182 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 5, 1867. 



Red Spider on Cucttbtber Plants M Young Beginner), — The atmo- 

 sphere of your house has been kept much too di-y, otherwise we think your 

 plants would not be so badly infested with the red spider. As you syringe 

 the house twice a-day, have painted the pipes, and syringed the plants 

 with sulphur and water, we only know one more thing you can do, and 

 that isto sprinklethe paths, walls, and every available surface other than 

 the plants two or three times a-day with guano water. 2 lbs. being dis- 

 solved in twenty gallons of water. If you have trough pipes or evapora- 

 tion-pans, you may keep them filled with the guano water. You will do 

 little good with your old plants for the furnishiu;? of fruit in winter. It 

 is now quite time to sow the seed (better if it had been done a fortnight 

 earlier), of Cucumbers intended for winter fruiting. The plants need 

 not be syi'inged in winter, but the atmosphere mny be kept moist through 

 the agency of evaporating-troughs filled with water, or the sprinkling of 

 the paths, walls, &c., with water twice daily, which will be regulated by 

 the fogginoss and severity of the weather. 



Tulips for Flowering at Christmas iIdcm).~The best single Tulips 

 for early forcinc are Due Van Thol, vars. common, gold-striped, scarlet, 

 rose, white, and yellow; Keizers Kroon, Canary Bird, Pottebakker (the 

 red-striped, white, and yellow), Proserpine, and Vermilion Brilliant ; and 

 Due Van Thol, Toumesol, Yellow Touruesol, Imperator Rubrorum, and 

 Res Rubrorum of the double varieties. 



Watering Mushroom-bed with Boiling Water (Idem) —We do not 

 think the watering the bed before spawning would do any harm to the 

 bed providing it were very dry ; but if at all moist, the watering of the 

 bed for the purpose of destroying woodlice would make the dung so wet 

 as to be destructive to the Mushroom spawn. Eoiliog water will destroy 

 Mushroom spawn in whatever stage, and wet dimg is equally destructive, 

 and prevents the running of the spawn. You may thin the woodlice by 

 placing ft boiled Potato at the bottom of a flower-pot. wrapped in a little 

 hay, and laid on its side : this will catch many. A number of such traps 

 will keep them from the Mushrooms. 



Roses for a Greenhouse | W. H. S.).— Three pood climbing Roses for 

 a greenhouse are Har.chal Niel, yellow ; climbing Devoniensis, white, 

 yellow tint ; and Gloire de Bordeaux, rose. All are Tea-scented; but as 

 you wish for red Roses you may plant Lord Macaulav. Charles Lefebvre, 

 and Senateur Vaisse, all Hybrid Perpetuals. All are good Roses. A good 

 Rose for a wall is Docteur Ruschpler, Hybrid Perpetual, and Sir Joseph 

 Paston, Bourbon. 



Pruning Elder Trees [J. .7. Tl''.).— The only system that we know of 

 pruning Elder trees is by nutting away the old wood, and keeping them 

 within bounds by taking off the tops "of the long straggling shoots. If 

 subjected to much pruning they will not fruit well, and the less they 

 have the better. 



Covering Fruit Trees (7dcm).— The covering of fruit hushes with 

 muslin or netting to protect the fruit from birds or waspsi. does prevent 

 the sun and air from pelting at the plants to the injury of the fruit 

 if put on before the fruit is ripe ; but it does no great injury if not placed 

 over the bushes until the fruit i^ ripe. Muslin is bad for the after 

 well-being of the trees, as it deprives them of the sun itnd air so ne- 

 cessary for the preservation of the foliage in health. \^ hen the trees 

 are covered with netting we have not found the fruit at all deficient in 

 flavour, nor the trees in the least injured bv it. The ease is veiy different 

 when the trees are enveloped in a stifling bag uf muslin or in mats, to pro- 

 tect and keep the fruit to a late period. Covering is then injurious to 

 hoth trees and fruit. 



Cauliflowers Running f/rfrm).— The chief causes of plants running 

 prematurelv to seed are too thick sowing, allowing the aeedlinps to stard 

 too long in the seed-bed before plantimr, nnd neglecting to prick them off, 

 and plant them out whilst young, or before they bpcome large. If the 

 j>lants are pricked-off from the seed-bed when larffe enough, which 

 is when they have made a pair of rough leaves in addition to the peed- 

 leaven, transplanting them with a ball when they are of a moderate size 

 into good well-manured t,Tound, and giving them an abundant supply of 

 water during dry weather, we apprehend you may enjoy nice heads of 

 this esteemed vegetable. Plentiful supplies of wate"r, and moving; whilst 

 young, are the grand secret of growing Cauliflowers and Lettuces during 

 dry hot weather. Liberal supplies of liquid manure are also good, but 

 nothing will compensate for keeping the seedlings too thick in beds and 

 -too long, and manure is an essential. 



