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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t May 14, 1874. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS 



*** It is particularly requested that no communication be ad- 

 dressed privatchj to either of the Editors of this Journal, 

 All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

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

 when this rule is departed from. 



Correspoudeuts should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and shoiUd never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. 



We also request that no one will write privately to any of our 

 correspondents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable 

 trouble and expense. 



NiGHT-ELOOMiNG Jasmihe (Craj//orrf).— We do not think it is known in 

 England. 



Holly Leates Discoloured (RawmZ-'io).— You will see the cause stated 

 on page 370 of our last numher. The brownish-yellow patches are in conse- 

 quence of a small ^^^lb eating the green parenchyma of the leaf just beneath 

 the leaf s outer skin or cuticle. The grub procKeds from an egg deposited bv 

 a very small Hy called the Holly-leaf Miner (Phytomiza Ilicis). The grut. 

 mines under the leaf's cuticle until the time comes for the grub to change to 

 the fly state, wlien it eats its way out. There are various other flies of the 

 same genus, and the grubs of which cause similar leaf-aisfigurements, but on 

 other plants. Phytomiza nigricornis affects Cinerarias, Pansies, and Senecios ; 

 and Phytomiza lateraUs the Pyrethrum. 



Clematis {E. L. C.)— We sent your flower to Mr. Jackman, the best au- 

 thority, and he says it is a dark-coloured variety of Clematis patens, known 

 under the gai-den name C. Sophia. The description given of it in the work 

 cailed " The Clematis as a Garden Flower," is that it differs from C. patens 

 in the sepaiS being of a deep lUac-purple at the edges, blending gradually into 

 the pale greenish ttiaw colour of the bar which marks the ccutre of each. 

 The stamens are deep violet." This is one of the earliest varieties of this 

 type, and is far excelled by the modem kinds. The best mode to propa"ate 

 the Clematis is to giaft on to the root of Clematis Flammula in the month of 

 April, or else by layers during the smnmer months. 



Arbutus Failing {An IrUh Subsc)ibcr).—la the absence of any par- 

 ticulars we are unable to account for the failure of your Arbutuses, it bemg 

 probably occasioned by wetness of soil, that being unsuitable. Sandy loam 

 With a little peat is most suitable, but we have seen them doing well in com- 

 mon soil. 



Roses Leggy (7dtfw).— It will not do to cut-in the Roses after flowering 

 as they will not probably break from the old wood so late in the season. We 

 should cut them back at the next winter, and to dormant eyes at the base of 

 the plants. They may bo cut-in to within 5 or 6 inches of the soil. They 

 will probably start from eyes at the base, but will flower little the followiug 

 season. Could you nut peg the long branches down ? It will cause shoots to 

 come from the base, and after a season's growth the long bare branches may 

 be cut away. 



Double Fqrze, Cutting Down and Propagating (Idt'm).— It should 

 be cut-down in March before growth or flowering, but if not so leggy that it 

 could be cut-down leaving some green parts at the base, you may cut it dowu 

 after flowering. It is not a very certain grower from the old wood, and if old 

 It is not unlilcely the plants would again grow, as we have more than once 

 experienced. Propagation is elTected by cuttings of the ripened shoots of the 

 current year, put- in in September in a shady border in sandy soil, or in spring 

 before growth, selcctiug the shoots of the previous season. 



CncusiBEii AND Melon House (.4».cioua).— You will not be able to gi'ow 

 both satisfactorily in the fame house. Cucumbers requiring more moisture 

 than Melons. We should decide for one or the other. The house will not 

 accommodate more than five plants at 2 feet apart. The border will not need 

 to have brick partitions for each plant. Over the pipes you may have rubble, 

 as also around them, and brought-up 8 inches above them, over which place a 

 layer of sods, grass side downwards, and then the soil. 



Pinching Apricot Shoots (H. G. iV.).— Pinch-in all, except those required 

 for extension, to four leaves, and the foreright shoots to two. Any short 

 stubby shoots that may have four to six leaves should not be stopped, they 

 being so situated as not to crowd the trees, and well disposed for training-in. 



STRA^-EERhiEs AFTER FORCING {Vicar's TFirfoji).— Remove the runners 

 as they show, and when the fruiting is past plant them out in rows 2 feet 

 apart, and the plants 18 inches asunder in the rows, making the soil firm 

 around the ball, and watering if the weather be drv. They will give you a 

 good crop next year out-doors. For plants to force next year, layer runners 

 in small pots, not in August, but as eariy as they can be had, the earlier the 

 better, and when they have filled the small pots with roots detach them from 

 the old plants, and pot into 6-ineh pots in good turfy loam, beating the soil 

 firm, standing in an open situation, and keeping well suppUed with water. 



