20 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 2, 1890. 
H. & F. Sharpe, Wisbech, Cambriti^eshire.— Wholesale Cata'ogue 
Garden and Agricultural Seeds, 1889-00. 
Chr. Lorenz, Erfurt, Germany.— Illustrated Catalogue for 1800. 
Dickson & Robinson, 12, Old Millgate, Manchester.— Seed Cata¬ 
logue, 1890. 
Dobbie & Co., Rothesay, Scotland. — Catalogue and Comjfetitors' 
Guide, 1890. 
Stuart (fc Mein, Kelso, Scotland.— Amateurs' Gardening Guide, 1890. 
J. R. Pearson. & Son, 2, Exchange Row, Nottingham.— S 2 >rhig Seed 
List of 1890. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley, Sussex.— Catalogue of 
Vegetahle and Floicer Seeds. 
H. Cannell <fc Sons, Swanley, Kent. —Complete Catalogue of Perfect 
Seeds. ’ 
C. Sahut, Montpellier.— Lut of Fruit Trees and, Shrubs. 
Charles Sharpe & Co., Sleaford, Lincolnshire. —CatoZoyiw of Garden 
<i,nd Farm Seeds, 1890. 
Brown & Wilson, 10, Market Place, Manchester.— Illustrated 
Descriptive Seed List. 
W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross.— Catalogue of Seeds and Garden 
Sundries. 
J. C. Wheeler & Son, Gloucester.— Select Seed List for 1890. 
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. 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. 
Rosa laxa (7J. D. and others ').—We are not able to say whether 
the stocks referred to are grown for sale or not. If they are, and it is 
desired to distribute them, they will perhaps be advertised. 
Double-spathed Blcbardla (d/. C., Brighton). — The specimen 
you send is not novel to us. We have seen many similar, but do not 
remember a better example. These double-spathed specimens indicate 
that the plants are strong and have been well cultivated. 
Vine Wood (.7. (?.).—The wood is not so well ripened as it should 
be, nor the buds so round, bold, and firm as we like to see them, though 
we have seen less satisfactory wood pro luce fairly good Grapes. Efforts 
should be made to secure better ripened wood another year. 
Show Gooseberries and Currants (JIeader).~lt you read the 
paragraph on page 648 again you will find the varieties named that 
were the most frequently exhibited, and that is one of the best tests of 
their suitability for the purpose in question. Lee’s Prolific and Black 
Champion are two good Black Currants for your purpose ; and the true 
Raby Castle, often sold as Victoria, a good red variety, but the Red 
Cherry has larger berries, but shorter bunches. Wilmot’s Large White 
Currant is one of the largest, but the White Dutch well grown is good 
for exhibition. 
Preparing' Tobacco Paper {F. S .).—Provided you can make 
sure that the ordinary tobacco juice sold in jars is free from any dele¬ 
terious substance, there is no objection to your soaking brown paper 
therewith, and, when dried sufficiently, employing it for fumigating 
purposes. It is much the safest plan before using the paper for general 
purposes to try it on a small scale on plants with foliage liable to 
be damaged by fumigation, and if found satisfactory it can be used 
extensively. 
Peach Buds Falling (^Z ro ).—The cause of the buds falling, as indi¬ 
cated by the wood, is imperfect development of the organs of fructifica¬ 
tion. This arises mainly from a too free and extensive rooting area, the 
soil being too loose, and the roots consequently do not form fibres, the 
w’ood is not short-jointed or thoroughly solidified. We advise lifting the 
tree carefully a little in advance of the leaves falling, making the soil 
firmer, adding clay marl if procurable to the extent of a fourth finely 
divided, mixing it well with the soil, and if this cannot be effected add 
about a sixth of old mortar rubbish, firming the soil thoroughly under 
and over the roots. Judiciously practised lifting is a certain cure for 
ordinary Peach buds falling, but they may fall from defects of treat¬ 
ment, which we do not think have occurred in your case. 
Tobacco-leaved Cherry (G. P.). —There is nothing for which 
this Cherry is remarkable, except its large leaves and high sounding 
name ; however it came to be called “ Four-to-the-Pound ” would 
puzzle anyone to imagine, but such is the name by which it was at one 
time known, and under which it was found in all nurserymen’s cata¬ 
logues. It is a very old Cherry, and is evidently of English origin, being 
mentioned by Parkinson as early as 1G29, under the modest designation 
of “Ounce C'herrie.” He says, “The Ounce Cherrie hath the greatest 
and broadest leafe of any other Cherrie, but beareth the smallest store 
of Cherries everie yeare that any doth, and yet blossometh well ; the 
fruit also is nothing answerable to the name, being not great, of a pale 
yellowish red, neere the colour of amber, and therefore some have 
called it the Amber Cherrie.” There is no doubt it is this variety also 
which is described by Meager under the name of Ciliegeberrylin,” which 
he says is “ as big as an indifferent Apple.” The Germans ascribe its 
introduction on the Continent to the Earl of Murray, who had a seat at 
Menin, in Flanders, whence it was taken into Germany by M. Seebach, 
colonel of an Austrian regiment of cavalry, and who received it from 
Lord Murray’s gardener under the name of Quatre a la Livre. The 
leaves are a foot and sometimes 18 inches long.” 
