April 30, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAitDENER. 



353 



path, bnt throw it all into one piece, filling the centre with a idbbs of 

 deep rich scarlet Geranium snrrounded by an edging of four broad bands; 

 the outer one of Golden Pyrethrum, followed by blue Lobelia, pink Verbeoa, 

 and Cerastium, which would afford a pleasing piquant combiuatiou of soft 

 fleecy yellow, deep blue, pink, soft grey, and deep scailet. Plant the bands 

 thickly, 8o that each may present a compact clearly -de fined line of colour, 

 and take care that each Hue be kept distinct throughout tbo season. 



PRiirnoHE (S.). — It is not at all unusual for what are called or thought to be 

 PrimroscB to throw-up a scape as the season advances and become a Poly- 

 anthus. Such plants are nnt true Primroses, but cross-breds with the Poly- 

 anthng. True Piimroees like the eingle and double white, the double lilac, 

 double purple, double crimson, single red. and many otherci, never throw up a 

 Boape. Such a tlower as you have sent, if it preserved the Primrose character, 

 would have been worth preserviug, but haviog become a PolyauthuH it has no 

 novelty about it. We have peen some flowers highly esteemed as Primroses 

 which, when they became Polyanthuses, lost all their value. 



BAisiNfi Varieties {Truly a New Beginner). — You may raise new varieties 

 of fruits simply by sowiog their seeds aud stones, but the probability is that 

 not one so raised will equal in quality established old varieties. Those who 

 understand the meri's and deficiencies of fruits and flowers diminish the 

 chances of failure by applying the pollen of one variety to the pistils of 

 another variety. We do not kuow where the variety you mention can be 

 obtained yet; it will be advertised, probably. 



Beetle Destrovino Peas (B. H. O.).— It is the spotted weevil, Cnrculio 

 macularius. Try sprinkling soot thickly over the leaves whilst the dew is on 

 them, and cover the surface of the soil with soot. 



KoYAL Muscadine Vine against House {F. J.). — The upright canes 

 from the rod at the base of the wall should be 2 feet, or better 2 feet 6 inches 

 apart, and instead of pinchingback the shoots, not "laterals," between these 

 they should be rubbed-off, except one in the centre of each, and the inter- 

 mediate one should be stopped at the sixth leaf. The laterals are shoots that 

 proceed from the growths of the present year, and those you may stop at 

 the first leaf, and at every joint as fresh t,T0wth is made. What is the infor- 

 mation you seek respecting the Black Hamburgh in the ground vinery ? 



MnicniNG AND Guano for Roses {Idem). — It is too early to mulch 

 Boeee with spent hops. Tho end of May or early part of Jane is early enough, 

 imlesB the weather be unusually dry, which it hardly will be in your climate, 

 bnt your soil being very porons you may apply the mulching earlier than would 

 be necessary in a stiff soil. Before putting on the mulch you may sprinkle 

 guano around each tree at the rate yoa name, but, unless moisc weather, it 

 would be better to give it in a liquid form, and not so strong ; 1 oz. to a gallon 

 of water is suCQcient. 



Gooseberries and Black CunaANTs Unfruitful {R. H. F.I.— Your 

 friends may alvise you aright; we do not think so. The bushes having only 

 a few leaves at the points of the shoots must have had the buds removed by 

 birds, probably bullfinches. There is no kind of Gooseberry bud or fruit that 

 birds will not take. The only thing you can do is to improve your unfavour- 

 able soil. We presume it is well drained; if not, it should be, and we should 

 then add to it some road scrapings, ashes, and other materials calculated to 

 lighten it, and manure well. By these means, and keeping the birds from 

 taking the buds, you will probably have fruit in a year or two abundantly. 



AucuBA japonica Berries (J. D. D.).— Separate the seeds from the pulp 

 or husk, as yours will be if dried, and sow them at once in a compost of 

 three parts turfy loam, and half a part each of leaf soil and sandy peat, with 

 a sixth of silver sand, in a pot or pan efficiently drained. Cover them about 

 half an inch deep with fine soil. Place in a greenhouse or frame, and keep 

 moist. 



Depth op Water for Water Lilies (J. A. C.).— The depth of water 

 should not be less than 1 foot, and must not exceed 3 feet ; the mean of 

 these depths we consider most suitable, or 2 feet. 



Hybrid Perpetual Roses for August {An AmateurY—Ihe Roses should 

 be pruned at the end of May, letting the shoots from the points grow in the 

 meantime, and this will keep the eyes at the base of the shoots dormant, 

 after which shade from sun by an awning, and sprinkle overhead twice daily 

 until they have broken, then remove the awning, and keep well supplied with 

 water during dry weather, 



SuPERLATiTE Pea FOR AuousT [Idem).—li will he about sixteen weeks 

 from tbe time of sowing till the pods be fit to gather, therefore arrange 

 accordingly. 



