March 2, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 183 
%* 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 Poultry and Bee subjects, and 
should never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended 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. 
Address (E. B. Charlesworth ).—Write to Mr - . T. S. Ware, Hale Farm 
Nurseries, Tottenham, Middlesex. 
Heating (C. P. L .).—Please send us your name and address, which we have 
mislaid, as we wish to communicate with you. 
Coelogyne cristata (Constant Subscriber ).—The two flowers sent differ 
slightly in the colour and size of the crest, but not so much as to deserve dis¬ 
tinctive names. The two best marked forms of this species are C. cristata 
Lemoniana with a pale yellow crest, and C. cristata alba, in which the lip is 
quite white. The leaves appear to have been attacked by thrips, and should be 
carefully sponged with softsoap and water. 
Mice in a Mushroom House (C. B.).— If you cannot trap the mice we 
can only suggest that you poison them. But to induce them to eat the poison 
you would find it advantageous to first spread some dainty bits of food for a few 
nights, and when you found they ate it readily, then add the poison, which you 
can obtain from chemists. If you cannot procure a “Gardener’s Year Book ” 
from Messrs. Smith & Sons’ bookstalls, we are unable to suggest how you can 
obtain a copy. It cannot be had from this office. 
Adiantum Farleyense (E. D. C .).—It is not unusual for the old fronds 
of this beautiful Fern to wither at this season of the year ; indeed, a number of 
them usually decay when fresh fronds are being produced. Remove the 
withered portions and repot the plant if it needs repotting, otherwise top-dress 
by removing as much soil as you can with a pointed stick and adding fresh 
compost, equal parts of turfy loam and peat with broken charcoal being suitable. 
Maintain a moist genial atmosphere, and shade the plant by placing a piece of 
newspaper above it during sunny days. By pursuing this system of manage¬ 
ment, and applying water with great care, your plant will soon be as attractive 
as ever. See that the drainage is efficient, as if the soil is sour the plant cannot 
thrive. 
Pruning Banksian Rose ( Subscriber ).—This Rose does not flower freely 
in a clay soil unless the plant has a very warm position. The flowers are pro¬ 
duced on small hard twiggy growths that should not be shortened. Close prun¬ 
ing is unsuitable, neither will the strong growths to which you allude produce 
flowers at all freely, although a few may be borne towards the end of the shoots. 
Such gross growths ought to be removed towards the end of summer so as to 
admit the sun and air to the smaller shoots, and these, if matured and not 
shortened, will produce flowers. Without knowing the condition of your plant 
we are unable to say what course you should pursue now; but as we have stated 
the conditions essential for success you will be able to so prune and train the 
plant as to induce it to flower if the position and district are favourable for this 
Rose. What you must seek to obtain is a number of rather weak growths, and 
these must be matured by full exposure to the sun. 
Pruning Jasmine (Idevn). —A well-managed white Jasmine should be 
pruned somewhat after the manner of a Vine, yet not quite so closely, but 
neglected plants must not be subjected to such severe pruning. If your plant 
has been pruned regularly and has flowered freely prune it as we have indicated; 
if it has been neglected you must proceed cautiously and thoughtfully. 
Greenhouse Plants (H. S. P .).—The best advice we can give you is to 
send ten postage stamps to the publisher and ask him to send you our Green¬ 
house Manual. If you, in addition, read the articles in the Journal and also 
the “ Work for the Week ” columns, you will, we think, have no difficulty in 
furnishing the greenhouse. If you desire specific information on any plant or 
matter we will readily supply it if you will state your requirements clearly. 
General questions of such wide scope as those in your letter cannot be satis¬ 
factorily answered in a short paragraph. 
