106 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January tiO, 1874. 



by the wind. As to breakage of glass, we have not had anything to complain 

 of. There are blinds made of strips of wood woven together, named pinoleum, 

 or tropical revolving blinds, which are very neat, especially those painted 

 fjreen. The price varies according to quahty. The green-painted are about 

 5d. per square foot, which is more than nine times the price of a shading 

 material which we consider more suitable. The pinoleum may be had 

 through any of the principal nurserymen advertising in oiu: columns. 



Compost for Plants [F. P. A. C).— For Stephanotis floribunda two 

 parts sandy fibrous peat, one part each light fibrous loam and leaf soil, with 

 one-sixth of silver sand- For Hoya carnosa equal parts sandy fibrous peat, 

 fibrous light loam, old cow dung, charcoal in lumps from the size of a pea to 

 that of a. walnut, broken bricks, and old lime rubbish, well mixed. For 

 Begonias, fibrous loam two parts, leaf soil one part, half a part of sandy peat, 

 and a sixth of silver sand, with a few pieces of charcoal. For Abutilons, 

 light fibrous loam and sandy peat iu equal parts, one-fourth leaf soil, and a 

 sixth each of silver or sharp sand and pieces of charcoal. Lycopodiums and 

 Maiden-hair Ferns succeed in a compost of tliree parts sandy fibrous peat, 

 one part yellow loam, and one part, in equal proportions, of sandstone broken 

 to the size of a hazel nut, silver sand, and charcoal, the peat and loam broken- 

 up small, but not sifted, except for small plants, and the whole well mixed. 



Thbips on Azalea (Thoma.^). — The sprigs of Azalea are infested with 

 thrips, and the other plants are, no doubt, attacked by the same insects. 

 The best remedy is to fumigate with tobacco. Choose a calm evening, fihut-up 

 the house closely when tlie leaves are dry, and fill it with tobacco smoke. 

 Repeat the fumigation the next night but one, and the following day syringe 

 the plants thoroughly, especially the Azaleas, on thoimder sides of the leaves. 

 It will be necessary to examine the plants frequently, and when you find any 

 thi'ips fumigate the house at once. The insect may be kept under by fre- 

 quent sprinklings of water and forcible syringings on the under sides of the 

 leaves dui-ing growth. We do not recognise the sprig of plant sent us. 

 Plants sent to name should be good specimens and in fiower. In repotting 

 Ferns it is not necessai^-to plunge them in bottom heat. 



Forcing Potatoes {Q. S. P.).— For a frame 12 feet by 6 feet four ban-ow- 

 fuls of thoroughly rotted manure will be sufficient. It should be mixed with 

 the soil, which ought not to be less than 10 inches deep, the Potato sets being 

 planted 4 inches deep ; but if we understand you aright, you want to know 

 what depth of fermenting dung to place under the soil. It should not he 

 less than 3 feet, and the bed ought to be somewhat higher to allow for 

 settling. The Potatoes should not be planted until the bed has a tempera- 

 ture at 10 inches deep of 75'-, not more. The temperature of the frame may 

 be 50 to 55 'at night, and 65^ to 75^ by day, and the amount of an- to be 

 given is dependant on the weather. In fine mild weather too much cannot 

 be given; and though we grow them in the above temperatures in houses in 

 frames, we keep them quite cool, being careful only to save them from frost. 

 Hyatt's Prolific Ashleaf, or Veitch's Improved Aslileaf, is good. 



Compost Heap Turning {J. P.).— The mud you have taken from the pond 

 so recently as December, and placed in alternate layers with lime, we should 

 at once turn over if this can bo done without converting it into a muddy mortar- 

 like mass, and whilst the hme is quick, so as to incorporate it with the soil ; 

 but if it be very wet, and the compost in turning forms a soapy mass, leave it 

 as it is until it becomes di-y, then turn it, and next autumu turn it again, 

 adding more lime. Left until spring it will bo in good condition to apply to 

 the land. 



Vine Border inside House [W. V.).— There i^ nothing to liinderyour 

 forming the border inside the house. It should be properly drained, and be 

 not less than 3 feet 6 inches deep, clear of the drainage, which ought to be 

 6 inches deep, better 11 inches, and have drains to take away superfluous 

 water. The border will de ou the north side of the house, and the Vines 

 may be planted on that side, training them up the rafters to the other side. 

 We should, as you have Ipiants in the house, have the Vines planted 3 feet 

 6 inches or 4 feet apart, and take them directly across the house. The shade 

 they will give in summer would be beneficial rather than injurious, and in 

 winter the Vines will be leafless. It will hardly be doing the Vines justice to 

 train them to the north side of the house only ; and notwithstanding the 

 credit you would have from having nice flowers, you will find Grapes will 

 afford greater satisfaction to your employers. A Peach tree would not thiive 

 satisfactorily on the north wall. The glass you sent us, which is mill-ribbed 

 glass, will answer for a house for Peaches or A'^ines. 



