46 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  9,  1902. 
An  Observer’s  Notes. 
Under  this  heading  there  are  many  short  interesting  notes  our 
readers  might  send. 
January  10-16.  Plants  dedicated  to  each  day. 
Fri.  10  Coininon  Punting  sings.  This-year’s  Moss. 
Bat.  11  Honeysuckle  ))uds  hursting.  Hygroinetrieal  Moss. 
Sun.  12  Furze  flowers.  Yew  tree. 
Mon.  13  Long-tailed  poacher  goes.  Parixui  StrawbeiTy. 
Tu.  14  Marsh  Titmouse  sings.  Ivy. 
Wed.  15  Hedge  Aceentor  sings.  CJommon  Dead-nettle. 
Thrs.  16  Naked  Jasmine  in  full  flower.  ( hirden  Anemone. 
- - - - 
TO  CORRESPONDENTS 
^  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  ‘‘  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
Loudon,  E-C.  It  is  re(juested  that  no  one  will  wTite  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  J ournal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  exjiense. 
for  damp  POliDERS  (T.  P.). — Acorus  gramineus, 
Aionieum  glaciale.  C  altha  jialustris  flore-jileno,  Cardamine  pratensis 
l^odecatlieon  Meadia,  Epilobium  angustifolium  album, 
E.  latifohum,  Epimedium  grandiflorum,  E.  pinnatum  elogans,  Ranun- 
milus  Ficaria  flore-pleno,  Hedysarum  obscurum,  Hepatica  angulosa, 
H.  triloba  vars..  Iris  germanica  vars.,  J.obclia  fulgens,  L.  hybrida 
vais.,  L.  s\philitica  and  var.  allia.  Lychnis  chalcedonica  and  vars.  alba 
and  plena,  L.  diurmi  flore-jileno,  Lysimachia  grandiflora,  L.  thyrsiflora, 
Meconopsis  cambriiui,  iVIertensia  paniculata,  Myosotis  dissitiflora, 
M.  palustris,  Nieremliergia  rivularis.  Ophiopogon  spicatus,  Primula 
aeauhs  vars.,  Ranunculus  amplexicaulis,  Bpirsea  Aruncus,  S.  filipendula 
plena,  B.  japonica,  B.  palmata,  B.  venusta,  Trollius  europieus, 
i.  japonica  plena,  and  T.  napellifolius. 
PI^OFITABLE  runner  bean  (E.  T.  H.). — “I  am  notoneof 
those  who  go  in  for  exhibition,  though  fond  of  my  garden,  and 
would  like  you  to  recommend  me  a  profitable  Runner  Bean.  I  liave 
a  fancy  for  the  Painted  Lady,  but  if  you  know  a  better  kind  be 
good  enough  to  name  it.  I  liave  often  sown  the  Runners  in  boxes 
and  planted  them  out,  but  if  you  consider  that  the  seed  should 
be  sown  where  the  plants  are  to  grow,  please  say  so  ?  ” 
,  YOU  have  a  predilection  for  Painted  Lady  you  could  not 
do  better  than  have  Painted  Lady  Improved,  an  exhibition 
vanetv,  with  large,  handsome  pods,  much  finer  than  the  ordinary 
WL -r  L  ;i  however.  Mammoth  Scarlet  and  Giant 
White,  both  of  wliicli  are  first-rate  in  size  and  form  of  pods, 
excellent  croppers,  and  of  high-class  quality.  We  prefer  to  sow 
nfiere  the  plants  are  to  grow,  well  manuring  and  deeply  stirring 
the  ground,  lour  plan  of  sowing  in  boxes  and  planting  out  is  a 
t^oocl  one,  especially  for  securing  early  produce.] 
common 
Mistletoe,  and  I  should  be  glad  if  you  would  kindly  inform  me, 
^  columns  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture,  the  best 
^  Apple  orchard  here,  and 
same.  Also  please  say  if  there  is 
any  variety  of  Apple  tliat  the  Mistletoe  has  been  known  to 
succeed  best  on.” 
Jani^J;Sl'^lS8Q^"r  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture, 
nf  ^  particulars  of  his  process 
of  Mistletoe  propagation,  which  may  be  summarised  as  follows: 
^  thoroughly  fertilised  ;  2.  Select  good-shaped 
white  berries,  in  order  to  have  them  of  perfect  maturity ;  3.  Pre- 
s^e  them  dimng  the  winter  in  a  cool  place,  covered  with  a  little 
^il  not  too  dry  ;  4.  Select  some  young,  healthy,  and  vigorous 
Hawthorn  plants  with  stems  as  thick  as  the  little  fingei?  well 
established,  and  planted  in  a  sheltered  situation ;  5.  Look  ont 
tor  fine  growing  weather,  when  the  sap  commences  rising  in 
pring:  6.  Fix  each  seed,  with  its  own  natural  glue,  on  the  clean 
the  main  stem,  exactly  under  a  lateral  branch,  in  order 
that  the  ram  may  riot  wash  it  down  and  that  the  birds  may  not 
easily  find  it  out.  This  jirocedure  we  have  practised  in  modified 
form  on  a  great  variety  of  trees,  the  seeds  being  placed  on  a 
smootli  part  of  the  branches  and  on  the  under  side,  chiefly  in 
spring,  selecting  branches  from  tin  to  2in  or  3in  or  more  in 
diameter,  the  only  point  of  consequence  being  that  of  smoothness 
and  healthy  condition.  No  incision  should  be  made.  All  that  is 
necessary  is  to  squeeze  fhe  seed  from  the  berry  on  to  the  bark, 
to  Avhich  it  will  adhere  by  its  own  natural  glue,  and  vegetate  in 
due  course.  The  germination  of  Mistletoe  seed  is  very  interest¬ 
ing,  and  shown  in  the  illustrations  figs.  1 — 4.  It  grows  on 
almost  every  kind  of  Apple.  We  haven’t  observed  its  liking  for  any 
particular  variety,  though  it  seems  to  flourish,  or,  at  least,  ^ 
most  abundant,  on  the  older  than  the  newer  varieties ;  but  this 
may  be  a  matter  of  natural  distribution  which  takes  place  by 
birds  of  the  thrush  family  during  the  winter,  nsually  by  or  before 
February.] 
