February 8, 1377. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



107 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 *,* All correspondenee should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to "The PabliBher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Wild Flowers (A Lady).— We are informed by the artist, Mr. W. G. 

 mith, that they will be concluded in thirty more numbers. 



Khododendkons and "Wireworms (H. B.).— Try oil cake powdered and 

 sprinkled thickly on the roots after removing the soil. It mi^-ht preserve 

 them. Let us knovr the result. 



EYACiNxn IP. F. S.).— The fiowerstalk being compressed by the bases of 

 the leaves until forced cut 13 very unusual, but is only one of the unaccount- 

 able vagaries incident to plant growth. 



C^SALPiNiA BRAZiLiENsis (G. H.). — It is a stove everpreeu tree, a native 

 of Jamaica, from whence it was introduced in 1739. The tree grows 20 feet 

 high, has orange flowers, and yields the Brazil wood of commerce. 



TEAiNruG Chrtsanthemcms {A CoJistant Reader).— "Let the hoops re- 

 main ; they will or ought to be completely hidden by the foliage. The stakes 

 should be as thin as possible consiatent with strength. Planed deal stakes a 

 loot to 18 inchea long will need to be little or any thicker than the stem of a 

 tobacco pipe. Stakes double the length may be doable that thickness at the 

 bottom, tapering to the top. 



Peach-tree Spray {A. HopJnnfi). — The decayed places are caused by the 

 unfavourable season, and the young wood being not matured. 



Pea (An OM Su&sm&fr).— The description agrees with what is known as 

 the Rose Pea. We will publish your note next week. 



Semi-traksparent Paper f^;i Amat':ur). — Fasten the paper on the frame, 

 and then brush over it boiled linseed oil. 



Stove Climbers (A Learner).— Ab yon hB.\6 StephanotiR floribunda, and 

 need two more, obtain Clerodendron Balfoorii and Ipomrea Horsfalliffi. 



Growing Asters in Pots (P. F. S.I.— Sow the seed dnring March or 

 early April laa you require the plants to bloom early or latei in pans, placing 

 in gentle heat aa that of a hothed. When the plants appear keep them near 

 the glae-, and well ventilatel to prevent drawing. Pot them singly in 3-inch 

 pots, letarning to the hotbed, and keeping rather close and shaded until 

 established. After this admit air freely, the main points being to keep them 

 slowly growing, and not allowing them to become potbound before shifting 

 into larger pots. If sown in March the plants will be strong and well 

 baldened off by the beginning of May. An S-inch pot will meet the require- 

 ments of single plants, a 9-inch trebles, and a 10-inch or 11-ioch will answer 

 for five plants. The soil may be compossd of three parts turfy loam and a 

 third of thoroughly decayed manure or leaf soil. The plants should be potted 

 rather firmly in well-drained pots, and have a liyht and open situation if con- 

 tinued under glaaa, which we do not advise, but would asaiga them a 

 sheltered position outdoors on athes. After the plants fill the pots with roots 

 water them with weak liquid manure. If sown during early April the plants 

 will require their blooming pots by the close of May or early in June. 



Conservatory with East Aspect {TV. M.). — Tour house being cold will 

 not answer for plants requiring protection from frost, as Pelargoniums, 

 Fuchsias, &,c. ; nor for a Vine, which would not answer in an unheated house 

 with an eaatern aspect. We should advise you to decide between Ferns and 

 Boees. If the first, we would have the Ferns planted out, forming rockwork 

 for them, and selecting the better kinds of hardy Ferns. If Bosea are de- 

 termined upon, we should arrange for planting them out in borders within the 

 house, though for the roof the roots may be outside, the stems being intro- 

 duced through the wall, the interior of the bouse being taken up by Rosea 

 trained to pillars aa pyramida. and the back trellised for climbing Roses. The 

 kinds we should choose for this purpoae would be Tea-scented. Should you 

 decide to heat the house so as to exclude frost, you would be enabled to have 

 a greater variety of plants ; in fact, most greenhouse plants would thrive In it, 

 and those would afford you greater Batisfaction than could bo had from an 

 Unheated house devoted to bat one class of plants. 



An Amateur's Vinery {Sir Astley). — Do not attempt training up climb- 

 iog Rosea in a vinery, or both Vines and Roseci will fail. Devote the whole of 

 the roof to the Vines, and grow your Roses in pota, introducing a few in suc- 

 ceeaion into yonr front bed, where you will also find Tomatoes answer well, 

 provided you do not allow them to become very rampant, for which reason 

 they should be grown in pota. You may also grow eicellent crops of Cucum- 

 bers in potg plunged iu the bed. If you attempt this, do not fail to give them 

 an abundant supply of liquid manure, or the fruit will prove small and 

 yellow- tipped. 



