July 29,1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 103 
issue. Geranium striatum is a rare and doubtful native. It has been found in 
Cumberland, Cornwall, Chepstow, and near Teignmouth, in the same locality 
that probably you have found it—viz., Bitton Wood. 
Earthing White Beet (E. (?.).—It is a great improvement to earth up 
the stalks of the White Beet in the same manner as Celery when they are 
intended to be peeled and eaten as Seakale. No vegetable is more benefited 
by the application of liquid manure than the White and Brazil Beets. 
Canterbury Bells not Flowering (./. M. A.).— The seed was not sown 
soon enough. It should be sown m May or early June. It is only during favour¬ 
able seasons that the plants from seed sown in July flower freely the following 
year. Your plants, however, if they pass the winter safely, which they usually 
do when grown in well-drained soil and not too crowded, will make a grand 
display next year. 
Mealy Bug on Vines (E.D. C.). —You will have read what is published 
on page 63. In your case we can only advise you to dissolve about 3 ozs. of soft 
soap in a gallon of water, adding to it half a pint of tobacco water, and with 
this sponge the leaves ; 4 ozs. of nicotine soap dissolved in the same quantity of 
water will answer equally well. See also what is said on the subject in this 
week’s Journal. War should be waged against this insect both during winter 
and spring. Some gardeners have so much work of various kinds to do that 
without a little extra assistance occasionally they cannot devote the time that 
is necessary to eradicate this most troublesome and injurious insect. 
Grapes not Colouring (A Constant Reader, Devon). —If the foliage was 
injured by the bursting of the flue, and also by the application of sulphur to a 
too highly heated surface, that is quite sufficient to account for the present 
condition of the Grapes, and the heavier the crop the greater would be the 
defect in the ripening of the fruit. There is no remedy this year, but we should 
cut the Grapes as soon as possible and allow the Vines to make free growth. If 
you do this, and crop lightly next year, the fruit will probably ripen and colour 
well. 
Pteris serrulata cristata (II. II.). —The frond you have sent is very 
decidedly crested, or rather tasselled. If your seedling is a good grower we 
think it a very ornamental variety, yet not superior to others already in culti¬ 
vation. The finest form of Pteris serrulata that we are acquainted with is P. s. 
cristata major, which, we think, originated at Chiswick, and there are some 
splendid specimens there now 3 feet high and through; this variety, however, 
can only be increased by division, as it does not come true from spores. 
Laurels versus Sweet Bay (B. Marlin). —The common or Cherry Laurel 
is the Cerasus Lauro-cerasus of botanists, and is included in the natural order 
Rosaceae. The Sweet Bay is a true Laurel, and is named Laurus uobilis ; it is 
very distinct from the common Laurel, being widely separated from it in all 
natural classificatory systems. It is included in the order Lanraceae, which also 
contains the Camphor and Cinnamon plants. The term Bay, therefore, cannot 
properly be applied to the common Laurel. 
Criticism ( Old Subscriber). —We thank you for your criticism. It is well 
merited, but why did you not send us your name and address ? We are all 
liable to make oversights in the hurry of presswork. The Strawberry, it is true, 
was not approved by the Fruit Committee when it was exhibited in 1*78 ; but 
how many fruits and flowers have had to be exhibited again and again before 
they received the approval that was coveted for them. You ought to know that 
in this last case your criticism is ill founded. 
Begonia lucida (E. D. C. T.). —The above is the name of your Begonia ; 
it is sometimes also called Saundersii semperflorens, from its continuous-flower¬ 
ing character. It is one of the most useful for flowering in the winter in a 
temperature of 55° to 60°, and is valuable for affording flowers for cutting. It 
is readily increased by cuttings, which spring from the base of the plants ; the 
older flowering shoots strike freely, but seldom make good plants. It succeeds 
well in a greenhouse or frame during the summer. 
Grapes Scorched (E. ■!.). —The Grapes on the Vine in your ground 
vinery are seriously scorched, the result, probably, of the case having been kept 
closed too long in the morning, and then much air being admitted to lower the 
temperature. Leave the ventilators slightly' open all night, admitting more air 
immediately the temperature commences rising in the morning. If with this 
treatment the scalding continues, sprinkle a little whitewash on the glass to 
subdue the effects of the sun. Scalding of the berries and scorching of the 
foliage of Vines are always most prevalent during a fitful season of cloud and 
sunshine suddenly alternating, and after several dull days a slight shade applied 
to Vines that are prone to scorching immediately the sun is again powerful is 
often a wise precaution ; but Vines in good condition and well managed rarely 
require shading. 
