156 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ February 20, 1888. 



xent divisioriB we have bad Pelargoniums, Strawberries, Pota- 

 toes, and otber crops, and all perfectly bealtby and clean ; still 

 the tbrips would begin to show on the Beans by the time they 

 began to produce. We have known instances of gardeners 

 placing a few pots of Kidney Beans in a house as a sort of 

 test or trap for thripp, and whenever any showed themselves, 

 moving the pots out with extraordinary care. When the insects 

 are young this may be safely done ; but when full grown it is 

 difficult to get rid of them, they jump so when approached or 

 disturbed. Tobacco smoke in repeated doses will kill them ; 

 but it is better in every way to keep them away, than to destroy 

 them after they appear. 



Forced vegetables and out-door work much the same as last 

 week, only we have learned that it is desirable to have frequent 

 successions of Sea-kale and to grow it rapidly, as we hear 

 that when it is a long time growing it requires much more boil- 

 ing becauFe it is much harder. This is a matter that was 

 rather new to ns, as Sea-kale in winter was more found fault 

 with on account of being soft and watery, than fur its hardness 

 or compactness. 



KEUIT DEPAETMENT. 



In addition to the matters alluded to last week, we may 

 mention that from frames and orchard houses we introduced a 

 good many Strawberries into the houses and a brick pit, placing 

 the pots on a shelf, where drip would be unsuitable in small 

 saucers, and the others on reversed turf on shelves, or on a 

 little leaf mould, with moss below it. From frequent ex- 

 perience, and, perhaps, more especially from that of last year, 

 we would advise that all Strawberry pots for the best part of a 

 month to come, be placed on shelves with merely a thin turf, 

 or a little moss below them, instead of in a raised bed, with a 

 good thickness of mild fermenting material beneath them. 

 From the force of circumstances, we were obliged to use a bed, 

 with a good thickness of decayed leaves on the surface last 

 season, and no plants could have looked better, but the fruiting 

 did not meet our expectations. To keep such plants right they 

 would require to be lifted every day. They very soon root 

 through the pots, and if in bloom, and not lifted for weeks, 

 they would be checked if lifted, and after that the rooting in 

 such material is apt to encourage fine foliage instead of large, 

 well- swelled fruit. Such a bed does admirably if the plants 

 are set on boards, slates, or tiles, with a sprinkling of leaf 

 mould on these to hold a little moisture about the bottom of 

 the pot ; but we have often proved that the free going out of 

 the roots into a bed of leaves or leaf mould in January and 

 February, does more to encourage foliage than fruit. When 

 the days grow longer, the sun more powerful, and the plants 

 are not too close together, the plan answers very well after the 

 middle of March. We have found it answer especially well 

 when the fruit was set, or setting, before the plants were thus 

 placed in a material in which they were tempted to root freely. 

 In such a case the fruit had the benefit of the increased vigour, 

 at least a fair share of it. 



A irga-'uiij. — We allude to this, because in the last line of the 

 second column, page 139, we meant to say, "When we first 

 managed houses on our own account, we went regularly out to 

 attend divine service every Sunday forenoon, and we never 

 had a single mischance from overheating, or too little or too 

 much air, on these occasions." There could be nothing par- 

 ticular in this result, if we attended the houses regularly in the 

 forenoon. We wanted to show to .amateurs, that by propor- 

 tioning heat to light, preventing strong irre heat and powerful 

 sun heat acting on a forcing house at the same time, and 

 giving air early in small quantity, rather than a larger quantity 

 later, the heat of the house would rise and fall gradually within 

 the points of perfect safety, and no casualty would occur, though 

 left to itself for hours. Vineries were often thus left, though 

 forced early, from 'J. 30 to 1 I'.m., and often no change was made 

 until the houses were shut for the night. Of course, they were 

 looked to, and the heavens scanned just before leaving, and 

 immediately on returning ; but although like others we could 

 see our failures, wo never had one then from that cause. So 

 long as the expense of fuel prevents many of us from keeping 

 on a little air at night even, we would say that air-giving early 

 in the morning is more important than the quantity during 

 the day. 



0r.NA3IF.NTAL DEI'AKTMEKT. 



Will turn over the flower beds already ridged, and dig over 

 larger beds and borders on the first opportunity, and will take 

 the chance to divide stools of herbaceous plants. 



