Novombor 30, 1871. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



475 



earlier. The pot Strawberries have been removed to the shelves 

 in the orchard house, and they are iu capital condition, neither 

 having suffered from too much rain or from frost. The pots 

 were standing upou a dry bottom out of doors, and freely exposed 

 to sun, wind, and rain. Our own belief is, that the longer the 

 plants remain oat the better are the crowns matured. The leaves 

 are also quite green, and more healthy than if the plants had 

 been removed under glass a mouth previously. As the pots 

 were standing on a bottom of bricks no worms could find their 

 way in ; if they do, in all probability they will choke the drainage. 

 Worms can be removed from the pots eitlier by turning the plant 

 out, or watering it with clear lime water, when the worms will 

 come to the surface and die, or they will die underground. If 

 the pots are dirty they should be washed, as not only are dirty 

 pots an eyesore every day, but the plants will not thrive^ quite 

 so well iu them as they will in clean pots. 



IIUSHKOOJI HOUSE. 



This structure will now be useful not only iu supplying Mush- 

 rooms, but also for forcing Sea-Kale, Bhuhaih, Chicorij, &c., for 

 salads. A good temperature is 55= at night, and there may be a 

 little rise by day owing to the higher outside temperature iu 

 the daytime. A succession of Sea-Kale and Chicory is kept up 

 from fresh batches of pots being introduced at intervals of from 

 two to four weeks, according to the demand for them. Eleven or 

 twelve-inch pots are the sizes used, and into these the roots are 

 potted quite thickly, allowing the crowns to protrude just above 

 the soil. We have just lifted all the Sea-kale, and selected the 

 crowns that are fit for forcing, potting the roots at once, and 

 plunging the pots in cocoa-nut fibre refuse out of doors, from 

 whence they are removed to the forcing house as required. Be- 

 sides the Chicory another wholesome salad that may be treated 

 in the same way is the common Dandelion roots. A stronger- 

 growing and improved form of it is cultivated in France, and where 

 a variety of salad is in request is an excellent addition to the usual 

 subjects grown for this purpose. The pots when in the forcing 

 house should be plunged in some moist material ; we find cocoa- 

 nut fibre refuse just the thing for it. A bed such as decaying 

 manure and leaves causes too much heat, and the roots are 

 thereby injured. 



Attention must also be given to continue a supply of Mush- 

 loims, and to this end the very best spawn must be used. It 

 would be quite out of place to recommend dealers ; but it is 

 c|uite certain that on the quality of the spawn depends much of 

 future success. Growers must in this remember the old and 

 wise saying, " Penny wise and pound foolish." A fresh bed 

 must be made up every six weeks if a continuous supply has to 

 be maintained. Occasionally a bed will continue to bear for 

 two, and even three months ; but it must not be depended upon 

 to do this. We knew a gardener who was very particular when 

 saving the horse droppings for his Mushroom beds to fork out 

 all the rough litter from amongst them, and when the heap was 

 under preparation in an open shed no pains were spared in order 

 to have it in the best condition by frequent turning ; and yet 

 under the most favourable conditions his Mushrooms were 

 frequently of inferior quality, and mostly small, plenty of 

 " buttons," but few for broiUng. It is certainly best to use the 

 dung in a more rough state, add to it a little turfy loam; and 

 we have had good results from a portion of fresh cow manure 

 being added to the heap, and thoroughly incorporated therewith. 

 A thermometer for testing the bottom heat should always be 

 kept for use in the newly-made beds. The hand is an uncertain 

 test, and serious mischief is caused by spawning before the bed 

 is ready — that is, before the heat has subsided to about 80°. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



During the last three or four weeks Chrysanthemums have 

 beeu holding regal sway, but they are now being rapidly thinned 

 out. As the flowers fade the plants are cut over, aud the pots 

 removed to a cool airy house to produce a supply of cuttings fur 

 next season's bloom. The young shoots are very frequently 

 attacked by aphis, but this must be destroyed at once either by 

 fumigating or by dipping the plant in diluted toljacco water. 

 The Chrysanthemum, though quite a hardy plant, is very easily 

 injured by iusect pests. 



To take the place of Chrysanthemums, Camellias, Cinerarias, 

 Cyclamens, Tree Carnations, and Cape Heaths, such as Erica 

 hyemalis and E. melanthera, are very useful at this time, and 

 the flowers of all of them are used for bouqnet-making and de- 

 corative purposes indoors. Epiphyllums in variety, when 

 brought on in a little heat, are also a distinct aud very beautiful 

 feature ; they are, moreover, most effective when worked on the 

 Pereskia stock on stems from 6 to 18 inches high. With a 

 selection of the above, supplemented with the usual bulbous 

 roots that are imported from Holland, and, of course, all other 

 plants which will come in from the forcing houses, such as 

 Spir.-ca japonica, Lily of the Valley, Deutzia, etc., there need be 

 no lack of an abundant floral display all through the winter and 

 spring months. 



