JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  20,  1899. 
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rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  wo  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
bo  inserted. 
Black  Sulphur  versus  Flowers  of  Sulphur  for  Use  on  vines  (  W.  W.  L.). 
— We  are  glad  you  have  found  sulphur  the  best  remedy  for  red  spider, 
blowing  it  over  the  leaves  by  a  bellows  apparatus,  as  you  have  done  for 
three  years.  The  sun  causes  some  fumes  to  be  given  off,  and  these  act 
well  on  the  red  spider  and  tho  fungoid  enemies  of  the  Vine.  Flowers  of 
sulphur  are  the  best  for  this  purpose,  as  they  are  purer  than  black  or 
sulphur  vivum,  which  contain  iron  and  other  impurities,  such  as  sulphate  of 
lime.  The  fumes  are  not  so  freely  given  off,  but  some  preterit  on  account 
of  its  dark  colour  and  from  its  heaviness  better  adhering  to  tho  foliage. 
We  have  not  found  it  the  best  for  Vines,  but  we  have  used  it  for  mildew 
on  Chrysanthemums,  Roses,  and  Peaches.  We  also  use  it  for  making 
bisulphide  of  calcium  for  destroying  mildews  and  mites,  but  sulphides 
injure  the  skin  of  Crapes  unless  washed  off  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  they  also  discolour  paint. 
Fungus  on  Woodwork  and  Walls  of  Cellar  ( SI .  R.s). — Tho  skin-like 
layer  or  filamentous  mycelium  developed  vigorously  on  the  nourishing 
substratum  of  wood  or  even  on  walls  (the  nourishment  being  drawn  from 
the  wood)  is  the  dry-rot  fungus,  Merulius  lacrymans,  though  there  exists 
evidence  also  of  l’olyporus  vaporarius,  whose  mycelium  forms  snow  white 
sheets  on  beams  and  deals,  and  produces  stiff  strands  several  yards  in 
length.  It  is  apt  to  be  specially  prevalent  in  cellars,  and  in  the  wooden 
doors  of  the  ground  Hat  of  houses  that  are  unprovided  with  air  spaces 
beneath,  or  these  not  ventilated  by  through  draughts — air  bricks  in  the 
outside  walls  and  the  dwarf  walls  pigeon  holed.  The  prevention  of  dry 
rot  fungus'  is  very  simple  :  —  1,  Use  only  sound,  well  seasoned  timber  for 
the  flooring.  2,  Provide  an  air-chamber  or  cavity  under  the  floor  net  less 
than  a  foot  depth  beneath  the  joints,  and  tho  dwarf  walls  on  which  these 
rest  built  pigeon  hole  fashion,  the  ground  walls  outside  and  inner  having 
a  damp  course  (asphalt)  and  the  floor  joists  above  this,  especially  if  built  into 
the  wall  (a  bad  practice).  3,  Provide  air-bricks  or  ventilators  in  the 
external  walls  opening  into  the  air  space,  and  so  arranged  as  to  cause  a 
through  draught,  all  the  better  if  from  one  side  of  the  building  to  the 
other.  These  points  attended  to  there  seldom,  if  ever,  occurs  dry  rot. 
Cellars  are  often  built  so  as  to  foster  dry-rot  fungus,  being  practically 
air-tight. ;  the  wood  decays  there,  and  the  moisture  therefrom,  surcharged 
with  organic  matter,  spreads  far  and  wide,  often  to  floors  above  or  near,  and 
the  fungus  follows.  When  cellars  must  be  air-tight  galvanised  iron  should 
be  used  instead  of  wood.  As  regards  cure,  the  best  preservative  is, 
perhaps,  corrosive  sublimate,  or  the  subjection  of  the  timber  to  the  process 
called  kyanising.  It  consists  in  immersing  the  timber  in  a  solution  of 
corrosive  sublimate  and  water  in  the  proportion  of  1  lb.  of  the  former  to 
from  10  to  15  gallons  of  the  latter,  steepin"1  the  wood  twenty-four  hours 
for  each  inch  of  thickness,  anil  afterwards  drying  under  cover.  Creosote 
answers  well,  but  creosoted  timber  can  hardly  be  used  ia  dwellings.  In 
a  similar  case  we  have  known  the  following  answer.  All  the  timber 
affected  and  the  fungus  growing  on  walls  was  carefully  removed  and 
burned.  Airwas  provided  on  the  lines  before  mentioned  ;  the  walls 
scalded  and  scrubbed  down,  a  complete  clearance  being  made,  and  then  a 
thorough  limewashing  was  given.  In  preparing  this  only  sufficient 
water  was  poured  on  freshly  burned  lime  to  cause  it  to  fall  to  a  fine 
powder,  and  then  formed  into  ordinary  whitewash  with  skim  milk,  two  or 
three  handfuls  of  common  salt  being  added  to  each  pailful.  There  has 
not  been  any  trouble  since,  because  the  builder  in. lie, pairing  used  proper 
materials  on  lines  practically,  dry-rpt  PV&ff(k  tie!  JbUff  > 
The  Snail  Plant  (LenoJ. —  Such  is  the  name  that  has  been  bestowed 
on  more  than  ono  form  of  Medicogo.  Yours  is  probably  orbicularis, 
a  hardy  annual  of  which  tho  seeds  may  be  sown  in  the  open  border 
in  April  in  any  good  garden  soil. 
