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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ August 8, 1S72. 



of the faded flowers. This check to free growth greatly assists 

 free flowering, hy giving more light and air to the stems and 

 the points of the plants. In a month or so we shall nip out 

 the terminal bud of the shoots, as then there will be as many 

 small flower-stems as will have a chance to open and perfect 

 themselves in the autumn. 



"We find we shall be unsuccessful in again obtaining fine 

 wreaths and edgings of blue Lobelias. The four-footed in- 

 truders make the stout plants less and less e-very night, and 

 the blue wreath is out of the question. We fear, notwith- 

 standing our love of the Lobelia and the ease with which 

 it can be managed, we must fall back on the dwarf Ageratums, 

 but then they have not the neat habit of the Lobelia. — R. F. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until nest 

 week. 



Roses Mildewed (L. J. C). — Tour Rose has been attacked with, orange 

 fungus by the smear on the paper. Black blight or fungus occurs out of 

 doors only, as it is never, I believe, seen under glass. It is probably favoured 

 by atmospheric changes. Stir the ground round the plants. I keep the hoe 

 going among my Roses, it promotes root action and health. Sponge your 

 mildewed leaves "with vinegar, it is a complete cure. Sponge your orange- 

 fungus leaves vrith a solution of blue vitriol. Dissolve 2 ozs. in hot water, 

 andadd two or three gallons of water. The Roses were never finer here than 

 they have been. I have but little fungus of any kind. — W. F. Badclyffe. 



Rose Leaves (A. C). — The leaves of yourMarechal Niel Rose are scorched. 

 Tou ought to shade the house during this hot season. Inequalities in the 

 thickness of the glass or even a speck in it will form a lens which condenses 

 the rays of light on particular spots, and causes such scorching of the leaves 

 as your plant has suffered. 



Cucumbers (J. W., Longton). — The insect is the mealy hug. Syringe 

 them with a solution of Gishurst compound, 2 ozs. to the gallon of water. 



Weeds on Gravel "Walks (C. W.). — A solution of arsenic is used for 

 destroying moss and weeds. It is used sometimes to destroy worms in lawns. 



E xtttr tttvk Roses (Truefoyle). — "We think that supporting the trusses 

 with small stakes was no infringement of the ordinance, " Trusses to be 

 shown with the leaves and buds as cut from the tree ; any addition, even of a 

 leaf, will disqualify." 



Sugar in Vegetables (Tento). — We think that no physician could have 

 intended his dictum prohibiting the eating of "any vegetable containing 

 sugar," to be taken literally — for scarcely a vegetable that is edible is free 

 from sugn as a constituent. Wheat, Potatoes, Beans, Peas, Onions, Mush- 

 rooirje &c : contain sugar of some kind. The physician intended, we think, 

 that fruits and roots in which sugar predominates ought to he avoided. 

 Thomson's 'Chemistry of Organic bodies — Vegetables ; ' contains the most 

 analyses; Johnston's "Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry 1 ' also contains 

 many. 



Boiler. Makers at Birmingham [Inquirer). — The names of all who 

 exhibited are in the catalogue of the exhibition. 



Sutton's Early Racehorse Potato {Rustic). — This, we believe, is the 

 earliest Potato. It has a somewhat curled foliage with stalks of a yellow 

 tinge. On some soils it blooms freely, while on others a bloom is never seen. 



Grapes Shbiyelllng (A. A.). — Tou must expect the Grapes to shrivel now, 

 in a vinery from which the first bunch was cut on the 17th of May. Ex- 

 cessive dryness in a vinery border is not desirable. We give the roots a 

 thorough "soaking with water when the Grapes begin to colour, the border 

 seldom requires any more until all the Grapes are cut. When they are re- 

 quired to hang, say two months after they are ripe, and if the weather be 

 excessively hot and. dry, we would give a good watering should the Grapes 

 show signs of shrivelling. What you read in the " Vine Manual " no doubt 

 had reference to keeping Grapes at a dull period of the year. In winter you 

 cannot keep the atmosphere too dry; no water whatever ought to be spilt 

 about. In the middle of summer it is often necessary to sprinkle the border 

 and paths once a-day ; the forenoon is the best time. (Lib.). — In your case, 

 as the Grapes are scarcely ripe, we believe the cause will be found in over- 

 dryness at the roots. Inside borders require a very large supply of water. 

