462 



JOUBNAL OP H03TICULTIJRB AND COTTAGB GARDBNElt. 



[ Joce 19. 1806. 



DEKritonrrM modile (P. Z'.).— Tlie pHeudo-bnlba or stemB -which are 

 the fO'owth of thin yenx do not die in the* coxt, but loso the IcarcK, and 

 flover in that or tho following y^-ar; bat under cool trentment, or when 

 grown in s vinery, they will not flower until th« commencement of the 

 growth of the third KtuRon. When the stems have ceased to prow and 

 have become thick hhiI jilnnip, thy jiliuit bhouU! be put to rest by with- 

 holding water and kecpinR t!ie atmosi>hcro drier. In spring the old 

 leaflChB stems will exhibit a number of Bmall knots or exereBcences, 

 and when thepe beRiu lo Hwell n moister atraosphrro may bo afforded ; 

 bnt if such do not appear, then the new prowtlis will be produced from 

 the base of the last year's stemH and ui)un tlieni, and this is the in- 

 dication by which you may know when to start the plants. The flower- 

 buds are formed in ftimmer. and the flowers appear about the time the 

 new growths arc being made ; souietimes bi'fore. but generally with 

 the new growth, according to the temperature, It usually flowers in 

 April and May. It does well with us in nn early rinery, but not in a 

 cool one. 



ViKES LvFKSTED WITH Red Spider (.*?. P.).— The leaf sent is infested 

 with red spider. You say you have n<)t sjTinged the Vines. The red 

 spider delights in a dry atmosphere, but cannot endure moisture. If the 

 syringe is not now used with force, it will be in vain looking for a crop, 

 as the loaves will be all gone before tho fruit is ripe. If you have plenty 

 of clonr rain water syringe the Vines with it every evening, from 5 to 6 p.m., 

 directing the force of the water against tlio imder sides of the leaves, so as 

 to wash off the insects. Give air early in the morning, when the sun is 

 powerful, increasing it with the increase of bent, and always by the time 

 the sun shines powerfully upon the house whilst the leaves are wet, but 

 never fear to shut up after syringing in the evening. Continue the 

 syringing until the Grapes change colour, then leave it off. In addition 

 to syringing, sprinkle tho paths, floor, Ac., with water in the morning, 

 and continue to do this until the Grapes are far advanced in colouring. 

 If the water at command is not soft, or not clear, then (and even if it be 

 soft and clear) dissolve 4 ozs. of softsoap in two gallons of water, and add 

 sufficient flowers of sulphur to fonn a thin paint. With this wash any 

 wall on which the sun shines powerfully, also coat the flue or hot-water 

 pipes now, making tho flue hot, but not hotter than the hand can bear 

 lor a short time — say a minute. Do this in the evening after the house 

 is closed, and when the heating surface is covered with the sulphur 

 gently syringe the same from end to end, until the house is filled with 

 vapour. Syringe forcibly in the morning, giving air before the sim shines 

 very powerfully upon the leaves. Repeat this when the syringing is dis- 

 continued. Red spider promises to bo unusually abundaut this year, 

 both in houses and out of doors, and to prevent its attacks we recom- 

 mend frequent syringing with water. 



Azalea Cdttinob {A Youn^ Gardener). — Take cuttings 3 or 4 inches 

 in length from the growing points, when the wood is about half ripe. 

 Cut them transversely below a joiut, and remove the leaves from the 

 lower two-thirds of the cutting. Prepare a pot by filling it to two-thirds 

 of its depth with crocks, on these place a thin layer of mo3s, and then 

 Buch a quantity of sandy peat, that when the cuttings are inserted their 

 base will he the least possible distance above it. Fill the pot to the rim 

 with silver sand, and then insert the cuttings around the sides, putting 

 them in up to the leaves. Give a gentle watering, and plunge in moss. 

 Bawdnst, sifted tan, or some such matei-ial, over a mild bottom heat of 

 75°. A close frame is best, and the cuttings are better inserted singly in 

 pots. If there is not the convenience of a close frame the cutting-pot 

 may be placed in one of larger size, and the interval between the pots 

 filled to ■nithin an inch of the rim with broken pots, and the remaining 

 space with silver sand. The rims of both pots should be on the same 

 level, and a bell-glass put on must rest on the sand between the pots. In 

 this case the cuttings may be placed in a shady part of a house having 

 a heat of from 65-' to 75 , or Wi^. In either case keep the soil just moist, 

 and the cuttings close and shaded from bright sun; when they begin 

 to grow admit air by tilting the bell-glass or light, and gradually harden 

 off. They will be tit to pot off in six weeks. 



Cyclamens Pottisg (Jtiftn).— In potting, the corm or bulb should be 

 covered with soil if it be that of C. persicum, and those of C. coum and 

 similar kinds may be covered an inch above the cronn. 



