March 31, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
when they are 2 inches long, instead of rubbing such growths oil, as is 
generally practised. These, if inserted singly in small pots, root quickly, 
and if the plants are shifted into 5^ inch pots, allowing one stem to 
grow, this will produce a flower, also stout cuttings, in the autumn 
more freely than those plants will that are highly fed. 
THOUGHTS ABOUT TOMATOES. 
I WAS much interested in the contributions of Messrs. W. P. Wright 
and “ W, K. W.” under the above heading. It was good reading to me 
to see that white fly can effectually be destroyed. I have killed them 
■one day, and a few days after had a larger army of them, until I almost 
began to think that killing agreed with them. Mr. Wright points out 
a very common mistake in planting Tomatoes in their fruiting pots. I 
have found that filling the large pots one-third only with loam mixed 
with a little burnt soil and soot is quite sufficient at planting. Another 
third is filled in and rammed down tight when the first two bunches of 
fruit are set. Later on small top-dressings of loam with a good dusting 
of artificial manure are applied. Water is sparingly given until fruit is 
formed, but after two or three bunches have fruit from half to three- 
quarters full size then the plants have a plentiful supply of liquid out 
of a tank which receives the bedroom slops, and this seems to suit them 
well. 
Ham Green is no doubt a good fruit and is weighty, but is with me 
rather too strong a grower. Prelude if larger would be better than any 
to my mind, for it is a moderate grower and the freest setter of all. I 
note Challenger is mentioned, but no opinion given of it, I shall feel 
obliged if anyone who has grown it will give his experience, for I have 
several plants of that variety which 1 hesitate planting in quantity 
until I see how it has turned out with others. One of the most dwarf, 
early, and free cropping varieties is one I have grown under the name 
of Glamorgan, but it is unfortunately rather too corrugated and light. 
Early Ruby is the earliest of all, and is doubtless destined to become a 
great favourite for outdoor crops. It has well-formed fruits, and is 
dwarf in habit. Chemin, a French variety, is not mentioned by 
Mr. Wright, but is an egg-shaped early variety, of very good flavour, 
and crops heavily outdoors. A cross between a good selection of the 
Old Red and Prelude would, I believe, produce a Tomato good in all 
respects if only we can rely on “like producing like.” The blood of the 
Old Red will have to be dipped into to produce any good all-round 
variety is my opinion, for we are breeding with varieties of less robust 
constitution and dwarf habit. 
I have found that whatever may be the nature of the soil, the great 
thing is to make it as firm as can be, and avoid adding farmyard 
manure ; Jensen’s guano or liquid manure applied after two bunches of 
fruit have commenced swelling being quite early enough for feeding. 
Bell’s Defiance, mentioned by “ W. K. W.,” I have not heard of, but 
suppose it will in due course be procurable ; so far I have not found it 
in any seed list,—H, S. Easty. 
DANGER IN OLEANDERS. 
In the Journal of Horticulture (page 223) I find a letter signed 
“ R. P. R.” on the culture of Nerium Oleander, expressing surprise that 
it is not more often seen. Owing to the poisonous nature of the plant I 
for one denounce it in strong terms as one which should not be cultivated 
out of conservatories. In the“Gardeners’ Chronicle” for 1844 appeared 
these remarks, “ Powdered wood and bark of Oleander constitute at 
Nice the basis of an efficacious rat poison. A few years ago a child died 
from having eaten one morning a quantity of Oleander flowers. In 1809 
when the French troops were lying before Madrid some of the soldiers 
went marauding. They cut the branches of Oleander for spits and 
skewers for the meat when roasting. The wood having been stripped 
of its bark and brought in contact with the meat was productive 
of terrible consequences, for of twelve soldiers who ate of the roast 
meat seven died, and the other five were dangerously ill.” Whenever I 
see the plant in drawing or dining rooms I always warn mothers of 
young children against it, for if they were to put the flowers in their 
mouths death might be the penalty. I have known children in India, 
both European and native, die from eating the flowers. One meets with 
it in most gardens there, and there is a beautiful kind with double 
blossoms growing on parts of the eastern coast of Madras, especially at 
Paumben. Independent of my aversion to it on account of its noxious 
properties, the flowers in the house always, like the Tuberose or Jasmine, 
give me headache from the strong sickly odour emitted. The finest 
Oleanders I have ever seen in Europe were in an hotel garden at 
Spetzen. Its culture is easy enough, but the danger, especially to 
children, great.— John Colebrooke. 
GRAFTING APPLES AND PEARS. 
