Angnst 10, 1871. ] 



JOUKNAIi OF HORTICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



109 



season he more propitious to fresh-laid tnrf. Even now, how- 

 ever, our Pelargoniums, though fair, are not up to the mark in 

 massiveness of bloom. They delight in a warm soil and bright 

 sunshine. We want more sun also to give massiveness as well 

 as colour to the Coleus. A good judge the other day greatly 

 preferred the Coleus Verschaffelti edged with the white-leaved 

 Centanrea to that edged with the Polemonium cseruleum varie- 

 gatum, which we had recommended as the best edging. _ We 

 must eay there was rather more than mere fancy in the opinion 

 of our friend. Last season, in the full blaze of the sun, the 

 Polemonium was splendid. This season, so comparatively 

 dripping and dull, the Polemonium is not so bright, and has more 

 ' green and less of white and yellow in its beautifully cut foliage. 

 In a favourable season we still think that nothing can surpass 

 it, but this year as yet we must own the Centaurea is quite as 

 efiective. The Coleus as yet is even darker than usual.— B. E. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,* "We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By doing so they 

 arei subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 comirmnications should therefore be addressed solel;/ to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d:e., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G., 



Books (S. E.).— Pearson on " Orchard Honaes " you will find to convey 

 all the information you require. It can be had from our office for nineteen 

 stamps. (C. Adams). — The only book on subtropical gardening in the 

 English language with which we are acquainted, is Mr. Eobinson's. On 

 geothermal culture there is no separate work, but you will find much 

 on the subject in the early volumes of this Jocraal. {H. B. H. Turner). — 

 The " Fern Manual " may be had from the office for sixty-four stamps. 

 " Roses in Pots," by William Paul, is the only work on pot Roses. 



CccuMBEE [Am 1 right ?).— No doubt the presence of green fly is accom- 

 panied with a slow growth, but not necessarily with a weakness of con- 

 stitution. The cause of the slow growth may be atmospheric and not 

 constitutional. Your friend is light who kept his bed warm and Ms 

 plants in a growing condition. 



Gros Colman Grapes Craokikg {Kew). — Your Grapes are cracking in 

 consetinence of the humidity of the house caused by syringing the 

 Azaleas and Camellias. 



Sbeawbeeeies is GEOttHD TiHEHlES [E. S. Du Prfl,— You may grow 

 Strawberries in pots in your ground vineries along with the Vines, but it 

 is not desirable, as by the time the Strawberries are ripe the Vines will 

 require all the space. The Strawberries will likewise in all probability 

 introduce red spider to your Vines. You should lift the plants with a 

 ball of earth and potthem at once. We like fruiting-pots of Strawberries 

 to be well filled with roots before the middle of October. You will find in- 

 structions for the management of pot Strawberries in the Journal for 

 August 3rd. You must use 8-inch pots, and these must be plunged during 

 winter in order to prevent the frost from injuring the roots, introducing 

 the plants into the ground vineries about the Ist of March, Set the pots 

 on the slates. 



CHHYSANTHEMuiiis (Brishane). — If your Chrysanthemum is a Pompon, 

 it is not unusual for a stray flower to appear so early in the season. There 

 is a class of summer-flowering Pompons. 



Various (A Young Gardener). — We believe the reason for cutting olT 

 the leaves of Leeks or any other plants when they are planted out, is to 

 prevent too great evaporation before the root action begins. Filmy Ferns 

 are so called because of their thin and translucent fronds. Orchids and 

 orchidaceous plants are synonymous terms to designate plants which 

 belong to the natural family of which Orchis is the type. 



Grapes Shanking (T. H.). — Doubtless the roots of your Vines have 

 spread into an unsuitable material, but we would not destroy the Vines 

 as they are only five years old, and the wood and foliage are in good con- 

 dition. Have they been overcropped in previous years ? as this is a fre- 

 quent source of shanking. As no border has been made we would make 

 one,, and we would do it at once if the present crop of Grapes is not 

 worth saving. Begin by marking off the extent of your border ; 9 feet wide 

 will do; dig a trench a feet 6 inches deep just outside the border, and 

 turn out the old soil with forks, working from the trench towards the 

 front wall, and saving aU healthy roots. The fresh compost should be 

 prepared and be at hand ready to be wheeled-in directly the old material 

 is removed. Maintain a moist close atmosphere in the house, and shade 

 if the sun is powerful. The Vines will establish themselves before winter, 

 and you may expect a moderate crop of fruit next year. We would plant 

 a few young Vines at the same time to make, sure, although we have great 

 faith in renovating the old ones. 



