500 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  29,  1900. 
Wintering  Hollyliock8*( IF.  L.  D.). — The  safest  mode  of  winteriDg 
the  plants  is  to  pot  them  and  plunge  the  pots  in  ashes  or  other  suitable 
-material  in  a  cold  frame.  If  the  plants  are  small  or  of  moderate  size 
they  can  be  conveniently  potted,  but  if  very  large  they  are  less 
manageable  in  that  respect,  and  also  less  likely  to  winter  well.  We 
have  left  old  plants  out  for  years,  bnt  always  removed  a  portion  of 
the  soil  from  around  them,  and  added  a  good  thickness  of  coal 
ashes,  as  the  water  passes  through  these  more  freely  than  it  does 
through  soil. 
Camellia  Buds  Falling  {H.  A.). — -When  Camellias  that  are  planted 
in  a  bed  in  a  house  so  well  ventilated  as  yours  shed  the  flower  buds  at 
this  season  of  the  year,  there  is  something  wrong  in  the  soil,  the  bed,  or 
the  watering.  Camellias  answer  in  loam,  peat,  and  also  in  a  mixture  of 
both,  with  enough  grit  or  other  hard  substance  to  afford  a  quick  and 
ready  passage  to  water,  care  also  being  taken  to  drain  the  bed.  When 
this  is  well  done  you  can  hardly  give  too  much  water ;  but  if  the 
drainage  be  at  all  ineflScient,  then  bud-dropping  and  yellow  foliage  soon 
follow.  The  fact  that  plants  in  pots  also  shed  their  buds  soon  after 
they  are  brought  into  the  house  points  to  overwatering.  A  hot  dry 
atmosphere  induces  bud-shedding  among  greenhouse  plants.  Camellias 
require  no  artificial  heat,  only  for  the  exclusion  of  frost. 
Fassiflora  edulis  (M.  R.  IL). — As  an  ornamental  roof-covering  plant 
it  is  to  be  feared  that  P.  edulis  has  frequently  given  place  to  less 
worthy  objects.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  a  plant  more  beautiful  than 
this,  with  its  elegant  pendant  shoots  laden  with  flowers  and  fruit,  which 
hang  with  an  airy  gracefulness  from  the  roof  of  a  suitable  glass 
structure.  The  plant  is,  moreover,  of  very  easy  culture.  It  should  be 
raised  from  cuttings  in  preference  to  seed.  Seedling  plants  grow 
freely  enough,  and  soon  cover  a  large  space,  but  they  are  sparse  in 
blooming  compared  with  plants  which  have  been  raised  from  cuttings. 
Short-]ointed  young  shoots  root  quite  easily  any  time  during  the 
summer  if  put  in  sand  under  a  bell-glass,  and  attended  to  by  the 
requisite  amount  of  heat,  shade,  and  moisture.  A  suitable  compost  for 
established  plants  is  turfy  loam  two-thirds,  the  remainder  leaf  mould, 
peat,  and  decayed  cow  manure. 
Anemones  in  Fots  (J.  C.). — The  roots  should  be  potted  without 
delay,  placing  them  about  1  inch  deep  in  good  loamy  soil,  with  a  fifth  of 
well-decayed  manure  intermixed  with  a  sixth  of  sand.  They  may  be  placed 
about  1  inch  from  the  sides  of  the  pot,  and  2  inches  apart  around  and 
inwards.  The  soil  should  be  moist,  and  a  good  watering  given  after 
potting,  standing  the  pots  on  and  plunging  in  ashes  in  a  cold  frame. 
There  they  may  remain,  with  air  on  all  favourable  occasions,  and 
protection  from  frost  and  during  severe  weather  until  they  are  well 
rooted  and  have  made  a  little  top  growth,  when  they  may  be  placed  on 
shelves  close  to  the  light  so  as  to  prevent  their  drawing,  and  where  they 
will  have  a  free  circulation  of  air,  keeping  the  plants  duly  supplied 
with  water,  and  affording  weak  liquid  manure  occasionally.  Anemones 
do  not  stand  much  forcing,  but  the  fiowering  may  be  accelerated  by 
placing  them,  after  they  are  somewhat  advanced  in  growth,  in  a  house 
in  a  light,  airy  position  with  a  temperature  of  45°to  50°. 
