May 25, 1371. 1 



jouknaij of horticultuke and cottage gardener. 



373 



the old fields are worn ont ; 1 oz. to the gallon when genuine 

 was enough, a little cow-droppings water helps to give cool- 

 ness. After all there is nothing much better than water made 

 from the droppings of animals, if allowed to ferment and clear 

 itself previous to nee. Employing it so thick so as to leave a 

 crnst on soil or pot, keeps out the air, and so far is injurious. 



Vinenes. — We proceeded with thinning frnit, and tying and 

 regulating the late Vines. Those in the orchard house are show- 

 ing well, though at first they had only 2 feet of a border, and we 

 hays not yet been able to extend it to the walk in front, but 

 we suspect the roots are now among the rubble, and passing 

 under the walk. "We have failed every year to proceed with 

 renewing and extending Vine borders by degrees ; there has 

 been so much to do. We cannot touch the outside borders at 

 present, as they are a thicket of bedding plants, but we watered 

 in front of the wall plate with warmed manure water to make 

 sure that the roots were not too dry. When the bedding 

 plants are gone we shall move the litter and leaves, so that the 

 sun heat will duly warm the soil, but we shall not do that at 

 once, or in a hurry, aa the uncovering of Vine borders which 

 have been kept a little warm, if cold weather ensue, is apt 

 to give a check. As soon as a press of fresh work has been 

 finished we should like to find time and material to renew the 

 Vines by degrees, and then we should be content with finer and 

 much fewer bunches. 



ORNAilEXTAL DEPAKTiMENT. 



We have nearly finished the pleasure ground changes. 

 Lately we adverted to changes, even as changes, being de- 

 sirable. It should never be lost sight of, that the very best 

 possible combinations and arrangements at one time, may be 

 anything but the best a number of years afterwards. In a new 

 pleasure ground many thitigs may be introduced as stand- 

 points and for variety, even if somewhat mechanical or merely 

 artistic, that would be better away when shrubs and trees are 

 assumiug bold and massive proportions. 



In most of the turfing lately done we had the sods soaked 

 before laying them down, and this saves much labour after- 

 wards. All the stretches of fresh turfing now look as if they 

 had been laid down for years, and even as respects manage- 

 ment there is a great advantage in filling up every hollow, for 

 ease alike to sijythe and machine. Let us hint once more, that 

 a large lawn kept near the mark is a large source of expense. 



We have had much potting and moving, and hardening off 

 bedding plants, leaving them exposed in the beds at night, 

 except Coleus, and plants of a similar nature, which still have 

 protection, as we shall not think of turning them out for several 

 weeks ; probably about the 23rd we may begin to plant out 

 finally, but a press of other matters has prevented our pre- 

 paring the ground so well as we like. 



We piicked off tender annuals, and fresh potted Feme, Cala- 

 diums, itc, giving the latter strong lumpy loam, with sweet 

 manure and charcoal. Placed Achimenes and Gesneras in good 

 positions. — E. F. 



Early Peas. — Mr. G. Green,. gardener to the Ven. Arch- 

 deacon Fitzgerald, of Charlton Mackerell, Somerset, picked bis 

 first dish of Peas on the 10th, although he might have done 

 so on the 8*.h inst. The sort was Sutton^s Ringleader. They 

 were sown in the open air on November 19th, and had but 

 little protection. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



John Harrison, Grange Road, Darlington. — List of New Roses for 

 1S71. 



James Dickson & Sons, 102, Eastgate Street, and Newton Nnr- 

 series, Chester. — Catalogue of BefMing-ont and Border Plants, Xev: 

 Hoses, &c. — Suirpleraeniary List of Stove and Greenkoiise Plards. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS; 



*.:^* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Coimtry Gentleman." By doing so they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dx.j 1*71, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



N.B.-^ilany questions must remain unanswered until nest week. 



Books (J. M. S. P. r.).— The " Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary "' is 6s. Prf. 

 and the postage would be Sd. 



Fruiterers (W. P.).— Write to 'Messrs. Webber, Frniterers. Central 

 Avenue, Covent Garden Market, In Kelly's *' London Directory " you^ill 

 find a long list. 



P=ATi Leaves Blackened [T. Barnes). — It is caused by cold. See an 

 answer March lllb. No. 52S, p. 342 



Liquid Guano foe Roses {Suhseriher). — We should put from 10 lbs. 

 to 1"2 lbs. of guano to the o6-gallon cask of water, stirring it well up and 

 allowing it to settle before use. When empty it will not require so much 

 to bring it to the same strength again, as a good portion of the guano is 

 only partially or slowly soluble, and 6 lbs. or 7 lbs. will be enough. Much 

 depends, of course, upon the quality of the guano. Once a-week will be 

 often enough to apply the liquid manure unless the weather should be 

 very dry. 



Manetti Rose Stocks (G. W. H^.).— It is very doubtful if the three- 

 year-old Manetti stocks transplanted in the spring of 1S70, will ever be 

 worth budding on. It would be much better to keep them as stock from 

 which to raise cuttings, as the suckers they are now sending up will 

 make strong; shoots this summer, and will be very good for making into 

 lengths for cuttings in the autumn of the present year, inserting Ibem. 

 about S inches apart in rows 3 feet from each other. Make each cutting 

 from 7 to 9 inches long, of the strongest and smoothest part of the suckers. 

