182 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



mild weallier are in a forward state. They do not suffer from 

 frost unleBS, as not unfrequently happens, water gathers in the 

 asils of the leaves and freezes theic. When the ground and 

 leaves are quite dry they are eafe. Anricnlas are growing freely 

 and require attention as to ventilation. We found it necessary 

 to double mat the frames at ni^ht, and when the frost was most 

 severe the leaves were even then crusted with it. Carnatious 

 and Picotees have been potted into their blooming pots. Many 

 growers pot their plants into 11-incb pots, three plants in a pot, 

 or two in a 10-inch. Ours are mottly potted in 7, 8, and 0-inch 

 pots. They are quite largo enough to grow the plants; but 

 there is this objection to them in the copo of those who are 

 away from their gardens in the daytime, the plants are more 

 liable to suffer for want of water in hot weather. When large 

 potg are used they do not suffer from this cauFC ; moreover, 

 there is sometimes not sufflcient space for the layers in small 

 pots. These plants require plenty of draiuage, and the potting 

 material should bo good tnrfy loam with one barrowload of leaf 

 Boil and the same quantity of decayed manure to every five of 

 the loam, a little silver sand to be added if necessary. The 

 plants require the protection of glass frames for a month longer 

 at least.— J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. « 



James Carter & Co., 2:37 and 238, High Holborn, London.— 

 Illnstrated Catalogue of Prize Fariii Seeds. 



ZThomas S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, Ijondon. 

 — Illustrated Catalogue of Hardy Perennials and Florhls^ 

 Flowers. 



James Dickson & Sons, 108, Eastgate Street, Chester.— Ca^rt- 

 logue of Farm Seeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 •^* All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to *' The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

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

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

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

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mis up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. AU articles intended for ineertiou 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 

 Cypkess Plant. — *'£. P." esks for iuformation in refcronco to the Cypress 

 pliint which rtowb in America. Ho has hadsonoe seeds given to him received 

 from Amorica, and wishes to know eomethicg of the habits and nature of 

 the plant, and whether it will fjrow out of doors iu this country or lequires a 

 Rreenhouse or stove. It has a pretty small flower. The chief attraction ia 

 iu tha leaf, which is beautifully coloured. 



Vine Leaves Si-.-tted (L. D. E.).— We fail to perceive any spots on tic 

 foliage sent. There are some Blight brown blotches which may be attributable 

 to a sudden outburst of suu after a period of dull weather. The leaves sug- 

 gest talthoDgh it is difficult to judge in their early Bta^et that more yet judi- 

 cious ventilation, and also a stimulant to the rootseither in the form of 

 Boanare or tepid manure water, would be advantageous for the purpose of 

 improving the bubstance of the foliuge, rendeilng it less liable to injury from 

 changoa of temperature or infect attackp. 



Lawn ii&sD (Chrmicus).—'We do not know of what it is composed. Any 

 small mowjpg machine will cut the graea on banks. 



Geeenhouse Khododendrons U. £.).— The plants will not "throw" 

 side branches until the terminal bud becomes a flowering one, or the apex bo 

 removed. We have several plants which were grow Ing up, as yours appear to 

 he duing, with a feii^'le stem; we cat them Aovm to 6 inches, and they are 

 now furnished with choots at that height. Cut them back to the height at 

 which you require side ehoots, taking care to notice whether they are grafted, 

 in which caee sufficient wood of the scion must be retained to furnish fresh 

 RhootF. Keep rather dry until the plants begin gi-owing again. They should 

 be cut back at once. If you want the plants with stems of the present height 

 of plants tbe removal of the central shoot or tenninal bud will cause the for- 

 mation of side shoots. 



CucuMiJEEs AND Melons IN Cold Frames (F. 7.).— The boxes you name 

 are much too small, and are also needless, for there ia no dirt arising from 

 manure or soil that would injuio the frame in the least, or only what could 

 be washed off. It would coet less to line tho frames inside with a deal board, 

 half-inch thick and 11 icches broad, than to make boxes and a trellis. The 

 half-inch boaids would keep the sides of the frame clean. Put in the frames 

 some fresh horse manure, pressing it firmly down 12 inches deep in the 

 centre c f the frames, dimiuishiog gradually to 6 inches at the sides, and upon 

 the dung place G inches depth of soil, and ticad it very firm for the Melons, 

 and moderately so for the Cucumbers. The soil should be a strong loam for 

 the Melons, but medium-textured for the Cucumbers. Tho seed should ho 

 sown in gentle heat the first week in April, and tbe plants be potted singly in 

 email pots when they show the rough leaf, and have their points pinched nut 

 when they have made two rough or second fcaves. planting out in May. One 

 plant in the centre of en ch light ia BUfiticieut. Telegraph is a good Cucum- 

 ber, alec Munro's Puke of Edinburgh, and Little Ilcnth Melon will luit. Von 

 Moltke Melon, scarlet flf sh, ia also a good kind for cool treatment, and if 

 you want a green llosh EaBtnor Castle is good and free. 



Clejiatises and Tea Koses for Low AValls ih'Icm).—Cli:matis—Mre. 

 G. M. Inues, Thomas Tennent, Alexandra, Victoria, The Shah, and Madame 

 Van Hontte. Tca-scadcd liosea— Duchess of EdiLburgb, Gloire de Dijon 



Catherine Mermet, Madame Levet, Mflvie Slsley, and Sombreuil. We should 

 have tbe Boses upon the west and Clematis upon the east aspect. They 

 would not do together. Passifiora cnnruleasuccoods againat a south wall, and 

 would probably thrive in your mild climate upon the east aspect. 



