314 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 17, 1872/ 



Yellow Substance on Apple Tree (G. IX.).— "The stuff" seems to be 

 the excretes of some grub in the bark. 



Select Roses (A. Shan d).— Made Baumanii, Gloire de Dijon, Charles 

 Lefebvre, Mdlle. Marie Radv, John Hopper, Baroness Rothschild, Paul 

 Neron, Marechal Niel, Alfred Colomb, Senateur Vaisse, Pierre Notting, and 

 Mdlle. Bonnaire. 



Select Hollyhocks {Idem).— Beauty of Mitford, Black Douglas, Charles 

 Eyre, Countess of Craven, Fred. Chater, Purple Emperor, The Prince, 

 Sovereign, Stanstead Rival, Mrs. B. B. Tod, John Tweedie, and Cygnet. 



Renovating Old Vines {J. K. Y.). — Young Vines would soon come into 

 bearing, and would in the end give you more satisfaction ; but you may 

 renovate the old ones. To do so, it would be best to remove all the old material 

 of the border to within 4 or 5 feet of the stems of the Vines. In doing so, 

 save some of the best roots. You might also remove some of the compost 

 nearer the stems of the Vines if it will not injure the roots to do so. After 

 seeing that the drainage is all right, fill-in with fresh compost. 



Vines to Force Early (8. 5.).— Four Black Hamburgbs, two Buckland 

 Sweetwater, one White Frontignan, one Foster's "White Seedling, one Muscat 

 Hamburgh, and one Black Prince. 



Wiring a Peach Wall— Pyramid Pear Trees Overluxuriant (F. H- 

 Law).— It will make not only the neatest but best job to plaister your wall 

 all over. The neatest we ever remember to have seen had a thick outer 

 coating of Portland cement, and was furnished with galvanised wires placed 

 horizontally. We think the trees are liable to canker when galvanised wire is 

 used. Common iron wire painted is the best material. Do not cut the young 

 wood on your pyramid Pear trees close in ; thin the shoots out, and shorten 

 those that remain to one-third of their length. Root-prune the trees as well- 

 - Pruning and Mulching Fruit Trees (F. J.). — Prune the trees as soon 

 as the leaves are all off. It is better than spring pruning, especially if the 

 trees are established. It is desirable to have the roots near the surface. 

 Cover them about an inch with some rich loam, and mulch with 3 inches 

 thick of littery manure about a foot beyond the point to which they extend. 

 The mulching will be considerably reduced by spring, and should not be re- 

 moved orpointed-in, as the roots are so near the surface, which is a goodsign. 

 East Lothian Intermediate Stocks (Idem)'. — The plants which have 

 not flowered will do so in spring, but they will need to be wintered in a dry 

 s )il or sheltered position, or they will not survive should we have a severe 

 winter. If the plants are stiff and well furnished, we should pot -the most 

 promising, and winter them in a cold frame or sheltered position out of doors, 

 plunging the pots in coal ashes. If they do well, finer subjects for the green- 

 house or window in spring it will be difficult to find. By all means give some 

 ■of them a chance. 



Pruning Magnolia grandiflora var. Exmouth (T.).— The only pruning 

 required is to cut-in the old, bare, and weak shoots, and where too- close 

 together prune them into within about half an inch of their base. Train a 

 sufficient number of young shoots to keep the tree well furnished in every 

 part, and especially near the base. Give a top-dressing of old cowdung. 



Pruning Vines (Idem). — As the Vines planted last year have grown freely 

 a 'id the wood is thoroughly ripened, the object being to obtain as much fruit 

 a^ possible off them next year, you need not remove more than 18 inches of 

 the tops of the rods, but cut all the laterals close to the cane. The earlier 

 the pruning is done after the leaves fall the better, and to prevent bleeding 

 brush the wounds over with the patent knotting used by painters. The canes 

 must be bent down to moke the eyes break at the lower part and uniformly 

 throughout their length. Foster's White Seedling is a good white Grape. 



Hyacinths for Late Flowering (J. B.).— We consider the end of this 

 or beginning of nest month as late as it is desirable to pot Hyacinths for a 

 late bloom, but they may be potted in December. After potting, plunge the 

 pots in coal ashes in a north aspect, and cover them with 3 inches of old tan 

 or cocoa-nut refuse. Put over them a frame or spare light to throw off the 

 wet. In this way they may remain six weeks without farther attention, but 

 if the weather be severe they must have a covering of mats or other material 

 to protect them from frost. This must be removed in mild weather. After 

 six weeks the pots should be taken out, placed under lights, and merely pro- 

 tected from frost. You may keep them in this position until March, when 

 they should be removed to a cold pit or frame. Place them not more than 

 15 inches from the glass, admit air very freely in mild weather, protect from 

 frost, and the bulbs will not bloom until April. If you wish them later than 

 that, keep them in a north aspect, giving plenty of air and l;ight so as to pre- 

 vent them from becoming drawn. 



