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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 26, 1868. 



Chabrillant to be the 'elepant extracts' of the rosery. Gloire de Vitry 

 {here on its own mots), is a very fine Hose, and in tbe fall of the yenr 

 like Lffilia. 1 have not had any healthier, or that have done better than 

 these plants. It is a very large Rose. Of the three crimson Roses yon 

 named, I prefer Lord Cl\de. Vainquenr is very hnndsome, but not a 

 very good prowcr, nor fuU enongh. With rognrd to white Koses, th'-y are 

 still 'desiderata.' Not one of those mentioned by you is full-sized except 

 Queen Victoria, which is peach-tiuted in the centre, and not always a free 

 bloomer. Devoniensis and Mrs. Bosanquet uro the best of those named. 

 I advise you to buy Sombreuil (Tea), Mad. Willermoz (Ten), and. as yon do 

 not object to tint ge. Snuvenir d'Eliso (Tea). They p.ra adniira'ile. The 

 first is as hardy as a Hybrid Perpetual. My plants of it nre still full of fine 

 fat buds. The finest of the white Roses is Madame Zoutmann, a sum- 

 mer Ro'^e. Mr. W. Paul s^ys as a white Rose, Mdlle. B<rthe Leveque is 

 desirable. I strongly recommend you to buy the following crimson 

 Roses, if yon do not know or possess them, for they are superior to those 

 you have named — viz.. Charles Lefebvre, Senateur Vaisse, Alfred Colomb, 

 Antoine Ducher, Mnr^chal Vaillant, Madame Boutin, Madame Victor 

 Verdier, and Pierrp Notting. the finest of all the globular Roses. These 

 are all excellent in every respect. — W. F. Radclyffe." 



Mulching Over the Roots of Roses — Rose Cuttings (W.). — "Yon 

 need not fear the mulching rotting your Roses, though it touch the sbriot-^. 

 If you see danger lift the mulching with a fork. I have mulched all 

 mine, nearly 19' plants, and put a little earth over the mulchioa. and 

 have tied-np lightly with Asparagus haulm and fern all my yellow Roses. 

 The lofty yellow Koses on my south front have sheep hurdles leaning end- 

 ways against them, in addition to the mulching. I look for sharp weather 

 between this and February 1st. Bottom heat would assist the Rose cut- 

 tings to striie. They are deceptive, they will often look as if they had 

 roots, and yet will be found to have none, and die away in March. Put 

 your cuttings in the earth in September and mulch them ; many of them 

 will make roots without trouble. Do not move tbe cuttings, but sink the 

 pots in the earth in the spring. By the autumn they will have good roots. 

 For cuttings, pieces of hard wood with a heel are the best ; or wood of 

 the cnrrent year with a bit of old wood. It is too late to strike cuttings 

 now without bottom heat.--W. F. Radclyffe." 



Names of Flowers.— 1, Love-in-idleness, is the Pansy ; 2, (^nckoo- 

 buds, uncertain, perhaps the common Buttercup; 3, Dead-men's-fingers, 

 is Orchis mascnla ; 4, Crow-flowers, both the Buttercup and Racijed 

 Robin, Lychnis flos-cuculi ; 5, Sweet Moly, Allium mosebatum ; 6, Kiss- 

 me-at-tbe-garden-gate, another of the many names of the Pansy. 



Manuring a Vine Border I A. S.). — It is well to cover an outside Vine 

 border with dry litter at least a month before commencing forcing. If ' 

 the manure heat a little all the better ; but if it or litter be laid on from 

 15 inches thick before the earth becomes cooled, the heating afterwards 

 is of less importance. There are several works on "Taxidermy." Any , 

 bookseller could tell the names and prices. 



Vine Leaves Falling IJ. F. C.'.— Although the colour of the falling 

 leaves of some young Vines is yellowish brown, and of one clarety 

 red, still we do not think that it is certain that it is a different variety. 

 We so aay because the great heat of last summer has caused singular 

 variations in the colour of the falling leaves of Vines. You must wait 

 until they have fruited before you can be certain that your Vines are not 

 all alike. 



Tbaining Vines (Boston).— V^e would prefer single stems of Vines 

 S feet 8 inches npart for general purposes, and where subsidiary crops had 

 to be grown. But if the house were to be given np to Vines alone, then 

 you might have two stems in that space, and would obtain rather more 

 fruit in consequence in the same space. We have no douht that the 

 Royal Champion, Koyal Ascot, and Pince's Black Muscat will do in the 

 same bouse, but we cannot speak practically on the subject. 



