I6t 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



and grown-on in centle heat until eBtabliehed, then removed to a cold frame. 

 Portulaccas ebeuld be treated eimilarly, but tbey are very impatient of 

 moisture, and must be kept rather dry and near tbe glass. 



Eepottino Geraniums (Jrff ju).— Both the old plamts and seedlinps should 

 have a shift into slightly larcer pots. Lobelia cuttiops should be taken, also 

 Geranium cuttinfra early in March. The Lobelias to he pnt-in in pans about 

 an inch apart, and placed in a hotbed and shaded fmrn bright sun, and tbe 

 Geraniums inserted singly in 3-Jnch pots and placed in a hotbed, but not 

 ■haded, and having their points pinched out after they have struck. They 

 will make good plantn by bedding time. Both the Geraniums and Lobelias 

 Should bo subsequently placed in a cold frame and hardened off before 

 planting out. They will strike in a temperature oE 55'^. 



Painting GBEENHorsE (Idfvi).~The painting of the honse will necessitate 

 the removal of tbe plants, as the effluvia will be more or less iDJuriouB to the 

 tender foliage. Defer the painting until such time as tbe house can be 

 cleared of plants, .say at the end of May or early in June. If you cannot 

 remove the plants use the patent "driers" freely and little or no turpentine, 

 and then by leaving the ventila^rors open day and night injury to the plants 

 would be reduced to a minimum. 



RESTOBrNG Grass under Trees {N. B.).— The gi-ass being destroyed by 

 the droppings of the " flocks of starlings," it is doubtful whether you can 

 restore it without a similar result occurring again, or freeing yourself of tbe 

 cause. Tbey are such ereat destroyers of frrubs that the destruction of the 

 starlings would be suicidal to the best interests of tbe agriculturist for miles 

 around. We should try and recover tbe grass by sowing snob kinds of 

 grasses as thrive beneath trees — viz., Poa nemoralis sempervirens and Fes- 

 tnca dnriuscula, but the first-camed is much the best. Ivy would probably 

 do well, but would be liable to di8li::;urement. 



GoDETiA Lady Albemarle (Yorkf!hircman).—Th\3 is the finest of all tbe 

 Godotias, but we have no experience of ib as a " bedding plant." Its parents 

 G. Wbitneyi and G. Lindleyana do well in Yorkshire, and Lady Albemarla 

 no doubt would also succeed well. It would cummence floweriog in July (if 

 sown in early April where tbe plants are to remain), and would continue in 

 beauty for sis or eight weeks. 



Hyacinths in Glasses (Hele7>).—ThG bulbs will not be again available 



for flowering in glasses. You will require fresh bulbs for another year's 



flowering. The old bulbs may be planted out in a warm border, covering 



them about an inch deep, where they may remain for flowering. 



Roses under Glass (A Ladrj 'm Choihirc). — The Roses should now be 



?runed if it be required, and placed in a light position iu the greenhouse. 

 f in small pots for the size of tbe plants they may be shifted into larger, 

 but without disturbing the ball or only scratching the sides, and removing 

 any loose surface soil. Three parts turfy loam with a part well decayed 

 manure is a suitable compost. Sprinkle overhead morning and evening, and 

 water rather spariugly until the plants are jrowitii:: freely and are in good 

 foliage, and then water copiously; and at every alternate watering, or twice 

 a-week. with weak liquid manure. Discontinue the syringing' after the 

 flower l)ud3 commence opeuing. Keep free from insects and admit air freely. 

 Tomatoes from November to May (^ Younri Gnrrf('ner).~Sow tbe seed 

 early in June, pnt off the plants and grow them ou in pots or plant out when 

 large enough. We, however, keep ours in pots until September, planting out 

 the" first week in the mouth, the plants being then in a bearing state, and the 

 temperature through the winter is kept at 05^ to GO^ at night, 70"= to 75- by 

 dav, the plants being duly supplied with water and a light position atforded 

 them. Tbey are best on a trellis about a foot from the glass. Beyond the 

 temperature they require no different treatment to those grown in summer. 



Climbers tor Screen (F. M. S.).— Tbe climbing Roses— Ayrshire or 

 Dundee Rambler, Alice Gray, (^ueeu, Boursault, Amadis ; Hybrid climbing— 

 Princps3 Louise Victoria, Tbe Garland, and the one you name would succeed 

 with Ivy, but they mcst be kept moderately thin, bo as not to overpower it. 

 AVe should also plant some Clematises, having a Rprinkling of both Roses and 

 Clematis with the Ivy. 



