JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I March 29, 1877. 



some trasses quite expanded, and when the flowers open so 

 early as this they last in beanty mnch longer than those which 

 open about the middle of April. Most of the plants are now 

 showing their trusses, and the young leaves in their variety and 

 newly-developed beauty are very interesting. The fancier is 

 now entering into his period of keenest enjoyment, and much 

 attention is necessary to preserve the plants from frost at night 

 and east winds by day. , , , . ,, 



Carnations and Picotees recently potted are looking very well, 

 and require no attention except to water them when necessary. 

 The pots have been placed under glass to protect the plants 

 from celd rains and frosts ; the lights are removed on every 

 favourable opportunity. We fumigate to destroy green fly on 

 its first appearance. We ran the Dutch hoe through the beds 

 of Pinks and Pansies principally to dry the surface of the 

 ground. Cuttings from Dahlias which have been placed in heat 

 to start into growth will now strike readily in a little bottom 

 heat. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES KECEIVED. 



Daniels Brothers, The Nurseries, Norwich.— iisi of New 

 Sosesfor 1877. . 



A. Godefroy-Lebeuf, 26, Route de Sannois, Argenteuil (Seine 

 et Oiae), France.— Generai Catalogue of Asparagus, Straw- 

 berries, Vines, and Fruit Trees. 



Rawlinga Brothers, Old-churoh, Eomfordj^Easex,- Dsscr//)- 

 iive Catalogue of Dahlias. 



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 one will write privately to any 

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

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mix 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. All articles intended for insertion 

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

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 

 C03I1IDNICATI0N3. — Many are delayed from publication by want of space. 

 Books (Comtant U.:n((cr).— Write to Mr. B. S. Williams, Victoria and 

 Paradise Nurseries, HoUoway, London, N., who will give you the information 

 required. 



Azaleas Unhealthy (P. fii/e).— You had better ropot the plants at once 

 isi the beat peat you can procure and a little decayed leaf soil and silver sand. 

 The shift should not be large, yet large enough for the potting to be efficiently 

 done. Drain the pots well and pot firmly, being especially careful that the 

 balls are in the right condition a§ to moisture— neither wet nor dry, at the 

 time of potting. After the plants are potted place them in brisk heat, 

 syringing them twice daily, and providing a moist atmosphere. Water them 

 carefully at the roots. 



Tan as Manure (Herefordshire). — It would only be beneficial to Potatoes, 

 Can-ots, and Radishes on heavy soils. 



Hdmea eleoass (J. H. P.).— The leaf enclosed indicates that the plant is 



deficient in root-action. Probably it was pot-bound and then shifted into a 



larger pot. Give free ventilation and keep the air cool and moderately moist. 



Poltanthtses. — E. M. P. wishes to know where he can obtain Cheshire 



Favourite, Lord Lincoln, Kinglisher, and George IV. 



TaEE Carnations (O. Walsh).— loa can proooro them from any florist 

 who advertises in our columns. 



Boles from the Cape (G. if.).— Cover the bulbs with soil for the present. 

 ■We will give fuller information in a future number. 



Pronino Eoses (B. -V. if.).— Eoses to bloom in August should not be 

 pruned until the second or third week in May, allowing the plants to push 

 shoots at the extremity of the last year's growth, and at the time named 

 catting back to the dormant eyes at the base of the shoots. 



Roses and Onions (Af. Chaplin). — We never said they are of the same 

 order. If planted among Roses the Onion is said to intensify the odour of 

 the tlowers. The plan of the old garden is in No. 712. 



Oeranidms Spotted (C. N., Bri^}).— The spot is in most instances the 

 result of a stagnaifl atmosphere and deficient root action, and the affected 

 plants frequently improve as the season advances. If they are much spotted 

 the best remedy is to cut them down now, severing the shoots beiow the 

 Msease hue, and when new growths have pushed half an inch in length shake 

 the plants out of the pots and repot in fresh sandy loam, and the after- 

 growth will be healthy. 



Culture of Fuchsias, Geraniums, and Ferns (An Irish Subscriber).— 

 The Fuchsias and Geraniums having been cut down should, when they have 

 made shoots an inch long, be turned out of the pots and have all the old soil 

 removed, or so much of it as can be done without injury to the roots, return- 

 ing them to the same or slightly larger pots. They should after potting 

 be placed in a house with a temperature of from 55° by night, and 60*^ to 75'^ 

 by day, with shade from sun until the potting is recovered from, the house 

 being kept rather close and moist. The plants should be carefully watered 

 until the roots are working freely in the fresh soil. Air to be admitted 

 moderately, and the plants sprinkled overhead morning and evening. WTien 

 the shoots have grown 3 inches long they may be stopped as required. After 



warmer have increased ventilation, being well hardenod-off by the time of 

 exhibition. The Ferns ought to be rfpotted and grown-on in a moist atmo- 

 sphere, and may be given a slightly increased temperature to forward them, 

 but avoid drawing them up weakly. With a moist atmosphere and shade 

 from sun they will make good growth by the time you name. 



EucHARis Culture (An Old Reader).— Vol the plants now and place in a 

 bottom heat of 75- to 85°, and a top heat of 60= to 65" at night, 70° to 75" by 

 day, rising to 85= or 90° with sun and air, maintaining a moist atmosphere 

 and watering copiously. They should have a position as near- the glass as 

 possible. A compost of turfy loam with a fourth of leaf soil or well-decayed 

 manure and a free admixture of sand is suitable, with good drainage- When 

 the plants have made good growth, say in July, keep them rather dry for a 

 month or six weeks, then when again watered they will throw for flower, and 

 alter that is past they may be rested a short time and started again. They 

 will flower without bottom heat, but do very mnch better with it. 



