150 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 16, 1883. 
average weight of the hunches from 1 lb. to 2 lbs., and the berries from 
1 inch to lj inch in diameter. The crop you describe is not too heavy, 
or the fruit would not have finished so well. We like to see the best 
bunches at the bottom of the Vines, and we are glad to hear of your success 
with Madresfield Court. 
Twin Vine Leaves ( Birkenhead ).—The leaves sent show a case of 
duplication or multiplication of organs similar to what occurs when the 
stamens of flowers are increased above their normal numbers, or when the 
petals become so numerous as to constitute a double or semi-double flower. 
Such cases are common under cultivation, and it appears as if the richer 
and more abundant food provided for plants artificially induces these mal¬ 
formations or departures from the natural growth; as a check to the 
growth is often followed by deformed productions, the sap being forced to 
take a different course. 
Growth of Young Vines ( Cauld Kale). —Assuming the canes are short- 
jointed and have prominent buds in the axils of the leaves you may consider 
them of average quality. They will still improve, and if you ripen the 
wood well each Vine may safely be allowed to carry one bunch of G-rapes 
next year. The canes we should shorten to within 3 feet of the base of the 
rafter as soon as the leaves have fallen in the autumn. Heat and air, with 
only sufficient atmospheric moisture for keeping the foliage fresh and 
healthy, are the chief essentials for ripening the wood. 
Double Poppies (J. D.). —The flowers you sent are fine examples of what 
are frequently termed double French Poppies-, but yours are much fuller, 
more compact, and of better colour than is usual. The garden races of 
Poppies have been raised by crossing several species, but the two chief are 
P. bracteatum and P. somniferum. Crosses have also been obtained between 
P. bracteatum and P. Rhaeas, between P. -orientale and P. somniferum, and 
between P. bracteatum and P. orientale. They are readily increased from 
seed, and soon produce double flowers under cultivation. The Golden 
Elder flowers as freely as the common form when it reaches-a moderate size, 
bushes of 3 or 4 feet high being frequently covered with bloom. 
Black “Rust” on Myrtle {F. R.). —The condition of your plants is the 
result of insects. The scale insect probably is established on the under 
sides of the leaves and on the stems, and until you destroy them the plants 
will never be clean. Sponging such small leaves is a tedious process, and 
they may be cleansed with a solution of soft soap and paraffin made and 
applied as described in a reply to another correspondent under Ihe head of 
“ Orange Fungus on Roses.” But you must follow the instructions with 
exactitude, both as regards mixing the solution, preventing it saturating 
the roots, and shading the plants afterwards. You may possibly have to 
repeat the syringings, using pure water forcibly half an hour after each 
application of the insecticide. In using this a syringeful should be forced 
alternately in the vessel and on the plants, to insure as far as possible the 
mixing of the oil with the soapy water, the former having a natural ten¬ 
dency to float on the surface. 
Rose La France {Idem). —There is no reason whatever for supposing 
this excellent Rose is “ dying out.” We have them equally fine on standard 
Briar stocks and as dwarfs from cuttings ; but they do not thrive so well 
in a cold heavy soil as in ground of medium texture, yet fertile. Perhaps 
your Roses are young and not yet established. In such a case a mistake is 
often made in allowing them to bear too many blooms. If they are not 
young, then copious applications of liquid manure would probably be 
advantageous. 
Mushrooms in Vinery — Potash for Vines [Torbay). —You have misread 
the paragraph. It is not stated the 800 lbs. were grown in a vinery 
“ without manure.” They were grown in beds of manure made as described 
in Mr. Wright’s treatise. Mushrooms cannot be grown in beds without the 
aid of some fermenting medium. They are grown at Sheffield successfully 
in the German moss litter after it has been used in stables, and we know of 
a very able gardener who intends mixing wood shavings with manure for 
producing the crops. Tree leaves are also suitable for the same purpose— 
that is, mixing with manure from stables. “ Potash in the form of kainit ” 
is very suitable for Vines needing the assistance of the manure indicated. 
About half an ounce to each square yard of border is a sufficient dressing. 
