326 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 8, 1874. 



Hyacinths in Glasses (A Lady j4wa(^Kr).— Place the bulba in the 

 glasses after filling the latter with soft water so that the base of the bulb 

 just or barely tenches it, always koepioR the water to that level, ami removing 

 it whenever it becomes impure, as maT be known by the ends of the roots 

 lookiug woolly ; then replace with fresh which has been kept overnight in 

 the room with the plants to acquire the same temperature. To keep the 

 water longer sweet, a piece of charcoal about the size uf a small walnut may 

 be placed in each glass. Set the glasses in a cool and dark cupboard until the 

 roots have formed, but remove them to the light before the crown has grown 

 an inch, and then give air daily if mild weather, but do not stand tlie glasses 

 on stone, brick, or iron, but on wood. The plants may be epriukltjd overhead 

 every day with rain water until they come into flower, which greatly invigo- 

 rates tbera. Avoid frost, wind, and a close room, aud keep them off the 

 mantelshelf. A window is the best place. October is the best time to place 

 the bulbs in the glasses. 



Ajuga reptans purpcrea Propagation (C. P. B.). — It has dark purple 

 bronze foliage, and forms a good contrast to Golden Feather Pyrethrum, and 

 is best in spring, being very valuable for Rpring bedding. It is propagated by 

 cnttinga of two joints and the 'growing point inserted in sandy soil, kept 

 moist, and shaded from sun; or they may in sammer, or even now, be put in 

 on a north border, but would rout at this season more freely in a frame. 

 Plants for spring bedding ouyht to ho struct eaily in summer, and should 

 be nice plants by autumn. It is perfectly hardy. 



Gardenia radicans in Winter (A Young Gardener). — The soil should 

 be kept moist through the winter, but the plant needs much less water at 

 that spason than when growing freely ; enough, however, should be given to 

 keep the foliage from flagging. Being in a warm house, you will not need to 

 place the plant in extra heat to produce flowers now and in succession. It is 

 a stove plant. You would gain nothing by placing it in greater heat, though 

 you would certainly insure the expansion of the larger buds, and the remain- 

 ing buds would be needlessly excited. Keep it, therefore, in a temperature of 

 60^ to 65". An increase of heat in spring, with bottom beat and a moist 

 atmosphere, would be advantageous. 



Epiphyilum Cultdre ITihm). — They should have enough water to keep 

 the soil moist, but not sodden, and after flowering they should have no more 

 than sufficient to keep the stems plump until they are started into growth in 

 spring, then water freely and keep moi^t. They will flower well in a tempe- 

 rature of 45 , but may be f^Twarded in a stove. The flowers endure longer in 

 a greenhouse than in a stove. A greenhouse is most suitable for them, with 

 extra heat when making new growth. 



Sensitive Plant in Sitting-room Window (Miss Cat tie).— Yon havo 

 begun at the wrong end of the year, the Sensitive Plant being an anuual. It 

 is not likely that you will in a sitting-room window succeed in wintering the 

 plants, but you may pot them off singly in 3-inch pots at once, draining well, 

 using a compost of sandy loam, leaf soil, and sandy peat in equal parts, 

 with a sixth of silver sand. Water very carefully, giving only enough to 

 keep the plants fresh. It is possible they may survive tlie winter, aud if so, 

 yoQ may shift them into 6-inch pots when they have filled the 3-inch pots 

 with roots; water more freely as the growth progresses, and abundantly 

 when growing freely. It would have been better had the seed been sown in a 

 hotbed in spring, the plants p« tted-off when about an inch high aud returned 

 to the hotbed, shifting into 6-Jnch pots when the 3-inch pots were full of 

 roots, not removing them to the sitting-room until the plants were well estab- 

 lished in the 6- inch pots. 



Camellia Bdds not Opening (TTord^?*;)/).— The Camellia buds you sent 

 ns are in no way imperfect, the bud being hollow in the centre solely in con- 

 sequence of the outer petals being more advanced than the central and 

 Bnaaller ones. The flowers would pmhahly open more freely in a higher tem- 

 perature, say of 55'^ from fire heat. Give them time. 



Wintering Bedding GERANiujia (E. R. M.).—You do not say what con- 

 venience you have for wintering them, therefore we may not meet your case 

 by our reply. Take up the plants early in this month, or after the first frost 

 which cuts off or blackens Dahlias, and strip off all the large leaves — in fact, 

 all the leaves that are larger than a shilling. Cut back any stratigling shoot 

 to a young one, trim the roots a little and pot singly in 4-inch pots, or such 

 a size as will hold the tubers, using sandy fibrous ham with a third of leaf 

 soil and a sixth of sand. Place in a light airy position in a house with a tem- 

 perature from fire heat of 40" to 45^ and water to keep the soil just moist, and 

 when they are growing freely water more copiout-ly. Any irregularities of 

 growth maybe removed by cutting-in the plants in March, and if put into 

 6-inch pots then they will bo strong by May. 



