378 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. [ November lo, 1S63. 



similar pui-pose, the hea23 going across the garden as the 

 Celery ground did. Many who cannot obtain moss or fern 

 may hit on some other substance somewhat appropriate now 

 ■when they know how useful such things axe. The little 

 moss we can obtain is generally so well supplied with slugs 

 and snails that before using it for anything very particular 

 we generally soak it in hot lime water. We presume, how- 

 ever, that St. Pati'iek banished all such vermin from Ireland. 

 Certainly some of the finest flower-beds at Woodstock were 

 c-ai-peted with very gi'eeu moss, and looked as if they had 

 never been touched ; whilst when we \ised such a covering, 

 tven for vases, we had the pleasure of seeing the moss all 

 over the walks and lawn in the morning, though pretty well 

 ■secured too ; the birds doing it all before we got out of bed, 

 either in search of slugs and worms, or out of sheer mis- 

 chief. There ai-e many jjlaces where quantities of fern can be 

 had for the cutting. A keen fi-ost will go but a little way 

 into either moss or fern. Much good Celery well earthed- 

 xip is often ruined from the frost penetrating the earth. 

 <_i reen Celery will stand a good deal of frost ; when blanched 

 it is easUy injured, and when the heart is gone the rest is 

 pretty well useless. 



Finished clearing 

 hot water, &c., and 

 wall, and laid pots 

 lii'enching. Looked 

 berries, and kept a 

 .showery weather, 

 with old sashes and 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



Peach-house, watering tlie borders with 

 laid Strawberry plants behind a north 

 of others down to prevent excessive 

 over Grapes and removed any damping 

 little fire and air on constantly in such 

 Protected the border of the late-house 

 straw covers. 



ORNAMENTAL GARDENING. 



Nearly finished a small stove for the reception of plants, 

 having altered the internal arrangements without altering 

 the heating-pipes, &c. Pnmed back the climbers in con- 

 servatory, washed all the glass inside and outside, stages, 

 shelves, &e., and nearly finished fi-esh arranging the house 

 ■with Azaleas, Camellias, Epacris, Geraniums, Cinerarias, 

 Primulas, &c. The outside of the glass has chiefly been 

 dulled since May, so as to resemble ground glass. Size 

 water with a little turijentine and oil were used, ■with just 

 ■about the size of a walnut of whiting in a gallon of the 

 mixture. This was put on the glass rather hot quickly with 

 a brush, and then daubed neatly with a dry brush. We 

 believe this would have stood several yeai-s, as it was fii-m 

 when taken off, but we wanted more light in winter. Choos- 

 ing one of these damp days the glass was rubbed with a 

 wet cloth, and after a short time the mixtm-e was washed off 

 ■with another cloth, and water through the syi-inge or gai-den- 

 engine. As we do not wish to damp the house unnecessarily, 

 we prefer this kind of shading to be outside. No soap 

 water was used or needed, as if at all strong it is sure to 

 injure outside paint. Gave plenty of air to all sorts of 

 plants in frames and beds by elevating the sashes back and 

 front, but so as to keep the rains out. In some days and 

 nights was obUged to keep aU the lights close and wedge 

 them too, the ■wind was so boisterous, and if an opening 

 were given a whole roof might soon disappear. A little 

 precaution in this way might save much broken glass. The 

 llower gai'den with wind and wet is fast becoming a -wreck. 

 Some fine huge phants of Eicinus have been much broken. 

 Last year they did not do much, but they and Cannas suc- 

 ceeded well this season in small clumps, dug out a yard 

 deep, and filled for 2 feet with hot fermenting material. 

 There is no question that much could be done with bottom 

 heat in the open air, but for the trouble and expense of 

 applying it. Daldias ai-e stUl sho-wy. Plants in rooms 

 should now have no more water than they need. On the 

 whole, a spare room with plenty of light is a better place for 

 keeping bedding plants for small gai-dens than a cold pit 

 or frame. — R. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MAEKET.-Nov. 7. 



