September 6, 1S64. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE ANT) COTTAGE GARDENER. 



191 



Maple only forms a medium-sized tree, with a dense, leafy, 

 spreading, round, bushy head, full of irregularly extended 

 branches and small spray of a dark brown colour when 

 matured ; while the Acer Lobelii, on its native mountains in 

 Naples, forms a large erect tree, with not very many branches 

 or much spray, but with rather stout, erect, straight, glossy, 

 pea-green shoots, more or less streaked with white. The 

 leaves are very slightly heart-shaped at the base, quite 

 smooth, thick in texture, shining above, and of a glaucous 

 green colour, with the lateral lobes of the leaf less developed 

 and abruptly pointed. 



The Acer Lobelii is said to have been introduced by Lord 

 Coventry, and first planted at Croonie, his lordship's seat 

 near Worcester, where, according to Mr. Loudon, the finest 

 specimen of the tree in England was to be seen in 1839, it 

 being then 20 feet high, and in some years it bore seeds. 



The tree is perfectly hardy, of rapid growth, and one which 

 certainly deserves to be planted in all pleasure grounds or 

 parks, on account of its stately appearance and cheerful 

 aspect. It was first introduced into England in the year 

 1826, according to Mr. Sweet. — Geoege Gordon, A.L.S. 



RED SPIDEE os VINES— PEEKING FILBEETS- 

 CALCEOLAEIAS DYING OFF. 



I have at the back of my vinery some Peach and Nec- 

 tarine trees, which are much infested with red spider. 

 Although the crop has been gathered for more than a fort- 

 night I have been afraid to syringe, or use any means to 

 destroy the insect, as my Grapes are now pretty well ripe. 

 I now perceive that it has commenced its attacks on the 

 leaves of my Tines, as likewise on some Capsicums which I 

 have growing in pots in the same house. The latter I have 

 dipped in Gishurst compound at the rate of 1 oz. to a gallon 

 of water, but should be glad to be advised by you what to 

 do to my Vines and Peaches. As the Grapes are now ripe, 

 I am afraid to syringe them with the mixture. 



How should Filberts be pruned to keep them dwarf? 



My Calceolaria Kayi keeps dying off, even plants that 

 have been in and flowered all the summer before. I have a 

 bed of amplexicaulis by the side of them, of which I have not 

 lost a plant. Could you tell me the cause ? — Noeth Devon. 



[Tour case is an instance of the great care that is re- 

 quisite when Vines, Peaches, <tc, are grown in the same 

 house. You may be thankful that the Grapes were almost 

 ripe before the spider from the Peach trees commenced upon 

 them, as that will prevent the flavour being much injured. 

 You can now do little except in the way of palliatives, unless 

 you resolve to go to the trouble of washing every leaf with 

 soap and water, or such a decoction as you name of Gis- 

 hurst compound. 



In the first case we would clear out all the Capsicums, 

 syringe the back wall with Gishurst just high enough up to 

 be sure that not a drop fell oh the Vines. Then we would 

 paint every open place on the north wall with a paint of 

 soft soap, water, and flowers of sulphur, and shut up the 

 house early in the afternoon when the sun was still brisk 

 upon it. Then, if there are hot-water pipes, we would coat 

 them over with sulphur and lime, and put a brisk fire on in the 

 evening, and keep the house shut for several nights, giving 

 air, however, early in the morning. These means will act 

 -as cheeks and palliatives. 



If you try the second plan, it would be well to remove all 

 unnecessary laterals, and then carefully sponge every leaf, 

 without allowing a drop to touch the bunches. You must 

 rely for completely getting rid of the enemy, on thorough 

 cleaning after the Grapes are gathered and the Vines are 

 pruned, such as syringing the whole house, glass, wood- 

 work, and Vines with warm soap water, washing all with 

 the same with a brush or cloth, not omitting the Vines, 

 painting the latter with clay and sulphur, removing 2 or 

 3 inches of soil inside the house, watering with water at 

 160°, and fresh surfacing with new soil, after the walls, &c, 

 have been limewashed. Then, at least the top of the back 

 wall should be painted with sulphur. 



