198 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ September 6, 1865. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



'.♦ We request that no one will write privately to tlie depart- 

 meutal writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doino they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed wteh, to 

 llie Editors o) the Journal of Horticulture, eOc, 171, Fleet 

 Street, Loiulun, E.G. 



We also request that correspondents wiU not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 l-oiiltry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



vo^fs ?o"cTtL',:''v,,!^;:''/r'f''''"'''^''''''""''--'r'''= 0"'.v advice wo can give 

 you IS to gathci 5 our truit as soon as possible after it is ripe then if vou 



loTamms'?? ^^.r\."T'^ .di^sohe'^6 or C lbs. of sott'^Toap in about 

 lU gaUims of Mater m which 3 lbs. of quassia chips have been i>reviou-.lv 

 to to vom t?e?s in"n Vl'^r.^"*" f ^"""'' '™t"- '" 'Ws as wm SaUeyou 

 weU wetUd with tbifhl,"' ""^ "■'"""f tlie wood and leaves may become 

 Tt interval vr, , in,\^ """' '!'"^^- " "'''' '^ repeated two or three time>i 

 tre^s we 1 «v-Sn", ' '"ti" ^^^ "'^ "•' *''" l"-'^*- ^'"^ ^^<= '«ture keep your 

 slLht^st siSs nf ?hr " decoction of similar strength whenever the 

 S?t„™ .s^,„. ,i "'"''"?■ '^PPf''- Syringe your walls with the same 

 tSf the walK sl„ l?'?'"'"1f'' ''''°^'^' ""'' '° " ^ lbs. of sulphur, .\fter 

 this the walls should be well coated over with a thiclv m-outing made of 



SSutirThA.dr/fe""' S?^°""?^"f the quassia water to Six it wttS^ Thi 

 dlubiniftheln f 1, '^■'^".^.o'ked into the nail-holes &c. in the waU by 

 aauDing the biuah several times against it. 



^^yli'ZJ^^Tf^^^^^ ^° ^«t know a pure yeUow in the 



ThLib nntl^iL nfih! f^^^"" *" P^'^'^' '^ ^e^^' '^'^^■^^ from yeUow Tom 

 inuiiib, uotlung of the colour can be more beautifiU. 



