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JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



I June 18, 186T. 



Dbainikg a Clayey Soii. (Siinna).—Vie Icnow the soil in your Rarden 



ftt PenKc, and recommend you to have drain pipes laid ftt 2^ feet from 

 the surftice, and the drains to be not more than 12 or 15 feet a^jart. 



WiRKWORMs IN VnJK BORDER (Constant Header, Otas(jow).~lt yonr 

 Vine border ia bo much infested with wirewornifl, wo fear that nothing 

 will do except removing the seil and frcah planting. Before resorting to 

 this, however, stick pieces of Potatoes, Radishes, Carrots, Turnips, or any 

 thing of that kind, all over the border, just deep enough to be out of 

 flight, and go and examine them every morning, and do what you think 

 best with the wiroworms wbich you find. Make also holes where there 

 are no roots, and put gas tar in tlio holes. 



THINNrNG THE FrUIT OP OnCHARD-HOtJSE PeACH AND NECTARINE 



Treks— Frdit E.\ten dy ^Voodi.ice tlinynl Genrrje.—'We wonld thin the 

 Iruit of your Koyal George Peach tree to two dozen, and they will give 

 you more satisfaction tban six dozen. We have had more than three 

 dozen from such a tree. We would thin at once. Timely thinning is the 

 best means of preventing fruit dropping when stoning. To keep woodlice 

 Irom going up the stems of your pot trees, tie a little clean wadding firmly 

 round the stem, and over that wadding dipped iu a mixture of oil and 

 coal tar. Once wo were greatly troubled with them on Cucumber plants 

 in pots. They nipped the points of every young fruit. We had circular 

 vessels made of tin or zinc, 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep, long enough 

 either to go round the stem or round the inside rim of the pot when set 

 firmly on the soil, and then the one-inch space was partly filled with tar 

 and oil. The vessel must not be much leas than an inch in width, or the 

 woodlico will stretch over it. 



Thripr on Vine Leaves (E. D. S.).— We found n few remains of thrips 

 on the Vino leaves, and the remedy is tobacco-smoking and severe sjTing- 

 ing afterwards. The leaves alsohad this peculiarity, that the leaflets 

 seemed to come double, one over the other, and that, we presume, was 

 the result of over-luxuriance, and a close, moist atmosphere. 



Leaf Mould {Andover).—'Y\ie leaves should he laid in a heap, not very 

 thickly, and, being left until autumn, they will have decomposed suffi- 

 ciently to be used for mixing with soil as compost for plants. If turned 

 over now, and again in autumn, they will decompose more rapidly, and 

 still more speedily if you mix a little lonm with them at ench turning. 

 Leaves at the end of t«-elve months are usually sufficiently decomposed 

 for potting-pnrposes, but they are not thoroughly so until the second 

 year. For bedding plants the compost should consist of two-thirds loam 

 and one-third leaf mould. Leaf mould is too open, and becomes too 

 dose and saturated, owing to the frequent waterings, to be employed alone. 



Pampas Grass Killed by Frost (Ztlf to).— The Pampas Grass with us 

 is not killed, but is much injured. The old plants have suffered most. 

 It is owinp; to the last exceptionally severe winter that so many are killed 

 or injured, otherwise this beautiful Grass is sufficiently hardy to eudure 

 our ordinary winters. 



Definition of Zonal and Nosegay Pelargonittms (Llcm). — The 

 name of Zonal was given a few years ago to that particular section of 

 Pelargoniums to distinguish it' from others. They were all called 

 •* Scarlet Geraniums." which did not truly express what was meant, as 

 there are so many shades of colour in the flowers of that class, and it 

 would be absolutely incorrect so to call Madame Vancher, which has a 

 pure white flower. Almot^t the whole of this family have a zone on the 

 leaf, though sometimes faintly developed, hence the old-fashioned name 

 of " Horseshoe " Geranium. The word " Zonal'' at once conveys to the 

 mind theparticular section of Pelargoniums of which we may be spenk- 

 ing. A Nosc'tJfiy Pelargonium is a Zunal in every sense of the word, the 

 leaves are generally marked with a zone : and then a Nosegay differs only 

 from other Zonals in the form of its flowei-s, the petals of which are 

 narrow and long, and the three front petals wide apart from the two 

 at back ; the trusses are much larger than the usual size, and are more 

 enduring under rain or hot weather. Nosegay Stella and the vaiiety 

 called Punch, or Tom Thumb, are respectively good examples of a 

 Nosegay and the large-flowering Zonals. 



Melon Plants Dying Off {A. A. N. fl".!.— The leaves sent have- every 

 appearance of suffering severely from mildew. Vour only remedy is to 

 syringe the pl:ints and dust the leaves and stems on both sides with 

 flowers of sulphur. The contact of the sulphur with the fungus, and the 

 fumes that will be emitted whenever the sun shines powerfully upon the 

 house will destroy the mildew ; but if your plants are so much affected 

 as it would appear from the leaves sent, we fear they are beyond cure, 

 and that your best plan will be to replant. Melons like a strong unctuous 

 loam if it contain grit, but we never found chalky soil or lime rubbish 

 of any benefit in Melon culture. 



Camellias Unhealthy (Oxonian'^. — Wo fear we cannot help yon, for 

 your plants appear to be in a very bad condition, and have been so for 

 acme time. We advise your shaking them out of the pots, removing all 

 the soil, for that appears to us to contain something injurious to the 

 roots, and potting them afresh. Use turf from a pasture where the soil 

 is ar good rather light or sandy loam, paring it off from 1 inch to 1^ inch 

 thick, and t^ar it in pieces with the hand, and work it in among the roots. 