Radishes (IF. P.).— Aa yonr soil produces good Turnip Radishes, but not 

 the long varieties, we recommend you to try putting some well-decayed 

 roanare at the bottom of each trench when the ground is dug. The roots will 

 probably descend straight to it. 



Azaleas Losixg Foliage (TI'. HamiZfon),— Carelessness in watering and 

 the aitRcka of insects are generally the causes of the bareness of which you 

 complain in your plants. Let the plants be closely examined, and if any 

 thripu or blight is found upon the foliage plunge the tops in a solution of soft 

 soap and tobacco water, repaating the operation on alternate days for a weak. 

 II the pots are small in proportion to the size of the plants and are crowded 

 with roots repot at once in light fibrous peat with plenty of white gritty sand 

 niiied with it (one part t and to three parts peat); take especial care that 

 the drainage is thorough, the fresh soil well rammed in, and use pota 

 of 1^^ to 2 inches more iu diameter than the old pots ; take the plants from 

 the potting bench to a somewhat shaded position Jn the hothouse, use the 

 syringe freely, but apply water to the roots sparingly till the new growth is 

 puflhing freely; after they have finished growing place them in a snnny 

 position to ripen the new growth. When Ihe flower buds are so far 

 derelopod that yon can feel them remove the plants to a cooler temperature, 

 and let thnm have plenty of fresh air. The most important points in the 

 culture of Azaleas are — the watering, cleanliness of the foliage, an early and 

 well-matmed growth brought about in the manner we have desciibed, and 

 abundance of air and light after the growth is matured. 



INABCHING Geai'E Vires {Constant Re a-hr). — Yon may inarch the 

 Vines OS you propose, bnt our experience tells us that what succeeds well in 

 one instance will not do in another. Black Hamburgh is a good stock lor 



P-uckland Sweetwater. Lady Downe's does best on its own roots. W© 

 should like to know the result of your inarching Mill Hill Hamburgh on 

 Chasselas Muaqut.-. 



Best Raspberries (J.).— Yellow Antwerp, Faatolf, Prince of Wales, and 

 Red Antwerp. Gooseberries: Red Warrington, Red Champagne, Early Sul- 

 phur, Yellow Champasue, Rumbullion, and Green Gascoigno Currants: 

 Black Naples, Baby Castle, and White Dutch. Any respectable tradesman 

 can supply you. 



Heating Lean-to House {E. D. L.).— Two rows of 4-inch pipes might 

 heat a house 9 feet wide by 6 feet 6 inches at back ; but to keep up 60° in al5 

 weathers you ought to put in three rows. 



Making a Hotbed {TV. Killingheck).— See reply to "R.G. M." To raise an 

 early batch of annuals in the position you mention a very slight hotbed will 

 sufhce say from 2 to 3 feet iu 'height, well trampled, and covered with 3 or 

 4 inches of rich sandy soil kept on the bed by strips ff board not much wider 

 than the soil is deep. It is, of course, best to cover the soil with glass sashes, 

 failing which wooden screens, felting stretched on frames, or, in fact, anything 

 which will throw off heavy rain and exclude frost will answer admirably. Sow 

 the seed during March, but before doing so the hotbed should have been madD 

 about a week in order to avoid rank burning heat. Cover the seed thinly with 

 soil, water when necessary, and throw off the covering upon every favourable 

 occasion, in order to prevent the seedlings from becoming drawn up and 

 weakened. 



Seedling Adcubas (J.). — There is no determining the ses by the varie- 

 gation or serration of the leaves. The coarsely serrated- leaved eeedlinga we 

 think are mostly female, though in the smooth-leaved plants we apprehend 

 you will have some female, but taking both together we anticipate the Beses 

 will be about equally divided. 



Growing Dahlias, &c., in Pots {A Great Lover of Florvers).—X)a.hli&B 

 may be grown in pots, and, indeed, every description of plant. The best 

 kinds for pot culture are the dwarf bedding varieties, as Bob Ridley, Leah, 

 Rising Sun, Scarlet Gem, Dwarf Queen, Cloth of Gold, Little Wonder, and 

 Dwarf Queen. Of the Bouquet varieties— Glow-worm, Northern Light, Dr. 

