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JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ Jane U, 1688. 



to screen some nnsiglitly object, and has answered the purpose 

 for Bome years, it is very annoying to find some spring that the 

 winter frost has killed it to the ground, and the object it was 

 intended to' hide is fully exposed to sight. If the Colchian 

 Laurel will exempt ns from such a misfortune it will be of no 

 small value, and even those who in consequence of their 

 favoured position may not require it, would be glad to make 

 use of it, (lest a more intense frost than that of January, 1807, 

 shoold occur, or a repetition of it in places not affected at that 

 time should make all sufferers. — J. Koesos. 



STEAAVBERRY FLOWERS SCOECHED. 



SiKAWEEEKT blossom has been unusually beautiful and 

 abundant this season, giving promise of an enormous yield of 

 that most estimable fruit. The weather has been all that 

 could be desired for the setting of the flowers ; warm, with 

 bright sunshine ; no sharp frosts as in the case of last year, 

 when they destroyed nearly all the expanded blossoms, leaving 

 OB but a partial crop. This season we have suffered to the 

 same extent from the opposite extreme — too much heat. On 

 Tuesday, the 19th ult., the thermometer in the shade registered 

 87°, in the sun it actually rose to 147° ; extremely high tempe- 

 ratures for this season, higher than are experienced during the 

 whole course of some years. 



* I have been taking notes of the various forms, &c., of Straw- 

 heny flowers this season. On the evening of the 18th of May 

 every bud, open flower, and fruit was perfect ; next evening I 

 fetind them scorched up and withered, as you will observe by 

 the enclosed example. This is not a solitary instance, but is 

 general all over the garden ; every flower that was open, and 

 Tery many of those in the bud, being destroyed. This result 

 oould have arisen from no other cause than the extreme heat 

 of the sun, helped, no doubt, by the great dryness of the soil. 

 The plants, I imagine, must have flagged considerably, although 

 I did not observe them so affected, and suffered in consequence, 

 M frequently happens with forced plants. 



Frorn the great abundance of blossoms on the plants, there 

 will, I infer, be no actual loss of crop, as there were far too 

 many flowers for the plants ever to bring to perfection ; indeed, 

 the flowers that are destroyed are just those that in forced pot 

 plants are always cut off by good cultivators to allow of the 

 better development of those remaining. Nature herself has 

 here done what we seldom or ever think of doing with our open- 

 air Strawberries, and that is to thin the blossoms when super- 

 abundant, so as to allow a better means of development for 

 those that are left. It is from such lessons as these that we 

 gain knowledge and experience. — A. B. 



NEW ROSES. 



I HAVE just flowered one of the new Roses, which I think 

 promises tc be a beauty. It is Mademoiselle Marie Larpin. 

 It is of a pale flesh colour, deeper in the centre, somewhat of 

 the colour of Caroline de Sausal, of exquisite shape, and good 

 constitution. 1 shall watch its future flowering carefully. I 

 have since bloomed La France, which fully justifies all my an- 

 ticipations. It promises to be the premier Rose of the season ; 

 large ,in size, quite distinct, and with a most delicious per- 

 fume.'^- How wonderfully early Roses are this year ! and how 

 wisely the Crystal Palace Company have acted in fixing their 

 exhibition for June 20th ! and how valuable a stock the Manetti 

 is I have proved this year. I did not move mine until March, 

 and yet they are now blooming very vigorously, whereas had 

 ihey been on Briars they would have most likelv perished. — 

 J*., Deal. 



POTTING ORCHARD-HOUSE TREES. 



In page 391 it is recommended that the cr.llar of potted trees 

 bekept high in order that water may not 1 .Ige there. Is not 

 this contrary to the practice at Sawbridgi- torth ? There you 

 see the top-dressing piled up round the pot, so as to leave a 

 depression in the centre. I am perfectly aware that, as a 

 general rule, trees should be planted high and dry, but potted 

 trees in orchard houses are placed in exceptional circum- 

 stances. In the autumnal top-dressing the ball is left from 

 year to year undisturbed, while round the edges of the pot new 

 soil is placed. This new soil, until it becomes filled with new 

 roots, is liable lo turn sour if overwatered, while the cen- 

 tral ball remains a hard dry mass. Again, the action of the 

 sna upon the sides of the pot has a tendency to cause the 



earth to shrink, and allow water to run off at the circum- 

 ference. To counteract this last difficulty I have had many 

 pots painted, first with linseed oil, and then with a coat of oU 

 paint, so as to diminish evaporation ; but the effect is only 

 partial, and I still adhere to the plan of watering as near the 

 centre of the pots as possible. — G. S. 



