February 11, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
123 
roots of the Vines are in a cold outside border. You have, in fact, attempted 
what is_ practically impossible under the circumstances, and considering the 
state of the Vims. All you can do now is to encourage them to make good 
foliage, and wood to be well matured for another year; th<n if you must 
commence forcing so early cover the border with fermenting mattrials. 
You might do so now with advantage to the growth. 
Propagating Ficus elastica (H. H). —If the side shoots that are a foot 
long are getting a little firm at the base they will strike if firmly inserted in 
small pots of very sandy soil surfaced with pure sand kept moist, and the 
pots plunged in a bottom heat of 80° to 85°, in a case or under a handlight, 
to arrest the evaporation of the moisture from the leaves. Perhaps the best 
plants are raised from eyes or portions of ripened wood containing them, 
inserted much the same as Vine eyes, but each with a leaf attached, coiled 
round and supported by a stake, and kept fresh till roots are emitted and 
fresh growth starts from its base. The process is described by “ J. H. E. ” 
on page 94 last week. 
Improving Lawn Tennis Ground ( F. A.). —Give a surface dressing of 
rich compost, such as thoroughly decayed leaf soil or the refuse from the 
garden, and all the better if charred or thoroughly decayed manure, early 
in April. Bake it in well, and with an early prospect of rain sow 12 lbs. 
finest lawn mixture, which may be obtained of any resp- ctable seedsman, 
you staling what you require it for. and asking to have Clovers omitted, as 
these keep the ground too long damp in the morning. If you choose to sow 
your own mixture procure 8 lbs. Cynosurus cristatus, 2 lbs. Festuca durius- 
cnla, 1 lb. Festuca tenuifolia, and 1 lb. Poa nemoralis sempervirers. Bake 
lightly after sowing, and roll the surface, not mowing the grass for a fort¬ 
night, and then keep the lawn well rolled. 
Vine Shoots Eaten (F. G.). —The examples sent look very much as if 
they had been attacked by the Vine beetle. You had better make a careful 
search with the aid of a lamp or candle at night, and you may possibly find 
the enemy. The beetles are not, however, very easily seen, and a very 
careful examination of every point of the Vine should be made. You had 
better perhaps tie some cotton wool round the stems and smear it with 
petroleum. 
Mushrooms not Growing ( Grptcer ).—There is nothing wrong with the 
beds, the Mushrooms do not grow simply because the temperature is too 
low, the weather lately having been severe. A thicker covering would not 
have done any harm, hut have made the temperature more suitable for and 
accelerated the growth of the Mushrooms. With warmer weather you will 
no doubt have an abundant crop, as the beds seem in capital condition. 
The instructions in “Mushrooms for the Million ” are sound, but all those 
for outdoors and in cool places are contingent of the weather, as a tempera¬ 
ture of 50° is essential for the development of Mushrooms, and that can 
hardly have been secured even with a good thickness of covering material 
in an outhouse this winter. We have had many beds similarly located that 
with a thicker covering or 0 inches have given Mushrooms even in frosty 
weather, and with milder weather an abundance, the covering then being 
reduced to a couple of inches, so as to insure uniformity of moisture and 
temperature. As the weather becomes warmer give tepid water if the soil 
be dry, keeping the water from the clusters— i.e., avoid watering directly 
over them, and allow it to soak in before again covering the bed. Write to 
the Secretary of the Society about the medal. 
Vine Roots in Outside Border (Merchant). —Yours is not by any means 
an unusual case, the roots being often more abundant in the outside than 
in the inside border. This generally arises through the more uniform 
moisture outside. We should not at present interfere with the roots in the 
outside border, but it would be advisable to re-make the inside border and 
relay the roots found there nearer to the surface, and by keeping the border 
moist and mulching you will be able to fill it with roots, and then you may 
operate on the outside border in a similar manner. We should not lift the 
roots from the outside and bring them inside, as that would give a chtck, 
in all probability be fatal to the crop. There is no harm in the roots going 
outside, and we certainly should not seek to confine them to the inside by 
bricking up tbe arches by which they pass from the inside to the outside 
border. We should cut out the Vines of Muscat Hamburgh, and either 
plant young Vines or train canes from the others in their place. 
