June 
169 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENER, 
place through digging close to your plums, has the effect of rendering 
your plum blossoms abortive. Why dig and crop close to them ? 
No fruit tree will long be successfully cultivated with so great an 
abuse. We hold that the upper nine inches of surface fibres is fairly 
worth more than the rest of the roots together. Try and remove your 
cropping four feet at least from the wall, and examine your plum 
blossoms next March, and perhaps you will find very many of them 
minus the pistil or female organ. If so, it is impossible to obtain a crop. 
Geraniums (S. H. E.). —The leaves of some of these wither a*- 
the edge ; and others do not increase the size of their leaves. You 
gave them some liquid guano, but only water lately. There is some¬ 
thing the matter with the roots; probably they were over dosed with 
guano, which is fully as dangerous to plants, when used by amateurs, 
as gunpowder in the hands of children. Shake off most of the old 
soil from the roots, and repot in fresh light rich compost, using pots 
as small as will contain the roots without cramping. Keep the plants 
in a back room, or by some other means from the sun for the first ten 
days, and no more water than will keep the soil moist, but damp the 
leaves occasionally. This is always the best course for unhealthy 
plants in summer. 
Mesembryanthemums not Blooming (A Flower-lover from 
Childhood'). —Some mesembryanthemums never flower in England— 
some only partially, and others freely. There are from 300 to 400 species 
of them. Some of them require very different treatment from others, 
therefore to sav, do this or do that with yours, without knowing more 
about your sorts, might lead you wrong ; and as we are most anxious 
not to mislead, we hesitate rather than write on chance. However, 
all the family may be advantageously planted out on dry light soils on 
a south aspect during the summer; and cuttings of the young shoots 
made at the end of July, and kept in sandy soil, will answer for next 
season better than the old plants. 
Mildew in Wardian Cases (Ibid) —Ferns require hardly any 
water in a good Ward’s case through the winter, and very little iii 
summer. Over watering and rich soil induce mildew and mouldiness 
in these cases. After watering, the case should be left open for some 
hours to allow the excess of moisture to depart. 
Bouvardia Triphylla (Ibid). —Bouvardias are propagated in 
spring by short pieces of the roots, and in summer before they come 
to flower, by the young top of the shoots. The former way is the 
safest for you. 
Oleander (Ibid).~- You ask whether the oleander may not be 
coaxed by moisture and warmth to make a growth immediately after 
the pruning, which is to succeed its flowering. Your plan of cutting 
all the shoots off the oleander after flowering would only succeed where 
it could be “ coaxed with moisture and warmth” like that you might 
bestow on it. Many things will do under certain circumstances that 
would not be prudent to recommend generally. 
Caterpillars on Roses (A Parson’s Wife). —You say, “ last 
summer most of my rose-trees were attacked by numerous very 
small green caterpillars, which fixed themselves on the under side of 
the leaves, and devoured all the surface, so that the leaf either dropped 
off or remained perfectly brown and dead. Many trees were thus 
utterly stripped, and of course the flowers ruined. This year I have 
watched narrowly, and, as soon as any brown spots on the outside 
have revealed the attacks of the enemy behind, I have cut off and 
burnt the leaf, and washed the neighbouring ones with soapsuds. 
But I fear the plague spreads, more especially on the climbers which 
are above my reach. Can you inform me how to preserve my flowers 
at present, or how to destroy the nests another year ?” All the 
knowledge we possess relative to these caterpillars is, that we saw 
their ravages in 1847 for the first time, but have no knowledge how 
to get rid of them. We have written to the gardener who had the 
misfortune, and, if he gives us any information as to how he got rid 
of them, we will let you know. A dusting of white hellebore powder 
will perhaps destroy them. 
Seeds of Winter Aconite and Winter Violet (Ibid ).— 
These may be sown as soon as they are ripe. They are very seldom 
reared that way. The winter aconite is increased by its roots like a 
crocus, and the violet from cuttings any time through the summer, 
and by dividing the old plants after flowering. 
