October 6, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTI CULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



273 



Exhibition Stands for Roses and Dahlias IE. M.).— The boxes may 

 be made of inch deal, and the length for twenty-four Roses should be 

 4 feet ; for eighteen, 3 feet ; for twelve, 2 feet 2 inches ; and for six, 1 foot 

 b inches. Breadth in every case 1 foot 6 inches; height at back, 6 inches; 

 height in front, 4 inches. We extract the foregoing dimensions from the 

 excellent "Book about the Rose," by the Rev. S. Reynolds Hole, who 

 adds :— " The covers, being 7.1 inches in depth at tne back, and 5 inches 

 in front, 4 feet 1 inch in length, 1 foot 7 inches in breadth, and having a 

 narrow beading within the four sides, half an inch from the bottom of the 

 lid, overlap the boxes, leaving ample room for the Roses, and are secured 

 jor travelling by stout leather straps. Within the boxe3 some exhibitors 

 have holes pierced at equal distances on a uniform surface of wood ; but 

 as Roses differ in size it is more convenient to have the facility of placing 

 them where we please, and for this purpose it is desirable to have strong 

 1 -£" mcn in depth, and 1% inch in width) extending the length of the 

 box. These laths should be six in number, and should be nailed on two 

 strong pieces of wood, crossing the box one at each end, 2 inches below 

 the surface. The upper and lower laths should be fixed one-eighth of an 

 inch within the box, and the four remaining so arranged that there will 

 be five interstices l.{ inch in width— three for tbe Roses, ana two merely 

 to reduce the weight. There will be a space of 1\ inch between the laths 

 and the upper edge of the box, to be filled as follows : Cover the laths 

 with sheets of brown paper, two deep, and cut to fit the box, and upon 

 these place the best moss you can obtain. The Roses are placed in tubes 

 of zinc 44 inches in length, 2 inches wide at the top, gradually tapering 

 until they become 1 inch in width at the centre, the tops being moveable, 

 ihis top is taken off, and the stalk of the flower being brought through 

 until the Rose is held securely, it is replaced upon the tubes, previously 

 I ,n T nre rain w *ter ." A stand for twentv-four blooms of Dahlias 

 ??k ,/ y inchea *n length by 18 inches in width from front to back, 

 it should be raised at the back 7 inches, and 3\ inches in front The 

 holes should form three lines of eight each, and should be 6 inches from 

 centre to centre, and 3 inches from the outside. The metal tube for the 

 water may be 1 inch in diameter, and should fit into the holes of the 

 board; the wooden tube to receive the bloom, and fitting into the metal 

 tube, should rise If inch above the board. The colour of the board should 

 !?*£ ui- 7 bright green. The dimensions of a stand for twelve blooms 

 oi faunas can be easily deduced from the foregoing. Such a box as that 

 just described would be suitable for Roses if shown in single trusses • for 

 single DloomB of Roses the dimensions would be almost too lar^e, while 

 lor bunches of three trusses it would scarcely afford sufficient space. 

 x or Roses the tubes may be fastened to the bottom of the box, not usin" 

 a board as in the case of Dahlias, and the spaces filled up with fresh 

 green moss. The most suitable colour for a box for Rose3 is dark "reen 

 You may use several boxes in showing a number of trusses or blooms! 

 cnapman s cases are excellent, especially where flowers have to be sent 

 to a distance. 



«« ^Jf 81 !? #?? SES F0B ? IGH Walls iE - iV * B -4.)— Those mentioned 

 are not all of them suitable. Retain Marechal Niel, Lamarque, Climbing 

 uevomensis, a shy bloomer here, but a wonderful grower, and Gloire de 

 Dijon Add •solfaterre, yellow; Triomphe de Rennes. vellow: *ATdlle. 

 ArisUde, pale yellow; *Celine Forestier, vellow ; La Eiche, flesh white • 

 Acidalie, white ; Ophirie, nankeen and copper ; and Mauue Desprez, red, 

 butt, and sulphur. These will require some room to spread, as they are 

 vigorous growers. Those marked with an asterisk will require much 

 room overhead and on either side. Thev require but little cutting. Thin 

 out useless wood, and merely top the shoots, whether extensions or fore- 

 snoots, to the first good eye in sound wood. I did not cut my trees of 

 c^ine *oresUer this year, and X never saw a more magnificent bloom. 

 L,1 ye ^>° W Te a" s ,cented Noisettes, are, in my opinion,' the most satis- 

 lactory Roses of the Rose kingdom. My trees of Triomphe de Rennes are 

 at this time a wonderful sight. It is about the most satisfactory of all 

 the yellow Roses.— W. F. Radclyffe. 



