370 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 7, 1874. 



of the plant's life. Some sorts require much more thinning- 

 out than others. Plants that are trained to a trellis have a 

 centre stem and a number of side shoots; as a rule every 

 alternate side growth ought to be cut out, and the shoot on 

 which fruit is set should be stopped two leaves beyond the fruit ; 

 all after-growths to be stopped at one leaf. 



Orchard House. — Here it has been necessary to make a fresh 

 arrangement, the trees, which were placed in thickly to set their 

 fruit, had become overcrowded. In the first place, all trees on 

 ■which little or no fruit had set were removed out of doors. 

 Plums have set well, but Pears very badly. When Pear trees 

 are in flower the atmosphere of the house should be as dry as 

 possible, and the ventilators should also be kept open a little at 

 night. If it is necessary to shut them owing to frosts, open as 

 early as possible in the morning. The trees which have been 

 kept in-doors are mostly Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums. The 

 fruit on most of the trees has been thinned, leaving three times 

 as many as will be allowed to ripen. Pinched the growths closely 

 back on Plum trees, as they are as large as required. The trees 

 are thoroughly syringed night and morning, freely supplied with 

 water at the roots, and it has also been necessary to fumigate to 

 destroy aphis. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSKRVATOBY. 



In houses where the largest proportion of the plants consists 

 of those of a softwooded character there is very much more 

 re-arranging required. Cyclamens and Cinerarias are now past, 

 and Calceolarias, Pelargoniums, &c., take their place. These 

 have had sticks placed to the flower stems and the houses fumi- 

 gated to destroy fly. 



A few words may not be out of place as to potting Stage and 

 Fancy Pelargoniuins. In many instances that have come to our 

 knowledge these plauts have been overpotted. Young plants 

 that were struck from cuttings last summer will flower better 

 and ripen the wood much more satisfactorily if the pots in 

 which they flower are not more than inches in diameter. 

 Noble specimens, 6 feet in diameter, flower well, and the flowers 

 are of the best quality, in 8-inch pots : larger thau this is not 

 only unnecessary but positively injurious. This applies to both 

 the Stage and Fancy section ; the first require a few sticks to 

 hold up the trusses, the latter are better without them. It is 

 necessary to keep a sharp look-out for all plants that are liable 

 to be attacked by red spider, and to syringe them daily. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



All bedding plants are now being hardened-off. The hardiest 

 are in turf pits, the more tender in heated pits and glass frames. 

 The lights are removed entirely in the day, and this is a matter 

 not at all well attended to in small gardens ; sometimes the 

 lights are not removed until midday ; this we witnessed the 

 other day; a frame full of bedding Calceolarias was shut-up 

 closely until nearly 2 p.m., and the appearance of the plauts 

 betokened that this was no unusual treatment. Oar own Cal- 

 ceolarias are now in open trenches, and it is not at all necessary 

 to cover them at night. Spring-flowering bulbs are nearly over ; 

 the Hyacinths were very unsatisfactory, the flowers being 

 damaged by wind and rain. The beds are now being cleared of 

 their occupants, manured, and dug for the summer bedding. 

 Planting the last of the Gladiolus ; we do not like to be later 

 than the first week in May, as very late planting does not give 

 the bulbs a good chance to ripen. The Bose maggot is now 

 active ; armed with a pin an active lad makes short work of 

 them. There must be no delay, otherwise the very best buds 

 will be destroyed. — J. Douglas. 



MAT. 



Gloucester and Chelteuham 7 



Glasgow 8 and 9 



Bath 13 



Royal Jersey 13 



Cambriduteshire 20 



Royal Horticnltiu&l of Ireland . . 21 



Manchester 23 to 29 



Southampton 25 



Blackburn 25, 26, and 27 



Devon and Exeter 29 



JUNE. 



Glufl^ow and West of Scotland . . 3 



tJndercUff 3 



Bt. Austell 3 and 4 



Coventry and Warwickahire 8 



Bath and West of England . .8 to 12 



"William Bull, King's Eoad, Chelsea, S.W. — Betail List of 

 New, Beauti/id, and Rare Plants. 



James Dickson & Sons, 108, Eastgate Street, Cheater. — Cata- 

 logue of Beddinrj Plants, Florists' Flowers, d-e. 



3. Linden, Ghent, Belgium. — Catalogue of Stove and Green- 

 house Plants, Orchids, Palms, Ferns, New and Bare Plants, Sc. 



PROVINCIAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 [Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. AUhougb we cannot report 

 them fully, we shall readily note anything especially excellent, 

 and we wish for information on such specialities to be sent 

 to ns.] 



JUNE 



Leeds 10, 11, and 12 



Gloucester and Cheltenham H 



Boyal O.tfordshire 16 



Chertsey 17 



Bnrton-on-Trent 17 



Thome 17 



Jersey 17 



Guildford 17 



York 17, 18, and 19 



Fermoy 18 



Nottingham 94 



R.H.S, of Ireland 25 



Cambridgeshire 25 



Thetford 25 



Ipswich and E. of Ensland 25 and 26 



Devon and Exeter (Roses) 2^ 



Boston 30 and July 1 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



George White, 3, Moss Street, Paisley. — Catalogue of Florists' 

 Wloioera, Herbaceous, and Bedding-out Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 *,* It Is particularly requested that no communication be ad- 

 dressed privately to either of the Editors of this Journal. 

 All correspondence should bo directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Great delay often arises 

 when this rule is departed from. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, aud should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 shotild be written on one side of the paper only. 

