March 18, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOOLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Rrow them ou the same stage with others that would be injured 

 by it, a compromise must be made. 



Plants of Ixoras that were in flower at midwinter, after being 

 cut-back a few weeks ago, are now starting freely ; they must 

 be exposed to the light and freely syringed. Stephanotis, 

 Allamaudas, and other climbers are now making free growth, 

 and require tying-in to the trellis. Those in pots intended for 

 specimens should not be tiedin closely ; the young growths 

 should be tied-out until the flowers are nearly opened, when 

 they should be regularly arranged on the trellis intended for 

 them. 



Dendrobiums that flower in the spring and summer months, 

 such as D. Bensonifo, D. densiflorura, D. Farmeri, D.Dalhousi- 

 anum, D. McCarthias, and many others, are now throwing out 

 their flower trusses after being kept dry at the roots all the 

 winter. Tiiey now require to be well soaked with water at the 

 roots, but not overhead. The water should be warmed by stand- 

 ing in pots close to the hot-water pipes for a few hours. Some of 

 them are very liable to be attacked by red spider, and the young 

 growths are sometimes totally ruined before it is noticed. 

 D. Devonianum is generally attacked first. In the case of this 

 species the best treatment is to syringe the plant every day, or, 

 if this is not convenient, the leaves must be washed with a 

 sponge and soapy water on the first appearance of the spider. 



Oncidiums, such as 0. ampliatum, O. phymatochilum, itc, 

 that throw-up the flower stems shortly after the pseudo-bulbs 

 are formed, must be watched, as slugs, should any be in the 

 house, have a particular fancy for the young flower spikes as 

 they rise from the base of the bulbs. In the house devoted to 

 cool Orchids it is more necessary to shade from sunshine than 

 it is in the more tropical department. About 45^ at night is the 

 temperature maintained at present. The flowers of Odonto- 

 glossum crispum had become infested with green fly, and as 

 fumigating is very dangerous they are swept off with a small 

 camel-hair brush. The flowers are also very easily damaged by 

 spotting, but this may be avoided by judicious airiug and an 

 atmosphere not saturated with moisture, but only of moderate 

 humidity. — J. Douglas. 



HOBTrCULTUBAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be hold. 

 OLAsonw.— Morch 24th, Jane 16th, September 8lh. Mr. F. O. Dougall, 1C7, 



Oaaninti Street, Sec. 

 Jersbv. — May 5'.h, R'jR03.Tuno 16th, Autumn October 13th, Chrysauthemumg 



Novernber 10th. Mijor Ilowell, Spring Grove, St. Lawrence, Hon. Sec. 

 Bath.— j\lay 12th, September 1st and 2(i'l. Mr. B. I'earion, l.i, Milsora 



Street, Sec. 

 Coventry. — May 31st. Mr. T. Wig^tou, 3, PorLlaad Ton-ace, Lower Ford 



Street, Sec. 

 Durham and Nortiii-mberland.— To b3 held at Elswick Park, July 7th 



and 8th. Mr. It. Revely, Sec. 

 Leeds. — Juno 9th, 10th, auil llth. Mr. J. Birkbeck, Dclph Lane, Woodhouae, 



Leeds, Sec. 

 Fareham.— June 23rd. Mr. H Smith Sec. 

 Exeter (Rose Show). — June 25th. Mr. J. N. Gray, Queen Street Chambers, 



Hon. Sec. 

 WisBEACH.— June 30th. Mr. C. Parker, Hon. Sec. 

 \ViMyi.EDO». — July loth and 16th. Mr. P. .Vppleby, 5, Linden Cotta^tes, 



Sunnyside, Wimbledon, Hon. Sec. 

 Brecon.— July 22ad. Mr. W. J. Roberts. Sec. 

 Cleckueaton. — July 21th. Mr. S. H. Williamson, Hon. Sec. 

 Southampton. — July 3l3o and August 2ad. Mr. C. S. Fuidge, 32, York 



Street, Lower Ayenue, Sec. 



TR.\DE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Satbori & Sons, Reading. — Fanners' Year-Book ami Graziers' 

 Manual. 



Ewiag & Co., Norwich. — List of NewBoses. 



Downie, & Laird, 17, South Frederick Street, Ediuburj^h. — 

 Descriptive List of Garden, Flower, and Aqricidticral Seeds. 



