50  2 
December  29,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to“  The  Editor,”  8,  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  HOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
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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  he  accompanied  by 
the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  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. 
Seedling  Chrysanthemums  ( John  Elton). — The  single  Chrysanthemum, 
though  carefully  packed,  was  much  withered  when  it  reached  us,  and  it 
is  therefore  impossible  to  form  a  correct  estimate  of  its  quality.  You 
will  be  justified  in  naming  it.  The  incurved  or  Japanese  incurved 
appears  to  be  of  good  promise.  We  advise  you  to  grow  them  well  next 
season,  and  then  to  submit  specimens  of  each  to  some  Chrysanthemum 
specialist. 
Pear  Decayed  at  the  Core  (TF.  H.  B.). — The  Pear  isBeurre  Berckmans, 
an  excellent  fruit,  but  so  liable  to  decay  at  the  core  as  to  be  often 
practically  useless.  We  have  found  the  defect  most  pronounced  in  fruit 
grown  against  a  wall,  and  also  in  dry  seasons.  There  have  been  various 
surmises  as  to  the  fruit  decaying  at  the  core,  which  is  much  on  the 
increase,  and  unquestionably  due  in  part  to  a  high  and  continued  high 
feeding  system  of  culture.  We  have  tried  some  experiments,  and  paid 
much  attention  to  the  subject,  but  have  not  attained  any  marked  success, 
though  the  use  of  silicate  manure,  especially  that  of  potash,  has  been 
attended  with  benefit.  There  is  no  fungus,  but  some  bacterial  germs  in 
the  fruit,  but  how  they  got  inside  is  more  than  we  can  say.  They  are 
not  of  species  that  affect  living  tissues,  but  of  those  found  in  nearly  all 
decaying  organic  substances.  Why  not  graft  the  tree  with  another 
variety  ? 
Border  for  Outdoor  Vines  (£?.  H.  F.). — A  border  3  feet  in  width  will 
at  first  be  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  Vines.  If  necessary  it  may  be 
added  to  in  after  years.  A  border  of  this  width  well  prepared  and  broken 
up  to  the  depth  of  18  inches  will  prove  a  suitable  rooting  medium  in  which 
the  Vines  will  establish  themselves  readily.  This  depth  and  width  of  soil 
may  be  kept  fertile  and  sufficiently  encouraging  to  the  roots  by  annual 
top-dressings  of  manure  and  due  supplies  of  water,  liquid  manure,  or 
soapsuds  in  summer,  together  with  additions  of  substantial  compost  from 
time  to  time  for  the  benefit  of  active  surface  roots.  This  will  be  the 
means  of  preventing  the  descent  of  the  roots  into  cold  poor  subsoil. 
In  preparing  the  soil  do  not  use  fresh  manure.  Turfy  loam,  light  or 
heavy,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  staple  soil,  intermixed  with 
dry  wood  ashes  and  a  handful  of  bonemeal  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  roots  of  each  Vine  when  planting  answers  the  best. 
Forcing:  Roses  (S'.  S.). — We  think  you  attach  too  much  importance  to 
the  “  resting”  of  your  plants.  They  are  never  at  complete  rest  in  pots, 
more  especially  the  Teas  and  Noisettes.  You  mention  nipping  off  the 
flower  buds  until  November,- and  also  that  the  varieties  grown  are  chiefly 
Mermets  and  Niels,  but  not  a  word  about  pruning.  Provided  the  plants 
of  such  growers  as  Catherine  Mermet,  Perle  des  Jardins,  and  Niphetos 
receive  a  partial  rest  and  open-air  treatment  during  late  summer  and 
early  autumn,  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  forcing.  Prune  back  to 
well  matured  buds,  and  you  will  have  new  growths  that  will  carry 
blooms.  Do  you  not  give  too  much  water  in  summer  ?  Are  you  not 
somewhat  reluctant  to  cut  away  any  healthy  wood  ?  Do  you  not  start 
the  plants  into  new  growth  too  rapidly,  and  in  too  high  a  temperature  ? 
