M»y 23, 1873. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



429 



that require it as the plautmg proceeds, otherwise the bois- 

 terous winds will break off many things. Plant out in rich 

 soil a good supply of Stocks and Asters for the autumn, and 

 sow a succession of annuals for making up any Tacaneies which 

 may occur, and likewise another sowing of Mignonette in pots 

 for the rooms or for filling window boxes. I fear that the 

 generahty of Tulip exhibitions this season will be unsatis- 

 factory, inasmuch as the weather hitherto has been so un- 

 favorable for their development. Auriculas should now be 

 placed on a north border ; the seed will ripen there vei"y well 

 if the pots are well drained and set on a layer of ashes to pi'e- 

 vent the ingress of worms ; they will not be injured by the 

 exposure. Polyanthuses require more shading than the Au- 

 ricula ; they are liable to the attacks of the red spider. Car- 

 nations and Picotees are growing fast, so are weeds, which 

 must be taken from the pots as they appear. Cut over the 

 plants which are spindling without showing increase. Do not 

 delay in putting in the sticks to which they are to be attached. 

 Dahlias should be planted out, and a stout stake put in; to 

 this they must be carefully tied as they elongate. Pansies 

 may be shaded, and not too many pods of seed allowed to 

 I'ipen. 



GKEENHOnSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The occupants of the conservatory should participate iu the 

 advantages offered by the favourable change in the weather. 

 Every available means of securing ventilation should be put iu 

 requisition. Soften the air by occasional sprinlding of water 

 on the paths ; liberal supplies of water must be given to the 

 plants generally. Eai'ly Azaleas exhibiting a tendency to in- 

 equaliti'es of growth may be stopped. If it be requisite to in- 

 crease the stock of Cape Heaths, Banksias, &c., probably suit- 

 able cuttings will now be found. Manure water may be given 

 to Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, and plants of succulent habit. 

 Look well after young stock at this period, especially that for 

 the winter's work. The early-sown Chinese Primroses and 

 Cinerarias should receive high cultivation ; these will bloom iu 

 October and November. Another sowing may be made shortly 

 for spring decoration. Continue successions of Achimenes, 

 &c., from rest stock, also Gesnera zebriua. The Chrysanthe- 

 m)im cuttings may be put out immediately. These will do 

 without bottom heat if carefully managed. Choose the shortest- 

 jointed wood. I have known them answer well propagated by 

 suckers ; the plan is to draw the suckers when about 4 inches 

 long and insert them in a 5-inch pot without stopping them. 

 They are then introduced to a mild bottom heat until the pots 

 are nearly filled with roots, taken to a cooler situation, and 

 stopped, using weak Uquid manure. When they become nice 

 bushy plants they receive a final shift at once into the bloom- 

 ing pots. As the time during which plants ai-e in bloom is 

 the only interesting period of their growth to the majority of 

 their admirers, it is always desirable to prolong the time to 

 which this period extends, and to allow them to be examined 

 without subjecting visitors either to an overheated or over- 

 moist atmosphere. For this purpose, where there is no con- 

 servator}', a suitable house should be appropriated for the 

 more showy specimens when in flower ; then the necessary 

 shading to preserve them in perfection for as long a time as 

 possible can be given without interfering with anything else. 

 The plan is now adopted in most nurseries from the many ad- 

 vantages it presents. By adopting a similar plan the smallest 

 gardens may possess theu* " show house" for displaying then- 

 stock of plants in flower. The common Mandarin and Ota- 

 heitean Oranges are recommended as valuable plants for 

 forcing into bloom in the winter months ; for the above pur- 

 pose keep them rather under-potted, and pinch the young 

 wood back so to form bushy, compact specimens. 



STOVE AND ORCHIDS. 



As in former calendars. Increase the amoxtnt of shading iu 

 very bright weather, and look well to watering, Ac. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The rain has interfered much with work proposed, but it 

 has enabled us to attend to many things under protection ; 

 and in ground at all heavy, what would be the use of farmer 

 or gardener turning out either horse or man to forward opera- 

 tions ? It would in many cases be truer economy, if nothing 

 in-doors could be done, to give to all labour a general rest. 

 Our wet days are generally our busiest days, only the difference 

 is that the work is performed under glass or other roofs in- 

 stead of being done in the open air. 



