November 16, 1S71. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



383 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 ■week. 



Books (Tlwrnhill). — Gordon's "Pinetnm" and Sapplement is the book 

 you wish for. 



OuE V0LTT3IE3 (T. E. Jones).—Thej end the last Thursday in Jnne and 

 December, and an index is soon after published for each six-months 

 volume. 



Seeduxg Fuchsia {E. H., Bournemouth),— T^he Fuchsia, we think, hag 

 some merit, as far as we could judge from the bloom, which was very 

 much withered. Why not send it to the Floral Committee of the Eoyal 

 Horticultural Society ? 



Parsnips (tT". J>.).— We do not know the wholesale price, and we never 

 recommend dealers. In Kelly's Directory is a list of Covent Garden 

 salesmen. 



Seedling Coleus (G. E.). — The leaves are ricb-coloured and the 

 beading of green good ; but there are such legions of these varieties now 

 —some very like yours— that we fear it would not be remunerative to 

 expend money about it. 



Stove Boilee (J. P.). — The 80-inch boiler will heat your house amply, 

 but we have no fuith in your doing so by having, according to your plan, 

 yonr boiler above the ground, first raising your pipes, and then at once 

 sinking them below the level of the bottom of the boiler. For an open- 

 topped boiler the pipes may be level with, but not below, the part that 

 comes directly from the boiler. To make your plan answer you would 

 require to have air-pipes at all the bends, and then there would always be a 

 risk. It is quite as natural for hot-water to rise as for hot air to do so. It 

 is always nnadvisabletotake any hot-water pipe, even a return one, below 

 the level of the buttom of the boiler. For such a house you would want 

 four4-incb pipes in the front of the house, besides a flow a^d return at each 

 end, or three pipes all round except the back. Your sinking the boiler 

 erough outside, or even inside to be fed from the outside, would save all 

 difficulties ; and then we would have a sboit chimney ontside instead of 

 taking an iron tube inside across the gable end of the house. That alone 

 would most hkely prove a. fertile source of trouble as respectsred spider. 



Writing or Engraving on Glass iA Yomig Gardiner). — The following, 

 which we extract from " The Mechanics' Magazine," seems as if written 

 by anticipation for yon. " M. i. Wilbaux finds that words and designs 

 may be printed on glass by the use of t^-pe made of any suitable elastic 

 material. The printing ink contains, however, fluoride of calcium incor- 

 porated with i^, and when the glass which has been thas printed on is 

 submitted to the action of hot sulphuric acid, sulphate of lime is formed, 

 and hydrofluoric acid set free, which immediately attacks the glass in 

 the place of its birth. On subsequently washing off the ink stains, &c,, 

 the design is found to have been beautifully etched upon ihe plate." 



Garden of Eden (Querist). — No certainty has been arrived at as to 

 its locality, consequently it cannot be told whither Adam jourQeyed. 

 Onr correspondent sdds— " An English writer says in his advice to young 

 married women, 'that their mother Eve married a gardener.' It might 

 be added that the gardener, in consequence of the match, lost his 

 situation." 



Evergreen Shrubs (C. S. JT.)*— You should have said how many 

 kinds you need, for they are numerous. We will name about a dozen- 

 Arbutus Unedo, Aucuba japonica, Berberis Aquifolium and Darwinii, 

 Buddlea globosa, Laurel, Portugal Laurel, Cotoneaster. Crataegus Pyra- 

 cantha, Escallonias, Xalmia latifolia, Laufustinus, and Rhododendrons. 

 Blace Bess Strawberry. — We are informed that it is the same as 

 Empress Eugenie. 



Glass for Yinert {J. S.). — Had your house been for flowering plants, 

 we would have said, Have ribbed shaded glass for the roof, and clear glass 

 for the front. For Yines and fruit trees we would say, Decidedly use 

 clear 21-oz. g'ass, or heavier if you do not mind the expense. 



Window Plants [G. C).— We do not think anything would suit your 

 window better, after Chrysanthemums, than the yellow-flowered Cytisas 

 racemosus, or for a duarf, Cyti&us Attleeanus. A compact plant in the 

 centre, with blue and red Hyacinths on each side, would look very well. 

 Coronilla glauca also blooms well in a window ; the flowers are yellow. 

 Early Cmerarias also do well if the leaves are frequently damped, and if 

 merely kept from frost. Both the Cytisus and the Coronilla would re- 

 quire to be lifted from the window in severe frost. As a hardy plant, no 

 fire, being used, you might have a good-sized variegated Holly, an Aucuba, 

 or even a Laurustinus that would bloom all the winter. 



