380 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GiSDENER. 



[ November 13, 1873. 



fibrous peat added to it is the best potting material; some sand 

 is added to it to keep it open and porous, a few lumps of sand- 

 stone mixed "with the soil are also beneficial. The surface of the 

 soil should be covered over with moss, which is kept in a grow- 

 ing state by being frequently sprinkled. The plants are placed 

 an a heated span-roofed pit from which frost is excluded during 



winter. 



Chi-ysanthemums which are grown for the quality of the 

 •Sowers have required some attention, the florets have been very 

 liable to damp and decay. These have to be removed as soon 

 as they are perceived, to prevent the decay from spreading. 

 Care must be taken in tying and training the specimen plants, 

 and dusting with sulphur wherever mildew appears. 



FLOWER G.URDEN AND SHRUBBERY. 



In this department there is plenty of work waiting to be done 

 when the weather is suitable. The weather, which would not 

 permit work on the flower beds, was very suitable for removing 

 shrubs from one part of the garden to another. Many amateurs 

 and some gardeners are not careful to save the roots of their 

 plants when digging them up. All deciduous and evergreen 

 trees will pay for a little extra labour in digging round and 

 underneath the roots. The best way is to form a circle round 

 the plant to ba removed; if the plant is large the radius must 

 also be large. Then with diggiug-forks throw-out a trench out- 

 side the circle formed round the roots, and when the trench is 

 sufficiently deep, work underneath the ball of earth. If the 

 trees or shrubs are choice species and difficult of removal, mats 

 should be wrapped firmly round the ball to keep the mould 

 from parting from the roots. The place where the plant is to 

 be put in should have been got ready previously, so that it will 

 not be necessary to further injure the roots by placing the tree 

 on the surface of the ground, and then have to wait until the 

 hole is dug-out. 



Have finished lifting the Gladiolus roots, and have put them 

 away in a dry place for the winter, at least those roots that are 

 dry. It is necessary to thoroughly dry the roots first. "Where 

 this has not been done thoroughly they have been injured. 

 When the corms are lifted, cut the stalks off at once^ close to the 

 crown of the root, and place each sort separately in a flower-pot. 

 The pots can be taken into a vinery or dry shed, where the old 

 corms and small ones may be separated. If the small bulbs 

 are required for increase they may be saved and potted after- 

 wards. — J. Douglas, 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*** We request that no one will wi-ite privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture j dx.j 171, Fleet 

 Street^ London, E.C. 



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

 week. 



Norwegian Firms {Noricaii). — We are Bon-y we cannot give you the dis- 

 tinctive character of the Norwegian and Swedish houses ; but if you write to 

 Hansen of Christiauia, or Lundsrom of Frosunda, you will obtain all you 

 require to know. 



Hot-water Engineering (E. Smith). — "We know nothing about books on 

 the subject. 



Black Funous on Rose Trees iC^'ta Beta).— If yoiu- Eoses are budded 

 on the Briar we fear your soil and situatiou are not suitable ; if on the Manetti 

 Btock we should advise you to lift and replant, adding good well-decomposed 

 manure. Black funjjus and orange fungus seem mnch on the iucreaae. 

 Syringing with a solution of soot, soft soap, and snlphur is one of the best 

 remedies ; and as fungus generally arises from deficient root-action, watering 

 ■with liquid manure will be of gi'eat service in checking its spread. 



Storing Apples and Pears (F. J.). — The Apples would keep in barrel-i 

 quite as well without as with the packing in saud; thoroughly dried straw is 

 much better, as in sand the fruit is apt to become insipid. They may be 

 packed in casks without straw, in either case looking them over at the end of 

 two or three weeks, and removing any that show Bymptoms of decay. They 

 may then be repacked, and will keep plump until fit for use. Pears keep very 

 ^velI in boxes if stored in silver sand or in dried straw. 



