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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 14, 1966. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." Ey so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

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

 Street, London, E.G. 



Twelve Stove Ferns for Exhibition (A Constant Reader).— Gymno- 

 gramma Wetenhalliana. G. peruviana argyrophylla. Davallia aculeata, 

 Goniophlebium appendiculatum, Neottopteris australasica, Adiantum 

 macrophylluni, A.cuneatutn, Aspleniuuirachirhizon, Drynaria musmfolia, 

 Blechnurn corcovadense, Xothochhena trichomanoides, Loncbltis Ghies- 

 breghtii. 



Twelve Greenhouse Ferns for Exhibition (Idem). — Gleichenia 

 spelnncte, G. llabellata, Acrophorus hispidus, Leptopteris superba, Mohria 

 thunfroga, Cheilanthes lendigera or elcgans, Aspleniuin caudatum, 

 Balantium culcita, Didymochhena truncatula, Asplenium dimorphuni 

 (diversifolia), Pteris scaberula, and Nephrodiuni molle corymbiferum. 



Hardy Ferns for Exhibition (Idem).— Asplenium inarinum trapc- 

 ziforme, Blechnurn spicant ramosum, Athyriuni Filix-fceniina plumosuin, 

 A. Filix-fceniina depauperatum, Lastrea Filix-mas cristata, Osmunda 

 regahs cristata, Woodsia ilvensis, Polystichum angulare plumosum, 

 P. angulare proliferum Wollastoni, Scolopendrium vulgare ramosum 

 majus, S. vulgare supra-liiieatum, and Asplenium refractum. 



Tree Ferns for Exhibition [Idem). — Cyathea dealbata, Dicksonia 

 antarctica, Cyathea Smitbii, Dicksonia squarrosa, AlBopbila excelsa, and 

 Cibotium priuceps, which last is the only one requiring a stove tem- 

 perature. 



Vines Mildewed (F. B. ami R. ir.).— The leaf sent was attacked with 

 Oidium or Vine mildew. The leaves and stems should be dusted with 

 flowers of sulphur, admitting air plentifully. 



Sowing Drumhead Cabbage (Idem).— To come in next July the seed 

 should be sown in the second week in August. 



Fuchsia Blooms Dropping (Homo).— We suspect you give too much 

 water and too little air. 



Double Cineraria (P.J. Turlon).— Tour Cineraria is only semidouble. 

 Save the seed and sow it, and you may raise one that is perfectly double 

 The hardy Ferns that will suit you are Diplasium thelypteroides, Lastrea 

 cristata, Lastrea marginalis, Osmunda regalis, Onoclea sensibilis, Stru- 

 thiopteris germanica. 



Fuchsia corymbiflora and fulgens Culture [C. H. D.).— Both re- 

 quire the same description of soil— viz., two-thirds turfy loam and one- 

 third leaf mould, with a free admixture of sand. Do not overpot, and 

 avoid cutting in hard, as that and too much pot room only tend to 

 produce foliage. The leaves and flowers drop from an insufficient 

 supply of water and air. Whilst growing the plants should have plenty of 

 water, air, and light, and then they flower as freelv as other Fuchs'ias. 

 Generally their culture is not different from that' of ordinary plants. 

 Alter flowering, well ripen off. 



Plants for a London House-top Greenhouse ( ).— We fear 



that the atmosphere will be too dry for Ferns, but some of the commoner 

 ones might be tried, and such plants as Fuchsias, Myrtles, and Balsams in 

 summer, and Chrysanthemums in autumn. Some of the bedding Pelar- 

 goniums would also do, but we would not recommend the greenhouse kinds. 

 In winter and spring bulbs of all sorts might be had, with Cinerarias if 

 you have the menus of heating, or rather of keeping out frost, but we would 

 not advise Camellias or Azaleas. Salvias, however, would do. Few Ferns 

 succeed well in sitting-rooms till the summer be well advanced, when, 

 their foliage being hardened, they suffer less from the dry atmosphere. 

 Common Adiantums, Athyriums, andPolypodiums, look as well as any, so 

 will Scolopendriums, and there being several varieties of the last possess- 

 ing much beauty they may with advantage bo tried. 



Scorching of Fruit-tree Leaves.—" W. W.," Mount House, Boston 

 Spa, Yorkshire, would like to correspond with " Inquirer" who wants to 

 learn the cause of his fruit-tree leaves being scorched in his greenhouse, 

 and the means of preventing the evil. 