Cutting Down RnaDODENDRONS (A Subscriber, County of Cork).— Yon 

 may cut down the grafted Rhododendrons immediately they have 

 flowered, but not cut below where grafted, or the plants will he in their 

 original state—?', c, common sorts. They must be cut snme distance 

 above the union of stock and graft to allow for new shoots to come upon 

 the graft, and any shoots that come from the stem or root below the 

 junction of the stock with the graft, should be removed. 



Calceolarias Failing {T. J. ^.).— The specimens you sent us are 

 destroyed by rust. We know of no remedy. Herbaceous Calceolarias 

 are best raised from seed sown in July, and placed in a shady place until 

 the plants are grown a little. When they are showing their rough leaves 

 the plants should have air by tilting the hand-glass, placing a brick 

 ander each of the corners, and when they are large enough to handle 

 they may be pricked off in pans about an inch apart, and be placed in a 

 cold frame. They should be kept moist, have abundance of air. and shade 

 from bright sun, potting them off singly into small pots when they have 

 grown so as to require more, every plant being taken up with a ball. The 

 compost used for potting may consist of two-thirds loam from rotted 

 turves, and nne-third leaf mould. They may be returned to the frame, 

 nnd should not be housed, but kept in and grown on in the frame until 

 severe weather is likely to set in. When the pots are full of roots shift 

 the plants into pots a size larger, and this repeatedly until they are 

 transferred to their blooming-pots, which need not exceed 9 inches in 

 diameter. The plants cannot have too little heat, only secure them from 

 frost, norbe kept too well aired, nor too near the glass in a greenhouse. 

 The shrubby kinds are best struck and wintered in a cold frame, affording 

 them protection from severe frost, air beinu' plentifully furnished them 

 in mild weather, and in March they may be pricked out or transplanted in 

 beds of good rich soil, 3 to 6 inches apart, giving them the protection o 

 any coveriug from frost you may have at hand. The essentials are coolf 

 ness, abundance of air and light, with moisture, a moderately rich and 

 open soil, and no sudden checks or changes f any sort. 



Cinerarias for Autumn Blooshno {/(/^m).— Cinerarias for autumn 

 and winter bloom should be raised from suckers, offsets, or seeds sown in 



March, the plants having evei-y attention in the shape of potting them off 

 when large enough to handle, and repotting as soon as the pots are filled 

 with roots. After May they will do better in a frame than in a green- 

 house or other house, as they can be kept more moist, and are much 

 nearer the glass and cooler. They should be sprinkled overhead every 

 evening, and have an abundant supply of fresh air. They should be 

 placed in their blooming-pots not later than September. 



Sea-sand for Striking Cuttings (Jd^m).— Sea-sand is not desirable 

 for striking cuttings of plants, nor for use in potting them. We would 

 not use it for any purpose, except for di'essing Asparagus and Sea-kale 

 beds. 



Haerothamnus elegans (Irf^m).— The shoots should be trained upon 

 the trellis moderately thin, so that every shoot may have a due share of 

 light and air, it being sufficient if they do not cover or overhang each 

 other's foliage. You cannot have the plants flower at the bottom so well 

 as at top, unless you are prepared to give the plant the same amount of 

 hght at bottom as its shoots have at top. 



Planting Pines, Piceas, and other Evergreens (A. W.). — The best 

 time to plant these trees is as soon after the growth is made as the weather 

 is moi^t or showery. From the middle of September to the middle of 

 November is a good time, but the earlier it is done the better, and ever- 

 greens are no exception ; all will do better planted in September than at 

 a more advanced season, winter being the worst time of all to plant ever- 

 greens of all sorts. The planting is best done during showery weather, 

 but dry weather is preferable to planting when the soil is no more than 

 so much mud. Deciduous trees should not he planted until the leaves 

 are beginning to fall. The manuring of trees at the time of planting is 

 a bad practice, unless the manure is placed at a short distance from and 

 not in iiumediate contact with the roots, nnd it ought to be well mixed 

 with the soil. Some rich compost placed in the hole made for the trees, 

 and around the roots, is very beneficial, and is far better than manure 

 in any way. If you could manure the trees a year or two after planting 

 it would favour their speedy growth, giving it in the form of a top-dress- 

 ing, and neatly pointing it in, but not so deeply as to injme the roots by 

 disturbing them. 