Manuring Vine Border {Town Gardener). — Good tm-fy loam and horse 

 droppings without straw equal parts, well mixed, the loam chopped-upilne, 

 and to every six bushels or ban-owfuls add n bushel of half-inch bones and 

 the same quantity of soot, placing it on the border, after slightly loosening 

 the surface, about an inch thick. It is suitable alike for inside or outside 

 Vine borders. 



Preventing Gooseberry Caterpillars (Irf^-wd.— Cover the ground all 

 round the bushes when the buds begin to swell with fresh tan fi-om the tan- 

 yard 2 or 3 inches thick, placing it up to the stem and as far as the branches 

 extend, or 2 or 3 feet from the stem all round. Let it remain throughout the 

 summer, and in autumn dig it in. 



Orchids in Vinery (Z* /cm). —There are a number of Orchids that \\'ill 

 succeed in a vmery. but we should advise you to cultivate those adapted for 

 cool treatment. Their cultivation is not diflicult, but au amatem- would do 

 well to pronde himself with a work on Orchid treatment. 



Proportions for a Vine-border Compost {A. K.).—To a cartload of 

 turf, which is a vague term, you may add three bushels of half-inch bones, 

 and the same quantity of charcoal. For the early house we should have 

 Black Hamburgh, Mill HUl Hamburgh, Buckland Sweetwater, Foster's AVhite 

 Seedling, and White Frontignan. 



Araucaria I.MBRIGATA LosiNG BRANCHES (J. C.).— The most likely cause 

 is the heavy clay soil with water lodging in the subsoil ; or, owing to the 

 elevated position, the lower branches may sufi'er from the strong cuiTent of 

 air. It is, however, a common occurrence, and no remedy has been found, 

 though various suggestions have been made from time to time both as to 

 cause and prevention. Shelter, not necessarily of great high trees, hut of 

 hills planted on the slope, or shrubs, or even hedges, so as to prevent the 

 wind from violently moving the branches to and fi-o, would be beneficial. 

 Our Araucai-ias are all well furnished to the gi-ound; they are sheltered all 

 round by shi-ubs, but still open enough to allow room for growth. 



Tree Carnations not Flowering (C. R. .I.).— Tour cuttings put-in last 

 April, and which were stopped, have done very well to make bushy plants, 

 and the reason they have not formed flower stems is the lateness of the 

 striking and the stopping. Your placing them in a Cucumber house will 

 cause them to gi-ow very rapidly, and the flower stems will be weak and 



spindling, and very likely the flower buds will be abortive. A temperature of 

 50- to 55 is sufliciently high for forcing Carnations successfully, the former 

 being the minimum, and the latter the maximum, from fire heat. To flower 

 Tree Carnations well in winter, a temperature of 50- at night from fire heat is 

 necessary, and it is equally necessary that the plants be strong and well 

 furnished by September, the pots being full of healthy roots. We have now 

 old plants flowering in a greenhouse, and we find they open their flowers 

 more freely in a low temperature than young plants. Our young plants, 

 struck about the same time as yours, will not flower until May, and that is 

 earlier than yours will do if you remove them to a greenhouse, which we ad- 

 vise, placing them in a light airy position. 



Early Peas (W. M. P.).— We quite agi-ee with you in opinion of the firm 

 you mention ; hut if we inserted your note we should have half a dozen 

 others from friends of other seedsmen. 



Mistletoe Propagation (B. O.). — The seeds were probably taken by birds. 

 We advise you to try again, from the present time to the end of March inclu- 

 sive being the best season for sowing the hemes. This may be done by making 

 two cuts on the under side of the branch of an Apple, Crab, Thorn, or Lime 

 tree in the shape of a V, the cuts being made through the bark quite to 

 the wood; x*aising the tongue of bark made by the cuts, taking care not to 

 break it, squeeze from the berries one or two seeds neatly under the bark, 

 and let the tongue back into its place ; the operation is then complete. 

 We have had them grow freely by squeezing the seeds from the berries on a 

 smooth part of the bark on the under side of the branches, the seeds adher- 

 ing to the branches by the glutinous matter. You may also graft early iu 

 Slay, making an incision in the bark of the tree, and inserting into it a thin 

 slice of fllistletoe with a bud and leaf or leaves at the end ; or you may put in 

 larger pieces of Mistletoe, taking a piece of wood from the tree, so as to 

 correspond with the graft, the latter being prepared as in notch-grafting — 

 with this difierence, that for the Mistletoe an incision is made below the 

 notch, as in crown- grafting, to receive the scion, a shoulder being left on the 

 scion to rest on the notch made in the stock. Budding may be performed 

 from the beginning to the middle of May, the buds being put in with the 

 wood, a short heel of wood being retained below the bud for insertion. 



