178 



JOUENAL OF HORTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Septomber 1, 1873. 



inferred that as the Arundo blooms so early it necessarily is 

 soon orer. On the contrary, there are few jjlants that I know 

 which continue longer in a showy condition, and it is not too 

 much to say that it often looks well up to the middle of Oc- 

 tober, after which, however, its appearance will not compare 

 with the newly-developed plumes of its neighbour. Up to the 

 end of August its beauty can hardly be said to be impaired ; 

 in fact, I might add, that at the present time (August 13th), 

 some spikes that were fully out in the first week of July look 

 better than they did three weeks ago. As regards hardiness 

 it may also be placed in the same list as the Pampas Grass, 

 for some of our plants have occupied the same position, and 

 that a fully exposed one, since 1806, without protection of any 

 kind, the situation being somewhat dry — too much so, I 

 believe, for well-developed spikes or plumes, and yet even in 

 that position it is but little inferior to the best examples of 

 the Pampas Grass. Its flower spikes may not be quite so 

 numerous, as I have not been able to count more than forty 

 on one plant. I strongly advise those who have not yet grown 

 this Grass to procure it, and whether as a single object on the 

 lawn, or in front of a shrubbery, its appearance when in bloom 

 is equally graceful. — J. Eobson. 



PLANTS AS DOCTORS. 



In addition to the pleasure that may be derived from flori- 

 culture, the sanitary value of flowers and plants is a feature of 

 the subject so important as to call for special mention. It was 

 known many years ago that ozone is one of the forms in which 

 oxygen exists in the air, and that it possesses extraordinary 

 jjowers as an oxidant, disinfectant, and deodoriser. Now, one 

 of the most important of late discoveries in chemistry is that 

 made by Professor Mantegazza, of Pavia, to the effect that 

 ozone is generated in immense quantities by all plants and 

 flowers possessing green leaves and aromatic odours. Hya- 

 cinths, Mignonette, Heliotrope, Lemon, Mint, Lavender, Nar- 

 cissus, Cherry, Laurel, and the like all throw off ozone largely 

 on exposure to the sun's rays ; and so powerful is this great 

 atmospheric purifier that it is the belief of chemists that 

 whole districts can be redeemed from the deadly malaria 

 which now infests them, by simply covering them with aro- 

 matic vegetation. 



The bearing of this upon flower culture in our large cities is 

 also very important. Experiments have proved that the air of 

 cities contains less ozone than that of the surrounding country, 

 and the thickly inhabited parts of cities less than the more 

 sparsely built, or than the parks and open squares. Plants and 

 flowers and green trees can alone restore the balance ; so that 

 every little flower-plot is not merely a thing of beauty while it 

 lasts, but has a direct and beneficial influence upon the health 

 of the neighbourhood in which it is found. Surely, it is a 

 beautiful provision of Nature that something which is at once 

 the most dainty of occupations and most delightful of amuse- 

 ments should be intimately bound up with the solution of 

 problems so important as the health of our cities and the re- 

 demption of fever-infected districts in the country. — {Applctoti',^ 

 Journal.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We have received an official extract from the London 

 Gazette, of the 2fjth of August, which records the list of awards 

 in the British section of the Vienna Universal Exhieition, 

 and are well pleased to see that in Group 2, " Agriculture, 

 Horticulture, and Forestry," Messrs. Carter it Co., High Hol- 

 born ; Gibbs & Co., Mark Lane; Lloyd, Grantham; Sutton 

 and Sons, Reading, had awarded to them medals of the highest 

 class for "Progress," when their productions are compared 

 with those of previous exhibitions. 



A cvRious contribution to the Uterature of that excellent 



and mournful root, the Onion, comes from a little French 

 village. The inhabitants of this place regularly perform a 

 ceremony without whieli they hold the general well-being of 

 the said vegetable could not be secured. This ceremony con- 

 sists in the gorgeously-attired people of the village dancing in a 

 circle, holding hands ; and is said not only to make the Onion 

 healthy, but to impart to it a fascinating roundness and per- 

 fection of form. The festival continues eight days, and is ac- 

 counted generally pleasant and profitable. — (New York Tribune.) 



