October 7, I860. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AMD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



270 



they have had high cultivation. Semiramis has, on the other 

 hand, bcsn very beautiful, and by no means showing the coarse- 

 ness that has been attributed to it, such as is often seen in 

 Madame Boll, which I have almost discarded. 



Light and white Roses with the constitution of some of the 

 crimson kinds are still a desideratum. La Baronne de Roths- 

 child appears to be a step towards it. Caroline de Sansal is still 

 one of my test Remontants, and Mdlle. Bonnaire the most beau- 

 tiful — it grows satisfactorily here. Souvenir de Malmaison and 

 Acidalie are yet unsurpassed ; the former has bloomed profusely 

 throughout the summer. Mrs. Rivers, Queen Victoria, and 

 Madame Vidot are Roses that always please but never satisfy 

 the rosarian, unless he has favourable soil for their culture. I 

 doubt whether Miss Ingram will do more. A -word of praise 

 may be said for Princess Mary of Cambridge, JIdlle. Annie Wood, 

 Mdlle. Mary Rady, William Gritfilhs, and Baron Gonella. 



Of newer kinds there is not much to say. La France is pretty 

 and desirable, perfectly distinct, and free-blooming. It will be 

 seen whether this variety will produce a progeny leading a step 

 out of the " rut." Marguerite Dombrain will not hold a promi- 

 nent place long. Merveille d'Anjou, Madame Barriot, Madame 

 Pulliat, Baron Haussmann, S' uvenir de Francjois I'onsard, Sou- 

 venir de Mons. Boll, President Willermoz, and Cure do Charcntay 

 have as yet shown nothing to recommend them — more than one 

 of them quite the contrary. Madame Marie Cirodde is a most 

 vigorous grower with large rough t'owers, the reverse of the 

 petals more deeply coloured than the upper surface, a pec\iliarity 

 that few besides Rose critics will notice. Neither Paul Vcrdier 

 nor Miss Ingram are Remontants, and though very good, by no 

 means surpass those grand old favourites Charles Lawson and 

 Blairii No. 2, which they somewhat resemble but will never 

 Bupplant. 



There are a few Roses that yield, year after year, flowers that 

 " when viewed aright must be seen on the living plant," but are 

 apt to be pooh-poohed by many Rose-growers. In this category 

 I place Empereur de Maroc, whose compact velvety maroon is 

 not yet equalled by any other Rose. Eugene Apport, again — 

 observe the young foliage of this Rose with its peculiar but deli- 

 cately reddish-tinted leaves ; the rich scarlet of the flower scema 

 to have infused itself not only into the leaves, but into the very 

 wood of the plant. General Jacqueminot, too, shows his ruddy 

 petals conspicuous among a host. We all like to see the colour 

 of a Rose and to inhale its fragrance — the " old General " has 

 both. Triomphe de Paris is a favourite, because with Gloire de 

 DijoH it is the first to expand its flowers in May, and the last to 

 go out of bloom in November. 



I have now contributed my quota. May I ask others to do 

 the same, that we may compare notes ? — Adolphus H. Kent. 



CUCUMBER CULTU*RE.— No. 10. 



Insects. — The most common and hurtful is tlirips. There 

 is no better remedy than famigation with tobacco. A calm 

 evening should be chosen ; the lights covered with mats or 

 canvas, so as to keep the smoke as long about the plants as 

 possible, and the foliage should be dry, though the floor and 

 other parts of the house should be wet, to counteract the drying 

 influence of the fumigation. Care should be taken to deliver 

 the smoke cool, and not directly upon the plants, if possible. 

 U they are in a pit or frame, there will te no necessity for any 

 moisture beyond that which arises from the soil. The atmo- 

 sphere of the place should be filled so full of smoke that the 

 foliage cannot be seen from the outside. The fumigation 

 should be repeated on the next night but one, keeping the 

 place close and moist in the interval, but avoid syringing the 

 plants. Fumigate again whenever the insects appear, and 

 before the foliage is to any extent damaged. 



Red spider should be guarded against by maintaining a moist 

 atmosphere, and by other preventive measures. The walls and 

 hot-water pipes should be coated with sulphur brought to the 

 consistency of paint, by the addition of a solution of 4oz8. of 

 soft soap in a gallon of water. This should be put on when the 

 plants are turned out, or soon afterwards, and the application 

 may be repeated when the sulphur ceases to give off its fumes. 

 The evaporation troughs may be kept full of guano water of 

 the strength of 4ozs. of guano to the gallon, and the floors 

 sprinkled with the same, but of a strength not exceeding 2oz3. 

 to the gallon of water. Another good preventive is syringing 

 with soot water made by stirring up a peck of soot in thirty 

 gallons of water, using the clear liquid. 



