528 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 27, 1S7-2 



as prominently as did the small specimen of it exhibited at 

 the late Show iu the Rotundo, by Mr. Bowen, of the Chief 

 Secretary's gardens, from the numerous other new plants com- 

 peting with it on that occasion. Anyone looking at the small 

 plant then exhibited, and at the immense trusses or heads of 

 rich reddish salmon-coloured flowers which it bore, could not 

 fail to see that it is a free-growing plant and a profuse bloomer, 

 qualities highly appreciated by every plant-grower. In fact, 

 it is just the subject the latter would Uke to take in hand to 

 fashion into a grand and tellmg specimen. What a picture of 

 beauty would a plant of I. Williamsii be if grown and flowered 

 in the style of the fine specimen of the Ixora cocciuea exhibited 

 at South Kensington on the 6th inst. by Mr. Baines, gardener 

 to H. MichoUs, Esq., Southgate. Mr. MichoUs's plant was 

 4 fett high, 3 feet through, and laden with aprofusiou of heads 

 of bloom, many of them 6 inches through. That it does not 

 take long in skilled hands to make such a specimen as this 

 may be gathered from Mr. Baiues's statement, that it was only 

 two years and nine months since his splendid plant was in- 

 serted as a cutting. 



Short as this time may appear in which to produce a speci- 

 men such as his, the time is far shorter iu which from the inser- 

 tion of the cutting one may have smaller, Imt not less hand- 

 some and equally profusely flowered specimens. In fact, plants 

 most useful for decorative purposes may be had like the small 

 plant exhibited at the Rotundo, little more than G inches high, 

 and can-ying trusses of bloom Hydrange.i-like in size, and 

 yet be little more than a few mouths out of the cutting pot. 

 Ixora WilUamsii is a hybrid variety sent out last year by Mr. 

 Williams, of the Paradise Nursery, HoUoway. It is decidedly 

 about the finest thing of its kind in cultivation, and we hope 

 ere long to see it brought out here as fine, if not finer, than 

 the sensational I. coccinea shown at South Kensington on 

 AVednesday week. We know one or two growers with whom 

 the Ixora is a speciality, and with whom we have seen plants 

 little, if at all, inferior to Mr. Baiues's. If they will take our 

 jnesent plant in hand and grow it as successfully as they do 

 I. coccinea, they will have something to be still more proud of, 

 and worthy of the highest admiration. Cuttings of this and 

 other Ixoras s'rik^ freely in bottom heat. When rooted, pot 

 tliem off and ke?p close and shaded for a few days, till they 

 lay hold of the soil. When they are established, pinch out 

 tlie top, witli a view of getting shoots from the base to form 

 the foundation of a handsome bushy specimen. These pri- 

 mary shoots when suificiently long, but while yet flexible, 

 should be drawn gently and pegged down at light angles to the 

 main stem, and these again be pinched in tlieir turn. Place 

 till- iilanls on a slielf in the stove where they will be well up to 

 the light. The after-treatment is simple enough, and consists 

 of attention to watering, syringing, thorough cleanliness, and 

 pinching the shoots, so as to give fulness and form to the 

 plaut. They wiU grow well in soil composed of two parts fibry 

 loam and one part silver sand and charcoal, and during the 

 growing season they will enjoy and benefit umeh from an 

 occasional dose of clear liquid manure. — (IiUIi Foniwrx' 

 Gazette.) 



WOBK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The few hours' rain we have had did invaluable service in 

 this department ; crops that but a few days ago were languish- 

 ing owing to want of moisture, are refreshed, and have an ap- 

 pearance which, as contrasted with that which they have 

 borne for some time, is quite delightful. Never was the ad- 

 vantage of deep cultivation more apparent than during the 

 late hot dry weather ; crops growing on ground that had been 

 well trenched and pulverised last winter and spring, have ad- 

 vanced with a rapidity and vigour quite foreign to those that 

 are in ground which has only had a single-spit digging. The 

 reasons for this are obvious. Iu the first place, the roots of the 

 plants penetrate to a greater depth iu the soil with ease; and 

 in the second, the quantity of air in the soil, coupled with the 

 pulverisation thereof, prevents rapid evaporation. Deep culture, 

 drainage, and proper application of manure, and a thorough 

 destruction of all weeds, are the grand secrets of cultivation, 

 whetlier for the farm or the garden, for wet weather or dry. 

 I take it for granted that all hands have been at work making 

 plantations of r.ruaseh Sijruuts, Bmhi Kale, Scntch Kale, 

 Savoys, and succession crops of CaiiUtlower and Cahhaqe, as 

 well as Lettuce, Eiidire, Leeka, and the principal crops of 

 winter Celery. Thin all crops such as Carrots and Par.iuip.'! ; 

 during the late dry weather it has not been practicable to 



do this in some soils. Nail Toiimlnex that are planted near the 

 walls, and stop their shoots where they are growing strong. 