 In such seasons as this, the outside would not require any artificial watering. 

 Should the inside border be over-dry, which you can ascertain by examining 

 it to the depth of a foot, we would water it at once. 



Seedling Tricolor Geraniums (Lambourn).— The colours of the leaves 

 and the delicate pink flowers are all excellent, and a good combination for a 

 light bedder. If the habit of the plant is dwarf it will be an acquisition. 



Grub on Cherry and Other Leaves (J. Mackenzie). — Your " villainous 

 verrnin'' are slimy grubs, the larvae of a sawfTy, Selandria gethiops. Dusting 

 with slaked quicklime destroys the grubs. 



Variegated Primrose (C. B., Godalming). — It is not easy to judge of 

 the value of a variegated-foliaged plant from seeing one leaf, and as that was 

 quite dried-up the difficulty was increased. No doubt a Primrose with finely 

 variegated foliage would be highly ornamental. 



Lasiandra macrantha (J. B. C). — The excrescences are not uncommon 

 in Melastomaceae. They appear to be a hypertrophy either of the hairs or 

 cuticular cells. They are accompanied by an obscure sporotrichum, hut 

 whether caused by it or not we are unable to say. 



Work about Ferns (X. Y. Z.). — There is a large folio edition of Moore's 

 " Nature-Printed Ferns," as well as that in Svo., and you could not' have a 

 better book for reference. 



Carnations — Picotees — Pinks (Trethowel). — The distinctive characteris- 

 tics have long been settled. If you enclose five postage stamps with your 

 direction, and order " Florists 7 Flowers," the book will be sent to you by post. 

 It contains the characteristics and details too long for. us to reprint unless 

 absolutely necessary. 



White Frontignan Grapes Cracking (A. E. D.). — This Grape does not 

 crack in the way you describe it. We fancy you have the Chasselas Musque, 

 a variety of which the berries are very liable to crack. The remedy is to 



allow the Vines to carry a good crop of fruit, and let the roots be rather dry 

 when the fruit is ripening. Should some of the berries still crack, cut a 

 notch in the branch below the bunch. This will check the flow of sap to the 

 hemes, and in all probability prevent it. 



alpine Garden (If. B.). — We expect an article on this from one of our 

 correspondents, and will give it in an early number. 



Sulphozone (G. Walpole). — It has not been advertised, and we conclude, 

 therefore, that it has not been prepared for sale. 



Planting a Watercress Bed (C. M. A.). — As the name implies, water is 

 essential for the success of this favourite article of food, and if you have a 

 stream you may arrange any extent of ground into broad, shallow ditches if 

 the land is perfectly level — say ditches of 12 feet wide, with 4rfeet paths 

 between. The weeds having been all removed and the bottom made smooth, 

 and with but a slight fall to one end, the water may be turned in from the 

 highest point, and the plants put in. Usually cuttings or slips are planted 

 with a dibber, or they may be laid in their places and held there by a stone or 

 any such contrivance. The planting may he done at any time when there is 

 water, and to make the plants more accessible a low rail may be fixed only a 

 few inches above the water-line, on which a plank maybe used to gather them 

 when wanted. This is better than a fixed plank, the latter taking-up so much 

 room. A similar contrivance in planting may be adopted on a smaller scale, if 

 onlya few Watercresses are wanted forprivateuse. Although we prefer r unning 

 water to that which is stagnant, very good Watercress is often met with. 

 in the latter. We are not sure that the presence of impurities in the water is 

 any injury to vegetables that grow above it, but clear spring water is best. 

 Be careful to remove all weeds— as Brooklime, Sedge, and the like, and we 

 have no doubt you will be successful. 



Oolitic Limestone Sand's Effects on Tulips, &c. (A Subscriber). — 

 We have not had much experience with sand of this kind, but we should have 

 no hesitation in using sand from the roads formed of oolitic limestone, as 

 the mellowing and fertilising influence of the air and; rains, as well as horse 

 droppings, render road sand a favourite material. As you say the sand yon 

 speak of is fatal to American plants, we hardly know whether to recommend. 

 it for the Ranunculus. Our impression, however, is, that sand from the roads 

 may be used in most cases with advantage, hut that from a pit or quarry 

 ought to be used with caution, not only on account of the danger of its con- 

 taining deleterious substances, but also from its not having been sufficiently 

 exposed to the action of air and water. In the absence of further information, 

 we only advise road sand to be used. 



