August 19, 1B6D. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



153 



TBADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



William DilUstone, Sible HedingUam, 'Essex.— Catalogue of 

 Choice New Plants; and Dutch and other Bulbs, d'C. 



Giles <fc Pdscoe, Grovo Hill Naraery, Third Creek, and 12, 

 Hiadley Street, Adelaide, South Australia. — General Catalogue 

 of Trees, Plants, Shruhs, dc. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



••• "We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doiug they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 commuaicationg ehould therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, cfc, 171, FUet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



We also request that correspondents will not mis np on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until nest 

 week. 



Bodes {A Learner). — Two books will supply all the information you 

 name. Mclotosh's '* Book of the Garden," and Stephens's " Book of the 

 Farm." (R.). — Johnson's " Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary" contains the 

 information yon need. 



Black Cldstee Grapes (A Constant Iieader).~'Sot knowing where 

 they are grown nor yonr mode of culture, we cannot give an opinion as 

 to the cause. See what we said la&t week aboat Sweetwater Grapes 

 cracking. 



Bedding Pelargonium [W. Ashwell). — There are now many varieties 

 with leaves exactly like that you enclosed. 



Caterpillahs on Cherry TtEE Leaves (Linda).— They are the slimy 

 ffrub, the larvje of the Selanflria ffithiops, a species of saw fly. Dost 

 the powder of fresh quicklime over them. 



Lists of Flowers {A Lover of Good rftinps).— We always pive the 

 xmrnes of both species and varieties of all flowers and plants which wo 

 know to be good as well a^ new. 



Poppies (O. Mc.F.). — The seed vessels of all Poppies contain opium, but 

 there is none in their seeds. The Deadly Nightshade is one of the Natural 

 Order Solanaceje, totally d stinctfrom the UmbeUiferie in which the Carrot 

 is included. 



Pelargonicm Cuttings (B. S.).— They may be wintered very safely in 

 your bow window; but you mast exclude frost from them. 



Seedling Scarlet Pelargosidm (f. L. D.).— The petals had all fallen 

 off; as far as colour and &ize of truss are concerned, it has no superiority 

 over other varieties. 



Do Birds Eat Alpine Strawberries? (H".).— Mr. Middleton men- 

 tions, as you perce've, a peculiar Alpine Strawberry. We know the birds 

 taste the common Alpine, but we know they will never look at them when 

 finer Strawberries are to ba had. We have no doubt our correspondent 

 will tell all he knows himself. 



Succession of Strawberries (Rev. E. H.).— Knight's Princess of 

 Wales, Yiuomtesse Hericart de Thury, Sir Charles Napier, and Dr. Hogg, 

 Vioomtesse Hkricart db Thury Strawberry (J. B. D., Bitteawell}. 

 —It was advertised in oor number for August 5th. 



Flower-bed arrangement {Banks of the T/iames).— We think you will 

 like the planting of your bads as proposed. There are two things that 

 strike us— the large beds. No. 1 and No. 8, will look well with the outside 

 band of M msles'a Pelargonium and the double band of Stella, but we do 

 not think that Atiaranthus melancholicus will make a telling centre for 

 Stella. As yciiis tm to have no yellow on that side of the garden we 

 should have a sticag yellow Calceolaria, as Salvisefolia or Aurantia mul- 

 tiflora for tha c&stre, and then you need not have yellow in 9, 9, but in 

 11,11. This woidi lighten up the colours better; and then we would 

 like to edge ail tbe beds. For instance, 3, '6, would ba greatly benefited 

 by a 8kirtii;g cf Purple King Verbena. 



Grapes Swelling Irrequlajily (A. Dumbell).—li is difficult to say 

 ■what is making the Vines swell their bunches irregularly. It is just 

 possible that they wanted more nourishment. If you mean these Vines 

 in pots to do any good next season they must not bear above three or 

 four bunches this season, the foliage must have free access to the sun, 

 and everything must be done by f^eding to have the wood good and well 

 npened, leaving no more side 'shoots than the plant will sustain, and 

 cutting these back to a bud or two when the leaves fall. As to the Vines 

 planted, we should be inclined to cut them back to 2 or 3 feet after the 

 leaves fall, encouraging growth all the summer :for a little sacrifice now 

 the Vines will make amends afterwards. The Vines in pots we would not 

 repot, but remove the surface for 2 or 3 inches in autumn, and fill up 

 with rich compost. 