Felt Covering on Vine Border {Irlcm). — The felt covering will not do 

 the border the least harm, nor deprive it of the sun more than coverings of 

 stable litter, leaves, or wooden shutters, and wiU throw off rain and retain 

 warmth. We should only remove it on fine bright days, replacing it at night 

 before May, the border being in a proper state as to moisture. 



Water Kam. — "^. J)." wants information as follows: — Given a piece of 

 groimd, of an elevation lower than the house, which contains springs, must 

 you tap a spring and create an artificial stream in order to work the ram, or 

 can you do it by sinking a well and attaching the ram to that ? If a stream 

 is neccessary, then what fall is required ? 



The Onion Plant {^ Working Ladif). — We are mformed that this plant 

 (see p. 86) is Sciila (Urginea) maritima, which is often grown under that name 

 in cottage windows. 



Stove Plants (F. 2*.).— We will consider your suggestion ; but the myriads 

 are overwhelming. 



Chapman's Packing Boxes (J. 5.)> — We do not know the present address 

 of the maker. 



Poultry Manure {H. M^). — Any gardener in your neighbourhood ought 

 to be well pleased to fetch it, as you offer it gratis. If you inform us of your 

 full direction we probably could aid j'ou. 



Planting Pear Trees (O. TF.).— Pear trees worked on the Quince stock 

 should be planted so that the union of the stock with the scion may be level 

 with the surface of the soil. Those worked on the Pear should not be planted 

 deeper than they were when gi-owing in the nursery. 



Grafting Cotoneaster {I<kin).—It may be grafted as you purpose. Wa 

 have been perfectly successful in grafting evergreens by performing the 

 operation just before they start into growth in the spring. 



Cuaumontel Pears Bitter [O. Q. K.).—Om Pears of this sort from pot 

 trees were excellent, but we could only obtain fruit fit to eat in very warm 

 seasons from standai'd trees out of doors. Last season was not a good one 

 for ripening Pears, and the only remedy is to grow the finer sorts in orchard 

 houses or on warm walls. Perhaps your fruit will do for baking. 



Vines Planted Last Autumn (An Ignoramus).— It is right to rub-off all 

 the eyes, except two as near the base of the plant as possible. But it is also 

 as well (unless you wish to have a great number of sorts) to allow two canesto 

 grow from each plant. In that case the Vines may he planted 5 feet 6 inches 

 apart. The best Vines are those one year from the bud. You evidently have 

 bought some fi-uiting canes ; they would boar fruit during the ensuing summer, 

 and could afterwards be cut-out, letting the others supply their place. 



Neglected Peach Trees (J<fcm).— It would be most satisfactory to pur- 

 chase young trees to plant on the waJl of your orchard house. 



Bruising Bones— Daphne Repotting (J. F. C).— We do not know of a 

 better plan than to place them on a hard substance and crush them with a 

 hammer. A bone raifl is of course far preferable, but we do not know of a 

 small inexpensive machine for crushing bones. It would be well to repot the 

 Daphne indica rubra, removing any loose soil, or that which can be readily 

 taken away without injury to the roots, and do not give a large shift. An 

 8-inch or U-inch pot would not be too large for the size of plant you describe, 

 unless you reduce the ball considerably, when it would be well to return it to 

 the same sized pot, or one a trifle larger. As the plant has not flowered, you 

 may pot it in March, or at once if it is beginning to grow. The Cytisuses 

 and Azaleas should not be potted until after flowering, and then into a larger 

 size of pot, merely removing any loose soil and loosening the sides of the ball. 

 If yoimg plants they may be potted in March. 



Locheria magnifica {W. F. H.]. — Locheria is a sub-genus of Achimenes, 

 and rcijuires similar treatment — that is, to be duly suppUed with moisture 

 and heat whilst growing, keeping it rather dry after flowering, but not drying 

 ofl' as with other kinds. 



Russelia .tuncea Treatment (Idem).— Do not cut it down, but allow 

 the shoots coming from the root to grow up, repotting now, and giving a 

 compost of sandy peat and loam in equal parts, with a fourth pai-t of leaf 

 soil, a sixth of silver sand, and a few pieces of charcoal and goml drainage. It 

 requires to be grown in a stove, to bo well supplied with water and moisture 

 when making fresh growths, and when these are completed keep it from 

 flagging and in a light airy position. 



Forming Bushy Cinerarias (F. H.). — To form bushy plants stop them 

 at the third leaf when the stems are being thrown up. This will oftaee them 



