May 6, 1869. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



315 



T. L. M*yoa, Lnpwardine, SiBietoxi.— Catalogue of New and 

 Citoice I'lantx and Bulbs. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*-• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are Bulijooted to unjas'tiCable trouble and expense. All 

 commuuications fhould therefore he addressed snlcl;/ to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d:c., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, K.C. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 

 Books (OuIiVImiMJ.—Tho cilition ot Miller's Dictionnry is of no ynini-. 



Our volumes commence ou the Ifit of Jnuuary find let ol July aunujiHy. 



The aiiverlieomonta need not ho bound up with the other pages. Wo 



have clolh covers for binding every volume. 



ROTAI. HoRTICri.TURAL SOCIETY'S PELARGONIUM SHOW (fl. A.).— It iS 



to be held on May 2'2nd. 



Mc3A Cavendishii Fruit (Bacup).— To out the cluster of fruit whilst 

 Rreen, and hang it up in a dry, warm room to ripen is the common 

 practice. 



Heaiino a Plant Case (Btiluuj).— It you can employ gas, that is the 

 least troublesome mode. " Wiudow Gardening for the Many," contains 

 directions for propagating in and uianagiug such cases. You can have it 

 free by post from our ofiiceif you eucloso ten postage stamps with your 

 address. 



Vines for Out-door Culture {It. U.). — We gave a list last week. The 

 Hamburgh and Uambro' are the same. 



Cherry Tree Blighted (J.).— Wo cannot exactly make out the cause 

 of the blight on your Cherry tree, but as you say it is ofcen so, we fear the 

 evil lies at the roots ; it may bo that the site is unfavour,ablo. In general 

 Cherry trees furnish a much greater proportion of bloom than any otiier 

 description of fruit trees, and some delicate kinds as the Elton and 

 Black Tartarian are shy setters os open standards, and even against 

 walls when the situation is not good. We have seen much good result 

 from thinniug the blossoms just before they expanded, as doing so enables 

 the remainder to set better, but the blight on the leaves must be attributed 

 to atmospheric causes at the time, something wrong at the root, or to 

 the foliage being diseased the autumn before. The last causo is not 

 unlikely. If we knew more of your case wo might be better able to give 

 sn opinion. 



Roses {.4. Y.).—" I do not like saying which are not good ones, I simply 

 recommend those which are good, BuyAntoine Ducher. Madame Marie 

 Cirodde, Madame I^olland, bl^Fb, and Madame Alice Dureau. If you 

 have not Alfred Colomb. bnv • Any liquid manure {stale) is good for 

 Roses. Leaf mould and lo;:.;. will make good soil for Roses.— W. F. 



RADCLTFFt." 



CTATHEA DEALBATA, CHAM;ER0P3 E:iCF.L3A, AND CoRVPHA AU3TEALIS 



Treatment (An Old Subi^criberj.—The Cyatfaea, and the two Palms will 

 succeed in a greenhouse temperature, but do best in one ranging from 4.5^ 

 to 50^ at night in winter, and from O^i^ to tO" in summar. with a rise from 

 sun heat to 80' or 85^. The Tree Fern is benefited by slight shade from 

 the powerful rays of the sun, from March to October, and though the 

 Palms like sun they will succeed under the same treatment as the Tree 

 Fern. They should now be potted if that be required, giving to the Fern 

 a compost of two-thirds sandy fibrous peat, and one-third turfy loam, 

 with one-sixth of silver sand auded and intermixed. The compost should 

 be pulled to pieces with the hand, and used rather rough, good drainage 

 being given, as the plant requires an abundant supply of water when 

 growing, and should not at any time have the soil dry. The old fronds 

 now turning brown may be removed, but not before they wither, as there 

 would then be bleeding from them. A moist atmosphere should be 

 maintained— indeed, it can hardly be kept too moist when the plants are 

 growing — and a moderate amount of ventilation should be given, avoiding 

 cold, dry currents of air. 



Renovating old Lilacs {E. £/.).— Your old bushes of these will not be 

 improved by the removal of the suckera. It is not unusual for them to 

 die off when the suckers are removed, aa they derive support from the 

 latter. Suckers are natural to the Lilac, but it may be grown as a 

 .standard, or otherwise, with one stem, if so trained from the commence- 

 ment, the suckers being removed in June or July, and again in autumn, 

 never allowing them to make much growth before removing them. 

