4iQ 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ June 22, 1871. 



fallin?, add a little coveriDg of Utter, and if it fell still lower towards 60'^, 

 add a little more, and round the brickwork tco, and cover with boards or 

 tarpaulin to keep wet out. II the bed is dry, give water at a heat of 75^. 



Steaweeret Foecing (An Amateur). — We do not think yon ought to 

 complain of the loDg fruitstalks of your Keens' Seedling Strawberry ; that 

 they fell over and broke was more yonr own fault. The stalks of Keens' 

 Seedling, strong and healthy, were longer with us than usual. Small 

 lunner-plants of last sunimer in 6inch pots threw up four and five 

 strong firuitstalks, and the flowers were so numerous that we cut away 

 more than four-fifths of them when the first flowers had set ; but where 

 we could do so, we put a twiggy stick into each pot, and tied the fruit- 

 stalks to it, still allowing the top part to hang down a little. We have 

 had fine fiuit on comparatively short fruitstalks, but, on the whole, we 

 would rather see them longer if strong in proportion. Unless when the 

 fruit&talk is very long and the pot is on a shelf that will not permit the 

 fruit to hang on both sides, we would rather not stake at all ; but we have 

 had rows where the fruit would be in the way, or too much shaded, if 

 not thus staked-np. Most of your questions yon will find minutely 

 answered at page 416, Ko. 533. You have a very good collection of Straw- 

 berries. For the earliest fruit in the orchard house we would recom- 

 mend you to grow Black Frince. It is a Email Strawberry and a little 

 acid, but it is good when gathered just before it acquires the blackish 

 tinge, end it is a wonderful bearer if kept in a cool temperature. It 

 rarely should be above from 50° to 55- unless from sun heat, when from 

 5° to 15'= more will be enjoyed by it. With us this season it has been 

 something like a perpetual cropper, many 4C' -sized pots yielding three 

 crops beff re we could mp.ke-np our mind to turn them out, two or three 

 fiower-;tems appearing before we had quite gathered the first ones, and 

 now, after being turned cut into the ground, they are again becoming one 

 mass of flower-buds. The nest in earliness, and good for size too, would 

 be Keens' Seedling, and if yon wish for variety then follow with President, 

 Kivers's Eliza, Dr. Hogg, and British Queen. The latter must have a 

 good airy position to do well. Filbert Pine we have not grown either in 

 the open air or under glass, and, therefore, cannot judge. Black Prince 

 and Keens' Seedling are best for early production. The others named 

 axe ail better for standing carriage. . 



Hoese-Chestnut Bleeding (T7. S".).— The following are notes by two 

 good authorities: — "It is difficult, without seeing the tree in question 

 and knowing something more of its past history, to judge of the cause of 

 its disease, as the Horse-Chestnut is but seldom attacked in the way 

 complained of, and generally succumbs to accidents, to which it is very 

 liable even in a young condition, large limbs equivalent sometimes to 

 half the tree being blown ofi". Tours, however, is a case of disease; and 

 the first impression I would have on looking at the specimen of the bark 

 is that the tree is starved — that is to say, it wants more food; and if the 

 position in which it is growing is a poor shallow soil with an uninviting 

 or pernicious subsoil, a covering of good soil on the top would do good. 

