April 5, 1877. ] 



JOaaXAL OP HOBTICOLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



deners have in this to act according to circumstances. Some 

 owners of gardens do not object to afford sufScient labour, but 

 are very chary of purchasing either bulbs or plants. In that 

 ease the gardener will do well to make the most of his stock. 

 Another place may be short of men to do the work, yet the 

 gentleman is willing to spend a sulBcient sum for bulbs and 

 spring flowers annually. The gardener would manage this place 

 difl'erently; he would not be able to pay that attention to the 

 plants that they requiro, and would find it answer to give them 

 to his poorer neighbours ; throwing them away would be wilful 

 waste. "A Doctor's Gakdeneb" has in a recent number of 

 this Journal so fully detailed the best way to manage with 

 Hyacinths after flowering, that any farther remarks from me 

 would be quite superfluous. Tulips require the same treatment 

 as Hyacinths. The Lily of the Valley is everywhere a favourite, 

 bat it is not generally known that they may be grown in the 

 same pots year after year. In one' instance they were grown in 

 8-inch pots without shifting for thirty years, and every year 

 they flowered well. We now generally purchase single crowns 

 at so much per hundred. They are potted, say eighteen 

 or more in au S-inch pot, and they flower well the first year, 

 but as soon as the flowers fade the jilants are not turned out 

 in the frosty air and left to chance. They are placed in cold 

 frames and supplied with water as it is required. In May the 

 plants aro turned cut of doors, and if well attended to with 

 water until the leaves fade we obtain a much better bloom the 

 second year than the first. Mr. Wier, who shows very good 

 plants of Lily of the Valley, has grown and exhibited the same 

 plants for ten years at least. Spirtea japouica does well with 

 the same treatment ; and the Deutzia gracilis, which I have 

 exhibited for several years in London, were raised from cuttings 

 about twelve years ago, and have been shifted-on until they are 

 now in 12-inch pots. 



We are this week potting and training hardwooded plants ; 

 they are mostly small plants intended to be trained into speci- 

 mens. In order to accomplish this they must be attended to 

 with incessant care. Some species are very liable to be attacked 

 by red spider, others with mildew, and all of them may be 

 irretrievably ruined from becoming overdry at the roots. 

 Epacrises should be cut down closely as soon as they have ceased 

 flowering. They may be cut to within an inch or two of the 

 old wood — that is, if the plants are not intended to grow large. 

 If very large specimens are preferred the young wood may be 

 just cut back and the plant trained into shape. Camellias 

 start into growth immediately they have ceased flowering, and 

 should be placed in a close moist atmosphere, which will much 

 improve them by causing a more vigorous growth. Pelargo- 

 niums are also kept in an airy position near the glass, and are 

 {ally exposed to light. The growths are tied out as they advance 

 on large plants. — .J. Douglas. 



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 subjeota them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix up on tne same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jecta, 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. 



PASTrEE TrEF FOE VreE Boeder {J. M. K.).— It is all the better for the 

 purpose having been tnrDed over repeatedly doriDg three years, eepecially if 

 the soil is heavy and adhesive in its natnrc. 



Geeenhodse foe Peofit (Live and Learn).— 'No one cotild advise jou 

 traetworthily without knowinK previoasly more than can be told by letter. 

 Yon must grow whatever is in demand near you, and as a guide to the 

 erection of the structure, buy our "Greenhouses (or the Many;" you can 

 have it free by post it you enclose seven postage stamps with your full 

 direction. 



Glazing iviTnorT PrTii (J. P. of Vorl).— The illustration in our Journal 

 of March loth is intended to show how the glass is iixed ; it is not artistic, 

 bat intended as a guide easily to be understood by practical men. 



Table Plants (L. H., Belfast).— Six plants snitaljle for table decoration 

 and exhibition during the lirst week in July, and which can be grown in a 

 frame or cool greenhouse, are Fuchsia Snnray (variegated foliage), Acacia 

 lophontha, Coleus Duchess of Edinburgh, Ph<tnix rcclinata (Palm), Lomaria 

 citiata (Fern), and Coprosma Eaueriana variegate. 



