JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 4, 18t6. 
*** 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. \\ r e 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions relat¬ 
ing to Gardening and those on Bee subjecls, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended 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. 
A Variegated Tropseolum (M. II.). —We grew a variegated form similar 
to one you sent, some years ago for edgings in a flower garden,but the plant 
was dwarf in habit, and not 11 running” as you describe that you have raised. 
The leaves on the shoot sent are neatly variegated with white or cream, and 
it is certainly worth preserving. 
Cauliflowers and Broccoli for Succession ( 0 .).—Walcheren Cauliflower 
sown in February will come-in in July and August; sown in early April 
heads will be produced in September, and a sowing made at the beginning 
of May will afford heads at Michaelmas onwards. Veitcli’s Self-protecting 
Autumn Broccoli should be sown in early April for affording a supply of 
heads in December onwards; and if at the same time be sown Cooling’s 
Matchless, Leamington, and Lauder’s Goshen Broccolis for a supply in spring 
up to May, there will be no difficulty in keeping up a succession. 
Clioisya ternata (E. D. 0.). —You are Blightly in error. This is not a 
new plant, but was introduced from Mexico in 1825. It has been much 
more extensively grown during recent years, and since it was found so well 
adapted in a small state for conservatory decoration. Plants are very exten¬ 
sively raised and grown on the Continent, planting them out, with Azaleas, 
in beds of sandy leaf soil in the open air and potting tht m in the autumn. 
They produce white flowers plentifully in the spring, and flowering plants 
are now to be seen in Covent Garden Market, but this is very early for them.. 
Choisya ternata is very well worth growing for the purpose indicated. 
Chloride of Lime (S. M.). —Chloride of lime, or bleaching powder, is 
composed of chlorine 3C'23,lime 36'77. Exposed to the air, it is converted 
into chalk and muriate of lime, a salt which absorbs moisture from the ai r 
very powerfully. By this conversion it becomes a useful addition to soils ; 
and, as it also gives out some chlorine gas, so offensive and destructive to 
insects, it has been suggest d as a useful application to the land at the time 
of Turnip sowing. It is also useful as a disinfecter, and for sprinkling about 
stable floors to fix the ammoniacal fumes. 
Eucalyptus Leaves Drying (Mrs. II.). —The rusty specks on the leaves 
appear to be dried resinous matter that has exuded from the cells and would 
naturally cause the foliage to wither. In the absence of any information as to 
the conditions under which the tree is grown we are not able to account for 
the peculiar state of the leaves. You do not say whether this is in a pot or 
planted out under glass or in the open air. This Eucalytus produces more 
elongated and less glaucous leaves after being grown a few years, and this 
appears to be one of them, but it is in such a dried and imperlect state that 
we cannot determine the point. The large glaucous leaves produced during 
the early life of the tree are arranged with their upper surfaces to the sky, 
the lower to the earth ; but the leaves that are produced afterwards are 
arranged more or less with their edges in those directions, and have a 
drooping and less cheerful appearance than the others. If you would like 
to give some further particulars, and send other specimens, we will readily 
give our attention to the matter. 
Camellias and Rhododendrons (J. B. TV.).—Planted in suitable soil, 
containing little or no lime, Camellias would certainly succeed well in an 
unheated house with a heavy roof facing the south, proper cultural atten¬ 
tion being accorded the plants. In all probability such greenhouse Rhodo¬ 
dendrons as R. fragrantissimum, R. ciliatum, R. formosum, and Countess 
of Haddington would also succeed, taking care not to accelerate early 
growth by keeping the house unduly close in autumn and during mild 
weather in winter, or the tender shoots might be cut by frost in the spring. 
Very much, however, depends on the district in which you are situated, 
there being nothing in your letter to indicate whether you reside in the cold 
north or sunny south. 
Eucharises—Tomatoes—Roses (W. IT'.).—We should first establish the 
Eucharises in pots, then when quite healthy, plant them out in the bed 
over the hot-water pipes. We know of beds of Eucharises which have been 
furnished in that way and the plants now afford fine blooms abundantly. 
The Tomatoes you name are good, all of them giving satisfaction to different 
cultivators. Hackwood Park Prolific does not always set fruit well from 
the first formed flowers. Roses ought to do very well in the manner you 
propose, but we do not see the urgent necessity for trellises. They are 
well grown in the natural bush form for market purposes. We have heard 
the second variety you name is not a particular favourite in the London 
market, Niphetos and Madame Falcot being perhaps more largely grown 
for the sale of expanding buds than any others. The others we should not 
plant in large numbers at the first, but experimentally, increasing them if 
they promise to answer your purpose. 
Tuberose Flowers a Second Year (Tuberose). —If you wish to try it, 
though we do not think it worth while, you will need to keep the plants in a 
light airy position in the greenhouse and duly supplied with water until 
the foliage begins to turn yellow, when water should be gradually withheld. 
The roots will be so reduced in size as to require at least a year’s growth 
before they will flower again, and then unless the culture has been superior 
you will not obtain blooms by any means equal to those from well-selected 
imported roots, whether they be Italian, American, or African. They are 
not in our opinion worth keeping for bloomiDg a second time, especially 
as fine imported bulbs can now be purchased so cheaply. 