Fruit Suckers on Pine-Apple Plants (Igiiorarit).—'Bv the "side shoots" 

 we think ynu allude to the fruit suckers which are disposed at the base of the 

 crown, which should all be removed by twisting them off, as also any that 

 may issue from the fruit stem, taking'care not' to injure the latter. Allow 

 one or two suckers from the base of the plant, but not more. Any others may 

 be prevented from growing by thrusting in a triangular-pointed stick and 

 twisting it round a few times, so as to destroy their centres ; or if tliey again 

 grow, the process may be repeated. The present is a good time to propagate 

 Pines, and propagation may he continued up to autumn. The low winter 

 temperature will not injuriously aUect the fruiting plants. Your treatment 

 must be vei7 slow and costly, having, as you say, plants four years old. 



Insects on Geraniums (Mm ^//c70.— There is no inseoton the stems and 

 leaves sent us, but traces of thrips, for which you have only to continue thu 

 fumigation with tobacco, shutting-up closely on a calm evening, aud having 

 the foliage dry but the floor wet, and filling the house so that a plant cannot 

 be seen from the ont^ide through the glass. The cayenne may be omitted, 

 as, though it gives off fumes very offensive to human lungs, we have not 

 found it destructive to insect life. 



Ferns in Air-tight Cases (In a 37is().— Wo have known Ferns succeed 

 in a close case without air or water for two years, and aio not surprieed at 

 jour having them growing in clotcly-stoppered bottles for five weeks. The 



plants in very close cases, though gi-owing quickly, soon become unhealthy, 

 and eventually die. The kinds you have ch-»sen are the most enduring of 

 Ferns in confinement, with the exception of Polypudium vulgare. We do not 

 think it would answer to have Ferns in air-tight cases ; we have never seen 

 any in very close cases so flourishing as those in ventilated cues. 



Cutting-in Rrododendron (.V. S. C.).— Your bush which is making or 

 has made fresh growth ought not to he cut back, as it will not start again 

 this season strongly, or early enough to ripen the shoots before winter; 

 probably it will not make fresh growth this season. It should be cut-in 

 before it begins to grow, and to some extent lower than you wish the plant 

 to be grown to in three or four years, which will cause you to cut into the old 

 wood and have a bare-looking plant for a time, and one that will not flower, 

 or only partially, the year after cutting back. Cutting back the young shoots 

 would not improve matters, as that would only give a smaller plant until the 

 next growths were made, and there would be no flowers. We should only 

 remove any irregularities of growth, and should check its gi-owth by removal 

 now, planting again on the same spot. We presume the plant is outdoors, 

 but if indoors your only remedy is to cut back. 



Citron and Orange Treatment (Oraufic).~The plants should bo en- 

 couraged now and since February with a brisk heat and moisture, they being 

 placed in a vinery or other house in March ; any pruning required should then 

 be done, also repotting. Continue them there up to July, when, if the roof 

 is very much shaded by the Vines, they should be removed to a house where 

 they will have more light and air, in order to secure the ripening of the wood, 

 on which depends the flowering. Watering during growth should be liberal, 

 but err on the side of dryness rather than of too much moisture. If the 

 vinery is moderately Ught they may be continued there throughout the year. 

 Give a winter temperature of 4d . The part of loaf seut is apparently from 

 Aspidistra lurida vaiiegata, which usually requires a greenhouse. In somo 

 situations it is harjy. 



Temperature of Outside Vine Border— Watering wiin Liquid 

 Manure (likm). — The border at 1 foot deep should be as warm as the mean 

 temperature of the atmosphere in which the Vines are growing. If you take- 

 the temperature of the house at night, its minimum, aud the day, its maxi- 

 mum, for a week, the mean will give you the temperature for the border. 60'^ 

 will be too low for the border where Muscats are setting, it should be 70\ The 

 liquid of the tank receiving the drainings of the stable, row shed, &c., will 

 be of too uncertain strength to apply to a Vine border. We should dilute it 

 with at least six times its bulk of water, and apply at a temperatm-e of 7U'^ 

 to 75^. 



