April 21, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 

 In the Suburbs of London lor the week ending April 10th. 



13.— Cloudy; very fine; clear and fine at night. 



14. — Very fins ; cloudy but fine ; starlight. 



15. — Very fine ; exceedingly fine ; clear at night. 



16. — Very fine ; fine, very hot ; clear and fine. 



17.— Esceediogly liue; foggy, fine ; densely overcast, cold wind. 



18. — Foggy, densely overcast ; fine, cold wind ; overcast. 



19.— Fine, foggy ; very fine and hot ; clear and fine. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Books (AsMmowle).—" The Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary," with its 

 supplement, contains what you need. 



Bunches of Grapes Withering (J. 21. D.).— In Vines so vigorous and 

 young, we should ascribe the withering- up of the young bunches to the 

 wood not being hardened enough last autumn. The straw ought to have 

 kept the border right, 



Pear Tree Bark (J. L. D.).— There is nothing the matter with the 

 bark. The cracks aro the usual result ol increasing age. There is no 

 Madame Rachel in pomology to render " trees smooth " and " beautiful 

 lor ever." 



Grafted Apple Trees (.4. E. F. CX— If the shoots aro very crowded, 

 thin them out sufficiently to let the air in to the interior. Do not prune 

 the shoots back much, excepting when more branches are wanted, as prun- 

 ing them serves to give increased vigour and less tendency to fruit. Those 

 remaining of the original branches should he cut right off. 



Fruit Trees in a Greenhouse (H. P.).— From your interesting de- 

 scription we should not be inclined to blame tho ricketty flue nor the 

 smoky atmosphere as causes of the unfruitfulness of your seemingly 

 healthy Peach trees. We should be more sure of what is the matter, if 

 yon told ns if your abundant bloom was perfect in the parts of its fructi- 

 fication. Under such circumstances the female organs are often defective, 

 and frequently totally absent. If that was the case all the camel-hair 

 pencil brushing that could be given would he of no avail. Our im- 

 pression is, that tho failure is partly owing to the shading given by the 

 greenhouse plants in the bouse, but chiefly to the border being always 

 kept in a moist state by plants in pots standing on it. The trees would 

 be benefited by the soil about the roots becoming not dry, hut dryish, early 

 in the autumn. The full play of the sun on the border would also be 

 advantageous ; but if the plants must be there, then the requisite healthy 

 resting dryness could be best secured by standing the plants in saucers, 

 so that the soil would not be sodden and rendered unhealthy in winter. 

 The continued waterings keep the roots moist, and prevent the wood being 

 thoroughly ripened. 



Plum Trees Blooming but not Fruiting (Agnea). — We think that as 

 the trees bloom freely they are too dry at the roots. We advise you to 

 have holes made now with a crowbar, or to take out the soil in ridges 

 parallel to the length of the border, a few inches deep, so as not to inter- 

 fere with the roots, and a spade's width, and the same distance between, 

 and along these shallow trenches make holes with a crowbar 1 foot or 

 18 inches deep, and 9 inches apart ; then fill the trenches with water, and 

 when it subsides refill them thrice. Afterwards level the ridges. In this 

 way you may thoroughly moisten the soil, which we imagine has become 

 too dry. The surface of the border nest the wall has become, from tread- 

 ing, impervious to r'ins ; therefore the trenches for a distance of 3 feet 

 from the wall should bo well soaked ; seven times filling the trenches 

 will sometimes not be too much to effectually moisten the soil. This we 

 have found answer, along with good waterings with liquid manure or pure 

 water in dry hot weather in summer. 



Pruning Azaleas (Idem).— Ton may cut in the Azaleas after flowering, 

 removing the irregular growths and thinning out the shoots where too 

 thick ; but if you cut in the shoots closely we should not like to say the 

 plants would flower next spring, though, with a brisk moist heat they 

 would no doubt make fresh wood freely, and if it were well ripened they 

 would flower well next year. We prefer regulating the shoots by tying 

 rather than pruning. By tho former the growth is not so strong, and the 

 growing points are preserved — the small twiggy parts that give an abund- 

 ance of flowers We Bhould not prune theia but tie the shoots now rather 

 loosely, and after the growth is complete tie in the shoots regularly so as 

 to produce a well-shaped plant. 



