September 18, 1666. J JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE (SAHDBNER. 



227 



CYPERVS ALTERNIFOL1US VAUIEGATUS LOSING ITS VARIEGATION (Dull 



Fellow), -This is to be accounted tor by your having riven the plant too 

 rich soil and placed it in a Cucumber-frame, where U would grow rank. 

 To make It retain the variegation it needs very poor soil, the greater por- 

 tion ol which should be Mind. This, and the boat of a warm greenhouse 

 or cool stove, are all tbitt it requires in order to regain its variegation. 



PROPAGATING Cacti {Jssswj). These are readily Increased by cuttings, 

 the shoots !»• in " ou1 below ti joint or eye, and from 1 to 6 inches of the 

 points taken off, These, Laid on a shelf for a few days until the oul U 

 dried or bi aled, maj be inserted to one-third their depth In sharp Mind, 

 the base ol the cutting resting on the sand, the pot, which should be 

 well drained, being filled to within 2 inches of the rim with equal parts 

 ol turfy loom and pieces of brick, or crocks broken small. With the soil 

 d > more than Just moist they Btrike runt well on the shelf ol a green- 

 bouse in the full sun. When the growth has attained its full size and 

 b< come plump, water should be gradually withheld and tin- plants put to 

 ;i.-viT allowing the soil to become su dry as to cause the shoots to 

 shrivel. 



Wintering Geraniums in a Cellar (Idem).— You may take up the 

 large plants in their pots when danger from frost is apprehended, and 

 after depriving them of all their loaves place them iu the dry cellar, where 

 they may remain throughout the winter without any attention beyond 

 the removal of decaying or mouldy stems or shoots, which should be. cut 

 off with a sharp knife. They should not under any circumstances be 

 watered. Fuchsias may be kept in the same manner and place. 



Wintering Geranium Cuttings (A Subucriberh^H you hank up with 

 leaves the sides of the frame in which the buttings have been struck on a 



pent botbed, quite up to a level with tho Lights, and protect the latter 

 with mats and dry litter during frosty weather so as to keep out frost, tho 

 cuttings will winter safely, the only danger you will have to fear is 

 damping, and that may be in a great measure guarded against by keeping 

 them dry, and giving air freely on all favourable occasions. 



Exposing Vines in Winter (An Amateur). —The Vines would he the 

 better ol not being turned out of doors. Your giving abundance of air 

 and a little fire beat will contribute more towards ripening the wood than 

 turning them out. It is a very old practice to turn out Vines in winter, 

 but it does more harm than good. Keep them itt-doors, and they will 

 sustain uo injury, it the temperature from fixe heat do not exceed 40 . 

 Tho dressing of cowdung will do the border no harm, as the presence of 

 the white roots indicates, but we would not repeat it this year, but give a 

 dressing of bone dust in spring. 



Vine Cuttings Struck last March (Idem).— These, if they are, as you 

 say, only 8 feet iu leugth of cane, and iu 32-sized pots, will not fruit 

 next year unless thej are much stronger than we usually see them in 

 that size of pot. They should not be potted uutil February or March, 

 when they should have nine-inch pots, and in June give them their 

 final shift into 18 or 15-inch pots. Tney should be wintered in a cool dry 

 place, and the roots protected from frost. With respect to the other 

 Vine which you have in a 12-inch pot, you will do well to examine the 

 drainage, and give a top-dressing of rich compost, removing as much of 

 the old as possible without going so deep as to injure the roots. This 

 should'be done when the leaves turn yellow, aud the Vine should he 

 pruned when they full. It should fruit next season. 



Greenhouse Plants Drawing Up (A Young Gard&mr). — Your plants 

 are not stocky in consequence of having been kept at too great a dis- 

 tance from tho glass, and the atmosphere being too close and warm from 

 defective ventilation. The shade afforded by the Vine will also tend to 

 prevent the plants becoming stiff and compact. Your only remedy is to 

 place them nearer the glass, to give more ventilation, and remove the 

 shade, which is only wanted for Geraniums when they are in bloom. It 

 is very desirable that the top lights of the roof should open, and if they 

 were to do so we think you might grow Geraniums in your house with 

 fair but. 



Black Currants Unfruitful (.V. V. Z.).— You will not do the trees 

 any good by taking them up aud pruning the roots. Their unfruitfulness 

 is more due to the aspect (a north wallj than anything else. If you train 

 the shoots !t inches apart, and do not stop the leaders, but stop the side 

 shoots closely to three joints, we think they will bear, and especially the 

 Red and White. All, however, grow vigorously against a north wall, or on 

 a north aspect, for some years after planting. 



