March 23, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



221 



Washing Rose Tbees (An Old Bcader).—y7e do not recommend the 

 practice of washing Rose trees in the spring, when the yonng buds are 

 j ast starting, with any of the insecticide compounds, as Gishurst, Claike's, 

 Fowler's, Abyssinian mixture, ct id gc7ius omne, as there is more proba- 

 bility of injury being done to the buds than good by the destruction of 

 the eggs of insects, &c. ; but we do stroogly recommend constant syring- 

 ing during the growing seaoon with pure rain water, to which has been 

 added a small qumtity of sott soap and clear soot water. A strong 

 mixed solution of the latter can be kept in an earthenware pancheon, and 

 added, when it is settled, to each canful of water, which is used in syring- 

 ing. This treatment will both invigorate the plants and keep them free 

 from aphis and mildew. WhoueTer boneydev.' is seen on the leaves look 

 carefully on the upper shoots for aphis, as honeydew is almost invariably 

 tbe deposit of aphis, and it is altogether a mistaken notion that the aphis 

 comes to feed on tbe honeydew, as tbe aphides are seldom, if ever, found 

 on leaves much covered with honeydew, but the white cast-off coats or 

 skins of the aphides will be found plentifully enough. The Rose weevil 

 (worm i' the bud) req^uires hand-pickiug ; the leaves are too much curled 

 up by the insects for the syringe to remove them, though it will help to 

 check their spread when soft soap is freely used with the water. 



Rose Cuttings (S. £.)■— The Rose cuttings put in last autumn under 

 a north wall we would take up in April, place in small pots, and set in a 

 cold frame, keeping cl^se and shaded for a time, sprinkliug them over- 

 head every morniog. When established and growing freely, plant them 

 out about 18 inches apart in an open situation, in good rich soil well 

 worked. The weakest we should put out 6 inches from plant to plant in 

 rows about a foot apart, and in autumn you could move them to their 

 final quarters. Allow them to grow at will this season. If inconvenient 

 to pot the plants, leave them where they are until 2Jay, and then take 

 them up carefully and plant them where you require, watering in dry 

 weather. 



Roses m India (An Old 5ab5cri6er).— The pruning and other treat- 

 ment must vary with tbe latitude The Himalaya Mountains and Cape 

 Comorin have totally different climates. An intelligent local native 

 Mallee will manage tbe Rose— tbe Gul of India — better than we could 

 advise. Speede'a "New Indian Gardener," published by Thacker&Co., 

 Calcutta, is the best book we know on Indian gardening, but it says 

 nothing about Rose-culture. 



Narcissus and Jonquil not Flowering (A Sit&scrt&er).— Probably 

 they have increased by offsets to such an extent as to have become weak 

 from the overcrowding, though we have not found such to be the case 

 oftener than once in every two or three years. We aovise you to take 

 them up when the foliage turns yellow, and after well manuring the 

 ground, to replant, removing the small bulbs, and planticg only the 

 largest size for flowering, but put in the smallest by themselves to gain 

 strength. Replant the same day. It is not necessary to take up the 

 bulbs every year ; every second or third year is quite sufficient. Pro- 

 bably yon have other plants amongst them in summer, ami the eff*?ct is 

 to shade the foliage before it is mature. We have known the foliage 

 whilst quite green pulled off, in order to fill the ground with bedding 

 plants, and yet such persona complain of the bulbs not doing any good. 



Native Guano (O.M.). — We have no experience of the " native guano," 

 but should not hesitate to use it, as your employer wishes it. We think 

 Queen Pines 6 lbs. 6 ozs., 5 lbs. 6 oz^., and 5 lbs. extraordinary weights 

 for plants ten months old. The Queen Pine a crown in November, 1869, 

 and now in flower, we should consider satisfactory. 



Annuals for Cut Flowers (A. S. .E.).— Ten-week Stocks, Asters, 

 Helicbrysums, Phlox Drummondi, and Scabious in great variety are all 

 fine, and so are Larkspurs, especially the Branching, Sweet Alyssum, 

 Aspernla azurea setosa, Centranthns macrosiphon and its variety bicolor, 

 Chrysanthemum Dunnetti flore-pleno, C. hybridum flore-pleno. Erysi- 

 mum Peroffskianum, Leptosiphon androsaceas and its variety albus, 

 Lupinus nanus, Nasturtium Tom Thumb scarlet, spotted, and yellow ; 

 and besides those you name, which are good, Heliotropes, Ageratum, 

 Delphinium Barlowi and Bella Douna, Dianthns hybridus Marie Pare, 

 D. hybridus multiflorus. Herbaceous Phlox, Salvia patens and S. splen- 

 dens. Carnations, Picotees, Pinks, and Mignonette. Stokesia cyanea is 

 not quite hardy, except in warm situations, and with protection in winter. 

