Jnne 88, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURK AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



house, even with your heating medium the same in each, yon could make 

 them quite different by the difference in air-giving. We have grown 

 Melons and Cucumbers successfully in the same place, bnt it is not de- 

 sirable. The Melon as it ripens requires a dryish Atmosphere, whilst a 

 moist atmosphere is best for green young Cucumbers. 



Vine Leaves Destroyed (An Amateur). — We presume that you have had 

 the flue repaired. You need only continue the former treatment, keep 

 the air moist, and give a good soaking to the roots of tepid weak liquid 

 manure. This will promote the growth of the young leaves. Do not 

 remove any of the old leaves that are even slightly green. 



Grapes (A Constant Reader).— Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat and Royal 

 Ascot are not suitable for out-door culture. You may, however, plant 

 Miller's Burgundy and Blaok July. But why confine yourself to black 

 SortB,when yon can do so much better with white, as Early White Mal- 

 vasia, Stillward's Sweetwater, and Royal Muscadine? (E. R. P., Tenby). 

 Royal Muscidino and Black Prince for the cool house ; Buckland Sweet- 

 water and Black Hamburgh for the heated house. Plant them in the 

 autumn. Winter Nelis or Marie Louise Pear will suit. 



Watering Melons (Advance).— The water a Melon will require in a 

 week is entirely dependant on the weather. If the weather is bright and 

 hot, every light, say 6 feet by 3 feet, will require four gallons twice a-week, 

 and half that, or once a-week, if the weather is dull. The watering will 

 need to be continued until the fruit is full-sized, well netted, and begins 

 to ripen ; then a drier atmosphere is more suitable. 



Gesnera chromatella Potting— Lachen alia quadricolor {A. B.). 

 — The Gesnera is a stove plant, and requires to be potted, when it 

 begins to grow, in a compost of two parts fibrous loam, one part sandy 

 fibrous peat, one part leaf soil, one part charcoal, in pieces from the size 

 of a pea to that of a hazel nut, and one part silver sand. Some pot before 

 growth commences, and in fresh soil ; that you may do, giving the plants 

 their blooming pots when they are an inch or two high. The Lachenalia 

 should also be potted when it begins to grow, or a little before, any pro- 

 posed increase being then effected by division of the roots. Light 

 fibrous loam two parts, and one part leaf soil, will grow it well. Sep- 

 tember is a good time to repot. Lachenalias do well on a shelf in the 

 greenhouse. 



Melon Leaves Tutted (Idem). — The tufted and crumpled appearance 

 of the leaves is due to a deficiency of bottom heat, the consequence being 

 insufficient root- action to nourish the fruit and leaves. Being near the 

 collar of the plant, the leaves complained of can do no good; on the 

 contrary, they keep the neck moist, and canker may result. Good 

 healthy foliage, and on the shoots on which the Melons are borne is 

 what is wanted. Five fruits on a plant are too many; we think two or 

 three enough. We know some take all the fruit that swell, but we find 

 two good finely-grown and flavoured Melons are more satisfactory than 

 more. A good supply of sap is necessary for thick flesh, juiciness, and 

 flavour. Overbearing much deteriorates flavour. 



Removing Wellingtonia (Subscriber). — There is nothing more diffi- 

 cult to transplant than the Wellingtonia. Your tree of eight or nine 

 years' growth we should dig round in moist weather in September, taking 

 oat a trench as deeply as the roots, and refilling it. Let the trench be so 

 far distant from the stem that a number of the roots will be preserved in 

 the ball you will need to retain, and we would work under the tree so as 

 to cut off every root beyond those within the ball you purpose lifting with. 

 You may give a few good waterings to the ball if the autumn prove dry. 

 By doing this in autumn, or, rather, late in summer, there is a chance of 

 the tree making fresh roots near the stem, and on the presence of these 

 depends in a great measure the success of the removal. In March open 

 out the trench, and prepare for removal. Keep as much ball as you can, 

 and if you can keep a good number of roots with some soil adhering it is 

 well; but if it fall away from amongst thick, long, and fibreless roots, 

 your chance of successful removal is extremely small ; therefore defer 

 the removal until that time twelvemonth. On the other hand, if the 

 roots are fibrous, having good hold of the soil, transplant, and in plant- 

 ing do not bury the tree in a hole, but let the setting on of the roots be 

 rather high, not covering those near the stem with more than 3 inches of 

 soil. Water so as to settle the Boil about the roots, and make secure 

 against winds. Water as required, so as to keep the soil moist, but avoid 

 making the soil very wet, as no tree will grow when the soil, by frequent 

 heavy waterings, is saturated and cold. 



