May t9, IW*. ] 
487 
JOUnXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
kept moist, it ought to be possible to take off a considerable number 
of divisions well rooted into the loaf soil by the end of April or in 
May. In any case it is unwise to interfere with comparatively 
young or soft divisions, the more sensible plan being to leave these 
alone till the next spring. Unrooted divisions, or cuttings with a 
small portion of hard stem attached, should be placed singly in the 
centre of thumb pots and kept in a brisk though not too close and 
moist heat till rooted. 
In but few details should the treatment of this class of Primulas 
resemble that wdiich answers well with single flowered seedlings, 
thousands of plants probably being annually ruined owing to 
itUe fact being unrecognised. The doubles, as a rule, require 
more heat all the year round. In common with the ordinary 
■Chinese forms they root most freely in a rather light sandy com- 
'post, formed, say, of two parts good fibrous loam to one either of good 
leaf soil or peat, with a little sand, charred soil, and ashes, or 
•charcoal only added. Comparatively small shifts ought to be 
■^iv-ea, and the drainage should be good. Always pot somewhat 
deeply, taking care, however not to bury the hearts, exposed stems 
being liable to canker. Keep the newly potted plants on a warm 
greenhouse shelf in preference to either a cljse or cold pit or 
fframe, and water them carefully. Any in rather small pots and 
ovell rooted may -well be given a shift, but the bulk of our plants 
;vre potted once a year. During the hottest part of the summer 
they may be set in frames, given plenty of air and lightly shaded, 
but the watering must be done carefully. If kept in these places 
much after August the plants are liable to turn yellow and lose 
their lower leaves, this seriously crippling them. They ought, then, to 
be housed early, and during the winter must have more heat than 
is kept up in the majority of greenhouses. Ours flower the most 
■abundantly and continuously on swing shelves in a large span- 
roofed warm greenhouse, and the back shelves in a low range 
o-f plant ^houses, the temperatures in neither case seldom falling 
Ixjlow 45° in the night time, or exceeding G0° in the daytime. In a 
somewhat lower temperature they form stronger trusses of larger 
tlo'wers, but not fast enough to suit us. They are kept carefully 
.^■applied with water, and given weak liquid manure occasionally. 
Thus treated they are surprisingly floriferous, and we consider 
them almost invaluable. When these Primulas have to be sent 
ivway whole spikes must be cut, but there is no reason why a goodly 
number of the lowest flowers should not be taken off for home 
use. The latter can be bunched and given a stem, in which 
ifitate they are suitable for mixing in wreaths or bouquets, or they 
can be used for buttonhole bouquets. When sent to the shops or 
market the spikes should be made up into bunches of thirteen and 
packed flatly and closely together. As a rule Gd. per bunch is the 
outside price, more often than not 4f. being the average. Even 
af; this price they pay fairly well, as the more flowers are cut from 
them the more the plants improve in vigour and floriferousness.— 
M. H. 
THE TULIP DISEASE. 
There can scarcely be a doubt that the beautiful florists’ 
Tulips, which appear, generally speaking, to have gone out of 
fashion during past years, will steadily come into favour again. 
Some, indeed several, northern florists have continued their culture 
■with unabated interest, but very few beds of the best named 
varieties have been seen of late in the south of England. Mr. Alfred 
Ghater appears to grow them at Cambridge, and Dr. Hogg had 
obtained bulbs from many sources, and intended having a bed this 
>’ear worthy of the old days, but has been woefully disappointed. 
Kis search for varieties at home and abroad brought out the fact 
that the demand for bulbs of sterling sorts was increasing. He, 
however, succeeded in procuring a goodly number, including many 
of recognised merit. 
His chief bed consisted of sixty-five rows of seven bulbs, but 
as he had only one or two bulbs of many, if not most, varieties, it 
will be seen his collection is tolerably extensive. Thoroughly' 
understanding the properties of the flowers, and being exacting in 
Iciving them correct, he weeded out rigidly last season, fully antici¬ 
pating a floral treat as the result of his endeavour. The bulbs 
were planted at the right time and in the right manner, but he has 
not had two dozen good blooms. When the growth appeared 
above ground the Doctor ■was obliged to remain in the north of 
England for some weeks. The weather in Sussex was cold, wet, 
hail, rain, and sleet alternating. He was told the plants were 
not looking well, and had them covered. This was done, but on 
his return he found all the leaves attacked with disease. It was 
hoped they would improve with the w'eather, but instead of that 
the specks increased in size and numbers, and a general 
■cellapse followed, leaves and stems withering away, being 
«aten up, so to say, with the devouring fungus, vibrios, or both 
that took possession of them. Scores of plants produced no 
blooms, and scores of others only the poorest apologies for them. 
