482 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  29,  1S02. 
***  AH  eorrewponclenee  I'Glating  to  editorial  matters  shoidd  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleset  Street, 
London,  E.C.  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  imjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
PHOTOGRAPH  (A.  O’N.). — Thanks  for  the  photograph  of 
Cordyliue;  it  must  he  some  time  before  we  can  use  it. 
LUCERNE— ITALIAN  RYE  GRASS  (E.  R.  P.).— April  is  the 
best  month  for  sowing  them,  but  you  may  sow  now.  The  Lucerne 
.should  be  somi  in  drills,  for  it  .should  be  frequently  hoed.  The 
Rye  Gras.s  may  be  sou’ii  broadcast. 
ARTICLES  FOR  CONSIDERATION  (D.  C.  H,).— Articles 
that  are  of  moderate  length  and  interesting  as  well  as  useful,  are 
appreciated.  The  lack  of  space  is  an  ever-present  hindrance  to 
the  publication  of  many  good  articles. 
READERvS’  VIEWS. — Owing  to  so  many  pages  having  been 
devoted  to  the  history  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and 
the  report  of  the  same  Society’s  show  in  the  Inner  Temple 
Gardens,  numerous  “Views”  are  compulsorily  held  over. 
SUCKERS  FROM  RASPBERRIES  (M.  H.).— The  suckers 
from  the  base  of  the  canes  Avhicli  were  planted  a  year  ago  and  died 
to  the  ground  in  summer,  ivill  give  you  strong  canes  this  year, 
and  we  should  thin  them  to  six  or  eight,  leaving  the  strongest. 
The  canes  made  this  year  will  produce  fruit  another  year,  and  be 
in  every  Avay  better  than  any  you  may  jjlant  in  autumn. 
SPRING  BEDDING-PLANT  SEED  SOWING  (Esse).— The 
seeds  of  all  the  plants  you  name  ought  to  be  sown  from  noAV  up 
to  June  in  rich,  light  soil  in  a  sheltered  position,  and  Avhen  large 
enough  to  handle  the  plants  should  be  pricked-off  in  light  rich 
soil  about  Sin  apart,  and  in  autumn  either  be  planted  Avhere  thej' 
are  to  floAver  or  be  transplanted  to  double  that  distance  apart, 
moving  them  Avith  balls  in  spring. 
QUALIFICATIONS  REQUIRED  FOR  A  F.R.H.S.  (A,  H.  B., 
Kimberley,  S.A.). — The  only  “qualification”  required  is  that  he 
or  she  be  able  to  pay  his  or  her  one  guinea  per  year,  Avhich  entitles 
any  respectable  person  to  all  the  privileges  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society.  ^  As  a  FelloAv  you  Avould  receive  the  quarterlj^ 
Journal  of  the  Societv,  which,  to  gardeners  at  home,  at  any  rate, 
is  well  worth  the  guinea  it.se]f.  May  Ave  propose  you? 
SYRIAN  VINE  (J.  Dabell). — GroAV  it  on  its  OAvn  roots.  The 
following  is  the  description  in  Dr.  Hogg’s  “  Fruit  Manual  ”  : 
“  Bunches  immensely  large,  broad-shouldered,  and  conical. 
Berries  large,  CA'al.  Skin  thick,  greenish  Avhite,  changing  to  pale 
yelloAv  Avhen  quite  ripe.  Flesh  firm  and  crackling,  SAveet,  and 
Avhen  Avell  ripened  of  good  flaA-’cnr.  This  is  a  Amry  good  late 
Graiie,  and  generally  produces  bunches  Aveighing  from  71b  to 
101b ;  but,  to  obtain  the  fruit  in  its  greatest  excellence,  the  Vine 
requires  to  be  groAvn  in  a  hothouse,  and  planted  in  very  shalloAv, 
dry,  .sandy  soil.  Speedily  states  that  he  greAV  a  bunch  at  Welbeck 
Aveighing  201b,  and  measuring  21fin  long  and  19Un  across  the 
shoulders.  It  is  a  strong  groAver  and  an  abundant  bearer.” 
HOW  TO  MAKE  RHUBARB  WINE  (J.  S.).— In  making 
Rhubarb  wine,  take  for  OA^ery  pound  of  Rhubarb  stalks,  AA'hen 
bruised,  a  quart  of  cold  spring  Avater,  let  it  stand  three  clayk, 
stirring  it  tAvice  a  day  :  then  press,  and  strain  it  through  a  sieve, 
and  to  eA’ery  gallon  of  the  liquor  put  2|^lb  of  good  loaf  sugar; 
barrel  it,  and  to  eAmry  fiAm  gallons  add  a  bottle  of  Avhite  brandy; 
hang  a  piece  of  isingla.ss  in  the  A^essel  suspended  on  a  string,  and 
.stop  it  up  close.  In  six  months,  if  the  SAveetness  is  off  .sufficiently, 
bottle  it  for  use,  otherAvise  let  it  stand  in  the  cask  a  longer  time. 
