266 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 7, 1870. 



plant houses, late vineries, and orchard houses, especially the 

 latest, with water slightly coloured with whiting, just to break 

 a little the full force of the sun's rays. Oar fruit-tree buds 

 out of doors are still backward, and the whitening the moBt of 

 them will help to keep them back until the soil is warmed to 

 promote free root-action. — R. F. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 

 la the Suburbs of London for the week ending April 5th. 



80.— Densely overcast; fine, overcast ; clear and fine. 

 31.— Overcast; foggy, densely overcast. 



1. — Foggy and overcast; fine ; clear find frosty. 



2.— sharp frost ; very fine ; foggy, starlight. 



3.— Frosty fog ; fine, slight fog ; foggy. 



4. — Dense fog; very fine; clear and fine. 



5, — Dense fog ; very fine ; clear and fine. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Charles Tnrner, Royal Nurseries, Slough.— General Spring Cata- 

 logue/or 1870. 



Sutton & Sons, Reading.— Buttons' Amateur's Guide and Spring 

 Catalogue. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



«g- Being published in time for transmission by the Thursday morning 

 mails, The Journal of Horticulture should, with but few ex- 

 ceptions, be delivered on the, same day in all parts of the country. 

 If there is any delay, let our readers apply to the nearest railway 

 bookstall, an I by paying their subscriptions in advance their copies 

 will be regularly supplied. If country booksellers cannot obtain 

 the Journal in time, we shall be obliged by tlieir communicating 

 the fact to our Publisher. 

 *.' We requpst that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents 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, cOc, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 

 Books (J. J. IT.).— There is no such work as you need. We are ar- 

 ranging for a series of articles on the subject. (IV. D.).— "The Vine 

 Manual" for thirty-two postage stamps, " In-door Gardening" fortwenty 

 stamps, will be sent from our office post free if enclosed with yonr address_ 

 Manuring Potatoes (W. E.B.).— We never grow Potatoes on ground 

 requiring manure, but on that which was manured for the previous crop, 

 as after Cabbages. If the ground must be manured the manure should 

 be spread, dug in, and the sets inserted by the dibble. 



Various (Ignoramus).— The tops of all branches and all plants are the 

 youngest of the parts, and therefore ripen last. To have large Fuchsias, 

 grow them in 11-inch pots, but they cannot be made gigantic at once. We 

 know nothing about the possible price of the Potato. We cannot name 

 plants from their leaves only. 



Notes on Irish Gardening (E. B.).— We shall be very much obliged 

 by the " Stray Notes" you offer. 



Seedling Cineraria.— Your seedling is a verypromising flower; if the 

 plant is of good habit it may be useful, but there are many as good and 

 better. It is something like, but not equal to, Turner's Agrippa. 



Rhododendron Seedlings (O. C.).— The seedlings, when they are a 

 year old, ought to be pricked out in a sheltered situation, and shaded 

 from the powerful midday sun. A border on the east or north side of a 

 fence is suitable. They'should be planted about 3 inches apart every 

 way, and watered In dry weather daring the summer. In a yenr, ifthey 

 " nted out 6 inches apart, in beds of peat 



Gem Pericles, Belle of the Ball, Beacon. Exhibitor, Spotted Gem, Mary 

 Hovl'e Fancy -Acme, Godfrey Turner, Fanny Gair, Roi des Fantaisies, 

 Delicatum, Lady Craven, Undine. Modestum, Tormentor, Ellen Beck, 

 Lucy, Bridesmaid. Any respectable nurseryman could supply you. 



Seeds for Sydney <Emily).-\ny seeds that produce plants suitable 

 for our climate are similarly suitable for Sydney. They only require to 

 be sown during different months, as they know full well out there. 



Let Blame Rest where it is Deserved (H. M. P.).-Your gardener 

 is not blameworthy; your note was most confused and imprecise. U 

 reminded us of this story. A gentleman found his little girl s chubby 

 bands full of the blossoms of a beautiful Tea Rose on which he had be- 

 stowed great care. " My dear," he said " didn't I tell you not to .pick 

 one of those flowers without leave ?" " Yes, papa," replied the little girl, 

 (' hut ail these had leaves." 



Rdssian Violet (O. L. JT.).-It is only a variety of the common Violet 

 (Viola odorata). and correct seeds probably were sent to you. You will 

 find the plants benefited by manuring them with charred vegetable refuse. 

 Melon and Cucumber Culture (1. B. Booth).— Yon will find their 

 culture in the " Garden Manual," which you can have post free from our 

 office if you enclose twenty postage stamps with your address. 



Vine Leaves (A Southport Gardener). -There is no mildew on the Vine 

 leaf bnt it has been scalded or blotched ; the remedy is early air-gmng. 

 We would not leave above two or three bunches on the young Vine. 



Ardisia Culture (P. T.).-Tbe plants ought to be repotted now if ne- 

 cessary using a compost of two parts fi'rous light loam, and one part 

 leaf soil with 8 free admixture of sharp sand. Good drainage is neces- 

 sarv and in eotUn" remove the old soil that comes away freely, without 

 Scin" the ball too much, or injurrngthe fibres. Keep the plants moist 

 and shaded until they are re-established, then afford them an abundance 

 of light and air. 



