62 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENBE, 



[ Jannary 25, 1877. 



very naefnl. Sow in March in a hotbed, prick oft the young 

 plants 2 inches apart in pans or boxes, hardening well oft, and 

 plant out in May IS inches apart, omitting every third row. 

 Many others besides the preceding I have known improvised 

 occasionally for catting, such as Tropa^olums of the Lobbiannm 

 section, as Brilliant, Glory, and Elegans. They are easily 

 raised by sowing in gentle heat in March, potting the plants 

 singly and planting out after hardening well oft in May, sup- 

 porting with stakes or trellises, the plants also doing well on 

 rockwork, banks, &c. I shall close by mentioning Zinnias, 

 which are useful, requiring the treatment of Asters. — G. Abbey. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Eably in the week the barometer was higher than it has 

 been for many mouths past, and sunny days have at length 

 arrived. The nights have been frosty, but in the neighbour- 

 hood of London the frost has only been slight, suflicient to 

 check advancing vegetation without doing any injury. The 

 ground has dried rapidly, affording an opportunity lor bringing 

 np arrears of garden work, and the bright days have been of 

 great benefit in the forcing department. We have several 

 accounts of Vines " breaking weakly," a circumstance due 

 probably to a deficiency of light, and brighter days may be ex- 

 pected to bring general improvement. 



A TEAR ago we noticed that Mr. Wills was appointed 



floral manager of the Eoyal Westminster Aquarium and 

 Summer and Winter Garden Society ; we have now to 

 announce that he has relinquished that position. For a long 

 time the " aquarium " was without fish, but the " garden " 

 has never been without flowers ; nor have the plants used 

 been merely showy plants of little value. The plants for 

 permanent effect have been introduced at great cost, such as 

 Tree Ferns, Palms, Musas, etc., while flowering plants have 

 been employed in great numbers and of superior quality. Mr. 

 Wills continued his duties worthily until the last day of his 

 term, on which day he rendered the great hall attractive by 

 tastefully-arranged groups of hundreds of Hyacinths in separate 

 colours. Tulips, Narcissuses, Primulas, Lilies, Echeveria re- 

 tusa, itc, the colours being divided by bands of Lycopodium 

 denticulatum, which covered the undulated surface of the 

 ground. On mounds and knolls were choice Palms and Pan- 

 danuses, and the effect produced was excellent. The entrance 

 hall, however, was not decorated ; the dry air, and fringe of gas 

 jets (for spectacular effect) had wrought such ruin to valuable 

 plants that it was deplorable to witness. The plants which 

 have suffered the most are Dicksonias, Cycas revoluta, Sea- 

 forthias, and Latanias. Fine specimens of those are irretriev- 

 ably ruined. A few which have not succumbed are Aspidistras, 

 Green Draca?nas, and Pandanus utilis; but unfortunately the 

 plants which have cost the most have suffered the most, and 

 their condition cannot but be viewed with regret by all who 

 know the value of the specimens. 



During last year Dr. Newington informs us that at 



Ticehurst, Sussex, there fell 33.95 inches of rain, and that 

 this year up to the 18th inst. 6} inches had fallen. 



As an instance of the mildness of the weather and the 



FORWARD state OF VEGETATION WO uoted in Messrs. Charles 

 Lee & Son's nursery on the I'.lth inst. a tree of Pyras sinensis 

 almost opening its blossoms, and on another tree of the same 

 Pear some young foliage fully expanded. We also observed 

 Bome young shoots of variegated Elms 5 inches in length. 

 In some of the sheltered villa gardens near London bedding 

 Geraniums are still not only alive but growing, having pushed 

 shoots at the several joints of the old stems fully an inch in 

 length. We noticed Ceanothus azureus flowering on a wall at 

 Isleworth ; and Veronica Blue Gem is still flowering freely in 

 many gardens. 



TuE flowering sprays of Chimonanthus granidiflorus. 



which were exhibited last week from the Uoyal Horticultural 

 Society's gardens, were worthy of more than a passing notice- 

 C. fragrans is deservedly popular as a hardy, fragrant, mid- 

 winter flowering plant ; but C. grandiflorus greatly exceeds it 

 in the size of its flowers. The sprays referred to were covered 

 with buff-coloured blossoms, and were highly attractive, while 

 their Jonquil-like perfume was delicious. The Cbimonanthuses 

 are easily grown, but do not always flower profusely. To in- 

 duce flowering the shoots should be thinly trained to a sunny 

 wall, and the growths should be regulated by summer pinching. 

