StptemlKT 11, 1878. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



203 



so mnch attacked by the maggot that it is not possible to obtain 

 a crop of souuil bulbs. Where this is the case, sow in the first 

 week of September. The varieties "we prefer are Deptford, 

 White Spanish, and James' Keeping. As regards Lettuce, we 

 confine ourselves principally to one variety, Hicks's Hardy 

 White ; it has not failed to stand well over the winter with us 

 during the last three or four years. It is a valuable Cos Lettuce, 

 resembling in many respects the Paris White, but hardier and 

 of larger growth. We have not yet determined which are the 

 best sorts of Cauliflower for our light soil. We have sown Early 

 London, Walcheren, Lenormaud's and Erfurt Dwarf Mammoth. 

 Excellent heads are obtained from this sowing about the end of 

 May and up to the middle of June. Later than June it is waste 

 of ground to plant Cauhflowers in our garden — that is, it is use- 

 less to try to obtain heads after June. The present sowing will 

 be planted in hand-lights in October, on ground trenched 2 feet 

 deep. We have harvested the Onion crop ; that from the 

 autumn sowing was taken-up about the second week of August. 

 We pull the bulbs up and lay them on the ground to ripen for a 

 few days ; they are then tied-up in large handfuls, and in wet 

 weather the best ore tied to ropes and hung-up in a dark close 

 shed, where they keep well. Where there is a loft to spread 

 them out it is a good plan to do so, and labour is saved. 



We are gathering nice dishes of Peas from Alpha, though it is 

 badly mildewed now. We tried BUie Peter in comparison with 

 Little Gem, and thought the first-named superior in every 

 respect to the last. Bine Peter is the best dwai'f Pea, and can 

 be confidently recommended. It so highly pleased my employer 

 that he desired me to save all of it we had sown for seed, as he 

 wished to grow it in the fields. 



FRCTT ASD FORCING HOUSES. 



Until this week we have not had any fires in the Cucumber 

 house, but the temperature has fallen to 50', and it is no longer 

 safe to be without. We fancy that a low night temperature pre- 

 disposes the plants to disease — at any rate, we cannot obtain 

 well-shaped fruit unless a minimum of OiJ- be maintained in 

 the house. Thrips is very troublesome to us, but we get rid of 

 it on its first appearance by fumigating with tobacco ; several 

 smokings are necessary to destroy this pest. We recommend 

 Telegraph as the best and most useful winter Cucumber which 

 is yet in the trade. 



CONSERVATORY AND PLANT STOP'S. 



We have been charmed with the Lilies in the conservatory 

 this year ; they are now in full beanty, and will continue so 

 some time longer (we do not have them under glass except for a 

 few weeks in the spring when they are starting into growth ; 

 they have the shelter of a cold frame until the shoots come in 

 contact with the glass); as the flowers fade we either place 

 them in a vinery or place the pots on their sides out of doors until 

 the leaves turn yeUow and fall off, when we shake the roots out 

 of the soil and repot them. L. auratum requires to be care- 

 fully handled, and the bulbs should not be disturbed more than 

 is necessary. It is more tender than any of the other sorts, 

 and will not do well if the pots are saturated with water in the 

 autumn. Of course we do not mean by this that it is not hardy, 

 as it stands out all the winter in the Rhododendron beds, and 

 flowers well every year if left undisturbed. 



We were rather late this year in putting in the cuttings of 

 Phlox decussata, the autumn-flowering herbaceous species. 

 Ifany of the plants in 5-inch pots are now flowering, and are 

 also useful in the conservatory. Double Zonal Pelargoniums 

 are doing good service. The plants we have are now adorned 

 with the finest trusses we have yet seen. The cuttings were 

 put in late in the autumn last year in boxes, turned out of 

 the boxes in the following March into 4J-inch pots, and shifted 

 at midsummer into others 7 inches in diameter. Victor and 

 Marie Lemoine are the best two ; the former is scarlet, and the 

 latter a soft clear rose. What about the do<ible white sent out 

 in the spring at a high price ? We attend as many flower shows 

 as most people, but have not yet seen it exhibited. We looked 

 over the plants and removed all decajing leaves and flowers. 

 In the casa of the double varieties the trusses soon become un- 

 sightly if decaying flowers are not immediately removed from 

 the centres. 



In the stove a night temperature as near as possible to 6.5° is 

 maintained. A lower minimum would suit some plants, but 

 would not be beneficial to Nepenthes and some of the Orchids. 

 We have looked over the Orchids, washed those reqtiiring it with 

 soft soap and water to remove insects ; and in the case of such 

 genera as Vanda, Saccolabium, &c., have surfaced the pots 

 and baskets with fresh sphagnum. Our cool Orchids have been 

 in a cold frame under a north wall until now ; they were placed 

 there early in June. They have now been removed to the house, 

 where they will remain all the winter. Amateurs and others 

 only having a small extent of glass should know how easily 

 these fine plants can be grown. Odontoglossum crispum (Alex- 

 andra;), Masdevallia narryana, and many of the finest species 

 are as easily grown as Pelargoniums. Plenty of moisture in the 

 atmosphere and at the roots is all they require. 



