September 14, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



245 



Messrs. Daniel Bros., The Royal Norfolk Seed Establishment, 

 Norwich. — Illustrated Catalogue of Dutch Flower Boots. 



HOBTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige ua by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Ipswich. September 17th. Sec , Mr. W. B. Jeffries, Henley Road, Ipswich. 

 Northampton (Chrysanthemums). November 14th and 15th. Mr. W. 



Gutteridee, 51, Denmark Road, Northampton, See. 

 Loughborough (Chrysanthemums and Fruit). November 21sfe. Mr. John 



"West, Chapman Street, Loughborough, See. 



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 unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and Bhould 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. 



Ornamental Grass (G. Diss]. — Your specimen is Sfcipa pennata, Feather 

 Grass. It is a perennial, native of Great Britain. 



Dwarf Kidney Bean (IF. H. 0.). — It seems to be similar to the Dwarf 

 "White Dutch. Its pale colour is not a recommendation, for bright green is 

 desired by cooks. 



Seedling Begonias (J. P.). — Theflowers sent, which have been produced 

 by plants raised from seed sown in February, are large in size aDd good in 

 colour. If the plants possess good habits and are floriferous, the varieties 

 are worthy of preservation and increase. 



Lobelias tor Early Flowering (5. J.).— Sow the seed at once in light 

 soil, keeping moist, and place in a close frame. If you water the soil previous 

 to sowing the seed, and cover with a Bquare of glass, and heep dark for a week 

 or until the seed germinates, you will not have occasion to cover the seed with 

 soil or sand. The seedlings may remain in the pot or box throughout the 

 winter, pricking them off early in spriog. The plants will be some weeks 

 earlier than plants from seed sown in spring. 



Rose Seed and Cuttings (J. Turtle). — "We do not know of any seedsman 

 or flonet who sells them. You muBt apply to your amateur friends. In pro- 

 pagating by seed Mr. Macintosh says — " The seed vessels shoold be left on 

 the trees until they are perfectly ripened, at which time the skin of the hip 

 or vessel becomes almost black. They should then be placed in small pots 

 embedded in sand, and each sort kept separate, and buried underground till 

 spring. About the beginning of February is a good time to prepare for 

 sowing; at which time the seed pods should be taken out of the pots and 

 rubbed between the hands until the seed becames separated from the pulp 

 and skin. Tbey should then be sown in pots or pans, in light loamy soil, 

 and, when watered, covered to the depth of half an inch with the same com- 

 post mixed with a little sand. They ma.y then be placed in a cool pit or 

 frame, or pluDged at the bottom of a wall, and kept in a uniform state of 

 moitture. The plants will appear during summer, and be fit for transplant- 

 ing the following spring. Many of the seeds will not vegetate the firBt year, 

 therefore those which remain dormant should be picked out when the young 

 plants are removed and resown, when they will, for the moBt part, vegetate 

 during the following Beason. Some of the autumnal varieties will flower the 

 first year, but none of the summer sortB will do so till the second, third, or 

 fourth j ear. The young plants require Bhading during hot sunshine, and a 

 regular supply of water, as they are liable to suffer from an excess of the one 

 or a deficiency of the other. As soon as the seedlings have formed their 

 second leaves they are fit for transplanting; their removal, however, must 

 take place with a due amount of care,leBt the seeds juBt germinating be in- 

 jured by the operation." 



New Begonias —Meaara. E. & J. Perkins inform us that first certificates 

 were awarded for Excellent and Majesticum by the Royal Horticultural Sooiety. 

 These fiue plants and varieties were noticed in our report of the meeting. 



Dahlia Earl of Beacon sfield was exhibited by Mr. G. Rawlings, Romford, 

 and not by Mr. Turner, as inadvertently stated in our report of the Floral 

 Committee's meeting. It had a first-class certificate awarded. 



Vines not Growing (Ted).— It is probably because the roots were not 

 disentangled when they were planted. We advise you to disentangle the 

 roots, plant afresh, and treat the Vines according to instructions given in 

 this Journal. Paraffin or boiled oil, either of them applied with a Bmall 

 brush, will destroy American blight. 



