148 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ Febfuary 23, lS7i. 



not cans© a short epike, though any deficiency in either respect would 

 cause it to be poor. Tulips potted in September would flower at Cbrist- 

 mas, if they had a tenipernture of from 50^^ to 55^ a month or six weeks 

 previously, and were early-flowering sorts. They would flower now with 

 a temperature averaging 45-'. 

 Cases for ocr Volumes (il/a;rf(T HiH).— We only supply the cases. 

 Planting-out Tacsonia HOLLissiiMA (Amateur, DuhUu).— The plant 

 turned out last November iu a conservatory border ought to be now in a 

 state of growth. It is not usual for it to die down in winter. We have 

 one in a g-reenhouse, and it is now very vigorous and growing freely, 

 having made shoots sevpral feet long since Christmas, and it is showing 

 bloom at every joint. We only plnuted it last May, and it flowered and 

 fruited iu the past eeason. We should say your plant is dead. 



Dissolving Bones iIdem).~You will require a weight of sulphuric acid 

 equal to one-half that of the bones. The finer the bones are, the sooner 

 will they dissolve. Dissolved bones are applied to the soil mixed with 

 soil or ashes, and mixed with water as a liquid manure. You will need 

 to dilute with fifty times as much wafer as the acid employed, calculat- 

 ing by weight, a gallon of water weighing 10 lbs. 8 bushels of dissolved 

 bones, irrespective of the acid, are a good drf^ssing p&r acre. 



Leaves for Leaf Mould (Idem).— The time required for leaves to 

 decay depends on whether they are kept dry and left undisturbed. If 

 laid in a heap and turned over twice or thrice they will be reduced in 

 twelve months. We uso our leaves for hotbeds, and by autumn again 

 they are sufficiently decayed for potting purposes. If uudisturl'ed we 

 have known two and three years elapse before the leaves were fit for mix- 

 ing with soil. We sift ours through an inch-riddle, and when the majority 

 pass that, the leaves are, in our opinion, sufliciently decayed. 



Camellias not Flowering (A Suhscl■ibe^•).~^ye cannot account for 

 your plants not flowering, as they set buds but fail, only we think the 

 roots are in a bad state. We would, at the end of March, turn tbem 

 out of the pots, pick away any old toil that you can without injuring 

 the roots, and repot in a compost of the tou in«h, or not more than 

 1^ inch, of a pa=^ture where the soil is a good light loam. Chop it up 

 small though not very fioe, and pot with this, without admixture, rather 

 firmly, taking care to leave no hollows. Place the plants in a bouse with 

 a temperature of 50", watering so as to keep the soil moist, and when 

 they are growing wattr abundantly. Maintain a moist genial atmosphere, 

 and atVu-d slight sh'id-^ from the' bright miHilav sun. Keep the plants 

 there uuLil the growth is complete and the buds are set. then remove 

 them to a cool airv hou=e ; and if you afiord, from November to April, a 

 temperature of 40-' to 45' from fire heat, we think you will have a fine 

 bloom. Drain the pots well. Do not place the plants out of doors in 

 summer. 



Ivv Pruning (C. A. S.).— In prunin'? Ivy against a wall we cut clean-in, 

 removing every leaf, but we do not think it safe to do this until April, 

 which we consider the best month for cutting Ivy. It makes a much 

 closer growth when cut-in with tlie shears than when pruned with a 

 knife, some green leaves being left. 



Leaves Blighted (S. if.).— The leaves of the plant you describe as a 

 Daisy, but which w^e do not recognise, are infested with thrips, which 

 may be destroyed by fumigation with tobacco, or immersing the plants 

 in a decoction of tobacco. This is made by pouring a quart of boiling 

 water over 1 oz. of tobacco, afterwards covering it up and letting it stand 

 until cool. Of course, you must not dip the pot and roots. Out of doors 

 the plant will show the effects of thrips, but Cin hardly suffer from it 

 except in very dry weather. 



Shrues for a Mound (Wm. D., ./"u;i.).— The outer margin or foot we 

 should plant with Berberiii Aquifolium, and then common Laurel, with 

 a few Portugal Laurels, Lilacs, Laburnums, Syringas, and double Thoins, 

 interspersed af, say, lo feet apart, and the crown we would have Austrian 

 Pine. These are not expensive. The Berbecis may be planted 4 feet, 

 and the others 6 feet apart. 



