56 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICTJLTTXRE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ July 21, 1863, 



off soon should be mterlined for the purpose of establishing 

 as large a breadth of these useful vegetables as can be done. 



FLOWEE GAKDEN. 



The progress of aU mass flowers to be attended to with 

 unfailing care. In shortening-back shoots that incline to 

 ertend beyond the edges of the beds, avoid the least ap- 

 pearance of formality by thinning-out the under shoots, 

 and keeping all parts of the beds of equal depth or thick- 

 ness. Climbers on walls to be attended to as they advance 

 in gi-owth, keeping the young shoots neatly tied-in, &c. The 

 dimbing Roses wQl also requii-e to be gone over occasionally 

 for the purpose of cutting off decayed blooms. Phloxes 

 and other herbaceous plants to be neatly tied up, avoiding 

 huddling the shoots together as is too frequently done to 

 Bave time. Any of the Perpetual-blooming Eoses that have 

 flowered very freely to be assisted by liberal waterings with 

 maniire water from the stable or fai-myard tank. Indeed, 

 too much of this can hai-dly be given to any of the autumn- 

 blooming varieties. Dahlias will require abundance of water. 

 Disbud and thin-out as the habit and constitiTtion of the 

 plant require it. The Pink -pipings put in early as advised, 

 will now be ready for transplanting, and if so, let it be done 

 at once, as they wiU require time to establish themselves so as 

 to prevent frosts from injuring them. If the situation ul- 

 timately intended for them is vacant, they may be planted 

 there at once ; but if occupied at present by something else, 

 let the young Pinks be planted i inches apart on reserved 

 beds in an open situation, the soO to consist chiefly of hght 

 loam and weU-rotted dung, to which may be added some 

 charcoal dust, or charred refuse. Finish the laying of Car- 

 nations, Cloves, Mvde Pinks, &c., of which there is rai-ely an 

 overstock. 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



A systematic application of the principles of pruning should 

 be continued to fruit trees diuing the summer and autumn 

 months. The tendency to excessive luxuriance renders the 

 operations of disbuddiig, stopping, and shortening shoots 

 more particiUarly essential. In the first place it is advisable 

 to pinch-oif all young shoots not necessary for the frame- 

 work of the tree ; secondly, to stop those shoots which 

 threaten to overgi-ow then- neighbours ; and, finally, having 

 commenced a system of repression, to contioue it with the 

 lateral shoots which are developed by this system of stop- 

 ping. If root-action become too powerful, root-pruning 

 may, in the proper season, be practised with advantage. 

 Strawberry-runners to be looked after either for pot-culture 

 or for plantations. In conseqiience of the continued dry 

 weather wall trees vnR require watering, or the fruit will 

 drop prematurely. One thorough soaking will be siifBcient 

 to prevent any ftirther mischief at present from drought if 

 tiey are afterwards mulched. 



GKEENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Camellias, whenever the yoimg wood appears to be ripening, 

 may be removed to the open air. They tha-ive best in the 

 shade, and a situation shaded from the midday sun and 

 sheltered from high winds should be secured for them. Be 

 careful to place them on a di-y bottom to prevent the pos- 

 sibility of worms getting into the pots. Chinese Azaleas, 

 which are equally foi-ward in theii- growth and have formed 

 their next season's flower-buds, may likewise be turned out ; 

 but, unlike Camellias, they requii'e full exposTu-e to the sun 

 and air, and should be placed in an open situation that 

 their wood may become thoroughly matiu'ed. It will be 

 prudent, however, to place them for a week or two in a 

 partially shaded situation, to haiden theu- foliage sufficiently 

 to bear the full sun, or the sudden change from a house to 

 bright sunshine might cause thefr leaves to turn brown and 

 burn. Calceolarias and Cineraiias to be shifted as they 

 require, and kept cool. Heaths and New Holland pilants 

 to be freely exposed, especially at night, giiarding only 

 against heavy rains. Water regularly and copiously. Shift, 

 stop, and train as necessary. Expose succulents freely to 

 the light. Eemove Cacti which have completed their growth 

 to a dry airy place. Cut down Pelargoniums when the wood 

 is ripe after blooming. When cut down to be placed in a 

 shady situation until the most forward young shoots are an 

 inch long, then to be shaken out and repotted into small 



pots, using sandj- loam and peat. Afterwards place in a cold 

 frame until they begin to gi-ow again, when they may be 

 fully exposed to the weather until the approach of frost 

 renders it necessary to house them for the mnter. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Commence the propagation of stock for next season, to 

 secui-e strong well-established plants before winter and 

 withoiit the necessity of keeping tliem so close and warm as 

 to induce weakly and watery growth. W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 kitchen garden. 

