October 4, 1364. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



279 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*** We request that no one will write privately to the de- 

 partmental writers of the f Journal of Horticulture, 

 Cottage Gardener, and Country Gentleman/' By so 

 doing they are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and 

 expense. AH communications should therefore be ad- 

 dressed solely to The Editors of the Journal of Horticul- 

 ture, #c, 171, Fleet Street, London, JE.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. 

 Storing Filberts (Stella).— These, as well as Cob-nuts, should be left in 

 the husks, put into earthenware jars, and placed in a cold damp cellar. 



Veronicas (IT. H".).— As there are about 130 species, exclusive of a 

 multitude of varieties, we cannot undertake to publish their names and 

 colours. If jou refer to the " Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary " you will fiud 

 them there. 



Bush Pear and Apple Thees (An Old Subscriber). —To give " full parti- 

 culars," such as you require, would require a whole page ot our Journal. 

 Buy Rivera's " Miniature Fruit Garden." 



Bcnsen's Burner. — Iu answer to "G. S.," it may be obtained at any 

 philosophical instrument maker's, and at many of the large gasfitters' shops 

 in any large town. I do not remember the exact price, but it is only a few 

 shillings.— A. W. W. 



Cinerarias Wanted to Bloom (Gardener). — As the plants are now 

 throwing up their bloom-stems, and you wish them to flower, you must not 

 stop or pot the plants, but place them near the glass, and admit abundance 

 of air, guarding against injury from green fly by fumigating with tobaccn 

 on its first r.ppearanee. They will bear slight, forcing, a temperature of 

 from 4£t Q to 50° being warm enough ; but they muBt be kept close to the 

 glass, affording at the same time abundance of fresh air. 



Fuchsia Leaves Spotted (E. M. IF".)-— We do not observe anything the 

 matter with the leavtB except that they are assuming their autumn tints, 

 and appear as if splashed with thin whitewash, which may be due to 

 syringing the plants with water holding lime iu solution. In other respects 

 the leaves appear healthy. 



Orange Tree from a Pip (Idem). — It will bloom most assuredly ; and how 

 it has been growing tor ten years without blooming is a puzzle. We have 

 bloomed them frequently at four and six years old. If you are tired of 

 ■waiting, you may graft it in spring, plunging the pot in a hotbed in April, 

 and when it breaks or sends out shoots, put in grafts by side-grafting, 

 leaving a couple of inches of the scion below the union, so that this heel 

 may dip into a phial containing water, fastened by the neck to the stem of 

 the stock, at a suitable height. You may also inarch, which is the surest of 

 all modes ot grafting, or bud it ; in the latter case putting in the eyes from 

 half-ripened wood, any time from June to August. The operation is per- 

 formed in the same way as with Koses. 



Cineraria maritima ani> Centaurea candidissima Propagating and 

 Wintering (T, S.).— This Cineraria, you say, is not hardy with you; and 

 such is the case in many places, for this simple reason — the soil is too damp 

 and rich. On dry gravelly soils, and on rockwork, it is perfectly hardy; 

 and the way we keep it over the winter is to transplant it in autumn to the 

 foot of a south wall, where we allow it to remain until spring, when we 

 plant in its proper position, and by dividing the large roots obtain sufficient 

 plants to fill the space previously occupied. In some soils and situations 

 Cineraria maritima will not live. You may, therefore, take up a few 

 plants and pot them in any light loamy soil, keep sparingly supplied 

 with water, and winter in a dry airy situation in the greenhouse. In 

 February place in a temperature of 55° or 60", which will encourage the 

 production of side-shoots. When these are of sufficient size to make into 

 cuttings of three joints, cut them across transversely below the lowest leaf, 

 and remove it and the next above it, leaving one with the growing point 

 at top. Insert the cuttings in moist silver sand, and plunge the pot in 

 a bottom heat of from 75° to 8(T. Place a bell-glass over the cuttings if the 

 atmosphere of the house is dry, but if it is culm and moist the bell-glass 

 may be dispensed with. Keep the sand moist, but avoid wetting the 

 foliage. If the sand be kept very wet the cuttings will damp off. They 

 will root in a fortnight or three weeks, and may then be potted. Continue 

 them in heat until established ; then remove to the greenhouse and 

 gradually harden-off prior to planting-out. Cemaureacandidissima requires 

 the same treatment, only the cuttings must be taken off close to the stem 

 of the old plant, so as to have a heel ; and they should not be planted 

 oat so soon by a month, or not before the beginning of June. These 

 Cinerarias may be raided from seed sown in February ; but the foliage is not 

 so bright in coiour as that produced by cuttings from old plants. 



