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JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ October 24, 1872. 



W. Chater, Saffron "Waldeu.- 

 Roses.- 



-Cataloguc of Hollyhocks and 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

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

 week. 



Address (M. Chapman). — "We do not know the address, but our corre- 

 spondent knows about the shelter you name. 



Gardeners without Children (Lover of Morality, F. K., Selfish, and 

 Others). — We must decline inserting more on the subject, and will only add, 

 Let every one consider both sides of the question. 



Weighing Fruit at Shows (R. J3.). — Avoirdupois weights are employed— 

 16 ozs. to the pound. 



Pruning Peach and Plum Trees [Amateur). — You may cut back the 

 strong shoots on your Plum trees now, but defer the pruning of the Peach 

 trees until spring, when the buds swell. You will then be able to prune to a 

 leaf-bud. 



Employment in a Nursery (Anxious). — Write to two or three of the 

 principal nurserymen and florists near London, and state to each what you 

 have stated to us. 



Buff-coloured Brick Wall (W. D.). — If the wall is not to be protected 

 by glass, we should prefer this colour of wall to one which is darker. 



Removing Greenhouse (A Sub.). — We think that if the woodwork is 

 screwed on to the plates, you may take the woodwork away as well as the 

 sashes. 



Transplanting Gooseberry and Currant Bushes (Amateur, Dewsbury). 

 — If the bushes are not very old you may remove them quite safely; but if 

 otherwise, though they will grow they do not succeed so well as younger 

 plants, and in this case we should advise you to plant young bushes at the 

 required distance from the walk. If they are not more than eight or ten 

 years old we should now take out the soil all round the bushes at about 2 feet 

 from the stems to a full spade's depth, then remove the loose soil over the roots, 

 and with the spade work round the ball towards the stem, and when the spade 

 is beneath the latter press the handle downwards, which will, of course, raise 

 the ball. In this way proeeed until you have loosened the roots and are able 

 to remove the bush with a good ball of soil, then plant no deeper than before. 

 If you have some well-decora posed manure, after covering the roots to the 

 depth of an inch or two with soil, spread round each bush from four to half a 

 dozen spadesful of the manure, then cover with soil, and tread gently. Any 

 pruning they require should be done, thinning out the shoots well, especially 

 the old branches, leaving the young shoots well disposed for forming main 

 branches.- Cutoff the side shoots in the usual way. Mulch over the roots 

 with any littery manure at command. The end of March and beginning of 

 April are the best times to remove Hollyhocks, but this may be done now if 

 the crowns of the plants he afterwards protected. 



Pruning Fruit Trees (M. Henderson).— You may prune your fruit trees 

 at once. 



Lifting and Replanting Vine Boots (Amateur).— V7e advise you to lift 

 the roots at once, and replant in fresh compost. You might try a few Vines 

 on the bush system, though we do not think you will be very successful. 

 Boyal Muscadine is a good variety to grow. In exceptional cases late blossoms 

 will be produced on fruit trees ; probably lifting and replanting the tree would 

 prevent it. 



Lifting the Roots of Lady Downe's Vines in Bearing (B. G.). — If 

 your Vines are planted inside and the roots are allowed to grow outside in the 

 usual way, we should renew the outside border first ' it may be done now) ; 

 the inside border could be renewed nest season. Remove all the old material 

 of the border up to within 3 feet of the stems of the Vines, and lay the roots 

 out near the surface in the fresh compost. You will not fail to obtain a crop 

 of Grapes every year. 



Vines for a Vinery (H. T. H.).— Tour house, 18 feet long, will take four 

 Vines. Plant Black Hamburgh, Madresfield Court, Buckland Sweetwater, 

 and White Muscadine. These will all do in a cool house. Now is a good 

 time to transplant Roses. The best white Grape is Muscat of Alexandria, 

 but it would not succeed in your house. 



Pruning Vines (Amateur).— Cut-back the long side shoots to two eyes, 

 and the leading shoot to 3 feet ; or, as your Vines are very strong, to within 

 4 feet of its origin. You will need to bend this part of the cane down before 

 the eyes begin to swell, to ensure the eyes breaking regularly. 



Vinca rosea after Flowering (Idem). — Keep the plant rather dry 

 from the present time till February ; then cut it in rather closely, and do not 

 repot until it has made fresh shoots an inch or two long. Encourage the 

 formation of fresh roots by affording a gentle bottom heat and promote 

 free growth by a moist brisk heat, shading for a few days until it has re- 

 covered from the potting. It loses the old leaves at this season, and most 

 if not all of them during the winter. It is a stove plant requiring a winter 

 temperature of 55° by night, and 65 c by day. 



