454 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ December 5, 1878. 
water at the roots, for the old leaves will not show signs of a 
deficiency of water until the soil is very much too dry for healthy 
reot-action, therefore rap the pots; a practised hand will readily 
detect by the sound which plants are needing water. Black 
Prince is still the best very early Strawberry, followed by Vicom- 
tesse Hericart de Thury, La Grosse Sucrée, and Sir Harry, one of 
the very best of forcing Strawberries, and an admirable autumn 
fruiter, but the fruit does not bear carriage well. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove——Plants at rest of a deciduous character—such as Alla- 
mandas, Clerodendrons, Bougainvillea glabra, &c.—will only re- 
quire but little water occasionally to keep the wood from shrivel- 
Img and in the case of evergreens enough water only should be 
given to keep the foliage from becoming limp. Such plants as 
flower at this season will require to have water according to their 
requirements, making the distinction, however, between a plant 
at rest and one in or advancing to the flowering stage. Centro- 
pogons, Aphelandras, Eranthemums, Plumbagos, Thyrsacanthus, 
‘Begonias, Centradenias, Euphorbia jacquinizflora, Pentas, Poin- 
‘settias, Epiphyllums, Conocliniums, Dalechampias, Musseendas, Bur- 
‘chellias, Toxicophleas, &c., must have water as required, assisting 
plants in small pots with liquid manure. Those with other winter- 
flowering plants require to have a moderately moist atmosphere 
and light position, the flowers being poor comparatively when 
grown away from the light,and do not last near so long as 
those near to the glass. A gentle syringing in the morning and 
‘early afternoon will still be necessary in bright weather, being 
content with damping the floors, &c., in dull weather, maintaining 
‘a temperature of 60° at night, 5° less in the morning in severe 
weather, 65° by day from fire heat, or 5° less when the external 
air is cold and dull, with an advance from sun heat of 10° to 15° 
with moderate ventilation. Ixoras should have a temperature at 
least 5° more allround. Lose no opportunity of freeing plants of 
mealy bug and scale. The former is readily destroyed by parafiin, 
-a wineglassful to four gallons of water thoroughly mixed by squirt- 
ing alternately into the can and over the plants. It is also good 
against scale, yet not nearly so efficacious as against bug. Both 
the brown and white scale are destroyed by a wineglassful of 
spirits of turpentine and 8 ozs. of soft soap to halfa gallon of water, 
applying with a brush, syringing well a few hours afterwards 
with pure water, the plants being laid on their sides. Thrips 
often thrive apace at this season; subdue them and aphis by 
fumigation. Caladiums should not be kept dust-dry; but with 
the pots placed upon a moist bottom and occasionally sprinkled 
the corms will keep sound. As a decorative plant none rivals 
C. argyrites, which grown in brisk moist heat is as useful at this 
season as any; C. Belleymeiis also nearly as good. Both may 
be kept going with little or no rest. Both Gloxinias and Achi- 
menes winter safely in a temperature of 45°, the soil being kept 
rather dry, but dust-dryness is pernicious. Eucodonias should 
be kept in the stove moderately dry, Tydzas and Gesneras of the 
Zebrina and Exoniensis sections being kept moist and afforded 
plenty of light. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
“4, 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. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee subjects, 
and should never send more than two or three questions at 
once. All articles intended for insertion should be written on 
one side of the paper only. We cannot reply to questions 
through the post. 
WHITE GRAPE IN GREENHOUSE (Birchdale).—We are unable to recog" 
nise the name of your Grape by the description you haye given, and shall 
be glad to receive a few berries by post. Your soil and position appear well 
suited for Grape-growing, and we are glad to hear of your success. 
IRIS-LEAVED PLANT (J. M. C., Brighton).—It is quite impossible for us 
to determine the name of your “ curious plant,” either by your description 
or the rough sketch enclosed. We think you have done quite right in 
placing a handlight oyer the young plant to protect it from the inclemency 
of the winter. We advise you to prop the handlight up or otherwise 
admit air to the plant during all favourable weather. 
