372 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[June 8, 



the seeds have seldom been kept separate, on account of 

 the trouble it would occasion ; nevertheless, raisers have 

 been able, by tracing a little, and guessing a great deal, 

 to acquaint us with the progenitors of their seedlings. 

 But what might be known for certainty, thus often be- 

 comes a matter of speculation. 



In autumn, as soon as the seed is ripe, it should be 

 gathered and placed with the number in the gauze-bags 

 previously used, and left in the seed-vessel till required 

 for sowing. We may sow the seeds as soon as ripe, or, 

 in spring? when some will germinate immediately ; but 

 the greater part will not until the year following. If the 

 seed be kept a twelvemonth before sowing, it should be 

 buried in the seed-vessels in boxes of sand or light earth 

 "kept moist, and not exposed to extremes of temperature. 

 It may be sown either in seed-pans, in a frame, or in the 

 open border ; if the latter, an eastern exposure is most 

 favourable, and, in all cases, the soil in which it is sown 

 should be rich and light. We should sow thin, that the 

 plants when growing may not crowd each other and be- 

 came weak. The seed should not be sown too deep, and 

 after sowing, the surface of the soil may be strewn with a 

 light covering of Moss ; as the seeds break through, this 

 may be removed, and protection afforded against slugs 

 and birds. It will also be advisable to shade and water 

 them, and where too thick to transplant the weakest at 

 an early stage of growth. Transplanting should, how- 

 ever, be avoided if possible, as it ordinarily retards the 

 period of flowering. Some of the seedling Indicas will 

 flower in the autumn of the same year, but for the mass 

 we must wait one or two subsequent seasons. As winter 

 approaches, some plan must be devised to protect them 

 from frost, as the plants, in general being young, are 

 more than usually tendt-r. One advantage gained by 

 sowing in pans or in a frame is, the efficient mode in 

 which we can accomplish this, by removing the former 

 to a pit or greenhouse, and affording protection to the 

 latter in the usual manner. When sown in the border, 

 they must be covered with Moss, or some protecting 

 substance, to shield them from the frost.— -IP. Paul, 

 Nurseries, Cheshunt, Herts. 



roots very soon. This treatment can also be applied with 

 favourable consequences to the offsets of other Cacti, 

 whose cut surface is much withered. It is necessary to 

 keep the offsets continually damp ; and in order to accom- 

 plish this they should be put into pots from 8 to 10 inches 

 in diameter ; and after every watering, which should be 

 repeated as often as necessary, the pot should be covered 

 with a piece of glass. The more common kinds propagate 

 easily of themselves, and do not require much trouble or 



attention. 



These observations are the result of 10 years' expe- 

 rience in the rich collection of Cacti belonging to Mr. 

 Kob, in Leipsig, which contains, with the new and unde- 

 scribed forms, about 450 sorts ; amongst them are 150 

 Mammillarias,90 Echinocacti, and a part of the most 

 handsome Cerei.— Abstracted from the Gartenzeitung. 



plant to spring from the bud. They generally make more 

 appearance the first season, in proportion to their size 

 than large ones ; and almost always cover their wounds' 

 better, but they do not readily attain the same size. 



ROSE GARDEN— No. XI.] 



{Continued from page 35/.) 



Labelling.— As each tree is budded, a paper or parch- 

 ment should be fastened upon it, to mark the species ; 



182 



MIGNON, 



THE CULTIVATION OF CACTI. 



By L. Zapf, Gardener, Leipsig. 

 ' The treatment of Cacti during summer is simple 

 and generally known. With sufficient water, not sparing 

 it, as generally happens, and free access of air, they will 

 take care of themselves, with the exception of unrooted 

 offsets, Melocacti, and some Maramillarias. They thrive 

 well in summer kept in the open air, without any cover- 

 ing, if they are allowed to have plenty of water. With 

 this treatment there is little danger of the plants being 

 attacked by red spider or scale. But should spider 

 appear, I know of no better means of getting rid of it than 

 by sprinkling the plants thickly with flowers of sulphur ; 

 and an abundant washing with clean water with a syringe 

 helps to destroy the scale. The treatment of Cacti during 

 •winter is very different from that of summer. In their 

 native country the dry time of year has the same effect 

 upon those plants as winter has on ours, namely, it pro- 

 duces a state of rest. In this state, if they are to remain 

 in health, and flower the following summer, they should 

 not be removed to a cold greenhouse, for in their 

 native country they do not arrive at maturity through 

 cold, but by the dryness of their situation. Indeed, 

 the experience of many years has taught me that they 

 thrive well if they are kept in a hot-house. 



When Cacti are removed in autumn from the open air 

 into a hot-house, do not leave off watering them immedi- 

 ately, becausethat would interrupt vegetation too suddenly ; 



but continue to water them regularly until nearly the end 

 of the year, only not so abundantly as before, and stop it by 

 degrees until the end of December, when it must be dis- 

 continued altogether. From this time to the period when 

 the plants can be again placed in the open air they need 

 no water, not even if they should begin to dry up or to 

 shrivel, for there is no danger of their being injured by 

 getting into that state ; but great disadvantage would arise 

 from watering them, and many specimens might be lost. 

