106 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( August 7, 1873. 



beds iu the houses where the active roots were round the out- 

 Eides of the pots. 



Vineries. — Iu the early houses the few scorchiug hot days we 

 have had have told upon the foliage, and are causing much of it 

 to drop off. Abundant supplies of air are necessary night and 

 day. The wood seems hai'd and well ripened, but one is often 

 deceived in this. The season has not been very favourable for 

 well maturing the wood iu the earliest houses. As to the late 

 houses note what was said about Lady Downe's last week in 

 regard to scaldiug ; we hear of some persons who have had their 

 fruit of this sort much damaged by not giving air enough during 

 the hot scorching weather of last week. Throw all ventilators 

 and doors open during hot sunshine ; after the berries begin to 

 colour the danger is over. We are always more troubled with 

 red spider in the late houses. As we do not fire much the pipes 

 are not often heated, and during summer it is injurious to shut 

 the houses quite close and to heat the pipes siiSiciently to cause 

 the sulphur fumes to take effect. The Grapes seem to colour 

 well ; the berries aud bunches are also large. "We leave the 

 ventilators open both front and back at night. 



ORCHARD HOUSE. 



The Early York Peach is now in. Early Grosse Mignonne 

 and Rivers' Early York are swelling rapidly aud will come in 

 soon after it. We have the house pretty free from red spider, 

 so that syringing may be discontinued in a few days. If any 

 trace of this pest should be on the trees it will spread with great 

 rapidity, and in a fortnight the leaves will be destroyed. More 

 cautiou is requisite as regards watering when the trees are 

 ripeuing-off their fruit. Too much water will cause the fruit 

 io be watery and wanting in flavour, while too little water will 

 also cause the fruit to be inferior. Let each tree (I allude, of 

 course, to pot trees), be moderately dry before it is watered, but 

 not so much so as to cause the points of the young growing 

 shoots to flag. The house must also have the ventilators both 

 at front and back a little open all night. 



CONSERVATOBY AND PLANT HOUSES. 



In the stove a general repotting of the plants, Ferns, &c., has 

 taken place ; the plants have been re-arranged and allowed space 

 to develope themselves. Nothing is so injurious to plants as 

 overcrowding them, especially towards autumn, when air aud 

 light are necessary more than at any other time to perfect the 

 growths. Once every week we look over the conservatory, re- 

 move all plants that have gone out of flower and have a seedy 

 appearance, and replace with fresh specimens which have been 

 growing either out of doors or have been brought forward iu 

 pits and frames. We find the ordinary Zonal Pelargoniums, 

 both single and double, of great value at this time of the year 

 for decorative purposes. — J. Douglas. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

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

 week. 



Notice to Quit (.4 Reader). — If you were paid your wages weekly you 

 cannot demand more than a week's notice, 



EosE-BUDS Dbopping (J, S.). — YouT quBstlon was answered at page 86. 



LiLrrais (Mrs. H.). — If you advertise your wants you will probably find 

 some one willing to exchange, but we cannot undertake to negociate such 

 matters. 



Pea (J. B.). — The specimens were in such a state when they arrived that 

 it was impossible to form any opinion. 



Seedling Pansy {Milligan and Kerr). — The Pansy, as far as we could 

 judge, is a good variety, but not superior to others in the same style already 

 in commerce. 



Use of Cucumber House (A Constant lieaih-r). — We do not think you 

 could do better than have CacumberB on both sides of the house. Tomatoes 

 would, however, succeed, but they would not pay nearly bo well as the 

 ■Cucumbers. 



Pot Culture of Czar Violet (A Subscriber). — Your plants are probably 

 old aud have been some time in pots. We like them best in pots, from rooted 

 runners of uffseta planted singly in April in good rich soil in the garden qu an 

 east or west border, or other place shaded from powerful sun. Ours are on a 

 north border a foot apart every way. The soil is kept stirred between the 

 rows, and all runners as well as all weeds are removed. In September the 

 plants are taken up with balls, potted in 6-inch pots, placed in a cold frame 

 on ashes, shaded from brit;ht sun until they are again established, then light and 

 air are freely admitted. From the frame they may be drafted into the green- 

 house as reijuired. We should pluuge your plants in the open ground, aud 

 keep off all ninners. In September we would have them taken up and re- 

 potted without disturbing the ball much, placing them in a cold frame until 

 re-established. In October they may be placed on shelves in the greenhouse, 

 where they will bloom well during the winter. 



