148 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  15,  1900, 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
Atlee  Burpee  &  Co.,  Philadelphia. — Wholesale  Seed  List, 
W.  Clibran  &  Sons,  Market  Street,  Manchester.  —  Seeds,  Chrys¬ 
anthemums. 
Dickson,  Brown,  &  Tait,  Manchester. — Farm  Seeds. 
J,  Forbes,  Hawick. — Florists’  Floivers. 
A.  Eoozen  &  Son,  Overveen,  Haarlem. — Bulbs  and  Seeds. 
Sutton  &  Sons,  Reading. — Farmers’  Year  Booh. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “The  Editor,”  12,  iviltre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street,  Iiondon,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one 
will  write  privately  to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking 
information  on  matters  discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so 
subjects  them  to  unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  depart¬ 
mental  writers  are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they 
may  receive  on  Gardening  and  Bee  subjects  through  the  post. 
If  information  be  desired  on  any  particular  subject  from  any 
particular  authority  who  may  be  named,  endeavour  will  be  made 
to  obtain  It  by  the  Editor,  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will 
neither  be  published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  noms  de  flume 
are  given  for  the  purpose  of  replies, 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  a  separate  sheet.  All  articles  intended 
for  insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only  ;  and 
the  name  and  address  of  each  writer  must  be  known  by  the 
Editor,  though  not  necessarily  for  insertion.  We  cannot,  as  a 
rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
be  inserted. 
The  Onion  Maggot  (P.  TF.  E.). — It  is  difiBcalt  to  prevent  the  attacks 
of  the  Onion  maggots.  The  insects  pass  the  winter  in  a  pupa  state  in 
the  ground,  and  in  this  form  are  so  well  protected  by  their  cases  that 
it  is  not  easy  to  destroy  them.  Ammoniacal  liquor  from  gasworks,  and 
solution  of  paraffin,  of  the  strength  of  an  ounce  of  oil  to  a  gallon  of 
water,  and  poured  over  the  ground,  are  more  or  less  effective,  and  also 
act  as  manure.  It  is  well  to  have  Onion  beds  as  far  distant  as  possible 
from  where  the  crops  were  last  grown  and  attacked.  It  is  a  good  plan 
also  to  dig  the  ground  deeply  a  day  or  two  before  sowing,  as  then  many 
of  the  pupa  cases  are  placed  so  far  below  the  surface  that  the  flies 
cannot  readily  emerge  from  them,  and  thus  deposit  eggs  for  producing 
future  crops  of  maggots.  Very  heavy  dressings  of  lime  and  soot  are 
also  advisable  before  sowing.  Deep  drills  drawn  and  filled  with  wood 
ashes,  and  in  these  sowing  the  seed,  is  a  method  that  has  been  success¬ 
fully  adopted  by  some  cultivators.  Plants  raised  in  boxes  under  glass 
and  transplanted  often  escape  injury  by  the  enemy. 
Clitoria  ternatea  (TF.  Eahy). — This  belongs  to  the  Leguminoste,  and 
is  a  handsome  blue  flowered  plant.  It  is  seldom  seen  in  gardens,  and 
yet  the  brilliant  colour  of  its  flowers  ought  to  render  it  a  general 
favourite.  According  to  Paxton  “  this  handsome  plant  was  first  brought 
beneath  the  notice  of  botanists  and  floriculturists  as  long  ago  as  the 
year  1739.  Prom  that  period  down  to  the  present  it  has  been 
erroneously  considered  by  many  as  an  annual  species,  and  slighted 
accordingly.  Such  an  opinion  probably  had  its  rise  in  the  mode  of 
culture  which  has  occasionally  been  pursued.  Instead  of  treating  it  as 
a  stove  plant,  it  was,  from  the  facility  with  which  it  ripens  seed,  raised 
anew  each  spring  as  a  half-hardy  annual,  and  transferred  to  the  open 
flower  bprder,  where  it  was  desti’oyed  by  cold.  “  From  circumstances 
similar  to  the  above,  this  plant  has  not  been  an  isolated  example  of 
false  notions  being  imbibed  respecting  its  habits.  Notwithstanding 
the  evident  bent  of  cultivators  rather  to  supply  a  plant  with  too  high 
a  temperature  than  to  suffer  it  to  be  too  much  exposed,  here  is  an 
instance,  out  of  several  others  that  we  might  mention,  in  which  a  contrary 
method  has  been  practised.  When,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  retained 
in  a  stove,  to  which  a  moderate  amount  of  heat  is  furnished,  it 
assumes  quite  another  appearance.  The  stems,  instead  of  perishing 
yearly,  become  shrubby  at  the  base,  the  lower  leaves  remain  through 
the  winter  without  withering,  and  it  is  the  upper  branches  alone  that 
•exhibit  any  signs  of  decay.  Its  natural  habit  is,  therefore,  decidedly 
suffrnticose,  and  that  to  which  it  has  been  reduced  in  our  gardens  is 
^simply  a  constrained  one.” 
