January 4, 1883.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
gallon of such water as you have before adding the oil, and if that does not 
answer try another insecticide, there are plenty in the market. 
Violets in Frames ( Cot'age ).—The method of culture in preparing Violets 
for flowering in frames in the winter is practically the same as that adopted in 
growing Strawberries, only rooted runners of Violets can be had in April, while 
Strawberries cannot be layered before June. In soil prepared as if preparing for 
Strawberries, and in an open position, plant rooted runners or offsets of Violets 
during showery weather in April. Compact growers, such as Devoniensis, a 
very useful single, and Marie Louise, a valuable double variety, may be inserted 
a foot apart in rows 18 inches asunder; but such strong growers and fine 
varieties as Victoria Regina and Prince Consort need more space, and the plants 
should be 18 inches apart in rows 2 feet asunder. Those named are excellent 
varieties, and if Argenteaeflora is added you may have abundance of flowers in 
different colours from September onwards throughout the winter, provided you 
can maintain a night temperature in the frames of 40° to 45°, not otherwise, as 
Violets must have a certain amount of heat for insuring a continuous supply of 
flowers. Plants well attended to during the summer will be in fine condition 
for planting in frames in September or early October. For further particulars 
read tbe_ articles on page 224, September 7th, 1882, and page 380, October 26 th, 
1*82, which, if you do not happen to have preserved them, can be had from the 
publisher at the ordinary price, 3J'f. each. Violets can be had in abundance in 
winter by taking stout runners and dibbing them an inch or two apart in boxes 
of good soil—loam and leaf mould—as if inserting cuttings, keeping them con¬ 
stantly moist, and placing the boxes in a light position in a warm greenhouse. 
Boxes thus filled at the present time and tre ited as directed will shortly afford 
quantities of flowers, and young plants of the best character will be provided 
for future plantations. 
Pines for Fruiting (Irish Rector ).—We think you have succeeded fairly 
well in your first attempt at Pine-growing. If the plant you describe as having 
a stem as thick as your wrist, has crowded the pot with roots, and the leaves are 
sturdy and stout in texture, there is a possibility of its fruiting next summer if 
it is afforded a decided rest now. The disposition of Pines to throw up is indi¬ 
cated by a more than ordinary number of rather small sharp-pointed leaves 
forming in the centre, and having a tendency to spread outwards. Plants that 
produce few, large, and upright leaves are not likely to fruit for some time. Give 
no more water for a month or more, and follow the instructions in the work you 
possess as to temperatures and general management. "We should not start such 
plants as yours before February, and not then unless you can insure a bottom 
heat of 85° and a minimum temperature in the house of 65° to 70°. Until then 
keep them dry in a temperature of 60°, falling to 55° on cold nights, so as to 
afford them a complete and decided rest. This is the only method you can adopt 
for insuring your object. 
Syringing Fruit Trees (Old Subscriber ).—You cannot err by carrying 
out your project, as, although cleansing the trees now will not prevent the 
attacks of aphides in spring, you may expect they will be diminished in numbers, 
Soft soap dissolved at the rate of 2 or 3 ozs. to a gallon of water, adding also a 
small lump of soda, then a fluid ounce of petroleum to each gallon of the soapy 
water, would be a good and safe dressing to the trees now, and you may apply it 
at a temperature of 140° without any fear of injuring them when their buds are 
dormant. The orchard-house trees may be treated in the same way, but it will 
be advisable to prevent any great quantity of the liquid draining into the pots 
or saturating the soil containing the roots. Mr. W. Litchfield recommended 
on page 596 last week what we believe will prove an excellent dressing for 
destroying insects on trees. He describes the process as follows :—“ First slake a 
peck of lime with water to the consistence of cream, and whilst still hot add one 
pint of the brown oil of tar. This when mixed forms a tar soap or emulsion 
which annihilates the American bug. Colour with soot if you like.” This will 
no doubt form a good dressing for both trees and walls that are infested with 
insects, and we shall be glad if those of our correspondents who may try it will 
eventually state the results. 
Pears not Thriving (Trike ).—The reason your cordon Pears do not 
succeed is not far to seek, as you say you made your border on the top of the 
grass. We presume by that you did not break the grass surface up at all, and 
hence adopted very bad practice. Your only remedy will be to take up the 
trees and well trench the border 2 feet deep, but if the subsoil is not good do 
not bring it to the surface, but well stir it up with a fork. Mix your newly- 
made border with it, adding a little w r ell-decayed manure and wood ashes, and 
when replanting the trees place some good loam around the roots. Mulch in 
the summer to keep the roots cool and moist. 
