October 3, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



275 



needed for the growth of fruit fully as fine as that on the front trellis ; in 

 fact, during the past two seasons with us they have been finer. The case is 

 different when the roof is covered with trees, and the pot trees and those on 

 the back wall are as much in obscurity as if Ferns were to be grown. Peaches 

 cannot have too much light and ah', with the needful temperature. These 

 conditions secured, the fruit is as fine at 10 feet as at 1 foot from the glass. 

 — G. A. 



Wintering- Stephanotis floribunda (J. J. P.). — Do not stop the shoot 

 still growing. Its growth will tend to keep up healthy root action, but we 

 should now only give water sufficient to keep the leaves from becoming limp. 

 If kept dry it will endure a temperature of 45°, or even 5(T. The tiny little 

 shoots showing themselves at some of the joints will probably be trusses of 

 bloom nest summer. Though the Stephanotis will endure a comparatively 

 low temperature, we have six plants of it in our stove, four on the roof trellis, 

 and they have flowered twice this year — viz., in May, and from August up to 

 the present time. They are planted out. 



Melons on Dead Plants (Q.). — Cut them; they will not be benefited by 

 hanging on the plant. Place them in the warm vinery where Muscat Grapes 

 are ripening, and they will come to maturity, but the flavour will be poor. 



Planting Tacsonia Van-Volxemi and Lapageria rosea (B. B.). — We 

 have no experience of these in an outside border, and we think the Lapageria 

 would not succeed, as shoots are continually thrown up from the collar of the 

 plant, and will have to be introduced through the opening in the wd.ll, which 

 will create considerable trouble. Beyond that we do not see any objection if 

 the stems be protected from frost. You will need to look carefully for snails 

 and slugs, as they are very fond of the young shoots of the Lapageria. It 

 needs peat soil, well drained, and an abundant supply of water. The Tac- 

 sonia succeeds well in any good loamy soil, light rather than heavy, with a little 

 leaf soil or manure. Ours are planted inside, but to-day, in removing the 

 soil in front of the greenhouse, we found the soil to a depth of 2 feet, and 

 how much deeper we do not know, white with the roots of Tacsonias, Passi- 

 floras, Ac, which had come through beneath the walls. 



Large-crowned Pine Apples (A Young Pine-Apple Grower). — We do not 

 know in what way you can check the growth of the crowns without checking 

 the swelling of the fruit. The chief cause of large crowns is weakly growth 

 of the plant. The only remedy we know is to grow the plants thinly, and 

 near- the glass — they cannot be too near it, so long as the leaves do not touch. 

 That, and admitting air freely, so as not to draw the plants up weakly, will 

 give you sturdy plants, and large fruit with comparatively small crowns. 



Surfacing Pots with Mosses (A. D.).~ The Palms you propose using for 

 table- decoration may have the soil covered with Selaginella denticulata, a 

 dwarf close- growing sort, or the still dwarfer S. apoda (densa), removing 

 them with about an inch of soil from the pots or pans in which they are 

 growing, and placing them on the surface of the soil in the pots containing 

 the Palms. The Mosses will impart a cheerful appearance, and will not 

 injure the Palms. Remove the Mosses when the Palms are growing. 



Cutting-down Abuttlon Thompsoni [Idem). — We cut off the tops of 

 ovu- AbutilonThompsoni now, and make cuttings of them about 4 inches long, 

 which strike freely in gentle heat, and become good plants for next season. 

 The old plants are placed in a cool stove or warm greenhouse, and afford 

 cuttings again in February or early in March. For a plant for the greenhouse, 

 the best time to cut-back is at the end of February or beginning of March. 

 The Stephanotis is not drawn more than ours, which we do not consider at 

 all affected. Train the shoots to a trellis, and allow them to grow, only do 

 not give more water in winter than sufficient to keep the leavesfrom flagging. 

 Bones for Manure (Amateur). — As you object to sulphuric acid, which is 

 far from expensive, and as caustic potash is dearer, there is no mode for you 

 to adopt but having them broken into very small fragments. 



Vines— Showing Plants (A. McK.).— Tou could not grow Vines in your 

 kitchen ; there would not be sufficient light. There is no book on growing 

 plants for exhibition. " Florists' Flowers," which you can have free by post 

 from our office if you enclose five penny postage stamps with your address, 

 probably states what you wish to know. 



Storing Apples and Pears (A. F). — Dry straw beneath them will do no 

 harm, hut is not needed if they are placed, as they should be, in single layers. 

 Storing in heaps is the worst of all modes ; the pressure produces bruises, 

 and heating is occasioned. 