 Many years ago I witnessed some alterations going on by the side of a 

 highway, where an embankment was formed covering the roots of some 

 Horse-chestnut trees several feet deep on one side of the trees, but in 

 the material there was a quantity of stone and otber open-lying sub- 

 atances, and the trees were certainly improved rather than otherwise. If 

 "_W. H.'s" tree is languishing owing to want of focd, a supply of such 

 will restore it. I am also of opinion that a sha low si. i loverlying chalk is 

 not suited to the Hcrse-Chestnut, and if the one in question be on a site 

 of this kind additions on the top may be beneficial. I can hardly think 

 any applications to the bark will do good, as I do not think the "disease 

 lies there, although the efi"ects may be shown in that direction. The 

 cause of the evil (the same as Vines and other fruit trees often suffer 

 from) lies at the root, and perhaps these may have been ruthlessly cut 

 and mutilated in making excavations for drains or other purposes. The 

 work in such cases being put into the hands of mechanical men, trees 

 and their welfare are totally disregarded. Perhaps some misfortune of 

 this kind has befallen the tree ; if so, it can only be remedied by examin- 

 ing the tips of the roots and supplying good soil for the bad that may 

 have fonnd its way there. If, as suggested before, more food is wanted 

 at the top, a covering of a feiv inches may be put on at once, and towards 

 the end of summer esemined to see if it be occupied. If a pavement 

 overlies the roots weak manure water may be of service, but I have more 



trust in fresh good soil.— J. R." " It is hazardous to give even an opinion 



upon so slight evidence ; but as an opinion is not doctrinal, if I may use 

 the term, I venture several. First, the evil may arise from an unhealthy 

 condition of the soil, but I hardly think so. The second, and the more 

 probable cause, is seme accident. For instance, a branch may have been 

 broken cflT at some time, leaving a jagged wound by which rain finds its 

 •way down the drying pores or sap-vessels, causicg internal decay; the 

 rising sap, coming in contact wiih the decaying part, becomes unhealthy 

 from an eruption, oozes out and runs down the tree, excluding the air, 

 and thus causing decay. Thirdly, it may be the result of a gunshot or 

 other wound, frcm which the sap oozes out, and wasps, hornets, beetles, 

 and the larvre of some of the moths are continually preying upon it in 

 their season of aciivity, thus keeping the wounds open for continual 

 bleeding. These are opinions founded upon facts which I have closely 

 observed. They are, however, but opinions, and may be wide of the mark, 

 la the present case I am sure you must feel how dangerous it is to give 

 an opinion without seeing and closely examining the subject. Feeling 

 much interested in arboriculture, this is a case I should much like to 

 hear more about if you thoroughly investigate it. — W. B." 



Covering Melon asd Cocusiber Frames (C. P.).— We do not consider 

 it necessary to cover the lights with mats after May. indeed we have given 

 up coverirg ours about a fortnight. Gr-pes ripening should have air at 

 night. We leave about an inch opening along the whole length of the 

 upper lights. It is sufficient to prevent moisture condensing on the 

 berries and spotting the bloom. The Grapes are no worse of ripening 

 slowly, only if this arises from the crop being heavy the quality will be 

 inferior in colour. 



Fuchsia and Yike Leaves Blighted (P. B. C.).— The shoots of the 

 Vine and the Fuchsia leaves appear to be scorched, we think, by the sun 

 shining powerfully on them whilst wet. There is no trace of insects. The 

 remedy is to give air before the sun shines powerfully. 



Seedling Rose (R, TftjJcr<:r).~Evidently a seedling from that prolific 

 parent General Jacqueminot, and intermediate in colour between that 

 flower and the Duke of Edinburgh, It is diflicult to jadgo from a single 

 specimen, and we advise the raiser to send some cut blooms to Xolting- 

 ham, to the care of " the Floral Committee." The petals had good depth 



and substance, but the flower was not sufficiently double ; as it, however, 

 is only the second year of blooming, we have no doubt it will improve. 



AsTEEiCAN Blight (J. P.).— Brush over all the parts attacked, using a 

 mixture of paraffin oil and soft soap as you propose, and let us know the 

 result. 



Teee Caenations (G. Broofc).— Any of the principal florists who ad- 

 vertise in our columns could suiply them. 



CuctniBER Leaves Spotted (fi. H.) —The leaves have every appear- 

 ance of the Cucumber disease, for which -there is no known remedy; 

 they are of bright green colour where not destroyed, and the disease shows 

 itself in brownish spots. We found under the microscope a number o£ 

 eggs of thrips, and on unfolding the leaves detected with the naked eye 

 a perfect insect, and very active, though the leaf was dried and fell to 

 pieces on being crumpled. On fully opening the leaf and applying a 

 lens we found a great many thrips alive. If they swarm so on a dried 

 leaf, what must their number be on the plants? We would remove all 

 the leaves like those sent us, and, indeed, all that are one-half so bad, 

 and burn them. Then heat the pipes to a temperature of 160°, and with 

 a brush apply a composition of sulphur, brought to the consistency of 

 thin paint with a solution of 2 ozs. of soft soap to the gallon, until a 

 vapjur is raised which the operator cannot endure. The pipes should 

 be gone over several t'mes, and be kept hot for about an hour, but not 

 higher than 16b^. An hour afterwards syringe the plants, and every part, 

 and sprinkle the pipes so as to fill the" house quite full of vapour. The 

 following day — for this must he done in the evening — shade from sun, 

 and keep every part wet, but do not wet the plants, or at least have the 

 foliage dry by night ; then fill the house densely with tobacco smoke. 