[Quite the reverse of our recommendation. On the other 

 hand, the potting-high of hair-rooted plants might never have 

 been so general if the waterer had kept the water from dashing 

 against the collar of the plant. Every man to his taste. You 

 prefer a hole in the centre, we do not for reasons given. Even 

 on your own premises — the earth shrinking from the circum- 

 ference of the pot — we see a reason against your plan for pour- 

 ing the water in the centre. We have no notion of a space 

 between the ball and the pot.] 



INSECTS. 



{Continued from page 109.) 



Thrips, continued. — As there are plants which cannot safely 

 be syringed with soft-soap solutions after fumigation, as I have 

 recommended in page 408, a thorough syringing with pure 

 water should be given to such twice or thrice a-week for a fort- 

 night or three weeks, after which all danger from the eggs will 

 be past. iShould the syringings, however, not keep the insect 

 in check — indeed, should one appear, fumigate the house, and 

 this repeatedly whenever a thrips is perceived ; for when once 

 established they are difficult to drive away, as though the 

 original insects may be destroyed, they leave so many of their 

 progeny behind that some time must elapse before they can 

 be completely destroyed : hence the necessity for exerting great 

 vigilance, and taking prompt measures to destroy the insect. 



It may seem a wasteful proceeding to fumigate a house for 

 the sake of one thrips. Without wishing to be considered ex- 

 travagant, I submit that there is no economy in proceeding 

 against such pests as this by half-measures. The means must 

 be thorough, effectual, and the best mode of prevention is to 

 treat a clean plant as if it were infested. There may be seasons 

 when the attacks are not likely to be general ; then the plant 

 attacked may be treated singly, fumigated by covering it with 

 canvas, or by placing it along with others in a small house, or if 

 the plant will endure syringing with the soft-soap solution, that 

 alone will be effectual, the plant being removed from the house 

 for the purpose. A few thorough syringings will in most cases 

 prove a good remedy in autumn and winter, though it is well 

 even then to fumigate or dust the plants on the under sides of 

 the leaves with tobacco powder, which is, perhaps, the best way 

 of clearing individual plants, sprinkling them beforehand with 

 water. The plants dusted should have a thorough syringing 

 within twelve hours, and if delicate, as Ferns, the powder 

 should be washed off' again within six hours. The tobacco 

 powder is also a good remedy for thrips on Melons, but is 

 diflicult to apply, as it is of no avail unless put on the under 

 sides of the leaves, and that is difficult enough with plants in 

 frames. 



Melons are rather impatient of fumigation with tobacco. No 

 harm, however, results to the leaves if the smoke be delivered 

 cool, the foliage be dry, and a moist atmosphere be preserved 

 during the following day, along with shade from bright sun. 

 It is well to fumigate on two consecutive evenings, rather tian 

 to give one powerful dose that may destroy the crop. The same 

 remarks apply to Ferns. They will not endure very powerful 

 fumigation, hence care must be taken not to overdo it, and to 

 have their fronds dry ; but as they cannot subsist in a dry at- 

 mosphere every surface may be sprinkled with water prior to 

 fumigation, sofar as it can be done without wetting the fronds. 



Avoid the use of soap solutions with Ferns, Melons, and 

 similar-leaved plants ; it is a certain means of rendering them 

 black, and destroying them. Much may be done towards free- 

 ing plants of thrips by, in the case of Ferns, washing them 

 with water by means of a sponge ; and any large-leaved plants 

 —that is, such as have smooth glossy leaves, may in the same 

 manner be sponged with a soft-soap solution, at the rate of 

 ■2 ozs. to the gallon ; but after some experience, I am convinced 

 there will not be two opinions as to what is the best material, 

 and the best means of applying it for the destmetion of thrips 

 — viz., tobacco smoke. , 



Plants in the open air are sometimes attacked with thrips. 

 In that case make an infusion of 2 ozs. of tobacco in a quart of 

 boiling water, and allow it to stand until cool, then strain, ami 

 add one gallon of the soft-soap solution (2 ozs. to the gallon). 



