20 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  3,  1902. 
economically  distribute  any  water  or  liquid  manure  which  may 
be  found  necessary  to  apply  to  the  roots.  A  last  sowing  of  Peas 
may  he  made,  selecting  well  pulverised  and  manured 
ground,  and  drawing  the-  drills  rather  deeper  than  for 
ordinary  sowing,  as  much  dry  and  hot  weather  may  be 
experienced  at  a  time  when  the  Peas  are  needing  considerable 
support.  For  this  last  sowing  the  early  varieties  only  can  be 
depended  upon  to  give  good  results.  A  situation  sheltered  from 
winds  should  be  chosen.  The  great  enemy  to  late  Peas  is  mildew, 
but  with  generous  treatment  and  ample  room  this  pest  may  be 
kept  at  bay. 
FRENCH  BEANS.— With  a  good  supply  of  Scarlet  Runners 
these  are  not  so  much  in  demand  in  autumn,  but  a  few  rows  may. 
nevertheless,  prove  to  be  useful  :  therefore,  if  room  can  be  found 
it  is  advisable  to  sow  a  row  or  two  in  the  usual  way. 
CELERY. — The  main  and  late  crops  of  Celery  may  now  be 
planted.  Where  there  is  much  in  demand,  double  rows  might 
with  advantage  be  planted,  though  they  are  more  trouble  in 
managing.  The  latest  rows  should  be  single  ones,  the  plants 
passing  through  the  winter  better,  moisture  not.  hanging  about 
them  so  much.  During  this  month  Celery  plants  are  inserted 
which  have  become  overgrown  by  remaining  too  long  in  the 
nursery  beds.  These  are  long  in  recovering.  Use  none  but 
sturdy  plants,  which  lift  well  from  their  temporary  positions,  and 
properly  treated  scarcely  feel  the  effects  of  removal.  To  estab¬ 
lished  rows  of  Celery  afford  adequate  supplies  of  water  to  the 
roots,  and  trim  away  the  suckers  which  are  springing  from  the 
base,  and  remove  weeds. 
POTATOES. — Early  varieties  may  be  dug  as  wanted  from  the 
open  ground.  Remove  all  haulm  front  the  soil  after  the  tubers 
have  been  picked  up,  and  make  the  surface  level. 
ENDIVE.— A  sowing  of  Endive  should  be  made  in  drills  a 
foot  apart,  and  on  moderately  rich  ground.  Thin  the  seedlings 
early  and  transplant  later  some  of  the  strongest  young  plants, 
hoeing  among  them  frequently  to  promote  growth. 
SURFACE  CULTURE.- — Weeds  ought  to  be  cut  down  between 
growing  crops  on  every  sunny  day,  with  the  Dutch  hoe.  If  the 
ground  has  been  trodden  hard  between  Beans  or  other  crops  it 
may  be  necessary  to  bring  a  fork  into  use  to  loosen  the  soil. 
MUSTARD  AND  CRESS. — Sowings  of  these  may  be  made 
frequently  outdoors  in  a  shaded  position,  sowing  on  the  surface, 
shading  and  maintaining  moist. 
Young  Gardeners’  Domain. 
Eucharis  grandifiora 
How  seldom  wTe  find  these  beautiful  and  useful  flowering 
plants  grown  as  they  deserve  to  be  in  gardens  of  note.  At 
Christmas  and  New  Year  few  of  our  inside  flowering  plants  are 
more  useful  than  the  Eucharis —  a  time  of  the  year  when  the 
country  mansions  are  filled  with  parties,  and  flowers  are  greatly 
in  demand  for  table  decorations.  Eucharis  flowers  and  foliage 
of  Pancratium  fragrans,  or  small  Richardia  leaves,  may  be  used, 
the  flowers  lasting  for  a  long  time  after  they  are  cut  if  a  small 
portion  of  the  stem  is  taken  off  every  few  days.  I  think  many 
failures  may  be  put  down  to  three  things — viz.,  not  sufficient 
water,  too  much  drying  off  at  the  roots,  and  too  much  heat. 