Pansies Injured by Insects [J. II. U .).—The Pansies and other plants 
you mention have been attacked by one of the centipedes (Geophilus elec- 
tricus) in an immature condition. Although they feed upon animal 
substances they are apt to infest the roots of many species, especially after 
a mild or damp winter and spring. Some have recommended trapping 
them by laying on the soil, or just beneath its surface, partly decayed 
apples or potatoes, into which the insects will burrow numerously. Others 
have advised watering the plants with clear lime water, or under some 
circumstances sprinkling soot upon the soil, but they will frequently defy 
these remedies. More efficacious is a mixture of a fluid ounce of paraffin 
in 3 gallons of water, thoroughly agitated. This, however, must be 
cautiously used, first trying it on a few plants of little or no value, and 
if it does not injure them it can be applied to the others. You will find the 
particulars you require of the cultivation of Pansies in beds and pots in our 
manual on “ Florists’ Flowers,” which you can have post free in return for 
4£rf. in stamps sent to the publisher. 
Strawberries for Market {A Dublin Subscriber).—We doubt if there is 
a better early market variety than Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, which 
is grown in Kent under the name of Garibaldi. We believe, however, 
that the most profitable variety this year in Kent was Sir Joseph Paxton, 
which is undoubtedly a valuable Strawberry. President is very good on 
some soils. You had better try all these varieties and prove which is the 
best adapted for your soil and district. For late use Eleanor is grown 
rather extensively in Kent; the fruits are very large, but the variety is not 
so prolific as some others. Dr. Hogg is one of the finest-flavoured Straw¬ 
berries grown, and produces large fruits. In some soils it bears good crops, 
in others it is not so productive, and generally speaking it is not nearly 
so prolific as the three varieties first mentioned, but is indispensable in 
gardens where it will flourish. It is later than President, and just precedes 
Eleanor, Elton, and Frogmore Late Pine in ripening. 
Vine Roots too Deep {J. T. S.). —It was rather a strange oversight 
your covering the roots so deeply. They are too deep by half, but this 
alone does not account for the state of the foliage. You have, we suspect 
been using the syringe too freely and keeping the house too moist; then 
on some particular morning have not opened the ventilators soon enough 
then opened them too widely at once, as if to atone for the previous delay. 
This would cause sudden and extreme evaporation, and leave the foliage as 
if rusted and browned, especially near the edges of the leaves. Generally 
you appear to exercise care in ventilation, and your mode of procedure is 
sound ; still we feel convinced there has been a mistake of the nature 
indicated. The temperatures are right. Unless there are signs of red 
spider one syringing a day will be ample ; this should be very early in the 
afternoon, as soon as the house can be safely closed, and so that the Vines 
become dry before night. This is more than we do, our Vines not needing 
syringing oftener than once a week for keeping the foliage clean, as we 
provide sufficient moisture in the atmosphere for keeping it healthy. 
Flue for Melon House (J. T. S.).— We think your plan of conducting 
the flue will answer provided there are no sharp angles in it. All theturns- 
must be smooth and rounded, as every jutting corner will be an impediment 
to the transit of the smoke and heat. The flue for bottom heat should be 
in a chamber, the slabs that support the earth being raised an inch or two- 
above the flue and supported on pillars, the chamber to be nearly of the 
width of the bed. The heat will then be diffused much more equally, on the 
under surface of the bed, and there would be far less danger of burning the 
roots than by having the flue in immediate contact with the slab that 
supports the soil. With the front flue perfectly clear—that is, neither resting 
against the side wall of the pit nor the side of the bed, it would in all pro¬ 
bability afford sufficient top heat without the back flue ; this, however, will 
depend on the size of the flue. Too much dry heat from flues favours the 
increase of red spider. 
