128 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
greenhouse. It may be cut down after blooming and must be safely preserved 
from frost. A clever article on the plant appeared in the Floral World for 
May, 1870. We should not advise pruning the oleander, the best time for 
pruning is immediately after the summer bloom. 
Variegated Ivies. — P.B., Nantwich. — We have not space to enumerate all 
the beautiful varieties of the ivy ; but the following are very attractive : Eedera 
helix nigra ; II. h. aurea ; H. h.lucida ; IT. grandiflora pallida ; H.g. macula ta ; 
H. h. chrysophylla ; H ■ h. marginal a grandis. We should advise you to consult 
Mr. Hibberd’s exhaustive treatise on the subject, any bookseller will supply it to 
you. It is probable that your vine was insufficiently fed while in full vigour of 
growth, and by a deficiency of water the berries got hard and were unable to 
expand when a large supply of juice was thrown into them. The evil you 
complain about will be best remedied another season by judicious treatment while 
the vine is growing. 
Asparagus Bed. — H.S., Aylesbury. — You do not tell us the age of your bed. 
It is not desirable to cut until the third year. 
Gourds. — W.H.A., Shaftesbury. — The best gourds for summer use are 
Moore's Vegetable Cream, and Hibberd’s Prolific Marrow. The best as a winter 
vegetable is the Pound Warted Squash. For further information we should 
advise you to consult Mr. Hibberd’s new book on The Kitchen Garden, which has 
lately been published, and which contains a large amount of new and valuable 
information. 
Hyacinth Bulbs. — C.P.G., Acton. — The bulbs imported into this country 
are usually sent here in their third year, that being the period at which 
the bloom generally attains its greatest perfection. Subsequent to that period 
the energies of the bulbs are more devoted to offsets than to bloom, and 
consequently the flowers suffer. The offsets can be grown until their third 
year, when they, under proper cultivation, should attain their greatest perfection, 
but they should not be allowel to bloom until their third year. We anticipate 
yours are imported bulbs, and therefore you may expect offsets from them next 
year instead of good bloom. We do not recommend painting the inside of 
flower-boxes, and Mr. Mollison in his work. The New Practical Window-Gardener, 
speaks decidedly against the practice. We are glad to hear that the magazine 
has been of service to you, but we must be proof against your compliments and 
preserve our incognito. 
Deformed Cyclamen and Geraniums. — H. T. Humskough. — Your plants 
are evidently infested by some insect. Try a good fumigation. 
Asparagus. — C.S., Chepstow. — The mould applied in autumn should be 
forked over j and if more than six inches in depth a part may fall into the alleys. 
The manure in the alleys must not be disturbed ; in the course of the summer it 
will be filled with strong roots, which will much improve the shoots in the spring. 
Tomatoes. — Ignoramus. — Tomatoes should be raised in heat ; they may bo 
planted at the foot of a dry bank cr against a trellis where they are not exposed 
to currents of cold air. 
Vines Shanking. — P.S.T., Hants. — The shanking in your case appears to 
arise from your vines being allowed to bear more branches than they can carry. 
This affection arises, however, from so many causes that we canuot undertake to 
say whether we are right or not in our conjecture. 
Thrips. — C. Neal. — The odour from bruised laurel leaves is said to kill 
Thrips. The leaves should be dispersed all over the frame, but they must not be 
allowed to touch the plants. Shut up your frame and allow it to remain closed 
for two hours, then give a little air, but allow the laurel leaves to remain for a 
few hours longer. After the laurel leaves are removed syringe the plants with 
warm water. 
Orange Leaves. — Amateur. — Judging from the appearance of the leaves 
vonr Orange-trees are in a bad state at the root. Imperfect drainage is probably 
the cause of the evil. We should advise you to repot them now into a compost 
of fibrous loam and peat well mixed together, adding pretty liberally rough 
pieces of charcoal. They like the very strongest manure, but be careful to have 
the pots well drained. 
