September 9, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



313 



nnd the wrIIs washed with lime and Bulphnr in equal parts, brouRht to 

 the consigtency of whitewash by 4 ozs. of soft soap to the gallon of 

 water. Do not pive the Vines very much water nntil they are prowinR 

 freely, then afford copious sapplies every fortnight or three weeks, and 

 maintain a moist atnuisphere by spriokling the paths, walls, &c., twice 

 or thrice a-day. Select the stronRcst shoot, train it carefully, stop the 

 laterals at the second or third joint, nnd when they break ajinin let them 

 make three or four leaves, and then take out their "points. We think the 

 Vines will grow next year 



Vine Leaves DiscoLorBED (J. i7.1.— The leaves are very like those of 

 the Espiran, but you say they are from the Black Hamburgh. We bt-lieve 

 the discoloration arises froui the leaves being formed iu ur exposed to a 

 cool, moipt atmosphere, followed by heat or much sunshine. They are un- 

 prepared for the consequent esceBblve evaporation, and ripen prematurely 

 and assume their untumn tints. Such foliage is often a sign of good, 

 rather than bad health. Perhaps a s)itjht shade for a few days in bright 

 weather, after a dull period, would prevent the discoloration, but we do 

 not advise shading for Vines, or only of a very temporary description. 

 The best time to lift Vines is early in March, or before the eyes begin to 

 swell. We do not think the discoloration arises from the roots bein» 

 deep, but the contrary, and we do not advise the lifting of Vines as long 

 as they c<iDtinue to produce good crops and firm, well-r'pened wood. 

 Besides, Vines five years planted ciinnot now require lifting if the 

 tiorder is good, and means h.ave been adopted to prevent the roots going 

 down into bad soil ; indeed, the roots oueht to be restricted to the border 

 by a concrete or flagged bottom, and walls at the sides and ends. They 

 are then entirely under command. 



Vines Breaking {yoncood). — We cin hardly understand about the 

 Vines you want to start in January breaking now. You had better let 

 them alone. Give them all * he air possible ; if very hot, even shade ; and 

 defer pruning till the end of October or November. If the Vines are 

 breaking and you prune now, you must keep on growing them; better 

 defer in ordinary circumstances. 



Placing Pot Peach Trees out of Poohs— Pots for Vines (Reader). 

 —There will be no danger in leaving your Peach trees in pots out all the 

 winter if the pots be plunged and mulched, and the buds protected from 

 birds and very severe froht. Probably the trees in the vinery were too 

 much shaded. Most likely the Vines planted out in July received a little 

 check. They should have been shaded at first. No doubt the roots are 

 catering for themselves. Your pots 2 feet deep and 20 inches in diameter 

 are ample in size for Vines in pots. Instead of enlarging the size of the 

 pot we would mulch and top-dress with rich material. This will prevent 

 all starving at any period. 



Peach Tree Dropping Its Fruit (J. B. L. H.I.— As the tree, the 

 fruit of which we do not recognise, is so healthy, the dropping of the 

 fruit premfiturely is owing most likely to excessively vigorous f^rowth and 

 the full ripening of the wood. We would continue giving plenty of air 

 and abundance of water after the fruit is fairly set and swelling; but 

 when it is ripe we would give but little water, and be more anxious to 

 harden the wood than to keep it growing. Allowing a tree to become dry 

 and then watering freely will often cause the fruit to fall. It is safest to 

 water a widlh of. say, 3j inches from the wall at a time, and then follow 

 in a few days with 24 inches or more in width. 



Peach Trees Infested with Aphts (Old Correspondent).~The Peach 

 leaf sent is infested with the brown Peach aphis. It may be destroyed 

 by an efficient syringing with tobacco water, that of the shops being 

 diluted wiih six times its volume of water, or it may be made by pouring 

 a gallon of boiling water over 2 ozs. of the strongest shag tobacco, cover- 

 up closely, letting it stand until cool, and then straining, applying to the 

 trees with a finely-rosed syringe, thoroughly wetting the tree's in every 

 part. The best means of riddance is fumigation with tobacco, the house 

 being made quite full of the smoke, so that a plant cannot be seen 

 through the glass from the outside. The size of the fruit would be in- 

 creased by top-dressings with rich compost, and abundant supplies of 

 water, and occasionally liquid manure. Probably too many Peaches are 

 left on the trees, so that the trees are unable to swell the fruit to a good 

 size. 