 Standard Lilacs, or those trained with single stems, are not nearly so 

 strong, healthy, and long-lived aa those allowed to throw up suckers, and 

 we shotild advise you to cut out the old, long, naked branches, and re- 

 place them with the best of tho surkers, removing some of the latter so 

 us to prevent their being too crowded. That is all that is required to 

 iave them bloom finely. The suckers should be removed in autumn. 



Tomato Culture (A. M. T.).— Yonr situation being cold, you will not, 

 except in warm seasons, succeed in tho cultivation of Tomatoes out of 

 doors, but you may grow them perfectly in a greenhouse, if you give them 

 a light, airy position, otherwise they do not succeed well, owing to the 

 shade of climbers and other plants. We presume that your plants are 

 now strong, the seed having been sown in March in a hotbed, the plants 

 potted-off singly when large enough to handle, shifted as required, well 

 hardened ofl', and removed to a greenhouse or frame. If you intend to 

 try them against a wall they should be planted against a south wall in 

 good, rich, light soil, in the second or third week in May, and be well 

 watered in dry weather throughout the summer. The shoots should be 

 thinned, and trained from 9 to 12 inches apart, stoppingcach at one joint 

 above the fruit, and if more than two shoots start, thin them to that 

 Qomber on each shoot, keeping them thin, and stopped to one joint above 

 the htmch of fruit as it is produced. Kemove the leaves from the front 

 ol the fruit in order to expose it to the sun's rays and aid its ripening, 

 which will be promoted by keeping the plant rather dry at the roots, but 

 uot so much BO as to cause the leaves to flag. Any fruit not ripe in Oc- 

 tober may be cat with a portion of the shoot, and hung up in the green- 



house to ripen. It grown under glass the plants should bo shitted as 

 often BR tho pots boeomii full of roots, and bo finally potted in 11-inch 

 imls. They must bo well supplied with water, their shoots roust he 

 thinuod-out to prevent crowding, and should bo trained to a wall or 

 trellis, stopping thorn one or two joints ftbovo the fruit. The foliage 

 must never bo allowed to flag from y/ant r)f water, and when the fruit is 

 sot and swelling liquid manure may bo given two or three times a-week. 

 A CMiupiHtof three parts light turfy loam, and one part old cow dung or 

 well rutted manure, with a free admixture of sharp sand, will grow 

 Tomatoes well, good drainage being given. 



Oaiiellia Leaves Browner {J. IF.).— The leaves sent appear scorched 

 by the sun sliiuing upon them whilst wot. Admit air earlier in tho morn- 

 ing. Ho as to have tho leaves dry before the sun strikes powerfully upom 

 thorn, and afford a slight shade from 9 a.m. to •! p.m. 



Sowing Herbaceous Phlox Seed (E. O. /.).— The seed may bo sown 

 now in a compost of two parts sandy fibrous loum, and ouo part leaf 

 mould or sandy peat. Sow in a pan well drained, and cover the seeds 

 lighlly, but suliiciontlv, with fine soil. Give a gentle watering, and place 

 Ihe pan in ii house whcrn there is a gentle heat or in a mild hotbed of 

 70', keeping tho soil moist but not very wet, or tho seeds may decay. The 

 vouug plants should be brought near the glass when they appear, to 

 prevent their becoming driwn, and should have air daily and water a3 

 required. When largo enough to haudln they should be hardened well 

 off, and pricked out in a bed in an open but warm situation, shading 

 them from bright sun for a few days until established, and keeping them 

 well watered in dry weather. In autumn or spring they may be planted 

 out. 



Tank (Hrm).— The tank can hardly have fungus in it, but it may have 

 some Confervai. which must be introduced by the water. We know of 

 nothing that could be put in the tank which would destroy those aqnatic 

 cryptogams, and not render the water injurious to plants. The best 

 pliiu would be to have the tank frequently cleaned out. 



Feather Hyacinths' Spikes Dying (P. B. ,r.).— The treatment of these 

 Hyacinths does not differ from that ol the ordinary kind, except that they 

 require less heat, and should be slowly forced. The past hot summer 

 may have had an iujurious effect on the hulbs, and failures have been 

 common this season. They should have had a light and airy situation, 

 and ought to have been brought on s owly. The bulbs may have been 

 tal-.on up too soon, or before tho growth was complete, and that would 

 tend to cause feeble growth in the following year. 



