'r^/SnCS^ :t A ^^ jf^' I I / _ u rl nrv'^ Ci :^^ '^'^p^l^ '^'^^' ^^/^:^i^. '^iifpfe^ i ^Wll# Vi^ i^i N^';^'^'' ki M « I^a!^? l££b m^ M^m': WMtW:A m kxmni '''W .f>M-S. -H^^ ^mi m"^ 'XT nm. ^A/V ?^. -isr^ Q^ ^%&r^^- 51/1/lA ^^,^ ■■^^A^>f>pf'^' n \^ /^m^ ^^m ■ I'M 'y^^/ 'mm^^ THE JOUB,ML OF HOETICULTUPiE, COTTAGE GAEDENER, COUNT R.Y aENTLEMAN, BFJvKKKl'Klt. AN'I) POULTRY (JHUOxXlCLE A JOUKNAL OF GARDENING, RUBAL AND DOMESTIC ECONOMY, BOTANY, AND NATURAL HISTOS?. CONDUCTED BY GEORGE W. JOHNSON, E.R.H.S., and ROBERT HOGG, LL.D. THE FI:UIT AND KITCHEN GAl;])ENS, by Mr. J. Kobson, Gardener to Viscount Holni^'j^cljiU-, M.P., Linton Parli; Mr. E. Lackharst, Egerton House Gardenia, Kent: and Mr. T. Weaver, Gardener to the Warden of Winchester College. THE FLOWER GARDEN', by Mr. G. Abbey ; " Ayrshire Gardener ; " Mr. T. Record, Gardener to Colonel Lloyd. Litlesdcn : and Mr. J. Wills, Ashburnham Park Nursery, Kind's Road, Chelsea. STOVE, GREENHOUSE, and WINDOW GARDEN, liy Mr. R. Fish, Gardener, Putter-idge Bury, near Luton. FLORISTS' FLOWERS AND FLORICULTUUE, by the Rev. H. H. Dombraiu. GARDENING CALENDAR, by Mr. WilUam Koaae. POULTRY-KEEPING, by Mr. J. Baily ; E. Hewitt, Eifi. ; and other well-known contributors. PIGEONS, .4VIARY BIRDS, .tc, by "Wiltshire Rector; W. A. Blakston.Esq., and others. BEE-KEEPING, liv H. Taylor, Esii. ; T. W. WooJbury, Esq.; " B. & W. ; " and Mr. S. P.evan Fo.\. HOUSEHOLD ARTS, by the Authoress ot others. ' Mv Flowers," aud LIBRARY NEW YOKK BOTANICAL QARDEN. VOL IT ME XVI., NEW S E E, I E S. VOL. XLL, OLD SERIES. LONDON : PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, 171, FLEET STREET. 1869. AM /s4 AJL LONDON : - PRINTED AT THE JOURNAL OF HORTICUL'XDRE OFFICE, 171, FLEET STREET. TO OUR READERS. Just as we wrote the ubovc three words wo received a communication from "Wiltshire Rkctor," on the envelope of which was written — "Nothing to say except — All's well." And what l)etter saying could there be? Certainly none that touches more joyously the best chord of the heart. However, a pile of letters is before us ; let us see, as we hope, that they join in chorus " All's well ;" — at all events that there will be no record of a severer visitation than green fly on a Rose tree, or soft eggs in a poultry-bouse. First comes one from among the men of Kent, and it says : — "I started in the profession with a few pounds I had saved as an overworked lad ou the farm, and I have been compelled to educate myself as best I could. I shall not soon forget the answer I made to a jocular remark my poor father once made when he saw me sitting under a tree reading Thk Cottage Gardener, as it was then called. He said, ' You will never make a gardener, for you are not able to read me a column down that paper and explain it.' I replied, ' I should yet become a noble- man's gardener, and be able to supply an article for the .Journal from my own pen." Now, as I have accomplished one, I hope some day to secure the other." " That hope we know to be well founded, so that choruses "All's well." Next let us quote an Oxonian letter, where it tells this tale : — " At twelve years of age I left Jiome with just sixpence for my private fortune, and I educated myself at odds and ends of time, and by steady perseverance and tolerable judgment in money matters, I had saved sufficient to make a good start in life, and I was thinking of getting man-ied. The Russian war came, and the finn with which I was connected got caught, as it were, wheel within a wheel in con- nection with the corn trade of that country ; and one morning before breakfast a letter came to say that my bard-earned fortune had taken to itself wings and flowai away. I ate my breakfast, tied on my apron, and went to work again ; and now I am happy to inform voir that I am just independent of the world once more, and, in strictly private confidence, I once more have serious tbouglit-^ of taking to myself a wife." No one but will mentally chorus, Thai's "All's well." Truthfully do we add that from the same pile of letters we could not quote one that would cause a discord in the chorus, and when we turn to our lists of new and old contributors — of new and old subscribers — tliere is no shadow upon them ; and we hope tliat for many years to come they and we, whether looking back upon the past, dwelling on the present, or I'aising our eyes towards the future, may be justified in saying — ALL 'S WELL. INDEX. Aeerdtien Pottltby Show 37, 56 AccrinRton PonUry Show, '249 Acbiinenf p.— pottinfr. «8 ; culture, 416 Aconite, WiDtor, not flowerinu, 88 AcoruH eal.imus fultnre, '247 Advice to horticulturists, 300 AtridcB stpms. Jl Aperatiim for boiUUnp. 150 Aclaoneiiiii Mannii, ti07 Afn'iinlture and horticultlire, 18G Allamandas— nnliilis, 127, 292; plant- iDtront in huthouse border, 150 AlloBoruscrispuB cultiirp,43 AlocaBia Lowii culture, 202 Alpine Rose, 141 Alston Poultry ^how, 19 Amaranth, Globe, culture, 320 Amaranthus elegautissimus culture, 229 American blip?it. 151 ; remains, 112 Amomum Eceptrum. 207 Anastatica hierochontica eultare, 13 Andalusian chickens, 361 Anemones— cullnre, 112; weak, 199; planted in February, 199 : waterint', 330; Pelargoiiiuras with, 330 Angle of greenhouse roof, 281 .Vnnuals— for autumn, 88; a plea for, 120; for Bliphtlv-shaded place, 247: tender. 252, 290, 320, f!04, 369 Antirrhinum culture, 51 Antf;— destroying:, 144 ; banishiiiET, S4G, 315 Aphides, destroyinpr, 144, 149. 415 Apples— shoot swellinRs, 112; train- ing, 132; keepingr, 157 ; exhibited by Mr. Rivers, 162; leaves blighted, 431; as an orchard fruit, 287 ; stor- ing, 229; trees unfruitful, 281 ; Bess Poo!, 26 ; Gooseberry, 67 ; Lord Burghley, 126; Ord'e, 12ti Apricots— Auatralian, 176: blossoms not settiiifr, 281 ; cutting back, 306 Api-il, plants flowering in, 307 Arable, dividintr, 83 AraucariBj transplanting, 215 Arches, climbera for, S31 Ardisia, culture, 70, 346 Artichokes, culture of Globe, 260 Artillery pl?nt,263 Arundo conspicua, 221 Ash trees, plants under, 229 Aeparagus, 229 ; culture. 181, 24C, 347 ; cutting, 362, 4(i5; phiuting for forc- ing, 215; removing in summer, 298; shoots perforated, 363; insects on, 381,416; newly planted. 416 Asi^lenium srptentrionale and alter- nifohum culture, 43 Asters— for exhibition, 51 ; sowing, 199; aphis on. S80 Aubrieua, dividing, 33 Ancnbas — berry pathcring. 231; fe- male and male blooming, 221 ; ferti- lising. 1156. 195, 193, 274, 281. 307, 323 ; not-fS about, 156; pollen, 166; pro- jiapiiting, 167 : raising varieties, 171 ; btcd sowing, 181; varieties, 254. 274 Aur;culi-6 at the Royal Horticiritural Socidy's Show, 25 Ausliitlia— notes from South, 44, 82, 105; seeds from, 262 Azaleas- manure for, 88, 415: striking cuttings, 150; list of, 183; repotting, 1139; growing, 229; uneven flower- |i ing. 2.':0; new hardy, 3'12; with Ca- ' iiitllias, 316: top-dressing for, 398; • lineanfolia, 342 .O E.cKBorsr.JrR. James, C7, ^2 J '• I aildon'6 Kature-printed FerDs," 126 Ey'> ms— culture, 70, 952; seed, kow- i: ; , iy9; dampingoff. 263 Ban- . ^w — Cochin-China, 266 ; Duck- win^ :>anie, 40, 4SG; Game, breed- ing, ia«; Japanese, 91: cock dying, 40U : cockerel, 218; dubbing, number of hens, 318 Bark running. 262 Karnes. Mr., le.iving Bicton, 376 Barometer, 149 Barrow Poultry Show. 1C8 Bath and West of England Poultry Show, 381 Beans— dwarf, 18 ; for a working-man s garden, 151 Bedding plants — heights, 306; ma- nagement, ISl : moving, 297; pits for, 149; supportiug, S7S, 395; win- tering, 12, U9 Bcdtington Poultri Show, 349, 363 Beech for a hedge. 2^1 Bees— apinrian notes, 40; Baroness von Berlepscli. 233; in Borneo and Timor, 300, S3;i : delay in breeding, 383; cenlrifu-£Hl honey extractor, 250, 966; on old Chrisimas eve, 40; civil war in a hive, 153 ; combs dis- placed, 2S4, mites in, 170; in con- servatory, 218; cross-breeding, 58; dead, 418 ; deserting hive. 436 ; driv- ing failures. S99; dropsy, 418; djing, 94; feeding, 2.'. 418; German Bee- Masters' Meeting, 137: commencing keeping, 284 ; Kcehler'a process, 40, improvement of, 349; Mitchell's glass, 4SG: moving, 118; partheno- genesis, lb'9: pasturage limit, 21; pollen gaihL-ring, 118, early, 154; queens' signs oi fertilisation, 3a4, introducing, ISS ; sagacity, 131 ; '• Seventy Pounds a-Year," 318 ; spe- cimens of species, 2U8; superpotrng, 94, 137; temperature of hive, 334; transferring. 118, 138; case fortrana- porting, 135; waxen sheets, 22,154; wax moth, 366; weight of bees, tS:c., 75. FovJ-biood-7i, U'i, 117, 169, 400, 417,436; new theory and treatment of. 185. Hiies— US; securing bars of. 417; cheap and good, 202; and houses, 334: protecung, 22; Stew- arton, 76 ; Woodbury, 4)0. Honey— extractinff machine, 250; in Essex, 118; heather harvest^ 250: in Ger- many in 186S, 202; m Lancat-hire, 284; in Lincoln8hii-e,218: near Man- chester, 333; in Northumberland, 205; opening season. ?01; season of ]8tj8.40:in South Cheshire, 154; in South Lancashire, 58 ; Suffolk honey hitrvest. 317: capture of in Timor, 333. Liiittrinns—'i:>Q, 384; rapid in- crease of. 4tJ0; queens. 154; Italian- :it.ing a hive. 40; vagaries of queens, 418. i7of/i\v— strengthening of, 318, 364; supering, 186, 218, 436; supers, 400; bees not entering. 412; ma- nagement of. 92, 153. ^Kvnr/is— set- ting on the ground, 36ti; btrayed. 414; strengthening second, 411. tiHor//i!7;0— ai'tificial, 4r'. 3Li4 ; early, 334; early at "Walerbcach, 304; na- tural 40 Beet— as a bedder. S24; not growing, 416: in8ecton,431: ornamental, ISa; Sea-kale, 88 ; sowing lor decoration, 299 ; sowing lor edgings, 150 Begonias — leaves dying, lb'2; shading, 416 Belfifane, 268 Beverley Poultry Show, 382 Bicton, gardener at. 42b Bignonia radicane flowering, 331 Bird organ, 3ft4 EirdSj bud-destroying. 179 Birmingham Columbarian Society's Show, 21 Birmingham Poultry Show, 72 ; prizes, 399 Binningham Philoperisteron Society, 201 Birmingham Rose Show, 356 Boggy groundj plants for, 247 Boilers— cast non, 14; hothouse, 205 ; 215; new, 391; new hothouse, 422; tubular, 237 Bones for manure, 33, 262 Botanic (Royal) Society's Exhibition, 193, 291, 342 Bougainvillea not flowering, 182; cul- ture 380 Box, clipping, 150, 344 Biahma Pootras, 118; vulture hock, .S3; not laying, 218: partly feather- less, 366; cocks' tails, 399; beeom ing fat, 436 Bran as poultry food, IKO Brassia Lawrenciana v. longiasinia, - 65 Brinjal. 216 Bristol and Clifton Poultry Show, 16, 36,37 Broccoli, Carter's Summer, 393 Broodiness in winter, 118 Broods, size of, 186 Broom, grafting, 71 Budding. 225 ; fruit trees, 298 Bulbs- culture, 87 ; in pots. &c., 131 BuUaces, monstrous, 431 Bullfinch Mule breeding, hatching egfis, 154 ; astlimatic- 2V4 Butter from France, 250 Cabbage seed saving, 298 Cacti, 70 ; compost, 88 Caladiunie- culture, 214; in a cool house, 416 ; esculentum culture, 315 Calanthe vestita flowering. SSO Calceolaria— beds, 261: compost for, 182; culture, 175; cuttings, potting, 150; fertilising, 431; Aurea flori- hunda. 381 : Ht-nrici. 342 Caledonian Horticultural Society, 84 Calico— covering for Irame, 199 ; oiled, 815 Camellias— aphis infested, 307; with Azaleas, 316; border-making, 281; compost for, 230; cuttings, 150; Jlowers not opening, 1C7 : grafting, 149 ; guano water lor, 362 ; leaves browned, 247, 315; leggy, U3: ma- nure water for, 415 ; out of doors, 104, 143, 174, 256; potting 202; re- potting, 199, 331 ; scale on, 215 ; seed- sowing, 281; select, 183, 256; tup- dresfiiDg, 398; unhealthy, 182 Camptopus Mannii, 127 Canarj- age oi, 186; breeding, 184, i!34; bretding from year nld, 76; breeding Goldfinch Mules, 40, 57, 76, 1!6, 201, 264, 3SS ; colouring and staining, 36. 185, 201, S18; coughing 334; laying soft eggs, 334; tgg- bound, 250; egg-eating, 2G6 ; losing feathers, 76; Lizaras. 58; mice eating yeung, 302; not pairing, 2;;4; by railway, 202 ; and Redbreas s, 334: removing cock from nestlings, 234 ; Show, last, 151 ; Scotch Fancy, Canker in Apple tiecs,166 Cannas, 380 Canonbie Poultry SIiow, 18 Cardcon culture. 61 CarnationE— pJanlitg lajers, lt2; re- potting tree, 1.^2 Caryota Cuniingii. 207 Catalogues, not forwarded, SO; ce- layed; 1S2 Cats >\ Neinophila. 289,328,330 Cedar of Lebanon, opening of conts of, 194 Celery— chfcl ing, 179; defective, 2:0; protecting Ircui worms, ^62 Celosia culture, 320 Centaur ca la^ui^ina from sef d, .M Cephalo tus follitularis luliure, -!'7 CereuB ]iTidus,410 Chanutrope excelea culture, 315, 362 Cherries- Bird,362: as a stock lor the Peach, 896; blighted. 315; over- vigorous, 50 ; protecting from birds, 303 ; prunintf newlj-plunted, 362: unfiuitiul,199 Chickens— on a brick floor, 202; dead in the shell. 186 : early management of, 202; food lor, 202; hemp and canary seed lor, 188; lice on, 40; mortality of, 202; almost Siamese twins, 304 Chjmonanthus fragi-ans as a bush, 144 Chives, 296 Chocolate plant fruited, 79 Chorozema leaves browned, 229 ; Christmas Rose culture, 7 I Chrysanthemums— culture, 128; Geui, 20 ; list ot, 88 ; new, 221 : as an out- door plant, 206 ; stopping, 298 Cinerarias- blind, 71 ; compost for, 182; leaves curled, for out-doors, 199 ; seed sowing, 380 Citron culture, 13'.i Citrus japonica. 192 Clay burning tor walks, 122 Clematis- bedding, 149; Excelsior, 432; seed sowing, 70 Clerodendron ThomGcnfe Balfourii for June. 51 ClianthuB Dampiericulture, 231 Climatic revolutions. 385 Climbers for arches, 331 ; for aoutli wall, 229 Cob^a penduliflora, 127 Cobham Hall, :i 122 Cochin-Chinas- cock blind, 31S ; tails, 399; yvry-tailed, 154; in confined space, 58; laying, 22; pullets la>-ing. 91 ; roughness on lege, 58 : spangle-i, 202; White, 138 Cock not associating, 233 Cockatoo, food for, 284 Cockerels and pullets, 2C6 Cockscomb culture, 70, 290 Ctelogyne oris lata culture, 167; Eeichenbachiana, 127 Colchester Poultry Show, 417. 433 Coleus— Queen Victoria, 65; compost for, 51 ; new ;rolden,307 ; fur a green- house, 51; beleciion of, 331; iroui seed, 51 Collections of plants, 119 Composts, various, 263 Conifers; — lor exposed sUuation, 51; in Scotland, 268 Conseivatory — nrrangtments, !i97; wall, plants for. 112, 247; temptra- ture, 132; Our, 293 Copenliiigtn Horticultural Congrefif, 211; International Show, 259 Coping, widtli for fiuit wall, 14 Cordiat; labia, 342 Cordons, liorizontal, 173 Ccirk Poultry Show, 91 Cornwall, early vegetables of, 25 Coronilln gl^uca — leaves failing, IS: culture, 51; done flowering, 20^ Corvplia aublralib culture, 315 ::> •• Cottajre Plans," 144 Covent Garden Market, 13. 33. 50,69, S7, 111, 130, 141, 166. ISl, 198, 2H, 223. •247, 261, 280, 297, S14, 329, 346. 361, 379, 396, 415. 430 Cowa— winter feed for, 59; early food for, 350 C'rt-ve-Coeurs, 91, S34 ; as layers, 22 Crewe Poultry Show, 91, 115 Crocuses— taking up, 131 ; Orphanidis. 410 Crops, valuinp parden,397 Crotalaria Cnhninghamii, 342 Croton coltore, 248 Crvstal Palace Bird Show. 134, 151; Flower Show, 324, 339, 388; Roae Show, 423 Ciicumbera— Carter's Champion, 79 ; culture. 4, 63, 68, 164, 212, 230, 201, 281, :^03,313,328,427 ; disease. 313; injured by dung Bteam. 263; failing, 397; fer- tilising, 247, 280; forcing, 164, 313; frames, 183; for greenhouse, 70; house, 166 ; leaves yellow, mther- ing, 431: mildewed, 32; Snake, 230; plants from seeds and cuttings. 347 ; not setting, 315; not swelling. 397; trellis for, 229 ; ulcered, 397 (^urrants. Black, on sandstone, 299 < nstard Apple culture. 32 Cuthush'8 spring flowers, 175 CuLtings, propagating by, and cases lor raising, 129 Cvanophyllum roagnificum culture. 199 Cyathea dealbata cultnre.SlS Cycas revoluta flowering. 385 Cyclamens— atVicanum, 127; persicum not growing, 88 : leafless. 149 : seed sowing, 229 ; culture, 325 ; treatment of seedling. 363 ; after flowering, 415 Cytisuses done flowering, 262 DADDT-L0NGLEG3, DESTBOTING GRUBS OF, 898 Dahlia— cuttings, 213; in pots. 167; select list, 298 ; tubers, planting, 316 Daisies eradicating, 298 Damping-ofl", 32 Damson tree decayed, 69 Ijaphnes— -jompostfor, 150; cneorum, manuring, 167 Dark room, plants for, 415 Deals, 131 December, plants flowering in. 27; rainfall in, 27 Delostoma dentata, 127 Dendrobium — erassinodc. 292 ; spcci- osum at Penllergare, 144 Deslontainia spinosa culture, 199 Doutzia done flowering, 262 Dibbling, 378 Dicksonia antarctica culture, 383 Dieffenbachia management, 217 Dilkc, Sia- C. W., 327 Diou.Ta muscipula culture, 247 Dogs. My, 264, 364 Dorkings. 79; chickens cramped, 384; hen with Cochin-China cock, 138; unable to stand, 154; White, 58, 91 ; Silver-Grey, 138 Dovecote, an ancient, 485; stocking, 284 Dracsena— culture, 24S; terminalis flowering. 149 Draining. 4S, 85 ; a kitchen garden, 70 Dublin Poultry Show, 282 Ducks—basin for, 91; eggs, 22; large egg. 364 ; and fowls together, 366 ; laying. 36t ; rearing young, 170 ; Aylesbury's bills, 138, 167, 302 ; Man- darin, 154 Dumfries and Maxwellton Ornitholo- gical Show, 19 Eatiwigs. trappikg, 144 East Indian wild poultry, 200, 232, 248, 316. 416 ■■ Echoes," 224 Edgings for flower beds, 297 Edwai'dsia microphvlhi. 182 Eg'„'3, 155 ; blood in, 233 : deficiency of. 154; double, 284: too dry, 318; from l ranee, 250: fowls for producing, 154; not hatching. 233,231; ben eat- ing, 186; ill-flavoui-ed, 76, 118; pre- serving, 58. 202, 302; producing. 91, 249, 282, 300, 332, 436; soft, 218, 234; thin-shelled, 186, 334 Elm roots, 370 Entomological Society's Meeting, 9, S4, 160, 259, 309, 373 Entry fees, 266 Epac'rises — culture of, 131 : select, 362; shifting, 361 Epiphyllum— truncatum culture, S, Gl, 125; grafting, 60 Epworth Poultry Show, 832 Eranthemum Andersoni, 342 Ericas to bloom in May and June, 362 Eriocnemamai-moratum culture. UfO Eutharis amazonica culture 131; not flowering, 158; flowering, 199 Evergreens— grass round, 112; for S.W. aspect, 167 Exhibitions (HorticuUurnl) — Roval Botanic Society's. 193. 291,342; Crys- tal Palace, 324, 339, 388, 423; Hoval Horticultural Society's, 191, 211,222, 'J72, 322, 356, 371, 390,1 ii Feathers— ERECT, 118 ; fowls eat- ing, 218, 249, 417 February— plants flowering in, 174, 196 Fernery— fine-foliaged plants for, 112; forming of a conservatory, 415 Ferns— cocoa-nut tibre refuse for, 230 ; drying. 150: exhibiting, 432; fronds browned, 132; under a greenhouse stage, 262; culture of Haresfoot, 229: notes on a few, 79; so\ving spores, 150; requiring stove heat, 182 Fife and Kinross Ornithological So- ciety's Show. 88 Figs for out-door culture, 292; prun- ing standard, 347 Filbert trees bv water, 131 ; planting, 2S1 Finches, rearing young, 334 Fires, management of, 257 Fleche fowls as layers, 22 Floors of brick or wood bad for fowls, 202 Florists' flowers, soil for, 147 Flowers— sizes of pots. 175; pots for exhibiting in, 308 ; shows. 305. 323 ; arrangement of cut. 359. 404, 420 Flue— cleaning, 347 ; heating a green- house, 14 Foods for jjoultry, 299 Forcing, night temperaturcH during, 351 Forking between crops, 377 Fowls— for confined space, 76. 170; food for, overfed, 170; feather-eat- ing. 231, 282. 398 ; for a cold district, 266 ; plucking each other, breathing with difficulty, 284 ; and Ducks to- gether, 36tj ; dving suddenly, 400 Francis. Mr. E. P., 47 Fraser, Mr. James, 244 Frost and ice, 86; late, 356; in May, 376 Fruit— growing for market at Little Sutton, 156; for market, 416: pack- ing, 142, 160 ; prospects. 205, 285, SIO. 414: in Norfolk, 321. 388. Trees— culture of hardy, 203; dying, 248; garden planting, 235 : grafting, 142 ; heading do^vn, 85, 262, 336; mossy, 167: neglected, 431; newly planted, 85,336; pinching terminals, 347; protecting. 51. 149. 150, 199: How shall we prune'.* 139; shoots de- ficient in buds, 81; sfocks for, 46; summer stopping, 847, 367,403,422; unfruitful, 215 " Fruits a cultiver."82 Fuchsias— failing, 346 ; fulgens not flowering, 346 : guano water for, 315 : large, 322: leaves discoloured, 363 ; propagation and culture, 147 ; Ric- cartoni in New Zealand, 286 Fumigating 229 Fumitjator. a new, 425 Fungi, parasitical in hotbeds. 111 Game fowls, 72; breeding, 95; cha- racteristics. 170; preparing for ex- hibition, 76; Wlute, Japanese, 284 Gardeners' Benevolent Society's din- ner. 195 G ardener, how to become a, 826 Gardenia culture, 112 Gardening in the West, 10. 47, 66, 103, 177 Gas— heating a small greenhouse. 431 ; lighted corridor, plants for, 215 Gas lime, 229 Geese, Toulouse. 400 Genetyllis tulipifera straggling, 83 Gentians, and theii* culture, 176 Gesnera — exoniensis. 102 ; Donkclaarii praning, 381 : refulgens culture, 182 ; zebrina not flowering, 151 Ginger culture, 14, 121 Gishurst Compound,'83 Gladiolus— bulbs, 397; taking up, 33; cruentus, 410; early-flowering, 51; International Show of, 206; seed- saving. 