76 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAJB0ENEK. 



[ July 28, 18C3. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS, 



*#* We request that no one will write privately to the de- 

 partmental writers of the '* Joiii*nal of Horticulture, 

 Cottage Gardener, and Countiy Gentleman." By so 

 doing they are subjected to unjustiliable trouble and 

 expense. All communications shoxdd therefore be ad- 

 dressed solely to The Editors of tJie Journal of Horticul- 

 ture, dye, 162, Fleet Street, London, E.C. 

 We also request that con-espondents will not niiv up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those 

 on Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them 

 answered promj)tly and conveniently, but wiite them 

 on separate communications. Also never to send more 

 than two or three questions at once. 

 We caimot reply privately to any communication unless 

 under very si^ecial cii'cum stances. 

 Asparagus Plants Dying {Gal/icr).~Someo{ the pliinls dyinfi, whilst 

 those which live produce very fine heads, and the soil being tenacious, lead 

 to the conclu&ion thdt there is titag^oant moisture ih the beds. We would 

 put in drain-tiles, 3 feet below the surface, on each side of the beds, and if 

 you can have no other outfall sink a hogshead at one end of the beds, and 

 let ihe drain-pipes empty tliemselves into it. You cannot do better than 

 remove the surface soil as you propose, bu', instead of isifled ashes use a 

 mixture of equal proportionfc of .sandy loam and thoroughly-decayed stai'le- 

 man«re. Add this when you dress the beds in the autumn, but drain at 

 once, and apply salt at any time. Your Lapageria rosea reqmres a large 

 and constant supply of water. 



Grapes sheivelling (A Constant Subset iber). —Give the roots of the 

 Vines a good souking once a-week with tepid water. Previously to begin- 

 ing to do so remove the surface soil down to the roots, and in its place put 

 a mixture of equal parts light loam and decayed stable-manure. Give 

 more air day and night. We know of no belter w.ode of preventing the 

 roots of Raspberries rambling except digging a trench down the side ol the 

 plantation and ramming it full of stonet . 



Grapes shanking ( One in a J^(x).— Remove the surface soil down to the 

 first-occurring roots. Refill with some rich compost, aud water freely with 

 tepid water. Give more air, and keep the huuse at least 5"* cooler both 

 during the da^- and the night. 



Work Describing Plants {Ctfjarefl).— Loudon's Encjclopaedia of Plants 

 nearly coincides with what you particularise. It describes ihem, has wood- 

 cuts of some of each geuus, and though not alphabetically anauged there 

 is an index. 



Vine Leaves Spotted and Grapes Partially Shrivelled (yescio).— 

 There is most probably a deficient roofc-attion. Remove the soil down to 

 the first layer of roots, replace it with a compost of equal parts light loam 

 and well-decayed stable-manure, and then water copiously with lepid 

 water. 



CuANTHt's Dampieri.— C/rt^?on will be obliged by "Juvenis,*' whose 

 remarks were published in page 25, staling when he sowed the seed of this 

 plant 



Planting a Vinery {S. H. 5.). — About five Vines will be enough for 

 your vinery, 21 feet long. If planted inside at back, the floor should not be 

 covered, so as to intercept the sun's says. If planted inside in front, and 

 the roots allowed to go into an outside border, the plants will always be 

 protected as respects their stems ; but in planting in this way the m>ide 

 border should always be higher than the outside border. If the border 

 outside is new good loamy soil, and not exhausted, it may grow Vines well 

 enough with the help of a little rotten dung, lime rubbish, and some eight 

 or ten bushels of broken bones incorporated with it. As you have 2 feet 

 of wall up to the wall-plale now, we would not take out much soil if we made 

 a fresh border entirely ; but we would take off 1 foot, if we even used part 

 of it again, ram and concrete the bottom, dig a drain in front 2 feet deeptr 

 than the concreted bottom, put drains across the concrete, and place a foot of 

 rubble over it, which woulu leave about 20 inches of soil up to the wall-plate. 

