396 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND -COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 21, 1878. 
Francis & Arthur Dickson & Sons, The Upton Nurseries, Ches- 
ter.— Catalogues of Select Fruit, Forest, and Ornamental Trees. 
Robert Cragg, Rose Nurseries, Car Colston, Notts.—Descriptive 
Catalogue of Roses, Pansies, Fuchsias, §c, 
Lawson Seed & Nursery Company, Edinburgh.—Catalogue of 
Trees and Shrubs. 
H. & F. Sharpe, Wisbeach.—List of Seed Potatoes. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*,* All correspondence should be directed either to “The Editors” 
or to “The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Mr. Johnson or 
Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoidably. We request 
that no one will write privately to any of our correspondents, 
as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
AERATING FLOWER Por (Z£. H. Clark).—We are informed this proves 
successful. Opinions from gardeners should be obtained, and if favourable 
advertised. 
PRIMULA SINENSIS (W. dfinshull, Dingle) —The specimen you sent is one 
of those curious sports that are met with in the Primrose. It is frequent in 
the common Polyanithus, and is distinguished by the old name of “ Jacka- 
napes on Horseback.” It is not at all common in the Chinese Primrose. 
STOCKS FOR APPLES (&. D.).—Both the English and French Paradise 
stocks are employed. The latter is the dwarfer and most generally adopted, 
but both induce early fruitfulness, 
USE OF LATIN (Lincolnshire Vicay).—Al knowledge is useful, but we do 
not consider that the boy destined to bea gardener need know Latin “ gram- 
matically and thoroughly.’ The Latin dictionary and the “Cottage Gar- 
deners Dictionary ” would suffice. 
CINERARIAS GRUB-EATEN (F. E. P.).—If the plants have not pushed 
up flow er stalks you may yet save them and turn them to account by 
shaking all the soil off the roots and repotting in fresh sound soil, and when 
well established in it give weak liquid manure regularly. 
MARECHAL NIEL ROSE (Hebe).—Keep your Maréchal Niel in the green- 
house from the present time, and as it is somewhat weakly clear sheep-dung 
water would do it much good. You can scarcely expect good flowers by 
aster from such a plant. The side shoots of a Cabbage stalk that had borne 
a good heart would yield good seed. There was no seed in your letter. 
TUBEROUS-ROOTED BEGONIAS (Sussex).—Tuberous-rooted Begonias will 
not only answer in a hot sunny aspect under a wall, but may be planted out 
m June in any of your flower beds just like ordinary bedding plants. They 
require a light, rich, sandy soil, and are worthy of it, forming as they do 
most charming masses of foliage and blossom. It is not advisable to leave 
the tubers out during the winter. 
_YUCCAS NOT THRIVING (idem).—There is something wrong with the 
oil. Take up the sickly plant and replant in a’ well-drained station of deep 
Tich soil. Yuccas answer admirably in Sussex, small plants growing quickly 
to a large size and becoming very ornamental. 3 
POLYANTHUSES (William Hand).—If£ you write to Mr. Charles Turner of 
pleues he will, no doubt, be able to supply you with plants of show Poly- 
LAYERING MAGNOLIA GRANDIFLORA (JV. C.).—The shoots may be pegged 
firmly in the soil now, but two years will probably elapse before they are 
rooted sufficiently for removal. 
PLANTING TULIPS (John Leland).—The present is a good time for i 
i 5 planting 
the bulbs. They require deep, rich, well-pulverised soil, and a dry subsoil. 
‘They should be planted about 5 inches apart in rows 9 inches asunder, and 
be covered 2 inches deep with fine soul. 
PLANTING RASPBERRIES (H. F. C.).—We plant three canes to form each 
stool, as the plantation is rendered more certain and is in profit sooner than 
when one cane only is planted. There should be no trouble by suckers. 
Good gardeners thin out superfluous growths so as insure the proper number 
of strong well-matured canes for fruiting. 
BONES FOR VINE BORDER (Jacko)—We do not a i 
g INE - : pprove of burying the 
flesh of animals in Vine borders. Boiled bones by being more rapid in their 
action. we consider preferable to fresh bones, although the latter may be 
more lasting, the fat which the bones contain retarding the decomposition 
of the gelatine. 
