JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTDBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ April 19, 1877. 



sown out of doors, aud to insure sweet youcg Radishes seed 

 Bhonld be sown at tolerably close intervals. 



VINEBIES. 



As Vines are now so extensively cultivated by amateurs 

 and others who have not had much experience in gardening 

 matters, it is desirable that the details of this work should 

 be full. The Vines are now starting into growth, and the first 

 operation is to remove all growths that are not required, and 

 which only rob the permanent growths of their due share of 

 nourishment. The tendency of the young shoots is to grow 

 straight up to the glass, and if they are not carefully bent down 

 in their earliest stages the work cannot be satisfactorily done 

 afterwards. The growths must also be brought down very 

 gradually, and they should be trained as nearly as possible at 

 equal distances over the trelliswork, and not be crowded. The 

 rods should be at least 2 feet 6 inches apart, and the lateral 

 growths 18 inches from each other. It is well to stop the 

 growths as soon as two leaves can be seen beyond the bunch, 

 and the after-thinning of the laterals will depend upon whether 

 the leaves are crowded or otherwise. When the growth is 

 stopped the Vines make an effort at once to form frosh growths. 

 These should be stopped at one leaf, aud as a general rule all 

 after-growths ought to be pinched close back. 



Those_ who were able to start their Vines in January will 

 now be in a position to thin the Grapes, and also to reduce tlae 

 number of bunches on the Vines. This last operation should 

 be performed before thinning has commenced. It is trying 

 work to the inexperienced to cut away what seems to be a fair 

 promise for a noble bunch of Grapes, but it is quite necessary, 

 as overcropping is the certain ruin of Vines if it is persisted in. 

 The berries ought also to be freely thinned, but this can only 

 be well learned from experience. At this time a moist atmo- 

 sphere is necessary in all houses, and a night temperature of 65° 

 should be maintained. 



GEEENHOnSE AND CONSEBVATOBT. 



Here the plants must be kept clean, and any appearance of 

 green fly should bring the fumigating apparatus into requisition. 

 Bed spider has appeared on some young Azalea and other plants 

 in a cool house. We take the plants down from the stage two 

 or three times a week, lay them on their sides, and then syringe 

 the leaves well underneath. It is on the under sides of the 

 leaves that the spider finds the most congenial food, aud the 

 syriiige does not reach the insect well when the plants stand 

 npright on the stages. Further, if the plants a,e syringed 

 freely as they are npright, too much water may find its way to 

 the roots and injure the plants. As they he on their sides 

 the water passes off without running into the soil. Any other 

 plants which are attacked with insect pests must be cleansed 

 from them without any delay, as all sorts of insects injurious 

 to plant life bieed with marvellous rapidity when the hot dry 

 weather sets in. 



The Primula amosua and its varieties are very useful flower- 

 ing plants at this time of the year. They are very pretty, easily 

 grown, aud delicately scented. The plants must be shaded 

 from bright sunshine, and during the growing period they ought 

 to be freely ventilated and be placed close to the glass. When 

 the flowers open the stalks should be supported with neat sticks, 

 as the trusses are too heavy for the slender stems, which fall 

 about if they are not supported. 



Trt:e or Perpctual-fluwering Carnations have been potted-off 

 from the cutting pots, aud a few more cuttings have been put in 

 for succession. The small side growths strike very freely in a 

 little bottom heat under glass lights. Some of the varieties are 

 of very slender growth, aud before the plant is 6 inches high the 

 stems fall over ; it is better to place a small stick to each of them 

 at once, and this will secure them from damage. The plants 

 are very liable to be attacked by aphis, but this can easily be 

 destroyed by fumigating with tobacco smoke or by dipping the 

 plants in a solution of tobacco water and soft soap. Those who 

 intend growing these useful winter-flowering plants will find 

 the present a good time to purchase plants, as small plants 

 bought-in now will make good flowering specimens for next 

 winter. Some of the best sorts are Guelder Rose, pure white; 

 Bose Perfection, very fine; Scarlet Defiance, a splendid free- 

 fl.}weriDg sort; Bride, pure white; Diana, rose; Empress of 

 Germany, large white rose flaked ; Gloire de Lyon, scarlet flake ; 

 Kiag of the Belgians, rose; Miss JoUifife, flesh colour; Prince of 

 Orange, yellow, edged crimson ; Proserpine, scarlet; Souvenir 

 de la Malmaison, white ; and Vulcan, red. 



Stage Pelargoniums are now showing their flower trusses, 

 which are much strengthened if the plants receive occasional 

 waterings with weak manure water. To grow the plants well 

 they must also be placed very near the glass, to have abundance 

 of light and a free circulation of air, which does not mean that 

 the plants should stand in a keen cold east wind, but in calm 

 weather the ventilators may be open to their fullest extent. Not 

 a trace of green fly should be seen upon any of the plants at 

 this time ; they must be quite free from insect pests before the 

 fi 'wers open, as fumigating causes the petals to drop. 