Various (C. E. C.).—The young healthy roots of your Pelargoniums must 
not be removed when the plants are repotted, and only so much of the drainage 
must be taken away that can be done without injuring the roots. Moss is 
placed on the crocks to prevent the soil particles choking the drainage. Pieces 
of turf from which the soil has been shaken are probably better than moss; 
partially decayed leaves will answer the same purpose, and thin flakes of parti¬ 
ally dried manure. Lime water, if it does not kill the grubs, will probably 
cause them to come to the surface. Soil containing grubs which cannot be 
picked out should be scorched over a fire in an old iron tray of any kind, and 
then made moderately moist before it is used ; this partial burning adds greatly 
to the soil’s fertility. You will find it difficult to destroy the large grubs in your 
Pansy bed, and the best plan we can suggest is to remove the plants to another 
plot of ground, dressing the original bed heavily with fresh lime. Both the 
Violets you name are distinct from and superior to The Czar. Your poultry 
question shall be attended to next week. 
Mushroom Beds (A Subscriber ).—Manure from stables where the horses 
are largely fed on Carrots is not suitable for Mushroom beds, and especially if 
most or all of the straw is excluded. As a rule, much of the short straw should 
be incorporated in the beds after it has decayed sufficiently for the purpose. 
We have several notes on Mushroom culture in hand, which we shall shortly 
publish. The subject of growing Mushrooms in beds in the open air will also be 
fully described. The plant with ornamental foliage is Gymnostachyum Versch- 
affeltii, the other Vinca rosea. 
Vine Eyes Failing (F. C.). —It is impossible for us to say in what 
respect the eyes were defective, nor can we say whether they will yet produce 
growth ; some of them may, but we should not consider they would be equal to 
the others. We think you have no cause for complaint, but rather for satis¬ 
faction, as you have certainly achieved a very fair measure of success so far, and 
we trust you will be equally successful in the after-growth of the Vines. 
Wood and Fruit Buds {Idem). —To your inquiry, “Can what was only a 
wood bud in the autumn be transformed into a fruit bud during the winter and 
in spring ? ” we answer that in many cases such transformations are effected ; 
but we know many persons are under the impression that fruit buds can only be 
formed in the summer. They are formed chiefly in summer, and sometimes only 
partially formed then, the transformation being completed in the winter, and to 
a great extent this may be effected at the will and by the act of the cultivator. 
We do not think that by digging up and root-pruning a tree now that the 
character of the buds could be altered this spring ; but if a tree is lifted and 
much root-pruned in the autumn it will produce blossom buds in the spring, 
whereas if it had been left undisturbed it would have formed few. if any, blossom 
buds during the winter. This is a very interesting question, and we do not 
remember that it has been submitted to us before, though the subject was 
alluded to in our columns some years ago. Your own Plum trees afford evidence 
of the transformation in question. 
Root-pruning (F. J.).— If your Plum tree has grown as large, or nearly 
so, as you desire, and the growth is luxuriant, no blossom buds forming, by all 
means dig round it and sever some of the strong roots, especially those that 
appear to go straight down into the subsoil. The roots that are severed should 
be cut off smoothly and the soil made firm around them. The growth would 
then be less luxuriant this summer and blossom buds would form; if not, you 
might carefully dig the tree up in the autumn just as the leaves were changing, 
and replant it, bringing the roots near the surface and placing them in fresh 
loam and calcareous matter pressed moderately firm. The tree would then, in 
all probability, become covered with blossom. If there are no blossom buds on 
the tree now, you cannot by any mode of treatment induce them to form this 
spring 
Silkworms ( Herbert). —The eggs of the common silkworm (Bombyx Mori), 
can be obtained at several of the shops in the central avenue, Covent Garden, by 
the ounce, or in small quantities by the hundred. After April the worms may 
be had at Id. or 2d. the dozen, according to size. Various new silkworms, in 
different stages, are supplied by the dealers in foreign insects, but we do not 
remember having seen their addresses advertised. 