The present is a good time to insert grafts of approved varieties of 
the Apple and Pear. The grafts may be either worked on young stocks 
or on cut-back established trees. Of the several modes of grafting, that 
one known under the names of whip, splice, or tongue grafting is the 
best. The nearer the stock and scion are to each other in size the neater 
will be the union. The scions should consist of young, healthy, short- 
jointed, well-ripened shoots of from 9 to 12 inches long ; selected about 
the end of January or early in February, and buried a few inches in the 
soil until the middle or end of March, according to the season, when 
they should be engrafted on the stocks, headed back to the desired point 
a few weeks beforehand. In proceeding with the operation insert the 
knife in the stock 3 or 4 inches from the top, and cut off a wedge-like 
slice in an upward direction, nearly halving the stock (if a small one) at 
the top, sloping the remaining portion off to the bark immediately above 
a wood bud ; then make a cross downward notch at the base of both 
oblique cuts, and corresponding upward slits in the scions enable them 
to be tongued into the stock. A keen-edged knife should be used to 
insure clean even cuts, so that the wood and bark surfaces shall fit 
closely together. The scion having been thus fitted to the stock it 
should then be bound thereto with a band of strong matting, beginning 
at the bottom and finishing at the top, where the matting should be 
made secure. This done cover the matting with clay (to which a little 
cow manure may be added), of the consistency of putty, making it firm, 
full in the middle, and tapering off at both ends ; this will exclude air 
and preserve the grafts in a moist state. When the scions commence 
growth the matting or ligature may be cut.— H. W. Ward. 
The Weather. —The morning of the 27th opened dull, and in the 
low-lying districts of the metropolis there was a dense yellow fog. 
Monday was brighter but colder, and on this and the two following 
mornings frost was experienced, while cold north and north-easterly 
wind prevailed. At the time of going to press the wind remains in 
the north, and the weather, though bright, is cold. 
- Weather in the North.—A fter four fine days, the 23rd 
especially so, during which large quantities of Oats were got in, we 
have again plunged as to weather into midwinter. On the 26th a 
continuous snowstorm came on from the east, lasting till well on in the 
evening. Frost set in and still continues, 10° being registered on 
morning of 27th, and 16° on the following. The snow still lies all 
around.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
- Mr. Lewis Castle having resigned his position on the staff 
of the Journal of Horticulture, all letters and telegrams intended for 
him personally should henceforth be sent to his private address. 
- Copper Insecticide. —Your correspondent who made brown 
carbonate of copper seems to have used copperas (sulphate of iron) 
instead of bluestone (sulphate of copper). The scum at the top was sub¬ 
sulphate and carbonate of iron, not sulphur at all. A trace of copper 
would colour the ammonia.— Chemicus. 
- A New Rock House has been added to the many attractions 
of Messrs. Veitch & Sons’ well-known nursery at Chelsea, and will 
probably prove to be one of the most powerful of them. The structure, 
which has been specially erected for the purpose, is a broad, lofty, and 
handsome one, giving abundance of light. The material employed for 
the rockwork is tufa, and it has been admirably arranged. There are 
one central and two side beds, and they are furnished with a variety 
of foliage and flowering plants rising from a groundwork of Ferns. 
Dracaena Goldieania, Caladiums, Bertolonias, Crotons, Olivias, 
Amaryllis, Rhododendrons, Anthuriums, Gardenias^ and Pancratiums 
are a few of its present occupants ; and others will be substituted for 
them when their season of beauty is over, so that the house may be a 
permanent source of interest to visitors. There can be little doubt 
• that the desired end will be achieved. 
- Death of Mr. Wm. Brown. —In the Birmingham district 
no man was better known or more respected than Mr. Brown, who for 
nearly forty years was gardener to the late W. C. Alston, Esq., Elmdon 
Hall, near Solihull, whose sudden death from apoplexy on the 22nd inst, 
we much regret to announce. Many years ago he was a frequent exhibitor 
of the fine specimen plants for which Elmdon Hall was then famous. 
He was in frequent request as a judge at many of the exhibitions in 
the Midlands, and at his funeral in Elmdon churchyard, close by his 
house, there was a goodly muster of horticulturists from Birmingham 
and the adjacent districts. 
-A Large Orchid Sale.—O n Tuesday, April 5th, and three 
following days, Messrs. Protheroe & Morris will sell by auction the 
Orchids collected by Mr. E. G. Wrigley, at Howick House, Preston, 
Lancashire. Particulars will be found in the advertisement columns. 
