32 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTtJEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ January 12, 1871. 



general searoity of water. As the snn shone brightly for a time 

 on the 6th, we were glad to give a peep of light to Violets, Cal- 

 ceolaria outtingg, andEadishesin cold pits that had had scarcely 

 a peep of light for a fortnight. Some things rather tender, or 

 where there were the least signs of the frost, were left with a 

 slight coTering all day, so as to become gradually inured to the 

 fnl! light, as aUnded to last week. Thanks to a little litter 

 which we saved from stable dnng in summer, the frost has done 

 ns but little injury as yet, for the most forward Cabbages, &a., 

 were protected by snow. 



EITCHE?; GABDEy. 



Here work was reduced to a minimum, as beyond wheeling 

 nothing could be done. A little litter was shaken over Broccoli 

 as the Euow began to move off, to keep the heads from the sun 

 until they were thoroughly thawed. Xoung Cauliflowers were 

 not uncovered until Saturday. Forward Lettuces a little 

 frosted will have comparative darkness until the beginning of 

 the week. The excessive frost taught us also the importance 

 of looking before us. We should have liked to have taken up 

 for the Mushroom house more Sea-kale, Rhubarb, Asparagus, 

 &c., but the ground was too hard to permit of this being done 

 with anything like justice to the roots. We generally keep 

 some taken up well covered in a cool place, to be taken for use 

 as needed ; but the winters on the whole have lately been so 

 mild that we neglected to have much in reserve, and we should 

 have felt it if the weather had continued a fortnight or three 

 weeks longer, which would have been nothing strange in the 

 years of our boyhood. In another year we shall most likely 

 have more in reserve. If we can obtain a supply in the begin- 

 ning of the week we shall not sufier anything. 



We have mentioned Asparagus above, as if for growing in a 

 darkish SInshrcom house. We do not generally do so, as for 

 roots taken up to force we prefer a bos with a slight hotbed 

 beneath it, so that the young shoots may be alike tender and j 

 green from the fuU light enjoyed. But frequently we have had 

 fine Asparagus by placing the roots on heat in a Mushroom 

 house or other dark place, cutting them when of the proper 

 size, then setting them in a saucer with just a little water 

 at the bottom, packed in damp moss for 2 inches of their height, 

 and exposing the top to full light for two or three days in a 

 house averaging from 50° to 55° or 60' in temperature. The 

 tops thus treated become nice and green. It is a mistake in 

 forcing Asparagus to give cold air, or otherwise greatly to cool 

 the grass, even to green it, as such treatment has a tendency 

 to make even very good Asparagus hard and stringy. 



FECIT GAKDES. 



We have done little out of doors except frightening birds 

 from the buds of fruit trees, but in bad weather we proceeded 

 with pruning and washing frees sni walls in the orchard house, 

 having much of such work still in reserve. We first of all 

 syringe the glass, woodwork, and trees with warm water with a 

 little soap in it, the water averaging 180° to 200° ; then we 

 draw the brush or cloth over the glass and woodwork, and 

 syringe again, driving the water as well as we can into every 

 crevice and opering. Such washing we resort to as a means of 

 prevention, as we in general are put to little expense afterwards 

 in the way of destroying insects. We shall have enough of 

 such work and cleaning for many a wet and boisterous day for 

 six weeks. 



OKNAJtEyTAL DEPAKTITENT. 



In moving tender plants we had to use boxes and baskets 

 covered to cany them through the open air. We have pre- 

 nared some places for propagating, seed- sowing, and potting. 

 We are furnishing our fruit houses with strong new wooden 

 stages, of which more anon. Houses have been kent low vrhen 

 the weather was dull, and all extra moisture avoided. Camellias 

 and Azaleas coming on had warm water given to them, and all 

 watering was given with water a little warmed. The chief work 

 on the 6th and 7th was washing the glass and walls of corridors. 

 Beautiful as the snow is in its whiteness, it seems to bring with 

 it almost everything that is dirty and smoke-begrimed in the 

 atmosphere. Stone pathways in arcades, the exposed walls of 

 corridors painted of a light colour, and glass at all exposed 

 with flat roofs, all looked as if a sweep's bag had been pulled 

 over them when damp. All were brushed with warmed, weak, 

 soap water, then with clean water, and the stones well scrubbed 

 with sand, and the efltect was most cheering. 



Even on the score of cleanliness and freedom from soot- 

 encrustations it is of importance in new places so to arrange 

 the houses at once that one chimney at a little distance from 

 the houses, and where it can be concealed, should be used 

 instead of several or many. In old places, where a glass house 



has been added here and another there on different levels, and 

 on no definite plan, it is difficult and expensive to secure these 

 advantages, and in many cases the disadvantages must be put 

 up with. In a few cases in flat-roofed houses, after the snow 

 has left its distilled matter behind it, some of the outside glass, 

 gnite clean in the autumn, looks as if a soot-brush had passed 

 over it. Such matters must wait for the present. — B. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



William Paul, Waltiam Cross. London, N. — Select List of Vege- 

 table, Flotrer, and Farm Seeds. Gladioli, £c. 



Dick Eadclyffe & Co., 129. High Holbom, London, 'W.C.—Sprinff 

 Cataloe/iie of VegetahU, Agricultural, and Flower Seeds, &c. 



Arthur Henderson & Co., Pine Apple Place, Maida Tale, London, W. 