Rose Bessie Johnson [T. W. Johnson).— Vvite to Mr. Curtis, Devon 

 Rosery, Torquay, ask him when it is to be placed in commerce, and 

 order one for that time. 



Manure Scarce (H. C). — In such a hungry soil as yours artificial 

 manures soon lose their force, unless assisted with rougher organised 

 decomposing material, which you say you cannot purchase either from 

 farmers or cow-keepers, which shows they know the value of such ma- 

 nures. We do not know how you are situated otherwise, but were we 

 in your place we would make the most of weeds, mowings of short grass 

 — a powerful manure, dressings of the sides of roads, edgings of walks, 

 throw all together to ferment and decompose, and add half a peck of 

 ■ salt to what would make a cartload of material when partly rotted down, 

 but not too much decomposed. Your subsoil being merely stirred up 

 and left, such material would greatly enrich the top soil, and the saline 

 matter introduced would help by attracting and retaining moisture. 

 With such aid we do not think you could use any artificial manure that 

 would be safer and better than dissolved bones or superphosphate of 



lime. If you could not obtain such material as the above, you might add 

 a little of the nitrate of soda to give you bulk of produce, and the refuse 

 of that would all come in again as valuable manure. You will be m no 

 danger from the superphosphate. For a lasting manure nothmg beats 

 bones ground or crushed into small pieces like peas and beans, but such 

 manure does not teU the first season like the superphosphate. 



Rolled Glass for Plant Houses (T7. r.).— We would prefer th& 

 patent roUed glass tor the roofs of all kinds of plant houses. We should 

 not object to the front glass being the same, except lor this— that you 

 would not see in or out. On the whole we would prefer the front to be 

 sheet glass merely on that account. In the case of fruit houses we 

 prefer the clear sheet, as in dull seasons the roost direct light is needed. 

 We may be prejudiced, however, in this. For plant houses there is 

 enough of light from rolled glass, and no shading is necessary. We must 

 add, however, that our experience has been more limited with fruit, 

 houses, but it led us to the atove inference. 



Arrangement oe Sjiall Lean-to Greenhouses (An Old Sutseriler). 

 —We think vou should have considered all matters before building your 

 front wall. If that waU had been on arches or piers we would have had a 

 border inside 2 feet wide, planted the Vines there, and let the roots go out. 

 In this case we would have the border a few inches from the wall-plate 

 inside, and sloping from the same height outside. As your wall is built,, 

 and your proposed flue does not interfere with such an arrangement, wo 

 would,have a border in front aj feet wide, well drained, and withm an 

 inch of the wall-plate, there plant the Vines, and keep them there with 

 surface mulching. A 4^-inch waU sepaLating the border from the path- 

 way would take up altogether nearly 8 feet of your space. This border 

 we would spar over with slats of wood on which to set the pots. Then 

 you could have a 8-feet table or stage at back, and a 2-fe6t pathway, it 

 the flue is in the wav of the above arrangement, then plant the VmeB- 

 outside and introduce them through the wall or slits m the wall-plate r, 

 but daily we witness the havoc made by vermin on the stems of Vmes 

 planted outside, otherwise for such a house the Vines will do wen. 

 (H. P.).— Your proposed arrangement will answer very well. As in 

 answer to another correspondent, we would advise the Jront wall to ne 

 arched, and to have a narrow border inside, in which to plant the Vines, 

 so that the roots may pass out, whilst the stems are safe and protected. 

 From 20 to 24 inches is a good depth for Vines. Below that there shonlOj 

 be a drain and at least 6 inches of rubble, unless the ground is drained 

 naturally. Good rotten turf is the best soil for a Vine border, with hal| 

 a bushel of bruised bones and two bushels of lime rubbish to a cartloaa 

 of soil, with a little rotten dung; but we prefer, instead of using much, 

 dung in the soil, to give strength by annual mulching or top-dressmg. 

