Jane 1, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



437 



tjlaBS the rootB are torpid and ehoald be watered freely with weak tepid 

 mannre water. 



Prize Cabds (J. P, B.)—V^e know of no place where yon can pnrchase 

 them. We know Bome very pretty cards were painted by ladieB for a small 

 show. 



PENTENFLEun (BvaJH/cy).— Why in Savoy this name Hhould be Riven we 

 can only Kurmifle because its shape is somewhat lilto that of a net for catchinR 

 eels— peutenue. It is the Paulownia imperiolia, and haw flowered in the open 

 air in DevoDBhire. 



Vegetable Ivotiy (Devon).~The following is from a reply to a similar 

 iuijuiry Belli to the English Mechanic :—'' Phyte\opha.s macrocarpa is one of 

 the most beautiful of the Palm tribe. It grown on the Andean plains of Peru 

 and uu the bauks of the river Mat'dalena, and other parta of South America. 

 Its stem id thoit and procumbEut, but has, proceeding from itn crown, a 

 raagnihoent tuft of light green pinnated leaveg of extraordinary size and 

 beauty (like immense ostrich feathers), rising from 30 to 40 feet in height. 

 The flowers are on a crowded spadix, and have neither calyx nor corolla. The 

 fruit is as large as a man's head, and coDsists of many four-celled leathery 

 drupes aggregated together, and contains numerous nuts of a somowhiit 

 triangular form, nearly aa large as a hen's egg ; they are called Corrozzo nuts 

 in commerce. The kernels, when ripe, are very hard and white, and reEemblo 

 real ivory. They are extensively used in the manufacture of buttons, um- 

 brella handles, and other small articles. Several millions of these nuts are 

 annually imported into this country, and a large proportion of theie imports 

 are consumed in the manufactories of Birmiugham." 



Primrose Abortive (J. E.).—1he calyx being in the form of the corolla 

 though still green, and all the other parts of the flower being absent except 

 an abortive pistil, is very unusual. 



CoTTAGER'ri Class (fl".).— Not knowing the season of the year when the 

 show is to be held, we cannot name suitable plants. 



"White Climbinq Rose (E. 0.).— Climbing Itoaa Devonienais is whitt- 

 flowered ; Lonicera tatarioa punicea is orimson-flowered. Virginian Stock 

 is au annual, but so produces itself by self-sowing that it is perennial in 

 producing flowers. 



Pelargonium Leaves Spotted (W. D.J. atid J. S.).—DeGcient venti- 

 lation aid irregular watering — sometimes the roots being too dry and then 

 excessively wet, will cause the leaves to be mildewed and spottetl Uko those 

 you enclosed. 



Old Beompton Stock (F. B.).— Any of the principal London or provincial 

 seedsmen can supply this. 



Seeds from India (St. Vincent).— Vfe do not think your seeds are seeds 

 of Dolichos, but we wUl sow them in the &tove and let you know. You may 

 raise Indian seeds in a Cucumber frame, and the plants will grow until the 

 autumn, when.they would require a stove temperature for the winter mouths. 



Roses not Blooming (rcustr).— The buds do not open because they have 

 not suflicient heat combined with light and air. They ehould be placed close 

 to the glass. We do not like to ri&k naming Roses from unopened buds or 

 badly-formed flowers. 



Management of Vines (Idem).— Yon should stop the leading shoots as 

 Foon aa they reach the top of the rafters, and stop the laterals at every leaf. 

 We allude only to the lateral growths that will be formed at the end of the 

 leading growth. 



Ehythrina Culture (R. S. C.).— Iou do not advise na as to the size of the 

 plants, but we presume they are in small pots, and the plants comparatively 

 moderate in growth. We should shift them into pots u size larger, or so as 

 to admit of an inch of fresh soil being placed all round the ball, the pots 

 they are shifted from being filled with roots ; if not, the putting should be 

 deferred until they are. A position in a cold pit and near the glass so as to 

 keep the plants sturdy in growth is most suitable, syringing frequently eo as 

 to keep down red epider, watering moderately until the roots are working freely 

 in the fresh soil, and afterwards copiously. A rich light loam and sandy 

 peat in equal parts, with a half part of leaf soil and a free admixture of silver 

 aand, will grow them well. They will speedily fill the pots with roots, when 

 they may be transferred to pots 2 to 4 inches larger in diameter, and they 

 may be kept in the pit, regulating the shoots by tying, or have a light airy 

 position in the greenhouse. The plants may be planted out after the middle 

 of June in rich light soil in an open bat warm sheltered Bituation. 



