July 14, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



33 



right round the stem. We have not examined nor removed our 

 tree, but we suspect we shall find that the internal wood of the 

 stem is decayed, so that the mice did not leave enough of wood 

 for the sap to pass freely. In other cases we have found that 

 large wounds and openings would be healed over in a year or 

 two, especially when covered up from the sun and air. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



_ The work was much the same as in the previous week, 

 diversified with much labour in fresh arranging the corridors 

 and conservatory, and in potting plants, pricking off Chinese 

 Primulas, Cinerarias, planting out old Cinerarias to get suckers 

 from them, and sowing the seed of herbaceous and semi- 

 shrubby Calceolarias blooming for next spring.— R, F. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



James Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, King's Road, Chels 

 S.W.— Catalogue of New and Beautiful Plants for 1S70. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The Journal of Horticulture Prize (Competitor).— There is no 

 nV* * 9 t0 the mimber of fishes of fruit for this prize to be awarded at 

 Oxford on the 19th, and flowers may be used in any way in arranging the 

 dishes artistically. 



Elm Seeds (A. McCallum).— The seeds you enclosed were not of the 

 Ulmus campestris, English Elm, but of U. montana, the Mountain Elm. 



Royal Botanic Society's Show.— Messrs. Weeks & Co. inform us that 

 they received a first-class certificate of merit for their patent duplex 

 boiler and conservatory designs. If the Societv advertised their awards 

 in our columns as the Royal Horticultural Society does it would be satis- 

 iactory to the prizetakers, and omissions would not occur. 



Fruiting Vines (Reader).— In reference to the Vines alluded to at 

 page 46b, if you resolve to fruit the Vines from the sill up the upright 

 glass, then leaving the newly-turned-out plants 6 feet in length was ri^ht 

 enough. This plan may be well followed when the house is devoted to 

 Vines only, but when other plants are grown in the centre of the house 

 the light from the front is too much obstructed. You may, as you propose 

 try more heat and moisture to get the Vines to grow and break, but in 

 our opinion the coolness of the house was rather in favour of the Vines 

 breaking After the treatment you have given them we are at a loss to 

 account for the buds not breaking. No doubt the check given to the roots 

 would be considerable, but treated as stated the buds ought to havo 



Vine Shoots Dying at the Tip (J. M. Skell).— Your Vine shoots perish 

 through scorching, caused by a too hot dry atmosphere, the roots in the 

 meantime being plentifully supplied with moisture and making succulent 

 shoots. Give more air, and keep a moister atmosphere during the day. 



Diseased Shoots and Leaves of Vines and Fuchsias (J.H.).— The 

 snoots and leaves were rather far gone to enable us to judge surely ; but 

 they had signs of scalding from hot vapour, if these signs were not the 

 result of sweating in your letter. Besides that there were marks of thrips, 

 and we are almost sure of red spider as well. For the latter, sulphur and 

 syringing with soft-soap water would be the simplest remedies, the sul- 

 phur being placed on a hot-water pipe or on the wall where the sun 

 shines. If mixed with soft soap it will adhere tolerably well. The soft- 

 ft P Zul * hould be applied as stated the other week, clear, and of the 

 strength of 1 lb. of soap to about thirty gallons of water. The thrips is a 

 little narrow insect that jumps as you approach it. The best remedy is 

 smoking with tobacco at night when the leaves are all dry, and syringing 

 the next day with soap water. The only remedy you have-of cutting 

 fuchsias down and getting them to grow afresh in a mild dung heat-is 

 enectual, because the moist heat is hated by red spider and thrips. 



Heating a Small Greenhouse (A. Downes).— There is no doubt but 

 you may keep up a temperature of from 50° to 60° in your small glass 

 house heated by gas, hot water, and otherwise; but we are doubtful if 

 you can get all this done, except with the lightest materials, for £5. If 

 you refer to cur No. 341, pages 278 and 279, you will find all we can state 

 aoout gas-heating. 



