24 



joubnaij of hobticultuee and cottage gardener. 



[ January 9, 18f8. 



Boutli-weBtern counties of England." With regard to this, I beg 

 -to assure Mr. Kubson that the Mistletoe grows in this neighbour- 

 hood (St. Malo, Brittany), in such abundance, as, I believe, is 

 not to be equalled in any county in England. Vast quantities 

 are sent over from this port to Southampton by the London 

 and South- Western Company's steamers during the Christmas 

 sea^son. It is consigned to merchants in London as a regular 

 article of export; and one would suppose that more than 

 «nough of it is sent away from this country to supply all the 

 purchasers in that metropolis. 



Its beauty is also equal to its abundance. We have cut from 

 a small plot of ground adjoining our house small trees of 

 Mistletoe, perfect in form, and with pearly berries as numerous 

 as the leaves. The country at this moment is green with the 

 Mistletoe; it affords an agreeable relief to the eye from the 

 otherwise bare and leafless aspect of Nature. It is to be re- 

 ■gretted that its growth should be so pernicious to the Apple 

 trees, which, in the depth of winter, it clothes with its deceit- 

 ful verdure. 



I have seen it also in abundance in all parts of Normandy, 

 ■near Avranches, St. Lu, Caen, where it grows freely on tlie 

 trees bordering the canal, and at Honfleur, from which ex- 

 <iuisite neigbourhood it is also exported to England, although 

 not, I think, in such quantities as from St. Malo. Judging, 

 therefore, from its abuudanco in these last-named localities, I 

 am inclined to believe that the Mistletoe loves the sea breeze, 

 and that the vicinity of the ocean is, at least, not unfavourable 

 to its growth ; thus arriving at a conclusion exactly opposite 

 to that of your esteemed correspondent. 



A certain degree of moisture in the air and in the earth seems 

 essential to its existence ; must we add, a certain want of cul- 

 tivation of the soil also ? In all the places that I have named 

 the standard of agriculture is far below that of England ; and 

 I shall be glad to learn from those better informed than my- 

 aelf whether the Mistletoe is ever found where the soil receives 

 high cultivation. I am myself an ardent admirer of this beau- 

 tiful parasite, and I fear that the appearance of the draining 

 machine will be the signal fur the extinction of this once 

 highly venerated and ever mysterious plant of •' merry Christ- 

 mas." — A True Bisiton, St. Mtdo, Brittam/. 



[The Editors are very much obliged by this communication. 

 Will the writer oblige them by sending her full address ?] 



GYiMNOSTACHYUM ^^RSCHAFFELTI. 



PEKHAr.i a few hints upon growing this beautiful-leaved plant 

 may not be out of place for the guidance of the amateur. 



The compost which we use consists of about equal parts of 

 turfy peat and loam, with a good mixture of silver sand. 



It strikes very freely in river sand if afforded a bottom heat 

 of from 70° to 75°. 



It requires a gentle bottom heat ; and covering the plant with 

 a hand-glass much improves its appearance, keeping the foliage 

 from lying so fiat, as it is otherwise very apt to do. The plant 

 requires a good supply of moisture. It throws out roots at 

 nearly every joint, and succeeds remarkably well in a propagat- 

 ing pan, as the young shoots can then be pegged-down and will 

 goon strike roots into the soil. 



We planted a spring-struck cutting of 1867 last summer, in 

 a propagating pan, pegged all the shoots down excepting one 

 that was left for a leader, then covered the surface of the soil 

 with moss, and subjected it to the treatment above described. 

 This plant now measures about 8 feet in circumference, and 

 stands about 2 feet high. — James Taylok, Foreman, Womcrslcy 

 Gardens, Vorkslnrc, 



CUTTING OFF BLOOMS AND PRUNING ROSES. 



The following are queries from a correspondent (" Q. Q."), 

 with Mr. KadclytTe's replies. 



" Mr. Badclyffe says he does not approve of cutting off the 

 blooms of Hybrid Perpetuals, as he has found that many of his, 

 cut for exhibitions and bouquets, have greatly suffered by such 

 treatment. Does this apply only to the Kose being cut down 

 to solid wood, or is it also bad simply to nip off the blossom 

 itself with its flower stem? I hope not, for one of the great 

 pleasures of Roses — having them in-doors — would be thus an- 

 nihilated. This question applies both to Briar and Manetti 

 Roses." 



