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JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



i May 21, 1874. 



the trees cannot be done at once ; it is therefore necessary to go 

 over them, if possible, twice a-week, thinuiug-out the fruit at 

 the same time. The younj; wood, or rather the young growths 

 of this season, are often crowded too closely together ; these 

 must be thinned-out. No one who does not take much personal 

 interest in the trees ever can do such work in a satisfactory 

 manner, as close observation is necessary to success. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



These structures are now in great beauty, the principal dis- 

 play being obtained from Azaleas and Pelargoniums. The first 

 named are, perhaps, the most useful class of hardwooded plants 

 we have, and within the last few years very many esceedingly 

 fine varieties have been added to the list. They are still 

 shown at the exhibitions in the metropoUs, but the gloiy has 

 departed. The magnificent specimens that were the great at- 

 traction at the early shows in June are not seen now, the plants 

 are small but well flowered, and some of the newer sorts that 

 have been exhibited this year are more brilliant in colour than 

 we remember to have seen in previous years. The Azalea is 

 also better adapted for forcing than any other plant of the same 

 character. This renders it doubly valuable, as a continuous 

 display can be kept-up from January until July ; early in that 

 month the latest-flowering sorts will be at their best. As soon 

 as the plants go out of flower the seed-pods must be picked off, 

 and the plants placed in a hothouse to make their young wood. 

 The house may be as warm as a Pine house, it will answer all 

 the better. Plenty of atmospheric moisture is essential, and 

 the plants should be syringed at least twice a-day. Fresh roots 

 are freely produced at this time, and the plants may be re- 

 potted with advantage. Sometimes it is necessary to repot the 

 plants into the same sized pots as those in which they had 

 been growing. It will not harm them in the least to take a 

 chopper and cut an inch or two of the mass of fibrous roots 

 from the ball all round. Those who are fond of scented flowers 

 in their greenhouses should grow the Perpetual-flowering Car- 

 nations. We are never without them, and they are so varied in 

 colour — white, flesh, pink, yellow, flaked red and rose, crimson, 

 scarlet, &c. The plants that are gi-own-on for winter flowering 

 will presently be turned out of doors, where they will remain 

 until September. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The largest proportion of the bedding plants are put out. Of 

 course they are well inured to cold, and are such that a few 

 degrees of frost will not hurt — that is, if it is not a frosty wind ; 

 and, furthermore, our plants are well sheltered from the north- 

 east, which makes a difference. We have planted Ageratum, 

 Calceolaria, Zonal Pelargoniums, the scarlet and variegated 

 section ; Lobelias, and any other hardy sorts. Heliotrope, 

 Iresine, Coleus, Alternanthera, and anythiug in the way of 

 plants that two or three degrees of frost would injure, will not be 

 planted-out for a week or ten days. For edging lines to small 

 beds Mr. W. Paul's white Zonal with white-variegated leaves, 

 Avalanche, is exceedingly pretty if associated with the dwarf 

 blue Lobelia pumila. Some of the new Verbenas are also likely 

 to be useful in the flower garden. Blue Boy is the nearest 

 approach to Purple King in profusion of flowers, and the colour 

 is very pretty. 



Roses are making a very healthy gi'owth and are almost free 

 from aphis, which is to be wondered at with such drying winds 

 as we have had ; perhaps the frost at night has, had some check 

 upon them. It has been necessary to go over some of the bushes 

 to thin-out the growths, so that the centre of the plant may be 

 open sufficiently to allow a free circulation of air. Gladiolus 

 are making very strong growths and are not checked by the 

 frosts. Some seedlings that were planted-out in March, after 

 having started into growth, were subjected to 13" of frost with 

 wind, and though the outer leaves were injured they started 

 afresh and are now growing freely. Placing sticks to Carna- 

 tions, Picotees, Phloxes, Delphiniums, Liliuma, &c. Planted-out 

 Stocks and Asters in beds and lines. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



W. Knight, Hailsham, Susses. — Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Hoses, GrraiiJnms, Ft(chsias, -I:r. 



Louis Van Houtte, Koyal Nurseries, Ghent, Belgium. — Cata- 

 logue of Stove, G-reenhotise Pla)its, d-c; also a Supplement to 

 Mardy Percnyiials, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, 



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

 house Plants, Orchids, Palms, Ferns, New and Mare Plants, So. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS 



*,* It 13 particularly requested that no communication be ad- 

 dressed privatebj 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. 



Correspondents should not mis up on the same sheet questions 



relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should 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. 



Books {F. B. H.). — There can be no cheap book with portraits of our wild 

 flowers and Grasses. The drawing, engraving, and colouring are costly and 

 voluminous. Dr. Hooker's " Student's Manual of the British Flura" contains 

 all you require except the plates. {Berkshire Tyro). — Our manual, ''Fruit 

 Garden for the Many." You can have it free by post if you enclose live postage 

 stamps with your address. (J. F, N.). — " Kitchen Gardening? for the Many" 

 contains all that is needed about Aspai'agus culture. You can have it aa 

 directed to the previous querist. 



Plums Dropping ( IT. Bristoiv). — We fear the young wood was not fully 

 ripened last year. If, as you suspect, the dry weather is the cause, pour aa 

 abundamse of water into a semicircular trench 3 feet from the stem. 