Grapes Ulcerated ( W. Joius).— They are what gardeners term severely 

 " spotted." Wo believe that in every nstance it arises from the roots 

 not supplying sufficient sap to supply the increased demand for sap to 

 sustain the genernl growth. Romovo the soil down to the first scries of 

 roots, apply some light rich compost, and water freely with tepid water. 

 Admit .lir freely to moderate the grov/th. 



IIeatino by Gas (Georae .—If vou send four postage stamps with your 

 address and order No. 841 of this Journal, you will find iu that drawings 

 and descriiitions of the various modes of heating by gae. 



Pbliroonium Leaves Spotted (Lady Subtcribcri. — We think the 

 leaves sent were spotted in consequence of their bsing sprinkled or 

 syringed overhead early in the day, and the sun shinins; powerfully upon 

 tliem whilst wet. Tho same effect follows the failing to give air early in 

 the morning, so as to dry the foliage before the suu becomes powerful. 

 Spotting also results from maintaining too close and moist an atmo- 

 sphere, and from an unhealthy state of the roots, induced by too close 

 and wet a soil. Tha remedy in the former case is to place the plants near 

 the light, and admit more air. 



Gnvso Water for Fuchsias fldem'i.- Half an onnce of guano to n 

 gallon of water is not too strong, and hardly strong enough for Fuchsias ; 

 1 oz. to the gallon would be better, and it may be given two or three 

 jimes a-week, or at every alternate watering. 



Oiled Calico (Hem).— As a protection it answers quite as well as that 

 nnoiled ; but the latter does not throw off rain. A good mode of pro- 

 ceeding is as follows:— Old pale hnseed oil. 3 pints; sugar of lead 

 (.acetate of lead), 1 oz. ; white resin 4 ozs. Grind the acetate of lead with a. 

 little of tho oil, then add the rest, and the resin. Incorporate thoroughly 

 in a largo iron pot over a gentle fire, and with a large brush apply hot to 

 fine calico stretched looselv by means of tacks npou the frame. On tne 

 following day the calico is 'fit for use, and may be either coated a second 

 time, or tacked on tightly to remain. 



Caladidm esculentum (B. W).— It will succeed in a warm greenhouse 

 in summer, and in winter also, the soil being kept moderately dry. 'The 

 roots when kept very dry are apt to decay when water is given in spring. 

 They may be potted in Februaiy and brought forward in a hotbed or 

 Cucumber frame until April or May. It is suitable for the subtropical 

 garden, hut should have a warm sheltered situation, and an abundant 

 supply of water in dry weather. 



Ripening Black Hamburgh and Muscat Grapes (Idem).— Those 

 now in flower will have the fruit ripe at the beginning of July, or in the 

 middle of that month, according to the heat ; and the Muscats in tho 

 same house wUl not be ripe at the same time, but succeed the Black 

 Hamburgh in a fortnight or three weeks. 



Cucumbers not Setting (./. L. Bomfworth). — Your mode of culture 

 appears sound, and we can only account for the fruit not setting by the 

 high night or rather morning temperature of 70^ or 72 '. From eO"' to 65-' 

 •.vould be quite sufficient, and we would lower the temperature to that, 

 admitiing a little air at night, and net closing the house so soon, but re- 

 ducing the ventilation by degree*, and admitting more air early in the 

 morning. The hot water taken from the pipes to warm the spring water, 

 may, if yellow and rusty looking, bo injurious to the plants, but we thmk 

 the evil is in the temperature, and not giving enough of air. 



Banishing Ants (G T. Bultrrjield).— To drive the ants away you may 

 sprinkle guano over their haunts. Animoniacal liquor from the gasworks 

 will answer the same purpose, care being taken not to use it too strong, 

 otherwise it will destroy the grass, or turn it very brown. Clarke's com- 

 pound at the rate of l.t oz. to a gallon of water will destroy the ants. 



Destroying Weeds on Walks (G. Enrillis).— The most efficient mode 

 that we have tried is a solution of arsenic, and now is the right time to 

 apply it, but in dry weather only. One pound of arsenic ia dissolved in 

 three gallons of cold water and boiled, at rring it while boiUng ; then add 

 seven gallons of cold water, and 2 lbs. o( crushed soda, stirring well up, 



