158 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ February 21,1884. 
William Paul & Son, Paisley.— List of Florists' Flowers. 
George Templeton, Prestwick, N.B.— Catalogue of Florists’ Flowers. 
Louis Van Houtte, Ghent, Belgium.— Catalogue of Gesnerac&ous Plants. 
Wm. Rennie, Toronto, Ontario.— Seed Catalogue for 18S4. 
%* All correspondence should be directed either to “The Editor” 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the staff often remain unopened unavoidably. We 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon - 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions relat¬ 
ing to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended for insertion should be written on one side of the paper 
only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, and we 
do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Books (IF. J .).—We are Dot able to answer your questions. Write to 
Harrison Weir, Esq., Weirleigh, Brenchley, Kent. 
“ Solidified” Sap (Ritchie ).—Why do you desire us to ask Mr. Iggulden 
what he means by the above term ? We do not remember that he has 
advanced any such theory as your letter indicates, and which you endeavour 
to controvert. If you will be good enough to point out the page in which 
Mr. Iggulden has employed the term you quote, and in the sense you imply, 
we will place the matter before him, and he will doubtless be able to “ explain 
what is meant.” 
Variegated Parsley (J. IF., Pershore ).—The Parsley sent is attractively 
variegated. We should certainly save seed from the plant with the object of 
ascertaining whether the variety could be perpetuated in this manner, the 
same as variegated Kales are, and should not permit any of the ordinary 
green Parsley to flower in the vicinity of your plant. 
Removing Bulbs (M. I .).—Narcissus and Crocuses appearing above the 
soil may be safely transplanted if a large quantity of earth is secured with 
the roots and these are kept constantly moist when out of the ground. 
We have often taken up such plants and flowered them in pots satisfactorily 
a week or two afterwards. We presume you wish to remove the plants to 
another garden ; if so, the sooner you do that the better, as every day’s delay 
will lessen the chances of success. If it is a question of removing them or 
losing them, we should certainly try the former alternative. 
Primula Emperor (IF. J. M .).—This very handsome Primula was shown 
by Messrs. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, and undoubtedly deserved the certificate 
awarded, for the flower is of great size, of fine substance, and excellent form. 
Propagating Cornus sanguinea (J. R., Salop ).—Although cuttings of 
this shrub will strike they will not do so with anything like the readiness of 
Osiers, and the usual mode of propagation is by layers in the autumn, or the 
shoots may be pegged into good soil at the present time. 
Potatoes Diseased (71 S., Chertsey). —The tubers you have sent are affected 
with the ordinary murrain, and has been aggravated by a too liberal use of 
nitrogenous manures. We advise you to obtain a fresh clean stock, and if 
you use kainit in the drills at the same rate as you have used guano, and 
top-dress the plants at the time of hoeing with sulphate of ammonia if they 
are not growing fast enough, the crop will, we think, not be less in bulk, and 
will be the less likely to be attacked with the disease. 
Fuchsia procumbens Fruits (Miss A., Carmarthenshire ).—The name of 
your plant is Fuchsia procumbens, a native of New Zealand, where it was 
found by Richard Cunningham in 1834. It abounds chiefly on the east coast, 
growing upon the sands above the tide. It is a common greenhouse plant in 
England, and is pretty both in flower and fruit. The shoots may be allowed 
to hang down around the pots, which should be suspended from the roof if 
this system is adopted, or the branches may be trained over a small globular 
trellis, and the reddish fruits appear very attractive in this way. 
Grubs Infesting Ferns ( L. F.). —The insects sent are the larvae of an 
abundant and troublesome weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus. In the autumn 
the parent weevils very frequently deposit their eggs at the base of the stems 
of various plants in pots, and the grubs feed under the earth from that season 
until the spring. It has been recommended in such cases to apply clear lime 
water freely, or a weak solution of paraffin, say a wineglassful to two or 
three gallons of water. Recently hellebore tea, of the strength of two 
ounces to the gallon, has been found serviceable as an application for the 
destruction of subterranean insects in pots. No insect life can resist this, 
and the plants do not sustain the slightest injury. We advise you, however, 
in repotting the plants to remove as many of the grubs as possible from the 
soil and destroy them. By what you say the Ferns certainly need repotting. 
Loam for Potting and Vine Borders ( L. L. L.). —It is not easy to 
determine the relative merits of different kinds of loam when the samples 
are as dry as if they had been half-baked in an oven. We have examined 
those you have sent carefully, and consider No. 2 decidedly preferable to 
No. 1 for Vine borders and general potting purposes. It is firmer and richer than 
the other, which contains little or no humus, and would not, what gardeners 
term, “ wear ” well. But then it is important to know whether the pasture 
from which No. 2 is taken is saturated or not, and if it is, then the soil would 
not be good until partially dried and aerated as in the sample before us. If 
from a drained—that is, not a water-logged pasture—we should use No. 2, and 1 
add to it lighter ingredients, such as leaf soil, for such plants for which it i» 
naturally too heavy. Although not of first-class quality, it might be made 
to grow most loam-loving plants well, also Vines and fruit trees. No. 1 is 
too poor. 
