46 
JOURNAL  OF  BORTIGULTURE  ANT)  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  13,  1898.'^!^ 
ot  some  warm  material  should  be  placed  directly  over  it,  care  being 
taken  that  there  are  no  air  spaces  round  the  edges  of  the  quilt. 
If  the  bees  are  in  good  condition  and  kept  warm,  and  the  candy  is 
made  according  to  the  above  directions,  the  bees  will  often  take  it  iti 
preference  to  the  sealed  .stores  they  may  have  in  their  hive,  wisely 
taking  the  extra  supply  of  food  provided  for  them,  they  will  then  fall 
back  on  their  stored  supplies  when  this  fails.  An  extra  supply  of 
candy  may  be  given  as  often  as  necessary.— An  English  BEE-KHErEK. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
Armitage  Bros.,  Ltd.,  Nottingham.— Manual. 
Barr  &  Sons,  King  Street.  Covent  Garden. — Seed  Guide. 
W.  Bull,  King’s  Koad,  Chelsea. — Seeds. 
B.  R.  Davis,  Yeovil. — Begonias. 
Kelway  &  Son,  Langport. —  \\liolesale  Seed  List. 
Kent  &  Brydon,  Darlington. — Seeds. 
J.  Laing  &  Sons,  Forest  Hill.— S'eeds. 
Pape  &  Bergmann,  Quedlinburg. — Seeds. 
W.  Paul  &  Son,  Waltham  Cross. — Seeds. 
J.  R.  Pearsons  &  So..s,  Chilwell. — Seeds,  Chrysanthemums. 
S.  F.  Richmond,  Ossett. — Chrysanthemums. 
C.  Sharpe  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Sleaford. — Standard  Seeds. 
Louis  Van  Houtte,  P6re. — Seeds  and  Plants. 
W.  Welch,  Rush  Green,  Romford. — Seeds. 
correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  8.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandswortb,  S.W.,  and  HOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
I  leet  Street.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately  to 
any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discu8.sed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to 
unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  departmental  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. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  should  never  send 
more  than  two  or  three  questions  at  once.  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  fur  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. 
A  Curious  Potato  (W.  Brown). — Potatoes,  such  as  the  one  j’ou  have 
sent,  are  not  so  uncommon  as  you  appear  to  think.  We  have  seen 
cases  of  it  before,  and  will  give  further  particulars  relative  to  it  in  our 
next  issue. 
Lawn  Manure(71  C.  P.).— Your  question  was  answered  last  week.  You 
do  not  repeat  the  formula,  which  was  not  preserved.  If  the  soil  is  of  a 
cold  and  wet  nature  withhold  the  salt  and  use  sulphate  of  ammonia 
instead  of  nitrate  of  soda  in  the  spring. 
Mistletoe  on  Apple  Trees  (M.  F.).— We  advise  you  to  try  the  two 
methods  suggested  below  with  several  seeds,  of  which  some  may  be 
expected  to  germinate.  The  berries  should  be  inserted  in  a  notch  cut  in 
the  bark  on  the  under  side  of  a  branch.  Avoid  crushing  the  seed,  and 
have  the  embryo  directed  towards  the  branch.  To  prevent  birds  dis¬ 
turbing  the  seeds  after  being  placed  in  position  cover  wiih  tiffany  or  other 
light  material.  The  seeds  may  also  be  fastened  to  a  smooth  part  of  the 
tree  by  the  sticky  substance  surrounding  them,  but  protected  from  birds. 
Insert  the  seeds  at  once. 
Trees  and  Shrubs  that  Rabbits  will  not  Eat  During  a  Severe 
Winter  (tr.  IF). —  The  following  trees  and  shrubs  were  not  injured  with 
us  during  several  severe  winters,  in  pleasure  grounds  where  both  hares 
and  rabbits  abounded  Alders,  Andromedas,  Birches,  Bitter  Willow, 
*Box,  Corsican  Pine,  Irish  Yews,  Kalmias,  Periwinkles,  ^Rhododendrons, 
and  *Spurge  Laurels,  What  they  will  not  eat  in  severe  weather,  when 
there  is  little  choice,  or,  say,  only  the  above,  we  have  no  experience,  save 
that  of  those  marked  with  an  asterisk  only  survived  stumping  by  the 
rabbits,  the  Periwinkles  being  burled  beneath  snow,  but  if  eaten  off  it 
would  not  matter  a  great  deal  as  they  spring  up  again  from  the  roots. 
