JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t November 2, 187&. 



Ifc is now time to see that the "maiden" Peach and Nectarine 

 'frees ere potted. Thope who grow trees in pots will find that a 

 few of the trees annually become unsightly owing to the under 

 branches decaying. We never use pots larger than 15 inches 

 3 ■ side diameter, and trees will do well for eight years ; but after 

 That age it is most desirable to throw them away and have 

 younger trees to take their place. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



It is now the rating period for al), or nearly all, hardwooded 

 plants. They do not require a very large supply cf water at 

 ibisseaEon, but it is well to keep the soil moderately moiBt, as 

 neither stove nor greenhouse evergreen shrubs are benefited. 

 3ty the drjing-off process. On my remarking the other day that 

 a plant wanted water, a young man replied, "I should have 

 thought if I had watered that plant it would have killed it." 

 Now it does not follow that if a plant is watered before it is 

 quite dry that any injury will result to the plant. Indeed it 

 is a mistake to allow any hardwooded evergreen plant to become 

 -very dry at the roots. Injury will certainly result if the plants 

 are persistently over-watered, owing to the compost becoming 

 i our; but injury and sometimes even death to plantBis caused by 

 allowing them to become too dry, and often when plantB are found 

 in this state water is given in abundance to them, but too late, 

 for the small hair-like fibres have been destroyed, and the roots 

 are not able to absorb the moisture, and therefore the more 

 water they receive the worse it is for them until fresh rootlets 

 are formed. Hardwooded plants will do with less water now 

 than they will in the early spring months. A dryish atmosphere 

 is also the most suitable for them. 



The earliest Poinsettias have set their flower buds, or more 

 correctly the period has arrived when the floral bracts are io 

 course of formation. They have now been placed in a higher 

 temperature, and require a fair supply of weak manure water. 

 We have cut-back the climbing plants trained to the roof to 

 a'low as much light as possible to the occupants of the stage 

 underneath. 



la the intermediate Orchid house Laelia purpurata, Cattleya 

 Warneiii, and others just now making their growth, should be 

 j-laced at the warmest end of the house and receive rather more 

 water than those that have ripened their growth. Most of the 

 deciduous Dendrobiums have made their growth, and some of 

 them have shed their leaves. Just enough water should be given 

 to such to keep the pseudobulbs from shrinking. If the tempe- 

 rature is high and the roots are kept moist at this season some 

 of them will start into premature growth. Dendrobium nobile 

 should be rested in the greenhouse. In the cool house Masde- 

 vallia Harryana and M Veitchiana are making their growth, also 

 many species of Odontogloesum : these require a good supply of 

 water at the roots ; indeed they must not be dried-off at any 

 time. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



James Dickson & Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester. — Gala- 

 logues of Boses and Spring and Summer Flowering Perennial 

 Plants. 



Andre Leroy, a Angera (Maine et Loire), France. — Supple- 

 mentary Catalogue of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Hoses, 

 Bulbs, d'c. 



George Cooling, Rose Nurseries, Batheaston, Bath. — Cata- 

 logue of Bo3es and Fruit Trees, 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige na by informing us of the dates on 

 wmch exhibitions are to be held. 



Jersey (St. Helier's) (Chrysanthemums). November 8th. Col. H. Howell, 

 Hod. Sec. 



South Bermondsey (Chrysanthemums). November ISth and 14th. Mr. D. 

 JewisB, RoBedale Arms, Rosebury Street, Bermondsey, Sec. 



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

 Gutteridge, 51, Denmark Road, Northampton, Sec. 



Wimbledon (Chrysanthemums). November 15th andl6th. Mr. P. Appleby, 

 5, Linden Cottages, Hon, Sec. 



Brixton Hill (Chrysanthemums). November 17th and 18th. Mr. G. Gold- 

 finch, Sec. 



Loughborough (Chrysanthemums and Fruit). November 2lBt. Mr. John 

 West, Cbapmaa Street, Loughborough, Sec. 



Jsle of Ihahet. August 30th, 1877. Mr. C. D. Smith, Hon. Sec. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



* m * All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher.'* Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened nnavoid 

 ably. We request that no one will write p i /ately to an; 

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

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Seeds (Palms). — We cannot recommend stedsmen. Anyone of thoee wLo 

 tdvertise in our columns could Bupply those you name. 

 Bed of Shrubs for North Aspect (Paragon).— The shrubfl are goo?, 



and bo is the arrangement, but we question whether its formality would not 

 eventually provj offensive. "Why not plant the entire bed with Rhodo- 

 dendrons? TLey will answer well in your sandy loam and thrive in the 

 shade better almost than any oiher Bhrubs. The elegant evergreen foliage is 

 always pleasant to behold, and a few choice sorts would afford an annual 

 floral display of such beauty as can be had from no other plant or shrub in 

 such a Bituation. 



Culture of Lilium auratum (John B. Boyd). — As none of your bulbs 

 appear to be stroDg we would cnrefnlly Bhake off most of the old 6oil ard 

 forthwith plant the whole of them in pots in soil consisting of old tuif sods 

 and fibry peat and a small quantity of sand, letting the tops of the bulbs he 

 about an inch below the surface. Plunge the pots in ashes in a cold frame 

 till the epriDg, then when the stems are a few inches high and the loots 

 touch the Bides of the pots take the plants which you wish to establish per- 

 manently in open beds and borders and turn them out of the pots into care- 

 fully prepared stations 2 feet square, and of the same df pth of a mixture of 

 peat, loam, and leaf soil. Ltt the top of the balb be 4 or 5 inches below the 

 surface, and do not let a weakly growth during the first season iDdnce you 

 to disturb the bulb ; only exercise a little patience, and you will be well repaid 

 by the stout vigorous growth of the second year, pointing to yet more satis- 

 factory subsequent results. The bulbs which you wiBh to retain in pots may 

 be repotted in spring should they appear to require it, the condition of the 

 growth and roots being a sife guide in this matter. After shifting replungo 

 the pots in a bed of aBhes in the open air, and beep them there till the flower 

 buds are well developed, when the plants may be removed to the conservatory 

 or other building iu which you wish them to flower. Lilies grown iu pots 

 must have a libeial supply of liquid manure, say three times a week, and 

 that for plants large or small to become fully developed and to yield fino 

 flowers they must have pots in proportion to their size. One word more: if 

 the summer prove very sultry, and there appears to be any riBk of the foliago 

 turning brown, remove the plantB into shade for a time, but otherwise they 

 may remain undisturbed till the flowering season. 



