80 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEN  HR. 
January  28,  189?. 
Bponging  the  leaves  with  an  insecticide,  used  according  to  the  directions 
given  by  the  vendors. 
When  packing  the  blooms  for  transit  light  shallow  boxes  should  be 
used  (16  inches  by  10  inches  and  2£  inches  deep  we  find  a  convenient 
size),  which  ought  to  be  neatly  lined  with  tissue  paper,  and  the  flowers 
placed  in  rows  across  the  box  with  layers  of  wadding  between  them. 
Thin  twigs  the  exact  width  of  the  box  pressed  down  across  the  ends  of 
the  stems  as  the  packing  proceeds  keep  the  flowers  in  position,  and 
thus  reducing  the  liability  of  their  getting  bruised. — H.  C. 
Cyclamen. 
At  the  present  time  we  have  in  flower  in  these  gardens  about  100 
plants  of  Cyclamen  persicum,  some  of  which  are  carrying  between  fifty 
and  sixty  blooms.  The  seed  was  sown  on  August  8th,  1895,  in  a 
temperature  of  50°.  The  seedlings  were  potted  on  February  Gth,  1896,  in 
2i-inch  pots,  and  placed  on  a  shelf  near  the  glass.  They  were  next 
shifted  into  4£-inch,  and  eventually  into  their  flowering  pots  on 
July  8th.  The  soil  for  each  potting  contained  equal  parts  of  loam,  leaf 
soil,  and  sand,  with  about  one-fifth  of  deer  droppings.  In  June  the  plants 
were  placed  close  to  the  glagB  in  frames  under  a  north  wall,  air  being 
constantly  admitted,  and  on  favourable  occasions  the  lights  were  taken 
off.  Liquid  manure  was  applied  twice  a  week,  and  a  slight  syringing 
given  three  times  a  day.  Thev  are  now  flowering  in  a  temperature  of 
45°  to  50°. — F.  R.,  Nostcll  Priory  Gardens. 
[Concise,  precise,  and  very  well  written  indeed.] 
Keeping  a  Diary. 
Having  with  pleasure  read  “  Preserving  the  Best,”  by  “  H.  T.,” 
page  634  (last  volume),  in  the  “  Young  Gardeners’  Domain,”  I  think  it 
a  sensible  way  of  preserving  articles  written  by  practical  men  on  various 
subjects  in  connection  with  our  calling.  I  therefore  hope  that  many 
more  will  follow  his  plan,  from  which  they  will  eventually  derive  much 
benefit.  Keeping  a  diary  consists  in  writing  down  each  night  the  work 
done  during  the  day  ;  also  in  noting  how  fruit  trees,  vegetables,  and 
plants  may  be  progressing  in  their  various  stages,  along  with  any 
experiments  that  may  have  been  tried  with  artificial  manures  or 
insecticides,  and  recording  their  results.  Through  the  kind  advice  of 
my  superior  I  was  advised  to  keep  a  diary  for  reference  in  days  to  come  ; 
by  so  doing  I  have  been  able  to  keep  in  store  much  valuable  information 
which  no  doubt  Would  have  been  lost.  I  hope  that  all  young  gardeners 
who  have  overlooked  the  great  benefit  to  be  derived  by  so  doing  will 
start  at  once.  The  most  suitable  diary  I  have  found  is  Collins’,  Is.  each, 
interlea^d  with  blotting,  spaces  marked  off  for  each  day. — J.  W. 
Culture  of  Herbaceous  Calceolarias. 
Some  experience  gained  by  the  cultivation  of  these  plants  enables 
me  to  give  a  few  details  regarding  their  treatment.  A  well  drained  pan, 
thoroughly  clean,  nearly  full  of  the  following  mixture — Loam  (good), 
two  parts,  leaf  mould,  one  part,  coarse  sand,  one  part.  \ 
The  seed  was  sown  about  the  middle  of  June,  covered  lightly,  the 
pan  being  then  placed  on  an  inverted  pot  which  was  standing  in 
another  receptacle  containing  water  to  prevent  slugs  from  injuring  the 
seedlings,  in  a  cold  frame.  As  soon  as  large  enough  the  seedlings  were 
potted  in  60’s,  using  the  same  kind  of  soil  as  before  ;  they  were  then 
placed  on  a  shelf  near  the  glass  in  the  greenhouse.  When  the  plants 
were  ready  for  another  size  pot  (48’s)  it  was  given  them,  using  one-sixth 
part  of  old  Mushroom  bed  refuse  in  addition  to  the  soil  mentioned  above. 
Plants  in  this  size  pot  proved  very  useful  for  vases,  the  others  being 
grown  in  32’s. 
