Maich 19, 1674. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



215 



Lawfion Seed and Nursery Company (Limited), 1, George IV. 

 Bridge, Edinburgh, and Southwark Street, London, S.E. — Cata. 

 logue uf Agricultural SecdSy tic. 



James Carter S^ Co., High Holborn, London, 'W .C— Catalogue 

 of Farm Seeds— Esaay^ Bow to Lay Down Land to Gi-ass. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until nest 



week. 



Books (II. P.).— We have a copy of the Kev. Mr. Thomson's "Amateur 

 EoBarium."' The London publi&hers are Messrs. Hamilton, Adams, & Co. 



OncHiDS FOR Garden Frame IJ. S. H.).— There are really no epiphytal 

 Orchids which we can conscientiously recommend for an ordinary garden 

 frame. There are, however, many beautiful kinds amont,'st the teiTestrial 

 section, some of our indigenous species being extremely bandsome when grown 

 iu the po&ition ycu name. We have been promised an article upon this sub- 

 ject from one of our contributors in the course of a week or two, in which you 

 will prt>bably find all the information you require, and fai' more than we can 

 supply in a short answer in this column. 



Destroying Rats and Mice. — '* E, C, Oakham," says he has found the 

 following vei-y efticaciouB : — Havicg a bullock's L-all from the butcher he boiled 

 it with some wheat ; mice will eat it readily. He adds that it is poisonous to 

 rats, mice, or Pigeons, and perfectly haimless to other animals. 



Ci'CLAMEN Culture (A Constant Reader], — In our next numberwe purpose 

 giving full directions for Cyclamen culture. 



CniLiAN IlFET Sow^NG iD. B.). — Sow it early in April in pans or boxes, 

 and place them in a frame where there is a gentle heat ; keep near the glass, 

 and when the seedlings are up admit air freely. When the second leaves 

 appear prick them off about an inch apart every way, and place them in a 

 cold frame, where they should be kept close and shaded until the plants are 

 growing freely, then admit air and li^'ht, and harden well off before planting 

 out. You may sow the seed rather thinly in a sheltered border early in April, 

 and transplant to the ribbon border in moist weather in May; or sow about 

 the middle of April where the plants are to remain, thinning them out to 

 9 inches apart. 



Skimmia japonica Seeds Vegetating {E. S.). — Some of the seeds should 

 vegetate the same season if sown as Eoon as they are ripe, but we should not 

 despair of them if they were not to vegetate the first year ; in this case we 

 ■would keep them in a cool house, and with the soil raoist, until the second 

 year, when no doubt the plants will appear if the seeds are good. There are 

 not separate male and female plants as with the Aucuba. We are obliged by 

 the capsules of Nertera depresta. The Fern is too small and too dried to admit 

 of identification. 



Treatment of Tuberoses (E. S.). — Pot the roots now in a compost of 

 two parts sandy fibrous loam, and one part leaf soil, or a fourth of well- 

 rotted manure, with a sixth of silver sand, i-emoving all the offsets, and pot 

 so as to cover the roots, leaving the neck only exposed. Place in a hotbed, 

 and do not water until the plants begin to grow, and then keep the soil moist, 

 increasing the supply of water with the growth ; water abvmdantly after the 

 flower stems appear. The plants should be frequently syringed to keep down 

 red spider, and have a light aii'y position in a greenhouse or other place after 

 they are well advanced for flowering, until which time they should be kept :u 

 gentle heat. 



Grafting Apples on Pear Stocks (Idem). — It is not advisable to graft 

 Apples on Pears, far though they may take and grow a short time, they ore 

 very weakly, and soon die off. 



Gnidia pin'ifolia Treatsient (A. S. A.). — It will soon be in flower, after 

 which it should be cut-in rather closely, keeping rather dry and cool for a 

 fortnight. When the young shoots are an inch long repot, keep rather close 

 and moist, and shade for a few days. Young plants may be shifted in spring 

 as well as in summer, having irregularities of growth cut-in a fortnight or 

 three weeks before potting. Use sandy peat and a sixth of silver sand, 

 pieces of charcoal, and broken pots, with extra drainage. Veiy careful water- 

 ings are necessary, especially in winter, also a light airy position in a green- 

 house. 



Liquid Manvrk for Cvclasiens (JJ^ih). — Weak liquid manure at every 

 alternate watering will improve the plants and bloom after the pots are full 

 of roots and the plants have good foliage. If the plants have not good 

 foliage, and the pots not full of roots, the manure water is not advisable. 