 The best soil is brown mellow loam from the top spit of a pasture, mixed 

 with brick rubbish and manured according to the richness or poverty of 

 the soil. Bones are the most lasting manure. Part of the border next the 

 house may only be made at first. The Vines will do as well if they have a 

 fresh piece added every year. 



Grapes Diseased {J. J/. Miller). — The berries are " shanked "—that is, 

 their stalks aie gangrened and dead. We believe that the best treatment 

 you can adopt is that which we have recommended to another correspon- 

 dent whose Grapes are shrivelled. 



Grapes Mildewed (jV., Ohiicester). —The Grapes are very severely 

 mildewed, which is "the Vine disease.'* You have let it have its course 

 too long unchecked. Dust the whole of the bunches and leaves with 

 flowers of sulphur. Brush the stems and branches with a paint made of 

 sulphur, clay, and water, and sprinkle flowers of sulphur also over the 

 surface of the borders. When the suiphur has been on the Grapes for four 

 or five days tyringe them freely; and when the berries have dried again 

 repeat the sulphuring. Continue this routine until the while mildew 

 (Oidium TuckenJ, is no longer discernible on any of the berries. 



Heating a Gee nhousk (T. P.).— There can bene question as to your 

 securing more heat by running the flue along the back of your greenhouse. 

 In fact, for such a small place as 22 feet by 9, we would be satisfied with 

 a good flue. We have no fault to find, huwever, with the adjunct of the 

 boiler ; but we would advise you to have three or four -inch pipes instead 

 of two-inch pipes. As you purpose to divide the house, it would be as well 

 if you could cause the water to circulate in the first division without going 

 into the second, esctpt when you wanted, which could be easily done, and 

 then with the flue, hottest next the furuace, and the hot water in addition, 

 one division might be very hot, whilst the other was comparatively cool. 

 If you did not do this you could regulate heat by air. 



Erytbrol^na, &c. ( Jl'. ir.).— Erythroltena conspicua, or ^lexican 

 Thistle, still bears that name; but Renealmia nutans is now called Alpina 

 nutans. The latter we know is in cultivation, but we have no information 

 relative to the Mexican Thistle. 



Coci'MBjnt iC 5.)— The double Cucumber ynu sent is not usual, but we 

 have seen it before. It is produced by two ovaries coming in very close 

 contact when young and continuing their growth together. 



Maiden-hair Fern {J. I. C, Dublin).— li is not necessary to repot it 

 every year. As it is in a IG-inch pot or pan and you do not wi.-h it to have 

 a larger tenement, cut away a portion all round, remove a little of the sur- 

 face soil, and fill up all the vacancy thus made with fresh soil. If you do 

 this annually it may remain in the IG-inch pan for years. 



Culture OF BoRONiAS {A Subscriber).— Wc fear "watered occasionally" 

 is the cause of your Boronias d>ing. They will not endure stagnant 

 moisture, neither will they endure dryness, and more especially if the 

 pot is pretty lull of roots and exposed to the fierce sun we have lately hud. 

 The soil you used, peat and charcoal, is all right. The temperature in 

 winter should be not below 45°, or from that to Su". Let good drainage be 

 secured, und some broken pots might be mixed v/itb the churcoal in the 

 soil. When forming buds and flowering a gooil supply of soft water would 

 be needed. When done flowering, and the flowering-stems pruned off, keep 

 the plants dryish but not dry f ^r a lortnight. just slightly -syringing over- 

 head morning and evening. After that give a little more water, and 

 place the plants in a mild foicmg-hous?, or in a close shady place in the 

 greenhouse to encourage fre>h growth. As growth advances give more air 

 and light by degrees, until by August the plants stand in the fall sun. 

 Then, however, ths pot should cither be protected from the full force of 

 the sun's rays, or be set in a larger pot with a little moss inserted in the 

 openin,' at the top. We fear that dryness and sun together have killed 

 you r plants. 



