Kovember 25, 1SG9. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



419 



begnn. One day an amateur gardener of some experience 

 came to see my treasures. "So you keep this nasty thing ? " 

 said he, givinj^ a rebellious branch a contemptuous push. 

 "Yes," I answered, a Utile grulily, "it is a favourite of mine." 

 "I hope you'll like it by-and-by," said my friend, still scorn- 

 fully. "And why not ? " thought I. So I kept it well trained 

 and well syringed, and first the los^er part of the blossoms ap- 

 peared, and faded, too, a little more quickly thau was com- 

 patible with true beauty, but I waited patiently for a perfect 

 bloom, and after awhile the mossy buds burst into a pale 

 heaven of blue, and for a few days 1 felt triumphant. 



The end of October was approaching, and d-imp days and 

 cold nights made fires necessary, and then my Plumbago 

 troubles came fast and thick upon me. As mothers' hearts 

 cling to their unruly children, so my heart clung to this ram- 

 pageous (1 am afraid that is not a dictionary word) plant, 

 its colour contrasted so well with Scarlet Pelargoniums aud 

 Begonias, with the pure white of Ericas, and the clear pink of 

 Epacrises. 



But the evil day was at hand. "Look here," said a friend 

 one morning, "this poor plant is covered with the thrips, 

 nothing will cure it but smoke." I hastened to the back of the 

 pillar and found the leaves spotted with a yellowish-white- 

 looking scale, with here and thei-e a dark buff little creature, 

 whilst the leaves still unspotted were powdered over as with 

 salt. I was in despair, but I ordered the Plumbago a smoke 

 bath to be taken directly. The next day things were not im- 

 proved, and Pooley's tobacco powder was suggested. I flew to 

 the syringe, gave a copious shower of water, and then of the 

 tobacco dust, till a fit of sneezing compelled me desist ; but all 

 to no purpose. I verily believe tha tiny monsters were con- 

 firmed snuB-takers, for I found them still on the leaves, and 

 masters of the situation. Then another amateur spoke. "You 

 will do no good till yon pick off every infected leaf." I ran for 

 scissors tnl knife, and cut away without mercy, till my "spe- 

 cimen " plant looked the most forlorn thing in Nature ; then I 

 brought soap and water, and washed branches and leaves, and 

 then gave another syringe ; after this I took away the top soil, 

 and added fresh, looking up in the "Cottage Gardeners' Dic- 

 tionary," for the most approved mixture. Then I thought I 

 had done all I could, and looking at the poor plant with a 

 savage mein, I said, "and if that won't do I'll cut you down, 

 and trust to Clematis, Taesonia, and Passiflora ;" and so I will, 

 for I love not to see a thing of beauty disfigured. 



I do not see how to make Plumbago capensis useful for out- 

 of-doors decoration in England, for it is a late-flowering plant, 

 and could not bear the rough winds of autumn, nor the early 

 frosts; but I have seen it in Jlentoue gardens blooming amidst 

 a very wilderness of sweets, while showers of Orange petals 

 were falling around. 



And, now, I have given a true and particular account of our 

 greenhouse Plumbago, such as "C. A. G. " has asked for. I 

 grant all that is spoken in praise of its pure sweet colouring, 

 but it is a plant difficult to manage, and awkward in its growth ; 

 besides, it is very seldom that a perfect bloom can be obtained 

 from its dilatory mode of coming out, which leaves the lower 

 blossoms discoloured and faded before the upper ones are per- 

 fected. 



I am writing in Devonshire, on November 5th, and blooming 

 in my own garden, and in the gardens around, we have Cy- 

 clamens, Roses, 'Verbenas, Salvia patens, Coronilla, Myrtles, 

 Violets (Czar, Devonia, and others). Pelargoniums, Chrysan- 

 themums, Carnations (here and there one), Fuchsias, in many 

 varieties, and other plants. I doubt if the flora of Jleutone 

 could furnish as many specimens. — FiLix-nxmNA. 



N.B. — I have trapped a laJy-cow, and have put it on a plant 

 of Asplenium marinum infested with mealy bug, which I in- 

 tend to leave undisturbed for the little lady's winter store. 



twenty miles, I imagine that at a greater distance the cost 

 would be very slightly increased. — Yicab. 



BRICK EDGINGS. 

