January 27, 1S70. 1 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



of doors, if protected by coverings from frosi and wet, l>y tarpaulins or 

 glass. 



Gbape = IF K S. S.).— The Grape ffiillade uiusque is an excellent, one, 

 well worth growing. The Schiraz is also a Sne Grape, but the bunches 

 are loose, and do not invariably set well. 



Pbbn Cases (Amateur).— You may see them advertised Incur columns ; 

 they are the same as plant cases. 



Heating Bl A Gas Stove (7*. C.).— A small greenhouse is readily 

 heated by one. All the foim3 and particulars aie in No. 341 ot this 

 Journal. You can have it post-free if you enclose four postage stamps 

 with your address. 



Shading toe Roses, and Exhibiting Them <J. E. C.).— The difficulty 

 in shading standard Roses is to obtain something that will not be blown 

 down. The best shades wo have seen for individual blooms are made o* 

 light tin, painted green, and in the form of an inverted funnel. The tin 

 shade is fastened on a socket, which moves up and down on a strong 

 take, and fixed to its position by a wedge, the stake being previously 

 driven into the gronndat the most convenient point to protect the bloom. 

 The same might be made on a larger scale cf tiffany or fngi domo, 

 strained on a light galvaniscd-wire frame, and made to move m the same 

 way- the chief difficulty would be to prevent its being blown over, three 

 strong nieces of string, fastened by pegs in the ground, would prove 

 effectual stays. You ask what is the best mode, when exhibiting Roses, 

 to retain their freshness. Much depends, in the first instance, on their 

 being at once put into water and into a cool place when gathered, and 

 also," when possible, gather early in the morning when the Rose has 

 been refreshed ana invigorated by the night dews. Many persons make 

 a mistake, in our opinion, in giving too much ventilation to their boxes, 

 so that when these are being conveyed to the place of exuibition there is 

 a current of air through them. Fresh air is most necessary to Eoses 

 when growing, but, when they are cut, air. especially cold and dry air. only 

 helps to make them fade. No doubt if Roses were shut up a long time 

 in a hot box without air, it would make them expand too quickly ; but 

 wood is a good non-conductor of heat, and if the upper part of the lid 

 were lined with common house flannel, and kept damped, it would pre- 

 serve the freshness of the Rose much more than if it were exposed m 

 the boxes in a tent with the lid off. It is better, as a rule, to make up 

 your mind beforehand how, and in what order to arrange your Koses, 

 •icd to put them at once into their places in the boxes, seeing that the 

 tubes are well tilled with water. A moveable top to eaoh tube, fitting 

 like a cap, with a piece of Indian-rubber stretched over it, a hole being 

 .nade in it to admit the stem of the Rose, will help to prevent the water 

 being soilt on the iauruev. A slight spray of water blown on the Eoses 

 by means of an ether or scent- distributor, is also at times made use of 

 to keep up the freshness of Eoses when exhibited; but it is a mistake 

 to splash water over them, as it only helps to damage the blooms, especi- 

 ally if there are any slight braises before. As a golden rule, we may say, 

 Keep the lids of vo'ur boxes on as loDg as you can. and do not take them 

 off till it is time that the tent or place of exhibition be cleared for the 

 judges. We should advise you to purchase the Rev. S. R. Hole's new 

 bookon Roses, where you will find many hints on exhibition. 



Lies o- Roses, &c. (Scofiu!.— It is somewhat difficult to advise what 

 to cat ont from a list of Roses without seeing the plants, and it shows 

 how many good Roses thero are at present, when out of a list of nearly 

 one hundred varieties we should only advise the removal of the follow- 

 ing —Anna de Diesbach, Achille Gonod, Amadis, Comtesse Jauconrt, 

 Charles Rouiliard, (Jramoisia Superieure, Gloire de Ducher, Ipswich 

 Gem, Inermis, Louis Philippe, Mrs. Ward, Maiden a Elush, Moss (Lanei, 

 Bath White, Baronne de Wassenaer), Pauline Lansezeur, Triomphe de 

 Caen, Turenne, Tricolor de Flandres. And even of these there are 

 several we should not like to part with, except to make room for better, 

 such as Anna de Diesbach, Achille Gonod, and the Mosses, which are 

 ▼ery pretty in the bud, and to cut to put with other Roses, but are not 

 really fine Roses in themselves, as the attempt which has been made at 

 the Kensington Rose Show of having separate classes for Moss Eoses 

 has fully proved, as there has never been for the last three years a collec- 

 tion fit for staging. We can safely recommend the following, in addition 

 to those which yon have:— Abel Grand, Antoine Ducher, Boule de Niege, 

 Dr. An dry, Duc'de Eohan, Due de Wellington. Duke of Edinburgh, Elie 

 Morel, Francois Louvat, Jean Goujon, La Brillante, La Duchesse de 

 Moray, La France, Lady Suffield, Le Rhone, Madame la Baronne de 

 Rothscl.iid, Madame Hector Jacquin, Marie Baumann, Mdlle. Marie 

 Bady. M.Nonian, Reine du Midi, Thorin, Vicomtesse de Vezins. The only 

 doubtful ones in this list for a northern climate are La France and Reine 

 dn Midi, as they do not open veryfreelv. You need not hesitate to get 

 the three you mention— Marie Banmann. Duke of Edinburgh, and M. 

