July 25, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



85 



and occupy the whole of it. Upright rods left 2 feet apart at the -winter pruning 

 do very well in general, or they may be farther apart if the plant is robust, 

 but the Vine is so accommodating that it may he trained in any way ; so that 

 if you can only secure healthy foliage, neither too gross nor too weak, you 

 may generally command success in favourable seasons, yet in those which are 

 adverse the most skilful can only partially do it out of doors. 



Ivy Boeder (Sweeney). — As you do not mention whether you want the 

 ■green or variegated form of Ivy, we conclude it is the former. Cuttings in- 

 serted now will make good plants by next spring if 'shaded after they are put 

 . in. The hardiness of the plant and its accommodating nature are such that 

 hut little preparation of the soil is necessary ; at all events do not enrich it 

 -too much, otherwise the growth will be too gross for the purpose. We should 

 recommend you to have one of the dwarf est varieties of trailing Ivy having 

 green leaves — not veined with white or grey, as the leafstalks of such are not 

 so long as in the Irish and other large Ivies. If you have not plants to fill 

 your ground at once you might crop it with annuals for a time, training the 

 Tvy over as it grows. In our own case we have large breadths of Ivy in 

 ■some half-dressed grounds under trees that look remarkably well, although 

 •they receive no attention beyond cutting with a scythe or hook such weeds as 

 may find their way through it during the summer, and such will he few. We 

 ■would not recommend an Ivy edging of less than 2 feet wide, as we think too 

 much cutting destroys the effect which this plant ought to have. When it 

 has been established some years and seems getting higher than is agreeable, 

 & severe cutting-down in April will be beneficial. 



Trimming- Box Trees (Idem). — Tastes differ in such matters, and we 

 prefer trimming with the knife, so as never to give that clipped appearance 

 of which, you complain. We have some very good pyramids, or rather cones, 

 which have taken their teens of years to arrive at their present condition ; these 

 we generally clip, or endeavour to clip, in moist weatherabout theend of June, 

 so as to allow time for a short growth to take place afterwards, in order to re- 

 move that rawness which close cutting inflicts. We never heard of any other 

 rule of cutting to accuracy than by the eye. A line may he used with a hedge, 

 hut experienced hands do without that, and in general gardeners exceed 

 mechanical men in operations where the rule and line are dispensed with ; 

 -for it is seldom we meet with a builder who can manage a curved wall, unless 

 it be a portion of a circle, while to the skilful working gardener slopes, levels, 

 •curves, &c, ore managed with tolerable exactness by the eye alone. 



Yew Hedges (Idem). — So long as your Yew hedge does not get beyond 

 the proper height you need not cut the top. We prefer the appearance of a 

 Tew hedge rising, as it were, into maturity ; but as it ultimately will have to 

 'be cut at top, it may he done at the same time as the sides. 



Poinsettias (Idem). — The sooner your plants cease growing and partly 

 Tipen their wood the better, as they ought to rest in a cool frame, or even 

 in the open air in August. 



Planting an Acre of Asparagus (SkecJs Morgan). — It is very difficult to 

 say what would be the cost of preparing and planting an acre of Asparagus, 

 and still more so to give an idea of the probable return, as competition in 

 market gardening is as close as in everything else, and Asparagus and all 

 other plants are now only grown on land perfectly suited to each respectively. 

 We therefore meet with a district perhaps entirely Strawberry, another 

 Broccoli, and so on ; and as the cost of transit to market from great distances has 

 "been lessened considerably of late, the farthest corners of the kingdom con- 

 tribute their share to the wants of the great metropolis. If the soil you 

 "have to deal with is not naturally suitable for Asparagus, you cannot make it 

 fit for that crop, excepting at a cost which renders profit very uncertain. As 

 ^a general rule Asparagus likes the rich alluvial soils found on the margins 

 of tidal rivers, such as appear to have been submerged at some period not 

 very remote. A deep sandy loam well enriched with manure suits Asparagus 

 "best, and if the ground is perfectly dry we would plant in rows 2 feet apart 

 "by 1 foot plant from plant in the row, and omit every fourth row. 



Bemovtng Vine Shoots (Nemo). — Your Vines planted last March, and 

 which had all the eyes rubbed off but two, from which there are now two 

 shoots, should each have the weakest of the shoots removed without delay. 

 There is nothing to fear on the score of bleeding, as Vines do not bleed when 

 they are in leaf and in free growth. The old rod may, of course, be cut away 

 3it the same time. 



