280 THE FLORIST. 



NOTES ON THE MONTH. 

 Well, August has passed away from us, and a downright old- 

 fashioned summer month it has been ; for, with the exception of a few 

 partial thundei storms, we have had no rain since the middle of July, 

 and up to the 17th the weather was truly tropical, the thermometer 

 ranging by day between 80° and 90° in the shade. On the 17th and 

 18th the temperature was perceptibly lower, with rain on the former 

 day, accompanied with an east wind of considerable force. The extreme 

 high temperature of the last month has brought to maturity the grain 

 crops very rapidly. Wheat good everywhere. Barley and Oats the 

 same, except on very sandy or brashy soils, where they have ripened 

 too quickly, and Barley especially has suffered in quality. Agricultural 

 green crops wanted rain, and in many places Swedes are late or thin, 

 from the ravages of the fly. Potatoes seem good everywhere, excepting 

 on poor sands, where the hot weather in June appeared to set them, 

 and in many instances they have made but little progress since ; in 

 these cases the crops will be very small, which however will be more 

 than compensated for by the fine appearance of those on heavier soils. 

 In this neighbourhood, generally speaking, the disease has shown itself 

 only partially, and the bulk of the crops is still looking green and 

 healthy ; this augurs well, and we may still hope for a fair crop of this 

 useful root. The prize Potato this season will unquestionably be the 

 Fluke, which withstands the effects of drought better than any other, 

 and the crops will be great. 



Garden produce, like that of the farm, has suffered more especially 

 where a shallow soil or bad management had not provided a good 

 depth of open soil for the plants to root in. The past month will teach 

 many a gardener a useful lesson of the advantages of well trenched 

 ground for summer crops. Peas, Beans, Cauliflowers, Lettuce, have 

 hardly been kept moving, even with the assistance of the water-pot ; 

 and where they had not good, free, open soil they have suffered much, 

 and in many instances failed altogether. A word on watering. Soak 

 what you water well, not merely pouring a little water round the stem 

 of the plant, but soak the surrounding earth ; this may be only once 

 or twice a week, but it will do more effectual good than daily sprink- 

 lings, where only the surface is wetted, or just round the plant, which 

 the dry atmosphere and dry soil adjoining quickly absorb, and leave 

 your plants very little if any the better. We say again, water 

 thoroughly plants requiring it, and mulch if practicable, but to give 

 water to plants in driblets, such weather as we have had, is useless. 

 The season for transplanting evergreens is now upon us ; the wood this 

 season will ripen early, and therefore planting may commence as soon 

 as a favourable state of the weather occurs. A good plan with large 

 trees is to open a trench round them at a distance according to their 

 size, leaving the ball, but carefully taking up and preserving the roots 

 in throwing out the trench, and cutting clean the ends of those broken 

 by the operation. A little half decayed litter or leaves may then be 

 thrown over the roots, to preserve them from the air ; this will stop 



