122 
[ February 10, 1887. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE 
TO CONTRIBUTORS.—Our friends who favour with communications 
on controversial subjects will oblige by Bonding tholr articles as 
soon aftor thoy rocoivo tlxo Journal as possible. Our space is prac¬ 
tically flllod on Monday, and only articles that aro “ oxpoctod,” and 
which arrive on Tuosday, can, as a rulo, bo inserted in tho current 
issue. 
Books (G. IF. Q .).—Wc doubt if the o is any book published such as you 
appear to require, and a work so comprehensive and yot so full as your letter 
suggests could not be produced at what yon might consider a ‘ moderate” 
price. Sound details for the culture of all the most important crops of fruit 
and vegetables, also ohiof fl >wers and plants, are given in tho “ Cottage 
Qardenor’s Dictionary,” which can be had from this office, price 7s. Gd., post 
free 8s. 8d. (D E. ti.). —Copies of tho Becond edition of Mr. Molyneux’s 
work oan now bo had. Mr. Iggulden’s manual on tho “Tomato” is not 
out of print, but on sale at this office. 
Copyright in Engravings (E. if.). — The statutes 8 Geo. II. c. 18, and 
7 Geo. III. o.DH, vest the sole right and liberty of printing historical and 
other prints in the persons who invent and design them, or cause them to 
bo designed and engraved from their own works and inventions ; and 
impose penalties upon all persons who In any manner copy or sell in tho 
whole or in part from such prints or designs, without the written consent 
of tho proprietor attested as therein mentioned. Tho copying of prints and 
engravings by photography, or by any other process, is an offence within 
the statute ; and so also is tho selling of a copy with oolouvable variations. 
Tho author of any original painting, drawing, or photograph has sole and 
oxclusive right of copying, ongraving, reproducing, and multiplying such 
drawing and the designs and negative thereof, by any means and of any size, 
for tho to,m of tho natural life of such author, and seven yoars aftor his 
death. But on tho author selling any such drawing, ho is not to retain the 
copyright unless expressly reserved to him by agreement in writing (25 and 
2G Viet. c. G8). 
Fancy Pelargoniums (A Weekly Subscriber). —Mr. Garner’s notes on 
page 95, last week, which had not appeared when you sent your inquiry, 
will bo of servioe to you. The varieties there named are not, however, true 
“fancies,” but fanciful or decorative forms of the stronger growing show 
section. Rather lighter soil is better for tho small or real Fancy Pelar¬ 
goniums, especially in their early stages of growth. Further notes on 
culture will probably appear in an ourly issuo. 
Lato Grapes (.1 Constant Subscriber ).—It would havo been better if you 
had stated your object more definitely. Gros Coltnan, Lady Downs's, and 
Mrs. Pince will keep more than a mouth after Christmas. So will Black 
Alicanto, which if crop and colour are esteemed of more importance than 
quality, would bo preferred by many to Mrs. Pince. Muscat of Alexandria 
is often kept fresh till tin presont time, so is Mrs. Pearson and White Tokay. 
Not knowing your conveniences for growing Grapes, nor whether for homo 
use or market, wo name a few caoli of black and white varieties from which 
you oan ohoose. 
Disa Rrancliflora (G. S.). —A great point in tho culture of this handsome 
terrestrial Orchid is to keep the plants steadily growing through the winter. 
The most successful cultivators, therefore, divide and repot when the plants 
aro pushing up freBli growths after llowcring as in early autumn. As you 
have not done so you had better carry out your proposition, but it would 
probably be hotter to plaoe three tubers in a G-iuch than one each in smaller 
ots, aB the larger mass could be kept more uniformly moist. Nearly half 
11 tho pots with drainage, and in very fibrous poat with nil loose soil par¬ 
ticles sliak n out, brokou charcoal, and sand, l’aok this carefully round the 
roots, and finish hr rounding the material off a liftlo above the rims of tho 
pots, giving a stnlaoing of pure sand. This Disa is a swamp plant., and 
must also have plenty of air, avoiding sharp currents, and though regular 
moisture is essential, tho roots will not work freely in a sour medium, henoo 
tho desirability of liberal drainage. Light without diroot sun in summer is 
also essential, and tho pots should stand on a damp base, and be frequently 
syringod in dry weather. They suooced in greenhouse temperature. 