Now, just a word or two as to the treatment the above selec- 

 tion of plants require, and first the Camellia. Keep the leaves 

 free from dust by sponging, and avoid a parching atmo'sphere, 



such as may be caused by the hot- water pipes being overheated on 

 a frosty night. Should a frost set in the tires are started, and to 

 be safe a much higher temperature is maintained than is neces- 

 sary, and, should the frost continue, care must be taken not to 

 have more heat in the pipes than will be sufticient to resist the 

 entry of frost; more than this may cause the flower buds to 

 drop. Cinerarias and Primulas are liable to damp. Eemove all 

 decaying leaves from the base of the plant as soon as they are 

 perceived, and fumigate with tobacco smoke as soon as green 

 fly is observed on the Cinerarias. In watering be careful not 

 to wet the foliage. Large handsome specimens are obtained by 

 tying-out the flower stems. Cyclamens are also very liable to 

 be injured by damp. A drier atmojiphero seems better adapted 

 to them, and they throw-up the flowers better if the night tem- 

 perature does not fall lower than -15°. Tree Carnations also 

 flower more freely in the same house. In an ordinary green- 

 house temperature where the frost is merely kept out the flowers 

 do not open well, and some of the very best sorts will not open 

 at all. The plants are also subject to the attacks of aphis, and 

 if, as is sometimes the case, it is not convenient to fumigate, 

 the insects can easily be removed with a small brush. The 

 weather is often unfavourable for working out of doors this 

 month ; tying, training, and cleaning plants may be attended 

 to, making sticks .and labels, pegs for bedding plants, and all 

 such work should be brought forward when occasion offers. — 



J. DODGLAS. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



James Backhouse & Son, York. — Catalogue of Hardy Trees 

 and Shruhs, including Conifers. 



Thomas Sampson, Preston Road Nurseries, Yeovil. — Cata- 

 logue of Gladiolus. 



R. Parker, Exotic Nursery, Tooting, Surrey, S.W. — List of 

 Donhle-flowcred Pi/rethrums and Miscellaneous Plants. 



Dickson & Robinson, 23, Market Place, Manchester. — Cata- 

 logue of Select Bases, Winter and Spring-hlooming Plants, d-c. 



PROVINCIAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



[Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates ou 

 which exhibitions are to be held. Although we cannot report 

 them fully, we shall readily note anything especially excellent, 

 and we wish for information on such specialities to be sent 

 to us.] 



DECEiniER. I BECEMBER 



Manchester land 2 York 1, 2, and 3 



Birmingham (ChiTsant.) 1 and 2 1 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,* All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to " Tho Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, ai doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening aud those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 

 Coloured Plans (H. J. i?.).— Tliei-e would bo no utility in them. An 

 engraving in outline of a bed with ligureB referrioK to the plants to be placed 

 theie, their colours and heights, is much more ut^efnl. 



Potatoes— Sdttons' Hundredfold Fluke.— " I have grown it this year 

 with other varieties — viz., Eresee's Peerless, lUverti's Ashleaf. aud Early Eose. 

 Witli tlio exception of the Hundredfold they have all beeu badly aiseased. It 

 certainly has been touched, but to a very trifling extent. It has been with 

 me .an enormous cropper, and for cooking has proved itself quite the reverse 

 of what your correspondents state.— lllCH.VRD .1. Sorley, ChefilLire." 



[It appears that this variety differs in its merits ia various districts. We 

 cannot insert any more communications on the subject.] 



LiLirsi ciNDiDuii Leaves Variegated (IF. F.).— They are strongly 

 streaked with yellow, and you say the variegation is permanent. We cannot 

 say that this Lily, or any 'white-ilowered plant, is improved by such variega- 

 tion. The flowers are rendered more conspicuous by dark foliage. 



Importing Ferns [Sion H'tU). — Any closely-covertd bos would do for pro- 

 tecting Ferns during a seven-days voyage. They are far more enduring than 

 flowering plants. 



Gerantuji Seedling Triple Seed-leaved (.1 Constant Header). — The 

 occurr-ence is not common, but is probably more frequent than is supposed, 

 few caring to notice such thing?. It will not make any difference to the 

 growth afterwards. 



Wintering GERANnTlis in a Cellar (FJjCdtc;/.!).— The plants will winter 

 safely in pots in a cellar from which frost is excluded, but they would not do 

 so well in a warm one, though it the temperature does not exceed 50= they 

 would not be excited into gi-owth prematurely; if it exceeded 50= they would 

 probably grow, and shoots made in the dark are not good. It is quite true 

 that Geraniums may be wintered tied up by the heels in a cellar, but they do 

 better with the roots placed in dry sand. All the leaves should be removed. 



