Jane 9, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*•* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By 80 doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, c£c, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



Flowers and Flower Shows. — Mr. C. J. Perry writes again on this 

 subject, and wishes that Mr. W. Paul would state where he has seen 

 dressed Dahlias exhibited. We must decline inserting any more letters 

 on the subject. 



Peaks Destroyed by Grubs (A Perplexed One).— The halves of the 

 Pears were so injured by the post-office stamping, and so dried, that we 

 could not detect the grubs. However, the mischief is done, and no 

 remedy is available. Gather together all the injured fruits and burn 

 them at once. 



Weed on Lawn (J. L. T.).~ It is the Achillea tomentosa, Woolly 

 Milfoil. There is no remedy but uprooting it with a knife. This is the 

 cheapest and most effectual mode of extirpation, and must be repeated 

 as often as the weed appears. Two or three women will thus clear a large 

 lawn in a few days. 



Grafting Rhododendrons and Golden Hollies (Constant Reader). — 

 Rhododendrons may be grafted either in autumn or spring. Saddle-graft- 

 ing is the best method. The grafted plants should be kept in a close 

 house with gentl n heat until the union is established, and then be gradually 

 hardened off before planting out. Golden Hollies may be grafted at the 

 same periods, but whip, side, or crown grafting is preferable in this case. 

 The treatment is also similar if the plants are done under glass. Hollies, 

 however, may be successfully grafted oat of doors ; spring is the best 

 season for doing so. 



Quince Stocks (Subscriber).— There are different varieties of the Quince 

 used as stocks for the Pear. See vol. xvii., p. 200, but the stockB will 

 vary in the robu-tness of their roots, and the variance is often caused by 

 being raised on aifferent soils. We could not say which you should prefer 

 unless we saw them. 



Lackey Moth Caterpillars (C. C. E.).— Their empty skins in the web 

 show that they have moulted for the third time, and are now gone into 

 the cocoon state. The cocoons will be found chiefly between two leaves 

 on the trees, and should be sought for now and be crushed. 



Water-weed in Pond (M. M.).— It is the Anacharis alsinastrum, an 

 American aquatic plant, unknown in this country until about twenty 

 years since. Your large pond ''nearly choked up by it in a fortnight," is 

 not a solitary instance— ornamental waters, canals, and mill streams, 

 have been plagued by it, and it has defied all efforts to extirpate it, for 

 the smallest fragments of the stalks and roots grow into plants rapidly. 

 Swans devour it. 



Climax Melon (G. A. T.).— The colour of a fruit about the size of an 

 ordinary Orange should be green, but perhaps there will be two or more 

 shades of it in a fruit, some parts being light and others dark green. 

 When the fruit is set and has begun to swell freely, water every second 

 or third day, according to the weather; as a rnle.athreo-gallon watering- 

 pot to every light is a proper quantity. In watering, care should be taken 

 not to wet the necks or collars of the plants. It would do the plants 

 good to water them overhead about 4 p.m., or at the time of shutting up, 

 always being careful not to wet the bases of the stems of the plants, but 

 do not water if the weather is cold or cloudy. The watering should not 

 be continued more than four or five weeks after the fruit is set; then it 

 will be necessary to lessen the supply, and to discontinue it altogether 

 when the fruit is ripening. 



Grafting Camellias (J. C). — We do not perceive in what way yon 

 have erred in the treatment of the plants after grafting, but we think 

 you have not hit upon a good time for putting on the grafts. The fault 

 may lie in the grafting, or in the bad state of the stock?, but without 

 seeing them we could not say what is the cause of their failing. If 

 your stocks are small we would place them in a bottom heat of from 

 70° to 75°, and cover with a frame or bell-glasses, keeping close until the 

 grafts begin to grow. If the stocks are in good health, it will be enough 

 to place them in the hotbed, and cover them with hand or bell-glasses as 

 they are grafted. The best time for grafting is in spring, just before 

 the plants begin to push afresh, but it maybe done at any time when 

 ripe cuttings are obtainable, they beingplaeed in bottom heat and covered 

 with a bell-glass. We think that your former grafts have failed from 

 want of bottom heat, and not being covered with a glass, so as to secure 

 a close ami moist atmosphere ; the others will no doubt also fail unless 

 you at once place them in bottom heat and cover them with a glass. 



