2 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 7, 1881. 
that is quite worthy of record. The espaliers answered admir¬ 
ably for many years, but they eventually became a thicket of 
huge spurs at the top, and the lower branches lost all their 
vigour and fruitfulness. 
Eighteen inches apart is the best distance for cordons. 
Select vigorous young trees, and shorten the leading shoot to 
about 2 feet of the current year’s growth at the time of plant¬ 
ing. It may be allowed to extend 2 feet annually till it 
reaches the top of the wall, not in one growfh, but rather by 
nipping off the end in spring after it has grown a foot long, 
in order to render the buds at the base of each leaf full and 
plump, and a vigorous second growth soon follows, which is 
best left unshortened till the leaf falls in autumn. Pinching 
the laterals three or four times may only be done in warm, 
sunny, southern gardens ; in less favoured situations two 
prunings, one in July and the other in October or November, 
are all that must be ventured upon to secure well-ripened fruit 
buds upon the spurs.— Edward Luckhurst. 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
A pew seasonable and practical notes are always welcomed by 
amateurs, who often encounter difficulties which are easily sur¬ 
mounted under the aid of a little clear explanation. To assist in 
this way was the writer’s object in penning the following notes. 
Coleus. —There are numerous beautiful varieties of these ; 
!, and as they can be had very cheaply by post, all with a green- 
j 1 house or even a frame may possess them—for a time at all events. 
When first required, or when potted from cutting pots, they should 
be placed in the small pots, using any light sandy soil. The warm 
moist atmosphere of a Cucumber or Melon frame will most 
! quickly establish them : after this they may be grown during the 
i summer and early autumn months in an ordinary cool greenhouse. 
If it is intended to increase the variety, the young plants should 
i be allowed to grow till long enough to admit of the top being 
taken off and struck (which is an easy matter providing the cuttings 
are placed in heat) ; otherwise stop beyond the second joint, 
potting when breaking afresh. To secure plants of good shape, 
pinch out the points of the fresh growth at the first joints, and, 
if well rooted, transfer into larger pots. This ought to be the 
final potting, and the 8-inch pots should in most instances be the 
largest size employed. Overpotting is often a cause of failure in 
the case of Coleuses grown in cool houses. No particular com¬ 
post is necessary ; that which will suit them well consists of two 
parts of light turfy loam to one of leaf soil, with a slight addi¬ 
tion of sifted decomposed manure and sand. The pots should be 
clean and very carefully drained. When well established frequent 
supplies of liquid manure will be found most beneficial, with¬ 
holding this and giving much less water as the nights become 
colder, or they will soon lose their foliage. The pyramidal 
method of training is most suited to Coleuses, and especially the 
coarser-growing varieties. To secure pyramids pinch back a third 
i time all growths with the exception of one near the centre ; this 
to be staked and to grow unrestricted, and, the base being formed, 
| all that is necessary is to stop the side shoots from the leader to 
i the required length till the specimen is formed, when stopping 
should cease. Some of the smaller-leaved kinds are very pretty 
grown in 5-inch pots and pinched so as to form neat flat heads. 
Fuchsias. —Much of the foregoing relating to potting, pinch¬ 
ing, and training is equally applicable to Fuchsias. They are 
not, however, so “ good-tempered ” as Coleus, and succeed indiffe¬ 
rently in the seldom-syringed, badly shaded, and badly ventilated 
houses of many amateurs ; indeed, would thrive far better in 
the open. Fuchsias are liable to be infested with thrips, and 
especially with red spider, which in either case results in a check 
to the growth and a loss of the foliage. Frequent syringing will 
keep down either pest. Should, however, syringing fail to check 
thrips or aphides, next to fumigation with tobacco paper a decoc¬ 
tion obtained by boiling soft soap and quassia chips will prove an 
effective insecticide and less injurious to the plants operated 
upon. It will soon be found at what strength to use the solution, 
| but for the beginners’ guidance we recommend preparing at the 
rate of 1 lb. each of quassia and soft soap, boiling these in about 
a gallon of soft water till the chips sink, when the solution may 
be poured off and used as required at the rate of half a pint to a 
gallon of soft water. In the evenings syringe the infested plants 
freely with this, repeating the operation occasionally, and increas¬ 
ing the strength if necessary. Quassia chips can be procured 
cheaply from most chemists. Red spiders are very minute, but 
whenever they, or rather their work, is discovered, and which is 
soon apparent in the yellowish tinge assumed by the foliage 
where affected, mix a handful of flowers of sulphur with the 
syringing water, and w r ith the syringe discharge on to the under side 
of the leaves. This should be continued till the cure is effected. 