231. Glass— Hartley's rough plate, 166; double walls, 270 Glazing, 131 ; laps too wide, 14 Gloxinias — culture, 213, 416; in a f^eenbouse, 184 ; leggy, 331 ; potting, »8; syringing, 229 Golden Pheasants' eggs, 413 GoIdfinches.lS ; violent in his cage, 76 : Mule breeding, 154 ; rearing young, 834 ; white-legged, 3,S4 Gold fish- dying, 94; feeding, 302; changing theii- water and feeding, 400 Gomphrena culture, 320 Gooseberry trees — catei-piHar, de- stroying, 397 ; aphis, 362 ; pj-i-amidal, 253 Gourds for out-doors, 231 Gra*'tiug, 194; fruit trees, 142; wax, 215 Grapes — bunches decayed, 431 ; partly shrivelled, 880; becoming tendrils, 260: cracking, 397; decaying Espi- ran, 43.415: Lady Do^vne's of last year, 426; Mrs. Pmce, 431; Mr. Me- rediili's, U5 ; Muscat, 83 ; ripening Grapes— coh^'k "^'(7, at Nuneham, 25; Hamburgh and Muscat, gl5 ; out-doorculture.5, 9, 29. 43, 65, 81, 299. 374, 409 ; setting, 237, 274,287,851; shrivelling. 316; Tokay Frontignan, 167 ; Trentham Black, 27 See also Vines. Grass— edging, 51 ; sowing, 188; under Filbert trees, 88 Greenhouse- angle of roof. 149, 281: constructing, 111; heating, 71, 183; painting, 182, 331; plants to bloom from November to March, 398; rafters. 88 : select plants for, 150,151 ; stage for, 166 Greens— throughout the year, 347 ; for spring use, 415 Grubs in the soil, 379 Guano— liquid. 330: water,397 Guildford Poultry Show, 20 Guinea fowls laying and chicks, 436 Gumming, 144 Hamburg International Horticul- TCRAL EXHIBITinN, H4, 193, 294 Hambnrghs, 400; Black, .53; not hatch- ing, and points, 436: for exhibition, 284: hens losing leathers, 436 ; Gold- en-pencilled, 284 : Golden-spangled. 118 ; pullet's liver diseased, 40 ; Silver-pencilled characteristics, 76: disordered. 118 Hand-Iights, 146 Hanley Poultry Show. 55 Hants and Berks Poultry Show, 432 Hare's-foot Fern culture, 70 Hares, protecting trees from, ISO, 213 Heat accumulated, its eff'ects, 140 Heath- borders. 258; culture of, 131, 411: cuttings, 331 Heating— a house for bedding plants. 363 ; a propagating house, 50 ; cheap, 248 ; vinery and conservatory, 281 Hedge plant for a town garden, 151 Hedvchium. treatment of, 281 Hclleborus fcetidus for vases in win- ter. 2S5; niger culture, 199 Hens- leathers brittle, 366 ; insects in crop, 284 ; leaving tlieir nests, 233, 234 ; nesting but not lajing, 202 ; not laying, 58. 284; sitting over- time. 418; sitting perversely, "218 Herbaceous plant's. 30 Hewitt testimonial. 118 Holly hedge, planting. 280 Horseradish, eradicating and plant- ing. 230 Horticultural (Royal) Society's Annual Meeting and report, 62, 97 ; Com- iniitees and General Meetings, 46, 123, 159, 193, 239. 273, 308, 340, 358, 371, 406; Committee prizes, 84, 226, 894 ; Cucumber prizes, 226; Exhibitions, Spring. 191. 272; Great Summer, 371, 890; Manchester. 211, 222, 422; Pot Roses. &c., 822: Special Prize and pplargonium Show, 356 ; gar- deners' examinations, 44 ; Journal, 226; MeetinL' of Council and Ex- hibitors, 308 ; Variegated Pelargo- nium Essays, 858: Vice-Presidents, 145 Hotbeds— dead spray for, 110; tem- porary, 297 Hot-water heating, 431 Houdans, 234, 284; shortening spurs, 802 : cock's tail. 202 Hull Poultry Show, 263, 348. 364 Hyacinths — Dutch, prizes for, 121: after flowering, 131, al5 ; Feathered, 815 ; forcing. 110 ; in glasses, 131 ; spikes dying, 315 ; with two spikes, 131 Iberidella rotundifolia, 63 Ice house, 32 Indian-corn meal for pigs, 138 Indiarubber plant's leaves falling. 132 Insects and their enemies, 207 ; de- stroying, 360,397 Ipswich PouUr:i' Show, 399 Iris-from Egypt, 262 ; atylosa, 342 Ivy fence, 223 Ixia culture, 363 Ixora coccineacultiu'e, leaves scorch- ed. 88 .Tackman, Mb. George, 145 -Tanuury. plants flowering in, 105 .Tapanese seeds, 262 Jusniinum gi-andiflorum flowers not opening, 347 Judas Tree propagation, li,2 K.EMPFERLi PABISHH, 207 Kalmias, potting for forcing, 406 Kalosanthes compost, 88 Kendal Poultry Show, 1?. Kennedyas, compost for, 331 Kent and Surrey Poultry Show, 169, 200 Kidney Beans, late sowing. 416 King s Lynn Poultry Show, 168 Kirkcaldy Poultry Show. 38 Kitchen garden crops, 256; seeds, list of, 103; vegetables, a few good, 62 Emmiuat, 192 Labels not received in time, 18G Lackey moth's eggs, 33 Lactometer, 418 Ladybirds, gardeners* friends, 21C Lane's shuw of spring flowers, 250 Langholm Poultry Show, 18 Lapageria rosea, compost, 199 ; hardi- ness, 131; propagating. 51 Larks— distinguishing sex, 254, 264 , management of caged, 300 Laurel, the Colchian, 89 Laurustinus, to cut back, 2SI Lawn — browning in summer, 51; coarse grass on, 280, 3£0 ; fungus on, 33; mossy, 149 ; sowing grass seeds on, 32 ; weedy and bare, 50, 70. 112 Laying, pullet dying alter. 202 Leaves— autumnal colours of, 405; blighted, 416; blistered and mil- dewed, 144 Leeds Gardeners' Benefit Society, 28 Lemons, grafting seedlings, 150 Lice on Spanish fowls. 138 Lichens on trees, 41, 108 Ligustrum japonicum culture, 199 Lilacs— forcing white, 167; renovat- ing old, 315 Lilies— compost for Belladonna and Jacobffia, 898; repotting, 51 Lilium auratum — culture, 14,270 ; com- post, 33 ; sowing. 132, 431 ; longi- norum culture, 298 Lime as a manure. 131 Linden's Nursery at Brussels, 161 Liquid manure, 262, 299 Livers of fowls diseased, 113 Logania fioribunda, compost for, 88S Lomaria gibba, 167 Lycopodiums — repotting, 131 ; for gi'eenhouse, 182 Madresfield Court, 392 Maggots in pots, 151 Magnolia unhealthy, 231 Maidenhair Fern, 62 Maidstone Gardeners' Improvemeiit .\^ssociation, 311 Maize as a garden esculent, 155, 207i 244 Manchester Poultry Show, 21 Manchester— to the front! 175 Mandevilla suaveolens— compost, 331 ; culture, 197 ; seedlings, 298 Mange, pointer suflering from, 170 Mango in Australia. 126 Mangold Wurtzel, insect on, 481 Manley Hall, 6, SO Manure water for air-moistening, 239 Maxanta zebrina culture, 150; leaves yellow, 247 Marble statuary, to clean, 281 March, plants in flower. 255 Market gardening about London and Paris, •^. 145, 286 May, plants flowering in, 393 Mealworms, breedmg, 400 Mealy bug, 199 Melon — culture, fS, 199, 298, 547 : frame, 112, 183; in a flue-heated pit. 229; for out-door culture, 167: ridgo growing, 337, 407 ; for show, 167 Melrose Poultry Show, 153 Mesembi*j-anthemuma, wintering, 33 Meteorological notes, at Linton, 44; table, 149 Meteorology of 1868, Saffron "Walden, 79 Metropolitan plant decoration, 887 Mcyenia erecta culture. 182 Mezereon, its merits, 1H7 Mice, trappiu','. 2r)H ; and rats. 413 Middlesbrou-^h Canary Show, 20 Mignonette, compost for, 298 Mibtletoe culture, 125; on the Peach and Ash. 280 Monochietum multifiorum Jpropaga- tiou, 230 Monstera deliciosa, 61 : fnut, 33 Moss in flower pots, 199 Mountain Ash, sowing and planting, 397 Mowing slopes, 362 Mulberry blossom, 897 Mulching fruit trees. 182 Mules, and Mule breeding, 40, 57, 76 Musa Cavendishn in conservatory, t^: fruit ripening, 346 Mushrooms— in winter in the open air, 7 ; simple mode of growing, 26 ; cul- ture. 68. 126, 261. 286 ; structures, 126 "Mushrooms, How to Grow," 257 Mysore Agri-Horticultural Socictv, 272 Nantwich Poultry Show, 114 Narcissuses rooting outside pots, 51 Ncctanne shoots diseased, 321 Newark Poultry Show, 54 Newchurch Poultry Show, 317 Now \ear, a few words on the, 1 vu Now Zealand Spioacli, hurdincSB of, SCO Niorembprpin culture, H31 NiKhliiijfiiUs Scarlet ViiKinian, 330; rearing. 8H4 Notices of lUschnrgf, M ; to leave, 119 Oakttasi Pon.Tnv Siinw, 16 Ocl.JUt..t;l.>f*siii.i KnuiM-ri.JlO Oldt nlauiii;i Iiri'iMimii. S8 Oklluim Poultry ^l^u\v, 7l> Oleander scale, 51 Onoidium crispum culture, 167 ; xan- thudon, 127 OuidUB— Ki'owiuK for cxliibition, *21tl ; ■irowiuy la^^'u i'ui-tu^Mi. 171 OrunKcry, pillar plaints Inr, \^'l Oruiigc 8— culture for deaacit. 23, 59. 67. 172 : nianurinp, 132, 229 ; Otaheite. S4G; priming:, 1H2 ; rcpottiuf,', 2ir>; Bcale-infested, TO Orchard — evergreens to shelter, S8, 131 : Kentish, culture nf. 251 : the portable, 106,. 128. 112, 160, 194, 2US. 225, 276, 310, 342, 359, 392 Orchard houses, 221, 223 : failures, 420; lean-to, 281; niMiasenient of, 180; Pears in, 360; planting, ISS; succession of fruits, 158; trees barren. 280 ; avriujied when bloom- inK. 327 Orchids— cool house. 149, 219, 267, 292, 873, 385, 401 ; starting', 132 ; iu tuba, 95, 132 Otley Ponltry and Pigeon Show, 283 Oxalis crenuta, 46 Packing fkcit, 97: flowers, &c., 6, 43 Paint, black, lor vinery, 70 Paintingor not painting, 12 Palava flexuosa, 2U2 Palms, 421 ; for a conservatory, 13 ; and their culture, 401 Pampas Grass culture, 112 Pansies — CUveden Blue, 182; dividing, 247; propatration, 362 ; waterinc.330 Parrot— declining, 94 ; detecting age, J86; feeding, 366; male and female, 435 : not talking, 202 ; seU-plucked, 418.436 Parsnips, artificial manure for, 38 PassifloraB — not flowering, 131, 151, 880; ca?rulea not flowering, 8S0; racemosa not flowering, 151 ; i-ace- mosa training, 316 Passiou-FIower, cutting down. 71 Paulownia imperialis in flower, 387 Paul's show of aprmg flowers, 11)3 Pea Fowl's eggs, hatching, 186 Peach— aphides on, 144. 119, I!19; Bird Cherry as a stock for, 396; blossom falling. 199; buds falling, 150; cul- ture, 95, 121, 144; diseases, 144; in- sects, 144, 149, 199, 216, 298; leaves blistered. 362, 415; Momion, 177; potted, 270; pruning, 150; nut set- ting, 331; shoots diseased, 321 ; stop- ping, 150; tree and fruit ulcerated, 426 ; unfruitful, 262, 298 Pears — buda browned, 166: corolla persistent, 362 ; Doyenne du Comice as a pyramid, 51 ; Easter Beurre from a waU. 84 ; Fortunee, 67 ; graft- ing on Medlar, 431 : on UMiitethorn, f>2,407; leaves blistered, 362 ; plant- ing, S07 : protecting pyramidal, 150; not ripening, 50; root pruned, 347; unfruitful, 281; for west wall, 88; Henri ('apron, 310 Peas— culture. 260; dwarf, 13: eaten by birds. 71; for plantinc-out, 227; preserving, 366 ; protecting. 164, 216 ; supporters, 330; for a workmg man's garden, 151 Pegging-down plants, 395 Pelargoniums— classification of, 122; compost for, 182; Congress, 306; crossing Unique with Zonal, 379: potting cuttings, 15o; distinction from Geraniums, 431; flowers, 150; hybridising, 269 ; to flower in June, 112; in pots, 346; growing seedlings, 248 ; select, 330 ; sporting. 331 : winter management ol, 24, 6i. Ii.t2. 175. Beddi}ig—i2, wintering in Yorkshire, 144; Bicolor, treatment of, 200; coloured-foliaged, classifying, 362, 387 ; Ivy-leaved training. 150 ; Oak- leaved, compost lor, 362 ; Schottii, 410; Show varieties, 78; variegated, 856; pots tor, 247; Zonals in pots. 846; stopping, 831; dark-zoned for breeding, 330; Tricolors, composts for, 330; Essays on. 358; some Golden, 236 ; Miss Watson, 290, 307 : seedlings not variegated, 132 ; sc- Penrith Poultry Show, 133 Peristeronic at the Crystal Palace. 53 Pewits as vermin killers, 426 Peziza coocinea, 14 Pheasants, management of Golden. 400 Phlox seed sowing. 315 Pigeons— age, indications of, 154; Al- mond and saddle-backed Fantails, 118; AntwerpB, 74, 91. 136, 153,202. 836; for an a\iary, 400; Barbs and PtGROHS—eontinui'il. Owls, 118; Birmingham Colum- barian Society's Show, 21 ; Birming- ham Roller. "318; cimkor in 115; crossing Shoilfaced with Air- Tuniblera, 40: lu dump lott, 260; diseased, 58.76, 234 ; dove house, an- cient, 434; stocking, 318; dying in the nest. 384: dying young, 400; eggs, 284 ; age of setting, 28'1 ; Fan- tjiils, sex of, 58; of Venice, 183; from the Mediterranean, 91 ; Nalioual I'eriateronic Society's Show, 20 ; at Antwerp, 39 ; pet, 300 ; portraits, ;!.'.0; roup in, 138; salt for, 154; sellers, advice to, 332; sex, detect- ing, 91; flying Tumblers, 4l8j Tur- bit diseased, 266; new varieties, 21S; wing diseased, 58 Pilca muscosa, 2113 Pine Apples— bed for, 164 ; bottom heat, 262 Pinks -Cheddar, 131, 148; planting layers, 182 Pinus variations, 426 Pipes— heated in a trench ; iron-filing joints, 129 ; removing gas tar from hot-water, 149 ; preferable size of hot-water. 331 Pits— constniction of, 281 ; v. houses, 198; propatjating, 132; for bedding plants, 149 Plane tree for towns, 27 Plantain, destroying, 298 Planting, 31, 147 ; and preparing for, 379 Plant-house wove covex'ing, 131 Plants — origin of cultivated, 210; wintered out of doors, 309 Plumeria lutea, 410 Plums--Cherry, 101, 161; trecdeficiont of branches, 71, 182; cutting back, 306; heading back stocks, 199; pro- tecting, 71 Phmging material, 199 Poinsettia pulchc^rrima, culture, 204 ; cuttings, 229; for table decoration, 182: propagation, 71 Polands— plucked by others, 91; Gold- en, 35: hen. 202 Polyanthuses, 130 Polygala, compost for. 150 Pomological gleanings, 67, 84, 101, 126, 162, 176, 310 Ponds, trees to shade, 362 Pooley's insect-destroyer, 360 Portraits of poultry and Pigeons, 317 Portsmouth Poultry Show, 114 Potatoes— acres of grown, 62 ; at Bir- mingham Show, 102; clubbing, 370; for cottager's garden, 182; early. 295; disease, 412; ia it hereditary? 289; failures, S68, 388; in frames, 110 ; gi-afting sets, 425 ; management, 397 ; in pots. 229 ; raising seedlings, 425 ; removing shoots from the tubers, 370 ; sowing seed, 199 ; thin- ning stems, 425 ; tubering without sprouting. 362; \'eitch's Early Asli- leaf, 104 : close to wall, 182; on wet soil, isl Pots— sizes of flower, 175 ; size for exhibiting in, 394. 308 Potted plants, surfacing, 247 Poulterers' Company, 484 Poultry— what has been and is (o be done, 14 : catarrh and its remedy, 153 ; for confined space, 218 ; in dark place. 234 ; not feeding, 334 ; food tor, 202; floor, 818; house boarded, 234; lore, 433 : lost, ;'.34 ; and their ma- nagement, 216, 231, 234; misdoings at shows, 15, 16: portraits of. 299; profit of. 138,152, 154, 168, 202; show official's mistake, 138; regulations. 84: rewarded for weight, 58; yard arrangements, 154 Primulas, 391; double, 51; to flower in spring, 318 ; seed eowiugj 262, 380 Propagating — bed, 71 ; box in green- house, 247: in fermenting beds, 165 Pullets, preventing laying, 302 Purchasing fowls, 418 Pyrethrum Golden Feather, propagat- ing, 150 Quarry, plants for, 70 Quince stocks, 404 ; grafting, 71 Rabbits— AGE of, 118; Angora, 250; cannibal, 74. 232, 283 ; at exhibitions, 864 ; food. 331 ; greens for, 230 ; hair falling off. 250; at Hull, 364; judging and clnssification of, 39; judging at Leeds, 39; manaiiement.118,218.832; nest. 435; not injurious to pastures, 250 ; and trees, 104, 180, 213 ; at Shef- field, 364 ; water for, 218, 2S2; young d\-ing, 234,300 Radish, origin of the cultivated, 240 Railways, charges, 399; liability for birds lost, 399 Rainfall in 1868 at Ribston Hall, 126 Rain, working in, 128 Ranunculuses— culture. 112; planted in February. 199 ; watering, 330 ; taking up, 362 Raspberries from cuttings, 182 Rats, destroying water, 50, 350. 429 Red lead coating of seeds, 196, 222, 25S, 377 Red-leaved plants and birds, 878 Red River natural pioductH.890 "Rofugiuin Botanicum,"29, 894 Rhodudeiidrt'iiH— border making, 281 ; after flowering, 13,331; in poiH. 70 ; six hardy, 1S2; leggy, 113; on hoi e- sttine, Hy ; liquid manure for. 380; potting tor forcing. 415 ; raising from beed, 141; soil for, 88, 141, 306; at South Kensington, 072 ; Watcrers', 372, 407 Rhubarb— forcing, 5, 13, 151 : culture, 240; defined, 416; secaiug,280 Iticemeal for fowls, 138 Riehardia mehinoleuca. 293 Ridged soil turning, 197 Rinj^ing fruit trees, 4i)3 Rivina Isevis culture, 112 Rochea falcata, 281 Roekwork plants injured by heat, 248 RouiiUi cement, 302 Rookery, establishing, 88 Rooms, plants and flowers in, 49 Roostiiig-place, making fowls fre- quent, 350 Rosa centifolia, 230 Rose, Alpine, 141 Rose of Jericho culture, 13 Roses— alpine, 221; Banksian not flowering, 863; pruning, 132; bloom cutting, 393; tor burUers, 70; bud- ding, 112 ; budding on Manetti stocks, 198, 215, 247 ; Cnarles Le- febvre, 299 ; Cloth of Gold, 403 ; col- lection of. 215 ; colour of petal backs, 158; cuttings, 122, 158, 165; from eyes, 166; tiowers falling, 379, 415; forcing, 415 ; black fungus on leaves, 862; General Jacqueminot weak, 816; Gloire de Dijon as a stock, 149; grafted, 330; grafting for a pillar, 112: standard. 178,230 : gi'owth and qualities of, 362 ; guano water for, 880: hardy, 330; house for, 291; Lady Franklin, 316; leaves black- ened, 149. curled, 362, distinguish- ing by, 431, falling, 330, fungus on. 3(33; management. 198 : on iianetti stocks, 198, 215, 247, 330 ; tongueing, 79, 101, 149; Marechal Niel, 43 ; not flowermg, i98 ; new of 1868, 173 ; of 1869, 322 ; in north of England, 407 ; in pots, 158; potting for lorcing, 415; proceciing, 12; pruning, 32, 88, 132, 143, 149, 166, 263 ; select, 51, 148, 263,315,431; seeds and seedlings, 4, 70; sewage for, 331; for a south wall, 348 ; standard, 88 ; on their own roots, 77; for a south-west aspect, 167j Tea scented, management, 166; framing as inverted coiics, 151; time between budding and bloom- ing, 431: wall, 113, 132; watering, 330 ; eaten by weevils, 379 Rubus arcticus, 421 SaCCOLABIUU BIGIEECM, 392 St. Petersburg, transit of plants to, 141 ; International Horticultural Ex- hibition, 109, 2T5, 827. 352, 372 Salt — applying to growing crops, ?62; as a manure, 131; for hen-scaring, 229 Salvia splendens and others, 304 Sarracenia culture, 247 Scale insect, destroying, 397 Scarlet Runners, old plants of, 71 SciUa sibirica, 166 Scour in fowls, 436 Scraps, American, 22 Screen, evergreen for, 32 Sea-kale — renovating beds, 298; cul- ture, 246, 260; cuttings, 182; plant- ing, 182 Sedums for bedding-out, 419 Seedlings in a greenhouse, 131 Seeds — adulteration of, 8; coating with red lead, 196: home-savei.t, 51 Seedsmen's mistakes, 256 Selaginellas, 18S Selkirk Poultry Show, 135 Sensitive Plant eul:ure, 304 Sewa«e water, effects of, 213 Shading, 314 ; a greenhouse, 247 Shallot culture, 151 Shamrock, 230 Sheffield Original Fancy Rabbit Show. 38, 364 Shepherdswell Poultry Show, 203 Shrubs and shrubberies, 31 Silkworms' eggs. 366 Sinningia guttata pruning, 331 Siskins breeding in confinement, 284 Slugs and frost, 86 ; excluding, 216 Smiih, Rev. Dr., 376 Snails destroying, 362 : and frost, 86 Snowdrops, taking up, 131 Snow, Mr., 207 Snow in ice house, 212 Soapsuds— for watering, 298 ; as a ma- nure. 397 Soil, improving sandy, 70 Solanum capsicasLrum culture, 26 Soot water. 381 Spanish — cock's face, 91 : and Minorca fowls, 170; hens, 266; hens eg^- bound, 334 Sparrows, Our 411 Spinach, New Zealand, 189 Spring flowers. 23 S]) ring-flowering plants, 847 .spring-gardening aspects, 319, 367 Stapelia hystrix, 65 Stephanotis floribunda, culture, 8m: planting out in hothouse border, l5i( Stocks. Kant Lothian, 150, 17,1. 195, 207, 224,360; i)Iaiiting Intermediate, IS-i : double-flowered, 380 Stone boxesj plants for, S47 btove— heating by a, 70 ; for a green- house, IH Stove wallj plants for, 112 Strawberries, 361: barren, 414; pro- pagating from barren, 426; culture aud secleciion. 140,296,328,414,480: lorcing. G9 ; for a liglit soil, 166, S97 ; for market. IGG ; in pots, 181, 215; select. 189 : transplanting, 51 ; water- ing, 131 ; white duston plants, 363 Sub-tropical plants, 112, 187,219,238; list of, 132 Summer gales. 289 Sunderland Ornithological Show. 19 Sunderland Poultry Club Show,38 Supply of vegetables, 429 Sussex climate, 287 Syringa, roots and suckers, 432 Syringing, temperature of water, 299 Table df-coration, 385, 389 Tacbonia eriantha, 65 Tacsonia — Van-Volxemi, 298; splen- dens not flowering, 149; Van-Volx- emi, 288: sowing, 151; fruit, 162; not flowering, 347, 363 Tailoring, fancy, 35 Tan for Melon pit, 199 Taxodium variations, 426 Temperatures, night, during forcing. 351 Tenant removing shrubs, 248 Thames Embankment planting, 27 Thibaudia acuminata. 65 ThorneOruithological Society's Show, I 134 , Thorne Poultry Show, 432 I Thuubergia laurifolia culture, 230 ! Tobacco, 166 I Tomatoes— culture, 315 ; ornamental, I 292 1 Tortoise in a garden, 216 i Tournay Exhibition, 394 1 Town 3, "gardening in, 27, 64, 31, ■.-.7, 178, 196, 275 Toy-Toy Grass, 221 I Transplanting trees, 86 I Trees— anointed, 166; to shade ponds, ' 362 ] Trellis for fmit wall, 50; iron rersuf wood, 131 ! Trichopilia suavis culture, 167 Trimmmg, 52. 72, 89. 113; fowls :U shows,33, 34,35, 36, 37 Tropfeolums— not flowering, 230; tri- colorum failing. 346 Ti-uffles. 47 : culture, 96 Tulips— after flowering, 215; bedding. 335, 402 ; sowing seed, 316 ; watering. I 833 I Tumour, air-filled. 266 Turl— grubs in, 167, 230 ; lading. 147, 34 1 Turkeys— pens for. 16; the wild do- mesticated, 57: with clasped loes, 266 : rearing, 318 Turnips- seed grub, 262 ; for spring, 415 Ulveeston Poultry Show, 183 Vanda insignis, 207 Varieties, of fowl, 72 ; propagating bv seed, 836 Vases- planting, 830 ; plants for. 385 Vegetable Marrows, 182 ; bed, 346 "Vegetable Kingdom,' Rhind's, 207 Vegetables for market, 416 Veitch's fruit-tree nursery, 189 Vent protradmg, 266 Verbena— cuttings. 299 ; notes on, 120 Select, 2b3. 298; wintering and pro- pagating. 104, 174, 255 ; venosa in a shot bed, 347 Veronica seed sowing, 131 Vinegar, green grape, 302 Vinerv— forcing in, 88: glass for. 200 : heatintr, 112: aspect f.ir gi-ound, 397; removable ground, 183: phmt- ing and cropping, 397 ; reconstruct- ing, 32 Vines— arrangement of, 31G ; bleeding, 151,205; preventinL', 162, 253; bones for, 149 ; borders, 51, 183 ; dressing, 431. planting on, 229, uncovering, 199 ; breaking irregularly, 880 ; ch8nging,215; Ciotat,51: cool house. 229 ; culture 269 ; culture out of doors. .5, 9. 29,43,65,81,299,374,409; uecliniug, 316 : early, 13 ; eyes. hir:ze canes from, 70: failure. 