374 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
r May 8, 1884. 
only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, and we 
do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
COMMUNICATIONS.—Owing to the great pressure on our columns, several 
letters and communications that arrived on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings 
cannot be inserted this week. 
Summer-pinching Fruit Trees (F. J.). —The “correct thing” is to 
study the condition of the trees and act accordingly. If they are fairly 
vigorous you may pinch early, but if inclin' d to be weak it is better to 
defer the operation, as their extended growth will encourage root-action. 
You will not err by allowing them to grow a little longer, and then pinch 
to four or five leaves. By pinching to three all the back buds might start if 
the trees are vigorous, and thus you would defeat your object. 
Shoulders on Vine Bunches ( L. Bannerman). —If the sketch you have 
sent is accurate, or nearly so (and we have no reason for doubt on that 
matter since we have seen hundreds of bunches like it), by all means take 
off the top isolated shoulder at once, or it will spoil what without it will be 
a good-sized and handsomely formed bunch of Grapes. 
Propagating Passifiora (G. IF.).—Portions of young shoots just getting 
a little firm, but not by any means hard, made into cuttings 3 or 4 inches 
long, strike freely if inserted in sandy soil and covered with a bellglass in 
a warm house, but the soil must be kept moist and the cuttings shaded to 
prevent flagging. We scarcely understand the condition of the slip to 
which you refer, but from what we can gather from your letter you appear 
to be adopting the best method of striking it. 
Fungus on Tacsonia ( R. G. IF.).—The fungus is not the cause of the 
injury to the stem of your plant, but a result of it. The exuding sap affords 
a suitable medium for the germination of the spores, and the fungus spreads, 
as in the example you have sent. If you do not check the escape of sap 
and heal the wound in the stem your plant may collapse. We advise you 
to mix some powdered charcoal and freshly slaked lime together and cover 
the wound thickly. If the powder gets moist apply more, and with a little 
perseverance we think you will succeed in your object. 
Topping Melons {Reader). —You have evidently missed some words out 
of your letter accidentally, and thus rendered your question somewhat 
obscure. We gather, however, that you chiefly want to know if a growth 
resulting from the topping will do as a leader for producing laterals for 
bearing fruit. It will do very well if the plants are well grown. We have 
grown hundreds of fruit during a series of years on plants similarly treated. 
If you desire to know more than this please state your wants as clearly as 
possible. 
Apricots Eaten (IF. S.). —We suspect that some of the fruits have been 
injured by frost, and have fallen off in consequence, while others may have 
been imperfectly fertilised, and therefore have not swelled. The fruits on 
the spray sent appear to have been eaten by large snails about the time of 
setting, and as the fruits swelled the injury would become more apparent. 
The tree is infested with leaf-rolling maggots, and unless these are picked 
off they will do much injury. 
Setting Melons {Uxbridge). —You had better fertilise the flowers as they 
expand, about the middle of the forenoon when the pollen is dry being a 
favourable time for the work, and then when you have a sufficient number 
of fruits swelling regularly you can remove the surplus, and by that time 
few other flowers will be produced. The precise number of fruits to leave 
depends on the size and condition of the plants. Possibly the comparative 
failure last year was due, to some extent at least, to too much moisture in 
the frame ana too little heat. This is often the case wdth frames heated 
with manure unless great care is exercised in adding fresh linings and using 
coverings for the glass judiciously. 
Pelargoniums Luxuriant {San Juan). —It is not often that Zonal 
Pelargoniums produce such luxuriantly abnormal trusses, and we can only 
attribute the result in your case to an excess of nitrogenous matter in the 
soil, the result of the decaying turf and the added manure. An admixture of 
lime rubbish and very firm potting would have prevented the evil, which, 
however, we do not think will recur with these plants, though young and 
vigorous examples, unless potted as indicated, may be similarly disappoint¬ 
ing. The spot is a disease apparently not more easy to account for than 
many little ailments which affect individuals. If the disease spreads the 
only remedy is to cut down the plants quite below the parts affected. 
