June 27, 1867. ] 



journaij of hortioultube and cottage gardener. 



as 



them from moving ; in like manner stakes are proTided for the 

 other plants, to avoid damaging the frames by nailing up the 

 shoots to them. The plants should now be well watered, but 

 ventilated sparingly for a few days, and shaded with mats if the 

 ■ snn is strong. It will now be seen that a considerable space is 

 left vacant between the rows of plants, which will give abundance 

 of room to such plants as Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Balsams, 

 and the like, the Fuchsias and Balsams being plunged among 

 the sawdust, and the Pelargoniums raised on large pots to a 

 convenient distance from the glass. The frames may thus be 

 well stocked, but not overcrowded, and one finds convenience 

 for many plants that are often neglected. 



Traininff. — Our custom is to allow for each plant one leading 

 shoot, and three on each side, trained fan-shape, which shoots 

 are tied carefully to the upright stakes as they progress, and as 

 soon as each has formed two trasses of flowers, their points are 

 pinched out or back to the eye beyond the last-formed truss, 

 and all other growths are scrupulously cut away. Admit air 

 abundantly throughout all the stages of their growth, but par- 

 ticularly when the flowers begin to expand, until the fruit has 

 formed. As soon as the fruit has attained to the dimensions 

 of Walnuts, the first watering of weak liquid manure is given, 

 at first twice a-week, afterwards in every alternate watering. The 

 eyes left at the last pruning will by this time have grown into 

 shoots ; these, and every superfluous growth remaining, should 

 be removed. 



After this dressing, if the plants are in a vigorous condition, 

 in a short time they will show themselves very impatient, and 

 it there is still one dormant eye about them it will be forced 

 out, and must be at once cut away. The leaves will also be in 

 vigorous growth, and have expanded to prodigious dimensions, 

 which they may fairly be allowed to do, excepting trimming 

 back any tliat cover or shade the fruit. As the season advances, 

 the swelUng of the fruit will keep pace, and the plants will 

 rapidly extract the moisture from the soil, which neoossitatea 

 a daily and abundant supply of water, especially in strong sun- 

 shine ; if the weather prove dull, less will be required. 



The subsequent management is merely a repetition of that 

 already given — viz., air abundantly, keep clearof extragrowths, 

 trim the leaves that interfere with the fruit, at the same time 

 preserving as many on the plant as possible, tie out the laterals 

 as they advance, sprinkle with pure water overhead after a 

 day's strong sun, and as soon as a general show of colour is 

 visible, discontinue water, and take off the lights, excepting on 

 wet days. 



From the above system of treatment we managed to keep up 

 a supply from the end of July until November, with a frame 

 measuring 30 feet long, 10 wide, 4.4 high at back wall, and 3 at 

 front wall. — A. Keee (in Gardener). 



NEW VARIEGATED PELARGONIUMS AT THE 

 BURY ST. EDMUNDS SHOW. 



Permit me to call the attention of your readers to the ac- 

 companying letter, which I have received from Mr. John Wat- 

 son, nurseryman, St. Albans, the raiser of Miss Watson and 

 other fine Tricolor Pelargoniums, proposing sweepstakes of 

 twenty and ten guineas for the best two new Variegated Pelar- 

 goniums and the best single new Variegated Pelargonium, to 

 be competed for at the Bury Show : — 



*' I see that there is a cup of the value of ten guineas offered for the 

 best twelve seecUing Variefjated Pelargoniurar, of 136G-67. for which 

 I wonld be glad to compete ; hut under the arrangements it is impos- 

 sible for me to do so. for the simple reason that, as soon as I see a 

 seedling is not likely to he useful I di.seard it at once. And as to 

 seedling Pelargoniums of this class, I see but little advantage to he 

 derived, either hy the puhlic or by private individuals, from exllihiting 

 them in this state, as it is well known amoug raisers that there is no 

 dependauce upon them until their character is estahlished both as to 

 habit and colour. 



*' The ohject to be sought is to know who has the best kinds not yet 

 sent out ; and the only way to bring out the right kinds is to have a 

 challenge cup, value twenty guineas, to be awarded to the r.aiser of the 

 best two. and a second cup of the v.ilue of ten guineas to the raiser of 

 the one best land. aUo^^ing any raiser to compete for both cu|is. and 

 no raiser to exhibit less than six plants of each kind. This would 

 plainly show who has the best to send out in the two years ti) come — 

 1867 and 186S — the plants to he judged according to rules laid down in 

 the gardening papers. 



*' Now, I shall be willing to subscribe .£5 5s. towards the above prizes. 

