Jane 19, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



493 



We have been, and are now, going over all the pyi'amid and 

 bush fruit trees, cutting the young wood back to three leaves, 

 and cutting the shoots out entirely where they are too thickly 

 placed. Where the trees are intended to increase in size the 

 shoots are left much longer, but are stopped at this time to form 

 a second growth. We find a small maggot devouring the pith 

 of the young shoots, which causes them to die above the place. 

 A sharp look-out is kept for them, and the maggots are destroyed 

 at once. It is very annoying when they attack the leading shoots 

 of wall trees. We hearof Black Prince Strawberry being picked 

 in the open air in this neighbourhood ; our own are not changing 

 colour yet. We are placing sprays of Elm round the plants, 

 and the fruit is allowed to hang over from the clefts of the 

 branchlets. 



FKUIT AND FOBCING HOUSES. 



Pine Apples are now requiring attention. The plants intended 

 {or winter-fruiting have very nearly made their growth, and the 

 house requires more air and less moisture in the atmosphere. 

 Charlotte Rothschild and Smooth-leaved Cayenne are the best 

 Pines for winter. A few Black Jamaica may be grown ; it is a 

 richly-flavoured sort, but very small. For one sort we would 

 unhesitatingly recommend the Smooth-leaved Cayenne. The 

 Queen is the best for summer fruiting. 



Vineries. — We have finished the thinning in late houses, and 

 Btopped all lateral growths, training the shoots so that the roof 

 may be equally covered with foliage without being crowded. 

 After this not so much attention will be required, as while the 

 fruit is swelling few lateral growths are made. The houses 

 require to be damped with a syringe or water-pot with a fine 

 rose three or four times a-day, and plenty of water to the roots 

 is essential. Airing the houses early in the morning, and leaving 

 a small chink for air all night when it is not too cold outside, 

 will induce a healthy growth, which will the more effectually 

 resist the attacks of red spider and mildew. Sulphur applied to 

 the hot-water pipes, if properly managed, will destroy either. 



Melon and Cucumber Houses. — Since we were careful not to 

 use water which could by any means contain copperas, the 

 Melons have succeeded very well. No more plants have died- 

 off, and the fruit is ripening well. As previously stated, the 

 plants are trained to wire trellises overhead, consequently the 

 fruit requires to be supported in some way before it ripens. 

 We have boards about 9 inches square cut out of half -inch deal ; 

 a small hole is made at each corner, to which pieces of wire are 

 affixed, and a hook at the other end of the wire serves to fix the 

 board to the trellis in a way that the end of the fruit just rests 

 lapon the board. We get highly flavoured irwit even in dull 

 weather by keeping up a good supply of heat from the pipes, 

 ventilating freely by day, and leaving a little air on all night. 

 Cucumbers are kept perfectly free from thrips by fumigating 

 with tobacco, and syringing freely with clean rain water acts as 

 a deterrent to red spider. We have no trouble with fresh plan- 

 tations, as the same plants continue to produce abundantly, and 

 remain in perfect health for twelve months. The surface of the 

 beds requires to be dressed with decayed manui'e mixed with 

 an equal portion of good loam once in two months. After a 

 somewhat lengthened experience with Cucumbers and Melons 

 in well-constructed houses, we should not like to have anything 

 more to do with dung beds ; they are not nearly so certain as 

 houses and six times the trouble, besides the unsightly appear- 

 ance of the beds at all times. 



ORCH-IKD HOUSE. 



We have had much troiible with mildew on the Strawberries 

 this year, and many of the unripened fruits have dami)ed-off. 

 The season has been dull and cold, but it is necessary to syringe 

 the fruit trees, which causes a moist atmosphere. Even if much 

 care has been taken not to wet the fruit, the moisture is in- 

 jurious. A few Plum trees in the house had become infested 

 with aphides ; these have been washed off, or destroyed by dust- 

 ing with Scotch snuff. We would have the house fumigated 

 with tobacco smoke were it not for the ripe and ripening Straw- 

 berries. The fumes utterly spoil the flavour of the fruit, and 

 it is not convenient to carry them out while the operation is 

 being performed. We looked over the trees, and pinched back 

 any growing shoots requiring to be stopped ; and where the 

 crops are still too heavy the fruit was thinned out. It is very 

 bad management to allow too many fruit to remain on the trees. 



COKSERVATOBY AND PLANT STOVE. 



In the atove we keep up a good supply of heat and moisture ; 

 this is injurious to plants in flower, but it is essential to Orchids 

 and other plants making their growth. We should like an inter- 

 mediate house for stove plants and exotic Orchids in flower. 

 Where these could be arranged with choice Palms, Ferns, &c., 

 a fine effect would be produced, and the plants in flower would 

 last much longer, and they would also be in a place where they 

 could be admired. Training and thinning-out the young grow- 

 ing shoots of cUmbers, and potting such plants as require it. 

 Everything in the conservatory is kept clean ; all dead and 

 decaying leaves and flowers are removed as soon as they are 

 perceived, and seed-pods are picked-ofi Azaleas as soon as the 

 flowers are faded. 



