January 6, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



is 



will be done this week. The Fig is a gross feeder. The compost 

 most suitable for it is good turfy loam, with a fifth part of rotted 

 manure and crushed bones, a good handful of the latter to every 

 peck of the compost. We do not find the trees grow too 

 Btrongly in pots with Buch rich compost; if they were planted 

 out it would be different. The compost would then be turfy 

 loam without any manure except what would be applied by 

 anrface-dressiug after the plants were established. 



GREENHOUSK AND CONSERVATORY. 



The Camellias are now furnishing us with a few flowers. Last 

 year the same plants were not in flower until the end of Feb- 

 ruary, but as Boon as the flowering period was over the plants 

 were placed in a vinery where the night temperature was from 

 65^ to 70'^. They were freely syringed twice a-day, keeping a 

 moist atmosphere. The result was a splendid growth, with large 

 healthy foliage and plenty of flower buds. ' We have discon- 

 tinued turning the plants out of doors after the buds are set. 

 They are removed from the vinery to the greenhouse, the latter 

 beiug kept rather closer if the weather is cold, but it is not 

 usually so at that time. There is great variety of colour and 

 formation of flowers amongst Camellias, but the very old sorts 

 are not quite eclipsed by the recent candidates for popular 

 favour. The old Double White and Fimbriata are still the best 

 whites, and Imbricata is still one of the best red sorts ; they are 

 also profuse bloomers. 



Cinerarias now require attention. If the pots are filled with 

 roots, and the growth of the plants is not too vigorous, every 

 alternate watering should be with weak liquid manure. The 

 plants intended to flower in March and April, if handsome 

 specimens are intended, must now have the flowering growths 

 tied down, as the more dwarf the plants can be grown the better. 

 A good plan is to fasten a wire or a piece of stout rope yarn 

 under the rim of the pot, and with the aid of a few sticks in- 

 serted in the pot the flowering growths can be tied into their 

 places. Tying and training Deutzia gracilis. This is a plant 

 that should be grown in every garden. The plant is quite 

 hardy, but to be quite successful with it it must be treated as a 

 greenhouse plant, except that it can be wintered in a house 

 without artificial heat. Some cuttings and suckers from the 

 roots have also been potted. The pots are placed in a cool 

 frame at present, in a week or two they will have the advantage 

 of a little bottom heat. Small bushy little plants in 4 or 5-inch 

 pots, covered with their snow-white flowers, are objects of ex- 

 treme beauty. The cuttings and suckers put in now will, with 

 good management, form nice plants next season. Fuchsias 

 have been placed in a little heat, and when the growths have 

 started a few inches, cuttings of them will be put in. Early- 

 struck cuttings of this graceful old plant are very useful for 

 making a display in the greenhouse in the months of July, 

 August, and September. With Fuchsias and a supply of the 

 best sorts of zonal Pelargoniums there will be no lack of 

 flowers for those months. — J. Douglas. 



HOKTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Westminster Aquabiuu. April 12th and 13lh, May 10th and 11th, May 

 80th and Slat, July 5th and 6th, October 4th and 5th. 



Maidstone (Roses). June 21st. Mr. Hubert Bensted, Kookstow, Maid- 

 stone, See. 



Spalding. Jane 2lBt. Mr. G. Kingston, Sec. 



SoDTHPORT. July 6th, 7th, and 8th. Mr. E. Martin, Sec. 



Helensburgh (Roses). July 12th and 13th. Mr. J. MitcheU. See. 



Dundee (International). September 7th, 8th, and 9th. Mr. W. R. McKelvie, 

 26, EucUd Creteent. Sec. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Waite, Bumell, Huggins, & Co'., 79, Southwark Street, Lon- 

 don, S.E. — Wholesale Price Current of Seeds^ £c. 



J. C.Wheeler (t Sons, Gloucester and London. — '" Little Book " 

 of Seeds. Illustrated. 



J. & F. Howard, Britannia Iron Works, Bedford. — Illustrated 

 Catalogue of Implements. 



Robertson & Galloway, 157, Ingram Street, Glasgow. — Descrip- 

 tive Seed Catalogue and Amateurs' Guide, 



Hooper iV Co., Covent Garden, liondou.— Gardening Guide 

 and General Catalogue, 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 Editors," or to " The 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, as doing so Bubjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and 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. 



Book (fi(U'itp).— The work containius woodcuts of planta generally is 

 Loudon's " Encyclopffidia of Planta." We cannot read the name of the plant 

 that Hheds its leaves. 



Tenant Removing a Greenhouse (Nurseryman).— It is always prefer- 

 able to obtain the landlord's written permission to remove any greenhouse or 

 other building you wish to erect. If he refuses to give such permission it is 

 easy so to erect them that you can remove them without his leave. If the 

 foundation is of brick, have a plate of wood iixed to it, and to that plate have 

 the superstructure attached by screws. The whole superstructure may be 

 then removed. The boiler, pipes, &c., may be removed also. 



Evergbeens under Trees (B.).— There is often great difliculty in Ketting 

 shrubs to grow in the shade of lar^'e deciduous trees from the ground being 

 occupied with their roots, and which speedily bpread into the loosened soil 

 made by planting the shrubs, making the soil too dry for the safe establish- 

 meut of the evergreens. Laurustinuses and Ilhododendrons do well under 

 trees, aUo Aucubaa and Hollies. Common Laureln and Yews are good, as is 

 also Evergreen Privet, Portugal Laurel growing for the most part weak and 

 leggy. We should face next the turf with Berberis Darwini, then. Laurustinua, 

 as thoy will beai- any amount of cutting-back which may be required, b icking 

 the Berberis and Laurustinus with Rhododendrons, completing with Ljmmon 

 Laurel, Evergreen Privet, Holly, aud Yew. Promiscuous planting is for such 

 places for preferable to any formal arrangement of the shrubs, aud mixed 

 planting we should adhere to except for the front lines, aud in these uniformity 

 in height and outline is often desirable. 



