256 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 26, 1872. 



Twxnty Choice Hardy Herbaceous Plants <F. J.). — As you do not 



mention the height nor the time at -which you want the plants to flower, we 

 presume you would like both early and late-flowering, dwarf as well as tall 

 species. As the number is so limited we must exclude many of unquestion- 

 able beauty and utility. Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose), Hepaticas, Myo- 

 sotis dissitiuora (Forget-me-not), Viola cornuta, and Alyssum saxatile are 

 dwarf and early-flowering. They may be followed by taller plants, as Dielytra 

 spectabilis, Campanula glomerata purpurea, Pinks, double white Bocket, and 

 Spinea japonica if the situation is favourable. Spiraea Filipendula plena, 

 Statice latifolia, Delphinium formosum, a double white Pyrethrum, a good 

 variety of Pentstemon gentianoides, Nepeta violacea, which will grow almost 

 anywhere, Sedum Fabaria, also an excellent plant for a dry place, one or two 

 Phloxes, say one good white and one deep rose colour, and Aconitum virgini- 

 cum. The last-named is quite 4 feet high. We have named just twenty 

 plants, and yet none of the Primroses, Sweet Williams, Aubrietias, Iberis, 

 Gentianella, Oenothera, Veronica, Saxifraga, or Prunellas are included, 

 although several members of each of these genera are highly ornamental. 

 Verbena venosa flowers as well as an herbaceous plant, and nothing is more 

 lovely than the common white Lily, Double Catchfly, scarlet Lychnis, An- 

 tirrhinums, Silene Schafta, Saponaria ocymoides, several kinds of Iris and 

 Dianthus, as well as a host of Saxifrages. 



Geraniums (<?. £?.). — Write to Mr. Jackson and tell him, if you do not hear 

 from him satisfactorily, you will not only sue him in the County Court, but 

 write to the inspector of police. It will be fair to give him such a notice, as 

 there may have been a miscarriage of the parcel. 



Grapes with Brown Spots (R. R. E.). — The Muscat hemes you enclosed 

 were very slightly rusted, caused, probably, by sudden exposure to a cold 

 current of air. From the variable size of the berries we suspect that either 

 the hunches are not sufficiently thinned, or that mulching over the roots 

 would be of benefit. 



Seedling Verbena (IF. D. E.). — The blooms were withered. Send a 

 plant to the Floral Committee of the Boyal Horticultural Society, South 

 Kensington. The Committee meets next Wednesday. 



Behewtng a Vine Border (A, Z.). — We renewed a Vine border a few 

 years ago in exactly the same way as you intend to do yours. We first got 

 the following compost ready. To three cartloads of turfy loam added 1 cwt. of 

 crushed bones, one bushel of charcoal, and six barrowloads of mortar rubbish. 

 This was well mixed together by turning it over twice. The inside border 

 was the same width as that outside. The Vines planted inside, and the front 

 wall on arches. Our first effort was to dig a trench 3 feet wide at the furthest 

 extremity of the border ; we dug quite to the bottom, cutting away all roots. 

 We then with forks cleared away all the old compost, working from the trench 

 to the front wall of vinery, and saving all the roots we could. We then saw 

 that the drainage was all right, as no Vines will succeed with stagnant water 

 underneath the border. The compost was then wheeled in, but all the roots 

 were kept near the surface. We did this in September with a full crop of 

 fruit and leaves on the Vine, and the Vines were not in the least injured. 

 Our inside Vine border was much wider than yours, but we think you may do 

 it now without injuring the Vines. 



Inarching Vines (G. C). — The proper time to inarch Vines is in snmmer 

 when they are in full growth. Place the growing shoots close together, cut a 

 slice of each to about half their diameter and about 4 inches in length, place 

 the cut edges together, and see that the two edges fit at least on one side, tie 

 them tightly together with a strip of matting. You must also fasten the 

 shoots together, both above and below the union; these ties are necessary to 

 hold them in their places. When it is necessary to undo the fastening 

 which holds the union, as it will soon be too tight and cut the bark, a fresh 

 fastening must be put on, but tied more loosely. The connection will be 

 complete in about six or seven weeks, but do not remove the fastening until 

 the end of the season. You may leave 7 feet of cane on your young Vine 

 in ground vinery, and let it carry three or four bunches only during the first 

 year. 



