231 



JOURNAL OF H0RTICULTU3E AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 11, 1S77. 



painted with sulphur dissolved in soapy water, the walls washed 

 with strong lime water, and it is also well to paint the hot-water 

 pipes. Surface-dressing the borders ought not to be omitted 

 annually. Of course there is some difference of opinion as to 

 the best method of doing this. We know of a good Grape-grower 

 in Scotland who saves up a quantity of solid cow manure for 

 this purpose, and when it is twelve months old it is ready for 

 use. About 3 or 4 inches of the surface soil is removed, or even 

 more, according to the nature of the roots, and about 2 inches in 

 depth or rather more of the manure is then spread over the 

 surface, and over this the same depth of turfy loam. The roots 

 run freely into this dressing and the Vines are much invigorated; 

 the Grapes are, we think, also of better flavour than they are 

 produced when guano or other hot manures are used. Our own 

 dressing is rather different from this. We mix cow manure 

 and horse droppings from the stable in about equal proportions. 

 There ought to be enough stable manure to cause the whole 

 mass to heat ; this dries the cow manure, and after it has been 

 turned over frequently for three weeks or so it is ready for use. 

 The manure and decayed turfy loam is then mixed together in 

 equal proportions, and this forms a most excellent compost for 

 surface-dressing Vines. 



When the leaves are falling in the late vineries the Grapes 

 have much tendency to become mouldy. Eemove the leaves at 

 once, and all berries that show the least tendency to decay. 

 Open the ventilators on all favourable occasions, and close them 

 before the night dews come on. Unless the weather is very cold 

 and a sharp frost is expected it is better not to have any heat in 

 the hot-water pipes. Oar own experience with late-hanging 

 Grapes is to keep out damp and not cause moisture to arise 

 from heating the pipes at night. In our district thick fogs all 

 day long must also be kept out. So far there has been no reason 

 to complain, and the state of the Tines show that we may expect 

 good crops of Grapes next year. 



Orange and Big trees in Pots. — To grow either of these fruits 

 well it is desirable to have the plants near the glass ; they must 

 be regularly syringed, and considerable care must be taken as 

 regards watering them. They snffer from too little water, and 

 if the drainage is imperfect the soil becomes sour and the 

 flavour of the fruit is deteriorated. Fig trees are now approach- 

 ing the resting season, and water must be gradually withheld 

 and the soil must just be prevented from becoming dusty dry 

 until the period of starting them into growth again. We pot 

 our Fig trees annually, and it may be done any time during the 

 resting period. The plants make an immense quantity of 

 tough fibrous roots and require generous diet. Good yellow 

 moderately clayey loam, which is the best substance in which 

 to grow all our choice frnits, is also the best for Figs, and as 

 much water is required see that the drainage is well put in and 

 some tough fibre placed over it to prevent the finer particles 

 from mixing with the potsherds ; about one-fifth part of de- 

 cayed manure should be mixed with the loam, and an S inch 

 potful cf crushed bones to each barrowload. Firm potting is 

 also an essential towa-ds success. Many persons fancy that 

 Figs can be grown at a great distance from the glass and under 

 the shade cf Vines. This is a great mistake. It is not possible 

 to grow them so. The fruit produced is worthless, the leaves 

 being very thin and a rrey to red spider. Orange trees will not 

 do well under the shade of Vines either, and it is best to do 

 without them rather than to grow tree3 that will only be a dis- 

 credit to those who have charge of them. Many amateurs fancy 

 that if they have two or three glass houses they are going to 

 have everything in the way of plants and fruit trees. We know 

 one who built a greenhouse and was quite taken by surprise 

 when told that it would not be possible to grow Vines, Melons, 

 and Cncumbers in the same house. People must not only learn 

 this, but they must also learn that a greenhouse cannot be kept 

 gay with flowers from November to October without forcing 

 pits and frames, from which a supply of plants may be obtained 

 as others go out of flower. 



This has also been a very good season for Strawberry plants 

 in pots. The heavy dews at night and the leaves having been 

 occasionally crusted with frost has stopped the growth of red 

 spider. We still carefully attend to watering the plants, as also 

 cutting off any runners as fast as they appear. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



The work is much the same as we described a week or two 

 ago, and we are still washing plants and having them thoroughly 

 cleaned. Flowers are now rather scarce, and where plants are 

 in flower it is best to take as much care of them as possible. 

 Allamanda Schottii generally gives ns plenty of flowers at this 

 season, it is doing so now. We have also several of the Ixoias 

 in good condition; I. Williamsii has some huge trusses of bloom 

 on small plants ; the pure white sort I. Coleii gives us plenty of 

 trusses, but they are small, and the white is not very pure. 

