158 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I August 22, 1805. 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes each 



Asparagns.... bundle 

 Seans Broad. . bushel 



Kidney do 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts. .^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling .... doz. 



Endive ecorc 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic and Shallots, lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bimdle 



s. d. 8. d 



4 too 6 













 5 







9 

 2 



Leeks bnnch 



Lettuce per score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustd. & Cress, punnet 

 Onions, .doc. bunches 



pickling quart 



Parsley ^ sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushol 



Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunrh 



Vegetable Marrows dz. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 mental wi-iters of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to mijustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore he addressed aolAy to 

 The Editors of thn Joiumal of Horticulture, dc, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



We also request that correspondents ■s\iU not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to f,'et them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, hut write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain imanswered until next 

 week. 



Vines in Pots (C. T. Culver).~The "Vine Manual." published at our 

 office, and the pages of thi« .Toumal, will supply vou with the information 

 which you require. Mr. Whittle's address is Bu'^ili Hall, Hatfield, Herts. 



Seedling Petunias (C. C. Malton).~Your seedling Petunias are verv 

 pretty, the white ground pure, and the stripes distinct. If they are free 

 from the usual fault of most striped varieties, which is that df losing the 

 stripes, and becoming selfs. they will be very valuable. It is not likely 

 that they will remain ti-ue to their present condition; we do not know 

 of any variety that can be depended upon. 



DRAiNixr, AND Raishs-o A EoRDER [Caltyi} Ml.— After you have dug out 

 the soil to the refjuirod depth, make a proper drain in the bottom. On 

 this place the brick rubbish, cinders, or any other rubbish you may have. 

 You may cut the soil straight down in front of the Ivy, lea'iing 18 inches 

 or 2 feet next the wall. After you have made vonr drain secure, put the 

 soil back again. In doin;,' this shake some 'light rnbblv stuff, such as 

 small lime rubbish, in about the stems of the Ivy. The plants will not 

 sustain any injury if their ; tems are covered up 2 feet or more with any 

 porous substance, if there is plenty of drainage below, so that the water 

 may pass away quickly from their roots. 



Fruit-uoom SriELVES—LANCAsmiiE GoosEBEHniES {Rector, Kent).—'Wc 

 should decidedly give the preference to the open spars, as they permit a 

 better cii-culation of air about the fruit, and for the same reason, and to 

 prevent the spread of mould, we would use no straw. Mr. Charles 

 Leicester, of Crompton Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire, can supply the 

 Lancashire prize Gooseberries true. 



ScAiiLET Runners not Setting {W. B.).— Pvapid growth, rain, and cold 

 nights are most likely the cause. The bees, we think, would promote 

 rather than hinder fertilisation. 



Bedding Geranium (A Subscriber). —We do not recollect of any one 

 that meets your requirements as to shade, &c. Rubens has some of the 

 properties you want, but the shade is very different, and the habit more 

 vigorous. 



Flower-garden Plan (S. B.).— We think vour plan and planting for a 

 simple, regular group will answer verv well. If vou put Centaurea round 

 the dial it will give you more varietv. We prefer the Cineraria for the 

 centre or edging of bed^. rather than filling beds chiefly with it. We 

 think, also, it contrasts better with purjile and scarlet, as Purple King 

 Verbena, and Scarlet Geranium, than with blue Lobelia. 



Fairy Rings on Lawns (A Suburribcr).— Water the rings copiously with 

 lime water made by placing 14 lbs. of fresh lime in a hogshead or tub, 

 pour over it 40 gallons of water and stir well up. Allow the whole to stand 

 for two or thi-ee days, and then water with the clear liquid ; if when the 

 ground is di-y so much the better. Two or three thorough soakings at 

 intervals of four or five days will generally be sufficient to destroy the 

 myceliimi of the fimgus. The whole lawn we should think poor, and 

 would be much improved by a dressing of well-rotted manure in autumn 

 or eai'ly in spring. 



