November 29, 1373. ] 



JOtiHSAL 0^ HOMiCULTOBt: AND COTTAGE GAEDENER 



4ol 



jjlants fromclampiugoU; rciuovc any of them which stiud iu the 

 drip, aud give air when the weather is not frosty. — W. Keane. 



DOIXGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



FRUIT AND KITCHEN C.UIPEN. 



\Vk have been glad of a short period of comparative dryness 

 to forward digging aud trenching in this department, for ground 

 that docs not require any manure, as it has been almost im- 

 possible to wheel loaded barrows down the alleys owing to the 

 soft nature of the ground. The wall trees, such as Plums, 

 Pears, and Cherries, owing to summer pruning and training, do 

 not re<|uire much attention in the winter; but as most of the 

 leaves had fallen, causing the borders to look untidy, the re- 

 maining leaves were cleared off by hand, and any young wood 

 not required was cut-back to one or two eyes at the base. 

 Kitchen gardens have an untidy appearance if leaves are allowed 

 to lie about in corners, on borders, or on paths. 



We are at a disadvantage as regards planting-out the CauU- 

 llowcr plants ; the ground which was devoted to the Gladiolus 

 requires to be dug over for them, as it is sufficiently rich with- 

 out any more manure being added, but in a wet season ground 

 which has grown Gladiolus is always very wet after the crop 

 h:»s been taken up. It has now been dug some time, and the 

 plants have gone out in good order. Some dry siftings from the 

 pottiug-shed were placed round the plants, and into this ma- 

 terial they will strike root readily. The plants are taken out of 

 the ground carefully, placed in a flat-bottomed basket, and 

 planted under the hand-lights with a trowel, iu preference to a 

 dibber; the covers of the lights are kept on pretty closely (or a 

 day or two, when they are removed entirely in line days. A 

 further supply of plants is pricked out in boxes, so that they can 

 have the shelter of a cold frame during severe frosts. 



FORCINC; IIOL'SKS. 



Vines. — In the late houses it has been necessaiy to look over 

 twice a-week the bunches of all Grapes hanging, iu order to re- 

 move all decaj'ing berries. Up to this time Gros Guillaume has 

 not had a decayed berry on any of its large compact bunches. 

 Mrs. Piuce's Black Muscat has not kept nearly so well. We 

 have twice obtained plants of Alicante to grow in the late 

 vineries, and each time Morocco has been sent ; this is a good 

 Grape but very inferior to the old Alicante. Morocco was through 

 a mistake named Kempsey Alicante, and has deceived many 

 since that mistake occurred. lis berries are longer in shape, 

 and are seldom jet black, nor do they ever carry such a dense 

 bloom as the true variety ; further, the bunches are not nearly 

 so large. 



We have been surface-dressing the borders in the early houses. 

 This is an important part of the management, and is done to 

 enrich the border and to entice the roots up to the surface. In 

 the houses at Lo.\ford Hall the roots are near the surface, and 

 have grown considerably into last year's dressing; only the sur- 

 face has been removed, and loam, rotted manure, and bone dust 

 have been placed on the surface, about an inch deeper than last 

 year. It would have been barbarous treatment to have dugover 

 the border. In many vineries no roots are to be found near the 

 surface ; where this is the case forking the dressing in may be 

 an advantage. It is well to bear in mind that Grapes, and, 

 indeed, all fruits, are of the best quality where surface-rooting is 

 encouraged. When the borders are surface-dressed the state of 

 the ground a foot or more below the surface should be ascer- 

 tained, so that some idea may be formed of the quantity of 

 water which ought to be applied when the houses are started. 

 If the soil has become very dry it will be as well to give a good 

 watering before applying the compost to the surface of the 

 border. 



The fiist batch of Black Prince Strawherries have been 

 removed to the shelves of the Cucumber house; the other oc- 

 cupants of the house require a night temperature of .50", or in 

 cold nights it may fall to -Ij". This, with a moderately moist 

 atmosphere, is just w'uat the Strawberry plants require. Many 

 good Strawberry-growers recommend surface-dressing the pots 

 when they are introduced into the forcing houses. We do not 

 approve of this, as it is so difficult to ascertain when the pots 

 require water, as the surface-dressing will appear quite wet even 

 when the plants are suffering from want of water. The pots 

 are washed and any decaying leaves picked off. Worms are 

 detected in the pots by the casts on the surface, and are de- 

 stroyed by the application of clear lime water. 



Tying and training Cucumber plants ; the shoots require to 

 be well thinned-out, and where the leaves are crowded remove 

 the oldest. Tumigated to kill green fly. 



PLANT STOVE AND COXSEIlVATOliy. 



In the stove, amongst other insect pests, thripn has been in- 

 jorious to certain plants, especially some of the Orchids. Cypri- 

 X>edium Veitchianum is specially attractive to them, and will 

 not thrive if thrips are in the house. Tobacco smoke is the 

 most destructive agent, but must be used with extreme caution 

 amongst tender aud expensive plants. The beautiful Adiantum 



farleyense requires to bo removed from the house while it is 

 being fumigated, as the delicate piunules become browned with 

 even a moderate fumigation. The best way is to smoke the 

 house every ten days during the winter months, and if it is done 

 effectually this pest will be overcome. 



