September 21, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



227 



We woald prefer three parts turfy loam, half a part of old rough brick and 

 lime rubbish, one-fourth part bruised boiled bones, and a like quantity of 

 sweet rotten manure, and, if not sweet, more bones instead. As soon as 

 the Grapes are cut we would certainly take up carefully me Vines you 

 mean to save, and replant them in such a sweet compost as stated above, 

 and the sooner you do it the better the Vines will succeed. Do not mind 

 taking them up entirely— that is what we should do, tracing out the roots 

 carefully, and preventing them becoming dried, saving every root possible 

 however small, and wben all were up wrapping them in a mat with 

 damp litter until the border were ready to plant them in again. Then we 

 would plant carefully, spreading out the roots some 6 inches from the 

 surface, and damping them with water at about 80'^. Then we would 

 mulch the border with warm dung from 9 to 12 inches thick, add more in 

 winter, rough-thatch to keep off the wet, and we should expect the old 

 Vines to do rather better than the young ones. We think so much mud 

 lias been your drawback. 



Vines with Peaches (H. Brace). — If you plant Vines in front and 

 Peaches against the back wall, It would be as well to run a low wall along 

 the middle of the house, but so low as not to be seen. That will be 

 sufficient to keep the roots separate. We do not, however, give you much 

 liope of full crops on the back walls unless your Vines are trained to 

 single stems on the spur principle, and these stems of Vines are from 

 4 to 6 feet apart. If the Vines are closer together there will not be enough 

 -of light for the back wall. On the whole, with wide openings we would 

 prefer Vines on the back wall ; but if your roof ia rather shaded the Vines 

 will soon cease to do much good on the back wall, and only that which is 

 near the glass will bear. With Vines up the roof at 5 feet »part, however, 

 we have seen fine fruit on the back wall from top to bottom. There is 

 no secret, however, in the matter. To have good returns from the back 

 wall you must let the sunshine reach it. For the depth of border, from 

 •20 to 24 inches will be good, with rubble and drainage beneath the border. 

 We would make the border inside the whole width, but divided as above, 

 if you depended on the back waU. The border outside might ultimately 

 be as wide as the house, but we would prefer the outside border to be 

 from 3.f to 4 feet wide at first, and add a couple of feet or so every second 

 year. Three parts of turfy loam, one of rough lime rubbish, one-fourth part 

 of crushed bones, and one-fourth sweet decayed manure will answer well. 

 The height of the back wall must depend on the construction of the 

 house. With a sloping roof you will have a nice slope with a front wall 

 a foot high and the back wall 16 feet in height ; but if you have front 

 glass, say wall and glass 6 feet in height, then a back wall of 15 feet or so 

 ■would do, as the front light lets in the winter and spring sun. We do 

 not approve of such a size of pane for common houses as 24 by 36 inches. 

 We would rather have the panes 12 by 18 inches. We should be perfectly 

 satisfied with 26-oz. glass. 



Planting Vines Inside ob Octside {Feeling His Way).— We should 

 decidedly plant the Vines inside the house. For such a border forty 

 bushels of half-inch bones would not be too much. We would sooner 

 ase more than much manure with the turfy soil. 



Fehneet Painting (E. P. S.).— We cannot perceive the necessity for 

 the extra strong heat, for on the removal of the plants, and, of course, 

 -the source of moisture, the house will soon dry if air be given. Of 

 course fire heat must be afforded, so as to maintain t^e proper tempera- 

 ture, and from the increased ventilation the amount will need to be 

 greater. We would first of all hive all the woodwork thoroughly washed, 

 and then allow a few days for drying, proceeding with the painting at 

 once, and admitting air constantly, and whilst about it give three coats 

 of paint. The great difficulty is with the climbing plants, and especially 

 the Lygodiums. You will need to cover them over with canvas or other 

 material, so as to keep them from being sprinkled with the paint, for if it 

 falls on them it will leave its mark. With air the painting will not injure 

 the climbing plants and Ferns. In about a week you may return the 

 Perns to the house. The reason of the climbing plants not doing well 

 is the shade. Afford them more light, and they will no doubt flower 

 satisfactorily. 



MESEMBRyANTHEMUM GLACIAXE FLOWERING O0T OF DOGES (A. R.).—lt 



is rather unusual, because it is not commonly placed out of doors in sum- 

 •mer, though nothing is finer for sunny rockwork than this class of plants. 



Rubbing off Young Figs {Idem). — Young Figs now the size of walnuts 

 have no chance of ripening, and would be best removed at once. We 

 never leave any larger than a bean or hazel nut. 



