142 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 16, 1877. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Contents (B. C. Pilling}.— No doubt the suggestion you make would have 

 its advantages, but we found that the demand for advertising space on the 

 front page was so great that we were pressed to remove the contents to some 

 other part of the paper. 



Plants for a Grave {Constant Suhscriber). — Plant Rosemary, "that's 

 for remembrance," and the Pansy, "that's for thoughts." Then Forget-me- 

 nots, Primroses, Daisies, and Snowdrops will furnish a pretty constant suc- 

 cession of bloom. Don't plant sad funereal Cypresses and Irish Tews ; they 

 do not remind us of " the life to come " as those lovely flowers do. 



Beech Tree Dying (X.). — The tree has probably been in failing health 

 for some time although you have not noticed it. We can only attribute its 

 injury and death to the wet subsoil, which is particularly inimical to the 

 Beech; indeed, Brown in the "Forester" states that the tree will not live 

 long under such conditions as those you name. Possibly the roots may be in 

 a natural cavity in the impervious lias bed and so have suffered injury, while 

 the other trees are apparently healthy. 



Potatoes Shown as a Vegetable (T. B. R.). — The Potato is undoubtedly 

 a vegetable, and may be shown in a collection of vegetables. 



Vtnes, &c. (7. S. IT.).— The Black Gibraltar is the same as Black Morocco. 

 The leaf you have sent is probably that of Isabella from the description you 

 give of the fruit. Ton will find a good treatise on Pine culture in " The 

 Pine Apple Manual," published at our office, and sent free by post for 2s. Sd. 

 Your Lilium eximium is quite correct. It is dwarfer than longiflorum. We 

 will give you some information on Tropaolum nest week. 



Heating Small Greenhouse (A. B.). — We do not thiok the two lamps 

 would give off sufficient heat to keep out the frost from a house 12 feet by 

 6 feet. Why not have an ordinary stove and carry a pipe from it to the out- 

 side ? The fumes from burning kerosiue are a3 injurious as those from any 

 other heating material. 



Plants for the Flower Garden in Winter and Spring (X. T.). — It 

 is somewhat late for sowing seeds of some of the Bpriog-flowering plants, 

 especially the various kinds of Myosotis (Forget-me-not), which should be sown 

 about the last week in June; a little seed might however be sown now, and if 

 the autumn prove mild plants sufficiently strong to afford abundant flowers 

 may be had. Sow now Saponaria calabrica, pink; S. calabrica alba, white; 

 Silene pendula, pink, and S. pendula albi; Alyssum maritimum, white; 

 Nemopbila insignis, blue; Candytuft (Iberis), crimson, white, and purple; 

 the red and white Virginian Stock, and the yellow-leaved Pyrethrum. When 

 the seedlings are large enough to handle thin them, pricking some of them 

 out into nursery beds, transplanting them thence into the flower beds when 

 the autumn flowers are removed. 



Grapes Scalded (C. T, D.). — As Lady Downe's Seedling suffers so exten- 

 sively every year, and the other "Vines in the house are not injured, the best 

 advice we can give you is to train up an additional cane from the best of the 

 other sorts and remove the rod of Lady Downe's entirely. This variety is 

 very prone to have its berries scalded. The cause of the injury is not bo 

 much in the border as in deficient ventilation. Scalding usually arises from 

 air not, being admitted sufficiently early in the morning. As you do not 

 appear able to manage this variety we should cut it down and occupy the 

 space with arodfromone of the other Vines. (W. 8.). — Scalding of the berries 

 results chiefly from a vinery becoming unduly heated by the sun early in the 

 morning before the moisture which haB condensed on the berries during the 

 night haB evaporated. As a preventive of scalding, vineries should not be 

 damped too late in the afternoon ; a chink of ventilation should be left at the 

 top of the house all night, and additional air should be given very early in the 

 morning — the moment the thermometer in the house commences rising. 



Cucumber for Winter Forcing (Grains).— Telegraph is an excellent 

 variety for growing during the winter. There must be no delay in sowing 

 the seed or striking cuttings. Many growers fail by commencing too late. 

 Smaller varieties, which are esteemed by many, are Lord Kenyon's Favourite 

 and Munro's Duke of Edinburgh. 



