March 7, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICTTLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



199 



10' or 15° more, and shut up early. Except on shelves of 

 Strawberries, oU shelves, stages, and floors, are as thictly 

 set with plants as if these were so many grass blades. 



Gardenias wUl now like dearly a little bottom heat in a 

 dung or tan-pit. Ixoras will also be better of being plunged 

 and the leaves examined for thrips or green fly. What is 

 worse than either is mealy bug, and purchasers should be 

 careful in selecting from clean stocks ; only a very few of 

 them are sufficient to overrun a place, and they wOl not 

 confine themselves to plants, but get into every cranny of 

 the brickwork, woodwork, &c., where scarcely any application 

 will reach them. Dipladenias, Allamandas, cSrc, would be 

 the better of bottom heat after repotting. In small houses 

 it is advisable to pick away a good portion of the old soil, 

 and then repot in the same sized pot, using fresh flbry soil. 

 Clerodendrons that were pruned back and have now broken 

 half an inch or so may also be repotted, shaking away a 

 good portion of the old soil, draining well, giving fresh soU, 

 and placing in bottom heat ; if the shoots come too numerous 

 thin out the weakest when from 2 to 3 inches long, and 

 they will soon strike in a hotbed. Such tubers as Gloriosa 

 superba, &c., should also now be taken from the pots in 

 which they have rested in a rather diy state. The best time 

 for fresh potting, is when the buds show signs of moving, 

 draining well, and using fibry peat and loam, lightened 

 with silver sand and nodules of charcoal. Gloxinias now 

 beginning to push should either be top-dressed with rich com- 

 post, or the most of the earth removed from the tubers and 

 these returned to similar or, at first, smaller-sized pots. They 

 dearly like old dried cowdung mixed with the compost. The 

 same may be said of the fine-leaved Begonias which have 

 been set under stages, ic, to dry and the leaves to fade 

 during the winter; when a little water is given to them, 

 and they are placed in a temperature of about 55° or 60°, 

 they will soon break, and then may have their rhizome-like 

 stems separated, the most of the old earth shaken away, and 

 rich light soil given. Achimenes and Gesneras, placed some 

 in heat to start them ; Justicias, flowering Begonias, and 

 especially the pretty fuchsioides, Eranthemums, Poinsettias, 

 &c., do best for small houses if the cuttings are struck now 

 and in the beginning of next month, and the old plants 

 thrown away. 



liVe have taken care to keep a nice lot of soil dry, under 

 cover, which is half the battle ; and for all these tender 

 plants we like it to be heated over a furnace, or in some 

 suitable place, before using it. We have given all the 

 air possible to bedding Calceolarias that are still in the 

 pit, in which the cuttings are thickly dibbled out in October 

 and November; but we must harden them off for turf-pits, 

 as they are now standing too thickly. We forgot to say 

 that, as a measure of precaution, we drew all "Verbena 

 cuttings through weak tobacco water, and were careful that 

 the quick hands that took them off should also use the eyes 

 quite as quickly, that every piece taken off should make 

 either one or two cuttings, without a bit or a joint being 

 wasted. It always shows great carelessness to see a bit wasted 

 at the cutting bench at this season, after having occupied 

 room all the -winter. We also took the opportunity of 

 stacking some very fibry turf 2i or 3 inches thick. This, in 

 bad weather, if we are scarce of pots, we will cut into 

 pieces about 3 inches square, scoop out a hole in the middle, 

 for more than half the depth, and use these for some 

 Geraniums, and other things that do not plant well without 

 a baU. We have placed a box on the material which covers 

 part of the Vine-border, and therefore wiU have a little 

 heat ; and if these little bits of turf, each with a plant and 

 fine soil in the hole, are placed there until the roots are 

 coming through the turf, they may then be moved to leaf 

 inould and soU in a Celery trench, and have a little protec- 

 tion there, until finally turned out. This is only a sample of 

 what people must do if they have to make the most of, and 

 obtain the most from, little room. It would not do to leave 

 such turf pots in the mild hotbed, as the roots would get 

 beyond all bounds ; but when turned out, after being merely 

 started, the root will cluster all round the turf like a wig, 

 and be ready to extend wherever they have the chance. — E. P. 



COVENT GAUDEN MAEKET.— Maech 4. 



The supply has improved, but pnces are fully maintained. Pines continue 

 scarce ; Grapes and Pears are sufficient for the demand ; and with Apples 

 the market is overstocked, but good kinds for the dessert are not over-abon- 

 dant. Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, and other Greens, are not over-plontifuT. 

 English forced Potatoes may be had very ROod at from 2.5. to 3s. per pound; 

 foreign ditto Grf. to 8rf. Salads, &c., come in daily from the continent. 

 Artichokes and Peas have arrived from Lisbon, the latter selling at from 

 l'2s. to 15s. per quart. 







8. 



i. 



fi. 



d 







0. 



d. 



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Apples 



i sieve 



2 



to4 







Melons 



each 







too 







Apricots 



doz. 



















Mulberries .... 



punnet 



















Cherries 



lb. 



















Nectarines «... 



doz. 



















Chestnuts 



...bush. 

 ..i sieve 

 . do. 



U 

 

 





 



n 



20 

 

 





 

 





100 



s 







s 





 



n 



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 10 



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Black 



Pears (liltcben 



...bush. 



n 



Pies . . . 







