April IS. 186T. J 



J0UB5AL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAIU)ENEB. 



283 



and Strawberries being in excess of what is required. A few Cherries 



from the south of France have arrived this week in tolerably good con- 

 dition, and other imports are becoming heavy. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



••• We reqnest that no one T.vill write privately to tlie depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture^ tfc, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E,C, 



We also request that correspondents will not mix np on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered 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 ne^ 

 week. 



Failcee op Supply (G. C. A'.).— Messrs. Marshall & Co. and all other 

 bookseller.s, aa well as the proprietors of railway bookstflUs, receive their 

 supply on the morning of our publication. The failure is not with us. 



RuBCS LEUCODERMis (G. 5.). — Wo do not remember this plant being 

 mentioned in our columns. It is one of the plants introduced from 

 North-western America by the ill-fated Douglas in the year 1826. Whether 

 it requires a wall to ripen its fruit we cannot say. 



Books (H. C.).— " The Science and Practice of Gardening" can be had, 

 post free, from our office if yon enclose forty postage stamps with your 

 address. {R. S.). — We know of no separate work on Melon culture. 

 (Axios). — We do not know any book on Tea culture in India. Mr. For- 

 tune's volumes on China contain some information on Tea cultivation. 

 There ia much information on the subject in the fifth volume of the 

 " Transactions " of the Agri-Horticnltural Society of India, which we 

 have before us. 



Epihediums {A. H.of B.). — Without seeinK flowering specimens no one 

 can tell the names of the plants you have. Epimedium grandifiorum has 

 white flowers, and is a native of Japan. E. pinnatum has yellow flowers, 

 and is a native of Persia ; there is a drawing of this in the " Botanical 

 Magazine," t. 445G. The seed of the bee flower, Cleome integrifolia, 

 cannot be obtained here at present. It might be obtained by post from 

 some seedsman in Chicago, probably. 



Mulberry Trees Beaeijig Early. — " In reply to your correspondent 

 B. P. Barilett (^page 266), I would say that last autumn I bought of Mr. 

 Rivers a potted Mulberry about 3} feet high, which is now, in a warm 

 orchard-house, a mass of bloom. It is not for me to publish any further 

 particulars of these extraordinary trees, but I recommend friend Bartlett 

 to buy one. I had a common plant for years in a pot under glaps, till I 

 turned it out in disgust. I have heard of the plan you recommend having 

 succeeded, and indeed saw such a plant once at W'eybridge, but it was 

 much older and larger than Mr. Rivers's plants. — G. S.'' 



Polyanthuses {Richard Dean).— There are fourvery i)romis[ng flowers 

 among the selection of Polyanthus. They appear to have a circular 

 form, and the lacing round the petals is smooth and distinct. It would 

 be much safer to judge of their merits from seeing the plnnts growing, 

 and thus learn their habit and style of truss. Could you not send them 

 to the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society ? 



Propagating Rhododendrons (Sunny). — Rhododendrons cannot be 

 successfully propagated from cuttings. They are increased from seed, 

 layer?, and graftings. 



Tricolor Pelabooniums (H. H. B.).— The leavea yon sent marked 

 "Princess Lichstentein " and "Emma" are richly coloured, but there 

 are now such numbers, and so little varying from predecessors, that 

 habits and other characteristics roust be also considered before we can 

 venture to say that this or that is an acqmsition. 



Pyramidal Fruit Trees (A. A.).— Yon may see them in flrst-clasa 

 condition at Messrs. Rivers's Nursery, Sawbridgu worth, Herts. 



PoiNSETTiA. (A- M. G.).— You can obtain plants of any florist who adver- 

 tises in our columns. 



Orchard-housf. [A Hnhncriher^. — Your walled nugle will answer for an 

 orchard-house. For Vines, it would have been better if the sun had con- 

 tinued longer on the house. We advise planting the Vine^ inside. A 

 small stove would make such a house more generally serviceable. 



Peas (C. P.).— We have lost your address, or would forward to you a 

 parcel intended for you, which we have just received. 



Mushroom Culture (.4. D.).— In "Doings of the Week" and else- 

 where you will fmd several modes of cultivating Mushrooms succesa- 

 fully, and each of them will answer if carried out. From what you 

 state you have done quite right in making up a bed about a foot deep 

 of horse-droppings alone, but only making the bed by adding 2 inches 

 at a time, and beating well as you went along. If a week or more 

 passed between these additions your bed would never heat violently, 

 and this would save the strength of your manure for the Mushrooms. 

 You then add half an inch of soil— spawn, we presume, in tho s-.il, and 

 then add 1 inch more soil, beat down, water, smooth as often described, 

 and cover with a little hay. The mode will do very well prorided tho 

 suitable degree of heat is secured ; at the time of spawning and aftcrw.irds 

 the bed should bo little over bO-, and the atmosphere of the pHee from 

 55- to 60-. We would have prt^ferred placing the spawn in the dung in- 

 stead of in the soil ; hut in either case it would find its way to tbo dung. 

