September 7, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



185 



pose, but after all there is no better mode than building up 

 the soil in little stacks of from 3 to 3^ feet wide, and then 

 drawing them into a sharp-hipped roof which will throw oS the 

 rains. If you wish to be very particular, lay some turves over 

 the hipped or span-roof, and drive some little sticks through 

 the turf. If you can have strongish grass with the soil yon 

 want nothing else to keep the heap open ; but if not, then every 

 foot or so we would place a layer of prunings, long litter, or 

 some drain tiles rather open, so that the air should pass 

 through the heap. Mark, the air makes ere long even sourish 

 lumpy soil as sweet as a nut, and the wet being excluded you 

 obtain a sweet compost, with the great mass of fibre not ex- 

 hausted or greatly decayed — altogether a very different thing 

 to go to, from what even the same soil would be if tumbled 

 down from a cart and left to the vicissitudes of the weather. 

 Such a heap well put up {and a few barrowloada may be 

 cared for in the sanae way as a score of cartloads) may become 

 rather dry in a hot summer, as you chop it down ; but it is 

 easier to damp it with the rose of a watering-pot than to dry what 

 has been exposed when you want to use it. We prefer that all 

 such heaps should be pure and unmixed. We would rather 

 mix as we use it, when other things are necessary. As to 

 mixtures, more another time, as they often do great mischief, 

 especially when manurial matters containing fungi are used. 



As we alluded to dryness above, allow us to repeat that much 

 injury is done from usipg too dry soil and too wet soil in potting. 

 Take the following simple rule and you will rarely go wrong. 

 Take a handful of the soil for potting and squeeze it tightly. If 

 it retains the traces of the fingers but falls to pieces as you lay 

 it down on the board, it is all right as respects moisture. If 

 it is so damp as to retain the deep impress of your fingers, and 

 when you lay it on the board it retains its shape like a lump of 

 dough, then the soil is too wet to be used for general potting. 



As an excuse for these details we may say in conclusion that 

 two simple causes ruin more pot plants than is generally sup- 

 posed. Tbe first is shifting a plant from one pot to another 

 whilst the ball of earth and roots are dry. No watering will 

 soak that ball afterwards. The less evil is using very dry soil 

 when fresh potting. It is long, very long, before ordinary 

 waterings will go through it, and before that takes place the 

 outside fibres are starved. These two little matters attended 

 to, thousands of plants would be saved from bad health and 

 premature decay. — R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES KECEIVED. 



J. Carter, Dunnett, & Beale, 237 and 23S, High Holborn, London, 

 W.C. — Catalogue of Flower Roots. Fruit Trees, and Roses. 



Hooper & Co., Central Avenue, Covent Garden Market, London, W. 

 — Autumn Supplement to Gardening Guide and General Catalogue 

 for 1871, containing lists oj Dutch Bulbs, &c. 



P. Lawson &; Son, 20, Budge Row, Cannon Street, London, and 

 George LV. Bridge, Edinburgh. — Catalogue of Dutch Flov:er Roots^ 



Robert Parker, Exotic Nnrsery, Tooting. — Catalogue of JSyacinths 

 and other Bulbous Roots, Fruit Trees, &G. 



T. Bnnyard & Sons, Maidstone. — Descriptim Catalogue of Orna- 

 mental Trees and Shrubs. — List of New Roses and Gladioli. 



G. M. Kemp- Welch, Cotham, Bristol. — Catalogue of Dutch Floicer 

 Roots. 



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 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solehj to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, (&c., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the same 

 sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry 

 and Bee subjects, if they expect to p;et them answered 

 promptly and conveniently, but write them on separate 

 communications. Also never to send more than two or 

 three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 ■week. 



Planting Russian Violets [Reader). — They and all Violets flower 

 from the old plants or parts, and also from the runners of the current year. 

 The runners taken off now, watered, and mulched with leaf soil or old 

 manure will flower in the spring, but not so well as those taken from the 

 plants early in summer. Tbe roots may be taken up in autumn, divided, 

 and replanted, and the plants will flower in the following spring, but not 

 BO well as those not disturbed. 



Loosening Budding Ties (S. R.). — Loosen them at once. They may 

 usually be loosened in five weeks after the bud has been inserted. To- 

 leave them until the bark above and below the ties, as in your case, has- 

 swollen, is injurious. 



Zonal Geraniums in Pots (Devoniensis). — We should now cut-in the 

 plants, indeed prune them well back, and keep them rather dry lor about 

 a fortnight, shake them out of the pots, and place them in G-inch pots.. 

 They will have good foliage before winter, and can be wintered in con- 

 siderably less room. Shift them into larger pots in March, and again in 

 May, and stop as required up to that time ; you will thus have line plants 

 from May. The double kinds succeed in the same compost as the others^ 

 If you can accommodate the plants and wish for a late bloom, we would 

 not cut them back, but merely remove any irregularities of growth, and 

 top-dress with rich compost, keeping the plants in the same-sized pots> 

 and you will have a good bloom until winter. In this case prune in 

 March, keep the soil dry for a few days, and when the young shoots are: 

 about an inch long disroot, potting the plants in 6-inch pots, and when 

 these are filled with fresh roots, or about tbe middle of April, shift to 

 8-inch pots, the plauts being pruned in the first week of March. You may 

 shift again into larger pots at the end of May, and the plants will blooni 

 finely throughout the summer. The shoots cut off now or in spring will 

 make good cuttings. Those taken off now strike freely out of doors, those 

 removed in spring require gentle heat The lanky cuttings out of doors 

 we would cut back to two joints, and put in the tops at once. 



Frogs in a Fernery [ Co Jincmara).— They are not iujurious to any- 

 thing, but are great insect-devourers. We have had frogs and toads in a 

 fernery many years, and they have done no injury, but have, we think, 

 been of great benefit. 