Preserving- tbe Colouts of Beaves (G. R.). —The plan here de¬ 
scribed is recommended by a lady who has b:en suecessful in preserving 
autumn leaves :—As soon as possible after gathering them the leaves 
must be pressed. If they begin to welt or shrivel before you are ready 
to press them, put them in water and keep them there until they revive. 
See that no soil, no foreign substance of any kind, is on either side, and 
then with a warm, not hot, flat iron press and iron each leaf on its upper 
surface till it is perfectly dry, spreading it for this purpose on several 
layers of paper, or on an ordinary ironing-board, just as if it were 
cotton cloth. This over, oil each leaf on the same side on which it was 
ironed with linseed, olive, or lard oil, using a small camel-hair brush or 
a bit of cotton batting tied to a stick, and then place them on dishes in 
the sunshine to dry. When dry reject all those that have a semi-trans¬ 
parent or oily appearance ; to prevent this get the thickest leaves you 
can for your collection, and do not oil them too generously nor with a 
rough brush. It is a mistaken notion that autumn leaves need varnish¬ 
ing. Varnish makes them brittle and more liable to crack, while the 
excessive lustre th.i,t it imparts is unnatural. Oiling gives sufficient 
polish, deepens, clears, and preserves the colours, and keeps the tissues 
somewhat elastic. When the leaves get dusty wipe them with a damp 
cloth ; if they curl damp them, and place the branch for a few hours 
between papers under a pile of heavy books. 
Progagatlng Indlarubber Plants Gl. G.). — The following 
methods, successfully practised by an old grower, will answer with you if 
carefully carried out :—The present time is suitable for propagating this 
plant, either by shoots taken off with a heel or by eyes. When it is 
propagated by eyes they should be taken with a leaf attached to each, 
and be placed in silver sand to keep them from bleeding. Insert them 
in small pots well drained, in a mixture of peat and cocoa-nut fibre, and 
plunge in a strong bottom heat of 90°, with a little sand under each 
cutting. If they are not placed in a strong bottom heat the eyes will 
not break. When the eyes have rooted and commenced growing they 
should be repotted into 48-9ized pots, in equal parts of turfy loam and 
peat, with sufficient sand to keep the soil open. The plants should be 
placed in a temperature of about 70°, and be syringed frequently ; 
occasionally sponging the foliage is also highly beneficial. The plants 
should never be allowed to become potbound until they have grown to 
the allotted size, when they will be greatly benefited by liberal supplies 
of liquid manure. During their growing season they should never be 
allowed to become dry at the roots, as dryness causes the leaves to turn 
yellow and spoils the beauty of the plants. Shoots taken off with a 
heel wilt make plants much quicker than raising them from eyes ; and 
it is the safest plan, for if strong bottom heat is not afforded, the eyes, 
as before mentioned, will not break into growth. When only a few 
plants of rapid growth are required we advise that they be raised from 
cuttings, but when a great number of small plants are required, which 
is not unfrequently the case now Indiarubber Plants are fashionable, 
the mode of raising them from eyes must be resorted to. Plants are now 
in great demand, and are being rapidly increased by the above modes in 
most nurseries, and they have a large sale in Covent Garden Market. 
Culture of the Cranberry (IF. IF.).—This agreeable fruit may be 
easily cultivated. It grows naturally in low boggy places, or on wet 
moors amongst the bog moss. This moss, rising gradually up above the 
level of the water, forms, as the lower parts decay, a bed in which the 
Cranberry flourishes and bears fruit abundantly. To cultivate it near 
home we must imitate the situation in which it grows wild. To accom¬ 
plish this fix upon a situation near to a supply of water, then dig out 
the common soil 4 inches, and fill up the place with bog earth ; raise 
up this peat 6 inches above the level ; then form a trench round the 
bed a foot or 16 inches wide, puddling it at the side next the common 
soil and at the bottom with clay. Keep this trench full of water. 
Plant the Cranberry plants in the raised bed a foot apart every way ; 
t’aey will soon run over the whole surface and bear plenty of fruit. The 
water should be frequently changed or it will become foul. Should 
there be a small lake, or even a large one, near at hand, an excellent 
Cranberry bed might be made near to the side. All that would be 
required would be to form a low flat island with a peat earth surface, 
the Cranberry plant put in it at the proper distance, and kept clear 
from weeds. This might be named with propriety, “ The Cranberry 
Island.” A small extent would produce a large supply of fruit. If 
