November 8 t 1877. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



373 



follow. The only plan is to grow the young plants to a good 

 size, shifting them on so that they may not be root-bound. We 

 like the soil to be in tiie bed long enough to be well warmed, 

 and the plants are put out without disturbing the roots. It is 

 also an advantage to have the surface of the bed mulched with 

 decayed stable manure ; the spent dung from a Mushroom bed 

 is as good as anything. Before planting them out we had the 

 woodwork and glass thoroughly well washed. It is not possible 

 to have too much light for Cucumbers. Insect pests must be 

 kept from the leaves. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



In this department plants are now pretty well at a standstill, 

 at least hardwooded subjects, such as Ixoras, Dipladenias, Alla- 

 mandas, that are intended for summer flowering. It is not to 

 be supposed that such plants flower only in the summer, as by 

 a little management they may be had all the year round. With 

 a dozen plants of Ixora of different sizes and species we have 

 had trusses of bloom in every month of the year. It is merely 

 a matter of heat and watering. At present we have three or 

 four species of Ixora in flower, including I. javanica, Coleii, 

 and Williamsii ; also Dipladenia amabilis and AUamanda Schottii. 

 Should such plants be required to flower in June aud July 

 the temperature of the house should be now kept about 60 g at 

 night as a minimum with a rather dry atmosphere, and the 

 plants to have water at the roots if they are likely to suffer. 

 From the beginning to the end of January the plants Bhould be 

 pruned and be started in a temperature of 65" or 70°, and this 

 should be increased as the Beason advances to 70° or even 75° at 

 night. All plants that are showing flower or growing should 

 be as near the glass as possible. Flowers are not only higher 

 coloured but they last longer if they are allowed to open in 

 juxtaposition to the glass, and the young growths formed olose 

 to it are the most satisfactory. 



Orchids in all the nouses are enjoying a season of rest. At 

 this time of the year there is much danger of unduly exciting 

 them into growth. Those requiring an East India temperature, 

 such as the different species of Aerides, Saccolabiums, Vandas, 

 and Phalamopses, do best when the sphagnum is kept in a 

 growing condition on the surface of the pots ; and as the time 

 has now come when water must be withheld to a certain extent, 

 the moss is apt to die. Our plan is just to give sufficient water 

 on the surface to keep the sphagnum alive, takirjg care that the 

 water does not go deep into the compost. Cattleyas, Lcelias, 

 &c, at this season may go for two or three weeks at a time 

 without water if they are in pots ; when ou blocks they require 

 water almost daily. Dendrobium nobile for summer flowering 

 has been placed -in a greenhouse temperature. Other species 

 from warmer climates are also at rest, the East Indian species 

 in a temperature of about 55°. The cool house has also been 

 reduced in temperature; it is now about 45° to 50° at night. 

 Here Masdevallias, Odontoglossums of an alpine character, and 

 the Mexican Oncidiums, such as O. macranthum, flourish in 

 the moist cool atmosphere, and they seem about right when the 

 leaves are fringed with dewdrops glancing in the morning light. 

 Now is the time to eradicate all insect pests. It is dangerous 

 to fumigate for the destruction of green fly and tbrips ; but if 

 the houses are lightly fumigated for three nights in succession, 

 supplementary to washing the leaves with soapy water, these 

 pests will be disposed of. Wash all plants infested with scale 

 and mealy bug. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



E. G. Henderson & Son, Pine-Apple Nursery, Maida Vale, 

 Edgware Road, London, W. — Catalogue of Fruits and Roses, 

 Shrubs and Hardy Climbers. 



Bichard Bradley, Halam, Southwell, Notts.— Catalogue of 

 English-grown Gamellias s Rhododendrons, Forest and Fruit 

 Trees, &c. 



J. J. Van Loghem, Haarlem, Holland.— Wholesale Price List 

 of Dutch Flower Roots, 



Andre" Leroy, a Angers (Maine et Loire), France.— Catalogues 

 of Fruit Trees t Seeds, Bulbs, and Plants. 



Hogg & Robertson, 22, Mary Street, Dublin.— Catalogue of 

 Fruit and Forest Trees, Conifers, Evergreens, Roses, &c. 



Eugene Verdier fils aine, 37, Rue CliBson, Gare d'lvry, Paris. 

 — Descriptive List of New Roses. 



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 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. 

 Poor People's Gaedening (A. L. J9.).— It you will prepare a little 

 pamphlet and have it printed we will publish it. 



Bulbs (R. W. N. F.).— Our " Greenhouse for the Many," price 9d., contains 

 full directions for then? culture. 



Orchard House {J. C. Q.). — You can have Mr. Pearson's book on " The 

 Orchard House" if you enclose twenty postage stamps with your address. 

 The sized house yon mention would be small. Dwarf-trained trees require 

 much attention, and, of course, bear less fruit than larger trees. 



Treatment of Stove and Greenhouse Plants {Amateur).— The treat - 

 moot of most of the plants you name have been given in previous numbers 

 of the Journal. Fuchsias would not be safe in a cold frame during the 

 winter, but the tuberous-rooted Begonias would if the pots were plunged. 

 Lilium auratum would do well plunged in a sheltered place oat of doors. 

 But you want so much information that it would be best to obtain the 

 manuals published at this office on the subjects. 



Treatment of Roses in Pots (A. W. H.). — They ought to be pruned 

 aecordiog to the time they are wanted to flower. If you want them to flower 

 early you must prune early. If they are to flower late, say in the early part 

 of June, prune about the end cf February. It is not wise to prune them im- 

 mediately they are potted, better to wait a week or two until fresh roots are 

 formed. You may dig RoseB up from the open ground now and pot them. 