William Montgomery, 19, Gordon Street, Edinburgh. — List of 

 Garden Seeds and Bedding Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Advice (Crito). — We aro mach obliged by your sufji^estions, though wecan- 

 nnt adopt them, ^^'e long since concluded that a brother editor was right 

 when he wrote, " Edifiu;^ a paper is Uke carrying aa umbrella on a windy 

 day. Everybody thinks; he could manage it better than the one who has 

 hold of the handle.'' 



BooK3r,r,T,RR's Error (Inquirer). — Yon should have returned the book at 

 once and refused to pay for it. Even now, if you have not cut the leaves, aad 

 OS you told the bookseller of the mistake, if you return the book we think he 

 could not make you pay for it. Think whether it is worth the trouble and 

 annoyance. Tou have a good book. 



Lists of New Plants (J. F., Haddinrt ton). —There ia a Hat down to 1855 

 in the second supplement to Loudon's " Encyclopn'dia of Plants." A list of 

 all new plants of the previous year is pablished by us annually in Hogg's 

 " Gardeners' Year Book." 



Various (Af(7r;<\v).— We cannot tell who would purchase the New Zealand 

 Ferns. Write to some of the florists who specially advertise Ferns in our 

 colnmus. Melon seeds forty years old have been known to germinate, and 

 gardeners think the plants are not so liable to bo ovor-vigorous if the seeds 



are two or throe years old. The seeds of a Cjmiiosito plant which you oncloso 

 may germinate ; you can easily try them. 



Mildew on Plants (H. A. P.). — Dust them and the Vines al«o with 

 flowers of sulphur ; it will kill the fungi and prevent the sporos spreading the 

 infection. 



MaLCH OVER Uosc UnoTS [A. D. r/.).— Kemove the nndocayed straw, 

 fork-in the remainder shallowly, and mulch again in the spring. 



Hollyhock SEEDHNtss Diseased IR. L.). — Itiathe " Hollyliockdiseaso." 

 No remedy is known. Cut them down iramodiately, and sprinkle flowera of 

 sulphur thickly over tho stumps and snrfa^-e nf the soil. The experiment is 

 worth trying, aa the leaves are only slightly affected. Chloride of lime would 

 kill the plants. 



Hollyhock Leaves Piseased (J. L.). — They are attacked by the para- 

 sitic fungus Puccinia malvacearum; a ihrawinp and description are in our 

 No. '>87. No remedy is known, and tho bfl.'^t cnur.^n is to cut down and burn 

 every plant affected, for the spores of the funL,'U^ will spread the infection. 



Ferns lA Lover of Fcrit.^). — In our vohimos sxii. to xxvi., both inclunive, 

 are a series of papers on them. If you need a book on the subje'^t you will find 

 full information on the species and culture in our " Fern Manual." 



Arum (J. TT/i-Av/f,?).— What you caU " tho White Arum" wo suppose is tho 

 Richardia rethiopica. One flower bein-,' within anithor is an uncommon 

 sport which most flowers produce occasionally. Your Rtchariia will not do 

 so again nest year. 



HtTMEA elegans (Amafntr). — The proper tim^ to sow the seed ia the fir.^t 

 week of May in a gtintle hotbed. Pot the plants off singly when large enough 

 to haudle, and grow them on in a cold frame during the summer. In tho 

 autumn remove them to the greenhouse, assigning them a Ught and airy 

 position. 



Deut7,ia gracilis Unhealtiiv (IF. S. B.). — It is likely from the descrin- 

 tion you give that the plant has received some injury at the neck or collar 

 just above or at its junction with the soil, which has caused the decay of tlie 

 bark, and prevented sap bsing trau'^raittod to the shoots and leaves. It will 

 not, we think, recover, but we should keep rather drp, as heavy waterings will 

 only hasten the decay. It may, however, be only the result of a chill, and in 

 that case it will be enfeebled, but will recover. 



Celeriac Ccltdre (Wifiton).~Hovf the s'>ed in a seed pan early in April, 

 and place in a house with gentle heat, and when up remove to a cold frame 

 and harden off, prick out when tho rou^h loaves are an inch high in cood rich 

 soil in an open yet warm situation, and shade from bright sun. Keep the 

 plants well watered, and when large enough plant out in weU-manured 

 trenches, putting in the plants in double rows inches apart, and water 

 thoroughly. It doiis not require to be earthpd-up Uke Celery, but should have 

 a little earth to protect the Turnip-liko root from fro^t. It is useful for soups, 

 and is by somo considered a 'nice addition to salads. In severe weather it 

 should be protected from frost by a covering of litter. The best stowing 

 Celeries are the reds, and good alike for any purpose is Leicester Pved. 



