190 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 27, 1891. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Messrs. W. Clibran & Son, 10 and 12, Market Street, Manchester.— 
Catalogue of Bulbs. 
Messrs. E. H. Krelage & Son, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, and 27, Kleinen 
Hout weg, Haarlem, Holland.— Catalogue of Bulbs. 
Fisher, Son, & Sibray, Handsworth Nurseries, near Sheffield.— 
Catalogue of Bulbs and Roots. 
D.cksons, Chester.— Catalogue of Bulbs and Flower Roots. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, London, S.E .—Catalogue of 
Bulbs. 
° e ° All correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor ” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened 
unavoidably. 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. 
Everlastings (S'. E .).—The question is doubtful, and the flowers 
may or may not be admitted by the judges. 
Apricots Cracking QLanTihills ').—The cracking of the fruit is 
caused by a combination—wet weather and the attacks of a fungus. 
All decaying fruits should be burned. 
Dressing for Apple Scale (X. Y. Z.).— Some American terms 
differ from English. We suspect all that is meant by the words referred 
to is carbonate of soda in the form of lumps, and you may use ordinary 
washing soda for the mixture. 
Insects on Begonias (J. W. R .').—There are a few of the insects 
referred to on page 147 on the Begonia leaves you have sent, also some 
white thrips. We should burn all the worst of the leaves, and apply a 
mixture of softsoap and sulphur to the others with a sponge. 
Small Crapes (27 6’.).—The numerous small Grapes on the bunch 
you have sent are the result of imperfect fertilisation. They contain no 
seeds the same as are found in the large berries. The house was 
probably too cold and damp during the flowering period for the ripen¬ 
ing and dispersion of pollen. If by a “ cold ” house you mean that there 
is no provision for heating it, such misfortunes cannot always be 
averted. 
French and German Asters (C. R. IF.). — For purposes of 
exhibition all the Asters with flat florets, whether they reflex or incurve, 
may be regarded as French varieties, and those with tubular florets as 
German Asters. The blooms of these resemble round balls with an 
outer row of guard petals, and are as dissimilar from the others as an 
Anemone-flowered Chrysanthemum is from a reflexed or incurved 
bloom. 
Market Gardening (fl/r. L.). — Persons who understand their 
business both in cropping and selling the produce derive a fair return 
for their investments. If they did not do so they could not pay so 
much higher rents than are obtainable for land under agricultural 
tillage. Rich deep soil and proximity to a railway station are the chief 
points to be considered in choosing a site. Much practical training 
is needed for nursery gardening. 
Sewage (R . A. C.). —Without any doubt the best method of dealing 
with the sewage will be to use it in the kitchen garden, conveying it 
there by the best methods that can be devised on the spot. Almost 
every case of this kind differs, and measures must be adopted the mo 3 t 
applicable to each. Sulphate of iron is an excellent deodoriser, a pre¬ 
paration of 3 or 4 per cent, or less to the bulk of sewage destroying 
offensive smells and not impairing the manurial value of the contents of 
tanks. 
Pears Cracking (£. IF.).—The cracking is due to a fungus, 
Fusciladium pyrinum, the typical form of which is found on Apples— 
namely, Cladosporium dentriticum, but it is aggravated by a wet season. 
Nothing will now effect the restoration of fruit, but the spores may be 
prevented spreading by spraying the fruit and tree with ammoniacal 
cirbonate of copper solution. Particulars for its preparation and 
application in the case of trees affected with the disease are given in the 
Journal of Horticulture of June 25th, 1891, pages 504 and 505, 
Drain Choked by the Boots of Trees ((7. P.).—The only 
effectual remedy would be to take out the present 4-inch ordinary drain 
tiles and put down others with close joints. Four-inch sanitary glazed 
pipes with the joints properly made in cement would endure indefinitely. 
Gas lime placed on the pipes is obnoxious to roots only for a. 
time, and when the lime passes into the gypsum state it aids rather 
than hinders the roots entering the pipes. The sanitary pipes would, 
of course, not drain the plantation. If drains are wanted for that 
purpose rubble drains might be made, but open drains are much 
the best for plantations. 
Gladioli Unsatisfactory (A Many-years Subscribe ?•). — The 
plants goiDg off suddenly is a most perplexing disease, and unfortunately 
rather common. It is more prevalent in named than in seedling varie¬ 
ties, but there is considerable difference in constitutional vigour of 
the same variety as affected by soil preparation. The soil in your case 
has probably been too rich, and the liquid manure too powerful. We 
should keep the conns for stock, as varieties become acclimatised, and 
often do well after a year or two spent in recuperation. The corms 
splitting up had the number of breaks in embryo, otherwise they 
would not have appeared in the resultant growths. If the corms are 
diseased burn them. 
