370 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Jane 8, 1869. 



x>ne, two, or three stakes being put in after the plants are in 

 pots sufficiently large. Several seeds should be sown in a 

 small pot, and placed in a brisk bottom beat of from 70' to 

 75", and when the plants are well above the soil admit air 

 moderately. Without a brisk bottom heat the seeds are slow 

 in coming up. Pot as soon as the roots reach the sides of the 

 pots, thinning the plants out to three or at most five plants in 

 a pot, and leaving but one in some for single specimens. Con- 

 tinue to shift into larger pots as often as those they are in 

 become full of roots, and this repeatedly until the plants are 

 in 8 or 9-inch pots. If flowers appear whilst the plants are 

 young pick them oil. The other particulars of culture are the 

 aame as for the Thunbergias, only the stopping must not be 

 •practised, and the plants are best trained to upright stakes or 

 pillars. They succeed in a greenhouse from June. 



Loasaaurantiaca, orange, climber, 6 feet ; L. volabilis, yellow, 

 Ij foot, climber, pretty. Sow in a hotbed and treat like the 

 Ipomfeas, only wirework is best for training. 



Lobelia hypoorateriformis, flowers purple, 1 foot, fine. Sow 

 in a hotbed, and pot-oft when large enough to handle, and as 

 required, removing to a greenhouse in June, and affording a 

 light and airy position. Soil, turfy loam two parts, sandy peat 

 or leaf mould one part ; good drainage, and a plentiful supply 

 of water. 



Manulea argentea, foliage silvery, flowers yellow, 1 J foot; 

 elegant and fine. For treatment see Browallia. 



Martynii fragrans, flowers pale purple, 2 feet ; M. lutea, 

 yellow, 2 feet ; M. proboFcidea, pale blue, 1 foot. 



Sow in a hotbed in March or early in April, pot-off singly 

 when large enough to handle, and continue in a good heat until 

 the plants are large and showing for flower, then harden them 

 off and remove them to a greenhouse, assigning them a light 

 and airy position, but not a cool one. Pot as often as the pots 

 become full of roots, and until the plants show for bloom. 

 They produce fine showy flowers, and need a compost of two 

 parts turfy loam and one part leaf mould. 



Nierembergia liuari.Tfolia, whitish or pale lilac, 6 inches. 

 Sow in a hotbed in sandy loam and peat, and pot-off the seed- 

 lings when large enough to handle, and when the pots fill with 

 roots harden the plants well off, and remove them to the green- 

 house to flower. 



Salpiglossi'i linearis, flowers whitish, tinted red, 1 foot ; 

 S. straminea, red and white, li ; S. picta, flowers white, 

 spotted red, fine, 3 feet. Bequire the same treatment as 

 Browallia. 



Salvia foliosa, blue, li toot. This is best sown in autumn, 

 and should be well established before winter. Keep it in a 

 warm greenhouse or cool stove during the winter on a shelf 

 near the glass, where it will flower finely in spring or early 

 summer. Seed may also be sown in March or April in a hot- 

 bed, and the plants, hardened off in June and removed to the 

 greenhouse, will afford a succession. Light sandy soil is most 

 suitable. — G. Abbey. 



ELM ROOTS— A WARNING. 



It has often been said that the Elm is one of the worst of 

 trees to have near gardens, as its roots are very hungry feeders, 

 and are not easily prevented from intruding where they are 

 not wanted. 



Some years ago, at the back of the garden of which I had 

 the management there was a row of Elm trees about 6 yards 

 from the wall. The former gardeners had complained very 

 •much of the injurious effects which these trees had upon tho 

 garden, and especially on the Peach wall and border. The 

 gentleman did not care much about the garden, being more 

 interested in putting the home farm in order, and rearing 

 young plantations ; but about the time I went to the place he 

 began to feel the necessity of looking more to the garden, as the 

 family was fast growing up, and greater demands on the pro- 

 duce were anticipated. One of the first things which I pointed 

 out as requiring to be done before the gardener could have any 

 chance of cultivating trees against the Peach wall, was the re- 

 moval of the Elm trees, although these were all of the upright- 

 ■growing variety, which seldom branches to any extent. The 

 gentleman had, years before, out a trench, 2 feet deep, about 

 halt-way from the wall to the trees. With a triumphant air 

 he told me to follow him, and see this ditch which he had had 

 cut long ago ; it was impo'sible any roots could now get through. 

 The soil and subsoil were of a loose, half-decomposed, slaty 

 nature, mixed with clay, in which trees grew well, and many 

 •of their roots wandered a long way in search of food. I endea- 



voured to reason with him respecting the very injurious effects 

 which the tops of the trees had upon his garden, apart from 

 their roots, but could not give any definite statement as to 

 how far off the tops of trees would exercise an injurious effect 

 upon vegetation. I therefore observed that, supposing the trees 

 to be between 80 and 00 feet high, I should say their influence 

 would be extended to about one-half their height at least, and 

 that they were not much more than 20 feet beyond the wall. 