 Noman. The first issnperb iu warm weather, and has th^: merit of open- 

 in" every bud. even the worst. The only fault it has is that it has 

 rather too weak a footstalk. Do not give up Marrchal Niel ; it is quite 

 as hardy as Devoniensis, and the mistake yon have commttted with it is 

 trying to take too good care of it by housing it in a frame during the 

 winter. If you can obtain a strong plant on the Manetti stock, and plant 

 it against a wall where it iB not exposed to a north wind, and, on the 

 other hand, not too much burnt up at the roots, and allow it to grow un- 

 checked at first, giving it plenty of nourishment, and just covering over 

 the roots with litter iu the winter, we will guarantee you will not be dis- 

 appointed. Your last question, "In the spring pruning, ought weak 

 shoots or laterals of Roses to bo cut clean out, or spurred close back to 

 how many eyes ?" is a very important one. It is better in the autumn 

 to rut clean out from the very ground (when Eoses are grown on the 

 Manetti) all weak old shoots, as a general rule, not leaving more than 

 two. or, at the most, three years of growth. This induces the Rose to 

 push up shoots from the base, aad each shoot thus pushed from the base 

 is. as a rule, stronger than that which preceded it. Then, in the spring 

 pruning, shorten all weak laterals to two or three eyes, cutting out alto- 

 gether any that are weak in the middle of the bush, or any that erowd 

 too much. It is batter to err on the side of over-pruning than under- 



""twelve Hybrid Peepetdal Roses (W. J".).— The following we think 

 the best twelve Roses for general purposes, so as to have as many shades 

 and varieties ol colour as possible :— Gloire de Dijon, Souvenir de Mal- 

 maiEon or Mdlle. Bounaire, Madame la Baronne do Rothschild, Monsieur 

 Noman, Comtesse Ctcile de Chabrillant, La Duchesse de Morny. John 

 Hopper, Alfred Colomb, Duke of Edinburgh, Charlo3 Letebvre, Pierro 

 Noising, and Xavicr Olibo. To these we should add— Baronne de May 



uard, Abel Grand, Marguerite de St. Amand, Princess Mary of Cambridge, 

 Jules Margottin, Senateur Vaisse, Madame Victor Verdier, Antoine 

 Ducher. Madame Clemen ce Joigneaux, Madame Charles Crapelet, Madame 

 Vidot, Marechel Niel, Celine Forestier, and Baronne de Noirmont. 



Mossv Lawn (F. W. G.). —The best remedv is to well rake the lawn now 

 with an iron rake, and continue to do so until March, so as to lemove as 

 much of the moss as possible Early in March give a good dressing of 

 well-rotted manure, and early in April, during mild moist weather, rake 

 off the rough, and sow over the lawn 4 lbs. Festuca duriuscula, 4 lbs. Cy- 

 nosurus cristatus, 2 lbs. Poa nemoralis, and 8 lbs. Trifolium minus, roll- 

 ing well after sowing, and if the lawn can be left without mowing until 

 May all the better. The quantity of seed named is for one aore. 



Geafting Oeange Teees (A. B.). — Orange trees from seed with stems 

 11. inch in circumference are large enough for grafting, which may be 

 performed early in April, the plants furnishing the scions not having 

 commenced growth — at least it must be done before they begin to grow. 

 The stock should be in a house slightly higher in temperature, for ten 

 days or a fortnight before they are grafted. Side-grafting with or without 

 a tongue is the most suitable mode of grafting, the head of the stock not 

 being removed, or but partially cut back, until the grafts have taken. The 

 scions should be of last year's wood. Secure the grafts with matting, 

 and exclude air from the "junction by a coating of grafting-clay or wax. 

 Place the plants after grafting in a bottom heat of from 65 J to 70", and 

 cover them with a frame, keeping them close and shaded. When the 

 grafts begin to grow cut off the part of the stock above the graft, but not 

 nearer to the junction than 1 inch, and admit air by degrees. In from 

 six weeks to two months the union will be complete. 



