128 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 6, 1374. 



Primnlas, Cyclamens, Cinerarias, and a few bolbs, as Hyacinths, Narcifsua, 

 Tulips, and a few plants of Spirspa japonica, Deutzia crracilis, aad Dielytra 

 spectabilis. would make your house interesting; and gay during the.winter and 

 spring months. For the outside flower-put you would see what Mr. Luck- 

 hurst advised in late numbers of this Jouraal, from which select uuch as are 

 likely to meet your requirements. 



Men Rfquihed for Garden and Faesi (A Thirteen-years Su.h-icriher). 

 — For the kitchen carden you will require two men, and for the lawn, shrub- 

 beries, &c., three, for the farm grass land one man, dependant upon what is 

 hept in the way of stock. If you have dairy cows, a man may be wanted for 

 them, and poultry, &c., but if sheep and fat cattle, one man will do. It is 

 the same with the garden and grounds. If there are many walks, an extensive 

 carriage drive, and much mowing by band, the men named may be under 

 ^vhat the work demands; but we think your requirements would be met by a 

 iead gardener having a knowledge of grass iand and stock, two iinder gar- 

 deners, an apprentice or boy, five labourers, and u shepherd. Extra help 

 would, of course, be needed in hay time, Ac. 



Constructing Pit for Cucumbers and Stove Plants (ff. P.).— The 

 house would be better 2 feet wider and higher, or 9 feet, which will give you 

 more head room, the path being at the back, though we should have a shelf 

 or bed 2 feet wide at the back, either of which would be useful, and a bed in 

 front for the Cucumber plants. It should be 4 feet wide, and have two rows 

 of hot- water pipes for bottom heat. They may either be in a chamber covered 

 with flags, or be suiTounded and covered with drainage rubble, and for top 

 teat four rows of piping will be requii-ed. They may be 3-incb pipes. Bottom 

 heat may be dispensed with for the stove division, but if you should wish to 

 prow Melons, or change the division for Cucumber-growing, the border with 

 bottom heat would be desiiabie. The incline of the roof should be 1 foot to 

 ■3 feet of width, which will give you a back wall of 9 feet, and front wall of 

 (j feet, 2 feet of it being sashed. 



Spring Flower Gauden {A Bc<]inncr).~T'he design will be much im- 

 proved by reducing the circles in the chain of outer beds to a uniform diameter 

 of 5 feet, and by shortening the long beds (3 inches at each end, so as to give 

 an additional foot of turf between the beds. The long beds ousht also to bo 

 reduced from 6 to 5 feet in width, which will afford ample breadth of colour 

 for BO sroaU a garden ; and if the foot of space taken from the beds is added 

 to the turf outside the design, it will materially contribute to the general 

 effect, and more particularly improve the appearance of the sides skirted by 

 the walks. A fine cone-shaped specimen H or 4 feet high of Peroettya augus- 

 tifolia or Cotoneaster Simmondsii will answer admirably for the centre. The 

 Cotoneaeter, from the bold and strikiog effect of its profusion of large hand- 

 some scarlet benies, is perhaps preferable. Paper Wbiteis the best Narcissus 

 to dot the bed of Saponaria calabnca with. Imperial Blue Pansy is the best 

 of its colour ; it is a deep rich blue. Cerastiiim toraentosnm is certainly 

 preferable to the Autennaria for carpet bedding. Anemone coronaria, or 

 Poppy Anemone, is the best scarlet Anemone. Canary Bird is a fine yellow 

 Tulip, but we would discard it from the beds of Anemone, and the crim- 

 son Kes Rribrorum from the corner circles. Nothing can be more chaste 

 than the effect of a bed of the delicate yellow Cbeiranthus Marsballi edged 

 with Santolina iucana. The contrast of these and the Anemone beds with 

 your beautiful panel beds will be escellent, and far more effective without the 

 Tulips than with them. 



Double Balsams (Ba/^aiu). — We are not aware that old seed produces a 

 greater proportion of doable flowers than new. If you get a good strain 

 siearly every plant will produce double flowers, whether the seed be old or 

 new. 



Fumigating Grapes (An Old Subscriber). —It will not hurt the Grapes to 

 fumigate them to destroy thrips. 



Grapes Diseased iB. T.).— Yom- Grapes have got the mildew. Dust them 

 with flowers of sulphur. 



Destroying "Wasps {J. J. Jo!Les).~Yo\i will find instructions in this day's 

 number of the Journal. 



Sowing Polyanthus (J. P.).— There is no better time to sow Polyanthus 

 aeed than now. Sow it in pans, and place it in a cool frame or spent Cucum- 

 ber frame, and when the plants are fit to handle prick them out, and you will 

 iiave stroDg plants before winter. 



