June 21, 1S77. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



xpithont it. But should it be necessary when the nights are 

 cold, it is best to do with as Utile as possible. If Muscats are 

 not ripe and they are reqiired as speedily as possible, the night 

 tfrnper-itare should not fall below 70°, nor below 05*^ in the 

 Hamburgh houses. 



We are now busy thinning in the late houses, but shall pro- 

 bably finish before this appears in print. See that no lateral 

 growths are allowed to run out after this, but pinch-out the 

 points as soon as it is possible to do so. If the Vines are bearing 

 a full crop there will not now be much growth. If the earliest 

 house has been cleared of its crop let the leaves be thoroughly 

 washed with rain water thrown with considerable force from a 

 garden engine, but not so strong as to cut the leaves into ribbons 

 as we have seen done sometimes. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



The present is a very trying time for plants in these structures. 

 Insect pests will make considerable progress in a few days un- 

 less there are plenty of men to attend to everythiug just at the 

 right moment, which is very seldom the case. Mealy bag, red 

 spider, and green fly increase very rapidly indeed, but it is well 

 to make an effort and have them destroyed before the plants 

 are injured by them. If there is bng in the house it will find 

 out the Stephauotis, Ixoras, and Dipladenias. These it is well 

 to thoroughly clean, and it must be done with a sponge and 

 Boapy water, taking great care of the leaves. 



Those who grow Ittr^e specimen plants for exhibition will now 

 be repotting those which require it, and which have finished 

 flowering. Careful potting is the foundation of successful cul- 

 ture. What is tbe use of keeping plants free from insects and 

 attending to all the various details of tbe work if the drainage 

 is defective or the compost not suitable? For large specimens 

 tbe drainage should be ample and composed of clean potsherds; 

 over these fibrous peat or loam from which all the tiner sandy 

 portion has been shaken should be placed, and the compost 

 should either be tjandy loam or turfy peat, each of tbe tough 

 fibrous top spit from old upland pasture. Possessing these tbe 

 maiu elements of success are obtained. Small plants intended 

 to make specimens should be potted-on as they require it. 



Many species of Dendrobium, Cypripedium, Odontogloasum, 

 Jtij , are now stai-ting into growth and are making roots freely. 

 Some of them require repotting or rebasketing, and they are 

 now being attenc'ed to. We have often written of the mistake 

 in overpottiug Orchids, and it is still not an uncommon blunder. 

 If any Orchid-grower would study the effects of skilful manage- 

 ment in Orchids and the use of small pots for the size of the 

 plants they will see it in the nurseries of Messrs. J. Veitch and 

 Sons, Chelsea. Looking over the collections the other day, 

 plants of Cattleyas, Odontoglossums, Ac, might be seen making 

 strong flowering growths in 3-iuch pots. Particularly fine were 

 hundreds of plants of 0. grande, with the finest foliage and 

 bulbs ever seen in such small pots. Who would be without 

 Orchids when the finest varieties can be obtained in healthy 

 plants at the price of bedding Pelargoniums ? After the plants 

 have been transferred into fresh pots it is well to keep the houee 

 closer for a few days until it is seen that the roots have tak'^n 

 hold of the new soil. We have very frequently described the 

 operation of potting, and will now only say that the work must 

 be done carefaily. In many instances it is better to break a pot 

 than it is to wrench a plant out of it when the interior is firmly 

 clasped round with active roots. Just so with baskets. A por- 

 tion of the basket or the whole of it may be removed, bat some- 

 times it is best to place it inside another one and to allow the 

 roots to work outwards. 



Plants in flower ought to be removed to a house with a drier 

 atmosphere, as the flowers become covered with black spots of 

 decay in a close moist atmosphere. — J. Dooglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Esecutors of the late John Harrison, North of England Rose 

 Nurseries, Catterick, Yorkshire. — Catalogue of New Hoses, 

 Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, dc. 



Read & Co.. 35, Regent's Circus, Piccadilly, London.— Ca^a- 

 logue of Garden Watering Machines. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 •,* All correepondence 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 eubjectd them to un- 

 jastifiable trouble and expense. 

 Books ( Iftwp).— Our '■ Garden Manual," price Is, 8d., free by post. 

 Tis Tbocgus [E. S. S.). — Any tinman can mabe them, and then they can 

 be had of the loDgtbe suitable. 



EsHiBiTiNO Orchids {A Subtcriher). — AJthongh there ia a special prize 

 for Or«hids, that does not prevent them from forailog part, of a cuUection of 

 Btove at)d greenbouue plants In another clasti. 



Climbing Koses (G. W.P.).—lt yon will send your queries here we wiJl 

 have them answered by '* A Pabsom's GAanENEB." 



Bl.^ck Cdrrants Failing [IKFuUin). — The buds yon have sent indicate 

 a delicienc5 in tho sap supply. Have a trench between the rows of bashes, 

 and fill it daily wiih water during dry weather. 



AiLANTDS Silkworms. — C. M. Major, Esq., Cromwell House, Croydon, 

 ioquireB where these can be obtained. 



Grapes Scalded (T. P. K.). — It is the result of the sudden outbarat of 

 sun succeeding a lung poriod of dry weather. See replies to correspondents 

 on page 450 of our last issue. 



Carpet-bedding Plants {E'ttie). — The best way to preserve Alternan- 

 theras is to tnke up the plants early in the autumn and pot tbem in a com- 

 post of loam, leaf soil, aud sand, and winter them near the glass in a warm 

 house. These plants will afford plenty of cuttings for striking in the spring ; 

 spring-stmck plants being preferable to plants struck in the autumn. They 

 csnnot be preserved and prepared withoot heat. Mentha Pulegium gibral- 

 tarioum is hardy, but it. has suffered from damp during tbe late wet winter. 

