142 



llUSll GAUDENINC 



The Month's Work. 

 The Flower Garden. 



13v W. Ki.\(.. (iaid.'iu'i' tn 1,,.|-,| Diinl.ath. H.ilh- 



wallrr I'ark. i\>. Down. 

 Hi.lJDKi; ("AUNATIONS.— Tll(> sliods nl I ',. T. I.r 

 Caniatinns which wciv hiycri'd last, iii.nilh 

 sliouhl now 1)1' well ritulcd and icadx Ici- re- 

 moval from tlu' i.aivnt |.lan(s. Tl'irv iiia\ 

 cither he potted iij) or i)lantt'd in the |icrmaiiciil 

 positions lliey will oeeuiiy next season. 'IMn' 

 former method is to he recomnu-nded. cspciiallx 

 wliere the soil is «)f a wet, cold nature. I'ols i; I 

 to ;i inclies in diameter are the most snitalilc, 

 and tile «'ompost shoidd consist of i^ood loam. 

 with a little leaf-nioidd and sprinkling' of sand 

 or linely-sifted ..Ul m<.rtar riil)1)le. (\it iiic 

 newlv-rooted plants with a sharj) knife, and lift 

 them' with a handfork. taking' care uotfo damage 

 the r<.<d.s more than can he helped. Pot them 

 lather lirmiv in clean, well-drained pots. riace 

 the pots ck)se to^^ether in a cold frume on a 

 hottom of linely-sifted coal ashes. Give the 

 plants a <jooil walicrini;' fidiu a line rose c;in. 

 Keep the plants close for a time, ,iiid sprav 

 them li^'htly in favourahle weather. W'hei'i 

 they liave quite recovered from the sliift, air 

 must he admitted and the liglits eventually 

 ii-moved in good weather. The i)lants sliould 

 he exajuined occasionally, carefully removinsi- 

 any decayed foliage, and rake over the hase of 

 linely-sifted coal aslies to keep the frame sweet. 

 Wliere it is intended t (I plant them out this season 

 the ground sliould he dug well and a good 

 dressing of rotten niamire a|ii)iied. also a dressing 

 nf old mortar ruhhle well worked into tlie soil. 

 Choose good weather for the work, and malce 

 the soil lirm hefore planting. Put the plants 

 out in lines, distance ahout 14 to 10 inches, 

 allowing 18 inches between the rows. As a 

 preventative of slugs, place some coal ashes 

 round tlie ])lants, and dust with soot in sliowery 

 weather. 



General Wokk. — Collect seeds of all hardy 

 plants that are required as soon as they are ri])e, 

 remembering that even on the same ])lants the 

 seeds seldom rijjen at the same time. Seeds 

 collected before they are ripe are of little value. 

 It is better to gather them at intervals of two 

 or three days, choosing tine weather for the work. 

 The seeds should be cleaned, propei'ly labelled, 

 and stored in a cool, dry place. Violet i)lants 

 intimded for winter-flowering in cold frames 

 that have formed strong crowns shovdd be 

 lifted with good balls of earth attached to their 

 roots, and jjlanted. about a foot apart each way, 

 with the foliage as near the glass as po.ssibre. 

 Soil from old nielon and cucumber frames, mixed 

 with road grit or old mortar rubble, is very suit- 

 able for Violets. Damping gives the most 

 trouble amongst Violets in winter, so that the 

 advantage of growing them in pioroiis soil is 

 obvious. Water the iilants thoroughly, and 

 keep the frames close and shaded during the day 

 for the first week or so after planting. After- 

 wards admit ])lenty of air, and later remove the 

 lights altogether vmtil the weather sets in bad. 



Look well after the winter bedding plants, 

 such as Wallflowers, Silenes, Forget-me-Nots, 

 Polyanthus, Szc, by keeping them clean and not. 

 allowing them to get crowded. As the Climbing 

 Roses pass oat of flower, n^ost of the old growths 

 which have bloomed should be cut out. 



The Fruit Garden. 