Scale on Peach Trees— Mealy Bug in Vinebies {W. T.).— The fruit 

 "being off the Peach trees, syringe them a few times with a solution of 

 2ozs. of soft soap to the gallon, using it at a temperature of 160^ and 

 when the leaves have fallen dress with a composition formed of tobacco 

 water as sold by the manufacturer, adding to every gallon 4 ozs. of soft 

 soap, and enough fiowers of sulphur to bring the whole to the consistency 

 of paint. Apply it with a brush, and be careful not to dislocate the buds. 

 Repeat the application before the buds begin to swell. This is for the 

 ccale. For the mealy bug— the Grapes being cut, shut up the house 

 closely, and sprinkle the floor all over with gnano, putting it on the paths 

 quite one-eighth of an inch thick, and then syringe the Vines with all the 

 force you can command from an engine or syringe, using water at a tem- 

 perature of 140=, adding to every gallon a wineglassful of spirits of tur- 

 pentine, repeating in a fortnight. Apply on a caloa evening. When the 

 leaves fall, have the house thoroughly cleaned and painted, and the 

 Vines dressed (stripping off all the loose bark) with the composition 

 named for the Peach trees, and adding to every gallon a fluid ounce of 

 spirits of turpentine. When you commence forcing, place hot dung 

 within the house, and turn it over frequently, so as to cause the vapour 

 to pass off more freely. Syringe the Vines morning and evening, except 

 when in flower, up to the time of their changing colour, and keep a strict 

 watch on the Vines, and if any insects are seen remove them with the 

 hand. Lay the Azaleas infested with mealy bug on their sides, and 

 syrmge them with water at a temperiture of 140^, turning them round 

 so as to apply the water with force to every part of the plants. Repeat 

 this as often as you notice one bug on the plants. 



Alternanthera magnifica Propagation {Amateur, T.).— Take cut- 

 tmgs of the growing points now with two joints and the growing point 

 removing the leaves from the lowest joint, cutting immediately below 

 It. Insert the cuttmgs an inch apart in pans, fiUed to within half an 

 inch of the rim with two parts light loam, one part leaf soil one part 

 sandy peat, and one part silver sand, giving fully an inch of drainage, and 

 3 good aprmkling of the rough of the compost, which should be sifted 



over the drainage, and the half inch filled up with silver sand. Water 

 gently, and place the pots in a hotbed of from 70" to 75^, shading from 

 bright sun, and keeping just moist. When well rooted remove to a house 

 with a temperature of 45^ to 50~, and keep near the glass, well aired. The 

 old plants may be taken up in October, potted, and wintered in a like 

 structure, and should be kept rather dry. In February they will give you 

 cuttings that will strike freely in a hotbed, and being potted off when 

 rooted and grown on will make nice plants by May. The cuttings in pans 

 should be pricked off in pans about 3 inches apart in March, or potted off 

 singly, grown on in heat for a time, and then be gradually hardened off 

 prior to planting out. 



Various {T. H. D,).— As the fruit is cut, the leaves falling, and the soil 

 ia very dry, we wonld water the inside Vine borders sufficiently to prevent 

 the roots suffering from being very dry. Then, as you purpose starting 

 the house in February, we would top-dress in January, and use more 

 water then, just to make the soil kindly moist, using water at a tempera- 

 ture of about 80°, as the soil will be cool. Unless there is a sediment in the 

 boiler, in which case it is as well to empty the pipes in summer, we 

 would prefer allowing the water to remain, as then there is less corrosion 

 and less oxide of iron formed than if fresh water were often added. We 

 would empty the iron tank, scrape off the rust, and well paint the inside. 

 A little oxide of iron, however, will not injure Vines or plants, but an 

 excess would tell on tender roots. If you expose the water for twenty- 

 four hours previous to use, add a spadeful of quicklime for a rather large 

 tank, and allow it to settle for that time ; you will find the most of tha 

 rust will be precipitated to the bottom. 



Aeutilon Wintering {S. IF.).— The Abutilons are not hardy, though 

 A. striatum is nearly so, succeeding in sheltered situations agamst a 

 south wall. The species you name we do not know. Passiflora cardinalis 

 does not generally succeed in a conservatory, but requires a stove. We 

 think it is from cold and too much moistore that the leaves are spotted. 

 Keep the plant drier at the roots. It may do better another season. 



Dividing Arabis and Cerastium {S. A.). — Now is a good time to 

 divide the Arabis and Cerastium if the soil is light, but if it is wet and 

 heavy spring is preferable. Beta chilensis now in pots may be planted 

 out, and it will survive the winter as well as Beetroot. Coprosma 

 Baueriaua variegata is not hardy, though it is likely it would succeed 

 out of doors in dry soils and warm situations. 



