June 8, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



409 



Jbirds, thrushes, an d other song birds destroy immen se numbers. Amongst 

 pot plants no plan is so good as to search for them alter dark with a 

 lantern. Fresh Cabbage leaves put down at night and examined in the 

 morning afford a means of taking a gi'eat many. 



Cucumbers Dampxng-off (D. TT.)-— The watering daily is sufficient to 

 account for the fruit not swelling. As soon as the flowers close they 

 become wet, and the fruit do not swell-oil', as you say, and we are sur- 

 prised it does not decay. In dmig beds Cucumbers in the brightest 

 weather do not require water oftener than every alternate day, and in 

 ordinary weather partly dull and partly clear, twice a-week, whilst in 

 dull weather once a-week is quite sufficient. The soil should be moist, 

 but it is well to allow it to btcome dry before giving water, and before 

 the leaves flag afford a good supply. Water less frequently, admit air 

 ■ early in the day, and shut up early in the afternoon, and we think your 

 fruit will swell freely. On dung beds we give no manure, but employ 

 turfy loam alone. 



Eradicating Wild Convolvulus (H. B., Belfast).— We know of no 

 better plan than to dig them up with a fork by the roots, taking out every 

 portion of the root-stem. This is very tedious, but the only effectual 

 method we have tried. Pulling up the shoots as soon as they appear, 

 and keeping them under throughout the summer, weakens the plant con- 

 siderably, and prevents any very extensive root-formation ; but there is, 

 as already stated, no effectual means of destroying it but forking out 

 every portion of root. 



Strawberry por Forcing (Amateur). —Of Sir Harry, Dr. Hogg, Pre- 

 sident, and Rivers's Eliza, we should prefer Sir Han-y for one, and if two, 

 President. We should add 8ir Joseph Paston. The growing end of the 

 Vine in the ground vinery you may stop when as long as you wish, and 

 at the winter pruning cut it back to an eye about 15 inches from the end, 

 and the shoot from it may in future be treated the same as the side 

 .shoots— that is, it may be cut back to one or two eyes at the winter 

 pruning. All growths subsequent to the first stopping, keep to one joint 

 throughout the season. 



Coats of Fungi iFu}ious)~'Xh6 fungi sent are the external leathery 

 coats of Scleroderma vulgare, a tough fungus allied to the Pufi'-balls, 

 which grows on the surface of the soil- These external coats, owing to 

 their coriaceous nature, often remain on the gi'ound all through the 

 winter till the following spring. The assumption as to their being the 

 <;ases of decayed Truffles, &c., is altogether erroneous. 



Variegated Periwinkle (J. E. M.).—'I]xe golden-veined leaves you 

 enclosed are very handsome, and if the plants propagated from their 

 parent retain their variegation it would be an acquisition to the flower 

 garden. There is one much like it known as elegantissima. 



Newly-planted Fruit Trees not Thriving {A Gardener in Trouble)- 

 —We do not see anything in your planting likely to cause the trees to go 

 hack, as yours have done. We think, judging from the roots, which are 

 -dead, the wood quite dry, and the leaves black, that they will not recover. 

 We would, however, leave them, and cease watering at the root, sprinkling 

 overhead with water in the evenings of hot days. We planted a great 

 jnany fruit trees this spring, some as late as the middle of March, and 

 out of several hundreds not one has failed. They are now in full 

 leaf. We fear your trees have had the roots frosted, or the roots may 

 have been destroyed by the journey ; or, as you had them from a conti- 

 nental source, they might have been damaged by sea water. If they do 

 not recover by August they never wiU do any good, and you will have no 

 alternative but to replant in autumn. 



Calceolarias and Zinnias attacked by Weevils (Zinnia). —The 

 Calceolaria sent us is a mere skeleton. We think the damage has been 

 done by some weevih We advise you to add 1 oz. of white hellebore 

 -powder, which may be obtained of any druggist, to a gallon of water, 

 with which sprinkle the plants overhead after dark. Being poison, care 

 is necessary, and the liquid should not be exposed to the air until used. 

 JElder leaves may beplaced in an iron vessel or boiler with enough water 

 to just cover them, boiled until quite black, and a gallon of tobacco juice 

 added to every gallon of the elder decoction, and one gallon of water to 

 every gallon of tobacco juice. This, strained and applied after dark on 

 a dry, calm evening with a fine-rosed watering-pot, will destroy or drive 

 away every kind of caterpillar, beetle, or weevil. We also find it an 

 -effectual remedy for all kinds of aphis. 



