26H 
JOUR^^AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  17,  1898, 
Vine  Manual  B.). — “Vines  and  Vine  Culture,”  by  Mr.  A,  F. 
Barron,  1b  an  excellent  work  and  woald  no  doubt  suit  you. 
Plants  Shown  as  Annuals  {G.  M'). — Ageratum  mexicanum 
is  often  grown  aa  an  annual  and  alio  often  propagated  by  cuttings  from 
plants  kept  over  the  winter.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  other 
plants  you  name.  Some  judges  might  admit  them  as  annuals. 
N'otchlng'  Vine  Roots  (A.  J."). — If  Vine  roots  are  notched  now, 
and  a  gritty  compost,  consisting  of  turfy  loam  and  a  large  admixture  of 
wood  aihes,  be  placed  round  them  they  will  form  fresh  roots  this  season. 
Old  Vines  which  cannot  be  lifted  usually  bear  better  by  training  young 
rods  very  thinly  in  the  summer,  and  not  cutting  them  back  closely  at 
the  winter  pruning. 
Raspberries  Planting:  (^E.  K')  — Raspberries  for  market  growing 
purposes  are  commonly  planted  in  rows  3  feet  apart,  and  the  canes 
15  inches  asunder  in  the  rows,  the  varieties  being  dwarf  growers,  such 
as  Red  Antwerp  and  Fastolf.  The  stronger  growing  sorts,  as  Carter’s 
Prol’-fic,  are  given  feet  between  the  rows  and  18  inches  distance  apart 
in  the  rows.  Indeed,  Raspberries  are  planted  at  all  distances  from  3  to 
12  feet  between  the  rows,  the  between  cropping  being  an  excellent  plan. 
It  would  not  be  advisable  to  plant  Raspberries  between  the  rows  of 
Curraiits,  as  they  would  crowd  the  latter  too  much  by  the  time  they 
came  into  remunerative  bearing,  and  a  year  must  go  for  nothing  in 
Raspberry  culture  if  they  are  to  make  good  canes  the  season  of  planting 
for  bearing  in  the  next  year. 
Protecting"  Pig  Trees  by  Means  of  Wall  Cases  (^Soviei'set').~ 
The  fruit  on  the  trees  now  is  the  second  crop  Figs,  which  do  not,  as  a 
rule,  ripen  in  this  country,  even  when  in  an  unbeated  glass  case  in  the 
South  of  England.  In  order  to  secure  the  ripening  of  the  second  crop 
Figs  heated  structures  are  necessary,  the  trees  being  started  early  in  the 
spring  so  that  the  first  crop  ripens  in  Jane,  then  the  second  crop  will  be 
ripe  in  late  August  or  September,  needing  but  little,  if  any,  aid  from  fire 
heat.  These  remarks  apply  to  the  large-fruited  varieties,  such  as  Bruns¬ 
wick,  White  Marseilles,  and  Brown  Turkey,  which  do  not  ripen  the 
second  crop  Figs  in  ordinary  glass  cases,  though  they  may  do  so  occa¬ 
sionally.  The  small-fruited  varieties,  such  as  Angelique,  St.  John’s,  and 
Early  Violet,  usually  ripen  the  second  crop  fruit  in  an  unhealed  wall 
case,  but  they  are  not  nearly  as  desirable  as  the  larger  sorts.  Without 
the  case  the  first  crop  Figs  will  ripen  in  August  and  September,  and  all 
that  a  wall  case  insures  is  a  fortnight  earlier  ripening.  Very  late  Figs 
are  not  good  in  quality  unless  sufficient  heat  is  provided  to  insure  a 
circulation  of  rather  dry  warm  air. 
Cockchafer  Orubs  Eating  the  Roots  and  stems  of 
Cucumber  (^Festina  T.ente'). — The  best  cure  f  )r  these  pests  is  to 
water  the  soil  with  ammoniacal  gas  liquor,  diluting  with  fi^e  times 
the  bulk  of  soft  or  rain  water,  and  applying  aa  much  of  the  solution  as 
iu  an  ordinary  watering,  that  is,  sufficient  to  moisten  the  soil  through. 