Mildew on Roses {Idem). —In all probability the plants need more 
nourishment at the roots. Until the turf decayed they grew freely, but 
since then they have not had the support that was necessary for keeping them 
healthy. Give liquid manure copiously, with fresh soil if needed. Sulphur 
the pipes, also syringe the plants with a mixture of softsoap and sulphur. 
Mr. JBardney, who grows hundreds of Roses under glass, never has any 
mildew on them, but prevents its appearance. He boils 4 tbs. of softsoap 
for twenty minutes, then adds four gallons of water, and half a pint of this is 
added to four gallons of water and used every time syringing is done, whether 
once or twice a day. 
Millipedes and Peas {J. A .).— The small worms you have sent are of a 
species of Julus, commonly known as millipedes, which appear to be un¬ 
usually numerous this year, possibly in consequence of the extremely mild 
winter. We can suggest no safer mode of eradicating them than periodical 
applications of clear lime water. Try the effects of it and favour us with 
the results. You might also try petroleum experimentally, commencing 
with an ounce of the oil well incorporated in a gallon of water by violent 
and constant agitation during its application. The spray you have sent is 
of Euonymus radicans, which is grown for the beauty of its foliage, and you 
will possibly have to wait some time before the shrub flowers. 
Abnormal Vine Leaves {J. G. $ Co.). —We attribute the distorted 
condition of the leaves you have sent to a sharp current of air when the 
Vines were starting, which checked the expansion of the foliage, in fact 
injured the cuticle. When the force of the sap became greater the parts 
that were not injured developed with the curious result of which you have 
sent examples. We suspect also by the appearance of the large uninjured 
leaf that a rather high temperature has been maintained, and this would 
render the effect of a driving current of cold air the more injurious. We 
have seen a similar example of distorted foliage on a Vine that was 
undoubtedly caused by the frost wind driving through the aperture over 
the top of a door, and when this was prevented the Vine produced no more 
abnormal leaves. 
Mushroom Bed Failing {J. S.). —It is no trouble to us to answer the 
questions of our regular subscribers. In all probability the surface of the 
bed has been kept too warm, and perhaps been too thickly covered, hence 
the spawn has been attracted upwards, and has not taken possession of the 
bulk of manure. The temperature you name (65°) is about 10° too high 
for producing large fleshy Mushrooms. There are no finer Mushrooms 
produced than when a good portion of straw is included in the manure, 
but it must be well prepared. If you have not read Wright’s “Mushrooms 
for the Million ” the sooner you obtain it the better. It can be had post 
free from this office in return for Is. 2d. in stamps. You can send stamps 
for your quarterly or half-yearly subscription to the Journal if you like, 
since you find it so difficult to get a post-office order. It appears you have 
not seen the paper since we answered your last question. 
Amaryllis formosissima {Trike). —You are fortunate if all the imported 
bulbs you obtain produce flowers, as failures are not by any means uncom¬ 
mon. After flowering the plants must have a very light position in a mode¬ 
rately warm house or frame, and be induced to develope stout healthy foliage. 
In a very hot sunny position in summer the growth will become matured, 
this being essential for the production of future flowers. With active roots 
the plants must be freely watered until the leaves are fully developed, when 
the supply should be gradually reduced, and towards the autumn it may be 
withheld altogether. 
Training Cucumbers {Idem). —You have done right so far provided the 
leaders are a foot apart. If they do not produce fruit-bearing laterals 
naturally, as they ought to do when half way up the trellis, the leaders may 
be topped again ; the laterals that will follow should then be pinched either 
at the fruit or a leaf beyond it, according as space suggests, the pinching to 
be done as soon as the incipient fruit is seen, and one of the growths can be 
retained as a leader. 
