212 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  14,  1899. 
«*»  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  a,  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  hot  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  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. 
Maggoty  Plums  (T.  W.  0.).— The  light  coloured  Plum  arrived  in  a 
mashed  state  through  being  fully  ripe,  if  not  over-ripe,  when  placed  in 
the  box,  and  then  not  packed  to  prevent  its  moving  to  and  fro  during 
transit.  In  the  state  in  which  it  arrived  wo  should  consider  it  unfit  for 
human  food,  as  portions  of  the  fruit  were  in  a  decided  state  of  decay. 
The  red  Plum  was  firm  and  not  decayed.  The  maggot  had  escaped*. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  such  fruits  are  cooked  and  eaten,  and  we* 
suspect  are  no  more  harmful  than  a  mild  form  of  maggoty  cheese  ;  but  all 
the  same,  fruit  free  from  all  such  infestation  is  in%v‘ery  way,’ and  for 
every  purpose,  much  preferable.  See  reply  to  “C.  C.  E.”  on  pao-e  220 
last  week.  b  ’ 
Malmaison  Carnations  (Subscriber).— Princess  May,  Mdlle.  Warocque. 
and  Princess  of  Wales  greatly  resemble  each  other  in  their  tendency  to 
produce  flowering  shoots  so  freely  that  it  is  often  extremely  difficult  to 
obtain  good  layers.  This  tendency  becomes  more  and  more  pronounced 
if  flowering  shoots  are  continually  layered.  It  is  therefore  obvious  that 
special  treatment  ought  to  be  resorted  to.  The  plan  successfully  adopted 
by  many  growers  is  the  following  : — Early  in  spring,  when  the  young 
plants  are  growing  freely,  set  apart  a  few  for  stock  ;  these  are  cut  down 
to  the  point  where  the  side  shoots  appear,  and  as  the  main  stem  has  been 
cut  away  the  plants  do  not  flower,  but  concentrate  their  energies  in  the 
production  of  good  layers,  which  are  early  and  usually  sturdy.  Some  of 
these  cut  back  plants  are  also  potted  to  form  large  plants  the  following 
year,  and  after  thinning  these  supply  many  useful  layers  of  the  right 
type.  By  following  the  course  above'indicated  you  will  in  time  <ret  over 
your  present  difficulty. 
Propagating  Cedar  of  Lebanon  ( E .  L.  X.\ — The  seeds,  as  tar  as  we 
are  aware,  do  not  perfect  in  this  country.  Next  to  seeds,  grafting  is, 
perhaps,  the  best  means  of  increase.  Leading  growths — the  tips  of  the 
upper  branches  being  selected  for  the  purpose,  not  those  of  the  horizontal 
limbs,  as  is  often  done,  for  they  seldom  produce  erect  growths.  The 
grafting  is  best  performed  on  Mount  Atlas  Cedar  (Cedrus  atlantica) 
stocks,  as  on  Larch  the  trees  are  very  subject  to  its  disease,  operating  in 
the  spring  by  veneer-grafting  in  preference  to  cleft  or  wedge,  the  plants 
being  placed  in  a  close  frame  until  the  scion  has  knitted  with  the  stock, 
then  hardening  and  planting  out.  Cuttings  of  the  current  year’s  growth, 
taken  with  a  heel,  and  inserted  at  the  end  of  September  at  the  sides  of 
6-inch  pots  in  sandy  soil  surfaced  with  sand,  plunging  in  a  close  frame 
in  a  cool  house,  or  one  from  which  frost  only  is  excluded,  sometimes,  but 
not  always,  form  a  callus  by  spring.  In  spring  these  must  be  placed  in 
gentle  heat,  and  roots  will  be  speedily  emitted';  the  plants  can  then  be 
potted  singly,  and  when  well  rooted  hardened  and  planted  out.  Layering 
can  only  be  practised  on  branches  that  can  be  brought  down  to  the 
ground,  the  parts  being  ringed  — that  is,  the  bark  taken  off  about 
half-inch  wide,  and  not  quite  round  the  branch,  this  portion  being  placed 
in  the  soil  about  3  inches  deep,  and  secured  at  the  point  with  a  peg.  A 
callus  forms  by  the  descending  current,  and  from  this  roots  are  emitted. 
