July 29. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
283 
is most preposterous. Science will not own such practices; nature 
abhors them; and yet we meet with glaring successes occasionally— appa¬ 
rently the result of these bad practices. We are aware that the pine will 
endure,—it may enjoy,—95° under certain circumstances ; but dare any 
man persist in recommending such a thing for a pine-pit at Christmas ? 
We think not. More of this by-and-by; we thank you for the clue 
afforded. 
Mildewed Peach Trees (E . D ). — Give your peach trees a 
thorough soaking of liquid manure (presuming your case mildew), 
unless you are assured the soil is already wet and stagnant; and dust 
flowers of sulphur liberally over all affected parts, repeating the dose if 
washed off. 
Peacii - forcing (Habrothamnus).'— Peaches commenced the first 
week in January should be ripe in the beginning of July. We should 
much fear that the syringing is concerned in producing the defect you 
allude to. Grapes it was sure to be prejudicial to. 
Pits—Modes of Heating, &c. (L. B. T.). —You will find most of 
your enquiries answered in an essay by Mr. Errington. For your melons 
and strawberries, we should say hot water by all means ; the form of roof 
is much a matter of choice. We should not fear to adopt a span, pre¬ 
senting east and west facings, with a walk up the centre. If you have a 
pit eighteen lights long, heated by hot water, why, surely, you can make 
potato pits out of it without moving a brick. We should prefer a span 
propagating pit, with north and south roofs; the north side giving a five- 
feet bench, and the south a three-feet one. The back bench for cuttings, 
and the front for potted-off stock. This should have a canvass shade on 
rollers. A walk, of course, up the centre, and the roof kept low and fiat 
in pitch. You might go down three or four steps into it. The rest of 
your plans are not well enough defined to enable us to give advice. 
Pheasants’ Eggs. — Upwards and Onwards says:—“ I would advise 
1 A Correspondent and Old Subscriber,’ to defer procuring these at all so 
late in the season, if he intends them for breeding purposes. Pheasants 
begin to lay in April, therefore fresh eggs are very unlikely to be obtained 
now; besides, there is a great deal of truth in the old distich, which 
says— 
* Between the sickle and the scythe, 
What you rear will seldom thrive.’ ” 
Gapes in Poultry (M. R .).—We are making some enquiries which 
shall be published. 
White Poppy ( Cadjoon ).—This (Papavcr somniferum ) can be, and is 
cultivated largely in England, for thft sake of its heads or seed-capsules. 
You may obtain seeds out of those heads at almost any druggist’s. There 
is a very full report of experiments conducted with the intention of ob¬ 
taining Opium from them, in one of the volumes of the Quarterly 
Journal of Science , formerly edited by Professor Brande. The Castor 
Oil Plant (Ricinus communis) is a half-hardy annual, but it grows but 
indifferently, even in summer, without the shelter of a greenhouse. 
What Indian plants do you require. 
Stakes for Dahlias and Hollyhocks (Q .).—We find those made 
of red pine, painted brown, and carefully kept dry when not in use, last 
for many years. We say painted brown , because that colour harmonises 
best with the foliage. The following note will be a good answer to your 
query, “ Which wood will make the most enduring stakes ? ” “ It is now 
about ten years ago, that I got a number of dahlia and other flower 
supports made from East Indian teak wood, and at the present time 
they are nearly as fresh as when made. This is to be accounted for by 
the oily nature of that wood, which prevents decay, although allowed to 
remain in the ground for many years. It is more expensive than pine, 
but it lasts so much longer, that it is much cheaper in the end. If you 
consider this notice worthy of a place in your valuable work, some of 
your readers may give a trial to the teak wood stake.” — John 
M‘Murtrie, Port Glasgow. 
Potatoes (H .).—The very earliest variety is the genuine Walnut- 
leaved Kidney; a very late variety is the Late Jersey. We cannot tell 
you where you can get grafts of orange-trees. 
White Cochin-China Fowls. —A New Subscriber wishes for a pair 
of pure bred. If we required any, we should venture to write to Mrs. 
Herbert, of Powick, in Worcestershire, who has a beautiful breed of 
them. 
Vinegar Plant (J. Hollatid ).—Nearly all that is known of this 
fungus will be found in our second volume, especially in No. 35. 
White Comb in Poultry (1). V. C.).—For mode of applying it, see 
page 248. There needs no very definite receipt-cocoa-nut oil (which is 
nearly as solid as spermaceti) with a little turmeric to colour it a deep 
yellow, is all that is needed. Lose no time before you apply the ointment. 
It is a needless expense to give poultry brown sugar in their food. If 
you feed them either too plentifully or too nutritiously the hens will 
either get too fat or have inflammation of the ovarium. Either case will 
cause soft eggs or barrenness. 
Rose-leaves Blotched {Eugenia ).—Nothing will prevent this, nor 
is it desirable that it should be prevented. It is more symptomatic that 
| the year’s growth is completed than of anything else. Keep the roots 
covered with mulch during the spring and summer, and well supplied 
with water and liquid manure whilst they are growing. 
Savin and Saffron (A Reader ).—They are totally different ; the 
first is an evergreen shrub (Juniperus sabina ), and Saffron is the dried 
| anthers of the common bulbous plant, Crocus sativa. 
Lewes Poultry Snow (A Subscriber, Croydon )—No one can regret 
the mistake more than ourselves. We were right in stating that the 
meeting commenced on the 12tli, which it did, w ith the trial of imple¬ 
ments ; but it was an omission not to have stated that the poultry show 
commenced on the 14th. 
Peacocks cut in Yew. —Queen Mab wishes to purchase two good 
specimens of these, to be transplanted at the proper season. We never 
saw these deformities but once, and that was at Bedfont. As we read 
“ Queen Blab’s ” description of them, as “ topiary-work peacocks,” 
imagination carried us back to the days of William of Orange, and all 
the distortions of Dutch gardening. 