 This variety likes plenty of heat, and then it is a very desirable 

 variety. Gardenia florida is also supplying us with its delight- 

 fully sweet flowers, which are never unwelcome ; and the noble 

 Amazonian Lily (Eucharis amazonica) has also been doiDg good 

 service. 



Amongst Orchids the Dendrobium formosum, autumn-flower- 

 ing sort, is at present very beautiful ; its large pure white flowers, 

 with a yellow blotch at the base of the lip, are a great boon at 

 this season of the year. This variety ought to be distinguished 

 with au addition to its name, as a confusion is caused from the 

 want of this. Those who want D. formosum to flower in June 

 and July would be grievously disappointed if they received the 

 sort that flowers in September and October; but it would not 

 be fair to blame the nurseryman if he had no definite instruc- 

 tions. The growths are also quite distinct. The summer-flower- 

 ing Eort has darker-coloured and more hairy growths than the 

 late- flowering variety, but the flowers are not to be distinguished. 

 Miltonia Candida is very useful for flowering at this season. 

 Although the flowers are not very striking they are freely pro- 

 duced, and are useful for cutting to fill vases or for bouquets. 

 Where there are a dozen plants of Phalfenopsis flowers may be 

 produced all through the winter and spring months. We now 

 have P. amabilis in flower, and also other species showing. The 

 P. grandiflora has the largest flowers and is the best amongst 

 them. We do not give these plants very much water at thia 

 season, but only sufficient to keep the sphagnum alive, and care- 

 fully prevent any water from falling on the leaves. The winter- 

 flowering Calanihes have formed immense bulbs this season, 

 and are now throwing up vigorous flower spikes. They are in 

 very small pots for the size of the plants, but the longer we grow 

 Orchids the more are we convinced that the most satisfactory 

 results are produced by growing all the plants in small pots. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The frosty nights that we have bad caused us to lift all the 

 Pelargoniums that we required. We do not pot-up any of the 

 green-leaved sorts, as for the small beds and comparatively 

 narrow borders plants from autamn-struck cuttings are the best, 

 and they grow quite large enough by the end of the season. We 

 pot the tricolor varieties, using very small pots. A good-sized 

 plant may be potted into a large six'y. Before potting, all the 

 large and oldest leaves are removed, but it is better not to cut 

 or pinch the shoots. The beauty of most of the beds is now quite- 

 over, and the plants are being removed and the ground prepared 

 for spring plants. Roses have flowered very well this autumn, 

 but the mildew has seriously checked their growth and dete- 

 riorated the quality of the flowers. On a south wall the single 

 white Macartney Eose is a conspicuous object, and very attrac- 

 tive to visitors. With us it has produced a succession of flowers 

 during the summer months, and the plant seems as if it would 

 produce them a month longer. — J. Douglas. 



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 those on Poultry and Bes 

 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. 



Books ( ).— " Loudon's Encjcloptediaof Gardening " explains the terms 



genus, &c, which you need. 

 Taop^oLrai (A. F. B.).—lt is Tropieolum tuberosum. 

 Cabbolic Acid (AT. A. B.). — Those -who report favourably of its use to 

 destroy weeds on walks are reliable authorities. It need not ba applied so 

 close to the edgings as to affect eilher the lawn grass or border flowers. 



Gkapes (Curiosity). — A Grape within a Grape, like an egg within an egc, 

 is a phenomenon unexplained. Ihe small berries are with seeds unfertilised. 

 Seeds or Coloured PanraosES.— A Castleton subscriber asks where 

 these seeds can be obtained. 



Reporting (J. M.). — Thanks for your commendation, bnt we cannot bo 

 our own trumpeters. 



Seed (Addlestone).— We cannot name a plant of which we are only shown 

 a seed. 



Potting- Roses (X X.).— The Eoses which wore forced last year ought to 

 have been potted a month ago, but they will do well if potted now. Lapa- 

 gerin rosea and L. alba do best planted out in a border of turfy peat. See 

 that the border is well drained. 



Raising Epiphtllu3i from Seeds (E. L. L.).— The seeds should be re- 

 moved from the pulp and be carefully dried by exposure to the sun. Sow 

 them in sandy loam, just covering them over with the finer particles. The 

 seeds may be sown at any time in the year, early spring being, peibaps,the 

 best time. The night temperature of the house ought not to be less than o5 . 



Half-span Vinery (Inquisitive).— lour wall being 9 feet high the vinery 

 may be of the same width, with a front wall 2 feet high, which will give 

 11 feet of rafter. The Vines should be 18inobes from the ends and 3 feet 

 apart, so that for six Vines a length of only IS feet will be reqnisite. Vines 

 and Peaches answer very well in the same house, bat they caun t be forced 

 together. A border the width of the house will suffice lor the Vines for a 

 few years; it will therefore be well to plant the Vines inside the house, 