 No doubt when watering is discontinued roots are apt to 

 die off, because being less succulent than the plant itself 

 they soon lose their moisture, which cannot be replaced 

 out of the dry earth. This, however, does not harm the 

 plants in a dry state, but at a later period, when watering 

 is renewed, it then may havedisadvantageousconsequences, 

 for it is then found that the dead and withered roots easily 

 decay, and this communicates itself by degrees to the centre 

 of the plant, which then speedily perishes. It is, there- 

 fore, indispensable that the plants should be examined 

 in order to see whether rottenness is beginning ; for 

 if this is discovered too late there is no remedy, and 

 the decay will extend, and destroy the plants. 



There is no great difficulty in the propagation of Cacti. 

 However, there are many, especially among the better and 

 rarer sorts, that are not easily propagated. If offsets do 

 not in a short time strikeout roots, the reason is because 

 the cut surface is woody, and many months, and even 

 years, may elapse before they again form new roots. I 



havesucceededinpropagatingPilocereussenilis(Lemaire), 



Cereus Bradypus (Lehm), and C. senilis (De Cand.), in 



the following manner, by offsets : viz., I filled a pot with 



earth, and put it into a larger one, so that the edge of the 



outer pot stood nearly an inch above the inner one. The 



large pot, having the hole at the bottom stopped up, Was 



filled with water until it was level with the earth in the 



inner pot; in this earth the offsets were planted; the 



whole was then covered with a piece of glass, and exposed 



to the rays of the sun. It is necessary to look after it 



frequently, in order to renew the water, if it should 



evaporate too much. In this way offsets of these made 



and when the'whole are finished, if they are in lines, the 

 first and last tree of the lines may be marked as follows ; 

 if separate, each tree should be so treated :— Procure 

 from the plumber a sheet of lead, the thickness of a six- 

 pence or a shilling ; cut it into long squares, upon which 

 stamp the name of the species, and affix the label to 

 the plant by 

 means of a 

 small piece of 

 copper wire, 

 which should 



notbe twisted 

 tight round 

 the stock, but 

 half or a 

 whole inch 

 left for it to 

 swell out in. 

 The punch to 

 cut the hole 

 in the label 

 should be a 

 shoe-maker's 



nipping- 

 punch ; and 

 if the lead ad- 

 heres to it, 

 a little oil 

 should be 



used— the thinner the lead the less likely to stick. The 

 letters are procurable at any tool-shop, and should be 

 small ones, as in the engraving. A pair of small nippers 

 and pincers should be used to twist the'.wire, which may 

 be cut into suitable lengths beforehand. 



Body-Budding. ~- Budding upon the body, instead of 

 upon the shoot of the tree, is peculiarly applicable to 

 young and clean stocks, 



Home Correspondence. 



Mexican Conifera. — The Leading Article in the 

 Chronicle of May 18th has suggested to me that pos- 

 sibly the following evidence, deduced from observations 

 in the Bicton (near Sidmouth) Arboretum, may not be 

 uninteresting. The results are in some cases different 

 from your own conclusions, but, taking the subject in a 

 general way, are very similar. I have found Pinus 

 oocarpa to survive two winters without injury, merely 

 protected by a large sea-kale pot by night, and removed 

 in the day, except in case of sharp frosts and cutting 

 winds. P. leiophylla is one of the hardiest, having 

 stood four years without the slightest protection, and 

 has not been the least injured ; it now measures 7 feet 

 in height. P. pseudo-strobus was, by the early frosts of 

 last autumn, much injured, and, to complete its destruc- 

 tion, was eaten off by deer and totally killed ; I have 

 atrain planted one for another trial. P. Teocote is quite 

 hardy, having stood three winters unprotected ; this 

 appears to be a fast grower, making from 1± ft. to 2 ft. 

 in its young state, in the course of a season. P. Macro- 

 phylla has been planted two years, and has stood the last 

 winter unprotected and uninjured. P. Devonians has 

 not been sufficiently proved to draw any conclusions as 

 to its hardiness, it having been planted one winter, 

 and covered by Croggon's Asphalte. P. Russellians, 

 apulcensis, and montezumee, are equally hardy with 

 macrophylla. P. patula is not in any respect damaged, 

 although it has had no protection for two years, and is 

 now making as vigorous shoots as any in the Arboretum : 

 it stands 5 ft. high. P. Hartwegii would appear to be 

 a Pinus of great promise, taking both its beauty and the 

 fact that it proves hardy in most places ; indeed, as far 

 as my knowledge of it extends, I should be almost in- 

 clined to say it would rival the Scotch Pine in hardiness. 

 P. Ayacahuite was totally destroyed by the early frosts of 

 last autumn. P. Llaveana has not been fairly tried. 

 Of the beautiful Abies religiosa, if the hardiness could 

 be established beyond a doubt, we might be truly glad. 