Mitchell’s:  Royal  Albert  and  the  Victoria  are  tAvo  good  sorts. 
The  sta,lks  should  be  pulled  before  they  become  too  old,  and  Avhen 
full  of  juice;  they  should,  hoAvever,  be  alloAved  to  groAv  to  a  large 
size. 
FPIPHTLLX  M  TREATMENT  (Idem). — Repot  them  in  spring 
after  floAvering ;  or,  if  they  do  not  floAA’er,  in  April.  Provide  good 
drainage,  and  a  compost  of  sandy  fibrous  loam  and  sandy  peat  in 
equal  parts,  and  one-fourth  of  .silver  sand,  pieces  of  charcoal, 
broken  pots,  and  leaf  soil  or  old  dry  coAvdung.  They  are  best 
grafted  on  Pereskia  stocks.  Grafting  is  easily  performed  by 
cutting  over  in  a  slanting  direction  the  stock  and  putting  on  a 
shoot  of  the  Epiphyllum.  securing  it  AA'ith  a  thorn  cf  the  Pereskia, 
tying  V  matting,  and  covering  lightly  Avith  moss.  It  may  be 
done  in  spring  before  groAvth,  or  after  the  groAA’-th  is  complete. 
Water  the  plants  moderately,  but  Avhen  groAving  afford  moisture, 
and  in  winter  give  Avater  only  to  keep  them  fresh.  Afford  a  light 
airy  position,  only  Avhen  groAA'ing  .slight  shade  is  preferable. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. _ 
HeaA’y  rain  and  cold  northerly  Avinds  liaAm  characterised  the 
past  Aveek,  and  it  requires  great  faith  to  induce  people  to  go  on. 
■soAA’ing  SAvedes.  As  regards  moisture  the  soil  is  just  about  right, 
but  it  is  far  too  cold,  and  Ave  must  still  exercise  patience.  Tlhe 
be.st  SAvedes  Ave  ever  saAV  Avere  drilled  on  June  21,  so  there  is 
time  enough  yet,  and  Avith  a  sufficiency  of  moisture  there  is  no 
pre.sent  need  for  anxiety. 
Although  SO'  cold  there  has  been  no  frost,  and  Barley  still  keeps 
a  fair  colour,  but  a  fanner  from  an  adjacent  and  loAA'-lying  di.strict 
tells  a  very  different  tale.  One  morning,  about  ten  days  ago,  he 
Avas  able  to  collect  enough  hoar  frost  to  make  a  small  suoAvball, 
and  there  Avere  icy  ci’y.stals  on  the  young  corn  at  10  a.m.  Needless 
to  say  he  gives  a  very  poor  accouirt  of  its  present  appearance,  and 
it  can  never  be  the  crop  it  aa’Us  ex]pected  to  be. 
The  men  are  .still  hoeing  and  Aveeding  among.st  the  corn,  and 
they  are  glad  to  keep  their  thick  jackets  on.  Verily  May  is  a 
“  merrie  month.”  The  Mangolds  are  coming  through,  and  .so 
are  the  Aveeds  Avith  them.  Mangolds  aaIU  not  groAv  fast  this 
Aveather,  AA’hereas  the  Aveeds  probably  Avill,.  so  Ave  must  use  the 
side  hoes  freely  or  the  young  plants  may  soon  be  smothered. 
The  Potatoes  are  coming  through  rapidly  and  Avill  soon  want  the 
hoes  among.st  them,  so  if  Ave  get  the  Mangolds  run  OA-’er  first  they 
can  AA'ait  for  a  second  turn  until  the  Potatoes  are  finished. 
The  feAv  A-mry  early  SAvedes  are  up  but  do  not  groAv — hoAv  can 
they?  But  there  is  comfort  in  the  fact  that  the  cold  AA’eather 
does  not  suit  the  fly,  and  if  tlie  little  plants  can  but  get  Avell 
into  second  leaf  they  Avill  be  safe. 