Geranium Leaves turning Ykllow (Gardener). — We are unable to 

 detect anything the matter with the leaves enclosed, and think they are 

 yielding to natural decay through age. Want of water at the root may 

 have hastened their early maturity. In other respects we do not see any- 

 thing the matter with them. You may cut the plants down now, and they 

 will push again before winter ; and when the shoots are an inch or two long 

 they may be potted, reducing the ball considerably. Such plants will 

 bloom splendidly next year in April and May. 



Sea-kale Forcing for Christmas (Idem).— To have it ready at Christmas 

 the roots should be placed in a temperature of from 55° to 60°. Under the 

 stage of a stove wih do well, and an inverted flower-pot, with the holes 

 stopped up, will answer for blanching the shoots, putting it on in the second 

 week in November. If you force the plants where they grow, hot dnng 

 should be placed on the pot about the same time, or six weeks before it is 

 Wanted for use. The roots will not do to force twice. The shoots are weak 

 enough from the early forcing, and they are useless for forcing again before 

 a matured growth takes place. 



Grapes Shanking (J. W. H., Lancashire).— As the Vines did so well 

 last year, would it not be advisable to try them another year? Perhaps they 

 had too heavv a crop or wanted watering, if e"er they do want it in 

 Lancashire, for in the south it has been so dry. However, if you resolve 

 on raising the roots, you cannot do it too soon to secure fresh roots. The 

 material you speak of {the top spit of a pasture), will do very well if 

 thrown up at once. It will do with little lime if you take a thin film of turf 

 off, which will make a nice heap for potting, and use the other turf after 

 the grass is removed 2 or 3 inches deep. When turf is used at once, and 

 then with a good deal of grass in it, it is apt to heat too much. Move the 

 flags. 



Name op Dianthcs ( TF. F.).— It is one of the legion of Indian Pinks not 

 one nt which has a name. Seeds from it would produce plants not one of 

 the Mowers of which, probably, would be like those of the parent. 



Peach-house (A Seven-years Sttbscriber).— We think your proposed 

 arrangements will answer very well. We would have preferred a double 

 ridge-board, covered with your cap at apex, the ridge-bourda a foot apart, 

 and a swing ventilator between them. We would move the two pipes close 

 to the front farther in by 2 or 3 feet, if you mean to plant the trees there, 

 within 15 inches or so of the glass. You have ample piping, six rows (four 

 might do) ; but you are quite right to have six, as they need never then be 

 too warm ; and you will be able to coat them with sulphur from the time 

 the buds break, and that is the best safeguard against red spider. Such a 

 house would be best with its ends north and south, or its side south-east 

 and north-west, and, a true span would look best. We presume one sida 

 of your'a face-? the north considerably, and that, too, will answer well 

 enough. We do not see clearly the object of having pipes in the chamber, 

 beneath the outside border for the early house, to be covered with glass, 

 under the present arrangements ; but if, in addition to the 9 or 12 inches of 

 rubble beneath your 2£-feet-deep border, you placed open conduits of 

 pipes, such as small round dram-pipes, every 3 feet or so across the 

 bottom of the house, anions the rubble, aud raised these liue3 of pipes in 

 several places above the surface of the border at the back, then these two pipes 

 in the chamber would give a mild heat to the border throughout when you 

 commenced forcing. The top of the pipes at back mi^ht be plugged, and 

 opened when a moist air was deemed necessary. You will not have too 

 many trees at first ; but most likely two trees for each side will ultimately 

 be enough, unless you root-prune. For such a house half-standards will be 

 better than standards. Early Souse (Front). -One dwarf Elruge Nec- 

 tarine, one Violette Hative ditto, one half-standard Noblesse Peach, (Back). 

 —Half standards: one Early Grosse Mignonne Peach, one Barrington, one 

 dwarf Violette Hative or Bellegarde. Late House (Front).— One dwarf 

 Walburton Admirable Peach, one dwarf T£ton de Venus, one half-standard 

 Roman Nectarine. (Back).— One hulf-standard Peach, Salway, one Galande 

 or Chancellor (if very late), one dwarf Pitmaston Orange Nectarine. 



