38 
JOURKAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEXER. 
January  12,  1899. 
Bollfinclies  (R.  A.  C). — Your  letter  has  been  forwarded  to  Mr.  J. 
Hiam,  though  as  he  is  much  from  home  anything  like  a  prompt  reply 
may  be  impracticable. 
Tomatoes  QA.  Geanj). — Where  several  varieties  of  Tomatoes  are 
grown,  it  is  difficult  to  keep  the  stocks  true,  and  this  may  account  for  the 
variation  iu  your  case.  The  fruits  also  are,  to  some  extent,  influenced  by 
methods  of  culture,  some  growers  producing  all  varieties  cf  larger  size 
than  do  others.  Our  correspondent  “  H.  D.,"’  who  is  a  successful  grower, 
found  Sutton’s  Eclipse  to  produce  ideal  fruits  for  market — medium  sized, 
smooth  and  round — and  if  it  succeed  as  well  this  year  as  it  did  last 
season,  he  will  be  likely  to  grow  it  still  more  extensively. 
Destroying  Black  Ants  (J.  S.). — As  yoi;  have  tried  to  exterminate 
them  “  with  bones,  ’  not  sufficiently  persevered  in  to  effect  the  object,  and 
“  also  used  sugar  mixed  with  calomel,”  which  is  best  used  in  spring,  you 
may  find  the  following  preparation  useful ;  but  it  must  be  employed  with 
the  utmost  caution,  as  it  is  a  poison  fatal  to  animal  life.  Recipe  :  1  oz.  of 
ordinary  or  white  arsenic  and  i  lb.  of  Demerara  sugar.  Place  the  arsenic 
in  an  old  iron  pot  with  a  quart  of  rain  water,  and  then  boil  over  a  gentle 
fire  until  reduced  to  a  pint  or  a  little  more  of  liquid.  Add  the  sugar  and 
mix  well.  The  “syrup”  can  bo  dropped  about  the  runs  and  haunts  of 
the  ants,  or  it  may  be  placed  in  saucers  near  their  nests.  The  ants  will 
gradually  disappear,  some  time  being  necessary  to  effect  a  clearance. 
Scale  on  Apple  Tree  Bark  (Young  Groiccr'). — No,  the  scale  is  not 
Aspidiolus  or  Diaspis  ostreasformis,  but  iMytilaspis  pomorum,  commonly 
called  Apple  mussel  scale.  Yes,  petroleum  “  burns  the  bark  ”  in  some 
cases,  and  “if  it  is  diluted  it  does  not  kill  the  scale.”  The  best  means  of 
destroying  the  pest  is  the  old-fashioned  potash  and  sodi  lye,  which  dates 
back  to  the  time  of  Herodotus,  and  now  used  in  the  handy^  form  termed 
Coate’s  solution  of  caustic  soda  and  commercial  potash.  Eor  your  pur¬ 
pose  1  oz.  each  of  those  substances  may  be  dissolved  separately  or  each  in 
half  a  gallon  of  boiling  water,  then  adding  the  two  solutions  together  and 
mixing;  apply  with  a  clean  half-worn  paint  brush  when  cooled  to  130°. 
It  suffices  to  wet  every  part  of  the  bark  thoroughly,  but  not  lavishl}',  so 
as  to  run  down  and  cause  injury  by  an  over-application.  Take  care  not 
to  exceed  the  strength — 1  oz,  each  to  a  gallon  of  water.  The  trees  should 
be  dry  and  quite  dormant  when  dressed. 
Currant  Bud  Mite  (T.  D.). — The  shoots  are  badly  infested  by  the 
Currant  bud  mite  (Phytoptis  ribis).  If  all  the  buds  on  your  bushes  are 
swollen  wo  are  sorry  to  say  they  cannot  possibly  bo  restored  to  their 
original  condition  by  the  application  of  anything  whatever,  because 
nothing  can  reach  the  mites  inside  the  buds.  The  bushes  must  either  be 
dug  up  and  burned,  or  cut  down  and  the  tops  burned,  following  in  the 
latter  case  with  a  very  heavy  dressing  of  lime.  Wo  once  cut  some  down, 
the  branches  in  this  case  springing  from  beneath  the  soil,  and  spread  a 
thickness  of  half  an  inch  of  lime  or  more  on  the  stumps  and  soil.  Wo 
scarcely  expected  to  see  any  further  growth  from  the  stumps ;  they,  how¬ 
ever,  pushed  freely,  and  in  two  years  produced  abundance  of  fruit,  and 
not  a  swollen  bud  was  subsequently  seen  on  the  bushes.  Had  they  been 
on  clean  stems  a  foot  or  so  above  the  soil  the  results  might  have  been 
different,  and  we  know  that  some  cultivators  have  not  found  the  cutting 
down  and  liming  to  banish  the  enemy.  When  attacks  are  comparatively 
slight,  some  cultivators  syringe  their  bushes  when  dormant  with  a  mixture 
of  sulphur  and  lime,  to  render  them  distasteful  to  the  mites,  and  then 
watch  for  and  pick  off  every  swollen  bud  in  the  spring,  burning  the  buds 
removed,  and  in  this  way  decimate  the  pest.  Burn  at  once  all  seriously 
infested  branches,  also  the  buds  from  those  less  infested,  in  case  there  are 
sufficient  unattacked  buds  for  affording  some  fruit.  Do  not  propagate 
from  the  bushes,  but  obtain  young  trees  from  an  undoubtedly  clean  stock, 
and  plant  as  far  distant  from  the  infested  bushes  as  possible.  This  is 
more  important  than  some  growers  appear  to  realise,  as  the  mites  have 
undoubtedly  means  of  locomotion,  which  they  requisition  to  travel  from 
one  plant  to  another,  and  even  very  much  greater  distances  than  that. 
