110 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COllAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 6,1885. 
spare sash. thrown over them until the spurs and horns left 
pushed out young shoots for their buds. Then they were taken 
to the potting shed, the old earth shaken from the roots, these 
l’oots pruned-in a little if they wanted it, and then potted in fresh 
soil, and very likely in pots a size smaller thau they stood in 
before. The owner wishes to get them forward, and keeps the 
plants rather close and moist in the warm months of autumn. 
They are transferred in good time to the greenhouse, and the 
same means of getting them to grow are persevered with. The 
grower has been told that 45° is the lowest the plants should 
see at night, and November being warm, the natural and arti¬ 
ficial climate combined is generally nearer 50° to 55° at night, 
while the days, though warm, are but sparingly brightened by 
sunshine. The plants are rather extra watered as a matter of 
course, and leaves get large and fine, and as the old saying has 
it, “as green as Leeks.” In December and January a sudden 
change comes, the weather becomes misty and cold, the plants 
are saturated with moisture, all the lights are kept shut, and as 
visions of economy in fuel, combined with inattention, obtrude 
upon the scene, the plants are considered perfectly safe if the 
thermometer is only a little above freezing point—nothing is 
thought of the danger of extremes. No account is taken of the 
amount of watery tluid stuffed into the plant in warmer dull 
weather, and which now can neither undergo elaboration, nor yet 
be got rid of by perspiration; and when, after a week, or a 
month, or a number of days of such treatment in such circum¬ 
stances, the mist having disappeared, the cold black frosts 
having said for a time good-bye, and the sun having once more 
appeared strong and bright in the heavens, not a doubt is enter¬ 
tained but these squashy leaves would rejoice in his light, and 
hold up their fronts as boldly as if they had never luxuriated 
save in his presence, and bad not been starved and swilled by 
turns in his absence; and great is the outcry when the rays 
penetrate and scald all the softest watery places. 
The presence of the sun in such circumstances, though it 
accelerates, is not indispensably necessary to such an issue. 
Continued moisture at the roots, with a stagnant, moist, cold 
atmosphere around them, will, from the debility thus occasioned, 
alone predispose this disease in the leaves, and that will be only 
accelerated in its manifestation when from such coldness and 
moisture the plants are hastily transferred, or allowed to re¬ 
main in an atmosphere as kiln-dried as it was at saturation point 
before. How often are glasses shut in a mild day in winter, 
when the exciting influence of a moist atmosphere should have 
been counteracted with a free current of air ; while the same 
glasses are freely opened in a sunny frosty day, though the air 
is dry enough to crack and scorch the lips and cheeks of the 
hardiest beauty. It never strikes many of us that there could 
be any analogy in such circumstances between our own skin 
and the leaves of tender plants. 
What are the palliatives for, and the preventions necessary 
against the disease? First, as respects palliatives, there can 
belittle done with large plants that are blooming early. Nothing 
remains but to remove the worst leaves after they get very un¬ 
sightly ; and as soon as the flowers begin to fade set the plants 
to dry in the sun, and prune back earlier than usual, thus 
getting rid at once of all the spotted foliage. This, of course, 
will be followed only by those who do not consider the disease 
to be constitutional to the plant. No means that I have heard 
of will ever make a spotted leaf green again. Young plants 
that are not expected to bloom for a month or two may be grown 
out of the spot. Almost every affected leaf should be removed 
at once. If the plants are kept rather close during the day, and 
with air at night, shaded or syringed during sunshine to prevent 
a too rapid perspiration, young foliage will soon be formed, and 
unless the smaller leaves left had previously been affected, there 
will be little manifestation of it on these young plants. A check 
to healthy growth was the predisposing cause, and an encourage¬ 
ment to free and active growth must now be resorted to, to get 
rid of its appearance. A highish temperature during the day, 
a cooler and airier atmosphere at night, will best promote this 
object. It would be of little use resorting to such a palliative 
until gentle April had come. 