Orchard House (A Swedish Subscriber). —The proportions of your house 
are suitable, but if you intend growing the trees in pots or planted out, so as to 
form bushes or pyramids, we should prefer the house a foot higher ; still you 
may have small trees of Peaches or Pears in pots along the front. You cannot 
grow these fruits under Vines, but if the Vines are 8 feet apart sufficient light 
will be admitted between them for the trees. You would, however, probably 
have the most satisfactory results by having the Vines in one compartment, 
training them not less than 3 £ feet apart up the roof, and 18 inches from the 
glass, and the trees in another. You would, we think, obtain the greatest 
quantity of fruit and of the best quality by training the trees on trellises, and 
also on the back wall; but, perhaps, you desire to have them in pots, and you 
are familiar with the attention such trees require in pinching, pruning, and 
watering, and we also presume you are acquainted with the leading varieties. 
If you need further information and will state your requirements and the object 
you have in view we shall be glad to attend to your letter. Some people have 
pleasure in growing a great number of small trees and varieties, being satisfied 
with a few fruits on each tree ; but the chief aim of others is to produce the 
greatest bulk of good fruit irrespective of the form of the trees. Less labour 
and skilled attention are requisite when the trees are planted out and trained on 
trellises and walls than when grown in pots, but with proper treatment fine fruit 
is obtained by both methods. 
Kidney Beans in Pots (H. II.).— In order to be able to gather Beans 
about the middle of April no time should be lost in sowing seed. You will find 
Osborn's Forcing a most desirable variety, as in addition to being quick-growing 
and prolific it is unsurpassed in quality. If a longer-podded variety is preferred 
Canadian Wonder is suitable, and Carter’s Longsword, a new variety, is highly 
recommended. Either 9-inch or 10-inch pots may be employed, roughly draining 
these and filling them firmly to within 2 inches of the rims with good soil, 
composed, if possible, of turfy loam two parts to one of decomposed manure ; 
on this distribute about nine seeds, cover with about an inch of finer soil, water 
with warm water, and place in your heated pit. When the plants are well 
advanced thin out where necessary to about six plants, and support these with 
a circle of birch branches, such as can be had from a half-worn birch broom. 
Not much water will be required in the earlier stages of growth, though Beans 
should never be dry at the roots. By the time they are in bloom they will 
require much water, with liquid manure frequently, and always of the same 
temperature as the pit. If much crowded, in pits especially, the Beans are 
liable to damp off, and overcrowding, even if damping-off is prevented, in¬ 
variably results in a light crop. From twelve to eighteen pots will yield several 
good dishes, and in mo'st cases two or three small batches sown at fortnightly 
intervals are preferable to one or two larger sowings. A temperature ranging 
from 55° to 60 t> by night to 65° to 70° by day will suit them admirably. 
Ants Injurious or not (Idem). —We have seen ants do much injury by 
depriving Peach blooms of their pistils, and have also seen many Marechal Niel 
Rose buds spoiled by them, but their presence on plants in pots is usually a proof 
that these are infested with insects. Ants have a marked partiality for sweet 
food, and the excrement of such insect pests as mealy bug, scale, and aphides 
being sweet will account for their activity. We do not think they help to 
spread the above pests. We do not, however, like their proceedings, and to ex¬ 
terminate them find it a good plan to put patches of treacle on slates near their 
haunts, and whenever many ants are found congregated about it they are brushed 
off into a can of hot water. 
Yellow Roses (C.).— The Rose to which you refer is probably the double 
form of the Austrian Briar, which is referred to as follows in Rivers’ “ Rose 
Amateur’s Guide,” as also is the Persian Yellow Rose—“ The Double Yellow, or 
Williams’ Double Yellow Sweet Briar, is a pretty double Rose raised from the 
single yellow Austrian by Mr. Williams of Pitmaston, many years since ; this 
blooms more freely than the original species, and is a most desirable variety. 
Rosa Harrisonii is also a double yellow Rose, said to have been raised from seed 
in America, and sent from thence to this country. This has proved a pretty 
yellow P,ose. Its flowers before expansion are globular, but a hot sun makes 
them expand and lose much of their beauty. It is a more robust grower than 
the Double Yellow Sweet Briar; its flowers are also a little larger, and do not 
fade so soon. The Single Yellow is the most brilliant yellow Rose we yet 
possess. A yellow Rose has been given to us from that land of flowers, Persia. 