immSelvir.^n^^*^!';'''''''^*'^*'^*.^-.^''-''''*--^^* '^ ^^^ ^°d of October or 

 saX »oftt nn ^tlff. 1 '-^.f in tm-fy Ught loom two-thirds, and tm:fy 

 sandy peat oie-third, with a free admixture of silver or sharo '^and 

 shoSlTb^e 7?nS?.' . ^-terials with a spade ; well draf^ the poT, wSfcli 

 ^oSr7f fi ''^ I" diameter, and on the draiDa^'e place the rousher 



the cent- e oThiT. S ^''^ hU.the pot ^nth .oil, thVplaceThe & in 

 out towards tUnV.' Y-'"''''^'}^^ l^"" '■^^*^- '^ "">"' «"d ^l"*^"^ ^^^^m 

 «^iti^ f ■ ^'l^^ ^'^^'*-^^ *^^ ^"^^ "bout hall an inch and cive a 

 floor XwTn?" P«"f ^I'Ulb may then be placed on a cool damp 

 SOU wheiit.]^,UM^'^^ ^''''^^ ""*^^ ^^^ ^^°^t pushes above the 



aSd Ton .h-plSr/n .'i*'-^ \'^^J ^""^ '''^^' situation, be watered copiously, 

 sSoot i^^anl^ch or^t^lTve U. '^^ ""^^ '' '^^ ^'^ «^ *^^ ^'' ^'^^ '^^ 

 flow'L'^n''J' nmv 1 r^; ^ ^'''''^'' ^^'^''^ (W6-7,0.-The reason of your tree not 



£dsodecSastn7.^f^^^ ^? ?,"^ "''^^^^ ^^^ tree at 4 feet from its base, 

 Sis wmi^^ iL 1 I through the roots, simply filling in the trench again 

 Inxm-irtm-nw.h T-*^^^ ';f^^\^" O^-'toi^er, and it woiUd check the 

 SSht be fS^v ivn. ^^7F^? "i*^ ^^^^ts thin so that evex^ P^irt of the tree 

 Sdnce thP t ip ;,y?^^ *" ^¥? ^'^'^ l''"" ""^^''^ ^-^ ^'^1- "P-i the wood as to 

 ^wi^ndVAn ^f Tf;- ^V 1^^«^''^'^>^ that the routs have gone deep 

 roXi's to c, nn ,^nt H*'?".* m'^I'^^^^^S out the trench, so undermine the 

 below the s^face perpendicularly do^vnwards at IBinches 



cuuTo'curth^a^c ''^J'ltfi*?^^'''^^* '^•.-^- ^'- -^•)-This Fern is most diffi- 

 turfV nPRlpbrn;,,.^^ ^" ^^^ P^* V^^ ^^•°*^^^' «"'^ 1^^^-e ^""^^^ "i'-'e sandy 

 AVa^ut and son?. « ^t'^i ^''T^' of sandstone broken to the size of i 

 \\ alnut, and some sweet hazel or yellow loam. 3Iix them together in the 

 STtrvPr^'r ^''''f-'f t^« -^^'l^tone to one of the peaTi^d loam! 

 iS this mix?mo . i*;f" ''*^^''*''^ *^? sandstone bo sifted oit all the better 

 around fw^ ? ^ ^^^ ^^^?'' '"'i*^"" ^'"^ ^" *^« ^'^^t^*^ «* tl^^ I'ots, and 

 anneal Ln^t^nl/r ^'^'^f "' ^'^^^^stone, or rather plant so that they may 

 Ind the hnm° nT ^'^l^:'^^" stoiies. the pot being covered with these, 

 SinPP in nl^ \ i^-^?^ '? ^^^ iuterstices. Give a good watering, and 



best ken? nPnTA"*^ ^f^^ situation in the gi-eenhouse.'' This Fem^U do 

 ah^dPd ft-nnf L K^■^'^ """"^ "■^^^" ^^"^ 1****^* «f admission of air. If 

 Sd tho inh ,7'>-,^"SM sun until it becomes estabUshed all the better, 

 ^^^ 1^ n * '"" """J ^■"''' ^"^ "^"*^^ ^^^'^^' it is more free-gi-owing 



d?! Tt?.m?v?^ moisturt.. and should never be verv wet nor'dust 

 drj. It is only to be kept m cultivation bv ven- careful culture. 

 anTmn'^'f pnYIvK f^Y'^'^^^^^^^l^ {Idem),-Th<, plants cut down last 

 now m Uv linl h ■ ^^ V '"'''^," ^"^ ^■^'^'*^ *^^« ^^^^«^' "^'^V be moved 

 ^tb r rrnnS 1,1 n'"'"^ ^ovember. during mild weather, taking them up 

 with a good baU Do not reduce the baU, but take them up and plant 

 X^nt" Rhnd IP?' •"' ^^ "'i^f ^ ^? "■^'^ ^-^^t's. Spring is t^eTcst time ?o 

 ferP^Mlti . i f ■' 1^"? ^^'"^ ^^'^ "^^^^ month r but from the very 

 M thPv n^nv h ' ''^'^ ?^'?^'' '^'''"■'^' ^^"^' ^'^i"^ removed ^ith a good 

 Vph;-n«S S iJ removed at any season, we having planted them from 

 fhp^v r^ ti ''T"^''' ^"'^ ?" '^^ ^^*^-'*=« of giowth, in flower, making 



WaU-i wp/l^-V^th ^^^'-7^*"^-^^°g tlieir buds, and with the greatest safety-. 



vv atei \\ eU if the w eather prove dry after planting. 