Adding Sea Sand to Compost {J. ^.).— Sea sand is not good for mixing 

 with soil fur sowing seeds. It might not injm'6 the seeds or prevent their 

 germiuating, but we have not found it safe. 



Lowering the Crowns of Sea-kale (Wt'm).— The stools when they 

 become high and straggling may be cut over level with the ground, and they 

 will form fresh crowns close to the surface. It should be done early in the 

 year, or when the stalks are cut, so as tn allow of fresh shoots, and conse- 

 qaeutly crowns, being formed for another year's produce. 



Vines Kecently Planted (Idem). — Allow all the shoots from the three 

 eyes inside the house to grow, and train the uppermost directly up the roof 

 without stopping, but the others we should stop at the sixth leaf. The eyes 

 outside we should not rub-off until the three eyes inside the house were fairly 

 broken, and then rub-off all but those required. 



Vitality of Seeds {Jrfcm\— Kitchen-garden seeds are all best fresh or 

 new. All seeds vegetate more weakly and uncertainly after the year fol- 

 lowing their ripening. Mr. Loudon furnishes a list of the greatest age at 

 which our vegetable seeds will germinate, which, along with other interesting 

 matter pertaining to the germination of seeds, is given in the " Science and 

 Practice of Gardening," pages 10, 11. and 12, from which we take the follow- 

 ing:— "One year — Peas, Beans, Kidney Beans, Carrot, Parsnip, Orach, 

 Rhubarb. Two years — Fiadish, Salsafy, Scorzonera, Pni-slano, the Allium 

 (Onion, &c.), Cardoon, Eampion, Tomato or Love Apple, Capsicum, Egg-plant. 

 Three years — Sea-kale, Artichoke, Lettuce, Marigold, Rue. Rosemary. Four 

 years — Brassicas (Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli. Borecole, Brussels Sprouts, 

 Savoy, Turnip), Skirret, Spinach, Asparagus, Endive, Mustard, Tarragon, 

 Borage. Five and six years— Burnet, Sorrel, Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Chervil, 

 Hyssop. Ten years— Beet, Celery, Cucumber, and Melon." 



Lawn Mowers (J. ^.).— We only reported trials made, we believe, at Chis- 

 wick ; but we invariably express our genuine belief that evciy variety of lawn 

 mower acts well if properly managed. 



Rhododendron Leaves Eaten (J. B.).— The leaves are eaten by somo 

 caterpillar or weevil, which is commonly found on the plants when grown 

 under the shade of trees, and where tho ground is covered with gras^^. There 

 is no remedy but to keep them free of weeds and grass, also clear of tree?, 

 and examine the plants frequently when making their growth. If any cater- 

 pillar or weevil is found at work, sprinkle the leaves with white helleburo 

 powder for the caterpillars ; and the weevils may be taken at night by spread- 

 ing a sheet under the plant, and shaking them on to it. The Rose leaves show 

 the plants to bo unhealthy, perhaps owing to want of air and light, but more 

 probably from an unhealthy state of the roots. 



Camellia Flower Buus Falling (Idem). — The chief cause of this is a 

 bad state of the roots. We should at once repot the plants, removing all the 

 soil that comes away freely from the roots, and repot in a compost of light 

 sandy turfy loam, the top inch of a pasture, with the turf chopped-up rather 

 finely, draining well, and potting firmly, keeping the neck or collar of the 

 plants rather high in the centre of the pots. The plants will need to have 

 the soil always moist, and to be abundantly watered when making fresh 

 growth, taking care not to sodden the soil by needless watering. Afford 

 slight shade from bright sun in summer. 



Conservatory Constructing (Sunsex). — In constructing your house we 

 do not consider it would be very much more economical to have wooden board.! 

 or shutters hinged, instead of glazed sashes for the top ventilators. The 

 boards are liable to be warped aud twisted by the sun, so that in a short timo 

 they become very objectionable ; besides admitting wet from cracking, they 

 prevent the admission of light. We should only have top ventilation on ouo 

 side of the ridge, and that the warmer one. For a small house the lights need 

 not be more than 18 inches wide, and the whole lengtli of the ridge, opening 

 with cranks and lever the entire distance, little or much as may be desired. 



Heating a Conservatory with Hot Water (/(/cm).- The only thing 

 that can be said in favour of a flue is that it is cheaper ; but that a hot-water 

 boiler and pipes are apt to get out of order if not in constant use, is not con- 

 sonant with our experience. Indeed, some not used any more than a flue — viz., 

 to keep out frost, are not worse thau others, the fires of which never go out, 

 except for repairs. The water will not corrode the iron more, nor is the wear 

 so great, but the boiler and furnace should be thoroughly cleaned instead of 

 being left dirty. Except for small greenhouses, flues are not safe nor 

 desirable. 



