November 2, 1871. ] 



JOUKNAL OP HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



345 



advice given to cut down and remove the haulm as soon as 

 afiected, have suffered little in comparison with those who let 

 matters take their chance. We noticed a quantity of Potatoes 

 the other day that were raised from a field in the dry weather, 

 and the bad ones that were seen were left. They looked then 

 as housed a clean sample, but the other day they appeared as 

 if they had come out of a mud hole ; so many had become 

 diseased and rotten as to make those look bad that remained 

 aound. When such things are apprehended it is well to keep 

 the Potatoes in thin layera, and, if much space cannot be given, 

 to mix the layers liberally with dry earth and charcoal refuse. 

 Though there has been a great outcry as to the extent of the 

 disease, our conviction is that as yet it is rather made the most 

 of ; but as we are never sure in cold wet summers, and especi- 

 ally rich ground, it will be wise for all having but a small space 

 of ground to plant chiefly early short-topped kinds. During 

 the summer we heard glowing accounts of a magnificent new 

 &ind ; the owner said the stems were then 4 feet in length. We 

 have since been told that he has not had a sound Potato from 

 the late giant-growing kind. The owner could not have appro- 

 priated above a few poles to Potatoes, and how much more 

 prudent it would have been for him to have grown two or three 

 arows of a good early kind instead of one row of this giant late 

 one, all late kinds being more liable to disease than early ones. 

 Rhubarb, Asparagus, and Sea-kale. — Cleaned the most of 

 these, and especially the latter, as the mice had begun on their 

 crowns. We should have done something in regard to forcing 

 some or all of these if we had had more tree leaves to afiord a 

 little heat. Besides thjdse purposes we want slight hotbeds 

 now for many purposes, and when we are short of material we 

 must make the most of it. 



FKCII EEPAETMENT. 



We mulched bush fruit trees, which have borne fairly, 

 though not so well as last year. A heavy mulching given now 

 generally disappears during the summer, but it encourage sur- 

 face-rooting and an abundant production of fruit buds. Com- 

 menced pruning and cleaning in our early Peach house, which 

 after this will be filled with boxes of bedding plants, at present 

 under various kinds of protection. We have been obliged to 

 keep plants in our earliest vineries, but hope to relieve them 

 before long. The latest vinery we keep as dry as possible, with 

 ■few plants in it. A little firing and air should be given during 

 the day, and a little air all night. As yet we have had no 

 damping, though the rain finds its way in at some places in 

 the sides of the sashes. We cleared out a bed of ripening 

 Melons, thinking they would complete their ripening as well in 

 a warm place, and we thus set some lights at liberty. In the 

 orchard house our last Peaches were used on October ■24th, and 

 there is nothing eatable in it, except a few Plums. 



OKNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



With the exception of prominent places, we wait until the 

 bulk of the leaves come down, unless we want them to 

 help to give us some heat. We lately mentioned placing two 

 •cuttings of the white-leaved Centaurea in a small pot with 

 a piece of slate between them, and setting them in a cold pit. 

 These, after standing a fortnight, were plunged to the rim in a 

 ■quickly-made hotbed, and in another fortnight or three weeks 

 were well rooted, and will stand wherever they will not be too 

 damp nor too cold. A later lot of cuttings, passing through the 

 same cool process, were plunged in a similar bed the other day, 

 and will, no doubt, strike as well. We have taken up a few 

 fine bushy plants of Ageratums and Calceolarias, put them for 

 early blooming in large pots, and plunged these in a mild 

 bottom heat, whilst the tops are kept cool. Free flowering in 

 winter and early in spring will depend on fresh active roots 

 being quickly made after potting. The more tender variegated 

 G-eraniums, put in small pots separately, received similar treat- 

 ment, as we wished to retain at least a portion of the foliage. 

 The fresh roots soon reach the edges of the pots under these 

 conditions. We have frequently told how to keep the various 

 Scarlets in the smallest compass without any such help. Late 

 cuttings have also been the better of such assistance, so that 

 they may root before the days become shorter and darker. 

 Verbenas we have not grown largely lately ; we wish to grow 

 them a little more, but the beds were so full of bloom buds 

 that we could scarcely get what we considered fair cuttings 

 early, and are putting in a number in small pots now, and 

 these would do no good without a mild sweet heat beneath 

 them. Of Calceolaria cuttings we have put iu a fair portion in 

 a cold pit in fresh soil, lightened with road drift, and covered 

 with drift sand sifted fine. We place them 1 inch apart in 



rows 2 inches row from row, and even when put in so thickly 

 they take up a large space. Potting, regulating, and general 

 routine has been the same as in previous notices. — K. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset. — Catalogue of Gladioli. 

 F. &A. Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastj^ate Street, and Upton Nurseries, 

 Chester. — Descnptive Catalogue of Hoses ami HoUijliOclcs. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questiona must remain imanswered until next 

 ■week. 



Books (ff. B. C.).— If you enclose fivepostaiie stamps with yoar address 

 and order " Flower Gardening," you can have it free by post from our 

 office, aa yon also can '* Greenhouses," for seven stamps. Do not despise 

 them because cheap. {Ignoramus). — We know of no books such as you 

 name. There is no special art of procuring variegited plants known to 

 the Chinese. Brent's little volume on " The Canary," contains drawings 

 uucoloured of the varieties. You can have it post free from our office if 

 you enclose nineteen postage stamps with your address. {Q. H. C). — 

 " Wild Flowers " are published in shilling monthly parts containing eight 

 coloured portraits of our native flowers. You can have a part free by post 

 if you enclose Is. Id. with your address. {Molestm). — The " Cottage Gar- 

 deners' Dictionary " will suit you. 