A WRITER of experience states tliat he has found no 



trees that succeed so well by the seaside as Pinus insignis and 

 the CoRsicAN Pine. He has plants of the latter growing and 



flourishing where the Sycamore and Beech, twenty years- 

 planted, never could even get into respectable bushes. The 

 Pines named also have the advantage that hares and rabbits 

 will not touch them, and the wood of the Corsican Pine is very 

 valuable, while that of the Austrian, another great tree for the 

 seaside, is worth but little. He has also succeeded in growing 

 the Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis), from seeds brought from 

 the Isle of St. Marguerite, opposite Cannes, where this Pine 

 grows with its roots down to the salt water, and where it with- 

 stands the most terrific sea gales without seeming a bit the 

 worse for them. — [New York Tribune.) 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



A GREAT change has taken place in the weather, and frequent 

 showers have greatly refreshed vegetation ; therefore, now is 

 the time to be busy with the hoe in earthing-up the various 

 crops that require it, and also for planting those that from the 

 dry state of the weather could not be planted out before. Prepare 

 ground for sprine Cabbage, and also for hand-glass Cauliflowers. 

 Where Broccuh has not been sufficiently planted, large plants 

 may yet be put out with success. They should be laid-iu with 

 a spade in a slanting direction; earth-up the advancing crops. 

 Earth-up Cardouns for blanching in favourable weather. Con- 

 tinue to earth-up the early crops of Ccler/j carefully to the tops 

 of the plants, and thej' should always be dry at the time. 

 The crops that have not yet been earthed-up should be kept 

 very moist. Those Cucumbers in frames which it is intended 

 to keep in bearing, should be covered-up when the nights are 

 cold, the beds should also be newly lined. Continue to blanch 

 Endive, and plant-out from successional sowings. Another 

 sowing of the various sorts of Lettuces may be made. It is 

 always better to have a superfluity in the spring than otherwise. 

 Mushroom beds may now be made, either in sheds or in the 

 open air. Thin the summer sowings of Parsley when in a 

 young state, the plants will then gain strength to stand the 

 winter. A portion of the spring sowing should be cut down. 

 Gather the fruit of Tomatoes as it ripens, remove all the shoots 

 that shade it, also some of the leaves. 



fruit GARDEN. 



As soon as the fniit is gathered clear away the old wood from 

 Raspberries, also any extra shoots left at the summer thinning; 

 tie the young shoots to stakes or rails, and if very long pinch-off 

 their points, but do not shorten them too much now, as from 

 the exposure of the pith a severe winter would be apt to make 

 the canes shorter than you wish to have them at spring pruning. 

 Fork-in a coat of manure, for, like the Vine, the Raspberry 

 delights in rich feeding. If the above course be adopted you 

 will be rewarded with well-ripened prominent buds for next 

 season. Vines, attend to the directions previously given, thin- 

 out aU useless shoots, remove leaves where they are too thick, 

 and where you do not want the buds iu the axils for next 

 season ; but while exposing the bunches to more light, be careful 

 to leave a suiflciency of leaves to shade from the direct influence 

 of the sun's rays. Pay attention to the ripening fruit, gather it 

 immediately it is ripe, and use every means of destroying insects 

 which attack it. Where wasps are numerous bottles half-filled 

 with some sweetened hquor should be hung about the walls. 

 Continue to plant-out Strawberries, good strong runners of 

 which may now be x^rocured from the old beds. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Now that the weather is favourable it will be as well, where 

 such convenience is required for the preservation of the more 

 hardy of the tender plants through the winter, that provision be 

 made for the formation of a good-sized temporary pit. Turves 

 of dry peat, where they can be readily i>rocured, are as good a 

 material as can be used, but in the absence of them, turves of a 

 loamy nature will be found a good substitute. The situation 

 where the pits are built should be dry and sheltered, and the 

 turf walls should not be less than l.'i inches thick. Make the 

 walls firm as you proceed, and when of the requisite height 

 dress the sideis ofl' square and neat with an old hay-knife, or 

 some other instrument. The turves of the top layer must bo 

 secured in their places by driving pegs through into the lower 

 ones ; and if the whole of the walls of the pit could be covered 

 with patent asphalt roofing, which is a very inexpensive ma- 

 terial, they would be rendered doubly secure, as so long as 

 they are dry there is no fear of frost penetrating ; but if they 

 become wet, which the asphalt would prevent, their protective 

 influences would be greatly deteriorated. 



greenhouse AND CONSERV.ITORT. 



The management of the conservatory will be more uniform 

 now than in summer. No syringing wiU be necessary unless for 

 a plant here and there which may require it for keeping down 

 insects. Where blinds have been in use to keep off the sun 

 they cannot yet be dispensed with altogether, but use as little 

 as possible from this time. Get all the watering done in the 



