September 7, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
235 
the spring. Alternantheras cannot be safely wintered in a greenhouse from 
which frost is with difficulty excluded in severe weather. 
Turf Litter (C. D.). — We do not understand your question, but print your 
letter of request in case any of our readers can comprehend the nature of the 
material to which you allude, and can give any information such as you are 
seeking :—“ I have some of the above offered to me for manure. Do you think 
it will do as well as the old kind—of course, I mean after it has been in the 
stable, and if it can be used in the same proportion as the old ?” If you had 
stated as precisely as possible the nature of the “ turf litter,” and explained 
what you mean by the “ old,” your letter would probably have been answered. 
We doubt if anyone can answer it satisfactorily as it stands. 
Hexagon Netting (A.F.M .).—This is a thinly woven material, made, 
we believe, at Nottingham, but can be had from most of the principal nursery¬ 
men both in London and provinces. It is useful for protecting fruit trees from 
frost in spring, and the fruit from wasps and flies in the autumn, also for 
placing on the glass and affording a light shade to the occupants of frames in 
summer. The price varies with the size of the “ mesh,” the substance and 
quality of the material, and the width of the pieces. You can no doubt obtain 
samples and prices on application from the nurserymen and seedsmen with 
whom you deal. 
Extirpating Worms (C. A. J.). —No doubt if you mix half a pint of 
carbolic acid with a gallon of water and apply it to the walk it will extirpate 
both worms and weeds ; it will kill the^ grass and Box edgings too if allowed to 
touch them. Half an ounce of corrosive sublimate (bichloride of mercury) dis¬ 
solved in 15 gallons of water will cause worms to come to the surface, but care 
must be taken that fowls do not eat them, otherwise they will be poisoned. A 
peck of freshly made quicklime mixed with 40 gallons of water, and allowed to 
stand till it clears, if applied through the rose of a watering pot will have the 
same effect. 
Trees for Avenue (G. S .).—In all probability Beech trees would succeed 
as well as any in a medium that consists largely of chalk, and either the green 
or purple-leaved kinds make a good avenue and endure exposure. As evergreen 
shrubs the different kinds of Hollies would be suitable and effective, while such 
flowering shrubs as Lilacs, Syringas, Guelder Roses, Weigelas, and Hibiscuses 
would in all probability grow and flower freely. Whatever you plant you will 
find it of great advantage to procure some fresh good soil for surrounding the 
roots, especially of the more important trees, with the object of giving them a 
good start. Be careful, also, to secure healthy trees to begin with, as if stunted 
or checked when young they make slow progress afterwards. 
Shelter for Currants (Beginner ').—We know of no shelter more effec¬ 
tive for a plantation of bush fruits in an exposed position than a row or two of 
Austrian Pines on the windward sides ; but then you ask for something “ profit¬ 
able ” as well as protective, and the Pines would only be profitable by the 
shelter they would afford, thus rendering the Currant crops of greater value. 
If you want a fruit-bearing screen you might plant Filberts and Damsons. The 
quickest screen is formed by planting Lombardy Poplars close together, so as to 
form a hedge, which can be kept of any required height by aunual trimmings. 
A number of these narrow hedges intersecting exposed fields devoted to bush 
fruits would not occupy much space, while they afford valuable protection 
against cutting winds. 
Hoya carnosa (IF. II. B ).—This is the name of the plant of which you 
have sent a small truss of flowers. It is also called the Wax Plant as ex¬ 
pressive of the character of the flowers, and the Honey Plant because a drop of 
clear very sweet fluid exudes from each flower when in perfection. It is a stove 
evergreen twining plant, and grows freely in a compost of rough peat and loam 
in equal parts and a liberal addition of lime rubbish and pounded bricks. The 
plants flourish best in a light position in a stove, but succeed well in a green¬ 
house where the temperature in winter does not remain for long below 45° ; but 
an occasional fall to 40° is by no means fatal if the soil is, as it should be then, kept 
rather dry. Cuttings strike freely in sand in a close heated frame or propagat¬ 
ing house; even the leaves will emit roots, and soon produce small healthy 
plants. It is a good old plant, worthy of culture. Hoya bella is much dwarfer, 
very floriferous, and highly attractive. 
Planting Ivy (J. R. IF.).—We doubt if there is a better and quicker grow¬ 
ing form better suited for your purpose than the common Irish Ivy—Hedera 
Helix hibernica, sometimes also called canariensis and grandifolia. It clings to 
walls well, covers them rapidly when the soil is good, and forms a close green 
surface. The ground should be rich yet well drained, and trenched 2 feet deep. 
