358 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May i, 1876. 



honses when fruit is setting. The lateral growths should be 

 stopped two leaves beyond the fruit. A moitt atmosphere is 

 most suitable when the fruit is swelling until it shows signs of 

 ripeness, when a dry atmosphere is proper for bringing up the 

 flavour. Some sorts have a tendency to crack, and the dry 

 atmosphere prevents this to a certain extent. Scarlet Gem is 

 more liable than any other, but this may be managed by cutting 

 the bine leading to the fruit about half through. 



PINE HOUSES. 



A house of Queens that was started in January, and where 

 the fruit is now of considerable size {though none will be ripe 

 until early in Jane), is kept at a high temperature to get the 

 fruit ia ; there is no difficulty to get the temperature up to 90° 

 in the afternoon, and if the sun acts upon the west end will 

 stand at this temperature until six or later. When such is the 

 case it does not require much artificial heat to maintain a mini- 

 mum of 70° or 75°. With this high temperature a fair supply 

 of atmospheric moisture is necessary, but too much moisture 

 causes the crowns to increase too much in size. We never 

 syringe overhead, but the surface of the bed and under part of 

 the plants is occasionally moistened. A little air is admitted at 

 the top of the house at six in the morning. As the plants are 

 plunged in a moist bed of tan they do not require much water. 

 We look over them twice a-week, and alternately water with 

 weak manure water. At one time we used to put up moveable 

 shadings, and they were used in very hot weather, but the last 

 two or three seasons no shading has been used at all; and to 

 prevent the ripening fruit from being injured by bright sun- 

 shine, a sheet of paper is laid lightly over it for a few hours at 

 midday. 



Succession plants that were potted in March are also being 

 encouraged by heat and moisture to make rapid growth. Plenty 

 of air is admitted to ensure a stocky growth. Broad short 

 leaves is what we aim at with all the varieties; long narrow 

 leaves shows bad culture. If good suckers can be obtained now 

 and potted in C and 7-inch pots, plunged in a brisk bottom heat 

 and encouraged to grow freely, in six or eight weeks the pots 

 will be filled with roots, and the plants may then be shifted 

 into their fruiting-pots ; Qaeens and Jamaicas into 10 and 

 11-mch, and the stronger-growing sorts, such as Cayennes and 

 Charlotte Eothschild, into 12 and 13 inch. With good manage- 

 ment they will grow to a fruiting size and be well established 

 by the end of September, and after two or three months' rest 

 may be started into fruit early in the year to produce full-sized 

 fruit in a little more than twelve months from the time of 

 putting in the suckers. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



All large specimens of hardwooded plants are now being 

 carefully looked over for scale and mealy bug. Both pests may 

 be found in the points of the growing shoots, and they must be 

 removed with caution, else the tender leaflets receive much 

 injury. If any bug gets into the centre of trusses of Ixoras the 

 appearance of the plants will be quite spoiled. Ixoras revel in 

 a high temperature— 70" to 75° at nisht; syringe daily overhead, 

 and if the pots are well filled with roots water freely. Orna- 

 mental-foliage plants that are making their growth also require 

 attention; the leaves must be k.-pt clean at,d healthy, else the 

 plant loses much of its value. End spider is very troublesome 

 to Alocasias and some species of Palms ; it must be looked for 

 at this season and be destroyed at once. Young plants potted 

 in March are now again ready for rejiotting, and they will have 

 a liberal shift. Plants in flower ought to be placed in a cooler 

 house than that where growing young specimens are ; 55^ at 

 night is high enough for the foimer, while the latter require 

 from 65° to 70°. Many Orchids require repotting, and they will 

 be attended to as time permits. Many fpecies of Cattltya are 

 now repotted. The best time to do it is jnst before the plants 

 begin to make fresh roots. An Orchid when at rest ought not 

 to be disturbed. If any of the species are potted at a time 

 when there is no root-aclion the chances are that the plant 

 will be much injured, and may not recover again for many 

 years. We have so frequently described the material and manner 

 of potting, that to enter into it again at this time would be a 

 repetition of what has been previously stated. Many of the 

 summer-flowering species are now showing for bloom, and they 

 must be carefully watched to prevent slogs from eating the 

 buds. Red spider and thrips must be carefully watched for 

 and destroyed on their first appearance. — J. Douolas. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



AI.EXANDKA P/LACE. Flowers, M«y 5lh and 6th. Eoeea, Jnlv 7th and 8lh. 

