3G2 



JODBNAL OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ May 27. 1869. 



Seedling Zonal Pelapgonium (E. B. M. D.).— We do not see that it 

 ia a zonal ; but, whatpver it is, we cannot nndertnke tn naraw the varieties 

 of florists' flowers; tbey are too numorous, and bo sliphtly differing. 



Pears with Persistent ConoLLA (IT. B.).— The Pears will not be 

 injoTL-d by the petals remfiinjng longer than n3unl. 



Classifyino Colodred-foliaoed PELiRGONiuMs (B.I.— We consider 

 Pelargoniums Model, Perilla, Lunn. Beauty of Oulton, Gaiety, Neatness, 

 or any others belnnRiDR to this section, vn'rieRated and eligible for fxhi- 

 biting as Variegated varieties in company with anv of the Mrs. Pollock 

 section. The above are considered variegated by "11 competent judges. 

 In reply to vour eecond question, we consider thev may he exhibited as 

 Varipgated Zonal Pelargoniums, hut not in accordanceSvith the section 

 to which Madame Vaucher and The Clipper beloug. If there were 

 separate claspes, spt apart for the type of Pelargoniums to which vour 

 question chiefly refers, we would suggest that they should he called the 

 Bronze and Gold section, and the Mrs. Pollock clas^ should be designated 

 as Golden Tricolors, and tbe section of which Italia Unita is the tvpe 

 Silver Tricolors ; but we may again state, in order that we may be clearly 

 anderstood, that two or more of each of the above sections, if exhibited 

 together in a group, must to all intents and purposes be called 

 variegated. 



Black Fungus on Rose Lbaveh (S. E. C.).— *'I have examined the 

 Rose leaves sent. They are attacked bv the black fupgtis, which is not 

 occasioned. like the blackened Rose leaves out of doors, by atmospheric 

 changes. Cut off' all the diseased leaves, syringe the trees well, and let 

 them have plenty of air. and. if dry at the roots, a thnrongh watering, 

 fio as to reach all tbe points of the roots. If a little weak liquid mannre 

 be given, it mny greatly help the plants to put out new leaves. Do not 

 remove any oth^r leaves than tlip diseased ones. If the trees are hope- 

 lessly affected, shake thera out of the soil, fresh pot them, and then you 

 may remove all the leaves.— W. F. Radclyffe." 



CtTBLEB Rose Lf,aves (C. B.. GndalmiTif7).~'The recurving of the 

 leaves you forwarded is caused by the rupture and contraction of some 

 of the sap vessels on the under sides of the leaves. From the ruptured 

 vessels sap exudes, forming a kind of honey dew, and then s^on appear 

 the green aphides to feed upon it and to increase its outflow. We believe 

 it to be caused by sudden and violent trnnaitions of temperature, and 

 that it would be prevented by syringing the foliatre early, before the sun 

 bhone Dpon it. We should also apply weak liquid manure to the roots of 

 the trees, and keep them mulched. 



Roses fQ. p.).—*' It is the frequent, but not invariable habit of Mart chal 

 Niel to prow long, scraggy, nnd leafless. I have three plants now in fine 

 Morm of that character. Perhaps when the weather becomes warmer 

 they may break into leaf better. Chailc'* Wood is a hard opener. When 

 it blooms it is a good representation of Louis XTV. ; it is a better grower. 

 1 Elill keep three plnnts of it, hut shall discard it in the autumn if it do 

 not bloom more freely. I have seen, in the number of years I have had 

 it, but one successful bloom. Its colour is blackish bh.od. Lord Clvde 

 is scarlet crimson on opening, but becomes of a darker crimson. It is a 

 good grower. The first-named specimen sent you is right, the other may 

 be right. Till the plant be established you cannot tell by the foliage 

 alone. Due de Cazes is. on opening, brilliant crimson, and then becomes 

 fine purple crimson, dying off in hot weather coppprv crimson. It is free, 

 abundant, nnd continuous in blooming.— W. F. Kadclyffe." 



Cherp.y [J?. Wa1pole)-Jt is the Bird CheiTV ; in Scotland called the 

 Hog Cherry, but botanists now include it among the Plums, and call it 

 Prunus padus. Formerly they called it Cerasus paduH. 



Potatoes Toberino without Sprouting (J. I\ohii>.^on].~Tt you refer 

 to page 24ft, you will see that it was stated at the Roval Horticultural 

 Society's Fruit Committee, that it is generally complaiuel of this year. 



Mowing Slopes (J".).— They mav, when not too steep, he mown with a 

 mowing machine ; hut your slope is much too steep, and you will there- 

 fore be obliged to use a scythe. To mow well with a machine the face of 

 the slope should be twice the perpendicular height. 