Ordinary fertile garden soil enriched with decayed manure, vegetable matter, 
and wood ashes, adding also a little lime rubbish, will be suitable for promoting 
quick growth, the plants being watered copiously in dry weather. The distance 
of planting depends entirely on the size of the plants, and the time of planting 
on the manner in which they have been prepared. If they have simply to be re¬ 
moved from one part of the garden to another October will be a good time ; 
they succeed also when planted in spring. If we required to cover a wall as 
quickly as possible we should purchase extra strong plauts established in pots, 
and plant them so that the growths would be trained a foot apart. As the 
number of growths on the plants vary the distance of planting is necessarily 
governed by these. If you furnish the requisite particulars to a nurseryman 
who possesses Ivies in pots he will supply you with the proper number of plants. 
The time in which your wall may be covered depends entirely on the soil, treat¬ 
ment, and character of the plants. Under very favourable circumstances it 
might be covered in five years, but under other conditions twice that time might 
elapse before you attained your object. 
Thrips on Vines (. c . II. C.).— As the thrips are only attacking three or 
four Vines near the liot-water pipes the surest, safest, and most effectual method 
of destroying them would be to sponge the leaves with a solution of softsoap 
and tobacco water, which your gardener will know how to prepare if he has read 
the Journal attentivel}', or nicotine soap at the strength of 3 ozs. to the gallon 
of water, Gishurst compound of the same strength, or half a glass of petroleum 
mixed in a gallon of water. We name all these remedies so that you can adopt 
the one most convenient. A man would be able to sponge all the infested leaves 
in an hour, and his time would be well employed. We should not fumigate the 
house now, because of the risk of affecting the flavour of the fruit, as we presume 
it is ripe, or nearly so. Probably, as you say, the thrips not being numerous 
would not do much harm. Still, it is very advisable to destroy them, as, if let 
alone this year, they will probably appear sooner and in greater numbers next 
season. 
Woodlice Eating Peaches (Adam). —It is no trouble whatever to us to 
endeavour to aid you, or any of our correspondents to whom we can be of service. 
It is too late now for you to syringe the trees with any strong insecticide, but 
you might syringe them forcibly with pure water with a view of dislodging 
any insects that lurk about the wall or branches. Once on the ground you may 
prevent them ascending the wall or trees by a barrier of tar, the stems being 
wrapped in cotton wool and smeared with tar, not applying it to the bark. It 
will do no harm placed along the wall close to the ground, and as long as it is 
moist no woodlice will cross it. You had better also trap or poison the insects. 
Boiled parsnip dressed with arsenic, or, what is better, cooked in an arsenical 
solution, and then placed in flower pots laid on their sides, these being placed 
where the insects abound, will entice many of them to take their last meal; or 
boiled potatoes put in flower pots and covered with moss will form favourite 
haunts of the pests, which can be shaken daily into boiling water and meet with 
painless extermination. Perhaps better than the tar for forming a barrier 
against the woodlice is amixtnre of resin and sweet oil—two-thirds of the former 
melted and one-third of the latter. This if smeared along the base of the wall 
will keep moist, and none of the insects can cross it. If you had adopted the 
measures recommended sooner you would have saved many of your Peaches. 
The fruit may be gathered when it commences to soften near the stalk, and be 
placed in a warm place to ripen. The flavour may possibly not be quite so good, 
but fruit of moderate quality is better than such as you describe as not fit to be 
placed on the table. 
Plant Stove Exposed (Rosa). —No doubt the end facing the north-west 
and much exposed is objectionable, and you might find a difficulty in maintain¬ 
ing the requisite temperature during severe weather. This, however, is easily 
obviated by having the end of brickwork instead of glass, and facing the wall 
with Lycopods, small Ferns, fine-leaved Begonias, Tradescantias, and other 
plants of a suitable nature, or it might be covered with Marcgraavias or Ficus 
repens minimus, both of which cling to masonry with great tenacity and have 
an ornamental effect. For establishing the plants previously named it would 
be requisite to affix stout galvanised wire netting 2 inches from the wall, filling 
the space behind with turfy peat faced with moss, and in this inserting the 
plants. With plenty of moisture and the requisite heat they would grow luxu¬ 
riantly and be highly attractive. Or, again, the wall might be built so as to 
resemble rockwork, with pockets for plants. If either of these methods were 
well and tastefully carried out the beauty of the house would be much en¬ 
hanced and the necessity for hard firing greatly reduced, while at the same 
time there would be quite sufficient light for any other plants you required to 
grow in the body of the house. We cannot advise you as to piping without 
knowing the height, width, and length of the house, and the kind of plants you 
desire to have in it, or, at least, the temperature you wish to maintain in the 
winter. The sprays did not arrive in good condition. The one with dark fruits 
appears to be a Phytolacca, perhaps P. decandra, and the other Leycesteria 
formosa. 
