128 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



water if the ground is dry, as slow growth I 

 is ruin to it, and may cause half the crop ! 

 to bolt. Continue to plant out, using 

 abundance of rotten dung well worked into 

 the soil of the trenches. 



Cropping — Sow succession beans, mar- 

 row peas, lettuce, Portugal cabbage, cauli- 

 flowers, Walcheren brocoli, Stone turnip, 

 and turnip radishes. 



Leeks to be transplanted from the seed- 

 bed to very rich ground, and to be earthed 

 up as they grow, to blanch the neck of the 

 bulb. The frequent use of sewage water 

 •will swell them to a great size, and with 

 improved quality. 



Potatoes to be hoed between frequently, 

 so long as there is room to work between 

 the rows, after which it must be discon- 

 tinued, to avoid injury to the haulm. If 

 tempted to dig a portion of a crop for im- 

 mediate use, take every alternate row ; the 

 disturbance of the ground and the increased 

 growing space will augment the bulk of 

 the tubers in the rows left to grow to ma- 

 turity. 



Root Crops, such as parsnip and beet, 

 require now a final thinning; there is no 

 gain from crowded beds. Potatoes to be 

 frequently hoed between ; we have no 

 great faith in the practice of moulding up 

 the rows, but it is everywhere practised, 

 and is evidently not seriously detrimental 

 to the crop. If children can be employed 

 to pick off the blossoms, the weight of the 

 crop will be increased, but the difference 

 will scarcely pay for any other kind of 

 labour. 



Sow lettuce for succession, brond beans, 

 wrinkled marrow, Emperor, and Advancer 

 peas, radishes, scarlet runners, turnips, 

 Early York, East Ham, and Shilling's 

 Grotto cabbage, and a few rosette cole- 

 worts, "Walcheren brocoli. 



Winter Greens. — Plant, during sho- 

 wery weather, brocolis, Brussels sprouts, 

 collards, cauliflowers, endive, celery, cab- 

 bages, green kale, savoys, and whatever 

 else is needed to supply the table during 

 autumn and winter, the grand point beinir 

 to secure enough of each, and somewhat of 

 a reserve of plants to fill up vacancies, and 

 to plant odd plots. Sow Flanders spinach, 

 Dutch turnip, lettuce, horn carrot, radish. 

 Fruit Garden.— Apple trees are now 

 recovering from the devastation of c;:ter- 

 pillar,and needacareful inspection, pruning 

 knife in hand, to remove spurs and branches 

 that have perished through less of sap 

 when they were covered with vermin. Tie 

 in espaliers at once, before the shoots get. 

 set in a bent position j use the engine 

 smartly to wall trees and bushes; nail in 

 the wood to be kept on wall-trees, and re- 



move, but not too much at a time, all 

 superfluous wood. We mu<t again object 

 to the too common practice of laying in all 

 the wood that can be got, till the walls are 

 literally felted with young shoots ; one- 

 half of those can never ripen so as to be 

 of any use, and the keeping of an excessive 

 amount of spray defeats its object — the 

 general remark that " we don't know what 

 we may want" being founded in a misap- 

 prehension of the subject altogether. We 

 have seen walls lately covered with at least 

 three layers of shoots one over the other, 

 and we have no longer been in a mystery 

 that though the trees grew well, they pro- 

 duced but little fruit. Wall-trees trimmed 

 up now will have time to ripen their wood; 

 if neglected much longer, it will be too 

 late to do justice to them. 



Bush and Pyra%icl Fruit Trees are 

 generally in better health than standards, 

 because they get more attention ; and as 

 they are in a somewhat, artificial state 

 through close pinching and frequent lifting, 

 they require extra attention. Shorten in 

 at onoe all rambling and rank growths, 

 pinch in young shoots to the third leaf 

 from the base, tie in espaliers while the 

 wood is pliable, as if they harden out of 

 shape it will be difficult to train them here- 

 after. Keep down grub, fly, and American 

 blight. The simplest remedy for the last- 

 named pest is a touch of oil by means of a 

 soft brush on the places to which it adheres. 

 The oil will kill any leaves it falls on, but 

 will not huit the bark. 



Wall-trees to be nailed in, and the 

 shoots thinned as they grow, that there 

 may be no crowding of unnecessary wood. 

 Shoots that run away with undue vigour 

 to be cut clean out to the base, unless in 

 positions where much needed, in which 

 case shorten them back. 



Strawberries. — It is most important to 

 obtain early plants from runners, and every 

 means should be taken to root the strongest, 

 and to root them well. A picked lot of 

 the finest for early forcing should be pegged 

 down in small pots filled with firm turfy 

 compo«t. Runners just rooted, and in- 

 tended to be used for new plantations, to 

 be taken off immediately, and b • planted, 

 out in rich light soil, and have a slight 

 shading, to help them for a week or two. 



Orchard House.— If the lights can be 

 taken off, remove them altogether now, to 

 give the trees the benefit of full exposure 

 night and day. The fruit will then be im- 

 proved in flavour, and the young wood in 

 substance, as glass can do them no service 

 now. If the lights cannot be taken off, 

 remove the trees, and place them pretty 

 close together, but so that there is a good 



