342 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUBhi AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 11, 1871. 



■doubt, fruit. "We cannot account for the leaves turning black, but it may- 

 have been caused by the late cold weather. We have some similarly 

 affected, and we cannot account for the occurrence in any other way. ; 

 We presume you practise summer-pruning. Your light soil is not favour- j 

 able for Pears. They will only fruit by liberal treament, rich top dressings, , 

 and good wateriogs in dry hot weather. 



Placing Soil against an Elm Tree (A. L. B.).— Placing poil against i 

 an Elm, or indeed any kind of tree, is very injurious, especially when the | 

 ■SDil is laid to a considerable depth against the trunk, and covers the roots j 

 deeply. We have thus known irees of coDSi<5erable age killed — in fnct, \ 

 the older they are the more iujiirious is the covering of the roots deeply ; 

 with soil. If you wish to save the tree the only plan is to remove the soil i 

 down to the roots. Only last autumn we removed some soil about 4 feet I 

 deep from around some very large and fine Sycamore trees, the soil 

 having been laid on grass that had been originally under them, and we 

 noticed that not a root was found in the 4 feet depth of soil, none being 

 discovered until we came to the grass, or where tbey were first formed. 

 It was removed to save the trees, and from their present appearance we 

 ^sspect a growth this year equalling that of the previous four years. The 

 stems of all trees should stand, or be raised above the surrounding level, j 

 on a slight mound, just as we find them in the best specimens natural or 

 planted. We say remove the soil at once. 



Climber for a South Wall (Idevi). — Caprifolium luteum ia a good 

 yellow Honeysuckle for a south wall, but, as you say, yellow Jasmine is 

 too poor, though you do not say which kind it is. for we consider Jasminum 

 Tevolutum fine for a south wall. We fear the Honeysuckle will not suit. 

 Buddlea globosa hag pretty yellow flowers, and Garrya elliptica greenish 

 yellow catkins ; botfi of them suit a south aspect. Tliey are not climbers, 

 2jut very suita^-de. They are evergreen. The climate is too cold for the 

 Bignonia, but it will no doubt flower well after a time, thinning out the 

 shoots so as to secure the thorough ripening of the wood. 



Sparrows Destroying Wistaria Flowers {Wistaria'. — We do not 

 Temember to have noticed the liking of sparrows for the flowers of this 

 plant, and we should think, as you do, that " the birds have been in quest 

 of insect pests." We have known all the flowers of the Wistaria fall 

 after a sharp frost. 



Chatfinches in a Garden (S. B ).— Chaffinches are destructive in a 

 garden, iujis-jiuch as tbey pull up and of course destroy the seeds of 

 Cauliflowers and all the Cabbage tribe, Turnips, Ridishes, Lettuce, &c., 

 just when Ihey are appearing aboveground ; but they are very useful in 

 a garden, as tbey live for the most part on insect food. We never destroy 

 them, nor, indeed, any of the feathered tribe We ward ofi' the attacks 

 of the Chiffiuch by coating the seeds with red lead, just making them 

 red all over, and moistening the seeds first with water so as to make the 

 red lead adhere to them ; though this costs a little trouble it is not half so 

 troublesome as covering with netting. The seeds come up well, not one 

 being taken by the birds. In this way we save the seeds and have the 

 full ben- fit of the birds. Even the sparrow consumes many insects in- 

 festing trees and plants, rearing its young solely on insect food. 



Soot Water Fon Syringing (F.E. P.). —It is first-rate both for pre- 

 venting and desf.roying insect pests, but is not safe for plants in flower, 

 as it will discolour the blossoms ; nor can it do much good at such a time, 

 as it is then necessary that they should be kept dry, 



LoMARiA gibba (ldem).~lt is a stove Fern, but we have grown it in a 

 winery in summer, and have also wintered it safely in a vinery, frost 

 being excluded ; indeed we have in a stove two fine plants which were so 

 grown for over eighteen months. 



Pear Leaves Blackened {R. S. F.).~~'The leaves enclosed to us are 

 'blackened by cold. There is no remedy but to afi'ord protection on frosty 

 nights and in cold weather Your only remedy is patience. Finer weather 

 will make all right, though the blackened leaves will not recover, and 

 when Ihe weather is more settled remove the blackened leaves by degrees, 

 flaking the worst first. 



