May 23, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICTTLTtTEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



405 



SowrNo Hf.ebackous Calceolaria Sked (irfem).— The hppinnin? of 

 Au^^ustla a pood time for sowing it ; and in a shady place, under a. be!I-(;]ai=s 

 or hand-light oat of doors, the best place. 



Seedling P^nstes (IT. S. D.)>— Good border flowers, but not superior 

 or novel. 



PvRAOANTBA NOT Flowkuimg (A Suhscribsr of Son) » J>«r.5).— The pro- 

 bable cause of the tree not flowering is too severe pruning, and the well- 

 ripened shoots being cut off. To bloom freelj" it does not require very c1'>8e 

 pruning, and it, like every other flowering tree, produces fruit or berries at the 

 upper part. To make it produce fruit or berries at the lower part, which 

 is up-hill work, you may train in some youn<r shoots, and these will flower 

 in a year or two if not too much shaded by tlie neighbouring branches. We 

 liave it against a wall, which it covers completely, and as bu?hes on rnck- 

 work, the tree in the former case being close-pruned in order to cover the 

 wall with green, and it does not bloom much and produces few berries ; but 

 tiiat on the rockwork is seldom pruned, and it flowers and fruits abundantly. 

 If you were to thin out or train the branches so that air and light mii^ht be 

 admitted freely to the wood, and never allow the shoots to become crowded, 

 but stop in August those which grow too rampant, perhaps buds would he 

 formed, and the tree bloom, and produce \t=^ berries freely. We have little 

 hope, however, of your makinc it produce berries at the lower part so woll 

 as at the upper part under any circumstances. Perhaps it would have 

 flowered more profusely had it no'; been pruned. 



Destroying Insects fJrfi-HO.—Lanrel leaves will destroy green and brown 

 aphis, thrips, red spider, and mealy bug. The way we use them is to bruise 

 them with a mallet, and spread them on the floor or under the plants on 

 stages in the evening, shutting up the house. The leaves are removed in 

 the morning and the plants syringed. One bushel of bruised leaves is the 

 Quantity required for a four-light pit. Unless Laurel leaves are plentiful 

 fumigation with tobacco is a cheaper, safer, and more certain means of 

 destroying aphis and thrips. We have found that a handful of bruised 

 Liurel leaves put in a c^n of water overnight, make a wash which few 

 insects lik'', if the water is syringed over the plants in the following after- 

 noon. We have alyo used them for fumigatinjr, first bruising, and then 

 placing them on hot cinders or charcoal in a flower-pot, and using a pair of 

 bellows to make them burn. The bouse is filled with smoke, and the plant<t 

 syringed in the morning. Laurel water, and the leaves both bruised and 

 burnt, are destrnctive to insects, but care is required, otlierwise the leaves 



— »....., ^, y^ 111,., 11 1.11,1/1 . ^.. lu iiioiiL.io, uuu i^uLi; ii3 lEijuiii^u, uuiiiTi HI&C LUC icm tJS . . ■ . " . , , 



of the plants may be seriously injured. Perhaps the most cleanly and "Pemng mto fmit-buds 



French Asparagus. — " I am at a loss to know what: point Mr. Watson 

 wishes to prove In sending ynu ten heaisof Asparagu-i 1,'rown by L'Herault, 

 of Argenteuil. I ptated mojt distinctly that ray rem:iik>* applied to Aspara- 

 gus grown on the Frencli system hi Englnnd, and tha'. I nevei doubted Mr. 

 Watyon's statement as to the Asparagus of L'Serau t. I admit L'Herault 

 does grow very flue Asparagus, it be'.ng a question for diffyrent palates to 

 decide whether they prefer the dclicite or the full-flavoured. Bevond 

 proving that L'tlurault is a successful Asparagus grower, and verifying 

 Mr. Wataon'B account of it, the ten heads sent yon go no way to prove my 

 statement wrong. To do tliia it is necessary to grow Asparagus on the 

 system of L'HcTuuUin England, which if it be at all like that I have grown 

 on the tame system, commonly known as the French, and like what I have 

 eaten of the growth of others, will be us 'tasteless and as t^iugh as the 

 root of an Elm tree' for fully two-thirds of its length. Mr. Watson being 

 about to produce some of this esteemed vegetable on the system of L'lTerault 

 will be better able to tell us what it is like. It is not a question as to whether 

 Asparigas grown on a certain plan in Franco is ' dellciously tender/ but 

 whether it will be 8o gro^vn ou the same system in England, where the 

 Aspar.igus is of full flavour, and nearly all, if not quite all, eatable if cut, 

 as it ought to be, never below the surface.— George Abbe?." 



Cdtiatk's Vinery {Cast Iro7ii.~Any one may con-itruct this in the forms 

 mentioned in Mr. Rivers's "Miniature Fruit Garden," and in our columns. 