Orchids {An Orchid-lover].— You are right in your intention to visit the 

 nurseries you name, as well as Kew. There are no Orchids at Chiswick, 

 and you can only obtain admission to the Kensington Gore Garden by a 

 Fellow's transferable ticket, or in company with a Fellow. When in Lon- 

 don, if you furnish us with your address, we may be able to aid you. 



Grapes (Jom Srouji).~\om- Grapes are the Dutch Hamburgh, and 

 there is no doubt but th^it they will become sweet and eatable ; but have 

 you not too heavy a crop ? Possibly that is the cause of their not colouring 

 and acquirir.g flavour more rapidly. 



House-sewage [Z. T., Godahriimg).-~Such a sized garden and so copped 

 needs scarcely any manure. Some of the "slops'* might be given to the 

 Rhubarb once a-week undiluted ; and some to the fruit trees that seem in 

 want of vigour. You cannot employ all the sewage. 



Book on Vine-cultltre {P. .S.)— Hoare " On the Vine " is entirely con- 

 fined to out-door culture. 



Names of Insects (J. E. Jessop).— The Lime-tree leaves had been infested 

 with the plant louse, Aphis Tiliae, which had been devoured by the larvae of 

 the two-spotted lady bird, Coccinella bipunctAta, of which the pups were 

 aflSxed to the under sides of the leaves. These pupae, being attached by the 

 end of the body to the leaf, un being disturbed lift themselves up like a 

 lorge-hiimmer as you notice.— SV. W. 



Names of Fruit, Arc. iCon.sfant Sealer, DuhUn).—\, Your Plum is the 

 Myrobalan or Cherry Plum, only fit (or tarts; 2, We bav£ never uied, or 

 known any one else besides yuurielf who has tried, Dumont's powders. We 

 should be ghid if some of our readers would give us their experience of 

 them ; 3, You will find very good instructions for The culuvalion of 

 Lapageria rosea in No. 33 of our New seiies; 4, llhododeiiOrons and 

 Kttlmias that have done flowering in-doors should now be turn-, d out if they 

 have completed their new growth, and placed in a moderately &haJy place. 



Namesof Plants '^Sarah).—\o\xx Oaks are— I, Q,uercus alba piunatifida ; 

 2, Q. albapinnatifida; 3, Q. coccinea ; 4, Q. albapinnatifida ; 5, Q. uquatica. 

 [C. R. C.).— Fagus .sylvatica heterophylla. It is a variety of the common 

 Beech, and Ihe branch at the top is a return to the normal form. 

 {C. Bancell.) — Centrum aiirantiacum. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



WOECESTEESHIEE POULTRY SHOW. 

 .July 21st— 24ih. 



The "fidelis dvitas," — and a " faithful city " it was to the 

 Stewarts — has diu-ing the i^ast week been a town of banners 

 and rejoicings. The usual accompaniments of dancing- 

 booths, beer-houses, concerts, wild beasts, and rifie-galleries, 

 followed the Eoyal Agricultm-al Society of England. Poultry 

 is an elevating pursuit; aud although the Eoyal Agilcul- 

 tural quarrelled with it, and gave it the cold shoulder some 

 yeai-s ago, yet it took high gi'ound. It forgave; and on 

 the princijjle of doing as it would be done by, it took its 

 station on the thi-eshold, and added its attractions to the 

 many others. It, doubtless, sent many to the showyard, 

 and had to thank it for some visitors. 



The place was well chosen. On a slight acclivity immedi- 

 ately facing the Agi-icultiu-al show-yard, the Committee had 

 pitched a large square tent. Square commodious pens were 

 fixed on every side ; and with the exception of Ducks, Geese, 

 and Tui-keys, which were of necessity on the ground, all 

 pens were in single tier. Fom- rows running from side to 

 side filled the centre, making up the number of nearly three 

 hundi-ed pens, exclusive of Pigeons, aud affording ample space 

 for visitors between the rows. The spot was well chosen, 

 and the efforts of the Committee met mth a rewai'd in the 

 pleasing conp d'ceil afforded by the Show on entering. 



Game headed the list. It is not wonderful it should be 

 so. Worcestershire has for many years been in the front 



