458 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 8, 1863. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



EvBRORKENS FOu COVERING A A-Vai L (CrM).— We know T.o plant that 

 cover8 a wall so beautifully as the old Cotoneaster microphylla. As a sub- 

 evergreen Ja?minum nudiflorum is a lovely plant, and at thi) iiuU season it 

 is a sheet of yellow blossoms. 



EosKs TO Bloom in Winter (T. ff.).— Unless you can cover your Roses 

 with glass we Icdr vou will not now get them to expand properly, unless 

 the season prove unusually mild. Vou could protect them from slight frost 

 by mats, frig: domo, or stout canva'i. Ydur newly-received Roses will tike 

 no harm for two months if carefully heeled-in and secured against high 

 winds. 



Obtainiko Htdkange^s with Bli-e Flowkrs [J. W. L ).— The following 

 from the pen of the late Mr. Beaton was published in our columns some 

 years since:— 'There is one disadvantage in August-made cuttings well 

 known to gardeners, which is, that the flowers of them come all of one 

 colour, and that the same as that of the parent plant, whether it be blue or 

 pink ; but those made in February may be made to flower blue or pink at 

 w-ilL If the mnther plant produced blue flowers in the former seasons, and 

 you force it in February, cut off your cuttings as soon as they make three 

 joints, and when they are rooted place them in a rich light comport, sav 

 one half leaf mould or very rotten dung, and the rest of any good garden 

 soil, they never fail to produce pink flowers; whereas, if taken from a pink- 

 fiowering parent, and after rooting growing them in strong yellow loam, 

 with about a sixth part of iron filings mixed with it instead of sand, nine 

 out of ten of them will produce blue flowers. We never couM get an 

 August-cutting to differ in colour from that or the parent plant. The reason 

 seems to be that the juices of the parent plant have already, by a season's 

 growth, foimed the substance— or the organised matter, as physiologists 

 call it — out of which flowers are produced, so that no after-treatment is 

 able to counteract the effect ; whereas cuttings separated from a plant at so 

 early an age as when they only attain a few inches in length, and are then 

 made to grow in iron rust and loam otherwise impregnated with iron, which 

 is well known to favour the production of blue flowers in the Hydrancea, 

 the organised matter referred to is formed from juices impregnated with 

 iron oxide, and so produces blue flowers. The intensity of the blue is, we 

 believe, according to the perfect oxidation of the iron. Chalk-water never 

 fails to counteruct this effect of the oxide on the flowers, as we have often 

 proved here, so that, to ^ivc the faire&t chance to the experiment of getting 

 blue Hydrangeas, we would recommend the cuttings to be taken as early 

 in the spring as possible, to strike or root them in red sand, to grow them 

 in nothing but red loam and iron filings, according to the above proportions, 

 and never to water them but with rain water ; but we are not sure whether 

 rusty water from hot-water pipes would nut add to the success of the ex- 

 periment— at any rate, this rusty water is not injurious to these Hydrangeas. 

 In some parts of the country the natural sotlwii! produce blue Hydrangeas, 

 and in such places it is difficult to n:»ett with pink ones; and, what is 

 singular enough, the Rhododendrons will flourish in such soil, although 

 apparently devoid of all traces of vegetable matter. There is also a kind of 

 peat earth which invariably turns the Dink to a blue Hydrangea, but all the 

 peat that we have access to here does just the contrary. To have pink 

 Hydrangeas next summer, let us, therefore, make our cuttings now from 

 pink parents ; and. if we wish them blue, we must take ih? cuttings at this 

 season Horn blue-flowering plants, for we cannot alter the colour now." 



Desirable Acquirements (.4 rou7iff G a 7-d cner). ^ Both free-hand 

 drawing and mechanical drawing are useful to the gardener, but especially 

 the latter, because it facilitates the plotting of beds in geometrical figures, 

 ground plans, &c. Botany Is not essential, but no gardener can practise 

 enlightenedly unless he understands the physiology of plants and the rudi- 

 ments of chemistry. Read "The Science and Practice of Gardening," 

 published at our office. 



ViNERT ANU Pinerv (Av Old S!ihscriber).-~A3 far as we understand, 

 you mean your flue to heat the chamber, and in the pit above it to grow the 

 Pines. It so, the cast-iron plates will do admirably as a covering to the 

 chamber. The sides of the pit might also he made of these plates if deemed 

 desirable. The pit, we presume, is for the Pines, and will no doubt do well, 

 as we presume the flues will give you enough of bottom heat. You state, 

 however, that you intend the house chiefly lor Vines, and to begin forcing 

 them at the latter end of February. If so, to give justice to the Vines you 

 should not have them nearer ihim 5 feet from stem to stem and spur- 

 pruned. To make the best of both Pines and Vines you should have a 

 double front to your house in winter, between which the Vines tould be 

 nlaced and kept cnol in their doimant stale, and could even be started there 

 b?fore being had up to the roof. We advise you not to attempt too much. 