Straggling Heaths And Epacbises {Idem).— Cut down the plants at 

 once, leaving abont an inch of the shoots of last year, or cut them back to 

 within an inch of the old wood, leaving them long or short as the form of 

 the plant mav determine. We cutback ours about a month ago, and they 

 are now breaking again beautifully. The Heaths are, of course, winter or 

 early spring-blooming varieties. 



Watering Plants with Boiler Water {Ammonia).— Ihe small 

 quantity of niuri ito of ammonia in the water in the boiler will not hurt 

 the plants to which it is applied ; but though, like you, we use hot water 

 from pipes and boi'ers to warm water for watering, we would much rather 

 have water heated by other means. 



Birch Tree Bleeding (Birch Tree).— The roots being cut through and 

 bleeding will not much injure the tree ; it is tapped to make Birch wine 

 with the sap. The bleeding will ceaee as the leaves open. 



Oyster Plant [J. T. ami others). — We cannot havo "Ayrshibe 

 Gardener " intruded upon. It is a native plant found on sandy shores 

 near Maryport, Cumberland; near Aberdeen; west coast of the Isle of 

 Waluey; north-east coast of Anglesey : about Aberystwith ; shore by the 

 Ornie's Head. North Wales ; the Southans, Devon, and Bhores of the 

 Frith of Forth. Any local herbalist could supply seeds or plants. Its 

 popular names are Sea Eugloss and Sea Lungwort. 



Aeutilon striatum (R. Detries).— This is the name of your greenhouse 

 plant growing against the back wall. It is covered with the scale insect. 

 Paint the branches and stems with a creamy mixture of soft soap, flowers 

 of sulphur, and tobacco in water. You may plant Box now. It is too 

 late to prune yonr Apple trees. 



Flower Garden (L. If.).— To answer your queries would require all 

 the pages of one of enr numbers. If you enclose fivo postage stamps 

 u ith your address, and order " Flower-Gardening for the Many," it will 

 be sent to you post free. It contains the information you need. Calla 

 ffithiopioa and Nymphtea alba would grow in the basin of your fountain. 

 Magnolia (Sigma):— It must have been a printers' error, and the true 

 name Magnolia Lenne. It is hardy and needs no treatment differing 

 from the other hardy kinds. 



Solanum Treatment (E. S. C.).— The irregular growths ought to be 

 now cut back, and the progress of the black fungus should be arrested by 

 dipping the plants in a solution of Clarke's or Gishurst compound, at 

 toe rate of 2 ozs. to the gallon. Repot them in a compost of two parts 

 of light fibrous loam, and one part of old cow dung or leaf soil, with a 

 free admixture of sharp sand. Iu potting, remove all the old mil possible 

 without any great ir.juiv to the roots, and replace the plants m the same 

 size of pot. Keep thtm close and shaded for a few days until they have 

 recovered, then expose them fully to the light and air, keeping them 

 rather dry until the roots are working freely in the fresh soil, then water 

 liberally. Shift in June or July into larger pots, and keep them in a light 

 airy part of the greenhouse. Stop any irregular growths, but not after July. 

 Greenhouse Plants for Suspended Baskets (Z3em). — The two 

 baskets filled with Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums, and Saponaria in the centre, 

 may have two companions of Petunias, with a centre of Fuchsias, and the 

 other two may be Nierembergia with Heliotrope in the centre. 



Melons for August and September (A. B.).— To have them ripe bv 

 the time named, the seed should have been sown at the beginning of 

 this month, and the plants should bo put out early in May. You may now 

 sow, and plant out when the young plants are large enough, which will 

 be about the middle of May; you will then have fruit at the close of 

 August or early in September. Zonal Pelargoniums, to flower at the 

 same time, ought not to be stopped after the first or second week in July. 

