138 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 21, 18 



working on so that the highest temperature may be attained 

 hy one or two o'clock in the afternoon. On the tempera- 

 tures above named allow a rise of 5° on dull days, of 10° on 

 those which are cloudy with clear intervals, and of 15' on 

 sunny days. The art of forcing Roses is to afford them abun- 

 dance of air and plenty of heat by day, and a comparatively 

 low night temperature, shutting up in good time after admit- 

 ting air early, so as to let in, catch, and retain as much sun heat 

 and fresh air as possible. By day the temperature from fare 

 heat shoidd not exceed 70°. The sprinkling overhead may 

 take place from '.) to 10 a.m., and again at the time of shutting 

 up the house ; but in dull, foggy weather only the morning 

 syringing will he necessary. 



Keep the plants as far from the heating apparatus as possible, 

 and above all avoid cold currents of air. Let the waterings be 

 copious after growth has become active ; but, on the one hand, 

 do not over-water, and on the other afford a supply as soon as 

 the state of the soil shows that water is necessary ; at the 

 .same time the soil should never be allowed to become so dry 

 as to affect the foliage. When the buds are formed the pots 

 should be gradually withdrawn from the hotbed, partly to pre- 

 vent the roots striking into the fermenting materials, and 

 partly to avoid a check when the bloom is nearer expansion. 

 They may after this be set on a hard bottom, as flags, boards, 

 or slates, and have liquid manure once or twice a-week ; but 

 not strong. It may consist of 1 lb. of guano dissolved in 

 twenty gallons of soft water. 



"When the blooms are about half expanded, or hardly so 

 much, the plants should be removed to a cooler house, from 

 15 to 50 by night. I have never observed any check result 

 from doing this, and the colour of the flowers is rendered deeper 

 and brighter, and their perfume more powerful, whilst the 

 blooming period is likewise prolonged. When the buds are 

 far advanced towards expansion syringing should be discon- 

 tinued, and the paths sprinkled instead; also afford the plants 

 ample room, abundance of air when the weather permits, and 

 all the light possible. After blooming they should be gradually 

 hardened off, and m it placed out of doors until danger from frost 

 is past. 



To keep up a succession of bloom a number of plants should 

 be pruned a month later than the first lot, say the first in the 

 first week in October, the second in November, and the third in 

 1 ember, introducing them into the forcing-house in Novem- 

 ber, December, and January respectively, and onwards up to 

 March; but of these successions I shall say more hereafter, 

 as I propose to treat of them as not established a year in pots, 

 though they are as well if not better in that way, cither for 

 eaily or later-forced bloom. 



The most suitable classes for early forcing are the Provence, 

 which I value most of all, probably from having commenced 

 forcing Roses with it, '.he Hybrid Perpetuals, and the Teas. — 

 O. Abbey. 



E i be continued. 



LAXTON S EARLY PROLIFIC PEA. 

 [ pebi eite in your Journal for August 14th, page lit), that I 

 am not the only one who is disappointed in this Pea. Some 

 time before ordering my seeds I received a veiy flattering 

 account of it, so much so, that I determined to try a quart, 

 notwithstanding the high price at which it was sold ; and I ob- 

 tained it, with other soits named below, from Messrs. Veitch, 

 of Chelsea. There can be no mistake about its being the right 

 sort, as it was under Messrs. Carter's seal. I was very much 

 disappointed with it, for my other sorts have been extra good. 

 These were Sutton's Ringleader, first crop June 1st ; second 

 nop, Eley's Essex Rival, a very fine Pea ; third, Dickson's 

 Favourite, an enormous cropper, many of the pods having 

 eleven aud twelve tine peas in the pod ; fourth, Veitch's 

 Perfection, which was perfection indeed both in crop and 

 flavour ; in fact, all points considered, it was the best Pea 

 grown here this season, which is saying much, as I have tried 

 about fifteen sorts this year. Laxton's Early was sown to come 

 in after Dickson's Favourite — namely, in the last week in June, 

 and the first in July, a season at which I think all sorts of 

 Peas ought to do well, having the month of May to grow in, 

 and June to bloom and fill out their pods. When fit to gather 

 it was not equal to Princess Royal growing by its side, and one 

 or two others which came in soon afterwards, so that I think it 

 better to leave these high-priced articles alone, and keep to 

 others which are cheaper, and equally good. The soil here is a 



clay loam resting on brick clay ; in lighter soils the result 

 might be very different, as I have found many varieties which 

 succeed well in one kind of soil do very badly in another. The 

 late Peas here this season are very inferior, on account of dry 

 weather, and the very rough winds which we have had, along 

 with great changes in the temperature. — J. May. 