If  you  can  get  at  an  erect  branch,  partly  ring  it,  introduce  it  through  the 
hole  of  a  flower  pot  so  that  the  barked  part  will  be  about  two-thirds  from 
the  top,  and  fill  with  soil,  but  leaving  space  for  holding  water,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  year  you  may  secure  a  callus  ;  then  detach,  say  in  early 
8Pring?  at>d  place  in  gentle  heat,  so  as  to  accelerate  growth  and  promote 
the  emission  of  roots. 
Caterpillar  on  Apple  Twig.  (/.  T.). — The  caterpillar  hs  that  of  the 
brimstone  moth  (Rurnia  crataegatu),  which  is  comparatively  common  on 
Whitethorn  hedges,  but  it  may  also  be  found  occasionally  on  Rosaceous 
plants  in  the  orchard  and  garden,  but  seldom  in  such  numbers  as  to  do 
any  appreciable  harm.  When  at  rest  it  much  resembles  a  piece  of  stick, 
and  is  remarkable  tor  the  fact  of  having  eight  pairs  of  claspers,  and  only 
using  two  pairs.  The  specimen  is  an  exceedingly  fine  one. 
More  Remuneration  ( Pardsam ). — There  are  thousands  like  you  who 
have,  or  think  they  have,  “a  natural  taste  and  aptitude  for  horticultural 
puruits,”  and  who  desire  to  find  more  remuneration  than  you  have  found 
in  farming,  including  several  years’  experience  in  a  distant  colony.  We 
wish  we  could  tell  you  and  them  where  and  how  to  accomplish  the  desire. 
You,  however,  appear  to  be  endowed  with  more  enterprise  than  some 
persons  in  being  willing  to  go  anywhere,  no  matter  how  distant  the 
colony,  and  your  agricultural  experience  ought  to  be  of  service  to  you 
in  distant  Ends  if  you  can  find  a  position  in  which  you  can  sittle 
down.  The  address  of  the  gentleman  is  embodied  in  the  article  to 
which  you  refer,  and  you  are  quite  at  liberty  to  write  to  him  for  infor¬ 
mation.  See  “  Situations  Vacant  ”  in  our  last  issue. 
Swellings  on  Vine  Roots  ( G .  P.) — The  swollen  parts  on  the  young 
rootlets  are  caused  by  the  Vine  louse.  Phylloxera  devastatrix,  tor 
which  we  advise  watering  the  border  with  ammoniacal  liquor  from  gas 
works,  diluting  with  twelve  times  its  bulk  of  water,  and  giving  as  much 
as  in  an  ordinary  watering,  say  3  gallons  per  square  yard.  In  a  week 
lollow  with  clear  lime  water,  and  in  about  the  same  amount.  As  there 
will  be  some  smell  and  ammonia  given  off  by  the  gas  liquor  solution, 
air  top  and  bottom  must  be  freely  admitted  until  these  have  passed  off. 
If  you  cannot  do  this  on  account  of  the  Muscats,  give  a  good  soaking 
of  water  at  a  temperature  of  150°,  in  this  case  also  ventilating  top  and 
bottom  and  day  and  night,  with  a  gentle  warmth  the  hot-water  pipes  so 
as  to  promote  a  circulation  of  air  and  prevent  the  deposition  of  moisture 
on  the  Grapes. 
Poinsettias  Losing  their  Leaves  ( E .  A.  W.). — The  cause  of  this  has 
not  been  satisfactorily  explained,  and  is  a  very  common  and  great  defect 
to  the  appearance  of  the  large  heads  of  glowing  bracts.  It  generally 
arises  from  defective  root  action  and  deficiency  of  nitrogenic  elements  in 
conjunction  with  phosphoric  and  potassic.  We  have  made  many  experi¬ 
ments,  and  find  a  mixture  of  nitrate  of  potash  twenty  parts,  phosphate 
of  potash  twenty-five  parts,  sulphate  of  potash  ten  parts,  and  nitrate  of 
ammonium  thirty-eight  parts,  mixed,  using  not  stronger  than  one  ounce  to 
two  gallons  of  water,  very  valuable.  It  gave  luxuriant  foliage  and  largo 
bracts,  but  it  is  advisable  to  omit  the  nitrate  of  ammonium  until  the  bracts 
show,  as  this  favours  leafage  more  than  flowers.  The  articles  are  hardly 
in  commerce,  being  for  the  most  part  too  dear  for  general  use  ;  still  they 
are  the  best  we  have  found  for  the  purpose,  the  roots  being  in  a  healthy 
condition,  either  overdryness  or  wetness  of  the  soil  having  a  very  preju¬ 
dicial  effect. 
