September IS, 1873, ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



223 



ago, but we cannot do all work just when it is necessary, and 

 some judgment and consideration are required to know what to 

 do and what to leave undone at such times. "When the young 

 trees were planted here about nine years ago some were upon 

 the Paradise stock, others upon the Crab, and for small gardens 

 we would unhesitatingly recommend the Paradise stock, the 

 trees come into bearing at once and continuing to yield; but the 

 best and largest fruit are obtained from trees worked on the 

 Crab stock, and the objection to growing: them in small gardens 

 is, that they are long in coming into bearing, and they will grow 

 to a large size, taking-up much space. 



We continue to attend to the young Strawberry beds, remov- 

 ing the runners once in a week or ten days; they are also kept 

 perfectly free from weeds by a constant use of the Dutch hoe. 

 Where the system of planting a new bed every year and destroy- 

 ing the old beds is pursued, success very much depends on the 

 management. If the plants are not out in time, if they are 

 allowed to grow wild, or to become smothered with weeds 

 failure is certain. We earthed-up Celery when the plants were 

 dry, and dug-over ground that had been cleared of crops. 



PBCIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



In the late vineries we have found it necessary to have fires 

 on in the day with plenty of ventilation to dry-up the damp. 

 Some of the berries had begun to mould, these were removed 

 and a little attention to keeping the atmosphere of the house 

 dry will prevent any further damage. Royal Vineyard is gene- 

 rally the first to turn bad, and nest to it is Trentham Black. 

 The berries of these two sorts, Royal Vineyard especially, have 

 a tendency to crack round the stalk, consequently are liable to 

 decay at that part. Royal Vineyard is a thin-skinned Grape of 

 very good flavour, but it is a bad setter and does not keep well. 



We have planted out a house of Cucumbers, from which we 

 principally intend to cut after Christmas; of course, they will 

 come into bearing long before that time, but will not be allowed 

 to carry much fruit. The house was thoroughly washed before 

 planting them out ; the woodwork with water in which a very 

 little soft soap had been dissolved — too much soft soap will 

 bring the paint off — the glass with clear water, and the walla 

 ■with limewash. To a pail of limewash we add a pound of 

 flowers of sulphur. During winter it is quite necessary to keep 

 everything in the forcing houses scrupulously clean ; if dirt is 

 allowed to accumulate in all directions it cannot be possible to 

 keep the plants in health. 



ORCBABD HOUSE. 



We continue to repot the trees, and have finished with nearly 

 all from which the fruit has been gathered. We used to pot 

 half of them annually ; those that were potted in 1872 would 

 not be repotted until IST-i.but would be surface-dressed instead. 

 Experience has proved to us that it is the best plan to repot 

 annually, and when we make this statement we also say when 

 and how the potting is done, so as to necure a crop of fruit the 

 following season. To the inexperienced cultivator the greatest 

 difficulty will be found in repotting a plant in full leaf into a 

 pot the same size as that in which it had previously been grow- 

 ing ; but this can readily be done. The roots which have be- 

 come matted round the outsides of the ball must be cut away 

 and the bail of earth reduced, so that when it is replaced in a 

 clean pot there will be from 1 inch to l^-inch space all round. 

 If the ball of roots is dry, plunge it in a tub of water for five 

 minutes. In potting, ram the soil in quite firmly with a 

 wooden rammer. The plants treated in this manner will have 

 a tendency to flag for the first three days after potting — not 

 longer. We never shade, nor do we keep the house any closer ; 

 if the day is sunny and windy it will be necessary to dew the 

 trees over with a fine syringe two or three times. Give a good 

 watering at the roots ten hours after repotting. Several dozens 

 of our Peaches, Plums, and Pear trees have been treated as 

 above this year; they have not lost a leaf through it, and if 

 your correspondent, " G. S.," is within a convenient distance he 

 can come and look at them. We have picked all the Nectarines ; 

 Victoria and seedlings from it were the latest. The only 

 Peaches left now are Desse Tardive, Princess of Wales, nearly 

 over, Lord Palraerston just come in. Lady Palmerston, and 

 Salway, Lord Palmerston Peaches are pretty good this year, 

 but, though well exposed to the sun, they are very pale, yet 

 they have not so much of the clingstone as they had last year. 

 This and Lady Palmerston are very useful late Peaches. 



CONSERVATORY AND PLANT STOVE. 



We have been re-arranging these houses. Any greenhouse 

 planta out of doors have now been taken inside. This has been 

 a bad autnmn for pot plants standing out of doors without 

 shelter, the soaking rains being injurious. Tho.se who grow 

 hardwooded planta for exhibition do not allow them to be ex- 

 posed to rains, bat place them under a framework, which can 

 be covered with canvaa made to wind upon rollers, and to bo 

 let down readily when required. Those who have had their 

 plants exposed to soaking rains must not be surprised if a few 

 choice flpecimens die-o^ in a mysterious manner during the 

 winter, or obstinately refuse to start into growth in the spring. 

 Azaleas and Heaths are very prone to do so. We have placed 



a goodly number of Zonal and Variegated Pelargoniums in G-inch 

 pots in the greenhouse ; these were struck from cuttings in July, 

 and are very useful for flowering between now and Christmas; 

 their brilliant flowers are ever gay and attractive. 



Cyclamens. — Until now they have been out in a cold frame 

 with the lights facing the north, but the weather being so un- 

 favourable, they have been removed to a span-roofed pit, and 

 placed on a stage near the glass. C. persicum has become one 

 of the most useful winter-flowering plants ; it can be had in 

 flower from the time the bedding plants are ovpr in autumn until 

 the beds are again gay with Hyacinths and other spring flowers. 