Pyeus japonica for a North Wall (A Five-years Suhseriher). — We 

 have no experience of this on a north aspect, and unless you reside very 

 far south it would, probably, not succeed. We have seen it, however, 

 covering a 24-feet wall with an east aspect, and flowering and fruiting 

 profusely. The flowers are scarlet, and about an inch in diameter. 

 Plants from seeds may flower in three or four years from sowing, and 

 may then be 3 or 4 feet high. The seeds should be sown in rich light 

 soil in a pot or pan in February, covering them about half an inch. 

 Place the pots in a cold frame, keeping the soil moist, and in about six 

 weeks the plants will be up ; then admit nir freely, and remove them 

 after May to the open ground, keeping them well watered in dry weather. 

 In autumn plant them out about 6 inches apart in good light soil and a 

 warm situation, and twelve months afterwards they may be finally 

 planted against the wall, but we do not say they will succeed against a 

 wall with a north aspect. All the Quinces like warm situations and 

 porous soils free of stagnant water. ■ 



Stopping Chrysanthemums (E. S. C.).— Do not stop them later than 

 ihe middle of this month. 



Selecting Strawberry Runners (B. H.).— It is not unusual, how- 

 ever careful we may be in selecting runners from fruitful plants, for 

 some of the runners not to show fruit, whilst others are remarkably pro- 

 lific. We often experience this, and find such are not sterile in after- 

 years, but produce abundantly. We fill-up all our gaps as early iu May 

 as we can distinguish the fertile from the barren plants, always keeping 

 a few plants of each kind in reserve beds ; and lifted with balls and well 

 watered they experience but little check. We, of course, remove the 

 sterile plants and replace them with others that are fruitful. In selecting 

 runners, take them from fruited or fruiting plants. Such only are to be 

 depended on. 



CHAMiBROPS FoRTUNEi IN Waedian Case (J. D ).— This Palm will 

 succeed well in a Wardian case not kept very close, and in a room from 

 which frost is excluded. The treatment required throughout the year is 

 simply to keep the soil moist, and to admit air for a few hours early in 

 the day, and to close early iu the afternoon. A compost of rather roiign 



peat two parts, one part light turfy loam, and one part of cocoa-nut 

 refuse, with a fifth part of silver sand will grow it well. When growing, 

 more water will be required than Vhen it is not, but at all times the soil 

 must be kept moist. The leaves may be advantageously washed with a 

 sponge and water. Liquid manure is not necessary. It is a native of 

 China, and was introduced by Mr. Fortune in 1844. * It attains a height 

 of about 20 feet. In a room it would succeed well from August to 

 March inclusive, but in April, May, June, and July would be better in a 

 warm_ greenhouse so as to make fresh growths, though it would do well 

 in a light airy window. As a decorative plant it is very useful ; indeed, 

 Palms generally are the most enduring of all plants for room decoration. 



Pruning Banksian Roses (F. T.).— The best time to prune Banksian 

 Roses is in the winter, or late in the autumn. They do not require, or 

 rather we might say stanc), much pruning, which should be confined to 

 thinning-out where the shoots are crowded, or removing the weakly 

 growths. Strong shoots should be uailed-in to their full length. 



_ExHiBiTiNG Tea-scented Roses {E. M.).—A.s the Climbing Devc- 

 niensis is only a sport from the old Devoniensis, it would be as well not 

 to show them as separate sorts in a stand, as many judges would dis- 

 qualify them, but much would depend on the individual opinions of the 

 judges. Generally speaking. Noisettes may be shown as Tea-scented 

 Roses, unless there is a special rule to the contrary in the schedule ; for 

 instance, we should always class Marechal Niel and Cloth of Gold among 

 the Tea-scented, although generally classed as Noisettes. In most 

 schedules when prizes are given for Tea-scented Roses, the wording is 

 for Tea-scented or Noisette Roses. Having often had to judge classes for 

 Tea-scented Roses, we should never think of disqualifymg a stand 

 because Noisettes, as Narcisse, Celine Forestier, and Triomphe de Rennes, 

 were exhibited amongst the true Teas, although if the wording of the 

 schedule were for twelve Tea Roses, not twelve Tea-scented Roses, a 

 doubt would arise in that case. 



Gardeners' Working Hours (Early Bird). — From six to six are the 

 general working hours for gardeners, with half an hour for breakfast, one 

 hour for dinner, and half an hour for tea. A good anxious man will not 

 adhere to these hours when work is much behind, and, on the other 

 hand, the master should also make an allowance, so that the liberality 

 should not all be on the woi'kman's side. The hours, however, greatly 

 vary, in some places there is an hour for breakfast, and none for tea. In 

 other places there is no time for tea, but the men leave at 5 and 5.S0. 

