December si, 1882 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 577 
The right thing in this case is to place the pots in water for 
some hours. 
Rain water should be used if possible, and failing that the 
softest water procurable. It should never be used when lower in 
temperature than the house in which the plants grow. For this 
reason it is always best to have a cistern inside the house to con¬ 
tain it. Failing that it should always stand in the house for some 
hours previous to using. 
LIQUID MANURE FOR PLANTS IN POTS. 
When plants become rootbound they require shifting into larger 
pots, so that fresh nourishment may be afforded them. In many 
cases this is not practicable, and in all cases it is desirable to 
grow as large plants as possible in the smallest-sized pots. In 
that case top-dressings of rich material become necessary, and 
also feeding by means of liquid manure. Top-dressings are not 
always applicable, but in most cases liquid manure may be ap¬ 
plied with advantage. The simplest kind of liquid is when a salt, 
such as sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda, is dissolved in the 
water. Such substances are cleanly and inoffensive, and are, 
therefore, preferred by many ; but unless the soil contains some¬ 
thing substantial in itself these will fail after a time, although 
they will promote luxuriant growth at first. For plants which 
are to occupy the pots for only a few months and then be thrown 
away they are very suitable, but otherwise they are not so good 
as dung or guano water. The latter is made by dissolving half 
an ounce or more of guano in a gallon of water. Liquid manure 
such as this should only be applied by inexperienced persons once 
or twice a week, for too much may do considerable harm. Good 
liquid manure may be made by steeping cow, sheep, deer, horse, 
or other animal manure in a cask of water. The water becomes 
highly impregnated with manurial matter, and is, when properly 
diluted, very useful. When liquid manure is made from animal 
manure the clear water only should be drawn off and used, for 
when thick it destroys the porosity of the soil. It is only the salts 
and gases of the manure which are dissolved in the water which 
are beneficial. Suspended matter is worse than useless. * 
Urines make good liquid manure, especially when used with 
those prepared from manures. Pure urine should in all cases be 
diluted with six or eight times its bulk of water when used for 
plants in pots ; when used in a stronger state it is almost sure to 
destroy the points of the roots. 
Soot is useful as a liquid, which may be prepared by placing 
the soot in a bag and suspending it in the water, so that only the 
salts which it contains may mix with the water. The chief sub¬ 
stances of value found in soot are carbonate and sulphate of 
ammonia.—N. B. 
CULTURE OF DRACAENAS. 
Dracaenas are very useful plants, especially as they are well 
adapted for house decoration; and as most gardeners have much of 
that kind of work to do, these remarks may be of use to those not 
acquainted with its culture and propagation. Where any old plants 
have become too tall the tops can be taken off, turned out of their 
pots, and have most of the roots n moved. The stems and roots 
may be then laid lengthways in cocoa-nut fibre, over a little bottom 
heat. They will produce scores of little plants, which, when strong 
enough, must be separated from the main stem and potted singly in 
small pots, in equal parts of turfy loam, peat, and leaf soil, with a 
little powdered charcoal and silver sand. They must be kept in a 
brisk moist heat close to the glass. Plants in 32-size pots make 
useful plants for decoiating, but if large plants are required they 
must be shifted into larger pots before their roots become matted. 
They must not be kept in too moist an atmosphere during the 
winter, or the foliage will damp. When the plants are required for 
house decoration they should be grown in a drier and cooler atmo¬ 
sphere about a fortnight before using. Varieties of the terminalis 
and gracilis type are the most useful.—Y. 
GRAPES FOR GENERAL CULTURE. 
