October 19, 1882.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
375 
Henry Bennett, Pedigree Rose Nursery, Shepperton, Walton-on- 
Thames .—List of New Roses. 
%* 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 Poultry and Bee subjects, and 
should never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended 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. 
Book ( Bryvm ).—You will find Tripps’ work on Mosses, published by Messrs. 
George Bell and Sons, 4, York Street, Covent Garden, one of the best, but the 
price is higher than you named, and we do not know any reliable w T ork published 
at so low a price. 
Astrantia major (J. S. B.). —An herbaceous plant, which is very easily 
grown, as it succeeds in any soil that is not very heavy. It can be increased 
either by seeds or division of the plants. Several other species are in cultivation, 
one of the best being A. carniolica. A. minor is rather more tender than the 
others, and one very large-flowered form is called A. maxima. 
Pyrus japonica (Miss Tregoning). —The fruit is that of Pyrus (Cydonia) 
japonica. There are many varieties of this, producing various kinds and 
qualities of fruit. That which you have sent is a particularly handsome one, 
and worth cultivating. You can make marmalade of it in the same way as 
you would of the ordinary Quince. 
Single Dahlias (IP. B.). —The light flaked variety sent is worthless ; thou¬ 
sands better will be thrown away this autumn. The only two varieties amongst 
the seedlings you have sent that we consider worthy of cultivation are the very 
dark one, and there are plenty similar, and the scarlet, which resembles gracilis 
snperba. 
Large Pears (G. H). —We have no record of the heaviest Easter Beurre and 
BeunA Diel Pears that have been grown in this country. You have probably 
grown some of the heaviest. We will publish any records of heavy Pears that 
you or other of our correspondents may possess if they are forwarded to us. 
Fruit Trees for Planting {Cheshire). —When you state you want Apples 
on Quince stocks we presume you mean Paradise stocks, and you must order 
the trees on this stock and not on the Quince. Suitable varieties for your 
purpose are of Apples —Lord Suffield, Cellini, Stirling Castle, and Ecklinville 
Seedling. Plums— De Montfort and Green Gage. Cherries —Early Rivers and 
Governor Wood. 
Pears for Walls (G. P., Hants'). —If you have the means for growing early 
varieties as espaliers or pyramids we should advise you to do so, as unless you 
grow the trees in the form of diagonal cordons you can only have a small 
collection on the wall. Read the notes on page 837 last week. You will find 
some of the best varieties there for both forms of culture. If you will let us 
know what your decision is in the above respect, and need further advice, we will 
readily attend to your letter. 
Planting Tigridias (M. E. H.). —Spring is the best time for planting these 
bulbs, selecting fine weather either at the end of March or the beginning of 
April. Light rich soil suits them well, and if left out during the winter a little 
protection is advisable, though, perhaps, the preferable practice in cold damp 
localities is lifting and storing the bulbs in a dry position. 
Mushrooms Decaying (J. C.). —The Mushrooms are rotting from a 
fungoid attack. This fungus, which is occasionally so destructive in Mushroom 
houses, is Xylaria vaporaria, and is usually introduced with particles of un¬ 
purified manure. When it once gets into a house it is a pest about as bad in 
its way as the phylloxera, and a clearing-out, disinfecting, and lime-washing 
process becomes necessary for its extirpation. Manure, where horses have had 
much medicine or have been fed with Carrots largely, would produce almost 
similar results ; and in all likelihood if really suitable manure were used in a 
fresh place the same spawn would produce good crops of Mushrooms. 
Sphagnum (S. B.).— We have received the samples of sphagnum moss, but 
do not understand what information you require. You say “No. 1 is from an 
Orchid received from a London nursery ; No. 2 is from one of our Bristol nurseries, 
both growing on the same plant, both receiving same treatment. If you will 
kindly give me the reason at your earliest convenience I shall feel much obliged.” 
We will willingly oblige you if we can, but fnrther particulars are necessary for 
enabling us to do so, and better “ samples ” than these, which are crushed and 
dried by being enclosed in a letter. 