27, 380 ; flue- in,iured, 331; forcing. 88; grafting. 5, 131 : for a greenhmist*. 51: guano applying. 331: of India. 33; late, 13; laterals irregular and tying downi 79, 298, 353 ; leaves browii-spolted \i:- Show, 90 Whitethorn as a stock for the Pear, 407 Wild Howers, early, 122 Willows— cuttlogs, 229 ; planting, 229 ; weeping. 150 Window plant9,88; gardening, 147 I Wind, the nortli-easi, 403 I Wine-making, 409 I Winter (lower bed. 101 Wireworms- in Vine-borders, 130 ; de- ' stroying,163 WiL-itaria sinensis seed, 831; ferti- lising, 362 Wolstenh«hue, Mr D., teatimonial to, 152, 109 Woodliee in Cucumber pit, 13 ; in tan, 281: destroying, 299; trapping, 404 Worms in flower border, 380 Wrens, feeding, 400 Wright. Dr. Perceval, 84 Yew— Golden, 182 ; aa\trFD on Imsn, 182; transplanting, 215 York Horticultural Show, 424; Bird Show. 433 Yucca tllauientosa, 112 ZXGOPETALUU MACttAYI COLTUttg. IG7 WOODCUTS. P&OE. Ucea' combB in Timor 3 )1 „ transporting 137 Bee-hives, securing bars in 417 Budding 2ir. Dovehouse, an ancient 434, 435 Graftiag crown 209 „ Roses 17S ., aide 22G whip 195, 209 Heath border at Drumlanrig 258 Pea supports 330 Pear, pyramid training 311, 343, 359, 398 Pot, frait-troe 107 PAOE. Poulterers' Company's Arms 434 Radish, Wild in flower 241 „ „ pods 241 „ „ root 242 „ improved 942,243 Rose cuttings 77 „ gralting 17'^ Training, palmette 275,277 pyramid 311, 343, 3C9, 30v; Vines, leaves reversed 326 „ training out-door 210,211,374,375 Watering-pot, French ^^ .loimary 7, 1E69. 1 JOURNAL OP HORTIODLTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. Day Day of of Uoatb Week. 7 Th 8 F 9 S lU Son 11 M VI To IS w JAN OAKY 7— IS, 18C9. LcnRt h of dny 8 hours. I'liiNCE Albert Victor of Wales Born, tl8((l, 1 Sdnday after EriPHANY. Plough Mouday. Cambridge Lent Term begins. Averaffd Tcmperatare near London. Day. 41.9 41.1 41.G 42.2 41.7 4-2.0 42.3 Niuht. 2il.2 Sl.l ;w.9 80.S 811.1 •2fl.S 31.5 Mean. 35.5 85.G Sli.2 86.2 85.9 ,15.9 87.x Rain In last 4'i years. Days. 17 14 15 17 21 18 19 Son Riaoa. m. h 7al8 Son Seta. m. h. 7af4 8 4 9 4 lU 4 11 4 13 4 14 4 Moon Rises. I Moon I Sets. ra. h. 24 at 2 m. h 48 af 0 Moon's Age. Days. 24 25 2G 27 28 • 1 Clook before San. 8 43 9 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 LIBRAR' NEW YOf BOTANIC. aAKDE^ Prom ohservationa taken near London dnring the last forty-two years, the average day temperature of the week ia41.9'; and Us nteht tompoJ^tnro 8o"r. The coatost heat was 54', on the 7tb, 1845; and 9th and 12th, 1852; and the lowest cold S'', on the 13th, 1867. The greatest fall of rain was O.bS inch. A FEW WORDS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS ON THE NEW YEAR. AVING so frequently written a few lines in these pages on cither the old year or the new, I shrank, I own, from WTiting anything on tliis New Year, feeling that not only was it the old musician, but it might be the old tune as well. But in a letter just received from 171, Fleet Street, there occurs this kindly passage — "A larger congregation than that "in your own church will regret the ab- sence of the looked-for New Year's address. Can you not afford time for also addressing that congrega- tion which is spread over these isles and the colonies '' " After such an appeal it at least behoves me to try, yes, try yet once again. There was another reason why words of mine seemed unnecessary. The congregation, to use our Editors' phrase, has already been addressed in that lay sermon entitled " Christmas," which contains sentences wise, and hind, and true ; and which, unless I guess wrongly, have the I'utte- ridge Bury ring, and for which I ask yet another perusal by those for whose benefit they were written. It gives me pleasure, as it seems to do many others, to see this pe- riodical so often called " our Journal." I was the father of that phrase in a new year's paper written five years since, and I am gratified to see the title caught up and appropriated so generally. Strange, yet very pleasing withal, did it seem when one, almost a stranger, addressed me in the Trades' Hall, Glasgow, with the words, " Have you seen ' our Joui'nal ' of this week'.' Here it is." " Ours," then it belongs to us — to us readers and writers. It is devoted to our tastes, to our fancies, and not only so, but if it is ours, we belong to each other : and so we do, and this accounts for the friendly spirit shown to each other, to which I can so strongly bear testimony. Gardening ever claims, and rightly, our first thought and attention. Our gardens cheer and comfort us. " In single and married there is but little difference," said .feremy Taylor, " single life is solitude, married life is solicitude." I accept the definition, and I ask. Are not gardens and works on gardening companions of solitude and cheerers of solicitude '.' In countless instances they are both. Single Mfe and gardening have gone together in all ages. The Essenes were great gardeners, so were the monks and nuns of the middle ages, and so, according to Mr. Hep- worth Dixon, are the interesting celibates of the New World, the American Shakers. As to a garden being a solace to the man full of cares, notice how often you see grave-browed, city-looking men in omnibuses bound for the outskii-ts of London with plants on their knees, telling of viUa gardens delighted in and giving delight. I have looked at such men and thought what a comfoi-t your gar- dens are to you, my friends, and your wives know it too, and if they are wise they coax you to take a stroll with them in your garden, when (that trial to husband's patience) tlinncr is late. A Wiltshire hotel landlady, in old coacliing days, used under those circumstances to say to the waiter, No. 400.— Vol. XVI., New Series. " There, whip a few newspapers in, they will keep the gentleman quiet." Gardens are better than newspapers. " Our .Journal " is taken by many masters and mistresses, and when read is passed on each week into the hands of their gardener. This is a good plan for both parties. A gardener likes his employers to understand his garden, then his labours are appreciated, and his difficulties under- stood ; then what has cost him hoiu's of thought, and days and nights of care to bring to perfection, whether it be flower, or fruit, or humbler vegetable, is noticed under- standingly, and his care and pains are proportionately valued. " I like to work for a master who understands what good work is," said a mechanic. Fi"om those to whom a Rose is but a Rose, a gardener cannot expect praise for rearing some gem : hence it is well when masters and mistresses read " our Journal." And here let me drop a word of advice to young beginners — the young lads into whose hands this paper comes after their seniors in the garden have road it. ■Visiting recently the orchid-houses and pineries in a noble garden, I asked the intelligent head gardener how he got on with the young lads under him, to whom he must confide a good deal of work, although if they failed or exceeded in. duty, he would have to bear the blame. His answer was, " I get on with them very well, if they come to me know- ing nothing, and confessing they know nothing ; but if they fancy they know something when they really know nothing, they give me a world of trouble. I have now a couple of lads who came to me quite ignorant, and good lads they arc, for they are willing to learn, and simply carry out my plans to the letter, and to please me, and will make good gardeners. " Young men ! be willing to learn, watch, read, take pains, and do not presume to know before you do know. In the highest things it takes often half a life to understand our own ignorance. Scien-ced readers ! I hope this year you will turn to our pages and find the needed information. Practical readers ! I hope you will do the same, with the same result. Gene- ral readers ! I hope many papers tliis year will be so written as to catch and interest you, and that the whole tone of our pages will elevate alL A bookseller said to me, un- asked, "A gentleman gave up taking The Jouenal of Horticulture at the end of the year, but came to me in February, and said, • I must have that publication again, I miss it, and cannot get on without it ; it seems wanted by all of us, so send it to me.' " I hope this is a testimony that we writers do not laboiu' in vain. As to my own experience, this expression has been in constant use among us in our house for years, " Our Journal never brought anything but happiness to our home. " And much reason have I to use that expression when I sit by the winter's fire, and count the long roll of friends made by means of its pages. Perhaps much of the pleasure our readers feel arises from the fact of the undying love of nature which is at the bottom of every heart, and which only wants cultivating. And of all natiu'e the lovely flowers stand next the heart, they look up, and are close to the eye of the chUd, who falls in love with them at once, and No. 1058.— Vol. XLI., Old Series. 2 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AUD COTTAGE GARDENEB, [ January 7, 1869. they entwine themselves around the heart of the old man and ■woman. The love of flowers in some hearts dawns very early, in others circumstances draw it out, but in all cases it is, love me once and love me ever. Said a clergyman, " The love of flowers came to me in trying to please the taste of my delicate wife. I took the cuttings under her guidance, and to spare her strength, and to please her ; then I watched their progress, and so on from one thing to another, and I loved the flowers, first for her sake, then for hers and their own." The love of nature is sometimes marvellously great. Thus you who know old London will remember a narrow, close, half-stifling street, called Little Tower Street ; in that street, says Peter Cunning- ham, Thomson composed his poem cf " Summer." Jfrom flowers I turn to poultry, which brings me at once to poultry shows. Here I back up with all the strength I possess the words of " Nemo," " Censor," and others, for rascahty threatens to spoil our shows, and make exhibiting an impossi- bility for an honest man or woman. But it must not be. Judges f I ask you in this battle of truth and honesty, against falsehood and dishonesty, to use first your eyes, and then use all your powers of exposure, and spare no one. Our pastime and our pleasure, more sanctioned each year by the educated public, must not be spoiled by a set of dishonest painters, dyers, and trimmers. Let committees always have trimming clauses, and trim the trimmers smartly if they catch them. I appeal to every honest man to help in this— every one who has the feelings of a gentleman, an Englishman, and a Christian ; and, by long experience I know that poor men have these feelings quite as strongly as rich men. If this system of fraud is to be continued, then what I have always asserted and felt to be true — viz., that there was no manner or degree of vice con- nected with our pleasures and exhibitions, will no longer be true. I have contended that men of gentlemanly feeling of all ranks can meet and enjoy, and be the better for the meeting and enjoyment. Let us all determine that it shall still be so. There is a pleasure in competition, but no pleasure to an honest mind when the competition is dishonest. On this subject I will quote a letter this day received from a gentleman fancier in Scotland. Speaking of his visit to the Glasgow Show, he says, " I wish I could describe as I feel, the pleasure I experienced in being with so many of those I saw in Glas- gow. My visit convinced me more than ever that such tastes can be gratified and indulged in by gentlemen and Christians, and it is only when those who are not both of these intrude themselves, that improper feelings and practices show them- selves." Another point — let there be no spiteful complaining letters after a show is over. Sometimes 1 think that committees ■who have so much labour will be disgusted, and shrink from having shows in future. The judging is decisive, men do their best, and if you have not obtained a prize, be too manly or womanly to write grumbling, grudging letters. It has, I know, given much pleasure to some readers, that during the last year articles on Fancy Pigeons have been more nnmerous, more lengthy, and evidently the products of more educated pens. I hope the " art " will increase and be in- creasingly loved. Petland is one department in fancy-land. Many who do no show their birds yet delight to sit among them, watching them taming them, and infinitely amused by their habits and dis positions. As to petland, I was taken, at the Glasgow Show, by a gallant Captain, who, to use his own words, "was pro- moted into the fancy after he had ended the Crimean cam- paign," and he bade me mark how his pet Barb could be taken out of his cage and placed on his hand and shoulder, the bird not the least disturbed by the hundreds of other birds around him, and the many stranger-faces in the Hall. I found out, too, in the beautiful show of Almond Tumblers, a little hen that again and again put down her well-shaped little head to be caressed by my finger, in spite of the half-jealous menaces of her mate. That little hen was, doubtless, " somebody's darling." In our IJth of October Number was an account of the Christ- church Poultry and Pigeon Show, Canterbury, New Zealand, and an N.B. at the end saying, " The Fantails were very beauti- ful and attracted much notice. I think ' Wiltshike Eectoe ' would have been pleased with them." I thank the writer of those words, and beg to send him, I sitting feet to his feet, he in mid-summer, I in mid-winter, my best wishes for the New Year. There is yet another class of our readers, those who delight in bees. I own to profound ignorance on this subject, and thought when I saw an article entitled, " Autumnal Unions," it was a waggish heading to a paper on late marriages, and as I am a surrogate, I thought I might be interested in it. But although I cannot send a word of my own to our bee friends, yet I will give them the words of another, the finest and most elevated and elevating bee-poetry (Shakspeare's excepted), with which I am acquainted. Perhaps the lines will be new to some readers, as Wordsworth is scarcely read so much as ha deserves. He speaks of the bee as — " A statist prudent to conler Upon the common weal; a waiTior boM, Radiant all over with unbnrniahed gold. And armed with living spear for mortal fight ; A cunning forager. That spreads no waste ; a social builder ; one In whom all busy oflBcos unite "With all fine functions that afford delight. Observe each wing t a tiny van I The structure of her laden thigh. How fragile ! yet of ancestry Mysteriously remote and high ; High as the imperial front of man ; The roseate bloom on woman's cheek; The soaring eagle's curved beak ; The white plumes of the floating swan ; Old as the tigcr^s paw, the lion's mane, Ero shaken by that mood of stern disdain At which the desert trembles. — Humming bee I Thy sting was needless then, perchance unknown; The seeds of malice were not sown ; AH creatures met in peace, from fierceness free, And no pride blended with their dignity. Tears had not broken from their source ; Nor Anguish strayed from her Tartarean den; The golden years maintained a course Not undiversified though smooth and even." The last lines furnish me a few closing words. May the course of "our Journal" be this year "not nndiversified, though smooth and even," and such, too, the course of the life of every one of its readers. May all our friends meet all their friends this happy season in peace and comfort. May care and sickness be the guest of none during the year's twelve months. In brief, may it be to all A THOROUOHLT HAPPY NEW TEAE. — WiLTSHiBE Eectoe. i»- MARKET GARDENING PARIS. ABOUT -No. 4. LONDON AN«? SALADS. There are two adjuncts to a French dinner, which, whatever may be the number of courses or variety of the dishes, are never wanting — the putage and the salade. The former not that fiery compound in which sherry and cayenne pepper fight foe the mastery, and which the hotter it is the more the skill of the cook seems manifest, and one is amused to hear the short little cough going round the table as the cayenne enters the throat, but one, sometimes thin enough, but always ungreasy, clear, and palatable ; while in the production of a salade no cream or condiments, save salt, sharp vinegar, and plentiful supplies of oil are admitted. Now, it matters not when you are at Paris, in the height of summer or the depth of winter, you are sure to obtain a good salad, and of a good salad, of course the chief thing is the foundation. How, then, are these salads obtained " I have already adverted to the fact that this is not the tasta of John Bull. In winter, salads are not relished, except by those who have lived and travelled abroad, for they are consi- dered unwholesome, a mistake, as I believe, if eaten in the proper way — a great point ; for did I not yesterday partake of a vile compound, in which every atom of crispness was taken out of what was really not bad Endive, by being swum in cream and vinegar? With regard to winter salading, as a general rule this is a failure in England, or was, for of late years there has been, as far as I can judge, a considerable improvement ; and no one who possesses an orchard house ought ever to be without good, crisp, tender salading. The market gardeners, I conceive, know best their own interests, and find other things pay them better ; whereas in the Paris market the large supply meets a ready sale, for all classes rejoice in their salading. The winter salads used in France are mainly the Cabbage and Cos Lettuce and the harbe de capucin, and these are produced in great per- fection according to the following plans. In every market garden around Paris the visitor sees a large array of bell-glassea called "cloches." Thus, at the garden of Dupont, at Cliohy, which ia not more than three er four acres Jaotury T, 1869. ] JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTUEE AND OOTTAQB GABDENBB. in extent, there wore six thouBand of those cloohea, nnd thoy were in the winter the protectors of twenty-four thousanJ Let- tuces, for the plan is to plant three CabbaRO Lettuces and one Cob Lettuce under each. The cloche ia made of very rough and coarse Rlasg — iu fact, what remains in the vat after the finer material is run off ; they are consequently very cheap, coating not HI) centimes a-piece— that is, about 7J.. Veal. CULTIVATION OF EPIPHYI-LUM TRUNCATUM. I LOOK upon Epiphyllum truncatum and its varieties as the most useful of the extensive family of Cactaccm. The beauty of its flowers, the adaptability of the plant to a variety of de- corative purposes, its tractability to almost any form, and the certainly of its giving a good return for any care bestowed on its culture, are recommendations which shouM insure it a place wherever flowers are cherished. The period during which it is in beauty, gives it an additional claim on our attention. From Christmas to Easter is a season when the ordinary charms of flowers seem doubly charming, yet during every day of this period by having a sufficiency of plants, and, of course, corre- sponding convenience, and by a little management, its beauti- ful flowers may be had in plenty. To grow this plant to the greatest perfection, well-heated structures specially erected for plant growing, are no doubt requisite. These erections are by no means common. It is to the great majority of the plant- loving world, whose gardens rejoice in but a vinery and green-' house, that these hints on the cultivation of this plant are specially offered. The plant is propagated by cuttings, which may be put in as early as possible in summer, when a night temperature of 60' can be secured. Select for this purpose small brancblets from' 2 to 3 inches long, and sever them from the plant at a point where the flesh is somewhat hard, and presents a brownish appearance. It very succulent, it is well to lay them on a shelf for an hour or two, to let the wound dry. Soil for the cuttings should consist of nodules of peat, rough leaf mould, broken crocks, and charcoal, well mixed with silver sand. The material cannot be too open for this purpose. Insert one cutting in the centre of a small not, or several round the sides of larger pots, securing them at "once to small sticks to keep them firm. Place the pots in saucers, and set them on a shelf in the sun ; keep in the saucers a little, but only a little water, which will rise by capillary attraction, and will afford sufficient moisture for the rooting. When the cuttings have rooted pot them singly in 3-inch pots, using the same compost, only it may be a little finer. If a Cucumber or Melon frame is at work, a place in the frame will be very suitable. They will soon be established, and if put in early in the spring, and their growth encouraged