July 31, 1884.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
109 
Keeping Tomatoes {U. iT.).—If the fruits are cut when nearly ripe and 
suspended in a dry room they will keep fresh for a considerable time. In 
Mr. Iggulden’s manual on the Tomato (post free from this office for Is. 2d.) 
you will find upwards of thirty methods of preparing and using Tomatoes, 
some of which may possibly meet your requirements. 
German Wallflowers {Alfred). —You have done right by selecting the 
best varieties for seed, and if it is well matured you may expect it to produce 
plants with good flowers, but not exactly like those of the present year; 
some may be better and others worse, but the better the flowers which are 
left for seed-production the better will be the resulting varieties. The seed 
will possibly not ripen in time for raising strong plants for flowering next 
year. Those raised from cuttings ought to flower well. They usually pass 
the winter in a rather dry position, where the soil is firm and not rich ; but 
in rich ground, and moist, the growth becomes so succulent that the plants 
are often injured if not destroyed by severe frost. We have on several 
occasions found it advisable to take up the plants in October and plant them 
in a drier position, such as near a wall, while choice varieties we place in 
pots and winter in cold frames, the pots plunged in ashes, and the lights 
drawn off the plants on all favourable occasions. 
Soil for Vine Border {G. P., Hants). —We should mix the two kinds of 
loam you have sent, and incorporate with it a twentieth part of the bulk of 
the chalk of which you have sent a sample, but this should be ground or 
crushed small, so that it can be readily and thoroughly mixed with the soil ; 
it will be of little use in the form of large lumps. The soil should be dug 
and the mixing done at once, and the border made in the spring. We should 
also either dig the sods deeper than those you have sent, or shave off the 
grass closely, or you will have far too much vegetable matter in the border, 
which will not be of a lasting nature. If you add also wood ashes or charred 
lefuse of any kind it would improve the compost. We should not make the 
border more than 5 feet wide the first year, supporting the front with a wall 
of turves, and as the roots protruded through this we should add another 
section. As the soil is very turfy and inclined to be light we should make 
the border rather firm than otherwise, always provided the very important 
matter of not using the compost in a wet state be attended to. By proceed¬ 
ing on the lines indicated you may make a very good Vine border, and with 
good cultural attention produce excellent Grapes. 
Training Black Currants {F. G.). —You will do right by securing to 
the wall as many of the shoots of the present year as you can without over¬ 
crowding, and you may remove any old or unfruitful parts to make room 
for them. If the leaves of one shoot seriously overlap those of another too 
many shoots have been retained. Avoid this, and you may expect a good 
crop of fruit. The small aphis to which you refer is troublesome, and if in 
large numbers for any length of time injurious. It usually disappears, 
however, during showery and rather cold weather, and probably it is less 
abundant now than when you wrote your letter. If the trees are large and 
numerous there is no practical remedy. Probably the method recommended 
to another correspondent for cleansing Hops is as good as any for you to 
try if you desire to extirpate the aphides. 
Cucumbers Exhausted (Anxious). —Your plants are failing by want of 
support. The soil is either too dry or impoverished, and the atmosphere of 
the house may possibly be too dry also. At once saturate the bed with 
water at a temperature of about fi0°, then follow the next day with a simi¬ 
larly copious application of liquid manure, such as the drainings from 
manure diluted to the colour of pale ale, half an ounce of guano dissolved 
in three or four gallons of water or soot water ; then place on the bed a 
layer of rich rough turfy soil and manure an inch or two thick, keeping the 
bed constantly moist afterwards from the top to the bottom. This treat¬ 
ment, with a moist atmosphere and the temperature you name, can scarcely 
fail to invigorate the plants, which ought to bear abundantly. Cut off the 
worst foliage, and you will soon have fresh fruitful growths. When roots 
protrude through the surface add more soil, and the plants may be kept 
healthy and fruitful for months. 
Cucumbers not Swelling (M. P.). — In nine cases out of ten when 
Cucumbers form but make little or no further progress their stubbornness 
is the result of insufficient support at the roots. The plants may be what is 
termed “watered regularly”—that is, sprinkled every day; but in truth 
they are not half watered. The surface of the bed may be moist enough, 
possibly even too moist, if at the same time ventilation is not sufficient, as 
under such circumstance the fertilisation is imperfect, and then if the soil is 
dry below there can only be one result—no good Cucumbers. Pour into the 
bed as much water as will pass away freely, whether this is one, or three, or 
four gallons to each square foot. Do not quite close the frame at night, but 
prop up the lights at the back to the extent of half an inch, increasing the 
ventilation very early in the morning, and before the sun raises the tempe¬ 
rature to the extent of 5°. Close early in the afternoon, watering well, 
especially in hot weather, and before nightfall again prop up the lights. By 
early afternoon closing we mean as soon as possible, provided the tempera¬ 
ture afterwards does not exceed 85°. With plenty of air the temperature 
during the day may be 85° to 80°, and the night temperature about 65°, a 
degree or two more or less not being in any way injurious. 
Washing Hop Leaves (J. R. S. C.). —Here is the recipe in full, with 
the additional information you require, and the correction of an error in 
the quantity first given of softsoap : 64 lbs. of softsoap, 6 lbs. of soda, 
6 lbs. of quassia chips, to 60 gallons of water. Put the quassia chips in a 
linen bag and boil them from three to four hours, then add the softsoap 
and soda. To 1 gallon of this liquor add 8 gallons of water, mix 
thoroughly, and apply to the foliage with a water engine or any convenient 
form of syringe. No soda is used in the later washings when the tender 
side shoots are visible, as it is then considered hurtful and a probable 
cause of barrenness. By the persistent use of this wash this season we 
have repeatedly cleansed the foliage of insects, and now the Hops are 
clean, vigorous, and give promise of an abundant crop. A sleepy neighbour 
has not washed his Hops, and has every prospect of a total failure in 
the crop. 
