464 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 18, 18G6. 



HOGGS COLDSTREAM POTATO. 



In an interesting notice of " Home Growths " (page 386), in 

 The Journal of Horticulture, the above-named Potato is 

 classed with frame sorts, and recommended as " suitable as an 

 only kind for a small garden.'' In reading this it occurs to me 

 that many who value a good table Potato, and Lave not yet 

 grown Hogg's, may on the remarks of so good an authority as 

 referred to pass over this variety, supposing it only fit for 

 small gardens or frame culture. I crave space to state that this 

 excellent Potato is equally valuable for large as it is for small 

 gardens, its shape and size are all that can be desired for a good 

 table Potato, and it boils well. '• Round " does not correctly 

 express the shape of Hogg's Potato ; it is a flattened round, 

 with the least possible eye. 



H this Potato prove generally as sound and valuable as it 

 has done here, it should be a first Potato in every garden, small 

 or large. Out of about twenty sorts grown here, Hogg's was 

 the least diseased in the first week of October, when all trial 

 sorts were dug up ; when washed and picked at that time, I 

 found about one in eighteen less or more diseased, none actually 

 rotten. This is far below the number of diseased tubers of any 

 other variety grown here and lifted at that date. — Charles 

 McDonald, Woodstock Park, Inistioye. 



QUEEN ANNE'S POCKET MELON CULTURE. 



In answer to several inquiries, the seed may be sown in the 

 first week in March, in a pot three parts filled with turfy loam. 

 The seed should be laid on the surface at li or 2 inches apart, 

 and covered with fine soil half an inch deep. If the soil is moist, 

 do not water at the time of sowing, but place in a Cucumber 

 or other frame having a bottom heat of 70°, and an atmospheric 

 temperature of from 65° to 75°. If the soil is not moist a little 

 water may be given. The pot should be plunged in the hotbed. 

 When the seedlings come up keep the soil moist, and the 

 plants near the glass, so that they may not become drawn, and 

 when the rough leaves appear pot off singly into three-inch 

 pots, putting the plants in quite up to the seed-leaves. Before 

 potting, the soil should be placed in the frame a day or two to 

 become aired and warmed. The plants are to have shade from 

 bright sun until established, then admit air on all favourable 

 Occasions. 



When the plants have two rough leaves tako out the growing 

 point, and prepare a hotbed for planting out. It should be 1 foot 

 wider than the frame, and 3 feet high in front, and 4 feet at 

 the back. It may be composed of leaves and litter, or other 

 fermenting material. Set the frame so as to face the south, 

 put on the lights, and insert a stick just under the frame, and 

 reaching to the centre of the bed. In about a week the heat 

 will have risen in the bed ; if not more than the hand can bear, 

 on feeling the stick put in the bed, level the surface, and place 

 under the centre of each light a barrowful of rather strong 

 loam in the form of a cone, making its top flat, so that the 

 plant when put in will only be just clear of the lights. If the 

 heat of the bed, as shown by the test stick, be more than the 

 hand can bear comfortably, defer placing soil in the frame 

 until it declines. When the soil is placed under the lights the 

 bed should be covered all over to a depth of 2 or 3 inches with 

 the same kind of soil. When the soil is warmed through place 

 in the centre of each light, and, consequently, on each hillock 

 a plant, turning it out of the pot, and insert it so that the stem 

 will be covered with soil up to the seed leaves. Give a gentle 

 watering, using water of the same temperature as the atmo- 

 sphere of the frame. 