IVY. 



Ivr is a truly British plant, and seems interwoven with our 

 history from its earliest periods. Less honoured than the 

 Oak, and less gloomy in its associations than the Yew, it is 

 more immediately connected with our homes than either of 

 these. Its adaptability to all situations and to the climate of 

 all parts of the country is likewise a great recommendation to 

 favour. In one place we see it covering the ground with a 

 dense carpet, in another ascending the loftiest tree, and in 

 both maintaining itself against all intruders ; it frequently 

 mantles our dwellings, and, by the natural armour which it 

 affords, those no longer tenanted are to a great extent preserved 

 from the attacks of time. To it the venerable appearance of 

 many a ruin is as much due as to the masonry ; to it many 

 a rocky eminence owes much of its beauty ; and an old tree 

 acquires a new interest when its trunk and limbs become 

 clothed in the evergreen drapery of the ivy. I must now pro- 

 ceed to the details of its culture and uses, and endeavour to 

 name a few of the many purposes for which it may be em- 

 ployed. 



As regards culture, the Ivy is by no means particular, for it 

 will live — nay, thrive, in situations unfavourable to most plants, 

 and differing widely from each other ; but in general it suc- 

 ceeds best in a dry soil containing plenty of stones. I may 

 here observe, by way of parenthesis, that the utility of stones in 

 land is not sufficiently recognised. Ivy thrives amongst such 

 materials, but it is often enough found growing freely on clayey 

 soils ; and, in fact, it is common to plant it in any situation 

 where it is wanted without any preparation whatever. Shade, 

 however, seems to encourage its growth, and it will usually do 

 better against the north than the south side of a house. Moist 

 shady woods also not unfrequently abound in Ivy. I believe 

 that it is likewise plentiful in soils containing a good propor- 

 tion of calcareous matter. It will, however, do well in some 

 soils of an opposite nature ; and, indeed, it is so obedient to 

 the requirements of the cultivator that it may be made to suc- 

 ceed almost anywhere, and that with a very small space for its 

 roots to run in. It will, in fact, struggle for a living in ground 

 closely matted with the roots of plants. 



The propagation of the Ivy is exceedingly easy and rapid. 

 Seed is abundantly produced, and it germinates freely enough 

 — too much so in some cases. Plants may also be raised in 

 abundance from cuttings, or rather slips, put into the ground 

 almost at any time, but certainly the autumn is the best period 

 for doing so ; while if valuable kind; be trained over the ground 

 and pegged down, roots will be emitted at each joint. In this 

 ca=e. if the shoots be cut through some time before the plants 

 are removed, the latter will be much improved in strength. 

 These modes will generally be sufficient to increase this plant 

 to any reasonable extent. Autumn I believe to be the best 

 time to plant Ivy. but I have met with good success by plant- 

 ing in May, while March is perhaps the worst period ; but 

 plants in pots may be turned out at any time, and where only 

 a few are to be planted it is best to obtain such, as they become 

 more speedily established, and commence growing sooner. 



The variegated Ivies would be the better of fresh accessions, 

 for those which we now have certainly fall short of what I ex- 

 pect we shall hereafter possess. The best gold, silver-edged, 

 or blotched Ivy, does not come up to varieties of the Holly 

 similarly variegated, there being a want of clearness in the 

 colouring of all that I have seen yet, which places them much 

 below the standard, or what ought to be the standard. I hope 

 that when we shall have Ivies as good in colour as the Hollies 

 referred to, our Golden and Silver Chain Geraniums will be 

 less wanted in the parterre. There are, besides, other forms of 

 Ivy, differing considerably from the common or wild variety ; 

 one with heart-shaped leaves is much admired, though not 

 moro so than that called Hedera helix maculata. There are 

 many other varieties, some having almost a Willow leaf, while 

 others with palmate foliage vary much in the obtuseness 

 or acuteness of the leaf. Stnrdiness of growth is another 

 feature not common in every variety, and some kinds seem 

 to lose the creeping character entirely, and form evergreen 