Propagating Zonal Geraniums (Bepi/infi-).— Shift the plants at once 

 into -i-inch r ots, and place them on a shelf about 18 inches from the glass in 

 the Cucumber house. When they have taken to the fresh soil they may 

 probably have shoots for cuttings. If they have, iusert the shoots singly in 

 small pots, and strike them in bottom heat. They will soon root, but be 

 careful not to keep them too moist, otherwise they may damp. The parent 

 plants should be well but not excessively watered, and when the pots fill with 

 roots shift into 6-inch pots, and on becoming again established examine them 

 for cuttings, and shift into larger pots. When you can get a cutting with two 

 joints and the growing point, Ifavint: thiee jniuts on the plant for future 

 growth, take off the cutting. This remark applies to the old as well as young 

 plants, and by following this treatment through the winter, shifting the 

 plants into larger pots as the growth requires, and taking cuttings as they 

 present themselves, you will have a number of good plants by May. Cuttings 

 may he taken up to the close of March, or even early in April. Do not over- 

 pot, nor, on the other hand, allow them to become pot-bound, and water 

 carefully. 



Edging Plants for Border on Lawn {M. H. M.). — For a permanent 

 edging to a border on grass. Ivies of the green kinds would not be suitable, as 

 they would not contrast unless you had the border raised, and then they 

 would answer admirably. The small-leaved kinds are moat suitable, as Hedera 

 Donolieriensis and H taurica. The best silver is H. Helix elegana. H. Helix 

 foliiB-variegatis is also good. The edging may be raised with stones, over 

 which the Ivies will ron and cling to, and soon form a close edging. The 

 Enonymus radicans variegatus. with green leaves broadly margined with 

 white or silver, is excellent for edging; R. flavescena, with leaves of a deep 

 chrome yellow, is also good, and mi'jht with cutting be kept to the height you 

 require, it being of free growth, but compact. The variegated Thymes are 

 desirable edging plants: one variei^ated yellow, Thymus oitriodorua aureo- 

 marginatus; and the other white, T. variegatus. 



Evergreen Screens for Shelter (Idem). — Ivy screens are not equal to 

 those of Tew, Holly, or Laorel. For an outer screen Beech and Hornbeam, 

 ftlBO Tham hedges are better, because quiokei--growing than Holly or Tew, 



which are excellent nevertheless. Evergreen Privet is also good as a screen, 

 and quick-growing. Arbor-Vitre is desirable as a screen for separating grounds; 

 but the best evergreens are Yew. Holly, and Privet, and the Beech and Thorn 

 among deciduous trees. If you had Ivy you w.iuld need a strong rustic fence 

 or larch stakes for the Ivy to cling to. and when the woodwork decayed, as 

 it would do in a few years, the wind would blow it down, aud the Ivy along 

 with it. 



Fern for Stand in North Window (L. C). — It is not possible to 

 determine the name of a Fern from a single divisi-m of the fronds, but we 

 think it is Cyrtomium falcatum, which is nearly if not quite hardy, and as 

 such would be suitable fir a stand in a north window. Aspleuium flabslli- 

 folium is a charming small Fern for suspeudiog in glass cases, but in the 

 poiiition you name it would not succeed in winter. It requires to be kept 

 from frost. 



Election of Koses {Amateur, South of Ireland). — On referring to this 

 week's number, and the preceding two, you will see how Mr. Hinton has 

 carried out the election and its results. 



Boxes for Exhibiting Roses (E. F. W.). — The following are the dimen- 

 sions of the boxes for exhibiting Roses: — 



Length. Breadth. Height. 



For 24 Roses . . 4 ft. . . 1 ft 6 ins. . . G ins. back, 4 ins. front. 

 „ 18 „ . . 3 ft. . . ditto . . ditto 



„ VI „ , . 2 ft. 2 ins. ditto . . ditto 



„ 6 „ . . 1 ft. 6 ins. ditto . . ditto 



Two 24-bose3 are constantly used for exhibiting forty-eight trusses, and 

 could not be objected to unless one box were specified in the schedule. 



Yellow Rose (M. H. B.).— The petals fell when the box was opened ; but 

 from the shape of the petals, scent, aud foliage, we think it is the old Tea 

 Sulphui'ea odorata, sometimes called CrystaUina. 