Vines Tendrilled but Fruitless (Old Subscriber).— We have no 

 doubt that thu reason why your vitrorous Vines in pots show tendrils 

 instead uf bunches, is owing to the Vine wood beins imperfectly ripened, 

 very likely from growing in shade, instead of full exposure to light. We 

 consider it would be anything but safe to cut the Vines back now, with 

 any hnpes of their making fresh wood and yiehlinff fruit this season. We 

 saw this done once with estnhljshed Vines that lost their first crop 

 though an accident, but it did no good as respects fruit, and nearly 

 ruined the Vines. There are two modes of treating your strong Vines 

 —If not too far advanced, you might prune thent back to n good shoot 

 near the base, and grow that as a yingle cauR in summer to fruit next 

 year ; or you may stop your present side shoots— say at 18 inches long, 

 and have them well ripened before the autumn. We arc sorry that j'ou 

 have failed after so long a preparation, and especially as you say the 

 wood was well ripened. We have our doubts ns to the maturity. Did 

 you pot the Vines in autumn or before forcing? They should have no 

 fresh potting after July or August, so that the pots should be full of roots. 

 The treatment is correct, only we would not let Vines have 70° during the 

 day until the first month were past. In sunless weather 60^ by day would 

 he enough, and 50' to 55 ' at night, beginning with from 45^ to 50^. We 

 like the r«ds to be twisted round, though if care be taken in the breaking, 

 the plants should do very well fastened to a rod 5 feet long. 



PRorAGATiNGViNEs(7(Zr?Jt) — It matters little how the plants are raised. 

 We prefer using single eyes with an inch or so of wood on each side. 

 Eyes inserted in December and January, and receiving all the time hot- 

 bed treatment, may be got by repeated shiftings into VI, 15, or 16-inoh 

 pots by midsummer, then ripened, exposed in autumn in the shade, 

 and started in November or December to fruit early; but there must be 

 close unremitting attention. Another mode is to put in cuttings or buds 

 in spring, and get the plants established in G-inch pots in summer, rest 

 in winter, and cut down, grow, repot, and ripen early the second summer, 

 giving two summers' preparation instead of one. This mode takes more 

 time, but less labour and attention. 



Climbers tor a Conservatory (E. C. A'.).— For growing in pots we 

 have found the following answer r-Brachyseraa acuminata, Cobiea scau- 

 dens variegata, Dolichos lignosus, Habrothamnus elegans, Hibhertia 

 volubilis, Jasminum graudiflorum, Kennedva viuiegnta, K. inophylla 

 floribunda, K. Marryatta; ; Lapageria rosea, Pat,siflora Comte Nesselrode, 

 P. Imperatrice Eugenie ; Khyuchospermum jasminoides, and Sollya 

 linearis. The size of pots depends on the plants ; they need shifting 



from one size to the other until they are in theii- full size, which, for the first 

 season need not exceed d inches in diameter, and the next 11 inches ; and 

 a 13-inch pot we consider quite large enough for the third and subsequent 

 seasons, the ball being reduced at the annual spring potting. 



Glazing Greenhouse Roof (J- Smtth).~X rough plate or fluted glass 

 roof will do admirably for a greenhouse, and requires no shading in sum- 

 mer, and gives plenty of light in u'inter ; but we prefer the front lights to 

 be of clear sheet glass, so as to see through them. 



Aspect for Glass Structures (IF. H. F.).— The 10 yards freely ex- 

 posed to east, west, and north, are excellent for glass house>, either for 

 fruit or flowers. For the other 10 yards, more or less blocked-in to a 

 height of 25 feet, we ^\■ould advise covering with a glass roof, and devot- 

 ing that space to Ferns and fine-foliaged plants. The plants indicated 

 would do v,-ell, but if you prefer fruit and flowering plants, we do not 

 think you would succeed in the shaded part. Plants would keep longer 

 in blcom there, but would not grow and come into bloom so well. 



Disbudding Vines (M.).— We are a little in doubt whether you refer to 

 Vines in pots, or to Vines growing in the usual way; but in either case 

 Mhen you secure as many fruit-bearing shoots as you wish, and a few 

 others, as may be wanted for future wood, it is well to rub ofi" the extra 

 shoots. On the rod system, leave another for rods ; on the spur system, 

 leave enough, tliough not fruitful, for future spurs \vhere wanted. Fruitful 

 Vines require a great deal of rubbing ofl'. 



Flower Garden Plan (An Earnest Ecadcr).~For the scroll beds we 

 prefer Christine Pelargonium for the centres, and tbe other beds as pro- 

 posed, dotted with Bijou. Both of the proposed modes would look well, 

 but we think Bijou and Iresine Lindeni would contrast better. Wc also 

 like very much the proposed arrangement for the border, only we would 

 hint that you may have the Peril'a of any height, but cannot so well top 

 the Ageratum ; and as the Berheris, lic, behind will do little more than 

 make a background, we should he inclined to place the Perilla behind the 

 Calceolaria, and the Ageratum behind Stella Pelargonium. 



