122 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 8, 1889. 
last week of April, and probably some of them were hatched in 
1888. This is simply another proof of the fallacy that bees live 
-only six weeks. It is to the long life of the bee that we are 
indebted for the strong hives and large yield of honey, which I 
hope to say something about in a future issue.—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
J. R. Pearson & Sons, Chilwell Nurseries, and 2, Exchange Road, 
Nottingham.— Catalogue of Dutch Bulbs. 
Charles Van Geert, Antwerp, Belgium.— Trade List of Camellias. 
Azaleas , Trees, and Shrubs. 
Vilmorin, Andrieux & Cie., 4, Quai dela Megisserie, Paris.— Catalogue 
of Bulbs, Seeds, and Plants. 
** 0 ° 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 un¬ 
avoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended 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 communica¬ 
tions. 
Judging- Picotees (J. IF).—Not having a schedule to guide us in 
this matter we cannot express a definite opinion upon it. but from what 
you say respecting the wording in the class and that there was no stipu¬ 
lation as to the varieties being distinct, we should think your decision 
was a correct one. The compilers of schedules are frequently to blame 
lor misunderstandings of this kind. The conditions cannot be stated too 
-clearly, as any kind of vagueness is misleading both to exhibitors and 
judges. 
Grapes Scalded ( Clifton ).—The Grapes you have sent are what 
gardeners term scalded. The cause and prevention have often been 
pointed out, the latter especially, on page 54 of the issue of the 18th 
■ult. You probably damp your vinery too late at night, perhaps have 
no heat in the pipes, and keep the house closed too long in the morning. 
Leave the top sashes open to the extent of an inch or two all night, and 
increase the ventilation within half an hour of the sun shining on the 
house in the morning. The night temperature should not fall far 
below 70°. 
Tuberoses Unsatisfactory (H . IF G.). —There is always a 
-difficulty in getting the flowers without the yellow hue, and it is peculiar 
to some varieties—for we find that grown in sun or in shade the flowers 
are often marred by the undesirable tinge, and for this reason growers 
of roots are careful to propagate from the purest white-flowered plants, 
in which direction a great advance has been made of late, that fine 
variety. Pearl being originated by careful selection. The Cape and 
America*'grown Tuberoses have purer white flowers than Italian. The 
-shade is not good, neither for the colour, the substance, nor the fragrance 
of the blooms. The syringing should not be practised over the flowers, 
but we think the chief cause of what you complain is inherent to the 
variety. 
Crowded Spurs on Espalier Apples (U. J.~). — With the growth 
too luxuriant it is not advisable to thin the spurs now, as an excess of 
sap would probably pass to the adjacent spurs, and push growth instead 
•of forming fruit buds. If, however, the trees are allowed to extend, so 
that the sap diverted into other channels would be expended thereon, 
then a judicious thinning of the spurs where too crowded, removing the 
weakest, and gradually, so as not to cause a check, would tend to the 
•development of the remaining spurs ; but it is more advisable to wait 
until early autumn, when root-pruning being resorted to to check the 
too luxuriant growth a judicious thinning of the spurs may be practised 
without danger of the remainder being started into growth ; arresting 
the growth consequent on the root-pruning tends to the maturation of 
the buds and wood. 
Propagating- Tropaeolums —The variety Fire Ball is very 
good and most easily propagated. Cuttings inserted in pots of sandy 
soil in August, kept rmist, close, and shaded for a time to prevent 
flagging, will speedily emit roots. The young plants may either be 
potted, one in the centre of a 3-inch pot, or three round the sides of a 
U-inch, or they may remain in the store pots until spring. A shelf 
in a greenhouse from which frost is excluded will be suitable for them 
in the winter. When growth commences in the spring the plants may 
be topped and the cuttings rooted in heat, any required number being 
provided in a very short time. Until the cuttings are rooted the soil 
must be constantly moist, but in winter only sufficient water should be 
given to prevent flagging. Avoid, however, mere surface sprinklings 
while the roots may be dry below, or the plants will inevitably decay. 
Choose short-jointed firm growth for cuttings, which may be about 
4 inches long, pinching out all flower buds as they appear after the 
cuttings are inserted. 