Planted Pinks and Carnations well established in a border 

 in the kitchen garden, being afraid to trust them beyond the 



walls, as hundreds or thousands of Wallflowers in the pleasure 

 grounds show nothing but a stump of their stems. Dahlias 

 we shall place on the floor of a vinery to come on gently, as 

 we cannot spare a bed for them, though a slight hotbed is the 

 place when much increase is desirable, so as to have fine shoots 

 quickly. Tulips appearing should be protected with little 

 mounds of sand or burnt earth. Crocuses are not beyond the 

 nibblings of the mice ; when more grown they seldom touch 

 them. Mice are more easily poisoned than rats. We destroyed 

 a good number of the latter lately by placing poisoned mashed 

 potatoes and oatmeal in holes, and under litter and branches, 

 where no fowls or pheasants were likely to go. — E. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Februart 19. 



We have no alterations to report. Supplies eontiuuc good, and the 

 demaud is fair. • 



B. d. 8. d 

 2 6 to 4 

 





 



14 

 



Apples ^ Bieve 2 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 8 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



FUberts lb. 10 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseherries ..quart 



Orapes, Hothouse.. 11.. 7 10 



Lemons 100 8 J2 I do per lUO 1 



Melons each 2 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 3 



Peaciaes doz. 



Pears (dessert) ..doz. 4 



Pine Apples lb. G 



Phims i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



d. B. 

 OtoS 

 



Walnuts. 



. hnsih. ]0 18 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ICO 



Beans, Kidney ....100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brns. Sprouts ^ sieve 



Cabbace doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



VEGETABLES. 

 S. d , 



B. d. 



8 0to4 



LeekB bunch 



20 Lettuce per score 



3 Mushrooms .... pottle 

 3 Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



1 6 Onions.... per bushel 



2 G Parsley per sieve 



2 Parsnips doz. 



Potatoes bushel 



8 , Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. hunches 







2 j Rhubarb bundle 



4 ' Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



' Shallots lb. 



i Spinach bushel 



I Tomatoes per doz. 



1 Turnips bunch 



d. 8. d 

 3 too 

 1 

 



a 





 

 9 

 6 

 

 



9 



1 



2 









 

 8 

 





 4 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to imjustifiable trouble and expense. AU 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dec, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



Books {R. M. H. P.).— The volume on layins out Hardens will be pub- 

 lished this coming sprini!. We cannot tell where the Phacelia is to be 

 obtained. Apply to the leading seedsmen. 



Galvanised Wire {H. H.).— Any one of those who advertise it in this 

 Journal can supply you. 



RocKWORK [Idem).— In Nos. 214 and 216 are directions for making rock- 

 work. In 321 is a list of rock plants. If you enclose twelve postage 

 stamps, ordering them, and stating your direction, you can have them 

 free by post. 



TcLiP-wooD (t. i?.).— We believe that the wood so called and employed 

 by cabinet-makers for veneering, is the wood of the Liriodendron tulipi- 

 fera, or Tulip Tree. At all events the wood of this tree is used for 

 carving and other ornamental work, and for house furniture. 



Vises foe Early Foeciho (I'orl-).— Have two Vines of each of tha 

 following: -Black Muscat of Alexandria, White Frontignan, Mack Ham- 

 burgh, and Buckland Sweetwater. 



.taArcARlA CuNNiNGHAMil sisEKSis.— " In auswcr to your correspon- 

 dent '• L. X.," (see page 119). I am informed by Mr. Smythe that during 

 the first five years the tree in question received no protection whatever, 

 but the severe winter of ISCO killed to the ground large plmta of Arancaria 

 imbricata, together with Portugal Laurels, the latter .supposed to have 

 stood for at least one hundred years. It was then the wish of the pro- 

 prietor (Lord Sondes), that they, with otber Email plants of Araucaria 

 imbricata, should have the protection of a few spruce boughs which they 

 have since annually received, not that their hardiness is in question, but 

 as a precaution and to make assurance doubly sure.— Thomas Winewokth, 

 Elmham Gardens."' 



Garden Plan (A Constant Huhserihcr).— Virile to Mr. Chapman, Land- 

 scape-gardener, Hermitage Road, Richmond, S.W. 



PHAL.iiNOPSis Schilleeiana 'H. 11. G.).— By putting a little damp moss 

 to the excrescence at the joiut on the stem, your hope of a young plant 

 would amount to a certainty. The spike is a very fine one. You can 

 have covers for the last four volumes of the Journal, which will be sent 

 on receipt of it. lild. in postage stamps, along with youi- address. 



