JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 31, 1872. 



For the same reason we nave taken a good portion of our 

 largest Primulas from frames and placed them on shelves in 

 these houses, and we have done the same with forward Cine- 

 rarias, only giving them saucers to stand in, and as soon as may 

 be we shall place a little moss in the bottom of each saucer. 

 With a moist bottom we seldom need to waste tobacco on Cine- 

 rarias. We took up some of the best Geraniums from beds, 

 and treated them as often described. — R. F. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



%* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture , c&c, 171 } Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them 

 answered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



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

 week. 



Plans of Mazes (J. G. d- Co.). — There is a plan in No. 577 of this Journal, 

 with a slight correction in No. 578. There are no modern works containing 

 plans of mazes. Switzer's " Icnographia," and MasealTs " Countryman's 

 Recreation " contain several. They were published two centuries since. 



Painting Boarded Fence (P., of Kent). — No colour is better than stone 

 colour for the side against which the fruit trees are to be trained. 



Sowing Gloriosa superba [E. A. B.). — Ton are probably aware that it is 

 a stove plant, and we do not thinV it will succeed in a greenhouse where the 

 temperature never falls below 45-, though it would survive that if a brisk heat 

 were kept up during the growing season. If you can give that we think you 

 will succeed. Sow the seed early next March in a compost of equal parts peat, 

 loam, leaf soil, old cow dung or well-rotted manure, and sand, covering the 

 seeds about a quarter of an inch deep, and place the pots in a hotbed* of not 

 less than 75°, nor more than 90°. Keep moist, but not very wet, and when 

 the seedlings are up let them have abundance of light; keep the young plants 

 near the glass, but still in bottom heat. They must be kept moist at the 

 roots, and have a moist atmosphere, a temperature of 65- to 7(P at night, 

 7o° to So by day, or 90° with sun and." air. "When the seedlings can well be 

 handled pot them off singly in 3-inch pots, and return them to the hotbed, 

 shading for a few days until they have recovered from the potting, then admit 

 air, and expose to light. When the pots are filled with roots shift the plants 

 into 5-inch pots, which will be sufficiently large the first season, keeping them 

 in the hottest structure you can command, with a moist atmosphere, up to 

 September, when the moisture should be diminished, and the plants dried off 

 before winter, and kept dry until March. Then shake away all the soil and 

 repot, covering the bulb about an inch or so with soil. Place the plants in a 

 hotbed, and do not give any water until the bud appears above the soil. 

 Encourage growth with strong heat and moisture, training as it proceeds. 

 The plant will succeed in the greenhouse after it has advanced to the flower- 

 ing state. "When the leaves are turning yellow cease watering, and when the 

 flowers are completely decayed place the pots where they will be dry until the 

 following March. 



Seedlings (N.). — The Pompon white Chrysanthemum is good, and if of 

 dwarf habit an acquisition. The Pansy is not so good as many others of the 

 same colour. (T. Cooper). — "We can give no opinion, as we have only a leaf 

 and a flower. Send a plant to the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society. The plant is Hedychium Gardnerianum. 



"Warts on Pea-roots (J. T. S.). — They often occur in sandy soils, and 

 seem as if they were a natural effort to obtain a store for moisture. 



Select Roses (J. M., Bingley). — Charles Lefebvre, Senateur Vaisse, John 

 Hopper, Pierre Notting, Gloire de Dijon, Victor Yerdier, Madame Alfred de 

 Bougemont, Jules Margottin, Beauty of Waltham, Princess Christian, Prince 

 Cairn He de Rohan, Marie Baumann, Comtessede Cbabrillant, Baroness Roths- 

 child, Elizabeth Vigneron. For the wall, Marechal Niel. 



Scale on Peach Trees (No. 789). — Clarke's Compound, 1 oz. to the gallon 

 of water, applied with a brush at a temperature of 120 , or it may be syringed 

 on. Soft soap 4 ozs., tobacco water a gallon, sulphur vivum enough to make 

 a thin paste or paint, adding a wineglassful of spirits of turpentine, well 

 mixed, and applied at a temperature of 12G 3 with a brush, taking care not to 

 dislocate the buds. 