 Keep close, moist, and shaded the next day, and every alternate night for a 

 week repeat the fumigation, then allow a week to pass and again fumigate, 

 shading the following day. The p"ants may recover if kept more moist. 

 Give air early, and shut up in the afternoon with a moist atmosphere. 



Various [E. R. P ).— Doulton & Co , Lambeth, make the Chatsworth 

 edging tile for collecting water. Write to them. The seeds of Pinnses 

 may be sown now, but better in March. Three-inch pots will be sufficiently 

 large for the seeds. Use a sandy loam. They do not require heat, the 

 most tender only need a cold house. We could not say what makes a 

 Buckland Sweetwater Grape's leaves yellow. Send us a specimen. Tulips, 

 Hyacinths, and other bulbs are best kept on shelves in a cool dry place. 

 Some remove all the loose coverings, and store the bulbs in dry sand in a 

 cool place. We prefer keeping them on shelves. Dandelion is eaten as a 

 salad, the roots being taken up in autumn or winter, and planted orplaced 

 in moist soil in forcing or Mushroom house, and covered so as to blanch 

 the leaves like Endive. The leaves are used from 6 inches to a foot in 

 length. Indian Corn or Maize is edible, the heads boiled before the com 

 becomes hard. It is prepared in other ways. 



Geue (J. R. S.). — Yon should have enclosed one in a quiU. The mos^^ 

 efi'ectual remedy will be to stir round each Lettuce and Cauliflower with 

 a knife, and destroy each marauder found. A woman would go over the 

 whole in a day. Chemical applications strong enough to kill the grubs 

 would kill the plants also. 



NA2IE3 OF Plasts (J. B.). — We cannot name plants from their leaves 

 only. 



POTJLTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



POULTRY-KEEPING UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 



I ■n'AS much obliged for Hr. Kell's letter on hatching disasters 

 a few weeks baot, but at the same time may I be pardoned for 

 saying it provoked a smile, as I thought how utterly impossible 

 its suggestions were either for me or many others to carry out ? 

 I have not a spare cellar of any kind, much less one " into 

 which the frost cannot penetrate;" neither have I anyone who 

 can go every hour to see how the hens get on. Mr. Kell is a 

 happy man as regards his poultry arrangements. May he go on 

 and prosper with them as he deserves ! But for myself. Limited 

 space, limited means, and far more limited time have to bo 

 contended with. My poultry-keeping is emphatically carried 

 on " under difBcnltieB " of any and almost every kind, and that 

 is the simple reason why so much of what I have written re- 

 lates to "dodges" of one sort or another. They have been 

 forced on me by hard experience, and there is probably hardly 

 any despairing amateur whose case I cannot in some degree 

 sjmpathise with. I have thought it may encourage some to 

 know what my "advantages" at present are, and howl am 

 forced to manage with them. 



The first hen I and my brother ever possessed was given ns 

 by the mother of one of our servants when we were only a few 

 years old. I can only remember that she looked to our child- 

 ish eyes very big, that she used to sleep in a basket of straw 

 in the kitchen, and that at last by the parental orders she was 

 killed for dinner. Our hen killed ! I can yet remember feel- 

 ing what a shame it was, and what a cruel, cruel man I thought 

 the man who killed her, and who, by the way, was also called 

 in to similarly dispose of a large black and white rabbit, given 

 us by the same motherly soul. I believe en both occasions I 

 expressed my inability to eat a morsel, but, being a sensible 

 child, afterwards changed my mind, and "tucked in" a pretty 

 fair allowance of our defunct pets. Bat these are only childish 

 memories, and even the house in which we then lived I can 

 hardly remember, and no wonder, for I have lived in three since 

 then, and could not have been more than about five years old. 