This  enriches  the  soil,  and  though  the  plants  mav  be  made  rather  sickly 
for  a  time,  they  soon  recover,  and  grow  away  splendidly.  We  have  not 
found  anything  to  equal  ammoniacal  liquor  for  the  destruction  of  grubs 
in  the  soil,  but  we  should  hardly  think  cockchafer  grubs  would  be  so 
abundant  in  a  Cucumber  house,  and  it  would  have  been  better  to  have 
sent  a  specimen.  They  are  so  large  as  to  be  easily  got  rid  of  by  turning 
the  soil  over  and  picking  them  out.  We  have  found  watering  with  a 
solution  of  kai'nit,  2  ozs.  to  a  gallon  of  water,  and  that  amount  given 
per  square  yard,  to  ki  1  grubs  in  the  soil,  such  as  larvse  of  Vine  weevil 
(Otiorhynchus  sulcatus).  a  common  pest  of  soil  in  glass  structures, 
following  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  with  a  solution  of  nitrate 
of  soda,  1  oz.  to  a  gallon  of  water,  and  giving  that  amount  per 
square  yard,  afterwards  top-dressing  with  dissolved  bones,  2  ozs.  per 
square  yard.  ^ 
Tomatoes  Diseased  (  W.  H.  M.'). — The  blotches  on  the  fine  fru'ti 
are  caused  by  a  fungus,  and  is  the  same  in  all  the  three  specimens.  The 
hyphm  in  all  the  specimens  is  that  of  Fusarium  solani  or  lycopersici,  or 
the  black  stripe  fungus  of  Potato,  Anples,  and  Tomato  fruits.  There 
are  no  resting  spores  or  apparent  formation  for  them,  and  the  parasite 
has  certainly  pot  entered  the  fruit  by  way  of  the  8*em  or  shank  of  the 
fruit,  as  this  is  perfectly  clear  and  free  from  stain  of  any  kind.  Thi^ 
opens  up  a  new  phase  of  the  disease,  and  demonstrates  that  the  spores 
of  Dilocladium  or  of  the  Fusarium  may  give  rise  to  the  disease  directly 
on  the  fruits.  Tbe  point  of  attack  may  be  either  near  the  eye  or  at  the 
shank  of  the  fruit,  always  where  there  is  a  disp'^isition  for  moi8‘ure  to 
rest  on  the  surface,  which  may  probably  weaken  the  epidermis  as  well 
as  provide  the  essential  germinative  medium  for  the  growth  of  the  spore. 
The  cultural  practice  of  admitting  air  freely  to  Tomatoes  has  much  on 
this  account  to  recommend  it  for  avoiding  the  disease,  as  where  there  is 
no  deposition  of  moisture  the  spores  cannot  possibly  germinate  ;  and  it 
ifi  also  certain  that  plants  well  supplied  with  the  essential  mine’*al 
constituents,  especially  lime,  have  greater  resistant  power  than  when 
these  are  disproportionate  to  the  nitrogenous.  Perhaps  dusting  the 
fruits  and  plants  with  one  of  the  preparations  in  powder  of  sulphate 
of  copper  would  have  kept  the  disease  at  bay,  but  it  is  quite  as 
important  to  maintain  a  buoyant  atmosphere,  admitting  air  in  suoh 
manner  as  to  keep  moisture  from  being  deposited  on  the  fruit.  We 
should  use  lime  liberally  to  the  soil  for  another  season,  burning  all 
infested  fruits  and  plants.  It  is  a  great  pity  and  loss,  for  the  fruits  are 
very  fine  m  every  respect  but  for  the  fungus.  The  sound  and 
unsound  seeds  are  easily  recognised.  Tbe  first  are  brown  or  dark  in 
colour,  and  not  fully  formed,  whilst  the  other  are  quite  clear  and  much 
better  developed.  It  is  beat  not  to  save  aeed  from  diseased  fruits. 