Rhododendrons,  all  points  considered,  are  the  best.  Several  trees  and 
shrubs  the  animals  only  nibbled,  but  they  h.ad  choice  of  many  hundred 
species,  which  makes  just  all  the  difference. 
Trachelium  coeruleum  (Amo). — This  plant  is  a  native  of  the  South  of 
Europe,  and  though  moderately  hardy  it  sutfers  from  unusually  severe 
winters,  therefore  it  is  desirable  in  most  cases  to  preserve  a  plant  or  two 
under  glass  but  it  is  easily  raised  from  seed,  and  seedlings  flower  the 
same  season.  Allied  to  the  Campanula,  it  nevertheless  differs  from  many 
of  that  genus  in  its  habit  of  growth  ;  it  does  not  throw  up  suckers  like 
most  of  that  family,  but  produces  side  shoots,  which  make  excellent  slips 
or  cuttings.  These,  if  put  into  a  cold  pit  or  under  a  hand-glass,  where 
some  protection  can  be  afforded  them  in  winter,  make  good  plants  in  the 
following  spring. 
Cropping  vines  (IF.). — Your  question  as  put,  and  in  the  absence  of 
informaiion  as  to  the  age  and  condition  of  the  Vines  which  have  been 
replanted  in  fresh  soil,  and  the  state  of  the  roots,  does  not  admit  of  a 
definite  reply  as  to  “  how  many  bunches  the  Vine  should  be  allowed  to 
carry  this  year.”  Weakly  Vines  produce  §  lb.  bunches,  strong  healthy 
Vinos  bunches  six  times  that  weight.  We  can  only  advise  you  to  let  the 
Vines  start  very  steadily  without  any  forcing.  If  the  roots  were  healthy 
and  abundant  a  crop  equal  to  about  half  that  which  fini.shed  well  last 
season  might  not  be  too  heavy  for  them.  It  will  be  safer  to  err  in  under 
than  over-cropping,  and  then,  if  all  goes  well  with  the  Vines,  they 
may  be  expected  to  give  compensation  in  future  years.  Overstraining 
them  this  summer  would  be  a  great  mistake  that  may  have  far-reaching 
consequences. 
Dahlias  Showing  “Eyes”  in  the  Flowers  (F.  S.  C.). — The  chief 
cause  of  Dahlias  having  “eyes”  is  usually  lack  of  that  steady  development 
of  the  plant  so  essential  to  the  proper  building  up  of  the  flower,  and  is 
best  avoided  by  a  proper  preparation  of  the  soil,  not  using  freshly  manured 
ground,  but  having  it  in  good  heart,  deeply  stirred  and  in  good  tilth. 
This  will  secure  sturdy  growth  and  well  formed  blooms  provided  the 
plants  are  given  plenty  of  room  and  sturdy  plants  are  put  out  in  proper 
time.  Wet  seasons  tend  to  encourage  the  production  of  “eyes,”  and  too 
severe  disbudding  acts  similarly  by  inducing  grossness  of  plant,  also 
weakly  cuttings  seldom  throw  good  flowers.  This  should  be  avoided  by 
selecting  short-jointed  cuttings.  The  tubers  you  have  are  more  likely 
to  give  the  proper  sort  of  cuttings  than  any  tubers  you  may  purchase,  and 
you  may  propagate  from  them  with  every  conhdence,  only  give  the  plants 
plenty  of  room,  and  keep  the  growths  fairly  thin. 
Increasing  Fiens  elastica  (F.  D.  H.), — You  will  find  the  present  time 
is  suitable  for  propagating  this  plant,  either  by  shoots  taken  oflE  with  a 
shoot  or  by  eyes.  When  it  is  propagated  by  eyes  they  should  be  taken 
with  a  leaf  attached  to  each,  and  be  placed  in  silver  sand  to  keep  them 
from  bleeding.  Insert  them  in  small  pots  well  drained,  in  a  mixture  of 
peat  and  cocoa-nut  fibre,  and  plunge  in  a  strong  bottom  heat  of  90“,  with 
a  little  sand  under  each  cutting.  If  they  are  not  placed  in  a  strong 
bottom  heat  the  eyes  will  not  break.  When  the  eyes  have  rooted  and 
commenced  growing  they  should  be  repotted  into  48-sized  pots,  in  equal 
parts  of  turfy  loam  and  peat,  with  sutbeient  sand  to  keep  ihe  soil  open. 
