March 5, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



101 



Bridgewater Tiles.— ".4« Irish Suhtcrilnr" will be obliged if "A 

 Somersetshire Parson" will lUGntion wboro the " Briilgewiitur til(,g " 

 (which be rocommonds in liis article "Wall Copiiip:"). nre to be pro- 

 cured, and what is their cost ; also if they could be obtained at any had- 

 ing seaport town, and where. 



EoYPTrAN Arum.— "K. li. B." wishes to know under what circnnistjtnroH 

 tho ERvptiiin Arum attains its largest size in this country. In Now Zen- 

 land, be adds, that it will, during tho summer, from one plant become a 

 mass It feet tbrou^jh. He likewise states that between Warwickshire and 

 Worcestershire there arc fields of Snowdrops. This Js not uncommon 

 where they have been lon^ established. 



Runner Kidney Bcan {Lftn.tdownf, Worcester). — Ourcorresiiondent had 

 a variety called "Zebra," the seeds beiui^ light-coli)ured, striped wilh 

 black, and the pods 10 inches long; ho has lost his stock, and wishes to 

 know where ho can procuro seed. 



Vines (An /nV/i Subscriber).— 'Scither of the Vines yon mention is suit" 

 able for a cylinder vinery. Royal Ascot would do in n ground vinery- 

 Tho following are all adapted for cylinders r—H'/iiff : Early White Jlal- 

 vasia, Pitmaston White Cluster, Royal Muscadine, Stillward's Swcttwater 

 Early Saumur Frontignan, and Graham's Muscat Muscadine. Black: 

 Black Prince, Black Hamburgh, Purple Fontainebleau, Esinran, Ingram's 

 Pi-olific Muscat, Jura Frontignan. 



Dates OF Introduction (L. M. A',).— We really cannot aflbrd either 

 time or space to detail the dates of introduction of twenty-five Conifers. 

 If you refer to Loudon's " Hortus Eritannicus," you will find the dates 

 mentioned. 



Fruit Trees on North Wall (D., ShepheriVf Homf').—Tho Morello 

 Cherry, and Thompson's and the Red Doyenne Pears, will ripen on your 

 almost sunless wall. 



Training Nails (G. V., Devonshire). — We do not know where Hill's 

 Permanent Tie Nails can be procured. Eyed nails for training must be 

 put in where and when they are required. There is no arbitrary distance. 



Employjient in Chiswick Garden (A. J?.).— Write to Mr. Barron, 

 Royal Horticultural Society's Garden, Chiswick, W. 



Sowing Scotch Fir (St. G€orge).~'Th0 seeds should be sown early in 

 March in light sandy soil, and covered lightly with fine soil. You have, 

 probably, covered the seeds too deeply, which may account for their not 

 vegetating ; but very likely they were not good. Try covering less deeply 

 with soil. 



Pruning Dwarf Hybrid Perpetual Roses (Agnes). — " The advice to 

 out down yonr vigorous-growing Manetti-stocked Roses to 8 inches or 

 1 foot, is not good. You will only produce more vigorous growth and 

 blindness. As your Roses bloomed well last year, and as you do not 

 speak of blindness, thin-out the small wood, cut-in to a good eye the side 

 wood, and cut the main branches, whether they were blind or not last 

 year, to a good eye at their summits. My plants of Acidalie, which I have 

 had sixteen years, are cut to about 6 feet. I am persuaded that it is a 

 goad plan to move and cut-back the roots of Manetti Roses annually or 

 biennially. The plants like the stining of the ground under them, and 

 by root-pruning produce more flowers and less blind wood. Tho wood 

 that from strong growth goes blind one year, if cut but little, will bloom 

 abundantly in the next. Manetti-stocked Roses may be moved any time 

 from September to February, or even later, with care. Take them up 

 carefully, cut their roots to the general radius, and they will repay you 

 for the trouble. In my fine sandy loam they strike vigorously on their 

 own roots in one season, so that if I like I can cut the whole of tho 

 Blanetti roots away. You say that ' many ai-ticles on pruning Manetti- 

 stocked Roses do not distinguish between standards and dwarfs.' There 

 are no such Roses, or there ought not to be, as standard and half- 

 standard Manetti-stocked Roses. How could you bury the stock 2 inches 

 over the point of union ? I once was shown several Rose trees that 

 never produced a flower, or only a very poor one. Some of them were 

 12 feet high. The Roses were dead, and all that was left was the Manetti. 

