Jane %, 1868. ] 



JOUKNAIi OF UORTIGULTUJaE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



461 



as it is ripe, any time from now np to October, in pots or pans placed 

 near the glass in a groenhoaso. Thero is but one mode of croasfertiliR- 

 Ing— that is, liy tiiking the pollen from one spoclos or variety and apply- 

 ing it to the eti^'ma of another. The puUen it) best applied wilU a cauiL-t's 

 luur pencil. 



CuERiuEd Fat.lino {Cli/tonienais).— The fruit sent haa not stoned, 

 and that is the cause of its falling. It its, of course, seedless. Wn think 

 the reason is the aspect, and consider the Downton variety succeeds 

 l>etter as a standard than agiiiust a wall with a north aspect, which, how- 

 ever good for the Morello, does not answer for the Downton. it succeeds 

 and well deserves a place against an east wall. 



Yauious (T. T.).—\\e approve of most of your arrangements, but not 

 ©f your proposed painting or dotting the glass with white lead, :ia it 

 will make the root permanently opaque, which is not desirable, par- 

 ticularly as your house receives no sun in winter. Instead of tlie wliito 

 load wo would advise you to paint the glass inside, when the sun becomes 

 powerful, with a mixture of Spanish white, brought to the consistency 

 ol paint by the addition of milk. It can be easily repeated if necessary, 

 and may bo washed ofl" in autumn. You will not have room for more 

 than a dozen plants in each house ; and of stove plants we would have 

 Alocasia raetallica, Anthuriuni f-eherzerianum, Crotou variegatum, C. an- 

 gustifolium, Marauta Veitcbii, Caladium Chantiui, Pandanus japonicus 

 variegatus, Draciena stricta, Gardenia citriodora ; Ixora crocata, tiesnera 

 refulgens, Rondeletia speciosa major. Climbers for roof — Stephanotis 

 floribuuda, which will cover the whole roof. For baskets — Pothos ar- 

 gyrea, Pontas carnea, and .Eschynanthus speciosus and pulchellus. 

 The back wall may be covered with Cedrus discolor. The plants may be 

 occasionally syringed, but it is best to keep up a moist atmosphere and 

 syringe in the evening only. For the cool division — Acrophyllum veno- 

 sum, Boronia Drummondi, Chorozema cordatum splendcns, Crowea 

 saligua major, Monoch«?tum cnsiferum, Pimelea Hcndfrsoni, Genetyllis 

 tulipifera, Kalosantbes miniata grandillora, Luculia gratissima, Nerium 

 rnbrum plenum, Imantuphyllum miniatum. Climbers — Hoya carnosa, 

 Mandevilla suaveolens, and Mutisia decurrens. For baskets — Stanhopea 

 octUata, S. tigrina, Adiantnm setulosura, and Platycerium alcicorne 

 The back wall may be covered with Habrothamnus elegans, or Luculia 

 gratissima. The ouly means of knowing how much tobacco will be re- 

 quired for the fumigation of the house, is to fill it so that a plant cannot 

 be seen from the outside through the glass. The fumigation should then 

 cease, and not till then. Halt a pound of tobacco leaf chopped or cut up 

 roughly will be sufficient for one of the compartments. We do not know 

 of any one likely to meet your wants with respect to a gas stove and 

 boiler. Gloxinia leaves curl from being kept in too dry an atmosphere, 

 and under too powerful a light. Shade from bright sun for a few hours 

 daring the hottest part of the day, and give water liberally, with a moist 

 atmosphere. Variegated plan s, as a rule, are impatient of sj-ringing, 

 and should therefore be well supplied with atmospheric moisture by 

 sprinkling the paths, floors, walls, &c., two or three times a-day. An 

 occasional syringing will not do any harm providing air be given early, 

 SO as to have the foliage ary by the time the sun's rays fall on the plants. 