A  little  stimulant,  such  as  sheep  manure  water,  helps  them  consider¬ 
ably,  especially  when  throwing  up  their  spikes.  Use  no  more  heat  than 
is  absolutely  necessary  ;  in  fact,  if  the  temperature  is  at  freezing  point  it 
will  not  hurt  the  plants.  Keep  the  surroundings  moist,  and  shade  a  little 
when  the  sun  is  strong,  or  they  will  drop  their  foliage.  Keep  a  sharp 
eye  for  slugs  and  green  fly,  and  with  careful  attention  you  will  see  on 
the  margins  of  the  leaves  drops  of  water,  which  is  sufficient  to  say  you 
can  manage  one  of  the  best  of  our  greenhouse  flowering  plants. 
—A.  F.  L. 
Taking  Chrysanthemum  Cuttings. 
Much  valuable  time  is  lost  and  inconvenience  caused  when  this 
work  is  not  methodically  done.  On  the  return  of  the  bulk  of  the  plants 
from  the  conservatory  the  varieties  should  be  arranged  in  rotation.  This 
is  time  well  spent.  If  the  plants  are  numbered  at  potting  time,  allow¬ 
ing  for  those  still  in  bloom,  they  are  easily  sorted  even  when  a  large 
number  are  grown. 
Many  advantages  accrue  from  this  simple  method.  The  quantity  of 
cuttings  for  each  variety  may  readily  be  ascertained  at  a  glance,  and 
any  barren  stools  may  be  placed  in  heat.  Then  the  soil,  consisting  of 
equal  parts  leaf  mould  and  loam,  with  a  free  admixture  of  sand, 
thoroughly  incorporated,  passing  the  whole  through  a  half-inch  sieve, 
may  be  prepared  and  the  labels  written.  These  early  preparations 
allow 'of  much  woik  being  executed  in  a  short  time.  The  labels  should 
be  alphabetically  arranged  on  a  garden  tray  or  trays,  one  to  each 
variety  ;  as,  for  instance,  “  Avalanche  ”  would  be  placed  in  the  A  section, 
whilst  *' W.  H.  Lincoln”  would  be  situated  at  the  bottom  of  the  tray 
in  the  W.  section. 
Provide  another  tray  or  sieve  on  which  are  arranged  a  dozen  or  more 
empty  3-inch  pots  with  a  little  paper  over  the  hole.  As  the  cuttings  are 
taken  the  empty  pots  form  good  receptacles,  and  are  deep  enough  to 
prevent  the  labels  toppling  over.  There  is  then  no  risk  of  varieties 
being  mixed  in  transit  to  the  potting  shed  for  insertion.  Here  duplicate 
dated  labels  are  provided  according  to  the  number  required,  the  latter 
having  been  previously  determined,  and  a  temporary  list  drawn  up  for 
guidance.  Labels  of  varieties  yielding  no  cuttings  or  insufficient  may  be 
placed  on  a  spare  shelf,  or  in  an  empty  box  in  the  potting  shed,  being 
displaced  as  the  requisite  number  is  obtained.  This  will  insure  the 
inclusion  of  all  varieties.  When  making  the  cuttings  after  the  number 
is  selected  of  each  variety,  all  duplicates  and  parings  should  be  swept  off 
the  bench.  These  simple  precautions  prevent  that  dire  disappointment 
at  blooming  time  through  the  cuttings  having  been  mixed. 
For  preference  long  narrow  pots  (long  toms)  are  used,  inserting 
singly,  thereby  avoiding  damage  to  the  tender  rootlets  when  repotting. 
Make  the  soil  fairly  firm,  sprinkle  a  little  silver  sand  on  the  top  to 
work  in,  and  insert  the  cuttings  with  a  blunt  dibber,  making  them  firm 
at  the  base.  Settle  the  soil  with  a  gentle  watering,  using  a  fine  rose. 
Transfer  the  cuttings  to  a  frame,  the  bottom  filled  with  ashes  to  keep 
them  cool,  situate  near  the  glass  in  a  house  with  a  temperature  of 
40°  to  50°.  Damping  must  be  guarded  against,  speedily  removing  all 
condensed  moisture  adhering  to  the  glass.  The  names,  dates,  and 
numbers  respectively  should  be  entered  in  a  book.  At  potting  off  time 
select  the  requisite  number  per  each  variety,  discard  weaker  duplicates, 
check  off  in  the  book,  and  number  the  plants. — H.  T. 
Vine  Culture. 
In  the  “  Young  Gardener’s  Domain  ’’  I  notice  fruit  is  a  subject  con¬ 
spicuous  by  its  absence,  so  with  permission  I  will  give  briefly  the  mode 
of  cultivation  which  I  have  found  gave  the  best  results  in  a  garden 
from  which  various  kinds  of  fruit  are  exhibited  largely.  Now  that 
many  persons  are  starting  their  first  houses  of  permanent  Vines,  I  will 
deal  with  them  first. 
In  our  vineries  the  borders  are  entirely  outside,  so  we  cover  thoBe  of  our 
earliest  houses  with  leaves  to  a  depth  of  18  inches,  placing  a  light  covering 
of  litter  over  them  in  December.  All  is  taken  off  in  May,  and  a  covering 
of  leaf  mould  given,  which  helps  to  retain  moisture  during  the  summer. 