Dirty Rain Water (Idem).— It would not hurt the roots of plants 

 umess muddy ; but it would be easy to make it clear by passing it through 

 a barrel or reservoir with pebbles at the bottom, and rough clean gravel 

 *m«i- arc 1 i ll , al >ove these. A layer altogether from a foot to 18 inches 

 ,™ *i i, do lf fre q u ently cleaned- and replaced. The New River water 

 we should use without hesitation or preparation. 



bott™°w G ° IKa - °1 F iG - A - N -)--We see nothing wrong with the 

 2?fn norin tbe time of admitting air and shutting up, only we 

 o? d I ,r ™ t0 iL g . lve a liule air before 3 A - M -. and n °t shut up altogether 

 m % p.m. v\ e think the gangrene on the shoots arises from condensation 

 hiJrTi *1 °? e glass ' and consequent drip on the stems or principal 

 orancnes ; but we have suffered more from the disease this year than 

 uuring any one of the past twenty years, and lost whole framefuls of 

 Plants, we have reverted to a practice now little in vogue, that of 

 w ^?, t i! e -P lan ' s from cuttings. We have plants propagated in this 

 way with fruit set and swelling in six weeks, and none of the dampin" 

 tendencies of their parents. Fruit 17 inches in circumference is a good 

 size, it will weigh 2 lbs. and more, but we have many larger fruit of the 

 bame sort (Beechwood), although there are three and four on each plant 

 —perfect spheres, and netted all over. They will weigh 4 lbs., a D d are 

 larger than we hke, but if they net well we shall not care how large they 

 may oe, lor with good netting there is favour. It is very unusual for 

 meion seeds to germinate inside the fruit, and especially before it is ripe. 

 Watering Pot Vines with Liquid Manure ( Idem).— The liquid 

 manure should be continued until the Grapes are fully swelled and 

 properly coloured, and then it is well to give clear water : but no more 

 tnan sufficient to keep the foliage fresh. Fifteen bunches on a Vine in an 

 U-inchpot are good, indeed more than can be coloured well ; and the 

 size— 1 lb. eaoh— is also good, but all depends on how they finish. It is 



easy to obtain a quantity of bunches, but quite another matter to have 

 them perfect in size, colour, and flavour. 



Clematis Treatment in Pots (Subscriber). — The plants when in 

 pots require to have the necessary potting early in spring, or after they 

 have been pruned ; all the soil that comes away freely may be removed, 

 but avoid breaking the roots, though the sides of the ball should be 

 loosened, and do not give a large shift but allow a moderate space be- 

 tween the sides of the pot and the ball. A compost of two parts sandy 

 fibrous loam and one part leaf soil or old cow dung, with free drainage, 

 will grow them. They will not need much water until they are growing 

 freely, then copious supplies will be required, especially when they are in 

 flower. When the growth is complete the plants should be kept rather 

 drier, but not much so until the leaves turn yellow, and then the water- 

 ing should be reduced to a minimum, only a little water being given 

 occasionally when the plants are at rest to keep the wood from shrivelling. 

 Before they begin to grow, or in December or January, they should be 

 pruned, cutting out the old, long, bare shoots, leaving as many of those of 

 the previous year as possible. The summer pruning is simply a matter 

 of stopping any straggling shoots, and training so as to cover the trellis 

 equally in every part, but not too thickly. They should have a light airy 

 position in a cool house, otherwise their flowering is not satisfactory. 

 The form of trellis is immaterial. 



Belladonna Lily Culture (Idem).— Pot the bulbs now, or as soon as 

 the foliage decays, in a rather strong yellow loam, providing good drain- 

 age, and placing from five to seven bulbs in a 6-inch pot. Set the pots 

 in a saucer filled with sand, which at no time should be allowed to 

 become dry. They may stand constantly on a shelf in a greenhouse. 

 No water will be required until they begin to grow, and then the soil 

 should be kept moist, and when growing freely a good supply of water 

 must be given, continuing it until the growth is complete, lessening it 

 with the decay of the leaves, and leaving it off altogether when that is 

 complete, still keeping the faud moist. Do not repot for the next year at 

 least, but the drainage must be kept clear. In the open ground they 

 require to be planted in front of a greenhouse, or in some other warm 

 aspect. The bulbs should be planted about 3 inches deep, and be 

 mulched every autumn with a layer of partially decayed leaves an inch or 

 two deep, protecting the foliage also in very severe weather with mats. 



