450 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c November is, was. 
not keep sound until then. On the 4th of October I examined 
fruits that I had left for the purpose of knowing how long it 
would keep, and each fruit was dotted with dark patches that 
showed plainly through the skin, and the flesh had turned very 
soft. I may mention that we lifted the tree two years ago, and 
placed the roots nearer the surface. That may have caused the 
fruit to be a little earlier ; but other trees in this neighbourhood 
prove that this is a very early Apple.” 
Our description of Domino is as follows :—A Codlin. Fruit 
large, somewhat cylindrical or blunt-conical in shape, with a 
prominent rib on one side, which makes it larger on that side of 
the axis, and consequently if measured through that diameter it 
is as wide as it is high. It has five more or less prominent ribs, 
which terminate in corresponding ridges round the eye. Skin of an 
uniform greenish yellow when ripe, and pale grass-green before it 
ripens, and covered with distinct russet dots, but no colour. Eye 
closed, set in a deep, angular, and irregular basin ; tube long 
conical, inclining to funnel-shaped ; stamens median. Stalk half 
an inch long, inserted by the side of a fleshy protuberance, which 
is generally well developed. Flesh yellowish white, soft, and 
juicy, with a mild acidity. Cells open, Codlin-like ; cell-walls 
elliptical. 
This is a very useful Apple, and is, we think, in the Chiswick 
collection. It belongs to the class of Lord Suffield, Golden 
Spire, and such early-bearing and prolific culinary varieties. 
DESTROYING ANTS. 
In reply to “ J. H. W.” I may state that we have had plenty 
of ants in the vineries here. The method adopted to eradicate 
them is to find out their hiding place or home, and if it be 
among soil. When practicable remove the whole body contain¬ 
ing ants and eggs to some distant exposed part of the garden 
where they will probably be picked up by birds. I need not 
say there will be numbers left behind, as I have seen them 
busy night and day. To capture those remaining procure a dead 
bird, or several to make short work of it, cut them open at the 
breast, and lay them where the ants frequent. Go round as often 
as it may be necessary. The birds will be often found covered 
with ants, when they should be immersed in a can of boiling 
water, and laid again in their runs.—C. Warden, Clarendon. 
At one time I was much troubled with ants in my Peach house, 
which were very destructive when the fruit was ripe. I tried 
treacle, which was of little or no use ; I also used hot water, 
which killed what it touched, but I do not think that safe where 
the roots are inside and near the surface. I also tried a strong 
dose of hellebore, both liquid and the powder, but I found they 
only went to fresh quarters of the house. At last I tried some 
freshly slaked lime. I had some standing in a pot ready, and 
whenever I saw any ants about I gave them a good sprinkling ; 
also where I found they made their nests I placed a quantity, and 
washed it in as well as I could. By a little perseverance I have 
entirely cleared the house of the insects, and I think if “ J. H. W.” 
will give the lime a good trial he will not be disappointed with 
the results. It is not so disagreeable to use as paraffin, nor so 
dangerous.—J. Gilbert. _ 
A correspondent of the Journal asks how to deal with the 
small ants which sometimes appear by thousands in gardens and 
houses. Mr. Newman strongly advised the following plan Dip 
lengths of stout twine or rope into a syrup made of coarse sugar, 
and lay these near the holes whence the ants issue, or in their 
favourite haunts. Upon these the ants will cluster thickly, and 
the strips taken up can then be plunged into boiling water.— 
J< ft. S. C. 
THE GREENHOUSE AND ITS INMATES. 
POPULAR FLOWERING PLANTS. 
BIGNONIAS. 
These are useful plants for training up rafters and pillars, and 
for covering walls inside greenhouses or conservatories. For 
small houses they are not quite suitable, but when room can be 
spared for their due development they are most acceptable. 
They should be planted out in good fibry loam and peat in equal 
proportions, with a little sand and broken bones and charcoal to 
keep the compost porous and open. The kinds ordinarily grown 
are B, Chamberlaynii, B. grandiflora, B. speciosa, and B. venusta. 
BOUVARDIAS. 
