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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  April  19.  1900. 
.^*0  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Ctiambers, 
rieet  street,  Xondon,  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  bo  made 
to  obtain  tt  by  the  Editor.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  bo  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will 
neither  be  published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  noms  de  plume 
are  given  for  the  purpose  of  rejdies. 
'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. 
Planting  Flower  Beds  ((lardcncr). — We  thought  it  preferable,  in 
view  of  the  nearneea  of  the  bedding  season,  to  give  an  illustration  of 
yonr  beds,  together  with  explanatory  notes,  in  the  form  of  an  article. 
Tf,  therefore,  yon  will  turn  to  page  336,  fig.  94,  you  will  find  an  answer 
which  will,  we  trust,  be  of  assistance  to  you. 
Seeds  trom  Egyptian  Mummy  (II.  M.). — The  seeds  are  probably 
those  of  the  so-callod  Egyptian  Mummy  Pen,  as  the  three  seeds  are 
about  the  size  of  a  Pea.  We  should  sow  them  singly  in  3-inch  pots  and 
place  in  a  gentle  heat,  as  that  of  a  Cucumber  frame  or  hotbed,  and 
when  up,  if  they  germinate,  keep  near  the  glass,  removing  to  a  green¬ 
house  when  about  an  inch  high,  hardening  and  planting  outdoors 
when  the  vveathor  becomes  mild.  Perhaps,  if  you  were  to  send  the 
seeds  to  Kew  they  would  bo  able  to  identify  them  for  you.  Some 
we  have  seen  were  simply  grey  Peas,  and  certainly  had  no  connection 
with  the  mummy  from  the  case  of  which  they  were  taken. 
Tips  and  Edges  of  Arum  Leaves  Turning  Brown  (Idem). — The  usiia^ 
cause  is  moisture  deposited  on  them  and  hanging  on  the  parts  so  as  to 
destroy  the  tissues.  This  may  result  from  syringing,  or  from  keeping 
the  house  too  close  and  moist,  the  atmosphere  becoming  what  is  known 
as  stagnant.  The  preventive  is  to  admit  a  little  air  and  maintain  a 
temperature  of  about  ,'>0°.  Thus,  with  the  air  in  motion,  the  water  or 
air  moisture  is  deposited  on  the  glass  or  evaporates  and  passes  off  with 
the  heated  air,  and  the  foliage,  also  spathes,  develop  properly. 
Exterminating  Babbits  and  Eats  (Cottcjo).— The  best  “cure”  for 
the  rats  is  poison,  baiting  the  haunts  for  several  days,  and  then  use  the 
vermin  killer  according  to  instructions.  Smearing  the  holes  with  gas 
tar  tends  to  drive  the  rats  away.  Another  excellent  mode  of  exter¬ 
minating  rats  and  rabbits  is  to  pour  some  bisulphide  of  carbon  into  the 
holes  and  stop  them  up,  but  this  is  very  inilammable,  and  requires  the 
greatest  care.  Gas  tar  is  distasteful  to  rabbits,  and  is  best  used  on 
twigs  or  parts  of  branches  placed  at  the  entrance  to  the  holes,  so  as 
to  allow  the  rabbits  free  egress  and  ingress,  yet  so  that  their 
bodies  brush  against  the  gas  tar.  We  have  also  used  wire  netting ’on 
the  boundary,  this  being  necessary  where  rabbits  abound  in  the  locality, 
haying  it  let  into  the  ground  G  inches  and  extending  on  the  outside  at 
a  right  angle  a  similar  extent. 
Vines  Weak  and  .Showing  Small  Bunches  (II.  S.).— Probably  the 
Vines  have  been  heavily  cropped,  and  are  showing  the  effects.  This 
we  suspect  is  the  case,  as  “  they  showed  good  bunches  last  year,” 
and  although  well  manured  with  cow  manure  and  lime  every  year 
the  nutriment  has  probably  been  inadequate.  We  should  give  the 
Vines  a  dre.osing  of  the  following  mixture: — Bone  superphosphate,  dry 
and  crumbling,  three  parts  ;  sulphate  of  potash,  two  parts ;  and 
sulphate  of  magnesia,  one  part,  mixed,  applying  4  ozs.  per  square  yard, 
and  pointing  into  the  border  very  lightly.  It  may  be  repeated  when 
the  Grapes  have  been  thinned  and  are  swelling  freely.  The  extension 
system  is  the  best  for  rather  old  Vines,  or  perhaps  the  semi-e.xtension 
method,  as  they  give  tiner  bunches,  the  pruning  not  being  so  close  as 
by  the  spur  mode.  The  bringing  up  of  young  rods  is  an  excellent 
plan,  and  mostly  gives  satisfactory  crops.  One  Vine  would  be  better 
than  five,  as  there  will  be  extension,  and  consequently  more  foliage 
xelative  to  the  crops. 
