[ May 29, 1884. 
48i JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
fresh turfy loam and a surface dressing of manure appears to be needed. 
If this cannot be given now, apply liquid manure copiously. Has the tree 
been overcropped ? Are there lenses in the glass above it? Whether there 
is or not, slight shading is advisable to arrest evaporation, as the moisture 
is evidently escaping from the foliage more rapidly than it is supplied by 
the roots, and hence the collapse of the leaves. 
A Peculiar Gloxinia (J. Z7.).—The flower is a singularly formed one> 
the outer divisions of the corolla being exactly like petals, the true corolla 
being perfect, and much rounder than usual. The variety is well worth 
preservation, though we should think it probable that the flower is an 
accidental and not a permanent departure from the ordinary type. 
Bleaching Celery (J. E., Burnley). —We presume you mean blanching, 
which is effected simply by banking fine soil round the stems when they 
are large enough also dry; cocoa-nut fibre refuse, ashes, sand, moss, leaves, 
or indeed anything that excludes the light answers the same purpose, but 
ordinary soil dug from the sides of the trenches, and if heavy broken up 
into fine particles, answers all ordinary purposes. 
Thrips on Vines ( C . G. Fleetwood). —The leaves you have sent are 
attacked by thrips, but not seriously, and by prompt measures you may 
prevent the insects doing any injury to the Vines. Thrips may be de¬ 
stroyed by fumigating on two consecutive nights, repeating the process in a 
week or ten days; but as probably only a few of the leaves are attacked we 
should sponge them with a solution of nicotine soup, Gishurst compound, 
or any approved insecticide of the strength named by the vendors, which 
is two or three ounces to the gallon of water. A handy man will sponge 
hundreds of leaves in an hour, and prevent the increase of thousands of 
insects by destroying the few now established. 
A “ New Fuchsia ” (11. FI. Spencer). —The plant is Eucharidium grandi- 
florum, and though related to the Fuchsia in a distant degree it is too 
widely removed to render your statement that it was “ raised from Rose 
of Castille Fuchsia ” in the slightest degree probable. We have heard of 
a person who believed that the yellow Abutilons had been obtained by 
crosses with some of the Allamandas, and possibly it would have been as 
difficult to convince him that his ideas were not strictly accurate as it 
would be to controvert such a positive assertion as that with which you 
have favoured us. 
Collecting Plants ( Collector ).—If you write to Mr. Smith a month or 
six weeks before you intend leaving the nursery it will no doubt be 
sufficient, and if your intentions are clearly stated there will be little 
difficulty with regard to passing through the different departments. Steady 
application to your work and studies will obtain you friends there who 
will assist in your efforts. Linclley’s “ Descriptive Botany,” published by 
Bradbury, price Is., contains a great number of terms employed in the 
description of plants. 
Cocoa-nut Fibre Refuse for Roses (J. P.). —It is good as a mulching 
for Roses, and encourages surface-rooting when thick enough for keeping 
the soil continuously moist. If the soil is rich, or the plants are well 
supported with liquid manure, Roses can scacely fail to flourish when the 
beds are covered with this material in summer. 
Setting a Boiler (.1 Reader). —If you possess no technical knowledge on 
the subject of setting boilers, and your bricklayer does not understand the 
work, it is not easy to make the subject clear to you without illustrations. 
The best advice we can give to you is to write to the makers of the particular 
boiler to which you allude, and they will possibly be able to supply you with 
an illustrated circular, or will otherwise give you the details you need. If 
they fail to do so you may write to us again and we will assist you as far as 
we can. 
Cuphea platycentra for Bedding (A. 23.).—This is the name of the 
plant of which you have sent a spray. Your plants inserted closely together 
in a small bed near a walk would have a pretty effect; but they would 
scarcely be effective in a vase 20 yards from the front of the house. 
For such a vase and position Pelargoniums and Petunias would be more 
suitable. Some small beds of Cupheas were much and deservedly admired 
at Kew last year. They were only about 2 feet in diameter, and, being close 
to the walk, the thousands of bugle-like flowers could be seen to advantage. 
Had they been 20 yards from the walk their beauty would have been 
practically “ lost in the distance.” 
Single Dahlias {Idem). —Plants now 3 inches high, strong and established 
in pots, will flower freely during late summer and autumn if planted in good 
soil and well supplied with water, and the surface of the ground mulched 
with manure. The plants may be either secured to stakes in the ordinary 
manner or pegged to the ground, the position suggesting the best method to 
adopt. If intended to be pegged down they are best inserted in a slanting 
direction, and take particular care that the soil in the pots is not dry at the 
time of planting. 
