630 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
C April 17, 1890. 
*3® 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. 
Back Numbers {J. E. F .').—We know of no more likely way of 
your obtaining a purchaser than by advertising, or making your desire 
known at gardeners’ meetings if there are any in your district. 
Fliis (^F. Ca7itaV ).—The White Marseilles is the earliest you name. 
There is no material difference in the time of ripening of the others. 
For market purposes we should rely mainly on the Brown Turkey. 
Primroses and Polyanthuses {E. 11 The flowers you 
have sent are highly attractive, and may be described as good border 
varieties well grown, a credit to the seedsman and cultivator. 
Horticultural Shows (FI Callender ).—No complete lists of flower 
and fruit show's to be held in Great Britain are published for sale. 
Most of the leading shows are advertised periodically, and lists of 
special shows are published occasionally in this Journal. You would 
perhaps see the dates of Bose shows on page 298 last week. 
Cropping Vines (^Anxioun ).—You may as well ask us what weight 
a horse will draw up a hill without indicating the age or condition of 
the animal, or the character of the incline, as expect us to answer your 
question satisfactorily. If you will state the age of the Vines, the 
strength of the laterals, the size and texture of the leaves when 
developed, and the length of the rafters we shall have data whereon to 
base a reply. 
Agatbaea coelestls (<7. IF., Wales ).—The above is the name of 
the blue flower you have sent, and is fancifully known as the Blue 
Marguerite. It grows and flowers freely in loamy soil in a very light 
position in a greenhouse, also when planted out in good soil in an open 
position in the garden at the same time that Heliotropes and other 
tender plants are “ bedded out.” Cuttings of the young shoots strike 
readily in moist sandy soil in a close heated frame, or under a bell glass 
in a warm greenhouse. 
Glonera JasminlSora Qldem). —This plant, which is also known 
as Psychotria jasminiflora, is a member of the large family Kubiacere, 
and is a native of Brazil. It requires to be grown in an open soil of 
peat and loam and needs a stove temperature. It will, however, suc¬ 
ceed in any moderately warm house during the summer months. 
Pegging Sown Boses (Inquirer). —If the plants have been 
established for at least a year where they are growing the long shoots 
may be “ pinned down,” as you propose, and the weaker cut back if you 
desire the greatest number of flowers for decorative purposes, and not a 
limited number of exhibition blooms ; but if the Hoses have only been 
recently planted, or last autumn, it would be very inadvisable to retain 
the long shoots, and it would be better to cut them back somewhat 
severely, the young growths notwithstanding. 
House Sewage for Strawberries (F. J .).—The liquid which you 
describe as principally kitchen slops, including we presume soapsuds, 
may be applied without dilution to Strawberries that need assistance, 
though it might make strong young plants in rich soil grow too luxu¬ 
riantly, producing a flner crop of foliage than fruit. It may also be 
given to fruit trees that do not make sufficient growth and the soil is 
well drained naturally or artificially. 
Superphosphate of Iilme for Fruit Trees (Idem). —You ask 
“ if a good superphosphate is as good a manure as can be used, or if we 
know of a better mixture for a fruit garden 2” We have often published 
what we consider better mixtures for the purpose, but if your land con¬ 
tains a suflSciency of potash the superphosphate may answer your pur¬ 
pose, as it will supply lime with phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and 
these are what fruit trees and most crops require, but most of them 
require potash also, and some must have it or they will not thrive. It 
can be applied in the form of kainit, which is the cheapest form, or 
saltpetre, which is the dearest, but the most active, as it also contains 
nitrogen. 
Seedling Briars (A. IF.).—Where the buds have “ taken ” the 
Briar stems may be shortened, say to a foot, and all the buds picked out 
of them ; the Rose growths can then be secured to the stems, otherwise 
they might be broken by the wind. You can cut the stems down to the 
buds if you prefer to insert sticks for supporting the growths. We have 
often inserted dormant buds at this season of the year, and they have 
grown satisfactorily ; if they fail others of this year’s growth are 
inserted as soon as ready. 
Tomatoes Diseased (77. E.). — Wednesday morning’s letters 
cannot be fully answered in the current issue. You do not say whether 
the fruit or leaves are attacked. Keep the house drier and freely 
ventilated, and apply sulphur, sulphide of potassium, Fowler’s or 
Ewing’s mildew composition, as may be most readily obtainable. 
Your other question cannot be answered this week. 
illy of the Valley Falling (7)«fc7(2)/).—Failures similar to yours 
are not uncommon when Dutch crowns have been relied on for early 
forcing. The variety is evidently not suitable for the purpose. We do 
not suggest there are no varieties grown in Holland that will not force, 
bnt it is well known that, as a rule, Dutch are inferior to Berlin crowns, 
also to many grown in England, for the production of early flowers 
with the aid of brisk artificial heat. The samples you have sent are pro¬ 
bably the result of weak immature crowns, for strong and good 
examples usually flower very well at this season of the year. 
