July 4, 1M7. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



U 



and the formation of new plantations, the f ai-ther progress of 

 the rnnners ehnuld be stopped. Some Rood soil shoiild be pre- 

 pared for tlie reception of the plants as they become sufficientlv 

 tooted for beMinR-oiit. They will thus bo utroiig for final 

 planting out in autumn, and will bear well next siason. Cut 

 ofl the bloom from the latest Alpine Strawberries ; the flowers 

 after this period will be suflicient for the latcbt crop. 



FLOWEK GAIIDEK. 



Continue to clear away everything decaying, and to introduce 

 good plants from pots in the reserve ground. A good reserve 

 garden, if projicrly situated and systeraaticKllyp lanued and con- 

 ducted. Would ho one of the most useful plots of ground about 

 a garden. Such a valuable adjuuot would, however, require 

 the conitimt attendance of a man popscssing some little know- 

 ledge of tiowers. and therefore could not be curried out where 

 there is a deficiency of labour power. Jlecayed patches of 

 bulbs, which are retpiired to stand for early-spring tlowering. 

 may have Verbenas or other plants introiiuced fn m pots be- 

 tween them. Cuttings of Pansies should be planted out in 

 Buccession before the shoots are too much exhausted. Remove 

 from standard Roses aU suckers as they appear; likewise 

 ihorten bnek any over-luxuriant shoots, find bud choice kinds. 

 Beds that Imvp been tilled with early-blooming ani>nal.'<. itc, 

 shouM bo clemed off, and replanted with oUier tilings. The 

 plants raised from the first sowing of Biompton Stocks should 

 be pricked out in borders and pots, placing the latter in the 

 Bhade for a few days, and then exposing them to the influence 

 of the sun and air. Continue to put in pipings of Pinks. Ex- 

 tract deciived peta s from the pods in wliich the seed is form- 

 ing. Auricula nnd Polyanthus seed ought to be carefully cid- 

 lectod. It should be retained in the capsules til! tbe proper 

 season for sowing. Perhaps the best way of preserving it is 

 to tie the stems together in small bunches, insert them in 

 Hun paper bags, and suspend them in a dry, airy place. 



prefer to strike them in good light soil in a frame, where they 

 can bo protected from heavy falls of rain or thunder showerg. 

 Polygalas, and similar hardwooded plants which have dona 

 blooming, should he pruned buck rather closely, and placed in 

 a cool bituation to start again. — W. Kjsane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



OTSEKN-nOUSK AND CONSEBVATOrY. 



Tliis should now be a perfect blaze of flowers. Balsams, 

 Cockscombs, HvdrangPrts, Gnrdenias, Fuchsias, &c., should 

 •onstitntp important objects of deco'ation at this season, inter- 

 mingled witb vnrious hardwooded plants, which are of course, 

 in-doors whilst in flower. The beautiful Japan Lilies are now 

 fast apprnncbing perfection. As they are succulent in growth, 

 never stint them of water, but keep them well and liberally 

 supplied. Tbe flower-stems should be properly staked, so as 

 to keep them witliin due bounds. Clerodendrons will enjoy 

 liquid munore constantly, with liberal shifts if not already 

 done. The Tree Violets should have the side shoots constantl.y 

 pinched off. Sollya heterophylla is a very useful pbmt, and 

 deserving a place in every greenhouse ; fixed to the tri His and 

 •onstnntly stopped, it forms a very ornamenlal shrub. The 

 Camellias out of doors to ho surfaced with fresh soil if they 

 reqnire it. Cinerr.rino, wliethcr seedlings or suckers, should 

 have regular attention, and those intended for autumn mui-t 

 be potted forward without delay. Fuchsias look best when 

 grown in the pyramidal shnpe; the drooping branches should 

 display a uniform appearance all around the idant, the outward 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Storing Water.— The bright sun and north winds np to the 

 end of the month tried tender crops very much, especially if 

 not long planted. AVo took the opportunity to dig every piece 

 of spare ground, so as to be ready for planting out more 

 winter stull as soon as there was likely to be a change, as now 

 so much time in waleiing would be required, and water itself 

 is becoming scarce with us. In ten days of such weather 

 the supply would be nearly exhausted. At the present time 

 we know of several instances where a bouse has been built and 

 gardens are being fmced, and tbe snpply of water is only now 

 beginning to be thought of. Where there is near at hand a 

 river, or even a rivulet that docs not dry up in summer, or 

 where water is known to be abundant at a few feet beneath the 

 surface, then it is excusable if the water question becomes one 

 of the last to be considered ; but it is very different when a 

 large household establishment and a fair-sized garden are to b« 

 supplied, and the latter, unlike a field that generally prodnoeB 

 only one crop in the season, has to carry many and siiccessional 

 crops in the same ground, and for which successions moisture 

 must be had, and when for the water wanted in both cases you 

 must depend on wlat can be obtained from some 500 feet below 

 the su) face, or what can he saved in ponds and tanks supplied 

 from the clouds. 



