March 17, 1870 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



able ; alluding to the fragrant flowers. Nat. ord., Araaryllidacese. Linn., 

 Hexandria Monogvnia). Stove bulb. Offsets Light loam and peat. 

 Winter temperature, 50 to fir ; summer, 60 : to 80". E. grand i [flora (large- 

 flowered). \\. White. December. New Granada." 



Declining to Engage (Poor Gardener).— It is a case of hardship to 

 you, and if yon wrote courteously to the lady she might make you some 

 recompence, but you have no legal remedy — you were not engaged by 

 her. We never before heard of a Welsh under-gardener refusing to serve 

 under an English head-girdener. 



Osborn's Red Beet (G. E ).— You will see a note about it in our Jour- 

 nal to-day. 



Pruning Cloth op Gold and Cmhbixo Devoniensis Roses (H. I. 

 W. 7*.).—" They should be cut very little. Just take off the tops of the 

 main shoots to a good eye in Arm wood, ami. if the shoots are very long, 

 twist them a little like a snake. My Climbing Devoniensis has made this 

 last year two shoots 15 feet long. I have done as stated above. If the 

 Cloth of Gold and Devoniensis have all bad wood, I should in that case 

 cut them back nearly to the stock, and then let them grow up again. If 

 you cut back yearly strong vigorous shoots to the stock you will never 

 have any flowers.— W. F. Kadci/sffe." 



Boxes for Climbers in Greenhouse {John Anderson) . — We do not 

 think you would find cast-iron answer, and bricks, as you anticipate, 

 would be too clumsv. We advice von to place bricks-on-edge on the flue 

 as headers, to the full width of the flue, with half a brick between each, 

 So that you will have 44 -inch space between each course of heading bricks 

 on edge, which will allow the heat to pass into the house without render- 

 ing the bricks too hot. Instead of hiving boxes part of the length of the 

 house we would have the border in one piece, and if you require plants 

 that need different composts you can divide it by slate divisions. For 

 the sides we would advise elate; from 1 to t\ inch thick would be suffi- 

 cient, and 18 inches deep. They may be in lengths of from G to 8 feet, 

 and they should rest with the edges on the brick-on-edge. You can 

 secure them with iron bolts pis a ing through the back wall, and screws. 

 You will need two bolts, one about 3 inches from the top. and another 

 about 3 inches from the bottom, and of course at each end of the slabs. 

 The ends may be of slate and grooved-in, and the length may be divided 

 in like manner. The bottom you may form of thick ordinary slates, 

 leaving sufficient openings for drainage, and on the slates 3 inches of 

 rubble should be placed for drainage. The appearance, when the whole 

 is finished, would be good, and better than anything we can think of. 

 Wood would last a long time, but it is neither so good nor so durable as 

 slate. You will only need the front; the back will be formed by the 

 back wall. 



Clerodendron Balfourianum: Pruning (A. T.).— Now is a good time 

 to prune this plant, and in doing so cut out the old wood, and shorten the 

 very long shoots so as to cause them to branch lower down, leaving suffi- 

 cient young wood or shoots for future growth. The plant having been 

 rested and kept rather dry, as it ought to be before pruning, we should 

 now keep it rather moist, but do not water it much at the root, and give 

 a slight increase of temperatnre, say 65 at night, and 70 : to 75 3 by day 

 on dull days, and 10° higher with sun and air. When the plant has made 

 shoots a few inches long pot it in a compost of two parts loam, one part 

 peat, one part leaf soil, and one part formed of equal quantities of charcoal 

 in pieces from the size of a pea np to that of a hazel nut, and silver sand. 

 Good drainage is necessary ; and when the plant is turned out of the pot 

 remove all the soil that comes away readily, and yet preserve all the 

 roots practicable. Maintain a moist atmosphere, shade for a time from 

 bright sun, and water carefully until the roots are working freely in the 

 fresh soil, then water copiously as required. Afford a light airy position, 

 regulating the shoots frequently, and train them so that they will be 

 fully exposed to light. When a good growth has been made give no more 

 water than enough to keep the foliage from flagging. 



