ii08 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICCLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 11, 1366, 



Thompson's Gakdj:nkr"s Assistant (Elliott).— We are Informed that 

 the plates are nil hand-coloured. 



House for Late Vines, Fruit Trees, and Bedding Plants, and 

 Early Vinery iA Subscriber)*— In such a low house for general purposes, 

 with a hipped rouf, and u forcing-pit abutting on the front wall, we would 

 have a pathway down the middle, make a border inside all the width of 

 the house, and raised against the nark wall a little, and there we would 

 plant the Vines, and train them down the hip and front roof, A latticed 

 path of wood would be best during summer. Fruiting plants as Peaches, 

 Figs, ic, might be set on pans and partly plunged in the floor on both 

 sides, and in winter moveable stages cuuld be let in against the back 

 wall, and a flat one in front of both for bedding plants, which would be 

 better than setting them on the flo< r. In the smaller or shorter house 

 where you want early Grapes, we would adopt much the same system, 

 only if we did not have pipes underneath the border, we would have 

 an open rubble bottom below it, and upright pipes at back and front 

 communicating with the rough open chamber, which would thus tell 

 on the temperature of the border. To do this more easily you might 

 raise the border at back and front 2 1 , feet above the ground level, and 

 plant both at back and front ; and with a flat-sparred table above each of 

 these borders you could grow Kidney Beans, Strawberries in early spring, 

 dwarf Fig trees, and bring forward lots of cuttings. Gloxinias, Gesneras, 

 Ac; then when the Grapes were gathered you could have any plants 

 iu it that needed glass protection. By this means you would have no 

 outside borders, and a pit in front would be very useful. 



Spergula pilifera for a Our. hvard {A. B. C). — The Spergula may 

 be sown now under protection in a cool place, or in the spring, using 

 sandy soil, and covering the seed slightly. We are doubtful of Spergula 

 pilifera doing for a permanence, and would use it only in the narrowest 

 parts. We would have more faith as to these narrow parts in Saxifraga 

 hypnoides, the smallest bits planted about (> inches apart would soon 

 make a carpet, but we question if aeed could be obtained on a large scale. 

 Will some correspondent oblige " A. B. C." with their experience of 

 Spergula for such a purpose ? 



Duties of a Foreman (A Gn''nhr>rn).~A. foreman is the first or chief 

 workman amongst a number or company of other workmen. His '* place " 

 U just the position assigned to him by his master, and which he en- 

 gages to fill. The duties, responsibilities, and privileges, are just as 

 varied as the circumstances of the connection. 



Sheltering a House from the North (T. P.). — The Spruce planted 

 5 feet apart, and well kept, would answer your purpose, but not nearly 

 so well as Yew at 4 feet apart. Strong plants of the evergreen Privet 

 would soon make a capital protective fence, and be more easily kept to 

 the required height of 12 feet. 



Pear Trees (P. R. TA.—H you consider the interest of the tree, you 

 will cut the shoots back, redm-ing them one-third of their length. Next 

 year you will rind the latent buds, of which you now complain, developed, 

 and as these produce shoots you must pim-li them back, and induce them 

 to produce fruiting spurs. 



Cocoa-nut Fibre Refuse (W* B.), — You can obtain this for gardening 

 purposes from Messrs. Barsham & Co., Kingston-on-Thame6. 



Fruit Trees and Fruits (E. Parntll). — Fruits vary in -juality in dif- 

 ferent situations and seasons. Dr. Hogg and Mr. Rivers are, no doubt, 

 both right, but you may consider Alexandre Lambre an inferior Pear for 

 this climate, for once it is good it is ten times bad. Kirke's Plum is an 

 excellent bearer, and you may grow it either as a bush or a pyramid. 

 Look to the roots, and see that they have not penetrated into the subsoil. 

 Purple Gage is oue of the finest Plums iu cultivation. Try watering the 

 trees when the fruit is swelling, and see what effect that will have. 



