416 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 17, 1883. 
1 lb. loaf sugar boiled with a cup of water, and exposed near a fire or in an oven 
to dry, but the heat must not be too great or it will discolour them. 
Various (C. B. B., Kilkenny). —The chief difference between Dipladenia 
amabilis and D. Brenrleyana is the larger size and deeper rosy crimson colour 
of the latter’s flowers ; the former also has the blooms more frequently in dense 
clusters. The flower of D. Brearleyana cannot be termed scarlet, although it is 
very rich and bright. We cannot tell which your plant is without specimens of 
the flowers, as you give no description further than the colour. Your gardener 
has done quite right, and a temperature of 60° from now onwards will be 
suitable. The price of Mr. Barron’s work on “ Vines and Vine Culture,” is 1(B., 
post free 1(B. 6rl., from this office. It is a very complete and excellent work. 
Peach Trees Unhealthy (IF. rV., Exeter ).—Your Peach tree is in a weak 
and exhausted state, and if means are not taken to restore it, it will die. The 
peculiar appearance is not caused by insects, but is the result of defective root- 
action. The old soil should be removed from the roots and fresh added. This 
may be done early in the autumn, and in the meantime you had better apply 
tepid liquid manure to the roots copiously. We saw a number of Peach trees 
similarly affected to yours, but not exactly, in charge of Mr. Iggulden, but by 
the practice of the soil in the manner he described on page 1C7, the issue of 
August 24th, 1882, he speedily restored the trees, and they are now in a healthy 
free-bearing state. You cannot do better than follow his example, and if you 
do not happen to have the number indicated, it can be had from this office in 
return for ’i\d. in stamps. 
Vines Unsatisfactory (It. II. II .).—'You have not planted the Vines as 
we should have planted them, but provided the balls of soil that were turned 
out of the pot- are not dry in the interior, the method of planting would not 
account for the present condition of the Vines. See what Mr. Taylor says on 
page 28 in his " Vines at Longleat ” on the danger of the old soil getting too 
dry. You had better searcli frequently and carefully at night for weevils, as the 
symptoms you describe are indicative of the presence of these destructive pests. 
Maintain a moist genial atmosphere, and syringe freely. A weak solution of 
quassia water applied to the growths might render them distasteful to insects. 
The weevil to which we refer is like a small beetle, and eats the unfolding 
leaves of Vines. 
Vines not Bearing (J. 17 .).—When Vines only bear at the top. no fruit 
being produced from the lower half of the rods, it is an almost certain sign of 
weakness and exhaustion. The laterals are no doubt weak, the foliage small, and 
perhaps overcrowded, also the border is probably exhausted or the root-action 
defective. If you state the age of the Vines, the distance the rods are apart, and 
also the distances of the laterals from each other, we shall be better able to 
suggest a mode of tieatment than we are now in the absence of the requisite 
information for understanding their condition. If you write again you must be 
good enough to restate the whole case, as we are not able to remember the 
details of previous letters. 
Roses under Glass (-4. A. B.). —We know a very fine house, the roof of 
which is entirely covered with Roses, with Camellias planted in a bed beneath 
them, and both Roses and Camellias thrive admirably and bloom freely. The 
Roses are planted in an outside border like Vines, and trained up the roof. 
Great care is taken to prevent the attacks of insects on the Roses, or the Camel¬ 
lias would not be so clean and healthy as they are. Observe, we use the word 
“ prevent,” for there is a very important difference between not allowing insects 
to appear on plants, and waiting for their presence and destroying them after¬ 
wards. If a roof is covered with Roses other Roses would not grow and flower 
well under them. Side lights would not be absolutely necessary for a house the 
roof of which is to be covered with Roses, but front ventilators should be 
provided. The size of the house is immaterial, and it may be determined by the 
demand for flowers. We could probably have given you a more useful reply if 
you had stated the object you have in view. More blooms are obtainable 
from Roses planted out than from the same number of plants in pots, and with 
much less than half the labour and attention that would be necessitated by pot 
culture. 
Leaf Soil (J. S .).—You ask us what we think of the sample of leaf soil you 
have sent. We are not at all favourably impressed with it, and should hesitate 
to use it to any plants of value. If it is not sour by having been left to decay in 
a heap for a long time it is certainly not sweet, and it is too old and fibreless to 
be considered at all good. You say you are trying experiments with it. This, 
after all, is the practical way of testing soil. It may do for mixing with heavy 
soil for free-growing plants, such as Chrysanthemums and Pelargoniums; but 
we should not like to use it with the soil for Camellias or Azaleas—in fact, we 
should not use it at all if we could get any better. It is very different from the 
leaf soil referred to on page 333, as used with such success by Belgian cultivators. 