Plants for the Back Wall of Vineries and Conservatory (In- 

 quirer).— We would have the walls wired or trellised, an t grow in the 

 early house Orange trees, training them against the back wall, and they 

 will give an abundance of blossoms and fruit. The hack wall of the late 

 house we would plant with Camellias, and the conservatory wall with 

 Camellia3, or Luculia gratissima and Habrothamnus elegans, both 

 winter-flowering plants, the former sweet-scented. To suit the last two, 

 however, the wall must not be shaded bv plants close to them or on the 

 roof. The wall 64 feet long and 10 feet "high, with a N.N.E. aspect, you 

 may cover with Cotonoaster microphylla or Rregaer's Ivy, but we think 

 the former would have the most trim appearance, though the Ivy has 

 an excellent effect, but requires trimming. 



Shading Greenhouses [Weekly Reader).— For a greenhouse, and in- 

 deed any house where only temporary shading is required, shade with 

 tiflany or cauvas, both of which you object to ; or mix whiting and milk, 

 bringing them to the same consistency as thin paint, and brush the 

 mixture over the glass when the litter is quite dry, and inside the house, 

 as when put outside it is very liable to be washed off by heavy rains. To 

 give a frosted appearance you have only to dash a painter's dry dust 

 brush against it before it "becomes dry. The brush must be dashed 

 lightly and sharply on the wash, and at right angles to it. The value of 

 this consists in its being easily rnbb.?d or rather washed off; it can be 

 put on in a few hours, and removed iu half the time whenever you do not 

 wish for Bhade, which is not required for greenhouses more than half 

 the year, whereas if you employ oil, as painters do in frosting, it is very 

 difficult to wash it of. 



Edging Iron {Idem).— We consider it very desirable that an edging 

 knife or iron should have a half-moon shape, and if one were made with 

 an arrow head or triangular shape, the point, we think, would soon wear 

 round. The form you propose would not cut so much at a stroke, and 

 the upper point of the knife of the side you were cutting with would 

 catch in the ground and tear up the turf, leaving a ragged edge. Of 

 course we are open to conviction, and if you find it answer we should be 

 glad to hear of it. Any smith would make you one of the form you 

 describe. 



Maranta zebrina and regalis (A Young Gardener).— The injury to 

 the leaf of M. zebrina is caused by the dampness of the atmosphere, 

 accompanied with cold. It is usual for the foliage to exhibit this ten- 

 dency at the present time of year, and the young growths also will do 

 the same if the atmosphere be not kept uniformly moist, with moisture — 

 not, however, from syringing, nor pouring water on pipes or flues. It is 

 advisable in winter to maintain a rather low temperature, say from 55 3 



to 60 : at night, and M. zebrina will do in one of 50° ; also to keep the 

 plants rather dry at the roots, encouraging them in spring with a good 

 brisk heat, a moist atmosphere, and slight shade from bright sun. We 

 think the foliage will come to its proper condition as the season advances. 



Cauliflowers (Ignorammt). — Cauliflower sown on May 21st, pricked 

 out July 8th, and planted on September 6th, 1SG9, ought to have formed 

 good heads in October and November. We usually sow from the 21st to 

 the 24th of May, and plant out at the end of July or early in August, 

 and have fine heads early in October. How to account for the plants not 

 heading we do not know, except that the seod was not that of a Cauli- 

 flower, but of some sort of 3rcccoli, but then some of the plants running 

 in autumn would indicate they were Cauliflowers. We think the time 

 the plants were in the seed bed, and in the bed into which they were 

 pricked out, is sufficient to account for their running, even if Broccoli, 

 which we think they are. You have had wrong seed. The plants left 

 will no doubt form beads this spring, but it is not improbable they will 

 be open and seed-like. 



Errata.— In notes on Potatoes, page 180, third paragraph, for "we 

 must distinguish it," read "5." For "Early Goodwill," read "Early 

 Goodrich." 



Mealy Bug on Beech Trees (A Subscriber).— The insect you have 

 on the Beech trees is a species of aphis. It may he destroyed by washing 

 the stems and branches with paraffin oil, diluted with an equal quantity 

 of water, applying it now with a brush. 



Chrysalises ( W, N.),— Every one of them was crushed by the Post-office 

 punches. 