 GL460OW. May tilth, and Septvmb'er 12th and 13th. Mr. F. Gilb. DougLall, 



16 , Canning Street, Sec. 

 Westminster Aqoaeiom. May ICth and 11th, Maj 80th and 81st, July 



6th and 6lh. 

 CEtsTAl. Palice. Flower, May 19lh and 20th. Rose, Jnne 16lh and 17th. 

 TiTEBioK. May 24th and 25th. Messrs. A. Payne and J. Mills Hon. Sees. 



tjNDERCLlFF. May 31st. Mr. T. H. CTongh, Hon. Sec. 



Manchester (Grand National). Jtme 2nd to 9th. Mr. Brace Findlay, 



Koyal Botanir Qwrden, Sec. 

 Southampton. June 5th, and August the 5th and 7th. Mr. C. S. Fuidge, 



89, Tork Street. Sec. 

 Sooth Essex (Levton?). June 13th. Mr. G. E. Cox, Wilmot Boad, 



Leyton, Sec. 

 Ipswich.— June loth, July 6th, and Septemher 17th. Seo., Mr. W. B. 



Jeffries, Benley Road, Ipswich. 

 Edinborgh (Scottifh Pansy Society's Show). June 16th. Mr. N. M. 'Welsh, 



1, Waterloo Ploce, Ediobur^h, Sec. 

 CovENTHT. June 19th. Mr. T. Wilson, 3, Portland Terrace, Sec. 

 Maidstone (Eosea). June 2lBt. Mr. Hubert Bensted, Bockstow, Maid- 

 stone Sec. 

 Fareham and South Hampshire. June 2lst. Mr. H. Smith, Sec. 

 Spalding. June 2Ist and 22nd. Mr. G. Kingston, Sec. 

 Exeteb (Roses). June 28rd. Mr. T. W. Gray, Hon. Seo. 

 Reiqate (Roses). June 24th. Mr. J. Payne, Treasurer. 

 Burton-upon-Trent. June 28th. Mr. F. S. Dunwell, Sec. 

 Leeds. June 28th, 29'h, and 30th. Mr. Jamea Birkbeck, Delph Lane, 



Woodhouse, Leeds, Sec. 

 West OF England (Hereford). Eoses. June 29tli. Eev. C. H. Bulmer, 



Credenhill. Sec. 

 Richmond. Jnne 29th. Mr. A. Chancellor, Hon. Sec 

 Frome (Roses). June 29th. Mr. A. E. Baily Hon. Sec. 

 Wisbeach (Eoses). June 29th. Mr. C. Parker, Hon. Sec. 

 Oxford (Rosea). June SOth. Mr C. E. Eialey, 115, Aldate's. Hon. Sec. 

 Brockham (Roses). Jn)y If-t. Rev. A. Cheales and Mr. C. Mortimer, Sees. 

 Marsden. July let. Mr. J. H. Edmondeon, Hon. Sec. 

 Royal Caledonian HoRTicrLTURAL Society. July .5thandSept6mber 13th. 

 SouTHPORT. JuJy 5th, 6ih. 7th, and 8th. Mr. E. Martin, Sec. 

 Newark (Bopcs). July 6th. Mr. F. E. Dobney, Sec. 

 Helensburgh (Roses). July 12th and 13th. Mr. J. Mitohe'l, Seo. 