Hybrid Perpetual Hoses for Cutting (£T. R. IF).—Omitting 
those you name—viz., La France, Gloire de Dijon, General Jacqueminot, 
and Souvenir de Malmaison, we think the following will meet your re¬ 
quirements :—Alfred Colomb, Baionne de Rothschild, Boule de Neige, 
Brightness of Cheshunt, Charles Dickens, Charles Lefebvre. Countess of 
Rosebery, Duchess of Bedford, Duke of Albany, Duke of Connaught, 
Earl of Pembroke, Fisher Holmes, Grand Mogul, Harrison Weir, Jean 
Liabaud, Louis Van Houtte, Magna Charta, Marshal Vaillant, Marquise 
de Castellane, Marquise des Ligneris, Mrs. Baker, Mrs. John Laing, 
Pierre Notting, Prince Arthur, Sir Garnet Wolseley, Ulrich Brunner, 
Madame Victor Verdier, John Hopper, Franijois Michelon, and Senateur 
Vaisse. Those are all good and free. Others that you may add are 
Auguste Neumann, American Beauty, Brilliant, Charles Darwin, Com- 
tesse de Mortemart, Countess of Pembroke, Dupuy Jamain, Edouard 
Andr6, Emily Laxton, George Baker, Abel Carriere, Marchioness of 
Exeter, Lord Frederick Cavendish, Monsieur E. Y. Teas, Senateur 
Favre, Souvenir de Madame Alfred Vy, Reynolds Hole, Marshal P. 
Wilder, Mdlle. Marie Rady, and Madame Lacharme. 
Young Peach Trees (kl. B. )—The young trees planted last 
November having made shoots of 5 to 6 feet in length, and being firm 
and short-jointed, will probably ripen to the extremity ; but if there i3 
any doubt of this—the tree having a tendency to late growth and con¬ 
sequent imperfect ripening of the wood—it would be advisable to take 
out a trench about a foot further from the stem than the roots extended 
at the time, taking it out below the roots, and leaving it open for about 
a fortnight, when it may be filled in again, and firmly. This should be 
done after the wood becomes somewhat firm, from the middle to the end 
of September being a suitable time for trees in a cool house. If the 
foliage becomes limp it may be necessary to give water after the trench 
is taken out to prevent severe flagging, otherwise the foliage may ripen 
prematurely ; but the soil should be kept rather dry, so as to induce 
ripening, yet with sufficient moisture to ensure the plumping of the 
buds. With the wood ripe the shoots should not be cut back, unless it 
be necessary to originate others for furnishing the trees, and then it is 
best done in spring, when the buds commence swelling. The pyramid 
trees planted out are manifestly making too much wood. We should cut 
a trench around them 9 to 12 inches beyond the previous extension of 
the roots, and as deep as they extend, and leave it open for a fortnight, 
as above advised, which will check the growth and induce ripening and 
the maturation of the buds. Pinch the laterals to one joint, and to one 
of subsequent growth, entirely taking out the point of the shoots at the 
18 inches of growth or not stopping, if the shoots have formed the 
terminal bud— i.e., ceased growing. Admit air moderately in the day, 
so as to secure a good sun heat, and ventilate to the fullest possible extent 
at night. This will tend to ripen the growth and induce the formation 
of fruit buds. If the trees are clean and healthy there is no reason why 
they should not fruit well another season. 
Manure for Strawbenies and Cherries ((?. Gf). — Soil that is 
well drained and enriched with manure from a farmyard, pigstye, 
cowshed, or stable answers fairly well for Strawberries if it be shallow 
or deep. The plants, however, soon become exhausted in shallow soil 
under ordinary conditions of culture, and are only to be retained in full 
vigour by heavy annual dressings of manure dug in between the rows as 
soon as the fruiting season is at an end, and by copious waterings of 
sewage or other liquid manure during the season of growth. In many 
gardens the available supply of solid manure is so limited that none can 
be spared for the Strawberry bed ; sewage of which every householder 
has a regular supply then becomes our substitute, the soil between the 
rows being broken up when the fruit is done, just as it would be if we 
had manure to dig in, and then the sewage is poured over it frequently 
till growth ceases in autumn. If planted carefully Cherries answer in 
soil of ordinary fertility, such as will produce good vegetables without 
any subsequent addition of manure ; sewage, however, may always be 
given with advantage before the blossom expands and while the fruit is 
swelling. In poor thin soils stations must be made for the trees, each 
station being 6 feet square and 2 feet 6 inches deep. Lay a drain of comm' n 
2-inch lan 1 drain pipes across the middle of the bottom of the hole, and 
connect it with the nearest branch or main drain to render the roots safe 
from any accumulation of stagnant water, then cover the bottom of the 
station with 6 inches of broken brickbats, stones, or clinkers —9 inches 
would not be too much in a wet low situation—and then fill the hole 
with rich sweet loam, in which plant the tree. If when the hole is 
made you find a substratum of gravel there will then be no occasion to 
use either broken stones or drainpipes, as all superfluous water is certain 
to pass away quickly. Careful planting involves close attention to 
details, and that is why we allude to them here. But Cherry trees are 