Fuohsias not Thriving (A. R.). — We cannot account for the leaves and 

 flower buds dropping off as they do, except that yon probably have made the 

 compost too rich, or they received a check in moving them from a Cucumber 

 frame to a cool greenhouse. The best compost is turfy loam five parts, leaf 

 soil one part, decayed manure one part, and sufficient sand to keep the com- 

 post open. 



Figs not Succeeding (J. B. J.). — Figs never do well under the shade of 

 Vines ; and the fact that your first crop is good and the later crop indifferent 

 suggests that the Vine leaves have an injurious effect as the shade becomes 

 more dense. 



Carrion in Vine Border (Idem). — We fancy the Vine doing so well where 

 the pigs are buried is not attributable to the pigs. You will not find any live 

 roots amongst or near the carrion; the roots must have wandered somewhere 

 else. Plant two Black Hamburgh Vines in a border at the same time, treat 

 both alike, and it does not follow that they will be the same two or three 

 years hence; very likely the one may be much stronger than the other. 



New Aqutlegias (Af. R). — Aquilegia caerulea hybrida and A. californica 

 hybrida will probably be distributed by the Messrs. Veitch of Chelsea in the 

 form of plantB during the ensuing autumn. They have also a Btock of 

 A. leptoceras lutea, which is the same plant as A. chrysantha. 



Propagating Rhus cotinus (H. O. M.). — Layer the shoots at the present 

 time, previously notching or tongueing them, and in due time they will emit 

 roots. The flower sent may be one of Leyce3teria formosa, but it is too frag- 

 mentary for ub to decide with certainty. 



Wintering Bedding Plants (N. J. M.). — If you will send a list of the 

 plants you purpose preserving in cold frames we will state which of them we 

 consider may be wintered in such structures. 



Service Tree (E. A. White).— You have been rightly informed that the 

 fruit of this tree makes very good jam, but it is, of course, quite a matter of 

 taste as to its equalling Guava jelly. 



Vegetable Marrow Failing — Ants (A New Subscriber). — The roots have 

 probably penetrated the manure, and you water too much. Sprinkle guano 

 over the nests of the ants, and repeat the sprinkling until they emigrate. 



Koses {Tyro). — It is very difficult to give reasons for the failure of certain 

 plants when we have not seen those plants. Charles Lefebvre, Alfred Colomb, 

 and FiBher HolmeB are not good varieties for pot oulture. Plant these in the 

 open ground. This month is the best of all others for planting out Roses 

 from potB. They get established before the winter. Peter Lawson is a small 

 dark velvety RoBe, and rather a weak grower. W'S do not know Triomphe 



d' Amiens. Perhaps Bev. W. F. Radclyffe can describe it. Blairii No. 2 is not 

 suitable for growing as a standard. It is a climber, and Bhould ba left like a 

 Banksian to roam at will wherever and in any way it choose3. 



Autumn-sown Onions for Exhibition (H. S. F.). — The seed should be 

 sown the second or third week in August. The ground should be trenched 

 2 feet deep, or as deep as the soil will admit without bringing up any bad 

 soil, though if the bottom soil be bad it is well to loosen it. A good manur- 

 ing should be applied, mixing it well with the soil, the manure being thoroughly 

 decomposed. The ground should be made firm, and the seed sown in drills 

 a foot apart. When the plants have a pair of leaves thin to 2 inches 

 distance apart, and keep clear of weeds, stirring the soil between the rows. 

 To avoid the maggot, when the plants show the second leaf water overhead 

 with paraffin water — a wineglassful to three gallon3 of water, stirring well 

 up; let stand twelve hnurs, then stir again, and after standing another 

 twelve hours skim off the oil from the surface, watering the plants with 

 the clear or skimmed water only. This may be repeated in the early part of 

 April, May, and June respectively. In March you may remove every three 

 plants, leaving the fourth, planting them in well-manured deeply trenched, 

 ground in rows a foot apart, and 9 inches apart in the rows, the ground being 

 well firmed before planting. All that is wanted is to wa^er until established 

 and to keep clear of weeds. A sprinkling of soot may be given every month, 

 commencing with March and continuing until June, applying in such quantity 

 as just to blacken the surface, applying, guano between the Boot applications 

 at the rate of 2 lbs. to 30^ square yards, which will cause the manures to be 

 applied at lornightly intervals. If the weather be dry at the time of apply- 

 ing the manures they should ba given in liquid instead of solid form — one 

 peck of soot to thirty gallons of water, and 2 lbs. guano to the same quantity 

 of water, the watering to be at the rate of one gallon per square yard. Sow 

 Giant Rocca. 