Passiflora quadrangulaeis Flowers not Setting (Amatevr). — We 

 think your hou&e is much too warm at night. We would lower the tem- 

 perature 10'^, and reduce the flowers by one-half, giving a plentiful supply 

 of air, and keeping the atmosphere rather drier for a few days, and the 

 roots well supplied with water. 



Pear Tree Infested with Scale {Prar Tree).— The pest infesting 

 your Pear tree is that of Aspidiotus ostre^formis, or Pear-tree Oyster 

 Scale which you cannot now remove, except with the point of a knife or 

 similar instrument, and it is well worth while removing it from the fruit, 

 as it very often seriou&ly disfigures them at or near the shank. The best 

 remedy is to unnail the tree, if against a wall, and wash every branch 

 and slioot with a stiff or half-worn paint-brush, giving every part a good 

 scrubbing, but being careful of the bloom-buds or spurs, so as not to 

 injure them, and yet free them of the enemy. The solution with which the 

 trees are to be washed consists of S ozs. of soft soap dissolved in a gallon 

 of water. It should be done immediately the leaves fall, and should be 

 repeated — i. e., the brushing and scrubbing, two or three times, but not 

 the washing with the soap solution, for this must be reduced in strength, 

 6 ozs. being sufticient for a gallon of water as spring approaches. As a 

 preventive, the tree may be dressed in February with a composition 

 formed of the soap solution previously named, and brought to the con- 

 sistency of paint by adding equal parts of fresh soot, lime, and sulphur 

 vivum, applying it with a paint-brush to every shoot or branch, working 

 it into any hole, angle, or crevice. 



Coreopsis {Hfn?c.i/).-The flowers of this genus, to a common observer, 

 lesemble those of Calliopsis. EvenDeCandoUe says that the two genera 

 scarcely differ. 



Salpiglossis for Bedding {Tdevi). — The Salpiglossis is no great plant 

 for a bed, as ihe varieties grow too tall, are not sufficiently profuse-bloom- 

 ing, and do not continue long enough in bloom to enter the lists as bed- 

 ding plants. They certainly are very fine plants for beds and borders, but 

 not for placing in lieds adjoining masses of Pelargoniums and Calceolarias. 

 They flower for a long time, usually until late in September. They are 

 not like Petunias, and are vastly inferior to them for bedding-out pur- 

 poses. 



Poisoning Cats (Jrfem).— We know of no law forbidding the putting of 

 poisoned meat among garden crops. 



ViNF, Leaves Diseased (T. W.), — No 1 leaf enclosed to us is infested 

 with the Vine scale (Coccus vitis). It may be destroyed by strippiug ofl" 

 the loose bark when the leaves have fallen, and thoroughly cleaning the 

 stem and shoots by washing them with soft soap and warm water, 6 ozs. 

 soft soap being dissolved in a gallon of water. The water should not be 

 cooler than I'JO^, nor exceed 130\ In addition to washing the Vines, the 

 whole of the woodwork should be thoroughly cleansed with the soap 

 solution, keeping it off the glass, and the walls coated with a mixture 

 of lime and sulphur, with sufficient tobacco water to bring it to the con- 

 sistency of whitewash. It should be put on like whitewash. No. 2 leaf 

 is scorched, probably through the leaves being moist when the sim shone 

 powerfully upon the glass before air was given, or the injury may have 

 been caused by the leaves being very near the glass, or some injurious 

 agent employed for the destruction of insects. 



Orchids (H.).— -There are very many genera, and, of course, hundreds 

 of species. In the " Orchid Manual," published at our office, price 2s. 6d., 

 you will find descriptions and directions for the culture of those suitable 

 for a stove and a greenhouse, as well as those which are hardy. 



Ferns (ir. 77.). — Polystichum proliferum is a native of Van Dieman's 

 Land, and consequently disquali£ed your collection shown for the prize 

 for native Ferns. 



Grapes Diseased {A. ^.).— The berries enclosed are severely affected 

 with " the spot." Remove the soil down to the first tier of roots in the 

 inside border, and replace it with some rich compost, and water once 

 a-week with weak liquid manure, of a temperature rather warmer than that 

 of the house. Remove the diseased berries as they appear; thin the 

 bunches a little generally, and admit air freely during the day and night. 

 [Omrijn i. — The bunch you sent was affected in a similar manner. Treat 

 your Vines similarly. We never recollect of the disease being more 

 i general than it has been this season. 