I'LOWER GARDEN. 



The bedding plants are growing freely and require attention. 

 Verbenas and plants of that description are being pegged-down ; 

 this should be attended to without delay, as it not only prevents 

 the plants from being broken by the wind, but they gi-ow more 

 freely after being pegged-down. We have been thinning the 

 flowers on Rose bushes where they are too much crowded. Our 

 bloom is stronger this year than usual, and the plants are free 

 from fly, nor have they suffered much from the attacks of the bud- 

 worm. Double Primroses have been well attended to in regard 

 to watering, as, if they are neglected at this time, they die-off 

 altogether. Red spider also attacks the under sides of the 

 leaves ; it can be removed by sjTringing underneath. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



Ant. Roozen it Son, Overveen, near Haarlem, Holland. — Cata- 

 logue of Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, and all other Dutch and 

 Cape Bulbs, d-c. 1873. 



James Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, King's Road, 

 Chelsea. — Catalogue of New and Beautiful Plants for 1873. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



',* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable troubla and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addr-essed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dc, 111, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those ou 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them 

 answered promptly and conveniently, but write them ou 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



Books {A. B.).—" Kitchen Gardening for the Many," free by post from om- 

 oflice for 5ii. (J. P.).— Eivers's " Orchard House " may be had from the 

 author for forty-two stamps, Messrs. Longmans, 39, Paternoster Kow, London, 

 or through any booliseller. 



CoTENT Garden Market (J. TF.). — Write to Messrs. Webhor & Co., 

 Central Avenue, Covent Garden Marl;et. Of early Strawberries Blaol: Piinco, 

 Keens' Seedling, and Eclipse would do for market. 



Purple Borecole {Heysham). — It is very richly curled, and consequently 

 is superior for garnishing. The curled leaflets along the ribs are in tUo 

 manner of tho Cockscomb Borecole. 



Ketardiso Cockscombs ^J. O.).— Alter the comb is full-sized it will retain 

 its beauty and be fit for exhibition for three or four weeks, sometimes six 

 weeks. The plant should be kept near the glass and shaded from bright sun 

 —temperature at night 55^ Cockscombs are best kept in a cool pit. If the 

 plant is healthy and clean the fohago will remain in good condition as long as 

 the comb continues fresh. 



CccuMBER Culture [J. S.I.— Tour treatment is, no donbt, the best under 

 the circumstances, but it would have been better had the bed been furnished 

 with bottom heat. "We should keep the heat up to G5^ at night, and 7U- to lit' 

 by day, with a rise from sun heat and air to 80 ", So", or 9U\ Syringe the plants 

 hghtly twice a-day, but depend more on sprink lin g the floors and other sur- 

 faces than on syringing the plants. Twice a-day would be too often to water 

 the bed. Twice or thrice a-week will be sufiicient. .\dmit air early in the 

 day and close early in the afternoon. Guano is a good liquid manure when 

 given once a-week at the rate of 1 oz. to the gallon of water; we use 1 lb. to 

 twenty gallons, which is rather weaker. All watering and syringing should 

 be with water of the temperature of the house. The treatment of the shoots 

 is right — at the fifth jomt, and then one joint beyond the fruit. Cut-out 

 those that have fruited, training others in their places. 



Antexnaria tomentosa Propagation (ii. P.}.— This, which is one of the 

 best hardy white carpet plants in cultivation, is readily increased by cuttings. 

 Slip off the shoots when about 2 inches long, pare the base smooth with a 

 sharp knife, insert them in sandy soil in a shady border, and cover them with 

 a frame or hand-glass. Propagation may be effected in spring in gentle heat, 

 or in summer, up to September, without heat. Our " Kitchen Gardening for 

 the Many " contains particulars of Cocumher forcing. It may be had free by 

 post from our office for 5(i. 



Carnations Gkub-eaten {Biecpt). — TVe do not know the grubs by the 

 description, but think they are more likely to.be wireworms than "leather- 

 jackets." Remove the soil about the plants, and dust with quicklime and soot 

 in equal proportions ; then fill it in, and again duat round the plants, and give 

 a good watering, say a gallon to each plant, with guano water — 1 oz. of guano 

 to the gallon. Round each plant insert in the ground about 2 inches half a 

 dozen baits of Carrot cut in pieces about 2 inches long; examine them fre- 

 quently, and you will probably find the grubs eating at the Carrots, after 

 destroying which the baits may be replaced and renewed as required. "We 

 should dust soot round the plants every week or ten days, and point it ia 

 lightly with a fork. 



Black Hambcrgh Vine Unjiiuitful {A. H. D.). — Howcan yon expect 

 the dressing of manure and hones you applied to the soil this spring to have 

 any eflect on the Vine's fruitfulnesa or uufruitfulnoss this season ? The 

 growth of this year is that from which the fruit is produced in the next. All 

 the good tho dressing of manure and bones will do this year is, by enriching 

 the soil, to stimulate growth in the Vine, which is all very well if the growth 

 is we.Tk and the wood is well ripened. Tou say it grows well and looks very 

 healthy. We think youi- soil is suitable, otherwise this would not be the case 