Melons Unhealthy (Idem). —You may well complain of the Melons not 
setting their fruit, and had we known the condition of the plants we should 
have added to our former reply. There are at a moderate computation at least 
five hundred aphides on the two leaves sent. You must sponge the under 
surface of every sound leaf at once with a solution of soft soap and tobacco 
water, or other approved insecticide, of the strength that has so often been 
recommended in these columns. Unless you destroy the insects they will 
speedily destroy the plants. Remove the very much injured and partly withered 
leaves and burn them. 
Millipedes in Strawberries (E. J. R.). —The small “worm-like crea¬ 
tures ” did not arrive in a condition to be carefully' examined, as the Strawberry 
and portions of roots were very imperfectly packed. The name of the pest that 
is so numerous is, we think, Julus guttatus, which often attacks ripe fruit as 
well as roots. We know of no means of banishing it from gardens, but gas 
lime dug into the ground in the autumn and dressings of salt and soot in the 
spring might be beneficial. 
Vegetables for Gardeners (Ramallio). —When a gardener is allowed 
vegetables from his employer’s garden it is understood that he has the surplus, 
and we cannot understand any gardener so indiscreet as to take what is required 
by his employer; in fact, a gardener engaging on the above conditions virtually 
undertakes to grow sufficient for his employer’s use and his own too, and he is 
fully justified in doing so. When vegetables are not mentioned in an agree¬ 
ment a gardener has no “right” to take them. Most employers, however, 
having a good man, usually allow him to have a portion of the produce that 
would probably otherwise be wasted ; but he is not justified in “ supplying him¬ 
self with what he wants ” without permission. It is always best to make a pre¬ 
cise arrangement on this matter which is clearly understood by both master 
and man. 
Grapes Scalded (Inquirer). —Read the replies given to other correspon¬ 
dents on this subject. You say nothing about the temperature provided for the 
Vines and system of ventilation. If the night temperature is 70° to 65°, and you 
ventilate freely' night and day, we can only suggest that you sprinkle the glass 
over the affected Vines with limewash to break the direct rays of the sun. A 
low night temperature followed by a great increase of sun heat before the venti¬ 
lators are opened sufficiently in the morning are conducive to the scalding of 
the berries. 
Pansy Flowers Eaten (J. S. J.) .—The flowers are probably eaten by 
small snails or slugs, and if you examine the plants at night with the aid of a 
lantern you will no doubt catch the depredators at work, enjoying what you 
will take care is their last meal. By spending a little time every night in search¬ 
ing for the marauders you will soon reduce them considerably. We should 
also sprinkle soot amongst the plants, blackening the ground with it. This 
would check the slugs, and at the same time benefit the plants considerably by 
improving their growth and heightening the colours of the flowers. We are 
obliged by your letter, and your suggestions shall have our consideration. 
Vines for Cool House (J. T. It., Preston). —You cannot have a better 
variety than the Black Hamburgh. A Vine planted at one end of the house and 
allowed to make all the growth possible the first year, shortened at the winter 
pruning to a length of 2 feet or so, this being trained along the front at the base 
of the rafters, and in spring one shoot being trained up the root and another 
left for extension, to be shortened at the next pruning at 4 feet, again taking 
two shoots, one up the roof and the other for extension, and so on each year, 
would thus occupy the whole roof—that is, the main rod would be trained along 
the front, and four canes taken from it would furnish the roof. The end canes 
should be 2 feet from the ends of the house, and the others 4 feet apart, and the 
whole trained not less than 16 inches from the glass. Two Vines would, of 
course, furnish the roof in half the time that one would ; or if you desire Grapes 
quickly you might plant four Vines, bearing two or three of them heavily for a 
year or two, then removing them, the strongest and most healthy being in the 
meantime allowed to extend to occupy the entire roof. This, with such short 
rafters, would be better than training one Vine to each rafter. Vines thus 
grown on the extension principle usually' succeed well in ordinarily fertile 
garden soil mulched with manure. AVe will readily render you all the aid we 
can on your stating your requirements and conveniences explicitly; but we 
cannot undertake to name varieties of Zonal Pelargoniums, nor any other 
florists’ flowers. Your plant from which the leaf is taken is perhaps Saxifraga 
sarmentosa, but the leaf was much crushed, and no flowers accompanied it, 
which are necessary for correct nomenclature. 