GLOBE ARTICHOKES (Mid Survey).—Although the plants are hardy you 
cannot err by placing some littery refuse round their stems, for we find that 
protected plants often produce heads earlier than do plants that have been 
left exposed. 
WINTER ONIONS (J. B. D.).—We should not ‘transplant them now, but 
thin them out slightly if overcrowded, further thinning them in early 
spring, and transplanting those then removed. 
DIVIDING MAIDEN-HAIR FERN ( H. H.).—Let theplant remain as it is 
until the spring and divide it about March, or when new fronds are com- 
mencing to push freely, and then you will haye more heat to promote the 
speedy re-establishment of the plants. 
PRUNING VINES (A Young Gardener).—As the leaves are all yellow and 
are falling freely, you need not hesitate pruning the Vines at once ; indeed 
“the sooner they are pruned the better if you start them in January. 
TRAINING ESPALIER APPLE TREES (JF. J.)—Your principal aim should 
he to have the lower branches in advance of those above them, shortening 
1 
the extremities accordingly, and pinching ont the tips in summer of any 
shoots that are growing too luxuriantly. If any of the lower branches do 
not grow freely they should be trained in an oblique instead of a horizontal 
position for a year or two. It is advisable to cut off the unripe tips of the 
branches, or blossom buds may form there, and then the after-growth 
would not be free. A length of from 18 to 24 inches is not too great if the 
wood is mature. Take out the leader entirely when you have obtained the 
requisite number of branches. Your light soil cannot well be made too firm, 
but running the hoe carefully through the surface to the depth of an inch 
will not do any harm, and you need not change your present practice. 
PRIMULAS NOT FLOWERING FREELY (£llen).—Your greenhouseis fully 
too cold for them. They require a warmer temperature than Calceolarias 
and Cinerarias. The latter will keep healthy if just safe from frost, but 
Primulas require a temperature of 45° to 50° when showing their flower 
stems. 
PLANTS FOR WINDOW ‘SILLS (Suburban)—No plants are more orna- 
mental for outside window sills during the winter than dwarf Euonymuses, 
Retinosporas, and variegated Ivies, with such berry-bearing shrubs as 
Pernettias, Skimmias, and Aucubas. 
GROS COLMAN GRAPE (Z.S., Berksy—It isa noble Grape and good in 
quality when grown in a high temperature and ripened early. See notes 
on this Grape in another column. 
FISH POND (Gregory).—Puddling with clay the bottom and sides is 
necessary in almost all instances. When the excayation is formed, or 
partially so, the bottom puddle near the outer edge is formed, and upon this 
is raised the upright or side puddle ; and as this proceeds the ordinary clay 
or earth is raised at the same time, by which means the upright puddle is 
retained in its place; and ultimately the sides, being formed in a sloping 
direction, admit of being covered with gravel or sand, and may be walked 
upon, or stakes may be driven to a considerable depth without reaching the 
puddle or in any way injuring it. This can never be the case if the puddle, 
as is sometimes done, be laid upon the sloping side of the pond. The sides 
may slope rapidly, or the reverse. If the slope be considerable, sand or 
gravel, to give a clean appearance, will be more likely to be retained upon 
the facing ; plants can be more easily fixed and cultivated; gold fish, also, 
find in these shallow gravelly parts under the leaves of the plants suitable 
places to deposit their spawn, and without this they are seldom found to 
breed. 
BRIAR Stocks (IW. Tipton, E. Thody, and Others)—You can adopt no 
better course than to advertise them, as good stocks are scarce in many 
localities. 
