78 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEB AN© COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ January 23, ISes. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Januaky 22. 



We can barely Itcoii u^i last week's prices as regards the best articles, 

 owing to n coiipiderablG quantity of late Orapes being thrown on the 

 market, ebiefly Lady Dowue's and Gros Guillaume. Pines are quite 

 aofficient for the demand. Foreign importations continue heavy. Cornish 

 Broccoli is now very good. 



FEU IT. 



n. d. B. 

 2 Gto4 















Apples i sieve 2 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. i) 



Chestnuts bush, rt 



Cm-rants ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Faberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooeeberries .. quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.. lb. G 



Lemons 100 8 



d I s 



I Melons , each 2 



. Nectarines doa. 



• Oranges 100 3 



14 I Peaches doz. 



I Pears (dessert) ..do?:. 2 



' Pine Applea lb. 4 



I Plums i sieve 



I Quinces doz. 



n e I RaspberriR9 lb. 



, Strawberries Ih. 



8 Walnuts bush, 10 



12 ' do per 1(J0 1 



a. B. 



0to3 

















 



6 

 

 



VEGETABLES, 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus 100 



Beans, Kidney 100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Oapbicums 100 



CaiTota bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Eudivo doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Borseradish .. bundle 



8. d. 8. d 

 OtoO 

 7 20 

 3 



3 



1 6 



3 6 



2 

 

 8 

 6 

 2 

 2 

 

 

 

 



4 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce .... per score 

 Mushrooms .... pottle 

 Mustd.& Cress, punnet 

 Onions.... perbusht-l 



Parsley per sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Potatoes bushel 



K-idney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rbubai*b bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes .... per doz. 

 Turnips bouch 



d. a. d 

 3to0 

 16 

 8 

 2 



2 



3 

 



4 

 

 6 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



»*» We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticultm-e, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman.'* By so doing they 

 are Bubjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture^ d/c, 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 pet them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate commimications. Also never to send more than 

 two or thi-ee questions at once. 



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

 week. 



Books (E. 1-\ W.). — '" The Garden Manual"' contains what you need 

 probably about Roses. If you enclose twenty postage stamps with your 

 address, you will have it sent to you free by post. 



SuGGEBTioNH {Ambrose). — Wo are obliged by yom* suggestions, and 

 gratified by your kindly wishes. You will see, as the year progresses, that 

 we have arranged for some of the addition^; you suggest, but to adopt them 

 all would oblige us to enlarge che Joiuual ami increase the price. 



Heating (Bn)i/;//f/07im»).— You have .arranged the piping, &c., quite 

 correctly, and according to the usual mode. 



Chinese Suoin Grass [W. Chisholm) — Your experience of this agi'ees 

 with that of all others. " It is neither useful nor ornamental " in this 

 country, and may be numbered vrith Mr. Hullett's other " Mangosteen 

 affaii'." 



GRonND Vineries {F. J. C.>.— Yes, that which you refer to and all 

 others are to be closed at the ends. 



Drying Botanical Specimens (Jlf. J. H.).—To take specimens home in 

 good condition you must have a botanist's tin collecting box, or vasculum. 

 You cannot preserve the specimens so as to retain their colours. Spread 

 the specimens so that the leaves do not touch each other between two 

 sheets of your paper ; and press gently with a laundi-ess's hot flat-iron. 

 Afterwards pbice the paper under a gentle pressure until the specimens 

 are quite dry. 



Strawberrie.^ and Potatoes (f. A. jr.). -The following twelve Straw- 

 berries will suit you.— Knight's Princess of Wales, Eclipse, Oscar, Premier, 

 Rivers's EUaa, Viscomtesso Hiiricart de Thury, Sir Chai-les Napier, La 

 Coustante, British Queen, Carolina Superba, i)r. Hogg, Frogmore Late 

 Pine. The three early Potatoes you should grow are Coldstream Early, 

 Royal Ashleat and Walnut-leaved Kidney. 



