April 27, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 353 
the ground and fork it in. The urine may be applied as a liquid manure, and 
will benefit “ Cauliflowers, Cabbages, and Celery ” if six times its own bulk of 
water is added thereto in wet weather, and more when dry. But are you sure 
your land wants either salt or lime ? You say nothing about how you manure 
your land otherwise, hence we hardly know your wants. If you do not add 
ordinary manure, then superphosphate should be given in addition to what you 
name. 
Lily of the Valley (J. S.).— The soil is perhaps exhausted in which the 
plants are grown. During fine weather in autumn, or early in spring before the 
crowns commence swelling, yon may either dig up the whole bed and replant 
the crowns in small patches in fresh soil, or take out patches from the beds and 
plant them, placing manure in the spaces made by the removal of the plants ; 
indeed the entire bed should be mulched with manure. There should be spaces 
of at least 6 inches from patch to patch in both the old bed and the new. If you 
require very fine crowns and flowers instead of a dense mass of Lilies, twice the 
space name! should be afforded the patches. The ground between the plants 
should be thickly covered with manure, which should remain throughout the 
summer months. The plants are partial to a rather shady position. 
Disbudding Young Vines ( Yorkshire Rector). —Do not cut them back 
at all now, nor is it necessary to rub off the buds down to the soil; indeed we 
prefer to have some foliage there, shortening the growths when two or three 
leaves are formed, these assisting the swelling of the stem. Above the stage 
select a good growth for the leader, not necessarily at the extremity of the 
cane, where the wood may possibly not be ripe, but some inches lower, rubbing 
off all the ^growths above that chosen for the leader, and thinning out those 
below it, but only to prevent the foliage being overcrowded. You may allow them 
to grow from 6 to 9 inches apart this season ; and next year, or when the growth 
is stronger and the foliage promising to be larger, make a further selection for 
forming permanent spurs at from 15 to 18 inches apart. 
Marechal Niel Rose in Vinery (Idem). —With good soil and proper 
attention in watering the Rose will succeed well planted inside, but it would 
probably be more easily managed and more certain to flourish if planted the 
same as a Vine in the outside border. You can bring it through the wall at 
any point most convenient, but the stem must be protected with liaybands 
during the winter in your cold district. Cut back the shoots rather closely to 
good buds on stout young wood, so as to ensure strong healthy growths. 
Transplanting Conifers and Hollies (E. Former). — There is no 
better time than the present for transplanting Hollies, and Conifers may also be 
successfully removed now provided the work is well done and the specimens are 
properly attended to afterwards. We shall transplant some Conifers this week 
of various sizes up to 8 feet high, and shall expect every one of them to grow as 
well as those did that we removed at the same time last year. It is most 
important that the roots are not dried during removal. When planting one 
thorough watering is given—not a sprinkling but a heavy soaking, the surface 
being then covered with loose soil to prevent evaporation. This we find is 
sufficient for the roots, but if dry weather occurs the shrubs should be syringed 
frequently, and any large or choice specimen shaded. Had you supplied the 
particulars of your trees, or your object, our answer might have been more satis¬ 
factory. The “Journal of Forestry ” is published at 14, Bartholomew Close, E.C 
Growing Mushrooms (II. IF. Needham).— It is not possible to furnish 
the information you require in this column in a manner that will be of practical 
service to you. Numbers of gardeners are unacquainted with the details of 
growing Mushrooms out of doors, and some who have never had an opportunity 
of learning the process somewhat singularly arrive at the conclusion that the 
method referred to is chimerical. All the information you need will be given in 
due time in a series of articles that are in preparation on the subject. We have 
seen beds in private gardens quite as productive as those alluded to last week. 
The writer of the articles in question is intimately and practically acquainted 
with the method he will describe. He has not learned it from books for the best 
of all reasons, that there are no books published that give all the details—and 
these are most important—that will be advanced. 
Eucliaris amazoniea not Flowering (T. J. IF.).—There appear to 
be two varieties of this plant, one which flowers freely and the other whch 
seldom produces blooms ; possibly you may have the latter, but the following 
is the best treatment you can adopt under the circumstances. Turn the plants 
out of the pots, remove all the soil not occupied with roots, and repot in good 
fibrous yellow loam, keeping the bulbs about 2 inches beneath the surface. 
