174 



JOTJENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Seplember 1, 18S3. 



heat, he liad in flower at various periods throughout the 

 winter and early spring. Any of the free-growing species 

 of Ixia, such as flexuosa, viridiflora, conica, &c., would be 

 suitable, as also would be the varieties of Sparaxis tricolor, 

 and AmaryUis vittata Johnsoni, wMcli are splendid, and may 

 be bloomed by gentle forcing. Lachenalia pendula and 

 tricolor, with many sjiecies of Oxalis, would sei've to increase 

 the variety, and ai'e all handsome. Ornithogalum aureum 

 is a fine orange-flowered si^ecies. Cyclamen coum, vernum, 

 and persicum ought not to be omitted. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Let scarlet and other Geraniums struck in the open ground 

 be taken up and potted immediately they have made roots. 

 They will require a close frame for a week or two, when they 

 should lie placed on a dry bottom in a southern exposure to 

 harden them for the winter. For the same purpose Ver- 

 benas, Petunias, Sec, struck in pans, and intended to be kept 

 in them through the winter, should be placed in a similar 

 situation, at the same time stopping the points of the shoots. 

 The principal object should be to keep them as hardy as 

 possible by fuUy exposing them until they are placed in 

 their winter quai'ters. W. Keake. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



The glorious rains have come at last, and refreshed the 

 thirsty eai'th, and cheered up the countenance of many a 

 resident in cottage homes. It will also be a gTeat boon to 

 the fai-mer ; delaying his carrying, it is true, but making 

 liis Wheat tell better in the bushel, and scattering insects 

 and mildew from his fields of Turnips. For ourselves, we 

 only had a few gallons of clear water left, and many things 

 out of doors were fading and shi-iveUing without the chance 

 in our power of greatly benefiting them. Now we may 

 expect Peas, and Beans, and Lettuces, and Turnips, to be 

 all light again — at least it wUl be some time before we can 

 plead the excuse of dryness again, if anything should not 

 be right or not be obtainable at all. Alter the first shower, 

 feeling confident that more was coming, we gave a good 

 soaking to Cauliflowers, Peas, Celery, &c., with sewage 

 water, which would have been rather strong without the 

 rains that were to follow. There can be no mistake as to 

 the usefulness of much of the water that runs to waste fi-om 

 a gentleman's house. All the soap, greasy water, &c., that 

 th,..s is often lost is most valuable when rightly applied and 

 at the light time ; and that time we hold to be when vege- 

 tables are growing freely. In hot summers nothing can be 

 more suitable for Asparagus, Sea-kale, and all the rougher 

 vegetables, on\y it must not be given too strong. '• But 

 why apply any at all when you saw that rain was coming?" 

 A gentleman told us tlie other day, half derisively — '• Why, 



F , I am sure it wUl be rain, since you are watering." 



Well, the truth is we did not expect so much rain as we 

 have had; and, again, we v.alued the sewage for root-water- 

 ing even more than the rain ; and, again, we find that all 

 waterings are most effective that are given just before a 

 good shower, or dming the dull weather that generally pre- 

 cedes and follows a fan- amount of downpouring. When 

 plants in the ground, be they residents of the kitchen or 

 the flower garden, are evidently suffering fi-om want of 

 water, it is right and projier to water them at any time; 

 but the efi'ects are very different when water is given in the 

 forenoon of a sunny day, and in the afternoon when the 

 atmosphere is quiet and clouded. In the one case, the 

 moisture is evaporated ahnost as soon as given ; in the 

 other it is absorbed by and has time to pass through the 

 whole of the plant. A siuumer shower very often merely re- 

 freshes the fohage and gives notliing to the root-absorbents. 

 It is a capital thing that sunny shower after a hot day : 

 it refreshes and invigorates ; but the moistm-e is soon dis- 

 pelled, and the roots are as dry if not drier than before, on 

 account of the temporary obstruction to the moist vapour 

 rising from beneath. We know it is good for tender 

 invalids to be placed in a medicinal bath, and thus to be fed 

 through the pores of the skin ; but we would have greater 

 faith in a perfect recovery to health could the patient at the 

 same time masticate some of the "roast beef of old Eng- 

 land." Instead of being sneered or laughed at, then, the 



man who waters the roots of a plant before a shower or in 

 dull hazy weather, provided the plant wants it, is just exer- 

 cising all the good common sense of jjractical philosophy. 