Housing CHRYSANTHEiiuiis [A Young Amateur). — The Chrysanthe- 

 mums should be taken into the house before frost, in general about the 

 second or third week in October. They will continue to flower up to 

 January. Hyacinths that were flowered in pots last year are not of much 

 value for flowering this winter, and we would plant them out now in the 

 open borders, covering the crown with li to 2 inches deep of soil. If you 

 continue them in pots they will probably do fairly, but they will not bloom 

 nearly so well as fresh bulbs, and the best time to repot them is the 

 present. Camellias and Azaleas should be placed under glass without 

 delay, and if they require repotting it may then be done, but it is perhaps 

 best to repot them immediately after flowering. This, however, is a good 

 I time when the spring potting has been neglected, and the plants are in 



small pots and need a shift. 

 j Temperature fob PHORMruM tenax Veitchianum {Capella).— It 

 requires a greenhouse temperature, or 40° to 45" from fire heat. 



Plant for Greenhouse Back Wall (A. A.)— The back wall of your 

 greenhouse facing east will be suitable for a Camellia, providing the wall 

 to the south is not of greater height than the greenhouse ; if so, we fear 

 the wall would shade the house so as to deprive it of too much solar heat. 

 If there is a chance of a Vine succeeding on the rafters, there is no doubt 

 of a Camellia succeeding well against the wall, providing a proper border 

 be formed, r^-.nd the bedding plants on the sta^e be not allowed to cover 

 the foliage of the Camellia. 



Heating with Hot-watee {TT. i?.-4rm.stronp).— The plan may be made 

 to work with several air-pipes, but even then not very satisfactorily. It 

 is always best to have the flow-pipe higher than the top of the boiler. 



Wasps in a Vinery (R. W, r.).— Sulphur cannot be burned in any 

 house to destroy insect life without injuring every plant having leaves 

 there. You may exclude wasps from the vinery by nailing over the open- 

 ings hexagon netting, putting it on inside, and so as to work clear of the 

 lights. In addition to this we half fill a few dozen soda-water or lemonade 

 bottles with beer, the stronger the better, as they are attracted by its 

 smell, and, being very fond of it, drown themselves. They care nothing 

 for Grapes with us so long as there is plenty of beer for them to drown, 

 in. When the smell of the beer passes away the wasps are slow of enter- 

 ing, therefore empty occasionally and replace with fresh. 



Insects in Frames (A Trouble). — We cannot, from your description* 

 form any idea of what the insect is. It cannot be thrips, as it does not 

 attack at the surface of the soil. It is probably one of the small mites 

 that are abundant where there is decaying vegetable matter. Dusting 

 with quicklime will drive them away. 



Caterpillar (Miss J. M.). — It is the larva of the Privet Hawk-moth, 

 Sphinx ligustri. Not uncommon. 



Name of Insect (E. S.). — The moth you enclosed is the Sphinx Con- 

 volvuli, or Bindweed Hawk-Moth. It is uncommon. We cannot be sure 

 what the other moth is which you mention ; probably it is the Sphinx 

 Ligustri, or Pivet Hawk-Moth. 



Names of Fruits {John Ormandy).—!, Scarlet Leadington ; 2, Ravels- 

 ton Pippin. {G. J. C.).~lt looks like Black Prince, but we cannot name 

 Grapes with certainty from a few berries. {W. Morgan). — Beurre de 

 Capiaumont. (C. F.).— The Plum is the Goliath. {A. 0. i;.).—2, Beurre 

 Diel ; 3, Nouveau Poiteau ; 4, Louise Bonne of Jersey. 



Names op Plants (J. T.). — We have repeatedly given notice that we 

 can only name six specimens fro.m one correspondent at the same time. 

 We have also said we cannot name from leaves only. You have sent 

 more than twenty specimens, and many of leaves only. If you will 

 select six flowering plants and send fresh specimens we will name 

 them. {Oswell). — Vallota purpurea; sometimes called the Scarborough 

 Lily. {C. A. J.).— Your plants are, no doubt, seedlings (self-sown), 

 of Physalis Alkekengi, the Winter Cherrv. It is a plant of annual 

 duration only, dying in the winter. As to the Cuphea, we do not con- 

 sider it by any means unusual for it to sow its teeds. {A. W.). — The 

 very interesting plant you send is the Juanulloa parasitica of Ruiz and 

 Pavon, a charming plant, a native of Peru, where it is considered a great 



