376 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 10, 1870. 



for the care and the glass protection. A month ago the hardier 

 Violets were plentiful oat of doors. The colder weather has 

 msde them more scarce. 



Epacrises and Ericas still in cold pits mast have plenty of 

 air, that the latter, especially, may be safe from mildew. They 

 and the more tender greenhouse plants will be better gronped 

 on the stage of the greenhouse, for they can have plenty of 

 air without nnduly lowering the temperature, and much more 

 direct light than they can have in a pit with the light chiefly 

 above them. The more tender greenhouse plants, though having 

 plenty of air, should not stand in a keen draught. Cinerarias 

 and herbaceous Calceolarias, provided they have plenty of air 

 and are safe from frost, cannot well be kept too cool and moist. 

 Were this matter better attended to insect-covered plants wonld 

 be more rarely seen, and scores of pounds saved in the matter 

 of tobacco-smoking. Even in our plant stoves we should pro- 

 portion our heat somewhat to light. Many plants will enjoy 

 now comparative rest. Begonias, Eranthemums. and Jus- 

 tieias in full bloom or coming to it, will relish weak manure 

 water. Ferns should never be quite dry, and when growing 

 freely should be kept moist. Sacti showy plant3 as Poinsettia 

 pnlcherrima, and such useful plants as Euphorbia jacquini^- 

 rlora will set their bloom-buds better, and bloom better after- 

 wards if from the end of October or the beginning of November 

 they are kept drjish and a little cooler for a »'ew weeks. Whan 

 more moisture and heat are given the flowering will be better. 



— ; R. f. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



'William Chater, Saffron Walden. — Catalogue of HoUyhocks and 

 Boses. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*** Werequest 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 be addressed solely to 

 Tlie Editors of tlie Journal of Horticulture, ds., 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 (An Amateur]. — " The Vine Manual;" you can have it free by 

 post if you enclose thirty-two postage stamps wuh your address to our 

 office. (.4 McKilvie). — No new edition of the "Cottage Gardeners* 

 Dictionary 1 ' is probable. You can have it from our office, including the 

 Supplement, if you enclose 7*. 'Id with your address. 



Advice [A Gardener]. — "What next and nest ? "My master orders me 

 in a bullying wa* to clean h's boots and buckle on his J-traps and spurs, 

 especially when the groom is out. The place is good, I do not want to 

 leave. I should not so much mind about the boots, &c , if asked civilly, 

 &c. What should I do ? : ' How can anyone advise you better than your- 

 self ? We know some good gardeners now who cleaned boots and fire- 

 irons too, and took out ashes in their first place. They found, however, 

 as they progressed, that if they were to do much credit to themselves in 

 gardening they must get out of the way of beiog general helper to Marv 

 the housemaid. Holly the cook, and John the stable man, and they did 

 so by moving to a place where the garden became their special charge. 

 A man who would rise must be obliging ; but, as a general rule, where a 

 gardener and a groom are kept, it will not ultimately be to tbe advantage 

 of employer and employed that the gardener should be called upon to 

 perform the duties of a valet or a groom. If we were to judge from com- 

 position and penmanship, we should say you are more likely to dis- 

 tinguish yourself by making one line or employment the subject of your 

 study and consideration. Still there are many comfortable well-paid 

 situations where one of the chief requisites is the bein* " senerally 

 useful." If that is distasteful, then, as a gardener, you should engage 

 that your duties are to be confined to the garden. We do not see how 

 you can make much alteration in your present place, unless ycu brought 

 extra prudence and courteous determination to your aid. How is it that 

 you are always so handy for the strapping and buckling business? If 

 the house and stable* are not quite close to the garden, almost in it, you 

 need not be quite bo near at hand. This we pay, because we have known 

 some men grumble at being asked to do" to this and that, and yet would 

 place themselves in the way so as to be seen and a*ked to do what they 

 pretended they did not like. Be assured there is no such thi*>g as having 

 all the sweets and none of the bitters in any position. The hanging 

 about halls and stab'eyards in gentlemen's places has ruined many a 

 young man that otherwise would have been a good eard^ner. The em- 

 ployer who has rainy servants will be best served if each servant has 

 his distinctive fiutiea, because then the servant must pay more attention 

 to his separate duties. — F. 



Filicum" will be best. This " SpBcie3 FUicam" contains only a select 

 few. 



Silver Sand (C. G. S.).— This consists of very fine crystals of nearly 

 pure silica. It may be usually purchased of florists. It i3 dag out 

 chieflv from pits near Reigate, in Surrey. The grey drift sand obtainable 

 from the shallows of rivers is equally good for potting purposes. 



Temperature on the Christmas Eve of 1330 (R. E. Ashford). — At 

 Chiswick the thermometer fell to 4' on Decemner *i4th, I860, and on 

 December 28th to 1- below zero ; but in minynlacea the temperature 

 was much lower—for examnle, at Chats worth— 12 : , at High&eld Hsuse — 

 13' 8, at Saffron Wnlden— 12°. It was not only the intensity, but also the 

 duration of tbe frost that was remarkable. 



Abnormal Growth of Stella Geranium.— Two plants of the above 

 Geranium have put forth a crown and leaves from tbe centre of the 

 withered flosttr trus3 Both plants are this year's cuttings. I should be 

 glad to know if any of your correspondents have observed a similar oc- 

 currence, and if it is usual. — G. Prat. 