 Heliotropes succeed well in a compost of turfy sandy loam two-thirds, 

 and leaf mould ono-tbird. Voltaireanum, Etoile de fllarseilles, and peru- 

 Tianum are good sorts of Heliotropes for a wall. They should be repotted 

 in spring when they are beginnirg to grow, and have a shift into a larger 

 pot in June. The treatment is very simple ; tbey merely require plenty 

 of water when in free growth and flowering, and when at rest keep the 

 soil rather dry, but not so much so as to cause the wood to shrivel and 

 perish. After the plants have had a rest prune them in as required, and 

 encourage growth by a moist atmosphere. Cocoa-nut refuse is still ex- 

 tensively used as a compost for Ferns. It is a good substitute for peat if 

 mixed with loam, but is not suitable for Heaths, nor for the very delicate 

 thread-like fibres of such plants as Azaleas until it is reduced by age to 

 a black close mass, and then it answers quite as well as peat, silver sand 

 being liberally added. 



MvPTLE-LEiVED Oranue Losing ITS LEAVES (A Subiicriber). — We 

 would at once examine the drainage, and if bad rectify it. We would, if 

 necessary, repot the plant in a compost of loam from turves taken from a 

 pasture where the soil is a loam of good medium texture, but not very 

 strong, pariug off the turf 1 ^ or 2 inches thick, and with the hand tearing 

 it in pieces about an inch square. Remove most of the old soil, and pot 

 rather firmly in the new compost. No manure need be used, but add 

 one-fourth part of sandstone, broken to the size of a hazel nut, using the 

 small pieces as well as the lumps. If convenient, place the plant in a 

 house where there is a brisk heat of from 60^ to 65'^ at night, and from 

 75^^ to 80** by day, a moist and rather close atmosphere being maintained, 

 with shade from bright sun. Avoid saturating the soil until the roots 

 are working freely, then water liberally. The plants should be syringed 



overhead twice or thrice a-day. The head being very fall of small shoots 

 or twigs, thin it and cut them well in. When a good growth is made 

 harden off by degrees. The manure water, it not tou litrong, would 

 not cause the leaves to fall ; but a powerful done of H<iuid nitmure may 

 have destroyed the roots, and so have caused tho leaves to liill. Water* 

 ing with liquid manure would conduce rather to growth than i<- fruitful- 

 ness, and we think the barrenness not attributable to a want ul cuflicient 

 support. The reverse would be the case. 



iiEARiNG-uACK A Peach Tiiee (A Suhxcribcr). — Wo do not pcb what 

 you will gain by heading-back to li, unless you have shoots on the lowest 

 horizontal branches that could bo trained in place of those cut away. II 

 you cut off tho head of tlio tree at B, and have no shoot near B on the 

 side branches which could be trained as leader, we think you will lose 

 the bead entirely, as you cannot expect shoots from a branch 7 inches in 

 girth, and it is likely gum would follow cutting it, if not the dying-back 

 of the stem below tho cut. We presume you have enough Hide shoots; 

 in that case leave tho tree as it is, and by closely stopping tlie shootB 

 and laterals on the branches between A, A, the sup will bo divei-ted into 

 the lowest side branches, aud by not stopping them you may renew them 

 by traiuing-in a well-disposed shoot in place of the weak side branches. 



Peach-tree Leaves Blistered (Wfm). — The blistering of Peach-tree 

 leaves is caused by cold, especially when preceded by a period of warmth, 

 and is very prevalent this season, the days being very bright and hot, 

 and tho nights cold though not remarkably frosty. There is no remedy, 

 but the evil may be prevented by affording a warm covering. Tiffany 

 would be a much better protecting material than netting. No. 3 tiffany 

 would be equal to canvas, and is a very good material. It would repay 

 the cost. Tiffany when used as netting must not be left over the trees 

 constantly, but be drawn up in fine mild days and let down at night. On 

 cold days the covering may remain over the trees. 



Scarlet Gem Melon Plant Fasciated {J. Flemhtfi). — It is evidently 

 a case of fasciation, and one of the most interesting specimens of it 

 which we have seen. What are the circumstances under which tho plant 

 has been grown? 



