July 3, 1873. ] 



JOUKN.iL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



13 



■who have clay soils vrith early regetables, tut for late Bummer 

 crops we have no chance against them. 



FRUIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



'' Pine Soitses. — Except to attend to ventilation, only one matter 

 requires to be mentioned; it is apparently a small one, but iu 

 reality it is not so. Under the back -wall is a staging for plants, 

 and occasionally specimens are taken out of the plant stove and 

 placed here, and notwithstanding the utmost precautions being 

 taken to keep them free from mealy bug, this pest has ou two 

 occaeions appeared on the Pines. As soon as it was observed, 

 the plants infested were taken out and destroyed. We had to 

 adopt the same radical cure on a plant last week. The only way 

 to keep dear of the enemy will be to confine the stove plants in 

 the house devoted to them. On one other occasion we had 

 Bome trouble with its appearing iu the" early vinery, the bunch 

 or two affected were removed, and the others carefully watched 

 for its re- appearance. This hint may act as a caution to others. 

 There are few plant stoves free from this mealy rascal, and 

 when the house is too full of plants it is better to throw 

 them away than it is to risk spreading the enemy in Vine and 

 Pine houses. 



Vineries. — In the early houses little or no attention is re- 

 quired ; the houses are looked over once a-week or so, and any 

 decayed berries removed from the bunches. When the berries 

 showed signs of shrivelling we gave the roots a very moderate 

 application of water. In late houses, except damping the 

 borders and paths twice a-day to produce a moist atmosphere, 

 and pinching-back all growing shoots where the houses are 

 already well furnished with leaves, our work for the season is 

 pretty well over until the crops be gathered. 



ORCHARD HOUSE. 



As there are now plenty of excellent Stratoherries to be 

 gathered out of doors, there is no need to trouble iu watering those 

 jn pots, although British Queen, La Constante, and Frogmore 

 Late Pine are just ripe. Owing to a press of other matters the 

 Strawberries in pots were not watched so carefully as they ought 

 to have been, and the berries in an early stage of their develop- 

 ment were attacked by mildew ; the weather being favour- 

 able to its spread it increased with singular rapidity. On its 

 first appearance a dusting with sulphur would have arrested its 

 growth, and the warm pipes painted with sulphur would have 

 eflfectually cleared the plants. This was not done, and the re- 

 sult was that much fine fruit was spoiled. Some of the varieties 

 are much more liable to be attacked than others — Amateur the 

 most, and La Constante the least. A head gardener should 

 be Argus-eyed to notice everything himself. The young gar- 

 deners who have the charge of departments ought to be specially 

 watchful for the first appearance of any enemy — insect, fungus, 

 parasite, or otherwise, and lose not an instant in having it con- 

 quered. 



Peach and Nectarine frees in pots require much attention. 

 "We have surface-dressed, and the fresh rootlets are ramifying 

 into the rich material; fresh dressings will be applied as the 

 others disappear. The growing shoots are stopped as often as 

 they require it. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Our garden is not a large one, nor is the accommodation for 

 bedding plants extensive ; but if there is one thing in which we 

 take a pride more than another, it is to see the flower-beds well 

 filled early in the season. They are now a mass of bloom, and 

 being filled with continuous-flowering plants they will remain 

 so until the end of the season. Many of the beds had been 

 pre\-iously planted with spring-flowering plants, and the way the 

 Hyacinth and Tulip beds are managed is this : When the bulbs 

 are planted the beds are first deeply trenched and plenty of 

 manure added, so that the ground is in good condition at the 

 time the bedding plants are put out. Listead of lifting the 

 bulbs, the plants are planted amongst them without removing 

 the leaves and stalks. These, as far as our observation has yet 

 gone, afford some slight protection from frost and winds ; when 

 they decaj' they are removed. Next season the same bulbs will 

 give a good display of flowers without being removed, and when 

 they are done flowering will be lifted and planted out in a spare 

 piece of ground, or given away amongst the cottagers. By this 

 plan we only require to purchase imported bulbs once in two 

 years. 