Vines, Peaches, Melons, Cucumbers, and other kinds of fruits 
should, when infested by either red spider or mildew, be similarly 
treated. The sulphur will not injuriously affect the fruit, and 
can be syringed off at any time. Both the above remedies are 
simple and cheap, and are recommended for flowers and fruit 
trees, in the open as well as under glass. 
Torenia Fournierii. — This easily-grown beautiful annual 
succeeds admirably in a cool greenhouse, and is very effective 
when associated with Pelargoniums, Coleuses, and Balsams. The 
seed germinates freely in heat providing it is not buried deeply. 
Those who may have their stock now in the seed pots or pans 
should not long delay potting off the seedlings, which may be 
performed when large enough to handle. A light sandy soil 
is most suitable in the first instance, but when the final potting 
is given soil similar to that above recommended for Coleuses 
ought to be employed. If it is intended to flower the plants in 
5-inch pots, pot off the seedlings singly into thumb pots ; or three 
plants may be disposed round the sides of 3-inch pots, and 
eventually transferred to 6-inch pots. In the former instance the 
plants assume a trailing habit, but by growing them in threes they 
are induced to grow more erect, aud in this way are most showy. 
It is advisable to grow them in gentle heat and where but little 
shaded till well established, and to pinch back the young growths 
till well furnished with flowering shoots. Liquid manure 
occasionally supplied will much improve the colour of the bloom 
as well as increase the vigour of the growth. This Torenia 
flowers very freely in cottage windows. T. Baillonii is a yellow¬ 
flowering kind.—W. I. M. 
THE BEST TIME TO PLANT STRAWBERRIES. 
As a rule I think Strawberry growers make new plantations 
too late in the season. Few think of planting until the end of 
August or during September, when the plants have barely time to 
root in the soil before the cold weather stops all growth, and 
the following spring they are neither strong nor fruitful, but must 
grow for the greater part of the season before they are capable 
of bearing a crop of fruit. According to my experience better 
results than this may be had from the same amount of labour, 
the only difference being in the time of planting. The advan¬ 
tages of early planting may be easily shown. 
All new Strawberry plantations should be formed as early in 
July as possible. By the end of September the plants will be 
well established, and a good crop of fruit will be had the follow¬ 
ing season. Indeed a season is gained by early planting. We 
intend destroying some of our old Strawberry plants as soon as 
the crop has been gathered, and making new plantations at once 
in well trenched and manured ground. In clearing off the old 
plants, however, all will not be throwm away, as those runners 
which were allowed to root into the ground about the edge of the 
rows last year will be carefully lifted and saved for planting. 
Plants of this kind we find are the best of all for making an early 
fruitful plantation, and they can be easily secured without loss or 
much labour. Besides this, they fruit sooner and more freely 
than small scarcely rooted runners. We have no objections to 
plant Strawberries after Strawberries, but others may wish to 
change the position of the beds, in which case the young plants 
can be lifted and planted in their new quarters while the fruit is 
still on the old rows, and a very early start will thus be secured. 
By following out a system of this kind no one need have a Straw¬ 
berry plantation without a crop, but under the late mode of 
planting one year’s crop is always lost. 
New Strawberry ground cannot be too clean and free from 
weeds. In preparing the ground for Strawberries any rough 
material may be placed in the bottom of the trenches and the 
best of the dung placed nearer the surface. Before planting 
the soil should be allow'ed to become rather dry on the surface, 
and immediately afterwards it should be trodden all over and 
rendered as firm as possible. This has a tendency to make the 
plants grow dwarf, robust, and fruitful in character. 
Good balls of soil should be secured with the young plants 
when lifting them, and they should be well watered in dry 
weather.—A Kitchen Gardener. 
The Dominy Presentation. — Mr. Dominy’s best friends 
must needs feel delighted at the quiet and efficient way in which 
subscriptions to his presentation fund have been obtained. Indeed 
all who know Mr. Dominy will feel it a privilege to express their 
good will and respect for such an earnest and original worker. It 