_ SEEDS FROM TASMANIA (Z. R. P.)—All the seeds you name may be sown 
in March ina slightly heated frame or greenhouse, the soil to be kept con- 
stantly moist and partially shaded until the seedlings appear. They must 
then have abundance of light and sufficient airto keep them sturdy, potting 
the plants singly when they are large enough to be handled, keeping them 
close until established, then gradually inure them to light and air, of which 
they cannot haye too much during the summer. 
PRUNING VINES (EZ. G.).—You may prune your Vines at once, and as 
they haye been so much infested with thrips wash the rods thoroughly with 
a strong solution of Gishurst or soft soap, a strength of 6 to 8 ozs. of soap 
toa gallon of water will not be too much. Then turn the Vines outside, 
protecting them with hay only during seyere weather. A few degrees of 
frost will not injure them. The woodwork of the house should also be 
thoroughly washed with strong soapy watcr, and the glass with clear water 
previously to filling it with plants, the walls also being cleansed and lime- 
Washed if that is suitable. A few days of labour devoted to that work will 
be well and profitably applied ; indeed if you do not cleanse the house com- 
pletely now you will next year haye the same trouble with thrips that you 
have recently experienced, and the insects if not checked will ruin your 
Vines. The temperature you name is suitable for the plants, but would be 
too high for the Vines, therefore turn them out as you propose. 
SHADING A CONSERVATORY (Z. E. C.).—The mixture termed “summer 
cloud,” introduced last summer by Mr. H. Elliott, seedsman, Braywick, 
Maidenhead, Berks, is an admirable substitute for the old-fashioned blinds. 
It is applied to the glass in the form of paint, costing about a penny asquare 
yard. It can be had either of a grey or green colour, and is easily removed 
in autumn. ? 
; CYCLAMENS NOT PRODUCING LEAVES (Jdem).—Thi= denotes debility 
induced either by an undue amount of forcing during the seasos of growh, 
or a system of starvation in summer. They do not like hard forcing, nor is 
it required, the temperature of an intermediate house of 50° being ample, 
and liquid manure should always be given throughout the flowering period. 
Both flowers and leaves will decay at the base if water is poured on the top 
of the corm. Let, therefore, the top of the corm be always raised slightly 
above the surface of the soil, and take care not to wet it. Old corms often 
fail to produce good foliage. 
VINES INFESTED WITH MEALY Buc (W. M.).—Prnne the Vines as early 
as possible, remove all loose bark from the stem, and well scrub the rods with 
a strong decoction of Gishurst compound, 8 ozs. to a gallon of water, taking 
especial care to. work it well into every opening in the bark; also have all 
the interior woodwork scrubbed with hot soapsuds, and the brickwork 
whitewashed with fresh slacked lime. 
TOBACCO LEAVES FOR FUMIGATING (Jdem).—Tie the full-grown leaves 
in small bunches and suspend them to dry in any available shed—a stokery 
should be used at this late period of the year. After they become quite dry 
suspend them in any shed having no fire and they will soon become limp, 
and should be laid closely together in a heap to induce a slight fermentation, 
and as soon as this takes place shake them ont loosely, let them remain so 
for a day, and then put them close together in a box or drawer till required 
for use. Mushrooms can be grown throughout the winter in a brick pit 
without fire heat provided you exclude frost. The “Garden Manual,” 1s. 9d. 
post free, contains instructions for growing Mushrooms. 
MULBERRY CASTING FRUIT (A. B.).—This ‘chiefly arises from dryness 
at the roots, the soil being dry and shallow. In that case a few good water- 
ings during drought in summer would probably be effectual ; but the fruit 
also drops before it is ripe in soils that are heayy and wet. The cure in that 
case is improved drainage. 
CAPE CHERRY TREATMENT (Jdem).—The seeds you have received under 
that name are possibly the Cape Gooseberry (Physalis edulis). The seeds 
may be sown in March in light rich soil in pots, placing in a hotbed, potted 
off when large enough to handle, and when well established removing to a 
greenhouse, shifting into larger pots as required. The shoots may be tied to 
a trellis or other support, or be planted out in a border in the house where it 
can have plenty of light and air, and being duly supplied with water it will 
fruit freely in antumn and winter. Light loam with a little leaf soil or 
well-rotted manure wiil grow it well. Or if they are the Winter Cherry 
(Physalis Alkekengi), the plants may when hardened be planted in the open 
air in June. 