These may be had in bloom at any time. Most people like to 
have them in flower during winter, for they will bloom as freely 
and as satisfactorily at midwinter if a temperature of from 50° to 
60° is maintained as at any other time. Where this cannot be 
afforded they may be prepared to flower late in summer or in 
autumn. Plants which vyere bought in autumn may be treated like 
a Fuchsia during winter and cut down in spring ; afterwards 
they should be started and grown in a temperature of G0° until 
June, when they may be placed in cold frames. In spring, after 
the young shoots are a couple of inches long, they may be taken 
off with a heel and struck in bottom heat along with other cut¬ 
tings, say on a hotbed. After the cuttiDgs are rooted they will 
require potting off, and for this purpose fibry loam and leaf soil 
with a little sharp sand should be employed. After potting they 
should again be returned to the frame and plunged, keeping a 
genial top and bottom heat. 
Potting and pinching must be attended to as may be necessary. 
Young plants may be placed in 5 or 6-inch pots the first year. 
After the pots are well filled with roots a little liquid manure should 
be given occasionally. To keep the plants dwarf and bushy they 
must be kept near the glass and repeatedly pinched. By June 
they may be placed into ordinary frames without bottom heat, 
and liberally ventilated during fine weather. Pinching must be 
discontinued early when early flowering is wanted, but in no case 
should the plants be pinched later than July. They must be 
transferred to their blooming quarters by the middle of Sep¬ 
tember at the latest. They are subject to the attacks of different 
insects. Syringing or dipping in tobacco liquid may be occa¬ 
sionally resorted to as a preventive or check. These remarks 
apply equally to young and old plants ; only old plants require 
more root room. The following kinds are all good :—elegans, 
Hogarthii, Bridal Wreath, Queen of Roses, jasminoides, Yreelandii, 
and, although not free-flowering, B. Humboldtii corymbiflora. 
CALCEOLARIAS. 
If seed was sown during July or later, and the young plants 
obtained pricked out, they should when large enough be potted 
and grown on in the cold frame. As long as the weather is so 
mild that frost can be kept out of the frames with the aid of 
mats, the plants should remain there, the frames being ventilated 
on all favourable occasions. They must be shifted before they 
are root-bound, this being important, until they are established 
in the pots in which they are required to flower. When they are 
removed to the greenhouse they should be placed in a light and 
cool position. Heat is their worst enemy, and after that aphides. 
Should the latter appear fumigation must be resorted to, or the 
plants will not thrive. Syringings of soapy water will prevent 
its appearance. 
CINERARIAS. 
These need similar treatment to the Calceolarias, only tobacco 
smoke injures and very little frost destroys them. Sponging 
may be necessary in order to keep down aphides. 
TREE CARNATIONS. 
Tree Carnations are beautiful plants for winter blooming. 
They are easily propagated by layering, or even by cuttings in 
spring, if these last are placed on a slight bottom heat. During 
summer they do better planted out than when kept on in pots. 
A compost of loam, cowdung, and sand suits them. They should 
be carefully lifted and potted in October, and placed for a few 
days in a shady position until new roots are produced.—J. H. 
LIFTING PEACH TREES—SHALLOW v. DEEP 
BORDERS. 
Probably many of your readers will arrive at the conclusion 
that I have “caught a Tartar” in “A. B. C.” (page 405), and 
perhaps I ought to be thankful for being “let down ” in such a 
kindly manner. However, I venture to return to the subject, not 
because I am desirous of having the last word, but with the motive 
of righting myself in the estimation of my critic. 
Relative to the disposition of the fertile surface soil, it does not 
follow that the whole of this was placed at the bottom of the 
border and out of the reach of the majority of the roots. On 
the contrary, at one end of the house the border, independent of 
the drainage, was found to be upwards of 3 feet in depth and the 
roots were very low. Now, we were not in a position to entirely 
lift the whole of the trees and materially change the depth of the 
border, neither would it have been wise to have done so owing to 
the age and size of the trees. Under the circumstances we did 
not attempt to bring all the roots preserved to the surface, the 
only plan being to bring them up so as to distribute them through¬ 
out the new soil to a depth of about 18 inches. In this manner 
the fertile surface soil was not entirely thrown away, neither did 
