188 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ M&rcfa 6. 16G6. 



Tan avd I>i-y<» ah Socrcks or Hkat (3f. S.)~Wc have brouffht tnn 

 bomo (rt-.-li lr..m the yard, aud at ..nro traDNferrrd it to lUo pit it wa« 

 Intcndid Ui heat ; bcrt we Uko better to brinji it home and throw it in a 

 heap in nn ofeu Kbi-d, and. if the wtiather in cold, to cover it over witli 

 mt*r, or aiivthtnK else, until It bctfins to boat freely— then it may be used 

 at ouce; but if time aud labour cau bo Hpared, it would b« bettor for 

 tender pliuitn if it were taraed over aK'ain, the Hides to tho middle and 

 top to the middle, Ae. Then, in n few dayn. if the weather i-* Nueh ns to 

 promote feniu'iitition, it mny bo taken and f*IiK'htly und eiiuuUy trodden 

 OT bcjiteu ill its place ; and provided extra beat bw jfuarded ;i;^'"aim(t. lb* 

 heat will be ho wweet us .generally to suit anytbini; that likes o hi«h tum- 

 perntore. Dium. nirely worked and sweetened, will do as well as tnn for 

 Allinf* the inside of a pit for Cucumbers and Mel-.n^. We have not 

 touched tau for a number of years; but one of the bent combinntiuurt for 

 such purpoHen, and liUn l^uea, und for briuKin;; on tender plants is 

 milking the main p;irt of the bed of Hweet fermenting duuR, and then 

 covcnug with a depth of from 12 inches with sweet tan. Even the fumea 

 from fresh tun are seldom injurious ; but they are not so nice even to tho 

 smell BB those from tan thrown in a heap to Hwecten. When liuiuKs 

 are required to add to or keep up tho hoot, it matters not whether tun 

 or dang be umd; only tan wtU bo the safer, uulesn tho walls are secure 

 and care IS taken of ventilation, for othermse dung in the crude btalo 

 might Bend its gases among the plants and injure them. 



IcE-i'LAST (/-/^-mL-WehaveHoIdom found the birda meddle with tho 

 Icc-plant. \ ery hkely it was the moislnre in its st.-ms that enticed them. 

 Hie plant will stiuui hardly any frost. To keep it fresh and green all tho 

 !l*r ° *",!! «h..uld have a dryish atmosphere, and a temperaTure of from 

 4.> to50 . A few boxes mny be grown in the usual wav. and be moved 

 under gUss m tn-toher. For thi.> purpose, if vou sow 'in May it will be 

 time enough, tor suuimer use >ow iu Mareh on a )iotbed. and plant out 

 m the bek'innmg of Jnne. It will reiiuiro very Uttlo water in winter but 

 the 6oii must not be dust dry. 



SBtTTEHs ion Shelter (Llem).-"n. F." has not used wooden shutters 

 lor a long time. They are beat made of three-quarter-inch seasoned deal. 

 accorduig to size braced beneath with narrow cross-pieces 2 inches wide 

 audi Inch deep. II a strip 1 inch deep goes all round the ont^de the 

 cover is perfect, as that wiU rest on the sides and top of the «ash and 

 enclose a body of air. The mode of making straw mats was given not 

 long ago, aud al'^o the mode of making straw covers. The latter mav be 

 so far repeated. Take three pieces of wood the length of the snsh t.'. bo 

 covered, each 3 inelus wide and from three-quarters to 1 inch thick. 

 1 ifloe these so as to be of tho width of the sash, one in the middle and 

 one on each side. Then have cn.^^s pieces of wood of that width, say 

 from 3A to 4 feet in length, aocordin- to the width of the sash, and each 

 i: inches wide nnd half an inch thi.-k. N'ail one of these to the three long 

 pieces top and l>ottom, others in the intenuediate space at about a foot apart. 

 This makes the frame for the cover, and is intended to go next the glass. 

