374 



jouenaij of horticultuee and cottage gakdenee. 



[ May 25, 1871. 



make a neat trellis for garden walls ; they should be strained horizontally 

 6 inches apart, and ought to fit closely to the wall ; care must be observed 

 that the shoots are not tied too tightly to the wii-es so that the bark is 

 cut, or they will certainly gum. 



Apricot Shoots and Branches Dying {J. B. W.). — The branches die- 

 off from gum, for which there is no known remedy. It is common to all 

 kinds alike, but especially the Moorpark. 



CLiaiBER FOR Intermediate House {B. M). — Cissus discolor would 

 succeed if you were to keep it di'y in winter, but we should prefer one of 

 ■the Passifloras, and as there is a doubt of its flowering, from the shade, 

 we should plant P. trifasciata, which has pretty foliage. Hoya carnosa 

 variegata would also suit. 



House for Wintering Bedding Plants {A Lancashire Subseriher). — 

 The position of the lean-to froutins the west will do very well for bedding 

 plant?. The hardiest Vines would ripen well, as the Black Hamburgh 

 and Royal Muscadine. We would plant them at the back, train them to 

 the top of the wall, and then down the roof. Some five Vines would do, 

 or six if very anxious. If the back wall should be at all warm, then 

 train the stem up 6 inches from the wall. Whether tbe heat in the chim- 

 ney and the back room will be sutficient to keep out frost we cannot say 

 without knowing the heat thrown out, but in one case we had a slab of 

 "iron 2 feet square put near tbe stove or fireplace, and tbp.t was sufficient. 

 One thing is certain — if this heat should not be sufficient, a small iron 

 stove inside the house near tbe front would keep uU safe. If, instead of 

 Vines, you preferred Cucumbers in summer and had no extra heat, you 

 could grow them successfully only from the middle of June to the end of 

 September. 



MusHRoo^r Beds out of Doors (Mouceroii). — Those made in Novem- 

 ber we should have expected to bear in gtneral in two months after 

 spawning. Their beariug only a little now we attribute to their being 

 C'Vered thinly with straw, and then old mats thrown over them. We 

 should have liked from 6 to 9 inches of straw in such a winter. The 

 keeping them cool has retarded their bearing ; but as they may no^ 

 come plentifully we would give a little water at about 70° if necessary, 

 and keep a slight covering on. and you may gather a good lot from the 

 beds if the spawn was not iujured, and it is not easily injured by dry 

 cold. Now is a good time to make small beds out of doors in a shady 

 place, and we insist on the latter, as the heat of June and July is quite 

 enough for the Mushroom unless there is a little shade. The covering 

 of the beds after the end of this month is chiefly for maintaining uni- 

 formity of temperature and moisture. About 60*^ is the best average. 

 We have never had Mushrooms better in summer than when grown in 

 small ridges under the deep fhade of trees, and the ridges covered wjth a 

 little rough hay to keep them moist and not too warm. We have had 

 ■ quite as good Mushrooms under an open shed with less trouble, only the 

 ehed, however rude, added to the first expense. 



Pansies for PpBiNG FLOWERING (Bi'amhriihje). — If you plant out good 

 strong young plants of these in a warm border close to the sea, we have 

 no doubt they will succeed if they are not exposed to tbe sea spray. 

 ■Grolden Pyrethrum and Myosotis woubl also succeed, but they would not 

 •do if the salt water reached them. We do not know of an early-spring 

 •flowering plant that would endure the sea spray. 



Currant Bushes Infested with Aphis (X. Z., Her/^).— A safe remedy 

 "58 syringing with a solution of 2 ozs. of soft soap to tbe gallon of water. 

 The blackening of the shoots cannot be due to aphis, though the insect 

 may have destroyed the growths. Syringe, however, with the soft-soap 

 solution, wetting evei'y part, and choosing a mild calm evening. 



Cucumbers Growing in an Unheated House TV. W. B).— With a 

 ■2-feet bed of horse droppings fresh from the stable you may grow Cucum- 

 bers very well during the summer, taking care to shut up early in the 

 afternoou. in order to husband the sun's heat. We would make up the 

 bed and allow it to heat without covering with more than the sods, and 

 when the beat has risen and is not more than the hand can bear, j)lace 

 on the bed a hillock of soil 1) inches deep where you intend to plant, and 

 ^at out a plant on each hillock after the soil his become warmed. As the 

 plants grow you can add more soil, so as to cover the bed with about 

 1 foot deep of soil. The bed ought to be about 4 feet wide. Water as 

 required, and sprinkle every available surface frequently, especially when 

 shutting uj) for the day, so as to maintain a moist congenial atmosphere. 



