236 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 20, 1884 
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 (R. C.). — A full chapter on Auriculas is included in our “ Manual 
of Florists’ Flowers,” price id., post free 4 \d. A larger work dealing with 
these plants is Mr. J. Douglas’s “Hardy Florists’ Flowers,” which can he 
obtained from the author, The Gardens, Great Gearies, Ilford, Essex. 
Worms on Lawns (G. H .).—We know of no safer or simpler plan for 
cleansing lawns of worms than saturating the ground with clear lime water. 
A peck of lime placed in a cask with forty gallons of water will provide what 
you want. It will need to be skimmed, however, and used in a perfectly 
clear state. It will not injure the grass, but will bring the worms to the 
surface, from which they can be swept and disposed of. 
Pruning Holly Hedges (Sussex). —There is no better time for trimming 
Holly hedges than during mild weather in April, as the sap is then becoming 
active and the after growth is quick. It is well also to go over them in 
August, shortening any growths that are unduly vigorous, and a more equal 
growth and better furnished hedge will result. A knife is much better than 
shears for the work in question, as severing the leaves, which must occur 
when shears are used, mars the effect of the work. 
Converting a Slope into a Terrace (J. T. S.). —Your plan of dwarf 
walls would answer very well, and might be rendered highly ornamental 
with balustrades of open stonework and vases or tazzas along the top, con¬ 
tinuing the balustrades down the sides of each flight of steps. A much less 
expensive and equally efficient plan would be to substitute short turf slopes 
for the walls if there is sufficient space for them. Before taking the whole 
of the long slope in hand let a section of it be dressed into as many levels 
and short slopes as may appear necessary, in order that you may study the 
effect and make any alterations without unnecessary outlay. 
Exhibiting Conifers (E. P. C. B.). —We should not send any of which 
you have a doubt as to the accuracy of the names, nor any that are very 
small. Let what you forward be sent as typical examples of good growth, 
and as indicating the natural advantage of your district for the growth of 
the plants or trees. We should not remove more of the tap roots than is 
necessary for enabling the transplanting to be done in boxes conveniently 
and well. They should be well watered at the roots, and sprinkled occasionally 
over the foliage, and shaded for a time if the weather be bright. They 
would be established the sooner if placed in a house or frame and kept rather 
close for a few days or a week. This, however, is not essential, and with 
careful management you may succeed without any such aid. 
Old Ashleaf Potato ( Lough gall). —In reply to your question, Mr. 
Iggulden writes :—“If ‘ Loughgail’ will refer to page 183 he will observe I 
did not state this good old sort ‘ can still be had.’ It is still cultivated in 
several private gardens, but I am sorry to say I cannot inform him where he 
can purchase any seed. It is a pity someone does not work up a large stock 
of it, as there is no doubt about its being the best early Potato in cultivation. 
The tubers are not unlike Yeitch’s Improved Ashleaf, but the sprouts are 
much thicker and are of a reddish green colour, whereas those in Yeitch’s 
and other early Ashleafs are generally purple. The greatest quantity of it I 
have seen was grown by Mr. Taylor at Longleat, and I believe Mr. Bardney 
grows it extensively, and may be able to state where it can be bought.” 
Cucumbers and Tomatoes (A Lancashire Header ).—We have never seen 
finer crops of Cucumbers and Tomatoes than in an instance where both were 
grown in the same house ; it was, however, a span-roofed structure, having 
Cucumbers on one side and Tomatoes on the other, still it afforded conclusive 
evidence that the temperature and management were equally suitable for 
both crops. We perceive you wish to grow Tomatoes on the back wall and 
Cucumbers on the roof. If you plant very strong Tomatoes, and have them 
as much as possible in advance of the Cucumbers, you may succeed in having 
a fair but scarcely a heavy crop of the former. We have seen very use¬ 
ful Tomatoes grown on plants trained to the back walls of vineries, but the 
houses were lofty and probably lighter than yours. You have little to lose 
in trying the Tomatoes as suggested, as they are more likely to succeed than 
Cucumbers in the position in question, and with care in setting the fruit and 
good management generally you may possibly obtain some good dishes of 
fruit. 