Planting Amaryllis Outdoors (J. TT'. 0.1. — You may plant out all the 

 species named— viz., A. atamasco, A. (Crinnm capense) longifolia, A. Bella- 

 donna, A. formosipsima, A. lutea (Sternbergia), Itnt the Agapanthus should 

 not be planted until May. There is, wo presume, a frame to carry the clafls, 

 or it may be laid upon the soil over the bulbs until the growth appears above- 

 ground. There is no work of recent date treating of the cultivation of theae 

 plants. 



Successional Crops of Melons (IF. H.).~lt is not desirable to have 

 plants planted at intervals in the same house. Your house will only accom- 

 modate four plants, one under each light, and thosa we should plant at the 

 same time, so as to have the fruit setting and ripening at about the same 

 period. You will find some difflculty in growing plants in vftriou.s stages in 

 Uie eame bouse and border; besides, four plants will not give you over a 

 dozen frnit at a crop, and will not ripen off within a few days of each other. 

 Easinor Castle is a very free successional bearer, also Osmaston Manor, both 

 green-flesh ; A. F. Barron and Read's Scarlet-flesh are the best of that colour. 

 Tacsonia insignis Blighted {T. E. D.).— The leaves do not appear to 

 have been injured by cold. The appearance is that of an attack of red 

 spider, of which there are troces upon the upper surface of the leaves, a result, 

 probably, of the plants having been kept too dry during the summer. We 

 should prune the plants now or thin out the shoots, removing the worst 

 affected leaves. These plant.s do little good in pots, requiring to be planted 

 out, and are then grand. 



Paraffin Oil (A. L. IT.).— PaiaHin, according to the testimony of Mr. 

 Horner, is injurious to the foliage of Auriculas unless the oil is greatly diluted. 

 Mr. Dickson of Arkleton and other gardeners have also found it injurious to 

 fruit trees when used in its pure state. Wo have not yet tested its effect on 

 seeds. We intend mixing the paraftiu with dry earth and sowing In the rows 

 after the seeds are put in, and advise you doing the same. We have had no 

 experience with carbolic acid, but would like to know who has. 



Culture or Violets {M. J. D.).— Violets are so easily grown and require 

 80 very little attention that they are often neglected. They are propagated 

 by runners, and to keep-up a supply of healthy free-flowering p'ants a few 

 ought to be planted-out annually in rich deeply-dug aoil. Yours have not 

 succeeded because " you did nothing to them last year." 



Pli.-ms not EEARiNa IJ. B.).— You may graft Ihem as you propose. We 

 fancy the Frogmora Damson is now to b3 bad iu the *' trade," and thct Is 

 tho only way in which you can obtain it. Apply to Mr. C. Turner of Slongh. 

 The shading will do admirably either to protect the blos'soms from frost 

 now, or the fruit from flies and wasp-ii in summer. Yon must tot leave it 

 over the blossoms during fine weather. 



Oleander Unhealthy (C. E. P.). — The leaves gent are much infested 

 with scale, especially on tlieir under sides. You may adopt one of the 

 following remedies:—!, Dissolve 4 ozs. of soft soap in a gallon of wflter, 

 and with a sponge wash every leaf thoroughly, further displacing the scale by 

 drawing a bluntly pointed stick down tbe leaves next tho midrib. Wash also 

 the stems of the plant. Tbe solution should be used as hot as tho hand can 

 endure it. The work must he well and carefully done. 2, Cut down the 

 plant at any convenient height helow the foliage, and it will shortly push 

 fresh growtii, and yon will have a ckan plant which will probably flower next 

 year. In cither case remove a considerable portion of tho surface soil, and 

 replace with fresh compost. If you do not cut down the plant give more 

 lopicns supplies of water, and liquid manure once a-week. It is impossible 

 for your plant to thrive until it is freed from the scale and the dirty 

 encrustation. We cever .';aw leaves in a worse state, and we ad-vise you to be 

 prompt with either of the remedies suggested. 



Swede (0. 1-. La7if7?ri/).— Taken literally "a Swede*' is a human being, a 

 n;itive of Sweden ; but if the term was applied to the cultivated bulb, that 

 bulb is a Turcip. It is described in botauiciU works as a variety of the Turnip 

 under the name of Biasaica campestris rutabaga. 

 Names of Fruits {Connaught SMbaccfTtc?-).— Stamford Pippin^ 

 Names of Plants (C. Cdi/nn)-— Pi'obably Arum draonnculaa. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHKONIOLE. 



AN UNITED POULTRY CLUB. 



OuE article of last week was in type before the Ainarium 

 Meeting, but at that Show we had an opportunity of tdkiug 

 with many esperienced fanciers on the above Bubject. The im- 

 pression Eeems to bo that one united poultry clnb would answer 

 all purposes better than any associations for particular branches. 

 Very probably this would be the case, aa a larger number of 

 fanciers v/ould moft likely be thus collected together who could 

 take all matters of dispute or interest into consideration. Such 

 a club, however, wants to be delicately handled, and for it to 

 be a real and permanent succcas there must not be a brfath of 

 antagonistic feeling among the members, for should they once 

 cease to work iu harmocy the good derivable from any such 

 collection of fanciers would certainly be frustrated. Conse- 

 ijuently the club must be formed and put into working order as 

 openly and as publicly as possible, when all could give their 

 own idturi and eo enable the rules to be drawn-up with the ap- 

 pro.bation of all. We mentioned twelve gentlerr.cn last week 

 which had been £ elected at random from a recent catalogue, and 

 we see no reason why the same should not still be tho leading 

 parties to try and slnrl this club. Wo know that several of 

 that number have the subject much at heart, and talked tha 

 matter over at Westmiuater among themtelvcs (he other day, 

 coming to the resolution that the thing was feasible, and that 

 they would help the matter on. A general impresBiou, however, 

 seems to exist that the subject should not be pushed on in too 



