304 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 4 , 188S. 
%* 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 Bee subjects, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended 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. 
Plums (E. F. B.). —We are obliged by your reminder, and you will 
perceive the matter has been attended to. 
Studies for Young Gardeners (A Foreman ).—It you will send us your 
full postal address a letter will be sent to you on the subject of your com¬ 
munication. 
Selling Fruit {A. B .).—We never answer such questions as you have 
submitted. You may possibly obtain the information by writing to Mr. 
Webber, Central Avenue, Covent Garden, London, W.C. 
Narcissuses for a Graveyard {Mac). —All the stronger-growing varie¬ 
ties are suitable for the purpose, and these you will find enumerated in the 
principal dealers’ catalogues at the lowest prices. 
Vine Leaf Blotched (J. L.). —There is not much the matter with the 
Vine leaf. It is not unusual for the foliage to similarly change on the 
approach of autumn ; still in all probability there has been a little scorching 
that might have been averted by a different system of ventilation. You 
do not say a word as to the general condition of the Vines—whether weak 
or strong, fruitful or the reverse, and it is impossible for anyone to judge 
of their state by one small leaf crushed into an envelope. Blotches in the 
leaves are sometimes the result of inferior glass in the roof. 
Vine Roots Unhealthy (77. T. II.). —There is no evidence of the presence 
of the phylloxera on the portions of loots before us; but, as has been 
previously intimated in this Journal, portions of the fibrous roots should 
be sent, as it is on them that the insects congregate during the season of 
growth. Still, we do not think your Vines are attacked by this pest, and 
the fibreless state of the roots, with their partial decay, is quite sufficient to 
account for the condition of the Vines. They are much in the same state as 
the roots of some Vines of w’hich Mr. Iggulden took charge two years ago, 
and which he changed and improved by the practice he has detailed in our 
present issue. You cannot do better than to treat your Vines similarly, and 
produce a mass of healthy surface roots ; healthy and fruitful growth will 
then follow. You had better also note Mr. Iggulden’s remarks on over¬ 
cropping one of his vineries. 
Heating Greenhouse {F. J .).—To heat a house of the kind you describe 
satisfactorily the boiler should be fixed behind the house, and sufficiently 
low to enable the pipes to be taken below the doorway, which, we presume, 
is at the end of the house. From beyond the doorway they may be raised a 
few inches above the floor, the top one for the flow, the lower for the return 
water, the two to run along the front and further end of the house, or as far 
as the door (if there be a door at that end also), and there connected by an 
elbow. By this arrangement 3-inch pipes would do ; but if you can only 
arrange them along the front two rows of 4-inch pipes would be requisite, 
or three rows of 3-inch, a double flow and single return, and this would 
enable you to utilise your present piping. 
Chrysanthemums ( J. J.). —There is a rather small reflexed variety 
named Cloth of Gold, also a Pompon variety used to be grown under that 
name ; but, so far as we are awrnre, there is no Cloth of Gold in the Japanese 
class. Julie Lagravere is not a Pompon, and is not properly eligible for 
staging in that class. We have occasionally seen small flowers of this 
variety in a stand of Pompons, but those who stage them run great risk of 
having their stand disqualified by the judges. Considering that there are 
so many varieties of Pompons it is not necessary and is unwise to associate 
with them at an exhibition any flowers of doubtful admissibility. 
Grapes not Colouring ( Lancaster). —Your Vines appear to have done as 
well as could be expected under the circumstances, seeing that you have had 
“good bunches and berries and no shanking as formerly.” No more than 
this could be expected the first season after lifting, especially as you say 
you were unable to ripen the wood. With the wood matured this season 
and the increased root-action your Grapes will no doubt colour well next 
year if the Vines are not overcropped. We presume the soil in which they 
are growing is free and good; be careful that it does not become dry at 
any time, and should the laterals not be so strong as is desirable, nor the 
foliage so stout, an application of liquid manure given now might be of 
decided advantage. We have given liquid manure to Vines when they were 
quite at rest with the best results. Your Vines may, however, not need such 
assistance ; of this you will be the best judge, knowing their condition and 
the composition of the border. We should lift the Alicantes immediately 
the crop is cut. 
Midseason and Late Pears {Reader). —The following will probably 
answer your requirements :—Beurrb Diel, Fondante de Charneu, Zephirin 
Grbgoire, Huyshe’s Victoria, Glou Horceau, Beurre Sterckmans, Easter 
Beurr6, Josephine de Malines, and Bergamotte Esperen. These are not all 
large, but are good Pears, and will succeed as pyramids in your district. 
Assuming you have a bold central crown in your dwarf Hydrangeas you had 
better remove the side growths and reduce the supply of water. They 
should now be plunged in ashes in a cold frame, and no more water given 
than is necessary to keep the foliage fresh. 
Warts on Vine Leaves {Abbot). —There is nothing whatever in the 
appearance of the leaves and wood you have sent us to indicate the presence 
of the phylloxera, and we feel sure your Vines are quite free from that pest. 
