February l:l, 1SC8. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



141 



Pruning Roses (J. O. il.).— " Whoii Roaos arc worked on a Briar stock 

 the shoots must bo cut hard— sty, to two, tlu'oe, or four oyos. This 

 applies to ttieui whether they aro for polos, walls, or standards. If tlicy 

 aro on the M metti stock, m a rule (not abHolutel, cut tbo sbooti but liltlu 

 — say. to ont'-third tliOT hoitjht or ovun loss, accoi-dinR to tho (ihar tctcr of 

 tbo wood. If tho Manolti pi uits are highly cultivated they will t>r(j«.k from 

 the brt'^o and all over abuudiutly without tho necessity of cuttin;^ them 

 hard at planting time. If thoy aro uut hard at tlio head, they must he 

 cut very hard at the roota. This obaeryation applies to all trees. — W. F. 



RADCLVFt'K " 



Pruning NKWLV-rLANTRO IIyurtd Perpetcat. Koses (J. H.).—" Merely 

 thin out smill usehns wood, shorten tbo niiin atoms to tho first good eye 

 on linn wood, and cut-in tho sido wood a little to a Rood eye— in sliort, 

 when you plant, and over afterwards, prune them as if they were llyl)rid 

 Ohiu6=-o Roses.— W. F. Rvdclyi've." 



Manure for Roses— Pruning Mari'chal Niel (St. Denis).—" yi'^hi 

 soil when fresh is d mji-n'ous unless tbo uric acid in it is destroyed. You 

 must mix it with earth I-irgely if used at once. A sm-iU quantity of tlio 

 mixture would bo sulli-^ient. I should mix it with earth, turn it once or 

 twice, and put it on next Xovoniber. Cut tho Jlareehal Niel Rose slipr'itly. 

 You may leave 1-Z iuche^, or all tho wood if you like. Toa-sopnti-d 

 Noisettes require but little pruninii. I am uncovering' mine here, and 

 ahall prune tboni at oneo.— \V. b". R\Dcr.YFFE." 



Shrewsbury's GAS-nEATiNG Apparvtcs (fi. //. F.).— You had better 

 write to Mr Sbrowsbury, stating what you want. Y'ou will see his ad- 

 vertisement in tho Journal. 



White Fly (E. F.).— Tbis is a very active insect, and not easily de- 

 stroyed by fumigation ; but that is tho only means we know of koepinij it 

 in check. In fumigation with tobacco smoke, the insect, after the first 

 few puffj of smoke, f ills to the oround. wliere it lies comparatively out of 

 harm's way, .lud nftiu" tho house is clonr of smoke it is as active as ever. 

 Previous to funiitriti^n the floors and other surfaces should be madeqiiite 

 wet. but avoid wi-UiuL; the folia£re of the nlants. Tho house shouM then 

 be filled with tob ^.c^''^ smoke, which will destroy all it roaches ; but as the 

 insect muUiiilios vi-i-y fast, tho fumigation should be ropuatedtwo orthree 

 times, and again m iienever one is seen. If the insect do not yield to a 

 second fumigation tho plants may bo dipped in a solution of 4 ozs. of 

 soft soap to two gallons of water, to which has been added one pint of 

 tobacco juice. 



Potting Caladiums (D. 7?.). — In potting, one or more rhizomes may be 

 put in a pot according to the n'v/.n of the pot and of the rhizomes. One 

 large rhizome i;^ sufficient fur a pot of moderate size. Of the smaller sorts 

 three or more rhizomes will be required to make a good potful. 



Compost for Orchids 'I'lum). — Most Orchids succeed in a cr>mx)ost of 

 equal parts of chopped sphagnum and fibrous brown peat torn in pieces 

 with the hand, but not made very small, with the addition of about one- 

 fourth part nf lumps of charcoal from the size of a hazel nut up to that 

 of a hen's egg, and a little silver sand. Tlio pots should lie half filled 

 with crocks, and the compost raised high above the i-ims. The compost 

 for Orchids in baskets should be woU rounded, and made rather high, 

 hut not so much as for pots. 



Propagating Lobelias (Idem). — A stove will answer well for propagat- 

 ing Lobelias if they aro kept moist and shaded from bright sun. When 

 pi'icked-ofi" they should be continued in heat until established, and may 

 then be moved to a greenhouse, and hardened well off in a cold frame 

 before being planted out. 



Cineraria Cdlturr (Broughton). — Cinerarias may be had in bloom in 

 January by potting-ofi'the offsets early in summer and growing them for 

 that purpose. Plants from seed grow more freely than those from cut- 

 tings or ofi'sets. and are best for early flowering. One ofi'^et or plant from 

 seed should be thrown in a pot. By stopping, dwarfer and bushier plants 

 are produced. The sorts now grown are superior in every respect to those 

 grown some years ago. being dwarfer and Iirger in flower, and better- 

 coloured. Cinerarias bloom best in March and April. 