FBUIT GARDEN. 



Attend to the previous directions in regard to thinning and 

 stopping the j'oung shoots of all trained fruit trees, and now 

 make the final thinning of Peach trees and Nectarines, of 

 course leaving the heaviest crop on the most vigorous trees 

 and strongest branches. As a general rule, no two fruits 

 should be left together. Plums of the large kinds, as well as 

 the finer sorts of Pears, should also be thinned if the crop is 

 too heavy. Young Peach and Apricot trees when making over- 

 vigorous leaders should have the points of the branches 

 shortened, to encourage them to make other shoots less vigor- 

 ous and of a fruitful character ; this ^vill obviate the neces- 

 sity of shortening-back at the winter pruning. Strawberries 

 will require attention. Layer runners intended for pot culture 

 early, as well as those required for making new plantations. 

 All spare runners may be cut away, and keep the plants free 

 from weeds. Thin and stop shoots of Figs as soon as they 

 have made a growth of about G inches, and remove all useless 

 growth from Vines. 



flowt:r garden. 



Attend to staking in due time. Peg down the early Verbenas 

 and Petunias in due course. Patches of Musk as edgings 

 should have the tops cut off, otherwise it grows wild. Reduce 

 occasionally some of the blossoms in the bud state on some 

 of the very free-flowering Perpetual Roses ; it will cause them 

 to keep longer in bloom. Let gross shoots on fancy Roses be 

 pinched when a few eyes long, after the manner of fruit trees. 

 Pipings of that favourite and sweet-scented flower the Pink 

 may now be struck, and the blooms ought to be shaded ; the 

 secondary ones do not usually flower so large as the first ; but 

 this is compensated for in a great measure by the correctness of 

 the lacing. The pointals, or horns, should now be fertiUsed. 

 With a very small pah- of tweezers extract the anthers contain- 

 ing the farina, which will bo found lower down amongst the 

 petals than the pointals, which arefeathtry-lookiug appendages 

 to the seed-vessels ; to these the fai'ina must be carefully 

 applied, choosing a warm sunny day for the operation. Con- 

 tinue to take-up Tulip bulbs, and dry them in an airy place ; 

 do not remove any offsets, it is best to allow them to remain 

 attached to the parent bulb till all are dry. The major part 

 of the blooms of Ranunculuses will now be past their best ; as 

 the grass withers they should be taken up, for no root is more 

 easily excited than this, and should they again emit fibres 

 then- loss is imminent. It will, therefore, Le advisable to keep 

 off all heavy rains. Disbud Carnations and Picotccs as they 

 become large enough, and Uquid manure may occasionally be 

 applied, choosing wet or damp weather when it is given to 

 them. Keep the pots free from weeds, and a slight top-dress- 

 ing of rich vegetable soil will be found highly beneficial. Care- 

 fully attend to Dahlias as they grow, and by no means neglect 

 tying-up the main shoots to the stake, as they are easily blown 

 over and the plant ruined for the season. Auriculas and Poly- 

 anthuses will require no further attention just now than 

 keeping them free both from weeds and aphides, watering as 

 they have occasion. 



geeenhodse and conservatobt. 



Many of the showy specimens of superior stove plants should 

 now be removed to these structures at this period, provided 

 they are coming into blossom. The large Clerodendrons, Ixoras, 

 Stephanotis, Pergularias, Gardenias, Plumbagos, Liliums, Jas- 

 minums, Erythrinas, &c., are of this class. These when highly 

 cuitivated begin at this season to press on their weaker neigh- 

 bours, and their beauty will, moreover, be longer preserved if 

 they are slightly retarded. A greater depth of colour also wUl 

 be produced under a moderate temperature. Seize every 

 opportunity of sprinkling every available surface three times 

 a-day in bright weather. This will supersede the necessity of 

 syringing. Look well to the training of climbers on trellises, 

 whether in pots or out, and frequently stop the tops of grow- 

 ing young stock. As has been previously observed, see that 

 sickly or badly-rooted specimens, if any, are kept free from 

 red spider ; also that young stock are not allowed to suffer 

 from want of pot room. During bright weather attend carefully 

 to watering, giving weak liquid manure to all plants in free 

 growth that are lUcely to be benefited by it. Such stove plants 

 as may have been removed to this house whUe in bloom should 

 be replaced in heat as soon as their beauty is over, in order to 

 permit their young wood to become ripened before short days 

 set in. The time is now arrived when many Heaths and New 

 Holland plants require more pot room. Putting should be 