Border Plants for Automn and Winter Un«a L(^^y).— The two cir- 

 cular beds on turf would look well with a patch of Erica carnea in the centre, 

 enclosed by three rings of grey, yellow, and deep crimson— Santolina incana 

 next the Eiica, then Golden-Feather Pyiethrum, with Ajuga reptans outside. 

 In favourable seasoLs Erica carnea comes into fiuwer soon after Christmas, 

 and nothing can be brighter at that season thuu its dense cushions of fine 

 pink. In planting the borders we would avoid straight lines or any geome- 

 trical pattern, striving rather to produce a natural effect that is certain to 

 prove most iuteresting and pleasing, with dwarf shrubs of an evergreen and 

 ■variegated character. A selection once made would last a lifetime with 

 ordinary care, and by occasional additions of new introductions a rich collec- 

 tion might be formed of the very best of all hardy winter plants. We append 

 a short list. Erica mediterrauea. Erica carnea, Ledum bjxif )Uuro, L. latifoliiim 

 compactum, Bhododendron ferrugineum, Kalmia angnstifolia. K. latifoiia, 

 'K. nana, K. rosea, K. rubra, Andromeda floribunda, A. Catei^brei. A. poUfolia, 

 Azalea amtena, Yucca recnrva. Yucca gloriosa, Th ija aiirea, Santolina Chamje- 

 cyparissns, Mahonia Aquifolium, Skimmia japonica, Osmanthus variegatus, 

 Ilex Aquifolium, I. torulosa, I. Golden Queen, Laurustinus, Pernettya mucro- 

 nata, Pernettya angustifolia. Cotoneaster microphylla, C. Simmondsii, Hedera 

 albo-raarginata, H. La Reine, H. aureo-maculata, II. chrysocarpa. H. palmata, 

 H. Baetjneriana, Junipems tamariscifulia, Ketiuospora leptocladon, Retiuo- 

 spora eiicoides. 



Preventing Moss on Floor of Greenhouse (White Bosc).— Dissolve 

 1 lb. of powdered arsenic in threegallons of cold water, boil and keep stirring ; 

 then add seven gallons of cold water and 2 lbs. crushed soda. Stir the whole 

 well whilst boiling, and apply hot to the *quarries" with a rose wateriug-pot. 

 It will kill the whole of the moss, but must not be allowed to run off on the 

 borders in which the roots of plants may be. It may be kept from these by 

 an old cloth laid on the sides^of the pathway : afterwards burn the cloth. It 

 will keep the floor free for a long time. Care must bo taken in the use of 

 this remedy, as it is poison. 



Drac.enas for Greenhouse (Idrnt). — Some Bpecies of this highly-deco- 

 xative genus would succeed. They are D australis, D. erythrorachis, D. fra- 

 prentissima, D. indivisa, D. nutans, and D. Veitcbii. D. termiualis and 

 D. rubra would also probably succeed if tlie plants had no more water than 

 sufficient to keep them frewh.and wore ]>laced in the warmest part nf the house. 

 They may bo grown from seed, but we believe it is not tu be had of seedsmen 



in this country. They would make nice plants in two years. The flowers 

 are not remarkable; the plants are grown for the foliage. 



Potatoes Maki.vg New Growth {Old Subscriber).— Are they quite as 

 bad as you say ? Have " all " made fresh growths ? If so, better dig them 

 up. Potatoes make a second gi-0(vth when heavy rain cornea after a period of 

 drought. They have dme so in our own garden this year. Those intended 

 for planting are dug up, but the portion required in the kitchen has been 

 allowed to remaiu, as only abiut one-third of the tubers have started to grow. 



Trees for an Exposed Situation and Chalky Soil (A Subscriber). — 

 If you contemplate the formation of a screen or protecting belt there is 

 no better evergreen than the robust Pinus austriasa for such a position. 

 Of others of this cla■^8 the be^t are Picea pectinata, Picea Pinsapo, Pinus 

 Cembra.Thuji Warreaua, with Scotch Fir, English Yew, Holly, and Evergreen 

 Oak; and of decid'ions treea take the Larch, Pseud- Acacia, Elm, Maple, 

 Spanish Chestnut, Turkey Oak, Common and Fern-leaved Beech, and the 

 Birch. 



Stortng Filberts (C7te8stn(7/o?il.— See that the husks are thoroughly dry 

 at the base before storing. A good plan is to place them in glazed jars, and 

 paste paper or other material closely over the tops, keeping them where it is 

 not damp, and where the temperature i^ tolerably equable — a di-y cellar for 

 instance. Or the jars containing them may be covered seeurely, and buried 

 in a dry situation. 



Leaf Mould [Biceps) — The leaf mould you have in a cask we should tnm 

 out in a dry open place, and put in liyers 2 inches deep, makin? each 

 layer quite white with quicklime. Let the whole lie about ten days, then 

 turn over, and blacken each layer with soot. After this turn over daily for a 

 fortnight, and your leaf soil will be available for pottiog purposes. 