 Grapes not Swelling \Cat\(tda^. — No wonder. Four out of every five 

 of the berries should have been cut away as soon as they were as large as 

 small peas. Thin the bunches at once, aud water the roots copiously once 

 a-week. The roots cannot supply enough sap to such masses of berries, so 

 some of them are '■ spotted." 



GooSEBEUitY Caterptllars (A Tippemry Suhsrriher). — Dust them with 

 white hellebore powder, syringe the next day with water, aud repeat the treat- 

 ment if needed. Whoever told you that spent tannors" bark killed his bushes 

 either said " the thing that is not," or must have applied it full of the 

 tauning liquor. 



Holly Leaves Discolouked (Croi/ion).— The brownish yellow patches 

 on the old leaves of the Common Holly so prevalent this year are caused by 

 the grubs of a very small fly having only two wings, Phytomiza ilicis. 



Zonal and Colodked Geranioms IH. G.).— Botanically they are Pelar- 

 goniums, among the community Geraoiums. There are many coloured 

 pr^rtraits of Pelargoniums in the" back volumes of " The Florist aud Pomo- 

 Ingist." We do not think the leaves thoush varoisbei would retain their 

 colour : you can easily try. There is no publioa'.ion directing how to produce 

 bright-hued leaves. 



Peat {T. Nicob. — The specimen is mere fuel peat, and will not do for 

 pottmg purposes. Write to those who advertise Reigate peat soil, enclose 

 some postage stamps and a directed envelope, and a^k for a sample ; you will 

 then be able to judge for yourself whether any peat near you is like it. 



Apple Blossoms Killed (J. A ).— N'i^ht frists aid keen winds have kUlcd 

 the blossoms, and turned the edges of the leaflets brown. 



Planting a Circular Bed (Aii I/K/itirfr).— Discard the Tom Thumb 

 Geranium, and plant two rows of G dden Feather outside the Beet instead of 

 one. Both the Golden Feather and Lobelia should be much closer together 

 than you propose. Four to six inehes is a suitable distance. Remember that 

 your object should be to maintain a compact mass of colour, and to conceal 

 the whole of the surface as quickly as possible. 



Pruning Erici gracilis and pi'ramidalis (Jf.).— These should have 

 been pruned in March, but it may be done now, cutting-in all the irregu- 

 larities of growth so as to produce compact plauts. We cut each strong 

 shoot of last year to within 2 or 3 inches of its base, leaving the small spray 

 all over the plant, removing only the irregularities of growth, and forming 

 the plants into compact pyramids. We have E. gracilis in the bush as well 

 as the pyramidal form. 



Bedding Geraniums Dying (Alma). — From the stem sent we are unable 

 to assign a reason for the plant's dying. It was perfectly healthy. It there 

 was disease at all it was lower d^wn on the stem within the soil, arising from 

 injury in potting or puttiug-iu the cuttings. This would produce decay and 

 destroy the stem. 



Glazing Cdccmber Lights and Greenhouses (B. D D.).— We have 

 both " butt joints " and laps. The water in wot windy weather comes in_ at 

 the "butt" joints as if through a sieve, whilst with laps in the heaviest rains 

 aud most windy weather we have no drip. The laps are not less than an eighth 

 nor more than a quarter of an inch. In four winters we have not had a 

 cracked pane of glass, but in other structures with laps of fully half an inch 

 the cracked and broken panes were many. 



Cacti (Idcml.— There is no work specially devoted to these. The " Candle 

 plant " was, we think, some kind of Cactus, but we do not know one bythat 

 name. The Cacti are now referred to Epiphyllum. of which Ackermaiini, an- 

 guiligerum, Barbausonii, cronatum, crenatum sanguiueum, flagelUforme, 

 Jenkiusii, Mallissonii, MaUissonii roseum. spciosissimum, speciosum, speci- 

 osum superbum, truncatum; vars. albo violaceum, aurantiacum, Bridgesii, 

 Ruckerianum, Russelliannm, Salmoneum rubrum, splendeus, and \-iolaceum 

 superbum are good. They may be had of most of the principal nurserymen. 



Salisbueia ADiANTirOLlA (IFw. T.).—It is only natural for the " foliage to 

 turn vellow and fall oil in autumn." It is deciduous and a handsome tree. 

 It wiil now be starting into growth, and will continue in leaf until autumn, 

 and from thence to April or Hay will be leafless. We should be glad to know 

 ii the female plant has been introduced or has produced fruit. The male and 

 female flowers are borne on different tress. It has been suggested that the 

 readiest way to secure fruit would be to graft female shoots ou the male 

 plant. Your plant ishealthy if it only lose its leaves in autumn. A light, rich, 

 loamy soil free of stagnant water, with a sheltered position, is all it needs. 



Apple Blossoms' Critical Days (Orc)iir,iij( .— The middle of May is 

 usually the fatal time, if night frosts or other ungenial weather then occm-. 

 In South Devon they cinsider the critical days are the 17th, ISth, aud 19th of 

 May. The 19th happens to bo St. Dunstan's day, so the popular legend 13 

 that he, having a large brewing of ale, bargained with Satan to blight the 

 Apple blossoms ou those days, so that cider being scarce ale might bo dear. 



Insect Infesting Myrtle (G. W.). — The insect on the fllyrtleis thrips, 

 which may be destroyed by syringing the plants laid on their sides, and 

 turning them ronnd so as to wet thoroughly the under sides of the leaves, 

 emnloying a solution of soft soap. 3 ounces to the gallon of water, at a tem- 

 perature of 90^ to 103^ Repeat in about a week, taking care to keep the 

 solution from the soil, and to wash the pots clean if anj- is squirted on them. 