Trees and Shrubs for an Island [An Old Subscriber). — Tall-growirjg 

 trees are not very suitable for a small island. We have tried Birch and Holly, 

 but neither have auswored very well. Willows of all kinds and Alders answer 

 perfectly, prowiDg with gr at rapidity. We do not recommeni these, but 

 altgether prefer a mass of Rhododendrons, relieved by an occasional plant of 

 Pampas Grass, and with a bold fringe of Osmunda rogalis coming close down 

 to the water. To impart variety to the fringe, both the purple Loosestrife 

 (Lythrum Salicaria) aDd the yellow-flowering Flag (Iris Pseud-acoruBl grow to 

 a large size and give flowers abundantly when planted in the pond bGttom 

 with a foot of water above the roots. 



Forcing Vines and Strawberries (A Novice). — Prune the Vines imme- 

 diately after most of the foliage has fallen; accelerate this by Bhaking the 

 trellis to which the rods are trained. Remove loose bark and dress the canes 

 with Fowler'B insecticide. Thoroughly cleanse every part of tho interior ol 

 the vinery, and tee that the roof is quite sound. To have ripe Grapes by the 

 end of May close the house the third week in December and maintain a 

 steady temperature of 60° for a fortnight, syringing the VineB daily with 

 water of the same temperature as that of the house. Raise the temperature 

 gradually, so as to briog it up to 60° at the end of another fortnight. Main- 

 tain this heat fur a like period, and so proceed till you reach the maximum 

 fire heat of 70°. Much rather would we preas-on the Grapes after the period 

 of t- toning than at any previous stage, knowing as we do how mischievous is 

 the t fleet of too high a temperature when the growth is very joung. Straw- 

 berries started with the Vines will give ripe fruit in March. 



Kidney Beans fob Christmas (Idem).— Osborn's New Forcing is the beet 

 sort of Kidney Bean for pot culture. It is a capital cropper, and so dwarf 

 and compact in its growth as to require no stakes. Sow the seed immediately 

 and keep the temperature at 6CP. Do not lose a day now. Our Becoud batch 

 of pot plantB sown the third week in September usually affords good pods till 

 Christmas. 



Training Peach Tpees (R. F. B.). — You may train the treeH downwards 

 from the top, but the wires ought to be fixed not lesB than 10 inches from the 

 glass. It is too late to shift Camelliaa into other pots. You may pot them 

 before starting into growth next year. 



Wintering Bedding Plants (W. T. D.). — The plantB of Ageratum, 

 Lobelia, Nierembergia, Campanula gracilis, and Senecio elegans t-bould now 

 be taken up and potted in fibrous loam with a little leaf suil, reducing the 

 plants to a convenient Bize, removing the old flowering part3 and retaining the 

 young growths at their base, and taking up the plantB with moderate- sized 

 balls. They Bhould be kept rather dry, having no more water than to main- 

 tain the foliage fresh, especially as your house is cool, but we presume froBt is 

 excluded. Many growers raise Ageratums, Lobelias, and double Groundsel 

 from seed, thus dispensing with the trouble of wintering old plants, and 

 economising space. 



Viola odorata pendula (Idem).— Ii, has been advertised in our columns 

 under the name of " New York." We may Bay that it is a very desirable 

 sweet-scented double- flowered kind. 



Constructing Forcing Pit (A. Taylor). — We think you have given the 

 house too little height in the centra. We should have it 6 to 12 inches higher, 

 or 7 feet 6 inches to 8 feet, and the side walls will need to be 3 feet high ; bui 

 you may sink the pathway, so as to give the head-room required, as you 

 would find a ehelf over the pathway very useful for small plants. The 

 wooden ventilators are no doubt introduced for economy. Lights would be 

 better, and &e you have no side ventilation the width you name ib not Buffi 

 citnt. The width of the light should not be less than 18 inches, and this to 

 open the whole length of the house. Wooden shutters obstruct light, and 

 iu winter you will need all the light possible. We should have a stage or bed 

 for the plants, with its surface about 9 inches lower than the side walls. 

 The ends would be best of glass above the height of the brickwork of the side 

 wall -j. Two rows of 4-inch pipes will be required all around the house ; or, if 

 you most omit the ends on aocount of doorways, have three rows of pipes 

 along each side, it being true economy to have plenty of piping. To heat a 

 similar house to a greenhouse temperature a 4-inch pipe all around the house 

 will answer admirably, or if the ends are omitted have an additional pipe 

 along one side. 



Selected Vines (J. V.). — Three Vines that may he grown well iu the 

 vinery with the Black Hamburgh are Madresfield Court, Backland Sweet- 

 water, and Dr. Hogg; the latter has a rich Muscat flavour. 



Making an Osier Bed (V.). — Your ground being wet is all the better for 

 the purpose, bat water must he prevented standing on the surface. The 

 Willows would grow woe you to have open drains cut 12 to 15 inches deop at 