Potting Roses (Idem).— You may take up the half-standard Roses and 

 pot them when the lower leaves turn yellow and begin to lall, or in mild 

 weather from the middle of October to the middle of March; but it is 

 best done from the beginning of November to the middle of December. 



Cestrum aurantiacum not Flowering (T. C.).— This plant will flower 

 most freely if it be planted in a compost of turfy loam two-thirds, leaf 

 mould one-third, and sharp sand one-sixth, either in a greenhouse border 

 or in a pot. It may he trained to a pillar, roof, or wall, its shoots being 

 thinned so as to have plenty of air and light, aud no creepers or other 

 plants should suade it. If thus treated it will flower freely in autumn 

 and winter. It is one of the sweetest and handsomest plants for the 

 pillars of greenhouses or conservatories; but it will not flower without 

 plenty of air and light, and its roots being rather cramped or confined. 

 Do not stop the shoots, for it blooms from their points ; keep it well sup- 

 plied with water, and afford occasional applications of manure water at 

 intervals, especially if the root room he small, not only when it is grow- 

 ing but flowering. After blooming keep the plunt dry tor a mouth or six 

 weeks, then prune it rather closely, and when the new shoots appear thin 

 out tho weakest, top-dressing with rich soil if in a border, or repotting if 

 it is in a pot. Afterwards keep rather close and moist, also shaded for a 

 few days until the roots are working in the fresh soil. Keep it well sup- 

 plied with water, and encourage growth by frequent syringing, then 

 lessen the supply of water, but not so as to cause the leaves to turn 

 yellow and fall; expose fully to air and light, and you will lind the shoots 

 thicken at their points. When the shoots commence to show bloom 

 water freely, and afford a supply of liquid manure once a-wcek. 



T.u'.scma Yan-Yolxemi Culture (Idem).— You may grow this plant 

 Successfully in a pot, training it over an ordinary balloon frame. Keep it 

 as near the glass as possible, and not shaded in any way by other plants. 

 It would, however, succeed better if planted out and trained to the roof 

 about a foot from the glass, 



Erratum.— Page 195, 2nd column, 2Stb line from top, i'ur " ieor» " read 

 " coarse" 



Vine Leaves Diseased (.7. W.). The appearance of the Leaves leads us 

 to conclude that the atmosphere bi not been kept sufficiently moist 



when tbey were forming. That ami currents Of Cold air tire the usual 



ran-..'-, of the blistered appearand . Thor< are also traces ol mildew, hut 

 it is very flight, aud will readily yield to sulphur dusted over the 



foliage. 



Vines Inarched I /.'. rftomos). — Your Muscat Hamburgh Vino inarched 



on the Black Hamburgh BhOUld I" planted nut la the border early in 



March. We would not advise the grafting or inarching ol the \m. :. 

 Frontignan on the Royal Muscadine, hut would take up the latter and 

 planl the inarched Muscat Hamburgh in its place, and the White Fron- 

 tignan we would tnarcb next spring on the Black Champion, or now if 



the leaves ol BtOCll .niil scion are botl) fa -h. '1 he DucheSS --t BuCCleUOfl 



is a flue-flavoured Grape, as good a bearer as the Ohaaselas Muoqu.-, and 

 not so liable to crack. 



Dahlia Cahacta< i [Old Soldier).— -We have seen it fine. As your 

 plant was a cutting, the smallness of the bloom this year was can ed 

 probably by the plant being weak, if so, the blooms will be improved 

 next year. 



Vine Cuttings for the Cape •' Good Hopj (E. £.)•— As soon as the 

 cuttmgs are ren.iv iii the autumn, cut, and pack them in damp sand in a 

 strong box. They will arrive in gOod Condition, lor the voyage is only of 

 si\ or seven weeks' duration, and even less by steamer. 



Covent Garden Market Prices (Bolton).— The prices we publish are 

 the retail prices. What proportion of them the producer ou^ht to receiv. 

 is quite impossible for us to state. Quality, condition, demand, have all 

 to be considered. The retailer mus( have a very wide margin between 

 the buying aud selling prices t<, compensate him for decay and want ol 

 purchasers. 



Trees for Walls i'T. IV'.).— Your arrangement of Pear trees on the 

 west aspect, Plums on the east and west. Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, 

 and Vines on the south aspect is good. We recommend <.rn.se Mignonne 

 Peach, Violettc H.itive Nectarine, Moorpark Apricot; and of the two 

 Vines named we would give the preference to the Espenone. Though your 

 selection of Pears is good, we would recommend for four, instead of 

 Easter Beurre, Ne Plus Meuris. Minvehal Niel Rose will do admirably, 

 but we should prefer it on a stock— the Briar if the soil he strong; if 

 light it will do on its own roots. Oloire tie Dijon is certainly not easily 

 rivalled ; but what do you think of the climbing DevonieuM. for a wall ? 

