JODKNAL OF HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGB GABDENEB. 



[ Ftbraary 8, 1877. 



♦he Vines into growth, and from then nntil the end of September 

 BarbaroBsa hae plenty of time to ripen its frnit and thoroughly 

 mature the wood, which is an important matter. My advice to 

 " J. W." and all others planting late Grapes is to plant Bar- 

 barossa by all means, not as a " single cane at the end of the 

 house," but as the " main crop." — Vitis. 



As information is sought on the above Grape I desire to say 

 that six years ago I made a small addition to the late vinery. 

 A Barbarossa and Muscat of Alexandria were planted in a good 

 border, and the former grew so vigorously that the second 

 year after planting I trained two more shoots from it, and 

 gave it three rafters of the houee to fill. The third year two 

 bunches were cut from the Vine, the fourth year six, the fifth 

 twelve, the sixth fifteen, and the heaviest bunch was 7 lbs. 

 weight, the lightest 2 lbs. 



The Vine has been cut well back, and is not at the top of 

 the house as yet. In my opinion it is a Vine that must make 

 plenty of wood to do well, and I intend to train it on the 

 long-rod system. The leaves are large and downy ; bunches 

 very large and rather loose ; berries somewhat oval, black, and 

 juicy ; in flavour not equal to the Black Hamburgh, but it is a 

 good late-keeping Grape, indeed one of the best. The bunches 

 have a noble appearance on the table, and have been much 

 admired. — F. Fetch, Gardener, Whitfield Hall. 



THE COMMON LILAC WHITE BY FOKCING. 



PEEHArs there is no other flower so deliciously fragrant 

 during midwinter or early spring as the Lilac when forced in 

 darkness ; and as it is so easily attainable, and within the 

 reach of all who are in possession of a Mushroom-house or 

 heated shed, or, indeed, a stokehole where light can be ex- 

 cluded, we have often wondered why those who appreciate 

 sweet-scented flowers should not have extended their practice 

 more generally than is the case to this method of Lilac forcing. 



It is true that when plants are subjected to a high tempera- 

 ture in a dark house or shed they are afterwards useless, but 

 we feel certain that the yield in beautiful flowers will trebly 

 compensate for the original value of the plants. Lilac flowers 

 produced in this way are held in such high esteem with us 

 that we have had a little house specially fitted up for the pur- 

 pose, so that we have little difScuIty at any time, with two 

 or three weeks' notice, in obtaining a basketful of these truly 

 beautiful snow-white flowers, two or three sprays of which will 

 perfume the whole air of a room for days. Our house is merely 

 an old shed with a closely thatched roof ; but we have taken 

 care to have efficient heating power, so that, if necessity re- 

 quires it, we can raise the temperature to 100° in a very short 

 time. Such accommodation is of course ample; indeed it is 

 special, and is not absolutely necessary, though it reduces 

 trouble to a minimum, and is cheapest in the end. We have 

 managed to effect the same purpose by portioning-off heated 

 structures in out-of-the-way corners with success, varying ac- 

 cording to circumstances connected with the atmospheric con- 

 ditions of the houses in which the forcing was being carried 

 out. Our practice is as follows : In the autumn we examine 

 our shrubbery borders, and endeavour, as far as possible, to 

 select the requisite number of plants from places where over- 

 crowding is most apparent, and where a thinning-out is most 

 likely to do good, choosing bushes which are conspicuous for 

 prominent well-developed buds, which must be partially cut 

 round some time previous to being lifted in order to prepare 

 them for early work. It must be borne in mind that unless 

 the buds are bold and prominent, and the flowers present 

 in embryo, any attempt at forcing will be futile. We have 

 tried young plants from the nursery more than once, but have 

 always failed. Young trees seem to lack stored-up vitality or 

 stamina to undergo such an ordeal of forcing in the absence of 

 light, and disappointment will be the only result that can be 

 expected from such a selection. To oar mind nothing can go 

 further to exemplify — if exemplification is needed — the quantity 

 or power of stored-up nutriment in deciduous trees, than to 

 see one of those glorious bushes literally covered with wreath 

 after wreath of flower, without any indication of growth in the 

 shape of young shoots and leaves ; for if forcing be conducted 

 slow enough to allow of young shoots being pushed, or even 

 simnltaneous action of leaf and flower, the latter will be little 

 worth. It will thus be seen that success lies in rapidity of 

 action, provided also that the material in hand be in all respects 

 suitable for such forcing. 



