January 3, 1839 J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
19 
necessitate cutting back into two-year-old wood. Shorten them now, 
but if the production of fruit is of greater consideration to you than the 
form and outline of the tree, perhaps the less they are shortened the 
better. If you particularly want a formal “ pyramid,” which you 
mention, pruning must be resorted to for producing it, but the closer 
you prune the more you will retard the bearing of the tree. Apple trees 
do not make good and productive pyramids, their natural habit of growth 
differing from Pears. If early fruitfulness is your chief object you had 
better limit the pruning to the removal of any soft unripe tips from the 
shoots. 
Cocoa-nut Fibre Refuse (F. J.). —In reply to your question 
What purposes is cocoa-nut fibre refuse most used in gardening?” 
It is extensively used for plunging pots in and over their rims, thou¬ 
sands of Hyacinths and other bulbs being buried in it now, and other 
plants will be plunged in it in summer. It is largely used as plunging 
material in propagating houses, also as a medium for striking cuttings 
of many piants which root in it freely. It is used for placing on flower 
beds containing bulbs in winter, and for placing round border plants 
that require some protection from frost. It is used as a mulching for 
arresting evaporation from the soil in dry weather in summer, and is 
good for mixing with too heavy soil for general purposes of cultivation. 
It is useful in most gardens, and fortunately cheap. 
Potting Amaryllis Bulbs (J. E.). —It is immaterial whether 
the bulbs are potted now or early in February, but if potted now the 
soil must not be more than moderately moist, and after potting water 
should be withheld until they are started into growth, an indication 
that they are becoming active at the roots or fresh ones being emitted. 
The worst possible place for them is the hot-water pipes, as the soil will 
not only become too dry but be subject to varied heat, which is not 
favourable to a free production of roots, on which the future growth in 
a great measure depends. Place them in the dung-heated frame, and 
keep them without water, the bulbs being potted in moderately moist 
soil, until they are advanced for flowering and pushing fresh growth, 
when they can be gradually withdrawn from the hotbed and placed in 
the house. The steam will not hurt the bulbs, only it must not be rank 
or excessive. 
Model Gardens for Exhibition {R. C.). —There is no book on 
this subject. The gardens are usually represented in wooden trays 
2 or 3 inches deep, and from 3 feet to 6 feet square. The size 
should be stated in the prize list, so as to place all exhibitors on an 
equality. Shrubs are usually represented round the sides, and sometimes an 
elaborate miniature summer house or residence placed at the end. Walks 
and beds are formed, and the latter furnished according to taste. Clean 
s rnd and fine sifted gravel are used by some exhibitors, while others aspire 
to a lawn. It would not be fair to give a design—not fair, we mean, 
to other exhibitors ; and, besides, if we drew a plan and told you how 
to finish off the whole affair, and you happened to win the first prize, 
as perhaps you would, at least half the credit would belong to us, 
yet you might not like to “ part ” with half the money ; while if you 
were willing to do so, it would only be honest for the card to say, 
“ First prize, Mr. R- C- (filling in the missing letters) and the 
Editor of the Journal of Horticulture." To this the unfortunate losers 
would object, and, on the whole, we think it better for you to rely on 
your own taste and resources, win the chief prize if you can, have all the 
honour to yourself, and all the emoluments. The beginning of a new 
year is a fitting time for “ little acts of generosity,” and we wish you 
success. 
Dressing for Vines Infested with Mealy Bug (IF. 31 .').— 
Remove the loose bark, and particularly any that has cracks and crevices 
in the angles and at the points of previous year’s pruning, but be careful 
not to peel or scrape into the live wood. Syringe the whole house 
thoroughly with a solution of softsoap, 2 ozs. to the gallon of water, 
and to every four gallons add 1 oz. of soda, and when these are 
thoroughly dissolved add to the four gallons a wineglassful of petroleum, 
which must be kept well mixed by one person stirring briskly with a 
broomhandle, whilst the solution is being applied with a syringe, 
thoroughly wetting the Vines and every part of the house. Allow them 
to become dry, and then repeat the application. After this wash the 
glass with clean water, the woodwork with soap and water, and lime- 
wash the walls. The Vines should then be washed with 4 ozs. softsoap 
1 o a gallon of water, using a brush and being careful to reach every 
.angle and crevice, but care must be taken not to damage the buds. 
The Vines may, when dry, be dressed with petroleum, a wineglassful to 
a gallon of water, and it must be kept mixed whilst being applied with 
a brush. Avoid pigments, and sulphur is no use in the way you propose 
t > use it. Before the buds begin swelling, syringe the house and Vines 
with petroleum, a wineglassful to 4 gallons of water, kept agitated 
whilst being applied, but do not use the softsoap or soda advised when 
winter dressing. Remove the surface soil, and give a top dressing of 
some good lumpy loam, with a twentieth part of steamed bone-meal 
a ided or the like quantity of some approved fertiliser. If there are 
stages they must be cleaned effectually, and if plants obtain they must 
be cleared out, or only such retained as are free of the mealy bug. 
Growing- Apples and Pears, Tomatoes, and Chrysan¬ 
themums under Glass for Market (if. E. C.). —The idea of 
growing dessert varieties of Apples and Pears in pots under glass until 
the fruit is set and then placing them outdoors is good so far as it goes 
in securing a crop, but finishing the crop being dependent on the 
weather in summer and autumn does not assure that size of fruit and 
high colour so essential to secure returns that will prove satisfactory. 