Inside versus Outside Borders for Vines (Reader). — Vines growing 

 in inside borders are, of course, more subject to artificial rules and con- 

 ditions than those in outside borders, and the area of action of the roots 

 may be more limited. Being artificial, however, it does not follow that 

 our treatment is less beneficial. The whole of our practice in the culti- 

 vation of the Vine is highly artificial, and the best proof of success is to 

 be found in the results. We have growu Vines in inside borders and in 

 outside borders, and under certain conditions, and for certain purposes, 

 we like both methods. You urge several objections to the use of inside 

 borders, which are, to say the least, very "far-fetched." The inside 

 borderslose.it is true, " the soft spring and summer" as well as autumn 

 and winter "rains." The rains may in spring and summer be of ad- 

 vantage, but in autumn and winter, especially for late Grapes, they are 

 manifestly injurious. The advantages of the one we can easily supply. 

 Inside borders are fully warmer than outside borders, especially in 

 spring, so that the Vines start earlier into action than those outside. 

 From this, therefore, it follows, as has, indeed, been proved over and 

 over again, that Vines for early forcing should be planted in an inside 

 border. Mulchings are just as practicable inside as outside. They may 

 not look tidy, perhaps, either in one place or the other. What of that? 

 The Vines receive more benefit from the ammonia rising from the ma- 

 nure inside than if the same were placed outside. We would, indeed, 

 place manures inside oar vineries, -ven although all the roots were out- 

 side, just for the benefit afforded to the leaves, which require nearly as 



much feeding as the roots. There is far less labour attached to Vines 

 growing in an outside border. The labour involved in watering, when 

 done thoroughly, is very great. In nine cases out of ten sufficient by 

 one-half is not given, *and hence arise the failures of many inside 

 borders. Supposing two borders, one inside, the other outside, the con- 

 stituents and extent of which are the same, we will guarantee to produce 

 better early Grapes and earlier, to keep Grapes better and fresher during 

 the winter, and to grow better Muscats with the former than with the 

 latter. The reason is obvious ; we have them in the former case (insiae) 

 entirely under our control, to supply or withhold whatever the plants 

 may require. An inexperienced gardener may prove the reverse. The 

 Buckland Sweetwater Vine is in constitution very similar to the Black 

 Hamburgh. It does very well with us in a cool house. 



Viola cornuta (J. Marshall).— Viola cornuta will not bloom so freely 

 from seed the first Bummer, neither do seedlings flower so freely as 

 offsets by division. We can well believe that your beds are now, and 

 have been for weeks, very fine. You can calculate on their continuing 

 so all the summer, if you cut off the seed pods, water well, and, as the 

 soil is light, work in among it some rich soil, leaf mould, &c. Divisions 

 taken off now, or cuttings taken off and inserted in a shady place, will 

 flower well in the autumn. With the above care we do not think you 

 will want any succession ; but purple Verbenas, or Blue or Purple Cliveden 

 Pansies would come in well, as they, tun. bloom continuously. Your 

 border diamonded aud triangled will look Very well. 



Pump Water for Plants (Half-pay).— Wo have been glad to obtain 

 pump, or any other water for watering ; nevertheless, soft, rain, pond, or 

 river water is best. The pump water, if containing carbonate of lime, will 

 be softened by adding 1 lb. of soda to two hundred gallons, but the best 

 of all softeners is exposure in a tub or tank to the sun and air. Very 

 hard water will be much improved if exposed previous to use to a day's 

 sun. 