In the greenhouse department much time has been devoted 

 to the Ckrtjsanthcinntit'i, as we grow a very large collection. 

 Specimen plants have required training, picking all decayed 

 leaves off them, and sulphuring to destroy mildew. In the 

 case of the large-llowering specimens there are always a number 

 of malformed flowers ; these ought all to be removed, and only 

 the perfect ones left to come to perfection. They should stand 

 well above the foliage, which ought to be healthy aud hide the 

 stems and sticks used in training. Every individual flower 

 requires a neat stick to support it ; the sticks are best paiuted a 

 light green. The Pompon section requires similar treatment as 

 regards training, but the flowers support themselves, except 

 tha*", a few sticks are required to distribute the flowers at regular 

 distances over the surface of the plant. We looked over the 

 flowers intended to be cut for exhibition, they have suffered 

 much from mildew on the florets. If a single floret shows signs 

 of decay it ought to be at once removed, as otherwise the whole 

 flower would be destroyed. 



The pretty white Boman Hyacinths are now in flower, and 

 the first batch of Hyacinths and Tulips have been removed to 

 the forcing house to succeed them. They are placed iu the 

 same house as the Strawberry plants. Potted tree or per- 

 l)etual-flowering Carnations for late spring-flowering; this lot 

 will produce a few flowers as early as February, aud will con- 

 tinue until the florists' varieties of Carnations and Picotees are 

 flowering in the ordinary course, in July. 



Potted the last batch of Hi/ru-intlis. This flower is a great 

 favourite, and it is necessary to retard as well as force. It is 

 best to select the finest bulbs and most choice varieties for early 

 work, because a Hyacinth spike which is in flower late iu .lanuary 

 or early in February will continue in perfection for three or four 

 weeks. Late in March it would not last more than ten days, 

 even if shading the house were adopted. 



Large specimen plants of Gijclameivi are throwing-up scores 

 of flowers, and it is necessary to exercise great care in watering 

 them. Only the soil should be watered. Where water had been 

 allowed to lodge on the foliage aud about the crowns of some of 

 the plants, botli leaves aud tiowers became mouldy aud decayed. 

 The affected parts were instantly removed, aud some dry lime 

 dusted over the injured portion. November is the worst month 

 in all the year for preserving flowers from damp, and great 

 caution is requisite when using the watering-pot not to spill the 

 water on the paths and stages on which the pots stand. All 

 watering ought to be done early in the forenoon, and if necessary 

 a fire should be put on to dry the house while the ventUators 

 are open. 



FLOWER OAEDEN. 



We have cleared off all the summer occupants of the beds, 

 and those devoted to spring flowers have been planted. We 

 approve very much of filling the beds with plants to flower iu 

 spring, to be removed iu time for the summer occupants; but 

 so much bedding-out entails much extra labour, as no sooner 

 are the beds cleared from the summer-llowering plants than it 

 is all hurry to get them tilled again, aud the same process must 

 be gone through about the end of April or early iu May for the 

 summer stock. It can easily be done, and ought to be done, but 

 the head gardener should have sufficient help to do it. In some 

 instances where this has not been the case the summer flowers 

 have been sadly deficient. 



AVe are potting-off zoual Pelargoniums ; variegated and golden 

 tricolors first, to be followed by the green-leaved sorts. All the 

 cuttings are struck iu boxes, and were removed in-doors on the 

 first signs of severe frost, "rhis is better than putting the cut- 

 tings in the open ground, as they are sometimes injured before 

 they can be potted-up. The lawn should be rolled, and if neces- 

 sary swejit once a-week when there is no frost. — J. Douolas, 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books (M. J. A'.).— For the propagation anil culturo ot grocnhouso planta 

 conmilt our manual, " The GreenhoUHe." You can liave it post free from 

 our ollioc if you oncloBO ten stamps with your full address. (S. B.).—0\.\v 

 "I'rult 3aidomnK for tlio Many." You can have it free by post if you 

 enclose tivo postage stamps with your address. 



FLKcn DK Lis iWc}>ihm<ni).—'ih\^ char^-e iu the arms of the French kiuRS 

 is not the I^ily, but the Iris. Nor is it a modem emblem, for (lowers of 

 similar shape are ou some of the most ancient Egyptian marbles. It is 

 called Fleur do Lis seemingly because it was used tirst as bis distinetivo 

 badge by Ivouis VII. of France when he joined the Crusaders. Thence it 

 was called Fleur do Louis, and theueo was easily coiTuptcd to its present 

 form. 



Cutting down Apple Trees {V. P. Q.). — Wo do not think that well 

 bearing trees only twenty-flvo years old should have been destroyed merely 

 bocauso their growth was straggling. The dork centre of the branch of which 



