Jnly 20, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



55 



each other ; cut back to a young shoot, and lay it in in place of the older 

 wood which has been removed. 



Seedling Geranium (A. S.). — The petals were all shed; colour Rood, 

 but not differing fcom others ; truss large. If it were much ditfering 

 from many old varieties, which it is not, no one could decide on its merits 

 without seeing the plant. 



Select Geraniums for Exhibition iE. H.). — Zonals : Lord Derby, 

 Dr. Lindley, Mrs. William Paul, Christine, Monsieur Renciatier, The 

 Bride. Nosegays : Lady Constance Grosvenor, Chilwell Beauty, Inter- 

 national, Rose Rendatler, Duchess, Duchesa of Sutherland. Golden 

 Tricolors : Sophia Dumaresque, Sir Robert Napier, Lady Cullum. Lucy 

 Grieve, Prince of Wales, Sophia Cusack. Silver Tricolors : Italia Unita, 

 Charming Bride, Imperatrice Eugenie, Prince Silverwings, Mrs. John 

 Glutton, Lass o* Gowrie. 



Select Verbenas for Pot Culture (Idem). — G. P. Tye, Mrs. Pochin, 

 Polly Perkins, Shakespeare, Beauty of Kent, Magnificens, Black Prince, 

 Lajlia, King of Verbenas. Nemesis, Conspicuous. Ace of Trumps, White 

 Queen, Miss Wimsett, Mrs. Reynolds Hole, Florence Fiddian, Fanny 

 Martin, Mrs. Eckford, Out-and-Outer, Shirley Hibberd, Achievement, 

 Spot, Mauve Queen, Anatole Leroy. 



Select Herbaceous Plants (i^'ifZs.).— Agrostemma Coronaria flore- 

 pleno, crimson; Alyssum saxatile compactum, yellow; Anemone apen- 

 nina, blue; A. hortensis fulgens, scarlet; Anomatheca cruenta, salmon 

 with red spots ; Aquilegia fragrans, lemon ; Arabis albida, white ; Au- 

 brietia deltoidea grandiflora, blush lilac; Aster alpinui, lilac purple; 

 Betonica grandiflora, purple ; Campanula aggregata, blue ; Cheiranthua 

 Marshalli ; Colchicum alpinum, rosy purple ; Convallaria rosea, rosy red ; 

 Cyclamen neapolitanam, red; Cynogiossum apenninum. blue; Delphi- 

 nium Belladonna; Dianthus cruentus, deep scarlet; D. floribundus, 

 pink; D, pungens, white; Dodecatheon Meadia, lilac; Draba aizoides, 

 yellow; Erigeron speciosos^ bluish purple and yellow ; Helleborus niger, 

 white; Hepatica angulosa, blue; H. triloba, blue and red, doable and 

 single varieties ; Hypericum calycinum, yellow; Iberis saxatilis, white; 

 Iris altica, yellow, veined purple ; I. reticulata, blue purple, blotched yel- 

 low ;Litium tenuifolium, scarlet ; Narcissus juncifolius, yellow ; CEnothera 

 macrocarpa, yellow ; ffi. tarasacifolia, white ; Orobus vernus, purple ; Phlox 

 verna, rose ; Pulmonaria angustitolia rubra, purplish red ; Scilla f ibirica, 

 blue ; Sempervivum californicum, fine for edging, leaves in green rosettes, 

 tipped brown; Silene alpestris, white; S. tichafta, rosy pink; Sisyrin- 

 ■chium grandiflorum, i)urple; Symphytum caucasicum, blue; TroUius 

 asiaticus, orange yellow ; T. europieus, lemon ; T. napellifolius, yellow ; 

 and Zephyranthes candidus, white. These do not exceed 18 inches in 

 height, though soil, &c., make considerable differences. 



What are Ornamental Plants? (3. F. S.).— Your prize Hat is so 

 vaguely worded that under the title " Ornamental Plants," any plants 

 and all plants, tender or hardy, that are cultivated for ornament in the 

 stove, greenhouse, or garden, may be exhibited in that class. The com- 

 mittee, perhaps, iotended the class for ornamental-foliaged plants ; if so, 

 ■cannot they publish that ? 



Vegetable Marrow Fruit not Swelling {One in Trouble).— We 

 should attribute the non-setting of the fruit to want of heat, bat it may 

 arise from want of light, as you say the plants are at the back of a 

 Cucumber frame. Thuy cannot have too much sun, nor, when the 

 weather is hot, too copious supplies of water. Wo should fertilise the 

 ■flowers, and unless the weather be very much warmer than it has been 

 with us for the past eight weeks, no water will be required. Watering in 

 dull cold weather does no good to such plants as these. Warmth is, we 

 ihink, what is needed, and with it we have no doubt your plants will do 

 well ; without it they will probably fail. 



