330 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I AprU 30, 18C8. 



Artichokes doz. 



Aaparagug 100 



Beans, Kidney 100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Bms. Spronts ^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capeicoms 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



VEGETiBLES. 



e. d [ 



to 4 ' Leeks bnnch 



8 I Lettuce .... per score 



Mushrooms .... pottle 

 3 Mustd.A Cress, punnet 



1 Onions.... perbushel 



Parsley per sieve 



1 6 Parsnips doz. 



i Potatoes bushel 



I Kidney do. 



5 ' Radisheedoz.bnnchea 



2 ) Rhubarb bundle 



1 6 Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



I Spinach bushel 



Tomatoe?!.. .. per doz. 



5 I Turnips bunch 



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 Eubjected to unjustifiable trouhle and expense. AU 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, etc., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mis upon the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



Gardeners' Wages near London (IT. Amos).— It is quite impossible 

 to give an opinion as to the probability of employment or the remunera- 

 tion, so much depends upon the skill possessed bv the applicant and 

 other circumstances. You had better write to some of the leading florists 

 and nurserymen near London. 



Heating a Pine Pit (Southerner). —By the same pipes von cannot 

 regulate your heat— that is, yon cannot have top heat when you like and 

 bottom heat when you like, the one independently of the other. For this 

 purpose you must have separate pipes for top heat, and separate ones for 

 bottom heat, with valves to regulate at pleasure. For a Pine pit to be 

 need continuously for Pines, or even for crops of Melons at times, but 

 chiefly for Pine^, the plan proposed is more simple, and does away with all 

 valves and reguLUion, and as the water circulates all round for top heat 

 first, before it enters below the bottom of the bed, von will alwavs have 

 enough and never too much bottom heat. It would be simpler still if you 

 took two flows along the end. along the front, and along the other end, 

 and then returned these beneath the bed for bottom heat. We have seen 

 several pineries thus worked most successfully, and there is no trouble 

 with valves or taps, therefore we say that the plan will answer. How- 

 ever, if you would rather have each set of pipes under control, that you 

 can do with valves. 



Keeping Late Grapes— Obtaining a Constant Succession of 

 Grapes from Two Vineries {A Header).— For Lady Downe's and 

 other late Grapes to hang well until March they should be perfectly 

 coloured and pretty well ripened by the beginning of October. By having 

 Hamburghs, &c.,in your late house there may be a constant succession 

 from two houses, a lato and an early one ; the Vines in the one forced early, 

 those in the other forced little, but allowed to break naturally. A third 

 house to come in between would give a better supply. There need be no 

 difficulty as to the pruning of the late Vines if even the Grapes hang long, 

 as the Vines could be disbudded when you could not cut. and all the dis- 

 budded parts removed when the Vines were in leaf, and they would suffer 

 little or nothing. The Koyal Ascot Grape bears out all that has been said 

 in its favour. 



Grapes Shrtvelling While YorNo (liosslyn).— The young hunches 

 were much dried up, but we could discover no traces of the Vine mil- 

 dew. We think the sbrivelling-up of the bunches is owing to two causes— 

 a heavy crop the preceding year, and unripeness of the wood, owing to 

 the wet and dull autumn. The roots may also be getting deep enough. 

 Give more dry heat to ripen the wood this season. 



Uncovering an Octside Vine Boeder (One in Pcrplexity).~'Were -we 

 in your case, and the Grapes just beginning to colour, we would examine 

 the outside border, and if moist enough we would let well alone, and 

 allow the covering of leaves, &c., to remain until the Grapes were 

 coloured. If the border was too drv we would clear a piece, water, and 

 turn the covering over, treating all the border in the same wav; but if 

 moist enough we would let well alone for another month or six w'eeks. 



Cdcumbees not Setting (For^manl.— Cucumbers are so uncertain. 

 W« have eight or nine plants that would kill themselves with fruiting, we 

 have several others doing little, though almost as old. Be content with 

 65= at night, give less manure, and be sure the roots are not dry at the 

 bottom of the soil. 



Zonal Pelargoniums for Exhibition (Amateur).— Youi compost is 

 ccrrect. but quite rich enough. Eleven-inch pots will grow a large plant, 

 bnt if desirous of having the plants very large, shift them without delay 

 if to be at the best in the beginning of .\ugu9t. The flat form of training 

 will have the best effect ; if to be seen with a face, we prefer the centre 

 to be highest, and gently rounded so that the top shall be circular. 



Ground Vineries (C. C).— The proper width of a ground vinery is 

 frem 30 to 36 inches. In the first case the height at the ridge may be 



16 inches, in the second it should be 20 inches. They are best made in 

 7-feet lengths, and they are cheapest if without bars or hinges. Aa re- 

 gards cost, Mr. Rivers had a couple of 7-feet lengths of barless ground 

 vineries, 3 feet wide, with two closed ends, painted and glazed with 21-oz. 

 glass, for £1 Ids.: so you can calculate what the foot will cost, and allow 

 a little more for inexperienced workmen or carriage. As to position, the 

 ground vinery should stand north and south, or nearly so, presenting one 

 side to the morning, and the other to the afternoon sun. You will gain 

 nothing by placing it against a wall. If you have a south wall yau had 

 better cover that with a fixed roof. Common slate will answer well for 

 the bottoming of a ground vinery. 



Collver and Roberts's Tobacco Tissue (G. F.).— We have seen Mr. 

 W. Paul's and many other testimonials in favour of Collyer & Roberts's 

 Tobacco Tissue. Those testimonials state that fumigation with it is 

 quite efficacious in destroying both thrips and green fly. 



Hotbed lli. W. H.). — Your note is an advertisement, and we have many 

 similar, but are obliged to decline inserting them. 