As the season advances, the progress of advancing vegeta- 



tion renders forcing less risky. From this date (January 3) 

 a fortnight or three weeks at the most will be sufficient time 

 to allow from the time the plants are introduced into heat till 

 the flowers are ready for cutting. The syringe may be freely 

 used at first, and heat gradually applied according to the pro- 

 gress made, but a dry atmosphere must be maintained as the 

 flowers expand or they will damp-off in a few hours, and when 

 damping-olI sets in, no treatment seems powerful enough .to 

 counteract the evil. zflf? 



We have a nursery of the variety known as Charles the 

 Tenth, in an open favourable situation, and from which oil 

 suckers are removed as they appear during the summer, and 

 they are lifted annually so as to prepare them for this system 

 of forcing. When we think these young trees are well up to- 

 the mark for forcing, we anticipate results in proportion — per- 

 haps in excess of our labour. An error too commonly made is 

 to mistake the Persian Lilac for the old common one ; but the 

 Persian will not submit to forcing in darkness. — W. Hind (in 

 The Gardener). 



A GOOD OLD ROSE. 



I KNOW of one Eose, and only one Eose, that will answer alD 

 the requirements of the description of your correspondent Mr. 

 Edward Luckhuret, and that is Gloire de Dijon, without doubt 

 the best Eose for all purposes that exists. I know of no other 

 that will approach it. Only obtain a crimson Gloire de Dijon, 

 and in my opinion you \\ill have attained perfection. I did 

 not answer to the Eose election, but why the " Gloire," the 

 old Eose, was left out in the cold at the last is beyond my 

 comprehension. The bett of the others fails and pales by 

 comparison with my old friend. This last season I have had 

 blooms from April to January, and to-day (February 4th) I 

 picked from the front of my house (aspect due south) a full- 

 blown Gloire de Dijon that would not disgrace the flowery 

 month of May. 



I yesterday gathered a Camellia grown in the open air, with- 

 out its haviug had any protection whatever in the shape of glas& 

 shades, matting, roof-shelter, etc. — A Sobscbieer, Goxport. 



AURICULAS ATTACKED BY WOOLLY APHIS. 



I ASK the experience of your readers on the following point. 

 My collection of Auriculas has apparently wintered well, and 

 now with healthy hearts the plants are beginning to show 

 signs of a start, so I have taken a few in hand for the com- 

 mencement of top-dressing, bat the first disturbance of the 

 soil has revealed an unexpected enemy. 



The roots are abundant, and as usual spread and lace them- 

 selves vigorously on the interior surface of the pots; but here, 

 against the crocks, they are attacked by colonies of what 

 appears to be, or at least superficially resembles, the white 

 woolly aphis of the Apple, commonly called the American 

 Apple blight. The insects are numerous, small, sluggish, and 

 surrounded by a white woolly substance, and though I cannot 

 detect that they have yet done my plants any injury, I am 

 nervously jealous of their presence. Three or four years ago 

 the Apple aphis attacked my Apple trees, but one application 

 of Gishurst compound with a scrubbing brush abolished him. 

 Can it have gone from Apple boughs to Auricula roots ? and if 

 BO, would Gishurst hurt the tender roots, which ought now to 

 be ready for the spring time to call upon their vigour ? 



Yesterday on detecting the enemy I applied some soft soap 

 and water, which has put him to flight, and to-day there is no 

 trace of the pest in the pots so treated ; and I think of trying 

 the Gishurst well diluted, but shall be glad to hear the opinion 

 of others on the enemy and remedy, for I fear my whole col- 

 lection is likely to be more or less affected, and I am ignorant 

 of the extent of the danger to which I am exposed. — JoHS 

 T. D. Llewelyn. 



[I would counsel your correspondent, who reports the exist- 

 ence of woolly aphis in the soil and crockwork of his Auricula 

 pots, to spare no pains to destroy what is sure to prove an 

 enemy. It will not long confine itself to its present position, 

 but will proceed to attack the strong roots and fibres of the 

 plants, on which these mealy insects fatten fast, and along 

 which they will spread under cover of their peculiar woolly- 

 looking shelter. 



With this nasty insect among Auriculas I have myself had 

 no experience, and bnt short acquaintance. Until last year, 

 when I saw it in two collections, I did not know it would infest 

 these plants, and but for your correspondent's letter I should 