Glands of Peach Trees— Peaches Falling (C. iJ.).— Glands are 

 small, generally wart-like swellings, found on tbe surface of pUnts and 

 on different parts of leaves, and are mostly visible to the naked eye, 

 though greatly varying in size. Thus, so f;ir as Peaches aud Nectarines 

 are concerned, you will find kinds, the leaves of which are serrated; but 

 beyond that, yon will find ethers, perhaps not so deeply serrated, but 

 especially near the base of the leaf and close to thepe serrations you wil 

 find Uttle globose-shaped glands, or little protuberances. In other kinds 

 you will find these little warty glands of a reniform or kidney shape. 

 . Sometimes they are so small that you can scarcely distinguish at first 

 the shape of the glands, and in that case must examine a number of 

 leaves instead of one. So much for Peaches. The size and form of 

 glands in many other plants are extremely various. For a Peach to come 

 in before the Royal George, have Early Grosse Mignonne. To begin to 

 come in after tbe Royal George is over, have Walburton Adminible. The 

 Boyal George is not peculiarly liable to drop some of its fruit wheu 

 nearly ripe All stone fruit is liable to do the same when overcropped, 

 or too little or too much water is given. In fact, a fruit or two will drop at 

 times, and no particular reason can be assigned. We think it very likely 

 you have the right kind. We do not think the Mountain Ash is much 

 used as a stock for Pears now, though we have seen numbers so grafted. 

 Though belonging to the same natural family, it is rather far removed 

 Irom the Pear. 



Keeping Mice fhosi Peas (A Novice). — We know no better plan for 

 keeping mice from Peas fresh sown than to put the Peas in a basin, make 

 them slightly damp with a few drops of water, and then sprinkle them 

 with a little red lead dust. Very Uttle will do for a quart of Peas if you 

 turn them over well with a stick until all are red-coloured. Barley awns 

 along tho rows will help to deter ; but the best simple remedy is to cut 

 np small gorze or furze and strew it above the Peas in the rows before 

 Covering with soil. 



Peas — Sowing Golden Pyrethbum {An Jmrtfcnr).— We can find no 

 list of Peas in the number for October 15th, to which you refer. We 

 would advise you to sow the Golden Pyrethrum in March in a httle heat, 

 prick off, grow, and harden off before phmting out. 



Will Mice Devour Dahlia Tubers? {Quiz).— We have not found 

 mice eat the roots of Dahlias when stored away for the winter. 



Chrybanthemcms Mildewed (A Novice). — You may safely take cuttings 

 from plants that have been infested with mildew. We think the mildew 

 a result of an insuflicient supply of water at the roots duiing the summer, 

 and had you given liquid manure once or twice a-week, aud keut tbe head; 



shown itself. Dusting with flowers of sulphar is the best remedy ; it will 

 not only check but destroy the parasite. 



Chrysanthemusi Flcwers Imperfect (TT'. i/.i.— The flowers are im- 

 perfect, and yet we think they will improve and expand better than you 

 anticipate. Afford an abundance of air, keeping rool but safe from frost, 

 and apply liquid manure at every alternate watering until the flowers 

 are fully expanded. 



Vines Infested with Thiups (.4 Tounff Befjinner).—T)ie thrips will 

 not interfere with next year's crop, providing their attacks this year did 

 not injure tbe foliage seriously ; hut if they caused the foliage to become 

 prematurely yellow, and to fall earlier than usual, it is likely the eyes 

 will not be so fully formed as they ought to be, nor the wood so mature 

 as desirable, and that will to some extent pr<-judicially affect the Vine's 

 nest year's produce. You will do well to not only clean and paint the 

 Vines before starting them again, but also wash all the woodwork with 

 soap and hot water, and thoroughly clean the glass with water only, for 

 soap ought not to come near gla?s, and give the walls a thorough lime 

 washing. The Vines ought to have tbe loose bwrk taken off, and may be 

 coated with a solution of Clarke's Compound at the rate of S ozs. to the 

 gallon — a better dressing than that of soft soap and sulphar, &c., and 

 much less unsightly. 



Fig for Pot Culture in a Vinery (Jrffim).— The best Fig, where one 

 kind only is required, is the Brown Turkey. If you wish for a white sort. 

 White Marseilles will suit you. 



Plants for Baskets in Room Windows iW D.\ — A few good plants 

 for suspended babket for windows are Convolvulus mauritanicus, Alyssum 

 variegatum. Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums with pink, white, and scarlet 

 flowers, and silvery and golden varieaatioo ; Lin <rift cymbalaria and its 

 white variety. Lobelia speciosa, Gordonianri, Trentbam Blue, and Miss 

 Murphy, Lithospermum fruticosum, Tradescftntia zebrina argentea, 

 Nierembergia gracihs, ^axifiaga sarmentosa, S. Furtuui viriegata, Vinca 

 elegantissima, and the small-leaved green and variegated Ivies. 



