JOURNAL OP HOBTIOULTDKB AND COTTAGE GAKDENER, 



r January 7, 1869. 



comparatively dormant state for many weeks, and if brought 

 into warmer quarters as required, and generous treatment 

 given, a supply of flowers may be kept up for some months. 

 Plants in pots of the sizes named, and well attended to during 

 their two seasons of growth, will be most useful for general 

 decoration. Tor vases and sitting-rooms they are most suitable, 

 and for table-deooration few things are more elegant and appro- 

 priate ; at least one, but more often two, pendulous blooms at 

 every terminal leaf will clothe the plant with a rich glow of 

 colour, which is very effective by gas or other artificial light. 

 After blooming, give the plants a rest of some weeks by again 

 keeping them cool and dry, and they will grow far more vigor- 

 ously than if pushed on immediately after blooming. 



If the plants are required to be kept small for certain pur- 

 poses, they may be retained in the same pots another season, 

 and they bloom well without much increasing in size. The 

 plants from the suspended baskets may be kept for the same 

 purpose another year if potted in small pots, and kept some- 

 what late before starting them into growth. It, however, large 

 plants are required, they must be shifted on as before, only 

 using soil still richer. Three parts sound turfy loam and one 

 part old mushroom-bed manure, well intermixed with lime rub- 

 bish, bones, and charcoal, will be found a very suitable compost 

 for established plants. The leaves will be more fleshy and of 

 greater substance, and the blooms finer than if grown in a 

 more peaty and lighter soU, as recommended for smaller plants. 

 When established in full-sized pots, the annual removal of 

 2 or 3 inches of the soil, and replacing it with a top dressing of 

 rich compost, will keep the plants in good blooming constitution 

 for several years. This should be done in the spring, on the 

 commencement of the plants' growth. The plants can be 

 staked to any form, the pyramidal being the most suitable and 

 natural, 



I have hitherto treated of the plants on their own roots, but 

 they may be grafted advantageously on other stocks. Cactus 

 speciosissimus is suitable, but the best of all I have tried is 

 Pereskia aculeata, which belongs to the same natural order of 

 Indian Figs. The Pereskia strikes from cuttings most freely, 

 and it grown in the same soil and temperature as recommended 

 for Epiphyllum will form good stocks after one year's growth, 

 and very good ones if grown over the second year. Epiphjllums 

 worked on this stock at any desired height speedily form fine 

 pendulous heads, and are indeed fine objects for conservatory 

 decoration. 



Grafting is a very simple affair. Let the stock commence 

 growth fcy making a few leaves, before heading it for the opera- 

 tion. Any of the various modes of grafting may be adopted ; 

 the simplest — and it is as effectual as any — is the crown or 

 wedge. When the stock is headed down, with a sharp knife 

 make a slit down the centre, and wedge the slit with a cutting 

 of Epiphyllum made to fit exactly, taking care to leave the 

 bark on at least one side of the wedge, and fitted exactly to the 

 bark of the stock. Secure the graft to a stake tied up the 

 stock to keep it perfectly steady ; tie the graft in with worsted 

 or matting, not too tightly, and bind round a little moss. 

 Keep the plant in a warm moist place, occasionally damping 

 the moss, and in a few weeks the union will be complete. Heat 

 and moisture in summer, light anddryness in autumn, coolness 

 and dryness in winter, are essential for this class of plants. 

 These in a sufficient degree are at the command of all who 

 have a vinery, or even a greenhouse, for with care I have had 

 a fair bloom with but the assistance of the greenhouse, but it 

 takes a longer time to grow good plants than by having addi- 

 tional heat. — J. W. 



ROSE SEED AND SEEDLINGS. 

 Hating read with great interest the communications of Mr. 

 Curtis and Mr. Laxtou on Hose seed and seedlings, I went 

 round my garden and collected fifty-seven pods of the following 

 Koses, with the intention of trying to raise " a variety " — 

 viz., Madame Julie Daran, Sombreuil, Due de Gazes, Charles 

 Lefebvre, Seuatenr Vaisse, Madame Boutin, Dr. Jamain, 

 Maurice Bernardin, Duchesse de Oaylns, La Baronne Adolphe 

 de Eothscbild, Prince Camille de Eohan, and Pierre Netting, 

 all capital Hoses. I believe, however, a man may sow a bushel 

 of seed before he will raise a Boee worth his trouble. I have 

 not much faith in manipulation. Unless gauze is kept over 

 the flower I believe bees fertilise it before we insert the pollen. 

