328 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ October 8, 188f. 
• 
%* 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 correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable rouble and 
expense. 
Books (R. G .).—The writer to whom you refer has not prepared a work 
on the subject alluded to, and we do not think he has any immediate inten¬ 
tion of doing so. If he writes such a work you are almost certain to hear 
about it. (Young Inquirer). —The most useful book for you would be Mr. 
F. W. Burbidge’s “ Cultivated Plants ; their Propagation and Improve¬ 
ment,” published by Blackwood ; but if you desire more scientific instruc¬ 
tion on hybridising procure Darwin’s “ Animals and Plants under Domesti¬ 
cation,” “The Effects of Cross and Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable 
Kingdom,” and the “Various Contrivances by which Orchids are Fertilised 
by Insects,” all these being published by Murray. 
Dahlias (If., Romford). —The return is too late, as the results have been 
published in this Journal of October 1st, page 290. 
Goddard’s Clips for Glass (Inquirer). —Mr. Goddard informs us that as 
soon as he has made satisfac'ory arrangements for supplying these useful 
clips in quantity, he will communicate with us on the subject. 
Vines on “the Standard Principle ”( T. B. B.). —A more definite ex' 
planation of your requirements must be given before we can furnish a suit' 
able reply. 
Apples Specked ( T. G.). —As the tree is in good condition the specks on 
some of the fruit may have been caused by hail when the fruit was tender, 
or by water resting on it and exposed to hot sun. We have often known 
the fruits on one side of a tree seriously injured by hail, while those on the 
other, or where sheltered, were perfect'y clear. 
Climbers, Fruit Trees, and Roses ( Constant Reader). —Tour letter is 
such that we cannot answer it satisfactorily to ourselves or usefully to you 
without further information. Be good enough to say the number of 
climbers you require, or the length of the walls of the different aspects you 
desire to cover ; also please state whether you desire six Plums as standards 
and six more as pyramids, or for walls, or only six altogether; also whether 
you require six Pears for a north wall and the same number for other pur¬ 
poses. If you will make your wants! clear and write us as early as pos¬ 
sible we shall be able to answer your letter in our next issue. 
Clarifying Cider and Perry (W. H. G .).—We know of no modern work 
on the manufacture of cider and perry, but if all you wish to know is the 
process of clarifying the liquor you can do so as follows :—To clarify a 
hogshead take the whites of eight eggs and beat them up in a quart of the 
liquor, pour this into the cask, and then stir the whole so as to mix them 
thoroughly. Let it stand for a fortnight or three weeks, and the liquor 
ought then to be bright. 
Plum not Bearing (H.T.). —As your Green Gage trees are in first-rate 
trim, not too luxuriant, having been root-pruned, and have good bearing 
spurs, blossoming abundantly, but the incipient fruits drop, all you can do 
is to protect the trees with nets or blinds from frost and cold winds in the 
spring. As the trees are on a wall you can do this. The blossom of this 
variety is more tender than the Victoria, which is one of the most useful 
Plums that can be grown in cold districts. If you cannot secure a crop with 
protection we should occupy the whole space with the Victoria, which beais 
so well on the same wall. 
Muscatel Grapes (A. G. F .).—We scarcely know to which Grapes you 
refer, as Muscat Grapes are termed Muscatels by some persons, and one of 
the names of the Muscat of Alexandria is Moscatel Gordo Blanco. The 
common Muscatel is the White Frontignan, a rather small Grape with 
cylindrical bunches and lichly flavoured berries. The temperature suitable 
for the Black Hamburgh is also suitable for this variety, but the true 
Muscat Grapes only ripen in a Hamburgh house when the Vines are started 
early in the season and a good temperature is maintained, which even the 
Black Hamburgh does not object to, though it will succeed very well under 
what is termed “ coni treatment.” One of the most useful vvhite Grapes 
for growing with the Black Hamburgh is Foster’s Seedling. 
Size of Boiler (IF. K .).—Very much depends on the setting and stoking 
of a boiler as to the length of piping it will heat. As a rule every square 
foot of effective heating surface in a boiler may be estimated to heat 
40 to 50 feet of 4-inch pipe. A saddle boiler 2 feet 0 inches long will answer 
your purpose. Flued saddles with terminal ends are more powerful than 
the common kind, hut necessarily more costly. In fixing a boil r considera¬ 
tion should be given to the possibility of other houses being erected at a 
future time, and more piping required to be attached to the existing boiler 
for heating them. 
Apples for Exhibition and Use {Inquirer). —You do not say whether you 
wish the kinds for exhibition at one time or different times, but we presume 
they will be required at different times. Dessert Apples : Irish Peach. 
Worcestir Pearmain, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Blenheim Pippin, Claygate 
Pearmain, and Court Pendu Plat. Kitchen Apples :—Lord Suffield, Peas- 
good’s Nonsuch, Bramley’s Seedling, Warner’s King, Tower of Glamis, and 
Lewis’s Incomparable. These are first-rate Apples, and given somewhat 
in the or’er of their ripening. Another dozen are : Dessert.—Kerry Pippin, 
King o the Pippins, Ribston Pippin, Margil, Boston Russet, and Duke of 
Devonshire. Kitchen.—Emperor Alexander, Stirling Castle, Ecklinville 
Seedling, Grenadier, Dumelow’s Seedling, and Galloway Pippin. The 
ground ought to suit Apples. 
Peaches and Nectarines for Unheated House (Idem). —We apprehend 
you require the fruit to ripen successionally, one kind succeeding the other. 
Peaches.—Alexander, Hale’s Early, Royal George, Belle Beauce, Bellegarde, 
Barrington, and Walburton Admirable. Nectarines.—Lord Napier, Stan- 
wick Elruge, and Pine Apple. 
