300 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND UOTTAG^ GAIlDENER. [ Septomber 3), 1875. 



or Crittenden, and White. Dessert AppUs: Red Astraohan, Kerry Pippin, 

 Mother Apple, KioK of the Pippinp, Cos's OraoRe Pippin, and Reinette du 

 Canada. Kitchen Apples: Lord SofQeld, Cos's Pomona, Blenheim Orange, 

 Warner's Kint?, Damelow'g Seedling, and Bedfordshire Foundling. Nuts : 

 Cosford, Red Filbert, White Filbert, Dwarf Prolific, Prolific Cob. A Clematia 

 would answer for covering the spout, and C. Jackmanni would suit. 



Ventilating Greenhouse (W-fm).— For a groenhouee 20 feet by 10 feet 

 you will need more than the ll-inuh width of ventilation at the upper part 

 of the house, which should not be leas than 18 inches ; and aa for dispensing 

 with front ventilation it is a mistake, as you cannot have too much of it in 

 hot sunny days, and the iron gratiosa proposed in place of front ventilation 

 will be inadequate. Every other— better every light of the front— should be 

 made to open in addition to the top ventilation of the increased width named. 

 Dividing and Planting Lily of the Valley (IT. H.).— It may be done 

 in November, or after the leaves are decayed, and in mild weather up to 

 March. 



Onions Rotting {Llcm).—V!e can only conjecture that they are aSected 

 by maggot, for which, after an attick, there is no remedy. 



Gbapes not Ripening (W. M. QroM).~~'Tho symptoms yoa describe are 

 those of shanking, but it ia rare that shrivelling is accompanied with mildew 

 and rotting. It ia likely that had the berries been more and earlier thinned, 

 more foliage euciQra:^ed, and strict attention paid to stopping, along with 

 more heat, and at the same time more air, you would have succeeded in ripen- 

 ing the Grapes more patiafactorily. Under the circumstances we should yet 

 apply more heat, admitting air very freely, and so secure the thorough ripen- 

 ing of the wood, upon which in a great measure depend next year's prospects. 

 Treatment of ToxicopHL.iDi spectabile and other Stove Plants 

 (A. W. G.).— Toxicophhea spectabile is a warm greenhoui^e or cool stove plant, 

 and ia propagated by cuttings of the young half-ripened growths in sand in 

 bottom heat under a bell-glass. Peat soil with a third of fibrous loam will 

 fjrow it well, keeping moist at all times, and watering freely when in growth. 

 Francisceaa succeed in a compost of ei^ual parta fibrous loam, sandy peat, and 

 leaf soil, with a free adrabcture of silver sand and good drainage. Cuttings of 

 the youn;^ ahoots after they become firm root well in sandy soil in bottom 

 hoat covered with a bell-glass. Eiantbeiuum pulchellum is also a stove plant, 

 doing well in fibroua loam, with a third of leaf soil, and cuttings of the young 

 shootB flLriko freely in sandy soil in ;-,'entle bottom heat or without, but emit 

 roots less speedily. Strelitzia juncea, another stove plant, requires two parta 

 fibrous loam, one part sandy peat, half a part leaf soil, and a sixth of silver 

 sand and good drainage. It is propagated by suckers or dividing the plant, 

 and requires to be kept very copiously watered when in growth, and kept 

 rather dry when at rest. All require light and airy positions, and abundant 

 atmospheric moisture when making fresh growth, and water when not grow- 

 ing to keep the foliage from flagging. 



PftOPAOATENG VioLA PERFECTION (S. P. P.).— Select cuttiogs of 2 or 

 3 inches in length, which come directly from the base of th3 plants, inserting 

 them in sandy soil in a cold frame, or in a sheltered position outdoors, and 

 ^keeping moint and shaded until rooted, and when well rooted plant-out after 

 liariening-off in a sheltered border about 3 inches apart, and in spring move 

 with bolls to where desired. The cuttings may be put ia at the present time. 

 Bedding Geraniums {Idem). — We cannot improve upon your selection— 

 viz , Corsair, the best scarlet; Master Christine, the best pink; but Amaranth 

 (Pearson) is very good. White Clipper is very much superior to Madame 

 Vauchor, but of taller growth ; the most profase-flowering white is White 

 Princess, and yet there is no really good white bedding variety. 



Destrovikg Thrips (S. it.).— Fumigate your greenhouse on two nights in 

 succession, aad each morning following syringe your Myrtle with soft soap 

 water of a strength of 3oz3. per gallon, and mixed with one-tenth of tobaoco 

 water. Apply the solution at a temperature of 120". Repeat this in three 

 weeks and you will eradicate the pest. 



