March 22 , 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 245 
easily add more oil; but you will act safely by trying a weak solution first. 
Shake the bottle well before using the insecticide. 
Camellias ( Ignoramus ).—The presence of the glutinous liquid on the 
leaves indicates that there are insects either on the plants, or some other plants 
near to them, or on the roof above. You had better ascertain by a close ex¬ 
amination if this is not the case, and if it is not you might write to us again 
enclosing a few of the Camellia leaves. More will be written on Camellias in an 
early issue. 
Vine not Breaking (Inquirer). —The Buckland Sweetwater does not 
always break so freely as the Black Hamburgh. All you can do is to syringe 
the Vines a few times a day in fine weather with tepid water, and, if all the buds 
do not start, probably sufficient will do so to furnish the Vine. It is not uncom¬ 
mon to find far too many laterals on Vines, the result being crowded and 
undeveloped foliage, and consequently inferior Grapes. 
Flower Boxes (M. F., Farnham). —We do not know the address of a 
“ wholesale firm that makes tin and wooden boxes for sending cut flowers in,” as 
we have never seen them advertised. Mr. Lovel of Weaverthorpe, York, has 
advertised neat, light, and strong cardboard boxes for flowers, and you might 
send to him for his price list with the view of obtaining samples of different 
sizes. We have many times received flowers in those boxes as fresh as when cut 
from the plants_when the boxes had been lined with a few soft green leaves of 
any kind. 
Horticultural Appliances Exhibition (J. E. D.). —The date of this 
Exhibition was entered in “ Coming Events ” last week because the show had been 
advertised to open on the day indicated. We have received no notification of 
the postponement of the Exhibition, but have heard, unofficially, that the open¬ 
ing has been deferred to some date at present unknown to us. 
Cannas (E. Fisher). —These vary greatly in height, and also differ iu the 
colour of the foliage and flowers. If you desire both plants of the same variety, 
and this to have scarlet flowers, you may grow C. Van Houttei, which has 
handsome purplish bronze foliage. It attains a good size and flowers freely. If 
you prefer a green-leaved variety with yellow flowers, C. Annei grandiflora is 
one of the best. 
Blood Manure (C. Bateson). —We have communicated with Sir Daniel 
Cooper on this subject, and he informs us that the gentleman who gave him the 
recipe is dead. We have ascertained the chemicals named do not have the 
effect desired. In all probability a much larger quantity of them must be used. 
This we have not yet had time to ascertain. If you make further experiments 
we shall be obliged if you would let us know the results. 
Frost and Fruit Blossom ( Thornton Stewart). —We fear the blossoms 
you have sent are seriously injured, but they are not sufficiently advanced for 
being examined satisfactorily. The stamens are fresh, but the pistils of several 
of them at least are killed. Most of the flowers, we think, will expand, but few 
will be followed by fruit. This is only what might be expected, since you state 
that the mercury of the thermometer fell to zero. This is extraordinary for the 
month of March. You did not state the date of this remarkable frost, but only 
the day—Saturday. We presume it would be the 10th inst. 
Potting Camellias (C. P. L.). —Are you sure your plants need repotting ? 
If you state their size and condition, also the size of the pots, we can, perhaps, 
better answer your question. Turning the plants out of the pots, rectifying the 
drainage, removing an inch or two of the surface soil and adding fresh compost, 
is often a safer practice than repotting. Perhaps the notes on Camellias in our 
last issue, which you had not seen when you wrote to us, may be of service to 
you, and others will follow as soon as possible, that may be still more applicable 
to your particular case. You may safely wait the issue of these notes, and 
in the meantime send the particulars suggested, and we shall be glad if we can 
aid you. 
Tuberoses not Growing (Idem).— You say you “ potted the bulbs in 
January', placed the pots in an intermediate house, gave no water, but allowed 
the soil to be dust dry,” and then ask what you have “ done wrong, as the 
bulbs do not start into growth.” You have done wrong by keeping the soil so 
dry. Nothing can grow in “dust dry” soil. If immediately after potting, and 
before the soil became dry, you had buried the pots in cocoa-nut fibre refuse, or 
even ashes, leaf soil, or damp sawdust, as if burying Hyacinths, the pots would 
be half full of active roots by this time, and growth would have commenced. 
All you can do now is to keep the soil moist, especially at the bottom of the pots, 
but not decidedly wet, and await the result. If you can plunge them in 
gentle bottom heat in any damp material roots will be emitted the sooner, and 
the soil will be kept regularly and moderately moist without being frequently' 
watered. 
Red Spider on Fuchsias (IF.//.).—Are you sure your plants are infested 
with this insect ? It is not usually so prevalent at this period of the year. As 
you are afraid of pure water injuring the flowers, anything else you can apply 
with the syringe will injure them still more. If your plants are not attacked 
by any other insects you may wash off the pest by syringing—one man carefully 
inverting a plant and holding it while the other uses the syringe freely. This, 
if done carefully, would not seriously injure the flowers. An alternative remedy 
is to mix a quarter of an ounce of petroleum in a quart of water in which half 
an ounce of soft soap has been dissolved, or to dissolve an ounce of nicotine 
soap in the same quantity' of water ; invert the plant and apply the insecticide 
to the under sides of the leaves with a vaporiser, not a syringe. This would not 
injure the flowers. No steaming or fumigating will destroy the insects. If the 
plants are much infested they have evidently been neglected or mismanaged in 
some way. 
