362 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Feb. 7th, 18S5. 
Fruit Culture under Glass.— Vines. —The vines 
in the Muscat-house, together with the border, having 
been treated as recommended at p. 315, should be 
started next week at a night temperature of 50 degs., 
raising it 5 degs. by day with fire-heat, and 10 deg. to 
15 degs. higher with sun-heat, and plenty of atmos¬ 
pheric moisture at closing time. Syringe the rods 
three times a day—more or less frequently according 
to the nature of the weather—with tepid water to 
assist them in bursting their buds, after which the 
syringing of the rods should be discontinued, and 
sufficient moisture to produce a genial atmosphere be 
secured by damping the pathway and the surface of 
the border, especiaily underneath the hot-water pipes. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —As soon as the pruning, 
washing, and tieing of trees in the late houses 
have been completed in the manner advised in the 
number for January 17th, together with the thorough 
cleansing of glass, wood, and brickwork, the latter by 
washing it with hot lime, to which a couple of hand¬ 
fuls of fine soot should be added to tone down the 
colour, the surface soil of the border should be 
loosened a little and removed, and then be replaced 
with a like quantity of a compost, consisting of three 
parts of good loam and one of lime rubble and wood 
ashes well incorporated, following this with a surface¬ 
dressing of a couple of inches thick of horse-droppings, 
and a good soaking of tepid water if the border be an 
inside one. 
Figs.— These should have liberal supplies of tepid 
liquid manure at the roots, especially if the latter are 
confined to a rather limited space, in which case in 
connection with liberal and judicious applications of 
liquid manure the best results may be secured. Pinch 
the points out of the shoots at four or five joints 
beyond the fruit. Syringe the trees morning and 
afternoon, as much with a view to save the foliage 
from the attacks of red spider as to promote a growing 
atmosphere. Give a night temperature of from 55 
degs. to 60 degs., 65 degs. to 70 degs. by day with fire, 
and 80 degs. with sun-heat, and plently of moisture 
when closing the house. Prepare successional houses 
for starting the middle of this month with a night 
temperature of 50 degs. to 55 degs., 60 degs. to 65 degs. 
by day, with a rise of 10 degs. by sun-heat. Thin 
the shoots out to 6 ins. apart, leaving young well- 
placed shoots which are well furnished with young 
fruit in preference to old ones. 
Melons.— As soon as the plants are large enough 
for planting and the mounds are in readiness for their 
reception, they should be planted and afterwards 
treated as recommended at p. 310; and another 
sowing of seed in the manner there described should 
be made to supply plants for successional planting. 
The Gbape-eoom will need daily attention in the 
way of removing mouldy berries as soon as they 
appear. If not already done, pack some wadding 
between the shoot attached to the individual bunches 
and the neck of the bottle to prevent vapour arising 
from the water in the bottles and settling on the 
berries, which would cause the latter to decay.— H. 
IF. Ward, Longford Castle. 
Fruit-trees blown over.—In the winter of 
1851-2, or thereabouts, I well recollect a Devonshire 
Quarrenden Apple-tree which grew on a grass plot in 
a large garden in Flintshire, being blown down. It 
was not cut up and removed to the wood stack, but 
lifted up so that the branches were off the ground, 
a forked piece of timber being used to prop it up. It 
looked very ugly propped up on its side, but the next 
year it produced a splendid crop of fruit, though 
previously it had borne very little, and the lesson I 
then learned was not to cut up blown down trees of 
Apples, if they can be propped up again. Thirty 
years afterwards came the terrible gale that swept 
over the country on October 14th, 1881, w T hen thou¬ 
sands of trees were blown down. In the gardens 
here, some Apple-trees were snapped off about 3 ft. 
above the ground line, and we had a good-sized Pear- 
tree which, during the three seasons it had been under 
my charge never bore anything. This was blown 
over, but as the top fell upon some bushes, the force 
of the fall was somewhat eased, which prevented it 
from lifting up a mound of earth at its roots. In due 
time it was reared up again, and three forked props 
placed at an equal distance apart, kept it in an upright 
position. In the following year the tree bore and 
brought to maturity a splendid crop of fruit. I 
believe it to be the Duchesse d’Angouleme. It is a 
very fine Pear, large in size, with the skin of a dull 
yellow when getting ripe, dotted with brown russety 
spots and fit for use in November. The following 
year—1883—it carried a crop nearly as good as that 
of the preceding year, and last year it bore but a 
few. The gale did this tree good, it checked its strong 
growth—-in fact it makes little wood, though it looks 
perfectly healthy. In looking over an old orchard 
near a farm-house in this neighbourhood in the 
autumn of 1883,1 came upon a tree that was blown 
down by the same gale of 1881, and there it laid still 
with its roots exposed to the air. The farmer I 
suppose did not like to cut it up, nor did he take the 
trouble to prop it up a little, yet, two years after, it 
carried a slight crop, and when I saw it again a week 
ago, the old tree seemed bristling with fruit spurs.— 
T. IF., Norfolk. 
— a~~- - “-a — 
Seasonable Work in the Plant-houses.— 
At this season of the year, when plants are starting 
into fresh growth, they require careful watching 
and on the first appearance of green-fly, or any other 
kind of insects, steps should at once be taken to 
eradicate them by fumigating. In the case of 
Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, Calceolarias, Hoses, &c., it 
is a good plan to fumigate periodically as a preventive. 
It is not only much easier to destroy the insects when 
in a young state, but when once they get a fair hold 
on the plants the leaves ' become crumpled and 
distorted, and it is impossible to repair the mischief 
or to thoroughly eradicate the insects. It is now a 
good time to start a batch of Hybrid Perpetual Eoses. 