Limewash on Fruit Trees (7(?em).— The lime will not injure the stems 

 of the fruit trees and Currant and Gooseberry bushes. Leave it on until it 

 is washed off by tbe rains. 



Market Gardening (T. Wcnlc).—CnthilVB little volume "Market Garden- 

 ing Round London " will suit you. Seed-growing needs no further directions 

 than are in tbe usual works on kitchen gardening. 



Climbing Plants for a Corridor (G. fl".).— To brighten the most pbaded 

 part we would plant Cob.va scandens variegata and Hoya camosa vari^gata, 

 and against tbe more open piers of brickwork plant tlie blue-flowered Plum- 

 bago capensis. Lapageria roFca, Abutilon striatum, Rhynchospermum ja--^- 

 minoides, Mnndevilla snaveolens. and for the roof Tacsonia Van \olxeuiii. 

 Fuchsiis, Heliotropes, and Geraniums may also be introduced, the two first 

 growing to a considerablf height when kept trained and pruned, and with a 

 little management Geraniums may be had in flower throughout winter. 



Green Carpet Plants (Jr J. I.).— Mentha Pulegium gibraltaricum has 

 been advertif-ed for sali' by Mr. Cannell, The Nurseries, Swanley, Kent ; and 

 Mr. Parker, The Exotic Nurseries, Tooting, London. Either of these nursery- 

 men could doubtless also supply you with plants of Sedum lydium. 



CLniBiNG Roses {A Lndy, Carnarvon).— •^end. the names of the Roses you 

 require to tbe nearest large Rose-growing nurseryman, who will probably 

 supply them, or they may be obtained from any of the metropolitau nurseries. 

 Consult our advertising columns. 



Potatoes Diseased (C. K. S.)-— The tuber sent is undoubtedly affected 

 with the "ordinary Potato disease." Many tons of Potatoes have "gone bad" 

 which when stored were apparently free from the murrain. There is only one 

 way of evading the disease, and that is by taking up the crops before the 

 commencement of the autumn rains. Waiting for the tubers ripeniug and 

 the haulm decaying is frequently waitiug for the malady, which renders the 

 produce worthless. When tbe tubers have attained their full size they should 

 be taken up in dry weather, eveu if their skins are not " set " and the haulm 

 is green. By adopting that plan our Potatoes have been " disease-proof " for 

 twenty years. 



Amateur {Essex Amateur). — Any person who ctiltivates a garden not for 

 commercied gain is an omateur gardener, whether that person employs a 

 gardener or not. " A private grower " is synonymous with "amateur;" hut 

 for fair competition there ought to be three clasRos: 1, Amateurs employing 

 a professional gardener or gardeners ; 2, Amateurs employing a gardener 

 occasionally; 3, Amateurs having no garden assintant. 



Grape-growing as a Profitable Investment (F((is).— There is no 

 doubt but that Grapes may bo grown ueoi- London to return a good pro&t on 



the money invested. Good Grapes always obtain a ready sale and bring high 

 prices. Ordinary fruit seldom brings a profitable return, and has often to be 

 disposed of at ruinous prices. Early Grapes bring tbe highest prices, say 

 in April or May, but then not only does it cost perhaps twice as much for fuel 

 to have the fruit in so early, but tbe Vines will not carry nearly so much 

 weight of fruit, and it does not take long to wear them out. We advise you 

 to build houses for succession, so that you can have Grapes nearly all the 

 year round. Grow Black Hamburgh, Muscat of Alexandria. Alicante, Groa 

 Colmau. and Lad? Downe's. Appearance is nsaally placed before quality in 

 the London market. It would not be advisable lo trust entirely to Grape- 

 growing. Winter Cucumbers and plants to be sold in pots, as well as growing 

 them for cut blooms, might be tried with hut little expense. As to distance 

 from London or locality, the best place would be where loam could be had 

 without much expense. 



BoPEs ON Manetti {S. p.).— If the Roses recently purchased are only one 

 year from the bud, cut the young wood down to within 3 or 4 inches from 

 jhe base. 



Portland Cement Injuring Glass (I;ivi"'ivr).— We cannot conceive 

 how this has dulled the glass ; it was used to a large extent in many of our 

 own honses, and the glasa was not injured in the least. If you cannot 

 remove tbe obscurity with warm rain water and wash leather, we fear the 

 glass must he permanently injured. 



