353 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



( NoTember 4, 1869. 



better to select those in the first and second series ; (or althoagh 

 OCCBSionally some of the other series may be doniruble, yet it 

 is only an exceptional case, and for the last few years the 

 dearest varieties have been the best. If the pocket allow it, I 

 should advise the series of tweaty-foar ; the remaioing nine I 

 know nothing of.— D., Deal. 



MILDEW ON ROSES. 



I, IN my tarn, vrould like to be of nse if can, and I venture 

 to send you a receipt for the cure of mildew on Roses. I may 

 state at once that this is not a discovery of my ovra, but a 

 remedy recommended to me by a lady who is a most success- 

 ful grower of flowers, and she received it from a nurseryman. 

 I assert that it is a complete cure. Kub down in a gallon of soft 

 water 1 lb. of soft soap ; with the solution syringe the upper 

 and under surfaces of the foliage, and the mildew will disappear 

 aa if by magic. Mr. Rivers recommends a cure in soot. Perhaps 

 soap is more cleanly ; it is, I am sure, as effectual — though I 

 do not for a moment doubt the eiBcacy of soot — and an outlay 

 of one shilling will clear one hundred plants from every vestige 

 of the disease if properly applied. I find it useful to syringe 

 the trees with clear water next day to rid them of the whitish 

 deposit which fixes on the edges of the leaves after the applica- 

 tion of the solution. There is no necessity to cut off the 

 blooms ; the solution could only damage these in proportion 

 to the force with which it hit them, and as contact with the 

 niUdew is all that is required, no force is necessary. — J. 6. S. 



VINE-GRAFTING, POLE-TRAINING, ic. 



I HOPE "A Eeadek" (page 328), as well as others, may find 

 the following answers to his questions useful : — 



First, " degree and source of heat ? " I think it only proper 

 to state, that the Vines now fruiting had been grown altogether 

 out of doors, and the fruit ripened in that way. The house, 10 feet 

 by 16, was constructed by myself ready for the glass, but that 

 was not fixed into thejrafter sash-bars till the beginning of De- 

 cember, 1808, and then only to protect the roots from being sod- 

 den with snow and rain. No heat of any kind was given, except 

 that which could be obtained from the sun, till the middle of 

 September, ISiJ'J. On the 'Mth of that mouth the first tire was 

 lighted in the iron stove lined with fire brick, to finish cff the 

 Grapes and harden the canes for next year's duty. The stove 

 contains about a cubic foot of small coke, and there is a 4-inch 

 pipe through the roof for smoke. The temperature of the 

 house for several mornings when the young bunches appeared, 

 was as low as 34°, and not more than .50° with sun at midday — 

 have the kindness to remember the very long cold spring of 

 this year. During the summer, when I obtained 7.5' with sun, 

 every opening for air — the doors at each end, the wood flaps 

 front and back — ^was set open. At no time, even during frost, 

 day or night, is the house totally closed. The glass is so placed 

 at the top and each end, that a stream of fresh air is constantly 

 passing through the house day and night. This is of vital 

 importance to all plants. 



" Are such Grapes pole-grown ? " Yes. My poles are some 

 of them 7, and others 'J feet long. The slope of the roof gives 

 this. Some of the Vines have two poles, some four poles to a 

 stool. This depends on the vigour of the plant. Again, I have 

 Vines which in time will want eight poles ; this will give — say 

 72 feet run of cane, enough to maintain a plant in robust health, 

 consequently highly fruitful. I do not confine my Vines to 

 any given number of poles ; the vigour of the plant and the 

 cultivator's judgment must do this ; but in no case would I 

 confine a strong, robust Vine to two poles when it was able to 

 fill four, yet I think eight poles of '.(-feet length quite sufficient 

 scope. In all pole-training, one-third more length of rod for 

 fruiting is obtained, let the size of the house be what it may ; 

 also the great advantage of sun heat to the roots upon the in- 

 side border, and being able to grow pot plants, or protect them, 

 which cannot be done when the roof is a mass of Vine leaves, 

 as when Vines are trained to the rafters. Again, the Vines are 

 warmer, being more in the body of the house, and the foliage 

 not so exposed to coll as when roof-trained. 



" In borders, or pots ? " Part of the Vines are in the borders, 

 and part in large pots, as I contemplated the removal of some 

 of the Vines to give room to others. The Vines in pots had 

 all the holes in the pots' bottoms made very large to enable the 

 roots to run out, and the pots were sunk deeply enough for the 

 roots to run out over the rims as well. 

