2 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



t January 2, 1868. 



a curb in the stove, till the water has Boaked through the 

 soil, so that the whole body of soil and the drainage may be in 

 a good condition before plunging the cutting pots in the pro- 

 pagating frame. If the plunging material is in a proper state 

 as regards moLsture, no water need be givtn before the cut- 

 tings are struck. The soil is thus prevented from becoming 

 sour, and, as a consequence, the cuttings root more quickly, 

 and grow much more freely afterwards. A bottom heat of 70" 

 will be found sufficient. 



As soon as the cuttings are struck, and their roots have 

 reached the sides of the pots, they may be shifted into 5-inch 

 pots, which should be again plunged in a similar temperature 

 until the roots have reached the sides of the pots. By this 

 time each plant will be from 5 to 7 inches high, and its stem 

 thickly studded with flower buds. The plants should then be 

 taken out of the plunging material and placed in a moist stove 

 as near the glass as possible, and after remaining in that 

 position a week or two may be gradually inured to the tempe- 

 rature of a cooler house. From there they may be taken into 

 the conservatory, or wherever they may be wanted. 



Plants grown on in this way are fine objects for decorative 

 purposes ; and one of the most useful features in this most 

 beautiful plant is that it may be had in bloom from one year's 

 end to the other. Ko nobleman's or gentleman's establish- 

 ment, where a constant display of gay-blooming plants is re- 

 quired, should be without a hundred or two of these beautiful 

 plants in various stages of growth. I venture to predict a 

 brilliant future for this lovely Mexican. At present its price 

 places it beyond the reach of many, but I consider if ever any 

 plant was cheap at two guineas this is. I have no doubt but 

 in the course of two years it will be sold in Covent Garden 

 Market by the hundred or thousand at Is. each. What we 

 want now is the same plant with scarlet, ted, purple, and 

 white bracts. — J. Wills. 



be glad if any grower could add some good early sort to the 

 above list, and more especially an early variety with only one 

 stone in the berries. 'The noblest black Grape we have, the 

 Damascus, has only one stone in the perfect berries, but it is a 

 late Grape, and rather a bad setter. The Sultana I do not 

 grow, nor any other seedless Grape except the Black Monukka. 

 This is a most interesting variety, producing very large bunches, 

 with Email, oval, heart-shaped, seedless berries, and the flavour 

 is very rich and vinous. When left to hang long on the Vine 

 it is delicious to eat, or put into jellies. As the flesh is so 

 crackling, the berries can be eaten skin and all. 1 intend try- 

 ing to cross this variety with some of the best of the early 

 sorts, and as the seedlings will be fruited in pots, three or four 

 years will suffice to prove a largo coUection. 



Perhaps some other growers may try their hands at raising 

 some new varieties of hardy early Grapes, for there is a great 

 want of showy kinds with large berries both for early forcing 

 and for growing in unhealed houses. The list of late Grapes, 

 or varieties that require fire heat to come to perfection, is now 

 extensive, and it will require very good seedlings indeed to 

 equal our Muscats, Frankenthal, Alicante, and Black Da- 

 mascus. — William Tillehy. 



CROSSING THE EARLY HARDY VARIETIES 



OF GRAPES. 

 I HAVE recently had a letter from a gentleman in Lincoln to 

 the following purport : — " I have seen lately in The Journal 

 OF HoKTicnLTUKE a paper from you relative to the crossing of 

 many kinds of fruits, but I do not see Grapes mentioned 

 amongst the number. I write to ask you if you ever do any- 

 thing in that way, because many thousands about London, 

 and, I may say, over the midland counties and south of Eng- 

 land, are growing Vines in cool houses, ground vineries, and 

 out of doors. These classes, at least most of them, being in 

 business, or much engaged all day, do not keep a gardener, 

 and, therefore, cannot attend to a furnace to heat their houses, 

 but love to cultivate the Vine — I say these classes feel the want of 

 a greater variety of early hardy Mnes, with large berries and 

 good flavour. Another acquisition for the above classes would 

 be the raising of an early Grape without stones, and of good size 

 and flavour. Perhaps the crossing of the Black Monukka or 

 Sultana with some of the best early kinds might bring about 

 this result. You may ask me. Why cross a stoueless Grape at 

 all '! but you are aware that all stone fruit stand still while the 

 stone is forming — the Grape amongst the rest. Now, I want 

 to save the three weeks, the average time the Grape is standing 

 still. By producing an early Grape without seed, I am con- 

 vinced you would be doing a great good to a very large class, 

 who would cause a very large and, I might say, a very profit- 

 able demand for it.'' 