Heating Conservatory and Booms in a Mansion (Sjicro).— The con- 

 servatory will require about 180 feet of 4-incb pipes. For the ball, two rows 

 of 4-inch pipes might he enough ; but we should be inclined to put in three 

 rows, as tbe atmosphere is much more pleasant when the pipes are not made 

 too warm. Or say in all about 65 feet for the hall, 50 feet for the large room, 

 and 36 feet for the smaller one. Ordinary sheet glass is the best for the 

 fernery. You must use some sort of shading material for it in hot weather. 



Destroying Daisies on Lawn [J, H.).— Watering freely will not destroy 

 Daisies, they delight in moisture during tbe summer months. If you object 

 to spud them out we do not know what to recommend. We tried Watson's 

 lawn sand and found that it killed the leaves of grass and Daisies alike, but 

 it did not destroy the plants. 



Squirrel Traps (J. G.).— They are sold by the cage and bird-trap makers 

 in various parts of London. 



Hyacinth Forked (J. IF.).— The flower stem is fasciated— two stems 

 partly united. It ia not a common dotormity, bat has often been observed. 



Sowing Potato Seed (Q. L.). — If yon have the convenience of a hotbed 

 or hothouse let it be sown now thinly in flower pots of rich light earth, and 

 cover very lightly. Iu a month or six weeks, or as soon as tbe young plants 

 are an inch high, tbey are to be raispd carefully and planted singly in small 

 pots, and placed in a fram? where they will havj a very little warmth, and 

 where they must have plenty of air and water as required until tbe middle 

 of May, when tbey may be turned out of tbe pots into tbe open ground 

 without breaking the ball. By this treatment the Potatoes will be so large 

 the first year as to enable you to judge of their merits. If you cannot com- 

 mand artificial warmth sow the seed in shallow drills of light rich earth early 

 in April, and transplant tbe young plants into rich earth in June ; raise the 

 Potatoes at tbe usual time, and treat them afterwards in the usual way ; they 

 will prove themselves the second year. 



Pruning Geraniums (ii L(Z(fi/}. — You do not say whether you have other 

 accommodation for tbe plants than the granary. We should prune the 

 plants, but not "close down to the pots." Leave a few eyes of last year's 

 wood. They may remain in the granary until growth fairly commences, and 

 tbey should then be removed to a pit or house where the expanding foliage 

 can have plenty of light. 



Flowering of Variegated Hibiscos (.1/. E. H.).— Though not so free- 

 flowering as the normal form, it is not unusual for the variegated Hibisons, 

 as n. rosa sineusia Cooperi and H. rosa sinensis foliis variegatis, to flower. 

 We have noticed that other variegated plants, notably Franoisceas and Gar- 

 deuias, flower more sparsely thaa tbe green-leaved kinds. 



Acacia Biceana not Flowering (-1 Tcn-JicarsSubscriber).~'We think the 

 supplies of water have been insufficient, the dry condition of the soil causing 

 tbe buds to drop. The plant may also require increased pot room. If you 

 cannot conveniently give tbe plant a larger pot remove an inch or two of the 

 surface soil and replace it with fresh compost. 



Destroying Worms (B. S., Yorl-). — We think the lime water has not been 

 applied in safllcient strength or quantity to bring the worms to the surlooa 

 of your lawn. If 1 lb. of quicklime is dissolved in three gallons of water, 

 stirring it well and letting it stand two or three days, and a soaking is given 

 tbe lawn with a rose watering-pot, it will bring the worms to the surface. 

 The quantity named would not saturate more than two square yards of surfooet 

 Half an ounce of corrosive sublimate (bichloride of mercury) dissolved in 

 fifteen gallons of water will bring the worms to the surface, but they must 

 bo kept from fowls as the solution is poisonous. 



Names of Fruit {A.'^hford House).— ^e Plus Meuris. (J. E.).— It is Lady's 

 Finger, and is a good-flavoured Apple. 



II 



POULTRY BEE, AID PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



THE SUPPRESSION OF FRAUD. 



The time hns come to be np and etirring, think many f ancierSi 

 The "recess" iu the exhibition world is at hand, and now 

 seems to be the time to organise some scheme whereby poultry 

 shows may be placed on a more substantial footing. The past 

 months have been thickly attended with denouements, and the 

 faith of many has been shaken from the very foundations. We 

 will not return to them. This Journal has long been known 

 for the absence of painful letters : expressions and facts and 

 bygones shall be bygones, but let the new season — the new year, 

 bo celebrated for somethiag quite novel — namely, for an assooi- 

 ation for the suppression of fraud. 



The idea is not our own, it comes from the great caterer for 

 poultry benefits ; but we will gladly back him up and strive to 

 help him build np his castle. The cjuestion arises, What is to 

 be done, and how can things be better regulated now than in 



