September 24, 1874. 1 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



283 



lloYAL Horticultural Society (T. J5.).—Tf youromployer write to " Tho 

 Secretary, Koyal Horticultural Society, South Kensingtou, London," and tell 

 his wishes, they will be complied with. 



FuuiT Shows I An Old Subscriber).— THhom at South Kensington, Regent's 

 Park, aud the Ci7stal Palace will be advertised in oar coliimnH. All fruit 

 exhibited ou^ht to be «rowu by the exhibitor. The Royal Horticultural 

 Society's Fruit Show at South Kensington is to bo held November 11th. 



Skedling Pears (J. E//(Vi/^).— The parent tree beiii^' grafted on a Quince 

 stock will have no tendency to impart a dwarf habit to the Beedliuga. 



Gathering Pears (fT. I'.).— Tbe fruit of the varieties you mention, and, 

 indeed, of all varieties, is fit for gathering when the stalk parts readily from 

 the spray when the fruit is raised a Uttle above a horizontal position. 



Fruit Trees for Sooth Wall (R. L.).— Tour wall will accommodate 

 fourteen trees at 5 yards apart. You have six which are good, except the 

 White Nectarine, which is too tender, being a shy bearer out of doors. We 

 would liave dwarfs for permanent trees, having standard Apricots, Peaches, 

 and Nectarines between them to cover the upper part of the walls, cutting the 

 standards away as the dwarfs advance aud require the space. Apricots : St. 

 Ambr.iiseaud Htmskerk ; Pfacha: Early Beatrice, Early York, and Dymond; 

 Nectarines: Elruge and Pitmaston Orange; Plum: Transparent Gage; and 

 Pear : Glou Mor^-eau, Joe<^phiue de Malines, and Winter NeUs are excellent, 

 but they do not come in until December and onwards. 



Grapes Shri-^-ellino (Novice).— 'We have no information as to the treat- 

 ment. The roots are probably too dry. Water them copiously once or twice 

 a-week with weak tepid liquid manure. 



Errors in Planting Vineries (W. G.). — We have committed a mistake 

 in planting the vineries. In the late house the two Pope's Hamburgh (Fran- 

 kentbal) and Foster's White Seedling would have been better had the> been the 

 two Muscat of AJesandria and one Madresfield Court which you have in the 

 early house. As the Vines have only been planted two years we should transfer 

 those named from the early house to the late, and rirc vcrsd. It may be 

 done cai-elully after the leaves fall, and they will not suffer to a great extent. 

 The want of colour is probably due to overcropping, hut may arise from a 

 deficiency of water in the eaily stages of their growth and whil^^t swelling, 

 or the Vines may have been deprived of too much foliage, or syringed to a 

 late period with a deficiency of air. The "bursting" of the berries is at- 

 tributable to the atmosphere being too moist aud the border being wet. it 

 not having been duly supplied with water when the berries were sweUing 

 previous to stoning. Maintain a drier atmosphere with freer ventilation. 



Grapes Shrivelling (M. Falkncr). —Yonr Vines are evidently in soil 

 miBuitable to them. There is a deficiency of root-action, aud the remedy is, 

 as soon as the leaves have fallen, for you to set about removing the soil from 

 the border, pi-eserving the roots of the Vines as much as possible, and making 

 it afresh. This is the only cure. 



Vines for Intermediate House (Old Subscriber). — The Vines will 

 succeed tolerably well, especially as you have aborder inside as well as outside 

 the house. We presume that the Vines will be planted inside, and be rested 

 by taming them outside, for which you have made provision. The kinds you 

 have selected succeed each other ; 7, White Chasselas we should not plant, 

 but have Duke of Buccleuch ; 6, Madresfield Court Muscat instead of Lady 

 Downe's; 4. Venn's Black Muscat in place of Muscat Hamburgh; and the 

 others as named. If you bad another house or houses for Grapes we should 

 have had two Venn's Muscat and two iMadresfield Court, omitting Foster's 

 White Seedling and Duke of Buccleuch. 



SeMPERVIVUM TABUL.EF0R3IE AND DOtTBLE LOBELIA PROPAGATION 



(Linda).— The Sempervivum is propagated by offsets, but more readily from 

 seed. Double Lobelia should, to keep it true, be continued by cuttings, 

 which should be struck at ouce in gentle heat, or a few old plants may be 

 potted and propagated in esu'ly spring in heat. 



Peach and Nectarine Stones Split lldem).— It arises from a defect 

 of the seed, and is by some considered to be a consequence of deficient 

 watering and keeping too warm during the stoning period. It is likely they 

 may never exhibit the defect again. 