Syringe freely, only keeping the soil moist until the plants start into growth, 
then supply water abundantly, and when in free growth liquid manure will be 
beneficial. In potting good drainage must be provided, making the soil mode¬ 
rately firm. Shade from bright sun for a time, and if a bottom heat of 85° to 
90° is at command it would facilitate the rooting. After growth has ceased 
place the plants in the coolest and driest part of the stove, but in a light 
position, and water only to prevent flagging. After subjecting them to this 
treatment for a couple of months remove them to a warmer position, and 
encourage growth by a moist atmosphere, copious supplies of water, and bottom 
heat. 
Insects on Vines (A. J. 5.).—These are not flies, but small bugs, and, as 
far as can be decided from the shrivelled specimens, they belong to the genus 
Rhyparochromus. These, and others related to them, are in the habit of resort¬ 
ing to the leaves and blossoms of fruit trees, and also to various other plants, but 
they seldom appear in numbers sufficient to do any serious damage. The trans¬ 
formations of these insects are imperfectly known at present. We do not think 
the Pelargoniums have attracted them into your house. Probably a small colony 
of them have settled somewhere near by one of those migrations not unusual in 
insect life. If there was reason to suspect that many of these bugs were lurking 
about the house tue only effectual remedy would be fumigation. Sulphur would 
hardly be necessary, as they appear to be easily killed, and tobacco paper might 
answer the purpose. 
Herbaceous Plants in Geometrically-arranged Flower Gar¬ 
dens (IF. B .).—It is not necessary to publish your letter, as there is nothing in 
the critique to which you allude worthy of notice. No one with whom we are 
acquainted attaches any importance to a writer who so frequently shows his 
indebtedness to others for ideas by which, by a mode of treatment peculiar to 
himself, he profits. We remember once visiting a garden in which some 
fancifully formed beds on the lawn in front of the mansion were filled with a 
confused mixture of so called “ bedding ” and herbaceous plants. Many of the 
latter by want of stakes to support them completely covered several of the 
smaller plants which they were breaking and spoiling, the larger also hanging 
over and partially lying on the lawn. A more complete example of what we 
may term floral deshabille we never saw. The gardener explained the mattffr by 
saying his employers “ like that sort of thing,” but he was evidently ashamed of 
it. If we were to inform you to whose garden we are alluding your amusement 
would be probably greater than your surprise; but its condition certainly 
afforded conclusive evidence of the soundness of your views ou the appropriate 
employment of hardy and tender plants in gardens. 
Conifers and Shrubs Injured (IF. F.). —You direct our attention to 
the fact that the “ needles of the Pinus sent arc injured, but the shoot is not,” 
and ask if we think “ any such injury could have been caused by frost under 
any circumstances or in any season, seeing that the mature leaves are injured 
while the youngest part of the growth has escaped, and if frost severe enough 
to do damage to the leaves would not also have injured the soft end of the 
shoot? ” Our reply to both the questions, as you have put them, must be in the 
affirmative. 1, The injury to the spray sent is similar (not identical) in appear¬ 
ance to injury by frost. 2, We have seen both evergreens and Conifers divested 
of their leaves by frost, and growths afterwards issue from the shoots. The 
injured Laurel leaves do not so closely resemble injury by frost, as portions of 
the leaves were perfectly green, while other portions of the same leaves were 
quite destroyed. We have seen something like this when frost has damaged 
the shrubs, but the effects of frost are not usually the same as in the leaves 
you have sent. When you say the injury to the Pinus occurred last July, and 
the injury to the Laurel in September, you have in our opinion conclusive 
evidence that the damage is not the result of frost. If you produce witnesses 
who can testify that the injury was done during the months stated, that will be 
conclusive that it was not the result of frost, unless it can be shown from 
authenticated meteorological records that severe frosts occurred in your district 
at the same time, and we do not think it possible that such rebutting evidence 
can be produced. There is this difference between injury from sulphurous vapour 
and injury by frost to Conifers—the effects of the former are apparent more or 
less at once, those of the latter not being clearly visible until the time growth 
should commence in the spring. It is noticeable, too, that the injury to the 
specimens you have sent is most marked on the outer sides of the leaves or 
needles where the noxious fumes have struck them, and you can produce the 
same effect by applying a little sulphuric acid to a branch. Dip a stick in oil 
of vitriol and draw it lightly up the foliage and observe the result. 
