124 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  7,  1901. 
started  with  the  current  month  should  be  syringed  until  the  blossoms 
commence  opening,  and  where  buds  are  too  thick  remove  those  on  the 
under  side  or  at  back  of  the  shoots.  Before  the  flowers  expand  it  is 
good  practice  to  fumigate  the  house  on  a  calm  afternoon,  when  the 
trees  are  dry,  to  destroy  any  aphides  that  may  exist,  and  so  keep  the 
trees  free  from  these  pestB  until  the  fruits  are  set.  Inside  borders 
must  not  lack  moisture,  therefore  if  there  is  any  doubt  on  this  point 
make  an  examination,  and  give  a  thorough  supply  of  water  or  liquid 
manure  if  the  trees  are  enfeebled  by  repeated  forcing  or  need  succour. 
Late  Houses.— Where  the  lights  have  been  removed  they  need  not 
Be  replaced  until  the  time  for  starting  the  trees  or  the  blossom  buds  are 
advanced  in  swelling  and  it  is  not  safe  to  longer  expose  them.  Trees 
under  fixed  roofs  must  have  the  inside  borders  kept  moist,  and  the 
houses  be  freely  ventilated,  so  as  to  keep  the  trees  in  good  condition  for 
giving  full  crops  of  fruit.  Lifting  and  re-arranging  trees  in  late  houses 
may  still  be  proceeded  with,  bringing  such  operations  to  a  close  as  soon 
as  possible,  yet  avoid  working  about  trees  and  in  borders  during  wet 
weather,  for  it  only  converts  the  soil  into  mud,  and  it  bakes  and  cracks 
afterwards,  forming  a  close  mass,  or  letting  the  water  into  it  by  the 
fissures. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
Xiondon,  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  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
Plants  for  Carnation  Houses  in  Summer  (H.  G.).— The  two  most 
reliable  crops  are  Tomatoes  and  Cucumbers,  the  former  last  season 
being  the  more  remunerative.  Procure  strong  plants  without  delay  and 
grow  them  in  pots.  If  Cucumbers  are  grown  they  should  be  accom¬ 
modated  in  boxes  or  troughs,  so  as  to  be  readily  cleared  away  ready  for 
the  Carnations  in  the  autumn. 
Planting  Tigridias  (W.  F.  T.).—  The  several  species  and  varieties 
thrive  best  in  a  light  sandy  loam,  and  a  warm,  sunny  position,  with 
south  aspect,  should  be  accorded.  The  bulbs  should  be  planted  in 
April  about  3  inches  deep,  it  being  advisable  to  place  a  little  sand  under 
and  around  them.  The  roots  must  be  lifted  in  the  autumn,  when  the 
leaves  have  died  down,  and  be  stored  away  in  some  place  where  frost 
cannot  reach  them,  and  replanting  in  the  following  April. 
Mignonette  in  Pots  ( W .  K.). — Fill  5-inch  pots  with  a  compost  of 
three  parts  fibrous  loam,  and  the  other  part  being  composed  of  leaf 
mould  and  sand  with  one-seventh  of  decayed  manure.  Make  the 
surface  even,  and  sow  seeds  of  a  good  strain  evenly,  cover  with  fine  soil, 
and  water  with  a  fine-rose  can.  If  the  pots  ar9  placed  in  the  vinery 
just  started  the  seeds  will  soon  germinate ;  gradually  harden  and  place 
them  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass,  where  the  temperature  will  not  fall 
below  45°.  Be  careful  that  they  do  not  become  dry  at  their  roots. 
Standards  and  pyramids,  where  the  flowers  are  not  needed,  may  be 
removed,  and  the  growths  tied  down ;  give  these  a  little  artificial 
manure  to  the  surface  of  the  soil,  water  carefully,  and  keep  the  plants 
standing  on  a  moisture-holding  base. 
Rondeletias  (P.  C.  C.). — You  may  find  it  rather  difficult  to  grow 
good  specimens,  yet  with  care  and  proper  treatment  this  can  be 
accomplished.  They  yield  flowers  freely,  which  are  very  serviceable 
for  cutting,  and  should  be  grown  much  more  largely  than  they  are. 