Destroying Snails {Dcvon].~^\ye do not know of anv better plan than 

 strewing dry fresh lime over the irround at du^kin the evening of showerv 

 days, and it will destroy all it falls upon, and, repeated a few times, will 

 soon clear a garden of them and their even more ravenous ally the sing. 

 Their natural enemies, birds, ourht to be preserved, nothing being more 

 their scourge than the thrush. Cabbage leaves form good baits for snails 

 and slugs. 



Applying Salt eet-o-een Growjv. Crops <Id€m).~Yon could not 

 apply salt between rows of Pens, Beai . Carrots. &c., even if actual con- 

 tact be avoided, without running the n'^' of destroving the crops as well 

 ns the weeds, for the roots of the vegetal. '.'s will extend for 9ome distance 

 into the ppncen between the rows ; and it follows that what wi I kill weeds 

 will destroy the crops, exceptintr such as natnrallv are found in maritime 

 positions, .IS Asparagus and Sea-kalo, to which salt, unless in very exces- 

 sive quantity, is beneficial. 



Kidney Bean from China (Tlir Mafitn's Gnr<}nirr).~Th(s Beans sent 

 ns we are not able to recognise They very much resemble the China or 

 Robin's Egg, bnt from yrmr description we'think thev must be a running 

 port of that variety of Kidney Bean, and might not inaptly be termed 

 China Runners. 



Guano Water to Newly-potted Camellias (Tdem).~-'Do not applv 

 Efnano or any kind of liquid mnnure tn plants newlv potted, and do not 

 keep tbe soil more than moist until the roots are working freely in the 

 fresh soil, then water freely ; hut guano water or liquid manure ought not 

 to be given until the pots are filled with roots, and then at alternate 

 waterings. 



Fertilising Wistaria sinensis (T.).— We could not VArballv make 

 ourselves sutficiently clear to enable you to understand. All wo "can say 

 is, that the pf Hen roust be taken from tbe stamens and applied with a 

 cameVs-hair pencil to tho stigma of the pistil; but the process is a difR- 

 cnlt one, all the pod-hearers being difficnlt of fertilisation. The seed is 

 not, that we are aware, in any seed catalogue, nor do we know of an in- 

 stance of seeding in this country. We should he obliged to those having 

 seen it in seed in this or any country, if they would state the fact. 



Stopping Vines (J. C. L.\— Stop the shoots one joint bevond the fruit ; 

 flnd the laterals should be stopped at tho first leaf, and be kept pinched- 

 intoone leaf as often as the growth is repeated, which will give you 

 pleotyof foliage, and is better than allowing a great growth and then 



trimming half or more of it away. No more than one hunch ought to be 

 left on each shoot, the best for size and form, cutting the others away, 

 doing it immediately the berries are set. The leader or rod should bo 

 stopped when it reaches the ti)p of the house ; and you may, it being 

 within 3 feet of the top of the rafter, take one bunch from the leading 

 shoot of each Vine. 



Peach Leaves Blistered (LJevi).~The leaf sent us is blistered, bat 

 is not ulcered, as is frequently the case. It is a result of cold weather 

 occurring after warmth, or hot dry days and cold nights, which cause 

 rupturing of the sap vessels. There is no remedy but to give increased 

 warmth by thicker covering. However, pick off" now the worst infested 

 leaves, and syringe the trees in the morning with water. 



Gooseberry Tree Aphis (Wcm).— The best remedy is to dust with 

 tobacco dust raado from duty-free tobacco, which you will see advertised 

 in our columns. 



Pear Leaves Blistered (S. H. TT.).— We think your Pear leaves are 

 attacked by the Pear-tree blister moth (Tinea Clerckella), a minute moth 

 that deposits its eggs upon the leaves, and when hatched penetrates be- 

 neath the cuticle, and, feeding upon the parenchyma, numerous brown 

 pimples or blister.s are produced. Tho oniv remedy will be to wash the 

 tree with soapsuds, 2 ois. soft soap to a gullon of water, applving it with 

 a syringe twice a-week up to the end of June. In autumn all dead leaves 

 should be removed and burned, digging the ground about the tree. 



Trees to Shade Ponds (a. G. F.).— The most suitable trees to plant 

 near ponds are Willows; the Huntingdon, Common Weeping (Salix 

 babylonica), and Kilmarnock being most suitable. They will, however, 

 shed their loaves, which will to some extent foul the water, but not 

 seriously. 



