408 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARD3NER. 



[ November 22, 1877. 



Much may be done to prevent decay by heating the hot-water 

 pipes and opening the ventilators at the right time. The pipes 

 ought not to be heated when the house is closed, except it be to 

 keep out frost. The heat ought to be applied after the venti- 

 lators are opened in the morning and be turned off about mid- 

 day, which will allow of their cooling before the house is shut 

 up in the afternoon. Vines in pots which have been started to 

 produce Grapes in April and May should not be pushed on too 

 rapidly until we have passed the shortest day. "When the leaves 

 are fully developed and the roots have started to grow the 

 temperature at night may be maintained at 65°. 



OECHAED HOUSE. 



The trees in pots are now plunged oat of doors, where they 

 will remain until early in January. The pots at present are 

 merely pluoged to the rim, but should frosty weathtr set in -we 

 Bball either cover the surface of them with dry litter, or, which 

 is equally good, some fresh cocoa-nut fibre refuse. Before 

 this appears in print we shall probably have potted the usual 

 number of "maiden" trees — that is, trees one year from the 

 bud or graft, to grow on into specimens to replace any that show 

 signs of exhaustion or which have gro^n unsightly. To grow 

 fruit trees well in pots it is necessary to compress the potiiog 

 material into very small compass, and it must on that account 

 if on no other be of good quality. Good turfy maiden loam, four 

 parts to one part of decayed manure, is as good as anything. A 

 young tree as above may be potted into a 10 or 11-inch pot, 

 according to the extent of the roots. It is sometimes difficult 

 to get the roots of the largest trees into 11-iuch pots. Drain the 

 pots well and use precaution!) to prevent the soil from mixing 

 with the drainage. 



PLANT STOVE. 



Soma of the most useful decorative plants for the stove at this 

 season of the year are those with high-coloured foliage. If we 

 are want in r in white, yellow, and crimson-coloured flowers, there 

 is no lack of those tints in the foliage. One of the finest, if not 

 the very finest, of stove plants with white variegation is Pan- 

 danua Veitchii ; it is a most free-growing plant, and can now be 

 obtained at a very cheap rate. It should be in every collection. 

 Then we have Dracfeaa terminalis alba, a plant destined to be- 

 come very popular; D. reginaa has broader foliage, and the 

 leaves are very striking on well-grown plants. The finest 

 yellows are to be obtained in Crotons, and when well grown 

 nothing surpasses C. angustifolium ; its gracefully arching foli- 

 age waves like golden streamers in the twilight, but to do it well 

 the plant must be daily syringed with tepid water and stand 

 close to the glass fully exposed to the noonday sun. C. "Weis- 

 manii has the best golden foliage of any of them, and it has no 

 tendency to change green, even when shaded. C. undulatum in 

 its way is very striking, the foliage being dashed with crimBon 

 and dull purple. If crimson and purple in foliage is desired 

 we grow Dracaenas, and still the best are D. terminalis and 

 D. Cooperi ; the foliage is similar in colour, but that of D. Cooperi 

 is recurved while the other variety is erect. There are many 

 other foliage plants extremely useful for striking effect, and the 

 plan's show off best over a groundwork of graceful Perns. And 

 what pleasing reminiscences of summer weather and sunny 

 climes such an arrangement does produce in the dull days of 

 November and December ! Ferns that are most useful for 

 cutting should be used, such as Adiantum cuneatum and A. for- 

 mosnm. This last-named species is one of the best for cutting. 

 The fronds when mature last longer than any other Maidenhair. 

 We have used more loam in potting Adiantums than formerly ; 

 indeed, we were not successful with A. Farleyense until it was 

 potted in turfy yellow loam with a lit-Je decayed manure. The 

 pretty A. gracillimum succeeds well with the same treatment. 

 There are many Adiantums adapted for mixing with high- 

 coloured foliage plants as well as other species of Ferns, but the 

 four species named will be found as striking in character as any 

 other four that could be named, and none are more usefnl. All 

 such plants require a season of rest, and it is well not to excite 

 them any more than may be necessary to keep those requiring 

 the most heat in good health. Some of the more hardy Adian- 

 tums will live in a greenhouse temperature even in winter, but 

 they will not thrive, the fronds of A. cuneatum becoming of a 

 sickly yellowish green colour. The fronds last longest when cut 

 if the plants are placed near the glass and in a temperature of 

 about 55° in winter. Those fronds only should be cut on which 

 the spores are nearly ripe, or as long as they remain green after 

 that stage). 



PLOBIST FLOWEKS. 



Auriculas do not seem to take kindly to rest as yet, the high 

 temperature at night and higher by day exciteB to unseasonable 

 growth. The plants now require very little water— just enough 

 to keep them from shrivelling. To insure neatneBS the decayed 

 leaveB are removed as soon as they are perceived, and no green 

 mould or weeds should be allowed on the surface of the soil. 

 Green fly may be brushed off with a fine camel-hair brush. 