Strawberries (W. G.). — It is very difficult to name Strawberries 

 unless one sees them growing, and even then the number of sorts has so 

 much increased that there is much uncertainty about them. No. 1 ap- 

 pears to be Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury ; 2, Keens' Seedling ; 3, is like 

 Myatt's Eliza, well grown. Your fruit of Dr. Hogg, 3 inches in diameter, 

 are very fine. Mr. Radclyffe is also excellent. 



Cutting off Strawberry Leaves (H.). — No practice is worse than 

 cutting off Strawberry leaves after the fruit has been gathered. The 

 leaves have to digest the sap, and help to provide for the next year's 

 producing. 



Fertilising Carnations (Tyro). — With a pincers pluck out the petals 

 and cut out the stamens of the flower you wish to fertilise ; secure the 

 pollen from the flower you wish to fertilise with, apply it to the stigma 

 of the flower from which the stamens have been removed, and enclose 

 the flower in a fine gauze bag. A camel-hair pencil is best for removing 

 the pollen and applying it. 



Moving Newly-budded Roses (J. IF. <?.)• — Roses budded now may 

 safely be moved in November next. With regard to the new Roses of the 

 current year, we have no doubt " D., Deal," will give us some particulars 

 in due course. 



Wintering Iresine and Cannas (Idem). — The former is best wintered 

 from cuttings put in early in August in light, sandy, poor soil, and when 

 rooted potted-off singly in small pots, and kept rather dry in a house 

 with a temperature of 50°. If well established in pots before winter, 

 the plants are not difficult to keep, except in a low, moist atmosphere, 

 but they must be kept dry. If the foliage remains fresh they have 

 enough of water, and none should be given as long as it remains so, but 

 it must not be allowed to flag. The cuttings may remain in the pots in 

 which they were struck, and be potted off in spring; the chief thing to 

 guard against is damp. Cannas should be taken up in autumn after the 

 first frost, be placed in pots large enough to hold the roots, and in sandy 

 loam, placing them in an airy greenhouse, and keeping them there until 

 the growth is ripened off; then cut them down and put them in a dry 

 place, from which frost is excluded. No water, except a watering after 

 potting, will be required. Return them to the greenhouse in March, but 

 if they can be placed in a gentle hotbed for two or three weeks, so as to 

 give them a start, all the better. 



Diffebent Roses on the Same Stock (Lang). — If one proves to be a 

 Tea Rose, and the other a Hvbrid Perpetual, we fear the latter will be 

 too strong for the former. You can let both grow till you prove the kind, 

 and save whichever your think the more valuable to you. Hybrid 

 Perpetuals will do mixed on the same stock, provided care be taken to 

 choose those of similar vigour of growth. We do not think, however, 

 there is much to commend the practice. 



Madame Froissart Rose (A. M. Jackson).— We do not know of any 

 Rose called Madame Froissart, neither is there, we believe, a Madame 

 Andre Leroy, a distinct Rose from Andre Leroy, generally called Andre 

 Leroy d'Angers. 



Climbing Roses (W. B. J.}. — Nearly all the most rapid climbing Roses> 

 as the Ayrshire and Multi flora Roses, &c, are white or blush. The old 

 Boursanlt Amadis will, perhaps, cover a wall with red Boses more quickly 

 than any other ; but we should not plant Amadis only, but Gloire de 

 Dijon, which is the finest of all climbing Roses. Climbing Devoniensis, 

 and Celine Forestier, likewise General Jacqueminot, and Madame 

 Charles Crapelet, which, though they will not grow as high as the last 

 three named, will fill up the lower part of the wall for 7 or 8 feet, allowing 

 Gloire de Dijon and Climbing Devoniensis to cover the upper part, 

 which can be done by judicious training. If the soil is light and dry, put 

 plenty of good farmyard manure and cow dung in the border previous to 

 planting. 



Erratum. — In my last paper on new Roses, near the bottom of the first 

 column of page 7, "Dear to us by Francois Lacharme," ought to have 

 been by " Chailes Lefebvre."— D., Deal. 



English Elm in Scotland— Altering a Tree's Habit (A Subscriber)' 

 — The English Elm (Ulmus campestris), will grow near Aberdeen. We 

 do not know in what way you will induce trees naturally of weeping habit 