Scale on Peaches—Cutting down Clematis (Inquirer). —The 
trees and house ought to have been much more thoroughly cleansed 
with something in addition to the solution of softsoap. Methyla.ted 
spirit wi 1 destroy scale, bat we must leave the best method of applica¬ 
tion for you to determine after applying a little to infested parts and 
noting its effect. The Clematis will grow freely if cut down after 
flowering, but there is no certainty that the growths will produce flowers 
next year. They must be thinly trained in order that they may ripen 
under the full influence of sun. 
Nitrate of Soda for Apple Trees — Prunuses for Pots 
(.7. il7.).—Nitrate of soda alone is a very incomplete manure for Apple 
trees. It is certainly a growth stimulant, and we can quite conceive of 
its doing more harm than good to some trees. If you wish to try it in 
solution half an ounce to each gallon of water will suffice. We cannot 
tell you how often to apply it, nor can anyone usefully without know¬ 
ing the condition of the trees. We have several to which we should 
not apply any if we had the salts as a gift. Two of the best Prunuses 
for flowering in pots are P. sinensis flore-pleno (double) and P. Pissardi 
This was illustrated in the Journal of Horticulture a fortnight ago. 
Fine Double-spathed Blchardla (A. AlacKenzie). —We have 
had many specimens of the same character as yours, and some very fine, 
but we think yours is the premier. The largest spathe is 1 foot long and 
GJ- inches wide, the other 0 inches long, both measured from the base of 
the spadix. The length of the largest leaf measured from the tip to the 
point of the lobe is 19 inches ; width below the leafstalk 10 inches ; 
colour, deep green ; texture, very stout, and the whole character of the 
specimen is indicative of superior cultivation. Perhaps you may not 
object to describe your method of growing Arums so well for the benefit 
of readers who desire to excel in their culture. 
Cockroaches (J. IF. IF.).—They are the largest of our native 
cockroaches, the Blatta germanica. Professor Westwood, however, has 
great doubts whether this is truly indigenous. It is very abundant in 
Germany, and occurs also at the Antipodes. It is not a very common 
species, seldom occurring in houses, but being found in fields amongst 
heaps of rubbish, dead leaves, &c., sometimes in hollow trees. We have 
never heard or read of an instance of its having done any mischief to 
cultivated plants ; still, if introduced to a garden it might soon increase 
and become troublesome, if circumstances were in its favour. For, as 
was pointed out some years ago in this Journal, the familiar B. orientahs 
sometimes quits the kitchen and makes excursions to gardens and 
frames where, owing to its nocturnal habits, it may do mischief fre¬ 
quently and escape detection. 
Tuberoses — Alocasla (J. G.). —You may treat Tuberoses now 
practically the same as you would Hyacinths in the autumn, potting 
the bulbs and burying the pots in cocoanut fibre refuse till roots form 
and growth commences. They start the sooner with gentle bottom 
heat, and the plants grow ailmirably with the pots plunged in a warm 
damp medium, such as leaves, mainly, in frames in summer. If the 
pots are not plunged chey should be stood on a moist base, not on a dry 
open lattice stage over hot-water pipes, or the leaves will become 
infested by red spider. For free growth they require a temperature 
from 60° to 80°, or more, with adequate moisture, full light, and a free 
circulation of air. Perhaps you had better wash all the soil from your 
Alocasia and pot in a fluffy mixture of fibrous peat sphagnum and 
plenty of crushed charcoal, plunging the pot in a hotbed in a frame or 
pit with a moist atmosphere, shading the plant fiom the sun. Ileaders 
have no occasion to apologise for seeking information ; we exist to impart 
all we can. 
Salad Plants (77. 77. IF).—We have received the Freneh seed 
packets and samples of seed. “ Cerfeuil commun ” is the common or 
plain-leaved Chervil, Anthriscus cerifolium. For ensuring a supply 
throughout the season seed may be sown on the south side of a wall in 
August, and the plants will stand the winter for spring use. Sow again 
now, both in an open sunny position and a cool shady place. A few 
leaves are used in salads and for culinary purposes when their flavour 
is desired. There is a cur'ed leaved, also a turnip-rooted variety, the 
roots of the latter being used in a cooked state. ” Bourpier a salade ” 
is the common Purslane, Portulaca oleracea. It is an annual, and 
seeds are sown at intervals from April to August. For early spring use 
in salads plants are raised under glass. The soft stems and leaves are 
largely used in a cooked state in Holland. “ Pimpernelle petite ” is the 
common Burnet, Poterium sanguisorba. It is a hardy perennial, raised 
from seeds sown in the open ground now or in August. The plants are 
cut frequently for affording a supply of fresh green leaves for salads, to 