Storing Seed Potatoes — Transplanting AsPARAcns (D. F. J. E . — 

 It is a good plan to place the tubers thinly on a floor or on shelves, but not 

 in layers with straw between them, as those iu the centre will be liable to 

 sprout too soon. They are best stored on lattice shelves -"ith the needful pro- 

 tection from frost. The thinner they are laid on the shelves the better. The 

 nearer the temperature is kept to 40- the less they will be liable to suflferfrom 

 premature growch. The best time to transplant Asparagus plants iuto old 

 beds is in epring, just before or when they are beginning to grow. The Car- 

 rots you have transplanted may form short stubby roots, they seldom form 

 handsume roots. They need no particular treatment, except to be watered if 

 the weather be ilry. Consult a farmer iu your locality as to the latest time of 

 sowing Eape for spring feeding. The best remedy for the rabbits would 



be to trap them, or place Bnares in their runs ; poisoning would not be j ustifi.- 

 able. 



Ivy on a Wall (A. B.). — No doubt Ivy harbours insects, and no doubt 

 also insects have the inconvenient habit of eating fruit, we should therefore 

 advise you not to plant the back of your fruit wall with Ivy. "VSTiy not plant 

 Cunauts or Morello Cherries against it? Collect all the liquid which drains 

 from your hotbeds and manure heaps. It is the best di'essingyou can give to 

 green crops. 



Violets in a Greenhouse ( ). — You may plant either the Neapolitan* 



the Czar, or the Victoria Regina Violet on the Peach border; a few of each 

 would give you a variety. 



Destroying Gooseberry Caterpillar (G. H. B.).— We extract the 

 followiug from the *' Gardeners' Year-Eook," page 70: — "The most simple, 

 least expensive, and most certain method of exterminating this pest is to 

 cover the surface of the ground early in spring all round the Gooseberry 

 bushes 2 or 3 inches thick with fresh tan fi'om the tanyard, the same material 

 as is used for bark beds. Let it remain till the autumn or winter following, 

 aud then dig it in. In November or December remove the earth from round 

 the stem of each tree for about the space of 18 inches, and as deep as the 

 roots will permit. Expose the roots to the weather for three or four weeks, 

 then fill-in with manure or fresh earth." 



Tomatoes not Fruiting [Idt-ni). — The plants must need water. In no 

 other way can we account for the fruit not swelling. We should discontinue 

 the pinching, and keep them well watered in dry weather. It is likely you 

 have by stopping caused the production of a multitude of shoots, and that 

 they are consequently crowded. Thin them out so as to admit light and air. 

 You may yet have a crop, which will ripen iu autumn, or the plants may be 

 cut before frost and hung up iu a vinery to ripen the fruit. 



Stove Plants roa Winter and Spring Flowering [S. h.). — Centro- 

 pogon Lucyanus, Anthurium Scherzeriauum, Aphelandra aurantiaca Roezlii, 

 Burchellia capeusis, Clerodendron Balfourianum, Dalechampia RoezUana rosea, 

 Eranthemum pulchellum, Eui)borbia jacquiniEeflora, Imantophyllum minia- 

 timi, MonochEEtum ensiferum, Plumbago cocciuea superba, and Thyrsacan- 

 thus rutilans. Fine subjects for winter-flowering are Begonia fuchsioides, 

 Ingrami, insignis, manicata, nitida, and hybrida multiflora. 



Tricolor Pelargonium Leaves Colouring (J. H. B.). — Keep the plants 

 in a cold pit or frame, and near the glass, but not touching it, and shade from 

 bright sun during the hottest part of the day, say from 9 a.m to 3 or 4 p.m. 

 Water moderately, and not overhead, admitting air freely. They will improve 

 in colour in autumn. 