 When the wall space has been covered, it is a good plan to dig 

 np the plant and replant it, and the cheek it receives by that 



operation is almost certain to accelerate its flowering. A plant 

 of Chimonanthus should be in every garden where a snnny site 

 is provided. A dozen of its modest flowers are sufficient to 

 perfume a large room. Although the plant is quite hardy, a 

 little protection is necessary during the flowering period if the 

 weather at the time is severe. 



A MEETING of the Committee of the National Aurictjla 



Society's Southern Show will be held at the Horticultural 

 Club, Adelphi Terrace, Strand, on Wednesday, January Blst, 

 at one for two o'clock, to receive the report of the Sub-com- 

 mittee appointed to draft a schedule of prizes, and adopt or 

 reject the same. A meeting of Carnation and Piootee growers 

 will be held at the same time and place. 



The late storms and high tides have done much 



damage in the neighbourhood of Fulham. Commencing at 

 New Wandsworth Bridge, Mr. Steele, the market gardener, has 

 suffered to the extent of some hundreds of pounds. Celery ridges 

 were washed away, also large beds of Seakale stacked ready for 

 forcing. Radish beds, &c., were destroyed. Messrs. Veitch have 

 suffered through their Peterborough Lane Nurseries having been 

 under water. The grounds at Hurlingham House have also been 

 entirely under water. At Mulgrave House, the residence of 

 Lord Ranelagh, damage to the amount of £300 has been done. 

 Breaches have been made in walls, &a. At Grass Bank, a 

 pretty little place adjoining the Bishop of London's palace, is 

 now a total wreck ; the camp siding has been washed entirely 

 away, and a large portion of the garden with it. Besides the 

 damage done inside the house at Craven Cottage, a large and 

 massive wall erected since the last high tides has been swept 

 entirely away, with a conservatory adjoining. Large Elm trees 

 have been blown down at the Bishop of London's, also the 

 walk known as Bishop's Walk has been partly washed into 

 the moat. The suffering of the poor of Fulham is intense. 

 Several houses are vacated ; in fact, the Board of Works con- 

 eiders them no longer fit for habitation. 



As to the hardiness of Lycopodium denticulatum, in- 

 quired about on page 8, Mr. Lnckhurat says " it has been esta- 

 blished in the rock garden at Newick Park for so many years 

 that the date of the first planting is unknown. The position 

 is certainly sheltered by trees, but in a low and exceedingly 

 wet valley like that there must be many degrees of frost in a 

 severe winter, and which this Lycopod always withstands, the 

 only perceptible effect of cold weather being the loss of its 

 bright green hue, which, however, it soon regains in spring. 

 " J. N." would do well to give this pretty moss another trial, 

 planting several of it in different positions, and I have no 

 doubt his efforts will eventually be crowned with success." 



Writing to us on exhibiting Peaches, " A Young 



Fruit-grower " suggests that the fruit should be tasted and 

 let quality have its due weight, the same as is the case with 

 Melons and Grapes. Our correspondent remarks that "when 

 Early Crawford Peach is exhibited its imposing appearance 

 secures for it premier honours, and it receives in consequence 

 a fictitious fame;" for with many growers, himself amongst 

 the number, this Peach " is neither constant in producing a 

 crop, nor is the fruit of high quality when produced." This 

 suggestion is worthy of the notice of fruit judges, who do 

 not, we beUeve, as a rule, taste the Peaches on which they 

 adjudicate. 



Nothing is more easy than to destroy moss on the 



BRANCHES OF FRUIT TREES. When the branches are wet fresh- 

 slaked strong lime thrown freely amongst them will adhere 

 and destroy every vestige of moss. This is far more effectual 

 than using the lime as a wash — applying it with a brush. The 

 lime falling to the ground is also beneficial. In all gardens 

 where moss is prevalent Ume should be annually dusted amongst 

 the Currant and Gooseberry bushes and fruit trees after they 

 have been pruned, and before the ground is dug, and cleaner 

 branches, healthier trees, aud finer fruit will follow. The lime 

 is also useful in protecting the fruit buds from birds. A man 

 will do more execution in one day in destroying mo.ss by thus 

 dusting with hme than will another man in a week with the 

 ■' whitewash brush." 



• A FEW inches of partly decayed manure spread over the 



roots of fruit trees in autumn would do much toward prevent- 

 ing the MOISTURE FROM EVArOBATING AND HEAT FROM ESCARING. 



The cold wintry winds will dry out the soil as certainly if not 

 as rapidly as the warm winds of summer, and a mulch would 

 be a beneficial protector. Trees planted but one or a few years 

 would be especially benefited by a mulch covering the roots 

 from the trunk outward. We would mulch to prevent the 