\i\ Ai.i i,i:i. n\i:Ki;i:. ( J.u.ieiiei- I,. |.,i,K |.'ii/.- 



(ieiald, ('.ll'li-niail, Cn. ('I.llv. 



Ii is often r,.m;uked >>( • t.iinr.iil th,il it is 



■• .-i fe.ist or.i lamine." Well, 1 liis summer at any 

 rate \\c have li.id an experience of hi.th. hut, 

 nr,' i-n-s,,. as up to about the . nd of .hine tile 



I r .ipples were .dmost limp for want of rain, 



ri..\\ tl:e\ .lie ahlK.st lloiuled olT tlie trees with ;i 

 snperalMiiKJanee of lain and lack of sun. ;in,| their 

 onre r,is\ cheeks a ic assiimin!,'- (piite a iiiel.inciioly 

 line. Mere ue ler, , r, le, I r.ii.i on I'll days (hiring 



i inches, and. 



t.ila 



ifall ,,]■ 

 nnfmt iiiialeU . Aiii^iist l)i(ls f.iir for ;i vei'v near 



approa.h to tlie lecr,! ,.r .lill\. As I I.elieVe Ihjs 



most, or similar, undesiralile cndilimi has b<-en 

 verv -eneral, 1 am ;.fr.ii<l routine work has h.-cn 

 mmh impeded, ami all that is possible must^ h<- 

 don.' to work ..If arrears of all kinds. The 

 Slimmer pi-uning of fruit li'ces this season will no 

 doubt prove of special advantage in aiding to 

 more completelv rijien and ]ilump up fruit huds 

 and colour the "crops of fruit. All late-hanging 

 varieties, if not already i.ruiied, may still dej-ive 

 considerable advantage from having the main 

 branches and centres of trees cleared of young 

 growths, cutting them back to five or six leaves 

 from base of shoots, leaving the extending shoots 

 on trained and all other trees to complete their 

 anniuil growth and be shortened at the winter 

 ])runing ; this ai)plies similarly to pears, and 

 plums may also be advantageously thinned and 

 exuberant growth reduced. Where ])each trees 

 are cleared of fruits, the old fruiting branches 

 should be cut out comi)letely, so that the young 

 shoots for carrying next year's crop may derive 

 all ])ossible benefit from exjiosure to sun and 

 light ; continue to kee]) the young shoots projierly 

 trained or secured until growth is (piite finished. 

 In case red s])ider may have attacked the trees 

 they should be co])iou'sly syringed on every line 

 day until cleared of the sjjider ; a little soot- 

 water added is both beneficial to the foliage, and 

 aids in more quickly dislodging the spider ; very 

 bad attacks can be quickly cleared by a syringing 

 with " Spidacide." This is sold by most seedsmen 

 with proper instructions for use. 



Large trees of early varieties of a])j)les, pears 

 and plums, fi-om which the fruit has been gathered 

 may be looked over and have overciow ded or 

 misplaced branches and overgrown s|)urs sawed 

 out. During this month it is advisable to take 

 a note of svich operations as lifting, root pruning, 

 etc., to be carried out next month, or later on in 

 the season ; or make a tour of the grounds. Arc, 

 with a few hang-on labels, writing on the label 

 whether tree should be lifted, root jiruned, &c. ; 

 attach these to the tree, and they serve as a useful 

 guide when the time comes to perfoi'in the w^ork; 

 also note varieties, or trees which it is deemed 

 advisable to head back, and graft with more up- 

 to-date vaiielies ; any trees to be destroyed and 

 replace<l wit I: new trees should be dug out as soon 

 as cleared of fruit and the site got in readiness 

 for iilaiilini; new trees. The general storing of 

 fi'uit is now (piickly ai)])roaching, and fruit rooms 

 or various stoiage quarters should be thoroughly 

 cleaned out ; whitewash walls or ceilings where 

 they are of ])laster ; well wash over all shelves 

 and woodwork with hot soapy water with a little 

 washing soda thrown in (except painted wood- 

 work from the soda), and thoroughly ventilate 

 to remove all traces of mustiness or disorder ; a 

 most important matter also is to see that mice or 