Vines Unhealthy (J. R .).—It is no use sending the leaf of a Vine or any 
other plant within the folds of a letter if it is required to be satisfactorily 
examined for the detection of insects. The leaf you sent was crushed and dried, 
and not an insect was to be found. There are a number of small brown specks, 
where there has been exudation of sap, which have dried and assumed a wart¬ 
like appparance. The leaf has also been scorched in places, and is generally in 
an unsatisfactory condition, indicating that the Vines lack vigour. If you wish 
us to see a fresh specimen you must send it in a small box, so as to arrive fresh 
and sound. 
Marechal Niel Rose in Vinery {Arthur). —Provided the Rose is not 
shaded by the Vines we should cut it down, but not necessarily so low as you 
indicate. It should be shortened to where there are good healthy buds 
and foliage, and two, three, or perhaps more we should expect to start and 
produce good growths during the summer and an abundance of blooms next 
year. The plant will need syringing and a genial atmosphere to induce a quick 
start and good growth ; but growth made under the shade of Vines would be 
weak, and instead of this we should prefer to rely on the shoot already made. 
We do not quite understand the position and condition of your Rose, but we 
think you will comprehend what we mean. There is plenty of time for a healthy 
Marechal Niel cut down now to make growths for producing flowers next year, 
provided the conditions are suitable. We do not know of a cheaper and more 
suitable book on wild flowers than “ The Handbook of British Plants,” pub¬ 
lished at this office, price 3.'. 6 d.; post free, 3s. 8 d. 
Footstalks of Bunches of Duke of Buceleuch Grape Decaying 
(77. T. 77.).—Had you stated the conditions under which the Vine is grown, and 
the treatment to which it has been subjected, you would in all probability have 
suggested the cause of the injury. As we never saw anything of the kind before, 
and the growth of the Vine was evidently very free and healthy, we sent the 
sample to the raiser of the Duke, Mr. William Thomson, who has favoured us 
with the following reply:—“ My impression is that the stalk of the bunch 
has received mechanical injury. I never saw a bunch go so from any other 
cause ; a slight bruise would develope into the state it is in. Excess of moisture 
and too low a temperature might produce something like it, but a bruise by 
careless handling is the most likely cause. We have a thousand bunches ot the 
Duke just setting, and not'one so affected. It is nothing peculiar to the Grape 
in question.” We are quite of opinion that Mr. Thomson has indicated the 
cause of the injury. It is either the result of rough handling or a low damp 
atmosphere, and you can probably determine, which we cannot in the absence of 
data to enable us to express a more definite opinion on the matter. If all the 
bunches are so affected we can only express our sympathy with you on the 
unfortunate occurrence. Note.—Your explanatory note arrived after the above 
reply was in print. 
Dead Cells in Vine Leaves (TV. A., Northumberland ).—Only a powerful 
microscope could reveal the cause of the seriously infected foliage ; hence, after 
examining it ourselves, and being satisfied that there was little fungus, we sent 
the specimens to Mr. W. G. Smith, who has obliged us with the following 
reply :—“ With the exception of a few transparent fungus threads over the 
leaf, I can see no fungus ; the threads no doubt belong to the o'idium. I can see 
no trace of fungi in any of the brown spots ; the spots are companies of dead 
brown cells—corroded cells—by what caused I do not know, but I should say 
certainly not by any fungus. Fungus spots are generally very opaque when 
held up to the light, but these are transparent. Insect injuries cause transparent 
spots, which may be whitish or brown. The fungus Septoria Badhamia causes 
spots like these, but I cannot see anything of that fungus.” If the leaves sent 
fairly represent the state of the Vines they are weak and debilitated, and this 
may have caused the death of the cells. We do not approve of the plan of dig¬ 
ging manure a foot deep in a Vine border. A heavy dressing of lime lijhtly 
pointed in would doubtless do good ; but we suspect the roots must be placed 
in fresh soil before the Vines are invigorated. The present border is in all pro¬ 
bability sour, and is destitute of surface roots, which alone produce Vines in the 
highest state of health. 