..PxHJ'^v.Tf^'*^^^ Seed FROM THE East U S»Lw;,fr).-Sow the seed 

 fn^nn Iv-P^ti P'^1^ ^^'^^^l d^i'^^^fl and three-parts filled with light sandy 

 soT n n^ o « "^ ^"'■^r'> ''"'^ f''^"^^ '^"^ ^^^^-^^ thinly. Cover with light fine 

 soil, and, after watering place m a frame with a mild bottom hcit (75 j. 



in «« Jv^l'^T^f I".*'' ^""^ *'^**''"^ *^^y ^''■''■'^"^^ '^■^""°' ^a'^den off and place 

 -^5»„ Z*?"^ ^"^ ^^"^ gieenhouse, and near the glass. In the autunm, or 

 ♦E .l*^ i.-Jl^ ^^""^"l? ^■^*^'"' l*"^' them off singly in small pots, and give 

 nWH fn " ^""*^?">' afterwards. The seeds niay be sown as above, and 

 ?irp?v tL ^'?'**„'^'^-^ P"-t V^ tlie greenhouse where thcv .viU vegetate as 

 X^JpIp?T -^^^^^ "^^l ^' ^^"""' "^^"^ ^*- " is possible they might 

 also vegetate lu a cold frame, but as to whether thev will be best in a 

 frame a greenhouse or a hotbed, we cannot deteriiine, not knoTS-ing 

 cither the species or its habitat. i^^-ni^b 



Propagating GNiU'HALiuai lanatusi {P. P.). — Cuttings taken now and 

 inserted in silver sand with their base at the least possible distance 

 from sandy loam at the bottom of the pan or pot, will strike in a gentle 

 heat. They strike more tardily now than in spring, A better plan is to 

 take up the old plants in autumn, and winter them in a cool airy green- 

 house. In February place in heat, and when the shoots are sufticiently 

 long these may be taken off with three or four joints, and treated in the 

 same way as Verbenas, like which they strike freely. They require a 

 light sandy soil. 



Seedling Pelabgoniums not Flowering {J. B. C.).— You may expect 

 the seedlings to flower with the general stock next May or June. They 

 do not usually flower in the same year as that in which the seeds are 

 sown, and it is not desirable, for the flowers of Pelargoniums are never so 

 fine in autumn as during the early summer months, and a good flower 

 might be discarded from its not being in character when fioweringforthe 

 first time in autumn. There will be no difticulty in muking them flower 

 anotlier year, but we know of no plan that would force them into flower 

 this year. We would cut the plants down now to three or foui' eyes, and 

 when broken, and the shoots about an inch long, pot them, as they are 

 now in very small pots, into a size larger, giving them their final 'shift 

 iuto six-inch pots in December. In other respects the treatment need not 

 differ from that of named sorts. 



Caxifornian Pumps.— If 'West Choydon' send to Mr. Benson, 17, St* 

 Dunstan's Hill, Tower Street, E.G., London, he will send him a list of 

 places where they are in use. We have had one in use here for a month, 

 and. so far, it works very satisfactorily pumping hot liquor. It is a four- 

 inch pump, and we work by an engine, but aU the pumps are made to 

 work liy hand.— W.N.Baxter, Thornton-le-Mours, Northallerton." "The 

 Californiiin pump is very simple. It is a common square spout of any 

 length that may be required, about 4 inches by 4 inside i\-ith two rollers, 

 one at top and one at bottom, with an endless strap to pass round the 

 rollers. Blocks of wood are screwed on the strap at intervals, and the 

 strap beiug turned with one or two cranks the water is brought up. 

 — H. Feek. Builder, Broohi\ Nonnch" [By this it appears that tho 

 Califoruian pump is only a foi-m of the chain i)ump.] 



Ouvirandra fenestraxis Culture {A Younri Siihitcribe7-).— Your treat- 

 ment is very nearly right, and wc shall, perhaps, best meet your wishes 

 by giving the essentials of its culture. Broad glass pans, from the light 

 transmitted through the sides allowing of the structm-e of the leaves 

 being perfectly seen, are the most suitable. A compost of turfy peat and 

 half the quantity of decayed turf is placed at the bottom of the glass to 

 the depth of 3 inches, and on this from one-half to three-quarters of an 

 inch of river sand. The sand prevents the water Irom beiug discoloured 

 when the plant is sji-inged or fresh water put in, aud the leaves from 

 becoming dii'ty. The plant should be syringed every morning \\ith 

 water of the same temperature as that iii which it is gi'owing. This 

 watering with the syringe frees the leaves of any sediment that may 

 adhere to them, and inevents slimy moss forming in the water, in addi- 

 tion to which the sides of tho glass vessel should be rubbed occasionally 

 to keep them clean. The soil should all be taken out once a-year,- March 

 being a good season. When the soil is left in too long the leaves grow 

 smaUer and weaker. The plant requires a temperatm-e of from 7l)- to 75'. 

