a48 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



C iUreh HI, 1866. 



OAnnES Plan (]'tx).— Tliero is noUiinf; in your plan to induce as to 

 incur the expcnso ol onfrmviiifj it, iind especiiilly fts no planlinK is stated. 



Fixed ok Si^iDiNn Sashkm (»'. /;. ./.).— If yon have no opininifti in tbi' 

 back wftU vou hftil U-tttT have moveiiMo wishoH I foot wido at the top of 

 the roof. For a Htovc. four ot those 18 inches lonK and a foot vndn would 

 do. The rest of the nwif could then be lixed. We are prosumiug that 

 yon could hnvo al.-..> v» utilatiuu in tho front wall. The chief advontafto 

 of a fixed ronf i*i itr. »«i.ni>niy, othen\it70 moveable roofs are bettor, espe- 

 cially if yiiu ^hould wish to employ the house for different purposes. 



Vnrea Declisisc. \J. Dmrn). — If troubled as some of us hnvo been 

 with very dry surainerv, we think it very likely the roots of your Vines 

 hftve (jont? down ti^i deep. If so. most likely the covering tho border 

 with fi-nnentins materinl, as yon have done, ami a little more Arc boat iu 

 the autnnin, will make the Vines actiin viponms in another year without 

 Ifftints' the ro.<tf<. though that evcntnally may have to be done. Perhaps 

 jour heavy crops may have been too much for tho Vines, and ft lif^hter 

 crop may restore the lost bahince. We have Kcveral times noticed tho 

 offeetb you detail from very hcavj' croppinK- 



Heatix<; VAiuofs HorsKS by One Boiler (P<iMin).—l»i, It would 

 hare been your best plan to have had the boiler in the middle, between 

 the two houses, and then you mitrht have heated both together or eepa- 

 mtely. '2nd, By tho plan projioscd you cannot heat one house without 

 hcatinf; the other. Unl, Yuu cannot have th<> bottom heat for one house 

 or for both on the plan you propose, as your return-pipe, dippiuf? into the 

 water, is much below the bottom of the boiler, and no pipes net well if 

 below the bottom of the boiler. 4th, With your stop-valve at z, you may 

 beat the bottom beds of one or both houses, but only provided that the 

 lowest of the pipes are not lower than half the heiKht of tho boiler. 

 They would do if not lower than the flanpe at the bottom of the boiler. 

 bnt they would do better if the return-pipes in the houses were not lower 

 than tho top of tho bniler. 5th, In section a. called present state, tho 

 return-pipe is shown ii lone way below the level of the boiler. Even with 

 air-pipes we have seldom known such a plan to r.nywer well. Gth, Except 

 thiH sinkiupT of the pipes, we have no fault to tind ^vitb your i>roposed 

 plan either for bottom heat for one or two houses. The stopping of 

 the valves at z will send the heat into the bottom-heat pipes : but the 

 less these bottom-heat pipes go below the level at y the better they will 

 act. 7lh. We do not know from your description whether it would not 

 be possible to have yoor bottom-heat pipes on much the same level as tho 

 top-heat ones, which would be the best imder the circumstances. 



Soil fop. Pajtpas Grass lA Ncir Sufccrrj&tT). — The Pampas Grass 

 delights in a deep, rich, and moist soil. Wo knew some plants of it that 

 wonld crnrcely prow; they were taken up with jrood balls, the bottom of 

 these loosened, the soil taken out to the depth of 18 inches for a yard all 

 ronnd. and replaced with turfy loam, well rotted manure, and leaf mould. 

 in equal parts, well mixed. In summer a good drenching of liquid manure 

 was given in dry periods, and the result was that they grew amazingly. 

 We recommend a similar course to be pur.-;ued with even.- Pampas Grass 

 that has been planted more than three or four years. The difference in 

 the growth of the pli»rts is due to the richness orpoorness of the ground, 

 and their being supplied with water or allowed to suffer from drought. 