Whilst on the subject of watering, allow us to say that 

 the time of doing so is even more important in the case of 

 flower gardens : hence, where practicable, as a general rule, 

 from Juno to September it is best to water in the afternoon 

 and evening. We have watered often in the morning, merely 

 because we could manage to obtain water then and at no 

 other time. In hot weather, however, we liked to keep it 

 in the ground either by covering or loose-stuTing the sur- 

 face. But the chief reason for watering di'y flower-beds 

 before a shower is simply this : that if the roots are at all 

 active, a heavy shower will fall on a gorgeous parterre and 

 leave it in a few hours still more splendid ; but if the roots 

 ai'e excessively di'y, and the jilants and flowers in a suffering 

 state, there is every chance that the flowers wfll lie knocked 

 off' and the beauty of the group be departed untU fresh 

 flowers are formed. The man who gives a little water at 

 the roots, therefore, in such cu-cumstances, when he sees 

 something like a deluge coming, or even a good shower, is 

 not so deficient in thought after all. 



Put out more greens. The rains just suited seedling 

 Lettuces, Cauliflowers, Tui'nips, &c., and were just suitable 

 for planting out lots of Endives, Lettuces, &c., which it was 

 no use attemjiting before. Gave the final earthing-ui^ to 

 some Celery. Scarlet Eunners that had a good th-enching 

 are now all right and as crisp as possible. In the dryness 

 the flowers refused to set, and the same as respects late 

 Peas. Put out a few Leeks, as large ones are not desired ; 

 but to our taste they should be white as mUlc, as thick as 

 our wrist, and then, well boiled and used with a httle butter, 

 pepper and salt, even an epicui-e might smack liis lips over 

 them. The rains have also helped to cleai'-ofl' lots of cater- 

 pillars fi'om Tui'nips and Greens ; and we should have been 

 much worse but for the thousands of butterflies that were 

 struck down by the boj's. Now also the Tomtits and other 

 bhds that annoy us not a little in the spring are doing good 

 service. It is amusing to see the little fellows ex.amine a 

 trench from end to end. As soon as the ground is dryish on 

 the surface will run the hoe through all openings to cut 

 down the incipient weeds and keep moisture in the ground. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Kept thinning the fi'uit of dwarf Peai- trees, and find 

 that the pig is very fond of them, even in the hard state. 

 Owing to the dryness everything in the shajje of Greens, 

 Lettuce stalks. Cauliflower stalks, &c., has been more than 

 ordinarily agreeable to the pig. Went over the trees, 

 finally shortening, disbudding, and thinning fruit where too 

 numerous. The rains will help the fi-uit now as to swelling, 

 and plenty of sun wUl be sure then to give flavour. The 

 rains gave also just what was needed for Vine and Peach- 

 house borders. In the case of the latter, where the fruit is 

 wished to stand all the winter, the borders shoiUd be pro- 

 tected ft-om heavy rains by the middle of next month. In 

 the case of the early vinery where the wood is ripe it wovdd 

 be weU to prune and remove the Ughts for a time. We think 

 it a good plan for settling all insects. The same m.ay be done 

 to early Peach-houses, though they do well enough with 

 roofs that cannot be removed. Still if they were well 

 di-enched with the rains of October, and had a Uttle of the 

 fi-ost of November before being shut-up, a good nuiny insects 

 are likely to be punished. Without this help there must be 

 more care in washing and cleaning. Thinned-out Currant 

 shoots, as we needed them in the flower g.aixlen for our 

 patent pegs, and wUl thhi Easpberry shoots as we can find 

 time. CHpped the Box-edgings in the kitchen and frait 

 gardens, not because it is the very best tuue, but because 

 done now they wUl look well for a twelvemonth, whereas if 

 done early in the season it wordd have required to be done 

 twice. .When strong and long established we have done it 

 fii-st-rate with the scythe, mth or without a line down the 

 middle ; but oiu- isresent edgings ;ire better clipped with the 

 shears. Vineries, Melon-pits, &c., much the same as pre- 

 ceding weeks. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Changed plants in, and freshened-up the conservatoiy. 

 Cut down a lot of Pelargoniums. Shifted many plants that 

 they may be rooted before winter ; but the great work has 