 The main points are keeping the leaves free from dirt, and all about the 

 lilaut sweet. These conditions secui'ed, the Ouvirandra gi-ows freely. 



Gardeners' Wages, &c. {An Under-Gardcncr). — We have ali-eady given 

 considerable latitude to all tho matters to which you allude. Some 

 strong comments, on the impropriety of maldng gardeners Uve in the 

 mansion, and discouraging marrying, and settling down ^ith families, 

 we have reasons for believing did the intended good in many quarters, 

 many gardeners' houses being built where none formerly existed on the 

 demesne. We would wish to see the word " incumbrance," as applied to 

 wife and chUdi-en. banished amongst the deservedly forgotten things of 

 the past. Meantime, gardeners will do well to act with iirudeuce. All 

 our exi)erience leads us to have no faith in strikes, or unions, among 

 either under-gardeners or head-gardeners as a means of improving their 

 condition. So long as yomig lads are taken into some large establish- 

 ments, aud struck as it were by cuttings, and then sent out in shoals on 

 the labour market, it will be foUy to combine for raising wages. Besides, 

 if young gardeners were to strike to-morrow, aud refuse to work, common 

 labourers might soon fill their place, and the gardeners would have to find 

 something else to do. That, however, is no reason why better wages 

 should not be given, or why, if shorter hours cannot be made the rule, 

 there should not be an occasional holiday. As to head-gardeners, we 

 have never yet known them to have cohesion enough to agi'ce upon any- 

 thing, even for their own good. This, no doubt, is partly owing to their 

 isolated and scattered condition. A number of years .ago, a gardeners' 

 paper was started, conducted pretty well for nothing, and the whole profits 

 to be given to the aged and afflicted. The paper could ouly go on by sub- 

 scriptions being paid in advance ; but even that could not be done. Some 

 gentlemen, as 3Ir. Thomson, of Dalkeith, could tell what may be ex- 

 pected from unity, and its strength among gardeners. The difference 

 to which you allude between mechanics and gardeners as to wages, is often 

 more apparent than real. Suppose in the country an under-gardener 

 has from 18s. to 158. or more per week, and a mechanic has £1, the gar- 

 dener has his lodging and constant pay, whilst the mechanic has often lost- 

 time for months, and tools to buy and keep. A head gardener is generally 

 in a better position than the genernUty of mechanics. Of course, we are 

 not alluding to wages in London, where lodgings, &c., are expensive. Be- 

 sides, a mechanic after serving his time, &c., unless he has cai)ital, has 

 little chance of bettering himself, but the young gardener, if he has a few 

 hardships, lives in the hope of bettering himself by becoming a head gar- 

 dener. On the whole, as we have previou.--ly stated, gardening at present 

 offers few inducements for any of the middle classes to engage in it ; but 

 for the sons of mechanics, and even of labourers who will patiently work, 

 study, and wait, and submit to some amount of self-tlenial. it offers a 

 medium for improving their circumstances, and rising ie even the social 

 position. Were there fewer professed gardeners, and were these all men 

 of superior attainments to what as a class they are now, an improved 

 social position would follow as a matter of course. We should be only de- 

 ceiving young men by false hopes, if we did not express our conviction, 

 that the upward progi-ess of the prof ession even as respects remuneration, 

 will be greatly regulated, just as the con\-iction gains giound among em- 

 ployers, that an intelligent active gardener may be a much cheaper ser\'ant 

 at £100 a-year, than an ignorant, careless man, who is content with £50. 

 Nothing surprises us more than gentlemen often parting with a good man 

 when a few pounds more would keep him. 