COCOA-NFT FrDRF- (SubiffTiher, K. BX—Tho fibre of the cocoa-nut is 

 not suitable for any kind of plant. It is very different from tho dust 

 which is the waste of the cocoa fibre mat, brush, and rope maker. The 

 refuse of the husk is the liind eligible for compost for plants, and it is 

 like mahocftny sawdust. In its fresh state it is one of the best of comjwsts 

 for Orch'ds. and mnv be used for them in place of brown fibr>' peat, to 

 wtiich it is equal, if not superior. In its fresh state it is excellent for 

 mulchinir plant> iu pots or tubs, and also for surfacing flower-beds. For 

 iwtting plants it is bet^t laid up along with other soil, or by itself, for a 

 couple of years to decomjiose, and then it becomes closer in texture, and 

 resembles mould. In this state almost anything will grow in it. It is 

 nsed in place of peat for Ferns, for all plants that i*equire peat soil, and 

 for softwooded plants in place of leaf soil. 



CYTEp.rs ALTERNiFOLius vARiEGATrs CrxTniE (Dull FeUoic).—By 

 pemi-nquatic is meant that it requires abundance of water during the 

 growing season, and should then be kept with the soil wet, or tho pot set 

 in a saucer full of water. We have not found it do woUiua warm green- 

 house, though it may do so with others who treat it differently. With us 

 it requires a winter temperature of not less than 50- at night, but does 

 better in one of ^>')^. In winter, or when not growing, the soil should not 

 be more than moist. We find that a compost of equal parts of sharp sand, 

 peat, and loam, with an inch of sand at tho top, suits it well. In rich 

 soil the leaves become green, and in a greenhouse the plant tlies. Unless 

 kept wet at the root, and in a moist atmosphere, it scarcely grows, and 

 ia eaten off by red spider. The green-leaved species is a" greenhouse 

 plant, but the variegated fonn is more dcUciite than the original. 



ToRAcco Seed, — I grew a hundredweight last summer, and some of the 

 plants were 8 feet high. An old captain remarked it was much tiner than in 

 its native country. I should have no objection to send any correspondent 

 a packet of the true seed of Nicotiana tabacuin for twelve postage stamps. 

 — ^^OMAS Elcojtbe, Oardfncr, Ithitg Gardrtif, Near Carwrn, NoriJi Walet. 



Melon Vegetable JIaehow (C. J. H^).— It was advertised by Messra. 

 Small, Colnbrook Nursery, Slough, Bucks. 



PnAL.EVOPSIH GRASDlFLOnA LEAVER BkCOITING SoIT {A Sultfcrihrr). — 



The cause of tho b-ives turning soft is tho ntraoiphere not hnvinir been 

 f.>r somo time snflleiontly raoist, and from the teraprnture beim; too 

 low. Having no pHucdu-bulbs. thii^i cUish of Orchidd will not bear the dry 

 heat in which many others wiU thrive. 



.\NT^ IS OaciiiD-iiorsE (/(i/mi.— If they have their nests in tho floor or 

 other parts of the house away from the plmt", wat t them daily with 

 nmmoniacal liiiuor from the tras-works, and thi-y will dis^ppoar in a few 

 days ; but if thoy are in the pots, or where ammitniaeal liquor cannot t>e 

 used, your best plan will bo to mix together equal proportiuns of honey 

 and arsenic, placing it thinly on saucers or pastirboard near their haunts, 



jFitrsALEM ARTicnoKEs t Al/ffd CroxrUti).—Vk^o are unable to account 

 for yonr Artichokes not boilint? noft. We-may help you by stating how w© 

 ^'Tow and cook them. Tho ground is dujf deeply in autumn, and a droit* 

 iug of half-rotten farmyard maourc applied. In Febru.in.', il tlie wentbor 

 is mild, and the ground in good working order, or on the first favourable 

 opp-.rtiinity, drills are drawn from 4 to inches deep, and '2 feet tj inches 

 apart. In these tho medium-sized sets or tubers are planted at 1 fixit 

 iipart, and the soil is drawn over thorn. \Vhen tho sUilks are 8 inches or 

 so high, soil is drawn up to them as in earthing-up PutaUies; the after- 

 treatment consists in keeping down weeds, which are not very tronblc- 

 some in Jerusalem Artichoke plantations. A sheltered yet open sitna- 

 tion is selected. In autumn, after the stalka are leafless, we dii; up a 

 portion to ser\'e fur a month's or six weeks' con^^umption, and store theio 

 awny in moderately dry sand in a rout-house, which is a shed at the back 

 of the garden wall closed on all sides. Our soil being dry, we do not 

 mind taking up more than enough to serve a month or so. and more to 

 save trouble iu taking up in frosty weather than for any other reason- 

 When tTown in stn»ng ground they are best taken up in November or 

 December, and stored away in sand : but if the ground is light they keep 

 more plump in tho ground. Tlie tubers are cooked as follows: — They 

 aro well washed, pareil, and put into the pan with the water boiling. 