Flowers  in  the  London  Parks  (Z?r.  Capart,  Belgium"). — There  are  so 
many  beautiful  arrangements  of  flowers  in  the  various  beds  of  the* 
different  London  parks  that  it  is  difficult  to  suggest  in  what  way  you 
could  obtain  particulars  of  the  combinations  that  pleased  you  the  most. 
If  you  can  indicate  their  character,  and  name  the  park  or  parks  in  which 
they  were  displayed,  we  will  gladly  endeavour  to  obtain  the  information. 
Methods  of  planting  change  every  year,  und  there  is  no  book  in  which 
they  are  published.  A  few  examples  of  what  impressed  a  correspondent 
as  effective  arrangements  have  appeared  in  our  columns,  page  187, 
August  31st,  and  more  will  be  found  on  page  236.  We  presume  you  have 
obtained  that  particular  issue  after  sendirg  your  inquiry  ;  if  not,  it  shall 
be  sent  to  you.  As  indicating  the  numerous  methods  of  associating 
flowers  in  summer,  Mr.  E.  Kemp  Tcogood,  Southampton,  gives  loo 
examples  in  his  list  of  “beautiful  beds,”  but  though  these  are  suggestive 
and  unusually  varied  not  one  may  be  such  as  you  require.  We  are- 
sending  you  a  copy,  and  shall  be  pleased  if  we  can  assist  you  further 
in  any  way  through  cur  columns. 
Renovating  a  Vine  Border  (2?.  A.  C.). — 1,  It  would  be  advisable  to 
begin  the  renovation  of  the  inside  border  us  soon  as  the  Grapes  are 
cut,  or  when  the  leaves  give  indications  of  ripening.  In  the  case  of 
early  forced  Vines  we  have  operated  whilst  the  foliage  was  quite  fresh, 
the  wood  bemg  hard,  brown,  and  ripe,  with  the  result  of  securing  fresh 
rootlets  by  the  time  the  leaves  were  all  down.  Late  Grapes  are  different, 
the  wood  of  the  Vines  not  being  quite  ripened  and  the  foliage  still  capable 
of  performing  some  of  its  functions  ;  hence  it  is  not  advisable  to  lift  the- 
roots  until  the  leafage  gives  indications  of  maturing,  and  even  then  it  is- 
necessary  to  shade  the  house  and  keep  the  roots  covered  with  damp  mats. 
When  only  partial  lifting  is  practised  the  work  may  be  performed  much 
earlier,  as  the  check  will  not  be  such  as  to  cause  the  immediate  or  total- 
collapse  of  the  foliage,  which  should  be  strictly  guarded  against.  2,  The 
artificial  manure  should  be  put  on  when  the  operation  of  renovating  the 
border  has  been  completed,  sprinkling  it  on  the  surface  of  the  finished 
border,  scratching  it  in  with  a  fork  or  rake  very  lightly,  and  then  place 
on  the  inch  mulching  of  manure.  This  is  better  practice  than  scattering 
it  on  the  manure  and  mixing  with  the  latter  by  fork  or  rake.  3,  It  would 
not  be  good  practice  to  mulch  the  outside  border  with  a  12  inch  thickness 
of  manure  in  the  autumn,  as  from  the  condition  of  the  Vines  the  food 
washed  out  by  rain  would  not  be  of  a  suitable  nature,  there  being  already 
a  probable  excess  of  organic  acids.  The  dressing  of  the  fertiliser  and  an 
inch  mulching  of  short  manure  are  likely  to  be  more  effective,  for  the 
heavy  coat  of  manure  would  deprive  the  border  of  air,  which  is  essential 
for  the  oxidisation  of  the  soil  constituents  and  the  resolving  of  them  into 
available  plant  food. 