Begonias for Bedding (J. R.). —Plants well prepared for beds somewhat 
in the manner described on page 138 last week, and planted in good condi¬ 
tion, strong and sturdy, in rich soil, are very different in character from the 
tall weak fragile examples you describe as produced in pots. We have seen 
thousands of Begonias in beds without a stake to support them. The plants 
were inserted about 9 inches apart, the growths 2 or 3 inches high, and stems 
as thick as your finger, the tops of the tubers being placed 2 inches beneath 
the surface, and the soil mulched to keep it moist. The beds were a dense 
mass of stems, foliage, and flowers, and were not injured by wind or rain so- 
much as Pelargoniums were. Whether they will succeed equally well in 
your garden we are unable to say. Much depends on its exposure, and more 
perhaps to the way in which the plants are treated. It would appear to us 
wise to try a few plants this year and gain experience, planting your bed 
with Pelargoniums, which you say are the “ only plants able to withstand the- 
gales without crutches.” Begonia tubers may be preserved as easily as 
Potatoes, and planted year after year. 
Cutting down Zonal Pelargoniums (F. J.). —You may cut down the 
plants now to any extent desired, keeping the soil rather dry than otherwise, 
When they have started and produced growths half an inch long shake the 
plants out of the pots, removing much of the soil from the roots, repotting 
in pots of the same size as before, or smaller, applying water judiciously, and 
if placed on a shelf near the glass in a warm greenhouse you will soon have- 
dwarf healthy specimens that will flower freely during the season. Cuttings 
inserted now strike readily in a temperature of 60°, and well managed make 
excellent plants for flowering in the autumn and winter. It is quite possible 
the Apple may be a small specimen of Lady Henniker. It is passing strange 
to us that you did not give the information when sending the fruit that you 
give now. We note what you say about preserving the Journal; it is a good 
plan, and we thank you very much for your further aid if needed in the case 
you mention. 
Smoke not Ascending Chimney (Chimney). —It is evident there is some¬ 
thing defective about the furnace or the flue carrying off the products 
of combustion. Probably there is no rise from the furnace into the flue, 
which there ought to the extent of at least half that of the depth of the- 
furnace, and then the flue may be taken level to the chimney, as the 2-feet 
rise in the flue from the furnace to the chimney is practically unimportant. 
We should raise the flue at the end next the furnace, so that the smoke will 
rise directly upwards before entering the -flue, and then we think you will 
have plenty of draught, which is really all we can see, from the imperfect 
data furnished, that is needed. We cannot depart from our rule not to 
recommend dealers. 
Making a Lawn Tennis Ground (J. T. Sinclair). —The first consideration! 
where the soil is strong is to drain the ground efficiently, so as to prevent 
water lodging in the subsoil, and then fill up the drains with rubble to 
within a foot of the surface, to which depth the whole of the surface should 
be stirred, or as deeply as the good soil admits, by digging or trenching, but 
not bringing up any or very little of the stubborn soil to the surface. It 
is necessary that the whole of the soil be stirred to an even depth, so that it 
may settle evenly, for if hollows are filled up in order to obtain an even 
surface it is essential that the hills be taken down, and not only that, but be 
stirred to a corresponding depth with the hollows, in order to the whole sink¬ 
ing evenly. If the soil be of a stiff adhesive character some old mortar 
rubbish, rubble, or ashes may be mixed with the top foot, so as to increase its 
porosity, but do not put it in layers, but incorporate thoroughly with the 
soil. To prevent the surface becoming soapy, as heavy soils are apt to do in 
moist weather, add about a fourth of coarse sand to the top three or four 
inches of soil. If the soil be poor add some well-decayed manure, so as to 
favour a free growth of grass, and so form a good sward quickly. The 
ground before sowing should be trodden firmly, but it must be done when the 
ground is dry or when it does not clog to the feet. A fine tilth is necessary 
to be obtained before sowing the seed, which is best done during showery 
weather in April, and rolled immediately the surface is sufficiently dry, that 
the soil does not adhere to the roller. 
Vine Shoots Fasciated (J. G.). —Your Vines are evidently in a strong 
fruitful state, and we think you will not have much to complain about when 
the crop is ripe. The lateral you have sent with its divided axis of growth 
is the result of the union of two eyes or buds, or rather the growths issuing 
from them, which has formed a fasciated stem. You have done quite right. 
We should top the lateral atone or two leaves beyond the most promising 
bunch, and remove the other growth entirely at the same time. The one 
retained will attain strength quickly, and the bunch will receive adequate 
support from active well-fed roots. It is not at all likely that the fasciated 
character will be retained, and the probability is that you will see little more 
of it after this season. 
Cropping Vines (Cambrian). — One pound and a half of well-finished 
Grapes to each lineal rod of Vine is considered a good crop of Grapes, and 
although many crops are heavier the weight named probably considerably ex¬ 
ceeds the average. As an example of heavier cropping, our late correspondent, 
Mr. Honeyman, whose portrait appears in another column, cut from a Vine two 
years after planting having a rod 7 feet long, 19£ lbs. of Grapes, and the follow¬ 
ing year, the rods being extended to 13 feet, the weakest Vine gave 27f lbs. and 
the strongest 46J lbs., some of the bunches weighing over 6 lbs. As to the 
quality of the Grapes, two of the bunches from the house were awarded the 
second prize at one of the largest shows in the kingdom against seventeen 
competitors. The Vines were 3 feet apart, and the crop was extraordinary. 
You may be content if you grow half a pound of first-rate Grapes from 
“ each square foot of roof,” this being equivalent to 1£ lb. per lineal rod, and 
the Vines 3 feet apart. 
Plants in Bedrooms (Idem). —The following observations of an eminent 
gardener and able writer will answer your question :—“ Are plants in rooms 
promotive of health and cheerfulness ? In the case of all living-rooms I 
answer in the affirmative. Delicate people complain of headaches and 
sickness from their presence, and will, therefore, have them excluded, and 