Plants Likely to Take Phizes. — " C. H." encloses two sots of stove 

 and greenhouse plants, including Orchidacva^ and asks which list ought 

 to have the first prize, KU]>posiug the plants in each set to be equally well 

 grown. This is one of the questions which it is next to impossible to 

 answer without seeing the specimens; bnt in a collection of nine stove 

 and greenhouse plautu, where the collections in other respects were 

 equal, we would be inclined to prefer the collection containing Cattleya 

 Mossio? Buperba. Lycaste Deppei, Azalea Iven.-ana. A. Beauty of Europe, 

 A. Van Houttei, Epacris miniata splendena, Boronia tetrandra, Eriosto- 

 mon neriifolium, and Tetratheea hirsuta. 



Flower-beds (iionnoc).— Your previous planting would do very well, 

 and it would be well to alter the planting of the beds so as to insure a 

 tuccession of cropping. Were we to tell you how it would be best to 

 plant on a fresh plan, we should break our rule not to plant any garden but 

 merely to criticise and advise on the proposed plan sent. Were we to do 

 so, we should be inundated with plans, and then du little or no good in 

 attempting to plant them. For instance, what would be the use of our 

 stating what would suit your beds best if you did not have, or could not 

 obtain, the plants ? Some of our friends manage us nicely in this way ; 

 they tell us what thev intend planting, and add what other plants they 

 have and can use, and this opens up a way of doing the best with what 

 is at hand. Many of the best gardeners plant not exactly as they like 

 best, bnt make the most of the plants that they have. Few employers 

 will let their gardeners buy dozens and hundreds of this and that at 

 planting time. 



CocoA-NrT Fibre Befcsk— Strawbebries for Heavy Soil (Amateur). 

 — ^We Consider the refuse thcbest of mulches for the Strawberry, and very 

 desirable to apply to heavy ground for Strawberries and all descriptions 

 of vegetables. The kinds of Strawberries we grow and can recommend 

 are for early use : Black Prince, Eclipse, and Marguerite ; and, to keep up 

 a succession, Keens' Seedling, La Con^tante, Wonderful, Eriti?h Queen. 

 Frogmore Late Pine, and Elton. On very heavy soil La Constiinte runs 

 badly and dies off in winter, but on light and medium soils it does well, 

 and is one of the very best. 



Raising Plakts jpor Bsdcino-oct (J. D. il.).— We proposo to publish 

 Bome notes on the subject shortly. 



Gbekn Flt on Rdhb Tftsut (L. £. O.—Syringo the heads of the tre«8 

 forcibly with water in which Holtuoap bfts been di8r>ulved at the Tutt of 

 1 oz. to tho gallon of water. Continue to do this cvor>- evening, wet or 

 dry, for a week, and, on tho aphis dLsappearing. f^-ringe with clear soft 

 water until the blooms open; but, if the aphides do not disappear, 

 syringe the heads in the evening of a dry day with tobacco wator, made 

 by adiUng five gallons of soft water to every gallon of the tobacco Uqnor 

 Sold by the tobacco manufacturers, wetting the leaves and BbootS 

 thoroughly In every part. On the following morning syringe the trees 

 with clear water. If this should not clear off the aphis, repeat the sppU* 

 cation next night but one. If tobacco liquor cannot be had from the 

 manufacturer, take the strongest shag tobacco, and over 2 ozs. of it poor 

 one gallon of boiling water, cover with a cloth, let the whole stand untQ 

 cool, then fltrain, and apply the liquor to the trees by means of a fine- 

 rosed watering-pot or svringe. The same liquid will answer for the dl^ 

 struction of aphis on all kinds of trees as the Peach, Cherry, Plam* Ac. 

 LiguiD Mantrr Kon Roses and Pot Plants (Idem). — There is no 

 <fnfer manure for Roses than Peruvian guano, 2 ozs. dissolved in a golloa 

 of water ; and of this strength it may be applied twice a-week In dry, and 

 once a-week in moist, weather during the growing soason. For plants in 

 pots, sueh as Fuchsias, Geraniuuis, and the majority of softwoodcd 

 plants, the liiiuid should not bo so strong ; 1 oz. to the gallon of water is 

 sufficient, and it should bo applied to them only during their season of 

 growth. When the pots become filled with roots It may be given at over; 

 alternate watering. 



Plants for a Pond (D. TT.).— We know of no plants that will do in K 

 pond so deep as 6 feet. If yon were lo have it flUed np so as to make Jt 

 from 2 to M feet deep in the deepest part, you might there plant N)-mph6ea 

 alba, Kupkar lutea. Yillarsia nymphoides; and nearer the side<), in from 

 6 inches to a foot of water. Ranunculus aquatilis, Myriophyllum spicatum. 