Gloxinias and Achimf.nes Culture (Hew).— Place them in a hotbed, 

 keeping the soil just moist, and when they begin to grow repot the 

 Gloxinias in pots large enough to hold them without cramping after re- 

 moving all old soil that you can without injury to the roots; return them 

 to the botbed, place them in their blooming-pots when those they are in 

 are filled with roi.ts, and remove the pots to shelves in the forcing house. 

 Place the Achimenes 2 or 8 inches apart, in pars in a light position in 

 the forcing house. They should have a moist atm. ,sp here and 1 be duly 

 supplied with water. A slightly shaded position is best for the Gloxinias, 



of 



„„ fourth leaf soil or old cow dung, and 

 th the addition of one-sixth of silver sand, will 



one-fourth sand; 

 grow both well. 



Window Eox tor Raising Cuttings (Id, 

 ments good, but we should have liked then 

 had the box been ( 

 rectify, either by ha 

 pots o'f cuttings. F 



,ght Dot to be painted : 



fuse dust is the 



m )._We think your arrange- 

 better for striking cuttings 

 That, however, you can easily 

 ig a box made so, or bv placing a bell glass over the 

 packing round the ends and bottom, sawdust is 

 oa-nut fibre refuse better. We advise youto use 



outside. To prevent the soil becoming 

 too dry water more frequently. Thtre are non-conducting felts, hut 

 thev are not suitable for your purpose. - 



waste of the husk in separating the fibre from it. ." » "'?„ ^JS 

 hogany sawdust, and is a good material for mixing Wlfll loam instead M 

 sand or peat, for cuttings, Ferns, and plants requiring peat so 1. Warp 

 soil is not suitable for striking Pelargonium cuttings, handy loam two 

 parts, cocoa-nut refuse one part, and one part of saud, will answer weu. 

 Pansies and Pelargoniums ('nlya-l.-Self Pansies are oi ! one < colour 

 in the flowers; Fancy Pansies have irregular, undecided markings or 

 colours, and Show Pansies have flowers of good form deeded markings, 

 and the colouring distinct. They come up to the florists' standard of 

 exceknee . There are (leaving W one side the Zona, section) three 

 classes into which Pelargoniums are and may f» d '' lde «-' , '>?S 

 the Fancy, and the French varieties. Formerly there was a fourth class, 

 the Spotted, but that has now been merged m the first The 1 Show 

 Pelargonium, or Large-flowered, as it had better be ealled-fo the 

 Fancy section is equally available for the purpose of exhibition-is well 

 known, but nut ,;,. v to define. The ground colour varies from white to 

 d?epc-imson,ar.d the petals may be either spotted or painted-that is 

 striked with faint line?, or nearly altogether covered w. h a deep blotch 

 of dark maroon or black ; the foliage is ample, and the individual leaves 

 large The Fancy section is composed of plants varying very mach 

 from the foregoing, both in the character of the foliage and in the flower, 

 he fliage is smaller and neater, and the plant more compact in habit 

 reouirio", too Bom. what more heat, and being more impatient of damp ; 

 [he flowers ar e also smaller and rounder, produced in trusses more 

 numerous and more filled. The French varieties are very different from 

 eUher ■ thev la? claim to no regularity of outline, are sometimes even 



S&tefc*»«i ^rSeVrv^f^ 



f "^^ rel clmous at each end, and the simpler the beds the better 



" feet in diameter, a path 

 of grass round 4 feet wide. 



grow well, they will no. ,1 to be plantod out (i inches apart, in l . , «. 



or fibrous soil. The situation should be open, but sheltered from wind, wMch space you could divide equally into our beds, with 4-teet grass 



and when the plants meet they should be planted a foot apart in rows ope nings? Supposing that the outside of these beds .were j or _ o lee 



with 18-incb intervals. Stopping is only necessary when the plants, from tr ' om the end of the grass plat that would leave a nee space ^ oi ■, souic 



25 feet in the centre for gra 



ould lea 

 s, where yon might h 



large the beds as you liked. 



oughuo'be cntdown now, or "in May, to'within 6 inches of the soil"." " I r a fine"tree, &c." You might lessen or en ie ™ »<"i£S£ 



White Bedding Pf.laroonium (O IT. M.h-Wo have tried many As proposed abovMh. >™«£»^ ^^SX^^lSti 



whites, and on the whole find nothing better than Madame Vaucher, | lines made into four beds, 4, e rass, 1 leet wiue , (, 



except Pearl. This is more compact, and the bloom keeps whiter when , 4, grass ; 5, bed as aoovo. Thecanseis 



exposed out of doors. Hyacinths Blooming without Leaver (FA. L.D.I .. inecanse w 



Select Show and Fancy Pelargoniums (Tom Taii-M— «*»»— n««e I their not having been plunged un °^??.\„ JL^Jth*. 



Celestial, Caractacns, Lilacinum, Desdemona, Charle 



Turn^lpo^le^surir^tSa^ 



-Sh .v 