 Pruning. I am adopting two distinct modes. First, if the 



Vine has four poles, I let two rods produce Grapes, while 

 grow two rods for the next year's fruiting. Those which have 

 fruited I cut away as clo.^ely to the earth as possible, leaving 

 one eye only to produce the rod to fruit again. If a two-pole 

 Vine, I fruit one rod ; if an eight-pole Vine I fruit four poles. 



I may distinguish another method of pruning, as No. '2. It 

 vrUi not matter if the Vine is a two or an eight-pole one, as in 

 this case I fruit a rod to every pole ; therefore, I obtain a double 

 crop, as compared with the first method of pruning ; but to 

 make up for the work imposed on the Vine, I fruit every other 

 Vine ; thus, if Vine No. 1 fruited all its rods this year, when 

 the Grapes are gathered it is cut down to the earth, and 

 next year it grows canes only for again fruiting the year after. 

 So, in one case I fruit every alternate cane, and in the other 

 every alternate Vine. Which of these two methods I may 

 adopt, time must decide, or possibly the habit and constitution 

 of any particular Vine. 



My house is a lean-to, but I prefer a span-roof with a sharp- 

 pitched roof. Any lady or gentleman can view this house of Vines 

 by calling and leaving a caid of address at my dwelling ; and if 

 " A EEADEit " thinks of planting, do not forget a grafted plant 

 of Chaouch. All who taste say it is delicious, and should he 

 give me a call, he shall have a berry to decide for himself, pro- 

 vided the call be made within fifteen days, as I have only a 

 bunch left, and that will be at the U \vil Horticultural Society's 

 meeting, on Tuesday, the IGlh of November. — R. M. \V., iluunt 

 ns</ali, near Sheffield. 



GYMNOSTACHYUM PEARCEI AND 

 VERSCHAFFELTI. 



"F. P. L ," page 319, highly recommends Gymnostaohyam 

 Verschaffelti and Pearcei. They are worthy of all his praise ; 

 their charms are not transient, but the longer we look at them 

 the more we see to admire. In the leaves of these plants, as 

 it were the mystic works of Nature, how interesting to trace the 

 ramitioations of the veins carrying life to every part and ex- 

 tremity of the leaves ! How supremely skilfully these supply- 

 pipes are laid ! In truth, as " F. P. L." says, every leaf is a 

 complete bouquet ; it is this and more— it is a book, teaching 

 skill, and care, and beauty, and wisdom — read it. I can never 

 think of the Gymnostachyums without associating with them 

 their equally beautiful ally, Fittonia argyroneura ; twin sisters 

 in form, beauty, and decorative adaptability, they should never 

 be separated. 



In addition to the mode of cuUnre noticed by "F. P. L.," 

 they are very fine as pyramids ; fill a large pot or pan with soil, 

 insert round its sides stakes of strong wire, and fasten them 

 together to a circle of wire at the top, of sufficient diameter to 

 allow of a pot falling in and fastening itself. Oihcr circles of 

 wire must be fastened round the uprights for firmaesF. Have 

 ready a lot of small, fresh-struck plants ; put a row round the 

 edge of the pot ; then put in the trellis a layer of soil, finish- 

 ing on the out.side neatly and firmly with moss. Continue to 

 build up with soil and plants until the top is reached. Finish 

 by inserting a pot containing a plant in the top. This is 

 better than bringing the wires together to a point, as the pot 

 cin at any time be lifted out, and sufficient water can be poured 

 in the cavity to percolate the entire pyramid of soil. The soil 

 for this purpose should be very open ; lumpy peat, perfectly dry 

 cow dung, cocoa-nut fibre, or chopped moss and lumps of char- 

 coal, will be suitable. The amount of house room, and number 

 of plants at command, will determine whether the pyramid be 

 1 or 10 feet high. Such pyramids are really fine ol'jects, and 

 are now a distinctive feature in most large collections of stove 

 plants. 



The plants should be put in early in spring, when a brisk 

 heat and plenty of atmospheric moisture can be provided 

 them, and they will make rapid progress. 



These plants, and especially Fittonias, delight in a shaded 

 place. Direct sunlight mars their beauty. It is to me a little 

 singular, that with two plants standing close together, while 

 the brown scale makes determined and persistent attacks on 

 the Gymnostachyum, it never attempts a lodgement on the 

 Fittonia, nor are either of them troubled by any other insects 

 that I am aware of. — .J. W. 



Soot as a Remedy for Mildew.— After a practice of two 



seasons in occasionally dusting my store Verbenas with soot, I 

 fiud it better than other things I have tried, keeping the 



