January 23, 1&66. ] 



JOURNAL OKHGf^ICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAi;DENER. 



73 



Weather "Wisdou IJuhn Sryrtn).— Weather charts, price 23. Qd. (by 

 J. Glaisher, Esq., F.RS.I as used by the Royal National Lifeboat Institu- 

 tion, can be pureh.ised at Negretti & Zambra's, 153, Fleet Street, London, 

 E.C, and such charts vriil last a year, or longer if the observer do not 

 mind tracing the barometric line for two or three months on the same 

 chart, usinLi each time different-^olonred liue^. Full expliiuations of the 

 way to use a chart, with chaj*ts for use in the book itself, ai'e to be found 

 in a small work (price 1».) entitled " How to use the Barometer," pub- 

 lished by Bcmrose & Sons, 21, Paternoster Row. This is a very useful 

 book for observers of weather whn wish to learn how to record the fluc- 

 tuations of the barometer, of wet and dry bulb thermometers, and the 

 direction of the wind. The best kind of barometer for pardening pur- 

 poses is the Fai-mer's Barometer by Negretti & Zrimbra, price £2 IOj*.. and 

 attached to this instnmient is a dry and wet bulb thennometer. There 

 is a small and cheap portable barometer (price 12s. Qd., by Casella, 

 23, Hatton Gai-den, London) called the Agricultural Barometer. Mr. 

 Casella warrants it to work veiy accurately for general pm-poses. One 

 such instrument has now been in use for more than twelve months, baa 

 travelled from near London to Scarborough, and further noithward, and 

 back again without injurj-, and reads pretty accurately with a Standard 

 Barometer. Once, indeed, the readings taken by CaseHa's instrument 

 were sent by *'X." on a chart to Mr. Glaisher. The chart was con-ccted 

 by the readings taken at the Greenwich Obsenatoi-y, and those readings 

 were not very difi'erent (for general purposes) from those obsei-ved by the 

 12s. 6'i. barometer. The tube of the barometer is very small, but this 

 weather glass is a cheap one, and is not to be despised. A drj' and wet 

 bulb thermometer, suflScient for weather purposes, can be purchased of 

 Negretti & Zambra for 12s. Gd. Standard instruments, for scientific pur- 

 poses, are vei-y expensive, but they are not really required for a gar- 

 dener's use. When " X." in his remarks, page 525, said " There is 

 no expense attending such observations," he meant that there was no 

 expense incurred in noting down the weather (a chart for a year costing 

 only 2s. Gd. or less), after the first outlay had been made by a master in 

 providing suitable instrimients for his gardener. 



Hardiness of Ceetain Fbrns (TT. G. S.).— Of the Ferns named) 

 Lastrea decomposita requires a greenhouse, and not a cool one ; Asple- 

 nium Belangeri will do in a gi-ecnhouse. but needs a stove to do well; 

 Campyloneuroaphymatodes (Pleopeltis phjTuatodcs. also Drynaria vul- 

 garis!, and Aspleniiuu fceniculaceum are stove Ferns. Lastrea Stan- 

 dishii,.has not, so far as we know, been proved to be hardy, but it is likely 

 to be so. This fine new Fern certainly does well in a cool house orframe. 

 Lastrea patens is of ci -ntinental origin", and, as we had it, did not succeed 

 at all well in a gi-eenhou.^e femer>-, but it grew luxuriantly in the stove. 

 Davallia canariensis, Nephrodium niollc, and Pteris longifolia require a 

 greenhouse; and Aspleniuui (Cyrtomium) falcainm is onjy hardy in warm 

 sheltered situations, doing much better in a cool house" than 'anywhere 

 out of doors. 



Apple Treks Lstested with Insects (B. jBarfon).— The trees should 

 have a dressing of 8 ozs. of soft soap dissolved in a gallon of water along 

 with 8 ozs. of salt. Apply it at a temperature of ICO ,'bnishing it well into 

 the crevices. This will free the trees of insects and moss, and should be 

 applied now. Be careful not to injm-e the fruit-buds by rubbing. Ne speci- 

 men came in yoiu- letter. 



Camellia -Buns axd Leaves Fallino (Idem). — From the plants losing 

 their leaves and being in a bad state of health, we should think that there 

 is something the matter at the roots. Is the drainage good, and the soU 

 sweet anJ not soddeued with water ? If not, then it should be. Aie the 

 plants wat3red when they requii'e it. and only then? The soil should 

 always bo kept moist, at the same time no water should be given until 

 it is required. An imperfect root-action is the most liltely cause of 

 the buds falling. 