Oleander Losing its Leaves (G. S. R.). — "We do not know what you 

 can do at this time of the year to induce the plants to throw out more leaves, 

 except placing them in heat, which will of course cause them to grow, but it 

 would injure them. Keep them dry during the winter, giving no more water 

 than sufficient to preserve their freshness, and encourage growth next April 

 and May by placing them in any house with a good brisk heat and a moist 

 atmosphere. They succeed well in a compost of two parts fibrous loam, one 

 part leaf soil, half a part of old cow dung, and one-sixth of sharp sand. If the 

 plants are young add one part of sandy peat, the whole well mixed. Provide 

 good drainage. 



Vine Leaf Coloured (M.). — The leaf you sent is not infested with any 

 insect, but is simply assuming the appearance consequent on its approaching 

 fall. The cause of the leaves being of the colour of that enclosed to us on the 

 ripe wood, whilst those newly formed are green, is the wood from which the 

 latter proceed being unripe. Keep both the roots and atmosphere dry. 



Removing Tine Leaves {X, of Sidmoutk). — The leaves should not be 

 removed until they part freely from the Vine, which they will do when they 

 become yellow ; but it is well to leave them on until they fall of their own 

 accord. The Tine shoots should not be shortened beyond the point where 

 they were first stopped, and all laterals may be cut off at their origin. The 



pruning should be deferred until the leaves are all off. The name [of the 

 plant is Chorozema varium. 



Vines for a Greenhouse Vinery (B. T.).— In such a house, 30 feet long, 

 we think six Vines would be sufficient, as that would enable you to have a 

 fair amount of light in summer. The Vines we would prefer would be, at the 

 warmest end, White Frontignan, one Royal Muscadine, white; one Buckland 

 Sweetwater, white; two Black Hamburghs, and one Muscat Hamburgh. If 

 you had no desire for Muscat flavour, we would say three Royal Muscadines 

 and three Black Hamburghs planted alternately. W T e would "make the Vine 

 border on the south-east side instead of the north-west side : 105 feet of 

 4-inch pipe will keep such a house safe from frost. 



Vine Pruning (J.). — The answer to which you refer was made on the 

 data there given — to obtain as much fruit as possible the next year. For free 

 fruiting in future years the matter would be quite different. * If continuous 

 free-bearing were an object, we should cut back these rods fully two-thirds of 

 their length, instead of only removing 18 inches from the points. 



Grapes Shrivelled (B, S.). — Your Grapes are not well ripened; they 

 should ha^e been ripe by the first week in September, and as this has been an 

 unfavourable season, sufficient artificial heat should have been applied to 

 make up for the want of sunshine. A damp stagnant atmosphere is the cause 

 ef the Grapes becoming mouldy ; cut the decaying berries out as soon as they 

 are perceived. If you have plants in the house be careful not to spill water 

 about, and dry up any damp by warming the heating apparatus by day when 

 the ventilators are open. 



Watering Vines (IT. B.). — At this season not a drop of water should be 

 sprinkled about anywhere in a vinery where fruit is hanging. As all the roots 

 of your Vines are inside, you should give the border a thorough good watering 

 about the middle of February. 



Fig Trees Casting their Fruit (Ficus). — Read an article in the 

 Journal of Horticulture, vol. xviL, page 93, New Series. Fig trees are 

 very apt to cast their fruit, and some varieties more so than others. White 

 Marseilles and Brown Turkey are the best to grow. Tour greenhouse may 

 not be warm enough for them. The Fig will fruit freely in a house not arti- 

 ficially heated, but shut up early in the afternoon to obtain all the advantages 

 of sun heat. The Fig will not succeed on a north wall ; it requires much 

 light, and the leaves must be freely exposed to the sun to ripen the fruit well. 



Planting-out Tacsonia Van-Volxe^i (T. C. M.). — As you purpose 

 planting in an outside border we advise you not to plant till spring, as there 

 will then be less danger of the part outside being injured by cold, and it will 

 have a better chance of becoming hardened before the next winter. At that 

 season it will be necessary to wrap the exposed stem in a hayband or other 

 protecting material. 