NrEw Roses (7. &. VW. R., Kilkenny)—The following varieties of recent 
introduction are worthy of being added to your collection :—Boieldieu, 
cherry red; Dr. Hogg, claret; Lord Beaconsfield, rosy crimson; Dean of 
Windsor, vermilion ; Emily Laxton, cherry rose ; Hero of Waltham, purplish 
crimson ; John Bright, vivid crimson ; Marchioness of Exeter, rich rose ; 
Marquis of Salisbury, reddish crimson; May Quennell, magenta carmine; 
Mrs. Laxton, rosy crimson; Penelope Mayo, carmine; Richard Laxton, 
reddish crimson; Rosy Morn, rosy salmon; Waltham Cross, deep rose $ 
Comtesse de Serenye, satiny rose; Duchesse de Vallombrosa, satiny rose 5 
Duke of Connaught, velvety crimson; Magna Charta, rosy crimson; Queen 
of Bedders, crimson ; Marquise Adéle de Murinais, rose ; Marie Louise Pernet, 
bright rose; Mons. Gabriel Tournier, deep rose; Madame Sophie Fropot, 
bright rose. Zeas—Comtesse Riza du Park, coppery rose; Souvenir de 
Georges Sand, salmon rose; and Mrs. Opie, rosy salmon. The fine new 
Hybrid Perpetual Rose Countess of Rosebery, reddish salmon, and Duchess 
of Bedford, velvety crimson (W. Paul & Son); and Dr. Sewell, maroon 
crimson; and Harrison Weir, crimson scarlet (Turner), will be obtainable 
early in 1879. They are varieties of undoubted merit. 
SEEDS FOR CYPRUS (Rev. M. H.).—Any that are suitable for the climate 
of England are worth trying in the island of Cyprus. 
MICE EATING BUUBS (RA. 7.).—Wet the bulbs and then roll them in red 
lead. 
PLANTING SHALLOTS (Amateur)—Plant the offsets at once if the soil 
lies dry. If planted in beds, let them be 3} feet wide; and 3 or 4 inches 
higher than the alleys, and the surface of the bed a little arched. Set out 
the rows 9 inches apart from row to row; spread a mixture of soot and 
charred refuse along the line about to be planied, and then plant the offsets 
singly with the hand upon the surface of the bed 6 inches apart in the rows 
just pressing each bulb down firm in the soil. See occasionally that they 
are not cast out of their places by worms or other vermin. 
PRUNING VINES (Z. S., Ziverpool)—Pruning on the spur system consists 
in carrying up one leading shoot to the back of the house, establishing 
thereon what are termed spurs, or what might, perhaps, be more properly 
termed snags, from the front to the back, as nearly as possible, at measured 
distances, and as far as may be placed alternately up the stem. About one 
to every foot is sufficient ; perhaps better than more. These spurs are first 
developed as side shoots ; and in order to insure their due and full deyelop- 
ment they are produced during about three seasons. There are those who 
will run a cane up to the back of the house, and fruit it the whole length 
the next year; but this is not substantial practice. A good cane nearly the 
length of the roof, and about three-quarters of an inch diameter, may be 
pruned to one-third the rafter length the first year, another third the second, 
and the remainder the third year. By this plan, supposing the rafter 15 feet 
long, there will be about five large bunches the first year, ten the second, 
and fifteen or more the third ; and this will be found to tax the powers of 
the Vine heavily, perhaps too much. By this mode every side shoot will be 
strongly developed, and consequently a selection may be readily made. 
The subsequent pruning simply consists in cutting each of these back 
annually to the last eye at the base of the young side shoot, although some 
leave another eye. 
PLANTING HYACINTHS (Lady B.)—Plant the bulbs immediately the soil 
is dry enough to be worked freely. To prevent treading upon the bed lay 
upon it a narrow piece of board long enough to reach across it, or have the 
board strong enough to bear the planter’s weight, and raise it up at each 
end high enough to clear the bed; plant them with a dibber thick enough 
to make a hole as wide as the largest Hyacinth is in diameter, and the end 
that is thrust into the soil should be cut across, and a mark made just as far 
from the bottom as the bulbs should be covered with soil; the proper depth 
is 3inches from the top of the bulb. Each Hyacinth should have at least 
5 inches square of surface to grow in, but 6 inches would not be too much 
space for the leaves to expand, especially if the same bulbs are to be planted 
es 