until the middle of August, and then ripened by withholding water, and placing them in the full sun, many of the plants will produce from four to six flowers during the winter and spring months. Few plants are more suitable than these little Epiphyllums, for use as a fringe round suspended baskets filled with bulbs for room decoration. When this was a part of my duties, I grew them by dozens for the purpose, and they were always much admired. If not required to bloom in such a small state it is well to keep them growing as long as possible, drying them only to pass them through the winter months. In the spring, when fairly in growth, not before, the plants may be shifted into 5 or 6-inch pots, enriching the compost by one-fourth of thoroughly decayed well-aired oowdung, using plenty of rough charcoal round the collar of the plant to allow of the water passing this part freely, the plant being there somewhat susceptible of injury, by any lodgement of water. Stand the plants in a position where they can receive the benefit of heat and light, and water sparingly until the roots reach the sides of the pots, but when fairly established, and in full growth, they will require copious supplies. Occasional syringings, when iu the most vigorous growth, will benefit them. Towards the middle or end of August, and at a time when the terminal leaflets are on the point of being fully developed, gradually withhold water, and stand the plants in the full blaze of the sun, but protecting the pots from its direct and burning rays. Mere extension is no longer required, but a secretion o£ organisable matter preparatory to the formation of flower buds. Syringe overhead at times in preference to giving much water at the roots, and this only to keep the plants from shrivelling. House the plants before heavy rains— that is, if they have been turned out, for it is immaterial whether they are in-doors or out, BO long as they are exposed to intense sun, and they will begin immediately to knot for bloom. When in this condition, by keeping them dry and cool, they may be maintained in a JOURNAL OP HOBTIOULTDKB AND COTTAGE GAKDENER, r January 7, 1869. comparatively dormant state for many weeks, and if brought into warmer quarters as required, and generous treatment given, a supply of flowers may be kept up for some months. Plants in pots of the sizes named, and well attended to during their two seasons of growth, will be most useful for general decoration. Tor vases and sitting-rooms they are most suitable, and for table-deooration few things are more elegant and appro- priate ; at least one, but more often two, pendulous blooms at every terminal leaf will clothe the plant with a rich glow of colour, which is very effective by gas or other artificial light. After blooming, give the plants a rest of some weeks by again keeping them cool and dry, and they will grow far more vigor- ously than if pushed on immediately after blooming. If the plants are required to be kept small for certain pur- poses, they may be retained in the same pots another season, and they bloom well without much increasing in size. The plants from the suspended baskets may be kept for the same purpose another year if potted in small pots, and kept some- what late before starting them into growth. It, however, large plants are required, they must be shifted on as before, only using soil still richer. Three parts sound turfy loam and one part old mushroom-bed manure, well intermixed with lime rub- bish, bones, and charcoal, will be found a very suitable compost for established plants. The leaves will be more fleshy and of greater substance, and the blooms finer than if grown in a more peaty and lighter soU, as recommended for smaller plants. When established in full-sized pots, the annual removal of 2 or 3 inches of the soil, and replacing it with a top dressing of rich compost, will keep the plants in good blooming constitution for several years. This should be done in the spring, on the commencement of the plants' growth. The plants can be staked to any form, the pyramidal being the most suitable and natural, I have hitherto treated of the plants on their own roots, but they may be grafted advantageously on other stocks. Cactus speciosissimus is suitable, but the best of all I have tried is Pereskia aculeata, which belongs to the same natural order of Indian Figs. The Pereskia strikes from cuttings most freely, and it grown in the same soil and temperature as recommended for Epiphyllum will form good stocks after one year's growth, and very good ones if grown over the second year. Epiphjllums worked on this stock at any desired height speedily form fine pendulous heads, and are indeed fine objects for conservatory decoration. Grafting is a very simple affair. Let the stock commence growth fcy making a few leaves, before heading it for the opera- tion. Any of the various modes of grafting may be adopted ; the simplest — and it is as effectual as any — is the crown or wedge. When the stock is headed down, with a sharp knife make a slit down the centre, and wedge the slit with a cutting of Epiphyllum made to fit exactly, taking care to leave the bark on at least one side of the wedge, and fitted exactly to the bark of the stock. Secure the graft to a stake tied up the stock to keep it perfectly steady ; tie the graft in with worsted or matting, not too tightly, and bind round a little moss. Keep the plant in a warm moist place, occasionally damping the moss, and in a few weeks the union will be complete. Heat and moisture in summer, light anddryness in autumn, coolness and dryness in winter, are essential for this class of plants. These in a sufficient degree are at the command of all who have a vinery, or even a greenhouse, for with care I have had a fair bloom with but the assistance of the greenhouse, but it takes a longer time to grow good plants than by having addi- tional heat. — J. W. ROSE SEED AND SEEDLINGS. Hating read with great interest the communications of Mr. Curtis and Mr. Laxtou on Hose seed and seedlings, I went round my garden and collected fifty-seven pods of the following Koses, with the intention of trying to raise " a variety " — viz., Madame Julie Daran, Sombreuil, Due de Gazes, Charles Lefebvre, Seuatenr Vaisse, Madame Boutin, Dr. Jamain, Maurice Bernardin, Duchesse de Oaylns, La Baronne Adolphe de Eothscbild, Prince Camille de Eohan, and Pierre Netting, all capital Hoses. I believe, however, a man may sow a bushel of seed before he will raise a Boee worth his trouble. I have not much faith in manipulation. Unless gauze is kept over the flower I believe bees fertilise it before we insert the pollen. I fancy insects are the best hybridisers. Our climate is not generally suitable for the production of Rose seed. Last sum- mer was a good one for the purpose. It is rare that full Boees give seed. The " nearly full " Boses are the best seeders. Among the above, Pierre Notting and Madame Julie Daran are the fullest. If I raise a good Rose I expect it will be from one of these. Sombreuil is the best white Tea to breed from. — W. F. EiDCLTrFE. CUCUMBER CULTURE.— No. 3. Eabthino the Bed. — Soon after the plants have been planted out they will begin to extend their roots through the hillocks, presenting their extremities at the side. These must be covered with soil as they appear, the soil being placed within the frame a few days previously to become warm before cover- ing the roots with it. This should be repeated frequently, as the roots present themselves. The bed should at all times be kept so far earthed as to afford space for training the plants ; but it is desirable iu the early part of the season not to earth too much of the bed at once, in order to permit the heat to ascend freely and so secure the needful top heat, which, in the case of a bed fully earthed soon after being made, is apt to become deficient. Later in the season this is not of such con- sequence, as the days are longer, and the sun heat greater, and on that account the bed may be fully earthed over in a shorter time than earlier iu the season. As a rule the bed ought to be earthed to the full extent when the plants halt fill the frame. The depth of soil should not be less than 9 inches, and need not exceed 12 inches, but on a dung bed I consider 10 inches a sufficient depth. "The soil should be made rather firm, but avoid treading it, and if rather rough all the better. It will be noticed in earthing that rootlets are being put forth from the stem of the plant, and these, if covered with soil, will extend and contribute to the vigour of the plant. It is desirable thus to cover them, for doing so raises the soil near the collar or neck of the plant, and in watering the moisture will drain from and not to the plant. The soil, there- fore, should slope from the plants, they being slightly raised in the centre of each light. Wateeino. — The water employed should be of the same temperature as that of the soil in which the plants are growing. Before watering it is well to dip a thermometer into the water, and, if necessary, bring the latter to the proper temperature by adding boihng water. It is a common practice to use water several degrees higher in temperature than the soil, and this is a frequent cause of knotty roots and disease. Water used so warm unduly excites growth and causes weakness rather than vigour ; and on the other hand, water much colder than the temperature of the soil checks the growth of the plants, and the foliage will flag frequently from this cause, quite as much so as if the soil were deficient oi moisture. If the tempera- ture of the soil be too low, or lower than it ought to be for the successful cultivation of the plants, then the water may be 2° or 3' warmer than the soil, but on no account colder, as in this case it would only still further lower the temperature of the soil and cheek growth. If the soil is too warm then the water may be 2° or 3' colder than the soil, as it will tend to lower the temperature of the latter, and may on that account be desirable. Such cases, however, are best dealt with when only temporary, and it is to these that the foregoing remarks are intended to apply, for if the temperature of the soil is unsuitable the plants will not long be healthy and fruitful. The plants require to have the soil always moist, and it should be regularly so, for no plant suffers so much from a deficiency or superabundance of water as the Cucumber, nor so speedily shows the ill-effects. The soil should not become so dry as to cause the leaves to flag, and yet water ought not to be given until it ii dry, but then give a good supply suffi- cient to moisten the soil to its full depth in every part. The demand will depend on the weather and growth of the plants. More will be required and ottener in fine bright weather than in cloudy, dull, or cold periods ; and early in the season it should be given in the morning from nine to ten o'clock, the lights being shut down for a short time, or until the foliage becomes dry, shading for some time if necessary to lessen the evapor- ation and prevent the plants receiving a chill, then admitting air gradually as required. After April, unless the weather is frosty, watering is best done about 4 ph., the lights being closed; and if the sun is powerful spread a thin mat over the lights for about an hour, then remove it, but do not give air, as the vapour will be a means of checking the attacks of red spider, and a rise in temperature after the watering tends to increase the vigour of the plants. In hot dry weather the water may be given over the foliage, wetting every part, but in dull weather it is January 7, 1869. ) JODBNAIj of HOBTIOULT0RB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. well not to wet the foliage, as doing so is apt to canse too great sncoulency of growth ; tlio watering at such times pliouM bo without a rose, bnt in line weathor a rose watering-pot is best. It is well to keep the stems of the plants dry, as well as the soil for some distance round. It is not necessary to syringe Cucumbers when grown in frames or dung beds, as the evaporation from the soil in most oases supplies enough of moisture to the atmosphere, but in very hot weather it is advantageous at the time of closing or shutting down the lights to sprinkle the foliage overhead with water through a fine rose. Though this is desirable in hot weather, in order that the plants may recover more speedily from the loss occasioned by the excessive evaporation, in dull weather it is undesirable, as it encourages the production of large flabby leaves so succulent as not to endure hot sun ; therefore, syringe or sprinkle the I'lants overhead in dry hot weather only, and at the time of shutting up, bo that they may have the full benefit of the moisture, and have their foliage dry before it IB again exposed to powerful sun. Ventilation. — Air should never be given with the view of lowering the temperature, but to prevent its becoming too high. It should be given before the temperature becomes too high, and then in such proportion as not to reduce it ; indeed, the heat, on the proper principle of air-giving, should increase rather than decrease after air is admitted, or rather air should be afiorded in such proportion to the heat of the frame and that of the external air tliat the heat will progressively in- crease. As a rule, a little air should be given when the tem- perature is above 75^ and not exceeding S(J^ ; and the tempera- ture increasing, as it ought, the opening for the admission of air should be greater as the temperature becomes higher. The temperature with sun heat may rise to 0()^ which, if accom- panied with air progressively furnished, will not distress the plants ; but if the temperature be allowed to rise to 90°, and air be then admitted in quantity, a reduction of the heat will take place, and the plants will receive a check in consequence, and the foliage will in extreme cases of this kind flag from the hot moist air being suddenly replaced by eold and dry air. The above remarks apply more particularly to the early part of the season when air requires to be very cautiously given, as the difference between the temperature of the external air and that of the frame is then greatest, and the plants, being young and tender from growing in a warm and moist atmosphere, are most susceptible of the contending influences of cold and dry- ness. At such times the hot air of the frame is soon displaced by the cold air, which, becoming heated, takes up moisture more readily, and the surface of the leaves is not only too suddenly cooled but dried. As little air, therefore, as possible should be given at such times, and only for the purpose of pre- venting the temperature from becoming too high, and the foliage from becoming thin and flabby through being grown in too confined an atmosphere. Cold draughts should be guarded against, as they are very injurious, especially in winter and early in spring. The evil effects of cold air may to some extent be mitigated by placing over the openings two or three thicknesses of hexagon or woollen netting. This will prevent a too rapid egress of hot, and ingress of cold, air. These precautions will not be bo ne- cessary in summer as in winter, nor in mild weather as in cold, but the greater care taken to give the plants a change of air without depriving them of the moisture or heat so essential to their healthy growth, the better will be the result. Air cannot be given too soon after the proper temperature has been attained, and it must be in such quantity that the heat shall rise with the increase of solar light and heat, and as the latter declines the ventilation must be lessened, and, if need be, entirely suspended when the temperature falls ; if the temperature of tije air in the frame should rise a few degrees after the lights are closed, it is better than allowing it to become too cold before the lights are closed. Ventilation should be admitted by raising or tilting the lights at back, and not by pushing them down, which causes a draught always more or less injurious. — G. Abbey. FOR GEAFTING A VINE— THE CIOTAT OUT-OF-DOOR CULTURE. I HAVE a Black Hamburgh Vine trained in double cordon along the front windows of my greenhouse, and I should like to cut off one branch and graft it with a Muscat Hamburgh ; the branch is an inch in diameter. Could I do so ? Must I cut it back and graft on new wood ? I saw some time ago that persons were speaking about out-door Grapes, but nobody mentioned the Ciotat or Parsley-leaved Grape, which I have seen ripen its Grapes against the wall of my house (and an abundant crop), for the last thirty years almost without failure. The leaves, too, are very ornamental, and useful for table decoration. I have at this time a pot Peach tree in a lean-to orchard house in blossom, much to my annoyance. — II. Fov. [You can cut the stem of your Vine and graft as you propose and side-grafting is as good as any. We used to do it with a piece of wood containing two buds, one at the base of the scion, and one at the point, and the best time to graft is just before the sap begins to move. Inarching is performed on the wood of the current year. In your case we would be inclined to plant a Vine at the end of the house and train it up the roof, instead of cutting away half the Vine that runs along the front. We should move the Peach tree in a pot to where the frost would not reach it.] POMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS. We shall soon have Tanc.ieeine Oranges as common amoHg us at Peaches. Dr. Newington, of Ticehurst, has sent us some of his own growth, as fine as any we have ever seen, both in size and flavour. What marvellous changes cheap glass has worked in our gardening notions and practice ! THE ^VEATHEE, IN iwtiR. The following are extracts from the weather tables kept at Brinkburn Gardens, Darlington : — g Om © at 3B= O — > a .9 .3 .S '3 Month. is H ^k is2 si §■1 CJ (D _, S'^S o no Za Zs 3 o og og "•og & d5 63 -c" „..aB. a !a ?! >5 ■z* E5* January 14 0 22 13 18 1-80 • February 6 0 15 7 22 O'SD 7 10 5 15 20 14 6 14 25 16 o-8a April 215 May 3 30 4 1 80 0-80 1 3 80 31 f! 4 16 26 15 0-25 July o-ga AURUSt 11) 31 0 3 28 2-60 September 9 26 0 13 17 3-80 October G 15 15 10 20 1-70 9 19 1 2 17 15 21 6 9 25 1-60 December 4-65 97 186 122 114 251 21-75 The highest temperature registered during the year was 94i° on the 2nd of August, and the next highest temperature 94' on the 7th of September. The lowest temperature was 15" on December 30th. — Henet Wand, Brinkburn. EARLY FORCING OF RHUBARB. At page 445 of our .Journal, occurs the remark, "Who wiU tell us how best to obtain good Ehubarb at the end of Novem- ber or beginning of December ? " This is a question that affects most of those engaged in early forcing, and it is very desirable that such questions should be brought prominently before the gardening community and answered in a practical manner, for information would thus be elicited that is at present lost to a laige portion of its members. It is no easy matter to procure good Rhubarb at the end of November and in December. There can be no doubt but one cause of failure is not having the crowns well matured, for I, like the questioner, have at times seen a second or third lot of Ehubarb supersede that first taken in for forcing. For early forcing I find it necessary to have the roots well prepared ; three-year-old seedlings which have been grown in favourable aspects and well cultivated are very useful. Stools divided and treated in the same manner answer equally well. Two- year-old seedlings may be taken up, potted in large pots, and plunged in leaf soil or any material that will prevent evapora- JOtJRNAIi OF HOETICOLTUKB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. [ January 7, 1869. lion during the Bummer. Supply the plants well with liqnid manure and pure water while growing, and endeavour to have them matured as early in the summer as possible, and ready to he removed to the place where they are to be forced, whether it be a Mushroom house, pit, cellar, or other structure. The plants may be either kept in the pots, or planted out in some lich compost, according to the operator's practice. Crowns from stools treated in the same way answer equally well. With the above treatment I have been enabled to obtain good Bhubarb in November and December, and throughout the winter. When plants are taken from the open ground I choose the strongest crowns, and when they are exhausted consign them to the dunghill, yet with all my care I have at times failed. Perhaps some of the other readers of our Journal will detail their practice iu this matter. — M. H., Acklam Hall. PACKING FRUIT, FLOWERS, AND VEGETABLES FOR SENDING BY RAILWAY. On the whole wo agree with a correspondent, " J. J. A.," that boxes are better than baskets, though there are circum- Btances iu which each may be more eligible than the other. When