Pruning 3ose9 (Agnes).— As it is very difficult for a tailor to make a 

 ?i °u < : l0 J hes J to fit everybody, so from different circumstances it is 

 difficult to lay down any stiff rule of pruning. As a general rule cut out 

 an weak and useless shoots, and such as awkwardly cross the other 

 Dranches. Cut weak growers hard, and leave a liberal quantity of wood 

 and of greater length on strong growers. If you find that the shoots 

 which you call water-shoots bloom well from the sides, vou should not 

 cm them away. Apparently immature wood on a Manetti-stocked Rose 



light sandy soil in a partially-shaded border, and cover with a depth of 

 light soil about equal in thickness to the diameter of the seeds. Water 

 in dry weather. About the third year they will flower. 



Climbers for a Low Wall in Front of a Lodge (W. Armstrong). — 

 We think you could not do better than plant Cotoneaster at the base of 

 the wall, and it will cover it very closely like a carpet. C. micropbylla 

 would suit you best. It will need training, so as to cover every part of 

 the wall regularly and quickly. For the lodge front, if the sun shine on 

 it, we advise Pyracantha, but if not, we should have Ivy. The Irish Ivy 

 is good, and bo is Rcegner's, with fine bold leaves. The Yaws will bear 

 any amount of cutting. It is best to out them in spring bafore they 

 begin to grow, and you need not be afraid of using even the saw. They 

 will make fine shoots before autumn. We think the end ol March or 

 early in Apnl the best time for heading them back. 



Peaches for Walls and Training (J. M.}.~ There is very little room 

 for selection when three kinds only are required, and we presume you do 

 not want them to come in together, therefore we advise Early York, 

 Grosse Miguonne, and Barrington. Three others equally good ar» 

 Nohlesse. Royal George, and Violette Hative. Fan training is the moat 

 I suitable for out-door culture in England, as the trees vertically trained 

 have the shoots much less vigorous at the base than at the top ; indeed 

 the lower branches not unfrequently die off altogether, and the trees are 

 little better than standards. 



Beet for Spring Gardening (G. H.).— For this purpose it should be 

 planted now where it is to remain, and so that tbe toot will be covered, 

 otherwise it is sometimes injured by frost. The old leaves ought to be 

 left until spring, for they protect the plant, but in March remove them. 

 It will be in good condition until the flower-italks begin to rise, and after 

 that we think it more suitable for the flower garden thin at any other 

 time. 



Distinguishing Silene pendula from S. pendula alba (IdemA. — 

 The red sort has a much darker stalk than the white, whilst the leaves of 

 the plant are of a deeper green. The latter variety is altogether lighter 

 in appearance. 



Shrubs for the Front of a Cottage [A Cottager).— We think you 

 will not find that you can have shrubs of the height you require without 

 considerable cutting. Hollies would be most suitable, and we would 

 have alternately pyramids and bushes, with opposite plants to match. 

 We should have the plants 15 feet apart, putting in the first at 74 feet 

 from the cottage, and the last at the same distance from tbe road. If 

 you should require six trees on each side, and commencing next the 

 cottage, we would have Gold-leaved (bush), Hodgins's (pyramid), Silver- 

 leaved (bush), masderensis (pyramid), Gold-leaved (bush), and Hodgins's 

 (pyramid), havine the other side to correspond. Their distance from the 

 walk should be half the distance they ar*i apart, and thev should be 

 planted on grass. The earlier they nre planted the better. You can cut 

 them to any form, and have them of any height. They are best cut-in 

 in spring, just before they begin to grow. The proper time to plant wall 

 fruit trees is in November as soon as the leaves have fallen. With re- 

 gard to your other question, you will find an article on the subject in a 

 previous page. 



Gardenia citriodora Sickly (Saccolabium).— The cause of the plants 

 looking sickly is probably want of heat, and the soil may have become 

 sour from the plants having too much pot-room or defective drainage. 

 We advise you to make the drainage good, and place the plants in a light, 

 airy position in the stove, giving no more water than enough to keep the 

 leaves from flagging. In February give them an increase of heat with 

 bottom heat, if possible, and we have no doubt they will begin growing 

 freely. Pot in March, removing from the roots all the soil that comes 

 away freely, but be careful of them, and do not place them in pots larger 

 than will hold the roots comfortably. They need a moist atmosphere 

 and copious supplies of water. 



Hydrangea not Flowering (Idem).— The plant could not be expected 

 to flower this summer, as you cut it down last spring, and in so doing 

 removed the flowering portion, for the wood of this year gives flowers 

 the next. 



Anjectochilus Dawsonianus Sickly (S.). — The best treatment you 

 can adopt is to remove the plants at once and place them in fr<;8h soil. 