 Wimbledon. July 12th and ISth. Mr. P Appleby, .5, Linden Cottages, Hon. Seo. 

 Ealmarnock. Roses, July 18th and 19tli. General Exhibition, September 



14th. Mr, M. Smith, 11, King Strtet. Sec. 

 ToNBHiDGE. July 19th. Mr. W. Blair, Hon. Seo. 

 Wrexham. July 25th. Mr J. B. Shirley, Hon. Sec. 

 Headinglev. July 26th and 27th. Mr. T. Atkinson, Buileywood, Head- 



ingley, Leeds, Sec. 

 Brighocse. July 29th. Messrs. C. Jessop & E. Rawnsley, Hon. Sees. 

 Heworth (Horticultural!. August 2nd. Mr. H. H. Feltoe, Hon. Sec. 

 Rawtenstall (RofaENDALE). August 4tb and 5th. Mr. M. J. Lonsdale, Seo. 

 Taunton Ueane. August 10th. Mr. F. H. Woodlorde, M.D,, and Mr. 



Clement Smith, Hon. Sees. 

 FuEY. August 11th. Hon. Sec, Mr. Walter Fisher. 



Clay Cross. August I5tb. Mr. J. Stallard, Clay CrnsH.nearChesterfield, Sec. 

 Weston-super-Mare. August 15th and 16(h. Mr. W. B Frampton, Sec. 

 Preston. August 16th and I7th. Mr. W. Trouehton. Hon. Sec. 

 Shrewsbury. August 16th and 17tb. Adnite & Naunton, Hon. Sees. 

 Mirfield Horticcltural. August 19th. Mr. George Senior and Mr. John 



Eushforth, Hon. Sees. 

 Newbury. August 2'ind. Mr. Henry Seymour, Hon. Sec 

 Eamsgate (Isle of Thanet). August 23rd. Mr. E. E. Schartan, Broad- 

 stairs, Sec. 

 Seaton Burn. August 26th. Mr. R. Richardson and Mr W. EUott. Sees. 

 Dundee (International). September 7th, 8th, and 9th. Mr. W. B. McEelvle, 



26, Euclid Crescent, Sec 



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 subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and eipeuse. 



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. 

 Autumn Flower Shows [Monitor). — You will find lists in our numbers 



publisLed last autumn. It is impossible to form an opinion of a Violet from 



two small leaves. 



Market Gardening (J. E., Lcith). — If you read Cuthill's "Market Gar- 

 dening Bound Loudon" and our " Garden Manual," both small and cheap, 

 you will obtain the needed information. 



Genus Narcissus (J. F.).—A monogram by Burbidge & Baker, published 

 by Reeve & Co. 



Ants (J. T. 5.). — Continue to sprinkle Scotch snoff over their runs daily 

 until they disappear. 



French Vine Culture (S. A. P.). — Wo know of no system differing 

 from some one that is adopted in England. There is no book answermg to 

 the description yon give. 



Cineraria Seedlings (F. O., Taplow).—Som6 of the pips are very large, 

 but there are none so distinct from those well known to merit naming. The 

 petals are thin and notched at the ends. 



Apricot Leaves Mildewed (C S.). — The mildew probably arises from 

 the trees in pnts belLg too much shaded by Vines or other trees, end the 

 ventilation being delicient. We cannot name plants from leaves only. 



Beetles on Vjnes and Peaches IBalsalt Beath). — They are weevils, 

 known to entomol'^ists as Otiorbyucbus picipes- To subdue them place a 

 white cloth beneath the trees and shake them. Ko, ia the answer to your 

 other two queries. 



Cucumbers Diseased [Dot). — We fail to see any disease npon the small 

 undeveloped leaf you have taken frnra the point of a shoot. The specimens 

 of fruit sent are all right so far. If the fruit dies off when it is the size of 

 that sent, it is either from the temperature being too low at night, or from 