In th3 course of years we have had more than conclusive 

 evidenC3 that, even on the narrow principle of selfishness, the 

 caring for men, so that in wet and tempestuous weather they 

 shall work under protection, will be the best paying in the end. 

 There is something wrong when men are exposed in drenching 

 weather, and are turned in to do necessary work in houses and 

 sheds when the sun shines brightly. 



Besides keeping-up successions, we have done little in the 

 kitchen garden. Successioual soicinri.-<, as the ground was so 

 wet, had the seeds covered with a light spriukhng of riddlings 

 from under the potting-benches. By such means we can sow 

 Peas, Spinach, Turnips, Lettuces, &a., at auy time. AU that 

 is required is a shallow mark for a drill, and a covering of 

 such light, dryish material, and through it the seedlings gene- 

 rally come up healthy and robust, and more especially if some 

 of the charcoal dust from charred rubbish forms part of the 

 covering. Without entering into the theory of the thing, we 

 are so satisfied of the value of charcoal-dust ch'essing, that 

 had we time and opportunity we would char much of the 

 rubbish we must now be content to rot and decompose. 



Onions. — We mentioned hoeing among the spring-sown 

 Onions last week, that is all they wanted beyond thinning for 

 salads. Where such hot things not larger than stocking- 

 needles are prized for salads. Cucumbers, &a., the seed should 

 be sown every mouth from April to September. To save 

 seedlings we often in winter jilace Onions in heat to make 

 them scallions, and stripped small they become very tender, 

 and will not be judged otherwise than as sweet j'oung Onions. 

 To keep-up a nice succession of large bulbs for use, we must 

 resort to autumn-sowing in August and September. Here we 

 have a word to say for the benefit of the inexperienced. Such 

 sowings in autumn, though turned out well, even when thinned 

 and let alone, will hardly bear comparison with those that 

 have been transplanted. If left where sown, the bulbs are 

 very apt to become thick-necked, the neck taking up much of 

 the strength that ought to go to the symmetrical bulb. One 

 remedy against this evil is to go along the rows early iu spring 

 and remove the earth from the plants as far as can be done 

 without injuring the roots. This does much in the way of 

 securing clcan-swelliug bulbs, instead of thick-necked ones, 

 good enough for some purposes, but which neither cooks nor 

 gardeners care to see too much of generally. 



One great preventive against these huge thick necks is 

 transplanting. For the benefit of those who like large fresh 

 Onions, and who have but little room to spare, we may state 

 that at one time we were satisfied with transplanting a.utumu- 

 sown Onions in spring ; but though these do well they do not 

 furnish the requisite supply in succession. Now we find that 

 if we sow in the middle of August and September, that it is 

 very desu-able to transplant a few rows of each of these in the 

 autumn, and again early in spring, and thus from these 

 sowings and transplantings we obtain three successions before 

 the general spring-sown crop comes in. Now, such iniuutias 

 are of little importance to the possessors of large gardens, but 

 we think them valuable to those who want to get the most out 

 of a small piece of ground. These successioual plantings speak 

 for themselves. An old labom-er who planted ours told us the 

 other day that it would be better to do all the transplanting 

 in the autumn, the plants looked so strong and well. On the 

 principle of successions we think it advisable to transplant a 

 portion in spring as well, as the huge bulbs from autumn 

 transplanting do not in general keep long. With all the care 

 alluded to above, of moving the earth from autumu-sown 

 Onions, it is not often that they will bulb so well and uni- 

 formly as those transplanted. 



In transplanting Onions let the ground be properly prepared, 

 and made rather solid on the surface, then draw out the lines 

 for the rows of Onions. We find a distance of 5 inches iu 

 rows a foot apart a good fair distance, as thus the bulbs may be 

 fully 4 inches in diameter. Take up the Onion plants care- 

 fully with all the roots, and plant these also carefully with a 

 dibber or trowel firmly, but do not cover the base of the 

 Onion — in other words, plant merely the roots without a bit 

 of the stem, and then there will be free bulbing and not the 

 growth of useless long necks. If the wcrk is not done by 

 yourself, you must see that the workman does not bury at aU 

 the neck of the Onion. Nothing should go into the ground 

 except the roots. Attend to this, and we drro not state the 

 diameter and circumference of the fine bulbs one may have 

 early in the summer. As respects the Onions sown in August, 

 transplanted or otherwise, if ever they show a seed-stalk cut it 

 off at once, and that will tend to increase the size of the bulb. 