Tall Yellow and White-flowering Perennials (Mrs. C). — Anemone 

 japonica Honoriue Jobert (white), 3 feet ; Lathyrus latifolius albus, 

 6 feet; Achillea moschata, Sifeet; Aconitum album, 4 feet; Aster multi- 

 florus, 3feet; Aster Tradescanti, 3 feet ; Bocconia cordata, 5 feet ; Leptandra 

 virginica, 5 feet; Lupinus albus, 3 feet; Lychnis dioiea alba-plena. 3 feet; 

 Monarda alba, 3 feet ; Polygonum cuspidatum. 6 feet ; >pirtea Aruncus, 4 feet ; 

 S. barbata, 4 feet; S. Himiboldtii, 4 feet; all the above have white flowers. 

 Yellow-flowered plants are — Centrocarpa grandiflora and C. triloba, 3 feet : 

 Cephalaria tatarica, 5 feet ; HeUauthus califoruicus, H. multiflorus flore- 

 pleno, 3 feet ; H. orgyalis, 6 feet ; Lysimacbia mexicana, (Euothera grandi- 

 flora, Polygonum complexum,3feet ; Rudbeckiacolumnaris, R. fulgida,R. Neu- 

 manni, 4 feet ; Thalictrum discolor, 4 feet ; aud T. squarrosa, 3 feet. 



Various Questions (B. E. L.). — The old Gooseberries are not worth trans- 

 plantLug. Plant new ones in November, and they may be within 6 feet of 

 the pyramid Apples. Plant the Raspberries 4 feet apart. You may move 

 every alteruate plant of Strawberries any time this month. It is quite 

 possible your Lapageria rosea does not like twining on the cold iron rod. 

 Substitute wood, or a cord, or wire. Sow the seed of Sida vitifolia in March 

 in gentle heat. Thin Asparagus plants to 1 foot apart. Do this, and till up 

 blanks, in the end of March. Salt will benefit seedlings. Chrysanthemums 

 would bloom better in 9-inch than 6-inch pots. It is not too late to repot. 



Unhealthy Vine (Good Templar). — You have loaded your young Vines 

 too much, and they are suffering from diminished vigour. You must crop 

 them lighter, aud encourage this season as much as you possibly can a deve- 

 lopment of the laterals. Do not pinch them too closely, and allow the lead- 

 ing shoot to grow as long as it will. See that your Vine border is well drained. 

 The Yew Poisonous {A. S. T.). — All the evidence on the subject of the 

 Yew being poisonous to cattle, horses, and deer, leads to the conclusion that 

 when eaten in its fresh state it is harmless, but when withered, or partially 

 so, it is poisonous. The clippings of Yew hedges, for instance, if laid within 

 the reach of these animals and eaten by them have invariably caused death ; 

 but it ia known that when they browse upon the fresh shoots in parks no 

 such result occurs. 



Cordon-trained Trees {F. J.}.— You are not definite enough in your 

 explanation. If your single cordons are on a wall they should be planted 

 18 inches apart, and trained at an angle of 45-. You should now cut all the 

 young wood back to two or three leaves. If they are planted in the open 

 garden let them grow upright. We would plant at least 3 feet apart, aud 

 allow the side shoots to grow out more. There is no advantage, but the 

 contrary, in cutting-in too closely. 



Strawberry Culture (H.).— Strawberry beds last longest in perfection 

 in medium loam, aud the shortest time in light sindy soils. Our soil being 

 very light we tind it most advantageous to plant a new bed annually. In any 

 soil we would not allow a bed to stand longer than thiee or four years. If 

 the earliest are layered, as soon as they aie ready, in small pots, and the 

 plants put out early in August, they will bear a full crop the following year. 

 The ground should be trenched 2 feet deep and highly manured. 



Heating Lean-to House {li. T. IT.).— Seventy feet of 3-iuch pipe would 

 keep out the frost in ordinary winters, but to be sure we wiuld put in four 

 rows of 3- inch, or three rows of 4-inch pipes, which last would be preferable. 

 Destroying Woodlice (^4 Weekly Reader). — We know of no better plan 

 than to place some damp moss round the aides of the bed, and especially 

 against the walls, and on this pour boiling water some time the following 

 morning. The moss — or hay, which will answer almost as well — may be re- 

 moved, and immersed in boiling water; this, repeated a few times, will clear 

 the house. The hut water will destroy the Mushrooms with which it may 

 come in contact, but as it need not be allowed to wet more than an inch or 

 two from the wall, there can be no great loss of Mushi-ooms from the applica- 

 tion. 



Quick-growing Shrub for Protection near the Sea (Northern). — 

 The quickest-growing and best of all for affording shelter is the Elder (Sam- 

 bucus nigra). It should be planted 2 feet apart, and as a doable row 1 foot 



