October IS, 1877. ] 



JODBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GiBDENEB. 



313 



that -were put ont in August, the plants are now of large size 

 and free froni weeds. 



Striwberry plants in pots are not unfrequently neglected at 

 this season. If the roots become dnsty-dry the plant does not 

 show signs of distress, but it is a great mistake to allow the soil 

 in the pot to get in this state. It is quite necessary to pay as 

 careful attention to watering at this period of the year as duriDg 

 the summer. The soil has now become quite filled with roots 

 and the ball of earth is very hard, and if from over-dryness the 

 soil cracks away from the sides of the pots it is not eaBy to 

 make it thoroughly wet again. If the plants are left out of 

 doors until the end of this month and a wet period sets in, the 

 best plan is to lay the pots on their sides to prevent the soil 

 from becoming too much saturated. Laying them down also 

 exposes the under sides of the leaves to the wet, which will 

 destroy any red spider that may be on them. 



CUCUMBER AND MELON HOUSES. 



We have placed out the Cucumber plants, which will begin to 

 bear nest month, and continue to do so freely for the nest twelve 

 months if they are attended to and are not allowed to hear too 

 heavily at any one time. We still grow Tender-and-True for 

 winter, and have besides planted two sorts received from Mr. 

 Kelway of Langport, Somerset. Mr. Kelway has succeeded in 

 raising a strain of Cucumbers, evidently of the Blue Gown and 

 Tender-and-True type ; they are not only well adapted for exhi- 

 bition, but are also good winter croppers. We explained our 

 method of culture in the number for September 20th. It has 

 been a very good season for the last few weeks for ripenirjg 

 Melons, and we have tasted green and scarlet-fleBhed sorts of 

 excellent quality. It has not been difficult to keep up the 

 required temperature at night, and the sun haB had a powerful 

 influence by day. Fruit in a growing state or ripening must be 

 treated to a temperature of C5° at night, and but little moisture 

 is required from evaporation. Allow air by night as well as by 

 day when the fruit is approaching the ripening Btage. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



These structures ought now to be kept very clean, and the 

 flowers should be carefully preserved as long as possible, as they 

 are very scarce at this season out of doors. Fading leaves are 

 removed from Azaleas and many other greenhouse plaDts as 

 they become tinged by decay. The house looks untidy if these 

 are not removed; and further, as they may contain red spider 

 and thrips they are better burned, or the insects may Bpread to 

 other plants and cause very much more trouble afterwards. 

 Zonal Pelargoniums are very useful plants at this time, but they 

 have an untidy appearance if the decaying flowers in the centre 

 of the trusses are not removed as soon aa they are perceived. 



The Chrysanthemums have been removed under glass, as we 

 were afraid of the frosty nights injuring the blossoms which were 

 showing colour; indeed, some of the early-flowering varieties, 

 such as James Salter, have flowers very nearly expanded. As a 

 preventive of mildew we throw a cloud of sulphur from the sul- 

 phurator, forcing it up amongst the branches, so that the largest 

 portion of it adheres to the under sides of the leaves. Thrips 

 and green fly also attack the young leaves and work into the 

 petals of the flowers, causing much damage. These may both 

 be destroyed by fumigating with tobacco smoke. The flower 

 buds of Pompons may be tied into their proper position, and 

 they should not be tied down too closely, as nothing looks more 

 unnatural than to see the clusters of flowers jumbled together, 

 while a well-trained specimen with the flowers evenly arranged 

 and in their natural position — facing upwards, is a most beautiful 

 object. No sticks are required for Pcmpons, but to grow the 

 large-flowered varieties well it is necessary to have a stick for 

 each flower, and when they are well grown and trained they 

 make a fine show during the greater portion of November and 

 December. It is well also to take note of the earliest and latest- 

 flowering sorts. Mrs. G. Bundle, for instance, is sometimes in 

 fall beauty by the second week in November, and Lady Slade, 

 Her Majesty, and other sorts of the same type will not be in 

 flower until the last week in the same month. This very much 

 prolongs the bloom. It is the same with the Japanese sorts ; the 

 earliest, James Salter, opens its flowers a month or six weeks 

 before the latest, which with us is a noble golden yellow sort — 

 Grandiflora. 



Cinerarias and Calceolarias must now be attended to. The 

 plants should be quite close to the glass, and they must also be 

 protected from froet and damp. Their worst insect enemy is 

 green fly, which Eeenis to grow at a most rapid rate on the Cal- 

 ceolaria. Whether this is found on the leaves or not, the house 

 should be fumigated with tobacco smoke to prevent its appear- 

 ance altogether. Neither of these plants do well in a honse 

 where the atmosphere is very dry ; they like a moist atmosphere, 

 but it must not be so damp as to hang upon the leaves to cause 

 mould on them.. 



FLORIST FLOWERS. 



