256 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 16, 1875. 



after it had been painted, and wo were rather afraid that the 

 BUD, which acted powerfully on the glass, woald injure some of 

 the plants, hut none of them have suffered in the least. We 

 admit air rather more freely at this season, and the plants are 

 exposed to as much sunshine as they will bear. There is not so 

 much moisture in the atmosphere from evaporation from now 

 until March next year. We have been repotting some plants 

 from pots which it is not desirable they should remain in 

 through the winter, and young plants that have been struck 

 from cuttings recently have been potted off. Amongst them 

 are Dipladenia Brearlcyana. Nearly all this class of plants 

 have striking characteristics about them. Many are extremely 

 beautiful, but this garden variety is the most magnificent that 

 has yet been obtained. It strikes very freely from cuttings, but 

 the young plants require careful handling during the operation of 

 potting them off. The newly-potted plants must also be quickly 

 returned to the place from whence they were taken, so that they 

 receive no check to their growth. If the pots can be plunged 

 a little, say to half their depth, in a bottom heat o' 85" or 90°, 

 they will start more quickly into growth. The potting material 

 used is equal parts of turfy loam and turfy peat, with a liberal 

 proportion of silver sand. 



Stephanotis floribunda has also been potted-off from the 

 cutting pots ; the treatment and soil is the same. Ixoras are 

 potted in peat entirely. We have also potted Ferns, Adiantums, 

 and Davallias. Of the latter species -D. Moorcana is the very 

 best, if it is not the finest, Fern in cultivation, and being of 

 rapid growth it soon forms a large specimen. Like all the 

 Davallias the roots do not penetrate deeply into the ground, and 

 if the ordinary pots are used they ought to be filled nearly half 

 full of drainage, nor should the plants be potted deeply into the 

 pot ; the rhizomes should not be covered with the mould. Loam 

 and peat in equal proportions is good potting material for it. 



It has also been necessary to repot some of the Orchids. 

 Small recently-imported plants that had been potted on their 

 arrival into the smallest pots it was possible to cram the roots 

 have made growths, and are now making plenty of healthy 

 roots. This is always the most suitable time to repot. At this , 

 season especially a very small shift is better than placing too | 

 much material about the roots. Thus, plants in 3-inch pots | 

 should be repotted in 4J-iuch, and other sizes in proportion. 

 Thrips are the only insect pests that give us much trouble at 

 this time ; the diiEculty is to reach them without injuring the 

 plants. When Orchids are attacked we can only persistently 

 wash them off by hand with soapy water. We have sometimes 

 fumigated with tobacco smoke, but it is very dangerous work, 

 as valuable plants have been much injured by the smoke. — 

 J. Douglas. 



HOBTICULTUBAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaeies will oblige us by informing ns of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Crystal Palace Company (Bees and their applianceB). — September 21st to 



2grd— Sec, J. Hunter. 

 Long Sutton. — -September 22Dd and 23rd. Mr. J. W. Swain, Sec. 

 KoTAL Horticultural Society of Aberdeen. — September 23rd. Mr. 



A. J. Rennie, 128A, Union Street, Aberdeen, Sec. 

 Alexandra Palace i Potatoes). — September 29th and SOth. Mr. P. McKin- 



lay, 23. Upper Thames Street, London, Hon. -Sec. 

 Jersey. — Autumn October 13th, CbryBanthemums November 10th. Major 



Howell, Spring Grove, St. Lawrence, Hon. Sec. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Thomas Bunyard & Sons, Maidstone. — Select List of Dutch 

 Bulbs, t.C-c. 



G. Yates, Underbank and Royal Oak Mills, Stockport. — Cata- 

 logue of Bulbs, St' aivberrics, d-c. 



Barr & Sugden, 12, King Street, Covent Garden, London. — 

 Descriptive Catalogue of Bulbs and Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 Notice. — Our pomological helpmate being absent we shall 



be unable to name fruits for three weeks to come. 



*,* All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. "We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix np 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. We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 



Planting Half-standard Roses (C. C.).— TLree feet will be ft distance 

 BUfficient between 'Rose trees on stocks 2 fctt Li^b. 



Books on Gaedening (C. S.).— The "Garden Mannal," Is. 8d., and 

 Keane's " Indoor GardenioR," and *' Outdoor GardeniDg." eacb volume 1«. 8d., 

 all free by post from our office at tbe prices quoted, would suit you. 



PnESER\aKG Filberts and Cob Nuts (S. J. Cox).— 'We remove all the 

 Laeks and place tbem in jars and boxes in alternate layers with damp sand. 

 The jars and boxes are ktpt in a cold cellar. If you wish the husks to remeun 

 on, and the nuts for winter use only, have the sand quite dry. 



Introduction of the Potato (E. E.). — There is a portrait of Gerarda 

 with a flowered sprij:; of the Potato in his hand appended to the catalof^'ue of 

 the plants growiug in his Holborn garden. This was publishtd in 1593. He 

 states Ihat he received the Potato from Virginia. We know of no earlier^ 

 mention of its being in England. 



Febn Disqualified (F. Fetch). — The Judges wer3 right; the specimen 

 sent to UB IB not a native Fern, but is Adiantum cuneatum from Brazil. 



Saline Manures (An Old Subscriber-. — Each of our answers is correct. 

 The last answer jou refer to related to different salts. 



Transplanting Hardy Ferns ( 01 i vcr P.).— The early part of October would 

 be a good time to move hardy Ferns, taking them up with good roots and soil 

 adhering, and giving a good watering, or you may defer the removal until 

 early in March. Fern " seed " (spores), may be sown now, or so soon as the 

 spores are ripe. They require to be scattered over a aurfaoe which is kept 

 conetanily muist, and they germinate sooner, and more quickly attain size by 

 being covered with a hand or bell-glass. Ferns do not grow well in sandy 

 soil unless of a vegetablt) or peaty nature, both of which retain moisture. 