Planting Roses on Own Roots ilota). — As soon as received they shoald 

 have all weak growths pruned short to two or three eyes, and the stronger 

 shortened to five or six. Cloth of Gold and Marechal Niel on Briar stocks 

 should have weakly shoots cut out altogether, and all strong ones tiained in 

 to full length. The above are to be trained against a wall. Of vigorous 

 climbers to be similarly tra'ned, shorten the very strongest growths slightly. 

 Blairii No. 2 does not endure cutting. Gloire de Dijon and Devoniensis may 

 be shortened more, but as a rule fasten plenty of wood in, and encoui'age 

 strong growth. 



Vines against End of House (F. Z.).— Plant the Vines a yard apart 

 18 inches from each end, and the rods we should take upright, aud cut them 

 back to 3 feet, depressing the cauos In spring so as to ensure their eyes break- 

 ing regularly. When these have broken disbud so as to leave the shoots at 

 ISiuches apart on both sides of the rod, taking the fii'st at about 1 foot from 

 the soil. You will require to retain one shoot as a leader in addition to the side 

 shoots. Vines trained upright always break much more strongly at top than 

 bottom, heuce it is good practice to train the rods in the serpentine form, 

 and originate the shoots from the horizontal parts at IS inches apart, that 

 distance being left between one cui-vc and the other next above it. 



Grapes Diseased (R. S.). — The centre stalk of each bunch is severely 

 shanked. Apply tepid weak manure water copiously to the roots of the 

 Vines bearing the shanked bunches. It will not cure them, but it will check 

 other bunches being affected. Remove the soil of the border in the autumn, 

 and replace it with good loam mixed with leaf mould and limy rubbish. 

 (Qreen). — The above applies to your case; try the treatment we have recom- 

 mended, and spare the Vine another year. 



Grapes Cracking {E. M., Dublin). — They are severely mildewed, and that 

 induced cracking. The berries are small, and indicate that the soil is not 

 suitable. When the crtip is off and the leaves fallen the whole house and 

 Vines should be thoroughly painted with a mixture of lime and flowers of 

 sulphur, and the border enriched with a mixture of decayed leaves aud limy 

 rubbish. 



Quince Unfruitful (Julia).— -"We fear that the cause of the small pro- 

 duction of your tree is frost in spring; and if the sun shone early in the day 

 on the blossom after a frosty night, the sunny situation would increase 

 instead of diminishing the injury. The Quince tha-ives best in a somewhat 

 strong and rather moist soil, and moisture at the roots would benefit it in 

 your ground. 



Plum Trees Unfruitful 'Amat<;ur).—The trees would be best lifted as 

 soon as the leaves turn yellow and begin to fall. Take out a trench about 

 3 feet from the stem, cutting off all root^, and lift the trees with the roots in 

 the space towards the stem, cutting off any roots that go down. After putting 

 some soil under, replace the tree and fill-up, treading the ground firmly. The 

 trees should he kept rather high, the uppermost roots about ti inches above 

 the surrounding ground level, and cover them about 3 inches deep with fresh 

 soil, makiug firm, and mulching over the roots with littery manure. It is 

 not desirable to defer the pruning until spring with a view to protect the 

 blossom from frost. If summer pruningwere properly attended to, very Uttle 

 winter pruning would be required. 



Planting Shallots {/{^ hi i.— In a light soil you may plant Shallots in 

 November and co^er them with a'hes, which keep them from being acted on 

 by frost. If the soil is heavy, February planting is preferable. 



Red Currants (/^mt. — A selection of six will almost include the whole 

 of the varieties of Currant: — Houghton Castle or Victoria is the best, but 

 rather late ; La Hative is very fine and early ; La Versaillaise, being excellent. 

 These will give you all you want ; but to make six— Bad Dutch, Cherry, and 

 Knight's Large. 



Slitting the Stem op Moorpajik Apricot (H. S. ^T.).— By making an 

 incision through the bark down to the wood and the length of the stem you 

 wi'uld probably cause gum to issue, and disease of the head to set in. \Vhat 

 your tree wants is more support, which you may afford by copious waterings 

 of liquid manure during growth. From the gravel path it is likely the soil is 

 dry aud poor. To allow of water entering, boles may be made in the walk about 

 9inches apart, aud through the gravel with acrowDar. Guano, lib. to twenty 

 gallons of watier, would be a good application every fortnight in dry weather, 

 from the time the fruit is the size of a horse bean until it is ripe. 



Funguses (L. E , Disst.— The long-stalked fungus enclosed is the Cham- 

 pignon, and edible; the other specimen was a mere decomposing mass not 

 reoogninable. >G. S.).— If it was left under your initials we are afraid we 

 never received it. 



Ground Bare Beneath Cedar Tree (Pe^r).— We presume it is a Cedax 

 of Lebanon, and has a considerable spread of branched, which causes the 

 grass not to grow, the ground being poor and dry. Any growth other than 



