Febraary 2, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



91 



near the glass, and dry at the roots, during the winter months. They do 

 not require much pot room, and ought not to bo repotted till after they 

 have done flowering. Give water when they begin to show their buds, and 

 do not let them want for water durint? the blooming and growing season. 

 An intermediate temperature suits them bast. Some of the Cactus tribe 

 —the Cereuses, Epiphyllums, aud others make good plants for hanging 

 baskets. 



Phal^kopsis BEAErsG Young Plants (A Reader). — All the species of 

 Phalienopsis do more or less freely produce young plants on their flower 

 spikes after they have finished blooming, P. Liiddemanniana being the 

 most prolific, and P. Schilleriana the shyest in doing so. Probably the 

 reason the latter kind so very seldom produces young plants in tbis way 

 is that the flower spikes nearly always die back soon after the flowers 

 fade, and thus there is no time for the development of any latent buds, 

 whilst the spikes of the other species live for several years. We have 

 only once seen P. Schilleriana produce a young plant in this way. 



Geranitj^i Leaves Blighted (H", A. JC.).— Your question was answered 

 two weeks since. 



Manuring a Lawn (J. W. 3/.).— Nothing would do your lawn so mach 

 good as dressing it early in March, or as soon as the ground becomes 

 thoroughly thawed, with short manure. Spread it regularly, and let it lie 

 until April; then, after a shower, rake the lawn with an iron rake — you 

 need not fear damaging the grass — and this done sow over the lawn Suck- 

 ling Clover (Trifolium minus) at the rate of 12 lbs. per acre, and your 

 soil being light and gravelly we would add 1.1 lb. Bird'sfoot Trefoil (Lotas 

 comiculatus minor). Rake over lightly after sowing, and roll well with 

 a heavy roller, but you must have the lawn in such a state that the soil 

 does not adhere to the roller. An ordinary garden roller wiU answer. 

 TTe think you will have a good lawn by the time hot weather sets in. 



Melox for Exhibition early in June (Idem). — To have Melons 

 ripe early in June we sow in the first week in February, and grow the 

 plants in a pit or house heated by hot water. In a dung hotbed, ripening 

 them at the beginning of June is very uncertain. Williams's Paradise 

 Gem is a good eaily scarlet-fleshed kind, and Meredith's Hybrid Cash- 

 mere, a fine green-fleshed variety. Plants of Show Pelargoniums for 

 exhibition early in June we should select now out of what nurserymen 

 term half specimens, which are usually two years old. 



CvCLAilEN PERSICU3I VARIETIES RAISING ( TT. 2^. N.).—'We do not SCO 



why yon should not add the Cyclamen to your greenhouse plants. It 

 will thrive admirably in such a structure as you describe, and we have 

 no doubt that by following the instructions given in this Journal by Mr. 

 Edgerton, page 24 of the number for January 12th, you will flower them 

 within twelve months. You best place for raising the seedlings will be 

 the Cucumber frame, which you start early in March, and by continuing 

 them in bottom heat you may have them In flower this time twelvemonth. 

 A packet of seed will cost from Is.Bd. to 28. 6rf., according to size. The 

 largest will be sufficient to give you several dozen plants ; we have had 

 five dozen from a 2s. 6d. packet of seed. Any of the principal seedsmen 

 could supply you with seed ; we never depart from our rule not to recom- 

 mend dealers. 



EosES IN Pots (Idem). — The soil in which you have potted your Roses 

 is just what we u?e for Tea-scented, China, and Noisette Roses in pots— 

 i.e., the top inch or inch and half of a common where the soil is a light 

 vegetable soil, half peat half loam, or something intermediate between the 

 two, adding about one-third of rotten dang. OurKoses succeed well in 

 it, and we have no doubt yours will, as the compost answers well for Gera- 

 niums. The soil you have used could not have been better. Roses in 

 pots, and especially those on their own roots, do best in a light soil. Stifi" 

 clay soils no doubt suit theBriar, but are totally unsuitable for the kinds 

 yoa name. We would not repot them again now, but give them a tria^ 



Lapageeia ROSEA IN A PoT (T. TF.).— Pot it uow, if noi already done, 

 and in what would be considered a large pot for other plants. Provide 

 efficient drainage, and use a compost of fibrous brown peat torn in 

 pieces but not sifted, adding silver sand liberally. Pot so that the setting- 

 on of the roots may be just covered with soil. Give an abundant supply 

 of water, and afford it a light, airy position in the greenhouse ; all the 

 better if shielded from the bright midday sun without resorting to arti- 

 ficial shade. Train the shoots to a flat or table-like trellis. When it is 

 growing it will require water every day. The soil must always be kept 

 moist. When growing freely it cannot have too much water. 



