September 29, 1870. j JOTJBNAL. OF HOETICULTDEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



261 



loss in colouring and such due ripening aa insures good keep- 

 ing. We are afraid that the gale in some cases was only the 

 apparent cause of much fruit dropping prematurely. Many 

 thus dropped would be found not quite sound, but beginning 

 to decay at the core, owing to maggots, &c. In other cases, 

 though we hope not numerous, the Apple, though seemingly 

 perfectly sound outside, has the inside streaked with a fungoid 

 disease, something like the Potato disease. Before cutting up 

 the Apple nothing of this is to be seen. Such Apples, and 

 those that have been a resting place for the maggots, will 

 naturally drop before the sound ones are ripe. Those which are 

 Bound we should think would keep well, as if not quite so large 

 they will be more perfectly matured ; but such numbers 

 having fallen from large trees, people are apt to say the fruit 

 will not keep this season. Owing to this and the heavy crop, 

 Apples in some places can hardly be disposed of at any price. 

 If this weather continue we should not like to gather all our 

 fruit for some weeks, if the dryness do not again force the 

 birds to go to them for moist food. Flies and wasps are bad 

 enough, but they are nothing to the larger birds, who soon 

 demolish the sunny side of the best fruit, if left to take their 

 own way. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



What a pity frost may be expected soon to come ! With the 

 exception of withered tree leaves, the forerunners of what we 

 may expect, the flower garden is still in its glory — so much so, 

 that we are ehary in taking the necessary number of cuttings, 

 and have been obliged to decline supplying others. Circum- 

 stances quite alter cases. We hear of gardens almost dis- 

 mantled already, the Geraniums taken up and given away, or 

 potted and boxed for future use, and the ground being prepared 

 for bulbs, spring-flowering annuals, &a. In private gardenB 

 where the family leave in August and September, and never 

 return before the season is over, such a plan may be adopted 

 to the benefit of all concerned ; but we hardly see how it can be 

 adopted where there is a resident family, and where the garden 

 is required to look well up to the latest day possible. We have 

 frequently had the flower garden finer and rioher, but for the 

 falling leaves, in the end of October than it has been in the 

 end of June, or even July. In all cases where there are such 

 remembrances, clearing the beds and borders in September is 

 quite out of the question. When such beds are to be supnlied 

 with early bulbs as well, two plans may be adopted. First, 

 pot the bulbs, to be planted afterwards in patches or in regular 

 lines ; or set the bulbs far enough apart on some rich compost, 

 and cover them several inches deep, and then when the beds 

 are cleared, dug, and pulverised, move the bulbs, and plant 

 with balls, and they will do almost as well as if planted out 

 early at once. The getting the beds in good order, just as 

 in the case of the Strawberries referred to, makes up for earlier 

 planting. 



Greenhouse Plants. — The most tender should now be placed 

 under cover, and even the hardiest should be so placed as to be 

 eaBily protected from heavy rains end early frosts. The roots 

 in the case of frost will be in greater danger of injury than 

 the branches. Camellias are apt to throw their buds, and 

 Azaleas to drop their leaves, if the pots are much exposed to 

 frost. All the Epacris tribe are more sensitive to cold than 

 even the Cape Heaths ; the former should be housed, and the 

 latter, if in pits and frames, should be protected from heavy 

 rains and sudden frosts. In tolerable weather the lights 

 should be on at night, but air left on top and bottom. The 

 free dews now might be rather much for them. We have 

 noticed of late that some trees have thrown down quite a 

 heavy shower in the clear mornings, making a puddle all round 

 their base. 



Propagating. — We lately said we liked to propagate all bed- 

 ding plants without any artificial heat. In propagating Ver- 

 benas, &c, now, we like to give a little mild bottom heat. For 

 instance, if we use an old Melon bed under a frame, we take 

 ont the soil and a portion of the top dung, turn over what is 

 below, and add about a couple of barrowioads of fresh hot 

 dung to each light, cover with a few inches of the old dung, and 

 then surface with dry ashes. If we could have obtained 

 enough of cuttings early we would not have taken them now, 

 or given them heat. 



From several letters we are sorry to find that we have not 

 made some of the modes of propagating plain enough, as we 

 are asked if we really think small cuttings of such subjects as 

 Geraniums are as good as large ones ? and again, Do we thiDk 

 a pot of cuttings as good in the spring as the same number 

 potted off in the autumn ? We clearly stated that where there 



was a reserve ground, and large cuttings could be obtained 

 without interfering with the flower garden, they would be the 

 best, and if each were in a small pot it would be better still. 