Clematis Jackmanni Diseased (A Subscriber), — We should not hy any 

 means recommend cutting the plants down at this advanced season, for the 

 Hop-growers have found out long ago that it is imprudent to submit their 

 capricious plant to that operation, and there is a great resemblance in the 

 growth of the two. If the disease arises from insects, destroy them by the 

 means so often recommended in these pages. As it is late now to expect a 

 useful young healthy growth, we would prefer leaving whatever top there is on 

 the plant, for it is astonishing of what service a few diseased leaves and half- 

 withered stems are in enabling the Hop plant to store-up food for next year's. 

 growth, and the same, we think, will be the case with the Clematis. If, how- 

 ever, the plants are in a position where their unsightly appearance is ob- 

 jectionable, you might pot them, taking care to retain all that has life in the 

 top, and let that remain till it ripen and die-off in autnxmn. 



Cropping Between Pyramid Fruit Tp.ees (H. L.). — Tour trees being 

 10 feet apart and recently planted, some useful crop may be taken off the 

 ground ; and if it be suitable for Strawberries, we would recommend that crop 

 in preference to any other, as we have an impression that the roots of fruit 

 trees ought to be as little disturbed as possible by cultivation after they are 

 once planted. The crop (where there is any) the present year justifies our 

 remarks. Orchards on grass being the most fruitful, we should hardly recom- 

 mend Gooseberries, as by the time they arrived at a good hearing size they 

 would injure the lower branches of your pyramids. Some of our best 

 managers of orchards never dig their established plantations, but simply hoe 

 the weeds, and apply dung of any kind they can get over the surface in 

 winter, or at any other time, they justly considering that continued digging; 

 prevents the roots occupying the surface soil, wnich it is needless to say is 

 always the best. As Strawberries can be removed with the hoe when no 

 longer wanted, we do not think you can have a more suitable crop to occupy 

 the space you now complain of as being unprofitable and expensive. 



Flowers to Succeed Crocuses (G. S.). — Either double Daisies or Hearts- 

 ease will answer your purpose of replacing the Crocus, but they should be 

 planted, not in the same row, but at least 6 inches from the Crocuses. 



Heating from a Drawtng-room Fire (Florentine). — Tour only chance 

 of heating the conservatory from a boiler at the back of the drawing-room 

 fireplace will depend on the relative height of the two places, as hot water 

 cannot easily be made to go down below the boiler. One of the common 

 boilers used for fireplaces would do. If open at the top, the water cannot be 

 taken higher. With a close top, and supplied from a more elevated cistern, yon 

 can take pipes as high above the boiler as you like, but you cannot well 

 descend below it. These circumstances must be attended to, as you have 

 already the ranges of piping in the house. Heating from a drawing-room 

 fireplace will involve the necessity of a fire being kept in a cold night. This 

 could be done by having two metal plates, one in front and one over the fire- 

 place, sc as to keep most of the heat close to the boiler at night. If it had. 

 been a kitchen and low enough, we should have said, Heat so by all means. It 

 is rather different with a drawing-room, and we rather think the levels of the 

 two places will not suit, though of that we have no information. On the 

 whole we should, if at all practicable, have a small furnace and saddle boiler 

 outside of the house. 



American Blight (J. B. S. H.). — We know of no preventive, but we find, 

 brushing the trees in winter with paraffin oil a complete cure. Let the 

 bristles of the brush reach well into the crevices of the bark. As the insect 

 descends to the roots in winter, the thick parts of these should be laid bare 

 and dressed with the oil, covering up again after the operation. 



Site for Fernery (A. S. A.). — The site is very suitable for a fernery. 

 The front you may form of the windows you have by yon, and as they face 

 the north they will not need shading. The roof should be a span, unless yon 

 can raise the back wall so as to give the required incline to the glass, which 

 should have a foot fall to every 3 feet of width. The roof should be all glass, 

 and we would have the woodwork prepared for rough plate — the most suitable 

 glass for your purpose. The best mode of heating is by hot water, and we 

 should have the pipes concealed as much as possible ; best under the floor or 

 pathway, with an iron grating over them. This will also serve as a path. One 

 or two lights in the roof, made to open, will be sufficient ventilation. 