Starting Vines (Tijein).— = If planted last spring it would be well to let 

 the Vines start naturally, though you may assist them with gentle fires 

 in March, confiuiDg the assistance from fire heat to cold periods and dnll 

 sunless weather. As a rale, the less newly planted Vines are excited by 

 lire heat the more strongly they will break. 



Japanese Chrysanthemums not Flowering (D. if.). — We can only 

 account for the plants blooming so indifferently from their being struck 

 late and having been too frequently and too late stopped. Have the 

 cuttings struck in good time, and do not stop more than one 

 twice, and not after June. The treatment g 

 from that which the large-flowering kind. 



Transplanting Cedaes (Scofus).— Your Deodar 14 feet high may safely 

 he removed, if the roots are near the stem and care betaken to preserve a 

 ball. The best time to move it is during moist weather in March, before 

 it begins to grow ; or it may be removed early in September, or as soon 

 after that as the weather is showery. It is dirfiealt to tell which iB the 

 better time. If the roots have extended far from the stem and there is 

 little prospect of securing a ball, take out a trench now at about a yard 

 from the stem and all round it, going down below the roots, and you will 

 then be able to remove the tree in twelve months, probably with a ball. 

 The trench should of course be filled up. 



Praz Apples Losing Roots (One in Dijiicully).— The plants have lost 

 their roots from these being kept too moist, and the pots are perhaps too 

 large. The bottom heat is too high, but that would not destroy the rootB. 

 A temperature of from 65 J to 7u° is sufficient bottom heat in winter. 

 Keep the plants dry at the root, and in February shake them out, and 

 place them in pots no larger than necessary. Water sparingly for a time 

 until the plants are growing freely, and then encourage them with liberal 

 supplies of water. Maintain a moist atmosphere, and encourage them 

 with a bottom heat of from 78° to 75". Water ought not to stand in the 

 hearts of the plants. Surely the roof is bad, or the steam excessive. 

 Pouring water on hot flues is bad practice. Sandy peat is not good for 

 Pines. Sandy loam is better. The top 2 inches of a pasture laid np for 

 six months in alternate layers of turf and fresh horse droppings will 

 make an excellent compost. 



Ecchahis ahiazonica not Flowering (IT. £.).— Your plant could not 

 be expected to flower, as it was but a short time ago in a weakly state. 

 Your treatment so far is right. Keep it dry, and in a night temperature 

 of about 50° or 55°. In March pot if necessary, and place it, as you did 

 last year in June, in a hotbed, but this year after potting, and continue 

 it there until you have secured a good growth. Let it have a light airy 

 position, with no more water than enough to keep the plant from flagging. 

 The art of its culture is to secure good growth and then well mature it, 

 affording a period of complete rest. 



Potting PH/enocoma prolifeba (Pheno). — Pot it at the end of Febru- 

 ary or beginning of March, not giving a large shift, and as it is so hong 

 since it was potted it would be well to loosen the sides of the ball. Shade 

 the plant for a few days until it has recovered, and water it sparingly 

 until the roots are working freely in the fresh soil. 



Shading a Stove (Idem).— For the shade to be effectual, the whole of 

 the roof should be covered with the canvas ; but if you only wish to shade 

 the plants near the sides of the house it will be sufficient to take the 

 canvas halfway up each side. The shading material ought to be outside, 

 and so arranged that it can be employed in bright weather, and during 

 the hours when the sun's rays are most powerful and likely to injure the 

 foliage of the plants. At other times, or in dull weather, the shading 

 should be rolled up or withdrawn. 



Apeicot Trees against a Wood Fence (J. T. ■!!.).— Except in warm 

 situations Apricots do not succeed against a wooden or boarded fence. 

 It would answer well for Plums and Pears. 



Pbitning Cordon Apple Teees (C. W. Iiod).— You may prune baek 

 the shoots of last year's formation to about half their length, according 

 to their strength. ' We cannot tell exactly without seeing the trees. Do 

 not cut away any of the older wood unless the trees have been badly 

 trained previously. 



Feoiting Seedling Peach Teees (A. 0.).— Your seedling Peach trees 

 ought to fruit in about their third year if properly attended to. Fruit 

 them first on their own roots, and bud them afterwards if found worthy. 

 It is quite a chance as to whether you will have a new variety. 



Feen Infested by Brown Scale (Coccus-,.— Cut off all the fronds and 

 burn them. New fronds w.ll be produced, and if you keep them in a 

 moister atmosphere you will have no more scale. 



Planting Asparagos Beds (Q. Q.).— If you must procure plants from 

 a distance, the beginning of April is a good time to plant Asparagus, or 

 when it is beginning to grow, but if you could obtain plants in May, 



