August 25, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



151 



then rough nodules of fresh loam over the drainage, then finer 

 light soil, followed by a surfacing of lighter still, with more 

 sand. The boxes need no drainage. They are chiefly made in 

 rough weather from rough packing boxes, or boards which have 

 been merely sawn, not planed. The extra waterings, therefore, 

 ean escape quite fast enough at the sides. These boxes, if old, 

 are well cleaned before being used, and old and new alike are 

 well painted with fresh limewash. This is a great preservative 

 against fungi, which otherwise are apt to attack rough wood in 

 damp places. These boxes are easily moved from place to 

 place, a matter of importance where much moving is to be done. 

 A thin layer of rough nodules of the turfy soil is spread over 

 the bottom of the box, very likely with the addition of a little 

 charcoal, then a finer layer of sandy loam, followed by one finer 

 still, with more sand in it, and a little charcoal dust at the 

 surface, the whole pressed down moderately firm. If at all 

 moist, we put in the cuttings before watering, and then the 

 watering settles the soil firmly about them. 



From years of experience and observation we can safely state 

 that the health and robustness of the cuttings and young plants 

 depend more on the freshness of the soil than on its richness. 

 It is safer to aid the roots with weak manure-waterings than by 

 mixing crude manure with the soil. We have seen fine heaps 

 for suoh cuttings made from old Cucumber beds, decayed leaves, 

 dung, and plenty of sand, but the cuttings often turned out very 

 unsatisfactorily. We prefer sweet fresh sandy loam, and made 

 so if it cannot be found naturally. This we pass through sieves 

 to obtain the requisite qualities — rough, but not in pieces much 

 larger than beans for the bottom, lighter and finer above, and 

 the top layer finest of all. This takes very little more time. All 

 half- rotten leaves or dung for the bottom we discard, as they 

 are the fruitful source of fungi and decay at the roots. We do 

 not object to a little sweet, thoroughly decayed, well-aired leaf 

 mould, finely sifted, mixed with the upper layers, along with a 

 little fine charcoal dust, but if the leaf mould be not sweet and 

 well aired beforehand, we would rather be without it, altogether. 

 We have known hundreds and thousands of struck cuttings 

 ruined, because the propagator placed a good handful of half- 

 decayed tree leaves over the drainage. Of course, they would 

 often do no harm, but very frequently they become dangerous 

 as a regular feeding ground for fungi. — R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



F. and A. Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgate Street, and Upton Nur- 

 ssries, Chester. — Catalogue of Dutch F'ower Soots, &c. 



W. Cutbusli & Son, Highgate.— Bulb Catalogue for 1S70. 



H. Curtis & Co., Devon Rosery, Torquay. — Descriptive Catalogue 

 of Selected Hoses. 



Dick Radelyffeifc Co., 129, High Holborn, London, W.C.— Autumn 

 Catalogue of Dutch Bulbs, dc. 



Downie, Laird, & Laing, Stanstead Park, Forest Hill, London, and 

 17, South Frederick Street, Edinburgh. — Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Dutch Flower Boots. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By doing so they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore he addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, die, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books (Constant Render). — There is no such book. If you read what 

 Mr. Moore said at Oxford, which is reported in last week's Journal, and 

 I>r. Hogg's address, which you will find at page 84, you will meet with all 

 you require to know. {Henry). — A. new and very much enlarged edition 

 of the " Fruit Manual " is now in preparation, but it will not be published 

 until a few months hence. 



Double Geranium Crows Prince. — Mr. Cannell, of Woolwich, has 

 sent us blooms! of his new double Geranium Crown Prince, which was 

 awarded a first-class certificate at the last meeting of the Floral Com- 

 mittee, showing that the colour is much more intense than that of 

 Madame Lemoine. while the plant has the advantage of not being so gross 

 in habit as most of the double varieties. 



Abnormal Carnation (A. B. A.). — The structure of your Carnation is 

 much the same as that of the Wheat-ear Carnation, wherein all the floral 

 organs assume the form of bracts. The difference between yours and the 

 Wheat-ear is, in the latter the spike is elongated like an ear of Wheat, 

 whereas in yours it is contracted in the form of that of the Canary-grass. 

 You will find all these curious vegetable forms very ably treated on in Dr. 

 Masters's " Vegetable Teratology," a work which every gardener ought 

 to possess, and which we shall take an early opportunity of describing. 



Grapes Shanking (67. Musk). — The Grapes are what are called shanked, 

 a disease generally attributable to bad soil, overcropping, and other 

 conditions, but of which we believe the cause is little understood. We have 

 seen Vines grown in pots and not overcropped, but well treated, produce 

 shanked fruit. 



Grass Lawn (B. A. B.).— If you break up your present lawn and sow it 

 down now, it will not be sufficiently solid and thick for you to play croquet 

 on it next summer. The best way will be to take up the whole, select 

 the best turf for relaying, and procure good new turf to make up_ the 

 quantity required. When your turf is up procure some heavier soil to 

 mix with the staple, and add also a liberal dressing of cowmanure, potash 

 salts, and bones. Next season you will have a good turf. This should be 

 done after this dry weather has gone. (Grass Plot). — As you object to 

 returf your lawn, you had better clear out all those patches where the 

 grass has failed, and sow them with a mixture of lawn grasses, which you 

 can procure from any seedsman. In autumn top-dress the whole with 

 well-rotted manure, or in February give a dressing of guano and super- 

 phosphate in equal proportions. 



