January 22, 1898. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



59 



NSWERS.T 



CORRESPONDENTS^ 



The 



Editorial communications should be addressed to the Editor of the Gardeners' 



Magazine, 148 and 149, Aldersgate Street, E.C. 



Editor will be glad to receive photographs of gardens, plants, flowers, trees, 

 fruits, &c, for reproduction in the Gardeners' Magazine. He will also be 

 greatly obliged by correspondents sending early intimation of interesting local 

 events relating to horticulture. In sending newspapers containing matter to 

 which they wish to draw attention, correspondents are requested to distinctly 

 mark the paragraph. 



Specimens of plants, flowers, and fruits for naming or opinion should be sent to 



the Editor of the Gardeners' Magazine, " Endsleigh," Priory Park, Kew, 

 Surrey, and as early in the week as possible. All parcels must be sufficiently 

 prepaid. 



Secretaries of horticultural societies are invited to send early notification of forth 

 coming exhibitions and meetings, and are requested to advise us concerning 

 change of dates 



Mushroom Cultivation. — F. W. N., Southampton : A hmiy little book 

 on the subject is " Mushrooms for the Million," published at 171, Fleet Street, 

 E.C, price is. 2d., post free. An article on <k Mushrooms for Exhibition" will 

 shortly appear in these columns. 



Bussian Salsafy. 



G. S., Aberdeen : We are not aware that any form r{ 



Salsafy is the popular name of Tragopogon 



and naturalised in Brirain. 



salsafy is called Russian salsafy. 

 porrifolium, a plant common in Northern Europe, 



You may take it that no better forms of this vegetable are to be found than those 

 offered by the leading seedsmen in Britain. 



Ufelons. — McA., N.B. : Deeply ribbed melons are not now much grown, 

 ar.d as a iule those without ribs are better flavoured and more handsome. Two good 

 scarlet-fleshed varieties are Syon Perfection and Blenheim Orange, and two good 

 green-fleshed sorts, free and rich, are High Cross Hybrid and Hero of Lockinge ; 

 the latter has a very pale flesh, but is a handsome and luscious fruit. About four 

 to six fruits to a plant will be sufficient for your purpose. 



Potash for Cherry Trees.— S. G. R., Kent : The best and cheapest 

 potash manure for your purpose will be muriate of potash. This should be used 

 at the rate of one or two hundredweight per acre, and no delay should be made in 

 its application, as autumn dressings are better than spring ones. Muriate of 

 potash is very suitable for light and peaty soils. Kainit is a good artificial manure 

 for orchards ; it contains about 32 per cent, of potash, and should be applied at 

 the rate of six to eight hundredweight per acre. , Doubtless you are aware that 

 wood ashes form a splendid potash manure. 



Gasheated Boilers.—" Perplexed ,J asks : M Will any reader who has had 



experience with greenhouse boilers heated by gas, kindly give his opinion of same, 



as I have one under my charge which is not quite satisfactory ? It is one of 



Kenlon's patent gas boilers, fitted with two burners, set in brickwork covered with 



cement, and with outlet for fumes outside the house. The flow and return pipes 



pass through the woodwork under the stage. The pipes have been tested several 



times, and there appears to be no escape of gas that could find its way into the 



house. There is plenty of heat if both burners are used, or they can be regulated ; 



the water has the same appearance as water in a boiler heated by a fire, and yet 



there is a peculiar faint odour in the house which causes flowers to wither and 



foliage to turn a sickly colour as though over- watered. I have other houses 



warmed by ilre-heated boilers, and the difference in the plants in them is at once 



apparent, and to the advantage of the plants." Answers on this subject will 

 oblige. J 



aggots in Cineraria Foliage. — A. B. C. : Your cinerarias have been 

 attacked by a pest similar to if not actually the same as the Celery Fly ( Tephritis 

 onopordmzs) The fly deposits its eggs upon the foliage during summer and 

 autumn, and as the grubs hatch they penetrate the cuticle and feed upon the sub- 

 stance ot the leaf. This causes the blistered appearance so frequently seen 

 ceiery lohage, and in a lesser degree in celery leaves; in the latter one 

 can trace the progress of the maggot by the white lines caused by the 

 cnanne it has eaten. The pest will be found at one end of such channel 

 fo ? 179 should be killed by pressure between the thumb and 



re-ringer. If the plants are held so that the leaves come between the eyes and 

 dit Sff 15 S ° P° ssible to det ect the grubs. The fly is most dangerous in hot, 

 cool m - f C( . )! ? se( l uenU y ft J s a necessity that young cinerarias be placed in a 

 th* }? Ist r llon ; , An occasional spraying with weak tobacco liquid will render 

 nolhini 88 C dl ? wt « ful to the % and P^vent the deposition of eggs. At present 



? be 1 don . e be y° nd Wiling the maggots, removing the badly infested 

 *aves, and gently stimulating the plants by the use of a little liquid manure. 



shoJfd°hi nf iTr r f 6 P , alm and Tree Fern ~ S ' F " C > Croach Hiil : There 

 SSS iS «S ? lffic r ult y whatever in shifting the palm to the centre of the house. 



the se^fnrlv f T* ** careful 'y as possible, so that neither it nor the roots of 



Wran?£ * "5 {* ama g ed i th ^ fern will stand rougher usam than the mlm. 