Making an Aspaeaocs Bed l^i. H.).— Eschew the old laborious plan of 

 raised beds and sunken alleys and proceed as follows:— See that the land is 

 well drained, broken op to a depth of 18 inches, and thoroughly enriched by 

 having a large quantity of rich manure mixed with it. Select forthwith 

 strong plants having plenty of white healthy roots, planting them in this 

 prepared bed 2 feet apart, spreading the roots carefully outwards, covering 

 both them and the crowns with 6 inches of soil, and after the planting is 

 doae give the entire surface a liberal mulching of old manure. Iti the en- 

 suing season of growth carefully keep down weeds, pour liquid manure over 

 the entire bed as frequently as possible, cherish the growth with jealous care. 



and nest year you may fairly expect a moderate supply of large succulent 

 shoots, and in the following year a full and most abundant one. 



Nemonttllis oemikifloba. — "J. F." will be obliged for directions how 

 to cultivate this plant, and for information as to its native country. 



EucHABis (G. H. v.). — It was not introduced until about thirty years after 

 London published his " Encyclopasdia." 



Mr. Ward's Plants. — Mr. T. M. Shuttleworth asks us to state that he 

 only bought three Azaleas at the sale of Mr. Ward's plants. 



Annuals for Bedding Purposes {J. S.). — Two of the best are Sapo- 

 naria caUbrica and Tagetes si^'nata pumila. Lobelias aro also treated as 

 annuals, but the seed should he sown in autumn. If you state the plants 

 you have, we will tell you how to arrange them in a ribbon border. 



Cyclamens after Floweeino (Mem).— Place them in a cool greenhouse 

 and give sutticient water to prevent the soil becoming dusty dry. In May 

 the plants may be placed in a cold frame. When they start into growth in 

 the autumn let the plants be turned out of the pots and part of the soil be 

 removed, repotting again in the same sized pots, or if the plants are strong 

 the pots may be larger. The plants should be placed in a warm greenhonsa 

 in November. 



Kbpoiting Camellias and Azaleas (T. Eeith).— The Camellias having 

 done flowering shift them into pots a size larger, being very careful not to 

 injure the roots, which are very tender, removing so much of the old soil as 

 can be done ^vith a pointed piece of wood from the parts of the ball not 

 occupied with roots, draining the pots well. If the pots admit of three- 

 quarters to an inch of fresh soil around the balls they are quite large enough. 

 When the Azaleas have bloomed shift them into larger pots, keep the neck or 

 collar of the plants rather high in the centre of the pots, water carefully until 

 the roots are working freely in the Iresh soil, and then more freely. The 

 plants should be kept rather close and moist until the potting is recovered 

 from, shading them from bright sun. 



Verbena venosa (F. 7.).— Old plants are as good as young, and may be 

 transplanted now into bedding quarters, dividing them if large, and if divisions 

 can be had with roots, cutting away the old growths if not abready done. 

 The old plants should be out down before winter, and have a mulching of 

 some partially decayed leaves or manure placed over the roots. 



Exhibiting Eoses (4 iroiiIii-'/s £j;hi6i'or).— I do not know where boxes, 

 lie, are to be had, but will make inquiries. Our schedule is arranged, so 

 that we cannot make any change, and I think Classes II and 12 would meet 

 such a case as you suggest. It might be worth whUe another year to moot 

 the question. — D., D::aL 



Bedding Tulips (H. S. Jnmes).— We do not suppose that the Tulips would 

 sntler very much from being left in the ground, as they are all hardy varieties ; 

 but the plan is not a good one. Why not take them up and lay them m 

 thickly in some out-of-the-way spot in the kitchen garden '! 



