iSyi.] 



CALENDAR. 



291 



often prevents "bolting." The roots 

 squeezed into hard round balls is an 

 evil to be avoided. This plant can 

 hardly be overwatered, especially if 

 pond water is used. Liquid manure is 

 not necessary till the plants are grow- 

 ing, and then it may be given freely. 

 All crops should be thinned in time, 

 and judiciously, as formerly advised. 

 "When planting is done, the roots 

 should be moderately fastened instead 

 of the collars of the plants, as is often 

 done by inexperienced hands. Sow 

 more Peas at regular intervals as de- 

 mand requires. It is better, for late 

 sowings, to use earlier kinds ; they 

 come in more quickly. Mulching and 

 watering may now be necessary, espe- 

 cially on poor shallow ground. Timely 

 staking should have attention, and top 

 in those which are growing vigorously 

 above the stakes. Longpod and Broad 

 Windsor Beans may still be sown if 

 required. French Beans and Scarlet 

 Runners may be sown on a sheltered 

 position. If early frosts should set in 

 during August, the crops are less liable 

 to injury; this is more applicable to 

 northern localities. Radishes and all 

 other salads should be sown every few 

 weeks, and well watered and shaded by 

 mats till they are above ground. Early 

 Horn Carrots and Onions for drawing 

 young may be sown as demand requii-es. 

 Endive may now be sown for a full crop. 

 Batavian and White Curled Mess are 

 very useful kinds. Use the pronged 

 hoe or fork freely among Potatoes. If 

 "earthing up" is practised, it should 



be done before the tops are likely to be 

 broken. Covering over any tubers 

 which are too near the surface is all the 

 "earthing up" we give. It will soon 

 be time to plant retarded Kidneys or 

 other kinds which are to give a supply 

 of young Potatoes from November to 

 February. They should be planted in 

 good ground which can be protected 

 from frost at the proper time. We 

 have found the middle of June a good 

 time for this system of Potato culture 

 in Scotland, and the middle of July in 

 the south of England. Some of the 

 finest Potatoes and the worst ever seen 

 are produced in this way. To have 

 them dry and mealy, glass lights, can- 

 vas over hoops, or some other means to 

 keep them dry late in the season, are 

 necessary; and when the tops are 

 down, dry litter will keep them right 

 till dug up as they are wanted. Covent 

 Garden growers generally allow them 

 to take their chance, and cover them 

 when cut down with frost, but their 

 produce is seldom first-rate. Plant, 

 train, and regulate Tomatoes, and ridge 

 Cucumbers as they grow; mulch and 

 water the roots with tepid water as 

 they require it ; expose them from j^ro- 

 tection gradually to air ; stop the 

 Cucumbers when strong enough, and 

 regularly above the fruit, and prevent 

 them from becoming matted. Weeds 

 and hard unbroken surfaces f-hould be 

 seen nowhere, and every crop, when 

 done with, cleared off, turning the 

 empty space to account at once. 



M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — Succession stock will now 

 have well taken with their shift, and 

 make rapid progress, and will re- 

 quire careful management to prevent 

 them from making a soft watery growth 

 on the one hand, and on tlie other from 

 a wiry weakly growth. The former of 

 these conditions is brought about by 

 too much water, and syringing to ex- 

 cess overhead, and too little air ; and 

 the opposite extreme produces the lat- 

 ter condition. Give just enough of 

 water to keep the soil regularly moist 

 without being bloppy ; and instead of 

 syringing the plants heavily overhead 

 and about their centres, rather damp the 

 surface of the plunging material, and 

 just dew the plants gently overhead 

 through a fine rose. They may now 

 be more freely aired, opening the ven- 



tilators and shutting them gradually, 

 as directed last month. The fires may 

 be allowed to go out, or nearly so, in 

 steady hot weather, but always kindle 

 or set them agoing in time to prevent 

 the thermometer from falling below 70° 

 at 10 P.M. AVhere bottom-heat is de- 

 pendent on leaves and tan, see that the 

 material does not shrink away from 

 the sides of the pots. This leaves the 

 pot very little better than if it were 

 standing on the surface of the bed; 

 and the tan should be pressed firmly, 

 and made up to the rims of the pots. 

 Plants intended to yield an autumn 

 supply of fruit should show fruit this 

 month, and if they have been grown in 

 light pits, and are stocky, and have 

 their pots well filled with roots, there 

 will be little difficulty in getting them 