Dissolving Bonesby Potash lA Subscriber). — No one can tell the exact 

 quantity of causUc potash needed, for bones vary in the quantity of 

 phosphate of limo which they contain. Let every bono be coated with 

 potash ; and if they are not entirely dissolved add more potash until they 

 are dissolved. The manure will benefit rather than injure fruit trees. 

 (W. B. C.\ — In our Journal published on the 2nd inst., and the pre- 

 ceding note, directions are given for dissolving bones by the agency of 

 canstic potash. 



Vines ( W. 0. Z).).^We qnite agree with your gardener about the Vines 

 which you have for early forcing, with the exception of BUck Prince, 

 which wo, in opposition to the opinion of some, regard as an excellent 

 Grape. Lady Downe's is not adapted for early forcing, and what you say 

 of the other two is very just. It is a very dangerous matter to advise the 

 grafting of Vines, as the influences that various stocks exert on the 

 scions are so ditferent, and in some cases so very detrimi;utal, Muscat 

 Hamburgh is an excellent Grape and might do ; you should get the Royal 

 Ascot which we have just seen quite ripe, and most deliciously flavoured, 

 on Vines which were plantod out from -li-inch pots in May last. This 

 will prove the must valuable of all Grapes I'or early work. 



Newly-enclosed Giiound 'H. II'.). — If you enclose five postage stamps 

 with your direction, and order "Allotment Farming," yuu will have a 

 bonk sent you free by post, which details the information you wish for. 



TiTEoRY OF Draining (B. A. of B.). — How it benefits soils is fully ex- 

 plained in Johnson's " Science and Practice of Gardening." Thatearthen- 

 ware pipes do admit the surplus water through their sides is proved by 

 the quantity poured out from the pipes ; and as they exhaust the 8uri)lus 

 water iu their neighbourhood other and more distant surphis water sub- 

 sides thither, just as an open ditch or drain carries off water, and the 

 excess of water in the soil near continues to ooze into the ditcli or drain. 



Ivy {li. PidUin).—W)iviX you requii-e we think is in our No. 201, pub- 

 lished on January 31, 1865. 



Destroying Crickets in a Cucdmber Pit (J. E.).— Try placing phos- 

 phorus paste spread on slices of bread in the pit, as recommended on 

 page 4C7 of our last volume, or 1 oz. of arsenic and a little ground aniseed 

 and caraway seed mixed with half a pint of oatmeal, of which they are 

 very fond. Mix and lay on pieces of paper, but take care tnat no domes- 

 tic animals partake of the poisoned mixture. It is a good plan to tempt 

 the crickets with the oatmeal and aromatics, without the arsenic, for a 

 night or two before using the poisoned inixtui'c. 



Orchids from Seed (.(. H.]. — Many species and many hybrids have 

 been raised from seed in this country. Mr. Dominy, at Messrs. Veitch's 

 Nursery, has been especially successful in raising hybrids. Mr. Williams, 

 in his " Orchid- Grower's Manual," says ;— '• Many kinds seed freely if the 

 flowers are set, producing many seeds in a pod. When ripe the seed 

 should bo sown ; but it requires great care, as it is not so easy to raise as 

 that of many other lands uf plants ; some of the kinds are a long time in 

 germinating ; I have Imown Orchid seeds to He twelve months before 

 they made their appearance. To watch their progress when up is, how- 

 ever, highly interesting-— first, the formation of pseudo-bulbs, then their 

 advancement towards flowering, are processes full of pleasure yielding 

 anxiety. The best place to sow is on the top of an Orchid pot, where the 

 seeds will not get disturbed; let the peat be in a rough state: do not 

 cover the seed, but give a little water with a fine-rosed pot, just to settle 

 it in the peat ; some rough blocks of wood on which another plant is 

 growing alford a capital situation to sow upon ; they should always be 

 kept a little moist; and of such as are sown on pots in the same way, 

 when the plants are strong enough, pot them off into separate pots, or 

 lilacc them on blocks in the material recommended fur the parent. In 

 putting and taking them up caro must bo taken not to break the roots.'' 