Various  (^Catlice).—  \,  Six  herbaceous  plants  to  flower  in  August — 
Aster  Amellus  bessarabicus,  Alstibmeria  aurea,  Anemone  japonica 
alba,  Chrysanthemum  maximum,  Rudbeckia  speciosa  (Newmanni), 
and  Brigeron  speciosus.  2,  Snapdragon  seed  must  be  sown  in  July  or 
August  to  have  good  plants  by  the  following  season.  Seed  sown  now  in 
warm  situation  will  give  plants  for  late  flowering  next  season.  3,  London 
is  the  largest  red  Gooseberry,  or  of  any  kind  ;  in  1852  a  specimen  weighed 
37  dwt.  7  grs.  4,  The  largest  Red  Currant  is  Cherry  as  regards  berry  ; 
in  respect  of  bunch  Raby  Castle  or  Victoria,  but  Comet,  recently  ex- 
hib'ted  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  meeting,  surpasses  all 
others,  that  is  if  it  retain  its  character  as  exhibited. 
Tomato  Plant  (TF.  L.  H.) — We  received  the  bulky  specimen — 
root,  tops,  and  fruit.  There  is  plenty  of  substance,  indicating  no  lack 
of  nourishment.  The  leaves  betrayed  something  within  their  tissues, 
but  the  microscope  revealed  nothing  growing  therefrom,  and  only  stout 
byptf©  of  tbe  bacteriod  order  in  the  cells,  or  rather  through  the 
tissue,  for  the  cells  are  pervaded  everywhere  by  plasmodia,  yet  we 
failed  to  detect  any  Plasmodiophora  tomati  or  anything  of  a  definite 
bacterial  or  slime  fungus  character.  The  amce ha-like  mass  of  proto¬ 
plasm  has  made  an  end  of  the  cells,  and  the  yellow  colour  of  the  leaf 
is  due  to  the  reddish  or  orange  colour  of  this  substance  There  are  no 
cells,  cell  walls,  or  tiisues  ;  but  all  is  free,  as  in  bacteroids  ramifying 
through  the  tubercles  of  a  leguminous  plant.  This  is  all  we  are  able  to 
make  out.  There  are  no  spores  or  bodies  enclosed  in  walls — nothing 
definite  but  the  bacteroid  ramification.  We  have  often  had  such  plants 
to  deal  with,  and  found  nothing  help  them  so  much  as  a  dressing  of 
air-slaked  chalk  lime  two  parts,  and  soot  one  part,  mixed,  using  half  a 
pound  of  the  mixture  per  square  yard,  pointing  in  lightly  or  covering 
with  fine  soil.  The  following  is  also  excellent  in  such  cases  as  a  top¬ 
dressing  : — Ordinary  loam,  twenty  parts  ;  charred  refuse  or  wood  ashes, 
two  parts  ;  chalk  lime,  air-slaked,  two  parts  ;  soot,  one  part,  mixed,  and 
applying  to  the  surface  about  an  inch  thick. 
Grapes  Diseased  {F,  D.') — There  is  no  disease  of  a  fungous  nature  ^ 
at  least  not  of  recognised  parasitism  ;  but  the  growths  on  the  stem  of  the 
bunch  are  probably  due  to  something  more  than  the  filthy  excreta  of 
the  thrips,  which  appears  to  have  been  a  bad  attack.  Tbe  infection  by 
thrips  would  contribute  more  or  less  to  the  shanking,  but  the  chief 
cause  of  this  is  defectiveness  at  tbe  roots,  the  food  being  of  a  gross  and 
unsatisfactory  character,  as  indicated  by  the  looseness  and  general  sappi¬ 
ness  of  the  footstalks,  shoulder  and  stem  of  tbe  bunch.  The  looseness  of 
the  border  would  contribute  to  the  flabbiness  of  the  bunch,  and  it  is  with 
it  that  the  means  for  effecting  freedom  from  shanking  must  be  sought. 
