THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



157 



heavy rains is the best time, and the opera- 

 tion should be performed at dawn or after 

 sunset ; but early morning is the best, as 

 the sap then flows freely. The stocks 

 should be vigorous, and if the weather con- 

 tinue dry, and if the sap flows slowly, a 

 drenching of liquid manure or plain water, 

 for two or three nights in succession, will 

 prepare them, without waiting for rain. 

 Cuttings of all kinds may now be struck 

 out of doors ; antirrhinums, phloxes, pent- 

 stemons, alyssums, dielytras, etc., and cut- 

 tings of laurels, aucubas, and other shrubs, 

 must be struck in the shade ; but gera- 

 nium cuttings should be struck in the full 

 sun, and the sooner they are got in the 

 better plants will they make to stand the 

 winter. Where long ripe br.anches of ge- 

 raniums can be spared, they are better 

 than soft shoots ; and, if pinched for time, 

 strike a lot of such ripe branches in five- 

 inch pots, half-a-dozen in a pot, put all 

 round, and they need not be potted sepa- 

 rately till spring, when started for bed- 

 ding out. Dahlias want special attention 

 now as they come into bloom ; earwigs are 

 very destructive to them, and must be 

 trapped with bean-stalks, or a handful of 

 hay may be stufl^ed into an empty flower- 

 pot and put on a stake, and the vermin 

 shaken out into salt and water every 

 morning. Another lot of chrysanthemums 

 should be struck this month, under hand- 

 glasses, to make dwarf plants for the win- 

 dow and greenhouse in autumn. The 

 pompones are the best for this purpose and 

 they may be stopped till the middle of 

 August, to keep them dwarf and bushy. 

 Train out dahlias neatly, but do not cut 

 them severely, for the loss of foliage only 

 weakens the plant. Put in cuttings of 

 sjarlet geraniums in the full sun, either in 

 a sandy border, or in pots half filled with 

 crock's, to be potted singly, as soon as 

 rooted. Get strong plants of chrysanthe- 

 mums into their places in the borders, so 

 that the heavj^ rains this month may 

 establish them. Laj^er piuks, carnations, 

 and picotees, and put pipings of the same 

 into a gentle bottom-heat. Another lot of 

 annuals may be sown early in the month, 

 to keep up the gaiety of the borders. Bud 

 roses during cool moist weather. 



Greenhou.se. — Shift all greenhouse 

 plants required for late blooming, and 

 grow them on to a good size before allow- 

 ing them to blossom. Cinerarias for win- 

 ter blooming must have good culture and 

 shifts as required, and camellias may be 

 shifted if necessary, but, if well potted in 

 the first instance, they will flourish in the 

 same pots for three seasons in succession, 

 and to overpot them is to do them injury, 



from which they may never recover. 

 Ericas generally require to be pruned and 

 cleared of seed-pods and dead flowers. Put 

 out all the ventricosas in the open air in a 

 north aspect, and shelter with spare lights 

 during heavy rain. All those with woolly 

 leaves to be put in cold pits, and kept 

 shaded at mid-day. Any not shifted in the 

 spring cut in at once, and as soon as they 

 break repot them. Repot Leschenaultias. 

 Every kind of hard-wooded plants may be 

 repotted now if out of bloom. 



Stove. — Achimenes and clerodendrons 

 require weak liquid manure to keep them 

 in full vigour and beauty ; shade at mid- 

 day, and keep up a moist heat. Globe 

 amaranths must have a moist heat of 75% 

 and be near the glass. If not all potted, 

 pot at once in 43 and 32 size, with fuchsia 

 compost. Ixoras done blooming to be cut in 

 close, and placed on a bark-bed to break 

 afresh. See that the plants for winter 

 blooming are doing well, and pay especial 

 attention to Euphorbia jacquiniflora, and 

 Poinsettia pulcherrima. Give air at every 

 favourable opportunity, plants newly potted, 

 to have very moderate supplies of water 

 at the root, but to be aided with a moist, 

 warm atmosphere. 



Pinery. — As pines colour, they should 

 be kept moderately dry. Plants shy of fruit- 

 ing should be kept dry for awhile, to cause 

 a check, and then be liberally soaked, and 

 kept warm and moist, and the new growth 

 will result in the production of fruit. But 

 to check them before they are well ma' 

 tured may cause premature fniiting, and 

 should not be done until the plants have 

 had a long course of liberal culture. 

 Young stock mtist be encouraged to grow 

 strong, by allowing plenty of room in which 

 to expand their leaves ; give plenty of 

 water, and repot as necessary. 



Vinery. — In vineries great attention 

 must be paid to keeping the foliage healthy 

 to the last, as on this depends the matura- 

 tion of the buds that are to fruit next sea- 

 son. Keep up a moist atmosphere, and 

 watch vigilantly against red spider. Vines 

 heavily laden with fruit must have the 

 assistance of strong manure water. Be 

 careful not to cut away laterals too freely, 

 as they are most useful in helping the 

 maturation of the bunches ; be careful 

 to keep the bunches shaded with a few 

 leaves, by tying the laterals over where 

 necessary. 



Bush Fruits. — Kee]) gooseberry and 

 currant bushes open in the centre, and 

 leave on the bush fruits only as much 

 wood as will bear a fine crop next season. 

 Cuttings of gooseberries and currants may 

 be struck now in a moist, shady border, and 