Perfumery Flowers (Djc/;).— We will not say that Violets and other 

 fragrant plants will produce as much of their constituent perfume as they 

 do in warmer climates, but it is certain that they do produce suUicient to 

 render them worth cultivating. 



Red Lead for Thwarting Mice (Puzzled).— Yonr Peas failed from 

 some other cause than applying red lead to them. The late Mr. Fish gave 

 the following directions for using it, and the result:— Cover Peas and Beans 

 with an incrustation of red lead in powder. For this purpose the Peas are 

 slightly damped, and a little of the powder sprinkled over them, and the 

 seeds well stirred together with a stick until all are colooi-ed. Very little 

 lead g<''es a great way ; a pinch or two would do for a sowing of small seeds. 

 It is as well to have a pot or saucer for the purpose, and then less will be 

 wanted each time in succession. We found seeds treated as above laafc 

 season, turned up with bill, nose, aud claws, but not taken, and the turning- 

 up was soon let alone. Neither birds nor four-footed depredators seem to 

 partake of seeds so treated. 



Thwarting Mice (Summer l-iland). — Your plan of covering the rows of 

 peas with river sand, which you find prevents the mice altogether from 

 scratching up the peas, as it runs in on them evei-y time they make a hole, is 

 a very well-known practice. If you rolled the peas thoroughly in red lead 

 before sowing, the mice would not touch them. 



Archimedean Lawn Mower (A. E. A.). — We have used the small sizes of 

 this machine and found it veiy efficient. It was made to scatter the grass 

 over the lawn, aud in summer this very soon dries up; but later in the au- 

 tumn when the grass gets a little longer than usual, the cut grass lies on the 

 surface and is untidy. It is quite out of our province to recommend one 

 maker more than another. 



Vine and Pelargonium Leaves Injured (H. B. TT.).— The sulphur 

 mixed with the whitewash is good and would not injure the Vines in the 

 least. There is no doubt but that it is the tar varnish. Tar on hot-water 

 pipes is fatal to plant life as soon as the pipes are heateii Until it is 

 thoroughly cleansed from the pipes the Vines will not succeed. How to do 

 this is another thing. We can only suggest scraping it off. We always use 

 lampblack for painting hot-water pipes, and when this is dry there is no 

 danger to the tenderest plant. 



Size of Sash-bars (G. T. E.).~The sash-bars will be quite strong enough, 

 21 by 1^ inches. Of cours» you will havLi rafters of 4^-inch stuff', which 

 ought to be held together with u'on ties, and iu a house lU or 12 feet wide it 

 will not be necessary to have any other support. You are quite right as to 

 there being such a Rose, but not a H.P. 



Pear Tree Unfruitful (Q. P.). — We do not know what more you can 

 do for your tree than you have done. Probably the variety will not succeed 

 in your garden. If the stack is healthy it would be better to regraft with some 

 sort that will succeed in your own or your neighbours' gardens. If the faiiJt 

 is in the stock, as by your account probably it is, dig the tree up root and 

 branch aud plant a young one, after having trenched the space well up aud 

 added some fresh, loam. In such soil as yours we would plant trees on the 

 Pear stock. 



Propagating Camellias (JlfonaTcft).- The stacks are propagated by cut- 

 tings of the single free-growing varieties, or better by seeds. The latter 

 should be sown in heat and grown-on. Cuttings strike most readily at tho 

 close of July or early in August— the shoots being firm at the base. They 

 are usually about 4 or 5 inches long. Remove all the leaves but the two 

 uppei-most.cut over the i^hoot below the lowest joint, and insert singly in the 

 smallest size of pot, in a compost, of equal parts of peat, loam, and sand, 

 with a surfacing of half an inch deep of silver sand. Plunge the pots in a 

 bottom heat of lO'^ warmer than the mean temperature in which the plants 

 were growing. They require to be kept close and shaded, and in about six 

 weeks they will be rooted, when they must be shifted into 2-inch pots, con- 

 tinued in gentle heat until they have formed good roots, and may then be 

 hardened off. In spring they should be placed in a moist and rather close 

 atmosphere, and grown in beat until June, when they may have more air, and 

 be kept cooler. In the following spring they will be fit for grafting, which is 

 best performed just before the plants are beginning to push. Whip-grafting 

 is perhaps the best ; the grafts should be of the ripe wood^of last year. The 

 stocks must be placed in a bottom heat of about 75'", and after grafting should 

 be covered with a frame or haud-glas?, and kept close until the grafts have 