 Those forma are not protected by any patent. We do not recollect the 

 reference to the patented heated process. 



Gloire df. Duos Rose Leaves Blotcrku (M. ^.).— The leaves sent 

 were severely blolched. and this we ascribe to the excessive mulching with 

 sheep's dung. The late heavy rains having washed the fertilising matter 

 into the soil the roots have taken it up in excess, the leaves have become 

 gorged, and mildew has been the result. Syringe the tree ireely in the 

 evenings of hot days, and keep well watered at tli^^ root, but avoid 

 mulching with very rich and fresh manure, and beware of applying manure 

 ■water in too powerful doses. Lessen the mulching ot sheep's-dung, or, 

 better, remove it. 



Stopping Shoots of Orchard-house Trees {0. iV. J., Sussex). — The 

 fifth leaf is time enough to top or pinch out the terminal bud of Peaches and 

 Nectarines in pots, and the same plan may he followed with Apples and 

 Pears, though It is as well to let them grow a joint or two more, as topping 

 too early causes the latent buds below to break into shoots, instead of 



effective of incect-destroycrs is quassia water, made by boiling 4 ozs. of 

 quassia chips in a gallon of sofl water for ten minutes, and adding to it 

 whilst hot 4ozs. of soft soap. This, applied with a brush, will kill all the 

 aphis family, and when syringed on the plants it kills all it touches; for 



Vine Leaves (F. O. ^.).— There is no disease on the Vine leaves, except 

 the least trace of rust fungus from extra feeding, and a hot, moist, still 

 atmosphere. The holes and blotches in our opinion are produced by the 

 sun shining on the leaves when damp, and surrounded by a high moist tem- 



syringing with there should only be 2 ozs. of soft soap to the gallon of j perature. Early air-giving is the only remedy. 100° is rather toD much 



water._ Planting Potatoes in an orchard-house would not cause the trees 

 to be infested with caterpillars, which, we presume, are what you mean 

 by worms. 



Makuee on Vine-boeoehs— Applying i\Ianure WATER.(Om7"fro7i).— The 

 manure placed on the border in autumn should be removed at once. The 

 only good it can do is to prsvent evaporation from the surface, and keep the 

 soil more uniformly moist. On the other hand it prevents the sun from 

 heating the border, and the air from entering the soil. Remove it entirely 

 and point the soil over a few inches deep, but not so deeply as to injure the 

 roots. Liquid manure may be given with advantage during the growth of 

 the Vines— that is, when the Grapes are well set, and once or twice a-week 

 according to the weather. If the Vines are in an inside border it may be 

 given twice a-week, but never, whether the border be inside or outside, 

 nntil there is a necessity for it, which the condition of the border alone can 

 enable you to determine. It would be better applied at a temperature higher 

 than that of the soil. There is everything to fear from applying it too 

 strong; it should, therefore, he applied weak, and not after the Grapes 

 change colour. Unless you have some experience in its application you 

 TTould consult your own interests by leaving manure water alone— at 

 least give but few applications, as, for instance, give a good watering with 

 liquid manure diluted with sis times its volume of water the first dry 



weather after the Grapes set, and again when they arc advanced for colour- other Jnonths by raising the linings against the walls. If you objected to 

 ing. _^You will^thus help them at the first and second swelling, and that will this mound in winter, you would need to make the linings fully 3 feet in 



with so much air. With plenty of sun we like it ti do the heating during 

 the day ; but 100° is rather too much, and intimates that you keep the fire 

 too large. 



Pine Culture (P(«es).— There will be no difHouUy in growing Pines 

 planted out in a pit 24 feet by G feet, heated by dung and leaves only, since 

 you can obtain plentv of those materials, and also plenty of labour. Such 

 a pit should be from 7 feet in height at back, and from .5 feet in height at 

 front, to a foot or two more, according as you may deem necessary. The 

 whole might be above ground with a bank of fermejitiug material all round 

 to give both bottom and top heat, the bottom of the bed being either an 

 open chamber, or a bed formed of rough flues by cUnko»-s, brickbats, stones, 

 &c. The bed, however, would be more easily man>iged if about the half 

 of the depth were under the ground level. Whether you had an open 

 chamber, or a chamber of flues by clinkers, you would need about half of 

 the above depth for stiff" plants, and more if very large ones. The most 

 economical mode would be to build with single brick on bed, with nine- 

 inch piers every 3 or 4 feet, and to make the lower part of the wall, back 

 and front, pigeon-holed. The linings should be at legist 2^ or 3 feet in 

 width, and 3 feet at least in depth— that is, the curb should''be from 6 to 

 12 inches above the ground level. This would secure you heat enough, 

 during the summer months, and you could obtain tup heat enough in the 



usually be suflScient for ordinary outside borders. When the borders are 

 very narrow and very full of roots, more frequent applications may be 

 given, and then it is necessary to dilute the liq'uid more than when given 

 less frequently, and where the soil is less fully occupied with roots. We 

 caution you against using liquid manure too ofcen and too strong, judgment 

 must tell when to give it, and care is needful not to give it too strong. 



