84 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Julj 31, 1873. 



Passing OTer an iron house, empty at tbe time of our visit, 

 ancl some ranges of pits, a cool Orchid house, and a bulb house, 

 the early forcing houses were the last to claim attention. In 

 two of these pot Vines are grown with great success, and in 

 one we noticed a lot of that brilhant decorative plant for 

 rooms — especially when seen by artificial light — Poinsettia 

 puloherrima. Of these large numbers are grown, but the 

 finest are the old plants cut back rather closely, which attain 

 a height of fi feet, producing bracts large in proportion. The 

 eoil which Mr. Lucas uses is peat, leaf mould, and loam, and 

 lie furnishes in addition occasional supphes of manure water. 



The kitchen garden is not on a scale commensurate with the 

 plant-growing department, for what are technically called 

 " rough vegetables " are not in great demand. It amounts to 

 about four acres, and including the forcing garden its ex- 

 tent must be considerably more. To Strawberries, Currants, 

 Gooseberries, and Raspberries, four extensive quarters are de- 

 voted; all the ordinary vegetables are also grown, and for the 

 -extent of ground they occupied were yielding well. Here, again, 

 ■we have more glass — a range of Peach houses, in three divisions, 

 130 feet long. Here the trees are fruited on spurs instead of 

 on the succession-shoot system, and very successfully. They 

 are remarkable for their size and vigour, and Koyal George 

 Peach and Elruge Nectarine were bearing liO fruit of high 

 quality on a tree. In the late house there was a splendid 

 crop of Koyal George and Grosse Miguoune Peaches, and 

 Violette Hative Mectarine. At the back of this range are an 

 Apple room and a Pear room, each .50 feet long, and a seed 

 room as well, all of which can be heated when desired, and in 

 front two long ranges of hot-water pits for Melons, Cucum- 

 bers, vegetable forcing, and Violet forcing, which last flower is 

 in great demand and extensively grown. The Pear trees on 

 the walls, horizontally trained, are in excellent condition ; one 

 tree of Gansel's Bergamot on a south-west wall, as well furnished 

 with branches at bottom as at top, covered a length of 45 feet. 

 Plums were a failure on east walls, but there was a capital 

 crop of Green Gages on the south aspect, and of other kinds 

 on the west aspects. 



Altogether Westoubirt is a remarkable place, and most worthy 

 of a visit by those who wish to see plant-growing weU and 

 extensively carried out, who wish to see substantially erected 

 and compactly-arranged structures adapted for all sorts of pur- 

 poses, and who wish to see a flower garden such as few mansions 

 can boast of, it having cost, we believe, something like £10,000. 

 To Mr. Lucas in a great measure belongs the credit of having 

 devised and carried out the erection of the world of glass 

 which is here found, and the arrangements connected there- 

 with ; and in him the visitor wEl find an able, wiUing, and 

 instructive guide. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The Potato Disease has broken out with great virulence in 

 some parts of Sussex. In the parish of Heathfield whole 

 patches were destroyed three weeks ago, and now it has be- 

 come more general. It cannot be said in this instance that 

 electricity and electric storms have contributed towards the 

 development of the disease, as there have been no severe thun- 

 derstorms in the district this season. 



Mr. D. Robebts, gardener, Aigburth Hall, Liverpobl, 



■writes — From a standard Peach tree, planted in the front 

 border of Peach house here, I gathered on the 15th inst. a 

 dish of eight Royal George Peaches of the following weights : 

 two weighed 9i ozs., two 9 ozs., and four 8J ozs., making the 

 total of 71 ozs., or very nearly the average of 9 ozs. each. I 

 considered them very fine for Royal George, and thought the 

 weight of them would interest those who advocate the orchard- 

 house cultivation of the Peach. 



On the subject of Disinfectants, which at this season 



is a matter requiring some attention, Dr. Domett Stone, 

 physician to the Westminster General Dispensary, writes : — 

 Most chemists give the preference to chlorine, which may be 

 evolved by mixing in a bottle two tablespoonfuls of common 

 salt, two teaspoonfols of red lead, and half a wineglassful of 

 strong oil of vitriol, in a quart of water. The bottle should be 

 kept cool, tightly stopped, and in a dark place ; a little of this 

 fluid exposed in a saucer, sprinkled on the floor, or soaked in 

 sheets of old linen and hung about the rooms, rapidly deo- 

 dorises and destroys effluvia. An article bearing the name of 

 " chlorozone," and professing to be a fluid of greater potency 

 both as a deodoriser and as a disinfectant than any other at 

 present in general use, has been brought before the pubUc. In 



writing on this agent in the " Half-yearly Abstract of the 

 Medical Sciences," vol. 52, I have stated that it is essentially 

 a permanganate so combined with chlorine, or chlorinated 

 alkali, that nascent oxygen and chlorine are simultaneously 

 available. The fluid is already in use in several hospitals, and 

 in no case has any fault been found with its effects. It is 

 claimed for this invention that it is the cheapest disinfectant 

 in the market. At a time when cholera is likely to make its 

 appearance in this country, it cannot, I think, be too forcibly 

 impressed that the neglect of preventing disease frequently 

 costs far more than the means themselves. 