CucuaiBER-HOUSE FAILURES (A]i Old Subscriber, Hiclnnond). — A bed 

 3rV feet wide, with a depth of IS inches, is quite room enough for the roots 

 of Cucumbers that you grow in the front of your house. It is quite 

 possible to have too much bottom heat, but it is just as possible that the 

 evils you complain of are the conspquence of the heat being too dry, and 

 hence the baliod appearflnce of the soil next to the slate, &c. Now, 

 supposing you had a chamber covered with slate, and covered the slate 

 with 3 or 3 inches of rough rubble, and had upright drain-pipes stand- 

 ing in that rubhle before you put in the soil, by pouring water down the 

 drain-pipes, and having a stick in several, with a ball of moss fixed at 

 the end, you ciuld always judge of the dryness or moisture of the rubble. 

 AVe have nothing to say against chambers, but the roots should never 

 come iu contact with the dry covering. Where pipes are used for bottom 

 heat, there is no simpler and better mode than that frt^quently recom- 

 mended by Mr. Fish— namely, to surround the pipes with open ruhble. 

 cover slightly with the same, and then make the bottom of the bed ^^■ith 

 clean gravel, and by upright pipes, as above, have the means of damping 

 the ruhble and gravel, and yet not do so too much. 



Pruning Yew Trees (An Old Subscriber). —The beginning of April is 

 the best time to do this, and you may prune to any ex'ent without 

 fear of the tree not putting out shoots from the thick bare stems. The 

 fresh shoots made this year we would not cut, but in the April of the 

 following year we would cut ofl' any irregularities of growth, and in sub- 

 sequent years clip in May, and the tree will grow sufficiently to give a 

 nice feathery appcarauce— very much grander tbnn that close stiS" 

 formalitv resulting from cutting in August when the growth is complete. 

 It is well, however, to go over the tree in August, and with a knife remove 

 any irregular growths. 



Soils (A Subscriber).—!, " Strong turfy loam " is the top 2 or 3 inches 

 of pasture where the soil, from the absence of sand or gravel, is close, and 

 overlies a claj' subsoil. 2, "Hazel loam" is a medium-textured loam, 

 not light-sandy nor yet heavy-clayey, and of a hazel colour — brown streaks 

 through yellow. 3, " Sound deep light loam," we presume, is a soil not 

 very light, yet more sfindy than a clayey loam, but more retentive of 

 moisture than sandy soil, and of some depth. 4, Altuvinl soil is that of 

 freshwater deposits, forming in the courso of nses the rich soil of valleys. 

 5, Peat is vegetable matt-^r reduced to soil, and is found on moors, and is 

 covered with Heath or Ling. That on hiah groimd is peat, as used by 

 gardeners, and is full of fine particles of white sand. 

 ■ Variegated Bedding Pelargoniums (Maria Henderson).— "We pre- 

 sume you mein Gold and Silver Tricolors only. Then, as you exc'nde 

 new kinds, of the former .Mrs. Pollock. Sophia Cnsack, Luoy Grieve, 

 Suphia Dumaresqne; of the latter, Mabel Moriis, Italia Unit", Prince 

 Silverwings, and Glen Eyre Beauty. 



Turnip Sowing (A Betiinucr), — Your proposed plan ought to produce a 

 good crop, if the Turnip fly allow you to have a good plaut. 



Mushroom Bed (A. D.).— As the beds are to be on the floor, we would 

 have a walk of 2 feet or 30 inches down the centre, and beds 9 feet long and 

 rather more than 4 feet in width. Our shallowest beds we would have 

 about 12 inches deep in front, and from 15 to 18 inches deep at back. For 

 winter work we would have them a little deeper, and depend on surface- 

 covering to keep up the necessary heat. Now, there nre many ways of 

 making such beds. Collect the horse droppings with nearly an equal poi- 

 tion of short Utter for a week or ten days, and lay them in any place, not 

 too thickly, where no rain will fall on them. Then add a barrowload or 

 two of dry soil, mix all together, and make this the bnseof the ii-fect bed. 

 Beat it firmly together, and it will heat very moderately. Then every second 

 day add the droppings, and the same amtiuut of short, dryish litter all 

 over, tread or beat, and then put a little dry soil over. Continue the pro- 

 cess until the necessary height is secured, as referred to above, for the 

 dilT-rent seasons. By this plan as will be perceived, the bed will never 

 become very hot, and" the bulk of the manure will be fresh— full of nitro- 

 genous matter— and, therefore, capable of carrying a heavy crop of Mush- 

 rooms. 



Heading Maiden Peach Treks (Pro^o}.— The trees should be headed 

 down early in March to within five eyes from their base ; or, if the buds 

 are wide apart, cut bade to an eye not more than 6 inches from the 

 junction of the shoot with the stock. You will secure five shoots — two 

 for each side, and one for a leader. BrcbauVs " Modern Peach-Pruner " 

 is the best work of the kind. It may bo had by post from our oflice il 

 you enclose 3s. St/, in postage stamps with your address. 



