220 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ March 23, 1S71. 



and consequently sowed at the end of December or the begin- 

 ning of January, we could have counted on our fingers all the 

 run heads in July, August, acd September. The treatment 

 given, so aa to prevent stagnation of growth, will have more 

 effect in preventing bolting than the mere time of the suc- 

 cessive sowings. Very early Celery requires much attention 

 before planting out. That which is pricked out towards the 

 end of March will want but little care comparatively, except to 

 be gradually hardened oS. We generally give the most for- 

 ward the benefit of a glass eash for a time, before finally trans- 

 planting. 



As the enow covered the roofs of our orchard houses, and as 

 with all our care we discovered some traces of the Aphis per- 

 sicffi, in comparison with which the green fly is a trifle, we 

 smoked the houses well by smothered burnings of bruised 

 Laurel leaves. They must have strong constitutions that 

 would withstand such treatment. The scent of the smoking 

 was strong and disagreeable at a good distance from the houses, 

 as, notwithstanding the snow coveting, some of the smoke and 

 fumes escaped from the front. Care must be taken by damp 

 coverings of moss, &c., that the leaves bruised and broken 

 along with small twigs, do not emit flare or flame, as that might 

 be dangerous. We have not found an insect alive after the 

 infliction, but of course the smoking would have little or no 

 effect on the unhatched eggs. At this early season, however, 

 the young are often produced alive, or viviparous, like little 

 ropes of Onions, and not from eggs deposited, and therefore 

 killing the old ones is of extra importance. 



We stated lately that the floor or surface soil of these houses 

 had all been scraped cfi to the depth of say half an inch. 

 This also is so far a security against insects. As a whole the 

 ground beneath was hard and rather dry. In the snowy and 

 frosty days alluded to, the surface soil of the pots in one house 

 wag picked off, and a fresh rim of turf put round, and fresh 

 rich compost added. The turf rims, some of them resting on 

 the ground, were formed of pieces of rather thin turf doubled 

 in upon themselves, so that the grass should be inside and the 

 earth of the turf outside. This prevents the grass showing 

 itself, whilst it gives toughness to the rim thus formed, so as 

 to last for the season. We like these very well. Where turf 

 cannot be had conveniently, zinc rims are very useful, look 

 neat, and take up but little room ; say strips of zinc from 2h to 

 3J inches deep, and cut with zinc scissors to the requisite 

 length, so that the ends merely cross each other where they 

 meet inside the rim of the pot. One advantage of such zinc 

 rims is, that many of our soft-skinned molluscs decline to 

 climb over the zinc. Having thus attended to the pots, we 

 broke the surface of the soil with the points of a fork, just a 

 little less than half an inch, so that water should be absorbed 

 more equally, and then watered where dry with weak sewage. 

 We next covered all over with about an inch of rotten dung, in 

 which a little lime was mixed, and scattered over that fresh 

 dryish loam, so as to give all a clean, fresh appearance. The 

 reason for adopting these processes in succession was first to 

 secare the roots from being too dry, not watering where it was 

 moist enough, or where pots needing water had stood through 

 the winter; and secondly, to secure a comparatively fresh, dry 

 surface in the house when the trees are in bloom, as those 

 against the wall are now opening their flowers. The dry sur- 

 face win be all in favour of the bloom, and also be a safeguard 

 if we should have severe frost in the mornings. 



Straicherries in the fine sunny days are now of a good colour 

 and fair for flavour. We have plenty of places in which we 

 can bring the plants on to the flowering period, but we are 

 scarce of room where there is the proper slope and light to set 

 the flowers well, and therefore when the plants have set a 

 suiiicient number of fruit we often move them to swell and 

 ripen, but even then the flavour will be in exact proportion to 

 the light and requisite ventilation given. On these accounts 

 our best makeshifts in houses where the Strawberry may be 

 considered as a stolen or extra crop, will not equal the results 

 to be obtained in a Strawberry house set apart for the purpose, 

 and built with an inclination to all the direct sunlight possible 

 n March and April. For general management see previous 

 weeks' notices. 



OEN'AITEXTAI; DEPAnTlIEXT. 



The snow has greatly benefited the new-laid turf. When we 

 can manage to finish such work in March, we do not expect to 

 have the turl watered afterwards. Bat for the damp in the 

 ground we would have soaked some turf laid before the snow, 

 as it had become dry from exposure after being taken np. 



