AprU.9, IMS. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTDRE AND COTTAGE OAKDENEB. 



283 



*'ompoet of eqnal parts of turfy Innm, tibroos pf>at, nnd "ihurp sand. Leve> 

 tfao sarface, aud how the seed thinly, coverioK lif^btly with floo noil. A 

 Kcntle watering should be given, and the pot? plungt«d in a brisk bottom 

 tieat of 75- or 8ff-, and a top heat of from 65 to 80-. The soil should bo 

 kept moist. When tho plants appear give air liberally, aud keep them 

 Dear the glass, still rtitaJDing tliem in the hotbed until they are tit to 

 pot-off >(iugly in Buiall potB. ThtB being done, place the pots in a hotbed, 

 and keep the plants clupo and shaded until they bocomo established, then 

 gradoally harden them off, withdrawing thL>in from the hotbed by degrees. 

 Place them near the glas^j in a vinery or other heated house, and shift 

 Ihem into larger-sized pots as often as those they aru iu become titled 

 with roots. You may obtain fruiting plants the second year, but not by 

 any possibility this year. It will succeed in a heated Tinery having 

 plenty of light 



Pear Tree Injured bt Dressing (-Y M. C.).— We fear you are not 

 blameless in the matter ; indeed, it was injudicious to dress a tree after 

 the buds had begun to swell with an untried compo.'-ition or solution. 

 We do not think your tree will do any further good, us it is not showing 

 signs of growth. The only course we can recommend you to try is to 

 sprinkle it morning and evening with water through a syringe ; but were 

 it ours wo would even now, late as it iw, grub it up and plant a fresh one, 

 affording shade from bright sun until the new plant became established. 

 Yoa would in that case gain a year. 



WiOANDiA CARACASAN'A SEEDLINGS (Jj/noramMi).— Your soedlings now 

 in the seed loaf will not make sutliciently strong plants for planting out 

 this year, but you may by growing them on have them of fair size by the 

 beginning of June ; and if you think them large enough for your purpose 

 you may, after hardening them otT, plant them out. It is not necessary 

 to place anything iu the bed for bottom heat ; but if you were to do so we 

 have no doubt but that your plants would grow all tho better. We would 

 take out the soil to tbe depth of 18 inches or 2 feet, and till the whole with 

 well-sweetened hot dung, and place over it from 9 inches to a foot of 

 good Soil, raising the soil well above the surrounding ground level to 

 allow for the settling of the dung, and the raising of the bed will set your 

 nrnall plants off to better advantage. They should be taken up before 

 frost in autumn, potted, and kept in a greenhouse over tbe winter. 



Hardin'ESS of Surcrs (F. G.). — Andromeda arborea is not, that we are 

 aware, introduced as a living plant, and we cannot say where it can he 

 procured. Your best plan would be to obtain a few seeds. We have no 

 doabt of its proving hardy in situations not exposed to strong wind, 

 Ancaba himalaica would no doubt hybridise with A. japonica vera. All 

 the plants that we have seen of A. himalaica are evidently female, but we 

 think the male is introduced. We believe Kudsura variegata has not 

 been grown except in a greenhouse. It is the Uvaria japonica of Linnsus. 



Climbers for Iron Pillars in Greenhouse {B. i?.}.— You will find 

 the following suitable if the pillars are not shaded by climbers on the 

 roof orplanlsnear : — Kennedya inophylla floribunda andRhyncospermum 

 jasminoides, or Hoya camosa and Sollya linearis. If the situation is 

 shaded, then Cobaea scandens variegata and Jasminum gracile variegata. 



Striking Verbena Cuttings (Idem). — Tbe temperature of the soil 

 will be suitable if it range from 65'' to 70^, but it may range a few degrees 

 higher or lower. The cuttings will strike if it be as low an 55' at night. 



Brown Aphi.s on Peach Trees [R. ir.).— The inspect.'? infesting your 

 Peach-tree shoots are the brown Peach aphis. It may be destroyed by 

 fumigation with tobacco. The house being shut up closely, on a calm 

 evening fill it so full of tobacco smoke that the trees cannot be seen 

 through the glass from the outside. The trees should be well syringed 

 the following evening, and on the next night repeat the tobacco fumi- 

 gation. If you cannot fumigate tbe house, syringe with tobacco water, 

 made by pouring a gallon, of water over 8 ozs. of tobacco dust: the 

 water should be boiling. Let the liquid stand until cool, then strain it, 

 and add to it 2 ozs. of soft soap or Gishurst compound which has been 

 dissolved in gallon of soft water. You will thus have two gallons of 

 liquid, and with this syiinge the trees in the evening. It is a rather 

 difficult insect to get rid of, and should be combated as soon as seen, for 

 it is a very fast breeder. 