Supporting Fruit-tree Branches {Idem]. — There is no better method 

 than a forked branch of a tree as a prop, placing a piece of matting in the 

 fork or around the branch of the tree, which will keep it from rubbing with 

 wind. We have sometimes secured the branches with soft rope stretched 

 from the higher to the lower branches, and across, so as to form a balance. 

 This has a much neater appearance, and answers well when the treea have 

 strong central upper branches. Prop^ are certainly not ornamental, but any 

 temporary ungamliness can be tolerated for the sake of utihty. 



Stove Boiler inside Greenhouse (J. H. .i.).— There is no fear of a 

 stove boiler injuring the plants by consumiog the air, as the air derived from 

 the house for combustion must ba replaced by fresh from the external air 

 through the cracks, &c., of tbe door of tho house and laps of the glass. The 

 stove should have a smoke-funnel or chimney taken outside clear of the 

 house to carry off the smoke and vapour resulting from combustion, and have 

 attached to it a sufficient quantity of hot-water piping to exclude frost iu the 

 severest weatbei". 



Plants not Flowering in Conservatory (W. T. F. M, J.).— From tho 

 fact of Orchids and Ferns doing well, it is patent your house is too dark for 

 flowering plants, due, probibly, to position, to the shade of adjoining objects, 

 to the opaque nature of the gla?s, or to the woodwork; or it may be artifi- 

 cially shadad to meet the requirements of the Orchids and Ferns. Which of 

 these we are not able to say is the cause, but it is evident the flowering 

 plants requii'e more light, and probably air. 



Crassulas after Flowering (D. D.).— We conclude that they are 

 Kalosanthes coccinea or allied kinds. Cat down each shoot to within an inch 

 of its base, keeping the plants in a light airy position, and watering carefully. 

 Disbud to two or three shoots on each branih. Repot in the same size of 

 pot when the shoots are well broken, reducing the ball by picking the soil 

 awav from the sides with a pointed piece of wood. Winter in a light airy 

 position in the greenhouse, watering moderately. Shift in February into 

 pots of from 2 to 4 inches larger diameter, increasing the supply of water 

 with the growth, or from April up to the middle of June, then place out of 

 doors on slates in front of a south wall or fence, watering as required, and 

 remove to the greenhouse iu September. They will flower the loUowiog 

 season, staking the shoots or tying them down or out as they advance. The 

 plants will in this case only fljwer every alternate year. They will flower 

 every year if you only cut bick now tbe shoots tl^t have flowered, leaving 

 those not flowering this yeir for nest; but in this way the plants are not 

 nearly so fiuely formed as by the other process. 

 Name of Fruit (IF. F.). — The Apple is Sheep'a Snout. 

 Names of Plants (J. E. S.). — Veronica sptcata. (H. Pollard). — 1, Lapa- 

 geria rosea; 2, Polygala grand iflora ; S, apparently a Crassula, but a wretchtd 

 specimen; 4, a Begouia of some kind; 5, Magnolia fuscata. It is next to 

 impossible to name plants from such specimens as these. (Cha^.Clay, M.D.]. 

 — If you will send us a piece of the plant we will endeavour to nama it, but 

 we cannot make anything of it by the description you give. {R. Maitland}. 

 — It is Selaginella lepidophylla, called the " Resurrection Plant" from the 

 property you describe of opening and closing after it is withered. It does not 

 requii'e any special treatment. [Flora). — Vicia Cracca. (Brislolian). — 1, *'e- 

 laginella Brauuii; 2, Cystopteris fragilis; 3, Polypodium cambricum; 4, 5, 6, 

 are probably all three varieties of Selaginella Martensii, but specimens are 

 all without fructification, so we cannot be certain. (Alfred W. Q. P.). — Sedum 

 spurium. (Mrs. H.Jones). — 1, Crassula (Rocheai coccinea; 2, Silene Armeria ; 

 3, Verbena bonariensis; 4, Sautolioa incana. (G. S.). — Raphanus Rapbanis- 

 trum. (Alice). — 6, Gentiana cruciata. All the others are onnameablo, being 

 without flowers. (Mrs. (Kj.—Isochilus linearis, Asclepiasourassavica. (J.N.), 

 Nicaniraphysaloidos, L. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PiaEON OHEOOTOLE. 



MOULTING. 



The following notes will answer the queries of " E. H. R." : — 

 The natural time for fowls to moult is when the principal 

 work of the year is done, and when the thin worn-out plumage 

 that has been more than sufficient during the summer months 

 must give place to new and better clothing for the winter. It 

 is a great strain on the constitution of a fowl, and could not be 

 properly carried on if any other effort were required at the same 

 lime. When, then, the natural season for laying, sitting, and 

 rearing a brood is over, the whole remaining energies of the 

 bird are thrown into the formation of a new plumage. The 



