September 12, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



217 



foliage, so as to encourage free root action. Do not resort to excessive 

 removals of the laterals, but stop or remove them at short intervals. 



Cutting- Wall Ivy (W. B.). — If your Ivy has not been cut for six years, 

 it should be cut-in closely from the middle to the end of next April. It is 

 now too late to cut Ivy, but you may remove any irregularities, deferring the 

 close-cutting with the shears until April. 



Dressing and Ridging Heavy; Soil {Idem). — Ashes, lime riddlingsi 

 sand, leaf soil, or anything not so rough as to cause trouble in the working 

 of the ground, may be advantageously applied, and wo should add the manure 

 you propose applying, ridging up roughly for the winter. The first dry 

 weather in February or March we should give a dressing of lime, and then 

 turn the ground over with a fork, breaking the clods up well. 



Plants for Back Wall of Conservatory (Gf. H.).— We presume you 

 have a border, and in that case we advise you to have Habrothamnus fasci- 

 culatus or elegans, both line winter-flowering plants. Lapageria rosea will 

 also suit if not too much shaded, and so will Tacsonia Van-Volxemi. Luculia 

 gratissima is also good, and autumn and winter-flowering, but it is of slow 

 growth. We recommend the first named. 



Clianthtts Dampieri Sickly (C. W.).— The plants are probably suffering 

 from cold and damp. Remove them at once to the greenhouse, giving them 

 alight airy position, and not watering more than is sufficient to keep the 

 soil moist. Pot them in a compost of light turfy loam two parts, and one 

 part sandy peat, with a sixth part each of silver sand, and charcoal in lumps 

 between the size of peas and hazel nuts. .In their early stages a temperature 

 of 45 ,:) to 50° is most suitable, and in summer one of from 6U° to 75°. Harden 

 them off when well established, and remove them to the greenhouse. 



Peat for Bedding Plants (F. I). — The peat of which you sent a 

 sample is to all appearances good, and may be mixed with the soil for bedding 

 — one part to two of good loam, but it is only as an addition to loam of a 

 heavy nature that we should advise its adoption as an ingredient of the com- 

 post for bedding plants. Two parts loam and one part leaf soil are prefer- 

 able, adding sand liberally. 



Several Geraniums in a Pot (E. M. J.). — You mayplace several plants in 

 a pot as you propose, and such kinds as Bijou and Flower of the Spring will 

 do as well in that way as other kinds. It is not, however, nearly so good a 

 plan as potting each separately. It is desirable to remove the old leaves when 

 potting, as they only damp or wither on the plants if lefb. Cut away any 

 old, long, and weal: shoots, but leave the young and stubby ones. We do 

 not advise pruning to any great extent at the time of potting, especially as 

 you do not appear to be in a position to encourage fresh growth by placing 

 the plants in a house with gentle heat. After potting, the plants should be 

 placed under glass, or in a position where they can be protected from heavy 

 rains ; and though the shelter you think of giving them under the trees would 

 be all that would be required to save them froni frost until the end of Octo- 

 ber, we fear the soil would become very wet, especially if the autumn be 

 rainy. We should choose a watni open situation, set the pots on coal ashes, 

 and protect them from heavy rain or frost by mats or other coverings. Place 

 the plants under glass as soon as possible after potting. 



Vine Leaves Browned (Leyton).— The leaf you sent showed evidence of 

 the attacks of red spider, but there was none on it. Your only remedy will be 

 to coat the pipes whilst hot with flowers of sulphur brought to the con- 

 sistency of paint with a solution of 8 ozs. of soft soap to a gallon of water. 

 The shrivelling of the Grapes probably arises from shanking, to which the 

 Frontignan varieties are subject. We know of no remedy except securing a 

 well-drained border, and encouraging more foliage on the Vines. It would 

 benefit the Vine to cut the Grapes for making wine. 



Heating a Chambered Border (C.).— You should have the soil over the 

 crown of the arches in the border from 20' to 24 inches in depth. Even then 

 the flow and return pipe in the arches will disappoint you, unless you either 

 cover the surface of the border with litter, or, better still, place sashes over 

 the border. We think much maybe done with chambered borders, heated 

 from beneath, but only when the heat is kept there. The angle of 45° is 

 very good for early forcing, but we consider a curvilinear roof better still, 

 as the light falls at so many more angles. 