Asparagus Cuttino f T.).— We have found it desirable not to allow any 

 shoots to run up, not even weak ones, in the early part of the season of 

 cutting, as when that is the case tho shoots that are allowed to run draw 

 all or most of the food collected by the roots, or it goes into them, and 

 the eyes that would start into pi-owth remain dormant, and the beds do 

 not produce nearly so many heads as if all the shoots were cut as they 

 appear. By cutting all we call into growth the eyes that would otherwise 

 remain dormant, and these almost invariably f-.'rm the largest and best 

 heads, which it is our ambition to secure by cutting away the weak as 

 well as the finest beads until tlie second "or third week in May, or 

 even the fourth iu cold seasons, when we allow one or two shoots to run 

 up from each crown. The case is difi'erent when all the shoots are cut 

 as they appear to near the end of June. The roots are then so exhausted 

 that there may not be sutficient vigour or eyes left to furnish good strong 

 shoots, and unless there is good haulm this year the prospect of heads 

 next year will he extremely t-mall. We have seen beds cut so hard and 

 late, even into July, that the plants have not been worth keeping after- 

 wards, not giving a head tit to gather for the next three or four years, 

 and sometimes not then. 



Ferns in Care Mouldy (5. E. (7.).— It would be impossible for us to 

 tell the reason of the Ferns becoming mouldy without seeing a specimen. 



Ericas to Bloom in May and June fJ". S.).— Cavenlishii, Ventricosa 

 magnifica, Ventricosa grandiflora, Ventricosa suporba, Veutricosa" alba, 

 Perspicua nana. Alherti, Tricolor elegans. Tricolor Devoniaua, Tricolor 

 inflata. Tricolor major, Beaumontiana, Massoni major, Victoria, Eassoni- 

 ana, Candolleann, Candidissima, Tortulfpflora, Aristatamnjor, Fairrieana, 

 Holfordiana, Foiru,'tuea major, Gemmifera elegans, and Picturata. 



Select Epackises (I-lcm). — Tho Bride, Impressa, Impressa albft, 

 Queen Victoria, Eclipse, Grandiflora rubra, Delicata, Lunata major, Mrs. 

 Pim, Princess Unyal, Miniata splendens, Hyacinthiflora, Lowii, Alba mal- 

 tiflora, Ardentissima, Carminata, La-vigata, Ornatus, Vesuvius, Rubella, 

 and Exoniensis. To have them flower at the time you name (March to 

 May), they will need to be wintered in a cool airy house, and retarded as 

 mnch as possible. 



Compost for Oak-leaved Pelargoniums (Carohis).— The best soil 

 for the scented-foliaged Pelargoniums is two parts sandy loam from 

 turves, one part sandy flbry peat or leaf mould, and one part old cow 

 dung, with a free admixtme of sharp sand, the whole weU mixed, and 

 good drainage being provided. 



Pansy Propagation i Alpha).— The young side shoots should be taken 

 those that rise from the neck or collar of the plant, as the old hollow 

 stems seldom strike freely ; cut them immediately below a joint, trim- 

 ming off the leaves half the length of tho cutting; insert them in a 

 compost of two parts turfy light loam chopped fine, one part leaf mould, 

 and one part sand, all well mixed, placed b inches thick, and in that pnt 

 the cuttings, so that they may be clear of each other. Give a gentle 

 watering, nnd cover with a hand-glass or frame, keeping it rather close 

 and shaded from bright sun until the cuttings are rooted. Anytime 

 from the beginning of March to the beginning of September is a good 

 time for putting in cuttings, but the beginning of August-to the beginning 

 of September is, perhaps, the best for raising plants for next year's 

 blooming. 



Taking up Ranunculuses {Idem), — It is not desirable to leave the 

 roots in the ground the whole year. They should be taken up and dried 

 when the foliago begins to decay, and stored then in dry sand in a cool 

 place until planting lime. 



Protecting Celery from Worms {Cottage Gardener). — The only plan 

 that we know of keeping ofif worms is to earth the plants with ashes or 

 sawdust, but the former is best. They will not do any harm in tbe soil, 

 and they will not long remain in it, the plants being well watered with 

 liquid manure (2 lbs. salt or soda, and 2 lbs. guano being placed in 

 30 gallons of water, with 1 peck of soot added and well stirred up), employ- 

 ing it in dry weathtr two or three times a-week alternately with water. 



Melons not Setting {J. L.).— We think the bottom heat too high; 70' 

 to 75- will be quite warm enough to have the soil, and the top heat shoold 

 at night fall to 65^. We advise a good watering to be given, making holes 

 and pouring tho water through a drain tile, so as not to wet tlie surface 

 much, or more than can be huljied, nnd admitair early, not being sparing 

 of that. Maintain a temperature of Gu^ to 65^ at night, admitting air 

 at 75"' ; allow the temperature to rise with sun and air to 85^ or more, and 

 closing when it falls to 8&- and is not below 75'. Keep the shoots rather 

 thin, stop them one or two joints beyond the fruit, and impregnate the 

 flowers. 



Pruning Nbwly -planted Cherries (Swlurban).— We prefer pnuung 