Culture of Oncidium Rogersi (A New Subscriber).— This is a Brazilian 
species, and one of the most beautiful of those flowering in winter, bearing a 
large panicle of blooms, the lips being very broad, somewhat tliree-lobed, and 
rich yellow in colour. It requires warmer quarters than several of the species, 
and would not succeed satisfactorily in your cool Odontoglossum house. Many 
cultivators find that the Cattleya house suits it better, and if you have not 
such a structure or a warm Orchid house place the plant in a stove. The usual 
compost of peat and moss is needed if the plant is grown in a pot. 
Fruits of Cycas revoluta (Inquirer). —You will find an engraving of 
the fruit of Cycas revoluta, with some particulars concerning their structure, 
on page 27, January 8th, 1880. The fruits are said to be edible, but we have 
never tried them. C. circinalis, which is nearly related to C. revoluta, produces 
similar fruits, and in the Moluccas these are eaten after being fermented and 
roasted. Sago is prepared from the pith of both plants. Specimens which have 
fruited occasionally bear a weakly appearance for a time, but they soon recover 
under good treatment. It must, however, be remembered the fruits produced 
are not always perfect—indeed, that is seldom the case with cultivated jilauts, 
as fertilisation is seldom effected. 
Annuals for Spring (F. S.).— You say the plants are “strong,” possibly 
they are too strong, as if very forward and succulent, and especially if they have 
not been thinned so that each plant has had space for producing side growths, 
they are liable to be destroyed whether planted out or left in the seed beds. 
Assuming your beds are ready you had better plant them out now, as there is 
time for them to get .established before winter. A few evergreen branches will 
afford them some protection in dry weather. If very forward the Virginian 
Stocks and Neinophila cannot be relied on for passing the winter safely; the 
others are quite hardy, but often made tender by overcrowding in the seed bed. 
Trees not Bearing ( C.B.). —You say the trees have borne little or no 
fruit for seven or eight years, but you do not say whether they are old or young 
trees, luxuriant or decrepit. Without knowing the condition of the trees it is 
impossible to suggest a mode of treatment. Are they young or old trees ? are 
the branches trained thinly ? and do they produce blossom freely ? Many 
trees have failed to bear fruit during the past few years, not because of any 
constitutional fault of the trees, but because severe frosts and inclement weather 
have destroyed the blossom. If you can make the state of the trees intelligible 
to us we will give you the best advice we can on the matter. 
Renovating Vines—Warts on Leaves (F. C.). —Your proposed plan 
is good generally, but appears to us to have one great fault. By being good 
generally we mean the plan of having the roots in a “ sort of long box,” which 
you describe will answer ; but by elevating it 2 feet above the surface of the 
soil would render the roots liable to injury from drought in summer and frost 
in winter, unless soil were banked in a sloping manner against the front slabs. 
By taking precautions to prevent the contingencies indicated you may carry out 
your project with considerable hope of improvement resulting to the Vine. We 
have known Vines seriously injured, in fact nearly killed, when a border has 
been above the ground level, the front being supported by “ slabs ” as you 
propose, and these fully exposed to the weather. The warts on the Vine leaves 
m your case are the result of the foliage not being able to appropriate and 
elaborate the sap at this usually dull period of the year. No injury whatever 
will be done to the Vines by the few leaves at the top being thus affected. 
Repotting Rose (Idem). —If the plant is healthy, and the roots also in a 
fresh active state, the pot being fairly filled without being firmly crowded with 
them, you will probably do well not to disturb them materially. All that is 
needed in such a case, and assuming the plant is required to flower in its present 
pot, is to dig out the soil round the sides of the pot half way down, more or less, 
and remove it with all that is loose which you can scrape off the surface, and 
add fresh turfy loam, enriched with about a fifteenth part of bonemeal and a 
tenth of wood ashes, working it amongst the roots carefully, and pressing it 
very firmly. Pruning should be limited to removing any soft unripe tips and 
shortening any weak or wiry-looking growths. Peach mildew is a fungus that 
attacks the shoots of the trees, and sometimes the fruit, in the same way that 
Roses are attacked. It is very injurious. 
