326 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ ITay 4, 1371. 



also had it very fine iu pits, the glass shaded wirh a cos,ting of 

 milk, with just a little powdered whiting in ifc, a little air being 

 left on at night as well as by day; but if ever the sun touch 

 the fine foliage with condensed vapour on it, farewell to all 

 your previous care, the foliage will be spotted and marred, and 

 ■the plants totally unfit for gracing a lady's bower. Hence a 

 ■roomy house partially shaded is better for this plant than a pit, 

 as in the latter a very short time of neglect will spoil the look 

 of the plants for the season. The tubers should now be got 

 out, and placed shallow in pans, to start them into growth, and 

 than they may be regulated according to their strength. Five 

 good tubers will make a gorgeous mass in an 8-inch pot. We 

 have had fine plants from a single tuber in a 5 or 6-inch pot. 

 ■Good fibrous sweet loam, with about one-fourth of old dried 

 sweet cow dung, lightened with silver sand and bits of charcoal, 

 will grow this plant to perfection. When fairly started it 

 should never be syringed nor watered overhead. As hinted 

 above, the sun should never reach a leaf before the leaf is dry. 

 The less moisture on a leaf at any time the richer will be its 

 ^relvety texture and colour.— R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



James Brooke & Co., 16, 18, Victoria Street, and Fairfield, Man- 

 chester. — Catalogue of Select Orchids, Palms, Ferns, Nepentltcs, 

 Vines, Pines, d-c. 



John Scott, Merriott Nurseries, Crewkerrte, and Yeovil, Somerset. — 

 Flojcer Garden Annual, Directory, and Catalofjue of Bedding Plants. 



T. Bnnyard & Sons, Maidstone and Ashford.— Z/si of Bedding-Oht 

 Plants, Greenhouse Plants, tfic. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Booss (Salop).—" The Vine ^lanual " and " Pearson's Orchard Honse." 

 You can have the Srst-nRmed for 25 Sd , and the second for Is. Id., free 

 by post from our office, if you enclose the amount in postage stamps with 

 your address. 



Addeess [V. N.).~We believe the firm is Messrs. Handyside. 



J. CooaiBS. Enfield (J. H G.). — We cannot give y^u more information 

 'ihan is in the advertisement, and caaaot say why your letters were 

 returned. 



Distorted Shoot of Ash (Ash-shoot). — It is not an uncommon mal- 

 formation, and when thus flattened and widened it is termed "fasciated." 



Rhododendron Princess Louise of Lobne (J. Nelson).— It is a very 

 line specimen of a very handsome flower. The colour is purplish rose 

 with purple spots in the throat ; each flower is of good substance, 3 inches 

 in diameter, and the truss fally 18 inches in circumference. We should 

 Tiave thought it mu^^t have been from a large vigorous tree, and not, as 

 you say, from a small plant in an 8-inch pot. 



SuiiHEE-PRUNiNG Wall FftuiT Trees (A New Sjihscriber).—T]ie short 

 summer-pruning, as given in the " ilodern Peach Pruner," may be applied 

 -to Plums, Pears, and Cherries as regards the growing shoots, but the 

 spurs must not be interfered with, nor the shoots that are required for 

 •sstension. The shoots stopped will, in autumn, reqaire to be cut back to 

 ^ithin about an inch of their base. We consider an Apricot tree in good 

 "bealth will brine to maturity two fruit to every equare foot of wall 

 •-covered. Much heavier crops are taken at a sacrifice of size, quality, and 

 future bearin:^. 



^ Compost for Plants (J. TF'.).—Lapageria rosea requires a compost of 

 ■fibroas peat broken np mther roughly, adding silver sand liberally. Good 

 Nirainago must be afi'orded, as the watering must be very liberal. Lo- 

 phospsrmum scandens, Mauraudya albiflora, Tropaeolum canariense, 

 T. Lobbianom, and Cobjea scandens succeed in a compost of two parts 

 turfy loam, one part leaf soil, one part sandy peat, and a free adtnisture 

 of sharp sand. It suits Ipom^as, Thunbergia alata, one part old lime 

 cubbish being added. 



