JOURNAL OF HOHTICUIiTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 * * All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 * Editors," or to *' The Pabliaher," 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 correspoodents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mis up on the same sheet ques- 

 tions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee 

 subjects, 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. 

 Exhibiting Haedy Flowers (R. fl. C.).~Erythrinas, Sparaxes, Ixias, 

 Euoomis punctata, and Antlioljzas are not hardy. AU the other plants in 

 your list are hardy. 



Geraniums Mildewed (Pelargonium). —The j require more ventilation 

 and a less damp air. 



Roses and Geraniums (fl. B. H.)-— Wa cannot name them from cut 

 b-Iooms. 



Unhealthy Cucumbers (A. B. C.).— Your plants appear to be quite use- 

 less, and we should therefore destroy them and plant others from a healthy 

 Btoak and in fresh soil. 



Rose Leaves Blackened (Tyro). — Your Roses appear to be infested 

 with the black fungus. Dissolve 3 ozs. of Gishurst compound in a gallon of 

 water and syringe the trees, and then dust them with soot when the leaves 

 are wet. The solution will retain its strength " Xor a week or two" after 

 being mised. 



Cabpet-bedding Plants (KiffJd).— You will find the information you 

 require in an early future issue of the Journal. 



TuNGUs ON Peat (F. TT.).— "We could find no fun^s on the peat yoa sent. 

 It was all loose in the bos, and waa only a mass of dry powder. We should 

 remove the surface soil if much infested with fungus and replace with fresh 

 Boil. 



Fungus on Roses {Surrey Qarde7wr).—Vfe think your Rosea are infested 

 with the orange fungus. Sponge the leaves with 2oz3. of blue vitriol (sul- 

 phate of copper) dissolved in hot water and added to two or tliree gallons of 

 ccld water. 



South Kensington Show (Sussex Gardener).— The charge for admission 

 is Ss. 6d., but if you procure a ticket through a Fellow before the day it is 

 2s. 6rf. The gardens round London worth seeing are Kew, Chiswick, South 

 Kensington, Royal Botanic, and you should also look round Battersea, Vic- 

 toria, and Hyde Parks, and Kensington Gardens. If you study these well 

 you will take home a mass of instruction with you that may be of great 

 service. 



Orchids for Importation (O. C. H.).— From Manilla several species of 

 PhaliPnopsis may be sent, but the beat are P. Schilleriana and P. amabilis, 

 but they will not travel safely unless they are established on native wood 

 before being sent. Cypripedinm la-vigatum is also found there, and is a very 

 choice and rare plant. From Rangoon may be sent Yanda caerulescens and 

 many t^pecies of Dendrobium, including D. thyrsiflorum, D. Bensonia?, 

 D. Wardianuo), D. crassinode, &o. Aeridea Scbilleriana is a rare species 

 found in Bormab. 



Pbices of Fruit at Covent Garden ( ■).— The prices quoted for 



Strawberries are prices obtained for those sent up from the country, which 

 never sell for prices equal to those grown near London. For the country fruit 

 there is very little demand, while good morning-gathered fruit are arriving 

 from the market gardeners near London, for this reason— the country fruit is 

 always gathered 0TL>rnight. It is quite unnecessary for us to quote the prices 

 of London fruit, as it would only mislead country readers and make them 

 dissatisfied. The prices quoted in TJw Tinus appear to be those of a very 

 exorbitant retailer, and such prices as are only made on veiy exceptional 

 occasions. 



Cauliflowers Early in June [Manx CaO.— This is an unusually late 

 season, and the Cauliflowers you refer to have had the protection of glass for 

 preserving them through the winter, and have probably also been grown 

 under hand-lights during the spring. In order to have Cauliflowers at the 

 time you name the seed must be sown in September, the plants being 

 wintered in a cold frame, hand-glasses being further provided to grow them 

 under untU the heads are nearly ready for cutting. They may be cut in 

 early June in the midland counties without being grown under hand-lights, 

 but not in late seasons like the present. 



Destroying Aphides on Markchal Niel Rose (A Subscriber).— Boil 

 4 ozs. of quassia chips for fifteen minutes in a gallon of soft water, strain and 

 add four more gallons of water and syringe your Rose. We think this will 

 destroy the aphides without injuring the blooms. The *' slimy substance " 

 will probably disappear when you have destroyed the insects, and especially 

 if you apply liquid manure to the roots of the Rose. 