[There ia no doubt that in France seed-formation, and, in cold 

 Kngland, flower-formation and dropping of the flower, are Nature's 



terminus, and conducive to maturity of wood. If first flowers are cut 

 o2, and a severe winter succeeds the summer without a a interveninp 

 autumn, as in IHOO, the wood would not stand the winter so well as if 

 the fir,st centre flowers had been allowed to drop ofif. You might take 

 off a bloom hero and there, and leave, iu the case of a truss, some one 

 or more blooms to expand and drop ; or you may let the centre bloom 

 drop, and when the other flowers of the truss expand cut o2f the whole 

 truss. J 



" After the whole truss of blossom has decayed, is it good to 

 cut the whole stemlet down to a healthy bud '!" 



[It will do no harm, and perhaps hasten the next series of bloom 

 on that stem. The next series may be cut off the secondary wood at 

 auy time without harm, because it may be presumed that the first 

 wood, which will be for next year's performances, ia ripe. In short, 

 always try to have a certain portion of wood ripe. Manetti Eose wood 

 does not recjuire so much ripening as that of Briar Eoses. The most 

 immature wood will bloom on the Manetti. The object of obtaining 

 mature wood is to stand a severe winter. I do not trouble myself to 

 cut off the truss of bloom unless it is unsightly. My trees are' in such 

 condition that they ivill break below the truss, and bloom quickly again. 

 Nothing but frcst stops theui.j 



" Are Tea and Tea-scented Noisette Eoses also injured by 

 cutting off their first bloom? The question applies both to 

 those on the Briar and Manetti stock." 



[These families do not like much cutting at anytime. They re- 

 quire at times thinning-out, and the points of the main shoots to be 

 cut to a good eye, and the side branches shortened a little to a good 

 eye.] 



" What mode of treatment would be best to adopt with the 

 March prunings of Eoses in order to make them strike ?" 



[September is a better time to strike the cuttings of Roses out of 

 doors than March ; because in the former case the earth is stLU hot 

 and the air cool, whereas in March tbo earth is cold and the air hot. 

 I should advise taking off some shoots with a heel, daubing the base 

 with cow dung, which is very favourable to tbo formation of roots, and 

 then planting the cuttings under a north wall or shady place, as the 

 sun might dry them up before they could strike. Saud also greatly 

 promotes root-making. If I have a Rose root-sick I dig it up, cut its 

 roots back, and put a double handful of sand over the roots, and then 

 decayed dung and soil, and it generally makes an abundance of roots 

 in a little time. If this is done in summer I place a cloth over the 

 Rose. The hotter the weather is the quicker Manetti will strike. ] 



" Will Mr. Eadclyffe name six Eoses of the General Jacque- 

 minot colour possessing advantages over that Eose, noticing 

 which he considers — Senateur Vaisse or Madame V. Verdier — 

 the best Eose to have a number of for one bed ?" 



[It is difficult to name Roses exactly of one colour. Senatenr 

 Vaisse is perhaps on the whole better than Madame Victor Verdier. 

 They are, however, both admirable. The nearest, perhaps, to the 

 General in colour are Maurice Bernardin, first-rato ; Senateur Vaisse, 

 Madame Victor Verdier, Madame Boutm. Duchesse de Caylus, Madame 

 .Julie Daran, and Martcbal ^'aillant. Darker than these aro Charles 

 Lefebvre and Lord Macaulay, both first-rate. If rosy or lighter crim- 

 son is not objected to. Lady Sutiield is very beautiful and excellent. 

 They are all fit for beds, and, of proven Roses, in their colour tbo 

 cream up to this time. A bed of Jules Margottin, hgbt ciimson, ia 

 fine.] 



" Does Mr. Eadclyffe think that there is sufficient difference 

 between Celine Forestier and Triomphe de Eennes to admit 

 them on the same wall ?" 



[Yes; the foliage of Celine Forestier ia distinct from all known 

 Roses. I have many of both these, 12 feet high, against my south 

 frontage. They are among the best Roses in the Rose kingdom. The 

 blooms are sometimes, but not usually, alike.] 



" Would charcoal strewn over the surface of the ground pre- 

 vent mildew?" 



[I should think not. The best way to prevent mildew is to give the 

 plants, in hot weather, plenty of water over their roots and foliage. 

 You never see much mildew or many aphides after a thunderstorm. — ■ 

 W. F. Radclyffe.] 



ORNAMENTAL-FOLIAGED PELARGONIUMS. 



Vaiiious have been the suggestions of your correspondents 

 as to the classification of variegated Pelargoniums, yet no one 

 seems to have hit upon a proper term whereby to designate 

 them as a whole. That which I propose, " Ornamental-foli- 

 aged," is almost a household word with gardeners. I beg to 

 offer it for the consideration of perplexed floral and horticul- 

 tural committees revising their schedules for 18t)8 ; and if 

 adopted it will be the means of restoring Beauty of Oulton and 

 other varieties of that section, to their proper position of plants 

 grown for their foliage, and as such worthy to be placed on a 