Orchard House, Position, &c. (^T. B. Jones). — From the ground being 

 occupied by tree roots which you cannot move, you may grow the fruit 

 trees in pots, setting the latter on slates or tiles, otherwise the roots 

 would be apt to interfere with the pots. Such a house, even though 

 receiving little direct sun after two o'clock, but heated with hot water, 

 would be better for Grapes in pots than a more exposed span-roofed house 

 that had no heating, as in some seasons the Grapes do not ripen well 

 when merely under ^lass, though much may be done with abundance of 

 sunshine, and shutLing the ventilators early. For Peaches, Nectarines, 

 Cherries, Plums, &c., we should prefer the span-roofed house with the 

 sides facing east and west, and the ends north and south, even with no 

 heating j and if we placed Yines in pots there, we would make a division 

 and have them by themselves, so that we could treat them a little dif- 

 ferently as respects ventilation as soon as growth had fairly commenced. 

 If yon decide on having your new house in line with the present green- 

 house, and if the pipes in the new house would run in the same line and 

 level, you may easily continue your pipes in the orchard house, but the 

 latter will not be quite so warm as the former. Agiin, though by 

 having the circulation in the greenhouse complete, and the addition 

 made by valves, you could then heat the greenhouse without heating the 

 orchard house, you cann'-.t heat the orchard house without first heating 

 the greenhouse. Your case is similar to that alluded to in the second 

 column, page 3f 6, and all the difficulty would be avoided if your boiler 

 had been placed between the two houses. It is always well to be able to 

 heat each house separately. Thus you might wish to give more heat to 

 the Vines when in bloom, and again to perfect the ripening, when heat 

 would not be at all wanted in a common greenhouse. You might, it is 

 true, neutralise the extra heat in either case by extra ventilation ; but 

 this involvea extra expense for fuel. With your present arrangement, 



if we did not continue the heating in the orchard house, we would 

 leave the greenhouse heating just as it is, only on the flow-pipe, as near 

 the boiler as convenient, we would cut the pipe so as to fix a valve to 

 open or shut at pleasure. On the top of the boiler we would fix another 

 flew-pipe 1 inch in diameter, provide that too with a valve or stop-cock, 

 take that small pipe through the greenhouse, and join it to the pipes in 

 the orchard bouse by cap, blank socket, or blank spigot. Yon would thus 

 have only the extra small pipe passing through the greenhouse, and with 

 that exception you could heat each house separately. One thing, how- 

 ever, you must ever bear in mind— namely, never to put a fire on without 

 opening the valve of one of the two flow-pipes, or you will have an ex- 

 plosion. If these matters should be deemed too troublesome, we would 

 advise growing some pot Vines iu your present greenhouse, and making 

 your new house, where you say it will have all the sun possible, as that 

 we think will be best for everything except the Yines. 



Austrian Pine (C. H.). — The Austrian Pine requires to be protected, 

 from sheep until it is sufficiently grown to be out of their reach 

 London dung can be procured from all the London railway stations, and 

 on application to the master at any of the stations the information as to 

 price and carriage can be obtained. 



New Plcm (A Green Plum). — We would recommend you in preference 

 to grow the Transparent Gage. It is a fine fruit. 



Pruning PTRAinoAL Fruit Trees (W. FrodsJtam). —If your pyramid 

 fruit trees have made vigorous young shoots, we would shorten them to 

 about two-thirds of their length, and if too thickly placed thin them out. 

 Cut the shoot at an outside bud, so that the leading shoot which will 

 grow from the top bud will take an outward direction. For pyramid 

 trees summer pinching and pruning are best, as they induce fruitlulness. 

 All the pruning that Gooseberry bushes require is to regulate the young 

 shoots by thinning them out where crossing each other, and cutting the 

 ends of those that remain. 