 »rap the roots of th* fr« ;~ „ i>. : „f /t — ^ 



a warm 0^1, ™ — ™~ "* «* *~* ymce tne specimen in 



trunk alES S° Use ' w t e £ the mat and roots can be ke P* moist ; also moss the 

 the steS U S pe , r ha ! f .° f its len S th at Ieast ' and kee P moi5t ■*» eventually 

 Having dki^c^ n * P ur d ln a tub or F ot " Remove m °st of the fern fronds, 

 cartinc awav °Ji he .[ ern > m *ke a dee P and ,ar g e hole N the bed where it stood, 

 round the rLu ?lt £ ° lL , Then ' a,lowin S as Iar S e a bal1 of soil as possible, work 

 the roots win * ^ p , a,n > and as the work P roceed s plank up the sides so that 



wood 



ZS?ot«l P la " nks "and then 1>y of pol 



transfer tV ,? ,en K ths of slender scaffold poles, it wi 

 [tatwI -Ji _ , roI1 ers should be as wide as the ball of t\ 



form 



transfer. 



The rollers should be as wide as the 



es as levers and three 

 ill be easy to effect the 

 of the palm. Have some 



food soil readv anH j • M W,de ^ 1 ° f the P alm - IIave some 



remove the nlantc .^ arm , i n lhe house » and as Soon 38 the P a,m is in position 



tepid water Vv PaC u k the soil around the roots - Finish off a watering 

 we have seen far larger palms than yours moved with 



uccess. 



acre varies with the size of the sets. 



— Rex, Ely : The dressing of kainit which you 

 propose is too large ; you would be wasting money to give it to such land. A far 

 better dressing, especially as you intend following the potatos with strawberries, 

 would consist of five hundredweight of kainit and three hundredweight of super- 

 phosphates per acre ; this would also help the fruit trees. You would have to lift 

 the potatos for early sale, as they would not be in a ripe condition and fit for 

 storing at the time you intend to plant the strawberries. Beauty of Hebron is a 

 good variety for the purpose. A comprehensive work upon potatos is " The 

 Potato in Field and Garden," by W. J. Maiden, price 3s. 6d., and obtainable 

 from W. A. May, 150, Strand, W.C. The weight of seed potatos required per 



Twelve to fifteen hundredweight psr acre 



will be sufficient if good sets are used, that is, those that pass through a sieve of 

 two-inch mesh but will not pass through one with inch and a half mesh. A ton 

 of larger sets would be needed. 



Spot on Apples.— J. D., Devon: The black spots upon the apples are 

 caused by a fungus known as Apple Scab {Fusidadium pyrinum bt Cladorsporium 

 dent n tic urn). Anything that can be done to assist the tree should be done at 

 once, such as thinning out crowded growth, washing and liming the trunk and 

 branches as far as possible, and also giving a good dressing of manure. It the 

 surface soil for some distance round the tree can be removed and replaced by a 

 good dressing of road scrapings, wood ashes, burnt refuse, and old potting soil 

 well mixed together, then the tree will make new surface roots that will assist it 

 in the struggle against the scab. In fact, whenever strong strong measures have 

 to be taken for the removal of a pest that is sapping the health of any plant and 

 spoiling the crop, then feeding at the roots should also be done. A spraying wiih 

 a weak solution of carbonate of copper should be given while the trees are 

 dormant, and with a weak solution of Bordeaux mixture when the young leaves 

 are expanding and before the flowers open ; for the latter spraying the proportions 

 of the ingredients should be 6 lb. of lime and 12 lb. of sulphate of copper to 

 100 gallons of water. No spraying should be done while the trees are in flower. 

 As the foliage becomes stronger, and when the fruits are well formed a slightly 

 stronger solution can be used, but if the mixture above given is applied in the 

 form of very fine spray about it it may be repeated at intervals of about three 

 weeks until fear of the disease is past. We have frequently given in these columns 

 the method of mixing the ingredients of Bouillie Bordelaise. 



C. II. , Axminster: Jasminum nudiflorum. 

 The specimens were not in a recognisable condition; not being 

 packed in a damp moss or other material they were badly shrivelled, and also, 

 owing to the flimsy nature of the cardboard box, they came to grief during 

 transit. Light tin boxes are the best for sending specimens in. Neither name or 

 address were sent. 



Eulalu 



Names of Plants 



A. B C. : 



B. J., 



zebrina : 



Romford 



6, 



1, Euphorbia splendens ; 2, Iloya carnosa ; 3, 

 4, Epiphyllum truncatum ; 5, Ophiopogon Jaburan variegatum 

 Scirpus riparius, commonly known in garden as Isolepis gracilis ; 7, Centaurca 

 ragusina. 



B. S. L. ? Hartlepool: I, Acacia lophantha ; 2, A. verticillata ; 3, Asparagus 

 Sprengeri ; 4, Panicum plicatum. 



