December 9, 1669. J 



JOUHNAL OF HOBTICULTUHE A>iD COTTii^GE G.^^vBENKK. 



4tl 



frnit. The roots should be kept warmer, watered ^h tepid weakmannrc 

 water ; and the sarface Boil removed and replaced 67 a richer soil. If the 

 roots have descended into a cold nngciiial subsoil, they should be raised 

 to nearer the surface. 



pROTECTiNO A ViNE EoRDER f JriaiiTiii 1-— We recommond the shelter- 

 ing of Vine borders from rain from the time that the Grapes are ripe 

 until the buds begin to swell, or from September to April, tbonph if the 

 Vines are started in February the covering should be removed by day 

 when the days are mild and suu .:y, and replaced at niflht ; and to admit 

 of the border receiving moisture it should bj uncovered during mild rrxins, 

 bat protected againbt cold deluging ruius. In fact, the covering of the 

 border is desirable up to May, during cold heavy rains and frosty nights. 



Unripe Tomatoks (IiUm). — We are not aware that these are of any 

 nee in an unripe state, but you may hang them in a warm and dry place, 

 and they will in most instances ripen, and become fit for every culinary 

 purpose. 



Applying Soot to Fruit Trees (Idem).— In March you may sp/inble 

 soot on the soil about fruit trees as far as the roots extend, and repeat 

 the dressing in May. At each lime the ground may be made ijuite I»lack. 

 After this it is best applied ns a liquid manure, putting one peck to thirty 

 gallons of rain water, well Etirred-up before use. A pood soaking of this 

 in dry weather during summer would be very serviceable. 



Vines in Pots (Dorset). — There is nothing on this mode of cultnro in 

 the work you mention, but there is in " The Vine Manual," which >ou 

 can have post free from our office if you enclose thirty-four postage 

 stamps with yonr address. 



Roses on Manetti Stocks (Ealcyon).—"' Yout qnery, 'How am I to 

 grow Roses on Manttti stocks planted a year ago ?' is too general. My 

 Roses on the Manetti stock, whether planted lately or ycRrs back, are 

 treated thus: — They are tied to a stake, as they are open to the strong 

 west and south-west winds. Kound their base litter is now placed, and 

 the soil is drawn over the litter like a molehill. This will preserve the 

 roots and protect 3 or 4 inclies of the wood. If the frost, which I expect 

 will ba severe in January, kill the upper portion of the wood, still the 

 lower protected portion will break. In the spring the trees will be thinned 

 ont, cutting away all the weak wood, the strong shoots shortened, and the 

 side branches cut to a sound plump ere. In summer, especially in hot 

 weather, I keep the ground shallow-stirred over the roots, and deeply 

 stirred between the rows, and I water copiously over the leaves, stems, 

 and roots twice a-week. Orange fungus should be cut out, aphides 

 killed by hand, and the trees should be well syringed. In February the 

 molehills may be spread.— W. F. Radcltffe." 



List of Roses [liosaluut^. — Your list of thirty-eight Roses in so good 

 that it is difiicult to suggest rauch alteration. "We should erase Lady 

 Emily Peel, President Mas. Camiile de Eernardin. Monsieur Wooltield, 

 Souvenir de Dr. Jamin, Charles Rouillard, Louise Darzens, Alfred do 

 Rougemont, Aimt^e Vibert, and instead of the two Mosses Lanei and 

 Crested, we would grow one of M. Edouard Ory. This wiil leave ten 

 places to fill up, in which we should plant Abel Grand, Antoine Durher, 

 Comtesse C. de Chalrillnnt, Elie Morel, Fronnoig Lncharme, Mar- 

 gnerite de St. Amand, M. Norcan, Wdlle. Marie Rndy, ]\Iarie Enumann, and 

 Victor Verdier. There are, however, some o-Lher Roses which you ought 

 to have if room can be foitnd for them, or if any of those not discarded 

 from the list are bad plants, as Duchesse de Caylus, Ducde Cnzes, Due 

 de Wellinpton, Frani,-oifi Louvat, Gloire de Vitry, La Brillante, Le Rhone, 

 La France, Madame Clt-mence Joigneaux, Marechal Vaillant. Prince 

 Camiile de Rohan, and Thorin. We are not quite certain whether the 

 Rose named in the list as " Mile, le Earonne Rothschild"' is Madame la 

 Raronne de RotLschild or Monsieur le Baron de Rothschild ; the tv/o 

 names are rather puizUng, lut MHdame la Baronne is one o! the finet^t 

 Roses grown, a most beautiful eatin pink, and ought to be in every col- 

 lection. 



Ydcca Planting fSunni/).— The best time to plant Yuccas is in April 

 or the beginning of May ; but we have planted them from August to No- 

 vember successfully. Tibey succeed best in a deep, wcll-draiued, mo- 

 derately rich, ligkt loam, and in wet heavy soils are be^t grown on 

 mounds or rockwork. Yucca aloifolia pendula is, perhaps, the tenderest 

 of all the hardy kinds, and it rarely succeeds except in sheltered situ- 

 ations and dry Eoils, or in ptsitions near the sea. It usually tlower'i in 

 August. It does not flower very often, owing to the plant not obtaining 

 a position warm enough to attain a sufficient size for flowering. 