Berries on Butchers' Baooii {Idim). — We do not know of any method 

 to promots them other than by fertilising the flowers, or gently shaking the 

 bushes, which would cause the distribution of the pollen. The plants will 

 shortly be in a fit state for operating upon. 



Destroying Grubs {A. T.). — Gas lime is good against most descriptions 

 of grubs that prey upon the roots of vegetable crops. It may be applied 

 now or in March prior to planting or sowing, spreading it evenly over the 

 surface, and at the rate of twenty bushels per a-iro, and point-in with a fork. 

 For your quarter acre you will recjuira live bushels, and the ground being 

 vacant apply now. Gas lime is preferable to ordinary lime to use against 

 grubs, but that is also good, aud that you may apply if there be an objection 

 to the gas lime daring March, at the rate of twenty to thia'ty bushels per 

 quarter acre. The greater quantity is not too much. 



Wintering Coledses (H. E.).— They winter boat when under rather than 

 overputted, and kept moderately moiwt in a night temperature of about 5;>^ 

 aud OU to 65"^ by day. We should defer repotting them, unless thi plants 

 are in very small pots, until February. They do well in turfy loam with a 

 third of leaf soil added. 



Raising Musk from Seed (Irf('»i).— Sow the seed iu February in gentle 

 heat, and again early iu March, keeping near thg glass, the soil being kept 

 moist, and a moist atmosphere maintained. 



Ai'RicoT Trees Decaying lA Cotustant Beackr). — The most likely cause is 

 the high and bleak exposiu'e to which the trees are subjected, A coping hoard 

 would be a great asaielaace v/ben the fruit is ripening, also for protecting the 

 young tender fruit in spring and early summer. You will not, we fear, find 

 the trees covered with glass as you propose answer so well as Peach trees, 

 though they would alTord earlier and better-ripened fruit nnier glass than 

 against an unprotected wall. It would have suited better to have had the 

 Peach treen against the wail in place ol the Apricot trees, with a clear space 

 of 4 feet from tlie wall, so as to admit light to the base of the trees. Nothing 

 is gained by cruwding, and we advise the Peach trees you have in front to be 

 thin rather than crowded, and with two rows of trees you will in a few years 

 have trees that will crowd each other or encroach upon the trees on the wall, 

 which, as before stated, must have light, and the other trees also, or they 

 will become bare at their bases, unsightly, and unproductive. 



Bougainvillea speciosa not Flowering (Idem).— It usually grows very 

 freely, but does not flower at all freely. W^ter copiously up to August, and 

 after the beginning of that month keep dry, not giving any water unless the 

 foliage flags, and then only enough to recover its freshness, affording un- 

 obstructed light. It may probably show for bloom in winter or spring, when, 

 of course, free watering should be resumed. Prune as little as possible, 

 which only tends to growth, merely thinning the shoots to prevent over- 

 crowding. 



Mulching Pear Trees (Henry F. F.).— You may now apply the mould 

 soaked with urine aa a mulch or top-dressing to the Pear trees as far as the 

 roots extend, bat we should not put on a greater thickness than an iuch. 

 This ia not the best time to apply guauo, but you may apply the fowls' dung 

 to the flower and vegetable garden now, applying to the surface, and rather 

 thinly, as it is a powerful manure, and point-in with a fork. Fowls' dung 

 being like guano, rich in ammonia, is highly stimulaling, but ia soon ex- 

 hausted, hence neither should be UB?d any length of time previous to the 

 puttiug-in of the crops, its value as a manure being thereby greatly diminiahed, 

 especially in hght soil. Liquid manure made of guano kept iu a tank will 

 be constantly giving off ammonia, and ought so aoon as it is dissolved to be 

 applied to the purpose it is intended for; but we cannot say how long it 

 would retain its value as a fertiliser in a liquid state, but would he more or 

 less subject to daily loss from evaporation. 



Gooseberry Bushes Diseased (T. IT.).— There is no disease on the 

 sprigs sent that can be sured by dressing the bushes with any mistuie. The 

 soil is either poor or undiained. The Gooseberry bash delights in deep 

 moderately rich soil. 



Peach Trees on Back Wall of Vinery (17. ^. P.).— We do not advise 

 you to plant trees in the position you name. Peach trees do not succeed 

 well under Vines at any season ; but starting the house in November it would 

 be proportionally diftiealt to manage the Peaches successfully. 



Peas for Succession (Nevw). — For a large supply of inexpensive kinds, 

 growing about 3 feet high, we recommend Dillistone's Early, Princess Royal, 

 Veitch's Perfection, and Hair's Dwarf Mammoth. Late Peaa are all com- 

 paratively dear, but a given quantity of seed will sow a gi-eater length than 

 the same quantity of early Peaa. Thus, if a pint of early Peas will sow a 

 row 60 feet, a pint of late Peaa will sow one 80 feet In length. Sow a large 

 breadth of Dillistone's now, and when these appear above ground sow a 

 similar breadth of the eame sort, aud also on the same day a like breadth of 



