November li, 1880 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
447 
Address (E. Hill). — The address you require is Messrs. Aruold & Sons, 
35 and 3G, West Smithfield, London. 
Books (II. Martin, Paris ).—There is no single work published in England 
that fully treats on all the subjects you mention, but much of the information 
you require may be obtained from the following :—Paxton’s Botanical Dictionary, 
Johnson’s Gardeners’ Dictionary, and the Treasury' of Botany. A good work of 
reference for the synonyms of plants is Steudel’s Nomenclator Botanicus. (C. E.). 
—There is no book published such as you appear to require, but the subject to 
which you refer shall have our attention. (IF. R.). —“The Eatable Funguses 
of Great Britain ” published at this office, price 7s. 6c?., contains a number of 
coloured plates of the most important edible species. 
Climbers for a Small Conservatory (E. ,4.).—Lapagerias rosea and 
alba, Passiflora cseruleo-racemosa, and a Marechal Kiel Bose will be suitable. 
Tacsonia Van-Volxemi and T.exoniensis are free-growing and effective climbers ; 
and very beautiful are such free-growing Fuchsias as Corallina and Lustre when 
they are trained to a roof. 
Vines (Idem ).—Your house will not accommodate more than eight Vines, 
the two at the ends being 18 inches from the glass, and the others 3 feet apart. 
The Black Hamburgh will prove by far the most satisfactory, and we should not 
plant many others. A good white companion for it is the Buckland Sweetwater. 
Vines do not succeed well on back walls when the roof is shaded. You may try 
the Black Hamburgh and Alicante. 
Mildew on Roses (Castlewellan). —We should prune the plants, removing 
the foliage, and dress the branches with sulphur made into a paint with a solu¬ 
tion of soft soap. A little clay and lime may be added to make the mixture 
adhere, and if the colour is too light it may be darkened with soot. Apply the 
mixture with a soft brush. 
Horn Shavings (J. P.).—' They are valuable for mixing with the soil of 
Pelargoniums and all plants needing manurial aid ; if used too freely, however, 
they promote the growth of foliage at the expense of flowers. Used in the same 
proportion as bone meal the results are similar. 
Stephanotis Flowers (J. Gibson ).—You have evidently a free-flowering 
form of this plant, and also a good one, for the flowers sent are very' fine, especi¬ 
ally when we consider the plant has been flowering sinee March 10th, and is 
likely to continue for an indefinite time. Your mode of culture is good as well 
as the variety. 
Erratum. —By a printer's error the name “Mattot's” Pearmain Apple 
appears in the report of the Pomological Meeting at Hereford on page 418 ; it 
should have been printed “ Mabbot's ” Pearmain, a variety that is being distri¬ 
buted by' Mr. George Paul of Cheshunt. 
Fig for Wall (G. IF., Cardiff ).—You cannot plant a more useful variety’ 
than the Brown Turkey. Mix plenty of lime rubbish with the soil, and make it 
very firm to prevent luxuriant growth. 
Potatoes (J. 8. D .).—The Crystal Palace Kidney, Edgcott Seedling, Hunting¬ 
donshire Kidney, Beaconsfield Kidney, and Yorkshire Hero are all forms of the 
Lapstone Kidney, and have no doubt been selected from it by different cultivators. 
Exhibiting Apples (A. Mato). —If you write to Mr. Barron, the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, London, he will supply you with all 
necessary information for submitting them to the Fruit Committee. 
Vines Outside the House (.4 Constant Reader ).—It is important that 
the wood of the Vines be well matured, and then they may be safely turned out¬ 
side the house, especially if they are protected with hay bands during severe 
weather. Prune them immediately the leaves have fallen. When placed in the 
house in the spring they must not be submitted to a stove temperature at 
first; 50° at night will be quite sufficient until the buds have fairly started. 
The Vegetable Insect (Deodar ).—It is probable that what you term 
“ an insect which buries itself in the earth and subsequently becomes a perfect 
plant” is the Cordyceps or Sphseria Bobertsii, of New Zealand, which is known 
there as “the vegetable caterpillar.” It was figured and fully described in 
No. 881, vol. xxxiv., which you can obtain from this office post free for 3k?. in 
stamps. 