Camellia Cct.ture (Idem). — In a house where no more fire heat is 

 given than is sutficient to exclude frost Camellias bloom from Februnry 

 to April inclusive. Young plants bloom quite as well as old plants, but 

 being smaller have fewer flowers, but the^c are equally tine. Plants 

 infested with scale may, with superior cultivation, be expected to recover 

 aad bloom well, but we cannot say whether they will do so in a year or 

 not, but it is probable. Camellias', instead of being improved by being 

 placed ont of doors in summer, aro in most cases thereby injured. To 

 name early and late-blooming sorts would be useless, as they vary so 

 much with the temperature, and as a rule there is but little difl'ereuce ; 

 two plants of one lund do not always bloom at the same time. There 

 are few. if any, basket plants that bioom at tho times you name. Somo 

 of the Tropreolums might. Triompho de Gand is one. 



Birds Eating Fruit Buds (Vexatus).— Yon may to somo extent render 

 the buds distasteful to theljirds by making the trees or bushes thoroughly 

 wet by watering or syringing, and then scattering fresh-slaked lime and 

 dry soot npon them, which will adhere to the trees or bushes. A better 

 plan is to string the bushes or trees with worsted from branch to branch 

 in all directions, forming a network with largo meshes, which, though 

 irregular, will scare the bii-ds. 



Compost for Hyacinths (Caroltwl. — A good compost for Hyacinths is 

 loam from turves six months old, cut 2 inches thick from a pasture, and 

 torn in pieces by the li;inii. with the addition of one-fourth part of very 

 rotten old cow dung, and plenty of sharp sand. There is no particular 

 culture required for the production of show Hyacinths, and the subject 

 has been frequently treated of fully in our columns. The bulbs that are 

 very firm and heavy are those most likely to produce the best spikes, and, 

 as a rule, the moderate-sized bulbs are best. Lnrge bulbs that are soft 

 and light, with the scales open, are the least desirable, for they invari- 

 ably have open spikes of bloom. 



I^STORY OF Plants (d Sul>scriher).—Sie\)hanoiis floribunda is a native 

 of Madagascar, introduced by Mrs. Lawrence, of Ealiug Park, in 18-12. 

 Strontzia ovata was introduced in 1777 from the Cape of Good Hope; 

 Pergularia odoralissima from the East Indies in 1784. Of Clerodcndron 

 Xallax we have no notes. 



Cdcomber-growing {PuUborough).—'ilT. Hamilton died many years 

 Bmce. 



Ei-ACEis MAGNiFicA (It. .U.).— The flowers are pink, tipped with white. 



Vines in Pots {A. Z. V.).— Your Vinos in No. O-nots wo would advise 

 you to top-dross and start as soon as you like. Tlioso in lli-sized pots, 

 if you wish fruit from them, we would plunge, or partlv plunge, or (dace 

 the pots, after making holes in thoui, in others of larger size. If yott 

 wished to bring them in late, you might pot into VI or 8-8ized pots, pacli- 

 ing the soil firmly, and tlien plunr-'e the pots in a bottom boat of from 

 li>^ to ttl)^, whilst you left the tops e-tposed tu the cold for six wooks before 

 y»u put them into heat. 



Klower Garden Plan (JuvenU). — You may sow all the Heeds you 

 mention, and have fio^^'ers in time. Of course you liave the Pelargoniums 

 of which you speak. Wo would make your three little beds more inter- 

 esting, say the circle !J filled with Bijou, w ith a band of purplo Verbena ; 

 and ti, 2, scarlet Verbenas, with a string of C'erastium, or blue Lobelia. 

 Xo. 1 we would plant witli l>elphinium formosum and Agoratum mixed, 

 then a b;in(l of Calceolaria, then Amaranthus, followed by liijou and 

 cdgtid with Calcndriiiia umbellata. No. 4, pbmt as proposed, and if you 

 use Lobalia for 2, 2, use your I'ansies instead for edgings. 



House Sewage (LifHf).— Wo would not use chamber slops for a lawn. 

 If diluted with five times their bulk of waterth(>y will benellt all growing 

 crops if applied to tbf roots and kept from the foliage. When used at 

 nil strong on lawns, those will bei-omo brown and patchy. All the Cab- 

 bage tribo will ho much benefited by tho application. 



VisERV Border {Lara). — A 12-fect border will do for a 12-fcet-wide 

 house. Plant inside if you can manage il, and let the routs go out. 

 Every day we find the inconvenience of outside planting. In making 

 nn outside border, raise it as much as possible above the general level. 