Vines Newly Planted (H. B.).— The Vines will grow vigorously for 

 some weeks yet, especially those planted in May, and we should advise 

 your continuing to grow them on for a month or six weeks longer, and 

 then secure the ripening of the wood by keeping them drier both at the 

 roots and in the atmosphere, with a little fire by day and abundance of 

 air. At this season you will not require fire heat. An abundarce of air 

 should be given. For puch high front lights as yours appear to be, we 

 should prefer thetr opcnint? as casements, certainly not up and down like 

 windows, or if they are they should be double-hung, both upper and 

 lowdr parts moviug. 



Lady Downe's Grapes Spotted (H. H.).— The Lady Downe's is not 

 more liable to spot than msoy other Grapes. The spot is anything but a 

 new disease, being occasioned by an insufficient supply of sap. The 



roots being in a colder medium than the branches, the foliage exposed to 

 very powerful sun, and the evaporation excessive, tbe supply of sap is 

 not equal to the demand. The upper portions of the bunches are most 

 liable to suffer, and invariably first, which shows that the same influence 

 on the berries scalds them ; therefore, care should be taken to have the 

 bunches well protected by the shade of the foliage, anl when this is the 

 case spotting is seldom known. It prevents the roots becoming so in- 

 active as they do when the foliage is sc int ; and the supply of sap is more 

 regular, and its circulation not so liable to become inactive in case of 

 undue moisture from excessive watering, or heavy rains. The grafting 

 on the Red or Grizzly Frontignan would tend to cause the spot on the 

 Lady Downe's, as the Frontignan is notorious for shanking^twia sister 

 to the spot. — G. A. 



Annuals for Autumn Sowing (An Amateur). — The Virginian Stock 

 (Malcomia maritima), is the nearest approach to purple that we know of 

 in a plant having the semi-prostrate habit of Sapon tria calabrica. Pnrple 

 Candytuft makes a splendid mass, but is of stifl" erect habit, but if the 

 plants are not allowed to grow too close together they branch well and 

 close to the ground. Limnanthes Douglasii is the best yellowish-flower- 

 ing annual for autumn sowing, andKsclischoltzia croceais also good, bat 

 not equal to the Limnanthes, though a far better yellow. 



Plant (G. i?.l.— We think the sprig is from a plant of the genus Echium, 

 but which we could not say without a better specimen and leaves. Speci- 

 mens should be sent packed in damp moss. It is probably a biennial. 

 The seed should be saved and may be sown as soon as ripe in a bed of 

 sandy soil enriched with leaf mould, or in April, the young plants being 

 thinned out to 1 foot apart. Bees are very partial to all the Borageworts ; 

 a large bed of Borage ought to be in every garden where bees are kept. 

 The old plants may be taken up from the walk and planted in sandy soil 

 after the flowering is over and the seed ripe, for it may prove a perenniali 

 but we think not. 



Scale on Otaheite Orange (De Foix).~The black fungus is the 

 result of honeydew, occasioned by a smallish inject you will find closely 

 fixed along the sidRS of the midribs underneath the leaves. Remove that 

 and the fungus will disappear. After dipping the plants in water at a 

 temperature of 120-' for a minute, the leaves should be washed on both 

 sides with a sponge, employing soft soap, 4 ozs. to the gallon of water. 

 Clarke's Compound, Fowler's Insecticide, and Gishurst Compound are 

 good remedies if used as a wash, or for dipping the plants in. OrangO 

 fungus on Roses may bo destroyed by forcible syringings and copious 

 waterings. 



Combe Abbey.— In the eleventh line from the beginning of the account 

 of this place, page 126, first column, read cmterl'j, instead of *' south- 

 westerly " direction, &c., also lower down in the sam3 column, where the 

 mansion is said to face the " west," read the south. 



