llaroli 15, 1877. 1 



JOUBNAL OP HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDHNEB. 



189 



strain are a great boon. Thsy are easily grown and very gay. 

 Thus from January until the end of September I have been 

 enabled to make my little bouse presentable, and liave had 

 much enjoyment for myself and pleasure for others out of it. 

 — D., Deal. 



KUST ON GRAPES. 



I HAVE often read of and heard discussions relative to the 

 cause of rust on Grapes. I think it has come to be generally 

 believed that sulphur applied to hot-water pipes when the 

 berries are in the embryo state will produce rust ; others again 

 say that damp hands while thinning, touching the berries with 

 hair of the head, cold winds, i&c, are the causes. I am not 

 going to condemn all that has been said regarding the rust, but 

 will express my opinion as to a principal source of its origin. 



It is pretty well understood that thrips is very fond of the 

 juices of the Vine, and this pleates their taste best when the 

 wood, leaves, and fruit are in the young state. At this stage 

 thrips are exceedingly busy (of course I allude to those only 

 who have a stock of that troublesome little pest), preying on 

 the young berries as well as the wood and leaves. I am de- 

 cidedly of opinion that this is one of the principal causes of 

 met. Although to the naked eye the injury is invisible for a 

 time, nevertheless damage is done, and it will make its appear- 

 ance more and more while the berries swell until they have 

 nearly attained their full size. No doubt by painting hot- 

 water pipes or flues with sulphur the fumes will hasten the in- 

 crustation on the Grapes in the same manner as it will kill 

 warts on the back of the leaves ; but notwithstanding, had the 

 damage not been there previous to the application of sulphur 

 I am convinced it would do no harm unless applied very hot. 

 If sulphur was the cause of rust, why are some of the berries of 

 bunches quite clean and others bad with rust ? One would 

 imagine that all of the berries are subject to being affected by 

 the fumes. 



The most effectual cure that I have found for thrips is smok- 

 ing with tobacco or tobacco paper. As our vineries are never 

 clear of plants, and adhering to the old adage that " preven- 

 tion is better than cure," we fumigate before commencing 

 forcing, and periodically throughout the season. This is the 

 most effectual and economical plan in keeping the Vines clean. 

 Those whose houses are very much infested with thrips must 

 fumigate three nights in succession. — James Dickson. 



CULTURE OF THE DAHLIA. 



Afteb an interval of several years I am about to resume the 

 eolture of Dahlias — not for the production of flowers for exhi- 

 bition, but for ordinary garden decoration ; and it occurs to 

 me that a brief explanation of how I intend doing this may 

 prove useful to the many who are on the outlook for flowers, 

 which, in addition to being really attractive and ornamental, 

 poeeess the valuable property of being amenable to easy and 

 inexpensive methods of culture. 



I am starting with a selection of some forty varieties, com- 

 prising a few of each class — fancy, bedding, bouquet, and exhi- 

 bition, my object being to secure diversity in the plants as well 

 as in the flowers which they bear. The whole of them are 

 " pot roots," or, in other words, the dried roots of plants 

 raised from cuttings taken late last season (in August), with 

 the Bpeoial view of keeping them in pots to form an easily 

 portable stock for propagation this spring. There are various 

 ways of managing the propagation ; that which I prefer is 

 early in the present month to mix together some leaves and 

 fresh stable manure for a hotbed, not a very hot one ; 3 feet 

 high is quite snllioient to afford the gentle but steady bottom 

 heat that is necessary to induce the quiescent tubers to put 

 forth roots and the crowns to send up shoots. Upon the hot- 

 bed is placed a frame consisting of four rough deal boards 

 nailed together. It is nearly filled with rich gritty soil, into 

 which the roots are tamed out of the pots, a hurdle thatched 

 with straw being the only covering, and even this is removed 

 upon every fine day. As the young shoots appear they are 

 taken off close to the crown, potted, and put in a propagating 

 frame or pit along with other cuttings. Boots form quickly, 

 and the young plants are soon ready for a shift into -1-inch 

 pots, when they are taken to a cold frame, receiving all due 

 attention in watering, abundant ventilation, and protection 

 from frost and cold catting winds. 