Geraniums in Pots ( Agnes).— The plants being from cuttinga put in 

 this spring or last autumn, and giown in pots for l°te bloom, will not 

 require pruning now, as they will for some time afford fine trusses of 

 flowers ; at least, we have some such as you name, and we expect them 

 to continue flowering the greater part of the winter In February we 

 shall cut them well in, and grow them on for summer flowering. There i3 

 no cause why they should not flower finely next season. 



Evergreen Trailer in Intermediate Stove (Thog. W.).— For cover- 

 ing a low wall in an intermediate stove, we know of but one suitable 

 plant— viz., Ficus repens, and it clings to any substance with the tenacity 

 of Ivy. It is of free growth and very neat. 



^oil for Sweet-scented Verbena (Young Gardener, Dublin). — Two 

 parts of common garden so'l mixed with one part l^af mould, or the 

 bottom of voar woodstack. The soil beneUh the stack is not Deat. but 

 nearer in composition to leaf mould— that is, leaves thoroughly decayed 

 and friable. 



VrNES Fruiting in Pots f Inquirer).— As you intend fruiting them in 

 pots two or three years consecutively, we should at once place the Black 

 Hamburgh in a pot 18 inches in diameter, and prune it to a length of 

 6 feet : but we think it would be of little value for future years' bearing 

 unless vou ar« content to take no more than half a dozen bunches from 

 it. and growit in a house, not starting the Vine into growth before March. 

 Place the Roval Muscadine in a 15-inch pot, and cut it back half its 

 length. Two bunches would be quite enough to take from it next season. 

 In pottin* he careful not to injure the roots, but loosen ihe sides of tbe 

 hall. Provide good drainage, and cover it with about an inch thick of 

 half-inch bones. You will need to give top-dressincs of rich compost, 

 and afford liquid manure when the Vines are in free growth. Let the 

 Vines make more shoots than are wanted for bearing, and allow each an 

 extension of rod «f about S feet. The shoots not bearing next season 

 will give vigour to the plants and aid in perfecting the crop, whilst they 

 will be better suited for bearing another year than those fruiting nest 

 season. 



Pruning Vines (C. N. B.).— When the leaves have fallen, or by the 

 middle of December, prune them, tbe side shoots to two eyes and that 

 will dispose of all the latera's. If the Vices have rods in addition to side 

 shoots, cut them to 3 feet if strong, or if only moderately strong to half 

 that length. We imagine what you term laterals are the side shoots or 

 spurs. 

 Vine Planting {J. R. G.).— Plant the Vines now. 



Vine on (Open Wall (R. T. S.).— You would treat your Vine more 

 safe'y if, instead of removing it, vou placed glass ov^r it where it stands ; 

 then'vou would be sure of a well-ripened crop. Of course, you could 

 remove it by carefully lifting it now, and planting it where it would be 

 under glass, hut as it has been planted ten years, you would require to 

 lift it with great care, and then, perhaps, you would have no great return 

 from it for a year or two. A cheap fixed lean-to roof over it where it is, 

 would be the surest as respects returns. 



Vine-roots Dying (J. W.).— We can assign no reason for the roota of 

 some of the young Vines dying, whilst others are so healthy. 



Repotting a Dicksonia (Idem).—X Dicksonia. if fresh top-dressed, 

 may remain some years in the same pot ; but it will be all the better if 

 the drainage be seen to, and the most exhausted soil removed. 



Potatoes and Mangold Wurtzel (H. R.).— As you have but one field, 

 and wish to crow no other crop3 than the abovenamed, your best plan 

 will be to divide the field into two parts, an<i on the part which has borne 

 Potatoes let Mangold Wurtzel be grown the next year, and vice versa. 

 As you have a good supply of manure, you need not fear having deterio- 

 rated crops if you thus crop alternately. 



Kidney Bean Culture 'A Subscriber).— We do not see in what way 

 we can improve on your system of cultivating tbe Scarlet Runner Beau ; 

 but we should fow by the first week in May in rows 6 feet apart, with 

 the beans about 6 inches apart in the rows. The ground intended for 

 them should be well and deeply dug or trenched now, giving a liberal 

 dressing of manure. In summer they should be well supplied with 

 water and liquid manure in dry hot weather. We like them staked, 

 but vou mav have them dwarf by repeatedly stopping them at a foot high. 

 Make another sowing at the end of May. In our "Kitchen Garden 

 Manual," which you can h-vve by post if you enclose five postage stamps 

 with your address, you w.ll find fuli details. 



Fruit Trees (A Cottage Gardener). — You mav grow the Black Ham- 

 bureb or Royal Muscadine Grapes in a ground vinery, either on an east 

 or west wall, but they would do much better in an open hut sheltered 

 situation— indeed, it would be a waste of wnll to no practical purpose; 

 besides, whichever wall yoa were to have, the ground vinery against it 

 must lose the sun's rays one-half the day, whilst in an open situation it 

 would have the (all benefit of the sun. As regards the fruit border, you 

 mayp'aDt the Roses 6 feet from the walk, or 11 feet from the wall, but as 

 vou wish for fruit we would not do so, but at that distance from the wall 

 we would have a wire pot down a foot high, and 3 feet from that a row of 

 bush or pyramid Pear and Plum trees, and 3 feet from that again another 

 wire at the same height a3 the other. Both the wires we would use for 

 \Dole tree3 trained a-» double cordons. They may be planted 12 feet 



Feess (Filices).— To help you to identify species, Hooker's " Synopsis ' apart, and the pyramids or bushes 6 feet apart. Ton will have 5 feet left 