Ammoniacal Gas Xdquor for Destroying Weeds on Gravel 
Walks (£7. J. B.). —Gas liquor varies considerably in strength. If 
there are few weeds and the ground be dry it may be diluted with two 
parts water ; if many weeds but not strong add an equal proportion of 
water ; if the weeds are numerous and strong use the gas water neat. It 
will certainly kill the present weeds, cause an intolerable smell, and by 
enriching the gravel and soil make future weeds grow faster and stronger 
than they have ever done before. The advertised weed killers are in¬ 
finitely better and inexpensive, while the gas liquor properly diluted 
can be employed for stimulating the growth of useful crops. Try some 
differing in strength on grass. 
Tomatoes Diseased (72. IF.).—The fruits are attacked by the 
fungus Cladosporium lycopersici, or Tomato scab. All the worst 
affected should be removed and burnt, but the spores will fly about, 
and alighting on the plants or fruit will germinate and reproduce the 
fungus. The plants, therefore, and house should be sprayed with the 
following mixture. Dissolve 1£ oz. precipitated carbonate of copper 
in a pint of liquid ammonia (26°), of this one fluid ounce to a gallon of 
soft water. Spray the plants thoroughly in every part, repeat in twelve 
to fifteen days, then in twenty-one days, but it is useless to attempt 
anything beyond the spread of the disease at this advanced period of the 
season. The fruits already infested, like the examples sent, are beyond 
restoration. 
Roses for Forcing ( North Cotsivold ) —In selecting Roses for 
forcing under glass much depends upon the time you wish to commence 
forcing operations. You will find Niphetos, TRe Bride, Madame 
Lambard, Rubens, Safrano, and Isabella Sprunt good and free-flowering 
varieties. The last two produce charming buds, not fine blooms, but 
they are useful on account of their freedom and early flowering 
nature. No others force so well early in the season. If you require 
one for the roof William Allen Richardson flowers freely and bears 
forcing well; the flowers individually are small, but they last a long 
time in a cut state, and are highly appreciated on account of their 
colour. It would be difficult to name a red Azalea with all the good 
properties of Deutsche Perle. You might do worse than grow Due de 
Nassau, semi-double, dark rosy carmine. Bernhard Andreas is brighter 
in colour, but does not grow so freely as the one named above. 
Plum Trees Dying (J. B.). —Plum trees are not attacked by 
canker as it prevails in Apple and Pear trees ; but an analogous disease 
known as gum infests Plum trees and causes:the destruction of many, 
especially in cold localities and where the soil is deficient in calcareous 
matter. It is caused by a fungus, Coryneum Beijerincki, and is largely 
on the increase, because trees are propagated from infested stock. 
The roots of infested trees are generally healthy, but the gum disease 
prevents the ascent of the sap, causes early and free bearing, and a 
sudden collapse of the trees often when laden with fruit. Unsuitable 
stocks are also a cause of Plum trees dying after a few years’ growth, 
but yours collapse from one to five years after planting. Young Plum 
trees often fail through attacks of borers, but this case seems to be due 
to gum as the trees “dieoff in all stages always in summer,” simply 
because the fungus has destroyed the tissues, and the sap cannot ascend. 
Training Cordon Gooseberry Trees ( South Devon). — In 
raising the trees from cuttings it is desirable to shorten them so as 
to insure a strong growth from the upper bud, therefore remove all 
the buds except the uppermost two or three, the cutting being shortened 
to about 10 inches, and inserted 3 or 4 inches in the soil. When the 
buds break select the strongest growth for training up to form the 
cordoD, and the other shoots may be pinched off at the third leaf so as 
to form spurs ; but it is desirable to have the plants with short e’ean 
stems to facilitate cultural operations. In subsequent years the leading 
shoot should be cut back to about 13 inches, to insure its pushing side 
growths throughout its length, se’ecting the strongest in spring for con¬ 
tinuing the main branch, pinching the others to form spurs at the thir 1 
leaf and to one subsequently, cutting them back in winter to about 
an inch of their base. In pinching, the small basal leaves must not 
be counted. Well managed cordon Gooseberries bear abundantly. 
Young Canes on Permanent Vines (27 J.). —The two shoots 
thrown out from the main stem 12 to 14 inches from the ground, and 
allowed to grow at will, can only assist the Vines by the manufacture 
of roots, and thus aid in the storing of nutrition, and being cut away or 
shortened considerably at the winter pruning the other parts will 