Celery Culture (A. B.).—To cultivate Celery successfully you must 

 sow the seed early in March in pans of rich light soil, just covering it 

 with fine soil. Place the pans in a gentle hotbed or house with a tempe- 

 rature of from 50^ to 60^. When the plants appear keep them near the 

 glass, so as to prevent drawing, and when they have made the second 

 rough leaf prick off about 2 or 3 inches apart on a slight hotbed, covering 

 the bed with about S or 4 inches of fine rich soil. Protect with a frame 

 and light if practicable; if not, use mats supported by hoops stretched 

 across the bed. The mats may be removed in mild weather, bnt should 

 remain over the plants for some time after pricking out, so as to screen 

 them from powerful sun, and at night, if frosty, the mats should be placed 

 over the plants. If in a frame the plants will need shade from bright 

 sun until established. Admit air abundantly whenever the weather is 

 mild. Harden well ofi" before planting out, and attend to watering. At 

 the epd of May or early in June they should be planted out. Make 

 trenches 15 or 18 inches wide, 4 feet apart, and 15 inches deep, and place 

 in each not less than 3 inches, and better 6 inches, of well-rotted manure. 

 Dig in the manure at the bottom of the trenches, and then fork well over 

 prior to planting, breaking the clods and mixing the manure thoroughly. 

 Plant about 9 inches apart, removing the plants with a good ball, and 

 water well at planting, and afterwards two or three times a-week if the 

 weather be dry. When the plants are growing freely copious waterings 

 of liquid manure may be given twice a-week with advantage. In earth- 

 ing-up, carefully close the stalks, so as to keep out the soil. If you wish 

 for an early crop, sow in February and grow the plants in heat; tbey 

 will be fit to plant in the trenches in May. For a late crop sow at the 

 beginning ol April, pricking out in the open air as described for those 

 sown in March, and plant out in July. We grow Sandringham White and 

 Ivery's Nonsuch, and about four other sorts, but the two named we like 

 best. The " Garden Manual " contains full instructions for Celery cul- 

 ture. It may be had post free from our office for twenty stamps. 



Cyclamen Atkinsi Seed Rowing (W. S.).— Sow l^he seed now, or not 

 later than March, place it in a gentle hotbed, pot off xhe seedlings singly 

 when large eaough to handle, return them to the hotbed, continue to 



grow them in gentle heat, and in autumn remove them to the greenhouae . 

 The treatment does not differ essentially from that of C. persicum, and 

 as you have been successful in flowering it in ten months from the seed, 

 we have no doubt you will also succeed with C. Atkinsi. The seed you 

 hove had could not have been good. Try again. We usually sow ours 

 in autumn as soon as ripe, and place the pan on a shelf in the greenhouse^ 

 for though the forcing of these plants is all the rage just now, we do not 

 think it necessary for successful treatment. It remains to be seen what 

 will be the resnlt of the forcing treatment on the plants in a few years. 

 Ours have no bottom heat in any of their stages, at least not after the 

 first year, for we do not think plants nearly hardy (some of them quite so) 

 in any way improved by a temperature greater than they naturally require. 



Orchids for Cool Conservatory (Iiecchwood).—'We have no doubt 

 the following Orchids would thrive well in the temperature you name, 

 40'-^ to 50'^ ; but tben the house must not be treated as an ordinary green- . 

 house. Such plants as Fuchsias, Geraniums, and others like to have 

 the side lights open, so that the air may blow through them, but this 

 does not suit Orchidaceous plants, for although they have plenty of wind 

 and full exposure to air in their native habitats, yet it must be remem- 

 bered that wind with us, and also our entire atmosphere, usually tend to 

 dry up moisture, but in the Orchid regions the atmosphere is heavily 

 charged with moisture. In a temperature of from 40" to 50^, the follow- 

 ing Orchids may be grown if the air be kept charged with moisture, and 

 not so much air admitted as is usual for ordinary greenhouse plants :— 

 Ada aurantiaca, Anguloa Clowesii, Arpophyllum gigauteum, Cattleya 

 cilrina, C. maxima, C. Tiianrei ; Cymbidium pendulum, Cypripediom 

 insigne, C. caricinum, C. Schlimii, C. venustum; Coelogyne cristata ; 

 C corrugata ; Bendrobinm Hillii, D. nobile, D. moniliforme, D. specio- 

 sum, D. linguffiforme ; Epidendrum ibaguense, E. vitellinum : Bnkeria 

 Skinneri, B. spectabilis ; Lielia albida, L. autumnalis, L. majalis ; Lycaste 

 Skinneri, Mesospinidium sanguineum, Odontoglossuoi Alexandrae ; 

 O. Eluntii, O. luteo-purpureum, O. grande ; Oncidium aurosum, O. bi- 

 folium, 0. nubigenum, O. Phaltenopsis ; Phajus grandifolius ; Pleione ma- 

 culata, P. lagenaria, P. Wallichii; Sophronitis grandiflora, and Zygo- 

 petalum Mackayi. 