This dipping is worth many waterings ; and though such a 

 practice is anything but to be commended, we have, by im- 

 mersing the tuif in a tub of water, laid it successfully at mid- 

 summer. 



Turf Pots. — A lot of turf taken up from 2i to 3 inches thick 

 was cut into squares of about 3 inches each way, a hole was 

 scooped out in the centre, and Geranium plants taken from 

 boxes put one in each piece of turf along with light rich soil, 

 the turves placed close together on leaves, then rotten leaf mould 

 strewn between them, watered, and protected with old sashes, 

 mats, &c., at first. These plants generally turn out well and 

 never suffer from the removal, the roots hanging all round the 

 turf. Our turf this season is rather light, sandy, and sweet — 

 all the better. 



Propagating hy Leaves. — In propagating, for details see pre- 

 vious numbers. We repeat what some anxious ones may have 

 forgotten, that the leaves of many plants will soon strike and 

 form plants. Most leaves of plants will form roots, but there 

 the matter tests, they will not form a stem. Many fleshy suc- 

 culent leaves will form both roots and stems. For instance, 

 this is not only the case with Gloxinias, fine-leaved Begonias, 

 &c., but every piece of the leaves when cut up into shreds, 

 especially if they have a piece of vein or midrib at their base, 

 will soon form independent plants. We have thus soon had a 

 dozen little plants from a single Begonia leaf. The fine-leaved 

 Coleuses are often scarce in spring, though wanted by scores 

 or hundreds in summer. The cuttings, of course, strike 

 freely in heat, but the difficulty often is to obtain enough 

 cuttings where the keeping means of a dry heat are wanting in 

 winter. In such a case every leaf becomes available. We 

 have not yet fried slitting the leaves into so many shreds, and 

 inserting them as cuttings ; but whole leaves inserted by part 

 of the footstalk and part of the base of the leaf round the 

 sides of the pot in sandy soil, soon form a protuberance, 

 from which roots are produced ; ere long a little stem rises, so 

 that ultimately one would not know the plants raised from the 

 leaves from those raised from cuttings. There is this difference, 

 thai the cutting, however small, makes a plant much sooner 

 than a leaf. When the first-struck are potted cff it will be no 

 long time, if growing in a moist heat, before they will bear 

 topping for cuttings and leaf-propagation. Now is the time to 

 secure in such cases freedom from insects. — R. F. 



TEADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Bell & Thorpe, Paddock Xnrseries, Stratford-on-Avon.— ;fc!cf ( Seed 

 Catalogue. 



George Tateg, 31, Little Unaertani, Stocipoit.— DesoTpd'i-e Cata- 

 loune of Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 



'Hugh Findlay, West Netlierton and West Shaw Streets, Kilmar- 

 nock. — Catalogue of Forest and Ornamcrdal Trees, Shrubs, Fruit 

 Trees, £c. — Catalogue of Florists' Flowers and Bedding Plants. 



J. Coombs, The Ferus, Enfield, 'H.iiilesex.— Catalogue of Cuttings 

 of Geraniions, iC-c. 



James Dicison & Sona, 102, Eastgate Street, and Newton Nnrseries, 

 Chester. — Catalogue of Farm Seeds. 



Downie, Laird, & Laing, 17, South Frederick Street, Edinbnrgh, 

 and Stanstead Park, Forest Hill, London, S.E. — Descripire Cata- 

 logue of Florists' Floieers. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By doing so they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 commimications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, die, 111, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 

 We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the same 

 sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry 

 and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them answered 

 promptly and convenient"ly, b"t write them on separate 

 communications. Also never to send more than two or 

 three questions at once. 



X.E. Many questions must remain unanswered until next week. 



Cn>:*l> GnEEXHonsE (/I Kcarfcr).— So sayive. Why do not advcrlisfrs 

 state the price of the different sized houses ? In " Greenhouses for the 

 Manv " and in our raacs vou wiU find out for what houses may bo put np, 

 with'a little ingenuity and work on the part of the owner. A portahle 

 houso is what would suit von. We Ciin hardly tell yon how beat to lay 

 ont £"0 without knowing exactly what vou want Anyone who advertises 

 portable bouses in our columns would give yon the necessary informa- 

 tion, especially if you sent a prepaid envelope for reply. It is a mistake 

 to advertise and not give prices. 