Auriculas not Growing (J. L .).—There is certainly something in eithe r 
the soil or the sand that is injurious to your plants. We should obtain 
both loam and sand from a fresh source, shake out the plants, wash the 
roots, and place them in small well-drained pots, using some wood ashes or 
crushed charcoal plentifully with the compost. If you can Bcrape some 
dryish leaf soil from the surface of the ground in a plantation or wood, not 
of Fir trees, this would be excellent for mixing freely with the loam and 
sand for inciting the production of roots, and far better than leaf mould 
that has been found in heaps after fermentation. You must apply water 
with great care, and protect the plants from frost. There may be iron in 
the soil for anything you think to the contrary. At any rate, use no more 
of it, but get what you can in the manner suggested—loam as well as leaf 
mould if you can collect it from tinder Beech or Oak trees. Ha'f the bulk 
of the compost may be of the natural decayed leaves until the plants have 
produced fresh roots, then repotting in a preparation in which loam pre¬ 
dominates. Let the pots be quite small, and if you plunge them in ashes 
the soil will he kept more un.formly moist without giving water frequently. 
We regret your failure, and trust we have pointed out a remedy. 
Eucalyptus in a Hall (Mrs. H .)—You say the tree has been “lately re' 
moved into a tub.” If by lately you mean since Octolur, the check to the 
roots is quite sufficient to account for the collapse of some of the leaves. 
Further, you say it has had “exactly the same treatment” as to watering 
in the hall as it had in the greenhouse. It would require different treatment 
—that is, not nearly so much water, after being remove d and placed in fresh 
soil as before. If the old soil—that in the pot—happened to be dry in the 
centre of the mass when the tree was shifted, and ihe new soil ha9 been kept 
quite wet, that would be quite sufficient to account for the condition of the 
leaves. If you had asked us about removing it from the tub after September 
•we should have advised you to wait till March or April. The dry air of the 
hall has been the reverse of favourable, but we attribute the chief mistake 
to injudicious watering after the tree was placed in the tub. Nothing you 
can do will cause fresh leaves to form on the stem, and all you can do to 
prevent the trees getting worse is to give sufficient tepid water to penetrate 
the entire mass of soil whenever the earth shows a disposition to crumble 
when rubbed, and never until then. It will not injure the tree to nip off 
the leader in March. This, provided the root-action is healthy, would result 
in an increase in the number of growths near the top, not at tbe base of the 
tree from win nee the leaves have fallen. Those above, between the tiers of 
branches, will fall also if good judgment is not exercised in watering. You 
had better, perhaps, get a young tree and grow it in your greenhouse to take 
the place of the present one if it should not lecover. 
Names of Plants.—We only undertake to name species of plants, not 
varieties that have originated from seed and termed florists’ flowers. 
Flowering specimens are necessary of flowering plants, and Fern fronds 
should bear spo es. Specimens should arrive in a fresh state in firm 
boxes. Slightly damp moss or soft green leaves foim the best packing, dry 
cotton wool the worst. Not more than six specimens can be named at once. 
(J. A. —Cypripedium caricinum. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— February 10th. 
Market quiet, with good supplies of foreign goods. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
0 
to 3 
6 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
4 
Oto 
6 
0 
„ Canadian 
.. barrel 10 
0 
12 
6 
Peaches . 
per doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ Nova Scotia ,, 10 
0 
12 
6 
Pears, kitchen 
dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Cobs, Kent .. 
per 100 lbs. 27 
6 
30 
0 
dessert 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs .. .. 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English .. tt>. 
1 
0 
i 
6 
Grapes .. .. 
6 
4 
6 
Plums. 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons .. 
.. case 8 
0 
10 
0 
St. Michael Tines 
. .each 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Melon .. .. 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
d 
8. 
a. 
s. 
d. 
Artichokes 
.. dozen 1 
0 
to 0 
0 
Lettuce .. 
l 
0 to 1 
6 
Asparagus 
.. bundle 2 
0 
8 
e 
Mushrooms .. 
.punnet 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 0 
6 
1 
0 
Mustard and Cress punnet 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
.. dozen 1 
0 
2 
0 
Ouions. 
. bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Broccoli .. .. 
» 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
.. £ sieve 2 
6 
S 
0 
Parsnips. 
i 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. 
0 
0 
0 
Potatoes . 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums 
.. 100 1 
6 
2 
0 
,, Kidney 
. cwt. 
4 
8 
5 
0 
Carrots .. .. 
3 
0 
4 
Rhubarb. 
0 
2 
0 
4 
Cauliflowers .. 
.. dozen 2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
. bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celery 
6 
2 
0 
icorzonera .. . 
. bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts dcz. bunches 2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale .. .. per basket 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Cucumbers 
.. each 0 
6 
1 
0 
Shallots. 
