246 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Marok 19, 1874. 



taken, when a little air may be given, bn.t not so maoh as to exhaast tbe 

 growth. Admit air gradually as growth proceeds, withdrawing it when com- 

 pleted, and then admit more air and Ught to ripen the wood. 



Fuchsia CrLxtmE (P. T. B.). — The plants should now be pruned, Bhorten- 

 ing the ahoots of last year so as to form a good specimen. The lower shoots 

 ought to be left longer than the upper, narrowing from the base upwards to a 

 point, and the leading shoot cut-back to aboat 6 inches. This for pyramids. 

 Those which are to form bushes should be pruned more equally in length 

 from top to bottom, the shoots disposed so as to form compact plajats. Long 

 straggling plants we should cat-back so as to induce the production of shoots 

 near the base, taking up a shoot as a leader, and stopping it as well as the 

 side shoots to promote a compact habit. After the plants have made shoots 

 about an inch long, turn them out of the pots, remove most of the old soil — 

 in fact, all the loose soil, and return to the same size of pot, or if in small 

 pots previously, give a pot a little larger, draining well, and using a compost 

 of turfy loam three parts, half a part eaclx of leaf soil and well-rotted manure, 

 with a sixth of silver sand. The whole should be thoroughly mixed and 

 made fine, but not sifted. Keep them in the room until May, and then you 

 may remove them to the porch, which we presume has glazed windows or 

 doors, and shift into pots 2 inches larger when the pots become filled with 

 roots. Water only moderately after potting, increasing the supply with the 

 ^owth. 



Potting Carnations {Idem). — Shift them into their blooming-pots early 

 next month, and stand them out of doors on ashes in the position you name, 

 protecting them from frost by the Hessian canvas as you propose until the 

 end of May, when it may be dispensed with. 



Plants for Shaded Rockwork (/^/■m).— Tour rockwork being very shady 

 and overhung by trees few plants will succeed in it, except Vinca minor, 

 .major, and the variegated sort, elegantissima, the different kinds of Ivy, 

 London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosal, wi h. some of the more hardy kinds of 

 Ferns, as Lastrca Filix-mas, Athyrium Filix-fcemina, Lagtrea dilatata, Blech- 

 num Spicant, Polypodium vulgare, and Polystichum aculeatum. 



AaiERicAN Blight in Orchard House (TT. H.).— As the trees are in 

 blossom care must be exercised in the application of the remedy, which is to 

 mix an equal quantity of water with paraffin oil, and apply with a brush to 

 the parts infested with the insect. 



Habrothamnts and PLuaruAGo ON Balloon Trellis (TT. M. B.].— 

 Plumbago capensis would be more suitable than the Habrothamnus elegans 

 for this form of treUis, but either would succeed. The leaf you sent is, we 

 think, taken from Hoya carnosa, which you may out down, leaving some 

 young shoots near the base; but if only to get rid of damaged leaves, why not 

 remove them? It would have made a better subject for the balloon trelUs 

 than either the Plumbago or Habrothamnus. 



Row from a Quart of Peas (H. J. Rees).~To allow for casualties, the 

 row should be 90 feet long for the early and smooth small-seeded sorts, and 

 120 feet for the large-seeded and wrioMed kinds. 



Packing Feuit for Market {A Vicar's Widoiv).—The Strawberries travel 

 safest in boxes formed of half-inch deal. The boxes we use are 11 inches 

 square, and lA inch deep inside measure. There should be a layer of leaves 

 at the bottom, and then each fruit should be placed separately in a leaf, the 

 fruit divi^iled by leaves throughout, and packed closely, stuffing leaves in the 

 interstices and over the fruit so as to prevent moving. The lids should be 

 screwed down ; and though the fniit is to be tight packed, care must be taken 

 not to bniise it by squeezing or pressure. The Peaches are also packed in 

 similar boxes, but 5 or 6 inches deep, so as to hold two tiers of fruit. Each 

 fruit should be wrapped in tissue paper, and a layer of wadding (cotton 

 wool), placed at the bottom ; then put in the fruit and fill the intervals with 

 the wadding. Put on a layer of wadding, and then another layer of fruit, 

 filling-up the intervals as before ; fill the boxes with the wadding so that the 

 lid will fit close upon it, and maintaiu the fruit without shaking about. "Write 

 to Messrs. 'Webber & Co., Covent Garden Market. 