Ejection {A. J5.).— No one without being informed upon what terms 

 you took your house can say whether you can be ejected after a month's 

 notice; but if you are discharged from the landlord's service ns gardener, 

 you cannot be so unwise, we hope, as to wish to retain possession of the 

 house required for your successor. 



Emigration {A Young Gardener).— We readily insert all the communi- 

 cations we receive from our colonies, or elsewhere, if they give informa- 

 tion at all relative to gardening. If we intended to seek for employment 

 as a gardener away from our native land we should go to some of the 

 older of our Bettlements, such as Tasmania or New Zealand. 



Pbopaoatino Cineraria maritima, Centaurea, and Cerastium 

 (C. P. P.).— Take up the best of the old plants of Cineraria maritima, and 

 winter them in a dry cool greenhouse, and the Centaiu-eas in like manner. 

 In February place tbem in a house with a temperature of from 50' to 60' 

 to make new growth, and when this is a few inches long take off the 

 shoots of the Cineraria with two joints and the growing-point, cutting 

 transversely below the lowest joint; remove the two lowest leaves, and 

 the cutting is ready for ins^ertion in pans half full of two-thii-ds sandy 

 loam and one-third well-reduced leaf mould, then fill to the rim with 

 silver sand. The Centaurea cuttings nre to be taken off close to the stem 

 of the plant with a short heel, the side leaves neatly trimmed off to the 

 extent of an inch or two, leading the growing-point with its leaves un- 

 touched. Insert these like the Cineraria cuttings with their bases just 

 resting on the soil, the dibber taking a little sand down with it if it pene- 

 trates beyond the thickness of the sand. Put them in so as not to touch 

 each other to any great extent. Water lightly to settle the sand about 

 the cuttings, and place in a bottom heat of 75". and a top heat of from 

 65^ to 75 , T\ith a close moist atmosphere and slight shade from very 

 bright sun ; water sparingly, still keeping just moist, but by uo means 

 wet, otherwise the cuttings will damp off. in a fortnight or three weeks 

 they will be well rooted, and maybe removed to acook-r house, and when 

 a little hardened potted off. The old plants if continued in heat will 

 afford three or more lots of cuttings for strikiug in the same manner as 

 the first, all making good plants for planting out in the first week in June. 

 Cuttings of Cineraria maritima and Centaurea taken at this time of year 

 root with much less certainty than in spring, but will strike in a mild 

 hotbed. For this purpose take the growing shoots of the Cineraria with 

 the base of the cuttingn a little hardened, and the side shoots of the 

 Centaurea with a short heel. Cerastium will strike from March up to 

 September in an open border, taking off shoots 3 inches or so in length, 

 and dibbling them in in lines 3 inches apart in sandy soil, and to about 

 half the length of the cuttings. We put our cuttings iu in April where 

 we wish to have an edging, line, or band of it, taldngthe cuttiugs off with 

 a knife by the huntb-ed, and without trimming insert them liiilf way iu 

 the soil at 3 inches apart in double lines, and all they fuither need is a 

 good watering should the weather prove dry. These are what we preft r 

 for lines a foot wide to look well by July; but for panel work we prcft r 

 small di\-isions of the roots at 6 inches apart in single lines for a widtli 

 of 1 foot, but double and treble lines in quincunx aiTangeraent tor 

 wider bands or lines. Cerastium tomentosum does very well in this way, 

 but C. Biebersteinii does not make a line so soon nor hO good if the 

 cuttings are inserted where they are to remain, and divisions of the root 

 are better. These if put in during April or May itill make a splendid line 

 by the end of June. Cuttings of Biebersteinii strike less freely than those 

 of C. tomentosum, but take a longer time to form as good an edging. 

 Cuttings of both strike freely in light soil in a gentle heat, as well as in 

 the open ground or in a frame. 



