April 23, 1874. 1 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



335 



made sowings of other small salads, Mustard and Cress, Radish, 

 &c. Small salading of this character is very easily produced, 

 and for this reason but little attention is given to it ; but it is 

 nevertheless one of the important details of a gardener's work, 

 and should not be overlooked. Vegetable Marrows ought now 

 to be sown on a hotbed. There are many different varieties to 

 select from, but one sort is quite sufScient where utility is the 

 object in view. Moore's Vegetable Cream is the best and most 

 tender when cooked. 



FRUIT AND FORCINO HOUSES. 



Cucumhe.r and Melon ifo«Sfs.— Cucumbers now grow freely, 

 and little difficulty is experienced in cutting plenty of excellent 

 fruit, nor do we care much about variety ; one sort is sufficient, 

 and generally every gardener has a variety of his own which he 

 thinks better than other people's. When the plants are grown 

 in houses heated by hot- water pipes it is very easy to preserve 

 a good variety by cuttings, and this is the only way to keep 

 it true. The finer varieties of Cucumbers are very shy in pro- 

 ducing seeds, and this does not apply exclusively to the long 

 exhibition sorts. The best variety of Telegraph is a very shy 

 seeder. The best Cucumbers are obtained in a moist atmo- 

 sphere, and a temperature of from 70° to 75" at night. Melons 

 have set their fruit pretty freely, and the earliest and best 

 variety to set its fruit is Gilbert's Improved Victory of Bath. 

 This Green-fleshed sort and Scarlet Gem can be recommended 

 as the best in their respective classes for those who have not 

 had much experience in Melon-growing. There is much dif- 

 ference of opinion as to the number of fruit that ought to be 

 grown on a Melon plant. Some persons would allow a single 

 plant to mature six fruits, others would say two were sufficient. 

 For general purposes very large fruits are not required, and as 

 a rule each plant that has sufficient space to develops itself will 

 bring to maturity from four to six fruit. All the flowers on a 

 plant should be set within twenty-four hours of each other, so 

 that they may swell evenly : 65° is a very good night tempera- 

 ture for Melons. 



The Peach and Nectarine trees in the orchard house have 

 freely set their fruit, but Pears and Plums in the same house are 

 only now in full flower, and until their flowering period is over 

 it is better not to use the syringe. Pears, Plums, and Cherries 

 under glass do not set so freely as Peaches. Strawberries on 

 the shelves are throwing up trusses of flowers ; the earliest of 

 them have been thinned out. It requires a watchful man to 

 attend to Strawberry plants on shelves, and lie ought also 

 to thoroughly know his plants. The pots, if the plants are 

 worth anything, are crammed full of roots ; and should the soil 

 become overdry, so that the ball cracks away from the sides of 

 the pot, the plant will sufier very considerably. Use weak 

 manure water every time the plants require watering. They 

 should be freely syringed every morning underneath the leaves. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Stage and Fancy Pelargoniums are now throwing-np their 

 flower trusses, and as some green fly is to be found in the house 

 fumigating with tobacco smoke has been necessary. This fine 

 section of Pelargoniums is easily managed ; the plants require a 

 good supply of water at the roots, and are more readily injured 

 by the lack of it than the Zonals. They must also be kept free 

 from green fly. Should this pest not he destroyed before the 

 flowers open, it cannot be dislodged afterwards without ma- 

 terially injuring the plants. Tobacco smoke causes all the ex- 

 panded flowers to drop their petals. 



In previous numbers allusion was made to those find old 

 plants Hovea Celsii and Leschenaultia biloba major. They are 

 now coming into flower, and a few plants of each are very 

 pretty in small greenhouses. They are prized for their distinct 

 blue flowers, which are freely produced. Attend to shading 

 plants in flower. Primulas, such as P. cortusoides amccna, and 

 its varieties alba and lilacina, are not so much grown as they 

 ought to be ; the variety amoena is very far superior to the 

 much-lauded P. japonica as a decorative plant, and withal is 

 not so attractive to insect pests. 



FLOWER OARDEN. 



The lawn requires to be run over with the mower once a- week ; 

 the grass grows rapidly, and if it is not kept close its appearance 

 will be spoiled for months. All sorts of Zonal Pelargoniums, 

 Verbenas, Lobelias, Ageratums, and others of the more hardy 

 class of bedding plants may now be tnmed-out in turf pits if 

 the space under glass is required for other plants ; of course, 

 where the pits are not required for any other purpose, it will 

 not be necessary to remove the plants, but the hghts should be 

 entirely taken off during the day. Altemantheras, Coleus, and 

 Iresine should yet be in a house where a little artificial heat 

 can be given ; of the former we have not yet sufficient stock, and 

 have put in more cuttings in heat. A. amoena is the best, and 

 the slowest grower. 



Planted out the main collection of Gladiolus ; the ground is 

 in excellent condition this year. The soil is rich, and to secure 

 success a little sand is placed under and over each bulb. Auri- 

 culas are now in full beauty, and the flowers must be shaded 

 from the sun in order to prolong the bloom. — J. Douglas. 



KOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 



The second spring Show of this Society was held yesterday, 

 and though, as compared with its predecessor, of less interest, 

 and not on the whole remarkable in a cultural point of view, it 

 was a fairly good minor Show, and was favoured with summer- 

 like weather. 



Of Roses in pots a beautiful group of nine came from Messrs. 