Secondly, preventing the manifestation of the disease may 
be gathered from what has already been said. In one word, it 
must be accomplished by attending to all the points of good 
culture, and especially guarding against sudden extremes of heat 
and cold, moisture and dryness, and more particularly guarding 
against a great degree of cold visiting the plants while the roots 
are soaked with water and the atmosphere not far from the dew 
point. A number of our friends contrive to grow these plants 
by keeping, them for the most of the winter in cold pits and 
frames, where they can apply no artificial dry heat; and where 
they succeed well, as they often do, so much greater is the 
honour. From such we have numberless inquiries as respects 
this very subject, and the advice we would give is simply this: 
Get your plants potted as early as you can, and use pots small 
rather than otherwise, and soil light rather than rich, and grow 
the plants pretty freely until the end of October, when the pots 
will be pretty well tilled with roots. From that time until the 
end of February be more anxious to keep your plants than to 
grow them. Give them as much air as possible in mild weather, 
and as little water at the roots as will just keep the leaves 
from fiageing. If a bright sun should come wiih mild weather 
expose your plants as much as possible, but even then be careful 
of watering overmuch. If the foliage seems distressed, and on 
examining the soil you find there is still moisture about it, just 
lessen evaporation from the foliage by dewing the leaves with 
the syringe, taking care to do it as gently as not to damp the 
place. If sunny days come attended with a keen, dry, frosty 
air, give but lit tie air, repeat the dewing process; the leaves 
will not be weakened in such circumstances by a little heat— 
sun heat, for short intervals, will not draw the plants, and then, 
with a little air behind, the beams of the sun will dry and make 
all comfortable inside. If the plants show extra signs of suffer¬ 
ing, prefer a little shade to opening the lights in such circum¬ 
stances. By following this plan the plants will be stiff and 
hardy, scarcely larger on the first day of March than they were 
on the first day of November ; but the leaves, though small, 
will be firm and tough, instead of soft and squashy. By the end 
of February advantage may be taken of fine days to give the 
plant an impetus to grow, as long dull weather after March sets 
in does not often dangerously trouble us. By April the plants 
may be shifted if desirable, if not, manure water should be 
given; and shifted or not shifted, that manure water com¬ 
municated after the flower buds are peeping will give you fine 
trusses of bloom, accompanied with small healthy foliage, in¬ 
stead of large leaves and small trusses. 
1 need not mention that similar treatmenti will be requisite 
in greenhouses or Pelargonium houses, but the difficulty will be 
greatly lessened, as the artificial heat enables us to avoid all 
extremes of temperature and of moisture and dryness in the 
atmosjDliere. For instance, in continued muggy weather we 
have no resource in a cold pit, but a small fire would at once 
dissipate the mist and promote circulation in the greenhouse. 
The more care that is taken of the watering pot, however, 
during winter, the less the likelihood of spot appearing, even 
though the average temperature should be rather low at times. 
Keeping Pelargonium plants, those not actually blooming I 
mean, rather dry in winter and spring is the great main secret 
of successful culture. The next is giving them all the air 
possible consistent with an atmosphere not too cold nor too moist. 
From 43° to 48° may be considered a fair average temperature 
for such plants at night. The Fancies should not remain long 
below 45°, though a night or two at a time a little lower will do 
them no harm. If from some of the most successful exhibitors 
of these plants, whether Fancies or the old florist kinds, you 
could learn the real means how they obtained such masses of 
bloom with just enough of healthy foliage to act as a pleasant 
counterfoil, they would tell you that their plants got but little 
water until the flower buds appeared.—F. J. R. 
EARLY PEACHES. 
The climate in which Mr. Muir ripened Hale’s Early Peach must be 
much more forcing than Hertfordshire, as the Hale’s Early Peach is now 
(July 29tb) ripening and ripe. In 1868 it ripened on the 20th July, but 
it has not to my knowledge ever ripened before this time. The Alexander 
would probably ripen about the 4th June in Mr. Muir’s house. I should 
advise him to plant it on a large scale for profit. 
Here the Alexander ripens in a cool house about the 1st to 4th July, 
and is followed by the Early Beatrice, generally from the 6th to the 10th, 
Early Louise on the 16th, Early Rivers 20th. This is immediately 
followed by the Hale’s Early, nearly a month behind Mr. Muir. The 
climate of this district must therefore differ in a very pronounced degree, 
and it is not a little singular that such a variation exists. It is said to be 
keen and harsh to weak constitutions, possessing, however, a kindly 
ripening power, giving strength to good men and flavour to good fruits. 
—T. Francis Rivers, San-bridgervorth. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
ROYAL SOUTHAMPTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
August 1st and 3rd. 
The Exhibition of plants, cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables, which was 
opened on Saturday and continued over Bank Holiday, must be described as 
one of the best as regards the number and quality of the exhibits and the 
attendance of visitors which this flourishing and eminently well-managed 
Society has held for many years. There is no confusion in the directing 
and staging of exhibits, but the work is conducted with smooth regularity. 