 In winter, during short days, the general rule is, with the exception of 

 breakfast and dinner, tj work as long as the light will permit. All people 

 who are particular should regulate their own time, and keep to it. A 

 good workman can easily make up for a few hours' absence. 



Various (J. L.). — We have never found "may bees, or cockchafers" 

 eating green fly on Hoses, but we have too often found the latter eating 

 everything nice in the plant way that they could find. We have had fine 

 Mushrooms on Vine borders, but it is much better to be without them. 

 The spawn of all fungi is apt to rot the roots of growing plants, and thus 

 often the roots are troubled with mildew. Cactus blooms will last much 

 longer in a cool house than in a warm one. 



Heating by Stove with Chamber (A Yorkshire Amateur).— JjBing 

 the hopper to fill the furnace is a good plan, even without your peculiar 

 arrangement of the damper at the base of the fire-box, instead of. as is 

 generally the case, in the mouth of the smoke-pipe or chimney. When 

 you once become thoroughly acquainted with the mode of using such a 

 damper, so as to regulate the iiraught past it iolo the fire-box, you will, 

 no doubt, manage to keep the fire burning a long time, and so as to yield 

 a mild but regular heat; but with all that you will not obtain more heat 

 than the fuel can yield, and before you become used to the management 

 of the damper we fear that often the fuel will burn very slowly, or go 

 out from want of air. Looking at the matter practically, then, we would 

 attain the same object by having bars for the fire-box in the U'^ual way, 

 but with little space between them, and the sides and end*^ supplied with 

 plates so as to afford room for fuel without air directly acting on it ; then 

 we would regulate draught by the ash-pit door to a nicetv, and as a help 

 after the fire was fairly set to work, we would also use the damper in the 

 chimney. As a general rule, we see no advantage in a fire-box that would 

 hold fuel for two days, quite the reverse. As to the plants you name— 

 Tacsonia, Correa, Eutaxia, and Bouvardia. will thrive admirably in a 

 temperature by fire heat of 50^ in winter, rising some 10° or 15° by sun 

 heat ; 6ij'^ to 65^ by night, and li.'- to 80'^ by dav, will be too hot for them, 

 except in the summer months, when the sun heat would reach that tem- 

 perature. Ixora coccinea will need the heat ynu specify when growing 

 and showing bloom, a few degrees less will be better when the plaet is 

 comparatively at rest. When growing freely and showing bloom it dearly 

 likes a little bottom heat. Your seedling Gloxinias are a different affair 

 from the plants named, they will rejoice in a high temperature and a 

 moist atmosphere. We have grown them well in a temperature of 6lj°, 

 but a great deal better in a heat of from 75° to 80°, and not too strong 

 sunshine after the blooms appeared. 



Grub in Radishes IE. Hodgson).— If you had enclosed a specimen in 

 a quill, we might identify it. 



Ants [W. T.).— Sprinkle guano, or water with gas aramoniacal liquor 

 over their nests and runs. Repeat until they desert the place. Dallas's 

 "Elements of Entomology;" Notcutt's "Handbook of British Plants." 

 The last-named can be had post free from our office if yon enclose 

 Ss 8d. with your address. - 



Insects (M. P. 3.).— The insect sent is the male of the Sirex gigas. It 

 lives in Fir trees, the caterpillar making a cylindrical burrow. {K. G. M.). 

 —The small beetles which have devoured your young Cabbage plants are 

 the common flea beetle, Haltica nemorum. Powder slaked lime over the 

 plants, and water them well to get them forward beyond the seed leaves. 

 The green beetles which have gnawed the foliage of your hedges are the 

 common weevil, Polydrasus Mali. Betit the bushes into an umbrella and 

 kill the beetles, which will fall into it by hundreds.— I. 0. W. 



Names of Plants (G. SX—Yonr Fern is Asplenium fontanum, and 

 your informant must have been under mistake. Should you attempt to 

 discriminate between A. fontf'uum and what is known as A. Halleri, this 

 belongs to the former. (Wiltshire) —1, Rhinanthus Crista-galli; 2, As- 

 perula odorata; 3, Lysimachia Nummularia ; 4, Pedicularis sylvatica ; 

 5, Stellaria Holostea; 6, Polygala vulgaris; 7, Lysimachia nemorum. 

 (Butler <£ McCulloch).—l>ia.Tcissu3 Jonquilla. (J. P.).— Prunus Padus ; 

 Erysimum odoratum. (G. P. B. J.).— Neither of the plants sent is aa 