 But, then, if we cannot do the best we must do the next best. 

 We use small cuttings, and keep them generally in cutting-boxes 

 all the winter, because if we used the smallest pots we could 

 not by any means house the number we required. We give 

 Geraniums from 1J to 2 inches each, and Verbenas, Helio- 

 tropes, &c, much less, and contrive to give them more room 

 after the days lengthen in spring, but the great proporlion of 

 them are seldom honoured with a pot of any sort. Dry season 

 and altogether, the plants have done so well that many will 

 not believe that these large Geranium plants were small short 

 slips 2 inches apart in boxes in the middle of September, 1869. 

 These little plants, just nicely rooted before winter, generally 

 do well in the following season, and grow vigorously as well as 

 bloom profusely. Our Verbenas when they succeed well are 

 cut over in spring, much as we would do Mustard and Cress, 

 for cuttings, for though the plants struck so thickly in autumn 

 answer well, the spring-Btruck cuttings succeed better in onr 

 estimation. Whoever, then, has room and convenience cannot 

 err if he can pot and establish in pots all his bedding plants 

 in the previous autumn. We wiBh, however, to show that 

 there need be no despair if we can find the means of wintering 

 a great many thickly set in pots or boxes. We have fre- 

 quently alluded to the best mode of taking up and wintering 

 old plants of Geraniums. — E. F. 



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 bo they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore he addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticultuie, &-c, 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 thera on 

 separate communications. Also never lo send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



Naming Fruits. — We have repeatedly requested our correspondents 

 not to send more than about six specimens to be named, for to identify 

 them accurately requires much consideration, and consequently time. 

 Yet we have now before us three baskets containing respectively twenty- 

 nine, twenty-three, and seventeen specimens. From them and all such 

 numbers we can only take a fraction for naming, and it annoys us not to 

 be able to do all we are asked to do by our correspondents. 



Cleaning Linum and Phlox Seeds (T. E. M.).— The best plan we 

 know is to lay them on a floor, beat with sticks, and when all the seeds 

 are out to sift through a sieve to free them of the husks ; finally winnow. 

 The wind will answer very well for a purpose of this sort. Having spread 

 a cloth, let the seeds and dust fall from a height of 3 or 4 feet, and the 

 chaff will be taken off clear of the sound seeds by the wind. We do not 

 knuw any seedsman who purchases small quantities of seeds collected 

 by private individuals. Write to some seedsman, telling him what you 

 have to dispose of. 



Gathering Quinces (Idem). — When they part freely from the tree, al 

 they will do at the beginning of next month, they should be gathered, 

 and not only on a fine day, but, if possible, after continued fine weather. 



Wintering Carnations in the Open Ground (A. H.). — Your beat 

 plan will be to plant them out, if well-ripened layers, in moderately light 

 soil in an open sheltered situation, affording them the protection of 

 hoops and mats in very severe weather. Could you not pot them and 

 winter them in a cold frame ? 



Gymnogramha Calomelanos with partly Golden Pinnh (Haffod- 

 neddyn). — This is the first instance that we have known of a Bilvered- 

 powdered Gymnogramma having both silver and gold powder on the 

 under side of the pinnaa. What makes it more remarkable is that some 

 pinnje should be wholly golden-powdered. It is likely >ou would obtain 

 a golden Calomelanos by sowing the Bpores of the pinna; of that colour, 

 and no doubt many silver ones. 



Replanting Box Edging (Thomas Marsh). — You may now take up and 

 replant the Box as you propose. There is no fear of its not growing, 

 providing you use rooted divisions or slips, and water at planting if the 

 ground be dry. If the weather be moiat the watering will, of course, not 

 be necessary. You may remove the very straggling growths, but that 

 should be done at the trimming before planting, and no after-cutting 

 with the shears is needed, or, if there be, the edging is badly planted. 

 It will grow quite m well now as planted in February. 



Replanting Tulips (Idem). — You may now take up the Tulips that 

 have remained in the ground all the year, removing them with a ball if 

 they have rooted, and replant at once ; or during the time they are ont 

 of the ground they should be caref ally shielded from the sun and wind. 

 We cannot answer questions privately. 



Destroying Hornets' Nebt (Subscriber). — The best plan would be to 

 dip some Btrips of paper in melted stone brimstone, set light to them, 