CiiAuaioNTEL Pears in Jersey {0. P.)-— We quite agree with you la 

 thinking that the pyramidal form is much more graceful than the bush 

 form, but the latter is as certainly less liable to have the fruit shaken off 

 by high winds. Bush-formed trees shelter one another, but pyramids do 

 not. The most prevalent and most powerful winds in Jersey we presume 

 are from tlio S.W., and as your walls are 15 feet high, you may have 

 some pyramids on that side near the wail. 



Turfy Peat for Vine Borders (.4a Inquirer).— li the soil of the Vijie 

 borders is very stifi", such as a clayey loam that adheres in large clods, 

 then turfy peat or rathei- turfy heath soil w^ill bo beneficial. Such peat 

 formed mider water as that cut for fuel, will be of no advantage, but 

 quite the reverse. 



Stealing Turnips {S<imre Bcdford).~li is equally a theft whether you 

 cat the Turnip in the field where it is gi'own, or take it away uneaten. A 

 bush was formerly hung up where wine, &c., were sold ; and the proverb, 

 '* Good wine needs no bu:5h,'' implies that where goods are excellent they 

 attract attention without any public announcement. 



Rose (Cj/r/i)-— "^ossy deMeaux" is the same as DeMeauxor Pompon. 

 Mr. "W. Paul or any other florist can supply it. It is only fit for edgings. 



Roses in Pots (Ca!»?«ruO.— " The Roses in 3-inch pots must necessarily 

 be weak. It is best not to bloom them in theii" weak state. They should 

 be shifted into 6 or S-inch pots, and the growth of wood should be 

 encouraged. As they are to be placed under shelter in winter, ripeness 

 of wood does not signify so much ns if they were to be wintered out of 

 doors. The sooner they are put in larger pots the better. They may be 

 sunk in the ground in the pots. Put some rotten dung under the ijots 

 for the roots to enter on passing through ihe holes in the bottom. When 

 the plants are taken up to be housed in winter, their roots may be cut oft' 

 level with the bottom of the pots. Roses planted out do better in sum- 

 mer than Roses in pots. Usrally there is no diflerence in the treatment 

 of Roses on Manetti stocks and Roses on their own roots. Roses on their 

 own roots have this advantage, they may be cut down close if their wood 

 is not good. The Tea Roses you named are good. Add these — Bonton 

 d'Or, a beautiful little golden yellow Rose; Souvenir d'Elise, Adam, 

 Rubens, Somhreuil, Elise Sauvage, Vicomtesse de Cazes, Souvenir d'un 

 Ami, Homer, Madame Joseph Halphen, President, Triompbe de Rennes, 

 Culine Forestier. Tea and Tea-scented Roses are the best for house 

 cultm-e. As they are deficient in deep colours, add some of the Roses 

 named on page 55. Bom'bons and China lioses ai-e scentless, and 

 Hhould not be retained except for distinctness. If Roses are to be kept 

 in pots continually they must be annually potted in fresh mould.— W. F. 

 Radclyffe." 



Rose TRioaiPHE de Rennes, &c. (Jj. C). — " I have a gi-eat many plants 

 of Triompbe de Rennes. I have never known the blooms crack or be 

 defective. A north-east wall is not a good place for a Tea-«ccnted 

 Noisette. Put it against your south-east wall. Perhaps a little root- 

 pruning may stop its craclting. I have a small plant of Chmbing Devo- 

 niensis which T have not yet bloomed. Mr. Curtis gave me two fine 

 Briar plants of it when I was at Rushtou, and both died. I do not 

 believe it to be a humbug. I should not cut it much, but prune it as if it 

 were a Hybrid China polo Rose. It must have room to gi-ow. It will 

 most Ultely bloom well this summer, if not much cut with the knife, 