Mushroom-bed Failing — Grapes Shanking (A Scoto-8axon).—Y7e do 

 not think the failure of the Mushroom-bed attributable to the cause you name 

 — viz., overheating by placing hot dung on the top of the bed, especially as 

 wou say the heat did not exceed 100° at the surface; the bed when soiled 

 iould not have been heated to a higher temperature than 90°, which will not 

 destroy the spawn. We think the failure was owing to sudden heating in 

 consequence of placing the hot dung on the bed, and the sudden cooling by 

 "the entire removal of the dung when at a strong heat. The materials of which 

 the bed is formed will not be good for mixing for a new bed, which should he 

 •fresh. 



Peach Buds Falling (Idem). — The Peach trees are in bad health, 

 *specially as they have all bloom-huds along the young shoots, with a wood- 

 T oud at the end only, so that you are unable to shorten them without their 

 -dying right back. We advise you to remove the soil from about the roots as 

 soon as the leaves have fallen, replace it with some strong turfy loam well 

 •enriched with old cow dung, and give a good mulching of fresh cow dung 

 ■during the growing period, also watering with liquid manure. Thin-out the 

 weak shoots, and we have no doubt you will secure stronger wood, the buds 

 Irom which will not fall if red spider he kept under, and the trees otherwise 

 'properly treated. 



Grapes Shanking (Idem). — We attribute the shanking to the roots of the 

 Vines being in a cold and wet border. See to the drainage. The sandstone 

 in the border is beneficial rather than otherwise; and we think if you were to 

 encourage more foliage tho shanking would be lessened if not entirely dis- 

 appear. (A Subscriber, Redruth). — Apply the same renovating practice 

 to your outside border as you have done to the inside, and you will not be 

 troubled with your fruit shanking. The new border of last year appears 

 to have been very successful. 



Shortening Vine Laterals (M. H. B. L.).— We should stop the laterals 

 now to the first leaf above their origin, or to that next the rod, first removing 

 those from the upper part of the cane, and following with the others gradu- 

 ally at intervals of three or four days, so that the removal of the laterals will 

 occupy about a fortnight. The Vines will break again from the laterals ; 

 stop these at the second leaf, and if they break again stop them to one. 

 When the leaves begin to turn yellow cut off the laterals close to the cane, 

 and when the leaves are off the Vines prune at once. 



Winter-flowering Stove and Greenhouse Plants (Idem). — Stove 



Plants: Poinsotfcia pulcherrima, Euphorbia jacquiniaaflora, Aphelancira 

 aurantiaca Roezlii, Eranthemum pulehellum, Burchellia capensis, Cleroden- 

 dron Balfouiii, Dalechampia Roezliana rosea, Franciseea calycina major, 

 Imantophylluiu miniatum, Monochretuni ensiferum, Mancttia tricolor, Passi- 

 flora princeps, Thyrsacauthus rutilans, and Torenia pulcherrima. Green- 

 house Plants : Acacia oleifolia elegans, A. armata, A. pulchella, A. platyptera, 

 Bouvardia floribunda, Coronilla glauca, Correas Brilliant, Magmfica, cardinalis, 

 Cyclamen persicum vars-, Cytisus racemosus, Ephiphyllum vars., Eutaxia 

 floribunda, Habrothamnus fascicularis, Luculia gratissirna, Magnolia furcata, 

 Erica hy emails, E. coloraus, E. gracilis autumualis, E. ruelauthera, and 

 E. Wilmorei superba; Epacris The Bride, miniata splendens, hyacinthi- 

 flora, Eclipse, and delieata. We presume that you have Camellias and 

 Primulas. It is now late to propagate them ; you may still do so, but 

 they will not be of use next winter. Begonias are fine subjects for winter 

 flowering in the stove; good sorts are fuchsioides, Ingrami, insignia, nitida, 

 hybrida multiflora, and manicata. The Salvias should be shifted into larger 

 pots, and their growth encouraged up to September. Plant out Salvia patens 

 in the open ground, and take up after the first frost. It will flower late in 

 summer. Solanums will fruit out of doors, hut should be placed under glass 

 before frost. 



Plants Infested with Bed Spider (B. S. S.).— The leaf you enclosed 

 is infested with red spider. Draw the leaves through a sponge wet with a 

 solution of 3 ozs. of soft soap to a gallon of water. This should be fre- 

 quently repeated ; also keep the plant nioister, and syringe freely, especially 

 in the evening. No Kose leaf reached us, but from what you say we have no 

 doubt the Rose is infested with red spider. We should lay tho pot on its side 

 and syringe the plant on the under side of tho leaves, turning it round, 

 so as to thoroughly wet every leaf, especially on the under side. The leaves 

 falling may be due to the attacks of this pest, also from want of water. 

 Your Eose may be the Bourbon Marguerite Bonnet, fleshy white, or 

 Noisette Margarita, yellow, or Hybrid Perpetual Marguerite de St. Amand, 

 shaded fleshy pink. We should shift it into a larger pot in September, set it 

 out of doors in the meantime, and keep it well supplied with water. Remove 

 it to a cold pit or house in November, keeping it rather dry, and in January 

 prune and place in the greenhouse, removing the surface soil, and top-dress- 

 ing with rich fresh compost. 