Petroleum for Dressing Vines and Peaches (Omega). —Petroleum is not 
safe to use as a dressing in the usual manner with a brush to Vines or 
Peaches from the difficulty of keeping it mixed whilst the operation is 
being performed, for to mix with water it requires to be agitated—kept 
briskly stirred—which requires two persons, one to keep stirring the fluids 
while the other applies the mixture. If you, however, intend to.use it as a 
wash and syringe it od, which is the best means of applying it, dissolve 
half a pound of softsoap in 3 gallons of boiling water, and when cooled to 
120° add a quarter of a pint of petroleum and stir well with a broom handle 
until the petroleum is mixed with the soapy solution, and stir briskly 
whilst another person applvs it to the Vines or Peach trees, being careful 
to wet them thoroughly in every part, on which the efficacy of this and all 
insecticides greatly depends. If there has been a great infection of insects 
repeat before the buds begin to swell, it being particularly efficacious against 
scale, mealy bug, indeed all insects, but requires to be used with care and 
judgment. If there be plants under the Vines they should be removed 
whilst the petroleum is being used, and it must not be used after the buds 
commence swelling. 
Compost for Vines (Idem).— The top 3 or 4 inches of a pasture where 
the soil is medium-textured, light rather than heavy, taken off with its turf, 
should form the staple of the compost, or a ninth— i.e., nine barrowloads or 
cartloads to one of old mortar rubbish, and if the loam is deficient of sand 
add one of river sand, half a load of charred refuse or wood ashes, and half 
of charcoal; but the sand may not be necessary, and if the loam is not from 
a calcareous formation add a load of calcined oyster shells, and under any 
circumstances a sprinkling of crushed bones, which should not be less than 
half, nor more than a load. The less calcareous the loam the more bones 
may be used. Mix all well together, the loam being broken up roirghly, 
and turn the heap over again, so as to insure the thorough incorporation of 
the mass. Such a compost will grow Grapes to perfection, and last a life¬ 
time with proper surface dressing and good management generally. 
Culture of Pancratium fragrans (B.8.). —This beautiful plant requires 
a rather high temperature and a moist shady position ; a stove heat of 70° in 
summer and G0° in winter should be the minimum. Your plants should be 
shifted as soon as they fill their pots with roots. When the specimens are 
as large as required they should only be potted every four years. Employ a 
compost of two parts fibry loam, one part charcoal, and one part silver sand 
and sheep droppings. The loam must be broken into pieces about the Bize 
of pigeon’s eggs, the charcoal the same; when all has been turned two or 
three times it should then be run through a half-inch riddle, and what 
remains in the riddle place in the pots. In potting the soil should be rammed 
very firmly. In the stove they should be close to the glass, but shaded from 
the direct rays of the sun, and they should receive.a bountiful supply of 
water in the summer time both from the watering can and syringe. Even 
during the winter the syringe must be more freely employed than for most 
stove plants, particularly so if the stove in which they are placed is not fur¬ 
nished with vapour appliances. They can be placed in a cool conservatory 
when in flower, and supplied with a little weak liquid manure ; it prolongs 
their flowering season, and also imparts a much finer waxy appearance to 
the flowers—moreover, they last much longer in a cut state when subjected 
to this treatment. 
Propagating Hardy Ferns from Spores (G. IF.).—Choose a pot which a 
bellglass will just fit within the rim, place a large crock over the hole, half 
fill the pot with smaller pieces, and on them place half an inch of moss ; 
then fill the pot to the rim with the following mixture—viz., sandstone 
broken in all sizes from that of a grain to a hazel nut, sandy fibrous peat 
and yellow fibrous loam, of each equal parts, adding to the whole one-sixth 
of silver sand. Put over the surface a very small quantity of sifted soil, and 
make it firm by pressing it with the hand. Put on the bellglass, and if it fit 
closely on the soil it is all right. Remove it, and stand the pot in a pan in a 
rather shady but not dark part of the greenhouse, for what is wanted is a 
diffused though not a strong light. Give a good watering all over the sur¬ 
face through a fine-ro3ed watering pot, filling the pan with water. Now 
take the frond with the spore cases open, and, holding it over the pot, rub it 
with the hand on the under side, and a kind of brown or yellow dust will fall 
on the soil. You may scrape the spore cases from the back of the fronds, 
but if the dust fall so as to make the soil brown or yellow it is enough. 
Press the surface gently with the hand and put on the bellglass, taking care 
that it touch the soil all round. Keep the pan or saucer full of .water, and give 
none on the surface except it become dry, which it never ought to do, nor 
will it if sufficiently shaded and the saucer be kept full of water. When 
the surface becomes green tilt the bellglass a little on one Bide at night, and 
as the soil becomes greener tilt it higher, giving a gentle watering now and 
then to keep the surface from becoming dry. When the plants have made 
two or three fronds gradually remove the bellglass, and pot off the Ferns 
when they can be handled safely. The pots may be placed in a pit or a 
shaded position in a greenhouse. 
Camellias not Expanding (Inquirer). —We submitted the specimen you 
sent to a skilful cultivator of Camellias who has the charge of a very large 
and superior collection of plants, and the following are his remarks on the 
subject—“ It is difficult to ascertain the cause of Camellia buds falling with¬ 
out knowing minutely the circumstances under which the plant is treated. 
The cause may he simple and brought about by the neglect of some small 
point in culture, or it may be a natural characteristic of the variety which 
the utmost care and best cultivation cannot remedy. The thick round- 
budded varieties, such as the one sent, are far more liable to fail than those 
with sharper-pointed buds. Camellias such as Countess of Derby, Marguerite 
Guillon, and others that are similar in the bud often cast off the buds when 
they commence unfolding, even when the plants appear in the best possible 
health. Varieties that are at all Bubject to this, and receive even a slight 
check, not unfrequently cast their buds, when more reliable kinds would not 
be affected by any such cause. The slightest check through dryness at the 