Second Crops of Melons {L. J/.).—If you have never been able to 
obtain two crops of Melons from the same plants it does not follow that they 
aie not obtainable. On the contrary, -we have bad many second crops, and 
sometimes these have been even better than the first. For insuring this the 
plants must be early, and the first crop ready, say, early in July ; there must 
be a good command of heat and good cultural attention. The plants must 
not be dried off in the manner that some cultivators deem necessary f .r 
ripening the fruit, but must be kept steadily growing, the foliage always 
fresh, and no red spider or other insects permitted on it. After the first crop 
is cut a slight pruning and rearrangement of the growths may b6 needed, 
and a little of the surface soil removing from the bed, fresh being added to 
incite the formation of fresh roots. These produced, the rest is easy, 
amounting to a repetition of the treatment by which the first crop was 
produced. When the first ripe fruits are removed the plants grow freely, 
and soon commence flowering. Space must be afforded for the newiy 
developing leaves, some of the older, which will be fading, bring removed 
for that purpose. We do not approve of withholding water from Melons to 
improve the flavour ; healthy active foliage well exposed to the light and air 
is far more effectual in imparting flavour to the fruit than dry soil is and 
withered leaves. 
Insects on Plants {II. S. P.). —You ask, “How is it that your plants are 
so infested with green fly ?” We are bound to answer, it is by neglect of the 
cultivator. When such plants as Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Petunias, and 
Abutilons are infested it is quite certain the grower of. them has not compre¬ 
hended the importance of fumigating and syringing with insecticides m good 
time; and no man who permits insects to gain the ascendancy in the manner 
suggested can hope to be a good plant-grower. As we have repeatedly 
stated, the best cultivators of plants never allow any insects on them. Ihey 
syringe and fumigate to prevent them ; and if by chance one or two should 
be seen there is no rest until they are exterminated. When insects are so- 
numerous as in your case they can only be eradicated by very frequent and 
rather strong fumigations, or repeatedly syringing them with some insect- 
destroying solution; and when such strong measures have to be resorted to r 
there is a liability of some of the plants being injured. You had better 
procure some tobacco water or some of the insecticides that are advertised, 
and syringe the plants thoroughly with them according to the directions on. 
the bottles or packages. Those very much infested should, be laid on their 
sides on mats or grass, and turned round to enable the solution to be applied 
to the under sides of every leaf. This must be no mere sprinkling but a 
thorough washing, and the next day the plants should be well syringed with 
pure water, then, when dry, fumigated once a week to keep them clean. We- 
suspect you allow the plants to get too dry at the roots, and keep the 
atmosphere of the house too dry also ; in a word, you appear to be afraid ot 
using water, and consequently become a friend of the insects, which appreciate 
your treatment, and increase and multiply accordingly. 
Liquid Manure for Cucumbers [Idem ).—When the pots are crowded 
with roots and the plants bearing freely liquid manure is of great advantage. 
Guano at the rate of about half an ounce to the gallon of water is an 
excellent stimulant, so also is soot water. You should also top-dress with 
lumps of turf and manure, piling them on the soil and keeping them con¬ 
stantly moist. You would then increase the number of roots to absorb the 
food supplied, and the plants would increase in vigour accordingly. Keep 
them scrupulously clean and maintain a moist atmosphere. 
Planting Carpet Bed (E. Mason).—As you say you have “ plenty of 
Alternantheras and all kinds of plants,” and wish to plant a round bed 
8 feet in diameter effectively on a plan somewhat similar to the sketch 
you have submitted, possibly the annexed design will meet your require¬ 
ments. It is of a “ scroll pattern,” and certainly better than the outline 
you have prepared. This bed may be planted effectively as follows:— 
1, Alternanthera amoena ; 2, Leucophyton or Antennaria ; 3, Alternanthera 
paronychioides ; 4, a gt oundwork of Herniaria or Mesembryanthemum cordi- 
foliurn variegatum ; 5, raised about 5 inches, and the slope planted with 
Echeveria secunda glauca interspersed with Sedum glaucum. Such an 
arrangement well carried out would have a good appearance, but the design 
might be rendered equally pleasing by a different method of planting, and 
on this matter you had better exercise your taste in accordance with the 
plants at your disposal. 
Planting Flower Bed {E. P .).—You ask “ whether it is better to commence 
at the outside and finish in the centre in planting a round flower bed, or to 
start in the centre and finish on the outside, as there is a conflict of authority 
on the point.” As usual, when two extreme courses are advocated the safe 
mean lies between them, and you will not err if you first plant the outside 
row, or perhaps two rows round the bed, and then commence in the centre, 
arranging the plants to meet those round the margin. By finishing on the 
outside such neat and regular margins cannot be had, while working always 
to the centre is often inconvenient. In the London parks one or two outside 
rows are invariably planted first, and it would be difficult to find a neater and 
better disposition of the plants. 
Hot Water for Plants (M. D .).—The paragraph to which you refer is 
probably the following, but whether hot water is as potent as represented 
m reinvigorating plants we must leave you and such other readers as may 
be interested to test the matter, proceeding cautiously and experiment¬ 
ally :—“ M. Willermoz, in the French ‘ Journal of the Society of Practical 
Horticulture,’ relates that plants in pots may be treated with hot water 
when out of health, the usual remedy for which has been repotting. He 
