84 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 4 1836. 
means follows. They may be distinct without being superior ; 
indeed, I venture to say that quite three parts of the new sorts 
sent out in such glowing terms are not equal in merit to many of 
the older varieties. What I wish to impress upon beginners is this 
—Do not rely on catalogue descriptions entirely, which are in the 
majority of instances copied from French raisers, and the colours 
as set forth are not always to be found in the flowers produced ; 
and never buy a variety without first hearing something good of it 
from someone who knows its merits and has nothing to gain in 
describing them, for it is an assured fact that if a new variety has 
the necessary qualifications it will not remain long in seclusion. 
No little disappointment has been caused by purchasing all the new 
varieties which were expected to produce wonderful flowers. 
Instead of this it has often been found that time and space have 
not been well occupied in growing them. Far better is it to grow 
an extra number of plants of those varieties which experience has 
proved can be depended upon as certain producers of first-class 
flowers under first-class culture, than for a grower with limited 
experience, money, and space to overburden himself with so-called 
“ novelties.” If those persons who are responsible for the descrip¬ 
tions of new varieties were to adopt a much more simple way of 
describing their qualities they would be doing a public service, 
enabling growers to purchase the new sorts with much more 
confidence than at present. —E. Molynecx. 
(To be continued.) 
THE CULTURE OF PEAS. 
Weather permitting, I shall make my general sowing of Peas this 
week, both for profit and exhibition, and shall continue making small 
sowings about every fourteen days afterwards for late shows or culinary 
use. I shall make sowings of the varieties previously recommended, 
and from them shall be able to choose Peas of sufficient merit or 
quality either for a collection, a single dish, or for culinary use. As the 
Peas grow I keep gradually earthing them up until they are from 4 to 
6 inches in height, then I commence placing sticks to them about 12 inches 
long. When the Peas have grown to the height of these sticks much 
longer stakes are employed, acc rrding to the height the Pea is supposed 
to grow. Each row is carefully examined, and wherever the plants are 
closer than 4 inches apart I draw the weakest out. If the Peas are 
required for exhibition I watch and carefully train them, tying the haulm to 
the stakes with matting ; in so doing I save many a good pod that I am 
able to use for exhibition which would otherwise have been broken by 
strong winds. 
^ ^ When the Peas have flowered and commence podding is the time to 
decide whether they are intended for exhibition or profit; if for the 
former, as soon as the peas are formed in the pods pinch off one of each 
pair of pods and leave the others growing singly. By so doing the pods 
will be noarly one-third larger than if left to grow in pairs. When the 
Peas commence swelling and I think they require a liitie liquid manure, 
I take the garden spade and raise the soil about 3 inches each side of the 
row and round the ends, so as to form a small shallow reservoir, into 
which I pour the liquid. Peruvian guano is sometimes used, about one 
handful to two gallons of water. You need not be afraid of killing the 
Peas with liquid manure of any kind, as I have found from experience 
that, it is almost impossible to do so. Give them three applications of 
liquid a week; they will only require it for about two weeks, unless the 
weather is very dry and hot, and then I use it much earlier, as I find it 
does in the place of watering, and of course is much more stimulating to 
the plants. When you commence u-ing the liquid manure no more lime 
will be needed, as the slugs have a great disliking to guano.—H y. 
Marriott. ° b 
I AM fully ftware Mr. Marriott is a most excellent cultivator, but with 
one exception I should not advise sowing the Peas he names at the present 
time. I find from many years’ practice that you cannot sow wrinkled 
i eas wi h safety before the first week in April, and the majority of those 
he names are wrinkled. Evolution, being a blue round Pea, can he sown 
at the present time, but I should very much doubt if any of the others 
would be a success. These Peas I should average would cost 5s. a pint 
round, and the expenditure of 40s. for eight pints of Peas, sowing them all 
in one day, would scarcely be prudent in ordinary practice.— Kitchener. 
A USEFUL MANURE. 
In your most valuable paper of 31st of. December last Mr. J. Swan 
calls our attention to what he designates “ a useful manure.” The plants 
for which it is by his account so well aiapted are amongst those I am 
striving to cultivate satisfactorily ; and his success makes me wish to 
prove the power of the manure, but I fail to properly understand this 
method tf mixing it. When he says, “ If having a quantity of night soil 
on hand mix it with half the bulk of the earth,” does he mean half as much 
burnt material as night soil ? Secondly, in what proportions would it be 
advisable to use it for the plants he mentions ? how much to a harrowload, 
or any quantity larger or smaller ? The Melons and Cucumbers, he gives 
U Ki t0 U ?derstand, can be grown in equal parts in pots. Your kindness and 
able advice in the past encourage me to apply again in the hope that I 
may meet with similar treatment.— Young Gardener. 