Planting Bedding Pelargoniums (Kittie).— One foot apart everyway 

 is a very suitable distance. We cannot account for the Coronillas not 

 flowering. They do well in a cool greenhouse ; perhaps yours are kept 

 'too warm. There is no book treating of what you require, nor would it 

 be of any great value. Stopping and disbudding are only useful in certain 

 stages of plant growth. 



PiCEA Pinsapo Bearing Cokes {Lliicolmliire Ficar).— It is not unusual, 

 hut the seeds do not as a rule become perfect in this country. If the 

 ceeds were good they would have a marketable value, but not great, as 

 continental seed can be obtained at a low price. 



POLEMONIUil CJEHOLEUM VAEIEGATUM— TREATMENT OF FORCED RoSES 



IB. JB.).— It attains a height of About 9 inches, and would form a good 

 edging to small beds, with Coleus in the centre. Roses which have 

 lowered in the greenhouse should be hardened ofi" and phicedout of doors 

 in an open situation, the pots pluoged in ashes, nnd water given as re- 

 quired throughout the summer, with freqaent sprinklings overhead. 

 Eepot them in September, and remove them to a cool house in October, 

 pruning in November. From the leaf we think your Acacia is A. lophan- 

 tha, but we cannot name plants from leaves only. Flowers as well as 

 foliage are necessary for identification. • 



DwARFirjG Rhododendrons (F. G.).— We do not approve of cutting 

 down snch kinds as R Nuttalli, Edgworthi, Falconeri, and javanica, 

 though it is quite safe to do so, yet they must grow a year or two before 

 -\,hey will flower acain. Copper wire tied round would cnuso them to 

 break lower down, but it would be at the expense of the part above. We 

 do not know of any other plan, and do not commend these. Good large 

 plants are far better than small ; indeed they are not in character until 

 they are of good size. If your plants are well furnished thty misbt readily 

 he exchanged for smiUer by applying to some of the princiiJal plant- 

 groiving uuiserymen. 



Cloiber for Summer House under Trees {A. B. T.). — It is very 

 •difficult to grow climbers of any sort under closely planted trees, the 

 roots of the latter making the soil so dry in summer that the newly- 

 planted climbers have a very poor chance. The different kinds of Ivy are 

 the best we knon*. Traveller's Joy (Clematis Vitalba) we have found 

 useful, also Virginian Creeper. 



Sulphate OF laoN FOR Pbacu Trees iCB ).— Your query was answered 

 fiome weeks back, and we can only now say that we do not know anything 

 -cf sulphate of iron as applied to Peach and Nectarine trees. 



fKAXiNELLA Kaising PROM Seed {Idem) .—T\iq seed may have been 



bad, for it is difficult to obtain it sound. It should be sown as soon as it 

 is ripe in rich deep soil but on a dry bottom, and covered about an inch 

 deep with fine soil. The seed will not vegetate until the following April 

 or May ; and if you purchase seed, or sow in spring that of the previous 

 year, it will not vegetate until the April following, or for twelve months, 

 and scarcely one seed out of a hnndred will grow if kept out of the ground 

 until spring. The seedlings should remain where sown two years, and 

 then be planted out where they are to remain. They usually flower the 

 third year. 



Plants for a Small Conservatory {A Constant Subscriber]. — We 

 name a few, and principally winter-flowering, as you desire such. Acacia 

 armata, A. oleifolia elegans, A. pulchella, Cboroze'ma cordatum splendene, 

 Coronilla glauca variegata, Correas Brilliant and magnifica. Cyclamen 

 persicum, Cytisus racemosus, Libonia floribunda, Linam trigynum. Lu- 

 culia gratissima, Monochastum ensiferum. Primula cortusoides amoena, 

 Rhododendron jasminiflorum, Princess Alexandra, and Princess Royal, 

 Vallota purpurea ; Azaleas Brilliant, Chelsoni. Criterion. Due de Bra- 

 bant, Etoile de Gand. Iveryana, Mars, Queen Victoria, Stella, Vesuvius, 

 Wilhelm Lester, and President Claeys ; Camellias Alba plena, Benneyi, 

 Comte de Flandre, Conspicua, Fimbriata. La Pace, Leeana superba 

 (Bealii), Valtevaredo, Storyi, Rafia, Mrs. Cope, and Monarch. Besides 

 these you will, of course, grow Primulas and Cinerarias, bulbs, Dielytra 

 spectabilis, Spiraea japonica. and Deutzia gracilis. Pelargoniums to 

 flower in winter require to be kept stopped until August, and shonld be 

 potted in September. 