Wo have sown Cineraria seeds. This may be considered 



early to sow them, and so it is if small plants only are wanted ; 

 but to obtain good specimens by the new year the seeds must be 

 sown at once in light soil composed of loam and leaf soil in equal 

 parts. To obtain good plants of Chinese Primula the seeds 

 should also be sown now in light sandy soil, aud they will vege- 

 tate more freely if the pots are placed in a frame where they can 

 obtain a little bottom heat. We are also busy amongst Chry- 

 santhemums, potting those plants that require repotting, and 

 tying out the growths of young plants intended for specimens. 



Lapageria rosea and the more scarce variety alba are now 

 making plenty of young growths. The plants require liberal 

 supplies of water, and the leaves are freely syringed with rain 

 water once or twice a-day. When the plants start into growth 

 is an excellent time to repot any that require it. They succeed 

 best iu turfy fibrous peat, and ought to have a liberal shift. 

 Care should be taken not to injure the roots during the operation 

 of potting, the fresh compost should be pressed-in moderately 

 firmly. 



FLOWEB GARDEN AND FLORIST FLOWERS. 



Nearly all the bedding Pelargoniums have been moved into 

 positions where the plants can be freely exposed to the weather, 

 but where they can be protected from frost and superfluous 

 wet. The other bedding plants sufficiently hardy are also 

 moved out as we can find opportunity. The pits are now useful 

 for Strawberry plants, which will be removed from the orchard 

 house into them. 



Auriculas require considerable attention. The largest pro- 

 portion of plants are in frames facing the south, but as soon as 

 the pips on any of the trusses open the plants must be removed 

 to frames facing the north. The expanded pips will not stand 

 the sun, nor will the plants themselves if the weather is hot; 

 the leaves hang down very much if shading is neglected. On 

 the first signs of distress in the plants a light tiffany shading 

 should be thrown over the glass. 



Tulips are flowering strongly, but the beds should be pro- 

 tected from too much wet, especially if the weather should be 

 cold The shadings are also wanted if frosts occur at night. A 

 mulching of short manure prevents the soil from being splashed 

 on to the leaves by the rain, and also keeps the roots in an 

 equable temperature. 



Pinks are spindling for bloom, and considering the trying 

 ordeal they have gone through this winter they look very 

 healthy. We keep the ground free from weeds, and stir the 

 surface occasionally with a small Dutch hoe. 



Carnations and Picotees in pots are growing freely, but we do 

 not care to turn the plants out in the open ground as yet; we 

 may have snow and frost as we had last year about this time. 

 Wb hive very nearly finished planting out the Gladiolus ; the 

 bulbs have been planted rather more closely together than they 

 have usually been in former years. — J. Dougl.vs. 



TRADE CATALOGUES KECEIVED. 



William Potten, Sissinghurst, Kent.— Select List of Gera- 

 niums and other Bedding Plants. 



Cbarles Van Geert, Rue de la Provence, Antwerp. — Catalogue 

 of Hardy Ornamental Trees and S/irubs. 



. Louis de Smet, Ledeberglez-Gaud, Belgium. — Catalogue of 

 Novelties, and List of Agaves and other Succulent Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 *,' All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Letters addresied 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 subjeots them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Books (C. B. P.).— "The Greeuhoaee Manual," published at oar office, 

 freo by post if twenty postage stami)^ are enclosed. 



MAjDENuiiH Fern (Flora). — Tha probable oanse of the ends of the 

 fronds ahrivelliny is that the air in whioh the plant is grown is too dry. 



Orange within an Obangg (.W. J. F. it. J.).— It is an oocnrrcnoe not 

 frequent, any more than it is for a small egg to be found inside a large cue. 



Cinerarias (Jruptirrr). — They are inferior to many named varieties, and 

 are not equal to mauy usually grown from seed for greenhouao decoration. 



Whitewash foe Greenhouse Roop (A Lady). — Conunon whitewash 

 applied inside the roof is best. Dahlia tubers can be started npon a dung 

 hotbed. 



Cyences (Clericus), — The only instance that we know of grafts being ao 

 called is in Flavel's "Husbandry Spiritualised." It is there said, "These 

 tender cyences quickly take hold of the stock." 



Plant: for an Amateur's Greenhouse (A Lady Qardemr). — We should 

 have half a dozen Camellias, an equal number of Azaleas, and a like number 

 of Epncrises, with at least one each of the following : — Acacia armata, A. Rico- 

 ana, Correa Brilliant, Cjtisus racemosus, Daphne indica alba, Hydrangea 

 hortensie, H. stellata flore-pleuo, Imantophyllum miniatum, Kalosanthes 

 coccineasnperba, Liboniafloribunda, Pimeleadecussata, PolygalaDalmaisiana, 

 Rhododendron jasminiflorum, Statice profusa, and Vallota purpurea, with 

 a few variegated plants, such as Yucca aloifolia variegata, Hydrangea ja- 

 ponica variegata, Bambusii Fortune! variegata, Lomatia elegautiasima, Ve 