Balsams for September Blooming (Idem). — To have fine plants for 

 exhibition in September, the seed ought to be sown about nine weeks 

 previously, but much depends on the management, We have seen 

 Balsams exhibited in August from seed sown the second week in June, 

 or about eight weeks, that were very fiue, what they wanted in size being 

 compensated for by large full flowers and fresh foliage. For blooming in 

 September, the seed ought to be sown forthwith, and every encourage- 

 ment given the plants. 



Fuchsias and Carnations Becoming Single (An Amateur).— It is 

 difficult to believe in either of those once double becoming single- 

 flowered. Some Fuchsias have this tendency, but it is only the first 

 flowers ; the others which follow are double. We have now several plants 

 with both double and single corollas, and should have no regret to 

 express if they were all single, for the latter are much the finest. The 

 Carnation, we think, will improve ; the first blooms are often inferior. 

 We know no remedy but liberal treatment, and even with that in some 

 seasons they are not up to the mark. 



Gymnostachytjm Verschaffelti and Streptocarpcs biflorus 

 Treatment (D. M.). — The former is propagated by cuttings, which if 

 inserted in sandy peat, surfaced with sand, root freely in a hotbed 

 covered with a bell-glass, or they will do iu bottom heat in the stove, and 

 in summer need no bottom heat. Division will also answer. The Gym- 

 nostachyum requires the usual stove treatment, but ought not to be 

 syringed overhead, and yet a moist atmosphere must be maintained with 

 a slight shade from very bright sun. It is best grown in a rather deep 

 pan, well drained, using a compost of two parts fibrous sandy peat, one 

 part sandy light fibrous loam, and one part each of silver sand, broken 

 pots, and charcoal, in pieces between the size of a pea and a hazel nut, 

 the whole well mixed, but not Bifted. The compost is better rather rough. 

 Water as required, and when growing freely give water copiously, but in 

 winter none beyond that which is needed to keep the foliage fresh. The 

 Streptocarpus succeeds in a compost of two parts light sandy loam, and 

 one part leaf soil. It 1b raised from seed sown in spring and placed in a 

 hotbed, and also by dividing the plant. It ia a cool stove plant, requiring 



to be grown on a shelf near the glass, and succeeds under the same treat- 

 ment as that given to Gloxinias, watering and potting when growth it 

 going on, and keeping moderately, not dust dry, when at rest. 



Changing the Colours of Flowers (J. Clark).— We have no know- 

 ledge of the changing the colour of flowers by the use of chemicals, and 

 have no faith in such doctrines. 



Strawberries (Lang).— Your collection of Strawberries is very choice, 

 and we could not recommend you anything better. Myatt's Mammoth is 

 the largest Strawberry we know, but it is worthless, and that is the case 

 with most of the very large varieties. We should say that a fruit of Sir 

 Joseph Paxton weighing 1 oz. is a large one. 



Seedling Rose (A. Bye ).— Your seedling Rrtse is deflcient in quality, 

 there is a roughness in the outline, and not sufficient petals. The flower 

 is not full enough. It may be useful as a border Rose, but nothing more. 



Musa CAVENDisnii (R. B. N.).— There can bo no objection to its fruit 

 forming one of eight distinct dishes. 



Select Zonal Pelargoniums (Mary).— We presume you want them 

 with flowers of various colours, but you leave us quite in the dark as to 

 your requirements. St. George, Christine, Glow, Provost, Rose Ren- 

 datler, Bayard, Waltham Seedling, Purity, Blue Bell, Amy Hogg, Emile 

 Lican, and Roi dTtalie. 



Bronze and Gold Pelargoniums (Peppett or). —Beauty of Calderdale, 

 Kentish Hero, Mrs. J. Todd, Imperatrice Eugenie, Crown Prince, Black 

 Douglas, Red Gauntlet, Mrs. A. Lowndes, Reine Victoria, Sybil, Mrs. 