 For your place we would have four Vines, and, on the whole, mere lE. 

 nothing better than the Black Hamburgh. If you liked a musk flavoui- 

 you might have one Muscat Hambm'gh and one White Frontignan. ine 

 Royal Muscadine would give you larger bunches, but not the Muscat 

 flavour. When you have proved your Vines, and feel so disposed, you, 

 may let one Vine fill the house, but we would plant at least four at first. 



Lobelias (A. E. F. C.).— The LobeUas were far too much gone for us to 

 distinguish them. We think what you call the grassy cue is gracilis, best 

 tor hanging from baskets, vases, &c. The other, we think, is a variety oS. 

 L. Brinus compacta. The best compact blue is speciosa, and one of the 

 best varieties is the Trentham Blue. Our London nurserymen keep, 

 these very good and true. 



Covering North Wall git a House [J. J. S.).— We are sorry that we 

 cannot recommend you a pamphlet on house ventilation, and we ao 

 not know what the house referred to is— a dwelling-house or a plant 

 house. For plant houses the subject has been frequently noticed m our 

 pages; the great point is to give air at the highest point early, ine 

 same rule holds good': in a dweUing-house, only draughts must b& 

 avoided. To cover the northern side of a house surrounded by Laurels, 

 nothing is better than Ivy, and you may choose very pretiy^leayeQ 

 varieties. Nothing so much tends to a dry wall inside as covering th& 

 outside of the wall with Ivy. If flowering plants are desued, then tne 

 hardier Rhododendrons would do, but not like Ivy. 



American Blight (ff. M. J'.).— From your description we have no- 

 doubt of its being American blight. At this season the best remedy is to, 

 syringe forcibly with 2 ozs. of soft soap to a gaUon of water, directing it 

 with such force as to wash the insects ofl'. Or you may apply spirits ol tur- 

 pentine to the branches infested, taking care that it does not drop on tne 

 leaves, for It will destroy them, and when the leaves have fallen dress 

 the trees with paraffin oil, applying it with a brush, and working it mta 

 every crack and crevice. 



Fuchsia Origin (Mem) —No Fuchsia is a native of Britain. The kinds 

 now cultivated have been obtained by hybridising and cross-breeding> 

 and mostly from F. gracilis, F. macrostemon, and F. tenella, all intro- 

 duced from OhiU. The other species are from Mexico, OhiU, Guatemala, 

 Brazil, and New Zealand. 



Tacsonia Van-Volxemi <T. B.).— The fruit is eatable; but previous 

 to use it should be perfectly ripe. We have no doubt of its making axi 

 excellent preserve if treated like Melons. Tacsonia mollissima fruit is. 

 excellent for the same purpose. They should be ripe. 



Scott's Wasp Destroyer (U^.).— It may be purchased of most of the 

 principal seedsmen. There is no danger attending its use to the plant. 



Onion, Leek, and Carrot Grubs (/. M.).— We know of no effectnaj 

 cure after they have taken possession. Strong lime and soot water will! 

 modify the evil, but if put on strong enough to dislodge them all, the 

 remedy would be almost as injurious as the disease. The only preventive, 

 is to sweeten the ground well before sowing, and if there is a little doubt 

 as to worms, to add some fresh lime and incorporate it well with the soil, 

 or some ammoniacal liquor from the gas works. Several times on apiece 

 of ground— say 4D feet by 20, we have scattered a gallon of tar, in the be- 

 ginning of winter, and that was aU'sweet enough before sowing time, but 

 incorporating it with the soil caused the destroyers to shift their quarliers, 

 if it did not kill them. 



Insuring Vines Growing Equally well (Hem).-^Nothing more can 

 be done than giving them all similar care and attention. How with all 

 that care some out of the number refuse to grow like the rest, is one of the 

 things that no one can understand. As an M.D. you must often see how 

 strangely children differ that started life seemingly with the same vigorous 

 constitutions, and from healthy parents, and yet some will continue strong 

 and robust, and others will become puny and weak, notwithstanding even 