FERNS  GROWING  WITHIN  A  BOTTLE  (R.  J.).— Judging 
from  a  few  cases  we  have  heard  of  in  times  past,  the  occurrence 
is  not  so  uncommon  as  you  believe  it  to  be.  We  here  reproduce 
an  illustration  that  shows  a  similar  peculiarity  of  position  to 
that  of  which  you  write.  This  was  noticed  in  a  garden  near 
London,  where  damaged  soda-water  bottles  were  used  to  edge 
the  paths.  In  the  majority  of  the  bottles  young  Ferns  appeared 
soon  after  the  former  were  placed  in  the  ground.  They  con¬ 
tinued  to  grow  until  in 
some  cases  they  formed  a 
dense,  congested  mass  of 
vegetation.  Of  four  or  five 
hundred  bottles  employed, 
nearly  two-thirds  contained 
Ferns.  The  fronds  remain 
green  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  and  then 
die,  giving  place  to  young 
ones  in  the  following 
spring.  The  chief  species 
observed  were  the  Lady 
Fern  (Athyrium  Filix- 
feemina),  the  Oak  Fern, 
and  a  few  others.  Strange 
to  say,  however,  the  only 
Fern  in  the  open  garden  to 
begin  with,  was  the  Hart’s- 
tongue  (Scolopendrium  vul- 
gare). 
DISINFECTING  POTS 
FOR  TOMATOES  (Germi¬ 
cide). — “  I  am  grateful  for 
your  prompt  and  courteous 
advice,  as  given  in  Journal 
of  12th  inst,,  but  should  be 
very  glad  of  your  further 
kind  assistance  through  its 
columns.  Pots  in  which 
Tomatoes  fruited  last  year, 
but  which  were  in  many 
cases  more  or  less  diseased, 
have  to  be  disinfected. 
We  propose  to  dip  them  in 
the  iron  sulphate  and 
vitriol  mixture  which  you 
recommended.  Do  you 
think  ten  minutes  complete 
immersion  sufficient  for  dis¬ 
infection?  Secondly,  if  in 
cleaning  brickwork,  &c., 
with  the  iron  sulphate  mix¬ 
ture  a,  certain  amount 
mingles  with  the  soil  in  which  plants  will  have  to  grow,  would 
not  a  dressing  of  freshly-slacked  lime,  applied  a  month  before 
planting  time,  neutralise  the  iron  sulphate  by  forming  gypsum, 
and  thus  prevent  ill-effects  to  plants?  Thirdly,  it  is  sometimes 
advised  that  the  seeds  of  Cucumbers,  &c.,  &c.,  should  be  soaked 
in  a  solution  of  copper  in  order  to  destroy  disease  germs  which 
may  adhere  to  them  ;  would  the  copper  ammoniate  mixture  which 
you  prescribe  for  spraying  foliage  be  likely  to  prove  a  safe  and 
effective  liquid  in  which  to  soak  the  seeds?  Trusting  that  you 
will  forgive  these  inquiries.” 
[1.  There  is  no  objection  to  dip  the  pots  in  the  iron  sulphate  and 
vitriol  mixture,  the  ten  minutes  immersion  you  propose  being  quite 
sufficient  for  disinfection.  It  would  be  advisable  to  afterwards 
scald  the  pots  and  wash  them  clean  inside  and  outside.  2.  In 
cleansing  the  bi'ickwork,  &c.,  with  the  iron  sulphate  mixture,  no 
harm  will  accrue  from  the  small  quantity  that  is  splashed  on 
the  soil,  but  would  rather  tend  to  be  of  service  as  a  fungicide, 
and  even  as  manure.  A  dressing  of  aii’-slaked  linie  applied 
a  month  before  planting  would  have  a  neutralising  effect. 
3.  The  seeds  of  Cucumbers  may  be  soaked  in  a  solution  of  sulphate 
of  copper :  loz  to  14-  gals  of  water  suffice  to  damp  them  ndth  the 
solution,  or  the  ammoniacal  carbonate  of  copper  solution  may 
be  used,  and  certainly  it  is  the  less  hurtful  to  germination.  The 
latter  we  advise,  merely  damping  the  seed  with  the  ammoniacal 
carbonate  of  copper  solution,  properly  prepared  as  follows: 
Water  9  gals,  aqua  ammonia  (26deg  strength)  12  fluid  oz,  copper 
carbonate  loz.  Make  the  copper  carbonate  into  a  thin  paste  with 
Avater,  then  add  the  ammonia  water  slowly,  Avhen  a  clear,  deep 
blue  solution  is  obtained,  which  does  not  become  cloudy  when 
diluted  to  9  gals.] 
Fern  in  a  Bottle. 
