October 9, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTtJEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



277 



Prepare for planting all kinds of fruit trees by getting the 

 ground in good order for the different kinds. On cold stiff soils 

 it is advisable to plant on hillocks 1 foot or 18 inches higher 

 than the surrounding surface. The trees will not grow so fast 

 in consequence, and will require more attention in summer iu 

 the way of mulching, but they wUl form short-jointed, well- 

 ripened fruitful wood, which is the best preventive of canker, 

 gum, ifcc, and will save the labour of resorting much to root- 

 pruning. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Cuttings should be carefully looked over to see that nothing 

 is omitted, and that a sufficient quantity of everything is in a 

 promising state for making nice plants before winter. It should 

 be borne in mind that plants which are at all difficult to winter, 

 rooted after this season, may be considerably thinned before 

 spring, and also that tliey will not be sufficiently strong to 

 furnish many cuttings for spring propagation, consequently a 

 larger quantity than would have been necessary had the cuttings 

 been put in a month ago should be provided. Bat if there is a 

 reserve stock of strong plants in pots, which is a safe practice 

 where there is a large quantity of bedding stock required, and 

 proper convenience for growing them and propagating in spring, 

 these will furnish a large quantity of cuttings next March, which 

 will form equally good plants by turning-out time. In the case 

 of Heliotropes, .\geratums, and dwarf Lobelias, it is useless 

 wintering young stock, as these grow so freely in heat, and are 

 so easily propagated from soft cuttings, that a few good-sized 

 old plants which require but little room or attention iu winter, 

 will furnish a large quantity of plants by bedding-out time. 

 Attend to the potting of cuttings sufficiently rooted, and give 

 every after-attention to these in order to have them well esta- 

 blished. Persevere with leaf-sweeping and other routine work. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Hyacinths and other Dutch bulbs, if not already purchased, 

 should be procured and potted without delay. Orange trees 

 meant for forcing in winter for the decoration of the conserva- 

 tory should also be attended to. These and Daphnes are in- 

 valuable for winter blooming, and should be largely grown for 

 this purpose. Also see to having plenty of Salvia splendens, 

 which is useful for mixing among Chrysanthemums. It is a 

 good plan to place the largest plants of Salvias in a shady situ- 

 ation out of doors for a few weeks in the avitumn. Plants so 

 treated will be found to bloom more strongly and last longer in 

 beauty than others run-up in a warm house. Look carefully 

 after the watering of large specimens of hardwooded plants in 

 pots, especially Heaths, which are soon injured l»y being either 

 over or under watered. Examine the specimens often and care- 

 fully, and where they are found to be dry water thoroughly so 

 as to moisten the whole ball ; also look sharply after mildew on 

 softwooded Heaths, and dust the plants with sulphur directly 

 the enemy is perceived. Get Azaleas tied into form as soon as 

 can be done, in order to give them a neat appearance. Also 

 attend to the staking and training of other plants as leisure time 

 can be found. Look carefully after red spider on Chorozemas, 

 or anything else found to be liable to that pest, and see that 

 it is eradicated before the plants get disfigured. Red spider is 

 easily destroyed by laying the affected plant on its side and 

 well washing the under side of the leaves with the engine, ap- 

 plying the water with as much force as the foliage will bear. 

 Repot strong.growing Pelargoniums ; plants that are fairly es- 

 tablished after repotting can hardly be kept too cool. Also 

 keep Cinerarias as cool and moist as is consistent with safety, 

 and attend to repotting such as require it. Primulas must also 

 be carefully attended to in order to encourage them to make 

 rapid growth, particularly dou>)le varieties. Keep Tree Violets 

 clear of their great enemy, red spider, by a liberal use of the 

 syringe, and give them plenty of manure water, which will assist 

 in keeping them in vigorous health. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Bulbs, such as Ixiag, Sparaxis, Gladiolus, &o., should now be 

 potted ; water them very sparingly until they begin to grow. 

 Hyacinths and Narcissus of sorts should also be potted for 

 blooming early. Plants that are to be forced early — such as 

 Rhododendrons, Roses, Azaleas, and Lilacs, should now be taken 

 in. Continue to pot bulbs ; take-up the tender Lobelias that 

 have been placed in the open garden, divide and pot them. 

 Open frames that contain hali-hardy plants daily. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AMSEK. 

 The long-continued fine dry weather has been most favourable 

 to all out-of-door operations ; for the last seven days the wind 

 has been from the south-west with a high temperature. On the 

 2nd of October it was W min., 07' max. ; ^rd, 53', 4:i' ; 4tli, 

 51', 74'; 5th, 50', 02'. And with this high temperature, al- 

 thoagh there has been no rain and the ground perfectly dry, 

 the Potato disease has spread with amazing rapidity. About a 

 week ago there were only a few bad ones, perhaps a hundrtd- 



weight in every ton dug up. Now there are three tons of diseased 

 tubers to one of sound. It seems from this that comparatively 

 warm through dry weather is favourable to the spread of the 

 disease after the plant is affected. Let us hope that the disease 

 has not spread so rapidly in other parts of the country, as by all 

 accounts the quality is good and the crop over the average. 



