460 



JOUKNAIi OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Juue 5, 1873. 



cosa, and a few of P. pyratnidalis. "We are very late with them. 

 March is a better month ; the cuttings should be taken when 

 the shoots are about an inch or two above the gi-ouad. They 

 were treated exactly as the Pelargoniums, and placed in the 

 same frame. — J. Douglas. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*^* We request that no one will wi-ite privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing th-^y 

 are subjected to unjustifiable troublo aud expense. All 

 commuuieatious should therefore bo addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, (^c.^ 111^ Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



"We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them 

 answered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



K.B. — Many questions mast remain unanswered until nest 

 week. 



Ox-ETE Daisy in Meadows {A Suh^criher). — This weed is peculiar to some 

 soils, and a small field near us used to be quite white with it about the 

 end of May, until the owner determined one season to feed it off closely 

 with sheep. Giving these some artificial food, the ground was much 

 benefited, and the Chrysanthemum (for this plant is one) almost disap- 

 f)6ared. We presume the sheep eat it down so closely that it dies. Hand- 

 weeding is too tedious for a meadow field, although in a pleasure ground it is 

 dnilispensable. We may further remark that a piece of rich cow pasture near 

 ns, that used to be quite yellow with Buttercups in the month of May, is now 

 almost without them. The proprietor encoura:;ed rabbits to a great extent, 

 and they rooted up most of the Crowfoot, and the field is now without them. 

 As the Ox-eye Daisy is much less tenacious of life, hard feeding by sheep will 

 most likely destroy it. Stones on a meadow are usually gathered off in 

 spring before it is finally rolled, which must be done before the grass attains 

 any considerable length. 



Melons and Cccumbers Diseased (if. W.), — Ibis not easy witboufc see- 

 ing the plants to say what is the cause of the discoloration of the leaves and 

 the other tokens of ill health of which you speak. Sudden changes from cold 

 winds to bright hot sun, and inattention in air-giving, and shutting up the 

 frame or pit, are apt to affect the foliage. Frequently the whole of the under 

 Burface of the leaf becomes covered with a soi't of eruption. A much worse 

 disease has often attacked Cucumbers of late, covering the leaf with black 

 blotches; this threatens to become a sort of murrain. We imagine, however, 

 that the disease has been caused by the plants having been subjected to great 

 -extremes of heat and perhaps cold, or rather by a large admission of cold air 

 when the plants were unduly heated ; the leaves present the appearance that 

 they often do when such has been the case. If very severely affected destroy 

 the plants and start fresh ones. Melons rarely do well when once injured. 

 Careful and steady treatment of young plants is more likely to be successful 

 than nursing injured old ones. 



EARTiriNG-up Potatoes {J. P.).— Opinions differ on this practice, aud we 

 believe the conflicting results arise from the difference of soil and climate. 

 In light soils earthuig-up is beneficial in some respects. Leave two or three 

 rows unearthed, and let us know if their produce is less or more, earlier or 

 later, than that of the neighboui-ing rows. 



EosE Cuttings in a Cold Frame (J. B. F.).— The best time to take the 

 cuttings to be struck in a cold frame is July, directly the flowers are shed, as 

 the wood is then ripe. The cuttings should be taken from the shoot below 

 the flower; remove the upper part with three or four joints, cut across below 

 •the lowest joint and remove the leaf there ; then insert them 1 inch or 1^ inch 

 deep in a small pot, filled with a compost of two parts light fibrous loam, one 

 part sandy peat, and one part sand. Place them in a cold frame and keep 

 them close and shaded from sun, but sprinkle with water every morning. 

 They will bo rooted in about six weeks, aud should then have air, and be 

 inured to light. Shift them into larger pots in September, and winter them 

 with the pots plunged in a cold frame. 



Double Wallflowers {Gardenia).— li will be of little use removing them 

 to the kitchen garden in the hope of their being again available for planting- 

 out to give a good display next spring. They might produce side shoots 

 from which you could take cutti'-gs; but we should advise seed to be sown 

 forthwith, and if you have a good stock of seed we do not see why you should 

 not have a good per-centage of double-flowered plants. 