Next year is likely to witness the " battle of the new seed- 

 ling Grapes," and by the flaming descriptions given of them, it 

 will be all up with our Muscats, Buckland Sweetwaters, Treb- 

 biano, Alicante, and Lady Downe's as soon as the new sorts 

 come into bearing. The new sorts, however, being described 

 as principally of the late kinds, and requiring fire heat to bring 

 them to perfection, I think that something new in the way of 

 hardy early Grapes is wanted for amateur growers with un- 

 heated houses. 



I am at the present time forming a collection of the very 

 earliest hardy Grapes to plant in places in the border of an 

 unhcated glass-covered wall, and have the following planted, 

 or about to be planted out — namely. Early White Malvasia, 

 the very earliest of all white Grapes, and of excellent flavour ; 

 Madeleine Eoyale (Kivers), Early Smyrna Frontignan (Bivers), 

 Muscat St. Laurent, very early, with Muscat flavour ; Eoyal 

 Muscadine, Foster's White Seedling, Cbasselas de Falloux, 

 Early Sanmur Frontignan, and the true Esperioce. I should 



PROPAGATING PELARGONIUMS. 



I THANK Mr. Stewart for his reply to my communication, 

 and hasten to inform him the reason for coming to the conclu- 

 sion at which I arrived. 



My firm opinion is (and I believe a great many propagators 

 of softwooded plants will bear mo out), that cuttings of soft- 

 wooded plants lequire a change of air every twenty-four hours 

 at least, to cany off damp and other impurities, which accu- 

 mulate in either a bell-glass or close-kept frame — damp which 

 is so destructive to Pelargoniums and other softwooded cuttings. 



Mr. Stewart in his communication, page 41',), says that his 

 cutting beds are well watered before the cuttings are planted, 

 and that a thorough soaking is given after the cuttings are 

 inserted. I prefer letting the soil have no water until after 

 the cuttings are planted. Mr. Stewart also says that he shades 

 in very bright weather, and gives " no air " until the cuttings 

 begin to grow. It is here where " the mist " came over my 

 eyes, and I shall be glad if Mr. Stewart wdl make me see more 

 clearly by stating exactly how many cuttings per thousand he 

 actually loses by his plan. 



We do not begin so soon as " E. E.,'' page 277, whose plan 

 is good, only it involves more labour ; but we begin during the 

 first week in August, and finish about the beginning of Sep- 

 tember, or very often the middle if other work is pressing, and 

 we do not cut away at the plants indiscriminately, but take a 

 cutting here and there from the sides as well as from the 

 middle of the beds, when a shoot can be cut ofJ without being 

 missed. By so doing the beds are not robbed of their beauty, 

 but, on the contrary, they are simply regulated and put into 

 shape. 



As I before remarked, Mr. Stewart's plan may answer under 

 his own management, but I think a Pelargonium struck in 

 August will keep through the winter better than one struck in 

 September, unless the propagator can run to the coal heap just 

 as he likes. However, it Mr. Stewart will convince me that 

 he does not lose more cuttings on the close system than those 

 who place them in the open air, I will frankly admit that 1 

 have learnt from him a good lesson. Mr. Stewart was asked 

 to give his method, and he did so in a very kind manner, and 

 I am sure he will pardon me for commenting on his commu- 

 nication. 



Does Mr. Stewart grow much of the Pelargonium Gold 

 Pheasant '> It is a much better grower than Golden Chain, 

 and a variety which I think will supersede the latter. If Mr. 

 Stewart does not grow it for borders, I should be happy lo send 

 him a bundle of cuttings. — John I'i-.eiuns, Thvmham. 



HAVE PATIENCE WITH PEAR TP^ES. 



I WANT to record a word in favour of a Pear tree — for the 

 sort in particular, and to encourage amateurs in a patient 

 waiting for good results. 



I planted a small tree of Benrrt Clairgeau amongst many 

 others either eight or nine years ago. It grew vigorously, and 

 after four years bore a good crop of fruit, which it has con- 

 tinued to do since, but mealy and poor in flavour. This year 