KITCHEN garden. 



Have been digging and trenching all spare ground. These 

 operations ought not to be delayed, as the sooner the ground is 

 turned-up to the influence of the atmosphere the better, and 

 especially is this the case if the soil is medium or heavy ; but it 

 should not be delayed on light soils, which generally grow 

 weeds abundantly if the ground is long unoccupied. And just a 

 word in reference to trenching the ground. There are one or 

 two mistakes made in doing this. Very often the space to be 

 trenched has been trod upon during wet weather, or has been 

 made hard from some other cause. A trench is taken out at one 

 end, and the trench following is marked-off with a line, the top 

 spit is thrown into the bottom in hard cakes or lumps. This 

 we have frequently seen done. The proper way to proceed 

 with such a piece of ground would be to dig or fork the surface 

 over first, and to let it lie in that state until the surface becomes 

 ameliorated by the atmosphere acting upon it, when the ground 

 could be trenched with advantage. Another mistake which is 

 sometimes made, and it is one which cannot always be avoided, 

 and that is to go trenching when the ground is too wet for any 

 other out-of-doors operation. We have been sent to trench 

 when the water stood in puddles on the ground beneath our 

 feet, and when the surface has been frozen so hard that a mat- 

 tock which was used to cut-out the trenches, rung on the frozen 

 ground as if it had struck the solid rock, and the top spit had to 

 be thrown into the bottom of the trench in solid lumps. In 

 both instances there can be no doubt the labour was wasted, 

 and the men's time would have been better occupied under 

 cover doing work which would probably have to be done in a 

 more busy season— such as making pegs, sticks, &c., or repairing 

 and making appliances for shade and shelter. This is the best 

 time to relay Box edgings or make new ones. Nearly all garden 

 ground is suitable for Box, and after all there is no neater edging 

 either for flower or kitchen garden, but it must be kept neat ; if 

 not relayed it ought to be cut every year. When edgings have 

 been down more than six years, there are generally spaces where 

 the plants have died-out. When this is the case it is always 

 desirable to Uft the whole and relay it again. Vacant spaces in 

 the edgings arise from other causes besides unsuitable soils. 

 One frequent cause is allowing the crops to grow over the top of 

 the edging, and if this is not seen to in time considerable 

 damage is done. When ground has to be made-up for a new 

 edging the soil must be"rammed-iu quite firmly, else it wiU 

 sink unequally during wet weather. 



Nearly all the Apples and Pears have been stored in the fruit- 

 room, where it has been necessary to look carefully for decaying 

 fruit, and to remove them at once to prevent them from BpoUing 

 the others. Such Apples as Sturmer Pippin on the Crab stock, 

 and the old Nonpareil, are not quite ready to pick. On the 

 Paradise stock they are quite ready, and are gathered. Pears 

 Winter Nells, Josephine de Malines, and other late sorts, are 

 yet out, but if the weather is favourable they will be gathered 

 before this appears in print. 



fruit and forcing houses. 

 A few weeks ago it was stated that Grapes would probably 

 not keep well with us, and our prediction is being too truly 

 verified. The weather late in August aud early in September 

 was wet with a heavy atmosphere, which predisposed the 

 berries to decay, and where decay has set in warm weather 

 hastens it. There are some sorts which are worthless almost in 

 such a season as this. Royal Vineyard and Trenths.m Black are 

 very unsatisfactory. Royal Vineyard is a good white Grape, 

 and has generally given satisfaction, and we have had it very 

 good up till Christmas. Much may be done even in bad seasons 

 by careful attention to firing and ventilation, and after the fruit 

 is ripe no plants should be allowed to be in the house, as even a 

 very little moisture in the atmosphere is detrimental to the 

 fruit. We want Grapes that will keep well after they are ripe. 

 It is all very well to have large handsome bunches and large 

 berries with flavour combined; these are necessary, but not 

 more essential than good keeping qualities. Nearly all the 

 new Grapes of recent introduction have at least got the name 

 of being bad keepers. Wherever decaying berries are observed 

 they are removed at once. The houses which are forced early 

 have had the outside borders dug over, and a dressing of rich 

 compost mixed-in with surface soil. 



PLANT HOUSES AND CONSERVATORY. 



In all departments cleanliness is necessary, but in the stove 

 especially so. The glass frequently becomes dirty on the in- 

 terior surface with a greenish substance. This may go un- 

 noticfd during the summer months, but when the light of day 

 begins to decline, and midwinter is approaching, the glass must 