Peas Mildewed (J. T. S.). — It is a very bad case of mildew — which we 

 think would be overcome if you were to water well with a solution of I lb. 

 guano, and half a pound salt to twenty gallons of water, not immediately on 

 the roots of the Peas, but in a trench or drill on each side of the row at 

 9 inches or a foot from the stems. Fill the drill with the liquid, giving a good 

 soaking. We would further advise you to thoroughly trench the ground, so 

 as to deopen the rooting medium, adding manure liberally, and before sowing 

 apply a dressing of salt and guano, one part salt to two parts of guano. A 

 peck will be sufficient for a row 60 yards long, sprinkling to the width of a 

 foot where the row is to be, and then drill for the Peas in the usual way. 

 Instead of 4 feet we should have the rows 6 feet apart — in fact we have some 

 rows that are fully 6 feet from each other. 



Melons not Setting (Idem). — The Melons not setting we should attribute 

 to the free growth of the plants, which we should check by not watering as 

 long as they are not distressed ; and keep the vines thin so that the leaves and 

 embryo fruit and flowers may be exposed fully to light and air. Stop at a 

 joint beyond the fruit, giving a liberal watering just before the flowers open, 

 but so as not to wet the surface of bed more than can be helped. We think 

 they would set freely if you could line the bed so "as to maintain a good bottom 

 heat when the plants were in bloom, and if you were to impregnate the female 

 flowers, leaving a little air on at night, so as to have the flowers dry, for con- 

 densed moisture is apt to settle during the night in dung frames. You 

 labour under a disadvantage in employing new seed. We like that two or 

 three years old. The plants do not go so much to leaf, and as a consequence 

 are more free-bearing. 



Roses (K. M. B.). — Your Roses are attacked with mildew ; dust them when 

 the dew is on, or when they are otherwise damp, with flowers of sulphur, not 

 ground sulphur. (B. B. ).— The same reply is suitable to your case. (J. G. S.). 

 If you procure your Roses in pots you may plant them in your greenhouse at 

 any time ; if out of pots, plant them in November. You will find Gloire de 

 Dijon and Marechal Niel well suited to plant against a house from November 

 till March. \F. J. and Nantwich). — We answer these two queries together, as 

 both the Rose leaves and shoots sent were similarly affected with orange 

 fungus and black mildew. In the case of "T. J." we have little doubt the 

 disease is due to the soil being too porous. Nothing has a greater tendency 

 to induce the disease than too great dryness at the roots ; and though this 

 moist season ought to have been almost sufficient to check the disease, yet in 

 light soil deeply trenched the evaporation is so rapid, that two or three days' 

 hot dry weather, with a scorching sun, would he quite sufheient.to establish 

 the seeds of the disease; and as it seems to spread by a kind of mycelium or 

 fungus Bpawn, if once it begins it is difficult to check it. The leaves sent 

 from "Nantwich" seem to have suffered from the action of smoke, or some 

 chemical works as well. In both cases we Bhould try to counteract the evil 

 by a mulching of good manure, and by dusting the leaves with sulphozone, 

 or syringing with water having 1 oz. of sulphate of iron dissolved to each 

 two gallons of water. Nothing seems to have the power of checking the 

 spread of the spores of all kind of fungi more than sulphur; but sulphur 

 does not seem to act unless it is in combination with oxygen, or in some 

 soluble form. Watering with liquid manure, or the slops of the house, will 

 help to check evaporation in the case of porous soil like that of "F. J." We 

 should advise h im to try Roses on their own roots, as being less liable to the 

 disease. We do not recommend bim to try constant watering little at a time. 

 It is far better in any kind of ground to give a good soaking, and wait to 

 repeat it till the ground is dry again. 



Pot Roses to Bloom in May (Humble Subscriber).— Much depends on 

 the size of your plants. If they are good established plants in large pots, we 

 should not repot them till just before starting them in the spring. If the 

 plants are small, and in pots less than 8 inches in diameter, we should repot 

 at once, and plunge them in a border in the kitchen garden with a south 

 aspect, so as to get fresh growth now and ripen the growth before the winter, 

 so as to enable you to cut out all weak wood, and to cut back the strong 

 growth made this autumn for spring blooming. H not potted till the spring 

 the shift must not be large, and it is better to pot early and start forcing 

 slowly at first ; it does not do to hurry the growth of Roses through too much 

 heat, it only leads to thin petals and weak blooms. Give plenty of an- and 

 light, and do not be afraid of the watering-pot and liquid manure. 



Bouquets (An Amatew).—8ee what "D., Deal,'" says to-day on the subject 

 of bouquets at page 73. 