Heating a Glazed Verandah (M. L. Griffitlis). — For such a small place 

 (11 feet, by 4 feet, by 9 feet), we should have a strong jet of gas connected 

 with a 1-inch pipe all round, so that you could have the heat without the 

 fumes. A more economical mode would be to take the gas into the small 

 narrow house, and burn it in a small iron stove, but with a half-inch pipe at 

 the top to carry off the products of combustion. We know something of 

 coal gas to our sorrow, and some people are unwise enough to have it in 

 plant houses to give light at night, but in every case the results are ruinous 

 where means are not adopted to insure the burned gas having a free outlet. 



Removing Roses (Alpha).— Cut round their roots at once about a foot 

 from each stem ; and you may remove them in the last week of this or first 

 week of next month. 



Training Vines (An Old Subscriber). —In your small house, 14 feet wide, 

 you have room for five rods, trained up 2 feet 9 inches apart, and 1 loot 

 6 inches from each end, which is as close as they should be to each other. 

 We do not see in what way you can train any more rods, so as to expose the 

 leaves to the light. It is a mistake to crowd the roof with leaves, and it is 

 immaterial whether you train up the rods under or between the rafters. 



Stopping Shoots of Wall Roses (Peak of Derby). — You are right in 

 stopping the strongest shoots of Gloire de Dijon to encourage side blooms, 

 provided you do not cut much away. If the long shoots are trained-in to the 

 wall they will flower eventually at the ends ; but you will hasten the time of 

 blooming if you pinch out the ends of the long shoots, though the Rose will 

 not cover the wall so quickly. 



Iron Supporters for Roses (R. M.).—If iron arches and iron supports 

 for standard Roses are not painted they are apt to injure Roses by rust where 

 they are tied. Iron rust, however, will not produce the spot on the leaf, and 

 your Roses are most probably suffering from black mildew or orange fungus, 

 which is very likely caused by poverty of soil. 



Birmingham Boilers (E. & Co.).— Only the upright tuhulars have hitherto 

 been described. The horizontal tubular, and Beard's centrifugal will appear 

 in our next number. If you send woodcut it will be inserted. (Other In- 

 quirers).— The notice of the boilers at the Birmingham Show will be con- 

 tinued in our next number. Our reporter is not classifying them into those 

 entered for competition and those merely sent as exhibits, but has divided 

 them into upright tubulars, of which there were three — Weeks's duplex, 

 Harlow's, and Clarke's ; horizontal tubulars, of which there were also three— 

 Messenger's, Dennis's, and Truss's; Deard's centrifugal, and modifications of ' 



t he saddle, which include the tank and conical boilers, five varieties of which 

 were entered for competition. Thewhole number of competitors was — Harlow, 

 upright tubular; Dennis, horizontal tubular; Deard, centrifugal pipe; Mee, 

 double saddle; Cannell, circulator; Lumby, Excelsior; Hartley & Sugden, 

 saddle with exteided water way; Green, saddle boiler with shelves. Our 

 next notice will include the horizontal tubulars and Deard's centrifugal ; the 

 last notice the saddle and its modifications, both those competing and those 

 only exhibited. Any boiler-makers exhibiting who wish to send descriptions. 

 and illustrations are at liberty to do so. 



Melon with Scarlet and Green- fleshed Fruit (C. M. McC). — We 

 have not seen nor heard of scarlet and green-fleshed Melons being produced 

 on the same plant. It is a curious occurrence. 



Eradicating Nettles (L. E. S.). — These being surf ace-rooting, or having 

 their crowns and creeping stems near the surface, the best plan is to take 

 them up, dig the ground, and after letting it dry for a short time beat the 

 soil from the tufts, fork over the ground, and remove every part of the Nettles. 

 Any which may survive the operation should he forked up as soon as they are 

 perceived, and in this way you will soon clear the ground. Salt will destroy* 

 them, but it requires to be laid on in such quantity as to destroy everything 

 in addition to the Nettles. For the disease in the sheep, consult a vetermary 

 surgeon. 



Cereus grandiflorus not Flowering (M. A. ill.).— We think your plant 

 has not gained sufficient strength for flowering. We advise you to plant it- 

 out in a border 18 inches wide and 2 feet deep, composed of half fibrous loam, 

 one-fourth old lime rubbish, and one-fourth broken bricks and charcoal welfl 

 mixed. The border should be well drained. The plant may be planted out 

 now, and should be kept dry until March, when it will begin to grow. It 

 should have plenty of moisture until growth ceases, then gradually withhold 

 water up to the end of September, after which keep it quite dry till March, 

 The plant should be trained on a strong iron trellis fixed against a wall. If 

 the wall has a south exposure, and the plant is not much shaded by climbers 

 on the roof, it should flower. It requires to be grown in the stove. 



Geranium Leaves Caterpillar-eaten (Walsall). — The leaves have been 

 eaten by a caterpillar, probably the bright green one so common this season. 