Wistaria Ste3I Decayint. (H. Y. Y.) —The hole in the stem probably 

 results from some injury. There caa be no doubt that it will spread, and 

 we would at once fill it up with clay and cow dung as you propose, and 

 cover the bark 2 or 3 inches beyond the edges of the hole, and we should 

 add more as this composition cracks and falls off. By these means you 

 will probably induce the bark to grow so as to close up the hole in time, 

 but you must have patience. 



Compost for Palms [E. S.).— Chamcerops humilis succeeds in some 

 ■situations out of doors, and thrives in a greenhouse, Pboeuis sylveslris 

 will also succeed in a greenhouse, but is best if not subjected to a lower 

 ■temperatui-e than 45-. Dasylirion acrotrichum is not a Palm, and suc- 

 ceeds in a greenhouse, but best in a temperature of not less than 45^ in 

 ',vinter. For the Palms, use two parts fibrous brown peat, t^rn up roughly, 

 and one part turfy loam, with half a part silver sand. Good drainage is 

 necessary. The end of April or beginning of May is a good time to repot 

 ■ihem. The Dasylirion does well in a compost of two parts fibrous loam, 

 andonepart each of sandy peatacdold cow dung or well-decayed manure, 

 with a free adm'xture of sharp sand. The best time to repot is when the 

 -plant is beginning to grow, or in April. Repot it at once. 



Moss in a Shrubbery (JR. L.}.— It will not do to employ lime that 

 ■comes from your gasworks for the destruction of moss in the shrubbery. 

 In any considerable quantity it will be injurious to the roots of the trees 

 and shrubs, and in any case worse than the moss, to which we can see 

 no objection. We consider that after the shrubs are well established the 

 foil should not be disturbed. It spo.ls their effect, and is injurious to 

 the roots. 



Moss (J. K. P.). — We think No. 1 is one of the Sphagnums, probably 

 ■S. obtusifolium. You do not say in what sense you wish us to pronounce on 

 ■the qualities of the two specimens. For Orchids No 1 alone is suitable, 

 and would require to be ol'tnined from damper ground, whtre it wnuld 

 l?row considerably thicktr, and be of finer quality. No. 2 is not a Mo3s, 

 but a Lichen, and we think it is Cenoniyce racemosa, a very pretty kind, 

 •anperior in point of beauty to No. 1, though both are very jirctty. We 



should be obliged if any of our experienced Orchid-growers would give a 

 list of those Orchids most desirable for their fragrant flowers. 



Growing Asters for Exhibition (Suhscribcr E. H.K— You do not 

 say whether they are for exhibiting as cut blooms or plants in pots. Sow 

 the seed in April or May on a spent hotbed, or in a cold frame, putting in 

 about 9 inches of horse droppings or short stable litter, making firm, and 

 covering with 4 inches of good, rich, light soil. Sow the seed in drills 

 about 2 inches assart, and thinly cover with fine soil. Put on the lights 

 and keep them close until the seedlings appear, then give abundance of 

 air, BO as to have them strong and stiff. Keep the soil moist, and when 

 they show the second leaf, or are about an inch high, i)rick them off in a 

 bed prepared as for sowing the seeds, placing them about 2 inches apart, 

 and put on the lights. Keep the plants rather close and shaded for a few 

 days, and then admit air freely, planting out when they are 3 inches 

 high. The ground in which they are to be planted should be deeply dug, 

 well manured, and frequently turned over so as to have it in a thoroughly 

 pulverised state. The situation should be open, but sheltered from 

 wind. For plantiog out, choose showery weather, and water until the 

 plants are established, coutinuing to do so in dry weather once or twice 

 a-week, and give manure water at every alternate watering until the 

 flowers expand. Plant 18 inches apart in rows 2 feet from each other. 

 Mulch between the rows with spent stable dung about an inch thick. 

 When the flowers show colour shade with tiffany, or put over them a 

 tiffany awning, which may remain day and night, only it ought to be at 

 some distance from the plants. Look carefully for green aphis, and 

 whenever any is seen syringe or sprinkle with tobacco water, using 2 ozs. 

 of tobacco to a gallon of water, taking care to sprinkle the centre of the 

 plants. If you grow the plants in pots place one plant in a 9-inch pot, 

 watering with liquid manure when the roots reach the aides of the pot, 

 and sprinkling with water overhead daily. It is best to plant in a 6-inch 

 pot in the first instance, and then to transfer the plants to 9-inch pots 

 when the roots reach the sides. The main point is to keep the plants 

 strong and stiff, growing them without check. They should be trans- 

 planted with balls. A compost of loam from rotted turves a year old 

 chopped up rather small, one part leaf soil, and half a part of well-rotted 

 manure, with a free admixture of sand, and good drainage, will grow 

 them perfectly. 



