370 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
October  26,  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. 
Stephanotis  floribunda  ( C .  IF.  II.)— It  is  bad  practice  to  keep  this 
plant  too  warm,  tor  its  growths  are  more  sturdy  and  it  flowers  more 
profusely  when  grown  under  cooler  and  more  airy  conditions  than  the 
plant  is  generally  subjected  to.  Cool,  airy  treatment  after  flowering  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  thoroughly  harden  and  ripen  the  wood  before 
the  season  for  complete  rest  arrives.  The  plants  that  flowered  early  in 
the  year  have  had  no  artificial  heat  for  the  last  six  weeks,  and  roue  will 
be  given  as  long  as  the  temperature  can  be  kept  from  tailing  below  50°  at 
night.  Abundance  of  air  should  be  admitted  during  the  day,  and  a  little 
ventilation  allowed  all  night  when  the  weather  is  mild.  The  atmospheric 
conditions  of  the  house  should  also  be  much  drier  now  than  is  generally 
the  case. 
Slitting  [the  Bark  on  Stem  of  Seedling  Apple  Tree  (Warwick). — 
We  presume  the  object  of  the  proposed  operation  is  to  induce  the  seedling 
Apple  tree  of  some  five  to  ten  years  old  to  come  into  bearing  as  soon  as 
possible.  In  that  case  it  would  not  be  well  to  slit  the  bark  down  the 
stem,  as  the  vertical  incision  would  exercise  the  contrary  tendency, 
facilitating  rather  than  impeding  the  ascent  of  the  crude  sap  and  the 
passage  downward  to  the  roots  of  the  formative  substance  or  cambium. 
Thus  the  stem  would  be  thickened  by  the  formation  of  new  bark  and  its 
concomitant  layer  of  young  wood  in  covering  the  wounds,  and  if  anything 
increase  the  vigour.  Ringing  is  perhaps  what  you  mean — the  taking  of 
a  ring  ol  bark  quite  down  to  the  wood  from  the  stem  and  all  round,  this 
being  from  a  quarter  to  half  an  inch  wide,  and  done  as  soon  as  the  leaves 
fall,  or  from  that  time  to  early  spring  before  the  sap  rises.  This  impedes 
the  flow  of  sap  somewhat,  and  retards  the  downward  tendency  of  the 
elaborated  matter  to  such  extent  as  induces  fertility.  This  is  due  to  the 
concentration  of  the  elaborated  matter  on  the  parts  above  the  ringing 
consequently  restricted  growth,  blossom,  bud  formation,  and  the  fruit 
following  being  finer.  Why  not  ring  some  of  the  branches  or  even  all  of 
them,  leaving  the  stem  intact  for  grafting  on  if  the  variety  prove  worthless 
or  undesirable  ?  Another  plan,  and  a  good  one,  is  to  prune  the  roots. 
Transparent  Patches  in  Apples  (New  Subscriber).— No,  this  is  not  as 
you  surmise,  extremely  rare — in  fact  we  have  frequently  seen  it.  The 
wax-like  patches  consist  of  pulp  of  greater  density  than  the  other  parts 
of  the  lruit,  the  cell  walls  having  been  ruptured,  probably  on  account  of 
their  thinness,  and  the  extravasated  juices  are  retained,  giving  the  blotches 
a  firm  transparent  appearance.  There  are,  of  course,  no  air  spaces  in 
this  part  of  the  fruit,  but  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  air,  as  air  bubbles 
form  on  the  microscopic  section,  and  a  few  perfect  cells  exist  amid  the 
gelatinous-like  flesh  forming  the  blotches.  In  other  parts  of  the  fruit  the 
cells  are  unusually  large,  and  the  flesh  is  much  softer  and  lighter.  The 
substance  proceeds  directly  from  the  internal  parts  of  the  lruit,  and  is 
intimately  connected  with  the  carpel  or  core.  Its  extravasation  is  most 
pronounced  in  hot  soils  and  seasons,  and  is  restricted  to  certain  races, 
such  as  the  Muscovy  or  White  Astrachan  (Transparent  Apple),  which  is 
remarkable  for  its  gelatinous-like  blotches  in  the  flesh,  and  sometimes  the 
whole  fruit  is  transparent,  with  a  texture  of  flesh  resembling  a  stone  fruit, 
and  very  crisp,  juicy,  and  richly  flavoured.  The  transparent  blotches 
sometimes  occur  in  Gravenstein  and  in  some  of  the  Calvilles.  It  is  not  a 
disease,  but  a  peculiarity  of  lype,  transmittible  from  the  parent  Amd 
inherent  in  the  progeny.  The  threads  pervading  the  galatinous  like 
substance  are  not  fungal,  but  belong  to  the  cells  which  have  had  their 
juices  extravasated. 