Gloxinia Cdlture [T. M. B.).— These free-flowering planta require a 

 compost of two parts turfy loam, one part each of leaf soil or well-decayed 

 manure, sandy peat, and silver sand. Ihey do best in a low houEe or pit at 

 a distance of about 18 inches from the glass and with slight shade, the main 

 point bt^ing to moiutain a moist atmosphere with moderate ventilation. We 

 pot ours before the corms start into growth, into pots about twice iu diameter 

 that of the routs, and when they have made shoots ab^iut 2 inches long we 

 shift into the blu.nuing pots which usually are 4 inches larger in diameter, 

 and add at this potting a little old cow dung, draining the pols well. Moderate 

 watering is given at tirst, JDcreasing it as the plants advance in growth, they 

 requiring when advanciug fur flowering free watering, but at the same time 

 avuiding making the soil sodden. The plants may bo sprinkled overhead 

 morning and afternoon until flowering, and the house kept moist by frequent 

 sprinklings. Jf kept too dry the leaves become a prey to Ibrips. A tem- 

 perature of 60- to 65° at night, 70'= to 75° by day, with a rise from anu heat 

 to 85^ or 90°, is most auitable. 



Pruning ()ld Laurels {A Constant Header), — Ifc ia not now too late to 

 prune Laurels. We should cut-in the shrubs to the form desired, and you will 

 be rewarded for the trouble by a dwarfer growth, which, however, to be kept 

 neat must have the irregularities shortened in August, reserving any close 

 cutting-in until spring. 



Stopping Tomatoes (Idem). — Plant them out at once against the sunny 

 wall, and keep them well supplied with water, especially in dry weather. Take 

 out their points when a foot in height, and train the shoots at about a foot 

 distance apart, and when they show fruit or rather flower buds stop the 

 shoots one joint beyond, laying-in what shoots you can without overcrowding, 

 thinning-out as required phoots of the latter kind, and stopping throughout 

 St one joint beyond tlie fruit, cutting clean out foreright shoots on the front 

 of the branches, the large old leaves being refiooved to prevent the young 

 from being too much crowded. 



Repotting Roses (F. 0. M.).— We prefer that the repotting of the plants 

 be done as soon as convenient after blooming; and in the autumn, ur pre- 

 viously to starting the plants into freeh growth, remove a portion of the 

 Burface soil and replace with a fresh rich compost. 



Climbers for West Balcony (Rev. S. A. B.).— Lonicera fleiuosa, Cle- 

 matis montana, aud Rose Felicitc perpetue might aucceed. 



Liquid Manure for Cucumbers (fdrm).— The best probably is a p?ck of 

 sheep droppings to thirty gallons of water, but these are not always procurable. 

 A peck of soot to the samo quantity of water is also good, but a stimulant 

 generafly applicable is made by diusolving 1 lb. of guano iu twenty gailous of 

 water. 



Growing Plants for Exhibition (An Amateur). — Of the two descrip- 

 tions of Fuchsia the " little pyramids 2 feet G inches in height" will be more 

 suitable than the "spring-struck cuttings now about U inches high," though 

 the latter grown-on with liberal treatment will be nice plants, but will nut 

 compare with the former in ctmpactuesB of growth. Keep them well stopped 

 until about seven, or better eis^ht, weeks before you wish them to bloom, 

 applying liijuid manure at every nltemate watering. They would bo beRt 

 grown in the cool conservatory. The liquid manure ought not to be given 

 until the pots are filled with roots. The Geraniums would be best grown in 

 the cold frames, fctupping them up to eight weeks before blooming, and 

 enaplojing liquid maLure so as to have them in good foliage, not permitting 

 any of them to flower until after the last stopping. The Bahama will also 

 require to be grown in pits f r deep frames, though you may remove them to 

 the conservatory after they are advanced for flowering. They require to be 

 kept near the glass, shifted into larger pots as they advance, and to have the 

 flowers removed up to within a fortnight of exhibiting, the centre stem 

 flowering before the side bramhes. so that the flower buds mubt be removed 

 from it as well as from the side branches if need be, so as to have all in bloom 

 together. The buds take when the size of peas a little over a fortnight to 

 expand, so that you may know when to leave i-ff picking the buds. The buds 

 should be removed when the size of peas. We could not from the Hsfc of the 

 kinds you name state which would be the bedt to exhibit, as we might name 

 such as would not he in condition, as they will vary somewhat in size, also iu 

 foliage and flower, as well as hyiumetry of x^lai^t. Grow all well, and call in 

 before the show one with a good knowledge of plants for exhibition, and with 

 such aid you will be able to make a better selection than we could without 

 eeeing the plants. 



