74 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTDRE AND COTTAGE OABDEKBR. 



( Joir a>, iMB. 



when tbe plants are in bloom keep the atmosphere drier, and 

 let more air circulate amongst tbem. They like a sprinkling 

 OTerhesd at times, and it must be regalated according to the 

 dryness of the atmosphere. Look sharply after green fly, 

 which, if allowed to increase unmolested, will weaken tbe plant, 

 and cause much of the fruit to be deformed and flavourless. 



If any vacancy ia likely to occur between the forced plants 

 and those growing in the bed, and there are any plants to spare 

 of either sort, they may be plunged or planted in some sunny 

 spot, well sheltered on all sides but the south and south-west; 

 there they will come in ten days or a fortnight earlier, and be 

 aa well flavoured as those folly exposed. 



With regard to varieties, they are ntimerons, and most 

 people have their favourites, bnt I should recommend Keens' 

 Seedling (or the first. Sir Joseph Paxton second, and Dr. Houg 

 or British Queen last; or, if but one is required, take Sir 

 Joseph Paxton ; it is large, pink, of good flavour, and a heavy 

 cropper. 



I would advise all who have the time and convenience for 

 growing Strawberries to try the preceding plans, and if carried 

 out as advised, they will not be disappointed in the results. 

 Before I had the room and other conveniences for growing 

 Strawberries, I practised what I advised, and gave every satis- 

 faction. A small quantity can be grown as well as a large one. 

 — TiioiiA3 EscoKD, nawkhurst. 



CULTURE or EUCODONOPSIS N.TSGELIOIDES 

 AND ECHEVERIA METALLICA. 



The free yet compact growth, handsome foliage, and abun- 

 dant blossoms of Eucodonopsis naigelioides render it a desirable 

 plant ; the ease with which this beautiful stove plant may be 

 propagated, and the simflicity of its culture afterwards, are also 

 much in its favour. It is propagated in a similar manner to 

 any of the Gesnera family— namely, by cuttings of the young 

 ahopts, by leaves, and by pieces of its scaly tubers. The least 

 desirable method is propagation by the leaves, as the tubers 

 which they produce are necessarily weaker than those formed 

 by either of the other methods ; but if a large stock is required, 

 then leaf-cuttings are very useful. Stout cuttings of the young 

 ahoots, if made early in spring, kept shaded, and plunged in 

 pots in a brisk bottom heat, strike root quickly, and become 

 pefnl little plants in the same season. Strong tubers broken 

 in halves throw up vigorous shoots, which form good succession 

 plants to those produced from entire tubers. It is important 

 to remember this, becanse the plants from old nnbroken tubers 

 always bloom earlier than those formed by portions of tubers, 

 and It would therefore be nnwise to put portions of tubers in 

 the same pot with an entire tuber. 



_ So dense may the growth of this plant be rendered by jndi- 

 cionsly pinching the young shoots in the earliest stages of their 

 growth, that two or at most three tubers only are required for 

 an 8-inch pot. When the tubers are started into growth in 

 spring tbey are placed in small pots, so that the plants may be 

 shifted twice, the second shift to be into the blooming pots. 

 If the pots are kept plunged in the bed of the stove, or in any 

 lively bottom heat, so that the young growth is produced in a 

 moiet genial temperature, it wiU tend to promote free growth 

 and healthy vigorous foliage. As the plants attain size, the 

 pots may be lifted and placed on the side stages of the stove, 

 or, which IS perhaps better still, in a vinerv at work, where, 

 overshadowed by the foliage of the Vines, the plants continne 

 to grow luxuriantly ; and when in bloom the profusion of prettv 

 flowers and the handsome foliage almost concealing the pots', 

 form a lovely and attractive sight. 



Owing to the hairy nature of the foliage it is necessary to 

 endeavour to keep it quite healthy and clean, for if thripa or red 

 spider once takes hold, it is a very diflicnlt matter to destroy it. 



No very comphcated mixture of soil is requisite to grow this 

 plant successfully ; equal parts of loam, peat, and rich well- 

 decayed manure, witb a double quantity of sand and a sprink- 

 ling of charcoal, will answer very well. 



The quaint appearance of Eoheveria metaUica, and the sin- 

 gularly delicate bloom visible on the snrface of its foliage, are 

 doubtless the chief causes of its popnlaritv. Some inquiries 

 respecting its culture have induced me to ofifer one or two notf s 

 concerning it. As the extreme simplicity of its culture is 

 apparent at a glance, I shall confine my observations to its 

 propagation. 