Potatoes  to  Follow  Parsnips  (  W.  H.). — It  is  not  advisable  to  have 
Potatoes  after  Parsnips,  for  though  the  former  belong  to  the  natural 
order  Solanaceas,  and  Parsnips  to  that  of  Umbellifene,  the  tubers  of 
the  first  and  the  fleshy  roots  of  the  latter  abstract  very  largely  the 
stores  of  poiash,  lime,  magnesia,  iron,  and  phosphoric  acid  from  the 
soil.  In  fact,  no  root  crop  should  follow  another,  but  be  succeeded  by 
gramineous  or  leguminous,  hence  the  crop  to  follow  Parsnips  in  gardens 
are  Peas,  Broad  or  Runner  Beans  ;  in  fields,  cereals  with  legumes  after, 
or  the  two  permanently. 
Aneroid  Barometer  (H.  //.). — From  the  particulars  you  supply,  Mr. 
Edward  Mawley,  ex-President  of  the  Royal  Meteorological  Society,  says 
your  aneroid  is  evidently  reading  at  the  present  time  about  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  (0-25  inch)  too  high.  In  order  to  find  out  whether  it  records 
correctly  or  not  it  should  be  set  right,  and  its  readings  afterwards  com¬ 
pared  daily  for  several  weeks  with  those  of  a  good  mercurial  barometer. 
An  aneroid  cannot,  however,  be  depended  upon  for  long  together  to  give 
strictly  accurate  readings,  and  therefore  requires  to  be  occasionally 
compared  with  a  mercurial  barometer,  and  set  right.  For  horticultural 
purposes — that  is  to  say,  for  tracing  weather  changes — the  hand  of  an 
aneroid  barometer  should  seldom  require  resetting,  as  it  is  not  so  much 
the  actual  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  at  any  one  time  that  is  required,  as 
tne  extent  of  the  changes  in  atmospheric  pressure  from  day  to  day  or 
from  hour  to  hour,  as  the  case  may  be. 
Dressing  for  Rank  Land  (J.  A.  C.  C.). — Under  ordinary  circum¬ 
stances  the  best  dressing  for  rank  land  is  basic  cinder  phosphate,  10  to 
15cwt.  per  acre,  and  kainit  2£  to  5  cwt.  per  acre,  applied  in  the  autumn  or 
early  in  spring — not  later  than  February,  or  as  soon  as  winter  frost  has 
left  the  ground.  Salt,  agricultural  or  rock  (ground),  is  useful,  as  well 
known,  in  sweetening  rough  old  pastures,  in  destroying  insect  life, 
checking  disease,  and  helping  to  retain  moisture  in  dry  weather,  applying 
5  to  10  cwt.  per  acre  in  the  autumn.  Salt  also  acts  on  soils  containing 
lime,  by  exchanging  acids  and  forming  muriate  of  lime,  which, 
in  turn,  combines  readily  in  the  soii  with  the  ammonia,  some  of 
w  hich  might  otherwise  have  been  volatilised  as  carbonate.  But  we  do 
not  consider  your  land  will  need  any  such  dressing,  tor  the  ground  which 
has  grown  rank  from  having  rubbish  heaps  burnt  on  it  for  some  years  will 
contain  the  mineral  ingredients  of  the  several  plants  or  combustible 
substances  comprised  in  the  rubbish,  and  thus  be  rich  in  the  elements 
potash,  soda,  lime,  magnesia  and  iron,  with  the  acids  phosphoric, 
sulphuric  and  sflieic,  with  some  chlorine.  That  there  is  no  deficiency  of 
nilrogenic  matter  is  evidenced  by  the  rank  growth,  probably  ol  weeds 
such  as  Nettles,  Docks,  Dandelions  and  Plantains,  with  the  coarse  grasses. 