 In such good materia] we often add about one-third of lumpy. fil)ry. dry 

 soil in making the beds; but when the dung is made from poor litter we 

 use less soil in it. If you secure the proper heat v.-e feel sure you will 

 obtain plenty of Mushrooms. 



Lawn Renovating {F. E. flf.).— You should nt once cover the lawn 

 with rich soil, having previously raked it well with an iron mke. The 

 soil should be put on one-quarter to half an inch thick, itfter tho first rain 

 it should be again raked well, and when dry the following mixture may 

 be sown:— Festuca duriuscula, 6 lbs. ; Festuca ovina. 2 lbs. ; Craosurun 

 cristatus, 6 lbs.; Poa ncmoralis, 2 lbs.: Trifolium repens. -4 lbs. ; Lotus 

 comiculatus minor, 1 lb. Roll the f^-ound well after sowing. The lawn 

 should not be mown or rolled for at least a fortnight after t-owing. Tha 

 seeds may be had of any of the principal seedsmen. 



White Scale on Pine Plants (-1 Suii<-n7jf r).— The powder to which yon 

 allude will not injure the plants if dusted into the heart of the young 

 leaves, unless there be water lodging there. The plants should be dry 

 before dusting with the powder, and it should not be wetted for twenty- 

 four hours afterwards. 



GuzMANNiA picta CULTURE (Idem), — Its treatment does not differ 

 from that of stove plants generally, thriving as it does in a compost of 

 turfy loam. peat, and leaf mould in equal parts, with one-sixth pieces of 

 charcoal not larger than a haael nut, the dust being sifted out, and n 

 like proportion nf silver sand. Good drainage is essential, and the soil 

 should not be sifted but chopped, broken, and make fine with a spade. 

 Water should be sparingly given after potting until the roots are ^orldng 

 in the fresh soil, and when growing freely water should be supplied moro 

 hberally; and with a moist atmosphere and a moderatn amount of air. 

 the plant will grow freely. At night a temperature of 65 , and by day of 

 from 75^ to 90^, suits it during the summer. 



Transplanting Hollies and Yews (jB. Jlf.).— You could not have a 

 better time than the present for removing Holly and Yew trees about 

 6 feet high. The trees being dug round 2 feet from the stem, move them 

 with as much soil as will adhere to the roots, and preserve as many of 

 these as possible. Make a hole largo enough to admit the roots without 

 cramping or turning up their points against the sides of the hole, and 

 spread out the roots carefully, placing some fine soil beneath, over, and 

 around thera. Do not plant too deeply, and after planting give a good 

 watering. You may plant at the end of September, which is probably aa 

 good a time as any for planting evergreen shrubs. 



Planting Laurels on a Bank f Jffpm).— The best time to plant Laurels 

 on a bank or elsewhere, is from the thirdweek in September to the middle 

 of November, and the most suitable size of plant are those from 2i te 

 3 feet in height; but the smaller they are the more certam are they of 

 growing. They should be allowed to make a season's growth and should 

 then be pegged down. 



Yellow-berried Holly So\\tng (A Yorintj Gardener).— Yon may sow 

 the berries now, or defer doing so until autumn, keeping them in the 

 "rot" heap during summer. Sow them early in October. They will 

 grow next year whether you sow them now or defer doing so until 

 autumn. 



Mo\^NG Crocus Bulbs (A Constant Be a der).— Taking up Crocus bulbs 

 to make room for beddingplantsis a bad practice and whoUv unnecessary, 

 for the Crocuses being in rows may remain, and the bedding plants be 

 planted between them. The Crocus foliage may be removed when it 

 decays, and it does not remain so long as to detract from tho beauty of 

 the bedding plants. You mav remove the Crocuses, taking thera up with 

 a ball, and replant them in an open situation. They may remni:i in their 

 new position until autumn, and may then be removed to the flower-beds 

 and borders. The best plan is to leave them in the beds, and not disturb 

 or replant them oftener than once in three years, and then take them up 

 and replant on the same day. 



Photinia sebrulata Propagating (F. G.).— It is propagated from 

 layers and cuttings. Lavering may be done now, and the plant^ will be 

 well rooted by autumn. *The cuttings may be put in towards the end of 

 summer in aand in a shady place under a hand-glass, or they will root 

 more quickly if placed in a mild hotbed the same as for Rose cuttings. 



Broccoli por Spring and Early Cabbagbs {A Young H^fjinn^r). — 

 Dilcock's Bride and Elletaon's Mammoth will suit you in Broccoli for 

 market purposes, and Cattell'e Reliance and Battorsea or Fulham Cab- 

 bages will suit you; but if you want a very early Cabbage. Atkins's 

 I Matchless, of which the Messrs. Yeitoh have an improved vnriety, is tha 

 earliest and best. 