Treatsient of Dendroeiusi FORiiosuii (C. M. If.).— There can be 

 no doubt that this plant is epiphytal, though it succeeds admirably 

 as a pot plant like most others of the same genus. The pots are 

 filled to two-thirds of their depth with crocks, over which should be 

 placed a mixture of chopped sphagnum, fibrous peat, lumps of charcoal, 

 and a little silver sand, with crocks, the whole compressed firmly and 

 rising well above the rim. Let the roots of the plant alone be covered 

 with the compost, when it is as much at home as if it were growing on 

 the trunk of a iree. Being a native of Nepal and Moulmein it does not 

 require a very high temperature, and will, indeed, grow in a warm vinery 

 — an admirable place for a great slumber of Orchids. If the plant is iu 

 good health and in good growth, place it in a house with a temperature 

 of 45^ to 5y. and from now until March give only a sprinkling of water 

 betimes to keep the pseudo-bulb from shrivelling no. In March joxl 

 may put it in a vinery with a temperature of from SO'^ to 55^, increasing 

 in a few weeks to 60'^ at night, and also sprinkle it overhead every morn- 

 ing for the first fortnight, when it will start into flower and afterwards 

 into new growth. It should now be encouraged with moisture to make 

 a good growth, and on that being completed and the bulbs being firra^ 

 keep it dry and moderately warm, but try to obtain a complete maturation 

 by exposure to light and air. The flowers come from the base of the old 

 leaves, and each pseudo-bulb will produce fresh leaves and a new pseudo- 

 bulb from its base, or sometimes from other parts. 



A3IERICAN Cranbeeet Cultuee (F. £.).— The treatment you describe 

 yourself to have given your plants ought to have had a difi"erent result, 

 but we fear you erred in the question of soil, and also with regard to the 

 water in the ditches, which need not be very deep. Though peat is in- 

 sisted on by some cultivators, it does well in a compost of equal parts 

 turfy peat, leaf soil, and sandy fibrous loam. It may be planted in single 

 rowa in beds 4 feet in width, and the same distance apart, water being 

 made to circulate a foot below the surface of the beds in a small ditch 

 between. The position should be southerly, and not shaded by overhang- 

 ing trees, and a top-dressing of decayed leaves and sandy peat should be 

 applied every November. Our correspondent wishes to know if any of 

 our readers cultivate this plant, what is their estimate of it as a frait- 

 bearing bush, and what their mode of treatment. 



Mediterranean Heath, Peopagation (A Subscriber).— Take cuttings 

 of the young shoots when their bases are rather firm, and stripping; 

 off "the leaves from half the length of the cutting, and paring its base 

 smooth, insert them round the sides of a pot clear of each other. The 

 pot should be first filled half its depth wita drainage and a little rough 

 peat, and then to within three-quarters of an inch of the rim with very 

 fine sandy peat, the whole being covered up to the rim with silver sand ; 

 water gently and press firm. After standing a few hoiurs put in the 

 cutiings. and place them in a cold house or pit covered with a hand or bell- 

 glass. Keep close and moist, shading so as to lessen the necessity for 

 watering, and when the cuttings have struck, as you may know by their 

 growing, admit air gi'aduaUy. Pot them off when weirhardened, and 

 keep them in a cool house or pit over the winter, planting out in the 

 spring. They may also be wintered in the cutting-pots, and planted out 

 in spring after being weU hardened. 



Vine Teaksplanting (Amateur). — Your Vine which has been growing 

 out of doers for six or seven years should not be moved until March. 

 In the meantime have the border well drained, taking out the soil if not 

 of a light sandy nature, and placing over the drain rubble 9 inches to 

 1 foot deep, covering the whole with 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet of turfy light 

 loam, mixed with lime rubbish and a few half-inch bones. H the soil is 

 light and sandy it will not be necessary to do more than drain the border ; 

 or if the ground is dry, not even the lime rubbish and bones will be 

 required. The width of border you name will answer well for one Vine. 



Coleuses Winteeing (Idem). — They should be protected and have a 

 temperature of from 45^ to 50^ by fire heat, being watered only when they 

 become dry, and then moderately. They suffer most from damp and 

 cold. Young plants winter more safely than old plants, and are better 

 every way. We put in cuttings early in September, and have them now 

 compact bushes in H-inch pots in acool stove. They are extremely usefui 

 for decorative purposes, and endure a dry atmosphere very welL 



Naites of Fruits (F. S. Milham).—!, Beurre Clairgeau ; 2, Northern 

 Spy; S.Birmingham Pippin; 4, English Codlin ; 5, Scarlet Leadington. 

 (C. C. £.).— Nouveau Poiteau. (J. Green).— BmilQ d'fieyst. 



Naiees of Plants {J. P.).— Spindle Tree, Euonymus europasus. (T. L. 

 jUai/oj.— 1, Pteris eerrulata ; 2, Pelltea hastata ; S, Nephrolepis exaltata; 