Various (Amateur, Dublin).—!, WoodUce in a hotbed will eat the leaves 

 and stems of plants. They may be destroved by placing a boiled Potato 

 wrapped loosely in a little hay in a small flower pot, and laying it on its 

 5ide in the frame at night, and in the morning shaking them out into a 

 bucket of boiling water. 2. The climbers in the greenhouse beneath the 

 stage will not be injured by want of sun. Ours receive no sun, nor do 

 climbing plants naturally. 3, You may grow Cucumbers in a greenhouse, 

 but only by removing the plants or ruining them. They are best grown 

 ^n frames, or in a house set npart for them. 4. A hotbed of properly pre- 

 pared material will retain warmth for from six to thirteen weeks, but 

 after a fortnight or three weeks the heat begins to decline, and can only 

 "be kept up by linings of hot dung. After the maximum heat is attained 

 the temperatnre begins to decline. 



Asparagus Weak (E. C. A'.).— The growth being weak you could not do 

 5?etter than allow the heads to grow ; and if the bed is ttiin of plants we 

 would drop two or three seeds in holes about a foot apart and three- 

 •quarters of an ioch deep, in the hAve places; in summer, or after May, 

 supply liquid mauure abundantly in guLtjrs between the r'Dws. and at 

 weekly intervals in dry weather to the middle of September. In moist 

 weather the watering may be at intervals of from ten days to a fortnight, 

 but you can hardly overdo it. 



Columnea Schiediana Flowers Falling (J. B.).~We think this is 

 owing to the roots not being in a healthy state, and the plants being 

 grown in too high a temperature during the winter. In winter it requires 

 to have all the light you Cfin afford, and no more water than enough to 

 keep it in health ; when showing for flower water more freely, and yet do 

 not overwater. In winter affjrd a temperature of 5J° to 55^ and in 

 summer 60^ to 85^ will be suitable. Nothing is a greater mistake than to 

 roast this class of plants, or stow them in a hot, close, moist stove in 

 winter. Good drainage is very important; and a compost of equal parts 



sandy peat, light turfy loam, half part charcoal, and a like quantity of 

 silver sand, and a sixth part old dry cow dung or leaf soil, will grow it 

 well. The atmosphere requires to be moderately moist. 



Berried Aucueas for Conssrtatoht (G. 5.).— We usually take up 

 our plants as soon in spring as we can tell those most likely to bear tbe 

 Greatest quantity of berries— such are, of course, those showing most 

 ll'jwer buds— and we pot them and place in a cold house, and this forwards 

 the flowering, so that there is not so very much difference between the 

 berry-bearing and male plants in flowering. If the male be the earlier, 

 the pollen is collected on white, dry paper, and is kept until the others 

 flower, when the pollen is applied to the flowers of the berry plant, and in 

 the early part of the day when the flowers are dry. It will answer qtiite 

 as well if a male plant in flower be placed close to the berry-bearing sort, 

 both beins in flower simultaneously. You may fertilise those in the 

 open borders, take them up early in autumn, and keep them in a cool 

 house. To have lierries of good colour early in winter the plants require 

 to be grown in a cool house, an orchard house, or similar structure. Your 

 best plan would be to purchase some male flowers, whicli you will see 

 advertised in our columns. 



Plants for Beds in Winter (An Amateur). — For flowering in early 

 summer you may have— 1, Arabis aibidi, edged with Bellis aucubsefolia ; 

 2, Alyssum saxitile compactum, edged Arabis alpina variegata ; 3, Anbrie- 

 tia grajca, fudged Cerastiumtomentosom ; 4, Cbeir tnthus Marshalli, edged 

 Cliveden Blue Pansy ; 5, Silene pendula, edged Adonis vernalis ; 6, Ane- 

 mone vars , edged with double lilac Primrose. 



Wallf£owers [Hampton IF(cfc).— There are no named sorts, but Chei- 

 ranthus Marshalli, C alpina, and double red, black, and yellow; and as 

 you are very fond of this flower, we would advise you to sow some seed ; 

 also German double Wallflower, in a collection of ten varieties. A large 

 Red Currant for the wall is Houghton Castle or Victoria, the other White 

 Dutch. 



Carnation and Pansy Sowing {J. fl").- You do not say whether you 

 have convenience for heat or not, hut we presume you have. In that 

 case we advise you to sow the seed now in pans filled to within an inch of 

 the rim with a compost of two parts light fibrous lo im, and one part leaf 

 mould, with a free admixture of sharp sand, and then fill to nearly the 

 rim with the same sifted Scatter the seed thinly, and jast cover with 

 fine soil Place in a gentle hotbed, and when f lirly up remove to a cold 

 frame, keeping near the glass, and with abundance of air. When large 

 enough to handle prick-off in the open ground in good, rich, light soil, in 

 the first instance about 3 inches apart, and in autumn you may thin out 

 every alternate row and plant, leaving the others in the bed, and those 

 taken up may be planted-out where they are to flower. 