Green Scum in Ponds.— A correspondent (J. S . Stoke) says,—“ In 
reply to a lady, I beg to state, our fresh water river snails are recom¬ 
mended for preventing green scum on fish-ponds.” 
Implements.— The Royal Agricultural Society have this year given 
Messrs. Mapplebeck and Lowe the prize for the best instruments for 
hand use in draining ; and the Judges have also highly commended their 
American digging forks and farm tools, especially those for cottagers* 
and farm labourers’ use. 
Riiubard Preserving (Ibid). —If the stalks are gathered in dry 
weather, cut into slices as for a tart, and are then treated like bottled 
gooseberries, the slices will keep good until January. This we are told, 
but have not tried. 
Names of Plants (T. M. IV.). —Your pea is known as the White 
Crown, Americau Crown, and Rose Pea. It is the Pois-a-bouquct of the 
French. In botanical language, it is Pisum sativum umbellutum, and 
some have considered it as a distinct species. We cannot make out your 
bulb even from your very full description. We incline to think it Orni- 
thogalum caudatum , but one botanical friend thinks it may be Arthro- 
podium paniculatum. (M. S.). —Your strawberry is apparently Vilmorin’s 
Compte de Paris , but it was too much bruised for us to be certain. 
(Rev. H. H.). — Melilotus officinalis, formerly called Trifolium officinalis, 
Melilot Trefoil, King’s Clover, &c. ( F. G .).—We cannot recognise yours 
from a single leaf and corolla. (A Constant Subscriber). —The fungus is 
Phallus irnpudicus, or Stinking Morel. Destroy it in its young state by 
the hoe, and it will be soon got rid of. ( Ignoramus ).—We think the 
piece of a shrub is Centaurea alata. The others are Veronica foliosa; 
V. maritima variegata; Lythrum alatum; Pentstemon gentianoides 
var. coccinea. What you call a Lychnis is Agrostemma coronaria; the 
double white flower Pyrethrum parthenium var. plenum; the pale 
Phlox' dclicata i the dark Phlox acutifolia (?) 
CALENDAR FOR AUGUST. 
ORCHID HOUSE. 
Air, give plentifully on all fine days, to consolidate the now fast¬ 
forming new pseudo-bulbs. Baskets, dip every week in tepid water. 
Blocks, syringe twice a day. Barkebias now growing, keep very 
moist till the annual growth is made ; allow the air to play freely upon 
them, this will strengthen the plants much. Dendrobiums ; many 
will have made their new pseudo-bulbs, cease giving much water to these, 
and remove them into a cooler house. Epidendrums in the same con¬ 
dition, give a similar treatment to. Grammatophyllum, a noble 
orchid, continue growing on yet. Huntleyas, having no pseudo-bulbs, 
continue to keep moderately moist and cool. Insects, diligently keep 
under, or they will be a pest all the year, and be difficult to eradicate in 
winter. L<elias will now be growing freely, be liberal, and use the 
syringe frequently; if on blocks, add a thin layer of moss to give and retain 
moisture about the roots. Moisture to the Internal Air, continue 
to supply daily, especially in the growing department. Peristeria 
elata, and all similar terrestrial species, keep moist as long as the bulbs 
continue to swell, but not a moment longer. Plants in Baskets, 
remove into a cooler house when in bloom, or as soon as the new growth 
is perfected. All plants that have made their pseudo-bulbs quite up 
should have the benefit of a lower and drier atmosphere. This point 
must be strictly attended to, because if they are kept moist they will 
start to growth the second time, which will weaken stronger growth 
and materially injure the blooms. The success of next year’s bloom 
depends much upon the strength of the preceding year’s growth, together 
with a judicious period of rest, induced by a cool and dry treatment. 
T. Appleby. 
PLANT STOVE. 
Achimenes done flowering, set out-of-doors, laying the pots on one 
side, to keep the bulbs at rest, and free from wet. Air, give liberally 
through the whole month, unless cold wet days intervene toward the end. 
Cuttings, pot off as soon as struck, because the time is short for them to 
acquire strength to carry them through the winter. Gloxinias and 
Gesneras, as they cease blooming, treat the same as Achimenes. 
Heat, keep under as much as possible, but have the flues and pipes in 
good order for working, as cold nights might come towards the latter 
end. Insects, destroy as much as possible, or they will rapidly increase. 
Ixoras, specimens of, top-dress and tie out, so as to form handsome 
bushes of a rather pyramidal form. Young plants give a shift to, b.; 
stop and tic out; moisture, supply plentifully both to the roots of the 
plants, and to the internal air. Passion-flowers, and other climbers, 
trim in freely, and tie them so as to allow plenty of light to descend 
amongst the plants. Plants in Frames, top dress, and repot if 
needful; give plenty of air to, and water only in the mornings. Sponge, 
use freely to clear the leaves from dust and insects ; this is preferable to 
so much syringing. Water more moderately as the days shorten. 
Weeds and decaying leaves remove daily. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas and Polyanthuses, finish potting, b. Cinerarias, 
take off slips, transplant seedlings, sow, b., for the last time this year. 
Carnations and Picotees, finish layering, m.; seedlings transplant. 
Chrysanthemums, layer those planted out for that purpose; pot off 
cuttings ; give the last potting to all intended for blooming ; water most 
abundantly, and syringe daily. Dahlias, stake, tie, mulch and water 
iu dry weather ; cuttings of new ones may yet be struck. Fuchsias 
done blooming, place out-of-doors ; save seed. Hollyhocks, keep well 
tied to the stakes; cuttings of, put in heat under a frame, shade from 