Grafting (E. Welton). —We are not aware of any simpler methods or plainer 
instructions than those recently published, and relative to which we have 
received the following testimony from a clergyman in Ireland :—“I have read 
with much interest your articles on grafting, which are the best by a very long 
distance of any that I have met, and I have a great many books on the subject, 
and am myself not altogether a tyro in the art. One great advantage to the 
beginner is your only giving the best methods, and not ten or twelve, and leaving 
the learner to find out for himself which is the easiest, and therefore which the 
most certain to succeed. I, for one, beg to thank you most heartily for all- 
letterpress, and the most excellent illustrations.” Bead those articles atten¬ 
tively and we think you will be able to graft fruit trees. 
Melons and Tomatoes (Reader).—It is no trouble to us to answer letters 
when inquirers state their wishes intelligibly. You say you now “ repeat ” your 
questions. On referring to your letter of last week we find you required infor¬ 
mation on growing Melons in winter, and did not even mention Tomatoes, 
though no doubt you intended to do so. Instead of repeating your letter you 
have improved on it, and we can now understand what you desire to know. . f 
the flags over the pipes are not fixed we should raise them 3 inches, but this is 
not very material, and no rubble will be needed beneath them. Spread an inch 
or two of gravel or cinders on them, then place in the fermenting material, 
spreading over this a thin layer of turves, then the soil, in ridges at first, to be 
added to as the roots of the plants protrude through them. The soil used for 
surfacing must be warmed and pressed down firmly after the plants are in free 
growth. By having very strong plants of Tomatoes in 6 or 7-inch pots ready 
for planting immediately the Melons are over, you may have an excellent crop 
of fruit in the autumn and winter. They would probably grow in the old 
Melon bed, but we should dig a portion of it out and add half a bushel of fresh 
compost for each Tomato plant. They could be grown in large pots, but you 
would probably have heavier crops by planting out. The Conqueror and 
Earley’s Defiance are good varieties ; earlier and dwarfer are Vick’s Criterion and 
Orangefield, while many persons like the colour and flavour of Green Gage. 
The question of varieties is really a question of taste. If you have not had 
much experience in growing Tomatoes you will do well to obtain Mr. Iggulden’s 
Manual, price 1$., post free Is. Id., from this office. It gives all the details of 
cultivation in pots, frames, and the open air. 
Chorozema cordata (A. A'., Whitby ).—The plant of which you have sent 
a spray' is a Chorozema, and we think C. cordata, but as you took no pains to let 
us have it in a fairly fresh state, but simply enclosed it in a letter to be crushed 
and dried, the fault is your own if we have not given the correct specific name. 
Your plant is evidently in bad condition. Unless it is 4 or 5 feet high and as 
much in diameter the pot is much too large for it, and probably' the roots are the 
reverse of active. We should prune it rather severely, but not cutting below the 
leaves, place it in a warm greenhouse or vinery, syringe it a few times a day, 
and only apply water to the soil to keep it moderately moist. On signs of fresh 
growth appearing we should turn it out of the pot, remove a good portion of 
the old soil, and place the plant in a much smaller, clean, well-drained pot, 
employing as compost light turfy loam and firm fibrous peat in equal parts, 
with a tenth part each of silver sand and crushed charcoal, potting very firmly. 
Water must be applied with great care after potting. If you err in this matter 
you will fail; if you exercise sound judgment you will succeed in renovating 
the plant. Syringing the plant and pot occasionally will prevent the necessity 
for watering the soil for a few days, but when you do give water apply'it in 
sufficient quantity to moisten every particle of soil. As fresh roots take posses¬ 
sion of the soil and growth becomes free more water will be needed, and the plant 
cannot then have too much light and air, a close house and shaded position at 
that time being evils to be avoided. Although this is by no means one of the 
best Chorozemas, yet a well-grown plant is both elegant and bright. The illus¬ 
tration will show the character of a well-grown specimen, and you will do well 
to endeavour to grow your plant as nearly like it as possible. 
Carnations for Winter (Idem ).—They must be propagated in the spring 
from strong healthy cuttings, and not by layers in the summer. A successful 
cultivator has briefly described his practice as follows:— 11 Side shoots may'be 
slipped off with a heel, inserted in pots of sandy soil, covered with a bellglass, 
and plunged in a gentle heat. Roots are soon formed ; then pot the plants 
singly in 60-sized pots, keeping them in moderate heat and close to the glass, 
shifting them into 4-inch pots before they become root-bound. Pinch out the 
point of the shoot a 3 soon as they are well established in the 4-incli pots, which 
will cause them to break freely, then place them in a cold frame and gradu¬ 
ally expose them to more air till the lights can be. withdrawn. Transfer 
them to their large pots early in June, employing soil similar to that employed 
for Zonal Pelargoniums, having it rather dry ar.d potting firmly', draining 
well. Stand them out in an open but rather sheltered position, or the winds are 
likely to snap off the shoots unless staked securely. For the weaker growers, 
such as La Belle, place some stakes round the outside of the pots, training the 
growths round them ; for the bushy growers some small spray of Birch or Horn¬ 
beam round the pots is preferable to stakes. Supply water carefully, and fully 
expose them to the sun all the summer to ripen the wood, or they will not 
flower freely. House them at the same time as Pelargoniums, giving them 
a light position and free ventilation, and they will amply repay at Christmas and 
onwards for the trouble taken. They are benefited ..by' a little weak liquid 
manure when the soil has become partially exhausted." As you do noc appear 
to possess much knowledge on plant culture, you will find the investment of 10«. 
in our Greenhouse Manual not misapplied capital. 