Ca3Iellia Unhealthy (Idem). — As the potting and drainage is good, and 

 the roots in a healthy state, we are quite at a loss to account for the falling of 

 the leaves ; those which drop off may, however, be only the old leaves which 

 naturally fall. We do not see how the leaves could fall unless they had been 

 washed with some solution for the destruction of insects, which "may have 

 been too powerful. 



Auricula Culture (Jack). — The Editors know of but one volume devoted 

 to the Auricula, it is entitled " A Plain and Practical Treatise on the Culture 

 of the Auricula. By Isaac Emerton- 11 It was published in 1816, and can only 

 be obtained second-hand. 



Wintering Cannas ( ). — Take up the roots after the first frost and 



lay them in a shed for a few days to dry, the tops should be removed and the 

 roots freed from soil ; then place them in dry sand in a cellar or any place 

 secure from frost. In March they should be potted, dividing them if you 

 need increase, and placing them in a hotbed, but do not water until they are 

 growing, then water freely. A good growth being made, harden-off well before 

 planting out. 



Packing Plants for Exportation (J. F. D.). — The only safe mode of 

 packing the plants you name is in a Wardian case, or a packing-box with a. 

 glass top, removeable so that the plants can be attended to. The pots should 

 be plunged to the rim in moist but not very wet moss or cocoa-nut fibre 

 refuse, covering the soil in the pot with moss and tying down separately. The 

 pots should be made secure by laths fitting inside the box, and nailed so as to 

 keep them from moving in any way. They can hardly be made too secure in 

 that respect. The glass should be put-in in a frame, and should be thick. In 

 the box apertures should be made (say 2 inches beneath the glass top), an 

 inch across, and 2 inches apart all round, and perforated zinc nailed over 

 them. The Gooseberry and C arrant bushes travel best with the roots packed 

 in straw barely moist, and then covered, tops and all, with clean dry straw, 

 to the thickness of fully 6 inches; then place them in a wicker basket secured 

 tightly with dry straw ; or they may be covered withmats over the straw, and 

 secured with string. They should be moved when at rest. 



Peaches for Wall — Cutting Down Cineraria MARrrriiA — Painting 

 Hot-water Pipes (G. S.). — The best early Peach for a wall is probably 

 Rivers's Early York, but its parent Early York is good. A good late kind is 

 Raymackers, but a later kind is Princess of Wales. All are good. From the 

 edging of Cineraria maritima we should only remove the irregular growths so 

 as to give a trim appearance, deferring the general cutting-in until the plants 

 commence making fresh growths in spring. The best thing for painting hot- 

 water pipes is lamp black brought to the consistency of thin paint with linseed 

 oil, and applied to the pipes when they are as hot as it is possible to make 

 them. This will dry them, and the paint will be put on better; besides, yon 

 will have all the smell at once; once dry it will not again give off fumes. 

 Admit all the air possible whilst the pipes are being painted, and brush the 

 paint well in, and so that it does not run. 



Plants for Ribbon Border (M. A. B.). — We do not know of any herb- 

 aceous plant that will flower for nearly four months consecutively, and keep- 

 up a good appearance along with bedding plants. In your border of four 

 rows, with Cerastium for one, as an edging next the grass, we do not know 

 what you could have better in the next row than Saponaria calabrica, sowing 

 it early in April ; then Dell's Crimson Beet, with Tom Thumb Yellow Tropseo- 

 lum at the back. You will have rows of white, pink, bronze crimson, and 

 yellow ; the last three plants raised from seed annually. Sweet William is not 

 continuous-blooming enough for your purpose. In your other border we do- 

 not know what better arrangement you can have than the Lemon Thyme for 

 the edging. You have Dell's Crimson Beet next, and Cineraria maritima at 

 the back, which, raised in heat from seed sown in March, will be sufficiently 

 strong for planting-out in May. It is quite hardy, remaining over the winter, 

 and being better in colour the second year than the first. 



Oars foe Planting (Yarmouth). — We consider 3 to Si feet a proper size. 

 Larger do not succeed so well with us, but the main point is to have only 