My reason fur giving preference to this method of propaga- 

 tion is that it is very simple and very elBcient, the plants 



resulting from it being far preferable to those raised by any 

 other method, for the gentle yet steady heat that is constantly 

 rising to the roots induces a slow yet certain growth, while the 

 constant play of fresh air about the crowns renders that growth 

 very sturdy and robust, presenting a striking and pleasing con- 

 trast to the delicate straw-like appearance of such plants as 

 we sometimes see in pits and forcing honses. 



The Dahlia requires generous treatment like most other 

 plants of a free succulent growth, and with my poor soil I shall 

 be compelled to use plenty 8f manure or fail outright. The 

 very best soil for the Dahlia is a deep, rich, sandy loam. 

 What an unctuous sound the phrase has belonging to it, and 

 how often do we have it in our mouths or at the tip of our 

 pens when we want to describe soil that is very fertile ! Well, 

 that is the soil which I have not, but which I shall try to 

 imitate as well as I can. Plenty of manure and gritty matter 

 mixed with my poor soil will do this sufficiently well, just as 

 a few cartloads or even barrowfuls of road scrapings would 

 answer the same purpose for the puzzled dweller in a suburban 

 villa, to whom^ — it he were to ask me to describe the best soil 

 for his Dahlias ; aye, and for most other flowers — I could not 

 do better than advise him to make a heap, or rather a deep 

 bed, of such road scrapings as are gathered on every highway, 

 and to plant them therein. 



Planting should not be done until the end of May or be- 

 ginning of June ; then select and mark the position of each 

 plant with a stake driven firmly into the soil and left as a 

 permanent support throughout the entire season of growth. 

 By this method the long fleshy tuberous roots escape the 

 damage so often inflicted when stakes are driven in to support 

 them after they are planted. Water will be given abundantly 

 and frequently in dry weather, preference being given to sew- 

 age water or liquid manure so often as it can be spared. In 

 autumn the plants will be cut down when decay sets in, the 

 roots lifted, and kept in a dry shed or cellar till spring oomea 

 round again. — Edwabd Luckhdrst. 



SPROUTING POTATOES BEFORE PLANTING. 



Like every matter relating to gardening this subject has been 

 largely written about in the Journal. I observe that some 

 correspondents recommend starting Potatoes far into growth 

 in a heated house before planting. I daresay many of your 

 readers who grow both early and late Potatoes have no heated 

 house to start them in, and if they credit all this starting 

 process they must think their chances of successful Potato- 

 growing a hopeless one ; but I can tell them and show some 

 proof that they need have no fear on that score. I never put 

 one of my tubers into artificial heat to sprout. I planted a 

 large pit with two or three sorts of kidneys about the middle 

 of January ; the haulms are now a foot high, and a healthier 

 lot of Potatoes I have not seen for a long time either under 

 glass or in the open air. If sprouting is an advantage it should 

 be most shown in the short dull days, and one would suppose 

 that unless the tubers were far advanced in growth the haulm 

 would be long in appearing, even with a little heat, at that 

 time, but such is not the case. 



I will yield to the sprouting advocates so far, as I do not 

 plant the tubers with no indication of growth about them. 

 Most of those I have planted have been sprouted about half an 

 inch, and this was done in a way that everybody may practise. 

 All tubers intended for planting are spread thinly out in a 

 half-lighted cool place, such as is afforded in any ordinary 

 shed. The shoots formed here are short and thick, and the 

 points have a pink appearance. This is a healthy sign, and 

 is never found in those sprouted in strong heat. Their pale 

 colour is a sure indication of a severe check when they come 

 to be planted in the cold soil ; and while they are standing still 

 between life and death, those slightly but strongly sprouted in 

 a cool place will make substantial progress. — PBiciicALisi. 



PRIMULAS. 



I have read with very great pleasure, and I hope profit, 

 Mr. Abbey's very interesting notes on Primulas, and most 

 certainly agree with him that " a greenhouse at this season of 

 the year without Primulas is indeed poor." There is one 

 point in this article respecting double Primulas that is so 

 much at variance with my practice that I hope your corre- 

 spondent will excuse me noticing it. Mr. Abbey is reported to 

 say, " I would particularly uote the great value of double 

 Primulas whioh are now raised from seed.. I have eome so 