 As we coxdd water very little, did what we could to pre- 

 vent crops being burned up. Think we will manage for 

 another eight days, will then be at our wits' end as to nice 

 succulent Lettuces, Cauliflowers, and even Peas. The 

 extreme brightness of the sun, and dryness, will also tend to 

 break in on oiu- contemphited succession of crops ; but we 

 must just do oxu- best. Shaded Lettuces, Cauliflower, Celery, 

 &c., with branches that had previously been withered. These 

 will do something to break the force of the sun's rays. 

 Watered some young Lettuces intended to stand where 

 sown. Planted-out Lettuces, and cut-in the side leaves 

 considerably before doing so. " What a Goth ! " we hear some 

 reader say ; " the more leaves the quicker would the plant 

 be established." We gi-ant the fact, if you could protect and 

 shade, and make an interesting patient of every Lettuce 

 plant. The more leaves kept from flagging the sooner vrill 

 a plant or cutting root and establish itself. But it is the 

 flagging that is the drawback, and the more and larger the 

 leaves, the greater the likeHliood of flagging and dying in 

 such weather as the present. Not only so, but aU Lettuce 

 ground where planting is resorted to must be pretty rich, 

 and, therefore, worms and slugs may be expected ; and these 

 will either pidl the flaccid leaves into then- holes, or feed 

 on them as they lay withering on the surface of the ground. 

 We, therefore, cut off a few of the largest of the leaves before 

 planting, so that the plant may stand up boldly, and thug 

 be so far fr-ee fi-om the attacks of worms and slugs, and ajso 

 fi-om the reduced surface for evaporation there will be less 

 necessity for repeated waterings. In all such weather, how- 

 1 ver, much laboiu- may be saved by sowing such crops 

 Ihirily, thinning-out, and leaving the plants to perfect them- 

 selves where sown. Such plants can cater for themselves in 

 a way which transplanted ones cannot do for some time. 

 Once get them fau-ly started, and di-y weather is of less im- 

 portance to them. They need little or no watering, as, 

 however di'y the surface, moisture will reach them from 

 gi-eat depths. The mere damping of the surface would 

 an'est the rising of moisture in the shape of vapoirr to be 

 ca\ight by the roots as it passed them. A rough surface, 

 though to a certain extent it would arrest rapid evaporation 

 from the soO, would not impede the rising of moistiu-e by 

 capillary attraction fi-om beneath, as a mere wetting of 

 the surface would do. That mere drizzling never reaches 

 the roots, and does more evil than good, as it arrests the 

 rising of moistui-e from beneath until it is itself all eva- 

 porated, and the usual course of evaporation is brought into 

 exercise. From this great source of moistiu'e in the bowels 

 of the earth, fi-esh-transplanted plants in summer receive 

 little or no benefit whOst the surface is moist, and it must 

 be pretty moist, unless we plant with great balls. Hence it 

 will be seen that even the best rales as to planting may be 

 broken at times with advixntage. Watered early Celery to 

 prevent it bolting, and covered with half an inch of dry- 

 earth. Must wait for a change of weather before we can 

 plant out any more. A man with a stream at hand need not 

 wait, for he has water ready. When plants -srith fine balls 

 can be raised, we do not like to injure a leaf. When that ie 

 not the case we would be inclined to dock them a little, to 

 lessen the perspu-ing surface. Hoed and forked amongst 

 growing crops ; cleared the ground of early Cauliflower and 

 Pea,s, and prepared for digging for fresh crops. Watered 

 beds of Endive and Lettuces, and sowed more, also Spinach, 

 Turnips, Eadishes, and Dwarf Kidney Beans, where we shall 

 be able to give a little protection in autumn. Other things 

 much in routine. 