 \vu have no ciiance to succeed well with Peaclies against the b^ck wall of 

 fi ich a lean-to house. The Pines would require too much heat for the 

 Peach trees m winter. You might have euch trees in pots and tubs, start 

 and set the fruit in a cooler temperature, and bring them to such a back 

 •wall to swell and ripen ; but even then to give flavour to the Peaches would 

 requi'-e more air than would suit the Pires. By doing away with Pines 

 you might have Peaches on the back wall, starting them gently so as to 

 have the fruit set before the Vines were much moved, and the pit you could 

 appropriate to Figs and other fruit trees in pots so low as not to shade the 

 back wall. Keep in mind that if you cover the glass roof thickly with 

 Tinea, neithpr plants in the pit nor trees against the back wall will continue 

 long fruiKul and healthy. When Vines are 2 or 3 feet apirt, gardeners 

 get a good de;.l out of their houses as under-crcp-, but they have little in 

 them when the roof is shaded all over. If 5 feet apart there will be a good 

 amount of light that will reach the floor and the back wall. 



Rough Plate-glass Fon Greenhofsk (Mrs. C.). — Provided you gU?.e 

 throughout, at the sides as well as the top. Hartley's rough plate-glass 

 does not require sliading for ordinary greenhouse plants. We do not think 

 your mode of glazing would answer, as the parts glazed with 21 oz. glass 

 would need shading if the sun shone powerfuilv upon them. Of course, if 

 the sun did nnt reach the parts glared with 21 oz. glass, that would do 

 equally well with rough plate. We have no experience of the stove you 

 name, yet we feel certain it would not suit you. A small saddle boiler, 

 with two fuur-inch pipes running all round your greenhouse, would answer 

 your purpose better than any slow-combustion stovo, and you can obtain the 

 boiler and pipes very cheaply by sending a rough plan of your house to a hot- 

 water apparatus manufacturer. He would send you an estimate for what 

 you required, and give you an efficient apparatus for the sum necessary to 

 obtain a stove large enoiiah for your purpose, and which would be worn out 

 by the time that the boiler would be none the worse. 



Gesnera zebrisa not Flowering (A Subset iber, Grimsby). — Your 

 treatment is right, and we can only account for its not flowering by your 

 keeping it in a close moist atmosphere, which is more conducive to growth 

 than flowering. Place in a drier atmosphere, and give abundance of air 

 and light as soon as the flowers begin to burst the calyx, but still keeping 

 the plant in a temperature averaging from 5j^ to "0". We give ours the 

 ordinary heat of a vinery, and by the time the Grapes are ripe the plant is 

 in full flower. A specimen, 2 feet high and 4 feet acros-*, is one ot the 

 finest plants for tillitig vases in drawing-rooms, they continuing in bloom 

 a long time and coming in when flowers are scarce. We fear you have 

 been supplying guano water in too strong doses; do not apply it next year, 

 and give a plentiful supply of water, but let the plants be dry before 

 watering. Too much water is against the flowering of this plant, as it 

 hinders the ripening of the flower-stems. 



Grafting Muscadine Vine {Idem). — You may graft the Vine on the old 

 wood, taking off the rough outer bark and washing it so as to prevent any 

 composition used tor washing the stems penetrating into the wound. We 

 liave grafted them on the wood of the year when about half ripe, and on 

 Wood one, two, or several years old, and find success is certain in all cises 

 when the operation is properly performed. Tongue or whip grafting is ihe 

 preferable method. It should be done in the beginning of March, leaving 

 a few eyes on the old Vine to draw the sap past or into the grafr. We prefer 

 inarching to grafting, which we have practised on the young and old wood 

 mdiscriminately. If you have the plant of Lady Downes' we would advise 

 you to inarch it on the old Vine at the place required, deferring the opera- 

 tion until the Vine has commenced growth. It would take in about six 

 weeas, when it might be detached from the parent and trained up along- 

 side of the Muscadine, which would produce Iruit, and be cut down wbea 

 the graft was sufficiently grown tJ supply its place. 



CrcujiBER FOR Exhibition (/rff;«).— Kirklee's Defiance, Long Gun, and 

 Star of the West are all handsome, long, and good. 