We have been cutting the grass edgings, and hoeing and 

 TPecdin^ all beds and borders. All Roses over-blown and faded 

 are picked-ofi, removing the seed-vessels at the same time. All 

 suckers are removed with a sharp spud. — J. Douglas. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 N.B. — Many queations must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books (12. 0. T.).— In addition to those yon have thero aro tbo Rev. P, E. 

 Hole's "B«ok about Roues," Mr. W. Paul's "Rose Garden," with coloured 

 ilugtrations, and the Rev. R. W. Thomsoa's '* iVmateur's Rosariam." 



Elms Injcrkd by Supponxa (3f. ^.).— Loosen the bands that have injured 

 the boric, and smear over the woonda a thick mixture oi cow duu^;, clay, and 



■water. Support each tree by a hoop bound round with straw to prevent the 

 bark beinp chafed, and have three wires attache I ou tliroe opposite points of 

 the hoop, and fastened to stakes driven into the ground at about 3 feet fi-om 

 the tree stem. 



Japanese Honeysuckle (Alice). — It very commonly blooms iu England. 

 You oi-e correct in naming Geranium lucidum, but we cannot identify the 

 other from the specimen enclosed. 



LiQciD MANunE FOR WiNEOw PLANTS {W. iT. I..).— Guano 1 oz. to the 

 gallon of water, thoroughly dissolved and Btralfced belore use, applying it at 

 every alternate watering. 



Softening Hard Water (Idem). — Place it in an open tub or cistern 

 exposed to the sun for a few days, and it will lose much of its hai'duess. 



Training and Prcnin'G Clematis Standishii iF. R. O.). — It may be 

 pegged down so as to form a bed quite as well as C. Jackmanni. Both should 

 bo pruned early in spring just when the buds ai'o Bwelling. Cut-out the old, 

 and leave the young shoots of last year. 



Cactus speciosissimus Pruning (Fidget). — We do not see what you want 

 in pruning this plant as you propose. Leave it as it is. and put in neat stakes 

 so as to bring it into form. No pruning ia needed beyond cutting out, im- 

 mediately after flowering, the old stems close to the point whence they pro- 

 ceed. Let the plant grow and tlower. 



Vine in Greenhouse (Z(/t'»t).— The shoots that come from the bases of 

 the leaves are laterals ; they should be repeatedly pinched to one leaf as they 

 grow. Stop the canes when they reach tho top of the house. The wires 

 should be 15 inches or 16 inches fi-om the glass, and the Vines ought to ha 

 trained in the same way as the rafters run. The rods or canes iu a green- 

 house should be trained 3 feet 6 inches or 4 feet apart, so as not shade the 

 plants too much. One Vine with three canes will be suflicient for youi- house 

 Destroying Aphis in Conservatory iStaincli[f'i:).— Tho only means we 

 know, without resorting to fumigation with tobacco, or using tobacco water 

 or other solution liiely to cause coloration, is to dust the plants with tobacco 

 powder, but as that has to be syringed off it will leave its mark. Oui- corre- 

 spondent has been told that some decoctiou in which quassia forms a part, 

 has been found useful. We should be obliged by particulai'S of a solution 

 that will destroy aphis and not discolour the woodwork, &[;. 



Melons ^^Ta Fruit Flowers only (Hard Times). — Your Melons must 

 be very vigorous, in which state alone we have known them produce female 

 flowers only, or but few males. Could you not bring male flowers from other 

 plants, or those of a neighbour whei'ewith to impregnate your female flowers ? 

 It is not necessary that they should be of tho same kind or plant, only it will 

 not do to save seed from them unless they are impregnated with the same kind. 

 We should secure the male flowers from some friend or neighbom''s plant to- 

 insure fertilisation. Your treatment, so fai- as we have it ex^dained to us, is 

 right. Give a little more air and keep rather dry whilst the fruit is setting. 