Repotting Azaleas before Flowerino (Wim).— The plants you have 

 potted will not oast their buds, but will be longer in expanding than had 

 they not been potted, and will perhaps start into fresh growth before the 

 flowers appear. The plants ought not to have been potted until after flower- 

 ing. We should not pot the young plants until they have ceased flowering. 



Mushrooms Failino (A Connlant Bfn.frr). — Having no scarcity of 

 "buttons" appearing, which come to nothing, we can only conclude that 

 they are destroyed by too heavy or too frequent waterings. Why nse hay or 

 straw for covering the beds ? There must be something radically wrong with 

 the house or place where they are grown for the Mushrooms to grow up with 

 " nothing but stems." We do not employ any covering for the beds, but 

 have shutters to the windows to exclude light, and we syringe the walls and 

 floors every morning. We look over the beds daily to see that they are uni- 

 formly moist, any dry places being sprinkled with water from a syringe; but 

 when the beds are not in close proximity to the heating apparatus water will 

 seldom be required beyond a slight sprinkling occasionally. 



Marechal Niel Robe (J. W. B.).— The stalk is shanked, and that arises 

 from the sap not being sufficient in quantity to sustai 

 large quantity of R 

 water to the roots. 



Quantity of Bones for Vine Border (TT. Hartl.i/).— For a border 

 80 feet bv 12 feet, and a yard deep, it would take 4 cwt. of crushed bones. 

 Charcoal' is not absolutely necessary, but about five bushels added to the 

 compost would be of some advantage. 



Gum on Camellias (J. H.).— The moist gummy patches on the surfaces 

 of your Camellia leaves is extravasated sap. The exudation may arise from 

 two causes— plethora or excessive vigour ; or weakness and a morbid state of 

 the sap, resulting in what is erroneously known as " honeydew." Judgmg 

 fi-om the leaves sent, and from your letter, we are of opinion that the evil of 

 which you complain is due to the last-named cause. The remedy is, after 

 sponging the leaves, to apply water more copiously, and promote the fluidity 

 of the sap ; also to increase the vigour of your plants by giving clear weak 

 liquid manure occasionally— made from soot or cowdung, or the two com- 

 bined. The "mould " which forms on the leaves is a fungus, a result, not 

 the cause of the excretion. If the leaves sent are a fair sample of those on 

 the plants we are satisfied that the plants are insuflioiently supported, and 

 that that is the real cause of the exudation. 



Aphis on Weepino Birch (.ff Constant BcniJcr).- Keep a good look-ont 

 for the aphis, which usually appears at the close of May or early June, and 

 syringe the tree with a solution of soft soap, 2 ozs. to every gallon of tobacco 

 juice diluted with six gallons of soft water, which will give you seven gallons, 

 requiring 14 ozs. of soft soap. Strain and apply with a garden engine or 



^ ^ growth of the 



Thin the flowers,' and apply weak tepid manure 



syringe, forcing it against the under sides of the leaves, wetting every part of 

 the tree. It may be necessary to repeat the application, and in case of a baa 

 attack to add to every three gallons a wine-glassful of spirits of turpentine, 

 mixiug it thoroughly with the solution before application. 



Destroyino Woodlice (C. ^. B.).— Toads are usefully employed in con- 

 venien'. places in the destruction of woodlice. If you have an aversion to 

 toads you can lay traps for the woodlice, such as sliced potatoes spread in a 

 secluded place, pouring boiling water on the congregated colonies, avoiding 

 scalding the roots of plants. 



WIREW0S3I IN Vine Borders (J. H. C.).— .is you say they swarm under 

 the boards that lie on the borders, it will be a good plan to turn up the boards 

 occasionally and destroy all that can be seen. Rape-cake, Potatoes, and 

 Carrots attract them, and they can be destroyed when feeding. Have yoa 

 noticed that they have eaten the Vine roots ? because, although wkeworms 

 may sometimes attack the roots of Vines, they do not often do so. We saw 

 at ilr. Pearson's nursery at Chilwell, Nottingham, a pot Vine amongst many 

 others. It was one of the strongest and healthiest in the house, and yet 

 about half a hundred wirsworms were purposely put in the compost with the 

 Vine. In that case it could not be seen that the worms ate any of the roots. 



Name of Tulip (.4. M.).— We think the early rose-and-white Tulip yon 

 describe is Cottage Maid. 



Names of Plants (t. S. 3/.).— Adiantum lunnlatum. (Reader of the 

 Journal).— I, Blechnum occidentale ; 2, Adiantum tetraphyllum ; 8, A. tene- 

 rum ; 4, A. rethiopicum, or near it; 5, A. afline ; 6, Selaginella Martensii. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PiaEON OHRONIOLE. 



TEIMMING. 



"How about trimming iu our new club ?" " It hardly needs 

 to be commented on," we replied ; " of course the club will be 

 down upon every case that comes under its notice." " Then I 

 for one cannot join, much as I should like to be a member." 

 This comes from a Poland breeder of much fame— one who in 

 every affair of life makes integrity the first thought, one who 

 loves poultry from his heart as he does all Nature's objects, and 

 who finds more pleasure iu a hedgerow in June than fashion- 

 able London does in the Academy, parks, and Opera House all 

 put together. He is one of those fanciers who are always ready 



the pots become filled with roots'- weak liquid ma£ure at evSry alternate to do a brother fancier some good turn, ^^''^}L'\^^^l,^JZ^^H 

 watering will be beneficial. The plants shonld as the weather becomes I OWn prospects at a show; ana he is one wnom ine ciuo womu 