Flower-bed Arrangemest IF. J. T.) — Selecting from the varieties you 

 enumerate, we would not use the two Geraniums as you propose in the bed 

 that is 24 feet by lu feet, but would plant along the centre a mass of yellow 

 Calceolaria Aurea floribunda 2 feet wide, surrounding it with a band half its 

 width of Coleus Verschaffelti, with Lobelia pumila grandiflora next, followed 

 by Master Christine Geranium, eDcIosing the whole with an edging of Eche- 

 veria glauca; or, if you think the Lobelia of too dwarf a habit to prove 

 effective behind the Geranium, transpose the arrangement by using the 

 Lobeiia for an edging, f ormiug a little ramp close behind and inside it, on the 

 faie of which plant the Echeveria. This will impart a novel and pleasing 

 effect hy slightly raising the body or major port of the bed above the blue 

 edging; then make a broad handsome band of Coleus nest the Echeveria, 

 with another of the yellow Calceolaria enclosing a centre of the pink Gera- 

 nium Master Christine. 



Covering Stable Manure vain Eaeth (J. Shand). — It absorbs and 

 retains the ammonia and some other of the fertilising gases emitted by the 

 manure during its decomposition. In other words, it prevents waste, but 

 nothing is created. If the earth is finally thoronghly mixed with the decom- 

 posed manure, of course then the whole would be alike ; but if the decomposed 

 manure were nsed separately, it would be found that a ton of it would be 

 more fertilising than a ton of the earth. 



Erythrina glauca {H. G.).— We know we are correct. It is the Bois 

 Immortel of some of the West India Islands. A plant 20 feet h,igh is a tree, 

 not a shrub. 



Maranta zebrina Seed Saving — Caladiums (A Reader). — The Maranta 

 will need to be kept rather drier them if you did not want seed, the flowers 

 being artificially impregnated by taking the pollen of the stamens and apply- 

 ing it to the stigmas. lu the sams way you will have to proceed with Cala- 

 diump, taking the pollen from plants you wish to operate with, and applying 

 it to the pistils of those intended to produce seed. The plants will need to 

 have a rather drier atmosphere when operated upon, and also when the seed 

 is ripening, as too much moisture at either period is apt to render the pollen 

 ineffective in one case and to rot the seeds in the other. iVhen ripe the seeds 

 may be kept in sand in the stove, and sown then or in February, keeping 

 moist up to that time ; place in a good bottom heat, and cover with a close 

 frame, or hand or bell-glass, removing it when the seedlings are well up. 

 Equal parts of loam, sandy peat, and sand answer for sowing the seeds, which 

 should be covered with fine soil. Pot-off the seedlings when they are large 

 enough to handle, and grow them in brisk moist heat. 



Plants Diseased (F. W.). — The dots on the leaves of the Achillea is a 

 fuugus, probably Pucciuia glomerata. There is no insect on the Nectarine 

 leaves ; they are blistered by stagnation of sap from cold. Blistering is common 

 to the Peach and Nectaiiue out of doort?, and there is no remedy but to keep 

 the trees warmer. The worst of the leaves should be picked off by degrtes, 

 and as the weather becomes warmer the new growth will have perfect leaves. 

 On the leaves of Arabis there is no insect, but a fungus— we think Erisiphe 

 depressa, which will be overcome by a dusting with quicklime. 



Azaleas in Winter {A Constant Subscriber). — They grow in winter in 

 consequence of their growth not being completed in the previous year imd the 

 wood being badly ripened. Moisture in winter would not make them grow unless 

 accompanied by warmth, and that would only cause the development of the 

 flowers or shoots formed in the previous season. If the bloom buds are de- 

 fectively formed fresh growths are made very early in the year, and the plants 

 usually flower flnely another year. 



Chestnut Variety (Sydenham). — The leaf of Chestnut sent us is the 

 Silver-leaved Horse Chestnut (,EsculusHippocastanumfoliisargenteis). The 

 Chestnut cannot be propagated from cuttings. The only ehgible mode of 

 propagation is by grafting on stocks of the common kind, or budding in July. 

 Transplanting Prince's Feather and Love-lies-bleeding [S. B.).— 

 They do not transplant well, but you may succeed if you take them up whilst 

 young, preserving some so'il about the roots, and watering after planting. 

 Thin-out the plants if you wish for good specimens. They do little good 

 when crowded. 



Vines— Asparagus— HEPATiaAS— Pot Roses— GRAFrrNG (E. P. B.).— 

 The shoots of the Vines not showing fruit should be stopped at the joint 

 where the first temlril is situated, or at the sixth leaf; in other respects they 

 are to be treated the same as those showiug fruit, which you will stop one 

 joint beyond the bunch. To fill up blanks in an old Asparagus bed the plants 

 may be lifted now with the roots entire, and soil along with them, covering 

 the crown, or part whence the shoots arise, 3 inches deep. With a good watering 

 at p'lauting the plants will receive but a slight check. From now to the 

 middle of June is the best time to perform this kmd of transplanting; but 

 the plants must be liffed and planted with balls of soil. Hepaticas in small 

 pots from a nursery should be planted out in good, rich, light soil in the 

 border wbere they are to remain. A border partially shaded is most suitable. 

 Pot Roses done flowering should be placed outdoors iu a sheltered position, 

 not pruned until autumn, and during summer duly supplied with water. 

 Before placing outdoors they should, if forced, be hardened off. It is now too 

 late to Kraft most kinds of trees ; but any that have not begun to gro-v, and 

 for which inactive scions are secured, may be operated upon successfully after 

 April. 



Pruning Wall Pear Trees {Sjihgcribn-j.—The trees have been badly 

 raauaged for the last few years. Wo advi-^o you now to cut the young wood 

 back to three or four leaves, and where it is too much crowded thin the 

 nhoots out. In winter cut the most prominent spurs well back; these will 

 not yield Iruit the foUowiug season, btit with summer pruning they will bear 

 well the next year. The becond winter a few moro of the spurs may be 