Tomato Seed Saving (C P.)— Let the fruit remain on the plant until 

 thoroughly ripe, then gather and lay it on a shelf in a warm house for a 

 few days ; afterwards squeeze the fruit into a saucer of water, and with 

 the hand wash the pulp from the seed. The seeds will sink. Run off the 

 water clear of the pulp, place the seed in the sun to dry, and when 

 thoroughly dried store it in paper in a cool dry place. 



Composition for Reducing the Light in a Greenhouse (Subscri- 

 ber). — All things considered we do not think anything equal to whitening 

 and skimmed milk, bringing the whitening to the consistency of thin 

 paint, and applying it with a thin brush to the inside of the roof. There is 

 no wash that you could apply to the outside that would be permanent, if 

 it must resist rains, but the above wash applied to the inside would 

 not be liable to be washed off, and in autumn could be removed and light 

 admitted to the plants. In winter greenhouse plants cannot have too 

 much light. Could you not have a few rapid-growing climbers ? We 

 liave our greenhouse-roof covered partially with Tacsoniiis Van-Volsemi 

 and mollissima, and Passifloras Comte Nesselrode, cserulea racemosa 

 rubra, and Couatess Guiglini, and they are now in fine bloom, and will 

 continue so until autumn. They have a fine appearance, very different 

 from any artificial shading. 



Jasmine not Flowering (E. U. ilf.).— You do not say on what aspect 

 your plant is situated, but we presume it is south, which is best, though 

 it succeeds tolerably well on both east and west aspects. The soil, we 

 suppose, is well drained, and light rather than heavy. Train in the ahoots 

 required for extension at about 9 inches apart, and from them will pro- 

 ceed aide or foreshoots, which usually flower when 12 inches long, but if 

 they do not, atop them at the second or third pair of leaves. The stop- 

 ping will concentrate the forces of the plant on the bases of the ahoots, 

 and from the light and air admitted the wood will ripen with greater 

 certainty, and on that depends the next year's flowering. In the case of 

 flowering shoots we consider it well to cut them back after flowering to 

 within a few inches of their base. Between the main shoots you may 

 lay in any vigorous shoots, but it is beat to avoid overcrowding, and in 

 winter, or rather early in spring, cut-in all the side or front shoots to 

 within an inch of their base, and shorten the extension shoots to the 

 firm wood. In very dry, hot weather, when the plant is flowering, give a 

 good soaking of water once or twice a-week. 



Rhododendron Casting it8 Leaves (Idem). — The casting of the 

 leaves may be due to dryness at the root, arising from the plant being 

 xaised considerably above the surrounding level. In this case we would 

 lower the plant, atill keeping the collar rather high, and give a mulching 

 ot cow dung It would have been well not to have allowed the leafless 

 plant to flower. Remove the seed vessels ; allowing them to remain 

 "weakens the growth considerably. Water freely in dry weather. Do not 



cut the plant back unless leggy, and If it is so, not until next Apri\ 

 Lower the plant in September. 



Box Edging Failing {T. C.).— We cannot account for the Box edging 

 fAiling, but we attribute it to soil, or, perhaps, yoa reside in a amoky dis- 

 trict. Without data we can form no opinion. On gravelly soil we have 

 found it do well. 



Exhibition Stands for Robes and Dahlias {TF. S". ilf.).— The boxes 

 maybe made of inch deal, and tbe length for twenty-four Ro^es should be 

 4 feet ; for eighteen, S feet ; for twelve, 2 feet 2 inchf-s ; and for six, 1 foot 

 6 inches. Breadth in every case 1 foot 6 inches ; height at back, 6 inches ; 

 height in front, 4 inches. We extract the foregoing dimensions from the 

 excellent " Book about the Rose," by the Rev. S. Reynolds Hole, who 

 adds : — " The covers, being 7| inches in depth at the back, and 5 inchea 

 in front, 4 feet 1 inch in length, 1 foot 7 inches in breadth, and having a 

 narrow beading within the four sides, half an inch from the bottom of the 

 lid, overlap the boxes, leaving ample room for the Roses, and are secured 

 for travelling by stout leather straps. Within the boxes some exhibitors 

 have holes pierced at equal distances on a uniform surface of wood ; but 

 as Roses differ in size it is more convenient to have the facility of placing 

 th^m where we please, and for this purpose it is desirable to have strong 

 laths J-inch in depth, and 1^ inch in width, extending the length of the 

 bos. These laths should be six in number, and should be nailed on two 

 strong pieces of wood, crossing the box one at eacli end, 2 inches below 

 the surface. The upper and lower laths should be fixed one-eighth of an 

 inch within the box, and the four remaining so arranged that there will 

 be five intersticea 1:^ inch in width — three for the Roses and two merely 

 to reduce the weight. There will be a apace of 1:^ inch between the laths 

 and the upper edge of the box, to be filled as follows: Cover the laths 

 with sheets of brown paper, two deep, and cut to fit the box, and upon 

 these place the best moss you can obtain. The Roses are placed in tubes 

 of zinc 4.^ inches in length, 2 inches wide at the top, gradually tapering 

 until they become 1 inch in width at the centre, the tops being moveable. 

