April 27, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF horticultukh; and cottage gabdenek. 



30& 



Pot them when Ip.rge enough to handle singly in 3-inch pots, and place 

 them in the same ttructure, keeping them near the glass, and wateriug 

 as required, sprinkling ovei'head moruiag and eyening. When the pots 

 are hlled with roots transfer them to pots a size larger, acid early in 

 June pat three in a 9-inch pot, place in a cold pit, drawing off the lights 

 after a few days, and use them only during heavy raias or high winds. 

 Pick off all the flowers, but not later than the first week of June— z e., re- 

 move all the flowers at that time. We knou- what a good speciiuea Qlig- 

 nonette is, but no one can teU what is a good pot of it, for a plant in a 

 6-inch pot may be a mass of flowers and have good foliage ; or it m-iy be 

 in a 9-inch or 11-inch pot, and still be fine as regards size, habit, good 

 foliage, and profusion of bloom, and a good bush maybe formed by perhaps 

 half a dozen plants in the like size of pot. It is not possible to teil what 

 is meant in the schedules of some exhibitions ' 



Grass under Beech Tbees {U. E. A'.).— There are but two Grasses 

 that do with us under Beech trees — Festuca duriuscula (Hard Fescue), 

 andPoanemoralis {Wood Meadow Grass), or itsvarietvPoanemoralis sem- 

 pervirens. These do well with us under some very large Beech trees, l5uc 

 it is an open grove. If very closely shaded we question whether anything 

 would serve you so well as Ivy. We should, bo^'ever, try the Grasses 

 named. We have found Vinca minor (Lesser Periwinkle) also do well. 



Transplanting- Box Trees (IcZf^/ji},— Weha%'-G this spring planted five 

 hundred of the sizes you name (4 and 5 feet high), and no plants that 

 we know move with greater safety, as they have such Rood balls; but if 

 they have not, the ground must be very loose, or they have been grown 

 very closely together for a long time. The main point is to move with 

 plenty of root, give a good watering at pl/mting, and as occasion requires 

 afterwards up to July. Trees of the size you name are very valuable, 

 especially for planting under trees, than which nothing does better. 



Nut Trees Pruning {Idem).— The old branches being very long, and 

 bearing not very abundantly, we would cut them awny and encourage those 

 from the bottooi ; do not encourage all, but thin awjij'the weakest and 

 where they are too thick. Three or four good brauehes are snffieieat, 

 and they may bo multiplied to any extent by shortening them. It is bad 

 practice, however, to encourage crowding. Have all the branches, if 

 possible, starting from above the surface, and remove all suckers as they 

 appear. 



Cucumbers Impregnatins (Curator).— It is not necessary to fertilise 

 Cucumber flowers to have fruit in the best condition for ttblo; the 

 flowers impregnated produce ffuit with seeds, and when these much pre- 

 vail in a fruit it is of no use for table. We never impregnate the flowers 

 of those fruits we require for cutting, and we consider it well to remove 

 the male flowers as they expand. The fruit will swell quite as well 

 without them. Indeed fertilisiag Cucumber flowers is not practised by 

 gardeners except to produce seed of any kinds they require. One seeding 

 Cucamber impoverishes the x)lant more than a score of seedless ones. 



Discoloration of Leaves by Syringing {JiUvi).~li is entirely owing 

 to the water. Clear soft or rain water leaves no sediment on the leaves, 

 nor does any kind of water after it has been in au open tank a few days 

 and used clear. 



Apricot Leaves Curling {H. G. M 1.— It is caugod by a small yello^\- 

 ish green caterpillar, that does great injury to the foliage by feeding on 

 it and tying the leaves together for a habitation. After a time, or when 

 at its full size, it fastens together fragments of leaves and changes to a 

 brown pupa, from which the perfect insect emerges iu July. There is no 

 remedy so good as hand-picking, giving all the curled leaves a squeeze 

 between the finger and thumb, and this should be practised up to July 

 A syringing with tobacco water, that of the shnps being diluted with six 

 times its volume of water, will also destroy all it touches ; but they are so 

 screened from attack by the curled leaves, that hand-pi ckin-^f and squeez- 

 ing are by far the best riddance. The caterpillars are the larvra of a 

 small moth, Ditula augustiorana. 



GERANiUflig NOT RooTiNG (H". II. R.).—The cuttings put in last autumn 

 and potted-off singly in March, we think have not rooted owing to the 

 check given in potting, the weather not being very favourable. If you 

 could give them a gentle bottoui heat, in a frame on a dung bed for a 

 fortnight or three weeks, we have no doubt they would root well in that 

 time. They will, however, root in a greenhouse, bat then do not give too 

 much water, but keep them moderately moist, sprinklin^t overhLad rather 

 than making the soil very wet by frequent watering at the roots. 