Fruit-bearing  Phoenix  (J.  C.  8.). — Of  the  species  comprised  in  the 
genus  Phoenix,  only  three  possess  edible  value.  The  Date  Palm, 
P.  dactylifera,  produces  the  well-known  dates ;  and  the  Wild  Date, 
P.  sylvestris,  yields  juice  from  which  sugar  is  obtained,  but  it  does  not 
produce  edible  fruit.  The  Chitta-eita  Palm,  P.  farinifera,  affords  from 
its  trunk  a  farinaceous  substance,  used  in  times  of  scarcity,  but 
regarded  as  much  inferior  to  and  less  nutritious  than  common  Sage. 
Of  the  other  species  P.  rupicola  is  the  handsomest,  and  next  perhaps  is 
P.  tenuis,  which  in  general  appearance  resembles  P.  dactylifera,  but  is 
slenderer  and  finer  in  all  its  parts. 
Dip  for  Tomato  Plants  Infested  with  White  Fly  (F.  8.). — We  do 
not  consider  it  would  be  feasible  to  kill  any  eggs  there  may  be  on  the 
plants  without  injuring  the  foliage.  The  eggs  are  much  more  tenacious 
of  life  than  the  perfect  insects,  and  the  foliage  of  Tomatoes,  from 
its  hairy  nature,  is  susceptible  of  injury.  The  insects  are  easiest 
destroyed  by  heating  the  hot-water  pipes  to  170°  or  more,  and  then 
painting  them  with  a  cream  formed  of  flowers  of  sulphur  and  skim 
milk,  keeping  the  pipes  hot  for  about  an  hour,  then  allowing  to  fall  to 
ordinary  warmth,  the  house  being  closed.  It  is  necessary  to  repeat 
this  at  intervals,  so  as  to  thoroughly  destroy  the  pests  as  they  emerge 
from  the  eggs. 
Nycterinia  selaginoides  (L.  Roii). — This  plant  is  an  annual  that 
has  been  more  or  less  largely  grown  in  England  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  to  some  people  the  rose  and  white  small  flowers  (fig.  95)  have  a 
never  failing  charm.  It  is  very  dwarf,  and  on  this  account  is  peculiarly 
useful  for  edging  beds.  The  flowers  at  first  glance  resemble  those  of 
some  of  the  Silenes  and  Saponarias,  and  like  those  of  the  plants  named 
are  profusely  borne.  N.  selaginoides  succeeds  in  any  soil  that  is  not 
heavy  and  wet,  and  must  be  tronted  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as 
other  hardy  annuals.  As  you  have  several  small  beds  that  you  fill  with 
Fig.  95. — Ntctkri.n’Ia  selaginoides. 
annuals  we  should  utilise  the  Nycterinia  for  edging  one  or  two  of  them, 
and  if  the  seeds  are  good  and  the  plants  receive  proper  attention,  we 
think  you  will  be  delighted  with  the  result.  Bear  in  mind,  however, 
that,  like  other  plants,  it  does  not  like  to  be  crowded  in  dense  masses. 
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 
grass,  as  to  remain  unmoved  by  shaking.  No  specimens  should  be  sent 
to  rest  in  the  post  office  over  Sunday,  on  which  day  there  is  no  "delivery 
of  postal  matter  in  London.  Specimens  in  partially  filled  boxes  are 
invariably  injured  or  spoiled  by  being  dashed  to  and  fro  in  transit.  Not 
more  than  six  specimens  can  be  named  at  once,  and  the  numbers  should 
be  visible  without  untying  the  ligatures,  it  being  often  difficult  to 
separate  them  when  the  paper  is  damp.  (C.  J.  IL). — 1,  Celsia  arcturus; 