Plants for Vases Before a House (Awee). — Nothing does better in 

 a hot place in a vase than the old Scarlet Tom Tbumb Geraoium. If that 

 suits the wall of the house, then we should say use it. Succulents, as 

 Portulacas of the crimson kinds, would look splendid when the sun 

 shone, but dull in dull weather. We object to planting round the base of 

 vases altogether, but if you had scarlet above yoa might have blue or 

 purple beneath, or yellow Golden Feather, and Bine Lobelia. 



Golden-leaved Geranicjis Losing Colour (J 0. H.i. — The rich rubble 

 leaf mou^d and dung are the causes of your Gold-leaved Geraniums 

 becoming greenish oat of doors. You must be satisfied with less growth 

 in poorer soil. 



Lady Dowr^E's Vine Mildewed (Subscriber, Lincoln), — There se^m ap- 

 pearances of blotching more than of mildew on the leaves. The hanging 

 with dew in a morning is alike a sign of rich robust growth, but it also 

 shows that there is much moist vapour in the house. For cure, dust 

 mildewed parts with flowers of sulpnur ; for prevention, use sulphur on 

 the heating medium, wben it does not rise higher than 16J' to 170^, place 

 sulphur on the walls and shelves where exposed to the sun, and give a 

 little more dry heat and more air, tspeclally early in the morning. Bat 

 we see you give no fire heat, then use the sulphur, and give more air. 

 The Lady Downe's will not ripen kindly without a little heat. Having 

 two shoots instead of one from a spur is a m itrer of taste. Your proposed 

 plan will answer very w but, cut a fruitful Vine how you will, yoa will 

 have fruit. 



Grapes Diseased {H. L. C). — Of the berries sent two seem as if they 

 had been scalded, and one had a spot resembling mildew, but they were 

 so shrivelled we could not be sure. Two berries were badly rusted, and 

 the youDg ones setting were also shrivelled and rayted. We attribute the 

 first partly to want of early air-giving and to too great an amount of 

 atmospheric moisture in the house, and part'y to the same cause, along 

 with the above, that has affected the other two specimens — namely, too 

 high night temperature and the escape of sulphurous exhalations from 

 the flues so heated. The sulphur fumes would be even more dangerous 

 than a little smoke escaping from the flue. The ni-,'ht temperature, 

 80^. was a great deal too high ; from 65° to 7U^ with flae heating would be 

 safer. Su'phur fumes are most dangerous to Grapes setting and Just 

 set, and the Hamburgh is extra tender at that time. We once saw a 

 little house of Hamburghs with toe little berries all rusted, from coating 

 the hot-water pipes with sulphur, and causing the water to boil in them 

 or nearly so. Sulphur should be used carefuliy when the Grapes are 

 small and young. Use less heat and moisture, and more air. 



Vine Canes Dead (.E.) — It is very singular that the leaves of the 

 Vines so well treated should bo dead, if the shoots were looked after 

 last autumn when replanting, for that was of importauce in September. 

 Have you dressed the Vines with some strong mixture? Have rats or 

 mice nibbled th<^ stems, sheltered by your covedng? We fear there is no 

 chance of the Vines breaking no(V, better plant fresh ones at once. II the 

 Vines are sound at bottom they will break and grow strongly, but they 

 should be doing so if sound. 



Air-roots in Vines (W. H.).- You will find this subject well discussed 

 by Mr. Record, in No. 363 of this Journal. We agree with him in c m- 

 sidering Ibat it is an effort of the Vine to obtain mure nourishment. The 

 air of the house Rbould be kept rather cooler and rather drier, and the 

 action of the roots promoted by watering with weak tepid manure water. 



Plant and Vise House 'A Constant Reader), — The size of your house 

 is all right, if it suit 3 you. Merely as a matter of t:i-te we would prefer it to 

 be longer — that is, as 2 to 3, so that the width being 12, the length should 

 bo 18 feet, but the cotnpact place will hold a nu-uber of small plants. 

 Your mode of ventilation at the front and top by hinged ventilators will 

 answer, but you had better have inches instead of G at the top. It is 