R. D. B., Westgate : I, Ixora Williamsi ; 2, Asplenium biforme ; 3, Maranta 

 zebrina; 4, Cyanophyllum magnificum ; 5, Gymnogramma gloriosa schizDphylla; 

 6, G. peruviana. 



Names of Fruit. 



J 



Magnum Bonum, and the small one Five- crown Pippin. 



O. C, Brentwood: 1, Bramley's Seedling ; 2, Round Winter Nonsuch. 

 J. B., Ealing: 1, Catillac ; 2, Easter Beurre. 



F. R. M., Nantwich : I, Lord Derby ; 2, Mere de Menage ; 3, Winter Nelis. 

 W. S., Wolverhampton : I, French Crab ; 2, Ribston Pippin. 

 R. G., Ross : The cardboard box did not well withstand the somewhat rough 

 usage of the Post Office authorities. So far as we can make out the fruits are : 1, 

 Beurre d'Aremberg; 2, Beurre Delfosse ; 3, Downton Pippin. 



-K. and S. — B. and S. — M. C. — II. B. — 



Communications Received. 



T. S. W.— R. S.- 

 W. A. C— G. H.- 

 E. M.— B. J.— B. S. L. 

 — W. S. — R. G.— A. F 



M. W. 



_W. B.— W. C. and S.— S. C. — R. D.— E. B.- 

 K. P.— T. D.— R.— S. H.— J. D.-J. II. P.— W. H. L. 



R. D. B. — C. T. D.— C. H. — O. C— J. B — F. R. M. 

 -S. H. — W. W.— J. D. -T. S. — G. W.— J. T. 



B. 



R. D.— J. G.— J. D.— G. H.-W. J. G.— F. V. T. 



MARKETS. 



Covent Garden. 



lR a long spell of open weather and large supplies of vegetables, there is now a 

 enino- in the supply of green stuffs, Good Brussels sprouts realise high prices, 



Fruit in moderate supply, and chiefly 



Aktb 



shortening irfthe supply oi green 

 and there is a slight general upward tendency, 

 from Canada, United States, and France. 



Fruit. English apples, 4s. 6d. to 15s. per bushel ; Nova Scotian and American, 



I25 # to 35s. per barrel ; French pears, 4s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. ; Californian, 83. to 103. 6d. 

 per' ca<e ; English grapes, is. 3d. to 2s. 6d, per lb. ; Almeria, 103. to 183. per ban-el ; 

 pineapples, is. 6d. to 5s. each; bananas, 5s. to 10s. per bunch ; lemon?, 6s. to 183 

 pei case : Canary tomatos, iod. to is. 6d. per tray, 3s. to 4s. 6d. per case ; trench 

 chestnuts. 6s. to 9 s. ; Italian, 12s. to 14s. per bag; Valencia oranges, 8s. to 163. per 



caie; Jafti, 8s. to 12s. 6d. 



Flowers.— Arums, 33. to 5s. ; carnations, is. to 3s. ; chrysanthemums, is. to 

 3S. ; gardenias, 3 s. to 5s. 5 Lilliurn Harrisi, 4s. to 6s ; tea roses, 6d. to is. ; 

 pink roses, is. to 3s.: cattleyas, 6s. to 10s. ; Odontogiossum enspum, is. 6d. to 

 4s ' tulip* 6d. to is. ; and tuberoses, 6d. to 9d. per dozen blooms ; Adiantum 

 cuneatum '4s to 8s. ; chrysanthemums, 6s. to 12s.; marguerites, 2s. to 4s.; migno- 

 nette 2s! 104s.; pelargoniums (scarlet), 6s. to 12s.; and violets, is. 6d. to 2s. 

 per dozen bunches ; azaleas, gd. to is. 6d. ; stephanotis, 4s. to 6s.; white narciss, is. 

 to 26. ; Roman hyacinths, 6d. to is. ; lily of the valley, is. to 2s. ; and pelar- 

 goniums, 6d. to is. per dozen sprays; bouvardias, 6d. to 8d. ; white lilac, 3s. to 4s. 

 per bunch. 



Vegetables.- Celery, 9s. to 15s. per dozen rolls; sprue, 5s. to 7s. p.r dcz-n 

 burdles; turnips, 3s. to 3s. 6d. ; carrots, 2s. 6d. to 3s.; parsley, is. ^d. to 2s. 

 '~ ' *m -c- ah r^r rWpn hunches : shallots. 2s. to 2s. 6d. : mushrooms, 6s. 



is. sci. to is. cd. per half sieve; cetiruuis, 2s. 10 3 s.; parsnip*, uu. iu » 

 cabrjages and savoys, 3s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. per tally ; asparagus, 4s. to 5s. per bundle, 



Borough Potato Market. 



A very quiet trade prevails, ard there is a downward tendency in piices, although 

 supplies are slightly smaller than usual. ... ^ ^ 



Dunbars, 115s. to 125s. ; Hebrons, 90s. to 105s. ; Snowdrops, 85s. to 95s.; Bruce, 

 Maincrops, and Sutton's Regents, 80s. to 90s. ; Reading Giants and Saxons, 8cs. per 

 ton ; Belgians, 3s. 9d. to 4s. I Germans, 4s. 3d. per bag. 