In training rub off all the shoots but two, and train one to 

 the front, and another to the back of the frame, and when 

 these have made five leaves take out their points. The stop- 

 ping will cause the production of three or more side shoots on 

 each ; reduce them to three upon each main shoot, train them 

 equally over the surface, and do not stop them until they are 

 within 6 inohes from the sides of the frame, then take out 

 their points. The result will be side shoots showing frnit at 

 the second or third joint. Stop these at the first joint above 

 the fruit, and when the flowers open impregnate them, choos- 

 ng a fine morning for the operation. If the fruit set, place a 

 tile or slate under each fruit, and keep the laterals closely 

 pinched back to one joint, avoiding too much crowding of the 

 leaves. If tho fruit do not set, make choice of three shoots 

 coming from the nearest point to the collar of the plant, cut all 

 back to these, train them in place of those cut away, and treat 

 them in the same manner ; the result will be that the fruit 



will set well. Afterwards keep the shoots well stopped, and 

 if they become so rank as to shade and otherwise interfere 

 with the principal leaves, thin out the small shoots, so as-to 

 admit air and light. - 



When the roots are coming through the sides of the hills put 

 soil around these so as to cover the bed 9 inches deep all over, 

 but the parts where the plants are planted should be somewhat 

 raised. Tread the soil firmly as it is put on the bed. The 

 plants are to have water whenever necessary, which will be 

 twice or thrice a-week according to the weather. During the 

 setting of the fruit a rather dry atmosphere is essential to the 

 free distribution of the pollen ; therefore a few days before the 

 blossoms open, a liberal watering should be afforded in order 

 to avoid giving any more water till the fruit has set. When 

 this is completed keep the soil moist, and if watering be per- 

 formed early in the evening, and the frame be closed, an at- 

 mosphere favourable to the swelling of the fruit and unfavour- 

 able to the red spider will be secured. 



Watering must be reduced as the fruit swells, and when 

 ripening begins may be entirely discontinued. Air should be 

 given whenever the temperature reaches 70°, and there is a 

 prospect of its rising still higher. A night temperature of from 

 60° to 65° is suitable. With air, the temperature by day may be 

 allowed to rise to 85° or U0° by sun heat. In watering, avoid 

 wetting the stems of the plants ; leave a dry space 6 inches 

 wide all round the stem. If only one plant be placed under a 

 light the crop will be larger than where there are more. 



The number of fruit to be left on a plant will depend upon its 

 health, a dozen may be allowed to remain if it be healthy ; 

 as many as sixty may be left, but they will be small for the 

 sort, whilst a dozen will be full-sized. 



Queen Anne's Pocket Melon does excellently in a frame on a 

 bed of leaves, generating a gentle heat, and thus giving the 

 plants a start, sun heat, which must be husbanded, doing the 

 rest. For the culture of this Melon in pots, Mr. Perkins's; 

 article at page 327, of No. 202, should be consulted. — G. Abbey. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Cypella c.eeulea (Blue-flowered Cypella). — Nat. ord., Iri- 

 daoeae. Linn., Triandria Trigynia. Native of the Brazils. — 

 (But. May., t. 5612.) 



Heliconia huhilis (Dwarf Heliconia). — Nat. ord., Musacere. 

 Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. Native of Guiana. Spatb.es 

 scarlet, edged and tipped with pale.green. — (Ibid., t. 5613.) 



Cypripemum Schlijiii (Schlim's Lady's-slipper). — .Nat. ord., 

 Orehidaoeas. Limn., Gynandria Mouandria. Native of New 

 Grenada. Flowers whito, lip blotched, and petals streaked 

 with crimson. — (Ibid., t. 5614.) 



Heliotropium cokvolvclaceum (Convolvulus-flowered Helio- 

 trope). — Nat. ord., BoraginacecC. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. 

 This annual is a native of Southern United States, New 

 Mexico, &c Flowers white. Introduced by Mr. Thompson, 

 Ipswich. — (Ibid., 1. ."tll5.) 



Lytaste cigantea (Gigantic Lycaste). — Nat.ord., Orchidaeeee. 



. Gynandria Monandria. Native of Central America, 



Santa Martha, forests of Merida, at an elevation of 5-600 feet. 



Petals and sepals dull olive-green, shaded with brown ; lip 



maroon edged with orange. — (Ibid., t. 5616.) 



Combretdm mcROPETALUM (Small-petaled Combretum). — 



Nat. ord., Combretacea!. linn., Octandiia Monogynia. — A 



magnificent climber, native of Brazil. Flowers crowded and 



showy from their mass of yellow stamens with orange anthers. 



-., t. 5617.) 



1EN&. — Scarlet flowers. — (Florai 

 pi. 313.) 



Delphinium. — Triomphe de Pontoi e. This double Larkspur 

 is pale blue with a white centre. Introduced by Messrs. Fraser, 

 Lea Bridge. — (Ibid., pi. 314.) 



Nosegay PELABOOuruai. — I ■ < tend. Raised by 



Mr. Fleming, at Cliveden, to be sent out by Mr. Turner, Slough. 

 Colour crimson cerise. — (Ibid., pi, 315.) 



Lobelia. — Progress. In Mr. W. Bull's collection. King's 

 Road, Chelsea. Flowers purplish crimson. — (Ibid., pi. 316.) 



Ludwig's Bi '.akreau Cheeky was introduced by Mr. Rivers, 

 of Sawbridgeworth, and was fruited in one of his orchard- 

 houses in 1865. " This variety is remarkable on account of its 

 shape, which is long heart-shaped, being much more so than 

 any other Cherry with which we are acquainted. It is a fine 

 eaily Bigarreau, ripening just after the Early Red Bigarreau, 