In a dull day you could put a fire on and keep the house 

 not quite close, but with only a little air on at the back. "We 

 can hardly hold out hopes of your being able to do more 

 than keep the enemy in check until your crop is gathered, 



To keep Filberts dwarf and in a good bearing state, you 

 should treat them very much as you would a Gooseberry 

 bush, as they generally bear best on short, stumpy young 

 wood. 



It is difficult to tell you why your Calceolaria Kayi keeps 

 dying, whilst amplexicaulis keep well on. The free-flower- 

 ing at the early part of the season might have exhausted 

 the Kayi, and more especially if the roots had been at all 

 cramped before turning them out. Some of our Calceolarias 

 are also going, but that is solely owing to the drought ; as 

 though the stems have had three sprinklings from showers, 

 the roots have had no moisture for more than two months, 

 all the rain at any time not wetting the dusty earth more 

 than the eighth of an inch deep. We presume that you 

 have not had to complain of dryness, because amplexicaulis 

 is the first to suffer from that ; and we can suggest, there- 

 fore, no other cause but very free early blooming, early 

 cramping of the roots, or a soil deficient in nutriment.] 



GRUBS AT THE GREENS.— No. 2. 

 Many thanks for your reply to my grubby question in last 

 week's Journal, but as it is only a partial answer, the better 

 half withheld, I humbly ask for the rest. The charge of 

 "heresy" is a serious one against a clergyman, and "The 

 Chaplain," to boot ; so that the sooner I recant the better, 

 as it appears that upon the knowledge of the scientific name 

 depends a thorough cure. Pray what is it ? Such an ap- 

 pellation does not resemble Butler's account of 

 " A rhetorician's rules, 

 Which serve him but to name his tools." 



As even troublesome insects refuse to die unless learned 

 cognomens are given to them. 



This reminds me of an anecdote of a physician who wrote 

 a prescription (oh, the heretic !) in plain English. The 

 patient died. The apothecary declared that " of course Mr. 

 Dash died, as the doctor did not write his prescription in 

 Latin." Vulgar " Leather-coat " shall die by an old dinner- 

 knife, but in his prior scientific stage he shall die by what- 

 ever sprinkling process you kindly state. I ask on public 

 as well as private grounds, for if next year the grubs in- 

 crease, the family grub in many a house will painfully 

 decrease. The benefits of a right belief are always great, 

 so I am no longer a heretic, but in this, as on every other 

 point, an orthodox — Wiltshire Rectoe. 



P.S.— I fear I do not always write plainly, thus I wrote in 

 my last contribution on this subject, "fat yellowish green 

 grub," not flat. 



[Our indignation is calmed, and we shall at once surprise 

 our correspondent by informing him that the parent of his 

 grubby marauders is no other than the " Daddy Long-Legs, 

 Tijmla pratensis. The females are now depositing their eggs 

 in the soil, and this is prevented by sprinkling a mixture of 

 soot and gas-lime over the surface of the ground where Cab- 

 bageworts or Lettuces are to be planted.] « 



THE TRIAL BEDDING PLANTS AT CHISWICK. 



Some time ago there appeared in your Journal some very 

 clever little articles on mechanics as applied to gardening 

 purposes. I forget whether there was an article on the 

 wedge, but if not it was certainly an omission ; and I am 

 going now to show you what a useful instrument the wedge 

 is, especially the thin end of it. 



In the " Proceedings " of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 for August, September, and October, 1864, there appeared 

 this notice — " Show of Trial Flowering Plants and Fruits at 

 Chiswick, with promenade." Very attractive information to 

 me, particularly as a certain garden ghost some months ago 

 had hinted the difficulty of arriving at a satisfactory know- 

 ledge of the vast numbers of bedding plants alluded to by 

 your correspondents, and advertised in your columns. 



At Chiswick I arrived after a very hazardous journey by 

 rail from London, and a dreadfully hot walk from the station 

 to the Gardens. Do you know what a sell is ? If ever a 

 poor parson was sold, I was on that same Saturday the 27th 

 of August, 1864. " Trial beds !" Now we shall see these 

 Geraniums, Verbenas, &c. "Where are they?" "There 