 This top is taken off, and the stalk of the flower being brought through 

 until the Rose is held securely, it is replaced upon the tubes, previously 

 filled with pure rain water." A stand for twenty-four blooms of Dahlias 

 should be 48 inches in length, by 18 inches in width from front to back. 

 It should be raised at the back 7 inches, and 3.^ inches in front. The 

 holes should form three lines of eight each, and should be 6 inchea from 

 centre to centre, and 3 inches from the outside. The metal tube for the 

 water may be 1 inch in diameter, and should fit into the holes of the 

 board ; the wooden tube to receive tbe bloom, and fitting into the metal 

 tube, should rise 1 J inch above the board. The colour of the board should 

 be a lively bright green. The dimenaiona of a atand for twelve blooms 

 of Dahliaa ciin be easily deduced from the foregoing. Such a box as that 

 just described would be suitable for Roses if shown in single trusses; for 

 single blooms of Rosea the dimensions would be almost too large, while 

 for bunches of three trusses it would scarcely affjrd sufficient space. 

 For Roses the tubes may be fastened to the bottom of the box, not 

 using a bonrd as in the case of Dahlias, and the spaces filled up with 

 fresh green moss. The most suitable colour for a box for Rosea is 

 dark green. You may use several boxes in ahowing a number of 

 trusses or blooms. Chapman's cases are excellent, especially where 

 flowers have to be sent to a distance. The Verbenas yoa may set up 

 according to taste. 



Cucumbers not Swelling (A Beginner).~'The cause of the fruit going 

 off is deficient root-action, and in your case we think a deficiency of 

 bottom heat. The bottom heat ought to be confined beneath the bed or 

 border in which the plants are grown, or how can you maintain the re- 

 quired bottom heat of 70*^ to 75'^ ? We would confine the heat by a 4^-inch 

 wall, with opeuings at every 3 feet, and sliding doors to let out any excess 

 of heat. What you call the '• old sow" is usually called the woodlouse. 

 The best plan of destroying theae insects is to place a little hay loosely 

 round the sides of tbe structures they infest, and in the morning pour 

 boiling water down the walls a little above the hay. This, of course, kills 

 all it touches, and repeated several times will entirely destroy them, 

 though they will in time reappear. When this method cannot be adopted 

 on account of the boiling water being likely to injure plants, your best 

 plan will be to place a boiled potato wrapped lightly in a little hay in a 

 small flower-pot, and put the pot on its side where the woodlice are 

 troublesome. This trap should be examined every morning, and the 

 woodlice secreted in the hay shaken into boiling water. A number of 

 traps of this kind, put down every night and examined in the morning, 

 will soon thin their numbers. {W.H. C.).— Your Cucumbers are auffering 

 in the aame way as those referred to in the preceding answer. 



Pit for Wintering Bedding Plants (A Cottage Gardener),— Without 

 a path inside we consider 6 feet quite wide enough. When wider, pita are 

 not handy for the examination of the planta. The front we would have 

 1 foot 4 inches, and the back 2 feet 2 inches high. By all means construct 

 the sides and ends of inch boards, with a IrVinch cavity for sawdust. 

 The boards will need to be bolted together, putting in a piece of wood 

 about 1^ inch wide at every 3 feet, and the depth of the frame, the bolts 

 passing through it. The boards should be tongued and grooved. The 

 side ventilators we consider unnecessary. We should think in the warm 

 position you describe bedding plants of the hardier kinds may safely be 

 wintered. You may work a propagating frame in a window facing the 

 north, removing the planta, when struck, to your frame. The earlieat time 

 you can remove Apple and Pear treea is as aoon as the majority of their 

 leaves have fallen. Against the gable of your house due south, and with 

 the kitchen flue running up the centre wo think an Apricot would be the 

 most profitable fruit tree. Grapes might do, but in these days of cheap 

 glass out-door Grapes bring but little. Espiran and Royal Muscadine 

 are good for walls. Plant in March, and 4 feet apart, training up with 

 two rods. 



Cool-house Management (Suhscriber).— For the next two months you 

 will need no higher temperature than that afforded by the auu. You 

 must give as much air as possible on fine days, and a little all night, even 

 in dull weather. No fire will be needed, unless the temperature, from a 

 continuance of cold weather, fall below 55"^, and then yoa may give a little 

 fire heat to have the temperature at from 50° to 55^^ at night when the 

 fruit is ripening ; but except in very dull and cold weather no harm will 

 result from not employing fire heat. If the days are hot and the nights 

 cold the fruit will ripen perfectly, though the temperature at night may 

 fall below 50*^. From 50^^ to 55^ ia the night temperature moat suitable, 

 and on that a rise of 10^ on dull days, and from IS*' to 20^ or more on 

 bright days will suit. The main point is to give abundance of air. 