Dissolving Bones (Clericits Rusticns). —In twelve hours they 
ought to be dissolved, if broken into small pieces, and treated with 
the oil of vitriol precisely as we directed at p. 62 of our first volume. 
We do not know the net-maker you refer to. 
Bees Second Swarm (Novice). —To prevent your bees swarming 
a second time is quite an impossibility. After having once sw'armed 
they will do so a second time, do what you will, except you venture 
upon turning up the hive, and cutting out every queen’s cell that it 
contains. Perhaps you will be able to purchase a cast (second 
swarm), and to have it hived into one of ‘‘the cottage hives,” and 
join your own to it when it comes, and so make another stock. Your 
old bell-shaped hive you had better keep as it is, to produce swarms, 
so long as it will last. The time of the second swarm leaving you 
will know by the queen’s “ piping.” 
Nericm Oleander (A Cottage Subscriber). —Your blossom-buds 
“ do not progress much and, as your other treatment seems cor¬ 
rect, we think that all it requires is to be kept standing in a saucer 
constantly filled with water, until the flowering is over. See Mr. 
Beaton’s excellent essay on this at p. 286 of our first volume. 
Sulphate of Ammonia (A Friend of Chemistry). —Carbonate 
of ammonia (common smelling salt) is a powerful manure, but re¬ 
quires to be used much weaker, and is not found to be so beneficial 
to plants as the sulphate. Why not dissolve the carbonate in water, 
and add oil of vitriol to it as long as any effervescence continues ? 
You would then have formed a solution of the sulphate of ammonia. 
Brompton and Queen Stocks (W. H. G.). —Your north border 
will do very well as a nursery for your seedlings until the autumn. 
Vegetable-marrow (G. I. Bell). —This may be trained over 
your “ slanting jagged rock,” at the back of your border, If you 
cannot keep its runners in their places by hooked wooden pegs, use 
a few small staples driven into the mortar, and tie the runners to 
these. 
Liquid Manure (Ibid). —You may use this to all kitchen-garden 
crops with very great advantage. Do not use it too strong, nor 
oftener than once a week, in dry weather. In wet weather you may 
give it twice a week. We must make the following extract from our 
correspondent’s letter:—“ I was greatly laughed at for some time 
after using the liquid, or the “nasty stuff,” as my neighbours called 
it, but now, seeing the good effect of it, they are servile enough to 
beg a canful now and then, and some are constructing tanks of their 
own adjoining their pig-styes. The liquid which flows into mine 
comes from a large farm-fold adjoining my garden ; but I am afraid 
the farmer, who is beginning to see the good effects of it, will be 
diverting it into another channel for his own use : and all this good 
has been done by a twopenny paper! 1” 
Clayey Soil (T. Morgan). —Your “brick earth” soil rests upon 
chalk as its subsoil; your remedy, therefore, is beneath you. Mix a 
heavy dressing of fine chalk with your soil, and this thoroughly incor¬ 
porated with it in sufficient quantity will render it open, easily work¬ 
able, and fit for general garden crops. It will not do for potting pur¬ 
poses. We cannot guess what the saline contents of your spring are. 
Is the red matter which tinges the plants ferruginous ? May it not be 
vegetable matter ? Your other questions will be answered next week. 
Phlox and Rose Diseased (J. Wharfe). —We are always happy 
to answer inquiries, however simple they may be, but we intreat our 
correspondents, and you amongst the number, to describe all the cir¬ 
cumstances of the case. You say the leaves of your phlox are all 
turned white, but you do not mention how long it has been growing 
in your bed, nor what kind of soil it is planted in, nor the aspect, all 
of which may have to do with the disease. Your moss rose, too, you 
say, quaintly enough, “ don’t care whether it lives or dies.” We pre¬ 
sume, then, that some or all of the same causes mentioned in the rase 
of the phlox are operatives upon it to prevent it thriving. Both of 
them would do well if your soil is good, the aspect open to the rays 
of the sun, and all insects destroyed as they appear. At this time of 
the year you can do but little to restore them to health. Pray write 
again more fully. In the meantime remove as much of the old soil as 
you can without disturbing the roots, and place some fresh good loam 
about them, destroy all insects, and, if your garden is in a dry situa¬ 
tion, water frequently. 