Grapes Scalded {SonifrseD.-The scalding in your case was the result of 

 the sudden outbreak of sun after a long period of dull weather. We think 

 with the treatment you are giving the Vines that the injury will not extend, 

 and that shading will not be necessary. Without knowing the size of the 

 bunches we cannot say whether your Vines are too heavily cropped or not. 

 With the number you have left on they should not average more than a pound 

 in weight. 



Soil for Vine Border (J. W.). — Good Grapes have been grown without 

 the addition of bonsK in the border, yet we strongly recommend them. A 

 good compost for Vines is the following: — The soil should be porous and 

 moderately rich. The bulk of it ought to be chopped turf from an old 

 pasture; if neither too sandy nor too heavy this alone would grow good 

 Grapes. To ten barrowloads of this tnrf soil add two of broken oyster shells, 

 old lime rubbish, or a mixture of the two, which is preferable; one of horse 

 droppings, one of charcoal, and half a baahel of broken bones. Do not nse 

 quicklime, nor leaf soil, or decayed wood, which might breed fungi, so de- 

 Btruotive to living roots. 



Black Beetles, Worms, and Centipedes (CIocA-s).— Beetles are injurious 

 to plants 'dy devouring their foliage, especially that of plants in the seedling 



state. Earth worms are also injuriona to plants in pots; they choke the 

 drainage and displace the soil. Centipedes often do harm to plants. The 

 ns may be destroyed by flooding the pots with lime, 1 lb. of lime to three 

 gallons of water, well stirred up. Let it stand forty-eight hours, employing 

 the clear lime water. The beetles and centipedes must be captured. 



Quicklime for Garden (Idem). — It is not injurious if used when cool 

 and in a freshly slaked or finely powdered state. A few applications at 

 weekly intervals will free the ground from slugs, but it must be applied in 

 the evening or early morning, best after rain. 



Sea Sand for Plants— Gatllardi a hybrida grandiflora Seed not 

 Germinating { Jrfcr/i).- Sea sand is not suitable for mixing with the compost 

 for plants. River sand is suitable, but silver sand is more generally used. 

 The Oaillardia is not a hardy annual, but balf-hardy, requiring to be sown in 

 a hotbed in March. We should consider seed sown a month ago in a cold 

 frame to have perished. Perhaps the " scant productions " are not weeds but 

 plants of Gaillardia. 



Fragrant Roses (S. iT.).- The following are twenty-four of the most fra- 

 giant of the Hybrid Perpetnals ;— La France, Charles Lefebvre, Louis Van 

 Iloutte, Alfred Colomb, Marie Baumann, Bessie Johnson, Rev. J. B. M. Camm, 

 Abel Grand, Senateur Vaimse, Camille Bernardin, Madame Knorr, Pierre 

 Notting. Richard Wallace, Madame Victor Verdier, Mdlle. Marie Rady, Jules 

 Margottin, Ferdinand de Lesaeps, Comtesse Cecile de Chabrillant, Franrois 

 Micheion, General Jacqueminot, Duchess of Edinburgh, Xavier Olibo, Duke 

 of Edinburgh, Madame FilUon, Madame C. Joigneaax, and John Hopper. 



Marechal Niel Rose for Christmas (A. H,).— You will need to encourage 

 growth now, so that it maybe completed by the middle of July. Then keep the 

 plant dry, but not so as to cause the foliage to flag, and after about sis weeks 

 of dry treatment, air being very plentifully admitted, the weak and unripe 

 growths should be cut away, which is all the pruning necessary ; and moisture 

 being given, the plants syringed twice a-day, and water applied freely at the 

 roots, alternating with weak liquid manure, fresh growth will be made, and if 

 the wood be ripe every shoot will flower. Air should be freely given at all 

 times, but the house must be kept at a temperature of 45^ to 50'^ by night, 

 and 5=' higher by day from fire heat, and this with some air on, admitting air 

 freely in mild weather, but allowing the temperature to rise toC5"'or 75 from 

 sun heat. We presume the plants are well established. 



CocuMBER Blossom and Tendrils (Wcni).— Unless seed be wanted the 

 male flowers are of no use and may be removed, also the tendrils ; but we do 

 not trouble about either, having no time for suoh minutire. The size of 

 plant desirable before allowing to carry fruit is not material. A plant a yard 

 high ought to show fruit, our ambition being to obtain fruit as soon as wo 

 can, and succeasionally with the increase of growth. We stop every shoot, 

 and expect to have fruit at every second or third leaf produced ; but then we 

 want them for table pm-poses, not for exhibition. If you want the latter you 

 must allow more foliage and take less fruit. 