the material sent is of great bulk, and vegetables form a considerable portion, we have found large, square, stout, iaskets very useful, and even strong common hampers answer the purpose. In such oases the vegetables were placed at the Jjottom and sides — very likely Spinach and other leaves on the top, and the fruit and flowers were packed in boxes and placed in the centre. Where the basket or box is entirely dependant on the porters of the railway, who tumble packages out without having time to look at and read the directions about " care," &c., then the baskets so packed suffer less as respects the fine produce in the centre, from the concussion of a careless tumble out, than they would do in a box, if means were not taken to prevent injury from this cause. The best means for obviating the effects of rough handling IB to have an outside box, to be packed with other smaller ones inside, and the smaller one so much less than the outside one SB to admit of plugs between them. We have frequently used two boxes for the finer kinds of produce, the inside box an inch less oil round than the outside one, and in the open space we would insert firmly, by means of moss tied up in paper, four large pellets, one at each end, and one at each side, so that when there was a jar given to the outside box, the moss pellet would take and give. This inside J)ox we have sometimes filled with so many boxes packed separately. At other times we have made this box into three or four divisions by having so many false moveable bottoms, ihese bottoms being kept in their places by ledges fastened at the ends and sides, so that the moveable bottom would rest and lemain there. In general as many thin boxes of wood, tin, or Bine as will fill the box will be the best, as every box will have its own lid ; and for most purposes it is better to have the ioxes shallow than deep. Thus, for Peaches, the box should Jbe from 3} to i inches deep, and if divided into squares so that each fruit will have a square box to itself all the better. If the Peaches are wrapped in silk paper or cotton wadding, laid on a little dry sweet bran, and covered all over with the fcraD, shaken a little so that no crevice maybe left, and a sheet of paper put on before the light lid is secured, the fruit will go hundreds of miles and never show a speck ; but all such Iruit when sent long distances should, though ripe, be not over-ripe. We have used cotton wadding alone and the fruit turned out well, and it is more cleanly than the bran. When fcran is used, the tissue paper should be twisted or tied so that the bran shall never touch the fruit. We have used fine moss and short grass, well dried and sweet, instead of wadding, but wadding is the best, though rather dear. It may be applied to the Iruit at once, if the papery side be placed next the fruit. Grapes we have often sent in two ways. First, by filling a box full so that the bunches could not move in the least ; and secondly, when bloom and freshness were great considerations, placing merely one layer of Grapes along the bottom of the iox, the branches resting on a double thickness of soft white paper or cotton wadding, and then the bunches kept firmly in their places by fine cord taken over the bunches in two or three places by means of small holes in the bottom and the sides of the box. To prevent dust a sheet of clean paper may go over the sides and ends of the box before the lid is fastened, the paper, however, being an inch or two at least above the Grapes, bo as not to touch them. Very fine Strawberries do best in shallow boxes with room only for one Strawberry in depth, and each Strawberry placed in a soft leaf in its separate little square box. We have sent fine fruit very well, merely packing them in one layer thus : a sheet of paper, then small Vine or Strawberry leaves, each row of Strawberries having a green leaf below, behind, and in front ; in fact, each fine fruit having a leaf to itself, but the rows kept tight and close, and when finished a sheet of paper, or if none, cotton wadding was placed over so as to fit closely when the lid was put on. In packing flowers, all kinds do best when there is only one layer in the box, and if the blooms stand upright all the better. Packing them too tightly does not answer ; using any damp material does not answer, if the flowers have to go far ; rather light packing is hotter than very tight packing, but the packing must not be so loose that the flowers will injure each other by tumbling about. We have found nothing better than setting the flowers about upright, and not too firm as respects the blooms, but making the stalks of the flowers rather firm by using well-dried moss for the purpose. The drier the moss is the better will the flowers journey. The damper it is the more will they be injured and shed, and that in proportion to the length of the journey. We frequently damp a sheet of paper and put it on the bottom of the box, and that with the dry moss does no injury, but when we used moss, i-c, at all damp for packing, we rarely found the flowers turn out as we expected them to do. In placing these boxes in the inside box, it is well to have a pellet of moss or wadding at the fom' corners be- twixt each box. When carrying fine fruit and flowers by rail is a constant affair, it would always be good policy to have the boxes and hampers placed under the particular care of the station superin- tendent and the guard of the train. The reason will bo obvious to every one who has seen the dispatch with which packages are thrown out at the stations. MANLEY HALL, STRETFORD, MANCHESTER. THE RESIDENCE OF SAM MENDEL, ESQ. {Conlimied from page 458.) A SERPENTINE Walk through some pretty undulating rookery leads to the Kose house, which stands on an elevated piece of ground, surrounded by a pretty alpine garden, filled with all the choicest gems in this most interesting section of plants. The house is 37 feet by 22 feet, has three span-roofs, and is filled with all the choicest Eoses that can be procured, amongst which are some very large specimens. It furnishes largo quan- tities of out Ptoses at all seasons. As we go from the Rose house to the east side of the grounds, we pass a fine plantation of Oak trees on our right hand, on the south side of the serpen- tine walk, and on the left or north side, a paddock of about three acres, exactly opposite the south front of the mansion. The conversion of this into a handsome pannel garden, and the erection of a good range of vineries in the kitchen garden, are the only two things necessary to be done in order to make Manley Hall the most complete place, in a horticultural sense, anywhere to be found. The paddock, in my opinion, should be dug out to a depth of 4 feet below its present level, and the soil excavated employed to form fine banks on the west and east sides of the grounds. If these banks were skilfully planted they would completely hide the large block of plant houses on the west side, and the large Azalea, Camellia, and Fern honses on the cast side. On the south front the natural scenery could be brought in to great advantage. At the south-west corner of this paddock the walk divides, one branch leading in an easterly direction to the kitchen garden and fruit houses, the other, towards the north and east, to the large Azalea and Camellia house, which is filled with very large specimens of these popular flowers, together with several New Holland plants, such as Boronias, &c. This house is about 170 feet long by 20 feet 8 inches wide, with a division in the centre. In the south division, on the right of the door, were some very healthy specimens of Boronia serrulata, a hand- some plant which is much neglected ; fine plants of several of the best kinds of Aphelexis, as A. humilis, A. macrantha pur- purea, A. rupestris grandiflora, also many Epacrisea of large size, and two large plants of Erica Cavendishii 6 feet high and 4 feet 6 inches in diameter, as well as another pair of specimens of the same plant 4 feet G inches high and 4 feet through, all in perfect health. Epaoris Eclipse and E. miniata measured i feet 6 inches by 5 feet ; Eriostemon intermedium and£. bnxi- Jjnaiiy 7, 130). ] JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE OAKDENEB. folium, 6 feet by 4 feet ; Phrenocoma pi-olifera Barnosii, Dra- cophylium gracile, and Erioateinou scabrum being likewise very largo and healthy. Passing into the other division of this house I f mud thu large Azaleas which have done so much credit to Mr. Charles Turner for several years past. They are in a very flourishing condition, although many thought they would not agaiu be so after the enormous quantities of flowers they bore last year, and the knocking-about they have had. Many persons are also of opinion, that the Azalea, and several other plants will only last a certain number of years, after which they become useless ; but this only happens when they fall into unskilful hands, as these fine plants abundantly show. I also know from my own experience, that plants that have re- mained in the same pots for eight or ten years, during which time they had never been repotted, and had in consequence become very sickly, and to all appearance worthless, have, by simply scattering over the surface of the soil a little of Stan- den's manure, and paying due attention to watering, &c., be- come as healthy as they were at any period of their growth. They will produce as fine flowers and as numerously as ever, without repotting, for double the above period, if suitable quan- tities of this invaluable manure be administered to them every year immediately after they have done flowering. This manure will produce a similar effect on the Camellia, the Orange, and many other plants, if properly applied. Not only is a great saving of labour and room thus effected, but we have a safe- guard against any want of care in repotting, as regards the state of the soil at the time the plant is put into a larger pot. The soil in which the plant is growing should be in precisely the same condition in respect to moisture as the new soil. More specimen plants are killed from want of attention to this matter than from any other cause. The Azaleas are placed along the south side of the walk, through the centre of the house, and on the north side are the Camellias, some of which are very large and most luxuriant, and all are completely covered with flower buds. The large plants are sunk into the ground in square brick pits, consider ably below the level of the floor, in order to afiord them more head room. The following are the dimensions of some of the Azaleas : — Flower of the Day, 4 feet by 3 feet C inches ; Bril- liant, 5 feet by 4 feet ; Cedo NuUi, 5 feet by 4 feet ; Louise von Baden, 5 feet by 3 feet ; Flag of Truce, 3 feet 0 inches by 3 feet; Iveryana, 5 feet by 5 feet G inches ; Coronata, .5 feet 6 inches by 4 feet ; Chelsoni, 5 feet G inches by 4 feet ; Varie- gata, 4 feet 6 inches by 4 feet ; Stella, 4 feet G inches by 4 feet ; Extranei. 6 feet by 5 feet 6 inches ; Barclayana. G feet by 6 feet ; Holfordi, 4 feet 6 inches by 8 feet ; Sir Charles Napier, 6 feet 6 inches by 6 feet ; Juliana, G feet by 5 feet 6 inches ; President, 4 feet 6 inches by .3 feet. Rhododendron Gibsoni is 6 feet by 4 feet, and completely covered with flower buds. The oR Double White Camellia, 12 feet by 10 feet, with up- wards of two thousand fine flower buds, is the largest plant in the house ; but there are many others of scarcely less dimen- sions. A bank, 8-5 feet long, is formed of large and small plants of all the best varieties. Leaving this house (called the exhibition house) by the north door, and turning to the left we follow a walk loading to the kitchen garden, and by a slight curve to the left reach a straight walk, which passes through the kitchen garden from east to west. Parallel with this walk, and facing the south, is a continuous range of glass 4'J5 feet long, for the cultivation of fruits of various kinds. The Tines and other fruit trees in many of the houses have not long been planted ; I need there- fore only say, that every care has been taken in preparing the borders, and that satisfactory results may be expected. I noticed in several of them very promising crops of Pines, Dwarf Kidney Beans, &i. In this range there are houses for Pines, Vines, Cherries, Peaches, and Nectarines, all well heated, and all filled with trees in a promising condition. On the opposite side of the walk there are several span-roof houses for the growth of Pines, Cucumbers, and Melons, and for forcing flowers, propagating, &o. The first of these houses I entered is nged for propagating, and is filled with a useful Btook, among which I noticed a fine plant of Dracrrna regin.T, JQst beginning to show its silver-margined leaves ; the next is the winter Cucumber house, used also for Melons after the Cu- cumbers are over ; and a third is called the summer Cucumber house, the plants in which are destroyed as soon as those in the winter house are in full bearing, and the house used for forcing Eoses, Hyacinths, and other plants, for the decoration of the conservatory. The next houoe is used exclusively for forcing early RjseS, and for the cultivation of Melons in sum- mer ; the first lot of Uosos had just been prepared and placed in the pits on each side of the walk which passes through the centre of the house. A span-roofed house, CO feet G inches long and 12 feet G inches wide, contains a fine collection of Pelar- goniums of the best varieties, and a fine lot of Cinerarias. I also noticed a fine healthy plant of Lapageria alba. On the south side of this house there is a very useful pit, G feet wide, and of the same length as the house, filled with ft very healthy stock of shrubby and other Calceolarias. The Pino stove is a fine, and, for the purpose, very suitable house. It is CG feet long by 20 feet wide, with a largo pit in the centre, a shelf near the glass on the front side, and another at the back, and on these enormous quantities of Kidney Beans are forced during the winter. The pit is filled with a very healthy stock of Pines, which are perfectly clean and free from insects. Many of them are planted out, and the suckers are to remain on the plants after the fruit has been cut, as an experiment. On my telling Mr. Petch that this was the only way to make Pine-growing re- munerative, and a plan by which he could grow two or more Pines in the space generally allotted to one, he became doubly anxious to give it a fair trial. Of this system of Pine-growing 1 shall have something to say hereafter ; for the present I may state that I have seen the most satisfactory results attend its adoption by one of the best Pine-growers in the world, who has quietly pursued this system for many years, and who has grown some of the finest Pines ever produced. On the back shelf was a fine lot of pot Tines. A lean-to near the large ferneries is filled with store pots of Verbenas, Petunias, and various other softwooded plants, and although it has no pretensions to architectural beauty, it is, perhaps, one of the most useful houses in the place. At the eastern extremity of the kitchen garden, against a wall facing the east, there is a house for the cultivation of the Apricot. — J. Wills, F.E.H.S. CHRISTMAS ROSE (HELLEBORUS NIGER) NOT FLOWERING. A BED of this beautiful winter ornament to our gardens, aa it now is, quite gay with its large white flowers, or what pass for such, has often eUcited the following observation—" We have it, but it will not flower with us." Now, I have^ not the slightest doubt that there is hardly a spotf anywhere in which it may not be made to flower prufu.-ely if rightly managed. I had it formerly in a side border, where it did not flower, but an accidental occurrence led to its being removed and treated so thpt it has flowered abundantly every winter since. One of our smaller nurserymen took up some plants from an open dry situation, where they had never flowered, and put them in a waste corner, where they were partly covered up by other odds and ends, and here they bloomed freely. This fact led me at once to suspect the reason, and endeavouring to profit by it, I immediately transferred my plants to another situation, where, although the sun shines upon the spot all the year round, they have the advantage of partial shade and plenty of moisture during the summer months. As these plants make and ripen their buds at a time when there is alwaj s a profusion of flowers, and plenty of other matters to attend to, they are apt to be neglected and left dry when most needing a little consideration ; and hence either do not flower at all, or produce only a few starved and diminutive apologies for flowers. The plan I have acted upon is this : The plants being ar- ranged symmetrically in an open sunny spot, where In the winter they are in a conspicuous position, and form the prin- cipal objects left, in the summer they are thickly planted over with Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, Pyrethrums, i-c, so as to be wholly shaded from the sun, at the same time that they receive an abundance of water, as well as a share of the liquid manure aud other good things intended for their pro- tectors. Thus, without any special care they receive an addi- tional stimulus at the very time that it is of most service to them. Blooming as they do at a season when there is hardly any other flower to occupy the ground, they are invaluable, and we'll worthy of more general cultivation. — W. K. BBiDGiiiN, Nuncich. OPEN-AIR MUSHROOMS IN WINTER. On the 22nd of December I gathered eighteen Mushrooms from the outside of a pigeon-holed Melon pit. One of them weighed H lb., and measured 10* inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Several of the others weighed rather more JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 7, 18C9. than haU a pound. Mr. Frost, the well-known nurseryman of Hiiidstone, pronounced them the finest he had ever seen flower in the open air. The Mushrooms came up epontaneously. — G. Leeds, Gardener to the Maijor of Maidstone. ADULTERATION OF SEEDS. BmXACTS FROM THE SECOND INTERIM REPORT BY THE BOYAIi HORTICULTORAL SOCIETY'S SUB-COMMITTEE. The crop of many of the seeds which form the staple of the seeds- man's basiuess is always nncertain and precarious in this conntry. A single night's frost at a critical period may destroy the whole of the crops of Turnips, Mangold, Cauliflower, or Cabbage seed exposed to it. The seedsman thus can never calculate on the supply of the coining year. It may be a failure ; and he most properly provides agaiast this by laying in a large stoclt when the crop is abundant and good. But what is he to do with the large stoch so laid up in the case of a sequence of two or three good years ? He uses it up by mixing the product of the different years together. By-and-by a bad year comes, but, by the seedsman's precautions and forethought, a snfficicat over-supply from previous years remains in stock, ard the «oantry is not unprovided. From such occasional intermixture there is a. natural and easy descent to a constant lowering of the average. Troublesome questions are put if the seed is found better or worse one year than anotber. So it comes to be tbought that it would bo more easy for the seedsman, and less troublesome for the customer, if it were kept always at about the same average, and the price corre- spondingly lowered ; and so the system of regular manipulation and tampering with the quality is introduced. The next stage of introducing killed seed instead of old dead seed IB still more easy. It is obviously much more to the customer's advantage, if the average is to be lowered, that it should be done by the intermixture of clean fresh-killed seed, ratber than of old musty seed, full of the spores of fungi and the eggs of insects. So regarded, the introduction of killed seed is a boon to the buyer instead of an injury. There is, indeed, anotber point of ^aew from wbich to look at it. The old dead seed betrays its presence ; the killed seed does not : and so the purchaser is deprived of that means of testing the quality of tlie article he purchases. Everythiug is thus thrown npon the honesty of the dealer. He fixes the price, he regulates the quality, and the pui-chaser is kept in the dark, and has no check upon either. This is a temptation beyond irhat the average frailty of human nature ought in fairness to be ex- posed to. It is not to be supposed that the existing system could have reached its present maguituda through the separate and independent action of individuals ; it is the combined actici of the trade which has done it. At what time it commenced your Committee have not learned ; but it is no modern device. Most of the present members of tbe seed trade have succeeded to it as to a fatal heritage, and they have found them- selves constrained to conform to tbe traditional custom of the trade, •or run the risk of sacrificing important and weU- established busi- nesses to the ruin of themselves and their families. The combined action of the trade, which has consolidated the system, has been exertud through a trade's club, or association, something in -the nature of a trade's union, which as in other businesses, the London wholesale seedsmen have established among themselves. One •pi the chief fuiictions of the association is, as yonr Committee are .