Potting Bedding Calceolarias and Ageratums (Amateur). — Both 

 may be potted before frost, and will winter quite safely in a greenhouse ; give 

 them only enough water to keep them from flagging. We should prefer to 

 put in cuttings of Calceolarias in October before, the plants are frosted, plac- 

 ing them an inch and half apart in a cold frame. They are vastly superior to 

 old plants or cuttings from them grown in heat. The Calceolaria cuttings in 

 frames cannot have too much air when the weather is mild, and when severe 

 a good covering should be put over the lights. Eeep them in the dark as loDg 

 as they are frozen. The old plants of Ageratum wintered in the greenhouse 

 will in spring give you cuttings, which strike freely in a hotbed. Stop them 

 when well rooted, and pot them off singly, or transplant into shallow boxes 

 about 3 inches apart, growing them on in the frame, and ultimately harden- 

 ing them off in a cold frame. They will be good plants by bedding-out time 

 if the cuttings are put in at the beginning of March. Mrs. Pollock Geranium 

 taken up now and potted will be safely wintered in a greenhouse ; let the 

 plants have a fight well-ventilated position, taking care not to^overwater, 

 and keep them free of decayed leaves. 



Compost for Show and Fancy Pelargoniums (Idem). — For the Show 

 kinds two parts very fibrous light loam, one part old cow dung or very rotten 

 hotbed manure, half a part leaf soil, and a fourth part charcoal in lumps the 

 size of a pea, and silver sand; the whole well incorporated. For the Fancy 

 kinds add to the above a part of sanely peat. The plants we presume were 

 cut back some time ago to within three or four eyes of the base of the current 

 year's growth ; if not, it must be done now, keeping them rather dry until they 

 have broken afresh, and have young shoots about an inch long. Then they 

 should be shaken out of the pots, all the old soil that comes away freely 

 removed from the roots, and be potted in the same size of pot as that in 

 which they were before. Place them near the glass, where Ihey will have 

 abundance of ah' in mild weather, and have no more water than sufficient to 

 keep them slowly growing. They will not be fit for their blooming pots until 

 February. Had they been cut down earlier they would have needed them in 

 December. Eight-inch pots will be sufficiently large for your plants. Stop 

 them when they have grown 2 inches. 



Dahlias Storing [Idem), — Take them up after the first frost, cut off the 

 top about 6 inches above the roots, lay them in a shed for a few days to dry, 

 and then bury the roots in dry sand either in a cellar or in boxes of sand. 

 Put these in a cool place, but safe from frost. They should be started in heat 



in March. 



Select Exotic Ferns (Idem). — We presume you wish for those that 

 do not require a higher temperature than a greenhouse. The following are a 

 dozen — viz., Adiantum cuneatum, Asplenium dimorphum.Gleichenia dicarpa, 

 G. epeluncEe, Lomaria gibba, Neottopteris australasica, Cheilanthes elegans, 



Platycerium alcicorne, Pteris scaberula, Woodwardia radicans, Nephrolepb 

 tuberosa, and Davallia tenuifolia. 



Cherry Buds Dried (Jno. Knott). — We do not know in what way you 

 can use the Cherry buds. You had better have a few more sent. The best 

 way to send buds is to pack the shoots in damp moss placed in a cardboard 

 box; wrap the box up in stiff brown paper, and send by post. If the bark 

 does not part freely, immerse them in water for a few hours. 



Melons not Bipening {A Constant Reader). — We should consider the 

 cause of the Melons not ripening to be the cold and wet we have had. Without 

 any heat Melons in a frame in a season iike this yield a very uncertain crop. If 

 you had lined the bed and maintained a good heat the fruit would no doubt 

 have ripened if air had been given freely. 



Lawn Liable to Parching (Herba). — In your case we would take up 

 your lawn at the beginning of November, or at any time in mild winter 

 weather. Bemove it in strips of equal width and equal depth, and apply 2 or 

 3 inches of your rich compost. That will greatly improve the lawn, but it 

 would at first involve extra cutting. In such a case we have little faith in 

 top-dressing or surface- watering. You would see the matter alluded to lately 

 several times in " Doings of the Last Week." The taking-up and relaying" 

 will give you a good chance of having your lawn beautifully level. Place 

 hollow stalks of Beans among your Boses, and little pots half filled with dry 

 moss. Clear the earwigs out of these in the mornings. 



Sparmannia africana culture ( 0. TV. D.). — It is a fine greenhouse ever- 

 green shrub with white flowers, usually produced in May. Use for it a com- 

 post of two ports fibrous loam, one part sandy peat, half a part leaf soil, and 

 a sixth of silver sand, the loam and peat broken up not very finely, and the 

 whole well incorporated. Drain well, and pot rather firmly, with the collar 

 of the plant slightly elevated. Potting is best done in spring. Water freely 

 when growing, but in winter give no more water than will keep the foliage 

 fresh. Any pruning required should be performed after the flowering; or if 

 the plant is not large enough for that, prune in spring before the growth 

 begins. A fight airy position is necessary. 