Pine Apples not True to Name (W. 3. E.).— The description you give 

 accords well with the new Black Jamaica (Montserrat of some, Euglish Globe, 

 Brown Antigua, St. Kitts), but we could not from so meagre a description as 

 you give say what it is with any approach to certainty. 



Strawberries and Strawberry Culture, — In the fourth line of the 

 second paragraph of the article on page 255, for " season " read reason, aud 

 in the first line of the following paragraph for " occasionally " read annually. 



Prickly Comfrey (H.). — This, as a fodder plaut, is not within our pro- 

 vince. Full directions for its cultui-e are in Baxter's '" Agricultural Library." 



New Plants (An Old Subscriber). — Send potted specimens of your Pelar- 

 goniums and of your Roses to the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society. H approved there you might dispose of yom* stock to some of 

 om* chief florists. 



Scarborough Lily Flowering (Miss Y.). — It is unusual for this to 

 flower twice, though the flower stems commonly succeed the diiferent bulbs, 

 which throw up the scapes according to the ripening of the growth and their 

 formation. It will pn.bably flower better another season. They do not 

 usually flower strongly two years succeeding. 



Zonal and Nosegay Pelargoniums ( Idem). ^TherQ are Show or large- 

 flowered. Spotted, and Fancy kinds of Pelargoniums, which are known as 

 florists' flowers, and are defined iu our "Florists' Flower.'^," which may he 

 had free by post from our office ior 4hd. The Zonal Pelargoniums, which 

 may be what you mean by florists' varieties, bavo the petals of nearly equal 

 width — upper and lower broad aud overlapping, so as to form a circular outline 

 of largo bize, the trusses being smaller than the Noset;ay, and the leaves are 

 round. Nosegays have the lower petals much wider, often twice the width of 

 the upper, and they do not meet, or indifferently, and so do not have a circular 

 outline, but have a ragged or btarry outline; the trusses are larger, often 

 immense, and the leaves are more or less indented. They are all Pelargoniums, 

 but from long usage are still called Geraniums, a name which belongs to 

 another genua. 



Wintering Bedding Geraniums (F. J.]. — They would winter more safely 

 in the boxes than putted-off singly in 3 or i-inch pots at this season of the 

 year, especially as they are to be kept cool. In the cold frame it is likely 

 they wiU suffer from frost, but we presume you have means of safety from it. 

 Pot them off eai-ly iu March. 



Span-roofed Pit for Geraniums, &c. (R. A. P.).— The 4^ feet we pre- 

 sume you mean for the centre height from the ground to the ridge, and 



2i feet the height of the side walls, which will answer very well. To keep out 

 frost in severe weather you will need a pipe all mund the house — a 8-inch 

 pipe will he sufticient; even a U-inch one would do if you could make sure of 

 heating the water to a good temperature. 



Primulas (DroJlemacj.—ThQ author is a private gentleman. 



Dahlia (W. R. IV.).— It is not a common form of flowering, but we have 

 seen the form before, especially in dark flowers. It is very handsome. Send 

 one to Mr. Keynes, Sali8bui7, and ask him his opinion. 



Old Yucca Leggy (J. M.).—It is likely that were the plant cut down it 

 would start again a sucker from the base. We should, however, before doing 

 so, wrap the stem with moss afoot down, commencing immediately under the 

 leaves, and about 6 inches in thicknts;*, securing it with string moderately 

 tight, putting it on in spring, and keeping moist during summer, when by 

 autumn it is likely the trunk will have emitted roots, and it may then be 

 cut off below the mossed part, aud be planted up to the leaves where desired. 

 You may probably in this way save the old head, and secure suckers from its 

 base. 



Enticing Rooks to Build (Idem). — Old nests placed in the upper 

 forks of the trees so as to imitate as nearly as possible natural ones in January 

 or early in February, before they have begun to build elsewhere. It will not do 

 to place the nests in the lower branches and indiscrimiuately. Place a good 

 number in a tree, a dozen or more, a few iu the next tree, and one or two iu 

 another. If the nests fail to induce the birds to build, secure a nest of about 

 half-fledged young oues from the nearest rookei-y, and place them securely ill 

 a fork of a high tree and sheltered. The old ones feeding them, the young, 

 if not the old birds, will return to the same trees to build their nests another 

 year. 



Various (Birdie). — Sweet Peas sown now in a light airy position in a con- 

 servatory will not flower during winter, hut they would do so in spring and 

 early summer. The Amaranthus aud Love-lies-bleeding would, if taken np 

 now with a goodly amount of soil aud potted, keeping in a shaded position for 

 a few days, and then in a light airy one, retain their beauty a lon^: time ; but 

 the difficulty is to secure them with soil to the roots, and in that case the 

 leaves droop" and fall. The seedling HnUyhocks would be better wintered in a 

 cold frame during the winter, planting out early in April; or you may plant 

 them out if the soil be fight now, affording them a slight protection of dry 

 litter in severe weather. A dark-leaved edging plant is Oxalis tropaioloides. 