 TVUl you and your friends contribute the remainder ? An appeal 

 tbroDgh the gardening papers would doubtless be responded to at once, 

 and the dcsu-ed end wonld be .gained. Of course it is understood that 



I should he at liberty to compete for both prizes. Let mo know as 

 quicldy as possible, and I will forward my five guineas by post to yoa 

 at onco. — .John" Watson." 



This spirited challenge deserves the support of your readers. 

 I shall be happy to co-operate in auy way — to receive and hold 

 the stakes, and correspond with intending exhibitors. I have 

 accepted Mr. Watson's liberal offer conditionally. If liberally 

 responded to the prizes will be offered ; if not, all monies en- 

 trusted to me will bo promptly returned. I sincerely hope, 

 however, that the challenge will be accepted. Independently 

 of such a competition adding much to the richness of the Bury 

 Show, it would test real merit better than any of the other 

 prizes. 



There is much force in Mr. Watson's remarks on the insta- 

 bility of seedlings. However, it is now too late to alter the 

 schedule ; but by supporting Mr. Watson's thoroughly practical 

 proposal, growers and the public alike would discover two or 

 three of the very best varieties in existence — a point of the 

 greatest possible moment at the present time, when both are 

 bewildered by hundreds of so-called novelties, cilher like or 

 inferior to those already in cultivation. — B. T. Fisn, Ilardwicke, 

 Bury St. £dinundx, Suffolk. 



PARENTAGE OF CL.\RKES ROSE TINK 

 LORD LYON. 



The parentage of Clarke's Rose Pink Lord Lyon, a seedling 

 for forcing, to which a second-class certificate was awarded at 

 the Fioyal Horticultural Society's Show, is as follows : — 



Clarke's Garibaldi is the seed parent of Lord Lyon, Claude is 

 the seed parent of Garibaldi, Anne Boleyn is the seed parent of 

 Claude. The pollen parent was a laced Pink named Sir Robert 

 Grant. Mr. D. Fish counted 110 flower-buds on one plant ia 

 my garden on the 8th iust. — James Claeke, College Street, 

 Bury St. Edmunds. 



TOBACCO TOUCH-PAPER. 



" N. E. 0." requests me to repeat my mode of making fumi- 

 gating paper. It is as follows : — 



Procure some coarse brown or the coarse blue paper usually 

 employed as the outside wrapping of loaf sugar. Cut the paper 

 into strips about 10 inches or 1 foot wide, and form them into a 

 loose roll, confined so by a piece of string. Now, take an old 

 iron saucepan which is useless for other purposes, and place 

 in it a quarter of a pound of coarse shng tobacco, along with 

 three pints of water. Boil for twenty minutes or so, and then 

 strain the liquor oS through an old colander. Return the 

 liquor into the pot along with 2 ozs. of saltpetre, and a pinch 

 or two of flowers of sulphur. As soon as the saltpetre is dis- 

 solved and the liquor has again become heated, stand in it the 

 roll of coarse paper, and turn the latter upside down now and 

 then. Continue the pot by the fire to keep the liquid hot till the 

 paper becomes thoroughly saturated, then unroll it so that it 

 may lie flat in a large dish, weighting it down with, say, a 

 couple of pebbles, then pour over it the remainder of the 

 liquor from the saucepan, and let it remain tiU it is cold. 

 Now, dry t'ue strips of paper in the sun, or by a fire, and to 

 what liquid rem.iins in the dish add double the quantity of 

 water, and syringe it over any tree or plant affected with aphis. 



In sick-rooms, or when there is any offensive smell in a 

 sitting-room, a strip of the paper merely lighted and allowed to 

 consume will be found to purify the place like magic, and a 

 quarter of a pound of coarse fresh tobacco distributed evenly 

 over the surface of three pieces of the touch-paper, each about 

 1 foot long, rolled loosely into the shape of a Pickwick cigar, 

 and kept in that shape by three pins — namely, one at each 

 end, and one in the middle, would prove sufficient to fumigate 

 a small greenhouse for the green fly. When the cigars are to 

 be lighted they can be retained in position by leaning them in 

 small empty flower-pots. Should the tobacco prove too damp 

 to burn freely, light the cigars at bottom instead of at the top. 

 I do not, however, recommend this latter method, as the eigar 

 is apt to burst into a flame, and for the welfare of the plants 

 it should never be allowed to do so. One eigar would be suffi- 

 cient for a two-light Cucumber or Melon-frame. 



Plants too large to be covered by the crinoline contrivance, 

 which has been twice illustrated in these pages, I place in the 

 earth-closet. My latest exploit, only a few days ago, in this 

 way was with two large plants of Coronillas, on the stems and 

 branches of which I observed a few scale insects ; a large 