Lawn Mobst {A Constant Subscriber). — Lime and soot are good appli- 

 cations, the latter especially, as from its encouraging the growth of the grass 

 the mngs is overpowered. It may be applied now in showery weather; one 

 peck pir rod i30j square yards), is a good dressing. If very mossy we should 

 scratch the lawn well with an iron rake so as to remove the moss, and when 

 this is done apply a dressing of lime compost. This may| consist of nine 

 parts of rich com post- refuse of any kind that has been laid-up and turned 

 over until decayed, mixed with one part of lime a few days before application 

 to the lawn, on which it may be placed from a quarter to half an inch deep. 

 Afterwards well rake the lawn, and clear off any stones or rubbish. Sow 

 over it, with an early prospect of rain, in April or May, 6 lbs. Festuca dnrius- 

 cula, 8 lbs. Cynosums cristatus, 4 lbs. Poa nemoralis sempervirens, and 8 lbs. 

 Trifolium minus, for one acre. After sowing roll well, and for a few times 

 do not mow very closely, keeping well rolled. 



Bignonia radtcans Culture {Lady Jajie).—li blooms on the short stubby 

 shoots rhat appear from the well-ripened wood or shoots of last year. Cut 

 away all the weak and unripe wood as well as thin-out the old, avoiding over- 

 crowding, training-in the shoots of this year evenly over tho wall, and so 

 that each may have air and light. They will only need to have their unripe 

 parts removed in the following spring, and from them you should have 

 flowering shoots, which are best hanging loosely; the only pruning tbey re- 

 quire is thinning-out, shortening, and regulating, always leaving firm well- 

 ripeued wood of last year at the spring pruning for flowering shoots to issue 

 from. If by "highly dressed" you mean top-dressings of rich compost, we 

 may say that it and all plants against walls are benefited by these, as also fre- 

 quent syringing in the evenings of hot days, and liberal supplies of water in 

 dry weather, but syringing ought not to be longer continued than the early 

 part of August. 



PLACiNd OUT Camellias (E. B. 3f.).— The plants should be kept under 

 glass until the flower buds are set, and may then be placed out of doors where 

 they will be sheltered from winds, and shaded from sun from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

 We do not, however, advise their being placed out of doors, rather keep them 

 under glass, shaded from sun ; but as yon have Vines, shading will be uimecea- 



sary. Keep the boueo well ventilated. The flowers are produced from the 

 points of the shoots ; to stop the shoots, therefore, would prevent their flower- 

 ing. During the summer months, or after May, we leave a little air on at 

 night in uur greenhouses, and advise it in your case, but not much, aa it may 

 lower the temperature too much to allow of the Grapes ripening. 



White Ageratom from Seed — Fumigating Ferns (/(icml.— The whits 

 variety of Imperial Dwarf Ageratura comes true from seed, and makes nic© 

 plants if sown in March, and grown on by bedding-out time. It is a good 

 wl ite bedder. It is now lato to sow tbe seed; but if you sow in heat and 

 prick-off an inch apart when the seedlings have two leaves, growing them on in 

 a frame, you may have plants fit to put out in June, but they will not fiower 

 until late in tbe season. Ferns are to a certain extent injured by fumigation, 

 especially the Adiantums when young ; but if care be taken to moi8ten the floor^ 

 but not the fronds of the Ferns, and not to fill the house very full of smoke, 

 no injury will result. The best quality of tobacco-paper only should be used. 



Wires for Greenhousf, Vines (J". Bayet). — The wire should be No. 6 

 gauge, and to each rafter you will need three wires — one immediately under 

 the rafter to train the rod to, and one on each side for the shoots, which should 

 be 9 inches distant. You will need supports for hangers for the wires, and 

 these should be 3 or 4 feet apart, screwed into tho rafters, and so that the 

 wires may be 15 inches from the glass. We prefer this, the old-fashioned, moda 

 of wiring for greenhouses. The Vines ought not, for plants to do well, to bo 

 nearer than 4 feet. The Vine border ought to be composed of the top 2 or 

 3 iuchcB of a pasture where the soil is a rich light loam, taken off with its 

 turf, and chopped-up rather roughly, in squares say of 4 to 6 inches, and to> 

 eight parts of this add one of old mortar rubbish from an old building, and 

 half a part each sandstone, in pieces from the size of a walnut to a hen's 

 egg, and charcoal, and to this you may add one-twentieth of half-inch bones, 

 the whole well mixed, and put in 1 foot higher than tbe intended level. 

 The border should be 3 feet 6 inches deep, and you should have 9 inches 

 to a foot of drainage. It is a matter for you to determine whether you 

 will need to provide drains to the border. An old gravel pit fiUed-up with, 

 loose materials should not need any, hut we should nevertheless provide rubble 

 drainage over the whole of the border. 