As I am one of those individuals who regard the clean, well 
formed, chastely marked, and brilliantly coloured florists’ Tulips 
as amongst the grandest of floral creations, I had been hoping to 
share with Dr. Hogg the pleasure of a grand display. This was 
out of the question, but I still went dowm to Sussex to view tho 
wreck, for wreck it was, under the canopy of canviis. 
What caused the attack that proved so virulent and destructive ? 
Although the disease appears similar to that which occurs in some 
places in Holland, I am not quite satisfied that it was imported from 
there. I am told on very good authority that bulbs taken from 
infested beds, and planted in other and suitable soils and positions, 
produce clean leaves, and though the plants are weakened by the 
.attack of the previous year they are healthy ; but if the bulbs of 
clean and healthy plants are planted from where the diseased were 
taken the former become diseased in turn. This suggests that tho 
soil either contains the disease germs or is lacking in something 
which is essential to healthy growth. The plants in one part of 
Dr. Hogg’s bed were affected last year, some rather severely, but as 
it was the lowest part it was thought excessive moisture was the 
origin of the evil, yet after raising the level of the bed and cutting 
a drain to divert the water from it the result this year was as 
stated. 
The soil staple is a whitish marly loam, heavy, retentive of 
moisture, and limeless. When saturated it is like putty, but when 
dry it is like flour. It is a cold soil, and spring crops are not early, 
but the summer growth of almost everything is very luxuriant. 
Tulips have to grow during the cold term, and if at a critical time 
a week or two of miserably w'et and cold weather prevails, the 
growth must be arrested, stagnation of the sap occurs, and the 
enemy then may possibly take possession. It is questionable if 
fungi are the cause of so many diseases in plants as are popularly 
supposed, but the real origin of those affections may be crude, 
impure sap, peculiarly favourable to parasitic growth. It is in the 
direction indicated—cold wet soil and its consequences, to which I 
am inclined to largely attribute the failure of the Doctor’s cherished 
Tulips. On higher ground he is making a new garden. The soil 
is freer, less retentive, darker, hence warmer. It will be an earlier 
spring, but not a better summer garden than the one above alluded 
to, and will be better for Tulips. This is not mere conjecture, for 
some surplus bulbs put in it in the autumn have made decidedly 
better growth, and have cleaner, healthier leaves and finer blooms, 
without any shelter, than where such care has been bestowed in the 
principal bed. In this new garden—the third on the estate—the 
Tulips will bo grow.n another year, and if lime is added, and the 
surface of the lightish coloured soil can be covered with dark leaf 
mould, or even sweet ashes—-from wood preferably—for absorbing 
heat, the plants will be benefited, and protection must be given socn 
enough for preventing stagnation of the sap early in the season. 
Mr. Horner’s plan is the best—glass protection—and if Hyacinths 
and decorative Tulips are worthy of this in the form of green¬ 
houses, surely the far more valuable and more beautiful florists’ 
varieties are worthy of it too. 
“ What a cheek the man has,” I fancy I hear someone mutter¬ 
ing, “ he is actually telling Dr. Hogg how to grow Tulips in his 
own ground and through his own paper.” That is not so. The 
Doctor knows tar more about Tulips than I do and most other 
things besides, except gardening among London cats and London 
prigs ; but if I can derive lessons from his calamity that may 
possibly be of service to others, either directly or by eliciting in¬ 
formation, he will gladly permit his Tulip failure to be made the 
te.xt of this little discourse.—J. W. 
TREATMENT OF SOILS, MANURES, AND CROPS. 
Celery and Turnits. 
I HAD intended giving my experience upon the treatment of 
Celery much sooner, but circumstances prevented my doing so. 
Sowing of the seed is obviously important, and the time the Celery 
is required must be a guide to the time of sowing. Different 
treatment is required if the Celery is wanted for the partridge 
shooting season or for exhibition purposes. It is, however, too 
late to go into details on raising plants, for they will soon be ready 
for the trenches—indeed, some are in them. A weak solution 
of liquid manure given during the time they are in their last 
quarters previous to planting out is beneficial. Celery may be 
planted upon any of the plots left vacant by Cole worts. Cauli¬ 
flowers, Onions, Peas, or Broccoli, or any of the winter greens : 
but should not follow Parsley, Carrots, or Parsnips. The width of 
the trenches must be left to the grower ; they can be made from 
4 to G feet apart, cutting them out with a clean and sharp spade 
9 inches to a foot deep, and then have a good dressing of manure. 
I prefer good horse droppings, such as is used for Mushroom beds 