. ..ft. 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Endive .. 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
. bushel 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Herbs .. .. 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes .. % 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Leeks .. .. 
S 
0 
4 
Turnips .. .. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
0 
PLANTS IN POTS. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
a. 
8. 
d. 
S. 
a. 
Aralia Siebo^di 
.. dozen 9 
0 to 18 
0 
Ficus elastica 
each 
1 
6 to 
7 
0 
Arbor vitte (golden) dozen 6 
0 
18 
0 
Ferns, in variety . 
. dozen 
4 
0 • 
18 
0 
(common) dozen 6 
0 
12 
0 
Foliage Plants, var. each 
2 
0 
10 
0 
Arum Lilies .. 
. . dozen 12 
0 
18 
0 
Genittas .. . 
. dozen 10 
0 
12 
0 
Azaleas .. 
0 
42 
0 
Hyacinths .. . 
dozen 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Begonias 
.. dozen 6 
0 
12 
0 
Marguerite Daisy 
dozen 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Bouvardia .. 
.. dozen 12 
0 
18 
0 
Myrtles . 
. dozen 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Cineraria 
.. dozen 10 
0 
12 
0 
Palms, in var. 
each 
2 
6 
21 
0 
Cyclamen 
.. dozen 12 
0 
24 
0 
Pelargoniums, scarlet, doz. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Cyperus .. .. 
0 
12 
0 
Poinsettia .. 
dozen 12 
0 
18 
0 
Draccena terminals, dozen SO 
0 
60 
0 
Primulas, single, 
Solanum 
dozen 
4 
0 
6 
0 
viridis 
.. dozen 12 
0 
24 
0 
dozen 
8 
0 
12 
0 
Erica, various 
». dozen 12 
0 
24 
0 
Spiraea. 
. dozen 18 
0 
24 
0 
EuoDymus, in var. dozen 6 
0 
18 
0 
Tulips. 
12 pots 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Evergreens, in var. dozen 6 
0 
JH 
0 
CUT 
FLOWERS. 
8. 
d. 
s. 
a. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Abntilons 
12 hunches 2 
0 to 4 
0 
Lilies o.f the Valley, in 
Acacia (Mimosa). Fr., per 
clumps or pots per dcz. 
15 
0 to 30 
0 
bunch 
0 
I 
6 
Lily of the Valley 
12 sprays 
0 
9 
1 
6 
Arum Lilies .. 
12 blooms ft 
0 
8 
0 
Marguerites .. 1 
2 bunches 
6 
0 
8 
0 
Azalea .. .. 
12 sprajs 1 
0 
i 
6 
Mignonette .. 12 bunches 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Bouvardias .. 
per bunch 0 
6 
i 
0 
Pelargoniums, per 12 trusses 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Camellias 
12 blooms 2 
0 
5 
0 
„ scarlet, 
12 trusses 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Carnations .. 
12 blooms 1 
0 
8 
0 
Poinsettia 
12 b'ooms 
4 
0 
8 
0 
Chrysanthemums 12 bloom? 2 
0 
4 
0 
Roses (indoor), per dozen 
3 
0 
9 
0 
12 bunches 9 
0 
18 
0 
„ Tea. Freoch 
. dozen 
1 
0 
0 
Cyclamen 
doz. blooms 0 
4 
0 
9 
„ red, French 
. dozen 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Epiphyllum .. 
doz. blooms 0 
6 
0 
9 
Spiraea .. .. 
12 spray8 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Eucharis 
per doz«n 4 
0 
6 
0 
Tropaeolum .. 12 bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Gardenias 
12 blooms 6 
0 
18 
0 
Tuberoses 
12 blooms 
1 
6 
8 
0 
Hellebore 
doz. blooms 0 
6 
1 
0 
Tulips .. dozen blooms 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Hyacinths, Rom an, 12 sprays 1 
0 
1 
6 
Violets .. .. 12 bunches 
i 
0 
1 
6 
Lapageria, white, 12 blooms 0 
0 
0 
0 
„ Czar, Fr., 
. bunch 
i 
6 
2 
0 
Lapageria, red 
12 blooms 1 
0 
2 
2 
„ Parme, French, per 
6 
Liliumloogiflorim>,12blms. 9 
0 
12 
0 
bunch 
4 
0 
0 
PROFITABLE FARMING. 
That thrift and industry are thoroughly exemplified in 
small Sussex farms is undoubtedly true, as it is equally true 
that by the exercise of self-denial and by almost incessant 