 Veitch, of Chelsea ; Charles Lawson, and Teas Madame Wilier- 

 moz and President being especially good. In the nurserymen's 

 class for Azaleas Messrs. Lane were first, and in that for amateurs 

 Mr. Marcham, gardener to J. Mitchell, Esq., Iver, and Mr. James, 

 gardener to W. P. Watson, Esq., Isleworth, took the lead with 

 well-flowered plants. For Cinerarias the same exhibitors stood 

 in the same order. For Amaryllis a veiy good half-dozen from 

 Mr. Harborough, gardener to C. Keiser, Esq., had a first prize. 

 Dielytra spectabilis from Messrs. Veitch was well represented, 

 and smaller specimens came from Mr. Reeves, Acton, and Mr. 

 G. Wheeler, gardener to Sir F. Goldsmid, Bart., Regent's Park. 

 Messrs. Lane, of Great Berkhampstead, had a finely-flowered 

 dozen of hardy Rhododendrons in 12-inch pots, taking a first prize. 



Stove and greenhouse plants from Mr. Ward, gardener to 

 F. G. Wilkins,EBq., Leyton, included several excellent specimens 

 of Orchids, and in the class for six (Orchids excluded) the same 

 exhibitor had Anthurium Scherzerianum with finely-developed 

 spathes, 5 inches by 4. In each case Mr. Wheeler was second. 

 In Heaths Mr. Ward and Mr. Wheeler were again the prize- 

 takers ; wiiilst for Mignonette Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, had 

 it all to themselves. 



Highly ornamental miscellaneous groups were furnished by 

 Mr. Williams, of HoUoway, and Mr. G. Wheeler; a profusion of 

 beautiful Roses in pots ,by Mr. W. Paul. Mr. Needier, gardener 

 to the Comte de Paris, sent a fine collection of hardy species of 

 Ophrys and Orchis ; Mr. James, Auriculas and Pansies ; Mr 

 Hooper, of Bath, a fine stand of Pansies ; Mr. Walker, Thame, 

 Marechal Niel Rose remarkably fine for this time of year ; Mr. 

 W. Paul, a numerous collection of variegated Pelargoniums ; and 

 Messrs. Jackman, of Woking, a grand collection of Clematis. 



New plants were numerously represented in groups from 

 Messrs. Veitch, WUliams, and others. Certificates were awarded 

 to Messrs. Veitch for Ficus Parcelii, Drac-ena Hendersoni, Croton 

 ovalifolium, Abutiton Sellowianum marmoratum. Agave Leo- 

 poldii, Cattleya gigas, Drosera capensis, and Acer vitifolium 

 flavescens ; to Messrs. Rollisson for Hypolepis Bergiana ; to Mr. 

 Williams for Ceteraoh aureum, Gymnogramma triangularis, and 

 Amaryllis Mooreana, fine, broad-petalled, deep scarlet; and to 

 Mr. W. Paul for Betula alba foliis purpureis, with, as shown, 

 olive leaves ; also for Roses Perle des Blanches, a free-blooming 

 white Hybrid Perpetual; St. George, dark crimson; and Mario 

 St. Arnaud, very pale lemon. Mr. Parsons, Welwyn, had also 

 a certificate for Azalea Duchess of Edinburgh, large, very fine 

 form, pale reddish salmon. Messrs. Jackman had like awards 

 for Clematis Monikata Oke, large, pale lilac ; Duchess of Edin- 

 burgh, a splendid semi-double white ; Sir Garnet Wolseley, 

 violet ; and Mrs. Moore, with extraordinarily long petals, white, 

 with a flush of lilac. 



A very nice although small collection of Auriculas was sent in 

 for the competition for prizes offered by the Metropolitan Floral 

 Society ; and we were glad to see that in addition to weU-knowu 

 exhibitors of the flower Mr. Douglas, of Loxford Hall, Ilford, 

 who is so well known for his success as an exhibitor in anything 

 he undertakes, took a leading place. He took the first prize for 

 six Auriculas with a fine plant of Lightbody's Robert Traill, 

 Popplewell's Conqueror, Smith's Formosa, Lightbody's Meteor 

 Flag, and two others. Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., 

 Redlees, Isleworth, was second ; and the Rev. H. H. Dombrain, ' 

 Westwell Vicarage, Ashford, was third with Campbell's Pizarro, 

 Hudson's Apollo, Headly's George Lightbody, Sims's Vulcan, 

 Popplewell's Conqueror, and Smith's Ne plus Ultra. In class- 

 showing, for one green-edged Auricula the Rev. H. H. Dombrain 

 was first with Lancashire Hero, Mr. Douglas second with Hud- 

 son's Apollo, and Mr. James third with Lovely Anne. In grey 

 edges Mr. Douglas was first with Robert Traill, the Rev. H. H. 

 Dombrain second with Richard Headly, and Mr. James third. 

 In white edges the Rev. H. H. Dombrain was first with Taylor's 

 Glory, and Mr. James second with Smiling Beauty. In selfs 

 Mr. Douglas was first with Master Hole, Mr. James second with 

 Charles J. Perry, and the Rev. H. H. Dombrain third with 

 Spalding's Metropolitan. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Books (B. BiugeU).—Yom contriMjtion is unintelligible. 



Beetles on Vines (OncrMc?;).— They are weevils. The larger one is 

 Curculio picipes, the two smaller C. cupreus. Use the remedies directed on 

 p. 282 of our number published on the 2nd inst. 



Destroying Emmets (A Comtaiil Subscriber). — The beat method of 

 destroying these as well as the lesser kinds of ant is to saturate their nests at 

 night with ammoniacal li'iuor from the gas works. You may use it at some 

 distance from the stems without injury to the trees; but if the nests are at 

 their base we should dislodge the emmets by sprinkling guano, and when 

 they move to a spot where ammoniacal liquid can be usel, apply it, le- 