 Reverse it i.fter thus nailing it. and till it neatlv with straw. Fisten 

 down one of these cross pieces at each end, and secure the straw by 

 tarrtJd strmg just abovo oU the intermediary cross pieces. Five tacks 

 for each string wiU enable this to be done expeditiously-one at each side 

 piece, one in the middle and one in tho intenal between the middle 

 5?^«^f^ ■"^'i'"^''''- ,1^'*!"^^' ^^-'^^ D»«de thus secure the straw would 

 ?«^L.?iS'",> "^'Z?*^?:, -^°y ft'-'^ ^i» '»«. but wheat straw, drawn 

 Lelore It is threshed and the heads cut oflF, lasts bv far the longest, and a 

 cover thus made wiU be as serviceable in severe weather as three or four 

 ordinary mats Good deal would he the be.t to use : but " R. F." never 

 had It, but worked up any old stuff that came in the way. and he has even 

 cut up elm on purpose that cost little more than the sawing, as othen^ise 



'sVpp^rte "on f'ramV."^'' ''' ^"*^"*'^*'- ^^^^^^' ^^^'^^^ ^^ ^-^- ^^^^ ^l^^ 



«?^'.?.^'''''''*'.^''^^^''^,^''"'' (W<-nO.-They and rats have cleared 

 ^n^^.r T ^^^""^^r""^*^"^'" P^^"*^ '"^ the first crop in spring and 

 f .^ „ ; , ".'' "^'i^' '"h'''' «^"*^n:lhiug else failed to entice theni. we have 

 found a number done for by mixing barleyn.eal and arsenic ^i{h a littlo 

 water putting it where no domestic animal could reach it. Ue mixed it 

 up with a stick, and put down thelumps with a stick. If the hand touches 

 ii i*^.^''- '"i ^"^''•"B to taste it. however hnngi-^- he mav be. If water 

 or milk IS placed near the bait the sufferings of the rut wUl be short. 



L.S'^/^'' ^ y^^^'«,^' f^- »'i".'7;ifl«).-Fartherthan that vou contemplate 

 Sfv?^^ nTd^r^^l orchard-house, 50 foot long, against a south walh vou 

 give us no data whatever to guide us in giving vou advice as to "the 

 Sf.W^?<,n f. *"l '" iT"; \1^«"^^- ^f yo« t«» "S what is the height of tho 

 thin ue ; hnn i^^'^'^S"* l^^ ^r"' "^ ^^^ ^**"-^*^' ^"'^ ^^*^ "•i'ith Of The house. 

 then we thull be able to adv.se you us to a pit, aud whether a pit in 

 ^n^h-^i *^'^^°°^^tances would he desirable. For a mere unheated himse 

 imil we i''^r"''"'^i ^""""'".^ Peaches. Nectarines. Vines, and other 

 ImiiniT Ti -^i "!'''' *'"'''^ ^**" ^■°°^** ^"^ ^'^^^ fermenting dung in 

 >our pit The Pimplest arrangement of t^uch a house would bo I'J feet iu 



tehes .ri^.^'ic^r'^'^^'r^ '^^ '- '--' ^ width, planting 



c W «t..j; ^^^^"^'^^*^^ «eainst the back wall. Vines up the roof at 5 or 



£iowiiic^n'."i1n'' l^"''-^,^^^ With good soil, either for planiingout' or 



^f^c^;*"!"^"^ ^"^ ^^'/^ 5w6»cnVr).-We think that your arrangement 

 l^nf ^^^"''^,' "P»^ ''«^*ii"fc' plants will look verr well. If we suggested 



CenSfrea -3-1'^"'°^"' ^ ^'^'l'* ''^ ^^"'^ seariet Geraniums,''?r he 

 Centaurea condidissnna round tha centre bed of Aucuha • and then 



re^?hu.'"n'"l? 'u' f^y ^'^' J^' ^^* ''' 1^- *■*-■ ^-'><» ribbon or band 

 Rii^ fi.r^^i.^; ' M^H''\?P';* ^^'"^'* floribunda Calceolaria, and then 

 ? ?rn^ fl .^.^ ? ' '"^"^ ^,'*'. *^' ^^y\*"^ ^^*"*=« Seariet Geranium for centre. 

 Asters in^e.r" 'i''^'^ **' ^""^ '^'^^ ^^^'^"'^ Paxtoniana, Your mixed 

 Asters will scarcely be good enough for 17 and Is; better have mixed 

 \ erbenap, or nbbon and lino them in contrast with 15, 12, and 16. 