Our  mode  of  culture  may  surprise  some.  When  the  plants 
require  to  be  potted  they  are  given  good  fibrous  loam  and  a 
sprinkling  of  bonemeal  and  sand,  and  a  good  drainage  in  the 
pots.  Once  a  plant  is  established  it  is  best  left  alone  for  four 
or  five  years  and  not  disturbed,  for  if  so  it  will  most  likely  cause 
a  failure.  I  think  when  once  you  have  got  Eucharis  in  good 
health  and  doing  well  leave  well  alone.  The  chief  aim  should 
be  to  get  the  pots  filled  with  healthy  bulbs  and  roots,  and  then, 
with  liberal  feeding,  they  can  be  kept  in  good  condition  for 
sevei’al  years. 
We  find  liquid  manure  from  the  cowsheds  and  soot  water 
as  good  as  any  manure.  This  is  applied  once  or  twice  weekly. 
The  plants  are  kept  well  supplied  with  water  right  through  the 
year,  never  once  allowed  to  become  dry  at  the  roots.  Most 
growers  keep  them  on  the  dry  side,  or,  rather,  withhold  water 
from  them  for  a  time.  But  we  never  do  this.  Twice  and  three 
times  during  the  season  we  get  them  to  flower.  But  Christmas 
is  the  time  we  getffhe  most  and  best  spikes,  most  of  which  are 
over  a  yard  in  length  with  six  and  seven  flowers  on  them.  With 
regard  to  temperature,  an  intermediate  one  is  suitable,  with  the 
glass  about  50deg  at  night  during  the  winter  months.  This 
is  where  the  plants  are  grown  the  whole  year  round.  They  are 
also  grown  under  the  stages,  with  water  always  under  them, 
and  seem  to  delight  in  it.  We  are  seldom  without  a  few  spikes 
of  Eucharis  at  any  time  from  these  plants.— J.  B.,  Bucks. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
M.  Herb  (formerly  Herb  and  Wulle),  Bulb  and  Seed  Grower,  Naples.— 
General  Catalogue  of  Bulbs. 
* **  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fletet  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  mi  justifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
CURRANT  LEAVES  FALLING  (J.).— Probably  the  bushes 
have  been  suffering  from  drought,  which  the  recent  rains  would 
no  doubt  assist  materially  in  remedying.  If  the  bushes  are  old 
and  weak  a  mulching  of  manure  or  a  good  supply  of  liquid 
manure  would  prove  beneficial. 
WEED  KILLER  (Idem). — There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  non- 
poisonous  weed-killer,  for  what  will  kill  weeds  will  destroy  useful 
crops,  it  being  only  a  matter  of  degree,  some  plants  being  more 
susceptible  of  injury  than  others,  and  the  articles  are  poisonous, 
though  not  likely  to  cause  injury  to  man  or  useful  animal  life 
when  applied  according  to  the  instructions.  We  advise  a  solution 
of  carbolic  acid,  No.  -5,  in  100  parts  of  water,  for  killing  weeds  on 
walks,  pavements,  Ac.,  distributing  by  means  of  a  rose  watering 
can,  and  keeping  from  grass,  Box,  or  other  edgings,  for  the  acid 
is  no  respecter  of  vegetation.  Avoid  getting  the  acid  on  the 
hands,  even  the  diluted  article,  or  it  will  injure  the  skin. 
GOLDEN  -  LEAVED  FUCHSIA  TURNING  GREEN 
(Amateur). — Most  likely  your  plant  is  turning  green  in  con¬ 
sequence  of  having  been  recently  potted  in  a  richer  material  than 
that  in  which  it  was  before,  whereby  a  degree  of  grossness  is 
induced  fatal  to  variegation  both  in  this  and  in  many  other  plants. 