The supply both of fruit anJ vegetables is large. Hothouse Grapes and 

 Pines are very plentiful ; of DutcU Grapes also, large qnanlities have come 

 in during the week. Of Potatoes there is a heavy supplv. both coastwise 

 and by tail. The kinds of Apples and Pears which are offered remain the 

 Mme as in previous weeks. Cut flowers ) rinclpally consist of Roses, 

 Heaths, Camellias, fuchsias, Scarlet Geraniums, Chrysanthemums in abund- 



ance, Violets, Mignonette, Chinese Primulas, and a lew Petunijs and 

 PicQiees. 



FRUIT. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*^* "We request that no one will write jji-ivately to the de- 

 partmental writers of the ** Joui*nal of HorticultiU'e, 

 Cottage Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so 

 doing they ai'e subjected to unjustiliable trouble and 

 expense. All communications shoiild therefore be ad- 

 dressed solely to The Editors of the Journal of Horticul- 

 ture, ^'c, 162, Fleet Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gai-dening and those 

 on Poultiy and Bee subjects, if they esiject to get them 

 answered promptly and conveniently, but write them 

 on separate communications. Also never to send more 

 than two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



CoNSKRVATORT-RooF {A. 5.}.— We advisB you to follow our own mode 

 of proceeding. We write to two or three parties wno aiivertise tlie kmd of 

 structure we require, describe it to theiu, and a?k for au estimate. 



Ammonia in Uothuusks {Amateur}.— You viW sqq on reference to page 

 326 and elsewhere, that your suggestion has been anticipated. 



Vinery Boiler Empty is Winter {An Old Subscriber) —If the boiler 

 and vipei tue entirely emptied of water, neither they nor the Blaci Ham- 

 burgh, \ iues will sustain any injury however severe may be the winter. If 

 water be left in the pipes some part of them might be burst by the water 

 freezing. 



Destroying Rdshes— Vei^etable Ivort (J/. C). — Thoroughly drainin/t 

 the pasture will destroy the Ku^hes, they can only live in a wet soiL We 

 know of no other mode of aubdumg ihem, except by coujtanily uprooting 

 and cutting them down as soan as they appear, Ve.^etable ivory is the seed 

 of the Phytelephas macrocarpa, one of the Screw 1'ine.s. It is a native of 

 Peru, and the nuts are impotied in such quantities, that not long since 

 one thousand were sold for 7s. Gd. There is an exc'-llent account and two 

 drawings «jf the plant in the " Botanical Magazine '' tor ISbij. We should 

 sow the seeds at once iu sandy loam, cuvered an inch deep, and place in a 

 stove. 



Primulas with Short Flowkr-stems {P. C.}.— We fear you are allowing 

 yom- Primulas to bloom too soun— that is, ere the pljuis are strong. It is a 

 good practice to take the lirrit bioom-buds off, as it stieiigchens the plants. 

 You are, perhaps, keepmg them too cool, and that will cause the stems to 

 be S'j dwarf. Primulas lequire a warm greenhouse to Hower in in winter, 

 or a house with a temperature seldom lower than Ij". We think additional 

 heat would cause the stems to lengthen. 



Slugs on Calceolarias {Idem}. — We never ye', knew slugs eat soot, nor 

 that they would come near it if they cculd do otberwlse. Examine the 

 plants at night with a lantern, and catch the depiedators in the act, and lay 

 some cabbage leaves in the frame at night, which are to be examined in the 

 morning. The slugs will be found on the under ^ide, and if they be swept 

 oft' into a tlower-put with the hole corked and a little salt sprinkled upon 

 them they will trouble you no more. The leaves will require changing and 

 renewing occasionally. 



pRusiNO Roses [A Subscriber^ Warwick). — We do not consider autumn 

 pruning a desirable method. Februaiy or the beginning of March we 

 con^idt^ preferable. You may shorten the shoots to 6 inches in Novem- 

 ber, or>uu may prune tStem in the latter part of that month or beginning of 

 December; but we have found such early pruning result in the death of 

 many of the shootp, particularly when severe weather follows close upon 

 the pruning. Tidiness, always desirable in flower gardens, should never be 

 sought at the expense of the future wellbeing of the plant. 



Flowkr-qardkn Plans (Hf. i?.).— There are several in "Gardening' for 

 the Many." 