 I CAS recommend to your correspondents an edging much 

 cheaper and more ornamental than that formed by common 

 bricks laid diagonally. There are manufactured at Bridge- 

 water excellent border tiles of the same material as ordinary 

 bricks. They are made a foot long nominally, but actually 

 somewhat over 10 inches, about 'J inches deep, and an inch 

 thick ; in fact, of the same form as terra-cotta tiles, aud having 

 a scolloped edge. I buy them from the local tradesmen at ti.v. 

 per hundred in any quantity, however small ; and as the tiles 

 are forwarded to the tradesman here per rail some sixteen or 



FLOWERING DAHLIA IMPERIALIS IN POTS. 



I HAVE succeeded in bloomin<}; the D.ihlia impcriahs iu pots. 

 I have now two plants of this Dahlia in 1'2-inch pots iu good 

 bloom, each imder G feet in height, with g:ood foliage, and well 

 studded with buds to within 2 feet of the pot. Should you think 

 it desirable, 1 should have much pleastire in forwarding them to 

 the next exhibition of the Hortieultural Society. — John Skaspe, 

 Waltham Cross. 



[Yes, we think a specimen should be seat to the Society. — 

 Eds.] 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 ■flTE are informed that Lieut.-Colonel Scott, E.E., F.L.S., 

 Hon. Secretary of the Kotal Hokiiccltubal Socieit, offers 

 for competition at the Society's first meeting in 1870 (January 

 I'Oth), five guineas (£5 5s.}, for an essay on the principles o£ 

 floral criticism. 



An entertainment was given by Messks. Sctton, of 



Reading, according to annual custom, on the 0th inst., to their 

 stafi of assistants, numbering on this occasion nearly 100. 

 One of the large stores was set apart for the purpose, and gaily 

 decorated. The proceedings commenced with a dinner at sis 

 o'clock. The principals were present the whole of the evening, 

 with members of their families. The company separated at 

 ten o'clock highly gratified. 



THE COMBINED ORCHARD HOUSE AND 

 VINERY. 



In some of the later editions of my little work, the " Orchard 

 House," I have adverted to the possibility of cultivating Grapes 

 in the same house with Peaches and Nectarines, recommend- 

 ing the Vines to be 10 feet apart, and closely pruned. 1 felt 

 some caution in giving this recommendation, as I had seen so 

 many orchard-house trees injured by Vines nearly or quite 

 covering the roof, and iu this attempt to serve two masters 

 both crops had failed. In the spring of 18G3, observing one of 

 my span-roofed houses, 100 feet by 2i, to have a bare appear- 

 ance, I determined to try if Vines could be enticed so as io 

 grow up and cover the pillars. 



I must, however, first give a description of the house, with 

 its good points and its appearance. It is, I repeat, 100 feet long 

 aud '21 wide ; its sides ate 5 ! feet in height — they should be 7 

 or 7i feet ; its height in tho centre is 1'2 feet — it should he 

 1-5 feet. The roof is supported inside by two rows of pillars 

 (alias 2inc'u gas-pipes), seven iu each row; these are 6 feet 

 from the sides, and are tied together, as seen iu the photograph 

 which I now send, by arches of iron rods, which keep the roof 

 firm, aud the whole building stable. 



■Well, it was iu April, 1805, that on looking into this house 

 and admiring the beautiful blossoms of the Peach trees, I 

 was struck with the bare look of tho " pillars " and arches, and 

 so, as I have always thought rapidly, and acted ditto, I called 

 one of our most active workmen and told him to take up 

 fourteen Black Hamburgh Vines from the border close by (the 

 border being sand, and the house standing on the boulder clay 

 some 30 or 10 feet deep); the.;e Vines were two years old, and had 

 been raised from eyes aud planted out, I directed my friend 

 — for is not every workman the employer's friend 1' — to take a 

 pick and make a hole about 18 inches square, and the same in 

 depth, at the foot of each pillar ; in fact, in the paths, for there 

 are in the house a central border G feet wide, two paths by the 

 pillars each 3 feet wide, and two borders next the sides each 

 6 feet wide. The clay was so hard — as the soil on which the 

 honae stands hid not been dug for seven years — that soma 

 diUioully was experienced in making the holes. 'When ready, 

 about a peck of rotten manure and loam was partiilly mixed 

 with tho calcareous clay, of which I enclose you a sample, and 

 the Vines cut down to tivo eyes, and then planted, lly single 

 idea was that they would grow sufficiently to cover the pillars 

 with their beautiful foliage, for Viue leaves are always " things 

 of beauty;" but to my surprise they started at ouce and made 

 shoots some 10 feet in length, and at once fulfilled their office. 

 I remember thinking at the time that as thoy had eaten up 

 their small quantity of food all at once, like a boy with his box 