MRSEMBRTANTHEMU^r CoMPoST (E. A. C, of C.),— The main point is to 

 provide perfect drainage, either by placing stones or pieces of pots under 

 the beds, and to raise the beds above the surrounding level. They do well 

 in_a compost formed of turves cut 3 inches thick from a pasture where the 

 soil is light and sandy, and laid in a heap for twelve months, turned over 

 twice, and chopped pretty fine. To three-fourths of this material add one- 

 fourth sharp sand, and if the loam is deficientin vegetable matter one-iourth 

 more of well-rotted leaf mould. Mesembryauthemums should have a sunny 

 situation, and though capable of enduring drought better than thp majority 

 of plants, a copious watering during dry Tether will be of service. Pro- 

 bably your climate U not sufficiently warm for the species that do not bloom. 

 Perhaps if you were to pot and grow them in a greenhouse thev M'ould 

 flower, planting them out in the summer only, or in Mav, and taking up 

 early in October. 



Ophtrie Rose on Manettt Stock (J. Caldu-eU). —This is a free-growing 

 and good Rose but rather tender, and should have slight protection in 

 winter. As it does not succeed with you, the soil in which it is planted is 

 probably too highly manured, so that the roots have not taken free hold of 

 the soil. From some cause or other it is quite certain that the plant is not 

 healthy, and that we should attribute to the repeated applications of manure 

 water. Discontinue these until the plant grows more freely, and water 

 during dry weather with water only, syringing the head frequently in the 

 evening of hot days. Remove the mulching or point it in, and keep the 

 surface about the plant frequently stirred, but not so deep as to disturb the 

 roots. If the plant grow no better this summer take it ud in autumn, but 

 do not cut-in the roots much, merely cut-in a httle the' points of those 

 ■which are long and straggling. Plant in rather strong turfy loam, and place 

 a few inches of Utter on the surface around the plant as far as the roots 



width, and make a flue ba<?k and front— say 2 inches wide — with slates, or 

 tiles, to receive heat from the chamber beneath, so as to obtain a sutficiently 

 high atmospheric temperature without giving too much bottom heat. By 

 this means too, all steam from the linings would be completely under con- 

 trol, and such a pit may be nnnaged with much neatness by means of 

 boards to cover the linings. Wuere fermenting material was sc;jrce, such 

 a bed might be heated by the fermenting material beiig placed in a cham- 

 ber by means of close-fitting double doors at back and front. The linings 

 will answer the purpose very well wliere tliere is plenty of material. It 

 should never, however, be forgotten, that one load of fermenting material 

 shut in directly below the pUnts will do more than five times the quantity 

 placed as a lining round the bed, as the most of thi; lining goes to the benefit 

 of the outside atmosphere, unless the lining is itself covered-in. With 

 abundance of material and labour, dung and leaves may do whatever hot 

 water, or flues, or stoves can do. The chief advantage of your pigeoa- 

 hdles below will be, that the moisture and enriching gases from the linings 

 will pass beneath the bed, and if the bottom is a little open, the roots will 

 receive the benefit. The great point is tn secure enough of top heat with- 

 out too much bottom heat, and lo be able to regulate the dryness or moisture 

 of the top heat at will, a nine-inch wall would be substantial. We shall 

 publish *' A Manual of Pine-culture," in a short time. 



Delphinium chinense (P. P.l.— " Will spedlings of the above (2 inches 

 h^gh, in second leaf, and transplanted this day. May 10th), bloom this year, 

 that is in August nest? " The plants wi;l be hardly strong enough, hut 

 will bloom in autumn if well watered. 



Setting a Boiler (HnMale) .—There is no definite rule for the depth of 

 a boiler, but if you are safe from water in the stokehole, the boiler will act 

 better if some 2 feet at least below the flow-pipe in the house. Much lees 

 will do if the water should trouble you. For a length of 50 feet the flow- 

 pipe should rise to the extreme end from 6 inches to 1 foot, and have an 

 air-pipe there. We have, however, had them on the level, and doing well, 

 but we favour a slight rise. 



Regesebation of Society (G. CaWJoWO-— Dividing our farms into 

 four-acre allotments will not regenerate society. Fergus O'Connor thought 



extend, fatrong applications of manure water are very injurious to a sickly | it would, but he would tell you he was mistaken if he could speak from hia 

 P'^°^* i grave in Kensal Green Cemetery. 



