August 7, 1873. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



105 



late in the spring, jnst before the young Cabbages come in. 

 Make a smaU sowing of East Ham Cahhages for early spring use, 

 and see that a piece of ground is in readiness for the main crop, 

 which must be got in early next week. Continue to transplant 

 Endive as circumstances require ; another sowing may also be 

 made. Keep a succession of Lettuces sown and planted ; they 

 will now require a good supply of water to make them eat crisp 

 and fresh. A good space may now be sown with Flanders 

 Spinach for autumn and winter use. This is by far the best 

 sort for winter use, although not in general cultivation.. The 

 seed is nearly round and smooth, very like the common Round 

 Spinach. 



FRUIT GABDES. 



Prepare the borders inteuded for new plantations of Straw- 

 berries by vei'y deep trenching, and afterwards lay on a dressing 

 of half-decomposed manure and fork it in. Old worn-out beds 

 had better be trenched-up and the crop changed. Keep the 

 runners well removed from the permanent beds. Applications 

 of liiiuid manure and soot will be beneficial at this season. It 

 seem.s very difficult to keep down the ravages of aphides on fruit 

 trees this season, and stringent remedies will still be necessary 

 or the hopes of another season will be frustrated. Thin-out the 

 shoots of Figs, and keep them well nailed-in. Out-door Grapes 

 are late, and will require every attention in stopping and train- 

 ing the shoots as often as possible, to give them all the benefit 

 of the action of smi and air. 



FLOWEK G.UiDES. 



Proceed with the budding of Roses where the bark rises freely, 

 but if it is dry defer the operation until we get more rain. I 

 have lately been over my best Roses, and instead of cutting-out 

 the dead llower-buds, have thinned-out all the weak shoots, only 

 leaving such as will be required at the winter's pruning ; the 

 buds on those left will be much stronger in consequence, and 

 I calculate on a fine bloom next season. The half-ripened 

 wood of China, Tea, Bourbon, and Noisette Roses strikes freely 

 at the present time and until the end of September if placed on 

 a gentle bottom heat. Evergreens in the shrubbery which re- 

 quire pruning should now be attended to without delay. Pro- 

 ceed with the clipping of Box edgings ; by attending to this at 

 the present time neatness will be secured, and the edgings will 

 maintain their uniformity for a greater number of years. Ever- 

 green hedges which divide this department and encircle its out- 

 skirts should undergo the same operation. Advantage should 

 be taken of moist weather to prick out the principal sowing of 

 biennials into nursery beds ; allow plenty of room between plant 

 and plant if it is intended to let them remain in the beds till 

 spring. Propagate Antirrhinums, Pentstemons, Phloxes, and 

 other sho^^'y herbaceous plants by cuttings ; they take root readily 

 covered with hand-glasses under the shade of a north wall. 

 Tulips may now be divested of their superfluous skins, and tho- 

 roughly cleaned whenever the florist can spare time. Dahlias 

 should be constantly watched and regularly tied as they advance, 

 as tlia side shoots are extremely liable to be wrenched off by the 

 wind. Pansy seed may still be sown, and the beds made of 

 rooted cuttings. When the weather is showery plant out Pink 

 pipings. 



OBEENHOCSE AND CONSEKVATOEY. 



This is trying weather for hardwooded pot plants, and those 

 who do not pay strict attention to them now will probably not 

 find it worth their while a few weeks hence. Above all things, 

 see that they are not suffering from want of water, especially on 

 that side of the pot which the sun's rays impinge upon, and 

 keep a sharp look-out for insects. The red spider will soon play 

 havoc among your Chorozemas if not closely watched, as will 

 also the mildew on such plants as C. Henchmanni and angusti- 

 folium. To guard against both these pests and many others, it 

 is a good plan to lay the plants on their, sides, and, after giving 

 them a thorough good washing with a syringe and clean water, 

 to dust the under sides of the leaves with sulphur. This after re- 

 maining on a week or ten days may be washed-off again, and 

 will generally clean the plants for the season. A good washing 

 will also be beneficial to most pot plants at the present time. I do 

 not mean a mere sprinkUng, but a thorough washing by using 

 several gallons of water to each plant, and washing each sepa- 

 rately. i)n hot dry days give the plants in the evening a sprink- 

 ling, and also the ground on which they are standing. Pimelea 

 spectabilis and other kinds which have done blooming must 

 have the branches liberally shortened-in and be set in a cool 

 shady place to break, as must also the different kinds of Poly- 



folaA. Aotus gracillima must be cut down close to the pot, and 

 rescbenaultias which are getting shabby must have all the 

 flowers and tlower-buds removed, and be placed in a cool place 

 to start again. Take care they are clear of insects, and sprinkle 

 them once or twice a-day in warm weather. Lose no time in 

 bringing the potting of specimens to a close, and be careful with 

 the plants afterwards until they begin to show signs of growth. 