Swollen  buds  and  the  destructive  mite  have  more  than  once  been  illustrated 
in  the  Journal  of  Ilorticuliurc. 
Peach  and  Nectarine  Trees  Casting  Buds  (F.  J.  B.). — The  buds  are 
not  “deaf” — that  is,  without  central  formations  corresponding  to  the 
flowers,  though  some  of  them  are  defective,  and  appear  to  have  been  dead 
a  considerable  time.  We  have  grown  Poaches  and  Nectarines  in  lean-to 
houses  facing  south-east  and  south-west,  and  have  found  the  trees  were 
less  prone  to  bud-casting  than  in  structures  with  a  duo  south  aspect. 
The  bud-dropping  appears  due  to  over,  rather  than  under  ripening,  as 
they  seldom  fall  from  outdoor  trees  on  walls,  unless  pinched  for  water  in 
the  growing  season.  Are  the  trees  in  too  light  and  loose  soil,  subject  to 
changeableness  of  moisture  and  consequent  check  on  the,  buds  at  times 
during  their  formation  ?  This  experienced  gardeners  consider  the  chief 
cause  of  Peach  and  Nectarine  trees  casting  their  buds,  and  it  is  consonant 
with  our  experience.  We  have  had  the  greatest  success  with  the  trees  in 
sound  firm  soil  to  which  has  been  applied  a  mixture  of  superphosphate 
five  parts,  sulphate  of  potash  two  parts,  and  sulphate  of  magnesia  one  part, 
using  4  ozs.  per  square  yard  during  the  resting  season,  and  pointing  in  lightly. 
The  best  of  all  preventives  of  bud  casting  we  have  found  has  been  lifting 
the  trees  carefully,  laying  the  roots  in  fresh  compost  near  the  surface, 
and  making  quite  firm,  so  as  to  promote  stout  wood  and  a  vigorous  root- 
formation.  Then  the  soil  will  bo  more  retentive  of  water  supplied  and  of 
the  available  nutrients,  and  under  good  management  the  trees  retain  the 
buds  and  produce  fine  fruit.  The  buds  sent  appear  to  have  been  coated 
with  some  substance,  but  of  this  you  make  no  mention,  and  it  may,  or 
may  not,  have  been  injurious.  See  remarks  on  lifting  Peach  trees,  by 
Mr.  B.ickhouse,  on  page  33. 
Various  Plants  (/.  C.  S.). — Eurycles  Cunninghami,  or  Brisbane  Ldy, 
has  white  Bowers,  grows  about  a  foot  high,  and  requires  a  warm  green¬ 
house.  It  is  a  handsome  bulbous  plant,  and  requires  water  withheld  for 
a  few  weeks  after  growth  is  completed,  so  that  the  bulbs  may  ripen  and 
rest.  Sandersenia  aurantiaca  is  a  pretty,  tuberous-rooted,  erect-growing 
herb,  with  simple  leafy  stems,  and  a  native  of  Natal.  It  requires  an  open 
soil  composed  of  loam  and  peat  in  about  equal  proportions,  affording 
good  drainage.  The  bulbs  should  be  stirted,  after  careful  repotting,  in 
Eebruar}',  in  a  temperature  of  about  70°.  Warmth  and  moisture  are 
necessary  in  summer,  but  as  the  growth  ripens,  water  should  be  gradually 
withheld.  During  winter  the  soil  must  be  kept  quite  dry,  and  the  pots 
laid  on  their  sides  in  a  warm  greenhouse.  Exposure  to  cold  when  at  rest 
is  a  point  specially  to  be  avoided.  It  is  a  liliaceous  plant  allied  to  Gloriosa. 
Zephyranthes  car'inata  (fig.  8)  is  a  greenhouse  or  half-hardy  bulbous  plant 
Fig.  8.— ZEPHYR.4.NTHES  CAEINATA. 
from  Mexico.  The  flower  scape  grows  about  1  foot  high,  the  flowers 
have  a  green  perianth  tube,  and  the  segments  are  pink  and  about  2  inches 
long.  The  plant  grows  and  flowers  in  summer,  and  rests  in  the  winter. 
It  should  be  grown  on  a  sunny  shelf  in  the  greenhouse.  Compost  turly 
loam,  with  a  leaf  mould  or  well  decayed  manure  and  a  free  admixture  ot 
sand,  repotting  about  every  two  years.  Ada  aurantiaca  has  orange 
scarlet  flowers,  in  a  long  terminal  raceme.  It  requires  to  be  potted  in 
peat  and  sphagnum  in  equal  parts.  The  drainage  must  be  perfect,  and 
during  summer  the  water  supply  proluse.  Although  in  winter  far  less 
will  suffice,  yet  the  plant  should  not  be  allowed  to  become  too  dry  ; 
indeed,  it  must  never  bo  entirely  rested.  It  is  a  pretty  species,  and  lasts 
a  considerable  time  in  beauty  ;  but  though  easily  grown  does  not  always 
flower  freely,  probably  from  being  kept  too  sparingly  watered  when 
making  growth,  the  pseudo-bulbs  not  acquiring  sufficient  strengtli.  It 
requires  to  bo  grown  at  the  warm  end  of  a  Cattleya  house  or  a  cosy 
corner  in  a  warm  greenhouse.  With  strong  pseudo-bulbs  the  flowering 
is  not  difficult,  and  the  time  being  winter  and  spring  renders  it  desirable 
in^collcc'.ions.  It  is  one  of  the  easiest  grown  of  Orchids  when  a  suitable 
position  is  found  for  the  plant. 