Potting Bedding Plants— Plants ron Low Wall (Idem). — Leaf soil is 

 preferable to rotten manure for mixing with the soil for beddincr plants, but 

 •well-decayed stable manure is good. We use both — one-third of leaf soil and 

 one-fourth of well-decayed dry manure. For covering a low wall we sliould 

 prefer Ivy to Virginian Creeper, as the former is evergreen. Employ the sraall- 

 ieaved kinds of Ivy, as Hedera tauricn, H. rhombsea variegata, and new Silver- 

 variegated or elegantisaima. The Virginian Creeper you had named to you 

 was probably Ampel^psis Veitchii, a very neat growing sort, adhering to the 

 wall witli tho tenacity of Ivy. It is very pretty, especially in autumn, when 

 the leaves are about to fall. Thero is an advantage in placing silver sand 

 around and over the bulbs of Hyacinths, &o., for it eaves them from decay. 



It\' not Thriving (A. B ). — The most probable cause of the wall becoming 

 bare at the bottom is want of attention in the early stages of m'owth to 

 securing shoots for the lower parts of the wall. If you caimot bring down 

 some slioots we should plant young plants and train the shoots as thoy grow 

 so as to cover tho lower part of tho wall, enriching the soil with some loaf 

 soil or thoroughly-rotted manure pointed-in with a fork. Water freely iu 

 dry weather, and sprinkle the wall every evening in hot weather with w^ator, 



so as to encourage the growth of the Ivy on the bare parts. Keep the old 

 Ivy well cut-in every spring, cuttiug-iu closely every part, and nail the shoots 

 to the wall as they grow. 



Mice Eating Crocuses (.7. iJ.).— Wet the Crocuses, place them in a shallow 

 box containing red lead, and thoroughly coat them with the lead before 

 planting. It is said that placing pieces of the Crown Im[jerial bulb near 

 where the corms are planted will save the Crocus from the depredations of 

 mice. 



Newi,v- PL ANTED EosES (E. P. B.).— Mulch the ground about the plants 

 with littery manure 3 inches thick, and in February cut each strong shoot 

 back to six buds, the moderately strong to three or four, and the weak shoots 

 to two eyes each. The Roses in pots should be potted at once, and placed in 

 a cool house or cold pit, and in January should be placed in the cool green- 

 house, or now if no fire heat is employed. Prune them at the time of in- 

 trouucing them, or in January, limiting pruning to the removal of the points 

 of the shoots, and cutting-out the old weak wood. 



Winter Cuc03IBER Cultctee {H. P.}.— Plants from seed sown now will 

 not fruit at the end of January, or will only bear indifferently, but they will 

 come into bearing iu February or Miu-ch. The distance apart will vary with 

 the extent to which the shoots are limited; 2 to ii feet will be sullicient. The 

 depth of soil also varies with the width of the bed, 15 inches to 2') inches 

 being a suitable depth. There is no exhaustive work on Cucumber treatment ; 

 but the subject has from time to time been fully treated of iu our pages. 



Cycas revoldta Culture (J. E.). — It requires to be grown in a stove, or 

 will succeed in winter in a warm conservatory. Repot in spring when it 

 begins to grow, and encourage growth with a moist heat, copious sprinklings 

 overhead, and thorough supplies of water at the roots. After the growth is 

 complete avoid wettiug th i fronds, keep the plant moderately dry at the roots 

 in winter, and perfectly so overhead after the gx-owth is complete. We 

 consider the cause of the leaflets now turning yellow is moisture on them, 

 either from condensation or spriukling overhead. Good drainage is necessary, 

 and a compost of rich, tuvfy, light loam, and a third of sandy fibrous peat. 

 It is possible that the leaflets may tall from a deficiency of moisture whilst 

 they are being formed. 



Fungus in Tan Bed (Wm. C). — Frequently stir the pai-ts infested with a 

 smiiU fork, and sprinkle with quicklime. The monng of the tan about is, 

 however, tho best remedy. 