CONSciUNn Smoke (J. Maeken^i^i.^We know of no cheap svstem of 

 oonKuming smoke. If the coal is onlv put on at the from of tie fire 

 ^Trid'o ':iT'''-'*r'' '^' '■'^'-''^ or caJumaceous particles arrchiefly 

 fl?e behind? ' ^""^^^^ """^ *^'' *>"g»'tly burning portion of thi 



Hamusi Sefd.— Gentlemen wishing to try to cuUlTale lids Pale-itina 

 plant muj have a fow sovd^, by encloi«iug a utaiuped ouTolupe, with tbair 

 oddre^-i. to W. Wanklyn. Ksq., iJury, Laucashiru. 



(jKOTHHniiAL Urn {Suburban). — In our No. 143, Now Serieo. yoo will 

 find a de*M*ription of the gcothermal bed at Welton I'lac**. near UaTentry. 

 You ran have the Number if you encloM four postaj^ Kt«mp« with joor 

 direction. 



DiKLYTRA HPErTADiLis FoRCiNr, {Country Cura/*-).— The causes of tho 

 failure are io>>uflluient Vip beat, and tho ptAOtsDotluinng beeo pretioaaly 

 established in pots and preptired for forcing. Keep the plants in tho 

 greenhouse until after they have flowered, giving Ihi-m a light nnd airy 

 situation ; and when frosts are over removo them to a warm open situ- 

 atiuu out of doors ; plunge the pot^ until July, and then remove them to a 

 south aspect, aud give no water except to prevent llie foliage flaffging.i 

 The plants will go to rest in good time, and from the time of the fotiaga| 

 decaying they must bo allowed at least six weeks' rent. To make them! 

 flower ut L'briutnias, which is verj- early, thoy shi^>uld to plunged in »', 

 hotbed of 60 or 65' in October, and he gradually withdrawn from it by 

 the end of tho month. This will make the roots active. The planu 

 uhnuld then be placed in a house having a temperature of ttf^ from fire 

 heat, aud in a fortnight increase tho heat to S5 at night, allowing a rise 

 of 5 on dull days, lU' on those which are cloudy with clear intervals, and 

 from 15^ to 20 on clear days. Iu these temperatures, with a moist atmo- 

 sphere, gentle bedewing overhead, Hufticlent but ni't excessive waterings 

 nt the root, plenty of light, and abundance of jiir ou favourable opportu- 

 tunities, your plants will flower by or soon after Christmas, but the bloom 

 will Dot bo nearly so good as on plants started at a later period. If the 

 plants are in small pots and require potting, do it immediately after flow- 

 ering, using a compost of turfy loam two-thirds, leaf muolu one-third, 

 and a free admixture of sand. Provido good diainago. 



FoBciNO liiiLBARB ( J(i-rin).— We are at a loss to accomit for yonr lallure 

 in this, for you seem to have gone the right way to work. We find that 

 by taking the plants up and plucing the roots in soil, usually in a Mush- 

 room-house, wo can have very fine stalks in a month or six weeks. Tho 

 temperature is from 55^ to 6U , and uniform, of oou»-se. from the poRltion. 

 We have also potted the roots, covered them with an inverted i>ot, and 

 placed the pots in a temperature of from 55' to 60' at night, and we have 

 thus had stalks for use in aix weeka. We think your failure duo to au 

 insufficient amount of heat. 



VisB-oRowiNG FOR WiNE-MAKiNG (Viti*). — Tho pricc at wliich foreign 

 wine is now to be obtained in this country renders the cultivation of 

 Vines under glass for the purpose of making wine uunecessarj-ond unpro- 

 fitable. The varieties are too numerous for us to specifj them, unless 

 yitu want to kuow tho sorts that produce some particular kind of wine. 



Orchids for a CcconjER-HocsE {J. L. S(o<-*/)oi(«f).— The foUowing 

 three are recommended for your Cucumber-house, which you say is at 

 work all the year:— Atrides odoratum majus. Calanthe vestita. Phalie- 

 nopsis grandi'flora. Dendrobium nobilo may also be grown in the Ca- 

 cnmber-house, and removed to the conservatory when in tlower. The 

 house (70' to 70 without sun, and higher with.l.'is too hot for Odonto- 

 glossums. 



