120 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 20. 
shade your house ? Of course: it is not only desirable, but absolutely 
necessary, if you wish to keep your plants alive. Procure some canvass ; 
sew it together the size of your house, fasten it to a flat piece of wood at 
the top of the house ; fasten the upper end or side to a roller, with a 
wheel at one end; to that wheel nail one end of a cord, long enough, 
when the shade is drawn up, to tie to a bevelled piece of wood near the 
bottom of the house. This is all the machinery you require; and then, 
when the sun shines, and the shade is let down, and plenty of air given, 
your plants will be comfortable and happy. 
Unhealthy Rhododendrons (A. A. J.).—Your rhododendrons are 
suffering for want of fresh peat earth. Repot them immediately, and 
place them out-of-doors, in a shady situation. You imagine liquid-ma¬ 
nure would do them good—in their present sickly state that is more 
than doubtful. Let them become healthy, and then it might be of some 
service, Steep about a bushel of rotten dung, sheep’s dung is the best, 
in ten gallons of water, stir it up frequently, and when used, dilute it 
with as much more water. Use it every third time the plants are watered. 
Forcing Roses. — Lora writes to us thus:—“Allow me to enquire 
why you do not enumerate, amongst suitable kinds of roses for pots, any 
Damask roses. I grow roses in pots to the extent of 400 or 500 pots, and 
I find some of the Damask roses do exceedingly well. I have at present 
in flower, Calypso , with fifty-five flowers and buds ; Madame Walden, 
thirty-fjur ; Semira?nis, forty; Duchess de Rohan, forty-two • all with 
foliage in most perfect order. I have suffered much from mildew in pots, 
and my Damask roses alone escaped. The following roses do well in pots 
with me : Double-margined lip , it bore sixty flowers in the winter of 1851, 
and has now upwards of fifty; Odorata (Tea-scented), bore twelve 
flowers in January, and has fifty-three flowers and buds now; Lady 
Montgomery bloomed early in March, had about thirty most perfect 
flowers, which lasted longer than any other rose I ever saw ; this appears 
an old and forgotten rose, it is much like a handsome moss without the 
moss. Mildew has attacked my rose-trees (apparently in most vigorous 
health). I tried sulphur in vain, but succeeded in keeping the mildew 
down by brushing the diseased leaves and buds with an old tooth-brush. 
I do it every morning, which is somewhat tiresome. Can you tell me of 
abetter remedy?” We are glad you have pointed out the Damask 
varieties of roses as being good for forcing. No doubt they are so, 
especially the varieties you mention; but you must remember Mr. 
Appleby recommends kinds fit for exhibition. Now, we apprehend the 
Damask roses are scarcely fit for that purpose. They are scarcely double 
enough, and their petals are rather thin and flimsy. Hence they would 
suffer much on the journey to the exhibition tent. Your question re¬ 
garding the mildew is not an easy one to answer satisfactorily. The 
cause of this disease is a low, damp atmosphere , and its cure is a brisk 
heat, washing the floor frequently with a mop, and kept clean ; abundance 
of air should be admitted at the same time as a higher temperature is 
kept. This establishes a free circulation among the plants, which is 
the best preventive of mildew. Your brushing it is a good practice, 
and should be persevered in. 
Fuchsia-leaves Curling (C. B .).—You say the leaves of your 
fuchsias curl, some sorts more than others, and you want to know the 
cause, and its cure. The cause, no doubt, arises from diseased roots, or 
too heavy soil. The cure—cut them down, shake off the old soil, and 
repot in light, moderately-rich compost, and place them upon a gentle 
hotbed, giving no water till fresh roots are made, then give a moderate 
supply, and little air at first, gradually increasing it as the plants advance 
in growth. The disease is not common—in fact, very rare ; there are few 
plants, if well managed, so free from disease as the fuchsia. 
White Cactus (Highburiensis).— By a white cactus we suppose you 
mean Epiphyllum crenatum , which has large white flowers, and is very 
showy. You may obtain this of Mr. Appleby, at Messrs. Henderson’s, 
the Pine-Apple Nursery, Edgeware-road. The Cactus blanda may be a 
fine variety, but we never heard of it before. 