HjEhanthus coccineus to Flower in August (An Amateur).— You do 

 not say in what condition the plant is at present, but we presume it is 

 growing freely or has made a good growth, and in that case you will need 

 to give water and afford alight airy position up to June, tben withhold 

 water and place the plant in a warm situation in a greenhouse, and in 

 July place it out of doors— that is, if you do not wish for flowers until the 

 end of August— for three weeks ; then place it in a hotbed at 70'', and it 

 may start for flower, and you can remove it to a greenhouse, or contiuue 

 it iu heat so as to time the flowering as you require. If you want flowers 

 early in August, then you will place it iuthe hotbei earJy in July, but if it 

 show by that time you may need to retard the flowering by keeping it under 

 a north wall. Thunbergia alata would not be admissible as a stove or a 

 greenhouse plant. We fear it would not tell, though a good specimen is 

 very fine. Lomaria gibba can be shown in a collection of six exotic Ferns. 

 It is from New Caledonia. 



_Plant por Near a Pond {DiLcherij). —In. the well-raised bed in a low 

 situation, stagnant water absent, we would have Pampas Grass in place 

 of the Tritoma Uvaria killed by frost. 



Triteleia uniflora TREATaiEKT (IfZcjji).— It is a pretty bulbous plant 

 with delicate lilac flowers in spring, and is very valuable for the deco- 

 ration of borders. The bulbs require to be planted in September or 

 October where they are to flowar, li to 2 inches deep, and in severe 

 weather should be covered with partfally-decayed leaves about an inch 

 deep, the soil being of a sandy nature, and well drained. Or they may be 

 potted six or eight in a 6-inch pot, in a compost of sandy loam, peat, and 

 leaf Soil, and be protected in a cold pit or frame, the pots being plunged, 

 and a covering of mats placed over the lights in severe weather, harden- 

 ing-ofl'in spring before planting out. 



Plants for Winter Flowering (A Young Beginner). — We name 

 some both of stove and greenhouse kinds, for both of which we appre- 

 hend you have convenience. Anthuriura Scherzerianum, Ardisia crispa 

 elegans for its berries ; Begonia f uchsioides, Ingrami, insignis, erecta 

 multiflora ; Bucchellia capensis, Dalechampia Koez'iana rosea, Eranthe- 



mum pulchellum, Franciscea confertiflora, F. calycina mapr ; Gardenia 



citriodora, Gesnera exoniensis, Monocha3tum ensiferum, Pentas carnea, 

 Foinsettia pulcherrima, Epiphyllums, and Thyrsucauthus rutilans. Thes& 

 are stove plants. Of greenhouse plants :—Acncia armata, A. oleifolia 

 elepans, A.piilchella, A. Drummondi ; Azalea amceaa, and Fielder's White, 

 Camellias, Corouilla glauca, Correa Exilliant and Harrisi, Cyclamen 

 persicum, Cytisus racemosus. Erica hyemalis, Epacrises, Lihonia 

 floribunda, and forced plants as Dielytra spectabilis, Deutzia gracilis^ 

 Spirraa japonica, Lily of the Valley, anil Primulas. 



Edible Fungus (JiJrs. C.).— The fields, you say, are full of the Coprinns 

 comitus, which is usually an autumn fungus, and you ask. Is it perfectly 

 wholesome at this season? In reply we quote from the volume published 

 at our offic?, entitled " Selection of Eatable Fnogi." In that is a coloured 

 porti-ait of Coprinns comatus, the Maned Agaric, which might enable you 

 to be assured that the fungus you speak of is Coprinus comatus. It is 

 there stated, " The Mancd Mushroom is frequently found iu waste and 

 grassy places, lawn^. meadows, and bedg.'>,bank'5 during sxii-ing, summer, 

 and autumn. If gathered when young this is one of the most delicious 

 of all tlie edible fungi. Dr. Badbam recommends it for ketchup." 



Terrace Garden (A Suhscrlhcr). — Tne arrangement will look very 

 well, but yon will observe that 1, 1, and 2 in a line will have light margins. 

 A slate-coloured Verbena, or even a dwarf yellow Calceolaria, would make 

 a better margin for 2, or even a ring of yellowLsh-leaved Geranium. 

 3, 3, Calceolaria, we would margin with purple or blue. ,4, 4, could not be 

 beaten ; ditto 5, 5. 6 we would like to alter so'far as to put purple Ver- 

 bena or Iresine Llndeni next Christine; and 7, Ageratum, we would 

 bordenwith yellow or scarlet instead of purple. 



Melon Culture (C, A. TF.).— If you enclose five postage stamps with 

 your address, and order the " Kitchen-Garden Manual," it will be sent t& 

 you by post It contains what you need. 



Pansy Culture {IV. B. M.). — In " Florists' Flowers for the Many" are 

 full details. You can have it by post if you enclose five postage stamps 

 with your address. 