Hyacinths in Glasses (A Winter Gardener).— The bulbs may be placed 

 in glasses now, though it is not well to begin too soon. We consider it well 

 to keep the bulbs for a week in damp moss or sand, then place them in the 

 glasses, the water at first barely touching the base of the bulb ; then put 

 them in a dark closet until they have roots an inch long. Two drops of 

 spirits of hartshorn may be added to the water, and a piece of charcoal when 

 the plants are growing. They may be placed near the light after the roots 

 are an inch long, and may have a temperature of 50° to 55°, but one of 45° to 

 50 "'insures stronger blooms. 



Covering Forcing House with Oiled Calico Frames (TF. 0. IF.).— 

 Your idea is good; the only objection to it is the light, which we fear the 

 ■oiled calico will obstruct, so that under it the growths of plants subjected to a 

 forcing temperature will be drawn and weak. The calico lights will prevent 

 the cooling of the glass, and, consequently, save heat. The calico should be 

 stretched loosely on the frames, and then covered with the preparation whilst 

 hot by means of a large brush. Three pints of old pale linseed oil, sugar of 

 lead (acetate of lead), 1 oz., and white resin 4 ozs. Grind the acetate with a 

 little of the oil, add the remainder of the oil and the resin, and incorporate 

 thoroughly in an iron pot over a gentle fire. Nest day the calico is fit for use, 

 or it may be coated over on the other side, and after twenty-four hours should 

 be tacked ou the frames tightly. If you try it we shall be glad to know the 

 result. 



Pines for Succession (Idem).— We advise the Queen, Smooth-leaved 

 Cayenne, and Black Jamaica. They are excellent varieties. To fruit in 

 water or late, the Jamaica is best. For nest year's fruiting you should pro- 

 cure some fruiting and strong succession plants in about equal proportions. 

 Meseinbryanthemum cordifoliurn variegatum will not come true from seed. 

 It must be raised from cuttings, and the plants should be strong before they 

 are planted out. Seedlings would do, but the majority would have green 

 leaves. 



Dodecatheon Jeffreyi Treatment (Crowood).— It belongs to the order 

 Primulacete. It is a fine, hardy, herbaceous perennial from the Rocky 



Mountains. We presume you have caused it to grow by placing it in the 

 greenhouse. We adviseyou to remove it to a cold frame, plunge the pot over 

 the rim in coal ashes, and keep the soil moist, but not very wet. When the 

 plant begins to grow in spring repot it, removing as much soil as you can 

 without injury to the roots ; give a moderate shift with good drainage, and 

 use a compost of two parts turfy light loam, one part sandy peat, one part. 

 leaf soil, half a part of old cowdung, and half a part of sharp silver sand. Water 

 freely when growing; and after the flowering is past, or the growth ceases, 

 water only to keep the f ullage fresh; when the leaves fall it will need very 

 little water, yet the soil should not be allowed to become very dry. 



Wintering Altern anther as (B. D.). — The Alternantheras are much 

 alike in colour, having bronze-red leaves with brighter-coloured veins, ribs, 

 or blotches in the centre of the leaves. A. magnifica has bright-coloured 

 leaves, deep maroon, crimson, and a lighter centre ; it is very dwarf, growing 

 stiff and close to the ground. A. amcena is also dwarf, and very siinilar, but 

 the leaves are larger. A. spathulata, colour maroon, pink, and green, of stiff 

 dwarf growth. A. versicolor — this has larger foliage than the preceding, is 

 of stronger habit and erect-growing, not suitable for carpeting, colours pink 

 and maroon. A. paronychioides is a good sort for edging, and good in colour. 

 The plants should be taken up now, potted, and wintered in a cold pit with 

 protection in severe weather, or they will be safer if wintered in a greenhouse. 

 Cuttings should be put in durir.g March in a hotbed, the plants potted in 

 3-inch pots when rooted, grown-on in heat, and hardened well off before plant- 

 ing out. The main points are to get the plants strong and to plant thickly so 

 as to cover the ground, for they do not grow much until late in the season. 

 All but A. versicolor do not exceed from 4 to 6 inches in height, and are good 

 for edgings. The plants in the parks are not sold ; the common plants are 

 given away, as you would see noticed last week. 



Lawn Grass Failing (J. H. E.\ — Your lawn sown two years ago ought 

 now to be in good condition, instead of which it is patchy and bare of grass. 

 We presume the ground was well dug over, and in good tilth before sowing. 

