April 8, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



PoLYANTHDS SpoKT (.dl Nosiof ).-Your Polyanthas Ja\*^e calyx 

 withia one of larger size, rendering it m;.re leaf-Ule. Such sports are 

 not unusual. 



ANND.ILS TO Bloom in Ao^dst (Idevi). -We know of no plants whicli 

 if sown now would bloom in June, or not until the end of that month. 

 You do not say whether vou have a hotbed, we therefore conclude you 

 have not. The following, if sown now, will bloom from June to Septem- 

 ber -—Yellow : Oialis troiiioloides, chocolate-red leaves, neat tor 

 edgings : Leptosiiihon aureus and luteus, Sphenogyne speciosa, banvi- 

 talia Jrocumbens, which is a half-hardy annual, and Tropajolum Tom 

 Thumb. Blue; Nomoplula, insignis, Lupiuus nanus, Whitlaviagrandj- 

 flora and Campanula speculum. Scarlet; Tropseolum Tom Thumb, 

 scarlet. Crimson; Iberis atropurpurea kermesina, Tropreolum lorn 

 Thumb, crimson. White : Nemophila insignis alba Iberis grandiflora 

 alba, Saponarin calabrica alba. Purple : Linaria bipartita splendens, 

 Iberis mibellata. Campanula pentagonla. Straw colour and cream are 30 

 much vellow that any Ughtish yeUow wUl do for them, and we do not re- 

 member any. Eose and Pink : Saponaria calabrica, bilene pendula. 

 Lilac : Clarkia elegans and Lapinus venuatus. 



House fob Pbopao.ition and Cucdmbees ^J. H. H.).-lst, We have no 

 objection to the proposed arrangement of your house for Cucumbers, 

 Melons, propagating, &c.. and which is 35 feet ong, 7 feet high at back 

 and 5 feet in front, and 10 feet wide, with a walk of 2 feet at back a walk 

 of Uke width and a shelf of 3 feet in front, which wiU leave a bed 6 feet 

 wide, outside measure, in the centre of the house ; but for getting con- 

 venientlv to the shelf in front, it would be better if he house, both back 

 and front, were from 9 to 12 inches higher. It is always unpleasant to 

 have to stoop much in a house, and we are sometimes apt to forget t ) 

 stoop in a low house, and not a few broken heads are the consequence. 

 2nd, Such a house would bo very effectually heated by a wooden tank 4 J feet 

 wide, and 4 inches deep, supported on piers at from 24 to SO inches from 

 the ground. If the tank is made of U or 2-inch deal and wel beaten 

 together, and white or red leaded at the joints, we would not trouble with 

 lining it with lead, though that is all right if expense 13 no object. Such 

 a wooden tank, kept suppUed with water, would last as long, and be as 

 little subject to leakage as a cooler in a brewhouse constantly in use. 

 Except red and white lead at the joints, we would use no paint inside or 

 outside for a tank of this description. 3rd, Such a tank for Cucumbers and 

 Melons might be set a few inches above the ground, and a box set on the 

 top tohold sou, &c. The aboveheight from the gi-onnd, from 24 to 3U inclies 

 would be best for propagating, as being more handy for a shallowei bed 

 over the tank. 4th, The tank alone, vrith openings from the slate-covering 

 to let up the heat, would be quite sufficient to heat that 10-feet house. 