Select Dahlias (0. J. X, Preston).— Andrew Dodds, dark maroon; Annua 

 Neville, white; Cart line Tetterill, white, tipped deep lilac; Charles Back- 

 house, scarlet ; Charlotte Dorling, white ground, edged and tipped ; Criterion, 

 delicate rose; Edward Spary, dark claret; Fanny Purchase, bright yellow; 

 Harriett Tetterell, blush, margined with dark purple ; James Cocker, purple ; 

 John Harrison, dark maroon; King of Primroses, primrose; Leah, golden 

 yellow ; Lord Derby, rosy crimson ; Memorial, pale rose ; Mrs. Henshaw, 

 white; Netty Buckell, light blush, tinted pink; Pretender, lilac ; Sam Nay lor, 

 buff; Toison d'Or, golden yellow; and Vice-President, bright orange. 



Managing Vines (St. Brigit).— It is very bad management to allow the 

 Vines to grow wild in the way you have done. Tou should have thinned-out 

 and stopped the shoots when they required it ; the bearing wood should have 

 been fully exposed to the sun to ripen, and space ought to he allowed for the 

 full development of the leaves. Cut out the wood where it is crowded at 

 once. This will let the light into the plants underneath, and at the same 

 time be beneficial to the Vines. There is no autumn-flowering yellow Crocus ; 

 violet and blue are the prevailing colours of the autumn species. 



Grape Vines Neglected— Pruning Apple Trees (F. C.H.). — We once 

 took charge of a vinery in a similar plight to yours. Every leaf and shoot 

 was smothered with mildew, and we were informed that the Vine had not 

 ripened a crop for twenty years. The house measured about 15 feet by 

 10 feet, and contained only one Vine. It was pruned, as you propose, on the 

 short-spur system in November. All the woodwork of the house was well 

 washed with warm water, in which just a little soft soap had been dissolved. 

 The wood of the Vine was painted with soft soap dissolved in water, which 

 was thickened with flowers of sulphur. The roots were next examined. The 

 border was found to be in bad condition, few large roots were found, and 

 scarcely any of a fibrous nature. The border had to be renewed, and the long 

 bare roots were lifted up near the surface among the fresh compost. The 

 house was kept cool all the winter, and the Vines allowed to break naturally 

 in the spring. A few bunches only were obtained the first year, but there 

 was no mildew, and the wood ripened well, and two or three young canes were 

 trained up from the bottom. The following season the Vino carried and 

 ripened about one hundred nice bunches. We would thin out the young 

 shoots of the Apple trees, and shorten those that remain. Good dwarf 

 bushes may thus be ©btained in a year or two. 



Vine Leaf Discoloured (J. Booth). — There is nothing wrong with the 

 Vine leaf sent. It has only taken on the flush of age. Some varieties 

 assume the tinge of the leaf sent a considerable time before they fall off. 



Grapes not Colouring (A Young Beginner).— The reason that your 

 Grapes do not colour is that the Vines are overcropped; they had previously 

 borne heavily, and now you have from twenty to twenty-five bunches to a rod. 

 The berries on the Lady Downe's are what is termed scalded; this occurs at 

 the time the fruit begins to change colour. Opening the ventilators to their 

 full extent at that time will prevent it. Cut out all the injured berries, there 

 will then be no danger of any more of them becoming affected. 



Garden Frame (Subscriber from the First). — We are obliged by your 

 communication. We have not seen the frame ; when we have, and f we con- 

 sider it novel and good, we will notice it. 



Tubular Boiler [A Sot-water Engineer). — If some friend would register 

 your invention in your name you might afterwards offer it to your employer. 



Golden Champion Grape Spotted— Madresfield Court without 

 Bloom (Cliftoniensis). — The spot on the berries of Golden Champion is 

 constitutional ; either on its own roots or inarched on another sort it is still 

 present. There is no remedy for it. Inarching the Vine on Gros Colman 

 would not account for the absence of bloom. It must have been the syringing. 

 We never syringe the Vines after they are fairly started into growth. 



Planting a Vinery (I. M.).— Gros Colman is a very good late Grape, its 

 berries are very large and carry a fine bloom. We advise you to plant one of 

 it. It always commands a very high price in the market. It will succeed 

 very well in the same house with the sorts you name; The White Lady 

 Downe's is a good late Grape, but we do not consider it equal in every respect 

 to the black variety. Tou do right to plant Vines on both sides of your span- 

 roofed house. If you grow only one cane to a Vine you should plant them 

 2 feet 9 inches apart. In your house two canes to each Vine would be better; 

 then you should plant 5 feet 6 inches opart. Your selection of varieties is 

 very good. 