 Silver versus River Sand (A. I'.).— Silver sand is not superior to. 

 river sand for many purposes, but for Heaths and all plants that have 

 very small fibres, there is no comparison between the value of one and 

 the other. Silver sand is best for Heaths and other plants requiring 

 peat soil, and for those with delicate roots. For such, and for striking 

 cuttings of hardwooded plants, river sand is not suitable, as it keeps the 

 soil too open. For softwooded plants, as Pelargoniums and Cinerarias, 

 river sand answei-3 very well both for potting and propagation. Indeed, 

 it is quite as good as silver sand for plants requiring loamy soil. 



White-berried Holly Seedlings (E. J. If.).— It is correct both of 

 the white and yellow -berried Hollies that the plants from their seeds 

 have red berries, but it is not correct that the whole of the seedlings re- 

 turn to tho normal state ; some of them will have white or yellow berries 

 like their parents, but the majority red hemes. 



Sowing Kidney Beans to Transplant (An Amateur).— It is a common 

 practice to do this ; they may Le sown in boxes at the end of April 

 or beginning of Mav, and planted out when the early Cabbages are cleared 

 off. For sowing in a frame from the middle of July to the beginning of 

 Au"ust, we advise Sir Joseph Paxton and Canterbury White ; the former 

 we like. If vou like a dwarf sort Kewington Wonder will answer, it may 

 be cooked with the pods whole. It is a very abundant bearer. The lights 

 ought not to bo used except in very wet or frosty weather. Your other 

 question was answered at page 249. 



Asparagus Watering with Sea Water (Asperrie).— Wo should not 

 adviso watering Asparagus with sea water, but we would now sprinkle 

 salt over tho beds at the rate of 1 lb. to H lb. per square yard, and after 

 May water as much as you like, with liquid manure or slops of any sort np 

 to September. 



Erratum.— A hypercritical reader has written anonymously to Mr. 

 Cutbush, in a tone anything but courteous, to complain of his having 

 used the word '■unmatured " instead of •' immatured," in his last week's 

 communication. As it happens, Mr. Cutbush did not use it in his manu- 

 script, bnt it was substituted entirely through a printer's error. 



Trees and Shrues for Low Situations (E. F. IF.).— In a cold wet soili 

 where Wellingtonias and Deodars do not succeed, the following would 

 perhaps thrive :— Alnus (Alder) glutinosa and its varieties crispa, incisa, 

 laciniata: A. cordifolia, and A. nigra; Cornus c.-ernlea variegata, 

 C. mascula variegata, C. sanguinea ; Popnlus fastigiata, P. argentea, 

 P. nigra, and P. canescens pendnla; Salix americana pendula, and its 

 varieties babylonica, crispa, and cincrea variegata ; Viburnum Opulus, 

 V. Opulus na'num, V. dentatum, and V. plicatum. All the above are 

 deciduous. Of evergreens there are few that would answer, though if the 

 ground is free of stagnant water Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, and 

 some of the Vacciniums would succeed. Scotch Fir, Norway Spruce, and 

 Austrian Pine may serve as evergreen trees. 



Eox Edging Dying (Hem).— Box edging mav die from various causes— 

 the most likely are clipping late in autumn, and severely; late planting 

 in spring, and failing to water properly until well rooted, or planting 

 badly rooted divisions or slips. Many other causes might be named, bnt 

 you give no data. When was it planted, in what position and soil, and 

 what has been the treatment for the past twelve months ? 



Cyclamens not Blooming (Idem).— We think the plants have not 

 bloomed owing to the late potting, but even that would not interfere with 

 the flowering if the roots were not disturbed. Continue them in the 

 greenhouse in a light airy position until the end of May, and then re- 

 move them to a cold frame, and in June stand them in a position shaded 

 from the powerful midday sun. At the end of August or beginning of 

 September thev will begin to grow; then repot thtm. place them in a 

 cold frame, and continue to keep them moist until October, when they 