Seedling Cineraria (J. H .).—Although you endeavoured to pack the 
flower so that it should reach us in a fresh state, you quite failed in your 
object, as most persons fail who use cotton wool instead of moss for packing. 
The florets are very broad and the colour rich, but we cannot judge satis¬ 
factorily of the form of the flower owing to the curled and partially shrivelled 
florets. We are, however, pretty certain the variety does not possess nearly 
equal merit with the best that are certificated by the Floral Committee of 
the Royal Horticultural Society. You will be quite justified in naming the 
variety and growing it under name, but we do not apprehend it has any par¬ 
ticular commercial value, as we scarcely think a florist who grows the lead¬ 
ing varieties for sale would purchase it. 
Root Culture of Vines (J. A.). —The remarks of Mr. D. Thomson to 
which you refer apply equally to inside and outside Vine borders. Unless 
the soil is filled with active roots, and especially near the surface, it is very 
easy to waste much money in the purchase of prepared manures for dressing 
the borders. We have known many pounds’ worth of fertilisers applied to 
Vine borders which contained few or no fibrous roots, while where these 
were working nothing was applied to the soil. The majority of the fibrous 
roots of Vines are often in a very different part of the garden from where 
the owner expects them, and he consequently wastes manure by applying it 
in the wrong place. We have seen many instances of this. We also know 
of still more, where manure is wasted because given in excess on account of 
there being so few active fibrous roots in the soil to absorb its virtues. The 
practice described by Mr. Thomson of encouraging the increased production 
of surface roots is exactly in accordance with advice that we have en¬ 
deavoured to give on various occasions. A network of active roots close to 
and bristling through the border may be regarded as the first essential 
towards success in Vine culture, and of infinitely greater importance than 
any amount of artificial manures of whatever kind applied to borders which 
contain few of such roots. Mr. Thomson takes care to provide roots before 
he gives top-dressings, and this is what everyone should do who desires 
heavy crops of fine Grapes. Even inside borders may with advantage be 
mulched with manure, and the moisture and food will attract the roots up¬ 
wards ; whereas if the surface of the soil is allowed to be loose and dry they 
are inevitably driven downwards either into inferior soil or out of the border 
altogether, and brick walls will not stop them unless the bricks are laid in 
cement. 
Carnations not Flowering (J. S.). —A temperature of 65° by day and 55° 
by night during the dark dajs of winter is too high for Carnations, but we 
do not think that that was the sole cause of the failure, and in all probability 
the plants had very different treatment in the nursery in which they were 
grown than they received after you obtained them. For instance, they may 
have been grown in a pit, the pots plunged in cocoa-nut fibre refuse or some 
other moist medium, and exposed fully to the air by the removal of the 
lights in all favourable weather. If this were so, which is probable, the 
check they would receive by being placed on the dry stages of a house and 
kept too close and warm would be quite sufficient to cause their collapse. 
The secret of growing good plants for winter flowering is to raise them 
annually from strong and sturdy cuttings, and to keep the plants strong, sturdy, 
and freely growing throughout the summer, either in the open air after May, 
or in pits from which the lights can be drawn if the locality is very cold 
and heavy rains prevalent. The full details of culture cannot be given in 
this column. We shall shortly publish an article by a successful grower of 
these plants that will be of more service to you than anything you can find 
in any book with which we are acquainted. 