 Water the pots iu winter just sufficient to prevent the soil becoming duaty 

 dry, and when the plants commence growing in the spring gradually increase 

 the quantity. Roses out of doors may also be moved any time this month. 



Bottom Heat for Cucumbers (R.).— "We fancy the water doeB not cir- 

 culate very freely in the pipes, else the flags would be sufficiently warmed to 

 beat the compost. Our beds, in whish the plants bear freely all the year 

 round, have a foundation of brickbats over two 8-inch pipes. They give us 

 a bottom heat of about 85°. 



Hyacinths in Glasses— Roses Failing (R. N.).— Two or three lumps of 

 charcoal keep the water pure in the glasses. A fourth part of decayed cow 

 manure should be added to the soil for Hyacinths in pots. Roses on their 

 own roots or budded on the seedling Briar would do better than standards in 

 your soil. You should get the most robust varieties of Hybrid Perpetuals. 

 The best time to prune Rhododendrons is in March, but they will not do well 

 if you cut them back to the old wood. 



Planting Vines (Civil Servant).— We have sometimes found that old 

 Vines do not transplant well, and iQ many cases it is better to plant young 

 ones. Your Vine may not be very old, and you may be able to lift it with a 

 large portion of fibrouB roots attached; in that caBe you might try it again. 

 Transplant it at once. For a house like yours plant only Black Hamburgh ; 

 but if you want a white, Foster's White Seedling is the best. We have not 

 tried the heating apparatus of which yoa enclose a drawing, but rather like 

 its appearance. It ia dangerous practice to have the fire inside the house. 

 The cheapest way for you would be to build a flue through the house, carry- 

 ing it along the front and round the back. 



Hartley's Patent Glass for Greenhouse (Subscriber). — We would 

 prefer the clear glass for some districts ; .but as you have proof that plants 

 can be grown well UDder the patent glass, and a3 shading may be dispensed 

 with, why not try it ? 



Treatment of the Seedling Briar (Scy bor).— Sow the heps either in. 

 autumn or spring iu light friable Boil ; it need not be very rich. Some of 

 the seeds will vegetate the following summer, and some the next seaBon. 

 The plants will be small the first year — you may grasp two hundred of them 

 in one hand. If these are planted out in November they may be budded the 

 following autumn close to the ground. As you have been unfortunate you 

 might purchase a few hundreds ; they are sold at Is. 6d. per hundred. 



Solanum Capsicastrum Berries Poisonous (Subscriber). — Although 

 perhaps not positively deleterious, we should yet be inclined to regard them 

 with suspicion. Dr. Hogg in his "Vegetable Kingdom," page 551, states— 

 '•The fruit of S. peeudo-capBicum has been supposed to be deleterious, but 

 M. Dunal eavs they ore not so, for a dog which swallowed thirty of them, cut 

 in pieces, sustained no injury." This is a near ally of the S. Capsicastrum, 

 and whether the berries are poisonous or not, their taste is such as not to 

 recommend their use. Be cautious. 



Pruning Shrubs (M. 8. Bowen). — Now is the time to cut down old Laurels 

 arid shrubs of a kindred nature. You may cut Laurels and Holly down to 

 the ground, and they will throw-up young growth next season as plentifully 

 and vigorously as an Ash or Chestnut. Laurustinas if healthy bears pruning 

 well, and is improved by it. Your old Roses may be pruned now or upon 

 any suitable weather during winter. Your Cyclamen is C. hedersfolium, a 

 native of Europe, growing abundantly near the shores of the Mediterranean. 

 It is perfectly hardy, and the tuber under favourable circumstances is some- 

 times a foot in diameter, the leaves being then much larger than those yoa 

 sent us. 



Cutting off Large Limbs from Old Trees (South Devon).— It is 

 never advisable to cut off large branches unless they become broken and are 

 likely to decay. The best treatment for your Elm, which has Buffered so 

 severely in the late Btorm, is to cut all the stumps clean off close in to the 

 Btem, and to give the wound an immediate dressing of hot grafting mastio, 

 taking due precaution to have it thoroughly covered so as to exclude air, and 

 thus afford the best possible chance for the wound to heal. No harm is likely 

 to arise from branches broken asunder at some distance from the bole, all 

 such being likely to put forth new growth next season, and you may safely 

 consult your own taste as to retaining them. The beBt mastic for the purpose 

 consists of 1 lb. of Burgundy pitch, 4 ozs. of black pitch, 2 ozs. of yellow wax, 

 2ozb. of rosin, 2 drachms of mutton suet, all thrown together in an iron pot 

 melted over a fire and applied hot with an ordinary paint brush. 



Maidenhair Fern (W. H.).— The old fronds should be cut off as they fade, 

 but we prefer leaviDg them on for a time to shelter the young growth when 

 the plants are exposed to the strong light of a plant house. In a Bhaded 

 fernery such shelter is, of course, unnecessary. The Fern you send is Pteris 

 serrulata. 



Yew Hedge (Tyro). — As you trenched the ground and enriched it when 

 jou planted the hedge two years ago, it can hardly require a surface- dressing 

 yet. A mulching of manure would, however, serve to attract the roots into 

 the bett soil near the surface, and check excessive evaporation of moisture in 

 summer, and bo prevent injury from drought. Plant nothing within a couple 



