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JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE QABDENEB. 



( August 8, 1367. 



tractive — merely sticking them in 8 or I'i-inch lengths among 

 the brancben of the tree, and blowing out the insects into water 

 in the morning. 



For the first time this season we have had some plants in 

 orchard-houses attacked with the red spider. As these plants 

 were mostly small we washed them with a brush and soft-soap 

 water. The back wall also showed a leaf here and there af- 

 fected, and knowing how soon the insect spreads, we daubed 

 a paint of soft soap and sulphur on the few open spaces we 

 could get the brush at. We regret that we did not do this 

 earlier, before the leaves of the young shoots covered all the 

 space. The fruit was too far advanced to use soap water for 

 syringing, which when clear, made on purpose, and not too 

 strong, is an excellent remedy for the red spider, shutting the 

 insects up, as it were, and preventing their free movement. A 

 fortnight ago, as soon as a leaf showed the mark of a red spider, 

 the earliest house was lashed with sulphur-lime water, and that, 

 if it will not destroy all the insects, will keep them in cheek so 

 as to do little or no injury until the fruit is gathered. We are 

 giving two or three washings a-week to the later house, but 

 have left oft such washings in the earliest, as after the fruit 

 was freely swelling, we should be afraid it might leave a mark. 

 We have never seen any bad effects of such a wash on Peaches 

 and Nectarines when used before the second swelling, even 

 though the liquid have a milk-like whiteuess when used, as 

 that all disappears as it dries ; but we may repeat what we 

 have more than once stated, that such liquid is injurious to 

 Strawberries in forcing-houses, arresting their swelling, &c. 



We may here repeat how the liquid is made. One pound of 

 quicklime and 1 lb. of flowers of sulphur are mixed together 

 in a gallon of water, in a stout kettle. The mixture is made to 

 boil for ten minutes or so, stirring all the time, and taking care 

 that none runs over. When all is settled iu the pot and cool, 

 pour off the clear brown-looking liquid into a large earthen- 

 ware bottle or other receptacle, and you may boil again if you 

 please, though the second liquor will not be of half the strength. 

 The liquid from the first boiling must be used very sparingly. 

 Less than halt a quartern will do for a common garden-pot full 

 of water. We generally use three-parts of an English pint to 

 thirty gallons of water. Even at that strength if the house is 

 shut up after syringing, the liquid will give out a strong sul- 

 phurous scent for the whole evening. 



Proceeded with layering Strawberry plants, syringing those 

 pricked out for potting, and giving vineries, &c., the necessary 

 attention. What we could hardly have credited, we find that 

 good-sized fat sparrows and many smaller birds can make free 

 egress and ingress through one-inch-mesh cord netting. They 

 have almost cleared off a fine lot of Black Tartarian Cherry 

 before we found them out. Well, they have a right to a share. 

 We destroyed more than five dozen of tomtits in the spring, 

 but now every morning we see them hunting over Peach and 

 other trees in the hope of finding a stray green fly to repay 

 them for their labour. 



Not long since we saw a number of starlings and water wag- 

 tails in a heap, as a proof of prowess and successful gun-practice. 

 Both are sure friends to man, and ought ever to be treated as 

 co-workers in securing his best interests. 



ORMAMKNTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Oh, for a little more sun to make the flower-beds look bright 

 and sparkling ! There is as yet, owing to the rains, a shadowy 

 dulnesB over the beds that nothing will dissipate except a 

 bright Bun. The fields, too, loaded with grain, want a bright 

 sun to give the ears a bright hue. An old first-rate farmer 

 said the other day, "A day of bright sunshine just now is worth 

 a miUion of money to the country." In a utilitarian point of 

 view we can lay no such claim to our flower-beds, but we feel 

 it to be one of the elements of true happiness to be able to look 

 on the bright side of all things, and if they are not so bright 

 as we would like, then we will anticipate the brightness, and in 

 our mind's eye survey them as we would wish to see them. 



In the dry days used the hand-machine on the lawn, to give it 

 tha short soft feel of a Turkey crapet ; trimmed beds, removing 

 a good many of the largest leaves of Scarlet Pelargoniums to 

 give more light and strength to the flower-trusses ; and it ia 

 amazing what a little handling and picking thus does in light- 

 ening up a bed, especially if a bright day tr two, as we expect, 

 come after it. Secured the straight lines of ribbon-borders, 

 and for this purpose nothing answers better than a few straight 

 sticks connected with very small though stout cord, which, 

 after a day or two, is inconspicuous, though serving its allotted 

 purpose admirably, doing away pretty well with all necessity 

 for future nipping and training, if due attention has previously 



been bestowed on the natural heights of the plants. In soma 

 cases, as in a back row of Gladiolus mixed with Salvia fulgens, 

 two strings have been requisite to keep the fine spikes of the 

 former in their allotted space, and the Salvia is showing bloom 

 to succeed them when the first blaze is over. 