Besides labour will prove costly through the trees being in pots that the 
proceeds cannot be great, if indeed there are any ; indeed, we think you 
are attempting too much, not having taken into account adverseness of 
location and of seasons. Tomatoes would no doubt mend matters con¬ 
siderably, only keeping the fruit trees in the houses until it is safe to 
p’ace them outside would be against that early starting of the Tomatoes 
so essential to a full crop and substantial returns. Chrysanthemums 
would be all right only if the weather could be insured mild and dry or 
breezy up to Christmas and the new year, but ordinarily it is not safe 
to trust Chrysanthemums in an unheated house after October, as, if mild, 
moisture spoils them, and frost very frequently prevails before 
Christmas so severely as to render it not safe for Chrysanthemums. We 
should certainly have sufficient hot-water piping to exclude frost and 
insure the steady progress of the various subjects as the adverse weather 
necessitates, and then with two at least of the crops—viz., Tomatoes and 
Chrysanthemums, you may rely on reasonable returns, a per-centage of 
71 to 10 per cent, on the outlay and capital employed in working, 
judgment being employed in the acquirement of ground and of economy 
with efficiency in the erection of the structures and in the manage¬ 
ment. 
Mistletoe QF. G. B .).—We think the seeds germinate and the 
plants grow in some districts better than in others. Obviously the 
seeds must be good, and if those to which you refer were not ripe that 
would account for your failure. We have established the Mistletoe on 
Apple and Thorn trees, both by rubbing the seeds firmly on the smooth 
bark and inserting them in slight incisions in it, wrapping strips of 
gauze over them and round the stems for protection against birds. It is 
well to insert some under as well as on the upper side of the branches. 
We have found them to “ take to'’ two and three-year-old wood better 
than to much older branches where the bark was very thick. We doubt 
if the seeds that have been in rooms for some weeks grow as well as 
others taken direct from the tree 0 . When the sap commences rising in 
spring is considered the best time for attaching the seed to the stems, 
and a large number should be used in the .hope that a few may germi¬ 
nate, as it is almost certain many will fail. In one locality we had no 
difficulty in establishing Mistletoe on trees, while in another and 
naturally much drier, we entirely failed, and we had more success when 
the seeds were attached to trees in the middle of an orchard or planta¬ 
tion than on isolated specimens. We shall be glad if any of our readers 
who have been successful in Mistletoe propagation will favour with 
details of procedure, and the trees on which plants were established. 
About twenty years ago we remember seeing in Mr. Van Gleert’s nursery 
in Antwerp some miniature standard Mistletoe trees, the heads being a 
foot or more in diameter and covered with fruit; the stems, the common 
Hawthorn, 4 feet high, a few sprays from which were allowed to grow 
amongst the Mistletoe for “ drawing the sap.” We forget whether the 
Mistletoe was established on the stocks by grafting or seed, and if this 
should meet the eye of Mr. Van Geert we shall be delighted if he will 
favour with a few lines of information on the process he adopted. 
Planting- Out Camellias—Fruit Trees (Constant Header ).— 
You cannot do better than plant out your Camellias directly they have 
flowered. If you were to clo so while the flower buds are swelling the 
slightest check would result in the buds falling. If done after flowering 
they will quickly establish themselves if you maintain a close moist 
atmosphere for a time, shade the plants from the sun, and syringe them 
thoroughly. You will have to be guided to some extent in rhe depth of 
the border by the size and depth of the ball when you turn them out of 
the pots or tubs in which they may now be growing. If the plants are 
well rooted to the base it will not be wise to reduce the lower portion of 
the ball, which would seriously check them. We should advise a border 
2 feet 6 inches in depth, one foot of this to be filled with drainage and 
the remaining 18 inches with soil, unless the balls of the plants compel 
you to provide a greater depth of soil. Be careful to provide a drain to 
carry away superfluous water, for the Camellia while in active growth 
requires liberal supplies, but at the same time resents water in a stagnant 
state about its roots. The soil we advise you to use is good fibry loam 
freely intermixed with rough charcoal and half-inch bones. Of the 
latter use about half a bushel to each cartload of loam. If the loam is 
rich do not add manure, but if poor add one-seventh of decayed manure. 
If the loam is light no sand will be needed ; but if heavy add coarse 
sand or any gritty material to it freely. Sandstone or bricks broken 
moderately small answer the purpose very well. If you think it likely 
that any of the plants may need removal to another position as they 
grow we advise you to place some distance round each plant a rough 
single brick wall. By so doing you will know exactly where the roots 
are, and can prevent them rambling through the border. Even in case 
lifting at some future time is not contemplated this is a very good plan, 
because considerably less prepared compost is needed for the plants at 
first. The spaces between the walls could be filled with soil of an 
inferior nature, a portion of which could be removed in after years and 
the brickwork placed further back, and fresh food supplied to the 
plants. You could not do better than plant Irish Peach and Cox’s 
Orange Pippin Apples, with Beurr6 d’Amanlis and Marie Louise Pears. 
Cucumbers In Fields {Rover). —These can only be grown success¬ 
fully in favourable localities, and in well-drained, free, rich, loamy soil. 