Rent for Garden (G. G.). — We cannot give an opinion, not knowing any- 

 thing about the locality. Tou had better consult some nurseryman in your 

 county. 



French Nursery (E. K.).— Apply to some of the principal nurserymen 

 who advertise in our columns, and if they have correspondents in France 

 they can help you. 



Canna Flowering Out-doors (D. M.). — It is not uncommon for Cannas 

 to flower out-doors, and usually in the second season, as yours have done 

 this season from seed sown last year. 



Thinning Camellia Buds (J. K.). — Your plants with five or more buds 

 to a shoot ought to be at once thinned to one or at most two buds to each 

 shoot. Too many buds weaken the plants, and the flowers are individually 

 small when more than one flower is allowed to a shoot, but a strong shoot 

 may be allowed two flowers. 



Treatment of Bules (A Lover of Flowers,) — We presume yours are the 

 usual class of bulbs — i.e., Hyacinths, Narcissus, Tulips, Crocuses, &c In this 

 case you will pot them at once in good, rich, light, turfy loam two parts, one 

 part leaf soil, and a half part rotten manure, and a sixth of sharp sand, the 

 whole well mixed. Drain the pots well, employing 6-inch pots, which are 

 most convenient, put one bulb of Hyacinth or Narcissus in a pot ; or if the 

 bulbs are small you may put three in a 7- inch pot; five or six Tulips or 

 Crocuses in a 6-inch pot. The Hyacinths and Narcissus should have the 

 bulbs no more than half buried in the soil, the Tulips covered level with the 

 neck, and the Crocuses covered about an inch. After potting stand in the 

 cold frame on coal ashes, and fill-in the interstices between the pots with 

 ashes. Some cover them with ashes a few inches deep. Cocoa-nut fibre is, 

 however, a lighter and better material, and with that we advise their being 

 covered 3 inches deep. Ashes will, however, do if the material named is not 

 at hand. Expose the frame fully in all mild and dry weather, using the 

 lights only in rainy weather and severe frost. The plants ought not to remain 

 covered more than six weeks, then half your stock should be removed to the 

 greenhouse, assigning them a light and airy position, and with attention to 

 watering they will flower in due course. Those left in the frame should have 

 the covering material removed, but still be plunged in the ashes, and about 

 a month after the others they may be drafted into the greenhouse, forming 

 a succession to the rest. The pots should be clean washed on their being 

 removed from the frame. The plants must not be overwatered but kept moist, 

 not giving any water, however, until it is required, then a good supply. When 

 the flower-spikes or buds appear-, every alternate watering may be of liquid 

 manure, 1 oz. of guano to a gallon of water being good. 



Wintering Bedding Plants in an Attic {St, Edmund). — We fear your * 

 chance of wintering Geraniums and Verbenas with Calceolarias in a loft or 

 attic is very small, especially if the winter be at all severe. It is too late to 

 strike cuttings unless you have heat. If you are disposed to give the plants a 

 trial, we should have the plants taken up now and potted in light loamy soil 

 with a little leaf soil, about one- third of the whole, and pot them in as small 

 pots as will hold the roots comfortably. Water if the soil be dry, but if it be 

 moist they will not require water for some days after potting ; do not give them 

 any so long as the soil is moist, and when dry only a little to keep them fresh. 

 Afford all the air you can in mild weather, and when severe you will need to 

 cover-up the plants if the temperature of the attic fall to 33°, to keep it from 

 falling below 32°. The covering should remain over the plants until the 

 weather becomes mild. All decayed and decaying leaves should be kept 

 picked off, and should the winter not be severe, you may keep some of them 

 safely; hut your chances would have been greater had you put in cuttings in 

 August, and had them well established befoie winter, especially the Verbenas 

 and Geraniums. Calceolarias are best wintered in a frame, the cuttings being 

 put in before they are frosted in October. We presume your attic is provided, 

 with light. 



Transplanting Evergreens (J. H. E.). — The best time for the trans- 

 planting of evergreens, especially Hollies, is the last half of September, and it 

 may be quite safely performed up to the middle of November, after which the 

 ground is usually so cold and wet as to render planting undesirable. The 

 earlier evergreens are planted late in summer and autumn, the more complete 

 growth, the greater is the prospect of their becoming rooted before winter. 

 Next to late summer or early-autumn planting, the beginning of April up to 

 May in showery weather is a good time, better than when the ground is cold 

 and wet, and no stimulus to the emission of roots given by the warmth of the 

 atmosphere and soil. 



Clematis Jackmanni (Sunny).— You will not require to cut the plants 

 down, but cut away the dead parts in spring before growth takes place, dis- 

 posing the shoots equally over the trellis. T 



It will be well to cover the roots 