Ferns Weak— Prijiulas DAirpiNo Off (Idem].—Yoxii Ferns are weak 

 from being kept too warm. They wUl become strons if properly potted, 

 well supplied with water both at the root and in the atmosphere, and 

 kept in a proper temperature, with good ventilation. The Primulas damp 

 ofl'from being constantly watered. They would not be so liable to damp- 

 oflf if the sui-face of the soil in the pots were covered quite up to the 

 collar of the plants with small pieces of stone. These should range fiom 

 the size of a pea up to that of a hazelnut. From one-half to three-quarters 

 of an inch is sufficient. Give more air, and do not water so often ; give 

 plenty of water, but only when they re(iuii-e it. 



Time of Forcing Strawberries fZJ-^m).— The beginning of February 

 is a good time, and early enough to have a good crop. They cannot be 

 forced with a prospect of a full crop before that time, and the longer it is 

 deferred the more plentiful the fruit wiD be. Thompson's " Gardener's 

 Assistant" contains the necessary infoi-mation for the pruning of fniit 

 trees. 



Rhtteabb Rttj^v'tng to Seed (A llIoonrakeT).—lt throws up flower-stems 

 more abimdantly when planted in poor than in rich ground ; but it will 

 produce its large umbels under any circumstances after it has been 

 planted three or four years, some kinds more than others. This weakens 

 the roots very much and should not be allowed. Cut away the seed- 

 stems, when you first perceive them, level with the gi-ound, and this will 

 induce the formation of crowns at their base, instead of the energies of 

 the roots being expended in the production of seed. It would be well to 

 take up the roots now, presening as much soil attached to them as 

 possible, and after trenching the ground, and working in a liberal .amount 

 of manure, to replant, dividini: the root:^ if large ; but they will not pro- 

 duce so well the first year as if they had not been divided. If you cannot 

 take the Rhuhaib up and prepare the ground properly, give a good top 

 dressing of manure, and point it in, not going so deep as to jinjure the 

 roots. A good watering of liquid manure now" and then in summer will 

 make it stronger. 



Rhubarb Forcing {Idem).—1{ ynur dark cellar is sufficiently warm it 

 will answer admirably for forcing Rhubarb. The temperature should not 

 be less than 50 . It is not too late, for if vou put roots there now they 

 will produce hmg before stools in the open air imheated and uncovered, 

 You may pot the roots in Vine pots as you propose, or spread a little soil 

 on the iloor. place the roots on it. and' then cover them 'with moist soil. 

 There is this advantage in forcing Ehnbarh where it grows, the roots are 

 but little injured and maybe forced ever>- other vear without any great 

 deterioration, whereas if they are taken up and placed in a cellar or else- 

 where they are of little value afterwards, requiring more time to recover 

 than is needed to raise from offsets roots Of greater strength, and in every 

 way better for forcing-purposes. 



CncuioERs and Melons in Pit Heated by Hot Water (E. J. 

 mieeler). — Your pit would do well for the growth of Cucumbers and 

 Melons, provided you could form a bed over the tank, and leave the 

 sides of the tank exposed so as to heat the atmosphere ; but as you 

 will not be able to do this, from the top of the tank being level with 

 the bottom of the pit. we would advise you to place 6 inches of rubble 

 over the bottom of the pit as well as upon the tank, and above the 

 rubble a layer of sods, gra^s side downwards. Over the tank insert 

 a drain-pipe, ©r tile, with a bore 3 inches in diameter, at every 2 feet, 

 the lower end going through the sods into the rubble, and the other 

 opening into the pit. Tht^e pipes should be inserted perpendicularly, 

 and through them beat will ascend and give a sufficient atmospheric 

 temperature, and the heat from the tank going amongst the rubble will 

 give bottom heat. Three inches of soU all over the sods will be 

 sufficient to begin with, but immediately under the centre of each 

 light place about half a baiTowful of soil in the form of a cone with the 

 top flattened, and exactly 1 foot from the glass, so that you must make 

 the rubble so thick that you will have 10 or 12 inches of soil over it, and 

 yet have the tops of the cones of soil 1 foot from the glass. When the 

 soil of the cones has become warmed through, plant in tlae centre of 

 each two Melon or Cucumber plants, one to be trained to the back and 

 the other to the front of the pit. If you have the plants to prepare, sow 

 the seeds in pots, plimge these in the" soil, pot off, and finally plant in the 

 centre of the cones. When the plants gi"ow, the space between the cones 

 and the sides of the pit is to be covered or filled with soil by degrees, 

 placing it against the cones so as to cover the bed with soil nearly level 

 with the tops of the cones. The tops of the tiles will be a little above the 

 level of the soil, and must be kept free. Yon may raise fi'om seed any 

 plants you liko in the pit, at least such as require heat, so long as thoy do 

 not interfere with the Cucumbers and Melons. Remove the plants before 

 they do that. Your other frames will answer for hardening off the plants 

 rained in the heated pit. Cucumbers and Melons do not succeed well in 

 the same compailment, you should, therefore, have a division or rather 

 partition wall. 