Eemovino Vine Shoots (H. E.). — The shoots being too close, you may 

 thin them now that the Vines are in leaf without fear of bleeding or injury. 

 It is a better plan than stopping to one or two leaves and not removing the 

 shoots until the winter pruning. Do it now, cutting them away close to 

 whence they proceed. 



Propagating Cinerarias (Idem).— When done flowering remove from the 

 greenhouse, cut down the old flower stems, and stand out of doors on coal 

 ashes in an open but sheltered situation, giving water as required so as to 

 keep moist'; aud when the offsets appear, and have two leaves take them off 

 with a knife, preserving the roots, and pot singly in small pots, placing in a 

 cold frame, shading from sun uutil well established, then admit an- and light 

 and shift into lai'ger pots as requued. 



Weeds on Lawn (C, Constant 7?t-orfcr).— Removing them with a knife by 

 the roots is a tedious but effectual process, and we advise its adoption. Or 

 you may use oil of vitriol after removing the coarser weeds. Take a blacking 

 bottle with a wire round it to cany it by, and a slick to dip with, the stick 

 notched round for an inch or two at the end the better to hold the hquid, 

 and one drop placed in the centre of each weed will be sufficient to destroy 

 it. If the acid is good it will bum up the weeds in a moment. W^atson'a 

 lawn sand is said to destroy Daisies, ii:c., and is highly spoken of by some who 

 have tried it, but we have no experience of it. 



Geraniums in Beds not Flowering (Jn«f).— When Geraniums gi-ow 

 strongly and give very few flowers it is owing either to an excess of nutri- 

 ment in the soil or of moisture in the air — often to both. You can, of course, 

 remedy the evil if the soil is at fault by replacing it with other of a poorer 

 nature. You might also try the effect of plunging the plants in the pots in a 

 bed or two. If after this you fail to obtain more blossom, then you may safely 

 conclude that the climate is the cause of the evil, and the only remedy will be 

 to depend more upon fine-foliat^ed plants, which are so numerous and varied 

 both in form and colour that very beautiful combinations may be wrought out 

 with foliage alone. Depend upon it you are mistaken in regarding salt as a 

 curative ; the effect of its application would be additional vigour in the plants 

 rather than the reverse. 



Spotted Grapes (Tt/ro).— Water the roots of the Vines copiously with 

 tepid weak fiquid manure ; they do not supply sufficient sap to the berries. 

 The sun has nothing to do with the ilisease. 



Prisilla jApoNicA SEEDLING {D. M. Q.). — The flower sent, white splashed 

 with pink, and yellow-throated, is quite unique and veiy pretty. We hope it 

 will be permanent, and that you can raise a stock of it. 



Piping for Heating Span-roofed House (B. -4.). — To maintain in your 

 house a minimum of 40^ in all weathers in an exposed situation, you should 

 have two rows of -i-inch pipes all round the house — i.e., a flow and return, 

 which will be about equal to 110 feet of piping. A few feet less would do. but 

 it is better to err on the safe side, and have plenty of piping. A new edition 

 of the " Fruit Manual " is preparing. We do not know of any other work of 

 the same kind. 



Cucumber Roots Clubbed (A Younj Gardener). — The root-stem enclosed 

 to us is clubbed, common to the Cucumber and Melon in an old state, but 

 usually on plants in a young condition. There is no remedy ; but a brisker 

 bottom heat, with greater moisture of the soil ; aud weak liquid-man ui-e appli- 

 cation, would give you increased root-growth that would, to somo extent, pro- 

 long the growth and fertility of the plants. 



Vine Culture in the Open Air (Tyro). — We would not protect out of 

 doors Vines with netting when in flower, but if the meshes were wide it 

 would do no harm. *' Ringing" the wood does interfere with the growl h and 

 health of the Vines, and does not increase the size or flavour of the fruit. 

 Stop the growths at the second leaf beyond the fruit. 



Names of Plants (T. B-l.—Pyrusjaponica. (Upnor CastU). — 1, Myosotis 

 coUina; 2,M. arvensis ; S, Stellaria media var. ; 4, Arenariatrinervis; 5,Vicia 

 Cracca. (A Lcarncri. — 1, Pmous Cerasus (? ; 3, P. Padus, or a near ally; 

 2, Saxifroga hypnoides var. ; 4, Tecoma jasminoides (?) ; 5, Chrysanthemum 

 pinnatifidum; 6, Davallia bullata. (Manchester). — Leucotbue a:cillaris. 