Celeriac Culture (S.\— The cultivation of Celeriac is the same as 

 that of Celery — that is, the seed should be sown at the beginning of 

 March in a pot, to be placed in a mild hotbed or house where there is a 

 gentle heat. The seedlings should be kept near the glass, and be well 

 hardened-off, and when they have each a pair of leaves they should be 

 pricked-out in a bed of rich soil. Shade from sun until the plants are 

 again established, and water freely overhead every evening in dry weather. 

 Thev should remain thus until they are of sufficient size for planting out. 

 We consider it best to grow Celeriac in beds 4 feet wide, with 2-feet alleys 

 between them, the soil being taken from the beds about 6 inches deep, 

 and laid in the alleys, its place tilled with well-rotted manure and 

 leaf mould, and the bed dug over twice or thrice, so as to thoroughly 

 work in and mis the manure and leaf mould with the soil. In this the 

 plants should be planted in rows across the beds, sis plants in a row, and 

 the rows 15 inches apart. A good watering should be given, and when 

 established a soaking of liquid manure may be afforded frequently, es- 

 pecially in dry weather. A little of the soil from the alleys may be put 

 between the rows of plants from time to time, but the earthing altogether 

 should not exceed 6 inches, as it is not the blanched stalks which are 

 wanted, as in Celery, but the turnip-like portion of the stem, which is 

 excellent for soups, and in every way butter than Celery stalks. We 

 have grown it many years. In severe weather it should be protected with 

 dry litter. 



Crickets and Slugs in Fernery [E. M. H.).— To destroy crickets, 

 spread phosphor paste on slices of bread, and lay them down in the 

 places the crickets frequent, and in the morning the latter will be found 

 dead, and of a I'luish colour. A sixpenny pot will clear your house. 

 The best means of destroying slugs is to search for them after dark with 

 a lantern, and they may by that means be destroyed, or fresh cabbage 

 leaves may be placed at night near the plants attacked, and in the 

 morning the slugs will be found under them. Fresh leaves should be 

 used every night. Frogs are great devourers of worms, and of slugs occa- 

 sionally. You might introduce a toad or two with advantage, so as to keep 

 down woodlice. Neither frogs nor toads will do any damage to the 

 Ferns. They are not vegetarians. 



Drying Pelargoniuji Leaves (A Young Oardener).—The leaves of 

 Pelargoniums when dried retain their colours. The best means of drying 

 is to place them between sheets of blotting papar, and press them gently- 

 The paper should be dry, and changed every morning and evening, freBh 

 or dry i)aper only being used. 



Twelve Select Heaths (Idem). — Cavendishii. Gemmifera elegans, 

 MacNabiana superba, Ferruginea major, Picturata, Obbata, Massoni 

 major, Shannoniana, Tricolor dnlciflora, Ventricosa grandiflora, Willmorei 

 superba, and Vestita rosea elegans. 



Thysanotus grandiflorus (A Subscriber). —ThjBanotus grandifloms 

 is not more tender than T. proliferus. Both succeed admirably in an airy 

 greenhouse, having a position near the glass. When growing it cannot 

 have too much water, but when the foliage attains its full size diminish 

 the supply of water, and place the plant in the full sun. In winter keep 

 it dry but near the glass, bnt do not allow the foliage to perish prema- 

 turely from want of water. Keep it under-potted rather than over-potted. 

 Watering Roses with Soapsuds (One to u-hom Water is an Object). — 

 You may water your Roses, and indeed all kinds of plants, with soapy 

 water from the bedrooms, but if from the laundry it must be used with 

 caution, as it very often contains so much soda as to be injurious to 

 vegetation. 



Lawn Becoming Mossy and Coarse (R. Ballhrook).~-Vfe would advise 

 you now, in moist weather, to give the lawn a thorough scratching with 

 an iron rake, and then put on a light dressing of very rotten manure. 

 Afterwards give another good raking, taking off all the rough parts of the 

 manure, and sow forthwith 4 lbs. of Suckling Clover, 4 lbs. Cyuosurug 

 cristatus, 2 lbs. Festuca duriuscula, 2 lbs. Poa nemoralis, and 1 lb. Lotus 

 comiculatus minor for one acre. If the ground be full of weeds grnb 

 them up, and if full of tufts of coarse grass remove them, sowing twice 

 the quantity of seed per acre ; roll well when the ground is dry, and leave 

 it untouched for a month, then keep it well mowed and well rolled. 



Destroying Woodlice (Mary Duer).— The best means of dfistroying 

 woodlice is to place a boiled potato, with a little hay trapped loosely round 

 it, in a small flower pot. The pot may be laid on its side at night ; exa- 

 mine it in the morning, and shake the woodlice into a bucket of boiling 

 water. Another mode is to cut a large raw potato in halves, dish out the 

 centres a little, place the pieces on the pots hollow side downwards, and 

 so that the woodlice can get under. These pieces if examined daily wiU 

 be found to have many woodlice under them. The baits will last a long 

 time. A few toads placed in the house would speedily thin the ranks of 

 the woodlice. Thty are difficult to poison. A little arsenic may be mixed 

 with dry oatmeal and laid on pieces of slate near the places frequented, 

 hut poison requires great care. Be careful, and keep it out of the reach 

 of domestic animals and fowls. 



Flowering Eucharis amazonica in August (A Young Gardener). — 

 The plants to bloom in August should now be repotted and plunged in a 

 good bottom heat, encouraging growth by giving plenty of heat and mois- 

 ture. This should be continued until the end of June, then keep dry for 

 a fortnight, and it is likely the plants will show for bloom, when, of course, 

 every encouragement should be given. Possibly the plants may show 

 flower earlier ; if so, they must be retarded, and if in a suitable -sized pot 