It used to be an old axiom, that every house, he it cottage or 

 mansion, in ordinary years, had as much rain on its roof ag, 

 if saved up, would meet all the water wants of the inmates. 

 It is one of the good signs of the times that water is mora 

 ] plentifully used in lioufeholds than formerly, and therefore it 

 [ may be doubted if the axiom would now hold true, even were 

 ; tanks and reservoirs large enongh to hold nil tbe rain water, 

 which we believe is very seldom the case. We know that the 

 rain that falls on greenhouses, even if saved, will not be suffi- 

 , cient for these houses if watering must bo resorted to all th« 

 year round. Water suitable for garden purposes might, how- 

 ever, generally be secured in plenty, were the rain which faUa 

 I in heavy thunderstorms, as it did" this year, alone on hard 

 gravel walks nnd courtyards, conveyed and stored up in a large 

 ■ reservoir. With most of our walks this season, several times 

 covered 4 inches deep, the drains all full, and vaking away the 

 superfluous water as fast as they could, we could not hut think 

 ' that in these several thunderstorms, besides what found its 

 way through the earth, there was enough fell on hard roads, 

 walks, i-c, to have supplied all the watering wanted for one 

 year, if not for two. Our tanks did not fill at all as we ex- 

 pected from these deluging rains, as the spouts could be no 



yOTing shoots being secured to the main stem bv twisted bast '""''*' "'"" '^""' """^ ""^ water consequently poured over them. 



in preference to the ol.l method of tying each bnincli to a sepa- 

 rate stick. Afford a free admission of air. shade from bright 

 annshine, and give liquid manure occasionally. 



6T0TE. 



Endeavour from this period to establiph rather a robust than 

 a_ rapid growth in the mnjoiity of stove plants. Do this, and 

 give air most freely at all fitting opportiinilies. avoiding, how- 

 eyer, cold currents. Continue to keep Orchids in a growing 

 state actively at work, in ortJer to secure largo pseudo-bulbs, 

 for on this depends the flowering. When they only produce 

 fculhs weaker tlinn those of the preceding season there must be 

 something wrong, nnd they will, of course, flower much more 

 weakly, if at all. ?.fiiinlain a very humid atmosphere by copious 

 syringingfl, or whatever other means there mny be at command. 

 Plants which are coming into bloom should be removed into a 

 •ooler temperature, exposing them gradually. 



riTS AND FUAMES. 



Cnttingq of herbaceous plants should be put in unr'er hand- 

 fights in shady situations. Shift and stop ChrvsHnthemums, 

 applyiug manure to tbera occasionally. Shift" Balsams and 

 other tender annuals ; shade during the heat of the dav, and 

 sprinkle with water in the afternoon. All the cuttings "of Pe- 

 largoniums that can now be obtained should be put in ; (hey 

 will make fine strong plants for keeping over the winter. They 

 will succeed in a bed of light soil in the open ground, but we 



It would perb.Tps be economical to have larger pipes and sponts 

 merely to meet these exceptional downpourings. Tbe simple 

 fact, however, remains that, whether from position or otherwise, 

 where water is scarce and large fertile gardens are wanted, 

 plenty of tanks and reservoirs to husband and preserve for nsa 

 the rain water, should bo calculated npon and considered aa 

 essentials for primary expenditure. 



We sometimes hear quite enough about the expense of labour 

 in gardens, and tbe contrast is drawn between one garden and 

 another, though there be no similarity in the succession of 

 crops, and less similarity still as to the water supply. For 

 instance, we have three gardens, in many respects similar, in 

 our mind's eye. In one, for many years all the water that 

 could be obtained to houses, pits, and cropping, came throngh 

 a small brass tap in a corner, with a small wooden tub beneath 

 it, the tap conneeled with a pipe from a pond. As nothingbnt 

 tbe little tub could be placed beneath this tap, and as every 

 drop of water wanted had to be taken from thence, it need not 

 be wondered that but little was carried, and the first crops 

 were generally the only crops worth looking at, and, if a dry 

 summer set in early. Strawberries generally dried up instead 

 of swelling. We had several limes heard the little labour spent 

 on this garden talked about. We always thought there was 

 quite enough, and more than enough, for the produce. 



In the second garden, in addition to snch a tap there was a 

 tank or two ; but the most of the water that was wanted out 



