May 20, 1869. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



347 



the roots not more than half an inch below the rira. Water frooly when 

 growing, but avoid making the Koil trodden. 



Fear Treks Koot i'uuned {A Teii-yfars SubHcriber).— The trees had 

 not, we fear, been taken uji or Iransplanted for many yearn, and in lifting' 

 them last autumn too many »>f the fibres have been deslroyed. You will 

 not gain anything by cutting the trees back; bat we advise their being 

 left as they are, wprinkling them overhead every morning during this 

 month, but not making the soil too wet, nevertheless keeping it moist, 

 should dry weather set in, by copious waterings, and after this month 

 syringe the troes in the evenings of hot days, stoppiufi the ehootH at the 

 tifth or sixth leaf. The insect that foldH itself up in tho leaves is some 

 caterpillar, for which no remedy is enual to hand-picking, which, though 

 a tediona, is a certain mode of riddance. We advise the same for the 

 wall fruit trees. 



Plants for Stone Boxes (Tdrm).~We do not know of any plants so 

 suitable as Ivies, you evidently requiring trailing or climbing plants. The 

 plant spoken of as being used for screens in Hussia is said to have tho 

 appellation of Gorman Ivy, referred to Ipomiea hederrefolium, but no 

 one appears to give any clear aeeount of it, nor to grow it. The Ever- 

 lasting from the Cape is probably one of tho Apheleses, but which wo 

 coald not say without a specimen. Aphelexis macrantba purpurea is one 

 of the best. 



PiNcmNO Terminal Shoots of Fruit Trees {^Trm((;ur).— Your trees, 

 we presume, are wall or espalier ; the terminal shoot or extension of each 

 branch should not be shortened either iu the summer or winter pruning, 

 but be trained in the full length ; but if you desire to multiply the 

 leaders, then the lenders must be shortened at the winter pruning, and 

 down to where you wish to originate another shoot or branch. When not 

 wanted for extension the terminal shoots should be pinched back like the 

 other shoots, and ho shortened in winter as reqiired. Wo, in general, 

 pinch them at the gixthleaf for the terminal shoot, keeping closely stopped 

 throughout the summer, and prune in autumn immediately after the 

 leaves have fallen, to one-third their length if strong, half if m<^>derately 

 vigorous, or shorter than two-thirds if weak, cutting the laterals in to 

 withm half an inch of their base. 



Asparagus (Idem). — Tho plants two years old from seed should not be 

 cut down this or any other season, hut allowed to grow throughout the 

 summer without stopping, watering freely in dry weather with liquid 

 manure up to the end of August. The stronger the haulm or stalk this 

 year tho tiuer will be the heads next, and they ought not to be cut down 

 until tliey become yollow and are dead. The plants from which you are 

 cutting may have all the heads or young shoots cut imtil the end of this 

 month, and then you should encourage two or three to grow from each 

 plant, not cutting any after the middle of June, going over them at the 

 beginning of July, and thinning out the shoots, taking away the weak, 

 and leaving three or four of the strongest shoots to each plant. 



Standard Fia Tree f J»/cm).— The shoots may be stopped at the fifth 

 leaf, and again if they make more thau three leaves after the tirst stop- 

 IHng, taking out their points tho second time at the third leaf. The shoots 

 may now be thinned out ; and in doing so remove the old, long, straggling, 

 bare brunches, shortening back the long and straggling, and in such a 

 manner as to produce a compact head. 



Planting Flower Beds (J. Huish). — Under no circumstances do we 

 undertake to plant flower beds ; we can only criticise planting that is 

 proposed. 



Ventilating a Vinery (H. JT.).— For a vinery with large squares of 

 glass and a lean-to, with the rafters— say, from 14 to 16 feet wide, the 

 ventilation ought to be 1 foot broad top and bottom. If your ventilators 

 are much less than that you can easily increase the amount of venti- 

 lation by having some squares at the top moveable. For a temporary 

 shade in a very bright day, whitened water would answer for a short time, 

 throwing it on with a syringe, using, say, the si2e of a walnut of whitening 

 bruised fine, and mixed with three gallons of water. For a perm!\neiit 

 and thicker shade the same whitening in two gallons of milk would give a 

 thin uniform shading. Heavy shadini^' will noE suit Vines. Give air 

 early, and you will have no burning. 



Vine Leaves Erown-bpotted (A. B.), — On the Vine leaf sent were a 

 number of small warts, generally the result of a too-confined moist at- 

 mosphere. There were also brown blotches, the result of scalding, partly 

 from the same cause, and not giving air early enough to dry the foliage 

 before the sun struck upon the hou^e. The marks on the little berries 

 we would attribute partly to the same cause, unless you have been using 

 sulphur on the heating medium, and had that rather hot at night when 

 the ventilators were shut. When sulphur is used when the berries are so 

 small, it is well to have a little air at top. 