Coal  Ashes  for  Grass  Land  and  Garden  Soil  (C.  C.). — Ordinary  coal 
ashes  have  extremely  slight  manorial  value,  those  from  bituminous  coal 
containing  0-4  per  cent.,  of  potash,  (V4  of  soda,  3-2  of  magnesia,  0-2  of 
phosphoric  acid,  and  8‘5  of  sulphuric  acid,  but  are  chiefly  considered 
from  a  mechanical  point  of  view,  henco  mainly  used  for  application  to 
heavy  land  to  render  it  more  open  and  friable.  Light  soils  are  generally 
too  porous,  therefore  coal  ashes  tend  to  render  them  still  more  so,  and 
may  therefore  do  more  harm  than  good.  We  have  found  them  useful  for 
mixing  with  strong  ditch  semirings  and  with  a  littlo  gas  lime,  forming  a 
compost  heap,  this,  after  mellowing  and  turning  once,  being  applied  to 
grass  land  in  the  autumn  or  winter. 
Cucumber  Leaves  Diseased  (E.  E.). — Tho  spots  on  tho  leaves  ore 
caused  by  u  parasitic  fungus  closely  allied  to  that,  of  the  Potato,  attacking 
tho  leaves  ill  a  somewhat  similar  manner.  rl'he  fungus,  Plasmopora 
cubensis,  has  a  destructive  effect  on  cucurbitnceous  plants,  but  has  only 
been  recently  recognised  us  occurring  on  Cucumbers  in  this  country, 
though  there  is  no  question  of  its  wide  distribution.  The  mycelium,  after 
entering  the  leaf,  forms  a  germinating  spore,  develops  between  the  cells, 
and  sends  suckers  into  these  to  absorb  their  contents,  In  due  time  the 
mycelial  hypha  sends  out  branches  through  the  breathing  pores  (stomats) 
of  the  leaf,  on  the  tips  of  which  are  produced  the  spores.  The  injured 
leaves  turn  yellowish  and  afterwards  brown  in  spots,  and  are  finally 
destroyed.  The  parasite,  so  far,  has  not  proved  very  destructive  in  this 
country,  and  seems  to  be  kept  in  check  by  the  high  temperature  to  which 
Cucumbers  are  subjected  on  the  “  express”  system,  though  it,  late  in  the 
season  and  in  dull  periods,  sometimes  destroys  the  tender  foliage.  Damp 
and  relative  cold  appeur  its  chief  provocatives,  therefore  we  advise  a  com¬ 
paratively  high  temperature  and  moderately  dry  atmosphere,  with  the 
removal  of  all  spotted  leaves  as  they  appeur,  burning  them. 