Grafting Roses. — WiU "Loch Ness" kindly explain whether he 

 grafted the Manetti stocks and immediately took them up from the open 

 ground, and then potted them V Will he also state where the indian- 

 rubber bands are to be procured, their width and length, and how they 

 are fastened at the end with a bit of thread ? " Loch Ness " also alludes 

 to another kind of stock than the Manetti, mentioned by him two orthree 

 years since.— M. D. 



Viola cornuta (IT. M. IT.).— There are three varieties of Viola cornuta. 

 Apply to the Messrs. E. G. Henderson, of St. John's Wood, London, for 

 W ills s variety. Six plants will be enough to enable yon to propagate a 

 stock lor next spring. As soon as the plants arrive, divide and plant 

 them out in some rich soil. Any time in October take up a few of the 

 strongest plnnts, pot them in 48-sized pots, place them in a cold frame, 

 and, as they grow, pinch out the tops of the shoots. Instead of throw- 

 ing these away, if they are an inch or so long, and you have a small 

 Cucumber-frame at liberty, prick them out in it, and they will strike 

 sometime during the winter, but if you make use of the tops in this way 

 cut them out with a sharp knife instead of pinching them out. Any time 

 m March place the plants you have potted in a gentle hotbed or in any 

 structure where there is a genial atmosphere. Tho plants will grow very 

 freely, and may be propagated with care from the young free-growing 

 shoots. By managing Violacornuta as recommended above, you will have 

 three chances of raising a stock. If you fail with vour plants in heat, 

 those left in the open ground will be safe. If you be successful in all 

 three instances (and there is no reason why you should not), you may 

 by next May multiply your six plants by hundreds. 



Strawberry Runners (E. AT.).— The rnnners which you have layered 

 in pots should be detached from the parent as soon as the roots show 

 themselves at the bottom of the pots. Plant at once in the bed prepared 

 for them. Strawberries require a rich and deeply stirred soil, and prefer 

 one that is strong. They do fairly but not so well on sandy as clayey 



Destroying Brown Scale (Preetonian).— The insect on tho Deutzia 

 sent is brown scale. Immerse the plants for a minute in a tub containing 

 a solution of soft soap at the rate of 4 ozs. to the gallon of water heated 

 to 120% let them stand until dry, and then syringe with water at a tempe- 

 rature of 140°. Lay the pots on their sides, and turn them so as to tho- 

 roughly wet every part. Repeat the operation at intervals of three weeks 

 until the plants are clear. 



Grapes not Colouring (Idem). — We fear you have too heavy a crop, 

 and do not give air enough. If the temperature you name is that of tho 

 night it is too high by 5 ; and tho syringing of the walls, floors, fib., in 

 tho afternoons should now be discontinued. Leave a little air on at 

 night. (CliftonientU). — We have little doubt that tho Vines have been 

 allowed to bear too heavy a crop, and that too much liquid manure has 

 been given. 



Rhodanthe, &c. (William Hay).— \t you show the flowers in tho day 

 you will show them open, but if in the night you must show them closed. 



Standard Roses with Large Heads (Aones). — The size of the heads is 

 an advantage ; and we do not know what you can do to them beyond 

 cutting back the long straggling shoots to six leaves now ; and at the end 

 of March or beginniug of April the very weak and dead shoots may be 

 removed, thinning the others if too numerous and cloBe together, and 

 shortening tho long shoots to four or five buds. 



Propagating Variegated Pelargoniums i Idem). — It is much better 

 to take cuttings of the gold and silver-leaved kinds now than to wait till 

 later in the season. We prefer taking up old plants and striking cuttings 

 from them in a gentle heat in spring. Cuttings of the scarlets may be 

 taken from this time to the middle of September, the earlier tho better. 



Club (T. D.). — We would recommend a dressing of gas lime at the rate 

 of twelve bushels an acre as the most likely remedy for this disease, 

 which, as you are doubtless aware, is of frequent occurrence in all old 

 garden ground. 



Clematis Jackmanni (Hortewh). — This will grow in any good garden 

 soil, and any situation. It is readily propagated by cuttings in a cool 

 frame. 



