372 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 1, 1883. 
Although perfectly hardy as an annual, I would advise its being 
raised in pots in a cold frame in spring, and planted where desired 
about the end of May.—D. D. 
SIX MONTHS IN A VINERY. 
Jan. 27th. —The day following that on which my last note 
was made bi - ought a welcome change in the weather. The tem¬ 
perature was lower, the sky clear at intervals, and the air a little 
fresh—a sort of model day for the middle of March. Owing to 
this we have now no doubt that the air of our vinery will be 
sufficiently changed through the laps of the glass, and that 
opening the ventilators may be deferred for a little time longer. 
The 23rd was a most beautiful day, bright and cold, and we 
used it to the greatest possible extent by keeping our house close 
and by moving the fire rather earlier in the afternoon, so as to 
maintain as long as daylight lasts some of the extra heat which 
the sun has given us. The thermometer rose to nearly 80°, and 
kept as high as 70 till sunset. The maxim as regards forcing 
should always be “ the more light, the more heat,” even though 
the latter may of necessity be principally artificial. 
So far we have kept to a rather low maximum and minimum 
by fire heat, now after the hardening and consolidating action 
of the sun we decide on a little rise. Instead of 53° to 55 at night, 
we aim at 55° for the lowest. Still we do not insist on this, and 
one or two more mornings during the week when a little frost 
has come on with the daylight the mercury has for a short time 
been down nearly as low as 50°. The written directions now are— 
“ About 55° at night, 60° day by fire heat no air to be given.” 
The shoots have made considerable progress during the past 
week, a few of the forwardest having now unfolded a tiny leaf 
at the base. The growth appears stronger than it promised to 
be a week ago, and we are now able to make a partial selection. 
Where there are two or three shoots together, those which are 
certain not to be wanted are rubbed off with the finger, but we 
dj not for the present disbud in doubtful cases. 
There has been rather more damping this week owing to a 
greater amount of fire heat having been necessary, and the out¬ 
side air being drier it also had its influence on the evaporation, 
although the house was kept as closely shut up as possible. But 
the damping was only applied to the floor and walls, none is 
applied directly to the Vine stems or foliage. 
Feb. 10th.—-During the past fortnight great progress has been 
made. The shoots are now from 3 to 7 inches loug, with two to 
four frilly expanded leaves, the largest of whiclo. measure or 
5 inches acress. Here and there in a few of the older ones are 
patches of dark colour, a sort of bluish green, only visible at 
present to the practised eye which is watching for its appearance. 
Yesterday it was only discernible on two or three leaves, now it 
shows slightly on a score or more, and indicates that the roots 
have commenced action, and that the leaves are no longer 
dependant on the stored-up food which was prepared last autumn 
and preserved in the stems for early use. The colour will spread 
rapidly now over the whole plant, and as we have taken care 
that there is no lack of food in the border, we may expect the 
progress to be still more marked than it has hitherto been. We 
commenced watering for the first time on the 2nd inst., the crust 
of the border having been previously broken an inch deep with 
a steel fork. 
The lights are about 3 feet wide, and the border is 10 feet across. 
To this 30 square feet we allow 90 gallons for one watering; but 
as we do not want to have the water gone for a week or two, we 
endeavour to manage it so that the border may retain as much 
of it as possible iu suspension. Bearing this in view it is not all 
given at once, but the border is gone over several times, giving a 
certain number of potfuls to each light according as it is found 
to soak in. Only the man who attends to the house is working 
at the watering, and he gives a part of the quantity now, and 
makes up half the total on the following day. Sunday now 
intervenes, and it is the 5th before watering is again proceeded 
with. A pound of Standen’s manure is now spread over the 
border as far as the roots extend, which is about 30 square yards, 
and the watering is finished on the 6th. It will be understood 
that the attendant has had his multifarious duties to attend to 
as usual, and that the watering was done between times, and as it 
was the first watering and the border had become rather dry 
we preferred the operation to he spread over two or three days. 
The water was used at a temperature of about 60°. The 6th 
was a bright hot day, and but for the door being open to 
the adjoining compartment whence water had to be fetched 
we should have opened the ventilators for the first time ; as it 
was the temperature did not rise above 85°, but as the sun had 
now become powerful I decided to give a little air on the next 
bright day merely to prevent the temperature rising to a dan¬ 
gerous height. 95 from sun heat would not be dangerous, but 
at present I should not like to risk a temperature much above 
that. 
