484 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ Jane 13, 1872. 



" When better known it will be much more widely grnwn, 

 auJ a more really charming plant for flowering in May and 

 Jmie we do not possess. ^Vhen once seen in bloom its cul- 

 tivation in every garden will be certain." 



WOEK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The present weather is favourable for all kitchen garden 

 operations, particularly planting, which should be proceeded 

 with dh-ectly. A last sowing should now be made of the Wal- 

 chercu Broccoli, and the late Caulitfnn-cr : this crop will con- 

 tinue the sirpply up to Christmas. Plant out a good bre.adth 

 of Brussels Sprouts and the early BroccoUs. If the plants 

 have been kept thin, the early sowing will now be stocky 

 Plant with a trowel in a shallow trench or deep di-ill ; there is a 

 little more trouble in this than the more common way of 

 planting with the dibble and setting-stick, but the trouble is 

 repaid by the more rapid growth of the crop. Carrots, Onions, 

 Parsley, and most other summer crops should now have then' 

 final thmning. Sow a good fced of Endive for a fair supply. 

 Sow Peas, the Wrinkled Marrow and Early Frame may be 

 employed. Lettuce and other salad plants should, as pre- 

 viously directed, be sown at short intervals on a spot where 

 they are to remain ; the time between each sowing may, how- 

 ever, be decreased for the next two or three times, as during 

 the hot weather of July and August these crops, particularly 

 on dry soil, continue but a short time in perfection. The south 

 border, where the early Peas have grown, may have a light 

 dressing with manure, and should be well broken with the 

 spade while being dug preparatory to receive the late crop of 

 Dwarf Kidneij Beans, for which di'aw di-Uls 2 feet apart, and 

 before planting water the drUls by passing the spout of the 

 waterpot along them. Attend to recently-transplanted crops, as 

 Cucumbers on ridges. Celery, Tomatoes, Herbs, Strawberries 

 that have been tm-ned out of pots, and Vegetable MaiTOws, 

 and give them Uberal supplies of water alternately with liijuid 

 manure. 



FKCIT G.IEDEN. 



Lay-iu the shoots of Apricots and other wall trees while the 

 wood is pUable. There is a fine development of wood on 

 espalier trees ; advantage may be taken of the ch'cumstauce 

 to lay-in an extra quantity with a view to the ultimate re- 

 moval of old imsightly wood. Continue to destroy and stop 

 superfluous shoots on the trained Pear trees ; many shoots 

 may be twisted or broken short about half way up. Look 

 over Peach trees frequently. Pinch the points out of the 

 young shoots of Fig trees when they have made five or six 

 joints ; by this means yon will secure stronger and more 

 fruitful wood for the next crop than if allowed to grow. Stop 

 and tie-in Vines. Thin Easpberi7 suckers. Give good wash- 

 ings with the engine whenever insects appear. 



FLO^"EK G.UIDEN. 



A Uttle pains taken with walks at this season will be amply 

 repaid by the au- of comfort and pleasure which well-kept 

 walks give to any place. The edgings, whether of grass. Box, 

 or other evergreen, should be repaired or chpped. This may 

 appear to some to be an unseasonable time for such work, but 

 where it can be done the effect produced amply compensates 

 for^ the trouble, and in flower gardens effect is everything. 

 This is the best time of all to cUp evergreen hedges or edgings, 

 as they have time to make and mature then- new growth, 

 whilst the season is far enough advanced to prevent then- 

 gi-owing very materially out of shape. Watch the different 

 annuals as they come into flower, and mai-k those varieties 

 whose superior habit of growth, size of flower, or brilliancy of 

 colom-, makes it desk-able to procm-e seed, and destroy inferior 

 ones as soon as they expand thou- first flower. Ranunculuses, 

 though rather late this season, will in many instances be in 

 bloom, according to the locahty. The awning should be put 

 over them, and shon! 1 the weather set in very hot, the paths 

 may be watered. We need not impress on the amateur the 

 necessity of keeping the beds free from weeds and destroying 

 the insects which may harbom- about them. Tulij)s in the 

 offset and exposed beds wiU requh-c taldug up at an carUer 

 period than those which have been covered. As soon as the 

 foliage begins to change they should be taken up, choosing a 

 di-y day for the operation. They should be stowed aw-ay in 

 some di-y, au-y place where mice cannot have access to them, 

 allowing the fibres and husk or skin to remain tUl the Indb is 

 thoroughly di-j-. Auricula and Polyanthus seed must be at- 

 tended to ; as soon as the capsules turn the least brown thev 



should be gathered. Take care that the pods of Pinks do not 

 burst ; those which have had Ugatures round them will require 

 easing and retying. The longest grass may be piped, the 

 plants will then put out an abundant stock of late cuttings. 