 Lewis Lloyd, and Red Ring. 



White Variegated Pelargoniums (Idem).— May Queen, Waltham 

 Bride, Snowdrop, Castlemilk, Flower of Spring, Bright Star, Alma, 

 Albion Cliffs, Bijou, Flower of the Day, L'El-gante (Ivy-leaf), and Lady 

 Plymouth (sweet-scented). Too many by far to grow. 



Salmon- coloured Pelargoniums (Idem). —Emile Licau, Madame 

 Rudersdorff, Monsieur Barre, Pioneer, Victoria de Paebla, and Virgilie. 



Grubs in Onions (S. P.).— They are the larva? of the Onion fly (Antho- 

 myia ceparum). See what we said at page 429 in our No. 481. 



Insects (C. C.).— The small objects found on your Rose tree are tha 

 swollen bodies of plant lice (Aphis Rosre), which have been individually 

 attacked by the female of a very minute Ichneumon of the genuB Aphi- 

 dius, which has laid an egg in th« body of each aphis, and which parasite, 

 when arrived at the perfect winged state, hursts through the dried and 

 swollen skin of the aphia by making a small circular hole. You conse- 

 quently will easily understand that it is for the advantage of your Rose 

 tree that these swollen plant lice should not be destroyed, as by so doing 

 you would destroy your friend the Aphidius.— I. O. W. 



Names of Plants (/. R. Boyd, and J. Englejield).—We cannot name 

 plants from leaves only. (Dickens).— 1, Bignonia speciosa ; 2, Poly- 

 podium Phymatodes, otherwise Phymatodes vulgaris. Your Ferns are 

 both forms of Polystichum angulare. (A. M. H.).— 2, Pteris cretica, and 

 No. 1 is a variety of it, called albo-lineata ; 3, Nephrolepis tuberosa ; 

 4, Neottopteris nidus-avis. (Miss M. A. T.).— 1, Kerria japonica fl.-pl. ; 

 2, Sinapis arvensis ; 3, Veronica Beccabunga ; 4, Sedum acre. The last 

 edition of Sowerby's " British Plants " will, probably, when complete, coBt 

 little short of £30. (J.Moore, Saintfield).— Your edging plant is a golden- 

 variegated form of the Ground Ivy (Nepeta Glechoma), a common 

 British weed, and distinguished as Nepeta Glechoma foliis aureis-varie- 

 gatis. (Tliomas).— Silene dichotoma. (Quercits.)— Lycium barbarum. It 

 is very readily propagated by cuttings. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



INFORMATION. 

 A catalogue of prizes to be awarded on the 9th and three 

 following days of August, at a " West Metropolitan Exhibition 

 of Poultry, to be held at New Grounds, Kensington," has been 

 sent to known poultry exhibitors. No committee is men- 

 tioned, but " All communications are to be addressed to Mr. 

 Charles Stevens, Acting Secretary, No. 1a, Orchard Cottage, 

 Earl Street, Kensington." On inquiring there we find that 

 Mr. Stevens has hired two unfurnished rooms, at a very small 

 house, in a very small side street, and only calls there for 

 letters and parcels. He told his landlady that he came from 

 Manchester. 



BROWN RED GAME BANTAMS. 

 I hate been well pleased by reading the remarks made by 

 " Gallus " and other gentlemen— namely, Messrs. CroBland 

 and Entwisle, and I fully agree with them that it is high time 

 this variety Bhould have a special class. I have bred about 

 eighty of them this season, hatched from January to May, have 

 pullets at present fit for exhibition, and shall have several 

 pens ready by August. I was very glad to read in the Journal of 

 the 2nd inst. that the owner of forty or fifty Brown-Red Ban- 

 tams would gladly subscribe for a silver cup, and Mr. Entwisle, 

 of course, would do the same. I thiuk that if subscriptions 

 were raised, a five or ton guinea cup would soon be secured. I 

 will give one guinea. I should be well pleased to see some 

 committees have a class for our beautiful pets. I believe them 

 to be the hardiest and the best layers of all Bantams.-- -F. 

 Steel, Barley, Wharfedale. 



Long Sutton Poultry Show.— We have received a prize 

 schedule of the above meeting, which is to take place on the 