Double Daisies for Second Year {Idem).— Th&j should be removed 

 -after flowering, be divided, and planted in a rather shady border. If removed 

 with balls they may be used for next year's flowering. Nemophila aud Candy- 

 tuft sown in autumn maybe transplanted in spring, taking care to have a 

 ball of soil to each plant. They ai», however, best sown where they are to 

 flower. 



Error.— In " Ornamental Planting," page 433, column two, line thirty- 

 seven from bottom, for " Weeping Birch," read " Weeping Beech." 



Picea Nordmanniana Unhealthy [A, C.).— The Picea Nordmanniana 

 10 feet high, that has been in its present position two years, with no better 

 result than having the growth of last year all dead, and the very feeble shoots 

 of the present season thickly infested with aphides, is probably past recovery. 

 If, however, you are disposed to try to save it, examine first of all the con- 

 dition of the roots. If these prove alive and plump you may hope to succeed, 

 but if the majority of them are dead, then all efforts to reclaim the tree will 

 be vain. Should the condition of the roots bo favourable, open a trench 

 around their extremities a foot wide, and quite to the bottom of the original 

 ball, fill this with rich soil that is light and porous rather than of a close 

 adhesive nature; water the ball thoroughly, forcing a few holes into it with 

 a pointed stick, rather than fail to reach the wbole of the roots ; cover the 

 surface with a thick mulching of litter; clear the branches of all decayed 

 wood, and syringe the foliage frequently— two or three times daily will not be 

 too often. Secure the tree firmly with wires stretched from the stem to pegs 



driven in the ground equidistant from each other In the form of a triangle. 

 The saturated condition of the soil during the past winter of excessive wet 

 has probably killed the roots, which would cause the growth of last season to 

 perish as it has done. We have lately examined a Thujopsis borealis that 

 was killed outright in this way. If you replace the unhealthy tree with 

 another, plant it on a slight mound that is raised a foot or two above the 

 general level, in sound sweet soil that is well drained. Secure it immediately 

 with wire and pegs, mulching the surface with litter, or, if the position ia 

 conspicuous, using moss. Apply water freely and frequently, taking care 

 that it penetrates the ball and constantly reaches the whole of the loots, and 

 there will be little risk of future failure. 



Salt on Asparagus Beds — Liquid Manure to Cabbages {J. N.). — 

 Strewing salt on Asparagus beds 1 inch thick in patches would act prejudic^y 

 on the roots, especially if near the surface. Liquid manure is higlily bene- 

 ficial to Cabbages, and should be poured between the rows. The soil will be 

 rendered firm to a certain extent by the watering, but this need not hinder 

 the application of the liquid manure, it being better than allowing the grouncl 

 to remain loose and not apply the hquid. 



CvcLAMENS after Flowering (J. G. R.). — Those which have not flowered, 

 as well as those which have, should be allowed a season of rest, but at no time 

 should Cyclamens be permitted to become dry at the roots. They are best 

 planted out in a cold frame, taking up and repotting in August when begin- 

 ning to grow afresh. 



BiGNONiA Pandor.'e (australis) NOT THRIVING {Temotr Cottage). — Plant it 

 out in a border in the greenhouse or conservatory, aud train the shoots 9 inches 

 or a foot from the glass. It will then grow freely, aud will probably flower 

 next year. The Wistaria does best on a south-west aspect, but would probably 

 succeed with you on an east or west aspect. We should, however, give it south, 

 if you can. It likes good, rich, i-ather light loamy soil, with one-tliird of leaf- 

 soil and one-fourth of peat. It would not succeed well on a wall with Ivy ; 

 the wood would not be sufficiently well ripened for flowering. 



Vines Unhealthy (R.). — As the borders have been very wet, and the Vines 

 have been heavily cropped in previous yearf?, there is sufficient to account for 

 their sickly appearance. Take a moderate crop from them this year, do not 

 give air too freely in the day during dull cold weather, and shut up the house 

 about four o'clock in the afteruoou. If your district is wet you should have 

 some wooden shutters for your Vine borders to throw off the rain. Our lot ia 

 cast where the rainfall sometimes does not exceed 20 inches in twelve months, 

 so that shutters are only necessary for the early houses. 