Our stock of Carnations and Picotees have now been potted 

 and placed in frames. "We admit plenty of air, and remove the 

 lights altogether when the weather is fine. Pinks and Pansies 



in beds require to have the soil stirred about them occasionally, 

 and if the plants are thrown out by the frost to be again made 

 firm by pressing the plants in geatly by the hand. 



Tulips were planted out last week. "We prepare the ground 

 by trenching and placing some good manure at the bottom of 

 the trench, and another layer about 6 inches below the bulbs. 

 On the surface there is a sufficient depth of turfy loam in which 

 to plant the roots; these are placed about 3 inches below the 

 surface of the ground. The operation ought to be performed 

 when the ground is dry. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



T. S. "Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. — Illustrated 

 Catalogue of Hardy Perennials, and A. B.C. Bulb Guide. 



R. Disn, Ranelagh Road, Ealing. — Catalogue of Hardy Her- 

 baceous and Aljoine Plants, and Potatoes. 



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. 



Tree Blown Down (F. J.). — Unless your neighbour acted so as to cause 



the tree to fall upon your outhouse and fruit trees you have no remedy, any 



more than a man has who is wounded by a tile falling npon him from a roof. 



Abbor VniE (E. E. M.).—It is not injurious to;health when growing near 



to a dwelling. 



Apple (E. B.).— The Irish Peach and Trumpington are totally different in 

 appearance, quality, and season of ripening. 



Marechal NrEL Rose not Flowering (Amateur). — As your plant grows 

 freely we cannot account for it not n >wering; hat we were in the same case 

 once and were told that there were two varieties. That was when it was first 

 sent out. We immediately discarded the variety that did not succeed, and 

 had a fresh lot budded on the Briar. The new plants have flowered freely 

 every year since. This Rose flowers well under glass, whether it grows freely 

 or not. 



Culture of Yallota PURPUREA in Winter (A. Boyle). — This Epecies 

 is evergreeo, and the roots must not be quite dry, even in winter; water 

 occasionally to prevent the soil becoming dusty dry. 



Vine to Replace Golden Champion {A. B. C). — The best for your 

 purpose is Foster's White Seedling. Duke of Buccleuch spots in the same 

 way as Golden Champion. UnlecB they have special treatment they are both 

 very uncertain. 



Seedling Briars and Rose Culture ( ). — Probably seedl i ng Briars 



are dearer this year, but we bought them from the gentleman yon name a 

 year or two ago at Is. 6d. per hundred; indeed, they were at that time adver- 

 tised in this Journal at that price. We never " tongued " the stems of old 

 Roses jast under ground, but cutting notches would probably cause roots to 

 form near' the surface. It might be done now. Cocoa-nut fibre refuse would 

 be a poor mulching for Roses. It has very few manurial properties. 



Transplanting Roses Budded last July (Idem). — It may be done, but 

 it is not usual to do bo, as they flower much better and grow stronger if they 

 are allowed to remain on the ground where they were budded. If it is neces- 

 sary to remove them it should be done at once. 



Growing Tomatoes in Lean-to House (J. E.). — There is no reason 

 why they should not grow and bear well in such a house, but your sketch 

 shows the pots stauding on the flue. This would subject the roots to too 

 much dry heat. It would be necessary to place a stage or inverted pot to 

 raise the bottom of the pots about 6 inches above the flue. 



Pruning Roses {R. G. M.).— Prune the Roses in the vinery as soon as 

 growth has ceaBed. We should train them thinly, and should only shorten 

 them to the extent of removing the immature tips of the shoots, as your 

 object is to cover the wall quicsly. NoisetteB and Teas usually flower the 

 more freely when not closely pruned. The RoBes outdoors should not be 

 pruned until they commence growing in the spring, cutting them then much 

 more severely than those under glass. The Ayrshire Roses, such a^ Bennett's 

 Seedling (Thoresbyana) and Dundee Rambler; the evergreen Roses such 

 as Felicite Perpetue and Flora, also the Boursault Rose Amadia would 

 cover your north wall quickly. Gloire de Dijon and the vigorous-growing 

 Hybrid Perpetuats would also flourish admirably provided the soil is good. 

 We cannot answer your last question. 



Roses for Light Soil (E. T. H.). — Dwarf Roses on the Manetti stock 

 are more likely to succeed in your garden than standard Roses on Briars. 

 Roses on their own roots would alao, we think, thrive in your soil. We cannot 

 answer your other question. 



Redigging Old Pasture (A. G. 8.). — Chop-up the buried turf and mis 

 it with the upper surface soil. 

 Name of Fruit (.4 Reader). — Catshead. 



Names of Plants (M. Fisher). — They cannot be identified from such 

 fiowerless specimens. ( W. M.). — We cannot name florists' varieties. No. 3 is 

 Sericographis Ghieabreghtiana. (A. T., Esherl. — The specimens were not 

 numbered. We do not know Canova'B Laurel by that name. (Inquirer). — It 

 is a Salvia, we think S. Heerii, but the specimen was much withered. (A 

 Reader). — You are right as to the genera of plants. No. 2 is a Geum, 

 3 a Pulmonaria, and 4 a Saxifrage, but we cannot name the species with- 

 out better Bpecimens. 