Taking  Cuttings  of  Laurels  (Mrs.  S.). — The  latter  part  of  September 
is  the  most  favourable  season  tor  this  operation,  as  the  cuttings  then 
have  time  to  callus  before  the  sharp  weather  sets  in,  and  are  thus 
prepared  to  emit  roots  early  in  spring.  We  have  frequently  inserted 
many  thousands  of  cuttings  at  the  time  named,  usually  the  last  week 
in  September,  and  had  plants  fit  for  transplanting  the  following  season, 
either  further  apart  or  into  permanent  positions.  The  cuttings,  9  to 
12  inches  in  length,  should  have  a  heel  of  the  two  years’  wood,  say  a 
couple  of  joints,  have  the  leaves  trimmed  off  half  the  length,  and  be 
inserted  two-thirds  of  the  length  of  the  cutting  in  the  soil,  firming  the 
ground  well,  but  not  excessively  about  them.  The  cuttings  may  be 
placed  in  rows  1  foot  apart  and  6  inches  asunder  in  the  rows. 
Growing  Ixias  (A.  B.). — Ixias  are  not  particularly  difficult  to  grow 
in  pots.  The  bulbs  should  be  potted  rather  firmly  in  sandy  loam  and 
leaf  soil  in  October,  placing  about  half  a  dozen  in  a  5-inch  pot,  and 
covering  with  an  inch  of  soil.  The  pots  ought  to  be  stood  on  and 
plunged  in  ashes  or  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse  in  a  cold  frame,  and  if  the 
soil  was  moist  when  used  little  water  will  be  required  during  the 
winter.  When  the  flower  spikes  appear  more  water  may  be  given, 
affording  the  plants  plenty  of  light  and  air,  but  avoid  cold  cutting 
draughts.  They  may  be  moved  to  the  greenhouse  after  they  are 
advanced  for  flowering.  After  flowering  growth  should  be  encouraged 
by  watering  for  a  time ;  but  that  complete,  gradually  ripen  them  off, 
and  after  the  leaves  decay  they  should  be  kept  dry  until  autumn,  when 
they  may  be  shaken  out  and  repotted. 
Clay  and  Cow  Manure  for  Grafting  (D.  F.  J.). — We  consider  this 
as  good  as  ever  for  the  purpose,  the  clay  having  been  beaten  into  a 
paste  with  about  half  the  quantity  of  cow  manure  and  horse  droppings. 
Some  amateurs  do  not  care  to  go  to  so  much  trouble  in  preparing  the 
pigment.  Grafting  wax  is  the  simpler  process,  but  it  costs  money, 
whereas  grafting  clay  entails  no  outlay  in  many  cases  but  the  labour, 
and  amateurs  have  often  to  consider  ways  and  means.  The  following 
recipes,  taken  from  “  Profitable  Fruit  Growing,”  are  excellent  for 
preparing  grsfting  wax  : — “  1,  To  be  used  warm.  Resin,  8  parts  ; 
tallow,  3  parts ;  red  ochre,  3  parts;  Burgundy  pitch,  1  pait.  First 
melt  in  an  iron  pot  the  resin,  add  the  tallow,  and  lastly  the  red  ochre ; 
stir  well  together,  but  do  not  make  nor  use  too  hot.  2,  To  be  used 
cool.  Equal  parts  of  yellow  wax  and  turpentine,  with  half  as  much 
Burgundy  pitch  as  either,  and  half  as  much  mutton  suet  as  pitch. 
Melt  all  together,  mix  thoroughly,  leave  them  to  cool,  then  form  into 
small  balls,  and  use  when  required.  The  object  of  grafting  wax  is  to 
exclude  air,  and  if  any  cracks  appear  they  must  be  promptly  filled, 
leaving  a  smooth  surface.” 