Packing Grapes (Z. Z.). —We know of no simpler nor better way of 
packing Grapes for transit by rail than arranging the bunches in baskets 
with sloping sides. Some persons use small baskets similar to ladies’ work- 
baskets, and pack a number of these in boxes or crates. Others use stout 
baskets with a handle across—what, in fact, are known as butter baskets. 
These answer admirably, and the handles prevent anything being placed on 
them, and the baskets cannot well be placed in a railway van in any other 
than their proper position—a matter of no small importance. In packing 
the baskets are placed in a slanting position by the operator pressing down 
one end and raising the opposite ; each bunch is then placed in position, the 
fruit just touching the bottom of the basket, the shoulders being level with 
the top. The baskets are by some packers, but not all, padded with soft 
paper shavings, or dry clean moss covered with tissue paper. Nothing is 
placed between the bunches in packing, but as soon as a basket is filled it is 
stood level, and if it be filled properly the natural wedging of the shoulders 
renders the Grapes practically immoveable—at least, all that is needed to 
make them firm may be a soft pad of tissue paper here and there. More 
depends on the care and aptitude of the packer than of the means he 
employs for sending Grapes by rail so as to arrive at their destination in 
good condition. We have seen Grapes sent from the same house in the 
same baskets a distance of 500 miles, and those packed by one person 
travelled without any appreciable injury, while those packed by another 
person were much damaged in transit. Judgment must be exercised in 
selecting the bunches to occupy the space, so that a second movement is 
not necessary. Shifting bunches about to “ make them fit,” first trying 
one, then another, and turning them about, first placing this side upwards, 
then the other, are errors to be avoided. Grapes cannot be tampered with 
in that way without being practically spoiled. A person can scarcely be 
expected to pack Grapes well on the first trial. It is an art that can only 
be attained by experience, but some persons, as in other work, are quicker 
learners than others, and soon become experts in the work. It is most 
important that those who have Grapes for disposal should learn to pack them 
well. The finest of Grapes are spoiled by bad packing, and many growers 
who send Grapes to market, and are disappointed by the comparatively 
small amounts they realise, would not be so surprised if they could see how 
different the Grapes were when unpacked from their condition when cut 
from the Vines. 
Name of Fruit (77. M.). —The fruit was much damaged in transit, but 
resembles Nectarine Violette Hative. 
Names of Plants (Pen and Ink). —Your specimen, crushed to a shapeless 
mass by being simply enclosed in a letter, is, judging by its perfume, perhaps 
Mimulus cardinalis. (Reader). —Your Pern is Adiantum pedatum. The 
brownness of the frond is due to the ripening of the multitudinous spores. 
These naturally exhaust the fronds more or less, and this with their disper¬ 
sion mar the freshness of the plant. (J. J., Lancashire). —1, The flowers 
were scarcely recognisable, but it is probably a fine variety of Aerides quin- 
quevulnerum ; 2 is Oncidium luridum, which must be very fine ; 3, Stanhopea 
eburnea, concerning which you will find some remarks on another page ; 
4, Dendrobium formosum giganteum, very handsome, and the Oncidium 
Krameri is one of the finest flowers we have seen. (A Constant Reader). — 
1, Ligustrum ovalifolium; 2, Crassula arborescens. (G. J. D., Oporto ).—We 
regret very much that owing to the long distance the flower of Phalsenopsis 
had travelled it was reduced to a shapeless mass, and we were quite unable 
to perceive the peculiarity to which you wished to draw our attention. 
(0. C.). — 1, Achillea Eupatoria ; 2, Lythrum Salicaria ; 3, Achillea Ptarmica 
fl.-pl. ; 4, Mitraria cocciuea ; 5, A large-leaved variety of Sedum spurium ; 
9, Tradescantia virginica. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— July 30th, 
Soft fruit still in good supply with prices unaltered. 
FKUIT. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples. 
i sieve 
0 
0 to 0 
0 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
6 
0 to 10 
0 
Cherries. 
1 sieve 
18 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
perdoz. 
4 
0 
12 
0 
Chestnuts 
bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Currants, Red .. 
i sieve 
3 
0 
4 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
5 
0 
„ Black .. 
J sieve 
3 
0 
3 
3 
Pine Apples English .. Ih. 
2 
0 
3 
6 
Figs . 
dozen 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Raspberries .. 
per lb. 
0 
s 
0 
4 
Grapes. 
2 
0 
5 
0 
Strawberries.. 
.. lb. 
0 
2 
0 
9 
Lemons ,. .. 
«• case 
15 
0 
21 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
. .each 
o 
f) 
G 
0 
VEGETABLES 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Artichokes .. 
. dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. . 
punnet 
0 
0 to 
1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Ouions . 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Broccoli .. .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
8 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
. 4 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums 
. 100 
1 
8 
2 
0 
„ Kidney . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
„ New ,. .. 
cwt. 
5 
0 
9 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Celery .. .. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Coleworts dez 
bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera .. .. 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
6 
Cucumbers .. 
. each 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Shallots. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Endive .. .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Herbs .. .. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Leeks .. .. 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Lettuce .. .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
HAYMAKING. 
THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LAND FOR HAY. 
( Continued from xtage SG.) 
We have shown, briefly it may be, but nevertheless clearly, 