Four  feet  depth  of  rich  material  is  far  too  much  for  Vines,  or  the  roots 
will  be  deep,  and  the  food  badly  assimilated,  being  more  or  less  sodden 
and  sour.  Though  the  top  be  loose  and  you  admit  air  freely,  the  roots 
will  descend  in  quest  of  moisture,  and  be  correspondingly  prejudiced  by 
tbe  condition  of  the  border.  Only  lifting  and  a  proper  state  of  the  soil 
w’ll  enable  you  to  secure  immunity  from  shanking.  0£  course  it  must 
be  combined  with  good  management,  which  is  not  the  case  when  thrips 
are  allowed  to  remain  on  the  V mes  until  the  stem  of  the  bunch  is  made 
white  by  their  sucking  tbe  juices,  and  the  cuticle  is  clogged  by  filthy 
excreta.  The  fungus  on  the  s‘em  is  Botrytis  cinerea,  which  is  usually 
afsooiated  with  shanked  Grapes  when  there  is  moisture  in  the  bunch;, 
but  it  can  hardly  be  considered  a  cause  of  shanking,  as  there  are  plenty 
of  badly  shanked  Grapes  without  it  when  the  atmosphere  is  dry  or 
nothing  adherent  to  the  cuticle  of  a  moisture-holding  nature. 
Pear  with  Flesb  Suffused  by  Red  (^T.  F.,  Gravesend'). — The 
Ptar  appears  to  be  Autumn  Josephine,  and  is  the  most  remarkable  of  any 
sp  cimen  that  has  come  to  our  notice  in  colour  of  flesh.  This  is  not  only 
suffused  with  salmon,  as  in  normal  fruits  of  this  variety,  Josephine  de 
Ml  inos.  General  To-ilebeni  and  a  few  others;  bat  it  is  quite  blood-red 
immediati'ly  under  the  skin,  an!  the  colouring  matter  suffused  through 
the  flesh,  even  to  the  ovaries  or  pip  cells,  which  are  quite  as  highly 
coloured  as  the  part  immediately  beneath  the  skin.  The  pips  or  seeds 
a  e,  however,  perfectly  normal,  clear  outside  and  glossy  black ;  inside 
quite  white,  and  the  embryo  or  future  plant  duly  formed  and  healthy. 
In  the  style  cavity,  which  forms  the  centre  of  the  fruit  and  communi¬ 
cates  with  the  eje,  there  is  a  white  substance,  composed  of  innumerable 
c  Us,  forming  tomentose  tufts.  These  are  the  on’y  perfect  cells  in  the 
fruit,  for  the  whole  cells  of  the  flesh  are  run  together,  their  walls  being 
broken  down  by  the  permeation  through  them  of  countless  threads. 
These  are  the  mycelial  byphgc  of  the  brown  rot  fungus  Monilia  fructl- 
gena,  Pers,  which  is  aggregated  here  and  there  in  the  flesh.  The  deep 
ros !  or  carmine  co’our  is  due  to  potassium  united  with  manganese. 
Th  re  are  no  “fruits,”  except  in  the  style  cavity,  where  there  is  the 
first  formed  c  nidia,  globose,  borne  on  short,  flask-shaped  branches 
of  young  mycelium.  At  or  near  toe  eye  is  a  brown,  sligb'ly  depressed^ 
b'o’ch.  the  point  where  the  fungal  germ  tube  found  its  way  into  the  fruit, 
and  whence  it  grew  and  increased  so  as  to  destroy  the  whole  of  the 
Pear  cells ;  but  this  does  not  cause  the  fruit  to  rot  during  the  process, 
for  that  does  not  occur  until  “  fruits  ”  are  produced  externally,  these 
forming  dense,  tomentose  tufts,  usually  growing  in  circles  and  becoming 
confluent,  white,  then  dingy  ochraceous  red,  from  which  spring  the- 
erect  branched  hyph®  bearing  elliptical  conidia — the  Monilia  fructigena 
stage.  A  fruit  in  this  condition  is  very  beautiful,  but  it  soon  passes 
into  the  brown  rot  condition,  and  becomes  withered  or  rotten.  When 
the  fruit  is  cut  open  it  has  a  strong  smell  of  prussic  acid,  contains 
very  little  juice,  and  is  comparatively  worthless,  even  in  its  present 
condition.  We  are  much  obliged  by  the  specimen — the  most  remark- 
sbl  j  we  have  seen  of  Pears. 