These start best if plunged where there is a moderate 
bottom-heat, but they should be in a position where 
they will get as much light as possible, and should 
have a little air on all favourable occasions. As soon 
as they begin to start into growth manure water 
should be used liberally. Azaleas that have been 
forced for early cut flower and are now over should be 
pruned into shape and kept in a good growing 
temperature, this will not only induce the plants to 
make a good growth, but if properly ripened off, after 
they have made sufficient growth, they will set their 
buds early, and force very freely the following season. 
■While the Azaleas are making their growth, they 
should have a little mild stimulant occasionally and 
must be kept frequently syringed to keep down the 
thrips. 
Vinca major elegantissima.—This charming 
evergreen, variegated trailing plant when grown in 
baskets, has the most pleasing effect. We have here, 
in the conservatory, four large baskets filled with it— 
suspended at the height of 18 ft. from the floor,— 
and in each basket there are from forty to fifty of 
its long graceful shoots, which come quite down to 
the floor. These baskets hanging as they do around 
and over a fountain with a large mirror in the back¬ 
ground, have a most beautiful and striking appear¬ 
ance. For suspending in cool conservatories, corri¬ 
dors, or in window baskets, I know of no plant more 
suitable. Anytime during this month will be a suit¬ 
able time to make a start with its cultivation in order 
to get a well-furnished basket quickly. Having pro¬ 
cured a good strong plant from the open ground, 
proceed to prepare the basket by placing in and around 
the framework inverted turves or moss, to prevent 
the compost from running through. This may con¬ 
sist chiefly of loam, with an addition of rotten 
manure and a little coarse sand or broken brick 
rubbish, and when the plant has been firmly placed 
in the basket and watered, it may be hung in a moist 
shady situation until it has begun to grow freely, 
when it may be removed to a lighter and more airy 
position. All that will then be required will be a 
liberal supply of water at the roots, and also on the 
foliage by the use of the syringe, in order to keep 
red spider in check. This is the only insect pest it 
appears to suffer from.— John Austen, Witley Court, 
Stourbridge. 
The Hoop Petticoat Narcisius.—I know of no 
bulbous plant which blooms in January so beautifully 
as Narcissus (Corbularia) monophylla, or which for 
bouquets compares so favourably with Orchids. Its 
flowers are so elegant in shape and of such spotless 
purity, that when grown on stems some 6 ins. or 8 ins. 
long, which obviates the necessity of wiring, it is truly 
invaluable. It blooms very freely, and in a cold pit 
or house comes into bloom at a time when white 
flowers are always valuable. Our first blossom 
opened five weeks ago. It is what gardeners call 
“ a good doer ” and soon increases in numbers, and 
when associated with Primulas, Cyclamens, Ac., it 
has a very fine effect. As good bulbs are now 
becoming cheap, every one who loves flowers and 
who possess a greenhouse should endeavour to grow a 
few pots of it; and gardeners who have to provide 
cut flowers should grow it largely. The yellow form 
is no less beautiful, and does well in the open border. 
Some patches of it here last spring bore from forty to 
sixty flowers.— J. C., North Hants. 
Three Good Tea Poses.—Tea Roses are always 
beautiful and always in demand, and it is surprising 
how long they continue to bloom when planted out 
under glass and properly managed. They are all 
beautiful in the bud state, but many are useless for 
cutting when they have passed that stage. The 
following three sorts can, according to my experience, 
be thoroughly relied upon, and they are Roses which 
every gardener ought to grow, viz., Etoile de Lyon, 
Perles des Jardins, and Sunset, the new American 
variety. They are all free growers, and produce 
good full flowers which are sweetly scented. Etoile 
de Lyon is, I think, next to Marechal Niel in form— 
almost perfect in shape. Sunset proves to be a good 
full yellow Rose, an improvement on Gloire de Dijon 
in shape, and should it prove to have as good a 
constitution as that variety, must become a favourite. 
We had some fine blooms of it last autumn from a 
plant in a 6-in. pot.— North Hants. 
Grevillea robusta. — This pretty greenhouse 
ornamental foliaged plant is most useful for decora¬ 
tive purposes, its finely-cut, fem-like leaves and light 
and elegant habit making it a most desirable plant 
to have in numbers. Its culture is of the easiest 
description. If seeds are obtained now and sown 
without delay and the pots placed in heat or on a 
gentle hot-bed they will soon germinate. When the 
seeds are up the young plants should be exposed to 
more light and be gradually enured to more air, 
and eventually be potted up and placed in a cool 
greenhouse, where they will be ready by July and 
available during several succeeding months for any 
use to which it may be thought desirable to put them. 
Having found them myself most useful in many 
ways, I feel warranted in recommending them to 
others.—IF. 
-- 
The Propagator.—During the month of February 
is a suitable season to look over such plants as 
Dracaenas, Crotons, Dieffenbachias, and such like sub¬ 
jects, and those which have grown too tall should 
have their tops taken off and inserted singly in suitable 
sized pots, and placed either in a close propagating- 
case or on a hot-bed until rooted. Where numbers of 
plants are required of a comparatively small size it 
becomes necessary to put in a certain number of 
cuttings every year, so that a suitable stock may be 
kept up. In the case of the Dracamas, if the kind or 
kinds grown are scarce and the plant be rather tall, the 
stem, between the 2 ins. required at the base and that 
required to form the cutting, may be cut up into lengths 
of about 1 in. each, and a small portion of the bark 
taken off that part which is to form the under side. 
These should be laid flat over the surface of a pan 
and be covered with some fine soil, after which the 
pan should be placed in brisk heat, when these will 
soon throw up young shoots, sometimes two or three 
