July 11, 18«7. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



27 



speaks highly of the eflioacy of the powder ns the basis of a 

 wash, and many gardeners recommend it to dust strong-growing 

 plants, which would otherwise be ruined by the grub or fly. 



It is. no doubt, true, as Mr. Gosse remarks, that this powder 

 is of '• no avail for houses in which costly or delicate plants 

 are grown." for I apprehend that so large a proportion of sul- 

 phur as twenty-fivo parts would be fatal to the organisation of 

 delicate plants. The objection to sulphur applies also to 

 cayenne, as suggested by your correspondent, '• Ci. S.," unless 

 used in very minute quantities. Moreover, cayenne would not 

 be a surticient protection for the revenue. 



The (iovernment has already conceded so much, and the 

 Ijords of the Treasury have shown such willingness to meet 

 the wishes of horticulturists, that there is no doubt duty-free 

 tobacco for fumigating in some desirable form will ultimately 

 be granted, and there can be no surer way of bringing this 

 iibout than by securing the valuable assistance of the public 

 press. Public discussion will gradually expose the bearings of 

 the question, and lead to a success which is at present denied 

 to private assiduity. It cannot be a very ditlicult thing to 

 devise a form of tobacco which will be equally acceptable to 

 the revenue and to the gardener. To this end I shall be most 

 happy to place my services at the disposal of any of your corre- 

 spondents who feel an interest in the matter, and I will 

 willingly carry out and report upon any experiments they can 

 suggest as calculated to secure the boon of duty-free tobacco 

 for fumigating purposes. — J. F. Tafk, Sccri'tanj, liichmond 

 Cavendish Co., Liverpool. 



PORXr.MTS OF PL.\NTS. FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Drab.1 violacea (Violet-coloured Draba). — Nat. ord., Cruci- 

 feraj. I.iiw., Tetradynamia Siliculosa. Native of the Andes, 

 near Quito, at an elevation of 13-15,000 feet. — [Dot. Mag., 

 t. .'5650.) 



IroM<KA GEnnABDi ffierrard's Ipomtea). — Nat. ord., Convol- 

 VTilaceiL'. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. Native of Natal, 

 where it is called " Wild Cotton." Flowers white, opening in 

 August, in a moderate stove. — [Ibid., t. 5fi.51.) 



Rnnc.KA MAcnoPHVLi.A (Large-leaved Kudgea). — Xat. ord., 

 RubiaceiE. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. Native of Rio 

 Janeiro. A magnificent shrub. Flowers white. — [Ihid., t.565'i.} : 



Epidendrfm Coopekianum (Mr. Cooper's Epidendrum). — j 

 Nat. ord., Orchidacete. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Native i 

 of Brazil, probably near Bio .Janeiro. Grows readily in the 

 Cattleya-house, but should be tried in the Mexicau-house. 

 Flowers brownish yellow with pink lip. — tlhid., t. ^li'y'ii.) j 



Gloxinia iiYpocviiTiFi.ouA I'Hypoeyrta-ilowered (Jloxiuiaj. — ' 

 Nat. ord., Gesneracea?. Linn., Didynamia Angiospermia. 

 Native of the forests of the Andes, near Quito. Introduced 

 by Messrs. Veitch. Very beautiful dark green velvety leaves, 

 Bilver-veined ; flowers yellow, scarlet tipped. — {liiid., t. Oi;.).?.) 



Varieties of Amaryllis. — Hcnrtj Gihbs. white with crimson 

 stripe. Ileli'it, crimson self. — (Florist and Poinologiat, vi., 141.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 As International Horticultural Exhibition will be hold 

 next year at Ghent. It will be opened to the public on the 

 28th of March, and continue open until the 4th of April. We 

 shall notice it more fuUj' when the programme is published. 

 In the meantime any one wishing for information may apply 

 to the Secretary, M. Edmond Claus, liae iJigue de Brabant, 

 No. 20, Gand, Belgium. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCIIES GABDEK. 



UroeroU, plant out, likewise CauUihncfrs. ('.•Ifrij, the princi- 

 pal secret in growing very tender and crisp Celery, irrespective 

 of size, is to sow it rather late, and to grow it very quickly by 

 means of plenty of manure and moisture. Cnhhnfirx, some 

 early sort may yet bo sown for winter and spring Coleworts. 