Unless  these  or  some  of  them  are  the  causes  of  your  failure,  there  is 
something  in  your  treatment  that  has  not  been  stated  in  your  queries. 
Surely  if  you  have  several  Hose  houses  you  employ  a  person  who  under¬ 
stands  the  work  of  Rose  forcing.  We  shall  be  very  happy  to  help  you  in 
any  way,  but  unless  we  know  full  particulars,  cannot  suggest  exactly 
where  the  cause  of  failure  rests.  We  have  no  difficulty  in  producing 
abundance  of  Roses  by  starting  the  plants  at  the  present  time,  and  have 
never  once  failed  in  our  object. 
Fig.  88. — Scoliopus  Bigelovi. 
are  beautifully  crisped,  not  unlike  Nerine  crispa,  and  vary  from  a  duli 
greenish  to  a  bright  showy  purple,  regularly  interspersed  with  dark  spots, 
often  merging  into  blotches.  The  outer  segments  are  about  an  inch  long, 
nearly  half  as  broad,  and  widely  spreading.  The  inner  ones  are  about 
the  same  length,  very  narrow  and  erect,  but  variable.  The  leaves  are 
from  6  to  8  inches  long  and  half  as  broad.  They  are  very  suggestive  of 
Veratrums,  and  only  differ  from  them  in  having  the  veins  on  the  under 
surface  narrowly  w  inged,  both  sides  being  sprinkled  with  minute  purple 
dots,  making  them  very  attractive.  The  plant  is  perfectly  hardy  in  our 
climate.  It  should  be  planted  in  peaty  soil  in  a  partial  shady  position. 
Names  of  Fruits.  —  Notice. — We  have  pleasure  in  naming  good 
typical  fruits  (when  the  names  are  discoverable)  for  the  convenience  of 
regular  subscribers,  wrho  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 
themselves  to  be  made  the  mediums  in  infringing  our  rules.  Special 
attention  is  directed  to  the  following  decision,  the  object  of  which  is 
to  discourage  the  growth  of  inferior  and  promote  the  culture  of  superior 
Wasps  in  Vineries  (  Yorkshireman ). — With  ample  means  of  ventilation 
we  have  had  no  difficulty  in  excluding  wasps  from  vineries  by  the  use  of 
sufficiently  fine  meshed  hexagon  netting,  but  we  have  occasionally  seen 
the  ventilation  provision  so  scant  in  houses  that  even  the  netting  proved 
obstructive  to  the  requisite  amount  of  air  required  by  the  Vines.  If  a 
wasp  find  entrance  to  a  netted  house  the  intruder  may  be  brought  down 
by  a  shot  from  the  syringe.  Numbers  of  wasps  can  be  caught  outside  a 
vinery  in  bottles  of  sweetened  beer  and  other  traps  temptingly  baited. 
Compensation  for  Compulsory  Disturbance  ( Wakopa). — Your  case  is 
governed  by  the  special  Act  of  Parliament  obtained  by  the  railway  for 
extending  its  line.  If  no  provision  is  made  there  for  compensating  you 
for  prospective  profits,  you  have  no  remedy  under  the  general  law.  You 
have  surely  received  notice  of  some  kind — probably  twelve  months.  There 
is  no  denying  the  hardship  of  your  case.  The  law  says  magniloquently 
“  there  is  no  wrong  without  a  remedy,”  but  lawyers  spend  their  lives  in 
learning  that  this  principle  is  qualified  by  innumerable  exceptions.  Even 
if  you  had  a  colour  of  right  it  is  dangerous  to  contest  it  with  a  large  cor¬ 
poration.  Corporations,  including  the  State,  are  the  hardest  taskmasters, 
and  have  no  bowels  of  compassion  for  the  individual. 
Scoliopus  Bigelovi  (  W.  Baby). — You  are  in  error  in  supposing  this  to 
be  a  new  plant  ;  such  is  not  the  case,  though  it  is  still  very  rare  in  Great 
Britain.  It  flowers  early  in  April  and  May,  the  number  of  blooms  bein°- 
invariably  eight  in  different  stages  of  development.  The  flowers  (fig.  88) 