Melons Failing ( J. E .).—As we understand your letter the heat for your 
Melons is supplied wholly by fermenting materials, the manure being 
enclosed in a brick pit, and round this pit is a pigeon-holed wall. . If this is 
so there would be very great difficulty in supplying the requisite heat— t 
indeed, in any case, while it is comparatively easy to maintain sufficient 
bottom heat for Melons in a brick pit. it is almost impossible to maintain a 
night temperature for the plants of 05° with the aid of fermenting materials 
alone, especially when the plants are raised early in the season. With, 
strong healthy plants inserted in June good crops of Melons may be had 
from brick pits, but such pits are quite unsuitable for early forcing. If you 
had stated the temperature that has been maintained (and we presume there 
is a thermometer in the pit) we should have been better able to have indi¬ 
cated the cause of failure. It is not improbable it may be as you suggest— 
too little heat and too much water ; but even if this is so, the pit, so far as- 
we understand it, is as much at fault as the man who may have been- 
impelled to raise the plants too soon to be grown satisfactorily in a structure 
of the kind indicated. Perhaps you may obtain a hint about sewage that 
may be useful in our little manual, “ Manures for the Many,” which can be 
had from the publisher in return for Ahd. in postage stamps. 
The Potato Murrain [J. K. R .).—In a case of this kind, the varieties 
being late and very unripe, we doubt if you can adopt any measure that- 
will be of substantial value in preventing the spread of the disease.. In the 
case of early varieties we have proved the great value of early lifting. On 
the first suspicion of disease we have taken up the crops when the foliage 
was quite green and the tubers unripe ; then, by spreading them thinly in¬ 
sheds have had sound and good produce. We have also seen the practice 
successfully adopted with second early varieties, but only where provision- 
was made for storing the tubers thinly and where they would not be greened 
by too much light, as slight greening, though not injuring them for planting, 
spoils them for table use. When we could not take up the crop quickly 
enough we have pulled up the tops ; and the tubers, though they have not- 
afterwards increased in size, have kept sound. Cutting off the tops we 
found quite ineffectual; indeed, pulling them up is of no use unless done 
before the disease has been established in the plants. The late sorts to- 
which you refer are not usually attacked seriously, and there is the proba¬ 
bility of drier weather occurring that will prevent the spread of the murrain. 
If you have not ample convenience for storing the tubers as indicated we 
should not dig them up, especially as they cannot have attained nearly 
their full size and are yet in a very soft and unripe state. In certain seasons- 
we have found the crops all alike ruined whatever manures were used, and 
even without any manure having been applied at all. This also, in a 
measure, appears to be your experience, but we do not anticipate the ruin 
of your crop. The root of the evil in your case is, we presume, undrained 
soil. 
Orange Fungus on Roses {Idem). —Your plants are attacked with this 
unsightly and injurious parasite. There has been some mistake in manage¬ 
ment, either in watering or ventilating or both. The plants, we presume, 
are in pots. Remove them from the greenhouse, lay them on their sides on 
clean flags or mats, and syringe them freely with a solution of soft soap— 
2 or 3 ozs. of the soap dissolved in each gallon of water. Apply this at a 
temperature of 120°, especially to the under sides of the leaves where the 
fungus abounds, and while wet dust the leaves freely with sulphur. If this 
fails add half a wineglassful of petroleum to the soap solution, but do not 
then apply it at a temperature above 100°, and shade the plants afterwards 
or stand them in a shaded place in the open air. The oil must be well 
incorporated with the water by constant and violent agitation. We shall 
be glad to hear if either of these remedies prove effectual, and which. If 
they fail we can name another plan of destroying the fungus, but it is 
tedious. The plants will be better in the open air than in the house. If 
they are not in pots, and thus cannot be removed, you must syringe them 
where they are; but cover the ground with mats, on which spread some- 
sawdust to prevent the soapy water saturating the soil and injuring the 
roots of the Roses. 
Vine Roots Decayed ( G. E. L.). —We have examined the three parcels 
of roots and there are no insects on them, nor do we consider their condition 
is the result of insects, neither are we of opinion that the roots in the 
subsoil have affected the newer roots near the surface. We have known 
the lower roots of Vines to decay wholly, while the surface roots in suitable 
soil have grown satisfactorily, supporting healthy Vines and fine crops of 
Grapes. There is either something in the soil and manure you have used 
that is injurious to the roots, or the bo:der is not efficiently drained. 