PRrNTNG Plumbago capensis (TF. H.).— Cut-in the shoots of last year to 

 ^thin two or three eyes of their base, and the shoots that are required for 

 extension to firm wood. The flowering depends on the thorough ripening of 

 the wood in the previous year. 



CYCLAnrEN Culture (A. J.).— Probably you over-water the plants as the 

 blooms *' die-off quickly," the bloom stems being rotted-oS at their base. 

 Give them more hght and air, and water only as required to keep the soil 

 moist, allowing it to become rather dry before giving moisture, and then 

 afford a thorough supply. Omit the liquid manure to the weak plants, 

 applying it only to such as are ^igorous both in foliage and at the roots, and 

 any that are very weakly would be the better of a moist and gentle heat of 

 50'^ to 55" from fire heat. Theu- not blooming all together is an advantage, 

 from the succession of bloom that is secured, and though we grow dozens of 

 plants there is some difference in the flowering of the same variety in the 

 same temperature and under the same treatment. 



Boxes on Flue Burnt (A Suhscribrr).— The hoses taking fire will not 

 affect the Vines when dormant or only in bud, if the heat was not so great as 

 to bum them, which we hardly think it would be unless the boxes were very 

 near the Vines. The temperature for Vines showing fruit should be 55' to GO ' 

 at night, and 65'^ by day from fire heat, with a rise of IC to 15' with sun and 

 air. ^Vhen in leaf and the bunches are developing, the temperature should 

 be raised 5° on all the temperatures named, and 10^ when in flower. 



Destroying Green Aphis (Irff-m.).— The best remedy is to choose a calm 

 evening, shut'ting the house up closely, and having the foliage of the plants 

 dry but the floor of the house wet, then fill it with tobacco smoke, taking 

 care not to give it so strong as to injure the young tender leaves of the Vines. 



HvACiNTHS Failing (J. ID. — The bulbs were no doubt injured by then- 

 forward condition when received, which was aggravated by placing them 

 immediately on potting in a forcing house in a moist atmosphere, and probably 

 water overhead, which caused the flower spikes to rot. They should have 

 been kept in a cool house for a month or six weeks to allow of their forming 

 roots before the tops were much advanced, and then if brought on gradually 

 we think they would have succeeded. They are now of no value hut to plant 

 out (if doors in the borders in a sheltered position, where they may recover 

 and bloom another year; but as they have not made any roots, it is doubtful 

 if they are of any use. 



Jointing Covers or Flue (LUm).~T:he best material we have used is 

 Portland cement, which should be mixed with aa equal quantity of sand, the 

 cement being fresh. 



Zonal Pf-laroontuits Propagating (An Old Suhseriber, Tr.H.B.).— The 

 treatment you are giving is quite right as regards the puttiug-in of the 



cuttings and the watering, which should only he sufficient to keep the aoi ' 

 moist; but you want an increase of heat, which should be 55" to 60'' at night, 

 and 65' by day from fire heat. The soil, we presume, is a sandy loam with a 

 little leaf soil intermixed, and the sand at the base and around the cuttings 

 as you mention. Too much moisture would cause them to damp, and too 

 little to dry up. Just moist is the condition to aim at. 



Select Dahlias (Subscriber). — Show : — Florence Pontin, Herbert Turner, 

 Prince Arthur, Andrew Dodd^, Annie Neville, Caroline Tetterill, Charles Back- 

 house, Charlotte Dorling, Criterion, Edward Spary, Fanny Purchase, Harriet 

 Tetterell, James Cocker, John Harrison. King of Primroses, Leah, Lord Derby, 

 Memorial, Mrs. Henshaw, Netty Buekell, Pretendar, Sam Naylor, Toison d'Or, 

 Vice-President. Fancy : Laura Haslam, Alice Purchaae, Fannv Sturt, Flossie 

 Williams, Jenny Deans, Leopardess, Mrs. Saunders, Norah Creina, Pauline, 

 Pluto, Richard Dean, Sam Bartlett, Starlight. 



Plants for Alcove {Cornubia). — For covering the wirework of the alcove 

 we advise Lophospermum Henderaoni, Cobrea scandens variegata, Maurandya 

 Barclayana, M. Barclayana alba, and Tropreolum canariense, which will 

 give colour, also Geranium Ball of Fue, scarlet. These would cover the wire- 

 work ; and for the basket or box we should have Ivy-leaved Geranium Silver 

 Gem, pink flowers; and L'Elt-gante, white flowers; adding a few plants of 

 some scarlet-flowering kind, as Vesuvius. The plants, after they fill the box 

 with roots, may be watered with weak liquid manure. 



