■December 6, 1866. ] 



JOURNAIi OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



4S9 



through tlio hole ftt bottom. By this means tlio lower leaves 

 are kept Rreon anil the plants vigorous. 



On the '28th of .hino I pave tho plants their final stopping. 

 On tho first appearance of l>looni-lm(ls I j;ivo soot-water once 

 ft-weeli until tlio plants are in full hloom. 



From many years' oxpcricnco with soot I find it to bo a 

 cheap, safe, and effective stimulant ; almost any plant enjoys a 

 dose of it while in a growing state. My niodo of preparation 

 is to put about two bushels into a tub, till it witli rain water, 

 and tlimi woik the soot into tho water. It rciiuiros stirring 

 a little for three or four Jays, and then the surface to bo 

 skimmed in three or four days more, and you will have it as 

 high in colour and as clear as Burton ale. 



I have this day measured a few flowers of my Chrysanthe- 

 mums—Golden Queen of I'lngland is 5 inches in diameter. 

 White Queen of England -l}, and other sorts in proportion. I 

 should liko to know how these sizes will compare with those 

 grown by others. 



I take no buds off, there being large quantities of cut flowers 

 required for decorative purposes here, and also to have a good 

 show in tho conservatory. On tho 4th of November I cut the 

 first full-blown bloom, being three weeks earlier than last year. 

 — S. Baldwin, Lanca»hire, 



so well, and that is, use my pen. His articles have been throngh- 

 out thoroughly good and practical, well worthy thr> attention 

 of all Vine-gro'wors, and I am certain that if he will favour us 

 witli an article on pot Vine culture, I sliall, for one, hail it with 

 delight. I will go so far as to say, that if he will first enrich 

 your columns witli his system of propagation and cultivation, I 

 will then (probably mv system may vary a little) give a few 

 particulars of our management here. Ho has shown us that 

 his rafter system is good, and I have no doubt that his pot 

 culture will bo oquallv useful, therefore, wo cannot let him oft 

 without a good article. — A. AYhiitle, limh Hall, Jlatjleld, 

 Herts. 



THE CULTURE OF THE VINE. 

 Wk have had another valuable paper on the Vine from Mr. 

 Wills. Persons who have experience in the cultivation of that 

 valuable dessert fruit must endorse, or nearly so, every statement 

 that excellent article contains. .Nevertheless, there are two re- 

 marks to which I cannot agree ; one of them must be met solely 

 by myself, as to the other I think I need not be quite so selfish, 

 for I think one or two could be foimd to row in the same boat 

 with me. I am exceedingly pleased tp find that my invita- 

 tion has been accepted by Mr. Wills, and I candidly confess, 

 when I have the pleasure of seeing that gentleman here, I will 

 do all I can to convert him to the prolongation of the syringe 

 practice, and I have a strong impression that I have sonje 

 battering rams that have done good senrice in battle, yet if 

 stronger come into the field, why the weak must give way ; 

 yet the points must be watched. N^Tio can tell what a visit to 

 Bush Hall might do ? Of course, lliis old ulcerated wound is my 

 first exception, and it is also partly the ground of our argii- 

 ment ; but I fancy that I hoar Mr. Wills saying, "Well, I will 

 wait another year, at all events, before I pay friend Whittle a 

 visit. By that time he will have found out his mistake with 

 tho syringe." Well, be it so, if such should be the case I will 

 frankly own it in these columns. I will either convince him 

 that I am right, or I will myself side with the ministerial 

 benches. Now, seeing the distance that Mr. Wills is from here, 

 I can scarcely expect his fi-iendly visit this winter. Our last 

 house, however, has socie good bimches, and I think would 

 prove to Mr, Wills that the syringe has done no injury. 



I am endeavouring this year to lay on my employer's table 

 Grapes every month in the j"car, and to do so I have recourse 

 to pot culture, and all who have had experience of that 

 ■mode of culture ■will sgree with me, I think, that it is a most 

 excellent plan for early and late forcing. We have now ripe 

 ifi pets some Grapes kept back as long as the season would 

 allow — the usual number of bunches which ought to be allowed 

 on each cane, I beljeve to be from six to nine (we have bad, 

 however, as many f,s seventeen bunches on one cane — Foster's 

 ■White Seedling ; but that number is too many, and the berries 

 are naturally small) — these I hope we shall keep good until 

 Februari,'. AVo have in one house started pot Vines, which I 

 have BO doubt, if all go on well, T\ill be ripe by tie end of next 

 March, so that we shall be able to link the old to the new year. 