 The Rose you name will be likely to suit you ; hut we have m. experience of it 

 in such a position. Cuttings of Gardenia radicans, the young growth of the 

 present year, will strike in gentle bottom heat. Being a stove plant it should 

 be placed in house that will afford the requisite temperatture— 60^ to 65^ at 

 night, and 70- to 75- by day. 



Pleroma Colture (TV. W. TV.).— It requires an intermediate house— a 

 warm greenhouse or cool stove — 45- to 50^ iu whiter at night, and 55' to 60° 

 by day. Avoid syringing overhead, which causes the leaves to decay at the 

 ends, and ultimately fall ; but maintain a moist atmosphere durina growth, 

 a gentle syringing then doing no harm, and keep the soil moist, but avoid 

 making it sodden. When the growth is made keep drier and well- aired, 

 watering only to keep the soil moist. The soil is right, two parts sandy 

 peat to one of loam, with a few nodules of charcoal and broken pots, about 

 a sixth of these, and silver sand, with good drainage. 



Mushrooms Disappeaiiing from Pasture (Hagley). — The disappear- 

 ance of the Mushrooms is accounted for by the different depasturage of the 

 land. The dressing of salt every alternate year, aud the grazing with horses 

 and sheep were favourable to the Mushroom, but of late years you have 

 grazed with cows, which are not so. Dress with the salt, and graze with 

 horses and sheep, and you will in a year or two have Mushrooms. 



Wild Thyme Eradicating (Idem). — There is no better plan than to 

 apply nitrate of soda (1 cwt. per acre), and manure heavily, keeping the grass 

 for hay, and eating off the fog or aftermath with sheep. Every alternate year 

 you may dress with salt, and with the mowing and high cultivation the 

 Thyme would be overpowered and die out. We should sow white Clover at 

 the rate of 12 Ids. per acre in April, after a dressing of manure. It would 

 improve the herbage considerably. Suckling Clover is also good for such a 

 soil ; 4 lbs. of it may be sown per acre, omitting libs, of the white Clover. 



LiLiUM sPECiosuM AFTER FLOWERING (A. M. .4.).— Placo the plants of 

 L. speciosum, commonly called lancifolium, outdoors in a warm sheltered 

 position, and if wet weather lay the pots on their sides, but not if fine, heavy 

 rains being injurious; but it is necessary that the soil be moist. When the 

 stems turn yellow cut them off, and turn the plauts out of the pots ; remove 

 the part of the stem above the crown of the bulbs by twisting it out, and take 

 away any soil that comes freely from the roots ; then, after draining the pots 

 well, return the bulbs to the same size of pot, or, if this is too small, to others 

 a size larger, potting so as to have the crowns just level or a lir.tle below the 

 surface, and 2 inches from the rim of the pot. The space left should be filled 

 up level with the rim with the same compost as that used for potting, when 

 the fresh growths are a few inches above the rim ot the pot. The soil should 

 be kept moist, any water required being given around the bulbs, and not 

 poured upon them. Keep them in a frame or pit safe from frost during the 

 wiu^er. Equal parts of sandy peat, light loam, and leaf soil, with a sixth of 

 sand will grow them well. 



LiLiUM SPECIOSUM (An Old Subscriber).— We are uuable to account for 

 the flowers of the red kinds being so small, whilst the white do well. What 

 will grow one grows the other perfectly ; but you may add a little more manure 

 to the soil for the reds, and water with hquid manure when they are in free 

 growth. , 



Celery Running (Idem).— Yonr Celery is running. It may arise from 

 sowing too early, or gi'owth bein^' checkel by cold or want of water. It may 

 also result from sowing old seed, plants from which are apt to rim to seed at 

 an earlier season than those from new seed. It is not good to earth Celery a 

 little at a time. It encouiages the rising of the stalk as you describe. We do 

 not earth Celery much— onlv a little to keep the leaves from falling, reserving 

 the main earthiog-up until three weeks for white, aud a month for red, before 

 it is required for use; but it is well to earth well up in October and onwards 

 all the crops, so as to preserve the stalks from frost. 



Sawdust for Blanching Celery (Saiv2>it).—lt is a good thmg for earth- 

 ing Celery, placing it between the rows and aiouud the plants after the leaves 

 and stalks have been brought together, pressing the sawdust about them, so 

 as to lie compact, and ensure blanching perfectly. It is better than soil, not 

 being so Uable to cause the stalks to rot, and is a good protection against 

 frost. 



Cutting-down IMaidenhair Ferns (C. R. H.).— It is not desirable to cut 

 down all the kinds of Adiantum, as some of them are evergreen, and should 