As respects ourselves, there is nothing in the flower garden 

 that absolutely takes the shine off the picture, except the way 

 in which the rabbits have used our Lobelias, Verbenas, and the 

 purple-leaved Oxalis. The latter was splendid last year. We 

 have a row between yellow-variegated Arabis and dwarf yellow 

 Calceolaria, and the effect would have been fine if the OxaUs 

 could get much above the ground. We have almost succeeded 

 in freeing the pleasure grounds from rabbits. However, there 

 are still enough left after all our efforts to destroy or expel 

 them to do all the mischief referred to, though nothing in 

 comparison to what they did last year. Many places are de- 

 prived of their completeness from want of toe wreath of blue 

 wliicli they would have had from our good plants of Lobelia 

 but for the rabbits eating them down almost every night. A 

 mowing machine or a scythe could hardly have stumped them 

 better. 



This allusion will do good it the proprietors of gardens 

 become convinced, that the results < f alowing rabbits to find 

 their way into their pleasure grounds cannot bo counteracted 

 until a long time has elapsed, if there is plenty of cover in which 

 they can squat and burrow. Our last hunt gave us only one 

 rabbit for our trouble, but the next night too truly told us 

 that there were others that could not be moved. When pressed 

 hard they will not move until you are quite upon them. This 

 year fruit trees and bu"<hes are much as usual, and we have the 

 pleasure of looking on luxuriant quarters of Peas covered from 

 base to top. Last year the fruit trees in April were like 

 skeletons, and it was of no use putting out Peas, unless they 

 had previously grown at least 4 inches in height. We have 

 strong hopes that next season, it there are not rich wreaths of 

 blue Lobelia, it will Ije as much the fault ot the gardener as 

 the rabbits. If fine flower-beds are wanted, and rabbits are to 

 be protected in the same place, then as the result of experience, 

 and wishing to make the most of circumstances, we say de- 

 dedly. Let the gardener complete his proposed arrangements 

 without enlisting in his service Lobelias, Verbenas, or even the 

 purple-leaved Oxalis. 



Besides this chief attention to making the beds airy and gay, 

 something was done in fresh arranging plant-houses, turning 

 out most of the Pelargoniums, and supplying with Fuchsias, 

 Coleus, Balsams, and other plants, packing afresh Orchids, 

 shifting Balsams, pricking off Primulas, Cinerarias, &c., and 

 sowing herbaceous Calceolarias. Many modes may be re- 

 sorted to in doing the last, but few modes will answer better 

 than the following: — Set in a shady place either one or more 

 hand-lights, or a single-light frame'. Place in it 2 or 3 inches 

 of coal ashes on which to set the pots, or half plunge them. 

 Prepare the pots by filling them half full of drainage, then put 

 in a layer of rough compost, then finer, and then the finest of 

 sandy loam and a little peat towithiu I inch of the rim ; water 

 well, allow the pots to drain for a day, scatter a little light soil on 

 the surface, and on this sow the seeds. Sprinkle over the seeds 

 a little silver sand as thinly as possible, press down slightly, 

 put a square ot glass over the pot, and cover with thick dark 

 paper before the little seedlings show themselves. When the 

 surface of the soil becomes rather dry water not that, but the 

 bed of ashes, &c., and there will be moisture enough without 

 any risk of washing away the small seeds, or causing the 

 young seedlings to damp-off and disappear. — B. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARICET.— Auodst 7. 



Large importntious from the Continent continue to come n ; but car 

 own produce is not so freely offored this week, the soft fruit falling oflf 

 and gi\inK place to Peara and Apples, and Plums. There are also large 

 arrivals of Potatoes, and prices are much lower ; the quality, too, ia good. 



Apples i sieve 



Apricots dn7, o u 



Cherries lb. 6 



Chestnuts bush. 



Currants J sieve 3 6 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



FUborts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 

 Lemons 100 



fl. d. B. d 

 1 Otol 6 



6 



4 

 12 



Melons each 3 



Nectarines doz. 4 



Oranges 100 8 



Peaches doz. 6 



Pears (dessert) . . doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. 4 



Plums J sieve 3 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberriefl lb. 



Strawberries lb. 6 



Walnuts bush. 10 



Greon.... per 100 1 6 



8. d. B. 

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