[fn reply to the letter from a “ Young Gardener,” I may say he has 
correctly defined my meaning in reference to mixing the manure—namely 
I recommend half as much burnt earth as night soil. When left to 
accumulate iu an exposed state it is not so effective as the same quantity 
of manure when mixed at once with the burnt earth owing to the loss 
of nitrogen by evaporation. For Celosias, Cockscombs, and Gloxinias I 
use the manure at the rate of one barrowful to two of loam, and for 
Zonal Pelargoniums and Balsams equal parts of manure and soil. The 
latter luxuriate in the above mixture without any leaf soil. We grow 
ours in G-inch pots, and the plants become extremely large and floriferous, 
some of the flowers being 3 inches across, and if not allowed to seed they 
will flower for three months. I recommend potting firmly, as the burnt 
earth has a loosening effect on the soil. 
For Chinese Primulas the compost consists of one barrowload of light 
soil, three of loam, and a half barrow of leaf mould ; but the soil is only 
part of of the means to secure success. I treat my Primulas as follows :— 
I sow the seeds about 15ih March in pans well drained and filled with a 
mixture of equal parts of loam, leaf soil, and powdered charcoal, cover 
the seeds with the latter ; and 1 find they germinate more strongly out of 
the charcoal owing to the ammonia supplied by the same. They are 
lifted with the roots clinging tenaciously to the particles of charcoal, and 
are scarcely checked in removal from the seed pans. I dip the pans 
when water is required in preference to using the watering can, and plunge 
them in a temperature of 65°. When the seedlings are up I put the pans 
oa a shelf near the glass to keep the young plants sturdy as possible, for if 
weakened iu the pans nothing will make up the deficiency. As soon as 
they have made four leaves they are pricked out iu boxes 2J inches deep 
filled with a mixture of one part of night soil to two each of loam and 
leaf soil. With some half-decayed leaves (Beech if possible) the soil is 
pressed firmly and watered, and when nearly dry the seedlings are 
pricked out 4 inches apart; keep them iu the stove till they have again 
taken hold of the soil, giving them a little shading meanwhile, some tissue 
paper does very well. Remove them to the warmer part of the green¬ 
house to be gradually hardened, so that they may be placed iu cold frames 
by the 1st of June. By the middle of July they ought to be large sturdy 
plants ready for 5 and 6-inch pots, which I think best for almost all 
purposes of decoration. 
I prefer the shallow boxes for several reasons. First, the soil is more 
easily kept in a uniform moist condition, which is a nice point in Primula 
culture, and one not easily attained when they are grown in pots ; also 
in transferring them to these large pots you get the balls of roots whole, 
and being confined in small compass they are cut in squares with a knife. 
The result of this treatment is the multiplication of roots, the same as 
the famous Clovenford process for treating young Vines ; and the slight 
check received is more than compensated for by the extra number of 
roots produced to take to the new soil. If the plants in the b xes are 
watered before potting them, and the soil is in proper condition as to 
moisture, the frames being kept closed for a week and shaded, they should 
not need any water for that time at any late ; and this is of great advan¬ 
tage in insuring a good start. If the pots have been unused for some time 
they must be soaked in water for half an hour, taken out and left to drain 
before being used. The plants must have plenty of room in the frames, 
sufficient space being allowed between them for the free circu ! ation. 
It is advisable te pot the plants firmly, for they have very fine roots 
and are easily affected by drought if the soil is loose. Pot them well 
down in the soil, as this prevents large plants twisting about. Of course 
the flower stems must be picked off as soon as they can be seen throughout 
the growing season. —John Swan, Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire .] 
RHODODENDRON FORMOSUM—HYBRIDS. 
Several handsome Rhododendrons are grown in conservatories now, 
and either planted out or in pots and tubs they are much appreciated 
ornaments for such structures. The Himalayan species are the most 
beautiful as regards the size and individual importance of the flowers, but 
unfortunately they are mostly rather unsatisfactory in habit. They are 
apt to produce long straggling branches bearing heads of flowers at their 
extremities and with the lower portions hare of foliage. This tells more 
against their employment than anything else ; but happily there are some 
other species of Rhododendrons suited for the same structure, but pos¬ 
sessing a compactness of habit combined with a floriferousaesi that 
renders them very useful. One of these i3 R. formosum, by no means a 
novelty, yet not common even now. In a few large conservatories like 
that in the Regent's Park B >tanic Garden and in the Winter Garden at 
Kew, good examples may be seen that, when bearing their pure white 
flowers freely in April or May, have a charming effect. The late 
J. H. Mangles was an admirer of this plant, and from his well-grown 
collection the flowers and shoot engraved (fig. 15), were sent some time 
ago. It is a gooi form of the species, as the flowers are sometimes 
smaller and less expanded than shown in the cut. It requires a good, 
free, peaty compost, with plenty of sand and thorough drainage when 
grown in pots. 
R. formosum has been employed by several hybridisers in crossing 
with other species, and Mr. J. Anderson Henry, who paid much attention 
to the matter, related s )mo interesting particulars concerning this and 
ajlied Rhododendrons in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society 
(1873) which may be repeated here. After noting some peculiarities in 
the hybridising of Veronicas, he proceeds as follows :— 
“ I have no doubt something of the same kind occurs among Rhodo¬ 
dendrons. But I may only instance one case where I crossed R. E Igworthii 
on R. caueasicum ; the seedlings, ever few when the cross is a severe one 
(by which term I mean such instances as where the species do not affect 