 — Catalogue of Kitclten Garden, Farm, and Flov:er Seeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Bodes iWcll-ichhev). — You must consult the cata^o^es of tlie British 

 Museum for "all" the books on Orchids. You can have the "Orchid 

 llauual" free by post from our omce if you enclose thirty -two postage 

 stamps with your address. Williams's " Orc'nid-Grower'a Manual " is cs., 

 and can be obtained through any bookseller. 



GiEDESEES' Evi-irrsATioss (G. W. C ).— Write to James Richards, Esq., 

 Royal Horticultural Society, South EensiuErton, W., and he witl give you. 

 the necessary information. Or you may apply to the Secretary of the 

 Society of Arts, Adelphi, and he will inform you the nearest place to von 

 where you can go up for an examination. You can be esimined either 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society or the Society of Arts. 



YiErocs ' Tlios. Wilson).— Hhe King Apple of Lancashire and Yorkshire 

 yon will find mentioned in Host's '•'Pomology" and " Fruit Manual " 

 under the name of VTarner's Kinfj. The baking Apple is Toker's In- 

 comparable. The defect which you compUin of in the Black Alicante Vine 

 will be remedied by age. We cannot suggest anything better for arrest- 

 ing the extension of the Birch branches than that which you have 

 adopted, except that you mifjht take out some of the longer branches at 

 the same time that you curtail the roots. This might be done without 

 disfiguring the outhne of the tree. 



Prize foe SxEiWEESsiEs at tht: Oxfoed Exhieition {T. Elcome). — 

 If the prize was offered by the Royal Horticultural Society, writs to Mr. 

 Richards, Assistant Secretary, Royal Horticultural Society's offices. 

 South Kensington, London- If it was a local prize, write to the Secre- 

 tary of the Oxford Horticultural Society. 



Teee-boeixg Cateepillaes [J. Green). — They are the larvfe of the 

 Goat Moth (Cossus ligniperdal. When the existence of one of these 

 creatures is detected in the trunk of a tree by its excrement, relief 

 comes too late for the tree, even if wo are able to kill the caterpillar, the 

 mischief being already done. Notwithstanding this, the caterpillar 

 should never be left undisturbed, and an attempt should be made to 

 reach it by enlarging the opening with a g.arden knife, or endeavouring 

 to kill it by thrusting a piece of pointed wire up the hole. It is called 

 the Goat Moth from the peculiar smell both of the insect and its larva. 



Pi>t: Apple (TF. WaUon). — Our correspondent wishes for information 

 respecting a variety called Prince Albert, the usual weight, quality, and 

 if best in summer or winter. 



GsBANiriis Feosted (Kovice). — At present we would only cut away the 

 frosted parts, deferring cutting down until thev were beginning to grow ; 

 or prune them at the beginning of March, and encourage growth with a 

 gentle heat. 



WATEBI^■G WITH HOT Watep. (D. M.). — It is advisable to water plants 

 with water somewhat warmer than the temperature in which they are 

 growing in order to prevent checks, which are apt to result from using 

 water colder than th« house. Beyond this there is no advantage in 

 using water warmer than the atmosphere — it stimulates the roots ; but 

 watering with warm water may be carried too far, as it is evident that 

 though the hot water may for a time excite the roots to growth, it falls to 

 the temperature of the house, and though not so immediate in its effects, 

 the chill is quite as disastrous as watering with water which is too cold. 

 In a house at 55-, we consider 75^ too high a temperattlre for the water ; 

 55- to 6j- would be quite high enough, and in no case would we use water 

 higher by 5' than the mean of the house, or that of the be 1 the pots may- 

 be grown in or on. We have known Pine-Apple plants in a hothed of tan 

 suppliedwith water at 65", whilst the pots were plunged in a hotbed where 

 the temperature at 1 foot deep was 90", in effect lihe a fall of snow at 

 midsummer. 

 I FrrroxiA aegtboseusa Shoots Dytsg {Tdf^m). — ^We think it is caused 

 by the plants being grown in a variable temperature. It may also be a 

 • result of cold air in combination with an excess of moisture. Apart fron> 

 j that we consider it is mainly due to the low temperature. The tempera- 

 1 ture ought to average 60" at this season, and especially as the plant i3 

 hut young. 



Treatment op Bedding Pelargoniums — Forcing Eitlbs (A Seojch 

 Gardener), — We have no donbt your treatment answers your purpose, but 

 we do not see any necessity for first placing three or four plants in a pot, 

 and this month shaking them out and potting singly, then encouraging 

 growth lor a few weeks. We think they would be better potted ofiT singly 

 at first, bv which means you would save the labour of the first potting 

 and shaking out. which latter is attended with the loss of any newly- 

 formed fibres. We have known a good display of bloom from antumn- 

 struck bedding Geraniums ; but we prefer keeping all the old plants we 

 can, as they bloom earlier and more profusely than cuttings of the pre- 

 vious autumn. The treatment of the bulbs could not have been better. 

 For early flowering they should be potted much earUer than the 2Gth of 

 October ; indeed, we would pot in September at the latest for blooming 

 at Christmas and the New Year, and afl'ord them a month, or, better, sil 

 weeks to form roots before being introduced into heat. Both Hyacinths 

 and Tiilips m.ay be successfully forced from October, but the bnlbs must 