PRESERVING BULBS FROM MICE (/dem).—We have had no experience 
of coating bulbs with linseed oil and red lead, but we know that Peas thus 
dressed are rendered tolerably safe from mice. A good covering of sharp 
coal ashes will often preserve bulbs from mice. The real remedy, however, 
is to trap the vermin. 
LIQUID MANURE FOR VINE BORDER (S. S.).—The Vines being weak give 
the border a good watering when the Vines are being started into growth, 
using guano water at a temperature of 90°, 1 tb. of guano to twenty gallons 
of water. Nine gallons per square yard will equal a rainfall of 2 inches ; but 
half that quantity will be sufficient to apply to outside borders so early in 
the season, covering the surface with dry litter after the watering so as to 
retain the heat. When the Grapes are set and fairly growing another 
good watering should be given the border, and again when they show indi- 
cations of ripening, using the liquid manure in a tepid state, yet not ex- 
ceeding 90°, and in double quantity to the first watering, or nine gallons per 
square yard. No injury will be done provided the drainage is good. Allow 
as much foliage on the Vines as can be fully exposed to light. 
SHRUBS FOR BEDS (Birkenhead)—Your idea of having shrubs as per- 
manent centres and edgings to beds is, though not new, good, but your beds 
are rather small for shrubs to remain permanently, though with cutting 
they would endure along time. For centres Gold and Silver Hcllies, Aucuba 
japonica limbata, Osmanthus ilicifolius argenteo-marginatus, Taxus baccata 
aurea and elegantissima ; whilst for margins the silvery Euonymus radicans 
variegata, Buxus sempervirens aurea nova, Hedera arborea elegantissima, 
H. arborea aurea, and Erica carnea are suitable, and can be kept of a mode- 
rate size for a lengthened period. 
VINES FOR EARLY AND LATE HOUSES (C. J., Yor).—For early house— 
two Black Hamburghs, one Mill Hill Hamburgh, one Foster's Seedling, one 
Buckland Sweetwater, and one White Frontignan. Late house—two of 
Muscat of Alexandria, one Alicante, one Mrs. Pince, and four of Lady 
Downe’s. 
CLIMBERS FOR LOW GREENHOUSE (Jdem).—Rhynchospermum jasmin- 
oides, Kennedya inophylla floribunda, Lapageria rosea, Jasminum gracile, 
Hoya carnosa, and Sollya linearis. 
MARECHAL NIEL ROSE IN GREENHOUSE (Rose).—It wiil succeed trained 
beneath your greenhouse roof, but will not do so well as where itis not shaded 
by the tree. The border should be 2 feet deep and well drained, but as the 
soil is gravel drainage may not be necessary. Turfy loam rather strong 
with a fourth of decayed manure form a suitable compost. It the Rose tree 
has been grown in a pot the shoots will require little if any praning, and 
will produce blooms next summer; butif it has been dug up from the 
nursery it will be advisable to shorten the shoots considerably, so as to induce 
a free growth and lay a good foundation for a permanent plant. In the 
latter case you cannot expect many blooms the first year. 
BRIARS FOR BUDvING.—Seyvyeral correspondents wish to be informed 
where they can obtain these. 
POINSETTIA (A. B. G.).—It belongs to the natural order Euphorbiaceze. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS UNSATISFACTORY (A. 7.).—The cause of the blooms 
being small is not the result of any error in temperature, but arises either 
from the growth not having been well matured or from poverty of soil. If 
you grow the plants well during the summer, select good varieties and dis- 
bud in good time. You will have satisfactory incuryed flowers with the ~ ; 
conveniences at your disposal. 
TREES FOR ORNAMENT (Cartown).— You will find no trees answer so wel 
upon limestone as Beech, both the green and purple-leaved thriving wellin — 
exposed situations. Limes are fine avenue trees, particularly so the red- 
twigged. Elms, both the English and Huntingdon, are suitable ; and Horse 
Chestnuts are noble trees, the scarlet-flowered and variegated being especi- 
ally beautiful. Sycamores succeed admirably in exposed situations, the 
variegated and purple-leaved being very fine. The scarlet Maples—viz., 
Acer colchicum rubrum and A. virginiannm (rubrum) are not so extensively 
planted as they deserve. The Occidental Plane has noble foliage; and the 
