270 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( October 8, 1868. 



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 subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 commuuicationg should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dc, 171, Fleet 

 Street^ London^ E.G. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



Orangefield Tomato [G. JTHnn).— The berries you sent are not the 

 Orangefield Tomato, nor anything like it, but are the Cherry-form of the 

 Tomato. In foliage, shape and colour of fruit, the Orangefield much 

 resembles the old Common Red in general cultivation ; but is not so 

 coarse-prowinp, and the fruit is not so large, nevertheless it is a very 

 useful size. Mr. Record has gathered an average-sized fruit of the Orange- 

 Held, and weighed it against one of the Common Red; the former 

 weighed 3\ ozs , and the latter ^k ozs. Tbo Orangefield tied to a stake in 

 the open gronud, and only l\ foot high, bad fifteen other fruits fit to 

 gather ; the other, planted and trained against a wall, is 7 feet high. Mr. 

 Record has gathered dozens of the common sort weighing % of a lb. 

 each, 



Jdsticia speciosa [M. ff.).— It ia much mildewed. Dust the whole 

 plant thoroughly with flowers of sulphur, after remaining on two or three 

 days syringe the plant. If the mildew is not quite removed repeat the 

 treatment. 



Shoots of the Manetti Rose {J. K.)— When they first appear thev 

 have many thorns, but as the age of the plant increases the thorns dis"- 

 appear wholly, or nearly so. 



Name of Manetti Rose [Uosarian). ~li was raised from seed in the 

 Botanic Gardens at Mouza, near Milan in Italy, by Signor Manetti, and 

 commemorates him. 



Notes on some Roses (Q. Q.).— "As you confess yourself to be a 

 * pupil" of mine, I will this once attend to your request, but, in future, 

 euch requests must come through the Editors. With regard to your 

 cultnre I have no fault to find with it. It has been a very trying summer, 

 yet a ver>- fine one for fruits and flowers in the hands of able and diligent 

 cultivators. The experience of England and Ireland could hardly be in all 

 points the same. You say ' I have nearly got mildew under now, but the 

 Roses on the north slope look very far from healthy; they are making 

 very little i)looming wood, and such blossoms as are on them are poor 

 and stunted. Does Mr. Radclyfi'e think that this arises from the aspect 

 being not sufiiciently warm for them, or does he think that it would be 

 well to d]g them np, and enrich the beds:*' The above miseries may 

 have arisen from a combination of causes, as extreme drought, root- 

 sickness, poor cultivation, fungus, and extreme changes of temperature. 

 Unless I saw the plants, and knew the sorts, and also knew the whole 

 circumstances attending them, I could not determine the cause, or 

 causes. I think it would be well to dig the plants up and deeply stir 

 the ground under them. This will cause them to make new roots, and 

 contribute towards theirhealth for another year. Manetti Roses are none 

 the worse of being moved annuallv, or biennially. Removal, however, 

 tmless carefully performed, interferes with their making roots independent 

 of those of the Manetti. A few words about the Roses named— these are 

 very good Roses, Marechal Kiel, Charles Lefeb\Te, Manl'Chal Vaillant, 

 Sopur des Anges, Alfred Colomb. Exposition de Brie, Prince de Portia, 

 Prince Camillo de Rohan, Duchesse de Cavlus, Fran(,-ois Lacharme, 

 Charles Verdier, Madame Charles Wood, Souvenir de Comte Cavour (not 

 quite full). Souvenir de William Wood, Dr. Jamain, Pierre Notting, John 

 Hopper. The following are good :— George Prince, Dr. Andry, Jean 

 Rosenkrantz, Lord Clyde, Charles Rouillard, much given to mildew, and 

 not a late bloomer. Beauty of Waltbam, and Fran.,-ois Arago. Of the 

 remaining Roses I may say that Rushton Radclvffe does well on a Briar, 

 but not well on Manetti. It is a first-rate forcer. You cannot have 

 Charles Wood true. It is a shy opener, of dark red colour nearly black. 