Cutting Down Camellias (C. 77. T.). — Our correspondent, “Little 
Market Gardener ’’ is quite right in his views on cutting down Camellias. We 
have cut down the plants quite as severely as he has done, and with equal 
success. But this does not follow that all plants that are not in good health 
should be thus treated. The practice would result in a loss of all blooms, at 
least for a season. Nor are we prepared to say that plants much enfeebled and 
almost destitute of root-action would in every case answer by being severely 
pruned below all the foliage ; in fact, we have seen plants that did not succeed well 
after being cut down. If we had a collection of unhealthy Camellias, and at the 
same time a stove or hothouse that we could keep very warm and moist, we 
should certainly cut down some of the plants, and by syringing them a few 
times a day and maintaining a very high temperature we should expect at least 
some of them to break ; but they would be far less likely to do so in the dry 
atmosphere of a cool greenhouse. No one can possibly say how your plants 
should be treated without knowing more about them. Either the root-action is 
defective or the soil exhausted. If the pots are crowded with roots the latter is 
the case, and top-dressings of soot or bone meal, with abundance of water, will 
invigorate the plants. If the roots are few and unhealthy the soil is unsuitable, 
and the greater part of it should be removed, repotting in a compost of half 
turfy loam, the remaining half to consist of turfy peat and leaf soil in equal 
parts, with crushed charcoal and sand to keep the mass porous. The pots should 
be as small as possible, clean and well drained, and the plants should be assigned 
the warmest position in the house, and the base whereon they stand be always 
kept moist. Those that are not cut down entirely prune to healthy wood buds, 
keep the foliage perfectly ’’ree from dust and insects, syringing the plants two 
or three times a day in blight weather, and shading them from the direct rays 
of the sun. Very great care is requisite in watering, and the best of soil may be 
rendered useless by mistakes in this respect, as if it is kept too wet it turns sour 
and the roots decay, WLereas if it is too dry they shrivel, f ad you stated the 
size of the plants and pots, with the nature of the soil in which they are grow¬ 
ing or dying, the information would have been useful to us in giving you a 
reply. If you like to send further particulars your letter shall have our best 
attention. 
Verbenas (J. it. E .).—They can be grown very well in deeply worked and 
fertile soil provided the plants are clean and healthy when planted. We dip 
ours in a solution of soapsuds and tobacco water before planting them in the 
beds. No beds in the gardens at Hampton Court last year were more effective 
than scarlet Verbenas with Veronica Audersoni variegata dotted thinly amongst 
them. 
Names of Plants (<7. R.). —The yellow flower is Doronicum austriacum. 
We cannot determine the other plant, a single leaf is insufficient for identifi¬ 
cation. (Rev. A. K. C.).— Dendrobium Pierardi. (X. G. !'.). —Amelanchier 
Botryapium. (II. V. E.). —1, Magnolia yulan ; 2, Sedum aizoideum variegatum ; 
3, Mesembryanthemum deltoideum ; 4, A Mesembryanthemum, but it cannot be 
identified without flowers. (A. B.). —1, Acalypha musaica ; 2, Rubus spectabilis ; 
3, Pernettya mucronata; 4, Saxifraga granulata ; 5, insufficient; 6, Saxifraga 
Cymbalaria. (Stifford). —1, Eranthemum (Justicia) bicolor; 2, Pavonia Wioti. 
*** Reillies to some other letters in hand will he published next week. 
CO VENT GARDEN MARKET— MAT 16th. 
The holidays have quite unsettled trade, and with the last few days’ fine 
weather large supplies of house fruit have reached the market, meeting with 
few buyers. 
VEGETABLES. 
8. d. s. d. 
Artichokes. dozen 2 0to4 o 
Asparagus, English bundle 3 « 6 0 
Asparagus,French bundle 2 0 10 0 
Beans,Kidney .... 100 2 0 0 0 
Beet, Red. dozen 10 2 0 
Broccoli. bundle 0 9 16 
Cabbage. dozen 0 6 10 
Capsicums. 100 1 6 2 0 
Carrots . bunch 0 4 0 0 
Cauliflowers. dozen 2 0 3 0 
Celery . bundle 16 2 0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 2 0 4 0 
Cucumbers. each 0 4 0 8 
Endive. dozen 10 2 0 
Fennel .".. bunch 0 3 0 0 
Herbs . bunch o 2 0 0 
i,eeks. bunch 0 3 0 4 
Lettuces . dozen 13 2 0 
s. d. s. d 
Mushrooms .punnet 1 Otol 6 
Mustard* Cress .. punnet 0 2 0 3 
Onions. bushel 2 6 3 6 
Parsley. doz.bunches 3 0 4 0 
Parsnips. dozen 1 o 2 0 
Peas . quart 3 6 0 0 
Potatoes, New .... ft. o 4 o io 
Potatoes. cwt. 6 0 10 o 
Kidney. cwt. 6 o 10 0 
Radishes.... doz.bunches 10 0 0 
Rhubarb. bundle 0 4 0 0 
Salsafy. bundle 10 0 0 
Scorzonera . bundle 16 0 0 
Seakale . basket 10 2 0 
Shallots. ft. o 3 o o 
Spinach . bushel 3 0 6 0 
Tomatoes . ft. 1 6 2 0 
Turnips. bunch 0 2 OS 