 However made, havb a drain in front; if there is a cold clay bottom, 

 concrete it, and place from to 9 inches of open rubble over it, and on 

 tliat turf reversed, if not straw, to keep the soil from the rubble. If the 

 natural soil is good add fresh to it. If all is to be new. choose the top 

 sjiit from a pasture, or such fibry loam as may be obtained from the sides 

 of tho highway. To every cartload, or cubic yard of this, add a barrow- 

 load of rotten dung, a bushel of lime rubbish, nnd a peck of broken 

 Iiunes. li too much at once, you may make tho border in three pieces 

 instead of all at once. Many garden soils, with the help of a few broken 

 boiled bones and a mulching of dung every year, the old being taken 

 away before the new is applied, wilt grow Vines as well as the new soil. 

 For such a late houso wo would rceomuund of white Grapes — Royal 

 Muscadine, White Frontignan, Buckland Sweetwater, and Trebbiano ; 

 and three Black Hambm'ghs, one Black Champion, one EsperZone, and 

 one Trentham Black. 



Vine-pruning (.f Kovice) — In your case we would take up your Vines 

 G inches from the front glass, rub off all tho buds on the stems, and only 

 leave one or two at the top— i.e., at tiie bottom of the rafter, cutting back 

 to that length when longer. We advise this on the supposition that you do 

 not mean your Vines to fruit in front, hut to have a clear stem as far as 

 the loiver end of the root rafter. This is desirable when the front glass 

 is to be used for other puii)ose3, as plants, Strawberi'ies, &c. If you 

 meant to fruit your Vines from the front border up the front glass as 

 well as under the roof, then, as tho Vines have been planted only six 

 weeks, we would cut to within 6 or 8 inches above the border, and take 

 only one stem from each in summer. By this means you will have bear- 

 ing wood in front next season. Tho treatment in either case will be 

 good just in proportion as you wish the Vines to bear in front or not. If 

 to bear in front, the stems there should be a foot from the glass. 



Length of Hot-water Pipes {Smscx T'/t-ar).— We have had little ex- 

 perience with 2-inch pipes ; wc like H-iuch better, and would say that un- 

 less made hot youi- 2-iuch pipes will not be sufficient in severe frosts if 

 you cannot cover up part of the house when such severe frosts occur, 

 say from 20^ to 30- below freezing point. Instead of your 42 feet we 

 would prefer CO feet of 2-inch piping, as then the piping would not re- 

 quire to be so hot. Little piping soon becomes waste, as you need more 

 fuel to make limited piping warm. For having a boiler in the house we 

 do not think you can better Riddell's. Wo presume you light it out- 

 side. For such a small house, merely to keep out frost, a brick stove 

 would be sufficient ; but wo have no doubt the pipes and boiler would 

 answer. You can easily add another pipe if necessary. 



Ice not Keeping [A. McA.).—'We presume that your house, like 

 No. 2, as shown in the number for July 19th, 1864, is all below ground. 

 If so, and your roof is thick enough, and you have double walls, with a 

 space of 12 inches between them, we cannot tell how it is the ice does 

 not keep if you put plenty in. At the first reading we thought your house 

 was above ground, and in that case the keeping will entii-ely depend oq 

 tho walls being air-tight, and the roof double, or thick enough to keep 

 heat out. In one such case the outer wall became open, holes made 

 ingress for air, and then the advantage of the double wall was destroyed. 

 Care should be taken to have such an ice well open as short a time as pos- 

 sible in summer. Wo do not advise you to fill up the 12-inch space be- 

 tween the walls with charcoal, cocoa-nut fibre, &c., or even sawdust, 

 which would do as well, bt-causo if the house is of any size it would re- 

 quire a large quantity of material to do so. To keep the ice, to prevent 

 the ice being exposed as now to a temperature in summer of from 50'^ to 

 5r)^, and from being encircled in such a steaming vapour as comes out of 

 the door every time you open it, we would ad\ise the following : 1, Make 

 sure that all melted ice in the shape of water shall pRss ofl' from the 

 bottom without letting air in, by means of a trap always tilled with water. 

 2, Make sure that the walls are sound, especially the outer one, bo that 

 in no point, above or below, shall air enter the hollow space. 3, Pack 

 the ice well, but use no straw at the sides. 4, As soon as tho ice sulisides 

 a little, say by March, cover the surface of the ice with a foot of clean^ 

 dry straw, and change when it becomes damp. 5, Have a pipe of li-inch 

 bore passing through the roof or over the doorway, with a cowl over it to 

 keep moisture ont, and fitted with a cork or plug, which you can open in 

 close, warm, moist weather, so that all vapour shall escape freely. 

 Nothing melts the ice quickbr than such vapour. 



BrnNiNG Clay (J. N. S.. Vor/j).— It is easily practised. Farmers call it 

 "paring and burning." Gardeners call it "chan-ing," and under this 

 title, at page 310, of the 5th volume of our First Scries, you will find full 

 directions. 



Vines for Orchard House (Orchard Bouse).— There is no better 

 variety for growing in pots in an orchard house than tho Black Ham- 

 burgh. White Muscadine or Buckland Sweetwater %rill succeed planted 

 outsidf and trained up the rafters inside. Lady Downe's would not 

 ripeu GraiJc in such a house. 