 The young plants in pits must be exposed to the dews every 

 evening, but beware of heavy rains. Stop over-luxuriant growth, 

 recollecting that round, compact, sturdy growth is desirable at 

 the present time, and that nalied plants are at a discount. 



STOVE. 



Stove plants which flower late in the autumn, and especially 

 those that may be taken to the conservatory to bloom, should 

 now, or very soon, be in their flowering pots. The Eranthemum 

 pulchellum, ^schynanthus'^gi-andiflorus, several Justicias, Ajjhe- 

 laudra cristata, Poinsettia pulcherrima, and many more of that 

 character belong to this class. Another very essential point to 

 be observed with stove plants in general, which are removed to 

 the conservatory when in flower, is to have the compost lighter 

 for them and not give them more pot room than will just keep 

 them healthy with the assistance of liquid manure, as plants of 

 this nature suffer very much in a cool conservatory late in the 

 season if they are growing in very rich composts and in large 

 pots, whereas in a stove that would be the right way to make 

 them flourish. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Gather and sow the seed of Pelargoniums as soon as ripe, as 

 also of Calceolarias and other similar plants. Pot-off cuttings 

 that are rooted, and continue to put in such as are wanted. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



The continued drought is telling upon our plants and flower 

 beds, and upon the crops in the kitchen garden. We envy those 

 gardeners who, when they come round and remark on the brown 

 appearance of our parched lawn, tell us that they have only to 

 turn on the water, and the hose and spreader throws it all over 

 their garden. We have to draw some of ours in handcarts nearly 

 200 yards. The cost of labour is now becoming serious, and is 

 likely to become more so in the future ; therefore any appliance 

 that will lessen labour and do the work as effectually as it can 

 be done by human power ought to be carefully considered. 

 Where water can be obtained at high pressure from waterworks, 

 the cost of laying pipes all over the garden is as nothing com- 

 pared to the labour in drawing water a distance and applying it 

 by hand. If the above convenience does not exist, probably the 

 next best scheme would be to pump the water up into a tank, 

 raised as high as possible, and lay pipes from this. On the other 

 hand, as we stated last week, much may be done by trenching 

 the ground in winter and applying manure in a j udicious manner. 

 We are truly sorry to read that the Potato disease has appeared 

 in Sussex. Large quantities of Potatoes are grown about here for 

 the Loudon market, but we have not seen any disease, nor have 

 we heard of its appearance in our own immediate neighbour- 

 hood. Let us hope the present fine weather wiU keep it away. 



FRUIT and kitchen GARDEN. 



We are preparing the ground for Strawbennj 2>lanting accord- 

 ing to our usual method. We like to have the trenching done a 

 few weeks previous to putting out the plants, and it is also best 

 to plant out after the ground has been moistened with rain. 

 The plants are now ull ready in small pots. As our ground is 

 light we used to mix with it some clayey loam, but as that can- 

 not readily be obtained we will only dig out a hole for each 

 plant sufficiently .large to hold a shovelful of loam in which 

 to place the plant. As a precaution against red spider each 

 plant is dipped in a pail of water in which half a pound of 

 soft soap and 1 ozs. of tobacco have been dissolved. The pot ui 

 which the plant is growing is taken in the hand and inverted, 

 all the leaves are plunged in the water, the pot is then laid on. 

 its side so that the water may drain off the leaves and not soak 

 into the soil in the pot. In planting do not omit to leave a 

 slight depression round each; plant, so that if the weather con- 

 tinue dry abundant supplies of water may be given. 



The latest crops of Peas are looking well ; the ground had not 

 been cropped, so that it was in good condition for the seeds to 

 go in. The rows have been hoed, earthed-xip, and the sticks 

 placed to them. The earliest Onions have been harvested and 

 are very fine. We sow in September and plant them out iu 

 rows about the end of February or beginning of March. Onions 

 treated in this way are always free from the Ouion grub. We 

 sow James' Keeping in spring for keeping latest ; these are also 

 very fine. As much cannot be said of the Carrots, which are 

 very much infested with the worm. 



I ought also to say that the Doyenn6 d'Ete Pear is now in, 

 also Bed Astraohan and Early Red Margaret Apple, while Rivers' 

 Early Prolific Plum is loaded with its rich purple fruit, which 

 I can be gathered iu handfuls. 



fruit and forcing houses. 

 The greater proportion of the Pines in the fruiting house have 

 been cut, which necessitated a re-arraugenient of plants in all 

 the houses. The few plants shomng fruit iu different stages of 

 development were placed tolerably thickly together iu one end oS 

 the bed ; this arrangement allowed the most forward of the 

 succession plants to be placed not quite so thickly at the other 

 end of the bed. The second house was re-arranged in the same 

 way, the bed being turned over and some cocoa-nut fibre refuse 

 added. We also potted all the suckers that we require, and 

 plunged them in bottom heat several degrees higher than tho 