We  are'  unable  to  maintain  the  golden  colour  in  our  Japan 
Euonymus  when  they  are  planted  out  of  doors,  and  it  is  the  same 
with  many  other  plants.  In  the  case  of  your  Fuchsia,  if  it  is  not 
placed  in  too  large  a  pot  we  would  not  disturb  it  now,  but  wait 
until  the  pot  be  filled  with  roots,  and  most  likely  the  proper 
colour  will  be  restored  as  the  plant’s  vigour  becomes  checked. 
Water  also  sparingly,  and  do  not  let  the  plant  flag. 
ARTIFICIAL  MANURE  FOR  VINES  (T.  Q.).— The  Vines 
that  are  carrying  good  crops  would  be  benefited  by  a  top-dressing 
of  fertiliser,  the  final  one  being  given  at  the  completion  of  the 
stoning  process,  so  as  to  help  the  Grapes  in  their  last  swelling 
and  profit  the  Vines  in  storing  matter  and  perfecting  the  buds 
for  next  year’s  crop.  Of  the  three  articles  you  mention,  namely, 
bonemeal,  dissolved  bones,  and  Thomson’s  Vine  manure,  the 
latter  would  be  most  serviceable  ,  as  it  is  a  good  all-round  fer¬ 
tiliser  ;  but  as  you  may  have  used  this  and  may  prefer  something 
different,  you  may  prepare  a  mixture  of  five  parts  of  dissolved 
bones,  dry  and  crumbling,  2^  parts  sulphate  of  potash,  and  1  part 
sulphate  of  magnesia,  mixed,  applying  4oz  of  the  mixture  per 
square  yard,  and  pointing  in  very  lightly,  afterwards  watering 
in  moderately.  This  will  help  the  Vines  to  finish  the  current 
crop  and  material  remain  for  use  in  the  future. 
'  GRAPES  FOR  EXAMINATION  (One  Perplexed).— The 
berries  are  both  shanked  and  scalded,  the  former  represented  by 
the  withered  footstalks  and  the  latter  by  the  depressed  spots,  the 
other  part  of  the  berry  remaining  green  and  sound.  The  shank¬ 
ing  is  generally  due  to  a  bad  condition  of  the  roots,  the  soil 
having  become  sodden  and  sour,  for  which  lifting  is  the  most 
satisfactory,  or  it  may  in  the  case  of  an  old  Vine  not  be  possible 
to  so  aot,  or  only  partially,  removing  the  soil  from  amongst  and 
over  the  roots  at  the  collar  and  supplying  fresh  loam  or  compost 
in  place  of  that  removed.  This  practice  we  have  known  to  effect 
wonders  with  old  Vines,  new  roots  being  encouraged  from  the 
collar,  and  they  extend  outwards  near  the  surface,  and  the  Vines 
profit  accordingly.  This  should  be  done  in  late  summer,  as  soon 
as  the  leaves  give  indications  of  ripening.  If  you  cannot  do 
either,  apply  a  good  dressing  of  air-slaked  lime,  say  21b  per  square 
yard,  and  leave  on  the  surface,  or  if  objectionable  in  appearance 
cover  with  a  little  soil,  very  little,  or  better  not  any.  The  lime 
will  act  to  some  extent  as  a  corrective  of  the  soil  sourness,  as 
some  lime  will  enter  the  soil  in  solution,  and  very  often  the  roots 
of  the  Vines  come  up  into  it.  The  scalding  can  only  be  pre¬ 
vented  by  admitting  a  little  air  constantly  and  increasing  it 
before  the  sun  has  acted  on  the  house,  so  as  to  raise  the  tem¬ 
perature  considerably,  moisture  being  condensed  on  the  berries, 
and  these  heated,  scalding  ensues.  It  never  occurs  outdoors, 
therefore  admit  air  freely  and  keep  moisture  from  the  berries 
even  if  a  little  extra  fire  heat  has  to  be  employed.  We  should 
szy  there  is  too  much  moisture  in  the  house,  this  being  kept  too 
close  and  moist,  therefore  ventilate  early  and  freely,  though  too 
late  for  this  year. 
