December 17, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
551 
cut the plumes with a good length of stalk when quite dry, and before the 
plumes are quite clear of the sheaths, placing them in a greenhouse or 
other place where they will be dry, in a similar position as grown, or 
upright. In ten days to a fortnight they should have the leaves or grass 
removed and given a gentle shake ; they will then open out, and have the 
beautiful feathery appearance for which they are so mnch admired. Ours 
dried in this way retain their beauty for at least twelve months, indeed we 
have some two years old still very attractive. When the sheaths are re¬ 
moved as soon as they signs of splitting, the plumes are whiter than when 
left to force off their covering in a natural manner. 
Pruning Vines (H. 8.). —Assuming your Vine has cast its leaves, it 
should be pruned at once; but we cannot tell you exactly how many eyes 
to cut back to, as you do not say whether the cane is one year old or more, 
nor give any indication of its thickness. If it has side growths or laterals, 
cut these off to the lowest good bud, which may be about half an inch 
from the main stem, and shorten the leader to about 4 feet if it is as thick 
as ycur second finger, but only leave half that length if not stouter than 
your little finger. If the cane is of this year’s growth entirely it may be 
sho:tened to about half its length if strong; about a quarter, or even less, 
if weak. A Cucumber house is not the best position for a Black Hamburgh 
Vine, as Cucumbers require more heat and moisture than is good for Vines, 
especially when starting into growth. Vou may start the Vine in February 
at a temperature of 50°, raising to 55° when the growths push to half an 
inch, and to 60° when the leaves unfold, rising gradually to 65°, then plant 
your Cucumbers. If you wish these early, start the Vine a month sooner. 
The temperatures given are night temperatures; allow a rise of 5° by day 
from fire heat alone ; 15° to 20° by sun heat. 
Market Tomatoes ( Cambridge ).—Since the publication of Hr. Iggulden’s 
Treatise on the Tomato several new varieties of Tomatoes have been 
introduced. Of these some of the best are Hackwood Park Prolific, Dedham 
Favourite, and Carter’s Perfection, the last named being very handsome 
and superior in point of quality. At the same time, it is doubtful if either 
of the above sorts will supersede the good old Hathaway’s Excelsior for 
market purposes, while the Old Red. or a good strain of it, is still exten¬ 
sively grown for sale. We advise you to rely principally upon Hathaway’s 
Excelsior and Hackwood Park, giving a trial to a new sort each season in 
order to discover, if possible, a more profitable sort. As your house is by 
no means well heated it is not advisable to start very early, nothing being 
gained, to say the least, by it. If you sow the seed during the first week 
in February you ought to have strong plants ready for planting by the end 
of March, and these you may be able to keep growing strongly, and secure 
crops at a time when good prices are usually realised. They may be 
planted 18 inches apart, in rows not less than 3 feet asunder, in thi3 case 
training them up hurdles or some kind of temporary trelliswork. 
Ammonlacal Liquor ( Vectis ).—This liquor holds in solution sulphate 
of ammonia and carbonate of ammonia, and is therefore an excellent 
manure ; but it varies considerably in strength, chiefly with the kind of 
coal employed in the manufacture of gas. It is also richer in ammonia in 
winter than in summer, because the ammonia does not escape so rapidly 
during the former period. It may be to a great extent fixed with gypsum, 
a pound being stirred in each gallon of the liquor, or with sulphuric or 
muriatic acid. As a rule it should be mixed with five times its quantity of 
water, and at this strength it is good for Vines that require assistance at 
the roots; but not having tried it for damping vineries after the Grapes 
have stoned, we are not a position to state its effects. If you contemplate 
using it in that way we advise you to proceed with great caution, for the 
liquor is more or less impregnated with tar, which is injurious in plant 
structures, possibly because of the coal naphtha it contains. Damage has 
been done to plants and Vines by coating hot-water pipes with tar. You 
must also remember that ammonia in excess is very injurious in vineries, 
and stable drainings are generally quite strong enough for that purpose. As 
you find sulphate of ammonia more satisfactory than the gas liquor, why 
not continue using it ? It is one of the best of fertilisers, but even an 
excess of this is injurious. It is freed from impurities in the process of 
manufacture. 
Euphorbia splendens (A Paine ).—We can understand the flowers o^ 
this plant being useless when they reach their destination if they expand 
in brisk heat and a close confined atmosphere. In order that the flowers 
may arrive perfectly fresh and last some time after they are cut from the 
plant they must be developed under comparatively cool conditions. If you 
can give the plant a temperature of 50° at night with a rise of 5° by day and 
a circulation of air daily when the weather will allow of this being done, we 
feel certain the flowers will remain fresh after they are cut. A lower tem¬ 
perature of 5° will do no harm ; in fact, prove an advantage if maintained 
for a few days previous to cutting the flowers. E. jacquiniteflora will not 
remain fresh for many hours if cut from plants subject to stove heat and 
treatment; but when cut from plants in a temperature of 45° or 50° they 
will last fora very long time. We advise you when packing the flowers to 
place a little clean damp moss round the stems, or if you cannot obtain this 
any soft leaves that have been dipped in water will do very well. 
Grapes Shanking (Bolton). —No doubt the shanking of your Grapes has 
been due mainly to a lack of support and deficient supplies of water to the 
Vines. Your own statement confirms this. The oystershells would do no 
harm, but on the contrary are good for Vines. Many break up these shells 
and incorporate them with the soil when making Vine borders. We 
scarcely understand your letter referring to the Grapes shanking after being 
cut. If you place the stems in bottles of water they should have kept 
perfectly fresh, in fact as fresh as if they had remained on the Vines. We 
presume you did not do this after cutting them from the Vines, and th> refore 
they have shrivelled, for you say they were quite good when cut. We 
advise you when top-dressing your border to give it a good application of 
fresh lime—that is, if you think the soil deficient in this important ingredient. 