Plants for Kooteby (5. A. M.). — Your rootery bein? in the open 

 ground and exposed to the sun, will he suitable for flowering plants ; if 

 in the shade you could not have anything better than I-'erns. Of flower- 

 ing plants you may plant Iberis Tcnoreana, I. sempervirens. Braba 

 alzoon, D. aizoides, Dryas Drammondi, Daphne cneorum. Cyclamen 

 conm, C. repandum, C. europaum, Dianthus alpinus, Convolvulus sepium 

 roseus.(this is very ornamental, as it cUngs to the stumps, and has rose- 

 coloured flowers), Cistus formosus, C. roseus, C. purpiueus, C. ledon, 

 C. ladaniferus, C. algarvensis, Cheiranthus alpinus, Cerastiam tomen- 

 tosum, Campanula garganica. Achillea Clavenna;, Alyssum saxatile, Ane- 

 mone apennina, Antennaria hyperborea, Antirrhinum asaarina, Arabia 

 nlpina, A. albida, Aubrietia deitoidea and var. grandiflora, Oxalis tropip- 

 .oloides, Orobus vemus, Phlox vema, P. frondosa, P. Nelsoni, Lotus comi- 

 cnlatus flore-pleno, Mimulas cupreus, Sixifraga juniperiiia, cymbalaria, 

 coneata, carj'ophylla, aizoides, oppositi folia, umbrosa, pcctiuata, and 

 palmata ; Sedum kamtechaticum, acre, brovifolium, purpureum, cya- 

 neum, anglicum, albicans, Foresterianum, rnpestre.and turgidum ; Sem- 

 pervivum globulifernm, S. arachnoideum, Vinca elepantissima, V. minor 

 plena, and V. herbacea. The plants will keep the si^il up ; but the rootery 

 should not have water poored on it, but should be frerjucntly sprinkled 

 either through a fine-rose watering pot, syringe, or engine. 



Bauboo Planting (A Soin^rseUhire Parton). — The Bamboo thrives well 

 in a compost of rather strong loam, with the addition of one-third peat 

 or leaf moold. It does best in moist ground, and succeeds with us ad- 

 mirably in a clay soil. It is not necessary to plant it near water, only 

 give a good supply of water in dry weather. We have had it very fine at 

 the foot of rockwork. A sheltered situation is required to grow it well. 



Magnolia Transplanting {Staff Surgeon).— V,'q should think your tree 

 too old to transplant ; but of that you of course will bo best able to de- 

 cide. We think tbe ofi'^ets proceed from the stem of the tree, and that 

 you will not be able to separate them and preserve a number of roots to 

 each offset. If yoa can, there is nothing to hinder your doing so, nor in 

 removing the tree entire, providing you make sure of removing it with a 

 good ball. The best time to remove it will be during the lirst moist 

 weather in September. Take out a trench all around at 4. feet from the 

 S'tem, and deep enough to reach below the roots. You may then work 

 under the ball towards the stem, removing any loose soil from the ball, 

 tut preserving all tbe roots, and where they are closely matted together 



do not db»tarb the soil. Your hope of eacccsa will depeud on the moving 

 of the tree with good roots and hall of Bn\\. It should be planted rather 

 high, have a good watering after planting, and be sprinkled overhead 

 every evening if the weather bo dry. The Irco ubould be well staked and 

 made secure against wind. 



Canker is Fruit Treks f/J/-m..— There is no remedy except to drain 

 the ground, take up tbe troes. aud rephiut, trenching the ground well, 

 nnd planting on a slightly rained c<in« or mound. No application to the 

 t-iukured places on tbe braucheu %sill do any good. 



Azaleas and Ferns Overpottei> (.1 Sn^ncritrr).— You may now repot 

 them in smaller pots, taking care not to destroy more of the fibrous roots 

 of the Azaleas than can be avoidid ; but you may reduce the ball to any 

 extent if you preserve n number of good roots and fibres. The plants 

 should be kept close, shaded, and moit>t, giving a slight increase of beat 

 until they become well rooted and are growing freely. 



Pruning Tea-scented Roses (IJ*^).— It is well not to prune Tea- 

 scented Roses too soon, but it may bo done now. Tney do not require 

 much pruning — merely shortening any very long shoots, and cutting out 

 the old wood and very weak shoots, therefore some prefer to do it iu ilay 

 after danger from frost is past, which is not bad practice. 



Forced Roses Mildewed (/(f^m).— Wo cannot explain the cause it 

 mildew. We know that painting the hot-water pipes with sulphur will 

 check it, and that sulphur dusted on the parts afl"ectcd will destroy it. 

 Mildew is most plentiful in houi-es kept too close and moist, and when 

 plants arc not sufficiently supplied with water at the roots. 



Budding Manetti STOCKSf/drm).— They should be budded quite close 

 to the ground or« a little below the surface, and the buds will take on 

 last year's wood. Yon may, however, cut the stocks down to the ground, 

 and bud on a shoot of the current year. Do not hud on a sucker, but 

 take a shoot direct from tbe stem. 