 To a soil of very sandy I^am add a part peat and a part of rather strong 

 yellow loam, leaf soil being uBeful. 



Camellia Casting its Bcds (J. B). — It may be due to a eadden check 

 by the want of water (for once only being sufficient), but a more likely cause 

 in your case is the exposure of the plant to the full sun. and a defective root 

 action. Add some loam to your peat, at least halt good turfy loam, and 

 repot at once. Particulars of treatment yon will find in the " Greenhouse 

 Manual." 



Standard of Merit in Cocdmbebs (Jrft^m).— In the "Cottage Gardeners' 

 Dictionary" it is given as follows :—" Length not less than 12 inches; 

 diameter, one-ninth of the length; colour, dark green; spines, black and 

 numerous ; bloom unremoved ; circumference, circular and equal throughout ; 

 neck and nose, each not more than a diameter long; llesh, ciisp and juicy; 

 flower, remaining on the fruit." 



Wintering Coleus (Idem). — For soil use three parts turfy loam and one 

 part leaf soil. For wintering safely the temperature should be 45- to 5(P 

 from Are heat, watering only to keep fresh. 



Fruit Trees for East Wall {Salop). — The extent of wall yon do not 

 give, nor the numberof trees required. Penrs — ^Jarj-jouelle, Beun-t' d'Amanlis, 

 *Bearrt- Superfin, Gratioli of Jersey, ^Urbaniste, Dovenne du Comice, 'Marie 

 Louise, ^Beiirri? Diel, *Beurre Bachelier, *Glou Mor<,-9iu, Knictht's Monarch, 

 Winter Nelis, Jogt'phine de Malines, aad Ne Plus Meuris. Plums, Dessert — ■ 

 *July Green Ga^e, "^Golden Gage, ^Kirke's, Jefferson, *Green Gage, *Trans- 

 pareat Gage, and '*'Coe's Goiden Drop. Kitchen P/um-i— '♦Early Prolific, 

 ^Prince Englebert, ^Victoria, ^Pond's Seedling, *White Magnum Bonum, 

 Belle d'lirleans, ^Empresi Eugenie, Frogmore Early Bigarrean, *ilay Duke, 

 and Late Duke. Those marked with an asterisk will suit if too many are 

 named. 



Liquid Manure for Roses (H. C). — Guano 1 oz. to a gallon of water is 

 suitable, but neither it nor any kind of liquid manure ought to be distributed 

 over the foUage of the plants, but upon the soil about them, and given in 

 this way it will be beneflcial. 



Crinum amabile— Propagating Centaurea cahdidissima. {W. Bolton). 

 — Crinum amabile requires to be kept during winter rather dry in a stove tem- 

 perature, and would not, we fear, succeed in a houeo from which ' frost were 

 only kept out." Centaurea caudidiseima is best struck in early ppring in 

 mild bottom heat, though it will strike in autumn in gentle top and bottom 

 heat ; the only thing to guard against is damping-off. 



Piping required for Cocumber Pit (J. 8. IT.).— From the pit 36 feet 

 long and 6 feet wide you will require two rows of -i-inch pipes the length of 

 the house for top heat, which should be in front, or at least one of them, and 

 the other in the pathway, not nearer the glass than 15 to 18 inches. It will 

 have a pathway at the back of the pit, and this being 2 feet wide you will 

 have a bed about 4 feet, and this will require two rows of 4-iuch pipes. The 

 pipes shoHld be 18 inches from the top of the pit, and the top of the pit in 

 5 front 18 inches from the glass. Altogether you will require about 150 feet o f 

 4 inch piping. 



Stra-vvberry Plants in Pots (A New Subscriber).— The plants you have 

 now in 3-inch pots will, unless strong and well rooted, be of but little value 

 for fruiting in pots, as they ought now to be well established in the fruiting- 

 pots. If you wish to try them shift at once into 6-inch pjts, and diain 

 the pots efficiently, pot very firmly, using a compost of rich, turfy, strong 

 loam, and after potting place them outdoors in an open yet sheltered position, 

 placing them on ashes or other hard bottom, keeping well supplied with 

 water, and removing all runners as they appear. They would succeed at the 

 back of the house, but ought to be only half the distance you name from the 

 glass. 



Cotting-in Ccpressus Lawsoniana (J. W., Aberdeen). — This very hand- 

 some Cypress stands cutting-in well, and makes a splendid screen, but it does 

 not break well from the old wood, so that in cutting-back you will need to 

 leave some green spray, and aa evenly disposed as possible. When cutting- 

 in is intended it should be commenced early, so as to prevent the plants 

 becoming bare of spray or growing parts near the stem. We should cut-in 

 moderately at first, and by removing the strong growths you will induce 

 the spray nearer home to become mere dense, and by annually doing so 

 the size may in a few years be considerably reduced without interfering 

 with the symmetry of the plants. The end of March or early in April is 

 the best time to shorten the growths, or yon may remove any irregularities 

 now. 



Times for Operations (H. J5.).— The times recommended for perform- 

 ing operations, whether published in this Journal or the " Garden Manual," 

 may be safely followed in any part of the British Islands. If we modified the 

 times in any locality it should be in the far nortb, wherewe might sow a little 

 later in tbe spring and a little earlier in the autumn. 



Rose Leaves Mildewed and Rusted {Mus E, H.). — Dust them 

 thoroughly with flowers of sulphur, and keep the roots well watered and 

 mulched. The Aut-iib?* leaves excessively white are not nncommon. 