Strawberries for Sandy Soil (Weston). — It is unsuitable for Straw- 

 b3rries, and good fruit can only be obtained on it by careful watering and 

 surface-mulching. VicomteBse Hericart de Thury, My art's Eliza, President, 

 Sir Charles Napier, Sir Joseph Paxton, and Dr. Hogg are as suitable as any. 



Irish Peach Apple (Dorset). — This is one of the most valuable of early 

 dessert Apples, ripening in August. You should certainly add it to your 

 collection. Sea "Wiltshire Rector's" estimate of this Apple in another 

 column. 



Perennial Asters (Wimbledon). — You can obtain plants from nursery" 

 men and florists who deal in hardy flowers. Notes on their cultivation and 

 a list of sorts are in N j. 778, the issue of February 24th of the present year. 



Various (J. Rhodes). — We Bhould remove the surface soil and add fresh to 

 the bronze Pelargoniums, and repot them when commencing fresh growth 

 in the spring. Snowflake is a kidney Potato, but aDy tuberB which are per- 

 fectly round would not, we tbink, be disqualified in the round classeB. Red 

 spider may be prevented by regularly syringing your Cucumbers next year. 

 The Victoria and Quilled Abters are Buitable for exhibition. 



Heating a Small Greenhouse (S. S.).— You do not state the Bize, con- 

 struction, or any particulars as to site of your greenhouse. You will fiod 

 what you require by consulting our advertising columns, selecting either a 

 stove or hot-water apparatus as is moet suitable to your requirements and 

 circumstances. 



Large Grapes (Amateur).— The largest black Grape is Gros Column, but 

 it requires heat to produce it of good flavour; and the largest white Grape is 

 Duke of Bucleuch, a very siveet and juicy variety, ripening within the same 

 house as the Black Hamburgh. Several cultivators, however, have failed to 

 produce good crops of " the Duke," while others have succeeded well in grow- 

 ing it. We should be glad to have information from those who have grown 

 this variety. 



Hyacinths for Exhibition (West London)— Some of the finest varieties 

 are the following : — Whites: La Grandesse, L'Lnnocence, Mont Blanc, Paix 

 de TEurope, Alba maxima, and Madame Van der Hoop. Blues ; King of 

 the Blues, Argus, Baron Van Tnyll, Czar Peter, General Havelock, and 

 Princess Mary of Cambridge. Bed* : Garibaldi, Vurbaak, Prince Albert 

 Victor, Lord Macaulay, General Pellisaier, and Von Schiller. Yellows: Obe- 

 lesque and Bird of Paradise. 



Tulips for Exhibition {Idem).— Chrysolom, Proserpine, Vermillion 

 Brilliant, White Pottebakker, Keyserakroon, Jooat Van Vondel, Queen of 

 Violets, and Roi Pepin. 



Fruit Trees Luxuriant (T. S., Bradford).— Yon may cut out at once all 

 exuberant and orowded growths, not leaving them until the winter pruning. 

 Possibly your trees may require root-pruniog for outtiDg-back luxuriant shoots 

 severely and leaving the roots unchecked, is only preparing for similar and 

 possibly still stronger wood being produced next season. 



Peaches Inbipid (Beader).— It is not the characteristic of Peaches grown 

 in pots and in the full sunshine under glass to he of inferior flavour, and 

 15 to 18-inch pots are quite large enough for the trees. We generally have 

 them of superior flavour, but this season the7 are not so good as usual, but 

 they are certainly aB good as they are grown on the open walls or in Peach 

 cases. We believe the feeding with manure water, and, perhaps, giving the 

 trees too muoh of it, is the reason. We never give manure water, preferring 

 to supply extra nourishment from surface-dressings. We bIbo advise you to 

 omit the bones in potting. Water must be given more sparingly when the 

 fruit is swelling- off. 



Management of Pines (An Older Subscriber).— You will find full in- 

 structions by referring to " Doings of the Last Week " in our back numbers. 

 You bhould now plunge the pots in a bottom heat of not more than 85°. 