Pine Apples with Large Crowns (Pine).~Ii is chiefly attributable 

 to weak growth, and in your case probably arising from the plants being 

 too farirom the glass ; they cannot be too close to it if the leaves do not 

 touch it. The plants are grown too close together ; give them more 

 loom, all the light possible, and plenty of air. With good, stifl', sturdy 

 plants you will obtain a greater weight of fruit from a given "space than 

 you will from one-third more plants in the same space. ATiother cause 

 of large crowns is the plants being old, for these generally have a large 

 leaf development, and afford comparatively small fruit. 



Vinery Planting (Ten-years Subscribe}-). — Wo regret you have ar- 

 ranged to plant the Vines outside. Could yon not "alter this and plant 

 them inside ? It might easily have been effected by having the front 

 wall pillared, which we think it must already be, as the border is inside 

 as well as outside. Plant inside by all means, if you can, and if you 

 cannot, we do not see the utility of your inside border. The bottom 

 being a sandy rubble there is no necessity to concrete. We apprehend 

 you do not wish for sorts that require a high temperature, bnt such as 

 succeed well with Hamburghs, which you mention. In addition to the 

 three Hamburghs you will have room for ten Vines. We should plant 

 them 3 feet apart," the end Vines 18 inches from the ends. We should 

 plant two Black Hamburgh, two Frankenthal, two Trentham Black, 

 nne Black Prince, one Buckland Sweetwater, two Foster's Whitf> Seed- 

 1 ng, one Troveren Frontignan, one Golden Champion, and one General- 

 delia Marmora. We have omitted the Muscats and late Grapes, which 

 require more heat than the preceding, and are best grown by themselves ; 

 indeed, they cannot well be grown in a miscellaneous collection. We 

 would not plant any fruiting Vines, but would have those known as 

 strong planting canes, nor would we introduce any Peaches or Apricots 

 in pots, as thev will not do well more than three years. No doubt they 

 would do well this and tke following year, if you obtain trees in a bearing 

 state. They will, of course, require to be in pots. 



Paying with Fuel, &c, (H. A. D.). — In this matter we have no ex- 

 perience. We consider it to be a bad plan to pay in milk, Potatoes, peat 

 fuel, &c. Six inches of thatch wou'd do for the sod-covered ice house. 



Orchard House Fruit Trees (C. T.).— With Peaches on the back 

 wall, we think that one cane would have been enough for each Vine. We 

 should be disposed to leave two in those cases where they were extra 

 strong and the contiguous Vines weak, until they gathered strength. Even 

 the strongest of the Vines we should never think of leaving the length of 

 the rafter. By doing so, if the wood is well ripened, you may have a lot 

 of fruit this year, but your Vines will do little good afterwards. A few of 

 the strongest we would leave half their length, the others one-third, and 

 the weakest less. A little sacrifice now with young Vines will be gain in 

 the end. A shady pit will not do for early Vines where the heat is de- 

 ficient. If the damp is too much, you must cover the hot-water tank 

 more securely. Under the circumstances the beginning of February 

 would be early enough. 



Cucumber House (T. ill.).— In reference to the Cucumber house 

 alluded to at page 55, the further information is given that the house 

 is span-roofed, that there is to be a bed on each side, that the house 

 13 to be heated by a flue, and the chief questions are, How is top and 

 bottom heat to be obtained, and whether earthenware tiles or bricks 

 would be best for use? First, then, earthenware tiles would be of 

 no use for such a purpose. You will require a good strong flue of bricks 

 all round. For such a narrow house, 8 feet wide, we would have been 

 satisfied with a bed in front, and the Iflue Agoing through that would 

 have given bottom heat to the bed, whilst the back flue would be for 

 top heat. For such a purpose we would make the first 6 feet of the flue 

 from the furnace brick-on-hed, and the rest all round bnck-on-edge. 

 A flue 9 inches wide inside and 14 inches deep would be required, to be 

 covered with strong tiles, with the tiles beneath to cross the joints. Then 

 there are various modes you might adopt. First, Take a 4i-iuch brick 

 wall all round inside, or at least on both sides, as the boundary of thfi 

 beds inside, make an open bottom of slates, &c., 4 inches above the flue, and 

 have openings in the wall to put water into evaporating-pans on the flue. 

 These openings with slides will enable you to let the air, heated or moist, 

 into the atmosphere of the house. Another plan is simpler stiU. Make 

 the inside nest the pathway-side of your flue 4i-inch work, or brick-on- 

 bed all round, when you cover the flue raise these walls at the side to the 

 necessary height, between the flue and the outside walls fill in as 



