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JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ March 22, 1877. 



be gradually withheld nntil the bulba are matured, when they 

 may then be etored away in some cool dry place. The secret 

 of succesa in flowering these Lilies is a long season of drought 

 or rest. They should be potted in well-drained pots in a com- 

 post of good sound loam, well-decomposed vegetable matter, 

 and coarse sand or charcoal duet. They are the better for 

 being potted some time before they are expected to start into 

 growth. When root-action has commenced they should be 

 supplied with water as they may require it ; and when fairly 

 growing, if they can be taken into a gentle heat, the scape will 

 soon appear. When in bloom their beauty will well repay 

 any amount of labour that may have been bestowed npon 

 them. Where there ia a stock of bulba, with careful observa- 

 tion and notes they may be had in bloom for a considerable 

 time. They are increased by offsets. I ahould be glad to 

 have further evidence respecting the hardiness of this old 

 favourite. — ScAPACEons. 



it attacks. This, to my surprise, has been my experience of 

 it with the Kentish preserving Cherry, several trees having 

 suffered severely from ita ravagea. I may add that the soil in 

 which they are planted cannot be termed a bad one for the 

 Cherry, as the greater number of some thirty varieties are 

 in a flourishing and perfectly satisfactory condition, and the 

 wild Cherry attains to the size and bulk of a timber tree in 

 the adjoining woods. — Edwakd Luckhurst. 



GUMMING AND CANKEB. 

 The cause of gumming, that is, the estravaaation of the 

 sap of certain fruit treea, has not, I think, been clearly traced 

 to its source in every instance. Heat is said to be one of the 

 principal causes of this evil, but what will the advocates of 

 Buch a theory think when I assert that cold appeara to me to 

 exercise an important influence for evil in this matter? In 

 making this statement I must own that I am not prepared to 

 say that gumming does not Bometimee arise from heat, but it 

 should not be forgott&n that in attributing it to heat we infer 

 that it proceeds from some internal disorders, some derange- 

 ment of the system — in point of fact, that the disease ia or- 

 ganic, and consequently incurable, as, indeed, the swollen 

 gouty appearance of the joints of some trees that are badly 

 affected might fairly induce us to suppose. 



Goethe, in showing that all trees and plants consisted of two 

 parts only— leaf and stem, that the bark is simply an extension 

 of ft leaf, the roots and branches just so many prolongations 

 of the stem — did good service to science, and taught a lesson 

 of such importance that a clear comprehension of its full 

 significance ought to enable one to trace every disease, and 

 especially gamming, to ita source more readily and with far 

 greater certainty than could be done without such knowledge. 

 Regarded as a portion or rather extension of the leaf, the tex- 

 ture of the bark assumes a much greater degree of delicacy to 

 the mental vision, and these follow a consequent realisation of 

 the harm which may happen to it from rough treatment, or 

 even from undue exposure. Bruises and wounds from blows 

 with the trainer's hammer or mallet, from clumsily driven 

 nails, neglected fastenings of string, wire, and even of cloth 

 shreds, arc by far too common, and every one of them entails 

 a risk of gumming which in reality often follows. The ex- 

 posure to severe frost of the delicate cuticle of the unripened 

 growth of the Peach and Nectarine induces canker and pre- 

 mature decay. Thus, young trees of both species having 

 the protection of a wall sometimes present the anomalous 

 appearance of growth of extraordinary vigour blotched with 

 disease, as though the bark had been in contact with some 

 burning substance, destroying its tissues and causing the 

 wood to decay. Now these plague spots invariably make 

 their appearance upon the exposed side of the branches and 

 never upon the side touching the wall ; it is therefore self- 

 evident that the mischief proceeds from external causes and 

 not from any disorder of the system. Moreover, it ia reason- 

 able to suppose that the green crude bark of a gross unripe 

 shoot would be more susceptible of injury from frost than 

 that of wood which not being so rampant haa come to its full 

 maturity earlier in the season. 