The 7th was a dull day, so there was no question about 
giving air. The 8th was a warm morning, 50' in the shade 
outside. The sun rose brightly and the air was quite soft. A 
beautiful morning this to commence ventilating, and we did 
commence it by sliding three lights down a couple of inches at 
8.45. They were closed again a little before 12; the sun still 
shining brightly, the temperature of the house rose to about 90°, 
and remained high all the afternoon.— Wk. Taylor. 
(To be continued.) 
THE OLD CRIMSON CLOVE CARNATION IN POTS. 
Your coirespondent’s remarks (page 331) about this useful Carnation 
are by no means overdrawn, for it would be difficult to praise it too 
highly as a border plant. It may not be generally known that it is as 
useful as it is beautiful where grown in pots for the supply of its large 
fragrant blooms during the spring and early summer ; in fact a supply 
of blooms can readily be kept from early in April until they commence 
flowering outside. To accomplish this young plants that have been 
layered and are now well rooted should be potted in 4 or 5-inch pots 
according to their size and strength. Moderately rich soil should be 
used for potting them in, and after the operation has been completed 
they should be placed in a cold frame and kept close until their roots 
reach the sides of the pots. The plants should then have a position 
where the temperature will range at night from 45° to 50° for a time, 
and then 5° more may be given for those intended to flower first, and 
the result will be fine blooms early in the month of April. 
Although they will stand moderate forcing they must not be pushed 
on too rapidly or in too close an atmosphere, or they will draw up weakly 
and their flowers will be poor. Those for later flowering should be 
established in 3-inch pots, to be afterwards transferred into 6-inch pots, 
and if brought on gradually under cool treatment they will, grow nearly 
as strongl}' as those planted in the outside borders, and prove very accept¬ 
able for cutting and conservatory decoration. We have established three 
good plants in 6-inch pots for late flowering for the conservatory, and 
they prove as useful as any plant that can be grown for flowering in such 
a position after the majority of spring-flowering bulbs are getting over. 
It is also an admirable plan to lift a few dwarf compact plants just 
before they are ready for layering, and pot them deeply in 8-inch pots 
for early forcing. After lifting if kept close for about fourteen days 
in a frame they become established, and can afterwards be placed out¬ 
side until the approach of sharp weather, and then be housed either in a 
frame for a time or the greenhouse; but abundance of air must be given 
when favourable. 
Those anxious to try a few good-sized specimens may still carry out 
with safety and success the lifting of a number of plants. At this season 
of the year it is best to select those that have been layered and have 
four or five strong young plants round the parent, all of which are well 
rooted. These should be lifted with a fair-sized ball, and then kept close 
in a frame the same as advised for the single plants in smaller pots. 
Those who attempt their cultivation in pots will, with ordinary care and 
attention, meet success that will amply repay for all labour.—W. B. 
MEALY BUG IN VINERIES. 
In spite of knowing what a terrible pest mealy bug is when on Vines, 
there are a good many people who run much danger of getting it on their 
Vines through putting plants liable to bug in their vineries. Lately the 
writer was in two places where the Vines were badly infested with bug. 
Anything more disgusting than a hunch of Grapes infested with mealy 
bug can hardly be imagined, and great care should be taken by all who 
dread it to prevent its introduction to their vineries by means of plants 
temporarily placed in the houses devoted to Vine culture. When 
thoroughly established bug is by no means very easily eradicated. Many 
receipts are given, but most of them are very troublesome and even 
dangerous when applied. The bug may be destroyed at the expense of 
the Vine, which has several times been the case. Much better in this 
case is prevention than cure, and no one who places the least value on 
his Grapes should put plants liable to attacks of mealy bug in his houses. 
Rather grow fewer plants and have room for them elsewhere than run the 
risk of getting it on the Vines. Amateurs run particular risks in this 
matter, as they often have a few plants that they have not room for at 
particular seasons, and therefore put them in the vinery ; in due course 
bug is reported on the Vines, and troubles begin. 
A most rigid examination should be made of all plants that are going 
to stand in vineries, and should there be even one mealy bug seen rather 
consign them to the rubbish heap than place them in the vinery.—S. 
Rose Souvenir d’Elise.— In ordering this Rose from one of our largest 
growers and most successful exhibitors I was told that it cannot be supplied 
from worked plants grown in the open air, and that it is not so grown in this 
country. I have had two dwarf plants in the open air since last November 
which have grown and flowered fairly well. Is the Rose so delicate that 
it will not endure an ordinary winter? We had no frost of any severity 