Wall Bakksian Roses not Flowering {Sigma). — Prune them back 

 about one-third of thtir length and train the branches about 9 inches from 

 branch to branch, so as to admit sun, light, and air. They ought to flower 

 nest year. 



Roses in Cases fjrfem).— Plant-cases are not too dark for Rosea. You 

 might try Fabvier, Lucullus, Archduke Charles, and Infiiic'lir«?3 de Lisette, 

 China Kojies ; and Dovoniensis, Satrano, and Aladame Bravy, which are 

 Tea-scented. Mrs. Bosanquet (China) does well in a pot. They can be had 

 from any of the Rose-growers who advertise in our Journal. We fear, 

 however, ii you have no place hut a plant-case, that they would give 

 ycu nothing but disappoiutmenL They will fiiA-er well enough in your 

 case, but they want light, fresh air, and thorough txposure to mature the 

 crowths made after flowering. If you have a cold frame you might grow 

 them in it, only removing them into your plani-case to flower. 



Instruction in Garuentng [Afrs. S. J".).— The young mm must be 

 placed as an assistant under some head gardener. You had better ask 

 so!ne bead gardener in your neighbourhood to take the young man. A 

 small premium will have to be paid. 



Pronunciation {X. X.). — We fear that a phonetic dictionary would re- 

 quire another dictionary to explain it. 



Protecting Roses {A Subscriber). — Tiffany is a kind of cotton cloth not 

 closely woven. It may be bad at most drapers' shops, or you may obtain 

 it from the tlrms who advertise in our columns. Gucta percha hoods, with 

 a little moss put over the eye and the hood upon that, are a novel invention. 

 We have never tried such a contrivance, and cannot say whether it would 

 answer or not. We fear it would cause the eye to start into growth if kept 

 on in raiid weather; but it certainly would be a good proteacion in severe 

 and inclement periods. If you try it we should like to hear of the result. 

 For protecting Roses we have found nothing better than a little long dry 

 hay wrapped loosely round the buds and stems. The hay does not look 

 very neat, but it can be no eyesore to those who consider its use. The 

 tenderest kinds of the Tea and China Roses may be taken up and stored 

 away in moist earth under a feace, and the shoots protected by placing a 

 covering ot straw or any kind ot dry litter over them in severe weather. 

 If a frame can be spared to put over them, so much the better. They can 

 be planted in the birds in March, and pruned at the same time. They will 

 flower rather later, but in other respects be little worse for moving, and in 

 some cases it does good. 



Prunino Vines (Q. i'.). — The system of close pruning recommended in 

 our Journal, and alluded to by you, was fur Vines in good condition. We 

 would advise you to prune to the first round plump eye on the fruit-bearing 

 shoot or spur. We make it a rule to provide for a crop ; and when Vines 

 show fruit but tardily, cutting to one eve— or even two, unless t!iey are 

 round and plump— is a practice that provides for appearance at the expense 

 of produce. Our advice is, Prune to a full round eye, wherever it is 

 situated ; if it is the tbird or fourth no matter, but the nearer they are to 

 the stem the better, as there is then no superfluous old wood appropriating 

 to its own ut^e that nourishment which would, were they pruned closely, 

 be expended on the young wood and in perfecting the fruit. We fancy your 

 bolder is wet, and the light to which the young growths are subjected not 

 sufficient to cause the hr^t leaves to be healihfuiiy formed nor fully matured. 

 Try longer pruning, and communicate with us again if no better results 

 attend your efl"orts. 



RicHARDtA WATEniNQ AND PoTTiNG {Idem) ~ GivB it cnough Water to 

 keep it fresh— that is, keep it drier by half during winter than when growing 

 vigorously. Pot it in March, and keep it standing in a pan of water during 

 the summer. It is an aquatic, and requires the soil to be kept moist at all 

 seasons; but it flowers more ireely by being kept rather dry in winter. 



Removing a Large Cedar of Lebanon {S. G.). — Your best way will 

 be to cut round the roots at the distance of about 4 feet from the stem, 

 making a trench and cutting every root at that distance, or even nearer if 

 there be few at that place. Then fill in the trench again and let the tree 

 stand till next September, when it may be removed wiih a better prospect 

 of doing well than if it were transplanted now. A good ball is useful ; but 

 a caretul preservation of all the roots at the time of removal is equally so. 



Roses in Winter {R. J. 5.).— The Roses you named will stanl our 

 ordinary winters without protection. A little dry hay may be wrapped 

 round the buds in severe weather, and if ic be tied on with matting the 

 winds would not blow it oft', and the garden would be kept tidy, tjonie 

 people wrap the bubs or heads in tiflany, which affords a slight protection, 

 but nothing beats a hay bandage. 