Heating from Room Firf. {L. W.). — The cheapest plan would be to have 

 a flue rnnniog along one end and the front of the gi-eenhouse, the fire or 

 chimney from the fi^re rising about the height the fire is from the hearth- 

 stone, intJudiug the depth of the tire, and then along the flue in the green- 

 house. A shield of sheet iron to close the part above the fire in the room, 

 and coming down to the grate, would give you more draught when you wanted 

 to increase the temperature in the greenhouse, as in a cold frosty period, and 

 with a damper iu the chimney from the greenhouse flue, the heat could be 

 regulated at will. Another plan, but not so economical, would be to have a 

 bitiler at the back of the fire, with a 3-inch Ilow and return along the front 

 and one end of the greenhouse. This would be the safest and best mode of 

 heating, having a flue under the boiler, which could be used in severe weather 

 to give the extra heat required. You would need a flow-box or feeding- cistern 

 —better the latter, which should be directly over the boiler or near to it, ajid 

 the supply should be regulated by a ball-tap. 



Vines for Late Vinerv (TK. fl.}.— The Vines planted against the back 

 wall of your lean-to viuery will not ripen well, aud tliey keep badly late in the 

 ReasoD. White Tokay and Black Hamburgh have succeeded well with us. The 

 White Musuats do badly, nor should any shy-bearing sort, like GrosGuillaume, 

 be planted. We also grew some very fine, well-coloured fruit of Alicante on 

 pot Vines trained to the back wall of a vinery, where the rafters were nearly 

 covered with Vines. 



Rose-tree Planting (S. C). — The Roses planted after wet weather on a 

 fine day, succeeded by a week of rain, need not bo taken up and replanted iu 

 dry weather. 



Mr. R. Fish (J. G.).— Mr. Fish had promised us to have his photograph 

 taken, but his sudden death prevented the fulfilment of tho promise. 



Various (H. G.).— a. Stipa pennata, Feather Gratis, c. Stellaria media. 

 i>. Merculiaris perennis. Dog's Mercury. Your specimen is a male plant. We 

 do not know the Pelotas berry. The specimens you inquire for can bo 

 obtained through any of the chief nurserymen and seedbmen who advertise 

 iu our columns. 



DisA grandiflora Culture (Hifjhfi eld).— The great object to be secured 

 is luxuriant growth with abundance of bloom. To obtain this it requires 

 liberal treatment. Give it a plentiful supply of moisture; do not even allow 

 it to become dry during the period of rest, which ia short compared with that 

 of growth, and to prolong it by artificial means greatly injures the plant. This 

 is the season when it rc^iuires our special atteutirm. November, as a rule, is 

 the spring-time of the Disa— that is, for healthy plants; those iu a weakly 

 state may be somewhat later, and, on the other baud, strong plants a Httlo 

 earlier. To make the treatment as plain as possible, we will suppose the plants 

 to be healthy and vigoi'ous ; in this case pot at once, if needed at all. In the 

 after-treatment we must take a lesson from nature. Coming from the Table 

 Mountain, of which it is spoken of as the pride, it is at once evident it does 

 not require a hot temperature; as long as frost is excluded that will sulfice. 

 Where there is no cool house it will do well in a cold pit or frame. 



Club Root {J. II. £.).— Your Cabbages and Broccolis are attacked by what 

 gardeners call " club root." The small clubs or knobs on the roots are caused 

 by the female of a small weevil (Curculio pleurosti^iua), which punctures the 

 roots and deposits in each puncture an egg. The chief cures for it are examin- 

 ing the plants before planting, removing all the small clubs or knobs, if any, 

 and killing tho small grub weevil ; then dip the roots in a thick paste formed 

 of soot, lime, and soil, three part of the latter to one of each of the former, 

 before planting, aud use soot in the first watering afterwards. If a little soot 

 and lime are put on the ground after the plants be^in to grow, all the better. 

 This weevil seems to shun all nitrogenous matter and ammonia. It will also 

 bo good policy to change the Cabbage gi-ound every year. If so looked over at 

 planting time, and the ground is freshly and well dug, and well manured, and 

 if soot and lime are used in watering, there will be little of the club in old or 

 young plantations. In places where the weevil has become very numerous, it 

 is a good plan to let the plants grow to a fair- size, and to well examine them 

 before final planting. 



Best Fifty Gladiolus { V— In his work on the Gladiolus, our corre- 

 spondent "D., jDca^'' marks thefcdlowinsaathe best flowersfor exhibition: — 

 Adolphe Brongniart, Antigone, Beatrix, Celimene, Delicatissima, Edith Dom- 