Certain sorts of Cherries are subject to attacks of gumming, 

 others to canker, and it is curious to observe how each form 

 of disease is developed in different sorts. In Empress Eugi'nie 

 gumming presents iteelf upon the close-pruned lateral growth, 

 the stem and main branches presenting the aspect of perfect 

 health in contrast to this. Early Purple Gean has swollen 

 gouty joints, the stem and branches sometimes absolutely 

 glistening with extravaaated aap. Thia was notably the case 

 in a dwarf-trained tree of this useful early variety which was 

 planted by mistake against a north wall, the gumming being 

 BO bad as to give a severe check to the growth and endanger 

 the life of the tieo. It was this particular example which con- 

 vinced me that gumming sometimes proceeds from the effects 

 of cold. The effect of canker is far more serious, sometimes 

 killing a tree outright, and always destroying the branch which 



FLOWER GLASSES. 



My remarks are chiefly confined to the queen of flowere — 

 the Rose, but I think they are equally applicable to most of 

 the flowers usually found at shows. 



We know how important for the production of good blooms 

 is a good pure atmosphere together with good soil ; and yet at 

 shows in the amateurs' classes, those who live in the vicinity 

 of London and our other great towns have to compete with 

 others whose Roses grow in first-rate soil surrounded by fresh 

 country air. Now cannot we have a class or classes for exhi- 

 bitors who reside within five miles of the City ? 



Then as to the number of bloome to be exhibited. It is but 

 seldom that we see a less number than twenty-four varieties, 

 and generally they are required to be in sets of three trusses 

 of each. For those who have plenty of room and other favour- 

 able circumstances this is very well ; but there are others who, 

 like myself, would wish to see their pets on the exhibition 

 table, but who could never hope to have seventy-two blooms in 

 perfect condition at one time. My own Rose garden conaiets 

 of a border about 80 feet long by 9 feet wide. Why cannot 

 we have a claaa of ten or twelve varieties of one or two blooms 

 each ? — A Would-ee Exhieitob. 



i 



PROTECTING PEAS WHEN SOWN. 

 Dir the seed into benzoline and sow at once. Nothing will 

 touch the Peas under ground or when above ground. I have 

 just sown some British Queen Peas soaked all night in a 

 solution of aloea. I do not believe mice will touch them. 

 Some were sown without dressing, and as soon as they ap- 

 peared were earthed-up like Potatoes. Last year thia suc- 

 ceeded. — W. F. Radclyffe. 



WINTERING ALTERNANTHEBAS. 



Since carpet bedding haa become the faahion in nearly all 

 gardens now, plants suitable for that purpose must be culti- 

 vated, and the Alternantheras are a claaa of planta that have 

 become very popular, and deservedly so, for their dwarf habit 

 and the beautiful shades of colour that can be produced with 

 them in carpet or tracery bedding render them at present indis- 

 pensable ; but the difficulty experienced with many is the keep- 

 ing of the plants in good condition through the winter, and 

 for the benefit of your readers who have asked for advice on 

 that point I shall relate my treatment. 



Towards the end of July the plants will have made good 

 growth, which enables us to take cuttings. These are inserted 

 in G-inoh pots filled three parts with drainage, the remain- 

 ing part with a mixture of loam, leaf soil, and a sprinkling of 

 charcoal dust and sand. In this the cuttings are inserted 

 thickly, each pot holding from twenty to twenty-five cuttings ; 

 they are then placed in an old Melon er Cucumber bed, first 

 levelling the bed and covering the surface with some coal 

 ashes, on which the pots are placed and well watered. The 

 frames are then kept rather close and shaded during bright 

 days, and the cuttings sprinkled when the atmosphere of the 

 frame seems too dry, or the leaves show any signs of flagging. 

 With this treatment the cuttings soon form roots, and air Is 

 freely admitted on fine days. On the approach of cold nights 

 the plants are removed to the Pine stove, or any glass structure 

 where a heat of from GO' to 70° can be commanded. Here they 

 remain for the winter, receiving enough water to keep the soil 

 moist until February, when I have them taken out of the cut- 

 ting pots and planted about 2i inches apart in boxes. These 

 are then taken to the Cucumber pits, where the plants soon 

 become established. The moist heat of these structures auits 

 them admirably. They are afterwards placed in late vineries, 

 where they receive more air, and eventually are hardened off 

 in cold frames previous to planting out. With this treatment 

 I can guarantee ninety-nine cuttings (if not morel out of the 

 hundred. I find them do remarkably well in the boxes, and 

 , whcio large quantities are required they are much leas trouble 