Establishing  an  Evergreen  Hedge  0.  E.). — For  good  appearance, 
or  for  shelter,  or  as  a  blind.  Arbor  Vitse  is  as  good  a  hedge  as  any,  and 
is  the  cheapest,  and  the  easiest  obtained  of  all  our  hedge  plants  ;  but  it 
is  not  so  good  as  Holly  and  Yew  against  cattle.  Inside  a  garden  it  is 
the  least  hurtful  hedge  to  anything  near  it,  and  it  would  grow  luxuriantly 
in  soil  that  would  starve  a  Thorn  hedge,  and  in  your  case  it  will  be  the 
best  succession  to  the  old  Hollies,  Laurels,  and  Bays.  The  roots  of 
Laurels,  however,  are  as  bad  as  any  poison  if  any  of  them  are  left  in 
the  ground.  Therefore,  take  good  heed  that  every  morsel  of  the 
Laurel  roots,  at  all  events,  and  all  the  other  roots  if  you  can,  are  taken 
out,  and  that  will  be  a'sufficient  preparation  for  the  new  hedge  of  Arbor 
Vitse ;  but  you  should  plant  it  in  fresh  surface  soil,  and  must  not  use 
plants  under  3  feet  high,  4  feet  high  being  the  right  size  to  make  a 
5-feet-high  hedge  in  two  years,  or  at  the  very  farthest  in  three  years. 
At  3  feet  high  the  plants  should  stand  apart  18  inches  from  centre  to 
centre,  and  4  feet  high  1  foot  9  inches  centre  from  centre. 
The  Culture  of  Osage  Orange  (H.  S.).— The  following  plan  is 
adopted  in  South  America.  The  plants  are  always  raised  from  seeds. 
Sow  the  seeds  in  drills,  having  first  soaked  them  in  warm  water  for 
forty-eight  hours,  and  place  them  thinly  between  damp  cloths,  where 
they  may  remain  warm  and  moist,  until  indications  of  sprouting  are 
seen.  The  time  for  sowing  is  immediately  after  corn  planting  time,  or 
after  the  soil  becomes  warm.  The  preparation  of  the  seed  by  soaking 
and  sprouting  should  commence  two  weeks  earlier.  The  rows  in  which 
the  seeds  are  to  be  planted  should  be  3  feet  apart,  and  the  seeds  be 
sown  about  an  inch  asunder  in  the  row,  and  keep  the  plants  entirely  free 
from  weeds.  In  the  autumn  cut  the  tops  about  4  inches  above  the 
surface,  and  the  roots  about  8  inches  below  ground.  Dig,  and  after 
sorting  according  to  size,  heel-in  the  earth  in  a  dry  place,  covering  the 
tops  with  litter  and  earth  to  prevent  freezing.  In  the  spring  they  are 
planted  in  a  properly  prepared  hedgerow,  where  they  are  to  remain. 
Some  growers  tie  loosely  in  small  bundles  of,  say,  fifty  plants  each, 
and  setting  upon  their  roots  cover  all  with  earth,  tops  and  bottom. 
Heeling-in  is  preferable.  The  usual  distance  apart  to  plant  in  the 
hedgerow  is  about  10  to  12  inches.  Pack  the  earth  firmly  about  the 
roots,  and  deep  enough  that  when  the  earth  settles  the  yellow  portion 
will  be  entirely  below  ground,  or  about  2  inches  deeper  than  they 
originally  stood. 