 Close by was a half-standard Manetti-stocked Rose. It was a complete 

 thicket of suckers. I could see no Rose wood at all; so I took out my 

 pruning knife and cut away all the suckers, and in the centre were the 

 remains of Baronne Prevost with a little foliage, by which I knew it, as 

 there is no other Rose but Triomphe d'Aleni,on, which was not in exist- 

 ence at the time, that has the same foliage. Having cut ofi" the suckers, I 

 said in triumph, The Baroness will flourish yet again. The next year 

 I went to see, and was not disappointed. However, standard and 

 half-standard Manetti-stocked Roses would not flourish for any length of 

 time unless the bark were kept scored and protected from scorching heat by 

 some moist material. — W. F. Kadclyffe.'' 



Axlamandas Starting (T. £.). — For Allamandas to flower well at the 

 end of May, they should at once be started. They should be frerh potted 

 if the roots are closely matted round the pots, but without disturbing 

 them to any great extent, merely picking away any loose soil, and placing 

 in a pot of the same size as before, or but little larger. If on turning 

 the plants out of the pots you find the soil in good condition, you may 

 merely rectify the drainage, remove the surface soil, and replace with 

 fresh. The soil should be gradually brought into a moist state, and a 

 moist brisk heat afforded. If pruning be necessary it ought to be done 

 now. 



Growing Fuchsias fob Exhibition (Idem).— Your newly-struck cut- 

 tings in thumb pots should be potted into 48's and kept slowly growing in 

 a house, placing them near the glass, and where thev can have air. for 

 they must not be allowed to become drawn. When the pots are filled 

 with roots, shift the plants into pots a size larger, and this must be 

 done repeatedly, changing the pots as often as the roots reach the sides, 

 and beinf,' careful never to let them want for water; at the same time 

 they must not have too much. If the plants branch, or push side shoots 

 near the bottom, the leader will not require stopping; but if there are 

 no side shoots the point of the leader may be taken out when it has 

 grown 9 inches, and one of the best of the shoots proceeding from the 

 stopping trained in place of that removed. The side shoots for a foot 

 upwards from the pot should not be stopped until they are 9 inches long, 

 when their points may be taken out, and the side shoots liigher up the stem 

 may be stopped sooner and oftener, so as to secure pyramidal growth. 

 The plants should be in their blooming pots not later than June, and the 

 stopping may be practised to within six weeks of the exhibition; but it 

 is well cot to continue the stopping too long. All flower buds should be 

 picked-off as they appear, or when a shoot shows flower take out iti 



point, but not later than six weeks before the show, for, as already stated, 

 it is well to err in tliis respect, as tho plants are more cttaily rctardud 

 than forwarded. They cannot bo kept too cool and airy after May, for 

 if dr.twn up by heat they grow too last, and are long-jointed, with 

 branches and blooms far apart. The plants should have a single upright 

 pteuj, and be synimetrical in form, tapering upwards from a wide base, 

 tlie i^boots equally disposed on all sides, and well furnished from tho rim 

 of the pot upwards. The main constituent of tlie compost should bo 

 turf cut 2i inches thick from an old pasture, where the soil is a good, 

 yellow, not very strong loam, but strong rather than light, laid up for 

 six months ; or it may ho used fresh if exposed to a strong heat to destroy 

 the M eeds and gras^>. Tear it in pieces with the band, and use it rather 

 rough One-half of this, one-fourth old dry cow dung, and one-fourth leaf 

 mould and charcoal in pieces from the size of a hazel nut down to that 

 of a pea, will grow Fuchsias well. Mix the whole well, and add sharp 

 sand in proportion to the soil, so as to render it rather sandy. When tho 

 pots become filled with roots after the final potting, liquid manure may 

 be applied tww or three times a-week. To have Clerodendron Balfouri 

 in flower at the period yon name, no time should be lost in starting it. 

 Your other question shall he attended to. 



Azaleas Differently Flowered (An Old Snhf!criher.)Some kinds 

 of Azaleas have the peculiarity of producing different- coloured flowers 

 on the same plant, but the variation is not generally permanent. Wo 

 are unable to account fwr the peculiarity. 



Apples for a Trellis fryro).— Your trellis will be very suitable for 

 Apple trees, and we should plant double oblique trees, and, of course, 

 train them obliiiuely. The trees should be planted 2 feet apart, and tho 

 length of trellis named will require eighteen trees, which should be on 

 the Paradise stock. Tho following dessert sorts will suit :— Dutch Mig- 

 nonne, Margil. Stunner Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, Adams's Pearmain, 

 and Cellini. We would have three of each. If you wish for l:itchen 

 Apples, Cox's Pomona, Tower of Glammis, Manks Coalin, Keswick Codhn, 

 Nonesuch, and New Hawthomden. Y'ou may plant with safety during 

 this or next month, but the earlier the better. The trees may be pro- 

 cured of any of the principal nurserymen. If you determine to have 

 maiden plants, you may head them back and form double horizontal 

 cordons. 