Scale on Peach Trees, &c. (Nadroj). — It is the Aspidiotna rosJB or 

 Rose scale, closely allied to the Coccus. It ia destroyed by the aame applica- 

 tion we have directed for that. 



Woodltce (J. Collctt).—C&u any of our readers inform us of an effective 

 mode of protecting Melocs and other plantn from the attacks of these peste ? 

 We presume our inquirer has tried the old and good plan of a boiled potato 

 wrapped in a little hay and placed in a fluwtr pot laid on its side in their 

 haunts, esamim'ng it iu the morning, and shaking the woodlice, which will be 

 secreted in the hay around the potato, into a bucket of boding water. A 

 number of these baits will thin the woodlicc considerably, and so would a few 

 toada placed upon the bed. A wholesale meaoa of destroying these pe&ta 

 other than by boiling water, which cannot always be used without injury to 

 the roots of the plants, is much needed. 



Mulberries Seedless (J. F.).— Your former letter did not reach ns. You 

 are in error in supposing the Walnut and Filbert to be dioecious. They are 

 both montecious trees. The Mulberry is also monrecious, but sometimes 

 dicecious, and occasiouaUy polygamous. The flowers you have sent are all 

 female flowers. We have seen trees producing only male, and other trees 

 producing only female flowers, whild wo have also seen female and male 

 flowers (bhort close catkins), on the same tree. A Mulberry tree raised from 

 seed will often produce only male catkins for a few yoars, the tree eventually 

 becoming fruitful. It is not advisable to propagate from a tree of this nature, 

 and cuttings should only be selected from fruitful branches. Your fruit ia 

 seedless because of the absence of male catkins, but it wiU produce fruit as 

 freely, and that fruit will be aa good, perhaps better, for dessert and pre- 

 aerving purposes as if it contained seeds. Au exact analogy to this is found 

 in the animal kingdom, where a hen under certain conditions wiU produce 

 eggs which are perfect for cooking purposes, but which for obvious reasons 

 are unproductive of chickens. In your case the Mulberry is dicecious, and as 

 it is planted at the back wall of a vinery for the sole purpose of producing 

 fruit, the absence of male catkins is rather an advantage than otherwise. 



Names of Plants ( T. H.).— The yellow, Doronicum pardalianches, Leopard's 

 Bane ; the white, Cardamine pratensis, Lady's Smock. (J. P. AUan).—l, Dip- 

 lacus glutinosus; 2, Adiantum lethiopicum ; 8, Adiantum Capillus- Veneris; 

 4, Vitex sp. ; 5, Impatiens. (^. B.).— 1, Kennedya coccinea; 2, Lopezia race- 

 mosa ; 3, Centradenia rosea ; 4, Bajdalacanthus nervosus. {A. Boss).— 1, Pteria 

 arguta; 2, Asplenium bulbiferum ; 3, Aspidium falcatum ; 4, Pteria serru- 

 lata; 5, Dredalacanthus nervoaae. {Mrs. O/iyerJ.— Sedum Sieboldi varie- 

 gatum. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEOKEOLE. 



OPEN JUDGING. 



A NEW Bystem of judging was put into operation the other 

 day at Maidetone at the Southeru Counties Dog Show. Cata- 

 logues were placed in the judges' bauds, thus affording them 

 full knowledge as to the owners of and the names of the exhibits. 

 The success seems to have been great, and from many quar- 

 ters we learn that there has not been such a satisfactory num- 

 ber of awards for some time past. So well was this new system 

 received, and so well did it seem to work, that the question 

 naturally arises whether it would not be as well to see if the 

 samo plan will be aa successful in awarding poultry prizes. 

 We fear that many of our exhibitors have lost some faith in the 

 fancy during the past season, and we hear of one or two seriously 

 threatening to give up exhibiting, and those, too, fanciers whom 

 we can but ill spare. Now, open judging should at any rate 

 make them less Busuicious, and feel mclined to try another 

 year. We do not believe one-fourth of the stories we hear about 

 awards being improperly made by some judges; bntwedofeel 

 that if those gentlemen went into the show catalogue in hand 

 to make the awards, they would come out again in a much more 

 pleasant frame of mind than often is the case, for, however 