Apples  for  Profit  {Edmund). — The  idea  of  having  Bramley’s  Seedling 
as  a  “  breakwind  ”  is  excellent,  it  being  very  hardy,  and,  perhaps,  the 
most  profitable  of  all  Apples.  Bismarck,  next  to  the  Bramley’s 
Seedling,  these  being  standards,  as  half  standards,  is  also  good,  though 
we  should  prefer  Newton  Wonder,  as  late  fruit  is  more  profitable  than 
even  varieties  that  come  into  use  at  Christmas.  For  dwarfs,  bushes  on 
Paradise  stocks,  your  selections,  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  King  of  the 
Pippins,  Lord  Grosvenor,  Worcester  Pearmain,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert, 
Gascoyne’s  Scarlet,  and  Devonshire  Quarrenden  are  excellent.  We 
should  add  White  Transparent,  Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  and  Blenheim 
Orange,  which  last,  though  slow  in  coming  into  bearing,  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  useful  Apples. 
Mortar  for  Setting  Boiler  (P.  K). — You  should  procure  fire  clay, 
such  as  used  for  making  firebricks,  which  is  kept  and  sold  by  the 
chief  builders  or  dealers  in  building  materials.  Failing  this,  you  may 
use  the  following  preparation  : — Chalk  sixty  parts,  lime  and  salt  of 
each  twenty  parts,  sharp  sand  ten  parts,  blue  or  red  clay  and  clean 
iron  filings  of  each  five  parts ;  grind  together  and  calcine.  After 
calcining  mix  with  water  to  mortar  consistency.  As  the  calcining  may 
be  inconvenient  the  following  may  be  used  : — Powdered  clay  6  lbs., 
iron  filings  1  lb. ;  mix  into  a  paste  with  linseed  oil,  and  use  directly  as 
made.  For  general  purposes  a  mortar  formed  of  one  part  of  lime,  one 
of  sharp  sand,  and  one  of  smithy  ashes  answers  well,  water  of  course 
being  used  to  form  the  required  mortar. 
Coboea  scandens  Flowers  not  Expanding  (H.  D.). — This  ornamental 
rapid  growing  climber  is  subject  to  produce  nothing  but  calyxes,  both 
under  glass  and  in  the  open  air,  which  probably  arises  from  the  plant 
making  too  free  growth,  the  soil  being  too  rich  and  kept  too  moist.  A 
free  and  moderately  rich  soil  is  necessary,  two  parts  turfy  loam,  with  a 
part  of  well  reduced  leaf  mould  and  a  sixth  of  sharp  sand,  incor¬ 
porated,  should  grow  it  well.  It  does  best  if  planted  out,  but,  at  the 
same  time,  it  thrives  in  large  pots.  In  autumn  the  long  shoots  can  be 
pruned  back,  and  fresh  growth  will  be  made  in  spring.  The  plant 
should  be  grown  in  full  exposure  to  light,  keeping  on  the  dry  rather 
than  the  wet  side,  so  as  to  induce  a  free-fiowering  habit,  and  when 
coming  into  flower  should  be  supplied  with  weak  liquid  manure. 
Pruning  Black  Currants  (J.  D.  P.). — The  shoots  should  be  thinned 
out  when  they  are  too  thick,  and  without  shortening  those  left ;  but 
when  they  are  not  too  numerous  but  very  long,  to  encourage  the 
production  of  young  wood,  they  should  be  cut  well  back  ;  and  in  order 
to  keep  the  young  trees  low  and  well  furnished  with  bearing  shoots,  the 
young  shoots  should  be  shortened  one-third  or  one-half  their  length.  It 
is  easy  to  thin  them  out,  but  not  so  easy  to  obtain  young  shoots  from 
the  bottom  without  losing  a  year’s  crop.  The  straggling  bushes  of 
former  days  are  no  longer  imitated,  the  present  mode  being  to  shorten 
the  young  shoots,  to  keep  the  bushes  dwarf  and  symmetrical,  and  by  it 
even  finer  fruit  is  produced,  as  it  is  borne  on  joung  wood.  Out  ouc 
the  old  wood,  encourage  young  shoots,  shorten  them,  and,  if  they 
become  too  numerous,  thin  out. 