Names of Fruits (J. 31. L.).— Your Pear is the Verulam. 



Names of Plants (N. W.).— 1, Leucopogon Richei; 2, Ardisia crenu- 

 lata ; 3, Pereskia aculeata. (C. H. D.).— 1, Goldfussia isophylla ; 2, Libo- 

 nia floribunda. (A Young Gardener).— 1, Some Grevillea, possibly G. 

 rosea; 2, Pha-nocoma prolifera; 3, Diosma capitata. {J. H. 8.). — 1, Poly- 

 podium punctulatum (?) ; 2, Polypodium salicifolium, by some made a 

 variety of lycopodtoides; 3, Ouychium japonicum ; 4, Doodia lunulata ; 5, 

 Polypodium (Phymatodes) Billardierii ; 6, Cyrtomium Fortunei; 7, Adi- 

 antum diaphanuui (syn. A. setulosum) ; 8, Doodia caudata (very young 

 state); 9, Polystichum angulare, var. lobatum ; 10, Lastrea dllatata (a 

 form); 11, Polystichum angulare variety ; 12, Adiantuin affine ; 13, Poly- 

 stichum angulare variety; 14, Bryophyllum calycinum; 15, Rochea fal- 

 cata, (PteriSy Dublin). — 1, Adiantum affine; 3, A. cuneatum; 4 and 11, 

 Lastrea Filix-mas; 6 and 7, Doodia caudata; 8, Adiantum hispidulum ; 

 9, Pteris cretica albo-lineata ; 10, Nephrodium molle ; 12, Asplenium 

 erectum var. tenellum. Nos. 2 and 5 have become separated from the 

 specimens. An Adiantum with small rouiuh'd leaflets is A. sethiopicum; 

 another with very large leaflets is A. sinuosum, a valuable species. There 

 was alBO a scrap, probably belonging to Doodia lunulata. {J. Richards). 

 — We cannot name plants from their leaves only, we must have flowers 

 too. We cannot tell what the " white worms " in the manure are until 

 we see them. If they are wireworms they are one of the gardener's foes. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



MR. W. CROOK'S ARTICLE ON PIGEON- 

 KEEPING. 



As the Pigeon authority of this Journal, I feel it my duty to 

 protest strongly against the article in last week's number being 

 supposed to be original. It is not Mr. Crook's at all, but 

 simply copied line by line, indeed almost word for word, from 

 " Daniel Girton's New and Complete Pigeon-fancier," published 

 about the year 1800, according to the authorities of the British 

 Museum, but I incline to think a few years earlier. It is all 

 extracted from Girton's work, beginning page 114, ending page 

 121 at the words " constant diet." And the diseases which 

 Mr. Crook intends to treat of in his next article are written iu 

 the same order as Girton's, and " the best methods of pre- 

 venting Pigeons leaving their habitation," &c, are all Girton's 

 words. The only original part are three lines and a half, in 

 which Mr. Crook drags in Sky Tumblers, and inserts the word 

 "Sky" in another place. But this is not all. Girton's was 

 only the second edition of " The Treatise on Domestic Pigeons," 

 published a.d. 17G5. So that Mr. Crook's original article was 

 written, every word of it, and printed just 105 years ago ; if it 

 were written originally by Mr. Crook, lie must be now at least 

 125 years old, or, as he would need a good deal of experience to 

 write so accurately and practically, we will say 135 years old. 

 Swansea must be a healthy place ! 



However, I wish to make no jest of such a piece of bare- 

 faced literary plagiarism, but rank it with trimming, painting, 

 and staining. Farther, a judge of literature would perceive that 

 the article in question is written in the old-fashioned English 

 of the last century. I let the papers on Sky Tumblers pass, 

 regarding some of their contents as mere good-natured " chaff," 

 but this I cannot let pass. 



Readers of this Journal for the last seven years will under- 

 stand how I have always striven to help to cast a genial, kindly 

 influence over the pages of this our favourite publication, and 

 therefore they will equally understand the pain it causes me 

 to write with severity, but surely severity is in this case due. — 

 Wiltshire Rector. 



P.S.— This cannot be the case of a person [writing from 