 They are boiled fur hall an hour, and are then strained, placed in a dish, 

 and served with melted butter. In some cases they are fully cooked or 

 boiled in twenty minutes. Ours aro nevor hard, and wo liare grown 

 them in eight different soils and localities. 



DAnLU.s POR ExHmiTioN (J. ThrelfalD.—Tho following aro first-rate, 

 and nearly all of them are very constant: — Leah, ileep golden yellow ; No 

 Plus Ultra, bronzy rose; Charlotte Dorlinff, white ground, edged and 

 tipped wth rosy crimson ; Lord Derby, rosy crimson ; Andrew Dodds, 

 dork maroon : Bob Ridley, red ; Miss' Hcnshaw. white : Anna KeyDoa; 

 white, tipped mth lilac rose ; Willie Austin, buff; Criterion, delicate rose ; 

 Lihic Queen, lilac ; and Beauty of Hilporton, purple. 



Oke Chdikey for Two Geeekhocses (N. C.).— We have no doubt 

 that the flues would do better if you had a separat'^ chimney for each ; 

 at least, if there were a separate chimney for part of the beitrht. A friend 

 of onra had a greenhouse heated by a flue which communicated with the 

 parlour chimney, perhaps some two yards above the fireplace, but it was 

 a perfect nuisance, as when the fire was lighted the parlour was filled 

 ^rith smoke. The flue was carried up outside, so as to enter the chimney 

 about 10 feet hitrher up. and there was then no more annoyance. Biut 

 for having another chimney-pot, it would be better not to 'go into the 

 house chimney at all, Manj' chimneys in a house, if they terminate on 

 tho same level, outside even, will swirl smoke into the next chimney, and 

 it will come down and fill the room. We have no doubt that another 

 chimney will remove your smoke nuisance— that is to say, if theru in a. 

 good dxiiught in your fines. 



Growiso Pin*e Apples (Mig* Hu(ih^*).— To learn the whole method of 

 culture, purchase "The Pine-.\pple Manual." You can have it free by 

 post from our office for thirty-two postage stamps. 

 Book (F. E. Z.).— Paxton's Botanical Dictionary is out of print. 

 Garden Plans (A GartUiur). — There is no such work as you inqtiiro 

 for. We are now preparing one for publication. You had better refer to 

 the back Tolnmes of this Journal. They contain many such plans. 



Gardeners' Wages [H. .?.).— Wc cannot annotate upon communica- 

 tions which liave not appeared in our own columns. We are always ready 

 to refute mis-statements wherever they oppear. 



Earthworms— WooDLiCE {R. ST. T.).— Earthworms do no harm to 

 flowers beyond drawing seedlings into their burrows. Toads will eat 

 woodlice. 

 Brick and DRADfiNO-TiLZ SIacbike (3/ i« Xair/<jrd).— We do not know 

 I which is the best. 



' Leabking Gardenixo (J. W. i?.).— You ought to obtain employment 



under some head-gardener at a gentleman's restd.-m-e. and then try to 



, obtain au eugat-'ement at some large public establishment. The onlv way 



for you to proceed that we can suggest, is for you to advertise for what 



yon desire. 



I CvcLAsrEN (S. S. L.).— The leaf sent belongs to Cvclamen neapoUtanum, 



] and to that variety cultivated as Cyclamen aMcanum (hitifolium. robus- 



I turn, and macrophyllum) superbum. Tho flowers aro a shaded red, 



j foliage large and handsome. — G. A 



Names of Pl,\nt8 U- .-1.).— We cannot undertake to name plants from 

 I leaves only. 2, Gnaphalinm tomentosnm ; 8, Cineraria maritlma ; 5, C«n- 

 taurea ragusina ; G, Plalycerium alcicomc. 



METEOROLOGICAIi OBSERVx\.TIONS in the Subui-bs of London for tlie Week ending March 24th. 