Your large deep and rich border has invited such vigorous growth as to 
distend, and in some instances to rupture the cellular tissue ; but we do not 
apprehend that this will have any serious results, as there is plenty of foliage 
quite healthy or only slightly affected. Your object now must be to mature 
the wood by maintaining a warm dry atmosphere, with free ventilation; to 
this end fire heat will be economical, because effectual. Your border would 
have been better if it had been limited to G feet in width until this autumn, 
and it might probably with advantage have been firmer. It would then 
have been netted with fibrous roots, whereas now it contains a limited 
number of such; but the roots are of a luxuriant character, and supplying 
more sap than the leaves can properly elaborate and assimilate. If the 
border is light and loose make it firmer when it is dry, and only then, as to 
firm it when wet would be ruinous ; and your Vines should be grown steadily 
—that is, not forced under a high temperature, while ventilation should be 
liberal night and day. It is just possible you have not always admitted air 
early enough in the morning. With care we think you will eventually 
have fine Grapes. 
Vines Flagging (IF. J). —There is no appearance whatever of the attack 
of the phylloxera on the fibrous roots you have sent, and from the fact of 
your Vine having made a strong cane 20 feet long this year we do not 
suppose your Vines are attacked with the pest. Gros Colrnan though 
robust i3 a very tender-foliaged Vine, and unless special care is taken in 
watering, ventilating, and even lightly shading sometimes on the sudden 
return of bright sun after a week of dull weather, the leaves are apt to 
be scorched, turn brown at the edges, and fall prematurely. The Vine is 
also peculiarly liable to the attack of red spider. We suspect your3 has 
been attacked by this insect, and the injury to the leaves and the premature 
defoliation of the Vine would necessarily affect the roots, and cause many 
of the fibres to decay. Do not keep the border too dry, neither must it be 
saturated now the foliage is falling. 
Vine Growths Crooked {J. T., Bristol). —The rod being produced by an 
old Vine that was cut down some time ago there is no telling where the 
roots are ; but this we know, they are not foraging in the good soil to which 
you allude, and they are not healthy. We should make no attempt to 
renovate such a Vine, as in doing so you would necessarily injure the roots 
of the others that are thriving satisfactorily. We should either dig up the 
old Vine, take out a few bushels of soil, add fresh, and plant a young Vine, 
or should train an extra cane from an existing Vine that is in good health. 
This latter plan would probably be the best, as a Vine will support two or 
more rods as well as one, and the space would be more quickly covered and 
a crop of fruit produced than by planting a young Vine. It is no use doing 
this in any case without adding fresh soil, as a young Vine rarely thrives 
in an old border. 
Leather Parings {J. M. R .).—They are very good for furnishing nitrogen 
to plants, but nothing more. Of this nitrogen clean samples contain as 
much as does nitrate of soda ; but it does not follow that they are therefore 
of equal value, as in the one the nitrogen is at once available but in the 
other it is not. Still, good samples are worth £2 or £3 per ton to manu¬ 
facturers of manure, and if you could find a market for them the money 
they might fetch would be better spent by you in the purchase either of 
manufactured manure or ordinary dung, for by themselves they are not true 
manure. But if a tenth were added to ordinary manure, and overheating 
provided against by keeping the heap fairly moist, the value of the manure 
w r ould be doubled. Allowing them to heat by themselves is almost certain 
to cause loss of nitrogen, as the sense of smelling would inform anyone; 
but in the bulky manure the ammonia would be absorbed and preserved. 
The fact that the farmers in your district will not have the material you 
mention for the carrying only proves the necessity there is for farmers 
becoming acquainted with agricultural chemistry. We could name a dis¬ 
trict where they will not look at sewage, but cheerfully pay for and convey 
long distances broken bottles, earthenware, tin cans, cinders, and a little 
town’s dust! Tanned refuse, such as bark, is of little use except for mixing 
with heavy soil to render it lighter. The process of tanning adds no 
manurial value to anything. Fine leather shavings unmixed with other 
matter are used for fruit trees in the London market gardens, also for 
Filberts and Hops. 
Seedling Grape {Clifton). —Your Grape very closely resembles the Black 
Corinth, the dried fruit of which is 3old as the Currants of commerce. Though 
the berries are sweet and the colour good, the variety is not worth keeping 
except as a curiosity. You cannot have a better Black Grape than the Black 
Hamburgh for such a house as yours, and it is questionable if you can do 
better than train up an additional rod or rods from your existing Vine of 
that variety, and so occupy all available space. You would obtain quite as 
good fruit from three or four rods as from a solitary cane. If you particu¬ 
larly desire another black variety try the Madresfield Court, or if you prefer 
a w'hite one plant Foster’s Seedling; but the Black Hamburgh is the most 
useful of all fo? the position indicated in your letter. 
Seedling Alpine Auriculas {E. Clapham). —If your seedlings are not 
overcrowded now they will not become so during the winter, as in all 
probability some of the leaves will decay, and these should be carefully 
removed. Place the box in a frame, but only place on the lights during 
wet or inclement weather, and at all times admit air in the absence of frost. 
Only give sufficient water to keep the foliage fresh, and do not apply it 
over the leaves. The great enemies to guard against in winter are damp 
and slugs. Immediately growth commences in the spring pot the plants, 
and eventually plant them out where they are intended to flower. In the 
event of a very severe winter in the north bank soil or ashes round the 
sides of the box, and cover the plants with perfectly dry leaves and they 
will be quite safe. 