 It is advisable to protect it with hand-lights. Lobelia pumila is beat sown in 

 September and wintered on a shelf in alight greenhouse. Tou will find notes on 

 the propagation of Lancophy ton Browni aud Kleinia repens in another column. 



CoLEUsES {South Devon).— \\e thiuk the leaves of the varieties yoa 

 enclose very good aud distinct. 



"Weeds on Gkatel Walks tN. C.).— Salt strewed thicklr on them will kill 

 them, but if the walks have Bos edging this is liable to be injured by the salt. 



Pansies (C. J. B.)' — We cannot recommend any vendors. You should 

 vifrit the nurseries and select for yourself, or write to some of the successful 

 exhibitors. 



Camellia Leaves Spotted (J. H. B.). — We think your plants are not in 

 good health, and probably require fresh soil. We fhould repot them, using 

 ii comp Bt of equal i)art3 of turfy loam and peat, with a liberal admixture of 

 silver taud and charcoal. If you can secure active root-action and allow tbe 

 plants to make their growth in a shaded place, healthy unspotted fohage will 

 be produced. Before potting, carefully remove all of the old soil you can with 

 a pointed stick, not injaiiog tbe roots. Afterwards water the plants hberally 

 and syricge them freely until their buds are formed, then cease the syringing, 

 but they must not become dry at the roots at any time. If tbe roots are active 

 and still the plants appear stunted in growth, cut them down early in the 

 spring and place them in a brisk mJst heat, and healthy growth will proceed 

 from every portion of the old wood. By this plan you sacrifice flowers for 

 one sea-son, but you will be well compeusated by the increased vigour of the 

 plants and finer blooms iu after years. Shade and copious supplies of water 

 are essential in the cultivation of Camellias. We suspect that your plants 

 have had too little water and too much sun. 



Mildew and Red Spider on Roses [Idem].— If you syringe your Roses 

 with soft-soap water oct-aMonally, made by dissolving 2 ozs. of soap iu a 

 gallon of water, it will benefit your trees. Frequent syringings with clear 

 water will keep tbe foliage free from red spider ; apply liquid manure also to 

 the roots. Ewiny's mildew wash is good. It can be obtained from Messrs. 

 Ewing & Co. at the Eaton Nurseries, Norwich. 



Errata.— The report of the gardens at Duuecvau contains a clerical 

 error. The stem of Lilium auratum was stated to be 4 inches in diameter; 

 it ought to have been 4 inches in circumference ; and "Michael," not John 

 Waterer, is the name of the fine ciim^ion- scarlet standard Rhododendron 

 alluded to. 



Mealy Bug on Grapes {E. T.).—lt you can syringe the bunohes with 

 spirits of wine, or even whiskey, it will kill the insects without injuring the 



Emmets (John Hopper).— V^e do not think they eat Rose blooms. Do 

 they not come after green flies ? To drive away emmets gas lime sprinkled 

 over their nests wo have found to be effectual. 



Beetle on Asparagus (C B. G.i— It is the Asparagus Beetle, Crioceria 

 Aspara^ii. The beet remedy is to hold a gauze bag-net under each plant, 

 shake the plant aud destroy ihe beetles that fall into the net. 



Name of Tree {A Co7i$tant Reader).— Pstqb torminalis, the Wild Service. 



Names of Plants |F. E. H.i.—Limnanthes grandiflorus. {.'uvcnile).— 



1, Listera ovata; 2, Orchis pyramidalis. (C. iJ.).— Cicnta virosa, Water Hem- 

 lock, a very poisonous plant. (IT. W. A.).— The Dendrobium is probably 

 Dalbousieaoum, but the drawing does not show hairiness of the anterior part 

 of the labellum. (A. Boyle).— It is a Hednm, but the specied cannot be 

 determined from such a specimen. \E. Durrantt.—We cannot name Roses 

 or any other florists' flowers from a single specimen. They are legion. The 

 yellow flower was too withered to be identified. Send another specimen in 

 damp mess and a box. (E. L. Carr).— Tour tree is Pyrus torminalis. (E. 

 Knoxj.—l, Ulmusicampestris nana ; 2, 0. c. viminalis ; 3, too much shri veiled. 

 Send another t^pecimen in a bjK with damp moss. {Juily).—1, Pyrus Aria; 



2, Ne^undo fraxmifolia. 



POULTEY, BEE, AOTI PIQEON OHEONIOLE. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



Do not trust to your memory. Keep a note-book, and use it. 

 Eecord tho common as well as the micommor occurreDces. Do 

 not burden your miud or memory with trities ; keep both free 

 for events. " Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," so jot 

 down the evils of tu-day to guard against them to-morrow or 

 next year. 



If you make an experiment keep a record of all that concerns 

 it. If it is a success yuu can thea trace all the steps that led to 

 it. If a failure, when you try again you will kuow what you 

 have to guard agaiust. If you trust the dutails to your memory 

 the one little item that you will forget will, maybe, be the hinge 

 upon which the whole matter hung. 



Keep also a "thaukful book," it is so hard to remember favours 

 received. Make the record with pen and ink, that you may 

 always know how much you have to be thankful for; but keep 

 the record of favours done with a lead pencil, that time may 

 l)lur and finally obliterate tho writing. 



Bi-fore purchasing eggs for hatchiug inquire as carefully into 

 the character of the seller as into the merits of the birds he owna. 

 If the eggs come by express be careful to note how they are 