Pruning Recentlt-tr.4NSPl anted LAmtrsTiNus (-4 Subscriber, AUei'- 

 ton). — It is not safe to cut in these shrubs in winter, for that in their 

 blooming season. They are not the hardiest of shrubs ; hence, when 

 they are cut in in winter they frequently die down. Let them alone until 

 the first week in .\pril. and then out them in to the desired i^hape and 

 dimensions. The heads ^vill assist the shrubs to form roots, and they will 

 further protect the shoots of which these shrubs are seldom devoid at the 

 base. 



Gardener Iix-treatf* ■ On'> in. Trouble).— We havG a letter for this 

 correspondent if he will cv ..a us his address. 



Vines in Pots (J. A'ay/o/).— Your Vines in pots, one year old, with canes 

 5 feet long, are. we presmne, too weak to fruit. If not strong — that is, if 

 much less in diameter than the little finger, and the eyes are not large and 

 plump, cut-in to two eyes now. and repot in the same pots after shaking 

 away most of the old aoi*. If the Vines are strong, the eyes plump, and 

 the wood brown and hart'., do not pnme then^ ; t all, but pot them at <mce 

 in 15-inch pots, providing good drain.tge, an-i i;sing a compost of rather 

 hght, rich, turfy loam. Those in 14-inch pots may be fruited in that size, 

 and in that case you will merely have to look to the drainage and remove 

 the sm-face soil and replace it with rich compost. If not already done 

 they should be pruned at once, cutting them in to 6 feet. You may pot 

 th m in IS-inch pots, but do not disturb the ball, though you may 

 sli-htly loosen the roots around it. Vines in pots require the same tem- 

 perature as Vines in borders, and this you will learn from the "■ Vine 

 Manual " which you have ; but we may state that for the first fortnight 

 the tcinperature from fire heat should be from 40- to 45-, for the second 

 fortnight fro n 45^ to 5U-, for the thii'd foitnight from 50- to 55", and in a 

 week it should be increased to (iQ-, and at that it is to be maintained until 

 the flowering takes place. That and the setting over, we increase the 

 temperature to 65 . and continue that heat until the fruit changes colour, 

 when we lower it 5" by night from gi\"ing more air, and this is continued 

 imtil the fruit is ripe, when we lower the temperature as much as prac- 

 ticable, but not below 50 . On these temperatures we allow a rise of 5° 

 on dull days, 10 on those which are cloudy with clear intervals, and from 

 15- to 20 on bright days. Elphinstone published a little book on Vines 

 in pots, but it is now out of print. The subject wiU he treated of shortly. 



Leaves of Mrs. Pollock Geeaniu3I Altering (E. G. H.). — The 

 leaves lose the markings from the plants being kept in too close and warm 

 an atmosphere. The stove only forces them into gi-owth. Geraniums of 

 the tricolor-leaved section are less faint in their markinga in a stove in 

 winter than in a greenhouse ; but the marking is much less bright in 

 winter anywhere than in spring and summer. Geraniums do not require 

 stewing and roasting in tuves. Most of the nurserj-men who advertise 

 in our columns can supply you with Gardenias. 



Garden Infested w^TH Slugs {W. B.).— You must not apply gag lime 

 now and crop with Potatoes. The gas lime should be put on in autumn ; 

 one-third of the quantity is sufficient, a hundred bushels per acre being 

 a good dressing of fre:-h lime. If your garden have fruit trees in it do 

 not use gas lune, but fresh lime, and it will kill slugs. March is a good 

 time to apply it. Slake the latter so as to reduce it to powder, then 

 spread it over the ground when the weather is mild, and turn it in. If 

 yon give your giound a dusting of fresh lime on the evenijigs of mild 

 showery weather at intei-vals in summer, yonr garden will soon be free 

 of slugs. Be cautious in using gas lime ; it will kill vegetable as well 

 as animal life, und is not safe to use in a garden, nor anywhere until it 

 has been exposed to the action of air and water for a considerable time. 

 Pelargonium Leave.*; Mildewxd {S. B.). — The tips of the leaves are 

 badly mildewed. Dust them with flowers of sulphur. They have the ap- 

 pearance of having been injured by fi-ost. Give the plants all the air 

 possible, and keep the leaves dry ; keep the plants near the glass and as 

 cool as possible, but exclude frost. Give air early, and always when the 

 external atmosphere is above 32-, except on foggy days. 



Decaying Cucumber Plants {SHnH/yldHrff).— Most likely the roots 

 have been kept too hot and too dry in this dull simless weather. We have 

 examined such Cucumbers and found the soil some 6 inches from the 

 surface like so much ashes fx-om beneath a fni-nace. ^Mien the soil and 

 the roots are all right, we have seen such a result produced by a vei-y 

 bright sun for half an hour, after some weeks of dull weather. The 

 higher the temperature in dnll weather the more likely would the plants 

 be to suffer. A little shade is useful in such a case. 