Like most other sucenlent plants its cnttings emit roots 

 freely. Cuttings are made either from the tips of the young 



shoots or of the leaves ; those from shoots root qniokly at this 

 season in an ordinary frame or pit without artificial )je«t. The 

 leaves, allhougb not requiring a higher temperature th«n the 

 shoots, do not strike root so quickly ; and as, after putting forth 

 roots, they have their shoots to form, it takes a longer time to 

 obtain nseful plants from them. 



I have followed two methods when propagating this plant bv 

 its leaves ; one is to insert the leaf in the soil in tbe same way, 

 and to about the same depth, as with shoots ; the other is to 

 rest the base of the leaf on the surface o( the soil, and snpport 

 it by means of a stick and bast. This method, though rather 

 more troublesome, is preferable to the former, as the leaves 

 emit their shoots much sooner than those inserted in the soil. 

 Should a number of plants be required for bedding purposes 

 they may be quickly and easily obtained by placing in heat a 

 few strong old plants, from which shouts will start in abun- 

 dance. — Edw.mid LncKHOBST, Kgcrton Howie Oarilent. 



POTATO FAn.URES. 

 YouB correspondent, " J. W.," in your number for July I.5th, 

 appears to attribute the principal cause of Potato failures to the 

 unusnally long time from the taking-np to the planting of the 

 seed. Upon this point I will communicate my own experience. 

 At the outset it is right that I should observe, that I owe the 

 system of Potato-growing which I have adopted, entirely to Sir. 

 Fenn, of the Woodstock Rectory. In July I selected my seed 

 Potatoes, taking medium-sized Potatoes, not thoroughly ripe. 

 These I put in a cool place in single layers on boards, with a 

 moderate supply of light, out of the reach of frost, and there 

 I left them untouched till the middle of Febmary. I then with 

 a penknife dug out every sprout but tbe principal one, so as to 

 extirpate root and branch. The inferior shoots at this time 

 were very short and scarcely visible, which is usually the case 

 in a cool temperature. I went over the work again, where re- 

 quired, just before planting. On the 19'h and 20th of April I 

 planted the following sorts: — Hyatt's Early Prolific, Rivers' 

 Royal Ashleaf, Webb's Telegraph, Hogg's Early Coldstream, 

 old Walnutleaf, old Ashleaf, Lickson's Premier, and Fenn's 

 Onwards. All have come without a single f<iilare, and I have 

 dug several with as many as thirty fair-sized Potatoes to a root. 

 I had some of my old seed left, and having a spare piece of 

 ground, I planted some on the 3rd of July, and I now find that 

 they are nearly all appearing above the ground. I have been 

 over the Rectory gardens to-day, and saw there a splendid lot 

 of Potatoes, all planted on the ridge-and-trench system, and 

 not a single failure was observable. Mr. Fenn kindly dug np 

 several of his own seedlings to show me, and they were mag- 

 nificent. Their equal for beauty and wax-like appearance I 

 have never seen. He then brought out some old seed, kept 

 aa specified above, in famous condition, and planted these 

 old sets whence he had just Jug early Potatoes. I may, there- 

 fore, safely observe, that seed managed as Mr. Fenn manages 

 and plants his, will not be injured by unusually long keeping. 



In connection with the ridge-and-trench system of planting, 

 Mr. Fenn observed that he intends writing the whole subject 

 again for the benefit of the present subscribers and readers of 

 The JoDRNiL OF Horticulture. Since visiting the Rectory 

 gardens, I have received from Mr. Fenn a dish of three sorts 

 of his seedlings to taste. He has named them The Rector of 

 Woodstock, Fenn's Onwards, and W.^idstock Kidney. I have 

 tasted them; iti fact, almost dined off tbem. I so thoroughly 

 enjoyed them, that I may safely say that I never tasted a 

 Potato of BO fine a flavour. All were uncommonly good ; but 

 the seedling called TheUector of Woodstock, which was entirely 

 ripe, had a flavour of such a dry and rich character that it 

 could not be surpassed. The Rector of WoodBiock is a first 

 early round Potato, and extremely handsome. — E. Hioens. 



FAILURES. 



Pearson says, " I have not 



ORCHARD-HOUSE 



Writisv, of orchard honses, Mr. 

 heard of a single house without artificial heat where a crop is 

 to be seen." We have a large house without fire heat, or any 

 means of giving it, with a crop of Peaches, Sec. in pots and on 

 walls, and whether tbe said crop is full, average, or scanty. 

 we are quite agreeable to leave to Mr. Pt-«rfon'» opinion. 



It is barely coirect to say that the increased temperature 

 of the cold hothooso over the open uir is not tbe result of 

 artificial means. Where tbe area of ven'ibition 13 fixed for 

 day, night, and all weathers, there cannot, as a matter of conrse. 