Propagating Centaurea ragusina (Idem). — If plants are taken up, 

 and divided in July or August, or even cuttings are taken off at that time, 

 every bit will strike, if ordinary care be taken to prevent damping; and 

 one of these little bits struck will have a better chance to pass through 

 the winter than old plants taken out of the ground, however carefully 

 managed. Small bits will also strike freely in 6pring in a little dryish 

 heat. It is a good plan where there are 6ome old plants to top them in 

 February, and then in March they will throw out a lot of shoots 2 or 

 3 inches long, which strike freely round the sides of a pot. Tho great 

 secret of success is to divide or strike early, so as to have the plants well 

 rooted and established before winter. Young plants do best for edgings. 

 If kept dryish they will stand plenty of air and cold in winter, if frost be 

 excluded. 



Strawberry Dr. Hogg (J. T. S.).— This will prove one of the most 

 valuable Strawberries iu cultivation. It is a British Queen as late as the 

 Elton and Frogmore Late Pine, but it is a far more robust grower than 

 the British Queen, and the fruit colours perfectly, while it possesses the 

 true Queen flavour. This variety, therefore, prolongs the Queen race to 

 the latest period of the season. 



Climbers for a Conservatory (G. H. C). — W T o would do as you pro- 

 pose. For climbers in front, and to go up the roof, we would have Man- 

 devilla suaveolens, Bignonia chirere, Passiflora crcrulea, and Habrotham- 

 nus elegans, and these we would plant in elegant boxes some 18 inches 

 square. On the floor we would have from three to five largish vases, with 

 their pediment resting ou a wooden one, painted and sanded to resemble 

 stone, with an opening on one side from which to remove a tin vessel 

 that would catch all the water from waterings. Such vases filled with 

 flowers, and with little creepers hanging over the sides, would look very 

 nice, and if there were more room smaller vases or tazzas might bo used. 

 In such a drawing-room conservatory wc would not have a single red 

 clay pot. 



Making Mushroom Spawn (Amateur).— If you have had a small gather- 

 ing in seven weeks that by no means shows that the spawn has been bad. 

 There may yet be plentiful gatherings ; but it is just possible there may 

 not, even though your beds have been well managed. You will find 

 minute directions for making Mushroom spawn at page 209, Vol. IX., 

 New Series, or No. 233, September 12, 1865, which may be thus sum- 

 marised in answer to your queries. No better time for making the 

 spawn can be fixed on than the end of August and the month of Septem- 

 ber. Take, as materials, a barrow load of cowdung, rather stiff, and two 

 barrow-loads of horse-droppings, with a little short straw with them, and 

 half a barrow-load of fibry loam. Mix these up into a stiff mortar-like 

 substance until it is pretty well incorporated and looks like grafting-clay. 

 Then make a frame either of iron or wood, say half-inch boards if the 

 latter, and in four pieces— that is, two sides and two ends, enclosing a 

 space of 9 inches loug, 4£ inches wide, and 1J inch deep. Then obtain 

 aflat clean board, and a" bucket of water, dip the frame in the water, 

 place it on your board, fill it with the prepared dung, strike level with 

 a spade or trowel, and turn out the brick on boards, to dry on its flat 

 side. In a couple of days make two holes in the brick, but not going 

 through it— say three-quarters of an inch in diameter, turn the bricks 

 until they are tolerably dry, then into each hole push a piece of 

 good spawn, and draw a little cowdung or clay over it to prevent its fall- 

 ing out. Next make up a slight hotbed of litter, on which build these 

 bricks in open honeycomb or pigeon-hole fashion, and cover over with 

 litter, so that these spawned bricks shall have a temperature of from 80° 

 to 85\ and not more. As the spawn runs, the bricks must be examined, 

 and, as soon as thev are filled with the gossamer-like white spawn threads, 

 removed, and kept "in a dry place until wanted for use. Some bricks or 

 pieces will be ready to remove before others. 



Heating a Vinery (J. H. Bilston).— Your arrangements will keep you 

 safe, but you will not be able to keep up a high temperature in very cold 

 weather. In your forcing part adding another flow pipe would be economy 

 in the end, and we would be inclined to say the same of tho cooler house. 

 A flow and return would prevent the neoessity of having the pipes too 

 hot, and you will save fuel by having more piping. Some £3 or so saved 

 now will insure a future loss. The saddle boiler we would recommend 



would be 24 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 16 or 17 inches in height. 