Barren Strawberry Plants (F. C. H.) — We do not know of any means 

 of distinguishing the baiTcn from the fertile plants. The method we adopt 

 is to take runners from plants that have fruited, and from none other. We 

 have not any ban-en plants, bat some go blind. Why not remove the ban-en 

 plants now ? They only impoverish the ground, and the unfruitful are grosser 

 feeders than the fruitful. 



Peach Trees Out of Doors Shedding Leates (T. J.).— We think the 

 leaves are shed from the cold and the effects of an attack of insects. The 

 mulching with half-rotten manm-e and giving a good watering will do good if 

 your trees are not vigorous. If they are very vigorous the mauoie would be 

 injurious. The mulching of straw only prevents evaporation from the soil, 

 which in seasons like the present is not gi-eat. 



Cauliflowers Destroyed by Grubs (Euphorbia). — There ia no specific 

 against club or ambury. Probably the beat remedy is to dress with gas lime 

 at the rate of twelve bushels per acre, pointing it in with a fork before plant- 

 ing. A good di-essiug of soot, also lime and salt, is good. Of the last uso 

 twenty bushels per acre, s.nd of soot enough to moke the surface quite black, 

 pointing-in before planting. Apply the salt as a dressing to the surface. 

 Before planting dip the stems and roots in a composition formed of soot, 

 lime, and cowdung in equal parts brought to the consistency of thin paint. 

 The best preventive is to plant in ground not recently cropped with any of 

 the Cabbage tribe. 



Hdbshee Grape (J. Lovell). — Wo remember tho Grape well — the Httbskee 

 uiiffooi: It :s our Black Muscadine, and may be obtained in most Englisli 

 um-series. We will keep iu mind your request about the back volumes. 



Grapes Failing when Colouring (C. F.). — Yoiu- account is not very 

 clear, but we think your Grapes must be badly mildewed. Such attacks ai-e 

 very rapid and often unexpected, and the remedy or prevention diflicult. We 

 have checked the evil at times by sulphur applied to the pipes on a dull day, a 

 brisk fire being kept up both then and at night, so as to fill the house with a, 

 strong sulphurous vapour, but not by any means to burn the sulphur, as that 

 destroys the foliage. Even tho milder emanations from dry sulphur alono 

 plentifully scattered over the house will sometimes check this pest. In dull 

 seasons like the present it is advisable to sulphur as a precautionary measure, 

 as it unfortunately pomctimes happens that tho too liberal use of sulphur on 

 pipes or flues, heated so as to give off a strong vapour unpleasant to breathe, 

 is hurtful to the stalks that support the benies, and shanking takes place. 

 Considerable caution is required in using sulphur, but if the case is very bad 

 its use is indispensable, and we know of no other remedy. It may be some 

 consolation for you to know that mildew has been very prevalent this season, and 

 many promising crops of Grapes have fallen a prey to it. Of course we know 

 that mildew is a fungus which attacks the berry, generally ou one side ; and the 

 part that is attacked is so injured that its furtherRrowth is prevented and the 

 beiTy continuing to swell, the skin, not yielding to the expansion, cracks, and 

 decay sets in. If, therefore, you have not already tried sulphur, do so at 

 once. It may, perhaps, be of some service ; but we fear if the disease has run 

 some days it will be of little avail. 



Strawberries (Subscriber).— The varieties ore bo numerous, so nearly 

 alike, and are so liable to damage during their carriage, that wo cannot under- 

 take to name them. 



Espalier Pear and Plum Trees not Fruitful (Bird's-c!/r).~Wo be- 

 lieve the crops are only indifferent in the districts wliero these fruits aro 

 extensively grown to supply the London ond other markets, although Apples 

 and the small fruits aro plentiiul enough ; but if it has always been so in 

 former years, then there must be something wrong. We have more faith in 

 the htason and situation influencing tho crop than any particular mode of 

 pruning either tho tops or roots ; but the latter operation would seem the more 

 necessary in your case, as you say the trees make long rampant shoots which 