SoLiDAGo Virgaurea.— " Where can I obtain a few plants of the 

 Aaron's Rod, the Solidago Virganrei? I shall be happy to pay postage 

 or to send other seeds in return.— J. L. Carrick, Vicarage, WWiavi Friary, 

 Frame." 



Rockery (CZco^)aira).— With your dying Birch trees as a centre, we 

 think a small rootery would be more in character than a rockery. We 

 always think it bad taste to blend roots and conglomerate of bricks, &C, 

 The old trees would be useful for sustaining Clematis, &c., and the roots 

 would soon be enough covered with Sedums, Ferns, &c. _ Unless the 

 trunk is very rotten, it would hardly be worth while scooping it out for 

 an Aloe, as if so rotten it would not stand long, and Aloes would thrive 

 better in a rough box on the ground level. The best things to cover old 

 rotten trunks with are Sempervivums, Sedums, and the common Polypody. 

 By making holes in old stumps we have enticed robins, and that most 

 elegant of "British birds, the wagtail, to build their nests, and both became 

 tame when well used. 



Gardening Arithmetic (J. T. 73.).— Surely a person who writes so well 

 need not ask us how many plants will be required for a bed 50 feet long, 

 4 feet wide, to he placed in the rows 3 feet apart, and 2 feet asunder in 

 the rows. If no more simple mode offers, take a measuring rule with 

 inches marked in tenths, and 5 inches will thus represent 60 feet m 

 length. and4-10ths inch will represent the width of the bed. The bed, 

 we presume, will have two rows, 3 feet by 2— rather thm planting for 

 most things. The number of plants will be obtained at less trouble 

 than making the inquiry. Tbe other question is a little more puzzling. 

 *' Required the number of cubic feet in a bed 50 feet in diameter, and 

 1 foot deep," merely because there are so many modes for taking and 

 finding the area of a circle. We will put you in the way of working out 

 the problem for yourself. The diameter given, we can obtain very nearly 

 the circumference by the old rule : As 7 is to 22, so is the diameter to the 

 circumference. Perhaps a more correct mode is simply to multiply the 

 diameter by 3.1416, the last four figures being decimals. The circum- 

 ference being thus found nearly, as well as the diameter, the next thmg 

 is to find the area of the space bounded by the circumferential hne. 

 Here a»ain, various modes may be adopted. One mode is, to square the 

 diameter and multiply by .7854. Another is, as 7 is to 22, so is the square 

 of the radius to the area of the circle. Tha radius is half the diameter, 

 in this case 25 feet. This multiplied into itself, and the product mul- 

 tiplied again, as above, by 22, and divided by 7, will give tbe area nearly. 

 Another plan is to multiply the circumference and the diameter together, 

 and then divide by 4. It must be kept in mind that a square foot con- 

 tains 144 inches, and a cubic foot 1728 inches. 



Protecting Plants in a Pit (X. Y. Z.).— The chief difficulty yoti will 

 have in your pit, sunk 2 feet into clay, and floored with Portland cement, 

 arises from the fact, that if the sides and ends of boards are not secure, 

 damp will visit you from the clay ; and if you spill water in winter it wiU 

 be evaporated from the waterproof flooring, and rise again among the 

 plants. You must, therefore, be careful not to spill water in winter. 

 Your idea of double wooden walls is good, and, as stated lately, wa wouia 

 prefer the space between to be open if you can make that space airproof ; 

 if not, pack with felt, peat, sawdnst, &c. Having double sashes for your 

 pit or box, wiU also be useful, and the more so, that in mild weather you 

 can take the upper one off. For tall plants you will want the depth yoa 

 have— 4 feet in front, and 9 behind ; but if you want to keep a great many 

 plants, say from 6 to 15 or 18 inches in height, we would have a rough 

 slopiog stage to fit the pit, and to be lifted out when not wanued, say ac 

 from 18 to 24 inches from the glass, and this will enable you to keep the 

 plants near the glass, and the open space beneath wiU do much to secure 

 equaUtv of temperature. Even with your double Ughta you wiU need a 