Vines in Balcony Vinery (A Five-years Subscriber).— The Apples sent 

 are Barchard's Seedling, correct, a good cooking Apple; and the other is 

 [ the Winter Greening, a first-rate keeping Apple for kitchen use. For 

 your raised balcony, greenhouse, and vinery, we would prefer that the 

 border for the Vines shouid be made partly under the balcony, and also in 

 front of it; and we would plant the Vines in front of the pillars, and enclose 

 them in a three-sided wooden case, placed against the pillars, and the stems 

 packed in sawdust. As this house, 1 5 feet by 1 0, is to contain Camellias, Rho- 

 dodendrons, &c , with Vinesoverhead, and to beheated solely from the sitting- 

 room, the door of which can be left open from 10 p m. until 7 a.m., we would 

 recommend that in severe weather iu winter the Are should be replenished at 

 bedtime. Everything will be safe enough if the soil in the Camellia pots do 

 n<>t freeze. If a small boiler were placed at the back of the fireplace, and pipes 

 taken from it, the house would be still more secure, and the room-door 

 might be shut at night. As the back wall of the house is now supplied with 

 a Sweetwater Vine, and that is a beautiful Grape when well grown, we would 

 not have more than four Vines on the roof, one at 3 feet from each end and 

 the other two equally divided. To make the most of the Sweetwaters the 

 house should he kept rather close when they are in bloom ; and several 

 times during the day in sunshine the dry hand, or a dry feather, should 

 be drawn over the bunches, so as to promote free setting. But for your 

 objecting to the flavour of the Black Hamburgh, we would have recom- 

 mended you to have two Hamburghs and two Royal Muscadines in such a 

 house ; but as you must have the Muscat flavour, we would advise two 

 plants of the Muscat Hamburgh and two of the White Frontignan. The 

 Muscat Hamburgh was very fine in Mr. Lane's orchard-house last season, 

 but that house is now heated. For variety you might have one Muscat 

 Hamburgh and one Esperione, or one Lady Downes', which would prolong- ' 

 the season of Grape-gathering. We have ripened White Frontignan without 

 fire neat. If you had not a Sweetwater against the back wall, we would 

 have recommended Buckland Sweetwater; but though a nice Grape, 

 and hardy, it has no Muscat flavour, which you wish; and although the 

 berries of the White Frontignan are rather small, they are exceedingly rich, 

 and for our own eating we prefer them 10 the Muscat of Alexandria. For 

 strong Vines that would give you a little fruit next season, with not les-i than 

 9 feet ot good stem, you would have to pay, we presume, from 5s. to 15s. 

 each, according to strength and prominent eyes. We would advise you, 

 however, not to take much from them the first season. For such Vines the 

 first thing to be avoided is stagnant water, and, therefore, a drain from the 

 border will be necessary. Above that it will be advisable to have a foot of 

 rubble, of clinkers, stones, brickbats, &c, and then from 18 to 24 inches of 

 soil. If fresh rough loam all the better; and it may have a tenth part of 

 brick rubbish and a twentieth part of rotten dung mixed with it, along 

 with eight or ten bushels of broken or bruised bones. We would use little 

 cocoa-nut refuse, but a few bushels will do good. We would prefer a 

 rather thick muslin for shade in early spring, fixed on the roof inside by 

 rings. It will keep out nearly as much cold as frigi domo. and it will be 

 more pleasant to look through during the day. After the Vines grow and 

 fill the house, such a shade will not be wanted after May, The blinds may 

 be hooked on with rings, a foot or so from the glass. 



Pelargonium (T. S. S.).— The variety to which you refer has not as yet 

 been sent out. 



Alligator Pear (P. C.).~ Sow the pips in equal parts of loam, peat, and 

 leaf mould, next March, and plunge the pots in a hotbed at b0° or 85°. 

 When up and growing repot, and place in a stove, giving tfiem the same 

 treatment as stove plants generally. Unless you have room to accommodate 

 a goodly-sized Apple tree in your stove you will make poorly out in grow- 

 ing this tree for its fruit, for it attains a height of 40 feet. It is from the 

 West Indies. 