! CoiiPosT for Ferns (ir^-hrj/n).— Two-thirds sandy fibrous peat, one- 



I third fibrous loam torn in pieces with the hand but not sifted, and one- 

 sixth of silver sand intermixed, will grow them well. If cocoa-nut fibre 

 refuse can be had it may be substituted for the peat, but it should be old. 

 For the sraaller-growiu;: kinds yon may use two-thirds peat, and the other 

 third equal quantities of loam, silver sand, and pieces of sandstone or 

 grit from the size of a pea up to that of a walnut, the whole being tho- 

 roughly mixed. Good drainage should be provided. 



Propagating Ferns from Spores {Idem). — Take a pot which a bell- 

 glass will j ust cover in.^ide the rim ; half fill this pot with pieces of broken 

 pots, and fill to within an inch of tbe rim with the sifting- of the following 

 compost — two-thirds sandy fibrous peat, silver sand, fibrous loam, and 

 sandstone broken rather small, thoroughly incorporating them, and si't 

 with a sieve with quarter-inch meshes. Fill to the rim with the fine soil, 

 slightly raising it in the centre of the iwt ; give a gentle watering, and 

 whilst wet brush the spores from the fronds on to soil, or scatter the 

 brown dust or yellow powder over it. Do not again water, but cover with 

 a beU-gla?s, its edge re-^ting on the soil immediately within the rim of the 

 pot. Set the pot in a saucer of water always kept full, place it in the 

 warmest part uf the house, and shade it from powerful li^ht. It is neces- 

 sary that the aurface be never allowed to dry, but water should not be 

 given imtilit is required, and then a verj- gentle sprinkling through a 

 fine-rosed syringe or watering pot. The bell-glass may be taken off once 

 or twice a-week, %viped dry, and then replaced immediately. When the 

 surface of the soil in the pot becomes green the bell-glass should be tilted 

 a little, and when the young fronds appear it should be gradually with- 

 drawn. Success mainly depends on keeping the soil uniformly moist, 

 avoiding heavy waterings, and currents of air, which dr>' up the soil and 

 young plants. When large enough to handle the seedlings may be 



I potted-off. 



1 Saxjfrage for Edging {G. C).— Saxifraga japonica variegata would 

 probably suit you. It has large, roundish, serrated leaves beautifully 



' marked with white, rofse, and green, and is hardy in well-drained sofl. 



] S. palmata is a very fine and efleclive species, if not the finest of the 



i dwarf whites. If the situation be shaded none would serve you so well 



I as S. umbrosa crenata. 



Breaking-up CoiOiON Land {A Conatant Reader). — Bum offthe heath* 



I You may then with an iron plough and good team of horses break up the 

 ground, then scarily and harrow it to bring it into good tilth, and plant 



I with Potatoes. If the ground is stony, or full of stumps of trees, brush- 

 wood, or other obstacles to the plough, it must be broken-up with the 

 pick and spade. 



I Raising Quince Stocks {Idem).— The Quince for stocks for the Pear 

 may be raised from seeds, which is seldom practised, as they rarely ripen 

 in this coimtry. Cuttings maybe put in early in autumn, taking them 

 from wood of the current vear, and with a small heel of last year's wood. 

 They ought to be planted" 1 f'lot apart in rows 2J feet asunder. They 

 sboiild be watered in dry weather, and will root soon and freely. They 

 may be grafted or budded the second or third year after they are put in. 

 Cuttings make the best plants. The Quince for stocks is also very com- 

 monly propagated by layering in autumn, and by the following autumn 

 the layers will be well rooted, and should be transplanted. 



Manetti Rose Stocks (/(//•m).— The Manetti stock is a free-growing 

 kind of Hose, largely used at the present time for budding and graftirg 

 Koses on. 



Pears on the WnrrETnoEN 'Idem). — All the small and medium-sized 

 fruited sorts will succeed on the Whitethorn, but we are not aware that 

 the large kinds succeed. We should be obliged for i)articulars of the 

 kinds of Pears that have been grown on the Thorn as a stock, and with 

 what success. 



Clisibers fob Conservatobt Pilastees (T, it.}.— You do not say 

 whether the plants are wanted for the inside or the outside of the con- 

 servatory, and we shall therefore presume, as you &ay " hardy.'' that they 

 are for tbe latter, and recommend Berberidopsis corailina, Berberis steno- 

 phylla, Eugenia apiculata, Edwardsia grandillora, Garrya elliptica, Es- 

 callonia macrautha. E. montevidensis, Passiflora carulea. PuDica grana- 

 turn flore-pleno, Ceanothus integerrimus, C. dentatus, Arbutus procera, 

 and Buddlea globosa. If the conservatory has not a southern aspect 

 some of those named will not succeed. 



Daphne indica rubra not Flowering (A Constant Snh:*criber). — It 

 succeeds admirably in a greenhouse, but not iu a cool one. It should not 

 be planted in a border outside, as we are not aware that it is hardy. It 