Potatoes for Clay Soil {E. F. TT.). — For first early :—Eiver6's 

 Royal Ashleaf ; second early, Milky White ; late, Paterson's Victoria 

 or Skerry Blue. 



Gooseberry Caterpillar (G. P.).— Dnring the present month remove 

 the soil about the bushes to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, bury it in deep 

 trenches at a distance from the bushes, and replace it with fresh soil or 

 manure. Upon the appearance of the caterpillar the bushes shoiild be 

 dusted with hellebore powder, or they may be syringed and then dusted 

 vrith lime, which should be put on the stems and scattered on the ground. 

 Two inches thick of tan spread round the bushes and dug in or burnt 

 in autumn, has been found a very efficient preventive. 



Pruning Moss Roses (7(/ej;i).— The Moss Roses layered or pegged 

 down should be cut-in to two eyes, the weak shoots being cut-in to one, 

 and any strong ones left with three. 



Bone Dust for Destroying Moss on Lawn {James B.). — Bone dost 

 from its promoting the growth of the grass is a good destroyer of moss; 

 but we cannot say that it is the best. We recommend you to scratch the 

 lawn well with an iron rake, and after removing as much of the moss as 

 possible bv that means, to give a good dressing of very rotten manure in 

 March. Early in April rake it in, clear away all the loose manure, and 

 then sow 4 lbs. Festuca duriuscula, 4 lbs. Cynosurus cristatns, 4 lbs. Tri- 

 folium minus, and 4 lbs. Trifolium repens, and if the lawn is shaded by 

 trees, Poa nemoralis, 2 lbs., in mixture for an acre. Roll tho sxurface well 

 after sowing, but not again for a month, then mow and roll as usual. 

 Bone dust may be applied at the rate of 8 cwt. per acre. 



Evergreens for Rookery {Idem). — Ni^thing thrives so well as the 

 Aocuba japonica. We would make it the principal shrub. Common 

 Laurel. Yew, Holly, Berberis aquifolium, and B. repens will all succeed 

 tolerably well, and Rhododendron ponticum would do in your soil. No 

 time should be lost in planting them, as unless they bo established 

 before the Oaks are in leaf the ground will become so dry that the shrubs 

 will perish of drought. Early autumn planting is best, but now is a good 

 time. 



Vine-crafting (A Snbscrihrr). — The scions should be inserted in 

 moist soil or sand, in pots, and kept in the same house with the stock. 

 The latter ought to be cut back at the winter pruning to the point at 

 which it is to be grafted— that is. to a bud or eye opposite the place where 

 the scion is to be put. When this bud has grown 6 inches pinch it back 

 to two or three leaves, and whip-graft on the opposite side. Bind with 

 a strip of matting, but not very tightly, and cover with clay, and then with 

 moss over the clay, leaving the buds exposed, the moss being kept moist 

 by frequently sprinkling with water at the same temperature as the air 

 of the house. When the buds on the scion have expanded, one of the 

 leaves on the stock may be removed, and when the scion is fairly in leaf 

 the whole of the shoot on the stock may be removed. Yonr stock being 

 thick we would proceed by side-grafting, which is only a modification of 

 whip-gi-afting, putting the graft on the side of the cane and not beneath 

 it, which is bad. If your stock is not now cut back do not do so, but 

 let it push and then thin the shoots, leaving a few leaves opposite 

 where the graft is put on to approprinte the sap, but remove or disbud 

 entirely above the grjift. When the union is complete you may cut the 

 stock down to the graft, which should have every encouragement to pro- 

 duce as much foliage as can be exposed to hght. 



Liquid Manure for Evaporation in a Fernery (D. K.}.— We have 

 tried it and we cnnnot say that it is injurious, but it certainly docs no 

 good, as the Ferns thrive quite as well when water only is employed. If 

 the manure water is used strong some Ferns have their fronds disfigured 

 by it. Charcoal is good for mixing with the soil, but small pieces of 

 sandstone mixed with the soil keep it porous, and arc quite as beneficial 

 as charcoal, if not more so. The peat you name is not what we would 

 recommend, but so far as we are aware it will not prove injurious. 



Liquid Manure for Gooseberries {Jdrm}.— Liquid manure would not 

 injure Gooseberry bushes. It is best given when they are in giowth. A 

 thorough soaking given during any dry period that may occur after the 

 bushes are in leaf will prove beneficial, and it may be continued up to the 

 time that the fruit begins to ripen. 