 If not, we should attribute the bad growth of the grass to that. The growth 

 of Plantain, Dandelion, &c, you are doing well to remove. We should give 

 the lawn a dressing of short manure at the end of February or the beginning 

 of March; it maybe mixed with an equal quantity of soil, which should be 

 free of stones. Put on this compost about a quaiter of an inch deep. Early 

 in April, when there is a likelihood of rain, scratch the lawn well with an iron- 

 toothed rake, clearing it of any littery manure, stones, or other rubbish, and 

 this done, sow over it 8 lbs. Cynosurus cristatus, 6 lbs. Festuca duriuscula, 

 4 lbs. Poa nemoralis sempervirens, 6 lbs. Trifolium repens, and 4 lbs. Tri- 

 folium minus. After sowing rake lightly with a wooden-toothed rake, and 

 roll well with an iron roller. The quantity of seed named is for an acre. Birds 

 may take some of the seeds, but with the raking and rolling after sowingit 

 will be few that fall a prey to them. Do not roll again nor mow until moist 

 weather in May, then take off the tops of the grass with a scythe or mowing 

 machine, and the first showery weather dress with 2 cwt. of guano to the 

 acre. We think you will have a good growth of grass next year. Last May 

 we sowed about an acre and a half with lawn seeds, and now the grass is 

 superior to an old lawn adjoining. We dug and manured the ground before 

 sowing. 



Lapeyrousias — Barnardias — Tricyrtis (A. C). — Some of the Lapey- 

 rousias are synonymes of Meristostigmas, and others of Anomathecas. They 

 may be cultivated like the last named. Barnardia is in the "Cottage Gar- 

 deners' Dictionary," and so is Tricyrtis in its " Supplement." T. grandiflora 

 is TJvularia grandiflora. 



Plantain on Lawn (M. D.). — A woman armed with an old knife and a pot 

 of salt will soon eradicate the Plantains. Let her cut them out deep below 

 the surface, and put a large pinch of salt into the hole. The grass soon over- 

 grows the bare places. 



Heating Conservatory from Stove in Sitting-room (I. P. F.). — We 

 are not sure if we understand you. We presume you mean to dispense with 

 the fireplace in the sitting-room, 12 feet square and 10 feet in height, place 

 a stove there near the hearth, take a pipe into the chimney, and from 

 that stove obtain heat for the room and a conservatory abutting — 9 feet 

 square, 12 J- feet high at back, and 8i feet in front. First, then, the stove 

 should stand clear of the fireplace, but so as to have a horizontal, or even 

 slightly elevated pipe to the chimney, not more than from 2 to 3 feet in 

 length. Secondly, We do not know the universal guinea stove that does such 

 wonders, but, as far as plants are concerned, we have no faith in any stove 

 where the fire comes in contact with the iron sides; it must be either lined 

 with firebrick, or the firebox must stand free from the iron sides, 2 or 

 3 inches' space being allowed all round. Thirdly, We presume that you mean 

 to heat the conservatory by leaving the sitting-room door open all night, 

 8 feet by 4 feet. With a nice fire in your stove in a cold night we think your 

 plan will answer if the door be left open. You will have the advantage of the 

 back wall of the conservatory being against this heated room, and that of 

 itself would do much, and then the open door would do more. We managed 

 to keep Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, Primulas, &c, in bloom in a place three 

 times larger, by having the connecting doors open in cold nights, and with 

 merely a good fire in the handsome grate of the contiguous room. Fourthly, 

 We have no faith in a charcoal stove, or any other kind where there is no 

 outlet for the products of combustion. A small stove with this attendant 

 would keep the frost out of your conservatory without placing it in your 

 sitting-room ; for though stoves are cheaperas respects heating than an open 

 fireplace^ we question if they are equally healthy to sit near. 



Propagating Neapolitan Violets (M. W.). — The proper time to do this 

 is at the end of April or the beginning of May, or as soon as good runners or 

 offsets can be secured. The runners or suckers should be taken off with 

 roots, or if they are not well rooted they should be planted at a foot apart by 

 themselves, those which ore rooted being also planted separately. Plant in 

 rich light soil well enriched with old manure and leaf soil. They must be 

 well watered throughout the season in dry weather; keep the ground well 

 stirred with a hoe, and dust the plants with soot frequently to invigorate 

 them and prevent the attacks of red spider. An east or partially shaded 

 border is most suitable. At the end of September the plants should be taken 

 np with good balls, and planted about 9 inches from the glass in a frame in 

 good rich soil. The frame should have a south and warm dry exposure. 

 Water may be needed at planting, but not aftei-wards. They cannot have too 

 much air in mild weather, and should be protected from heavy rains, and have 

 abundance of air. In frosty weather the lights may remain on the plants, 

 and when it is severe a covering of mats should be put on. Esclude tight so 

 long as they are frozen. If you wish them to flower at any particular time, 

 place them in a pit with a temperature not esceeding 40° to 45°. 



Onion Maggot (An Old Subscriber). — Your ground being stiff we should 

 manure it well in November, and trench it, but not deeply, or so as to bring 