The  plants  are  slow  in  a  young  state,  and  much  headway  cannot  be 
made  in  a  solitary  season.  Cuttings  of  soft  wood  root  freely  in  sandy 
soil  under  bell-glasses  in  brisk  heat.  This  plant  may  be  grown  into 
bushes  or  small  standards  ;  for  the  latter  the  young  plants,  after  they 
are  rooted,  must  be  supplied  with  a  stake  and  allowed  to  extend  until 
the  necessary  length  of  stem  has  been  produced,  when  the  point  should 
be  removed  to  induce  it  to  branch.  For  bushes  the  young  plants 
may  be  stopped  when  they  have  made  a  few  inches  of  growth.  Pinching 
is  necessary  until  the  plants  have  formed  good  bushes,  when  the  shoots 
may  be  allowed  to  extend  and  ripen  thoroughly,  when  every  one  will 
produce  a  truss  of  bright  scarlet  flowers.  To  grow  these  plants  well 
they  may  be  grown  with  Ixoras,  and  if  given  bottom  heat  they  extend 
much  more  rapidly  during  the  early  stages  of  their  growth.  Rondeletias, 
of  which  R.  speciosa  major  is  the  best,  are  not  strong-rooting  plants, 
and  do  well  if  potted  the  same  as  Ixoras,  and  in  similar  compost. 
We  have  been  successful  with  them  when  one-third  of  sandy  loam  has 
been  incorporated  with  the  peat.  These  plants  are  much  subject  to 
thrips,  and  need  careful  watering.  When  bushes  or  standards  have  been 
formed  they  can  be  kept  shapely  by  a  judicious  system  of  cutting  back 
the  shoots  after  flowering. 
Largest  Camellia  Tree  in  the  British  islands  ( E .  B.  <?.). — The  tree, 
16  feet  high,  and  covering  an  area  22  feet  square,  or  about  55  square 
yards,  and  over  13  inches  through  at  the  butt,  is  certainly  a  very  fine 
specimen,  though  there  are  others  probably  quite  as  large,  but  of  these 
we  have  no  specific  particulars.  Our  correspondent  states  that  “  the 
flower  is  a  double  red,  and  if  the  present  mild  weather  continues  it 
should  be  in  full  bloom  by  the  middle  of  next  month  (February,  the 
letter  being  dated  January  28th).  If  any  of  your  readers  are  over  on 
the  island  and  should  care  to  see  it,  I  shall  only  be  pleased  to  show 
it  them.  It  is  a  glorious  sight,  as  there  are  rarely  less  than  2000 
flowers  on  it.”  The  address  is  Mr.  Edward  B.  Gawne,  Kentraugb, 
Colly,  Isle  of  Man. 
Brown  Spots  on  the  Under  Side  of  Chrysanthemum'Leaves  (F.  H.  JD.). 
— The  brown  spots  are  those  occasioned  by  the  rust  fungus,  Puccinia 
bieraci,  in  the  uredo,  or  summer  spore  condition,  which  some  observers 
consider  as  belonging  to  Puccinia  tanaceti.  The  plants  should  be 
sprayed  at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  dating  from  the  growth  of  new 
leaves,  with  potassium  sulphide  solution,  1  oz.  to  3  gallons  of  water,  or 
when  the  leaves  are  tender  half  an  ounce  to  a  gallon  of  water,  which 
not  only  destroys  the  rust  spores,  but  also  those  of  various  other 
fungus  pests  that  attack  Chrysanthemums.  Other  preventive  and 
remedial  measures  have  been  from  time  to  time  propounded  in  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture,  of  which  Veltha  emulsion,  occasionally 
advertised  in  our  columns,  has  received  recent  and  favourable  notice. 
Faint  for  Inside  of  Greenhouses  and  Vineries  ( Banltside ). — The 
most  serviceable  treatment  for  woodwork  of  greenhouses  and  vineries 
is  that  of  giving  them  three  coats  of  Stockholm  tar  thinned  with 
paraffin  oil  to  the  consistency  of  ordinary  paint,  about  four  quarts  of 
Stockholm  tar  and  one  quart  of  paraffin  oil  being  proper  proportions, 
the  wood  being  perfectly  dry  when  applied,  that  is,  the  first  coat,  and 
this  thoroughly  dried  before  applying  the  seoond,  and  so  on  with  the 
third.  This  priming  renders  the  wood  unassailable  by  wood  fungi  and 
insects,  and  readily  takes  any  kind  of  ordinary  paint,  for  which  we 
prefer  stone  colour  as  less  liable  to  discoloration  than  white  lead  paint, 
though  we  have  known  this  exclusively  used  for  the  painting  of  plant 
and  fruit  houses  without  any  injurious  effects  for  over  half  a  century. 