Phyllocactus Unhealthy (A Constant Reader ).—In the absence of any 
particulars as to the conditions under which the plant is growing, we cannot 
determine what has caused the blistering on the stems. It certainly, is not 
due to any parasite, but seems to have been caused by. some injurious 
substance dropping upon the surface. The plant is also in an unhealthy 
condition, and the shrinking of the tissue may be due to an incipient decay. 
We should advise repotting the plant after removing theworst of the stems. 
You will find cultural particulars in “ Cactaceous Plants,” published at this 
office, post free Is. Id. 
Culture of the Pomegranate ( W. S. P.). —The Pomegranate is usually 
grown out of doors in the south of England, but the plants are trained to 
walls with a warm asp ct. They are also grown in pots or tubs in conser¬ 
vatories, and only require protection from frost. A light soil, not too rich, 
is needed, and by shortening the shoots after flowering, and encouraging a 
free growth, which must be afterwards well ripened, you will find little 
difficulty with the plant. 
The “American Flea” on Chrysanthemums (Subscriber). — Your 
plants are attacked with the aphis that has received the above name 
amongst Chrysanthemum growers. It is the same as was al'uded to on 
page 80G last week, where you will observe it was destroyed with softsoap 
and tobacco wat-r. Another remedy is there suggested to prevent the in¬ 
crease of this destructive pest. All leaves such as the one you have sent 
should be pricked off and burned, as exhausted and discolour d foliage is of 
no benefit to the plants, only perfectly healthy green leaves assimi atmg 
food and storing it in the stems for the support of the blooms. You ought to 
have watched your plants closely and applied a remedy before the insects 
took such firm posse-sion of the plants. Remove all insect-infected dis¬ 
coloured leaves at once, and syringe your plants well with the decoctions 
suggested on the page quoted. 
Kiln Dust for Fruit Trees (Laukhill). —It is used extensively and with 
the best results in the form of a top-dressing to fruit trees in pots at Saw- 
bridgeworth. About one-third of the dust is mixed with twice that quantity 
of partially dried horse-dung, and the mixture is moistened with strong 
liquid manure and app'ied to the surface of the soil. Equal parts of kiln 
dust, horse droppings or decayed manure, and good loam, make an excellent 
top-dressing for all kinds of fruit trees that require assistance in the summer. 
Gathering Fruit ( C. /).).—Fruit should be gathered when it parts from 
the trees readily on being raised by the hand. When it cannot be separated 
from the trees without twisting and breaking the sfa'ks it is not ready, still all 
should b-gathered be f ore the occurrence of severe frost, a slight frost not 
being injurious. When fruit is much attacked with flies and wasps it is 
usually ready for gathering. Your fruits already gathered that are losing 
their crispness may have been stored too soon, but early varieti- s naturally 
do this. We do not use hav as a bed for fruit, as it does not improve the 
flavour of either Apples or Pea'S, and if the hay is old or “ fusty ” it quite 
spoils the quality o f fruit. We prefer perfectly clean boards for fruit, hand¬ 
ling and arranging it so carefully that it is not bruised in the slightest. 
Clean, new, perfectly sweet and dry straw is better than bay for storing 
fruit. After the fruit is dry only a gentle circulation of air is reeded, and 
it keeps better in a rather dark place than a very light one, much dry air 
and light inciting evaporation and consequently shrivelling. 
Extirpating Moles (IF. G., Midlothian). —The first plan i-< to trap them, 
which only requires some experience and judgment. We were for a long 
time pestered with them on a lawn, and could not catch them simply 
because the traps were set in the shallow instead of the deep and conse¬ 
quently main runs. We should ascertain the route the moles take in 
coming into the gravel pit, or find out the main runs, and making a place 
proper for a trap put in some soil fully as deep as the mn and make it 
rather firm. If it be a main run or one much frequented by the moles they 
will burrow through the fresh soil, and you may then introduce the trap 
with a certainty of a catch. If you proceed in stopping up the runs until 
you find the moles and set the traps in those we think you will soon clear 
them. If you place Elder leaves or young wood in their runs they will 
desert them, and tar and petroleum have the same effect, but the only sure 
plan of riddance is to destroy them. 
Retarding Chrysanthemums ( Cambridge ).—If the colour is only just 
visible it does not f llow that the blooms will be over before th< date named, 
but everything depends on the weather. The best of growers annually lose 
some of their finest blooms during a warm bright autumn. Keep your 
plants in the coolest, place possible, on the north side of a w-dl if you have 
one, sheltering them with canvas or mats (not touching the buds but sup¬ 
ported above them) on cold nights. If a glass wall coping could be fixed it 
would be very suitable, but the plants must not remain out to be injured by 
severe frost. When the blooms are half expanded the plants may be placed 
in any cool shed. The light blooms will be improved rather than otherwise 
by the ahs' nee of light, and it is better to sacrifice a little of the c lour of the 
dark ones than to lose the blooms altogether, especially as it, oft- n happens 
that the too eatly flowers are exceptionally fine. When the blooms are 
nearly expanded the plants may be kept almost in the dark for a fortnight. 
A cool house on a north aspect is sometimes more valuable for retarding 
early blooms than a heated structure is for accelerating the late ones, but 
the grower who has both those conveniences is to be envied by those who do 
not possess them. 
Pruning Roses ( Pen and. Ink). —We should not prune either the standard 
or dwarf Roses now, except so far as to thin out any weakly growths that 
may be crowding the trees, and shorten any strong shoots that may have 
extended far beyond the others, and are unduly drawing the sap from them, 
the shortening to be done to the level of the other shoots. March is quite 
soon enough for pruning, and numbers of Roses are not pruned till quite the 
end of that month or earty in April. If pruned early the youug growths 