TiBiE of Grapes RrPENiNG— Produce of Vikbs (C. S.). — The Vines 

 started in February ought to produce ripe Grapes at the end of July and 

 early in August, but you may have a few bunches ripe at an earlier period — 

 say the middle of July, if you have early-ripening kinds, as Sweetwater, 

 Hamburghs, or Frontignans. One pound weight of Grapes for each foot 

 length of rafter occupied by the Vines is a fair calculation, and as much as 

 they ought, on au average, to be allowed to carry. You will be able from 

 these data to calculate the weight of Grapes your Vines ought to produce. 



OsTEOSPERMTOM MONiLiFERUM CULTURE (C. M.).—lt is a greenhouge 

 yellow-flowered evergreen shrub, originally from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 attaining a height of 3 to 4 feet, and flowering in summer — about July. A 

 compost of two parts sandy fibrous loam and one part sandy peat will grow 

 it, affording a light airy position. Good drainage and moderate watering are 

 needful. 



Names of Fruits (Subscriber, ITi/^sifit').— Minchall Crab. (W. Taylor), 

 — Reinette Blanche d'Espagne. 



Names of Plants (G. O.). — Your flower is Cyclamen persicum. There will 

 be notes on its culture in our next number. (D. B.). — The specimen was not 

 in good condition for identification. It appears to be Antholyza coccinea, 

 a very pretty Iridaceous plants, floweruig in a greenhouse from February 

 to April. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



CLUB BOW, THE FANCY AND ITS VOTAEIES. 



[Many of our readers must be unaware that " Club Eow" is 

 in Church Street, Betbnal Green, and a newspaper correspon- 

 dent, speaking of its vicinity, says, " Among its inhabitants are 

 street-vendors of every kind of produce, travellers to fairs, 

 tramps, dog-fanciers, dog-stealers, sharpers, shop-lifters, and 

 pickpockets. It abounds with the young Arabs of the streets. 

 Sunday is a day much devoted to pet Pigeons and singing-bird 

 clubs, prizes being given, and a ready sale following each award." 

 —Eds.] 



To those who spend the greater portion of their lives far from 

 the din of the city, and whose homes, it may be, are nearer to 

 the cover of the fox than to the busy mart and crowded streets, 

 any one of the many specialities which London possesses is 

 heard of with interest. Nor is it to such alone. London being 

 the head and heart of our empire, and pre-eminently great in 

 all its characteristics, all Englishmen take pride in its great- 

 ness, and never weary reading of its wonders, and I have there- 

 fore ventured to send you these few jottings. 



"Club Row on a Sunday morning" had been described to 

 me in such terms that determined me at the first favourable 

 opportunity to pay it a visit. Previous information somewhat 

 prepared me, but the scene itself surpassed all I had imagined. 

 To begin with, in Club Kow and adjacent streets there are 

 about eighty "fanciers'" shops, possibly more than that num- 

 ber; and as a means of comparison, when we consider that 

 Manchester and Salford combined can only muster about half a 

 dozen all told, this in itself excited no little surprise. All the 

 shops, or with scarcely au exception, in the locality named 

 seemed devoted to the same line of business. In some the 

 atmosphere was simply unbearable, the proprietors evidently 

 not believing " cleanliness is next to godliness." Happily there 

 were exceptions. As regards the birds, it would have been 

 possible to have obtained anything from a Tomtit to a Brahma 

 cock, though I cannot say much in praise of the quality. The 

 thoroughfares were thronged to a degree that made it difficult 

 to thread one's way through the mass of vendors and purchasers, 

 for the trade was not restricted to the shops. Here was one 

 with a poor Starling tied to his finger with a bit of string; 

 another with a small basket or tray of groundsel ; there a man 

 with an odd rooster uuder his arm, others with Pigeons, and 

 even down to a poor Sparrow. 



Last, but not least, the fanciers themselves ; and sad to say, 

 did we require to find human beings the lowest in the social 

 scale, I verily believe they are to be found in the scene I have 

 attempted to describe. Dickens's description of " the young 