Vine Roots (C. B. M .).—If you will inform us in what respect your Vines 
are satisfactory—stating the condition of their growth and foliage, and of what 
ingredients the border is composed—we shall be better able to suggest the 
cause of the slight injury of the roots. If, however, you think the Vines are 
affected with the Phylloxera we can inform you that there are no symptoms of 
that pest on the roots now before us. 
Rebuilding Walls (.4 Gardener). —We never undertake to give estimates 
of the cost of work of any kind, as this necessarily varies in different districts. 
No one can determine the cost of such alterations without seeing them, and you 
cannot do better than invite two or three other builders to examine the walls 
and submit tenders for their restoration ; you will then get the work done at the 
lowest cost, which we presume is what you require. 
Fruit Trees (IF. IF. A.).—If you will state the number of trees or varieties 
you require we will name some that we think will be suitable ; without this inform¬ 
ation you will perceive that we are not able to give you a precise and satisfactory 
reply, as we should perplex you if we named many more varieties thau you wish, 
and disappoint you if we did not name sufficient. Hie Pear you have sent 
shall be examined, and the name given if possible. 
Vines for Planting (James Belton ).—The following advice of an ex¬ 
cellent cultivator will answer your question—“ Those who intend planting a 
vinery, and who have not yet obtained the young Vines, should purchase them 
at once from a respectable nurseryman, and pay the highest price for them ; a 
shilling or two saved in the price of a Vine must be considered a small matter 
in comparison with having a large number of failures from planting badly-grown 
canes. Those who rush to the cheapest market for their goods generally pay 
most in the end. When the plants are sent home they should be kept until 
planting time in a cool house where frost cannot injure them.” 
Potting Lilium auratum (D. Vickers) .—Turn the plant out of the pot, 
and remove as much soil as you can without injuring the roots. As the bulbs 
are small. 7-inch pots will be sufficiently large. Drain them well, and use a 
compost of two parts light turfy loam, one part sandy peat, and one part leaf 
soil or old cow dung, with a free admixture of sharp sand. Pot so that the 
crown of the bulb may be about an inch below the rim of the pot, and when the 
plant has made a shoot a few inches high top-dress with rich compost. Keep the 
plants safe from frost, and the soil only just moist, but when the plant is grow¬ 
ing freely and flowering water copiously. It cannot have too light or airy a 
position. 
Oporanthus luteus (O'. M. Major). —We were unable to ascertain the 
name of the specimen you sent in time for the last issue owing to the flowers 
being in a great measure faded, but from careful examination of such characters 
as were discernible we believe it is the Amaryllidaceous plant named above. 
It is a native of South Europe, and is first recorded in cultivation in England 
about the close of the sixteenth century. It is figured in Mrs. Loudon’s “ Flower 
Garden.” For cultivation in borders there are few autumn-flowering plants of 
its class that equal it. Although so old, it is not so common as might be 
expected. 
Eriobotrya japonica (Barron). —The specimen you sent was a leaf of 
Eriobotrya japonica, the Japanese Loquat, an evergreen tree included in the 
natural order Rosace®, and closely allied to the genus Mespilus. The fruit is about 
the size of a large Gooseberry, yellow and downy, somewhat resembling the 
Apple in flavour, though Sir Joseph Banks considered it equal to the Mango. 
As the name implies it is a native of Japan, whence it was introduced about a 
hundred years ago. In the southern counties of England it succeeds well 
trained to a wall, a south aspect being particularly favourable, but further 
north the protection of a greenhouse is requisite. The flowers are produced 
early in the year. 
Destroying Slugs (-4 Lady Gardener).— Slugs are easily reduced in 
numbers if simple means are adopted at the right time. Fresh strong dry 
guano will kill slugs, as also will freshly slaked lime, but old lime has little 
effect on them. It is, however, obviously no use applying either the lime or 
guano in the daytime when the slugs are resting in their haunts, but the dusting 
should be done about an hour after dark when they are feeding or in search of 
food, and then again at daybreak during mild weather. Small heaps of brewers’ 
grains and bran laid on the beds will be covered with slugs an hour or two after 
dark, and a covering of lime and salt will destroy them. By persevering with 
this practice slugs may be considerably decreased in numbers. If slugs and 
grubs eat the bulbs in the soil each bulb ought to be surrounded with sharp 
sand and wood ashes. 
