December 6, 1S77. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



441 



has been flowering since the commencement of November as 

 freely as it usually does in March, and presents quite a gay 

 appearance. Limnanthes Douglasii is in full flower, also Mig- 

 nonette is flowering as freely as in July, but it is not quite so 

 highly scented as during the summer. 



■ Among cut flowers few are more valuable than the 



Cape Jasmines (Gardenias), one of the most useful of which 

 is G. florida. The best way of producing the finest flowers in 

 the greatest number is by having the plants planted out in a 

 well-heated pit. In this way thousands of flowers are cut by 

 Mr. Denning at Norbiton, Mr. Jones at Windsor, and others 

 who have great demands for white flowers of the first quality. 

 In growing Gardenias brisk heat and copious supplies of water 

 are of greater importance than soil. We have seon the plants 

 luxuriating in turfy loam, in pure peat, and in a compost in 

 which leaf soil preponderated. A mixture of the three kinds 

 of soil named, with top-dressing of manure, will grow the 

 plants well provided the first essential — watBr — is applied 

 regularly and freely to roots and foliage. Given this and a 

 sufficiently high temperature, luxuriant foliage and splendid 

 flowers will be produced, and no mealy bug, that inveterate 

 pest of gardeners and Gardenias, will be seen on the plants. 



We extract the following glowing account of Kentia 



hacrocarpa from the Irish Farmers' Gazette. — This new and 

 very rare Palm (the specimen in the Glasnevin collection and 

 one or two more being, perhaps, its only representatives in 

 cultivation), is one of the noblest and most striking of the 

 pinnate-leaved section of the family. The dark olive- green of 

 the Btem and fronds is very peculiar, and still more so the fiery 

 tints of the undeveloped frond, which gives it the aspect of a 

 great jet of flame rushing up from the centre of the stem. 

 JuBt at the present moment the Glasnevin plant is in the con- 

 dition to show this remarkable feature to perfection. 



Large consignments of foreign Grapes have been 



recently received by the London^fruiterers. Almierian Grapes 

 have been selling at 8d. per lb., and Black Hambuvghs at lOd. 

 The white Almierian Grapes are as large as Black Alioantes. 

 and are greenish white in colour. Their flesh is crackling, 

 and their juice refreshing. The Black Hamburghs have been 

 thinned and the berries are of good size. These Grapes are 

 packed in corkdust, which is coarser than sawdust, light and 

 dry. When the bunches are removed from the boxes the cork- 

 dust falls from amongst the berries, soaroely a particle ad- 

 hering to them, and the bloom is only very slightly rubbed. 

 Corkdust is evidently a capital packing material for Grapes. 



We have received from the Hon. and Rev. J. T. 



Boscawen a fine flower of Lapageria bosea whioh was gathered 

 out of doors on the morning of the 3rd inst. from a plant 

 25 feet high ; this is the more noteworthy since Mr. Boscawen 

 informs us that 8° of froBt were registered the same morning 

 in his garden at Lnuinrran. 



Mr. D. F. McKenzie, forester, Murthley Castle, writing 



in the " Journal of Forestry " on the timber tbees op the 

 future, predicts that Abies Dauglaaii will sooner or later take 

 the place of our Larch, and Abies Menziesii that of our other 

 Pines. The timber of A. Douglasii is as durable as Larch 

 when in contact with the soil as a fence or other post or stob, 

 it being in most cases equally full of resin. It is also much 

 prettier for decorative work and house carpentry. Roofs on 

 the Gothic principle, such as the famous roof over Westminster 

 Hall, London, if done with the wood of the Douglas Fir, could 

 not for beauty be excelled even by the best Oak, as it has 

 naturally a rich mellow colour when of large dimensions. It 

 also lacks the bad qualities of the Larch, as it does not twist 

 or warp, and is not, so far as has yet been ascertained, liable 

 to any disease in this country, while it produaes nearly double 

 the bulk of timber in a given time. Abies MenzieBii is also a 

 rapid-growing timber tree of large dimensions, and its fibre is 

 more elastic and tenacious than Fir or Norway Spruce. 



■ Some one inquires how far north the English Walnut 



will mature its fruit. Mr. Robert Coit has this tree in his 

 garden at New London, Conn., which bears and ripens nuts 

 every year. This year the crop is larger than ever. The 

 tree is at least twenty-five years old, and has been in bearing 

 some eight years. It is sheltered on the north and west by 

 buildings ; but in the garden adjoining is another English 

 Walnut tree exposed in all directions. It is an old tree, and 

 has ripened crops of nuts more or less sparsely for twenty 

 years. The latitude of New London is 47° 21' north. 



Peofessor Elbeidge Gale of the State Agricultural 



College, Manhattan, Kan., has written as follows on Tbees: — 



Nothing else can bind families to their homes like trees. We 

 watch their growth from day to day. They are linked in 

 memory often with the bright and sweet things of the past. 