Budding Fruit Trees (Idem ).—Plums and Cherries are budded in July, 
or when the bark runs freely. Select a smooth place on the stock where you wish 
to insert the bud ; tie it in with soft matting, taking care that the eye of the 
bud fits closely and firmly to the stock. Do not head the stock down at the 
time of budding, nor until the following spring, or the growth will start pre¬ 
maturely, whereas the buds should remain dormant. The stock should be cut 
down to within about 4 inches of the bud, and as the young growths advance 
tie them securely to supports, or they may get blown or broken off. 
Fertilisation of Arums and Anthuriums (Norman ).—Though both 
these genera are included in the family Aroidese there is considerable difference 
in their floral structure. In the Arums the flowers are unisexual—that is, male 
or female only, and are produced on the lower portion of a fleshy spike termed 
a spadix, the upper portion being without flowers and club-shaped. The flowers 
are in rings, the highest being the males, which consist of anthers only without 
filaments or envelope of any kind. Below these are a number of thread-like 
projections, which are really abortive flowers, and below these at the bottom of 
the spadix are the female flowers, simply ovaries without perianth or appendages 
of any kind. The spadix is wholly, or partly, surrounded by a coloured leaf-like 
expansion termed the spathe. In the Anthuriums the flowers are perfect—that 
is, contain both stamens and pistil enveloped by a perianth, and, as in the 
Arums, are closely packed on a cylindrical spadix. To insure fertilisation in the 
case of the Arums, it is obvious that pollen must be conveyed from the stamens 
at the upper part of the spadix to the ovaries at the base, but this is unnecessary 
with the Anthuriums, as when the anthers burst the pollen can be readily distri¬ 
buted, and they are indeed, to a great extent, self-fertilising. 
Climbing Plants for a Porch (F. C .).—No permanent climber grows with 
the rapidity of an annual. Could not you continue to have boxes for annuals 
alongside the others for a time ? Ivy would answer well in boxes, and its growth 
is much accelerated by making the soil very rich with manure. The Silver Ivy 
(Hedera elegantissima) is very handsome, of free yet neat growth, and would 
make a bright chaste clothing for your porch. We have one planted ten years 
ago that is now 20 feet high. If you prefer green leaves, then take the Irish Ivy 
(H. canariensis), or H. Raegneriana with its large handsome heart-shaped foliage. 
If your porch is not exposed to cold cutting winds, Escallonia macrantha is 
preferable to Ivy. It is an evergreen, has handsome glossy green foliage, grows 
fast in rich soil, and has lovely deep pink flowers both in spring and autumn. 
A Clematis might be planted with it, preferably C. Jackmannii, always valued 
for its deep purple flowers, and doubly valuable for you because it would 
blossom when the Escallonia had not much bloom. 
Various (Idem). —If the temperature of your house is much higher than 
that in which the plant was grown in the nursery, that would account for the 
flower buds falling. A minimum night temperature of 55° is suitable for 
Abutilons, with the usual increase during the day. You could only expect 
quite a small plant or “ rooted cutting ” for the price you name. We presume 
you removed the flower. The treatment you describe is correct, and with care 
the plant may be expected to grow. Cuttings of the healthy shoots of Zonal 
Pelargoniums inserted now singly in very small pots of sandy soil placed on a 
shelf in your pinery, and watered judiciously, will emit roots, and in due time 
make healthy plants. When water is given apply it in sufficient quantity to 
pass quite through the soil. Surface sprinklings are dangerous to cuttings of 
all kinds. Water must only be given when the soil is so dry as to crumble when 
pressed with the finger. The older plants keep dry, giving them little or no 
water for a month, and cut them down early in March ; then, after they have 
pushed fresh growth half an inch long, shake them out and place in smaller pots, 
using fresh, loamy, and gritty soil. 
Inarching Vines (G. P., Hants). —If the Vines to which you refer are 
healthy and vigorous, you would in all probability produce fruiting canes more 
quickly by inarching than by planting the young Vines ; but if the Vines are 
exhausted and make but little growth it would be preferable to plant out the 
Muscats, but it is little use doing so in an old border, and stations of fresh soil 
should be provided for them. The condition of a Vine is of far greater im¬ 
portance as a stock than its variety. The Canon Hall Muscat is not an easy 
Grape to grow, and skilled attention is needed to insure the berries setting and 
swelling. We should not have two Vines of this variety in a small house, but 
we presume you have no choice in this matter. 
