138 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 20, 1868. 



have all fallen, or are in snch a state that their removal by band will do 

 no harm— that is, when they are quite brown, and within a fortnight 

 yon may prune to one or two eves. The only thing you can now do is 

 to thin and shorten the laterals, and by degrees remove them ; and 

 by thus exposing the wood to increased light its matui-ity will be pro- 

 moted. 



Raphancs CAUDATns Cooking (E. S.I.— The pods require to be gathered 

 ■when about 9 inches long, and boiled in the same manner as 

 Asparagus. They are boiled until tender, and then served on toast with 

 melted butter. 



Red Spider on Vines (Idem).— Yours is a bad caee, but the wood 

 being ripe we do not think any serious damage has been done. When 

 the Grapes are cut, syringe the Vines with 2 ozs. of soft-soap to 1 gallon 

 of water at a temperature of 140=, which will be reduced to about 120^ by 

 the time the solution reaches the foliage. Repeat the syringing, and give 

 all the air you can, keeping cool and dry. Do not prune until the 

 usual time. After pruning give every part of the house a thorough 

 cleaninpt, and dross the Vines with a composition of 8 ozs. of soft-soap 

 to a gallon of tobacco water, which maybe made by pouring the water on 

 4 ozs. of the strongest tobacco ; then cover, and let the liquor stand until 

 cool ; strain, and bring the tobacco water holding the soft-soap in solu- 

 tion to the consistency of paint bv adding flowers of sulphur. With 

 this mixture paint every part of the Vines, rubbing it well into the 

 cracks and corners, but take care not to rub off any of the eyes. 



Culture or Markchal Niel. Narcisse, and Gloire de Dijon 

 Roses (An I finoramun). —They all sufceed against a wall with a south or 

 south-west aspect, the latter beinc the best situation. The best time to 

 plant them is in November. Let the soil be composed of two-thirds loam 

 neither very heavy nor litjSt, but intermediate between the two. If 

 the top 3 inches be taken from a pasture all the better. Chop up with a 

 spade, and well mix a third of rotten manure with the loam. The soil 

 should be taken out to a depth of 2 feet, and to a distance of 3 feet from 

 the wall. A little finer soil may be used to plant in. and after plantine 

 and watering mulch the groimd about the plants with 2 or 3 inches of 

 short littery manure. Do not prune them nt all in antumn, but in 

 sprincr, if the shoots are long, cut them to within 1 foot of the soil. In 

 summer train in the shoots at 9 inches or 1 foot apart on the wall, 

 removing those not wanted. Water copionsly in dry weather, and 

 syringe with water in the evenings of hot davs. They "will need a top- 

 dressing of manure in autumn, which should be neatly pninted-in with a 

 fork during the spring, and in March merely cut off the points of the 

 strong shoots, and remove any weak shoots wbere they are too close 

 together. 



Galvanised Wire for Rose Arches (3/. A. J?.).— Wo have used 

 galvanised wire extensively for arches, and have not found any injurious 

 results from it. The kinds you have are not probably climbing Roses. 

 Wells's White or Madame d'Arblay and Rivers's Queen, hybrid climbing 

 Roses, will probably suit you. 



Climtjers for SuaiMER HousH UNDER Trees (J. W, iv.).— We fear 

 none of the plants you name will succeed under large Sycamore and 

 Elm trees, except the Virginian Creeper. Roses are out of the question, 

 and the others need sheltered situations. No plants that we know will 

 suit so well as the Ivies, and these are what we advise. 



Vines Infested with Scale [A Siibscnher).~'rhe leaf sent us was 

 smothered with brown scale. Dryness at the root has nothing to do 

 with it. Your only remedy this season is either to pick off the insects 

 with the point of a knife, or paint the leaves where the insects are with 

 gum water, using 8 ozs. of gum arable dissolved in a gallon of water, 

 and applying it w^ith a brush. It should be allowed to dry on the leaves, 

 and must be syringed or washed off with a sponge within forty-eight hours. 

 Then the leaves as they become yellow and fall off ought to be 

 gathered and burnt. Then strip off the loose bark and wash the stems 

 and every part with a brush, using soft-soap and water at a temperature 

 of 140'^; 8 ozs. of soft-soap should be employed to one gallon of water, 

 and the house ought to be thoroughly cleaned. 