Violets  to  Bloom  iu  September  (Jardiniere).  —  The  best  method  of 
having  Czar  and  the  better  varieties,  Princess  of  Prussia,  &c.,  and  Marie 
Louise  in  bloom  in  September  is  to  plant  out  sturdy  suckers,  well  rooted, 
as  single  crowns  during  April,  the  plants  being  from  frames  and  well 
hardened.  This  may  sacrifice  some  bloom,  but  it  must  be  done  so  as  to 
plant  not  later  than  the  middle  of  tho  month  named,  the  Czar  being  placed 
15  inches  apart  and  Marie  Louise  1  foot,  planting  in  quincunx  order,  and 
omitting  every  fourth  row  for  the  Czar  and  fifth  for  the  Marie  Louise  to 
form  paths.  The  soil  should  be  well  manured  and  worked  prior  to  planting, 
then  made  firm,  if  of  an  open  looso  nature,  and  the  situation  should  be 
open,  but  sheltered  from  cutting  winds.  Weeds  and  runners  must  be 
carefully  kept  down,  and  in  May  or  early  in  June  the  ground  mulched 
with  short  manure,  but  duly  heated  and  prepared  so  as  to  prevent  the 
growth  of  any  weed  seeds,  and  during  dry  weather  the  plants  must  be 
well  supplied  with  water.  Towards  the  end  of  August  the  plants  will 
bo  coming  into  flower,  when  they  should  be  carefully  lifted  with  a  ball  of 
earth  and  placed  in  rich  soil  in  frames.  If  this  work  is  well  done  the 
plants  will  sustain  little  check  if  well  watered  and,  if  necessary,  shaded  for 
a  time.  They  soon  endure  and  enjoy  full  exposure  to  the  weather,  the 
lights  not  being  used  except  in  case  of  very  heavy  rains,  when  the 
sashes  must  be  tilted.  When  frost  prevails  keep  them  closed,  admitting 
air  as  soon  as  the  frost  has  departed.  Tho  plants  cannot,  have  too  much 
air,  hence  the  frames  only  afford  protection  from  climatic  vicissitudes 
and  consequent  injurious  effects.  Such  has  been  our  procedure,  and 
properly  carried,  out  bus  never  failed  in  affording  Violets  in  late 
summer.  It  is  important  that  the  plants  be  forward  and  strong  to 
insure  early  flowering.  The  Czar  varieties  especially  do  well  outdoors, 
but  moro  certain  in  frames  for  the  reasons  given. 
Growing  and  Forcing  Lily  of  the  Valley  (Idem).  —  By  adopting  a 
system  of  annually  preparing  plants  for  forcing,  excellent  crowns,  equal 
in  every  respect  to  those  imported,  may  be  obtained  in  this  country.  The 
procedure  is  to  select  a  piece  of  good  ground  on  an  oast  or  a  west  border,, 
manured  |,and  well  trenched.  In  this  the  crowns  should  be  planted 
2  inches  apart  in  rows  not  less  than  9  inches  asunder,  taking  out  a  trench, 
placing  the  crowns  upright  in  it,  so  that  their  points  are  just  below  the 
surface,  then  tilling  in,  every  sixth  row  being  left  out  to  form  beds  or 
alleys  between  them,  then  hoeing  occasionally  to  keep  the  surface  open 
and  clean.  A  mulch  of  well  rotted  manure,  about  an  inch  thick,  may  be 
placed  on  the  soil  on  the  approach  of  dry  weather,  and  water  must  be 
given  as  required  until  the  leaves  die  away.  Crowns  thus  treated  may 
be  lifted  for  forcing  the  following  winter  ;  but  if  they  are  young  when 
planted,  or  not  more  than  two  years  old,  they  should  be  left  till  the 
second  year,  as  only  the  strong  and  early  ripened  are  suitable  fyr  very 
early  forcing.  Badly  grown  crowns  are  of  no  use,  whether  they  are 
British  or  Berlin.  I’lace  the  boldest  and  best  ripened  crowns  rather 
thickly  in  pots,  boxes,  or  beds,  and  shake  a  little  fine  soil  or  cocoa-nut 
refuse  amongst  the  roots,  then  pressing  down,  but  not  quite  over  the  tops, 
which  cover  with  moss  or  leaves  free  from  slugs.  Blunge  in  bottom  heat 
of  85°,  and  maintain  a  top  heat  of  75°,  inverting  a  pot  or  box  of  similar 
size  over  them  to  keep  the  crowns  in  a  darkened  position.  This  is 
beneficial  in  starting  them  into  growth  and  drawing  up  tho  spikes  of 
bloom.  In  about  a  month  the  flowers  will  be  fit  for  cutting.  We  grow 
large  quantities  in  an  ordinary  pit  over  a  hotbed,  inserting  the  crowns 
about  an  inch  apart,  keep  the  lights  covered  with  mats,  and  cut  the 
flowers  as  they  become  fit,  and  have  not  the  slightest  trouble.  We  grow 
our  own  crowns,  planting  a  fresh  lot  every  year  in  thousands.  The 
finest  of  unripened  crowns  do  not  start  freely  when  used  for  early 
forcing  ;  you  may  have  to  purchase  to  begin  with. 