 I fancy insects are the best hybridisers. Our climate is not 

 generally suitable for the production of Rose seed. Last sum- 

 mer was a good one for the purpose. It is rare that full Boees 



give seed. The " nearly full " Boses are the best seeders. 

 Among the above, Pierre Notting and Madame Julie Daran are 

 the fullest. If I raise a good Rose I expect it will be from one 

 of these. Sombreuil is the best white Tea to breed from. — 

 W. F. EiDCLTrFE. 



CUCUMBER CULTURE.— No. 3. 



Eabthino the Bed. — Soon after the plants have been 

 planted out they will begin to extend their roots through the 

 hillocks, presenting their extremities at the side. These must 

 be covered with soil as they appear, the soil being placed within 

 the frame a few days previously to become warm before cover- 

 ing the roots with it. This should be repeated frequently, as 

 the roots present themselves. The bed should at all times be 

 kept so far earthed as to afford space for training the plants ; 

 but it is desirable iu the early part of the season not to earth 

 too much of the bed at once, in order to permit the heat to 

 ascend freely and so secure the needful top heat, which, in the 

 case of a bed fully earthed soon after being made, is apt to 

 become deficient. Later in the season this is not of such con- 

 sequence, as the days are longer, and the sun heat greater, and 

 on that account the bed may be fully earthed over in a shorter 

 time than earlier iu the season. As a rule the bed ought to be 

 earthed to the full extent when the plants halt fill the frame. 

 The depth of soil should not be less than 9 inches, and need 

 not exceed 12 inches, but on a dung bed I consider 10 inches 

 a sufficient depth. "The soil should be made rather firm, but 

 avoid treading it, and if rather rough all the better. 



It will be noticed in earthing that rootlets are being put 

 forth from the stem of the plant, and these, if covered with 

 soil, will extend and contribute to the vigour of the plant. It 

 is desirable thus to cover them, for doing so raises the soil 

 near the collar or neck of the plant, and in watering the 

 moisture will drain from and not to the plant. The soil, there- 

 fore, should slope from the plants, they being slightly raised 

 in the centre of each light. 



Wateeino. — The water employed should be of the same 

 temperature as that of the soil in which the plants are growing. 

 Before watering it is well to dip a thermometer into the water, 

 and, if necessary, bring the latter to the proper temperature by 

 adding boihng water. It is a common practice to use water 

 several degrees higher in temperature than the soil, and this is 

 a frequent cause of knotty roots and disease. Water used so 

 warm unduly excites growth and causes weakness rather than 

 vigour ; and on the other hand, water much colder than the 

 temperature of the soil checks the growth of the plants, and 

 the foliage will flag frequently from this cause, quite as much 

 so as if the soil were deficient oi moisture. If the tempera- 

 ture of the soil be too low, or lower than it ought to be for the 

 successful cultivation of the plants, then the water may be 

 2° or 3' warmer than the soil, but on no account colder, as in 

 this case it would only still further lower the temperature of the 

 soil and cheek growth. If the soil is too warm then the water 

 may be 2° or 3' colder than the soil, as it will tend to lower the 

 temperature of the latter, and may on that account be desirable. 

 Such cases, however, are best dealt with when only temporary, 

 and it is to these that the foregoing remarks are intended to 

 apply, for if the temperature of the soil is unsuitable the 

 plants will not long be healthy and fruitful. 



The plants require to have the soil always moist, and it 

 should be regularly so, for no plant suffers so much from a 

 deficiency or superabundance of water as the Cucumber, nor 

 so speedily shows the ill-effects. The soil should not become 

 so dry as to cause the leaves to flag, and yet water ought not 

 to be given until it ii dry, but then give a good supply suffi- 

 cient to moisten the soil to its full depth in every part. The 

 demand will depend on the weather and growth of the plants. 

 More will be required and ottener in fine bright weather than in 

 cloudy, dull, or cold periods ; and early in the season it should 

 be given in the morning from nine to ten o'clock, the lights 

 being shut down for a short time, or until the foliage becomes 

 dry, shading for some time if necessary to lessen the evapor- 

 ation and prevent the plants receiving a chill, then admitting air 

 gradually as required. After April, unless the weather is frosty, 

 watering is best done about 4 ph., the lights being closed; and 

 if the sun is powerful spread a thin mat over the lights for about 

 an hour, then remove it, but do not give air, as the vapour will 

 be a means of checking the attacks of red spider, and a rise 

 in temperature after the watering tends to increase the vigour 

 of the plants. In hot dry weather the water may be given 

 over the foliage, wetting every part, but in dull weather it is 