 We learn to love them and to love their history. The ordinary 

 products of the farm soon ripen and are gone, but here Nature 

 Blowly unfolds her purposes, requiring patient waiting and 

 constant care for many years : hence men learn to love these 

 trees. They give a peculiar charm in the eyes of the owner to 

 the picture of the home. The farm crops, as a rule, hold the 

 family only from spring to fall, and the owners of stock may 

 roam, like their herds, from hill to hill or from county to- 

 county ; but he who plants trees finds himself by the strongest 

 possible ties — both of interest and affection — bound to the soil. 



NOTES on VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The leaves have fallen from the OaK and Beech trees, which 

 generally retain them the longest. We never remember their 

 being cleared so quiokly before. The aspect is dreary, and re- 

 minds us that winter is close at hand ; but the weather con- 

 tinues very open, which is an advantage to all who have alter- 

 ations in progress. Planting and groundwork generally should 

 be prosecuted with all possible dispatch, for at any time now 

 the ground may be covered with snow, or froBt may set in so 

 severe as to prevent further operations being conduoted. Clear 

 the fallen leaves from lawns and lightly dig the borders between 

 shrubs, burying all stray leaves to prevent them being blown 

 about all the winter and to give a freshness and tidiness to the 

 garden. 



Seakale and Rhubarb may now be lifted from the open ground 

 and placed in heat for an early supply, or the roots may remain 

 in the ground and be covered with pots or boxes, with a sufficient 

 thickness of leaves placed over them to generate a moderate 

 heat, and both Kale and Rhubarb will be ready for use in a few 

 weeks. If the method of lifting the roots is preferred a Mush- 

 room house is an excellent place for forcing them, but any place 

 is suitable for the purpose where there is a genial warmth. 

 Care must be taken to exclude all light from Seakale, otherwise- 

 it will be of a purplish hue and useless for table. Endive also 

 blanches well in a Mushroom house, and a few plants lifted as 

 required and placed in the house will in a short time become 

 beautifully white. 



Should dull weather continue or frosty nights set in, a little 

 fire heat to exclude both damp and froBt will be absolutely 

 necessary both in the greenhouse and conservatory. As there 

 are not many flowers to be had out of doors now it becomes all 

 the more necessary to cherish those which can be had within. 

 Chrysanthemums, with the exception of a few of the late-bloom- 

 ing Japanese varieties, will be soon past their best; as they go 

 out of flower cut down the old Btems and place the pots close 

 together in a cool house or frame, to oause sturdy cuttings to 

 spring up from the baBe of the plants. The Chrysanthemums 

 may be succeeded by Camellias, Acacias, autumn-flowering 

 Heaths, such as Ericas hyomalis and gracilis, Cytisuses, Coro- 

 nillas, Eupatoriums, Bouvardias, Primulas, and early Cinerarias j 

 while with the help of a small Btove or forcing pit a constant 

 supply of Azaleas — A. amcena and the large single White are 

 especially adapted for forcing early — Deutziae, Dielytras, Lilacs^ 

 Spiraaa (A6tilbe) japonica, Richardias, Rhododendrons, Dulbs, 

 &c, can be readily furnished. A night temperature ranging 

 from 50° to 55° and 60° will be found to briDg these along more 

 satisfactorily than a much stronger heat. Camellias coming 

 into flower will, if well rooted, be benefited by occasional appli- 

 cations of weak liquid manure. The complaints we frequently 

 hear of CamelliaB shedding their flower buds chiefly arise from 

 improper watering ; the plants are often permitted to become 

 too dry and injury follows. Occasionally the dropping of the 

 buds occurs from the opposite extreme — stagnant soil ; but if the 

 drainage is good they are likely to 6uffer more from insufficiency 

 of water than from over-abuDdance. The leaves should be 

 sponged and kept clean and glossy. 



Bedding plants must be examined periodically and have all 

 the decayed leaves removed, or they may cause the plants to 

 damp off. All watering of these and other greenhouse plants 

 should be done at this season early in the morning ; by that 

 practice there is the better chance of the surplus moisture drying, 

 up before night. Calceolarias which are intended for specimens 

 must not be allowed to become pot-bound, but must have larger 

 pots before the roots become matted. Well-drained pots and 

 rich but light sandy soil are necessary to promote luxuriance. 

 These plants and Cinerarias may be kept in cold frames if 

 well protected ; for although they will flourish in a very low 

 temperature they are very susceptible to injury by frost, espe- 

 cially the Cinerarias. 



Schizostylis coccinea is a valuable plant for indoor decoration 

 at this dull season of the year; its abundant supply of rich 

 scarlet Gladiolus-like blossoms is exceedingly attractive. Plants 

 may be increased by dividing the roots in spriDg, planting them 

 in the open ground, and potting them again in the autumn 