Pruning Fuchsias (Idem). — The pruning, or trimming to shape, should not 

 be done until February ; up to that time keep them cool, dry, and safe from 

 frost, but not so dry as to cause the wood to dry up. Early in March they 

 may be turned out of the pots, the old soil removed from the roots, and 

 placed in pots that will just hold the roots. Use a compost of light turfy loam 

 two parts, one part leaf soil, and half a part of old cow dung, with a sixth of 

 sharp sand, and afford good drainage. They will need to be shifted into their 

 blooming pots when they have made good roots in their first pots. 



Transplanting Roses (Idem).— The best time to transplant standard and 

 all description of Roses, except the tender Tea-scented kinds, is November. 

 Tou may move Marechal Niel at the same time to a position against a wall ; 

 if in the open ground it should be protected in severe weather. Mulch well 

 with Utter over the roots after moving. 



Tlllandsia Colture (Idem).—. All the Tillandsias are stove plants requir- 

 ing a winter temperature of 55° to 60°. Tour plant would probably survive 

 in a greenhouse if kept very dry, but then you will need to give a stove heat 

 in summer so that a good growth may be perfected. 



Wintering Lobelias (Idem). — Take up the plants, cut off the greater 

 parts which are flowering or have flowered. -Secure to each plant a moderate- 

 sized ball. Place them in a pit or house safe from frost, and give no more 

 water than enough to keep them fresh. Pot in light soil. Four, or at most 

 5-inch pots are large enough. 



Vine Pruning (A Constant Reader). — Tour specimen of Vine pruning is 

 correct. Cut above the eye as in the specimen sent. The young wood ought 

 to be removed, leaving one or two good eyes at the base of the shoot. 



Sieve and Half Sieve Measures (Poma).— The Half Sieve contains three 

 and a half imperial gallons. It averages 12i inches in diameter, and 6 inches 

 in depth. Sieve. — Contains seven imperial gallons. Diameter 15 inches, 

 depth 8 inches. A sieve of Peas is equal to one bushel; a sieve of Currants 

 twenty quarts. 



Guernsey and Belladonna Lilies after Flowering (Florence). — 

 Set the pots on pans fille d with sand kept always wet , on shelves in the green- 

 house, or in a pit safe from frost, and give plenty of water until the leaves begin 

 to turn yellow, then withhold it. In summer keep the sand in the pans wet. 

 Strong yellow loam is the most suitable soil. 



Camellia Leaves Browned (Idem). — The leaves you sent us are not in- 

 fested with insects, but they are browned on the upper surface, owing, we 

 think, to exposure to the powerful rays of the sun, from which Camellias 

 should be shaded. We advise you to remove the surface soil down to the 

 roots, but be careful not to injure them, and top-dress with rich light loam 

 and old^cow dung in equal parts. At every alternate watering apply weak 

 liquid manure, and have the leaves sponged with a solution of 3 ozs. of soft 

 soap to a gallon of water made as hot as the hand, can well bear. 



Camellia Culture (T. B. B.).— At all seasons they require to have the 

 soil moist, never dry, and when they are growing water liberally ; good 

 supplies should also be given when they are swelling and expanding the buds. 

 The chief causes of the buds falling are an imperfect root-action inducing un- 

 healthy growth, and a saturated condition of the soil occasioned by bad 

 drainage, or too heavy and frequent watering when none is needed. A tem- 

 perature of 40° to 45'- is needed in winter, and when expanding the flowers 

 the heat may be 45° to 50 3 ; the latter is the maximum temperature needed 

 from fire heat at any stage of their growth. Our " In-door Gardening" gives 

 instructions for the cultivation of Camellias. It may be had free by post 

 from our office for Is. I^d. 



