August 23, 1877. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICUL.TUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



165 



leaves and flowers. Those who have not yet grown Phloxes in 

 potB for greenhouse decoration should do so. There is so much 

 variety in the colour of the flowers ; and the tall spikes of bloom, 

 arranged so that they tower erect over other dwarf flowering or 

 foliage plants, have a charming effect, and the flowers moreover 

 are sweetly scented. The culture is bo simple, too, that glass 

 protectors in any form are not needed. It should be mentioned 

 that our stage Pelargoniums are intended to flower rather late 

 in the Beason, else the planta ought to have been cut down much 

 earlier. We have now cut them down and the young growths 

 are starting freely. A few specimens of the aphis tribe have 

 been observed ; the house will be fumigated with tobacco smoke 

 until all traces of them are removed. "We are also moving other 

 greenhouse plants into the hoase, in each case seeing that no 

 insect pests or mildew are allowed upon any of them. A few of 

 the younger specimens have quite filled the pots with roots ; 

 and although it is bo 1; e in the season we Bhall repot them, as 

 the weather is very fav >urable indeed for this purpose. Pro- 

 bably most of them will L 3 repotted before this appears in print. 

 Climbing plants trained to the roof must be well thinned out, 

 as tho leaves shade the plants too much, especially at this season 

 of the year. 



FLOBIST FLOWERS. 



We have now inserted more pipings of Pinks in shallow boxes 

 and placed the boxes in a shady place, just placing some squares 

 of glass over them to retain a moiBt atmosphere. They strike 

 beBt and quickest with a little bottom heat, but we are trying 

 them without it. The first lot of pipings rooted much better 

 than we expected, and there is now a goodly number of fine 

 plants. Some few of them, such as James Hogg and Dr. 

 Masters, are not easily managed, but with care we have never 

 lost any variety after it has become established. 



Auriculas never looked so healthy as they are doing now, and 

 they are making very good growths. The plants have been care- 

 fully looked over, and all decaying leaves removed with the off- 

 sets. These last have been much more numerous than usual. 

 Some sorts, such as George Lightbody (Headly) have produced as 

 many as six offsets from one .strong plant. We would rather 

 that they had not run so much to producing young stock, as the 

 main Btem is considerably weakened thereby. One or two of the 

 beBt old sorts have still baffled all our skill to make them grow 

 vigorously. Freedom (Booth) iB one of the moBt difficult to 

 manage, but still we will not despair of achieving the same 

 success as Mr. Horner has done. He waB yeara before he could 

 get vigorous development into his plants ; now the leaves are 

 large and of a healthy dark green colour. Page's Champion 

 seems to be, as the Scotch would say, a very " dirty " variety, 

 and the leaves have a tendency to curl. A plant of any sort if it 

 is in good health ought to have the leaves spread out, thick, and 

 criBp. We have the plants fully exposed to the air night and 

 day; the ligbtB are placed over them merely to throw off the 

 rains. The offsets have been potted in small pots in light soil, 

 and the pots are placed in handlights, where they are kept close 

 except on still calm days, when the lights are removed. 



We have just finished layering the Carnations. We oould not 

 do them sooner, because the flowers were still freBh on many of 

 the plants ; indeed, we had to cut several dozens of flowerB on 

 the 17th in order that the layering might be done. Considering 

 that a good stand of flowers could have been cut on the first 

 week of July, and that a hundred blooms could have been cut 

 any day for a period of about six weeks, no one can say that the 

 flowers of Carnations are of a fugacious character. After layer- 

 ing the plants are placed in an exposed position out of doors. 

 —J. Douglas. 



TBADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 

 Dickson, Brown, & Tait, 43 and 45, Corporation Street, Man- 

 chester. — Autumn Catalogue of Dutch and French Flowering 

 Bulbs. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



%* All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet ques.- 

 tions relating to Gardening and tho6e on Poultry and Bee 

 subjects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion should 

 be written on one side of the paper only. We cannot 

 reply to questions through the post. 

 Seedling Gloxinias (S. H. K.).— There is no novelty in your seedling 



Gloxinias, and there are much better strains already in cultivation. 

 Roses {Gorilla). — "We have no communication from you. 

 Potatoes Diseased {E. Stanly).— The tnher you have sent is affected by 



dry gangrene. Change of seed and change of soil are needed. 



Strewing Rushes and Flowers (H. W. S.). — The custom at your 

 village festivals and ceremonies is a remnant of an old and excellent mode of 

 complimenting. Thus some lands at Aylesbury were held by the sr-rvice of, 

 amongst other things, finding " herbam ad juncandam cameram [Regis] " 

 — that is, " grass or hay to strew after the manner of rusheB in the King's 

 chamber." — {Blount, Frag. Antiq. 181.) Hentzner notices that Elizabeth's 

 presence-chamber at Greenwich was Btrewed with hay. Shakspeare introduces 

 a groom strewing rushes at the coronation of Henry V. The stage was com- 

 monly strewed with rushes. — {Collier's Annals, iii. 864.) Occasionally the 

 strewing was of a more costly character. The bride used " to walk to church 

 on flowers," and the strewing of flowers is even yet used at our coronations. 

 This BUbject is treated in Brand's "Popul. Antiq.," vol. ii.. p. 46, and Nares's 

 " Gloss.," p. 440. Several illustrative passages from Shakspeare have been 

 there noticed, but not the following: — Grumio inquires, "Is the suppBr 

 ready, the house trimmed, rushes strewed?" — {Taming of the Shrew, iv.l.) 

 And Romeo at the masked ball exclaimB — 



" Let wantons light of heart 

 Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels." — Romeo and Juliet, i., v. 