Dividing Masses of Eucharis and Vallota (C. M. Major). — We 

 must have mislaid your letter, but have no recollection of it. The best 

 tiiae to divide these plants is in February or early in March, they being 

 kept cool and dry during the winter, encouraging them with a slight 

 increase of temperature after dividing and potting, so as to promote 

 speedy re-establishment. 



Propagating Bereeris nepalensis (Idem). — Failing seeds, the only 

 plan will be to layer the long straggling shoots. If you do this between 

 now and spring, the bending of the head will probably give you shoots 

 from near the base of each plant, and you may secure a plant from the 

 top and shoots from the bottom. We are not aware that they are propa- 

 gated by cuttings. The shoots layered should have a cut made in them 

 immediately below a joint, and in an upward direction, on the lower side, 

 and about half way through the shoot. Make the head secure with a 

 stick, and firmly peg in the soil. If you cut them down, fresh shoots will 

 come from the base of each. 



Scale on Ardisias (J. J).). — You may syringe tbe plants and the 

 berries with a solution of Clarke's Insect-destroying Compound, which 

 will destroy the scale without in j ury to the plant or berries ; 2 ozs. to the 

 gallon of water will be a sufBciently strong solution, but not too strong. 

 The parts where the scale is should be thoroughly wetted with the 

 solution. 



Pruning Orange Trees f Itlevii.—'Fhe best time to prune Orange trees 

 is in February, or before they begin to grow, catting out the old and 

 weak wood. 



DisTU EiNG the Ground between Raspberries (James Pirn). — It is 

 an old but ji very bad practice to dig the ground between rows of Rasp- 

 berries. The canes should have a good manuring now, if not already 

 done, and for nea'ness it may ha lightly pointed in with a fork, but a 

 spade ought not to be used near them. The 'ess a spade is used about 

 fruit trees and bushes the better. 



Keeping Apples and Pears (Idem). — They should be kept from air 

 and light. Shutters should be placed in the windows to esclude the 

 air. The room is too dry, or the fruit has been gathered too soon, or it 

 would not bav« shrivelled. A few days before use, dessert Apples and 

 Pears should have a rather warmer atmosphere, and have air and light 

 to give flavour. 



Keeping Grapes (Idem).~The temperature you name,65^ is much too 

 high. No fire heat should be used at niebt, except to exclude frost, em- 

 ploying fire heat by day with air to dry np damp. The temperature from 

 tire heat should not exceed 50". With tbe temperature you mention we 

 are not surprised that the Grapes are hecoming " soft and flabby, with 

 skins tough," for they are being converted into Raisins. 



Top-dressing Beds of Bulbs (K J.j.^The top-dressing of the beds 

 with good rotten manure to the depth of an inch ia excellent. It will be 

 a good protection, and the roots will not be too deeply buried, as before 

 winter is over the top-dressing will be considerUily reduced. When the 

 foliage appears you may, for neatness, point in the manure with a small 

 fork or trowel. The depth of plantiug bulbs is calculated from the crown 

 or summit. They are to be covered witb soil to the depth named for 

 each sort above the crown. 



Digging Flower Borders (Mem).— Now is the best time for digging 

 flower borders aud re-arranging the plants. The border should have a 

 good manuring if the ground is poor, and after re-arranging, the surface 

 may have a top-dressing of leaf mould or well-rotted manure. Whilst 

 the plants are up let the ground be well and deeply dug, trenching il 

 necessary. 



Cyclamens after FLoyvERiNO fBe(a).— Your Cyclamens are, from your 

 de^^cription, C. neapolitanum; the flowering heing now just tiver, a number 

 of leaves are appearing. It i^ hardy ; but as you have hitherto kept it in 

 the greenhouse yoa may still do so. lettmg it have the coolest and most 

 airy situation, and one well exposed to ligUt Water should be supplied 

 copiously, so as to keep the soil moist, and if the plants are in small pots 

 shift them into larger ones, draining the puts well. The plants will con- 

 tinue to grow all the winter, making very ornamental foliage: and you 

 must supply them with water until the leaves begin to turn yellow, then 

 place tbe plants out of doors in a rather irhady situation, plunging the 

 pots tu the rim in coal ashes ; or you may pbmt them out in j^'^'^^' _"5^j» 



.bin and the plants not too close together, the mildew would not have 1 rather light, well-drained soil, and so that the crowns wiU he coverett 