Chrysanthemcms in a Greenbod>-e (J(7f »t)-— All the Chrysanthe- 

 mems are hardy, and will succeed in the open ground with a little leaf 

 soil or litter placed over thtin to protect them from severe frost. The 

 duration of their flowers, however, is too often shortened by severe au- 

 tumn froets. Those you have in pots in the greenhouse may be planted 

 out of doors after flowering, turning them out of the pots, or plunging 

 these to the rim, and with a slight protection of dry litter in severe 

 weather they will survive the winter. It is better to protect the plants by 

 a frame, or place them in a warm sheltered situation for the winter. 



Azalea Losing its Leaves [C. A. G.). — We do not think there is any- 

 thing the matter with the plant. It i^j usual for Azaleas to lose part of 

 their leaves at this or an earlier period, and some of the white kinds be- 

 come almost leafless ; but that does not »<£Fect their flowering. 



CAiTELLiAS FOR OcT OF DooRS (Comtant Beadtr).— Unless your situ- 

 ation is mild, and the soil well drained, you will not find Camellias snc- 

 ceed. They are best planted in &ummer after the growths are made, 

 though plants well hardeued-ofl'uiay be planted in spring. Ont of doors 

 their treatment does not di2"dr fioru thjit of hardy evergreen shrubs. 

 Some of the hardiest ?-re Alba plena, Bealii (Leeaua superbal, Donkelaari, 

 Esimia, Imbricata, Monarch, Prince Albert, Reticulata, Striata, and 

 Wilderi. 



Sweet Jasmine Pruning i_Idch:). — The best time to prune is in f:priug 

 before it begins to grow, cutting away the old wood and shoots that havy 

 flowered. All shoots not required for extension, or to fiU-up vacant spaces, 

 may be closely spurred-in to within one or two joints of their base. It 

 IB well, however, to leave some young shoots, as the flowers are liner 

 fro2ithem than those borne by spurs. The flowers are produced from 

 he points of the shoots of the current year. 



Three Pear trees for a Sodth Wall (L. H.).— Doyenne du Cornice, 

 Winter Nelis, and Ne Plus Meuris. They are late dessert Pears. 



Methylated Spirit (T. il.).— It is sold by the druggists. It is applied 

 by a brash to the branches on which the scale (Coccus) is fixed. 



Rhododkndeion Stem Damaged {W. T.).— The standanl Rhododendron 

 Barclayfinum with the wonndeon the stem, "the bark oflF sharp aod 

 clean, v.'ithout the wood being diimaged," ou^ht to bo covered with«i&^ 

 well worked with aboxit one-third of c )w dung. Cover the wound tbiniy, 

 and secure the whole with matting neatly tied on. It will prevent the 

 wood from decaying by excluding wet, and will encourage the growth of 

 the bark over the wounded part. The clay should be renewed as required, 

 and in summer be covered with a little moss to keep it from cracking." 



Weedy Lawn (--f Subscribe:!-),— Yon will gain little by parin2:-oS" the 

 turf unless you have it deeply dug or trenched, afterwards picking out 

 the deeply-rooted weeds, sn- h as Dandelion. We would do this, and then 

 apply the fresh soil as early as we could, so that it might have time 

 to settle and become tinn before spring. You may then level any in- 

 equalities, and having the Furinco in pood working order, sow early in 

 April as you propose. Anstbiug that would kill the weeds in the old or 

 new soil would injure the grass seeds. 



Warm and Cool Greenkoose (rvfujji).— The greenhouse with a tem- 

 perature of 8j\ which we presume is tba minimum night temperature, will 

 be suitable for all kinds uf hardwoided pUnts, Cinerarias, and Calu-eolarias, 

 also Pelargoniums an 1 many of the hardiest of the Cactus tribe, no water 

 being given them e:;cept to keep them from shrivelling. The Lantanat;, 

 Solanums, Tecojna and Mimulus, with all kinds of bedding plants well 

 rooted, and not recently potted, would be the better of the cool hoaso 

 rather than the warm one at 41;.-, if they be kept dry. The other house at 

 a night temperature of 45 will answer for Eucharis and mmy cool stovo 

 plants— as Dracsnas, tic , they being kept sparingly watered. It is wt;I 

 to have in the warm hojso newly-struck Pelargonium cuttings, also 

 newly-potted plants, until they become well rooted and established ; then 

 they should bo removed to the cool house. 



Wintering Fuchsias (7tZ'j»0.— The Fuchsias T\-ill do well in the harness- 

 room, keeping them from frost by a covering of dry hay wrapped atwnt 

 the pots, and covering the tops with m^its or other protecting material. 

 No water should be given beyond a little occasionally if required to keep 

 the wood from shrivellincr, and during mild weather only. If frost bo 

 not excluded the plants v.'ill die. 



Late Tulips (Tulips).— Oi yonr Tulips the following are good r—floscs .- 

 Vicar of Radford, Mary Lamb, Claudiana, Maid of Falaise, and Bion. 

