Octoboi- 34, 1885. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



347 



very sunny ilay. \Ve slmll give them iirotty well to Christmas 

 to strike, and if not hurried, and the cuttings are sound, scarcely 

 one in a thousand will fail. Owing to the heat; and very free 

 blooniinf;, the cuttings of many kinds arc scarce. Wiat wo 

 like for cuttings, are short, stubby, side-shoots, not showing 

 bloom, taken off close to the older stem, when they are from 

 2 to 3 indies long. Wo generally take off the lower leaves, 

 shorten the top ones, cut the bottom with a sharp knife, and 

 pull every handful through soap, Gishnrst, tobacco, or quassia 

 water. After such a season the eggs of red spider or green fly 

 are apt to bo on the cutting though not seen, and the swinging 

 through the water will help to remove the eggs, as well as 

 settle any little insects that maybe alive. If kept all the winter 

 in such cool tjuarters, insects will not be likely to meddle with 

 them, unless they have gone into the pit with the cuttings. 

 Cioolness alone will destroy many insects. From some experi- 

 ments we once made we are inclined to believe that that is the 

 best mode for eradicating that jiest of our hothouses 



Mealy liuii. — We agi'ee. tlierefore, in the advice once given to 

 the possessorof a valuable collection of tropical plants, of which 

 the destruction was threatened by their nie.aly-coated enemies. 

 The advice was to take all the jilants out of the house, to wash 

 all the stems and heads in tobacco and soap water ; to keep 

 the plants in another house, as cool as to be within the point 

 of safety, washing and rewashing them ; to expose the old 

 house to a sharp frost ; to wash the whole, walls, stages, &e., 

 and every crevice with turpentine water, and when diy to paint 

 or whitewash the whole. Whilst that was being done the plants 

 were to be turned out of their pots, shaking away every bit of 

 earth, and washing the roots, and repotted in fresh .soil in 

 smaller pots. The heat in their old quarters would soon cause 

 them to make fresh growth, and it is hoped that the insects 

 would not trouble them for some time. All the labour would 

 be next to in vain, unless the house was well frosted, as, pro- 

 tected though the insect is by its woolly covering, it is very 

 sensitive to cold. 



But for the weather would have planted out Pinks struck 

 during the summer. If not done soon they had better be potted 

 and receive a little protection during the winter, giving them 

 plenty of air, but protecting a little from heavy rains and 

 severe frosts. If planted in time to make fresh roots, hardly 

 anything will injure them, except slugs, and rabbits and hares, 

 which will soon clear a bed off. Carnations and Picotees are 

 almost as hardy if planted out early, but now th(?y will keep 

 better in pots. Auriculas, Polyanthuses, and the finer Prim- 

 roses in pots, should luive the pots cleaned, fresh surfaced, and 

 receive all the air possible in such mild weather, but be pro- 

 tected from such heavy rains. The best mode is to prop up 

 the sash at the four angles, so that there shall be a clear sweep 

 of air all over the plants. Chrys<anthemums in pots, even to 

 bloom late, had better be taken in-doors, or nnder such pro- 

 tection as, though open, will l;eep the di'enching rains from 

 them, otherwise when the plants expand their bloom the 

 leaves will be Ukely to be troubled with mildew, and thus be 

 made unsightly. As soon as the flower-beds are cleared pre- 

 parations should be made for bulb-planting, and if that cannot 

 be done early enough, the bulbs may be set in boxes in leaf 

 mould, so that they may be planted with roots, or may even be 

 placed in small pots to bring them on a little. 



Ixias, Sparaxis, Oxalis, Cyclamens, &c., now showing gi-owth 

 shouidbe potted, and allowed to grow on slowly. The fine, small- 

 flowered Tropajolums that have been resting in dry earth and 

 sand, should also be potted as soon as they begin to start into 

 growth. A good plan is to pot first in a small pot — say one of 

 6 inches in diameter, using loam and peat, with a little sand, 

 and gi'ow iu that until the shoots are a foot or more in length, 

 and then turn out into a large pot of 1'2 or 15 inches. Apply 

 the trellis, and train at once, using similar soil, with a fair 

 amoimt of dried, sweet cowduug in small pieces, and water 

 very carefully until the roots begin to fiU the pot and get 

 roimd the sides. 



It will be advisable to take all Camellias, Azaleas, and hard- 

 wooded greenhouse plants under glass. For Primulas, Cine- 

 rarias, &c., see previous weeks. — E. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 21. 



\Vk may now say that some diminution has taken place in the supplies, 

 AppU's and P<>avs have very much fiillon off, and vcKotables arc only 

 suftlcicnt for tJic demand. Potatoes are brought in much better condi- 

 tion, and the supply is still heavy. 



Apples i sieve 



Apricots do/,. 



Chon-ies lb. 



ChestnutH bush. Ifj 



Currants, Red J sieve 



Black do. 