 Keep the plants moderately dry at the roots, with a night temperature of 

 from 60° to 65°. Admit air as freely as posBible, and let the atmosphere be 

 rath»r dry. Watch for future information in the " Doings." 



Peach Trees on Back Wall of Vinery (W. Hartley).— As you will 

 have 6 feet width of border outside, the same inside width will be sufficient. 

 This will give 7 feet 6 inches for the Peach trees. A 4^-inch wall set in 

 mortar will not prevent the roots from going through it, but if it is well set 

 in cement the object will be attained. We ought to inform you that you 

 cannot grow Peaches successfully under the fchade of Vines. 



Seedling Geraniums (H. Cannell).—The flowera are very distinctly 

 Btriped, but no one can give an opinion on their merits from single pips. 



Wintering Geraniums and Calceolarias (A Beader). — We should not 

 have put in the Calceolaria cuttings until the early part of October, for whioh 

 jour cold pit would answer admirably. There will not be any necessity to 

 remove any of the dung and aoil UBed for the Cucumbers, hut seeing that the 

 soil is ia a thoroughly moist state, cover it with an inch of sand, and put in 

 the cuttings in rows 2£ inches apart and 2 incheB between the cuttings, giving 

 a good watering after insertion. The lights may be put on, but we leave ours 

 off until froBt, it being important that the cuttings be kept cool. Keep off 

 heavy rains, and give air whenever the weather is favourable. Protection 

 Bhould be given from frost ; mats and straw placed over the lights and some 

 litter placed against the sides will suffice, neither of which should be re- 

 moved so long as frosts prevail, but in all mild weather the Calceolarias can- 

 not have too much air. We should have the Geraniums potted or put into 

 boxes so soon as rooted, and winter them in the house windows. It is very 

 unlikely that you will succeed in wintering them in a frame. The cuttings 

 may be put in rather thickly in the pots or boxes, and in spring be potted-off 

 singly and grown- on in the frame after the Calceolarias are planted out, as 

 they may be after the middle of March, affording them a slight protection 

 from frosts. 



Wintering Bedding Plants (X. Y. Z.).— You might be able to winter 

 Calceolarias in a frame made oat of the old window lights, but you have no 

 chance of preserving Geraniums and Heliotropes over the winter with no 

 room for them indoors. Surely you have windows. The plants iaken up and 

 potted would succeed admirably if kept rather dry, the large leaves being 

 removed from the GeraniumB. The Erythrina Cristagalli will require to be 

 taken up after the first froBt, and the top being cut away the rootB may bs 

 kept in sand in a place safe from frost. Fuchsias, after their leaves have 

 fallen, may be wintered in any place light or dark which is safe from frost ; 

 they require very little water when thus preserved. 



Mineral Oil Stoves (T. F. E.). — We have no experience of their use. 

 Write to the vendor for references to those who have used them. One thing 

 is certain, no fuel can be burned without injury to tho plants in a greenhouse 

 unleBB the fumes are conveyed by a chimney into the outer air. 



Wintering Echeyerias (Mr. Oiven). — They are half-hardy, requiring to 

 he taken up before frost and potted in rather poor loamy soil, and kept rather 

 dry over the winter in a light airy position in a greenhouse safe from frost, 

 or they may be wintered £afely in a room window. 



Dielytra spectabilis and SpiRiEA japonica (Idem).— Both succeed ad- 

 mirably grown in pots, and are very fine. Take up the plants after the 

 foliage dies down and pot them, plunging the plants over the pots an inch or 

 two in aBhes, and remove to the greenhouse or house after Christmas. 



Late Dessert Apples (Idem). — Braddick's Nonpareil, Court Pendu Plat, 

 Lamb Abbey Pearmain, Reinette du Canada, SykehouBe Russet, and 

 Sturmer Pippin. 



Name of Fig ( W. K.). — We could not name an imperfect fruit without the 

 aid of leaves. 



Insects on Peach Trees (Idem).— It the dirty-looking insect is aphis it 

 may be destroyed by fumigating. You had better not burn sulphur on the 

 gravel paths. 



Name of Tree (Schubert). — We cannot name any plant from leaves only. 



