November 14, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



391 



Making Manure of Hay (An Irish Subscriber). — Your query is worthy of 

 jour countryman, Sir Boyle Roche — "How cau waste hay or grass be made 

 into dung where no animals ai'e kept?" "Dung" implies excrementitious 

 mat-er. Ton may best make the hay or grass into manure by wetting it, and 

 mixing some lime and salt with it, and then making it into a heap with thin 

 alternate layers of earth. 



New Roses of 1S72 (Amateur). — The best new Roses of this year, some of 

 which we believe will prove valuable additions are: — Lyonnais, Mad. Georges 

 Schwartz, Madame Bellon, Madame de Ridder, Madame Lefebvre Bernard, 

 Monsieur EtienneLevet, President Thiers, Richard Wallace, Madame Francois 

 Michelson, Andre Duuand, Mad. Cecile Berthod (Tea), Comtesse de Nadaillac 

 (Tea), Souvenir de Paul Nerou. The following are also good, though perhaps 

 not so certain : — Madame de St. Pulgent, Madame Guillot de Mont Favet, 

 Madame Therese de Parrien, Annie Laxton, Princess Beatrice. "We are in 

 hopes there are two or three other good English seedlings, besides the two last 

 named, as Cheshunt Hybrid and Reynolds Hole, likely to prove a great addition 

 to our English-raised Roses, and Bessie Johnson a sport from Abel Grand, 

 which will take a place among light-coloured Roses, the sport being much 

 lighter than Abel Grand. 



Protecting Wall Peach Trees (J. B. M, C). — You are right as to the 

 glass projecting coping being desirable; but as you object to it on account of 

 the expense, and as it will not be a safeguard without some protecting mate- 

 rial when the trees are in blossom and whilst the fruit is young, we advise 

 you to have a coping board of inch deal not less than 11 inches wide, and 

 projecting over the wall, so as to throw off the wet and prevent the loss of 

 heat radiated by the wall ; and to this you can fix tiffany, to be kept from 

 brush ng against the trees by posts, at a foot or 18 inches from the base 

 of the wall. No. 3 tiffany will be ample protection. It should only be used 

 in frosty nights and days, but in mild weather ought to bo withdrawn. 



Insects and Worms in Manure (-4. M.). — We do not know of anything so 

 destructive to worms as lime water. It may be made by pouring three gallons 

 of water over 1 lb. of quicklime, stirring well up, and allowing it to stand two 

 days ; then pour off the clear liquid, and water the manure with the latter, 

 making all thoroughly wet. It will destroy every worm, but then the dung 

 will need to be dried before it is fit for use. For mixing with the soil for 

 plants it would he well to place the manure in an oven at a temperature of 

 not less than 212", and keep it there for half an hour. Quicklime dusted over 

 the mauure in turning, also soot, will make it obnoxious to many insects ; but 

 nothing is equal to heating in an oven or on a hot iron plate, turning and 

 moving the manure, so as to keep it from becoming burned. — G. A. 



Sojl for Lapageria rosea — Vines for Cool Greenhouse (A. C). — 

 Lapageria rosea succeeds in rough fibrous peat with silver sand. The peat 

 should be broken up moderately small, and the woody stems of the Heath, if 

 any, should be removed, adding a sixth part of silver sand. The drainage 

 should be quite efficient, as the plant requires copious waterings. The best 

 two black Grapes for a cool greenhouse are probably Black Hamburgh and 

 Trentham Black. Bowood Muscat would not, we fear, succeed in a cool 

 greenhouse, it requires a vinery. If you wish for a white Grape, Foster's 

 "White Seedling is good. 



Training Vinca major elegantissima (F. I.). — The shoots need not be 

 trained quite flat, but we should allow them to arch over, peg down the points 

 so as to form a half-ball of the size you require, or you may form the shoots 

 into a pyramid. We consider the half-globe form the best, with the shoots 

 gracefully arched over. 



Gathering Kitchen Apples (Idem). — They are fit to gather when, being 

 inverted, they drop, when they part freely from the stalk, or, when cut open, 

 the pips are brown. You may cut back your ill-shaped Pear trees as you 

 propose, and train the shoots upright. If, however, you cut to where there 

 are only spurs, it is likely you may wait years before you can get a shoot to 

 start at the place required. In pruning, therefore, make sure of a wood bud 

 either at or near where you wish to originate a shoot. 



Clematises for Arches (G. S. H.). — Clematis Fortunei, John Gould 

 Teitch, and Princess Mary are all sufficiently hardy to plant in the open ground 

 and train to arches over flower-beds. They succeed best in light, rich, well- 

 drained soil, with liberal dressings of manure. 