 Webb, Sacramento, White Aster, and Little Love are good. They must not 

 be allowed to become pot-bound, but be shifted into larger pots as required, 

 giving the final shift at the end of May or early iu June. Twelve or 13-inch 

 pots are necessary. If you grow the Show and Fancy varieties they will 

 require 15-inch pots. Hollyhocks must not be allowed to become pot-bound^ 

 and must have their blooming pots at the end of April or early May. Plants 

 with one stem may be grown in 13-incb, or with two or three stems in 

 15-iDch pots. Antirrhinums do well in pota, requiring S-inch pots, into 

 which they must be placed in Marcher early April. Chrysanthemums shouliS 

 be struck from cuttings in March in gentle heat, potted singly when rooted, 

 stopped when about ti inches high, growing in a cold frame until April or 

 May, then placing on ashes iu an open situation outdoors, shifting into 

 larger-sized pots aa required, keeping from becoming pot-bound, and moving 

 into the blooming pots early in June, when the plants may ayain be stopped, 

 affording 9-inch pots for Pompons, and 10 or 11-inch for the large-flowered. 

 Carnations and " Cloves " cannot well be layered in pots unless unnecessarily 

 large. Layer from plants planted-out. Pentstemons may be grown well in 

 8 or 9-inch pots. Any very vigorous plants may have 10-inch pots. All should 

 have an open yet sheltered situation, be well watered, and with liquid manure 

 at least twice a-week after the blooming pots are filled with roots. Wo 

 know of no means of distinguishing in the young state single from donble- 

 fiowering plants of Marigolds. The strain is a bad one to have so many 

 singles. 



Planting Ribbon Border (Irfcm).— Commencing at the back of the 

 border— Geraniums, Ageratum, Ti»gete8 eignata pumila, and Beet, and wo 

 would advise an edging of Pyrethrum Golden Feather, or a dwarf silver- 

 leaved plant as Cerastium tomentosura. 



Pyrethrum (H. T.).— You bad better wiite to Messrs. Carter for the in- 

 formation you seek. Mention the size of the ground and they will readily 



Twin Apples {G. B. C, Wohurn, Beds).— We have never seen this twin 

 Apple before. Tne only variety possessing this character is the Cluster 

 Golden Pippin, which is very diffeient from that you have sent ns. We 

 should like to know its history if you can supply it to us. The pale one is 

 Cockpit, and the coloured one Moss's Incomparable. 



Dung Hotbed Making {R. G. A/.).— We will commence with the dung 

 fresh at the stable door. The first thing is to throw it into a close body to 

 " sweat." yhake it over loosely and reject a portion of the mere droppings, 

 for these take the most purifying, and. moreover, engender an overpowerful 

 and sometimes unmanageable heat. The main bulk of the material thus 

 thrown together will iu a week or so become exceedingly hot, and must then 

 be turned completely inside out, and in so doing every lock or patch which 

 adheres together muat bedivjded. Water now regularly as the work proceeds, 

 rendering every portion equally moist. After the m^ss has lain for about 

 (our days longer give a liberal amount of water on the top. This will wash 

 out at the bottom of the heap much of its groas impurities. In a few more 

 days it must be again turned inside out, using water if dry in any portion, 

 and after laying nearly a week it should be almost fit for use ; but it is well 

 to give it even another turn. If any treo leaves, strawy materials, &c., ate to 

 b 9 added to the mass they may be so at the last, turning but one. The heap 

 ought now to be " sweet;" a handful drawn from the very interior and applied 

 to the nostrils will not only he devoid of impure smell, but actnally possess 

 a somewhat aereeable acont, similar to the smell of Mushrooms. Select a 

 spot perfectly dry beneath, or rendered so, exposed to a whole day's sun; bnt 

 the more it is sheltered sidewajs the better, as starviog winds, by suddenly 

 lowering the tcmperafuro, cause a great waste of material as well aa of 

 labour. Some portable screens, therefore, are useful things for early work. 

 The ground surface should be nearly level. It i* well also to fill most of the 

 interior of the bed. after building it half a javd in height, with any half- 

 decayed materials, such aa half-worn linings, fresh leaves, &c. This will in 

 general secure it from the danger of burning, whilst it will also add to the 

 permanency of the bed, for the Cucumber roots will descend, and thns 

 secure an indefinite amount of food during the hot weather of summer. A 

 bed should be at least 4 feet high at the back, if 5 feet all the better; and as 

 soon as built let some littery manure be placed round tho sides in order to 

 prevent the wind searching it. As soon as tho heat is well up, or in about 

 four days from the building of it, the whole bed should have a thorough 

 watering. It is now well to close it until the heat is well up again, when a 

 second and lighter watering may be applied, and now it will be ready for the 

 hills of soil. Not knowing on what system yon intend to train your Vines 

 we cannot advise hovr to prune them. Buy our Vine Manual. 