Destroying Moss and Weeds on Walks (A Constant Reader). — We 

 presume you wish to destroy them without the trouble and inconvenience of 

 breaking up the paths. Salt put on thickly will destroy the weeds and moss, 

 and the paths only need to be gone over with a stiff broom a few days after 

 the salt has disappeared. Apply it briskly so as to remove the moss. Another 

 method, and we understand very effectual, is to dissolve 1 lb. of arsenic in 

 three gallons of cold water, boil and keep Stirling it, then add seven additional 

 gallons of cold water, and 2 lbs. crushed soda, stir the whole well in the boiler, 

 and apply to the walks as hot as possible with a rose watering-pot in dry- 

 weather. If applied in spring few if any weeds will appear during the sum- 

 mer. It should be kept from the grass or Box edging by laying an inclined 

 board merely to throw the hot liquid on to the walk. The quantity named will 

 be sufficient for twenty-five or thirty square yards. 



Ornamental Hardy Grasses (Id^m). — Agrostis argentea, A. nebulosa* 

 Anthoxanthum gracile, Briza geniculata, B. maxima, Brizopyrum siculum^ 

 Bromus brizpeformis, Eragrostis elegans, Hordeum jubatum, Lagurus ovatusr 

 Pennisetum setosum, and Piptatherum Thomasi. Those are hardy annuals- 

 Stipa elegantissima, S. pennata, and JGynerium argenteum, are perennials- 

 Eleanor is a good late Strawberry. 



Prickly Comfrey (IF. H. IF.). — It has been very limitedly recommended 

 as a cattle food, but we have no experience of its value, and certainly cannot 

 advise you to grow it instead of corn, &c. 



Liquid Manure for Chrysanthemums and Mignonette (A Subscriber)- 

 — Both the Chrysanthemums and Mignonette in pots would be benefited by 

 the application of liquid manure in the proportions of 1 lb. of guano and a 

 peck of soot to thirty gallons of water. It may be applied twice a-week, but 

 only when the plants are in need of water. . The manure you name is good. 



Echeverias and Alternantheras (T.S.C.). — Echeveria secunda glauca 

 seed may be sown now. The pot or pan should be placed near the glass, 

 kept just moist, and have a night temperature of from 55° to 60°. The " Ech "* 

 in Echeveria is sounded hard, as if spelt " ek." Alt ernanth eras are not suffi- 

 ciently hardy to remain out-doors with a little protection. They should be- 

 taken up and then potted, and wintered in a greenhouse. The e in the pen- 

 ultimate is a long c. The "Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary" gives the pro- 

 nunciation and derivation of the names of plants. It may be had by post 

 from our office free by post for 7s. 2d. 



Peas Failing [H. T.). — We think the Peas fail from the dryness and poor- 

 ness of your soil. The trenching of gravelly soil is, as a rule , not conducive 

 to the invigorating of plants, as such soils are veiy poor in subsoil. There is 

 no harm in trenching so long as there is soil. Where it was had, loosening 

 the second spit and not bringing it to the surface was doing quite right. As 

 you have limed the ground — which will be very beneficial as a deterrent to 

 the insects you say it abounds with, and especially destructive to slugs — we 

 should not apply manure now, but early after February when the ground is 

 in good working order, give a good dressing of farmyard manure, or rather 

 cow dung if you can get it. Your soil only needs plenty of manure — indeed 

 it can hardly have too much. You should husband all the house sewage, &c, 

 employ it in summer highly diluted with water between the rows of Cauli- 

 flowers and along the sides of Peas. For late and summer crops of Peas we 

 should prepare the ground as for Celery, but with difference that the ground 

 should be level instead of trenched, as for Celery. Soot and guano will also- 

 be good, and should be applied in showery weather. 



Pruning a Laurel Bank [E. M.). — H it needs much cutting-back, the 

 best time to do so is early in April; but if it requires no more than the 

 trimming of[the young growths, this is best done at midsummer, going over 

 them again in August, and removing any irregularities of growth. 



Turnips Failing {Idem). — We presume your Turnips fail from " fingers- 

 and toes." As you have tried salt and it fails, we know of nothing but apply- 

 ing a dressing of soot so as to make the ground quite black before throwing 

 up the drills. This is also a good manure ; but gas lime would probably be best- 

 You may apply it at the rate of twelve bushels pel acre, harrowing it well in; 

 or you may still further make sure by applying it at the rate of twenty bushels 

 per acre, which is the maximum quantity. 



Woodlice (J. Garrett). — We never undertake to test and report upon 

 specifics. H you applied to some of the principal seedsmen who advertise in 

 our columns, they might test the specific, and if found effectual, make 

 arrangements for obtaining for it a sale. 



Names of Fruits (G. S.).— There is little doubt but that the Fig is Pou- 

 lette. (C. D. B.). — We do not know the name of the Apple sent. {X. Y.). — 

 We believe both specimens of Apples to be Warner's King. (S.). — The Pear 

 which is known about York by the name of ' E Janet " is A mire Joannet, an 