We have known Vines that have shanked badly greatly improve by a good 
dressing of lime. If you do not know how much lime to use, and will state 
the size of your border, we shall be pleased to advise you. Give your 
Vines more water another year, and be careful that the soil never becomes 
really dry, for if this is allowed the Vines are certain to suffer. You had 
better not pot your Pelargoniums until they show flower stems, and not 
then unless you wish to grow the plants into a larger size, for they will 
flower for a very long time in the size pots named if you give them weak 
stimulants after they commence flowering. If you pot the plants they will 
not come into flower so early by a month or Bix weeks as they would in the 
pots in which they are now growing in. If you decide to grow them into a 
larger size you may pot them, provided the pots they are now in are full of 
roots, towards the end of next month, or early the following one, pressing 
the new soil firmly into the pots, so that firm sturdy growth will be the 
result. If you wish a flowering plant to cover the trunk of your dead tree, 
Clematis flammula would be very suitable. Wistaria sinensis would also 
do. Honeysuckle would also be very effective when once established. 
Ampelopsis Veitchi, a deciduous ornamental foliaged plant, clings naturally 
to almost anything; it would give no trouble in training after it once 
started to climb the tree. 
Names of Fruits.—The names and addresses of senders of fruit to 
be named must in all cases be enclosed with the specimens, whether 
letters referring to the fruit are sent by post or not. The names are 
not necessarily required for publication, initials sufficing lor that. 
(James Pound). —No. 6, Dr. Trousseau ; 12, Amadotte; 13, Reinette de 
Canada; 18, Cox’s Orange Pippin; 24, Winter NeliB. 
Names of Plants.—We only undertake to name species of plants, not 
varieties that have originated from Reed and termed florists’ flowers. 
Flowering specimens are necessary of flowering plants, and Fern fronds 
should bear spores. Specimens should arrive in a fresh state in firm 
boxes. Slightly damp moss or soft green leaves form the best packing, dry 
cotton wool the worst. Not more than six specimens can be named at once. 
(A., Reading). —Oncidium concolor. (T. B. L.). —Passifloraquadrangularis. 
(J. Cameron). —You tied the names so tightly round the sprays that this, 
with the damp material in the box, obliterated the writing, and we can 
scarcely decipher the numbers. What we take to be No. 1 is Juniperus 
excelsa ; 2, perhaps Thuiopsis borealis; 4, Juniperus chinensis. We cannot 
name the others. The habits of Conifers should be stated and numbers 
affixed, so that they can be seen without untying the ligatures, as when 
damp soft paper is tightly bound round the stems it is almost impossible to 
remove the strips without tearing them. The fleshy-leaved plant is Portula- 
caria afra, the African Purslane. The Egyptian seed is Urguinea undulata, 
a bulbous plant allied to the Scillas. Sow in a cool frame in spring. Your 
Apple trees are infested with the American blight, Aphis lanigera. Dress 
them with petroleum, rubbing it well into the fissures with a brush. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— December IGth. 
Business remains the same. Some good sample of late Grapes, Gros 
Colman and Alicante, reaching us, making fair values. Heavy supplies of 
Nova Scotia Apples to hand, Kent Cobs better. 
FRUIT. 
3. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Apples. 
£ sieve 
l 
0 
to S 
6 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
4 
Oto 
6 
0 
„ Canadian .. 
barrel 
10 
0 
15 
0 
Peaches . 
per doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,, Nova Scotia 
10 
0 
12 
6 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Cobs, Kent .. per 100 lbs. 
22 
0 
25 
0 
,, dessert 
dozen 
0 
4 
1 
6 
Pigs . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English., lb. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Grapes. 
0 
6 
3 
0 
Plums. 
$ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Leraona .. 
.. case 
15 
0 
21 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
..each 
1 
6 
5 
0 
Melons. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
S. 
d. 
s. 
a. 
Artichokes .. •. 
dozen 
1 
0 to 0 
0 
Lettuce. 
dozen 
l 
0 to 
1 
6 
Asparagus .. .. 
bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mushrooms .. . 
punnet 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Beet, Red .. .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Brussels Sprouts .. 
4 sieve 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
9 
Cabbage . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums .. .. 
100 
1 
« 
2 
0 
,, Kidney . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots. 
bunch 
0 
s 
0 
4 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celery . 
bundle 
1 
s 
2 
0 
Scorzonera .. . 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts dcz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale .. .. per basket 
2 
0 
2 
8 
Cucumbers .. .. 
each 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Shallots. 
0 
3 
0 
8 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
0 
4 
O 
Herns . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. ». 
.. lb. 
0 
4 
0 
8 
Leeks . 
bunch 
0 
S 
0 
4 
Turnips.. .. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS. 
Annual Clover layers are among the things which it is 
highly important should he put to the test of practical utility 
as speedily as possible. With Wheat at 50s. or 60s. per 
imperial quarter, a four-course shift and annual Clover layers 
answered very well, but now that Wheat has apparently 
fallen permanently in value there will be a proportionate 
reduction in the area of land devoted to its culture, simply 
because it is unprofitable. Stern necessity presses more and 
more upon us the importance of rigid economy, and we are 
bound to inquire if we cannot do better than sow Clover 