Ventilating Vinerv — Temperature {0. P.). — You have done well to 

 have the house provided with top as well as front ventilation. Our advice Is 

 to use the back or top ventilation only so long as the temperature does not 

 x-ise too high, and then the front as well as the top to keep the temperature 

 from rising too high, always commencing with the top ventilation first, then 

 extending it if need be to the front, and reducing the ventilation in reverse 

 order, commencing to reduce in front first, and at the top last. The extreme 

 temperature we should allow would be 90- from sun heat ; but you ought to 

 give air at 75", and a little before that point is reached, aud it ought not to 

 exceed 80- before you admit more air, having full air on if it keep at that 

 without lowering the temperature, which it ought to do in all instances. The 

 art in giving air is to do so with a rising temperatui'e, and to reduce the 

 amount by the time the heat of the house begins to fall, closing at 75^ 



ToDEA suPERBA CULTURE [A Sfvcii-ijears Sub.ifribrr). — It should be grown 

 in a pot well drained, using a compost of three parts fibrous peat, one part 

 yellow loam, aud a half part each of sandstone or crocks broken rather small, 

 and silver sand. The peat aud loam should be torn-up moderately small, and 

 the whole should be well mixed ; pot moderately firmly. Keep tlie soil con- 

 stantly moist, and place the plants in a moist shaiy part of the greenhouse. 

 If the house be small it will do without a glass, but if not sufficiently close 

 and mo'st it should be covered with a glass just resting wiohin the rim of the 

 pot, and if it have no holes in the top it should be taken off and wiped dry 

 once daily. The plant should be gently sprinkled with water once a-day 

 through a very fine-rosed watering-pot. If the glass have n) holes at top tilt 

 it a little on one side at night, shutting close in the day. The plants having 

 the requisite moisture, the fronds will be covered with minute dewdrop-like 

 spots of water in the morning from the condensation of water during the 

 night. 



Ferns SntirrELLED (TT. M. G.). — The fronds of Ferns sent us have the 

 appearance of being "scalded," probably from exposure to the direct rays of 

 the sun. They are also blackened, which shows that they have been heavily 

 syringed; the water constantly hanging from the euds of the fronds and the 

 sun shining on them whilst we6, cause their destruction. Another likely 

 cause, though the above are the most jjrobable, is that they have been fumi- 

 gated strongly with tobacco, the house being filled too full, which has made 

 the atmosphere so dry as to cause the fronds to shrivel. Keep the atmo- 

 sphere moist by sprinkling evaporating surfaces in the house twice or thrice 

 a-day, syringe the plants only at night, and shade from bright sun from 

 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. with tiffany or other light material, commencing with April 

 and contLnuiug in bright weather up to September inclusive. If the plants 

 are screened from powerful sun by climbers or Vines over them, the shading 

 will not be necessary. 



Grapes Spotted (Tjtnrvillc). — They are severely spotted. See what wa 

 said in answer to another correspondent in our last number, page 411. 



Laburnum with Purplish and Yellow Flowers {T. Harkn-eU).— It 

 frequently occurs. Some years since Mr. Fish observed; — "The changes pro- 

 duced on the Laburnum when grafted are sometimes wonderful and wholly 

 nnaccountable. We have rarely seen the common or Scotch Laburnum sport 

 into other varieties. We recoUect of only one instance in which flowers of 

 purpurascens appeared. But if you graft either of the Laburnums with 

 Cytisus purpureus or Cytisus supinus, the vagaries which sometimes take 

 place are astonishing. I can see any day a small standard of Cytisus alpinns 

 which was grafted with Cytisus purpureus, and on the same branch will 

 sometimes ho found small pieces of yellow and purple, and at the very point 

 strong shoots of the Cytisus alpinus, the ' blood' of the stock finding its way 

 through the more weakly growth of the scion. What is remarkable is, that 

 grafting or budding with one variety will frequently, as the plant grows, pre- 

 sent you with three or four varieties, or what are called ' species.' " 



Conservatory G-ay from November to April (F. P. G.).— To have the 

 house gay at the time you name, the plants you have will be very suitable, 

 and with good culture during the summer will produce a very effecti%-e dis- 

 play. In adlition to the plants you have, of Primulas we should sow at 

 once another packet of seed, and of Roses we would add at least another 

 dozen to your present stock. Of Epacrises add also a dozen. The Geraniums 

 cut down now, aud their growth encouraged during the summer, stopping up 