^informed, the regulation of prices and the determination, by mutual 'consultation and advice, what kinds of seeds should have their average lowered, and to ^^hat extent it should be done. Accordingly the practice has taken root so firmly, and ramified in so Toany directions, that it now penetrates every branch of the business. Of its extent no stronger evidence can be given than the regular quota- tion in ceiiaiu of the seed trade lists of tlie prices of "•' uctt seed,' and ■*' ti-io," or " UUO," — " nett seed" meaning good seed which has not ieeu adulterated or mixed, — " ti-io," or " 000," meaning seed whose vitality has been killed for the purpose of mixing with good seed. It must not be supposed, however, that there are no exceptions to tlie universality of the practice ; the results of yonr Committee's in- ■q^uiries, confirmed, as they have been, by the trials recorded in 'last report, enable them to speak to the contrary. From these, were it their cue to do so, they could name the few houses which px-oceed "^on a different system, and which ai*e struggling single-handed against the ovenvhelming preponderance of those who do not. But to do so ■would be by implication to reflect on others ; and as the object of the '•Council in this inquiry is entirely of an impersonal nature — to redress .^a public grievance, and not to attack individuals, — they feel bound to , refrain from mentioning names on either side, even when the mention would be laudatory. Of the complication and diflacnlty of doing away with the system, an idea may be formed from some of the following facts. Instead of ■■jrarchasing these seeds from growers in the market, wholesale seeds- 'inen find it necessary to enter into a sort of qua si -partnership, or ;3oint adventure, with the growers. They supply them with the seeds '.tthey want grown, and receive the product from them after harvest at /■certain previously fixed, or proportionally arranged prices. In no other way (of growing by a thud party) could they make sure that the seeds they purchase were of the kind they wanted, the seeds of many different species, and especially of varieties, being un distinguishable. Unless they knew that the produce of any particular field was to be their own, they would neither have the right nor the interest to examine it while growing, to make sure of its kind. As may be sup- posed, the bargains with these growers vary infinitely; sometimes the seedsman is the owner of the soil, and the grower his tenant ; and leases or bargains for growing seeds, extending over many years, have been entered into on the faith of the continuance of the present system of conducting the seed business. Again, one apology for the present system is, that under it the seedsman keeps the price much mor*; equable from year to year than it would otherwise be. He charges always more nearly the same price, trusting to the average of years and prices equalising things in the course of a number of years. Your Committee do not think that this uniformity of price is any advantage to the purchasers, but a great disadvantage, if obtained, as it is, at the cost of variation in the quality of the seeds. But the fact being that, whether an advantage or not, the seedsmen have been to a certain extent acting upon it, it is plain that injuiy might be iutUcted npon them if the system were suddenly put a stop to. If, for example, a seedsman is now in the midst of a course of years, of which the first half, which is past, has been bad, a sudden change would deprive him of the chance of restor- ing things during the remainder of his cycle of years, which, as the first half had been disadvantageous, he might reasonably expect to be good. At the same time matters cannot be allowed to remain as they are ; and your Committee's first idea was, that the seedsmen themselvea should undertake their own deliverance. They believe that these gentle- men are themselves thoroughly in earnest in their desire to get rid o£ the present system ; nay. more, they believe that the more respectable members of the trade take no advantage from it, that their profits are not greater than those of other similar branches of industry, and that pecuniarily they would be gainers by the abolition of the system, and the substitution of a higher price for a better quality of seeds. But it is to be feared that they are so hedged in by the engagements and bargains that they have made, that it is very doubtful if they would be able to shake themselves free from its trammels by any efforts of their own. And even although they could, and were, by a unani- mous resolution of the trade, to renounce all mixing of scoda thence- forward, the public would not benefit ; on the contraiy, they would be losers — for, instead of having the system conducted, as at present, by men of respectability, who, at least, aimed at providing a constant supply, the public would find their places supplied by a lower and more unscrupulous class, who would have no object but fleecing the public as rapidly and filling their own pockets as full they could. Any effort for good must, therefore, not be limited to the voluntary abstinence of individuals, but must be compulsory and of universal application. It may be said that if, notwithstanding the unfavourable appear- ances arising from their erroneous system, the seedsmen do really conduct tbeii- business so fairly and honestly and with such attention to the welfare of the public, why should any change be made at all ? "Why not allow matters to remain as they arg ? If all did so, and all would continue to do so, and no farther lowering of the averages would be practised by the retail seedsmen and small dealers, the public might be content to allow matters to remain as they are ; but it is patent and notorious to all that the reverse of all this is the case. Not even all the wholesale seedsmen are content with the lowness of average fixed by their own association (see the results of the trials in last report) ; and the average of the stock of the small countiy dealers who have been supplied with seed filtered through two or three retail hands must be correspondingly bad. But, more than this, yonr Com- mittee learn from a reliable source that some of the growers themselves have begun to lower the average before it leaves their hands. It can scarcely be denied that this is a fraud suggested by the example of the seedsmen themselves. The practices they have taught them they execute; and it shall go hard but they will better the instruction. The half-educated husbandmen will be slow to appreciate the difference between an admixture of lifeless seed by themselves and one by their employer, or to believe that what is fraud on their part is only esti- mable precaution on that of the others. Nor until the seedsman dis- tinctly warns his customers that he is not selling "nett seed," will the public generally admit the distinction. Tour Committee are of opinion, therefore, that something more than good resolutions on the jiart of the trade are absolutely essential ; what that should bo is the difficulty. Various suggestions have been made to your Committee ; but they have found no one plan adequate to meet the evil. An application to the Board of Trade for the ap- pointment of a Government inspector has been suggested by some; either trials of seed at the request of dealers themselves, or unknown to them, and the publication of the results has been recommended by others : and the passing of an Act of Parliament to render it penal to adulterate or to mix killed seed with good seed, is the specific of a considerable number of men whose opinion is entitled to respect j but your Committee have been unable to see that any one of these steps would of itself be sufiicient to meet the end. Probably a combination, or rather a selection, of them might, especially if supported by genuine and sincere exertions on the part of the trade itself. For actual adulteration (as of Clover seed) an Act seems indispensable; no one will object to this ; but your Committee think it should also extend to Jnnnary 7, IBfO. ] JODBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. the tiso of Wllcil seed for mixin;?. No Act, indeed, that conid lie ex- pected to pass would directly reach the nae of old naturally dead seed for this pnrvos-e, Imt it misht iudirectlv ; for if the use of killed were prevented, the actual Bupply of old dead seed would not bo sutU- cient to d^ mucli harm ; and even if it were used, its appearance would betray its presence, and put the purchaser on his (>uard. Th(n-e are other points which can only be reached by introducing more generally a systimr of actual trials previous to purcliases ; and to this yonr Coumtittec think every effort should be directed. In some districts it appears that farmers and growers are now Rotting into the way of tailing their half-dried grass seed to the hilu to bo dried. Whether it gets a roasting or a gentle heating merely sufficient for the purpose is, as business is now conducted, a matter of no great import- ance either to the kiln owner or his customer. It may be sold as good seed, or, if found out, will at least, do for " trio." But if "trio" were abolished, and trials were general, the farmer would soon find his roasted seed left on his hands ; if this happened onco or twice, the process would either bo made safe or abandoned. It is not easy to understand how any one who Jias to use considerable quantities of seed should ever dispense with this precaution. It may bo that they suppose that the trouble of testing is greater than it really is, or that experience has shown the experiment to be useless, as, from the general adoption of the same average, no better quality is to he had in one shop than another. If the latter be the cause of the neglect of this self-evident precaution, it must soon ceaso to be a reason ; for, as soon as the public know that the quality of the seed sold has hitherto been matter of regulation, they will evince a prefer- ence for those tradesmen who do not adopt that practice — and, of course, the demand for such will produce its natural consequence, — a supply. It will then become essential for the public to know whether those who profess to have abandoned the old system have really done so or not ; and the only effectual way of ascertaining this is to test their seeds. Your Committee have nnder their consideration the varicus modes of testing seeds whioh are known to them ; and that which they feel inclined to recommend as on the whole the easiest, cleanliest, least ti-oublesome, and most likely to be acceptable to the general public, is the placing of the seeds between folds of moist flannel and keeping them in the temperature of a sitting-room or kitchen for a few days. This, of course, is not equal to Nature's own test — actual growth iu the en,rth. It may not answer for all seeds ; hnt it answers perfectly for most kinds ; and any seed that gives a good return under it may be depended on as certain not to give a worse result when actually sown. An idea of its efficieucy may bo gathered from a trial of it made by ©ne of your Committee upon 100 seeds of one of the sorts whose avei-- age of good seed had in previous trials been found to be 75. The simple method recommended gave i.T seeds germinating on the thud day, "23 on the fourth, IG on the fifth, 9 on the sixth, and 'd on the seventh — total 70 : but whatever plan the Council think most suitable for general use, your Committee recommend that that plan should be made as widely known audits practice be as strongly inculcated as possible. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. The December meeting of this Society was held at Burlington House, the President, Mr. W. H. Bates, being iu the chair. Amongst the donations to the Society's library received since the lost meeting ■were the publications of various continental and American Societies, including the first number of a new American periodical, " The Ame- rican Entomologist," the current number of the American " Bee- Journal," and a work just published at Madras by Lieut. -Col. Taylor, on the history of the White Borer, a species of Longicorn Beetle, with au account of the extensive attempts which have been made to arrest its ravages. The deaths of Professor Bohemann, a distinguished Swedish ento- mologist (one of the honorary members of the Society), and of Mr. ■W. E. Shieckard, the author of a work on the British Sand Wasps and other Hymcnoptcra, were announced. Mr. F. Bond exhibited a curious variety of the White Admiral But- terfly, Limenitis Sibylla, also a female specimen of the Adonis blue Butterfly having several streaks of the blue colours of the male on the upper side of one of the fore wings ; also a hermaphrodite specimen of the Lasiocampa Quercus. Mr. Edward Saunders exhibited a specimen of a new British Moth, Crambus Myelins, allied to the common C. Pinetellus, taken by Mr. D. E. Brown near Aberdeen ; nnd Dr. Dutton, a splendid specimen of Catocala Fraxini, taken at Eastbourne on the '20th of August last. The Secretary announced that the Milan Academy had offered a prize for the best essay on the means of taking honey from hives without injuring the bees. Of course the plans would necessarily have reference to the usual form of hives adopted in North Italy, and not to special bee structures. Professor Westwood exhibited drawings and read descriptions of various new and curious exotic species of Hymenopterons insects ; and the Secretary read a paper by Mr. W. F. Kirby, " On the Application of the Law of Priority to the Nomenclature of the Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera." In this memoir the author showed that this law, uni- versally adopted for the names of species, would, if followed out iu generic nomenclature, produce a complete revolution in the names of the groups of Butterflies ; one chief cause of the difficulty arising from the want of a fixed principle in tho selection of a typical sjiecics for which tho generic name should be retained when the genus reqnireft, by the addition of new species, to be broken up into other geuciic groups. In such eases, the writer seemed to be of opinion that the species placed by the original founder of tho genus at its head shonhl be retained as its typo, and should consequently hold the old generic name ; but most of tho members present appeared to consider that where no especial spoeies was named as the typo by the original describcr of a genus, a subsequent investigator of the group waa at liberty to select any of the s])ecieB which he considered as most fitly illustrating it, and retain for it the old generic name. The principle is applicable to every branch of natural history, and requires to be authoritatively settled. OUT OF-DOOR GRAPES. This subject, I am glad to see, is attracting a litlls attention now that it has been introduced. Tbc cultivation of the Vine, with the object of ripening Grapes in the open air, is a subject worthy of much more consideration thau is generally' bestowed upon it. It is a particularly interesting occupation, very plea- sant in itself, and within the reach of everyone with a rod or ground aud living in the humblest dwelling. The past season having been so wa-m and dry, and so particularly well suited for the ripening of Grapes in the open air, we are yery DatnraHy (having found the fruit more palatable than usual), inclined to bestow rather more attention on tho matter than we might have done at the close of a less favourable season. We can scarcely ever expect to endure another jear so tropical in its character as that now closed, or a season in which Grapes in the open air could have been cultivated with so much advantage in this country as 18G8. I am very pleased indeed to hear that Mr. Watson (see page 459), is such a successful cultivator of the Vine in the open air. I hope he will, as you have asked him, give jour readers the benefit of his long and great experience ; it would be an interesting and at the same time extremely useful and excellent guide to others. Mr. Watson slightly misunderstands my meaning (see page '116), of " by a little ordinary attention a tolerably decent lot of Grapes may be grown." What I meant was, the ordinary attention bestowed on Vines under glass. If such, I maintain, were bestowed ou out-of-door Vines, a tolerably decent lot of Grapes would be grown, but not equal to those under glass. It is astonidhing how good the cnt-of- door Grapes are sometimes, where attention is besto-wed oc their cultivation. It is not, I think, so much to a want of knowledge as to neglect that we are to ascribe the miserable appearance that out-of-door Grapes present iu most gardens. The piofessiosal gardener does not consider them worth his trouble, and amateurs in most Cises take their cue from the proiessional men. In country districts this is especially the case. There is nothing so convincing as example ; therefore, if our great men, who know how a Vine ought to be treated, would bnt show a few oul-of-door Vines correctly managed and laden with their fruit, there would soon be plenty of imitators, and Grapes, the noblest of all our fruits, would not be so very rarely to be met with at the tables of the labouring clasfes as they are at present. It is they — not the rich who can afford glass structures — whom I wish most to see cultivaling their own Grapes on the walls of their cottages. There is no plant more easy of cultivation than the Vine ;_ none more simple or easily managed, whether it be nnder glass or in the open air. There ia no extraordinary attention required. It must not, however, sulfur neglect, as liino-tenthB of the out-of-door Vines do. To succeed in the cultivation of the Viue out of doors, I should recommend, in the first place, if there be a choice, to plant in the warmest situation, on a south or south-west as- pect. Take out the existing soil to a depth of 3 feet, and tea width of, say C feet, to begin with, which width can be after- wards increased ; put in about 18 inches of broken bricks or rubble for drainage, then about 2 feet of the fidlowing, well but roughly mixed — viz., two-thirds fresh jellnw loam, asd une-third lime or brick rubbish, with a spriiikling of manure and charcoal, or burnt ashes ; in fact, in just the same way as the best Vine borders are made. Plant young Vines early in the spring 30 inches apart, cut them down to wiiliiu C inches of the ground, and train up one shoot only for the first season, which encourage to the very utmost. Guaid againxt May frosts, which frequently destroy the young ^hols ; do n(jt puH ofl a single leaf or stop a single lateral, exc«|.ting where Ihey may be getting crowded, until the month of Septtiubor ; the gTO«- 10 JOUBNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 7, 1869. ing tips of the shoots should then be pinched ont, and the main stem exposed to the full action of the son, so as to have the wood thoroughly ripened. Prune before Christmas. If well ripened, and about the thickness of one's hnger, 3 feet of a rod may be left, and less or more in proportion. Encourage the main stem as before, and train the side shoots (on which may be expected a few bunches) slightly upwards about 9 inches apart, stopping the growing point one or two eyes beyond the bunch until that is fairly set. Then allow the laterals to increase a little, stopping them as every two leaves are produced, without allowing them to become crowded, or one leaf to shade the other. In September check all growth, and expose the wood thoroughly as before. Continue the same treatment from year to year. If one Vine is required to cover a larger space, encourage some side shoots to grow in the same manner as the main shoot, which should after the first pruning be laid down in a horizontal position along the bottom of the wall, and upright bearing stems trained up therefrom, at a distance of about 28 inches the one from the other. The main shoot can be continued to any length, the upright rods taking the place of individual Vines, being pruned and spurred in the same manner, A very good plan with out-of-door Vines is to renew the rods, cutting down each alternate rod every second or third year, according to their length, A Vine also makes a very handsome plant on a very high wall, or on the end of a house, if trained as we do our horizontal Pear trees — that is, one main stem with horizontal rods 18 inches or 3 feet apart, on which the bearing shoots are produced on the upper side only. If 18 inches apart, the shoots may be left at 0 inches the one from the other, and pruned home every season ; if 3 feet, then they should be 18 inches distant, and renewed every second or third year alternately. In winter pruning I would say, Prune always to a good firm eye, study this principally. Do not prune too closely for the sake of appearance. In summer keep the shoots thin, and every leaf fully exposed to the sun's influences, so as to have the wood thoroughly ripened. Then, if mildew does not attack them, four seasons ont of five wonderfully good Grapes will be secured. For the prevention of mildew, in answer to " D. of H.," I recommend the practice of painting the rods, after pruning, with a mixture of sulphur, soft soap, &e. This, however, although it may serve to cleanse the shoots operated upon from any existing insects, does not in the least prevent the recurrence of mildew during the growing season. The only way to prevent this is by the application of sulphur. Flowers of sulphur should be dusted freely all over the leaves, fruit, &o., immediately on the appearance of the evil, or indeed previously. This should be done during bright sunshine in the early part of the day, and repeated frequently if the malady continues. If the weather is too wet to allow of this being done cfiectually, syringe with sulphur water, or clear dissolved Gishurst compound, which must, however, be washed off the berries, if they are nearly ripe, to prevent imparting its nasty taste. Sulphur in itself has no taste, and will cause no injury to the eater of it, although it may somewhat dis- figure the appearance of the Grapes. To grow Vines successfully in the open air, nothing is re- qaired but perseverance and attention. — ^Abchambado. " GAKDENING IN THE ■\^'EST.