Destroying Daisies (J. P.). — Salt will not destroy Daisies, at least not 

 unless it be applied in such quantity as would also destroy the (rrass. Yon 

 may, however, apply this month a dressing of salt at tho rate of 20 bushels 

 per acre, which is a preventive of slugs and worms. It will encourage the 

 growth of the grass aad kill the moss. The sand will be of no use, but a 

 dressing of short manure or rich compost — if the latter adding to it one-sixth 

 lime — would be highly beneficial. After clearing off the rough partirles sow 

 with Grass seeds, not omitting Clovers — ^Trifolium repcns H lbs , Tiifolium 

 minus 2 lbs. if the land be strong loam, and if light reverse the quantities of 

 tlie Clovers named. Roll well after sowini:. These, however, will not hanish 

 the Daisies. The best remedv is to gnib-up tho roots, employing boys or 

 women, who with knives will grub up a great many in a day ; this perdistel 

 in is the most certain moans of eraiicating these pretty weeds. 



Gardenia Treatment (A. D.). — The plants ought now to have brisk 

 moist heat to start them into bloom ani growth, and are the better of bottom 

 heat. They should be moderatelv watered at first, but kept moist, increasing 

 the supply as the buds swell. When the plants have done blooming cut-in 

 any straggling growths if it be required, and sprinkle with water overhead, 

 repotting if necessary, and bv a moist and brisk heat encourage growth. 

 When that is complete gradually withdraw from the bottom heat, keep drier 

 and cooler, and in autumn and winter give water only to keep the leaves fresh. 

 If the plants are sickly from a sodden sour soil repot at once, providing good 

 drainage, plunge in bottom heat, and water carefully until the roots are work- 

 ing freely in the fresh soil, then water more copiously. 



Plants for the Back Wall of Vineries (Mr. John TT''/;'/).— Camel- 

 lias, also Orange, with its allies the Citrus family, are good. Both may be 

 planted 12 feet apart, but it will bo a number of years before they meet unless 

 you can put out large plants. Luculia gratissima is also a. line plant for a wall, 

 and one of the best flowers for cutting in autumn and early winter. If the 

 plants are small they ought to be planted at half the distauae apart. 



Vines Bleeding (Id'-m). — Dry the cuts with a hot iron, and at once dress 

 with Thomson's styptic or the patent knotting used by painters. The tempe- 

 rature you name will not stop the bleeding now it has begun. 



Lily of Valley (Iclem). — Flowers without leaves is the result of being 

 hrouHht on too quickly by high temperature and the plants not being suffi- 

 ciently near the glass. They are, however, subject to this when forced early, 

 and more so this year than usual, probably by the drought of last year ripen- 

 ing the crowns more thoroughly and developing the flower buds to a higher 

 degree than when the season is more moist. Mr. Bull of King's Road, 

 Chelsea, as well as Mr. Linden, deals in economic plants. 



Potato for Main Crop (Portcullu). — For your purpose we advise 

 Walker's Regent. You will require about three bushels. It is a heavy cropper, 

 a capital keeper, and of excellent quaUty. It will not, however, be in use until 

 September ; you will therefore require a few earlies and second early, about 

 half a bushel of each. The early may be Myatt's Prolific, the second early 

 Lapstone. The early may be in rows 2 feet apart, and 1 foot asunder in tho 

 rows; the second early 2 feet 3 inches, and 15 inches; and the main crop 

 2 feet 6 inches, and IH inches in the rows. The seed would be most economi- 

 cally purchased of some neighbouring grower. 



Sweet Williams lldrm).— It is a good time to plant nice plants with 

 good balls for this year's flowering, but seed sown now would not fljwer this 

 year. The first week in April ia a proper time to sow Sweet Peas and 

 Mignonette. 



Thorn and Privet Hedge (J. Jl. IF.).— Tho Privet would overgrow the 

 Thorns or quicks, and it would not as a fence against cattle be so good as a 

 quickset hedge only, though from its evergreen character is preferable as a 

 shelter lor gardens. To give a Beiui-overgrcon character to the hedge you 