Concrete for a Vine Border (J. H. JT.).— The surface of your border 

 should be made to slope eveuly from the front lights to the front of the 

 border, sufficiently to allow of the water running off. On it place 3 inches 

 of stones broken small, ramming them well down, then run the depth of 

 an inch above the stones with one part of Portland cement, and two parts 

 coarse sand and fine gravel, mixed to a thin gauge with water. Before 

 this coating has become thoroughly set, lay upon it a coat of Portland 

 cement, mixed with an equal quantity of sand, and made to the consistency 

 of thin mortar, evenly to the thickness of an inch. This will set very firmly, 

 but it is not a cheap concrete, though the only one we know calculated to 

 throw water off. The surface of the border, however, is not the place for 

 the concrete, it should be at the bottom, immediately under the drainage, 

 to prevent the roots penetrating into bad wet soil, and for this purpose 

 we do not recommend the above concrete, as it is tor> costly. Concrete 

 on the surface of the border would prevent water and air entering ; it 

 would do no great harm to the roots for a time, but ultimately prove 

 their destruction. Your best plan of rendering the border dry would be 

 to adopt a covering of boards, as described at page 189 of the present 

 volume. 



Late Strawberries (Idem). — Elton, Filbert Pine, Frogmore Late Pine, 

 Admiral Duudas, Orange Chili (very late), and Bicton Pine, a good old 

 white, and rather late variety. 



Destroying Ants (A Yauny Gardencr).—'W& can only repeat what we 

 have frequently stated before, that arsenic and honey in equal parts, 

 mixed together, and placed in saucers near their haunts, will poison them. 

 Sprinkling guano water over their nests will drive them away, and so will 

 ammoniacal liquor. The flies and wasps may be taken in soda-water 

 bottles half tilled- with sweetened beer, and suspended by the neck 

 amongst the branches. 



Making a Vine Border (Mfm).-We would advise keeping the border 

 as much above the level of the surrounding ground as you can. taking 

 out the soil no deeper than 24 feet. The bottom of the border should be 

 made to slope towards the front, where there should be a drain with 

 sufficient fall and outlet. On the bottom of the border place 9 inches of 

 brickbats or stones for drainage, and on this a layer of turves grass side 

 downwards. For soil use the top spit of a pasture, or take off the sods to 

 a depth of 4 or 6 inches, selecting a yellow lightish loam, and if it have a 

 gravelly soil all the better. Form the border of this, chopped a little 

 so as not to be too open, and mixed with one-sixth its bulk of boiled half- 

 inch bones. Make the border 2 feet deep above the drainage, and in a 

 dry period. Not knowing what kind of soil yours is, we are not able to 

 say whether it would be suitable or not. 



Mushroom-beds ( C. P.).— See "-Doings of the Last Week" for the last 

 fortnight. You will see that you may make the bottom of your Mush- 

 room-bed of any rather dry litter, and put the droppings on the top. 

 We have had good beds with from 2 to 3 inches of short dung and drop- 

 pings. More, mind, if you can obtain them. 



Names of Fruit [Chivasand Wearer).— Your Apple is Winter Greening. 

 (J. P. S.).-~ Revelston Pippin. (E. H.).—l, Cellini ; 2, Ashmead's Kernel ; 



3, Braddick's Nonpareil; 4, Kerry Pippin. 



Names of Plants {H. W. E.).—\, Polystichum aeuleatum ; 2, Lastrea 

 nliginosa; 8, Polystichum angulare, var. ; 4, P. aeuleatum, var.; 5, P. an- 

 gulare, var. The Aoeiia is quite hardy. (IT'. B. B.).— We are unable to 

 determine from the fragment sent whether your Pinus is P. insignis. 

 P. insignis has usually three leaves in each fascicle, but yours has only 

 two. (C. F, 0.). — Specimens too fragmentary. 1 and 5, Cheilanthes 

 farinosa ; 2, Gyninogr annua, species uncertain; 8, G. calomelanos (?). 

 [B. (i.).— 1, Pteris scaberula ; 2, Adiantum pedatum; 3, A. setulosum ; 



4, Pteris longifolia, var. serrulata ; 5, Pteris eretica, var. albo-lineata ; 

 C, Pteris eretica; 7, Isolcpis gracilis : 8, Pilea serpyllilotia. 



METEOROLOGICAL • OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending September 8th. 



