June 18. 1874. J 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



493 



preconceived icieaa of the workman ; but when watering is 

 done, so that one knows tliat the proper quantity is given, 

 satisfactory results are sure to follow. The reader will doubt- 

 less have noticed the state of the ground in autumn, or when- 

 ever it may have been dug up, which has been subjected to the 

 nightly-watering system. When the water used has been a 

 little " hard," ground so treated in summer always turns up 

 like putty. May we just call attention to the anytbing-but- 

 prudent omission, in forming new gardens, of not having a 

 good supply of soft water laid on to all parts of the garden ? 

 With the appliances at command at the present day water can 

 bo mechanically applied to every odd corner. Surely money 

 would not be mis-spent on this object. 



The reports of sewage companies have proved the great 

 value of irrigation in dry seasons, and almost startled us at 

 the enormous qnautities that can be profitably applied to 

 vegetables on light and poor soils, provided a free drainage is 

 insured for the surplus water. Our stand-point, however, has 

 not been to show how much water can be applied, but rather 

 to draw attention to the best means of keeping crops, &o., 

 growing in seasons of drought, be they of long or short 

 duration. — R. P. B. (in Tlie Gardener). 



STOVE PLANTS.— No. 3. 



Passiflora calycina. — Leaves trilobate ; flowers bluish 

 purple, produced singly from the axils of the leaves. It is very 

 free in growth and flowering, the stems round, and for the free 

 growth small. It flowers throughout the year. 



P. Decaisneana. — Leaves large, oblong, entire ; flowers deep 

 purplish red and white. The largest flower of the genus, pro- 

 duced from the axils of the leaves, generally singly, and sweet- 

 scented, one flower being snfBcient to mark its presonce in a 

 large house. The stems are four-angled and large. The fruit 

 succeed the flowers, which require artificial impregnation, and 

 are as large as or larger than the (Iranadilla (P. quadrangu- 

 laris). Flowers in summer. 



P. KERMESINA. — Leaves trilobate; flowers bright crimson, 

 borne singly and numerously from the axils of the leaves ; stems 

 round ; growth slender, but free. Flowers from May to autumn 

 on young growths. 



P. Madonna. — Leaves oblong, entire ; flowers rosy crimson 

 and white, produced in short pendant cymes, sometimes singly. 

 Stems round, and growth rather slender. It flowers from May 

 to late in autumn or winter. 



P. PRiNCEi'S. — Leaves trilobate; flowers bright rose, very 

 nearly scarlet, in long pendant cymes of sometimes 2 feet in 

 length, occasionally solitary from the axils of the young grow- 

 ing shoots, but most commonly in cymes from the old as well 

 as the young well-ripened growths and their points. It is 

 seldom out of flower, but blooms most abundantly from Sep- 

 tember to November, and from March to June. Siems round ; 

 growth free ; foliage very leathery and persistent. Unquestion- 

 ably the finest of the Passifloras, if not of stove climbers. 



P. QnADRANGDLAnis. — Leaves large, oblong, entire ; flowers 

 purplish red and white, sometimes singly, but usually in cymes, 

 from May to late in autumn, being most abundant in August 

 and September. Stems four-angled, and strong. This is the 

 (iranadilla ; the flowers require to be artificially impregnated. 



There are a great many other Passifloras, but I will only 

 name two. P. Bnonapartea, with red, blue, and white flowers ; 

 and P. Countess Guiglini, blue, rosy purple, and white flowers. 

 Both are fine. 



Passifloras will succeed in large pots, but are far better 

 planted out. Two parts turfy loam, two parts leaf soil, one 

 part sandy peat, half a part sand, and the same of pieces of 

 charcoal, well incorporated, will grow them well. Good drainage 

 should be given, and the soil put in firmly. In spring, before 

 or when fresh growth is being made, the surface soil should be 

 removed to the depth of an inch or two, or as the roots permit, 

 not disturbing them, and replacing with fresh compost; and 

 in summer, when the growth is advanced, a top-dressing 

 may be given of rich compost or manure. Water should be 

 supplied in moderate quantity as the plants are starting, in- 

 creasing it with the growth, having the supply liberal when the 

 plants are in full vegetation and flowering. From October to 

 March they require the soil dry, or a very moderate supply of 

 moisture to keep the wood plump. P. princeps is decidedly 

 evergreen, yet needs little water in winter. 



