May 4, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



327 



easy to give little, hot in a small opening you cannot give more than the 

 opening. If the house is on your own property, your cheapest plan is to 

 have a fixed roof, rafter sash-bars l.l- by 4:^, IH inches apart, so as to 

 receive glass 'S inches wide, and glaze ia the usual way, glass 21-oz. to 

 the foot, and -iths will answer your purpose. As to your flue, see that 

 your furuace is low enough, and that your furnace-bars are fully IS incbes 

 beneath the bottom of your flue. The direction of the flue is all right 

 enough, but the mode of making it is a very expensive one, making an 

 air-flua all round outside of the fire-flue. Wo would make the flue, for 

 2 feet from the furnace, brick-on-bed, then two bricks-on-edge for the 

 space you mention would be ample, and it should be far enough between 

 the sides to be covered with a 9-incb-thick tile. Do not cover with slate, 

 as nothing stands dry heat worse. We presume your Vine border slopes 

 or falls from the bouse ; in that case we do not see much use in having 

 drain-tiles from the flue through tbe border, as heated air is loath to go 

 ^down hill. The drainage of tlie border across and in front would be 

 more important. In making the border use the sandy loam and rotten 

 turf, and eveu more bones along with the lime rubbish, but as the soil in 

 bulk is rather light, we would not u^e tbe ashes from burnt rubbish. 

 Rather clean charcoal is a different tbiug, and a few bushels or barrow- 

 loads of that would be useful. A few inches of litter put on the border 

 early in the autumn will keep the frost out. The best sort of Vines for 

 your purpose would be the Black Hamburgh, and especially for sale. If 

 your preferred one white, have the Royal aiuscadine. If you forced in 

 February you would have to remove the Geraniums when you raised the 

 house above 60'^. The most economical use of such a house would be to 

 let the Vines break of themselves, and seldom have Ihe house above 45'^ 

 with fire heat, until the buds were swelling. The shelf for Strawberries 

 will do very well if they have unobstructed sunlight. 



FuNQi {C.B., Chippenham). — It is by no means uncommon for Morels 

 and other fungi to appear suddenly in pastures, hedgerows, and on lawns 

 and elsewhere where no trace of such things had ever been known before. 

 We believe the matter has never been fully explained. We knew of an 

 instance of an immense fairy ring, 27 feet in diameter, of Agaricus 

 geotrupus suddenly appearing on a lawn in front of a gentleman's house. 

 These fungi, which were never there before, appeared in this gigantic 

 ring for one year, and have never appeared since. This fungus is one of 

 the largest of all Agarics, and could not have failed to make itself known 

 had it been present. The Morel (IVIorchella esculenta) is considered very 

 good stewed; gather fresh specimens, cut them in quarters, and simmer 

 for about forty minutes with a piece of ham. Or they may be opened 

 and stuffed with veal stuffing, and baked with butter. When well cooked 

 they become perfectly tender, and are excellent eating.— W. G. S. 



Garden Plan [A Subscriber, A. C. K.).— We fear we cannot criticise 

 your plan usefully. The flower garden on each side of the house will tell 

 very nicely, and the greenhouse would be valued by some because you 

 must pass one of the flowi-r gardens to get to it. On account of the 

 house being unequal in width, a part of the mansion for some 25 feet in 

 length will have a double width of gravel. If nothing else interfered with 

 the idea, that space for a width of 10 feet or so might be made into a neat 

 plant house, so as to come in line with the greater part of the front of the 

 mansion. Whatever room formed the part of that— dining-room, drawing- 

 room, or sitting-room, the light would be little interfered with by a light 

 glass structure, and the enjoyment is great of being able at once by 

 a glass door to go at once among pretty plants. To make the flower 

 garden between the two entrances distinct, we should be inclined to make 

 that into a rosery. The lines of the walks are very graceful and easy. 

 Without seeing the place we would rather object to the bed of flowers i, 

 £,t the base of the sloping bank, and more especially as that gives a sort 

 of reason for dividing by a walk the two lawns, l, l, and because that walk 

 will be a prominent object from tbe windows of the principal rooms. We 

 do not think there is any beauty in gravel merely looked at by itself, and 

 its appearance there takes away from the massiveness of the lawn. We 

 would prefer a rather open picturesque glade in front of the mansion. We 

 would, therefore, be chary of floiver beds on that lawn, and confine them 

 chiefly to the respective ends, leaving the centre free. A few choice 

 shrubs and speciuiens of Cupressas, Araucaria, Deodars, &c., would be 

 better, but these are mere matters of taste. We should like to know how 

 you decide as to the middle walk between the two lawns. 