Potting-up Roses (J. S.). — The Roses having "done no good" planted 

 out, we fear they will be very unsatisfactory in pots. As they are two years 

 old you will need to pot them in 8 or 9-inch pots, and as they are on the 

 Mauetti stock the union of the scion and stock should be buried. We should 

 cut the shoots back to within five or six eyes of their base if strong, or to three, 

 or even two if weak. They should be potted at once, and pruned when you 

 take them into the house, say in January, keeping them up to that time in a 

 warm position or in a cold pit, the pots plunged to the rim in coal ashes. 

 Your standard Niphetos, Safrano, Madame Falcot, and Marechal Niel would 

 succeed admirably in pots in a conservatory. 



Flower of Eden Carnation not Thriving — Cattleya Harrisonle 

 {W. H.). — We think if you were to add a fourth part of old hotbed manure 

 and a third part of leaf soil to your loam, which we presume is of a strong 

 gritty nature and full of fibre, the plant would grow more strongly and no 

 doubt flower. If this do not effect the desired end we should raise fresh 

 plants. If once plants of this class become weak they seldom return to vigour, 

 and there is no hope but to raise fresh plants from cuttings or layers. The 

 Cattleya ought to succeed in the temperature you name, which wo apprehend 

 is only that of the present or winter season. H it is, however, the summer 

 temperature, it is very much too low. During the growing period the tem- 

 perature should be 60° to 65" at night, 75° to 85° or 90° by day, with shade 

 from bright sun. The atmosphere requires to be moist, also the block or pot 

 on which the plant is growing. In winter it should have a drier atmosphere, 

 and no more than a sprinkling of water occasionally to keep it from shrivel- 

 ling. In winter a temperature of 55° at night and 65° by day, with a rise 

 from sun heat to 75° or more is suitable. 



Autumn Raspberries not Ripening (Kenilworth). — We presume you 

 -cut down the canes in February close to the ground, as advised by Mr. Rivers, 

 and thin out the shoots in May, or rather pull up the weak ones, leaving the 

 strong 1 foot apart ; but as they show abundance of fruit late in autumn 

 which do not ripen we should say the climate is too cold. It may, however, 

 be a result of wet and cold soil. Plant in a light soil, and warm exposure, hut 

 unless you practise in the southern counties we fear your chances of success 

 are small. 



Celery Overgrown (Idem).— This season, though large, Celery is not of 

 very good quality. The stalks are hollow, and the centre stem is much more 

 advanced than we are accustomed to expect at this season. We have about 

 half a dozen sorts, and there is very little difference in them. The best is 



Sandringham Dwarf White. We attribute it to the long- continued and ex- 

 treme moisture of the season. 



Conifers for Damp Situation (Conifera). — The only subject that does 

 well with us is the Norway Spruce (Abies excelsa), which roots very near 

 the surface, and attains noble dimensions. We have many trees on such a 

 soil as you describe, associated with Huntingdon Willow, Weeping American, 

 and Kilmarnock Willows, Weeping, Silver, and Cut-leaved Birches, Alder, 

 Scarlet, and Variegated Dogwood, Deutzia scabra, and Gueldres Rose. The 

 White Poplar succeeds well, and is very effective when coming into leaf. 



Making a Rose-bed [A Five-years Subscriber). — Your proposed plan is 

 good — namely, to trench the ground 3 feet 6 inches deep, take the clay out, 

 and put in about 9 inches of brickbats and lime rubbish at the bottom for 

 drainage, then mix the marl and loam together with some good stable manure 

 and a few crushed bones. We presume you have provided a drain to the bed, 

 below the drainage, to carry off tho superfluous water ; if not, you will need one, 

 otherwise your bed will only be a pit to hold water; and we have further to 

 suggest that you add " strong fresh turfy loam" to your other ingredients 

 equal in amount to the clay removed, which will raise the bed considerably. 

 The bed should be 1 foot higher than the surrounding ground level, as from 

 the depth of the loosened material it must settle considerably. We would 

 commence operations at once, and plant this month or early in the next, 

 mulching well with littery manure after planting. The Hybrid Perpetuals 

 will probably thrive in your bed remarkably well. 