Preserving Wooden Labels {Cri-C/c}.— We have soon the recommenda- 

 tion to soak the labels in a solution of sulphate of iron, but to preserve tho 

 wood is of very lit He consequence— we, and ail gardeners, would hail as a benefit 

 how to preserve the writing on the labels. 



Tulip (F. H). — We cannot aid you. Florists' varieties are too numerous 

 and too nearly alike for us to attempt to name them. 



Chrysanthemum Leaves Diseased (B. H. C). — We have seen leaves 

 affected as yours are on isolated plants in a collection, but neverawholo. 

 collection. We attribute it to the check the plants receive after being re- 

 potted when the operation is not carefully performed, and when water is ap- 

 plied to the roots in large quantities before the roots are again in active 

 growth. This is the case with your plants, or they have received a check in 

 some other way. 



Peach-tree Management (Gf. A. T.).— Superfluous young wood maybe 

 cut out after the fruit is stoned, or even earlier than this. There is nothing 

 to be gained, on tbe contrary much loss results, from Allowing the wood to 

 become crowded. The strongest shoots should be removed. The same treat- 

 ment applies to wall trees out of doors. 



Wall Fruit not Setting (A Constant Reader, and J. P., TorJc). — It is nob 

 desirable to root-prune fruit trees when they blossom abundantly. Spring 

 frosts are most to be feared when trees are in blossom. All the trees named 

 set their fruit freely with us. Governor Wood Cherry is the most abundant 

 bearer in our collection. We fancy the fruit will set this year. If it do not, 

 there must be some local cause of which we are not aware. 



Erecting a Greenhouse {M. H. L.). — An excellent guide for you will be 

 " Wood and its Uses " by P. B. Eassie. It is published by Eassie & Co.» 

 Gloucester. 



AucuBA JAPONICA Berhies Sowinq (Scj/6or).— Separate the seeds from 

 the husk and pulp, and sow them in pots or pans of light loam with a little 

 leaf soil and sand, covering them about half an inch deep, and place them in 

 a frame or greenhouse, keeping moist. The plants may appear in about six 

 weeks, and sometimes they do not come up until the spring after sowing. 

 They require to be kept safe from frost. 



Rosemary Overgrown {Rollo). — If the plant is hare at the bottom, without 

 any green parts, it is likely that if cut-in very closely it would not again grow. 

 If you can cut it back leaving some green parts, well ; otherwise it would be 

 desirable to put in some slips in light soil in a sheltered border, and when 

 these were rooted you might cut-in tbe old plants. If it die, replace with & 

 young plant, which should be cut-in annually so as to be compact. Dr. Hogg 

 in bis " Vegetable Kingdom," page 577, writing of Rosemary states, "Asa 

 medicine Rosemary is tonic, exciting, stimulates the nervous system, cordial, 

 cephalic, and promotes the circulation. It is considered serviceable in vertigo, 

 hysteria, headaches, hypochondria, paralysis, humid catarrh, and all the 

 affections of debility, as certain chloroses, leucorrhoias, and also as an em- 

 menagogue. It is sometimes used in the form of snuff, or mixed along with 

 other herbs for the same purpose. The whole plant is employed as a condi- 

 ment ; pnwdered, it serves many purpoees in cnnftctionary, and to form fra- 

 grant packets for perfuming wardrobes and clothing." It is a good bee-flower. 

 Water Tanks Corroding {hk'm). — Your tanks when dry should be tho- 

 roughly scraped and rubbed, clearing away all the ruaty parts of the iron, and 

 painted three or four coats with red-lead paint, allowing each coat to dry 

 thoroughly before putting on the other. 



Strawberries for Orohakd IIouse (Idem), — Tcur house having Vines 

 will be too shaded for the growth of Strawbemes in pots on the borders. 

 Besides, if the house is closely planted with Vines, neither Strawberries nor 

 fruit trees in pots will succeed. You may have shelves so contrived that the 

 plants of Strawberries will be about 1 foot from the glass, and on these yoQ 

 may stand the pots now. It is not too late, thnugh the plants are showing 

 their flower trusses. Good kinds are Sir Joseph Paxton, President, and Dr. 

 Hogg. Cockscomb and British Quetn ore also good. 



Drying Anemones {6. S.) — There is the advantage of having the ground 

 for other things, and the growth is so retarded that they do not flower nearly 

 so early, and so escape frost. The chief thing with Anemones is to ensure 

 for them a season of perfect rest of not too long duration, October being the 

 time indicated by Nature ; but if planted then, it is necessary to afford pro- 

 tection from frost in winter; and if planted in January, or as early in February 

 as the weather permits, protection will not be necessary, but the flowering 

 will be later. A. fulgens is best left in the ground, hut may be taken up andl 

 dried, as it is apt to start into growth too early, which the taking-upprevents 