 /.rcfo, let a good planting be made immediately, using as much | 

 manure as for Celery. F.udeavour to plant out good breadths 

 ef Celery forthwith. What is called the Si«)tch plan is pre- I 

 ferred — viz., beds of from 4 to (> feet in width. These beds', j 

 which generally succeed crops of Peas, are trenched two spits I 

 deep. The bottom spit has plenty of raw manure or half-rotteu ' 



leaves and the top old manure. Shallots, those inclined to ripen 

 should be raised slightly with a Potato-fork in order to admit 

 air to counteract mouldiness. I'umip.i, let a good breadth of 

 autumn Turnips be sown without delay, choosing for the kitchen 

 garden the Dutch or Stone. Tomatoes, pinch oti the tops and 

 keep the shoots regularly thinned, for if once these are allowed 

 to become confused, the condition of the plant is deteriorated 

 by the severe cutting which then becomes necessarj'. 



FRriT GARDEN. 



Attend to Pear trees against walls, and see that the leaves on 

 spurs and at the bases of the shoots are of a healthy dark 

 green colour, which will not be the case if they arc too much 

 shaded by any superabundance of foreright shoots. The fruit 

 and the leaves immediately connected with it should likewise be 

 sufficiently exposed. Follow up, therefore, the gradual mode of 

 reducing the shoots previously recommended. Where several 

 shoots have sprung up close together, or from around the base 

 of a shoot cut back in a former season, they ought to be 

 thinned, and they cannot be taken out too closely with the 

 exception of one or two, which should afterwards be spurred to 

 about ."i inches. Continue to lay in the young shoots of Peach 

 trees, and also those of other stone fruit. Shoots of Peaches 

 and Nectarines having fruit at their bases may be shortened 

 to within 3 inches from their origin. Examine the soil near 

 the bottom of well-drained or naturally dry borders, and if 

 found necessary let the whole be thoroughly watered. Showers 

 may keep the surface of the ground moist and the foliage 

 healthy for a time, but the latter will not long continue so if 

 there is dryness below. Bud Cherry and other fruit trees as 

 their state of vegetation is found suitable. Have an eye to 

 Strawberry runners for forcing or other purposes. The Elton 

 is invaluable for late work. 



FLOWER GARDEN-. 



The late abundant rains which have, according to the papers, 

 been general, will furnish a good opportunity, if the time can 

 be spared, for a thorough rolling of lawns. An English lawn is 

 ever reckoned an object of admiration, and thorough rolling is 

 necessary both to preserve its beauty and to facilitate the 

 business of the mower. China Roses that are going out of 

 bloom should be carefully pruned, cutting out as much of the 

 old wood as can be spared, and shortening back all young shoots 

 out of flower. By this means they will produce a fine show of 

 bloom again in autumn. Continue to bud Roses and to re- 

 move dead flowers as they appear. Tie-up Pinks, Carnations, 

 Sweet Peas, &c. Hoe the surface of beds and borders ; it keeps 

 them cool and moist, and prevents weeds from appearing. Look 

 over choice shrubs and trees ; if any of the latter have formed 

 more than one leader, they should be pruned off at once. This 

 should be strictly attended to with Pinuses. The most forward 

 Carnations and Picotees may now be layered. They should 

 be layered in light soil, consisting principally of leaf mould. 

 Those shoots which apparently will not become sufficiently 

 strong may be taken off. and treated in the same way as Pink 

 pipings. Remove all misshapen blooms of Dahlias, and place 

 round the main stem neat stakes to which the lateral shoots 

 may be attached. Continue to put in pipings as well as cut- 

 tings of Pausies. 



GREENHOVSE AND CnNSERV.\TOKY. 



Large climbers with other specimen plants of considerable 

 size are liable to become pot-bound, and as it is not always 

 expedient to give them a thorough shift, it is a very good plan 

 to sink the pot into another which is somewhat larger. The 

 pot selected should be thoroughly drained, and fibrous heath 

 soil and loam iu lumps, with charcoal and pounded crocks, 

 should be laid over the drainage before placing ihe plant. The 

 rim of the pot inserted may be elevated about one-third of the 

 pot's depth above that of the exterior pot. This will give room 

 for the prepared compost. After placing it perfectly level the 

 space between the two pots may be filled up with the same 

 coarse materials. This space affords a good chance of intro- 

 ducing stakes or trellisiug without injury to the roots. Large 

 plants which were thus treated four years ago are still thriving, 

 having been constantly fed with liqnid manure during the 

 growing season. Camellias may be shifted at this season. It 

 is an excellent plan to perform this operation the moment that 

 the flower-bud is decidedly formed. As compost, we would 

 recommend two-thirds of fibrous loam of an unctuous charac- 

 ter, and one-third of fibrous heath soil. The more fibrous and 

 lumpy it is the better, and a good sprinkling of charcoal in 

 small masses, with sharp silver sand, should be added. Let 

 the pots be most completely drained by placing some large 