The work of the florist (the man who goes in for florist flowers 

 thoroughly), ia never done, and as the season wanes into autumn, 

 and autumn gives place to the dull dark days of winter, there 

 is sufficient to occupy all his spare time. Any time this month 



the Carnations and Picotees may be potted and the Pinks 

 planted out. Ours were done three weeks ago. It was neces- 

 sary to pot the Carnations and Picotees to check their growth, 

 else we do not care to pot them before the Becond week of this 

 month. If they are potted too early the small pots become too 

 full of roots before it is time to repot them in the spriDg. We 

 would rather pot a second time later in the month to consoli- 

 date the growth. Green fly continues to increase upon Auriculas, 

 but we either fumigate or dust the leaves with tobacco powder. 

 The larger outer leaves decay as the season advances, and we 

 have them removed to prevent them from injuring the main 

 Etems. 



The recent frosts have severely punished the Dahlias, and it 

 is as well to dig them up on a fine day and to dry the tuberous 

 roots in the sun, placing the stem downwards. This is neces- 

 sary to drain out the water which frequently gathers in the 

 hollow stem. The roots should be stored in a dry place and 

 where no frost can reach them.— J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



J. C. Wheeler & Sons, Kingsholm Nursery, Gloucester. — 

 Autumn Catalogue of Fruit Trees, Evergreens, and Bases. 



William Knight, Floral Nurseries, Hailsham, Sussex. — Cata- 

 logue of Fruit Trees, Evergreens, Hoses, &c. 



Soupert et Notting, Luxembourg. — General Catalogue of 

 Hoses. 



Joseph Schwartz, 13, Eae du Repos, Lyons, France.— Cata- 

 logue of Roses. 



J. B. A. Deleuil, an Haut de Rue Paradis, Marseilles, France. 

 — Special List of Amaryllises, Tuberous Begonias, Yuccas, i&c. 



Bawlings Brothers, Old Church, Romford, Essex. — Catalogue 

 of Dahlias. 



Thomas S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. — Autumn 

 Catalogue of Hardy Florists' Flowers and Roses. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*»* All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Pablisher." 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 Bee 

 subjects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion ahould 

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

 reply to questions through the post. 



Books (J. Sampson). — The title is " The Natural Principles of Landscape 

 Gardening, or the Adornment of Land for Perpetual Beauty. By J. F. 

 Johnson." Write to the publisher, C. Aitchison, 12, Castle Place, Belfast. 



Seedling Gebaniuais ( W. Swamonl — Your eoedliDg Geraniums are not 

 superior to others already in cultivation, and therefore would not be saleable 

 as new varieties. 



Potato Disease.— "W. G." will oblige several corresrond'ents if he will 

 detail how and when he applied lime andgas lime so as to prevent the disease 

 occurring. 



Leaves Spotting*(-4'i Old Reader). — Caused by defective root-action. 

 The soil is not suitable probably, or water is applied injudiciously. "We 

 cannot name Ferns that have no spores on the specimens. 



Tines Mildewed (R. B. R.). — If you remove the Vines to another house 

 the mildew will be continued there unless it is previously extirpated by 

 thorough dressings of sulphur. 



Newcastle Show (Hilton). — You must write to the exhibitors for the 

 information. 



Ccccmber (J. B. A.).— Write to any of the principal seedsmen and tell 

 them what you read. They will not willingly disappoint you. 



Boxes (T. J. Harrison). — Write to Mr. Lovel, Weaverthorpe. 



Preserving Leaves {A Devonian). — Place them between Bheets of 

 blotting paper under a gentle pressure, and when quite dry stitch them on 

 sheets of stout paper in a book of which each alternate leaf has been removed. 

 Your bad specimens were not even numbered. 



Violets [R. J. S.). — We cannot without his permission publish the direc- 

 tion of " G. E. M." 



Lamp-heating. — " H. C." asks for the experience and results of someone 

 in heating by lamps. 



Bcddlea gloeosa (E. Y.). — It is a shrnb, and usually grows to the height 

 of 10 or 12 feet. It is a native of Chili. We have grown it luxuriantly on a 

 chaUty soil, and also on a gravelly soil. 



Scale (S.). — You will do well to destroy the Cotoneaster. Spirit of turpen- 

 tine brushed over the branches would kill the insects. 



Stove (H. RT.). — We cannot recommend any, never having used one- 

 Write to the makers and ask for the Dams of someone who has tried their 

 stove?. 



Bon Chretien Pear tCroy don). — It was introduced long before the last 

 century. Rea in his " Pomona," published in 1689, includes the Summer 

 and Winter Bon Chretien without any intimation'that they were recent in- 

 troductions. Dr. Hogg in the last edition of the " Fruit Manual," states 

 that various opinions have been expressed as to the origin of the Dame of 