 It does well in the garden borders in summer Michauxia campanuloides 

 is a good border plant, but is apt to damp ofl" in winter, to guard against 

 which it should be planted in light soil well drained. 



Pruning Ivy (Amateur). — In pruning Ivy it is proper to remove with 

 the shears every leaf and shoot, so as to cut it close, and secure a close, 

 even growth. AU the leaves, whether with long or short stems, should 

 be cut off. The leaves with short stalks are last year's late growth, and 

 those with long stalks are partly last season's early growth, and partly 

 the late growth of the previous year, but as a rule the long-stalked leaves 

 are rendered so by their having to elongate to reach the light, in conse- 

 quence of their being covered by the young growth. Ivy sheds its leaves 

 about July, 



Cedar of Lebanon Transplanting [A.E.F. C.I.— Nowis a good time, 

 indeed better than autumn, to move a Cedar of Lebanon, especially as 

 It has been sheltered in the kitchen garden, and is to be moved to an 

 exposed situation. Take it up carefully, preserving as many of the roots 

 OS possible, and lifting with a ball of earth. Water if tbe weather prove 

 dry, but do not make the soil a sour mass from frequent waterings. 

 Good rich loam, especially that from decayed turf, is most suitable, or, 

 failing that, the top 2 or 3 inches of a pasture chopped up is excellent. 

 Trench the spot two spits deep before planting, making a circle with a 

 3-feet radius, or a circle 6 feet in diameter. It is well to keep that for a 

 few years free of weeds. Stake securely. 



Sowing Cucumbers, &c , for Exhibition in August {Dynnewydd).— 

 The Cucumbers should be sown at the beginning of April, tbe Melons 

 between now and the 1st of April, the Broad Beans at the end of April, 

 and the Peas in the first week of May. As these crops are dependant in 

 a great measure on the weather as to the time of coming in, and the 

 kinds vary in their periods of ripening or attaining a condition fit for 

 table, due allowance must be made. Ihere should be more than one 

 sowing of the Beans and Peas. 



Tine Disbvodivq (West Cumberland). — The Vines on the spur system 

 being pruned to two eyes is quite right. Wait until you can distinguish 

 the bunches at the points of the shoots, and then, if the lowest shoot 

 show fine bunches, remove the uppermost shoot on each spur, and if 

 there should be no fruit on the lowest shoot but on the upper, leave both, 



and the upper one. when it has fruited, can be cut clean out, and that 

 not fruited pruned to two eyes. In this way you can keep the spurs short. 

 When all the eyes are fairly started, and especially the lowest eyes, the 

 rods should be tied in the position they are to have during the season of 

 growth. 



Melons, Planting in a Pit (near).— One plantunder each light would 

 be a sufficient distance for the plants to be trained to a trellis. 



Seedling Variegated Pelargoniums Losing Colour (F. Z. P.). — 

 We think it is owing, as you think, to the fierce rays of the sun, for 

 during very bright hot weather under glass they lose colour. Could you 

 not sfford a slight shade in hot weather, s^y from 9 A.ii. to 4 p.m.? 

 Tiffany answers very well, and we think pits are better than houses for 

 all plants of such size that thoy can be moved into them in summer. 

 They are, as a rale, more moist, and the pots are not so much exposed 

 to the sun as those in larger structures. 



Shrubbery Borders (A Cottage Gardener). — For such a place we do 

 not tbiuk you would gain anytbiug by wiring your dwarf walls, as nothing 

 would thrive against them. Nothing would suit better than banks of 

 Rhododendrons if the soil answered. As you speak of Chinese Arbor- 

 Vitre, we think that six of snch plants would be enoush for each side, 

 three in each triangular space, and the other side might be the same as 

 you suggest. Beginning at the house, then, we would plant six shrubs 

 as follows : — Three in each triangular space — thus, Chinese Arbor-Vitie, 

 Cupressus Lumbertiana, Thujopsis horealis, Cupressus Lawsoniana, 

 Thujopsis gigantea, and Juniperus chinensis. The intervening epaces 

 we would fill with green and variegated Hollies and Arbutus, frouting 

 with the best varieties of Berberis mixed with Aucnbas. The front wall 

 of the house to the north we would cover with Cotoneaster microphylla 

 and the scarlet Pyracantha, both very hardy and beautiful, and the 

 borders we would chiefly plant with Laurustinus, bordered with Cistus, 

 Daphne Cneorum, and dwarf hardy Heaths, as Erica herbacea, carnea, &c. 



Abronia umbellata {D. ]\I.).—lt is a half-hardy annual of trailing 

 habit, attaining a height of about 6 inches ; flowers pink or rosy lilac, 

 from June to October. It is anything but new, having been introduced 

 in 1323 from California. 