Destroying Earwigs (Idem).— If you refer to page 233 of the issue of 
September 9th, 1880, you will find Mr. Abbey has proved that if about 8 ozs._ of 
nicotine soap are dissolved in a gallon of water, the solution, when applied 
with a syringe, instantly kills all the earwigs that it reaches. Syringe your 
rustic trellis thoroughly, and any solution falling to the ground would have the 
effect of checking the movements of slugs there also. 
Espalier Trees Cankered (F. J.).— In all probability if you cut the tree 
down as you propose, and also replant it in good soil, the future growths will be 
healthy. It would be better, however, to transplant the tree this year, only 
partly cutting it down by removing the most cankered portions, as the foliage 
of next summer would incite root-action, and that being insured you may then 
cut the tree down next autumn. We have seen cankered trees rendered healthy 
by replanting and judicious pruning without cutting them down entirely; but 
perhaps your tree is too seriously affected to be renovated in this manner. 
Treatment of Nepenthes (Beta). —It is probable that the cause of the 
shoots decaying is too low a temperature and excessive stagnant moisture. 
Nepenthes are natives of tropical swampy regions, and consequently though 
requiring abundance of moisture they also need a modei’ately high temperature. 
It should be as equable as possible, about 70 3 being suitable; rather lower in 
winter, but not below 65° if possible, and on no account below 60° to ensure the 
health of the plants. They should be provided with a compost of fibrous peat 
and sphagnum well mixed, and if grown in pots these must be efficiently drained ; 
but as little depth of soil is necessary the plants thrive well in baskets suspended 
from the roof of an arched house or stove. Supply water most freely during 
growth and in hot weather, but at this time of year much less is required. 
Syringing the growth and foliage is also beneficial during the summer, or at 
other times in clear warm weather, provided it be done early in the day. 
Fallen Leaves (J. G.). —If your Conifers are healthy we should let the 
leaves remain, as you do not object to their appearance. They will not absorb 
all the rain that falls during the winter months, while, as you observe, they 
keep the soil moist and cool in summer, and exclude frost in winter ; they have 
also a manurial value suitable for the trees. If the specimens are not healthy 
you may remove the leaves and spread fresh soil and manure on the space they 
occupied. The leaves would be useful if dug into the ground, especially if it is 
heavy, intended for Potatoes. 
Plants, Roses, and Cucumbers (T. K). —We presume you have a stage_ 
in the house that is not shaded with the Cucumbers, and also shelves near the glass 
In such positions you may grow all the plants you name, also Achimenes, Eucha- 
rises, Pancratiums, Gloxinias, Amaryllises (Hippeastrums), Poinsettias, Eu¬ 
phorbia jacquiniseflora, Epiphyllums, Gardenias, Gesneras, and nearly all stove 
plants having ornamental foliage. Few plants besides Ferns will succeed 
beneath the Cucumbers. The house will be too hot for the Mardchal Niel Rose; 
but at Lambton Castle Mr. Hunter grows such Tea Roses as Isabella Sprunt, 
Duchess of Edinburgh, Safrano, Niphetos, Madame Falcot, and Vicomtesse 
de Cazes planted out in a trough of rich soil at the back of a Pine stove, where 
they form quite a hedge, and produce hundreds of flowers during the_ winter 
months. You might try the experiment on a small scale if you particularly 
desire to have Roses in the house, but it is not certain that you will succeed so 
well as such a good gardener as Mr. Hunter does. 
Manuring Roses (Idem). —Pig manure is excellent for placing over the 
roots of standard and other Roses in the open ground at this season of the year. 
Spread it 3 inches thick, and as far as the roots extend. If your Roses are not 
growing satisfactorily you may sprinkle the soil lightly with the mixture of 
poultry manure and soot before the other manure is applied ; it may also be 
applied to Roses and most other crops during showery weather in spring with 
great advantage. 
Acacia pubcscens (Mrs. Gray ).—This species is by no means common, 
and if this really is the one you have it might be increased by either layers or 
cuttings, but the latter is the better and generally the more successful mode of 
increase. The young half-ripened growths should be selected for the purpose, 
preparing them similarly to other cuttings, and insert them in a compost of 
finely sifted loam and abundance of silver sand in a well-drained pot. Cover 
the pot with a bellglass, and plunge it in a propagating frame in a temperature 