Calceolaria Lea-^-es turning Yellow (G. .4.).— The nsual cause of the 

 leaves of the herbaceous kinds turning yellow is a warm, close, and dry 

 atmosphere, and the evil sometimes arises from defective drainage, or 

 using verj* rich decomposing vegetable soil, which destroys the roots. 

 Keeping the plants dry and warm during winter is a common cause ; they 

 should be kept as cool as possible, merely excluding frost. When their 

 blooming pots become tilled with roots weak applications of liquid 

 manure will assist in keeping the fiiliage healthy up to the time of bloom- 

 ing ; and a cool, moist, airy, and light situation at all times will also pro- 

 mote the same result. 



Sowing Mimulus maculosus {hlem). — Plants from seed sown now will 

 bloom next June. When the seedlings are large enough to handle they 

 should be potted off into small pots, and be placed on shelves near the 

 glass in a cool aii-y gi'eonhouse from which fror-,t is excluded, iisingacom- 

 post of turfy loam two-thirds, and one-third leaf mould, with a little sand 

 intermixed. They may remain in the small pots luitil March when they 

 should be shifted* into larger pots, and as soon as these arc filled with 

 roots shift again, and so on imtil in the size in whicli you wish tbem to 

 bloom. They like moisture when growintr, and require the s^ime treat- 

 ment as Calceolarias. If for bedding stop them iu April, and harden off 

 in a frame for planting out in May. 



Destroying Cockkoaches (.7. 3f. TCi.— A hedgehog kept in the green- 

 house will make quick work of all that come within his reach. They may 

 be trapped by placing a basin, half full of water sweetened with a tea- 

 spoonful or two of hviuey, on the floor at night, with a few sticks half an 

 inch or so wide resting on the edges of the basin for the beetles to walk 

 upon. These tumble into the liquid and are drowned. The basin may be 

 sunk to the rim in soil, and is then an excellent trap. Aj-senic mixed in 

 the proportion of one-fourth with boiled Potatoes, and laid on pieces of 

 paper at night, will certainly kill all that partake of it, and to prevent dogs 

 touching it invert over each paper a box on pieces of wood so as to 

 allow of the beetles entering, a hea\-5- weight being placed upon the box. 

 Arsenic and honey iu equal parts if laid on scraps of paper at night will also 

 destroy the beetles. Phosphoric paste spread on thin sUcesof bread is as 

 good a poison as any, and not so dangerous as arsenic, which should never 

 be used where it can be avoided. 



Ferns eaten by Insects (J. fi".).— Most likely snails or slugs eat yom- 

 Fern fronds. You may ascertain whether this is the case or not by look- 

 ing out for them after dark with a lantern. If fresh Cabbage leaves are 

 laid down at night, and examined in the morning, the .--nails or slugs wUl 

 be foundbeneath them and may then be destroyed. 



Asphalting a Wooden Vinery (Tr. .S. TI^.).— We say decidedly that 

 painting the boards so shrunk with gas tar would be injurious to every 

 thing inside, unless you previously filled all the shrunk parts. When the 

 joints from shrinking are some way apart, a good plan is to fasten along 

 the joints shps of wood, say half-inch and 2 inches v,ide and bevelled at 

 the sides, which keep all secure whilst the shrinking goes on as it may. 

 This might dispense with your proposed plan of covering the outside of 

 the boards as you propose with asphalt roofing. If you do use the asphalt 

 you might tar that outside, and whilst wet throw on ns much sawdust or 

 road drift as it would take in. This ^vill also cause it to dry sooner, and 

 it will make it more lasting. No air should be given in front until the 

 smell has gone off. We have met with several instances in which bulbs 

 and tubers will retain their \itahty and gi-ow, though kept out of the 

 ground, and at rest for twelve months. There are some tubers, such as 

 Tropseolumf.-, very singular in this respect. They vrill rest sometimes for 

 a year or two, and then grow strongly. 