Potting Peach and Nectarine Trees (W. B. A.). — If yon intend to 

 pot the trees again in the same sized pots, reduce the balls, saving as many 

 of the ftbrous roots a? possible. It ought to bs done at once. See " Doings." 

 page 2 J 5. 



Vines in Cccumhek House (A Suhierihtr). — You may grow both together 

 as you propose, the forcing not being begun until March, the Sweetwater 

 succeeding under the same conditions as the Black Hamburghs. Straw- 

 berries would do fairly, they having a position about 15 inches from the glass. 

 They ought to have been layered in small pots so soon as runners were 

 ■obtainable, and potted by the middle or end of August into 6-inch pots. You 

 .may suecead fairly by now potting-up any strong plants into 7-inch pots, but 

 'neither tbe Vines nor Strawberries wiQ do other than moderately well grown 

 with Cucumbers, they being secondary to the latter. The Sweetwater Vine 

 may be potted now. 



Liquid Manure for Strawderries— " *Old Subscriber' wouldadd very 

 much to the usefulness of his remarks by stating the composition and pro- 

 portions of the ingredients in the ' ammonia >ater ' and the 'lime water' 

 which he speaks of. — A Novice." 



Heating-power of Boiler (C. C.).— The size of the boiler is no criterion 

 of the heating power, that depending upon the amount of surface exposed to 

 the action of the fire. Your boiler will have about 8 feet of surface exposed 

 to the action of the fire, which, without very hard stoking, will be sufficient 

 to heat the 280 feet of 4-inch piping you propose attaching to it. 



Storing Waxnuts {D. 0. J.\— Remove the nuts from the husks, and if 

 this be done at the ripening the nuta will turn out very clean, and store away 

 in dry sand in a collar or other cool place, and moist rather than dry, but not 

 wet. They will keep in this way, or in stone jars stored in dry sand, for a 

 lengthened period, but they will become more or less dried, and this, we 

 think, you wish to avoid, and so do others, as the kernels in a dried state will 

 not " peel," hence the nuts are kept in moist sand or soil to the deterioration 

 of the quality or flavour, for in contact with moist soil or moisture they 

 absorb it, and warmth being present growth must follow. By storing in dry 

 sand, in a moist place and cool, we prevent any loss of flavour and arrest 

 growth, whilst at tbe same time obviating the evils of overdrying ; and though 

 nuts BO kept may not " peel," they may, by placing them for twenty-four or 

 forty-eight hours in rain water, have the kernels restored to plumpness, 

 peeling readily. The time of steeping is dependant npon the dryness of the 

 nuts. 



Early and Late Rose Potatoes (A Constant Jl<;(i'i(,'r).— There ia a great 

 confounding of the " Early "with the " Late" varieties of this Potato. The 

 former is of very indifferent quahty a) compared with the finest-quality 

 kinds. It Is not really good at any time, but improves by keeping, bein;^ 



mrae mealy, and Is best after NoTember. Late Rose is mach finer, and after 

 Christmas good. Steam them in their skins after clean washing, and peel 

 whilst very hot, just before sending to table. 



Gloxinia Leaves Rusted (Jf. TT., Corfc).— The leaf is rusted and destroyed 

 by thripa, which might have been prevented by fumigation with tobacco, and 

 growth enoouiogpd by a moister atmosphere. To avoid its ravages in future 

 afford the plants a moister atmosphere and a bri^^k heat, keeping moderately 

 bhaded and near the glass. The leaves for a good display of bloom should be 

 nine times the size of the one sent us. 



Prince of Wales Chrysanthemum Leaves DiacoLonREn (Idem). — It 

 is constitutional and peculiar to this and a few other kinds, and more pre- 

 valent in a wet than a dry season, hence we conclude that It is resultant of 

 overwatering or too high feeding. Very careful watering is necessary, not 

 saturating, nor, on the other hand, allowing the foliage to flag through an 

 insufficient supply. It also suffers in a close confined space ; therefore, give 

 plenty of space, and an open airy position. 



Peach Shoots Mildewed {Idem).— The specimen sent is badiy mildewed, 

 the wood being green and very unripe. You have used " soapy water " and 

 applied " sulphur." Perhaps so, but inefficiently. Syringe the trees 

 thoroughly with a solution of soft soap, 2 ozs. to the gallon, and dust the parta 

 effectually with sulphur from a dredger, and lift the trees so soon as the 

 leaves commence falling, and make the soil very firm and moderately rich so 

 as to induce stronger yet shorter-jointed and more fruit fnl wood, not allowing 

 them to suffer by want of water at the root after the middle of Jane. 