Variegated Pelargoniums Losing Colour (.-i. D.).— We have never 

 known any become entirely green, and cannot understand why yours 

 should exhibit that tendency. We grow ours in a cold pit. We pot the 

 plants from April to October, and they are placed with the leaves about 

 9 inches from the glass— not nearer; they have air day and night 

 when the weather is mild, and are slightly shaded from hot sun frum 

 S A.M. to 4 P.M. We use a compost of liglit turfy loam two parts, one part 

 old dry manure, and a free admixture of sand. The soil is kept moist, 

 but no water ia given until the soil becomes dry, but before the leaves 

 flag, and then enough is supplied to show itself at the drainage. 



Hoses on their own Roots {T. G.). — On their own roots they are not 

 so free in growth for a time as those worked on the Manetti stock. Your 

 best plan will be to put in some cuttings next July, just after flowering, 

 in a cold frame, keep them close and shaded until they are growing freely, 

 then give them air, and harden off. Another good plan is to put in 

 cuttings in September under a north wall, and let them remai>i until the 

 following April; then take them up and pot, or plant oat where required. 



Select Pelargoniums (J. W. P.).— The following are good:— Arch- 

 bishop, Charles Turner, Congress, Consul Cameron, Emperor, Lady of 

 the Lake, Menilek, Mr. Rassam, Prince Humbert, Troubadour, Lord 

 Napier, and Envoy. Those are Show strts. A few newer of the same 

 class are Claribel, Her Majesty, Maid of Honour, Regent, Heroine, Cor- 

 sair, Marion Wilkie, and Cycle. Fancy : — Belle of the Season, Bright- 

 ness, Fanny Gair, Lady Dorothy NeviU, Formosa, Lord of the Isles, Mis. 

 Alfred Wigan, Mrs. Mendel, Princess Teck, Undine, Pink Perfection, and 

 Duchess of Euccleueh. A few newer of the same — Leotard, Excelsior, 

 Marmion, Lady Carrington, East Lynn, and Agrippa. Spotted : — Cybele, 

 Boileau, Argus, Fortunio, Madame Cleriet, Midas, Monsieur le Play, 

 Monsieur Prevot, Princesse Mathilde, Ptolomee, Theophraste, and Chris- 

 topher Colomb. A few newer are Hector, Jeanne Millot, Cameleon, 

 Danae, Ernest Duval, Monsieur Caillot, Yvonne, and Armide. You would 

 see what was said in last week's Journal of the early-flowering sorts. 



Fruit Trees XTnproductiye (J. B.).—We are unable to account for 

 the unfruitfulness of the trees, but we think it is owing to their vigour. 

 The shoots required for extension must be trained in at their full length 

 without stopping, but all others we would stop at the third leaf, and after- 



wards keep stopped to one leaf throughout the season. The spurs, o ■ 

 short shoots with clusters of leaves, we would preserve entire. We think 

 that they must form fruit buds this season. The Cherry trees we would 

 mulch with short manure, and we would give a good soaking of water 

 when the trees are in flower, and again when the bloom is set, repeating 

 it occasionally in dry weather. 



Gladioluses in Pots {T. G.). — The plants you intend to flower in 

 pots should now be transferred to 9-inch pots {we presume you have five 

 in each pot) ; continue them in the frame, but draw olf the lights in mild 

 weather, and water freely, giving sprinklings of water overhead daily, 

 and liquid manure twice" a-week after May. After that time the lights 

 will not be required. The pots should now be removed to a cold frame. 

 If you wish the plants to flower early they may be continued under 

 glass, giving them plenty of air, and frequent syringings, so as to keep 

 down red si}ider. Those for out-doors we plant out after this where they 

 are to flower, not placing them in larger pots, but turning them out. 

 Water freely in dry weather. 



Rhododendrons from Seed (T. ./. H.) — Sow the seed now in pans, 

 boxes, or a cold frame, putting iu about 6 inches of sandy peat, and make 

 the surface very fine. Just cover the seeds with very fine soil. If sown 

 in pots or pans they must be well drained, and placed in a cold frame 

 until the seedlings are fairly up, and then give air, by degrees removing 

 the lights. It is necessary that the soil should be kept moist, but avoid 

 making it sodden. In severe weather alford protection from frost, and the 

 spring after sowing prick out in a sheltered situation, and if shaded from 

 the mid-day sun all the better. They will do very well at S inches apart. 

 Water in dry weather. 



Asparagus Weak {r^;ioram:ts).— Allow the shoots to grow, cutting none 

 but those fit for table, and water, after the middle of May, with liquid 

 manure, which you cannot give too freely nor too often, and to every 

 gillon add 1 oz of salt, but this not ofteuer than once a-fortuight. To 

 make sure of the liquid entering the soil, give "iit in gutters between tho 

 rows. You will have better Asparagus next year. See reply to another 

 correspondent iu this day's Journal. 