FLO^^■ER GARDEN. 



Owing to the heavy downpours of rain and chilly nights the 

 plants in the flower beds are not looking so well as they did a 

 few weeks ago ; we are c;areful, however, to make the best of 

 them, as if the flowerbeds are allowed to become untidy throxigh 

 the accumulation of decaying leaves and flowers, it is a coniinual 

 reminder that summer is over. The wet weather has caused 

 Verbenas to make yoimg growths, so that we shall be able to 

 obtain cuttings suitable for striking in a week or two. At the 

 same time all the other bedding plants wOl be put in, such as 

 Cuphea platycentra, which is seldom grown now, but is a very 

 distinct and pretty plant for the flower border. Salvias, Helio- 

 tropes, Alyssums, and other subjects of a like nature are put 

 into a dung-frame from which the heat is almost gone. I'ansies 

 sown early in August have been planted out in boxes, the plants 

 about 3 inches apart ; they are now strong, and will be planted 

 out in permanent beds as soon as the ground is ready for them. 

 Roses have given a very good second bloom this year, but 

 mildew has been prevalent, and has caused it to be not so good 

 as it would otherwise have been. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



T. Bunyard & Sons, Maidstone, Kent. — Select List of Dutch 

 Flower Boots. 



Milligan & Kerr, Dumfries. — Select Catalogue of Dutch Flower 

 Boots, Fruit Trees, Bases, Ac. 



Hooper & Co., Covent Garden Market, W.C. — Catalogue of 

 Autumti Bulbs, <£-c. 



W. Rollisson & Sons, Tooting, London, S.'W.— Catalogue of 

 Cape, Dutch, and other Bulls, Bases, lic. 



R. Parker, Exotic Nursery, Tooting, Surrey, S.W. — Catalogue 

 of Hyacinths and other Bulbous Boots, Alpine and Herbaceous 

 Plants, Fruit Trees, d-c. 



Ant. Roozen & Son, Overveen, near Haarlem, Holland.— 

 Catalogue af Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocus, and other Dutch and 

 Cape Bulbs. 



Bair it Sugden, 12, King Street, Covent Garden, London, 

 W.C. — Autumnal Descriptive Catalogue of Bulbs and Plants 

 for Winter, Spriiig, and Summer Floioering. 



Downie, Laird, & Laing, Stanstead Park, Forest Hill, London, 

 S.E., and 17, South Frederick Street, Edinburgh. — Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Dutch Flower Boots. 



Dick Radclyffe & Co., 129, High Holbom, London. — Autumn- 

 Catalogue. 



Soutag & Co., 1772, Folsom Street, San Francisco, California, 

 — WJtolcsale Catalogue of Californian Tree and Shrub Seeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*^* We request that no one will wiite privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doiug they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d-c, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, B.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mis 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 eonvenieutly, but write them oa 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B.^Many questions must remain unanswered until next- 

 week. 



AlTERiCAN Bramdleh (J. O. B.).— The kind to which you refer must be 

 the New Rochelle or Lawton. Apply to some ol onr leading nurserj-men, who 

 could, no doubt, procure it. 



BnmAT, EorQUETS (Constant lirackr). — You may obtain them at any price, 

 from half a guinea to Qto guineas and upwards. 



Back Wall for Lean-to Vinery (^. C. H.).— The best and cheapest sub- 

 stitute for brickwork for the back wall of a lean-to vinery, is a strouj^ frame- 

 work of deal scantling, faced iueide with match-boarding, and outside either 

 with weather-boarding or slates, lilliug the hollow space with dry sawdust. 



Heating a Pit (Puzzled). — A pit in three divisions for Melons, Cucum- 

 bers, and other plants cannot bo heated with eflicieney by a Biiit,'le furnace 

 and flue. Cut through the old Hue at the partitiou of 1 and 2, continuing the 

 part in No. 1 around that division, or else caus-ing it to return upon itself to a 

 suitable shaft near the furnace, which should, of course, be outside the pit. 

 Deal with the flue in the other divisions in a similar manner, making another 

 furnace for it, and you will not only be able to apply heat to your Melons and 

 Cucumbers without affecting the plants in No. 1, but yon will avoid tho great 

 waste of heat, and therefore of fuel, that is fiuite unavoidable with your pi csonfc 

 faulty apparatus. 



"White Scale on Acacia armata (E. M. KL). — Tho branch you enclosed 

 to as is attacked by the white scale, which is not easy of destruction. Wo 

 have fotind placing tho plants out of doors after the growth is complete, and 

 allowing them to remain exposed aa long in autumn as is safe, a good mod© 

 of freeing the plants of this pest. Another method is to syringe tliem 

 with water at a temperature of 140"^, the surface of the pot being covered 

 with moss about 3 inches thick, and over this somo canvas largo enough to 