House for Pise-Apple Culture [H. S.).— Both a lean-to and a span- 

 roofed house are good for the purpose, but had we onr choice we would 

 have a span-roof, wide enough to have a walk all round, and a walk 

 down the centre, with a bed on each side, and we would heat each bed 

 beneath, either with pipes or a tank, or both, and hive enough of top 

 heat for the atmosphere of the house. Thomson on the Pine Apple is 

 plain, terse, and much to the purpose. The ** Pine Apple Manual" would 

 probably suit you, and may be had from our office by post for 2s. 8d. 



Peaches Mealy (J(/fm).— Peaches become mealy and fall off, chiefly 

 Irom a too heavy crop, or from some irregularity as to moisture at the 

 roots. Strignant water will cause tht^m to fall, so will too much dryness, 

 ■and dryness succeeded by abundant watering at once. It is better to 

 water gradually. 



LtLiUM auratum after Flowering (A. r.).— Pot it as soon as the 

 leaves fall and the stem b-comes vellow. Do not disturb theroots, merely 

 remove anv loose soil. Give a moderate shift. Equal parts of fibrous 

 loam, sandy peat, and leaf mould will grovr it well. Drain the pots well, 

 pive a gentle watering after potting, and keep the soil just moist during 

 the winter. In potting leave space for top-dressing in spring. Winter in 

 n pit or house from which frost is excluded, though a few degrees of frost 

 will not injure the roots if the pots are plunged. Do not take the 

 bnlbs up. 



Tbop3:olum tricolorcm Culture (Id€m).~n ought to be potted 

 without delay, indeed it wi'l soon be in growth. It is well to use a rather 

 small pot. eay one G inches in diameter, and place it in one of larger size, 

 so that the rims of both may be on the same level, filling the space 

 between halfway up with crocks or the roughest part of the compost. 

 This may consist of two parts light fibrous loam, one part peat, one part 

 leaf soil or old cow dang, and one-sixth silver sand. Cover the bulb with 

 soil, and keep the soil moist. Never overwater. Commence training 

 early. Alight airy position in a greenhouse with a winter temperature 

 from fire heat of 40- to 45=' puits it. It will flower nest March or April. 



Trop^olums for Winter Decoration (J Salopian).— Tropxalnma 

 are excellent forwinter decoration. We employ the Lobbianum varieties. 

 Triomphe de Gaud, Brilliant, and Elegans, we like bes^t. We grow them 

 in two ways — us chmbers, and as poi plants ; in the first case we take olT 



cnttings in spring, or early in sammer, pot as required, and shift into 

 9inch pots in August, or at the beginning of September. The shoots are 

 trained to wires fixe.1 about 9 inches from th^ gl isa, but they will succeed 

 equally well on trellises iu a light situation. Triomphe de Gand is best 

 for this purpose. The soil nsed is a mixture of lurfy light loam, old 

 mortar rubbish, or broken pots, lenf mould or old cow duug, in equal 

 parts. Good drainage is necessary. Pot plants we raise from cuttinga 

 inserted at the end of July, or early in Ausust, in a gentle heat, placing 

 one cutting in a 3-inch pot. When the cuttings are rooted, we pinch out 

 their points three joints from the soil. When they begin to grow again 

 we harden them off, remove them to a o 1, airy house, shift into 4^-inch 

 poti^, and to each plnce a neat stake painted green, and not more than 

 13 inchea high. Tie thu shoots to the stake, and pinch off all flowar-buda 

 as they appear, stopping when the shoot has grown 6 inches. When it 

 again pushes select a leader, tie it to the stake, and pinch out the points 

 of the side shoots when they have grown so as to have three or four joints, 

 and stop the leader when it has grown 6 inches. Shift into a 6-inch pot, 

 and stop again at the third joint. The leider will now be at the top of 

 the stake. The plants will now begin to flower; keep them compact by 

 stopping at the fourth leaf. They will continue to grow and bloom most 

 of the winter, in a temperature of 45^ to 50=. If larger plants are wanted, 

 7, H, or even 9-inch pots may be used. Give no more water than enough 

 to keep them fresh. When the soil lecomes dry, give a good supply. 

 The tuberous-rooted Tropasolums, as tricolorum. Jarratti, &c., are also 

 good. Some notes on their culture will be fouod in answer to another 

 correspondent. They are very handsome if trained to a wire trellis, or to 

 the top of a young Spruce or Larch. 2 or 3 feet high, and the twigs of the 

 Spruce or Larch covered with the wire-like shoots of the Tropffioluma, 

 the pretty bright green leaves, and rich orange, yellow, and brown 

 flowers, have a fine effect on the centre of a dinner-table The Larch 

 tops make excellent supports for this class of plants much better than 

 wire trellises. The tops should have parted with the bark, or it should be 

 removed, the shoots thinned out, and the twig^ equally disposed, widest 

 at bottom, and gradually tapering upwards like a cone. Except for 

 dinner-table decorations, and particular purposes, so much care need not 

 be taken. 



