292 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 28, 1876. 



It is better to repot annually than it is to surface or top-dress 

 the trees. Somehow worms will work up into the pots, and in 

 other ways the drainage becomes choked in the courBe of twelve 

 months, and with the annual potting fresh soil is placed all 

 round and under the roots, whereas by merely digging out a 

 certain quantity from the top and partly down the sides the 

 fresh soil does not come into immediate contact with the roots. 

 We always repot before the leaves fall — indeed, no time is lost, 

 so that the potting, as it has been this season, has been finished 

 by the middle of September. The trees are now making plenty 

 of fresh roots, and they will be well established before the cold 

 weather sets in. The secret of success in potting at a time 

 when the trees are in fall leaf is to take care that the leaves do 

 not suffer. It is not necessary to shade the glass, but Bimply 

 kesp the ventilators a little close and the leaves moist by fre- 

 quent dewings overhead with the fine rose of the syringe or 

 garden engine. When the new rootlets are formed the trees 

 require plenty of water at the roots. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



We are rather short of fine flowers at this season in the green- 

 house, but when this is the case those that we do have are more 

 highly valued. A number of plants of Bouvardia Vreelandii 

 and B. jasminiflora had been out of doors during the summer; 

 they are now either in flower or in bud, and a continued suc- 

 cession of them will be obtained until Christmas. For variety 

 B. Hogarth, with bright red flowers, is very useful for cutting. 



Nerium Oleander has been in flower for a month, and the 

 plants look as if they would produce a succession for a month 

 or six weeks longer. Thi3 fine old plant is not so much grown 

 as it ought to be. Cuttings struck at this time last year now 

 flower freely in 6-inch pots, and old bushes liberally treated 

 make exceedingly handsome objects in the greenhouse or con- 

 servatory. One not unfrequently sees them producing plenty 

 of leaves and long willow-like growths with few flowers. This 

 is because the plants have not been allowed a season of rest. 

 When the plants have finished floweriDg a good place for them 

 is a cool dry vinery, and no more water ought to be given than 

 just sufficient to prevent the plants from flagging. During the 

 growing season water should be plentifully supplied to them. 

 The Oleander does well in a compost of sound turfy loam with a 

 third part of turfy peat and a little decayed frame manure added 

 to it. 



Stage Pelargoniums have been repotted, using clean pots a 

 size smaller than the plants were grown in previously. The 

 large exhibition plants are grown in pots 8} inches in diameter, 

 and it is astonishing to see the immense plants quite 18 feet 

 in circumference, furnished with hundreds of well-developed 

 trusses of flowers, and at the same time healthy green leaves in 

 pots of this size. In order to produce fine plants the potting 

 material must be of the best, and manure water has to be liber- 

 ally supplied. Such plants must be turned out of their pots now ; 

 a large proportion of the roots and exhausted soil should be re- 

 moved, and the plants be repotted into pots 7 inches in diameter. 

 The plants should be repotted when the growths are an inch 

 long. If the growths become too long the plant suffers when 

 the roots are reduced. A very good compost for stage Pelar- 

 goniums is good turfy loam four parts, one part decayed manure, 

 and one part leaf soil. The loam should be of a moderately 

 clayey nature, and when this is the case a sufficient quantity of 

 silver sand should be added to keep it open. An 8-inch potful 

 of bone dust should be added to each barrowload of the loam. 

 Fancy Pelargoniums do not succoad in a compost so strong 

 as the above, and a little more sand should be added to the 

 soil. 



Training specimen plants of Chrysanthemums and looking 

 over thoBe plants grown for the beauty and size of their flowers, 

 removing all superfluous buds, and dusting with tobacco powder 

 where there is any appearance of green fly, are matters which 

 are now receiving our attention. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



William Knight, Floral Nurseries, Hailsham, Sussex. — Cata- 

 logue of Boses, ConifertE, Fruit Trees, &c. 



Samuel Yates, 16 and 18, Old Millgate, Manchester. — Illus- 

 trated Catalogue of Dutch and other Flower Boots. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Seceetaeies will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Alexandra Palace (Potatoes). September 28th and 29th. Mr. John 



MoKenzie. 1 and 2, Great Winchester Street Buildings, London, E.C. 

 Hull. October 10th, 11th, and 12th. Mr. J. Chappell, 96, Prospect Street, 



Seo. 

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



Gntteridge, 51, Denmark Eoad, Northampton, Seo. 

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



"West, Chapman Street, Loughborough, Sec. 

 Margate. August 29th, 1877. Mr. C. D. Smith Hon. Sec. 



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 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. 



Apples Wanted. — Several correspondents would be obliged by " J. J., 

 Lancashire," stating where Domino, Greasy Coat, Pike's Pearmain, &c, can 

 be purchased. 



Apples and Pears {Rev. R. G.).— Write to Me«srs. Webber & Co., Middle 

 Avenue, Covent Garden Market. 



Plum Tf.ee Throwing-up Suckers (F. M.). — Just in proportion to the 

 number thrown up is the tree injured by them. The best way is to work 

 down, and cut them off close to the roots from where they spring ; the usual 

 way is to chop them off carefully with a spade. You may either prune the 

 tree now or any time through the winter. 