 Clematises Standishii and l-'ortuni are hardyagaiust a wall, hut require a 

 south-west aspect to do well ; at leasl we have not tried them on u west 

 wall. Wistaria would do, also Noisette Kose Lamarque. 



Ferns (P. J. Newton).— Do any of our readers know whether Pteris 

 cretica albo-lineata has been successfully used as a plant for a ribbon 

 border? You can have "British Ferns" free by post from our office if 

 you enclose 3s. lOd. in postage stamps, the "The Fern Manual" ior &s.4d. 

 in stamps. They contain the information you need. 



Soil for Melons— Cockscomb (T. Cork-hill).— In your peaty soil the 

 road scrapings that set bard may be mixed up with your soil in the pro- 

 portion of one-third scrapings to two-thirds of soil, and one-sixth of 

 rotten dung. These should be beaten tirmly together as soon as the 

 Melon plants begin to grow. Even then the compost will not be equal to 

 good stiffishlojtm; you may economise that very much by restricting it 

 to about *2 feet in width in your beds. A Cockscomb sown in February 

 may be grown to full perfection in July. We expect you have the thrips, 

 and must fumigate aud syringe. 



Kiddean Mode of Heating (G. B. C.).— There is no doubt of the 

 Kiddean system of heating answering when it is well managed, but 

 yours is not the Kiddean system, but the common one of taking a flue 

 through a chamber. We have no doubt that the proposed plan will 

 answer. We would place the iron liars from S to C inches above the flue. 

 The opening, or rather two openings, from the outside into the chamber 

 will answer well if furnished with plugs tu regulate the admission of cold 

 air, and your three openings into the atmosphere of the house will keep 

 up a nice circulation. The arrangements for feeding the fire and clean- 

 ing the flue are good. If your chamber is higher than the Cucumber-frame 

 there will he no dinieultv iu taking hot air across to the frame, but if the 

 frame is lower it will not be so easily done. Iu preparing such a frame 

 for cuttings, &c., iu winter, be satisfied with the lime rubbish and dry 

 rough coal ashes ou the surface, aud keep your sods and soil out until 

 you want them for the crops of Cucumbers, &c. 



Vinery Outside Border (J. Ma mi/). —Refer to what is said in the 

 second column in page 2U6 of our last Number. Boarded covers are best. 

 Frames made of wood and covered with asphalt are very good. Frigi 

 domo will he of no use. Oiled canvas, supported clear of the ground 

 and the ground covering, will do very well, but if not carefully looked 

 after it will soon rot and mildew. The cheapest plan for keeping the 

 border dry, but uot for keeping the cold out without protection above it, 

 is to make the border smooth at the surface and a little damp, then cover 

 it all over with coal tar about the thickness ot a shilling, throw some saw- 

 dust or road drift over it, and take it off again next season about May. 

 The covering above will keep the frost out. 



Weed on Lawn (A Subscriber-, Manchester).— The scrap sent was totally 

 insufficient for determination. 



House for Peaches and HectaiUNES [Iago .—The proposed plan will 

 answer very well, and vou might have Vines up the root' t> or B feet apart. 

 Add to your list of Nectarines, Pitmaston Orange, Rivers'fl Orange, 

 Elruge. Balgowan. To your Peaches add. Chancellor, late ; Early Purple :. 

 Late Admirable, late ; Walburton Admirable, late ; and Teton de Venus, 

 late. 



Gladioli Trophy.—" Permit me to correct an error into which your 

 correspondent "D., Veal," has fallen with regard to my stand of Gladioli 

 at the Crystal Palace. I was fortunate enough to obtain the first prize for 

 the " Trophy," which at much trouble I had made for the Crystal Palace 

 Exhibition,, and not Messrs. Kelway as stated. — Geobue Prince,, 



Mail,,! Mn, ,', Oxford." 



Caladium (T. T. t Isleworth).— They are now so numerous, and many 

 BO nearly alike, that we cannot venture tu name the plant from the two 

 imperfect leaves you enclosed. 



Roses not Opening (Sumu/).— We think that the late cold wet weather 

 is the cause Of the buds aol open ng W< tool that many of our 3 die otl. 

 A period Of dry weather will stt those not injured all right. 