Yellow Chrysanthemums (IF. G.). —Your request is not so clear as is 
desirable. No one can tell whether you want one or a number of varieties, or 
whether you want incurved or Japanese flowers, or both. Of the bright yellow 
incurved varieties none is better for decorative purposes than Mrs. Dixon ; of 
Japanese Fulton is one of the brightest and best; and the reflexed Chevalier 
Domage is valuable for the conservatory. No Chrysanthemums are naturally 
dwarf, but those we have named may be rendered compact by the cultivator 
by frequently stopping the shoots and training them neatly. Cultural notes 
have recently appeared in our columns, and you will find others in the present 
issue, while still others are awaiting publication. If after these have appeared 
you need further information we will readily give it, but we must ask you to 
state your wants more fully and clearly. 
Renovating Old Pear Trees (A Notts Vicar ).—The method of removing 
the spurs and inducing fresh growths that we have previously recommended, 
but which you cannot remember, is probably the following :—The fact that 
fruit is produced only on the extremities of the branches of the trees on walls 
suggests a remedy. With a saw remove the fruitless -spurs close to the mam 
branches, paring the “ cuts” smoothly with a sharp knife. If the branches are 
covered with moss it will be well to dress them with freshly slaked lime, the 
colour of which can be toned down ■with soot if required. This will cleanse the 
bark. In the spring fresh growth will be produced in clusters all along the 
stems ; this must be thinned out by rubbing off a great number of the shoots— 
not cutting them, eventually retaining only- those that are short-jointed and 
placed 2 or 3 feet apart. These should be tied down to the main stems, and if 
they are not shortened they will in due time produce fruit spurs precisely in the 
manner of the extremities of the branches. The exact distance for leaving these 
young growths can only be determined by their character. If the growths are 
very luxuriant they may be bent and trained backwards along the main branches 
—that is, with their points directed to the trunk of the tree, but if only of 
moderate strength this is not necessary. By adopting this practice there will 
be no fruit for two years ; but after that time fruit will in all probability be 
produced freely over the entire surface of the wall, and with judicious pruning 
the trees will continue fruitful for a considerable time. We have proved the 
value of this method of rendering old Pears fruitful, but it is only' applicable 
to trees that are healthy aud free from gum and canker. 
The Myrtle-leaved Orange (D. C.). —The fruits of this Orange are 
small, with an acid and bitter pulp, and the plant is grown chiefly for orna¬ 
mental purposes, but probably the rind might be candied as yon suggest, 
though we should advise a trial on a small scale first. By some it is considered 
a variety of the common Seville Orange type, aud is named Citrus vulgaris, 
var. myrtifolia, but others describe it as a variety of C. Aurantium, and it has 
been considered as a distinct species. A good figure of it is given in the 
“ Botanical Register,” plate 346,1819, under the name of C. Aurantium myrtifolia ; 
and it is mentioned that Sir Joseph Banks then had some fine specimens at 
Spring Grove, Isleworth, his method of increasing it being to graft six scions of 
the variety upon a stock of the common Orange. By this means handsome 
examples were obtained, which flowered and fruited extremely well. The plant 
when grown upon its own roots is much dwarfer than other Oranges, never 
exceeding the dimensions of a small shrub. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— JANUARY 3RD. 
Our market has been very dull since Christmas, but with slack supply prices 
have been rather better. 
VEGETABLES. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
1 
Asparagus. 
bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mushrooms 
Beans,Kidney.... 
100 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard tfe Cress .. punnet 
0 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions. 
ft 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
i 
6 
Parsley. 
doz. bunches 
3 
Brussels Sprouts.. 
i sieve 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Parsnips .... 
i 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Pea 9 . 
0 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
6 
Carrots . 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Kidney.... 
6 
Cauliflowers. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Radishes.... 
doz. bunches 
1 
1 
6 
2 
0 
0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Salsafy. 
1 
Cucumbers. 
each 
0 
< 
i 
0 
Scorzo’nera 
1 
1 
0 
2 
0 
1 
Fennel. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Shallots .... 
o 
Garlic . 
lb. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Spinach .... 
3 
Herbs . 
bunch 
o 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. 
. lb. 
0 
Leeks. 
bunih 
0 
8 
0 
4 
Turnips .... 
0 
d. s. d 
Otol 6 
0 16 
2 0 3 
3 2 G 
0 4 0 
0 2 0 
0 0 0 
0 7 0 
0 8 0 
0 0 0 
4 0 0 
0 0 0 
6 0 8 
9 2 3 
3 0 0 
0 0 0 
8 10 
2 0 3 
