156 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
August  25,  1898. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to“  The  Editor,”  a.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  NOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street.  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  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.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accompanied  by 
the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  are  give  i 
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. 
Leek  Culture  (0.  F.'). — The  practice  of  sowing  the  seeds  where  the 
plants  are  to  grow  answers  well  for  general  purposes,  the  rows  not  being 
less  than  a  foot  apart,  and  the  plants  thinned  in  the  early  stages  so  as 
to  leave  them  about  6  inches  asunder. 
With  the  land  in  good  heart,  and  kept 
clean  of  weeds,  the  Leeks  will  usually 
attain  to  a  sufficiently  large  size  without 
any  further  attention.  Yours,  however, 
appear  small.  They  would  be  improved 
in  growth  by  thinning,  setting  them  out 
the  distance  named,  leaving,  of  course, 
the  strongest  plants  ;  then  dress  the  bed 
with  a  mixture  of  three  parts  of  mineral 
superphosphate,  two  parts  of  muriate  of 
potash,  and  one  part  of  nitrate  of  soda, 
crushing  fine  and  mixing  well.  Sprinkle 
3  to  4  ozl  of  this  mixture  per  square 
yard  between  the  rows,  not  over  the 
plants,  when  the  ground  is  moist,  or,  if 
dry,  precede  and  follow  with  a  good 
watering.  Apply  two  dressings  in  half 
quantity  at  intervals  of  a  fortnight  or 
three  weeks.  The  plants  will  yet  make 
considerable  progress,  a  light  mulching 
of  short  manure  being  given  between  the 
rows,  and  water  or  liquid  manure  sup¬ 
plied  during  periods  of  dry  weather. 
Duration  of  Raspberry  Beds  (Idem). — 
The  beds  may  last  twenty  years  or  more, 
everything  depending  on  the  soil,  the 
manure  applied,  and  the  management.  On 
an  average  they  may  reauire  renewing 
every  dozen  years,  the  Raspberry  being, 
like  other  bush  fruits,  better  for  a  change 
of  ground.  This  should  be  in  an  open 
situation,  and  well  manured  and  trenched 
two  spits  deep.  Where  the  soil  is  shallow 
mix  manure  with  the  bottom  soil  ard 
leave  it  there,  keeping  the  good  mould 
on  the  top  and  manuring  it  also.  The 
canes  should  be  planted  in  the  autumn  in 
rows  about  4  feet  asunder  for  the  low- 
growing  sorts,  and  6  feet  for  the  strong¬ 
growing  varieties,  with  the  plants,  pre- 
ferably  three  together,  at  3  and  4£  feet 
respectively  in  the  rows.  The  canes  should 
not  be  allowed  to  fruit  the  first  season,  but  be  cut  down  to  about  a  foot 
from  the  ground,  the  obj-ct  being  to  secure  four  to  six  strong  canes  for 
the  following  season’s  bearing.  If  your  canes  are  healthy  and  produce  a 
great  deal  of  foliage  with  small  fruit,  it  is  evident  they  are  grown  much 
too  closely,  not  receiving  enough  light  and  air  to  insure  sturdy  growths. 
I  hin  them  by  pulfing  up  the  superfluous  canes,  leaving  four  to  six  of 
the  strongest  to  each  stool,  and  these  ought  to  be  the  distance  before 
named  apart,  then  you  may  expect  good  fruit,  not  otherwise,  and  have  no 
occasion  to  make  fresh  beds. 
Propagating  Chrysanthemums  for  Outdoor  Planting  ( Subscriber ). — 
The  plants  are  usually  increased  by  division,  the  young  growths  springing 
from  the  base  being  detached  in  the  autumn  or  early  in  the  spring  with  a 
porti  >n  of  root.  These  carefully  detached,  planted,  and  attended  to  for 
watering,  soon  become  established  and  grow  freely.  Tn  special  cases 
suckers  should  be  taken  off,  with  as  much  of  the  underground  part  as 
convenient,  preferably  with  some  roots,  and  these  dibbled  in  good  rich 
light  soil  in  a  sheltered  place,  shading  from  powerful  sun  until  growing. 
The  cuttings  may  be  inserted  in  late  autumn  or  early  in  spring. 
Diseased  Tomato  Leaves  (£T.  W.  P.). — Thousands  of  spores  of  the 
Tomato  leaf  fungus,  Cladosporium  fulvum  syn.  lycopersici,  were  present 
on  the^  leaves.  Dust  the  plants  all  over  with  one  of  the  advertised 
fungicides  containing  sulphate  of  copper,  and  re;  eat  occasionally  as  fresh 
growths  are  made.  Admit  air  more  or  less  constantly,  and  maintain  as 
high  and  dry  an  atmosphere  as  you  possibly  can  under  the  circumstances, 
and  consistent  with  a  free  admission  of  air.  It  would  be  better  if  you 
could  maintain  a  gentle  warmth  in  the  hot-water  pipes  constantly,  thus 
allowing  of  a  free  circulation  of  air,  and  a  drier  and  warmer  condition  of 
the  atmosphere  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case. 
Treatment  of  Cherry  Tree  in  a  Pot  ( W.  0.). — The  tree  need  not  be 
repotted  unless  in  a*  small  size  of  pot,  and  requiring  more  root  space.  It 
should  be  top-dressed,  the  old  soil  being  removed  from  over  the  roots, 
and  that  at  the  sides  of  the  pot  pricked  out  to  the  extent  of  about  two- 
thirds  the  depth  and  one-third  the  width  of  the  ball.  This  will  allow  of 
fresh  compost  round  the  roots,  which  should  be  made  quite  firm.  It  may 
consist  of  good  fibrous  loam,  with  a  fourth  of  well-decayed  manure  and 
about  a  fifth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  broken  up  small.  The  top-dressing 
must  be  applied  at  the  end  of  September,  or  earlier  if  the  leaves  give 
indications  of  falling.  In  the  case  of  repotting,  it  is  desirable  to  do  this 
early  in  the  autumn  than  defer  it  until  winter  t:me.  The  pruning  ought 
not  to  be  done  until  the  tree  becomes  leafless,  then  the  side  growths 
should  be  shortened  to  about  an  inch  of  their  base,  the  spur;  being  left 
in'act,  and  the  extension  growth  shortened  to  about  6  inches,  or  as 
necessary  to  secure  a  symmetrical  tree.  If  mu  h  shortening  be  necessary 
some  of  it  may  be  done  at  the  time  of  top-dressing  or  repotting,  especially 
when  the  growths  are  so  crowded  as  to  require  thinning. 
Tabemaemontana  camassa  ( W.  Edgar).— It  was  under  this  name  that 
Tabernmmontana  cymosa  flore-pleno  (fig.  28)  was,  and  still  may  be,., 
offered  in  s  'me  catalogues,  the  latter  being  correct.  It  was  obtained 
:8. — Tabern^emontana  cymosa  flore-pleno. 
from  a  Belgian  garden,  and  after  being  in  cultivation  for  a  short  time  it 
was  found  to  be  much  superior  to  T.  coronaria  flore-pleno  in  every 
respect,  and  was,  therefore,  largely  propagated.  The  freely  borne  flowers 
are  very’  double,  pure  white,  and  exceedingly  fragrant,  and  afford  a 
pleasing  contrast  with  the  dark  green  leafage.  It  grows  well  in  a  stove 
or  intermediate  house  with  Gardenias  or  Stephanotis,  and  requires  a 
compost  of  sound  turfy  loam  and  peat  in  about  equal  proportions. 
When  growing  supply  water  liberally,  and  syringe  the  foliage  frequentl  y 
to  keep  it  clean. 