 It is a good grower; but does not freely open. Louis XIV. grows well 

 on its own mots, but miserably on a Bri'ar or Manetti. Mdlle. Bonnaire 

 is beautiful, but a wretched grower on Manetti. It grows better on a 

 Briar. Substitute for it Marguerite de St. Amaud ; and Charles Verdier, 

 Leopold Premier, and I may add, beautiful Julio Darau require shade on 

 the southern side, and then they will bloom freelv, and the last will retain 

 its brilliant vermilion colour. Camille Bernardin has not grown well 

 here, nor signalised itself yet. Madame Vidot, Madame Rivers, and 

 Comtesse Cecile de Chabrillaut are types of shape, and much given to 

 mildew and orange fungus. The first two are delicate, require strong 

 loam, a good summer and winter care. I have no doubt a hot south wall 

 would be a good place for them. I have to-day potted seven sick plants 

 of Madame Vidot, and one of Madame Rivers, and put them into my 

 vinery to restrike their Manetti roots, I shall winter them there, and 

 plant them out in spring. Professor Koch I have just rejected ; it is 

 nat full, is a shy opener, and has never given me one good bloom for the 

 last five years.— W. F. Radclyffe." 



Manuring Roses [W. D. Scott).—'' 1 have never used either goose or 

 sheep duug, dissolved in water, as a manure for Roses or plants generally. 

 I should think they were both excellent manures, and that anv quantity 

 might be used in a diluted form without any deleterious effect.— W. F. 

 Radclyffe." 



Pear Trees in Orchabd House (P*virs).— The leaves are severely 

 mildewed. Dust them thoroughly with flowers of sulphur; strew ihe 

 solphar also over the surface of the border, and paint the stems with a 

 creamy mixture of the same as you mention for your Vines. Repeat the 

 same treatment in the spring and as often as you see symptoms of the 

 mildew. 



Propagating Evergreens [T. J?.).— Hollies and Yews are poor from 

 cuttings; indeed, the plants are of little value; besides, it ia a tedious 

 mode of propagation, and one in which there are many failures. They 

 are best inceased by seeds, and the varieties by grafting on the common 

 sorts. Ancubft cuttings strilte well. They would best succeed by your 

 second mode — namely, under a hand-glass. 



Budding Manetti Rose Stocks (Idem).— The mode of budding 

 Manetti Rose stocks does not difi'er from budding on the Briar, only the 

 bud should be inserted below the surface, the stocks being earthed-up 

 for that purpose. In budding, the soil should be removed, so that the 

 bud may be inserted a little lower than you seem to have placed it — that 

 is, on the part that has been covered with soil, which by keeping the 

 stock from tbo atmosphere causes the bark to separate readily from the 

 wood. We have not known " blackclocks " eat Strawberries, and do not 

 think a dressing of lime and soot would prevent them doing so ; but the 

 latter is a most excellent manure for Strawberries. Your only plan 

 would be to poison them Chase's Beetle Poison is good for the purpose. 

 Gloire de Dijon Rose from Cuttings {Q. M.).— The best mode of 

 striking the cuttings is in pots in a hotbed, but it is now too late for that. 

 You may still put in cuttings of such shoots as have formed their 

 terminal bud, or lately bloomed. The cuttings may have two joints or 

 three according to their length, and Ishould be inserted in a warm situa- 

 tion, in sandy soil enriched with alittle leaf mould, and the surface covered 

 with an inch in depth of sharp sand. Place a band-glass on the sand, 

 and gently press it down so as to mark the place it will cover, put in the 

 cuttings about 3 inches from the outline of the hand-glass, and 2 inches 

 apart. Give a gentle watering-', cover the cuttings with the hand-glass 

 and keep them close and shaded from bright sun. In a month admit air 

 by degrees, and rather freely during mild weather, and to dispel damp in 

 winter. A mat or other covering should be placed over the hand-glass 

 in severe weather. In April the cuttings should be thoroughly hardened- 

 off, and bv the end of the month they will be fit for potting and should be 

 potted-off singly into small pots. 