These, it will be observed, are both instances of the use of rushes in private 

 houses upon occasions of more than ordinary ceremony. 



Grapes Cracking {A Constant Reader). — As you cannot diminish the 

 supply of moiBture to the roots of the Vine you can only check the supply 

 of Bap to the Grapes by cutting half through the spurs just below the 

 bunches, and removing some of the leaves above them. 



Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary ( ). — It has not been revised for 



nine years. Apply to the publishers for information. 



Artificial Manures {G. C.E.). — Small quantities maybe purchased of 

 Mr. S. Hawley, Manure Merchant, Suffolk Street, ForeBt Gate, Essex. 



Dessert Apples IJ. E.). — To succeed the Bibston Pippin you may cul- 

 tivate Cox's Orange Pippin, Cjurt of Wick, and Court Pendu Plat. In our 

 " Garden Manual" you will find information about Roses. 



Clipping Yew {A Constant Reader). — You may clip it now, but many prefer 

 clipping early in spring. 



Melons Unhealthy {R. A. P.). — The Melons we think have been over- 

 cropped, and also over-excited. The foliage is large and thin in texture, 

 Buggestive that the househas beea too hot, and especially too close. Probably 

 had the temperature and ventilation been correct the plants would have been 

 sufficiently robust to have carried the crop, which is now too heavy for them. 

 The leaves are also infested with red spider. The night temperature should 

 be about 6u° — not below, nor many degrees above that figure — with just a 

 chink of ventilation at the top of the house all night. The plantB should be 

 freely syringed during the afternoons of clear days, except when the fruit is 

 setting or ripening, closiDg the house at a temperature of 85 ' or 90°. Air 

 must be admitted very early in the morning — as soon as the thermometer 

 commences rising, increasing the ventilation gradually as the heat of the 

 house increases to its maximum of 85°. During sunny days keep the paths 

 of the house moist, letting it become fairly dry, however, once a-day for a 

 short time. Employ as little fire heat as possible, but take full advantage of 

 Bun heat by closing the house early in the afternoon. 



Storing Potatoes {A Reader). — We strongly advise you to keep the 

 tubers spread thinly in a cool dry place, at least for a considerable time to 

 come. They should not have too much light or they will turn green. If you 

 must " clamp" them let them be perfectly dry first, and keep them dry an! 

 as cool as possible. 



Strawberries {Idem). — Three useful sorts, in addition to those you have' 

 are President, Sir Joseph Paxton, and Frogmore Late Pine. They will thrive 

 in any good Boil. You will not err by ordering from one of the nurserymen 

 advertising in our columns. We cannot break the rule to which you refer. 



Scale on Ferns {S. E.). — We think the frond sent is one of Asplenium 

 bulbifernm, but the specimen is very imperfect. As you have not time to 

 sponge the fronds and Myrtle foliage we advise you to dissolve 2 ozs. of Boft 

 Boap in a gallon of water, and syringe the infested plants with the solution at 

 a temperature of 120°. Lay the plants on their sides on a mat, so that the 

 warm soapy water doeB not saturate the soil. Repeat the syringing at 

 weekly intervals. 



Tiger Lilies {J. W. S.).— The little embryo bulbs on the stems of 

 Lilium tigrinum may, as soon as they are ripe and come off freely, be 

 planted 4 iuohes apart in rather light Boil which is not likely to get water- 

 logged in winter, and they will form flowering bulbs in two or three years. 



Cherry Trees Unfruitful (C. H. P.).— Without knowing the nature of 

 your Boil we canoot be certain as to the cause of your Cherry trees growing 

 luxuriantly without perfecting fruit, but a soil too rich in vegetable matter 

 and deficient of lime would produce like results. Try the effect of a dressing 

 of bone manure, or even common lime. Your Yucca recurva is very fine, and 

 favours the idea that your soil is too rich for stone fruits. They would be 

 likely to make more growth than they could mature, and although they pro- 

 duce blossom freely and beautifully it may be imperfect in some respect, and 

 consequently cannot produce perfect fruit. If you are sure the failure is not 

 caused by a deficiency of lime try the effect of root-pruning, which may be 

 done at once. 



Geraniums for Winter Flowering {Fly). — Cuttings of the Zonal 

 section struck in the spring, and the plants potted -on as they increase in 

 growth, are the best for winter flowering. The trusses of bloom should be 

 removed during the summer and autumn months, the plants muBt be placed 

 near the glass, and the temperature of the house be about 50°. Nearly all 

 the varieties flower freely. They do not flower so well in large pot.. ; 6 and 

 7-inch are sufficiently large, and no manure should be mixed with the potting 

 material. The early-flowered section of Stage Pelargoniums are very UBeful 

 for succession, such varieties as Triomphe de St. Maude, Duchess of Edin- 

 burgh, and the more recently introduced Duchess of Bedford. 



Thrips on Vines {B. N.).—lt was stated a few weeks ago in "Doings of 

 the Last Week " how this pest was destroyed. We would certainly fumigate 

 on three nights, at intervals of three days. Very probably the insects would 

 not all be destroyed after that. The wood of both Vines and Peach trees 

 ought to be washed in the winter after removing all loose bark from the old 

 wood. 



Gesnera Culture (J. A., Croydon).— You do not say what is the species 

 or variety ; we presume it is G. zebrina eplendens or G. exoniensis, bjth fine 

 winter-flowering plants. They succeed admirably in a stove having a winter 

 temperature of 60°, falling to 55° at night; and 65° by day witn a rise of 10° 

 or more from sun heat. Ours are kept in the Btove constantly, and when the 