Fitis doz. 



Filberts II). 



Cobs 100 lbH.120 



GooseberriCH. . ^ sieve 

 Grapes, Hambro...lb. 



Muscats lb. 



Lemons 100 



Artichokes each 



Asparaffus. . . . bundle 

 Beans liroad.. bushel 



Kidney J sieve 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts. .\ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



C;tpsicums 100 



Carrots Ijunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celei-y bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling .... doz. 



Endive score 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic and Shallots, lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . biuidlc 



Melons Cficli 4 



Mullierries. . . . i»uniiet 



Nectarines doz. 



Onmi^eB 100 10 



Peaches doz. 15 



Pears (kitchen)., doz. 1 



dessert doz. 1 



Pine Aijplea Ih. 



Plums A Bieve 2 



Quinces | sieve 3 



Kaspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 8 



Walnuts bush 14 



d. s. 



Oto7 



Leeks bunch 



Lcttuco .... per Bcure 

 Mushrooms. . . . pottle 

 Muatd.A CreK9,punnot 

 Onions per bushel 



picldiug quart 



Parsley ij sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Suii-kale basket 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes \ sieve 



Turnips bunch 



VcRetable Marrows dz. 



d. fl. 

 3 too 

 9 1 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



We request that no one ^vill write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticultiu'e, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to imjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dx., 171, Fleet 

 Street^ London, E.G. 



TRADE CAT.'VLOGUES RECEIVT^D. 



Thomas Rivers & Son, The Nurseries, Sawbridgeworth, 

 Herts. — A iJescripth-e Catalogue of Fruit Trees, by Thomas 

 Elvers. Catalogue of Hoses (Thirty -second editioii). 



Geranium Flower and Leaf {F. H. N.).~S\'c do not see anything 

 uncommon in them. They may be from a plant that would be a good 

 bedder, but that would entirely depend upon it.s habit. 



PROPAGATiNr. Variegated Hollies and Irish Yr-wsfF. G.). — Graft the 

 variegated on stocks of the preeu-leaved Holly, removing a little of the soil 

 around the stock, so that the ^'raft con be inserted a little below the 

 surface. Put in the scion by whip Rrafting, and when the stock is just 

 commencing to prow, which usually is towards the end of April. The 

 scion being tixed in its place by a ligature of matting, and the usual 

 covering of clay (full directions for grafting are given in the *' Science and 

 Practice of Gardening," page 244). cover the grafted part with soil, drawing 

 this towards and placing it against the stem so as to cover the nnion 

 completely, but leaving the scion with a few inches of its length ex- 

 posed. By midsummer the scion will have taken ; remove the soil, untie 

 the bast matting, and cover with soil ns before. Sow the berries of the 

 Irish Yew next March iu beds of light earth, and cover with half au inch 

 of fine soil. They will come up in due season, but it will be a very long 

 time before they become useful plants. Such plants are cheaper bought, 

 instead of being reared in private gardens. 



Privet Cuttings to Form a Screen {A Subscriber). — Privet is the 

 suitable shrub; Laurustinus is too tender for such a purpose as screening 

 a garden, for if nnj-lhing it requires protection or at least a sheltered 

 situation. Privet is the fastest growing of hedge plants, and is second to 

 none for appearance if kept neatly trimmed. Now is the time to put in 

 the cuttings in two rows 6 inches apart, and 3 inches asunder in the rows, 

 in quincunx order. Rooted plnnts would he more sure to grow, and 

 they can be had by the hundred or thousand of any nurseryman for very 

 little. 



Fhdit Trees for North asd Sotjtu'Wat.zs (An Eight-if ears Subscriber). 

 —Cob Nuts and Filberts would do on a north aspect, and yet they will 

 not do if you train them to it. Not trained to the wall they would grow 

 from it and obtain sufficient light ; besides they are unmanageable trees 

 to train to a wall. Of Raspberries we have no experience, and yet we 

 should think them vci-y untractable wall trees. Morollo Cherries would 

 do well, and so would CuiTnnts and Gooseberries. A noi-th wall is the 

 verv place to obtain fruit late, and keep it a long time after it is ripe. 

 For the south aspect Peaches and Nectarines would do very well. They 

 fruit equally well on a low as on a high wall, only the trees must be 

 planted farther apart. It is too low for Apricots. 



laiANTOPHYLLUM uiniATUM CULTURE (A Subscrihcr).~-'Y om' plant grow- 

 ing freely will certainly flower in due time. It is not strong enough to 

 bloom, we should think, as the Imantophyllum is a free bloomer. Pot it, 

 when gi'owth recommences in spring, in rather strong turfy loam, two- 

 thirds, and leaf-mould, one-third, with a free admixture of silver sand- 

 river sand will do. Give a moderate shift, and drain the pot well. Water 

 freely whilst growing, and place in a vinery or warm greenhouse 