Rliododondrons (II. It. IF.).—These shrubs grow very woll in strong 
loamy soil if it does not contain lime. We have soen them luxuriate in tho 
heaviest of loam, approaching clay, but in planting in such land it is most 
dcsirablo to colloot some lighter soil, including leaf mould, for plaoing in 
contaot with tho roots. They do not grow well where the subsoil is dry ; 
neither must it be saturated and sour. If this is the condition of yours by 
the sido of tho pool it must be drained to tho depth of 3 feet. We should 
not paro off the turf, but have it woll dug in, chopping it up and keeping it 
from G to 18 inches below tho surface. Leaf mould, docayod vegetable 
refuse, old tan, or sawdust would be better than rich manure for such land, 
and you cannot very well apply too much of those ingrodien s. Wo know 
of Rhododendrons growing in the most satisfactory manntr in a mixture of 
half clav and half sawdust. A few hardy Azaleas look very well amongst 
Rhododendrons, but the association is purely a question of taste. Tho 
ground should be kept free from weods by hoeing poriodicilly to prevent 
their gr >wng, that!) iug much better than waiting till thoy become obtru- 
sivo, then having to spend rauoh time in subduing them j and it is injurious 
to both Rhododendrons and Azatoas to dig do' ply amongst them. 
Monly Bug on Vinos (Homo). —If, as we unders'and from your remark 
of cutting the crop “ ripo and unripe,” you cut baok the laterals in a green 
state, or when the sap was still active, that alone would weakon tho Vinos, and 
the strong insecticides applied at tho same time could scarcely fail to injure 
them, though the dressings would have done no harm ti rods in a dormant 
state, or afeer the Vines had been pruned oarly in winter. There has been 
a great lack of observation in allowing tho Vines to be so seriously infested 
before the adoption of remedial measures. We do not nooept tho “ sudden 
arrival tho >ry ” of tho plague of iusects. Thero were somo in the 
house long before you saw them ; nor do we even remember hearing of tho 
adoption of such a policy of recklessness as your letter discloses. The Vines 
are probably ruined, first by negleot, then by violeut aotion. Had tho 
winter cleansing been as thorough as you represent, and the rods dressed 
with a mixture of tar and pounded clay, the Vines would not bo so infested 
os they now are. You oaunot apply strong insooticides after tho Vines 
AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
start into growth, and all you can do is to have recourse to frequent and 
heavy syringings to subdue tho pest as well as you can. Mere light 
syringings will be of no use, but thorough drenchings will do good just in 
proportion to the manner in which the work is done. We are sorry you did 
not write to us before on this subject. 
Doprossing Vino Rods (E. J.). —It is not “ always” necessary to depress 
Vino rods to secure an oven break. We have Vines, not forced, that have 
not been “ depressed ” for twenty years, and the rods in the great vinery at 
Chiswick remain trained up the roof constantly. When Vines are forced 
into growth early they generally break more regularly when trained hori¬ 
zontally for a time. The sap has a natural tendency to move directly 
upwards, hence the disposition of the buds near the top of a Vine to start 
first, and this is further induced by the house in which they are trained being 
warmer at the top than at the base of tho rafters in the absence of special 
oare in ventilation. The branches of trees on walls are more or less depressed 
oxcepi in the case of vertical cordons, and these, ns a rule, are not so 
well furnished with healthy spurs at the bnso as nearer the top, the growth 
of diagonal cordons being more uniform from base to summit because of the 
d presston. The buds at the base of your Raspberry canes that are trained 
upright to stakes do not push so quickly, grow so strongly, nor bear suoh 
fine fruit ns those near the top of the canes ; and similarly, if your Roses 
male ■ strong shoots, 4 I ot or more long in the summer, and these are neither 
depressed nor shortened, many of the lower buds will remain dormant; but 
if you peg the long Gmots down the bursting of the buds will bo far more 
uniform. If your Viues break regularly without bending down the rods 
let them alone ; but if they start at tho top first the lower buds remaining 
dormant, you will find the advantage of depression. 