Marvel of Peru Seedlings (Ibid). —This is a plant from South 
America, with roots something like a dahlia. Plant them out singly, 
at two feet apart, in a rich loamy soil. It is very probable they will 
flower this autumn. As soon as the first frosts destroy their tops cut 
them off and take up their roots. Keep them in dry sand or coal- 
ashes, and plant out again early in May. They will flower strongly 
the second year. 
List of Roses for the Side of a Terrace (A Subscriber ).— 
The classes of roses best adapted for the purposes you describe are 
the more hardy China, the hybrid Perpetual China, and the hybrid 
Perpetual Bourbon. From these three classes we shall select such as 
will thrive and flower well on your terrace bank. China Boses: Al- 
cine, rich red; Cramoisie superieure, velvety crimson ; Eugene Hardy, 
white ; Madame Brehon, rich rose ; Mrs. Bosanquet, delicate pale 
flesh ; Salrano, yellowish. Hybrid Chinese (very hardy): Aubernon, 
bright rose; Doctor Marx, carmine; Edward Jesse, dark purple; 
La Reine, rosy pink ; Reine de la Guillotiere, dark crimson. Hybrid 
Perpetual Bourbon : Bosuct, crimson Vermillion ; Comtesse Jaubert, 
clear peach; Due d’Alencon, lilac rose; Gloire de Rosomenes, 
brilliant carmine. The above, we should think, will be quite sufficient 
for your border. To cover the slope we would advise some of the 
Ayrshire roses, such as the Ayrshire Queen, Bennett’s Seedling, and 
Rose Ruga, with two or three of the evergreen roses, as Felicite per- 
petue, Myrianthis, Renoncule, and Rosea plena. On the bank you 
might also plant three or four of the Cotoneaster, and a few plants of 
the Irish ivy. These must be kept close pegged to the ground with 
hooks. The roses will run among and over them, and altogether they 
will form an agreeable ornament to the dwelling, especially if some 
climbing roses are planted against its walls. 
Dahlia Pans (W. S., Dalston). —The circular pans for the pro¬ 
tection of dahlias where earwigs ahound will not prevent them get¬ 
ting to your flowers, for earwigs can fly. Yortr fear that the pans will 
harbour slugs has some foundation in truth, but you must destroy 
them by traps of brewers’ grains, buttered cabbage leaves, and water¬ 
ing now and then with lime water. If the pans are bedded a little into 
the soil, that will help to keep the slugs from getting under the pans. 
To catch earwigs, look over your flowers every night with a lanthorn 
and candle. Place small pots with a little short hay or moss in them 
upon the stakes. Examine these traps every morning, and destroy 
the insects they may contain. 
Rose Buds Falling (Ibid). —Yourrose-tree sheds its flower buds 
before they open. It is wrong at the roots. When the leaves fall in 
autumn, take it up, prune the roots, drain the spot, put in fresh earth, 
and replant. This will cure the evil, or nothing else will. 
Bees (E. W. A.) —If you look for any further profit from your 
bees in the improved cottage hive, disappointment will in all proba¬ 
bility be the result. The first bad thing you did was to give an 
“ eke” with nothing between it and the hive, in which your bees had 
been put the same year. Had you placed a large glass, or box, upon 
the top, all might have been well. The next bad thing was to shut up 
the bees and place the hive all the winter in an outhouse , from this 
numbers died in the hive, and the survivors have never recovered, 
and more probable than not, they never will. You are right as to 
the reason of their not having swarmed, “ the eke beneath the hive 
giving too much room.” Its removal will most likely prove fatal to 
the stock. If done at all, February is the best time for doing it. 
The bees have been kept quite warm enough while in the outhouse ; 