Cleaning a Flue (J. T, S'.).— The best plan of cleaning your flue 

 vnll be to have an iron plate iu a frame put in at the necessary places. 

 and then there is no need to displace or pull the flue about. When we 

 used such plates we had them put flush with the flue inside, nnd after 

 cleaning daubed the iron over with a little mortar and put a tile or slate 

 against it, and thus no smoke could escape. The efl"ectiveues3 of a flue 

 depends much on the frequent cleaning. 



CucuaiBER Plants from Seeds or CnTTiNOS (3far/''.— Cucumber plants 

 raised from cuttings will bear more quickly and more profusely than 

 plants raised from seed, but they will not be quite so vigorous, nor con- 

 tinue so long in bearing. In reference to the Cucumber disease, as prov- 

 ing so far its inscrutable character we may mention, that in addition to 

 seeds from great distances, cuttings from perfectly healthy plants were 

 struck, and they too became diseased in the place where for the time 

 being the disease was prevalent. 



Verbena venosa in a Shot Bed (R. S. E.).~ln a. shot bed Verbena 

 venosa will do about 14 inches apart; in a bed by itself about 7 inches 

 apart. Seedlings raised in heat will bloom well the same year but late ; 

 not so early as those saved over the winter. 



Planting Flower BEDS(/dem).— No, 1 will look well if the Beet pleases 

 you in such a place ; we would rather ha\e Manglcs's Variegated Pelar- 

 gonium and Verbena in bauds, and dispense with the Beet, it so reminds 

 one of the salad-bowl. 2, We do not think that Stachys lanata is a suit- 

 able edging for Golden Chain Pelargonium shot witli Verbena venosa, 

 nor unless your Pelargoniums are strong will they be able to hold their 

 own with the Verbena. What would you say to centre with Verbena, 

 then belt with Golden Chain, surround with blue Lobelia, and edge 

 with Cerastiom ? The same remark applies to tho, companion bed 3 



Perilla will not be easily kept down as an edging to Mrs. Pollock, but 

 centre with it and treat ranch as for iJ. As regards Nos. 4 and 6, if yonr 

 Tftgetos is yellow, it will not cd^'o well with white Petunia, purple would 

 do belter. 0, 7, H. 9, will do very well. As to the four beds round No. U, 

 wo would cross-pair IU and 12, edging them with Lobelia, and thon IU 

 and 11 would pair, edging Golden Chain. The other group would look 

 best if treated in tho same way, or oven as you have arranged, but crosB- 

 pairing, planting much tho same 15 and 17, and 14 and 10. Wo have no 

 doubt the garden will look well, and all tho moro from Its roomiuoss and 

 breadtli uf lawn. 



WATERiNd ()UT-oK-DOOR PLANTS {Q. H.).— Tho time of watering out 

 of doors depends very much on tho weather. As long as tho weather is 

 chilly it is best to water in the morning or forenoon ; when tho weather 

 is warm and tho Sdil warm it is best to water in the afternoon or evening. 

 We disapprove of cold pump water at any time wheu it can bo avoided. 

 The evil of pouring cold water on a warm soil in tho afternoon, is less 

 than pouring it on a cold soil iu tho moniing as you propose to do. The 

 very beat of tho soil will partly heat the moisture before it reaches the 

 roots, whilst pouriug cold water on cold soil in the morning will only 

 make the soil colder about the roots, until the excess has gone olT by 

 rapid evaporation. In the early part of the year two simple things aro 

 great promoters of success— flrst, have tho water soft and well aired; 

 and secondly, give such water to the roots without drenching the surface 

 soil. When it can be done, the best plan is to remove the soil in a little 

 mound, water, and when it sinks to the ro»ts replace with the dry foil. 

 This secures moisture to tho roots, prevents that moisture easily evapo- 

 rating, and what is of as much consequence, prevents the chill which is 

 ever the result of rapid evaporation. One reason why watering in a dull 

 day is much more efl'ectual than in a bright day, is the feeble evaporation 

 then going on. From the middle or end of June up to the end of Septem- 

 ber, we would water iu the afternoon when we could, but when yoU 

 depend on a horse and cart, you must take the use of it when you can. 