Market-Gardening {E.H. G.).— We regret that we cannot give you 

 the information you seek. The notes were extracted from the last num- 

 ber of the Royal Agricultural Society's Journal. A letter directed to 

 Mr. W. W. Glenny, Market Gardener, Earkiag, Esses, would reach him. 



Twelve Dessert Apples {An Amateur). — The following will ripen in 

 succession during the autumn and winter :— Blenheim Pippin, Court of 

 Wick, Margil, Cockle Pippin, Nonpareil, Pitmaston Nonpareil, Sturmer 

 Pippin, Wyken Pippin, Claygate Pearmain, Cornish Gilliflower, Court- 

 Pendu-Plat, and Pine-Apple Kusset. 



Seedling Apple (T. B. Mosiei/).— Your seedling Apple from the Blen- 

 heim Pippin is ^ood, but not so much so as many other varieties already 

 in cultivation. 



President Strawberry ( W. E.).~l% is an excellent variety for forcing 

 or an early crop out of doors, and a good market kind .> 



Strawberry Blace Bess (J. 2*.).— We never heard of a variety so 

 named. As you speak so very highly of it, we will have it tested if you 

 send us a few plants. 



Trees and Shrubs not Thriving {J. W. JIT.).— We think the cause 

 of the plants not thriving is the bad preparation of the ground, and the 

 dry character of the stony subsoil. We should have trenuhed the ground 

 deeply, and have kept down all weeds for at least three years. In ground 

 which is well prepared trees will make as much progress in three years 

 as they would do in sis years in that which is not in good order for plant- 

 ing. Clear the ground of the Couch Grass as you propose, and fill-up 

 the blanks with Berberis Aquifolium, double-flowering Furze, oval-leaved 

 Privet, tree Bos, common Yew and Laurel, Snowberry, Weigela, Lilac, 

 and Sweet Briar. The Rhododendrons will not thrive in such a soil, 

 neither will the Birch and Poplar. Keep down all weeds for the nest 

 three years. If the situation be sheltered add Laurustinus (the black- 

 leaved would be sure to thrive), and the Red-berried Elder. 



Vegetables {Amaiexit Gardener). — Varieties of Broccoli to come into 

 use in October and November are Early White Cape, Grange's Cauli- 

 flower, and Walcheren, sowing in the third week of May. Those to come 

 in during Febraary and March are Backhouse's Winter White Protect- 

 ing, Veitch's Spring White, and Dilcock's Bride, sowing in the third week 

 of April ; those to come into use in May and June are Cattell's Eclipse, 

 Emperor, ani Lander's Gosben Late White, sowing at the same time as 

 the last. Canlijlowers for October and November are Walcheren, Stadt- 

 holder, and Veitch's Autumn Giant, sowing in the third week in May, 

 but we do not know of any to come in in February and March. For May 

 and June, Early London and Walcheren, sowing in the third week of 

 August, and in October pricking out under hand-glasses or frames, and 

 planting out in April. You say nothing of the supply for August and 

 September, but we advise for this purpose an early sowing in March on a 

 gentle hotbed, pricking-off when large enough, and hardening-ofi' when 

 ready. Sow out of doors earlv in April, and again at the close of the month ; 

 also from the 20lh to the 24th of May, sow Dwarf Erfurt, Asiatic, and 

 Stadtholder. For Celery to come in during October and November, BOW 

 Sandringham Dwarf White, and Ivery's Nonsuch in the tirst week of 

 March ; for February and March sow two weeks later, and for a later 

 supply in the first week of April, employing the varieties above named. 

 Onions, White Spanish, Reading, Brown Spanish, Deptford, Brown Globe, 

 and James's Keeping; and for late keeping, Blood Rv3d, sowing as early 

 in March as the ground is in good working order ; and sow Tripoli the 

 second week in August, transplanting in spring. Cabbages.Sow Atkins's 

 Matchless, Cattell's Reliance, and Wheeler's Imperial in the first week of 

 July; and in the first week of August, Battersea, Nonpareil Improved, 

 Enfield Market, and Red Dutch. Beet.— Sow Dell's Crimson at the end 

 of April. Potatoes.— EatIj, Myatt's Prolific ; second early, Lapstone and 

 Early Osford ; late, Victoria and Red-skinned Flourball, plant early in 

 March, the end of March, and beginning of April. Carrots, for a small 

 early crop on a warm border and light soil, sow at the end of March Early 

 Snort Horn ; in the second week of April sow James's Intermediate 

 Scarlet, Altrincham, and Red Surrey, taking up early in November, and 

 storing in sand in a cool shed. Turnips.— Sow Early Snowball and Six- 

 weeks at the beginning of April, and every three weeks up to the first 

 week of August, adding Orange Jelly after April. You will find Peas fully 

 treated of in another page, — G. A. 



SEDuais c^RULEUM AND DASYPHYLLUfli FROM SEED {A Constant Sub- 

 scriber).— The former is an annual, but the latter is an herbaceous per- 

 ennial. It would be best to sow both in spring as the season is so far 

 advanced, using very sandy loam and lime rubbish; raising it well in the 

 centre of the pots, and shading so as to lessen, the necessity for very 

 frequent waterings. 