I said at tb.e OEtset, that Mr. W'iHs makes sonre very excellent 

 remarks, just ortc I will notice — namely, that on the use of 

 scissors in pruning ; that system ought to be, and I think nearly 

 ■is, discontinued by all experisEoeot pruners in *11 pruning, and 

 ■not in that of Vises alone. 



I now come to the second exception, and here I must draw 

 sword in self defence. Mr. WiHs says, " I think if my laemory 

 serve mo right, Mr. 'Whittle said he would give us a paper on 

 ■the cultivation ef the Vine rn pots, itc." No, Mr. Whittle did 

 ■not say so ; but Mr. Wills difi, and I replied in my foiTner 

 article that I wES sure that I should read it with •great interest. 

 Now, our friend shows us that he is an excellent knifeman, as 

 for the syringe iie will say oteffiing about it. probably I cms ase 

 fiat as well ae 3umself ; but ctre thing I aiE sure I oaiuiot do 



THITONIA AUKEA CULTUUE. 



In answer to "A Constant Ef;Ai)Er.," Crocosma, or Tritonia, 

 aurea is one of many bulbous plants which, though not hardy, 

 will survive our winters with a moderate amount of protection. 

 Planted 3 inches deep in moderately light rich soil, well drained, 

 and warmlv situated, a mulching of :^ inches of short dry 

 litter in autumn is sufficient to prevent the frost injuring the 

 bulbs. The first mulching may remain on, adding a little 

 fresh soil in spring to take away tho appearance of untidi- 

 ness. This will cause the bulbs to bo inches below the sur- 

 face, which is not too deep for them in order to be safe from 

 frost. During tho summer the plants will bo much benefited 

 by watering overhead on the evenings of hot days, and by 

 occasional waterings during diy weather. ^When the foliage 

 decays cut away the bloom-stems, and before frost cover with 

 a few inches of dry short litter, which is to be removed in 

 spring. The mulching should not be placed over the roots 

 imtil December, for the bulbs immediately throw up the suc- 

 ceeding year's gi'owth, and the shoots push through the soil, 

 showing themselves before severe weather sets in. Should 

 severe frost set in tho shoots will perish as far as the frost 

 penetrates into the ground, and if covered early the shoots 

 will push through the protecting material, and be exposed. 

 Early in December is a good time to cover the roots over for 

 the winter, as the shoots will not grow much after that time, and 

 the covering being removed in March the shoots will not have 

 become long and blanched. It is best, however, to put on the 

 protection before, and remove it after, frost at whatever season 

 it may be required or not required, as the case may be. Under 

 these circumstances this voi-y fine late summer-blooming plant 

 is hardy ; but treated as an ordinary border plant I have found 

 it hardy only in very warm dry situations, blooming later every 

 year, and growing less strongly until its growths were so late 

 as to be cut off by the autumn frosts, the flowers, foUage, and 

 bulbs perishing. The first plant I put out was turned out 

 of a pot in May ; it bloomed finely in August, and withstood 

 the severity of the succeeding winter unharmed, blooming well 

 the second year, but a month later, and though it lived t^wo 

 more seasons it became much less, and did not flower, and in 

 the fourth winter it perished. 



It is as a pot plant that the Tritonia is most desirable, at 

 least when so cultivated it is more certain of blooming finely. 

 The best time to pot it is when the bloom-stems turn yellow. 

 A compost of turfy loam, peat, and leaf mould in equal parts 

 suits it well, adding sand liberally. All the old soU is to be 

 removed so far as it comes away freely fi'om the roots, and the 

 pot being well drained, the bulbs are placed about 2 inches 

 from the siirface. After potting give a good watering, and 

 plunge the pot in coal ashes in a cold frame, where little water 

 will be needed, but the soil should not be allowed to become 

 dust dry. Indeed, I have had pots of these plants in ashes m 

 a cold pit with the soil moist enough up to March, and the 

 shoots just showing above the soil, without having to water at 

 all except at potting. Protection from frost should be afforded 

 by a covering of mats over tho glass. As the plants gro-w, 

 water should be liberally supplied, and an abundance of air 

 should be afforded, or they will grow up weak; give also a 

 sprinkling of water from the syringe every evening in bright 

 weather to keep down red spider, to which they are subject. 

 In June the pots may be placed outside in a situation sheltered 

 from wind, and being watered the plants will bloom finely, 

 and form a succession to those kei>t under glass. When the 

 flowering is past less water should be given, until the stalks 

 turn yellow, when they are to bo cut away, and the plant 

 potted. To prevent the'flower-stalks falling, neat stakes should 

 be provided, and the flower-stems neatly fastened to them. 

 During the winter the pots may be placed on the floor of a 

 cool house just free fi'om frost, care being taken not to aUow, 