Bees.— W. H. V. says. — “Last summer, but late on, a very good 
swarm of bees was put into one of Nutt’s hives, and it has done very 
well up to last week, when, on last Friday, about 12 o’clock, a swarm 
appeared to be coming from it; but, as far as I could judge, they were 
all young bees, being all very light-coloured. After settling in a very 
straggling manner, and examining them, I could not find a queen; but 
another person who keeps bees about five hundred yards from me picked 
one up at his hive, whither the young bees had fled likewise. What I 
want to know is, whether, considering all this, the hive the bees have left 
will do any good, for since it happened they have been as busy carrying 
in pollen as possible ? ” Your bees leaving Nutt’s hive, and alighting in 
the manner you describe, looks very much like a desertion, except that 
pollen continues to be carried in. If this goes on, you need not fear but 
there are both a queen and drones in the hive ; if they continue carrying in 
pollen, by all means let them alone. If they have no store of honey in 
the hive give them barley sugar. 
Vine Culture (An Old Subscriber).— You will see an article on the 
vine subject shortly which will meet your wishes, we think. As many 
require similar information, we at once cheerfully comply. 
Mildewed Peach (E. T. II., Southampton ).—Your peach shoot 
appears to be covered with mildew ; we never saw so gross a case. There 
are no insects on it; pray what are those you saw ? Sulphur liberally dusted 
over the infected parts is the best remedy for mildew ; but the remote cause 
should be sought, and this is generally stagnation of root; either exces¬ 
sive moisture, or a dry, hard-baked soil will cause it, anything, in fact, 
which debilitates or checks the root action. Try three inches of rotten 
manure over the roots, if the soil is dry, and water on it freely with water 
at 90 °. Your wood is immature ; nobody can grow peaches well without 
ripening the wood. Who would not water asparagus beds in such a 
run” of dry weather. 
Caterpillars (J. C .).—Your small brown caterpillars which attack 
the opening leaves of the peach, apricot, pears, apples, &c., belong to 
several distinct species of small moths, of the family Tortricidse, one of 
which (and they all have similar habits), is figured in The Cottage 
ardener, third volume, page 81, under the name of Tortrix angus- 
wi ana, I here are three modes of proceeding to destroy them; all of 
course troublesome, but still effectual. First.—Washing the stems and 
snoots m winter with an oily or sticky mixture to destroy the eggs. 
Second.—Pressing the leaves when folded up together to kill the cater¬ 
pillars ; and Third—disturbing the leaves in June when the moths appear, | 
and catching and destroying them in insect nets. I know no other or ! 
better means to be adopted. The caterpillars do not burrow into the 
heart of the stems, but become chrysaled on the rolled-up leaves ; so that I 
some other kind of insect must have been at work to form the holes like 
gimblet holes, of which J. C. complains.—J. O. W. 
Pansies (W. B .).—Of any of the nurserymen who advertise in Tiie | 
Cottage Gardener. 
Packing Eggs (W. A. E.). —Pack them, with the small end down- 
wards, in bran, with a good quantity of this between every two eggs, and I 
the whole in a stout box, directed “ Eggs—This side up.” Other ques- , 
tion next week. 
Mistletoe (An Amateur). —We have no doubt you can be supplied | 
at the proper season. You cannot do better than you are doing in your 
melon frames ; but there is no need of soft soap, the clay and sulphur 
will be sufficient. Tobacco smoke will not destroy the red spider. Your j 
other notes next week. 
J. N. B., Kirkcaldy. —Your question is quite out of our province, and I 
involves a point of international law which would require some pages to 
answer fully. As a broad principle, the children’s children would be 
Americans or Canadians, but capable of being rendered otherwise by 
many circumstances too numerous to particularise. 
Egyptian Geese. — N. F. II. having been unfortunate in their ma- | 
nagement, wishes to know if there is anything peculiar required for them. \ 
Our correspondent has too many ganders, and wishes to exchange a I 
gander for a goose. Apply to Mr. Bailey, 113, Mount-street, Grosvenor 
Square. 
Garden Visiting (A young Amateur Gardener). —No charge for 
admission is made at any of the gardens you mention. 