We are requested to state that the " SociCte d'Horti- 



CULTURE DES ArRONDISSEMENTS DE MeLDN ET FoNT.AINEELEAU " 



will hold then- twenty-third General Horticultural Exhibition 

 on the liSth, 14th, and loth September, at Brie Comte-Eobert. 

 Eoses will be a special feature of the Exhibition, in order to 

 bring out their really perpetual or " remontant " habits. The 

 show, we beUeve, wiU be of an extensive character. 



WORK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



After the first shower of rain earth-up Brussels Sprouts, 

 Savoys, Broccoli, and whatever requires it. Keep the ground 

 free from weeds. Remove the crops that are done with, and 

 prepare it for winter crops. Any Broccolis that are now planted 

 out should have theirjroots dipped in soot, earth, and water, and 

 immediately after planting should be again watered. The Cape 

 and Grange's ;intended for use in the autumn should also be 

 watered. The principal sowing of Cahbagefov spring use should 

 now be made, it not already done. A few of the Horn Carrot may 

 be sown to stand the winter, but another sowing should also be 

 made towards the end of August. Abundance of water should 

 be given to the Celery newly planted, also to the earliest crop, 

 which, if wanted early, should be earthed-up. Continue to plant 

 out, observing to take up the plants with as much soil about 

 their roots as possible. Make a sowing of Cos and Cabbage 

 Lettuce for late use. A few Onions may now be sown to draw 

 young for winter use, or to stand the winter for transplanting 

 in the spring. As ground becomes vacant another sowing of 

 Turnips may be made ; if the weather continue dry, water the 

 ground after the seed is sown, and cover with mats. 

 fruit g.arden. 



As soon as the fruit begins to change colour keep a sharp 

 look-out for snails and woodlice. To keep the first in check 

 where they are numerous, syringe repeatedly with clear lime 

 water, not doiug it too late, otherwise a thiu pelUcle of chalk 

 would be formed, and spoil the look of the fruit. Lettuce 

 leaves, &c., may be strewed about the walls after being greased 

 on one side, and examined every morning. The syringing will. 

 also discompose the woodlice, as they do not like wet, and cut 

 stalks of beans may be inserted between the branches of the 

 trees as traps ; but the great remedy is to keep the walls in 

 good order, so as to give no place for concealment. The very 

 hot days are just the deUght of the red spider, and if he once 

 establishes his colonies on the under side of the leaves of Peach 

 trees, he will rest secure for a time amid aU the batterings from 

 your garden engine. Put plenty of sulphur in the engine, pre- 

 viously made into a paste, so that it may mix equally with the 

 water ; or, what is better, daub the open spaces of your wall 

 with it, and then the more intense the heat the stronger the 

 fumes of the sulphur will be. Vines, Peaches, and other fruit 

 trees on walls should be divested of their lateral shoots, and 

 those that are left for bearing nest year should be neatly 

 nailed-in. 



flower gabden. 



Decayed blooms should be removed from Roses, for if allowed 

 to hang they have an unsightly appearance, and tend to en- 

 courage mildew. Eoses, if in masses or beds, should be bo 

 arranged that their colours may be as much contrasted as 

 possible. Where this has not been hitherto attended to, the 

 present arrangement should be carefully examined while the 

 plants are iu flower, and any alterations noted that may be con- 

 sidered necessary to render the effect more satisfactory next 

 season. This will greatly facilitate the task of making alter- 

 ations at the proper season. Proceed with the propagation of 

 favourite sorts, either by means of budding or cuttings. Many 

 prefer having Hybrid Perpetuals, Teas, Cliinas, and Bourbons 

 on their own roots. Short-jointed cuttings taken off now, 

 therefore, will root freely if properly made and attended to 

 uu'ler a hand-glass, provided the situation is somewhat warm 

 and shaded. The readiest way of propagating them, however, 

 ia by means of cuttings taken off plants grown under glass 

 for flowering in spring. In some neighbourhoods black fly 

 ia becoming troublesome on Dahhas and Asters. Where 

 such is the case tobacco water and soapsuds may be used 

 with advantage. The strength of the mixture should be 

 tested by dipping some of the shoots worst affected into it, and 