Melon Culture {E. L. 0.).— Melon plants require stopping the same 

 as Cucumbers ; but they should not bo stopped in their young state 

 except to fill the frame with leading shoots 9 to 12 inches apart, which 

 should be trained direct towards the side of the frame, and have their 

 points pinched out when 6 inches from it. On the secondary or side 

 shoots the fruit will show, they should have their points pinched ofl" one 

 or two joints above the fruit, and when the fruit is set and swelling keep 

 closely pinched-in, thinning-out the barren shoots where too thick, leav- 

 ing, however, a goodly number of shoots, and especially large leaves, 

 healthy fuliage being necessary for the swelling and perfection of the 

 fruit. Two and not more tlian'three fruits should be left on each plant. 

 The fruit from setting— i.e., commencing to swell, will be ripe in about 

 fifty days in your average temperature of G5'; the time varying a little 

 with the variety cultivattd and the variation in solar heat. 



Greens Tbroughout the Year \Dcvoniensii).— Yonr could not with 

 four kinds secure a supplv throughout the year, but you may sow in 

 March Brussels Sprouts, and they will be tit for use in October, and con- 

 tinue so up to Mnrch. Thus one-half of the year is supplied by them ; 

 but do you not like change? If so, sow in Marcher April Early Ulm 

 Savoy, and the produce will be in early in autumn, and Drumhead Savoy 

 or Green Curled Savoy, which is more hardy, will follow and be ex- 

 cellent after frost. The seed should he sown in March or April, and at 

 the same time Asparagus Borecole, or Cottager's Kale, to give sprouts in 

 late winter and early spring. At the beginning of July sow Early Barnes 

 Cabbage to afl'ord a supply in April onwards, following in August with a 

 sowing of Sprotboro*, and these two will give you heads or sprouts until 

 the Early Ulm Savoy and Brussels Sprouts are fit for table. 



Jasmincm grandiflorum Flowers not Expanding (Irfi^m).— The cause 

 we cannot determine without some data to direct us, which you do not 

 furnish. Being in a pot will not cause the flowers not to open ; hut the 

 plant is best grown in a border, and the shoots so trained that they have 

 free ventilation, and are not further from the glass than 12 inches. Jas- 

 mines succeed in a compost of two parts fibrous loam, one part sandy 

 peat or well-reduced leaf mould, with a free admixture of sharp sand, 

 and gord drainage. Passifloras and Tacsonias thrive in the same com- 

 post as stated for the Jasmines. They may be grown well in pots, and 

 equally well in borders, and for large plants the latter are preferable. 



Tacsonia Van-Volxemi not Flowering {Ameteur].—li is probably too 

 liberally furnished with root room, for it does not flower nearly so freely 

 in a border where it has unlimited root space as in one that keeps the 

 roots rather confined, hut vet admits of a good growth. It is owing, we 

 think, to that or some stimulant to excessive growth, which will, no 

 doubt, be overcome this year. Six inches would not be too near to train 

 it to the glass. 



Substitute for Rain Water {A. B. C.).— The best substitute for rain 

 water is that of a pond, or stream, and failing that, spring water placed 

 in a large and shallow vessel or cistern, and open to the atmosphere, 

 always keeping it replenished and exposed for a few days before using 

 it for watering purposes. 



Spring-flowering Plants (S. G.).— Anemone apennina, blue ; and 

 A. nemorosa flore-pleno, white, division of the roots or ofl'sets when the 

 foliage fades, or when recommencing growth. Arabis albida, white ; 

 A. aipina variegaia argentea, and A. alpina variegata aurea, both with 

 white flowers ; cuttings, or parting the plants into as maay parts as there 

 are growing points, insertiug them in sandy soil in a shady situation, 

 best done in early summer alter the blooming is over. Aubrietia Camp- 

 belli, A. graeca, and A. grandiflora, all blue or lilac purple, propagation 

 same as Arabis. Bellis aucubsefoUa. red, leaves very pretty, division in 

 early spring or summer after blooming, in a shady situation and moist* 

 The double red, white, and pink Daisies are all useful. Cheiranthua 

 Marshalli, yellow ; cuttings or slips put in in summer in a shady border 

 in sandy soil, shading and watering until rooted. Cheiranthus or Wall- 

 flower, double black, red, and yellow; from cuttings or slips as above. 

 Cerastium tomtntosum, white flowers and foliage, slips or division in 

 early autumn: for blooming, the plants should be put out in autumn 

 strong, propagating from cuttings early in summer. Gentiana acaulis 

 and G. verna, both blue ; division in summer, June, in a shady situation. 

 Helleborus niger, white ; division when the foliage turns yellow. Hepatica 

 triloba, red, and H. triloba, blue, and vars. double red and blue ; division 

 of the crowns in autumn before they begin to grow. The Hepatica and 

 Helleborus may not suit you, as they flower before March, and will not 

 continue until the end of Mav. Myosotis arvensis, blue, and a white va- 

 riety ; seed sown in June in sandy soil ; M. palustris, blue, division of the 