Potting Cyclamens (II. T. II.).— The following extract from our “Green¬ 
house Manual ” may be of service to yon :—The time of starting the established 
plants is in the end of July, the beginning of August, or later, for after the 
plants have flowered, or whether they flower or not, they are kept under glass 
until the middle of June, and then plunged in frames or out of doors. Drying- 
off the roots or corms impairs the vitality of the conn, and destroys the majority 
of the roots, which are as perennial as the corms. From the end of July they 
should be examined frequently to see when they begin to grow, and if the soil 
is dry at that time water is given. Withdraw the pots from the plunging 
material, take the plants to the potting bench, turn them out of the pots, remove 
as much of the old soil as will come away freely without injuring the roots, and 
repot in the same size of pot. After repotting place the plants in a cold frame, 
keep them close and moist for a few days, and then admit air freely. Take care 
not to overwater, and sprinkle overhead every afternoon on closing the frame. 
By the middle of September they will be growing freely; the pots will be full 
of roots, and the plants may be shifted into 6 or 9-inch pots, or be flowered in 
those in which they were first potted ; in either case they may be removed to a 
house with a temperature of 55° at night, placing them near the glass, and 
admitting air freely. A stove, or any house where there is a temperature of 56° 
at night, is suitable. Here they may remain until they flower, when they should 
be removed to a house with a temperature of 45° to 60°. Two parts of light 
fibrous loam, one of sandy peat, one of leaf soil, and a sixth part of silver sand 
and small charcoal, forms a suitable compost. This manual would probably be 
of great use to you, and can be had from this office post free for lOd. 
Insects on Vines (J. T.S.). —It is no trouble to us to answer inquiries 
when we cun do so usefully to those seeking information. There happened to 
be no insects on the Vine leaves you sent, your letter implying that you had 
destroyed them ; but the Melon leaves were infested with the red spider, indeed 
we have seldom seen a worse case. The insects on the Vines you say are the same 
as on the Melons. We have no doubt they are, and we are quite certain those on 
the Melons are i-ed spiders. Your description of them as seen through a micro¬ 
scope quite confirms this, though you appear to think it does not. When the 
red spider is young it is a pale greenish red ; it then changes to a bright red and 
is very active in its movements, but when it becomes old it is just the colour 
you describe, and moves as you say, slowly. The insects you examined were 
old ; on the Melon leaves we found the red spider insects in all stages of growth. 
As we gathered from your former letter that you had destroyed the insects on 
the Vines, of which the leaves sent appeared to aiford proof, we advised you, for 
another reason, not to syringe ; we now advise you, however, as the Vines appear 
yet infested, to give them a thorough washing, directing the water as forcibly as 
possible to every leaf. Five or six gallons applied to a full grown Vine will not 
be too much, in fact you cannot wash them too thoroughly. Choose the early 
morning of what is likely to be a dry but not a very bright day for the washing, 
and then throw wide open all the ventilators to dry oif the moisture, much of 
which you can remove by shaking the Vines. A syringing like this once a week 
will be a great benefit by washing oil most or all of the insects. In the mean¬ 
time ventilate very freely. AVe repeat, the warts on the leaves are not caused by 
either insects or fungus, but are the result of injudicious treatment. The leaves 
afforded us clear and unmistakeable evidence on that point. Your Melons, which 
have been much neglected, are, we fear, beyond cure, but the A’ines are far from 
hopeless. 
Names of Fruit (E. D. C. T .).—It is the Kentish or pie Cherry. 
Names of Plants (Miss Briscoe ).—The long leaf is that of a weed, a 
species of Dock, which has come up in the soil in which the Calceolaria seed 
was sown, and which appears Dot to have grown. The berried plant is Solanum 
nigrum, also a weed. (J. T. It., Preston ).—AVe do not undertake the naming of 
varieties of Pelargoniums, and if we did, you afforded us no means of doing so, 
as nothing arrived but a number of loose petals. (II. E. White ).—Epilobium 
angustifolium. (II. IK.).—Both specimens were completely withered mid un¬ 
recognisable. (A. Boyle). — Lysimachia vulgaris. (D. IK. It.). — Lysimachia 
vulgaris. (TK. M .).—Cattleya intermedia. (S. (?.).—1, A'eronica spicata ; 2, 
Dictamnus Fraxinella; 3. Fmnkia ovata; 4, Helichrysum argenteum; 5, Lysi¬ 
machia vulgaris ; 6, Epilobium angustifolium. (IK. Begbie ).— 1, Seabiosa colum¬ 
baria ; 2, Ononis arvensis. (IK. II. Myers). —1, Lychnis chalcedonica ; 2, Veronica 
spicata ; 3, Sedum ibericum ; 4, Sedum neglectum ; 5, Oinothera taraxacifolia ; 
6, Spiraea Filipendula flore-pleno. 