Preserving Geraniums through the Winter (IT. S.). — Tou ask for 

 the best method of preserving these during the winter. Without any pre- 

 tence to ours being the best, we give it for what it is worth; with us good 

 plants at planting time result from it. Now that we are taking up the plants, 

 they are stripped of all but the young leaves, the roots trimmed-in a little, 

 merely cutting away the long straggling parts, and placed in pots that will 

 just hold the roots. Soil two parts turfy loam, light rather than heavy, and 

 one part leaf soil or very old manure, adding a sixth of sharp sand. They are 

 placed in pits or on a lattice stage about IS inches from the glass, and are 

 watered so as to- keep the soil moist ; but no water is given until they become 

 dry, and then a good supply is afforded. The temperature is kept at 45", 

 though in cold weather it may fall to 40°. Abundance of air is admitted 

 whenever the weather permits. Early in March we take what cuttings we 

 can, pot them singly in 3-inch pots, place them in a gentle heat, and they 

 soon strike. When rooted they are stopped, and if grown in frames they make 

 good plants by planting-out time. By this means the plants are freed of 

 then- straggling growths early in March, and they are shifted into pots a size 

 larger, or 6-inch pots, bein« in the first instance placed in 4-iuch or 4A-inch 

 pots; and the compost is the same, with the addition of half a part of well- 

 decayed manure. They are returned to the pit, have water as required, and 

 about the middle of April the point of any shoot growing irregularly is pinched 

 out. This causes the plants to grow more compactly. The chief point after 

 this is to admit ah- freely, withdrawing the fights whenever the temperature 

 out of doors is above 45°, and only using them to keep the temperature inside 

 the pit from falling below that. The consequence is, when they are put out 

 they are strong, compact, and hardy, and show no check after being placed in 

 the beds at the end of May, or, if cold, in June. 



Tecoma jasmlnoides not Flowering (Florentine). — Tou may plant it 

 out now in a conservatory border well drained, in a compost of two parts 

 fibrous loam, one part sandy peat, one part leaf soil, and half a part sharp- 

 sand ; the loam and peat chopped-up rather small, and the whole well mixed. 

 In spring it will grow freely, and should be encouraged with copious supplies 

 of water and frequent syringings, which should be continued up to Septem- 

 ber; then reduce the supply, buc do not allow the leaves to flag. Train the 

 shoots 9 inches to a foot from the glass, and in pruning cut out the old 

 wood. The shoots should not be allowed to become too crowded, then thin out 

 where they are disposed to grow too thickly. 



Growing Cucumbers in Winter (N. F. H.). — The plants should not be 

 stopped until they have reached the trellis and can be secured to it, then 

 stop them so as to produce shoots for covering the trellis, and these should be 

 stopped one joint beyond the fruit repeatedly throughout their growth. We 

 think you have, in the " Garden Manual," mistaken " salt " for soft water, 

 with which the plants should be watered until February, bringing it to the tem- 

 perature of the bed by adding a proper quantity of warm water. After Febru- 

 ary they may be watered once a-week with 1 oz. of guano to a gallon of water^ 

 or one peck sheep's droppings to thirty gallons of water. 



Uses of Horticultural Houses (Subscriber).— We do not see how you 

 could better utilise your stove house than by devoting the centre bed to the 

 growth of the Pine Apple, and the side stages to Vines in pots. The latter 

 will only do for one year's fruiting, so that you will need to raise or purchase 

 a fresh set of plants annually. If you think pot Vines too troublesome you 

 could have the Vines planted out, but not nearer than 4 feet, and as you must 

 have the border outside, we do not think you can hope for any great result 

 from these, though we have seen them good. Tou could have the border 

 made now, hut we should not advise you to plant the Vines until they had 

 begun to grow. You will need to arrange so that the rods can be taken out 

 of the house in winter and introduced when you wish to start them; You 

 may procure the Pines at once. By the latter arrangement you will be able 

 to retain the climbers on the back wall, and the plants on the side stages. In 

 your other house already occupied with Vines, we do not see that you have 

 room for much. In the pit you may plunge Fig trees in pots, and have Figs 

 on the back wall as well. We would start the Vines at the beginning of 

 March so as to have the fruit ripe in July, and the Black Hamburghs will 

 keep sound up to October, when, your other house being in bearing, you will 

 have the fruit of the Vines in the stove. As these are Muscats the Grapes 

 will hang until late, or you can cut them and keep them in water. For 

 further particulars of treatment you are referred to the " Vine Manual," and 

 "Pine Apple Manual," to be had from our office, by post, 2s. l\d. each. 



Maize (F. Richards). — The time to sow Maize is in the first or second week 

 of May. Any good garden soil will do for the purpose, but in fresh soil the 

 plant grows much more luxuriantly. Draw drills as for Peas, and sow the 

 seed thinly ; when up, thin the plants to 18 inches apart. 