Pine Apples (Idem).— It is now too late to put in Queen Pine Apples 

 for fruiting this season, as they would not fruit until late. We should 

 keep them back for early summer fruiting. 



Keeping Seed Potatoes (IF. Turner).— We shall have some remarks 

 neit week. 



Ooverino the Back Wall of a Vinery (Sutton).~Yonr clothing the 

 back wall with Muscat Vines, Peach trees, or anything else will depend 

 on the light you allow to reach the back wall. If there is an opening 

 between every two Vines up the rafters, the Muscats, Peach trees. 

 or Fig trees will do tolerably well, but not if the roof is thickly covered 

 with foliage. 



Pine Pit and Cucumber House Comtiined (Jerseu Suhscriher).— 

 There is no difficulty to your proposed arrangements, only that the main 

 flow and return pipes must pass under the pathwav of the house so 

 as to present no obstruction. For this purpose, the boiler must be 

 placed sufficiently deep. We would advise two 4-inch pipes for 

 each bed, and two pipes on each side for top heat. The two pipes 

 below each bed will make the bed equally heated, but it wiU bo 

 advisable by means of valves to give bottom heat and top heat 

 independently of each other. For a house 120 feet long, it would be 

 best to have the boiler in the centre of the house; then take your 

 piping right and left, and make one end the Pine house and tlie other 

 the Cucumber house. We have often said how that may be done. Two 

 pipes, one from the top and one from the bottom of the boiler, will enable 

 you to give bottom and top heat as desirable. 



Grapes Shrivelling and Shanking [A Suhxcribcr^ T}iornhUl).~'V7c 

 have no doubt that o\Ting to the age of the Vines the roots have either 

 gone down too deep, or the border is in an unhealthy state from defective 

 drainage. For another year, we would try what opening a deep drain 

 in front would do. We would remove all the surface soil that could 

 be removed, and add a few inches in depth of fresh loam covered with a 

 little horse dung ; and if the fibres rose wc would add more fresh com- 

 post. We would, as you propose, force little nest season ; and we would 

 by litter, thatchin<;. or other means keep most of the winter rains off the 

 border. As the Vines are fair for sft-ength, we think you will overcome 

 the shanking if you take a moderate crop. 



Frame for Protecting Bedding Plants (J. J.1.— Your narrow 

 frame we would make from 20 to 24 inches high at back and 12 inches 

 high in front. This, made of l^-inch timber, will keep out as much 

 frost as a brick wall ; but in severe frost neither is to be trusted, and the 

 safest plan is to place an inch in thickness of straw against them, or 

 let mats hang down over the walls. Of course you must protect the 

 glass. We approve of your firm bottom of cnnl ashes bibber than the 

 surrounding ground. No doubt the 6-feet wall behind will so far protect 

 your frame. Why not make that wall the back of your frame, or make 

 a brick pit at once ? Then yon might have a stove or a flue in winter, 

 and save trouble in covering. However, the frame will do well if 

 looked after in bad weather. Spill as little water as possible all the 

 winter. \ 



Fuchsias Losing their Leaves (Joshua).— We can only suppose your 

 plants have lost their leaves through an attnck of red spider, which is 

 very prevalent this season, many plants besides yours having lost their 

 foliage from the same cause. The only preventive is to keep the plants 

 well supplied with nourishment and water at the root, and to frequently 

 Bj-ringe the foliage. 



Blairii Rose not Flowering fH.).— We think it has not been 

 sufficiently vigorous for bloomiug. It is of vigorous habit, well adapted 

 for pillars, and as a standard should be trained as an inverted cone, 

 which will generally ensure an abundance of bloom. Pnuiing should be 

 confined to thinning out the old wood and slightly shortening the shoots 

 that are left. 



Barking Larch Trees (7?. B.)— If the trees are small, or such as two 

 men mipht carry, we do not think removing the bark can do any harm, 

 but, on tho contrary, it may do good, when the timber is used for out- 

 door purposes, by the wet running off much more easily; but for large 

 timber trees a more qualified opinion must be given, as it is possible 

 the tree may part with more resin when cut in the full flow of the sap 

 than when cutting is done in midwinter. We know that there is some 

 difference of opinion as to the propriety of taking the bark off; but of 

 late years, in consequence of the small price piven for Larch bark, it 

 has not repaid the removal. It would appear to us that stripping off the 

 bark of small trees would be amply repaid by the better appearance they 

 have when used for fencing or other purposes, but for large trees in- 

 temded to be cut up for building, the difference of winter and spring-cut 

 timber ought to l»e taken into consideration — still we believe this dif- 

 jcrence to be much less than many believe. 