 Iris pseud-acorua variegatus, Hydrocharis morsus-rauie, Butomua nm- 

 bellatus, Aponogeton di-Jtarhyon, Acorus calamus, AU:?ma nutans, Chartt 

 flexilis. Caltha palustris flore pleno, Hottonia palustris, Lysimachia 

 thyrsiflora, Potamugeton densum, Stratiotes oloides, Sagitt&ria obtosSt 

 and Cnrei acuta. 



CrcuMBEB Routs Diseased (A Tico-years Subtcriber). — We think tlM 

 excrescences on the roots, though ever present on aged roots, arc more 

 plentiful than is generally the case owing to the large amount of vegetable 

 matter in the soil used. The only remedy is to use a more sweet and 

 less rich soil. To the leaf mould which you use one-half good modium- 

 textured loam should be added. A deficient root-action and imperfect 

 growth are tho conditions under which the roots )iecome covered with 

 excrescences as yours are, and that we find induced by a soil too rich in 

 vegetable matter, and not kept sufficiently moist to ensure free growth. 



Striking Pansy CCTTiNtis (Agnes).— The cuttings will grow if inserted 

 in a border shaded from H a.m. to 4 p.m., the soil being kept moist. Thej 

 will also root if they bo inserted in a free sandy soil in an open situation, 

 tho soil being kept moist, and the cuttings sprinkled overhead morning 

 and evening with water from the rose of a watering-pot. Shade theffi 

 from bright sun with a mat over hoops. 



Geraniums Leggy (JJfm).— The cause of this is neglecting to pinch 

 out the points of the shoots, and that should be done in the first inatanca 

 at the fourth leaf, and this treatment to be continued to tho side shoots 

 up to the end of April. Your plants will thus be compact when turned out, 

 aud they will be in fine bloom by the early port of July ; but if you tam 

 out legg^' plants the best plan is to lay them down, and the bare shoots 

 or stems throw out fresh shoots, which grow close and stiff. Your tall 

 plants will, we think, be now pushing from near the bottom. Wo wonld 

 not stop the plants now, nor indeed at all during summer, as they viU 

 push low enough to hide their bareness. 



Cucumbers Dying off at the Ends (J. B. JT.).— It is mainly owing 

 to a deficiency of bottom beat, accompanied by a cold, damp atmosphere. 

 We think that you water far too often ; once a-day is very often. Water 

 is rarely required oftener than every other day, but it should be given 

 when the soil becomes dry ; syringing twice a'-day will lessen the ne- 

 cessity of frequent watering. The soil should be kept moist but not 

 sodden. The syringing is all right, only you must do it by 4 p.m., and 

 then shut up the house ; and if the weather be cold, and yon have no fire, 

 it would suffice to sprinkle the paths, floors, Ac, twice a-day instead of 

 syringing the foliage. Your cropping the plants heavily will make the 

 fruit small at the ends, and they v,-U\ not swell well. Liquid manure may 

 be given at every alternate watering. Avoid a saturated soil, and hne- 

 band the sun heat by closing the house early in the afternoon. Syringo 

 only during bright weather. 



Vine Leaves Discoloured (n'fln-'«&('r);-).— The leof sent is mildewed. 

 Dust immediately the leaves so affected with flowers of sulphur. There 

 are also traces of red spider. In three days after applying the sulphur, 

 syringe the Vines with clear soft water, directing the force of the water 

 against the under sides of the leaves, aud repeat this every evening until 

 tho Grapes change colour. Give air in the morning before the sun 

 shines powerfully upon the leaves or house. 



Artichokes fChnrlct Ellis). — The "runaway" flower-buds at tho top 

 of the shoots or stalks are, when they attain the size of a teacup, to be 

 cut, boiled, and eaten. They are the eatable portion of Artichokes. They 

 will uot form anything eilible at the bottom in the shape of tubers unless 

 they are Jerusalem Artichokes, which we apprehend they are not, bat 

 Globe Artichokes- The first have a leaf like that of a Sunflower, and the 

 second one more resembling a Bur Thistle* but glaucus. Look after thA 

 heads» and never mind tho bottoms, only cover them as you did lust 

 winter, and fork the manure in in spring. 



Calceolarias (H'm. H., Teignmouth). — Your Calceolarias arc not cqnal 

 to many we have seen this season, there are three or four good flowers, 

 but not distinct from others. The generality of your seedlings lack form; 

 a good Calceolaria must always possess the first aud most importani 

 requisite, a circular outline. 



Seedling Pelargoniums (A Gardener).— yoxa two seedling Pelar- 

 goniums are very delicate and pretty, and decidedly useful for bouquets 

 aud decorative purposes. They are not florists' flowers which could be 

 grown for exhibition. B seems the best flower, and the best trusser. If 

 of good habit, cultivate both ; they will be excelleut for general use. 



Naites of Pi.ANTi (T. J?. D.).— The tree in Lincolnshire from which 

 you cut the flower yon enclo&ed is X^aulownia imperialis. {C'arc>Un«J.— 



^ • .•» r. 