The  Stockholm  tar  and  paraffin  oil  mixture  gives  a  light  brown  colour 
to  the  wood,  and  need  not  be  otherwise  painted  unless  the  colour  is 
objectionable. 
Coarse  Salt  as  a  Manure  for  Boses  on  Sandy  Soil  {Amateur  Rose 
Grower). — We  presume  you  mean  agricultural  salt,  which  is  rock  salt 
ground,  and  does  not  usually  contain  more  than  half  per  cent,  of 
moisture  and  the  3  to  6  per  cent,  of  impurities  which  give  it  the  reddish 
colour.  It  is  not  objectionable  for  horticultural  purposes,  as  shown  by 
the  following  analysis  by  Mr.  G.  H.  Sharpe,  F.C.S.  : — Chloride  of 
sodium,  96'86  ;  ,  chloride  of  calcium,  0‘49  ;  sulphate  of  lime,  0'74; 
insoluble  matter,  1‘58 ;  water,  0'33 — -100.  Its  use  certainly  tends  to 
the  conservation,  if  not  evolution,  of  moisture,  and  renders  substances 
otherwise  unavailable  at  the  disposal  of  the  plant  in  the  soil,  whilst 
strengthening  the  plant  growth  ;  it  also  acts  beneficially  on  fungoid 
and  insect  pests.  A  dressing  of  5  cwt.  per  acre,  3^  lbs.  per  rod,  would  be 
sufficient  for  Roses,  applying  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  thoroughly  thawed, 
or  not  later  than  the  middle  of  March.  We  should  prefer  a  dressing 
composed  of  equal  parts  bonemeal  and  best  quality  kainit,  applying 
3 lbs.  of  the  mixture  per  square  rod  (30^  square  yards),  and  if  a 
dressing  of  rapemeal  at  a  similar  rate  were  also  applied  it  would  be  an 
advantage,  pointing  all  in  lightly.  Cow  manure  as  a  mulch  would  be 
better  than  horse  droppings,  as  being  cooler  and  more  moisture¬ 
holding. 
Tuberoses  (M.  G.  R.). — The  plants  have  either  been  too  dry  or  checked 
in  the  later  stages  of  growth.  They  need  liberal  supplies  of  water  after 
they  are  once  started  and  are  rooted  abundantly  in  the  pots  in  which 
they  are  to  flower.  You  do  not  give  the  temperature  of  the  house  in 
which  they  had  been  grown  previous  to  taking  them  to  the  stove.  If 
cool,  the  sudden  change  would  prove  detrimental  and  too  forcing  ;  this 
combined  with  too  little  water  would  bring  about  the  condition  you 
have  described.  You  cannot  do  better  than  keep  the  bulbs  in  any  cool 
place  where  they  are  safe  from  frost  and  dry,  but  not  dry  enough  to 
shrivel.  They  should  be  potted  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  May, 
but  before  potting  disbud  them — that  is,  remove  all  side  eyes  that  only 
spring  up  after,  and  rob  the  spike.  Pot  them  in  a  mixture  of  good 
loam  three  parts,  the  remaining  part  leaf  mould,  sand,  and  one-seventh 
of  decayed  manure.  Start  them  in  a  vinery  or  any  house  kept 
moderately  close  until  they  commence  growing  and  rooting.  In  this 
stage  they  need  very  careful  watering.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  place  the  pots 
together  and  cover  the  surface  with  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse,  leaving  out  the 
crown.  If  the  syringe  is  used  occasionally  to  keep  the  surface  damp 
they  will  need  no  water  until  they  begin  growing,  provided  the  soil  was 
in  an  intermediate  state  for  moisture  when  potted.  When  the  plants 
are  growing  and  rooting  freely  they  should  be  removed  from  the  vinery, 
if  started  in  that  structure.  If  gradually  hardened  the  best  place  for 
them  is  a  cold  frame  or  greenhouse.  If  the  lights  can  be  thrown  off 
during  hot  bright  days  all  the  better.  Some  care  is  needed  at  first  nob 
to  check  the  plants  until  they  will  bear  cool  airy  treatment.  We  have 
grown  them  well  by  plunging  the  pots  in  ashes  outside  from  the 
beginniug  of  July  to  the  end  of  August,  when  they  were  throwing  up 
their  flower  spikes.  They  should  then  be  removed  to  a  cool  airy  house. 
The  temperature  can  be  gradually  increased  to  bring  them  into  flower 
whenever  required. 