 Each sucker will then make two or three good plants for budding in twa 

 years' time. Some of the best may be budded where Ihey stand in the 

 following season. The rows of cuttings should be eartbed-up like Celery, 

 oaly leaving the two top eyes ont of the ground, and in transplanting tb& 

 lower eyes ought to be cut out. If the stocks must be budded this season, 

 it would be better to bud on the young suckers, cutting away all the old 

 wood, and if carefully done the suckers may be separated with the bud 

 on them, especially if, after cutting away the old wood, the suckers are- 

 eartbed-up so as to encourage them to emit roots, in which case if the 

 plants were strong, three or four suckers on each of the Manetti stocks 

 might be budded. This plan would require care and attention, but success 

 would be much more likely than in buddiog on the old wood, especially 

 as no R<3ses on the Manetti ao well unless they are planted with the 

 junction of the scion and stock at least 2 inches below the ground. 



FcKGUS ON Rose Leaves (J. L. G. and Rose Garden). — The Rose leaves- 

 are injured by the orange fungus ; the whole of the leaves are covered with 

 its spores though not visible to the naked eye. The orange patches are 

 the nuclei from which the spores are spreading. It is not necessary to- 

 pick off all the affected leaves, but if any are very bad th-r^y had better be 

 removed. Syringe the Rose trees with soft-soap water, 2 ozs. to the gallon,, 

 and dust sulphur on them while wet. The plants may be syringed with 

 pure water two or three days after the application of the soft, soap and 

 sulphur. If the fungus is not destroyed by the first application, try a 

 second. 



Yellow Fungus on Roses (An Old Suhscriber).— You will see an ap- 

 plicable answer in our last number. 



GEBANIU3I Leaves Spotted (C. J. S.). — We are unable to account for 

 the spot on the leaves, otherwise than that it is due to the plants being 

 grown in too rich soil, the watering being excessive, and the atmosphere 

 too close. We thinK more air and earlier in the day, accompanied with ■ 

 more heat, would set them right. 



Variegated Geraniums (A Constant Subscriber). — Silver Tricolor 

 Geraniums are Variegated Geraniums. We never saw Silver Tricolors 

 exhibited against Gold Tricolors exclusively. 



Com'post for Musk, Geraniums, and Calceolarias (A Subscriber)^ 

 — For Mu?k, two parts light turfy loam and one part of leaf soil and 

 sandy peat in equ^^l proportions, with a free admixture of sharp sand. 

 For Geraniuros, two parts light turfy loam and one part leaf soil or old 

 rotten manure, adding sand liberally. For the Calceolarias, two parls- 

 fibrous loam, one part leaf soil, and half a part of old cow dung. For 

 seedling plants of the last two the soil must be made very fine, and ppr- 

 ticularly for Calceolarias, adding fully one-fourth of silver sand. Sow 

 the Calceolaria seed on the surface, just covering with silver sand. We 

 cannot recommend you a book on the management of pigs. 



Geranium Leaves Spotted (G. W.). — We are unable to account for 

 the spots on the leaves, but consider more heat, less water, and a free 

 sweet soil with abundance of ail' would set them all right. It is due to 

 the plants in a majority of cases growing freely, and whilst so doing re- 

 ceiving a check. It is very prevalent this season, in a great measure 

 owing to the changeable weather. We do not know where shoots of the- 

 Indiarubber plant are sold for grafting or budding. 



Black Dots on Geranium and Fuchsia Leaves (Poplar). — The small 

 dots on the Geranium and Fuchsia leaves are caused by a small fly, which 

 has been brought into the house with the horse droppings. We know of 

 no means of freeing the leaves of the black dots, ihey may, however,, 

 be removed to some extent by frequent syringing, but most of the dots 

 will only be removed with the leaves. 



Apple and Currant Trees (Amateur). — The Apple tree leaves are 

 attacked by mildew; the remedy is flowers of sulphur applied by a 

 sulpbur-distribotor, or by the syringe. In the case of Apple trees, 2 ozs., 

 of soft soap and ^Ib. of sulphur being mixed with sufficient warm water 

 to form a thin paste, then udd two gallons of water, and with this syringe- 

 Ihe trees. The Currant trees also losing their leaves, and the fruit not 

 setting, would lead to the supposition that your garden is not diained, or 

 imperfectly so. This, with the continued cold east winds would lead to 

 the evils you complain of. If the roots have struck into a cold subsoil, 

 root-pruning would be beneficial; this should be done in the autumn, 

 and if practicable add some fresh turfy loam at the same time. 



Apricot Trees Gumming and Paetlt I)eaj> (A Garderier in Trouble). 

 —It is not an uncommou occurrence for the branches of Apricnt trees io 

 die off in the way stated in your letter. We have known them do so in 

 every stage of their growth, and this season more than usual. Wehave 

 some trees on a south border, where the border is pMrtially shaded by a 

 wall, but not the trees ; and the evil you complain of has troubled us 

 much. Another tree on the gable end of a shed with the same exposure, 

 but where the border is drier and unshaded by a wall, is quite free from 

 it. If the Peach trees were infested with red spider or aphis last season 

 there will be much dead wood this year Another cause is a damp rich 

 border, but as the Peaches on the south aspect are the worst, we should 

 suppose that the hot dry summer of last year had something to do with 

 it. As "all the bottom and middle of the tree" has died, you must 

 replant with young trees. If the trees had not been so badir afi"ected, 

 and if an unsuitable border was the cause, lifting the greater portion oE 

 the roots, removing as much as convenient of the old soil, and replac- 

 ing with pure turfy loam, would have been the remedy. Galvanised wires 