 We do not know of a better remedy than examining the plants well, especially 

 the under sides of the leaves, and destroying them. This is a tedious but 

 sure mode. You may also destroy them by sprinkling the plants overhead 

 through a rose watering pot with water to which an ounce of white hellebore 

 powder has been added to every gallon. The " Cottage Gardeners' Diction- 

 ary " will suit you. It may be had from our office for 6s. 6rf., or free by post 

 for 7s. 2d. / 



Pears for a South Wall (A Subscriber).— Jargonelle, Beurre d'Amanlis, 

 Gansel's Bergamot, Marie Louise, Van Mons Leon le Clerc, General Todtleben T 

 Forelle, Glou Mor^eau, Josephine de Malines, Winter Nelis, Bergamotte Es- 

 peren, and Ne plus Meuris. 



Plums for an East Wall (Idem).— Belgian Purple, Transparent Gage,, 

 and Coe's Golden Drop — these are for dessert. If you want culinary sorts, 

 Prince Englebert, Prince of Wales, and Victoria. 



Destroying Slugs (M. A.).— We find no dressing so effectual as h'me- 

 We dust the ground all over, as well as the plants, every three or four days if 

 the weather is wet, or if dry once a-week, and usually two or three dressings 

 are sufficient to save most crops ; but should the depredations continue, per- 

 severe in the lime-dustings, stirring the ground with a hoe previous to apply- 

 ing them. The lime should be quick, but reduced to a powder, as it will be 

 after a few days' exposure in a shed. As your ground is so much infested 

 with slugs we should now apply a dressing of lime at the rate of two hundrecl 

 bushels per acre, placing it in small heaps, and directly it has fallen spread 

 it evenly over the surface and then dig it in. This will in most cases prove 

 effectual, but we should apply a dressing of nitrate of soda before putting in. 

 the crops, at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre, or 2 lbs. per rod, the ground having 

 previously been dug over with a fork. 



Pancratium illyricum not Growing (Idem). — This and P. maritimum 

 only require a cool greenhouse, and will thrive well in a cold pit, or they may 

 be planted in a warm situation out of doors, and be protected in severe 

 weather. The plant may probably have lost its centre, but as it is rooting 

 freely we think it will soon start into growth. Winter both in a cold frame 

 or pit, plunging the pots in coal ashes, and protect in severe weather with 

 mats. Water sparingly in winter, but when the plants are growing freely 

 water abundantly. They will flower after they have gained sufficient strength. 

 Ismene calathinum not Flowering (Idem). — We should attribute this 

 to the plant not having had a season of rest. Plant it out next April in rich, 

 deep, sandy soil in front of a greenhouse, water it freely in dry weather, and 

 in autumn take it up, and keep it dry duiing the winter. The bulbs are 

 best potted in sandy soil. Ihey should be kept safe from frost, and dry. 

 Fig ( G. S.). — We do not recognise the name of the specimen. 

 Insects (F. C. B.). — Your caterpillar is that of the common Puss Moth. 

 (Cerura Vinulat. It feeds upon various plants, and changes to a large white 

 moth, beautifully marked with dark zigzag lines. — I. O. W. 



Names of Plants (Alpha). — 3, Lavandula Staschas (?) Specimens insuf- 

 ficient to name. (J.B.). — 1, FunMa subcordata ; 2, Apparently someEucomis. 

 (J. R.). — 1, Calluna vulgaris flore-pleno ; 2, Erica multiflora albiflora; 3, Cal- 

 luna vulgaris albiflora; 4, Erica earnea; 5, Rhododendron hirsutuni; 6, Le- 

 dum palustre ; 7, Leiophyllum buxifolium ; 9, Rhododendron ferrugineum. 

 (A. £.). — Parnassia palustris. (Old Subscriber). — 1, Cleome speciosissima or 

 C. spinosa; 2, Arabis albida variegata ; 3, A fasciated stem of some Sedtnu., 

 probably S. refiexum. (Kittie). — Saponaria officinalis fl. pi. 



POULTKY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEOIHOLE. 



POULTBY EXPEEIENCB PURCHASED. 

 It is a long time since you received my last letter, for I have- 

 been waiting till I could make your readers all envious by de- 

 scribing how blushing honours had crowded thick and fast upon 



me ; but , well, I won't say a word about honours this time, 



for I want to know what has given two or three of my fowls 

 diseased liver. I have just opened a fowl that has for the last 

 week or two walked lame. Guessing it was afflicted with the 

 disease that had before proved so fatal in my little poultry-yard, 



