460 



JOURNAL OP HOETIGULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jnne 25, 1B68. 



tings are not taken off directly. Cuttings of Pansies may now 

 be inserted under glass in a shady place, and air given at night. 

 Plants from seed sown now will bloom in the autumn. Holly- 

 hocks and Dahlias need plenty of watering and mulching where 

 this dry weather prevails. Several beds in which we mean the 

 brown Coleus to be a prominent feature we have not yet planted 

 out ; but the strong plants in pots are freely exposed, and we 

 hope they will not become dirty brown with us this season. 



In the flower garden as a whole we are becoming reconciled 

 to feathered intruders ; only that for the sake of the families 

 of young pheasants, rather too young to take themselves farther 

 afield, we cannot have a beat for the rabbits, which are rather 

 vexing us by eating close to the ground lines and edgings of 

 Lobelia. Without netting it is diiEcult to know what to do. 

 We strewed with a trowel on each side of such rows a line of 

 fresh lime and soot, and then sprinkled these lines sparingly, 

 without touching the plants, with flowers of sulphur. For four 

 nights the Lobeha has been let alone by the intruders. The 

 fumes given off seem to be not to their taste. We expect that 

 when heavy rains come the remedy will have lost its power. 

 At present the application has been useful, and the fumes are 

 rather strong. The plants are growing strongly, and though 

 later than desirable, would yet do well if let alone, and not 

 cropped down again. 



Much time has been taken up in arranging corridors, cou- 

 servatories, &c. — a matter more difficult than it used to be, as 

 the roofs of our fruit houses are too thickly covered to permit 

 after this season of growing much beneath them. For the 

 same reason we must keep many of the Azaleas in a place by 

 themselves in the conservatory, and syringe and keep them 

 closer there, whilst flowering plants at the other end will have 

 more air. These matters are more easily managed when such 

 plants after flowering can be put in a house by themselves ; but 

 many must do what they can when they cannot accomplish 

 what they would. — R. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— June 24. 



We have experienced a large increase in onr supplies since last week, 

 and consequently a frreat reduction has tahen place in the price of some 

 articles, and especially of forced fruits. Grapes and Pines are much in 

 excess of our requirements, and there are very few Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines that come up to a good standard. Some pood Shaw Potatoes are 

 now coming in from Kent, and in many places the new crop of Potatoes 

 will soon be ready for lifting. Piices range from 4s. to 6s. per bushel. 



Apples }. sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bnsh. 



Cjirranta ^.\ sieve 



Black do. 



FigB doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries .. quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse . . lb. 

 Lemons 100 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus lOO 



Beans, Kidney 100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brns. Sprouts ^- sieve 



Cabbage ". doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bonch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



GarUc lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .. bundle 



8. d. B. d 



1 GtoO 



Melons each 3 



Nectarines doz. 6 



Oranges 100 12 



Peaches doz. 8 



Pears (dessert) ..doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 5 



Plums '- sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries . . per lb. 



Walnuts bush. 10 



do per 100 1 



d. B 



0to6 



1') 



























4 



6 



d 















VEGETABLES. 



B. d. B. 

 2 OtoS 

 2 6 

 1 



2 







1 6 



S 













 6 



6 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



d. B. 



4 too 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



\ Onions per bushel 



: Parsley per sieve 



I Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



I Kidney do. 



I Radishes doz. bunches 



I Rhubarb bundle 



I Sea-kalo basket 



Shallots lb. 



! Spinach bushel 



I Tomatoes. . . . per doz. 

 1 Turnips bunch 



d 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 6 

 

 

 n 

 9 

 8 

 

 

 3 6 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



••• We request that no one will vrnie privately to the depart- 

 mental wi-iterg of the ''Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solehj to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d-c, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



Books {Atlai).— If yon -m^h only to manage a small plot, "How to 

 Farm Two Acres Profitably " will suit you. You can have it free by post 

 from our office if you enclose fourteen postage stamps with your address. 



Royal HonTicui.TDRAL Society's Leicester Show (H. T.).— Apply 

 to Mr. Eyles, Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, W. 

 Golden-leaved pELARooNinMs at the Royal HobticulturaIi 

 Society's Show. — Golden Emperor which received the first prize as the 

 best Golden-leaved variety not in commerce, was exhibited by Messrs. 

 Saltmarsh &. Son. of Chelmsford, and not by Messrs. Downie & Co.* as 

 stated in page 438. The report there given was originally correct, but 

 finding by the official prize list that the variety referred to was ascribed 

 to Messrs. Downie & Co., and thinking that some mistake had occurred 

 in the cards (and of such we have met with several instances lately), 

 that which was correct was altered to that which was wrong. 



Rennet (Retnette) Apple {Alpha). —Your inquiry why that name 

 was applied to various Apples is best answered by the following quotation 

 from Drayton's Poliolbion ;— " When a Pepin is planted (grafted), on a 

 Pepin stock, the fruit growing thence is called a Rcnate, a most delicious 

 fruit, as both by sire and dam are well descended." We quote the extract 

 from old Fuller. Heinettpy literally, is a little queen. 



Eradicating Thistles { ).— The best way to eradicate Thistles in 



pasture land is to cut them with a spud a few inches below the surface. 