GEEENHOUSE AND CONSEKVATOBY. 



Look to the plants out of doors in showery weather, to see 

 that none of the stock is suffering from impei-fect drainage, 

 and throw screens over delicate plants durmg heavy rains, 

 especially plants which have been recently potted. The sur- 

 plus stock should be looked over, and a due proportion se- 

 lected for potting, a reserve always being kept to make up de- 

 ficiencies in the beds. A cold pit is best adapted for nmsing 

 those plants intended for the embellishment of the conser- 

 vatoi-y. Cut down Pelargoniums after blooming, and employ 

 the branches for cuttings. The old stools, alter a few weeks' 

 rest, may be turned out of their pots, the soil shaken from them, 

 and placed in a pot of reduced dimensions. By pinching off 

 the blossom-buds of the young Pelargoniums, a late bloom 

 may be secured. The Perpetual and Bourbon Roses which 

 have been forced, shoiUd he placed in a cool situation with the 

 view of repressing further activity. After a season of rest the 

 soil should be shaken from them, and all decayed roots removed, 

 after which they should be repotted in fresh rich earth, re- 

 moved to the protection of a cold pit, and there plunged. 

 A few plants of the dwarf Orange should be placed in a shady 

 situation as soon as the young wood is sufficiently ripened ; 

 an early winter bloom may thus be obtained. Balsams and 

 tender annuals for succession should at once be shifted. Re- 

 move to houses with a north aspect, or under the shade of a 

 north wall, any plants whose period of blooming it may be de- 

 sirable to prolong. Place in then- blooming pots the principal 

 stock of Chi-j'santhcmums, using for potting a rather heavy 

 loam with a portion of weU-deoayed cowdung. Seedling 

 Chinese Primroses, Cinerarias, and other plants requii-ed to 

 fui-nish the winter supply of bloom should now be forwarded 

 by shifting into (iO-sized pots. Keep them in a cold frame 

 where a slight shade can be given them in hot weather, or, 

 what is better, turn the frame to the north. The Heaths and 

 New Holland plants that are now standing in houses, and are 

 making then- growth, should be duly encoui-aged by frequent 

 syi-ingings, waterings, and liberal airings. The growth of 

 Borouias should be duly encoiu-aged ; well-shaped plants 

 should be selected in due time, liberal shifts given, and a 

 situation selected under protection of some kind, such as 

 frames or pits facing the north, otherwise they should be 

 shaded in the warmest part of the day. The luxuriant shoots 

 must be kept pinched back in proper time in order to cause 

 density and stui-diness of growth. Never, by any means, should 

 , any of this family be placed in a cold di-aught, or they will 

 ( certainly wear- a rusty brown or spotted unhealthy appearance. 

 Clean, healthy pots should be always chosen, and they must 

 be particularly well di-ained ; a good portion of charcoal should 

 be used with the di-aiuage, then cover it with rough chai'coal. 

 The son should be a good fibrous heath soU, as gritty as it can 

 possibly be, selected in its natural state from a well-di-ained 

 situation, in suitable weather, and well harvested, and con- 

 tinued in a healthy condition until requii-ed ior use ; it should 

 then be broken up roughly, getting rid of any loose or close 

 adhesive soil, adding a Uberal portion of clean, sharp, gritty 

 sand, grit, and broken rubbly stones or flints. When the plants 

 are making growth, and the pots are full of roots, if it is not 

 intended to repot or shift them, appUcations of weU-prepai-ed 

 clear manure water wUl improve then- health and vigour, but 

 at no other times should liquid manure be applied to this 

 family of plants. 



STOVE. 



As light has now reached the maximum point, and solar 

 heat neai-ly so, fires may be dispensed with in the Orchid 

 houses and stoves, except, perhaps, on the evenings of wet days, 

 when a little fire heat will be neoessai-y to allow for admitting 

 air early in the moniing. As plants at this season ai'e making 

 way fast, the above conditions must be taken advantage of to 

 supply air in Uberal quantities, which, in conjunction with 

 light, will help to ai-rest the rapid gi-owth of those plants 

 whose disposition to bloom depends mainly on a pretty free 

 exposm-e of both at the same time. There are but few plants 

 that win not be benefited by inducing a stm-dy habit, and con- 

 sequently estabUshing the beginning of well-ripened wood. 

 Propagate Luculia gi-atissima by cuttings. Gesnera zebrina 

 may stUl be potted for late blooming. The Cacti may be re- 

 moved from the stove, shifted, placed in a close pit, and sup- 

 plied Uberally with moistui-e. Balsams and tender annuals 