 Use a compost of equal parts of fibrous brown peat, sphagnum chopped 



rVitb ?° m 1? und jJ nt, y if vou cut tb -0 top of the shoot off, and cause it to I up, and charcoal for the bottom of the pan or pot. Let the pot be effi- 

 S?"!? 9 « of tbe ah - oot3 - Soft shoots fiom the Briar will not ' ciently drained, press the soil firm, and then surface with equal propor- 

 bis. If you find that cutting your Manetti Roses to 6 inches tions of peat, charcoal, and silver sand. Keep the compoat regularly 



moist, avoiding wetting the foliage, and take off the bell-glass every 

 morning, wipe it dry, and replace it. It i* desirable tint the bell-glass 

 should have a hole in the top ; if not, tilt it a little on one side for a few 

 hours early each day. 



Tussllago Farfara vartegata, Alternanthera Lindeni, and Ire- 

 sine ahabflis Propagation (C. W.M.). — The Tussilago is increased by 

 division of the roots in spring, dividing them into as many portions as 

 there are growing parts, with Borne stem and roots to each. It is quite 

 hardy, and likes strong, deep loam. The Alternanthera is increased by 

 cuttings, which strike as freely as Verbenas iu sand in a hotbed. The 

 best plan is to strike cuttings now, wintering them in a warm green- 

 house or cool stove. They will produce plenty of cuttings in February 

 or March, and these, if forwarded in a hotbed, make good plants. Iresine 

 is propagated in the same way, cuttings rooting very freely in a hotbed. 

 Alternanthera magnifica has fine reddish bronze leaves, and is, like all 

 the Alternantheras, useful for bedding out. It is raised like Verbenas, 

 only it requires to be wintered in a warm house. You may increase them 

 to a considerable extent by keeping them in heat. 



Evergreens for Tubs (F. R. <?.)• — All things considered, we advise 

 Portugal Laurel, Laurustinus, and Hollies, with Sweet Bays if the situa- 

 tion be mild. Handsome flowering evergreens will not succeed in tubs. 

 We would have match plants, two of each, and pyramid Portugal Laurels, 

 Gold or Silver-variegated Hollies, and Laurustinus. They stand cutting 

 well, and when in good foliage are very fine. You may select plants at 

 most of the leading nurseries. We do not recommend dealers. Good 

 plants of Yucca recurva are fine for tubs. They have a very distinci 

 appearance. 



Aphis on Broccoli and Winter Greens (J. B. S.).— The Cabbage- 

 plant louse (Aphis brassicje) is making sad havoc in many places in the 

 north, whole fields of Turnips being cleared off by them. We have it, 

 and have tried lime, but without effect, the plague only comes on by 



oEl * f rS A st ' U 1S ' of C0UI se. wise to do so. If the water-shoots on your 

 standards are necessary to form the head let them stay, and cut them 

 next spring, or shorten them after blooming is over.— W. F. Radclyffe. 



Pansies for Blooming in Summer (Flora).— For spring you will need 

 L°i «« V !i. n0 i W A°. od P lants * fit for turning out where they are to flower 

 wnen the bedding plants are removed. Tbe beds should be well dug 

 and a liberal quantity of leaf soil and old rotten manure dog in, mixing 

 it well with the soil. You must not expect the plants to continue bloom- 

 ing irom spring until autumn. For summer flowering the cuttings ought 

 to oe put in now m a warm, sheltered situation, and be planted in sprint 

 in their summer quarters ; and to make them bloom finely until autumn 

 it will be necessary to give liberal supplies of water in dry weather, and 

 to mulch the beds about half an inch deep with short manure which will 

 be hidden by the foliage. Pansies are at the best very precarious beddin" 

 plants. They cannot stand the drought and heat of summer. 



Wintering Geraniums (Idem).— You would best succeed in wintering 

 them in pots in the rooms, taking up the plants before frost, and placing 

 them in light moderately dry soil. You could then pick off the old leaves 

 as they become yellow, and cut away the shoots that damp off. They 

 would not require much water, if any, between the time of pottin» and 

 March though a little might he given in mild weather to keep the shoots 

 irom shrivelling. Yon must keep frost from the plants ; if you cannot, 

 then the cellar would be the best place, removing all but the very small 

 leaves, and storing the plants in dry sand. Only the roots should be 

 covered. Examine the plants occasionally, and remove any damped 

 leaves or shoots. There is little hope of your getting the cuttings taken 

 irom the plants to strike in a room, but you can, nevertheless try it. 

 Put them in light sandy soil. 



LlLY n° F i THE Yalley Seed Sowing (F. C. B.).—Bv sowing the seed 

 you will obtain plants, and may be fortunate in having something new. 

 Keep the seeds in dry sand in a cool place, and sow ihem next March in 