To  expedite  SAvede  soAving  Avhen  the  Aveather  should  alloAV, 
the  horses  are  employed  in  carting  manure  to  the  field  some 
distance  aAA’ay.  In  the  natural  course  of  things  this  muck  would 
have  gone  direct  frojii  the  yard  to  be  spread’betAveen  the  ridges, 
but  as  matters  noAv  are  Ave  are  getting  one  stage  of  the  Avork 
done.  Had  -the  muck  been  long  and  straAvy  the  extra  turning 
over  Avould  liaA^e  done  it  much  good.  But  .scarce  straAA'  has  made 
good  muck,  and  there  Avill  be  little  gained  in  that  AA’ay  by  this 
extra  labour. 
There  are,  again,  Amry  disappointing  losses  amongst  cart  foals. 
One  farmer  and  enthusiastic  breeder  of  shires  has  lost  the  Avhole 
cf  his  three  foals,  and  another  has  lost  five  out  of  tAvelve.  Bad 
Aveather  is  chiefly  blamed,  but  farmers  breeding  from  common 
mares  rarely  lose  their  foals,  and  Ave  have  suspicions  that  these 
A'aluable  shire  mares  Avould  be  better  for  more  regular  Avork  and 
less  fancy  diet.  So'  many  foals  die  noAv  under  a  fortnight  old, 
and  they  are  generally  those  Avhich  their  OAA'ners  are  hoping  may 
Avin  prizes  at  the  approaching  shoAvs.  Is  it  OA^erforcing  Avhich  is 
the  root  of  the  eA'il  ? 
Nature  Notes. 
The  steamer  St.  Margaret,  from  Brest,  arrived  at  Plymouth 
cn  May  21  Avitli  the.  first  consignment  of  French  StraAA'berries 
for  the  season. 
A  shoot  of  Ivy  has  forced  its  AA'ay  through  the  front  wall  of 
the  manse  at  Brackley,  Northamptonshire,  into  the  dining-room, 
Avhere  it  is  spreading  a  Avell-leaved  tendril  in  the  direction  of  a' 
bay  AA  indoAAx 
“  The  Golden  Penny  ”  giA^es  a  photograph  of  a  Gooseberry 
bush  Avhich  has  somehoAA"  taken  root  in  one  of  the  WilloAV  trees 
on  the  Canbury  ProuAenade  at  KingstoAvn.  The  bush  has  lately 
burst  into  leaf  again. 
On  Wednesday  night  after  .sunset  an  “  aftergloAv  ”  of  exquisite 
pale  green  tint  AA'as  noticed  here.  Also  the  second  night  after 
eruption  of  Mount  Pelee  the  moon  Avas  blood  coloured. — 
Observer,  Exmouth  (in  “  Dailj*  Mail.”) 
About  June  7  the  nightingale’s  song  ceases.  Other  natural 
occurrences  to  notice  at  this  time  are  the  appearance  of  the 
silA'er  Y  moth,  the  small  blue  butterfly,  and  the  dagger  moth. 
Noav,  too,  the  redbrea.st’s  second  brood  hatches,  and  the  Honey¬ 
suckle  begins  to  blossom. 
NeAv  York’s  noon  temperature  on  Friday,  the  23rd,  AA’as  82deg 
Fahr.  In  London  the  maximum  shade  temperature  AA'as  60deg 
Fahr ;  and  Avhile  the  temperature  at  Aberdeen  Avas  69deg  Fahr. 
at  .six  o’clock  in  the  eAmning  of  the  same  day.  the  temperature 
in  London  at  the  .same  time  was  lOdeg  loAver. 
10’  of  Frost  on  the  14th  of  May. 
The  recent  frosts  liaA^e  done  considerable  damage  to  the  fruit 
crops.  In  places  Gooseberries  and  Red  Currants  haA^e  .suffered 
so  greatly  that  not  a  quarter  of  the  original  crop  is  hanging  now 
on  the  bushes.  Apples,  Plums,  Cherries,  and  Pears,  have  been 
damaged  more  or  less.  Some  growers  say  that  early  Cherries 
Avere  spoilt  before  these  latter  frO'.sts.  Black  Currants  AA'ere  cub 
up  before  they  had  floAvered,  to  the  loss  of  half  the  crop  in  some 
cases.  The  tip  bud  of  the  Raspberries  has  been  blackened. 
Potatoes  and  Hops  have  suffered  exten.sively ;  the  Hops  have  the 
tips  of  the  young  groAvths  frozen  to  destruction.  This  is  not  all,  for 
the  Larch,  Chestnuts  (Spanish),  and  Ivy  have  been  caught  Avhere 
exposed.  Pears  are  cracking  in  lai’ge  numbers ;  feAV  Avill  groAV  to 
maturity. — H.  R.,  Kent. 