Salt as a Manure for Strawberries (TT. 7.).— We should have no 

 idea of, as yon say, "pickling" Strawberry plants even in winter, but a 

 little thrown between the rows would be beneficial rather than otherwise. 

 No doubt salt would help to keep the soil moist. A Potato that grows 

 only 7 inches in height and ripens its tubers in two months from the tima 

 of planting, would no doubt be useful for pot culture. 



Flower-garden Arrangements (D. C). — Your arraiigement of the 

 fleur de lis will look very well, but we would border all ; thus, instead of 

 mixing 2, 2, in the first, we would centre with Golden Chain Pelargonium 

 and edge with Viola comuta ; and if we edged 3 with white Aiyssum we 

 would centre with a purple or chocolate-coloured Verbena Similar re- 

 marks may apply to the second group. The circles 4 an 18 may be planted 

 in almost any way, as they form no part of the groups. They will look 

 very fair, though we do not much like the Beet so near so many pretty 

 plants. (VitU). — We have no doubt you can make any of your proposed 

 arrangements look well ; but for the tank breaking the view we would 

 have preferred all the border being the same We like the plan first pro- 

 posed best, as the simplest and most effective. We do not enter into your 

 proposed panelling, as we do not see how you will have room for that and 

 so many regular rows besides. We would rather panel entirely the borders 

 round the tank, or vandyke them, and that would make a change. Any- 

 thing like intricacy in such borders generally mars the effect. 



Setting a Saddle-boiler IL I. F.>. — Your plan of setting the boiler 

 seems correct. A terminal saddle boiler is better than the common one, 

 as the end of the boiler is filled up. and with one tap you can empty both 

 sides. The great point is to have the top of the boiler considerably lower 

 than the lowest pipes in the house ; to have the flow pipe as near the 

 top, and the return pipe as near the bottoui of the boiler as possible: The 

 advantage of having a plate 15 inches from the furnace-door to the boiler, 

 chiefly consists in making the furnace larger, and securing when neces- 

 sary a slower combustion. The smaller boiler should suit your purpose 

 for such a small house ; but as changes of purpose cften take place, we 

 would prefer the larger-sized boiler named, as the expense of setting will 

 be much the same. The economy of working a sm^ll boiler will greatly 

 depend on the having a close-fitting furnace, and especially ash-pit doors, 

 also on having a damper in the chimney. As frequently stated, for 

 general purposes a flue or brick stove is cheaper for small houses, as do 

 what you will much heat will go up the chimney. The hot water, how- 

 ever, is the cleanliest way of applying heat, when a little more for fuel 

 is no consideration. 



Truss's Pipes and Joints {A. W. L.).— We hear that the advantages of 

 these pipes aud joints are neatness of appearance with perfect tightness. 

 The pipes miy be moved in any direction without impairing the joint; 

 any length of pipe can be taken out in a few moments and as quickly 

 inserted as required. They are made to any size, and are now laid by large 

 companies to 4-feet bore. The saving in cost of work is very considerable. 

 Various (Erin-go-Bragh).— The best way of heating such a conserva- 

 tory, opening into a drawing-room and dining-room, would be by hot- 

 water pipes beneath an open trellised pathway, and the beds or tables 

 so formed as to look most effdctive from the rooms. The large pond at 

 the bottom of the garden would do well for aquat cs, either pHnted out 

 or submerged in large boxes, or lashed. Such as the following would 

 suit you :— Aponofjetou distnchyon, Bu'omus umbellatus, Cilia palustris 

 Nuphar lutea, Nymphsea alba, and Hottonia palustris. There are few 

 Ferns that would grow on the sides of such a pond, unless there were 

 shade as well; but that noble Fern, the Osmunda regilis, would be in 

 its element in places at the sides, made like a marsh with a little bog or 

 heath soil. Ducks will dirty a pond, if shallow, with their movements, 

 and a pond of any kind, so far, with their droppings. Swans will not 

 thrive in very shallow water, and they prefer moving water to a pond, 

 however large. They live chiefly on vegetable matter, and thus do much 

 to keep water free from weeds, but at times they will also fare sumptu- 

 ously on the young of carp, tench, &c.. and such fish as are found in 

 still water. We do not give plans or plant plans of flower gardens, but 

 we criticise, and thus help. You mav easily change to your own mind 

 the form of the b°ds, and change of plan is often pleasing in itself. We 

 ourselves have had the same plan mnny years, but we change the plant- 

 ing every season. Most likely von would be assisted by " Flower Gar- 

 finnincFfnr the, Manv." pnce 4d., from our office, aud "Flower Garden 



dening for the Many,'' 