We  advise,  therefore,  that  the  ground  be  thoroughly  cleaned,  all  tap- 
rooted  and  creeping  rooted  vegetation  carefully  extracted  and  removed  or 
burnt,  spreading  the  ashes  evenly  all  over  the  land  in  the  latter  case, 
and  in  the  former  forming  into  a  heap  with  one-sixth  of  lresh  gas  lime, 
allowing  to  lie  over  the  winter,  and  in  the  summer  time  turning  at  least 
twice  outside  to  inside  and  top  to  bottom,  when  in  autumn  the  material 
may  be  applied  to  the  land  as  a  top-dressing.  The  ground  having 
thus  been  thoroughly  cleansed  and  levelled,  and  the  surface  in  good  tilth, 
grass  seeds  of  which  leguminous  plants  such  as  the  Clovers,  will,  or 
should,  form  a  due  proportion  in  order  to  bring  the  land  back  to  pasture 
grass  of  a  permanent  nature,  may  be  sown  early  in  April  during  mild 
weather,  the  land  being  in  good  working  orderor  inclined  to  dryness  ;  but 
with  an  early  prospect  of  rain,  raking  or  harrowing  in  very  lightly  and 
rolling  well  down.  It  is  not  advisable  to  sow  grass  seeds  later  than 
September.  It  desired  you  may  take  a  crop  of  Barley  or  Wheat,  the  latter 
being  sown  in  autumn  as  soon  as  the  land  can  be  got  ready,  which  is 
hardly  possible  for  this  season,  or  the  sowing  may  be  deferred  until  early 
spring,  and  the  grass  mixture  in  either  case,  as  that  of  Barley,  sown  early 
in  April. 
“Rust”  on  a  Vine  Leaf  (B.  T.  S.). — The  rust  is  caused  by  a  small 
insect,  too  well  known  to  gardeners  as  “  thrips,”  that  feeds  upon  the 
juices  of  plants,  the  mouth  being  provided  with  parts  suited  for  piercing 
delicate  tissues,  and  for  sucking.  There  are  several  species  ;  that  on  the 
Vine  leaf  is  one  of  the  most  harmful,  and  injures  plants  in  both  green¬ 
houses  and  stoves,  and  by  name  is  Heliothrips  hajmorrhoidalis.  It  is 
dark  brown  when  mature,  with  the  tip  of  the  body  red  brown,  and  the 
eyes  and  limbs  pale  yellow.  The  insect  is  ODly  about  1-20-inch  long,  but 
what  is  lacking  in  size  is  made  up  in  number  and  malignity  of  infection. 
The  creature  is  soft  and  almost  white  in  the  earlier  stages  of  development, 
and  then  most  readily  destroyed  by  smoking  the  house  with  tobacco 
paper  or  other  fumigating  preparations,  also  by  vaporisatiou  with  nicotine 
and  the  fumers  prepared  lor  the  purpose  of  fumigation.  The  house 
should  be  fumigated  on  more  than  one  occasion,  as  there  are  some  eggs 
as  well  as  feeding  forms,  hence  the  house  should  be  smoked  or  vaporised 
two  or  three  times,  at  intervals  of  about  four  days,  so  as  to  make  a 
complete  riddance,  and  when  the  leaves  are  down  and  the  Vines  pruned, 
the  house  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned  and  the  Vines  dressed  with  an 
insecticide.  Watch  the  leaves  closely  in  the  spring,  and  on  the  first  faint 
signs  of  attack  sponge  them  with  tobacco  water  and  sottsoap.  The 
Grapes  from  a  Vine — one  of  several  that  in  two  vineries  three  years  ago 
were  carrying  miserable  crops  of  shanked  Grapes,  and  have  been  treated 
in  accordance  with  advice  given  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture — would 
have  been  larger  in  berry  and  better  in  the  skin  with  a  lighter  crop. 
If  the  crop  mentioned  in  your  letter— namely,  forty-eight  bunches, 
averaging  from  a  good  serviceable  size  to  2|  lbs.  in  weight — were  produced 
by  a  single  rod,  the  Grapes  are  wonderfully  good,  and  in  flavour  they 
are  quite  first-rate.  We  are  glad  you  have  turned  the  information  to  such 
good  account,  and  trust  it  will  be  equally,  if  not  more,  helpful  to  you  in 
the  future.  The  Fear  was  a  fine  specimen  of  Pitmaston  Duchess. 
>■'  (■'  O'  i  ;f(  ,,  ...  UtltiJb  ;  '•..•jlD'Ki 