 The plants will grow freely in a stove or greenhouse tempera- 

 ture. They are readily raised from seeds, and can be made 

 into nice flowering plants in nine months from the time the 

 seeds are put into the ground. In dull damp weather the flower 

 buds and partially-developed leaves have a tendency to mould 

 and decay in the centre of the plant; these should be looked for 

 frequently and removed at once, otherwise the decay ^"ill spread, 

 and the plants be much injured and disfigured. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES KECEIVED. 



S. Dixon & Co., 48a, Moorgate Street, London, E.G., and 

 Amhurst Nurseries, Anton Street, Hackney, E. — Catalogue of 

 Dutch arid other Flower Boots. 



Pine-Apple Nursery Company, Maida Vale, Edgware Eoad, 

 London, W. — Catalogue of Dutch Bulbs and other Flower 

 Boots. 



Louis Van Houtte, Royal Nurseries, Ghent, Belgium. — Cata- 

 logue of Azalea itidica, Camellias^ Greenhouse and Hardtj 

 Bhododendrons, £c. 



W. H. Rogers, 132, High Street, Southampton. — Catalogue of 

 Dutch Bulbs and Flower Boots. 



R. B. Matthews, 65 and 67, Victoria Street, Belfast. — Descrip- 

 tive Catalogue of Dutch Flower Boots for Winter and Spring 

 Jloivering, Greenhouse a7id Stove Plarits, Fiuit Trees, tf-c. 



Edmondson Brothers, 10, Dame Street, Dublin. — Autumn 

 Catalogue of Hyacinths, Tulips, Lilies, Croctis, d-e. 



Robert Cragg, Car Colston, near Bingham, Notts. — Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Boses and Hardy Spring-fiowering Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Books [R. R. Dute).— London's " Hortus Britamiicua " contains the botanic 

 andEDglish names of plants. 



Heating Small Greenhouse (C. Marrison). — Merely to exclude frost 

 from so small a house, have a gas etove with a tuba to conYey the fumes into 

 the open air, and have an outside blind. 



Fruit Trees {An Old Contribiitor).-~'W6 cannot advise further. What 

 your family prefer you had better select from our lists. 



Ventilation (A Nurseryman). — It does not follow that the award at Man- 

 chester was wrong because the prize was given to a well-known system. The 

 judges were competent men. Your letter, if published, would be an advertise- 

 ment for the manufacturer you name. 



Five-pound Greenhouse iTimhuctoo]. — We know not where it can be 

 purchased, but full directions for its construction are in " Greenhouses for the 

 Many," a copy of which you can have free by post from our office if you 

 enclose seven postage stamps with your address. Any carpenter could erect 

 cue. 



Fairy-ring Fungi (A. S. ^4.}.— The fungus you mention is probably the 

 true "Champignon." If so, it is edible, but all Fairy-ring Fungi are not 

 edible. 



Peach Blotched (L. M. S.).— Tour Peach we snppoae was gathered from 

 an exposed wall, for we never observed similar blotches in Peaclies grown 

 under glass. We consider such blotches are caused by exposure to sudden 

 and considerable variations of temperature. A jardinier is intended for plants 

 in a dwelling-house. 



Select Camellias (Nnv Beginner).— Alha. plena (old Double White). 

 Bealii, or Leeana superba, deep crimson; Valtevaredo, bright ro^e; Jubilee, 

 pinkish white and rose ; Imbricata, scarlet crimsun ; Comtessa Lavinia Maggi, 



Select Azaleas {Zd^-m).— Dnchesse Adelaide de Nassau, red shaded with 

 violet; Stella, orange scarlet; Flower of the Day, white; Kinghomi, rosy 

 lilac; EtoUe de Gand, white and rose ; Leopold I., rose. 



Geranium for Greenhouse Back Wall (A*nu/.i/orrf).— Clipper is a very 

 good kind for the back wall of a greenhouse having plenty of light. If the 

 wall is shaded we fear you will find all run up with baro stems, hut they may 

 bo made to branch by stopping. Pillar of Beauty (.Wm. Paul) is one of the 

 finest for the pillars and walls of a conservatory. ^ 



Gloxinia Leaf Browned (Lady Kin{i).—ThQ leaf sent is completely 

 dried up, we think in consequence of thripa, though the cause may have been 

 scorching. Without a better specimsn and some details of treatment we 

 cannot give a more satisfactory reply. 



Cauliflowers BuTTuN-KKiDiNO (J. N.).— The cause of the plants going 

 to head is their not having been transplanted sufficiently early ; they were too 

 large. From seed sown at the end of March they would be fit to plant out in 

 May or the early part of June. The heads were formed before they were put 

 out, and the consequence is a " button " instead of a good largo head. Leaving 

 them in the pricked-out bed, but thinned, and their being no better than 

 those planted out, does not show, as you may have concluded, the fault to ba 

 in the plants. Were they not lar^'o before they wore thinned? Had tbey 

 been planted at the dintanco you name in good rich soil, wo think you would 

 have cut them ere this with liirgo heads. For following Potatoes, or planting 

 out early in July, the seed should not be sown before the beginning of May. 



ToHACco Jlice— Lee's Prolific Black Currant— Uydranoea not 

 Flowbiuno [C. B.). — The tobacco juice is made at tobocco manufactories. 