Conifers for Queensland fA'. M. H.)— We hardly expect the PineS 

 of Northern Europe and America will endure the droughts of Darling 

 Downs, as we have seen more than one place where the Wellingtonia 

 has sho\^'n signs of distress during the present dry season in England. 

 You might try most of the Araucarias, as Bidwilli, excelsa, Cunning- 

 hami, brasiliensis. lanceolata, Rulei, and others, some of them no 

 doubt natives of Queensland. Thujopsis borealis. Thuja gigantea and 

 Lobbii, the Cryptomeria, Pinus insignis and others, Picea Webbiana, 

 most of the Dammaras and Dacrydiums, Torreya grandis and humilis, 

 Retinospora leptoclada, pisifera, and obtusa ; Cedrus deodara, the Cedar 

 of Lebanon, and many other plants. Most of the Cupressus as well 

 as Abies family like a moister soil. The common Yew, however, might 

 be tried, and some other trees. Seeds of most if not all of the above are 

 supplied by the seedsmen advertising in our pages. 



BiGARREAU Cherry apparently Dying (Juvem8).—YoxiT Cherry tree, 

 like many other fruit trees, is probably suffering from the extremely dry 

 weather, but we do not think any good will arise from cutting it in any 

 way. If the tree is not too old, it may possibly become healthy when 

 rain s^ 'n, but in the meantime if you could give it a good sound 

 waterin? that miffht do much good; and by-and-by, as the summer 

 advances, you will be better able to judge what it is best to do with it. 

 In ffeueral the Cherry is very impatient of the knife, and we would not 

 advise any mutilatiou until the dead parts (if there be such) fully show 

 themselves. In looking over an extensive orchard of mixed trees a few 

 days ago, we saw Applet Plum, and Pear trees apparently suffering from 

 the continued drought, the fruit being exceedingly small and the foliage 

 shrivelled up, while close to them were other trees in tolerably good 

 condition. 



BoNE Dust (Jrffm).— Blanure-dealers and many nurserymen supply 

 tliis. or you might inquire of those who deal in silver sand, peat, and 

 similar substances. If you have any dealings with a nurseryman, most 

 likely he would obtain it for you if he does not keep it in stock. 



Drying Everlastings {5r. B. W. B.).— The flowers should be gathered 

 before they are fuUy expanded and kept in a warm dry room. 



Blighted Rose Trees (d. B., Godalmbifi). —Xonr question waK 

 answered by the Rev. W. F. Radclyfl'e in page BO-l, and again in page 461 

 under the intials " C B." 



Back Numbers {W. TF.).— Being incomplete they would not be 

 saleable. 



Seedling Nectarine (.Major-General Studd). — ^Yonr Nectarines when 

 they reached us were so much bruised and decayed that no correct 

 opinion could be formed of their merits. A small portion of one only 

 remained which tasted somewhat austere. They were well packed. 



Names of Fruit (./. Cutbush).—Cha.rMafi.n's Prince of Wales Plum. 

 (L. S. W.). — Duchess of Oldenburgh Apple, suitable either for kitchen or 

 table use. 



Names of Plants (F. D). — A plant was named under 3"our initials in 

 the number for July 9th, as Stachys betonica, and this, as far as we 

 recollect, was the same as that to which you refer. The slice of Gom'd 

 arrived during a short absence from London, and on our return presented 

 anything but an inviting appearance. (C. Hall). — It is impossible to 

 name plants from such dried-up scraps. Wo could just make out the leaf 

 of the well-known Japanese Honeysuckle, Lonicera brachj^poda reticu- 

 lata, and barely that. (J. Burlcij).—!, Gymnogramma ochracea; iJ, Poly- 

 podium punctatum ; 3, Onycbium japonicnm ? (too young); 4, Poly- 

 podium rugulosum ; 5, Gymnogramma tartarea ; 6, Blechnum occiden- 

 tale ; 7. Cystopteiis fragilis; 8, PelL-ea rotundifolium ; 9, Nephrolepis 

 cordifolia; 10, Pellsea hastata. (J". E. fl".).— 4. Aspleniam (Daria) Belan- 

 gerii ; 5, Nephrodium odoratum. (E. A. i.)— Diplacus glutinosus. 