 Pot rather linnly, affnrd good drainage, and do not biu-y the collar of the 

 plant too deeply, in fact, it should bo level with the rim of the pot. The 



plants after potting should be placed in a house with a moderate tempe* 

 rature, iu a cool vinery for instance, and be moderately supplied with 

 water, but always give enough to show itself at the drainage. They 

 should have a good syringing every evening, and the atmosphere must be 

 kept moist. Air should be given moderately, and if the plants are in a 

 house where there are no Vines, slight shade should be afforded when the 

 sun is powerful. We would not cut back the shoots, but if very close 

 together we recommend thinning out the weak wood. All, or nearly all 

 the flower-buds should be removed. If you treat your plants as above 

 recommended they may recover, and in a year or two become healthy. 

 Do not attempt to force them into second growth, but first secure a 

 healthy root-action. You may continue the plants in a viuery until August. 



Amaranthus melancholicus ruber Ccltube (A Subscriber).— The 

 phmt, of which you sent us a seedling in the rough leaf, is that named 

 above, and should now have been 6 inches high and in the course of 

 being planted out. The seedlings should be potted off singly in 60-sized 

 pots, or three in a 48-pot, when in the condition of that sent us, and be 

 continued in a frame with a gentle heat, such as that of a hotbed 

 used for cuttings and seeds, shifting them into pots a size larger when 

 those they were first potted in are filled with roots. Use a compost of 

 rich turfy loam and leuf mould, with a free admixture of sand. The 

 plants should be kept moist, and be slightly shaded after potting until 

 established; but when they have recovered from the potting, air should 

 bo given freely. The seed should be sown at the end of March, or early 

 in April, in a hotbed, and the plants potted off and grown on in heat 

 until the beginning of June; they should be hardened off and planted 

 out in the second week in the month. 



Vine Leaf Scorched ( J. iJani.tfcr).— The discoloration of the leaf ap- 

 pears to be caused by its being scorched, probably through the sun 

 shining poweifully on the glass whilst the leaves were wet ; or it might 

 be caused by water being poured upon a hot flue or pipe. A little sur 

 given early in the morning will prevent the first danger; in fact, the 

 scorching of Vine leaves is chieflv attributable to not giving air before 

 the sun acts powerfully upon tlie house. The brown or small black 

 injects upon the leaves mavbe thrips, and there are traces of their having 

 infested the lenf sent us. If you find them at work upon the leaves, keep 

 the foliage of the Vines dry on a calm evening, and, shutting the house 

 up close, fill it TA-ith tobacco smoke, and repeat the fumigation on the next 

 night but one. 



Bulbs after Flowering {Aiiver^ne).—Vihe\i the foliage begins to 

 decav the roots should he taken up, and be placed thinly on a shelf in a 

 cool airy shed to dry. When the stalks part freely from the bulbs they 

 should be removed, and the bulbs stored thinly on shelves in dry sand. 

 They will keep sound and plump until autumn, and then the loose scales 

 and old roots may be removed. 



Melons Diseased (H. £7/r7;m(Tsfrr).— The leaf sent is much rusted, and 

 the e-vil will only disappear by syringing the plants overhead, and dusting 

 the leaves on both sides with flowers of sulphur. This should be done 

 early in the afternoon ; the frame should then be shut up closely, ^^°i^ 

 mat be thrown over the glass if the sun is powerful. Do not practise the 

 syringingg with Gishm-st, and tobacco fumigations are of no use. The 

 c-^use of the evil is an unhealthy plant. The plants are very weak, and 

 look as if they wanted air. 



Rhododendrons Injured by Frost {A Constant Reader).— "We would 

 not cut off the shoots that were injured by the frosts of May, but leave 

 them for a time, and in a week or two remove any of the dead parts, and. 

 these only. 



Trees and Shrdbs at an Elevation of IfOO Feet (B.).— If you 

 were to state your locality, aud the mimes of the shrubs (if any), or what 

 is the vegetation of the locality, we might be able to advise. 



Canada West (/;n!a;Ki).— The Pansy grows and flowers abundantly in 

 Canada, and plenty of varieties may there be obtained. Vou might 

 however, take over English-saved seed. We are not acquainted with any 

 work on the climate of Upper Canada, but if you apply to the Commis- 

 sioners of Emigi-ation, 8. Park Street, Westminster, you will be furnished 

 with reliable information as to the comparative advantages of different 

 parts of the country. 



Flowers for a Grave (Margaret).— Y^e know Rhyl churchyard, and 

 we think that if the grave was carpeted over with Stonecrop (Sediim 

 acref. aud studded with double purple Violets, they would thrive and be 

 suitable. 



Pelargoniums for Exhibition (TI'. H. M.).—ZonaU : Clipper, Eugpme 

 Mtzavd, Monsieur Barre, and Madame Vaucher. Variegated, not being 

 Tricolors: Queen of Queens, Alma, Golden Chain, and Golden Fleece. 

 Tricolors : Mrs. Pollock, Sunset, Sophia Dumaresque, and Italia Unita. 



Names of Plants (H. W. £.).- Cystopteris fragilis. (TT. TF. i?.).— 



1, Lastrea dilatata; 2, Asplenium adiantum nigrum; 3, Lastrea sp._; 



4, Asplenium trichomanes; 5, Lomaria spicant; 6, Lithosnermum fruti- 

 cosum. (G. iJroicH).— It is an impossibility to name seedlings. [J. C). — 

 Selnginella Martensii (1-2). (B. ilo.-if) —1, Crataegus oxyacautha plena; 



2, Saxifraga aizoon ; 3, Helleborus viridis; 4, Vaccinium vitis-idrea; 



5, (bad state) ; 6, Polemonium caruleum. (E. S. B. G.).— 1-2, saxifraga 

 cKspitosa, vars.; 8, Stellaria holostea. {W. Jv.).— Phlomia macrophylla. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending June 11th. 