Constructing a Fernery (Little Lady). — Having the fernery sunk is good' 

 and will be a means of securing more uniform moisture, and there will be 

 a considerable accession of warmth. As to the arrangement, we should form 

 the sides into a rockery all round, except the doorway, and have it jutting out 

 in some places and receding in others, arranging the stones firmly so that 

 there will be no danger of their slipping, and varying the height of the 

 rocks as much as possible, so as to give a rugged aspect. In building the rocks 

 we would leave some good-sized pockets, crevices, and ledges, in which soil 

 could be placed for the plants. lit the centre, or on one side, you can intro- 

 duce a miniature waterfall, with a basin of water at the foot, and fountain 

 playing from it ; but, though we have a fountain iu our fernery, we consider it 

 would have been well omitted. The best stone we have used is an open soft- 

 grained freestone, and the nest best is probably sandstone. Pebbles or stones 

 with a close flinty grain are not good. Materials from the limestone forma- 

 tions are very good, especially petrifactions. Avoid all stones with a smooth 

 hard face, they are slow in becoming covered with moss, and the seedling 

 Ferns do not take to them freely. 



Stove for an Orchard House (R. T. F.). — After the buds of trees begin 

 to swell we object decidedly to any stove or any fuel that does not carry into 

 the open air by means of a chimney the products of combustion. A good- 

 sized iron stove with the conditions frequently and lately referred to, would 

 suit your purpose best, as you could remove it easily when not wanted. A 

 metal pipe 4 inches in diameter would make a good chimney if frequently 

 swept. 



Trees for an Orchard House (T. IP., Shrublands). — H you have not 

 already the Pears against the back wall we would substitute Peaches and 

 Nectarines in their place, or even late Plums, as Coo's Golden Drop. For 

 an early and late Peach we would select GrosBe Mignonne and Walburton 

 Admirable. The Cherries, Plums, &c, will do well, but in so Bmall a house 

 the back wall is rather too good for Pears. We have had them fine even in 

 pots, but the flavour was apt to suffer. 



Replanting a Vinery (A Constant Reader). — If well done Vines maybe 

 planted at any time, the times requiring least trouble are October and March. 

 Young Vines grow away well, but for ourselves we would prefer taking up 

 nice Vines four years planted, and replanting them carefully, to young Vines. 

 H the job is to he done, the sooner it is done the better. The Vine roots 

 should be carefully lif ted and kept damp before replanting, spreading them out 

 nicely, and by mulching afterwards, keep the soil warmer than the air of the 

 house until the buds break. 



Various (A Reader). — The Scilla under the glass of your jardiniere will re- 

 quire more free exposure to air than will suit the Adiantum and Selaginella. 

 We would remove the Scilla. For the arrangement of your beds with such 

 variety we would plant on the mixed plan without any definite arrangement, 

 though the back and centres of groups may easily be made to pair or contrast. 

 We have far too little knowledge given to us to be able to judge; and then, 

 though ready to advise and criticise, we cannot undertake to plant gardens. 

 If the place is small the best plan is to give a small space to each favourite, 

 and arrange chiefly by colour and height. 



Flower-beds (D. C). — The looking-well will depend much on the bank 

 of grass not being too steep. The planting would do, but we would alter the 

 four l's by surrounding Iresine Lindeni with yellow, and the four 2's, yellow 

 Calceolaria, with Viola cornuta Perfection. The rest as stated. 



Loxium giganteum CULTURE (Idem). — It requires treatment similar to 

 other Lilies. Should not be kept quite when at rest. Should have a good 

 crown preparatory to throwing up a strong flower-stem, and then should be 

 fed with manure water, as the stronger the stem the finer will be the flower 

 pyramid. 



Pruning Roses 'G. £.). — For flowering in the last week of June we 

 should prune all the Hybrid Perpetuals and Bourbons now, and the Noisette 

 and Tea-Bcented in February. We should have preferred ashes to litter for 

 plunging the pots in, but the latter will answer, though not so well. We 

 should have plunged in ashes in a cold pit, with, for the Tea-scented varieties, 

 some protecting material over the lights in severe weather, removing it and 

 exposing fully in mild weather, but not during rain. We should not only 

 winter but grow them in cold pits, or in such a position that they could be 

 protected from frost and heavy rains, exposing fully in mild fine weather. 

 Give top-dressings of rich compost, and. water, after the buds show until the 

 flowers expand, with weak liquid manure at every alternate watering, 

 sprinkling overhead twice daily — i.e., morning and evening, from the com- 

 mencement of growth until the buds show colour, then leave it off. 



Rose (A Subscriber). — There is no Rose called Celeste Forestier. Celine 

 Forestier is meant. 



Vallota purpurea Treatment (An Amateur). — The treatment required 

 by this plant will be found at page 294 of the number for October 19th, 1871. 



Names of Fruits (R. W. H.).— 2, Doyenne du Cornice; 3, Baurre Bronze; 

 4, Doyenne Rouge; Sand 6, Quite rotten. (J. Howard).— -If you send us spe- 

 cimens we will endeavour to identify them. We cannot afford space for 

 descriptions. 

 Names of Plants (G. A.).— Adiantum cuneatum, Wedge-leaved Maiden- 