Tacsonia Van-Volxehi. — "Franklin" would be glad to be informed 

 where he could see this climber flowering in the neighbourhood of London. 



Vegetable Marrows in Market Gardens (A. M.). — Holes are made to 

 receive the manure, which is stable manure, or sometimes an admixture of 

 stable and cow manure, and two plants are planted on each station. 



Cucumbers Diseased (C. W. Major).— The soil is too rich and too moist' 

 and the temperature too low. 



Strawberries with Leaves Cut Off (N. J. M.). — If the crowns are 

 uninjured, the plants being young, they will soon form young leaves, and the 

 plants will be none the worse on account of those they have lost. It is a 

 practice with some persons to cut the leaves off with a scythe after fruiting, but 

 we do not approve of the practice. You cannot do anything to help the plants. 



Phylloxera on Vines (Capt. Paul). — We have had rather too much ex- 

 perience with this pest, and are truly sorry to hear that 'it is widely dis- 

 tributed in the British Isles. It has twice appeared in our Vines, and each 

 time it has been stamped out by destroying the Vines, root and branch, and 

 carting away the soil where it could not do further harm. We advise you to 

 do the same. As your Vines are young the loss will not be great. A friend 

 of ours had it in a vinery of young Vines The Phylloxera appeared on one 

 Vine in April ; he thought it a pity to destroy all the Vines, and had the 

 affected plant removed with all the soil in contact with its roots. The rest 

 of the Vines grew well, and he was satisfied that he had destroyed the pest. 

 However, early in the following year he thought he would examine the roots 

 of the Vines, and to his surprise they were a moving mass of Phylloxera. 

 This time he wisely destroyed the whole of the Vines, and truly glad he was 

 that the pest did not spread to other houses a few score yards distance. We 

 earnestly advise you to exterminate the pest by destroying the Vines. 



Destroying Wireworsi {A. N.). — Dress the ground with gas time, one 

 peck (level measure) per square rod, distributing equally over the Burface, it 

 being best applied in autumn and forked in. The ground should be forked 

 over again so soon in spring as the ground is in working order, and again 

 before putting in the crop. It will drive them away if not destroy them. 

 Many may be destroyed by baits of Carrots or Potatoes buried in the soil 

 1 to 2 inches deep, which Bhould be examined daily, and the wireworms that 

 have penetrated the baits destroyed, re-inserting them in the soil. If the 

 baits have a stick thrust through them, so as to serve as a handle, they are 

 more readily taken up and examined. 



Names of Fruits (St. Bridged). — It is a difEcsic matter at any time to 

 name Strawberries unless th=y are seen growing, but the three you sent were 

 quite smashed, and therefore it was impossible to do bo. 



Names of Plants (W. M.).—\ is Cunninghamia lanceolata; 2 we cannot 

 name without seeing the flowers. Neither is hardy. (B. Smyth). — Eccremo- 

 carpus scaber. (A. O.). — Lysimachia thyrsiflora. (J. P.). — Aloe variegata. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON 0HEONI0LE. 



A BATCH OP SCHEDULES.— Part 2. 

 We have again received several schedules, some of theni show- 

 ing much improvement since last year and others none at all, 

 while some are fresh in their new birth. Of the latter perhaps 

 Ramsgate claims the earlieBt attention. Everything on the first 

 page is "very swell." There are correspondents in Paris and 

 Boulogne, there are to be especial boats from and to Boulogne, 

 and a private wire will be laid into the Show yard. This is 

 pretty fair for one page, but unfortunately the nominated Judges 

 seem to have had the wrong duties allotted, for we find Mr. 

 Esquilant put down for poultry and Messrs. Teebay and Hewitt 

 down for the Pigeons. The other poultry Judge, Mr. Teget- 

 meier, is fully at home in either section. On the second page 

 we find a noble President, seven lady patronesses, eight oounty 

 patrons, and sixteen looal ditto ; and then on the next sheet we 

 come to the ruleB — there are thirteen of them. Some of them 

 are very much as usual, and others of a novel turn — e.g., Rule 4 

 tells us that the post-card which acknowledges the safe arrival 

 of the entries will also admit the bearer free. This we entirely 

 approve of, and consider a good rule and a saving of future 

 trouble to both exhibitor and Secretary. Rule 5 tells us of an 

 Hon. Sale-master, which we never remember to have seen before. 