Melon Leaves Scorched (i. £.). — The leaves are scorched probably 

 from air not being given sufficiently early, so as to have the leaves dry 

 before the sua shines powerfully on them. It may, however, be due to 

 the glass, which, beiug very clear, admits the sun's rays too powerfully, 

 which you may determine by affording a alight shade in the hottest part 

 of the day, using the lightest description of floral shading you can. 

 They need this shading most after a period of dull weather, during whicii 

 the leaves bdcome more succulent, and are liable to scald on a return of 

 bright weather. The soil you name will do. VVe presume you make it 

 firm, that being necessary to secure short-jointed wood and firm leaves ; 

 but from the loaf sent we fear your soil ia too open, as the leaf is too thin 

 in substance, and therefore very subject to the attacks of red spider and 

 thrips- Admit more air and early, closing eiriy in the afternoon, and 

 make the soil hard. 



Which Bud of a Scion should be Allowed to Shoot? {T. G). — In 

 reply to your query relative to " the new mode of grafting " on ^ ige 3 J(i, 

 Mr. Kingsley says—" The reasons for making the shoots from one of the 

 lower buds the leader are simple, and are just the same as for allowing a 

 bud on the natural branch to remain aud start (in budding) and be finally 

 suppressed. The stock receives a tremendous shock in grafting, and the 

 root action is checked for a time, but recovers after a few leaves are 

 expanded. The lower buds iu this way are more likely to start with 

 vigour ; the topmost bud is pretty surw to start feebly, unless it be from 

 a terminal eye. Then the shoot from a low bud swells over the top of 

 the stock at once, so both getting more hold of the stock and healing its 

 wounds. In stone fruits the scion is very apt to get hidebound if there 

 is much space between the top of the stock and the shoot. I have three 

 Oranges at present growing from recent grafts. A slug stopped one at 

 the ninth leaf. The shoos from the eye below is already more than twico 

 as strong as any of the lot. I have grafted several hundi-eds of trees 

 annually for some time, and I am quite sure of the truth of what I stated. 

 You have only to see a few to be convinced. The sort of growth varies 

 with the subject. In Pears and Apples I leave the top of the scion fi-e- 

 quently as a spur, but in stone fruits I cut it close off", so that you cannot 

 tell whether tne tree has been grafted or budded. — W. K." 



Span-roofed Houses on a Slope {Ajax).—^s you must use that slope 

 of 1 foot in 20, there need be no difficulty in having houses 150 feet long, 

 and built on the slope of the ground, and having the boiler at the lower 

 end. The heating will be all the more effective from the regular rise of 

 the pipes. No doubt you will get the heating done as well by having two 

 houses lOO feet long, but the principle of heating will be in both cases 

 the same, and we should not be afraid of the heating in either case. In 

 such a position, however, we might feel more disposed to have lean-to 

 roofs, with hipped roofs at back, andhave the houses on the level with slopes 

 between them. You can have plenty of bottom heat from your Cucum- 

 ber house by having pipes in a chamber instead of a tank, but yuur 

 evaporating-paus will not act so well on snch an incline, unless you make 

 them very deep. We would be satisfied with clinkers rouud the pipes, 

 which we could moisten at pleasure. Whatever your opinion of tanks, 

 you can do nothing with them on such an incline unless they are as close 

 as pipes. 



Glazing Without Laps {Alfred Bownes^, —Yom do not state what part 

 of our advice you neglected. All we can say is, that there is no necessary 

 connection between glazing without laps and flooding from rain, if the 

 work is properly done. There must be something defective in your work 

 if after lapping the glass the success is little better. Even a flat garden 

 frame will take off the rains, and your roof must either be very flat, or 

 the glazing badly done. To have two panes for a length of 7 feet, you 

 should have 21 or 25-oz. sheet glass, but we ourselves for common 

 purposes would prefer four squares to two squares. Of course, you could 

 place strips of wood across, beneath the joinings where there is no lap, 

 and that bedded against the glass would prevent drip. If the work is 

 well done there ought to be no drip. If the house is flat-roofed, have 

 from one-eighth to one-quarter-inch laps. 



Preventing Weeds on Walks {Le roshy).—^o plan is so effectual as 

 asphalting the surface. The walks are rendered drier, firtper, and no 

 weeds ever appear. We have repeatedly published directions for as- 

 phalting. 



Ants on a Lawn {A. (7.).— We think the little hillocks are caused by 

 ants. We know of nothing that would drive them away so soon as sprink- 