Treatment of Orchids — Heating ( L. I. K.). —The Cattleyas will require a 
continuation of good treatment to insure strong growth this season, which 
must be well matured. Supply them liberally with water, and maintain a 
good temperature in the house. Dendrobium Cambridgeanum will also 
require rather more water now, but the D. Jamesianum must be in bad 
condition. Turn it out of the pot or basket, remove all the old material 
and employ fresh healthy sphagnum and fibrous peat, placing the plant in a 
warm position for a time, and supplying water very carefully until fresh 
growth is being made. An excellent article on potting Orchids will shortly 
be published that will be useful to you. The number of feet of piping your 
boiler will heat depends upon the superficial area exposed to the action of 
the fire. Every square foot of such surface is estimated to heat 40 to 50 feet 
of 4-inch pipes, or 55 to 66 feet of 3-inch pipes, but this is only approxi¬ 
mative. If the pipes and boiler are connected by 3-inch pipes the circulation 
will be quicker than if the smaller size is employed, otherwise it is of little 
consequence. 
Sulphate of Ammonia ( F.H .).—This active fertiliser is best applied in 
the form of a top-dressing to crops in a growing state in spring, and that 
are not making satisfactory progress. Sprinkled over the roots, not the 
foliage, in showery weather, at th# rate of from 1 to 2 ozs. per square yard, 
hoeing the ground as soon afterwards as possible, usually has a marked effect 
in expediting growth. It accelerates the movement of all green crops, pro¬ 
moting the increase of stems and foliage ; but if given too freely, or to crops 
that are already growing freely enough, it is calculated to do more harm 
than good. We have known Potatoes, Peas, and Beans rendered over- 
luxuriant by its use, and not bearing freely in consequence. In such cases 
there is not only a loss of the fertiliser that is applied, but the strong-grow¬ 
ing plants deprive the soil of other constituents, and do not give a corre¬ 
sponding return. It is in the same way lhat some farmers have made the 
land poor by using nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia too freely to their 
corn crops. But while we have known loss incurred by the injudicious use 
of the fertiliser in question, we have seen great benefit result when it has 
been applied wisely. It is almost impossible to teach a person when and in 
what quantity to apply powerful stimulants, and to what crops to apply 
them, without knowing their condition and the nature of the soil. By far 
the best plan is for each individual to use the fertiliser experimentally on. 
the lines indicated, and note its effects on his soil and crops. For plants in 
pots a pinch between the finger and thumb is sufficient for sprinkling on the 
soil of a pot 5 inches in diameter, or, if mixed in water, a quarter of an ounce 
of the sulphate to a gallon of water will suffice ; but in neither form will it 
be of benefit until the plants need more support than the soil affords. 
Vines for Late Grapes (H ., Belgium). —We presume you require the 
Grapes for commercial purposes, but you do not say so, and you appear to 
want a number of varieties. For the house you describe, which, properly 
managed as regards heating and ventilation, would answer very well, yon 
will probably find Muscat of Alexandria the best of all white Grapes, and 
Gros Colman the most profitable of the black varieties. Mrs. Pince’s Muscat 
is better in flavour, but does not usually bear so heavily nor colour so well. 
Lady Downe’s Seedling keeps later, but is much smaller in bunch and berry, 
yet good well-kept crops are profitable. Black Alicante is one of the most 
certain bearers, and the massive bunches of well-coloured berries have an 
imposing appearance, but the quality is not of the highest, neither, indeed, 
is that of Gros Colman, as a rule, though it is often very good, but the size 
of the berries of these last two varieties when well finished usually tempts 
purchasers. All the varieties named may be grown in the same house, but 
we should not include the Duke of Buccleuch except it was particularly 
desired, and we should then only plant one Vine as a trial. The Muscat of 
Alexandria succeeds quite well on its own roots, and so do the others; in 
fact, you can only purchase young Vines on their own roots in England. 
You can graft or inarch afterwards if you prefer. The Muscat of Alexandria 
makes a good stock for most varieties of Grapes, and Gros Colman succeeds 
well on the Black Hamburgh. We never recommend dealers ; it would be 
most unfair for us to do so. Good Vines have been many times advertised in 
our columns, and possibly they may be found in the present issue. It is quite 
time that Vines are purchased for planting this spring, as if the buds swell 
materially they are liable to be broken off in transit. We are not sure that 
we understand the height and width of your house—namely, 22£ feet. Thi& 
is an extraordinary height. Without a sketch drawn to scale of the house 