The Electric Light on Vegetation (E. Best). —Our experience on this 
subject is limited. We can only testify to what we have seen at exhibitions, 
and examples of plants that had been grown under the influence of the light 
in question were certainly more advanced than others of the same age, and, we 
presume, grown in the same temperature, that had not been exposed to its ray s. 
We have observed also that such colours as blue and yellow are seen to the 
same advantage under the electric light as in the daytime; under gaslight, on 
the contrary, blue is changed to a greenish hue, and yellow to a tinted white. 
On the subject of your letter Dr. Siemens, in his presidential address at the 
British Association’s meeting at Southampton, observed:—“In experimenting 
upon Wheat, Barley, Oats, and other cereals sown in the open air, there was a 
marked difference between the growth of the plants influenced and those un¬ 
influenced by the electric light. This was not very apparent till towards the 
end of February, wlieu, with the first appeance of mild weather, the plants under 
the influence of an electric lamp of four thousand candle power placed about 
5 metres above the surface, developed with extreme rapidity, so that by the end 
of May they stood above 4 feet high, with the ears in full bloom, when those not 
under its influence were under 2 feet in height, and showed no sign of the ear.” 
Zonal Pelargoniums (J. II.). —Provided you have good varieties and 
proper conveniences for growing the plants your failure to produce large trusses 
is entirely your own, and is not in any degree attributable to the method of 
culture to which you refer. The best evidence of the instructions being sound 
was the condition of the plants which we saw, many of the trusses exceeding 
18 inches in circumference. The term “ loam” is a very indefinite one, and we 
are not at all prepared to dispute the statement which you quote, as some kinds 
of loam are quite rich enough to produce such results as you indicate. Perhaps 
the loam you employ is light and poor; perhaps you attempt to grow more 
plants than you have space for or time to attend to properly; or possibly you did 
not commence with stout healthy cuttings. If we knew the nature of your soil 
and the character of the house in which you have been trying to succeed we 
might be able to point out the cause of failure; without this information general 
notes on culture, we fear, would not be more serviceable to you than those which 
you have endeavoured to follow with such disappointing results. If you will 
supply us with information of the nature suggested, and submit the names of 
some of your best varieties, we will endeavour to give information that will be 
of service to you in your endeavours to produce large trusses of flowers. 
House for Roses (J. S.).—VIe do not think you can grow Roses satisfac¬ 
torily in the manner you propose, but with ventilators in the sides, also two at 
each end close to the roof, one over the door and the other to correspond, you 
would succeed in your object. If you further stretch some such material as 
open canvas of closely woven hexagon netting over the apertures permanently 
few sooty particles would find access when the ventilators were open. Instead 
of having 2 feet 6 inches of glass at the sides we should only have 1 foot 9 inches, 
the remaining 9 inches above the footboard being a ventilating board on hinges, 
and made to open the entire length, or if you prefer you might reduce the foot¬ 
board by 3 inches ; you would then have 2 feet of glass at the sides. Without 
ventilation your Roses would get too forward, and if they were not injured by 
frost in the spring they would be by insects. With the screens we have sug¬ 
gested and the free use of the syringe you will be able to keep the foliage clean 
during the season, but in our opinion ventilation is essential for success. The 
size of the panes will do provided you use thick glass. Such glass as is usually 
employed would be too weak for such a wide space between the sash bars. You 
would have light enough if the panes were a foot wide, using 21 oz. glass. 
The woodwork throughout is abundantly strong. 
Names of Plants (E. Ilf.)—Hypericum dubium. (F.F.).— 1 and 2 Agrostis 
alba (White Bent Grass), easily distinguished from A. vulgaris, the ligule at 
the base of the leaf being oblong in A. alba, while in A. vulgaris it is very short 
and truncate ; 3 and 4, Agrostis canina (Dog’s Bent Grass) ; 5, Tunicum 
miliaceum (Millet). (Pen and Ink).—No. 1 is not the Spurge Laurel; it appears 
to be a Veronica, but a spray showing the character of the plant is necessary for 
the purpose of identification. 2 is Cerastium tomentosum. (IF. Thornton). 
Acanthus mollis ; the other specimen did not reach us. (A. E. A., Woodbury 
Hull). —Two of the fronds are Asplenium foutanum ; the other appears to be a 
form of Lastrea spinulosa, but from such a poor specimen as the one received it 
is almost impossible to name correctly. (IF. AIcK.). — 1, Lychnis Salicaria ; 