Colouring Grapes (E. I'., Norfolk).— We are glad you have read what 
has been published so attentively and profitably. The chief essentials for 
colouring Grapes are the following—1st, free root-action with good support; 
2nd, stout, clean, well-developed foliage exposed to the light; 3rd, such a crop 
that the Vines can well sustain with strength in reserve for producing laterals ; 
4tli, free yet judicious ventilation ; 5, a moderate night temperature—that is to 
say, sufficient heat must be afforded for maintaining free yet steady growth, 
and no more, as we believe that very high night temperatures exhaust the Vines 
needlessly. Defective root-action, or, what amounts to the same thing, a too 
heavy crop, is the principal cause of Grapes not finishing well. Three years ago 
we gave advice to a gentleman relative to improving a house of what he con¬ 
sidered a valuable variety of the Red Hamburgh Grape. We fear the treatment 
we suggested, that was well carried out by an able gardener, resulted in spoil¬ 
ing the cherished Red Hamburghs, for last year for the first time known to the 
owner—and the Vines are fifty years old—they produced fine black Grapes. 
The advice in this case was, however, given after inspecting the Vines, which is 
an enormous advantage in advising a method of treatment. However, the root 
of the subject consisted in increasing the root-action at the least tenfold, and 
probably fortyfold, and supplying suitable food. Grapes about colouring should 
have a thorough watering with liquid manure. A night temperature of 60® 
will be suitable for Hamburghs with free ventilation whenever the weather 
permits, the top ventilators being left open to a reasonable extent—an inch or 
two according to their number—the front ventilators being used during mild 
weather, but not at night at this period of the year, except very slightly under 
unusually favourable circumstances. Allow also a free extension of laterals, 
and maintain a genial but not a moist atmosphere, damping the house soon 
enough for the moisture to be dissipated before night. Muscats commencing 
ripening may have a minimum temperature between 65° and 70°, gradually 
rising to a maximum of 90° or 95° with abundance of air, which is essential to 
the berries assuming their fine amber colour and acquiring their peculiarly rich 
vinous flavour. Mulching must be kept moist so as to keep the roots near the 
surface, which is essential to the well-being of fruiting Vines. So far as we can 
gather from your letter, which is not clear on the subject, your chief danger is 
having a too heavy crop. 
Names of Plants (J. E.). —In consequence of the flowers having been 
placed loosely in a large paper box without anything to keep them either steady 
or fresh, they arrived in such a bruised and withered state that we can only say 
the yellow one appears to be Forsythia viridissima, the other being quite 
beyond identification. (Ryecrojt). —The flower simply enclosed in two fresh. 
Aucuba leaves arrived perfectly fresh, and is undoubtedly Ribes aureum. 
(G, M. II.). —Specimen much withered, probably Amelanchier Botryapium. 
(Foxgrnve). —Doronicum cancasicum. (J. II.). —The spray is not sufficient for 
identification, but we think your plant is a Metrosideros, the essentials for the 
culture of which are briefly given in the “Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary” to 
which you refer. 
Bar-frame Hives (Captain S .).—The only form of hive that admits of 
having its combs emptied of honey without destroying them is that known as a 
bar-frame hive. The Woodbury hive you refer to is such a one. We cannot ven¬ 
ture to quote prices, or even to give a particular description of any particular 
make, as the makers and styles are now so numerous. If you will read the six¬ 
penny manual “ Modern Bee-keeping,” published by Longmans, Green, & Co. for 
the British Bee-keepers’ Association, you will find the particulars you want, also 
names of makers. 
Bee Houses (Acock’s Green ).—Your question is a very natural one. Y'ou 
want to know whether a bee shed would be advantageous or otherwise for half 
a dozen of hives. Having both advantages and disadvantages, there exists a 
difference of opinion as to the value of bee houses. The great advantage of a 
bee house is that it protects the hive from rain throughout the year; in winter 
it helps to protect the bees from frost, in summer from the direct rays of the 
sun. If made to hold a considerable thickness of soft hay around the hives in 
winter it would, if so used, be a complete protection in the coldest of our winters 
to bees, and also a great assistance to them in early spring when breeding com¬ 
mences. But the inconvenience of bee houses is felt in the active months of 
summer by large and expert bee-keepers, who examine their hives often to see 
how things are moving inside, and who practise various processes of manipula¬ 
tion. In such examinations and processes a bee house is felt to be a great hin¬ 
drance and inconvenience. If you erect a bee house remember to provide for 
summer ventilation. We have known the rays of the sun raise the heat of a bee 
house so high that the combs of the hives became soft, fell down, and smothered 
the bees. 
Swarms and Honey (E. Appleby). —Though your hive is not a large one 
your description leads us to believe that it is in a prosperous state and well for- 
