July 15, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
57 
and which a more judicious application would have prevented. 
When a plant, therefore, is found dry in the middle of the day it 
should at once be shaded, the atmosphere around thoroughly moist¬ 
ened by copious applications of water, damping the outside of the 
pot repeatedly until it becomes thoroughly wet, slightly damping 
overhead to prevent evaporation ; and when the plant is recovering, 
as it will towards evening, afford water thoroughly to the roots. 
This may be the means of saving many fine specimens. Another 
evil in watering at this season is the supply from cisterns being 
exhausted ; spring water is employed not only several degrees lower 
in temperature but verj' hard. To prevent the injurious effects of 
well water to hardwooded plants it should be fully exposed to the air 
for several days before use. 
Pelargoniums. —Early-flowered plants are very valuable, such as 
Bridal Bouquet and Duchess of Bedford, both being very chaste, 
pure white, prettily fringed with feathered rose spot in the upper petals. 
They should be placed outdoors in the full sun without delay to 
thoroughly ripen their wood previously to being cut down, affording 
water only to prevent flagging. The Regal varieties are particularly 
valuable for bcuquets and decorative purposes. Some of the best 
are Princess of Wales ; Maid of Kent, with rose spots on all the 
petals ; Prince of Teck, Queen Victoria, Captain Raikes, and Beauty 
of Oxton. 
Liliums. —Plants of L. auratum coming on for later flowering should 
be top-dressed with decayed manure, and have careful attention in 
watering and securing to stakes, or they will be liable to be damaged 
by strong winds. Plants that have flowered should be placed out¬ 
doors and properly attended to with water, as the longer they retain 
the foliage the stronger the bulbs will be, on which so much depends 
for next season’s flowering. L. speciosum vars. should have weak 
liquid manure occasionally, and must be kept free from aphides, 
which if allowed to increase completely spoils both flowers and 
foliage. 
Heaths. — Early-flowering plants should be placed outside, and 
should have slight shade for a few hours in the hottest part of the 
day. Place the pots on a bed of ashes at least 6 inches thick, which 
should always be kept moist, as when the plants are on inverted 
pots they from drought become brown in leaf and have a starved 
appearance. Sometimes red spider attacks the plants, and in this 
case lay them on their sides and syringe thoroughly with clean 
water about twice a week. 
TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 
advise you to exhibit flowering plants at some of the Scottish Pansy shows, as 
it is only by judging it in comparison with the best varieties its merits can be 
satisfactorily determined. 
Thrips on Vines (IF. A. II.). —Frequent light fumigations will not injure 
the Grapes that have just stoned, and if persisted in will probably eradicate the 
insects. We have often greatiy checked their increase by dipping a sponge in a 
strong solution of softsoap and smearing the affected leaves, not syringing the 
Vines afterwards. An hour or two spent during the early morning in sponging 
the leaves would probably in your case be labour well invested. At what 
strength did you apply the paraffin to the Vine in the pot for extirpating ants ? 
Heating a Stove (E. IF., Maidenhead). —You do not state the height of the 
stove, but only give its length and width. Unless the house is very lofty four 
rows of 4-inch pipes and sufficient boiler power will heat it efficiently. It is 
contrary to our practice, as we have often stated, to recommend boilers. All that 
are advertised in our columns are good when well managed, but all are not 
equally adapted to certain positions. Consult a practical gardener in your 
neighbourhood on this subject. 
Onion Maggot (IF. Jones). —As your Onions are “seriously affected’’ we 
know of nothing that will kill the maggot without also destroying the plants. 
If any of our readers can name a remedy we will gladly publish it. 
Stopping Peach Trees ( Subscriber). —Train-in all the growths that are 
necessary for forming the trees, and do not stop them, but be sure they are not 
crowded. The foliage of one shoot should not overlap that of the other, there¬ 
fore you must remove all the growths requisite for exposing fully to the light 
those remaining. The side growths for bearing next year must also be trained 
very thinly, and if they have formed triple buds the ends of the shoots may be 
pinched off in August at about 18 inches from the base. Strong growths do not 
always form triple buds near the base, but only towards the extremities, and 
therefore stopping must not be done indiscriminately. You do not say whether 
the trees are on open walls or under glass. 
Pelargonium Beauty of Oxton, “Sport” (.Florist).— The truss is 
large and the flowers possess good substance. They are darker than the original, 
not possessing so much white in the centre nor round the margin of the petals. 
It is distinct, and like the original form will be useful for decorative purposes, 
but we do not think it likely to be of any great commercial value. 
Propagating Tuberous Begonias (C. L. C.).— They strike readily from 
cuttings inserted in sand in a good bottom heat, choosing such shoots that have 
not a disposition to flower freely, indeed cuttings are best inserted before the 
flowering period. Cuttings struck now will not produce fine plants this year, 
but will form tubers that will produce good flowering plants next season. 
Roses from Cuttings ( Idem ). —As the plants grow vigorously and yet 
do not bloom we conclude they have been pruned too closely. Roses on their 
own roots if they grow freely will, if rightly pruned, flower as freely as plants 
that are budded or grafted on other stocks. Thin-out the growths if crowded 
now, and only slightly shorten the others at the winter pruning, and your plants 
will flower next year. 