Planting a Row of Raspberries (V. J.).— Single canes are best, and 
they are always so sent from a nursery. Procure them early in November ; cut 
off the upper part of each cane to within 18 inches or a foot of its base, accord¬ 
ing to its size, the weak canes being shortened most; and plant them a foot 
apart in the row. Before planting stir the soil deeply, and make it very rich 
with manure. Or, what is even better, make a trench 3 feet wide and 18 inches 
deep ; fill three-fourths of it with old leaf soil or manure from an old hotbed, 
cover with good garden soil, and plant your row along the middle of the trench. 
We planted several rows in this manner seven years ago, and they still continue 
bearing heavy crops of excellent fruit. If you can give them frequent drench- 
ings of house sewage during the season of growth you will be well repaid by 
growth of extraordinary vigour and fruit of proportionate abundance and size. 
American Blackberries (Idem). —Treat these at first just as you do the 
Raspberries in planting and pruning, only you will probably find that the young 
plants have three or four stems of about equal vigour. Cut off any weakly 
stems ; retain the others, shortened like the Raspberries. Do not attempt train¬ 
ing the subsequent growth in an erect formal maimer, for the long vigorous 
branches may be trained horizontally or diagonally as appears best adapted to 
retain it unpruned. We have a long row, with the growth interlaced into a per¬ 
fect thicket, that is wonderfully prolific of fine fruit. A novel, useful, and 
attractive feature may easily be added to a garden by planting them 3 or 4 feet 
apart along the sides of a path and training them overhead upon arches ; the 
long shoots may then be taken at will from arch to arch, connecting the whole 
into a pretty arcade. This plan will commend itself in all gardens where 
economy of space is important. 
Pruning a Cluster Damson (Idem). —The Cluster Damson yields fruit 
abundantly, pruned precisely like the Plum, and trained as a pyramid. But if 
you can afford room for an unpruned tree or two do so, as you will eventually 
obtain most fruit from them. It makes lateral growth so thickly that pruning 
a few trees is a tedious business, always to be avoided if possible. 
Planting Box Edging (Idem). —Box edging should be planted either in 
autumn or winter—not in spring. When a considerable length is required it 
becomes expensive; and it is a fact worth knowing that cuttings taken off any 
time during winter, and inserted as for a permanent edging along the margins 
of paths, make roots and grow freely during the next season of growth. Care 
must be taken to press the soil firmly about them by treading when they are put 
in, and due care must also be exercised to replace them securely after hard frost, 
which loosens, and sometimes causes them to fall out of the soil. 
Dr. Hogg Peach (A.S .).—Mr. Luckhurst, who has had much experience 
with this and other Peaches, writes as follows :—“ This fine Peach answers per¬ 
fectly against an open wall if it is thoroughly screened from north-east winds 
in spring, to the baneful effects of which its foliage is so sensitive as to be often 
destroyed. The tree is a vigorous grower, and the fruit is large, handsome, 
highly coloured, and of delicious flavour. It is in the front rank of second 
early varieties, but owing to its tendency to suffer seriously from leaf blister in 
unkindly springs, the more robust Rivers’ Early York should always be planted 
with it. This rule holds good also with both early and late kinds. With Hale's 
Early plant Early Beatrice, which is much better out of doors than in, and to 
follow Dr. Hogg there is none better than Grosse Mignonne, and for late sorts 
Barrington and Walburton Admirable.” 
Chionodoxa Luciliae and Freesia refracta alba (F. R. S.). — Par¬ 
ticular concerning the culture and history of both these pretty bulbous plants 
have been given in this Journal with illustrations, the first named on page 249, 
vol. ii., new series, March 31,1881, the second on page 171 of the same volume, 
