290 



JOUKNAL OF HORXICDLTOBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ AprU 20, 1871. 



In April tbe hortioultnrist is looking for the appearance 

 above the earth of his first sowing of Peas and Beans. So 

 also are other living things, but with rather different -views. 

 A host of weevils infest these plants at every stage of their 

 growth, and seme believe them nearly as in- 

 jurions as the hatefal aphis. If the weather 

 is dry, especially, we may expect to find some 

 of the species of Sitona, such as lineata, the 

 striped Pea weevil, and also crinata and 

 oanina, which nibble at the young leaves and 

 stems when they first rise above the ground. 

 The plants which have sprung up from the 

 autumn and winter sowings are equally sub- 

 jected to their attacks. As a writer upon 

 the subject has observed, the gardener has 

 a twofold object before him — to destroy the 

 perfect beetle, and to protect the plants 

 from it. Traps, such as small bundles of 

 hay, have been laid between the rows, into which many of the 

 beetles will creep at night, and they may be shaken or brushed 

 oft the plants when they have attained seme size. From the 

 small dimensions of these and other insect enemies, their 

 capture and destruction is necessarily more difficult than is 

 the case with larger species. — J. Pt. S. C. 



Sitona lineata. 



GREENHOUSE PLANTS.— No. 2. 



A.GEEESHOCSE is frequently constructed without proper pro- 

 vision for climbing plants, so essential for shade in the summer ; 

 and to prevent the roof presenting a bare appearance it is ne- 

 cessary to cover a part of it with climbing plants combininp 

 elegance or gracefulness of growth with beauty of fiowers. I 

 shall therefore commence with climbing plants, and shall 

 endeavour to give each plant its proper place. 



In aU greenhouses I consider there should be borders for the 

 plants which are required to cover the pillars, wall-trellises, 

 and roofs, and these borders should be as carefully arranged 

 and prepared as the best Vine borders, differing from these 

 only in the requirements of each subject as to soil being con- 

 sulted. Borders for climbers need not be so wide and so deep 

 as those for Vines, and yet each plant must have sufficient 

 space for its roots, so that it may be kept in good health for 

 several years. In seme greenhouses few plants would be re- 

 quired if these were grown in borders instead of in pots ; but I 

 consider this a cogent reason for not continuing to grow in pots 

 plants which, when so cultivated, we knew can never attain 

 their full development and beauty of foliage and fiowers. Indeed, 

 we cram and dwarf everything into so small a compass that the 

 Chinese and Japanese can hardly beat us in this respect. It is 

 of frequent occurrence that two, 

 three, or half a dozen climbing 

 plants grown in pots occupy room 

 on a stage, and yet cover no more 

 space on the roof than one plant 

 in a border, though the latter would 

 attain the same perfection as the 

 plant in its natural habitat — not 

 that there are no climbers suitable 

 for pot culture, and such for cover- 

 ing small trellises are very useful, 

 but for roof-covering I consider 

 those so grown all but useless. 

 They do well whilst young, but 

 when attainirg their greatest beauty 

 their branches are so closely en- 

 twined to the wires that transfer- 

 ring them to larger pots is diffi- 

 cult without cutting them down 

 and beginning the work over 

 again. 



Greenhonsea differ so much in 

 construction and form that it would 



be difficult to show the border arrangements of [even those 

 which I have seen. I shall therefore sufficiently explain what 

 I mean by one or two examples. 



Fig. 1 is a section of a greenhouse with a border, a, in front, 

 for climbers, 3 feet in depth and the same in width. _ There is 

 a drain along the bottom and centre, and over it 9 inches or a 

 loot thick of drainage, leaving about 2 feet for compost. The 

 front wall is constructed with openings to allow of the roots 

 going outside should there be Vines, the finest of all climb- 



ing plants. The border will need to be divided by cross walls, 

 allotting to each plant the proper space for its roots, according 

 to the extent of the house covered. Along the back there is 

 also a border, 6, for plants to cover ihe back wall, taking advan- 

 tage of the space beneath the pathway, c, by having the wall, d, 

 pigeon-holed to admit of the roots of the plants passing from 

 b to c. This border will need to have cross walls like the front 

 to coiifine the roots to their due limits. 



This house being of considerable dimensions, to sncceBsfnlly 

 cover the roof space, the front 20 feet, exclusive of the wall 

 and upright front, should be planted wiih the freest-growing 

 climbers, and the back wall, 12 feet high, will tfford scope 

 for free-growing plants ; whilst for the back of the roof 

 plants that grow vigorously will be suitable, as they must, in 

 order to reach the root, pass up the back wall. The house is 

 27 feet wide, exclusive of the walls, and there is a walk aU 

 round. 



Fig. 2 is the ground plan of a curvilinear greenhouse with 

 sides of considerable elevation, and there are borders 3 feet 

 wide aU round, and two beds in the central part. It is pre- 

 sumed that the house is for Camellias, and thst the plants are 

 planted out both in the side and central borders, and at the ends. 

 Camellias being plants that require shade, no description of 

 house that I know admits of a greater display of climbers, and 

 these will not interfere with the successful treatment of Camel- 

 lias, To whatever use the house may be devoted, if the plants 

 are planted out it will be necessary to keep the roots of the 

 climbers from extending into the other part of the border by 

 divisions. Slate and stone answer well, but tiles may be used, 

 and take up less room than bricks. The divisions are shown 

 by the small half-circles in the side borders, those next the 

 outside being for the plants to cover the roof, and those on the 

 side next the walk for plants to cover trellis arches over the 

 walk, a corresponding plant being cu the opposite side of the 



path. Forjthis purpose space is taken from the two centre 

 beds on the side next the walk all round, and separated from 

 the border by a 4J-inch wall with a stone coping. The arches 

 cross the walks, interfering in no way with Ihe plants, and thus 

 economise space while increasing the beauty of the house. 

 The four small circles are for climbers. If the sides are staged 

 for pot plants, then straight cross walls, as shown by the dotted 

 lines, answer for divisions. 

 Enough will have been said to show the ajrangement of the 