Scotch Fir, Austrian Pine, and Spruce near the Sea (d Young 

 Be:ginner). — The specimens you sent us are certainly destroyed or 

 scorched by the sea spray. Scotch Fir, though succeeding a short dis- 

 tance inland and in the most exposed situations, does not thrive very 

 near the sea. Austrian Pine, however, is one of the best evergreen trees 

 for situations near the sea, but we have no experience of it within a 

 hundred yards of the sea and within reach of tbe sea spray ; it does weli 

 in a glen on tbe east coast not 300 yards from the sea. Spruce is of no 

 use so far as we have experience, and we have abundant testimony of its 

 being unsuitable. At a few hundred yards from the sea we have Austrian 

 Pine, and Corsican Pine, the latter probably tbe quickest gro?fing of all the ■ 

 Pines, and superior to either Scotch Fir or Austrian Pine for rapid and 

 straight growth). Maritime Pine and Chinese Juniper are good. Of 

 deciduous trees, most of tbe Maples succeed, especially Sycamore. Ash 

 does tolerably well. Poplar, white-leaved ; Pear (ornamental sorts), Turkey 

 Oak, Elm, Thorns, Sea Buckthorn, Elder, coo^raon and scarlet-berried; 

 and Gueldres Rose. There are others that do well in more southerly parts, 

 but the above are what we find succeeding north of tbe Humber. 



Growing Vines (R. S. S.). — We approve of the principle of grafting 

 Vines on hardy stocks, for which there need not be any very expensive 

 border-preparation. The writer you allude to is not a grower of Vines 

 for sale — i.e., not a nurseryman. You may grow Vines aa well as plants 

 in a greenhouse, and have good Grapes for home use. Three good 

 sorts are :—Frankenthal, Trentham Black, and tester's White Seedling. 

 Being ignorant of Vine culture, the *' Viae Manual" would suit you. It 

 may be had by post from our office if you enclose is. 7^-J. in stamps with 

 your address. 



Soil for Caladiums— Chrtsanthexcm; Cuttings (J. B.). — The most 

 suitable compost for Caladiums is light fibrous loam two parts, one part 

 sandy peat, one part well-decomposed cow dung or hotbed manure, a sixth 

 part of sQver sand, and the same of charcoal in pieces from the size of a 

 pea to a walnut ; the whole well incorporated but not sifted. Good drain- 

 age is necessary. Chrysanthemum cuttings may be struck in any house 

 with a gentle heat, but with most certainty in a gentle hotbed, and at 

 this time of year it is desirable. Remove them immediately they are 

 rooted to a cool house or cold frame. 



Perilla and Petunia Seed not Germinating (A Subscriber, Somer- 

 set). — We can only conclude that the seed was bad, but we would try 

 again. For some years past there has been a great per-centage of bad seed, 

 especially of Penlla, but with last year's fine weather we may calculate on 

 finer samples with a higher per-centage of good. Do not cover the seed 

 more than its thickness with very fine Eoil, water no more than sufficient 

 to keep the soil moist, shading from very bright sun so as to lessen the 

 necessity for watering, and keep the seedlings near the glass, the nearer 

 the better so long as they do not touch it. 



Fermenting Material for Pit (Subscriber).— ^^e presume you re- 

 quire the pit filling to afford bottom heat to the plants gruwn on it. Stable 

 dung properly prepared by being thrown into a heap, sprinkled with 

 water or the drainings of the dunghill if at all dry, and turned over two or 

 three times at intervals of a few days. Leaves are good, but they need 

 not be Oak leaves ; we have found Beech excellent. 



Arundo Donax (G. B.). — This graceful plant flowers in the conserva- 

 tory usually in July, and from the strong growths of the current year. 



Boiler (F. M.). — We find all boilers have the defect you complain of — 

 viz., " Consuming coal wonderfully, and, if set in brickwork, often needing 

 rebuilding." However, there is a considerable difference. We are using 

 a wrought-iron multitubular, and it answers admirably, but compared with 

 yours, we do not think there is any great difference aa to fuel-consump- 

 tion. Ours is not a patent. It is on the principle of the steam-boiler, 



Ficus elastica Propagation (Idem).— We find no difficulty in pro- 

 pagating thia plant by cuttings. We usually take off the points of the 

 shoots at this season with two or three joints besides the growing point, 

 cut btlow the lowest joint, and insert the cuttings singly in small pots 

 without removing any of the leaves, save those on the part inserted in 

 the soil. The cuttings are allowed to dry the wound before insertion, 

 and then they are put in sandy peat and loam, and placed in a bottom 

 heat of 75^ to SQ°, and covered with a bell or hand-glass. They do not 

 need much water, only just keeping moist. It may also be increased 