Soil for Gloxinias, Achimenes, and Allamandas {Idem).— For the 

 Gloxinias and Achimenes two parts light turfy loam, one part sandy 

 peat, one part leaf soil, and half a part each of charcoal and silver sand, 

 the whole well mixed and made moderntcly fine, but not sifted. The 

 Allamandas will thrive in the same compost, but it is desirablu not to- 

 make it so fine as for the Gloxinias. G^od draiuage must be provided. 



Repotting Ctcas revoluta (Amateur, Q B.).—Th.e plant being now 

 in a very small pot and potbound, repot at once, loosening the sides of 

 the ball, and give a moderate shift, and a larger one in March. A coni- 

 post of two parts turfy luam, one part sandy peat, and one part leaf soil 

 or well-rotted manure, with half a part each of charcoal and silver sandj. 

 using good drainage, will grow it well. 



Melon Plants Going off at the Collar (J. T. S.).—Tiie cause of 

 this is difficult to explain, indeed it is not satisfactorily understood. Some 

 attribute it to one thing and others to another ; but the chief reason in 

 our opinion is the watering overhead and shutting up closely at night> 

 which cause the vapom" to condense, and this so charges the parts with 

 moisture that ulceration of the stem takes place. It not onfrequently 

 happens that the canker or ulceration of the stem follows a close pruning,, 

 or the removal of a considerable quantity of foliage, accompanied as it 

 very often is with waterirg. This so gorges the plant with sap that it 

 oozes from the cut parts, and this exudation is followed by the decay of 

 tbe stems and ulceration at the collar. The only effectual remedy is to- 

 keep it dry, giving a little air at night so as to prevent moisture condens- 

 ing and dripping on tbe stems. We have now Heckfield Hybrid, Oulton 

 Park Hybrid, Moreton Hall, and others perfecting the second crop, and 

 they are not watered oftener than once a-week. In and after August 

 Melons in dung frames do not require frequent supplies of water, and at- 

 no time should large removals of the foliage be practised, but stop fre- 

 jjuently so as to render them unnecessary. 



Camellia Leaves Spotted iIdem).~'We consider the spotting of the 

 leaves arises from their being wet when the sun shines powerfully oq 

 them. The remedy is to afford a slight shade, either by washmg the- 

 lights over with a size of milk and whitening or by using some shading 

 material ; or Vines and other climbers answer well. 



Growing Ferns in a Vinert (M. H.)-— Ferns may be grown well in a 

 vinery, the shade afforded by the Vines being beneficial to the Ferns irt 

 summer. The only drawback is the dryness of the atmosphere when the 

 Grapes are ripening, but with a good supply of water at the roots the 

 Ferns do not suffer considerably ; in fact we have two vineries, which are- 

 now filled with Ferns and Lycopods grown principally for decorative 

 purposes, and when the kinds are greenhouse they succeed throughout 

 the year, frost being excluded. If the Grapes are expected to hang for 

 any length of time after they are ripe it will be necessary to remove the 

 Ferns. 



Line of Trees {K. M. H.). — You do not say whether you wish forever- 

 green or deciduous trees, but we presume the latter. The following 

 would all succeed — viz., common Horse Chestnut, scarlet Horse Chestnut,. 

 Lime; English, Wych, and Exeter Elm; Spanish Chestnut, Sycamore^ 

 Scarlet and Norway Maple, Scarlet Oak, and Purple Beech. If you plant 

 more than one line, trench the ground and employ Austrian Pine, Corsi- 

 can Pine, and Scotch Fir as nurses. 



Fruit Trees for Garden [Idem).~Fov the south wall we would advise 

 Apricots — Moorpark, Kaisha, and Hemskerk. Peaches — Royal George^ 

 Noblesse, Early York, Grosse Mignonne, and Barrington. Nectarines — 

 Elruge and Violette Hative. P/ums— Green Gage, Belgian Purple, and 

 Coe's Golden Drop. Pears — Marie Louise and General Todtleben. For 

 the north wall we fear culinary Plums and Pears will not suit, but the 

 MoroUo Cherries succeed admirably. Of PZkths— Pond's Seedling, Magnum 

 Bonum, and Winesour ; and of Pears, Catillac. Pyramid Pears — Berga- 

 motte Esperen, Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre Giffard, Eeurre Hardy, Beurre- 

 Diel, Comte de Lamy, Jean de Witte, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie 

 Louise, Seckle, Williams's Bon Chretien, Zephirin Gregoire, and Ne Plu& 

 Meuris. Of Apples— Dessert : Early Harvest, Red Margaret, Kerry Pippin^ 

 Adams's Pearmain, Cellini, Margil, Cox's Orange Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, 

 and Keddleston Pippin. Kitchen : Cox's Pomona, Keswick Codlin, Lord 

 Suffield, Alfriston, Bedfordshire Foundling, Dumelow's Seedling, Northern 

 Greening, and Winter Majeting. For cordons have Reinette du Canada, 

 Blenheim Pippin, and Dutch Mignonne Apples. Straivhcrries— Sir Joseph 

 Paxton, Rivers's Eliza, Dr. Hogg, President, and Frogmore Late Pine. 

 Easpberries—Ani'werp and Fastolf. Oooseberries — Dessert: Whitesmith,, 

 Yellowsmith, Pitmaston Green Gage, Red Champagne, Early Red Hairy, 

 and Warrington. For general purposes : Crown Bob, Roaring Lion, Rifle- 

 man, Overall, Hepburn's Prolific, Victory, Warrington, and Ironmonger. 

 Curranfs— Black Naples ; White Dutch and White Dutch Cut-leaved; and 

 Red Dutch and Raby Castle, 