The  plants  should  be  placed  in  a  temperature  of  about  70‘',  and  be 
syringed  frequently  ;  occasionally  sponging  the  foliage  is  also  highly 
beneficial.  The  plants  should  not  be  allowed  to  become  root-bound  until 
they  have  grown  to  the  allotted  size,  when  they  will  be  greatly  benefited 
by  liberal  supplies  of  liquid  manure.  During  their  growing  season  they 
should  never  be  allowed  to  become  dry  at  the  roots,  as  dryness  causes  the 
leaves  to  turn  yellow,  and  spoils  the  beauty  of  the  plants.  Shoots  taken 
off  with  a  heel  will  make  plants  much  quicker  than  raising  them  from 
eyes  ;  and  it  is  the  safest  plan,  for  if  strong  bottom  heat  is  not  afforded, 
the  eyes,  as  before  mentioned,  will  not  break  into  growth.  When  only  a 
few  plants  of  rapid  growth  are  required  we  advise  that  they  be  raised 
from  cuttings,  but  when  a  great  number  of  small  plants  is  required  the 
mode  of  raising  them  from  eyes  must  be  ad'  pted. 
Vine  Weevil  Grubs  Infesting  Roots  of  Adiantum  cuneatum  (<7.  L.). — 
We  have  communicated  with  the  correspondent  referred  to.  He  is 
unable  to  account  for  the  corrosive  sublimate  solution,  1  oz.  to  6  gallons 
of  water,  failing  to  destroy  these  pests,  except  on  the  supposition  that 
the  article  differed  from  that  which  he  found  successful,  or  that  the 
poison  was  not  properly  dissolved  m  hot  water.  The  grubs  are  among 
the  most  difficult  to  kill,  as  they  nestle  in  an  earth  cavity,  with  the  head 
coiled  under  the  tail,  the  air  cell  formed  by  the  coil  of  the  body  throwing 
off  solutions,  aided  by  the  oily  nature  of  the  skins  of  the  larvae.  In  most 
serious  infestations  which  have  come  under  our  notice  we  have  found  that 
the  potting  was  too  light  and  the  soil  not  kept  constantly  and  uniformly 
moist.  Some  persons  find  one  remedy  the  best,  some  another.  We  have 
records  of  success  by  the  use  of  hot  water — temp.  140°  to  145°.  This 
would  destroy  some  plants,  but  has  not  injured  Adiantums  during  what 
may  be  termed  their  resting  period,  but  the  soil  must  lie  fairly  moist. 
Clibran’s  Eucharis  mite  killer  and  Bentley’s  spidicide  have  also  been  found 
effectual  by  cultivators,  applied  according  to  the  vendors’  directions. 
The  soil  ought  not  to  be  dry  when  they  are  used,  and  it  is  best  to  close 
the  drainage  with  clav,  then  give  sufficient  of  the  preparation  to  show  or 
stand  on  the  surface,  indicating  soil  saturation.  We  once  took  possession  of 
a  number  ot  “dried  off”  Adiantums  infested  with  weevil  maggots.  All  the 
soil  possible  was  removed  and  burned,  and  the  roots  plunged  in  hot  water, 
over  140°,  where  they  remained  till  the  water  cooled.  It  was  a  case  of  kill 
or  cure.  They  were  potted  firmly,  started  very  slowly  (a  few  not  at  all), 
but  eventually  developed  into  as  fine  plants  as  could  be  desired.  The  soil 
was  kept  moist,  summer  and  winter,  except  in  some  half  dozen  pots 
for  trapping  the  stragglers,  and  the  weevil  scourge  was  stamped  out. 
Names  of  Fruits.  —  Notice. —  We  have  pleasure  in  naming  good 
typical  fruits  (when  the  names  are  discoverable)  for  the  convenience  of 
regular  subscribers,  who  are  the  growers  of  such  fruit,  and  not  col¬ 
lectors  of  specimens  from  non-subscribers.  This  latter  procedure  is 
wholly  irregular,  and  we  trust  that  none  of  our  readers  will  allow 