Pea Stalks and Leaves Yellow {J. C.).— The Pea haulm you have 

 sent is variegated with yellow, owing, we think, to the cold of the present 

 spring. The excrescences on the roots are peculiar to the Pea, but they 

 are unusually large, and are, no doubt, tbe feeding ground of the mag- 

 gots which you saw when you pulled up the Pea haum. We do not 

 know that anything would do good, except, perhaps, a dressing of quick- 

 lime. We fear they will do liitle good, though warmer weather wonld 

 be of great service to them. The ground, we sh-uld say, is very full of 

 vegetable matter — leaf soil or decaying manure. Give, a good dressing 

 of lime when the ground is vacant. We hear from all quarters a bad 

 account of the Apple crop. 



Clearing Water in Pond (GcK2t/(;.ss).— The water will clear unless it 

 be agitated, but we would cover the bottom \sith gravel, and plant a few 

 aquitic plants — Nympbiea alba if you have 2 feet of water. Gold and 

 silver fish would thrive in it in summer, but we fear they would not sur- 

 vive a severe winter like the past. You could, however, thatch a portion 

 of the pond on the approach of winter, and that would probably save 

 them. Charcoal we do not consider necessary. 



Clearing Lawn of Weeds {E. D. 3f.).— We do not know of any better 

 ■way of freeing a lawn of Dandelions and other weeds than grubbing them 

 up with a grubber, and dropping in each hole a pinch of salt. This will 

 destroy Docks, DandelionS; Plantain, and all tap-rooted weeds. No book 

 gives the names of varieties of plants, and specially of such things as 

 Coleus. All plants worth growing are to be found in the " Cottage Gar- 

 deners' Dictionary," but the varieties, which are ever changing or giving 

 place to newer and improved kinds, are only to be found in catalogues, 

 the " Gardeners' Year Book," and works devoted to particular branches 

 of floriculture. Under the Chestnut trees no flowering plants would 

 grow, but the different kinds of Periwinkle would give a neat green cover- 

 ing to the surface, and so would Ivies. 



DiANTHus Heddewigi SEEDLINGS (5o7Her5t;0.— Scedliugs of the size 

 you enclosed to us will, no doubt, flower well this autumn, but. we would 

 now harden them well off, and plant out early in June. Lij^ht rich soil 

 is most suitable. 



COECEA SCANDENS TARIEGATA SEEDLINGS GoiNG OFF (/. F.]. — The CaUSO 



is prjbably due to raising from seeds of variegated plants, which usuiUy 

 do not pass beyond the second pair of leaves. Try again, sowing in light 

 soil, and placing in a hotbed, continuing in heat until they are well es- 

 tablished in small pots ; then harden ofi'and remove to the greenhouse. 



Rootlets from Vine Branches (J. Korman),~lt is as usual for the 

 Vine to throw out such sprout rootlets iu a moist atmosphere as it is for 

 the Ivy to send its roots into brickwork. You have not syringed, but 

 there has been plenty of evaporation of moisture. As the Vines are so 

 strong and healthy you may be satisfied, but we would lessen the evapo- 

 ration by degrees ; and not to give any check to tbe Vines we would re- 

 move all these sprout-like roots by degrees, not at onco, as the more these 

 are encouraced in the atmosphere of the hou^e the g eater is tbe disincli- 

 nation to free rooting in the earth. We have tried many experiments 

 with air roots, but wc have always found that when much encouraged 

 the roots in the soil seemed to be discounged. We think you are all 

 right as to cropping, but at tbe age of the Vines err on the safe side, and 

 do not take too many bunches. We fear, however, that we are rather bad 

 advisers, we always take too many. 



Constructing a Pit (D. M ). — We think the proposed pit will answer 

 very well for the pm'pose aimed at, only more light would be an advan- 

 tage, there being only a short span-roof over side walls about 6 feet in 

 height. We presume these walls are built of brick-on-bed, siiy 4^ iuchts. 

 We would prefer them to be 9 inches, cither solid or hollow, aud'then by 

 outjutting bricks at regulitr levels you could place platforms across. 

 With the heat below, the plunging medium is unimportant. To retain a 

 little heat nothing is belter than tan. For mere retaining heat -given, 

 cocoa-nut fibre is excellent, and so are rough ashes, &c. 



PiiDDELL's Hmt-water APPARATUS (Amntcitr, Cirencester). — The best 

 way to use such a hot-water stove would bo to have the stove or boiler 

 inside the house, and feed it from the outaide. You thus get rid of all 

 dust, &c. Such a stove would require but a small smoke-shaft, say 

 6 inches wide and 6 feet long, with a damper. You might have the boiler 