 It should be done early in Juno and again in August. The best spud is 

 one to which is attached a box for salt, and on the spud being thrust into 

 the ground and withdrawn salt is deposited over the root. The root then 

 seldom recovers. The Thistles may be kept under by cutting them with 

 a scythe close to the ground three times a-ycar — namely, at the end of 

 May or early in June, in the middle of July, and at the enrl of August. 



Cucumbers and Lettuces at Christmas [hJem). — You may have 

 Cucumber? nt Christmas if you have a small house or pit which can be 

 heated to 60" or 63- at night, and 70" or 75 by day. There must be a bed 

 for bottom heat in which the plants can be planted. No great expense 

 need be incurred in the growth of winter Cucumbers. Lettuces may be 

 had at Christmas by lifting a number of plants iu October or Novem* 

 her with good balls of earth, and planting them in a cool house, pit, or 

 frame. Give a good watering after planting, then water sparingly, and 

 give plenty of air and protection from frost. 



Camellias not Flowerini; (A. H. Hr,ldfn).—T'he temperature you 

 name is much too high for Camellias. One of from 60" to 7o' is certainly- 

 desirable for a time after the flowering, or from March to the end of 

 June, but after that the plants would be better of a cool house where 

 there is no artificial heat. We think that the atmosphere is much too 

 dry, and the plants not sufficiently supplied with water, and that there- 

 fore the leaves fall off. Keep the plants cooler and give a plentiful 

 supply of water. It will be enough if they are kept from frost in winter. 

 A few degrees of frost will be far better than a high temperature at that 

 season. 



Budding Apple and Pear Trees (A Novice).— li is an excellent 

 practice to bud Apple and Pear stocks on which gi'afts have failed in the 

 spring. The end of the present month and ear'y in July would be a good 

 time to hud, and it may be practised with Plums and Cherries as well. 

 The Manetti Rose is a free-growing kind, extensively used as a stock for 

 grafting and budding Roses on for dwarfs. It may be had of almost all 

 nurserymen. Any nurseryman would procure plants for you. Tha 

 present is not a suitable time unless they are in pots. 



Pelargonium and Geranium (Grctvi).— What are frequently, but in- 

 correctly, termed Geraniums are Pelargoniums ; and if you see the same 

 plants under both heads the only distinction is. that in one case the 

 proper generic name is applied, in the other the improper but customary 

 one. The genus Geranium has been divided into three genera — Geranium, 

 Pelargonium, and Erodium. They all belong to the natural order Gera- 

 I niaceie. Pelargonium is characterised by having usually seven stamens, 

 } and unequal-sized petals; Geranium, by having ten fctamens, and equal- 

 I sized petals ; and Erodium, by having five fertile anthers usually. 



Pelargonium Culture (Castle). — When your Pelargoniums are done 



I fioweriug set them out of doors in a sunny place, and then cut them well 



I back, and they will grow dwarf and stubby. If you have plenty of room 



' do not prune back so much, but bend down the stems, and shoots will 



come from each joint. 



Lawn {J.D.). — Y'our lawn must be very wet to encourage the growth 

 of moss at this season. A dressing of superphosphate of lime may be 

 given, but we would not applvit until the ground is wet and rain likely to 

 follow soon after the dressiug. 



Stra'^'berry Beds (Liem). — We have hnd very productive beds of 

 Strawberries at the end of sis years, but of late we have not kept our 

 beds beyond the third or fourth year. We break up a number of beds 

 every year and miike a new plantation. We have, therefore, no lack of 

 supply, as we find the seasons have a great influence on the crop. With 

 us the plants produce the best crop in the second year, and in very rich 

 ground we have found the crop greater in the third than in the two pre- 

 ceding seasons. We plant early in August, putting a number in beds 

 rather thickly, and these plants are verv useful for filling up any blanks 

 in the new plantations ; and moved witii balls they are excellent for new 

 plantations. March is a good time to plant those put in rather thickly in 

 beds in August. 



Pears Blackened and Falling (Lemon BuJi').~Thc Pear sent ns is 

 destroyed by some insect entering by the eye of the fruit and completely 

 destroying the interior. The specimen was so smashed in passing through 

 the post office, that we could not detect the insect causing the mischief. 

 We have many young fruit turning black as yours are, and falling, chiefly 

 owing to imperfect fecundation. The Pears which thus fall are seedless. 

 Sowing Saxifrage Seed (K"?"?j7 r/ifO(for<')."Now is a good time tosow 

 Saxifrage seed. Well drain the pot or pan— indeed fill it to within an 

 inch of the rim with pieces of sandstone, or grit, and crocks ; then to the 

 rim with a compost of turfy peac, sandy fibrous loam, and silver sand in 

 equal quantities. Make the soil very fine, level the surface, sow the seed 

 rather thickly, and give the least possible covering of very fine soiL 

 Place the pot in a shadv place, and cover it with a bell or hand-glaas, 

 keeping the surface moist. When the surface becomes green give air by 

 tilting the glass, admitting more as the plants grow, and when of a size 

 fit to handle prick them off in pans prepared iu the same manner as the 

 seed pot. Protect with a frame during the winter, giving an abundance 

 of air in mild weather and a Uttle at all times. The seed may be procured 

 of any seedsman, and plants obtained from the principal nurserymen. 

 We cannot recommend one in particular. 

 Sowing Pelabqonium Seed (Idem).— The seed should be sown as soon 