V/iiiTS Violets (Lincolnshire Vicar).— They are only a variety of the 

 common purple Viola odorata. We have no doubt that this occasionalism 

 sports into white flowers, especially on cbalky soils. 



Pears {An Aviatcur). — Pitmaston Duchess is a very superior Pear and 

 ssts well. Beurre de TAssomption is also excellent. They do well in 

 pots in the orchard house. We know nothing either for or against the 

 others you name. 



Planting Hops to Cover an Arbour {Jrthenice^.— Although it is now- 

 late to plant the Hop for thi purpose you mention, yet it may be done if" 

 you can obtain a good plant in a p')t, but to take one up from the ground 

 will be attended with loss to it that it will hardly recover dining the 

 season. Many of the shoots of Hops are now 6 feet hiyh, but with care in 

 warding off alt attacks of insects, aud shading the plant for a few days 

 from very bright sun, it is likely yon may yet succeed, but a month or 

 six weeks sooner would have been better. 



Allowing Tricolor Geraniums to Flower. {IcUvi). — This is a mere 

 matter of taste- When planted in quantity so as to forui a feature in the 

 flower garden, we usually pick off' the flowers, but with single plants 

 dotted about. amongst others we usually let them flower, VVe do not 

 think the persistent removal of flower bud-! as they appear assists the 

 plant iu its growth, for it will make an effort to produce more. If your 

 object is to increase the growth of a particular kind, better let one or two- 

 flower trusses remain, and remove the rest, also cut off all seed stems. 



y^siTE Spot on Orchahd-house Peaches (Puis in Urbe).—We are afi-aid 

 that the young fruit oE Peaches and Nectiirines are infested with mildew^, 

 and this often seises the fruit, when, as in yourcise, thefoliiige is free from 

 it. Your remedy is to dust the'parts with flowers of sulphur, and afford 

 more free Viiutilation. As the fcult in the orchard house ai^e uo large,, 

 we should imagine that the atuiosphei-a has been rather too close, and 

 that there has been either too much or too little moisture at the root.s. 

 Whilst the sulphur is on the fruit shade slightly. It would also be well 

 to daub any open part^s of the wall with sulphur p;iint. We oi'ten. use- 

 strong soft-soap water for mixing the sulphur, as then it adheres better to- 

 the w.-il]. The sulphur should first be beaten-up with a little water into a 

 thick paste, otherwise you will not easily mix it with water. The fruit 

 affected should be dusted with something like a fi.ie pepper-box. 



Flower Garden (D. R.).—We think your mode of planting will look 

 very well. However, as you.no doubt, wmt us to amend it, if we cannot- 

 find a fault, we should say that SLinplicity would improve it. Your centre, 

 No. 1, cannot be improved, and yoa have done well iu crossing 2, 2, and 

 3, 3, but we should prefer to make them all alike, just as you have done 

 with 7, 7, and S, 8. We are more inclined to say this, because, unless the- 

 Variegated Geraniums, l^c., in 2, 2. nre very strong, you must nip the 

 Perilla edging closely. Tben as respects 3. 3, the edging of Golden Keather 

 will not suit so well with the Pick Christine Geranium as some other 

 things. Supposing you bordered the 4 beds with the Golden Pvrethrum, 

 and then filled alone with Perilla aud the Variegated or pink Geranium. 

 One improvement here would be to substitute Iresine Lindeni for Pei'iUa,. 

 the leaves are so much smaller and of a fine deep purple, and would need 

 but little pinching in comparison. The Iresine Herbstii would be better 

 than Perilla, but Perilla will do well if you rise small plants, and pinch 

 well-in. and yet leave small young shoots with small leaves. Then, aa 

 you edge all these beds, we would edge also the whole of the rest, 

 Madame Vaucher with purple, the scarlets with white, the purples witk 

 yellow, and then let those who would beat you look out. 



Peach Trees in Peach House ( TF. B.]. — The Peach leaves seem as if 

 they were thin and suifering from want of root noui'isbment, but if 

 growing inside the house they would not be so apt to sufler from Elm-tree 

 roots. From the latter you can have no remedy, except trenching down 

 beyond the roots, and either leaving the treuch open or making a cement 

 wall, through which the roots cannot pass— a difiicult affair unless you go 

 deep enough. We do not tbiuk that is the sole cause, or even the prin- 

 cipal one. We observe on the leaves spots and scalds, which are generally 

 the results of two cau-es — first,, deficient early ventilation ; and second, 

 which without further information we think has much to do in your case, 

 scars and spots in the glass, which act as so m.iny burning lenses. By 

 carefully examining the t^lass vou can satisfy yourself as to this, andean 

 daub each scar with a little paint. If not, the roots are at fault. 



Flower-garden Planting (Sazelhurat). — We think we commended 

 your flower garden long ago for its ease, gracefulness, aud simplicity* 