CoPiNQ-iJOARDS (C. P.). — Mr. Luckhurst, who is a most successful culti- 

 vator, recommends inch boards to project at right angles 15 inches from the 

 wall. He never removes them, at the same time it is advisable to so fix them 

 that thfty can be taken down if required. These boards afford great pro- 

 tection from frost, and are valuable aids in assisting the ripening of the wood 

 of the Peach trees. 



Insects on Solanums (ff.).— The leaves sent are infested with thrips and 

 red spider. Syringe them with soft snap and tobacco water of the samo 

 strength as that recommended to " S. M.," applying it at a temperature of 

 100 . The solution must be applied forcibly to the under sides of the leaves, 

 and the plants should be syringed daily afterwards with clear water. 



Name3 of Trees (J. 0.).— 1, Pinus austriaca; 2, Pious montezumos. 



Names of Fruits (H. W., Peng'). — The Apple is New Hawthornden. 

 (J. TVoodnTfc).— Neither are Tower of Glamis ; 1, quite rotten; 2, Wellington 

 or Dumelow's Seedling; 3, Golden Noble. Pear rotten. (A Constant Reader). 

 — 3, Beurr'' d'Amanlia ; 4, Beurrr Diel ; 2, Probably Vicar of Winkfield. Bend 

 the others again when ripe. {A Contributor, S. FT.).—!, Beurre d'Araaolls ; 

 3, Easter Beurrp; 4, Beurn.' d'Aremberg; 2, not known. (L., Constant 

 Readcrj.S, White Doyenne; 4, Beurre Berckmans; 6, Beurrc de Capiau- 

 mont. {A. Aper}. — 2, Dumelow's Seedling; 4, Pomona; 5, Bedfordshire 

 Foundling; 6, Bleaheim Pippin. 



Names of Plants (E. B.). — QlaQcium luteum, the yellow Horned Poppy. 

 There ia a portrait and full account of it in our " Wild Flowers," fig. Ia9. 

 (T. W. Ba.s'jiit;).— Leaf only. (R. L. D.).— Francoa ramosa. {Sigma).~\ 

 species of Pyrus. (T. K.). — We cannot name from leavts. {.if. H). — 

 1, Chelone glabra; 2, Solidago Virgaurea. (James- Ferf7»*ort).— Fankia ovata. 

 (^)i Old Subscriber). — Atriplex hortenais, which used to be much cultivated 

 as a vegetable. (M. H. M.). — The Scarborough Lily, Vallota purpurea. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



MICHAELMAS-DAY. 



Yesterday (September 29th) was Miohaelmas-day, and thia ia 

 our Michaelmas number. The Geese have been slaughtered in 

 memoriayn, and apple trees and the sage and onion beds have 

 had inroads made upon them. Thia ia all we can say here about 

 the patron bird of Michaelmas, bo we must turn to other topics 

 connected with the world of which he is a member. 



Three months ago to-day waa Midsummer-day, and then we 

 sighed of ourselves for ourselves as we saw the small ranks in 

 the chicken runs, and knew what the summer shows could only 

 produce under the circumstances. Our forebodings were correct, 

 for now, taking a retrospect of the shows of those three months, 

 we plainly see that it was a bad summer chicken season, and 

 that very few produced birds of any note whatever. 



Michaelmas is now here, and the autumn shows will com- 

 mence, and with the new quarter we hope for and expect better 

 things. Some of the clasaea at the late chicken exhibitions 

 have been most wretchedly represented ; but now a new quarter 

 has dawned — 



" WheQ earth repays with golden eheaves 

 The laboars of the plough, 

 And ripening fruits and forest leaves 

 Are brighter on the bough." 



Nottingham commences the new list, but that is not a regular 

 chicken show ; it ia followed, however, by the Alexandra Palace 

 and Oxford Exhibitions, where the elite of chickendom will 

 doubtless be found, and then comes the other Palace, and then 

 the full whirlwind of shows is upon ua. We hope for well-filled 

 classes in future, and to find the old names, which have been 

 more or less abseat of late, figuring well to the front. There has 

 been time now to get over the woes of the early year, for by 

 October everyone will surely have something good to exhibit. 

 The summer chickens have had their day, and now exhibitors 

 must buckle-to for a sharp contest, and produce fresh chickens 

 from their corps dc reserve, for those which have done battle 

 through the summer will now in many cases have to make way 

 for others. It is, of course, well known that those birds which 

 are sent from show to show through the hot and trying summer 

 months never do much good afterwards. Certainly some few 