Seed Sowing (E. D. B.).— Sow anemones early in February in boxes, 
if you have shelter for them ; but in the open border, sow early in April. 
Sow hollyhocks and pelargoniums in March, in pans, in a gentle hotbed. | 
Rabbits. — Mr. Robert Campbell, Paisley, wishes to know where he ! 
can obtain rare breeds of rabbits. 
Cucumbers (J. K.). —The liquid-manure you applied was not too 
strong, but when did you apply it ? It is rarely required until after the ; 
fruit begins to set. Other question next week. 
Balsam Seed ( G . H. B.). —We never had any, nor do we remember 
promising any. 
Fowls (T. K . R.). —You may keep ten hens and two cocks in the space 
you mention (twenty-four yards by five yards), partly sown with grass, 
partly laid down with gravel, and well supplied with chalk, &c. Pray 
refer to our back numbers and indexes for answers to your other queries. 
“ Middlings ” are the moderately-fine pollard. 
Osage Orange (W. S. P.). —When you said the plant you inquired | 
about was “a hedge plant,” and spelt it “ Orage,” you threw us upon 
a false scent. The Osage Orange is Maclura aurantiaca, and is a hedge 
plant in North America! 
Manuring Vine (A Doubter). —If your friend means that the surface 
soil of the border for six or seven feet, measuring from the stem, should 1 
be manured with rich compost, he may be right, if the vine is old or weak, j 
but to surround the stem eighteen inches high with such compost would 
do no good. 
Cochin-Chinas v. Spanish Fowls. —More than one correspondent 
seeks for information as to which are the most profitable of these two 
breeds, and we shall be glad to receive from any correspondent the result | 
of his or her own experience. We thus give Incubator the best evidence 
that we are not prejudiced. If the Spanish are the most profitable, we ' 
shall be very glad indeed to know the fact. 
Weight of Bullocks (W. Churchill). —The mode of ascertaining 
their weight by admeasurement, whilst alive, is as follows When the 
beast is standing square, measure round the body with a string, just 
behind the shoulder-blades, this is the girth; then measure with the 
string from the root of the tail to the fore-part of the shoulder-blade, 
this is the length. Multiply the girth by the length, and the result 
multiply by 23, which is the average number of pounds weight in a 
square foot of the beast’s surface. The amount thus obtained is about 
the weight of the beast. Thus, if the girth is 6 feet 4 inches ; and the 
length 5 feet 3 inches, these multiplied together show there are 31 square 
feet of surface. 31 multiplied by 23 give 713, which is the weight of the 
bullock in pounds. 
Names of Plants (Rev. R. M. Evans). —Yours is Piptanthus Ne- 
palensisj a half-hardy shrub. (T. M. W.), —A species of Amelanchier. 
It may be layered, or grafted on the quince or hawthorn. (Emma). — 1, A 
species of Ornithogalum; 2. Pyrus spectubilis; 3. Orchis morio, b; 
4. Scilla non-scripta, b; 5. Amelanchier, species uncertain; 6. Steflaria 
| gramineus, b; 7* Asperula odorata, b ; 8. Dielytra formosa; p. Litho- 
spermurn arvensis, b; 10 . Pulmonaria officinalis, b; 11. Myosotis 
arvensis, b; 12. Phlox subulata; 13. Omphalodes verna; 0. Anemone 
appennina, b. Those with the letter b added, are British plants. (P. J.). 
—Your plants are, No. \.Fabinna imbricata , a half-hardy shrub, by seeds 
and cuttings. 2. A species of Epacris, we think E. campanulata alba, by 
cuttings of the tips of young shoots in spring, under bell-glass. 3. 
Lesclienaultia formosa, by cuttings of tips of young shoots. (C. L.). —• 
1. Ledum buxifolium, or Ammyrsine buxifolium of the Cottage Gar¬ 
deners’ Dictionary. 2. Polygala chamwbuocus. 3. Pelargonium quer - 
cifolium. (Senex) — Pelargonium denliculatum , native of the Cape of 
Good Hope; introduced in the year 1789 . (Rustic Robin) — Narcissus 
bulbocodium, or Iloop-petticoat-flowered Narcissus. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Comer, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—-May 20th, 1852. 