Tho Gardonors’ Royal Benevolent Institution (IF. S .).—Your letter 
we have read with pleisuro, but not quite pleasure unalloyed. It is the 
letter of a thoughtful, prudont gardener, who by frugality has boon enabled 
to bring up and fairly educate a large family, and also savo a “ few pounds,’ 
but notneuily sufficient to provide the plain necessaries of life in the event 
of inability to labiur for a f iw years in the evontidr of life. Tuere aro 
numbors of men similarly circumstanoei. Though they h ave striven to the 
utmoR, their small means, and tho great domands on them, have prevented 
anything like a satisfactory accumulation of savings to p'ao > them in a 
position to regard the future cheerfully. It is for such men that the excel¬ 
lent institution referred to was established, and many aged gardeners 
and tho widows of gardeners aro now sharing in the substantial benefits 
it has dispensed. These benefits would bo greater, or shared in by 
a groater number of necessitous persons, if gardeners generally who 
could save “a few pounds” subscribed a guinea a year to its funds, 
or paid ten guineas as a life donation. You are one of those who 
have failed to adopt either method, and now ask if, by a payment 
of ten guineas, a “ guarantee” could bogivenyouby Mr, Cutler that you 
or your wifo might “ roly ” on b ling placed on th • pen ion list, if in want. 
Obviously no offioial of the Society could give any such guarantee, no indi¬ 
vidual having the power to do so. The Committee alonetiecide on the merits 
of the cates that ate p’ao.’d ba’ore them. App icants who have subscribed 
to the funds have, and wo tliiuk rightly so. favourable considorat on ; this, 
too, appoars to be your vow, as you sty, “Unless I did som'thing for the 
Institution I could not, expect to receive from it.” The caso, therefore, re¬ 
solves itself to this—If you do not subscribe th re is very remoto chance 
indeed of your obtainir g a pension, in fact, no chance against an applicant 
equally needy who has, as you say, “don; something” for himstlf. Wo 
can only say that tho payment of the sum named would entitle i ou or 
your wife to the benefits at disposal, in the absence of more pressing 
claims from other subscribing candidates ; but we can give you no assuranoe 
of obtaining a pension whenever you may apply for one : and the more 
subscribers thero are to the funds tho greater the power and the pleasure of 
tho Committee in increasing the number of pensioners. 
Names of Fruits.—The names and addressos of senders of fruit to be n trued 
must in all cases be enclosed with the specimens, whether letters referring 
to the fruit are sent bv post or not. The names are not necessarily required 
for publication, initials sufficing for that. Only six specimens can be 
named at onoe, and surplus fruits beyond that number cannot be preserved. 
( Philomolos). —1, Veru!am,an excellent stowing Fear. 2, Knight’s Monarch. 
Tho Worcester Pearmain Apples are remarkably fine, and wo agree with 
you that this variety is something more than a cooking Apple. These of 
yours are the tint at we have seen, and are quite tie for the dessert. Grown 
to that condition they would be a formidable rival to the Americans. We 
should be glad to have remarks on your experience of grafting Pears ou the 
Hawthorn. 
Numos of Plants.—Wo only umlertako to name species of plants, not 
varieties that have originated from soed and tormod florists’ flowers. 
Flowering specimens are necessary of flowering plants, and Fern fronds 
should boar spores. Specimens should arrive in a fresh state in firm 
boxes. Slightly damp mays or soft green leaves form the best packing, dry 
co'ton wool tho worst. Not moro than six specimens can be named at once. 
(Constant Rader). —1, Habrothumnua fasoicularis. 2, Eupatoriumriparium. 
(J. E. If.).—Coelogync ocellata. (F. H. A.). —Alonsoa Warsoewiozii. 
Boos Dying (IF. S .).—A btock such as you describe is not fit for winter¬ 
ing. With three frames of sealed honey at the end of October, and only four 
frames in tho hive, it was surely not necessary to feed. In suoh a stock 
thore could have been but few beos, and although theso small stocks do 
occasionally come safely through the winter, they are never so profitable as 
those which have been properly prepared in due season. You say that “ up 
till last Wednosdly they appeared safe, for a quantity of them appeared 
abovo tho carpet covering, the bottle being half full of syrup;” but you 
surely do not, mean to say that there was an opon space at the top of the 
hive through which the bees could pass ? If th' re was suoh a space the oause 
of death is sufficiently clear. To so small a stock a night’s exposure in 
“ rough wet ” weather, owing to the roof of the hive being blown off, would 
also most certainly prove fatal unless great care was at once bestowed upon 
hives and bees, and even th' n they would quite prob ibly sucoumb. How 
many' dead bees thero were when you first discovered that tho stock was 