Fear  Winter  Nells  (IF.  T.). — This  valuable  dessert  Pear  has 
been  grown  in  the  gardens  of  this  country  tor  over  eighty  years, 
having  been  introduced  from  Belgium  in  1S18.  Its  present  popularity 
is  sufficient  proof  of  its  excellence,  and  it  holds  its  own  as  firmly  as 
ever  among  the  many  varieties  that  rank  as  high-class  Pears.  This 
Pear  is  not  only  of  superior  quality,  bnt  the  tree  is  hardy  and  bears 
freely,  and  there  is  no  garden  in  which  late  Pears  ripen  that  should  not 
contain  a  tree  or  trees,  according  to  the  form  in  which  they  are  grown 
and  the  demand  for  fruit.  Prom  cordons  on  the  Quince  stock  we  have 
gathered  fruit  of  the  first  order  of  merit,  and  about  equally  good 
produce  from  large  trees  on  the  Pear  stock.  In  favourable  localities 
valuable  fruit  is  produced  by  pyramids,  but  in  most  districts  the  trees 
should  have  the  shelter  of  walls.  The  fruit  with  good  management 
may  be  had  in  use  over  a  long  period.  We  have  from  one  tree  had  a 
daily  supply  for  two  months,  obtained  by  placing  a  few  at  a  time  in  a 
high  temperature,  and  the  quality  during  the  whole  period  gave  great 
satisfaction.  The  following  is  the  description  of  this  fine  old  variety  ; — 
Fruit  below  medium  size,  roundish-obovate,  narrowing  abruptly  towards 
the  stalk.  Skin  dull  green  at  first,  changing  to  yellowish  green, 
covered  with  numerous  russety  dots  and  patches  of  brown  russet, 
particularly  on  the  side  next  the  sun.  Eye  open,  with  erect  rigid 
segments,  set  in  a  shallow  depression.  Stalk  from  1  to  inch  long, 
curved,  and  set  in  a  narrow  cavity.  Flesh,  yellowish,  fine  grained, 
buttery  and  melting,  with  a  rich,  sugary  and  vinous  fiavour,  and  a  fine 
aroma.  It  is  now  in  season. 
Names  of  Fruits  (J.  O.). — 1,  Warner’s  King ;  2,  Bramley’s 
Seedling;  3,  Gloria  Mundi;  4,  Tower  of  Glamis ;  5,  Roundway 
Magnum  Bonum ;  6,  Gloucestershire  Costard.  (fl.  P.).  —  1,  Cox’s 
Orange  Pippin ;  2,  Golden  Winter  Pearmain ;  3,  Margil ;  4,  Court 
Pendu  P14t.  (D.  J.).  —  1,  New  Northern  Greening;  2,  Norfolk 
Beefing ;  3,  Gascoyne’s  Scarlet  Seedling ;  4,  Herefordshire  Pearmain ; 
5,  Newton  Wonder.  The  Pear  is  Beurre  Diel.  (IF.  H.  IF.). — 1, 
Stone’s  or  Loddington  Seedling;  2,  Tyler’s  Kernel;  3,  Emperor 
Alexander;  4,  Dumelow’s  Seedling,  known  also  as  Wellington  and 
Normanton  Wonder  ;  5,  Bramley’s  Seedling  ;  6,  Catshead.  (Z.  B.  A.  Z.). 
— 1,  Decayed  beyond  the  possibility  of  identification ;  it  is  certainly 
not  Doyenne  du  Comice  ;  2,  Pitmaston  Duchess ;  3,  Winter  Hawthornden. 
(L.  J.  P). — 1,  Probably  a  small  fruit  of  Reinette  du  Canada;  2,  Lady 
Henniker.  The  Pears  were  all  too  far  gone  for  recognition,  possibly  they 
are  3,  Louise  Bonne de  Jersey;  4,  Swan’s  Egg;  5,  unknown. 