BoLBS FROM the Cape OF GooD HopE (G. M.).— Bruusvigia, Hseman- 

 thus, and Norine, with Amaryllis (probably A. Belladonna) agree m flower- 

 ing about September, the leaves commencing growing soon afterwards, and 

 continue growing through the winter, dying-o£i about May. In early June the 

 plants may be placed outdoors in a sunny situation upon ashes or other sur- 

 face impervious to worms, and exposed to the weather up to August or unt J 

 their buds push, when they should be moved to the greenhouse, in which they 

 -should have a light airy situation. After the leaves appear copious supplies 

 of water are required,' The plants should be «?°«°.™;J, ■". '^'fy^''"';'™^. 

 until the end of May or early June. The Bnmsvigia is the better in AMgaat 

 of a gentle bottom heat, the pots being plunged in a tomperature of about 

 75' to 8(F, removing to the greenhouse when 't^,^"?''/'"'"', .,^'^^}'"'5" 

 should be covered to the neck. The Nerine and BeUadonna Lfly may be 

 planted out 4 inches deep in well-drained soil m front of a south "all, but 

 they are much better with a handglass over them during the wmtei . Cyrtan- 

 thus should be potted the same as Brunsvigia (we like to b™ "-em up to 

 the neck), also Hn-manthus. The Cyrtanthus-heiug allied '» y»"°'»i ^'^ 

 like it evergreen-requires to be kept moist. It also may be placed eataoMS 

 n Mtniner hoasin- in September. Some of the species of Cyrtanthus aro 

 deciduous.'and these do not need water when at rest. Uropetalon »?« Altaca 

 must have the bulbs covered and be kept in a light situation or planted ^t 

 in front of a south wall, protected with glass in winter; *»"^' l'''"«'i,^f 

 kept dry in winter, watering freely when growing. i°«>«"«""' O™"'?^^™' 

 and Drimia to have the bulbs covered about an inch deep if grown m pots 

 watered freely when growing, and kept dry after the 'f »™%'^^«- " P'^^ 

 out in front ol a south waU cover them 4 inches f <>». »;°« l™'™'J,"°i 

 wet in winter as well as frost. Buphone should have t^° "«f "™ . °' 

 Brunsvigia. Ctirculigo cover with soil, just I'^'^-'e the apex "tej'. ™'^'»B 

 carefully until growth takes place, then freely. Lachenaha to have the btflbs 

 just covered, kept on shelves near the glass, and Browing in ^^'^J .^^^^P 

 moist until the leaves torn yeUow, then discontinue watering . Y„=:'r "'^V" 

 be Dotted an inch deep if grown in pots, or plant outdoors 3 inches deep, 

 treattos the same as Gladioli; or pot and keep in frames, removing to the 

 CTcSuse in Stay?or plant out from pots. Gethyllis may have the treat- 

 S of Ne'rtae "'irich^onema, Morea, 'liabiana, and Ixia po a-'-^^^a-p. 

 and do not water until growth commences, keeping near the glass, ceasing 

 ™?erSig wheS the foliage dies down and dry when at rest Ferraria po^ an 

 Inch deep and plant out in May, or flower them in pots m » ','»" P°8>"°d '" 

 the greenhouse. Sparaxis and Oviedias pot an inch deep, and treat the same 

 as Mas. Tritonias to be potted an inch deep, the soil to be kept ™°'^'/, °" 

 the first and watered freely when the plants are growing. They do well m 

 a shel 'red sUuation outdoors, planted S inches deep. Pelarg»»»» '■>=' 

 cover the tubers with soil, watering careftUIy until m free growth ; when at 

 rest keep dry, affording a light weU-ventUated position. .Some of the tuberous 

 Pelargoniums are very pretty. 



NAiiES OF Plants (SM(;ir).-l,Berberi3Derwinii; 2, Euonymus radioana 

 variegatus ; 3, No spores on the frond ; 4, We think .Eschynanthus Lobhianua, 

 but cannot determine without flowers. 



POULTET, BEE, AlTD PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 

 EGGS FOR SITTING, 



Many beginners in the poultryifancy seem to think that eggs 

 intended lor sitting need a particular kind of treatment and 

 manipulation. While there is no doubt that careful handling 