 40 













 















3 



8 





 



6 

 12 







FUberts 



100 lbs. 



Pine Apples..., 



lb. 







Cobs 



do. 



50 







60 







Plums 



. J sieve 



















Gooseberries 



.,i sieve 



















Pomegi-auates 



each 



















Grapes, Hamburghs lb 



7 







12 







Quinces 



. i sieve 



















Muscats ... 





S 







14 







Rnspberries.... 



lb. 















n 



Lemons 



100 



S 



10 



TEGET 



Walnuts . 





14 







20 



A 







LBLSS. 











H. 



d. 



f. 



d 







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d. 



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4 too 

 12 



6 

 



Leeks 



.. bnnch 

 .... doz. 



n 







3 to 

 



n 



.\sparasu3 



. bundle 



Lettuce 







Beans Broad... 



..i sieve 



















Mushrooms ... 



... pottle 



1 



6 



2 



6 



Kidney 



100 



3 



6 



5 







Mustd. Sc Cress 



, punnet 







2 











Beat, Red.... „. 



.... doz. 



1 







n 







Onions 



. bushel 



6 







S 







Broccoli 



. bundle 



3 







3 







piciding .. 



... quart 







6 







S 



BrusselsSnrouts h sieve 



S 







4 







Parsley 



..^ sieve 



3 



6 



5 



(1 



Cabbaee 



.... doz. 



1 



6 



3 







Parsnips 



.... doz. 







9 



1 









100 





 

 2 







7 

 





 

 6 







10 













 2 

 1 





 6 

 





 4 

 2 



(1 





.. bunch 

 doz. 







n 



Cauliflower ... 



H.adishes dos. 



bunches 







Celerv 



. bundle 



2 







3 







Rhubarb 



. bundle 







6 



1 







Cucumbers .... 



each 



1 







5 







Saveys 



doz. 



y 







4 







Endive 



... score 



2 



6 



3 







Sea-l£ale 



. bastet 



1 



6 



3 









.. bunch 

 llots, lb. 





 



3 

 8 





 





 







4 

 



(J 

 



B 

 



(1 



Garlic and Sha 



Tomatoes 



, ^ sieve 









.. bunch 

 . bundle 





 2 



S 

 6 



n 



4 





 







n 

 



5 

 





 



« 



Horseradish . 



VecetableMarrows doz. 







TEADE CATALOGUE KECEIVED. 



Sutton and Sons, Keading. — Fanyi Seed List, Marcli^ 1865. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS, 



*** ^e request that no one will write privately to tlie de- 

 partmental writers of the '*' Journal of Horticulture, 

 Cottage Gardener, and Country Grentleman." By so 

 doing they are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and 

 expense. AB communications should therefore be ad- 

 dressed solely to The Editors of the Jowi^nal of Horticul- 

 iure, ^'c, 171, Fleet Street, London, E.C. 

 "We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those 

 on Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them 

 answered promptly and conveniently, but write them 

 on separate communications. Also never to send more 

 than two or thi'ee questions at once. 

 N.B. — ^Many questions must remain unanswered until nesd; 

 week. 

 Erica, htesialis and E. graciu?— Forci>'g Pelaegonidms (An Old 

 Subscriber) —When the Ericas have done bloominp, pot them in the course 

 of Murch in a compost of sandy turfy peat, dr<iinine the pots to one-third 

 their depth, and keepinc the neck of *the plant slightly elevated. Be care- 

 ful not to disturb the roots more than necessary, picking away the old 

 drainage and the soil not filled -with healthy roots. Give a moderate shift, 

 large shifts are iDJurious. Continue the plants in the cool greenhouse, they 

 could not have a more suitable situation. Placing Ericas in heat Is their 

 ruin ; give them, on the contrary, all the light and air practicable. Train 

 the shoots out by tying them with matting (but not so as to break them), 

 to pegs in the soil.' If the plants are thin of ihoots, pinching our the points 

 of these will cause the production of side-shoots, and if very bare you may 

 cut the plants m, but a portion of young wood must ba left or they may not 

 push from the stamps, A temperature of 55° from fire heat is too warm for 

 P-siargoniums at this season, for unless the plants are far advanced for 

 bloom, the shoots will certainly be drawn and the flower-trusses small. 

 50"^, with air, is quite warm tnongh until the trusses are formed, and 5° 

 more is desirable to bring the plants into bloom. Keeping close to the 

 glass, abundance of air, and no more heat than necessary to maintain the 

 phints in slow yet free growth, are the essentials of forcing; but the less 

 the plants are forced the finer will he the blooms. Your Arum-like plant 

 is Kichardia (Calla) jEthiopica. 



Replanting Standarb Roses {K. C). — You may now take up the Roses 

 that have been planted five years, and replant them after having renewed 

 the soil, and applied a liberal dressing of manure. Defer pruning until 

 the buds begin to swell freely, or a month or sis weeks after planting, and 

 prune rather close. November is the best time for pruning, but ii may 

 be done in spring, especially with, the more tender r-orts. It will cause 

 ihem to bloom later. 



Pruning Htbeih Perpetual Roses (5. TTiHiams).— la pruning these 

 take out the old and weak shoots, and those that cross each other, so as to 

 form a well-shapen head. They require pruning to two eyes if the heads 

 are as large as desired, or if increase ot head be desired, to four eyes. Prune 

 them at once. 