The pruning should be done in February, the side shoots being 

 cut back to within an eye of their origin, and those required for 

 extension to be shortened to well-ripened wood. If the stems 



are bare of side shoots or means of producing them, the plants 

 may be cut down to the bottom of the rafters or trellis, and to 

 young wood or dormant eyes on the stem. The shoots result- 

 ing from the heading-down should be trained up as main 

 shoots, ultimately to form stems, and when they have reached 

 their limit of space they must be stopped. Side shoots spring- 

 ing from the stems should be frequently attended to, thinned- 

 out, and regulated, avoiding crowding, which to a great extent 

 may be prevented by allowing comparatively short shoots, 

 which are most floriferous, to hang down, imparting graceful- 

 ness instead of the stiff formality attendant on very close 

 trimming. Shoots of this character, after they have flowered, 

 may be cut-in as in spring, and they will afford a succession o£ 

 flowering spray. These remarks apply more especially to 

 P. kermesina, P. calycina, and those having the flowers solitary 

 from the axils of the leaves. If fruit of P. quadrangularis or 

 P. Decaisneana be wanted, it is well to fertilise the blossoms ; 

 this is easily effected by taking off an anther, and applying it 

 to the stigma, seeing that each stigma — there are three — is 

 covered with the pollen. If the atmosphere be moist it is de- 

 sirable to remove with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors (and 

 this must be done carefully, not injuring the flower stem) the 

 whole of the calyx, corolla, and crown prior to fertilisation ; 

 but if it is not so, and the temperature is brisk, there is no 

 necessity for such a precaution. The operation is best done 

 before mid-day. P. edulis, which is probably the freest fruit- 

 ing of all, sets its fruit freely, often without artificial impreg- 

 nation ; but it is well to resort to artificial setting. 



Propagation is effected by cuttings of the young wood during 

 spring or summer in sand over sandy peat and loam, in bottom 

 heat, and covered with a close frame or bell-glass. 



Stephanotis floribonda. — Evergreen twiner, with deep 

 green leathery leaves of oblong form ; flowers in trusses, 

 tube-shaped, white, and very fragrant. It flowers in May and 

 onward to July, and occasionally to September, inclusive, but 

 most of the flowers are produced in May and June. Madagascar. 

 For roof-covering, or extensive covering of any kind, it re- 

 quires a border of moderate extent and depth, and to have 

 good drainage. For soil use fibrous light loam two parts, 

 sandy peat two parts, leaf soil one part, half a part of silver 

 sand, and half a part charcoal, the whole well mixed, made 

 fine, but not sifted, and put together rather firm whilst dry 

 rather than wet. Nine square feet of border 18 inches to 2 feet 

 deep will support a large plant. 



Water should be given very moderately in winter — sufScient 

 only to keep the stems and leaves from shrivelling need be 

 supplied. The leaves when falling should be of a yellow 

 colour; do not seek, by allowing the roots to become dry, tcs 

 cause limpness in the leaves and make these fall. When 

 growth commences water moderatel.y, and when the plant is 

 in free growth and flowering, and until the growth is complete, 

 liberal supplies should be afforded. The border, when growth 

 is commencing, should have the surface soil removed down to 

 the roots, and be replaced with fresh. The plants, when 

 flowering freely, should have weak applications of liquid ma- 

 nure, also when making fresh growth if the root-action is per- 

 fect. From the time growth commences until it is complete 

 thorough syringings twice a-day are desirable, along with a 

 moist atmosphere. This is one of the best means I know of 

 keeping down mealy bug, to which this plant is subject. 



Pruning should be performed in spring before growth com- 

 mences, cutting out the long and bare old shoots, and leaving 

 the young ones not nearer than 3 inches apart. No benefit 

 results from overcrowding. The flowers are produced on 

 shiiots of the current year, as well as on shoots that were 

 formed on the growths of the previous year. Some prune 

 rather severely in spring, and depend for flowers on the result- 

 ing growth ; others prune but moderately in spring, and go. 

 over the plants again in June after flowering, cutting out on 

 each occasion any bare shoots, or shortening such as are long 

 and bare, so as to encourage the production of fresh shoots 

 nearer the base, and the shoots formed in consequence of the 

 June pruning sometimes afford a few flowers late in summer, 

 but most plentifully in the May following. The latter mode of 

 pruning I consider the better, though there is no objection to 

 the former, the wood being well ripened. The principal point 

 to be aimed at is keeping up a sufficiency of young wood, well 

 ripened by full exposiire to light and air. — G. Abbey. 



Read's Scarlet-fleshed Melon. — I was very much sur- 

 prised to read in the " Doings," that this Melon is the worst 