In cases of actual attack the above measures should he re- 

 sorted to, for they are remedial as well as preventive. Pipes 



should be coated with sulphur after they are heated to 160*, ti 

 the water heated to between that and 180°. Repeat the paint- 

 ing until the house is quite full of sulphur fumes, and the ail 

 becomes oppressive to tbe lungs. After coating the pipes with 

 sulphur, it is well to sprinkle them lightly with water for a 

 short time, so as to fill the house with vapour. Tbe house 

 should, of course, be shut up closely, and in the morning a 

 good syringing should be given. This, repeated a few times, 

 will effectually destroy red spider. 



Plants in frames are not so easily freed of red spider. I find, 

 however, that coating the inside with the sulphur paint (no6 

 allowing it to touch the leaves, as every spot on them made by 

 the brush will certainly destroy that portion, on account of the 

 soft soap with which it is mixed) will destroy red spider, if the 

 frame be shut up early in the afternoon, and a gentle sprink- 

 ling of water he given. The temperature, however, ought not 

 to exceed 100° after the frame is closed. In severe cases, the 

 plants may be syringed with sulphur, dissolving 1 oz. of gum 

 arable in a quart of water, and then adding sufficient flowers 

 of sulphur to bring the whole to a paste, which, when well 

 stirred up in three gallons of water, may be syringed over the 

 foliage between 3 and 4 p.u. on a fine day, and the lights drawn 

 on closely. On the following day the plants may be lightly 

 sprinkled with water at the same time, and the lights closed. 

 To prevent the insect spreading, the leaves worst infested 

 should be picked ofi and burnt, thus not only destroying great 

 numbers of the perfect insect, but a host of eggs. These re- 

 marks apply to thrips as well as to red spider. 



Aphis occasionally attacks the Cucumber plant ; destroy it by 

 fumigation with tobacco smoke. 



Diseases. — ilildew sometimes makes its appearance. It 

 yields to dusting the leaves, stems, and fruit on all sides with 

 flowers of sulphur. In houses the readiest plan is to paint the 

 pipes with snlphur, as for red spider. 



Canker. — This is not very common, and is a result of too 

 great moisture in the atmosphere or soil succeeding conlinHed 

 dryness. It mostly occurs when plants are over- vigorous. It is 

 confined to the stem, generally near to the collar of the plant — 

 a part which should be kept more thin of leaves than the other 

 parts, and not wetted in watering. The remedy is to clear off 

 the leaves that deprive the cankered stem of light and air, and 

 not to wet it. No more water should be supplied than is 

 needed to keep the foliage fresh, and an abundance of air ought 

 to be given. The parts affected ought to be rubbed until dry 

 with quicklime, and then dusted with finely-powdered dry 

 charcoal, repeating this proceeding as long as the ulceration 

 continues, and if it cease for a time, it will return in a few days, 

 unlsss the treatment be less forcing. Cankered plants are not 

 long-lived; indeed, it is rare that their existence can by any 

 mode of treatment be prolonged beyond a few days or weeks ;. 

 but in most cases the above treatment will preserve the plants 

 until the fruit be swelled off, and others can be raised to take 

 their place. 



Canker is sometimes caused by the nse of nnsnitable soil. 

 Very rich soils induce excessive vigour, necesFitate frequently 

 stopping and thinning the shoots, and both stems and frtiit 

 are attacked by canker. Neither Cucumbers nor Melons do so 

 well in calcareous soils as in some others ; soil from freestone 

 is in every respect preferable to that overlying limestone. 



Gumming or Extravasation of Sap. — The causes of this in 

 the Cucumber are excessive vigour, and tbe contraction of the 

 sap vessels. If an excessive amount of nourishment is fur- 

 nished by the roots, the sap being formed more rapidly than 

 the vessels can take it away, there is an exudation of gummy 

 matter both from the stems and fruit, and the latter become 

 deformed and valueless. The only remedy is to prune little, 

 to give more air and warmth, so as to assist the circulation, to 

 remove part of the soil, and replace it with some which is 

 poorer or more sandy. Gumming is most ommon with plants 

 in frames late in the season, when the roots are in the dung of 

 the bed. The atmosphere is then more moist, and the heat 

 being less, the elaboration of the sap is much slower than in 

 summer under powerful sun. I have known a lining of hot 

 dung to the sides of the bed and frame entirely put a stop to 

 this disease, the plants being watered sufficiently, but no more. 

 When contraction of the sap vessels is the cause, there is a 

 swelling of the stem or fruit immediately above the place of 

 discharge. It is usually a result of weakness, and there is no 

 remedy but stirring the surface soil, and replacing it with 

 fresh, the application of more warmth to the roots by linings 

 to the bed, or bottom heat, and a careful reduction of the shoots 

 — it must be done cautiously, or we may have extravasation in 