Orange-tree Culture (7(icm).— Your Orange tree will succeed ad- 

 mirably in a greenhouse. It should be potted in March in rich turfy 

 loam, with the addition of one-fourth very decayed manure or cow dung, 

 and one-sixth sharp sand. Good drainage ought to be provided. In 

 potting do not disturb the roots more than necessary, but pick away the 

 old soil from about them. Do not give a large shift, but only use a pot large 

 enough to contain the roots without cramping them, and add a little 

 fresh soil. Be careful not to over-water, but keep the soil moist, and en- 

 courage gi'owth by affording a moist atmosphere and syringing the foliage 

 morning and evening. A temperature of from 50- to 55'^ at night would 

 assist in promoting free growth. When the plant is growing freely keep 

 it well watered, but do not give any water until the plant is in need of it, 

 and then enough to show itself at the drainage. A few good spongings 

 of the leaves with water in which soft-soap has been dissolved at the 

 rate of 2 ozs. to the gallon will tend to keep the foliage clean and be very 

 beneficial. A light and airy situation should be given it, though for a 

 time after potting a rather shady situation, and a warm close atmosphere 

 would be desirable, whilst at other times it \vill do well in an ordinary 

 greenhouse. 



Earth Closets— Dissolving Bones (IT. T.).— To give plana, &c. 

 would not be suitable to our pages. There are several pamphlets pub- 

 lished on the sulqect, wo believe. Any of the agiicultural implement 

 makers could supply you with a bone-crushing machine. To dissolve 

 the crushed bones thry must be put into a tub and frequently stirred in 

 a mixture of sulphuric acid and water. The proportions are 12 ozs. acid, 

 12 ozs. water, 16 ozs. bones. 



Ttelve Fuchsias for Exhibition [Idii7i\. — Lizzie Hexham, Lord 

 Elcho, King of the Doubles, Consolation, Harry George Henderson, 

 Father Ignatius, Consolation, Catherine Parr, Minnie Banks, Conspicua, 

 Mrs. Gladstone^ and Rose of Denmark. 



Right to Remove Trees [Morpeth).— Yom have no right to remove 

 the trees, bushes, «ic., unless you are a nurseryman. You should have 

 taken a lease before you improved the land, or had an agreement that the 

 trees, Ac, should be valued at your outgoing. A landlord is always 

 entitled to an improved rental. 



Cylinder Vineries (2*. S.).— If you write to Messrs. Rivers, Nurseries, 

 Sawbridgeworth, they will give you information on all the subjects you 

 inquire about. 



Amateur Florist {G. O. P.).— An amateur florist is one who cultivates 

 flowers for pleasure and not for profit. If anyone cultivates flowers for 

 the purpose of selling them, he is a tradesman — a florist. Merely selling 

 a few surjjlus flowers would^not render him a tradesman. 



Storing Walnuts {F, ^.).— The nuts should have the huf^ks removed, 

 from which they will separate easily when ripe. Clean the nuts well if 

 they are dirty, which they sometimes are, owing to the husk decaying on 

 the nut, by rubbing them between cloths until dry and clean ; then store 

 them in earthenware jars, and place in a cellar, and in a somewhat damp 

 place. In a dry place the kernels are liable to shrivel, and in a wet one 

 they are apt to become of bad flavour from mouldiness. 



Erecting a Fernery f L. J. P.).— A north aspect will answer very well 

 for a fernery. We presume vou have a wall, which would serve as the 

 back of the"lean-to, and in that case the cost of a Jean-to would not be 

 more than two-thirds that of a span-roofed house. It is not necessary to 

 have front lights, and the ends need not be more glass than straight 

 across to the back wall from the lowest point of the roof. The stove you 

 name is not suitable. It would not injure the Ferns in the way yon seem 

 to think; but from its drying the atmosphere, those in proximity to it 

 would not thrive. We advise a small snddle boiler, and a flow and return 

 4-inch hot-water pipe along the front and one end, which will be sufficient 

 to keep out frost. 



RocHEA falcata NOT FLOWERING (fl". TF.).— Wo think you have 

 " starved " your plant too well. Y'ou should have encouraged growth by 

 a moist atmosphere and plentiful supply of water, pinching back all irre- 

 gular growth, so as to form a compact plant. This treatment should be 

 continued up to June, and when a good growth has been mnde the plant 

 should have no more water than enough to keep it from flagging, and 

 have full exposure, or a light and airy situation in a greenhouse or pit. 

 This will secure the proper maturation of the growth on which the 

 flowering depends. The soil shoiild be a sandy turfy losm, and pieces of 

 pots, charcoal, and sandstone may be mixed with it to keep it open. The 



