue 

 the walls freely, which would cause the woodlice, which hate water, to come 

 down to the bottom of the wall. Here place a little dry hay, or small pnts. 

 filled with dry hay or moss, with a piece of boiled potato or beetroot in 

 each, and examine early in the moriiing imder the hay. You may use scalding 

 water, and the pots and even hoUowed-out potatoes and beetroot, you iriay 

 empty into boilrng water ; so we used to advocate. Eugining and syringing^ 

 the wall, with such trapping, &c., will soon thin them, but the best remedy is 

 to fr-esh point the wall. 



Insects Attacking Fruit-tree Buds (R. N.). — The small shoots of 

 different trees sent by post arrived perfectly smashed. All we can say is that 

 they are attacked by different kinds of minute caterpillars (each tree nourish- 

 ing several distinct kinds), and which will turn to minute moths. The only 

 way to destroy them at the present time is carefully to open each infested 

 bud and kill the cater-pillar. We know of no fluid which will kill them with- 

 out injuring th^ trees. — I. O. W. 



Insects Destroying Wheat Plants (J. K.). — The grubs sent are the 

 larvffi of the common Tipula oleracea, or Daddy-longlegs. Repeated rollings _ 

 with CroBskiJl's clod-cruder, or watering with salt or nitrate of soda, or dust • 