Cheilanthes elegans (Idem) .—Tha.t is the name of the Fern of which 

 you enclose a frond. It does well in a greenhouse, and in a position par- 

 tially shaded from bright sun. It requires a compost of two parts sandy 

 peat, one part fibrous loam, and sandstone in pieces from the size of a 

 pea to that of a hazel nut, and a like part of silver sand. G lod drainage 

 should be given, and when growing the watering should be liberal ; in. 

 winter less is required, but even then the soil must be kept moist. 



Pruning Evergreens fE. H. B.).— There is no book on the subject, 

 nor is one needed, for all those you miution may be pruned with a knife, 

 not shears, now or any time in spring, and may have their shoots re- 

 moved to any extent you wish. 



Preventing Green Fly (Butij). — We are not aware of any composition, 

 that mav be applied to Roses and Pelargoniums as a preventive of this 

 aphis. The best plan ia to fumigate with tobacco whenever any of the 

 insects are seen. Soapsuds are useful for syringing wall fruit trees and 

 even out-door Koses, but they varv so much in strength that it is a ques- 

 tion solely of experiment, and in that way only can we ascertain the 

 strength to be employed. Sometimes soapsuds contiin a large quantity 

 of soda, at other times little or none. We use soapsuds for Asparagus, 

 between rows of Cauliflowers, and for watering Celery, &c., and if em- 

 ployed for washing wall trees we dilute with double the volume of water. 

 Good waterings and liberal treatment will keep ofi" mildew. 



Removing Old Paint iHortulanus).~ThQ most effectual application is 

 naptha. Tho oldest and hardest paint is dissolved by it, and may be 

 then wiped off. 



Glass Against Fruit Walls (B. S ).— This will always be an ad- 

 vantage. If sashes are laid against the trees it will help them both when 

 in bloom, and also if it is desirable to ripen them earlier, removing them 

 during the summer. If left, an open space should be preserved at top 

 and bottom for air. We are no advisers for having anything like a fixed 

 roof a foot or so from the wall, for if so the sashes must move or slide, 

 or how are you to get at the trees, to wash, water, clean, prune, &c. ? Sashes 

 are only economical when they are there and to spare. A fixed roof is 

 the cheapest in every way. For your wall we would have a hipped roof of a 

 foot, and in that have the ventilators, and then some glass resting on a rail 

 and posts in front, at least 4 feet from the wall, w,th a ventilator between 

 the waU and ground. A more simple house and a more useful one would 



bo to make the glas3 into a 

 xy c lean-to thus, as you would 



have so much more room in- 

 side, and such an orchard 

 house could be put up more 

 cheaply than making sashes 

 to lay aeainst the wall. We 

 would have a narrow house 

 for the S-feet wall, and a wider 

 one for the wall 15 feet in 

 height. A great advantage 

 will be gained by just having 

 enough of room to walk and 

 work inside. Without that we 

 would not use glass txcept 

 as moveable sashes. As stated 

 above, except for temporary 

 purposes, we have no faith in 

 the class merely a foot from 

 the wall. For permanent work 

 we would use 21-oz. thirds, or best fourths, as good enough for the pur- 

 pose. The common plan would be to have rabbets and glaze in the 

 usual way with putty. Were we doing the work for ourselves we would 

 have grooves in therafter snsh-bars deep enough to give the g'ass play, 

 dispense with putty, and fix the glass firmly by a packing of cord or list 

 beneath. 



Grei-.nhouse Construction {Arundo^.— It is very desirable that all the 

 front lights should open, as it is not possible to give too much air to a 

 greenhouse in summer. The difference in expense between fixed lights 

 and those made to open is not great, and economy of this kind is, as yon 

 say, expensive in the end. It is by far the best plan to have the top 

 lights hinged, and raised or lowered by an iron rod and crank, for by it 

 you can give air oven in rainy weather, but by the cord, pulley, and 

 weight principle tho lights must remain shut in wot weather, tr allow 

 wet to fall upon the plants. The end ventilation is of no consequence. 

 You will have sufficient without any at the west eud, and the door only 

 need be opened iu very bright hot weather, and not then if very windy. 



Vine Leaves' Edges Brown {B. G.).— We have traced iu many in- 

 stances th's injury to one of two causes, or to tho two causes combined- 

 deficient supply of Slip, so deficient as not to sustain the luxuriant growth 

 of tho leaves, and absence of free ventilation, so that tho moisture which 

 collects on the edgts of tho leaves is not ariud-off before bright suushino 