Marechal Niel Rose and Heliotrope {Idem). —We should shorten the 
shoots that have bloomed to such strong buds that you find show signs of 
starting freely, top-dress the roots if needed by removing a portion of the 
old soil and adding fresh, grow the plant in a very light house, keeping the 
foliage scrupulously clean, and thus induce young growths that would ripen 
and produce flowers another year. This Rose flowers much more freely on 
the young shoots made after this period than on the older wood that is 
shortened to spurs. Any variety of free-growing Heliotrope will do for the 
back wall, but we should grow it to a good size in a pot before planting in 
the border, and especially if the position be shaded. 
Strawberries not Swelling {R. S.). —Assuming the plants have received 
no check at the roots, either by being allowed to get too dry at some time or 
by an overdose of liquid manure, we can only account for the hard state of 
the fruit to the sudden appearance of the sun acting powerfully on them 
after several days of dull weather. In the hot summer of 18G8 we had 
quantities of Strawberries out of doors similar to those you have sent, and 
the only good fruits of President were obtained from under the leaves. If 
the roots of your plants are perfectly healthy we suspect we have indicated 
the cause of the evil, and we regret its occurrence on such a large scale, as it 
must be highly disappointing. 
Mushroom Bed not Heating {Invicta, York). —The drenching that the 
manure received and then making into a bed so small is quite sufficient to 
account for the failure. Even the best of materials would scarcely ferment 
in cold weather in such small bulk. Even a trial bed should be at least 
3 yards long. Small quantities of manure should be prepared under cover, 
such as in a shed or under a temporary arch of boards, zinc, or thatched 
hurdles. No particular time can be named for inserting the spawn. _ The 
only safe course to pursue is to wait until the bed has heated to its maximum 
and the temperature has commenced declining ; then when it is about 80 , or 
perceptibly warm 2 inches below the surface, the spawn may be inserted. 
If a very thick covering of straw does not incite fermentation in your bed 
the only means to adopt is to get some fresh manure, making this the 
foundation, and covering it at least a foot thick with your present sweetened 
but cold material. The bed, however, is not large enough. The prices 
alluded to are retail. 
Liquid Manure for Pansies {F. J .).—The diluted drainings from manure 
heaps are good for Pansies. Half a peck of cow or sheep manure placed in a 
cask containing from 20 to 30 gallons of water would also give you an 
excellent stimulant for the plants. Soot water made as has been so often 
described is also safe and good. This and all liquid manure should be used 
in a clear state, which may be effected by placing a few lumps of lime in the 
vessel, and afterwards removing the scum from the surface of the water. 
We have not had any complaints relative to the advertiser you mention, and 
we have therefore no reason to doubt his respectability. We will forward 
your letter to him if you desire us to do so. 
Heating from Kitchen Boiler {J. Baron). —The water would not circu¬ 
late in pipes 4 feet below the top of the boiler unless first forced into a 
water box at least 4 feet above it, and from this conducted round the con¬ 
servatory. Then the boiler would have to be closed—not have a lid, as so 
many kitchen boilers have, and a feed cistern would have to be placed over 
the pipes in their highest point, and consequently the furthest from the 
boiler, level with the water box above alluded to. The water would then 
circulate, but not perhaps very briskly, whereas if pipes were simply taken 
from the boiler and made to dip down to the house below it would not 
circulate at all. 
Lawn Sprinkler {An Old Subscriber). —We do not know the particular 
“ sprinkler ” to which you refer. If it is the same as an irrigator that has 
been exhibited in the Royal Horticultural Soeiety’s gardens by Mr. J. 
Deverill of Slough, it is useful for the purpose of watering lawns. It con¬ 
sists of pipes of various lengths elevated on a wheel carriage and furnished 
with jet and spray roses. It is readily moved about, and lawns are speedily 
■ and well watered where a good supply of water can be turned on for the 
purpose. It was awarded a certificate of merit in 1883. Endeavours shall 
be made to obtain the information you need on cotton culture. 