Varikgated Dianthcs fT('. D.).— We liavc never seen this plant in a 

 variegated form before, and should much doubt whether, fnim the nature 

 and habit of the Dianthus, the variegation would remain perumnent. To 

 judge of its meritii the plant must bo seen. 



Fungus abTjut Vine Roots {A Con*/ant K/o/i^r).— The -white mould is 

 the mycelium of some minute fungus. The other specimen is not a 

 fungus', but the fibrous root of eome plant. They are not injurious to ihQ 

 Vine. 



Vine CrLrrRE (B. d- If.).— As you have " ever)-thing to leam," we re- 

 commend you to buy *' The Vine Manual," which you can have free by 

 post from our otlice if you enclose thirty-two postage stamps with yonr 

 address. After reading the directions it coutains for growing the Vine in 

 a greenhouse, if you need any question answered we sh;Ul reply readily. 



Rock Plants for North Aspect (3f. E. H.).— Alpines rejoice in sun- 

 shine and dislike shaded.'darap, close places. Your situation wouldanswcr 

 admirably for Ferns. You may also plant Anbrietia deltoiden, and its 

 variety graudiflora; Arahis albida and alpina, Cerastium tomeutoaum, 

 Saxifr'agas juniperina, granulata, cotyledon, aretioides. aizoon, aizoidos, 

 cjTnbaluria, h\^nloides. umbr«.isa, palmata. and KhiTi; Statice alpina and 

 siuuata, Silene alpestris.Trientalis europiea, Vinca minor, aud its variety 

 plena; Vinca major, and its variety elegantissima, aud Vinca herhacea. 

 Sediim acre, kamtschaticum, and spurium, I'ulniouaria angustifolia, offi- 

 cinalis, aud graudiflora, for the base only. Pinguicula vulgaris. Lotus coi* 

 niculatus flore pleuo. Linariac^'uibalariannd its variegated variety, L. ori- 

 ganifolia. lit-paticas, aud the varieties of Primula acaulis, for the lower 

 parts. These would be likely to do moderately well. 



Camellia Tlanting Orr-DooRS (/drm).— A white Camellia would not, 

 we think, do well out of doors, cither as a utandard or trained against a 

 north wall in a cold valley in Sussex. 



Pr.ANTS FOR Town Garden (M. A. £.).— The best of all to flower in 

 May and June are herhacoouis Pieonies and Pironia muutan, Dianthus 

 eruentus, deltoides, and fragrans ; Dielytra spectabilis, and its white 

 variety ; Pnhiiojiarin officinalis, Trollius europa; us. Tulips in great variety, 

 t;onvullaria majalis, and the gold-striped, pink, and double varieties; 

 I'ulygouatum vulgare, Cerastium tomentosuiu. Campauula aggregata, car- 

 patica, mmalis, pusilla, and its wliite variety; Bcllis perennis aucuba- 

 folia, Dodccathcon elcgaus and meadia, Donuiicum cancasicnm, Iberia 

 ^axatalis and I. sempervirens, Lj"thrum roseuui snperbum, Narcissoa 

 l>oeticus plenus, Pyrethmms in variety; Saxifragra aizoides, umbrosa, 

 aud Andrewsii; Silene Schafta, S. alpestris, Polemonium ctsruleiim. and 

 the variegated variety ; Phlox frondosa, Nelsoni, and vema ; OrobttS 

 vemus. Antirrhinum varieties, Columbine, and Ajuga alpina. 



IlFBnACEors Plants (hUm). — Yon will find just such a list aa you re- 

 qnest us to give at page 72 of the N'nmber for January 2:>rd. 



Select Pompon Dahlias (AVmo).— The following are very good free- 

 flowering varieties: — Crimson Beauty, Multiflora. Rosette, .■■now Rose, 

 tloldflnch, Little Wonder. Little Julius, Little Darling, Little Arthur, Dr. 

 Webb, Gold Pheasant, Little Mistress. 



Flower Seeds (.4. B. Wycombr). — It Is Impossible to answer so wide a 

 question. All flowers probably nught be improved by judicious crossing. 

 We cannot ask for cuttings. 