 There is no better plan for doing this than that described m Vol. 11., 

 Old Series, where much more was doue by a wooden tank— namely, 

 placing a wooden box. say 20 inches deep, over the tank, then putting 

 finches of rubble over the slate-covering, and a slight box of half -inch 

 wood inside of the other, tarred and dried to prevent rotting, the inner box 

 being separated from the outer box a couple of inches all round, througn 

 this opening plenty of heat would rise to keep the house hot, and there 

 would be no want of bottom heat. Water could also be poured down 

 between the boxes to give moisture at will; but a mild vapour could 

 also be obtained from a few openings in the slate-covering. Instead 

 of a box 20 inches deep, we would prefer one 7 or 8 inches deep for pio- 

 pagating, so as to be nearer the slate-covering. To make the propagat- 

 Sii-bed perfect, the deep box might slope like the roof and be ™yered 

 with sashes, and then the cuttings could stand 8 or 10 inches from thib 

 inside sash-glass. Though the tank would be suthcient, yet to economise 

 heat it would be best to take a smaU flue at least once through the house 

 5th, The flue described at page 222, as heating the small pit, would not smt 

 your proposed house, which is double the size. Such a flue going round 

 yom- house would render you independent of topheat borrowed fi-om your 

 tank. Even were your flue deeper, as you propose-two bricks on the side 

 instead of one, and did they abut against your bed m the centre, we fear 

 they would not efi-ectually heat that bed of 5 feet in width, unless at eveiy 

 2 feet or so there were open drains underueath the bed commun eating 

 with the sides of the flue. 6th, As you evidently have a wish to dispense 

 with boilers, tank, &c., if possible, we think your best plan would be 

 have a little pit in the middle of your house, as in P»8e ^^2 take a Hue 

 9 inchts deep along the front, and «« 6 °^8 '^^t .^uUd the side, with 

 brick on bed instead of brick on edge. Eeturn that A^^ thi""?^ *''^ 

 centre of the pit, and then either take it up the chimney or retura it 

 again at the back to a chimney at the other end Pack <=ach side of the 

 flue in the pit with cUnkers, stones &c. loose y, Pl%<"i * *™ ^"<=5,!f °? 

 the top of the flue, and then cover all with an inch of ""e' ^i"™ f "f,; 

 and on this you may place sand, ashes, or tan for propagating, or earth 

 for Cucumbers and Melons. This would be the simplest and cheapest 

 mode, and with a little attention will answer every purpose. The Hue 

 through or round the house, with a tank m the middle, '^?«''i "'3 ^«"'?' 

 and more free from casualty; but there need be Uttle of tbe latter 

 there be nothin" but a flue, if that is kept clean and sound It is diflioult 

 to secm-e everv "advantage fVom any one plan. 7th, We wiU here also rep y 

 to ■■ W. W.," who wishes to know if the pit represented at page 222 would 

 not al«n do for Cucumbers all the winter. We doubt if it would, com- 

 menckg ta March' and fruiting in November and December, are ve.T 

 difi-erent. For winter work we should consider the pit too flat {be heat 

 scaicelv enough and the walls too thin, unle.,3 indeed they weie thatched 

 wUhs aw ?or the winter. Not having seen it tried, we can only say we 

 doubt if it would answer. With the back wall some 18 i°^bes higher 

 and the flues deeper or wider, we would be more sanguine as to w nter 

 success. It is as weU not to drive even a model P'*, 'o" J"' „^ '°'f,^ 

 Cucumbers are most easily secured in light houses if Bpan-roofed all 

 the better and with plenty of heat to counteract cold weather In such 

 ptaces they r?cei™ more Ught than can be obtained in pits in the wmter 



■"the" CHlswiCK TElAL OF PEAS.-Mr. Eley writes to us that with 

 regard to the report on the trial of Peas at the «"?/}. f"''"^4'?™ 

 SocietVs Gardens, some mistake has oo">i"«'l,f «Pf '^^f ''^^S^FSme 

 Pea being represented as synonymous witu the ordinarj Early frame, 

 where" there exists not a p;\rticle of similarity between these two Peas^ 

 Mr Elev the proprietor of the Essex Rival, would therefore respectfuUy 

 begof the pubUc^to suspend their Judgment untU they have seen the 

 result of the Society's trial this year, the seed for which Mr. Eley hopes 

 to fui'uish. 



Books IE. V. J.).-You can have " The Cottage G.ydener s Dictionary 

 free by post from our office if you enclose 6s. Bd. with your address. 



CiLCEOLAKiA Cdttings NOT STRmiNO iEdnn:,l-The cause of the 

 cuttings not striking is most probably their suffering from green fly 

 Your (Upping them in tobacco water, if it is at all strong, might destroy 

 the insects. We strike aU our Calceolaria cuttings m cold frames, put- 

 ting about 8 inches of pit sand on 6 inches of soil, cumposed of one-half 

 loam and one-half well-reduced leaf mould. Last year we put m the 

 cuttings in the third week in October, gave them a good watering and 

 they have had nothing from that day to thi3, excep air in mild weather 

 and a double covering of mats in severe weather, left on day and night 

 nn?il the plants were thawed, as they have been «P«a f -1 >' f5;«e° fiff. 

 Thev are now strong plants, and not one cutting in a thousand has faded 

 Since we took to this svstem, for which we are indebted to Mr. Fish, we 

 have not had so much as a green fly or insect of any tmd; but when we 

 struck and keot the cuttings durmg the winter m a heated house, tney 

 were eaten up bylreen fly and thrips. Victor Emmanuel is as easy to 

 propagate asCy other variety, and as easily kept over the wmter. Cal- 

 ceolarias are almost hardy. . 



Pm»^rTx•r ak Artertan Well.— " A. Y. Z." wishe3 to know, when boring 

 fofra^for afoS^!what sized pipes should be sunk so as to have 

 anroneriet and what is the' general expense of buring. T^ho are tne 

 prS people to undertake this kind of work'? Nothing of the kind 

 evTbeiug mentioned in THE JoCENAi. or Horticoliuee, any informa- 

 tion on the subject would be of much service. 