Oldest Variety of the Apple (-Dfro7i).— We cannot tell which is the 

 oldest variety still in cultivation, but we do not think it is the Golden Pippin 

 We do not know which of our present Pearmains is that mentioned more 

 than five centuries since, or whether new varieties have had that name ap- 

 plied. In the reign of Edward I. Walter de Hevene held the manor of Run- 

 ham in Norfolk on condition that he rendered to the king annually two 

 measures (muta) of Pearmain cider. 



Raspberry Culture (M. C. Ellis). — There is no special treatment re- 

 quired to grow Raspberries if the soil is suitable. They like soil deep, rich, 

 and moist. From four to six canes is a sufficient number from one stool. 

 Have you good varieties ? If you have them not, try Fastolff , Carter's Pro- 

 lific, and Red Antwerp. 



Pears and Plums for Espaliers (Idem). — Pears : Louise Bonne of 

 Jersey, Williams' Bon Chretien, Marie Louise, Doyenne da Cornice, Winter 

 NoliB, aud Josephine de Malines. Plums : Victoria, Prince Englebert, Green 

 Gage, Kirke's, Jefferson's, and Coe's Golden Drop. 



Fruit Trees for Upright Cordons (Durham). — Pe»r trees are best 

 adapted for this purpose, but in your district it would be as well to try a few 

 of the finer sorts of Apples. We should plant of Pears — Beurre d'Amanlis, 

 Louise Bonne of Jersey, Beurre Hardy, Van Mens Leon Leclerc, Madame 

 Treyve, Easter Beurre, Doyenne du Cornice, Glou Morceau, Bergamotte 

 d'Esperen, Marie Louise, Wiuter Nelis, Suffolk Thorn, and Beurre Diel. 

 Of Apples — Kerry Pippin, Cos's Orange Pippin, Golden Pippin, Ribston Pippin, 

 Scarlet Nonpareil, Nonpareil, Braddick's Nonpareil, Margil, Mannington'a 

 Pearmain, and Sturmer Pippin. 



Lean-to Peach House [Tommy). — Your back wall being 12 feet high, and 

 the width of the house 10 feet, we should have 3 feet of front lights upon 

 10 to 12 inches of masonry above ground, the whole of the front lights to 

 open, and corresponding lights at the top of the house, also opening the full 

 length. We should have trees upon the back wall for at least a time, as 

 they will bear well until too much shaded by the trees in front ; and if yoa 

 wish to retain the trees upon the back wall in a fruitful state, the trees upon 

 the trellises in front must not be allowed to extend more thau two-thirds 

 the extent of the roof. The trellis should be 15 inches from the glass. You 

 will have room for six trees, three in front and the same number at back, 

 or you may have eight at 12 feet apart. The best Peaches are Dr. Hogg, 

 Crawford's Early, Grosse Mignonne, and Noblesse, to succeed which are 

 Barrington and Princess of Wales. Nectarines — Lord Napier, Pine Apple, 

 Elruge, and Violette Hative. See also Mr. Taylor's list of successional 

 Peaches in the present issne. 



Vines for Vinery (Idem). — You will only have room for four Vines upon 

 the front, and they would not succeed well upon the back wall. Black 

 Hamburgh and Muscat of Alexandria are the best of all Grapes. We should 

 have two Black Hamburghs, one Madresfield Court, aud one Muscat of 

 Alexandria, or Foster's White Seedling if you do not intend to ripen with 

 heat. 



Seedling Begonia (Typo). — It is quite a novel form, and as the plant is 

 of good habit may prove an acquisition. 



Evergreen Creeper for Porch (D. D.). — Not one of the Tropceolums 

 would serve your purpose, as frost is not excluded. The Irish Ivy is the most 

 desirable. For deodorising any charcoal in powder is effective. 



Forcing Rhubarb (A Young Amateur). — We do not understand what is 

 meant by a " tunnel," but we apprehend it is constructed of fermenting 

 materials, and is made as follows: — The space for the Rhubarb is marked 

 out by stakes being driven into the ground, a dry sheltered situation being 

 chosen, and are kept 8 to 3 feet 6 inohes above ground. The sides of the bed 

 are formed by nailing any old slabs of wood to the stakes, not being par- 

 ticular about the boards being close ; all that is needed is to have the Bides 

 and ends sufficiently stable to keep the fermenting material from the enclosed 

 space, which may be 3 to 1 feet wide, and of any length desired. The Rhu- 

 barb roots are put in the bed rather closely together, bat so as to admit of 

 some rich soil being placed between and all around them, the soil being in a , 

 thoroughly moist state and made compact about the roots. The sides of tho 

 frame have fermenting material placed againBt them, the top being oovered 

 with slabs, and covered in a similar manner to the sides, a heap of fermenting 

 material being raised around and over the bed so as to produce a tempera- 

 ture in the " tunnel " not exceeding 65\ In this way fine stalks of Rhubarb 

 may be had in three weeks to a month. The end of November or early in 

 December is a good time to commence forcing. The best heating material is 

 an admixture of stable litter with leaves, but sweetened stable dung answers 

 well. 



Herbaceous Calceolarias Damping off (E. H. S.).— The atmosphere 

 has probably been very moist and close, or damping has resulting from too 

 frequent and heavy waterings. There is no book treating separately on soft- 

 wooded plants. 