-^i*o.!'3." We have seen that in America, our first care is to take measures to retain as much as we can of atmospheric moisture, just as in England we are chiefly at pains to accumulate and retain solar heat. We may next talk over some applications in everyday practice of this principle of difference. Dryness of the air is in some respects agreeable to the human constitution, at least to ours, fS " whites." It is bracing, stimulating, exciting. It has much to do, no doubt, in produc- ing the noticeable lankness and angularity of the " Yankee," his activity and acuteness of mind as well as body, and possibly with an earlier wearing ont or decline of his powers, when life's fever is allowed to run on unmoderated. The inhabitants ot the deserts of Arabia, and of Northern' Africa, where an arid condition of the air is constant, and sometimes mortally intense, are described as among the most active, and quick-nerved of all mankind; long-lived, and unusually exempt from disease ; but the Arab's life is spent wholly in the open free air. The American is under a disadvantage from the necessity of close shelter from the severities of winter, concerning which, and their palliations and compensations, I shall have something to say. Other races seem to endure, and even to enjoy and prefer, air that is too heavy with vapour, or carbonic acid, or both, for the Caucasian. Geologists tell us that cot very long ago, geologically speaking, the entire atmosphere of the earth was as vapour- loaded as that of the southern shores of the Caribbenu Sea, or of the Gulf of Guinea is now. I do not know whether they deduce from this a point of evidence to show that the races now fading and disappearing before the advance of the new " lords of the earth," may have tenanted it before its atmosphere became suit- able for the introduction and existence of the progeny of Adam and his ruminant companions ; but it seems not an unplausible supposition, especially as so many traces of the " pre-historio man " are turning up, and as reference to his existence is found even in the written record (Gen. iv., 11. ; vi., 2). Negroe?, in the States, seem most at home in the low, rich, malaria-breeding lands of parts of the south ; or, if in the north, in warm steamy kitchens, stables, or breweries ; but I have never seen any of them in charge of moist hot plant stoves, nor do they show any taste for the arrangements of colour and outline that the artist gardener combines so delightfully. There seems to be little desire or necessity, however, for the culture of tropical plants in America. The hardier winter garden plants, common out of doors all over England, are rarities there, more charming', more manageable, and more liked. ',, The American gardener is peculiarly exposed to alternations' of extremes. There is a wide difference between the vapour-bath, of his plant houses, and the doubly-dried air of dwelliug-rooms ; for, in the winter, strong fires must be kept up in furnaces beneath the rooms, or in stoves within them, there being ordi- narily a difference of 50°, and often of 80°, between the -\- 20" to — 20° out of doors, and the necessary C5° or 70° within. Habit renders people careless about taking pains to keep up an evaporation from water pans over these often red-hot heaters. A friend, lately from England, whose office was heated by a stream of air entering it through a .furnace and register, and passing out through a ventilator, and who was not yet accustomed to such sirocco-like air, used to sprinkle water frequently all about the floor to allay uueasy sensations in his bronchial tubes, finding a single pan of water possessed of too little surface to moisten the rapidly changing air. Sitting- room stoves are often surmounted with a basin or vase on the top, to contain water, and some keep a bit of resin floating on the water, but all this is oftener neglected than used. Kitchen stoves have generally boilers on them containing water, and it is common to hear persons, who do not suspect t'ae cause of their easier sensations, declare that they prefer sitting iu the kitchen. The emigrant gai-dener- will do well to watch the symptoms and effects of these new conditions upon his own constitution as well as upon those of his plants. There certainly seems to be less tendency to consumption than !V,' England, perhaps because board floors and carpets are more common under the too thin shoes worn by women, and because there is less exposure to the sharp currents of air which are required by the draught of the capacious flues commou iu England, although the closeness of the stove-rooms is certainly the other extreme. '_ ^ i • • - jj/ Of course, these excessively dry dwelh'iig-rooiMg arfeuhfavotir- able to the growth of plants, and no ordinary sorts can live through a winter in them without special protection. Yet plants are wanted, not alonefor companionship and beau, y, and for contrast with the universal white of the shroud that wraps all out-of-doors, but for solace, memory, aud hope too ; memory of the green and the glow of the summer and autumn past, and hope of the buds and blades of a wonderful resurrection in the spring to come. They are wanted, too, for physical health and comfort's sake. It is often said very truly, that " the conk is better than the doctor," and the gardener may claim some such merit. It is for him to teach how to keep these floral com- panions healthy aud bright according to their respective natures, from which it is but a few steps to a better conception of the hygienic laws that govern the health of the human occupants of the rooms. — Pejiss\'lvani4.^o j. jjj - . .1- n-,r, I,,,,- WORK FOE. THE ^YEEK. KITCHEN QAEDEN. As before stated, all spare ground should now be dug and ridged — indeed, trenched if time permit. Where a systematic rotation of crops is carried out, and, of course, a regular system January 7, ieC9. I JODRNAL OP nORTIOUIiTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 11 of spade management pursued, it is an excellent plan to trench all the kitchen garden successively in the course of every three years. The trenching to be performed each year, should be on the ground intended for tap-rooted plants, such as Carrots and Parsnips, also on that for new plantations of Strawberries, Raspberries, and bush fruit ; if the subsoil is stiff and sour it should be well worked up, and, if wet, of course well drained. A good coat of cinder aslies worked into it would serve to faci- litate the passage of water and air. Every advantage must be taken of mild weather to give a little attention to growing crops, such as Lettuces, Cahbaaes, and CauHjhtwers. Surface-stirring, whenever practicable, must be persevered in, and dressings of lime and ashes may bo given to check damp and the ravages of snails. Some of the strongest roots of early Uliuharb might be protected with pots or boxes, and sufficient leaves and stable litter to produce a gentle warmth. This would save injuring the roots by removing them for forcing ; but where there is a good stock of roots this is of little importance, and is hardly worth the trouble and litter which it causes. Prepare ground, by heavy manuring and trenching, for fresh plantations of llhuharb. Sea-hale, and Asparagus, and remember that the ground for these can hardly be made too rich. FRUIT GARDEN. Persevere while the weather is mild with all necessary ope- rations on wall-fruit trees, such as pruning, nailing, and dress- ing. Continue the renovation of old borders as opportunity offers. See that pyramid and bush Pears and Apples have the necessary pruning, and dress orchard trees with quicklime to destroy moss. The most effectual cure for this, however, is thorough drainage. FLOWEB GARDEN. The winter having as yet been unusually mild, every chance has been afforded of not only bringing up arrears of autumn business, but of even stealing a march on the coming spring. In the flower garden, little can be done now except digging deeply the beds for flowers, in order to ameliorate the soil ; any that are exhausted should have thn soil renewed. In open weather laying turf or other pleasure-ground alterations may be proceeded with. See that all half-hardy plants are secured against severe weather. Pink and Pansy beds must be well looked after, and those plants that are loosened in any way should be carefully fastened ; the same observations will apply to seedling Auriculas, Polyanthuses, Carnations, and Picotees. Some, it is seid, are spindling this mild weather. It will be better to allow the stem to remain on till rather later in the spring. Water occasionally when the soil is very dry, but avoid as much as pos.sible wetting the foliage. Those who have not obtained the necessary number of Ranunculuses to make up their beds ought to do so without delay, as the period for planting will soon be here. If the beds have not been already formed, perhaps the simplest and best way is to exca- vate the soil 2 feet deep, put in C inches of decayed cow dung, and cover this with maiden turfy loam to the depth of 12 inches ; the remaining 6 inches to be equal parts of loam, leaf soil, and sand thoroughly incorporated. Should frost set in, cover Auricula frames with two good mats, giving air by tilting the lights whenever possible. Should the plants by any means become frozen, allow them to thaw gradually without ,being exposed to the sun's rays. GBEENHOCSE AND CONSEBVATOHV. About 40° is a good temperature for the conservatory when not attached to sitting-rooms, and only used for wintering large specimens, without plants in blossom ; but where a supply of stove plants in bloom is constantly kept up from a forcing pit, which is essential in every large establishment in winter, the best heat is 45°. Cinerarias, which are great ornaments in winter, are thirsty plants, and should be well attended to with water; they are also liable to the attacks of insects, and must be well looked after. Chinese Primroses are likewise very ornamental, and ought to be cultivated in quantity. In regard to soil, two parts rough leaf mould and one of well-decayed cow dung, with a little sand, will suit them best, and in this they like plenty of moisture. As this house will now be the chief resort of the family, the floors, &o., must at all times be kept particularly clean and dry. Dryness of the atmosphere through fire heat, however, will not keep the plants in that luxuriant health which not only creates a present interest in them, but also furnishes a guarantee for success in future. Great moderation, therefore, in the use of fire heat is necessary in this department. Camellias in bloom, if any, may be watered now and then with clear tepid manure water. Let Pelargoni- ums now be kept at rest as much as possible, giving them but little water — in fact none unless the loaves show a disposition to flag. In fine weather like the present they should have ' plenty of air, but not admitted in cold currents, which are apt to prove injurious to the leaves. Large plants of Rhododen- drons and Camellias that have been some time in their pots or tubs, will require more attention than people commonly imagined Weak tepid liquid manure may bo given them occasionally with advantage. In addition to keeping the conservatory gay with plants in flower, let the arrangement of the house be occasion- ally changed by grouping the plants somewhat differently, and adding a few remarkable for effect. As, with the exception of forced plants, most others are now in an inactive state, the temperature of plant houses should fall to the minimum point consistent with the safety of their various inmates ; nothing can well be worse for the development of a healthy vigorous' habit in plants than subjecting them to a high temperature at' the present dull season. STOVE. In the case of stove plants, keep up an abundance of atmo-- spheric humidity to counteract the drying tendency of hot- water pipes. In order to obviate the inconvenience of drip, leave a little back air on all night whenever the weather is at all favourable. A few early Gloxinias and Achimenes may now be gently forced for the decoration of the conservatory. All stove plants should now, and for the next six weeks, be quite at rest, and in that state 5.'j° will be high enough for them in' cold weather. No more water should be given at the roots than will keep the leaves from flagging, but the atmosphere should be more or less moist. , '^ FonciNo riT. " '^^ It should have at this period a permanent bottom heat of 80",^ Atmospheric moisture, let us assume, being also secured, pre- parations must be made for obtaining a due succession cff early spring flowers. If not already done, introduce a few favourite plants adapted for forcing, such as Moss, Provence, and Crim- son Perpetual Boses, hardy Azaleas, and similar plants. Hybrid Perpetual Roses will do better in a more moderate tempera- ture.— W. Keane. DOINGS OP THE LAST WEEK. Our. work has been just the same as that recorded in prei-" vious weeks' notices, and to a great extent regulated by the weather. On Thursday night and Friday morning we had a sharp frost, which would have been of more use to us but for the holiday time. There is nothing lost through a holiday, and it ought ever to be prized in proportion to its certainty of occurrence, as then men can make their arrangements before- hand. To the young, especially, the looking forward to a day that they can do as they like in, and given to them for that purpose by their employers, does wonders in prompting to activity and industry. When Christmas-day, New Year'3-day, or any other day is thus given, men should be very careful not to exceed the limits of the time arranged upon, as, if that is done often, it is apt to sour the kindest hearted employers. When we have sympathy between the employer and the em- ployed, we ought to have generosity on the one hand and faith- fulness on the other. We put a sprinkling of litter, laurel boughs, and similar materials over many plants on Thursday evening and Friday morning, as the wind, barometer, and thermometer seemed to indicate something of the cold weather that has been experi- enced in the north. Visions even of malletting good fresh ice passed over our heads, for after such a summer and the free use of ice, our reserves are lower than usual ; but at midday the wind changed to the warm south, and a rapidly falling barometer seemed to tell us that the rains were not yet oyer.*"f tlTCITEN GABDEN. The chief work was looking after crops in heat, as Rhubarb, Sea-kale, i-c, sweeping the beds of Mushrooms, which we fre- quently do when we use a covering of hay over the bed, as otherwise the spawn would sometimes be tempted to run ovei' the surface of the bed inftead of at once throwing up Mush- rooms. There is less of this tendency when there is no cover- ing on the beds, and when a house is well heated this ia often the best plan. We find, however, that a little covering does much to equalise the temperature and keep a moist atmosphere over the bed. In the case of Cauliflowers, Lettuces, Endive, Radishes, and other crops under protection, care was taken to prevent damping by plenty of air. Successions of Dwatf Kidney Beans were potted, chiefly that they might be easily 12 JOUBNAL OF HOETICUIjTURE A.ND COTTAGE GARDENEB. t Jdnuary 7, \9I9 Potted young Caoumber plants, and sowed moved afterwards. more seed. FBniT QAKDEN. Cleaned ont a vinery, washed the glass and woodwork, white- washed the walls, shelves, &a., in order that we might fill it for the time chiefly with bedding stuff from cold frames and pita. Put more Strawberry pots in frames, as detailed lately, and moved the first of those placed in a frame to a pit where they could have the benefit of a hot-water pipe. These were placed on shelves supported on pots, so as to form a temporary stage of the same slope as the sashes, the pots being about 15 inches from the glass. We have merely sprinkled a little fresh moss on the boards for the pota to stand upon, which retains a little moisture at the bottoms, but prevents that accumulation which often takes place when saiicers are used. These pots are set too thickly for remaining ; but as the plants need more room they can be carefully moved with the roots protruding in the moss, taking moss and all. lu using such moss, especially when fresh gathered, and after such a mild season as this, experience makes us careful to avoid the pre- sence of small slugs and snails, which would soon grow larger in the heat, and be difficult to exterminate. To ensure their absence we put the moss in a barrel, sprinkle each layer with quicklime, and then fill up with hot water. Allow this to stand covered up for a night, and it will be rare if one of the slimy family escape. Pruning, Sea., as before. ORNAMENTAL DEPAKTMENT. Proceeded with out-door work, as levelling, turfing, digging, and ridging, at favourable opportunities. Pruned the hardier Eoses, and even did the same as respects the more tender ones against a wall, as the wall was becoming shabby, and we wished to hide deficiencies by a good scrubbing and limewashiog. Thia is good in itself, and a suitable preparation for anti-corrosion paint of whatever colour. We have not at this season done the work as we would have done it in March or April; but the following makes an excellent durable lohitewasli: — Make the quicklime pass through water in a sieve, as if you were going to make lime putty, or the last smooth coat in plastering a room, and when tolerably well settled add about one-third of cement to the limewash, and then water to thin it sufficiently. For a light wash use Portland cement, for a darker wash use the dark Roman cement. This generally stands the weather well, and if laid on bricks that are new, or well cleaned, you can hardly colour your hand in drawing it over the wall after the colouring has become dry. Old walls are apt to become unsightly from nail holes, and these help on the decay of the wall. Whitewash, or any colour that may be approved of, hides most of these draw- backs, and is a security against insects. Had we a new wall we would never allow a nail hole in it. We would have a wire trellis, or studs, with a hole in each, or even metal nails driven in securely at regular distances, and left as permanent holders, and shoots could be tied to them. Such nails, heated well in an old shovel or pan, and then placed in oil and allowed to dry before being used, will last for years before they begin to rust and decay. Painting and not Painting. — " G." tells us, that he had frame sashes new a few years ago, they looked well, and have always been kept well painted, but they are becoming so rotten that they can scarcely be moved. There is not a doubt that the sashes had been made of green wood. The paintiug kept moisture out, but it likewise kept the moisture in, and as that could not have an outlet, it fermented and produced a dry rot. We some time ago were asked to look at some slats of oak gates, not made above half a dozen years, that were as rotten as touchwood. The owner would have them paiuted, though the oak was green. The tradesman was not at all to blame. Such gates