 BijbUeviens: Lady Leicester, Chellaaton Beauty, Maid of Orleans, and 

 Due de Bordeaus. Bizarres : Gold Cup, Duke of Devonshire, Solon, and 

 Sir Joseph Paston. Many of the others are sometimes good, but we havo 

 pointed out the best in your list. Your must rely on your own genius as 

 to the crossing. They are sometimes grown in pots, but it is not ad- 

 vantageous. The price you name per dozen is very cheap. Those we 

 have named are worth four times the money you have given, for the 

 whole, 



Clivia nobtlis not Growing (I^^uhi).— The plant potted seven weeks 

 ego will very likely not grow until spring. Keep the soil no more than 

 moist duricg the winter. To do well, it requires a warm greenhouse. The 

 kitchffn window is much too dry for it, and the temperature too high acd 

 fluctuating. The sphagnum on the top of the pot would do as much 

 harm as good. Do not use it. 



Peperomia AR3YR5A Treatmrnt (.IZ". H".).— It requircs a temperature 

 of from 55'-' to 65'^ in wintar, and 05' to So- in summer. Being a dwa.-f 

 Bteuiless species, it is best grown in a pan. well drained, and filled with 

 sandy fibrous pedt and sandy loam, in equalparts, torn in pieces with the 

 hand, and used rather rou:2h, charcoal in pieces from the size of a pea to 

 that of a hazel nat, crocks broken small, and silver sand, of the Ust three 

 half a part, the whole well mixe I, using the finer portions for placing over 

 the roots. When the plant is growing give it a moist atmosphere, and 

 liberal supplies of water when it is growing freely, keeping it in a slightly 

 shaded po'silion. When not growing the soil should be rather drier. Avoii 

 wetting the leaves, as they are apt to become disfigured if water stand or 

 drip on them. 



BiLLEERGiA IBIDIFOLIA (J.?er/il.— It is usual for the eld stems and leaves 

 to die down utter flowering, young ones being produced from their bases. 

 The old ones survive until the young growths are matured or for ad- 

 vanced, as in the cr.ae ot the majority of Bromeliads. 



Potting Violets (J?u/'1.— The plants put into pmnll pots ought to be 

 shifted without delay into their blooming pots. The shift should not be 

 largo, say from a 3-inch to 4A-inch pot, or at the most n 5-inch pot. If 

 already in 4 to r-inch pots do not pot them, especially as you wish the 

 plant.s to fiov,-er in Janu-irv or February. In 3-inch p.jts they canuot be 

 expected to do much, though with us they huve succeeded well in that 

 size of pot. A rich fibrous loam, light rather than heavy, with a little 

 leaf soil and old cow dung, wiil gfow them well. The proportion of four 

 parts loam to one part of each of the other ingredients will do well. The 

 runners which have formed since the plants were potted should be cut ofi'. 



Potting Heliotrope?, pELAitGONiUMs, Lobelias, and SAL■^^AS {Idcvi). 

 —For winter-blooming the plants should not be repotted now unle,^s they 

 are in very small pots ; then a sUght shift would ha advantageous. They 

 flower more freely when the pots are flUed wiih roots. 



Cucumbers for a Trellis (A SiLhscriber).~An Cucumbers are suit- 

 able for trellises. Telegraph. Newton Hero, and All the Year Round are 

 three of the best Cucumbers for winter or summer. 



Decot^ative Greenhouse Plants (Zcft'<H).— We presume by decorative 

 gieenho.iee plants you mean those which may be employed in-doors at 

 times, which are of good close habit, and frec-blooming. Acacia armata, 

 A. longiflora magnifica, A. oleifolia elegans, Bouvardia Humboldti, B. Le:, 

 antha^floribunda, Chorozema vuriuui nanum, C. cordatum splendene- 

 Otaheite Orange. Correas Briiliimi and Harrisi, Cyclamen persicum vars., 

 Cypripedium insi^jne, C\tisu3 AUeeanus. C. raceuiosus, Hibbertia Reidii, 

 Hydrangea japonica aiid its variegated variety, Kalosanthes coccinea 

 superba, Linnm trigvnum, Monoch.Ttnm ensiferum, Myitle, Rhouoden- 

 dvon jasminiflorum and Princess Royal, Solanum c ipsicastrum. Statics 

 brasBicg?folia, Vallota purpurea, and Witsenia covymbosa. Flowering 

 plants of all the preceriing may be purchased at a moderate price, 

 and with herbaceous Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Pelargonmms, Primulas, 

 Fuchsias, Violets, Deutzia gracilis, Dielytra spool ilulis, and bulLs, you 

 may keep up a succession of bloom throughout the year. Camellias, 

 Azaleas, and Epacrises will not, of course, ba omitted, as they are among 

 the very best winter and spring flowering plants. A few fine-fohaged or 

 variegated greenhouse plants nre— Bamhusa Fortunci v.iriegata, Chama;- 

 ropa escelea (perhaps the finest of all dwarf Pahn.^), Dracrena au.-traUe, 