Cdttino down PAMPA3 GRASS [E. A. P.).-We find it best not to cut 

 awavthedecaved grass untU spring, as it acts as a protection to the 

 croJn; but afler ffosts are pa^t it can serve ^ Jo°« P^^i^' "g*^^ 

 unsi"htlv if left ; it should, therefore, be removed after fresh growth nas 

 commenced. The price of ''The Cottage Gardener's Dictionary" i3 5..8d. 

 post free from the office of this Journal. 



Growing Tobacco (J. E. M. E.).-It is not illegal to grow Tobacco for 

 your own use. „ . , vt 



b,^=^^-?=^^?^fej^«^55SS? 



^^ rp^.'^^li^n^^l^e^SSSSg 

 them at this season, for that wiU cause eve'-y leaf to tu n bro^ a^ the 



RAISING Ehododendkons feo.iSeed ^P:B■)■-rf'ocnreJ^^^?^'^^ 



the bottom, and on this 6 mclies of '"7,^ "^^^ P;? ^^'^^e growth of moss 



of the same sifted, covering the seed with fine soil. ^ be growin 01 



is due to keeping 'be. seedhngs or the ^d to° ^^^V t?e g?orh of moss. 



EASPEEERV Sm.poRTS (C. R'P'"»V-''^a^ ''ef ^"hetilrnch-squar'e'^Son 

 ^^f^I^e^^laJ^SlS^S^^f^^SSr^^^'^ 



s^-i^i|tojS3l3i2^ S=f'^j? 



be four wires, the hrst at 1 loot from 'be groun ^^^^ 



tS^^V^roilZ t;tbe't?its';rthos?^I ?r"n! but nof 30 durable and 



Son^^;^^il"/w:57t pT^t^VauT lu^inTf °. " ^^ f-^Vw- 

 NEEiUM OLEANDER LEAF I^'^f -^''..V^pl'surface'v^fh i1,fack ft'- 

 ,„,„).-The leaf sent --;=^7X?rthe'unX'sirof thrieaf secreting a 

 gus, caused by the flat nsect on i j^^n^^w known as honeydew. 

 fluid which faUs upon the leaf, and is tami > ^^ ^^^^ j^ 



This substance dries, and on 't 's P™«^<=e'' ^ 4 ^j^jgri^g t^eir 



does not injure the leaves to any ^e^'o^^^f ^"'^e a pecuUarly thick epi- 

 powers of inhahng an* exhahng Nerium. na p^ ^^ ^^^.^ ^^^^.^^ ^j 

 dermis, and so have Oranges whicli are a J ^ j^ known to gar- 



scale insect and consequent black fungus in ^^^^^ ^^ 



doners as the Orange scale To free the leaves »' ' ^' j„ ,\^ uon of 

 washed with a solution of s"" .^°^P, r„ glinged with water at a tempe- 

 water. The plan hrst of all f-°^,f ""J'^^^fi ^ the plant ; but if the 

 rature of 140% which is not too high if ^S^^^^ed on ^ P .^^^^,^ ^e 

 latter be immersed the water must be a' t;" a y^ ^^ ^^^^ 



kept in the water o°e mmute Jbe leaves a^et _^^ ^^ ^.^^^^^^ the insect 

 with a sponge, pressing whilst wasnm„ lue , washed on 



and remove the "ack fungus. After the leaves nave ^^^^^^ ^^ 



both sides they shoiUd be allowed to d'y.and then ^,^ ^p^^^ ^^ ^^^^ 



s>Tinged with water at 140 la?^°Vi,7i P^Jets near the midribs may be 

 hot water may not "'et the soil, inei cashing with soft soap 



t^"gtta\^yTe?;r/iSs?crrd/r:fui replated washings arenecessary 

 to keep plants subject to iUlean. p„ntingwill do 



Flower Garden (J. B. i;)- "e J.™, 'lantiio it might be balanced. 



{^« 'wfw^oS^-^.eTertiie^^larbe'^SyiaiS o'ut'r'^avel -ber than ^ass^ 



'"p°r::ulas ,T. M. «;.'«'--;"'>,-2'-Z,^^S!S:m?edre!e'sTciaTy 

 single flowers, appear to be very good 'be hign coio jesses, they 



so.°If the plants are o dwari hab^t and pn^^ce^l^ ^ ^^ 



Z!ii "^iSe^rinTaXseed sa?eT??ot wlu^^electld rlants is almost cer- 

 tain to produce promising seedlings. 