 The gentleman could not think they were too near the wall. 

 Not satisfied as yet, I dug down in front of the wall, when about 

 2 feet down I found tho Elm roots coming in through the loose 

 rubble of the foundation, and rising up to the depth where the 

 spade had always pinched off their points in their attempt to 

 come directly to the surface. Thus they spread all over the 

 border. Of course I was not slow in calling the attention of 

 the gentleman to them ; but all I could obtain from him by 

 way of relief to the Peach trees was, " Oh, cut the roots off ; 

 they cannot come in again." This I did, but before another 

 two years had elapsed the Elm roots had found their way 

 some yards into the border, and to give a better proof of this 

 being the case, I allowed some of the roots which shot above 

 the soil to remain, when they soon developed themselves into 

 vigorous young Elm trees. 



Although I had the care of the Peach trees nine years, the 

 only reUef from the Elm trees during that timp was from a 

 gale of wind, which threw two of them over the garden wall. 

 I frequently felt my position very unpleasant when reminded 

 of some of the friends of the femily having " very good crops 

 of Peaches ;" but their gardens were comparatively new, and 

 had no forest trees behind them. The gentleman's argument 

 was that the Elm trees sheltered the garden to some extent, 

 and he would certainly be much opposed to their removal, 

 especially as they wore there long before he was born. 



I have often observed during calm, hot, sunny days, that 

 the heat before this Peach wall became quite oppressive, and, 

 of course, the juices suddenly drying up, the consequences 

 were blister and red spider, the early maturity of the leaves, 

 stoppage of growth too early ; and then if there was much rain 

 towards the end of August, or early in September, autumn 

 growth was encouraged. All this assisted to paralyse the trees. 

 I call it placing a man in a false position, to expect under such 

 circumstances results equal to those obtained in places more 

 favourably situated, and where there are no forest trees within 

 50 yards of the garden. Such revelations ought to act as 

 warnings. — G. Dawson. 



ROY.VL HORTICULTURAL SOCIEXy. 



Fruit Comjiittee, June 1st — Georj^e F. Wilson, Esq., in tho 

 cliair. Messrs. Barr & Sugden exhibited several specimens of 

 Lettuces in very good condition — Victoria. Staustead Park, Eclipse, 

 Brown Dutch Cabbage, Paris Green Cos, Field's Winter White, and 

 Prince of Wales Cos. The last two were very similar to Moorpark 

 and the common hardy Green Cos of the market gardens. These had 

 been planted in the open ground in October, and withstood the winter 

 very well. Tho Paris White Cos, on the contrary, succeeded badly. 

 Mr. Fenn, the Rectory. Woodstock, exhibited some remarkably fine 

 specimens of Yorkshire Hero Potatoes, some of which were cooked for 

 the Committee to taste, and were found extremely fine in flavour and 

 very floury. This variety received a first-class certificate on a previous 

 occasion, and is altogether first-class. Mr. Fenn aisoeshibited samples 

 of Potatoes clubbed or uonspioated, tfccand made some very interesting 

 remarks as to the cause of the same, which, at the request of the Com- 

 mittee, Mr. Fenn kindly embodied in the following remarks, for 

 which the Committee awarded Mr. Fenn a special vote of thanks ;— 



" The examples of clubbing so usual this season show the vitafity of 

 the Potato after severe ' spurting ' — that is, disbudding for two yeftrs. 

 They were placed in a box and covered \Yith dryish soil, 2 inches 

 deep, about the middle of March, and are producing young tubers 

 about the size of Filberts and under without any signs of foliage. A 

 plate of Hogg's Coldstream, the produce of 1368, has been specially kept 

 sprouted for producing young Potatoes in this way, when planted in 

 boxes about the end of October. Seed Potatoes specially prepared for 

 tho prevention of clubbing are also shown. The seed is placed in 

 wood trays — merely old doors with laths nailed round them, and the 

 Potatoes kept in single layers in a subdued Ught from the moment 

 they are taken up till within about three weeks of the time of planting, 

 when the strongest shoot on each is selected, and eveiy inferior sprout 

 is scooped out cleanly with a penknife ; the consequence is, at tho 

 time of planting, one young shoot to each tuber as strong as one's 

 little finger, and as firmly attached to tho tuber as the fimpet to the 

 rock, and ' club ' is prevented with certainty. This never can be tbe 

 case when the crop at taking-up is kept in masses and becomes heated, 

 and the sprouts are remoYel over and over again, till the substance of 

 the tuber is sacrificed. Again, as regards * club,' in the present year so 

 much complained of, a Paterson's Victoria is shown which had super- 