Peach Trees Unhealthy (II. E. C.). —Had you sent us some wood as 
well as leaves we should have been in a better position to judge of the condition 
of your trees. The leaves indicate that the wood is ripening prematurely; if 
this is so the trees have not had sufficient water. They appear also to have been 
injured by the red spider, but there are no insects on the leaves sent. Have the 
trees been dressed with a strong insecticide, and so received injury ? Examine 
the border, not on the surface merely, but 2 feet below, and possibly you will 
find it dry ; if so, water it thoroughly, syringing the trees frequently, and if the 
crop is very heavy remove a portion of the fruit. 
Beetles Eating Strawberries ( E. D.).— The beetle sent is Omascus 
melanarius, a predaceous species, which preys upon other insects and small 
snails or slugs ; it is therefore probable that these beetles have swept away the 
real cause of the mischief done to the Strawberries. Failing a supply of their 
natural food the beetles might possibly attack a juicy vegetable substance, but 
we cannot on research find any recorded instance of such an eccentricity. 
E. H. Krelage & Son, Keinen, Hartweg, Haarlem.— Wholesale 
Catalogue of Bullous and Tuberous-rooted Plants. 
(TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Books (A New Subscriber ).—We know of no treatise such as you appear to 
require. You will find an excellent mode of destroying the Gooseberry cater¬ 
pillar on page 454, the issue of June 10th ; and you may readily destroy aphides 
on Roses and Asters by syringing them with a solution of soft soap and tobacco 
water, 2 ozs. of the former and half a pint of the latter to a gallon of water. 
Gishurst compound has the same effect, as also have other insecticides that are 
advertised in the Journal. It is a great mistake to permit insects to increase in 
large numbers before adopting means of destroying them. Those who act on 
this principle never become successful cultivators. We will readily give you 
information on any question that perplexes you if you will state the case clearly 
and explicitly. (IF. N. Craig). —Lowe’s “Natural History of British Grasses,” 
with seventy-two coloured plates, may possibly suit you. It is published by 
Groombridge & Bon, price one guinea. Your other question shall have our 
attention. 
Mimuluses (T. IF.).—The flowers having been sent in a letter instead of a 
small box were crushed into a shapeless mass, so that it is quite impossible to 
determine the merit of the variety. We may inform you, however, that hose- 
in-hose varieties of Mimulus are quite common. 
Peculiar Fern (L. Blacky ).—The frond you sent is very distinct from 
Adiantum gracillimum in general appearance and form, but the pinnules are 
similar to those of that Fern. It is probably a form of A. gracillimum. The 
frond is bunched or fastigiate, and if all are alike upon the plant you mention 
the effect must be very peculiar. 
Seedling Viola (./. M. Freeman ).—The flowers aie very rich in colour, 
velvety purple, and as the plant is floriferous and a continuous bloomer the 
variety is likely to prove an acquisition for bedding and border decoration. We 
Nicotine Soap (It. A. J). —Mr. Abbey—in reply to the questions “Does 
nicotine soap injure plants if it gets to their roots ? and does it stain the paint ? 
Is it safe to syringe a conservatory with ? ”—states that he has used it exten¬ 
sively both for plants and fruit trees, and has not found any injurious effects 
result from syringing with a garden engine to either the foliage or roots. It 
does not stain the paint, at least not white paint, although it would probably 
leave a stain on other coloured paints, as it from being a soap dries white, similar 
to softsoap solutions, and it leaves a stain on glass. It is perfectly safe for 
syringing a conservatory, as the after syringings with clear water will remove 
its remains, and glass should have a thorough cleansing every now and again. 
The insecticide does not injure the plants, whilst it destroys every kind of insect 
infesting them. Clay’s fertiliser is not inodorous, but the soil absorbs it so 
thoroughly that there is no unpleasant smell in ten minutes after the manure 
has been applied. Florvita is slightly fragrant. Both judiciously used are good 
for plants. 
Eulalia japonica (Idem). —Messrs. Veitcli give the following description 
of this plant, which we believe is quite correct:—“ A very handsome perfectly 
hardy ornamental Grass. The stems, which attain a height of 5 feet and up¬ 
wards, are somewhat slender; they are furnished with leaves upwards of a yard 
long and nearly an inch wide at the broadest, striped throughout with bands and 
lines of creamy white alternating with deep green. The flowers are pink, and 
are produced in panicles with spikelets from 8 to 10 inches long. The established 
plant sends up a tuft of graceful stems very elegant in growth, and at first sight 
appears to resemble the variegated Arundo donax, but it is quite distinct from 
and more hardy than that plant.” 
Vines Unsatisfactory (C.L. €'.). —Many besides yourself have to complain 
of the bunches being small at the “ bottom of the house,” and the evil is gene¬ 
rally caused by not shortening the canes sufficiently when the Vines are in a 
young state, cropping too heavily and restricting the lower laterals too severely. 
Many people, and amongst them some gardeners, suppose that by stopping those 
laterals that are weak they adopt the best means of strengthening them, whereas 
the very reverse is the case. Weakly laterals should be allowed to grow un¬ 
checked, or at least so far as can be done without causing the growth to be 
overcrowded, while those above them that are strong should be closely pinched. 
Further, the spurs and growths are mostly much too close together on the 
lower parts of Vines. A foot apart should be the minimum distance, and a 
space of 18 inches for each lateral is much better. You must not allow any 
bunches to remain on the weak laterals ; thin them out if crowded, and permit 
the others to extend freely. Denuding the stems of all growth as is sometimes 
done, and too closely pinching the lower laterals, are the causes of many failures 
in Grape culture. If your Vines require a stimulant spread an ounce of guano on 
