JOURS An OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 21, 1892. 
Eucharises — Tuberoses (./. TV', and J. M. T.).—Your letters, 
which only arrived on Wednesday, could not be answered this week. 
Gardeners’ Railway Fares (.4. i?.).—An employer is not com¬ 
pelled to pay the railway fare of a gardener if such is not arranged at 
the time of engaging. 
Primulas {E. f?.).—The flowers are of a pleasing delicate hue of 
colour, but many can be seen similar if not exactly the same in large 
trade collections, where special attention is devoted to the raising of 
new forms of these charming winter flowers. 
Rbododendrons (F. iJ/.). — The mixture you name would be suit' 
able if mixed with more than twice or thrice the bulk of loam, accord' 
ing as this may be of a rather* light or heavy nature, and it will be 
better for the purpose if it does not contain lime. 
Tomatoes {Yorlt ).—A very successful grower regards Prelude as 
one of the most profitable he has tried. It is certainly a free bearer, 
but the fruits are not large enough for some persons. Hathaway’s 
Excelsior, Ham Green Favourite, and Perfection have also proved satis¬ 
factory by the grower referred to. 
Odontoglossum crlspum (TF. D .').—The varieties of 0. crispum 
are extremely numerous and differ greatly in character and value. The 
one of which you send a flower is distinct and well worthy of preser¬ 
vation ; but it is not of the type which commands the highest prices. 
What are regarded by connoisseurs as the best type of 0. crispum are 
those with broad sepals and petals, and either suffused wdth crimson or 
bearing abundant large and deep coloured spots. 
Peach Trees Unsatisfactory (6'. R .').—Are you sure the fault is 
in the soil ? Insects, overcrowding the leaves, overcropping and 
defective ventilation have rendered the growths of many trees unsatis¬ 
factory. You should have described their condition. A mixture of 
equal parts of nitrate of soda and superphosphate of lime, applied at 
the rate of 1| oz. to the square yard and watered in, would have a stimu¬ 
lating effect if there are healthy roots for appropriating the food thus 
supplied. 
Setting- Saddle Boiler—Tomatoes (i?, — The brickwork 
should not be built solid round the boiler. After the heat passes 
through it may be diverted along each side of the boi'er back to the 
front and along the top, the smoke then entering the flue which leads 
to the chimney. An intelligent bricklayer ought to understand the 
routine if he read this reply to your question. Prelude is one of the 
most productive Tomatoes, but the fruit is rather too small; still, some 
growers find it profitable. We have not grown the others you mention. 
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Editor ” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened 
Boavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
easily be done by putting in cross walls of loose bricks, the root room 
will be sufficient for two or three years, when the remainder of the 
border can be made. The trees can be planted any time before or when 
they are beginning to grow, shaking the soil from the roots, disentangling 
them, and spreading out evenly, making the soil firm, and watering so as 
to settle the soil about the roots. The test varieties are Brown Turkey 
and White Marseilles, the former being the best of all Figs. You may 
have fruit this year provided the trees are of fruiting size and they take 
well to the soil. It is necessary that the growth be trained to a trellis 
about 1 foot from the glass. 
Sternbergla lutea and White Narcissus (A.).—Although the 
Sternbergia is a hardy plant it usually succeeds much better in pots or 
pans of light sandy soil in a cool house, and the flowers are also seen to 
better advantage. The White Hoop Petticoat Narcissus, which] is 
perhaps the Bulbocodium monophyllum or nivalis, can be grown in a 
similar way, and if afforded a light cool position the bulbs will flower 
if watering is carefully attended to. The Sternbergia in warm well- 
drained soils is very pleasing in the autumn, producing flowers freely, 
Fig- House Arrangements {Inquirer ').—If the front hot-water 
pipes are a yard or more away from the front wall and above the level 
of the intended border there will not be any need to remove them, but 
if they are not so situated it will be necessary to take them out. You 
will only need tref’s along the front of the house, and as a permanency 
there will only be room for one tree. Temporary trees might be put in 
on each side of it, planting the permanent tree in the centre along the 
front ; and trees could be grown against the back temporarily, but they 
would not fruit satisfactorily after the roof was occupied by the growths 
of the permanent tree. As the border is only 4 feet wide you might 
perhaps wish to have two trees instead of one permanently. That 
width is ample for one or two trees, whichever you elect to have. The 
border should have a drain at the bottom to carry off superfluous water, 
giving it proper fall and outlet. Over that 1 foot of drainage is 
necessary, and if the rubble is covered with a 3-inch layer of old mortar 
rubbish it would be an advantage ; 2 feet depth of soil is ample, 
consisting of good rather strong fibrous loam, with a fifth of old mortar 
rubbish and a sixth of road scrapings intermixed. This should be put 
together rather firmly, and a little time in advance of planting to 
allow of settling. The border need not be made the whole length of the 
house at first. If each tree is given a space of 4 feet square, which can 
FIG. 8.—sternbergia LUTEA. 
something like Crocuses or Colchicums. Sternbergia lutea is a native 
of Southern Europe, and has been in cultivation for nearly 300 years, 
yet it is seldom grown in pots for the greenhouse or conservatory. 
Northern Spy Apple (TF, M. B .).—The following is the descnp- 
tion of the Apple as taken from specimens well grown in this country :— 
Fruit, fragrant when ripe, large, ovate, inclining sometimes to conical. 
Skin, thin, at first of a greenish yellow on the shaded side, and on the 
side next the sun covered entirely with a thin, pale crimson cheek, which 