Artificial  Manure  for  Early  Potatoes  to  be  Followed  by  Celery 
J.  F.  A.  Bi). — Rape  seed  meal  (oil  extracted),  6  cwt. ;  bonemeal  (4  per 
cent,  ammonia  and  45  per  cent,  phosphate  of  lime),  3  cwt. ;  sulphate  of 
potash  (97  per  cent,  purity)  1  cwt.,  mixed,  per  acre,  would  be  a  suitable 
fertiliser  for  a  light  soil  with  a  subsoil  of  gravel.  Muriate  of  potash 
would  act  more  quickly,  but  it  is  not  wise  to  use  it  in  spring  on  land 
containing  lime,  as  there  is  a  liability  to  form  chloride  of  that  element, 
similar  remarks  applying  to  kainit.  Something  will  be  left  over  for  the 
Celery,  though  we  suppose  you  will  employ  manure  in  the  trenches  for 
this  crop,  and  a  little  nitrate  of  soda  sprinkled  along  the  side  of  the 
plants  in  the  trench  will  give  them  a  start,  but  it  must  not  bo  used 
after  August  or  early  September.  Soot  also  is  an  excellent  fertiliser  for 
Celery.  The  Celery  crop  will  certainly  tend  to  deepen  the  soil  or  rather 
loosen  it  for  the  proposed  following  on  with  Asparagus,  manuring  for 
this  with  Mushroom  bed  refuse. 
Preparing  Ground  for  Asparagus  (Idem).  —  The  formation  of  an 
Asparagus  bed  from  Mushroom  bed  refuse,  according  to  our  instructions 
in  your  particular  case— namely,  bastard  trenching  the  ground,  putting 
the  manure  in  the  bottom  spit,  which  was  simply  dug  in  with  a  fork,  is 
correct,  more  manure  being  mixed  with  the  top  soil.  It  is  immaterial 
whether  you  fork  over  the  beds  or  not  before  planting,  though  it 
would  not  do  harm,  and  would  perhaps  do  good,  by  mixing  the  manure 
better  or  more  evenly  through  the  soil.  It  is  not  essential  to  bring 
some  manure  to  the  surface,  though  we  have  found  it  excellent  practice 
to  mulch  the  bed  after  planting  with  about  an  inch  thickness  of  rather 
fresh  manure.  The  planting  of  yearling  plants  2  feet  apart  each  way — 
that  is,  in  rows  2  feet  between  and  1  foot  from  the  sides  of  the  alleys 
or  bed,  this  being  4  feet  wide,  is  proper  to  produce  fine  heads.  If 
desired  to  have  early  returns  the  plants  may  be  a  year  older,  some 
plants  being  weak  at  one  year  old,  though  others  are  quite  as  strong 
as  thickly  grown  two  years  old.  A  row  of  early  Potatoes  may  be  taken 
in  the  “  gangways  ”  or  alleys  between  the  beds,  or,  if  you  prefer,  Cauli- 
ffowers.  It  would  hardly  do  to  plant  Dwarf  Kidney  Beans  on  the  beds 
between  the  Asparagus  plants,  though  we  have  practised  it.  If  you 
adopt  the  plan  we  should  recommend  Ne  Plus  Ultra  Bean.  The  point 
is  not  to  have  the  Beans  so  thick  as  to  crowd  the  Asparagus,  secure  the 
crop  and  remove  the  plants  as  soon  as  possible,  so  as  not  to  prejudice 
the  second  growth  of  the  permanent  crop. 
Names  of  Plants. — We  only  undertake  to  name  species  of  cultivated 
plants,  not  wild  flowers,  or  varieties  that  have  originated  from  seeds  and 
termed  florists’  flowers.  Flowering  specimens  are  necessary  of  flowering 
plants,  and  Fern  fronds  should  bear  spores.  Specimens  should  arrive 
in  a  fresh  state  in  securely  tied  firm  boxes.  Thin  paper  boxes  arrive  in 
a  flattened  state.  Slightly  damp  moss,  soft  green  grass,  or  leaves  form 
the  best  packing,  dry  wool  or  paper  the  worst.  Those  arrive  in  the 
best  condition  that  are  so  closely  or  firmly  packed  in  soft  green  fresh 