 I am quite of opinion that if planted in a rather poor and 

 dry soil, it would so progress as to ripen its wood tho- 

 roughly, and, consequently, be so circumstanced as to 

 defy the rigour of our ordinary winters ; the plant here 

 is so situated, and from present appearances leads me 

 to believe, if left exposed next winter, would bear it with 

 indifference; the protection of a sea-kale pot was 

 afforded it last winter, which was quite sufficient, as the 

 plant is looking perfectly healthy. Cupressus thunfera 

 and Juniperus flaccida, though placed under similar 

 circumstances, differ a little in their degrees of hardiness. 

 The first is quite hardy, if four years' exposure without 

 the slighest protection warrants the assertion. ibe 

 latter (perhaps from its lower situation compared with 

 the Pinuses, and consequent liability to earlier and later 

 frosts) is a little cut, but not so as to disfigure the plant. 

 The soil on which these are planted is a dry sandy loam, 

 on a substratum of red sand, sloping to the south-east 

 and although situated rather low is exposed to every 

 wind, excepting one part, which is a little ******** 

 due north. This situation will undoubtedly ^suit Coni- 

 fer* in general remarkably well, as may be i"f*™*™* 

 the vigorous growth of some established plants, amongst 

 which may be mentioned Pinus insigms, which has been 

 planted five years and is now 20 ft in height^ and p r- 



with round fruit, as their 

 bark is less hard. It 

 frequently succeeds half 

 way down the stock, in 

 preference to the upper 

 part, (i. e. below all the 

 shoots better than be- 

 tween them) ; and is 

 advantageous when the 

 shoots are not large 

 enough to bud upon, or 

 when they cannot be 

 used without running the 

 chance of depriving the 

 tree of its support, which 

 is always the case when 

 they are not very healthy 

 or strong, in which case 

 the tree should be budded low down ; and it has this ad- 

 vantage also, that it leaves but one wound to heal instead 

 of two, and that closes over better, from the tendency of 

 the new shoot to rise straight up and cover the injury ; 

 whereas, in shoot-budding, the wound is below the bud. 

 It is also useful in case there be but one shoot to work 

 upon, when another may be inserted in the body, op- 

 posed to that in the shoot. 



In nurseries, where it is desirable to have every sort of 

 Rose, and of every height, the small species of Briar, 

 which is quite green at the age it is used, is planted in 

 long rows, quite free, unsupported, and left almost to 

 itself, entered in the ground with all the upper branches 

 cut off similar to the others, and of a much greater length 

 than desirable to use. These small briars push vigor- 

 ously at the top ; they are left to form what heads they 

 please ; and in July the buds desirable are entered, (with 

 great care, for, being pithy, too deep an incision would 

 cause them to break,) with buds of the most delicate sort, 

 any distance desired below the head ; and in March 

 these heads are cut off an inch above the bud, the plant 

 being young and growing, and the sap well fitted to the 



Picea Cephalonica, 53 it.— tins is unuuu^.j - 

 finest plants of its kind in this country ; and Learus 

 deodara, 10 ft. in height. All the species of Comtek 

 procurable have been planted here, and are maKin»g 

 progress. This will form an interesting par or 

 whole collection of trees and shrubs, **\* v *3"^ the 

 year will add greatly to its beauty.-iV. ^^Z 

 Arboretum, Bicton.-Sit. Charles Lemon informs us 

 that at Carclew, near Penrhyn, Abies ^^V^ 

 perfectly hardy. On the 22d of May its buds were omy 

 pushing off their winter covering, and since ^^ 3 

 autumn frosts in Cornwall, as there are in Middlese x, 

 beautiful species does not, in the former county, 

 at all from growing late. It is even slower in «P" 5 

 growth than A. Morinda, or Webbiana. t , n -w. 



Gooseberry Cater pillar. -This year, owing to t»e £ 

 continued dry winds, has been particulary favou , 

 the production of myriads of the Abraxas Grossui^ 

 (the Gooseberry Caterpillar and Currant Motn;, ^ 

 in all parts of the country appears to oe m ^ 

 usually numerous. In general, as yet^tn^ J -J tcred 

 caterpillars are in the egg state, but in eariy ^ ^ 

 places they are transformed into the cftter P ul V t by the 

 nearly approaching the chrysalis state, so w , § 

 time they are in that condition they are Bcatt of .^ 



considerable extent of the bush, stripping it enu J ^ 

 summer foliage, to the utter destruction or ch 



Now, while all this is going on, very often 1 t,1 f P 7 eDre dators 

 his loss and disappointment, allows ?H s VYhemseWes 

 carry on the work of destruction, enjoying w 



to 



to carry 



at his expense, while he inquires ?* v * r 7 n <>» ]M 

 know of any cure for the caterpillar ? But, in b & feW 

 is made but little wiser. To such I would on ^^ 

 remarks on the safest method of g^ g / P h e rrvMotfi 

 unwelcome visitors. As the eggs of theGooseoe J ^ 

 are laid in lines on the back of the leaves, tney 

 destroyed on the bush while in that ** te '?*™j be * 

 ing either the bush or the fruit ; and, as tnere m 