Ventilating Small Greenhouses (Idem).— Those who sell cheap 

 houses can best tell about the ventilation ; but for small houses, rather 

 too much is made about the ventilation. We know a lean-to greenhouse 

 25 feet long and 10 feet wide, on which the owner has spent almost as 

 much for ventilation as would have paid for a fixed roof. There is a door 

 at each end, and both ends stand clear. A space below the apex made 

 to open at each end— say a triangle with a base of a foot in winter, and 

 2 feet in summer, would have given ventilation enough for such a short 

 house, so far as the top was concerned. Then two sashes might be made 

 to move in front. If for cheapness the front were fixed, two ventilators 

 might be made in the front wall. Simpler still, as there are two doors, 

 besides the usual latch and lock, the door might be furnished with an eye 

 and books, one hook having a rod 6 inches long, and another 12 inches 

 long, each screwed into the post, say 4 feet from the ground, so as to be 

 moveable. By the use of these a space at one or both doors could be 

 kept open, and the door held steadily for 6 inches or 12 inches; whilst 

 from the end of May to the middle of October the doors, or one, according 

 to the wind, might be left or fixed open. The safety valves, however, in 

 such a short house, are the openings under the apex at each end, which 

 prevent all accumulation of heated air or heated vapour. 



Pot Vines not Fruiting (Idem).— We cannot be quite sure why your 

 Vines in pots, that produce " plenty of long shoots," do not produce fruit, 

 though much may depend on these shoots being so numerous that suffi- 

 cient strength is not concentrated in each, or any ; or. what is more likely, 

 the number of shoots and their shading each other, prevent the wood 

 being thoroughlv ripened. On a moderately strong well-ripened Vine 

 almost every bud left after winter pruning will produce a fruitful shoot. 

 For general treatment see pages 384 and 385. If we knew more of your 

 case, and opportunities as to houses, Ac, we might better advise. Mean- 

 while as the Vines are strong three-year-old plants, and have not fruited, 

 we would recommend one of two courses. First, Select the strongest 

 unstopped shoot near the base, give it all the encouragement possible, and 

 gradually remove all the other shoots, say in the course of a fortnight or 

 three weeks. As that might be considered ruinous— though it would not 

 be so under favourable circumstances, then, as a second plan, thin-out 

 the shoots, say to four, five, six, or seven on each Vine. If you remove 

 many allow those left to grow for a few days so as to give no severe 

 check, then nip out the points, and gradually shorten them back to 

 18 inches from the main stem, encouraging the laterals to come, stopping 

 them at a couple of joints first, allowing a fresh shoot to come from the 

 point, and stopping that again. If you can give not merely heat but full 

 exposure to the sun, so as to ripen these side shoots, cut how you will in 

 the winter pruning, almost every bud left, except some small ones near 

 the base, will yield a fruitful shoot in the following season. It is vain to 

 expect fruit from shaded unripened wood. We would rather have well- 

 ripened wood the size of the little finger, than wood as thick as the thumb, 

 but spongy and unripened. The first will cut like a piece of oak, the 

 second soft and pithy. . _ . . 



Flowering Strong-growing Pelargoniums (Amicus).— it is im- 

 possible to state with certainty the best mode of growing and blooming 

 Pelargoniums of vigorous habit in the open air. In dry places and in 

 poor soil we would say, Plant out. In damp rainy places, and in rich 

 ground, we would sav, Plunge in pots, or make holes in farm soil. In 

 some celebrated peaces growth in our opinion is too much sacrificed to 

 mere blooming. We like to see fine healthy foliage and luxuriant growth, 

 as well as flowers. In many beds of Scarlet Pelargoniums, and where the 

 plants seemed almost drenched to death, it would not have beendini- 

 cult to have put half a dozen plants in our coat-pocket. W hen growth is 

 rather luxuriant.it is easy to lessen it and encourage the blooming by 

 disleafing and allowing more air and light to enter. We often sink the 

 pots of strong-growing kinds. „„.„ 



Lime Water {Idem).— A quarter of a pound of quicklime will be more 

 than ample for a gallon of water, but you can scarcely make lime .water too 

 strong, as the water holds only a small portion in solution. Such clear 

 lime water is disliked by all insects. 



Various (Vicar).— Pit.— You do not tell us the proposed height of the 

 pit. For merely keeping bedding plants, we have frequently alluded to 

 the sinking below the level losing as much in damp as it gains in 

 warmth. Neither do we see why, if you must sink from 12 to 18 inches 

 for a foundation, that therefore vou must clear out the space inside to 

 that depth ; but if you wish to have the advantage of the walls below the 

 level of the ground, then we would advise you to clear all out, concrete 

 the bottom, with a slight fall, and if you cannot dram, have a covered 

 c esspool in the lowest corner. We recommend this plan more especially 