In  late  autumn  the  Vine  borders  have  a  dressing  of  gypsum  or  lime 
lightly  forked  in.  The  roots  are  close  to  the  surface  in  all  our  borders 
with  one  exception,  this  supporting  a  cane  each  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria, 
Ryton  variety,  and  Mrs.  Pince  :  yet  all ,  give  fine  bunches,  many  up  to 
7  lbs.  weight  when  ripe,  but  Mrs.  Pince  colours  poorly.  Afterwards  the 
borders  are  dressed  with  dissolved  bones  and  sulphate  of  potash 
raked  in.  The  borders  are  well  made  with  the  top  spit  of  a  deer  park, 
and  a  sprinkling  of  bone  meal,  and  half-inch  bones  mixed  in. 
Our  two  earliest  houses,  which  afford  ripe  Grapes  in  June  and  July, 
were  formerly  Pine  pits,  and  in  the  centre  of  each  is  a  pit  8  feet  wide  and 
7  feet  deep  running  the  length  of  the  house  ;  this  is  filled  every  year 
with  Oak  leaves,  the  earliest  house  about  January  1st,  the  other  some 
time  later  in  the  month.  The  leaves  are  turned  half  their  depth  as  soon 
as  heated  ;  the  heating  destroys  many  slugs,  and  drives  others  to  the 
surface,  the  top  leaves  then  going  under  when  turning.  The  leaves 
besides  producing  humid  warmth,  good  for  Vines  when  starting,  are  very 
useful  for  starting  pot  Strawberries,  raising  seeds,  and  striking  cuttings 
during  spring. 
Before  starting,  the  houses  and  Vines  are  well  washed.  I  do  not 
believe  in  painting  Vines  with  a  pigment,  to  be  washed  off  in  a  short 
time  with  the  syringe.  The  Vines  are  gently  syringed  twice  a  day  till 
they  start ;  afterwards  it  depends  on  the  weather.  On  bright  days  they 
are  syringed  in  the  morning,  and  again  before  closing  in  the  afternoon, 
and  on  dark  days  they  may  not  require  syringing  at  all.  The  floors  are 
damped  several  times  a  day  as  required..  We  generally  damp  down  with 
liquid  manure  the  last  time,  as  the  ammonia  from  it  helps  to  keep  the 
Vines  free  from  red  spider  and  thrips. 
Our  Vines  will  not  start  freely  in  a  temperature  under  50°,  10°  more 
in  the  day,  and  5°  less  at  night.  After  the  Vines  start  we  close  the  house 
in  time  to  let  the  thermometer  rise  to  70°,  increasing  to  80°  when  the 
Vines  are  in  flower,  with  about  65°  in  the  morning.  Syringing  ceases 
when  the  Vines  are  coming  into  flower,  and  till  after  the  Grapes  are  cut. 
— W.  T.,  Ireland.  CTo  be  continued.) 
Winter  Flowering  Carnations. 
Now  is  the  time  to  commence  propagating  these  useful  plants.  The 
cuttings  should  be  taken  from  the  old  stems  of  healthy  plants  after  the 
flowers  have  been  removed.  They  should  be  pulled  off,  by  which  means 
a  portion  of  the  old  wood  will  remain  intact,  and  greatly  facilitate  the 
striking  of  the  cuttings.  After  neatly  trimming  them  they  may  be 
placed  three  in  a  2-inch  pot,  or  several  in  a  5-inch,  using  a  compost  of 
about  equal  parts  of  loam,  leaf  soil,  and  sand,  passed  through  a  quarter- 
inch  sieve. 
Care  is  required  in  inserting  Carnation  cuttings.  The  method  I  have 
seen  adopted  is  the  following  : — Thoroughly  clean  pots  are  filled  to  half 
an  inch  of  the  rim  with  the  compost,  a  thick  coating  of  sand  is  placed  on 
the  top,  and  the  cuttings  dibbled  in  with  a  rather  blunt  dibber.  By  this 
means  the  sand  trickles  under  and  around  the  cutting,  thus  inuring  it 
to  some  extent  against  damp.  Give  a  good  watering  to  settle  the  soil, 
after  which  little  or  no  more  will  be  required  until  they  have  rooted, 
Remove  to  the  propagating  house,  and  plunge  the  pots  to  their  rims  in 
cocoa-nut  fibre. 
When  rooted  pot  singly  in  2-inch  pots,  using  the  same  compost 
as  before,  but  in  a  slightly  rougher  state.  Grow  the  plants  steadily, 
increasing  the  supply  of  air  as  they  gain  strength,  so  that  they  may  be 
ready  to  remove  to  the  frames  by  the  end  of  March.  Winter  flowering 
Carnations  require  to  be  stopped  about  twice  to  encourage  them  to  make 
bushy  plants.  No  plants  of  any  description  should  be  both  stopped  and 
potted  at  the  same  time.  About  the  end  of  March,  and  again  at  the  end 