Peaches not Swelling (Agnes). — It is not from any effect of the sul 

 phur, but from the dry season^ that your Peaches have not grown so large 

 If you had opened a trench round the roots and given them a good water- 

 ing, in all probability the fruit would have been much larger than they are. 

 Leaf-shaped Eose Petal (B. D. Nash).— It is simply a proof of the 

 origin of the petal from a leaf. It is a curious freak. 



Glass Walls (F. Fane).— Apply to Mr. Board, Victoria Works, Bury St. 

 Edmunds — that is, if you mean his glass walls, and not those of " Ob- 

 server." 



Names of Pelargoniums (IV.).— We cmnot undertake to name florists' 

 flowers. The French Marigolds are good ; we have seen better-marked 

 and larger. The Pelargonium sport is of no value. 



Crickets Attacking Nectarines (G. S.). — Tho insect gnawing the 

 fruit off Nectarines in your orchard house is the common house cricket, 

 which often in hot summers quits the kitchen hearth and takes up its 

 quarters in congenial situations out of doors. — I. O, W. 



Pyrethrum Seed Sowing (Subscriber).— The Golden Pyrethrum seed 

 may now be sown in a sheltered situation in light sandy soil, and the 

 plants may be taken up io October, potted, and wintered in a cold frame 

 or greenhouse. They will be fine for planting out in spring. The Golden 

 Pyrethrum, however, is quite hardy, and tho seedlings may be pricked 

 off about 3 inches apart in October, or oven as late as November, on a 

 warm border of sandy soil, and they will form good plants for planting 

 in April or May. 



Ferns for Lily House (An Amateur).— TVe do not understand what 

 you mean by a Lily house, unless it be a house for aquatic plants, in 

 which case any or all of tho exotic Ferns introduced would succeed if it 

 were not that they require shade, which aquatics do not. If you can 

 affdrd shade to the Ferns without making the hous<* too gloomy, or can 

 do so without Bhading the aquatics, then you may have stove or green- 

 house Ferns, according to the temperature of the structure. 



Double Petunias Losing Colour (B. E.).— The double white and 

 purple-blotched Petunias lose colour through decreased vigour in the 

 plants. We advise you to take off cutting-* of the young growthB now, 

 and strike them in a cold frame or in a hntbed ; when well rooted pot 

 them off singly in small pots. In spring shift tho plants into larger pots 

 as required, using a compost of two parts turfy loam, one pjart leaf soil, 

 and one part old cow dung, with a free admixture of sand and charcoal. 

 Keep them in a cool, airy position near the glass, and safe from frost. 

 The flowers will be finer and the foliage larger than on old plants. 



Pottins Show Pelargoniums (Idem). — The plants should not be 

 placed in their blooming pots at the first potting after being cut down. 

 Shake them out— that is, remove all the soil from their roots, and place 

 them in pots large enough to hold the roots without cramping. When 

 the plants have made fresh roots and need repotting, as they do when 

 the roots are matting round the sides, they may be put into their blooming 

 pots. 



Clematis for North Wall (Hem).— We have not found the new 

 Clematis Jackmanni, &c, succeeding on a north wall, but C Vitalba, 

 C frankfurtensis, and C Viticella do tolerably well ; the first-named we 

 have seen very fine. 



Everlasting Flowers (Twelve-years Subscriber).— We do not think 

 if the words in which the prize is offered are strictly interpreted, that 

 you could exhibit dried Laguruses and other ornamental Grasses in " b 

 collecting of Everlasting Flowers." The heads of such dried Grasses 

 are only a part of the flowers. 



Figs (R. B. W.).— We purpose doing as you suggest, but we must have 

 all that our correspondent has to say on the subject before we decide. 



Various (Kittie). — The [common wood Hyacinth is the Scilla non- 

 scripta of botanists, the Harebell of common nomenclature. Very little 

 frost and damp destroy tho Gnaphalum lanatum. Your proposed plant- 

 ing will do very well if you have the crimson or red Tom Thumb 

 Tropteolnm. The latter will want picking eff superfluous leaves and 

 seeds as they come. To raise Echeverias for edgings next year, sow at 

 once, merely covering the seeds, prick off the seedlings as soon as sown, 

 and keep airy and rather dry in winter. 



Sulphur on Hot- water Pipes (A. B. C.).— If you put the sulphur on 

 the hot-water pipes, either by making a paint with water, or milk, or 

 lime to make it adhere better, the Grapes will not be injured if the heat of 

 the pipes be not above 160 3 , and a little air be given at the top of the 

 house early in the morning. 



Cucumbers Damping Off (Tilney).— Thrips and neglecting to fertilise 

 the flowers will not cause the fruit to go off at the end. It arises from 

 the growth not being free enough, owing to a deficiency of bottom heat, 

 or a cold and moist atmosphere at top. We think a little more bottom 