Vine Leaves Warted (J. Jtf.).— The Vine most likely will grow out of 

 the warts on the leaves. The warts are produced by a rather moist at- 

 mosphere, and too much moisture at the roots, and the leaves cannot 

 part freely with the moisture by evaporation. More air and less moisture 

 are the best remedies. The Black Hamburgh in this respect is a weaker 

 Vine than the Muscat of Alexandria. 



Vine Blossom Scorched {Black Hajubro'), — In such a case as yours 

 we would open the ends of your ground vinery. We would prefer doing 

 this to opening the roof, as the heated air would freely escape at the ends 

 in such short lengths. We cannot account for the scorching with all the 

 air on at the sides, but in hot days we certainly would like to have the 

 ends to move, especially tbe half next the ridge. 



Roses (An Old Subscribcr).~'We cannot undertake to name florists' 

 flowers. They are too numerous, aud so many are nearly alike. 



Seedling Pklargoniums, -^c. (N.). — Not so good as many others of the 

 same colour. The Rose appears worth keeping for garden decoration, 

 but tho specimen sent would not satisfy a florist. 



Pelargonium (J. Tomki7is). — We cannot undertake to name florists' 

 flowers. 



Insects (i?. F. W.).— Notonecta glauca. This water bug (misnamed 

 novocata, and spoken of as a beetle), feeds upon other water insects. It 

 is common in every piece of standing water. (M. A. M.). — The small 

 snails sent are half-grown specimens of Zonitis pellucida. a small British 

 species. They and all snails are especially fond of brewers' grains, 

 which they will eat in preference to your Orchids. The grubs are the 

 larvai of the pretty Asparagus beetle, Crioceris Asparagi. Hand-picking 

 is the only really effective remedy. {C. B.). — We still believe the curling 

 of your Rose leaves to have been caused by mildew or other atmospheric 

 cause, which brought them into a state especially agreeable to some of 

 the many species of small caterpillars which feed on the leaves. Yours 

 were so dried up as not to allow of investigation. — W. 



Names of Plants (Julia) — Astilbe rivularis. (Yorkshire'^. — Yellow, 

 Cotula. sp ; Red, Gaultheria reticulata. (E. M. R.).~l, Erica sTilendens ; 

 2 and 3, E. jasminiflora; 4, E. decora. (W.). — 1, Nepeta Mussiui ; 2, Es- 

 callonia rubra. (Wexford Subi<criber). — Asplenium macrosorum. i O. A.S.). 

 — 1, Davallia lineata ; 2, Onoclea sensibilis ; 3, Nephrodium flaccidnm ; 

 5, Adiantum cuneatum. (Youn{i Garderur). — 1, Pbiladelphustomentosus ; 

 2, Teucrium fruticosnm ; 3. Corydaiis lutea. ( W. L.).—l, Trifolium pro- 

 cumbens ; 2, Euphorbia helioscopia ; 3, Veronica agreslis ; 4, V. arvensis ; 



5, V. serpvUifolia ; 6, V. Buxbaumii. (J. O. i.).— Pajanella Rheedii 

 (large): Co"lutea frutescens (smalli. [G. M. C. IK.).— 1, Sca^vola crassi- 

 folia; 3, Zeuobia speciosa; 4, Spiraea Douglasii ; 5, Ribcs speciosa; 



6, Spiraea arioefolia. 



meteorological observations in the Suburbs of London for the week ending June 23id. 



POULTRY. BEE, and HOT TSEHOLD CERONICLE 



CREVE-CCEURS. 

 So many questions come to us about the French fowl?, that 

 we do as we did Bome years since — we print the description of 



them as given by JI. Jacqne, who is equally gifted with pen 

 and pencil. His drawings are certainly the best we ever saw 

 of fowls. They represent the bird fairly, without exaggeration 

 or mannerism. Each one has its separate points well defined. 

 The Spanish has nothing of the Cochin, and the Poland nothing 

 of the Dorking. But the truth never pleases. He says the 