As a Grape-grower of many years’ practice, and one as familiar 
with both new and old varieties as most people, nothing has sur¬ 
prised me more than the prominent advocacy of doubtful varieties 
of Grapes for general culture which has lately appeared in the 
pages of the Journal of Horticulture. I do not by any means 
hold the Editor responsible for all that appears, but when we see 
it stated in a leading article that “ everyone ” should plant early 
houses exclusively with such Grapes as the Madresfield Court and 
the Duke of Buccleuch, it is impossible to absolve the Editors from 
a certain amount of responsibility in the matter, not to speak of 
the fact that these two sorts, and another equally doubtful—the 
Muscat Hamburgh—have also been advocated for a main Sep¬ 
tember supply as well. I believe I am correct in reference to the 
leading article which appeared a few weeks ago signed “ Honi 
Soit qui Mal y Pense,” for I have not the number by me now ; 
I sent it away to a friend, who replies, “ I doubt if he could get one 
good gardener of repute to endorse his advice to plant a whole 
early house each of the Duke of Buccleuch and Madresfield Court, 
to the exclusion of the long-tested and tried Black Hamburgh, 
which his statements amount to, for not one garden in a hundred 
needs three early vineries. - ’ 
No one who understands the wants of private gardens would 
advise the wholesale planting of doubtful fruits of any kind, and 
past articles in the Journal and other papers testify to the doubt¬ 
ful propriety of anybody, let alone “everyone,” planting an early 
house each of the above two Grapes. One can only excuse the 
writer of the article in question on the ground of ignorance and 
rashness, until he points to successful examples of what he advises. 
The correspondence of the Journal must long ago have convinced 
its Editor how unwise it is to advise gardeners to commit them¬ 
selves with their employers by rash ventures, knowing—as he 
should know—quite well that really excellent examples of the 
fruits he names are so exceptional that when they are produced 
they are at once chronicled as something unusual. We have two 
early vineries here, and I have no doubt my employer would allow 
me to plant them with any variety I thought best, but he would 
hold me responsible for the result; and if I had planted the whole 
60 feet with the two sorts named for a supply all through May, 
June, and July, I can only guess what the result would have been, 
after having my own way in the erection of the vineries and 
formation of the borders, &c., and spent perhaps several years in 
an abortive experiment.— Head Gardener. 
[Admitting that our correspondent is an experienced grower of 
Grapes, and in his way a clever critic, we are the more surprised 
that he has missed the point of the letter which he criticises. 
The article on page 469 was not a discussion on and recommenda¬ 
tion of “ Grapes for general culture,” but was a comparative 
estimate of varieties, and especially those “introduced during the 
last twenty years.” No one knows better the value of the Black 
Hamburgh as an early Grape than the writer of this estimate, and 
he would be the last to exclude it in favour of either the Duke or 
Madresfield Court if that were the question at issue. His experi¬ 
ence is too great for that, and his success as a cultivator entitles 
him to express an opinion on all the Grapes he mentioned, for all 
of them he has grown well, most of them perhaps as well as they 
have been produced by any other cultivator in the kingdom. He 
can pass without notice the suggestion of “ ignorance ” that has 
been, we think, a little prematurely, not to say rashly, attributed 
to him. As to our unwisdom in committing gardeners, &c., we 
can endure either the joke or mild impeachment whichever our 
correspondent intended, and shall pursue our course as usual.] 
THE GREENHOUSE AND ITS INMATES. 
(Continued from page 450.) 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
These are invaluable for decorating the greenhouse and for 
furnishing cut flowers during the darkest, dullest time of the year. 
Cuttings should be struck in spring on a hotbed, and afterwards 
transplanted into boxes in good loam and decayed manure 4 or 
5 inches apart. Pinching must be attended to for the purpose of 
inducing a bushy habit. When the plants become too large for 
their position in the boxes they should be transferred into 6-inch 
pots, using the same kind of soil. Previous to this they should be 
grown in a cold frame. By May they should be placed out of 
doors in a sheltered place, plunging the pots in ashes. Stopping 
the shoots will be necessary at intervals up till June. Shifting 
must also be attended to, and abundance of water given to prevent 
the plants flagging at any time. As the pots become filled with 
roots liquid manure should be given occasionally. Staking must 
also be attended to, or winds will break the shoots. It is the 
practice of exhibitors to thin the flower buds as soon as they can 
be seen. If extra fine blooms are desired the practice may be re¬ 
sorted to, but for ordinary purposes it is seldom practised. The 
plants should be housed by the beginning of October, or at least 
before frost injures them. Should mildew appear at any time the 
affected parts must be dusted with flowers of sulphur ; this will 
destroy it. While under glass they are somewhat liable to attacks 
from green fly. Syringings of soapy or tobacco water will pre¬ 
vent their appearance ; smoking will destroy them when they do 
appear. After the flowers decay the shoots should be cut down to 
the surface of the pots, and the roots stood in any cool place safe 
from frost, and exposed to light until the necessary number of 