ought to have stood at least a twelvemonth before being painted. We are sure they would have done good service, so far as wear was concerned, for from ten to twenty years if they had never been touched with a paint brush. Some- thing would be gained were the impression general, that paint is a preservative only when used over dry, well-seasoned timber. When used over that which is fresh and green, how- ever well the work may look, it just acts as a source of pre- mature decay. With the prejudice in favour of paint as a pre- servative in all circumstances, we should be afraid to say how long we have known sashes in constant use last, and be as fresh as on the day they were made, although they never were painted at all. In wet weather, however, they were very heavy to move. We have known not a few barns that had their sides made of green feather-edged boards, which would have lasted many years if let alone, or if painted or tarred a twelvemonth or eighteen months after being fastened in their places, but they very soon became rotten, because tarred or painted as soon as they were put up. Paint dry well-s-jasoned wood, and yoa preserve it ; paint green unseasoned timber, and you take the most effectual means to cause it to decay prematurely. On the signs of frost we will protect the more tender Hoses against a wall with evergreen boughs placed in front of them, and a little litter over the collar of the roots. In such posi- tions the most tender Teas seldom require more attention. In cold places, in beds, the plant that gives least trouble is to take the plants up in November carefully, pack the roots in soil iu a shed, and plant out again in the middle of March. A little fern or long Utter over them where they stand, if on their own roots, will often enable them to throw up fine flowering shoots, though what is fully exposed may be much injured. Against a frame such Rosea will in general be safe with only a little protection in the most severe weather, as the wood is in general harder. Prom a wall we have thus had Roses almost as early as it the plants had been in a cold house under glass. One of the structures, however, which we should like to have would be a wood and glass house, with beds tor Tea-scented Roses, and the tender kinds. We should be satisfied with one of the roughest description, with a fixed roof of large squares, and ventilation at the top, and at the bottom in front, depend- ing on hand appliances for wateriug and syringing, and a close still atmosphere for keeping the frost from doing injury. The exclusion of high winds and rains would secure fiue blossoms, well formed, and without ilaws ; but if we could realise many a day dream, it would be to have the roof, wliether lean-to or span, moveable in narrow sashes, each pivot-huug at the centre of the ends, and then these sashes, standing nearly vertically in summer, would admit raina when these were desirable. To render the whole complete, wo would have 4-inoh hot-water pipes under each bed and a pipe round the house, to give a mild dry heat when necessary, and the bottom and top heat inde- pendent of each other. The whole cost would be a mere bagatelle to many of our enthusiastic Rise cultivators, and the pleasure derived would be more than a tenfold reward. As stated above, however, even a simple unhealed structure would yield a great amount of pleasure. Bedding Plants. — Where there are no means but cold pits and frames, the late weather has been very trying, and though ours have kept very well, the greatest care would not prevent a few damped leaves, and therefore we felt anxious to remove the most tender to a vinery or other place, where they could have plenty of air and a little dry heat in such wet dripping weather. As frequently stated, it takes a large amount of damp to injure Calceolarias, but it is different with Pelar- goniums, Verbenas, &e. They stand well iu cold pita pro- tected, when there are sunny days in which you can give abun- dance of air, and care is taken not to use a drop of water except when absolutely necessary. In such moist weather as we have had lately, and however much air might be given by tilting the sashes, there would be a tendency iu many leaves to show signs of damping, and if not removed at once the damp- ing would soon spread. The greatest evil is that in such weather the time must be chosen with cire for removing the affected leaves, as the falling of a slight shower over the plants would be sure before long to increase the evil. In such a season, when the sashes can so seldom be taken completely off for fear of rain, the plants, just like our Calceolarias, grow too freely, and therefore become more tender and full of juices than we like them to be, and consequently will be more liable to suffer from frost, or from being covered tip long, than plants more fretly expoaed to a colder but drier atmosphere. On these accounts, all combined, but chiefly because it is of importance to the welfare of plants to be able to clean them and attend to them in all weathers, we earnestly advise those who cootemplate having a cold pit, to make it just so large that they can walk inside of it, clean plants and pots, top-dress, stir the surface, and change the positions of plants even in the most unpleasant days. Two feet more in width will give room for a narrow pathway, and both wood and glass are now, cheap, and that room may be compensated for by the plants standing more closely, or even beneath the stage and platform, or if the path is sunk, on a broad shelf over it. There is no com- parison of the enjoyment to be realised from such a place, when contrasted with a mere cold pit. A sm»ll stove would render all covering-up, except in the coldest weaiher, unneces- sary. Many a little house might thus be attached to a sitting- room and kept all comfortable by means of a coke or gas stove, January 7, '9.1 JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 13 with merely a pipe-outlet into the open air. It is well to com- mence witli a frame or cold pit, but the little house is the great object to aim at. — R. F. CO VENT GARDEN MARKET.— Jan iary 0. Business is very quiet here, and tnero is nothing to call fur any par- ticnlar notice. FRUIT, B. d. B. d Apples HbIotc 1 6 to 2 0 Apricots doz. 0 0 0 0 Oherries lb. 0 0 0 Cbestnats bnRb. 10 0 18 Oarrants }^ eie vo 0 0 0 BUck do. 0 FIgB doz. 0 Filbertfl lb. 0 Coba lb. 0 Gooeeben-ies ..qnart 0 Grapes, Uothoa8e..lb. 8 Lemons 100 4 Melons each Nectarines doz. 0 0 OranRea 100 2 0 PencheB doz. 0 0 Pears (desHort) ..doz. 2 0 Pine Apples lb. 3 0 Plums H eieve 0 0 Qninoes doz. 0 9 Raspberries lb. 0 0 Strawberries., per lb. 0 0 Walnuts buBh. 10 0 do per 100 1 0 d. B. d 0to6 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 19 0 2 6 Articholfof) doK. 8 Asparapns 100 10 0 Beans, Kidney per bd. 2 0 Beet, Bed duz. 2 0 Broccoli bundle 1 0 Bros. SprontB ^ sieve 2 0 Cabbage doz. 1 0 Gapsicams 100 0 0 Carrots bunch 0 4 CaoUflower doz. 3 0 Celery bundle 1 6 encumbers each 0 9 Endive duz. 2 0 Fennel bunch 0 8 GarUc lb. 0 8 Herbs bunch 0 8 Horseradish . . bundle 8 0 VEGETABLES, d. 8. d 0to6 0 0 0 Leekfl bnnch Lettuce .... per score Mushrooms .... pottle S 0 i Mustd.& Cress, punnet 0 I Onions per bushel 0 I Parsley per sieve Parsnips doz. 8. d. B. d 0 4 too 6 0 4 0 2 0 0 I Peas per quart 0 8 ' Potatoes bushel Kidney do. Radishes doz. bunches Rhubarb bundle Sea-kale basket Shallots lb. Spinach bushel Tomatoes..., per doz. 0 Turnips bunc^ 0 2 1 0 6 TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. Richard Dean, 8, Denmark Villas, Ealing, London, W. — Catalo(mc of VegHahU, Farm, and Flower Seeds. — Ike Useful Garden Ahnanaek for 1869. James Carter & Co.. 237, 238, and 261, High Holborn, Lon- don, W.C. — Carter's Vadc Mecum for 1869. With numerous Engravings. TO CORRESPONDENTS- ••• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they are subjected to uujustifiable trouble and expense. Ail communications should therefore be addressed solely to The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture^ <^c., 171, Iflcet Street, London, E.G^ We also request that correspondents will not mis np on the same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on separate communications. Also never to send more than two or three questions at once, N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until nest Palms for a Coxservatory (A. B.). — Small plants of the foUowinc would suit you — viz., Sea^orthia elegaua, Chamftrops humilis, Furtunei, and palmetto, Phoenis dactylifera, Latania bor-bunica, Thriuax yarviflura, Corypha australis, Rhapis flabelliformis, Jubieii spectabilis, Brahea dulcis, and Sabal Adansonii. You will find some useful cultural notes in No. 385, page 115 of our last volume. You have not heat enough to ensure rapid growth. Apply to any of the leading nurserymen who advertise in our columns; if they have not the species in stock they can procure them for 3'ou. Rhubarb for Winter (S. P.). — We do not know what materials you have for furnishing heat, but if you have a closet near a fireplace you may have plenty of Rhubarb by placing roots in boxes, filling in between the roots with moist soil, and then placing tho boxes in the closet. This is the simplest and cheapest mode of forcing Rhubarb for winter use. You may place chimney puts, old baskets, or boxes over the crowns of plants in the open ground, and put on hot stable manure somewhat higher than the tops of the pots or bosoH, and for 18 inches or 2 feet all found, and then cover with loose long litter to keep off snow and rain. CoROHn.LA GLAtJCA Lo3::.a ITS Leaves (li. S, &'.).— It is very common lor this plant to lose most of its leaves after being taken into tho green- house in autumn. We consider the cause to be the closer and warmer atmoBpbere by which the plant is excited into growth, and the old leaves are consequently tbrown off, as in the caeo of most evergreens when making new growths. The remedy is to house the plants sooner, and give them a lisht and airy situation. We think plants intended for blooming in winter ought not to be placed out of doors at any time, but be kept constantly under gla^s, affording them as much light and ventila- tion as CUM posHihly bo given, and Ibtn the wood i« thoroughly ripened, and the plants escape the evils resulting from a change from out of doors to in-d'iors— a change which is in most cascH followed by a loss of foliage, and often by tbe flower bnds falling, as with Caniellias. Rhododendrons not Flowering (Agnt^s). — Yours is a case of plants not flowering owing to their having been taken up whilst in " full beauty," and they are " beautiful tho first year," hut not coutinuously. Wo think you expect too much; every plant removed is to a certam extent de- jirived of roots, ond is conscfiuently enfeebled, time being necessary to restore the balance between the roots and foliage; besides, your plants are forced, and will need a year at least to recover from the loss con- seqnont on tboir being excited into growth at an unnatural season. The plants should bo kept in the greenhouse until tbeir growth be com- plete, abundantly supplied with moisture, and plenty of nir given. After frosts are past the pots sliould bo pluugt^d to tho rims in coal ashes out of doors in an open situation, but sheltorcd from high winds and powerful sun. This will prevent the sides of thu pots becoming heated, and the roots from being injured. The Hurf;ice of tho soil in tho pots should bo covered with about an inch thick of cow dung, plenty of water must bo given iu hot dry weather, and tho plants may be syringed overhead every evening. If they are in small pots for the size of the heads, and the pots aro full of roots, or the ball very closely matted, you may shift them into a larger size, but avoid large shifts, and aee that perfect drainage ia provided. The best time to repot is when the plants are shedding their flowers, and for jilants not iu pots, tho best time tu take them up aud pot is in Sfptember. The soil, wo think, will ho suitable. Plants for forcing are bcBt kept in a cold pit or frame in winter, affording an abundance of air whenever the weather is mild, with slight protection in severe weather, tbe routs being secured by plunging the pots to the rim in coal ashes. Anastatica niERocHONTicA CULTURE (D. H. .S.).~Thi3, the Rose of Jericho or Resurrection plant, is a greenhouse annual, though it will succeed as a half-hardy one in the southern counties. The seed should he sown iu March in a hotbed, affording a mild bottom heat of 70'^, and a top heat of from &jr to 7U-. The compost most suitable is two-thirJs very saudy fibrous loam with one-third leaf mould or fibrous peat, and a free admixture of sharp sand ; the soil must be suudy and open, and good drainage must be ensured. FiU the pots about three parts full of compost, and then to within half an inch of the rim with fiuo sandy soil, using the roughest at the bottom, and making the surface smooth. Scatter the seeds rather thinly over the surface, and cover them with very fine sandy soil to a depth equal to tho diameter of the seeds. Give a gentle water- ing, and place in the hotbed, keeping the soil moist but not very wet, and when the plants appear place them near the glass, and afford an abundance of air. When large enough to handle, the seedlings may be potted off singly in small pots, or two or three in a put, and again re- turned to the hotbed until they recover from the potting, then remove them to a shelf in the greenhouse. Careful watering is necessary; no water should be given as long as the soil is moist. This plant should have a light and airy position, for it is a native of the dry wastes of Egypt, Palestine, Barbary, and Arabia. It is a dwarf bushy plant, about 6 inches in height, with whitish flowers, and when the seed is sown in March flowers are produced in July and August, and sometimes in Juno. It should be pulled up by the roots whilst in flower, or before it seeds and withers, and should be hung up by the roots iu a dry room until drj-. It may then be kept in a dry room for years, and when the root is placed in a gia^s of water the whole plant will expand, tho buds of flowers swelling and appearing as if the plant had been but recently taken from the giound. When it has been long kept tho whole plant must be immersed in water. We do not know where seed may be obtained. WooDLiCE IN CucuMEER PiT {The TTorm).— They like a dry retreat, and from that fact, as often stated, may bo derived a lesson as to how to destroy them. If your bed is very much infested water it well, except a few inches in width at back and front, and cover that dry part with a little dry- hay. Provide yourself with boiling water and a small-rosed watering pot, and gently turn over tbe hay iu the morning, and sprinkle the woodlice with the water as you proceed. If that is not practicable, take a number of the smallest pots, place a piece of boiled potato in the bottom, add a httlo dry hay or moss over it, lay the pots on their sides, and take the pieces out in the morning. Vines for Vinery {Inquirer). — Your vinery is in two divisions — no doubt one intended for an early, and the other for a late vinery— and appears properly arranged, having the border partly inside and partly outside. Three rows of 4 inch hot-water pipes along the front and both ends will be sufficient for the early house, but we would have preferred four rows instead of three. Two rows of 4-inch piping will be tuflicient for the late house. Tho boiler would be beRt at the back where the division between the two houses occurs, so that tbe hot water may soon pass into the house, and that with as little heating of piping outbide the house as p>stible. The Vines we advise for tho early house are three Black HambuTghs, one Euckland Sweetwater, and two Foster's White Seedhng. If you wish for more black Grapes than white, substitute one Champion Hamburgh for one of Foster's White Seedling. In the late house, where you appear to have six, we would have one Lady Downe's, one Muscat of Alexandria, one Calabrian Raisin, one Morocco, and two Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat. We do not approve of your having Vines on the hack wall, but they will for a time do tolerably well. You may have West's St. Peter's in tho late, but not iu the early house. Black Hamburgh would be more suitable. Dwarf Peas and Beaks {Amateur),— V^c think it is a great mistake to grow none but the kinds that do not require sticking. Tom Thumb or Beck's Gem Pea is the best for the first crop, and it may be succeeded by Little Gem (Maclean), and Bishop's Long-podded, which are the only kinds that iu our experience are worth the trouble and the ground they occupy. We trust some ready means of giving support to Peas will shortly be invented, and then we shall hear no more of the very dwarf kinds of Peas, which are at best poor croppers. Beck's Dwarf Green Gem, and the Royal Dwarf Fan or Cluster, are both good dwarf sorts of Bean. One quart of Peas will sow a row or drill 40 yards long, so that for 10 yards half a pint will be required. Of Broad Beans a pint will sow a row of fi'om 8 to 10 yards. The distance between the rows should be equal to the height of the Peas ; and the seeds should be covered with from \\ to 2 inches of fine soil. Allow 1 foot 3 inches between the rows of Beans.— G. A. Selection of Vines {H. Booth).— Vot your early bouse wc would 14 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t January 7, 1869. choose one Dutch Sweetwater, cue Bockland Sweetwater, one Royal Muscadine, one White FrontiKnan, one Golden Champion, one Muscat Hamburgh, two Trentbam Bbick, and four Black Hamburgbs. For the late house— two Muscat of Alexandria, two Bowood Muscat, one Groa Guillaume, two Lady Downe's, two Trebbiano, ono Weat'a St. Peter's, one Morocco, and one Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat. M09CAT OF Alexandhia Vine in a Pot (Novice).— We would plant the Vine in the inside border at once, taking the ball out of the pot, breaking the ball carefully so as to disentangle the roots, and spread them out carefully 8 inches or so from the surface. We would supply with water at 120-, mulch the surface to keep the heat in, cut back the rod to within 2 or S feet of the ground, and as soon as the buds swell remove them all except the two nearest the point. As these push, shortsn one and allow the other to gi-ow. By allowing your strong cane, with Hue buds near the point, to remain at nearly its present length, you might have some bunches nest season, but most likely these would tell on the Vine injuriously afterwards. Vines for Vinery and in Pots (Experimenter).— Yotit two small Golden Champion Vines we would plant now. provided you can keep the p-ound warm and rather dry afterwards; if not, defyr it until March. See advice to another correspondent. Prune back the Vine, so as to have the necessary height inside the house, and after cutting rub off the buds beneath the cut. except one or two to take the whole of the vigour of the Vine. The Vines in 12 -inch pots, which you wish to fruit next summer, should not be repotted now, but you can top-dross the soil in the pots, and may also widen the hole in the bottom, and set the pots in a border, or on another pot filled with good soil. Those you are to plant in a vinery may be cut down at the necessary height, and you can take what shoots from them you consider necessary. Boiler (Miss If.).— Have the saddlc-boilcr of cast iron, it is more durable than wrought iron. Culture of Ginger {J. X.).— Grow Ginger much as you would do ono of the Cannas. A shallow box, about 6 inches deep, we should approve of, placing the roots about 3 inches beneath the surface, and givint,' a rough sweettop-dressiug when the shoots were 6 inches in height. Plenty of heat and moisture are necessary when the plant is growing, and the water must be lessened as the leaves exhibit signs of decay. The roots make a very excellent preserve, and are best kept in a dry dormant state in the box, and much cooler, until fresh planted about February. We cannot say where you can find roots for planting ; most likely our prin- cipal nurserymen could supply you. A late friend of ours used to grow it largely for presei-ving, but we cannot recollect of one who does so now. We have tasted the preserved Ginger, and it seemed to us an almost un- approftched luxury, but wo do not know the details of placing in syrup, Ac. Glazing a Greenhouse with 3-iNcn Laps (Nel8on).~'We know no remedy except reglaziug. We do not thiuU, however, that you will have a greater chance of breakage if your laps are rather close. You object to puttying the laps, but ere long" the dust, (fee, will accumulate, and will thus makeaS-inch dark place at every lap. One-eighth of an inch is a general lap. Ere long we shall have sheet-glazing and no lap. Have we read your writing aright ? Even a 1-inch lap wo should consider quite out of the way. Various (J