Tricolor Pelargoniums Losing Colour {Ncjporth).^lt is not uncom- 

 mon for plants struck in a propagating house aud gmwn-on in heat to lose 

 colour when brought into a lower temperatore. The cuttings should be struck 

 in a temperature very little higher than that in which the plants have been 

 grown, aud when struck they should be at once removed. The main point is 

 to secure progressive growth; whereas when the plants are grown in heat 

 they receive a check when brought into a lower temperature, growth ceasing, 

 and the colours go out because there is no new foliage produced. Another 

 causa of want of colour is growing too rapidly in shade, whereas it is light 

 that brings out colour. A light airy house and a temperature of 50° by 

 artificial means is desirable until the close of May, after which a cold pit or 

 frame is more suitable, air being admitted freely in wet weather when it is 

 desirable to keap on the lights toward off rains; and in bright weather a 

 light shading should ba given from powerful sun. In mild weather and at 

 nights in hot weather the lights may be drawn off, but the plants must bo 

 prntected from heavy rains. Be careful not to overwater, and avoid a too rich 

 compost, a healthy root-action being essential to progressive growth, upon 

 which depends the beauty of the plants. 



Stopping Vines [0. E. J.). — You may stop the shoots when they reach 

 the top of the house, and subsequently the side laterals to within two leaves 

 of the main rod. Poat (one-third) is an useful addition to loam for Fuchsias, 

 but it is not required by Geraniums unless the loam is very strong. 



Insects on Cucumbers (A Fifteen-years Subscriber). —The leaf sent was 

 quite withered, and we could not find any insects. As fumigating kills them 

 we can only advise you to persevere, and we think you will conquer the pest. 

 We should syringe also with a mixture of soft-soap water or Gishurst, 9 ozs. 

 to each gallon and mixed with quassia water, applying it warm, and should 

 not syringe with ck-ar water afterwards. You will tiod also that syringing 

 with perfectly clear aoot water will be beneficial to the plants and distasteful 

 to the insects. 



Grapes Scalded (E. P.. A'., and Others).^ThQ result is principally due to 

 the burning influence of the sun suddenly following a long period of dull 

 weather. There may also be some deficiency in the root-action, for the 

 injury is more extensive when the ssp is insufficient to supply the loss caused 

 by evaporation. Grapes vary in the strength of their tissue, hence some 

 sorts scald mure than others, as, for instance, Muscats aud Lady Downe's 

 Seedling. Scalding is accelerated by keeping the vineries closed too long in 

 the mornings of sunny days and then opening the ventilators widely to 

 check the rising temperature. AS'ordipg adequate nouri-^hraent to the roots, 

 admitting air very early, increasing it gradually in advance of the rising 

 temperature, and sprinkling a little whiting over the glass where the Vines 

 are affected, are the means to adopt to prevent the injury from spreading. 

 When vineries are closely glazed a little air shoQld be left on all the night 

 — just an inch or so at the top of the houses. 



Names of Plants (C. Hiicking).-~Vfe cannot undertake to name plants 

 that are not in bloom, the one that came was S" crushed it could not be 

 identified. You should enclose specimens in a box. (il/arta).— Probably ayoung 

 plant of Cystoptoris fragilis. (Co?is/rtn( Reader).— 2, Sibthorpia europipa; 



3, Nephrolepis exaltata; 4, Rivina humilis ; 5 and 6, Pihva muscosa. The 

 tree is Pyrus pinnatifida, and is propagated by grafting on the Whitethorn or 

 Pear stock. {A Part Subscriber).— We cannot undertake ta name garden 

 varieties of florists' flowers, nor flowers of shrubs such as Ilht)dodendroD8 

 and Roses. {Elm).—1, Cheilanthes monophylla, an unusually scaly form; 

 2, C. hirta; 3, Tradescantia zebrina. (TV*. iV. .■!.).— The climber is Lonicera 

 branhypoda fol. aur. reticulatis. The Fern is Platyloma falcata. [J. H. 

 H..?(vinO.—The blooms of the Pelargoniums were all shed. Wedo not under- 

 take to name florists' flowers. (H. F. C.).— Acer cretioum. (A. Dumhrll).^ 

 It is a Thalictrum, and we think T. medium, but cannot bo certain without 



